A/N: Hello my dear readers. As some of you suggested, I am posting the third in the Blood Brother series with the same characters from the first story. I loved writing them again and I hope you will enjoy the journey we are about to take. It will be happy at first but things will get rocky and down right impassable before the end. So don't say I didn't warn you. Special thanks to Clowns or Midgets for being my sounding board when I hit a bump in the road. Your insight was helpful. Reviews are what keep me writing. Enjoy the read... NC

Chapter 1

Dean looked up from the morning paper as Sam made his way up the steps from his apartment in the basement looking tired and in need of coffee.

"Did you have a rough shift?" Dean asked pointing to a bar stool as he got up to pour him coffee and fix it like he liked it.

"Yeah, I think every crazy was out the past few days and wanted to cause some type of accident. But it was to be expected since it was a full moon yesterday and that always increases our calls," Sam replied yawning as he dropped heavily into his seat. "Thanks," he nodded accepting the offering of coffee pushed in front of him. He blew across the top and took a sip, sighing with the goodness.

"How many days you off for?" Dean questioned as the wheels started turning in his head.

"Four days."

"Breakfast?"

"Don't you need to get to work?" he questioned looking at the clock on the microwave.

"I have a little time," he said turning to the fridge to pull out eggs, butter, milk and juice. "How 'bout some pancakes and eggs?" Dean knew if he left Sam on his own, his idea of breakfast would be a bowl of cold cereal or granola bar. He thought he was skinny enough and needed to put some weight on to beef himself up.

"Only if I can help," Sam insisted seeing there was no stopping Dean. He knew why Dean was doing this but didn't say anything knowing it wouldn't do any good. Dean was a worse mother hen than his own mother and he had learned to accept it over the years.

"You can get the eggs ready," Dean told him looking in the cabinet for the pancake mix. He got down several bowls and sat one by Sam and pulled the griddle out and plugged it in to heat up.

Sam pulled the carton of eggs toward him and started cracking them into the bowl. He added salt and pepper and milk before whisking them while Dean put together the pancake batter. He checked the griddle deciding it needed to heat a little more and got out plates so they'd be ready. He spooned batter onto the hot surface and listened to it sizzle as they began to cook.

Sam took in the enticing aroma and heard his stomach grumble in hunger. He blushed slightly and rubbed his stomach.

"Hold on tiger," Dean chuckled when he heard the rumble coming from Sam. "Did you not eat on your shift?"

"When I got a chance," Sam shrugged looking away not wanting to tell him it wasn't much. He hadn't had time for a sit down meal and what he got was on the run.

"Just as I thought," Dean surmised knowing he wasn't telling him the truth but didn't press him.

He quickly flipped the pancakes and heated the frying pan for the eggs. He easily multi-tasked, and got the eggs going so they'd be hot along with the pancakes.

"Here we go, eat them while they're hot," Dean said a little while later as he sat plates on the bar with pancakes and eggs. He poured juice and pushed it Sam's way. "What say we do something this afternoon?"

"Like what?" Sam asked pausing before putting a fork of eggs in his mouth. He poured only a small amount of syrup over the pancakes before cutting off a bite. "These are the best..." he mumbles around the bite quickly taking another.

"Slow down Sammy, no ones going to take it from you," Dean cautioned him watching him stuff his mouth.

"Sorry," Sam mumbled around the food in his mouth and took a sip of juice to wash it down. "Didn't know how hungry I was." He wiped his mouth and asked, "Don't you have to work this afternoon?"

"I can leave early, I am the boss after all," Dean shrugged taking a bite of eggs and looking thoughtful.

"What did you have in mind?" Sam questioned.

"I'll work it out by then. Why don't you get some more rest and dress casual."

"You know I don't like surprises Dean."

"I know," he smirked but didn't tell him anything else. He finished up and took his dishes to the sink to rinse and put in the dishwasher. "Do what I said Sammy, you need some more sleep," he told him before grabbing his jacket and bag and heading into the garage. He ran a hand lovingly over his Baby, a sleek, shiny, black '67 Impala, and moved to the SUV beside it. Dean didn't drive the Impala to work; he had a company car for that.

spn

Dean Winchester and Sam Campbell had become blood brothers when Dean was given a protection case to guard Sam so he could testify on a murder he had seen. They had to go off the radar in order to keep Sam safe and Dean did something he never let himself do with an assignment; he let himself care more than professionally for Sam. Their professional relationship went from friendship to family. They became brothers in every sense but blood. After Sam was safe, Dean had him move in with him and they went on a couple of road trips across the country to take in some of the main attractions and experience things they had never done before. Sam not only got a big brother in the deal, but he got a new family. Dean had called on his old Marine team to help with the assignment when his cousin was killed and it became personal for him. Everyone adopted Sam into their mismatch family. He had four brothers and one sister now who looked out for him and helped him when he needed it.

They moved from Austin, Texas to Penrose, Colorado so Dean could take a new position in the company he worked for. He gave Sam the choice to come with him or stay in Austin and of course Sam chose the first choice, hands down. Instead of continuing his medical career, Sam chose to become a paramedic so he could help people in the field where he thought his medical training could be used the better. He worked in Colorado Springs where Dean's office was too. They had found a large house with a basement apartment for Sam so he could have his personal space when he wanted it and they had been living there for nearly three years.

With a little help, Dean had found them a place that was situated on five acres of land for privacy, which had a four bedroom house on it with a large kitchen for cooking, large family room for hanging out, three car garage, and basement apartment. He took an outside building and converted it into a gym for them to workout. It had a large deck on the back where they had cookouts when the others could get together and visit. They also visited Maverick's family to see Dean's namesake, little Dean. Shadow, Storm, Nitro, Dean and Sam all spoiled the child rotten much to his parents dismay. Maverick threatened to ship him off to Gunny, as his fellow team called him, a few times when he became unmanageable, but all it took was a phone call and a heart to heart with Dean to settle him down.

The team was ecstatic when they learned of their plans to move to Colorado since it would put them much closer and allowed them to get together more often. Dean used his ex-teammates on occasions whenever he could for assignments with his company knowing they were the best and they could be trusted. It took him awhile to build up his team at work with people he felt comfortable with and knew could do the job. The company gave him full control and that was how he liked it.

spn

Sam finished his breakfast and added his dishes to the dishwasher deciding there wasn't enough yet to turn it on. He did need to do some laundry and went downstairs to get it so that'd be done and out of the way. He flipped on the television to catch some news so his food could settle before he lay back down. His job was hard some days but it was rewarding. Especially when he knew that he had saved a life in the field that might not have been saved if he wasn't there.

Over the past couple of years of being a paramedic, he had gotten a couple of commendations for going above and beyond the call of duty, but he played them down not wanting to be in the spotlight. He was just glad he could make a difference and help people.

Sam started channel surfing after the news as his mind wandered to what Dean had in mind this afternoon. He was always springing surprises on him, but he really didn't mind that was just Dean. He settled down with a rerun of Supernatural waiting for the clothes to finishing washing so he could get them in the dryer and then he'd go try to catch a few more zzz's before Dean came back home.

It was going to be nice to have the next four days off to rest up before having to head back to work. Sam had picked up extra shifts the past few times so he could put away a little extra money for Christmas presents. He paid Dean rent after a heated argument about it, but it was way less than he would pay for an apartment around here. Sam didn't have many bills, just the usual, car insurance, cell, gas for car, clothes; the normal things a person has. They took turns buying groceries so it worked out well. Dean was even teaching him how to cook which was a miracle in itself since he used to burn most of what he tried to make. Sam told Dean he was a lost cause, but Dean would not give up and kept at it until Sam had mastered several of the easier recipes and could fix a meal on his own.

spn

Sam was just finishing getting dressed when Dean called to him from upstairs that he was home.

"I'll be up in a minute," Sam called back as he slipped on his shoes and grabbed his jacket.

"I'm going to change clothes and we'll head out," Dean told him before heading down the hall toward his bedroom.

"That's fine," Sam replied heading for the fridge to snag a bottle of green tea. He took a seat on the bar stool to wait on Dean wondering what they were going to do this afternoon. They were at least going to have good weather for whatever he had in store.

Dean came back out twenty minutes later dressed in jeans, tee shirt, button up shirt and boots. He grabbed a water from the fridge and his jacket before heading for the garage.

"We're eating out tonight by the way," Dean told him as they got in his Baby. He opened the garage door and started her up listening to her roar to life before settling down in a loud purr. "I know, I've missed you too Baby," Dean mumbled to the car as he stroked the steering wheel lovingly.

Sam was used to Dean's love affair with his Baby and didn't comment about it as he settled into the passenger seat. He had to admit that the couple of times he had driven the Impala she acted up on him. It was like she knew he wasn't Dean and let him know it.

Dean drove down the driveway and hit the main road to head into town. Sam watched the scenery passing by wondering where they were going and was really puzzled when he pulled into a Lowes Hardware store. Dean parked his Baby where it would hopefully not get any dings and got out followed by Sam.

"Umm...Dean is there some project we're going to do I don't know about?" Sam asked trying to rack his mind of anything Dean might have said that he might have forgotten.

"You know Hot Rod's third birthday is coming up next month and I was going to check out getting the materials for a tree house/jungle gym for him. I figured we could split the cost five ways and take a three day weekend since his birthday is on Sunday this year and all of us working together we could get it together for him. I already talked to Maverick about it and where he wants it in the backyard," Dean explained as they walked toward the store. "When it gets closer, I was going to come back and pick out what we want on it and have them contact the Lowes near Maverick and have it delivered."

"That's a great idea. He'll be able to get a lot of use out of it. So you're going for the wooden kind right?"

"Absolutely. We'll make sure the tree house is weather proof and the windows work so he can have his own hide away."

"Oh and we could put a cargo net on one side and slide and monkey bars!" Sam said getting excited about the idea and planning it out in his head. "You're the best Uncle Gunny there is."

"I know," Dean beamed proudly. His namesake would want for nothing as long as he and his team were around. They'd make sure of it.

They followed the signs until they found the kits for jungle gyms and looked at all the options available. Sam grabbed brochures and started scribbling prices and what he thought young Dean would like. Dean checked out the model put together and checked that it was made well and sturdy and could be assembled fairly easily. He talked with one of the workers to be sure it could be shipped from another store and paid for there.

"Let me call Maverick so he can measure where he wants it, to be sure there will be room," Dean said pulling out his cell and dialing. He listened to it ring until it was picked up. "Hey, how are things on the home front?...Good to hear...I need a little assistance...So that thing we talked about, I need to know how much space we're looking at to be sure it fits...That's fine, yeah put him on...Hey there Hot Rod, are you being a good boy for Mommy and Daddy?"

"Uncle Gunny! When you comin' visit me?" young Dean said loudly.

"Well let's see is someone having a birthday soon?" Dean teased looking at Sam who was smiling.

"Me!" he cried.

"I wouldn't miss that."

"Uncle Sammy talk?" he asked.

"Here he wants to talk to you. I have one more question and then we're out of here," Dean told Sam as he handed over his cell.

"Hey there Dean," Sam said picturing young Dean on the other end.

"I done book," he said happily.

"Wow! Already? Well I'll have to be sure to send you another one and we'll see about maybe getting you a couple for your birthday," Sam chuckled with his excitement.

"Yah! I love you. I love Uncle Gunny too."

"I'll be sure and tell him."

"Hey Sam, tell Dean the space is like forty feet long so I don't think there'll be a problem. If he needs more we can work it out."

"Sure thing Maverick. Give Sarah my love."

"I will, you guys take care and we'll see you soon," he replied before hanging up.

"Dean, he said forty feet plus," Sam told him as he handed back his cell.

"Perfect. I got what I need, let's head over to the farmer's market and pick up some fresh produce and we can eat at the restaurant there. They always have good food."

"Sounds good to me," Sam nodded gathering the brochures he had picked up and followed him out. "Can we run by the bookstore? I want to get Dean another workbook since he's finished the last one I sent."

"Sure, he's going to be a nerd before he even gets in school," Dean chuckled.

"It doesn't hurt to be prepared you know," Sam answered.

"I'm sure you'll make sure of that. He's already smarter than most his age."

"So is everyone going to come over this weekend since we both have it off?" he asked getting into the Impala.

"Ni can and Shadow, haven't got a reply back from Storm yet. Thought we could grill and see if there are any games on."

"When have you heard from your Dad?"

"I sent him a text last week. He's visiting Bobby and has a job lined up but he's going to try and come to Hot Rod's birthday party."

"It'll be nice to see him again."

"How 'bout your Mom and stepfather?"

"They're doing fine. They're heading for England this week with his work and Mom can't wait. She loves it over there and they're going to take a week and go into Scotland."

"Good to hear. Oh, and thank her for that recipe she send me when you talk to her next."

"I can't believe you're sharing recipes with my Mom," Sam laughed happy everyone was getting alone so well. He had been a little concerned she wouldn't want him to move, but she was happy for him and glad he was doing something he loved with being a paramedic. His Mom loved Dean from the moment they met and was even more impressed when they started talking about cooking and recipes. He had taken it all in stride and was at least happy he had mastered a couple of recipes.