"Okay, I got one." Sam said as he and Sully each lay upside down on individual beds, staring at each other.

"Hit me."

"Ever think...you can fly?" he asked.

Sully didn't hesitate in his response, "Sometimes," he replied honestly, "Like on really windy days."

Sam laughed, "Kat tried to when she was like three. Nearly broke an arm. Dean just about had a panic attack. Dad was pissed. It was hilarious."

"That is funny," he said with a chuckle, "What about you?"

"Me? I used to. But I actually broke my arm."

Sully laughed boisterously at that. Sam smiled and glanced at Kat, who was passed out in a sugar coma on the couch. It had taken Sully a lot of warming up, but after further convincing Sam that he had no intention of hurting he or Kat, he had insisted on making snacks. Those snacks had turned out to be a multitude of various chocolates, candies, and what Sully claimed was his trademark dish 'marshmallow and candy nachos'. Needless to say, Kat had been in absolute heaven, and after running amuck for about an hour in a massive sugar high, she had crashed and burned.

"Your turn." Sam said.

Sully sat up in thought, and seeing this, Sam did the same, turning so that the two were facing eachother. "Ever think..." Sully said, "That you can eat ten waffles in one sitting?"

Sam shrugged, "I hope so when I'm big," he replied, "Can you?"

Sully sighed, "I tried. Once." He then dramatized retching noises. Sam laughed, which was soon joined in by Sully.

"Ever think..." Sam said, taking on a more serious note, "About running away?" It was a thought that had plagued him for many months, something that he had always thought about, planned even, but never had the courage to actually do. It was always his own excuses that stopped him from doing so- Dean would be worried and do something irrational, Kat would be alone when Dad and Dean left for a hunt, Dad would eventually find him and make his life even more of a living hell.

Sully didn't seem to understand the deeper meaning as he shook his head, "From you? No way."

"No," Sam clarified, "I mean, from here. All of this," he paused before continuing, "The...hunting life."

Sully paused, finally understanding what Sam was implying. He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Do you?" he asked.

Sam stayed silent, wouldn't, couldn't bring himself to speak, to say the actual words aloud. So he nodded.

Sully's expression turned more serious as he thought about what to say to that, came up empty. "Hmm." he said instead, "Ever think...then maybe you wanna go to school? Make some friends?"

Of course I think about that, Sam wanted to say. He thought about it everyday, every second while they were on the road, while they were leaving his school, his teachers, his not-quite-but-almost friends behind. Sam wasn't like Dean, or hell, even Kat, who could make friends in the couple of weeks they were at a place and then just as easily say goodbye. He wanted to be like that, he really did, but he guessed that he just inherited his father's more antisocial tendencies, pulled the short end of the straw in sociability. But he had Sully now, even if he was imaginary, and that was all the friends he needed.

"I have you." he replied.

Sully smiled and let out a small laugh, "Yeah." he agreed, "Yeah you do. But one day you won't."

Sam frowned. The hell was that supposed to mean? He had literally just met the guy today and he was already planning to dip out on him? Could imaginary friends even do that?

Sully leaned forward, his tone serious, "Sam, I want you to listen to me. You can be whatever you want to be. You're not Dean. You're not your dad. You're Sam." Sully smiled then, his tone once again turning jovial, "Sam is so awesome."

Sam smiled at that. "Can you imagine running away?" he asked, "My dad would kill me."

Sully shrugged, "It's your choice, Sam." he said, "It's your life. I mean, it's all up to you."

Sam looked to Sully, stared into his trusting gaze, thought of how nice it would be to just get away, almost agreed even but...then he looked to Kat. His baby sister, his only sister, and only younger sibling for that matter. He thought of how she would wake up in a few hours after he left, how she would be all alone, confused of what happened to her big brother whom she trusted. How she would probably assume the worst, probably call in Dad and Dean, maybe even go out in search of Sam herself. He thought of how vulnerable she looked at the hands of that monster not even a full two weeks ago, how, for a brief moment, he was sure that she was going to die, how it would've been his fault because he wasn't there to protect her. Sam wanted to leave, even if it wasn't forever. He wanted to leave so badly, but he couldn't. No, he wouldn't because even if his life was crappy motel rooms and monster hunting and no friends, it was his life, and he'd never be able to leave that behind. No matter how hard he tried.

"I wouldn't have anywhere to go anyway," he said, giving Sully a small smile, "But hey, we can still hang out here, right?"

Sully returned the smile, "Right." he replied.

It was another couple of days before Dad and Dean returned from their hunt. Their arrival was perfect timing, since Kat had begun to go a little stir crazy and if Sam was being completely honest, he was too. Unlike Kat, however, he had restrained himself from almost literally bouncing off the walls but... he was still ten at the end of the day. And a ten year old could only cope with being cooped up in a cramped motel room for so long. Especially when they also had to deal with their incredibly annoying and antsy five year old sister. Needless to say, when Sam was pouring himself a bowl of cereal to eat after having to practically beg Kat to eat her breakfast (which he totally didn't get since she always listened to Dean), he was more than relieved to hear the familiar rumble of the Impala pulling up outside. Kat had apparently heard it too as she looked away from the TV, which was currently playing a rerun of Disney's The Little Mermaid, and to the door as the knob twisted shortly after.

"Dean!" she exclaimed in excitement, not even allowing her brother to fully enter the room before running over and latching onto his legs. Sam noticed as his brother winced at the impact, but in typical Dean fashion, hid his discomfort quickly enough and smiled as he affectionately rubbed Kat's head. Examining his brother, Sam could tell even from the distance they were standing at how... beaten he looked. His hair, which Dean had practically began obsessing over since the 7th grade, was a disheveled mess and Sam could tell that he hadn't gotten much sleep the last couple of days given how sunken in and dulled his normally vibrant green eyes were. His bottom lip was also cut as if he had chewed through it, a habit that Sam had seen his brother do on the rare occasions that he actually allowed himself to express severe pain (in his own twisted, self-destructive way of course).

"Daddy!" Kat yelled, snapping Sam from his thoughts as she unlatched from Dean and ran to John, who had come in behind. Dad barely had enough time to drop his stuff to the floor before Kat barreled into him, laughing as he lifted her high up in the air. Sam examined his father as well. Like Dean, he looked rather worse for the wear. Sam frowned, what kind of hunt had Dad taken himself and Dean on?

"Hey." he said, walking up to his brother.

Dean grunted in reply as he dropped his bag to the floor, collapsing onto the couch as threw an arm over his eyes.

Sam looked at his brother with concern, "Are you-"

"I'm fine, Sam." Dean cut in.

Well that was complete BS if Sam had ever heard it before. "Sure." he said, actively restraining himself from asking the dozens of swirling questions in his mind. He looked to his father as he opened the fridge, rummaging for something before slamming it shut.

"We don't have anymore beer?" he asked Sam.

Sam shrugged, "You didn't buy some before you left." he replied.

John grunted, "I'm going out." he announced. Sam didn't even bother to mention the fact that it was eight in the morning as he nodded. "Okay." he said.

"Bye, Daddy!" Kat waved.

The second John was out the door, Sam looked back to Dean. Dean pretended to not notice him. Sam continued staring. Dean ignored him. This went on for one, two, three minutes when...

"Argh! Dammit, Sam! I told you I'm fine!" Dean exclaimed, removing his arm to glare at his brother.

Sam raised an eyebrow, "How was it?" he asked.

"Fine, Sam. Everything is fine." Dean replied.

"Where'd you go?"

"Out."

"Dean."

Dean sighed in exasperation, "Fine. We went back, okay? To look for the...the thing that almost got..." he trailed off as he glanced at Kat.

Sam's gaze lit up in understanding, "So did you get it?"

Dean huffed in frustration, "No. It wasn't there. Vanished. Didn't even leave behind any tracks."

Sam frowned in confusion, "So what happened to you, then?"

Dean groaned, "I'm fine."

Sam was unrelenting, "That's not what I asked."

"Dad found another hunt, okay? We went there instead, tracked the thing, and I killed it, alright? Geez. Anything else you'd like to know, princess?"

With the way Dean said it, it would have been so easy to miss it. Anyone else probably would have too. Hell, if it wasn't for Sam's observant nature, he would've missed it.

"I killed it..." Dean had...Dad had forced Dean to...to take his first kill? Red hot rage boiled up in Sam and at that moment, he wanted nothing more to storm out that door, find out whatever shitty bar their Dad had gone to and...and...he didn't even know what he wanted to do to him, he was so mad. He forced himself to calm down though, or at least conceal that rage, because Dean needed him right now. Even more than Dad needed a serious ass kicking.

"Where is it?" Sam asked, straightforward because he really didn't want to play his brother's games right now.

"The hell are you talking about?" Dean said.

"You know what," Sam replied, "The injury, Dean! The one that you're dead set on hiding from me. Where is it?"

"For the millionth time, Sam, I'm-"

"Do I really have to body check you?" Sam interrupted, "Because that'd be awkward for the both of us."

"It got one good hit in, Sam. And obviously, it wasn't even that good since I'm still kicking. Plus, Dad patched me up and-"

"Let me see it." Sam cut in.

"Sam-"

"Dean."

Dean grumbled, recognizing a losing battle when he saw one, and begrudgingly, he tenderly removed his shirt to reveal a long ugly gash across his chest sewed together with tight and uniform military-style stitches.

Sam gasped softly, "Shit, Dean."

Dean rolled his eyes, "Sam, I'm-"

Sam glared at him, "Shut up. I'll be right back." he walked into the bathroom.

"Are you okay, Dean? How'd you get your owie?"

Dean jumped at Kat's voice. He had completely forgotten that she was even there for a moment. He looked down at the five year old, only standing a foot away from him as she stared up at him with large, tear-filled turquoise eyes. He forced a smile through the constant ache of his wound, trying to look as reassuring as possible.

"Oh, this?" He said, his tone cocky, "It's just a scratch, don't worry. Looks a lot worse than it actually is."

Kat frowned, "Really? Cause it looks pretty bad..."

"Hey," Dean said, comforting, "I'm fine."

Kat looked unconvinced, "That's what you told Sammy and he didn't believe you."

"Yeah, well, Sammy's wrong."

"But you say that he's super smart all the time. Daddy too. And doesn't that mean he's usually right?" Kat refuted.

"That's different."

"How?"

Dean groaned. What was this? An interrogation? All he wanted was to come back to some peace and quiet and sleep for a thousand years, was that so much to ask? Sam returned then, holding a first aid kit.

Dean groaned again. "Oh my god, Sam. I told you Dad took care of it."

Sam was unphased as he pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a face towel, "Dad stopped you from bleeding out. You still have to worry about infection and keeping it clean until it's healed." he said.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Fine. Give it to me, then. I'll do it myself."

"No." Sam said simply as he doused the towel in the alcohol and began gently dabbing at Dean's chest.

"When the hell did you become my mom?"

Sam ignored him as he continued in his task. Dean huffed, looking peeved though he was inwardly grateful towards his brother. The simple act of moving had been absolute hell for him since getting this wound. He leaned his head back so it was against the couch as he closed his eyes, trying to will the memories of exactly how he got injured away so that he wouldn't think of what happened after that, how he had grabbed his knife and... Shut up. He told himself. He didn't want to think about it and as far as he knew, that was the perfect excuse to not think about it. He was fine. He was safe and that was over and he was with Sam and Kat and Dad was at a nearby bar, completely safe. He felt something soft thrown over him and it was only then that he realized that Sam had somehow managed to both clean and bandage his wound without him noticing. Usually he'd chastise himself for such a lack of awareness but at the moment he simply couldn't bring himself to care. He subtly snuggled into the blanket, finally allowing himself to fully relax and his mind to go blank.

Yep, he was completely fine.

So we got to see more of Sully and Sam interactions (and for those who didn't notice, I referenced to Sam's flashback of Sully in episode 8 of season 11 except with my own little twist towards the end). Anyway, we also got to see a little bit of angst from Sam and Dean and more adorableness from Kat! I hope you liked the chapter and remember, reviews are always welcome!