Dean left Sam to go hunting. He couldn't just feed off Sam. Sam would get too weak. This was going to be a delicate balance. He wished he hadn't left his other meal behind. They looked like they would have fed him for about a month.

SSS

Sam woke up and realized he was alone. He wished he could leave, but he was just so tired. He didn't even think he would make it to the door. Then the door opened and he knew Dean was back. Dean was scary. So nice and accommodating one minute, so angry and abusive the next. He thought he would prefer it if Dean was just totally mean all the time. At least then he would know what to expect.

"Sammy?" John said.

"Dad," Sam said in relief. His dad would help him.

"Where's Dean?"

"I don't know. I woke up a few minutes ago and he was gone."

"And you didn't try to leave?" Bobby asked.

"I got shot and then he fed off of me. I'm so tired," Sam said. His eyes closed and he fell into unconsciousness again.

The door opened again and this time, Dean stood in the moonlight. He hadn't found anyone out and about. But that was OK. He had had a good meal once today. He could still take his father and Bobby. "Get away from him," Dean said.

John flung a knife at him. It had been dipped in dead man's blood. It was time to get this over with.

"NO!" Dean shouted as he pulled the knife out and fainted to the floor.

John walked up to him and poured the contents of the vial he had been carrying around down his throat. Dean convulsed a few times with a nervous John watching on. He realized that he didn't even know for a fact that this worked. They were just working on hearsay. But then, Dean sat up.

"What happened?" Dean asked. He had the biggest headache ever. Then, he remembered everything. "Sam."

"He's fine, Dean," Bobby said. "We should get everybody back to my place before the cops start investigating missing people."

"You take Sam in your car and I'll take Dean in the Impala," John decided, since both cars were parked out front.

Dean went to get in the car, while John helped Bobby carry Sam out. John didn't like how pale Sam was. He checked his wound and was glad to see that it looked like Dean had removed the bullet. "Keep an eye on him," John said gruffly to Bobby.

SSS

Bobby and Sam made it back to his place first. Sam had woken up when they were a few minutes away. He could tell he was in a car and he looked over to see who was driving. The week he was having, he wouldn't have been surprised if it was Hitler. Bobby was a definite pleasant surprise.

"Where are we?" Sam asked.

"Good. You're awake. I was worried about you. We're a couple miles from my place."

Sam nodded. "Where's Dad?"

"He's on his way with Dean."

"Is Dean still a vampire?" Sam asked.

"No, the cure worked," Bobby said as he pulled into his yard.

"Good."

With Bobby's help Sam was able to make it inside and to the couch. He went back to sleep.

John and Dean showed up a few minutes later.

"He's still sleeping?" John asked, concerned.

"He woke up for a little while and got in here under his own steam," Bobby reported.

"Well, we should probably all go to bed," John commanded.

"I'll sleep down here with Sam," Dean said.

"No, you won't. You'll go upstairs," John said.

"But, Dad."

"John's right," Bobby said. "I don't know what all you've done to that boy for the last week, but you do. You gonna tell me he's not going to freak if he wakes up and the only thing he sees is you?"

Dean hung his head. He remembered tying Sam up. Gagging him. Branding him. Punching him. Drinking his blood. He couldn't believe what he had done. It was his job to protect him. Without another word, he went upstairs.

"Do you think they'll be OK, Bobby?" John asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll be fine," Bobby said just to make John feel better. He didn't know what the next day would bring.

SSS

Sam woke up. He didn't know where he was at first, but then he looked around and recognized Bobby's living room. He hadn't been here in years. Some of the best parts of his childhood were spent here. He was hungry, but it was still dark out. He gingerly got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen. He didn't think Bobby would mind if he raided his refrigerator.

Dean came awake when he heard noise coming from downstairs. He wondered if Sam needed help with something. He decided to go downstairs and find out.

"Sam, need help?" Dean asked, when he saw his brother rummaging around in the fridge. Sam jumped and spun around.

"Um, no," Sam said nervously. "I was just hungry. I was looking for something to eat."

"I'll make you something," Dean offered as he approached the refrigerator also.

Sam backed up into the counter, banging his hip against a drawer handle. "Ow," he said.

"You OK?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam said. Intellectually, he knew that Dean wasn't going to hurt him. He was a vampire when he had done all those things to him, but he was still scared of him.

John had heard the noise and came running downstairs. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I was hungry," Sam said.

"I was getting him something to eat," Dean said.

"Dean, why don't you go back to bed and I'll get something for Sam."

Dean knew that tone of voice and it wasn't a suggestion. He went upstairs.

"Sorry, Dad," Sam said, when Dean was gone.

"For what?" John asked.

"Being afraid of Dean."

"It's only natural," John assured him. "Doesn't look like there's much here. PB&J OK?"

"That's fine," Sam said.

"You know we really haven't had a chance to talk. This case is the first time we've been together since you left for college," John said.

"Yeah," Sam said. He wasn't really good with heart to hearts with his father.

"What was Jessica like?" John asked.

Sam looked at him. It wasn't what he was expecting. He was expecting a hunting lecture or something.

"She was beautiful and smart and nice and absolutely amazing," Sam said with a tear creeping into his eye.

"Did you love her?"

Sam just nodded. He was getting choked up. He had been trying not to think about her.

"Sam, I wouldn't have wished that on my worst enemy, much less my son. If I had known…"

"I know, Dad. That's what makes it worse. I did know."

"What do you mean?" John asked.

"I had a vision of it happening."

"A vision?" John asked.

Sam noted the tone of contempt in his father's voice. He should have known better. "Yeah."

"When did they start happening?" John asked.

"I had a few of Jessica a few weeks before. Then, I had a dream about our old house. That's how we ended up in Lawrence that one time. Then I started having visions during the day."

"Well, that's OK," John said. It wasn't, but it wasn't Sam's fault. It had something to do with that demon, but no need to worry Sam over it. "You've finished your sandwich. You should go to bed."

SSS

The next morning, everyone got up and ended up in the kitchen around the same time. "How you feeling Sam?" Bobby asked.

"Pretty good. Still a little weak."

"I'm so sorry, Sam," Dean said. It was his fault Sam was weak.

"It's OK, Dean," Sam said.

"How could it be?" Dean asked.

"No, I mean it. It wasn't your fault. I wasn't expecting you last night and you scared me, but I'm not scared of you now. I'm really not. I know it wasn't you. Vampire you had something in his eyes that's not in yours." It wasn't quite the truth that he wasn't scared of him anymore. But, he would push his feelings down. It's what they always did.

"Well, anything I can do to make up for it," Dean said.

Sam smiled an evil smile.

"I'm so going to regret having said that," Dean said.

John and Bobby laughed. They knew Sam would come up with something creative. John didn't think he'd be around to see what, though. The Colt was still out there and so was the demon. He needed to go after both and he would not risk his sons again.

The End