Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the sand in my own sandbox… (dang it!)

NOTE#1: I normally would post this on Wednesday but my computer was being worked on all day yesterday. Gkids put like 300 Weather apps on my sidebar and locked up my 'puter. Took forever to fix! We are now Kansas residents and I want to sincerely beg for forgiveness for this taking so long to post! I really hope it was worth the wait. They finally got my internet up Tuesday. Thanks so much for the favs and alerts and reviews! This is number 2 of I'm back, right? Hope it's all you dreamed hotshow... this is also for all the others (C) who have waited patiently...

Chapter 1

"Bobby, I gotta tell ya this is freaking me out, dude." Dean said looking up from the carburetor he was adjusting for the third time that morning. He muttered softly as he ran a hand through his hair, "I can't let Sammy see me rattled." He stopped again as he slammed the hood down on the impala, chucking the tool in his hand to the ground as he whispered, "I don't want him to know."

"That you're worried… Dean." Bobby looked up from the tools he was putting away as he told his surrogate son, "Anyone with in a mile of you can feel the tension rolling off you…"

Dean sighed as he leaned back against the impala's grill before he finally said, "But it's been a week."

"Dean, the monk said give him time." Bobby told him as he handed him a grease rag.

Dean started wiping his hands as he looked at Bobby with an expression that clearly said a week was a lot of time for him to wait.

Bobby chuckled as he admitted, "You've never been one for patience."

"It's Sammy." He stated flatly, which in Dean language meant he had waited long enough when five minutes… no two minutes had passed.

"I know, Dean… I know." Bobby wanted to make contact with Dean but felt a shoulder squeeze at the moment might have Dean bolting so he chose to stand there and listen.

"He's scared." Dean commented as he tossed the rag towards the table in frustration.

Bobby nodded as he thought to himself, so are you as he told him aloud, "Give it a little more time."

"How can it…' Dean sighed again as he stood to start pacing back and forth in front of his baby before he continued, "How can he be perfectly fine one minute and unable to put two words together the next?"

Bobby studied Dean a few seconds before he said, "We were told it might take time for his soul and his body to reconnect. They were apart for a long time son."

Dean looked up as he stopped in mid step to ask, "But he will be alright?"

Damn puppy dog eyes, Bobby thought silently as he said aloud, "Yeah… I don't think Monks lie."

Dean licked his lips as he nodded before he turned and walked away.

Bobby watched him until he reached the front porch and then leaned down to pick up the tool Dean had thrown in frustration, But hey, he mentally shrugged to himself as he thought, it was better than taking a crowbar to the impala again.

Dean walked into the house to find Boo waiting by the front door. When she saw him she meowed and then turned to head toward the stairs as she stopped and sat down to wait at the bottom step. He followed without hesitation, he'd learned his lesson with the whole meadow fiasco.

When his foot touched the bottom step she sailed to the top once again to turn to wait for him.

He blinked in surprise when she continued past their bedroom and to the stairs to the attic. "Up there?" He asked as he nodded to the stairs in question.

She meowed once and raced up them.

Dean walked slowly and silently up the stairs… he didn't want to startle Sammy if he was again contemplating something stupid. Shit, he shouldn't have let Sammy out of sight this soon, He silently berated himself.

As he reached the top he saw Sammy pick up Boo but continue with his conversation with… Cas? What the fuck?

"But… how long? And how can you be certain he can't come back?" Sammy asked, his tone hesitant and clearly scared.

double fuck! Dean got pissed as he clenched his fists while he waited for Cas' answer. Why hadn't Sammy talked to him or even Bobby? Why Cas?

"The monk says you are whole." Cas said in an emotionless tone.

Sammy jerked before he said, "So, that means tha…" He stopped and his eyes widened before he tried again, "Tha…th.a.t he is in…in…he..he…here." Sammy slammed a fist into his chest.

Cas stared at Sammy for what seemed an eternity before he told him, "He has been beaten by you… you won."

"Bu… bu…but." Sammy stuttered and then seemed to feel Dean's presence and looked at his brother as his face turned beet red.

"What Sammy wants to know is if Sam can come back, like a demon?" Dean looked at Sammy and gave a small grin. Sammy gave him in return an embarrassed smile.

"Sam was never a demon." Cas stated in a confused tone.

"Can he ever get back in the driver's seat?" Dean demanded the humor gone from his face in an instant.

"No." Cas said and disappeared.

Dean turned and sat down where Cas had been as he looked his brother over.

"K?" Sammy said in response to the scrutiny Dean was casting his way.

"What? Me? Seriously dude? I am awesome." Dean said with a dazzling smile as he slapped Sammy on the knee.

Sammy shook his head no and then buried his face in the fur at Boo's neck.

Dean sat a few seconds blinking his hand still resting on Sammy's knee.

"Sammy seriously, you're back, your alive and your emo again… what more can a man ask for?" Dean tried with another grin and a knee shake.

Sammy looked up and said very plainly, "Lisa and Ben."

"Well, I see you got your mojo back." Dean said a little sarcastically as he let his hand drop away, but mostly he was just relieved that it wasn't lasting as long each time now.

"Dean." Sammy said gently even as he scrutinized his brother's features.

"Sammy, I am where I want to be or I wouldn't be here…" Dean leaned forward as he looked Sammy in the eye before he added, "You got me?"

Sammy continued to stare at him.

"Sammy you can talk to me about anything." Dean told him softly before he added, "I do mean anything. You know that, right?"

Sammy just continued to stare at him not saying a word.

Dean's knee started to jump nervously so he stood and walked over to the little window that looked down over the yard.

They stayed that way for awhile before Boo wiggled her way out of Sammy's arms and ran down the stairs.

Sammy rubbed at his right wrist absentmindedly going back and forth over the D11 tattoo.

Dean smiled as he watched Sammy before he asked him, "Did you not realize that you are my D11 as well?"

Sammy jumped and then looked up at Dean he stared at him a few seconds before he asked, "What?" his brow furrowed with his question.

TBC