Sam sized up everything he'd piled up in his brother's hand before deciding he was done packing. It wasn't like he was going to need any food now... he could live off whatever Dean came home with fine. So he could leave the stale crackers - all his family had at the time for food - behind. Though he didn't like the dependency it forced on him, it was far better than trying to start over here... living alone, or with a family he didn't know too well. Still avoiding humans as much as he could. At least this way, he'd have his brother with him, and out of all the people that had been in his life, he'd always depended on Dean the most when they were together.

Not to mention the fact that his brother was a human, and a very big one at that. Couldn't hurt to have someone with size on your side in a big and scary world. Even just seeing how huge Dean's hand was - just his hand! - in the remains of Sam's home took his breath away. Everything he had known for so many years was dwarfed by its presence, and it all seemed so much smaller now. The thought of actually having someone like that he could rely on was completely foreign to him.

He brushed the remaining ash off his hands. "There, that should be enough." He used Dean's thumb to pull himself onto his brother's palm. The added weight didn't faze Dean at all, as the hand lifted quickly away from the ground. The huge fingers cupped protectively around Sam and his possessions. Sam held his breath as the hand drew close to Dean's face, intensely sharp eyes examining everything Sam had tossed on. Being held there like that made him feel like he was sitting under a microscope. It was incredibly nerve-wracking. He clung to the thought that it was just Dean, and his brother would never hurt him.

His brother's brow furrowed at him after a moment. "There's one thing you forgot."

Sam squinted up at him, briefly confused. He couldn't think of anything else he could have grabbed, and he knew that house inside out. "What do you mean?"

Sam watched, slightly awed as his brother reached back down into his home, easily scooping up Sam's bed, which had survived the fire without being scorched. Covers, pillows and all came easily. "I can't imagine you'll be comfortable using a motel room bed. And anything else I could come up with wouldn't be the same as having your own bed."

Sam smiled gratefully. "Thanks." Watching Dean pick it up reminded him exactly how small he was now... his bed wasn't even remotely heavy to Dean. It hadn't occurred to him while he was packing, but it would make things a lot easier. Sleeping on scraps of cloth or a giant bed wouldn't be anywhere near as comfortable as his own bed. Everything was happening too fast for him to be able to think it all through clearly.

Dean hauled himself to his feet without warning, standing to his full height. Sam was just along for the ride. He quickly grabbed onto the fingers near him to avoid tumbling off the hand. It happened so fast his head spun from the vertigo. His bed disappeared into the side pocket of Dean's jacket, barely even showing as a lump against his brother's body. Sam swallowed nervously at the sight. If only he could be normal again.

But no.

This was his life now. This was normal for him.

He swallowed again.

Before Dean went any farther, Sam called up to him, practicality taking over. "Before we go, is there any way you could... cover up my house? So no one else can see it?"

Realization dawned in Dean's eyes. "Yeah, of course." He took the chunks of wood laying around the room's interior and placed them back on the house, blocking the tiny rooms from sight.

Sam nodded to himself, glad it was covered up. He didn't want to put any of the other families that lived there in danger. With any luck he could go warn them to take out any signs of his family's existence before the condition of the room was discovered. It was a good thing this was such a rarely used room. They would have time to make the tiny furnishings disappear.

His brother walked them both over to the door, going to open it with his free hand. Dean hesitated with his fingertips on the doorknob. "Uh, Sam. I hate to say this, but I don't think it's safe for you to be out in the open."

Sam tilted his head back so he could see Dean's face, so far above him. "What's your plan?" He asked nervously. It was one thing to say you didn't mind being carried around by a human. It was another thing doing it. His fate was literally in Dean's hands right now, and nerves twisted his chest at the thought of not knowing what was going through Dean's head.

Dean's eyes flicked from the chest pocket on his shirt, back up to Sam. Sam's face fell. "No," he said.

"Dude, it's only for a few minutes. You'll be fine."

"Yeah, it's only for a few minutes now, but then I'll have to do it again. And again."

"Do you have any better ideas, smartass?"

Sam scanned his brother's large form, searching hopefully for a better place to hide. "How about..." he said carefully, unsure how Dean would react to the suggestion, "your shoulder? I could use the jacket collar to duck under if anyone's coming. It's plenty high enough to hide behind."

Dean didn't seem overly happy with the idea, scowling slightly. "Yeah, but you're not exactly invisible here. What if someone spots you?"

"How many people are you expecting to run into when you walk back to your room?"

Dean sighed in exasperation."Fine. But anytime we're going to be around other people, you stay in the pocket. Deal?"

Sam grinned up at his brother, sticking out his good hand. He knew he'd won this round, and he wanted to make it as official as possible. "Deal." His brother's other hand approached, carefully pinching Sam's small hand between a finger and thumb to 'shake' on it. Sam was glad that Dean was willing to listen to him. It was reassuring to have some small control over his fate, even if it was just where he got to sit.

He was lifted carefully up to the shoulder, scrambling off as fast as he could. It was nicer than sitting in a hand. For one thing, hands got sweaty and clammy, especially when the person holding you was nervous. For another, knowing you were sitting in something that could easily close around you when you weren't prepared, something you had no control over, no way to stop, was continuously nerve-wracking. And almost being crushed by that same hand so recently didn't help. He trusted Dean, but there was a lot being thrown at Sam all at once. At least when he was sitting like this, he was a little bit more in control of his own fate.

Once on the shoulder, he peeked curiously over the edge of Dean's arm and blanched when he saw how high off the ground he was, with nothing to hold on too. Dean was way too tall! He quickly walked over to the collar, bracing himself against his brother's neck and pulling the edge of the jacket collar over him so he was blocked from view. As long as he was holding on like that, he wouldn't get thrown off as easily, plus he wanted to be seen by other humans as much as Dean wanted him to be seen. Which was, not at all. He could feel Dean tense up as soon as he leaned back, the skin growing tight beneath him. Guess I'm not the only one who has a lot to get used to.

Dean put his hand on the doorknob again, still hesitating. "What's the matter?" Sam asked, curious. Surely he was plenty hidden now.

When his brother talked, it took everything in Sam to not jump away in surprise. The vibrations from him talking shook Sam to the bone. It was... weird. And unsettling. "I just... The witch was hiding as a maid. I want to check out one of the rooms she was supposed to be cleaning... when I saw the motel records there was one room she was cleaning that no one's stayed in for months. I just... I have this feeling. We gotta check it out."

Sam grinned at the way Dean automatically included him in the plan. "Sounds like a plan."

With that, Dean finally opened up the door, sunlight pouring over the both of them. Sam squinted in the sudden brightness, unprepared for it after so many years living inside. Once he could see again, he watched as his brother tucked the rest of his belongings into the other jacket pocket to free up both hands, just in case.

Sitting on a humans shoulder was a strange sensation. For one thing, he could feel every step Dean took. Along with every breath, and swallow the way he was leaning against Dean's neck. And, barely noticeable was a slight thudding against his back, which he realized was his brother's pulse. It was a lot to get used to all at once. During their short trip (short for Dean, it would probably have taken Sam a half hour, easy, to cover the same ground as Dean, if not longer) Sam concentrated on getting used to keeping his balance. The shoulder wasn't the most stable spot, swaying in time with Dean's rocking gait. Ithad to be better than a pocket, though. He hated the idea of being confined, unable to see his surroundings, unable to get out on his own. Trapped. At least this way, he could watch where they were going, even if he had no control over it. He didn't fool himself there - wherever Dean went, he was just along for the ride. And as long as he was here, he'd have to duck down if anyone was coming.

Dean reached the room he was thinking of quickly. Sam had to hold on tightly while his brother reached into the inside of his jacket, digging out a small tool. Once he unfolded it, Sam realized he recognized it. A lock pick.

He had just been learning the art of picking locks when he'd been cursed. Another part of his life that had been cut short. It only took Dean a few moments to break into the room, pushing open the door slowly. Dean carefully pulled out his handgun as he checked around the door. Neither of them could see anyone in the room, so Dean went in the rest of the way, flicking on the lights.

The room was practically barren. There was no sign of the witch who'd been there so recently. The only sign that anyone had ever been in there was sitting on the nightstand, next to the TV remote.

A small, dark hexbag.

Dean went over cautiously. Sam swallowed nervously as his brother approached, remembering what he'd learned about hexbags growing up, though he'd never been near one. Many weren't harmful, used for good luck or protection spells, but there were nasty hexbags. Those were often used to curse or kill someone, either by planting it in their room or on a person, or set to go off when touched.

He was startled from his thoughts when Dean reached up for him. Taking the hint, (and very, very glad Dean didn't just grab him) Sam stepped on the offered palm, finding himself quickly lowered down to the bed.

Dean seemed to sense his questions. "You've been through enough. If anything happens with this hexbag, it's going to happen to me."

"Dean, that's stupid." Sam scoffed. "You gonna take all the risks just because you're bigger than me now?"

Dean actually smirked at that. "No, I'm gonna take all the risks because I'm the oldest. Biggest is just a bonus, shorty."

Sam growled at that, unable to do anything about it from where he was. He had no choice but to watch as Dean cautiously picked up the bag, hefting it carefully when nothing apparent happened. He shared a worried glance with Sam. Past the stubbornly brave exterior, Sam could see his brother was nervous. Slowly as he could, Dean untied the thick leather strap wrapped around the bags opening. Sam was too low on the bed to see what his brother poured out of it, but he did see Dean's face turn white.

"Dean? What is it?" Sam marched closer to his towering brother, trying not to slip and fall on the bouncy bed. He wished Dean hadn't put him down so far away. Noticing his struggle, Dean sat down next to him on the bed, his weight tipping the ground beneath Sam into a steep incline. Sam barely caught his balance before he tumbled, bracing himself against Dean's thigh. Dean lowered his hand so Sam could see what he was holding.

A little boy was stretched out in the hand, carefully cushioned between the creases in Dean's skin. Sam felt his heart drop at how tiny the boy seemed, laying there like that. He couldn't be any longer than two,maybe two and a half inches. The same size Sam had been all those years ago. So fragile compared to just the hand supporting him.

It was Sean. The little boy that had gone missing days before Dean had arrived.

Sam fearlessly jumped up onto the huge hand, bending down next to the small boy. Brushing his hair out of the way, Sam gently checked for a pulse. It was faint, but still going steady. "I think he's in a coma," Sam called up to his brother. "Like how I was when I was first cursed."

The bed dropped away from them as the hand lifted up higher. Dean carefully rotated the hand, taking in every detail. "But he's ok? Not hurt at all?" Worry painted his face from top to bottom.

"Hmm." Ignoring the hovering giant, Sam went through the basics he'd learned as a kid, checking for contusions, broken bones, anything obvious. The kid was breathing steadily. Nothing Sam did would wake him up though. He sat back at last with a sigh, leaning against the thumb behind him. "Yeah, aside from being knocked out, he's fine. Looks like she didn't hurt him at all."

"Good." Dean said, relief caking his tone. "She must have been in too much of a hurry after our fight to grab him again. Small favors," he muttered.

"We need to get him back to his family, see if we can reverse this before he wakes up." Getting no response from Dean, Sam craned his neck so he could look his brother in the eyes. Dean wouldn't meet his gaze, focusing on a point along the arm holding Sam and Sean. "Dean? What's wrong?"

Dean's forehead crinkled. "Sam... When the witch had me, after you left. She told me... she enjoyed telling me... this curse is irreversible." Hesitantly, he met Sam's gaze. "I was going to tell you, but later. After you recovered from everything you've been through these last few days. I didn't want to give you any more bad news."

Sam looked down at the small boy he was sitting next too. Saw how small Sean was, cushioned by his brother's soft palm. The little boy wasn't even as long as Dean's lifeline. The memories of how scary everything had been when he first woke up like this came flooding back, memories from when he'd first realized his dad and his brother had left him... As long as Sean was with Sam and Dean he was safe, but... as much as Sam hated to admit it... "We can't bring him back to his family like this, can we?" To his surprise, he found himself blinking back tears. After all their work, the story still had the same ending as the last time.

"It wouldn't be a good idea, no." Dean seemed to slump down in exhaustion. "People don't react well to the supernatural in general, and this poor kid... he's defenseless. Just like you were all those years ago. Plus, there's no way they can possibly meet all his needs... what if he gets sick, or breaks a bone? Takes a walk at night and no one sees him? At least you're old enough to take care of yourself, but Sean..."

Sam blew his bangs away from his eyes. "Well, then I guess we have no choice."

Confused, Dean arched his eyebrows at his brother.

Krissy jumped when a knocking came from her front door. As far as she knew, none of her family were expecting any visitors, especially after the news they'd received less than a half hour ago.

The Watch family had been murdered, the floor ripped up in great swaths to get at them. Home burned, ash everywhere... nothing remained of the bodies at all. No trace could be found of them. And no one had seen their son since early on in the morning. No one knew if he was still alive, or had died with his family.

So now, runners were out to warn every other family that lived in the motel to be careful, don't go out, be careful, be safe. If someone could find one family, they could find any. Hers was hopefully a little safer, embedded under the floorboards with a huge wooden dresser directly over the home. She shivered at the thought of the ceiling being ripped away, her family torn from her... her little brother gone forever…

It hadn't helped that only five minutes ago, she'd heard footsteps in the room above. Huge, thudding steps that shook the small room around her. The food on the countertop had rattled, one chip falling off and breaking into smaller pieces on the ground. The footsteps had stopped for the moment, but somehow she knew the human was still out there.

Waiting.

She shivered.

Cautiously, she pushed the block of wood she had covering the entrance to her home. She gasped when she saw who was standing there. "Sam!" She gasped, shocked. She almost ran to him, but froze in place when she saw what he had in his arms. "What's going on, Sam?" She said carefully. "We all thought you were..."

He smiled sadly when she trailed off. "I almost was." He admitted. "But... someone saved me. Can I come in?"

"Yes, yes! Of course!" She moved out of his way, hastening over to the cushions they had set up in the living room. She cleared a place for him to put the little boy. "Sam, what's going on? Who is he?"

Sam gently placed the boy down on the cushioned seat, brushing the hair from his eyes gently before leaving him to rest. He took a seat in the kitchen with her. "It's a long story, and I don't have time for much. Krissy, you're going to have to trust me. This boy... do you remember when my parents adopted me?"

"Yes, of course. It was right after they lost their daughter. Poor dear, what she went through. But they never mentioned where they found you or anything. You just showed up one day out the blue."

Sam took a deep breath, preparing himself for her reaction. "Krissy, my parents found me in a human room, right after they saw me shrink from human down to this." He held out his arms. "A curse."

Krissy gasped, backing away from him. "Wh-What?" She cried out. "You can't be!"

He gently grabbed her arm, before she got too far away. "It's ok, you know. You've known me for years. Do you really think I'd hurt you after all the time we spent together?" She shivered at the contact, but stopped backing away. Knowing he was a human... nothing changed, yet at the same time everything changed.

"So, long story short, Mallory decided they'd raise me as their own. And so I've lived like this for most of my life." He held her gaze. "I wish I didn't have to tell you all this, but there's no other way, and no more time. About a half hour ago, my brother and I found this little boy," he gestured at the kid knocked out on the cushions. "He was hit with the same curse as I was all those years ago. It's irreversible. He will never be what he was again." Sam smiled sadly. "He'll wake up soon and have no idea what's going on, and no way to protect himself. No family, no friends. Just like me all those years ago."

Sam turned his eyes back to her. Those large, dewy hazels that had always secretly made her melt inside whenever she looked into them. She'd never told him about that. And now I probably never will, she thought to herself sadly, knowing it was the truth. Same size as her or not, everyone knew humans were dangerous. "What do you mean 'your brother?' You don't have a brother."

This time he broke away from her gaze. "That's not important right now. What is important is this kid... Sean needs a home. Someone to help him adjust, help him live like this. He'll never be able to see his family again... He needs someone like you, Krissy."

She sucked in a deep breath, in shock."Me? What can I do for him?"

Sam smiled. "You remind me so much of Mallory, how she always thought of others, how she was so good to me all these years. You're perfect for Sean. And you'll have your family to help you." He closed his eyes. "And Krissy, you'll need to have someone clear out my family's home of everything, fast. So no one discovers everyone living here. The one who burnt it down and killed my parents shouldn't be coming back." At the very least, he and Dean had put a line of salt around the inside of the tiny home, just in case. So no one else would get hurt because of him.

The floor creaked over their heads. Krissy froze in fear, but Sam stayed perfectly relaxed. After all - as much as it made Sam want to jump out of his skin, knowing a human was above them - it was only Dean, shifting in place where Sam had left him. He was patiently waiting for Sam to finish up with Sean. Sam knew as long as Dean was up there, they were both perfectly safe and protected.

Krissy wouldn't see it the same way, though.

She recovered from her scare, talking in a hushed voice. The last thing she wanted was for a human to overhear them down there. "Of course, but... but what about you? Won't you need that stuff to live?"

"No... I... I have to leave." He hauled himself up out of the chair. "Keep whatever you want, I won't need it anymore."

"Sam, no. Wait. Slow down a minute."

He glanced over his shoulder, meeting her in the eyes. She'd never forget the pain etched on his face in that all too short moment.

"I'm sorry."

He left.

Celeste watched the black Impala pull out of the parking lot, tires screeching the moment it hit the road. The hunter hadn't even noticed her when he'd walked by. Her new glamour was working beautifully to be able to disguise her from one so used to dealing with the supernatural.

Shaded by the overhanging roof, she stooped to fiddle with the baby carriage in front of her, keeping up with her disguise. Her now short brown hair wafted in front of her face. One day soon, she would be able to get rid of the one named Dean. His usefulness was almost at an end. And as for little Sammy...

So far, it was all going according to plan. The boy was out in the world, instead of holed up in a crappy little nowhere motel, wasting his time hiding from humans and trying to survive. And if he was with his brother, he'd be exposed to hunters, monsters, demons...

Perfect.

She smiled.

Dean sat behind the wheel of the Impala, finally leaving the little, middle-of-nowhere town behind. In that small, unimportant town that was so easily forgotten, everything had changed in his life. He smiled, drumming his fingers against the wheel to the beat of the music. Despite everything that had happened, he felt good. For the first time in a long time.

Probably the first time since losing Sam.

"Hey, Sam?"

He could feel his brother tense up against his neck whenever he spoke. Dean had tilted the rearview mirror so that he could see where Sam was when he was driving along with the back window. Sam sat up grumpily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He'd been asleep almost the whole trip so far. "Yeah?" Sam asked groggily.

"We're gonna find the bastard that did this to our families. No matter what. And... I just wanted to say, I'm glad you came with me. I know it must have been hard, leaving everything you knew behind."

For a few seconds, Sam didn't respond. He gazed out the car window, lost in thought. His eyes were blank of any emotion. "Not as hard as you think." He blinked owlishly. "Without my family, I didn't have much left there."

"Sam, you need to know, I'll find a way to break this curse. No matter what she said, there's always a way. We'll figure it out."

Sam punched him in the neck. It barely tingled. Dean gave a small laugh as Sam went on. "Don't go all maudlin on me now, man. I'm happy the way I am."

Dean smirked at the tiny punch. He'd have to come up with a way to get back at Sam. He'd just have to be extra inventive with his four inch tall brother. He couldn't do anything too intense. "Whatever, bitch."

"Jerk." Sam grabbed the edge of the jacket collar, flopping down on the shoulder. He pulled the collar over himself for warmth, practically disappearing from view. If Dean couldn't feel the tiny body lying there, a slight and nearly unnoticeable pressure against his neck, he wouldn't believe Sam was there himself. Hell, he barely believed he was there, anyway.

Sam had been sleeping a lot since leaving the motel. Probably his way of coping with the loss of his adopted family. Dean would just have to make sure Sam always knew he was there for him. No matter what came.

To the lyrics of Highway to Hell, the Impala left that town in her dust.

"...No stop signs,
Speed limit,
Nothings gonna slow me down..."

FIN

...or is it?

And here we are. The ending.

And if you're wondering why the ending is so open... is it's not really an ending. This was just the first part of Borrower!Sam's story... there's plenty more to come, starting next week. I never had any intention of this being a standalone story... I've been developing a whole new AU. And, there are many things in store for the brothers... good times, bad times... friends, family... Sam's out in a dangerous new world, with only his brother, who he hasn't seen for over ten years, to help him adjust.

So, next week the adventures of Borrower!Sam continue with a new case... new enemies... but always his brother by his side.

All comments and reviews greatly appreciated... plus, anything you're hoping to see in the future from Borrower!Sam? I have many plans in the works already ;)