So, this is the final chapter! For what was supposed to be a two/three chapter story, it didn't get away from quite as badly as previous stories have :)

I want to thank all of you for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting (is that a word?). It means the world to me that you still enjoy my stories and my Danny! Before I start rambling...I better let you get to reading!

Chapter 6

It had been over an hour and the waiting was excruciating. The three Winchester men watched the door like hawks waiting for a rabbit to pop out of its hole, though one of the three would nod off for a few minutes only to jerk awake at the slightest sound, his baby brother's name a whisper on his dry lips. Dean sat next to the bed, the young man not wanting to be out of arms reach of his older brother, while John paced the floor, looking at the clock on the wall then to the door and then back again to the clock. Finally, Dean had had enough, because really, watching his father pace like a caged tiger was quite exhausting.

"Dad," Dean called, his voice hoarse from exhaustion. "Sit down…please. You're making me dizzy."

John stopped and glanced over at his sons. Dean looked terrible…almost as bad as Daniel. Dark circles hung under his dull eyes and his hair was a mess. He looked pale and drawn and it dawned on John just how hard this was on his middle son. His brothers meant everything to him and he had nearly lost both of them…could still lose one. Of course, it was equally hard on John…these were his sons after all, but he was the one who was supposed to be strong. He was the one who was supposed to keep them safe and to be the one to fix things when he wasn't able to uphold that. He gave Dean a small smile before he moved to his vacated chair and took a seat, a deep groan escaping him as his tired, achy muscles complained for the movement.

"He's gonna be okay, Dad," Daniel softly said with a tired, weak voice. "He has to be okay," he added to himself, though both his father and brother heard him.

It was in that moment that John realized something else, looking at the way both Daniel and Dean stared longingly at the door and the way his heart just couldn't keep from beating wildly in his chest. While he was the father…the leader of this family, it was Sam who was the glue that held them all together. It was Sam who made them fight so hard. Sam, the one who never liked this life, but who also never had a choice but to live it. John took a deep breath and slowly let it out. His youngest drove him to the brink at times, but John loved him more than life itself and he knew without a doubt that if they lost Sam, they would lose the one thing that meant the most to them. Sam was the link to Mary…the last gift she had given them and that, John realized, was why, though they loved each other equally and fiercely, it was Sam who was always first and foremost on their minds. Keep Sam safe…that was the silent motto that the three older Winchesters had adopted and lived by. John smiled softly to himself when he thought of how Sam would become annoyed at their over protectiveness, but he allowed it anyway, no matter how much it drove him crazy. The kid knew…maybe not consciously, but he knew.

"Dad?"

John flinched at the sudden voice and looked over to see both sons eyeing him with concern. "Uh, yeah? What is it?" he asked.

"You were zoned out. Are you okay?" Dean asked.

John nodded as he gave his boys a tired grin. "I'm fine. Was just thinking."

"Oh…well that's scary. Nothing good ever comes from that," Daniel said.

"Keep it up, boys and I'll show you scary," John growled.

Dean smiled and Daniel chuckled and for a moment the three hunters were able to break through the cloud of fear and worry and desperation and just be a family. The moment was cut short however when the door to the room suddenly swung open. Three sets of eyes whipped to the door, but none were expecting to see their youngest being pushed through the door on his bed looking decidedly better than when he had been taken away. Dean and John were both on their feet, though Dean's hand instinctively went to Daniel's shoulder, gently, but firmly pressing down to keep the young man from sitting up and hurting himself. They watched as Sam's bed was moved into its empty space, then John turned his attention to Dr. Stewart, who had followed the bed in.

"Is he okay? What happened?" John blurted out, his heart picking up an even faster beat.

Dr. Stewart smiled when he met John's eyes. He noted that the two others only had eyes for their brother and it made him smile even wider. "Sam is fine. He's doing better now that we know what happened," the doctor answered, suddenly finding all three sets of eyes upon him.

"What did happen? Why did he have a seizure?" Dean asked in a rush as he moved to Sam's bedside once the orderlies had moved away.

"Well, I was concerned that it was his head injury, but when I checked his vitals before his scan, I noted that his temperature had dropped dramatically from the last time it was checked by the nurse, as noted in his chart. It was a short period of time for it to drop that much and sometimes, this sudden change in temperature can cause a seizure. This is what happened to Sam," Dr. Stewart answered.

"So, he's okay then? The seizure didn't hurt him any? I mean, with his concussion and all?" Daniel asked, his attention moving from the doctor to his brothers then back again.

Dr. Steward shook his head as he moved around to the far side of Sam's bed. "We did the scan, just to be sure, and everything looks fine. Sam even woke up a little bit right before the scan," he replied.

"Sammy woke up? Did he say anything?" Dean asked, his fingers lightly brushing over Sam's arm.

"He wasn't completely awake, but he did ask if Danny was okay, then he went back to sleep," Dr. Stewart said as he glanced over to his patient in the other bed.

The three Winchesters chuckled at that. "Of course he did," Dean said with deep affection as he gave Sam's arm a light squeeze. He was rewarded for the action by a soft moan coming from the sleeping teen. He turned his full attention to Sam and smiled when he saw the boy's eyelids fluttering. "Sammy? Come on, squirt…wake up," he coaxed while taking Sam's hand in his.

Dr. Stewart smiled at the scene then cleared his throat. "Yes, well, it looks as though you will be having a reunion of sorts so I will leave you to it. As always, let the nurses know if there are any concerns and they will get that to me," he said. John gave him a quick nod before moving to his son's bedside. He didn't notice as the doctor quietly ducked out of the room.

John reached Sam's side and tenderly brushed the hair from his eyes as he waited for him to wake up. Dean continued to speak to Sam in a soft voice, urging him to open his eyes, while Daniel could do nothing but watch from where he lay. Finally, Sam's eyes opened and he stared forward for a few moments before his brother's voice cleared the cobwebs from his head. He turned and looked up to see Dean beaming down at him. He couldn't help the soft smile that curled his lips.

"Dean?" Sam croaked, his throat dry and scratchy from disuse. Dean reached for the cup of water on the bedside table as John eased Sam's head up so he could drink. When he was done, Dean pulled the cup away then returned his attention to the teen. "Thanks," Sam said before turning to his father.

"Dad? Is Danny okay?" he asked, hazel eyes pleading with his father to say it was so.

"Danny is just fine. He's been waiting for you to wake up," John answered with a grin.

Dean moved down the side of the bed and tugged on Sam's hand. When Sam turned his head, he could see his eldest brother smiling at him from the other bed and he sagged with relief. "Danny," he breathed out before a bright smile spread over his face.

"Hey, kiddo. About time you decided to wake up," Daniel said. "These two are about as exciting as watching grass grow. Finally, I have someone I can talk to about stuff other than guns, ammo and girls," he added with a wink.

Sam's grin widened even further and he let out a soft giggle that worked to release the bands that had been squeezing the older Winchester's hearts since his seizure. Dean gave an exaggerated huff as he turned to his father, his formerly dull eyes once again sparkling. "Hey, Dad…maybe we should leave these ladies to talk about lady things while we go do man stuff…huh?" he asked, pulling a growl from his baby brother.

"You're just jealous that Sammy and I can talk about things other than eating meat and intake valves," Daniel shot.

"Uh, yeah…why don't I run down to the corner coffee house and grab you two some fru fru coffee drinks with whipped cream while Dad and I chug some beer…that sound good?"

John shook his head and smiled at the banter. He had missed this. He and Sam had been at each other for a while now and it put a damper on the easy conversations the boys usually had. He had feared he may never hear them like this again and it buoyed him to hear it now. He turned his attention once more to his youngest and shook his head as Sam's mouth opened into a yawn. He smiled down at his son once again brushed his fingers through the teen's bangs.

"Hey, squirt…why don't you get some sleep. You look beat," John suggested as Sam's tired eyes met his. It surprised John when Sam merely nodded and his eyes slipped shut. Normally, he would protest and fight to stay awake, just to prove that he wasn't tired, even when it was quite obvious that he was. The fact that he didn't protest was testament to how exhausted he was. John glanced at his two older sons and smiled as he moved to take his seat once more. It wasn't long after Sam fell back to sleep that Daniel followed, and not long after that when the room was filled with the soft snores of the four Winchester's. It had been a long couple of days and with the threat of losing members of their family finally gone, the two healthy hunters were finally able to get some much needed rest as well. When the nurse came in a half hour later, she smiled warmly at the scene that met her. She checked her patients, taking care to not wake any of the sleeping hunters then silently left the room with a broad smile on her face.

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John watched as Dean carefully helped Sam into a wheelchair at the side of his bed. Dean tucked Sam's robe around his legs as best as he could then looked over at his father. John had suggested that Sam may want to get some fresh air, but Dean knew the truth as to why he wanted them out of the room, and from the way Daniel wouldn't lift his eyes from his hands that lay grasped on top of the blanket that covered him, he knew too. It was time for a talk and John didn't want any distractions. Sam could tell there was something going on, but was smart enough not to ask. He spared a quick glance at his eldest brother as Dean wheeled him to the door, but Daniel didn't meet his gaze. Once the door shut behind the two brothers, John turned his attention to Daniel. The eldest of his son's lifted his eyes then and sighed.

"I know, Dad…I know what you're going to say. I…" Daniel started, but a hand on his arm stopped him and he looked over at the serious face of his father.

"I just want to know why, Danny. Why would you not tell me that you were hurt?" John finally asked. "I have ingrained it into you boys that you cannot hide an injury! How could you have been so dense?"

"Dad…I…Sammy was hurt really bad and I didn't want to take your attention from him," Daniel explained, his voice sounding all of 5 years old to his father.

John shook his head and let out a deep breath. "Danny...I get it, okay? It was Sammy and he was hurt, but you were hurt too. You could have died…what do you think that would've done to your brothers? To me?" he asked.

Daniel swallowed deeply and dropped his eyes again. "I didn't think it was that bad. I really didn't. I wanted you to take care of him and then I was going to tell you. I thought it would be fine. Besides, Sammy comes first, Dad…that's just the way it is!" the young man said, his voice rising with emotion.

John sat for a moment before speaking. Finally, he responded. "I know that we tend to put Sammy's safety first…we're all guilty of it...but that doesn't mean that we let our own injuries take a back seat. If I would have known that you were injured…had known to look…I would've driven you both straight to the hospital. That extra hour could have meant the difference between life and death…for either one of you."

Daniel lifted his head and looked at his father. His stomach knotted at the thought that while trying to make sure that Sam got the care he needed, he could have inadvertently caused more damage by keeping his own injury to himself. "I'm sorry, Dad. I never meant to make things worse. I was just so scared and…"

John squeezed Daniel's arm as he met his eyes. "I want you to realize that even though Sammy is the youngest and we are all crazy protective of him, you and Dean matter just as much. You can't hide your injuries to make sure that the squirt is taken care of first, especially if your injuries could be worse than his. I love you boys…all of you…more than anything in this world and I would not be able to handle it if I lost one of you," he explained.

"I know, Dad. I…"

"Promise me that you will never keep an injury a secret again, Danny," John interrupted.

Daniel nodded and gave his father a small smile. "I promise," he whispered.

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Five Days Later – Singer Salvage Yard

Sam glanced furtively at his brother for maybe the tenth time in as many minutes, then dropped his eyes to the book he held and pretended to read and sighed. He and Daniel had been forced to stay in the house while John, Dean and Bobby kept busy with things outside. The two brothers sat on opposite ends of the couch, Daniel's feet propped on the coffee table while he watched the television that Bobby had hooked up while Sam sat with his legs stretched the length of the couch, his feet resting comfortably on Daniel's lap. Daniel looked over at his brother upon hearing the sigh and cocked his head.

"What's up, kiddo?" Daniel asked. When Sam lifted his eyes and stared at him as innocently as he could, Daniel just shook his head. "Do you think I can't tell that you keep looking at me? You have something on your mind so why don't you just spit it out while we have some privacy," he said.

Sam took a deep breath then slowly let it out. He closed his book and set it gently on the coffee table. He opened his mouth to speak, but then clamped it shut, his hands clutching at each nervously in his lap.

"Sammy…what's wrong?" Daniel asked, sudden worry clouding his eyes. "This is me, squirt…you know you say anything to me."

Sam nodded as he leaned forward. "I…I just…when you collapsed in the motel, Danny…I was so scared. Dad and Dean…they…I could tell it was bad when they were looking you over…and you wouldn't wake up on the way to the hospital…"

"Sammy…"

"No! You could've died, Danny! You didn't even tell anyone that you were hurt!" Sam cried. "I thought you were going to die," he breathed out, a slight hitch to his voice.

"Oh, Sammy…I'm so sorry," Daniel said as he gently moved Sam's feet off his lap and scooted closer to his baby brother. He could tell that Sam was near tears and he felt guilt rise in him for making him feel that way. He wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulders and pulled him to his side.

"Why did you do it, Danny?" Sam asked.

"You were hurt, Sammy and all I could think about was seeing you hit that tree, but you were still able to shoot the wendigo. You saved me and I needed to save you and I was afraid that if Dad knew I was hurt, he wouldn't give you the attention that you needed," Daniel explained.

Sam pushed away from his brother and eyed him incredulously. "So, you think that I'm more important than you? That my injury was more worthy of Dad's attention?" Sam hissed. "Did you ever stop to think about how I would feel if something bad happened to you? How Dad and Dean would feel?"

"Sam, you're the youngest. We…"

"So what! So I'm the youngest…who cares! Does that make me worth more than you?"

"Sam…"

"No, Danny! You listen to me…I may be the youngest, but my life isn't worth any more than yours, or Dean's or Dad's! I need you…I need all of you…and the way you guys act sometimes, well, I…I just can't live without any of you so just stop being so…so…blind!" Sam sank back against the couch, exhausted from his outburst. He looked over when Daniel took grasped his forearm.

"I know I should have said something to Dad. I thought that it could wait…I really did. I promise you, Sammy…I will never hide an injury again, no matter what," Daniel said, his dark eyes pleading with his brother for forgiveness.

"And you know that you are worth just as much as me?" Sam asked, one eyebrow raised in question.

Daniel smiled as he nodded his head. "Yes, Sammy…I'm worth just as much as you," he said in reply.

Sam shook his head then and gently nudged his brother's shoulder. "You know…sometimes big brothers are stupid," he said as a wide grin spread over his face.

Daniel laughed out loud and drew his brother back to his side. "I know, kiddo…I know."

THE END!

That's it! I hope you liked the ending and will let me know either way. I do plan more stories (3 Brothers and regular SPN), just don't know when that will be. Ideas don't come as easily anymore. Anyway, please let me know what you think! Take care.

Cindy