A one shot story that demanded to be written last night. This has nothing to do with any of the other stories. Phoenix

The Offer

-The Story-

Twenty-two year old Sam Winchester watched his older brother from a spot by the bar, as he nursed a large glass of Coke and sighed.

Things were getting tight money-wise, and the young man was unsure what to do. He felt like a burden – dead weight – watching as Dean tried to get something happening with a couple of local boys over a game of pool.

However, the guys didn't seem too eager to part with their money tonight and Sam could see his brother's frustration growing. With this kind of reception, and a couple more beers, Dean's mood would get dangerous; itching for the kind of action that always got them into a fight.

Sam sighed again and slowly shook his head. He was too tired for that crap tonight; and he had no special interest in patching his cock-sure sibling up later, either.

Slumping down further on the bar stool, the younger hunter pulled out his wallet and searched through each of the compartments, hoping to find a forgotten ten or twenty… anything. But no such luck.

Dean didn't seem too concerned yet. He was confident that one way or another, they would score just what they needed – but Sam wasn't so sure…

Subconsciously the younger boy had started to keep track of what they had after he'd given Dean the little bit of money left over from his college fund. It had helped them out, but by his calculation, Sam knew the last of that money was burning in the Impala's tank…

The despairing hunter leaned against the bar, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Their last two jobs had ended up being charity cases and now Sam was starting to feel a creeping desperation. He did not want to spend another night sleeping in the car, or worrying about the real threat that they might have to push his brother's pride and joy to their next job…. And food – well with his stomach tied up in knots on so many other things, eating wasn't high on Sam's priority list but Dean… Sam actually snorted thinking about his brother. Dean would miss eating first…

"Well hello there sugar," a slightly slurred voice purred next to his ear; he felt a warm hand on his arm as a dark haired woman slid onto the empty barstool next to his. She was a lot older than Sam and he coughed slightly and turned away as the heaviness of her perfume almost suffocated him. She squeezed his arm and when he looked back, she was inches from his face. "You must be new around here… I'd sure as hell remember such a fine looking piece of ass as yours…"

Sam blushed and gave her a sick smile. Just his luck… He'd found himself a cougar.

The woman saw the blush and her smile widened as she reached out and pinched his cheek. "Aww… ain't you just the cutest little thing…"

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Twenty-six year old Dean Winchester was pissed off. After three hours of dicking around, these guys still weren't ready to play for any real cash, and the twenty he had just won wasn't going to cut it. He and Sam needed to eat and they needed somewhere to sleep. It was too cold to sleep in the car again tonight.

Shaking his head, he was just getting ready to call it a night and suggest they knock off a convenience store just to see the look on his brother's face, when he saw a woman sit down next to Sam.

Dean grinned, 'it figures the kid would attract the matronly type.'

Pretty in a heavily made up kinda way, the woman was a lot older than his younger brother – pushing fifty the older hunter figured. Snorting when he saw Sam cast him a desperate look over his shoulder, he just cocked up an eyebrow innocently asking, 'What?' and then racked the balls up for another game. This should be fun.

Between playing and keeping track of Sam, Dean just about choked on a swallow of beer when the woman leaned over and whispered something in the younger Winchester's ear.

His brother's jaw dropped in shock and then he spoke very animatedly with the woman for a few moments before just sitting back on the stool with an absolutely dumb look on his face.

'She musta told him she was a virgin,' he thought as he chuckled and waited for his turn to play again. The chuckle turned into a smirk when he saw Sam hold up a finger in a patented, 'Hold on while I check something out' gesture, indicating Dean and then waiting for her affirmative response. After a quick nod, the younger boy left the barstool.

'Whatever it is,' Dean thought putting down the beer and taking his next shot, 'he wants to check it out with me first.'

Sam fidgeted impatiently, waiting for him to finish and Dean, in the mood to torment, dragged it out; lazily pocketing the remaining balls, and winning another ten dollars before motioning that they could talk.

"What's up Romeo?" Dean asked looking at his brother, amused by the uncomfortable look on his brother's face. What had the woman said to him?

"Uh Dean-" Sam started, swallowing quickly, his hazel eyes looking anywhere but at his brother, "I'm going to make my own way home tonight."

Dean raised an eyebrow, casting a glance back at the woman briefly before turning towards his brother again. "Say what?"

"You – ah – heard me," the level of nervousness in Sam's voice was no longer amusing. "You can take off whenever – I'll walk or get a cab or something."

"Are you friggin' nuts?" Dean scoffed. "Dude, in case you haven't noticed, there's snow on the ground and we don't have any money for a cab-" At the mention of money, Sam blushed heavily and found a wet spot on the table very interesting.

Dean's concern went up a notch.

"It'll be okay," Sam said softly. He lifted his eyes begging his brother to just acquiesce and leave it at that, but that was something the older boy couldn't do.

"Spill Sam – what's going on?" He cut right through to the chase.

"Look Dean, just trust me okay?" the younger hunter begged. "Take the night off. Get a room. I'll be back in the morning-" He started to stand up.

"Sam-" the older brother reached out for his arm, yanking him back down. "For fuck's sake, sit down and tell me what the hell is going on."

When Sam looked at the older woman again, Dean snorted, "Oh no. Don't tell me – you're planning on going home… with her?"

The fiery red blush that claimed his brother was confirmation enough. "You got to be kidding Sam! She's old enough to be your M-" he almost said 'mom' but changed it at the last moment, "your aunt!"

"So-" Sam defended, "it won't be that bad and she'll-" he suddenly slammed his mouth shut, obviously almost saying something to Dean that he didn't want him to know.

"And she'll what?" Dean's eyes narrowed, his grip on Sam's forearm tightening. This was one conversation they were going to finish. Right now.

"And she'll give me three hundred dollars… okay?" The words were desperate sounding and quick paced, leaving the older boy momentarily speechless.

Dean opened his mouth to say something but then clamped it back shut, a surge of emotions almost strangling him. He sat back heavily in the seat and just stared at his brother. Sam shifted under his gaze and after a long moment blurted out, "Say something!"

"Something," can the automatic wise-ass reply as the older boy struggled to shrug off his shock. Sam couldn't possibly…

"We need money Dean and its money-"

"Whore money, Sammy-" Dean spat out, his shock brushed off when he saw how serious his brother was about this. Sam flinched at the choice of words but Dean wouldn't let him off that easy. "That's what you'd be, little brother, a whore – a fucking prostitute… and we never need money that bad. Never."

Sam's eyes were bright and he swallowed hard as he repeated. "But we do Dean – we do."

"God damnit it!" Dean snarled as he stood up, yanked Sam to his feet and pulled him out of the bar. The woman in question started to follow but Dean glared at her and she sat back down.

Dragging his brother outside, Dean didn't let him go until they got back to the car.

"Just how stupid are you?" The older boy shouted stalking back and forth in the snow to keep from pummeling his brother. He was both horrified and touched that his brother would have even considered this. "Huh? Answer me that you idiot!"

Sam shook his head and sighed. His voice was weary as he leaned against his brother's car and shoved his hands in his pockets. He refused to look at Dean. "I'm not stupid, okay. I know we don't have any thing left and I just wanted to help-"

"By selling your soul?" his brother demanded as he stopped in front of Sam.

"It wouldn't have been that bad," Sam denied softly, although the look on his face suggested otherwise.

Dean scowled. "Fine. Not that bad, huh? Okay let me ask you this, Mr. King of the One Night Stands, would you have ever considered taking her home if she didn't offer to pay you?"

"Dean-" Sam started but his brother cut him off.

"Would you have?"

"Dean."

"Sam," Dean grabbed his coat and pressed him hard against the car, "Answer the fucking question… Would you have ever considered banging her otherwise? "

Sam shoved his hands away. "No," he shouted, his embarrassment venting as anger, "You happy now? No, I wouldn't!"

No, Dean wasn't happy. He had never realized just how desperate Sam was feeling about all this.

Running a hand across his face, he also knew he was too tired and had had one too many beers for this conversation, but it was too late now. And when he looked at his brother again, Sam had slumped back against the car, his back to Dean. The older boy sighed:

"Things aren't that bad, Sam," he tried to explain, surprised when his brother turned around, fire still burning in his eyes.

"Aren't they Dean?" he challenged. "We have no money. None. Nadda. Zip. Zilch… And I don't know about you, but I for one don't want to spend another night sleeping in the car – and-"

"And?" Dean pressed.

"And I want to help, okay?" Sam's voice softened, "I feel so friggin' useless Dean. I might as well be eating the money for all the good I've done… so when she offered. I knew this was something I could do – I can live with this." He swallowed hard making his brother wonder who Sam was trying to convince, himself or Dean. "I can…"

Dean eyed the younger boy, appraising the turmoil of emotions he saw on Sam's face. "Well I can't." he finally admitted bluntly. No heat in his words; just honestly.

Now it was his turn to look uncomfortable. "I didn't get you so you could start turning tricks to fund this trip… and if I turned a blind eye right now and let you do this, I wouldn't be doing my job of looking out for you-" Sam started to protest. "I know. I know. You don't need me to look out for you but still…" he shrugged, "I am what I am, and some things will just never change."

The brothers stood quietly for a few moments and then Dean added, "And you aren't useless Sam –" he paused, not sure he wanted to continue. But he did, "you have a very important job - "

Sam just looked at him, his eyes eloquent in the darkness.

"You keep me sane, okay?" Dean gave him his best shit-eating grin, "tormenting you is all I've got." He started to move around to the other side of the car. "Now come on, let's go, I'm freezing my ass off out here."

The younger boy just looked at him for a moment and then shook his head.

"What?" Dean asked, half in the car.

Sam held out his hand. "I drive. You've been drinking."

Dean scowled but gave in, moving around to the passenger side. He paused as the brothers passed each other in the front of the car. "One more thing Sam," he said, his voice serious, "if you ever think about doing that again – selling yourself like that – I'll break both your legs and keep you in the trunk, got it?"

The younger boy's eyes widened in surprise and then he nodded. "Yeah. I got it."

"Good," Dean muttered forcing himself to sit in the passenger seat. "'Sides which, it would have been down right embarrassing to have to give her, her money back…" when Sam looked at him uncomprehendingly, he grinned. "Winchester's come with a satisfaction guarantee, you know that Sammy boy"

Sam shot him a dirty look and then snorted, "Screw you…"

"You couldn't afford to…"

The younger boy rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to live this down for a long time; he could already see that, "We still have no money."

"Oh yea of little faith," his brother scoffed. "I got thirty bucks, a half a tank of gas and a good feeling. Now drive Jeeves, the night's still young and I heard there's another bar just outside town."

"Dean-" Sam's voice held a warning note to it. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"No you probably don't, "Dean agreed, "But since your bright idea tonight was downright history making, I'm not putting much stock in your judgment right now. Besides… like I said – I'm feeling lucky."

"Dean?"

"Sam. Drive."

Shaking his head, and just knowing this was going to be a bad idea, Sam did so anyway.

Bad idea or not, at least they'd be in it together.

And if that meant getting patched up before the night was through, he could look forward to one thing. Dean hadn't seen the pink Barbie Bandages yet that Sam had picked up on sale…

The End

Cougar. Slang term for a much older woman who goes after younger men.