Disclaimer: I used to own supernatural, the boys, the Impala and everything else on the show. But then, the men in white gave me my meds and I had to take them.

Summary: Sam and Bobby talk about Dean's trust issues.

A/N: Tag to 6x02.

"You didn't see him, Bobby." Sam agitatedly paced around the floor. "He was acting totally irrational. Making sarcastic comments to Mark, antagonizing Christian, giving dirty looks to Gwen. He even came at Samuel. Who, by the way, he had described as being 'totally cool' after his trip back to the 70's."

Bobby sighed. Did he look like an agony aunt? Why did the damn Winchesters always come to him with their 'emotional issues'?

"Well, so far, you haven't said anything that's out of character for Dean." Bobby replied. "You know your brother can't accept a gift horse without giving it a colonoscopy."

"It's not just that Bobby. Dean doesn't trust them." Sam argued. "Do you think Dean would've hesitated to bring the shifter-baby to Ellen or Jo after they'd first met. No. He thought of them as practically since the moment he met them. And this is our real family."

"Sam, you know as well as I do that family's not all about blood. And no offense, but the few Campbells I met in my time, weren't all that great. That family's been hunting for so long that they practically think of themselves as royalty. It's all about legacy and tradition and honor with them. Hunting shouldn't be about that. It's only about saving people. And Dean gets that."

"So what? You don't trust them either?"

Bobby knew it was the wrong idea to let the Winchester's in his life the moment he saw the Impala for the first time.

"Hey, don't turn on me you idjit. I don't know them well enough to trust them or not trust them. All I got is what you boys tell me. And if Dean's gut tells him they're bad news, I might as well go with it."

"Dean's gut?" Sam couldn't believe it."You are going with Dean's gut on this?"

"Well," Bobby explained, "Dean's instincts usually have a way of being dead-on. He didn't trust Ruby or the angels or that ghoul pretending to be your brother and he was right. Even when everything seemed to prove him wrong, he was right the whole time."

"So you are taking Dean's first instinct over my judgment?" Sam seemed outraged." My judgment that's based on a whole year of hunting with these people?"

"Sam, I don't wanna rub your face in it, but you haven't made the best decisions on who to trust, remember." Bobby explained."Once again, Ruby, ghoul etc. etc."

"What about Gordon? Dean trusted him." Sam was embarrassed at his own desperation to prove Dean wrong.

"Hey, I'm not saying you should always trust whom Dean trusts, just be wary of those he doesn't trust." Really, Bobby thought, he should have been on the debate team.

Sam finally stopped wearing out Bobby's carpet and slumped into a chair, defeated. He'd finally met others like them. Blood relatives no less. He just wanted Dean to get along with them. Wanted to show off his awesome big brother to his new family. Why did Dean have to ruin everything by being a tool?

"It's not like they are some sort of supernatural creatures. Even if his gut says different, couldn't he just give them the benefit of the doubt?" Sam reasoned.

"Sam, we're talking about Dean here. Besides, there may be another reason. He may be feeling a little insecure and jealous around them."

"Jealous of what? You don't think Dean took their trash talk seriously do you?" Sam questioned. "Dean should know by now that he is one of the best hunters out there. I doubt that those guys have bagged half the monsters Dean has."

"Not of that you idjit, you." Bobby explained."Dean doesn't like the fact that they were there with you the whole year you were back, while he was forced to sit back home thinking you were dead."

"Bobby, I thought you were with me on that one." If Bobby thought he'd screwed up too, then he was really screwed. "You said he should be able to catch a break remember?"

"Yeah I'm with you on that. I know that we screwed up the execution big time and now your brother probably hates our guts for it. And yeah, we did a real bad thing making that decision for Dean, but he deserved a break." Bobby still didn't know if they had made the right choice, but it'd felt right at the time. "This ain't what this is about. Dean was like the only person you'd ever trusted to watch your back and now you have got this whole gang of merry men. To dean, it's like wearing a sign saying 'I don't need you. I got friends that I trust more.' And before you go off," Bobby continued, seeing Sam start up, "I know that ain't true. But you know your brother. You know how he felt when your Daddy left him or when you ditched for that demon."

That one stung. He knew all about Dean's self-esteem issues. Sam sighed and put his face in his hands.

"God Bobby, what am I gonna do with him? Seems like no matter what choice I make, I end up hurting him." Sam looked up at Bobby."What should I do? I've already screwed us up so much, I don't think he can take any more of that. Now that he's coming back in the game, I don't wanna make him regret letting me ride shotgun again."

"Sam, you just do what you are supposed to do. Be his brother. Hunt with him. Watch his back. He'll forgive you, eventually."

Sam smiled at that. "Yeah, he does that. Always you know. Even when it seems like he shouldn't be able to look at me, he lets me back in. He doesn't trust me either, you know."

Bobby humphed at that. "You know that's not true Sam. I'm sure you just feel that way given your past. But trust me, Dean trusts you."

"No, it's not that. " Sam said, but was unwilling to explain further.

"Have you, uh," Bobby asked uncomfortably, "given him any reason not to trust you lately?"

"You mean other than keeping my resurrection a secret for a whole year?" Sam laughed mirthlessly, "No, it's just, I'm different now. I'm not sure if it's the demon blood I drank for Lucifer or going to hell, but I don't feel like the same person anymore. I mean, it's not like I have sudden urgings for baby blood or long-pig, or I have sudden fits of rage or start thinking 'how cool it'd be to rule the world.' I just feel -"

"- different." Bobby finished."Yeah I get it Sam. What you've been through is sure to change a person Sam. Dean came back for hell different. Give it time. I'm sure you'll find the pieces of your old self somewhere in there."

"Thanks Bobby. You sure I shouldn't worry about me and Dean?"

"Kid, if your relationship can survive unleashing apocalypse, I'm sure it'll survive a few distant relatives. Just don't force your new family on Dean. Let him make up his own mind about things from now on."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sam promised," Thanks for the talk Bobby, you are like the best agony aunt we've got."

Bobby bristled at that. By the time the Winchesters were finished with him, he'd need a therapist of his own.

Once again, I really hope the boys make it.