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: He'd never really appreciated these times before, these simple moments of peace with his brother.

A/N: Since my other story 'Without You' is kind of on hold for lack of ideas, I'm going to give you guys a sneak-peek into the boy's future. I actually thought of these series of one-shots before and the other story was going to be a one chapter thing showing how the boys got to this point. Well, that one became a multi-chapter thing, but this one is going to be a series of pretty much independent one-shots.

Drinking beer on the hood of the Impala in the moonlight. Sam never thought he'd be doing this again. And if anyone had asked him a few months back, he'd have said he didn't even want to. After all, what's the point of enjoying a moment's peace with your brother when there were things to hunt out there?

What was the point? The point was that he'd spent so much of their lives grieving over what he'd lost and trying desperately to protect what he might, that he'd never taken the time to appreciate what he had. The point was, no matter how hard he tried, he could never kill all the monsters, never save all the people and if it weren't for these moments, he'd lose himself trying to accomplish that. The point was, no matter however good life was at the moment, it could all turn to hell at a moment's notice and no amount of precaution or forethought could ever protect them, so they might as well enjoy the moment. The point was that moments like this were what made him happy, what made life worth living and wasn't that the whole point of life itself? His brother had taught him that, had been trying to teach him for as long as Sam could remember, only he hadn't been listening.

His brother was a strange one. All that strength and fear, darkness and light, profound wisdom and great inanity rolled into one great package. The man could stand up to a roomful of Gods and arch-angels and tell them what to do, but was afraid of flying. He could outwit heaven and hell itself and still stumbled on long words. He could devise horrific tortures for demons they were questioning but would go to any lengths to save the three-year old girl who was possessed. A mass of contradictions, who, perhaps for that very reason could be there with Sam, enjoying a beer. Who, even after all he'd seen and done, and knew Sam to have seen and done worse, could appreciate their life together again. If a person's identity was constantly changing, then Sam could say without a doubt that he was turning into a better person now. He wanted and needed different things from life now and he was confident that if he died, this would most definitely be one of the memories he'd want to relive in heaven. If they were truly soul-mates, then he could be sure that Dean won't be disappointed by his version of heaven this time around, because Dean would be in every one of his memories. He just wished there was some way he could tell Dean that without being ridiculed for being an over-emotional, hormonal, teenage girl.

Sam's eye caught something glinting in the moonlight near Dean's chest as he bent down to pick another bottle of beer. It was the amulet. When had Dean started wearing that again? He was sure Dean didn't have it a few weeks ago when he asked Sam to rejoin him on the road. He didn't even remember seeing it this morning, but Dean usually wore so many layers that it could have easily been there for weeks, hidden under the T-shirt. He remembered fishing it out of the trashcan, where Dean had dropped it in despair and leaving it with Bobby, promising himself that he'd give it back to Dean someday. Someday, when Dean had really and truly forgiven him and wanted to be his brother again. Someday, when he might feel that he had finally made up for all the crap he'd put Dean through. Someday, when he felt like he really deserved to be Dean's little brother again. Someday, when he felt right and worthy, because Dean had always been worthy of the present but Sam hadn't been worthy of giving it to him.

Sam had had vague plans for the day. Probably accompanying some great gesture of how much his brother meant to him. But apparently Dean had just found it and taken it back. Just like that. No fanfare, no emotional scene, no declaration of undying love and devotion, just acceptance. Like he'd quietly accepted the fact that the necklace belonged around his neck. Like he'd accepted the fact that Sam belonged by his side.

"When did you start wearing that again?" Sam asked, pointing to the amulet.

"What?" Dean asked looking down at his chest. "You mean the God-finder?" Not the name Sam would've chose. Probably 'The Eternal Symbol of Their Brotherly Bond'. "A few weeks for now. Found it at Bobby's sometime ago. Thought it was time I took back what's mine."

Sam felt a warm glow at those words.

"Besides, found some lore on it." Dean added. "I thought it might prove useful on hunts."

"Hunts? I thought it could just find God."

"Yeah, Cas was wrong about that." Dean explained. "It doesn't find just God, it finds Gods. Any Gods. It probably becomes lukewarm when in presence of small-timers like Leshi and grows hotter as they go up the paygrade. Kali would probably burn a hole through my chest."

Sam laughed at that. It wasn't a full-hearted guffaw of hilarity, more like a deep-throated chuckle, but it was a genuine laugh. It came from his heart and reached all the way up to his eyes and it made Dean smile in return. Sam hadn't laughed like that for quite some time now and he hadn't even realized that he'd wanted to.

Want. That was a strange thing. How easily and quickly it changed with new priorities in life. Sam had wanted a lot of things from his life, through life. He had wanted stability as a child, a chance to make friends. He had wanted normal and safe existence. He had wanted to be human, untainted by the blood running through his veins. Then he had revenge on things that had taken everything away from him. And whenever his brother had not been beside him, whether by choice or fate, he had wanted nothing more than Dean. But through it all, he had never wondered what Dean wanted. Sure, he had thrown the question around in a bid to free Dean from his unthinking, unquestioning slavery of their father's orders and the work he had put Dean to. And the only time he had cared enough to give Dean what he wanted, he had just assumed. Transferred his own lost dreams and desires onto Dean's psyche and forced him to love a normal life while grieving for his dead brother. But he'd never once heard from his brother what he wanted. His brother might have told him sometimes, but he was never paying any attention. Well, he was listening now.

"Dean why did you agree to hunt with me again?" Okay, not the best way to ask as it was still about him, but it was a way to start. Maybe work his way up to Dean's hopes and dreams. "I mean, did you really want me back in your life or were you just being a good brother?"

"Don't you think a good brother would want you back in his life, Sammy?" Dean questioned back.

"Not after everything I have done."

Dean smiled, looking down at his beer bottle, lost in thought.

"Do you remember when you gave this to me, Sammy?" Dean asked, pointing to his amulet. "You were, I don't know, some seven years old, you had just found out that monsters were real, you were holding onto it for Dad, but you found out that he wasn't coming back for Christmas and I had gotten you some crappy gifts from the gas-mart. You remember that?"

"Yeah. And you'd stolen some little girls presents and told me they were from Dad."

"Yeah. And when you gave this to me, I felt like the greatest guy in the world. The way you looked at me back then, I felt that there was nothing I couldn't do and even if I failed, I knew it wouldn't matter, because you won't love me any less, no matter what I did. So, to answer your question, all I've ever wanted is a little brother who looks at me like that, you know? One who loves me no matter what."

"And that's it? That has been the sum of your hopes and dreams all your life?"

"Hey, I got a loving family waiting for me back home. I got a fugly to kill tomorrow. I got a surly old hunter for a father and I got an angel for a best friend. And I got the world's best little brother who wants to be a part of it all, the good and the bad. What more could I want?"

He didn't agree with the last part, Sam thought twirling the now empty bottle of beer in his hands. He wasn't the world's best little brother, not by a long shot. But Dean certainly thought so. So he would try. Try like hell to be good enough for Dean, try like hell to be worthy of Dean's love and affection, because, at that moment, Sam realized, he didn't want anything more either. Sam sighed, firming his resolve and looked up at the stars once again.

"You know, in Hindu Mythology, the Pole-Star is supposed to be a person." He looked at Dean, saw him raise his eyebrows, interested, and continued. "He is supposed to be a son of a king who was banished by his step-mother. Literally kicked off his father's lap at the age of five. So he prayed long and hard to God and asked for a place no one would ever be able to move him from, ever again. So God gave him a place in the heavens and while all the stars move, that one stays stationary in the north."

Dean looked at him for a moment.

"Geek." And with that, handed him a beer to replace his empty bottle.

Sam took it with a thanks, which was meant for more than just the beer. Because he knew that he didn't have to ask God for a place where no-one could move him from. His place was right beside his brother.

That's all for now. I'll continue this story after the prequel is finished.