Author's Note: In honor of Mother's Day (in my part of the globe), I am making a tribute to Mary Winchester and little Dean. It's quite sad at the end but no angst.

Mother, Mother

By: sasuvonke

To say that Dean is a curious boy would be underplaying a well-known fact. Dean enjoyed being out in the junkyard too much for Sam's liking. Dean would crawl, slither and practically incorporate himself into the dirt if he can. Dean, Sam and Bobby noticed, likes to explore be it the drab front lawn with nothing but a few rubber tires to the huge expanse of a backyard that housed all the junk. Dean is curious almost to a fault. So far, in which Sam was quite glad, Dean hasn't been asking for their parents and especially not with Mary, but Sam knew that it was only a matter of time.

Sam couldn't have been correct when one morning after breakfast, the two brothers headed off to the nearby park where quite a few kids were already playing. Dean was eyeing the playground in pure excitement and wonder.

"Okay, before I let you go, we need to make some ground rules, get it?" Quite firmly, Sam asked his fidgety brother. "Dean, are you listening?"

"Uh-huh!" Dean nodded eagerly, making no eye contact, his gaze still locked on the slide.

"Dean," Sam warned sternly, kneeling down in front of his brother. "Dean, look at me. If you're not going to listen, I guess we just have to go home."

"No!" Dean exclaimed, horrified at the thought of going home without even getting to try on the slide… or the swing. "Deanie will wisten, I pwomise!"

"Okay," Sam smiled, straightening his brother's shirt. "Rule one, don't go wandering off and always tell me where you're going, do you promise?"

"I pwomise," Dean smiled, his green eyes shining brightly.

"Can you repeat it for me, please?"

"Aways tell Sammy where Deanie is going!" Dean said proudly.

"Very good. Now, rule two, do not talk to any adults you don't know, okay?" Sam said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Remember, stranger danger!"

Dean grinned, his two front teeth peeking slightly, before laughing.

"Don't laugh, I'm serious!" Sam tried to reprimand his brother, but couldn't. "What did I say?"

"Shhh-turanger danger!"

"Good, now go play," Pushing his brother to the direction of the slides. "I'll be by the benches if you need me."

"Yay!"

And Dean was off like a rocket, quickly climbing the slide before shrieking happily on his way down making Sam chuckle and shake his head. True to his word, Sam went to sit by the benches where some of the mothers were already occupying. He sat down in one of the benches beside one forty year-old something mother, who was also keeping a good eye on her kid. Sam made himself comfortable and continued looking out for his brother who was already on his fourth turn at the slide.

"That's quite a cute boy you have there," The lady smiled at Sam, indicating at Dean.

"Yeah, he is," Sam agreed proudly, giving the lady a polite smile.

"Is he yours?"

"He's my brother, we… uhm, we don't," Sam stuttered, hopelessly trying to explain their lack of parental units to the lady.

"It's okay," The lady interrupted softly. "You don't have to."

"No, I don't mind," He said honestly, keeping his look fixedly at his brother who already had quite a few kids following him. "It's just hard to explain. Our mom died in a fire after my brother was born," He smiled sadly. "When the authorities said it was arson, our dad got obsessed trying to find the person who did it, leaving me with my baby brother."

It wasn't far from the truth, just a few alterations here and there.

"I'm so sorry," The lady placed a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder, squeezing it slightly.

"When he finally found the killer after a couple of years, he died just a few weeks after," Sam gave the lady a quick dejected smile before turning his attention to his brother. "That was last year, my brother and I are somewhat over it."

"I'm sure your parents loved you both immensely," The lady gave one last smile before locking her eyes at her daughter, who was with Dean at the sandbox, both chatting like they've known each other all their lives. "How cute."

"Is she your daughter?" Sam queried.

"Yes, she's my youngest and only girl having two older brothers," The mother smiled, her expression changing to nostalgic. "My eldest went to college two years ago and he doesn't visit as much as I'd like and my middle is a junior in high school."

"Oh, wow, that's quite an age gap," He said, honestly quite baffled. "How do they all get along?"

"Well, with lots of pranks and jokes mostly," The mother laughed. "But they don't fight often, they adore their little sister to pieces. I figure it's the same with your brother."

"Yeah, I even feel like he's my son at times, I'd do anything for him," Sam declared softly. "If he'd ask for heaven, I'd give it to him if I could."

"I'm sure you'd try your heart out," She smiled. "That's how parents are, always wanting their children happy. God forbid they get hurt! Hell hath no fury like a distressed parent!"

Sam laughed, he really liked the lady's company.

"I'm Sam Wesson," Shaking hands with the lady. "And that's my brother, Dean."

"Well, hello Sam Wesson, I'm Emily and the little girl beside cute Dean is Melissa."

Sam was about to ask Emily for advice on proper education when Dean ran to Sam, almost hysterical with tears, his eyes wide in panic.

"Sammy! Sammy!" Dean shouted, reaching for one of Sam's arms and dragging his brother off his seat. "Hewp!"

"What's the matter?" Sam asked worriedly, checking his brother for injuries. "Dean, baby, tell me what happened."

"Mewissa! She twipped and wed fingy come out off her knee!" Dean said impatiently, his speech getting worse and sobbing slightly. "Sammy, go hewp Mewissa! Huwwy!"

"Hey, hey," Sam comforted, carrying his brother and hugging him in his arms. "It's okay, everything is alright. Melissa's mom is already taking care of her, see?" Sam pointed to the mother-daughter pair, Emily already putting a pink band aid on her not crying daughter.

Dean looked at the pair curiously, almost in great concentration, before looking back at his brother. Sam examined Melissa, just to make sure she wasn't really hurt except for the knee. Emily stood up, held her hand out for Melissa, before the pair made their way to the benches.

"How is she?" Sam asked.

"Oh, she's fine!" Emily smiled, indicating at Melissa who was already poking at her injured knee. "She's a trooper. Is Dean okay? He was more scared than Melissa was."

"I guess he just got spooked by the blood," Sam sighed, caressing the blonde head snuggled at his neck. "He's never seen blood before."

"I hope he's fine," Emily grinned before standing up and collecting her things. "Well, I suppose Melissa and I should go, I think she's had enough play for one day."

"Yeah, us too," Sam pointed at Dean who was still quite upset. "It's really nice meeting you, Emily."

"You too, Sam," Emily shook hands with Sam. "Tell you what, if you're having trouble or need anyone to talk to, call me, okay? Here's my number," She said, pulling out a business car from her handbag. "I know how overbearing things could get."

"Thank you," Sam said in awe. "Really, uhh… I appreciate it."

"It's no problem. I'll see you around, Sam." Emily waved before holding hands with her daughter.

Sam turned his attention to Dean, who was almost asleep, and decided they should head home. Sam adjusted his brother properly and started caressing the blonde head again.

"Dean?" Sam asked quietly, not sure if his brother has fallen asleep.

Sam heard a soft hum and he felt small fingers twirling his hair by the nape of his neck. Sam smiled.

"Are you okay? You've been quiet."

"'M fine," Dean said softly, before wrapping his arms tightly around Sam's neck.

Sam was sure that something is bothering his brother. Dean has never been this upset or this quiet. Was it the blood? Is Dean scared of blood now?

When the brothers got home, Sam put Dean for his afternoon nap before deciding he needed one as well and laid himself down beside Dean. It was an hour before Sam woke up with Dean still asleep and snug beside him. Sam reached for his brother's forehead and removed stray locks of fringe before getting out of bed.

"Hey, Sam," Bobby greeted when he saw Sam going down the stairs. "You guys had a good time at the park?"

"Oh, hey Bobby," Sam yawned as he stretched his arms. "Yeah, we did but Dean got upset when his friend got her knee scrapped. It was really weird, he went all quiet."

"What do you mean?" Bobby raised an eyebrow, dropping whatever he was working on in his desk. "How did he get upset?"

"I don't know," Sam answered honestly. "They were just playing when his friend tripped and got her knee grazed. Dean went to get me, but her mom fixed her up. I thought he got upset by seeing blood but there wasn't even a lot of it."

"Huh," Bobby was stumped. "That is weird."

"Yeah."

"Maybe you could ask him when he wakes up or once we had dinner," Bobby suggested, already clearing his desk and heading for the kitchen.

"I suppose, yeah," Sam sighed. "I'm just worried about him."

"I know you are, but you can't do anything other than wait and ask him," Bobby said, his voice fading further into the kitchen.

Sam nodded his head to nobody before going back upstairs to check on his brother.

When he opened the door to their shared room, Dean was already awake, curled up and leaning against the headboard with the covers around him.

"Hey," Sam whispered, wrapping his arms around his brother's shaking form. "What's the matter? Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare?"

Dean shook his head before laying it on his brother's chest, sobbing freely. Sam frowned and had a look of concern, rubbing his brother's back soothingly.

"Then why are you crying? You know I hate seeing you cry."

Dean didn't answer, just basking in his older brother's comfort. Sam didn't press but continued rocking his brother back and forth in his arms. The room was filled with silence for ten minutes and Sam thought Dean fell back asleep when he was going to put Dean back on bed when Dean suddenly shifted.

"Sammy?" Dean called, barely audible.

"Yes?" Sam answered just as soft. "What is it?"

"Why don't I have a mommy?"

And Sam's heart just about cracked in two when he saw his brother's miserable expression. Sam smiled sadly, patting Dean's head before pulling back from their prolonged embrace. How was he supposed to answer in a way that Dean can comprehend?

"Well," Sam sighed before smiling sadly at his brother. "Mom is in Heaven, looking out for us, guiding us."

"Heaven?" Dean frowned, tears pooling from his green eyes. "Doezzat mean she dead?"

"I'm sorry, Dean," Sam said, mirroring his brother's frown, his throat getting thick. "I wish she was here too."

"But," Dean sobbed. "But then Deanie won't see mommy fowevew."

"I'm really sorry, buddy," Sam croaked, quickly enveloping his brother back into his arms.

"But, I want mommy… Make hew come back Sammy!" Dean cried, his tears soaking Sam's shirt. "I wanna see mommy!"

"If I can, I really would, Dean," Sam released a small sob. "But I can't, she's in Heaven now, and all you have to remember is that she loves us very much and that she's looking out for us, protecting us. Especially you."

"But I want mommy," Dean cried softly, digging his face into Sam's chest.

"I know, me too."

Sam rearranged his position from the bed and leaned against the headboard, his brother still in his arms. Both boys fell asleep with a heavy heart and crestfallen faces. When Bobby came up to tell them dinner was ready, he noticed how forlorn they looked and decided to leave the boys be.

"They really miss you, Mary," Bobby said sadly before going downstairs to clean up the table, already losing his appetite.

End.