Thank you so much for all the alerts and favorites and reviews. You guys are wonderful! Here is the last chapter. Hope you'll enjoy! Hugs, Vonnie

Thor – Dog of Thunder

Part 3

Thor tried to stretch in the confined space of the small closet he was hiding in. He'd been here for hours, as the room it belonged to was currently occupied by Sam. Looking through the slightly open closet door, he could see that Dean hadn't change positions since he'd looked last. The young man was still sitting on a chair, his elbows propped up on the bed and his arms up, while his chin rested on top of his crossed hands. His eyes seemed permanently fixed upon the battered body lying motionless in the bed.

The dog never saw a human hooked up to so many machines before and he felt frightened and confused by the wires running from Sam's body to a monitor that had numbers and ever moving up and down lines scrolling across it, and even more by the thin tubes attached to fluid-filled bags, which on their way to his body ran through cases that were lit with numbers. Another tube was looping underneath and around his nose, coming together under his chin and from there going to some strange contraption fastened to the wall.

Thor let out a sigh, overwhelmed by the sight and even more so by the intensity of the smells that attacked his senses. Even now, after being exposed to them for several hours, he still wasn't used to them and it wasn't so much the stinging scent of the disinfectants that irritated him, as it was the one of blood and some other odor he knew came from Sam and told him that the kid's body chemistry was seriously messed up. This really worried him and did not help his feelings of guilt in the least. If there only was something he could do to make it better.

"I'm gonna get us some breakfast, what do ya want?" He'd almost forgotten about Bobby, who was sitting in a recliner on the other side of the bed.

"Just coffee is fine!" Dean sat up and stretched.

"Boy, you're not doing your brother any good by not eating." The older man scolded.

"I know, but I just can't stomach anything right now, not until I know that Sammy's gonna be alright!" The young man's gaze never left his brother.

Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, the salvage man walked towards the door, when a "Oh no…" made him turn in his tracks. Fully expecting to see a change in the youngest Winchester's condition, he was surprised when all he saw was Dean having risen to his feet and wearing a distressed expression.

"Thor…, I forgot about him. He's been sitting in the car ever since we got here yesterday!"

Bobby smiled, at least this was something he could help with, "I'll take care of him, don't worry!"

Knowing that Dean would be worried should Bobby go to the Impala and not find him there, Thor decided it was time to leave his hiding place, even though he knew it would mean he would be banned from the room. Pushing the door open with his left paw, he took a few steps out of the closet, letting out a quiet 'woof' to alert the two men to his presence.

"Thor?" For the first time since the accident there was a small smirk on Dean's face, "Should have known you wouldn't stay in the car. How in the world did you manage to sneak by the nurses?"

'You have no idea how hard it was!' The boxer mix cocked his head, wishing he somehow could relay his thoughts to his master.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter how you got in here. What matters is that you won't get caught."

Now that he was discovered, he walked up to the bed and jumping up, he put his front paws on it, mindful as to not disturb any of the tubing. He'd hurt Sam enough without doing any further damage. Licking the young man's hand, he whimpered in disappointment that there was no response. In all honesty, it was more than he'd dared to expect anyway; after all why would the kid respond to him, after all he'd done to him.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his back, "I know how you feel. I wish he'd wake up too."

Thor turned his head, his eyes filled with sadness as he looked at Dean, and as the human went on speaking it was almost like he could read his mind, "I'm not mad at you for what happened. It's not your fault. I just wish I could get my hands on the driver of that damn pickup, the guy didn't even try to slow down." Anger was coming from every pore of the older Winchester and the dog was glad it wasn't directed at him. Although he knew it wouldn't diminish his guilt, he swore he would do everything he could to find said driver, it was the least he could do to make up for what he caused. Right now though he needed to know Sam would come through this first.

Sliding his tongue over the younger man's hand once more, he stopped in mid lick, his nose twitching as he picked up a change.

"Sammy… come on little brother, open your eyes!"

Knowing that Dean couldn't have picked up the change in Sam's heartbeat nor on the minor difference in the scent radiating off the unconscious young man, Thor was surprised by the words of encouragement. There had to be a connection between the brothers that he never noticed before, because only now was there a slight flutter of dark lashes against pale skin. A turn of the head toward the voice of the elder brother followed by a groan was next, previous to lids moving up and down a few times, before closing again.

"No, no, no, you've been sleeping long enough; it's time to wake up!" Although gentle, Dean's voice held a certain amount of authority.

To Thor's amazement it worked, as the hazels opened and this time stayed open. Too embarrassed to be in Sam's field of vision, he slid down and crouched on the floor.

"D'n…"

"Yep, it's me!" There was a bright smile on the older Winchester's face, leaving no doubt how much his baby brother meant to him.

"You 'kay?"

Bobby snorted upon hearing the question; it was almost unbelievable, yet still so typical for either one of those boys to almost get killed and worry more about the other's wellbeing.

"I'm not the one who lost a fight with a pickup!" Dean laughed, although it sounded a little pressed as he remembered how close he had come to losing Sam.

"Pickup…" Something like a memory flashed across Sam's face, his eyes darting back and forth as though searching for something, before they closed and he grimaced, a grunt of pain escaping him.

"Breath through it…" His brother coached.

"No… where…Thor…, need to…"

The urgency written on the youngest Winchester's face and the distress with which he pushed out his name, while his head continued to move in every direction like he was looking for the pet, pierced through Thor with the force of an arrow. Driven by the need to comfort the kid, he stood and moved closer to the bed again just as he heard his master reassuring the injured young man, "You saved him, he's right here!"

Feeling Dean's hands on him, he was picked up and held into Sam's line of vision. Any other time he would have struggled against the treatment, but instinctively knowing what his master was trying to do, he held still, watching in amazement, how Sam's movements ceased almost instantly.

"See, he's fine, thanks to you." Dean soothed, "The next time just try to be more careful, when you do stuff like this!"

"Was worth it, he's okay…" The younger man's voice trailed off, as his eyes slid shut again.

Putting Thor down again, Dean looked at his dog, "You better get back in the closet for now. I need to let them know Sammy woke up and I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to see you!"

Cocking his head in agreement, Thor turned and walked back into his hiding place, allowing the older Winchester to close the door all but a slit. Right now he needed some time to think about the mystery that was named Sam Winchester.

SN~SN~SN~SN~SN

It took two weeks until Sam was finally released, a time during which Thor didn't get to see much of his savior. After spending another day in intensive care the young man had been transferred to a trauma unit, which was located on the third floor, making it all but impossible to smuggle the large animal into his room. As Dean spent most of his time in the hospital, something that didn't really surprise the boxer mix; he was left in Bobby's care. The fact that the grizzled hunter turned out to have a really soft spot for him lessened his anxiety just a bit over missing his master and not being able to see for himself that Sam was doing okay. Still he was glad when the day came, when he Dean finally brought the young man home.

Home, at least for right now, was a small ground level apartment, which Bobby rented just a couple days ago. The older hunter had taking him on the search, checking out at least five other places and dismissing them as not suitable for someone with Sam's injuries. Almost at the point of giving up, they had finally found this place. It was a little small and although only furnished with the necessities, it appeared almost cluttered. It would do though, at least for the few months it would take for the youngest Winchester to get back on his feet.

Thor panted anxiously as the door opened and Dean entered. Standing slightly to the right, the older Winchester watched his brother make his way into the room, hovering like a hen over her chick, yet making no move to help. When Sam was finally within his view, the boxer mix could see the reason for his behavior. Moving slowly, as the short walk from the car clearly exhausted the young man, beads of perspiration visible on his forehead and leaning heavily on his crutches, he also wore an expression that spoke of determination. There was no doubt that this kid was his master's brother, he very obviously had the same stubborn fortitude, maybe even more so, that Dean possessed - a Winchester in every way.

This was his boy. Thor smiled; he couldn't believe that only a short time ago he didn't want anything to do with Sam and now he felt all possessive and proud about him. It made him sad that he had been so wrong about the human, when it usually was so easy for him to judge people. His only saving grace was that he had been so protective toward his master that he couldn't see beyond the obvious hurt the younger man had caused Dean. Come to think of it, he still didn't understand, but now he saw Sam in a different light and whatever his reasons had been, he clearly didn't mean to hurt his brother.

"Why don't you sit over there?" Bobby's voice pulled him out of his reverie, "That chair is probably the most comfortable piece of furniture in here."

Letting himself down in the chair, Sam let out a breath of relief, he thought he was ready for this, but he clearly had overdone it a bit today. Anxious to leave the hospital, he had gotten up and dressed in the clothes Dean had brought the previous night, before the older man had gotten back from his breakfast run. After that the physical therapist had gone with him over the exercises he was to do several times a day at home, besides the three times a week sessions he had to go to at the outpatient clinic. All in all, he discovered now that it had taken more out of him than he expected. So he wasn't complaining about the tiny apartment; any bigger and he might have had to ask Dean for help.

Closing his eyes for just a minute, he didn't realize he must have dozed off until Dean's anxious voice woke him.

"Sammy…"

"Wha…what?" Trying to clear his mind, he noted something like fear written in his brother's green orbs.

"You okay?"

"What…yeah, fine, just tired I guess." Seeing how the expression on the other man's face changed to one of relief, he figured it would be best to be honest, "I think I overdid it a bit today!" He confessed sheepishly.

"Yeah well, why don't you rest here for a bit and then I'll help you lie down? It's just a few steps into the bedroom."

"Sounds good, just give me a few minutes, I'll be able to make it then." Sam yawned, mumbling something else under his breath, his head already relaxing against the high back of the chair.

The next thing he knew was something wet swiping across his face, making him aware of the fact that he must have dozed off. Startled by the wetness and fully expecting to open his eyes to find his brother with a wash cloth in his hand, he was surprised to see Thor in front of him. The dog's front legs were perched up on one of the armrests of his resting place, his face, tongue still hanging out, only inches from Sam's, leaving no doubt what swiped across his cheek just a second ago.

"Wha…Thor, yak…!" The young man exclaimed, as the large animal panted and wagged his tail joyfully.

"I think he is telling you that you should lie down before you get all still in the chair here!" Dean smirked.

Sam groaned and held his ribs, while struggling to lean forward to reach his crutches which were lying on the carpet. Before Dean could respond, Thor jumped forward and grabbed one of the crutches with his teeth, bringing it close enough for the younger Winchester to take it from him, before repeating the act with the other one then sitting back expectantly.

"Thanks, Thor!" He petted the animal's head.

Adjusting his grips, he fought his way to standing, waiting for a moment before walking towards his brother, who was opening the door to what he assumed, was the bedroom. He didn't have to look to know that his helper was right beside him, watching his every move as if to make sure he wasn't going to fall. And as tired and sore as he was, Sam couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of having finally conquered the heart of the dog of thunder.

SN~SN~SN~SN~SN

Although he was in considerable pain for the first few weeks and the therapy session took all he had to give and sometimes it even seemed like more than that, Sam couldn't help but enjoy the next two months. Nothing could undo what happened to Jess and even Bobby's presence couldn't make him forget the fact that their father was still missing, yet staying in one place, no matter how small that place was, being with his Dean and not hunting, it was almost like the life he always wanted.

And then there was Thor – the mixed breed hardly left his side, even went to therapy with him. It was almost like the animal had found his purpose in making sure the younger Winchester got what he needed.

Now that Sam was down to using a cane instead of two crutches and took frequent, if still short walks, Thor was always close by, pushing out of the way anything that might have tripped the young man before it could cause problems.

It was clear that Sam enjoyed the devotion the pet showed. Even Dean, who never let his brother go without him, was amazed by the bond that had formed between the two in the last few months. It wasn't like the older Winchester didn't notice the tension in their relationship before. No, really he had seen it from the very beginning, how Sam had tried to win the animal over and how Thor in turn had refused any of those attempts. It hadn't passed him either that his brother's attempts had suddenly ceased, although he never quite figured out what had happened, just like he had never understood why his canine friend had refused the friendship in the first place. Still, there never had been a doubt in his mind that it was just a matter of time until this would change.

Dean Winchester wasn't stupid either, he could see that the change had been born out of guilt on Thor's side, yet by now there was no doubt that there was genuine love there and it made the older man smile. Dog or human, Sam would win them all over eventually.

SN~SN~SN~SN~SN

Thor was excited. Sam was getting better and the walks they took were getting longer with each passing day. He enjoyed his 'job' as the younger man's self-appointed protector immensely and it still amazed him how much trust he received in return. Walking ahead like always to clear the way, he listened to the friendly banter between his two masters, without ever losing track of what was going on around him. The slamming of a door made him look to the right, where a middle-aged man stepped off the porch in front of a two story home. Sensing something familiar, yet not in a comforting way, the canine's ears went up and he stopped. The hairs along his neck rose and he let out a warning growl.

"Settle down Thor, the guy isn't going to hurt you!" He heard Dean's voice trying to placate him.

Ignoring his master, the transformation that followed as recognition struck him was as sudden as it was complete. Where just a second ago was a dutiful loving pet, stood now a fierce, snarling attack dog who clearly was ready to kill if he had to.

"Wha…what's wrong with your dog? K…Keep h…him a…away from me," The man stammered as he backed up, resulting only in Thor drawing forward the same amount of steps.

"Thor, stand down!" Dean ordered, yet instead of receiving the hoped for response, the large animal jumped forward another few paces.

"What's wrong with you?" The older Winchester reached down and pulled the large mixed breed back by his collar, resulting in his front paws leaving the ground, as he refused to be dragged away and his barking turning into a coughing fit as his air supply was restricted.

"I'm sorry for that", Dean apologized to the man, "I have no idea what's gotten into him!"

He turned, yanking the boxer mix with him until they both faced Sam, who was leaning heavily against his cane, all color drained from his face as he stared at the vehicle the stranger was now walking towards.

Recognizing the blue truck instantly, Dean lost his hold on Thor, who took the opportunity to charge the man, taking him down as he jumped him. Pinned down on his belly, desperately attempting to free himself of the large animal lying on his back, the guy looked almost comical. If the older hunter hadn't been so upset, he would have laughed at the picture. Instead he pulled his cell out and dialed 911, the only thing he could do to prevent himself from kicking the living daylights out of the guy who'd almost killed his little brother.

SN~SN~SN~SN~SN

After the police arrived it took both Winchesters several minutes to convince Thor to let go of the man. Clearly scared out of his wits, the guy didn't even try to deny that he had been the one who had run down Sam, which was a good thing, as the damage the hit-and-run had caused to the truck had been repaired by now. Another 15 minutes went by to take some preliminary statements and a promise from both of them to come to the station later to make things official. Even the walk back to their apartment took longer, as Sam was visibly shaken, although he denied it in usual Winchester fashion. The only thing that was almost instant was the transformation of Thor back into the easygoing pet he always was.

Looking at the way the animal nudged Sam's hand from time to time and trotted by him, it seemed almost impossible that this was the same snarling monster that had taken down a good-sized man just a short time before. Only the way the well-defined muscled moved underneath the shiny short-coated skin indicated the power that was hidden there. Guiding his two masters home, Thor wasn't completely satisfied with the day and his accomplishments until Sam was sitting in the recliner in the living room and Dean was by his side on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table and taking a deep pull from the beer he obtained from the fridge.

"You did good today!" Dean stated, scratching the animal behind his ears.

The dog looked at him then moved closer to the younger man, gazing at him expectantly. He wasn't disappointed, as Sam reached out and petted his head.

"You did more than just good, boy. Thanks for catching the guy!"

Well, he didn't have to say it, because he owed Sam at least that much for saving his life, but it still felt great to hear it. Thor leaned his head into the large hand, his brown eyes locking with the hazels of the youngest Winchester.

There was a moment of silence between them, before Sam whispered, "No need to thank me, buddy, I would do it again in a heartbeat!"

The End.

Prompt by Anonymous - After Sam left for Stanford, Dean got lonely and so he got a pet puppy. The puppy loves his master and is very possessive of him, so much that he got jealous of Sam when Sam joins them in search for their father. Sam adores the puppy and is always petting him and giving him treats even though the pup always growls at Sam and pees on his socks and boots. The puppy can't accept the fact that his master, Dean, loves another human and that he has to share his time and love with that tall human, who is his master's little brother. He continues to stay mad at Sam and even bites him one time when Sam tries to pet him. He expects Sam to rat him out to his master but nothing of that sort happens but he feels Sam slowly distancing himself from the pup (obviously getting the memo finally).The puppy thinks that he would be happy now that Sam is not petting him coz he hates Sam but he ends up missing his owner's little brother more than ever and feels guilty about biting his hand like that. One day while trying to follow Dean across the street, the puppy finds a car coming towards him rapidly n he freezes. he least expects to find himself thrown out of the way and turns back to see Sam hit by the mad car. Sam remains unconscious for hours while they rush him to the hospital to fix his broken leg and check him over. The pup's scared to death at the thought of losing Sam and doesn't leave his side the whole time Sam recovers at Bobby's. He curls himself on Sam's side licking his hand n face, apologizing in his own puppy-way.