For Katy M VT: Here's a prompt if you're interested. Pre-series, Stanford era. Sam goes home with a friend for spring break, Christmas, summer, whatever, it doesn't really matter. Dean and John are hunting vampires. Sam and his friend are at a bar. Dean and John walk in looking for the vamps. Sam's there with his friends. John, who actually wants to make amends, ends up yelling. Sam storms out of the bar and the vampires happen to be around and can smell that Sam is related to the hunters after them and grab him. The rest is up to you.

A/N: I really enjoyed this idea so much that I couldn't write it in a one shot so it's going to be a multi-chapter. Constructive criticism is appreciated and I hope I keep the boys true to form. I know that they didn't encounter vampires on the show until the Dead Man's Blood episode but for the sake of this story we're gonna lie and say that they did…that being said—on with the story…

Once bitten—twice shy

^If you walk out that door…don't you ever come back-John Winchester^

Palo Alto, California

Sam had a hard time fitting in when he first got to Stanford, it was easy to see that most of the students were from well off families and he stood out like a sore thumb. Life in the dorms was hell; especially when it looked like high school was gonna repeat itself. There were two groups of people: those who took pity on the new kid and then those who saw fresh meat. Within the first two months, Sam met someone who wasn't a member of either group—Brady.

Brady reminded Sam that there were still good people in the world, people like Bobby Singer and Pastor Jim Murphy that went out of their way to help others. During their third month of association, Brady asked Sam to room with him because as Brady put it "I have an apartment with two bedrooms and man, I can really use help with the rent." The fact was that Brady owned his apartment and he couldn't stand to see the kid get picked on and look so lonely—he just knew that "Kansas" (nickname for Sam) wouldn't take charity, so he had to come up with something. Brady would just take Sam's money and put it into a savings account for the kid on the sly because there was just something about the kid that made you want to take care of him.

Brady didn't really know the story about Sam's family because Sam had been tight lipped when it came to that subject; he only knew that Sam's father had threw him out when he learned about Sam's full ride to Stanford and cut all ties with the kid. Brady was steamed when he found out that Sam had stayed on campus during the Christmas holidays, instead of visiting family friends like he said he was going to, so Brady was bound and determined that Sam go home with him for Spring break and he wasn't taking "No" for an answer.

The air was crisp when Brady and Sam set out for Brady's hometown of Chester, Nevada.

Deerfield, Arizona

It was too early to be getting up if you asked Dean Winchester besides he had spent the better part of the night crouching out in the woods waiting for the monster of the week to show. Waiting used to not bother him so much when his little bro…notgoingthere, Dean. He grumped and pulled himself up in his bed and shot a glare at his father—the man was just too chipper for Dean, must be he found another hunt. It hasn't been a barrel of monkeys living with his dad for the last nine months—it's been hunt after hunt after hunt with no stopping in between and Dean's running on fumes. Dean enjoys hunting but enough is enough already they both need a break and his dad has been going full speed ever since…argh, stop it Dean, don't do this to yourself—the kid made his choice and it wasn't you. John narrows his eyes at his oldest, "Get up Dean, breakfast in twenty. I tracked the vamps over the state line—they're in Nevada now. Time's a wastin' boy."

Oh yeah, the vampires—can't forget them…we've only been tracking them for what two months now and they always seem to be two steps ahead of us…yeah, my idea of fun Dad…Not! Dean grumbles to himself as he heads into the shower.

With Dean out of the room, John has time to himself which means his thoughts aren't centered and they have time to dwell on mistakes…Sam. I shouldn't have pushed him so hard—Dean tried to tell me but I wouldn't listen and now my youngest is out there unprotected and if…not if…when that thing comes back, I won't be there to protect him. Betcha real proud of me now, huh…Mary? Dean coming back into the room dressed and ready to go pulls John back from his thoughts. John is already heading out the door before Dean can say a single word so he just sighs and rolls his eyes at him heading out the door too. With breakfast salted and burned, they start the drive to Nevada.

Somewhere between Palo Alto and Chester

Brady looks over at his traveling companion and chuckles, Sam's head is resting on the window and he looks asleep…thinking of something devious to do, Brady starts to move his hand towards Sam. A growled, "I wouldn't do it…if I were you" stops him dead in his tracks and Sam cracks his eyes open and smirks, "I'm not really asleep". Brady has the good sense to look chagrinned as he replies, "Do what? I wasn't doing anything. Sam, you need to lighten up…relax. And that is just what you're gonna do for the next few weeks." Sam makes to interrupt him but Brady cuts him off, "Ah Ah, I mean it Sam. All you ever do is study and go to class. You need to let loose every once in a while…it's not gonna kill you". Damn, Brady sounds so much like Dean right now that anything Sam was gonna say negative to him just goes right out the window and Sam gives his friend a dimpled grin, "Thanks Brady".

Sam misses Dean so much—he's thought of calling him several times in the last nine months but the fear that Dean's still angry with him stayed his hand. If Sam admits it he misses dad too. They both said things that night that hurt the other and Sam is man enough to admit that he didn't mean half of the things he said and he forgave his dad of the things that he said too…even though Sam's pretty sure his dad meant everything that he said that night. Maybe he will relax, like Brady said, because he deserves it. So when Brady starts to chant Spring break…spring break—Sam joins him until the car is filled with laughter.

Tbc

A/N: Reviews are welcome and I promise to update Newton's Apple part Deux in the next few days. This story will be updated every Thursday. Thanks guys for helping me get over my writer's block.