Chapter Three

A Year Later

Cassie couldn't sleep because Dean was thrashing in his sleep again.  He had a lot of nightmares but not as many as when he first came to her.  She worried about him often those first few weeks though he always tried to ease her fears with a stiff upper lip and a lot of sex.  She knew that he had to be mentally scared after years on the road hunting monsters; it just made sense. 

She wanted to reach over to touch his forehead to soothe his pain.  Her baby had so much pain because of his memories.  You can't run from your past, she thought. 

Dean would be upset with himself if he knew how often Cassie slept on the floor by the bed she could bear to tell him he still thrashed some times.  She didn't want him to leave over something he couldn't help.  It wasn't his fault that his subconscious tortured him.  She didn't want him on meds and she knew he would leave before he took anything. 

More than once he had apologized for his behavior to her.  Dean was a good father for his son but it was in his eyes when he thought no one was looking that he felt a failure.  Cassie saw it and it hurt her heart.  It was as though he really didn’t understand that no one was perfect not only in parenting but in life.   He was overly hard on himself that was certain. 

She decided if he understood how much she trusted him and needed him it would help his self esteem. She would make an effort to let him know he was a good father in small ways.  She understood Dean didn’t like outrageous displays like parties and extravagance.  It would mean more to him for her to show him that they were a fairly normal couple.   

--

Meanwhile, Sam’s return to earth had been jarring for the planet though no one was aware the various tremors throughout the globe had been caused by him being literally spit out of hell.  Sam had no memory of what happened just waking up to find he was on the earth instead of inside of it. 

He had been relieved, confused and concerned all at once.  He had gone straight to check on Dean to find that his brother was working at an automotive shop and he and Cassie lived together with their son in a small house not too far from where she had lived before Dean had returned. Sam had gotten the details about Drew from Bobby who spoke infrequently with Dean.

Sam was satisfied that his brother had moved on with his life the way that he had hoped.  He left with a feeling that he had at least done one thing for Dean to pay him back for the many times he had saved his life as well as watched over him growing up. 

Sam had gotten off to a questionable start with his resurrected grandfather and namesake.  Samuel Campbell showed up when Sam was looking for answers to his own reappearance on earth.  The elder Samuel had almost appeared out of thin air while Sam was hunting. 

The older man insisted he had no idea why he also had no idea why he had been returned to life.  He had heard of the Winchester gospels and felt it was somehow connected.  Sam didn’t trust Samuel completely but he accepted him because he was tired of hunting alone. 

---Dean had the longest day at the auto shop that he had ever encountered.  It seemed everything that could go wrong had gone wrong from angry customers to working the counter which he hated.  All his life helping people did not equal up to customer service experience. 

His eyes were almost closed by the time he got in the Impala to go home.  All he wanted to do was to lie in his comfy bed and cuddle his woman.  “Cassie,” he said to himself as he put the key in the ignition.  He turned the key then pulled the door shut.  “Okay Baby, get me home,” he said aloud.  There was a loud sound behind the car then everything went dark. 

Dean woke up on his own sofa.  Sam looked over at him nervously while Drew sat near him.  For a moment he thought that maybe he should have stayed away. 

“Dad, you okay?.  You fainted,” Drew said.

Dean tried to get up to get off the sofa at the same time.  He couldn’t believe someone that looked like Sam was in his house.

“Get OUT!!,” he said in a loud voice.

“No Dad, it’s Uncle Sam,” Drew said as he looked from one man to the other.

“No no no Sam is dead long dead, “ Dean insisted as he  got up and almost fell over before he walked off to kitchen to get a knife. 

Sam followed him quietly, “Dean, it’s me I get you are freaked.  I don’t know what happened or why you…”

Dean turned around and sliced Sam on the arm, but it had no affected other than to gush blood on Cassie’s clean kitchen floor.  He dropped the knife then reached for Sam’s throat but Drew got between them.

“Dad stop I tested him he is fine,” Drew said calmly. 

Dean pulled away from them both as he looked curiously at his son then his brother. “You what?”

“I tested him like you taught me with the holy water, the knife,,,”

Sam showed Dean the band-aid on the other arm as he tried to stop the bleeding on the fresh wound,  “Yes I have been thoroughly tested,” Sam said with a smile even though he felt a little weak from the blood he was losing. 

Dean went from concern to being furious, “Drew go to you room,” he said without looking at his son who a moment before had been proud of his accomplishment.

“Yes sir,” Drew said as he went off to his room.

“Shut the door in there, “ Dean said, “please,” he added with a softer tone his voice.

He took a deep breath as he looked at his brother who held a kitchen towel on his fresh wound.   Dean went to the bathroom to retrieve bandages for his baby brother.  The baby brother he thought had died a year ago, he wasn’t wrapping his mind around it very fast.  It all felt off to him but he could help him. 

“Here,” he said to Sam as he handed him the bandage.

“Thanks,” Sam said before he went to sit down at the table to apply it.

Dean stood in the middle of the floor with his hands on his head, he didn’t know whether to scream or cry.

“Why in the hell didn’t you tell me you were topside? How long has it been because I got a funny feeling it wasn’t this morning since you look well rested and fresh pressed no less,” he said. 

Sam stalled a few moments though he didn’t dare make it too long in Dean’s present state he might end up on the wrong side of the situation.  Dean was known for throwing punches in anger.

Sam explained the best he could about what had happened after Dean had come to live with Cassie and their son.  He started with the moments after he fell into the pit or as Dean had seen it the whole in the ground.  

“The tossed me around in there for a few what I would call minutes then took my soul and spit me back out at least that is how I recall it.  Samuel has other idea’s about it. 

--

“I uh we all hoped that you could have a good life outside of hunting, Dean.   You seemed to be doing well, Bobby has said.”

“Oh great Bobby was in cahoots too, so basically I can’t trust anyone that I knew when I was hunting.  SHOCKER,” Dean said sarcastically he finally took a seat.

“Can you tell me that you don’t enjoy your life more now? If you can tell me that than I will apologize if not then I won’t,” Sam said as he glared at his brother.

Dean couldn’t deny he adored being with Cassie and Drew it was the family that was his to be with and to love.  He was glad that Cassie had taken him into her life.  He loved his family it was true.

“No I cant’t or won’t say that I don’t like it here; they are my family.  I mean I have a son Sam.  I do have to thank you because without you asking me to do this I would not have known since Cassie is so damn stubborn.  On the other hand, you are my brother and I don’t like being lied to,” Dean insisted as he heard the back door open. 

TBC