Disclaimer: I don’t own anything Supernatural or whatnot, it is all property of the CW11 network. So don’t sue and please don’t be offended by the language cause it’s gonna be colorful to say the least.

Chapter 30

Sam Winchester was in a word of hurt.

To say the least.

Each step of his feet and each breath that entered his lungs sent tiny, white hot lances of agony through his whole body as he walked through the brightly lit expanses of JFK airport, surrounded by his very worried family.

Dean and John Winchester didn't even bother to hide their worried stares while Pastor Jim, Bobby, and Caleb all sent the young man their own glances of concern.

And indeed, these many looks of worry were not without their justifications.

After receiving that thunderous and joyous send off from his fellow marines, Sam condition had started rapidly deteriorating. All the color had drained out of his face, making the bruise near his left eye an even nastier shade of reddish- purple. Sam's colorless lips were held in a tight thin line, his jaw clenched hard against the pain his body was in. His broken arm and many broken ribs throbbed with each beat of his heart.

The pain meds he'd taken earlier had officially worn off.

" Hey Sammy, you alright?" Asked Dean softly as they were all finally nearing one of the Airport exits.

Sam turned to eye his expectant older sibling a moment before he answered with a wane smile that looked more like a grimace.

" I'd be lying to you if I said I was Dude." He said quietly.

Dean let a small wince cross his face at his baby brother's soft admission before with a small smile of sympathy that did not stay for very long on his face, he reached out and gently squeezed Sam's left shoulder. A large, callouse roughened hand gently coming to grip the back of his neck let Sam know that his father had heard his words too and was giving him silent reassurances.

These gently touches did indeed bring comfort to the young marine who was quietly suffering.

As the group of six men neared the doors of the exit, they automatically slid apart to grant them their way out into the chilly January air of New York.

Sam bit back a groan and the urge to curse till he turned blue in the face as the wintry cold instantly began biting at him without mercy because he had no jacket.

But in true Marine Corp fashion, Sam remained stoic and uncomplaining as he walked between his father and his brother with their three family friends following close behind them as they quickly made their way towards the parking lot.

It was now that both Dean and Bobby were glad that they had found parking spots for the respective cars they'd driven to JFK in as near to the entrance of the lot as they could.

Dean and John hurriedly led the way towards the nearest car, the 1967 Chevy Impala.

When Sam's eyes fell on the sleek black muscle car, his current agony momentarily faded into the background as a toothy grin spread over the freshly deactivated marine's bruised up face.

" What'cha grinnin' at little brother?" Asked Dean when they'd almost reached the Impala.

" Nothing really, just glad I finally get to see something way more better and beautiful than your hideousness." Said Sam with a mischievous spark within his green eyes.

Before Dean could respond to the good natured barb, the barking laughter of all the older members of their group impeded his way.

Dean sent a glare Sam's way but didn't put any real heat behind it. After all, he did agree with his brother about one thing, the Impala was indeed a beauty.

However, despite the merriment he had caused, Sam kept up his smile but his abused upper body was in no condition to join in with the laughter.

In fact, much to the youngest Winchester's chagrin, the pain was getting worse.

When they all finally reached the Impala, Bobby and Caleb broke away to go find Reeve's green SUV with the promise of following after the four remaining men.

Dean stepped aside to go pop the trunk and deposit Sam's heavy military issue duffel bag into it before hurrying back to his brother's side.

Before John could open his mouth to ask, Dean was handing his father the keys to the Impala with a small nod.

John couldn't help but smile inwardly as he took the offered keys and unlocked the driver's side door and opened it so he could reach around inside for the lock to the passenger side door.

Dean pitched in and pulled the car door open before he climbed inside and was all but pulling Sam in after him, easing his injured baby brother out of the bitter cold with Pastor Jim offering additional assistance.

Once Sam was safely inside, Pastor Jim shut the car door and quickly shuffled around to the front passenger seat and hurriedly climbed into the vehicle after John had unlocked the door for him.

Despite the pain, Sam found himself feeling safe and content as he sat in the back seat of the Impala with his big brother beside him. Warm memories of the past danced across his mind as he sat with the feel of familiar leather.

Some of the best times of his life were here in the back of this car.

Like when he was no more than a toddler, safely wrapped in his favorite blanket with BoBo the teddy bear held close as he lay with Dean's arms wrapped around him, always there to protect while their father was driving them to their newest destination.

Or when he was a few years older, the three of them laughing at one of Dean's supposedly awesome jokes.

And of course, that one time when he was thirteen and he caught Dean in here with Charlotte Rolander, the prettiest girl in the high school Dean went to at the time. Dean and Charlotte had turned as red as tomatoes and for the remainder of that week, Dean couldn't bring himself to look him in the eye cause every time his older brother did, he'd burst out into snickers.

However, all too soon the memories were whisked away as a new spike of pain lanced through Sam's injured body.

Then the Impala was rumbling to life, the movement further jarring his many broken bones.

The youngest Winchester used every ounce of will he had left not to groan loudly and tightly screwed his eyes shut as he rode out this latest wave of pain while the Impala began to move forward in earnest.

Thankfully, the ride quickly smoothed out after the initial lurch forward.

It was a minimal reprieve for the youngest Winchester.

Sam was so busy tying to keep the pain at bay while also trying to hide his severe discomfort from the three other people in the Impala that he ended up making it all glaringly obvious, especially to a certain older brother who happened to be sitting right next to him.

The newly deactivated USMC corporal nearly jumped when he felt a warm, slightly calloused hand gently hook around the back of his neck and gently tug him to the right.

Sam tensed and resisted the hand's pull, the habits of being a stoic and strong marine instantly rising within him but, Sam quickly found himself to tired and in pain to muster up any true resistance, and most of him didn't actually mind.

So with a small sigh, Sam allowed Dean to slowly and carefully pull him sideways so that he was basically tipping over towards his big brother.

As his body slowly came to rest over the leather expanse of the Impala's backseat, Sam felt slightly taken by surprise when his head came to rest on still warm, slightly worn brown leather completely different from the car seats material.

A split second later realization had him feeling a deep surge of warmth inside that eased away some of the pain he was in.

His big brother being the dexterous young hunter that he was had silently shed his jacket and folded it onto his lap before he'd pulled his younger brother to him.

As he lay their with his head pillowed on his brother's jacket, the youngest Winchester discreetly nuzzled at the well-worn brown leather under his cheek.

Sam let his eyes flutter shut while the smell of leather, buckshot, and aftershave all mixed together into one distinct, longed for scent filled his nostrils with each carefully inhaled breath he took.

This scent was in essence, the very scent of home.

From where he sat looming over his baby brother's reclined form, Dean felt his lips curl upwards into a small smile as he felt Sam's body fully relax against him.

It had all but gutted him mere minutes earlier to see his younger sibling sitting in the back of the Impala, battling with tremendous effort to keep the agony he was truly in from showing on his face.

Naturally, his efforts proved fruitless because Dean had seen right through them.

As he gazed at his brother's bruised face, Dean felt some of the anxiety leave him as he watched the small lines of pain diminish.

With slight hesitation, Dean slowly laid his hand over Sam's left bicep and gently squeezed.

A few moments later, long and slightly calloused fingers were gently wrapping around his thumb and index finger.

Sam's right hand.

Dean blinked back the sudden burning sensation that had started behind his eyes and simply wrapped his two fingers around the fingers of Sam's uninjured right hand and squeezed them back.

As he chanced a looked at Sam's bruised countenance, he felt his smile grow wider with amusement.

" My Little Brother, what a Tough Guy." Thought Dean, seeing right through Sam's act of keeping his eyes closed and feigning rest.

Dean's complete attention was so focused on the brother he was all but cradling to him that he didn't notice two sets of smiling, older eyes watching them both.

From where he sat riding shotgun, Pastor Jim smiled inwardly at the quiet happenings of the backseat.

It was indeed a pleasure to see Dean Winchester having a small moment of vulnerability, a rarity the hardened young man hardly ever got a chance to experience most of the time.

John Winchester felt both elation, and sadness as he discreetly eyed his two sons with the aid of the Impala's rear-view mirror.

It filled his heart to see his two boys together after so long, to see a smile on Dean's face, and Sammy's safe and alive in his brother's arms.

Sadness mingled with the joy though because of the realization that this moment almost couldn't have happened.

His baby boy had been hurt bad, bruises and busted up bones.

There had been a possibility that his youngest son could have fallen in battle just days before he was supposed to return home, that there were most likely several instances over a long two year period when their youngest could've been taken from them.

A small pang of anger shot through John as his thoughts continued.

He was furious at the thing that had taken his wife and driven his youngest child away.

He was furious that their lives had been shattered the way they were.

He was even just a tiny bit angry with Sam for lying to them and going of to fight in a Goddamn War of all things.

But, just as quickly as it had made itself known, the anger drained out of him with the long suffered guilt of over two years replacing it.

John felt his heart twinge as he thought of how much he had heart his youngest, he felt guilt that his youngest couldn't come to him and tell him about the nightmare that had started this whole period of their lives when he was only sixteen years old.

And now, his son was nineteen years old and a battered veteran of War.

He hadn't seen his son for so long.

But he had his son back now, Dean had his little brother back.

They were together.

And if John had any say about it, they would stay that way from now on.

But at the moment, John returned his focus back to driving and avoiding as many pot holes and uneven sections of tar as he could.

There was much to talk about, many issues that needed to be resolved.

And of course, there was an injured soldier who was held very dear to many hearts who needed to be taken care of till his injuries were healed.