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Chapter Three

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It took Dean all of his considerable cool and self control not to freak out on the spot, but the child was waiting for an answer.

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"Dad," he repeated, "What's wrong?"

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Dean could hardly remember when his own Sam had looked so small and defenceless,

but his heart felt as if it were being squeezed like a sponge because the kid hanging on to him evoked so many memories

of when they were both children, and it had been him and Sammy against the world.

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He studied the little face that was looking up at him apprehensively, still waiting for a comforting answer;

the big hazel eyes worried that perhaps he had himself done something to upset his Dad.

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"It's nothing S….." he wasn't sure if the kid's name was Sam or not.

"It's just been a long drive and I'm a bit tired, that's all," he reassured him.

The child studied him, still not convinced that all was well, but he accepted the words with a nod.

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He was about to let go of Dean's waist and turn away, but Dean just couldn't resist lifting him into his arms

and pressing the small head into the crook of his neck, where it fitted perfectly, as it always had and still did, even with his own grown-up gigantor Sam.

He breathed in the child's scent.

It was one hundred percent pure Sammy.

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"Sam, your Dad's tired after his long drive. Let him get into the house at least, before you hassle him."

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Dean looked over the child's shoulder at the owner of the voice, and if the name Anna a had meant nothing to him when he had seen it

in the number one spot on his cell phone, the woman who stood in the door-way of the house was very familiar to him.

He had had an "angelic" and ecstatic romp with her in the back seat of the Impala.

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"So, not so mysterious after all, " he thought to himself. "Damn all angels and their friggin' interference in other people's lives, especially mine and Sam's".

Dean's earlier anguish had now morphed into a simmering anger.

He was done with these douche-bag angels shoving him and Sammy around.

Demons he got, but angels were crazy, right up there along with people.

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Sam made a move to obey his mother and put his feet back on the ground, but Dean's arms didn't release him,

only wrapping themselves even more strongly around his slight body.

Sam was his responsibility, big or small it made no difference, and he certainly wasn't letting any angel, especially one who had already killed Sam once,

get her murdering hands on him again.

Sam felt his Dad's arms continuing to detain him and so he put his own two skinny ones back around Dean's neck and held on tight,

more than happy to stay where he was.

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"Sam, …" she repeated, but that was as far as she got before Dean came right up into her personal space, eyes glittering like two hard green emeralds.

"Send us right back now to the way we were, or I'll fry your ass in the biggest pan of Holy Oil I can find."

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"Dean, whaa..!

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"You heard me, bitch! I thought you were dead but it seems that you heavenly trash have a way of turning up time after time.

Didn't killing Sam once satisfy you or couldn't you wait to have another go?"

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Anna's face took on a vexed expression.

"Dean, are you drunk, because if you're not, I can only think you've gone out of your mind! What on earth are you talking about

and anyway don't use that kind of language in front of Sammy!"

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"It's Sam to you, bitch. I'm the only one who gets to call him Sammy! Now get us back to the way we were! I'm not going to warn you again," Dean ordered.

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"Look," Anna's voice took on a more wheedling tone. "Why don't we go inside and talk about this.

There's no need to put on a show for the neighbours; they're nosy enough as it is.

I'll make you a good cup of coffee and I've got your favourite pie in the oven, nice ad warm, just as you like it.

Things will seem so much better afterwards."

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Dean studied the woman.

Was this all an act, or was the Anna of this "whatever it was other reality" really this Dean's wife and Sam's mother.; but even if

the woman was innocent, this whole affair had the smell of angel all over it.

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Sam stirred in his arms.

Dean lightened his grip, he had probably been holding on too tight.

This Sammy was a skinny little thing after all, nothing like his future Sasquatch self.

He turned and smiled at the child, receiving a wide toothy smile in response.

Yeah, he and Sam were still a team, in any reality.

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He nodded to the woman in front of him, in acceptance of her offer.

He would play along until he got to the bottom of this, but he swore that Sammy was never gonna be out of his reach.

He had temporarily misplaced his Sasquatch once, but he wasn't going to make that mistake again.

He walked through the door into the house with Sammy still firmly in his grasp.

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XXXX TBC XXXX