ohsam | One whole year!

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ohsam is one year old today! You know what that means, right? COMMENT-FIC!

Happy anniversary to us, and it's thanks to you, our fantastic members, who consistently come back and hurt Sammy in new and creative ways! \o/

Now, go and commit comment-fic!

SPREAD THE WORD

Ground Rules:

1. This is a Sam-focused hurt/comfort community, so Sam should be the one in the hurt/comforted role. Your prompts may involve sick!Sam, hurt!Sam, angsty!Sam, basically anything that results in Sam being on the receiving end of hurt/comfort. (No rules against whumping other characters as well, of course, but you have to whump Sam first. ;) )

2. Comment to this post with your desired characters or pairings, and a prompt. All genres/pairings are welcome, BUT no RPF/RPS, please. Please focus on the fictional characters only.

Example A: “Sam, Dean, gen, set in season 2. Sam has a vision and passes out. Cue caring!Dean and limp!Sam.”
Example B: “Sam/Dean, trauma. Sam is injured on a hunt, Dean freaks out when he thinks Sam might be dead.”

3. You can leave as many prompts as you like, but please write one prompt per comment. If you've got a few (and feel free to prompt at will!), comment with each separately. This is to keep the meme manageable.

4. Your prompts can be as short or as detailed as you’d like. i.e. "Sam, Dean. Fever." Or a three-paragraph epic with details (

rainylemons, we're all looking at you!). The more detailed your prompt, the less wriggle room you're giving the writer, though, so bear that in mind.

5. Scroll through the comments and when you find a prompt you like, write a fic in reply to the comment. There is no word count limit.

6. More than one comment-fic response to a prompt is totally acceptable, and in fact encouraged. The more fic, the better!

7. When replying to a prompt with your comment-fic, put ‘FILLED’ in your subject line and then anything else you want, ie: a title if you have one/part numbers. It’s not a big deal if you forget this step, but it will make it easier for people to find your fic, and for me when I’m compiling the master list.

8. Anonymous posting is enabled, but I haven't figured out how to turn off I.P. logging. If you're embarrassed by how schmoopy your prompts are, don't worry, we won't tell on you. ;)

9. No spoilers for future episodes. NONE. We will send Missouri after you with a spoon.

10. Standard rules of politeness apply. Do NOT bash any characters. Do NOT say rude things to prompters and writers. In short, don't be a douchebag. The mods will ruthlessly delete any ridiculousness we see.

11. Questions about the meme? Comments? PM your mods! We will be happy to answer your queries.

12. Do feed your authors! They’re awesome. Feedback is THE BEST DRUG EVER.

13. If you want to advertise this, that’s fantastic! It would be really appreciated. Just copy and paste the code provided above into your journal.

In conclusion, have FUN!

Master List

jennytork: Don't care how you do it, but land Sam and Dean in a situation where something that looks really bad, given their history, is the right thing for Sam to do. He has to go all out with his powers, and this time it really is going to change him, he won't be entirely human any more, but it's the only way. He's just gotten Dean's trust back after the soullessness thing and the whole mess of the last three years, and he knows this is going to undermine that. He doesn't trust himself, for that matter, but at a certain point not trusting himself to do the right thing becomes a coward's way out of responsibility. So he's open with Dean, but he has to go through with it. And Dean is angry and bitter and suspicious, and Sam knows he deserves that, but he does what has to be done. And he's hurt, he's hurt real bad. Will Dean be able to treat this injured, not entirely human thing as Sam, as his brother? Too High.

anonymous: A small town's "Haunted Village" turns out to be actually haunted. Sam and Dean show up in time to evacuate most of the school groups before things get too crazy, but they end up stuck in a corn maze with a kindergarten class and its very scared young teacher when all hell breaks loose.

Sam's arm or leg or something gets crushed/snapped/mangled and he's doing his best to keep it together for the kids and their teacher all the while trying to get everyone to safety. Dean is awesomely awesome, doing his best not to draw too much attention to Sam's injury so as not to freak anyone else out, but making sure Sam is all right every few minutes nonetheless. Untitled.

sistabro: Sam's visions and nightmares developed at a much earlier age. The more they progress, the harder it is for him to cope and keep his grip on reality. The headaches and lack of sleep eventually become too much and he turns to cutting to keep himself grounded. Cue awesome big brother Dean who does what he can by coaxing him through the hard times (I'd love a scene where Dean takes a knife from Sam's hand and mention of how he reacts to seeing fresh cuts on Sam's arm), but knows he ultimately can't make Sam stop and it could be something that they'll have to deal with for the rest of their lives. Counting Bodies Like Sheep

radiumgirl: Sam has an unfortunate altercation with a hellhound, and he's not fatally injured, but he's cut up, and in a lot of pain. As if THAT wasn't enough, the encounter also acts as a trigger: the wall cracks just a little more, and his mind is thrown back into Hell. He's seizing, flailing and suffering and making his injuries worse; Dean's trying to take control of the situation, even though he's horrified and panicked at Sam's memories coming back, and also at the very implications of hellhounds in his own life: his death, Jo's death. This Time and the Last Time.

phreakycat: Ever since his week of reliving Hell, Sam's started crying in his sleep. He can't/won't cry during the day, but every night when his defenses are down he sobs and sobs in his sleep.

This makes sleeping difficult for Dean, obviously. So Dean decides he's clearly got to do something to help. He's got to get Sam to cry during the daytime so that they can have a chick flick moment and Sam can let go of some of his angst. Turns out, despite all of Dean's "you're an emo girl" teasing over the years, getting Sam to cry is easier said than done. It's In My Honey, It's In My Milk.

glovered: When we see that flashback at the beginning of Unforgiven, Samuel and Sam are walking out talking about Sam's wound. Well I noticed that he's bleeding and shot or stabbed in the arm. Hurt!Sam isn't good, sure BUT what I really noticed was that Sam was wearing his BROWN HOODIE. Which now has a HOLE in the ARM.
Fast forward to present and maybe Dean finds the ripped hoodie and mends it for Sam. Maybe even soulless!Sam kept it because it was the first piece of clothing Dean bought Sam after he lost everything in the fire at Stanford. Cue Sam being touched by the gesture and apologizing again for, ya kno, letting his bro get turned into a vamp and stuff. Our Boots On With Both Hands.

minviendha: Sometime after getting his soul back, Sam falls ill. It's nothing life threatening, but he feels pretty miserable and can't really get out of bed - though he does try. Sam plays it down, but Dean won't have that. Ever since Sam's soul is back and Dean knows it's only a matter of time until the wall breaks and he loses his brother again, Dean is even more overprotective than in his best days, and now Sam's sick, he is in full "Take you medicine!"/"If you get up one more time I'll tie you to the bed!"/"Shut up and let me read you a bedtime story!" big brother mode. Pause.

minviendha: Sam decides to stay with his family instead of going to Stanford after his father gives him the ultimatum. The hunting life slowly begins to eat away at Sam, & his family can see it happening. Beneath the Trees, Where Nobody Sees.

wave_obscura: Dean has to feed Sam ice chips. Ice Chips.

youaredriving: If poison ivy is burned and the smoke then inhaled, this rash will appear on the lining of the lungs, causing extreme pain and possibly fatal respiratory difficulty. Like An Old Biddy.

blueeyedliz: Sam's wall cracks again, and this time he's out for much longer than 3 minutes. Dean knows that every second is an eternity, but he can't manage to bring Sam back. He figures the best way to snap Sam back into the here and now is to emphasize the differences/good things about reality. But the opposite of torture is... hugs and puppies? I'd love for this to have some degree of awkwardness to it, cuz it's not like Dean's used to just holding his brother, but Sam needs it (and not-so-secretly likes it) and Dean's going to do whatever it takes. Eventually, when Dean sees Sam uncovering potentially wall-damaging memories, he takes a preemptive approach. Maybe they're both a little sheepish, but, really, neither's going to give up the chance to be close AND stave off hell!seizures at the same time. Gen preferred. The Reluctant Romantic.

mercuryblue144Sam still keeps the voicemail from 4x22 even after all this time. He needs not to let himself forget about what he has done and what he is. So whenever Dean smiles at him or talks with him like he really cares, whenever he feels little blip of happiness or normalcy, whenever he thinks he has done something well, whenever he starts believing Dean has forgiven him... he has to reach out to his mobile and listen to the message.

This way he can remind himself he cannot be forgiven, that this is what Dean really thinks of him, and that he is living on borrowed time without any hope for atonement. Who Won't Let A Coward Run.

si_star_x: Schmoopy fluffy prompt! *confetti* Something happens where Sam is forced to cut his hair super short and he ends up being really depressed about it. Dean gives him a hard time about it at first because, hey it's just hair it'll grow back, but eventually he sees how much it's really bothering Sam and comforts him like whoa. "Did I ask for a haircut?

monicawoe: Sam realises he's being manipulated and turns the tables on Ruby. The BoyKing steps up to the plate and not only gets Dean out of Hell before he can pick up the knife, he forces Ruby to abandon Lilith and serve him.

Suddenly there's civil war in Hell and Heaven is completely baffled, so Castiel is sent to find out what's going on. Sam is somehow still fundamentally SAM, though, and manages to hold onto himself. No demon blood. No nothing. Nothing Left To Lose.

monicawoe: So Sam's all put back together again and Robo!Sam, like a good terrifying attack dog, is once again leashed and under the firm management of Sam's soul. Everything is good -- or is it?

[Cut for length] Sam's amoral side has gotten stronger in the year it was at large. It devises better plans, faster. Its inner voice is louder and more persuasive -- and when Sam listens, it gets results. [Further cut for length] As Sam struggles to recover Dean's trust and re-examine himself, Sam and Dean sink into a lonely spiral of second-guessing and paranoia -- while the line between Sam and his inner SkyNet ripples and blurs. Don't Worry.

ratherastory: The Jessica Moore Sam was living with at Stanford? Not his adult girlfriend, but his barely out of diapers kid. Mom died in childbirth, took off, whatever, but Sam's left with his baby and when Dean breaks in, he finds Sam alone in a small apartment with his little girl. If That Mockingbird Don't Sing

radiumgirl: Gen, preseries with a connect to season 6, Dean POV - it sucks when your Boy Scout little brother suffers heatstroke mowing lawns in 110 degree heat because he wants to earn some honest cash. It makes you freak out because, sure, the kid's a giant pain in the ass, but he's kind of your whole world. It sucks more when it happens again years later, not because he's mowing lawns, God don't you just wish, but because it's a 110 degrees and he wandered off into the desert heat during a wall crumbling sort of fugue and he doesn't know you (at first) or what's happening to him and he thinks he's that same snot-nosed teenager in the hospital after a heatstroke, asking when Dad's gonna get there. How do you keep from breaking the kid's heart and maybe ripping down that last shred of wall? You can't tell him Dad's dead and you aren't sure if you should do anything to make him come back to his adult reality because, let's face it, his reality is nothing but pain. But, he's still your world and you still stay by him, comforting and cooling him down and, no not the hospital this time, just a cool bath and rag on the forehead, and your heart breaking into a thousand pieces as you tell him "Dad'll be here soon, Sammy. Shh, he'll be here soon. I promise."

Saying you promise is almost like the first step to saying goodbye and it hurts. The Hollow of his Hand.

captainlon: "Appointment in Samarra" fic: Robosam shatters his leg when Bobby springs the trap door on him. It's a compound fracture, but Bobby is content to let him stew in his pain for a little while because, well, it's Robosam. But then he starts to notice Robo drifting into shock, and, dammit, Dean will be so pissed if he comes back with Sam's soul and finds the body dead, so, fine, FINE, Bobby will go tend to Robosam. Except...well...Robosam still really wants to stab Bobby in the neck, so things get a little awkward. Deadly Patient.

tversan: Sam's fourteen and at home waiting for John and Dean to come back forms hunt. After a week and a half - three more days that Dad had said - Sam has worked himself into in a panic. They could be hurt, they could be dead, how would Sam know? He calls Bobby and Pastor Jim but neither have heard from John. So he decides to hot-wire a car and go to wherever John and Dean are supposed to be. Except his timing sucks and a couple of cops spot him just as the car starts. He doesn't even have time to run away.

I don't know what CPS would do under these circumstances, so if it's easier have John and Dean drive up right then, great, otherwise they can return the next day, perfectly fine. The hunt just took longer than expected. What I want is a fourteen year old Sam in juvie for a couple of weeks. He's small and scared shitless and hand to hand combat is great - when they're not ganging up on you. Juvie.

si_star_x: Sam breaks his leg during a hunt, and badly so. It's shattered, in the puke-your-guts-out painful, going to take a long time to heal and probably will leave him with a limp for the rest of his life kind of way. And all he wants is to lie there and scream, or die or something, but Dean's upstairs, waiting for the thing that attacked Sam, and Sam just found out that their method for killing it doesn't work. So he has to warn Dean, but his cell's broken and Dean's in a soundproof room (or simply out of earshot), somewhere at the top of an awful lot of stairs.

But if Sam Winchester can't run to his brother's rescue, he's going to crawl to it. A little pain isn't going to stop him. The Climb.

minviendha: Some demon with insight into the cage (or Lucifer or Michael themselves, however they'd be able to) taunt Dean with stories about things that have been done to Sam in hell. Through the Glass.

monicawoe: Someone -- Gordon Walker, Walt and Roy, the gang from Free 2B U & Me, whoever -- has it in for Sam. The kicker? They know enough -- about Sam's past, his powers, his *cough*cravings*cough* weaknesses, his HELL SEIZURES -- to put him through some seriously rough times, and bring the inhuman parts of him right up to the surface.

That's before Dean rescues Sam and shoots the crap out of his captors, of course. But by the time he arrives, Sam's already pretty messed up . . . Less and More.

4422shini: Somehow, with bogus insurance and no money our boys always end up alone in their hospital room. But what if that wasn't the case? I want Sam, any injury, stuck sharing a hospital room with the roommie (or family of roomie) from hell. You can make this angsty or comical, just make sure Sam is annoyed beyond belief by having to share a room with someone else. My only stipulation is that the injury is bad enough to keep him there for a couple days, but not so bad that he's unable to gripe and bitch.' Of Hospitals, Roommates and Puke.

vail_kagami: While Dean is in the past (4.03 In the Beginning, that would be) angels (Uriel or anyone, really) find Sam. Suffering ensues, however the writer wants to go about it. Dean comes back and flips about three and a half shits. Getting Lower Ever Since.

greeneyes_fan: People who deal with crisis, or who live in a situation of long-term, ongoing crisis, develop coping mechanisms, behaviors and even personality traits that are excellent for coping with crisis--but which make for lousy methods of functioning in the real world (i.e. a state of affairs where there is not a crisis going on).

What behaviors and traits has Sam acquired in the last few years that maybe he didn't have before, or that are exaggerated versions of earlier ones, which might preclude being able to actually function effectively in ordinary society? Not necessarily the more dramatic possibilities, like the impacts of traumatic memories--what about things like needing to keep constantly busy, or a tendency toward hypervigilance, or a reduced capacity for compassion? Does suppressing his own feelings lead to an inability to empathize with others? Does he feel a sense of relief when something hugely problematic happens because at least this is a situation he knows how to deal with?

Gen, please. Motion Sickness.

quickreaver: Michael and Lucifer fight and they fight over Sam, ripping his soul between their fiery maws like he's a chew toy. [cut for length] Sometimes Michael and Lucifer get caught up in fighting and forget that they're fighting over Sam. [cut some more] hey, it's Hell! NEAT. You don't get to die and Sam lies there, drawing broken breaths through shattered lungs, cast off and forgotten until Lucifer, tired and weary from battle, comes slumping back to him. And he picks up his forgotten toy, drags Sam's limp body to his corner of the cage while he and Michael lick their wounds[further cut]. And there, bit by bit, stitch by stitch, he puts Sam back together again. Kiss With A Fist Is Better Than None.

youaredriving: A resouled Sam discovers that not only was he sleeping around, he was also not so interested in the concept of consent. Cue Sam getting flashbacks of Sam raping or killing a woman that leave Sam puking and absolutely horrified. Untitled.

killabeez: If someone can just find a way for Sam to give Dean the amulet back, and for Dean to be surprised/genuinely touched/really really grateful, that would be amazing. Especially as an understated (but obvious) thing, because he's supposed to be looking out for Sammy, not the other way around. Maybe Sam's dying, and wants to leave a little bit of himself behind with Dean so he doesn't do anything batshit crazy this time. However you do it is great, I just need the amulet back, and for it to be a good thing. That's Why I Hold With All I Have.

27_jaredjensen: sometime season 6, Dean, Sam: Gen bed sharing, forehead feels, neck massage because of headaches, Nyquil, theraflu, hot tea, bad, awful dreams because he can't sleep (you know GOOD sleep), and finally just some good ol' Tussionex which tastes like candy pineapples and has hydrocodone to kill the cough. It also makes Sam sooooooo relaxed until he's sort of floating, in and out, tucked in against Dean on some motel bed somewhere in nowhere land, wrapped in blankets, clutching a roll of toilet paper, and catching random moments of either all of the Lord of the Rings or all of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies which Dean watches to pass the time while Sam finally sleeps it off. Medicated.

Anonymous: Sam loses his hearing at Stanford. Untitled.

nanoks: Sam comes back from hell cold and touch-starved. He has to be in his hoodie at all times. Maybe he smokes? He's always twitchy and on-edge. He can never just be comfortable. But he has his brother, and his brother does what he can. Wincest is welcome. A Tender Touch.

dante_s_hell: Sam's tweaked his back pretty bad, so Dean gives him a massage. Thoroughly. Twist and Shout.

de_nugis: Dean settles down in due course with Lisa and Ben. Retires from hunting, because he won't bring his work home with him to endanger his family. Sam tries to do the same, to make a civilian life for himself and be content with his place in Dean's family, but it's hard. He still feels like he should be out there atoning for what he's done, and though Lisa and Ben include him for Dean's sake, he's always a bit on the margins. So he ends up hunting again. He still sees Dean when he can, but he stays away from Lisa's out of the same fear that made Dean retire -- he's not going to have something evil follow him back to Dean's home.

And in the end every hunter is going to draw the short straw. Sam gets hurt on a hunt alone, and he knows it's the end. At least he's luckier than most in having an angel on speed dial. He knows Cas isn't allowed to heal him, but what he can do is get Dean. They say their goodbyes. Last Call.

gwendolynd: Sam is flogged within an inch of his life (literally) for whatever reason. Untitled.

darth_firefly: Sam's tweaked his back pretty bad, so Dean gives him a massage. Thoroughly. Wincest or gen, but prefer the focus to be on the massage (the pain/pleasure of Dean digging his thumbs in, working out knots, making Sam groan in ways that sound good and bad) instead of sex. Massage.

authoressnebula: People begin to disappear, and only Sam seems to notice. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Now with a sequel! Everybody Standing Around Us.

bythedamned: Sam tries & fail to cope with the fact that Mary sold him before he was even born in exchange for John's life. Cue Dean being an awesome big brother. One to Sell.

emmram: After experiencing what a crack in the wall is like, Sam dutifully stops "scratching". After a while, though, he starts to experience migraines and fevers and his general health goes downhill . When he finally collapses, Dean has Castiel check him out. Castiel tells them that the wall is holding, but there's so much pressure building behind it that it's killing Sam, and eventually the pressure will just destroy the wall entirely. In order to prevent that from happening, Sam will need to let some of the pressure out every once and a while - meaning every few months he'll need to scratch just a tiny bit and open a pressure valve of sorts, letting just enough hell through to slack off the pressure for a while... The Fragile Substance of My Soul.

minviendha: Sam and Dean are ambushed by a posse of anti-Sam hunters and killed. Dean moves on, but Sam sticks around, pissed about the fact that when the hunters took him out, they took Dean too. A few years pass and Bobby gets wind of some violent deaths going down in the area where the Winchesters fell. He does the math and doesn't like the answer he gets, heads out to put Sam Winchester to rest once and for all. The Ghosts You Know.

captainlon: Sam (and Dean?) go spirit-walking (as in Death Takes A Holiday? Or a curse?) and after they get back in their bodies (break the curse?) Sam's consciousness keeps slipping loose like part of a cheap plastic toy with the insertion tabs broken off.

Cue uncontrolled, random fainting, disturbing astral plane encounters, frantic Dean, and neat ghost tricks. Fragile.

cherry916: Post 6x12. Ever since Sam got his soul back, he's suffered almost constant headaches due to the pressure from the wall. He tries to hide it, but Dean, being an awesome big brother, notices and does his best to help Sam cope with the pain. Under Pressure.

crazybeagle: Sam develops chronic muscle spasms around/near that scar on his back.When it Counted Most.

ancastar: For some reason Sam receives 20 lashes. Dean is made to witness the punishment and suffers each stroke with Sam. Bearable.

emmram: Uriel gets a hold of Sam and Dean and wants to use them against Castiel in the civil war. [prompt cut for length] Ruin.

harrigan: Stanford-era. Sam's got a trick knee from the hunting life -- usually it's okay, but once in a while it hurts enough that he favors it noticeably. He does something to re-injure this knee and iss so used to treating his own injuries that he brushes off Jess' pleas to visit a doctor and wraps it and ices it by himself, like he's always done. The injury is far more serious than he realized, and it just keeps on getting worse -- cue Jess getting kind of frantic and begging him to go to a doctor. Locus Standi.

4thejourney: Sam's visions and nightmares developed at a much earlier age. The more they progress, the harder it is for him to cope and keep his grip on reality. The headaches and lack of sleep eventually become too much and he turns to cutting to keep himself grounded. Cue awesome big brother Dean who does what he can by coaxing him through the hard times (I'd love a scene where Dean takes a knife from Sam's hand and mention of how he reacts to seeing fresh cuts on Sam's arm), but knows he ultimately can't make Sam stop and it could be something that they'll have to deal with for the rest of their lives. My Scars To Remind Me

crazybeagle: SPOILERS FOR 6x15, THE FRENCH MISTAKE. Dean says to Sam "you don't seem all that eager to get back to our universe" (paraphrased). The reason Sam isn't chomping at the bit to get back (even though he knows they have to return) is that in this universe there's no demons, no magic, etc. That means no demon blood, and no addiction. It's the first time in a long time that he hasn't felt that constant hunger niggling away at him. It's such an incredible relief, not to feel that addiction, and he didn't realize how much it was weighing on him until it was gone. Add to that the fact that no hell = no need for a wall, and Sam feels better than he has since, well, ages.

Once they return to their universe, though, the addiction and the hunger and the itching wall all crash back down on him. It's depressing and exhausting and overwhelming. Dean eventually figures out what's going on (Sam can tell him or he can figure it out on his own) and does his best to help Sam readjust. Tabula Rasa.

Sorry for the delay in getting the list up. Please let me know if I've left out your fill! :)

Current Mood: happy

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From: (Anonymous)

Dean’s heart sank as his head tried to wrap itself around this new development. His little brother, Sammy, was using ASL because of necessity. Jess, his girlfriend, had learned for him so that they could communicate with each other. The typewriter phone was there because Sammy couldn’t use the phone regularly anymore. The disability forms stated that Sam had to have someone type up the professor’s lecture for him to take notes. The clues all around him gave him a picture of the changes in Sam’s life and showed that Sam was never going to be able pick back up into hunting after he graduated from college, at least not in the way Dean had imagined things. These thoughts swirled in Dean’s mind, over and over again, combining with a growing anger.

When Sam emerged from his bedroom, rubbing his eyes and yawning, Dean pounced. “Sam! When the fuck were you ever going to tell me about your little condition here? You think I wouldn’t find out?” He cupped Sam’s ears and shook them for extra emphasis.

Sam stared at him, puzzled, until a look of dawning horror and realization crept onto his face. “Dean, I swear, I wasn’t keeping it a secret! It’s just not something someone says in casual conversation. ‘Hey, man. Haven’t seen you in a long time. Oh, and by the way, I’m deaf.’ I would have told you about it today.”

“When did this happen, Sam? Why didn’t you call me when it happened?” Dean let go of Sam’s shoulders and began pacing the kitchen floor.

“Over two years ago,” Sam mumbled with eyes tracking Dean’s movements.

“Two years ago? Why ever in the name of God’s left tit did you never tell me? If I hadn’t shown up, you’d never have bothered telling me at all. I’d have just gone around thinking my brother’s perfectly fine. Fucking hell, Sam! You need to tell me this shit!” Dean bellowed, his body practically vibrating with repressed emotion. His hands gripped his hair in frustration and anger.

“There was no need to. There was nothing you could have done for me anyway. I was fine,” Sam replied quietly, hands twisted.

“No, Sam, you are not fine. This is the opposite of fine. When you went off that night, I figured, ‘Hey, at least Sam’ll be OK.’ But no, you are not OK. This situation is not OK. This is so far off the reservation of OK that it’s on a completely different planet. Goddamnit, Sammy!” Dean pressed his palms to the back his head and thumped himself down on one of the kitchen chairs.

“Besides, the way I left things, I wasn’t too sure if you even wanted to hear from me again,” Sam continued in the same tone of voice, small and insecure, and it made Dean want to tear his heart out.

“Fuck, Sam, that was Dad, not me. The both of you said some horrible shit to each other, but that wasn’t me. Why wouldn’t I want to hear from you? You’re my pain in the ass little brother. I’d come running in a heartbeat.” Dean got up and ruffled Sam’s hair. For a moment, the room was silent as Dean’s message sunk in. He looked into his brother’s eyes and said, “God, Sammy, you’re such a Sasquatch.”

From:

kate-mct.livejournal.com

Love this!! Can't wait for more!

From:

jennytork.livejournal.com

oooohhhh yeah -- that's our Dean! *grin*

From: (Anonymous)

No one is ever that angry yet filled with concern as Dean is with Sammy. Plus the cursing. Dean is never Dean without the cursing.

From:

chaigrl2786.livejournal.com

From: (Anonymous)

*claps hands*

From: (Anonymous)

Sam punched Dean in the arm. “How’d you find out? I mean, it’s not like I was hiding it, but it’s not terribly noticeable either.”

“For one, I saw you yesterday signing to your girlfriend here. Two, you’re staring too intently on my mouth. I know I’m a good looking dude, but you’ve seen it before. Three, I looked at your papers there in your desk. I think I can put two and two together, Francis. But how’d it happen?” Dean settled back onto his chair.

Sam sighed and sat on the other chair in the kitchen. “I got sick.”

“Sick,” Dean deadpanned.

“Yeah, with bacterial meningitis,” Sam continued like Dean had never spoken aloud. “I was out of it for a few days and my roommate took me to the hospital. Next thing I knew, I was deaf.”

“Fuck, Sam, you were so sick you ended up in the hospital. Hell, you were so sick you went deaf, probably nearly died. Why weren’t we notified? Emergency contacts and …” Dean saw Sam’s contrite expression. “We’re not your emergency contacts. The fuck? You think we wouldn’t care if something happened to you? What do you take us for?” Dean socked Sam in the shoulder. There was no level for the fuckery Sam had pulled to keep his “normal” life. “I can’t believe the shit your brain comes up with.”

From:

kate-mct.livejournal.com

Love this! Is John going to find out?

From: (Anonymous)

You'll find out! (in the next installment or two)

From:

jennytork.livejournal.com

YAY!!

12 needs to come FAST....

From: (Anonymous)

It's come! Ta da! *points below*

From:

sagaluthien.livejournal.com

This part felt all to short... so please, please let chapter 12 come fast.
Really want to know how the relationship will turn up with what some would say with the new obstical

From: (Anonymous)

Oh, to pick apart their relationship. It gives me quite a bit to work with. Still plotting out other things though. This is shaping up to be the length of a big bang.

From:

chaigrl2786.livejournal.com

I agree with everyone else. Loved getting a piece of the story today, but I can't wait for the next chapter. :)

Thanks again.

From: (Anonymous)

Thanks for reading it.

From: (Anonymous)

Sam held up his hands defensively. “OK, OK, now that we’ve established my stupidity, are you gonna tell Dad about this?”

“Hell yes, I’m gonna tell him. You’re still family, no matter what went down between the two of you.”

“He kicked me out, Dean, and told me not to come back. He doesn’t have a right to know anything about my life anymore.”

“Damnit, Sam, Dad was only scared for you, being out on your own. And apparently, he was right to be.”

“You know, I’m a perfectly functional human being. Sure, I can’t hear you talking to me anymore, but I have a nice fulfilling life here. I like my classes and I have work and a girlfriend. I don’t have to worry about dying from blood loss in the middle of a forest somewhere. I have a future here.”

“Come on; it wasn’t a picnic but it wasn’t that bad either.”

“Really? So the lack of money, the constant traveling, the nasty motel rooms, that’s just fine with you.”

“Hey, it comes with the job. I save some people and get to waste some evil sons of bitches. Where else can you do stuff like that?”

“Where is Dad by the way? He’s not waiting for you at a nearby motel, is he?”

“He’s over in Minnesota on a job.”

“He left you alone?”

“Dude, I’m 25. I think I can handle hunting on my own by now.”

“What if you need backup?”

“Then I’ll call for backup. What, you volunteering?” Dean chuckled before realizing that Sam was being serious. “I thought you didn’t want to be hunting, Mr. Normal.”

“I hate the idea of you dying even more.”

“But you can’t--“

“Hunt?” Sam interrupted him. “I can still see, you know, and hear loud noises like cars backfiring and guns shooting. I haven’t forgotten Dad’s training and I still retained a lot of esoteric knowledge. I mean, there might have to be some adjustments, but I can still hunt.”

Dean shot a look at Sam, but upon seeing Sam’s hardened determination, knew there would be no dissuading him or changing his opinion. If Sam wanted to hunt with him, he would. And it was nice, even, the thought of Sam hunting with him again, having a partner to watch his back. But that was a pipe dream, no way Sam would truly take off for a hunt. Sam was never going to be back on the road like before, no matter what he thought.

From:

kate-mct.livejournal.com

Love it! *Waits patiently for 12*

From: (Anonymous)

I forgot to change the subject line... whoops. *blushes*

From: (Anonymous)

At the pause in the conversation, Jess entered the kitchen. While she greeted Dean, she had her left hand in her elbow and lifted her right hand to her face. “So, Dean, what do you want to do today? I have class until 1 and Sam has class until 3, but afterwards we should have time to take you around town, show you around a little.”

Dean wavered between his need to get back on the road and his wish to spend more time with his brother, his hesitation clearly sitting on his face. “Oh, I don’t know… There’s a job waiting for me in Oregon.”

Sam reached out and placed his hand on Dean’s arm. “Please stay.” He hit Dean with puppy dog eyes and Dean could feel himself caving to Sam, just like always.

“Fine,” Dean muttered, head turned away from Sam. He continued with the pleading and forlorn expression until Dean mouthed, “OK,” in exaggeration at him, at which he broke a small genuine smile.

“You can explore the area if you like,” Sam pitched. “The bars don’t open until about 8, but you can wander the campus. There’s always a tour going on somewhere and sometimes there’s a group giving away free stuff on the quad. Or you can just watch TV until we get back--”

“Sam,” Dean cut into Sam’s babble. “I think I’ll check out your campus while you go out and do your college boy thing. You got a key I can borrow?”

“Yeah. Take mine.” Sam grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter and handed them over to Dean.

A moment later, Jess clapped her hands. “Well, I’ve got to go,” Jess proclaimed, “I’ll see you all later.” She kissed Sam and nabbed her backpack on her way out.

At the sound of the door closing, Dean asked, “She know about hunting?”

Sam’s face scrunched up. “No, and she’s never going to know if I can help it,” Sam declared, that stubborn expression coming to the fore.

“Oh, so you’ll help me out with hunting, but you won’t say anything to your girlfriend? What’s she gonna say when you’re out with me?”

“I don’t want her dragged into the life. It was hard and messy and I can never inflict something like that on someone I love.”

“Isn’t that her choice, though? To believe you and join the hunter life or not?” As soon as Dean spoke the words, he knew Sam wouldn’t listen to them, stubborn bastard that he was. So instead of pushing his point, he said, “When’s your class start? Or are you blowing them off?”

At Dean’s words, Sam’s eyes widened and he looked at the clock. “Oh shit! I’m late!” Sam exclaimed and rushed out of the apartment, yelling “Don’t touch the computer!” as he closed the door.

From:

jennytork.livejournal.com

okay, this last line made me laugh!

13 is unlucky to stop -- so post 14 VERY SOON!

From: (Anonymous)

Hee! I'm so glad.

From:

chaigrl2786.livejournal.com

:) :) :) :)

From: (Anonymous)

Alone inside of Sam’s apartment, Dean took the opportunity to call his dad. Excising all guilt at going against Sam’s wishes, he speed-dialed John but only got the standard voicemail greeting of, “This is John Winchester. Leave a message.” Once the beep sounded, Dean started going off. “Sam’s deaf. Did you know that? I know that you visited him every once in a while, cruising through the school when you thought you’d least likely be caught. How'd you never find out a thing like that? So, I’m postponing the hunt in Oregon. Talk to you later.” He hung up and pressed the phone to his forehead, frustrated at getting voicemail instead of his father answering back.

With so many hours left before either Jess or Sam made it back to their place, Dean visited the nearest old fashioned diner, avoiding the ethnic food stands and the organic vegan bakeries that peppered the area around the Stanford campus. After a heartstopping meal of a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a milkshake, he walked around the Stanford campus, biding his time, imagining what Sam’s past couple of years were like. In his mind’s eye, he saw Sam getting his geek on, signing or talking to his friends, and relying on them to do things he couldn’t do. A sense of guilt settled in his gut for not knowing about Sam’s illness or helping him deal with the subsequent aftermath. He was the older brother; he was supposed to be there for him. However, Sam seemed to be doing alright in his new life and daily asserted his independence from everyone, which only made Dean feel as though he were an unnecessary weight in his brother's life.

At around 1:30, Dean headed back to Sam’s place and found Jess making herself a sandwich.

“So you enjoy our fair campus?” Jess asked.

“Uh, yeah, it’s nice,” replied Dean. An awkward silence reared its head and inserted itself into the kitchen. Jess took a bite of her sandwich. Dean noticed the use of fancy greens in Jess’s food.

“How’d you—"
“What was—"

Jess gave a nervous laugh and Dean smirked.

“You go first,” Dean prodded.

Jess looked as though she was going to protest but instead said, “What was Sam like as a kid? He mentioned that you guys moved around a lot but not much beyond that.”

Dean paused for a second to weigh his options before saying, “Do you know Sam’s afraid of clowns?”

Jess grinned.