Take Care of You

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/24259177.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories: Gen, M/M
Fandoms: Supernatural, SPN
Relationships: Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Bobby
Singer & Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & John Winchester
Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural), Bobby Singer
Additional Tags: Childhood Trauma, Dean Winchester is Sam Winchester's Parent,
Protective Dean Winchester, John Winchester Being an Asshole, Bad
Parent John Winchester, Parental Bobby Singer, Sad Dean Winchester,
Castiel Helps Dean Winchester, De-Aged Sam Winchester, Witches, De-
aging, Self-Discovery, confronting childhood traumas, Anxiety,
Depression, Anxious Dean Winchester, Soft Dean Winchester, Fluff,
Angst, Fluff and Angst, Dean Winchester Takes Care of Sam Winchester,
Castiel Takes Care of Dean Winchester, before cas loses his wings,
Bobby is still alive, Castiel and Dean Winchester Have a Profound Bond,
Baby Sam Winchester, soft/shy destiel, Dean Winchester Needs a Hug,
Dean Winchester Needs Castiel, Brotherly Bonding, John Winchester's
A+ Parenting, Child Dean Winchester, Child Sam Winchester
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2020-05-18 Completed: 2020-05-25 Words: 8,439 Chapters:
6/6
 Take Care of You
by theearlymorningmist

Summary

When a witch casts a spell that turns Sam back into a baby, it stirs up many childhood
traumas for Dean. He struggles to care for baby-Sam, confront his anxieties, and hunt down a
witch all at the same time. But Castiel tries to help Dean see that he is worth more than just
protecting Sam.

Notes

Honestly I haven't been able to stop thinking about what Dean taking care of a baby Sam
would look like since I thought we were going to get it in 15x10. So here is fluffy and angsty
dean dealing with a baby, and some shy destiel.

p.s- all 6 chpts are finished/pre-written, will be posted every other day.

See the end of the work for more notes

 Chapter 1

Sam and Dean moved through the abandoned warehouse carefully, guns cocked and raised at
the ready. Dean took the lead, silently stalking down the narrow pathway until they reached
its end where it branched off in two directions. The two brothers exchanged a silent look,
agreeing to split up.

They had been in a diner two towns over when Sam read an article online about a string of
disappearances. After some more research, Sam explained to Dean, who had been happily
shoveling pecan pie into his mouth at an alarming rate, that all the victims had at one point
attended therapy sessions at the same practice; one Dr. Sara Howe.

“Could be basically anything;” Dean huffed, sad to see his plate empty, “Rugaru, Vamps,
Ghouls, Djinn…They all equal missing persons.”

Sam closed his laptop, and finished the last sip of his coffee, which had grown cold some time
ago. “I guess we’re just ganna have to get some more info from the locals. I say we start at
this Dr. Howe’s office.”

Dean begrudgingly nodded in agreement. “I hate not knowing what we’re heading into.” he
muttered, throwing a few bills onto the table before getting up”.

In his youth, when he had first started hunting with their Dad, Dean could admit he’d been
reckless and overconfident; willing to run head first into anything so long as he had his
beloved gun with him. John had admired what he saw as fearlessness, that in reality was
recklessness, so long as Dean continued to shut up and listen to instructions.

All that had changed when Sam got old enough to start hunting with them as well. Dean had
dreaded that day like the plague. He quickly found himself holding back, waiting for the right
opportunity to attack instead of going in guns blazing. Mostly this was because he knew
where he went Sam would follow without question, and he would never put his brother in
danger like that. The other, sadder, reality was that if Dean died being reckless on a hunt,
there would be no one around to protect Sammy; John only truly had eyes for the hunt, still
fueled with blind anger over his wife’s death, and willing to take it out on anyone or
anything.

Things had gotten better with time. John’s own hastiness had become tact, maybe because
enough time had passed that he saw the point in being careful, living on for his sons. Dean
didn’t particularly care why, because looking out for Sam, on hunts and otherwise, would
always be Dean’s first job. After their dad died, it became his only job. Which was why even
now, with Sam closing in on 30, Dean was wary that one bad hunt, one blind mistake, could
kill them.

Unfortunately, you don’t always know you’re making a bad decision in the moment. It’s not
until after, when that sick feeling fills your gut and screams ‘I told you so’, that you realize
your mistake. This was the case when Dean got to the end of the left corridor, finding a dusty
room full of overturned office furniture, with a single desk standing against the far wall. On
that desk were all the makings of a black altar, and a serious one at that; this was a practiced
witch they were dealing with, not some amateur house-wife wiccan who was in over her
head. Dean sucked in a breath, turning on his heels to go find Sam before he found the witch.
He cursed himself for thinking it had been a Djinn… it was now his fault neither of them had
witch killing bullets on them.

“Sam!” Dean tried to shout-whisper and he made his way back down the other hall, the way
Sam had gone when they split up. He could already feel that sickening regret and self hatred
building in his gut as he neared the corner, when a green flash of light emanated from the
other room, momentarily blinding Dean from its brightness.

When the light disappeared, Dean hurried around the corner, trying to blink away the black
dots that clouded his vision. As he turned the corner, he first noted Sam’s gun, abandoned on
the floor. Rage and anxiety rushed through him. In the corner, a female figure with her back
turned made a move for the door. Dean raised his gun, finger ready on the trigger.

“HEY! Don’t move.” he ordered. “What did you do to my brother you son of a bitch?”

The woman, Dr. Howe, as Dean had guessed, slowly turned around, revealing herself to be
holding some kind of bundle in her arms. Dean’s eyes narrowed, anticipating some trick to be
hidden among the blankets- a gun or a hex bag. To his surprise, the bundle moved, revealing
a tiny arm. Soft cries suddenly filled the room, confirming that the bundle the witch was
holding was indeed a live human baby.

“All I did was make him a little cuter. I mean those puppy dog eyes on a baby? What a
sweetheart.” the woman smirked, looking down at Sam lovingly, which thoroughly disgusted
Dean.

“Change him back now or I’ll put a bullet in your brain.” Dean threatened again, taking a step
closer. His face was stern but inside he was panicking. Whatever happened now was his own
fault.

The woman let out a short sigh, glaring at Dean. “I’m not the bad guy, Winchester. I’m
helping these people. Giving them a new start in life.” She looked back down at the baby,
which Dean was still having trouble comprehending to be Sam. “I could sense the sadness in
this one too. The regret, lost dreams, lost hopes. Maybe this time around he’ll have it better.”

Dean swallowed thickly, stepping even closer. He could almost grab them if he wanted, but it
would be only too easy for the woman to hurt Sam before Dean could restrain her. So he
hesitated- waiting for a better option to reveal itself.

“Either way- you kill me and he stays like this.” She smirked, suddenly tossing the bundle to
Dean who dropped his gun, diving forward to catch the fragile thing. By the time he had Sam
in his arms, one hand keeping his head and neck still, the woman had already escaped out the
door.

Dean shuffled the bundle to one arm, picking up his gun with his now free hand and making
for the door, when he suddenly froze. He stared down at the baby in his arms, who was
crying, and slowly lowered his gun, tucking it back into his jeans. There was no way he could
chase down and fight a witch while holding a baby.

Dean hung his head, jaw clenched with frustration. Finally he looked back at the baby, his
brother, whose bright eyes were filled with tears. Flashbacks from childhood, motel walls
and Sammy crying, asking when their father was going to be back, flooded his mind from the
dark corners in which they had been repressed. Dean felt himself break a little. “Hey…hey
it’s okay, Sammy…” the man spoke softly. “I’m ganna…I’ll get you fixed. I promise.”

Carefully Dean pulled out his cell, dialing the familiar number. A gruff voice picked up,
barking ‘Hello’. Dean struggled to find words to explain himself. “Hey Bobby, it’s Dean.
Listen I’ve got a…situation. I’m ganna need your help.”
 Chapter 2
Chapter Summary

Dean struggles to adjust to the idea that his brother is a baby, while Cas notices some
troubling behaviour from Dean.

Chapter Notes

A/N- I'm so soft for Dean with babies. ;---;

Dean had gone back to the Impala with Sam, who was now magically a baby, and was
currently staring blankly at the dashboard in stunned silence. That he had uttered the words
‘Sam is a baby’ genuinely, and not as an insult to his oversized little brother, was still
throwing him for a loop for obvious reasons.

After managing to convince Bobby that he was not in fact messing with the man, Bobby
agreed to drive up and help Dean catch the witch and figure out a way to reverse this de-
aging spell. They agreed to meet up at a motel in town, but Dean was having trouble figuring
out how to get there safely. He couldn’t exactly just strap Sam into the passenger seat and tell
him to hold on. The issue reminded Dean of when they had first lost their mom in the fire…
Pretty much all their stuff had been destroyed too, including their booster seats, which had
been in the garage at the time. For three days, before John had been able to get new ones,
Dean sat in the back, the seatbelt pressing into his neck because it was too tall for him,
gripping Sammy as tight in his arms as he could.

Shaking the memory away, Dean tried to focus on the task at hand. He had remembered
seeing a small flower and boutique shop a block up the road from the foreclosed building
they were currently at. Much to Dean’s embarrassment, 15 minutes later he was walking back
to the Impala holding a wicker picnic basket which he had put Sam in. He carefully
positioned the basket at the foot of the passenger’s seat, driving slower than he could ever
remember having driven before, to get to the motel. “Sorry Sammy,” the man apologized as
he drove over a bump, “you okay down there?” he asked. Sam merely let out a small gurgling
laugh, seemingly greatly amused by the basket.

When Dean arrived at the motel he made sure no one was around to see him as he headed to
his room with the basket. The man sat down on the motel bed, taking Sam out of the basket
and laying him down gently. He let out a sigh, releasing the tension from his shoulders as he
laid back as well. “I’ve gotta say Sammy, this is up there with the top weirdest things that
have ever happened to us.” The man admitted, patting Sam on the stomach gently, causing
him to laugh. This brought a small smile to Dean’s face. “Oh you’re still ticklish huh? Yeah, I
remember tickling you all the time when you were a baby. Mom said she’d never heard a
baby laugh so much before…”

There was a knock on the door which shook Dean once again from his memories. He went to
answer it, keeping one eye on Sam to make sure he didn’t roll off the bed. “Cas?” Dean
questioned, when he found the familiar angel on the other side of the door.

“Hello, Dean. May I come in?” he asked, eyes glancing over to the baby on the bed in
confusion. “Is that…your brother?” he questioned, stepping inside as Dean moved out the
way.

“Yup.” Dean nodded. “It’s a long story. Actually, not that long- a witch zapped him with
something and now he wets his pants.”

Cas pursed his lips, giving Dean a look. “That’s not very nice Dean, babies don’t have control
of their bodily functions.”

“Neither do some adults after a few drinks.” Dean chuckled.

Cas shook his head, moving over to the bed to look at Sam. “Hello Sam.” He reached out his
hand, which Sam grabbed, and, not knowing quite what to do, Cas shook it formally. “Uh,
good to see you, although the circumstances seem unfortunate.”

Dean rolled his eyes at the angel’s actions. They had known each other a few years now, yet
no matter how acclimatized to social interaction Cas got, there were certain aspects of his
awkward and goofy nature that never changed. Dean was grateful for that, although he would
never admit it. “So how’d you find us anyhow?” the man asked.

Cas sat down, turning his attention back to Dean. “I sensed your distress, so I called Bobby
and he told me where to meet you all.” the man explained.

Dean raised his eyebrows, “M-My distress? Hey man I didn’t pray for your help or anything.
I can watch a baby for a few hours.” the man argued, swallowing thickly. He held Cas’ stare
for a moment before giving up and going to pick Sam up, who had begun to get fussy.

“Forgive me if I offended you Dean, I didn’t mean to imply you were incapable.”

The man shuffled Sam in his arms, trying to avoid Cas’ eyes which were all too sympathetic
and kind for him to deal with right now. “I used to watch Sam all the time when we were
younger you know.” Dean began, tone less defensive now. “It was a lot easier when he was
older and I could bribe him to behave with candy.” the man admitted, a ghost of a smile
brushing over his lips, “but he was pretty damn cute as a baby too…”

Clearing his throat, Dean glanced at Cas before quickly looking away. “Don’t ever tell him I
said that.” he added, embarrassed.

Cas nodded, also smiling. As he watched the two brothers interact, noting Dean’s run down
state, having come right from a fight. He was still wearing his FBI suit, which Cas knew
Dean hated. “I can hold Sam for a moment if you’d like.” Cas offered, to give the man a
chance to change.

The angel tried not to be offended when Dean all but pulled away, throwing his shoulder in
between Cas and Sam. “No!—I mean, it’s fine, he’s falling asleep anyways. Don’t want to
wake him.” Dean covered.

Cas nodded, clearly feeling the waves of anxiety which were rolling off Dean in that moment.
He knew that Dean had always been protective of his younger sibling, but this seemed like
something more. Cas frowned, recalling all he knew about the Winchesters before he had
become involved in their lives. He had been explicitly told that dealing with Dean and getting
him to accept his role in the apocalypse would be difficult because of his father issues and
codependence on his brother. They had been right of course. Dean was willing to do anything
to protect his brother; he stopped the apocalypse so he could save Sam, and yet he had still
lost him for a time. Cas could tell those events still haunted Dean sometimes…

Dean guiltily avoided Cas’ inquisitive gaze, as he leaned against the headboard of the bed,
careful to keep Sam’s sleeping form comfortable in his arms. Just as he got settled, there was
another knock at the door. “I’ll get it.” Cas offered, standing up.

He answered the door, and Bobby entered the room carrying a bag of baby supplies. “Alright
you idjit,” he began, addressing Dean, “I’ve got to see this with my own eyes before I believe
it.” he said, dumping the supplies on the table and heading over to Dean. He held his hands
out, and Dean handed Sam over with some reluctance. Cas recalled that Bobby often watched
the brothers when they were young and accounted that to why Bobby was allowed to interact
with the infant Sam and he wasn’t.

Bobby chuckled, shaking his head. “Well I’ll be damned, your brother is a baby.” the man
exclaimed. “I can’t remember the last time this boy was smaller than you, or even me for that
matter.” The older man glanced over at the picnic basket before scoffing in disbelief. “Boy,
tell me you ain’t been keeping your baby brother in a damn wicker basket.”

Dean swallowed, glancing away. “Uh…no?”

“Idjit.” Bobby muttered, handing Sam back to Dean and heading outside again. When he
returned he was holding a proper baby carrier, albeit it was a bit old and torn, so there was a
dinosaur pattern blanket laid over the seat. “Here, put your damn brother in that.”

“Hey I remember this thing!” Dean smiled, touching the corner of the blanket gently. “You
kept it all these years?” he asked, surprised. He recalled when their father had come to pick
them up from Bobby’s once, already in a bad mood. Dean had taken too long getting Sam
buckled in his booster seat because his favourite blanket, the dinosaur one, had gotten stuck
in the buckle. John, in a frustrated rage, had torn the thing out of Dean’s arms and thrown it
into the trash. ‘You're too old to be carrying that stupid thing around, son.’ he had said.

“This blanket has sentimental value to you, Dean?” Cas asked, inspecting the piece of cloth.
All the depictions of the prehistoric creatures were wildly inaccurate, but Cas refrained from
mentioning the discrepancy.
Dean merely nodded, placing Sam down into the carrier. He let out a quick cry, not wanting
to be put down, but Dean quickly distracted the infant by giving him the edge of the blanket
to hold. It worked like a charm, just like it had when they were both younger. Sam would
only settle if he was holding onto something- whether it be a person or a random object.

Bobby adjusted his hat, shrugging his shoulders. “Just threw it in the wash and tossed it in a
closet is all. John was an ass for throwing it out.” he commented, looking away. That man
had never been a real dad to the boys. Especially not to Dean. “Now if we can all stop cooing
over the kid like a couple o’ ladies, we’ve got work to do. We need to figure out how to turn
your brother back.”

Dean nodded, glancing over at Sam’s peaceful, now sleeping, form. He hadn’t seen his little
brother sleep that well in years. “Right…Turn him back…Yeah.” Dean muttered, the Witch’s
words echoing through his mind. …Maybe this time around he’ll have it better…
 Chapter 3
Chapter Summary

Dean is haunted by memories from years ago. Cas attempts to comfort him.

Chapter Notes

A/N- I wish I could punch John Winchester in the face.

Dean was helping Sam eat his Spaghetti-O’s, an amused look on his face as the 2 year old
managed to get sauce all over his mouth. He would probably have to give his baby brother a
bath by the time the entire bowl was empty.

As Dean attempted to wipe some of the sauce from Sam’s face before feeding him the next
bite, he heard his dad’s phone ring. John, who had been sitting in a chair by the window,
writing in his journal, answered it quickly. “John here.” he snapped.

Dean pushed the spaghetti around in the bowl listlessly, face sullen. When people called that
phone it almost always meant that Sam and he would be dropped off with someone, Pastor
Jim or Uncle Bobby, and dad would go off “to work”. Dean hated when that phone rang.

John shot up from his seat, causing Dean to flinch and drop the spoon on the floor. “I’m only
two hours away from there. I’ll be right—” he paused, looking over at Sam and Dean as if he
had just remembered they were there. “—shoot…. What? No, I’ll still be there. I’ve just got to
figure something out.” He hung up the phone.

“Dean, come here son.” John called, putting his hands on either one of Dean’s shoulders. “I
have to go work, it’s about…” he hesitated, “it’s the thing that took your mother away,
Dean.” he explained, causing the young boy’s eyes to go wide in fear. “But if I don’t go now
it might get away. There isn’t time to drop you and your brother off somewhere, so you’re
going to have to watch Sam by yourself for a while. I’ll call Bobby, but he won’t be able to
get here for a day and a half. You’ll have to take care of Sam, you understand?”

Dean’s lip began to wobble as he teared up, afraid. “B-But…” he began, shoulders slumping
as he retreated into himself. “Wh-what if something bad happens?”

John sucked in a frustrated breath, foot tapping with impatience. “Dean! This is important.
You have to be a big boy. I told you about the bad things… the non-human things… none of
those are ganna be able to get in here you remember why?”
“t-the salt.” Dean muttered, staring down at his feet.

“All you have to do is make sure nothing happens to Sam, okay? You can do this, son. Tell me
you’ll take care of your brother no matter what.” John demanded, his grip tightening on
Dean’s shoulder, causing the small boy to squeak in pain quietly.

“I…I promise. I’ll protect Sammy no matter what.”

“…gotta…protect Sammy…” Dean muttered, in a distressed tone, before gasping awake. His
heart was pounding with fear and he immediately looked to the carrier next to the bed to
check on Sam, only to further panic when he found it empty.

Dean shot out of bed, tossing the sheets off haphazardly. “SAM?” He called, looking around
the empty motel room, distraught. Just as he was about to go bursting out the door to look
outside, Castiel came wandering inside, holding baby Sam in his arms.

“Dean, you’re awake.” he smiled, but it quickly fell into a frown when he noticed the man’s
distraught state. “Apologies if we worried you. Bobby was still out doing research, and you
seemed like you needed some sleep, so when Sam got fussy I took it upon myself to walk
him around a bit.” he explained. “I understand that infants enjoy changing scenery.”

The explanation seemed to do nothing to ease the man’s worry, and Dean quickly took Sam
from the angel’s arms and pressed him tightly against his own body. His entire body seemed
to relax now that he could see and feel for himself that his younger brother was okay. Dean
let the soft feeing of Sam’s heartbeat pressed against his shoulder ground him, and wash
away the residual anxiety from his dream.

When Dean finally came back to himself, he noticed that Cas had taken a seat at the table, on
the other end of the room. He was staring at the ugly wallpaper with a pensive intensity, and,
if Dean didn’t know better, he would have said he seemed upset. Clearing his throat, Dean
put Sam back into the carrier and brought it over with him to sit at the table with Cas. “Hey
um, sorry for kind of freaking out. I just woke up and everyone was gone and I…” he bit his
lip, looking away, “I panicked.”

Cas seemed to ponder over the man’s words for a moment before he let out a sigh, meeting
Dean’s tentative gaze. “We’ve been through much together, you and I.” he finally said.

Dean swallowed heavily, nodding his head in agreement. “Yeah, I suppose we have.”

“I understand that you have every reason to feel trepid around my brothers and sisters…they
have not been kind to your family.” Cas looked to Sam, frowning, before looking back at
Dean. “I…understand that because of this…” he paused, guiltily, “and because of my past
mistakes…you probably have a hard time trusting me as well.”

“Cas, man…” Dean began, trying to rub the sleep away from his face. “I didn’t mean to make
you feel like that.” He glanced at his brother in the carrier. “I’ve got a lot of issues…” he
chuckled, “no surprise there. But…Sam being a freaking baby... It’s just bringing up a lot of
crap for me. It’s nothing to do with you.” he tried to assure his friend.
Cas frowned, tentatively placing his hand over Dean’s in comfort. “You are perhaps…the
most troubled human I have ever met, Dean Winchester.” He gave the man a sympathetic
smile. “But you are also the best human I have ever met. You’re a good man, and a better
brother to Sam.” Cas closed his hand over Dean’s. “You cannot take responsibility for
everything that happens to Sam your whole life. At some point, you’ll have to start taking
care of yourself instead.”

Dean’s cheeks burned and his eyes stung. He slowly turned his hand over so he could hold
Cas’ hand back, not daring to meet the man’s intense blue eyes. “I don’t know how to take
care of myself…It’s always just been ‘protect Sam’.” Much to Dean’s frustration and
embarrassment, he lost the fight against his tears, and one renegade tear glided down his
cheek. The man quickly wiped it with the back of his free hand. He tried to look away to hide
his face, but Cas gently squeezed his hand again, brining Dean’s attention back to Cas’s face.

“You just don’t remember how. No one has taken care of you in a very long time, Dean.” Cas
ventured, unable to look away. The way the man’s long eye lashes somehow became thicker
and more prominent when he cried, framing his haunted green eyes. “Perhaps you just need
to be reminded of how that feels…”

Dean’s eyes darted between Cas and the table and anywhere else, but he kept finding himself
dragged back to those sympathetic eyes. He let out a shuttering breath, finally finding his
voice again. “Cas, I…”

The handle shook, and Bobby entered the motel room, Dean quickly retracting his hand and
standing up. “Hey Bobby, what did you find about this ‘Sara’ bitch?” he asked, working hard
to keep his voice steady.

Bobby looked up from the book he was holding, turning it around to show the two other men.
“Just her damn spell book.” the man gloated. “Honestly Dean, it’s a wonder how you’re a
hunter at all when you ain’t got no brains under that pretty head of hair. How’d you two idjits
miss this in her office?” he teased.

“Alright old man, don’t go thinking I won’t take you down, ‘cuz I will.” Dean scoffed.

“I’d like to see you try, son.” He dumped the book down on the table in front of Cas, opening
it to the bookmarked page. “I think this is the spell she used on Sam here. We should be able
to use this to figure out how to reverse it.”

Cas glanced at Dean quickly before examining the page. “It all seems fairly straight
forward.” the angel explained. “These are all acquirable ingredients, except…”

“Except what?” Dean asked, worried. Nothing was ever ‘straightforward’ in this line of work.
If it seemed too easy, it was likely because something was about to go wrong. That was,
unfortunately, the story of Dean’s life.

“You need some hair from the witch who cast the spell.”

Dean chuckled, pulling his gun out from under the pillow and unloading the barrel to show
the witch killing bullets inside. “Well that works out just fine. Two birds with one stone in
fact, since I was planning to gank the bitch anyways.”
 Chapter 4
Chapter Summary

A flashback to a 6 year old Dean watching Sam alone for the first time provides insight
into why Dean is so anxious about Sam being a baby again. Meanwhile, a rift forms
between Dean and Cas...

Chapter Notes

A/N- I want to hug young Dean and give him ice cream. ;-; Also, I love Cas so much,
my poor baby. Everyone in this fic just needs a hug. I'm too mean to them.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Dean yawned as he poured cheerios for Sam’s breakfast, barely able to keep his eyes open.
Their dad had left last night after receiving the phone call, leaving Sam and Dean alone over
night for the first time in their lives. Dean had tucked Sam into bed next to him, patting the
soft fuzzy hair on the top of his head until the younger boy fell asleep; but no such peace
came to Dean. Every noise outside filled Dean with fear, and he refused to go to sleep,
convinced that the moment he shut his eyes the thing that took their mom would come back
for Sam.

It had been very late, or rather very early, when Dean’s six year old body couldn’t stay up a
moment more and he passed out asleep, still clutching his two year old brother in his arms.
As a result, Dean was overtired and overwhelmed come the next morning when he had to try
to herd Sam to the breakfast table and make sure he ate.

While little Sam scooped cheerios into his mouth with his hand, giggling the whole while,
Dean ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He kicked his feet restlessly, hoping that Bobby
would get here soon. Their Dad had said he’d be there by the time they went to bed tonight,
and until then to just keep Sam safe and happy. He had assured them that no monsters could
get inside the motel room.

Sam held out his hand, offering Dean a cheerio, which earned a smile from the older
boy.“Thanks, Sammy.”

Just then, the door opened and a woman in a maid’s smock, carrying some towels, walked in.
She looked almost as surprised to see the two boys as they were to see her. “Oh.” the woman
said, surprised. “I’m sorry, there wasn’t a ‘Do-Not-Disturb’ sign on the door.”
Dean stared wide eyes at the woman. She had long blonde hair with soft curls, warm blue
eyes, and a kind smile. For a moment, Dean mistook her for his mother. But it wasn’t her…
She was gone. Dean quickly stood up, placing himself between the strange woman and his
brother, arms out protectively.

The woman chuckled softly, bending down on her knees so she was at eye level with the
young boy. “I didn’t mean to scare you. My name is Darla. What’s your name?” she asked.

Dean attempted to put on an angry face. That was when he noticed that the woman had
crossed the salt line on the ground without breaking it, and was unaffected. That meant she
couldn’t be a monster. The young boy relaxed a little. “My name is Dean.” he answered.

“And I’m guessing that’s your little brother?” Darla smiled. “Where are your parents, tough
guy?” she asked, concerned.

“Dad is at work! B-But he’ll be back soon! Uncle Bobby too! They promised- ‘before we
went to bed’.” Dean explained, eagerly. Just then, Sam smacked his bowl, knocking it to the
ground and spilling the rest of the cheerios everywhere. “Sammy!” Dean groaned, knowing
his brother had a tendency to cause chaos when he got bored.

“Aw, poor things. Stuck in this stuffy room all day until your Daddy gets back.” the woman
frowned. “I tell you what Dean. How about when I’m finished cleaning up all the rooms, I
take you and your baby brother there to the park across the street?”

Dean backed away, giving the woman an unsure look. Sam struggled, trying to squeeze his
way out of the booster seat. “Play!!” he whined, banging on the table. Dean frowned,
glancing back at the woman.

“You promise you’re not a monster?” he asked.

Darla smiled, poking Dean in the nose playfully. “I promise.”

“Alright,” Bobby began, adjusting his tattered old baseball hat, “we need a plan. One of us is
going to have to stay behind to watch Diapers over there,” he motioned to Sam, “and the
other two will go after the witch. But we’ve gotta get the hair while she’s still alive otherwise
Sam jr. is ganna be sucking on pacifiers for a long ass time.”

Cas nodded, standing up from his seat. “Most of her spells won’t be able to affect me, so I
should be able to get close enough to acquire the hair without injury.” he volunteered.

“You do have that popping up right behind people thing down.” Bobby agreed. “Dean, you
going with Cas then?” the man asked.

“What, Cas and I always gotta do everything together?” Dean shot back, suddenly defensive
at the non-existent implications. “I should be the one to watch Sam, I’m his brother.” he
argued.
Cas and Bobby exchanged a look, and Bobby rolled his eyes, sighing heavily. “We know he’s
your brother, Dean, and lord knows John put too much of that responsibility on your
shoulders, but if you recall, I used to watch both of you little brats when you were kids. I
know how to keep a baby alive.”

Dean still seemed hesitant, just staring intensely at Sam’s sleeping form. Cas slowly made his
way over to Dean, gently placing a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Your brother will be in good
hands, Dean. I promise he’ll be okay. If you really want to help him, we need to find this
witch.”

Swallowing heavily, Dean dragged his gaze up to meet Cas’ eyes. He searched them for any
sign of uncertainty but all he found was sympathy and resolve. Dean cleared his throat,
breaking eye contact to glance back at Bobby quickly, a flush on his cheeks. “If you drop my
baby brother on his head, I’ll drop you.” he threatened, half heartedly.

Bobby smirked, shaking his head. “Sure you will, boy. Now you two get going.”

The two men headed out the room, and got into the Impala. Cas didn’t often sit in the
passenger seat, which was permanently reserved by Dean as Sam’s spot, but this time he rode
with Dean side by side. He enjoyed these quiet moments, just the two of them.

Cas focused on the passing trees, as they headed to a cabin which Bobby had tracked back to
the witch, Dr. Howe’s, finances. Dean suddenly reached forward and shut off the radio. “I’m
sorry.” he said.

Cas looked at the man, confused. He tried to read his face, but Dean wouldn’t look at him,
eyes staring forward with determination, not even a flicker in Cas’ direction. “About what?”
Cas asked.

“I just don’t think I’m the type of person who gets taken care of by others.” His hands
squeezed hard around the steering wheel. “So you shouldn’t waste your time.” he added.

The air in the car was heavy. Cas stared down at the palm of his hand, remembering the
warmth from a few moments ago. With a slow nod, he closed his hand, tucking it back to his
side. “I understand.” He replied, quietly.

The rest of the car ride was filled with tense silence and quick glances, neither man quite sure
what to say to the other. Eventually they arrived, Dean parking far down the pathway so the
woman wouldn’t know they were coming. He cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing at Cas.
“Are you ready?”

Cas didn’t look at Dean, simply nodding his head. “Regardless of whatever happens between
us, Dean, I will always be your ally. I’ll do my part to help return your brother to you.” Dean
opened his mouth to respond, but Cas was already out the car. Dean sighed, resting his head
against the steering wheel for a moment before letting out a deep breath. He only had himself
to blame for all of this…
Chapter End Notes

In the next chapter... Dean is given an tempting offer by the witch...

 Chapter 5
Chapter Summary

Dean and Cas confront the witch who turned Sam into a baby...

Chapter Notes

A/N- Poor traumatized Deano ;--; Also! THE FINAL CHAPTER will be posted
TOMORROW!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Dean and Cas moved quietly up the pathway, keeping close to the tree line. The lights were
on in the cabin, which was a good sign. After checking around the whole place, Dean had
decided to go in through the back door, which entered into the garage. The door was old, and
the lock was practically rusted off its hinges making breaking in a breeze.

Cas had agreed to wait outside, keeping an eye out through the window for the perfect
opportunity to sneak up on the witch. If he appeared too soon, she could banish him or attack
his vessel, leaving them at a disadvantage.

Inside the garage, Dean rolled his eyes at the various bottles filled with he didn’t want to
know what. “I freaking hate witches.” he muttered, quietly, as he tested the inner door handle,
relieved to find it unlocked.

Dean kept his gun drawn as he carefully made his way through the house towards to living
room, vigilant for any traps. When he got to the end of the corridor, he paused, listening for
what the woman was doing.

“You can come out Dean, I know you’re there.” the woman, Sara, called. Dean swallowed,
standing up straight and walking into the room, determined. The witch smiled when she saw
him. “How’s your brother doing?” she asked.

“He cries all the time and craps his pants. How do you think he’s doing?” Dean snapped,
glaring at the woman. He slowly lowered his gun, tucking it back into his pants and raising
his hands to show he wasn’t a threat. “But I’m not here to fight, I’m here to barter. My
brother can be annoying as hell sometimes, but I prefer him 8 feet tall and wiping his own
ass. Change him back.”
The woman narrowed her eyes. “If this is an exchange, then what do I get in return?” she
asked.

“Anything.”

“Oh, Dean.” Sara sighed. “Is that really what you want?” She gave him a sympathetic look,
moving closer to the defeated looking man. “You and your brother are miserable. You’ve led
miserable lives full of hard work and loss, with nothing to show for it but more devastation.
Isn’t it kind of me to give your brother a second chance? To grow up without the looming
weight of being a hunter?”

Dean swallowed thickly, giving the woman an unsure look as she moved even closer to him,
reaching out and putting a hand on his cheek. “I could do the same for you too, you know?”
She closed her eyes, as if sensing into Dean’s mind. “You’d get to be a care free kid for once,
no monsters to fight… Just a normal human life with Sammy… What do you say?”

There was a knock at the door, followed by a woman’s voice. “Dean? It’s me, Darla. Are you
boys ready to go to the park?” she asked, excitedly.

Dean answered the door, holding Sam’s hand. He had gotten his brother dressed, and made
sure he had a hat on, ready to go play in the sun. He couldn’t help but be excited about this-
they never got to play at the park. Dad was too busy or too worried about who might see
them.

“Ready.” Dean smiled, attempting to help Sam get down the step.

“Here, let me get the little guy.” Darla offered, picking Sam up and balancing him on her
hip. She held her free hand out for Dean, and the young boy carefully took it. The woman’s
hand was soft and warm; comforting, like a mother’s hand…

When they got to the park, Darla sat down on the bench with Sam, smiling and encouraging
Dean to go run around and play without worrying about his brother. Dean hesitated about
leaving Sam, but he saw the other kids inviting anyone to play Grounders with them and he
couldn’t resist. He ran over, climbing up to join the other kids.

While playing, Dean made sure to glance over and wave at Sam from time to time so he
would know his brother hadn’t left him. Darla laughed as Dean managed to skillfully avoid
getting tagged for 4 games in a row, before finally getting caught on the ground when
someone had called ‘grounders’, automatically making him it.

Dean closed his eyes, carefully making his way around the playground, trying to find the
other kids by listening only. Finally he tagged someone who was trying to run away, laughing
happily and running back over to the bench to tell Darla and Sam, only to find them both
gone.

“Sammy!?” Dean called, tears immediately forming in his eyes as he looked around,
panicked. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted Darla’s blonde hair, moving away, as she
walked quickly down the sidewalk towards a running car.

“SAMMY!!! STOP!!” Dean shouted, running after them as fast as he could. “STOP!! SHE’S
TAKING MY BROTHER!!” Dean called, getting the attention of some of the other parents.
Dean continued to chase after the woman, tripping and falling on the concrete and cutting his
chin and knees badly, but he heard Sam crying and ignored the pain, continuing to run after.

By now several people had gotten up as well, someone dialing 911, while another shouted at
nearby pedestrians to stop the woman. Darla looked around, panicked, and made a snap
decision- quickly dumping Sam down on the sidewalk and running to the car alone, which
went careening off when she got in.

Dean hurried to Sam, who was now screaming and sobbing “Deeee! De!” repeatedly. He
held his brother tightly, checking him over to make sure the woman hadn’t hurt him in
anyway. There were no vampire or werewolf bites, no scratches; aside from the crying, Sam
was okay.

“I’m sorry Sammy. I’m so sorry.” Dean cried. “I didn’t protect you.”

A wave of strangers began to swarm, asking if they were alright, and telling them to stay here
until the police showed up. Dean panicked, feeling overwhelmed and afraid of all the people.
He quickly picked up Sam, ignoring that his brother was heavy to carry, and that his knees
stung painfully, and just kept running until no one was following them anymore.

Eventually, when it was safe, and Sam was now calm enough to walk on his own, Dean
brought them back to the motel room. He gave Sam a bath, and some food, and then tucked
him into bed to sleep.

While Sam slept peacefully, Dean quietly wiped the gravel out of his cuts with a wet paper
towel, crying silently in pain. When he was done, he managed to drag the arm chair over to
the door, pressing it up against it, to stop anyone else from getting in, key or not.

Afterwards, Dean just sat at the end of Sammy’s bed, staring at the door and waiting. He was
tired and hungry, but he refused to get distracted ever again. It was his fault that Sam had
been in danger… and he held back tears at the thought of how much trouble he would be in
when their dad got back and found out…

Finally there was a knock at the door. “It’s Uncle Bobby.” the man called.

Hearing Bobby’s voice instead of their Dad, Dean immediately broke down into tears again,
running to the door, and dragging the chair away. He opened the door and threw himself at
Bobby, crying into the man’s leg. “I messed up, Uncle Bobby. I’m so sorry. She wasn’t a
monster! But, but—” he cried.

Bobby immediately bent down, hugging Dean tightly and rubbing his back, shushing the boy.
“Oh Dean… It’s okay, son…It’s ganna be okay.” he soothed him.
 Dean glanced down, shoulders slumped. “It’s true… We’ve dealt with crap we never should
never have had to. That kid especially…” he admitted.

Sara nodded, sympathetically, slowly reaching into her pocket. “I know, honey, I know…”
She tried not to smirk as she slowly gripped onto another hex bag.

Dean looked up, eyes hard with a newfound resolve. “But there are things out there just as
bad as monsters. There are still things that go bump in the night, that would hurt my brother.
So no thanks.” He pushed the woman’s hand off his cheek. “I’ve gotten pretty good at
kicking all those sons of bitches in the ass, and I won’t go back to being that scared little boy
ever again.” he announced, reaching forward quickly and grabbing hold of the woman’s hair.
He pulled down hard, tearing some of the pieces out.

“AH!” the witch screamed, anger flashing over her eyes as she pulled out the hex bag,
opening her mouth to recite the incantation when a loud bang cut her off. Sara gasped,
looking down to see blood dripping down her chest. She fell to floor, revealing Cas, standing
behind where she had stood, holding the smoking gun.

“Nice shot, Cas.” Dean acknowledged.

“Well, you did teach me yourself.” Cas smiled for a moment, before clearing his throat and
glancing away. “We should get back, so Sam can be returned to an adult again.” he stated,
walking past Dean quickly to exit the house.

Dean watched Cas go, opening his mouth as if to say something more, but thinking better of
it. With a heavy sigh he tucked the hair into his pocket, glancing at the witch’s dead body.
“You can’t change the past.” Dean muttered quietly, turning his gaze up, to see Cas’
retreating form. All you can do is focus on the now, he thought…

Chapter End Notes

In the final chapter... With Sam returned to normal, Dean does some serious soul
searching...
 Chapter 6
Chapter Summary

Sam is returned to normal.

Chapter Notes

A/N- Well, that's all folks! Thank you all so much for reading, and being so lovely and
supportive in the comments. I've honestly never had a fic that got so much kind
interaction, it's really made my week. Hope you enjoyed, and please check out my other
two Supernatural fics! Story, Wyoming is low key my favourite because I'm a sucker for
Sad Dean, and brotherly bonding.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Dean and Cas made it back to the motel in good time, opening the door to find Bobby
struggling to get baby Sam, who was crying, back into his clothes. “Dean, thank god. Your
damn brother has been fighting me tooth and nail ever since you left. Come deal with him for
god’s sake, before he blows a vocal cord screaming for you.”

Dean chuckled, dumping his bag on the floor and moving over to Sam. “Yeah, taking care of
Sam isn’t so easy now huh?” Dean picked up Sam, shushing him and bouncing to try to get
him to calm down, which he did once he recognized Dean. He then laid him back down on
the bed, to try to get him into the onesie. “You ganna be a man about this, Sammy? Because
trust me, when we tell this story to everyone we know later, you’re not ganna wanna be in a
diaper the whole time.”

The man quickly got his brother dressed, placing him in the carrier, where he sat happily.
“Honestly,” Dean began, glancing at Cas and Bobby, “not much different than how he acts as
an adult, just saying.” the man joked.

“I’m sure your brother appreciates that. Now did you get the hair?” Bobby asked.

“Right here.” Cas spoke up, producing a vial with some hair in it from his coat pocket.
“Taken when she was still alive. I’ll go retrieve the other ingredients while you two prepare
for the spell.” the man added, disappearing before Dean could say another word.

“What’s got his celestial knickers in a twist?”

Dean shrugged, hiding a frown. “The hell should I know.” he muttered, but he knew exactly
what it was.

Sometime later, the baby carrier, with Sam in tow, was placed in the center of a pentagram,
while Dean, Cas, and Bobby all stood around the outside. Bobby held the witch’s spell book
and was reading off Latin while Dean threw ingredients into a bowl one by one.

Finally Bobby closed the book, nodding to Dean to light the ingredients. “That should do
‘er.”

Dean let out a short breath, lighting the match and holding it over the bowl. “We better hope
so.” he commented, before dropping the match, and stumbling back from the large plume of
green smoke and light which erupted. Bobby and Dean both coughed, waving the smoke
away, while Cas peered into the area, unaffected, searching for a sign it had worked.

“Hey, um, guys…” Sam’s voice came from within the dissipating fog. “…I…I don’t have any
clothes on.” he admitted, attempting to cover himself up as the last bits of the smoke
disappeared.

Dean laughed, patting his brother on the shoulder. “Yeah, well, we’ve seen worse from you in
the past 24 hours.” he teased, tossing Sam his backpack with his stuff in it. “It’s good to have
you back, man. Now get dressed you big baby.” he smirked, getting a chuckle out of Bobby
too.

While Bobby explained to Sam what had happened, Dean stepped outside for some fresh air,
Cas following him. “You seem much more relaxed now your brother is back to normal.” the
angel commented.

“Yeah. I guess this whole thing just made me feel like I was that scared little kid, who had to
watch out for Sam all the time because he didn’t know any better.” Dean glanced at Cas,
smiling at the way his eyes seemed to shine in the dim light. “But then all those things that
the witch was saying reminded me, he’s not a defenseless kid anymore. I mean hell, he’s a
gigantic, moose-human who could probably take someone out accidentally let alone fight off
some monster.”

Cas nodded. “I’m glad you came to that realization.” The man hesitated for a moment before
opening his mouth. “I admit I was concerned for a moment…I thought you were going to
accept her offer.”

“Nah.” Dean shook his head. “It’s like I told the witch. Nobody’s ever really safe. I guess
that’s why all you can do is watch each other’s backs and appreciate the time you have with
those you love.” He paused. “Besides, as nice as a fresh start sounds on paper…I like what
I’ve got. Broken and messed up as our lives have been, I wouldn’t throw away the family
we’ve made.” He swallowed heavily, reaching out and taking Cas’s hand in his, still staring
off at the sky.

“Dean?” Cas questioned, glancing down at their hands and then back to the man.
“You were right, okay. I’m not that scared kid anymore, whose only job was taking care of
his brother. He doesn’t need me anymore, so I can’t keep using him as an excuse for pushing
everyone else away. It’s time for me to open up and figure out who I am outside of just ‘the
big brother’.”

Cas smiled softly, shuffling closer to Dean and running his free hand up and down Dean’s
arm comfortingly. “Well, I think he’ll always need you, Dean. You’ll always be his brother,
you just don’t need to be his guardian anymore.”

Dean nodded. “No, but I might need a guardian of my own. I have no idea how to be my own
person. And I’m crap at the whole emotional stability thing.” the man admitted.

“Would a guardian angel work?” Cas asked, smiling, but eyes serious as he looked at Dean.

“It’ll be a hard job. I’m a pretty difficult, lug-headed, stubborn son of a bitch. Or so I’m told.”

“Seems like a job for heaven’s most disobedient, useless angel.” Cas countered.

Dean smiled. “Perfect.”

Later, on the road, Dean drove the Impala through the night, Sam by his side, Cas in the
backseat, while the P.M. radio played softly in the background. ‘Broomstick Cowboy’ came
on the radio next, and Dean turned the volume up.

“You know, I used to use this song to get you to sleep when you were younger. It worked like
a charm every time.” Dean commented, glancing at Sam.

“Really?” Sam questioned. “I don’t remember that at—” he was interrupted by a yawn. “—
all.”

Dean laughed, shaking his head. “Every time.”

“Shut up.”

“You’ve had a long day, Sammy,” Dean teased. “Grab some Z’s, I’ll keep driving.”

Sam begrudgingly yawned again, shuffling down in the seat to get more comfortable. “This is
not because of the song.” he argued, eye lids already heavy.

Dean and Cas both laughed softly, making eye contact through the rear mirror. Cas put his
hand on Dean’s shoulder comfortably. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive? You’ve had quite
the exciting past few hours as well.” he asked, voice soft.

“I’ll be fine.” Dean nodded, placing his hand over Cas’ to keep it there. “Besides, I’ve got my
brother by my side and my guardian angel looking out for me. What more could a guy need?”
 THE END.

Chapter End Notes

EPILOGUE:

Cas and Dean continued staring into each other's eyes through the rear mirror. In his
'sleep' Sam muttered "That's gay...", earning a slap over the head from Dean.

"Yeah it is." Dean smirked, and Cas smiled with him.

"Gross." Sam chuckled, and then quietly afterwards, "About time."

End Notes

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