Home again. Dean maneuvered Baby into the garage. He was beyond exhausted. Sam was sound asleep in the seat beside him. He ran a gentle hand over the dashboard. " I'm sorry Baby. " He'd fix her. He'd done it before....more than once. He sighed, running a hand down his face. He was so freaking tired. He shook Sam slightly. " Hey. Sammy. Wake up. We're home." His brother stirred, opened his eyes. He stretched his arms and unfolded his long body
"I need a shower. I need a bed." Dean smiled. He wanted.to tease Sam about his fling the night before. But he saw the real exhaustion in his brother's eyes. It could wait. Dean certainly wasn't finished giving Sam grief over his ' night moves' but not tonight
"Okay . Let's get you in." They opened both doors, grabbed duffles and made their way up the stairs to the main floor. Dean sighed as he stepped inside. As they made their.way through the kitchen to their rooms Dean stumbled a little. Sam stopped, steadying him, gripping his arm.
"You okay?" Dean nodded. Sam didn't let go until they were at Dean's door. " I'm going to get cleaned up. How about you? You need any medical attention first?" Dean leaned in the door frame.
"Nah. I'm good." He did need to fix up the bite on his neck and probably Cas could do that. Sam nodded and kept on down the hall to his own room. He laughed when he found Cas sitting on the floor leaning against his bed totally engrossed in season 2 of Orange is the New Black. The angel looked up surprised and paused his show. He took in Sam's bloody face and stood up.
"Hey Cas", Sam said. "You figured out Netflix huh?" Cas smiled.
"It's quite amazing, these collections of television shows and movies. Let me fix that." Cas reached out two fingers and touched Sam, healing the wounds from the encounter in Oregon. "Where's Dean?", he asked. Both he and Sam were protective of Dean ever since the mark of Cain. Sam put his hand on the angel's shoulder.
"He's okay Cas. He's in his room. But you could fix him up too. I'm going to shower and change and Dean needs to also."
As Sam gathered his essentials for bed and went to the shower room Cas went to Dean's bedroom. He called softly, "Dean?" He paused at the door and what he saw brought tears to his eyes. There was Dean, his face covered in blood, some kind of angry bite mark on his neck. That was concerning enough but the fact that Dean was looking at a picture of John Winchester and the boys with tears streaming down his face made Cas wonder what had happened while they were away. He moved to where Dean stood in front of the small dresser where he kept his few family pictures. Placing a hand on his friend's arm he said again, "Dean". Dean looked up. He gave the angel a half smile, full of affection but clouded still with sadness.
"Hey Cas", he started. His voice was ragged, rough with fatigue and emotion. He struggled to keep the tears out of it. The angel touched the side of his neck and Dean winced as he was healed. As usual after being " fixed up" by Cas he felt a slight headache coming on. "Thanks. How are you?" He hoped from the rested look of him their friend was better himself.
"I feel much improved. I like Netflix. I find it restful." Dean chuckled. This earned him a small smile from Cas. "Dean, you were crying. Is there something.."
Dean held up a hand. "No Cas. I'm good. Just really tired." Before Cas could reply Sam appeared in pajamas with wet hair. He smelled fresh and clean and Dean wanted to feel that way too.
"You hungry Dean?" Sam inquired. Suddenly he was starving. His brother smiled just a little. And felt guilty for not stopping to feed Sam along the way. But Baby was so beat up and so we're they.
"Yeah. Give me five minutes to shower and I'll cook some breakfast." He pulled clean clothes for himself out of the dresser.
"I can ..." Sam began. Dean turned with a raised eyebrow.Sam laughed. His kitchen skills were often taunted by his brother. He raised his hands in surrender. " Okay. Five minutes . "
A little longer than five minutes found Dean also fresh and in pajamas in the kitchen with Sam and Cas who were drinking coffee. "That's gonna wake you up Sammy and you need to sleep."
Sam said, "It's decaf". Dean snorted. His way of saying then it's not really coffee. He set about frying bacon, scrambling eggs with cheese,making toast. He listened to Sam and Cas making comfortable small talk but was quiet himself. He put the food on plates, got out jam for the toast, poured himself a cup of the not-coffee and sat down. He tried to eat. He made sure Sam was. But something was keeping him from ploughing into his breakfast. He should be starving. He should be ecstatic they and poor wrecked Baby were safely here. Something felt lodged in his throat like he had a giant golf ball stuck in it. Emotion washed over him and despite the fact that it was only him and his baby brother and his best friend he was Dean Winchester after all and he didn't want to lose it in front of them. What the hell was wrong with him? He choked back a sob and pushed himself to his feet, hurrying to the sanctuary of his room despite both Sam and Cas calling his name. Dean slammed his door shut. He paced the floor, hands clutching his short hair, trying not to start sobbing.
In his head he heard Dad saying, "You know a little something about cars do you?" He could see an older John handing him the keys "You want her? She's yours." Saw him on the side of the road outside Salvation. "Touch up your car Dean. I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I'd known you were going to ruin it." He saw himself with the sledge hammer in Bobby' s yard smashing his beloved car. He flashed back to finding her abandoned and destroyed when Zacariah sent him to the future. So many times he'd let Baby down and she'd been so much a part of his life, like a real person. She was his only tangible link to Dad, she had been there when Mom was alive, she'd been Sam's link to him in Hell and Purgatory. Mainly she had been a home, a refuge. How many times he'd slept in her alone when Sam was at college and Dad had left him behind.
He closed his eyes, trying to stop what he feared was going to be an epic chick flick moment when he felt large hands gently pull his hands from his hair and strong arms circling around him. He pressed his face against Sam's shoulder, put his own arms around his brother. He stopped fighting the tears and let them fall. It was just him and Sam. Sam got it. He didn't have to explain. His brother tightened his hug, pulling Dean even closer. " I gotcha " Sam whispered close to his ear.
It only took a few minutes for Dean to pull it together. He pushed back a little and looked at Sam never ceasing to be amazed he had to look up at the kid. The kid. The kid who was no longer that but to Dean that's what he'd always be. He didn't speak. Just nodded and Sam patted the side of his face. Sam released Dean and moved to pull back the covers on his bed. "Get some rest Dean. We're safe. Baby's safe. It's all good." Dean sighed. Sam was right. He sank gratefully into his memory foam mattress onto the pillows Sam had piled up. Sam pulled the blankets up over him, rested his hand on Dean's head briefly before moving to the door where he turned out the light. He left the door open. As he drifted off Dean heard Cas ask if he was okay. Heard Sam reply, "He's good. Nothing sleep won't fix." He relaxed and he dreamed.
He was sixteen and Dad was teaching him to drive. Sam was in the back seat just itching for a turn. He pulled into the driveway of the house in Lawrence and as he turned off the ignition, he looked over at Dad who gave him the same wide dimpled grin his brother had. " Perfect landing son".
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