Title: Rattled

Fandom: Supernatural

Summary: Dean takes care of his brother after an incident leaves Sam unusually rattled. (Season 13)

Jody padded softly into the living room of her home, catching a glimpse of Dean readjusting the blanket over his prone brother.

"Dean?"

"Hey Jody." He responded, without taking his eyes from Sam. "He's settled, finally. I don't know though. It takes a hell of a lot to rattle us. I mean, to really rattle us to the point of not being able to function normally...but this did."

Dean returned to the chair across from the couch where Sam lay quietly after much protest about not needing to rest until they were back home in Kansas. It was a silent admittance of not waiting to face the wrath of nightmares in front of Jody and Claire

and Alex, but rather deal with them at home in the safety of the bunker where the only witness would be the one person who'd been through every terror of the mind imaginable. There'd be no judgement. No embarrassment. Only acceptance and comfort.

Slouching and letting his head fall back onto the softness of the chair, Dean let out a heavy breath. "Took some coaxing to get him to stay the night. He was packed and ready to head home. But it's a hell of a long drive and I needed him with at least a little sleep under his belt. He doesn't sleep much in the car when he's rattled anyway...just rambles a lot."

Jody set a hand on his shoulder. "He's quiet, and now you should get some sleep. Go crash in my bed for a few hours. I'll keep an eye on him."

Dean rubbed his eyes. There was no denying his exhaustion, but he'd promised Sam he'd be there to pull him out of any nightmares. It was part of the deal to get him to agree to stay. As much as he wanted and needed to crash, he couldn't.

"I'm good, Jody. I promised him I'd hang around."

Jody sighed and immediately transformed into mom mode. "You are not leaving this house without sleep under your own belt, young man. I mean it."

No fight. Dean didn't have it in him. Not after these last few horrific days.

He relented.

"I'll get in a few hours tomorrow before we leave, once he's up and vertical."

The chair arm provided a temporary sitting area for Jody. She sat next to Dean, understanding his need to stay close to his brother. But she also had interest in making sure they got home in one piece.

"I'm gonna hold you to it, you know that, right? You're not getting out of this house until you sleep." A hand set on the back of his neck and massaged gently. Dean relaxed into it. Jody had become such a good friend. Someone they could rely on for just about anything. She was family and Dean wouldn't let her down.

"Yes, ma'am." Dean's response was in gentle humor, but filled with all the untold affection he could muster in two words.

"Okay then," she responded, offering a quick comforting hand. "You need anything before I turn in? I can put a pot of coffee on."

A quick look to his brother, already showing the most subtle signs of restless sleep; Dean knew he'd be up the night. The caffeine would help. "Maybe that's a good idea."

"Good. Gimme a few and I'll get a pot going."

She was up and out and Dean took the opportunity to check on Sam. He'd noticed the slight face-twitching as he was talking to Jody. Knowing his brother inside and out after a lifetime of close quarters, Dean had been watching closely. Waiting. Then, as promised, he was there.

He took a seat on the floor. Blanket adjusted again. Dean didn't touch his brother, not wanting to wake him; though he made sure the creeping nightmare didn't take hold. Leaning with his back against the couch, he sat quietly. Sam would know he was there.

The twitching stopped.

Coffee arrived. The steaming cup settled in Dean's hand. He didn't move from his place next to Sam.

"There's more in the kitchen, Dean. Wake me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Jody."

"Anytime."

Dean sipped through four cups during the night, determined to stay awake enough to keep the bad dreams at bay. He was only partially successful, drifting off a few times. Several of those times Sam did fall hard into nightmares. There was some thrashing and yelling incoherently before Dean could wake him. Enough noise to wake the house and have three pairs of eyes watching them from a distance. From the corner of his eye, Dean saw the shadowed sleepy figures of Jody, Alex and Claire. Silently, he hoped they would stay away. Sam was too caught up in the dreams to know they were near, but he'd wonder and suspect when he woke. So Dean made every effort to not make eye contact with any of them; focusing all his efforts on his brother.

Eventually Jody moved the girls away, though Dean could feel the maternal need she had of wanting to check on him; to make sure. In the end she decided against it.

Sam's final nightmare was the worst; his hands grabbing so hard to Dean's arm that he drew blood with his fingernails. Clenched face went beet red and tears streamed from the edges of tightly closed eyes. It took Dean creating some pain of his own, by hard-pinching Sam's fingers together until he snapped awake. On the count, Sam jerked upright, struggling to catch a normal breath, when a solid hand on his chest eased him back into a horizontal position.

"Easy, Sammy. Just a nightmare. You've handled those before. I'm right here."

Jody was up and in the background once more. Listening. Waiting. Wanting to help where she could. Once more, Dean ignored her, focused elsewhere.

Rattled breathing began to subside and Sam found a bit of calm in his big brother. Eventually he slept. The remainder of the night was uneventful, though when morning finally did come, Dean was exhausted. Sam noticed it the moment he woke, edging upright and seeing his older sibling resting on the floor, where he'd apparently been all night.

Sam gave his brother an affectionate pat on the head as he rose slowly from the couch.

"I need a shower."

Dean's eyes cracked open, fully aware of Sam moving around. "You need food, Sam. And water. You lost a couple gallons in sweat last night. You're probably dehydrated. I'll make you some breakfast."

"You'll do no such thing, young man," Jody said as she entered the room, fully dressed and ready for the day. "You" she motioned to Sam, "shower. And you", she pointed to Dean, "Sleep. Go to my room, shut the door and don't come out until I tell you to. Understand?"

Both Winchester's hung their heads as if being scolded and replied with a "Yes ma'am" in unison.

"Good boys."

Dean woke at noon. Sam had fiddled around the house, helping Jody with a few things to waste the morning. She'd stayed away last night, knowing these boys well enough by now that they didn't talk much about the things weighing them down. They dealt with whatever then figured out how to move on. As they were about to do now.

"You road ready, Sammy?" Dean asked, entering the kitchen as he pulled his jacket on.

Sam grabbed four bottles of water from the fridge and tossed them in an empty grocery bag. "Yeah, I think so." He turned to hug Jody, then Dean did the same.

"We keep invading your space like this, Jody and you may just want to build us an addition."

"Funny, Dean. And no. As much as a love you boys, your lives are way to complicated for me. Don't know how you've done this for so long without losin' your damn minds and marbles. Keep an eye on each other, okay?"

"We always do. Thanks for everything. Again."

Sam was quiet during the exchange, but smiled warmly at their friend. Thanking her without the actual words.

"Let's hit the road, Sam. If we don't stop, should be home by eight."

"We have to stop, Dean."

"We don't."

"I'm drinking all this water, like you told me to. We're gonna have to stop."

"Cross your legs and squeeze it in. You're a big boy, you can do it."

They bickered to the car; Jody behind them smiling.

"Dude, I'm not gonna risk a urinary tract infection or kidney damage by not peeing for eight hours because you can't make a couple'a five minute stops on the way home."

"You sound like a girl, Sam."

Jody shouted from behind. "Hey! Seriously? I'm right here, you guys!"

"Fine. You sound like a 'lady', Sam. Get it together, man."

"We're stopping, Dean. Two times. No, three."

"Such a girl."

"I'm not..."

Their voices faded and disappeared as the car doors closed. Jody could see their gesturing to each other, heads turned, arms flailing. Dean had given her a wink just before stepping into the Impala telling her that he was, of course, purposely giving Sam a hard time about the water and pit stops to keep his mind focused on things other than the events of the last few days. It would work for a time, she suspected, but once they were home and it was just the two of them again, Sam would struggle and Dean would worry. But they'd pull through it and move beyond it. It's what they did. It's how they lived. As long as they had each other.

The end