Title: Nightmares

Author: Ellen

Fandom: Supernatural

Summery: When Amy has a nightmare her brothers comfort her.

—

I could feel the night air around my bare legs, hair floating on the night breeze. I shiver against it and wrap the cloth hand-me-down shirt closer around me. Dean looks up from the grave that he's been digging up. A grin plays over his face as he passes up his leather jacket, too hot for him to wear, and too cold for me not to. I pull it around my shoulders, the sleeves falling down past my arms. But the essence a-la-Dean filled my senses as I stood there watching him. Sam too, but Dean was more important.

"You know, you could give us a hand, princess." Dean said, the sarky comment washes through me. But not as quickly as the temperature change. Waiting for an answer Dean looked up. Seeing what I could already feel. "Oh." Dean was already crawling out of the 6 ft hole they'd dug, pulling me away from it. Pointing the gun at the ghost.

A round of rock salt fell through the ghost. It dissipated and appeared again. I turned and ran to Sam who was opening the casket. I looked from Sam back to the ghost.

The ghost had Dean by the throat. Holding him against a mausoleum; translucent fingers putting crushing pressure on his neck, cutting off air. I couldn't think of anything to do other than get its attention. I threw off the jacket, it landed on the grass floor with a dull thud. Dean was already loosing the fight. I screamed. I couldn't help it. I screamed his name out, as he went totally limp.

"DEAN!"

—

As always, over the last few months, I wake with Dean's name staining my lips. Nightmares taking over my once perfect dreams; stopping me from sleeping properly. Tears flow hot and fast down my cheeks. I'm shaking against the hard mattress in another crappy motel. Sam asleep in the comforter and Dean on the other bed. I rub my eyes and stare in to the darkness. Nothing out there, nothing. Just air, tables and chairs.

I swing my legs from the bed, feeling them thump on the wooden floor. I can't get that one image away, it's etched in my mind forever. Haunting me, taunting me like a debt. I look over at Dean's bed, he's sleeping soundly. Then at Sam, a light snore escapes his mouth and I can't help my self but chuckle slightly.

Sighing get up, knowing the only way I'm going back to sleep is with out anything to disturb me. But that's impossible. I've got two grown men in the room who when extremely tired snore really loudly. I tip toe across to the other bed. Shaking Dean lightly, hardly noticing the tears falling down my cheeks. Dean doesn't need to be told twice what's wrong. He just pulled me in to a hug.

"Shh, Amy! You'll wake Sammy up." He laughs, God that laugh… I don't know where I'd be with out that laugh. My hands curl into his shirt. Essence a-la-Dean floats around me. Dean. Alive. Okay. Here. "What happened?" His voice shakes me away from the remnants of the nightmare.

"Ghost," Was just about all I could manage. I gulped down air to try and calm my self down a bit. "It had you p-pinned against a w-wall. It was strong, str-angling you." In my mind I can almost see the hand print of the ghost's hand on his neck. But it's just my imagination. "I c-couldn't stop it, Dean, I lost you." I cried into his chest and he knew that this was more a situation for Sammy than him. I felt one arm leave my side and grab a pillow.

"Huh?" was the startled response. That same arm pointed at me and for a second I felt like a spectacle. "Oh." I heard Sam get up and switch the light on, then pad softly over to the bed where we were. "Amy? Listen to me…" I look away from Dean to look at Sam. Tears fall, and he lifts a hand to wipe them away. "Amy, it's okay, Dean's safe… Look, he's fine, no ghost, no nothing… Amy, he's fine…" I couldn't let go of Dean. I didn't want to let go of Dean. He was the most important thing ever, Sam too, but after the nightmare.

I admittedly felt so stupid. Nothing makes me feel as childish as getting scared at a nightmare. But it was so real. One last look at Dean, hair mussed sleepily. Arms keeping me steady. I let go with one arm and wrap it around Sam.

"Never want to loose either of you…" I whisper, "Promise you'll never go." I know they can never keep a promise like that. Not with everything as fucked up as it is. Not with what we do.

"I promise." Dean says.

"I promise, too." Sam whispers.