Gibbs: Major major thanks to Morgan for betaing! This story is written for the spn_25 community on livejournal. Also, propts to Mo for helping me come up with a title!
Normalcy
To be normal is the ideal aim of the unsuccessful--Jung
There was no alternative. No way around it. But dang it, those were the situations Dean hated the most. He held on to the log with all his might, feeling the water trying to pull at him like the claws of some huge monster.
"Sam…careful!" To anyone watching, the statement was absolutely ridiculous. Dean was the one about to be pulled down the rapids, but there wasn't anyone listening. Thus the lack of alternatives.
The fourteen-year-old youngest Winchester was balancing carefully on the log. Sam was surprisingly coordinated despite his recent growth splurt but the log—like Dean—was soaked. The kid slipped, nearly falling and Dean had to resist the protectiveness surging through him. Not being able to do anything was not the Dean Winchester style.
And it was all so ridiculous anyway. The salt and burn was simple, and for one of the few times in Winchester history, it went down without trouble. Apparently the ghost was passive to anyone who wasn't retirement age. Which is why he'd jokingly told their Dad not to come. John had glared but decided not to come anyway. This was an easy job, perfect for Sam and Dean to go on alone.
It had taken a grand total of thirty minutes to take out the ghosty and they weren't expected back till dinner. So they decided to have some fun.
Of course he wasn't having much fun now.
Sam's foot slipped on the soggy bark and he fell. The kid caught himself, taking the fall mostly on his hands. He cringed as his knee banged into the log but kept going, crawling instead of trying to balance again.
It was day camp all over again. They'd found a canoe and borrowed it, just to be normal for a few hours. It was fine until they were ready to head back. Sam had gotten out and Dean had stood to follow when a log had come out of no where smacking the boat and knocking him in. The water had done the rest.
Sam was above him. He grabbed onto Dean's arm with both of his and pulled. Dean struggled to get a grip and help him. His puny little kid brother wasn't gonna be able to pull him up – he was sure of that.
Adrenaline is a funny thing.
Sam pulled with all his might and Dean found himself being dragged out of the water. The older quickly hugged the log once he was mostly up and threw his legs over it. He held onto the log a moment longer than necessary before pushing himself back up.
"You alright?" Sam gasped, breathing hard. Dean looked up, they were both shaking. He was freezing. Sam…was either shivering from nerves or exhaustion from the stunt he'd just pulled.
"Yeah…you?"
Sam rolled his eyes. Yeah, he was alright.
They managed to crawl off the log and collapsed on the squishy wet grass. Dean closed his eyes and let himself breath. He felt his brother at his shoulder.
"So a few more times and you might even get good at canoeing Sammy." The flat of his brother's hand smacked against his gut. "Oumph!"
"You coming?" Sam asked, struggling back to his feet. Dean heard him mutter something about Dad making ghosts out of them and grinned. The older Winchester pushed himself up a bit reluctantly and took stock. They were battered, exhausted and wet. Very wet. Sometimes being a hunter was easier than "normal."
