I hope you all enjoy this little one shot about Dean and his baby.
Thanks to my beta Liz for helping me out with this even though it was way last minute!
It was three o'clock in the morning on Christmas eve, Christmas day, if you wanted to get technical. Dean couldn't sleep. Maybe it was from the pure appreciation of his brother's attempt at a Christmas celebration or the way he would miss times like these, not the holidays, just spending time with Sam.
"Pftt… I can't miss this, I'll be dead next year." The remark left Deans lips and he realized he was thinking aloud.
He needed to go for a drive. Time with his beloved car would help him ease off the newly formed pressure that rested on his chest. Glancing one last time at Sam to make sure he was asleep, Dean grabbed the keys and shut the door to their room. A cold chill from the winter night air swept over him sending a shiver up his spine. He pulled his leather collar up higher to protect his neck from the cold. Once he was in the car, he turned the heat up full blast, along with the radio. He wasn't surprised when the sound of jingle bells greeted his ears. Every station had it's yearly round of Christmas tunes playing, not that it was a bad thing, Dean had wanted to celebrate Christmas in the first place, but right now he just didn't want to hear it.
After he had been driving for forty-five minutes, going 90 miles an hour on the deserted road, he came upon a cliff. Dean pulled to a stop and settled the impala in just the right spot. The Christmas lights decorating the city glowed radiantly. Sam would like this. He didn't do anything for the next ten minutes except sit there, just breathing in his life. This was the one place he always felt so content.
Turning his head to the empty seat beside him, a million thoughts and questions flooded his mind. What would it be like if I hadn't made the deal? Would I be sitting here like I am now? Will Sam be ok? Will Sam save me? Do I want to die? Dean shook his head, no, he didn't want to die. Would I take back my choice to keep Sam with me? No, he would gladly do it again. A life without Sam wouldn't be living. Does that make me selfish? It might have, but he didn't care.
Dean ran his hand across the cool leather upholstery and took a deep breath. This would most likely be all that Sam had left of him a year from now. He wished he could leave Sam more than just a car, but that was all he had and boy did he love his baby. It was more than a nice paint job and a smooth ride, it was home. His best and worst memories lived in this treasure. Most importantly it kept his family safe, it kept Sam safe.
"We don't have enough cash for a room tonight boys, we're going to have to sleep in here." John looked at his sons sitting in the backseat of the impala, snuggling to keep warm.
"But dad, it's Christmas!" A ten year old Dean cried .
"I know Dean and I'm sorry, but it's either food or a really crappy motel with dirty sheets and roaches."
"Yuck!" Sam scrunched his face and stuck out his tongue in disgust.
"Sammy's right, besides you two haven't eaten all day. I'll be right back, don't either of you move."
"Yes sir." Dean said with a sour face as the front door slammed shut. "What was that Sam? Yuuuaaauuuck! Why are you so ok with sleeping in the car? Now I have to share the backseat with you because dad takes up the whole front seat."
"I love this car!" Sam said with all the innocent affection of a six year old.
"What? You love a car? Does it look like the latest edition of Barbie's ride or something?"
"No, it's just like you and dad."
"Yeah, real nice Sam, comparing your family to a car." Dean sat back and rolled his eyes.
"She keeps us safe, just like you and dad keep me safe."
"It's not the same thing Sam and the cars an 'it' not a 'she'."
"Well, what would we do without each other?"
Dean eyes looked confused "What do you mean?"
"You, me, and daddy, we would be alone and probably sad without each other. Like if we didn't have this car we'd be on the street for Christmas. I'd say she's a pretty nice gift to us. She's part of the family."
Dean just stared at his little brother and surprisingly found some sort of understanding in what Sam had said. This car took them where they needed to go, kept them warm from the cold, dry from the rain, kept them together, she was family.
Dean had been surprised he hadn't remembered that conversation in a while. It seemed that since that day he had a deep growing love for this piece of gorgeous metal. Dean started to realize that his car was probably one of the best things he could leave with Sam because it had his essence. It would be like Dean was always with him keeping him safe from everything.
Dean was positive Sam wouldn't change a thing about her after he was gone. Dean's music would still be the only thing allowed to blast from the speakers. There would still be trash in the back seat from all of the fast food he ate. He would still fly down the long empty roads to try and leave his past in the dust kicked up by the impala's tires. Sammy always was the girly sentimental type. Dean knew he was too. That was part of the reason he loved his car so much. She carried so much sentimental value. Sammy was right. This car was a gift, a gift that held his life together everywhere they went.
Dean took one last look at the town and noticed the sun was starting to rise.
"Didn't realize we were sitting here so long." He turned the key and a loud rumble filled the air. "You know, you're the one part of my life that has never changed."
His car had always been the one thing that he had any control over. When she was broken all he had to do was get his tools and fix her. If only every little problem could be solved like that.
"Pretty soon it's just going to be you and Sammy." Soon Dean would just be another memory held safely inside her four doors. "Don't worry, I'll teach him how to handle you." He smiled, Sam was probably one of the most careful drivers he knew. He reversed and found his way back on to the open road. "We're one hell of a family."