SILENT

Sammy's voice getting louder and louder made John looking over at his two sons. For the last hour or so they had been sitting on the floor between the two doubles playing with their action figures and Dean's toy soldiers. John wasn't sure what caused his baby boy to sound so frustrated, hell the boy, when being watched by his older brother was the sweetest and most content little boy he had ever seen. Frustration and Sammy used to be a combination that was solely reserved for times being spent in the care of his father.

John decided to watch for a few more moments; maybe his boys would solve the problem themselves.

"De! Play! Batman s'posed to give orders! You's not playing right!" shouted the tiny boy.

John didn't get it. He couldn't see anything different from how his boys normally played, so what was Sammy's problem?

Again Dean started to move his Batman figurine but Sam seemed to be finally fed up with his brother obviously doing it all wrong. The two-year-old snatched the toy out of his brother's hand and turned around to where he knew his daddy was sitting. John locked eyes with his child and waited.

"Daddy, De dos it wrong! De play with Sammy! Daddy!"

"What's wrong tiger? Dean's playing with you isn't he?"

"Nuh-no, he's doing it wrong."

"Why don't you come here for a minute? Tell daddy what's wrong," said the eldest Winchester in the room and opens his arms as an invitation.

Sammy huffed frustrated but pushed himself up to his feed and made his way over to his father. John picked his baby boy up and sat him sideways on his lap.

"De's not playing right daddy. Batman's s'possed to give orders and stuff. De's not doing dat, Daddy."

John suddenly thought he knew what Sammy meant, but no it could not be that. Sammy couldn't mean that Dean wasn't talking, except for a happy birthday song; Dean hadn't spoken since they had lost Mary.

Before John could say anything, Sammy turned his hazel eyes fully to his daddy as if he had suddenly made a major discovery.

"Daddy, why De never talk?"

John looked at his baby boy and was at a loss for words. John looked over to where Dean was sitting. His oldest had turned around now and was watching the interaction between the two most important people in his life; silent tears were streaming down his face. John didn't even hesitate a second, he stood up, Sam securely on his hip and was sinking down onto his knees next to his oldest not even five seconds later. He quickly hugged Dean into his side and kissed his head. Sammy became suddenly aware that his big brother was crying, instinctively he leaned over and hugged his brother, confused now as to why his big brother that was always protecting him was crying, he started crying too. Suddenly, John found himself with two crying sons on his lap and felt like crying himself.

Hugging his boys to his chest, the father took a few minutes to get control over his own emotions before trying to get his sons to calm down and look at him.

"Hey, look at me boys. Ssh... it's ok,... Come on... Dean, Sammy, it's alright."

Dean's green eyes were the first to lock with John's; even though tears were still flowing his oldest looked trustfully up to his father. Sammy stopped his crying and let looking between John and Dean.

Suddenly Dean became rigid and John looked at his son immediately. The boy was stiff as a board and his hands were flying up to his throat as if trying to fight off being strangled, his mouth opened and closed, and his face was scrunched up in concentration. But no sound was forthcoming despite John being sure that Dean was trying to speak. More tears started to fall, but again the only sounds coming from the six-year-old were the shuddering breaths he took.

He drew the boy into his chest in a protective manner and whispered comforting nonsense into his child's hair before, still keeping the boy close, turning to Sam, "You know Sammy, how you have woken up from a nightmare and couldn't talk cause you were scared?"

After a confirming nod from the youngster, the father continued, "Dean got scared a while ago, but unlike the nightmares you've had, it wasn't a dream. Dean is still scared of what he has seen, so we, you and I, have to make sure that he feels safe and eventually, I'm sure, he'll talk to us. But you have to be patient and not get angry with him, you've played with him all the time and it was never a problem that he didn't talk now was it?"

Sammy shook his head in the negative and then launched himself at his brother, hugging him tightly, "Sorry De, Sam mean. All good now?

John smiled when his oldest returned the hug and nodded, giving a small smile of reassurance.

"Dean," John started after a few moments and waited for Dean to look at him. "It's ok you know. Everything is fine, if you still don't want to talk, don't. I'll wait for you to be ready, don't worry. I love you, Ace, never forget that.

Dean, still hugging his brother relaxed into his dad's firm chest, ear over the strong and calming heartbeat and John once more hugged his boys securely to him. And in this moment, sitting on the floor in a run-down motel, huddled together, the Winchesters for the first time felt like the world stopped for a moment to let them feel safe and content for just a tiny moment.

The End

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