It was a late night, not too late for Dean Winchester of course. Not when they were out in Vegas raising a little hell. Not literally of course.
He tried his best to sneak into the rented motel where Sammy was sleeping in on his side of the room, not that that it was hard for a pro hunter like him.
Dumping the keys of his baby on the wooden nightstand, Dean looked around pretty damn proud of himself, a week off the job and $2400 richer sitting in his pocket. It was always a good day in Vegas, see, normally he would sit in the Impala with Sammy and on nights like those, Dean would just drive and drive, hoping they would magically find Dad, or Dad would finally come find them.
Dean knew better than that though, there was no such thing as magic (without a catch) and his father was as stubborn as a mule. It was no mystery however, Dean missed him and deep down, he knew Sammy did too.
He tried to push his memories from their recent job out of his head as he gingerly placed his coat on the chair and flopped into bed.
It had been about 5 days since they had visited their old house and watched their mom burn for a second time, this time to protect her boys and her home. He could still see her, the fire consuming her whole being but this time he had the mercy of not having to watch her face go up in flames, it was almost surreal and in a big way made his heart cringe. Dad was missing, mom was gone but at least they saved that family from being ghoul food. It was a job well done.
Visiting the house itself would prove to be a little too much, watching that family living in the house like they used to. Dean couldn't help it, one night in Vegas (or 7) would always fail to wipe out the memories of his childhood that came flooding in like a poltergeist with an agenda. Suddenly he couldn't help but see his mother in a golden light all around her, and she was as beautiful as an angel even though the only thing she was doing was talking on the phone in the kitchen.
It was this time Dean was a youngin and little Sammy was a baby. Dean was definitely taken aback, looking down at his "I Wuv Hugs" shirt. He remembers coming up to the dining table bathed in bright golden light with a plate already set out for him, as well as two others for Mary and John, his parents.
"Do you want the crusts cut off baby?" Mary asked lovingly, and Dean would reply politely, "Yes please!". Mary chuckled and stroked the back of his head, probably just to feel his new buzz cut. She didn't like his hair particularly this short, but he asked for it and seemed to like it, so she didn't mind.
She walked into the kitchen with her long loose hair following behind her, and then they both heard the phone ring. Even at this age, Dean knew this was not good.
He could hear his mother's voice in silent whispers not 3 feet away from him, cradling the phone to her ear and protectively away from Dean's eyes.
"No John..." Dean wondered what they were talking about this time. He kept his head down and at the table so to not make his mother uncomfortable as they started to argue a little for a couple of minutes. Dean watched and heard the low, sharp whispers and Mary's avoiding eyes as she turned her back to him.
"You have two boys at home. " His mother exclaimed, visibly exasperated. He couldn't remember the rest of the conversation but he did remember her slamming the phone. He remembered hugging her, and telling her that he would never leave her and who would, with a mother like his? A great mother, a loving person, Dean was too young to understand, but he knew she needed him around. Especially when Dad came home. Mary would never admit there was tension between them and Dean thought it smart to never ask, he just tried to be there for them both. Mostly his mother though.
Car lights flashed through the motel room like a beacon out at sea, snapping Dean out of his nostalgia. He looked over to see Sammy still asleep, only moving a little to reposition himself . He could fall off the bed if he was not careful, a problem since their childhood, for a boy that was the calmer of the two he was, ironically, the fidgetiest sleeper in history.
Feeling restless Dean crawled out of bed but left his jacket on the chair as he wandered out the room and into the street near the motel sign. Sitting on the je black hood of his car he looked up into foggish sky with not a single star in the sky. It was Vegas after all. All the stars were on Earth, probably drinking themselves silly or gambling away with no consequences.
Then he saw it, plastered on a giant billboard covered in a single seven letter word, or rather, a name.
Beatles. Stylish in purple and surrounded in orange. It was lit up like a Christmas special on Bobby's t.v during the holiday season. In a way, seeing the word Beatles was just like a holiday season for him as he gazed up at it, one that brought all kinda of memories that he hadn't thought about in years.
"Hey Jude..." a soft voice crooned from the dark of his mind,
"Don't make it bad..." He could see her, cradling Sammy to sleep after a nasty nightmare that had plagued the night. He stood at the doorway in his onsie footie pajama watching his brother fidget in their mother's arm about ready to go to sleep. Sammy's fat little contorted face was easily soothed by his mother's calming voice and soon he had a thumb in his mouth.
"Take a sad sooong and make it better..." Mary hummed her favorite Beatles song instead of regular lullabies, it made her feel happy and it seemed that it was her boy's style of song anyway, she found it better than singing about a cradle falling from a tree, a mother's nightmare for sure.
"Remember, to let her under your skin. Then you'll begin, to make it better. Shhh shhh there sweetie. " Mary gently put bundled up Sammy into his crib making sure that he was not disturbed in the transition from her arms on to the soft blanket. Dean still stood at the doorway watching his tiny brother fidget a little more before finally settling to sleep. He remembered watching his mother take a small plush moose they had won at a carnival and set it next to Sammy like a protective companion. He remembered Sammy crying because a clown walked up to his stroller. All the clown did was laugh but it was enough for Sammy to go off like an alarm. Dean giggled a little from the thought that his baby brother was scared at something that was suppose to make you laugh. Mary looked her her eldest and raised a single finger to her lips making sure the he didn't wake his brother.
The sound of a rowdy bunch driving into the parking lot stirred Dean again from his memory.
"Hey buddy! Want a beer?!" One of the passengers slurred from the back of the truck, gesturing to Dean as they stopped the car for whatever reason.
"Ah, no thanks. I'm good." Dean answered condescendingly at the definitely inebriated teenagers. They all booed him and struggled to move the vehicle again, braking and braking again like it was their first time at a driver's test. The driver himself appeared not as drunk as his friends, but he was really pushing it with the half empty bottle in his hand.
"Yous gotta, gotta HERE LET ME, no, no." One of the drunker ones reached over to the radio and started to press buttons like it was going to help the driver, it skipped a couple of static stations, a salsa tune and a commercial about the hot new party downtown. Dean watched in silent amusement, until they stopped pressing buttons.
"Hey Jude, don't let me down."
"aH Nooooo lookawot you did!" One of the passengers groaned.
"You have found her, now go and get her." Two of them started to croon along with the song, butchering their words and laughing uncontrollably as they started to get the car moving again.
"Turn that shit down!" Another cried out. The words infuriated Dean, had he heard that correctly? The insult burned him more than it probably did the song, and the drunkard probably didn't mean it anyway but it still stung. Turn that shit down, Shit down. Shit.
A heavy lump jumped right into Dean's throat.
"Then you can start to make it better." The music was unbelievably loud, but the voice was calming and the beat was contagious. As the others joined in on drunk revelry.
"CHANGE THAT SHIT! AHHAHAA" Well, maybe not for that individual.
Dean stared, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. The teenagers sped along to other parts of the parking lot with intentions unknown, but he could hear them change the radio to another station with more hardcore screamo than they could handle. Shouting in approval.
Tired, annoyed and slightly sad (but just a tad even more annoyed) he briskly ran back to his motel before he jumped into his car and did something he would regret. He did think about spray painting their car, or maybe jack a couple of valuables from them but he thought better of it seeing as how they would probably just be towing some nachos cups and beer bottles anyway.
The motel room was warm, and Sammy was now on his side, back facing Dean as he silently pulled up a chair. He couldn't sleep, how could he? He had too much fluttering in his stomach, and that was saying a lot for someone who didn't so much as blink ganking monsters. He guess it was just one of those nights where your brain just would not shut off, and there were plenty of those kind of nights to recall.
The scene was silent once more, and Dean was intent on keeping his mind busy on other things, like Dad's book. He thought about the book and how much it meant to him and Sammy, it was so tangible and it was here with him.
Not like his memories.
Dean wouldn't know it, hell, he didn't even notice, but as he flipped through Dad's book, as his mind started to ponder on to other things, he started to hum "Hey Jude" unconsciously. It vibrated in his voice as he started to start whispering the lyrics.
"Mom."
"Yes Dean?" Mary stroked Dean's forehead, his small body snug between the sheets, father still not home.
"Could you..." Dean's voice faltered.
"What's that baby?" Mary pulled up a seat and sat in a blue mini chair next to his bed, her head resting on her palm and her hair covering his pillow. The night-light flooded from behind his bed stand, it was a plastic dirty teddy bear that covered the dying light bulb but it was enough to do the trick every single night.
"Could you sing me that song? So I can sleep too?" Dean asked hopefully. He was a bit jealous of the extra attention Sammy received tonight, he knew he was only a baby but he still couldn't help it. He did hope he would not cry anymore tonight.
"Don't I every night?" Mary smiled, Dean laid embarrassed, of course she always did.
"One more time?" Dean gestured with a small finger, trying to be charming to hide his jealousy.
"Of course baby." Mary whispered and closed her eyes. Dean rubbed his face into his pillow and waited to hear her voice with anticipation. He couldn't help but feel so much joy at that moment. She ended up singing her favorite song until he fell asleep (even though it took 3 tries until he did) but he never felt safer, or happier.
Dean finally caught himself singing "Na na na naaa" a bit loudly and looked over to see his brother still asleep. Even though he felt just a bit flustered with himself he decided here was no harm in finishing the song, but before he knew it he started to hum it a second time.
What Dean didn't know was that Sammy was awake. Listening to him sing in the dark with the goofiest smile on his face.
"Dean, where were you?" Sam exclaimed, the sun shone through the cheap thin curtains illuminating the doorway with Dean smiling broadly.
"Out." Dean replied, setting a small plastic bag wrapped square into his bag.
"Doing what? Wait, what is that?" Sam asked, pointing at the mysterious item.
"Nothing dude, why are you so nosy?" Dean retorted with a "what are you lookin' at" face. Sam shook his head while his brother placed Dad's book into the bag as well.
"Bitch." Dean joked.
"Jerk." Sam retorted.
Dean packed a couple more things as well has his gun into the bag while Sam packed his sticker-covered laptop. Sam thought about asking him what was up with his singing last night but figured that it would be better not to question it.
"Ready to go Sammy?" Dean said after zipping up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. Sam kept his head down, hiding a smile from his brother as he pulled on his other shoe.
"Almost."
The brothers drove off and away from Vegas, passing by the rowdy drunk teenagers who were now dealing with a cop (and a major hangover) at an IHOP driveway, the Beatles billboard that looked less haunting in broad daylight and all the casinos as well.
They also passed by a small ancient, runned down looking music shop next to a tattoo parlor, where Dean bought his copy of a Beatles album.
With "Hey Jude" listed as one of the featured songs.
Hey-o! Just gonna, leave this here...
Mmmmhmmm that should do it!
And remember kids, if I owned Supernatural I wouldn't be worrying about college tuition.