John had booked a motel room with two beds, knowing that was all that was needed. As much as he hated it, he had work to do and had to leave his boys in the middle of the night to hopefully return again in the morning. He wasn't totally worried though, Dean knew the drill. Dean would keep Sammy safe no matter what. Sighing deeply, John grabbed the Impala keys off the table and headed out.

-

Dean glanced over at the glowing red numbers of the alarm clock after he heard the door close softly. It read 02:02am. He then focused his attention on the bed a few feet away from his, making sure his little brother was still sleeping soundly.

Feeling content that Sam was still asleep, Dean snuck out of bed to check the salt lines his father had made. He did it every night, not that John or Sam knew.

Once the windows and doors were all checked and safe, Dean returned to his bed. He'd picked the more uncomfortable one, knowing that Sam would get a better sleep in the one that had the fancy mattress on. It was made out of the spongy stuff that he would always press his hand into just to watch it rise up again, but he could never remember the proper name of it.

Dean lay awake for a while, tossing, turning, thinking. Sleeping had been getting harder and harder, he knew that his Dad, his idol, was out there and might not be coming back. He knew what the plan was. John had told him a million times before.

"Now son, if I don't come back, you take the money out of my duffel, you pack a spare change of clothes for you and your brother, and you call Bobby. Got it?" And Dean did get it. Hell, he'd done it twice before when his father had been knocked out somewhere or other after a hunt gone wrong.

Trying to get his mind off things, Dean squeezed his eyes shut and started quietly singing Metallica to calm himself down, when a tiny voice from a few feet away interrupted his chorus of 'Enter Sandman.'

"Dean?" He looked up immediately to see Sam staring at him.

"Yeah?"

"N-nothing. Are you okay?" Sam's voice was laced with worry and fear, and it was not something the elder Winchester liked to hear in him.

"I'm fine, just can't sleep. Sammy, seriously, what's up?" Through the darkness Dean could see his little brother welling up.

"I had a nightmare. But I'm big enough. I can handle it." Sammy said, putting on his best bravado, quickly dismantled by the tears starting to stain his cheeks.

Dean's big brother instincts clicked. He got out of his own bed and walked over to his little brothers. Sam shuffled to the side to make more room while Dean lay on top of the covers. He wrapped one arm around Sam to let him know he was safe.

"What was your nightmare about?" He asked.

"There.. there was smoke... and these horrible, evil, yellow eyes... Don't let him get me Dean, please don't let him get me!" Sam was sobbing now. Dean froze, remembering the smoke of that fateful night that took his Mother away and his Fathers hateful talk of yellow eyes. He couldn't let Sammy know. He couldn't let John know.

"Shh, it was just a dream, nothings gonna get you. 'Cause whatever wants you has to go through me. And nothing beats me because why?" Dean assured.

"Be-because you're my big brother." Sam finished.

Dean tightened his arm around his brother to reassure him as Sam yawned. Remembering when he was little, Dean thought of a new song to sing.

"Hey Jude..."

-

John arrived early in the morning to see his two boys asleep in one bed. Maybe he misjudged, maybe all he needed was a one bed motel room.

Savouring the memory, he lifted his phone and took a picture. His boys; safe as long as they were together.

~Fin~