AN: For the flashfic prompt "resurrect a character", my second entry. headesk

Playing a lone hand

"I'm impressed, kid," Dean says hoarsely. "Really impressed. I'm tempted to offer you a job, but your sister would kill me."

Ben laughs, delighted and embarrassed. "Thanks. I uh – it was – I was –"

"Terrified," Dean says. "Yeah, me too. But you did good; you saved your family. You saved me. If you hadn't noticed that trail…"

"If you weren't of the belief that M&Ms make up their own food group," Hailey says, joining them. "Ben, they're about to take Tommy to the hospital. You'd better get in the ambulance."

Ben nods, flashes one of those awkward grins at Dean and limps off to climb into the ambulance and sit next to Tommy.

Dean smiles at Hailey, a little wry, a little regretful. "They're good kids."

"Yeah."

"Don't loose 'em. That kinda love and loyalty doesn't show up often, even in families."

She looks at him sharply, and he winces inwardly, all too aware of the bitterness he hadn't meant to let show, the anger, the hurt.

"Tell me?" she asks.

Dean shakes his head, wordless. Once he starts, he'll never stop. The panic on Sam's face when Jess invited him to stay a while longer cut deeper than any knife. Any Wendigo's claws.

Perhaps Hailey senses that; perhaps there's a sort of older-sibling-bond there between them. At any rate, she digs through the pockets of her shorts and pulls out a key ring, holds it out to him.

"You remember where we live, right? Stay as long as you like," she says. "I know they said you don't need a hospital, but you're still pretty beat up."

Dean pauses for a moment, swallows hard. How fucked-up is it that he practically had to beg his little brother to come and help him look for Dad, and that Sam dropped him again like a hot potato after barely three days; but this girl he doesn't know is trusting him with her entire life?

"Why?"

Hailey presses a hand against his cheek. "You saved us. I know Ben found us, but he would have been killed too if you hadn't been there to take charge, to get us out of the mines. And, you know. Two days ago we were in the same boat. You helped me out of it; the least I can do is make it easier for you to follow."

"Ooooh," Dean says. "That was deep."

She smacks him on the shoulder lightly, laughing. He reaches out and takes the keys, smiling at her.