Disclaimer: I do not own these characters- they belong to Eric Kripke and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Summary: Dean tries to break the news to his father that Sammy isn't interested in carrying on the family business. John handles it like an ex-Marine would, and Dean storms off to the shores to cool down after the heated debate. There, he is entranced by a water succubus. Will his father realize what happened before it's too late?

Tag to "After School Special." Dean is 17 and Sam is 13.

It was another three days of hellish nightmares; of waking in cold sweats, of biting on his tongue to hold in the cry of anguish that threatened to explode out of him each time…

Three days of being coddled by his little brother, three days of pitying glances and Bobby trying to get Dean to talk more about it, three days of John's strenuous training to get him back in shape and allow him to vent his feelings more productively…

Three days before Dean had had enough.

Dean woke that morning in the same predicament as its predecessors; soaked and trembling. But he was always good at adapting quickly, and this circumstance wasn't any different. He learned to control his waking state, making sure he didn't scream when he opened his eyes or flail till he fell off the bed.

He had no choice in the matter because Sam had taken to sleeping in his bed next to him, and it took all his restraint to transition from dreams to reality without waking his little brother up.

Bobby was snoring loudly in the other bed, and John was slumped uncomfortably in the chair a few feet away in case he had to wake Dean from one of the more violent nightmares.

Dean wasn't used to all this attention and he needed it to stop if he was ever going to move past this. He carefully extricated himself from underneath Sam's protective arm and walked silently into the bathroom. He could tell from the pale light coming in through the blinds that it was early morning.

He took a quick shower like he did every morning now to wake himself more effectively and wash away the sweat, tension, and fear. Glancing down at the quickly fading self-inflicted scratches on his arms and chest, he resisted the urge to reopen them again. He still felt unclean, but he was determined to take back control of his life.

When he headed back out into the bedroom, his father was beginning to stir. John rubbed the crick out of his neck before addressing his eldest son.

"How'd you sleep last night, Dean?"

"Like a baby," he lied with practiced ease. Dean glanced at the bed he had vacated twenty minutes ago to find that his brother had sprawled across the entire surface in his absence. "I think the training is really helpin'."

John frowned, knowing his son better than Dean seemed to realize. "Oh yeah? Then what are you doin' up so early?"

Dean shrugged. "Had to take a piss, couldn't go back to sleep." He quickly changed the subject. "Anyone goin' for a coffee run?"

"You keep mainlinin' that stuff, kiddo, and you're gonna give yourself a heart attack in ten years."

Dean smirked. "I suppose death by coffee would be better than some of the alternatives. Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, bud?"

"When are we gonna hit the road again? I mean, you're the one that always says evil doesn't take vacations."

"Maybe not, but we do when recuperation is in order."

"So we've been stuck here all this time cause of me?" Maybe some underlying guilt slipped out in that statement.

"No… Cause we all needed a break. It's been intense these past few days, dude. And as you can tell by Bobby's obnoxious snorin'… We all needed a little time off."

At the sound of his name, Bobby woke with a snort. He glanced around blearily, wondering why he had been pulled back to consciousness. "Say wha'?"

John chuckled. "Mornin', Sunshine."

"Eh, shine this…" Bobby grumbled, giving John a rude gesture. "What the hell time is it?"

"Early," John replied, then at Bobby's death glare, he added, "But I'm gonna run out and get some coffee in a sec. Fair enough?"

"Well what are you still doin' here, then? The coffee ain't gonna deliver itself!"

"Alright, alright! I'm goin'. Calm down before you throw your back out or somethin'."

Dean snickered, earning a death glare of his own.

"Watch it, boy…" Bobby threatened, but the glint in his eyes told Dean he didn't really mean it. In fact, Bobby was thrilled to hear the boy laugh again. It felt like he hadn't heard that wonderful sound in years. Things seemed to finally be getting back to normal.

John switched out his shirt for a clean one, grabbed the car keys, and headed for the door. "Hey, Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you say we hit the road after breakfast? You up for leavin' this town in the dust?"

A broad grin spread across Dean's face. "Yes, sir!"

"Alright then. Get your brother up and pack the bags."

"On it."

And there went Bobby's good mood. He followed John into the parking lot. "Hold it right there, Winchester. Just what the hell do you think you're doin'?"

"Gettin' coffee, remember? You know, they make pills for short-term memory loss."

Bobby ignored him. "What were you thinkin', gettin' his hopes up like that? He ain't ready to get back into huntin' and you damn well know it!"

"He says he's ready and that's good enough for me."

"I refuse to believe you're really that thick, John. That boy could have every bone in his body broken and he'd still say he was fine!"

"Give me some credit here, Bobby. I know he's not one hundred percent yet, but physically, he's healthy. Most of his wounds were superficial and have already healed."

"Yeah, but emotionally, he's a wreck. You know he hasn't slept through a single night since Sarina, right?"

John sighed. "I'm not oblivious, okay? I can see he's still havin' nightmares, and that's exactly why we've gotta hit the road. He can't move past this when we're still shacked up a few feet from where it happened. He needs the distance, and he needs the distraction, Bobby. We all do."

"Well that I've gotta agree with. Just promise me you guys will take it slow. Start off with some easy hunts till he's back in the game."

"Of course. I know what my boys can and can't handle. But if it makes you feel any better, we could always use an extra set of eyes for backup."

"Just tell me when and where."

"Listen, why don't we all head to your place for a while where we can do some research and find the next hunt? That'll give Dean a bit more time to pull himself together and it'll get us away from this damn beach."

"I've got no objections."

"It's a plan then. We'll hit the road as soon as I get back."

"I'll make sure the boys are ready."

As John slid into the Impala, Bobby made his way back into the motel with a new sense of relief. Maybe John hadn't forgotten how to be a father after all.

While the men were bickering outside, Dean had gone over to the bed where his brother was spread eagled and nudged his shoulder. "Sammy? Wake up, dude."

Sam muttered something about needing to finish his homework first before his eyes cracked open. "Dean? Wha's wrong? You okay?"

"I'm fine, bro. In fact, we're headin' out of Dodge as soon as Dad gets back with the coffee, so get your ass up and ready."

"We're leavin'? Already?"

"What do you mean, already? We never stay in a place this long when the hunt is finished."

"Yeah, but… You sure you're up for it, Dean?"

"I just told you, man. I'm fine. Come on. Time's a wastin'. Pack your stuff."

Twenty minutes later and the boys were packed. Five minutes after that, and John returned with the coffee. They loaded the bags and were finally back on the road, headed for Bobby's.

A few hours into the trip and John pulled into a small diner for brunch. Dean could feel his companions' eyes on him and he knew this was a test; to see if he could fall back into the swing of things and deal with having so many strangers around.

His biggest trial came in the form of a buxom young brunette who waited on them. She clearly had eyes for Dean and wasn't shy about letting him know it. When she put her hand on his shoulder to ask if they needed refills, he tensed immediately.

John shot him a concerned look, asking if his son wanted him to tell her to back off, but with a subtle jerk of his head, Dean conveyed to his father that he could handle it himself. He gave the girl his award-winning smile and said, "No thank you, Sweetheart. If you leave your number though, I'll let you know if we need anythin' else."

She flushed and hurried off to tell the other giggling waitresses how adorable her customer was. When they all turned to stare at Dean, he sent them a wink and they went back to giggling again.

Unfortunately, it was all for show. He needed the others to believe he was back to his usual self and didn't need to be babied anymore, but he couldn't lie to himself that the violation of his personal space didn't turn his insides into ice.

Glancing around the diner, his insecurities grew and he felt as though everyone was staring at him. He was feeling claustrophobic, and he was sure he could see pity in all their faces like they knew what had happened to him. He had to get out of there.

Sam sensed his unease and pretended he had to go to the bathroom, just so that when he returned, he could sit on the outside of the booth and give his brother more protection, putting him out of reach of his new fan club.

Dean shoveled the last few bites on his plate down his throat even though he had lost his appetite halfway through. He knew if he stopped eating, the others would sense that something was wrong and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

The next time the waitress appeared, John asked for the check and no one was surprised to see her name and number scrawled across the back of the paper and bracketed by little hearts. They paid the bill and left rather quickly.

Back in the Impala, Dean forced himself to calm down. The familiar smell of the leather and the comforting feeling of home helped to ease his nerves considerably.

He was going to get through this; one day at a time. He had to. There were people counting on him, and in the Winchester family, the rest of the world came first.

THE END

Maybe this will help explain Dean's apparent need to overcompensate with the ladies! Thank you all so much for your support and reviews, and a special thanks goes out to Jen and Janet who have more or less been working as my betas since this story started! You guys rock! Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you all enjoyed this story. Final reviews? Pretty please?