Hellooo!

Another little family/comfort and for me, almost schmaltzy chapter and then we get to the part where you all hate me. *chortles*

I'll be good, I promise. I think.

Thank you again for all the reviews, sorry again if you haven't had a reply yet. I'm getting there, honest! Mary xx

Lisa pulled up onto the street and killed the engine. She decided against driving round and waking the neighbours by trying to move Dean's car on the driveway to get her own in behind it. Gathering her handbag she got out and locked the door, stopping as she took in the sight through her living room window. Sam and Ben were locked in a battle in one of the latter's video games, shoulders clashing as they fought to win. Further along the couch Dean was asleep, head turned towards her and lying at an awkward angle over the back of the seat. She shook her head and went inside.

"Hey. So whose winning?," she asked as she walked over and stood behind them.

"I am," Ben replied not lifting his eyes from the game as he spoke.

"Well, finish that and it's time for bed. Do you want some coffee?," she offered Sam as she slipped her coat off and dropped it over the arm of the couch.

"Please."

"Woo Hoo!," Ben hollered as he won while his mother had distracted Sam.

"I demand a rematch. Mom intervention isn't in the rules," Sam joked.

Lisa leant over the sleeping form of Dean and brushed a hand softly through his hair. "How long has he been sleeping?"

"Dean's a lightweight mom, he crashed about an hour ago," Ben informed her.

Lisa playfully smacked the back of her son's head. "Dean works two jobs and spends most of his free time ferrying you about. He's entitled to be tired!" She looked over at Sam, caught him watching her. "Everything okay?," she asked with meaning behind the words.

"Seems you're making up the guest bed for me for tonight, since sleeping beauty there doesn't look like he'll be doing it any time soon."

"Oh no. I don't think so!," she said, voice more light-hearted than she felt. She leant forward. "Dean?"

"What happened to letting him sleep, entitled to it I think you said, " Ben offered cheekily.

"His guest, he gets to make up the bed. That and the couch isn't the place to sleep."

Sam reached over Ben and slapped his brother's knee hard jerking Dean awake instantly. His hand automatically came out to catch Dean's as it rose expecting the move. Stilling his brother's hand Sam kept his fingers wrapped on Dean's wrist until he could come round completely. "Hey man, it's just me."

Lisa watched, a smile escaping as Dean relaxed at the voice, moving his hand up to wipe at his face. He took a second or two to get his bearings and then looked over at his brother. "Shit sorry man. Guess I was more tired than I thought." He dropped his eyes to Ben. "You win?"

Ben gave him a 'please' look. "He plays worse than you do. Must be a family thing," he grinned at the older man.

Checking his watch Dean raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be in bed instead of dissing me and my little brother?," he asked pointedly.

"I wasn't the one that fell asleep," Ben came back quickly.

Sam grinned until he saw the look on Dean's face, then it was an effort not to laugh. He'd been on the receiving end of that look more than he would care to count. Still it got Ben moving. "I'm going!" He stood, took Sam's controller and killed the power on the console. He stopped next to Sam and shot Dean a little look, mischievousness flashing in his eyes. "Nice to meet you Sam. Always good to have someone else to beat, kicking an old man's ass gets boring after a while."

Lisa stopped in the kitchen door. "Benjamin Braedon! Bed! Now!"

Dean smirked. "Oh, oh dude, you just got double named. That so isn't good."

"Dean Winchester, don't you have a bed to make up while I make coffee?"

Ben whispered something to Dean and then jumped back laughing as Dean tried to grab him. "Under the thumb am I? Let's see how well you can fight in the real world."

Ben ran. Dean pushed himself from the seat and took after him. Sam and Lisa watched as they tore up the stairs and the sound of a thump and then laughter drifted back down to them. Ben's cries for help went unanswered as his mother rolled her eyes and walked back into the kitchen gesturing Sam to follow.

He perched on one of the kitchen stools as he watched her busy herself with making the coffee. "So did you guys patch things up?"

"Honestly? I don't know. Dean's maybe not ready to forget yet but I think I'm partly forgiven, hence the invite to stay."

"What are you going to do now? Sugar?"

He shrugged and nodded. "Go back to Bobby's for a while. I've been hunting some demons outside of Hot Springs. I need to finish that before I can do anything."

She handed him the cup and saw his eyes drift to the window. "What?"

"Dean says that there's no protection on the house. With the kind of things that might be after me or him, I don't think that's wise."

"Oh no. Your brother argued that exact same point with me. He lost. Dean needed his break with hunting to be complete Sam, the car in driveway not withstanding. Having him running around laying and renewing salt lines and sigils would just be a reminder of what he'd lost. Well, what he thought he'd lost." She said it gently but Sam still cringed inside. "Then there's the whole, how do I explain the crazy man marking up my walls with spray paint."

"It's a big risk…"

Lisa cut him off. "My cousin died in a house fire, my best friend was knocked down and killed. Life is full of risks that you can't always avoid Sam. You and Dean should know that more than anyone. You can't hide behind your walls forever. Sometimes you have to just step out into the open and try to dodge the bullets that come your way."

She lifted the other cup off the counter and held it out, Sam shifting to see as his brother sat down next to him. "You won't change her mind on this one Sam. I told you, her house, her rules." He winked at Lisa as he said it, something unspoken passing between then that Sam wasn't party to. "We've got the Colt, if anything comes for us, it'll have to be enough."

They sat there and chatted for a bit after that, Lisa noticing that it was her and Sam that were talking most. Dean was simply adding to their conversation when he wanted to or to answer them. The atmosphere was relaxed enough but there was still tension between Dean and Sam and she knew that Sam was feeling it too.

With one last look at Dean she stood and rinsed her cup in the sink. "Well, I'm going to head upstairs, make sure Ben's sleeping."

There was another little silent exchange which this time Sam got the gist of. Lisa was making sure that Dean was alright with her going. Obviously getting the answer she wanted she walked over and kissed him, a slow tender kiss that had Sam looking away, feeling that he was intruding somehow. She finally broke it and then walked to Sam, drawing him into a warm hug, holding him until Dean coughed.

Lisa laughed at that and stepped back. "Night, I'll see you boys in the morning."

Dean gestured to the living room as they watched her go. "Come on, let's get a soft seat." He moved through and dropped himself onto the couch, switching the TV back on and settling down, patting the seat beside him when Sam hesitated. "There's usually a Hammer double on, want to?"

Sam smiled at that, feeling the tension inside him ease a little as he settled in next to his brother.

Lisa listened upstairs for a couple of minutes, taking in the soft voices and sounds of the TV then she turned away and left them to it.

Dean wasn't sure what woke him, the room still dark as he jerked awake. Lisa was lying curled into a ball next to him still sound asleep. He eased himself from the bed and frowned at the time on the bedside clock. Sleep had been his for less than two hours. It had been late when he and Sam had finally made their way upstairs and he hadn't wanted to take one of the pills, knowing that it was have made him still feel drowsy in the morning.

Resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going to be falling back asleep anytime soon he decided to head downstairs so as not to wake Lisa.

Passing the guest room door he paused, listening to the soft noises that were drifting from it, wondering if somehow this was why he was awake.

Calling his brother's name softly he pushed opened the door and stepped inside. Sam was on his back, covers kicked to the floor. He was moaning, mumbling something that Dean couldn't quite hear from where he was. Moving closer he watched as his brother tossed and turned, sweat beading his forehead, eyes jumping behind closed lids.

"Damn it Sammy," he uttered as he moved closer, claiming a seat on the edge of the bed and bringing his hands down to still his brother's movements.

"Don't, please." Sam started to fight him and Dean relaxed his grip a little, let him move away. He might not know exactly what Sam was dreaming about but he thought he had a good idea at least.

"Sam?" He shook his brother gently. "Come on man, it's just a dream. Wake up. Sammy, come on." His brother sat up so quickly that Dean nearly didn't have time to get out of the way. He pulled his head to the side at the last minute only just avoiding getting head butted. Slipping his arm over Sam's shoulder he cradled the back of the younger man's head and pulled him to him as he did. "It's okay, I got you. Just take a minute."

Sam rested against him, head on Dean's shoulder and one arm loosely flung round his brother's back. His chest was still heaving from the nightmare he'd been having but Dean's presence was calming him. He realised then just how much he'd missed the reassuring feeling of having his elder brother close by, Dean's quiet strength beside him. It was the reason though that Sam didn't think he could stay. His brother had enough problems of his own to cope with without taking on Sam's as well and Sam knew that he would because that was what Dean did. What he'd always done.

They sat there, unspeaking, until Sam calmed and then he freed himself from Dean's grip. "I should go. I'm sorry I woke you. I shouldn't have stayed," the younger man stated, the pain not quite hidden in his voice.

He started to move off the bed but Dean's hand catching round his wrist stopped him. "When are you going to stop running away from me Sam? Huh? As for the dreams? You can't run from what's inside you Sam, believe me I've tried."

Sam risked a glance at his brother's face. "How did you manage to cope with them Dean? They are so damn real." He tried to pull free but Dean's fingers tightened as he did. "I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't have come. Just let me go."

"Not this time. Did that before, I ain't doing it again," Dean said quietly as they sat there at arm's length. "You think I coped with my dreams Sam? I drunk myself into oblivion most nights, you were there, you saw it. I take tablets to get any decent sleep now. That's not coping Sam. It helps but it's not coping. Is this part of why you didn't come find me? Because of the dreams?"

Sam looked away. "That first night I was confused. I didn't know how I got out, how I found myself where I did. I worried that they'd let me go. That they had plans for me. Might use me to get to you. I looked in the window and I saw you sitting there in Lisa's house and you finally had someone looking after you and I couldn't cross that road and ruin that. You were safe." Sam wanted to tell Dean the rest, confide in his brother but he couldn't, not yet. The peace between them was too fragile still. He pushed his hair off his face. "It's really why I left. I want you to be safe Dean."

Dean tried to read his brother's features but Sam dipped his head, drawing a long, low sigh from his sibling. "What am I going to do with you eh?" He shook his head and grabbed Sam's face; made him look at him. "I get it alright? I do. I swear. I'm still mad as hell that you left me hanging like that, but I get it."

Tears ran down the younger brother's face and Dean let go, let him wipe them away.

"Stay here." Dean left the room quickly. He fetched a glass of water and one of the remaining pills from the bottle Lisa had saved. Walking back in he handed both to his brother. "Take this and get some sleep."

"No, I don't…"

Dean interrupted him. "Don't make me go and wake Lisa," he joked, a smile playing on his lips as he spoke.

"Fine." Sam chased the pill down with the water. He put the glass on the bedside table and lay back, a huffed laugh escaping as Dean fixed the covers for him.

"Get some sleep Sammy." Dean went to leave and Sam couldn't stop himself from calling his brother's name.

"What?" Dean moved back to the bedside.

Sam blushed and waved him away, rolled round to put his back to Dean. "Nothing. It's nothing," he muttered into the pillow.

The elder brother stood watching his younger sibling and then moved closer, pulling the covers up and sliding into the queen sized bed. Sam felt the touch of his brother's spine against his. "It's okay Sammy, just get some sleep."

He closed his eyes and felt the tears start to fall again at Dean's next words. "I've got your back."

TBC