Previously on Supernatural...
"So, how do we go about finding the elusive mechanic?"
Dean was a little surprised the way Baby spoke, as though she thought she was still on this case. True, she'd provided valuable information that would have been difficult to get otherwise, but Sheila's death had cemented his resolve to keep his beloved Impala as far from harm as possible. A classic car had died after two days of being human, and Baby was coming up to the twelve-hour mark. He could take no chances.
"We," he stressed, pointing at himself and Sam, "are going to do some more digging. You are gonna sit here like a good girl. And another thing, missy. If you do go someplace, you go nowhere alone. Not up for debate," he added when she looked ready to argue. "You stay with either me or Sam at all times."
Her dark lips puckered to the side in an irritated scowl. "Hold up, hot rod. Nobody puts me in a corner, not even you. And you need me on this one." She lifted Dean's beer to take another pull.
"That's my beer!" he snapped, snatching it back before the bottle touched her lips again. He drank what was left, ignoring the teenage part of his brain that mumbled something about an indirect kiss... "You're staying out of it and that's final."
Baby's eyes seemed to glow as she glared at him. "I can help you both, and you know it."
"Not happening."
"That's not fair! I'm a part of this family too!"
A sharp rap drew both their attentions back to Sam. "Dean, she's right. Baby is a part of this. Keeping her out of the loop is out of the question."
"What the hell, back me up Sammy!"
He didn't even blink at the order. "How about we sleep on this? You can bicker more in the morning."
"Fine." Baby said, standing up and heading for the door. "See you in the morning."
"Wait a sec, where the hell are you going?" Dean asked.
She looked at him like he was an idiot. "Going to sleep."
"In the parking lot?"
"What?" she asked at their startled expressions. "Not the first time I've done it."
Sam sighed. "Baby, you're human now. You don't have to sleep on asphalt." He glanced over at his brother and said almost forcefully, "You can have Dean's bed, right Dean?"
Still sore about her stubbornness, the elder Winchester scowled. "I'm not sleeping on that hard couch, man. You give her your bed."
"I can't fit on the couch, dude. You know that."
"Fine. Let's throw for it." He raised his fist in blatant challenge.
"Seriously?" Baby sighed loudly. "I'll sleep on the couch. God, just stop bitching already." Shedding her jacket, she grabbed her shopping bag and stalked into the bathroom. Sam gave his brother a disappointed bitchface and started getting ready for bed himself. Annoyed at being made the bad guy, Dean cursed under his breath as he yanked off his jeans and shirt.
When Baby reemerged, she was wearing an oversized T-shirt and loose, dark gray knee-length sweatpants. She didn't look at Dean as she flopped down on the couch and turned on her side so that she faced the back cushions.
His anger bled away as he stared at her back. She obviously didn't see that if she was injured, Dean couldn't fix her with a wrench and a screwdriver. That was what scared him the most - that if something did happen to her, he wouldn't be able to do a thing. Too many people around him had died because of this life. He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to her. He cared about her too much.
Grabbing the comforter from his bed, Dean gently draped it over her body. "Good night, Baby," he whispered. When she didn't respond, he shook his head and crawled under his covers. I'll explain it to her in the morning.
She woke up hearing familiar whimpers and groans. Sitting up on the couch, Baby blinked once to activate her headlights, casting a dim light in her immediate area as she trained her now-glowing eyes on the two beds.
They were having nightmares again.
It wasn't the first time. With the hardships they'd suffered, sleep was frequently plagued with monsters even they couldn't vanquish. Baby was used to long nights cradling her sleeping boys in her seats. Sam tended to toss around more than his brother, while Dean had a habit of flinching in remembered pain while muttering familiar, long-dead names. The most she could do then was make them comfortable, shifting springs so that they could sleep without sore backs in the morning.
But now she could do more.
She rose from the couch, draping the blanket over her shoulders like a protective tarp, and walked to sit between the twin beds. She leaned back against the nightstand and stretched her legs out before her. Her headlights blinked off as she started to hum.
Winter is here again, Oh Lord,
Haven't been home in a year or more
I hope she holds on a little longer
Sent a letter on a long summer day
Made of silver, not of clay,
Ooh, I've been runnin' down this dusty road
Ooh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
I don't know where I'll be tomorrow
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
Long hours playing and hearing the same cassette tapes over and over had given Baby an ear for music, and her voice was perfectly suited for singing. The boys slowly grew less restless as she continued to sing.
I've been trying to make it home
Got to make it before too long
Ooh, I can't take this very much longer, no
I'm stranded in the sleet and rain,
Don't think I'm ever gonna make it home again
The mornin' sun is risin', it's kissing the day
Ooh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
I don't know where I'll be tomorrow
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
Whooa, my my my my my...for tomorrow
By now Sam had settled on his stomach, his head turned towards Baby with a peaceful expression stealing over his face. She could almost see the last several years slipping away, back to when he had been dragged back into the life by Dean when John had gone missing that last time. He'd been almost normal, glowing with happiness at being with his Jessica. Losing her had been what brought him back, and while Baby had loved having her Sammy back, she wished it hadn't been because of that girl's death.
Oh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
Ooh, I don't know where I'll be tomorrow
Wheel in the sky keeps me yearnin'
Oh, I don't know, I don't know
Oh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
Ooh, I don't know where I'll be tomorrow
Ooh, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know-oh-oh
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
Don't know where I'll be tomorrow
Ohh, the wheel on the sky keeps on turnin'
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
Humming the last few bars, Baby tried to think of something else to sing. Sam was completely relaxed and sound asleep, but Dean's expression was still tight with pain, his mind enslaved by his inner demons. He didn't relax easy, Baby knew, and it would take more than a Journey song to lull him to deeper sleep. Shifting closer to Dean's bedside, she continued singing.
Carry on my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more
Once I rose above the noise and confusion
Just to get a glimpse behind this illusion
I was soaring ever higher
But I flew too high
Dean's eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if he was frowning. Without stopping, Baby reached up to smooth away the lines with her fingertips.
Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man
Though my mind could think I still was a mad man
I hear the voices when I'm dreamin'
I can hear them say -
Suddenly his hand shot out from beneath his pillow and clamped around her wrist. The shock made her freeze, eyes wide as she waited for him to wake up and yell at her. But then something strange happened. With a muffled grunt and a soft snore, Dean rolled over on his back and tugged at Baby's wrist as if to pull the girl into bed with him.
Baby knew that this was a bad idea. She wasn't an idiot in any sense of the word. But this was her Dean, and her Dean was hurting. Besides, he was asleep. Not like anything was going to happen...
Swallowing the sudden tightness in her throat, Baby let him pull her under the sheet and lay beside him. His body was warm, much warmer than her blanket had been, so she left the covering on the floor. Resting her head on Dean's shoulder, Baby wet her lips and whispered one last stanza as she watched his face smooth out in slumber.
Carry on my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more
The next morning Sam woke up bright and early, stretching his long limbs as he tried to blink the sleep from his eyes. He hadn't slept so deeply in several weeks, and for the first time in months he couldn't remember having dreamed any nightmares. He looked over to see if Dean was awake, and the sight nearly made Sam's jaw dislocate in shock.
Dean's arms were wrapped around Baby, holding her against his chest like a cherished toy, her head was tucked underneath his chin. Their legs were tangled together, and while it was clear that hadn't done anything during the night, neither sleeper looked like they'd wake up anytime soon.
Sam smirked as he quietly pulled on clean clothes and left to scrounge up coffee and breakfast. That's one way to forgive each other, I guess, he thought with a chuckle.
They really can't stay mad at each other, can they?
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