Author's note:

We'll get to Bobby's soon! I know everyone is looking forward to seeing how he reacts.

"You want me to numb it?" Sam asked as he threaded a needle and tried to get the light right on Sophie's bloody lip, "I'm sure we've got something."

She lay on the kitchen floor with her head on Dean's lap. She was still bleeding, but Dean had helped her shower and gotten her dressed in one of Sam's old t shirts. It came almost to her knees.

"Can you go over one more time why I can't go to a hospital?" Sophie asked.

"You didn't ask for a hospital after that werewolf mauled you," Dean pointed out, "This is way easier."

"There wasn't a hospital available…" Sophie replied, hand moving unconsciously to stroke the dark scars along her sternum, "And I'll remind you that at no point did you ask. You just, you know, woke me up by ripping a bullet out of my shoulder then dumping vodka on open wounds."

"You're welcome," Dean said. He was exhausted. He should be gentler with her right now. He knew that. But he was too damn tired. It'd been too many things. Too close together. And he just needed a night of rest and he'd be an ideal boyfriend again in the morning. Right now he just needed her not bleeding and ideally asleep.

"Sophie," Sam's voice was earnest, if a little strained, "The way you're hurt right now…is gonna set off some alarm bells if we go to a hospital. And we'd rather none of us get arrested. And we're assuming you'd like to stay with us. And so…"

"And so if I come in with lashing marks they're going to assume it was one of you and separate us," Sophie finished, "I get it."

Her tone was resigned. Dean bent down and kissed her forehead.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured.

"So," Sam repeated, "Want me to numb it?"

"I'll be fine," Sophie replied.

"It's gonna hurt like a bitch," Dean reminded her.

"Oh, I remember from last time. And I don't care."

"Okay then," Sam shrugged at his brother, "Dean, hold her still, please?"

Sophie stiffened at those words. Dean rubbed a comforting hand along her arm and shot his brother a glare.

"Bad way to put it," Sam put his hands up apologetically, "Sorry! Dean would you make sure Sophie doesn't startle so I don't inadvertently stab her in the eye? Better?"

"Oddly," Sophie said, "Yes."

"Okay then," Sam said, "Here it goes."

Ten minutes and eighteen stitches later, Sam was done.

"That shouldn't scar too bad," he assured her, "And what scar it does leave will look pretty badass. Now…"

"There's no easy way to stitch these other cuts is there?" Sophie said, unmoving, her big blue eyes gazing up at Dean and looking for a solution she knew didn't exist.

"Not really," Dean raked a hand through his hair, "We could…knock you out?"

Sam and Sophie just stared at him.

"I'm trying my best here," he didn't even sound exasperated, just defeated.

Sam doused a gauze pad in whiskey and gestured for Sophie to get up.

"Sophie just get onto your knees, put your arms around Dean's neck with your back facing me," Sam instructed, "I think that's our best bet."

Only one of the cuts was deep enough for stitches, but another half dozen needed butterfly closures to heal properly. Once Sam was finished Dean gathered Sophie, still clumsy and sluggish, into his arms and went to their bedroom.

It was 2AM, which meant she wasn't due for any of her regular medication. He figured five ibuprofen would do the trick - knowing for certain she'd turn down Vicodin. Then there was the issue of getting her to sleep. While things had improved significantly, she still hadn't been sleeping right since the werewolf. Sophie was still having nightmares almost every night. And stress made them worse. Dean shuddered; he didn't want to think what they'd be dealing with tomorrow if she didn't sleep tonight. He grabbed a sedative and a bottle of water and knelt next to her on the mattress.

"Listen," he said, handing her the Advil - which she took without complaint, "I know you don't like sleeping pills, but we're not negotiating on this."

"I'll be fine Dean," Sophie insisted.

"That's a lie and you know it," Dean said.

Sophie just shook her head.

"I don't want to be stuck in the nightmares I'm going to have about this," she insisted.

"And I understand that," Dean nodded earnestly, "But here's the thing. Remember how we agreed we'd be open with each other? No bullshit?"

"I remember something like that, yeah," Sophie said, brow furrowing.

"What do you think is gonna happen if you wake up screaming five times tonight? How do you think you're gonna feel tomorrow? How likely are you to get a migraine or have another seizure while it's just the two of us trying to get all the way down to South Dakota? Do you really want to go through that? Or will you take the damn meds I'm giving you and actually rest and increase our likelihood of an uneventful trip?"

"Fine," Sophie agreed, pushing herself up onto an elbow and taking the pills without further complaint.

Dean kissed her forehead.

"I'm gonna shower and then I'll come to bed with you. Try to get some sleep," he whispered, turning to go to the bathroom.

"Dean?" Sophie called after him, "Where's Louie?"

"Louie?" Dean wondered if the Benadryl had made her loopy already.

"That stuffed sheep you gave me this morning," Sophie said, "I named him Louie."

Dean couldn't help but smile. He went over to the desk in the corner and retrieved the plushy sheep.

"This guy?"

Sophie's smile was so bright it almost made him feel sane again. She nodded enthusiastically and Dean tucked the stuffed sheep into her arms.

"Now sleep," he said, "I mean it."