CHAPTER TWENTY

Four hours into their journey, Bobby turned to Dean. It had been four hours of awkward silence, and splintered, half-hearted attempts at conversation. Sam was sleeping, head against the window, and Dean was sandwiched between the two bigger men. Bobby sighed and then commented tiredly, "You know, you can't always be there to protect him. Sometimes bad things will happen, Dean. You shouldn't beat yourself up every time something goes wrong."

Dean didn't reply immediately, just listened to his brother's gentle snores. "I know that." He leaned over and held a hand against the air vent, making sure the heat was directed at Sam. He probably couldn't always be there to protect the kid, but that wouldn't stop him from trying. "Thanks for coming to get us," he said earnestly, redirecting the topic of conversation.

Bobby snorted and shook his head. "You boys attract more trouble than shit attracts flies." His tone was harsh, but the love was there.

Despite his exhaustion, Dean felt himself smile.

The road rolled beneath them as they headed towards Bobby's, making their way through early evening and into the night. Somewhere, between hours, Dean found himself sleeping. It felt like they were going home, and, strangely, it felt nice.

Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Either way, please let me know! I love feedback- I'm still learning and want to improve my writing :) Any advice or comments are good x