Defenders of the Night

01. Pilot

Season One

As Rose bounced her stuffed bunny on her lap, she said, "Daddy, are we there yet? I'm hungry."

Dean shook his head, glancing back at her. "No, not yet. I bet if you ask Mommy nicely she'll give you a snack."

"Mama, can I haves a 'nola bar?"

Lana chuckled softly as she pulled out a granola bar and opened it before handing it to their daughter. "What do you say?"

"Thank you, Mama. What's in," she frowned, "I can't renember."

"Uncle Sammy is in California. We're going to get him. You remember seeing pictures of him, right?"

"He has funny hair."

Dean chuckled softly. "Yeah he does. I bet he's gonna love meeting you, Ro."

Rose yawned and cuddled her bunny as she closed her eyes.

"Dean," Lana called softly. "She's out."

Dean turned the music down and took her hand. "Lana, what if he doesn't come with us? I mean, this is our dad we're talking about."

She squeezed his hand as she said, "I think Sam will come for the sake of family. He seems like the type to do so. But even if he doesn't, you still have me and Rose."

"Yeah. I hate that she's forced to endure this life. I wish we could settle down and live a normal, apple-pie life."

"I love envisioning it, but you know deep down that one or both of us would find our way back to this life in one way or another."

"I wish we both knew how to stay out."

Lana sighed. "Me too, but that's not us. And we do our best to keep Ro safe despite it all."

He glanced back at their sleeping daughter again. "I'd say we do a pretty damn good job of it too."

"Yeah, we do. You mind if I get some rest?"

"Not at all. I'll wake you when we get there."

---

When they reached Palo Alto, Dean gently shook his wife and she slowly opened her eyes. "Mmm?"

"We're here. I'm gonna get Sam. Stay with Ro and I'll be back soon, okay?"

She nodded and faced their sleeping daughter. "Good luck, babe."

He kissed her temple. "Thanks. I'll be right back."

Dean got of the car, found Sam's apartment, and opened the window. He climbed through.

When he was inside, he closed the window almost the entire way.

Dean clinked the beer cabinet. He walked past the string at the far end of the hall. He hit his hip on the corner of a table, silently cursing to himself.

Sam, who had been woken up, moved to another part of the apartment and waited as Dean entered the room.

Sam lunged forward and grabbed Dean's shoulder. Dean knocked Sam's arm away and aimed a strike at Sam, who ducked. Dean grabbed Sam's arm, swung him around, and shoved him back. Sam kicked and was blocked before being pushed into another room. Sam got a glimpse of Dean, though he didn't immediately recognize his brother. Dean elbowed Sam in the face and Sam kicked at his head. Dean ducked and swung, but Sam blocked it. Dean knocked Sam down and pinned him to the floor, one hand at Sam's neck and the other holding Sam's wrist.

"Whoa, easy tiger," Dean said.

Sam breathed hard. "Dean?" His elder brother laughed. "You scared the crap out of me!"