Supernatural Death Note

Chapter One Hundred and Three: Family Dealings

Backing the car out of the large parking area, Dean turned and headed toward the large gate.

Bobby barked a laugh at the earlier remark, "I suppose so."

Sam turned and saw the smile on his brother's tired face. The short nap in the afternoon had worn off and Sam knew his stubborn brother needed a good night's rest if they were spending two days shopping in the city. Dinner and discussion needed to be cut short tonight. He'd let Lisa know he could handle it if she needed him to.

The drive didn't take too long and Bobby was rather amazed that the place they'd stopped at for food actually had an option for baked chicken so Dean could have that if he didn't want to splurge overly much.

Dean looked at the baked chicken, knowing he'd been told he could have the fried. He leaned in and ordered two family packs of fried, one extra crispy, and one original recipe. He ordered the sides and extra biscuits with butter and honey. Smiling, tiredly, the older Winchester ordered baked chicken for himself.

Sam poked him. "You know you can go for fried. It's a treat considering how hard you've been working and damned well you've been doing on your diet."

The tired face turned towards the younger man. "If I ate it fried, Sam, I'd start wanting it that way. It's better not to tempt myself with a taste I don't really need to start craving. I'll eat it baked."

"No problem. Shove over after we pick the order up. I'll drive," he said softly. "By the way, I'm proud of you for how well you're doing."

"I look that tired?" Dean pulled up to get the order and paid boy at the window. He handed the bags of food to Bobby in the back seat. Sam got out and walked around as Dean scooted over. After the tall body eased into the seat and put the car into drive, Dean whispered, "Thanks, Sam."

"Anytime, Dean. Why don't you catch a nap while we head home, ok? We'll wake you when we get there."

Bobby kept an eye on the older brother as his head leaned against the side of the car and he was gone They had a twenty minute drive to the property. Before they got very far, Dean rolled and soon had his head in his brother's lap.

"Never known him to do that before, Sam. He's really tired."

Sam drove carefully so as not to disturb his brother. "He's been pushing it hard, Bobby, and in ways he's not used to when he's hunting. It takes its toll. Mental fatigue is just as bad on the body as the physical one is."

"We're gonna have to handle the physical, but the mental is at night or days off when he's with Lisa and Ben. She's gonna have to know what's going on and work with us."

"And he's going to have to be up front on it and tell them. This way she can see to it he unwinds as he needs to."

"Can he be up front if he doesn't realize that mental fatigue is just as bad?"

"Nope, which is why I gotta explain that to him later," he said. "He's not used to college. I am. I know how fried you can get when studying."

"Is tonight too soon? He's so tired. Work, the diesel classes, studying, and trying to make time for all of us is gonna make him sick. We may have to go over his head to the doc. I'd hate to."

"If he's too tired to process it, it won't do much good but I can try," he said, shifting lanes.

"Well, you've doing a damn fine job of keeping him in line, Sam. He's needed that for a while. Dean's had too much on his shoulders for way too long. Do it the way you think it needs to be done. I'll back you on it."