For This You Were Born

04. Phantom Traveler

As the door opened, Dean awoke and slipped a hand under his pillow for a weapon. He glanced at Caroline and Charlotte to see them fast asleep and angled his body in front of theirs.

He turned to see Sam and Aliana entering, carrying coffee and pastries.

"Morning, sunshine," Sam greeted, kicking at Caroline's bed, causing her to wake with a grumble.

"What time is it?" Dean asked groggily.

"Uh, it's about 4:45."

"In the morning?"

"Yep."

Caroline yawned and sat up as she rubbed her eyes and asked, "Sammy, you get any sleep?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I grabbed a couple hours."

"Liar," Dean said. "'Cause I was up at three, and you were watching a George Foreman informercial."

"Hey, what can I say? It's riveting TV."

"When was the last time you got a good night's sleep?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, a little while, I guess. It's not a big deal."

"Yeah, it is."

"Look, I appreciate your concern-"

"Oh, I'm not concerned about you. It's your job to keep my ass and the girls' alive, so we need you sharp."

Aliana glanced at Sam. "Be honest, are you still having nightmares about Jess? 'Cause I know Lina and I are, wished we could've done something to save her."

Sam crossed the room, sat on the other bed, handed a coffee to Dean while Aliana handed one to Caroline. "Yeah. But it's not just her. It's everything. I just forgot, you know? This job. Man, it gets to you."

"You can't let it," Dean told him. "You can't bring it home like that."

"So, what? All this it... never keeps you up at night?"

"Nope."

"Never? You're never afraid?"

"No, not really."

Sam reached under Dean's pillow to pull out a large hunting knife and held it up as evidence.

Dean took the knife back. "That's not fear. That is precaution."

"All right, whatever. I'm too tired to argue."

Dean's phone rang and he answered. "Hello?"

"Dean, it's uh, it's Jerry Panowski. You and your dad helped me out a couple years back."

"Oh, right, yeah. Up in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, the poltergeist thing. It's not back, is it?"

"No. No. Thank God, no. But it's something else, and... uh, I think it could be a lot worse."

"What is it?"

"Can we talk in person?"

Dean eyed Sam, Caroline and Aliana and they eyed him back.

Daddy, where are we going?

"To help someone Grandpa and I helped awhile back," Dean replied.

I don't wanna do clothes. Can it be a jammie day?

"I think that sounds like a great idea, princess."

---

The Impala and Fastback drove down the road and eventually, they reached the hangar.

Jerry greeted the five. "Thanks for making the trip so quick. I ought to be doing you guys a favor, not the other way around. Dean and your dad really helped me out."