Supernatural Prompts: 26, 45, 43, 2, 54
Title: Love Has Many Forms, Part 6
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Character/Pairing: Dean/ofc, Sam
Fandom: Supernatural
Theme: 26 - colors
Knut was sleeping, sorta, while Linnae squirmed and wailed in Dean's arms. It had been a long night and was stretching to an even longer day.
Knock. Knock.
Dean kept hushing and kissing Linnae on his way to the door. On the other side was an older woman that he didn't recognize.
"Hello there!" Her smiling blue eyes twinkled with kindness and life. "I'm a little late, but I thought I'd bring over a little 'Welcome to the Neighborhood' treat and introduce myself. My name is Anna. I live in the blue house across the street."
After Dean remembered his manners and opened the screen door. "Please, come in. Sorry, I'm a little scattered today. We were up most of the night."
"Are they sick?"
"Teething."
Anna looked at the baby after setting the cake she brought on the end table. "Poor thing. What's her name?"
"Linnae. Her brother, Knut, is asleep in the playpen over there. He finally wore himself out. I'm Dean, and my brother Sam is at work at the factory."
"Can I hold her?" she asked. "Between the two of them, I bet that you haven't been able to grab a bite to eat. I can sit with these darlings while you do whatever you need: nap, shower, run errands. I raised four of my own, each a year apart. They have big careers that took them far from here."
Never having left the twins with someone that wasn't family, Dean found it difficult to trust Anna, even though his gut told him that they'd be fine. "If you're sure it's no trouble."
"No trouble at all. I miss having babes around the house." Dean carefully handed Linnae over to Anna's waiting arms. "Oh, sweetie," Anna held her close and rubbed her back. "I wish I could make it all better."
Dean watched her closely. She had started rocking side to side. He could hear her humming a tune as she rested her cheek atop Linnae's head. Her small feet stopped kicking. Her hands slowly hit against Anna's chest until the fists opened enough to grab Anna's blouse tightly and hold on with all her might. What she was doing with Linnae was working.
"I think I'll grab a shower if you'll be okay down here."
"We'll be just fine. Take all the time you need," she answered Dean before she turned her attention back to the baby in her arms.
Fresh from the shower, in clean clothes, he told her, "I feel reenergized, body and mind."
"The babes can wear you out, but you are lucky that you get to spend time home with them. You don't miss any of them growing up."
He didn't want her to think that he was lazy. "About that, I also have West Nile. I have to eat healthy foods, get enough sleep and keep my stress level down or I'll get sick. That is why I don't have a job out of the house."
"What happens when you get sick?"
"High fever, muscles tight and achy, very tired and all that helps is Tylenol and lots of rest. I'm not aware enough to care for Knut or Linnae to stay with me when I'm that sick. Sam stays home and takes care of the three of us."
"I'd gladly watch these angels anytime. Just bring them over."
Sam came home from work, feeling grimy from the long hours in the factory. He spent his time with a great bunch of guys, but it was mind-numbing and repetitive. The best part of his day was coming home to the nearly toothless smiles of the twins.
"Anything interesting happen at work?"
He stopped after taking off one boot to look up at Dean, "You're kidding, right?"
"Never know."
"A group of guys were thinking about playing poker this weekend. I thought we could play over here but I didn't say anything to them. What do you think?"
"Man, I haven't played poker in so long. Do they know how bad you suck at it?" Dean smirked.
"No. They can't all be great at it either. It's for fun. Probably just as excuse to get out of the house, drink beer and chow down on snack food."
"They wouldn't mind the kids?"
"Hell, most of them have kids. A couple of infants aren't going to bother them. I listen to them complain about teenagers. I think we've got it easy with this teething bit."
"That's just plain scary."
Sam laughed. "Did I hit a nerve, Dean?" Silence. "Okay. So what about poker?"
"Yeah. Go ahead and ask." Dean set a couple cold ones on the table. "I met Anna today."
"Who's she?"
"Possibly our saving grace. She lives in the blue house across the street. She raised four kids and she comforted Linnae while Knut slept and I got a shower. She's offered to baby-sit if we need her."
"Really? Were any of her kids twins?"
"I think they were each a year apart. She tried giving Linnae a cool washcloth to gnaw on and it made her feel better."
"Hmm. I wouldn't have thought of that."
"Guess raising kids isn't any more of a science than it was when you were little. It's still ruled by trial and error."
"I turned out fine."
"You just keep thinking that, Sammy." Dean smiled around the lip of the bottle as he took a sip.
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Dean was enjoying the evening with Knut and Linnae on the back porch. The breeze was cooling the hot, humid air of the day. The sound of an unfamiliar vehicle stopped in front of their house. Dean gathered the kids and walked through to the front door.
Jimmy, one of Sam's co-workers, was leading Sam up to the house. Dean set the twins in the playpen where they could amuse themselves.
"What happened?"
"I'm so sorry, Dean. There was a mishap at the factory. We made adjustments for a new product and goofed somewhere in the calculations. Sam's arm got cut up as a result. I feel so bad!"
"What did the doctors say?" Dean helped Jimmy get Sam in the house.
"They took x-rays just to make they saw all the damage. The long slash down his forearm required layers of stitches since it was so deep. He's on pain medication from the IV right now. I filled his prescription for pills." He gave Dean the bottle.
Sam was lying on the couch with his arm propped up. He was mumbling in his sleep and not making any sense.
"Where did you take him to?"
"St. Mary's. It's a half hour away. Sam's nurse, Jill, was sweet on him. She said she'll stop by to check on him."
"When do they expect him back at work?"
"Boss man said to take Friday off and he can start over on Monday. They'll just have him in the office until the doc approves him for physical labor."
Dean laughed, "Sitting at a desk is gonna drive Sam insane. Luckily, even though he's accident prone, he's also a fast healer."
Jimmy smiled. "Really?"
"I bandaged more banged up knees and elbows than the school nurse."
"So you'll be an old hand when it's Linnae or Knut?"
"Are you nuts? When one of my babies is hurting like that, I'll be crying right along with them. They'll probably learn to go to Sam when there is first aid involved."
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"You could have stitched me up."
“We don’t need the whole factory knowing that. What’s this I hear about a nurse named Jill?”
Sam looked confused. “Who?”
“Jimmy said she was interested when you were in the ER. Didn’t you notice? Count on you to be oblivious to some poor girl when she’s hurting herself falling all over you. Did you even get her number?”
“If I don’t know her name, why would I have her number?”
“I used to have so much hope for you,” Dean wiped away imaginary tears.
There was a comeback on the tip of Sam’s tongue but he was interrupted by a knock at the door. Dean went to answer it while Sam watched the kids. Knut was happy to roll his car around while Linnae eyed her uncle and blew bubbles around a ring that she was mouthing.
A beautiful woman dressed in scrubs followed Dean into the room. “Sam, this is Jill from the Emergency Room.”
“I was visiting my mom, she lives here. Thought I could do your wound check and save you a trip to County.” She was a tiny gal. Her red hair was swept back from her face. When she smiled, it made the world around her feel peaceful and serene.
“That’s very nice of you. Thank you for doing this." Sam stumbled over his tongue as he tried to thank her.
‘It’s not a problem.” Her hands were warm and gentle as she removed the soiled wrapping. Her slender fingers prodded at the puffy area. “It looks good. Keep it dry and clean. You can get the stitches out in about two weeks.”
“Do I make an appointment for that?” He asked as she re-bandaged it for him.
“You could.” Jill scribbled on a notepad and handed the sheet to Sam. “Or, I can take them out. I’m usually here on weekends.”
“Um, okay. Thank you.” Sam was embarrassing himself with his wonderful conversational skills.
“That number could be used for more than suture removal, if you’re interested.”
“Yes! I mean, yeah, I’ll be calling about stitches and the other . . . Here’s my number.” Sam was beet red and way out of practice.
“I’ll see you around, Sam.”
He stood and was unable to move as she walked to the door. “Bye, Jill!” With his mind swirling, mulling over what had just happened, Sam sat down before he fell.
“Smooth.” Dean was playing with the kids on the floor and had observed the whole humiliating exchange. “Want some pointers?”
“No.” Sam stomped upstairs to his room.
“And he thinks I’m the crazy one.” After wiping Linnae’s face with a drool rag, he gave her toy back. Knut made some car noises. Dean realized that he didn’t miss the hassle of dating. He had a good life.
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“He’s a little wobbly but he’s thinking about it. Come on, Knut. Just one step!”
Not to be outdone by her brother, Linnae decided she should get in on some of the excitement, too. She crawled over to the couch. In the process of pulling herself to stand, she bumped Knut. He fell to the floor and landed on his highly padded little butt.
He wailed out of surprise instead of being hurt. Linnae couldn’t figure him out. She dropped back to the floor and patted his head. He stopped crying and went back to the pile of toys they’d been playing with.
“I really thought he was going to this time.” Sam straightened up and checked the clock.
“He will. Linnae might beat him to it. Or, they might just take off running one day.”
“In opposite directions with our luck.”
Dean saw Sam glance at his watch. “You nervous about your date?”
“No. Well, maybe just a little."
“She has to be great if she can overlook what you’re like on drugs.”
“Most patients in the ER are in pain and on meds. I’m sure it wasn’t unusual for her.”
“I watched her force her number on you in our kitchen. Damn fine woman.”
“Language.”
He was met with an eye roll. “Really, Sam?”
“Want Anna to scold you when one of them blurts it out to her? She’ll know who they got it from.”
“Jill is still impressive.”
Sam smiled. He swooped Knut up and kissed him goodnight. Next, he did the same with Linnae. “I’ve got my cell.”
“I should be the one telling you that. If you have an emergency, you know where I am. Be careful with the Impala. It’s a babe-magnet.”
“With the car seats in the back?”
“Just means you have to rent a room. Don’t you dare be taking out those car seats. They’re hell to get in and I don’t want to think about any, uh, fluids getting on my seats.”
“Night, Dean.” Sam closed the door behind him and took a deep breath. He hoped his nerves would settle down as the date went on.
After he heard the Impala leave the driveway, Dean declared, “Bath time! It’s a happening time at the Winchester House tonight!”
Linnae and Knut stared at him as if he were under a microscope. Knut was too young to have a boy's aversion to water and his sister enjoyed anything when their daddy would sing to them. Giggles and bubbles filled the upstairs bath while Dean was teamed up on and soaked.
"Who wants to get out first?"
Knut raised his arms and squirmed while Linnae was too busy splashing to notice anything outside of her own little world.
"Looks like you're first," Dean engulfed him in a towel and dried him off. He helped Knut stand by the side of the tub so he could watch Linnae get out of the tub and Dean didn't have to worry about him scooting off and getting into something dangerous while his back was turned.
He was about to lift her up when he heard a splatter and felt a warm liquid soak into his jeans. "Knut?"
With a face of total innocence, he looked up at his father as he continued to pee on the rug and side of the tub. He quit when his bladder ran out.
"My fault," Dean said as he dried and diapered Linnae. "I forgot how tempting it can be to just let loose when you need to. Back in with you for a quick wash. I bet you'll grow up to love nature, but I'm not taking you camping. I hate camping. You can join Boy Scouts. Just don't expect me to be a nature freak."
Both toddlers started to babble at once as they were carried to their room to get dressed.
"Maybe Uncle Sammy will take you camping. Hm. I don't know if Girl Scouts do much camping. You could both join Campfire and then I wouldn't have to worry because you would be together." Dean shook his head as he realized how much he was talking to himself.
Snuggly warm in their pajamas, Dean rocked them in the rocking chair. When both were asleep, he kissed their foreheads and laid them in their cribs. "Goodnight Princess and Sir Pees Alot. Love you."
The work of bath time still wasn't done. He had to wipe up water that has splashed on the tile, clean where Knut had marked his territory in the cutest fashion (it was going to be a good story to tell the girls when it came time to date) and throw the laundry in the wash.
Even alone, Dean continued the weekend evening routine of he and Sam. Baked a small pizza for each of them, brought the food into the living room along with the beer to the coffee table in front of the couch. He made himself comfortable and turned on the scary movies. The newer ones he could just rip apart with the stupidity of the characters. The older ones, the black and white ones, were the ones he loved. It as a great way to unwind.
When Sam arrived home from his date, Dean was crashed out on the couch. He'd finished one pizza, a few beers and just couldn't stay awake any longer. It was late enough that they were showing an old black and white horror movie that Dean would have loved.
Sam locked the doors, put the leftovers in the fridge and sat down by Dean.
"Hey, hey, Sammy," his sleepy mind tried to remember what he'd wanted to ask him. "How was Jill?"
"We had a good time. I didn't like the restaurant she picked but I've eaten worse."
Dean smiled. "Our various concoctions trying to make spaghettios and macaroni and cheese more edible? Is that what you could be referring to?"
"That would be considered worse. But, their fettuccine alfredo with chicken sucked. You have to try pretty hard to wreck it as bad as it tasted."
"Why didn't you send it back?"
"That'd be real classy on a first date. Anyway, I had my arm around her during the movie. She moved closer to fit into my side."
"Did you kiss her?"
Sam's face turned red, "A few times."
"Any sex?"
"No!" Sam was indignant. "She's a nice girl, Dean!"
"So, by the third date then," Dean murmured to himself.
"She invited all of us on a picnic tomorrow. All we have to do is bring the kids."
"What did you tell her?"
"That we'd be there. It's supposed to be a sunny day. There's no harm in having a few sandwiches and pushing the twins in the baby swings."
"You're right. Does her mom like kids?"
Smiling, Sam replied, "She loves them. She ran a daycare in her home until she got too old to chase them around all day. At the library, she runs story time."
"If it means that much to you, we'll go."
Dean resigned himself to what he considered 'family dating'. If Jill wanted Sam, she would also be getting Dean, Knut and Linnae. If she couldn't handle that, it was better if she left early.
The picnic was a hit.
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"He's still really sick," a male voice said.
A female replied, "How much work can you really miss?"
"I've already taken two for this attack. They've been great, but . . ."
"Are the kids ready to go?"
"Yeah."
"I'll take them to Anna's. You need to put everything that you need to tend to Dean on the table."
"Are you sure she can do this?"
"I know so."
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Dean hurt. He was overheating and his limbs felt as if they'd been crushed. His eyes were too heavy to open. So, he listened. When, he didn't hear anything, and Knut and Linnae were never that quiet, he assumed that they had been taken to Anna's house. His head pounded from thinking. He drifted off to sleep.
An unfamiliar voice broke through the haze of Dean's mind. "Sit up. It's time for more medicine, Dean."
Using a tremendous amount of energy, Dean opened his eyes and was met with a beaming ray of sunshine.
"You need two Tylenol and I have a glass of water. That's what Sam told me you'd need."
He was stunned while she gently helped him sit up. After swallowing the pills, Dean croaked out, "Where are the babies and Sam?"
"Sam is at work and Anna has the twins. Do you want something to eat?"
Her words were comforting and he found himself mesmerized by her baby blue eyes. He couldn't help but stare.
"Dean?" She frowned. "What is it you need?"
She tilted her head to look directly at in Dean's eyes. Strands of her straight blond hair fell out of her ponytail.
"What's your name?" he asked.
Smiling, she replied, "I'm Daisy, one of Jill's friends."
Dean's eyelids were getting heavy and began drooping. She helped him ease down back into bed.
"You need your sleep," Daisy told him as she tucked the blankets in around him.
Knowing everyone was safe, he fell into a dreamless slumber.
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The open windows allowed the warm spring breeze to make its way through the Winchester household. Sam was still at work at the factory. Daisy had taken to Knut and Linnae and came over nearly every afternoon to play with them. She kept them occupied and prevented them from being underfoot while Dean prepared supper.
Since the twins started toddling around, unsteady on their chubby legs, Dean found himself getting relapses of his illness more often. Chasing after the little escape artists was more draining than hunting had ever been. He had no clue how Daisy kept them on the blanket while she read them a book. In the end, it didn't matter how she worked her magic, it was just that she did. Otherwise, the Winchester clan would never eat a hot meal. It would be cold cereal or sandwiches three times a day.
"This is a blue truck. This is a yellow truck." Daisy's voice drifted in from the other room.
"Uck!"
"Le!"
"Yes, Knut. That's a truck. Linnae, we'll read about a dolly next."
"Le! Le!" Slap.
"No hitting the book. We'll read 'Dolly's Day Out' next."
Dean peeked around the corner. Daisy was putting Linnae on her lap, trying to comfort the distressed little girl. Her lip drooped for a second before she started to cry. Knut's eyebrows drew together as he stared at his sister, clearly not understanding why she didn't want to read about trucks.
"How's it going in here?" Dean sat on the blanket and took Linnae from Daisy's arms. Linnae stopped fussing immediately. She wasn't spoiled. Daddy's little girl was just, well, Daddy's Little Girl.
"I guess she doesn't like trucks," Daisy replied.
"Yeah? I think she gets tired of being the only girl in the house. It's really nice of you to come over in the afternoons."
"I like making them laugh. It's a good laugh, not a mean one." She said the last sentence in a whisper to her hands which were folded in her lap. Dean wasn't sure if he was meant to hear it or not.
"Growing up is tough. Sam and I moved around a lot. We were the new kids at school and that made us different. What we found out later on was that we're all different--different color eyes, different hobbies, different heights." Daisy looked up at Dean with a tentative smile. "Hey, you don't want to be as big as Sam. Do you?" Dean joked.
"I don't think I need to be that tall." She had an honest to goodness grin on her face. "I'd like his hair, though."
"Brown hair?"
"No. Wavy." She ran her fingers through her hair as she thought about it.
"He didn't have waves when his hair was short. I've been bugging him to get a haircut for years."
"Don't do that! His hair is pretty. He should keep it that way."
"I'll tell him you voted to keep his brown mop. He'll be happy to hear that." Dean stood with Linnae in his arms. "Are you staying for supper?"
"You sure it's okay if I stay?"
"Of course. Can you grab Knut for me?"
"Up, little boy. Are you hungry?" Knut waved his arms at Daisy, bouncing on his butt and squealing. She had her arms full of joy when she walked into the kitchen.
The four of them had a nice supper, punctuated by giggles and various cajoling to get the little ones to eat.
Title: Love Has Many Forms, Part 7
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Character/Pairing: Dean/ofc, Sam
Fandom: Supernatural
Theme: 45 - rings
"So . . . I noticed that Daisy seems to be here more than I am. Anything you want to tell me?"
Dean set his beer down on the table. "You know how attached she is to the kids."
"How about you?"
"I'm partial to Knut and Linnae." He smirked.
"You know what I mean."
"Daisy isn't hard to figure out. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body."
Sam worded his next question carefully. "Are you attracted to her?"
"I have to be so careful. I can't screw up our friendship."
"You want a serious relationship with her. And it scares the shit out of you."
"I'm not . . . No, I'm not scared. I don't know if I could take her rejection."
"Have you seen Daisy? The way she looks at you?" Sam scoffed. "There's no way she'd turn you down."
"We both know that she's simple, Sam. I don't want to just date her. She's a part of my future. If we have to stay friends, that is fine. Hanging in the middle, dating each other but unable to move forward, isn't me."
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Dean sat in the Impala, wishing he had some alcohol to calm his nerves. He knew smelling like a brewery would not make a good impression and had to settle for the familiar scent of the leather seats.
His boots weren't new and he wasn't dressed different from when he hunted except for the fact that his jeans didn't have holes in them.
A balding man answered the door and noticed that Dean was by himself. "Hi. Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, they're fine. Daisy was going to take them to the park right after 'Sesame Street'."
"That show's still on?"
Dean smiled. "You bet. It's much easier to listen to than the new shows they're coming out with. Aliens, inanimate objects and vehicles have annoying voices. It's like a requirement for the cartoons."
"Where are my manners? Come in." He welcomed Dean into his living room. "The twins have a birthday coming up. Have they hit the terrible twos?"
"I'm not sure about that, Sir. I've heard that threes can be worse."
The older man laughed. "Sir? I think we're past that stage, Dean. Too many suppers at your table to be formal."
Nodding, Dean fidgeted in his seat. He was unable to look anywhere but the coffee table between them.
"What's on your mind? Something has you on edge."
"Daisy and I have known each other for awhile now, and some of that time has been spent dating." Dean cleared his throat. "All we've ever done is kiss, Frank, I swear."
"She told me. She doesn't lie, I don't know if she can. I remember the first time she tried to kiss you and you discouraged her in a way that was kind and honorable."
Dean's ears turned red. "She told you about that?"
"You were probably still on your way home when we were talking about it. Explaining to her that all friends can hug but only certain ones can kiss was smart."
"She'd seen Jill give Sam a quick peck and I think it made her wonder where she fit in."
"Giving her a secure place in the lives of Knut and Linnae was a great start."
"I want to make her a permanent part of our family. Frank, I'd like to marry Daisy, with your blessing."
With tears in his eyes, Frank smiled. "I know you'll take care of my little girl."
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"Why were you wrapped around that intern, then? Am I just convenient when you're in town?"
"Convenient! When in the hell has this been about my convenience?" Jill's shrill voice carried through the closed door.
Dean and Daisy had been watching a movie when the other couple walked in. They'd tried to ignore Sam and Jill when their discussion traveled through the house. When they were hearing Jill loud and clear, Dean pulled Daisy closer as he curved his arm around her.
"Why don't we hear Sam?" she asked as she laid her head on Dean's shoulder and took his other hand in hers.
"He doesn't want to wake the kids. She doesn't care who hears her."
"Don't you dare! How can you use family as an excuse--" Jill's latest rant was interrupted by wailing.
"Knew she'd do that," Dean grumbled. He went into the nursery and Daisy followed. After a quick diaper check, the four of them returned to the couch. It was easy to fall into a doze while holding a sleeping baby.
Jill's dramatic exit was to stomp all the way to the front door and slam it on her way out.
Sam sighed as he approached the couch. "Oh, gees. This is exactly what I didn't want to happen." He began to rub his temple.
"Want to help me with bedtime take two?" Dean smiled.
"Like I could ever say no to that."
When they got back downstairs, Daisy was putting the finishing touches on hot chocolate. She already had a plate of sugar cookies on the table.
"Jill won't be coming around anymore."
Dean's response was, "We figured that."
"Sorry," was the best Daisy could come up with in the awkward situation.
"I caught her cheating. She didn't even bother to try to hide it," Sam stirred the marshmallows around as they melted.
"Want me to kick her ass?"
"She's a tiny girl, Dean. I don't think that is necessary."
"Your my little brother. I at least have to offer."
"Appreciate the thought, but I'll survive without siccing you on her."
"If she pisses me off, can I let her have it?"
"Just with words. Otherwise we get into the grey area of lock picks and jailbreaks. They're great in movies and suck in real life."
"Suppose I have to be a responsible dad now."
"Yep. Hey, when do we start planning out the backyard playground for the kids?"
"Sometime after the wedding?" Daisy smiled. "Let's handle one event at a time."
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"Frank, she could talk to Dean about it. Don't you trust him?" Anna took a sip of coffee as she looked at her longtime friend.
"Weddings are women's things. Men just have to show up. I have money for it, but I can't help her pick anything out."
"I'll be thrilled to help her with her wedding. I can give her the Mother/Daughter talk if you want me too, but you could do that on your own." She saw the horror-stricken look on his face and quickly offered, "I'll do the talk, just mind your blood pressure."
"I can't thank you enough."
"Am I invited to the service?"
"Of course."
"That is all I could ask for. Would you like more coffee?"
"Sure. You can tell me what a dad's duties are since all I know is I walk her down the aisle."
"Bingo. That's it. Do you know how old your suit is?"
"I can't remember if it fits," he hated to admit.
She seemed way too happy. "We'll need to take you shopping!"
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"How was your day with Anna?"
"I found the perfect dress, Dad!" Daisy's excitement rolled off her in waves. "It makes me look like a princess! And a crown-thing that holds the long veil!" She twirled around once or twice. Dropping her voice, she said, "Anna said to tell you we had the talk so you wouldn't worry. Hey! Why didn't you tell me she helped you find a new suit? Can I see it?"
Frank put on his new white shirt and black suit. He tried not to think of how embarrassed he'd been to have Anna fussing over him in the Men's department. He would have grabbed the first one that fit (meaning he could breathe comfortably in it) and left. Anna actually looked at the cut of the coat. It made a difference. Who knew?
"I really like the suit. Do you have a tie?"
"There's three for you to pick from." Frank the small boxes to show her the different patterns. "I just let Anna pick them after the look she shot me when I pointed one out."
"Well, you look very handsome in your suit. Did you leave anything out to make for supper?"
"What do we usually have on Saturdays? Do you need the car to go to Dean's?" he called from the other room as he changed back into his regular clothes.
She took the partially thawed meat out of the fridge. "Dean is going to drive tonight. We're going to a movie."
"He got a babysitter?"
"Sam's home."
Once he was in the kitchen, he asked, "Still not dating?"
"Nope. He says he wants quality time with Knut and Linnae. We're going to pick up his favorite pizza on the way home from the early movie."
"It's great that you'll share your date nights with Sam."
"He is Dean's brother. He'll be mine, too."
"I'm so proud of you," Frank hugged her. "Did I ever tell you my happiest day?"
"The day I was born." Daisy grinned. "You finally got to meet me."
"That's right." Frank launched into the story that Daisy had heard hundreds of times.
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The little church was decorated and Anna played the piano. Dean stood alone at the front of the church. He appeared to be patiently waiting but Sam could tell he was nervous. Knut and Linnae walked down the aisle, holding hands and ringing bells. When they reached Dean, he took the bells and set them aside. Then, they waited with Dad for the ceremony to begin.
Sam escorted Melanie down the aisle. Sam had a new suit and she wore her Sunday best. She held a small bouquet of white roses.
Frank was fighting to hold the tears back as they stood at the rear of the church. He gave Daisy a kiss before pulling down her front veil.
"Are you ready for this? We can still just go home."
"Daddy!"
"I know. Plan on me being there for every dinner. I don't want to be making meals for one."
"Our door is always open. We'll be visiting you, too."
Frank nodded. "I think they are waiting for us."
"I'll always be your baby girl. I just live down the street."
"I'm not giving away a daughter, I'm getting a family."
Daisy picked up her pink tulips and linked arms with her dad. "Let's go, Daddy."
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"Why didn't you bring a date?"
"You're as blunt as ever, aren't you, Mel?" Sam smiled at his friend. "I tried dating. Didn't work out."
"So? Find someone else."
"I'm pacing myself. It's a small town."
Melanie gave Sam a hard look.
"I'm a wimp?" He shrugged and tried not to blush.
"You can't expect the right gal to show up on your doorstep."
"I know. Maybe you can find her for me."
"I've kept my eyes open. Haven't found one sweet enough for you."
"Aww. You're trying to make me puke. Think Rusty is missing you yet?"
"Brady's keeping him busy. Kid loves the cake and I don't allow sugar at our house."
"He's hell on wheels. That's what you're saying."
"Rusty's the one who gave him cake on the sly. This'll learn him."
"You're mean. Why'd he marry you again?"
"I think someone's flirting with you."
Sam looked over to where Melanie indicated, which happened to be where Dean and Daisy were standing. A little face with curls peeked out from behind Daisy's skirt and quickly hid again when she saw Sam. All he could see was Linnae's fist as she gripped the flowing dress. "Where's her partner in crime?"
"Daisy's dad had Knut earlier."
"I have to go check on them. Let Frank visit."
"Need my help?"
"Um, I think you'd better rescue Rusty. Brady just smeared frosting all over him."
"That is a new suit!" She flew to her feet and yelled, "Brady Elliot!" Both Rusty and Brady looked up, eyes wide.
Grateful that he wasn't Rusty, Sam played peek-a-boo with the cutest little lady until he could swoop her up in his arms. She patted his face and babbled, "Am, am, am, am."
"That's right, sweetie. Got a kiss for me?"
She grinned wide after leaving spit on his cheek.
"You know where Knut is? Let's find him." Knut was easy to find once Sam heard his laugh. He was on Frank's lap, crashing trucks together. "He keeping you entertained, Frank?"
"You bet."
"I can take him. Your family and friends are here today. You should catch up with them."
"I was showing him off. Would've taken Linnae if she wasn't so attached to Daisy." He looked at the cars as he continued, "I gave my baby girl away today. She's my life. What do I do now?"
"You've gained a crew of Winchesters for all your troubles. You won't have to ever be alone if you don't want to."
"My family had their own ideas about how I should have raised Daisy. She needed extra patience and that rubbed some relatives the wrong way. It was easier to lose contact with those that weren't helping, which ended up being most of them."
Sam nodded his understanding. "We don't have any kin, either. We're thrilled to have you, Daisy, and Anna around.. Melanie, Brady and Rusty we've known since before we moved to Shadow Lake. You guys are our family."
"I'm going home to an empty house."
"I'm taking home two overtired toddlers. Want to come with?"
"Really?"
"We have the extra room and I could use an extra set of hands."
"I'll go home with you since you need my help." Frank had to hang on to his pride.
"Umpa!" Linnae reached out to him. When Frank held her, she tucked her face in his neck, gripped his tie in both hands and snuggled in. She felt that she had earned herself a nap.
"We can say our goodbyes to Daisy and Dean. These two need to get to bed."
"When do they leave on their honeymoon?"
"Impala's packed. They leave from the reception."
It was easy to find the special couple. Just because it was their wedding day, Dean accepted a hug from Sam, Frank and even Rusty. Daisy was teary-eyed as they said their goodbyes. She promised to call home everyday if Dean didn't.
000000
Daisy stared at her mother's wedding ring. Now, it was hers, cleaned up and sparkly. She wondered what her mom felt like on her wedding day, and was sad because she'd never know.
"Hey, Baby. Do you like it?" Dean wrapped his strong arms around her waist. Suddenly, she realized how lucky she was. She felt protected and safe, loved and cherished. She was the only woman who would ever be Dean Winchester's wife. "I thought you'd like the beach."
"I do, I do." She tried to hide a yawn. "Today started so early. I didn't sleep very well last night."
"Worried about today?"
"I thought about how that would be my last night sleeping in my room or listening to my dad snore."
Dean smiled at her. "If you're tired, let's just go to sleep. We're here for a few days. Let's stargaze another night."
"Hmm. That sounds good."
Title: Love Has Many Forms, Part 8
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Character/Pairing: Dean/ofc
Fandom: Supernatural
Theme: 43 - empire
“Dean!”
He squinted in the sunshine as he took his head out from under the hood of the car he was working on and turned to Daisy, who was just stepping off the porch.
“School called. They want you to go down there.” She had a hand shielding her eyes.
“Are the kids okay?”
“I asked if they needed to go to the clinic, and the secretary told me they didn’t. Apparently, there was a scuffle during recess.”
Dean closed the hood and wiped his hands on a nearby rag. “Which one is it?”
“Both.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“You should just expect it by now.”
The halls were quiet. Their footsteps echoed in the empty corridors. Daisy took Dean’s hand. “Just remember that we have to try to get along. No swearing or swinging your fists.”
In the office, Knut and Linnae sat beside each other on the row of chairs. Linnae was swinging her short legs back and forth. Knut wasn’t moving at all. He inherited Dean’s temper and he was pissed.
“Hey, guys,” Daisy knelt down in front of them as Dean spoke to the secretary. “Are you doing okay?”
Knut gave her a snapped nod of his head and clenched his teeth tighter. The chubby legs stopped moving and Linnae’s red eyes teared up again. She threw herself into Daisy’s arms, sobbing so hard that she couldn’t talk.
“Linnae? Are you hurt?” She couldn’t tell Daisy and Knut wasn’t speaking.
Hearing Linnae’s cry, Dean went into Superdad mode. He swept her up out of Daisy’s arms and comforted her as best he could. “I need to speak to the principal now! I don’t care if he’s in a meeting. He called us and someone is going to tell us what the hell is going on!”
That got people moving. They were ushered into the principal’s office shortly after Dean’s outburst.
“Mr. Winchester. We’re trying to piece together what happened on the playground but neither one of your children will speak to us. Another child was injured. This isn’t something we can ignore.” The principal wrung his hands. He was a little scared of Mr. Winchester.
Linnae had fallen asleep in Dean’s arms. He handed her off to Daisy and she slept on.
“Knut. Come here.” Dean could see his son was shaking with the anger he was holding inside. “I want you to tell me what happened.”
The first grade boy looked at the principal.
“Don’t worry about him or where we are. Just tell me.”
Knut was silent for a moment as he chose his words carefully. “It’s wrong to say things to hurt people.” Dean nodded, urging him on. “I stopped the words. That’s what I’m supposed to do, right?”
Baffled, he looked at his son and saw how his eyes kept cutting to the side to look at Daisy and Linnae.
"Daisy? Do you want to take her out of the office? She's been upset enough for one day." Dean smiled at his wife, knowing that she wouldn't go very far.
"We'll be just outside the door."
When the door closed, Dean asked, “What didn’t you want to say in front of Linnae or Daisy?”
He was so distraught. When Dean put him on his lap, Knut put his hands around Dean’s neck. He was still trembling. “He told Linnae that Daisy isn’t our real mom. He said our real mom didn’t want us and Daisy’s a retard. Over and over. Linnae cried. I pushed him.” His voice wavered, “Am I in big trouble now? I didn’t want to say in front of Daisy because she’s not a retard, she’s my mom.”
“You did good, Son. Real good.” Dean glared at the principal. “Did you get all that? I’m taking them home for the rest of the day.”
“That’s for the best,” the older man sighed.
“I expect you will handle this matter and speak with the other child’s parents. Knut and Linnae are going to stick together. Better the school system figures that out now. My kids know not to hurt others. Isn’t that something you try to teach here?”
“Yes, Mr. Winchester. The teacher didn’t notice there was trouble until the other student was on the ground. We’ll add more teachers when the classes go outside. All students should be comfortable here.”
Dean scoffed. “Yeah. You work on that.” He turned on his heel, walked out and took his family for ice cream.
***
"What happened after I left?" Daisy asked him later that night.
"Not much." Dean replied. "Knut knows not to do it again and the principal knows not to mess with one Winchester or he'll get them all."
Daisy frowned and she bit her lip. "Think they'll be happy when they find out they're getting a little brother or sister?"
Wrapping his wife in his arms, he told her, "They'll be as thrilled as I am. Linnae and Knut understand the meaning of family. Besides, we just found out. We have some time before we have to share the news. We'll think of the right thing to say before then."
"I hope so."
"I know so." Dean rested his palms on her lower belly, knowing that a large part of their future was inside. He was happy, content.
Dean felt that he was the luckiest man in the world. He had an amazing wife, great kids, good friends and a brother that would go through hell for him. He knew not to take it for granted. John had no doubt felt the same before Mary died.
He couldn't fault the way he grew up because he'd learned all the important lessons of life:
Family comes first.
Loyalty is key.
And, because of John's obsession to kill the demon responsible for taking his wife, love never dies.
The End
Title: Boldfaced Lies by Both Parties
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Character/Pairing: Sam, Dean
Fandom: Supernatural
Theme: 2 - metaphor
Sam's eyes glowed yellow. Dean shrank back from his baby brother by reflex.
The taller man chucked at his reaction. "Relax, Dean. I'm not evil. It might seem like it, but appearances can be deceiving, right?" He smiled with a gleam in his eye.
"Yeah, Sam." Dean's voice wavered. "Sure. Don't judge a book by its cover and all that."
"Now, that wasn't so difficult. Let's go a step further." Sam challenged him, "We're still a team. Nothing's changed."
"Nope. Nothing's changed," Dean stared at Sam over the roof of the Impala and knew the world was going to hell.
Title: Difficult Choices
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Character/Pairing: Dean/Nancy, Sam
Fandom: Supernatural
Theme: 54 - wire
"Nancy?" Dean poked his head around the door and saw her standing with her back to him, "How are you doing? Wait, screw that. What can I do to help?"
"Is the demon telling the truth?" She turned her tear-streaked face to his. "This ritual will happen at sunrise unless, well, you know. I just wish I had more time."
"Time for what?"
"Talk to my priest, find out the right thing to do, ask for forgiveness, I'm not sure. The church is just always where I've run to when I'm confused or scared and today is definitely one of those days."
"Sam and I spent large chunks of time with our family friend, Pastor Jim, growing up. Well, Sam more than me. He was a better listener. If the phones worked, I'd call him for you but we don't have that option. I couldn't give you any advice, but you could bend my ear. Sam might be able to come up with a comforting theory, he's smart like that."
"You think I should spill my guts to your brother?"
"I know Sam and he'd keep the same confidence. Time is of the essence, Nancy. If you wait too long, the decision will be made for you."
She set her jaw and nodded.
"I'll talk to Sam."
Dean turned on his heel to go get him when he heard Nancy say, "Thanks, Dean." He gave her a smile and a wink before closing the door behind him.
***
"You told her what?"
"Keep your voice down," Dean ordered him. "She's confused and isn't sure what she should do. She's cut off from her main supports and I thought that you might be able to help her with that philosophy/theology crap that you bore me to death with. Will you help her or not?"
"Yeah," Sam stood and put his hands in his pockets. "What am I supposed to tell her, Dean? Am I rooting for staying a virgin or going against her religion?"
"There's only one way she's going to have an actual life. You know as well as I do that if they get her and do the ritual, her whole world is going to be hell. She doesn't deserve that."
Over an hour passed before Sam stepped out of the cell Nancy had been resting in. She was worn out from crying and sleeping when he'd left. They'd armored the room with sigils for protection and then allowed Nancy to have whatever peace she could find.
"What do you think she'll do?" Dean asked nervously.
The other men looked at Sam, wondering the same thing.
"I don't know," Sam sighed. "She'll do what's right for her, that's all I can say."
***
Dean was lightly dozing in a corner when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Nancy. She had bloodshot eyes but also a small smile.
"Can I have a minute?" she asked as she tilted her head to indicate that she wanted to change rooms.
"Sure." Dean stood as his joints protested loudly. He wiped the sleep from his eyes as he followed Nancy down the hall.
She let him back to the holding cell that he and Sam had been in earlier. It had been cleaned and the mattress had been covered with some kind of cloth. When Dean looked closer, he saw that Nancy was bending over a couple candles. Her shaking hands weren't letting her light the wicks.
Getting with the program, Dean locked the door. Then, he took the lighter from her. "Allow me." As he was lighting the sad looking sticks, he asked, "Are you sure this is what you want?"
Nancy nodded. Her hands were clenched in front of her. "I've thought through my choices and made my decision. I hope I won't go to hell for pre-marital sex."
"You won't," he assured her. "You're too good of a person to end up there. Besides, there are extenuating circumstances." He lit the last candle and left the cell to turn off the overhead light. "You decided on me? Wouldn't you rather have someone you've known for awhile or will see once this is over?"
"No," she blushed prettily. "You are the only one I could picture getting me through this. I'm scared."
"There's no need to be scared, but I understand why you are." He brought her intertwined fingers to his lips and kissed them. After prying them apart, he rested them on his shoulders and put his hands on her waist. "It's kind of like dancing." Dean rocked a little and she followed the movement. "Two bodies moving fluidly with each other. Have you ever slow danced?"
She shook her head. "Went to an all-girls school. Never had the chance."
"But, you wanted to?"
She tucked her head under his chin so he couldn't see her face.
"We'll start with a dance," he rubbed her back as he spoke. "I know we're on a timeline, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy getting there." He hummed a Metallica song as her tense stance relaxed a bit.
He slid one hand up to Nancy's cheek and tilted her head so he could kiss her. Her lips were soft and yielding. She allowed him to lead and followed as she learned his technique. Dean felt a little ease in the pressure of his chest as Nancy reciprocated.
One hand crept up her untucked shirt. She got goose bumps at his touch. Although she was startled, she didn't jerk away. Instead, she leaned toward Dean and rested her forearms against his solid chest.
“That’s it,” he whispered in her ear. “Just hang onto me and you’ll be fine.” He stepped backwards until he could lie beside her on the cot. He took his leather jacket and covered her upper half with it before he used kissing her as a distraction while he unbuttoned her shirt and unclasped her bra.
His hands blazed uncharted territory as his calluses skimmed her creamy skin. Nancy sucked in a breath, lost in the sensations.
“You need to breathe,” he reminded her with a smirk. She smiled in return.
With that, she laid her head against him and listened to the beating of his heart. It assured her that she’d made the right decision. She was going to have a night she’d never forget.
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Character/Pairing: Dean/ofc, Sam
Fandom: Supernatural
Theme: 26 - colors
Knut was sleeping, sorta, while Linnae squirmed and wailed in Dean's arms. It had been a long night and was stretching to an even longer day.
Knock. Knock.
Dean kept hushing and kissing Linnae on his way to the door. On the other side was an older woman that he didn't recognize.
"Hello there!" Her smiling blue eyes twinkled with kindness and life. "I'm a little late, but I thought I'd bring over a little 'Welcome to the Neighborhood' treat and introduce myself. My name is Anna. I live in the blue house across the street."
After Dean remembered his manners and opened the screen door. "Please, come in. Sorry, I'm a little scattered today. We were up most of the night."
"Are they sick?"
"Teething."
Anna looked at the baby after setting the cake she brought on the end table. "Poor thing. What's her name?"
"Linnae. Her brother, Knut, is asleep in the playpen over there. He finally wore himself out. I'm Dean, and my brother Sam is at work at the factory."
"Can I hold her?" she asked. "Between the two of them, I bet that you haven't been able to grab a bite to eat. I can sit with these darlings while you do whatever you need: nap, shower, run errands. I raised four of my own, each a year apart. They have big careers that took them far from here."
Never having left the twins with someone that wasn't family, Dean found it difficult to trust Anna, even though his gut told him that they'd be fine. "If you're sure it's no trouble."
"No trouble at all. I miss having babes around the house." Dean carefully handed Linnae over to Anna's waiting arms. "Oh, sweetie," Anna held her close and rubbed her back. "I wish I could make it all better."
Dean watched her closely. She had started rocking side to side. He could hear her humming a tune as she rested her cheek atop Linnae's head. Her small feet stopped kicking. Her hands slowly hit against Anna's chest until the fists opened enough to grab Anna's blouse tightly and hold on with all her might. What she was doing with Linnae was working.
"I think I'll grab a shower if you'll be okay down here."
"We'll be just fine. Take all the time you need," she answered Dean before she turned her attention back to the baby in her arms.
Fresh from the shower, in clean clothes, he told her, "I feel reenergized, body and mind."
"The babes can wear you out, but you are lucky that you get to spend time home with them. You don't miss any of them growing up."
He didn't want her to think that he was lazy. "About that, I also have West Nile. I have to eat healthy foods, get enough sleep and keep my stress level down or I'll get sick. That is why I don't have a job out of the house."
"What happens when you get sick?"
"High fever, muscles tight and achy, very tired and all that helps is Tylenol and lots of rest. I'm not aware enough to care for Knut or Linnae to stay with me when I'm that sick. Sam stays home and takes care of the three of us."
"I'd gladly watch these angels anytime. Just bring them over."
Sam came home from work, feeling grimy from the long hours in the factory. He spent his time with a great bunch of guys, but it was mind-numbing and repetitive. The best part of his day was coming home to the nearly toothless smiles of the twins.
"Anything interesting happen at work?"
He stopped after taking off one boot to look up at Dean, "You're kidding, right?"
"Never know."
"A group of guys were thinking about playing poker this weekend. I thought we could play over here but I didn't say anything to them. What do you think?"
"Man, I haven't played poker in so long. Do they know how bad you suck at it?" Dean smirked.
"No. They can't all be great at it either. It's for fun. Probably just as excuse to get out of the house, drink beer and chow down on snack food."
"They wouldn't mind the kids?"
"Hell, most of them have kids. A couple of infants aren't going to bother them. I listen to them complain about teenagers. I think we've got it easy with this teething bit."
"That's just plain scary."
Sam laughed. "Did I hit a nerve, Dean?" Silence. "Okay. So what about poker?"
"Yeah. Go ahead and ask." Dean set a couple cold ones on the table. "I met Anna today."
"Who's she?"
"Possibly our saving grace. She lives in the blue house across the street. She raised four kids and she comforted Linnae while Knut slept and I got a shower. She's offered to baby-sit if we need her."
"Really? Were any of her kids twins?"
"I think they were each a year apart. She tried giving Linnae a cool washcloth to gnaw on and it made her feel better."
"Hmm. I wouldn't have thought of that."
"Guess raising kids isn't any more of a science than it was when you were little. It's still ruled by trial and error."
"I turned out fine."
"You just keep thinking that, Sammy." Dean smiled around the lip of the bottle as he took a sip.
000000
Dean was enjoying the evening with Knut and Linnae on the back porch. The breeze was cooling the hot, humid air of the day. The sound of an unfamiliar vehicle stopped in front of their house. Dean gathered the kids and walked through to the front door.
Jimmy, one of Sam's co-workers, was leading Sam up to the house. Dean set the twins in the playpen where they could amuse themselves.
"What happened?"
"I'm so sorry, Dean. There was a mishap at the factory. We made adjustments for a new product and goofed somewhere in the calculations. Sam's arm got cut up as a result. I feel so bad!"
"What did the doctors say?" Dean helped Jimmy get Sam in the house.
"They took x-rays just to make they saw all the damage. The long slash down his forearm required layers of stitches since it was so deep. He's on pain medication from the IV right now. I filled his prescription for pills." He gave Dean the bottle.
Sam was lying on the couch with his arm propped up. He was mumbling in his sleep and not making any sense.
"Where did you take him to?"
"St. Mary's. It's a half hour away. Sam's nurse, Jill, was sweet on him. She said she'll stop by to check on him."
"When do they expect him back at work?"
"Boss man said to take Friday off and he can start over on Monday. They'll just have him in the office until the doc approves him for physical labor."
Dean laughed, "Sitting at a desk is gonna drive Sam insane. Luckily, even though he's accident prone, he's also a fast healer."
Jimmy smiled. "Really?"
"I bandaged more banged up knees and elbows than the school nurse."
"So you'll be an old hand when it's Linnae or Knut?"
"Are you nuts? When one of my babies is hurting like that, I'll be crying right along with them. They'll probably learn to go to Sam when there is first aid involved."
000000
"You could have stitched me up."
“We don’t need the whole factory knowing that. What’s this I hear about a nurse named Jill?”
Sam looked confused. “Who?”
“Jimmy said she was interested when you were in the ER. Didn’t you notice? Count on you to be oblivious to some poor girl when she’s hurting herself falling all over you. Did you even get her number?”
“If I don’t know her name, why would I have her number?”
“I used to have so much hope for you,” Dean wiped away imaginary tears.
There was a comeback on the tip of Sam’s tongue but he was interrupted by a knock at the door. Dean went to answer it while Sam watched the kids. Knut was happy to roll his car around while Linnae eyed her uncle and blew bubbles around a ring that she was mouthing.
A beautiful woman dressed in scrubs followed Dean into the room. “Sam, this is Jill from the Emergency Room.”
“I was visiting my mom, she lives here. Thought I could do your wound check and save you a trip to County.” She was a tiny gal. Her red hair was swept back from her face. When she smiled, it made the world around her feel peaceful and serene.
“That’s very nice of you. Thank you for doing this." Sam stumbled over his tongue as he tried to thank her.
‘It’s not a problem.” Her hands were warm and gentle as she removed the soiled wrapping. Her slender fingers prodded at the puffy area. “It looks good. Keep it dry and clean. You can get the stitches out in about two weeks.”
“Do I make an appointment for that?” He asked as she re-bandaged it for him.
“You could.” Jill scribbled on a notepad and handed the sheet to Sam. “Or, I can take them out. I’m usually here on weekends.”
“Um, okay. Thank you.” Sam was embarrassing himself with his wonderful conversational skills.
“That number could be used for more than suture removal, if you’re interested.”
“Yes! I mean, yeah, I’ll be calling about stitches and the other . . . Here’s my number.” Sam was beet red and way out of practice.
“I’ll see you around, Sam.”
He stood and was unable to move as she walked to the door. “Bye, Jill!” With his mind swirling, mulling over what had just happened, Sam sat down before he fell.
“Smooth.” Dean was playing with the kids on the floor and had observed the whole humiliating exchange. “Want some pointers?”
“No.” Sam stomped upstairs to his room.
“And he thinks I’m the crazy one.” After wiping Linnae’s face with a drool rag, he gave her toy back. Knut made some car noises. Dean realized that he didn’t miss the hassle of dating. He had a good life.
000000
“He’s a little wobbly but he’s thinking about it. Come on, Knut. Just one step!”
Not to be outdone by her brother, Linnae decided she should get in on some of the excitement, too. She crawled over to the couch. In the process of pulling herself to stand, she bumped Knut. He fell to the floor and landed on his highly padded little butt.
He wailed out of surprise instead of being hurt. Linnae couldn’t figure him out. She dropped back to the floor and patted his head. He stopped crying and went back to the pile of toys they’d been playing with.
“I really thought he was going to this time.” Sam straightened up and checked the clock.
“He will. Linnae might beat him to it. Or, they might just take off running one day.”
“In opposite directions with our luck.”
Dean saw Sam glance at his watch. “You nervous about your date?”
“No. Well, maybe just a little."
“She has to be great if she can overlook what you’re like on drugs.”
“Most patients in the ER are in pain and on meds. I’m sure it wasn’t unusual for her.”
“I watched her force her number on you in our kitchen. Damn fine woman.”
“Language.”
He was met with an eye roll. “Really, Sam?”
“Want Anna to scold you when one of them blurts it out to her? She’ll know who they got it from.”
“Jill is still impressive.”
Sam smiled. He swooped Knut up and kissed him goodnight. Next, he did the same with Linnae. “I’ve got my cell.”
“I should be the one telling you that. If you have an emergency, you know where I am. Be careful with the Impala. It’s a babe-magnet.”
“With the car seats in the back?”
“Just means you have to rent a room. Don’t you dare be taking out those car seats. They’re hell to get in and I don’t want to think about any, uh, fluids getting on my seats.”
“Night, Dean.” Sam closed the door behind him and took a deep breath. He hoped his nerves would settle down as the date went on.
After he heard the Impala leave the driveway, Dean declared, “Bath time! It’s a happening time at the Winchester House tonight!”
Linnae and Knut stared at him as if he were under a microscope. Knut was too young to have a boy's aversion to water and his sister enjoyed anything when their daddy would sing to them. Giggles and bubbles filled the upstairs bath while Dean was teamed up on and soaked.
"Who wants to get out first?"
Knut raised his arms and squirmed while Linnae was too busy splashing to notice anything outside of her own little world.
"Looks like you're first," Dean engulfed him in a towel and dried him off. He helped Knut stand by the side of the tub so he could watch Linnae get out of the tub and Dean didn't have to worry about him scooting off and getting into something dangerous while his back was turned.
He was about to lift her up when he heard a splatter and felt a warm liquid soak into his jeans. "Knut?"
With a face of total innocence, he looked up at his father as he continued to pee on the rug and side of the tub. He quit when his bladder ran out.
"My fault," Dean said as he dried and diapered Linnae. "I forgot how tempting it can be to just let loose when you need to. Back in with you for a quick wash. I bet you'll grow up to love nature, but I'm not taking you camping. I hate camping. You can join Boy Scouts. Just don't expect me to be a nature freak."
Both toddlers started to babble at once as they were carried to their room to get dressed.
"Maybe Uncle Sammy will take you camping. Hm. I don't know if Girl Scouts do much camping. You could both join Campfire and then I wouldn't have to worry because you would be together." Dean shook his head as he realized how much he was talking to himself.
Snuggly warm in their pajamas, Dean rocked them in the rocking chair. When both were asleep, he kissed their foreheads and laid them in their cribs. "Goodnight Princess and Sir Pees Alot. Love you."
The work of bath time still wasn't done. He had to wipe up water that has splashed on the tile, clean where Knut had marked his territory in the cutest fashion (it was going to be a good story to tell the girls when it came time to date) and throw the laundry in the wash.
Even alone, Dean continued the weekend evening routine of he and Sam. Baked a small pizza for each of them, brought the food into the living room along with the beer to the coffee table in front of the couch. He made himself comfortable and turned on the scary movies. The newer ones he could just rip apart with the stupidity of the characters. The older ones, the black and white ones, were the ones he loved. It as a great way to unwind.
When Sam arrived home from his date, Dean was crashed out on the couch. He'd finished one pizza, a few beers and just couldn't stay awake any longer. It was late enough that they were showing an old black and white horror movie that Dean would have loved.
Sam locked the doors, put the leftovers in the fridge and sat down by Dean.
"Hey, hey, Sammy," his sleepy mind tried to remember what he'd wanted to ask him. "How was Jill?"
"We had a good time. I didn't like the restaurant she picked but I've eaten worse."
Dean smiled. "Our various concoctions trying to make spaghettios and macaroni and cheese more edible? Is that what you could be referring to?"
"That would be considered worse. But, their fettuccine alfredo with chicken sucked. You have to try pretty hard to wreck it as bad as it tasted."
"Why didn't you send it back?"
"That'd be real classy on a first date. Anyway, I had my arm around her during the movie. She moved closer to fit into my side."
"Did you kiss her?"
Sam's face turned red, "A few times."
"Any sex?"
"No!" Sam was indignant. "She's a nice girl, Dean!"
"So, by the third date then," Dean murmured to himself.
"She invited all of us on a picnic tomorrow. All we have to do is bring the kids."
"What did you tell her?"
"That we'd be there. It's supposed to be a sunny day. There's no harm in having a few sandwiches and pushing the twins in the baby swings."
"You're right. Does her mom like kids?"
Smiling, Sam replied, "She loves them. She ran a daycare in her home until she got too old to chase them around all day. At the library, she runs story time."
"If it means that much to you, we'll go."
Dean resigned himself to what he considered 'family dating'. If Jill wanted Sam, she would also be getting Dean, Knut and Linnae. If she couldn't handle that, it was better if she left early.
The picnic was a hit.
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"He's still really sick," a male voice said.
A female replied, "How much work can you really miss?"
"I've already taken two for this attack. They've been great, but . . ."
"Are the kids ready to go?"
"Yeah."
"I'll take them to Anna's. You need to put everything that you need to tend to Dean on the table."
"Are you sure she can do this?"
"I know so."
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Dean hurt. He was overheating and his limbs felt as if they'd been crushed. His eyes were too heavy to open. So, he listened. When, he didn't hear anything, and Knut and Linnae were never that quiet, he assumed that they had been taken to Anna's house. His head pounded from thinking. He drifted off to sleep.
An unfamiliar voice broke through the haze of Dean's mind. "Sit up. It's time for more medicine, Dean."
Using a tremendous amount of energy, Dean opened his eyes and was met with a beaming ray of sunshine.
"You need two Tylenol and I have a glass of water. That's what Sam told me you'd need."
He was stunned while she gently helped him sit up. After swallowing the pills, Dean croaked out, "Where are the babies and Sam?"
"Sam is at work and Anna has the twins. Do you want something to eat?"
Her words were comforting and he found himself mesmerized by her baby blue eyes. He couldn't help but stare.
"Dean?" She frowned. "What is it you need?"
She tilted her head to look directly at in Dean's eyes. Strands of her straight blond hair fell out of her ponytail.
"What's your name?" he asked.
Smiling, she replied, "I'm Daisy, one of Jill's friends."
Dean's eyelids were getting heavy and began drooping. She helped him ease down back into bed.
"You need your sleep," Daisy told him as she tucked the blankets in around him.
Knowing everyone was safe, he fell into a dreamless slumber.
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The open windows allowed the warm spring breeze to make its way through the Winchester household. Sam was still at work at the factory. Daisy had taken to Knut and Linnae and came over nearly every afternoon to play with them. She kept them occupied and prevented them from being underfoot while Dean prepared supper.
Since the twins started toddling around, unsteady on their chubby legs, Dean found himself getting relapses of his illness more often. Chasing after the little escape artists was more draining than hunting had ever been. He had no clue how Daisy kept them on the blanket while she read them a book. In the end, it didn't matter how she worked her magic, it was just that she did. Otherwise, the Winchester clan would never eat a hot meal. It would be cold cereal or sandwiches three times a day.
"This is a blue truck. This is a yellow truck." Daisy's voice drifted in from the other room.
"Uck!"
"Le!"
"Yes, Knut. That's a truck. Linnae, we'll read about a dolly next."
"Le! Le!" Slap.
"No hitting the book. We'll read 'Dolly's Day Out' next."
Dean peeked around the corner. Daisy was putting Linnae on her lap, trying to comfort the distressed little girl. Her lip drooped for a second before she started to cry. Knut's eyebrows drew together as he stared at his sister, clearly not understanding why she didn't want to read about trucks.
"How's it going in here?" Dean sat on the blanket and took Linnae from Daisy's arms. Linnae stopped fussing immediately. She wasn't spoiled. Daddy's little girl was just, well, Daddy's Little Girl.
"I guess she doesn't like trucks," Daisy replied.
"Yeah? I think she gets tired of being the only girl in the house. It's really nice of you to come over in the afternoons."
"I like making them laugh. It's a good laugh, not a mean one." She said the last sentence in a whisper to her hands which were folded in her lap. Dean wasn't sure if he was meant to hear it or not.
"Growing up is tough. Sam and I moved around a lot. We were the new kids at school and that made us different. What we found out later on was that we're all different--different color eyes, different hobbies, different heights." Daisy looked up at Dean with a tentative smile. "Hey, you don't want to be as big as Sam. Do you?" Dean joked.
"I don't think I need to be that tall." She had an honest to goodness grin on her face. "I'd like his hair, though."
"Brown hair?"
"No. Wavy." She ran her fingers through her hair as she thought about it.
"He didn't have waves when his hair was short. I've been bugging him to get a haircut for years."
"Don't do that! His hair is pretty. He should keep it that way."
"I'll tell him you voted to keep his brown mop. He'll be happy to hear that." Dean stood with Linnae in his arms. "Are you staying for supper?"
"You sure it's okay if I stay?"
"Of course. Can you grab Knut for me?"
"Up, little boy. Are you hungry?" Knut waved his arms at Daisy, bouncing on his butt and squealing. She had her arms full of joy when she walked into the kitchen.
The four of them had a nice supper, punctuated by giggles and various cajoling to get the little ones to eat.
Title: Love Has Many Forms, Part 7
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Character/Pairing: Dean/ofc, Sam
Fandom: Supernatural
Theme: 45 - rings
"So . . . I noticed that Daisy seems to be here more than I am. Anything you want to tell me?"
Dean set his beer down on the table. "You know how attached she is to the kids."
"How about you?"
"I'm partial to Knut and Linnae." He smirked.
"You know what I mean."
"Daisy isn't hard to figure out. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body."
Sam worded his next question carefully. "Are you attracted to her?"
"I have to be so careful. I can't screw up our friendship."
"You want a serious relationship with her. And it scares the shit out of you."
"I'm not . . . No, I'm not scared. I don't know if I could take her rejection."
"Have you seen Daisy? The way she looks at you?" Sam scoffed. "There's no way she'd turn you down."
"We both know that she's simple, Sam. I don't want to just date her. She's a part of my future. If we have to stay friends, that is fine. Hanging in the middle, dating each other but unable to move forward, isn't me."
000000
Dean sat in the Impala, wishing he had some alcohol to calm his nerves. He knew smelling like a brewery would not make a good impression and had to settle for the familiar scent of the leather seats.
His boots weren't new and he wasn't dressed different from when he hunted except for the fact that his jeans didn't have holes in them.
A balding man answered the door and noticed that Dean was by himself. "Hi. Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, they're fine. Daisy was going to take them to the park right after 'Sesame Street'."
"That show's still on?"
Dean smiled. "You bet. It's much easier to listen to than the new shows they're coming out with. Aliens, inanimate objects and vehicles have annoying voices. It's like a requirement for the cartoons."
"Where are my manners? Come in." He welcomed Dean into his living room. "The twins have a birthday coming up. Have they hit the terrible twos?"
"I'm not sure about that, Sir. I've heard that threes can be worse."
The older man laughed. "Sir? I think we're past that stage, Dean. Too many suppers at your table to be formal."
Nodding, Dean fidgeted in his seat. He was unable to look anywhere but the coffee table between them.
"What's on your mind? Something has you on edge."
"Daisy and I have known each other for awhile now, and some of that time has been spent dating." Dean cleared his throat. "All we've ever done is kiss, Frank, I swear."
"She told me. She doesn't lie, I don't know if she can. I remember the first time she tried to kiss you and you discouraged her in a way that was kind and honorable."
Dean's ears turned red. "She told you about that?"
"You were probably still on your way home when we were talking about it. Explaining to her that all friends can hug but only certain ones can kiss was smart."
"She'd seen Jill give Sam a quick peck and I think it made her wonder where she fit in."
"Giving her a secure place in the lives of Knut and Linnae was a great start."
"I want to make her a permanent part of our family. Frank, I'd like to marry Daisy, with your blessing."
With tears in his eyes, Frank smiled. "I know you'll take care of my little girl."
000000
"Why were you wrapped around that intern, then? Am I just convenient when you're in town?"
"Convenient! When in the hell has this been about my convenience?" Jill's shrill voice carried through the closed door.
Dean and Daisy had been watching a movie when the other couple walked in. They'd tried to ignore Sam and Jill when their discussion traveled through the house. When they were hearing Jill loud and clear, Dean pulled Daisy closer as he curved his arm around her.
"Why don't we hear Sam?" she asked as she laid her head on Dean's shoulder and took his other hand in hers.
"He doesn't want to wake the kids. She doesn't care who hears her."
"Don't you dare! How can you use family as an excuse--" Jill's latest rant was interrupted by wailing.
"Knew she'd do that," Dean grumbled. He went into the nursery and Daisy followed. After a quick diaper check, the four of them returned to the couch. It was easy to fall into a doze while holding a sleeping baby.
Jill's dramatic exit was to stomp all the way to the front door and slam it on her way out.
Sam sighed as he approached the couch. "Oh, gees. This is exactly what I didn't want to happen." He began to rub his temple.
"Want to help me with bedtime take two?" Dean smiled.
"Like I could ever say no to that."
When they got back downstairs, Daisy was putting the finishing touches on hot chocolate. She already had a plate of sugar cookies on the table.
"Jill won't be coming around anymore."
Dean's response was, "We figured that."
"Sorry," was the best Daisy could come up with in the awkward situation.
"I caught her cheating. She didn't even bother to try to hide it," Sam stirred the marshmallows around as they melted.
"Want me to kick her ass?"
"She's a tiny girl, Dean. I don't think that is necessary."
"Your my little brother. I at least have to offer."
"Appreciate the thought, but I'll survive without siccing you on her."
"If she pisses me off, can I let her have it?"
"Just with words. Otherwise we get into the grey area of lock picks and jailbreaks. They're great in movies and suck in real life."
"Suppose I have to be a responsible dad now."
"Yep. Hey, when do we start planning out the backyard playground for the kids?"
"Sometime after the wedding?" Daisy smiled. "Let's handle one event at a time."
000000
"Frank, she could talk to Dean about it. Don't you trust him?" Anna took a sip of coffee as she looked at her longtime friend.
"Weddings are women's things. Men just have to show up. I have money for it, but I can't help her pick anything out."
"I'll be thrilled to help her with her wedding. I can give her the Mother/Daughter talk if you want me too, but you could do that on your own." She saw the horror-stricken look on his face and quickly offered, "I'll do the talk, just mind your blood pressure."
"I can't thank you enough."
"Am I invited to the service?"
"Of course."
"That is all I could ask for. Would you like more coffee?"
"Sure. You can tell me what a dad's duties are since all I know is I walk her down the aisle."
"Bingo. That's it. Do you know how old your suit is?"
"I can't remember if it fits," he hated to admit.
She seemed way too happy. "We'll need to take you shopping!"
000000
"How was your day with Anna?"
"I found the perfect dress, Dad!" Daisy's excitement rolled off her in waves. "It makes me look like a princess! And a crown-thing that holds the long veil!" She twirled around once or twice. Dropping her voice, she said, "Anna said to tell you we had the talk so you wouldn't worry. Hey! Why didn't you tell me she helped you find a new suit? Can I see it?"
Frank put on his new white shirt and black suit. He tried not to think of how embarrassed he'd been to have Anna fussing over him in the Men's department. He would have grabbed the first one that fit (meaning he could breathe comfortably in it) and left. Anna actually looked at the cut of the coat. It made a difference. Who knew?
"I really like the suit. Do you have a tie?"
"There's three for you to pick from." Frank the small boxes to show her the different patterns. "I just let Anna pick them after the look she shot me when I pointed one out."
"Well, you look very handsome in your suit. Did you leave anything out to make for supper?"
"What do we usually have on Saturdays? Do you need the car to go to Dean's?" he called from the other room as he changed back into his regular clothes.
She took the partially thawed meat out of the fridge. "Dean is going to drive tonight. We're going to a movie."
"He got a babysitter?"
"Sam's home."
Once he was in the kitchen, he asked, "Still not dating?"
"Nope. He says he wants quality time with Knut and Linnae. We're going to pick up his favorite pizza on the way home from the early movie."
"It's great that you'll share your date nights with Sam."
"He is Dean's brother. He'll be mine, too."
"I'm so proud of you," Frank hugged her. "Did I ever tell you my happiest day?"
"The day I was born." Daisy grinned. "You finally got to meet me."
"That's right." Frank launched into the story that Daisy had heard hundreds of times.
000000
The little church was decorated and Anna played the piano. Dean stood alone at the front of the church. He appeared to be patiently waiting but Sam could tell he was nervous. Knut and Linnae walked down the aisle, holding hands and ringing bells. When they reached Dean, he took the bells and set them aside. Then, they waited with Dad for the ceremony to begin.
Sam escorted Melanie down the aisle. Sam had a new suit and she wore her Sunday best. She held a small bouquet of white roses.
Frank was fighting to hold the tears back as they stood at the rear of the church. He gave Daisy a kiss before pulling down her front veil.
"Are you ready for this? We can still just go home."
"Daddy!"
"I know. Plan on me being there for every dinner. I don't want to be making meals for one."
"Our door is always open. We'll be visiting you, too."
Frank nodded. "I think they are waiting for us."
"I'll always be your baby girl. I just live down the street."
"I'm not giving away a daughter, I'm getting a family."
Daisy picked up her pink tulips and linked arms with her dad. "Let's go, Daddy."
000000
"Why didn't you bring a date?"
"You're as blunt as ever, aren't you, Mel?" Sam smiled at his friend. "I tried dating. Didn't work out."
"So? Find someone else."
"I'm pacing myself. It's a small town."
Melanie gave Sam a hard look.
"I'm a wimp?" He shrugged and tried not to blush.
"You can't expect the right gal to show up on your doorstep."
"I know. Maybe you can find her for me."
"I've kept my eyes open. Haven't found one sweet enough for you."
"Aww. You're trying to make me puke. Think Rusty is missing you yet?"
"Brady's keeping him busy. Kid loves the cake and I don't allow sugar at our house."
"He's hell on wheels. That's what you're saying."
"Rusty's the one who gave him cake on the sly. This'll learn him."
"You're mean. Why'd he marry you again?"
"I think someone's flirting with you."
Sam looked over to where Melanie indicated, which happened to be where Dean and Daisy were standing. A little face with curls peeked out from behind Daisy's skirt and quickly hid again when she saw Sam. All he could see was Linnae's fist as she gripped the flowing dress. "Where's her partner in crime?"
"Daisy's dad had Knut earlier."
"I have to go check on them. Let Frank visit."
"Need my help?"
"Um, I think you'd better rescue Rusty. Brady just smeared frosting all over him."
"That is a new suit!" She flew to her feet and yelled, "Brady Elliot!" Both Rusty and Brady looked up, eyes wide.
Grateful that he wasn't Rusty, Sam played peek-a-boo with the cutest little lady until he could swoop her up in his arms. She patted his face and babbled, "Am, am, am, am."
"That's right, sweetie. Got a kiss for me?"
She grinned wide after leaving spit on his cheek.
"You know where Knut is? Let's find him." Knut was easy to find once Sam heard his laugh. He was on Frank's lap, crashing trucks together. "He keeping you entertained, Frank?"
"You bet."
"I can take him. Your family and friends are here today. You should catch up with them."
"I was showing him off. Would've taken Linnae if she wasn't so attached to Daisy." He looked at the cars as he continued, "I gave my baby girl away today. She's my life. What do I do now?"
"You've gained a crew of Winchesters for all your troubles. You won't have to ever be alone if you don't want to."
"My family had their own ideas about how I should have raised Daisy. She needed extra patience and that rubbed some relatives the wrong way. It was easier to lose contact with those that weren't helping, which ended up being most of them."
Sam nodded his understanding. "We don't have any kin, either. We're thrilled to have you, Daisy, and Anna around.. Melanie, Brady and Rusty we've known since before we moved to Shadow Lake. You guys are our family."
"I'm going home to an empty house."
"I'm taking home two overtired toddlers. Want to come with?"
"Really?"
"We have the extra room and I could use an extra set of hands."
"I'll go home with you since you need my help." Frank had to hang on to his pride.
"Umpa!" Linnae reached out to him. When Frank held her, she tucked her face in his neck, gripped his tie in both hands and snuggled in. She felt that she had earned herself a nap.
"We can say our goodbyes to Daisy and Dean. These two need to get to bed."
"When do they leave on their honeymoon?"
"Impala's packed. They leave from the reception."
It was easy to find the special couple. Just because it was their wedding day, Dean accepted a hug from Sam, Frank and even Rusty. Daisy was teary-eyed as they said their goodbyes. She promised to call home everyday if Dean didn't.
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Daisy stared at her mother's wedding ring. Now, it was hers, cleaned up and sparkly. She wondered what her mom felt like on her wedding day, and was sad because she'd never know.
"Hey, Baby. Do you like it?" Dean wrapped his strong arms around her waist. Suddenly, she realized how lucky she was. She felt protected and safe, loved and cherished. She was the only woman who would ever be Dean Winchester's wife. "I thought you'd like the beach."
"I do, I do." She tried to hide a yawn. "Today started so early. I didn't sleep very well last night."
"Worried about today?"
"I thought about how that would be my last night sleeping in my room or listening to my dad snore."
Dean smiled at her. "If you're tired, let's just go to sleep. We're here for a few days. Let's stargaze another night."
"Hmm. That sounds good."
Title: Love Has Many Forms, Part 8
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Character/Pairing: Dean/ofc
Fandom: Supernatural
Theme: 43 - empire
“Dean!”
He squinted in the sunshine as he took his head out from under the hood of the car he was working on and turned to Daisy, who was just stepping off the porch.
“School called. They want you to go down there.” She had a hand shielding her eyes.
“Are the kids okay?”
“I asked if they needed to go to the clinic, and the secretary told me they didn’t. Apparently, there was a scuffle during recess.”
Dean closed the hood and wiped his hands on a nearby rag. “Which one is it?”
“Both.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“You should just expect it by now.”
The halls were quiet. Their footsteps echoed in the empty corridors. Daisy took Dean’s hand. “Just remember that we have to try to get along. No swearing or swinging your fists.”
In the office, Knut and Linnae sat beside each other on the row of chairs. Linnae was swinging her short legs back and forth. Knut wasn’t moving at all. He inherited Dean’s temper and he was pissed.
“Hey, guys,” Daisy knelt down in front of them as Dean spoke to the secretary. “Are you doing okay?”
Knut gave her a snapped nod of his head and clenched his teeth tighter. The chubby legs stopped moving and Linnae’s red eyes teared up again. She threw herself into Daisy’s arms, sobbing so hard that she couldn’t talk.
“Linnae? Are you hurt?” She couldn’t tell Daisy and Knut wasn’t speaking.
Hearing Linnae’s cry, Dean went into Superdad mode. He swept her up out of Daisy’s arms and comforted her as best he could. “I need to speak to the principal now! I don’t care if he’s in a meeting. He called us and someone is going to tell us what the hell is going on!”
That got people moving. They were ushered into the principal’s office shortly after Dean’s outburst.
“Mr. Winchester. We’re trying to piece together what happened on the playground but neither one of your children will speak to us. Another child was injured. This isn’t something we can ignore.” The principal wrung his hands. He was a little scared of Mr. Winchester.
Linnae had fallen asleep in Dean’s arms. He handed her off to Daisy and she slept on.
“Knut. Come here.” Dean could see his son was shaking with the anger he was holding inside. “I want you to tell me what happened.”
The first grade boy looked at the principal.
“Don’t worry about him or where we are. Just tell me.”
Knut was silent for a moment as he chose his words carefully. “It’s wrong to say things to hurt people.” Dean nodded, urging him on. “I stopped the words. That’s what I’m supposed to do, right?”
Baffled, he looked at his son and saw how his eyes kept cutting to the side to look at Daisy and Linnae.
"Daisy? Do you want to take her out of the office? She's been upset enough for one day." Dean smiled at his wife, knowing that she wouldn't go very far.
"We'll be just outside the door."
When the door closed, Dean asked, “What didn’t you want to say in front of Linnae or Daisy?”
He was so distraught. When Dean put him on his lap, Knut put his hands around Dean’s neck. He was still trembling. “He told Linnae that Daisy isn’t our real mom. He said our real mom didn’t want us and Daisy’s a retard. Over and over. Linnae cried. I pushed him.” His voice wavered, “Am I in big trouble now? I didn’t want to say in front of Daisy because she’s not a retard, she’s my mom.”
“You did good, Son. Real good.” Dean glared at the principal. “Did you get all that? I’m taking them home for the rest of the day.”
“That’s for the best,” the older man sighed.
“I expect you will handle this matter and speak with the other child’s parents. Knut and Linnae are going to stick together. Better the school system figures that out now. My kids know not to hurt others. Isn’t that something you try to teach here?”
“Yes, Mr. Winchester. The teacher didn’t notice there was trouble until the other student was on the ground. We’ll add more teachers when the classes go outside. All students should be comfortable here.”
Dean scoffed. “Yeah. You work on that.” He turned on his heel, walked out and took his family for ice cream.
***
"What happened after I left?" Daisy asked him later that night.
"Not much." Dean replied. "Knut knows not to do it again and the principal knows not to mess with one Winchester or he'll get them all."
Daisy frowned and she bit her lip. "Think they'll be happy when they find out they're getting a little brother or sister?"
Wrapping his wife in his arms, he told her, "They'll be as thrilled as I am. Linnae and Knut understand the meaning of family. Besides, we just found out. We have some time before we have to share the news. We'll think of the right thing to say before then."
"I hope so."
"I know so." Dean rested his palms on her lower belly, knowing that a large part of their future was inside. He was happy, content.
Dean felt that he was the luckiest man in the world. He had an amazing wife, great kids, good friends and a brother that would go through hell for him. He knew not to take it for granted. John had no doubt felt the same before Mary died.
He couldn't fault the way he grew up because he'd learned all the important lessons of life:
Family comes first.
Loyalty is key.
And, because of John's obsession to kill the demon responsible for taking his wife, love never dies.
The End
Title: Boldfaced Lies by Both Parties
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Character/Pairing: Sam, Dean
Fandom: Supernatural
Theme: 2 - metaphor
Sam's eyes glowed yellow. Dean shrank back from his baby brother by reflex.
The taller man chucked at his reaction. "Relax, Dean. I'm not evil. It might seem like it, but appearances can be deceiving, right?" He smiled with a gleam in his eye.
"Yeah, Sam." Dean's voice wavered. "Sure. Don't judge a book by its cover and all that."
"Now, that wasn't so difficult. Let's go a step further." Sam challenged him, "We're still a team. Nothing's changed."
"Nope. Nothing's changed," Dean stared at Sam over the roof of the Impala and knew the world was going to hell.
Title: Difficult Choices
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Character/Pairing: Dean/Nancy, Sam
Fandom: Supernatural
Theme: 54 - wire
"Nancy?" Dean poked his head around the door and saw her standing with her back to him, "How are you doing? Wait, screw that. What can I do to help?"
"Is the demon telling the truth?" She turned her tear-streaked face to his. "This ritual will happen at sunrise unless, well, you know. I just wish I had more time."
"Time for what?"
"Talk to my priest, find out the right thing to do, ask for forgiveness, I'm not sure. The church is just always where I've run to when I'm confused or scared and today is definitely one of those days."
"Sam and I spent large chunks of time with our family friend, Pastor Jim, growing up. Well, Sam more than me. He was a better listener. If the phones worked, I'd call him for you but we don't have that option. I couldn't give you any advice, but you could bend my ear. Sam might be able to come up with a comforting theory, he's smart like that."
"You think I should spill my guts to your brother?"
"I know Sam and he'd keep the same confidence. Time is of the essence, Nancy. If you wait too long, the decision will be made for you."
She set her jaw and nodded.
"I'll talk to Sam."
Dean turned on his heel to go get him when he heard Nancy say, "Thanks, Dean." He gave her a smile and a wink before closing the door behind him.
***
"You told her what?"
"Keep your voice down," Dean ordered him. "She's confused and isn't sure what she should do. She's cut off from her main supports and I thought that you might be able to help her with that philosophy/theology crap that you bore me to death with. Will you help her or not?"
"Yeah," Sam stood and put his hands in his pockets. "What am I supposed to tell her, Dean? Am I rooting for staying a virgin or going against her religion?"
"There's only one way she's going to have an actual life. You know as well as I do that if they get her and do the ritual, her whole world is going to be hell. She doesn't deserve that."
Over an hour passed before Sam stepped out of the cell Nancy had been resting in. She was worn out from crying and sleeping when he'd left. They'd armored the room with sigils for protection and then allowed Nancy to have whatever peace she could find.
"What do you think she'll do?" Dean asked nervously.
The other men looked at Sam, wondering the same thing.
"I don't know," Sam sighed. "She'll do what's right for her, that's all I can say."
***
Dean was lightly dozing in a corner when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Nancy. She had bloodshot eyes but also a small smile.
"Can I have a minute?" she asked as she tilted her head to indicate that she wanted to change rooms.
"Sure." Dean stood as his joints protested loudly. He wiped the sleep from his eyes as he followed Nancy down the hall.
She let him back to the holding cell that he and Sam had been in earlier. It had been cleaned and the mattress had been covered with some kind of cloth. When Dean looked closer, he saw that Nancy was bending over a couple candles. Her shaking hands weren't letting her light the wicks.
Getting with the program, Dean locked the door. Then, he took the lighter from her. "Allow me." As he was lighting the sad looking sticks, he asked, "Are you sure this is what you want?"
Nancy nodded. Her hands were clenched in front of her. "I've thought through my choices and made my decision. I hope I won't go to hell for pre-marital sex."
"You won't," he assured her. "You're too good of a person to end up there. Besides, there are extenuating circumstances." He lit the last candle and left the cell to turn off the overhead light. "You decided on me? Wouldn't you rather have someone you've known for awhile or will see once this is over?"
"No," she blushed prettily. "You are the only one I could picture getting me through this. I'm scared."
"There's no need to be scared, but I understand why you are." He brought her intertwined fingers to his lips and kissed them. After prying them apart, he rested them on his shoulders and put his hands on her waist. "It's kind of like dancing." Dean rocked a little and she followed the movement. "Two bodies moving fluidly with each other. Have you ever slow danced?"
She shook her head. "Went to an all-girls school. Never had the chance."
"But, you wanted to?"
She tucked her head under his chin so he couldn't see her face.
"We'll start with a dance," he rubbed her back as he spoke. "I know we're on a timeline, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy getting there." He hummed a Metallica song as her tense stance relaxed a bit.
He slid one hand up to Nancy's cheek and tilted her head so he could kiss her. Her lips were soft and yielding. She allowed him to lead and followed as she learned his technique. Dean felt a little ease in the pressure of his chest as Nancy reciprocated.
One hand crept up her untucked shirt. She got goose bumps at his touch. Although she was startled, she didn't jerk away. Instead, she leaned toward Dean and rested her forearms against his solid chest.
“That’s it,” he whispered in her ear. “Just hang onto me and you’ll be fine.” He stepped backwards until he could lie beside her on the cot. He took his leather jacket and covered her upper half with it before he used kissing her as a distraction while he unbuttoned her shirt and unclasped her bra.
His hands blazed uncharted territory as his calluses skimmed her creamy skin. Nancy sucked in a breath, lost in the sensations.
“You need to breathe,” he reminded her with a smirk. She smiled in return.
With that, she laid her head against him and listened to the beating of his heart. It assured her that she’d made the right decision. She was going to have a night she’d never forget.