Double Dose of Angels, 6/7, [PG13] Dean, Sam, Bobby & OCs
Title: Double Dose of Angels (6/7)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: N/A, Gen
Betas: The wonderful sendintheklowns and blueeyedliz.
Word Count: 4,268
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Warnings/Spoilers: Minor character death and spoilers for End of Season 1 and Early Season 2. Does hurt Sam need a warning?
A/N: This story is for the lovely Gidgetgal9 who won a fic from me at Kazcon. The proceeds went toward a donation to National Lung Cancer Partnership in recognition of Kim Manners. I’m so glad I was able to be a part of it even if I couldn’t make it to the convention. Thanks to Gidgetgal9 for biding on me! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. p.s. I didn't intentionally name the girls after Jared's and Jensen's sisters. it just happened that way =).
Summary: A Rescue mission gone wrong leaves Sam injured and the brothers with the responsibility of five-year-old twin girls who share a surprisingly strong connection to Sam that goes well beyond the loss of their parents.
Master Post
Previous
~*~*~
“Sam!”
His sleep was suddenly interrupted by the loud, but excited screaming as he heard the pounding of little feet running down the hallway. The girls giggled, quietly pushing the door open, as if he hadn’t already heard them coming, and slowly tiptoed to his bedside.
Sam waited till they were right by his head, leaning over slightly to try and see his face, before he bent his arm up and tickled one of them on the side. They both screamed and flew back from the bed but the scream quickly turned into laughter as Sam turned to them with a smile.
“Good morning.” He chuckled as they slowly came closer, jumping slightly when he flinched his arm.
“It’s not morning anymore,” Meghan shook her head with laugh and Sam’s smile widened at the pleasant sound. “Dean said we could wake you for lunch. We had breakfast hours ago but you missed it because you’re a sleepyhead.”
He wasn’t really shocked that he’d slept so late. They hadn’t arrived at Bobby’s until sometime after midnight and Dean had insisted he take his pain medication before bed. The fact that he was exhausted, plus the drug induced drowsiness had definitely added up to a long, much needed rest.
The pain in his chest was a dull ache, his wrist and ankle practically numb and his head was no longer throbbing. He didn’t remember waking up at all but he knew Dean had made sure he took another dose when called for, there was no way he was feeling this good without the help of those powerful meds Dean had confiscated.
“Lunch is ready, girls.” Dean managed to step into the room complete unnoticed but Sam blamed it on the drugs again. “You two go on down and keep Bobby company. We’ll be down shortly, okay?”
They nodded, giving Sam a headache just watching them, and then turned back toward the bed with a timid smile.
“Dean said we had to be careful but can we hug you?”
It took him a moment to actually reply, his mind working to explain the overwhelming emotions that were rushing through his body. He knew his smile probably looked extremely silly but Dean didn’t laugh and the girls simply shuffled closer to him, their own smiles growing.
“I would really like that.”
Mackenzie rushed around to his other side and threw her arms gently around his neck. Both of them smiled wide and bright, showing off their beautiful dimples. He curled his arms up and ran his fingers through the back of her hair as Meghan joined in the hug. They stayed like that for what only felt like seconds to Sam except when Dean cleared his throat and he realized, judging by the increasing discomfort in his chest, that it had been much longer.
The girls reluctantly pulled back, smiling at Sam once more before rushing past Dean and down the hallway. He heard Bobby shout for them to stop running and they shouted back their apologies with a bit too much enthusiasm. When he looked back up at Dean, he knew he wasn’t the only one enjoying the moment.
“I figured you might need some help.”
“I might,” Sam smiled as he carefully shifted his legs over the side of the bed, finding it much easier this time than at the hospital. “The problem’s going to be sitting up.”
“Such a baby.” Despite the insult, Dean moved to Sam’s side and carefully placed an arm beneath his shoulders, slowly helping him move into a sitting position.
It took him a few seconds to adjust to the pain and to steady his breathing. He forgot how much of a nuisance broken ribs were. He could deal with the pain, having learned over the years, but because they messed with the ability to breathe correctly, broken ribs made everything feel much more difficult than usual.
Dean kept a calming hand on his back the whole time, rubbing gently in a steady pattern and quietly coaching Sam as he regulated his breathing.
Once he was back to breathing as best he could, he reluctantly allowed Dean to help him with his clothes. Luckily Dean was kind enough to leave him a bit of pride and only insisted on helping him with his shirt and walking cast, which was a brilliant idea but a pain to take off and extremely bulky. When it came time for his pants, Dean had thankfully stepped outside; waiting in the hallways just case he was needed.
It took much longer than usual and caused him a lot of pain but he managed, carful of the stitches on his ankle. He carefully sat back down on the bed and called Dean back in because there was no way he was getting the cast back on by himself.
Without any smartass remarks, Dean knelt down on the floor and carefully rolled Sam’s pants up to the knee. He expertly removed the dressing, cleaned the incision, applied a healthy amount of Neosporin and redressed Sam’s ankle in no time.
Sam tried to help as much as he could but he could barely lift his leg as Dean slipped the boot back on, tightening all the straps perfectly. His brother hadn’t even been in the room when the nurse showed him how to adjust the cast but it didn’t shock him that Dean knew just how it worked, as well as how to fit it right to his leg.
He looked down at his leg once the cast was on, his pants rolled up to his knee and his toes peeking out.
“I look like a dork.”
“No more than usual.”
Dean carefully helped him up off the bed but moved away, even if it was just a few inches, and allowed Sam to walk out of the room without the added support. Surprisingly, he made it all the way to the stairs but gave in and let Dean help him hobble down the steps, one foot at a time.
By the time they reached the kitchen he was out of breath, wheezing slightly. Dean easily maneuvered him to the chair and repeated his actions from earlier until Sam’s breathing was normal once again.
“Hey, kid.” Bobby placed a bowl of hot soup in front of him and Sam resisted the urge to kiss the man as his stomach rumbled with gratitude. “Didn’t know how your stomach would be with those meds. Hope soups alright.”
“It’s perfect, Bobby, thank you.” He smiled at the older man and greedily slurped up the broth.
“Way to set an example, dude.”
Dean nudged him playfully and laughed along with the girls and Bobby, all four looking at him as he ate. He wiped his napkin across his chin and looked up at them with a smile, cheeks going red with embarrassment.
“I’m hungry.” He shrugged his shoulders and winked at the girls before returning to the delicious soup in front of him.
“Obviously,” Dean smiled and handed him another napkin, which he graciously accepted. “You think you’re up for a trip into town?”
“What for?”
“We have to get some things for the girls, specifically clothes.”
Sam saw the girls light up, both of them bouncing in their seats. He smiled at the two of them, realizing that they were in the same change of the clothes from yesterday, the only change of clothes that Dave had thankfully packed in the duffle bag that had been left in Bobby’s truck.
He nodded in reply as he shoved another spoonful into his mouth. Shopping with his brother was interesting enough when they were just going to pick up replacement jeans for themselves. He was curious how Dean expected them to shop for two five year old girls. Neither of them had a clue, which meant their trip was bound to be an interesting learning experience.
He just hoped they would make it out with a little sanity left.
~*~*~
Sam felt slightly awkward as the four of them walked into the department store. He pulled a cart out from the stacks and the girls immediately latched on to the sides, which comforted him yet made it all feel even more uncomfortable.
It was hard to miss the looks they were getting as he and the girls followed behind Dean. He had gotten used to people assuming what they want about him and his brother and despite his discomfort he couldn’t deny how domestic this scene had to look to an outsider. He was just waiting for Dean to notice.
However, it didn’t seem to faze Dean so Sam tried to let it slip his mind as well. He ignored the longer than usual stares and poorly concealed whispers as they walked by, just wanting to get their shopping done and get out.
Dean stopped in the little girls section, his face looking paler than usual as Sam watched him look around at the immense collection of clothing. Sam was fairly certain he had never seen so much pink in his life and he knew his brother was thinking the same thing.
“What do we do now?”
He turned to Dean who had moved beside him and shrugged his shoulders. The girls were bouncing on their heels, smiles wide as they stared at all the clothing.
He felt extremely out of his element and he knew the trip was only going to keep getting worse.
Suddenly he realized that they had no idea what size the girls wore which meant they were going to have let the girls try the outfits on, which meant Sam or
Dean would have to go in the dressing room with them, which mean they were going to have the change the girls. He felt rather ridiculous that changing the girls was his biggest fear. Dean had helped them yesterday with no problem but Sam was completely freaked out by the idea. Surely that wasn’t appropriate for him to do, right? He shouldn’t be changing little girls.
Obviously his breathing had speed up, which caused strain on his ribs and raised Dean’s big brother awareness. Dean’s hand was on his back in a second, rubbing those damn calming circles again except that they were only making things worse. The contact from his big brother would only add to the assumptions of the people around them.
He tried reminding himself that it didn’t matter. It had never really bothered him before but today was different somehow. He was realizing how bad of an idea this trip was. He should have just let Dean come alone.
“Relax, dude.”
When he finally got his breathing under control and opened his eyes, which he didn’t know were closed, Dean and the girls were watching him closely. He smiled at them nervously and rubbed at the back of his neck as Dean’s worry morphed into a teasing smile.
He watched as Dean placed a gentle hand on Meghan’s shoulder before carefully pulling back the color of her shirt and revealing the tag, making sure that Sam could see it too. Dean tucked it back in, tickling Meghan’s neck as he did so, before moving over toward one of the display racks.
“Do you girls like this shirt?” They both smiled and nodded with excitement and Dean picked up two of them, throwing them into the cart as he turned toward Sam. “See, simple.”
Sam shook his head with a smile, amazed that his brother knew him far too well but also embarrassed for the same reason.
“They don’t always have to match, Dean.” He looked down at the girls who were staring at him in confusion. “Do you two like to dress the same or would you like to pick out different clothes?”
They looked at each other then turned back to Sam with wide smiles, “We like to wear the same clothes sometimes, but we don’t always like the same stuff.”
“If you don’t like something we pick out just tell us, okay?”
His unease was starting to diminish as he navigated around the aisles, picking up clothes along with the girls while Dean went off alone. He held up a blue
flowered sundress and Mackenzie nodded, pulling the dress from his hand and tossing it into the cart. Meghan pointed toward the one with multi-colored flowers and when he handed it to her she hugged it close before tossing it into the cart as well.
He remembered going shopping with Jess a few times.
She had loved buying clothes for her niece and she used to laugh at Sam’s horrible fashion sense, claiming he was the worst at matching outfits. Eventually he learned, having spent time watching her and taking the tips she jokingly supplied.
It had always made him long for the day he and Jess would have children of their own. He knew she would have been a wonderful mother because she was so great with kids, loved spending time with them whenever she had the chance. Now he longed just to have her back, have her here to share in moments such as this but that time had passed.
“Can we get this?”
He looked up to where the girls were standing, pointing toward a plaid skirt and he smiled. It was ridiculous how cute these outfits were and he couldn’t deny the fact that he was enjoying it, especially when the girls seemed so happy.
“You both want the same one?” When they nodded he picked up the right size and put them in the cart before moving toward the shirts that went with the set.
He held up a pink shirt that he was sure matched the skirt and the girls nodded in agreement as he tossed two of them into the cart as well. The girls pulled him over toward another aisle, point toward a few shirts that were obviously from Disney movies. He let them pick out two each as he picked out a few pairs of leggings for them. He laughed at himself because he realized how protective he already was, how modest he was going to be by picking out leggings for them to wear under the skirt. They were only five but he had a feeling Dave would be making the same decision.
When the three of them finally found Dean, he had an arm full of little jeans and was looking out the shoe racks. Sam couldn’t help but smile, realizing that his brother was rather good at and comfortable with this whole shopping thing after all. He watched as Dean picked Mackenzie up, flipping her upside down as she giggled and fought to get out of his hold. Dean looked at her shoes and then flipped her back up, tickling both her and Meghan as he set her back down.
Once they had two pairs of tennis shoes, two pairs of little flats and two pairs of flip flops, they headed out of the clothing departments. Sam was thankful that Dean had picked up the hard stuff, such as undergarments, that was sure to make Sam extremely uncomfortable.
They let the girls pick out two toys each and one stuffed animal. Sam knew they would come back in the near future and let them pick out more but for now that was enough.
“Can we get princess sheets for our new beds?”
Without a second though, both Sam and Dean nodded, flinching at the high pitched squeals they received in return. They guided the girls toward the linens department and let them both pick out their own bed sets. Bobby decided he would clean out the third bedroom upstairs and pick up two beds for the girls while they were out. Eventually they would let the girls decorate the room but for now the bed sheets were a start.
Just as they were about to head out of the aisle, Meghan pulled a pillow from the shelf and held it toward Dean.
“Can I get this?”
Sam watched Dean stare at it in confusion, though it was obvious to Sam why the little girl had picked it up. He chuckled quietly when Dean handed it back to her, his eyes shining with understanding even if his big brother didn’t want to believe it.
“Why do you what that one? Wouldn’t you rather one with a princess or how about the one shaped like a crown?”
“This one makes me think of you.” She smiled as she hugged the Superman pillow close to her.
Dean’s face lit up with a smile, eyes giving away the strong emotion he was feeling but Sam didn’t say anything. He just watched as Dean knelt down and hugged both of the girls before tossing the pillow into the cart and heading out of the aisle.
They paid for their extremely large purchase, Sam trying to ignore the total as Dean slid his fake credit card through the touch pad. The girls were bouncing excitedly beside the cart, holding tight to the stuffed animals they had picked out.
When they got back to the truck, Dean tossed the bags into the large tool box that they had cleaned out earlier, making sure that all the weapons were hidden from the girls. Sam waited with the girls by the truck as Dean returned the cart, leaning heavily against the metal to take some weight off his sore ankle. The pain meds were obviously starting to wear off as his breathing was becoming more and more painful and his wrist and ankle were beginning to throb.
He was careful to hide his growing discomfort from the girls but when their tiny arms wrapped around his legs he couldn’t help the wince that escaped. However, he cupped the back of their heads gently and watched as they squeezed him tightly before looking up at him with identical, dimpled smiles.
“Thank you!” They hugged his legs again and he wished he could bend down and give them a big hug but his injuries were making that impossible.
“You’re welcome. Do you guys like the stuff you got?”
“Yes!”
He started to laugh as the girls listed their favorite things but his laughter broke off into a wince as his chest ached with the movement. Luckily Dean was there to take over, carefully lifting the girls back into the truck and helping Sam climb in as well.
It would only be a few more weeks until Sam would be rid of the bulking inconvenience of the walking cast, and hopefully by then his ribs will have healed nicely. He reluctantly accepted that, until then, he would have to rely on Dean’s help and he was thankful that his brother seemed to understand that Sam needed the help, but he didn’t need a shadow.
They were adjusting well to the added responsibility of the girls and he knew they were all enjoying it, even if they felt rather guilty about it. He also knew there was going to be a lot of obstacles ahead of them but he didn’t doubt that they could get through it. Dean and him always made a great team and those girls found a permanent place in their lives, as well as hearts, so there was no way they would be giving up or failing.
They would make the best of this new twist in their lives and those girls would be well taken care of, probably over protected but definitely safe.
~*~*~
1 Month Later
Sam sat on the bench and watched as the girls chased each other through the playground equipment, simply enjoying the sound of their laughter and the bright smiles on their faces. It had been a tough road getting to this point, many late nights filled with nightmares that were no longer just his.
For the first two weeks, after the exhaustion and shock of the events had worn off, Sam was waking up every so often from his own horrific dreams only to be kept awake by the quiet whimpering from the room next door. He decided it would be him that comforted the girls, which had him hobbling into their room late at night, sitting beside either of them or sometimes both until they fell back asleep. He even sat on the floor between the beds on the nights when the dreams occurred so often that it didn’t make sense for him to leave.
As the nights continued and the girls grew closer to him and Dean, Sam got up less and less. The nightmares continued but the girls started coming to Sam, curling up beside him in bed or calling for him to come lay with them in theirs. It wasn’t something he even thought about and he wasn’t even sure he realized when it happened, he just fell right into protecting them, making them feel safe.
He didn’t miss the proud and nostalgic smiles Dean thought he was hiding.
“Sam!”
He jumped out of his thoughts as Mackenzie called his name from across the park, his ears trained to their voices. Before his eyes could adjust to the glare of sunshine he was presented with a lap full of five-year-olds.
The girls giggled and tickled at his sides as they wrestled to get free from his strong arms. He didn’t have the heart to tell them that he wasn’t ticklish so he always chuckled and squirmed as if their tiny fingers actually had an effect.
Finally they broke free and ran off toward the playground again. Sam quickly hopped up onto his feet and easily chased after the girls.
“I’m gonna get you two!” He caught up with them in a few strides and swiped both of them off their feet, holding one in each arm as if they actually were puppies. “Now what should I do with you guys?”
“Put us down you big goof!” Meghan fought to get the words out between giggles, her fingers trying once again to tickle at Sam and break his hold.
He gently let them drop into the mulch, both squealing as they darted away from him and ran off toward the other play set. Mackenzie missed the wood surrounding the mulched playground, tripping over the plank and falling hard onto her knee.
It took a few seconds for her to recover and Sam figured she didn’t really know what happened until she sat up and looked down at her knee. He waited, holding his breath as she glanced down at her torn jeans and the bleeding gash until her teary eyes looked back up at Sam and she let the dam break.
The first cry startled Sam and he jumped into action, hurrying over to the girls and crouching down in front of Mackenzie with Meghan beside him. They didn’t have a med kit with them, which Sam was definitely starting to regret, but they were only a few minutes from Bobby’s and the gash really wasn’t that deep at all.
“It’s nothing but a scratch.” He cupped her tiny face in his large hands and gently brushed her tears away as she hiccupped on her sobs. “What you say we head home and get you all fixed up?”
When Mackenzie nodded he carefully pulled her up into his arms, her face buried in his neck, and headed out of the park with Meghan’s hand in his. He knew by the time they reached Bobby’s the sore would already have stopped bleeding but he also knew that it was hurting Mackenzie and the sooner they got it clean and bandaged, the better she would feel.
He hurried along dragging Meghan with him as the three closed the distance between them and Bobby’s. Meghan was exhausted when they finally turned onto the long, empty road that was much different than the bright, pleasant school grounds they had just visited, even if Bobby had tried to make his yard and house look more presentable since the girls had been staying with them.
Sam smiled down at Meghan in apology as he pulled her up onto the porch and pushed open the door. He didn’t bother looking around as he guided the girls into the kitchen, setting Mackenzie down on top of the counter and placing Meghan beside her.
“See,” He lifted Mackenzie’s already healing knee and kissed right above the sore. “It was just a little scratch.”
Mackenzie smiled and Meghan wrapped her arm around her sister as Sam dug the med kit out from under the sink. He watched as Mackenzie leaned into Meghan’s hold, taking the comfort her sister offered when Sam carefully applied the ointment to the gash and then covered it with a plain bandage.
Once he was finished he placed a hand on the side of each of their faces and kissed them both on their forehead before helping them hop off the counter. When he turned around to head out of the kitchen he came face to face with his brother.
Dean gave the three of them a forced smile before it dropped and Sam saw the brief sadness that his brother didn’t even realize he had let show.
“What’s wrong, man?”
Dean shook his head and motioned over his shoulder before turning away from them and walking out the back door. The girls looked up at Sam in confusion but eagerly pulled on him to follow Dean.
He heard the familiar voice as they pushed through the door but when his eyes finally fell on the scarred face he felt his heart drop in both excitement and sadness.
“Daddy!”
Last
So there’s my little cliffhanger.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter even if it was a bit slow.
I couldn’t help myself from writing those scenes but I really hope they weren’t too boring.
Thanks a bunch for all the awesome reviews!
You guys never cease to make me smile with all your kind words so, thank you!
There’s one more chapter left but I don’t know if I can let it end there or not. I’ve enjoyed this story so much so we’ll see.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: N/A, Gen
Betas: The wonderful sendintheklowns and blueeyedliz.
Word Count: 4,268
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Warnings/Spoilers: Minor character death and spoilers for End of Season 1 and Early Season 2. Does hurt Sam need a warning?
A/N: This story is for the lovely Gidgetgal9 who won a fic from me at Kazcon. The proceeds went toward a donation to National Lung Cancer Partnership in recognition of Kim Manners. I’m so glad I was able to be a part of it even if I couldn’t make it to the convention. Thanks to Gidgetgal9 for biding on me! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. p.s. I didn't intentionally name the girls after Jared's and Jensen's sisters. it just happened that way =).
Summary: A Rescue mission gone wrong leaves Sam injured and the brothers with the responsibility of five-year-old twin girls who share a surprisingly strong connection to Sam that goes well beyond the loss of their parents.
Master Post
Previous
~*~*~
“Sam!”
His sleep was suddenly interrupted by the loud, but excited screaming as he heard the pounding of little feet running down the hallway. The girls giggled, quietly pushing the door open, as if he hadn’t already heard them coming, and slowly tiptoed to his bedside.
Sam waited till they were right by his head, leaning over slightly to try and see his face, before he bent his arm up and tickled one of them on the side. They both screamed and flew back from the bed but the scream quickly turned into laughter as Sam turned to them with a smile.
“Good morning.” He chuckled as they slowly came closer, jumping slightly when he flinched his arm.
“It’s not morning anymore,” Meghan shook her head with laugh and Sam’s smile widened at the pleasant sound. “Dean said we could wake you for lunch. We had breakfast hours ago but you missed it because you’re a sleepyhead.”
He wasn’t really shocked that he’d slept so late. They hadn’t arrived at Bobby’s until sometime after midnight and Dean had insisted he take his pain medication before bed. The fact that he was exhausted, plus the drug induced drowsiness had definitely added up to a long, much needed rest.
The pain in his chest was a dull ache, his wrist and ankle practically numb and his head was no longer throbbing. He didn’t remember waking up at all but he knew Dean had made sure he took another dose when called for, there was no way he was feeling this good without the help of those powerful meds Dean had confiscated.
“Lunch is ready, girls.” Dean managed to step into the room complete unnoticed but Sam blamed it on the drugs again. “You two go on down and keep Bobby company. We’ll be down shortly, okay?”
They nodded, giving Sam a headache just watching them, and then turned back toward the bed with a timid smile.
“Dean said we had to be careful but can we hug you?”
It took him a moment to actually reply, his mind working to explain the overwhelming emotions that were rushing through his body. He knew his smile probably looked extremely silly but Dean didn’t laugh and the girls simply shuffled closer to him, their own smiles growing.
“I would really like that.”
Mackenzie rushed around to his other side and threw her arms gently around his neck. Both of them smiled wide and bright, showing off their beautiful dimples. He curled his arms up and ran his fingers through the back of her hair as Meghan joined in the hug. They stayed like that for what only felt like seconds to Sam except when Dean cleared his throat and he realized, judging by the increasing discomfort in his chest, that it had been much longer.
The girls reluctantly pulled back, smiling at Sam once more before rushing past Dean and down the hallway. He heard Bobby shout for them to stop running and they shouted back their apologies with a bit too much enthusiasm. When he looked back up at Dean, he knew he wasn’t the only one enjoying the moment.
“I figured you might need some help.”
“I might,” Sam smiled as he carefully shifted his legs over the side of the bed, finding it much easier this time than at the hospital. “The problem’s going to be sitting up.”
“Such a baby.” Despite the insult, Dean moved to Sam’s side and carefully placed an arm beneath his shoulders, slowly helping him move into a sitting position.
It took him a few seconds to adjust to the pain and to steady his breathing. He forgot how much of a nuisance broken ribs were. He could deal with the pain, having learned over the years, but because they messed with the ability to breathe correctly, broken ribs made everything feel much more difficult than usual.
Dean kept a calming hand on his back the whole time, rubbing gently in a steady pattern and quietly coaching Sam as he regulated his breathing.
Once he was back to breathing as best he could, he reluctantly allowed Dean to help him with his clothes. Luckily Dean was kind enough to leave him a bit of pride and only insisted on helping him with his shirt and walking cast, which was a brilliant idea but a pain to take off and extremely bulky. When it came time for his pants, Dean had thankfully stepped outside; waiting in the hallways just case he was needed.
It took much longer than usual and caused him a lot of pain but he managed, carful of the stitches on his ankle. He carefully sat back down on the bed and called Dean back in because there was no way he was getting the cast back on by himself.
Without any smartass remarks, Dean knelt down on the floor and carefully rolled Sam’s pants up to the knee. He expertly removed the dressing, cleaned the incision, applied a healthy amount of Neosporin and redressed Sam’s ankle in no time.
Sam tried to help as much as he could but he could barely lift his leg as Dean slipped the boot back on, tightening all the straps perfectly. His brother hadn’t even been in the room when the nurse showed him how to adjust the cast but it didn’t shock him that Dean knew just how it worked, as well as how to fit it right to his leg.
He looked down at his leg once the cast was on, his pants rolled up to his knee and his toes peeking out.
“I look like a dork.”
“No more than usual.”
Dean carefully helped him up off the bed but moved away, even if it was just a few inches, and allowed Sam to walk out of the room without the added support. Surprisingly, he made it all the way to the stairs but gave in and let Dean help him hobble down the steps, one foot at a time.
By the time they reached the kitchen he was out of breath, wheezing slightly. Dean easily maneuvered him to the chair and repeated his actions from earlier until Sam’s breathing was normal once again.
“Hey, kid.” Bobby placed a bowl of hot soup in front of him and Sam resisted the urge to kiss the man as his stomach rumbled with gratitude. “Didn’t know how your stomach would be with those meds. Hope soups alright.”
“It’s perfect, Bobby, thank you.” He smiled at the older man and greedily slurped up the broth.
“Way to set an example, dude.”
Dean nudged him playfully and laughed along with the girls and Bobby, all four looking at him as he ate. He wiped his napkin across his chin and looked up at them with a smile, cheeks going red with embarrassment.
“I’m hungry.” He shrugged his shoulders and winked at the girls before returning to the delicious soup in front of him.
“Obviously,” Dean smiled and handed him another napkin, which he graciously accepted. “You think you’re up for a trip into town?”
“What for?”
“We have to get some things for the girls, specifically clothes.”
Sam saw the girls light up, both of them bouncing in their seats. He smiled at the two of them, realizing that they were in the same change of the clothes from yesterday, the only change of clothes that Dave had thankfully packed in the duffle bag that had been left in Bobby’s truck.
He nodded in reply as he shoved another spoonful into his mouth. Shopping with his brother was interesting enough when they were just going to pick up replacement jeans for themselves. He was curious how Dean expected them to shop for two five year old girls. Neither of them had a clue, which meant their trip was bound to be an interesting learning experience.
He just hoped they would make it out with a little sanity left.
~*~*~
Sam felt slightly awkward as the four of them walked into the department store. He pulled a cart out from the stacks and the girls immediately latched on to the sides, which comforted him yet made it all feel even more uncomfortable.
It was hard to miss the looks they were getting as he and the girls followed behind Dean. He had gotten used to people assuming what they want about him and his brother and despite his discomfort he couldn’t deny how domestic this scene had to look to an outsider. He was just waiting for Dean to notice.
However, it didn’t seem to faze Dean so Sam tried to let it slip his mind as well. He ignored the longer than usual stares and poorly concealed whispers as they walked by, just wanting to get their shopping done and get out.
Dean stopped in the little girls section, his face looking paler than usual as Sam watched him look around at the immense collection of clothing. Sam was fairly certain he had never seen so much pink in his life and he knew his brother was thinking the same thing.
“What do we do now?”
He turned to Dean who had moved beside him and shrugged his shoulders. The girls were bouncing on their heels, smiles wide as they stared at all the clothing.
He felt extremely out of his element and he knew the trip was only going to keep getting worse.
Suddenly he realized that they had no idea what size the girls wore which meant they were going to have let the girls try the outfits on, which meant Sam or
Dean would have to go in the dressing room with them, which mean they were going to have the change the girls. He felt rather ridiculous that changing the girls was his biggest fear. Dean had helped them yesterday with no problem but Sam was completely freaked out by the idea. Surely that wasn’t appropriate for him to do, right? He shouldn’t be changing little girls.
Obviously his breathing had speed up, which caused strain on his ribs and raised Dean’s big brother awareness. Dean’s hand was on his back in a second, rubbing those damn calming circles again except that they were only making things worse. The contact from his big brother would only add to the assumptions of the people around them.
He tried reminding himself that it didn’t matter. It had never really bothered him before but today was different somehow. He was realizing how bad of an idea this trip was. He should have just let Dean come alone.
“Relax, dude.”
When he finally got his breathing under control and opened his eyes, which he didn’t know were closed, Dean and the girls were watching him closely. He smiled at them nervously and rubbed at the back of his neck as Dean’s worry morphed into a teasing smile.
He watched as Dean placed a gentle hand on Meghan’s shoulder before carefully pulling back the color of her shirt and revealing the tag, making sure that Sam could see it too. Dean tucked it back in, tickling Meghan’s neck as he did so, before moving over toward one of the display racks.
“Do you girls like this shirt?” They both smiled and nodded with excitement and Dean picked up two of them, throwing them into the cart as he turned toward Sam. “See, simple.”
Sam shook his head with a smile, amazed that his brother knew him far too well but also embarrassed for the same reason.
“They don’t always have to match, Dean.” He looked down at the girls who were staring at him in confusion. “Do you two like to dress the same or would you like to pick out different clothes?”
They looked at each other then turned back to Sam with wide smiles, “We like to wear the same clothes sometimes, but we don’t always like the same stuff.”
“If you don’t like something we pick out just tell us, okay?”
His unease was starting to diminish as he navigated around the aisles, picking up clothes along with the girls while Dean went off alone. He held up a blue
flowered sundress and Mackenzie nodded, pulling the dress from his hand and tossing it into the cart. Meghan pointed toward the one with multi-colored flowers and when he handed it to her she hugged it close before tossing it into the cart as well.
He remembered going shopping with Jess a few times.
She had loved buying clothes for her niece and she used to laugh at Sam’s horrible fashion sense, claiming he was the worst at matching outfits. Eventually he learned, having spent time watching her and taking the tips she jokingly supplied.
It had always made him long for the day he and Jess would have children of their own. He knew she would have been a wonderful mother because she was so great with kids, loved spending time with them whenever she had the chance. Now he longed just to have her back, have her here to share in moments such as this but that time had passed.
“Can we get this?”
He looked up to where the girls were standing, pointing toward a plaid skirt and he smiled. It was ridiculous how cute these outfits were and he couldn’t deny the fact that he was enjoying it, especially when the girls seemed so happy.
“You both want the same one?” When they nodded he picked up the right size and put them in the cart before moving toward the shirts that went with the set.
He held up a pink shirt that he was sure matched the skirt and the girls nodded in agreement as he tossed two of them into the cart as well. The girls pulled him over toward another aisle, point toward a few shirts that were obviously from Disney movies. He let them pick out two each as he picked out a few pairs of leggings for them. He laughed at himself because he realized how protective he already was, how modest he was going to be by picking out leggings for them to wear under the skirt. They were only five but he had a feeling Dave would be making the same decision.
When the three of them finally found Dean, he had an arm full of little jeans and was looking out the shoe racks. Sam couldn’t help but smile, realizing that his brother was rather good at and comfortable with this whole shopping thing after all. He watched as Dean picked Mackenzie up, flipping her upside down as she giggled and fought to get out of his hold. Dean looked at her shoes and then flipped her back up, tickling both her and Meghan as he set her back down.
Once they had two pairs of tennis shoes, two pairs of little flats and two pairs of flip flops, they headed out of the clothing departments. Sam was thankful that Dean had picked up the hard stuff, such as undergarments, that was sure to make Sam extremely uncomfortable.
They let the girls pick out two toys each and one stuffed animal. Sam knew they would come back in the near future and let them pick out more but for now that was enough.
“Can we get princess sheets for our new beds?”
Without a second though, both Sam and Dean nodded, flinching at the high pitched squeals they received in return. They guided the girls toward the linens department and let them both pick out their own bed sets. Bobby decided he would clean out the third bedroom upstairs and pick up two beds for the girls while they were out. Eventually they would let the girls decorate the room but for now the bed sheets were a start.
Just as they were about to head out of the aisle, Meghan pulled a pillow from the shelf and held it toward Dean.
“Can I get this?”
Sam watched Dean stare at it in confusion, though it was obvious to Sam why the little girl had picked it up. He chuckled quietly when Dean handed it back to her, his eyes shining with understanding even if his big brother didn’t want to believe it.
“Why do you what that one? Wouldn’t you rather one with a princess or how about the one shaped like a crown?”
“This one makes me think of you.” She smiled as she hugged the Superman pillow close to her.
Dean’s face lit up with a smile, eyes giving away the strong emotion he was feeling but Sam didn’t say anything. He just watched as Dean knelt down and hugged both of the girls before tossing the pillow into the cart and heading out of the aisle.
They paid for their extremely large purchase, Sam trying to ignore the total as Dean slid his fake credit card through the touch pad. The girls were bouncing excitedly beside the cart, holding tight to the stuffed animals they had picked out.
When they got back to the truck, Dean tossed the bags into the large tool box that they had cleaned out earlier, making sure that all the weapons were hidden from the girls. Sam waited with the girls by the truck as Dean returned the cart, leaning heavily against the metal to take some weight off his sore ankle. The pain meds were obviously starting to wear off as his breathing was becoming more and more painful and his wrist and ankle were beginning to throb.
He was careful to hide his growing discomfort from the girls but when their tiny arms wrapped around his legs he couldn’t help the wince that escaped. However, he cupped the back of their heads gently and watched as they squeezed him tightly before looking up at him with identical, dimpled smiles.
“Thank you!” They hugged his legs again and he wished he could bend down and give them a big hug but his injuries were making that impossible.
“You’re welcome. Do you guys like the stuff you got?”
“Yes!”
He started to laugh as the girls listed their favorite things but his laughter broke off into a wince as his chest ached with the movement. Luckily Dean was there to take over, carefully lifting the girls back into the truck and helping Sam climb in as well.
It would only be a few more weeks until Sam would be rid of the bulking inconvenience of the walking cast, and hopefully by then his ribs will have healed nicely. He reluctantly accepted that, until then, he would have to rely on Dean’s help and he was thankful that his brother seemed to understand that Sam needed the help, but he didn’t need a shadow.
They were adjusting well to the added responsibility of the girls and he knew they were all enjoying it, even if they felt rather guilty about it. He also knew there was going to be a lot of obstacles ahead of them but he didn’t doubt that they could get through it. Dean and him always made a great team and those girls found a permanent place in their lives, as well as hearts, so there was no way they would be giving up or failing.
They would make the best of this new twist in their lives and those girls would be well taken care of, probably over protected but definitely safe.
~*~*~
1 Month Later
Sam sat on the bench and watched as the girls chased each other through the playground equipment, simply enjoying the sound of their laughter and the bright smiles on their faces. It had been a tough road getting to this point, many late nights filled with nightmares that were no longer just his.
For the first two weeks, after the exhaustion and shock of the events had worn off, Sam was waking up every so often from his own horrific dreams only to be kept awake by the quiet whimpering from the room next door. He decided it would be him that comforted the girls, which had him hobbling into their room late at night, sitting beside either of them or sometimes both until they fell back asleep. He even sat on the floor between the beds on the nights when the dreams occurred so often that it didn’t make sense for him to leave.
As the nights continued and the girls grew closer to him and Dean, Sam got up less and less. The nightmares continued but the girls started coming to Sam, curling up beside him in bed or calling for him to come lay with them in theirs. It wasn’t something he even thought about and he wasn’t even sure he realized when it happened, he just fell right into protecting them, making them feel safe.
He didn’t miss the proud and nostalgic smiles Dean thought he was hiding.
“Sam!”
He jumped out of his thoughts as Mackenzie called his name from across the park, his ears trained to their voices. Before his eyes could adjust to the glare of sunshine he was presented with a lap full of five-year-olds.
The girls giggled and tickled at his sides as they wrestled to get free from his strong arms. He didn’t have the heart to tell them that he wasn’t ticklish so he always chuckled and squirmed as if their tiny fingers actually had an effect.
Finally they broke free and ran off toward the playground again. Sam quickly hopped up onto his feet and easily chased after the girls.
“I’m gonna get you two!” He caught up with them in a few strides and swiped both of them off their feet, holding one in each arm as if they actually were puppies. “Now what should I do with you guys?”
“Put us down you big goof!” Meghan fought to get the words out between giggles, her fingers trying once again to tickle at Sam and break his hold.
He gently let them drop into the mulch, both squealing as they darted away from him and ran off toward the other play set. Mackenzie missed the wood surrounding the mulched playground, tripping over the plank and falling hard onto her knee.
It took a few seconds for her to recover and Sam figured she didn’t really know what happened until she sat up and looked down at her knee. He waited, holding his breath as she glanced down at her torn jeans and the bleeding gash until her teary eyes looked back up at Sam and she let the dam break.
The first cry startled Sam and he jumped into action, hurrying over to the girls and crouching down in front of Mackenzie with Meghan beside him. They didn’t have a med kit with them, which Sam was definitely starting to regret, but they were only a few minutes from Bobby’s and the gash really wasn’t that deep at all.
“It’s nothing but a scratch.” He cupped her tiny face in his large hands and gently brushed her tears away as she hiccupped on her sobs. “What you say we head home and get you all fixed up?”
When Mackenzie nodded he carefully pulled her up into his arms, her face buried in his neck, and headed out of the park with Meghan’s hand in his. He knew by the time they reached Bobby’s the sore would already have stopped bleeding but he also knew that it was hurting Mackenzie and the sooner they got it clean and bandaged, the better she would feel.
He hurried along dragging Meghan with him as the three closed the distance between them and Bobby’s. Meghan was exhausted when they finally turned onto the long, empty road that was much different than the bright, pleasant school grounds they had just visited, even if Bobby had tried to make his yard and house look more presentable since the girls had been staying with them.
Sam smiled down at Meghan in apology as he pulled her up onto the porch and pushed open the door. He didn’t bother looking around as he guided the girls into the kitchen, setting Mackenzie down on top of the counter and placing Meghan beside her.
“See,” He lifted Mackenzie’s already healing knee and kissed right above the sore. “It was just a little scratch.”
Mackenzie smiled and Meghan wrapped her arm around her sister as Sam dug the med kit out from under the sink. He watched as Mackenzie leaned into Meghan’s hold, taking the comfort her sister offered when Sam carefully applied the ointment to the gash and then covered it with a plain bandage.
Once he was finished he placed a hand on the side of each of their faces and kissed them both on their forehead before helping them hop off the counter. When he turned around to head out of the kitchen he came face to face with his brother.
Dean gave the three of them a forced smile before it dropped and Sam saw the brief sadness that his brother didn’t even realize he had let show.
“What’s wrong, man?”
Dean shook his head and motioned over his shoulder before turning away from them and walking out the back door. The girls looked up at Sam in confusion but eagerly pulled on him to follow Dean.
He heard the familiar voice as they pushed through the door but when his eyes finally fell on the scarred face he felt his heart drop in both excitement and sadness.
“Daddy!”
Last
So there’s my little cliffhanger.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter even if it was a bit slow.
I couldn’t help myself from writing those scenes but I really hope they weren’t too boring.
Thanks a bunch for all the awesome reviews!
You guys never cease to make me smile with all your kind words so, thank you!
There’s one more chapter left but I don’t know if I can let it end there or not. I’ve enjoyed this story so much so we’ll see.