Fic: Before the 'Once Upon a Time'- Chapter 2

Oct 11, 2010 20:35

Author’s Notes: Weechesters. Set around a year after Mary’s death. So Sam’s 18-24 months. Dean around 5 years old. 2nd in the "Before the 'Once Upon a Time'" series.

Summary: Before everything, John saw glimpses of who his boys would be. This chapter: John’s first heartbreak over Sam.
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First of the First

John watched as a grinning Dean sat cross-legged on the threadbare rug in the middle of the room, Sammy sat across from him.

The toddler babbled on and on happily, clapping his hands and pawing at the toys in Dean’s hands as his older brother created elaborate scenarios with the toy car and the plastic tyrannosaurus. He coached Sam, trying to get him to complete the word, his first word.

“Come on Sammy, say it. Say ‘dad’.”

John smiled tightly.

“Dean, I’ll be back in a bit. Just running to the store next door. You good here?”

“Yeah dad, we’re fine.”

Dean barely glanced up, wholly concentrated on trying to wring that word from Sammy.

John grabbed his wallet and keys. Grabbed his jacket and walked out the front door. He closed it behind him and leaned his back against it.

The hunter covered his eyes and took a deep breath. His youngest was about to speak for the first time and he was running away, going out for something he didn’t need just because he didn’t want to be in that room when Sam spoke.

John had heard the baby babbling for a while now. He heard the first, more distinct sounds this morning while he was researching an old Latin ritual and he knew he couldn’t be there to hear the word.

“Dad, dad, I’m gonna get him to say it! I think he can do it today.” Dean’s excited voice had said. And the kid hadn’t stopped coaching him yet.

John heaved a breath and pulled away from the door, walking toward the road.

Because he had heard the sounds Sammy had been making. The ‘D-du-d-‘ bursts of breath. And even though the first sounds were correct, John knew they weren’t for him.

So he set out to the road to walk when he could have driven. To give himself more time away, more of a chance that this rite of passage would be over by the time he got back.

Because he just couldn’t be there when the first name his youngest ever spoke wasn’t his.

spn

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