It was a dream...
...
He watched the three most important people in his life from the doorway of the nursery, a silly grin tugging at his lips, and a lightness in his heart despite the uneasiness dogging him since that morning. Mary leaned over to kiss the forehead of their six-month-old son, Sam, while Dean stroked his baby brother's fingers through the bars of the crib.
It was a picture perfect moment. One John Winchester filed away for when the boys were grown and raising sons of their own. Wish I could afford a video camera, he mused as Sam cooed at Dean. These are the moments parents want to remember forever.
He started considering buying a video camera after Sammy was born. He wanted to film his boys at this age so he could remind them when they got older about how much they used to like each other. Sammy babbled excitedly whenever he saw Dean. And Dean? Well, his oldest tended to act more like a parent than an older brother.
Not that John minded. Long as his boys were happy and healthy was all that mattered to him. Far as he was concerned, his boys were happy and healthy and being raised by parents who loved them very much. Two parents, he amended, the familiar sting of bitterness stealing some of his happiness. He'd never abandon Sam and Dean the way his shithead of a father did him.
No, his boys would have everything he could possibly give them. He looked forward to playing catch in the backyard, building terrible science fair projects, working on the Impala, and passing on what wisdom he possessed so that his boys could make smart life decisions.
He and Mary promised each other that they'd do everything they could to see their boys grow into honest, decent, hardworking men. They wouldn't be raised as hunters. Not like Mary was. They won't ever know that the monsters under their beds, and in their closets, are real.
"Hey, Dean," he called as he padded into the room. "Miss me?"
Because I sure missed you, he thought as his oldest spun towards him.
"Daddy!" Dean tossed himself into his arms with a smile that brightened the room. "You're home!"
"Yeah, buddy, I'm home."
He bounced the boy in his arms as he glanced at Mary. There was a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes — the same color as their boys' — that gave him a quick, pleasant little jolt. Dean distracted him from his thoughts by hooking him around the neck.
"You missed dinner, Daddy."
"Yeah?" He looked at him. "What we have?"
"Peanut butter and jelly 'cause the meatloaf sploded."
"It sploded, did it?" He shared an amused look with Mary. "And why did it splode?"
"'Cause the oven made it go kaboom."
He chuckled as he walked over to the crib to look down at his youngest son. Sam flayed his arms and kicked his legs, babbling happily, and smiling so big that John thought his lips would get stuck.
"So, you think Sammy's ready to toss around a football in the backyard?"
Dean shook his head. "No, Daddy. He too little."
"Yeah, you're right." He reached down to stroke his fingers over the top of that downy head. "He'll be plenty big enough soon, though."
"You got him?" Mary set a hand on his shoulder and leaned over to kiss Dean's cheek. "Or do you want me to put him to bed?"
John shook his head. "No, I got him."
This is our special time, he thought as Dean laid his head on his shoulder. He told Dean stories from his childhood since he was too young to hear about most of the crap he and Mike got into in high school. And Nam? Well, that wasn't something he ever planned to discuss with his boys.
"Alright." She stroked a hand over the back of Dean's head. "Goodnight, Dean."
"Night, Mommy."
Mary smiled before turning to leave the room. John hugged Dean tighter as he looked down at Sam. He couldn't wait for when his youngest was old enough to have special times with. I'll have to make sure to split time evenly to avoid any jealousy between them. For now, he'd enjoy what time he did have. It'd be gone too soon. He stroked Sammy's head again.
"Sweet dreams, Sammy."
He then carried Dean to the door, shutting off the lights before he exited.
A/N: Hello, all, and welcome! I own nothing here save for my own twist on the canon. This collection is meant to explore an area of the show that was left lacking: John Winchester. He was only seen in a handful of episodes but his influence is everywhere. With John returning in the 300th episode of Supernatural, I thought it fitting to explore those unchartered waters.
Tagged to 1x01, the Pilot episode.
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