Disclaimer: The characters of Supernatural do not belong to me. The original character of Evelyn Winchester does.
A/N: So, after the intensity of the last story, I wanted to do something sweet and fluffy. So here it is. My writer's block seems to have gone away, and I'm working on a few other ideas. Stay tuned!
"Balls!"
Bobby drew his hand back from the car hood which had just slammed very hard on top of it. He had a small cut on the top of his hand, but otherwise seemed unhurt. Bobby headed inside and applied a bandage to his hand, then started to head back outside to keep working. A small voice from the other side of the kitchen stopped him.
"Unca Baby?"
Bobby looked over and saw two-year-old Evy standing in the doorway. He chuckled; he could tell Sam was still sleeping and she'd come downstairs without him. Her hair was a mess, and she was still in her pajamas. She was rubbing sleep out of her eyes and holding her stuffed cat Squish in her arm.
"Hey, Baitfish? All better, huh?"
"Yeah." Evy said, grinning. "I not feel yucky no more."
Bobby chuckled. Evy had been sick a cold and fever for close to a week. She had caught it from Sam, who had spoiled her even more than usual that week out of guilt. Evy toddled up to Bobby, who picked her up and felt her forehead, and was relieved to find it felt normal.
"Where's Sam?" Bobby asked.
Evy suddenly appeared guilty. "I keeped Sammy up last night. He still seeping. I not want to wake him up."
"Why'd you keep him up?" Bobby asked.
"I not mean to. I had a bad dream. I was scared to go back to seep." Evy explained.
Bobby smiled. "You're sweet as a cupcake, you know that?"
Evy grinned and Bobby kissed her cheek. "Unca Baby?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"My tummy yelling at me." she said, laying a hand on her stomach to emphasize her point.
Bobby chuckled. "Well, I guess we better feed it, huh?"
"Yes, pease."
Bobby quickly made her some eggs, which he was happy to see she practically inhaled. She hadn't eaten more than a few bites at a time the entire week, a big change from her appetite that usually rivaled that of her big brother Dean. He sent her upstairs and helped her get dressed and brush her teeth. When she was ready, Bobby checked the clock and realized he had a problem. It was 8:30, and Sam was still sleeping. John and Dean were on a hunt, and someone had to watch Evy. Bobby looked down when he felt something tugging on his leg.
"Unca Baby? What we do now?" Evy asked.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out, Baitfish."
"Will you teach me?" Evy asked.
Bobby, puzzled, bent down to ask her, "Teach you? Teach you what?"
"Bout cars." Evy asked.
Bobby could have sworn he felt his heart swell in his chest. "You want me to?"
Evy grinned and nodded.
Oh, what the hell? Bobby thought. "Alright, Baitfish. Come on."
Bobby picked her up and carried her back out to the garage, where he gave her very strict instructions. Do not touch anything without permission. Be careful. Do not go back to the house alone. Evy swore she wouldn't, and Bobby got to work. He pointed out parts of the car to her, and very patiently explained what they did. Evy handed him things he asked for, and cheered when Bobby finally figured out the problem and the car started.
"You did it!" Evy cheered, arms up in the air.
Bobby quickly wiped his greasy hands and took a drink from the bottled water. Evy was grinning, a crooked, lopsided grin of accomplishment. Bobby walked over to her and ruffled her hair, then kissed her cheek. He reached into a bowl that he kept on a table by the wall, and handed Evy a lollipop that was almost the same size as her mouth. He opened it and handed it to her.
"We did it." he said, holding his hand up for a high five.
"We did it." Evy corrected herself, smacking Bobby's hand as hard as she could.
Bobby lifted her off the stool she was sitting on and set her on his hip. He closed the hood of the car and started to walk back inside with her. Evy wrapped her arms around Bobby's neck as they walked.
"Tank you, unca Baby. That was fun."
Bobby smiled and patted her back. "That was fun, Baitfish." he agreed. "What do you say we go check on Sammy?"
"Okay."
But when they made it to the living room, another surprise was waiting for them. Bobby was turned and putting his hat on the coat rack beside the door when he heard Evy gasp. She started squirming hard in his arms and trying to get down. What in the world? Bobby thought to himself, before Evy's excited squeal answered the question for him. He set her down and she ran to the living room couch as fast as she could.
"Daddy! Deanie!"
Evy jumped onto the couch into her father's lap, who, despite clearly being exhausted, picked her up and embraced her. Sixteen-year-old Dean hugged her too, and Bobby watched her with them without saying anything. John was genuinely smiling, which was a rare sight. Evy clung to John's neck tightly.
"I glad you back, Daddy. I missed you."
"I missed you too, little one." John said. "Dean has something for you."
Evy finally let go of John's neck and looked at Dean with wide, expectant eyes. "What is it? What you bring me?"
Dean laughed and pulled out of his bag a toy for Evy. They had found it in a side of the road thrift shop that they'd stopped in because Sam had told them she needed some clothes. There, in the corner, Dean had found it. The toy was a plastic wheel, with an arrow in the middle. Around the edges were animals. Pointing the arrow at the animal and pulling the large lever on the side produced the sound that particular animal was making. Dean demonstrated it to her and Evy's eyes got even bigger.
"Wow!" she said, taking it from Dean and planting it in her lap. "Tank you, Deanie. Tank you, daddy."
"You're welcome, kiddo." Dean said. "Hey, where's Sammy?"
"Right here."
Sam came paddling into the room, looking very much like Evy had that morning. His hair was a mess, and he'd clearly just woken up. Evy got off the couch, carefully placing her new toy between John and Dean. She ran to Sam, who picked her up and hugged her, kissing her forehead before she did so.
"Hey, Cricket." he said. "You feel better?"
"Yeah." she said. "I sorry I keeped you up."
"It's okay, baby." Sam said. "What'd you get from Dean?"
Sam moved over to the couch and sat between his father and brother, with Evy in his lap. Sam said hi to John and Dean, and Evy demonstrated her new toy for him. Sam quizzed her on the animals and their sounds before allowing her to pull the lever and check her answers. Evy suddenly stopped, took a long look at her toy and then back at Sam. She started to giggle.
"Cricket, what are you laughing at?" Sam asked.
Evy was laughing so hard she couldn't answer him.
"Come on, kiddo. What is it?" Dean asked.
"Sammy…." Evy said, as every other word elicited a giggle, "Sammy look like chicken."
All four men in the room stopped what they were doing and stared at her. Evy sat in Sam's lap, her entire body practically vibrating with giggles that threatened to escape. Sam didn't know what to say, and every time Evy looked at him she nearly doubled over with laughter.
"Kiddo, what are you talking about?" Dean finally asked.
"Look, Deanie!" Evy insisted.
Evy handed Dean her new toy, pointing out the picture of the chicken. Dean looked from it to Sam. He hadn't seen it, but he partially agreed with Evy. Sam was in a solid white tshirt and red shorts. His bare feet did resemble the feet on the chicken in the picture, and his scruffy hair did remind Dean of chicken feathers. Dean smiled and nodded his head.
"I think you're right, kiddo."
"Very funny, you two." Sam said, feigning annoyance but hiding a smile at the same time. "It's almost naptime for this little chicken."
"I not chicken. You chicken." Evy said. Even John had snorted at that.
"Alright, Cricket. Come on. Naptime for you." Sam insisted.
"Okay." Evy said. "Daddy, you and Deanie still be here when I wake up, right?"
"Yeah, little one. We'll still be here." John promised. "We'll all be here for a couple more days."
"'Kay." Evy said, jumping off the couch. She jumped off the couch, holding her new toy in her hand, which Sam promptly pulled away from her. "Sammy!"
"You will never get to sleep if you have this with you." Sam said. "You can play with it when you wake up."
Evy scrunched her face in displeasure, and Sam was afraid that she might throw a tantrum, even though that was a rare occurrence. Sam held his ground, and eventually pointed to the couch, where Squish was sitting there, waiting. Sam pointed his finger at Squish.
"You can take Squish, but nothing else."
Evy sighed. "Deanie, will you keep it safe for me?"
Dean took it from her, amused at how stubborn Evy was and how much she reminded him of Sam. "Sure thing, kiddo."
"Tank you." she said, handing it to Dean with both hands. She picked up Squish and turned back to Sam. "I ready, Sammy."
"Okay. Let's go."
Sam took her upstairs and laid her back down in the bed they'd been sleeping in the night before. He was amazed she wasn't crankier than she was, as she'd only slept about three hours. Not surprisingly, she fell asleep quickly. Sam tucked her in, kissed her, and headed back downstairs to the rest of the family.
"Sleep well, Cricket. Sammy loves you."
