First one-shot/story ever
First one-shot/story ever. Please enjoy. And review. Yes…good idea, that one.
Title: Bedtime
Characters: Dean (at 7) and John. Sammy too (at 3)
Disclaimer: Anything 'Supernatural' mentioned in this story (oh, pun so very much intended.) belongs to the CW.
xXx
"That story? Again?" John says this and manages to look even wearier then before, quite a feat to behold.
"Please Dad? Please?" Seven years old, and already vivacious, Dean pleads with his father. He's lucky Sammy's not awake, 'else Dad would never tell the story. He says it's because Sammy is too young to understand, too young too comprehend, still young enough for nightmares. Dean hasn't told his father that Sammy already has nightmares, about women stuck on the ceiling, the ashen looks on their face before their bodies burst into flames, a different young women every time.
Dean wonders if he should tell Dad.
"All right. But after tonight, not again. I'm serious Dean."
Yes sir," Dean says quietly, recognizing Dad's military voice.
John leans closer too his son, and whispers, because Sammy, who has always been a light sleeper, is already turning under the covers.
"Start the story Dad."
John inhales, through his nose, and the air makes a whistling noise. "I was in the living room when I heard your mom-"
Dean pouts. "That's not how it starts."
John had started that story a certain way and Dean insisted it start that way. Sam did too, but John suspected that it was mostly because that's how Dean liked it.
Sammy whimpers quietly, his head completely submerged under the covers, except for a patch of brown curly hair peeking through.
"Tell it right," Dean says.
John sighed again, something he did far too often now.
"Well, you were four and Sammy must have been about six month's old…"
As John weaves the story of his wife's death, Dean feels his blood pumping a little hotter, his heart beating a little stronger. This is why he wants this story. To remember a mother he barley can. To remember why Dad disappears, why Dean protects Sammy. He likes to think he can almost remember her smell, a musky house smell that he thinks all mothers must have. The story brings the smell back; sometimes so much that it tickles his nose.
"And then I called for you and-Dean you know this part already."
"Please Dad?"
"And I told you to take Sammy outside. Then I was asked several questions by the police and I told them everything about the fire that I could."
"Except about the demon right, Dad? You didn't tell them about that?"
John nods. "A month later, we left."
That was the excepted end. There was not "happily ever after," because why lie to the boy?
Years later, Dean will remember that first line. "…and Sammy must have been about six months old…" He will realize that his father, who had a mind for detail, better then any detective, would have known that Sammy was six months old and had guessed that the demon had been after Sammy. Dean will wish that he could talk to his father, that he hadn't left Dean with such a horrible task. His last order.
But not that night. Not yet. Dean will instead say good night to his father, who will grunt in return, not because he is cold, but because he is tired. The lights will be turned off and Sammy will whimper again. Dean will lower the covers off Sammy's face and gently kiss his forehead. He knows that later tonight he will be waking Sammy up from another nightmare and he knows that after that there will be trouble sleeping the rest of the night, but that's okay because someone has too scare away the nightmares and if not Dean, then who?
As he pulls away from Sammy, he catches- perhaps from Sammy?- the musky smell of his mother.
-End-
What do you guys think?