Sam and Dean stood next to the sandbox at the local playground talking to Suzanne about her issues at the school where she worked. Dean stood only half listening, watching her son play in the sandbox.
"Here, let me take you over. It would just be easier if I showed you." She glanced quickly at the kids in the sandbox. "Oh, but Ryan..."
"It's okay. Dean will stay with him." At that, Dean was paying full attention. His mouth dropped open to say something. "He loves kids. Don't ya, Dean?"
Suzanne looked at him in desperation and he folded under the tricky wiles of a woman once again. "Yeah! Kids! I uh, I was one once!"
"Thank you so much! We'll be right back!"
Dean watched Sam walk away with Suzanne with a vengeful gleam in his eye and then turned back to the boy in the sandbox. He was maybe 5 or 6 years old. Dean sat on the bench that overlooked the sandbox, not sure what to do.
"So what are you building?"
"Nothing."
"Okay then... what are you doing?"
"Burying things."
"Really? Like what?"
Ryan walked over the the other side of the sand box and kicked out with his foot, unearthing a little sand toy.
"You want some help?"
Ryan looked at him skeptically and then finally nodded his head.
Dean took his jacket off and draped it on the bench and stepped into the box.
"No!" Dean froze hands in the air, looking at Ryan. "You have to take your shoes and socks off before getting in the sand box!"
Dean quickly stepped out. "Okay! Okay! Sheesh!" He sat on the bench and removed his boots and socks and then stood. He hesitated not sure if he really wanted to get his feet into the sand.
"Come on!"
Dean stepped into the sand and just stood there for a moment. He wasn't sure what he was expecting but it was amazing! He wiggled his toes and grinned.
Stepping over to Ryan, he picked up a stray shovel and dug up some sand. "So, what are we burying?"
"No! You can't use that shovel."
"I can't? Why? Is it broken?" He started inspecting the shovel.
"You can't use it because I am!"
"But you're using that shovel!"
"No, I'm using both!"
Dean set the shovel down, looked around at the other shovels and picked one up. "Is this one safe to use?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be safe to use?" Ryan looked at him like he was crazy and went about burying a small truck in the sand.
Dean started shoveling sand on top of various scoops, trucks, and sieves until every piece was buried. "Okay. Now what?"
Ryan looked around and got pouty. Dean was afraid he was going to start crying. "What? What's wrong?"
"Where's my rake?"
"Um, your rake?"
"My blue rake. You weren't supposed to bury my rake!"
"Okay. Okay. Calm down. I'll find it. See?" Dean started kicking his feet through the sand unearthing everything he had spent the last twenty minutes burying. He eventually kicked up the blue rake and Ryan's tears turned to smiles.
"Will you push me?"
"Push you?"
"On the swings?"
"Oh! Yeah! Sure, kiddo."
Ryan jumped up out of the sandbox and ran over to some kiddie swings. "I want this one!" He pointed wildly at a kiddie swing that was shaped like a race car.
Dean picked him up and lowered him in and gave him a gentle push.
"Higher! Higher!"
"Alright, hold on!" Dean gave him a few more pushes and really got him going.
"Too high! Too high!"
Dean chuckled, shook his head, and slowed him down a bit. After about five goes back and forth, Ryan was done.
"I wanna slide now."
Dean sighed but told him okay. He lifted him out and he ran for the play set that had multiple slides coming off of it. "Hey! Shouldn't you put your shoes back on?" Dean called out after him.
"Nah!" He just kept running and proceeded to climb all over the play set like a monkey. "Chase me. It's more fun when you chase me!"
"I'm not so sure I'll fit up there."
"Pleeeeeeaaaaassssseee!"
"Oh, all right." Dean ran up the little stairwell and Ryan ran away screaming. Ryan zipped down a slide and waited at the bottom for Dean. He hesitated and then went for it. He just barely fit. Ryan ran away again, headed for a little rock climbing wall, and scrambled back up into the play set.
Dean laughed and growled at him. "Roar! Here I come!" They spent the next hour chasing each other around the playground, drawing quite a little gathering.
Sam and Suzanne finished up at the school and were heading back. "I hope Dean and Ryan are okay. We were gone much longer than anticipated."
"Oh I'm sure they're fine." Sam glanced nervously at his watch and hoped Dean was okay.
As they pulled into the parking lot, Sam couldn't help but smile. Dean was lumbering around the playground like some giant bear with at least five kids hanging off him. He was roaring and the kids were squealing and laughing. He then collapsed into the sandbox where the kids immediately took to burying Dean in the sand.
"Oh my. You think we should go save him?" When Sam didn't answer right away, Suzanne glanced over at him. He was grinning from ear to ear with such a look of wonder and joy on his face that it made her look out at Dean again. "Sam?"
"No. No, I think he's fine. Think I'll just sit here and let him be a kid for a little while longer." Sam never took his eyes off Dean and his smile never faded.