Title: Jamie's Big Hunt

Characters: Dean and Jamie Winchester (Jamie's 6)

Summary: Jamie's on a pretend hunt but everything goes wrong!

XXX

Jamie was bored.

He would have mentioned it to Gramps but then Gramps would say something like, "Okay, kiddo, let's find something for you to do," And that something to do was most likely something Jamie didn't want to do.

So instead he went out back to sit with Cooper.

Cooper was their dog. He was a good dog.

Dad said he was part hound and part bear but Jamie didn't believe it one bit.

It was true he was big enough to ride and Jamie did that when he was a baby, but now he was six, so riding Cooper didn't seem like such a good idea. Plus he had his very own pony, Poe. Jamie giggled low to himself. Poe was so slow that it made riding Cooper seem like a rodeo!

Jamie looped his arm around Cooper's massive head.

"What are we gonna do, boy?"

Cooper looked happily at Jamie and thumped his baseball bat - sized tail on the porch. Dad always said that even though Cooper was huge, he was a hound dog at heart and he wanted nothing better to play. Jamie agreed. Cooper was the best playmate a kid could have.

"A hunt? Do you wanna go on a hunt?" Jamie hopped up off the porch with a bound.

Cooper danced wildly around Jamie, huge paws carefully avoiding his master but eager to embark on whatever game Jamie had planned.

"Now sit, Cooper. This is serious business."

Cooper sat his huge butt down in the dirt with a thud.

"First. We need some salt. And a gun." Jamie pondered a moment. Salt was easy, it was in the kitchen. The gun wasn't hard too, they were all over the place. But Jamie knew he wasn't supposed to touch them unless a grown up was with him.

Especially the big guns.

But Jamie had a little BB gun. He wasn't supposed to touch that either but he figured he was just playing not really shooting so it might be okay. Plus he wasn't a dumb baby. He wouldn't be playing with a loaded gun.

"You are gonna be my second in command. So you need to follow everything I say."

Cooper looked happily at Jamie.

"Okay Number Two…you stay while I get supplies."

Jamie left Cooper in the dirt and went inside. He grabbed a saltshaker as he went through the kitchen and then carefully looked around. The next part was going to require some sneakiness.

Dad was dozing in the living room, baseball game on and feet on the coffee table. It meant that Gramps wasn't even around 'cause Gramps would slap Dad's feet off the table quicker than Cooper ate breakfast.

Jamie giggled to himself.

He carefully made his way to the closet where a few of the guns were. He knew his BB gun was there. The door squeaked a little and Jamie quickly turned but Dad just snuffled and Jamie quickly pulled out his BB gun and ran through the living room, the kitchen and out back where Cooper was still sitting in the dirt, a huge stream of drool hanging from his jowls.

Jamie looked dubiously at Cooper.

"You're gross. Not very fitting for my number two."

Easily fixed though. Jamie wiped his hand through the mess and then wiped his hand down his jeans.

"Better."

Cooper didn't seem to care one-way or the other.

"Okay, Number Two. This is the plan." Because Jamie knew every hunt needed a plan.

"We head into the back yard. You keep your eyes open for that sneaky ghost." Jamie thought for a minute about what type of ghost Cooper would like. "That sneaky ghost rabbit."

Cooper tilted his head in excitement. Rabbits were great fun.

"When your EMF nose finds it, well, we will hunt it down. I'll salt n' burn the bones, and I'll keep an eye out with old Bessie here." He patted his BB gun.

Jamie knew he couldn't really salt and burn anything 'cause if he brought matches or a lighter outside and tried to set something on fire, Dad would tan his butt good. Still, he had the salt and he had Bessie and he could pretend.

He was great at pretending.

He slung the gun over his shoulder, careful to keep in pointing up and away. Even though it wasn't loaded, Jamie acted like it was. Another big Winchester rule.

Their backyard was huge and then it opened to a little field and from there to the woods.

Now Jamie knew he could play in the back yard – venturing to the field was kind of off limits, unless his folks were outside watching and the woods? Well that was definitely not allowed.

But he had Cooper and a better number two could not be found.

"Okay Coop, let's find a bunny!"

Cooper hit the back yard like he was shot from a cannon, nose alternately in the wind and on the ground.

Cooper was a great hunter, but he was kinda big and the bunnies could hear him coming a mile away…still it was fun! Cooper hit his first rabbit in about three seconds, a deep bay and he was gone a flash of reddish fur, hound dog ears and slobbery mastiff drool flying in the wind.

Jamie laughed until he realized he was the commander and commanders don't laugh when their Number Two found the ghost rabbit!

Jamie followed as quickly as he could. They were through the backyard in no time at all and then into the no man's land of the field.

"Cooper!"

The dog stopped in his tracks and turned to Jamie.

"Wait up!"

Cooper looked over his shoulders at his young master but waited till he joined him.

Jamie panted a bit.

"Good job Number Two, carry on."

With that Cooper took off again. The rabbit was long gone but his trail was fresh and for Cooper that was apparently almost as much fun as chasing the rabbit!

Nose to the ground the dog followed the trail through the field and into the woods.

Cooper stopped and waited. He wasn't allowed in the woods either.

Jamie stopped too and looked back at the house.

He could get in Big Trouble.

But he wouldn't 'cause he was Jamie Winchester!

"Git the bunny!"

Cooper needed no more encouragement and was off again with Jamie following close on his heels. Well, except that they were paws and Cooper was faster than Jamie could ever be.

Jamie laughed as he ran through the woods, BB gun slung over his shoulder by the strap.

Suddenly Cooper's bay changed it's tone, it meant he'd found his prey!

Cooper was a good boy, he wouldn't eat the bunny but he would hold it till Jamie got there.

Jamie rushed to catch up.

Cooper stood howling his head off next to a tree and the rabbit was quaking under the roots.

Jamie grabbed his salt shaker, threw some in the general direction of the rabbit and lit a pretend match.

"No joy, Number Two! He's coming for us!"

Jamie pulled the BB from his shoulder and aimed for the rabbit.

He pulled the trigger and it shot a BB! He'd nailed the bunny!

Jamie was so shocked he almost fell down!

IT WAS LOADED. HIS GUN WAS LOADED AND HE HADN'T CHECKED IT.

His father's mantra sounded in his head.

"You always assume your gun is loaded. You check to make sure there are no rounds in the chamber. I better never see you handle any firearm carelessly. Never point that muzzle at anything you aren't prepared to destroy. Wherever that muzzle is pointed, that's where the round is going to go. You keep your finger off the trigger unless you are prepared to shoot. If you are going to shoot, you make sure you know what you are shooting at. If you are shooting at something or someone, you make damn sure you are going to kill it. Got it."

It had been hammered in his head for as long as he remembered. Not only from Dad but from Gramps and Uncle Sam too.

Oh my God, he'd shot a bunny! With his gun. The gun that wasn't supposed to be loaded. He hadn't checked. He assumed! That was the first part of the lecture so it was probably the most important.

Cooper stood drooling and whining, eager to finish the bunny off.

The bunny just sat there, stunned.

Jamie propped his gun up against a tree and walked to the little body.

Thank God, the rabbit was alive. He'd hit it in the haunches and from so far away that the BB had almost no effect. Well, except the little guy was bleeding and his eyes were all big and his little chest was pounding with the effort of not losing his bunny mind.

Jamie scooped him up. The rabbit didn't move, just trembled in his hands and the streak of blood from the BB trickled down Jamie's hands onto his arm.

Cooper excitedly barked and leaped around Jamie looking for a bunny snack.

"LEAVE IT." Jamie said harshly and Cooper stopped puzzled at the recent turn of events.

He'd found the bunny and Jamie had shot it. Why couldn't Cooper eat it?

Jamie pulled the bunny to his chest satisfied that Cooper wouldn't touch him and then he picked up his gun and jogged back to the house.

Dad would know how to fix the bunny. Dad knew everything.

XXX

Jamie exploded into the kitchen with the rabbit tightly in his arms. He left Cooper to whine on the back porch. Jamie was still carrying his BB gun over his shoulder when he walked into the living room.

Dad must have jumped up when the door slammed in the kitchen because he was wide awake.

"JESUS, JAMIE WHAT HAPPENED!"

Dad was over to him in a second, carefully running his hands over Jamie looking for the obvious wound. Then he noticed the rabbit in Jamie's hands.

"What did you do?"

"I shot him, Dad." Jamie was crying now. Big fat baby tears but he didn't care. "Can you fix him?"

Dad carefully took the rabbit from Jamie's arms.

"I dunno, let's take a look."

Dad soothed the rabbit with a firm stroke and then looked at the wound in his hindquarters. Jamie heard him mumble, "Poor rabbits always get the short end of the stick." Then he turned to Jamie, "Get me the kit, Jamie - hurry up."

Jamie ran to get the first aid kit and was back in a minute. Dad was holding the bunny on his lap and carefully palpated under the bloody hip.

"Look Jamie, feel here."

Jamie was feeling kind of queasy but he did as his father asked. He could feel the tiny BB under the rabbits furry butt.

"Okay, pour some antiseptic over all of this."

Jamie did as his father requested and Dad squeezed just a bit and the BB popped out with a tiny spurt of blood and rolled onto the ground.

"Some saline, Jamie."

Jamie poured the saline over the rabbit's body, irrigating the tiny wound.

"Now antiseptic again," Jamie poured that over too.

By the time they'd finished, the rabbit was wet with saline and antiseptic but the blood was all gone and the hole was barely seen. Dad carefully moved the rabbit's leg and it moved easily. He rotated it around and although the rabbit didn't seem particularly happy, it didn't seem to be in that much pain. "You only shot one round?'

"Yes, sir."

Dad studied the rabbit another moment or two and then stroked him one more time.

"I think that'll do it. Let's see how he does."

Dad carried the rabbit outside, "You stay." He told Cooper and the dog lay down in the dirt mournfully.

He carefully put the rabbit down and once the little guy realized he was free he took off – turbo charged toward the field.

"Well, it looks like he'll make it, kiddo."

Jamie dove into his father's arms. "Thanks, Daddy. I was so scared I'd killed him."

Dad lifted him up easily and set him on his hip and then wiped a bit of blood that had smudged his cheek.

"Oh, Jamie, son. I'm thinking you learned a pretty good lesson today."

"Yes, sir." Jamie cried hot tears on his daddy's shoulder. The sudden relief at the rabbit's survival causing him to shudder a bit.

Dad carried him up to the house. "Let's get both of us cleaned up and then why don't you tell me what happened?"

Jamie sniffled and just curled himself around his dad's body like a little monkey.

Dad held him there opened the back door with his hip and then carried Jamie up to the bathroom.

Jamie ran his hands under the water and watched the pink rivulets go down the drain. His father helped him wash his hands with soap and did the same for himself.

Then he dried them both and escorted Jamie to his room.

"So what happened out there?"

"I was pretend hunting with Cooper. He was my Number Two."

"And you brought your BB gun why?"

"Because it was a hunt and you need a gun when you go on a hunt, Dad."

"Okay. On a real hunt that's true but you were pretend hunting. You could have used a pretend gun. Are you allowed to touch that gun without a grownup around?"

"No, sir."

"Strike one, kiddo. Did you check to see if it was loaded?"

"I didn't, Dad…but it shouldn't have been loaded. It was in the closet. I always make sure it is unloaded before I put it away."

"Well, you obviously didn't check the last time, which is why you always check again. Can you tell me why?"

Jamie spoke quietly, "'Cause it could be loaded. Always assume the gun is loaded."

"Exactly. So what happened next?"

"Cooper found the rabbit and we ran through the back yard, the field and into the woods."

"Strike two, Jamie."

"Yes, sir." Jamie said softly.

"And then I fired at the rabbit…but Dad I thought it was empty! It was just pretend!"

"But it wasn't empty and you shot the rabbit. Strike three."

"Yes, sir." Jamie sniffed. "The poor little bunny was terrified. It was bad enough that Cooper scared him but old Coop wouldna touched him unless I said so. I was gonna let him go, but then I shot him and, and…" Jamie sobbed again and Dad pulled him tightly.

"So you see there is a reason for the rules, eh son?"

"Yes, sir."

"And there are consequence too, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Not to mention that I trusted you to never touch those guns, I didn't think I needed to put them under lock and key. What good would locking my guns up do if I needed to get to them right away? We are hunters, Jamie. All of us. Those guns are the tools of our trade."

"I know, Dad. I would never, ever touch your guns but I thought that maybe I could touch my gun. You know, since it wasn't loaded and all."

"Which proved not to be the case," Dad said sternly, "That doesn't really matter anyway because you knew, knew that you were not allowed to touch any of them. Am I right?"

"Yes, sir. I knew that…I just…I was just pretending! "

"Yeah, well your pretending almost killed that rabbit and could have hurt you. You can pretend all you want with toys but not guns."

"Yes, sir." Jamie did know that and he felt so dumb.

"Okay, let's get this over with."

Jamie walked over to his father. His dad unbuckled and unsnapped Jamie's Jeans. He pulled them down along with his underpants and dumped him over his lap.

Jamie started crying before the first smack hit him. Or maybe he never really stopped crying since he'd shot the bunny.

Jamie hated getting spanked and Dad's hand was big and hard. It peppered his bottom with strong and sure spanks. Solid and cadenced, Dad's hand fell over and over on the fleshiest part of his butt, then he swatted a few more times on the tender area just where his bottom curved into his thighs.

It was terrible.

But Jamie figured the poor bunny's plight was worse. He'd been SHOT.

Jamie cried and cried. He couldn't help but try to get away, his legs scissoring like a baby. He couldn't run and his bottom hurt so bad! So his legs just needed to try to make a run for it anyway! It felt like years before Dad lifted him up and carefully sat him on his lap, making sure his bottom was hanging over Dad's lap. Dad rubbed circles on his back and Jamie just crawled as close to him as he could get. He still felt bad for the bunny but everything seemed a little better being in Dad's arms.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to."

"I know Jamie, but not meaning to do it didn't change that it was done. Jamie, you can't undo killing things. It's impossible. That's why it is so important to make sure that you pay attention to the rules with regard to guns. They are not toys. They can kill and if you'd killed that rabbit, you would have never forgiven yourself. If you'd been hurt, well I'd never forgive myself so I'm never, ever going to let you get away with something like this. Ever."

Jamie nodded.

"Jamie. You look at me." Jamie turned from the comfort of his dad's strong chest, green eyes met green.

"If you ever, ever, ever treat a weapon like you did today, or if I ever find you playing with guns like they are toys. Ever. I will spank your bottom so hard you won't sit down for a more than a week. I can guarantee that because I will spank you every night for that week. This is not a threat, Jamie this is a vow. Do you understand?

"Yes, sir."

"This is completely non-negotiable. Do you know what that means?"

Jamie shook his head.

"It means there is nothing you can do that can change my mind. There is nothing you can say that will make me feel differently. You will never, ever do this again. "

"Okay, Dad. I promise. I won't"

Dad pulled him in one more time for a big hug.

"You are punished too, Jamie. So you stay up in your room and you think about what happened here today."

"Yes, sir."

"First though, I want you go outside and tell poor Cooper he's a good dog. Give him a big hug and then get a shower and come back to your room."

"Yes, sir."

Jamie scrambled off Dad's lap and pulled his underwear up. He didn't put his jeans on but he didn't think his rear end could stand it. Then he thought about the rabbit again. The rabbit had gotten shot in his butt, Jamie figured a spanked butt was probably not as bad as a shot butt.

But right now he didn't see how.

He slowly walked down the steps. His poor bottom didn't even want him to walk down the steps!

Jamie stumbled through the kitchen and out on the back porch where Cooper was sitting woefully in the dirt.

"Cooper."

Cooper started thumping his tail.

"I'm sorry, Cooper. I'm sorry I yelled at you. You are a good dog." Jamie hugged him hard. Cooper was so big it was hard for Jamie to get his arms around the big neck.

Cooper laughed a big doggy grin and slobbered all over Jamie's face.

"Ewe…Coop."

But Jamie didn't care.

Then Cooper knocked him down and Jamie landed on his bottom. That he did care about! But he figured Cooper deserved to butt whoop him too. And he didn't have any hands but he was a smart dog so plopping on his burning butt was the best Cooper could do. So Jamie sat in his underwear, with his butt burning in the dirt and let Cooper lick him all over. It was okay.

Sometimes the commander got in trouble by his dad and his number two.