An Extra Winchester

Dean walked in the door of their motel room, carrying dinner from the diner, next door. He locked the door behind him, tossing the motel key and his car key onto the bed, closet to him, before walking over to the table where his younger sister, Maisy was sitting at, playing with a bunch of random toys from a Goodwill store.

Maisy was sitting on one leg, pointing the knee of her other leg, straight up into the air. Dean started pulling the Styrofoam containers out of the plastic bag. She looked up from her toys. "Dean, you only got two. What about Daddy's dinner?" she asked of her oldest brother.

He unhooked the lid on one of the containers and set it beside Maisy's toy set up. "Dad won't be home, tonight, after all, Maze," he broke the news to her, a little disappointed, himself.

Maisy looked up at him, her lower lip starting to stick out. "But, why? He said he would be back, tonight."

"I know, Maze. The job is taking longer than he thought, that's all. Dad'll be back just as soon as he can." Dean nodded towards her dinner, "Start eating. Maybe we can find a movie on, later."

"Can I stay up, late?" she asked, hopeful. If their father wasn't going to be home, that night, may as well milk it for all it's worth. John didn't like Maisy staying up, late and not getting enough sleep, on the count of, she could get pretty grouchy when that happened. He didn't know much of her mother. It was a one-night he regretted getting involved in, especially when what he was hunting, and had a close relative come after her when it couldn't find John.

The creature was a vampire that didn't travel in a large pack as most usually did. It was only a party of two, a brother and sister. When John killed the brother, the sister took revenge on him. Unfortunately, it took a few years and Maisy was already born and old enough to remember.

The vampire had Maisy's mother call John's cell and alert him to come, right away. John got there a little too late. He walked in right as the vampire got hungry and bit into her. With anger and hostility bubbling up, inside of him, John chopped the vamp's head off. He knew it was a matter of time before Maisy's mother woke up and attack him, so he had to do it before she did. The slice was quick. Difficult, but quick. John thought he was standing in that small, little house, alone and by himself, but a tiny voice that suddenly spoke up, made a chill run up his spine.

"Mommy?"

John turned around, slowly. Standing there, in the doorway of a bedroom, was a little girl, no more than four years old. "Oh, God," his voice blurted out.

The little girl stood there, in Power Puff Girls pajamas, trembling from head to toe, while clutching a white unicorn, with a shiny, blue horn coming out of its forehead, with a matching mane and tail.

John remembered the bloody machete in his right hand, and quickly, tossed it away. He then, as slowly and carefully as he could, squatted down to her level. "Hey there," he told her, keeping his voice calm. "What's your name?"

Maisy clutched the unicorn, to her chest. "Maisy," she whimpered from behind it's head.

"Maisy?" he repeated, unsure if he heard right, since her mouth was behind her toy.

She nodded, slowly.

"That's a beautiful name."

"Mommy gave it to me. Why did you cut her head off? Are you gonna hurt me?"

John shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no, sweetheart," he assured her. "I didn't even want to do that. I came here to try and save your mommy. But, I got here too late and I had no choice. I'm really sorry, sweetheart."

"You really are?" she asked, in child-like innocence.

He nodded. "That thing that attacked your mom. Did it hurt you?" John didn't even want to think about, needing to off a young vampire. Not at this age.

Maisy shook her head. "Mommy pushed me into the closet, but I got scared and came out to see what was going on, because I wanted Mommy. I saw her bite Mommy and Mommy passing out. Mommy no like blood," she shook her head, again.

"I'm so sorry," John couldn't help feel regret for not getting there, sooner. "I really wish I could have saved her." Something about Maisy caught his interest. The little girl, kind of, reminded him as when he was a kid. "Where's your dad? Is he at work?"

Maisy shrugged her small shoulders. "Mommy say he left before I was born. He no know."

It didn't take long for it to hit John. "How old are you, sweetheart?"

"I four."

John calculated how long ago he had met Maisy's mother, that night he had, completely, forgotten about. It came back to his mind, shortly after. "Shit," he muttered.

Maisy still heard it. "You say bad word," she told him. "Bad words are bad to say. I get a time-out if I say it."

He grinned, "Should I have a time-out, then?" John was trying to lighten the moment, considering the circumstances.

Maisy thought about it, rubbing her chin, as she looked up, towards the ceiling. Finally, she told him, "No, you no know. So, you get a warning. But, don' say it, again."

"Okay, I'll try not to, then." It all added up. Maisy looked like him, and her age matched, perfectly. To be sure, he asked if she knew her birthday.

"March twelve," she answered.

John counted back, nine months from then. It was in the summer, that he had met Maisy's mother. Or, somewhere around there. He had to be one hundred percent sure, though. He called 911, for Maisy's mother, concocting up a story in the short time it took for the EMT to arrive there, of what happened.

At first, Maisy refused to go with him, on the count of, she wasn't allowed to go with strangers. But, he explained to her that he was a friend of her mother's, pinky-promising on it. John felt ridiculous, doing a pinky swear. At least no one else was around, though, later, it was revealed in front of Dean when Maisy made it a thing. John did get to have a laugh of his own, when Maisy did it to Dean. Though, Dean didn't mind as much as John did. Sam had made Dean do worse embarrassing stuff when they were kids.

At the same hospital the EMT took Maisy's mother to, John had a DNA test done, for him and Maisy, who was now fully dressed, in jeans and a long sleeved striped shirt, with a jacket. Maisy didn't like to hear her finger would be pricked. John offered to go first. Needles didn't really bother him since he had worse happen to him. Still, Maisy wouldn't give the doctor her finger.

"Listen to me, sweetheart," John told her, in a stern tone. "You need to be a big, brave girl. The doctor needs some of your blood for a test. It'll only hurt for a moment."

Maisy shook her head, still holding her unicorn.

"Maisy," John moved right in front of the little girl, placing each hand on either side of where Maisy was sitting on the examination table, "this isn't a choice. You have to let the doctor prick your finger. It'll be okay, I promise."

"Will you hold me? Mommy would hold me when I got a shot."

"No," John shook his head. "Be a big, brave girl. I know you can do it."

Maisy's lower lip started to stick out.

John refused to give in.

Finally, it was Maisy who gave in, after a lot of reprimanding from John that she needed to. She, slowly, held out her hand, palm facing up.

"It'll just be like a tiny pinch, little one," the doctor assured her. First, he wiped her finger with the sterile alcohol pad, like Maisy seen him do with John. Then, he got the needle and, quickly, poked her index finger with it.

The moment she felt it, Maisy screamed, bloody murder, and cried her eyes out. Thankfully, the doctor had a hold of her hand, so he was able to grab the blood before letting her take her hand, back. Maisy cried, cradling it in her other hand, against her unicorn.

Her cries were actually tugging on John's heartstrings. He finally gave in and lifted her up and held Maisy in his arms, comforting her while the doctor packed everything up and left the room, letting John know he would be back with the results.

"Shh, shh, it's alright now, sweetheart," John assured her. "It's over, now. You were, very brave. I'm proud of you."

Maisy cried into John's shoulder, clutching her unicorn in her right arm.

John held her in his arms. He kissed the side of her head, trying to soothe her. He remembered the song Mary would sing to their boys, as a lullaby and since he didn't know any lullabies, himself, sang Hey, Jude to Maisy, in a gentle tone. It did help and Maisy's cries eventually turned into quiet sniffles, until there wasn't even those.

"Feeling better?" he asked, softly, feeling her head, nod, against his shoulder. John smiled, realizing he was also rubbing her back, up and down. It was something he used to do, with Dean, when he was around her age.

When the doctor returned, he confirmed what John had thought. Maisy, was indeed, his. Once they were alone, again, John set Maisy back down, on the table and explained to her, that he was actually her father, in terms she could understand. Maisy's eyes grew wide and stared up at John.

"You are my daddy?" she asked.

John nodded. "Guess you'll be coming with me, then." He was disappointed, but only in the fact he would have to not only protect her, but teach Maisy, as well, and drag her all over the place as he had done with his boys. John knew Maisy had seen the whole thing. The look on her face when he first laid eyes on her, said it all. It didn't help, she was much younger than Sam was, when he learned the truth, either.

"I get to go live with you?"

"That's right. Your brother is probably worried, sick about me."

That had peaked her interest. "I have a brother?"

He nodded. "Two, in fact, but your other brother is away at school."

"So, they my big brothers?" Maisy looked disappointed to hear one of her brothers was in school.

"Is that okay?" he asked.

"No," she told him. "I tell Mommy that I wanted a little brother or sister."

John couldn't help let out a chuckle. "I'm sorry. I can't do anything about that. Dean is a wonderful big brother, though, and will watch out for you."

Maisy let out a huffed sigh. "Okay, I guess."

He smirked and leaned over and gave his little girl, a kiss on the cheek. Maisy moved her head away, rubbing where his beard had tickled it.

It had been a shock when John met up with Dean, and Dean met his younger sister. He couldn't even believe it and he was looking right at her. It didn't take long for the kid to grow on him, and Dean dusted off his big brother skills. At least he could be there for someone since Sam was away at Stanford.

John and Dean would switch off who took care of the hunts, so the other could stay home with Maisy. Dean wasn't thrilled Maisy was already exposed to what lurked in the shadows, either. John assured his first born, it couldn't be helped. They had to explain what it was, that had killed her mother and of the dangers that was out there. Maisy had clung tight to John when she learned the truth.

That was seven months ago. Now, Maisy was five and learning, fast. With normal, kid stuff, that is. Dean would read to his sister, every night, even when he would come staggering in, beat up and exhausted. He tried to phone Sam, to let him know, they had a sister. Sam never answered and never returned the phone call, either.

Dean smiled at his little sister. "Of course we can stay up late. We're gonna party all night long!" he brightened up for her, raising his voice, excitedly.

Maisy cheered, bouncing up and down, on her legs.

"Start eating, first," he pointed with his hand. Dean walked around the table, to the small kitchen area, grabbing a beer for him and a juice box for Maisy, brining them both back, with him, to the table.

As Maisy started eating her first chicken finger, Dean sat across from her. He stuck the straw inside the carton and set it beside her container of food. "Got ya some ranch," he held up a small, round plastic container of ranch dip. For some reason, the kid thought chicken fingers and chicken nuggets were good with ranch. Hey, whatever made the kid happy, was fine in his book.

"Ranch, please," she told him, clapping her hands, together, excited.

Dean took off the clear lid and set the ranch down, beside her juice.

Maisy dipped her already bitten chicken finger into the ranch, taking another bite while Dean started in on his burger. After two bites, Dean popped open his beer, to take a swig of it.

Maisy watched him. "Can I try some of your beer, Dean? Just a little?"

"This isn't anything like root beer, Maze," he told her, setting it down. "Then, again, I was a kid when I first tried it." Dean picked up his beer. "Only a tiny drop of it," he warned her and continued to hold it while she got a small amount to taste it.

Maisy smacked her tongue, taking in the taste. "Ew, gross!" she suddenly blurted out and took a long drink of her juice.

Dean laughed. "Bet you won't ask again, huh, Maze?"

She shook her head, repeatedly, "No way."

He picked up his burger again, after setting his beer back, down. "Do not tell Dad I let you try beer. He'd kick my ass for it."

You are twenty-six, dude," Maisy reminded her big brother.

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure he'd still do it if he found out. So, do not tell him," putting emphasis on the do not part.

I promise, Dean," she assured him.

"Now, finish eating, so we can start our night of fun," he nodded towards her food.

"Okay, big brother."