After having his shoulder shaken for a good few seconds, Sam finally opened his eyes to find an envelope on his pillow.
"Happy birthday, Daddy!" Rosie said in a voice way too chirpy for that time of the morning as she pulled back the blankets. The young father couldn't help but smile, but was too exhausted to sit up.
"Thank you, princess," he mumbled sleepily, groaning as his daughter tugged at his shirt in an attempt to get him up, "Let Daddy sleep a little longer, alright?"
"But you gotta get up and open your presents, Daddy!" Rosie pressed, giving her father the puppy eyes she'd got from him. Sam chuckled but didn't get up
"I will, I will. But I had a lot of work to do last night, I didn't get much sleep," the young lawyer pulled the blankets back over himself. Rosie pouted and gave in.
"O-kay," the little girl said slowly and dramatically, putting the envelope on the bedside table before getting under the covers, "Hurry up and get lots of sleep."
The two Winchesters slept in for another couple hours, Rosie curled up against Sam's side with one hand clinging to his shirt. The young father sat up, lifting his daughter onto his knee. Rosie grumbled and buried her face in his chest in protest of being disturbed.
"Thought you wanted me to hurry up?" Sam chuckled, tickling her cheek gently, "Or are we going to spend my birthday right here?"
"No!" Rosie gasped and got up to grab the envelope from the table, "Happy birthday, Daddy!"
The card was handmade by Rosie herself, a blue card with a drawing of herself and her father in party hats, holding hands outside their house. Ariel, Rosie's favourite Disney Princess, was also featured along with a few other Disney characters for good measure. "Happy Birthday, Daddy" was written in wobbly lettering across the top. Sam couldn't help but smile. It reminded him of his own childhood, how he'd made cards like those for Dean when he was a kid. It was never nice card or paper like Rosie had. He was lucky to have smuggled a sheet of plain white paper from some of his schools. Otherwise, it was anything Sam could find. A receipt, a flyer, maybe some ripped pages from notebooks. But without fail, for Christmas and for Dean's birthday, the older Winchester boy would receive a card of some form.
"Oh wow," the young father chuckled, "That's a beautiful card."
He pulled his little girl close and planted a kiss on her cheek, "Thank you, sweetheart."
Sam carried Rosie downstairs, Rosie braiding her father's hair as he went, and sat her on the work surface in the kitchen.
"Are you going to help me make pancakes?" he placed the ingredients beside her and started heating a frying pan. The six-year-old squealed in excitement and nodded, her blonde curls bouncing around her head.
"Do we have strawberries? And Nutella?" she chirped eagerly, helping Sam to make the batter.
"Of course," Sam smirked, "Would I ever deprive you of your strawberries?"
The father and daughter tucked into their breakfast after several failures and many successes. Rosie had covered her pancakes in excessive Nutella and several strawberries, something Sam wasn't sure he approved of but let it slide just this once. It was his birthday, he didn't feel like being in health-conscious Dad mode. Besides, pancakes were a treat.
"Can uncle Cas come and have pancakes, Daddy?" the little girl said through a mouthful of food.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Sam shook his head with an amused smile at how similar he sounded to his own father, "Uncle Cas is very busy right now, Rosie. He won't be able to visit for a while."
"What's he doing?" Rosie frowned, "Maybe we can help him!"
"He's got a lot going on at his job. We're too far away to help him, sweetheart," the young father sighed softly and pushed his plate away slightly. He knew exactly where Castiel was. The angel was finally getting somewhere with getting Dean out of hell. Sam wasn't even sure how he felt anymore. He'd struggled with the loss of his brother to begin with. Cas had disappeared for a while after he was sure Sam was completely healthy again, leaving him alone with his infant daughter and nightmares that plagued him frequently. Bobby and the Harvelles helped him out when they could, of course, but the distance made that difficult. Rosie was cared for by her grandparents or uncle on the days Sam had to work, which he was grateful for. Occasionally, however, he'd been forced to bring his little daughter with him. His boss wasn't best pleased and his clients a little taken aback to find an infant asleep in a travel carrier beside the desk, but he did his best.
The pressures of being a single father while grieving his brother certainly hadn't gone away, but over time Sam grew accustomed to it. He missed Dean, just as he missed Jess. Not a day went by when Sam wouldn't wish his brother and wife back. It certainly never got any easier, but it was bearable thanks to Rosie. She was the sweetest kid, she made the day worth facing. Her beautiful smile, just like her mother's, warmed the Winchester's heart and kept him going. His daughter never failed to lighten his mood and he was so grateful for that. But now, now that the possibility of his brother returning from hell was increasing, Sam was conflicted. He wanted his brother back, but he'd only just got used to him not being there. How would Rosie react to a man she barely knew moving in, and more worryingly, how would Dean's time downstairs have affected him? The younger Winchester brother was unsure if he was comfortable with having him around his daughter.
Rosie pouted for a moment before going back to eating her pancakes. This time she waited until she finished before she spoke again, "What about Uncle Bobby and Auntie Ellen? Can they come visit? With Auntie Jo and Uncle Ashy?"
"We'll visit them soon," Sam put his and Rosie's plates in the kitchen sink, "You can call them later, if you want to."
"Maybe they'll call you so they can sing you happy birthday!" Rosie grinned at him and hopped down from her chair. Sam couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of Bobby singing happy birthday to him. That was a sight he'd want to see.
"C'mon then. Where shall we go today?" the young father looked back at his daughter as he washed and dried the plates.
"You gotta choose, Daddy, its your birthday!" Rosie ran to get her coat and shoes on but instead diverted to the phone as it began to ring, "Hello?"
Sam shook his head in amusement as he heard the little girl chatting on the phone to whoever had called.
"Me and Daddy had pancakes for his birthday! And we're gonna do something fun too but I don't know what because Daddy hasn't decided yet," she looked at Sam and grinned, "Uncle Bobby's on the phone, Daddy!"
"Hey, Bobby," the younger Winchester brother brushed his bangs from his eyes as he took the phone.
"Happy birthday, son," Bobby's gruff voice seemed reasonably light hearted, "Rosie pumped full o' sugar already?"
"Seems like it. Pretty sure there was more Nutella than pancake," Sam grinned.
The older hunter let out a quiet chuckle, "Make sure she takes care of her old man. How you holdin' up?"
Sam's expression fell a little, luckily while his daughter wasn't watching, "I'm fine. Honestly. I'm alright."
"Heard from Cas?"
"No," Sam shook his head, "Not in weeks."
Bobby sighed, unsure if that was a good sign or not. Either he was close to saving the older Winchester brother, or he'd died trying. Rosie skipped around her father, pirouetting around him and practising her ballet. Sam couldn't help but smile.
"I'd better go, Bobby," he said quietly, "I think someone's getting a little impatient."
Bobby chuckled and rubbed his beard, "I bet. You two have fun."
"We'll see you soon, Bobby," Sam put down the phone and turned his attention to his little girl, "So, where are we going?"
"I told you, you're meant to pick! It's not my birthday 'til August!" Rosie hugged Sam's arm and continued quietly, "Can we go see my giraffe?"
Sam chuckled and grabbed his car keys from the side table, "Giraffes it is."
Sam had got himself and Rosie a membership to the nearby zoo after Rosie's grandmother took them both there three years ago. Three year old Rosie had loved it, and they'd been there regularly ever since. For her fifth birthday, Sam had adopted a giraffe, her favourite animal, in Rosie's name, a gift she was very proud of. The certificate was in a frame beside her bed and the stuffed animal was almost as precious as the toy bunny she'd had since she was born. Her favourite thing was the fact her name was on the plaque beside the enclosure.
Rosie clambered into the car, giraffe toy in hand. The familiar music from Frozen started playing the moment Sam started the engine. Dean would tease the hell out of his little brother for allowing that, Sam was pretty sure he knew every single damn word to Let It Go.
"How about we go get some snacks later, have a movie night?" the young father looked in the rear view mirror at his daughter quietly singing along to the music.
"What movie? Oh…I know! Lion King! 'cause we'll see lions!" Rosie squealed, "Popcorn and cheetos and cookies!"
Sam grinned as he pulled into the parking lot, "Sounds like a plan."
Rosie hopped from the car and grabbed onto her father's hand, "Will Patch remember me, Daddy?"
Sam chuckled at the name she'd given her adopted giraffe, "I'm sure she will."
The pair spent a good half hour watching the giraffes, Sam sitting on a nearby bench with coffee in a paper cup while Rosie stood by the fence chatting to the animals. After Rosie had told the giraffes all about Sam's birthday and what she'd done at school recently, she ran back and climbed onto Sam's knee.
"Patch said happy birthday!" the little girl giggled and kissed her father's cheek, "She told me to give you this!"
"Well tell her thank you," Sam grinned, "Shall we go see the other animals, or shall we go somewhere else?"
"I wanna see the tigers!" she squealed as Sam placed her down on her feet.
A couple hours were spent visiting Rosie's favourite animals before they left to go to what had been Sam and Jess' favourite pizza place. It had since become Rosie's favourite place too.
"Daddy?" Rosie said through a mouthful of garlic bread as Sam sneakily checked his work emails despite promising he wouldn't on his birthday.
"Hm?" the young lawyer slipped his work phone into his pocket quickly and looked up at his daughter, giving her his undivided attention once more
"Do you miss mommy?" the six-year-old's voice was quiet, as if she were nervous. They'd talked about Jess more often recently, but as soon as she asked she wondered if her father's birthday was the best time to ask, "Did she like giving you presents for your birthday?
Sam smiled sadly, "I miss your mom every day, sweetheart. She used to love birthdays. When I turned twenty-one, she spent hours hiding away at her apartment, I thought she'd forgotten. No one really celebrated my birthday when I was growing up, so it didn't really matter to me. But I got back to my apartment and found a giant birthday cake, my first ever birthday cake. And she was waiting there for me with presents and a movie and…"
The young father quit while he was ahead, trailing to a stop. Rosie got the message.
"Was it good cake?" she asked lightly, pushing the crusts of garlic bread away from her.
"Really good cake," Sam chuckled, "As good as your Grandma's cake."
"I bet Grandma made you a birthday cake, Daddy! She always makes cakes!" the six-year old grinned.
"Maybe," the former hunter smiled a little wistfully.
"Why did no one celebrate your birthday?" Rosie frowned, smiling shyly at the server as their pizza was placed on the table.
"Thanks," Sam smiled quickly at the server and turned his attention back to his daughter. He was willing to tell her anything she wanted to know about her mother, he wanted to be able to talk to her about anything she needed to talk about, "My Dad, he wasn't…he wasn't very…"festive.""
There were many words he would have liked to have called his father, but held back for the sake of his little girl.
"So…no birthday cake? Or presents?"
"I'd get presents, sometimes. A lot of the time my brother's old stuff. Sometimes Dean, he'd get me something, candy or a toy car," Sam sighed quietly at the thought of his big brother.
"But then why do you tell everyone you don't want presents, Daddy?" Rosie frowned, tilting her head in a similar way to Castiel. Sam couldn't help but smile.
"I don't need anything. Spending my birthday with my little girl is enough of a present for me."
Rosie hopped down from her chair and climbed onto her father's knee, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head in his shoulder as she'd always done.
"I love you, Daddy," she whispered, looking up at him and smiling. Sam hugged his daughter close, kissing her forehead and running his fingers through her hair.
"I love you too," he smiled, "More than anything."
Rosie clung to her father a moment, before remembering their meal, "The pizza will get cold!"
She clambered back onto her seat and took a slice of pizza, Sam doing the same shortly after.
"Can we go to the Disney store before we go see Grandma and Grandpa?" the little girl asked politely, wiping her mouth with a napkin once she finished eating.
"I don't see why not. Are we going to have some ice cream?" Sam handed the dessert menu to his daughter with a smile.
"Yeah! A big ice cream with sparklers for your birthday!" Rosie gave him an excited grin. The young father stifled a groan. The restaurant wasn't exactly quiet, the last thing he wanted was attention being drawn to himself. But his little girl looked so hopeful that he couldn't turn it down. He could cope with a little humiliation.
As the ice cream was brought to their table, a large sundae drizzled with chocolate and strawberry sauce and topped with strawberries and whipped cream, Sam was relieved his daughter was shy around strangers. The giant sparklers were enough, he didn't need anyone telling the staff it was his birthday. They'd been in there enough times to know that place loved birthdays.
"C'mere, monkey," Sam scooped Rosie into his arms and sat her on his knee to wipe the ice cream from around her mouth. The six-year-old giggled, dipping her finger in the remainder of the ice cream and dabbed it on her father's nose. Sam gasped dramatically and wiped it off, dabbing some ice cream on her cheek in return. Rosie squealed and buried her face in his shoulder, accidentally getting ice cream on his shirt.
"Oops! Sorry, Daddy," Rosie shrunk away a little in fear of getting in trouble. Sam just chuckled and squeezed her gently.
After a long day, with the Moores insisting their son-in-law and granddaughter stayed for dinner, Sam and Rosie set off to get home for their movie night. The sky was beginning to darken and Rosie was beginning to flag. She'd been telling her grandparents all about Patch the giraffe and everything they'd done that day, and hadn't stopped yawning the whole time. Sam carried his little girl to the car and strapped her into her seat, planting a kiss on her forehead.
"Did you have a good birthday, Daddy?" Rosie mumbled sleepily, hugging the new Tinkerbell doll bought for her from the Disney Store. Sam rarely left that store without buying something.
"A very good birthday," Sam murmured, ruffling her hair as she yawned and clutched at her doll. The little girl fell asleep soon after, and with a loving smile the young father got into the driver's seat and started the car.
The roads were quieter than usual on the ride back home, and Sam tapped his fingers on the steering wheel along with the Disney music playing quietly.
But the music stopped, the lights began to flicker. The former hunter tightened his grip on the wheel, trying to convince himself it was just coincidence. They weren't far from home now, it wouldn't be long until they were back in the safety of their warded home. Rosie had grown up with salt lines in the house, she didn't know any different. She wasn't brave enough to question anyone about the lack of salt in their houses.
Sam widened his eyes as a car was speeding directly towards him. With a glance back at Rosie, who was still sound asleep, he swerved in an attempt to avoid it. The car smashed into the side of Sam's despite his efforts, hitting his head on the steering wheel and knocking him unconscious.
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