Matter Of Time
Disclaimer- I don't own Supernatural
Summary- John takes Sam and Dean for some fun at the park but they end up not having as much fun as John thought.
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The soft wind blew the leaves in the tree, several fluttered to the ground. John Winchester gently pulled the blanket that was wrapped around his two year old sleeping son, tighter around him. It had been a nice day and Dean's kindergarten class had been dismissed earlier than normal so John had decided to use the nice weather to his advantage and he took his two sons to the park for a while. The park was not overly crowded, there were a few kids Dean's age with their parents, but that was about it. Dean ran off to play with some of the kids from his kindergarten class and John placed Sam on the ground so he could go toddle after Dean. Even at such a young age John knew that Sam was going to go up wanting to be just like his big brother Dean. John sat down on one of the benches that bordered the playground, he could watch Dean playing with his friends and Sam following Dean. He watched Sam carefully, his youngest had only recently gotten over a cold.
"Your sons are adorable." John turned his attention to the young lady who had spoken, she looked to be in her late twenties, she was sitting on the bench beside him rocking a stroller that held a sleeping baby back and forth.
"Thank you." John answered before glancing over to were Dean had wandered away from his friends and was standing at the end of the baby slide catching Sam as he slid down.
"How old are they?" The lady asked as she fiddle around looking for something inside the diaper bag she carried.
"Dean is five and Sam is two." John replied just before a loud scream was heard followed by the sound of crying. John jumped up from the bench immediately on guard, he looked around and caught sight of Sam lying face down on the ground and Dean was just a few feet away hovering over another kid his age who was crying. John ran over and picked him up comforting him when he saw Sam's bottom lip start quivering just as big fat tears start rolling down his cheeks. Sam joined the older boy in crying at the top of his lungs. John gently wiped the sand off Sam whose face was buried in his shirt, he grabbed Dean's hand and pulled his eldest son over to the bench where he had been sitting. He ignore the disapproving looks the other parents around the park where giving him. The mother of the little who had been hurt was yelling after John that Dean need to be punished for injuring her little baby boy as she fused over him. John took a seat on the bench, he pulled Dean up into his lap as Sam cried in his shoulder. Dean leaned against his chest, the two stayed silent as they listened to Sam's cries lessen and eventually fade in to hiccups and sniffles, John reached into the diaper bag that he carried around and handed Sam a sippy cup. Sam happily sucked while John talked with Dean.
"What happened, Dean?" Dean shrugged his shoulders. The lady who had been sitting silently next to them stood up and smiled a small smile to John before wandering off.
"Dean?" John asked a little more firmly. Dean sighed and shrugged before answering.
"He pushed my Sammy." Dean said not taking his eyes off Sam who had finished his milk and was now snuggled sound asleep against John. John felt his heart swell in his chest when he saw Dean reach over and run his hand through Sammy's hair.
"I was catching Sam as his slid down the slide. My friends Bradley and Jamie and Nick were there playing on the big kid slide and they wanted me to play with them. I said that I had to play with Sammy but Bradley said Sammy was just a baby and I said he isn't a baby than Bradley pushed Sammy onto the ground and then I pushed Bradley cause he hurt Sammy." Dean finished his explanation, John took a minute to process everything before he sighed and rubbed Dean's back.
"Go play Buddy we can talk when we get home." Dean slid down off John's lap.
"Daddy am I in trouble?"
"Dean your not in trouble but no more pushing or hurting others okay?" Dean smiled and nodded before running off to play. John looked down at the sleeping Sam before wrapping him up in a blanket to keep him warm. He gently ran his thumb over Sammy's cheek laughing when Sam's noise crinkled in his sleep before it settled.
"Is everything okay now?" John turned to the lady who had returned to her place next to him on the bench.
John nodded "Yeah everything is fine now."
John glanced back down at Sam as the sleeping child shifted in his sleep.
"Is he okay?" John wondered if she was referring to Sam but when he looked up she was focused on someone in the distance, he followed he line of vision his heart broke when he saw his son sitting under a tree just a little off from the playground.
"Dean." John glanced down at Sam before glancing back at Dean.
"I'll hold him." John turned to the lady next to him despite all of the dangers in the world John trusted this lady. He placed a gentle kiss on Sam's forehead before placing his son in her arms. Sam stiffened for a moment both adults held their breath, both exhaled as Sam settled against the lady.
"I'm John Winchester."
"Emery Wesser. We'll be fine go worry about you other son." Emery added when she saw John hesitating, he nodded before leaving and making his way over to Dean. Crouching down in front of Dean, he saw Dean hastily wiping his cheeks before John had actually reached him, Dean kept his head down not looking up at John.
"What's wrong Buddy?" Dean did not answer so John stood up and grabbed Dean's hand pulling him up too. He walked them over to the unoccupied swing set, John took a seat on one of the swings before pulling Dean up into his lap. After glancing up at Sam was still asleep John wrapped an arm around Dean before he started moving back and forth on the swing.
"What happened Dean? I thought you were playing with your friends." Dean leaned back into John's chest seeking his father's comfort.
"They don't like me anymore."
"Why? Because you protected Sammy?"
"Bradley says that I can't play with them anymore because I was playing with Sammy whose a baby, so they said I was a baby too. And they said they don't want to pay with babies cause they're big boys."
"Oh Deanie." John's heart clench tightly in his chest when he heard Dean start sobbing. He felt even worse when he couldn't think of anything to say to make this better.
Part of John wanted to tell Dean to forget about his friends and worry about keeping Sam safe, but he was afraid that would upset Dean more. And the other part of John wanted to tell Dean to forget about being an older brother for a while and just be a five year old kid and have fun.
John stopped the swing he picked Dean up and gently turned him around so that Dean was facing him before pulling him into a hug. John was briefly concerned when he notice how light and small Dean was for being someone his age, but he pushed the matter aside and made a mental note to check into that later to see if something was wrong. John started pumping the swing again Dean tightened his arms around his neck slightly but John just kept pumping the swing higher. After Dean's sobbed had slowed down and John could feel Dean's breath on his neck start to slow down, John slowed down the swing to just a swaying motion.
"Dean I know that you don't understand really but friends are always going to come and go. Sammy is always going to be there for you and you always need to be there for him." John kissed the top of Dean's head, he could tell by the light puff of Dean's breathing on his neck that he son had fallen asleep.
"Come on buddy time to go home." John stood up gently as to not jostle Dean, he placed Dean on his hip before walking over to the bench were Sam was still sleeping peacefully.
"Thank you for watching him." John shifted Dean slightly before accepting the diaper bag Emery handed him.
"He was an angel. Do you need help taking them to your car?" John glanced at the two boys before nodding.
"Yeah." Emery smiled and stood up being gently as to not wake up Sam, she pushed her stroller with one hand and held Sam in her other arm and followed him to his car. He placed Dean in the car seat before taking Sam and buckling him in his car seat, John let out a deep breath when neither woke up.
"Once again thank you for watching him and it was really nice meeting you." Emery nodded and took her leave. John climbed into the drivers seat after watching her walk off, he glanced in the review mirror checking to make sure they were both still sleeping. Smiling a weak smile John nodded to himself and drove off.
There would be a time when Dean would realise that John's words were right it was only a matter of when exactly that would be. Dean was always going to be there for Sam and Sam would always be there for Dean. Just a matter of time.
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I hope you enjoyed.