CHAPTER THREE
Dean, Sam, Bobby, Claire & Alexia go to the beach.
As soon as Claire and Alexia walked through the door, Dean started staring at Claire with narrowed eyes. "You's hair diffent, Caire."
"Yeah, I know sweetie. I dyed it."
"Oh no," said Dean, looking sad. "You's foonal?"
"A funeral? Why would I..." Then she got what Dean meant; the little boy thought her hair had died.
When Sam started laughing, Claire glared at him, and knelt before Dean. "My hair hasn't died, you big silly. I mean I've dyed it, so it has more colour."
Dean frowned, it was obvious he had no idea what she was talking about. "Come here, let's go in the living room, and I'll explain," she said, taking Dean's hand.
When they reached the living room, she lifted Dean up onto her knee. "What I mean when I say 'dye' is... er... it means to make something a different colour. I know those two words sound the same, but they have different meanings. Am I explaining this right?"
"Erm... One peeples die, and dat you's mean... make diffent."
"There you go, you're really smart, aren't you?"
"Me's see TV and Sammy wead," said Dean, smiling shyly.
"Do you want to play with Alexia, or do you want to sit with me until we're ready to go?"
"Sit wiv you?"
"Aw. Of course you can sweetheart." Claire smiled, sitting back on the couch.
Zeppelin jumped up onto the couch and joined them. Dean giggled and placed one arm around him as they watched TV together.
They watched TV for a few minutes, before Dean sat up properly, and looked at Claire. "You's hair 'kay?" he asked, looking worried.
"My hair is fine, Dean. You don't need to keep asking about it."
"Awight," he said, sitting back to watch his cartoons.
Bobby came in. "Right, I've finished getting the car ready. Have ya got anything else ya want to take?"
"Zeppin and AC and DC?"
Bobby smiled, and shook his head. "No. sorry little man. Dave will be around after work so he can look after Zeppelin, and the caterpilars can stay here, we might lose them if we take them. Right, if everyone's ready, let's go."
Dean said he had to go to the toilet, and ran upstairs.
A couple of hours later, they arrived at the beach.
"WOW!" exclaimed Dean as he ran over the sand in his shorts and t-shirt. He was carrying his bucket and spade, so everyone else was left to carry the stuff down to the beach.
Bobby, Sam, Claire and Alexia carried their things down to where Dean was sitting. Alexia had her own bucket and spade, so she went to join Dean.
The grown ups sat a little away from the two kids, so they didn't get attacked by flying sand.
"See who's bigger casa," said Dean, smiling at Alexia, making her blush. He moved a couple of inches away to give them both room, so they could have their competition.
The grown ups smiled as they watched Dean dig sand to put in his bucket, getting sand everywhere while he was at it. When it was full, the little boy turned it over to start.
When he had made a couple of little castles, all the sand fell, causing the little boy to start pouting. Sam got up, and went to help his brother. "Let me help you, kiddo," he said, kneeling down.
Dean smiled, and gave Sam his little spade. "Here Sammy."
"No, you use that. I'll use my hands," said Sam, before filling the bucket with sand.
Dean watched him for several seconds, before he joined in and helped. "Wow, Sammy. It cool."
Sam smiled at his brother, and overturned the bucket to make a little castle. "Yeah, it is," he agreed, starting the fill the bucket again.
The two Winchesters built their castle until it was almost as big as Dean. The little boy stood, and started jumping up and down, clapping his hands in excitement. "We do wight big casa, Sammy. YAY!" He went to his brother, and hugged him. "Fank you's hep, Sammy."
"You're welcome kiddo. Are you going to play for a bit longer, while I go sit over there?" he asked, pointing to the blanket where Bobby was.
Dean nodded, and sat back in-front of his sandcastle.
Claire also got up, and went to join Sam on the blanket. When they were sat down, Sam looked over at Bobby, and gave him a look. Bobby nodded, knowing the two of them had to talk, and went to join his boy.
When Bobby was gone, Sam cleared his throat, and turned to Claire. "There's something I've got to talk to you about. Er... in just less than a year... I won't be able to see you anymore."
"Why?" asked Claire, frowning in confusion.
Sam took a deep breath, and explained. "Because I have to go back to work, and I may not be back for awhile. And it might be safer if me and you aren't together then."
"What do you mean safer?"
"I can't explain it, Claire. But it has to do with my job. We can still be friends... can't we? I mean I'd hate to lose you as a friend."
"Of course we can still be friends, Sam. It would be harder if we waited until the end of the year, so why don't we end it now, and start being friends? It would be easier than waiting a year, and getting too close." Claire paused, and looked down. "Actually, I was expecting you to say something like that. When we came two days ago, you seemed pretty distant with me."
Sam winced guiltily. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I had a lot on my mind. So... are we okay?"
"Yeah, we're okay. I would rather have you as a friend than not have you in my life at all," she said, reaching over to take his hand.
"Thanks for not being mad or anything. You can still come around, can't you? Dean loves you, and I'd love for you to still come over."
"Of course I will."
"Good," Sam sighed in relief, and smiled back. He heard childlike laughter coming from the others, and looked over at his brother and uncle and the little girl, who were building their sandcastles higher.
Sam stood up and went to join them. "Hey, kiddo," he said, kneeling beside his little brother. "Do you want to go down to the sea?"
"Yeah Sammy," said Dean, shooting up. "Come come."
Sam took his shoes off, then Deans, and led him down to the water. "Are you alright, kiddo?" he asked his brother, who was watching the water with wide eyes.
Dean gasped at the cold water, which was up to his ankles, but started giggling again as he got used to it. He leaned over and splashed the water over Sam's legs.
"Hey," said Sam, sitting in the water, and splashing him back.
Dean giggled, and splashed back. The brothers had fun as they continued with their water fight. By the end, they were both soaked, but they were having too much fun to care.
"Wait, I have an idea," said Sam, standing up. He took Dean's hand, and led him over to where the sand and water met. "Right, what we do is... when the water comes a bit closer, we run away. When it goes again we run back, okay?"
Dean grinned, and nodded. The water came closer, so they ran away, laughing. They stood waiting until the water went back, then they ran closer to the sea. "It not get me, is it Sammy?"
"No. We're faster, kiddo," said Sam, smiling at the happy expression on his brother's little face.
The water came again, and Dean's feet got wet. "Oh no. It gotted me," he said, kicking the water. "Bad water."
Sam laughed as his brother told the water off. "Do you want to go back in?"
Dean nodded, but his bottom lip was protruding from his face as he pouted.
"What's up with you? Are you alright?"
"Water gotted my's feet... It winned," said the little boy, looking up at his big brother. "Sowwy, Sammy."
"Hey, you don't have to apologise. It's only a game." Sam picked Dean up, and carried him a bit further into the water. When the water reached his shins, he put Dean down, who was up to his hips in the sea.
"What do, Sammy?"
"This," said Sam, grabbing Dean's hands, and lifting him from the water, then he put him back down.
"Dis funny, Sammy," said Dean, giggling.
Sam laughed too as he lifted Dean into his arms again, and span him around.
Dean screamed with laughter, and threw his little arms around Sam's neck. "Woves my Sammy," he said, kissing his brother's cheek.
"Love my Deanie," Sam whispered, and kissed him back.
After twenty minutes, Sam took Dean to the toilet to get dried up. After they finished, Dean saw the donkeys on the beach, and started jumping and pointing. "Sammy, Sammy. Wide dem?"
Sam smiled, and walked to the woman, who was standing with them. "Hi, my brother wants a ride on a donkey."
The woman smiled down at Dean, who was stroking the one he was closest to. "Hiya, Me's Dean," he told the animal.
"Sure. Hey, do you want to ride this one? His name is Donald the Donkey. My name's Shannon."
"Hiya Donnad."
Shannon untied Donald's lead, while Sam lifted Dean, and sat him on the Donkey. Dean grinned up at Sam, who went to get his phone out of their bag, so he could take a picture of Dean and Donald.
"Usually when a kid goes for a ride, they have someone older to go with them. But the donkeys are only small, so you won't be able to ride with him."
"It's okay. I'll hold his hand, and put my other around his waist. He'll be safe."
Shannon nodded, and took hold of the lead. She waited until Sam had a hold of Dean, and walked the donkey up the beach.
"We's move, Sammy," Dean told his brother, giggling excitedly as he rode along on the donkey's back.
After ten minutes the ride was over, so Sam lifted his brother from the donkey, and lowered him to the sand.
"Bye bye, Donnad."
"We've got donkey teddies, if you want one," Shannon said to Dean, showing him the selection of teddies.
Dean looked at Sam, who nodded. "Yes pees."
Shannon gave the donkey to the little boy, while Sam paid for him and for the ride.
Sam smiled at her, and took his brother's hand to walk him back up to join the others. When they saw Bobby, Sam let go of Dean's hand, so he could run over. When the little boy reached his uncle, he gave him a hug. "Me's wided Donnad, Unca Bee-bee. And gotted Eeyore."
Bobby looked at Sam, confused. "Donald's a donkey," Sam told him.
"Right. I wondered what the hell he was talking about."
Dean giggled, and kissed Bobby's cheek, before walking over to Claire and Alexia, who were still playing in the sand.
"How was it with Claire?" Bobby asked Sam when Dean was out of earshot.
"It was a lot better than I thought it would be. She still wants to be friends."
"Good. It looks like our little man's getting tired."
Sam looked at his brother, and saw him yawning. "I'm not surprised. He's been up since 6 o'clock this morning, and he's been running around since then," he said, before going over to Dean.
When Sam came back over, he was carrying a sleepy Dean. Claire and Alexia followed behind, carrying both buckets and spades.
"Come on, let's go. Are you ready?" Sam asked Bobby, who nodded.
TBC
Hope you like.
