A/N: I own nothing Supernatural. Here's some more Maeve/Daddy Sam! Thanks for all the comments and for reading.

Chapter 10:

SAM:

I sat Mae in the kitchen and started making some breakfast. I had given her some juice and she was being pretty quiet for now.

"I'm making French toast for us – do you want some bacon, too?" I asked her without turning around.

"No like that, Daddy. Yuky! No want any! Like juice," she said with certainty. I smiled, even though she couldn't see it.

I flipped over the bread in the pan, wondering why I was being such a stickler about her eating breakfast. Was it really such a big deal? I turned off the burner and turned around…

… to find her staring at me. She was so adorable. "Super yucky, Daddy, wite?" she said, shrugging her shoulders and twisting her hands in a "don't you agree with me?" gesture.

"Yeah, honey – it's…" I stopped mid-sentence and thought for a second. I didn't agree with that. What was I saying? What the hell? Why did … Oh my God! My head was buzzing lightly. My daughter with a three year old mindset was trying to push me! Manipulate me into agreeing with her that breakfast wasn't what I wanted her to have. That little shit! All with a smile on her face.

"Hey," I said warningly, reaching across and taking her firmly by the shoulders. "Just what do you think you're doing to Daddy, hmmm?"

Her eyes that matched mine - met mine, no fear.

"I helpin' you, Daddy. I help you no like, either. You say icky, wite?"

I picked her up and set her on my lap, giving her my sternest look. "You stop what you're doing right now, young lady. Daddy is your Daddy and he doesn't need your help. Daddy knows what you need, and Daddy knows what you're trying to do to make him agree with you, and I'm telling you to stop, do you understand me?" I curved my arm around her and gave her the smallest shake. "Daddy wants an answer, Missy."

She looked at me. I watched it change from curiosity to realization.

"Daddy know what I doin'?" She looked shocked, like I stole her secret, because I had.

I nodded. "Yes, Daddy knows what you're doing, and you will stop this instant."

She frowned at me. She tried to wiggle out of my arms. She kicked and struggled, but I didn't budge. She finally gave up. "Shh…Mae, it's okay. Everything is okay. Relax… Daddy has you; he won't let anything bad happen," I reassuring her the best I could. I didn't get the Daddy Handbook, so I was fairly winging it.

"You make me stop? I bad?" she asked, searching my face for the truth.

I kissed her forehead and held her against my chest. "No, honey. No, no, no – you're not bad at all! You can stop all by yourself. Daddy could stop you but he wants you to learn yourself. Daddy will help remind you, because he can feel it when you do it, okay? Only Daddy knows, nobody else. You don't do that thing anymore with your mind – you have to listen to me, and you have to tell Daddy how you feel, okay? You don't try to help people change their minds any more – you use your words and tell me how you feel about things. No matter how much you feel them, it's okay. Do you understand?"

"I no do that any more now, wite, Daddy? I say my words to you instead?" she asked.

"Exactly," I said. I raised my eyebrows and added, "And Daddy will know if you try not using your words. And Daddy will be very disappointed and very unhappy with you. Then you will have a punishment, and Daddy doesn't want to do that, ok?"

"Wike a time out?" she pressed.

"Yes, like a time out, or … Daddy will figure it out," I said, flustered. "So, it's very important that you behave and obey me, my little one. You can do that – I know you can," I said, snuggling her in tight. She may have been fourteen years old, but she wasn't inside her head yet, so I decided to soak in all the cuddles I could from her. I missed out on so much. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Mae?" I answered.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, honey," I said, trying to be patient. I was picking up a little bit of a fear vibe from her. "Don't be afraid, tell Daddy," I said.

"Daddy, me no like bweakfast. Me no wanna eat it. Me say no," she finally said. I think she thought just using her words would get her her own way – a true Winchester!

"And why not?" I asked, genuinely interested in where this not eating breakfast thing came from.

"Cause Mommy no like bweakfast – me like my mommy," she said in a proud little voice.

I remembered. It was one of the few things Mia and I went around and around about. She wouldn't eat until, well, she felt hungry, or was beyond hungry. Sometimes she would get dizzy because she didn't eat regularly. I would make her eat fruit – make her smoothies – telling her not to wait until she was hungry, because her body needed the fuel, if only for all the sex we were having! That always made her blush and giggle. She would finally eat the fruit and drink the drinks I gave her, then, saying it was "for the sake of our relationship." I had totally forgotten.

I stroked her cheek for a second, thinking.

"Did you know Daddy helped Mommy learn to eat breakfast?" I asked, still stroking her cheek.

She opened her eyes wide. "Nuh-uh," she said. The look on her face was priceless.

"Yep, I did. And she liked it! Yes, she did!" I said, standing up with her and giving her a spin. Her laughter was like a sparkler being shaken in the air.

"Me don't know, Daddy," she said, grinning.

"It's okay to not know for sure, and Daddy is very proud you are using your words to tell me how you feel. Let's try just a little bit of fruit today, good idea?"

"Just a widdle, Daddy, k?" she answered.

Oh my God. Adorable. I had a chance here. A real shot at being a dad. It may be a speed course, but I'd take it. I could help her, and she would use her emotions and learn the right way, if I didn't screw it up too much. Please, please God, don't let me screw this up.

"Okay, lovey, just a little. My good girl!" I praised.

"Daddy?"

Oh my God, another question!

"Yes, honey?"

"When my Mommy come back?" she said.

On the heels of that, I heard:

"What the hell's going on, Sammy? And where's the coffee?" Dean asked testily.

Which question to answer first? I sighed. I didn't want to answer either one.