CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Dean & Sam talk about Zeppelin. Dean, Sam & Bobby go to the Zoo.

"Hey, kiddo. Guess where we're going," Sam said, walking into their bedroom where Dean was on the bed taking his Pajamas off.

"Where, Sammy?" came a muffled voice from the bed. Dean tried to get his head out of the hole at the top, but started struggling when he couldn't find it. "SAMMY, HEP ME!"

Sam rolled his eyes, and went to help his brother, who was somehow stuck in his pajama top. "Come here, you weirdo." After adjusting the top, he finally managed to get Dean's head free. "There you are," he said, tweaking the tiny nose.

"BOO!" yelled Dean with a big grin. "Me scare you?"

"Yeah Dean. I'm really scared." He helped Dean with the rest of his clothes, and then sat him on his knee. "We're going to the zoo today."

Dean gasped, and his eyes widened. "Zoo? Oooh, Sammy. YAY!" He threw himself at Sam, and gave him a big hug, and kisses.

Sam fell backwards on the bed in surprise. "I guess that means you're excited about going."

"YEAH! AC and DC come?" he asked, gasping when Sam rolled them over, so he was on top of Dean.

"No. You can't take caterpillars to a zoo. I'm going to get you," Sam said, putting his fingers in the 'scary' shape, before he started tickling Dean.

"No, you's not, Sammy." The tiny Winchester started wiggling to get away, but Sam wouldn't let him.

When Dean screamed and laughed, Zeppelin jumped on the bed, growling. Sam had his back to him, so he didn't know who it was, and he went for Sam's hand.

"No Zeppin. It Sammy. Wook," Dean told his dog, pushing Sam away, so he could sit up. He stroked his dog to calm him down, the soothing strokes from the little fingers always managed to calm Zeppelin down.

Sam sat still, until Dean managed to calm Zeppelin. He seemed to be the only one who could when Zeppelin got like this. "Come Zeppin," said Dean, giving his dog a hug. "See? Me 'kay."

Zeppelin relaxed after a minute, and looked over at Sam. When Dean let him go, he licked Sam's hand.

"It's okay, Zeppelin," said Sam, stroking the protective dog. "I know you're just looking after Dean. It's your job, like it's mine."

"Zeppin come zoo awell, Sammy?" asked Dean, hugging his dog again.

"No, kiddo. If we take Zeppelin with us, he'll end up attacking all the animals who come near you."

Dean smiled back, and sighed in relief when Zeppelin fully calmed down. "Me finked he get you, Sammy. Dat scawy."

"You're not scared of Zeppelin, are you?" he asked in concern.

"No, Sammy. He my bestest fend, in't you Zeppin?" He giggled when Zeppelin licked his face in agreement. "But it scawy when he grrrrr." He scrunched up his nose as he growled, making him look even cuter. "He same dan you and unca Bee-bee."

"Well, I don't think me and Bobby start growling at people... unless we're in a bad mood," he added, making Dean giggle. "Come on. Let's go get some breakfast."

Dean was so excited the whole way there, he was bouncing in his seat. "We's see amals, Sammy. Fank you. Me woves amals."

"I know, kiddo. That's why we're going. They have loads and loads of animals."

Dean giggled, and clapped. "'What got, Sammy?"

"Er... they have things like... monkeys, tigers, and maybe pandas and stuff."

"Tigers? Dey eat me?" asked the little boy worriedly.

Bobby looked at Dean in the mirror as he pulled into the huge parking lot. "Dean, if ya don't get close to them, they won't eat ya."

"'Kay den. If twy eated me, me's kick dem in teef. Wow," whispered Dean, looking out of the window, his eyes going wide in awe. "Dat wook fun."

As soon as they entered the zoo, Dean tried to run off. "Dean, get here," said Sam, pulling him back with his jacket. "You don't run off."

"Sowwy, Sammy," Dean whispered, pouting his lips. "Me want see amals."

"I know, but we'll take you to see everything you want to see, just don't run away."

"'Kay Sammy." The little boy held onto Sam and Bobby's hands, and his eyes went wide when he saw the monkeys. "WOW! WOOK SAMMY AND UNCA BEE-BEE!" Dean yelled in excitement, pointing as he jumped up and down. "We's see monkeys?"

Sam and Bobby smiled, and led the excited boy over to the monkeys.

"Aw. Hiya monkeys," said Dean, waving. He giggled when one of the monkeys came over to his side. "Me gotted new fend, wook."

Bobby chuckled, and shook his head. "Ya always have new friends, little man."

"Hiya monkey, me's Dean. Dis my Sammy, and unca Bee-bee," Dean introduced them, pointing to his family. "You's Mabindooda."

Bobby raised his eyebrows. "Mabindooda? That's a weird name. Where's that from?"

"Me's not know, unca Bee-bee. He say to me."

"Of course he did," he said to himself. "Let's go see something else, little man."

"Noooooo. Me want see my's fend. Keep him?" he asked when the monkey leaned towards his fingers.

Sam took Dean's hand away. "Don't put your hands near the cage. And no, you can't have a monkey. If you carry on with the animals, we'll have a zoo at home."

Dean giggled, and looked at another monkey near the back. "Wook. Dat up-down," he told them, pointing at the monkey, who was hanging with his tail. "Ooh ooh aah aah." He started jumping like a monkey, making Bobby and Sam laugh.

"Come on, you little monkey. Let's go see if you can make some more friends. Say bye to the monkey."

Dean started waving. "Bye bye... erm Mabindooda."

The two men led the little boy to the other animals, and stopped when they saw the small elephant. "SAMMY, SAMMY! EFANT WOOK!" Dean yelled, getting excited again.

"Would ya calm down for a minute, little man?"

Dean started jumping again. "NO! It efant," he told them as if they couldn't see it for themselves. He dragged his brother and uncle to see the elephant, and stood staring at the animal in awe. "Wow. He gotted big nose and... and big ears, Sammy."

Sam couldn't help laughing. "I know. Does this one have a name?"

"Erm... Mr nosey. He biiiiig nose," he said, and giggled.

"It's called a trunk, little man."

"Aw. Keep him? He nice."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dean, you're not keeping an elephant. Where the hell would we keep him?"

"Erm... baff."

"Ya want to keep an elephant in the bath? It might be a bit small," Bobby said, looking down at Dean, who was still staring at Mr nosey.

After five minutes, they were able to pry Dean from his friend after Sam took a picture of Dean and Mr nosey on his phone. As they walked away, Dean kept looking back at the elephant. "Oh no. He sad, Sammy," he told them, coming to a stop.

"Dean, the elephant isn't sad. He's happy where he is, kiddo. Come on." The two almost had to drag Dean away, and they walked over to see the tigers.

"Oh no," Dean whispered with wide eyes when he saw the huge striped cats.

Sam knelt in-front of his scared little brother. "Hey, Dean. Look at me," he said, turning Dean to face him. "They won't hurt you. They're locked away, and can't get out. I promise you're safe."

Dean swallowed nervously, and nodded. "'Kay Sammy. Batman not scareded tigers. Me see dem," he said, walking slowly towards them. He hid behind Bobby when one of the tigers came forward.

Bobby turned and knelt in-front of Dean. "Come on, little man. He's not going to eat ya," he promised the scared little boy, holding his hand out for him to take.

Dean gave a tiny smile, and took his uncle's hand, and came forwards. His smile widened when he saw them walking around or laying down. "Dey not scawy." When one of the smaller tigers looked in Dean's direction, the tiny Winchester was in love. "Aw. He bootful, Sammy. Me's..."

"Before you ask, you're not keeping one of the tigers."

"Why? It baby one. He go my's hat. He fends wiv Zeppin," he told them with a hopeful expression.

"No, Dean. You've got enough with a dog, two caterpillars and two fish. You're not having any more."

"Fine den. Big meanie." He smiled when two of the smaller tigers started playing and jumping on each other. "Aw, dey cute. Ooh ooh, Sammy what tiger in junga book?"

Sam thought for a minute. "Er... Shere Khan, I think."

"Dat See Can," he told them, pointing at the biggest one, before pointing at the smallest, who was jumping on its mother. "And dat Tigger."

"Come on, little man. The mom and dad have to get the little ones to sleep."

"Bye bye, See Can and Tigger. Ooh ooh, me picture wiv dem, Sammy?"

"Stand in-front, kiddo," Sam told him, getting his phone out. "But not too close."

After Sam took two pictures of his brother and the tigers, Dean giggled and clapped. "We's go now," he decided, and walked away with Bobby and Sam.

Before they saw any more, the two men realised it was lunchtime, so they took Dean to get something to eat and drink.

"Dis wight fun, Sammy and unca Bee-bee."

"Glad you're having fun, kiddo," said Sam, smiling at Dean when their milkshakes and burgers came.

Dean ate most of his burger, then wanted to go see more animals. "Come fast. Dey go aseeps."

"Dean, would you calm down a minute? It's still daytime."

"Come oooon," said Dean impatiently, climbing down from his chair, and tugging on Sam's arm.

Sam and Bobby stood and walked the little boy over to see more of the animals. "Dem?" he asked when he saw the lions. "Me not scared."

The two older members of the family walked the youngest to see the three lions that were walking around.

"Wook, Sammy. He smiling at me," said Dean, pointing at one of the lions.

Sam looked at the lion, then back at Dean. "Lions don't smile. It's just showing it's teeth."

"No, not. He my's fend, he smiling. Aw. Hiya, me's Dean." He put his hand out to stroke the lion, but Bobby grabbed his arm.

"Ya don't do that, little man," he told him, holding Dean's hand.

"'Kay, unca Bee-bee." The little boy stood watching his new friends, and smiled when one of the lions yawned. "Aw. Wook he seepy."

Sam looked down at Dean. "You're not tired or anything are you?"

"No, Sammy. He name Seepy... and dere..." he pointed at the lion who 'smiled' at him. "Dat happy, and next him... dat Gwumpy, he bad mood."

"So they've got lions named after some of the seven dwarfs?"

Dean nodded and put his finger to his lips. "He seeps. Be shh," he whispered, pointing at the lion who yawned, and went to lay down. "He bedtime stowy?"

Sam couldn't help smiling. "You want to sit and read a bedtime story to a lion? Dean you can't read."

"Yeah. Me's wead stowy wiv catpiar. Me weaded when you's sick." He stepped closer with his brother and uncle, so he was in-front of the tired lion. "One a time dere catpiar... erm... he eated woads food, and be butfy. End. Dere, he seeps now."

"Only you could tell a bedtime story to a lion," said Sam, smiling down at him.

"We's go, Seepy go seeps."

"Come on then. Say bye to Sleepy, Happy and Grumpy."

"Bye bye Seepy. Bye bye Happy... and bye bye Gwumpy." Before they went, Dean wanted to get a picture with the lions, so once again Sam had to get his phone out to take a few photos.

When the little family saw the panda wandering around his cage, Dean got excited and started jumping again. "SAMMY! UNCA BEE-BEE! WOOK! Oh no. He get hitted?" he asked with a sad expression, pointing at the bear with black around his eyes.

Sam laughed. "No Dean. That's what they look like. Nobody's hit him."

"He my new fend." He cheered up when he saw the bear walking around. "Aw. He 'kay, Sammy. He not hurted... What name, Sammy?"

"Er... What about Yogi? I know he's not the same kind of bear, but..."

Dean smiled, and clapped. "Yeah, Sammy. Dat nice name," he decided, and started waving at the bear. "Hiya Yo-Yogi."

The little boy watched the panda for awhile, before deciding to see something else.

Dean, Sam and Bobby walked around for another hour, looking at all the animals. Dean had so much fun running from one animal to the next that his little legs were tired, so Sam was now giving him a piggyback.

Dean yawned, and pointed at the birds aviary. "Go see dem, pees?"

"Are you okay, kiddo? We'll go see these birds and then go home, so you can have a sleep."

"'Kay, Sammy. Me's seepy."

"I'm not surprised. You got up early today, and you've been getting excited and jumping around nearly all day."

"We're glad ya had fun. Let's go see the birds then."

When they made it to the birds, Dean smiled when he saw the beautiful parrot. "Sammy wook, birdy."

"That's a parrot, kiddo," Sam told him when Dean's chin came to rest on his shoulder.

"He diffent. He wed, boo, gween... purpa," he told them the colours he could see.

"Wow. You're clever, aren't you? But you've missed a colour... It's red, blue, green, purple... and yellow."

Dean looked sad. "Oh no... But me cever, not stoopid," he said with a nod.

"That's right. You're definitely not stupid."

Dean rubbed his eyes sleepily with his fists. "See more birdy? Me seeps."

"Yeah. Come on, little man," said Bobby, leading them to the next lot of birds, which were loads of different coloured ones.

"Wow," Dean whispered, his wide eyes darting from one colourful bird to another. "Dey woads, wook."

They watched the birds for a few minutes, then Sam started galloping around like a horse with his little brother on his back. A few people looked at him weird, but he didn't care.

Dean giggled, and tightened his hold around Sam's neck. "GO SAMMY HORSIE! 'ED ZEPPIN WULES!" he announced, before going back to his death grip on Sam. He yawned, and laid his head on his big brother's shoulder.

Sam walked faster to the car, so Dean could get some rest. "Bobby, help him down."

Bobby took Dean from his brother, and smiled when Dean snuggled up to him. "Um Bee-bee," he mumbled sleepily.

"Shh, little man," whispered Bobby, holding Dean closer. "Sam, I'll sit in the back with Dean."

Sam nodded, and opened the back door for him. "Okay."

As Bobby and Dean slid into the seat, Sam climbed into the drivers seat to drive them back home.

TBC

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