Z is for Zahara

Dean ran towards the screaming. He burst into the barn. He ran to the source of the screaming. He found a small girl cowering. He rushed to her side. There as no way she was older than two years old.

"Zahara?" Dean asked. She looked up at him confused. "We're gonna find your mom ok. I am here to help."

"Mommy!"

"It's ok, we'll find her," Dean promised. He scooped the toddler up into his arms. Zahara clung to him scared. He didn't blame her.

He jumped as he heard a crash behind him. He was greeted by the skinwalker they had been hunting. The creature looked at them before morphing into the girls mom, Della. The woman they had been trying to save.

"Sweeite," the monster said, imitating her voice.

"No," Dean growled hugging the child tighter. He grabbed the blade at his side. He readied for attack, while trying to protect Zahara too.

Suddenly an angel blade plunged through the monsters heart from behind. Dean had never been so glad for Castiel.

"I was too late," Castiel said walking over to them. He was holding his angel blade and had a far off look in his eyes. "I didn't make it in time. It devoured her mother."

"Son of a bitch," Dean cursed.

"It's ok sweetie," Castiel said to the small girl "We are here to help."

The girl threw herself further into Dean's arms crying. Dean hugged her tight, his heart breaking. He didn't know what he would do it he lost Bobby. He never wanted Bobby to be in this position either.

"Dean!"

"Sam! In here," Dean called out. Sam and Fiona ran into the barn ready to attack. They both froze when they saw the small girl in Dean's arms.

"A child?" Fiona asked walking over to them.

"We weren't fast enough," Castiel said, "her mother is gone."

Dean stood with the toddler in his arms. He left the barn with her. Fiona followed him while Castiel and Sam decided on a clean up plan.

As they reached the impala, red and blue lights flashed. Dean looked up as the sheriff they had been working the case with showed up. He stepped out of his car and walked up to them.

"Sheriff," Sam said walking up to him. Castiel was behind him.

"Zahara," the Sheriff said. The girl looked up at her at the mention of her name. "Where is Della?" he asked the hunters.

"I wasn't fast enough," Castiel said again. He was still in disbelief.

"It…shes dead?" the sheriff asked.

"I am sorry," Castiel said.

Dean grabbed a blanket from the impala. He wrapped Zahara up. She seemed grateful for the warmth as she snuggled into Dean.

"What's gonna happen to her?" Dean asked hugging Zahara close. She seemed to want to be close to him. He didn't want to let her go, not until he knew she was gonna be ok.

"Della was all she had," the sheriff said.

"She doesn't have any other family?" Fiona asked.

"Della was running way from her ex, no one knows where they came from, just that she was busting her butt for that girl and now…she's got no one," the sheriff said.

"Correction, she's got us," Dean said.

"Are you sure?" the Sheriff asked skeptically, "I mean isn't your job a little dangerous?"

"Yeah, but I'm not gonna let anything else happen to her," Dean said.

"Well it appears whoever kidnapped Della burned the barn down with her in it, Zahara was saved but we couldn't get to Della," the sheriff said, "However I managed to find the only family Della had a brother." he looked to Castiel, who Dean had to admit looked a little like Della. "He came to take Zahara home to family."

"Sounds legit to me," Fiona said.

"I'll make it happen, and create a paper trail," the Sheriff said.

Dean looked down at Zahara and saw that she had fallen asleep. He hugged her tighter. It seems he had found his little princess. He hated the circumstances of it, but he felt the need to protect this child. He wasn't going to let anything bad happen to her ever again.