Hello gorgeous SPN Family! Happy Friday!
This is a request by the wonderful SamA18. She asked for a story about Natalie getting scared during a thunderstorm. I hope you like it my dear! As always, I love hearing your requests- and I will write them all (as long as they're true to character!)
Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love. I love you all. Special hugs to Jenmm31!
A/N- in this story, Natalie is 2. Please see profile page for disclaimer.
Gray mist clung to the scratched window. The plinking sound of the rain on the roof echoed the smack of the drops on the glass. It was chilly near the window, but the just-turned-two year old with her nose pressed up against the glass didn't seem to mind. Both of her tiny hands were spread against the cold glass in an effort to keep herself connected to the rain. From the outside, her nose appeared to be smashed against her face as she breathlessly watched the raindrops fall.
"Going on a solid thirty minutes now," Sam remarked casually, looking at the clock on his open laptop. Dean just snickered, taking another swig from his beer. The rain had started falling, and not long after, Natalie had been engrossed in watching it.
"I guess it makes sense. She was born in Seattle. The rain probably feels like home to her," Dean said, watching his fascinated daughter. She was right at that stage where she was really starting to discover the world around her. Dean found himself stunned at the feelings he felt, watching her encounter new things. He had been so focused for so long on the supernatural world, that he had often forgotten or even discarded the natural world. Watching it for the first time through his daughter's eyes was captivating. Not to mention, her reactions was priceless.
The first time she "discovered" grass was a personal favorite of his. They had just come off of a sixteen hour drive. In an effort to get her down for a nap, Dean had taken Natalie outside behind the motel they had pulled into, and set her loose. Normally, she would have just run around and laughed until her legs were tired, but for some reason, that day, she happened to look down. Her little mouth had gaped in wonder at the green blades underneath her feet. She kept picking up her feet, one by one, and examining the grass underneath them. When she put one foot down to look at what was under the other one, she would get frustrated that the grass she had been looking at disappeared under her feet. She had stomped around, getting more and more frustrated, even growling at the grass, until she had tripped on a hole in the ground, falling face forward. Dean had momentarily panicked, and was running towards her, when she looked down and realized that the grass she was so desperate to look at was now even closer and- even better- no longer in danger of being squished by her foot. Dean got to her just in time to hear her give a little satisfied squeak, and then start meticulously examining the grass, sprawled out on the ground on her belly. She would grab handfuls of it and drag herself along the field to look at new patches. She picked up individual pieces and clumps. She tried to put it in her mouth, but Dean quickly put a stop to that. When she finally seemed to wear out, Dean picked her up and took her back inside. Sam was less than pleased that she was covered in grass stains and dirt, but after a quick bath and change of clothes, she went right down for a nap, no fussing. Dean totally called that day a "win", grass stains be damned.
Today, apparently, the fascination was rain. Once she heard the rain start up, her little head whipped around towards the window. She pushed herself off of Sam's lap where she had been sitting, and toddled over to the glass. She had given a little gasp of delight at the water running down the window. She pressed her nose and hands to the window, trying to figure out what it was all about, and hadn't moved since.
"Hell, if this rain keeps up, we won't need a babysitter on this case. She'll just stay by the window until we're back," Sam joked, looking at his niece again. Dean smiled and nodded in response. "Speaking of which, do you think Amy would watch her?" Sam asked, referring to the cop they had been working with on their current case.
"In a heartbeat," Dean said. "You think we'll find what we're looking for tonight?"
Sam shook his head, frustrated. "Doubtful. This vampire nest has been in this town for over a century. I don't think a couple Google searches are gonna crack this case today."
"Well, it's a good thing you have no life then. Keep searching."
Sam just rolled his eyes and got up to get another beer. On his way past his niece, he stopped, reached down, and stroked her hair once. She didn't move; she was too busy. New raindrops were falling all the time. She wanted to see them all. Sam looked up and out the window himself. A sudden gush of wind sent a cluster of leaves skating across the parking lot.
"Hm. Looks like it's getting worse out there," he remarked, looking up at the darkening clouds. He looked back down. Natalie now had her cheek smashed against the glass, watching the skittering wet leaves as they plastered themselves to cars, parking curbs, and the motel wall. He was worried that she was going to get cold so close to the window. Sam reached down and tried to pull her hands gently away to see if they were chilly, but she shrieked in protest and tried to wrestle her hands away from his grip.
"She's fine, Sam. Let her be," her father said.
"Dean, she might catch cold," Sam said matter-of-factly.
"She's a Winchester. We don't get sick. Quit being such a mother hen." Sam sighed in defeat and let Natalie's hands go. She immediately plastered them back to the window, continuing her rain stakeout. He strode to the fridge and pulled out another bottle.
"You need another?" he asked his brother. In response, Dean picked up his own bottle and chugged for a good solid ten seconds. He put the bottle down on the table, and let out an almighty belch.
"Yes."
Sam came back to the table, plunking the two bottles down. It was silent in the room again for a while after that, other than the click of the keyboards, the rushing wind, and the relentless patter of rain. Fifteen minutes later, Dean leaned back to stretch, then rubbed his hands on the back of his head. His gaze wandered over to his daughter again. She still hadn't moved, but all the glass around her mouth was fogged up. He hated himself a little for thinking this- as unmacho as it could be- but...it was kinda cute.
All of the sudden, a huge flash of light lit up the window. Natalie jumped back from the glass- she hadn't been expecting that. She breathed hard, twice, then took a tentative step back towards the window. Just then, the thunder crashed. She stumbled backwards with a frightened squeak, but didn't fall. She turned to Dean, terror in her eyes.
"That's just thunder and lightning," Dean said in a gentle voice, trying to calm her. "Nothin' to be scared of, squirt." She turned her face towards the window again, her beloved rain suddenly feeling sinister to her. She put her little hand up to the window again. Unfortunately, that was the exact moment another roll of thunder crashed. She yanked her hand away from the window like it was suddenly a burning stove, but she didn't move. "Hey- you okay?" Dean called out to her, concerned now. She didn't acknowledge that she heard him. She was still staring at the blackening sky, trying to figure it all out, when the lightning struck again. This time, the thunder clap came almost simultaneously with it. Natalie gasped and backed away from the window, terrified. She turned and bolted straight for Dean.
"Daddyyyyyyy!" she hollered as she ran. She slammed full force into his bent legs, falling to the ground. She wrapped her arms around Dean's left calf, and buried her face in his jeans.
"Hey, hey now," he said, trying not to laugh outright at her. He reached down and tried to pull her off his leg, but for a just-turned-two year old, she was strong. He swung around in his seat, picking his leg up as she continued to clutch it in a death grip. He put his hands under her arms to try to pry her off. She just gripped him tighter, but once she realized he was trying to pick her up, she dropped her hands instantly and reached up, her little fists opening and closing as she whimpered in fear. Dean pulled her in to his chest. She immediately grabbed the front of his flannel with both hands and tried to hide her face in it. Dean tried to suck his lips into his mouth in an effort to not laugh at her, but she was so damned cute. He just wrapped his arms around her, cuddling her close.
"Hey now, kiddo, it's okay. You're fine," he said, patting her back gently. She pulled the flannel around her face tighter, as if that would block out the thunder and lightning. Dean couldn't help but give a low chuckle.
"Is she okay?" Sam asked, concerned. He craned his neck, trying to get a look at Natalie's face, but she had turned it completely into Dean's chest. Dean nodded.
"She'll be fine, just a little freaked out, that's all," he said soothingly, not wanting to startle her further. Another clap of lightning and thunder, and she let out a terrified wail. Dean held her tighter.
"It's okay, Baby Girl, it's okay," he whispered gently, rubbing her back as she cried. His laughter turned to an aching heart as he felt the fear rolling off of her. He held her up again so she would look at him, but she wouldn't let go of his shirt. He pulled her in, putting his hand on the back of her head and pulling it down to his shoulder. She responded by dropping his shirt and wrapping her arms around his neck. Dean kept one hand on the back of her head and the other firmly holding her in place as he stood up. He stood up and walked towards the other end of the room, away from the window. "Shhhh," he whispered into her ear, bouncing her up and down like he did when he was trying to get her to sleep. She continued to whimper and shake with terror, especially when a new wave of thunder struck. She cried out as the thunderclap scared her again, and Dean suddenly felt helpless. He needed to calm her down, to soothe her, but he didn't know how. He kept bouncing her, and she would grow quiet again, only to have the cycle repeat at the next lightning strike.
"Can I help?" Sam asked, anxious, seeing that Natalie was still freaking out.
"I don't know, Sammy. I've never seen her this freaked before," Dean said in an anguished voice. He started humming Metallica songs into her ear (well, it helped HIM calm down) and stroking her head. His heart leapt when she relaxed, but the second the bright light shot through the room again, she tensed up all over again. Sam crossed to the windows and tried to shut the curtains to block the light out, but Natalie could still see the flash of lightning through the slit, and nothing could block out the thunder. She cowered in Dean's arms, holding on to him for dear life.
Dean pressed his lips to the top of her head, and left them there. He could feel her slowly start to relax again. And this time, when the thunder struck, she didn't get tense. Dean felt a jab of relief and hope at this breakthrough.
"Hey," he whispered to her. "It's okay, Baby Girl. Daddy's got you. Nothing's gonna get you, not while I'm around. I got you, kiddo." Natalie's whimpering stopped. She actually picked up her head and looked Dean right in the eye. His heart cracked in two when he saw the tear tracks on her face. She tried to brush them away, but was so agitated that her motor skills were affected; her tiny hands were still shaking. Dean brushed the tears off her cheeks, knowing how much she hated the feeling of them on her face. She took another gulping breath, and looked at him, scared and miserable, not understanding what the crashing and the bright light was all about.
"It's okay, kiddo," Dean said, rubbing her back again gently. "It's just thunder and lightning. Nothin' to be scared of. It can't hurt you, okay? You got that? It can't hurt you." Just then, the power in the room flicked once, twice, and then died. "Aw, crap," Dean growled as Natalie tensed up. But she didn't start to cry or try to bury her face in his shirt again. Dean watched as her little face whipped around the room, wondering where the light went. She spotted Sam, who had just gotten up from the table to go get their flashlights. She pointed imperiously in Sam's direction.
"Saht," she declared. Dean's forehead wrinkled. He didn't know what she was trying to say. He had never heard her say that word before.
"What did you say?" he asked, feeling foolish. Sam turned around as well upon hearing her utterance. She looked at Dean again, but pointed in Sam's direction.
"Saht!" she declared, louder. The brothers exchanged a look, neither of them able to interpret her words.
"What is she saying?" Sam asked.
"Do you think she's trying to say 'Sam'?" Dean questioned.
"No, she knows how to say my name."
"Saht!"
"What is it, kiddo? What is it you want?" Dean asked her, feeling worthless that he couldn't understand his own daughter. Sam continued digging through the duffel, coming up with the flashlights. His hand hit another container as he was withdrawing the flashlights from the bag. He let out a surprised utterance.
"What?" Dean asked, not really wanting to deal with a Sam freak-out at the moment.
"Dean- I think she's trying to say 'salt'," Sam said, standing up with the container of salt in his hand. He walked over towards them, the salt clearly visible. "Natalie- is this what you want? Salt?" he asked gently. She nodded vigorously, and pointed firmly to the canister again. "Saht!" she declared loudly. Sam's eyes got as wide as they possibly could as he made the connection.
"Dean. The lights went out. And she wanted the salt."
As the realization of what just happened hit him, Dean turned his face towards the child in his arms, his jaw dropping open. His two year old had made the connection that when the lights went out unexpectedly, it was time to grab the salt.
"Dean- how the HELL did she know that?" Sam asked, breathless.
"Like I know?!" he said. Natalie jumped a bit at the loud exclamation. He immediately felt like crap, scaring her all over again. He patted her on the back, then rubbed his knuckles gently along her cheek. "Hey, sorry, Baby Girl, shhh, shh, I'm sorry, Daddy's sorry," he murmured low, trying to calm her again. His touch acted like a muscle relaxer, and she sagged back into his shoulder. He turned away from Sam and began walking in circles again. He turned to say something to Sam, but his words were cut short in surprise. Sam had crossed to the door of the motel, opened the salt container, and was pouring a line right at the door. Sam stopped, embarrassed, when he saw his brother staring at him.
"What?" he mumbled defensively. "We would've done it eventually anyways. Not to mention if it'll help her calm down, I'll do it," he declared, almost defiantly. Dean just rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, well, there's going to be enough to be scared of in this life. I don't want her to be scared of this." Dean kissed Natalie's forehead again, causing her to look up. "Hey, kiddo, listen to me," he said, not sure if the two year old would be able to follow. But she appeared to be listening. "I've got you, okay? You're safe with me," he said, and began slowing walking towards the window. As he approached it, Natalie began to quietly whimper. She tightened her grip on Dean's neck, but he didn't stop moving. He did lean down and whisper in her ear again, "I've got you. Nothing's gonna get you. You're okay, you're okay." As his words hit her ear, he felt her relax slightly, despite their movement towards the window. Dean stopped at the part in the curtain.
"It's okay. It's okay, Natalie," he said gently. "Look- wanna see?" He slowly pulled the curtain back. She gulped hard, but didn't tense up. Dean looked down quickly, checking to see how this was all going over. "See? You're okay. Daddy's got you. Nothing's gonna get you, not some stupid thunder and lightning. Not while I'm around." He was worried, but he knew he had to help her fight this fear and face it. He put his hand up to the window, just like she had been doing up till the point of getting scared.
"Daddy! No!" she whined, gripping him tight around the neck. He kept his hand on the window, and turned his face towards her.
"See, Natalie? Nothin' to be scared of," he said calmly. Her green eyes got wide in wonder, and she turned to look at his hand on the window. Just then, lightning and thunder struck again. She shrieked a bit, then looked quickly back and forth from Dean's hand to his face, searching for any kind of distress. He smiled at her.
"There you go, kiddo. I'm fine. You wanna try?" he said, hoping that she would reach her hand out to the window. His heart sank when she shook her head violently, but then she turned to look out the window again. This time, when the lightning struck, she barely flinched. Dean watched her tilt her head to the side as she studied what she was seeing. Another clap of thunder rolled, making her slightly jump, but then she gritted her teeth. She leaned forward at the window, bared her teeth, and growled.
"Yeah! That's my girl! You show that thunder that you're not scared of it!" Dean said, excited. She, in turn, growled louder, pleased at his encouragement. Dean barked a laugh, which made her giggle. Nothing in the world sounded sweeter to Dean at that moment than that little laugh. He bounced her a bit more, but stilled as she tentatively reached out towards the window again. She got her hand about three inches from the glass, then turned her worried gaze to Dean again. He grinned at her, and leaned in towards her, touching his forehead to hers.
"I'm right here," he whispered. She turned her face back towards the window, and thrust her hand out the rest of the way, touching the glass. When the lightning and thunder came, Dean felt her tense up, but she didn't move her hand. He was so proud of her, facing her fear, that he couldn't speak. His throat closed up as tears threatened to fall. With a manly sniff, he sucked them back in, but continued to watch his little girl be brave. After another moment, she withdrew her hand from the glass, and turned to him, giving him a thousand watt smile. He leaned in again, touching his forehead to hers as he cuddled her.
"Daddy's really proud of you for being so brave. But you don't ever have to worry about being safe. I will always keep you safe. Nothing's ever gonna get to you. Not while I'm around."
