More fluff. I told you, I was in serious fluff mode after last November. Lots of blood and guts coming soon, I promise.
Thank you all for everything. You help keep me grinding. Special thanks to Sammy :)
A/N- in this story, Natalie is 4. Please see profile page for disclaimers.
"Saw that," Dean said casually. His eyes turned to his four-year-old daughter, who froze. He held her gaze for a moment, before grinning. They were sitting at the motel table eating lunch, and out of the corner of his eye, he'd seen her wipe her mouth with the back of her hand- a trait her uncle particularly despised.
The grin on her father's face let Natalie know that she wasn't in trouble with him, but that wasn't what was worrying her. "Are you gonna tell Unca Sam?" she asked in a tiny voice. Dean didn't usually tell on her, but he didn't usually call her out on this junk either. And Sam had scolded her about it already today over breakfast.
Dean thoughtfully took another bite of his sandwich, chewing deliberately slowly before answering. Man, he loved screwing with the kid. It was hilarious. "Well, that depends," he said seriously.
"On what?" the four year old asked anxiously.
"On whether or not you agree to be my slave for life."
That elicited a round of hysterical laughter from her. "DADDY!" she shrieked in between giggles. "I'm not gonna be a slave for LIFE. That's not how that works!"
"Yes it is."
"Nuh-uh!"
"I'm telling you, kid, that's the only way you're gettin' out of this."
"No it's not!"
"Yes huh."
"NUH-UH!"
"Fine then. I'm telling."
"No you won't!"
"Oh yeah? Wanna bet?"
"Yeah!"
"What makes you so sure I won't tell on you, Short Stack?"
"Cause if you tell Unca Sam that I wiped my mouth with my hand, I'M gonna tell him that you drank from the milk carton last night!"
Dean gave a dramatic groan and clutched at his chest as if he was having a heart attack. "AH, you got me," he said, before taking another huge bite and looking incredibly smug at the whole situation. Trying to copy him, as she was always trying to do these days, Natalie took a huge bite too- so much so that her cheeks were bulging and she started coughing a bit, her mouth much too full.
Dean instantly went into 'Dad' mode, holding his hand under her mouth as he swallowed his own bite. "Spit it out," he said calmly. Natalie tried to chew once more, not wanting to admit she couldn't handle it. "Nat," he said, a little more sternly this time. Finally, with a scowl, she spit her mouthful into Dean's hand and was able to swallow the bit that had gotten stuck in her throat. She looked up at him with accusing eyes.
"I almost had it," she said sullenly. Ignoring her attitude, Dean tore the piece of grilled cheese into smaller bites.
"What did I tell you about trying to take big bites, hm?" he asked gruffly, putting the now-manageable bites back onto the paper plate in front of her.
She sighed heavily, hating this part. "Not to take big bites 'cause my mouth is too small," she mumbled. "But when I'm bigger, my mouth is gonna be way bigger and I'm gonna take all the big bites in the world!" she finished with her classic Winchester grin.
"Sounds like a plan," Dean said, the corner of his own mouth turning up. "Until then, small bites, T-Rex. Got it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good girl. Now finish eating." Dean wiped his slimy hand on his jeans, before shaking his head and taking another bite of his burger. Four years ago he never would have dreamed that it would be perfectly normal for him to insist someone spit food into his hand and then feed it to them again. Life with a four year old was wild. And coming from him, that was saying something.
Natalie obeyed, taking smaller bites and watching Dean obsessively. She had made up her mind that she was going to become a hunter, just like her father and her uncle, and so obviously the best way to do that was to copy them exactly. She had taken to repeating their statements, usually completely out of context, but they made perfect sense in her four-year-old mind. She tried to do research with them by poring over the large books that they dragged out while on a case. It usually ended up with her just looking at the pictures, but she could read some of the words nowadays. She would steal their phones, claiming that she was doing her own online research (but that was just a clever ruse to get to the games on their phones).
This morning, she had tried to copy Sam getting ready to go to the police station by making her own FBI suit out of what she owned. It had taken everything Sam had in him not to laugh outright when she presented herself in her black sweatpants, a white tee shirt that said 'My dad is cooler than your dad' (a personal favorite of Dean's), her Frozen scarf tied around her neck simulating a tie, and her dark purple windbreaker. She had even made herself an FBI badge, hastily scribbling on a fast food napkin with her assortment of broken crayons.
It had been adorable until it became clear that she fully intended to accompany Sam to the police station. Then they'd had to have another discussion on why a four-year-old wasn't going to be on the front lines when it came to hunting. She was so incredibly stubborn that in order to get through to her, it took both of them repeating themselves ad naseum for ten minutes before she even got an inkling that they were REALLY serious and that she wasn't going. It was really only when Dean said that they were going to stay put and work on drawing demon traps together that she finally condescended to stay in the motel room with him without a massive fight.
Dean loved spending days like this with his kid. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why she liked him so much, or wanted to spend time with him, but hell, he wasn't complaining. She was cool, she was funny, she was cute as hell. Not to mention, he just felt better when she was in his eyesight. Not that he didn't trust Sam or Cas or Bobby to watch her or anything like that. It was just…different, knowing that he was right there and was watching over her. He couldn't even begin to think what he'd do if something happened to her- so he didn't think about it.
Natalie finished off her last bite, shoving it into her mouth. "Done!" she announced, her mouth still full as she chewed vigorously. Once again, Dean was glad that Sam wasn't around to see it. For some reason, Natalie seemed bent on talking with her mouth full, which also drove Sam absolutely nuts.
"Chew and swallow," Dean instructed, his own mouth still full. No idea where she got her bad behavior. Weird. He looked down at his watch. Crap. Creeping up on one o' clock. He internally sighed and prepared himself for battle.
Once Natalie finished her grilled cheese, Dean reached over and put her paper plate on top of his. "Alright squirt, this can go down one of two ways," he said, his elbows on the table, his hands clasped, and looking right into her eyes. She looked back at him, wide-eyed and wondering what he was talking about. How did she not know this was coming? She fought them both on this literally every day. "Now, I prefer the easy way," he continued. "But you usually don't. So what's it gonna be today?" He arched his eyebrow at her, willing the penny to drop. The sudden dawning on her face told him it had.
Natalie wrinkled her nose briefly, then smoothed her face back out. "If you mean naptime," she began carefully, "then I don't think that I need that today."
"Hard way it is," Dean said with a sigh. He slapped his hands on his thighs, pushed himself up, and reached over to pluck her from her chair. Expecting it, she suddenly slid sideways. But before he could even inhale to say her name in warning, she held up her hands.
"Hang on!" she said anxiously. "I really DON'T need a nap today, Daddy."
"Natalie, we go through this every day. You wanna hear me spout off all the reasons you are going to take a nap, or can you give yourself the lecture at this point?"
"But I'm not tired!"
"You never are. That don't mean you're gettin' out of this."
"Naps are for babies. And I am NOT a baby." She emphasized this incredibly mature statement with a stamp of her foot. Dean just looked at that little foot, then back at her with a raised eyebrow as if to say Really? But she crossed her arms and scowled. Dammit. Why couldn't she pick the easy way? Just once?
Dean quickly moved towards her again. He watched as she turned to dart away, only to realize she was trapped between the table, the wall, and him. He smirked to himself. He had deliberately made her sit in that chair during lunch, in prep for this exact scenario. He had thought of everything. He was so awesome.
What he wasn't expecting was for her to suddenly duck and shoot sideways under the table. His smug grin immediately fell off his face. He was glad Sam hadn't been here to see the four-year-old own him like a little bitch. He spun on his heel, making his way back around to the other side of the table.
"Natalie Grace," he roared out, causing her to freeze in her tracks by the head of his bed. "Stop it right now." He stormed towards her again, more than a little ticked that she had outsmarted him and was trying to get away. She whimpered and backed up towards the wall as he approached.
"Daddy, please!" she begged, holding up her hands and activating the puppy dog eyes. Damn Sam for teaching her that. "I don't want a nap!"
Tuning out her pleading, Dean yanked her up into his arms, setting her firmly on his hip. "Little girl, you know well and good that this don't fly. Not with me," he scolded as he marched her unceremoniously to her couch.
Apparently he wasn't the only Winchester that could tune another one out. Natalie put both hands on his shoulder and pushed as hard as she could, her cries growing more desperate the closer they got. As surprisingly strong as she was, Dean hadn't spent the last four years fighting her at naptime for nothing. He locked his arms around her in an iron grip and moved to lay her down.
"WAIT, WAIT!" Natalie screamed in desperation- just painful enough to get Dean to stop. Even though he hated himself a little for caving, he also knew she was worked up enough to lay on the couch and whine for the next hour instead of sleeping, thereby getting her way anyway.
Sighing angrily, Dean turned and sat on the couch, moving her so she was sitting upright in his lap. "This better be good," he warned.
Natalie took a hitched breath as her brain wildly spun, trying to figure out her next move. She knew she was on majorly thin ice, but the prospect of losing the next couple hours to stupid sleep was more than any human being should ever have to deal with in their lives. She swallowed hard, then turned her big green eyes to him.
"Maybe," she said quietly before taking another gulping breath. "Maybe I could just take…a fake nap?"
This one was new. She had a pretty big arsenal of no-nap options, but apparently she felt like shaking it up today. Dean reared back in surprise. "A 'fake' nap?" he asked incredulously. "What the hell is a fake nap?"
"Like when you…" Natalie began, wildly improvising. "Like when you pretend that you're asleep but you don't HAVE to go to sleep."
"Oh, like you do when you've got a babysitter that you can weasel out of bedtime with?" Dean asked in his sarcastic tone. Natalie instantly pouted, causing the corners of Dean's mouth to turn up just a little.
"I'm…good for the babysitters," she mumbled, her eyes darting around the room. Dean snorted.
"Kid, I don't need your Uncle Sam here to know that you're lying through your teeth," he said in a sardonic tone. "And you know damn well how I feel about you lying."
Natalie's wide eyes darted up to him. "I'm mostly good!" she insisted. Dean felt her tensing up as if she was preparing to try to bolt again. He wasn't angry any longer- this was too good to not see what she was up to.
"Yeah, yeah," he teased gently, subtly wrapping his arms around her. Regardless, the tone made her calm back down. "So tell me more about why this fake nap is better than a real one."
"'Cause I don't have to go to sleep."
"Yeah, but if you're laying down PRETENDING to sleep, isn't that just the same thing as sleeping? You still can't get up to play."
"But I wouldn't be ASLEEP."
"And that's the crux of this whole issue?"
"What's crux mean?"
"It means…that this is what your sticking point is. This is your hang-up. Your problem with the whole thing."
"Oh. Then yes. It's my exact crux."
"Okay, not entirely using that right, but I hear you."
"How do you say it right then?"
"Not the point right now, Natalie."
"But I don't like not knowing what words are!"
"Ask your uncle when he gets back." Dean held up his hand to Natalie, who had opened her mouth to argue again. "Nope, we're done with it," he said firmly. "We're gettin' back to the issue at hand. You would rather lay down and pretend to be asleep, than lay down and actually sleep. Is that about the size of it?" The wheels were beginning to turn in his head. If he could just get her quiet enough, she'd probably drop off to sleep just laying there. This might work.
Unfortunately for him, her wheels were working too, and she was seeing the exact same pitfall. Besides, he was right- what was the damn point in pretending to lay down if she couldn't get up and play? She squirmed and tried to backtrack. "Well, maybe FAKE nap isn't … the best name for it," she mumbled as she desperately tried to come up with a new tactic.
And dammit if it wasn't funny to watch her spin her wheels like this. Dean tried in vain to suppress his smirk, but it wasn't happening. He watched with amusement as she struggled to make a battle plan, taking deep joy and pride in the workings of her mind and her willingness to try anything to get what she wanted. She truly was flesh of his flesh. Part of him knew he should be firmer and make her lie down and take her nap. He knew he should be more mature. He knew he should be the adult and take charge of this situation.
Screw it, he was Dean freakin' Winchester. He did what he wanted.
Finally, Natalie looked up. Dean noticed she had set her puppy dog eyes to full max. "Maybe you and I can just sit on the couch together?" she said, desperate. "I'll be good and stay on the couch, I promise. But please don't make me go to sleep."
"Kid, lemme ask you something," Dean said. "Why do you hate sleeping so much? What is it about naps that just drive you up a wall? 'Cause I can tell you, if someone told me that I could take as many naps as I'm trying to let you have, I would be in seventh heaven." He let that sit for a moment, hoping that her propensity for copying his every move would help this idea land. "So tell me," he said, poking her tummy gently with his finger. "What's the hang-up?"
Natalie twisted her fingers together in her lap, and suddenly slumped against his chest. She turned and buried her face in his flannel and mumbled something he couldn't hear. Dean stroked her cheek and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Didn't quite catch that," he teased, knowing full well she didn't want him to hear. "Try again."
Natalie gave a tiny sigh and turned just enough for her mouth to get clear. "I don't like sleeping 'cause I miss you when I'm asleep," she whispered before burying her face again.
How the hell was he supposed to combat THAT?! Dean's heart squeezed as he wrapped his strong arms around her and rocked a bit. Dammit. She was good. And what's more, he knew her well enough to know she was being sincere- this wasn't an act. That made this so much freakin' harder.
"Alright, alright," he said, in a voice just a little too gruff as he tried to mask his thick throat. "Hey," he said, leaning back. He waited until she looked up. "Tell you what. Let's try your idea of sitting on the couch together." Her eyes lit up like Christmas trees. "Hang on there," he said sternly, knowing she was going to try to figure out some way to get toys involved. "Just you and me, though. No toys, no phones, nothing." He held his hand out to her. "Deal?"
She took his hand and shook it vigorously, the sparkle reigniting in her eyes. "Deal! Yes sir! Yes sir!" She suddenly stood up, nearly popping him in the chin on her way, but threw her arms around his neck. He chuckled and hugged her back, before turning and snorting in her ear like a pig, causing her to squeal in delight and joy as it did every time he did that. It tickled so much when he did that!
"Alright, that's enough," Dean said, turning her around to plop her down on the couch next to him. "You ready to try your sitting plan?" Natalie nodded happily, then sighed as she sat back. He imitated her, sitting back and relaxing. The quiet of the room surrounded them. There was no traffic nearby, no ticking clock on the wall, no radiator fan noise. Just…quiet.
It lasted about ten seconds before they both started fidgeting.
"I don't like this," Natalie said.
"Me neither," Dean said.
"Okay, what if…what if we put on the TV, like sometimes you let me put on the TV at bedtime?" Natalie asked, her eyes wide and imploring. Dean just gave her another are you serious? look. She tilted her head adorably, but stated her case.
"I'll do the same rules that we have as bedtime," she said. "I'll lay down and I'll…I'll…" she trailed off.
Dean smirked. "Just remembered that the bedtime rules are keeping your eyes shut, huh?" he asked smarmily. Natalie gave him a bitch face that she must have picked up from Sam- damn him- and tried again.
"Well, what if we put the TV on, but I just sit here quiet with you and watch with you?" she asked, pressing her head against his arm and bringing the puppy dog eyes to bear in full force again. "The quiet is the worst and I know you hate it too." She bobbed her eyebrows at him. "I'll let you pick what we watch!"
"You little grifter," Dean said admiringly as he put his arm around her. He leaned forward and plucked the remote off the coffee table. "Fine. You win. Let's see what we've got." As he channel surfed, Dean smiled to himself. He'd find something that would make the kid bored and sleepy, she'd drop off, and boom. Nap accomplished. He was so awesome.
Dean finally landed on Dr. Phil. He'd never admit it to Sam, but he'd caught a couple episodes here and there, only when there wasn't something like wrestling or Batman on, of course. He settled in, snuggling his daughter close to him.
After about ten minutes, Natalie heard something strange. She looked up, only to find Dean sound asleep, his head tilted back, mouth wide open and snoring. She nodded to herself, satisfied. For all his pushing on naptime, it certainly seemed like he needed one himself. It was good that he was getting one. She slipped down to snuggle her head on his leg, but suddenly spotted his phone across the room. She thought about it. She could move quietly enough to go get it…
*SPN SPN SPN*
About an hour later, Dean awoke with a snort, looking around as he tried to get his bearings. Shit. He'd fallen asleep while trying to make his four-year-old take a nap. He looked down to see Natalie cuddled up against him, her head on his thigh, sound asleep herself. Her one arm had fallen off the sofa and was dangling towards the floor. Gently, Dean reached down and curled her arm next to her body, not wanting her to hurt herself sleeping like that.
Huh. His phone was on the floor. Must have fallen out of his pocket when he was wrestling her to the couch. If he wanted to get it, he'd have to move Natalie. Eh, it could stay there for now.
He leaned back against the sofa, the self-satisfied smirk spread across his face. He had successfully gotten the kid down for a nap. He was so awesome.
