So sorry for the huge delay in updating this. Work, kids and Christmas took over my life and I have not had the energy, time or inclination to write. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and favourited and is following this story. I really appreciate all of you and hope I haven't lost you all by taking so long to update! I hope to update more quickly next time! Please read and review - it makes my day to get your feedback!

Chapter 5

Charlie's birthday

In August, just before school started it was Charlie's 9th birthday. She had always loved her birthday, any excuse for cake and fun and celebration. But this year, the first year without her parents, she just wasn't feeling it. Sam and Dean had remembered it was her birthday, as last year, when she turned 28, she had been living with them in the bunker and she had insisted they watch all 3 Lord of the Rings films with her in celebration. The week before her birthday Sam and Dean decided they should make an effort and were discussing what to do. They could tell the little girl had mixed feelings about it and realising it was her first birthday with them, at least as far as she could remember, they didn't want to just let it pass them by and not make a big deal out of it. They hated to think of her feeling sad and miserable, just missing her folks and feeling alone.

'Well, we can't exactly throw a party, she doesn't even know anybody except us and Holly, the waitress at the ice-cream parlour and we can't exactly invite her, that would just be weird.'

'Yeah, especially as you asked her out on a date twice already and she turned you down.' Sam commented with a grin.

'She's just playing hard to get. Third time's a charm.' Dean said with his usual smirk.

'Ha!' Sam scoffed. 'Well, another good reason for her to start school. It's really not normal that her only human contact is 2 hairy hunters and a 24-year-old girl. Poor Kid, she needs some friends.'

'Yeah okay, we've already established that. So, what are we gonna do then? Hey Sammy, we could take her to Plucky Pennywhistles Magical Menagerie. They do great kids birthdays there. You loved it right?' Dean grinned.

Sam grimaced 'Funny Dean. Only if we take a plane to get there.' He retorted.

Dean's grin fell slightly, but he shrugged it off.

'I reckon she'll be happy with some Chinese food and a Narnia film.' Suggested Sam

'Seriously? If I have to sit through one more film with a talking mouse I may have to shoot myself' grouched Dean.

'Suck it up Dean, it's her birthday, not yours, so she gets to choose the film and if that's what she wants, that's what she gets.'

Dean snorted 'You spoil her.'

'Why is Sam spoiling me?' Charlie asked, trailing into the living room with her book in hand and plonking herself down in an armchair.

'Never you mind, I've told you before about eavesdropping.' Said Dean, trying to sound stern, but not really meaning it.

Charlie rolled her eyes 'I can't help hearing things if you're talking and I walk in the room, Dean! Do you want me to walk around with earplugs in just in case you're having a conversation and I walk nearby?!'

Sam smiled, trying to supress a laugh, while Dean raised his eyebrows and gave Charlie a glare.

'Hey, no need to be cheeky.'

Charlie grinned 'Sorry!' she said lightly, not very convincingly and she turned back to reading her book. She was re-reading the fifth Harry Potter book and was instantly engrossed.

'So, Charlie….' Dean said trying to get her attention. She didn't even look up, her concentration drawn by the book, as Harry Potter had a dream about Sirius being hurt by Voldemort. It was Dean's turn to roll his eyes 'She's as bad as you are Sammy, it's like talking to a brick wall when she's reading.'

Sam just shrugged. 'Hey, it's a good thing that she likes to read.'

'Charlie!' said Dean, louder this time and snapped his fingers next to her ear, making her almost jump out of her skin.

'Dean!' she protested,

'It was the only way to get your attention, I've been calling you but you're off in La La land.'

Charlie frowned, annoyed at the interruption and at Dean's comment. 'What?!' she said irritably.

'Hey Girlie, watch the tone.'

Charlie was immediately contrite, knowing how much Dean disliked any disrespect and that she didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of his spankings by pushing him too far.

'Sorry.' She muttered.

'I just wanted to ask if you had any ideas about what you want to do for your birthday? Sam and I have been talking about it and have a couple of ideas, but I wanted to check if you had thought of anything before we went ahead.'

Charlie's face immediately fell. Firstly, she felt bad for snapping at Dean when he had only been wanting to plan something nice for her birthday and secondly, she felt sad at the thought of her birthday without her parents. She just wanted to forget about it.

'I don't want to do anything.' She said plainly.

'We have to do something Charlie, you only turn 9 once you know?' Sam said gently.

'So? it's nothing special and I just want to forget about it, can't we forget about it?' she said looking up at Sam and then at Dean, pleading with her eyes, which were looking rather watery.

'Sweetie, I know it's hard cos it's the first one without your Mom and Dad, but let's make it special. They wouldn't want you to let it go without celebrating, would they?' Sam asked putting a hand on her shoulder.

Charlie shrugged, but she knew he was right. Her Mom and Dad always made a fuss of her birthday, there was cake and presents and a party or a special treat. They would never have just let it go by without marking it somehow.

'We thought maybe we could all watch Voyage of the Dawn Treader and get some Chinese food. What do you think?' asked Dean.

Charlie brightened slightly. That didn't sound too bad. She did love Chinese food and the Narnia films were her favourites. It would be nice to share the time with Sam and Dean and not wallow in her room feeling miserable and it would be just the three of them, no party or having to pretend to enjoy being around lots of other people.

'That sounds okay.' She admitted, with a small smile. 'So long as it's just us. I don't want it to be a big deal.'

'Of course.' Said Sam squeezing her shoulder.

'And can I get some crispy duck pancakes?' she said eagerly, warming to the idea now.

Dean chuckled, 'Sure thing kiddo.'

Charlie grinned. She turned back to her book contentedly and was absorbed back into her story once more. Sam smiled as he watched her. She was so much like him in many ways, her love of books especially. He loved nothing more than to curl up with a good book and he and Charlie had spent many afternoons like that in the bunker, just the two of them co-existing, not talking, but comfortable in each other's company and happy to share the satisfaction of being drawn into a fictional world, where everything was more exciting, in Charlie's case, or more normal in Sam's.

'Well, that was easy.' Commented Dean.

'Yeah, we just have to think of a gift now.'

Dean groaned. He wasn't up on gifts for little girls. 'I'll leave that to you, since you're more on the wavelength of a 9-year-old girl, Samantha.'

'Funny Dean! Okay I'll handle it. You can make the cake.'

Dean grunted, but actually was secretly excited. He liked the idea of baking a cake for Charlie, he may even get creative and decorate it? Or maybe not….

That afternoon Sam decided to face his fears and go to Toys 'r' us in search of Charlie's birthday gift. He was glad Dean wasn't there to embarrass him by fiddling with all the gadgets and probably breaking half the displays. Sam wasn't sure what he was looking for, but picked up a couple of games, which he thought he and Charlie might enjoy playing together; Monopoly and Chutes and ladders. Walking down the girl's toys aisle he was almost overwhelmed by the amount of pink and glitter which bombarded his senses. He immediately saw a backpack which he knew Charlie would love and it would be perfect for taking to school. It was fluffy with rainbow coloured stripes and had the head of a unicorn in sparkly silver and pink in the middle. Dean was going to hate it, which made it all the more attractive. Sam finished off by grabbing a bracelet making kit and some new markers, as Charlie's were getting worn out. He decided he wouldn't mention to Dean how much he had spent, as he'd never hear the end of how he was spoiling Charlie- he didn't care though. Charlie had been through a tough time and as far as he was concerned, she deserved a bit of spoiling. Next stop was the book store, which was just a few stores along. Sam picked up some Percy Jackson books and a few classics, including Anne of Green Gables and Charlotte's Web, which he hoped she hadn't already read. Once he was satisfied with his haul he sought out some wrapping paper with rainbows and hearts and found the perfect card with Yoda announcing: 'Your birthday it is, 9 you are.' He headed back to the bunker feeling very pleased with his achievements, smuggling all his shopping bags into his closet before Charlie could see them or Dean could comment on the quantity.

He found Dean sitting at the kitchen table absorbed in something he was looking at on the laptop. When Sam cleared his throat to make his presence known Dean swiftly slammed the lid down.

'Dude! Not in the kitchen, you could at least go to your room. What if Charlie walked in on you?!' Sam admonished.

'What?...' Dean looked momentarily confused before registering what Sam was implying 'Get your mind out of the gutter Sammy, I wasn't looking at porn.'

'Well, why so secretive then? You weren't watching Dr Sexy MD again?' Sam grinned.

'No, not that there's anything wrong with that. It's quality tv.'

'So what were you doing then?' Sam asked, his curiosity piqued now that Dean was being so cloak and dagger about his activities on the laptop. He walked round the other side of the table to stand next to Dean.

'Nothing.' Dean blushed and nonchalantly took a swig of his beer, trying to look innocent.

Before Dean realised it Sam had grabbed the laptop and opened the lid to find himself looking at 'American Women's Weekly' website and a page all about ideas for decorating kids birthday cakes.

'Hey!' Dean protested angrily, grabbing the laptop back from his brother, who had a huge smirk on his face and was laughing. 'There's no privacy around here!'

'Sorry Betty Crocker, I'll leave you to your recipes. Wouldn't want to distract you from refining those baking skills.'

'Shut up Sammy, you're the one who wanted me to make Charlie's cake, I just wanted to make something she'd like.'

Sam wiped his eyes, still laughing. Catching his tough, hunter brother looking at a website on cake decoration was the best entertainment he'd had in ages and he wasn't going to let him live it down.

'Awesome Dude, glad you are so in touch with your feminine side.'

'Hey, don't be so sexist, some of the best chefs are men you know. At least I don't display my feminine side on a daily basis.' He said pointing to Sam's hair.

Sam rolled his eyes. He knew his brother was resorting to insulting his hair to try and deflect from his own embarrassment at being caught looking at 'American Women's Weekly' website.

'Whatever Dean. I'll leave you to your icing and sugar flowers.' He grinned and made to leave the kitchen.

'Sammy, just shut it alright?! Did you get Charlie's gift?'

'Yeah, all sorted. I just need to wrap them.'

'Them? How many did ya get?'

'Don't sweat it Dean, you stick to the cake, the gifts are my job, remember?'

'I hope you didn't go crazy. We don't want a spoilt brat on our hands Samuel. You were bad enough..'

Sam scoffed 'Dean, I barely ever got a birthday present, except for maybe a candy bar from you. I wasn't exactly spoilt.'

'Didn't stop you being a first-class brat at times though.' Dean smirked.

'Must have learned it from you..' Sam retorted with one of his famous bitch faces. 'Anyway, Charlie is not a brat and giving her a few nice gifts to make her birthday special is not going to turn her into one. She needs a bit of pampering, don't you think?'

Dean shrugged, not wanting to admit Sam was right. 'Maybe, but I don't want her becoming entitled.'

Sam rolled his eyes 'Says the man who has spent the afternoon researching unicorn cakes for his precious little girl.'

Dean grunted, trying to think of a comeback to his brothers teasing and not being able to he got up and headed for the bunker's garage, beer in hand. 'I'm going to check on Baby. She's not used to your rough handling.'

Sam just grinned. 'Where's Charlie?' he called after Dean.

'In her room, still reading last I saw her. I'm surrounded by geeks!'

On the morning of her birthday Charlie woke around 7.00. She wanted to feel excited and happy for the sake of Sam and Dean, but she couldn't help feeling just plain sad. She really missed her Mom and Dad. They had always woken her on her birthday with breakfast in bed, the tray decorated with balloons and always including her favourite chocolate chip pancakes. Then once she was dressed there were presents and cake and usually something interesting planned for the day, like a trip to the natural history museum or the theatre or to a water park. Her parents took birthdays seriously and that meant serious fun! Charlie sniffled as her mind turned to her memories of birthdays passed and she allowed herself to dwell on her grief. She was still sniffling when there was a knock on her door and Sam and Dean peered in.

'You're awake.' Sam smiled.

'See I told you!' said Dean 'Nobody sleeps in on their birthday.'

'Good morning birthday girl!'

'Thanks.' Charlie said, trying to hide her wet cheeks.

'Hey, you been crying?' Dean asked gruffly.

She shrugged and then nodded.

Sam sat on the edge of her bed and smoothed her wet cheek with his hand. 'You're missing them today huh?'

Charlie nodded 'Sorry.' She murmured looking up at Dean and then at Sam.

'No need to be sorry Sweetheart, we get it.' Dean said gently.

'We really do.' Sam confirmed. 'It's okay to miss them and feel sad, but it's okay to have fun too and we're going to try and make today a good day for you, not a sad one. What do you think?'

Charlie nodded and her lips twitched upwards for an instant.

'Hey Sam, was that a smile I saw?' Dean said in mock amazement.

'I think maybe it was Dean..' Sam agreed and Charlie allowed herself a proper smile this time.

'Hey Kiddo, why don't you get dressed and then come and have some breakfast? Don't worry, I'm cooking not Sammy here.' Dean tried to coax her out of bed.

Charlie grinned 'As long as it's not Sammy's pancakes.'

'Scouts honour!' Dean said holding his hand up to his forehead in salute.

'Hey!' Sam protested and Charlie giggled.

Once she was dressed she ate a delicious breakfast of bacon, eggs and of course chocolate chip pancakes. She was beginning to feel that her birthday may not be a complete wash out after all.

'Time for gifts!' Dean announced as he dumped her plate in the sink and he beckoned with his head for her to follow him and Sam into the main room. There on the long table was a big pile of presents all wrapped in pretty rainbow paper and with purple bows.

'Wow!' said Charlie and she stood with her mouth open just looking at the pile of gifts. She really had not expected so much, she knew that the boys didn't celebrate their own birthdays and she had thought they may get her a token gift, but didn't expect much more.

'Yep, I told Sam it was too much, but he wouldn't listen. Dean teased.

'Come on Charlie.' Sam encouraged 'Which one are you going to open first?'

'Are these all from you?' she asked wide-eyed.

'Yep, they're all for you from us.'

'Thank you! Wow, so many!' She walked over to the table and picked up the largest parcel squeezing it to try and guess what was inside.

Dean watched in anticipation, agitated at her slow progress in getting to the gits. 'Come on Charlie, open it!'

Sam rolled his eyes, his brother behaved like a big kid, but he had to admit he was excited to see Charlie open her gifts too. Charlie grinned and ripped off the paper – it was the backpack and as Sam had guessed she loved it and Dean's grimace confirmed that, as predicted, he hated it.

'That's awesome! It's so soft and pretty – thank you!'

'You can use it for your school things.' Sam explained and Charlie's face fell for a moment at the reminder of school, before her grin returned as she examined the bag more closely and discovered a tiny unicorn on the zip.

'Come on, open another one!' Dean said, pulling out a chair and sitting next to where Charlie was standing, getting impatient to see what was in the parcels himself.

Charlie opened all her other gifts and was pleased with them all, especially the new books, as she was running out of suitable material to read in the bunker. She immediately picked up Charlotte's Web and sat in one of the armchairs to begin reading.

'Hey! Don't get too comfortable. We're going out for lunch in an hour.' Dean explained.

'Let her enjoy her book Dean, she has time.' Said Sam. He was pleased his selection of gifts had been a success.

'Can we play Monopoly after lunch?' Charlie asked, looking up from her book for a moment, eager to try out all of her gifts.

'Of course.' Sam agreed.

Lunch was at their favourite diner. Charlie chose mac 'n' cheese followed by a toffee ice cream sundae. She loved spending time with Sam and Dean like this, where they were focussed on her and not discussing their latest case or rushing around getting ready for a hunt. They always made her laugh with their arguments and teasing her and each other. She felt happier than she ever thought she could without her folks and it felt like they were a real family. They could start their own birthday traditions and she could still remember the birthdays she'd had with her Mom and Dad too. In the afternoon the three of them played Monopoly and Dean won, much to Sam and Charlie's dismay. His ego was big enough without beating the two geeks, which of course he wasn't about to keep quiet about. Sam pulled faces behind his back whilst Dean was gloating, which had Charlie in hysterics. Of course, Dean knew what Sam was doing, but he played along for the sheer pleasure of seeing Charlie so happy.

While they were waiting to go pick up their Chinese Food in the evening Dean brought out Charlie's cake. In the end he had decided making a castle or a unicorn was too much for his skills, but he produced a delicious looking chocolate cake, smothered in chocolate fudge icing and the top of it completely covered in candy of all kinds. Any kids dream cake basically…and Dean's by extension.

'Wow Dean, thank you! It's awesome. It's the best cake ever!' And Dean glowed under her compliment, trying and failing to look modest. 'Can I have a piece now?'

Sam had been about to say 'No', and tell Charlie to wait till after their Chinese food, but Dean raised his eyebrows at him and shook his head and Sam conceded that just this once it wouldn't hurt to have dessert first. They all feasted on the cake, which was as delicious as it looked before Dean went out to pick up the food, while Sam and Charlie set up the DVD player in Sam's room.

Despite having had a huge slice of chocolate cake, Charlie was not deterred from wolfing down several crispy duck pancakes, some egg fried rice and some sweet and sour pork. She was completely full and happy as the credits rolled on the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

'That was amazing!' Charlie said sleepily, tired after a busy day, lots of food and a good movie. She was stretched out in the middle of Sam's bed on her stomach with her chin resting on her hands facing the TV at the end of his bed. Sam and Dean were sitting either side of her leaning against the headboard.

'Glad you enjoyed it Kiddo. I think it's time for you to hit the sack. You look beat.'

Charlie turned around and crawled up the bed to sit between them, as Dean fondly pushed some hair back out of her face. 'I'm not tired.' She protested, but was betrayed by her own body as she couldn't suppress a huge yawn.

Sam and Dean both laughed and Charlie tried to pout but couldn't help grinning as well. 'Okay, maybe I am a bit sleepy.'

'Hop on.' Said Sam sitting on the edge of the bed so Charlie could climb on for a piggy back. 'I'll give you a ride to your room seeing as it's your birthday.' Charlie smiled and put her arms around his neck and legs around his waist.

'Woah!' she cried as Sam stood up. 'It's so high up!' Sam cracked a grin.

'I'll come tuck you in in a minute.' Dean called after them.

Once Sam had her safely in bed with teeth brushed and PJs on, Dean arrived in Charlie's room. Sam gave Charlie a kiss on her forehead.

'Good night nine-year-old.' He said with a smile as he stood up to let Dean say good night as well.

Dean sat on the bed and leaned over to kiss her too. 'Night Kiddo. Hope you had a good day.'

'I did! It was the best. Thanks Sammy and thanks Dean. I had the best birthday ever.'

Sam and Dean's grins could have split their faces they were so wide. It was all they had wanted. They had given her a happy birthday, despite everything and it gave them even more satisfaction than resolving any case they could remember.