**Nothing from Charmed or Supernatural belongs to me.**

Chapter Four

Dean leaned up against the wall, drinking a cup of coffee. He was watching Kate, who was in the middle of the living room floor, a coloring book spread out in front of her, and she was lying on her stomach, her feet in the air behind her as she colored. His mind was still reeling from everything Melinda had told him. His heart ached for the little girl, at all the things that have happened to her in her short life. He sighed and took another sip of his coffee. Melinda walked up behind him, running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, just above his neck. He bit back a groan, letting out a sigh and Melinda smiled.

"You can talk to her, you know. I don't think she'll bite."

Dean smiled.

"What am I supposed to say to a four-year-old?"

Melinda shrugged her shoulders.

"Anything you want? She's still a person, Dean, just in a smaller package."

Dean smiled, handing Melinda his empty coffee cup. Melinda nodded, walking back to the kitchen as Dean sighed, pushing off from the wall to go near the little girl. She looked up from her colors, smiling when she met his eyes.

"Hi."

Dean couldn't help but smile back.

"Hi."

He sat down in the chair across from Kate, who colored for a minute more before she sat up. She studied him with serious, almost navy blue eyes.

"You're Dean, right?"

Dean nodded.

"And you're Kate?"

Kate nodded, a smile on her face for just a moment, before she went serious again.

"You're going to marry my Aunt Melinda?"

Dean smiled, nodding again. Kate nodded back to him, then laid her colors down. She curled her legs up under her, then met Dean's eyes.

"Do you love my Aunt Melinda?"

He smiled again. He hadn't missed the fact that every time Kate mentioned Melinda, she'd called her "my Aunt Melinda." This little kid had known Mel for what, a few hours? And she was already staking a claim. Dean understood though, because he felt the same way. Dean nodded to the little girl.

"I do. I love Melinda very much."

Kate nodded, looking down at the floor. Her little finger began tracing the design on the rug. She spoke quietly, and the words broke Dean's heart.

"My daddy loved my mommy very much. He told me so. But my mommy died."

Kate stayed looking at the floor, and Dean ran a hand through his hair. Dean sighed.

"I know, sweetie. I'm sorry."

Kate sighed, still tracing the design on the rug. Dean took in another breath.

"My mom died, too."

Kate looked up then, a look of surprise in her pretty eyes.

"She did?"

Dean nodded.

"She did, when I was four."

Kate's mouth opened.

"I'm four."

Kate got to her feet, walking closer to Dean's chair. She clasped her little hands behind her back.

"What happened to your mommy?"

Dean swallowed. What exactly was he supposed to say here? He couldn't very well tell a four-year-old that a demon had nearly sliced his mother in half before pinning her to the ceiling and burning her alive. He took a breath.

"A, uh … A bad guy hurt her, and my dad couldn't get there in time to help her."

Kate stepped closer.

"That's what happened to my mommy, too. A bad guy hurt her and my daddy couldn't get to her before she died."

Dean let out a sigh and Kate stepped closer to him.

"I miss my mommy."

Dean let his hand come up, gently running over Kate's hair.

"I miss mine, too."

Kate nodded, and Dean smiled at her. She closed the gap between them and Dean wrapped his arms around her. He closed his eyes as he let his hand smooth Kate's dark hair across her back. Kate had her little eyes closed as she rested her head on Dean's shoulder, her little arms wrapped around his neck. Neither of them noticed Melinda at the door, watching them with tears rolling down her cheeks. She turned away, walking back to the kitchen and grabbing a paper towel to wipe her eyes. Piper came in from outside, setting the grocery bags on the table when she noticed her daughter.

"Mel? Honey, what's wrong?"

Melinda walked over to Piper, fighting back a sob as she wrapped her mother in a hug. Piper hugged her back, gently rubbing Melinda's back. After a second, Melinda pulled back, taking in a shaky breath.

"Dean went to talk to Kate."

Piper nodded, her eyes worried. Melinda went on.

"I overheard Kate ask him if he loved me, and he said he did, very much. And Kate said that Wyatt told her he loved Olivia very much, but Olivia had died."

Melinda had to stop, covering her mouth as she took a breath.

"Mom, Kate's four. And her mother just died."

Piper looked at Melinda for a second, then closed her eyes.

"Oh. Oh, honey."
"Dean was four when Mary was killed."

Piper laid a hand over her heart as she glanced towards the living room. Melinda sighed as Piper spoke quietly.

"They have something in common."

Melinda nodded, then walked back into her mother's arms.

"I'm so glad you're here, Mom. I love you."

Piper fought back the tears that threatened to fall. She took a breath, and after a moment, she smiled, running her hand over Melinda's hair.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

They heard footsteps coming towards the kitchen and they quickly turned around, wiping their faces. Melinda grabbed another paper towel, running it under her eyes, groaning when she saw the black marks there.

"Damn it."
"Hey, that's a quarter for me!"

Melinda laughed as she turned to see Kate, smiling in Dean's strong arms. Kate tilted her little head to the side.

"Aunt Melinda, are you crying?"

Melinda took in a deep breath as Dean stepped closer to her. Kate pressed on.

"Are you sad?"

Melinda smiled.

"A little. Come here."

Dean handed Kate to Melinda, and they wrapped each other in a hug. Melinda closed her eyes as a tear slid down her cheek, which Dean reached out and wiped away. She looked over to him and smiled. Melinda moved back, kneeling down and setting Kate on the floor. She cupped Kate's little face in her hands, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you, sweetheart."

Kate's blue eyes lit up.

"I love you, too!"

She threw herself back into Melinda's arms, and Melinda closed her eyes again, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. She ran her hand through Kate's long, soft hair as Wyatt walked in the room.

"Hey, are you giving away my hugs?"

Kate pulled back from Melinda, a huge smile on her face.

"Daddy!"

She ran to Wyatt, who scooped her up in his arms, closing his eyes as he held her. Melinda let the tears fall then, but Dean stepped behind her, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She nodded and Wyatt opened his eyes to wink at his sister, before turning and walking out with Kate still in his arms. Kate smiled and waved to Melinda and Dean as she and Wyatt began talking about their day at the park. Melinda turned around, facing Dean.

"You come here, too."

He smiled and stepped closer to her, wrapping her up in his arms. She sighed, holding him close to her, running her hand over the back of his head. Dean didn't say a word. He could hear what she was thinking, the way her heart ached for him. He let out a sigh, as Melinda kissed his cheek before resting her forehead against his neck.

"I love you, Winchester."

He smiled, running his hand up and down her back.

"I love you, Mel. Don't be sad for me, please."
"I can't help it. I can feel how sad you are for her."
"She'll be okay, Mel. She's got Piper, your aunts and cousins. You."

Melinda closed her eyes, snuggling closer to him as he tightened his grip on her. Dean smiled.

"I know she'll be just fine, because you're never going to let her go. With Melinda Halliwell on her side, she's going to be just fine."
"You are just racking up the brownie points, aren't you?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders and Melinda laughed, pulling him in for a kiss. She ran a hand on his face until they heard Piper clear her throat from the doorway. Melinda's smile fell when she saw Kate, looking down at the floor while holding Piper's hand. Piper sighed.

"Wyatt got called away on an emergency."
"Emergency like he can handle it, or like—"
"He can handle it."

Melinda nodded. She smiled, then walked over and knelt in front of Kate.

"Hey, munchkin. So listen. I know this probably won't be as fun as a day at the park with Daddy, but, I am in desperate need of some help."

Kate brought her little eyes up, meeting Melinda's.

"Help with what?"
"Well, Dean and I are going to get married next week. We need a flower girl, and I think I know a little blue-eyed girl with long brown hair who would be just perfect for it."
"Me?"

Melinda smiled and nodded. Kate looked up to Dean, who closed his eyes and nodded, while Piper looked away to hide her smile. Kate looked down at her feet and sighed, bringing her eyes back up to Melinda.

"I don't know how to be a flower girl."

Melinda smiled, tucking a strand of Kate's hair behind her ear.

"Don't you worry. I'll help you with that."

Kate smiled, and Melinda tapped her on the nose.

"But if you're going to be a flower girl, you need a new dress. And we have to find Peyton a new dress, too. She's working, so she can't go shopping for one. But Nana and I are going, and Aunt Phoebe and Phoenix, and Jenny and Aunt Paige, too. Do you want to come with us?"

Kate nodded, and Melinda let out a sigh.

"Oh, thank goodness. Let me grab my purse, and we'll get out of here."

Kate followed Melinda out of the room, and Piper stepped over to Dean. She laid a hand on his shoulder, and he smiled at her as Melinda and Kate came back in the room. Kate was grinning.

"Let's go!"

She walked by Dean and smiled up at him, taking Piper's hand as she led her outside. Melinda walked by and took Dean's face in her hands, giving him a long kiss. Pulling back, she smiled, holding her hand on his face while she walked away. He watched her as long as he could, then let out a groan. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, seeing no new messages or calls. He opened his contact list, scrolling through until he saw a familiar number. He selected it, almost pressed "Send." He let out a sigh, exiting out and putting his phone back in his pocket.

He missed Sam. He hadn't heard from his brother since they parted ways, and he wondered if Sam was all right. He wanted to call and check on him, but what good would that do? Sam was the one who wanted to leave. But Dean was the one who let him go. Dean cursed under his breath. Why did the Winchesters have to be so damn stubborn? Dean shook his head and walked outside, ready to give his Baby a little tune-up in the garage, putting his worries about his brother out of his mind.

Well, trying to.