The Runt of the Litter

Dad's Rules

Note: hey beautiful people <3

thank you so much for the love last week. i didn't realize how fluff-deprived you guys are. i guess i'm just gonna have to post some more happy stuff next week.

this week, though, i've got a couple requests filled up:

@poppyy97 asked to see pre-teen Anna fighting with Dean. She's actually 13 in this chapter, but i hope that's okay :)

@Ash_the_nycotophile asked for a chapter based loosely on Freaks and Geeks (the episode with Krissy's return, back in season 8).

I hope this is what you both wanted! I'm sorry that it took me so long to get to your requests, babes 💜

Anna is thirteen

Dad's Rules

Rain dripped sullenly from the eaves to collect in little puddles on the ground, each drop chasing itself out to the edges of the water before settling in and waiting for the next drop to fall. The ground was wet and soft, footprints and tire tracks making deep scars in the muddy surface of the driveway.

In the house behind her, Anna could hear muffled voices rising in anger. A soft glow of light emanated from the window to spread along her back and invade the gentle darkness of evening.

"Do you think they're still talking about us?"

Anna looked sideways at Kat without turning her head. "Yeah," she said simply. She heard Kat sigh heavily, but there were no more words.

They both just looked out at the porch railing to watch water droplets puff up like they wanted to explode and then give in and go still against the wood of the rail.

Finally the screen door swung open with a loud creak and smacked woodenly against the side of the house as Dean stormed outside. "Anna, get your stuff. We're leaving," he commanded.

She'd known he was angry, but this was still a surprise. Anna's face went slack at the information. "But..." She looked down at Kat, who was still sitting on the floor of the porch. Her blue eyes were as full of surprise as Anna's green ones. But Anna looked at Dean again, and all traces of argument dissolved on her tongue. "Okay," she said quietly and ducked past him to go inside.

She felt his hand gently brush the top of her head and took it as the reminder it was that he wasn't angry with her. In fact, she knew he was angry for her.

Yellow light bounced off the walls in the hallway and kicked its way out of the light fixture in the kitchen where Anna stopped to look between Sam and Kat's father, Murphy. "Are we really leaving, Sam?" she asked timidly. There was such an air of anger around them despite the home-y atmosphere that no amount of knowing she was safe could have subtracted from her nervousness.

"Looks like it," Sam said, sounding frustrated. He looked at Murphy again. "Look, I agree with most of what Dean said. Don't get me wrong about that. But I wish we could stay to finish the job at least."

"Me and Kat can handle it," Murphy said loudly. "That's just what I've been trying to get through you and your brothers' thick skulls." He looked at Anna and then looked away again just as quickly. It seemed as if there was something more he wanted to say, something Anna's presence had prompted. But he looked at Sam, and something shuttered closed in his eyes. He stayed quiet.

"Come on," Sam said and nudged Anna down the hallway.

She went with him willingly but couldn't help glancing back at Murphy as they walked. He was hunched over like he felt tired, and his shoulders were tense with anger.