Perks of Being a Winchester ⌲ DISCONTINUED!

22 | Pumpkin

Lawrence, Kansas

2005

Two weeks after Jessica Moore died
_

Natalie looked up curiously from where she was sitting on the sofa next to her uncle drawing in her sketchbook when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" she chirped happily and was off the couch and skipping towards the front door before anyone could stop her.

"Woah, Natalie," Sam said, getting to his feet in an instant and making sure his gun as loaded as he pulled it from his waistband. "Hang on, sweet girl, wait-"

But Natalie had already turned the doorknob and was swinging open the front door. Sam's hazel eyes met familiar brown ones and he felt his heart skip. "...Dad?"

"Grandpa!" Natalie squealed, launching herself at the older man without a second thought.

John Winchester laughed, hearty and deep as he kneeled in front of the little girl and pulled her into his arms. "Hey there, pumpkin," he said softly, holding her tight and looking up at his youngest son over the little girl's shoulder. "Hey, Sammy."

Sam couldn't bring himself to respond. He could only stand there and watch as Natalie pulled away from his father but still stayed in her spot inside his arms.

"I missed you!" she said, reaching her little hands up to place on his scruffy cheeks and squish them gently.

John laughed, turning his head to kiss the inside of her little wrist. "I missed you too, darlin.'" he said gently, hoisting her into his arms and propping her on his hip the way he used to do with Sam and Dean when they were her age. "How are you? Your daddy told me you were sick."

Natalie nodded. "I had strep throat. It wasn't fun." she wrinkled her little nose and John smiled, pecking it softly.

"Yeah, I bet. You feeling better?"

"Yes, sir!" Natalie beamed and Sam couldn't help but blink at the little girl's sudden mannerisms. Natalie was always polite of course whenever she answered to him, Dean, or Bobby but he didn't think he had ever heard her say 'yes, sir.' Then again, this was John 'drill sergeant' Winchester he was talking about, so he somehow he wasn't all that shocked.

The youngest Winchester brother was brought out of his daze when his father's eyes landed on him and the man smiled. "What, no hug?" he asked, almost a bit, dare Sam to think, hopefully.

Sam couldn't bring himself to decline as he stepped towards his father, wrapping his arms around him tight. He was a good two inches taller than him now and despite everything that had happened between the both of them, he couldn't deny that he still felt safe in being held by him.

John wrapped his free arm that wasn't holding his granddaughter around his youngest son and he closed his eyes, holding him tight and taking a deep breath. It had been a while since the last time he had gotten to do this and he knew that was his fault. He had been starting to realize that a lot more recently. He pulled away after a moment and he smiled gently, adjusting Natalie on his hip. "Where's Dean?"

"Milk run." Sam said, a soft smile of his own now gracing his face. "Here, come on in," he said, standing aside to let the older man into the house.

"Grandpa, c'mere! Let me show you what I was drawing," Natalie said, wiggling until the older man put her down so she could grab his large hand in both of her tiny ones and pull him towards the living room.

"Sweetheart, I think Grandpa might want to take a breather for a few minutes," Sam said gently. "He's probably been driving for a while."

"No, no, it's okay. I don't mind," John said with a slight chuckle, letting the little girl tug him into the living room. "When do you start school, pumpkin?"

"On Wednesday," Natalie answered, climbing onto the sofa and pulling her sketchbook into her lap so her grandfather could sit next to her. "I think it's kinda silly that we don't start on Monday since we'll only have three days but Daddy said that it's a good thing since we'll have a shorter week to get settled in."

"That's true," John smiled gently as he looked over at the little girl. "Are you excited to go back?"

"Yes!" Natalie smiled brightly. "I got a new backpack and everything. It has Betty Boop on it," she said as she went back to flipping through her drawings.

"You'll be in first grade, won't you?"

"Yep!" The little girl said brightly, her blue eyes lighting up when she finally flipped to the right page. "Found it!"

John took the small sketchbook gently from the little girl when she handed it to him, raising his eyebrows as he looked down at it. It was a picture of Chip from Beauty and The Beast and it wasn't half bad either. It was surprisingly detailed; she had captured the chip on the side of the cup and colored inside the lines and everything.

"Wow," John said, sounding rather impressed, a rare tone for him, Sam noted. "Natty, this is great," he said, smiling over at his granddaughter.

"Really? You like it?" Natalie asked hopefully, raising her eyebrows with a bright smile.

"Oh, absolutely. You have quite a little talent, pumpkin," the man answered, reaching over to tickle the girl's stomach gently.

The little blonde giggled wildly and Sam couldn't help but marvel at the sudden change in John. Only days ago he was asking him and Dean to up and leave while Natalie was sick and now he was here, playing with her and acting like an actual grandpa. He was acting the way he used to when Sam was only six before he turned into Sargent Winchester instead of his father. He was acting...normal. He wasn't sure if he should be happy or concerned.

"What brings you here, Dad?" Sam asked lightly, not wanting to get into anything too major until Dean was home and more importantly, not in front of Natalie.

John looked up at the younger man, raising his eyebrows. "Well, since you asked-"

The man was cut off when the front door opened and all three Winchesters turned to see Dean standing in the doorway with a grocery bag in each hand.

The eldest son stopped dead in the threshold of the living room when his eyes landed on his father and he blinked. "Dad?"

John smiled, a bit weakly. "Hiya, sport."

_
NOTE!

i know i give John a lot of crap for not being the world's best dad, but don't tell me he didn't love Sam and Dean and wouldn't try to be a good grandfather okay, just don't do it

hope you enjoyed!! thanks for reading!!

Much love,
HAYDEN ☕️