By Their Grace

Growing Up

Violet 3, Jacob1

"Papa! Papa!" Violet's screams cut through the house and Deanjumped up, uncaring that the bowl of cereal he had been enjoying hadtoppled over the milk and cereal falling to the table and floor. Deandidn't even see that instead he was running upstairs to Violet'sroom.

Every possible monster that existed ran through his head. It was badwhen any child was possibly hurt, but not Violet. Not his littlegirl. Not his kids.

"Violet!" He jumped through and the little girl gasped and sliddown her bed running to him. He pulled her up in his arm alreadyturning to get Jacob. Praying to any god that might be listening thatwhatever it was didn't get Jacob first. "What did you see, honey?"

"There's a monster in my closet." Dean froze, taking a few deepbreaths. He knew he wasn't out of the woods yet, but if it was in hercloset then it hadn't attacked. He gently placed her down and kissedher forehead.

"Violet I want you to listen to me, okay?" He asked seriously andshe nodded, "I'm going to look. If I yell I want you to run toJacob's room, shut and lock the door and take the big blue containerwe keep and make a circle around Jacob's crib and stay in thatcircle, okay?" Again she nodded, "repeat what I told you honey."

"If you scream, run to Jacob's room, lock the door and make acircle around him with the stuff in the blue box and stay in thecircle." She repeated dutifully and Dean nodded kissing herforehead.

"Yeah, exactly, good job Vi." Dean took a deep breath to makesure that he was thinking rationally, "I love you baby," he saidand she smiled.

"I love you to papa."

When Dean thrusts the closet door open he is shocked. Of all thethings going through his head this was far from what he expected.There was nothing in the closet. He looked around, thinking maybewhen she had screamed it had ran, but there was no signs anything hadbeen here at all. Looking he saw the black sweater that instead ofbeing hung up had been hanged on the doorknob to the closet.

Despite himself Dean started to laugh. Of course no monstercould come in here, Castiel and Gabriel had warded every plank,brick, board and nail in this house. None that meant harm could enterhere, but the fear of something going after his kids smacked too muchof fear.

"Oh sweetheart come here," he called picking up the little girl'ssweater. "I found your 'monster' it was just a sweater honey." Heassured and she hugged him, he had to read her a bedtime story beforeshe would go back to sleep.

Violet 5, Jacob3

"Good job Jake!" Sam cooed as the baby, still slightly unsteadyon his legs when it came to moving faster and not getting distracted."Keep going, come to daddy." Sam continued on, he had not wantedto raise the children as hunters and was shocked to find that Deanagreed with him entirely, and it was their own husbands who wishedfor them to teach the children how to defend themselves and to knowwhat will happens when they are older so that they would know what todo and how to protect themselves.