The Runt of the Litter

Good as It Gets

Note: Thank you for commenting, voting, reading-- all of it makes me feel better through the stress of school and life. I really appreciate it!

So, this chapter is sort of a request: 1ipod2 just wanted a happy chapter, which is a pretty rare occurrence. I know I'm posting rather late in the day compared to the usual, but I moved back home Thursday night and was pretty busy yesterday so I wrote this whole thing today while babysitting my one year old niece. It's short and sweet for that very reason. 

Also because I spent so much time with my favorite baby today, I wanted to write some fluffy baby stuff. In this chapter, Anna is thirteen months old.

Good as It Gets

With the thump of a small body on his side, Sam woke. He heard snickering and instantly knew, even half asleep, exactly what was going on. Tiny fingers dug into his shoulder and Sam groaned. "Go away," he groaned into his pillow. "Dean-"

"Rise and shine, Sammy."

Sam lifted his head from his pillow with a glare firmly in place and came face to face with a chubby-cheeked baby. Anna cooed at the sight of her brother and hit him in the face with both hands, bouncing up and down on her behind in excitement. "Sa!"

Dean grinned and ruffled her soft baby curls. "You tell him, Anklebiter. Kick his lazy ass out of bed."

Sam sighed softly but he did prop himself up on his elbows and wrap an arm around their sister as she continued to touch his face and bounce around like the little bundle of energy that she was. He looked past her bobbing head at the alarm clock on the nightstand and groaned again, dropping back down against his pillow. "Why the hell would you wake me up at seven o'clock during break?"

"Two things. One: don't swear in front of the baby." Sam rolled his eyes. What Dean really meant was 'don't swear,' and he knew that was the case because both his brother and father cursed in front of Anna all the time. "Two: Dad wants you to go get breakfast."

Sam perked up, his elbow coming underneath him again, but tried to hide it, looking skeptical instead. He looked around the room and frowned up at his brother. "Dad's here?"

"Yeah," Dean said, like it was obvious. "He said he'd be back for Thanksgiving, didn't he?"

Sam gave his brother a subtle look. Yes, John had promised to be back for the holiday, but he promised to be back every holiday and it was extremely rare that he ever actually stuck around for one.

"Da da da da!" Anna babbled beside him and started to clap her hands sloppily, her fingers spread wide. A thin string of drool hung from her chin as she grinned, her four little teeth-- two on the top, two on the bottom-- showing. She loved to repeat that same syllable over and over again as it was easy for her to say. She was awfully proud of her ability to say Sam's name, though, as that had taken her more practice than Dean's.

"Alright, come here, you," Dean laughed and scooped her up off the bed. Her head rested against his shoulder and her feet swung contentedly as she sat on his forearm with her back against his chest and his hand across her front. "Better let Sammy get dressed, or he's gonna be late comin' back with breakfast."

Anna let out a discontented squeal and began to squirm in her brother's arms, feet stretching toward the floor. She arched her back when Dean tried to readjust her, so he let her down and she started toddling across the room. "Da da da da da!" she shrieked. Sam wondered how she'd been distracted long enough for him to sleep even this long. It was possible she'd only woken up a few minutes before he had, but she usually woke by six, and Dean was usually the one to get up with her, and Sam usually followed suit within half an hour because she was a vocal baby and just couldn't stay quiet for long.