dean winchester!daughter story
oc: judith turner (daughter of dean winchester and oc!beth turner)
dean and bobby paused their squabbling as quiet footsteps padded down the stairs. beth turned the corner, shotgun poised at her hip and jude a few steps behind her. they both paused at the sight of dean - beth holding a hand behind her to stop jude but the little girl stood as frozen as her mother.
beth’s jaw clenched, looking between bobby and this thing wearing her friend’s face. she pumped the gun once as a warning, about to tell bobby to take jude.
“wow, liz.” ‘dean’ said, holding his arms out. and she should have shot him just for the use of the name.
“beth,” bobby said calmly. he shuffled in front of ‘dean’ and beth tensed. a shotgun doesn’t have enough accuracy to hit that thing and miss bobby - what was he thinking? “beth. put the gun down. it’s him.”
dean’s eyes flicked from beth to the little girl now standing just behind her. jude had shuffled closer in the few seconds they’d been standing off, her tiny hand now clenching the pant leg of beth’s pajamas. they must have just woken up - beth’s hair still wrapped up in a scarf. jude just stared at him wide-eyed, that ever present curiosity tainted by caution.
his little girl. his baby. the one he had accepted he’d never see grow up. the one he made fatherless before even knowing she existed. he’d already missed so much. and that guilt had made a home in his chest, along side every other way he’s let down his family.
he made himself meet beth’s hard gaze, stepping around bobby.
“liz,” he said gently. “i get it, okay? i wouldn’t trust it either.” he took a step. beth let him but moved jude further behind herself. “but it’s me, okay? i swear to god.”
beth snorted, sarcastic and snarly. “you don’t believe in god.”
dean couldn’t help the small smile. “well you got me there.” the smallest bit of tension left her and dean risked another step, the shotgun now pressed to his chest. “i swear on sam then.” his eyes flicked to his girl, again. “on jude.”
it was a gamble - the mention of their daughter. but the sincerity of the statement seemed to do the trick as the tension left beth bit by bit, enough for her to set the gun on the dinner room table.
she looked to bobby. “you tested him?”
“who do you think i am, woman?” the man said, equal parts offended and understanding.
it was enough for beth to completely let down her guard. she closed the space between them, pointing a finger at his chest. it felt more threatening than the gun barrel.
“you pull some shit like that again,” beth muttered. “i’ll put you in the ground myself.”
dean huffed a laugh but his throat tighten. “yes, ma’am.”
“come’ere.” beth pulled him into a tight hug, arms around his shoulders and his around her waist. he let himself have this moment - to sink into the affection and care he knew he didn’t deserve.
they were separated by jude tugging on beth’s pant leg.
beth wiped quickly at her eyes before looking down at her. an affectionate hand pressed to the top of jude’s head, brushing back stray hairs.
“hey, look who it is, juny.”
jude looked to dean, recognition clear in her gaze but still cautious. dean kneeled down.
“hey, jude.” dean shoved down the guilt and shame as he met his daughter’s assessing gaze. “you remember me?”
jude nodded. dean mirrored it, glancing at beth and bobby for support.
“i know i’ve been gone for a bit.” an understatement. it’d been years - decades for him and he knew how long a couple months can feel for a little kid. “and i’m so sorry for that, kid. but i’m back now.”
he made himself bit back any promises he couldn’t keep.
“how?” jude asked. the first thing she’s said during the whole exchange and her soft voice surprised dean. she seemed to take it as confusion. “how you back?”
dean chuckled. “well, that-” he poked a finger into her side, trying to loosen her up. a kid shouldn’t be that tense. it worked as she let out a small, warm giggle. “is a great question. we’ll figure it out but i’m trying to just be grateful for it right now.”
beth once told him never to dismiss jude’s curiosity, don’t tell her not to worry about something, or that she would understand when she’s older. he hoped his answer was enough for her.
and then launched herself at him.
she squeezed him tight like beth had. her thin, little kid arms winding around his neck and her hands gripping the back of his shirt. she was so small, dean’s hand covered the whole expand of her back. he could feel her breaths near his ear as she pressed the side of her head to his. she smelled like lavender and coco butter.
something tightened and loosened in his chest.
this little girl was his.
and what a blessing that was to him.
“missed you, daddy.” jude said quietly, like it was a secret between the two of them.
this little girl was his.
and a damn shame that was for her.
