Summary | Dean has been having a hard time connecting with Oliver (4 years old) since Lori brought him into their lives. But when the kid has a nightmare, only Dean is there to help him.
When Lori brought Oliver into their lives, Dean didn’t really know how to talk with him most of the time. The kid stuck mostly with Lori, and that made sense for everything the kid has gone through. Dean didn’t blame him. She took him out of a scary situation that made him lose his parents and made sure he was safe. She had taken this new role as “mom” with such grace, it shocked the man.
Dean may have been a little upset with Lori bringing him and making this step in their lives without talking with him. But seeing Lori blossom into this new lifestyle has been something Dean had come to cherish witnessing.
He couldn’t stay mad with the kid either. But that didn’t mean he could connect with him either. Oliver stuck around Lori most of the time and anytime him or Sam entered the room, it’s like he lost his voice. Lori assured them both Oliver would warm up to them soon. So Dean has let Oliver take it at his own pace with him.
But Lori taking on this new role has shown it’s challenges. The bunker was a nice and safe place for the child. All three of them could make sure he was okay - keeping an eye he doesn’t explore too much and hurt himself with any of the weapons they keep around - but it lessened the chances of any attacks and scaring him.
But that meant Lori became stir crazy.
The woman wasn’t used to staying in one place long, she liked moving around, and with there being no windows in the bunker. It was easy to become stir crazy for some fresh air and to see the sky. So any chance Lori could take, she left to recharge a bit. She always seemed to do something different every night. Sometimes she did the shopping they needed, just go for a drive, or just wander around the town that the bunker is close to. Dean always called to check-in with her, make sure she’s safe, but also to give her any update about Oliver.
Lori usually left in the middle of the night after she put Oliver to bed. Dean would be up at this hour anyways. So while he waited for Lori to return, he made sure Oliver was okay.
Similar to nights like this.
Dean sat in the war room while scrolling through his laptop, nursing a beer he picked up in the kitchen. It was quiet, but not an eerie quiet, everyone was asleep (beside Lori and himself). At least who was supposed to. Dean stopped when he heard small footsteps pad through the hall. He looked up in time to see the little guy standing in the archway. Dean relaxed seeing him but quickly tensed up again. Oliver looked distressed, tugging on his shirt and close to tears.
Oliver was hearing a large Led Zeppelin t-shirt. It was one of Dean’s. When Lori took Oliver home she didn’t have any time to grab a lot of Oliver’s things, and that included some clothing. She was going to take him shopping this weekend to get Oliver all the clothing he would need. But Dean had offered the shirt for the kid to sleep in for now. It reached down to his knees and the collar hung off his shoulder a bit. He was gripping the shirt tightly in his tiny fist and looking close to tears.
“Hey, buddy.” Dean looked at the time. It’s midnight. “What are you doing up?”
“Looking for Lori.”
“She went out, but she’ll be back soon though.”
The kid didn’t move as he watched the older man, looking more uncomfortable and distressed. “Hey,” Dean closed the laptop, turning his body to face the small child. “I promise she’ll be back soon. What’s wrong? You look upset.”
Oliver tugged at his shirt again, seeming to search his words as carefully as a 4 year old could. Big fat tears rolled down his cheeks and Dean’s stomach tugged. He stood up from his chair so he could come closer to the child. “Hey, it’s okay. You can tell me.”
Oliver’s face scrunched up as he looked down to the floor, more tears rolled down his face and dripped down to the floor. “Bad dream,” Oliver admitted in a tiny voice, Dean almost missed it. “Lori makes it better.”
Dean frowns. Waking up alone after a bad dream and not being able to find the person that said they’ll keep you safe was a feeling Dean was too familiar with. The kid didn’t deserve to feel the same.
“That she does. But listen, why don’t you get back to bed and I’ll call her. I’m sure she’ll be right on her way back in no time.”
Oliver gripped his shirt tighter.
Okay, don’t like that idea.
“Or I can come with you and we can both call Lori.” Dean offered the alternative. Oliver relaxed and seemed to like the idea better. Raising his hands to wipe away the tears from his face.
Dean led the kid back to Lori’s room - Lori thought it would be a good idea for the two of them to share a room, just while Oliver adjusted - Dean helped the kid crawl back up into bed, snuggling under the covers and hugging the monkey stuffed animal to his chest.
“Scooch,” Dean mumbled, Oliver scooted over and gave the man room to join the tiny bed. Dean pulled out his phone and was quick to find Lori’s contact. Pressing on the “call” button and quickly put the phone on “speaker” too.
Lori was quick to answer, her voice coming through the phone with a. “Dean?”
“Lori!” Oliver’s tiny voice spoke, perking up a bit on hearing the woman's voice.
“Oliver? How did you get Dean’s phone? Or doing up this late?” She sounded a little panicked hearing Oliver instead.
“He had a bad dream.” Dean spoke this time, hoping to ease the woman's nerves. “He came out looking for you, I told him we would call you if he went to bed.”
“Oh, Ollie. I’m so sorry. What was the dream?”
Oliver explained his dream to Lori - they were walking through the woods and at some point Lori went behind a tree cause she saw something. Oliver couldn’t find her and the woods were making a bunch of scary noises. - Dean felt bad he had to wake up alone and he couldn’t imagine how Lori felt.
He let the two of them talk, Dean making his own comment here and there, but the more time went on. The more relaxed Oliver became. To the point Oliver scooted closer to the older man and used his bicep as a pillow. Dean was afraid to breathe on the chance of disturbing him.
This is the closest Oliver had allowed him to be. He looked down to see the kid breathing softly. Fast asleep.
“He’s asleep.” Dean whispers, moving the phone closer to his face. He tapped the speaker button to turn it off, pressing the phone to his ear instead.
“Thanks,”
“It’s no problem. I’d do anything for the little guy.”
“No seriously, Dean, I… it means a lot to me.” Lori went quiet as she thought what to say next. “I know I kinda dumped the kid on us without consoling you. I’m still really sorry about it. But you being there for him means a lot while I’m gone.”
Dean was quiet as he digested her words. Lori apologized a lot for how Oliver came into their lives. Some part of Dean was still upset, but it was dissipating quickly as he watched Oliver’s tiny squished up face. The most relaxed he had ever seen him be. A sense of pride blooming in his chest the more he watched him.
“The way he got here wasn’t ideal. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be a dick to him or you, you did the right thing, sweetheart. I’m happy to pick up some slack when you need me to.”
Summary : Ellie (9 months) figured out how to honk the car.
Content Warning : You might need to brush your teeth after this cause it's fluffy as shit. Mentioned Pregnancy
Dean took Lori and Ellie with him for a supply run, Lori needed to get out of the bunker just for a few minutes, and Ellie needed some fresh air. But of course, the poor 9 month old cried the whole way to the store. Lori stayed back in the car to soothe the baby while Dean did the shopping.
He was looking at the list of things to double-check that he had everything when he heard a short and sharp honk from Baby. He snapped his head up, looking out the window and making sure his family was okay. They weren't alerting him they were in trouble.
He was expecting Lori to be looking panicked, but no, she was laughing.
These past few months with the pregnancy and raising Ellie and Oliver, as well as saving the damn world almost every year. Lori has been exhausted and grouchy, the bags under her eyes darkening. So the smile and laugh was something rare these day and pulled a smile from the old hunter as well.
Once the groceries were paid for and he went back to Baby, he set the groceries in the backseat. "What are you two doing?" He laughed
"Dean! She figured out how to honk the car. You should've seen how proud she was of herself." Ellie was holding the steering wheel while standing on her mom's thighs, Lori’s hands resting on Ellie's waist to keep her balance. The baby babbling away as she bounced. Lori turned to their baby and pressed some kisses to the crown of her head, muttering, "My sweet girl, were you trying to get dada's attention?"
"Almost gave her old man a heart attack." He comments as he comes around to the front to join his family.
Ellie whines as her mom scoots them to the passenger seat, reaching for the wheel. Once Dean was settled he took the little one and put her in the same spot.
Ellie squeaked happily to getting her new toy again, bouncing in the spot before her stomach touched the horn, and Baby let out a sharp and quick honk again. A high pitch giggle leaving her lips as she turns to her parents, looking so proud she did it again.
For once, the two parents shared a laugh as they watched this rare moment of complete and utter childlike excited innocence.
Summary | Lori forgot it was the winter solstice, but someone remembered for her.
Content Warning | None. Fluff?
When the boys learned Lori celebrated winter solstice, they mainly left her alone with it, didn’t really ask much unless it came up about some lore. Which it didn’t a lot. Sometimes Sam would ask her how it went afterwards. But Lori was used to being alone. Doing her altars, arranging her crystals just right, and making a wreath with whatever evergreen she could find or buy at some local store. She was usually alone celebrating anyways, Uncle Danny having no interest in pagan holiday’s either. Lori would make her altar in his trailer when she was a teenager with whatever candles she could find or a little wreathe with sticks and string. Lori found herself enjoying to celebrate the longest night of the year and the return of the light.
But there was one year she wasn’t alone.
She had joined the Winchester’s on this case and it was taking a bit longer than she anticipated. Sam was out getting some intel, Dean doing…whatever, she wasn’t sure. And Lori was stuck with the books. The radio on for background noise, low volume but Lori found herself humming along to it. Her fingers following the text so she wouldn’t lose her place. Just some peace and quiet for herself. She only looked up as Dean came back carrying a brown paper bag. “Hey, whatcha got there?” She asks as she sits up straighter in her seat.
“It’s uh…for you actually.” He held out the paper back to the woman.
Lori raised a suspicious brow to the bag and cautiously raised her hand to take it. “C’mon, it’s not a bomb.” He scoffed.
“Well, I don’t know, man! It could be with you.” Lori grumbled. Dean never did this and she wondered what it meant, but opened the bag to see various white and yellow candles, mini brown paper bags with items she couldn’t see, and some evergreen branches with string. She just looked up to a nervous Dean Winchester with a confused expression on her’s. “What is this?”
“It’s the 21st, right? Winter solstice?”
“It’s the 21st?” Lori grabbed her phone and looked at the date. Yep, right there. The 21st of December staring at her. The dates truly slipped from her and surprised she almost missed her favorite holiday. “You remembered?” She looked astonished at this idea. Dean, out of all the people she expected, remembered? When even she forgot about the date.
“Of course I did,” He said nonchalantly, like this was normal for him to do. Walking over to the fridge to grab a beer from it. She stared at him for a moment, trying to wrack her brain for a response.
"You never ask about it. I thought you forgot."
"It's an important day to you. I never forgot."
Lori really didn't know how to respond to that either, so she looked in the bag, grabbing one of the mini brown paper bags. She slowly opened it to see multiple different crystals. The thought of him going inside to pick out crystals for her, her insides felt warm at the gesture. Why did he do this? “You went into a crystal store? And got crystals for me?” Lori couldn’t imagine Dean going to one and just looking lost and uncomfortable instead.
“Well, yeah- you don't have your usual stuff, so I just grabbed whatever.” He grumbled, sitting across from her at the little table, taking a swing of his beer. Acting like it was no big deal he did this for her.
“Thank you,” Lori could only find herself able to say, taking a breath to fill in her breathless lungs at this gesture. “This- it means a lot.”
“Don’t mention it.” It was quiet between them as she opened each little bag before he spoke again. “When can we do this?”
Lori looked up from admiring the crystals in her hands, somehow looking more surprised. "You want to join in?"
"Sure. Why not?"
Lori's heart grew more, and she feared what this gesture could mean. Her heart yearning it could have underlying meanings. But she pushed it down, Dean hasn't chosen her in the past. This was purely his way of showing his friendship. But still, the fluttering in her heart made a gentle smile grow on her face that she struggled to fight. Turning her gaze down to the crystals in her hands, as a way to hide how giddy she was to share something so special with him. she cleared her throat and placed the crystals back in their original bags. Focus, Lori. This means nothing. "Later tonight, maybe after dinner."
" Stood there and watched you walk away from everything we had, but I still mean every word I said to you. He will try to take away my pain, and he just might make me smile. But the whole time I'm wishing he was you instead "
Lori Holt and Dean Winchester
The two go through a lot of heartbreak and I think this song represents that perfectly
Sam definitely tells Lori how Dean had to flirt with a guy through Charlie since Charlie couldn't, and Dean basically just jumped into doing it without a second thought. This is basically her reaction.
