here *i shove this at you* low key threw this together 😝 so enjoy ig!
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The first time Athena Winchester darkens Robert Singer's doorstep she is ten. She walks with a limp and balances out her uneven gait with the weight of Sam's body on her other hip. Dad didn't give her many instructions… he didn't talk much about where they were going; whether it was safe, if he was staying with them, if this was goodbye. A man with a scraggly brown beard opens the door. He doesn't look down, just stares straight at Dad.
"they're staying here" the patriarchal Winchester tells the other man. Athena knew that voice: it meant that you had no say in the matter, that no matter how much you cried or begged or hoped… nothing would change.
Blue eyes peer up at the other man, the way his face shifts as if he was going to rebut, to argue. He must not know that Dad doesn't change his mind, that no amount of trying would change anything. John doesn't wait for a rebuttal to form, he just moves silently back to the impala. Athena shifts Dean closer to her side when she hears the rumble of the engine start, it wouldn't be good for him to get dust in his eyes.
Dean watches their father leave, hurt in his eyes. While the middle child looks at where their father once was, the eldest chooses to advert her attention to the older man in front of them. Her head tilts slightly as she looks. He's wearing a flannel shirt, and a hat like the kind little kids wear on TV. She thinks that maybe under the hat his hair is messy and the same shade as his beard. She shifts Sam on her hip, "hello" she speaks softly, not in a mumble; Dad hated when she mumbled. 'If you're going to decide to speak to me, you better be sure about it'
Bobby's heart softens when he hears the soft voice, how could something so small and precious come from a man who was so awful? He crouches down, making himself less intimidating to the small gaggle of children. "hi" he attempts to make his gruff voice less harsh. "'m Bobby" he introduces himself, "you might you be, little lady?"
"Athena" she tells him, making sure to keep eye contact; to show him that she could listen, she wasn't disrespectful. "Sam" she whispers to the boy on her hip "tell him your name" she urges him.
The three year old's turns his head to face the man, still resting on her shoulder "'ammy" he mumbles.
"his name is Sam" she corrects. She nudges Dean softly, wanting him to show this man that they were polite and worth keeping around. "Dean.." she nudges him
"hmm? oh.. um 'm dean" he finally turns, absentmindedly introducing himself.
Athena scanned the place once she was let in, ensuring she wiped her feet on the mat and dean did the same. The Winchesters follow the man inside, Dean still pulled securely against his sister. The house is messy, books and papers strewn everywhere and it makes Athena wonder if Dad ever stayed here, he didn't like mess… and this place is worse than anything she could even attempt in a motel room.
"you want somethin' ta' drink?" bobby glances back at the children as they pad after him, a least two feet behind him. It takes a beat for Athena to respond, she isn't sure what the right answer is; she doesn't know if its impolite to refuse or if she'd be greedy if she asked for anything. "i can make hot chocolate" he offers, filling the silence.
Athena can't finish processing what she should answer when Dean pipes up, excited "hell yeah!" he bounds closer to the older man.
"Dean" she hisses lowly at his curse "dean you can't talk like that" she pulls him closer to her, "'s rude"
Bobby chuckles at the seven year old's cursing, "well come'on" he gestures toward the stove top where he places a sauce pan and fills it with milk. Dean watches the older man, not used to having a full sized, real, kitchen like this; and he's not at all used to anyone but Athena, let alone a man, making him something. Dean watches Bobby make the hot chocolate intently, Athena is left in the entryway to the kitchen silently watching. Athena watches them moving around, a silent pain growing in her chest. She ignores the familiar feeling and adjusts Sam in her grasp, looking down at him.
"you okay?" she whispers to him, a soft hand moving through his hair. the three year old nods, tired, into her shoulder. Her blue eyes watch the scene in front of her. Dean looked happy with this Bobby, and he seemed to like Dean. Dad never acted like this with her, hell not even Dean got this kind of treatment and Dad liked him way better than he liked her. The weird feeling in her chest wasn't new, she got it almost every time Dad was with Dean, but a small part of her hoped that she would be the favorite for once.
Bobby eventually turns around "you gonna stand there all day, kid?" he calls to her "'s much nicer over 'ere" he beckons her over
"c'mon 'thena!" Dean glances over, his voice in a childlike whine "it smells good!" at her younger brother's words she slowly and carefully moves forward. She nods in agreement, it did smell nice.
Sam squirms around, tired and wanting a nap. Bobby seems to notice, something John never managed, "you tired, sam?" bobby asks, not asking Athena but asking the youngest himself. Sam nods at the words
"is it okay if he takes a nap on the couch? I can make sure he falls asleep-" the eldest Winchester starts
"'s alright kid, i can get him into a bed….. unless you wanna put him down" he could tell that Athena wasn't sure about him quite yet. He understood that, he was just some guy their father dumped them on. He could tell that the girl had been forced to take care of her brothers for a long time.
"i can do it" she reassures. He nods softly at her words
"alright then, first room on the left upstairs could be his… you want me to show you?" he tilts his head toward the stairs.
Blue glance toward Dean who is stood at the stove, he shouldn't e left alone "i can do it… thank you, sir" her voice soft as she turns to move upstairs.
That night Bobby makes them a home cooked meal, no take out or ordered food. Bobby treated them with kindness that was rough around the edges, but the kindness was something that make the ache in Athena's chest ease.
The next day the grumble of the Impala's engine fills the junk yard. The sound causes the tension to return to the small girls body. She quietly gathers their things and gives the older man a genuine "thank you, bobby" as they walk out the door.
