Summary: Jensen’s daughter knows something he doesn’t. And she can’t wait to tell him.
Words: None
Warnings: none
“Dad!” YN yelled for Jensen. “I have something to tell you!” She grinned as he walked into the living room.
“Can’t talk! Emergency at the brewery!” He called behind him as he stepped through the garage door. “Talk later!”
“Ungh.” YN sighed in disappointment. “Whatever.”
“So, what’s the big news? I’m here, you can tell me!” Jared walked in and sat down next to her on the couch.
“Hi!” YN gasped. “Were you charmed into hanging out with me tonight?” YN laughed.
“I wanted to. Haven’t seen my little punk in a while.”
“I saw you yesterday.” YN tilted her head in curiosity.
“You know what I mean. Just me and you.”
“Oh! In that case, can we pig out on pizza and ice cream and watch terrible movies please? Is he going to be gone for a while?” Her face went from excitement to sadness quickly.
“It may be a while. You tell me your good news and then I will answer your question,” he winked. “I won’t tell your dad, promise.”
“I heard that Danneel Harris was working on a project in Austin, and she wants to “cross paths” with my dad! OOOOOOoooo!” YN giggled.
Jared rolled his eyes.
“And where did you hear that?”
“So you have heard it too!” YN gasped.
“For the record, no, I had not heard that.”
“You know how it is here. Plus- the kids I go to school with are all famous people and who are in town since their parents seem to have connections and know everyone.”
“You want them to date,” Jared sighed. “Look-”
“Yes, I want them to date. I’ve met her, and she is nice! They would get along great! Gen knows her, right? I’m going to go ask her what she thinks.”
“Nope, you’re staying right here.” Jared put his foot between her and the pathway to the door. “We have pizza to order and a movie to watch.”
YN’s face fell.
“Gen is having a self-care night anyway. She’s had a long week. You can ask her later.”
His niece grumbled and sat back down.
“Fine,” she huffed.
After an evening of fun activities, Jensen was still not home. Jared spent the night at the Ackles’ home because of it.
“I’m fourteen! I’ll be fine! Plus, you guys live next door, and I have my radio you gave me.”
She dangled the two-way radio in front of him.
“I told your dad I would. It’s fine.”
During the night, he heard her coughing from her room.
“Hey, you okay?” He knocked lightly and slowly opened the door.
“Yeah,” YN rasped.
He walked closer to her as she coughed again.
Jared felt her forehead.
“Yikes,” he hummed to himself. “Where is the humidifier? Take off all those blankets, it will help with your fever.”
“I don’t have a fever.” YN turned away from him. “I’m fine.”
“Wrong answer. Let’s go, chop, chop.”
“The humidifier is in the hall closet.” YN coughed again.
“I’ll be right back.” Jared walked out of her room.
He heard her groan and cough all night long. The next morning, her dad was asleep in his room, but Jared was still on high alert for what she needed.
“Your dad got home super late last night. He’s resting. Would you like met to get you some tea?”
YN sat up in her bed.
“That would be great,” she whispered.
YN heard the sound of voices chatting from the kitchen.
Dad’s awake. And home.
YN smiled to herself.
“Here,” Jared slowly handed her a coffee mug with Sam Winchester on it.
“Of course you would choose that one,” YN grinned before turning away and coughing.
“I’m going to go home and have breakfast with Gen. Feel better,” he kissed the top of her head and exited the room.
A few minutes later, her dad rushed in with a wrinkled forehead and jaw clenched.
“Jared said you wanted to spill the tea! Why would you do that? It would make a mess and leave a stain!” Jensen crossed his arms and stood tall.
YN’s eyebrows scrunched as she tried to figure out what he was saying.
“I’m drinking the tea because my throat hurts. I have no reason to spill the-” YN giggled. “OH! It’s a saying, you weirdo! It means gossip!”
A look of relief washed over him. He pulled a chair close to her bed.
“And what’s that?”
“Your new girlfriend is shooting a movie here! I heard she wants to hang out with you while she is here.”
Summary: Jared loses the love of his life, and he has to pick up the pieces for his daughter.
Warnings: death, emotions, car accident.
Word Count: 1700
“Jensen! Call me back!” Jared yelled into the phone and folded his flip phone shut. He pulled his toddler-aged daughter into his chest. Jensen called him back. “Jensen, Sarah is gone!” The younger man screamed to his friend. “I need you, please!”
Jensen heard his niece crying in the background.
“What are you talking about? Why is YN crying? Where are you?”
“At home. Sarah was in an accident on our street. She’s gone!” Jared continued to cry.
“What?” Jensen shook his head even though Jared couldn’t see. “I’ll be right there,” he wiped the tears away that were starting to roll down his face. Jensen hung up and took a deep breath.
How couldshe be gone? What was Jared going to do? How would YN grow up without a mother?
“Bud!” Jensen shouted over the commotion of sirens and people everywhere. “Hey, come here.” He crushed YN in Jared’s arms as he gave the taller man a hug.
“Unca Jen?” YN looked up at him, narrowing her eyes in confusion. “Mommy no feel good. She’s taking a nap with Jesus. Dat’s what Daddy said.” YN reached for her uncle. Jensen took her in his arms and pulled her close into his chest. YN gripped his shirt into her little fist, wrinkling the material. Using the angle of her neck, she wiped her face on his plaid shirt as a tissue.
“I know. I’m sorry, kiddo.” Jensen tried not to cry in front of her, but he had just lost a friend and his friend had lost his love. He bounced her little body up and down to soothe her. Jensen turned to his friend. “I am so sorry, Jared. I’m so sorry.” He guided his tall friend to a curb outside the caution tape to sit down. Jared took a deep breath to control his breathing, but a sob ran through him, and he let it out unimpressively. Jensen wrapped his arm around his friend while still holding the toddler in his other arm. “I know,” he tried to sooth Jared. Jared ended up with his head on Jensen’s chest at an odd angle, but neither cared. Jensen sighed, trying to figure out how he was going to guide his friend through this tragedy.
ONE YEAR LATER
“Bye, sweetcheeks,” Jared grimaced as he left his daughter with a nanny for the ten-thousanth time.
“No go!” YN cried. “Where Mommy?” The young girl still didn’t understand.
“The nanny will take care of you. Mommy isn’t here right now.” He kissed her lightly. “I have to go to work with Uncle Jensen. I’ll be back in four days.”
“No!” YN wailed.
“We’ll be fine, Mr. Padalecki,” the nanny smiled. “I promise.”
“Okay. Call me if she-”
“Needs anything. I understand, Mr. Pads.” She nodded.
The next day, Jared was fretting.
“I hope she is doing okay,” he paced in the apartment he and Jensen shared.
“You haven’t gotten a call from the nanny. No news is good news when it comes to toddlers. Trust me.”
“You don’t have kids!” Jared huffed.
“No, but I have nieces and nephews,” the other man shrugged.
“I guess you’re right.” Jared sighed. “She just turned four and being away from her while we are still grieving is not ideal.”
“So bring her up next time. She has a passport.” Jensen suggested.
“Maybe… I miss her so much, Jensen.”
“It’s only a few days, dude. I miss the munchkin too,” he tried to assuage his friend.
“No.I mean Sarah.” Jared sat down on the couch after pacing the room. Putting his head in his hands, the dad let out a breath. Jensen switched gears and softened. He walked over to his friend and ruffled Jared’s hair. “Stop it,” he swatted Jensen’s hand away in playful annoyance. “I’m going to bed.” Jared stood but Jensen gently put him back down.
“No. We’re having a living room sleepover. Your sleep has been shit lately, and I am not going to let you be alone with your thoughts.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. And that’s fine. But I will not let your brain take you through the tangles of that day. Now, relax and turn on a crap movie. I’m getting popcorn and pillows.”
The friends talked and laughed at the movie until they both fell asleep on their assigned couches. The next day, Jared was more himself. Both he and Jared were thankful for that. Jared knew he couldn’t raise her on his own. He needed his strong circle of friends for himself AND his kid. Over the next few years, Jared’s immediate heartache for Sarah decreased, although he still thought about the fond memories they had.
“Unca Jensen?” Six-year old YN walked into the kitchen just having put on her pajamas.
“What, baby?” He looked down at the little girl with a smile.
“Can you tell me about my mommy?” YN offered her saddest puppy dog eyes.
“You missing her tonight?” He put the dishes back in the sink and laid the towel down on the counter. Jensen scooped her up suddenly, making her giggle.
“Did she like me?”
Jensen took the girl into the living room and sat with her on the couch.
“Oh, sweetheart. She LOVED you. More than you could imagine.”
“As much as the whole wide world?” YN searched her uncle’s face.
“Even more than that.” The man grinned as he whispered his answer. Snuggling her tightly, he let her adjust on his lap. “She was kind, funny, she knew how to make you laugh even when you were throwing a tantrum and crying. Her heart was as big as yours. Your mom loved you and your dad so much,” he trailed off, missing his friend.
“Did Mommy love you too?”
Jensen chuckled.
“We were very good friends. I loved her so much, and I miss her.”
“It’s going to be okay, Jensen,” she looked back up at him and stroked his face soothingly with her small hand. The gesture tickled his five o’clock shadow, but he resisted the temptation to move away from the feeling.
“You think it will be okay?” He smiled just a smidge.
“You’re strong. So is me and Daddy. We’ll be okay.”
“We will be,” he stroked her hair absent-mindedly. The next time he looked down at her, she was breathing evenly on his chest with her eyes closed. While watching youtube videos with closed captions as not to wake her, Jared returned from dinner with friends.
“Hey,” Jared whispered. “Brought you leftovers.” He set the bag of food on a side table and walked toward the pair on the couch. Jared reached for his daughter, but Jensen shook his head.
“I’ll put her down.” He smiled with pride. “I got it.” The man came back ten minutes later. “She fussed for a second, but she is asleep now. “ Jensen looked for approval from his friend.
“She has a hard time relaxing,” Jared responded. “YNN would fall asleep so easily with Sarah, but not with me. She could get that girl to do anything.” The leftover food was pulled out for Jensen, and Jared put the dessert he purchased in the refrigerator.
Jensen consoled his friend and told him about the conversation he had with YN before bed.
“That’s so sweet. YN has those questions sometimes. I don’t know how to handle it sometimes. Sometimes it’s screaming and then another it’s tears. You got the best outcome of just a few questions,” Jared laughed.
“You’re doing fine. She’s five and doesn’t understand.” Jensen took too big of a bite of his steak and dropped half of his fork-full onto his shirt, stain growing larger by the moment. “Ugh.” He rolled his eyes. Jared laughed.
Going back to the conversation, he said, “Six, and I’m trying, man. I’m trying. YN is starting school in a few months. How am I supposed to handle homework, her friends, the classmate moms? Can I handle communication with a teacher when I’m in Van?”
“Woah,” Jensen put a hand up. “Yes, first of all, you can.” He wiped his shirt with a napkin. “Second, you won’t be alone. Besides, maybe she can go to school in BC. You will figure it out.”
“You keep saying that, Jensen. Stop saying it! I won’t!”
“Oh, that’s crap. I’m saying it because it’s true. It’s been a few years and every time you’ve done it, whatever it is that needs to be done. There is no roadmap for this shit.”
“Why are you so incessant?” Jared sighed, giving into his friend’s logic.
“What’s my job?”
“Huh?”
“What’s my job? As your big brother, what is my job?”
“Ackles…” Jared rolled his eyes, thinking that line was stupid.
“Well?” Jensen waited expectantly.
“To protect me,” he huffed with a smile at the show’s inside joke. “But you don’t have to. I’m not a baby.”
“No, you’re not. But you are my brother, and as an older brother, or close to it, it is my job to take care of you when you feel like you’re not doing a good job. Because you are. She has the most amazing dad. There are so many ways this could have played out. You could have climbed into bed and not ever left your room, you could have checked out and poured yourself into work- but you didn’t. You come home with your puppy personality and it’s all about YN. You’re doing fine. Excelling, actually.”
“You don’t mean that.” Jared looked anywhere but Jensen’s face.
“Do I ever say stuff I don’t mean sincerely?”
“I guess not.” Jared ran a hand through his hair.
“You have had a fun evening, but I think it’s time for bed.” Jensen grinned, playfully admonishing his friend.
“How old am I? It’s ten pm.” He laughed.
“Exactly. And your kid has dance at eight tomorrow morning in case you forgot. Go, chillax. I’ll clean up here and head out. Go,” he shooed his friend. “When I get back from throwing this plate away, you better be gone and upstairs. I’ll lock up behind me.” He stood and cleaned up the coffee table in front of him. When Jared didn’t move, Jensen glared at the man. “I’m serious, man. Don’t get lost in your head. Go to bed.”
“Yeah, right,” Jared snapped out of his daydreaming spell. He grunted and he stood to his feet and headed toward the stairs. “Thanks, bud.”
@youngjusticeimaginesus Hi, I was wondering if you could do a Jensen x daughter!reader oneshot where he finds out the her bio mother passed away and when he tells her she breaks down into tears even though shes not sure why cause they were never very close. But nonetheless he comforts her and validates her. And him and Danneel were getting ready for a date but both decide not to go and instead stay and watch movies with their daughter?
Words: none.
Warnings: death, emotions
Jensen hung up the phone with a blank look on his face. Daneel searched his stare for emotion.
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing that he was unable to form sentences, she guided him from their closet where they were picking out their clothes for the day onto a couch in their room.
“Hey, talk to me.” She remained in his line of vision.
“Umm,” he collected his thoughts. “YN’s mom passed away.”
“Wait, what?” Daneel gasped. Although they weren’t the best of friends, Danneel had an amicable relationship with her step-daughter’s mother. Now she is gone.
“What? How? Huh?” Danneel was now short for words, herself.
“I need a minute.” Jensen stood quickly and walked out of the room. Danneel was left with no information and no way to help her husband. A few minutes later, Danneel was in the kitchen when he walked back into the house. She saw dried tears on his face. He stopped a few feet from her.
“She was killed in a car accident today. They want me to come identify her body.”
“Oh, Jensen!” Danneel ran to him and wrapped herself around him, making herself as big as she could, even though he was much taller than his wife.
“Yeah. Look, I need to go so that they can get the process started, however all this works. YN should be home from practice in a few hours, so don’t say anything yet.”
“Absolutely. Do you need me to go with you?”
“No. Thank you.” He kissed her head and cleared his throat. “I’ll be back.”
Jensen got through the process as quickly as possible, identifying his daughter’s mother and leaving the building before he had time to realize what he was doing. He arrived home, going through the motions, realizing he didn’t know how he got back to his own house. Jensen checked his phone when he heard it ding once he parked in the driveway.
Danneel
She’s home.
Jensen
Okay. :(
“Hey, princess.” Jensen hugged his daughter when he entered the kitchen.
“Hey, Da-” When she looked up at his face, she stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“Honey,” Jensen took her hand and guided her to a chair at the table. “I got a call about your mom.”
“I just saw her for my weekend visit? What’s up?”
“I got a call from the city. She was in a car accident.”
“Uhhh…” YN rang her hands.
“She didn’t make it, baby.”
“You’re lying!” She shrieked at her father and pushed him away. Stomping up the stairs, Jensen watched her go out of view.
“I’m sorry about our date night, but I can’t leave her.” Jensen searched out his wife on the bottom floor of the house.
“We are absolutely NOT going out tonight on our date. She needs us, no need to apologize.”
Jensen made his way to YN’s room.
“Honey?” He knocked and opened the door.
“I’m okay.” She was huddled in the corner of her bed with her comfort items in her arms.
“It's okay if you’re not. Let’s not worry about that right now though. Would you like me to hold you?”
YN started crying for a second time, as evident by her red, swollen eyes. Climbing into his lap as he sat on her bed, she nodded.
“Come here.” Jensen cradled her as she shook.
Keep it together, Jensen. Keep it together, he told himself.
“Dee and I are right here, you aren’t alone, kiddo.” He kissed the part in her hair as she continued to sob.
Summary: YN learns how to express her recent frustrations to her dad.
Words: 945
Warnings: emotions
“You can’t undermine me like that.” Jared pulled Jensen aside when he went to pick up his daughter the next morning.
“Have you seen how much she has been suffering? She THREW UP last night.”
“Is she sick?” Jared turned to walk away toward his daughter.
“No, dipshit.” Jensen yanked on his friend’s arm to face him. ‘She’s sick to her stomach because you can’t see what’s going on in front of you! YN is overwhelmed.”
“What-” Jared stepped dangerously close to his friend with a protective growl.
“You yell at her and tell her to finish however many assignments without any guidance whatsoever? I know you know that something has been going on.”
“Whatever. She has homework to finish.” Jared turned and walked into the other room to collect his daughter. “YN! Let’s go.”
“Huh?” She looked up from the TV to her dad and uncle. She looked between them, knowing they had just had a disagreement based on their body language.
“We’re leaving.” Jared crossed his arms. “Get your stuff. You have homework to do.”
“Dad, can I talk to you?”
“Now is not a good time. We need to go.”
“No. Dad,” she looked to her uncle for help. “I-”
Jensen nodded for her to continue.
“I need to tell you something. And I asked that Jensen help me.”
“You’re just making excuses! You waited til the last minute to do assignments and then you call in your uncle to save you?”
“It’s not like that, Dad!” YN shrieked and stood from the couch. “I can’t focus, but then I can. I can’t tell you what I just read from my schoolbook, but I can tell you all of the ins and outs of Harry Potter. I can’t organize my thoughts. I can’t organize anything! I just didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Wait-” He leaned against the arm of the couch so that he was more at her level. “You really feel this way?”
“Yeah.” YN shrugged.
“You’re telling me even after I’ve asked you if I could help with anything, you said no, and now you’re letting me know?”
“How could I tell you? You’re smart! School was easy for you!” YN put her hands on her hips.
“We talked, and I think she might have something like ADD. You know how I told you how much I hated school? How I couldn’t pass an English class to save my life?” He smiled slightly at his niece. She returned it.
Jared’s eyes softened but then became serious again.
“You believe her?” Jared zeroed in on his friend.
“Yes.” Jensen nodded. “She’s lied to me before, and she knows how that ended,” he motioned toward his niece. “She’s not lying.”
“I’m not.” YN stood up for herself.
“She can do the work, she just needs help organizing it a little bit. She’ll surprise you, I promise.” Jensen winked at YN. “We got through quite a few assignments last night. I think giving her the steps to do it helped. Didn’t it?”
“Yeah. It did.” YN answered quickly.
“Why don’t you guys go home so you can work on your stuff. Show your dad how we organized your work last night,” he walked over to his niece and gave her a side hug. “You got this, kiddo.”
On the walk home, Jared and YN were quiet, but YN couldn’t take it anymore.
“I don’t do it on purpose, Dad. I just didn’t know how to tell you. And Mom’s anniversary is-” She rambled.
“Hey, kiddo.” Jared looked over at her while they entered the house. “We’ll get through it. Let’s just worry about today, okay?” He wrapped an arm around her as he emptied his pockets and put the items on the entry table. “I love you,” he whispered. “And as for your mom, I’ve been thinking about her too.”
“You should date.” YN said, staring out the kitchen window.
“Excuse me?” Jared whipped his head to his daughter, reading her expression.
“You should go out on a date. I think you and Gen could date.”
Jared’s eyes went wide.
“Why do you say that?”
“She seems nice.” YN shrugged one shoulder lazily. “I know you have the hots for her, Dad. It’s kind of obvious.”
“Oh, really now?” Jared grinned. He gave his daughter a noogie.
“Hey!” She pushed his hands away from her head, giggling.
“Go get your computer and a few assignments to work on today. I can help you organize it so that it’s easier to get done today.”
“Are- are you sure?” YN was surprised he followed through with what he said at Jensen’s house.
“If it will help you, yes.”
“Thank you!” YN shrieked. She kissed his cheek. His daughter ran toward her room to put away her sleepover items.
A few days later, Jared was sitting with Gen on the set of Supernatural.
“I haven’t said anything the last couple days, it’s just been so busy. Guess what YN said?”
“What?” She stiffened.
“She wants me to date you.” He laughed to himself.
“Oh,” she took a deep breath and smiled. “Well, we have been heading that way anyway. I don’t think it will be smart for me to be around her any more than I already am right now though. Maybe come over every once in a while to spend time with her. We need to be steady before she and I build a relationship.”
“But, I want both of you. I want both of you to have dinner with and do things together.”
“We will, I promise. Just not so fast.” She took his hand and squeezed it. “Okay?”
“Uncle Jack! I passed!” YN had run from her house next door and into Jensen’s. She waved a paper around in the air. “Jensen?” YN entered the front door and walked toward the kitchen. “Oh, there you are. I passed my class!” Jensen turned from the fridge and took the paper she shoved in his face with excitement.
“Oh, sweetheart! I’m so proud of you!” His big, protective presence wrapped itself around her. “I love you so much, and I’m so proud of you for pushing through,” He whispered into her ear.
“Thank you,” she whispered back to him.
“Did you tell your dad?” He backed away to look at her face.
“Yep! He almost cried; I think.”
“That’s not bad, kid!”
“Thanks,” she looked away.
“So… you want your dad to date, huh?”
“He told you?” YN made eye contact with him.
“You’ve mentioned it before,” he shrugged.
“Well, Gen has always been nice, and I can tell they like each other. Like, LIKE each other. Ohhhh.” She emphasized.
“Okay, okay,” he rolled his eyes.
A WEEK LATER
“Hey, Dad.” YN looked over her shoulder. “Oh, hi Gen.” His daughter sat up on the couch.
“I told you she would be coming over tonight, did you forget?” He raised a brow and glared at her.
“Right. I’m sorry, I forgot. I’ll be back in fifteen.” She shot off the couch and ran to her room.
“Sorry. Teenage daughters.” He looked at his date.
“It’s fine. We’re ordering pizza, it’s not a big deal, Jared.”
Jared, Gen and YN sat down for their meal. There was small talk, but it was a little awkward. YN smiled and laughed at the jokes and told Gen about school.
“She almost didn’t pass her classes.” Jared let Gen know.
“Dad!” YN stood from the table and shrieked, embarrassed. Her face went red.
“Oh, it’s okay. I don’t need to know, Jared.” Gen tried to calm the situation. “Are you ready for summer?”
“Ya think?” YN smarted off and walked out of the room. “Especially since I barely passed!” She yelled over her shoulder.
Jared jumped out of his seat to chase after her for her rudeness, but Gen grabbed his wrist as he was about to pass her. He stopped. After looking at her fingers wrapped around his wrist and then at her, he tilted his head.
“It’s okay. Talk to her later. She is obviously upset. You have to give her a minute.” Gen read his reaction and slowly let go of her boyfriend’s wrist.
Jared sighed and slowly sat back down.
“Jensen! He embarrassed me! I almost didn’t pass my classes, he told her! Why?!” YN screamed into her phone from her room.
“What?”
“He said I was stupid!” YN yelled again.
“Okay, okay,” he soothed. “I don’t think that’s what he meant, sweetheart.”
“Then what did he mean?” YN paced her room and shouted.
“Sweetie, you’ve got to calm down. I can’t understand you when you yell like that into the phone.”
He heard her take a deep breath.
“It’s always something. I’m never going to be good enough. That’s what he tells her the first night the three of us hang out together?!”
“Okay. I understand, sweetheart. Maybe he shouldn’t have shared that. I’m guessing you stomped off?”
“How did you know?”
“Because I know you.” Jensen grinned into the phone. “You want to make this right before she leaves or not?”
“I guess I need to.”
“Good girl.”
“What do I even say?”
Jensen took a beat to collect his thoughts.
“You’re going to go back into the room and apologize to your dad and Gen and ask if you can have your dinner. Be respectful the rest of the evening and engage in the conversation. Okay?”
She could hear the seriousness in her uncle’s voice.
“Okay,” she agreed.
“Promise me you’ll talk to him after Gen leaves?”
“Uncle J-”
“Promise me.”
“Fine. Gotta go. Love you.”
YN ended the call, allowed herself to take a moment to collect herself, and walked back toward the kitchen. She saw her dad and Gen in the middle of a conversation.
“Hi,” YN said quietly. “Gen, I’m so sorry for leaving like that. I’m just having a hard time right now, but I shouldn't have been rude. Dad, I am sorry. It wasn’t cool of me to do that.”
Jared sat up straighter.
“Thank you, honey. We appreciate it.”
Gen nodded.
“I didn’t mean to bother you in some way, YN. That wasn’t my intention.”
“Totally my fault, Gen.” YN stepped into the room and went to her seat. “Can I finish my dinner with you?” She scanned her dad’s face.
“Absolutely. Let me warm it up for you.” Jared stood and walked to the microwave across the kitchen.
“Your dad and I were talking about playing a board game, how does that sound?”
“That sounds fun, thanks Gen.”
Over the next six months, Jared and Gen built their relationship. YN didn’t hang out with Gen that much, but YN liked her enough though.
“Hey,” Jared knocked on YN’s door. “The semester is almost over, and I checked your grades. You turned in all those assignments like we talked about. Nice work.” He smiled as she put her book to the side.
“Jensen helped… again,” YN looked away, ashamed she couldn’t do it on her own.
“Stop that. You did it. Everyone needs help now and again. It’s your grade. Not his. You applied some of the things he taught you. You. Not him.”
“I, I have good grades?”
“Yeah, you haven’t checked?”
“No. I always fail. What’s the point?”
“I know you feel defeated, but you’re doing great. Keep studying for your last few tests, though. Proud of you.”
“Thanks.” YN pulled the book back in front of her face to hide her emotion. YN was proud of herself. She had worked hard her whole life, but it never paid off. Like ever. The tears started to fall after her dad turned and left the room. Smiling to herself, she wiped her tears and continued reading her book.
That evening, Gen came over.
“Hey, YN,” Gen walked into the Padalecki house with a bag of groceries.
“Hi, Gen.”
“Your dad is hanging out at Jensen’s. I thought you might want to have dinner and a movie night with me?”
“Sure,” YN smiled weakly. She threw off the blanket she was using and turned off the TV.
Once they were seated to eat, YN maintained the conversation more than usual. As she got to know Gen, it was easier to talk with her.
“Heard school was going well. Your dad is very proud of you.”
“Yeah, I turned in my assignments that I needed to make up. School isn’t easy for me, so I’m kind of proud of myself too.”
“That’s really awesome, YN. School wasn’t easy for me either.”
“Really?”
“The only reason I passed all my classes was because I was on the school soccer team, and we had to keep our grades up. It took all I had to pass my classes. Never really figured out why, school just wasn’t my thing.”
“Oh,” YN took in the information. “I know why I don’t like school.” She sighed. Gen looked over at her quizzically as the woman wiped her mouth with a napkin. “I have ADHD.”
“I’ve heard of it and know the basic symptoms, but other than that, I don’t know much. Can you tell me about it?”
“Well,” YN was surprised by her curiosity, she continued. “It’s like not understanding anything the first time, or completely missing the point altogether. No organization, and your brain changes how you like to organize things on a daily basis. You get distracted easily, not because you want to, your brain just moves fast and gets bored easily. It’s great fun!” YN rolled her eyes playfully.
“Wow. Sounds like it would be difficult to manage sometimes.” Gen supported her.
“Sometimes.” YN took a bite of her food and coughed. Her eyes went wide. She heaved. YN pointed to her throat.
Gen stood immediately and asked, “choking?”
YN nodded.
Gen hoisted YN out of her chair and performed a de-choking maneuver. YN coughed some more, and the food was dislodged from her throat. She reached up to soothe her throat. Both women heard rustling outside of the kitchen. They turned to find Jared running into the room.
“Are you okay?” He looked between the two of them. YN nodded. Gen explained what happened, and Jared engulfed them both into a single hug.
“She was choking on her dinner, but she’s fine.”
“I’m okay,” YN hoarsely responded.
Jared hugged her again.
“What are you doing back so early?” Gen asked
“Parent’s intuition, I guess.” Jared shrugged. “Are your ladies having fun?”
“I’d say so,” Gen nudged YN with a smile.
“Yeah,” YN grinned. “Other than,” she motioned to her throat.
“Well, yes, that makes sense,” he nodded. “I will let you girls continue. I’ll be home in a few hours. If I’m not back by bedtime, in bed by ten, you hear me?”
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem,” Gen assured him. “I’ll stay until then.”
“Really?” YN turned toward her quickly. “You would do that?”
“Well, yeah,” Gen returned confidently. “Of course.”
“Thank you,” Jared nodded and kissed Gen on the cheek. “Be good, you two.” He grinned.
“Go,” YN shoved him lightly, giggling.
“Okay, have fun!” He waved and exited.
“You want to clean up and watch The Bachelorette?” Gen looked to YN expectantly.
“Oh! Yes! Just don’t tell my dad, he calls it trash,” YN chuckled.
“Awesome, let’s do it!”
The next day, YN and Jared were sitting on the couch. She paused the TV and sat quietly.
“Uh. Hello?” Jared jokingly elbowed his daughter. When she didn’t respond, he stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“I think you should marry her.”
Jared’s mouth fell open.
“Wha- what?” He stuttered.
“Yeah, I think it would be good.”
“What makes you say that?” Jared adjusted on the couch to face her.
“She gets you. And she understands me.”
“Oh yeah?” He raised a brow.
“Yeah. She isn’t mean or trying to take Mom’s place. She listens to me, and she even told me that she didn’t like school either.”
“Oh, really?”
‘Yep. So are you going to ask her?”
“To what? Marry me?” Jared asked, flabbergasted at his daughter’s interest.
“Yeah, Dad.” YN tilted her head.
“I want to. Not yet though. You guys need to bond and connect more. It’s not fair for you to know her for a few months and then she just be around all the time.”
“Oh.” YN sighed.
“Are you okay?” Jared noted the blank expression on her face.
“Yup, I think so. But I think you should ask her.”
“I will do my best, pretty girl,”
The duo hugged and leaned back on the couch and YN played the TV show.
“She better not hurt you, or she will have to answer to me, just so you know.” YN smirked.
Summary: YN struggles in school, but Uncle Jensen saves the day... or the evening.
Words: 1745
YN age 6
“Mr. Padalecki, your daughter has been such a gift to have in class,” YN’s teacher stated in the parent-teacher conference.
“I’m so glad to hear that, but I hear a ‘but’ coming.”
“She is a delight, I promise. I just wanted to let you know that she is very distracted a lot. She completes activities, but only preferred ones. I don’t think it’s malevolent. It’s not intentional from what I’ve observed. Have you noticed that at home, by chance? When she sits down to read or do homework, is she easily distracted or has a hard time completing it?”
“Sometimes, I guess, but she is six.” Jared tuned in to what the teacher was saying. “I’ll keep and eye, though. Other than that, how is she engaging with her peers?”
“YN is slow to warm up. I’m sure you’ve seen that in her. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Once she meets a new friend or has been watching from the sidelines for a little bit, she is perfectly fine.”
“Yeah, that sounds like her. “ He grinned.
“I have no other concerns, Mr. Padalecki,” her teacher smiled.
YN age 9
“Honey, go read your book. You have to read twenty minutes a night.”
“I hate reading.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know it is hard for you.”
“Can’t I just listen to it? Or can you read it to me?”
“You have to learn how to read and understand on your own, YN. It’s called reading comprehension, and it’s a skill you will need for the rest of your life. If you read the first ten minutes, I’ll read the last ten. You can do this.” Jared booped her nose. She giggled in response.
“Okay,” she sighed.
Later that night after she went to bed, Jensen came over to watch TV with Jared.
“Hey, have you noticed YN has been off lately?” Jensen took a sip of beer.
“She’s been having a hard time getting stuff done like her homework or a chore. I think it’s only getting worse.”
“Yeah, I have seen that too. She also cries over stuff that isn't really a big deal, but to her it must be,” Jensen shrugged.
“I think she is struggling more than she lets on.”
“Maybe.” The shorter man shrugged.
A few years went by, Jared noticing his daughter struggling more and more.
Jared scrunched up his nose.
“Honey?” He yelled for his daughter over his shoulder.
“Yeah?”
“Why do you have an F in English?”
She stalled once she walked through the doorway, eyes widening.
“Come on, if you can earn an F in English, you can have the courage to tell me why.” He turned toward her and spun in the computer chair. Jared raised his brows expecting an answer sooner rather than later.
“I-” YN bit her lip, eyes watering.
“Why didn’t you say anything? It’s almost the end of the semester. You can’t undo it once it’s too late, sweetheart.” Jared sighed and crossed his arms. “Well?”
“I, I can’t write.” YN rang her hands together.
“Yes, you can,” he said almost as a question. “What do you mean you can’t write?”
“I can write, kind of. I can’t read stuff and then write about it after. My brain just doesn’t want me to.” YN knew he wouldn’t like that answer, but that was the best way she could explain it.
Jared took a deep breath with a look of displeasure on his face.
“What you are going to do is you are going to email your teacher this evening and let him know that you will be making as many of these up before the semester is over, and he will be receiving the assignments ASAP.”
“I can’t do it like that, Dad.” YN responded with a deep grunt and exacerbation.
“Well, you better figure it out, because you only have a few weeks of school left before summer hits, and if they retain you, that’s on you.”
YN was so overwhelmed in what had transpired that she didn’t use a defense, she hung her head and said, “Okay, Dad.”
“Thank you. Now turn off the TV that I hear playing and get to work. Use this computer since I have all of your assignments open right here.”
Over the next few days, YN cried. A lot. She was able to turn in an assignment or two, but the whole process was overwhelming.
“I’m leaving to meet Gen. She is grounded and on homework duty until further notice.” Jared said over his shoulder to Jensen.
“Has she met Gen yet?” Jensen whispered.
“No, I’m not introducing them until we’re steady. I can’t break YN’s heart in case something doesn’t work out. YN has met Gen since she is in the cast, but she doesn’t know we are dating. Gotta go, I’ll be back later.”
“Hey, YNN.” Jensen knocked at YN’s door. He slowly opened it. “I am getting dinner ready. You hungry?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Jen.” She kept her eyes on her paper, writing answers for her assignment.
“Okie dokie, I’ll call you when it’s ready.” Jensen ducked out of her room and shut the door.
After he had cooked some chicken and vegetables, he yelled up the stairs for YN to come down for dinner.
“NOT HUNGRY!” He heard her say faintly.
Jensen hurried up the steps knowing something was wrong.
“YN, I know you’re hungry. You told me you were twenty minutes ago. Come down for dinner please,” he said plainly.
“No.”
He tried to turn the knob on her door, but it wouldn’t budge.
“I WILL kick this door down if you don’t tell me what’s going on. AND- you will have to explain to your father why your door is now broken.” He heard what sounded like her tossing her cookies. “YN!” He rattled the knob again. “Open the door in the next ten seconds or I swear-”
Jensen heard the lock click.
As she opened the door, he saw her lips covered in what looked like snot and tears were running down her face.
“Oh, sweetheart,” he consoled. Jensen ran into the bathroom across the hall to grab toilet paper. He came back to crouch in front of her and slowly touched the toilet paper to her lips, wiping away the substance. YN tried to turn away from him, but he continued to wipe her face. “Come here,” her uncle pulled her into him, her body still. After he held her there, she leaned into him with almost her whole body. Tiny as she was, Jensen braced himself to hold her weight.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Uncle Jensen.” She repeated the phrase over and over.
“What are you apologizing for? Did you eat something bad? Do you know why you threw up?”
“I’m stressed,” she said after a moment. Thinking he would have to coax it out of her, he started to ask her more questions when she continued, “My dad got mad because I am not passing English. If I don’t pass, he said I could be retained and have to do fifth grade again.”
Jensen guided her to her bed where he sat her down. He sat across from her in her computer chair. Caging her in with his long legs, he took her small hands in his.
“You’ve been struggling for a long time, haven’t you?”
She could only nod, words not coming to her in her rush of emotion.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
She took deep breaths. Jensen didn’t rush her to answer.
“I didn’t know how.” She shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t want to do it. I want to, Jensen. My brain tells me I can’t. Or I get distracted. But when I told my dad that, he basically said it was stupid and-” she sniffled, “and now I have to finish all these assignments. I don’t even know where to start, Uncle Jensen!” YN backed away and threw her hands up in the air. “I can’t focus, I can’t think straight. I walk back and forth in here because I’m thinking too much.”
“I’m so thankful you shared that with me. It’s hard to describe those types of feelings. Even for an adult.” He watched her pace the room from his seated position. “You’re so brave, sweetheart,” he stroked her cheek after she stopped and made eye contact with him again. “I think I might know what’s going on. Let me talk to your dad, okay?”
“He will just get mad.”
“How about you and I tell him together? I’ll be there to shut him down if he gets mad.” She tilted her head, thinking about it.
“Fine. But I don’t want to.”
“It’s either that or you keep throwing up because you’re overwhelmed, kiddo. You know how I told you I have ADD, and it was really hard for me in school?” YN nodded. “I couldn’t pass English to save my life. I turned out okay though.” He smiled, and she smiled back. “We will do this together. You are in fifth grade and a baby in this world, whether you want to believe it or not. Good for you for standing up for yourself even though you didn’t think you had the right words. It’s only one grade that will not affect anything major, I promise. I bet you they will pass you onto sixth without batting an eye either.” Jensen hugged her again. “I say we eat, you sit down with me and make a plan for the evening as far as homework goes, and then we sneak off to my house for a movie night. How does that sound? We can talk to your dad tomorrow once you’re feeling better.”
“My dad-”
“I will deal with your dad. Don’t worry about him. The real question is whether you want to or not.”
“Okay. That sounds fun, Jensen.”
Text Conversation:
JENSEN
I’m taking YN back to my house for the night.
JARED
She needs to study. I told you that.
JENSEN
Relax, lurch. She’s been working all evening like you asked. Let her have some fun.
JARED
You and I are going to have a fucking talk in the morning.
JENSEN
Whatever, man. Go eat. You’ll feel better. Hehehehe.
“Okay, let’s go!” Jensen called over his shoulder to his niece. “Before your dad makes it home and punches me!” He laughed.
“Jensen!” YN arrived at the Ackles’ home for a Christmas celebration. He opened the door and hugged her.
“How’s my favorite TV daughter?”
She backed away and put her hands on her hips.
Clearing her throat, she said, “Only TV daughter, thank you very much.”
“True,” he smiled. “Come on, the kids are waiting for you.” Jensen moved out of the way to let her in from the cold. YN took off her gloves that now dangled from her coat. “Kids, let’s go!”
“Wait, I thought we were watching Christmas movies?”
As the Ackles’ kids ran toward the door, they squealed with happiness at the sight of YN.
“We’re going on a sleigh ride!” One of them yelled excitedly.
“Jensen! You knew I wanted to do that.” YN beamed.
