Omg I LOVE it!
Firstly, the touch of fall esthetic at the beginning was *chef's kiss 💋. Literally my favorite comfort season!
Also, what a unique cures! I don't think I've ever cake across a fic like this before! Great read, lovely! Enjoyed every minute of it!
Fear
Summary: Dean, his wife Lee, and Sam all go on a witch hunt and make it home without taking any damage - or do they?
Characters: Dean Winchester, Lee Winchester (OFC), Sam Winchester, Eileen Leahy, Ebony (OFC)
Warnings: nightmares, deep seeded fears, angst, fluff . . . I think that's about it
Word Count: 4,205
Divider by: @firefly-graphics
Image created by me using various images from Pinterest and my own images
The hunt had been rough – a witch – she’d baffled us for over a week and by the time it was all said and done we were never happier to arrive at the bunker for some r and r. We let Lee shower first – she’d had the most interaction with the crazy witch and was covered in something from her spell cabinet that thankfully had been a dud – but smelled very real.
I knew she needed to have some alone time so I was careful to let her have some space to clean up and do her thing until I was clean and ready for bed myself.
I stepped into our room and couldn’t help but smile – she sat in the center of the bed, her eyes closed doing some stretching or yoga or whatever. Her honey crisp apple candle lit and the string lights she’d strung up around the room casting a soft golden glow – making my beautiful wife look positively stunning.
I watch her silently for several moments – still in awe that she chose me – we dated off and on for a few years, but one day after a bad hunt I realized something, asked her to go steady and three weeks later we got married. Not traditional I know but when you know – you know. My only regret is not making that choice sooner – but we’re making up for lost time.
“Hey sweetheart,” I greet as I finally click the door shut – I know better than to get too close when I startle her – just like she puts distance between us when she wakes me – we just work.
Her smile warms my heart – her lips curl up showing just a little bit of teeth and her cute little nose wrinkles up, “you ready for bed?”
“As long as you mean for sleeping,” I mumble as I remove my tee shirt.
“Yeah, no offense but there will be no sexy times tonight,” she assures as she scuttles under the sheet and I crawl into my side of the bed – a little bummed that my side is still cold.
I shut out the lights and pull her closer, “get some rest sweetheart.”
“You too handsome,” she murmurs – pressing a kiss to my chest and snuggling a little closer – it’s mere minutes before we are out.
I hear something and stir awake – blinking into the darkness my eyes adjust and take in our room – nothing out of the ordinary so I start to settle back but I realize that part of the bed next to me has grown cold. I reach out for my wife and the spot where she should be isn’t cold but it’s not warm either – I reach over a bit further and make contact with a soft little body – there’s something wrong though – it’s much smaller than I’m used to.
I flick on the lamp on my nightstand and when I turn back, I’m completely surprised to see this little girl with chubby little hands and sandy brown hair – who is this kid and how did she get here?
But I don’t get any further into my thoughts because her body goes stiff and she begins to wail – I scoop her up into my arms to comfort her and hopefully keep her from waking Sammy but after a few moments there’s a knock at my door and I know I’ve failed in that endeavor.
“Dean?”
“Come in,” I call out while bouncing this little toddler against my chest.
“Shh, it’s ok I got ya sweetheart,” I coo – turning around to see Sam’s surprised and confused face.
“Who’s that?” he asks – his eyebrows raising more with each passing moment.
“I think it’s Lee,” I admit and my voice sounds terrified.
She’s suddenly alert and looking between Sam and I in confusion.
“Wha happen?” she asks holding her little pudgy hands in the air – but that’s when it hits her – she glances down and back up to me, “De wha happened?” she scrunches her face in disgust at her child- like speech.
“The witch hit her with something?” Sam asked.
“Must have but we killed her so why?”
“Yeah,” Sam eyes her again – a look on his face that I can’t read, “how could she just now be changing – what happened before she cried?”
I recount the moment that led to her crying and she finally chimes in.
“Scawwy dream,” she says with a yawn.
“What did you dream?” Sam asks almost excitedly – now a little closer as if he’s trying to solve the puzzle by staring at her hard enough.
Her hands land on our faces, “my boys die. I sad,” she sighs heavily.
“We’re ok Lee,” he assures with a kiss to her forehead and she nods before turning to snuggle into my chest.
“She’s tired,” he remarks.
“Yeah, we all are,” I agree as I rub my hand up and down her little back. “We should probably all get back to sleep and try to solve this in the morning,” I tell Sam as I realize she’s fallen asleep on my chest already.
Sam heads back to bed and I place the toddler version of my wife back in her spot on the bed – I’d assumed maybe I should put her back in her old room but then I thought about what could happen if she rolled off the bed at her size.
‘Was she actually a toddler or just looking and sounding like one?’
I couldn’t take it I needed the rest too – so I settled next to her with a hand on her arm so I’d know if she moved too close to the edge of the bed – at least I hoped.
I slept the rest of the night but it wasn’t peaceful – when I woke the bed next to me was empty and I went into panic mode.
Rushing into the hallway as I pulled on my tee-shirt, I began shouting her name as I hurried to find her.
I heard something in the kitchen and rushed that way – there stood my beautiful wife looking sheepishly between me and the mess she’d created on the floor, “sorry, I thought I had it but it slipped,” she mutters as she turns to grab the broom and sweep up the cereal that she spilled.
“You’re big,” I sputter, “I mean like grown up.”
“Did you hit your head?” she asks and when I keep staring, she asks, “Dean, are you having a stroke? Do you smell toast?”
“You were a tiny little girl – like maybe two or three this morning,” I mumble like a lunatic.
“That was real?” she asks, “I thought that was a dream.”
She didn’t turn into a toddler again for a week so we assumed the spell had worn off or ended or whatever so life went on – we started looking for a new case.
General POV
Dean was stressed – the past few years vamp hunts bothered him beyond measure – he constantly worried over his wife – never mind that before they got together that was her hunting specialty, it still worried him the most for some reason.
Now as he and Sam moved as silently as possible through the abandoned mansion that held the vamp nest, they were hunting Dean swore he felt his blood running colder and colder.
‘We didn’t hear her scream or a scuffle – she’s fine,’ he repeated in his head as they searched for any vamps who still had their heads and his wife.
They enter the last room at the end of this hallway and there’s a little girl sitting in the center of the room crying softly. Dean’s first reaction was to rush and pick her up – but he knew there was a chance this child had been turned or was somehow being used as bait to catch him and Sam so he hesitated trying to sneak in front of her rather than only seeing her back.
A creaky floorboard caused her eyes to snap up to his – instantly her tears stopped and her hands shot up to him – her fingers moving in a grabby motion.
Sam watched in horror as his brother rushed forward toward the child he assumed had been turned.
“Show me those teeth,” he ordered in as soft of a voice as he possibly could.
Lee’s eyes shined as she happily complied, “teef,” she giggled as she snapped them together a couple times.
“She’s not turned?” Sam asked.
“I don’t think so,” Dean turned her to face away from him as he carried her out of the mansion and settled her down next to the car. “Stay here.”
“Otay,” she gripped his pant leg and smiled up at him.
“Mansion is about to go up in flames – we gotta go, now.”
Dean sat Lee in the back and buckled her in as best as he could, “I know this isn’t the safest but we gotta go,” he kissed her forehead.
She let out a happy squeal, “my Dean!”
“I gotcha sweetheart,” he shot her a smile over his shoulder and sped from the area hoping they were going to miss all the first responders heading their way.
After they were on the road for a while, she reminded them she was back there, “wanna go home k?”
Sam glanced to the back seat, “we’re heading that way,” he assured, “try to rest your eyes.”
By the time Dean stopped for gas a few towns down the road Lee – was her normal size – sound asleep in the back of the Impala.
Over the next couple of weeks, it became a common occurrence – although neither of the boys managed to actually see her transform so they couldn’t pinpoint to one specific trigger and none of the reversal spells the MOL records held were of any help.
“So tired of this,” she muttered moving to climb down from the chair Sam had sat her in.
“Careful, sweetie,” he cooed rushing to help her to the floor. “I told you to stay there.”
“M not a baby,” she crossed her arms offering the cutest pout.
“No but you’re the size of one,” he reminded as she toddled off to find Dean.
It was starting to wear them all out – almost nightly she woke up crying – and was a toddler.
Dean was starting to be weird around her because he was scared – she’d turn into a tot at any given moment – the whole thing was weighing heavily on his mind – he couldn’t take her out and around town because what if he kissed her and she changed. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were –if only he’d have been faster and kept her safe from that witch.
“Ouch,” Sam heard her growl before she let out a string of curses.
“Lee?” he stepped into the kitchen looking where he thought he heard her voice come from.
She sat rubbing a spot on her head, “I got big while I was reaching for something,” she grumbled.
Sam helped her up to her feet and they cleaned up the items she’d knocked over in her transition.
“You ok?”
“Honestly?” she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
“It’s usually the best plan.”
“I can’t keep up like this – Dean doesn’t look at me as his wife anymore – I’m just a child to him now. Half the damn time I can’t reach things or I’m bumping my head because I’m big again. I just want to down a couple fingers of whiskey and sleep because I miss that too – the sleep that is. I barely sleep.”
“I know,” he pulled her into a side hug, “we’ll get it figured out.”
“Of all the stupid curses being turned into a toddler randomly has got to be some type of prank, right?”
“I wish I knew.”
For two more weeks life continued to drag them down – they had several other hunters searching for answers but there seemed to be none. Until one night when Lee had some whiskey while researching in an old grimoire and fell asleep with her head on the library table.
Sam left her there while he kept reading because she seemed peaceful for once – about twenty minutes later that all changed.
“No!” she cried out and began to fidget – then poof – in a small burst of purple smoke she was a tiny child slumped over in the chair and not her normal five-foot tall self.
Dean walked in, “where’s my wife?”
Sam pointed at the chair on the opposite side of the table, “she just turned,” he whispered as the little girl began to whimper and thrash about before her eyes shot open.
“Hey sweetie,” Sam cooed, “bad dream?”
She pawed at her eyes, “uh huh.”
Dean picked her up and she snuggled into his chest, fisting his red flannel in her little hands, and whimpering once more.
Dean again couldn’t read the look on Sam’s face, “what?”
“Just thinking – one you two need to have a kid because you’re really good at this dad stuff.”
“Eew she’s my wife don’t say that,” Dean wrinkled up his face and glared at his brother.
Sam ignored his outburst, “your wife is under a – for a lack of better words a fear spell or curse. She gets scared and turns into a child. I have no clue why anyone would create a spell or curse this way – but with it being narrowed down we’re on the right track and it shouldn’t take long to fix.
“Sooner rather than later hopefully,” Dean muttered as he carried Lee back to their room to tuck her into bed for the night.
Dean’s POV
She was so cute sleeping soundly in the much too large bed – I knew my wife was in there but something kept telling me I had to protect her – like I would a child – the problem is this feeling wasn’t going away even when she was her normal self. How would we get past this if it continued much longer? How can I move past this extra layer of overprotectiveness – me being protective makes her feel safe but only to a point – my protective streak has caused arguments in the past.
I returned to the library to try and help Sam sort things out – after two hours we were no closer to an answer when Lee padded out of our room.
“It happened again?” she asked looking as though she might crack.
“Yeah,” I offered what I hoped was a sympathetic smile but hurried to add, “but Sammy saw it happen this time so we think we figured something out.”
“Yeah?”
Sam explained what he saw and she just stood there looking so – emotionless.
“Cool, I’m gonna take a shower holler if you figure something out,” she moved out of sight with her head down – not at all resembling the usually sassy wife of mine.
“We have to fix this fast Sammy,” I hissed, “I can’t lose her.”
“Well, Dean there’s nothing to say that it will kill her,” he reasoned.
“Maybe not physically, but you look at her and tell me she’s not dying a little each time it happens!”
My brother let out a little huff, “I’m sorry, I know. I’m just trying to stay positive until we get this fixed.”
After a coming up with nothing I slammed a book closed and moved to the kitchen to make a snack.
“Deeean!”
I literally dropped the plate of food back on the counter and ran like I hadn’t run through the bunker in a long time. I got to the bathroom and let myself in – I could hear her whimpering from the shower stall.
“What happened?” I asked as I shut off the water and wrapped her in a fluffy bath towel.
“S-spider. Scared me.”
I couldn’t help the chuckle as I took her back to our room.
“Not funny,” she grumbled.
I peppered her face with kisses, “it is a little.”
Her lip quivered and I felt like a complete dick, “I’m sorry love. I’ll go find it and kill it ok?”
“Tank you.”
Five minutes later I’d done my duty and headed back to our room – relieved to see my adult sized wife settled on the bed coming out her hair.
“It didn’t last as long this time.”
“Maybe it’s wearing off,” I tried to encourage her.
“It was so dumb, this spider dropped from above me – I yelped and then I was like 2 feet shorter than the shower handle,” she sighed, “I hate this.”
“Do you remember things this time?”
“I mean I remember things like they are – like a dream or like I’m possessed,” she shuddered, “I can think in full sentences but they come out like baby talk. It’s so frustrating.”
“Is that a fear of yours?” I asked after a few minutes of silence.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you afraid of not being understood?”
“No, if anything I’m afraid of being possessed again.”
“But you have your tattoo and your charms and”
She held her hand up and silenced me, “I know, but once it’s happened it’s always there a little. I’ve been possessed like six times – both demon and angel.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault handsome,” she reminds me, “I’m a hunter – have been for longer than I knew you. I can’t imagine that phobia is what’s causing this though?”
“What ever the spell or curse is – it’s turning you to a kid when you’re scared.”
“Next time I turn give me your phone?”
“Why?”
“I wanna see if I can type out a message to you. Maybe we can work from a different angle?”
“I’m willing to try.”
General POV
After three days with no transformations, they were all getting hopeful that the problem may have “worn off” – that is until they’d gone into town and the wife of the liquor store owner startled Lee.
Lee was reading Mrs. Easten tapped her shoulder causing her to jump and let out a yelp – Dean heard the yelp and rushed behind Mrs. Easten.
“Hey there Mrs. Easten,” his voice came out weirdly high pitched and she whirled around to face him.
“Oh hello Mr. Campbell,” glancing over her shoulder she no longer saw Lee and turned around to Dean with a look of confussion, “I was just gonna talk to your wife but she’s gone now,” she scratched her head.
Dean reached down and picked her up, plopping her on his hip, “yeah, she probably had to call her sister,” he paused – then glancing at Lee continued, “ya know how parents are the first time they leave their little one behind for a vacation.”
“Oh, yeah?” she glanced behind herself again, “well, if you see your wife, I got a bottle of something she had me order.”
“You should probably just let me take it home today – she’s so busy with the little one running around she might forget.”
After hurrying through his transaction – hoping not to look even more suspicious Dean rushed to the car – handed her his phone and headed for the bunker as quickly as he dared with her not safely restrained in the back seat.
“I don’t wike dis!” she growled from the back when she toppled over because of Dean taking a bump too quickly.
“Sorry sweetheart,” he called as he pulled off on a side road and moved to the backseat to check her and see what she’d typed.
By the time he opened the door and settled into the seat she was her normal self.
She had texted her phone from his – Dean read over the message.
She wrote down her thoughts and what she’d remembered.
It was exactly as Dean had seen it happen so she was gaining more control, but it was still frustrating her.
Once back at the bunker Sam rushed to greet them, “I think we have it figured out!”
Eileen and another woman with long black hair stood there grinning like fools. Eileen’s small group of hunter friends had a witch they kept in contact with – she hunted monsters and used her magic for helping.
Ebony as – she told them to call her – had been trained by the coven of the same witch they had killed not long ago. She explained that the coven had booted her because she used her magic in immature and mean ways – beyond that it was getting darker with every new spell.
“This spell – I believe – is one that she used on a high-school bully at the behest of one of his victims. It was made to embarrass the cursed one and cannot be broken until they confess their biggest fear.”
“I’m not a bully,” Lee scoffed.
“No but you were battling her right?”
“She literally just threw stuff from her spell cabinet at me.”
“But this one stuck.”
Dean asked, “I shot her with witch-killing bullets – why didn’t the spell break?”
“Because this spell was designed to link to the person. It cannot be broken until Lee fesses up to whatever is scaring her the most. The bully I mentioned earlier was raised in a bad home – that’s part of why he treated people the way he did – his father beat on him and his mother – his mother wasn’t much better – his fear was that they’d go to far and he’d end up dead. Once he admitted it to the school counselor the police were involve, he was placed with a lovely caring family, and he is now graduating from college with a degree in child psychology. For him it freed him both physically and mentally to confess.”
Lee swallowed hard, “boys we need to talk,” she muttered and as she rounded the corner a familiar puff of purple smoke came and went.
Dean picked her up and took her to the kitchen – where he sat her on the table facing him, “Sam I needa talk wif Dean a sec first,” she stated and cringed at her baby speak.
“I’ll step out in the hall,” he smiled and moved away so they could have some privacy.
“I wuv you,” she placed her hand on Dean’s cheek, “so much it hurts an when we hunt, I get so scared. If you get cut, burned, or worse my tummy hurts.”
“I know sweetheart.”
“But more than that – I scared you’ll leave me – by dying or to get away from me. I want a baby but we said no baby. If I tell you that,” she sniffled and tried to regain control – the toddler urge to have an all out meltdown over such big emotions was too close to winning.
“You make me leave then I lose everything – my two bes frwends, home, everything. If you or Sammy die, I lose it all too. If you go, he will go crazy and same wif you.”
“Your fear is losing us and being alone?”
“Kinda,” she pawed at her eyes.
“Sammy,” Dean called.
“Yep, I’m here.”
“Her fear is losing her two best friends,” Dean explained, “hunting has become so hard because each time we go out she’s worried one of us will die and the other will go crazy.”
“Her fear is valid considering our track record Dean.”
“I can only think of one way to fix this problem,” Dean sucked in some air, “we’re gonna have to retire – we can still help hunters with lore and a safe place to stay but we want a family and I’m not raising a kid in the life Sammy.”
“And you shouldn’t – no one should.”
“Thas it – why am I still small?”
“Did you tell us everything?” Sam asked.
“Is so hard on hunts – that vamp hunt”
“The last hunt we did where we found you crying?”
“Yeah, a rat scare me so I yell and then all I could think was that vamps heard and would kill you both. Is hard not to cry in this body,” she admitted with a little hiccup and a flash of purple light filled the room. “You two are all I got,” she finished before realizing she was grown again.
“Get you foot off me or we won’t be having kids,” Dean gasped.
Moving her foot away quickly she whispered, “sorry handsome,” and leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead.
“Let’s go have Ebony check you out and make sure the curse is gone.”
A few minutes later Ebony smiled happily, “you are clear of magic and any curse. Be careful the next time you’re out hunting, ok?” she asked and they nodded, “remember that I’m helpful and on your side,” she looked pointedly at Dean since it was widely known that he disliked witches greatly. “You be safe and no offense but I hope to never see you two again.”
“You won’t,” Dean assured as Sam and Eileen followed her out so she could leave.
Dean’s POV
I turned to my wife, “so wanna go work on starting a family with me?”
“Hell, yes,” she smiled and pulled me close for a kiss before tugging me down the hall toward our room.
“I’m the luckiest fuckin guy in the world,” I grinned as I followed her.
SPN Fam:
@all-alone-he-turns-to-stone
@lyarr24
@dean-winchester-is-a-warrior
@nancymcl
@deans-baby-momma
@squirrelnotsam
@leigh70
@impalaslytherin
@teddyeyeswinchester
@mishkatelwarriorgoddess
@deans-spinster-witch
@perpetualabsurdity
@bumbleb10
@mrswhozeewhatsis
@tristanrosspada-ackles
@123passwort
@roseblue373
Mr. Green-eyes Tags:
@akshi8278
@mrsjenniferwinchester
Our Meetcute Wasn’t That Cute
@zepskies
@iprobablyshipit91
@spnexploration
@stoneyggirl2
34 notes
·
View notes