Bullet With Butterfly Wings

June 22, 2001

Lyanna pulled at her father's hand, just barely able to reach it.

"What is it, Lya?" Dean asked.

The little girl led him to Laurel who was leaning over a table, in obvious pain.

"Time?"

Laurel nodded. "Oh yeah. Is Lya ready to go?"

"Just about. I'll get the bag. Lya, walk Mommy out to the car, okay?"

Lyanna took her mother's hand, her tiny fingers around her mother's index finger, and led her out to the Impala.

Dean put the bag in the car and put Lyanna in her car seat, then helped Laurel into the car.

He drove to the hospital and as soon as they arrived, Laurel was taken away to await delivery.

Lyanna began wandering around and Dean found a Highlights magazine.

"Lya, come here, sweetie."

She walked towards her father and he set her on his lap. "I found a spot the difference. Wanna play?"

Lyanna nodded and Dean pointed differences out, asking if they were the same, to which the little girl shook her head.

Eventually, as Lyanna was starting to fall asleep, the doctor came in and gave Dean a nod.

Dean gently shifted Lyanna and stood, following the doctor to Laurel's room.

Laurel smiled when she saw her husband and daughter. "Hi."

"Hey," Dean greeted. "Little Miss fell asleep waiting. How are you feeling?"

"Tired, a little numb, but good. We have another little girl."

Dean smiled, running a gentle hand along the baby's head. "She's perfect, just like my two favorite girls."

"Marley Renee?"

"The name you insisted on more times than I can count?"

"I like it."

"I do too. Marley Renee it is." He glanced at a still sleeping Lyanna and sighed. "Baby, we're in for quite the adventure."

"More so than we already live."

---

As the months passed, the pair noticed Marley wasn't always reacting to sounds.

They took her in and found out she was partially deaf.

As soon as she was deemed old enough, and after hours of conversation and careful consideration, Dean and Laurel agreed to get a cochlear implant for their young daughter.

When it was put in, Laurel sat Marley on her lap and said, "Hi, sweetie."

Marley smiled and cupped her mother's face.

"Hey, kiddo," Dean said, kneeling next to Laurel.

Marley turned to him and excitedly gestured to her ears.

Dean nodded. "You can hear Mommy and Daddy now, huh?"

She nodded eagerly and turned, hearing feet running up.

"Is Mar-Mar done?" Lyanna asked.

"Mar-Mar's done. Ladies, I've got a very important question to ask. How does ice cream sound?"

Lyanna threw her head back and her hands in the air as she yelled, "Yeah!"

Marley squealed in agreement.

Laurel nodded and smiled. "That sounds like a great idea."

They did a few last minute necessary details before leaving to have their little celebration.

Dean took Marley from Laurel's arms and the little girl immediately cuddled into him and he smiled, giving her a light squeeze, causing her to erupt into laughter.

"Teat, teat, teat," Lyanna singsonged, bopping her head from side to side as she grabbed her mother's hand, causing her parents to laugh.

The four got in the car, the girls were buckled in, and they drove to the nearest ice cream parlor for their sweet treat.