𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 - 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 (ON HOLD)

Nine

Zoey grinned at the sound of the bell ringing, signaling the end to another school day. She grabbed her backpack, her jacket, and hurried out the front doors of the elementary school. A group of teachers stopped the young kids from getting too close to the street and instructed the students to wait until they spotted their parents' car in the pickup lane. Like any other day, Zoey stood amongst the group of five to eleven year olds, waiting eagerly until the familiar shiny, loud, black car pulled up into the lane. Sixteen year old Dean Winchester sat behind the driver's seat while twelve year old Sam Winchester was sitting comfortably shotgun. The brothers smiled at the sight of Zoey who beamed at them in greeting and got into the car too quickly for the assistance of a staff member. Sam turned to Zoey, watching her shut the door and slide into her place in the backseat, her perfect pigtails from this morning now gone, her mismatched hair ties barely keeping her thick, curly hair in place, "How was school, Zoey?"

Dean grinned at the excited chatter from the seven year old. He missed when his Sammy was this little. Everything seemed so much easier. Now, his brother was almost a teenager and growing like a weed. Before he knew it, the kid would be even taller than him and dad. Dean loved to take care of Sam, it was like breathing, and it hurt when Sam got older and pushed him away, put a little distance between them. Sam used to look at his older brother like he was his whole world, his hero, like Dean held all the answers of the universe. Dean smiles at Zoey still chattering away from the backseat. He can tell, she's got that look in her eyes, she looks at the two older boys like they're her whole world.

They would've never imagined how close the three have become considering the awful circumstances that brought the Winchesters' into her life. She was just a shell of a little girl when John brought her home permanently. "She's technically an orphan now," John told his sons, "She can't end up another neglected kid in the system. Not with what her father knew, what he did. It's our job to protect her now. We're the only family she's got left."

"Where we goin', Dean?" The curious little girl asked, noticing him taking a different turn at the intersection.

"It's a surprise!" Dean exclaimed with entirely too much enthusiasm for Sam.

"A surprise?" Zoey's eyes lit up, a wide missing tooth smile taking over her face, "Where?"

"Can't tell you." Dean hummed, gripping the steering wheel with a smile.

"Please tell me!" Zoey placed her hands on the bench behind Sam's shoulders, "Tell me, Sammy! Please!"

Sam simply shook his head.

"Please, Sam!" Zoey persisted, poking at Sam's neck with her little hand, "Please! Please! Sammmm!"

Sam sighed, dropping his head back with fake annoyance, huffing, "Dean, she won't stop unless we tell her."

"We're almost there, Zoe. See? Look at the window, what do you see?" Dean slowed down the Impala, scanning the parking along the street.

"Where?" Zoey bounced excitedly in the backseat, "Where? Where?"

Sam pointed, smiling at her excitement, "Look at that window. Right there."

"What's it l-" Dean didn't get to finish his question as Zoey gasped loudly, "Donuts?! We're getting donuts?"

"Yeah, Zoey. We are." Dean parked, watching Sam get out and open Zoey's door for her out of habit. Zoey immediately grabbed Sam's hand as they followed Dean inside the shop.

Dean ordered them a box of six donuts with various flavors and toppings to eat once they got home. Zoey grabbed Dean's hand while leaving and skipped with giddy in her rightful place between the two brothers. As long as Zoey had Dean and Sam, they were all she needed.