Title: First Time Dean Walked

Author: shallowz

Warnings/spoilers: none, pre-series

Disclaimer: Supernatural is not ours. No profit being made … etc.

Summary: Toddler Dean walks for the first time. Sequel to Mary and John's First Date and First Time John Met Dean.

First time Dean walked there was nothing leading up to it.

Crawling seemed to annoy him. There was a sense that it was something he had to do to get from point A to point B, but nothing to get excited about. At 13 months, he wasn't even crawling fast. There was a stomping quality to the way Dean crawled.

Climbing was even less of an interest. Dean wasn't pulling himself up on furniture, or doing some wobbly standing to get a sense of balance with a "hey, look at me" toddler accomplishment.

One moment he was sitting there … and the next entirely gone.

John was changing the oil in the Impala, and anytime he worked on the car, Dean had to be there. Most toddlers were playing with blocks at Dean's age. Dean was reorganizing his Daddy's toolbox. And strangely enough, Dean did a good job, so John let him have at it.

Every once in a while, John would just stop his work and watch his son. He could completely lose track of time doing so, and changing oil these days took him far longer than it use to.

He didn't mind.

The car doors were partially open to hear the radio, and currently Dean was waving around a wrench while humming along to the music. The neighbors might not appreciate Kansas, but Dean did.

Kid was a toddler rocker.

Mary loved it.

So did he.

Smiling and getting back to the task at hand, John slid under the car to position the pan to catch the used oil, and loosen the cap to start draining it. Coming back out from under the car, it took him a second to realize what his eyes were showing him.

A perfectly neat toolbox and no Dean.

No Dean.

John went from flat on his back to standing before his conscious mind even understood the command to move. Unfamiliar panic hit hard and fast, threatening his ability to think.

The back door opened and he turned to see Mary. John knew the look on his face caused the alarm on hers.

"John?"

"I lost Dean," His voice shook. Mary hurried toward him.

"He couldn't just get up and walk …?" Mary came to an abrupt halt in front of John, and their eyes met in dawning realization.

This was Dean.

The Impala's open hood was blocking John's line of sight, and he quickly shut it, not being as gentle as usual. Mary didn't care, much less notice.

It took another long moment for John to register what he was seeing. God, his reaction time today was crap. Mary apparently wasn't any quicker. Her relieved exhale joined his.

Standing with his hands holding the steering wheel in the ten and two o'clock position, Dean was watching his parents. Grinning, one of his little hands reached down, and the horn blared sudden and loud.

John jumped; Mary collided with him as she did the same.

Their son smirked, and then he giggled.

A few days later, Mary sorted through the pictures to choose the best ones to add to Dean's baby book. Most were from the day Dean learned to walk. Mary was still a little puzzled over the learning part. In Dean's case it seemed more like he made a decision to walk, and that was that. He was quickly getting the hang of running.

Running.

Smiling, she studied the picture of Dean in the Impala. He was confidently standing in the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel and smirking.

Mary wondered where he inherited a smirk.

When she mentioned it to John, he just laughed.