Girl meets the sick|| GMW

Girl Meets Winter And Shawn

Winter was beginning a new life, and she couldn't be happier. Yet there was a creeping feeling of fear growing in her chest. As Shawn made sandwiches in the kitchen, Winter sat at the table quietly. Her hands were balled into fists and resting in her lap. Shawn glanced at his daughter, finding her head down with her hair falling around her face, like a curtain shielding her from him. He went back to making sandwiches quietly, his head swirling with words to speak but none seemed fitting. Another couple of minutes of tense silence went by before a voice finally spoke up. It was timid and unsure.

"Shawn?"

Shawn spun around to her, even though she hadn't moved an inch. "What's up, Kiddo?" Shawn awkwardly replied, words seeping out so quickly he barely registered it was him speaking.

"Why-... Why did you and mom... not work?" She quietly asked. "Did you not want her?"

"What?" Shawn responded, startled. "No, it wasn't like that. She broke up with me."

"Oh... did you know... about her problem?"

"The cancer? No."

"No... her depression?"

"Oh." Shawn recognized what she was attempting to convey. Shawn slowly approached the seat infront of her, not missing the fact she tensed up. "I knew she struggled with her bipolar disorder. It started when we were in highschool."

"And you still... loved her?" Winter fidgeted with hands, nervously. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I- uh do you care... about me, even with my... problems?"

"Ofcourse, Win. You're my daughter, I love you no matter what."

"But." Winter sighed, finally looking up to face her father eye to eye. "You didn't even know I existed for so many years. And now I show up in your life all... all- all broken."

"Win, you aren't broken." Shawn firmly argued.

"Oh come on, Shawn. I have bipolar depression that makes me act like a maniac. I have dyscalculia. I most definitely have abandonment issues." Winter's face shifted from a sadness to fustrastion. "I'm a mess! I'm a walking disaster! I'm- I'm broken!" Winter's tone suddenly fell as tears brimmed her eyes. "I'm broken." She whispered, Shawn's heart broke watching his daughter fall apart like his did when he was younger.

"You are not broken, Winter. You are so smart, and caring. You are so much more than you give yourself credit for." Shawn stood up from his chair and slowly approached his daughter. He crouched down to be face to face with her. "You are a Hunter, and we are a mess. But we aren't broken, not when we still have family and friends around. Not when you have me around. I lo- I care about you, Win. You are my blood, my daughter."

Winter sobbed as she reached out, wrapping her arms around Shawn's neck. Shawn held her tightly, patting her back gently as if she was just a baby. After a good crying session, Winter finally let go. "I care about you too, Shawn."

Shawn grinned widely, his heart swelling with joy. He didn't know what to say or how to act instead he stood up. "You should clean up, with all that snot running down you nose makes you look like crap." Winter's eyes went wide with embarrassment as she quickly wiped her nose with her shirt. "Ew, that was so gross."

"Shut up!" Winter groaned as she grabbed some napkins.

"Go shower, ya nasty. Your face looks like a newborn baby. All swollen-"

"Okay! I get it." Winter glared as she walked away to change.

Afterwards, Winter's eyes were still red and puffy, but she definitely looked better. They ate dinner had shared a few jokes to fill awkward pauses of silence. Then Shawn allowed Winter to stay up longer, and the two of them watched a movie. "So what do you want to watch?" Shawn asked, curiously. Winter walked over and plopped onto the couch with her blanket.