A Little Big Surprise

A Very Big Little Christmas

 Aria wasn't expecting much this Christmas. For as long as she could remember it was a night she was often 'working' or simply sleeping it away as if it wasn't anything special. The only real Christmas she had ever had was with Carlise, and he had bought her the most wonderful toys and clothes, that she had felt bad about not getting him anything. But this year she wanted it to be different! She had found her home with these three men, and she wanted to do something nice for them.

 For the first two weeks of December Aria began gathering little things whenever they went to the store or traveled while hunting. Once she grabbed stuff to make sugar cookies but had somehow convinced Dean that she had ate it, resulting in her being put on watch for a bit but it was worth it. Then when her and Castiel were looking for a witness at a shop, she bounced around and shook his arm until he bought her a set of high end art supplies with one of the credit cards Sam gave him. 

     "Alright, what are you planning?"

 The three of them had gathered around her spread of coloring books and crayons, arms crossed, three days before Christmas. It was Sam who had spoke with his eyebrows raised and Aria avoided looking directly up at his face. 

     "Nofin," she mumbled coloring Elsa's hair blue just because "I'm colowin'."

 Maybe they thought she was just being her usual goofy small self. But inside she was practically screaming with excitement. Only a few more days!

 Christmas eve when Dean tucked Aria in and turned on her nightlight she waited until she heard all their doors close and shut her eyes tight, willing herself to be big for just a little longer.

     'Pease?' she whined into her subconscious, 'Pease, be big!'

 But her big self was always good at hiding away. She didn't like to come out if she had the choice to stay hidden within her mind, safely tucked away and enjoying the bliss of having to not be in charge or be thinking. The stage was always similar; both of them staring at each other through a thick wall that looked like it was made of epoxy resin. Smaller Aria was shining and much tinier than big Aria, who was surrounded by gray storm clouds and staring dejectedly at the floor. They each had a rope tied around their waists and hoping to catch her off guard, small Aria turned away and began to run in the direction opposite the wall. Big Aria was jolted forward into the resin and fought to stay in her place, in comfortable silence. But she had a job to do and little Aria wasn't going to give up without a fight. The progress was slow and little Aria was becoming more and more exhausted having to drag her big self through the messiness of their mind. Still she kept going and going and she would happily go on forever if that's what it took. All she had to focus on was her new family as she sputtered and sweat. Of those three big dopes that loved her with all their hearts. And for them? She could move mountains, and be big!

 Her eyes shot open and she began to pout at the smug giggle dissipating into her subconscious. Whether she liked it or not Aria was big again and she might as well do what she was supposed to. 

 Sneaking out of bed she made her was down the hall toward a spare room she had inadvertently made her art studio and uncovered three drawings that had taken her almost the entire month to complete. Sam, Dean, and Castiel were now staring up at her from the floor in still life and Aria couldn't help but be proud. Using the supplies Castiel bought her she had created portraits of her little family! They were so very precise it had to be her best work yet! Sitting on her knees she began to place the finishing touches onto each artwork when she began to feel little Aria's excitement building in her chest and fought to keep it down so she could work. But it was getting more and more difficult the more beautiful the pictures became. It only kept building and building until suddenly, there was paint all over her hands and all over the floor...and the three drawings.

     Her voice cracked when she came back to her senses "No...no!"

 Emotions swirled all over her head and she became dizzy, both personas fighting to express themselves until little Aria prevailed and she began to wail at what she had done. The pictures were ruined! She had ruined them!

 Three pairs of feet slammed against the hard floor before the door swung open and they all tripped over each other trying to get in, Sam managing to slip on some paint and land on his butt. Aria would have definitely laughed if she wasn't so heart broken.

     Castiel kneeled behind Aria and examined her hands and clothes covered in various paints "Ria, I thought papa Dean put you to bed and hour ago. Didn't we talk about you not wandering off without at least your walkie talkie?" he asked softly.

     "Yeah, and what the hell happened in here?" Dean asked helping Sam off of the floor.

 Aria sobbed harder and buried her face into her hands, not wanting to see the disaster she had made of those once amazing drawings. Dean kneeled down opposite of Cas and pulled Aria to his chest by her shoulder, rubbing it gently and kissing the top of her head. He knew she was upset and crying but he couldn't fight the smile creeping onto his face.

     "Is this what you've been working on?" he chuckled as Sam lifted up a portrait splattered in red, yellow, and orange paint

     He was surprised to put it simply "Is this me? Huh! This looks really, really good!"

 Soon all the men were examining their respective pictures as Aria's cries dimmed down to a soft whimpering and sniffling. Cas had been splattered with white, dark blue, and baby blue and he touched it gently to not smudge anymore of the paint. Dean laughed in surprise and held Aria tighter as he saw he was surrounded by blotches of dark green, gold, and warm brown. Even though Aria felt like she had ruined them by being small and reckless, the truth was that they looked even better than before.

     "Is this why you're crying?" Castiel asked lifting Aria's chin with a patient smile he reserved just for her.

 Aria felt tears well up in her eyes and she nodded, looking down again. Even though they were smiling she still couldn't believe that they liked the paintings she had ruined. But she got a shock when Sam lifted her off of the floor and began walking out of the room even though she was covered in paint. He held her in one arm and his painting in the other while Dean and Cas trailed behind them until they were in the main room in front of the telescope...where a beautiful tree stood. With an exaggerated gasp she covered her mouth with both hands amid the men's laughing, and when Sam put her down she saw a few presents neatly tucked under the tree.

     "Do you like it buttercup?" Dean grinned hugging around her shoulders and laying his chin on her head.

     "We wanted to surprise you." Sam spoke up setting his painting on the table "Didn't think you even realized it was Christmas for sec before you started acting cagey."

     "It's her first Christmas with us, we should make it special." Castiel sounded as though he was reminding them as he laid his own picture down "And she gave us such wonderful gifts."

 Giving a watery giggle Aria rubbed her eyes, seeing that she had gotten paint over all of them by now. Weren't they all just a bunch of messes? But then again, that's the exact thing that made this little family so beautiful. She looked at the time and saw that it was midnight, so might as well do it now. Going to stand in front of the tree, covered in paint and with swollen eyes from crying, she opened her arms wide and smiled bright

     "Mewwy Chwismas!!"