Welcome to the Jungle

Since Ashley started to show, she had been sleeping alone in Max's bed while he picked up extra shifts at night to cover medical and baby costs. Dean was uncomfortable with his baby sister sleeping alone, but no way he was going to let a pregnant Ashley sleep in his bed- that was just wrong and messed up on so many levels.

Sam was a little less concerned about Ashley's safety and more so in her health and well being. When Max was away at work, Sam would help the now nine months pregnant Ashley around the house and getting the baby room ready in the room Ben once called his. While Sam, and Dean were hunting a vampire nest, Ashley was home with Max and Justin for the long weekend- Ben was staying alone in the larger house across the street from the small one Max bought. "We gotta get Justin moved into his room before this baby comes" Ashley sighed as she climbed out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her protruding belly.

"You know you still look hot, even if you can't see your toes" he chuckled as he stepped up to get a kiss from the mother of his child.

"Well, get it while you can cuz once I see my swollen feet again I got a person to keep alive and evil to kill."

"Baby, you gotta take a break and spend time with the kid."

"Max I know, but I am not going to stop hunting, it's my life!"

No matter how hard Max tried to talk Ashley into staying home with Justin to help him through school and the new baby, all the hunters who came from all over to see the pregnant hunter convinced her otherwise. "I just don't feel like this is a good idea" he sighed as Ashley pulled herself away to check on how Sam and Dean were doing.

"One of us will be home with you. It'll mostly be me but I gotta get some work!" As Ashley walked back out of the bathroom in her sweatpants, a sharp pain sent her into about of screams.

"Whoa, Ash you okay?" Max yelled as he lunged to Ashley's side.

"Yeah, fine. Just a real strong kick" she chuckled as she sat down onto the bed.

"You sure it was just a kick? Sam said it was getting close" Ben piped up once Ashley was relaxed after he came over to show Ashley his latest homework assignment.

"I know my due date. It's not for another two weeks, just a damn kick" she cringed as another pain shot into her belly.

"These aren't kicks, go get the truck" Max ordered Ben as he helped Ashley up and down the stairs.

Dean and Sam came rushing into the hospital's waiting room and made a beeline to where Ben was sitting with a sleeping Justin using his lap as a pillow. Unfortunately Mary and Bobby had both gone back to their respected homes and were not around to help with Justin now. "Ben!" Dean barked once he caught sight of his son "What's going on?"

"She's in labor, has been for 10 hours now."

"Which room?" Sam asked.

"153 I think, but Max is already in there. Only one other person can be with her."

Dean felt uneasy leaving Ashley alone, mostly, in there. "Go ahead, Sammy" he sighed as he plopped down next to Ben. "She'll wanna have you around."

Not having to be told twice, Sam took off at a sprint towards the delivery room at the end of the hall.

Ashley was rendered delirious by the pain, but her lifestyle choice made it possible to at least be semi-aware that a sweat covered Sam had just barged through her door. "Sammy, you made it" she whispered happily "but what about De?"

"Psh, come on. You know he can barely handle a transfusion, no way he can watch a live birth!" Sam chuckle as he bent to kiss her salty forehead.

"Dean, can't? Isn't he the one gutting ghouls and beheading vamps?" Max chuckled as he took another tight squeeze from Ashley, signaling she just had another contraction.

"Where's Mom?" Ashley panted as the contraction started to subside.

"On her way baby, just relax" Max soothed as he shot a look of horror over to Sam.

"You two are gonna be fine" Sam said mostly for Max's sake but also a little for Ashley's sake. He was going to be an uncle to this little one coming out soon. Sam vowed to be the awesome uncle who would spoil the kid rotten and let them do whatever they wanted, while also teaching them everything he knew and making sure they got into college and out of this life. Dean would just be the chill, badass uncle who taught the kid all they would need to know about cars and opposite sex.

Another blood curdling scream rang through the white delivery room and told the nurse it was now tome to push! Sam quickly took Ashley's left side and hand since Max had her right already and got ready to welcome the newest Winchester into the messed up world he and his sister knew.

After holding her baby Tara for a couple hours and saying hi to Dean, Ben, and Justin, Ashley needed rest. Once Sam took Justin and Ben home, Max picked his newborn daughter back up and settled himself in the hospital green rocking chair. "I don't think I can do this, man."

"The hell you saying, Max?" Dean spat from where he was sitting on the other chair in the room watching Ashley carefully while she slept.

Max was fine with the idea of settling down with Ashley once he ran back into Ashley and her brothers in Colorado. But now raising a baby while she runs around hunting monsters, that was too much responsibility on his shoulders. "What if I screw this up? What if Ash gets killed on a hunt? I can't raise Tara all on my own."

"You feel that way now, you get the fuck away from my family. You are not gonna survive another chance to hurt my baby sister again!" Dean shouted as he stood up in front of the chair Max had just settled down in. He loomed terrifyingly over the new father and knew just that presence would make him run in terror if the baby hadn't done it all on her own.

Max nodded with tears in his eyes and stood up to hand Tara over to the closest thing to a father she will ever know. As he took a step closer to the door, he stole one more glance at Ashley before whispering one more request to Dean. "Please let me tell her once she gets out. You guys can have my house; I'll talk to Sam about signing it over."

Ashley was happy to be surrounded by her family and the few hunters in the area that wanted to congratulate the most normal hunting family they have ever seen. The only person missing though was Max. "He uh, he wasn't feeling too great" Dean informed Ashley when she finally got a second to herself.

"Pussy" she laughed as she took Tara back from Garth. Tara was the best thing that could have possibly happened to Ashley; she wanted to make sure Tara had the chance at a better life than she had been forced into. Dean tried his best to make her and Sam's childhood as normal as possible, but even he lacked sometimes. Ashley was going to make sure Tara was the most normal, bored kid on the face of this planet- but she would have two awesome uncles and two perfect brothers to help her feel weird. Once Mary walked in with a car seat and her release papers, Ashley knew it was possible and a hug smile spread across her face- I'm going home, this new story is starting! "We are going home, beautiful" Ashley crooned to the sleeping, pink baby in her arms. "You ready?"

Castiel

I stopped in to visit Ashley while she was asleep and Dean was fussing over how he was going to spoil Tara; neither Winchester saw me, but I could see straight through them. Ashley was terrified like any new mother should be; she would be nourishing, protecting, and loving this alien like being with her own body and for what? How much of a chance did this baby actually have at being normal? Dean was already harboring a secret from Tara and Ashley that put the possibility of having a relatively normal life out the window- she would have two fathers and neither of which were her biological sperm donator. If I have my way, this child will have three fathers, or maybe three big brothers- whichever would be the best role for me. I wish I could comfort Ashley, but she didn't even know that her Utopian world was already crumbling, I definitely did not want to be int eh room when that conversation happened. Plus, how long do they actually think Tara has before the demon world knows of her existence and tries to win her over like they attempted to with Sam Winchester? It was all wishful thinking on their parts.

AN: New story, new story lines, new suggestions! Tell me what you would like to see, hear, read, know and I will see how I can toss them in. I actually have this installment all written up, but editing is always an option! Drop me a line in the reviews and I will work it in as best as I can! Thank you all for making this one shot turn into a five+ series! I never saw this coming! ~Ash