Peri carried the groceries in the house. She placed them on the counter then checked the answering machine. It had been four long months since the two weeks Dean had spent with her. She smiled sadly remembering the way he had held her and kissed her.

"Dammit, why am I still hung up on him?" she asked herself.

She pressed the button on her machine and listened to the messages. She deleted them as she went along. One from the doctor, one from work. Boring. One from...Sam!

"Hey, Peri. How are you? I'm just calling to let you know that Dean is still alive despite his efforts not to be," Sam's voice said from the speaker.

"Sammy, what are you talking about?" she whispered.

"Anyway, Peri, I... Call him sometime. He's stubborn and won't admit a good thing when it's staring him in the face. Peri, be the bigger person."

Her machine beeped. She listened to Sam's message again. Just hearing Sam's voice made her miss the two Winchester boys more. Dean had been her lover but Sam had been a friend; her best friend. She placed her hand on her stomach.

"I can't be the bigger person, Sam. I have Dean's baby to protect," she spoke to the empty kitchen.

"I can do that," a strong voice said from behind her. Kitchen wasn't as empty as she had thought.

Peri whirled around and stared at the stranger in her kitchen. He wore a trench coat and had clear blue eyes. She backed up when she realized the coat had dried blood on it. Her back hit the kitchen counter.

"Who or what the hell are you?" Peri demanded.

"That isn't important. What is, is the child that you carry."

"I want to know who or what you are in three seconds or you're gonna-."

"I know what you can do now, Persephone. It is because of your child. But you don't need to worry. I am Castiel, an angel of the lord."

Peri looked at the man in front of her. His blue eyes were hard and serious. She laughed, she couldn't help herself. This guy just didn't scream angel.

"You? You look like a tax account," Peri laughed.

Castiel smiled a little. Dean had told him the same thing when he had revealed himself the first time. This just confirmed the bond that Peri and Dean had shared.

"I am an angel. And the child you carry is very important to the fight we are fighting," Castiel said.

"How? There won't be anything special about my baby," Peri answered.

Castiel stepped forward. He placed his hand on Peri's barely rounding stomach. A bright light shone from her stomach. She gasped.

"Lilith will want this child. Your child."

"But Sam and I-."

"She isn't dead. Be prepared to fight."

And just as sudden as he has appeared, he was gone. Peri placed both her hands on her stomach. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks but she made no move to wipe them away.

"I can do this. I don't need Dean. I can handle this without him."

Even as she said the words, she knew she was lying to herself. She needed him. She always would.