Victoria's cursing pulled Sam from the office. Her tone told him she was unhurt and in no immediate danger, but pissed as all get out. He followed the sound of her voice up the stairs. The house was rather cramped with three adults and a pending newborn. Victoria and Kate each got a room with a bed. There was a third room, but Sam took up residence on the couch to make sure the room was ready for the baby.

He found her in the baby's room. Pre-cut wooden parts were scattered around, packets of screws lay at her feet, and she had a screwdriver tucked under her arm. She cursed again as her belly knocked over the piece she was working on. He was pretty sure she was close to throwing things. Or crying. Possibly both.

From what he'd pieced together about pregnant woman, mostly through internet searches, Victoria was doing pretty good at keeping the mood swings in check. But every now and then it looked like she'd lost her mind, or turned into some inconsolable, weepy creature. It was at times like that Sam thanked his lucky stars that he was a man.

He moved into the room and his massive hand closed over the offending piece before she could chuck it through the window. "Let me do that."

Victoria jerked the piece away. "I can do it!" she retorted hotly.

"Of course you can," Sam kept his tone even and calm. He closed his hand back over hers and waited.

She kept her eyes averted and dashed a tear from her cheek before giving in. "Fine," she conceded. "You can help."

Sam barely managed to suppress his grin before she looked back at him, defiance in her eyes. "Thank you." He wasn't quite sure how he managed it, but he sounded sincere.

He glanced at the directions. Victoria already had everything laid out in order, all he had to do was follow the pictures. Victoria handed him pieces as he needed them and helped hold things while he screwed them together.

"Cas called," Sam said, trying to distract her. "The angels know about the baby."

Victoria took a deep breath through her nose and let it out, releasing some of the anger from her fight with the crib. "Good thing I've got the angel warding. Guess I won't be going outside anymore."

Sam chuckled, she wouldn't let piddly angels change her habits. "You haven't left the house in weeks."

Victoria pointed the next piece at him. "Yeah, and I'm obviously going stir-crazy cooped up in this damn house hiding from angels and demons and whatever else could be looking for me."

"I told you I can make a hex bag to hide you from all that." Sam knew she wasn't really interested in leaving the house, she was just being difficult. To be honest, he preferred her not leaving the house. No use asking for trouble.

"I'd rather have Enochian symbols carved into my ribcage," she grumbled.

"We could call Cas. He's probably still got the juice for something like that," he offered.

Sam was pretty impressed with her control. If she was fighting the same kind of unreasonable anger that occasionally overcame him, she was making a valiant go of it. Though, in Sam's case, no one could make him that angry except Dean.

"Because Cas is so subtle," she scoffed. "The angels would probably follow him right to the house."

Sam changed the subject. "We need to try the new summoning spell for Crowley," he said, figuring now was as good a time as any to have this discussion.

"We already agreed, no summoning demons in the house until after the baby."

Sam nodded absently. Two days ago they'd found a new spell to summon Crowley. The goal was to establish how they could find Cain. At the time, it had seemed like a good idea to agree not to summon the demon responsible for Dean's transformation until after the baby was born. But Sam had been thinking, and he didn't like the idea of summoning Crowley with a newborn in the house any better.

"I was thinking I'd go do it at the Bunker." Sam caught a nodding motion from the corner of his eye. "Get our answers and still keep you and the bab-" He heard Victoria sniffle. He turned in time to see her move away. She was hiding her face from him. Maybe this wasn't such a good time to have this conversation.

"Yeah, Sam." She paused in the doorway with her back to him, taping at the frame. "Good idea."

He put down the section he was working on, but hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should approach her. In this particular mood she'd either push him away and be pissed at her weakness, or she'd fold herself into his arms.

He waited to see which way the pendulum swung.

She swiped at her face and straightened her shoulders. When she turned to him, he could see just a hint of tears in her eyes.

"Go get your answers," she said. But she blinked and another fat tear rolled down her cheek. He could only imagine Dean in this situation. He'd probably come running to Sam, panic in every line of his body – Sammy, I have no idea what happened, make it stop.

"Vic, what's the matter?" Sam stood, but didn't close the distance between them.

Victoria shook her head, as if to deny any problem, but more tears escaped. "I'm only about a week out. The midwife is on speed dial-" Her voice hitched, as if her throat had closed around the last word. She hugged her arms around herself. "I didn't want you here, not when you first showed up. But-" She was now fighting the tears too hard to continue. Sam held his arms out. Victoria moved into them and let him engulf her in his embrace.

He rested his jaw on top of her head. She was so strong and self-sufficient that he sometimes forgot how vulnerable she was right now. He had to protect her. Had to keep her and the baby safe for Dean. If he didn't manage to get Dean back, they were the only living remnants he'd have of his big brother. He didn't even know how to summon Dean to try any of the theories they'd accumulated. It could wait a little longer, he had more research to do.

"It's okay, Vic," Sam said softly. At some point over the last two weeks, Sam had realized Victoria was different from him and Dean. He and Dean were weapons. They could kill and they could exact revenge. Victoria was a shield. She could be used as a weapon, but her main purpose was to protect. She was the key. If he could keep her alive, the next Winchester wouldn't turn out like Sam and Dean. "I won't go anywhere."

xXx

Victoria left Sam to finish the crib on his own. She knew she was getting in the way, she just had to swallow her pride and admit it. Which was made infinitely easier by a bout of crying. How much pride could she really have left after a break down?

She missed Dean with a deep ache that couldn't be eased away. She missed being able to fight with him. Fighting with Sam was all logic and reason. She trusted Sam with her life, but they still tiptoed around each other. It was like they were afraid of hurting each other's feelings, or damaging the other person's pride.

Fighting with Dean was like lighting oil on fire. She didn't have to tiptoe around anything with him. She'd shared the darkest parts of her with him and he hadn't turned away. She trusted him with her life sure, but she also trusted him with her insecurities and deep-seated fears.

She filled a watering can in the kitchen and headed for the porch, the sunshine would do her good. She opened the door and Dean stood there, as if her wandering thoughts had summoned him.

He stared back at her in surprise, as if this was his house and she was the one that was intruding. He stood just outside the Devil's Trap. "Victoria." He smiled a welcome. "I was just trying to figure out how to ring the bell."

Victoria looked at the doorbell as if she'd never seen it before. To push it, Dean would have to reach into the Devil's Trap.

"I was thinking a stick," Dean mused. He looked exactly the way she remembered. Same self-possessed posture, same bow-legs, same cocky tilt of the head, same yellow-green eyes. His pupils seeped out, filling his eyes like black mercury. "Or maybe one of your neighbors could be forced into it."

"What do you want?" Victoria demanded from the thing before her.

"Couldn't find my brother," he said dismissively, as if it were a mild nuisance. He blinked, and his eyes returned to their normal color. "Thought I'd drop in on some of our old hunting buddies."

"Can't find little Sammy? Whatever will you do?" Her voice dripped with insincerity.

"His time will come." Dean crowded the line of the Devil's Trap. "This is much more entertaining." His gaze dropped to her abdomen. "Bun in the oven?" He licked his lips. "How delicious." Victoria couldn't tell if he were referring to the situation, or was actually threatening to eat the baby.

Sam came from behind her and shouldered her out of the way. Dean's face lit up.

"Sammy! Never thought I'd find you here." His voice was happy, almost jubilant. It was so incongruous, the switch from baby eater to joyous brotherly reunion.

Sam's knuckles blanched white where he held the door.

"Setting up house I see." Dean peered at Victoria where she stood in the shadows, then shifted back to Sam. "From the looks of it, you were fucking her before I even died. Nailing my discards, how uncharacteristic." Another dazzling smile. "I might be able to make a man out of you yet."

Victoria studied the rigid set of Sam's shoulders.

Dean adopted a stage whisper and partly shielded his mouth with the back of his hand. "You should know, shacking up with a slut I used to fuck doesn't really phase me." The inky blackness seeped across his eyes again and his voice returned to normal. "Perk of being a demon." Dean frowned at Sam. "I have to tell you though Sammy, you can do better than my rejects."

It was becoming apparent to Victoria that Sam was preparing to deny the demon's accusations. "Samuel Winchester, you tell him and I will kill you myself."

Dean shuffled around the Devil's Trap, angling for a better view of Victoria, his interest obviously piqued. "Tell me what?"

Victoria looked it in the eye, back to a gold-flecked green. She remembered those eyes as he'd looked down at her and told her she was beautiful, the brief season they'd fancied themselves in love.

"Tell me what?" Dean turned his attention back to Sam. Pain swept through Victoria's body, her knees nearly buckling under the weight of it. "You know you can't keep a secret from your big brother, Sammy," Dean wheedled.

They hadn't known when Dean would finish his business in Hell. Had done everything in their power to make sure he couldn't find them until they were ready to be found. Victoria had suspected he would turn up at the worst time. She managed to stand straight, despite the pain. "Dean," she stated, stepping between the brothers and taking back control of the door. "Your timing is impeccable as always." She shut the door in his face.

She leaned her head against the door, hand pressed to her belly, waiting for the contraction to pass. It was blessedly brief. For now. She turned to Sam. "We have to get rid of him," she said.

Sam was obviously distracted by his brother's presence. "How?"

She grunted in annoyance and pulled out her cell. "Shoot him in the face with rock salt for all I care."

Sam finally focused on Victoria when she started talking to the mid-wife.

"Little complication here," Victoria told the woman on the other end of the line. "Head over, but we're going to have to figure out how to get you in the door."

Sam took in the hand pressed to Victoria's belly, the liquid slipping down her thighs, and the phone conversation. She saw comprehension dawn on him.

xXx

"You can't hide in there forever, Sammy," Dean called from outside the house. He paused as Victoria moaned, weathering another contraction. "Sounds like Vic'll have to come out sooner rather than later."

"Once we get the mid-wife in we're going to be stuck in here," Sam said. He eyed Victoria's hunched posture worriedly.

"It'll be fine Sam. Woman have been giving birth since the dawn of man."

"Ha ha," Sam laughed nervously. "Dawn of man."

"If worst comes to worst, just catch the baby when she pops out." Victoria pulled aside the curtain, looking for the sign that Sera was in place. "Don't drop her, she'll be slippery," she added as an aside.

Sam groaned in disgust. "We'll just have to make sure the mid-wife gets in." He looked out the adjoining window. "There's Cas."

Cas had seen better days. He was dressed in the same trench coat, over-sized button down dress shirt, and slacks as always. Even from the house Sam could tell Cas's outfit could do with a wash. Cas's hair was more mussed than usual, it looked like he'd washed it the last time he'd washed his clothes.

Victoria left her post at the window and headed for the back door.

If Sam thought Cas looked bad when he first appeared, it was nothing to when he saw Dean. At the sight of the demon, Cas's shoulders stooped, a man already defeated and broken. "Dean," Cas said.

Dean turned at the sound of Cas's voice. Sam couldn't see Dean's face, but he could imagine Dean's malicious grin from Cas's answering grimace. "Cas. Well, well. We've got ourselves quite a party. Got any angel juice left? Or are you here strictly as an observer?"

Cas continued his trek up the path and Dean watched him come. Cas stopped at the foot of the porch stairs. He and Dean contemplated each other silently.

Victoria's cursing drifted to Sam from the rear of the house. Before Sam could move from the window, she was back in the foyer.

"Well, angel," Dean broken the stalemate between him and Cas. "You may have dragged me out of Hell, but I threw myself back in and now I'm King." Cas looked like Dean had slapped him.

Crowley appeared around the side of the house with Sera, the mid-wife, in tow. Victoria threw the door open. Sam stepped forward and flanked her in the opening.

"Look what we have here," Crowley drawled. "This looks important."

Sam had the Knife of the Kurds in hand and was out on the porch, less than a pace from Dean, before he consciously ordered his body to move. "Crowley," he growled. "We need her."

Crowley pulled the woman closer, knife at her throat. "That much I gathered," he said, watching Kate warily as she slunk around the side of the house toward Victoria and Sam. She was supposed to be the ace up their sleeve, slipping Sera in the back while Cas distracted Dean at the front of the house. Kate looked worse for wear, a bruise spreading across her jaw, but otherwise unharmed.

"I'll take care of Crowley," Victoria muttered under her breath. "Be ready to grab Sera." She headed into the house and down the basement stairs.

"Vic, wait," Sam protested, but she was already gone. At least she was staying in the safety of the house.

Kate climbed the rail and slunk onto the porch. Dean allowed her to slide into the relative safety of Sam's shadow. She hovered between human and werewolf, the balance between forms wavering precariously. Dean kept an eye on her, but his body language and attention were fixed on Cas.

"You alright?" Sam asked Kate. She nodded in reply but stayed silent. "Sera, you alright?" he called.

"Nothing an ice pack and some time won't cure," the mid-wife answered.

"I've been gentle so far, Moose." He pressed the blade firmly against Sera's collarbone. "No guarantee it'll stay that way."

Kate shifted further into her werewolf self. Sam worried that she'd shift too far to differentiate between friend and foe. But there was nothing he could do about it. He needed her as dangerous as possible, so he let it go. He leaned toward the werewolf. "Vic's working on something, be ready." She growled in reply.

Dean turned to them at the sound of the growl. "Sammy..." He shook his head in mock disbelief. "The company you keep." He smiled knowingly. "Werewolves and fallen angels today..." He descended the steps, his body lightly brushing Cas as he passed. "Lap dog of the King of Hell tomorrow."

"Dean," Cas murmured, reaching for the other man, but Dean was already out of reach. In a few short strides Dean was standing in front of Crowley and Sera. Dean's head tilted as he examined the mid-wife.

"How about we keep her?" Dean asked. He reached out and brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek. She leaned as far away from him as she could, but Crowley presented a solid backstop. "Or take her with us when we go."

"Dean, you don't have to do this." Cas drifted toward Dean, like he was being dragged along by a slow and steady current. Cas had always been drawn to Dean. It was the one constant in their relationship, as inevitable as the ocean tides. "We can help you."

Dean laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound. There'd been a time when Dean would laugh just because Sam asked him to. Those laughs were life-affirming and never failed to cheer him up. This laugh was tainted.

"Why would I want you to help me? I'm exactly what I'm supposed to be." Dean advanced on the angel. Cas fell back before him.

"Oh," Crowley commented mildly from behind Dean. "Bollocks."

The bland delivery of the uniquely British explicative drew all attention to Crowley, who promptly disappeared.

xXx

The smell of burning incense filled the room as Victoria finalized the spell to summon Crowley. Every time Vitoria summoned a demon, she couldn't help but think how incongruous it was that such a pleasant smell could result in something so vile.

Within moments Crowley appeared. As Victoria had planned, he very obligingly popped into the middle of the Devil's Trap. She hadn't taken the time to set up the interrogation chair. In her current condition, she wasn't sure she could overpower Crowley to get him into the chair anyway. So he was loose within the circle of the trap.

"Found a new summoning ritual I see. You all do pick the least opportune moments to call me," Crowley said. "Victoria," he greeted.

"Crowley," she replied. She watched him take in her physical appearance. A smile flickered across his lips as he laughed at some internal joke before letting his features fall back into a bland mask. "Somethings different." He held up a finger and looked away, pretending to think. "Can't quite put my finger..." He abandoned the mild expression, looked back at her and smiled out right. "Etcetera, etcetera." He considered her, his gaze wandering over her body. She could almost see him dropping pieces into place and making assumptions.

"I was wondering what the hold up was. Now I know, Moose was distracted by his calf."

As clever and conniving as he was, Crowley jumped to the same conclusions as Dean. She had to be very careful not to give him the right idea. Crowley wasn't invested in the situation the way Dean was. Given the barest hint, Crowley would figure out the truth.

xXx

There was a moment of stillness after Crowley's sudden absence, as they all absorbed the situation. Then everyone moved. Cas grabbed Dean, throwing him enough off balance that he missed Sera as she sprinted past them for the house. Kate, with her werewolf enhanced speed, was off the porch, tackling Dean and Cas before Sam made it down the steps.

Sam left Dean to Kate and pulled Cas from the fray. He manhandled the angel into looking at him. "Go," he told Cas.

"We have to help him," Cas protested, his eyes fixed on Dean and Kate. The two rolled around on the ground, doing their best to rip each other apart.

"We will," Sam said. "Cas." He shook the angel. "You can't get into the house." He faced Cas down the path away from the house and gave him a push. "Go."

Cas reluctantly backed down the path, watching Dean with anguish.

Sam waded into the fight and came up with a fistful of Dean's collar. He yanked as hard as he could, managing to toss his brother a few short feet. Kate tried to follow, but Sam caught her around the waist and hauled her toward the house. Light as she was, Kate was now almost completely werewolf and very difficult to hold.

Dean stood and brushed himself off. He didn't follow, just watched their halting progress. "It's not over that easy, Sammy."

Sam managed to get Kate up the steps. "With you it never is," Sam retorted.

He got them into the house, but with the door shut and the enemy out of sight, Kate turned on him.