Four
Dean hunched his shoulders defensively as Mary spoke from behind him.
Standing in front of the sink, the hunter carefully washed the new bottles his mother had purchased for her younger son earlier that day.
"Make sure you rinse all the soap out of them," Mary instructed as though this was Dean's first time cleaning baby bottles, "Or Sammy could get diarrhea."
"I know, Mom," Dean told her as he set the bottles in the drying rack.
"We don't want you getting sick. No we don't," Mary cooed to the baby and Sam laughed out loud.
"Are you boiling water?"
Dean sighed, "What's that?"
"I asked if you were boiling water," Mary repeated, "Sam shouldn't have tap water yet."
Dean pointed to the electric kettle sitting beside the stove, a red light on its heating plate indicating that the hunter was boiling water.
"I'm just making sure!" Mary exclaimed, sounding hurt.
"Mmhm," Dean muttered.
He wished Cas hadn't left but he knew that they needed to find Kelly Kline before she had her baby.
"What are you doing now?" Mary asked, her tone slightly nervous.
Dean turned around, bottle in one hand and dishtowel in the other.
"Drying," he replied brusquely, "Or am I doing that wrong too?"
Mary frowned, "Don't use that tone with me. I'm just trying to look out for your brother."
Dean sneered, he hadn't really noticed it before but it was really starting to irritate him whenever their mother called Sam by his nickname.
"Mom," Dean sighed, "I know you don't believe it, but I do know how to take care of a baby."
Mary nodded ever so slightly, "I know, but Sam's my son, I just don't to see him get hurt."
Dean's green eyes met his mother's, "And he's my little brother."
Mary smiled slightly, "I know."
W
"Don't check the temperature on your hand! Use your wrist!" Mary exclaimed, eyes wide and startled.
Dean took a step back from his mother; she looked ready to snatch the bottle out of his hand at a moment's notice.
"Would you please back off? I know what I'm doing," Dean asked through gritted teeth.
"Then use your wrist to make sure the formula's cooled down enough," Mary instructed slowly, equally irritated.
Dean raised his eyes to the ceiling in a 'God help me' gesture and then he did as asked and squirted some formula onto the inside of his wrist.
"Perfect," he announced and handed the bottle to Mary.
Now that Sam was getting fed, Dean turned back to the stove.
"You want grilled cheese?" he asked his mother.
When he didn't get a response Dean looked over his shoulder and saw that Mary had left with the baby.
W
"She's obsessed with him or something. It's really weird. She's starting to freak me out a bit," Dean told Cas over the phone as he sat eating a grilled cheese sandwich by himself.
"Do you think maybe the witch's curse affected Mom too?"
There was a pause as the angel gathered his thoughts.
"Dean, you must remember that the last time your mother saw you and your brother, you were children. Now you are grown men, adults, who are independent. You do not need your mother as you did when you were young. Mary must be feeling nostalgic now that Sam needs the two of you to do everything for him. She will want to be his mother."
Dean sighed.
"Try and help her, Dean. Don't exclude her from Sam's care."
"Okay, Cas. I'll try."
W
The hunter found his mother and brother in Mary's room. Mary was holding Sam to her shoulder, patting his back gently to encourage him to burp.
"Hey," Dean poked his head into the room and smiled, holding a grilled cheese sandwich, "Thought you might be hungry."
Mary smiled, "Thanks."
Stepping into the room, Dean sat down on the bed beside his mother, "Why don't I hold him while you eat?"
Mary handed Sam to his brother and picked up the saucer Dean had brought.
"You okay?" Dean asked as Mary took a bite of the grilled cheese.
"Hm?" she muttered, "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"
Dean cleared his throat, "Well, all this is kind of hard to digest."
Mary smiled, "This, this is second nature to me. Last time I saw you, you and Sammy were babies."
She paused, "Even in Heaven, with my memories, you were always little."
Dean nodded.
"I feel like I've had decades with you two as little ones," Mary continued, "I feel like I can do things right this time."
Mary smiled and took another bite of her sandwich; Dean though, did not return the gesture. Instead, a chill ran down his spine at his mother's words.
W
"Sammy's in bed," Mary announced as she stepped into the Bunker's main room, "Sleeping like a lamb."
Dean nodded and took a swig from his bottle of beer.
His mother sat down across from him and set a small blue baby monitor on the tale in front of her; a round green light below the speaker indicating it was on.
Dean shoved his second, unopened bottle of beer to his mom without a word. Mary twisted open the cap and raised the bottle in salute to her son.
"What did you mean earlier when you said that you feel like you could do things right this time?" Dean asked.
Mary raised an eyebrow, "What?"
Dean smiled without happiness, just a little.
He knew the reason Azazel had come for Sam all those years ago. He knew that at nineteen years of age, Mary Campbell had made a deal with the demon to bring her dead boyfriend back. He knew that Azazel had not asked for her soul as per usual but had told the young woman that he'd return for something of hers in ten years.
Dean knew that his mother had asked no questions, had not seemed concerned about what a demon would want if not her soul, just as long as John lived.
"Just… there are a lot of things about being a Mom I could do better this time," Mary smiled but it did not reach her eyes.
Dean nodded but didn't respond.
W
Deep night fell over the Bunker and found all three Winchesters in their beds. Mary reclined on her front, arms shoved beneath the pillow; the same way her eldest son preferred to sleep. Sam slumbered soundly in his crib beside his brother's bed, tiny thumb tucked into his mouth, eyes closed gently.
Dean lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, thoughts chasing themselves through his head. He loved his mother, of that there was no doubt, but her decision to make a deal with a demon couldn't help but get under his skin, even after all these years. Dean knew why she had made her deal with Azazel, it was the same reason he had made his own deal to bring Sam back.
But he had known what he was getting into.
Mary hadn't known what the demon would want upon his return when he came to collect ten years into the future. She hadn't even prepared for Azazel's visit. Dean knew she hadn't wanted him and Sam to grow up as hunters but the least she could have done was protect her family from the monster she knew would come back.
Sitting up in his bed, Dean peered into the crib where his brother slept and smiled.
"Don't worry, Sammy," he whispered, "I won't let anyone hurt you."
He paused for a second before speaking again, "Anyone."
Author's Note:
Thanks to lenail125, reannablue, burninglikeacid, jensensgirl3, Tessizzle22, MarbleWolf, Katlover98, mckydstarlight, Rafaela Amanda, BranchSuper and Guest for reviewing.
I don't know how much Dean and Sam actually know about Mary's deal with Azazel, I know they went back in time on at least two occasions and did encounter old Yellow Eyes when they did go into the past. This though, is an AU, so I apologize if there are any hardcore fans that want to point out just how much the brothers know about their mother and Azazel.
Please take a moment and leave a review, ladies and gents!