Chapter Four
The months flew by as they prepared for the babies; Bobby took the time to whip Castiel and Sam into fixing up the nursery, while Jo and Ellen helped Dean decorate. They all waited for the day when they were going to be told exactly what gender the twins were going to be, and Dean had to admit, he was anxious for the news just as much as everyone else. He was starting to entertain thoughts on what he would have; a girl would be nice, but then there was the frightening prospect of puberty, and there was no way he was going to survive that without going insane.
He had asked Castiel, but he wasn't any help on the subject, saying something about just being glad they were alive and healthy, it didn't matter to him what gender they were. Sam voiced that it would be great to have one of each, until Dean mentioned the 'terrible tweens', then paled and hurried out of the room. Ellen said that it would serve her and Castiel right to have twin girls, they needed some feminine influence. When Dean gestured at his new body at that comment, it was clear that they just assumed he would revert back to his old body. Although how that could happen, Dean wasn't entirely sure.
The conversation died a miserable death after that. The rest of the moving around went quietly; Dean fixed Ben lunch and watched movies with the little boy for the rest of the afternoon, after being told that under no circumstances was he allowed to help. Jo and Ellen had left quickly, decided that going on a job would be far better than trying to get Dean back into the baby-mood.
"So is everything going alright?" Sam grunted as they lifted a dilapidated dresser to carry out into the hallway.
Castiel frowned, "Why do you ask?"
Sam shrugged, as well as he could while carrying a big piece of furniture like they were, "I don't know. You've just been really quiet, looking a little…strained. I guess you don't really need to sleep, so I was wondering if it was something else."
Castiel's lips thinned, "I have slept…on occasion. The experience was rather worrisome." He let the younger man ruminate on his reply as they finagled the furniture out in the yard where a pail of paint was waiting. There wasn't any need to throw a perfectly good piece of furniture out when all it needed was some minor refurbishing.
Sam set his side down with a grunt, straightening while rubbing at his neck, "I don't get it. You never used to have to sleep or eat, what's changed?"
"I think I have been getting weaker the longer I am cut off from Heaven. Ever since…Ever since I came back from Indiana, I have been feeling more and more as time goes on."
"Feeling more," Sam repeated.
The angel frowned, "It is hard to describe, you humans have dealt with your emotions all of your lives, it is entirely different for me. Before I was punished, it was as if I felt everything that my vessel did; only muted. Very recently, the body's needs are stronger, and it's getting much harder to fight the urges." He glared at Sam as he snorted, "This isn't funny Sam."
"I know. It's just…hearing you talking about your body's urges are both cringe-worthy and hilarious." He wiped his face with a large hand, "I hope you aren't telling me you fell."
"No," Castiel folded his arms, looking out into the junkyard, "Zachariah injured me, far more than I had thought. I am much weaker than before, although I believe it first started when I fully rebelled. I believe he was trying to force me to fall…or kill me." He ran his hands through his hair wearily, "I honestly didn't think he would do something like this, that any of them would condone such misuse of their power, and that so many have fallen in line with Zachariah. How can they not see that what they are doing is madness?" He frowned, "I guess I never had reason before to fear anything from my brethren, although looking back, I cannot believe I was so naïve."
The angel was startled slightly as Sam's hand gripped his shoulder, "No one wants to believe ill of their family, Cas." The tentative silence was broken as Sam queried quietly, "Are you going to tell Dean?"
Castiel looked down, "I do not wish to cause him anymore stress, especially in his present condition. You know what he will do."
Sam nodded, "Blame himself."
"Exactly. Sam, I-" Castiel sighed, "I would ask that you do not mention this, at all, to Dean. I don't want anything to cause harm to him or the children. Not for anything."
Sam clenched his teeth and looked away, "Dude, you know how much you're asking of me. After everything, hell, last year-"
"I know." Suddenly, Castiel stood in front of him, in his personal space, like he used to do to Dean. The little guy wasn't as powerless as he thought; if he could intimidate someone the size and strength of the younger Winchester brother. "I am not promising that this will be easy, Sam. But what you don't understand, is the fragile condition that he is in."
He shrugged, "He's pregnant. Big deal."
Castiel bit down a surge of anger, "Stress has a major effect on pregnant women, Sam, more than you know. It is rare enough that a mortal conceives an angel's child. Human bodies are so…delicate. Let alone the mortality rate of mortal infants-"
"You're afraid that Dean might miscarry," Sam realized.
"That is why I ask you to keep this between us, for now."
"But you got to know that everything is going to be okay, right?"
Castiel slumped, "I don't know. I don't exactly have all the answers, I-fear now. I'm concerned; I only want Dean and…our… children to be okay, happy, and healthy. I don't-can't care about myself right now."
Sam leaned over slightly, "I promise I won't say anything, man. No matter how I acted before, I don't want to hurt Dean."
Castiel exhaled in relief, "Thank you." He felt better confiding in Sam, even though he wasn't entirely certain that the young man was going to keep said promise. He supposed it was paranoia due to lack of sleep that was bothering him, or the after effects of the past week, he couldn't help feeling on edge.
The very next day, they were told that Dean was having identical twin boys, both very healthy and surprisingly more advanced in their stage of development compared to other multiple birth pregnancies. Castiel hurried them out of there hastily, if their twins were so superior that the doctor's were noticing, he wasn't about to take any chances with their welfare.
They broke the news to their little family as soon as they got back. Castiel was surprised as money started changing hands. "What the-you guys were betting?" Dean exclaimed, shaking his head in disappointment at Sam, "And already corrupting a minor. I'm surprised at you, Sammy."
"I wouldn't complain," Ben said, handing over a wad of bills to Dean, "You won the pot."
Castiel's eyes widened, turning to Dean, he said incredulously, "You gambled on our children?"
Dean smiled sheepishly, "What? It didn't hurt anyone."
"Speak for yourself," Sam groused, "I'm out thirty bucks."
Castiel watched as Dean stood in front of a wall in the nursery, one arm resting on his significantly convex belly, the other hand tapping a few paint samples against his lips contemplatively. On the wall in front of the hunter were a couple swipes of paint, ranging from various shades of yellow, to blue. Castiel cocked his head, he didn't understand why the color was so important, but if that was what was keeping Dean sane during his sabbatical from hunting, then he was all for it.
"What do you think?"
Cas walked into the room, wrapping his arms around Dean's shorter form, hands on his belly, "You have three of each kind up there, is there a difference?" The angel hid a grin in hia hair at his scoff.
"Of course there is a difference!" Dean paused, cocking his head to the side, "At least that's what Jo tells me. I can't really tell." He pouted, "Blue? But then, they're boys, there's going to be a lot of blue. And when was blue the staple color for gender?"
"Blue is a soothing color. I believe that is why they use it in hospital rooms."
Dean's lips pursed, "No blue then, they're Winchesters; they are going to see a lot of hospital rooms."
Castiel sighed, "Dean-"
"Hey I'm just being realistic here, Cas. I've been in the hospital at least…well a lot in the past few years."
"You are a hunter, Dean. You are bound to end up in the hospital more often than normal people."
"You saying I'm not normal?"
"You are the most abnormal person I have ever pulled out of perdition."
"I'm the only person you pulled out of perdition." Dean grumbled, "Enough screwing around! We gotta get this room done, according to the docs, I could drop anytime now." She was in her seventh month, and according to the doctors, he could very well give birth at any time. Women who were pregnant with twins or more, the doctor's explained, could give birth early without any worry. The fact that their children were highly developed meant that at any time, Dean and Castiel would have identical twin boys.
To say that Castiel was excited was like saying the grass was green, or the Earth revolved around the sun.
"Some people would call this 'nesting'."
"Yeah? Well, if some people want to sleep in bed anytime soon, they'd shut their damn yap and frickin' help. Now what color, green, yellow or blue?"
"What do you mean they don't have any icee's? That's not fair!"
"You really shouldn't have so much sugar, Dean, it's bad for you."
Ben looked at Castiel in utter horror, "Dude, you didn't just say that."
Dean folded her arms over his belly and glared daggers at the angel, "Well, the babies want an Icee and hot sauce. So that's what they are going to get."
"Oh god, no more hot sauce!" Sam slumped on the table.
"Oh shut up, it's not like I'm eating a burrito, or greasy fries or anything. I'm freakin' hot, I want something cold to drink, 'cause I can't have beer, and for some reason they like hot sauce. It's not like I'm going to deny them what little joy they can have until they are old enough to have pie."
"They are going to end up becoming hyper-active."
Dean opened hia mouth to argue once more; instead he clutched her belly and looked down in amazement. He gasped, "Oh my god."
Sam jumped as Castiel stiffened, dropping his coffee mug in shock, staring at Dean's protruding stomach. He hurried to the hunter's side, gently laying his hand over Dean's, and gasped as well, "Oh, Dean." Sam frowned at the awed tone they were using, growing more concerned as Dean looked up at the angel with watery eyes, "I didn't think they could do that."
"Do what?!" Sam exclaimed.
Castiel gulped and turned to the younger man, tears in his eyes, "They are communicating with us. They-They can't form words as of yet but…We can feel them."
Dean clapped a hand to his mouth, his breathing a little fast, "They're so…Oh, Cas!"
The angel rested his forehead against Dean's, a blinding smile on his face. Dean waved a hand at Ben, "Come here, you gotta feel this."
Ben cautiously walked up to the pair, feeling very unsure of his place by their side. As he drew close, Dean took his hand and placed it on his stomach. Castiel rested his hand on his small shoulder, squeezing gently in understanding. The instant Ben's hand touched him, a feeling of pure joy engulfed him; it felt like the one time he went to Disneyland, and rode every single ride, flying through the air in wild abandon. It felt like his eighth birthday party, one of the best days of his life. It felt like every good day, every great moment, and every fantastic second he could possibly remember all rolled up into one glorious ball of adoration. He gasped in shock; he didn't believe that they would actually want to connect with him.
He had felt so out of place at Bobby's; He understood Dean focusing on the angel, and the arrival of the babies, but he couldn't help feeling like the odd person out. Sam was Dean's younger brother, Bobby the father-figure, Ellen the mother-figure, Jo the sister; they all had ties that bound them together as a tightly knit family. Ben was…the illegitimate son of a hunter that was turned into a woman. Supposedly. Ben wasn't quite entirely sure about it, according to his mother; she had been with another man, a biker, so he wasn't entirely sure who his father was.
He wasn't sure how he fit into the group.
He slid his hand away, so many things running through his head, and after everything that happened, he wanted to make sure he didn't start bawling like a baby in front of these people. He looked up, Dean was smiling, eyes turned inward to whatever it was they were conveying to the hunter. He was half expecting the angel doing the same thing, but he was very wrong as he saw the bright blue eyes trained on him. Ben was startled; the emotion he could see in his eyes was not of pity, but sorrow, and sympathy.
He quickly looked away, the angel made him very uncomfortable, even though he got hurt saving his life. Ben wasn't exactly sure what to make of him, and so decided to just stay away from him altogether, it wouldn't do for him to get close to anyone around him, he was sure they were just keeping him around to make sure no one else died.
He excused himself to his room, running up the stairs and shutting the door behind him.
Castiel's watched as Ben went upstairs, an unfamiliar tight feeling in his chest at the look that resided in the youngster's eyes just before he escaped the kitchen. He caught Dean's eyes and intoned quietly, "You should eat something; I am going to have a word with Ben."
Dean's awed expression instantly dissolved into one of guilt, "I'm such an ass. He loses his ma, his whole life, and we haven't even-"
"Let me do this. Please."
It was the 'please' that made Dean's decision, even though he wanted so badly to connect with Ben, it may end blowing up in his face. He was trying so hard to live up to Dean's expectations, which there were none, that the boy wouldn't so much as mention anything about that day, or god forbid, show any kind of emotion.
He trusted that Castiel could get through to him, he was outside of the situation and the boy didn't have to put up any fronts in the angel's presence. Castiel was very rough around the edges, but he was very understanding and caring when he needed to be. If the angel was going to be in Dean's life, then the discord between them needed to be resolved.
Dean nodded, "Go easy on him. He's ten."
"I wouldn't frighten a child needlessly."
"I would feel better if you didn't tack on the 'needlessly'."
Castiel kissed him quickly on the lips and went upstairs, footsteps quiet on the rug outside the boy's room. He angled his head slightly, hearing nothing through the door. He took a breath, and knocked gently on the door, opening it slowly to give Ben some time to tell him to leave or not.
The room was dark, curtains drawn and slightly chilly. He surveyed the room, spartan as it was, his eyes falling on a little lump in the middle of the bed pushed against the wall. His back was facing the angel, skinny legs curled up and his arms wrapped around his frail torso. Castiel knew this as the fetal position, not just from his reading about Dean's pregnancy, but from his experience with human nature. He understood the appeal, it was a comforting gesture when one was alone, just like when Dean thought no one was looking; he would cross his arms and sway back and forth unconsciously.
A sign he wasn't held much as a child.
Castiel mourned for Ben, not only because he had lost his mother, his rock, his security; but because he was so young. It had been the same way for Dean. So much loss, in so short of a time, this was the reason why Dean had turned a blind eye to his brothers' machinations in the first place; why stand in the way of a hurtling train?
He settled on the side of the bed, reaching over and set his hand on the boy's upper arm, "Ben? I wish to speak with you, if that is acceptable."
Ben sniffled wetly, croaking, "Why?"
"Because you are in pain, and I would like to relieve it." The room grew silent after Castiel said this, and he watched Ben's big brown eyes steadily well up with tears. He hated seeing the young boy looking so defeated, and he felt so ashamed of his brothers and sisters that they could knowingly do so much harm to someone so innocent. He listened to his instincts, letting his hand card through the dark hair, and knew he was getting somewhere as Ben rolled over to face him.
His lower lip trembled slightly as he looked up from the pillow at the angel, "Why?"
Castiel's head tilted in confusion, "Why would I want to relieve your pain?"
Ben slowly nodded. Castiel smiled gently, "Because you are Ben, you are pure and innocent in all of this." Castiel sighed, looking out the window, "This isn't your war to fight, Ben. It never was, even though you are the next in bloodline to be Michael's vessel. If I could have stopped what happened earlier, I would. It wasn't-isn't- right for a child to lose their loved ones so brutally, no matter the reasoning behind it." He noticed out of the corner of his eye as Ben shifted a little closer to him.
Ben wiped at his eyes, "So…I'm really Dean's kid?"
Castiel faced him, "Yes, you are. Zachariah would not have contacted you otherwise. Is that why you have been feeling so out of place?"
Ben frowned, "How'd you know that?"
Castiel grinned wryly, "Dean would say it was my 'angel-mojo', but I can see it in you, every time you look at Dean or anyone else. You and Dean seem to think you are both impenetrable, that you can give nothing away and nothing can hurt you, but you would be wrong in that assumption. I have been there myself, though, feeling very out of place."
Ben snorted, "Yeah, whatever."
"It's true," Castiel defended, "I did not understand humans before I met Dean, everything I did, everything I said, seemed to set me further apart from everyone. I wanted to…connect with those around me as effortlessly as Dean did. I was the odd man out."
Ben sat up and leaned tentatively against Castiel, resting his head on his shoulder. Castiel's heart warmed as Ben relaxed against him, cautiously he put his arm around the small boy, "I know it does not seem so now, but you have a place, you will always have a place. You are what completes this family, Ben. I am thankful that you came to us, even though the circumstances are unfair."
Ben buried his head in his shoulder, hugging the angel unexpectedly, and after a few moments hesitation, Castiel reciprocated. He rubbed his back, and after a few moments, Ben looked up at him, "Does this mean I have to call you 'dad'?"
Castiel chuckled, "You may call me whatever you like Ben."
"We should start thinking about names," Dean mentioned as they walked down the baby aisle in the local Wal-Mart near Bobby's house. They had to pick up a few things, considering they were getting closer to Dean's due date. Castiel was a little worried about being outside of the house, due to the wards, but he was sure that Zachariah wouldn't think of doing anything to them in public. Castiel set the magazine he was perusing back on the shelf; he wasn't in the mood to thumb through it, turning towards Dean as she tossed a pack of pacifiers into the cart. He glanced at them; he hoped they were the hospital approved kind, he felt very leery of the others. Dean grinned, "Whatcha got?"
He continued walking down the aisle, saying quietly, "I was thinking of…James and Samuel."
"James?"
"Yes," Castiel said quietly, "I wanted to…honor him." They had a moment of silence for the man that sacrificed himself; Castiel regretted entering into his daughter's body, even if it was necessary. He didn't realize he looked down at the floor in shame until his fingers lifted the angel's jaw.
Dean smiled, "I like it. Both of them actually, Sam would get a kick out of it."
"What were the names you thought of?" He asked, quickly changing the subject.
Dean looked away, focusing his attention on what looked to be a breast-pump before quickly shoving it back on the shelf, blushing, "Well, I've always liked the name Alexander. I know it's long and kind of a mouthful for a kid, but-"
"It's a beautiful name. It means 'man's defender'."
He shrugged, "Figured we could call him Alex or Xander for short. Anyway, I like that, and…Robert. You know, after Bobby…" She shifted, rubbing her belly, "I don't know, I just-"
"No, Dean," Castiel took her hand in his, "I like the name, too. So now we have four names that we like. How are we to choose?"
"How about I name one, Alexander Robert and you name the other, James Samuel? That way we both get what we want, and they'll have middle names."
Castiel nodded, "I am happy with that." He frowned as Dean stood up, groaning a little in pain with a hand on his lower back, "Dean, are you-"
He froze and all the color drained from his face, "Oh no-"
Castiel's eyes snapped to where he was staring in utter horror, "Dean, what's wrong?" At the end of the aisle were two men, in plain dress, but something about them seemed…off. He knew them to be angels, and although he was glad that the twins warned them of their presence, he knew it would not save them if the angels truly wanted to take them.
Dean turned around, looking over his shoulder, his eyes suddenly widening, "Cas, behind you!" He pulled his gun out of his purse, aiming it at the figure behind the angel.
Castiel's head tilted in confusion as to why Dean thought that a gun would protect them from the Host, frowning as he turned to look, "Dean-"
It happened so fast, one minute he was standing in front of Dean in the baby section of Wal-Mart, and the next he was in an open field struggling from Zachariah's grip.
"I have had just about enough of this," Zachariah grated out as Castiel pushed him away. In a flash, Castiel was in the air, the silver glint of Zachariah's sword the only thing he saw as he flipped over the older vessel. He whirled on the archangel, his own sword flashing in the moonlight. He lunged at him, swinging it with all his might at the other angel's head, growling as he only ended up slicing at the air. He grunted as the other angel tackled him, punching him swiftly in his sides, where he knew the floating ribs to be. He cried out, falling to his knee, tasting blood in his mouth.
He shoved the butt of the sword into Zachriah's knee, listening to the sickening crack, and swiftly spun the heavy metal, sweeping his feet out from under him. His foot connected to Castiel's wrist, snapping it, his sword spinning into the darkness of the field. He watched; mourning the loss of the sword like it was more than just a weapon to him, but the last tie to his brethren.
He blocked the kicks and punches as best as he could, only a few connected, but it was enough to daze him, "Why are you doing this? This is madness!"
"You think you can stop the Apocalypse?" He back-handed the smaller angel, "You are nothing, an insect compared to the might of Heaven!" He chuckled, holding his sword up, preparing to stab him, "You will not thwart our plans, weakling!"
"I am only what you have done to me," He sighed, scooting away, only to be followed by the other angel, "I beseech you, brother, stop this. This will not end well, for any of us, you know that. Dean will never say yes to Michael-"
"-Unless I cut down every single person that he cares for." He interrupted, "The children you have fathered? They will be easily swayed to do our bidding; it's in their make-up, part angel you see. Dean will be unable to deny them, and they will have no memory of their parents once we are done with them. Then, then we will have the power and glory on our side, real soldiers that won't question our orders." He sneered down at the smaller man, "You, I was proud of. You were the one to raise him from Hell; the others did not believe you could handle being his guardian, to be honored with such an important task, but I? I supported you." He paused, in his slow pursuit of Castiel. His drawn face melting into that of compassion, smiling he said quietly, "Tell you what? You come back to us, convince Dean to accept Michael, and I won't destroy you. I'll even let you keep the twins safe until we have need of them."
"You will not touch them. Dean will know what you have done. They will all hunt you down until you kneel at Dean's feet." Castiel bit out, making no reaction as his hand fell upon the handle of his blade, hidden in the brush beneath him. He just had to keep him talking, keep him distracted until Zachariah gave him an opportunity to attack. He learned the lessons that Dean had taught him well; Dean needed something to do while being cooped up at Bobby's, and Castiel needed some way to protect himself now that he was weaker.
The archangel clicked his tongue at him, "Now you know when you come back to the fold, you will not be allowed to speak to me in that manner."
"I will never join you." With the speed of which he could not explain, he lunged and plunged the sword as far as it would go into the archangel's gullet. He clenched his eyes shut, holding onto the sword as tight as he could as light spewed forth from Zachariah's mouth and eyes. He screamed in unbearable pain, as he severed his only link to his former life, the sword disappearing from his grip.
He fell to his knees, clutching his burned hand close to his chest, and panted. He started shivering as the adrenaline from his close brush with death faded, the cold air leeched through his thin shirt and jeans. He looked around himself, there weren't any landmarks to inform him of where he was, and there was no way of contacting Dean. He was worried about the hunter, about what the angels might have done to him; Castiel was desperate to see to his safety.
Before he had the chance to start walking in some aimless direction in hopes of finding his way back to Bobby's, he heard the sound of wings beating. Looking up, he gasped, "Anna."
She was beautiful, glowing ethereally in the moonlight; he guessed he had never noticed before. He wondered if he looked the same before Zachariah weakened him. She smiled, "Castiel." She made a slight move toward him, frowning as he scooted away from her, body language screaming despair, "Brother, what is wrong?"
"This is where you punish me. I killed our own; we struck those down for doing less in the past-"
"Your transgressions do not compare to his, Castiel. You killed one, to save us all." This time, she did not give him a chance to scramble away, kneeling in front of him, "You have restored me to my rightful command of the garrison. There are no others, save Gabriel, to take my place. Our brothers would feel Zachariah dying, and if they wanted to fight, they would have appeared long before now."
Castiel shook his head, "What now? Where do we go from here, what am I to do?"
"You will be punished, befitting your crime."
The two looked up, Castiel's gut clenching in dread as Gabriel stood before them not too far away. His face gave nothing away, his body language casual as he leaned against a tree. Castiel gulped, "Gabriel."
The other nodded at them, exhaling through his nose as he pushed away from the trunk of the tree. The leaves crunched under his boots as he approached him, "I gotta say, I'm pretty surprised you were able to get the drop on Zach like that. Of course, he always had the bad habit to monologue whenever he got the chance." He sighed as he kneeled in front of Castiel, "So this is how it's going to be, huh? You really want to save this place? What's here worth saving, Cas?"
"Everything," Castiel breathed, "All of it. There is so much good left in this world, even though you can't see it right now; all the pain, all the fighting, makes even the smallest of good deeds shine that much brighter. Please Gabriel, give this world a chance." He shifted closer to the archangel, he no longer cared if it was considered begging in the other's eyes, "I have a family now, they deserve a chance to live. I cannot tell you what to do with me, but for the sake of my family, do not stand in the way of stopping the Apocalypse."
Gabriel studied him, longer than was comfortable, before shrugging, "I guess you're right. It's not like our brethren would allow candy and porn to reside in Paradise… that and those little slider things from that fast food place." He tilted his eyes, eyes never leaving Castiel's, "But you do know you have to be punished for killing one of us, don't you, Brother?"
Castiel looked down at the ground; he knew that his hand wasn't enough of a punishment for the murder of an qa1archangel, "Yes." He whispered. He fervently hoped that Dean and their children would be spared.
Gabriel shook his head and sighed again, "Anna." He stood, and the angel frowned before standing next to him. He stared at Castiel one more time before saying harshly, "I will let you decide what becomes of him. Join me when you have finished with him." In the next second he disappeared. Castiel straightened, he had never heard of an archangel passing judgment of so heinous a crime off onto another angel, even if she was high in rank.
She turned to stare him down, her beauty quickly becoming terrifying, her grace almost breaking through the thin veil of her vessel, "For the destruction of one of our brethren, I sentence you, Castiel, to revoke your grace, and to live out your life as a mortal. You will be human, and tied to your vessel, only if and when we decide, will you be allowed to take your place in Heaven." She sighed, her grace reeled back in, her visage melting in kindness, "Do not fear, brother, I will continue to watch over you and yours as often as I am able. We cannot afford to let Dean Winchester out of our sight."
Castiel closed his eyes as she reached out to him, seeing red as her grace shone like a beacon, feeling a slight tugging sensation as he took what was left of his grace. He thought he would feel despair, fear, something, from being cut off from the Host. All he could feel though; was peace, relief. The pain, remorse for wanting something that no angel should ever want for themselves, melted away.
He was free.
He sighed, opening his eyes again as she pulled back, his eyes glistening in unshed tears, "Thank you."
She smiled, her familial love for him shining brightly through her eyes, "You are my brother, Castiel. I could never cause you undue pain, you have experienced it enough as it is. Although, humans…they experience so much. Will you be able to cope?"
"I would do anything if it means I can be with Dean, Anna." There was no doubt in his mind that he could do so, he no longer feared being human. The only thing he feared was how Dean would take the news, but he would have to 'cross that bridge when he came to it', as Sam would say.
She brushed his temple, "So brave." She dropped her hand and nodded once, "Time to get you to the hospital. Dean is giving birth."
Castiel marched as fast as he could to Dean's delivery room, slumping slightly against the frame as he witnessed Dean pacing the room in agitation. He was glad to see that he wasn't harmed, just really agitated, every now and then stopping to rub his belly. The hunter kept looking out the window, then the clock, then at Sam, "Are you sure Bobby hasn't called yet? Check your phone again."
Sam sighed, holding up the phone, "I already have, last time I called; he was driving down the dirt road beside the house. Don't worry Dean, he's going to be fine, he's going to find Cas, and they'll get here in time, I promise." He sounded as if it was the hundredth time he had to repeat himself. As if Dean would be placated that way.
"I'm here."
Dean snapped his attention to the door, the agitation that was rolling off of him in waves melted into relief, " Cas." They met each other in the middle of the room, their arms wrapping tightly around the other. He buried his face in Castiel's chest, "God, Cas, I was so worried! Are you okay? What did he want?"
Castiel brushed away a lock of Dean's hair, "It does not matter right now. We will talk of it later, right now you need to relax for our children. Where's Ben?" A trill of fear for the young boy clenching his chest.
"I gave him some money to raid the vending machine; we're going to be here for a while." Sam said, dialing Bobby's number, "I'm going to call him, let him know that Cas is here."
Ben took that moment to step through the door, the snacks falling forgotten from his fingers as he stared at Cas. Without breaking stride, he stepped over the brightly wrapped packages and hugged as much of Cas as he could. Dean moved back, smiling fondly at them as Castiel kneeled down and held the upset boy, crooning softly to him to calm him down.
"Where were you?" Ben asked, voice high with the effort of holding back sobs.
Castiel brushed his hand through the boy's hair, looking him in the eye, "I had to…talk to one of my brother's. I won't be leaving again anytime soon." He looked at Dean over Ben's shoulder, referring to her more than the child that he was holding. He was relieved as Dean just nodded his head at him in reply.
Ben nodded, "Okay. They were worried, you know." He straightened, squaring his shoulders and looking at him sternly, "You shouldn't go anywhere without any back up. That's a rookie move, you're better than that."
Castiel chuckled, "I will be sure to remember that." They straightened, and Castile turned to the hunter, "Anna said you were ready-"
Dean pursed his lips, "Yeah, speaking of," He tapped a finger on his protuding belly, "I gotta have a c-section. There's no way I'm doing it the other way." He shivered at the thought, but Castiel could tell that he was nervous about it anyway.
"I'll be here with you the entire time, Dean. You have nothing to fear, women have children everyday just like this. You are in good hands." He brushed a lock of hair behind his ear, kissing him gently on the forehead.
"Cas," Dean said, frowning, "The hell happened to your hand? Is it-it's burned!" He held it gingerly between his hands, and although he was being as careful as he could, the pain was excruciating. Not only did it look to be second degree burns, but it was resting in an odd angle, the result of the archangel snapping it.
Castiel gently pulled his hand back, "It's nothing, it will heal in time. Do. Not. Worry. About. Me." He rested his forehead against Dean's, almost having to go cross-eyed to be able to look at him. He breathed an inaudible sigh of relief as the hunter snorted slightly in amusement.
Dean drew a shaky breath, rubbing his belly, "It's going to be okay, right?"
He pulled Dean into a long, drawn out kiss, feeling the hunter melt against him, "Of course," He whispered, "The angels are watching over you." Some part of him knew that Anna was there waiting, and that knowledge warmed him more than anything could at that moment when surrounded by his family.
Within the hour, Dean had given birth to two healthy identical twin boys. It was the most frightening and most beautiful moment in Castiel's life, and he had witnessed a lot during his time on Earth. Maybe it was because it was his children's birth he witnessed, or it was because it was the knowledge that the twins were theirs, he wasn't sure. When Alexander was brought forth into the world with a great lusty cry, threatening to shatter the windows, followed by his equally squalling brother, he knew a joy that he had thought was lost to him as Anna took the last of his grace.
He wiped his tears of joy hastily as they gave him the freshly cleaned Alexander, Alex as he shall be called until he grew into such a powerful name, his beaming smile the first thing the child saw as it blinked alertly up at him. The nurse who had given him the boy cooed in awe, "I've never seen a baby so alert like that before. He's so sweet!"
He watched as the baby blinked owlishly before closing its eyes and burrowing into Castiel's warmth. He chuckled softly, already this one was taking after Dean, he could hear the slight muffled snorting. He turned to Dean, moving little Alex in her line of vision, it would be very uncomfortable to hold him just yet, but as soon as he was given the go ahead he would make sure Dean got to hold him as much as he wanted.
Dean looked down upon the baby in utter awe, like he was just now realizing what was happening, "Oh, Cas," He breathed, "He's perfect!"
"This is Alex," Castiel whispered to him. Alex was like a long lost friend to the ex-angel, coming home after a long time away. He recognized the little one as soon as he was born.
Dean laughed thickly, "So you're the little bugger that kept kicking me in the kidneys, huh? I'll remember that little guy."
James was the next to be given to Castiel, already sound asleep, the nurse took Alec, "Poor little guy's tuckered out." She said in amusement.
He grinned at the little bundle in his arms, this was the supposed 'calm' one of the two, but as soon as Dean went to sleep, he would start his gymnastics. This was the one that sounded like tinkling laughter whenever it would communicate with them. This one was peace, while the other was harmony, he wondered how they were going to be as soon as they started crawling, walking, talking. He watched them in rapt fascination, he was excited to get to know them, and he was concerned at exactly how much mischief the two will create. They were Winchester's after all.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, James. You don't know how much we wanted to see you."
As Castiel walked out to the waiting room, they needed some time to transfer Dean to the room where he was going to be staying in for the next few days until the doctors gave him the release papers, he was surprised to see not only Anna, but Gabriel sitting in the chairs next to their little group.
He wasn't sure what to do, why they were even there, but as soon as their eyes met and Gabriel smiled brightly, he knew there was a tentative truce. For the time being at least.
Gabriel stood and strode over to the ex-angel, arms swiftly wrapping around him, crowing, "Daddy Cas is here!"
As his voice filled the room, not only their assembled group, but all the other visitors turned to stare at him. His lips thinned in embarrassment, "Thank you, Gabriel." The archangel stepped back, smile still stretching across his face. Anna was the next to embrace him, saying much quieter, "Congratulations, Castiel. I wish you and your boys the greatest of happiness."
Sam, Bobby, and Ben stepped up, Ben was nearly vibrating in excitement, "Are they here? Are they okay? When can we see them? How's Dean doing?"
He chuckled, "Yes, they are here, and they are both as healthy as can be. You can see them in a little bit, and the same goes for Dean. You will all be able to see them soon."
Sam clapped him on the back, and Bobby shook his hand, "We were worried about you there, earlier. I trust you got everything squared away?"
Castiel nodded solemnly at Dean's father-figure, "Yes, sir." He looked at Gabe over Bobby's shoulder, "There won't be any late-night disappearances in the future."
He led them over to the baby nursery, making sure Ben was in the front, so he could see his new brothers. They were in the front row, wrapped in little baby blue blankets and knit caps, already sound asleep, and apparently the best-behaved out of all the infants in the room. Ben's hands rested on the glass, straining on his tiptoes. Sam took pity on him and lifted him up, resting him on his hip. Ben let him, only because he wanted to see them from a different angle. Bobby motioned Jo and Ellen over as he caught sight of them in the hallway.
Ellen stood beside Castiel, sliding her arm around his shoulders, "So how's Dean doing?"
He leaned over and whispered, "Dean is fine, just being transferred over to his new room. He's going to be here for at least three days, he keeps saying he 'wants to get the hell out of here'."
Ellen snorted, "This is like a walk in the park considering the last couple times he was in the hospital. So, are your friends going to put the mojo on him and give his old body back?"
Castiel looked at Gabriel out of the corner of his eye, "That will be arranged, but after we leave the hospital." She nodded in understanding, smiling at the beaming Jo.
He heard a soft gasp, looking over as Sam's face froze, "James Samuel Winchester." He looked over at Cas in confusion, and the ex-angel elaborated, "Named after my former vessel and the child's uncle. I hope you don't mind. We only finished deciding names when Zachariah attacked."
"No," Sam breathed, smiling. "Of course I don't mind."
"Alexander Robert Winchester," Bobby read, "That's a good strong name." Castiel was amused at seeing Bobby fighting the urge to puff up with pride.
His gaze reverted back to the twins, contemplating their future, and their lives together.
Three days came and went in a blur, taking care of Dean and the twins were no easy task. Alex and James were easy, feeding and rocking them to sleep were the best, but changing them was an experience he'd never forget. It was Dean that was the chore; the hunter was fairly agitated that he had to stay in the hospital to heal up, since Gabriel promised to fix Zachariah's mess. Castiel guessed that he was just getting Dean back for being a major…pain when they first met. They had to keep up the appearances however, the doctors and nurses were sure to notify the police if a woman and her two children disappeared suddenly after just giving birth.
They breathed a collective sigh of relief as Dean walked downstairs the very next morning after a few days in the hospital, one hundred percent pure male. He positively vibrated with exuberance, digging into his breakfast with gusto that made Castiel slightly nauseous. He looked down at Alex, who was single-handed decimating his own breakfast, and shuddered at the thought of how much the little one and his father were alike.
He looked over at Sam, who was feeding James with a little more difficulty than Castiel, James was being a little finicky as of late. Dean's gaze swung from staring at his…lover to his little brother, chuckling slightly he leaned over and saved Sam from his ordeal, "Here, Sammy. Let me try, sometimes they get kind of fussy."
Dean leaned back in his chair, settling James in the crook of his arm, and guiding the bottle to his mouth. He took to it easily, giving Alec a run for his money as he sucked down the formula. He grinned as Ben walked in at that moment, "Hey there, buddy. Have a good night?"
Ben blinked, then beamed, "Dean! You're back!" He hurried up to him, stopping close enough to watch him feeding James, "So, how?"
"Gabriel, he got a good laugh before changing me back. That ass."
"Dean." Castiel admonished, gesturing to Ben with his head.
He snorted, "Oh, like he's not going to hear worse." He looked over at Ben, and said sternly, "Don't ever repeat that." Ben rolled his eyes and sat at the table next to him, stealing a piece of forgotten toast. Dean turned back to Castiel, "How's your hand?"
"The nurses did a good job of wrapping it. I don't think they believed my story, though." His hand was wrapped in a good amount of gauze, and Dean could detect a slight whiff of the burn cream. It wasn't bothering Alec in any way, as focused as he was on his bottle.
"What was your story?"
Castiel made a face, "Too much lighter fluid on the grill."
Dean laughed, okay so it wasn't the best of excuses, but it was purely and utterly Cas, who was unwilling to blatantly lie. He had the sneaking suspicion that Bobby was the one who supplied him with the excuse.
When he told him that he was punished, that he would have to live as a human, it was the best news he heard in a long time. Sure, he blamed himself for letting Castiel fall, no matter how much Castiel protested his involvement, and he had no idea what was in store for them in the future, he had more important things to focus on.
He watched Sam as he started washing the dishes contentedly, as Castiel calmly burped Alex, as Ben kept stealing his food for some odd reason instead of getting it himself, and felt a peace he honestly thought that he would never have. Maybe his mother was right, maybe the angels truly were watching over him. Maybe Castiel was right, that God did, in fact, have a plan. Maybe the Winchesters were no longer cursed.
He no longer cared about 'maybes' any longer, he didn't care that they couldn't look for God anymore now that Castiel had fallen, he didn't care how powerful Lucifer was becoming. The fallen angel wasn't going to take over his little brother, he could see that much now, and he wasn't going to rip away everything Dean cared for. It seemed that for all intents and purposes, the angels were on their side, though he would be damned if they tried to use the twins for their purposes.
