Castiel got back to his nest by nightfall. He felt relief in being back in his forest, safe from the outside world. He collapsed in the nest in exhaustion from a overdrive in flying. He dropped to his knees panting and in pain from his chest wounds. Dean woke up and started squiggling to be put down.
Castiel was to tired to make the mental link and just placed Dean down. Dean looked up at him shocked and confused to where he was.
The babies eyes landed on the torn and shredded breast and its eyes widened. Dean didn't need to see this.
Castiel turned from the baby in shame and raised his wing to cover his upper torso from the childs gaze.
He actually felt the babes mind poking at his mind, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Not now Dean." Castiel gasped out in pain and kneeled over feeling gingerly at his ripped breast. Dean would probably be hungry in a few hours. What was he going to feed him? His breast were ruined and would take a few days to heal at the least. Castiel closed his eyes focusing his grace on healing the damaged flesh.
Suddenly he felt something touch his stomach and he looked down. Dean was looking up at his chest with wide eyes filled with horror.
Castiel quickly made the connection with the baby to explain, to make Dean understand.
Dean just backed up two steps on his short legs and looked at Castiel terrified.
Castiel stopped trying to heal and focused his energy towards the young mind. Dean let him inside his head, which made Castiel relieved.
"Dean..." Castiel's voice sounded tired in his own head, laced with pain and guilt.
"Mummy no. Mummy she hurt you." Deans mind stated in a scared voice as the baby shook his head. Again Dean was smarter then the average three year old.
"I'm fine precious." Castiel assured reaching out towards the tiny human. Dean stood stalk still, Castiel noticed he was shaking in fear. Castiel could practically smell the terror coming off of the young body.
Castiel reached down and cupped the babies head pressing a kiss to its temple.
"I'm tired Dean. I'm just going to rest a while okay?" Castiel asked smiling gently. Dean just nodded, still staring at the breast that he had suckled life from in ruin.
Castiel slumped down onto his side and pulled Dean into his feathers, but not near his chest.
He then fell into the darkness of much needed sleep.
When Castiel awoke, he found that the pain was gone and it was much colder in the forest then it should have been.
Hip cracked his eyes sniffing the air. It smelt of...winter?
He knew winter was coming early this year, but he had no clue it was so close.
Castiel looked around and his heart dropped when he looked down at his breast. They were fully healed, and large, swelling with milk. The teats looked swollen, and angry red, as if they were begging for release. Castiel winced at the angry white scars that painted over the skin, they will hopefully fade with time. There was no way they healed over night. How long had he been asleep? He lifted his wings looking for Dean and his heart stuttered when he found him. The baby was curled into himself, under his wing still as a stone. Castiel reached for its mind and was shocked when he didnt feel its presence. Castiel's eyes widened when he saw the baby wasn't moving. He quickly got up in realization and picked the babies lax body up and felt how cold he was. Castiel's heart stopped.
"Dean?" He asked in a trembeling voice shaking the babe gently. He pressed the side of his face to the babies chest so he could hear it's heart beat. Dean whimpered and opened his emerald eyes that seemed dull at the moment and looked confused before he saw Castiel.
Castiel flapped his wings in relief but smelt sickness cover the small body. Dean coughed weakly, his body shuddering as a cold wind blew. Castiel pressed its small body to his warm breast and held him there rocking him gently.
"Dean, how long was I asleep?" Castiel asked the young mind gently.
"Mummy no wake." Dean mind supplied weakly.
"I know honey, do you know how long I was asleep?" Castiel asked pressing his lips to press gentle kisses to the babies head.
Dean just closed his eyes sniffling and wheezing weakly.
"Four dark skies." Deans mind replied hesitantly.
Castiel's heart filled with anger and shame on himself. How could he fall asleep for four days?
"Did you eat Dean? You look starving." Castiel said massaging the babies back delicately.
"I wanted to Mummy." Deans mind cried in frustration.
"Shhh, it's alright." Castiel shushed the babies whimpers. Obviously Dean hadn't eaten in a while.
How had Dean gotten sick? Perhaps the winter chill got to him under the warmth of Castiel's wing.
Suddenly a dark thought entered Castiel's mind.
"You fed from Lilith." Castiel stated darkly holding the baby that mush tighter to his breast in a possessive manner.
Dean didn't reply for a moment before Castiel lost it.
"DEAN! Did you feed from her!?" Castiel asked harshly pulling the baby back to look at his face.
Dean looked like he wanted to cry, but his eyes drooped in exhaustion and all Castiel got as a responce was a weak cough. Castiel looked down at the babies flat stomach and his eyes widened when he saw the humans stomach was full of extreamly tiny feathers, almost like a film of fur.
"No..." Castiel said shaking his head in denial. Harpy's milk was instantly fatal to any creature not of it's spawn, but Dean had angel milk inside him when he digested it. So Castiel didn't know what to expect as a result.
Dean was already sick, and for all Castiel knew he could be dead by tomorrow.
"Dean why would you feed off of her your foolish child?" Castiel demanded, angry not at Dean but himself for letting this happen.
"I didn't mummy, I didn't. She made me mummy, please forgive me." Dean replied, his voice weak as he buried his tiny face in between Castiel's breast, tears leaking from his eyes.
Castiel had no choice. He had to talk to someone older then himself about this. Someone whi could help. He stood up holding Dean tightly to him and took to the skies headed east. He wanted to go back to Lilith and rip her to shreds but Deans life was in the balance. There was no time to spare.
He had to find the healer.
