Rebirth – chpt 4.

By: sifi.

OOooOO

"We have to protect him." Sam sighed, "he's alive and right now only Castiel's God knows what purpose Lilith truly intended him to serve. I mean I'm sure she really did…" "…murderer of the world…" her voice whispered in the back of his head.

Sam shook his head, "but he has to have a choice." He looked worriedly between Dean and Kitsune, "You wouldn't have saved his life if you didn't think he had a choice." He looked pleadingly at Dean, "Right?" then to Kitsune who clasped his hands in hers, "Right?"

"Damned straight." Dean nodded. It's an option. Do I bring it up now? Or save it for an ace? Sam can I just hand the torch to you man? You're the son of my soul. You're almost ready. But almost isn't good enough here is it? Not yet anyway.

"Yeah well, I want him to have a chance to live a normal life. The kind that Dean and I never got, and to do that we're going to have to work behind the scenes to protect him." Sam slugged back a hearty swallow of whiskey then passed the bottle to Dean. "Considering what we are, it shouldn't be that hard." He continued as the bottle made its rounds, "I mean I'm the son of the king of the gods…" he flicked his thumb at his big brother, "he's the King of the gods," then to Laura, "You're the embodied goddess of war, love and the heavens,"

"Talk about greedy." Dean smirked.

Laura shouldered him good naturedly.

Sam then turned to Kitsune who kept her expression impassive. She was a demi-god, a creature not nearly so powerful as the souls she was surrounded by in spite of being extremely powerful and ancient in her own right. "And you're a storehouse of skill, knowledge, wisdom and the woman I love, the one I want to bear me more children," the last fell gently between them as he gazed into her eyes, "I want you," he breathed then slid down to the floor on one knee totally oblivious to the questioning smiles on Dean and Laura's faces, "Be mine?" he asked then shook his head, "I can't ask you to Marry me no matter how much I want it. Let me love you for however long we've got? Mother my children? And even if we don't have any, be mine?" he repeated blushing madly and feeling as clumsy as a pre-teen asking for a date.

Tears left shiny tracks on her face. Her hands fell to his cheeks, a tremulous smile shook her lips as she nodded, "I am only for you my king." Then pressed her mouth to his.

Across the room Dean grinned luminously. Laura thumbed away a tiny tear as he turned to her.

"Can't ask her to marry him? Why the hell not?" He whispered before she captured his lips.

"Later." She promised.

The bottle made another pass around the room before the quartet settled down to the serious business of contemplating protection for Sam's firstborn son.

OOooOO

"Well then what about the shitload of sigils Castiel carved into us?" Dean suggested and hit the bottle again.

Sam winced, "Those HURT! Like a motherfucker! You want to do that to an infant?"

"No but it beats being turned into a meatsuit for Lucifer or his son. Besides it can't be more painful than getting circumcised and neither one of us remembers that… entirely." He frowned then shuddered and muttered, "sick bastards."

"His skeleton is made of hyaline cartilage right now it hasn't ossified." Laura took the bottle from Dean and hit it herself before passing it forward to Sam.

"English baby, English." Dean kissed her cheek.

"It's not bone yet, it shouldn't hurt as much." She clarified.

"Do any of you know how to do that?" Kitsune asked.

Sam, Dean and Laura traded looks. Laura shrugged while the Winchesters shook their heads stymied.

"Mmm no."

"Uh uh." Dean shook his head.

Laura shook her head, "Don't look at me, I think it's one of the best ideas I've heard." She looked between the boys, "It can't be that hard."

Their expressions dropped into disbelief.

"Castiel's an angel. You two house the souls of Gods. You can figure this out, it shouldn't be difficult."

"Why don't we just get Cas to do it himself?" Dean suggested, "I mean the guy's an outcast among his own kind, WE're pretty much all he's got till he finds his God." He shrugged looking around, "Worst he can do is say 'no' and we're pretty much back to square one right?"

"Problem is that means one more… person? Knowing what no one is supposed to know, not anyone but you and Kitsune anyway." Sam half frowned. "The more people know this secret the worse, if one side finds out he's alive it's a sure bet the other's going to find out soon enough and who says Lucifer can't sniff him out on his own? Or that somehow the scent'll come to him, no, we can't take that chance. As long as he's alive he's our responsibility, or mine at least." Sam shook his head.

"Ours." Dean nodded, "I'm the one who made the final decision. He's as much my responsibility as yours Sam."

The younger hunter nodded then looked at his lady, "Does anyone else know where he is?" he asked.

"Not even the sidhe." She answered obliquely.

"Good. Can you bring him to a safe, defensible location while we get Cas here?" he asked.

"Yes." She nodded, "I just need to get behind the veil. I'll send Mustardseed when I've returned with him. Will that do?" she asked.

Sam leaned in tasting her sweetness, "Perfectly." He smiled reaching over for the canister of salt in his bag.

Dean rose to his feet, "Sam."

"Huh?"

"We don't need that."

"What do you mean, we need to open the way…" Sam turned watching, floored stupid as his big brother raised his hand to shoulder height and gave a quick poke to the fabric of reality. Slowly a familiar doorway shimmered into existence for the demi-god.

"Hoooooleee sonuvabitch… how the hell did you learn to do that?" Sam breathed astonished.

Dean shrugged, "It just sorta… came to me."

Sam kissed his girl, "Be safe. Let us know when you're ready."

"I will." She agreed before disappearing.

Sam felt his heart thundering in his chest as Dean leaned over and with a sweep of the hand sealed the realms apart once more.

"This isn't growing up…" Sam breathed shaking his head, "What the hell is going on with you?" he half demanded. "First you're sharing my experiences, okay I can buy that Pipeline's responsible for that but then my visions? I mean that shit's supposed to eventually wear off Dean not get stronger. And now you're channeling Enki's power and opening doorways between worlds… what the hell man?"

A frown turned his mouth down, he shook his head and shrugged just as mystified by these things as his little brother. "I don't know." He admitted taking a step toward the bed.

Sam and Laura caught him before he hit the floor.

OOooOO

"…and how many times did I find you on the floor after a vision? Or trying to hide Niagara Falls flowing out of your nose when you started trying to exert some control?" Dean grumbled weakly, holding his head in one hand and squeezing his nose shut with the other.

"Far as I know I never had convulsions over any of it." Sam argued.

"Far as you know."

Sam's thought processes screeched to a halt, "Did I?"

"No." Dean groaned shaking his head, "I think I'm gonna throw up… why didn't I feel like this last night after bringing the veil to the circle?" he wondered aloud.

"You did what?!?" Sam demanded.

"Adrenaline most likely." Laura explained.

"Right," Dean nodded, "…mission high."

"Dean," Sam pulled up a chair in front of his big brother, "you're not wired for this stuff, if you're going to let Enki out, let him use you like this you have to be careful, I mean insanely careful! He almost killed you at Bobby's, riding you the way he did."

"What about after the Ifrit? Not a single negative repercussion Sam…except that he almost let you bone my girl." Their eyes met, there was no anger in Dean's over the issue. If anyone understood an obsessive need for certainty and unconditional love it was him.

Sam's head tilted to the side and his lips pursed for an instant before he shook his head, "I don't know. He wasn't using you to channel power."

Dean rolled his head and checked his handful of bloody Kleenex.

Laura's hand came up under his chin so she could inspect him. "Better," she muttered as another trickle came down to his lip, "But not done." She pinched his nose together, and grasped another handful of tissue for him.

"I'm not saying to not try," Sam leaned back eyeing his brother with frustrated worry, "I'm just saying be careful."

"Sam…"

"I know having control over it's a good feeling, but I know it's painful as hell too,"

"Sam…"

"But Enki doesn't have to live with the consequences of what happens to you as long as your body's alive he can use it y'know? And if you're not in there will he bother to protect you from Michael?"

"SAM!" he barked, "Ow…" as his head rang.

"What?"

"It wasn't Enki that did it. It was me."

OOooOO

"I need to know how to mark someone with those sigils your carved into me and Sam." Dean started once Castiel joined them, "Unless you'll do it."

The angel's eyes narrowed as he thought for a moment then looked between the brothers, "You let it live?" he deduced and actually managed to sound surprised. "Why would you do that?" He asked.

"He's my son!" Sam ground between clenched teeth drawing Castiel's curious gaze to him.

"Your reproductive system was played like an instrument. You had no choice in the matter, why would you choose to keep a creature conceived in such a way alive?"

"I will not hold the child responsible for the sins of the mother." Sam explained.

"You were."

Dean's eyes widened in shock. Sam looked from his brother to Laura who shook her head, "Hey don't look at me… your soul was conceived…"

"In love," he nodded grasping at the back of the chair to keep from being overwhelmed by the memory of the sensation. "You're talking about my…"

"Mary Winchester yes."

"Look Cas, the 'why' really doesn't matter," Dean grumbled and rubbed his temples, "what matters is the 'will you'?"

He looked at Sam, "Do you really believe the child has a choice?"

All eyes turned to the youngest Winchester as he gave the question fair contemplation. Long seconds later he looked at Dean, he never gave up on me, even when Dad did. Dean kept the faith. Even when I stumbled over intentions, he's still holding strong. I wish I had his faith. Can I be that faithful for just this one thing? Yeah. I can do that. He nodded, "Yeah I really do."

"Then I'll try." Castiel nodded. "Though if you really are trying to save the child's life you might do better not to have me near him."

On the bed Laura sighed hugely relieved and Dean dropped his head into his hands.

Dean shook his head, "What do you mean?"

The angel moved to him, "Why do you look so terrible?"

"He's been channeling Enki's power." Sam answered.

"What? Why?" he asked then grasped Dean by the hair and pulled his face out of his hands so they were eye to eye, "Your form was not built to house or harness such forces. That's why he sleeps so deeply."

"I'm already supposed to be Michael's vessel, I'm built to hold that kind of power."

"Michael is an angel, the highest order of Archangel, but still, only an angel." Castiel paced, "Do you remember when Anna took her grace back from Uriel? The power that was unleashed?"

"Yeah."

"Michael's power is ten fold. Enki's power is ten THOUSAND fold. He was a GOD before my Father was. You have no idea what his powers are capable of or what they could do to you if you start trying to control them."

Dean shook his head, "I'm not trying to control or use them, I'm just… able to do things."

"Do you know?" Sam asked Castiel frowning deeply and again drawing all eyes to him, "I don't mean it like that, I mean I really want to know. Castiel do you have an idea of the extent of Enki's power?"

For a long, agonizing moment the angel looked completely lost. And then he spoke.

"He was a peacemaker between gods or between gods and men, wherever it was needed. It was he whose essence brought life…"

"We know the lore Castiel," Sam interrupted, "Please tell us."

Dean launched himself out of the chair grabbing his ally companionably by the lapels of his rumbled Columbo-like trench coat, "Later. Right now we have a baby to save." He looked from Sam who frowned mightily to Laura who smiled faintly sadly as she gave a little nod then back to Castiel.

"Why don't you do the honors Cas? Can ya get us all there in one 'zap'?" he asked.

"You said last time I zapped you some place you didn't poop for a week. Can you handle that again?"

"I'm a poopin' machine. Take us to the veiled realm."

OOooOO

Dean watched his little brother light up as Kitsune set the tiny infant into his arm. Sam shook his head astounded by something so small it was barely two thirds the length of his forearm.

Dean smiled, glad that for once Sam's tears were born of joy.

"Hey there little guy," the no-longer-youngest Winchester smiled at the bundle.

Those sapphire eyes latched onto his, and that fist stayed right in the mouth. Sam rubbed his cheek against the silky brown hair and sighed. "It's only gonna hurt for a little bit I promise." He pressed his lips to Neil's forehead.

Dean smiled moving unconsciously to his brother's side, "Kid's a lot like you were Sam. Quiet baby. And the way you used to suck on your fist, I swear dad thought it was just gonna melt right off your arm."

Sam's eyes lit up and those mile deep dimples came out to play.

Castiel, standing in front of the boys looked askance at Sam.

"Yeah I'm ready."

He held out his hand, his head turned to the side as he envisioned the sigils.

Sam winced, Dean grimaced, Neil closed his eyes and seemed to drift off to sleep.

"Hmm," Castiel grunted.

"Did you do it?" Sam asked.

"Why isn't he crying?" Dean asked.

"It didn't work." Castiel said.

"What do you mean…" Dean started and instinctively clenched around himself as Castiel rasied his hand at the young man.

"Did you feel anything?" the angel asked.

"What was I supposed to feel?"

"It should've felt like a pat."

Dean shook his head, "Nuh uh, nothing, your mojo's really shot isn't it?"

"I'm outcast, cut off from my father, his house, from the power he gave me."

"So now what?" Sam asked barely able to pry his eyes off the baby.

Dean clasped Castiel's shoulder, "Well, I'm not cut off." He nodded and a heartbeat later raised one hand toward the infant while the other palm pressed firmly to Castiel's forehead.

"Dean!" Sam barked as Neil's cry burst out in full voice then quickly tapered to shuddering snuffles before he finally went back to his quiet observation with his hand in his mouth.

"There. That should do it." Dean straightened the rumpled trench coat, pointedly ignoring the look of trepidation on the angel's face. "Kitsune, take him home." He breathed and bent over clutching his knees, suddenly deeply winded.

For an instant a wave of white rolled through his hair leaving behind a handful of new grays before returning to his natural color.

"Sweetie?" Laura was at his side.

He turned his gaze to Sam who stood a few feet away kissing first his woman and next his son before sending them back to wherever he was supposed to be.

Raging agony split through him as red flowed onto the ground and he knew nothing else.

OOooOO

Tbc.

Please R&R.

Thanks. Sifi.