Castiel knocked on the door to Meg's room. Sam had made pancakes for breakfast and there were enough left over for Meg to have some. Her morning sickness had finally subsided only to be replaced with a large appetite.

Hearing no answer, he tried the door knob. He knew that she would not mind. Over the last month and a half their relationship had improved greatly. His decorating her room had not only made her more comfortable, but it seemed to have cooled her anger towards him. He knew that she had not forgiven him for the situation, but then he really did not expect her to. She was a demon, and forgiveness was not a demon quality. Still, she tolerated him now and even sought his company at times. It was not what they'd had before, but it was a start.

Meg was sound asleep. He entered the room and quietly closed the door.

"Meg," he quietly called.

"You'd better have good reason for waking me," she said without opening her eyes.

"Pancakes."

She opened one eye. "Keep talking."

"Sam made breakfast, and there's enough for you."

"You may remain unmaimed."

She got out of bed and began to pull on a large robe that she had found in the bunker. It had probably belonged to one of the long dead Men of Letters.

Castiel took the opportunity to see how much her vessel had changed. He hardly recognized the woman he had bedded less than two months ago. Gone was her toned stomach, small breasts, and thin, angular face. Now her face was noticeably softer and fuller. Her breasts were larger and he marveled that she was already getting ready to provide nourishment for their child. There was now a noticeable roundness to her abdomen, evidence that their child was growing.

Then he remembered that she would probably never get to feed their child, or even hold it. That all of these changes were leading to her death.

"You want a picture or something?" Meg asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

He forced a smile on to his face. "No. I was just thinking that it is time to get you some maternity clothing."

She narrowed her eyes. "I won't wear any of that frilly, pea-in-the-pod, bun-in-the-oven, 'look at how I'm the epitome of womanhood,' crap."

"You don't have to," he replied, confused.

"Good," she said firmly, opening the door.

He stopped her before she could leave. Carefully he placed a hand on her abdomen. She looked angry. "Have you felt any kicking yet?" he asked, removing his hand before she could yell at him.

"No," she replied crossing her arms.

"Will you please tell me when you do?" She reluctantly nodded. "And...may I feel when it happens?"

She was silent for a long moment. "Fine. Just ask first, okay? Consent, Castiel."

He thought being lectured on consent from a demon was highly ironic, but he nodded, vowing to respect her wishes.

They headed for the kitchen only to find that Sam and Dean were having an argument. Knowing that humans did not like being spied on, Castiel started to pull her out of the hallway. She shrugged him off.

"—you're cooking for her?" Dean demanded.

"No, Dean. I'm not cooking for her but I am including her. Lay off."

"No, Sam. This is too far. After everything that bitch has done—"

"To me!" Sam shouted. "I'm the one that she possessed, not you. So I'm the one who gets to decide how to act!"

"Not if you make the wrong decision. So, what, you're forgiving her now?"

"Yes."

Meg looked at Castiel with raised eyebrows.

"What the hell, Sam?"

"I'm not forgetting but, yeah, I forgive her. After everything that's happened—" His voice cracked a little. "—I need to let this go or I'll turn into an angry, bitter person."

"Like me, you mean."

"Yeah. God, Dean, Cas is like a brother to us and you just cut him off for a mistake that I'm pretty surprised has not happened to you."

"Thanks," Dean replied flatly. "He shouldn't have—"

"What? Done what you've encouraged? Tried to have a life? Found love?" Sam pressed.

"Love!" Dean scoffed. "With that..."

"They're having a kid together! Do you want him to just abandon them to make you happy?"

"Of course not," Dean replied. "I'd never want that for a kid."

"Then you need to get over it. 'Cause I'm pretty sure if it comes down to choice, Cas is going to choose his kid over you. And Meg comes with it."

Castiel finally succeeded in dragging Meg away from the doorway and pulled her into the library.

"Well that was entertaining," she said, sitting down in a chair.

He felt bad; he had never intended to cause strife between the brothers. Sam's kindness towards Meg had made him happy, but he had not thought about the cost.

Dean's words though...the way Dean had called him a baby last month, and now this? It was too much. It seemed that the hunter did not respect him, perhaps had never respected him.

No, Dean had...when he was following the behavior that Dean wished.

Part of him wanted to get back in the hunter's good graces, but he couldn't. He was going to be a father, and he had Meg. They were truly his family.

He looked at Meg, who was watching him carefully. She looked impatient but deep in her eyes he could see a vulnerability.

"Sam is correct. I am not going to abandon you. I had hoped that that was apparent by now."

"You abandoned Heaven for them," she said quietly.

"I chose to go against Heaven because it was the right thing to do. I am choosing you and our child because it is the right thing to do, and I want to. I am billions of years old, Meg, and I have my own mind."

Meg looked away, adopting an expression of indifference, leaving him unsure if she believed his words.

o.O.o

Meg entered her room that afternoon to find two bags on her bed. Looking through them she pulled out over-sized t-shirts and loose flowing tops in the dark colors she preferred, black yoga pants, and maternity jeans. There were even a couple of nightgowns and some pajamas at the bottom of a bag.

She left her room and went into the library. All three men were at the tables. Dean was reading a magazine, while Castiel and Sam were gathered around a laptop. She looked over their shoulders and saw a screen of text and anatomical diagrams.

"What are you reading?" she asked in distaste.

Sam started, surprised, but Castiel calmly turned his head towards her. "I am studying midwifery and labor coaching. You will not be able to give birth in a hospital after all. Sam has agreed to assist."

"Wait, what? No. I don't want him anywhere near my vagina," she protested.

"Okay. Really?" Dean asked, tossing down his magazine in disgust.

"It's an anatomical name. What? Would you rather I said—"

"I'd rather not think about your meatsuit at all," Dean replied.

"Sam will not touch your vessel, Meg," Castiel interrupted, watching her carefully. "I was intending for him to simply fetch supplies if needed."

"Yeah, that's what I was intending too..." Sam said slowly. "But it's good to know this stuff if something goes wrong."

"No," Meg said, reaching between them to shut the laptop with more force than was necessary.

"Meg, we need to start thinking about—"

"No," Meg said, quietly, crossing her arms. She could picture them crowded around her vulnerable form, poking and prodding and not knowing what they were doing.

Castiel tilted his head and gave her that penetrating look. "Are you afraid to give birth?"

Meg set her jaw. "Of course not."

"You are," Dean countered, leaning back in his chair. He was obviously enjoying her discomfort.

"It's normal for first time—" Sam began.

"It's not the first time," she said quietly. Dean looked like he was ready to jump up and go hunting for her cambion spawn. "I've given birth ten times. I died from puerperal fever ," she told them.

"Post birth infection," Castiel explained quietly.

"Wait, I thought demons forgot their time as humans?" Dean asked.

"Most do. Some of us remember," she said, "The point is, I know what to do, you just need to catch. And wash your fucking hands," she said, leaving the library.

She leaned against the hallway wall, out of sight, and mentally kicked herself. This was why demons did not like to recall their previous lives if they could help it. It brought up a ton of shit that created an emotional storm. Shit that didn't matter, like telling them to wash their hands. It was meaningless now.

She literally couldn't die in childbirth again.