"So you can just suddenly feel the baby? Out of nowhere you suddenly know it's there?"
"Yes…"
"Unbelievable!"
Dean jumps up from the bed and begins pacing erratically. He starts a couple sentences but cuts himself off before he gets anywhere. Cas keeps both hands on his stomach. "Are you angry?"
"No, I'm not angry. I just—I just need some air. I'll be right back."
He leaves the room in a hurry and Cas just slumps back against the pillows and sighs. He strokes his stomach slightly and smiles.
But Dean is so upset and overwhelmed that he barely even notices Sam and Gabe hanging outside the bedroom door. He walks out briskly and just sort of mumbles at them. Sam follows but Gabe stays behind.
"Dean? You okay?"
"No, no I'm not."
"We're having a baby," Dean says stiffly. He continues marching towards the main room.
"To be fair, Gabe has been telling you that the whole time he's been here."
"I KNOW, SAM!" Dean suddenly screams. He stops with his back towards his brother and his fists clenched. "I know what he's been saying, but it sounded so god damned farfetched that I didn't fucking believe it."
"It's pretty believable now," Sam says softly. Dean falls quiet and remains motionless. "Dean?" Dean takes a deep breath and turns around slowly. He cups his face in a hand, wincing and turning red. "What's wrong?"
"I can't be a father;" Dean chokes out, trembling. He sniffs loudly and stares at the floor through his fingers. "Me and Cas can't have a kid."
"Why not?"
"I already said this to Gabriel, but I refuse to have a kid grow up into a life like we had."
"But your baby won't be like us. It'll have angel powers and a home, parents that love it and—"
"Her," Dean interrupts. He lowers his hand finally and stares at Sam with a blotchy, teary face. "My baby is a girl."
"Right, right," Sam says with a nod. "She'll have a good life and a good father."
"I can't be a good father!" Dean shrieks.
"That's bullshit, Dean, and you know it," Sam points at his brother angrily. "Yeah, dad raised us to be hunters even when mom didn't want that and yeah, dad was a piece of shit. But you raised me, Dean. You were more of a father to me than dad was."
"But I raised you to be a hunter," Dean mumbles, looking defeated.
"No, you didn't. Dad raised us to be hunters and you were just doing what dad wanted. You took care of me. You had no other choice. Now you're going to have a special little baby girl and she'll have parents that love each other to death and back. Don't you think that counts as something?" Dean nods. "And how do you think Cas feels? Nephilim are shunned by Heaven. He's not earning any points by having this baby, and it sounds like he's one of maybe three or four angels in eternity that have been pregnant. Don't you think he feels alone? Scared? Just because he isn't showing it doesn't mean he doesn't feel that way. You're the only person in the world who he shares this with."
"Damn," Dean says with a stiff sigh. "You're right. How could I not think about Cas' feelings? Ugh…"
"It's alright, Dean. He's an understanding guy. Just try to keep him in mind when you feel overwhelmed."
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Sammy."
"Don't mention it."
Dean smiles a little and smacks Sam on the arm before heading back to his room. He dashes quickly to return to Cas, who is still in bed and touching his stomach tenderly.
"Hey," Dean says, staring with big eyes. "You doing okay?"
"Yes. Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, lots."
He comes over to the bed and lays down, immediately draping his arms around Cas. He squeezes his hand into the space between Cas' palms on the stomach and smiles. They lean in and kiss. "I know she's probably the size of a popcorn shrimp right now," Dean says, smirking. "But I think I already love her."
"Me, too," Cas says, nuzzling into Dean's neck. "I love her very much."
Sam takes a chair in the main room and slumps back, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh. Gabe appears sitting on the edge of the table. "What's wrong, big guy?"
"Dean," Sam says exhaustively.
"Give 'em some time," says Gabe. "He'll come around."
"I guess so." He sits up and cracks his neck. Gabe leans over and pats him on the arm. "Cheer up," he says with a smile. "Aren't you psyched to be an uncle?"
A little smirk runs across Sam's face. "Oh, yeah," he says. "That's right. And you are, too."
"Mm-hmm," Gabe agrees. "We should go shopping."
"Shopping? Why? What for?"
"The baby!" He springs off of the table and shifts on his heels happily. "She's gonna need a baby room with baby stuff and baby clothes. Plus Cas' tummy's gonna get all swollen and he'll need maternity clothes. The dummy won't be able to figure out how to get his pants up pretty soon."
Sam laughs. "Yeah, I suppose."
"Well, come on! Let's go!" Gabe grabs Sam's hand.
"No, wait! Don't—"
Too late. He zaps them in the middle of a department store. Sam reacts with a big frown. "Ga-abe!" he hisses.
"What?" Gabe asks, immediately walking down an aisle as if nothing happened. Sam follows him, leaning over and whispering, "Don't just teleport us anywhere like that. Someone could see us."
"And?"
"And that's not good? You've got to have somebody on your tail, considering you've been busy with 'things' and you did just sort of come back from the dead."
"Ah, don't worry about it. You worry too much! Now let's look for stupid baby stuff."
"Stupid?"
They head off to the infant's section, where Gabe goes up to the furnishings area. Sam follows reluctantly. "She'll need a crib," Gabe says, putting his fingers on a big box containing just that, and it then disappears.
"I have money, you don't—ahh—Gabe you shouldn't—"
"What?"
The angel is tapping all sorts of things away with his fingers. Sam realizes it's a battle he can't win, so he gives in. "Never mind. Uhh, she'll need clothes."
"Yep, okay."
They go down every baby aisle, Gabe touching items to take home and pointing out things they don't need. "No breast pumps," he says.
"Well that's good," Sam adds with a nod. "I guess that means Cas won't have swollen breasts or anything of that sort?"
"Nope. Nephilim don't need to eat, so no boobies or diapers or that crap."
"Really?" Sam chuckles. "This sounds easier than a human baby!"
"Heheh, right. Keep thinkin' that, big guy. Maybe you can tell Dean how you feel 'bout that. It might cheer him up."
"Um, okay. I will, then."
"Good. Then do it."
"I will," Sam says, looking slightly confused. He puts his hands in his pockets and tries to change the subject. "Are we good? Do we need anything else?"
Gabe shakes his head. "Don't think so."
"Hey, if we set everything up…that will be a nice surprise for Dean and Cas, won't it?"
"Yeah."
"Can you take us back home? I've thought of the perfect room, too."
"No problem. C'mere." Gabe reaches out to Sam and grips his arm, then in a flash they're back in the bunker. Sam immediately heads off down the hallway, stops by his brother's room but turns to the door across from it. "This one," says Sam. He opens the door and heads in to an empty space. Gabe follows.
"Empty? Really? You jerks couldn't think of any use for this?"
"This place is huge. Do you realize how many empty rooms we have?"
"I'm gonna guess a lot," says Gabe. He puts his hands on his hips and looks around the room. "Pink, right?"
"For what?"
"The walls."
"Cas is having a girl, so that would make sense. When did you learn so much about babies?"
"I've been around the block a view times," Gabe says, waggling his eyebrows. "Now watch this." He touches the wall gently with one finger and suddenly a wave a light pink paint flourishes across the walls. Sam stares.
"That's amazing!"
"Yeah, just you wait," Gabe adds. He then squats down and touches the bare wood floor and a soft, deep pink carpet expands.
"Wow," says Sam. He shuffles his feet across it for a second. "Nice work."
"Mhm," Gabe hums, pretending to brush off his shoulders. "Now I'll get the rest of this shit in here." He snaps his fingers and the cribs appears on one side, then a big pink chest filled with stuffed animals, a couple shelves and a dresser for all of her clothes. "How's that?"
Sam walks around the room, nodding as he takes note of how it all looks. "Great," he says. "I think they'll be impressed. Let me go get them."
"'Kay, but be easy 'cause they might be boning."
"It's fine."
Sam leaves the nursery and goes right across the hall to his brother's room. He stupidly doesn't knock and just walks right in.
"HEY!" Dean yells. He's mounting Cas from behind but all motion stops when the door opens. Sam's eyes fall onto Dean's balls and he immediately covers his face. "Sorry!" he shouts.
"Get out!" Dean hisses.
"Finish up and come outside!" Sam says, trying to walk out while still covering his eyes. He bumps around a little but manages to leave.
"God damn it," Dean grumbles as his brother walks out. Cas just stares over his shoulder at him.
"What's wrong?" the angel asks.
"I lost my fuckin' hardon."
"Don't worry," says Cas.
"But I wanted to plow you more," Dean says with a sigh. "Are you gonna be alright if I stop?"
"Yes, of course."
"Alright, I'm sorry about that."
"There's no reason to worry, and I mean that."
Defeated, Dean slips his shrinking dick out of Cas' hole and goes to get dressed. "Sounds like he needs us for something, so you should probably put some clothes on and come with me."
"Very well," Cas says with a nod. He gets up and dresses as well, then the couple go into the hallway where they're greeted by Sam and Gabe standing by the opposing door.
"So what's going on?" Dean asks.
"Got a surprise for ya," Gabe says.
"Great."
"No, no," Sam interjects with a warm smile. "It's a good surprise. Just go inside."
"Whatever. Sure." Dean rolls his eyes, takes Cas' hand and they go into the room. His sour face instantly drops when they enter. "Oh."
"What is this?" Cas asks.
"A room for the baby," Dean explains. He starts smiling uncontrollably. "A room for our baby."
Cas turns to face Dean and tilts his head. "Why is it so pink?"
"'Cause it's a girl and they make girl's rooms pink."
"I see." The angel continues to observe the room with a stern face.
"What's wrong?" asks Dean.
"It's missing something."
Dean nods. "Yeah, you're right. It is. Okay, well it's missing our baby but something else, too."
Cas narrows his eyes. He scans everything inside very carefully. "What is it, what is it?" he mutters to himself.
"Ah!" Dean exclaims. "Exactly! Hold on a second, I'll be right back."
"Alright…"
Dean darts out of the room and goes back to his. He comes running back with a big piece of paper rolled up in his hands and an ecstatic look on his face. "Here! Yeah! Here we go." He unrolls a Led Zeppelin poster and tapes it to the wall above the crib. Looking satisfied with himself, he stands with his arms akimbo and his chest puffed out. "Perfect."
Cas comes up to him and takes his arm. "Why?" he asks.
"'Cause my girl is gonna know good music, that's why. From the womb to the tomb."
Cas sighs, rolling his eyes slightly. "Very well," he says.
"What?"
"I object to your personal taste, however the child is also yours so I can't make every decision involving her."
"Okay…but I mean, if you don't like it I can take it down."
"I like it because you like it," says Cas. He smiles. "However, when I find decorations that I would like to place, I would hope you allow them, too."
"Of course," says Dean. He turns Cas to face him, holds him by the shoulders and leans in for a kiss. It's long and slow but not particularly deep. When it breaks, their noses touch and they smile at each other through narrow eyes. "Love you."
"I love you, Dean."
Another kiss.
"I love our family."
"I do, too," Cas giggles. "I love our future."
