Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 2

Chapter 10: A Matter Between Brothers

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

It had been a week since I dealt with the Woman in White as I was back at home once again. After seeing Sadie and Stuart depart for Gehenna after their wedding, I was ready to be here as I wanted to make sure that Reiko was safe from harm's way. In two weeks was the summit in Kabizashi as I was most likely to be discussing my near brush with the Army of Cain. That skirmish against this unholy threat was more than just a headache for some of us, but for the Hunter Corps, they had to keep on their toes about the whole incident as it didn't go away lightly.

The workload in my office was lighter this time as I didn't have any more invitations and free coupons piling up in my junk box, for I was most likely to be attending another social gathering from Jun, who wanted me and Reiko to come along to her chocolate party. It was also at that moment that I saw Dean sitting there in front of my desk as he was determined to make sure that I was protected. The ongoing threat with the Army of Cain was a wake-up call that was now answered as I saw my brother just sitting there trying to follow me around, for I didn't want him to do too much.

"You know, you don't have to follow me there to Jun's place," I said.

"After hearing it from the horse's mouth, I'm not gonna let you out of my sight," said Dean sternly.

"Did Ginryu tell you about this?"

"No, Sam; Sadie and Stuart were keeping tabs on the Army of Cain ever since we stopped that Leviathan threat on Gehenna four months ago. I'm not gonna let you fall victim to those asshats and that's a fact."

"Dean, I can't let you hover over me right now because-"

"Stop right there. Magda and I are ready and willing to keep your ass in check whether you like it or not. Even Reiko's concerned after what you went through while getting back here to Alecrast. So, are you willing to keep me with you or do I have to dispatch Kevin here?"

I sighed as I reluctantly agreed to accepting Dean's proposal to guard me and Reiko at all times. Still, I didn't want him doing too much as I was most likely to be put under a strained watch due to the recent skirmish with the Army of Cain so far, for the threat couldn't be ignored, regardless of the matter at hand...

Two Thousand Years Into the Past...

Sam was on the mend after going through the worst sleep deprivation through Lucifer's torment as he was in bed asleep. When he woke up, he found himself elated that the proverbial elephant in the room was gone, but all of that misery had been transferred into Castiel as he began to feel guilty about leaving him there in the psychiatric ward with Meg as the new nurse on call. After being cleaned and dressed in nightclothes, he was looking at his surroundings very carefully as he noticed that he wasn't in the same place as before. He was safe in a clean room as he was sleeping in a warm bed that didn't smell like rotting dead. It was a slug roe home that he was in as he was grateful that he wasn't in the psych ward anymore. The place itself also proved to be useful as he got up out of bed and went towards the window. He was seeing life radiating from outside as he saw the ocean meeting the Columbia River. He was in Astoria, Oregon, as the slug roe home he and Dean were staying at became a fortress that shielded them from the menacing Dick Roman, who killed Bobby in the process. By the time he heard the door to his room open up, he saw Samehada enter as he brought some fresh produce and such in order to make some stir-fry for dinner. He wasn't the only one who lost someone close as the Shinigami with the bags of fresh meat and vegetables lost Otoka to those infernal monsters who would stop at nothing to turn humanity into their personal all-you-can-eat buffet at any moment.

"So, how are you feeling?" asked Samehada.

"I feel better, but I should've never left Cass back in there in that psych ward," said Sam.

"Dude, he transferred all that torment from Lucifer out of you and you say that you feel guilty? Lighten up, will you? You need to be happy that you got some sleep for once, and besides, Dean wanted you to get it after what you've been through."

"Perhaps I should've stayed awake a little longer..."

"Hey, what would Cass say if he saw you like that? He would smite you if you felt guilty and if the next time you see him again, you should thank him for getting out that excess baggage out of you, okay?"

"Do any of our friends approve of Meg taking care of him?"

"Totsuka was against it, but after getting a pep talk from Beverly and the others we have here in our merry band of Bottom Feeder killers, he let it slide and got back to purchasing more Power Clean just to nail those bastards."

Sam sighed as he was fighting off the excess sleep that he had while Samehada left the room with the groceries in his hand. It had been three days since he left the psychiatric ward as he got some sleep while on the road with Dean. It was also the most therapeutic thing he ever had as he was starting to yawn and yearn for more sleep in order to keep him functional against the ongoing Leviathan threat. Even though he went without it during his days of Lucifer's torment, he was wanting to stay awake until he noticed Dean coming into the room with concern. He wanted to check on his younger brother as he saw him yawning and trying to stay awake. When he steered him back into bed, he covered him up with the blankets on it as he was determined to keep him sleeping in order to function on the next hunt at hand.

"Dean, you don't have to do this to me," said Sam as he was yawning.

"Sorry, but it's for your own good," he answered.

"I had a feeling that you'd say that."

"Sam, you have went through the ringer after you suffered from Lucifer's torment, okay? Now, if I were you, I suggest that you get some more rest."

"How can I if I keep thinking about what happened back there at the hospital where Cass is being held? It's gonna haunt me, no matter what I do."

"No it's not." Dean felt Sam's forehead as it was burning up. "Son-of-a-bitch... Sammy, you're coming down with something."

"I told you I'm fine."

"That's bull, Sam. You're hot, so I suggest that you stay put in bed until you heal."

"I can't let all of this slide, you know."

"Hey, you're not in the psych ward anymore. You're in a slug roe home recovering from one of the worst case of sleep deprivation and you're itching to get up? It's not gonna happen, Sammy. You're even starting to get a little sick at the gills because of what Lucifer did to you. Now, if you don't mind, I suggest that you sit tight while I take your temperature."

It was at that moment when Dean grabbed the thermometer from the nightstand as he shoved it into Sam's mouth. He was aware that his younger brother wasn't doing too well after suffering from a bad case of insomnia in which it was fueled by the hallucinations he was suffered due to the torment that came from Lucifer. By the time the thermometer beeped, Dean took it out as he saw the alarming news on it. Sam had a temperature of 102.2 as he was suffering from a fever instead of another bout of Lucifer's obnoxiousness, for he had to get more rest if he wanted to survive the onslaught from the Leviathan threat. He felt tears coming down his hot cheeks as he was glad to see his older brother instead of the fiend that tormented him for days, for it was the best thing that he wanted right now.

"It's official, Sam; you're staying in bed," said Dean as he wiped away the tears from his brother's face. "It's ironic that you turn on the water works, but you should be happy that you're not in the nut farm for the rest of your life."

"Dean, I'm not sick," he said as he was trying hard to stay awake.

"If you're not sick, then how come you're coming down with a high fever?"

"Maybe it's just a side effect..."

"Wrong; all those days of Lucifer depriving you of sleep have caused your immune system to hit the frappe button. It's not a joke, Sam. I'm much concerned for your health after what you suffered from over the past few days and it's not just after seeing Frank Devereaux's trailer being ransacked after our last hunt. You need to get better, so I suggest that you get some more sleep, are we good?"

"Dean, I took a long nap while we were driving in one of Totsuka's skeleton cars he gave us, but-"

"Hey, what did I just tell you? You need all that extra sleep after what you've been through, so I suggest that you get as much as you need to, alright?"

Sam reluctantly agreed as he closed his eyes and fell asleep once again. He needed the extra sleep as it was something that had to be done after what he suffered from. It was the least he could do as he drifted off into dreamland without any difficulty at all. It was also the best advice that he could get as it was helping him recover from the worst case of insomnia that he had in him, for he needed to rest up before doing anything at present...

Later on in the evening, Sam was shaking from fever as he was having another nightmare about Lucifer tormenting him. He was up as he was shaking to the core. When he got out of bed, he wanted to be up and about as he later saw Dean enter his room with a tray of food in his hands. The smell of stir-fry filled his nostrils as he decided to go back to bed in which his older brother gave him the tray of food in order to eat some to get his strength back from all that torture in that psychiatric ward he stayed in a few days ago. It wasn't long until Totsuka came in as he was concerned for Sam's health and well-being in which he was suffering from the nightmares that came after having all that torture being taken away from his mind.

"I take it that you had another nightmare," said Dean.

"I can't shake the fact that I still have them even after Cass shifted the torment onto himself for penance," said Sam.

"Well, I did all the cooking, but Samehada got started on the salad," said Totsuka.

"I still have those nightmares, but the guilt of leaving Cass at the hands of Meg-"

"Dude, I'm not fond of Meg myself, but she's got a part to play just like the rest of us in order to put a certain Dick in his place."

"You mean Dick Roman?"

"Yeah, we all mean Dick friggin' Roman," said Dean. "He's the asshat that killed Bobby and is making a move into making all of us into one big Turducken Slammer if we don't stop him."

"Well, earlier, I heard Samehada bitching about how those Bottom Feeders are tainting the processed food, including burgers and pie, but at least we make the best of it with all the fresh produce and stuff from Otoka's safe house at our disposal," said Totsuka.

"C'mon, what's gonna happen all to the burgers and pie?"

"If those Leviathans are poised into tainting the classic diner food, then we'll do what we can to put a damper on those ass-clowns before all of us get eaten," said Sam.

"Hey, Girl, Interrupted, you can ponder about grabbing a little Dick later, but first, you need to heal." Sam sighs heavily as he was staring at Dean directly with those soulful eyes of his. "I know that you feel guilty about leaving Cass with Meg, but at least you don't have the elephant in the room anymore. You should laugh at yourself a little, alright? You should be full of life right now. Also, you should be resting more after what you went through. You can't let all this guilt build up or else you'd be back in the same boat, so I suggest that you eat something right now."

And that point was made as Sam was eating his food that didn't turn into maggots this time. He missed the fresh produce in so long as he was devouring the stir-fry complete with all the chicken, vegetables, and spices mixed in there along with the rice. He was happy that he ate the food as he didn't worry about a thing, for he was staring at Dean and Totsuka who made sure that he would get better in order to get rid of the Leviathan threat that was waiting in the wings. He was happy that he was resting as he was surrounded by those who cared about him the most, for they would be there for him when he was on the mend...

Meanwhile, back in the present...

I was getting dressed as I was about to go to Jun's house for the chocolate party as planned. I was fully dressed in winter garb as I saw the snow falling from outside. Just as I was about to check up on Reiko, I noticed Colchuvar coming into my office as he was about to cut my invitation to Jun's chocolate party short. He meant business as he had a job for the both of us right now, for he was on top of things more than any other member of the Order. I wasn't in the mood for accepting something from him off the bat, but I had to hear him out first before anything.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"You know what's going on, Sam," said Colchuvar sternly.

"If you're wanting me to go with you off into space, count me out of it because I have to go to Jun's house for a-"

"You'll do no such thing, Sam! Right now, my group's been put on babysitting duty in order to escort the Order of Letters delegation towards Earendil. Still, we can't get clearance without bringing an Elder with us."

"Sorry, but I can't do that. Also, I have been invited to Jun's house for a chocolate party and if I turn it down, my tenure as an Elder will be revoked and my membership of the Order will be terminated. Do you want that on your heads?"

"As usual, we're not taking no for an answer and we don't really care, either. Jun can find another day to host that frivolous crap some other time, but right now, you're the only Elder we can think of."

"What about Ippei? He's more than willing to go with you."

"Ippei's in the Southern Stride right now. As of today, you're the only Elder here that we can take along, so I suggest that you grow a pair! And for the record, Jun Kanzaki's coming along with the delegation as well."

I was delivered the ultimatum from Colchuvar as I got up from my desk and left my office. With Dean following me to my room, I was ready to pack up as I was about to go off with the Hunter Corps on an escort mission. With the essentials packed in along with my journal and a set of pens, I was ready to go as I had no say in the matter at hand. I never wanted to agree on it, but I had no other choice in what was going on as I had a duty to attend the matters that concern me the most.

"I didn't want to agree on this from the get-go," I said as I was feeling annoyed.

"Hey, if we're called to protect the delegation, we have to answer," said Dean.

"What about Reiko? She'll be disappointed when she sees me leaving again."

"Magda's with her and recently, I got an earful in not spending quality time with you in a while."

"Is that what she told you?"

"Yes."

"Then, so be it... Anyway, if we're gonna be on this escort mission, then we're gonna have to do more than just protect the delegation."

"That's something for us to get into."

"Dean, why are you including me into this mess?"

"'Cause I'm an awesome brother."

We left my room as we were on our way downstairs. It was also at that moment that we saw several picnic baskets full of food to carry on our trip as we were leaving for further reaches out of Alecrast. It wasn't long until I saw Reiko standing in front of me as she didn't want me to go so soon, for I wanted to be with her instead of going onto such a mission that I am on now. I wanted to be with her so badly, but I had no say as I was about to leave on a mission with the journal in my hands. It was the least I could do as I was most likely to be writing in it while I was on my travels on the field, for that knowledge could be useful to our future children soon enough.

"I know that you're leaving again," said Reiko as she put her arms around me.

"I don't want to, but I don't have a choice," I said.

"At least I baked some stuff for you and Brother. Even Magda can cook, too. Earlier, she scolded Brother for not spending enough time with you these days, but at least the two of you can be on this mission as family."

"Reiko, even if Dean's a mother hen on this mission, I'm gonna have to make the best of it."

"Be careful, Sammy..."

I kissed Reiko's soft lips as I even touched at the swollen baby bump she had. When she saw me off, I had Dean following me as he also had some supplies of his own. With our weapons on our person, along with our supplies, we left for outside as we went straight towards the clearing where a new ship was standing in. It was different than the last Hunter Corps ship that got trashed as we all got inside and sat down on the bridge. The ship itself was a huge one as it also had all the delegation coming into it for the journey to Earendil. It was way different as even I saw Colchuvar, Shigeru, and Kevin enter into the bridge while they were ready to take off from Alecrast. Even Nicholas arrived as he was ready to take the helm into piloting the ship where it needed to go.

The feel of the ship itself taking off made me start to miss Reiko as I was ready to write something in my journal that was given to me. I wanted to tell her about this experience as I was busy writing away when I saw the sky of Alecrast transitioning towards the blackest pitch of space. We were all on our way to Earendil as we were most likely to be hitting a warp point without any problems as we speak.

"Listen up," said Colchuvar sternly. "The delegation to Earendil has to be guarded at all times. We all know that this ship's a far cry from the one that got trashed, but we have to make due with what we got right now. Also, there are spacesuits in there just in case there's a need to repair any damage whatsoever. If any of you all know how the inner suits of the spacesuits work, we strip down to our birthday suits in which there's a catheter to put into our private parts due to the fact that there are no bathroom breaks in space. Before we discuss any further matters into protecting the delegates, we should do a tutorial on putting on the inner suits of the spacesuits we have on hand."

It was at that moment that we were going towards the hangar where the main airlock was as we were going towards the men's locker room for a drill. We all saw the spacesuits and inner suits on display as we stripped naked while fitting into the very suits that were made for us. Kevin, Shigeru, and myself were no strangers into getting into the inner suits as we felt the catheter snake into the place where it needed to go. I even noticed Dean getting into his own inner suit as he felt the catheter snaking into where it had to go into. The very feel of it made him feel uncomfortable as he was even putting on the spacesuit that covered him up. Still, he was trying out the catheter for the first time as he just glared at me for being used to something that resembled a torture device for one's private parts. It was his first time using the catheter in his suit as he was simply moseying all over the hangar.

"Well, Dean, what do you think?" asked Shigeru.

"It's torture for the little guy," he answered.

"I guess that you're not made for going outside of space, are you?"

"Shut up; I bet that Sam had it worse."

"Technically, I'm no stranger to catheters," I said sincerely.

"You know how these things work?"

"For starters, my first time with the catheter was when I was being tested on by the Medical Corps."

"Dude, that's just wrong," said Kevin.

"Knock it off, all of you," yelled Colchuvar. "We're suiting up for a drill, not play around. For those who hadn't tried on the spacesuits, we all know that there's a catheter there due to the fact that there's no bathroom in space."

"We heard you the first time," said Dean as he was feeling uncomfortable in his spacesuit. "How come Sam's comfortable with that damn thing while I feel like I've got fleas in the twig and berries?"

I began to laugh at my brother's problem with his spacesuit as I was quickly stifled by Kevin and Shigeru. We had our humor here on this ship as we were also escorting the delegation towards Earendil as planned. We all had our work cut out for us as we were most likely to be having our duties put to the test so far...

Gadreel was in a holding cell as he was being held prisoner due to what he committed during the time of the Elder Days. He wanted to find me right away, but he was being put under scrutiny by those who saw him as an angel who slaughtered his own torturers out of revenge as he was still receiving penance for his actions that he committed two thousand years ago. He never wanted to be put there, even against my wishes, as he saw the door open up and close. It was at that moment that Totsuka came in as he wanted to talk to Gadreel directly, for he wanted to know why he was reborn at this time and age so far.

"I knew that you would come to torment me," he said.

"Sorry, I didn't get the last details about your redemption directly," said Totsuka.

"Abaddon killed you all those years ago, didn't she?"

"She did, but my rebirth put a damper on her plans in which her posse caught me just to take me towards her and her new boy-toy."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know what happened to you after my death when you blew yourself up to get Castiel out of jail in which he went and put a damper on Metatron's Ponzi scheme."

"Yes, but I know what happened two thousand years ago when I felt the First Blade cut at me."

"Speaking of which..., the one who now bears the Mark of Cain and the First Blade is an Elf named Hideyono Kuronaga. No one knows how he got it, but he's dangerous with what he has on his person. He even killed his own mother due to the ruthlessness he has against the humans who live here on Alecrast. As for Sam and Reiko, they're gonna have to watch their backs on who's trying to take them out, for the Army of Cain have been cruising around in space terrorizing the rest of the inner planetary system."

"And that sigil on your forehead..., Sam had one just like it..."

"Dude, this one appeared on my forehead since that Army of Cain ship blew up around me. I'm lucky that I got back on my A-game, but at least I came back in one piece." Totsuka gets up and walks toward the door. "Also, for the record, we should also look out for the Children of Azazel as well, so I suggest that you tell Ginryu that you have a stake on this future at hand."

Gadreel watched the Shinigami leave the holding cell as he had fresh hope into fully redeeming himself in the end. He also hoped that I would be safe on what I had in mind due to the fact that I was being ushered on a mission to guarding the delegation en route to Earendil as planned...

The first wave of exercises were being demonstrated in the simulator as we were getting used to what we had on our persons. I was on top of things as I assured Dean that he was fine due to what he was experiencing in his spacesuit. By the time the exercises were over, we left the simulator as we were on our way towards the bathhouse unit. With our suits taken off and cleaned, we were all relieved that we were surviving the crash course of being in space so far. As for me, however, I was busy at one of the wash basins as I was cleaning myself off with soap and water from head to toe. It wasn't long until Dean decided to join me as he was also scrubbing himself with soap near the wash basin next to mine. By the time we were finished, we were rinsed off as we went directly into the bathtubs where the hot water was waiting for us.

"Ahhh, this is the life," said Dean as he was happy to enjoy the hot water in the tub.

"You always say that," I said.

"After being in that spacesuit with that tube in the twig, everything's peachy."

"Dean, even though you get sent outside in space, there's no bathroom break out there. That's why there's a catheter in the inner suits all the time."

"And you say that you crapped yourself in those spacesuits? That's a hell of a lot worse than wearing diapers."

"Yeah, I know, but our wastes are stored both ways: our sweat and urine are filtered in which they are converted to water for drinking. As for the feces, it's stored in the thigh packs just to be emptied out for energy conversion for the ship or any other space vehicle here at our disposal."

"Are you serious, Sammy?" I nod as I saw Dean make a face. "That's... that's just sick!"

"Well, that's the truth in a nutshell there."

I saw Dean make a very embarrassing face as he simply didn't want any more part into wearing the spacesuit ever again. Still, he had to obey the command into wearing such an embarrassing contraption like that as it would also be a godsend that could save his life someday. As for me, however, I was pondering on writing an entry into the journal after I got out of the bathtub as I didn't feel like it right now. After spending all day training with the rest of the Hunter Corps, I was tired as I got up from my bath after draining the water out of the tub. With a towel wrapped around my waist, I was ready to leave as I grabbed a robe from the shelf. After drying myself off, I placed the towel into the hamper as I put on the robe and left the bathhouse altogether and went straight to my quarters. It was a military-grade room as it had two beds instead of one so far along with a bathroom that had a shower. When I went in there, I got out my toothbrush and toothpaste and cleaned my teeth near the sink. I wanted to go to bed early as I felt tired from those training exercises earlier. After I finished up, I put away my toothbrush and toothpaste as I left the bathroom and got into my nightclothes in order to get ready for bed. When I laid down on one of the beds, I got out my journal as I was ready to write my entry into it. Just as I was about to do so, I saw Dean enter into the quarters as he plopped down on the other bed. He was tired as he just wanted to get some sleep just like me, for we had our work cut out for us while escorting the delegation to Earendil as planned.

"Well, Sam, we got the inspiration for twin beds so far," he said as he yawned.

"It's ironic that we're in the same quarters," I said as I was writing in my journal.

"Actually, this is the best time well spent so far between us."

"What do you mean?"

"We haven't been doing this since we were put on Gehenna years ago. It's a godsend that we're in the same room, but we sure miss the hell out of Reiko and Magda back on Alecrast."

"All I'm hoping for is that they're alive and safe while we're gone here in space. It's the least we can hope for."

"Hey, father-to-be, if those twins come out earlier, then I wanna be seeing them in all their glory." I was stunned to hear Dean say that as I stopped writing in my journal for a brief moment. "I'm serious, Sam. I wanna be the first to see my two nephews in person when they come out in the spring."

"Then you'll end up getting your wish when we get back home to Alecrast. Besides, there's an upcoming summit in Kabizashi that we have to attend to first."

"Haven't I told you that you always stood out?"

"No..."

"Anyway, being tall and having that raw power sigil on your forehead didn't cut it."

"Okay, then what did?"

"It's your hair and how long you grew it out while we were dealing with that asshat on Gehenna years ago. It's something that made you the swan out of the bunch."

"Dean, I may have been an ugly duckling, but being a swan's something that's never occurred to me before. It's also something that I lived with over the years, but I turned out to be the one who outshined everyone that doubted me."

I made my point clear as I resumed my writing in my journal. I was writing every detail in my book as I wanted to tell Reiko all about what I experienced on this trip to Earendil. Throughout the trip, we had no problems running into the Army of Cain as the ship came towards a warp point that led all the way to the location that we needed to go to. Speaking of which, I was pondering on seeing Reiko once again as I was thinking about her all the time, for I would return to her when the mission was done and over with soon enough...

Many Years Ago On Gehenna...

I was busy cleaning up the barracks as I was getting the beds made for the soldiers who slept in this room I was in. It took me two hours just to clean the room as I was busy at my work at the fort. Even though my work was cut out for me, I remained on task as I even had to rely on the teachings of the book that was given to me by Ginryu all those years ago. My demeanor had became calm as I even became more tolerant of Sylvanus' cruelty against me, but I didn't let it bother me due to the fact that I remained the odd one out since I was brought here with Dean when our father died many years ago. By the time I was finished, I was on my way towards my room near the broom closet as I noticed Dean coming back from a hunting mission. He was exhausted from such trouble as he was about to go towards the room I cleaned up earlier. Even I was glad to see him as I took off the cap from my head and exposed the long hair and sideburns that I had along with the jeweled sigil on my forehead. Dean was stunned to see my hair grow long enough to reach my back as I didn't want to cut it. My hair was something that I had on me as it kept me more focused than ever. I was starting to become like the Elves on Alecrast as they had long hair on their heads, for it was my reason to come back home sooner or later.

"Dude, if there were some clippers, then you should have it shoulder-length by now," said Dean.

"Shut up," I said. "It's my hair, you know."

"Sam, you're starting to pine like an Elf with those locks on your head. Hell, if any woman saw you here, they'd flip in order to see you in all your glory."

"What are you talking about? I'm already tall as it is, you know."

"Hey, ugly duckling, after I get a shower and a change of clothes, we should dine in the mess hall together."

"Dean, there are rules and regulations here in the fort, but-"

"Stop right there. We're family and we're gonna continue to be that family because we're all we've got. It won't be fair that you get left out all the time and I get to play soldier, but if you end up being an Elder with all that knowledge in your cranium, you'd make Sylvanus choke on his words. Now, let's do our part and dine in the mess hall like a real family should."

I followed my brother as we decided to do that while the rest of the soldiers and servants were coming towards the mess hall for dinner. We smelled the scent of roast venison and vegetables cooking as we were most likely to be eating at that table by the window for today. I was happy to have my hair grow long as I was fiddling with it, but I was much happier that Dean was with me as we were both there as family and that counted more than anything...

Meanwhile, back in the present... again!

The ship with the delegation pulled out of the warp point as we finally touched down towards Earendil. I was up and about as I was dressed up in fancy clothing for an Elder of the Order. By the time the ship touched down, it landed in a clearing as it was parked near a castle. I noticed Dean dressed up in his Hunter Corps uniform as he was ready to escort me there. He meant business as he didn't want to leave my side not one bit. He wanted to protect me as I was a target in all this trouble on all sides. We had never seen so much here like on Alecrast as I noticed the snow falling on the ground for winter. It was a place of many trees as some of them housed people in them while castle structures were built on them as well. I was stunned to see something like this as I saw several Rendilians come out in winter garb as they were seeing me here for the first time. My heart skipped a beat as I saw the beauty of Earendil directly until I heard a familiar voice calling to me.

"Sammy!"

I was stunned as I saw Reiko and Magda standing in front of me in which they were brought here for a reason. Even Dean was stunned that Magda was plucked out of the castle along with Reiko as he wanted to take her the moment they went towards a room in the castle. As for me, however, I was holding Reiko's hand as I was even feeling the baby bump that protruded from her dress. I was glad that she was there with me, but who brought her and Magda here?

"Looks like our spouses missed us," said Dean.

"Hey, your angel friend was the one who considered us coming here when he whisked us out of the castle on Alecrast," said Magda.

"Castiel sent you two here?" I asked as Reiko nodded. "I see..."

"He said for us to come here," she said sincerely.

"And what about Dirk?"

"Dirk's a little stubborn," said Magda. "He's the type that can't leave the castle yet because he has school still."

"Who's watching him, exactly?"

"Herschel stood behind to look after Dirk along with that housemaid who appeared out of nowhere. Still, he's got a long way to go, but when he comes of age, he'll know all about the ways and means of the Order of Letters. Don't worry, the kid will have his shot, but not now because he's got all that time before he reaches adulthood."

I was relieved that Dirk wasn't alone as I was thinking about him at home. I was picturing him doing his schoolwork as I had a feeling that he would make a fine member of the Order someday. By the time we all entered into the castle, we were greeted by another familiar Cat Sidhe as she was part of the Garrison Corps while guarding the delegation here on Earendil. It was Debbie as she was on hand into attending the rest of our delegation while we were busy checking in for the summit at hand here on this planet. We were all inside of the interior house of the castle as we were ready to go towards our rooms for the week. The inside of the castle blew me away as I was amazed by the art here. I saw several tapestries hanging above the ceiling as I noticed every detail being woven into them due to all the colors that were used on them. Still, even though I was brought here, I had to be chaperoned by Dean as he refused to budge from his duty as my protector on his delegate mission.

"You know, you don't have to hover over me," I told him.

"Sorry, Sam, but I'm sticking to you whether you like it or not," said Dean.

"I know that you mean well, but you can't protect me forever."

"Hey, I can't let the Army of Cain or the Children of Azazel get a hold of you because of all that raw power in your noggin and that's a fact."

"But, Dean-"

"Sam, listen to what your brother has to tell you," said Castiel as he appeared out of nowhere. "The Army of Cain and the Children of Azazel have been watching from the sidelines due to the factor that you and Reiko carry the future of this planetary system. It can't be ignored and it can't be put aside, either. They are hidden in plain sight in which they will stop at nothing to do away with you. We can't let that happen and if it did, then both sides of the Demon War would win, but their next objective is to take over everything here in the universe. You have to prepare for what would happen next."

I saw Castiel disappear as I was left at the overprotection of Dean altogether. I didn't want too much protection, but I didn't have a say in the matter. I had to endure the fact that Dean was protecting me non-stop as I was most likely to be the target of the monsters and radicals that were itching to get a piece of me. When I followed Reiko towards our room, I closed the door behind me as I sat down in a chair that was next to a bed. I even noticed Reiko sitting down on it as she felt the baby bump swelling up even further. I had a feeling that my wife wasn't doing well as she was feeling the pinch of her pregnancy progressing in her body. She was tired as she wanted to rest up for a while, for I would even make sure that nothing bad would ever happen to her while we were here on Earendil.

"Hey, are you feeling alright?" I asked.

"I feel fatigued, but I'll be fine," said Reiko.

"You should've stayed at home, but at least you're here now so I won't be lonely."

"Sammy, I feel the twins growing in my body every day now. Is something wrong?"

"No, but if there is, we'll ask one of the Medical Corps on standby to see what's wrong with you."

I saw Reiko smile at me as she was safe with me again. Little did I know was that Dean was peeking through the door to our room as he didn't want anything bad to happen to either one of us. He was there to protect us as he didn't want any demon or radical to do any harm to his future relatives at present. While he was busy on guard duty, he saw Jun walking towards our room as she walked past him and went straight towards me and Reiko directly. It was also on a whim that she came along with the delegation as she was about to throw another party here on this planet we're staying on.

"I take it that Reiko got exhausted from being hauled by Castiel," she said.

"I'm fine, Auntie Jun," she said.

"According to our wayward angel friend, you've been feeling the twins grow quicker than normal in which that raw power's making them wanting to come out even more."

"Are you sure about this?" I asked.

"I know so because they are destined to come out so readily instead of the spring."

"I bet that Dean's gonna flip when our sons would come out early, perhaps on his birthday."

"Well, in two days, it'll be his birthday, but I bet that he and Magda would end up having a bun in their oven soon enough."

Dean was flabbergasted about that statement as he heard it from Jun from outside of our room. He had never told Magda about making a baby of their own yet as he wanted to go into his own room and take her before the night was over. Still, he wanted to check up on her directly just like I checked up on Reiko as he was starting to see a vision of his own appear in the window's reflection. He saw himself with Magda as they were holding a set of twin girls in their arms in which it was a future vision that could never be ignored, no matter what the outcome. He smiled at that notion as he saw the sky on Earendil become nighttime so far. When he went towards his own room, he saw Magda sleeping in the bed as she was also exhausted from being whisked away by Castiel earlier. He didn't mind her being here as he was on his way towards the bathroom to get a shower first. To his surprise, he saw a pregnancy test as it was sitting on the bathroom sink when he picked it up out of curiosity. When he saw the sign of the pregnancy test showing up positive, he was realizing that he had something else to protect as well, for he vowed to watch over us due to the fact that we were all family so far...

"Son-of-a-bitch..." he said to himself.

To be continued...