*Lyrics from Gotta Be Somebody by Nickelback. Sorry for Cas being OOC!

"This time I wonder what it feels like

To find the one in this life, the one we all dream of

But dreams just aren't enough

So I'll be waiting for the real thing

I'll know it by the feeling."

Dean snored peacefully on one of the beds, so Sam pulled out his phone and dialed Gabriel's number. The two angels had been out baby shopping for an hour, and call him clingy, but Sam just wanted to call to check up on them. Gabriel specifically. They'd finally taken out the vampire clan earlier in the day, so they were free to go once the angels got back. He smiled when the archangel answered on the first ring.

"Hey Gabe, just calling to see how things were going."

"They're going great. Cas didn't understand why he wasn't supposed to keep the giant stuffed octopus he found that he liked so much."

Sam choked back laughter. "Cas wanted a stuffed animal?"

"It took forever to explain to him that grown men weren't supposed to walk around with them," Gabriel laughed.

"I've gotta tell Dean that one."

"You do that. So, I have a favor to ask…"

"Of course. What's up?"

"I think I mentioned that pregnant angels need a nest, yeah? Well, that can't very well be set up on a bed in a ratty motel room…I need something more permanent."

"Any ideas?"

"One, but I'm not sure you'll like it."

"Try me."

"Bobby's house."

Sam choked on the coffee he'd been trying to take a sip of. Bobby? They hadn't even told him, and now they were supposed to show up on his doorstep with a pregnant archangel saying "Hey, do you mind if we borrow a spare room to raise a fledgling angel in for awhile? Thanks Bobby!" Not hardly. But then again, did they have a choice? Bobby's house was the only place he could think of that would be safe and permanent enough.

Finally, Sam said, "Asking him that would be suicide."

"Dean gave us the green light - um, okay, more like yellow light - but still, I bet we could make Bobby understand too!" Gabriel argued.

"Gabe," Sam sighed, having grown accustomed to the nickname, "It's one thing to make him understand, but your mate is still out there somewhere, and I can't put Bobby in danger."

"Parental angels are asses, but they wouldn't kill Bobby. If my mate shows up, he or she will just snatch me, they wouldn't bother with unnecessary cruelty."

As if having you taken away isn't enough unnecessary cruelty, Sam thought.

"You could have just said it out loud, Sammy. We can read each other's thoughts about each other because of the bond, remember?" Gabriel asked, and Sam could tell that the angel was smiling.

Sam almost pouted but caught himself. "How is it that you can read my mind but I can't read yours?"

"It's easy kiddo, just focus."

"I'll do that sometime. Anyways, I guess we'll drive to Bobby's and beg, maybe do some groveling while we're at it."

Sam's attempt at a joke fell flat. He was worried about Gabriel's mate coming and taking his angel away from him. Not to mention his son or daughter. The mere thought made him feel cold and empty. No Gabriel? No child? Even though he hadn't been with the angel for long and he'd only recently found out Gabriel was pregnant, he couldn't imagine life without his family.

Gabriel, who's arms were loaded down with bags of stuffed animals, said, "I'm on my way back to the motel, I would zap there but it's kinda hard to do with this much luggage."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

They hung up, and Cas and Gabriel started the short walk back to the motel. When Cas lost himself in his thoughts, Gabriel took advantage of the brief distraction to curiously reach up under his shirt. Sure enough, the archangel could feel a slight, almost imperceptible bump. He grinned and did a small happy dance as he walked. The baby was growing.

He sent a quick message up to his Father. Guess what, Dad? The little thing - um, baby - in me is growing! If I end up in maternity clothes I am going to be so pissed. Anyways, are you sure Cas is a few centuries old? 'Cause mister Badass-Angel-of-the-You-and-you-should-show-him-some-respect wanted to get a stuffed animal when we went baby shopping. Dean's also turned Cas into a slut, but I don't want to run your blood pressure up, so bye!

"What are you so happy about?" Castiel questioned.

"The baby's growing," Gabriel explained happily as they arrived in front of the motel.

A small smile played on the usually expressionless angel's lips. "Do you think that…Dean would consider having a family with me one day?"

"He's so in love with ya it's sickening, Cas. You could probably bat your eyelashes and he'd knock you up before you could say 'condom.'"

"How would opening and closing my eyes in quick succession result in sexual stimulation?"

Gabriel sighed as the walked up to Sam and Dean's room. "Never mind."

They walked in and dumped the load of bags onto Sam's bed since Dean's was occupied by its owner, who was snoring loud enough to suck the drapes up his nose. Gabriel didn't mention this opinion because he figured he would just get Sam's infamous bitchface. Speak of the devil, Sam grinned when he saw them enter, and got up from his chair to give Gabriel a quick kiss in greeting.

As if Cas' presence had woken him, Dean cracked an eye open and smiled when he saw his angel. Gabriel rolled his eyes when Dean walked over and wrapped his arms around Cas, giving him a much longer kiss than Sam had given Gabriel. Sam cleared his throat when the two didn't break apart.

Dean flipped him off with the hand that wasn't wrapped in Cas' hair, but the angel stepped back with a light blush on his cheeks. Sam walked over to the pile of animals and started examining them. Everything from a fluffy green frog to a soft purple bunny to a furry yellow teddy bear was in the pile. Gabriel smirked, amused when he noticed Cas throw a glance in the direction of the mound of stuffed animals.

"What Cas, see something you want?" Dean joked.

"Well actually it was something I saw at the store…"

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Dude, I was kidding."

"It was a large blue octopus. I found it appealing," Cas said as if an Angel of the Lord wanting a stuffed animal was the most normal thing in the world.

"Right," Dean said, shaking his head amusedly.

They loaded down the Impala with the stuffed animals and their duffel bags, Cas and Gabriel saying that they would meet them at Bobby's. They gave their angels goodbye kisses even though they wouldn't be apart for long. Dean and Sam left in the Impala whilst Gabriel and Cas chose to simply zap themselves to Bobby's to wait on the boys.

A moment later, the two angels were sitting on the front porch. They didn't care that they would be waiting for a rather long time.

Bobby didn't even know the angels were out there, and it was hours of Cas listening to Gabriel whine about his cravings and both of them falling into fitful bouts of sleep before the Impala finally pulled up. Gabriel fidgeted anxiously. He was excited to tell Sam that the baby was growing, but they hadn't had time back at the motel.

Sam got out of the car, and Gabriel being the pregnant and clingy little thing that he was, leapt right into the oversized hunter's arms. Sam grinned and embraced his angel, the bond leaving him almost as clingy as Gabriel was. They got lost in their own little world, and when they finally bothered to remember their surroundings, Gabriel found quite the adorably shocking sight.

Dean handing Castile a large, blue stuffed octopus.

Gabriel had never seen his brother smile so broadly as he did when Dean handed it to him. Cas stared down at it, then to Dean, then he took the animal from the hunter's hands and smiled shyly up at his human. Dean grinned back and kissed Cas quickly (for once) before draping his arm over the angel's shoulders and leading him up to the front door.

Gabriel made fake gagging motions, but Sam could tell that the angel found their brothers' little exchange cute. It was hard not to. Bobby answered the door when Dean knocked, looking down at the stuffed animal in Cas' hands with a I-am-so-not-asking-about-that look, and Sam and Gabriel took that as their cue to go up there on the porch as well. Well, here goes nothing, Sam thought grimly.

"What's that idjit doing here?" Bobby asked when he laid eyes on Gabriel.

Sam stepped in front of the archangel protectively. "Don't hurt him. Please."

"Since when are you sticking up for short stack over there?"

"Bobby, he's changed, I swear. And we need your help," Sam explained nervously.

"To what, fry his wings extra crispy? Go ahead and bring him in then, I've got some holy oil in the pantry."

Even though Bobby didn't understand what was going on between Sam and Gabriel, the sentence made Sam growl low in his throat without even meaning to. The sound was raw and animalistic. Dean chuckled at the display, and Bobby looked at Sam like he'd lost his mind. Then he looked between him and Gabriel…and it clicked. There was no not seeing that Sam was protecting Gabriel in the same way anyone would protect the person they love. Bobby just happened to be quicker on the uptake than Dean.

Bobby sighed. "Boy, don't tell me you went and banged an archangel."

"Yeah, and I also kinda got him pregnant…"

"Well if that ain't somethin'," Bobby muttered.

Sam was amazed Bobby was taking it so well but obviously didn't complain. This was a much better reaction than he'd been expecting. He'd pretty much figured it would be like telling Dean all over again, right down to Bobby trying to kill Gabriel. Maybe there was actually a small chance Bobby would let them use a spare room for Gabriel's nest...a small hope, but a hope nonetheless.

"We have a favor to ask," Sam added. Bobby looked at him questioningly, so he said, "Gabriel needs somewhere to raise our son or daughter. Somewhere safe."

"You want me to let you raise a rugrat in my house." It was statement, not a question.

Gabriel, who hadn't yet spoken, smiled and said, "Yep, pretty much."

Bobby looked at Sam, Sam's pregnant boyfriend, Dean, the trench coat wearing angel with the stuffed octopus, and looked like he was about three seconds from either banging his head into the wall or diminishing his ever present supply of whiskey. He walked back inside, the door open in a clear invitation for the four standing outside to follow. They heard him not-so-quietly mutter something as he (just as expected) poured himself a glass of whiskey.

"Buncha idjits…"

"'Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.

'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares

Someone to love with my life in their hands

There's gotta be somebody for me like that

'Cause nobody wants to do it on their own

And everyone wants to know they're not alone

There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere

There's gotta be somebody for me out there."