After being released a few hours later, Dean desperately wanted to do something normal. Anything to take his mind off of what had just happened.

"Wanna look at baby stuff?" He asked. "It's not my first choice, but we need to start stocking up."

"Why don't we just start with diapers and clothes. The nursery can wait a little longer, right?"

"Sounds like a plan."

o

When they got home, Dean placed the bags onto the counter and peered into them. "Man, we have way too many apples."

"You said you were craving them."

The older hunter glanced over at Castiel who walked into the room. "It's done."

He felt relief flood through his body. "Are you sure?"

"For now, he's sealed. How long it will last, we do not know."

"Thank god. Or you, whatever." Dean breathed.

Sam grinned. "We should celebrate or something."

"I'm too tired. You guys go ahead."

Castiel turned to Sam. "I'm choosing the Netflix."

"Every time, Cas. No, I'm picking the show this time."

"Very well, but I choose what we eat."

"I thought you didn't need to eat."

"Some human food is quite tasty regardless." Cas explained vaguely. "We're ordering pizza."

"Fine by me."

o

The rest of the summer went by peacefully. It was strange to the two hunters to not have to worry about cases so often, to not face a villain or mounting evil of some kind. The only thing that concerned them was delivering a healthy child.

Dean was getting nervous the closer his due date got. It was October now and he was about eight months. He felt big enough, but knew he'd get bigger before their son was born.

Adjusting the loose black shirt he wore, he debated changing out of his pajamas into real clothing. He was so comfy here though.

"Sam!"

The younger hunter raced to him, fearing the worst. "Yes? What's wrong?"

He smiled a bit sheepishly. "Can I have some more pie? I'd move, but I'm really comfortable."

Sam sighed a little, his thudding heart slowing back to regular place. "Don't scare me like that."

He handed him his plate. "Blueberry, not the cherry one. Thanks."

"Yeah, okay."

While Sam was gone, he felt his phone vibrating. Glancing at the number, he hesitated as he debated answering it. He decided not to, since it was too embarrassing for her to know. The midwife and the angel-demon-witch trio were one thing, but Jody? This would be too much even for the sheriff.

The doorbell rang soon after and Sam passed him his plate before heading up the stairs. Peeking through the small hole in the door, he looked intrigued.

"Dean, it's Sheriff Mills."

The heavily pregnant man paled and glanced up at him. "Tell her we're busy with cases."

"Don't you think she'd want to help with a case?" Sam reminded him. "I'll tell her you're sick."

Opening the door, he forced a smile as she hugged him. Jody set her bag down, grinning widely. "I know this is super short notice, but I just really missed you guys."

"There's another reason, isn't there?" Sam guessed.

Jody sighed, frowning. "I'm all alone in that big house right now. Alex is in college now and Claire is off doing her own thing, working. I thought I'd be happy to finally have an empty nest."

"Lonely?"

"Yeah…and before you say anything, yes I've tried online dating. It's not working out so far."

"Sorry to hear that, and normally we'd be glad to let you hang out for awhile, but…Dean's very ill right now."

"Oh, no. Something to do with hunting?"

Sam smiled. "Actually, just a regular cold. Flu, really. He's very contagious, you don't wanna be near him."

"Poor guy." Jody frowned. "Good thing I have great cold remedies. Trust me, they work."

"I can write them down, thanks."

"Oh, come on. I'll just make him a little something and then I'm out of your hair. Promise, I'm not Donna. No offense to her or anything."

"O-Okay." He couldn't really say no at this point. She was being totally reasonable and if he kept denying her entrance, Jody would know something weird was going on. It seemed she'd find out after all.

As she came down the stairs, her eyes widened so much Sam feared they'd pop out of her skull. He laughed nervously, as did Dean who was still glued to the couch, one hand resting on his large bump.

"He…he…I see why you didn't want me to come in." Jody blinked several times.

"Hey, Jody." Dean smiled uncomfortably.

"You, uh, you're…" She shook her head, her jaw slack.

His belly looked too perfectly round and otherwise he was slender everywhere else. Dean looked content actually and his skin had a healthier glow than she remembered. Still, she couldn't process it. Maybe he'd just gained weight?

No, she thought, he was pregnant. She knew enough from her own pregnancy to recognize that he was probably in the third trimester.

"Jody, I'm so sorry." Sam apologized. "I understand if you think it's too… disturbing, we couldn't even blame you for that."

"Who's the father?" She wondered.

"A shapeshifter." Dean lied smoothly. "It's a long story, but it took advantage. I guess we never thought it could impregnate a male."

"Oh my god, that's horrible. You couldn't fight it off?" She looked half-way suspicious, half-horrified.

"No."

Sam gave him a funny look, to which he glared in return. There was no way she could know the truth, not unless they wanted her to disown them as friends.

Jody placed a hand to her mouth, moving to hug him tightly. "I'm so sorry that happened. Things like that, you never get over."

"I'm doing okay, actually." He frowned, feeling a little bad. Part of him felt compelled to tell her the truth, but he didn't want to face her reaction.

Jody and Donna were some of the only normal friends they had and he didn't want to lose them. They'd lost enough friends already, whether to death or unforeseen circumstance.

"Well, don't worry, I know plenty about having babies. Or…shapeshifters?"

"Thanks Jody, but—!"

"Oh, I understand. You two are busy. I'd just be in the way, I totally get it. I don't like houseguests for too long either."

"No, it's fine. It'd be nice." Dean assured her. "We have plenty of space."

Sam nodded.

"Oh, this is kind of weirdly interesting." She murmured. "I mean, I've seen a lot of things as a sheriff, but I never thought I'd see a pregnant…well, guy. No offense."

"Nah, it's cool. It is weird." He agreed.

Sam showed her to one of the many empty bedrooms available, while Dean stood there with a bemused expression. In a way, he was glad to have her here. Jody was a mother herself and would probably have good advice for him.

He felt a painless contraction grip him again, shifting on his feet. He wondered if this was normal and would ask her about it later. Technically, Emma had explained it already but he hadn't been listening. Lifting up his shirt, he was shocked again at how huge he'd gotten in a relatively short amount of time. Rubbing a hand against the taut skin, he smirked when he felt a strong kick.

o

At dinner, Dean cleared his throat. "Jody, you remember your own labor, right?"

"Yes. My son came late. I can't forget that." She put her fork down.

"Is it typical to feel painless contractions?" He wondered.

Sam almost dropped his glass at that last word, turning to face him with blatant concern.

"Sure. Then towards the beginning of real labor, it gets painful like menstrual cramps, and usually gets stronger and more lengthy towards the end."

"Is it as bad as women say?" He took a sip of his water.

"Oh, you'll be fine." Her tone was unconvincing. "Are you having a c-section? I guess you'd have to, considering…"

"Yep, on the eighteenth."

o

Only a week later though, Dean felt strange one night. His groin was burning and it felt like something was tearing inside him. It made him sit up with a pained wince, effectively waking Sam up in the process. Clutching the sheets, sweat beaded at his hairline.

"What's up?" Sam glanced up at him, resting on his elbows.

"Something's wrong." Dean replied and it made the younger man sit up immediately. He'd never heard his brother's voice so small and scared before.

"The baby?"

"No…like…down here…" He looked uncomfortable, biting his lip. "Sam, I think I'm bleeding."

Those words made him panic, but before he could help Dean out, he'd awkwardly walked away from the bed and into the bathroom. The click of the lock sounded much to his dismay.

Heading over to the door, he knocked a couple times. "Please, let me in. If you're bleeding, we need to go to the center."

It was way too quiet for several moments.

Dean examined his body, using a small mirror to see what the hell was going on. His groin was throbbing in the worst way and the pain stung. He lifted a thigh to see better and blushed, cursing loudly when he saw what had happened.

"Holy shit, I'm a fucking chick!" He yelled.

Sam blinked, before narrowing his eyes confusedly. "Come again?"

Dean threw the door open, his face red. "There's some kind of slit down there and don't you dare look. You're not going anywhere near it."

"Wait…what?" Sam was lost.

"Never mind. It doesn't hurt anymore but it feels strange." Dean explained. "I'm going back to bed."

Sam blinked many more times before following him back into bed. "It's between your…?"

"Yes." He mumbled. The newly formed slit appeared to between his shaft and entrance, and he didn't know why it was happening now. It couldn't mean what he thought. They'd scheduled a c-section already for the eighteenth of November.

"I'm sorry, Dean. We'll see Emma soon, she'll know what to do." Sam said so convincingly and comfortingly, he almost fully believed him until he realized she wouldn't.

It was difficult to get back to sleep. He tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable spot. His belly was swollen and taut, making it hard to sleep on his stomach like he used to. These days, he found himself sleeping upright or awkwardly on his side in a twisted position.

The body pillow Sam had bought for him helped immensely and soon he found himself buried into it, fast asleep.

o

When Dean woke up, he noticed Sam had a palm on his round stomach. He looked at him strangely, causing the younger man to pull away.

"My bad, it's just you don't usually let me feel so…"

The older man silenced him by placing his hand back on the large bump. Sam rested his cheek against his skin, feeling the child's movements with awe.

"I can't believe he's gonna be here in a couple weeks."

"I wish they'd go by faster." Dean grumbled. "Ugh, hold on. I'll be back, I gotta hit the can."

Sam moved to let him up, watching as he walked into the bathroom. When he came out, he noticed how unhappy he still looked.

"C'mere." He beckoned.

Dean sat next to him, cupping his stomach. "What?"

"Look, I know you're not enjoying this. I wish there was more that I could do."

Dean blinked incredulously. "Idiot, I'm not upset about this. It's the newest development that bothers me. What if it never closes up?"

"It will."

The older man sat there silently, not about to tell Sam he actually enjoyed this pregnancy. It hadn't been all bad. Feeling hungry and sleepy constantly wasn't fun, nor the extra bathroom trips. But still, it was amazing to watch a new life grow and Sam being nicer than usual was also pretty awesome.

He glanced over at Sam, noticing the power of his muscles as he shifted in bed. It made him a bit horny somehow and he cursed his stupid hormones. Instead of his libido going down, it had only went up. It was maddening sometimes, how easily he felt lust now.

His younger brother seemed to sense the change in his mood, glancing at him. He kissed him gently, before biting at his bottom lip. Dean moaned, quickly responding back to his touch. Since Jody had moved in temporarily, they'd learned to be quiet and to leave the room at different times as to not arouse suspicion.

She'd find out eventually and Dean dreaded that moment, when she would no longer be a part of their lives anymore.

He was distracted when Sam took a pink nipple into his mouth, the other shifting and sighing at the feeling of his tongue teasing him. He caressed the bulge of his erection. Despite his earlier warnings about not looking at his new opening, lust took over logic as Sam lowered Dean's waistband. His erection sprang out, already leaking from the tip. The younger man took his time prepping him. He slowly inserted one finger, watching the other man's reaction. When he finally relaxed and began moaning quietly, he added a second digit. Slowly, he began to scissor his fingers as he finger-fucked him deeply. He smirked at the loud moans that escaped Dean. He began to writhe on the bed, his hips jerking a little as the pleasure became overwhelming. Shuddering, he gasped as the younger man brushed against his prostate.

At the same time, he took Dean's shaft into his other hand and began jerking it. The older man bit his lip, trying to silence his moans. His breaths came in heavy pants as he felt himself grow harder.

"Sam…"

He quickened his pace, watching as the older hunter tensed and curled in on himself as best he could as his orgasm took over. Dean came hard, a muffled cry escaped him as he fell back onto the bed. Sam leaned down to kiss his forehead, then his lips.

"Fuck." Dean smirked, reaching for the younger man's bulge.

Sam shook his head. "It's okay."

He tugged his briefs down anyway, taking him into his mouth. Sam breathed in sharply, letting out a quiet gasp as he felt his orgasm build up way faster than he'd would've liked. He'd wanted to last longer. He came suddenly, trembling a little as he came into his mouth.

After a long, out-of-breath moment, Dean shifted his weight away a little without breaking contact and listened to Sam breathe. Sam was carding his fingers through Dean's hair as if it was the most natural thing in the world, as if he'd been waiting for a chance to do it. They drifted there for awhile, and Dean used the time to trace patterns along Sam's throat and chest with his fingertips, eliciting a shiver every so often.

o

Sam left the room first after taking a shower, leaving Dean to wash up and get changed. Jody waited with her arms folded, taking a bite of toast.

"Hello."

Sam swallowed nervously. "Hey."

She set her breakfast down, taking a long drink of orange juice. "Alright, so how stupid do you think I am?"

Never had he felt such intense embarrassment. "You heard us."

"No, not at all. I'm gonna ignore the fact you said that, but I have put the pieces together." She informed him. "I'm a sheriff, need I remind you. I'm kinda good at this sort of thing."

"How did you know?"

"The way you look at him, the way you two talk to each other, it's the small things."

"…"

She gave him a sharp look. "Listen, under any other circumstance, I'd be packing my bags so fast it'd make your head spin. I'd probably cuss you out too and get you two some serious help."

"But…?"

Jody sighed, shrugging. "Your lives aren't like most people's. You two grew up in a way most people can't even imagine. And you were always by each other's side. I guess in some sort of odd way, it makes sense why you two would end up together."

"Jody—!"

"Let me finish." She said, eyeing the table instead. "I knew you two loved each other back when we first met. I don't condone it at all, but I saw it back then, I just chose to ignore it."

"We weren't together back then."

"Oh, yes you were. You two have been 'together' longer than you think. Love isn't just about sex."

Sam had no idea how to reply to that, he simply sat down and avoided her gaze. "You knew."

"Duh."

"But you let us help you out all that time, invited us into your home."

"Sure, because I love you boys. You remind me of the sons I could've had, if my boy had've survived."

"Except he would've been, you know, regular. Not hunters like us."

"You never know."

"You wouldn't have let him, trust me."

"I dunno. Claire is still insistent on it, even after all that happened, I can't seem to stop her. I'm afraid Dean rubbed off on her a little too much. She'll never admit it out loud, but she looks up to him."

"Does she?"

"Oh my god, yes. He's all she talks about half the time when she's not talking about cases or how much school sucks. It's funny, he's good with children."

Sam smiled at that for some reason, knowing she spoke the truth. He had always been better with babies and kids, even difficult ones.

It was that moment he walked in. "Hey, guys."

They looked at him silently.

"Talking about me?"

"No, no way." Sam shook his head. "But just so you know, she's totally aware of everything."

Dean felt the blood drain from his face and he grinned awkwardly. "W-What? Then why is she calmly sitting at our table like nothing sick is going on?"

"It's okay, Dean. Sit down." She offered him a seat, pulling out the chair next to hers. "I don't approve of it, but you boys are some of the only family I've got left. I care about that much, at least."

He smiled half-heartedly, though he felt better. "Thank you, Jody."

"So…wow, you two are having a kid." She finished off her juice. "I'm gonna need something a lot stronger."