Beth laid on the cot, one arm flung over her eyes to block the glare of the fluorescent light. She was scared, and angry, but she was determined to do everything she could to protect the child growing inside her. When the demons had left the room earlier to dispose of the body of her kidnapper, she had decided that resting was the best thing she could do for the time being. There were no windows in the room and the door locked with a steel bar from the outside, so there was no hope of escape anyway. And panic, although she had a bout with it after Danae cut that man's throat, wasn't going to help her, and wasn't good for the baby.
She sighed, trying not to worry about the condition Dean might be in. She shook her head-if Bobby had let her come along in the first place, she wouldn't be stuck here right now. Stupid overprotective men! She felt guilty as soon as the thought crossed her mind, knowing that they had all thought she was safe at the cabin. Who would even think of a demon hiring a mercenary to do their dirty work? She smiled grimly to herself. Maybe he was lucky the demon had killed him-if Dean had gotten his hands on the man, he would have wished for death.
Footsteps coming down the metal stairs outside the room startled her out of her random thoughts, and she sat up, backing up against the wall, her heart pounding. She unconsciously wrapped her arms protectively around her growing belly as the door opened with a muted screech of metal on metal. Danae stepped into the room, closing the door behind her and throwing a disgusted look in Beth's direction. She tossed a bag towards her, and Beth caught it, surprised.
"What is this?" she asked, distrust in her eyes.
"Dameon says you have to eat. So eat," the demon answered, strolling over to a chair and plopping down on it, throwing her feet up on a nearby crate. "Hope you like burgers."
"Because you care about my taste in food," Beth said sarcastically.
"Dameon said you need to eat, and if you don't eat-I'm the one that will pay for it. So eat, or I'll feed you," the blond spat back at her.
Beth opened the bag and pulled out the burger, unwrapping it as she glared at Danae. "Why does he care if I eat? He's just going to kill me anyway, because he's afraid of my baby."
An evil smile spread across Danae's face. "He's not going to kill you, whore. Once your baby is born, he can dispose of it. He wants you for himself-he told you that when you met him the first time."
Beth's stomach lurched inside her and the blood drained from her face. "I'll die before he touches me or my baby."
Danae rolled her eyes and rose from the chair, striding towards the door. "Oh, eat your burger and stop being so melodramatic." She tossed the words over her shoulder as she stepped through the doorway. As she turned to close the door, Beth saw a knife strapped to the demon's thigh, and her heart stopped for a split second, fear icing her veins.
"Where did you get that knife?" She rose from the cot, taking a step towards the blond without even thinking. Danae smiled, her eyes flashing black as she looked back at her. "Where did you get it, you black-eyed bitch?"
"I took it from Dean's dead body," the demon answered, a chilling smile on her lips. Then the door slammed shut and Beth heard the bar drop into place.
Beth's eyes were wide with shock, her breath coming in painful gasps. She turned, grabbing the first thing her hand touched, a small wire crate, and throwing it with all her strength across the room. It clattered loudly, echoing in her ears, as her tears fell. Inside her head she was reciting the mantra, "Demons lie. Demons lie. Demons lie," trying desperately to believe it. She turned, sweeping the food from her sight with her arm, and curled up on the cot, sobbing quietly.
Beth opened her eyes slowly, confused and disoriented. She was standing in the grass behind the cabin, the sun was shining, and she had no idea how she had gotten there. She turned, her eyes scanning the trees, and when she turned back, she took an involuntary step backward, startled. Cas stood before her, his head tilted a little to one side, concern in his eyes. "Cas? What are you doing here? How did I get here?"
"Beth-you are dreaming. That is how I was able to find you so quickly."
Beth reached for his arm, grasping it in desperation. "Cas, tell me Dean is alive!"
"Dean is alive."
She let go of the angel's arm and a quiet sob of relief escaped her lips. "Danae told me he was dead. Thank God, I was so afraid, Cas!"
"He was dead. I brought him back, and I healed him."
Beth let her tears fall unhindered, barely able to speak. "Thank you, Castiel. Thank you."
"I am looking for you now. You bear a mark at the base of your neck that I placed there when I delivered you to the cabin. It will allow me to find you, but they must have warding in place, because I could not sense you until you fell asleep. Can you tell me where you are?"
She shook her head slowly. "No, they put a bag over my head so I couldn't see where I was. All I know is, we drove for about 45 minutes, and I'm in the basement of a building with heavy metal doors and stairs. The man who took me-he had to stop and open a gate or something before we could drive in. I can hear machinery running up above, but that's all I know."
"Thank you, Beth. That will be helpful. We will find you, and we will get you away from Dameon." His blue eyes were kind, and she gave him a wavering smile, and glanced down at the grass beneath her feet. When she looked up again, he was gone.
"How do we even know she's still alive?" Dean asked angrily, pacing the floor, crazed with worry. "That baby was prophesied to be the end of Dameon, all he has to do is kill her..."
"Dean," Sam spoke to his brother in a calm voice, in spite of his own fears. "If Dameon wanted her dead, why wouldn't he have had her killed here? Why take her in the first place?"
Dean sank down to the couch, his head in his hands for a moment before lifting his anguished eyes to meet his brother's worried gaze. "Because he still wants her for himself. Which is even worse, Sammy." He stood again, walking over to stare out the patio door blindly. "If he touches her, I swear to God..." He stopped in mid-threat, turning, startled, as he heard Cas speak his name right behind him.
"Dean."
"Damn it, Cas!" He took a couple of breaths, calming his pounding heart, then looked at the angel, his lips tight and his brow furrowed in anger. "Where the hell have you been, Cas?"
"I just spoke to Beth-in her dream."
Dean's eyes widened as Sam stood, exclaiming, "What?"
"She is unharmed. She was...a bit hysterical. They told her you were dead," Cas said, looking at Dean.
"You told her..."
"Yes. I told her I healed you." Cas frowned slightly. "I put my mark on her when I brought her here, but the place they are keeping her is warded against me, so I was unable to find her until she fell asleep. She told me what she could about where she is being held." Cas gave them the scant information Beth was able to provide to him, and Sam pulled out his laptop to begin searching for industrial buildings in the area.
They narrowed the search down to two locations, both within an hour's drive of the cabin. There was a small power plant southeast of Whitefish, and about the same distance from the cabin going west there was an auto parts manufacturing plant. "Any way we can tell which one it is, Cas?" Sam asked, looking up at the angel.
Cas nodded slowly. "I can go to both-if I sense the warding, we'll know it's where she is being held." He vanished without another word, leaving the others to wait for his return.
Beth woke from her dream, relief washing over her like a balm. Dean was alive. She could hold on knowing that he would tear hell down to its foundations to look for her if necessary. She sat up, feeling more hopeful than she had dared to up to that moment. The best hunters on the planet were looking for her, with an angel kicker, and she actually allowed herself a smile as she rose and walked into the tiny bathroom. She splashed water on her face, looking into the mirror. Other than some dark circles under her eyes, she didn't look any the worse for wear.
She went back into the larger room, pacing around a little, avoiding the now-drying lake of blood where her captor had died. She walked the length of the room, back and forth, feeling the baby move and smiling a little. "I know. We're usually on the treadmill now, aren't we?" She had no means of telling what day or time it was, but her body knew her routine. She continued walking, something to occupy her mind and body for a while, and began talking aloud to the baby. "Remember when they sneaked us out to the clinic in Whitefish for the ultrasound? Your daddy was so proud when he found out you're a boy. He's got pretty big plans for you-different than the plans the angels have, that's for sure. He-well, we-want you to have a normal life, a normal childhood. We want you to have the life your daddy never got to have. I don't know how that's going to work, but we'll figure it out."
Footsteps were coming down the stairs, and she stopped, halfway across the room from the door, as the bar was lifted with a creak. Her heart was pounding, but the door only opened a few inches, and a box of donuts landed just inside the portal before it swung back shut and the bar dropped back in place. "Donuts? Really?" She was hungry, so she went to fill her water cup and sat on the cot to eat, glad that at least she didn't have Danae as a breakfast companion.
"Nothing? No demons? You've got to be kidding," Dean said, shaking his head. "Either they are damn confident we won't find her, or it's a trap, Cas."
"I watched the demon bring her food. He just took it inside and left again. It may be that when you enter the building Dameon will be alerted," Cas answered.
"If we destroy the sigils, you'll be able to come in, right?"
"If Bobby can manage to eliminate just one of them, I will be able to enter."
"Sam, Bobby, we're set? I don't want any screw-ups here, guys." Dean's face was tight with tension, and they nodded in agreement.
"We're ready, Dean." Sam looked into his brother's eyes, jaw set with determination. "Let's get her out of there."
Bobby nodded, and Dean looked to Castiel. "Cas-drop me off first, then come back for these two. Bobby will remove one of the sigils, then you can come in and help. Just warn us before you do your angel-glowy thing, I don't want to lose my eyeballs." Cas nodded his head, and Sam actually let a small smile curve his lips.
Cas dropped Dean off around the corner of the building from the basement entrance. He stood against the wall, leaning carefully to peer around to the doorway, and then flattening himself up next to the building, cursing quietly. "Son of a bitch!" A giant of a man, at least as tall as Sam and built like a tank, had just entered the door. Dean closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Dameon, I presume," he muttered. "Damn it." Sam and Bobby arrived just then, and Dean gave them a moment to recover from their cosmic taxi ride before filling them in. "She's got company. I'm sure it's Dameon, haven't seen this meat suit before, but I'm sure it's him."
Bobby spoke quietly. "Let me get in there and find a sigil. Once that's out of the way, between Cas and the Colt, we should be able to handle him."
Dean nodded, and Bobby headed for the entrance, opening the door and carefully scanning the area before slipping in and easing the door back shut. A few minutes, seemingly interminable to Dean, passed before Cas tilted his head and spoke. "The warding has been destroyed. I can enter now. I can see Beth. Dameon is with her."
"Then let's kick it in the ass-I want her out of there, and I want this son of a bitch dead." Sam nodded as his brother clapped him on the shoulder, and they headed for the door.
Beth sat on the cot, tense with fear as she heard the heavy footsteps outside the door. The bar lifted and she looked up as Dameon stepped into the room, determined not to cower in front of him. He smiled, chilling her to the bone, but she stared defiantly back at him. "Your friends are coming. Did you know?"
"I knew they would," she said, refusing to drop her gaze.
"They'll die."
"You are cocky, you know that? Even Crowley had enough sense to be cautious of the Winchesters."
"Crowley was a fool. And your lover is dead, I killed him myself."
"If that's true, then his brother is even more dangerous now. You are a fool, Dameon. You're a fool if you think you can win against them, and you're a fool if you think you'll ever sire your demon spawn with me. I'd cut my own throat first."
Dameon's eyes narrowed and he took a step towards her, but then stopped, turning his head towards the door. "And here they come." An evil grin curved his lips, his ice blue eyes turning black as he waved his hand. Danae appeared next to Beth, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the back of the room. Beth could hear the commotion, shouts and screams echoing through the building, but she still smiled at Dameon, shaking her head slightly.
"I hope the next king of hell is a little smarter than you. You have no idea what you unleashed-I almost feel sorry for you," she said quietly, and Dameon lowered his head, a thunderous frown on his face.
"Shut your mouth, bitch!" The sounds were quieting outside the room, and Dameon made a second motion with his hand, calling in reserves. "I can do this for an eternity," he growled, grinning once again. Then Danae's eyes grew wide, her mouth dropping open, and he turned slowly to see Dean Winchester in the doorway, Samuel Colt's gun in his hand.
"Winchester." Dameon spat the name from his lips, his eyes black with rage. "This is not possible. I killed you myself!"
Dean shrugged, a feral gleam in his eyes and a sneer on his face. "Guess it didn't take." He fired the Colt, hitting Dameon in the heart. He stared in disbelief at the vengeful hunter as he dropped to his knees, then landed face down on the floor.
Danae swung at Beth, but she blocked her, grabbing the demon's arm and sending a forearm smash directly to the blond's face. Danae looked up, furious, blood gushing from her nose, her eyes black-but surprise soon altered her features. Beth stood holding the knife that she had jerked from the sheath on the demon's thigh. "This belongs to the Winchesters," she said coldly, plunging the knife upward into Danae's chest, watching the fear in the demon's eyes fade to nothingness as she died and fell to the floor at Beth's feet.
She turned slowly, letting the blade slip from her fingers as Dean, in three long strides, came to her side. Her shaking hands were covered in blood, and she almost fell into Dean's arms as he clutched her tightly for a moment. He took her by the shoulders, looking into her face, scanning his eyes over her body for signs of injury as a little sob escaped her lips. "I'm okay, Dean." She clung to him with all her might, and he gripped her so tightly she could barely breathe, but she didn't care.
"Thank God, Coop." He raised his head, looking down at her again. "Are you sure?" She nodded, still crying, and he kissed her hard, then framed her face with his hands and did it again. He looked down at her, his own emotions getting the best of him for a moment, a tear making its way down his face as he stared into her eyes. "I thought I lost you, Coop." Then he crushed her to his chest again as Sam and Bobby burst into the room.
"Beth! Is she all right, Dean?" Sam asked as they stepped around Dameon's body, making their way to the back of the room where they stood in each other's arms.
"I'm okay, Sam," she said, and turned from Dean's arms to allow herself to be bear-hugged by first Sam, then Bobby. She looked up to see Cas, a smile on his blood-smeared face, and she walked towards him, her tears starting afresh even as she smiled back at him. He stood, unsure for a moment, as she wrapped her arms around him. Then he put his arms around Beth, patting her a little awkwardly on the back. She backed up to look into his gentle blue eyes and smiled, her lips still trembling with emotion. "Thank you, Cas. Thank you for saving him."
Cas tilted his head a little as he stared back into Beth's smiling face. "He's my friend," he said matter-of-factly. "I had to save him." He looked up as Dean's hand landed on his shoulder.
"Seriously, Cas. Thank you. We couldn't have done this without you."
Cas looked up at him and smiled. "Anything for the Winchesters."
Dean grinned. "How about you get us the hell out of here, then, buddy." Cas nodded, looking back towards Sam and Bobby.
"I'll be back for you," he said, and Sam nodded, smiling, as Cas, Dean and Beth disappeared from sight.
Almost three months later, Sam stood staring out Bobby's kitchen window, watching snow fall silently to the ground. He turned expectantly as he heard footsteps on the stairs, and stood, eyes wide, as the midwife, Teresa, walked into the room. "Well, Uncle Sam-would you like to go meet your new nephew?" Sam grinned in answer, heading into the other room.
"I'll get Bobby," he called over his shoulder. "We'll be right up." Bobby had finally given in to his need for sleep a few hours earlier, but Sam couldn't relax enough to close his eyes, so he had been up all night. He had been there to help calm his brother the few times he had left Beth's side for long enough to take a shot of whiskey, struggling with watching Beth's pain. Sam smiled to himself-Dean could take an insane measure of pain himself, but he didn't handle it so well when someone he truly cared about had to go through it.
He and Bobby stepped into the room, both unable to keep the smiles from their faces at the sight before them. Beth held the baby, talking quietly to him, her hands touching his dark, downy hair. Dean sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes on his son, who gripped his father's finger in his tiny hand. Sam looked over to see Bobby's eyes full of tears, and put a hand on his shoulder.
Beth looked up at the two of them, her face exhausted, but glowing as she smiled. "BJ, this is your Grandpa Bobby and your Uncle Sam."
"BJ?" Sam raised an eyebrow as he asked, and Dean looked up at him, a grin lighting up his face.
"Bobby John, Sammy."
"You're kidding."
Beth laughed quietly. "No, he's not kidding. Robert John Winchester. Bobby John. We're calling him BJ for short."
Bobby wiped roughly at his eyes. "Damn it, you two."
Beth teared up as she smiled up at him. "Come here, Grandpa," she said, nodding towards the chair next to the bed.
"Nah, I'm no good at that kind of stuff," he protested, but Dean stood and pointed at the chair.
"Sit, Bobby," he ordered gently, and Bobby complied a little reluctantly. Dean came to that side of the bed and Beth handed BJ to his daddy, who turned and placed the little bundle into Bobby's arms. "He's not gonna break, Bobby," Dean teased, and after a few seconds, the older man relaxed a little, looking down at the baby and smiling a little at the expressions on the tiny face. Sam stood behind Bobby, looking down at his nephew.
"You guys do good work," he said, smiling at his brother's grin as Dean sat back down next to Beth, pulling her into his arms as she rested, contented, against his chest.
Dean kissed the top of Beth's head, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I told you this would be the best-looking baby ever. Did I lie?" Beth looked up at him, smiling as he kissed her lips softly.
"No, I'd say you got that one right," she said, snuggling back against him, sighing happily and letting her eyes close, drifting off to sleep in Dean's arms.