*****Epilogue*****

Meg rested her arms on the crib railing and looked down at her sleeping daughter. It still amazed her at how normal she was. It had been a month and there was still no sign of her powers returning.

Arms snaked around her waist and pulled her back so warm lips could press against her neck, stubble gently scratching her skin. She let out a sigh as she felt his grace settle over her, her own powers prickling back.

"You're still watching her?" a gruff voice said quietly into her ear.

"You were back quicker this time," she observed, avoiding answering the question.

"My assistance wasn't really needed," Cas sighed, tugging her back to the chair. She went reluctantly, sitting across his lap when he pulled her down. Meg ran her fingers through his hair as her powers checked him over. He shifted uncomfortably when she found a sore spot that was recently healed. "I wish you wouldn't do that."

"When you stop examining me every time you go away and come back, I'll stop checking you," she smirked. "Didn't need much assistance, huh?"

"It was simple enough," he sighed. "What did you do while I was gone?"

"Linda and I took her for a walk, Doug came with," Meg said looking back over at the crib. "Ryse seemed to like it."

"She won't stop breathing if you don't keep an eye on her," he chuckled. She shot him a glare. "Have you gone out by yourself yet?"

"No. I need to be around in case something happens."

"Nothing is going to happen," he patiently replied. This argument had been going on for a few days. "You need a break. No one is going to bother us."

"That's what you think."

"They promised."

"The demons too?" Meg raised an eyebrow.

"Cain is keeping them busy enough," Cas sighed. "I can only handle what my own kind are doing. Plenty are grateful enough that they have their wings back and proper access to Heaven. Hannah promised to keep the others opposed busy. As long as Ryse doesn't prove herself a threat to Heaven in the coming years, they're willing to let us be."

"I don't trust them."

"I do," he said. She crossed her arms and turned to look back at the crib. "Regardless, you still need a break."

"I'm fine," Meg huffed.

Cas rolled his eyes and checked Ryse to make sure she'd be asleep for awhile. Satisfied, he pushed himself up out of the rocker, swinging Meg's legs up so he was carrying her. At first, she was too taken off guard to do anything, but as he left the room, her brain caught up with her. He was forced to adjust his hold on her as she struggled to get free.

"Let me go, dammit," Meg growled as he got to the bottom.

Cas tightened his grip again as he poked his head into the study to see Kevin awake. He was giving the pair a wary look. Cas smiled at him, "Would you mind listening for Ryse? She should be fine until we get back."

"Sure," Kevin agreed. "Problem?"

"Yes," Meg grunted, shoving against Cas's hold on her.

"We're just going for a walk. Fresh air," Cas added as he walked to the front door.

The second he was outside the ward, he winged them off to the cabin in Wyoming that used to belong to the hunter Rufus. He dumped her on the couch and ducked away when she took a swing at him.

"You're dead, Feathers!" she growled.

He shrugged, "It was necessary. You need a break. You haven't left Ryse alone since she was born. Some space for a little wont' hurt."

"Ryse is vulnerable, she needs protection,' Meg snarled pushing herself up off the couch.

"Ryse is fine," Cas huffed, trying to be patient with her.

"She has no powers, Cas!"

"We won't be gone long. You need a break. As long as she's in the house, she's protected by the warding. We don't need to be around her twenty-four-seven."

"We're her parents! We're supposed to protect her!"

"Protect her, yes. Not suffocate her and drive ourselves insane in the process!" She clamped her mouth shut. He took a step closer. "You aren't going to be a bad mother for taking a little time for yourself. You need the mental break. She'll be ok until we get back. Wont' even know we were gone." Meg growled at him as she sat back down on the couch. "We need time for ourselves too…We haven't been alone, by ourselves together for a few weeks."

"I know," Meg ran her hands through her hair.

"We haven't been intimate for longer than that," he added quietly.

"I know…there's a few contributing factors to that," she sighed.

He sat down next to her, "We're alone right now."

"No offense, Clarence, but I'm kinda still too ticked to jump your bones right this second," she huffed, leaning back and putting her feet up on the coffee table.

"I wasn't implying that…" he grumbled.

"Sure," she chuckled knowing that's exactly what he had meant. She reached over and grabbed one of his hands and entwined her fingers in his, soaking in his warmth. "Does that TV still work? We could watch a movie and eat some popcorn. Normal couple stuff."

"There's none of that here. I'd have to go get everything," he said giving her a shifty look.

"I promise I won't move from this spot." He raised an eyebrow. "Look, maybe I'm thinking you're right. Now hurry up before I change my mind."

Cas grinned at her before leaning over to kiss her gently before he flew off. Meg sighed and cast a glance around the cabin. Not much had changed since she was there last. Kevin had left a few odds and ends from when he'd been there.

Meg chuckled to herself. She had calmed down considerably since Cas had first took her out of the house. She hadn't realized how crazy and paranoid she had been until he forced her away. Now she felt silly.

"Dammit, why do you always have to be right…" she grumbled. A sudden idea struck her head and she hurried to strip out of her clothes, leaving only the shirt she had stolen from him on and laid herself across the couch and waited for him to get back. It only took another minute or two until she heard the rustle of feathers behind her.

"Meg?"

"On the couch," she smirked. Her grin widened when he almost fumbled the bowl of popcorn when he saw her. "What took so long?"

"I-uh-" he stammered.

"You're cute when you're flustered."

"I thought-"

"Shut up and get over here," she chuckled. He smirked at her and put down the popcorn before locking lips and pinning her to the couch.

"We should probably head back when this is over," Cas sighed as he ran his fingers through her hair. Meg's head was resting in his lap as she laid stretched across the couch, still only just wearing his shirt. He was sitting partially dressed, boxers and an unbuttoned shirt, with his feet resting on the now upright coffee table. The popcorn bowl was laying upside down on the floor, the kernels all over. "We should probably sweep up too."

"Blame it on Kevin," Meg stretched. "Maybe if someone hadn't knocked over the coffee table to begin with…"

"Maybe if someone hadn't rolled me off the couch and into the coffee table," he chuckled.

"I didn't hear you complaining then," Meg replied giving him a sly grin. "And yes we can go when this is over. Ryse will be hungry." She gave a content sigh, "Thanks for forcing me out of the house."

"You're welcome. I know it was hard at first," he replied. "When are you going to stop stealing my clothing?"

She smiled up at him, "Complaining?"

"No. I like seeing you in only my shirts, but it would also be nice not to have Linda doing laundry all the time."

"I only wear them when you're gone," she shrugged. "Well, that and it's much easier to feed Ryse when all I have to do is undo a few buttons." He chuckled. "When do you think her powers are coming back?"

"Hard to say," he sighed. "They're there. Maybe with her age, they'll take longer to come back. Look how long they took for her when she was here."

"Yea. And about that, what are we doing about that?"

"What do you mean?"

Meg sat up and looked at him, "I watched that jerkass angle stab her. We don't know if the Doctor and Clara got her back in time. How are we stopping it?'

"We can't stop it. It's fixed."

"But we have to try. I didn't think I'd be this attached to her…but I can't lose her. She's mine and I don't want to lose her. I can't."

Cas pulled her in to wrap his arms around her. He kept hidden the shock at her having admitted that to him. "I know, but we have to have faith she got back in time."

"So what do we do until then? Sit around and bite our nails waiting for the day when she shows up bloody?"

"We arm her with the things we know will help her. At least we have a rough time frame."

"Ten? Yea, I highly doubt that. She's a bad liar," Meg huffed. "Must've gotten that from you."

He rolled his eyes, "She was at least sixteen."

"Great," Meg sighed. "You really think she'll be ok?"

"Yes," he said kissing her. "Ready?"

"You want me flashing my legs to Kevin?" she chuckled.

"Yea, I guess clothes would be helpful," he nodded letting her go. He watched her get up, tossing the rest of his clothes back at him before dressing herself. Cas stood up and walked over to her and grabbed her, pulling her in for a kiss. "I love you."

"You too, Feathers," Meg smiled back. "Let's get home."