A/N: Dedicated to my friend Bec, who had a rough day yesterday, hope the inclusion of Aurora here makes you smile ;)

Chapter 38:

Beautiful Boy

It had been a week since JD was born, and Andie couldn't help but be kind of terrified by him. It wasn't that he was super-powerful, in fact he hadn't shown any supernatural abilities as of yet, but more she had no idea what to do with him. He was a lump. He was her lump; but that's what he was. When he wasn't crying; he was sleeping like a doll. Andie would find herself staring at him, puzzled, waiting for him to do something. Explode, maybe. Or just jump up for some reason. Do something...

Dean was as natural a father as Andie had expected. He treated JD like a best friend; talked to him about everything, pointed things out to him explaining what they were ("This is a TV; you'll learn to love it"/ "That's a tree."/ "This is my other baby, the Impala."), and he was very hands-on. It made life easier for Andie who still struggled with feeding the baby; he fidgeted a lot, almost like he didn't want her holding him but felt he had to if he wanted to eat; and then when he was full he fussed until she put him down. It was disconcerting; that her own son didn't want her to hold him; but Andie tried not to let it bother her. Plus, JD didn't really like Sam holding him either, so Andie just assumed Dean was 'the favourite' for now.

Travelling with JD wasn't as awful as Andie thought it might be. For the first couple of days it was rough; the baby got scared every time the engine roared to life and would start screaming. But after a week of it; he started getting used to it. It still made him jump a little; but he didn't cry. And the playpen slash cot that Sam had bought was working a treat, even though it dwarfed JD when Andie laid him inside it.

Ellie was almost as shocked as Andie to see that she had a great-grandson. But she loved him immediately; and when she visited she never put him down. She sang to him, kissed and hugged him, rocked him to sleep; very grandmotherly duties. Again, Andie was pleased that if her son wasn't getting it from her; he was getting it from someone she loved.

As well as that, they had a goal, now; collecting the four rings worn by each Horseman of the Apocalypse. Apparently the Trickster, who Andie was told was actually an angel named Gabriel, had sent Sam and Dean his dying message. Collect the rings; cage Lucifer. The rings were the key; they would open the cage; and then all they had to do was shove Lucifer inside it. It sounded simpler than it was, especially since they only had two of the rings. Pestilence and Death's trinkets were still out there somewhere, and Dean wasn't too keen on searching for Pestilence, a bringer of disease, with a newborn infant in tow.

So while he and Sam travelled to Nevada to investigate a suspected Croatoan virus infested outbreak of swine flu that they suspected had Pestilence written all over it, Andie was staying put with JD in Wyoming.

"You can say if you don't want us to go," Dean told her for the millionth time as he headed out the door, Sam was already packed up in the car. "Seriously; I can stay here with you two."

"I'll deal, Dean," Andie assured him. "Seriously. It's only a couple of days."

"Yeah, but," he glanced over at JD who was lying in his cot.

Andie slapped her hands on his shoulders and shook him a little. "We'll. Be. Fine." She said with every shake. "Cassidy's coming to visit tomorrow and Castiel can just blink you back here if something goes wrong—which it won't!" She brushed her lips against his in a quick kiss. "Now, go. Fight. Conquer."

"Hang on," Dean suddenly dropped his bag to the floor and crossed the room to JD. "Hey buddy," he leant into the crib and ran his hand across his son's head. "Bug, I'm gonna be gone for a couple of days, okay? But I'll be back, I promise. Take care of your mother."

Knowing Dean's fear that he'd make the same mistakes as his father, Andie took his second goodbye to JD as more of something he did for himself rather than the baby. He wanted to assure himself that he would be back; he wouldn't leave for long stretches of time, he would be there for his son and take care of him. And he wanted JD to know that, as well as steel it within himself.

"Call me if anything happens." Dean said as he picked up his bags again, snaking his arm around Andie's hip and pulling her into a hug. "You two are gonna be fine."

"Yes, I know." Andie gave him a quick squeeze and untangled herself from him. "Go."

It was only when the roar of the Impala's engine died in the distance that Andie became aware that she was alone. With the baby. Her little lump of a son. Wandering over to his crib, she figured she may as well get him out of his pyjamas, it was almost noon. Unfortunately she didn't have any baby boy clothes, so she was forced to make do with what she had.

"I know, Bug, it's girly," She muttered to her son as she struggled to get his fussing little arms into a floral romper. "But in all fairness that's what I thought you'd be. Not that I mind, it just means until we get you more clothes, you'll have to deal with some pretty feminine stuff." Once he was dressed, Andie placed him on a blanket on the floor surrounded by toys and flopped tiredly onto the couch. "There you go, kid, enjoy yourself." She said, closing her eyes for just a minute.

Even though JD slept quite well, Andie was still recovering from one hell of a birth. She felt like she was starting on a half-empty tank and still hadn't gotten back to normal yet.

Andie felt as though she'd actually napped for about ten minutes when JD started crying. "What?" She sat bolt upright. Her senses were all over the place. JD could flinch and she'd accidentally toss something across the room. The baby was fine; but Andie could smell that he needed to be changed. "Oh, JD." She grumbled, getting to her feet and scooping the baby up. "Why do you wait 'til your father leaves to do this?"

As she settled her son into a clean diaper, there was a light knocking at the door. Curious, and wary, Andie set JD back in his cot and cautiously went to answer it.

"Surprise!"

Aurora flung her arms around Andie so fast she winded her.

"Good, Lord!" Andie coughed.

"I'm sorry I didn't call, I just had to come see you when Cassidy told me you'd had the baby." Aurora bustled into the room and tossed a handful of bags on the couch. "Oh, there he is." She cooed, creeping over to JD's crib and cuddling him up in her arms. "Oh; he's gorgeous." She rested the baby on her shoulder and softly ran her fingers across his dark hair.

Andie was more intrigued by the bags Aurora had brought with her. "What is all this?"

"Well, when Cass said you had had a boy and not a girl, I figured you'd need new clothes for him." Aurora swayed back and forth with JD comfortable in her arms.

Andie sifted through some cute little t-shirts with trucks and planes on them, pale blue singlets and rompers, even some green and yellow striped socks. "Thanks - really." Andie said, pulling out all the clothes. "You've saved me a trip."

"You're welcome. I figured you wouldn't be that into baby shopping, but man I could have been in that store all day." Aurora rested JD down in the crook of her arm and let him suck on her finger. "Wow; he looks like Dean with those eyes..." She mused. "Different colour... but same expression."

Smiling, Andie thought she might take the opportunity to have a little time to herself, if JD was this happy with Aurora. "Can you watch him for like ten minutes while I take a shower? I just changed him; he's been fed, he should be fine-"

"I thought you'd never ask." Aurora grinned, sitting herself cross-legged on the floor. "Take your time; we'll be right here."

Andie had never thought of a shower as invigorating, but this one was. It was so soothing; the hot water beating down on her back, washing off the faint smell of baby vomit, and she was finally able to wash her hair. It was easy to lose track of time in there, and by the time Andie came wafting out of the bathroom in a robe with her hair wrapped in a towel; it was early afternoon.

Aurora was still on the floor with JD, she was resting him on her knees, playing with his hands, and singing to him. "Suddenly I turned around and she was standing there/With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair..."

"Are you singing Bob Dylan?" Andie asked her with a smirk.

Aurora grinned. "Yeah, I know his stuff more than The Beatles; I figured it's never too early to start learning the music of one's namesake."

With a nod of approval Andie went to her bed and fell heavily onto the mattress. "Oh... lying down is nice."

"Do you want me to watch him while you take a nap? I could take him to the park-"

"No!" Andie said immediately. "He stays with me. It's not personal..."

"No, I get it," Aurora assured her. "It's ok; he's looking about ready to nap himself. And I," She rose to her feet and tucked JD under one arm. "Have got to get moving." She gently laid the baby down in his cot.

Andie opened one eye at her. "What? You just got here."

"I know, but I'm only passing through, I have a case in California."

"Bypass Nevada if you can." Andie warned, without going into the details of the possible virus outbreak.

"I will." She patted Andie's foot as she passed her and dug her purse out of the bags of baby clothes. "Just sleep, ok?"

"Thanks, Ror," Andie said tiredly, already feeling sleep overcome her. She was still warm from her shower and so comfortable in her bathrobe, and the baby was on his way to sleep as well; she was relaxed, for once. "Thanks..."

Silently, Aurora slipped out of the hotel room and left both mother and baby to slumber.

xxx

Andie knew JD was screaming; she could hear him, but she couldn't move.

There was something on her chest, something pushing her down into her mattress. A foul, putrid smell filled her nostrils. Opening her eyes, Andie was face to face with the hideous form of what used to be a woman. Now, she just looked dead. Her eyes were hollow, black gaps in her skull, her hair was long but thin, matted and gray, her face was grotesque, spitting and snarling down at Andie, gripping her with her talon like hands.

"Get offa me, bitch!" Andie screamed, pulling up her knees and kicking the creature off of her. She sprang to her feet before the demon did, and swung her hand at it tossing her swiftly into the bathroom. Whipping an iron knife from the bedside table, Andie was approaching the lavatory when she became aware that she couldn't hear JD anymore.

Rushing to the cot, fear gripped around Andie's heart like a tight fist. It was empty. "NO!" Her eyes darted to the open door, the trail of dirt leading from the cot to outside. Full of fury, Andie stormed into the bathroom and grabbed the demon by the throat, channelling her power through her fingertips to lift the creature of her feet. "WHERE IS HE?" She bellowed. "WHERE THE HELL IS MY SON?"

xxx