***Well we are over the shark and have safely landed on the other side... and Wowsers! I must have done something right here, so many reviews! Thank you all so much. I honestly thought the whole premise would be hated, but I guess the idea of a little Winchester crawling about is just too cute to pass up. And the prize goes to VallyGirl for being the first to hint, weeks ago, that this was why Dean was acting so off. And thankyou for keeping the secret.***
Vrskaandrea: Cliffhangers...suspense...It's what I do. 😉 But at least it wasn't a complete surprise.
Blondie 20000: I knew you would be concerned about this newest situation but it's all good, I promise.
ThePraxianSeeker: Yep, the darn Winchester luck...
Summer: I love your suggestion about Marnie but, even though the sisters pop up once or twice more, I cant quite see how I can weave that into my planned sequels. Hmmm...let me think on it.
Bingo-gal: Oh yeah, a hell of a lot of fireworks will happen!
Roseflame Crystalheart: Yes you did!
Makanie: I tried to hide the symptoms as something else...sneaky aren't I?
Kairi: You picked up on the little hints...good eye!
Shazza19: Answers start coming soon and I think its a bit messy...I had it all perfect in my head but had trouble writing it all down, but there is one line Dean says to Sam in an upcoming chapter that it think explains it. And you're welcome...that story will consume you! 😂
Guest: Ask and you shall receive.
Franki3Winchester: Yeah, Dean planned it very well, just another example of all that intelligence he keeps hidden. They're all back together and just in time for two birthdays.
CHAPTER 61
"Is that?" Sam looked at Dean and pointed in the window. He looked at Dean and suddenly everything made sense. "You were pregnant."
Deans eyes flicked to Caleb, still standing behind Sam, stunned, then back to her brother. Sam approached the car but Dean stepped closer to the door preventing him opening it. Sam knew Deans 'don't fuck with me' stance when he saw it and stepped back. Dean opened the door and took the small girl from her car seat. She stood and held the sleepy child on her side.
"Sam, I want you to meet your niece, Kayla Mary Winchester."
Sam just stared at the child curled into Deans side.
"You told me that guy didn't do anything!" Sam said.
"He didn't."
"Then how? I mean what about her father Dean? She has to have one." Sam asked looking from the baby on his brothers hip to his brother.
"I'm her father."
"What? What are you saying? This was like some immaculate conception or a side effect of the spell?" Sam asked.
"No, of course not. She has a father and he's human, but when I registered her birth I registered Dean Winchester as her father. It just made sense."
"I don't understand, why didn't you just say something."
Dean flinched when Caleb's truck door suddenly slammed and he drove off, wheels squealing as he left the parking lot.
"He's just...um, it's a shock." Sam said, looking in the direction the truck disappeared. "You being here suddenly after all this time."
Dean nodded.
"Umm, so maybe we can go inside? It's a bit cool out here." Dean said bouncing Kayla.
"Yeah, of course."
•
Caleb pulled back into the motel lot and parked. He pulled a bottle of beer from the back on the seat. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the seat. The passenger door opened and he felt the telltale dip of the cab as someone climbed in and closed the door. He opened his eyes and looked to his right. Dean pulled a beer from the pack and took the top off, taking a huge drink.
"Ahh, beer. How I've missed you." She said.
"Why did you run?"
"Hello to you too."
"Answer the question." Caleb demanded.
"I had to. I did some research of my own. Either we did the ritual and I change back to being a man only I'm still pregnant, now that's something I didn't want to have to explain, or, she just ceased to exist." Dean took a drink from her bottle. "Neither was an option I was willing to risk."
"Why now? Why come back now?" Caleb asked, staring out the window.
"It's become clear I won't be able to protect her forever while I'm like this. She's weaned now, so the times right." Dean shrugged.
"Weaned? Does that mean you were, like, breast feeding her?" Caleb looked at Dean for the first time.
"I moved around a lot, there wasn't always the means to heat water or sterilise bottles add to that, some days I had to chose between diapers for her or food for me...made sense." Dean shrugged and took another swig from the bottle in her hand.
"Huh. What did it feel like?"
"Honestly dude? At first, weird, but after a while, kinda nice."
They sat silently for a while.
"I had to Caleb. She's my daughter, registering me...ah, Dean, as her father made the most sense. That way when I, Dana, cease to exist then I, Dean, still remain her parent. No guardian issues, no custodial rigmarole. She's mine, and she stays mine."
"Ha, yeah. Kayla Mary Winchester...And I get no say in the matter." Caleb said.
"I named her after you."
"No you didn't!"
"Kay-la...Ca-leb."
"That's a bit of a stretch."
They sat silently for a few minutes, just drinking.
"When was she born?" Caleb asked finally.
"May 12th."
"Where?"
"A convent hospice in Canada."
"She's Canadian?"
"No the Sisters there helped me register her with the American Embassy. She has a US birth certificate, but she does have something called jus soli. Basically it means she has all the rights of a citizen, she's just not one." Dean explained.
"Huh."
Through the windscreen they saw Sam open the door to the room beside theirs. He was holding Kayla and it appeared she was crying.
"Can I...see her?" Caleb asked.
"Sure. Just one thing. Sam doesn't know...ever."
"Okay." It broke Caleb's heart to agree but he knew there was a danger of Dean running again.
"Well, lets go introduce you to Kayla."
•
Sam slept badly that night. He'd wanted to stay with Dean and Kayla but Dean put her foot down saying there was only one bed and she'd be sharing that with the little girl and didn't want to risk her being crushed. Sam relented but pocketed the Impala keys...just in case. Dean was so close, just a wall away but still Sam was afraid to sleep in case when he woke up she'd be gone again and all this would have just been a dream...or a nightmare. He finally succumbed around 4am. When he finally awoke it was well after 9. He climbed from his bed and quickly showered then dressed.
•
Sam knocked on Deans door quietly, just in case the baby was still asleep.
"Dean? You in there?" Sam called through the door. He knocked again. "Dean?"
Sam looked through the window. The lights were off and the bed looked empty.
"Shit!" Sam exclaimed as he turned to return to his own room he noticed for the first time the Impala was missing from the spot in front of the room.
Sam raced back into his motel room and crashed into Caleb, coming out the door.
"What going on?" He asked.
"Deans gone!" Sam pushed past Caleb and grabbed the keys to his own vehicle. Rushing to his car he was just about to get in when he heard the unmistakable growl of Deans baby.
She pulled into the car space and climbed from the vehicle.
"Hey, what's going on?" She asked frowning at her brother and best friend.
"Where were you?" Sam yelled.
"Jeez, calm down. I just went for a run and to get breakfast, like I told you." Dean said.
"What? You never told me you were going anywhere!"
"Yeah I did. In my note."
"What note?" Sam asked.
"That one." Dean pointed to the door, then retrieved Kayla from the back seat.
Caleb turned as saw a small yellow post it note stuck just under the room number. He pulled it off and handed it to Sam.
"'Gone running will bring breakfast'." Sam read. "How did you even go? I have the keys."
"Silly uncle Sammy. He thinks that's the only set of keys I have." She said in a sing song voice to the child. Kayla giggled. "See she thinks you're silly too! Foods in the car, grab it will you?"
Dean walked past the two men and entered Sams room. Sam and Caleb just exchanged bewildered glances and then Sam followed after Dean leaving Caleb to get the food.
•
They sat around the small table and ate their breakfast.
"What are you feeding her?" Sam asked.
"Organic sugar free yoghurt and strawberries."
Caleb dipped his finger in the yoghurt container and tasted it.
"Eww, that tastes like arse!" He grimaced.
"Yeah it does but she likes it. Don't you baby?" Dean replied.
"Uh!" Kayla responded taking her finger from her mouth and pointing at Caleb.
"Don't listen to him, he has no taste anyway." Dean said feeding her daughter more yoghurt.
"How come you never fed me organic sugar free stuff?" Sam asked.
"Because I was eight and I didn't know that Capt'n Crunch wasn't a food group."
"Just wait until your momma tries to feed you mac'n'cheese with fluff." Sam warned his niece, stealing some strawberries from the bowl. He held one out to Kayla who looked at Dean.
"It's okay baby, you can take it." She encouraged.
Kayla took the berry and shoved the whole thing in her mouth. After chewing it a couple of times she favoured the table with a wide, juicy smile.
"She's a cutie." Caleb said.
He'd been watching Dean and Kayla silently from across the table.
"Thanks. I like her." Dean answered with a shrug.
"Okay, so after breakfast I say we head in back to Bobby's." Sam said.
"Okay." Dean answered. "Just let me take a shower and clean the munchkin, then we'll be good to go."
Dean wiped Kaylas face with a wet wipe then stood and left the room.
"How are we going to do this, we've got three cars." Caleb asked.
"I'll think of something." Sam replied.
•
Sam and Caleb were waiting by the cars when Dean came out of her room. They waited while she strapped Kayla into her seat before speaking.
"Give me your keys." Sam said holding out his hand.
"What? Why?" Dean asked confused.
"Because I'm driving the Impala." Sam answered.
"Seriously? No, Kayla's seat is in there and do you know how much of a bitch that thing is to install?"
"Doesn't matter, we're not moving the seat."
Suddenly it all made sense to Dean and her protective instincts all came flooding forward.
"Oh no! No way I'm hell am I letting either of you drive around with my baby! Not happening!" She said raising her voice and poking Sam in the chest.
"Look Dean, you're a flight risk. We just want to make sure you make it to Bobby's." Caleb interjected.
"I'm not going to run this time!"
"We don't know that, so we need to take some precautions."
"No." Dean said firmly. "How about this, Sam you lead, I'll drive in the middle and Caleb, you bring up the rear. That way if I try to overtake, Sammy, you can block me and if I try to turn off the road, Caleb, you can follow."
Sam and Caleb looked at each other. Caleb nodded.
"Okay, we'll try it your way." Sam said.
They all got into their respective vehicles and one by one left the motel.
•
The trip back to Bobby's should have taken just over 9 hours but schedules were a hard thing to follow when travelling with an 11 month old child. After several stops for food, gas, diaper changes, letting the baby crawl around so she would stop crying in her car seat and toilet breaks for the adults they finally came within spitting distance of Sioux Falls.
Sam had tried to call Bobby several times but he was on a hunt and out of range. He finally got through to him just as the convoy passed through the city limits.
"Hey Sam."
"You home?"
"Yeah, just got in. What going on?"
"We've got Dean and we're coming in fast. Just wanted to warn you." Sam informed the older hunter.
"What? How?"
"He just turned up at our motel last night."
"And is he still..." Bobby began.
"He, is still a she." Sam replied.
"How far away are you?"
"About 10 minutes."
"Okay, I'll be waiting. That boy has some explaining to do."
"Yeah, and he has a hell of a story. We'll see you soon."
"Okay."
"Bye."
Sam disconnected the call and checked his rear vision mirror. Dean was still there and Sam let out a sigh of relief. It didn't matter how often he checked it was still a nervous moment until he saw the black car behind him, each time he was expecting the road to be empty.
•
Shortly after they pulled into Bobby's yard. Sam got out of his car and walked to the Impala.
"I'll get her, you go see Bobby." Sam said.
Dean nodded and reluctantly got out of the car.
Caleb pulled in behind and he got out walking straight up to Bobby who was waiting at the bottom of the steps for them.
"So what's going on this time?" Bobby asked.
"You'll see." Caleb said as he turned to go into the house.
"Not hanging around to watch the show?"
"Nuh." He answered and walked inside.
Dean slowly approached the older hunter.
"Hi Bobby." She said.
"Hi Bobby? Hi Bobby!" He shouted. "After all the time we spent finding the spell to put you right, you just up and disappear and after a year all I get is 'hi Bobby'?"
"I'm...I'm sorry. I just couldn't go through with it then." Dean said hanging her head in contrition.
"Damn right you're sorry! You had better have one hell of a good reason why!" Bobby yelled.
Sam had retrieved a very sleepy Kayla from the car and walked up behind Bobby.
"He does." Sam said.
"Yeah well, I just can't wait to..." Bobby spun to face Sam, his words dying when he took in the child in Sams arms, her head resting on his shoulder. "Is that..." He whirled back to face Dean. "Is that a baby? Your baby?"
Dean nodded.
"You were pregnant?"
"Yes." Dean answered in barely a whisper.
"Oh for Pete's sake! Didn't your daddy and me teach you better than that? Gettin' yourself knocked up? Jesus Dean! Ever hear of protection!"
Bobby's raised voice startled the sleeping child and she began to wail.
Parenthood had done nothing to dampen Deans temper. She went from contrite to furious in 0.3 of a second after Kayla began crying.
"Well good one Bobby! Now look what you've done!" She yelled back.
Taking Kayla from Sam she held her close and bounced her, trying to calm the distraught baby.
"Shhh, there, there. Did the big mean man scared you?" She soothed as she placed kisses on Kaylas head. "He didn't mean it. Shh, shh. Isn't grandpa Bobby horrible?"
Dean took the diaper bag from Sams shoulder and walked into the house.
"Grandpa?" He said to Sam.
Sam just shrugged.
"Guess Dean thinks of you like a dad so it makes sense."
He followed dean into the house.
"Grandpa...hmm." Bobby took his truckers cap off and scratched his head. "Well I'll be damned."
