Vrskaandrea: No Sam didn't flip but thats because he is processing that information. I see Sam as less shoot first, questions later than Dean. Don't worry, there will be a confrontation.

Blondie 20000: Male Dean is getting closer with every chapter and Sam will have a 'chat' with Caleb.

Wolfgirl2013: Thank you!

VegasGranny: Sam was always the more rational one of the brothers. And it was nice to be able to give Caleb some time with his girl.

Franki3Winchester: The dreams are intense but for once Dean is being optimistic that the ritual will work so she cut her hair. Kayla will always know who she is. Caleb and Dana said goodbye but no last kiss but all Calebs feelings disappear with the change. And Sam will confront Caleb.

Shazza19: Sam doesn't wait long at all.

***So here we are...second last chapter. What a ride it has been. Thanks everyone for sticking around, but time to restore

the natural order of things.***

CHAPTER 72

"Tonight's the night." Bobby said as he entered the kitchen.

Dean was sitting at the table feeding Kayla spoonfuls of scrambled eggs. She looked up and smiled at Bobby.

"Sure is." She said. "Can't wait."

Bobby looked at Dean closely. She seemed tired. Small dark rings had appeared under her eyes. It looked as if she hadn't slept in a week.

"Are you okay?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, just want this done and over." Dean said.

"You know, if you're really worried, you don't have to do this. It might be nice for Kayla to grow up with a mom." Bobby suggested.

"You're not the first to tell me that but I do. I have to do this, it's the only way to keep her safe." Dean answered honestly.

"If you're sure."

"I am." Dean answered determinedly.

"Alright, so after breakfast we go over the game plan then get all the ingredients organised. I just gotta put the finishing touches on the altar then we will be right to go."

"'Kay. Thanks Bobby."

The four of them sat in Bobby's study and went over the plan for that night.

"So what about Kayla?" Dean asked. "I know we're doing this late and she should be asleep but I don't like the idea of her being left alone while we're messing about with this kind of magic. Which one of you are going to stay with her?"

"Well, about that." Bobby said removing his hat and scratching his head. "Rufus will be here in about an hour or so."

"Rufus?" Dean asked shocked.

"Yes, Rufus. I need Heckle and Jeckle here to help with the ceremony and he is the best hunter I know and the only one I would trust with Kayla and keeping this secret." Bobby explained.

"I don't know. I worry about him sometimes." Dean said hesitantly. "He can be a bit one eyed when it comes to all things supernatural and let's face it Kaylas birth wasn't exactly the most natural thing."

Dean looked over to Kayla who was currently climbing from Sam to Caleb and back again, using them as her own personal jungle gym.

"If you're worried, we could call an angel." Sam suggested as he tried to keep his hair out of Kaylas reach.

"No. I don't think she's in any real danger, I just want someone with her. The angels are only for real emergencies. The less they are around her the better." Dean said.

"Look, I've spoken to Rufus, explained the situation. I only told him that we had to help someone out of a bad situation. He doesn't know it's you yet anyway. He would never hurt an innocent child. I'd trust him with my life. He's the only one I'd trust with her, with my...grandchild." Bobby said.

"Okay, I'll trust him, but only because you do." Dean agreed. "If anything happens to her, it's on you." Dean warned.

"Noted." Bobby said seriously. "Alright, let's get to it then. The ritual is long and it has to be spoken three times. I estimate it will take about five to ten minutes to complete." Bobby explained. "If at anytime either if you touch Dean you must maintain contact until the ritual is complete otherwise it will fail and we won't be able to try again until next new moon. I don't want to have to do this twice."

"Alright." Sam said.

"Gotcha." Caleb replied.

"Dean? You okay there?" Bobby was a little worried for the girl in front of him. Her face was pale and she looked shaky.

"I'm good." She answered.

"Any questions?"

Dean had been reading over the ritual for the thousandth time.

"Yeah, the blood, wouldn't it be better coming from Kayla? I mean she is my child after all."

"No. She's your child but only half your DNA. Sams is better as you both have the same parents, same DNA." Bobby answered, although Kaylas blood would work he didn't want to put the child through the pain of extracting it.

"Okay. Umm, is it going to hurt?" She asked.

"I don't know." Bobby replied truthfully.

"Alrighty then. Something to look forward to!" Dean said trying to look more confident than she felt.

Rufus arrived just over an hour later after the other hunters had finished their meeting. He took one look at Kaylas chubby face and fell for her. He pulled a dreidel from his pocket and handed it to her.

"You're Jewish?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" Rufus replied harshly.

"Nothin', just didn't know." Sam said shaking his head. They'd known Rufus almost as long as they'd known Bobby and he was no longer the scary man he used to be.

Sam handed Kayla back to Dean and they all followed Bobby back into the study. The altar had been completed and now they were gathering the required ingredients.

"So who are you?" Rufus asked Dean.

"No one you need to concern yourself with." Bobby said as he drew a syringe of blood from Sams arm and placed it on a black cloth. "You worry about the kid."

Rufus held little respect for anyone, but Bobby was the one person he considered an equal. He nodded.

"Okay. I get that. Need to know only." He said looking around. "So where's the dumb one?"

Dean looked at Rufus with an insulted look. They had been very careful to call her 'Dana' since Rufus' arrival.

"He'll be here later." Bobby said, putting the last of the ingredients on the cloth and covering it with another piece of black cotton that had sigils painted on it.

"Right." He felt something was up but trusted Bobby enough not to question it.

Bobby closed and locked the door to the study when they left. Something he never did. This showed Dean he wasn't taking any risks with this. He didn't want anyone going in an messing with the ingredients. While Bobby trusted everyone in the house he was, by hunters nature, suspicious of all.

The feeling throughout the house was tense. Everyone was feeling it, even Kayla picked up on it and was unusually clingy to Dean. Sam, Caleb and Bobby all sought Dean out at some point throughout the day to speak with her privately. They all could see she was tense and her mood was swinging wildly all day. She eventually sought some solitude of her own, taking Kayla up to their room for an hour to themselves. She hugged her child tightly and looked out the window. The altar they would be using was visible from her room. She stared down at it until Kayla started to squirm, insisting she be put down.

Dean moved to the closet and began to pack 'Dana Smith' away into a box.

Supper was a quiet, subdued affair, only Kaylas chattering breaking the silence around the table.

Dean, Sam and Caleb played with Kayla as a family until she began to show signs of tiredness. Picking her up, Dean carried her to their room. Sitting on the bed she rocked her child to sleep, one last time, before kissing her on the forehead.

"Lepo spavaj, moje najmilije." She whispered. "I love you."

Dean placed the sleeping child in her crib. Dean took a shuddering breath as she gently stroked her sleeping daughters cheek. She knew the others were watching but didn't care.

"Okay. Let's do this." She said straightening up.

At 11:52 pm Bobby declared it was soon time to begin. Dean was sitting in her room watching Kayla sleep when Sam knocked on the door.

"It's time." He said.

Dean nodded and stood. She took a tray from the change table and placed it on the end of her bed, closest to the door.

"Holy water, salt, silver." She lifted each item as she spoke. On the tray was also a glass. She poured a small shot of holy water and added some salt. "No one goes near my child without taking the tests first."

She held the glass out to Rufus. He took it and sculled the drink, grimacing at the taste. Dean nodded then handed him the small silver blade. Rufus took it and made a small slice in his arm. Satisfied Dean stepped out of the way and let the older man into the room. He stepped easily over the devils trap Dean had drawn on the floor.

"That is my child." She said pointing to Kayla. "Anything happens, I come for you."

Rufus narrowed his eyes slightly. This was one protective mother. Even though she looked like she was about to break there was something fierce, dangerous radiating from her. Something... familiar.

"Got it. Nothings gonna happen on my watch. She'll be safe with me." Rufus assured her. He had a shotgun slung across his chest and he removed a pistol from his waistband. He lifted his pant leg to reveal a very nasty looking blade strapped to his calf. Dean nodded and left the room, picking up a bundle of clothes as she left.

Sam was waiting when Dean stepped barefoot from the bathroom. She was wearing a pair of her old 'Dean' sweats and a T-shirt.

"You ready?" Sam asked.

"Yep." Dean nodded.

Sam turned to walk down the stairs but stopped when Dean put her hand on his arm.

"What is it?" He asked, turning to face her.

"I trust you, I trust Bobby to get this right but just in case something goes wrong."

"Dean, nothings going to go wrong."

"I know but just in case." She handed Sam a small key. "There's a locked box in the trunk of the Impala. It has instructions, legal stuff you're gonna need."

Sam tried to push the key back.

"Nothings going to go wrong."

"Please Sam, just for my piece of mind." Dean pleaded.

"Okay. Fine, but I'll be giving this back to you tomorrow." Sam said holding up the key.

They walked down stairs. Bobby was outside setting up near the altar and Caleb met them at the door.

"Looking good." He joked, taking in Deans oversized clothing.

"Thought it would be best to be wearing something loose." Dean shrugged.

"Okay ready?" Caleb asked.

Dean rolled her eyes, she was getting tired of people asking her that.

"Hey Sam, can you give us a minute?" Caleb asked.

He looked confused for a second.

"Yeah okay. I'll go help Bobby." Sam said and walked away.

Dean waited until Sam was out of ear shot before speaking.

"I'm sorry...for everything. I'm sorry for taking Kayla away and hiding her from you. It's not enough, words just..." Dean sighed as words failed her.

"It's okay Dean. I know you did it for the right reasons, whats done is done and it's best left behind us. But you know you don't have to do this?" Caleb said, placing a hand on Deans shoulder.

"Yeah." Dean looked at her friend and the father of her child. "Yeah I do."

"Okay, if you're sure?"

Dean nodded with a small smile.

"Well as much as I'm excited to have my best mate back, I'm going to miss your face around here. You're much better looking than Dean." Caleb said, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't know, I'd do him." Dean smirked. "Promise me you'll watch out for Kayla."

"Dean.." Caleb began. He was going to tell her it would be okay but she'd been hearing that all day. He pulled her into a tight hug and placed a kiss on the top of her head "Of course I will. Always."

Dean tightened the hug before stepping back and drawing a deep breath.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road." Dean said walking away.-

They walked out to where Bobby and Sam were waiting by the altar.

"Ready?" Bobby asked.

"As I'll ever be." Dean said.

She hugged each of them again, keeping Sam for last. She placed a hand on his face, her eyes welling with tears.

"See you on the other side." She said. Sam didn't trust his own voice so just smiled and nodded.

Dean walked over to the altar. She was about to sit when she suddenly stopped.

"Oh, wait." She reached up the back of her shirt and with a tricky manoeuvre was suddenly holding her bra. "Won't need this."

She slapped it into Sams hand and sat on the wooden structure. Sam shook his head and gave a shaky smile then tucked the bra into his back pocket.

"Remember, I can't interrupt the spell, I have to keep going no matter what, and if either of you touch him.." Bobby began.

"Don't break the contact. We've got it." Caleb finished.

Dean lay down and undid the drawstring at the waist of her sweats.

"Do your thing Bobby." She said.

Bobby mixed the ingredients while chanting the first part of the ritual. He dipped his finger in the mix and dabbed it onto Deans forehead. Continuing to chant he lit the candles that sat by each of Deans shoulders and feet, being sure to circle anti-clockwise. Once he had arrived back at Deans head he began the main part of the spell. He was about quarter of the way through the first recitation when Dean began twitching.

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"Just aces." Dean replied through gritted teeth.

Three quarters of the way through she really began to squirm, making the occasional grunt or groan.

"Okay, I think I've had enough, you can stop now." Dean said from the altar as Bobby finished the first passage.

Sam looked at Bobby who nodded. He reached across and tapped Caleb on the arm. They both took hold of Deans arms and legs, holding her to the altar.

"One down Dean." Sam said.

By the end of the second stanza Dean was panting and had broken into a sweat. She was moving about and groaning, clearly in some pain.

"Just a bit more Dean." Sam encouraged. "Bobby just finished the first two, only one more to go."

"No, I can't do it Sammy!" Dean cried as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Sam made eye contact with Bobby who didn't pause just continued reading the incantation. They had both suspected this next part would be the worst. Bobby lit a match and dropped it into the bowl. A great plume of blue smoke and flame rose from the dish then died away. Bobby dipped his finger in and gathered some of the ash and drew on Deans forehead. She screamed and arched away, trying to roll from the altar. Caleb and Sam tightened their grip on her.

"Stop! Please, stop!" Dean screamed. "Stooop!"

Her words dissolved into harsh screams of pain, the screams deepening as Caleb and Sam felt the bones and muscles moving beneath their hands, stretching, growing. Caleb's head snapped up as the sound of Kaylas screams suddenly burst from the window above them joining her mothers.

"No! Don't let go!" Sam shouted as he saw Caleb tense to run to the child.

Caleb was clearly torn, needing to stay to help his friend but also desperately wanting to go and soothe his daughter. "Hold on Caleb, not long to go." Sam promised.

He had been following along with Bobby's words and knew there wasn't much longer. Dean thankfully passed out, his screams silent, the night only broken by Kaylas distraught cries. Caleb stared, distressed, at the window but held on.

Deans body began to glow at it made the final transformation back to its natural male form. Bobby circled Dean once again, this time clockwise, extinguishing the candles. When he reached the head of the altar he recited the final piece of the incantation and dumped the contents on the bowl on the ground. The light around Dean grew in intensity until it was too bright to look at then dissipated into a million small sparks rising up to the sky. On the table was Dean in his masculine form.

"It's done." Bobby said.

***A/N...so is anyone interested to know what is really in the box Dean gave Sam the key for? Oh, and the ritual...I made that shit up. I just wanted it to be as painful as possible.***