Chapter 49
After her trip out to the shed, Jessie was feeling much better. Her nausea was gone once again and it was nice to get out of Bobby's house, even if it was only for a few minutes. She took her time walking back, just to enjoy the cold, brisk air and the freedom of being alone. She still enjoyed her solitude from time to time, just not when it's forced upon her.
The Impala was pulling into the yard by the time she made it to the front step. Dean grinned at her as he climbed out of the car, making her narrow her eyes suspiciously. She wanted to believe he was just smiling because he was in a good mood, but something in the way he was grinning made her think something else was going on.
"Looks like someone got lucky last night," she remarked as she walked with him to the door.
"Is it that obvious?" he asked with a grin.
She opened the door, holding it for him. "You could say that."
He grinned wider as he walked into the house, moving aside so she could walk in behind him. He hung his coat up, reaching for her coat as she took it off.
"Nothing's easier than nailing a lonely chick at Christmastime," he said as he hung her coat up for her. "Except Valentine's day."
She rolled her eyes as he turned around to face her. "You mean, unattached drifter christmas?"
"How did you...?"
"Know about that?" she said with a chuckle. "Who else?"
"Sam," he answered knowingly.
She chuckled before heading into the kitchen.
Sam was setting a plate down at her spot at the table when she walked in. He glanced up at her with a bright smile, pulling out her chair for her.
She smiled brightly as she sat down at the table. "Thank you, Sam."
"Does that mean you're feeling better?" he asked, handing her a fork he'd grabbed from the counter after he pushed in her chair.
She took the fork from him, smiling gratefully. "Yup. I guess I just needed some fresh air."
"Good," he replied with relief, resting his hand on her shoulder.
"Where's mine?" Dean asked as he flopped himself onto his usual chair at the table.
His brother rolled his eyes. "I'm not your personal chef, Dean."
"I see how it is," he began to tease. "Now you have a woman so you forget all about your big brother."
He snorted. "I forgot about you long before that."
"Ha, ha," he laughed mockingly.
He watched his wife eat for a few moments, squeezing her shoulder supportively, then walked to the counter and began to crack some eggs into a bowl.
"Fine, Dean. I guess I can make an exception this time," he teased.
"Well thank you, chef," he teased back.
He turned his head and shot his brother a dirty look before continuing to crack eggs.
Jessie finished eating her omelette while Sam cooked one for his brother as well as himself. And when Sam sat down to eat, she got up and began making one for Bobby, even though he was still upstairs and hadn't come down since she'd seen him earlier. When it was finished, she attempted to go upstairs to get him, but Sam quickly got up from the table and stopped her. He told her she should relax and he would go get him, but she wasn't buying it. Something strange was going on, and she was determined to find out what.
She returned to her seat at the table, sitting there until everyone was finished eating, then she cleaned up and washed all of the dishes while everyone else stayed seated at the table, drinking coffee and talking. And although she'd hoped that keeping her hands busy would keep her mind busy, it didn't end up working like that. She was still suspicious. She knew Bobby and Sam were hiding something from her, and probably Dean as well. And she really wanted to know what was going on. She just wasn't sure how to go about getting an answer from them, so she sat at the table with them in hopes she could find something out.
They all sat at the table for a short time, Bobby leaving first about five minutes later and then Dean about five minutes after him. Both went in the same direction, upstairs. She attempted to follow them, but Sam got up from the table, standing in her way.
"Is something going on, Sam?" she asked, her hands resting on her hips.
"Uh, no," he replied quickly. "Why would you think that?"
"Seriously? You have no idea?" she asked rhetorically. "It's the second time in two days that the three of you are acting strange, and you can't see why I would think that way?"
He rolled his eyes, sighing loudly. "Fine. I was gonna wait until later to tell you, but I guess I have to now."
"Tell me what?"
"We're going out shortly," he replied tersely.
"Care to elaborate?"
"Nope. It's a surprise."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at first, then with curiosity. "I don't really like surprises, Sam."
He smiled mirthlessly for a moment. "I know. But you're gonna have to deal with it."
She shot him a pouty look before sitting down at the table with her arms crossed. She knew it wasn't dignified, but she wasn't really in the mood for surprises. With everything that was going on, surprises were the last thing she wanted, or needed. And although she knew he wouldn't do anything to hurt her, she thought there was more going on.
After making her promise to stay in the kitchen, Sam headed upstairs. She wanted to follow him desperately, but he'd made her promise and she wasn't going to break any more promises if she could help it. So as curious as she was, she did exactly what he asked of her. She even sat at the table and didn't move.
It was almost twenty minutes before he came back down the stairs, carrying a suitcase with him. She gazed at him suspiciously and with expectation, hoping he'd explain himself before she even had to open her mouth.
"Let's go," he said with a grin.
"Where are we going?" she asked impassively.
He set the suitcase down at his feet before walking over to her, reaching out his hand in expectation. "We're gonna spend the night at a hotel. But first, I'm taking you somewhere special."
She glanced at his outstretched hand, but didn't budge from her seat. "You do know tomorrow is Christmas Eve, right?"
He nodded once, but looked at her with confusion.
"I have a lot of baking and things to do for Christmas, so now is not the time to be going anywhere."
He smiled in amusement. "I promise I'll have you back in time to cook."
"As long as you promise," she replied with a slight grin.
She wanted to be more difficult, but she had become intrigued. So she took his hand, allowing him to help her up from the chair and leading her over to the coat rack. He took her coat down from the rack and held it for her so she could put it on easily, then retrieved the suitcase from the floor.
"Um, what's in the suitcase?" she asked as she zipped up her coat.
"Clothes and stuff, what else?" he replied sarcastically.
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm not gonna get a straight answer from you today, am I?"
He smiled furtively. "Now you're getting it."
She pursed her lips for a moment before shaking her head. It wasn't worth the effort, so she decided not to even bother trying to figure out what he was up to. Instead, she opened the door and held it for him, since he was carrying a suitcase, following him to her car. And since she had no idea where they were going, she waited by the passenger side while he put the suitcase in the trunk.
"Hey! Where'd you get my keys?" she asked.
He grinned mischieviously. "I snaked them outta your pocket earlier."
She narrowed her eyes in mock irritation. "Nothing's sacred with you, is it?"
He laughed heartily. "You know I would never do anything to hurt her."
"If you think Dean's protective over his car..."
"Yeah, I get it," he replied with a slight roll of his eyes. "A painful, excrutiating death."
She waited impatiently for him to unlock the door, whining about the cold. She was only teasing him, but he took on a horrified look which made her feel somewhat guilty. She wasn't sure if he had been teasing her in return, but she apologized all the same. He shook it off, playing cool, but something in his tone made it seem like he was upset. So she smiled at him reassuringly, hoping to alleviate his concern. He returned her smile, but it didn't seem to be as bright as before. She decided not to tease him about anything that might be connected to her well being again, or, at least until the baby was born. She didn't like to intentionally upset him. And besides, it was his smile that she wanted to see. No matter how she felt, his smile always served to brighten her mood, even in the worst situation.
She was quiet as he drove through town, but as he began heading out of town she again inquired about their destination. He still wouldn't give her a straight answer so she began to pout. But then a good song came on the radio, so she decided to sing instead. And when the song was over, she flipped through the stations until she found another good song, which continued for the remainder of the trip.
Her singing stopped abruptly when Sam pulled the Caprice into the parking lot of a strip mall. It wasn't a large strip mall, it only occupied five businesses, the largest of which he parked the car in front of.
She was glancing at him curiosity as he turned off the car, turning his gaze towards her with a furtive grin.
"Merry Christmas!"
Her eyes gazed back at him with bewilderment, a bright smile creeping across her face. She tried hard not to, but his smile was infectious.
"You're taking me for a spa day?"
"Yeah. I thought you could use a day of being pampered."
She couldn't deny a spa day sounded great, but that little voice in her head wouldn't shut up. It told her there was something more going on. Possibly something they wanted her out of the way for. However, she wasn't going to let that ruin her day. Sam had obviously put some thought into this gift and she wasn't going to ruin it just because she was suspicious. Besides, if something was going on, it would be there later. She could deal with it then.
She reached over, placing her hand on his, smiling happily. "I love you, Sam."
His smile widened. "I guess that means you like your present?"
"No, Sam," she replied with a wide smile. "I love it."
"You do?" he asked with surprise.
She chuckled lightly. "Definitely."
He quickly unbuckled himself before getting out of the car and walking over to the passenger side to open the door for her. Extending his hand, he gently helped her out of the car, pulling her into an embrace and kissing her lightly. When he released her, her face was flushed and she was breathing heavily.
"Wow! What did I do to deserve this?" she asked breathlessly.
He smiled lovingly, brushing away the hair that the wind had blown across her face. "It's cold out here. Let's get you inside," he replied with a smile.
She smiled warmly and took his hand, allowing him to lead her into the spa.
The first thing she noticed was how warm and inviting it was inside. The blonde lady that greeted them was perky, perhaps a bit too perky for her. She'd always been suspicious of people who seemed to be a bit too cheery and this woman was no exception. However, she was in a great mood so she wasn't going to let anything interfere with it, even her paranoia.
After Sam spoke with the receptionist at length, she took Jessie's coat and hung it up for her, before directing her into large chair with a foot bath. It had been a very long time since she'd had a pedicure, she wasn't even sure how gnarly her toes might look. Hell, she couldn't even remember the last time she had clipped her toenails, let alone look after them.
Sam kissed her lightly on the cheek before he explained he was leaving for a short time. He promised she'd be looked after and that he would be back before she even realized he was gone. And while she didn't believe that was true, she smiled warmly in agreement, hoping to give him peace of mind. She noticed he seemed to be a bit tense and she didn't want to contribute to it.
After he left, two women came over to her chair to work on her nails. One began working on her fingernails, while the other was working on her toenails. It felt very unusual for her to be so vulnerable and exposed, but she had to keep telling herself this was something she needed to help her relax, no matter how difficult it seemed.
After her manicure and pedicure, they gave her a facial. She'd never had one before so it was a new experience. In the beginning she thought she wasn't going to enjoy it, but after she gave in to her doubts, she found that she enjoyed it very much. She was so relaxed, her mind actually forgot all of her problems. And when it came time for a full body massage, she was too relaxed to worry about her dignity. They did have to adjust how it was done since she was pregnant, but she wasn't the first pregnant lady they'd ever worked on so it wasn't an issue.
She ended up spending more than three hours at the spa, although it didn't seem that long to her. She'd enjoyed herself so much she didn't even want to leave. But when Sam finally came to pick her up she was ecstatic to see him. In fact, she was so happy she couldn't stop smiling, although she was postive some of that had to do with the fact she'd just spent the last three hours being the most relaxed she'd ever been in her life.
"You look great," Sam said as he pulled her into his arms, kissing her once gently on the lips.
"I feel great," she replied with a beaming smile.
He returned her smile. "See. I knew this is what you needed."
"Yeah," she said with a teasing grin. "Who woulda thought Sam Winchester was so intuitive and in touch with a woman's needs."
He smiled, snorting lightly. "Yeah, you're feeling better."
She smiled, slipping from his embrace and taking his hand. "I'm ready for my next surprise."
He gazed at her curiously with a half smile. "Who says there's another surprise?"
She wanted to tease him, so she attempted to look as serious as possible when she spoke, but she was in too good of a mood to pull it off. She couldn't help but grin.
"You mean this is all you got for me?"
He smiled, shaking his head lightly. "You're so cute when you're trying to get information."
"Balls," she uttered quietly.
He chuckled as he led her from the spa and out to the car. Opening the door for her, he helped her in before climbing into the driver's side and began driving away, silently.
She was curious where he was taking her, but she had one idea. It had been a few hours since she'd eaten, so she could only hope he realized she needed something to eat soon.
As the car pulled into the driveway of a large—and very expensive—hotel, she was really curious what he was up to. He'd been so hesitant on spending her money in the past, although they were married and now half was his as well, but she knew this hotel was way past what he could afford. It wasn't that she minded, in fact she was actually pleased. It just seemed strange for him to just suddenly begin spending her money at such a rate. It just added more fuel to her suspicion.
She was quiet as the valet took her car, as she walked into the hotel hand in hand with Sam, while he checked them into their room, and the entire way up to their room. She was trying desperately to ignore the suspicion that continued to pop into her mind, but she was feeling ambivalent about the day's events. She was happy Sam was treating her to a special day, and she had definitely enjoyed it so far. But she was positive something was going on. Something no one wanted her to know about. It made it difficult to enjoy herself completely, and she really was trying.
After their suitcases were put away, Sam lead Jessie downstairs into the large—and extremely fancy—restaurant. She now knew why he had insisted she wear something a little fancier after her massage, otherwise she would have been severly under dressed. She was still quiet, only answering his questions as tersely as possible, not wanting to give away her displeasure. But once they were finally seated at their table, in a quiet corner, she finally decided to broach the subject.
"I don't want to ruin this moment, Sam," she began, watching his expression change from happy to curious. "But something's been bothering me all day."
"What's that?"
"Are you hiding something from me I should know about?" she blurted out.
"Jessie—"
"Please, Sam. I don't want to fight with you," she said with a sigh. "It's just been nagging at me. And I just want to get past it so I can enjoy my time with you."
He sighed, gazing at her pleadingly. "I know it's probably too much to ask, but do you think you could just let it go? For one day?"
She shook her head lightly. "Your puppy dog eyes won't work with me, Sam."
He sighed, smiling slightly in disbelief. "I should've known you couldn't leave it alone."
"So are you gonna tell me?"
"Do you really hate surprises that much?" he teased.
"Sam!" she groaned.
"Fine. But just remember you asked for it," he replied, earning him an irritated look. "We are hiding something from you, but, it's not what you think. It's a Christmas present for you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really," he replied. "And now you've ruined the surprise."
She grinned, reaching across the table to place her hand on his. "It's not like you told me what it is."
He was silent for a moment, mulling something over in his mind. "You're right. Now promise me you won't ask me about it again."
"Fine. I promise," she replied with a smile.
He took her hand into his, squeezing it firmly. "Now that it's straightened out, do you think you can just sit back and relax the rest of the day—and night?"
She gazed at him with a thoughtful look before grinning teasingly. "That all depends on you."
"With you, I guess it's as close as I'm gonna get," he replied with a grin.
"You know it," she said with a chuckle.
"What would I do without you?" he asked.
"You'd definitely be bored," she teased.
The couple spent a few hours in the restaurant enjoying their six course meal. It was actually the first time Jessie had had such a luxurious meal, and she was pretty sure it was Sam's first time as well. She was just glad he had better table manners than Dean. The last thing she'd want to do is go to a fancy restaurant with him.
After dinner they headed up to their room. Jessie was tired and relaxed after her day and all she really wanted to do was sleep, but she knew Sam had other plans. She wanted to make it more difficult for him, but she couldn't. Not after all he'd done for her. So even though she was tired, she couldn't turn him away when he touched her so tenderly. They made love for a short time before cuddling up in bed and falling asleep in each other's arms.
Jessie woke up early the next morning. She wanted to continue sleeping, but she couldn't. She even climbed back into bed after she used the washroom, but she wasn't able to find sleep. She didn't want to wake Sam up since he was sleeping so soundly, but she was bored. He was lying on his side facing away from her, so she snuggled up behind him and began to run her fingers through her hair. She was still amazed by how soft his hair always was, especially since he never did anything special to it.
She ran her fingers through his hair for some time, hoping that the repetition of it would help her doze off again, but it didn't have that effect. It didn't even wake him up, although he did moan a few times. After a short time she became too frustrated to lay down any longer, so she climbed back out of bed and headed into the main room to watch the early morning news.
She was just about to turn the TV on when an abrupt noise that sounded like flapping wings startled her, making her jump in surprise.
"Castiel!" she exclaimed quietly, surprised by his sudden appearance only a few feet away from her.
"Hello, Jessie," he replied nonchalantly.
"What? How? How did you find me?" she stammered, backing away from him slightly.
"Dean told me where you were."
She gazed at him with curiosity for a moment, waiting, before her look turned into one of confusion.
"Is there something you need?" she asked.
"I have some news that I wanted to share with you."
"And it couldn't wait?"
He looked at her with surprise for a moment. "I assumed you would want to hear this immediately."
She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he had to say, but what choice did she have? She gazed at him with a confident look, hoping he couldn't see right through her.
"Sure," she said before sitting down on the couch.
He waited until she was seated comfortably before speaking.
"I've managed to find a few of Meg's closest minions and we're keeping a close eye on them," he began. "We haven't been able to find Meg herself, but we're confident it's only a matter of time."
"Wait a minute," she interrupted. "What do you mean by, we?"
"The angels, of course," he replied matter-of-factly.
"The angels?" she said, her voice shaking slightly. "They know?"
"Yes, they are aware of everything. I suppose I should have told you that first."
"You suppose?" she said with agitation, standing up from the couch abruptly. "What the hell am I gonna do now?"
"You need to calm down, Jessie," he said with a soothing voice. "Everything is fine."
She snorted. "That's easy for you to say."
It wasn't what she wanted to say, or what she felt like saying, but it's what managed to come out of her mouth. She wanted to tell him off for even attempting to tell her to calm down, she hated being told that by anyone for any reason.
"I apologize," he said looking slightly ashamed. "Please give me a moment to explain."
She glared at him angrily for a moment, until she calmed down, then returned to sitting on the couch.
"Things have changed up in heaven since, well, since I tried to open purgatory," he began to explain. "It's much like a democracy up there now, since there is no one who really qualifies to rule over heaven, except for our father. I had no other choice than to notify them about the child, since it is an issue that could be dangerous for all of us. If the demons get their hands on him, there's no telling what could happen."
"So, they're not gonna kill me?" she asked with astonishment.
"No. At least, not for the moment."
"What?"
"At this time, your son is not a threat. That may change in the future, but for now, we are going to do everything to keep you safe."
She narrowed her eyes in suspicion and disbelief. "How? How are you going to do that?"
"As I stated earlier, we have a plan."
"And that is...?" she asked, hoping to coax an answer out of him.
He grinned slightly in amusement. "Since Crowley is still out for Meg's head and vice versa, we're attempting to lure each of them out where the other can find them."
"So your plan is to keep them busy fighting with each other so they don't have time to worry about my baby?"
"Exactly."
She sat stoically for a short time, pondering his solution. She wasn't sure if it was a great plan, but it did have its merits. If Crowley were able to take care of Meg, then she wouldn't have to worry about her. But if Meg were out of the way, would Crowley have a more vested interest in getting his hand on her child than he did right now? That was worrisome. But what choice did she have? At least it was a plan. It was better than any solution she'd come up with.
"Why, Castiel?"
"You don't like our plan?" he asked with confusion, cocking his head to the side slightly.
He reminded her so much of a puppy at that moment she had to resist the urge to grin.
"No, it's not that," she replied hesitantly. "Why are you doing this?"
He gazed at her with confusion once again. "I already answered that the last time we spoke."
"Yeah, I know. But there has to be more to it than that. You were pretty vague."
"I don't..."
"Know what I'm getting at?" she said, finishing his sentence.
He nodded his head once.
"I know you must feel bad for what you did to Sam, but it's gotta be much more than that. Especially since you would've had to fight for me and my child up in heaven."
He gazed at her strangely for a moment, a grin slowly creeping across his face. "I owe the Winchesters my life. However, there is more." She smiled triumphantly as he continued speaking. "While I feel a strong connection to both of the Winchesters, I have a much deeper connection with Dean. And you very much remind me of him."
It wasn't the first time someone had said the very same thing, only now it seemed much stranger, perhaps creepier. Since it was, after all, Sam who had said the same thing about her, not once, but several times. She didn't even know what to make of it.
"Uh, okay," she said while shifting on the couch uncomfortably.
He gazed at her scrutinizingly, making her feel even more uncomfortable.
"You blame yourself for your family's deaths, don't you?" he asked rhetorically. "Yet you know that it isn't your fault. You carry so much of that burden around with you. And you try to keep people at arms length because you're afraid of getting hurt." He noticed her facial expression changing from curiosity to irritation and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her, so he decided to try something he'd been working on. "And you like to use sarcasm as a weapon. I've heard that you're much funnier than Dean."
She narrowed her eyes in surprise, a strange grin creeping across her face.
"Well I can't deny that," she said with a chuckle.
He smiled, pleased with himself that his 'plan' had worked as well as he'd hoped.
"Is there anything else you need to ask me before I leave?" he asked.
She couldn't think of anything she wanted to ask him at the moment because she was still a little overwhelmed with all the information he'd already given her, especially now that she felt a little weird about the Dean connection. The last thing she wanted was an angel hovering over her, popping in when she least expected it. She imagined it had to be better than conspiring with Crowley, but she wasn't sure how much better. From everything she'd heard, she wasn't sure she wanted to trust an angel anymore than she wanted to trust a demon.
"No. I think I'm good."
He smiled, wishing her a Merry Christmas before disappearing quickly, only the sound of flapping wings announcing his departure.
She sat in silence for a short time to ponder Castiel's plan for the demons. She definitely wanted Meg out of the way, but she wasn't sure that serving her up to Crowley would work. She wasnt that foolish—or stupid—or Crowley would've dealt with her a long time ago. But on the other hand, if Crowley was kept busy than she wouldn't have to deal with him. Or at least she hoped.
Eventually she came to the decision that it might be in her best interest to have the angels looking out for her. Although she doubted that they could keep Meg and Crowley out of her way for long, at least if they were kept busy she might stand a chance to deliver her child safely. That was what she was concerned with at the moment. Worrying about keeping the child away from the demons after he was born would be the next problem to deal with.
Surprisingly, she felt much more optimistic after her visit with the angel. So much so, she was able to climb back into bed with Sam and drift off to sleep again. It didn't matter she'd wanted to get back to Bobby's to begin her baking. She felt so completely relieved about her situation for the moment, that she just didn't care about the work that was awaiting her.
It was only a short time after she'd managed to drift off again that Sam woke her up. He had no clue she'd been awake earlier and he was afraid she'd be upset if he let her sleep too late, since she'd notified him of her desire to return to Bobby's house early in the day. She only smiled at him, although she was more tired than she had been previously.
"Good morning, Jessie," he said, snuggling up close to her, whispering gently into her ear as he brushed hair from her face.
"Good morning, Sam," she said, greeting him with a bright smile.
"I was afraid to let you sleep any longer."
She smiled lovingly, brushing his face with her fingertips. "It's okay."
"Are you sure?" he asked with concern. "You still look tired."
"Yeah, I'm sure," she replied with a light smile. "Besides, we have something to talk about."
"Oh?" he said in surprise.
She chuckled lightly. "We can talk about it in the shower."
"Mmmm, I like the sound of that," he replied with a seductive grin.
She rolled her eyes playfully, grinning. "Maybe I should make it a cold one."
He laughed as he climbed out of bed then dashed towards the bathroom, looking back as he made it to the door and telling her to hurry before disappearing inside.
She gazed in the direction of the bathroom for a few moments with a wide smile on her face. This was the happiest she'd been in quite some time and she didn't really want it to end. But she'd made such a big deal out of having Christmas, she knew she couldn't back out of it now. So she climbed out of bed and followed Sam into the bathroom.
A/N: I'm hoping there are no errors or typos since I only proofread it once. Normally I read it over several times, but it's taken me so long to even get this chapter written that I wanted to post it quickly. I promise to get some more action in there very soon.
Thanks so much for reading!