Eye of the Storm

Disclaimer: I just couldn't be bothered. See any other chapter.

Author's Note: I'm not sure if the bit about the heart is accurate. I learned it from a Charmed episode, and that tiny piece of information has stuck with me ever since. Same with the baby and what not. Again, only experience I can remember is from a Charmed episode (Sad, sad, sad, lol).

Review Answers:

The Kiss of Death - Yaha, that long. Thanks, here's some more for you to read.

EmSyd - Thanks, here's more.

Spuffshipper - Thanks, have done. Yaha, long time for poor Sammy. Read on to find out. Someone was actually looking forward to that? Colour me surprised (and ignore the dorkiness of that line). I put it back up, because I figured, if someone wants to read it, that incentive enough for me to write it, though I've got a couple other things I'm doing first.

Chapter 17: Miracle

Dean shouldered the shotgun he had ready and waiting in case any demons attacked. The bullets were consecrated, so even if the demons were imperious to the pain, they would be repelled at the very least.

However, aside from the initial light flickering that had subsided after a little while, there had been no demonic activity. And it was making Dean nervous.

"Am I the only one who thinks we're being played?" Meg asked. Dean glanced over at her, and the look in his eyes said she definitely wasn't the only one. She looked over at John, leaning against the counter; it was clear he was thinking the same thing, even if his face showed no evidence of him thinking or feeling anything. Bobby, looking out the window for any sign of demonic activity, had his back to everyone, and so it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Do you think the Demon's going after Sam and Haley?" Dean asked his father. John frowned, the only sign of emotion he'd given since Sam and Haley had left with Caleb.

"If it is, then we don't have much time." He said finally. "If it isn't, we can't just leave on the off chance it will come here."

"I'll stay." Bobby offered. "I can work a few traps in case they decide to show up."

"I'm going." Dean said. That was a given; if Sam was in trouble, Dean was there to pull him out of it. Or, if that failed, to plunge into it after him. He looked over at his father, expecting John to announce he too would be going. But he was staring at Dean. Or more, at something that was on Dean's chest.

"I think you'll be the only one," he said. Dean frowned, staring at his father in a confused manner. Then he looked down at his chest, and something caught his eye.

Looking back up at his father, understanding dawned on the young hunter. "Do I have to do this on my own?" He asked. If there was one thing Dean had really grown to not like over the past years, it was being on his own. But John nodded and, after a quick glance at Meg, who also seemed to understand, Dean left the room.

No sooner had he exited the house then he was hit by violent wave of nausea, falling to his knees, one hand supporting him on the ground, the other arm wrapped around his mid-section. Trying to even his breathing, Dean pulled himself to his feet, feeling as if gravity itself was working against him. Ignoring the endless weight and the nausea, he walked forward, struggling more with each step. He was on the ground again just before he reached the impala.

'Dean!' His eyes widened as the voice echoed inside his mind, and he stopped fighting against the unseen forces that were assaulting his body. Almost immediately, the nausea eased, and he felt the weight lifting from his shoulders. He tried to relax, closing his eyes.

"Haley." He whispered, trying find her.

'Dean…' The voice was more relaxed now. No, that wasn't the word. Not relaxed, just weaker. So weak it cut Dean up inside. He climbed to his feet, realization hitting him as he ran around to the other side of the impala and climbed in. Up until just a moment ago, he'd intended to go to the hospital and hope he could track Sam and Haley down there. Now he knew, that would've been a waste of precious time. Haley was in danger; that much he knew. And she was definitely not at the hospital. Luckily, Dean now knew exactly where she was.

He just hoped Sam okay; the way she had sounded, the way she had felt… It was the feeling of defeat, finally giving in to whatever she had been fighting so hard against.

"Don't worry, guys, I'm coming," he said, pulling out of the driveway. "Just hold on."

-;-

Just hold on… Haley's eyes were closed, her breath coming in and out in short, exhausted pants. Her resolve was shattered, her energy exhausted. All she really wanted to do was sleep.

The contraction that sent pain through her reminded her that sleep was not an option right now. She'd tried to fight it, tried to just make the contractions stop. No such luck; the baby was ready to be born. He wanted to be born. And there was nothing Haley could do to stop it.

The only good thing she could find in this situation was that the Demon hadn't sensed her when she'd penetrated the smothering darkness that now radiated from him (it seemed that whether he was hidden from her empathy or not was entirely up to him; when he wasn't, the evil emanating from him was almost enough to suffocate Haley if she so much as tried to sense anything else). It had exhausted her, almost killed her she suspected, and she wasn't even sure if it was worth it. Despite the fact she was sure she had reached Dean, she knew how defensive he became when supernatural forces tried to invade his body, so Haley had no idea if he'd received what she'd sent. But at least the Demon didn't know she'd tried.

Her eyes still closed, Haley tried futilely to hold onto the baby. But it was no use; when a baby came, it came, no real choice in the matter. Not when you were giving birth in an abandoned shack on the outskirts of town anyway.

"You need to relax." Sam said reassuringly, kneeling down beside her. She looked up at him, at his comforting smile, the warmth in his eyes, and she just looked away.

"Don't," she said. "Just… don't." She didn't really know what good she would do, giving the Demon orders, but she couldn't bear looking into Sam's beautiful, loving eyes and know it wasn't him looking back at him. Unable to stop herself, she looked back up, and saw that in those few seconds, the warmth had left his face, the love banished from his eyes. His eyes were yellow once again, filled with a sick mirth Haley would probably never understand.

"I wasn't lying," the Demon said. "You need to relax. You don't want to kill yourself and the baby, now do you?" To be perfectly honest, the thought had been pushing against Haley's mind often enough in the past hour or so (she didn't really have any way to tell how much time has passed). She kept trying to ignore it, but it kept pushing back, because it really did seem like it may be her only option. Could she willingly give birth to her baby, knowing that it would bring about the Demon's restoration to full power?

But another question pestered every time she so much as thought that: was she really capable of ending her own life and her child's for the chance of stopping the Demon?

And where did Sam factor into all this. On the off chance that he somehow escaped the Demon's hold, the death of both his wife and his son would devastate him, if it didn't break him on the spot. A month and a half enduring who-knew what torments at the hands of a sadistic, centuries-old Demon, and then coming out of that just in time to learn that-

"Anyone home in there?" The Demon asked, interrupting Haley's thoughts. She glared up at him. "Guess so." The smile he gave Haley really didn't fit with her Sam. Cold, taunting, and malicious were just a few of the words that immediately leapt to mind when she saw it.

Without warning, Haley reached out, and instead of recoiling from the evil that the Demon's presence was swathed in, she bathed in it, taking strength from it. The black of her pupils spread out over her eyes and she threw the Demon backwards across the room telekinetically.

Her eyes closed almost as soon as he was off the ground, and she slumped back against the wall. It had probably not been a good idea to pull such a stunt as that, as weakened as she was. But it was worth it to see the stunned look on the Demon's stolen face.

"If you're going to wait for me to give birth, fine, I can't stop you" she said acidly. "But until then, back off!" Her voice was far more commanding that she had thought she could muster. Far from backing off, the Demon grinned cockily as he got to his feet. Actually, the way he was smiling, the way he was moving, made Sam seem like an irresponsible teenager who liked to bend the rules beyond repair.

"Well, it looks like the little wife has some backbone," he said. Haley narrowed her eyes, though to be perfectly honest she felt like closing them all the way and just falling asleep. "Okay," the Demon continued, nodding, an accepting smile on Sam's lips. "Call me when it's time," he said mockingly, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Haley leaned her head back against the wall. "Oh god, Dean, hurry!" She muttered, her voice cracking as she felt another contraction begin.

Somewhere between the end of that one, and the beginning of the next one, Haley heard the door open.

"You know, would you just make up your-" She stopped short as she opened her eyes. "Oh, please tell me I'm not dream of hallucinating or any of that." She whispered breathily, barely audibly. Closing the door as quietly as possible, Dean turned back to look at Haley. She was a mess; her hair dishevelled and matted with sweat, her face even paler then it had been. What scared Dean the most was the tinge of blue her lips were beginning to adopt. OF course, he didn't look much better. In fact, if not for the fact that the look in his eyes was radiating such determination and strength, Haley would have been sure he should've passed out from exhaustion by now.

"Don't worry, you're not dream," he said, darting forward. He knelt down beside her, and without warning, she threw her arms around him.

"Dean… Dean… it's Sam… he's the one who's been doing all this; the Demon's got him." She whispered in his ear between the sobs.

"Got him?" Dean asked, pulling back. "Got him, as in…?" He didn't really want to say it, but Haley just nodded weakly, understanding what he didn't want to say.

Dean felt as though he'd been punched repeatedly in the stomach. The look on his face told Haley that. So why didn't she feel like that?

"Why… can't I sense you?" She asked; maybe not the most pressing matter, but Dean was inside the evil cloud the Demon was radiating; he should be wide open to being sensed.

"The same way the Demon doesn't know I'm here." Dean said absently, still not quite over what he'd just heard. He blinked, shaking his head. There'd be time to deal with that later. He cleared his throat, and reached down the neck of his shirt, removing something that hung on a long leather band as a necklace.

It was the protection amulet Dean always wore. Haley wasn't really sure of its origins, or how Dean had come by it. Up until now, she hadn't even known what it was, or had been, used for. Even now, she wasn't sure.

"It's a… a spell, I guess, that can be activated for a short time, it was placed on the amulet." Dean said. "It takes a lot out of the caster, but it also shields them from supernaturally enhanced senses." That explained why he looked a little worn out. He looked at Haley for a minute, at her pale skin, the exhaustion in her eyes. There was no way she'd be able to walk out without his help, and right at that moment it was mostly adrenaline and the possibility (now the confirmation) that Sam was in danger that was keeping him going. He didn't think either of them would get very far if they tried to flee. On the other hand, if they stayed, the Demon was sure to realize Dean was there, and then any chance of Haley escaping would be ruined.

The choice was taken out of his hands as soon as the door swung open. Before Dean could even breathe in, he was lifted off the floor and thrown against the wall. He let out a groan as all the air was knocked from his lungs. He tried to move, but as he'd expected, he was being held against the wall by the telekinetic hold the Demon had on him.

"Dean." The Demon said in Sam's voice, sounding so much like his younger brother Dean was almost fooled. "I'm glad you finally got here. I was afraid you wouldn't figure it out in time," he grinned, like he was talking about going down to the store to get milk. "Then I'd have to go out and actually look for you so that I could kill you." Okay, that kind of spoiled the little brother act.

"I gotta congratulate you," Dean said in a sarcastic voice. "You had this all planned out pretty well. There's just some thing you weren't counting on." One of Sam's eyebrows lifted, but the Demon appeared to have lost interest in Dean, returning his attention to Haley. Well, Dean was about to change that. "Dad's got a crossbow pointed right at you; right through that window." He nodded towards the window on the other side of the room. Sam's surprised gaze turned towards Dean. "You make a move, any move, and he's gonna pull the trigger. And the arrow's soaked in Haley's blood." The Demon continued to stare at him for a long minute before speaking.

"You honestly expect me to believe John would shoot his own son right through the heart for the chance of killing me?" The Demon asked. But he didn't move.

"He's hunted you longer then I have," Dean said. "You tell me." He stared right back at the Demon, at Sam's eyes. He wished like hell the Demon would let his own eyes show; he couldn't' stand the idea that it wasn't Sam behind those eyes

The Demon closed Sam's eyes, and the room fell into an uneasy silence broken only by Haley's laboured breathing and the gasps of pain she let out every few seconds.

"You think I'm an idiot?" The Demon finally asked, opening Sam's eyes. Dean had gotten his wish; they were no longer Sam's eyes.

"You want me to answer that question?" Dean asked, a mocking look in his eyes. Sam's lips twisted into a sneer.

"There's no one out there," the Demon said. "You're completely on your own." He'd used just the right words to cause a moment of panic to rush into Dean, before he remembered Haley was there as well. Small comfort, but enough. "And what's more, this is all your fault." Dean scoffed, trying to cover up his momentary slip.

"Oh yeah? And how do you figure that?" He asked. "What, you think I told Sam to get possessed by you? Or was I the one who got Haley pregnant with your antidote? Or maybe I-"

"You let me live." The Demon said simply, cutting Dean off abruptly. Right away, the discomfort Dean felt and being reminded of his decision was visible, but once again, he tried to cover it up.

"Yeah, well, unlike you, I don't brush aside my family at a moments notice simply because it's convenient." He said, though his voice shook as he did.

"Ah yes, Meg." The Demon sneered. "Tell me, how is the little whore doing? She enjoying her freedom?" He leaned in close to Dean. "The first thing I do when I'm restored to power will be killing her. Slowly, and painfully. I think I'll make you watch." He added as an afterthought. "But we're straying from the subject." He turned away from Dean, toward Haley. "Did you know Dean is responsible for this situation?" He asked conversationally. Haley glared up at him, clearly not interested in a conversation. The Demon wasn't giving her much choice though. "He could've killed me, but instead he had to be the honourable man and hold up his end of the bargain. It's his fault I was strong enough to possess Sam." He got right up in her face. "It's his fault you're going through this."

"Shut up!" Dean shouted at him from where he was held. Turning away from Haley, the Demon smiled cruelly at Dean.

"What's wrong? Can't handle the truth, Dean?" He asked. "It's all there in black and white. If not for you, none of this would be happening." It hurt even more then it was Sam saying it, or at least Sam's voice. It didn't matter that he knew it wasn't actually him. He said it so perfectly, exactly the way Sam would've said it. If he was sadistic monster only interested in making his friends and family suffer, that is.

Time for a different approach to this, "Okay, maybe you're right," he said. This definitely got the Demon's attention. "Maybe this is my fault, you being here, you possessing Sammy." People who were suffering emotionally were vulnerable to possession. Once they were possessed, the demon had them, they were nothing, it would break them, hurt them and their family, do whatever it took to keep them obedient. So what happened when the suffering ended? No, not that way. When it ended as in they got over the suffering. If they fought back with a clear mind? "I'm sorry, Sammy." He said, his voice low. "I'm sorry I did this to you." Then the look in his eyes changed. "But you know what? I'm not the one who's possessed. You think that just because this… thing has taken over your body, you can just roll over and let it happen?" The Demon seemed to find his new approach amusing. "You're the strongest person I know, Sammy. The things you've been through, the things you've seen and done. There aren't many people that could keep going after all that. But you did. You're still alive, and somewhere in there, you're as strong as ever." He took a deep breath. "So get up off your lazy ass and fight this!" He almost shouted. Without warning, a hand was suddenly around his throat. Sam's hand. Only Sam wasn't in control.

"I think you want to shut up now." The Demon hissed, leaning in so close Dean he feel Sam's breath on his face. His hand was shaking, and Dean gave him a cocky grin.

"He heard me." He said. The response was a sharp backhand across that left his cheek stinging.

"Didn't I just tell you to shut up?"

"I guess Sam's not the only one with some chinks in his armour." Dean said. The Demon stared at Dean, not doing anything now, not saying anything. Then Sam's lips twisted into a smile, his eyes turning yellow. Dean stared for a few seconds, not really sure what to think.

Then his chest heave and he gave a sharp intake of breath. One that didn't go anywhere.

"How does it feel, Dean? To have your heart ripped out?" the Demon asked. Dean's chest continued to heave as his heart struggled to beat, as the air was slowly squeezed from his lungs. "Now you know what it's like." He stared into those yellow eyes, confusion in his own. The Demon smiled at him. "You know that little exorcism of yours?" He asked. Dean gasped for air that refused to come. "That was my daughter."

"Wh-"

"What, you think that, just because I'm a demon I can't have family?" the Demon growled. "You tore out my proverbial heart, boy." He smiled. "Now I'm paying you back, in the literal sense." Dean cried out as a particularly sharp tug almost did tear his heart out of his chest. But it stayed in place, continued its struggle to keep beating.

"Dean!" Haley cried, unable to get up and help him.

"Sam…" Dean gasped out.

"You know, the human heart take fifteen to twenty seconds to stop beating after it's damaged." The demon said. "Since we haven't actually done any damage to it yet…" Dean cried out as the hold tightening just a little more. "… Let's see how much longer we can make it last." Dean cried out again. His lungs were allowed just enough air to keep him conscious, and that was it. The Demon didn't want to kill him. He wanted to hurt him, make him suffer.

"Sammy… don't let him…" Dean began, his eyes pleading, but he was cut off as the Demon squeezed even tighter. It was horrifying to think this thing could do so much damage to his internal organs without even opening him up.

Haley let out a cry then, her eyes wide. Up until then, she hadn't voice her pain. Now she looked like it was the only thing on her mind.

"Sam…" Dean's eyes rolled back as the closed, and his head slumped forward.

"Dean!" Haley cried out once more, seeing her brother-in-law hanging seemingly by nothing.

"D-Dean." Sam's voice gasped out. His eyes had returned to normal, and tears were already welling up when he saw his brother's limp form. Dean fell from whatever hold the Demon had had on him, hitting the floor.

"Sam." Haley breathed out. He spun around, saw Haley lying against the wall.

"Haley. Oh god, I-" Whatever he was going to say was cut off sharp intake of breath. His hands went to his temples, eyes squeezing shut. "No… no… stay… out!" The dust was starting to lift in mini-whirlwind that had begun to swirl around Sam. What little furniture there was in the room was suddenly pressed flat against the wall. The windows had shattered. The only ones in the room not affected by this sudden surge of telekinesis were Haley and Dean.

And then it all just stopped. The dust settled, the furniture stopped twitching against the walls, and the energy that had filled the room just… vanished. And when Sam's eyes opened, they were yellow again.

"Well, that I didn't expect." The Demon said.

"No?" The Demon turned. Dean was on his feet. He was leaning heavily against the wall, his voice was weak, and he looked just about ready to fall over again. But he was on his feet, a look of determination in his eyes. "How about this?" And then he threw himself at Sam. It was probably the pure stupidity of the move that caught the Demon off-guard, which was a good thing.

Sam's fist came flying up at Dean's face, and Dean caught it with his own, squeezing his fingers between Sam's and clamping down on his brother's hand. "Get. Out. Of. Him." He growled.

"What're you going to do?" The Demon asked. Then something happened he didn't expect. There was a faint hissing, looking cold water against a scolding-hot surface. The sound of two opposites colliding, making a connection.

"This." Dean growled. He didn't know how to use it, didn't even know what it was. But something inside of him reacted to evil. Not small evils, like vampires, spirits, or even lesser demons. Real evils, evils that existed solely because of what a person was, because the balance that was forever being tipped from one side to the other within the confines of the human mind and soul. Despite his doubts, despite everything he'd done and what he believed, Dean fell squarely into only one side.

"No! No, stop it!" The Demon shouted. Dean was thrown backwards off of Sam, against the wall once again. But he hadn't let go, and Sam was dragged along with him, almost yanking both their arms out of their sockets in the process. "What are you doing?"

"What I have to!" Dean shouted back. Sam's hand and arm now felt like it was on fire. But Sam wasn't the one feeling the pain. He felt none of it, because he wasn't the one being targeted. "Now get the hell out of my brother!" The Demon's yellows eyes glared daggers at Dean. Then he threw Sam's head back, and a roaring scream filled the room as the Demon fled from Sam's body, the black smoke-like substance diving downward and vanishing between the floorboards. Sam tilted backwards, but Dean caught him before he fell, pulled him close, and then slid down the wall, totally exhausted.

"Sammy, I'm so, so sorry!" He whispered. "I'm sorry I put your through that! I'm sorry my mistake got you possessed and I'm-"

"Dean…" Sam cut him off, and Dean looked down expectantly at his younger brother, waiting for the angry yelling. "It's Sam." Was all the younger hunter said. Dean blinked, staring down at his brother. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off before he could start.

"Guys! Baby. Coming. Now!" Haley practically screamed.

"We know, Haley, it's been coming for-"

"No, I mean its coming!" Now she was screaming. And she was breathing in short, panicked breaths. "Do something already!" She cried. Both Winchester brothers crawled over to her as fast as they could, neither in any condition right then to get fully to their feet.

"What do we do?" Dean asked, shotting his brother an expectant look.

"I-I don't know." Sam said, looking pretty close to panic himself. "I don't know." He repeated. Haley cried out again. But it was weaker this time. "Okay, uh… you're in the… the second stage of labour… where the baby's just about to be born."

"Oh, you think?" Haley groaned.

"Uh… I think… the most important thing right now is that you…" He tried to think. What the Demon had researched as him was stored somewhere in his memory, he just had to try and find it. "Okay, don't push…" He said. "That's the last thing you need to do right, because it could…" He couldn't remember what it would do, but it was bad. "Just, breathe… intense breathing, I think that's what it said."

"Tell you what… you squeeze something this big out of your ass, and then you try some intense breathing." Haley said.

"Breathe!" Sam all-but shouted. He hadn't meant to sound so harsh, and he tried to understand where Haley was coming from, but damnit, did she have to be so infuriating?

"Wait, I see a head!" Dean said suddenly. Sure enough, a tiny baby head had become visible.

"Okay… uh… head, once the head's all the way out-"

"Get to the point." Haley said with a sob. She looked exhausted. Her breathing was far more erratic then it should've been, even in the state she was in.

"You need to push now." Sam said. Haley gave a sarcastic laugh.

"Sam, I couldn't push if my-"

"You have to, Haley." Sam interrupted. "Come on, I know you can do it." He took her hand in hers. "I know you can do this." She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. Then she squeezed her eyes shut, her grip tightening in his, and her face scrunched up in effort as she pushed.

"Dean?" Sam asked, now sitting beside Haley.

"Again, push again."

And Haley did.

"Again, come on, Haley, push."

"Push yourself!" Haley muttered, but she did as she was told, putting all she had into the third and final push, screaming with the effort it took.

Silence. For just a second. And then the sound of a baby crying filled the room.

"It… it work." Dean gasped out. "The baby, he's… he's beautiful." This was definitely a side of Dean Sam couldn't recall ever seeing. He was staring down at the tiny screaming infant in his hands, his eyes filled with the same love that showed all-too-rarely when he looked at Sam or Haley. He cleared his throat quickly. "S-Sam, get something to cut the cord." He said.

"The… the what?"

"The umbilical cord, it needs to be cut." Dean said.

"Oh, uh… right." Sam said. He let Haley's hand fall from his as he ran to their bags, hoping there would be something to use to cut the cord. Luckily, one of the bags happened to contain what was needed in case, for some reason, Haley had to give birth away from a hospital. In hindsight, the Demon had probably done it specifically because it knew she would be giving birth away form the hospital. He grabbed the small pair of scissors, as well as a blanket to wrap the baby in.

After the briefest of arguments over who had to cut the cord (they hunted supernatural monsters for a living but the idea of doing something like this made both of them feel squeamish), Sam reached down and with a quick snip the cord was cut.

The baby was lying in Dean's hands, but he quickly handed the distraught infant over to Sam, whose face was practically glowing with the happiness he was feeling. He was staring down at the baby as he wrapped the yellow blanket around him, looking like he never wanted to let him go. Tears of joy were welling up in his eyes, and he looked over Haley, who looked exhausted, shaken to the core, worn to a thread, but the look on her face, the pure joy in her eyes, pushed all of that aside, and without hesitation, Sam held their baby out to Haley, who took him, holding him close.

All three Winchesters stared down at the newest addition to the family, all evidence of the night's ordeal wiped from their minds as the baby finally began to calm down, his tiny eyes opening and looking up at the three strange giants staring down at him. All three of them were smiling, and all three of them looked like they were trying very hard not to cry (yes, even Dean).

"Look at our little boy, Sam." Haley said, though not one of them were willing to take their eyes of the child, who continued to stare up at them. "Look at what we helped create. Our own little miracle."

-;-

A/N: Okay, first of all, I hope the explanation about Dean's 'power' wasn't too ramble-like/unbelievable. I was trying to make it as realistic as I could.

I originally had a bit of an angsty ending planed (okay, very angsty), but I just couldn't bring myself to spoil the happiness (I may be twisted, but I'm also hopelessly sentimental, no matter how much I try to deny it). I hope it turned out okay.

Now, there's only one or two chapters left, depending how the next one goes. The next one may turn into the epilogue, I'm not sure yet. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was really difficult to right, but I'm definitely not disappointed with the way it turned out. I think it turned out great. Hope ya'll enjoyed it. Until next time, Cyas.