Two Hunters and a Baby.

Disclaimer: Sigh no matter how hard I try I just don't own anything to do with Supernatural or the characters of the show. Although anything that comes from my fevered imagination is ... kind of ... that's my excuse anyway!

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CHAPTER 5

'Okay now someone is entering your visions?' Dean asked his voice strained and tight, 'there is a weird being-thingy hanging over Issy and you ... you were attacked during a nightmare, I am really starting to lose track here Sammy.'

'Dean.' Sam whispered, 'I saw Issy's Mum, she's being held no will be held by the demon against us.'

'Why? What does he ... oh fuck Sam.' Dean sat down and picked Isabelle up, cradling her tightly to his chest he looked over at his brother, 'she's six months old in two days time.'

'Six months ... Dean what is going on?' Sam slowly forced himself to sit up, swaying dizzily he grabbed hold of the edge of the bed until he could sit without toppling over, 'why an innocent baby? Dean why Issy? I mean unless she's...'

'Don't say it Sammy, just don't say it.' Dean growled, 'look we both need sleep otherwise we're not gonna be any good for Issy or anyone, it'll be dawn in a few hours.'

'What about the baby?'

'She's staying with me Dude, she's staying with me.' Dean brushed a kiss on Issy's head and cuddled her even tighter, 'no one is taking her from me Sam no one.'

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'Tell me what you saw again.'

'I told you, the younger brother had a violent nightmare.'

'So?'

'No, you're not listening to me, the nightmare manifested itself on him, it was like he was being tortured or something and then the injuries just appeared on him, blood and all.'

'Anything else?'

'Isabelle woke with his screams, I appeared for her but then the older one ... Dean saw me I had no option but...'

'I understand but I know you stayed so what happened then?'

'The younger brother woke in a lot of pain and then he collapsed and had a vision, another violent one, he said that it felt like someone didn't want him to see the vision.'

'Are they aware of?'

'Isabelle, they are working it out ... they have realised that she is six months old in a couple of days, they are hunting now it is only going to be a matter of time before they finish putting it all together.'

'Then we must make sure that they don't.'

'What of Isabelle?'

'She is still safer with Dean at the moment.'

'But for how long? If he continues to search for you and hunt for the demon then...'

'He will not find me until it is time.'

'Merci I counsel you to think hard about this, surely it would be better to join with the Winchesters to protect her.'

'No, no this is the way to go, I have to protect her at all costs and this is the only way I know how to do it.'

'Merci please contact Dean, perhaps if you make contact he will stop searching so hard to find you.'

'I ... I can't, it will be too hard to see Dean again.'

'He knows you as someone else doesn't he.'

'Why umm why did you say that?'

'He does not know the name of Merci, he has no recollection of ever meeting you or fathering the wee one.'

'It seems like a lifetime ago.'

'You still care for him don't you.'

'Yes I guess I do, well after all he is Isabelle's daddy.'

'No I can sense it, you feel more than you admit for him.'

'Well there is no use dwelling on it coz it will never happen between us.'

'Are you so sure Merci? You have a child.'

'A child that was predestined to be fathered by Dean Winchester and myself there was nothing I could have done to change that.'

'Merci listen to yourself, you are allowed to have a little happiness. You are allowed to have someone in your life.'

'Please go back to her and take care.'

'Merci.'

'Please you must go before they find you here.'

'Merci please let me help you.'

'No, no please just go look after my daughter and her new family.'

'I don't want to leave you like this.'

'Like what?'

'Ready to sacrifice yourself literally.'

'Azzy go please Isabelle needs you to watch over her.'

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Dean finished dressing the baby while Sam had yet another shower, he was still so quiet it worried Dean and the fact that this was his third shower it wasn't natural.

'I have the coolest baby in the world.' He grinned down at Issy as he finished doing up her little jeans and tied the bandana around her head. 'Just too cool Issy.'

Isabelle giggled happily staring at him with her wide eyes, her new front tooth showed off as she smiled even more when he picked her up. She ran her chubby little hands over his face and then gave him a big sloppy kiss. 'Eww Issy drool city.' He laughed, 'Hey Sammy you alright in there?'

'Yeah fine.' Sam answered slowly and barely audible.

'Come on Dude, we getting hungry out here.' Dean complained, 'it's breakfast time.'

'Okay.' Was the only reply he received.

'Issy when your Uncle wants to be frustratingly quiet and sulky man he can really pull it off.' Dean said as he strapped her into the stroller and gave her a teething ring to chew on while he finished getting organised.

Sam finally appeared from the bathroom, already dressed his damp hair brushed out of his eyes and slicked back opened his face up, showing the dark circles around his eyes, the redness rimming them and the pallor of his skin.

'Dude are you alright?' Dean asked concerned at the sight of his brother.

'Kinda hurts but I'll be okay.' Sam admitted pulling out a pair of sunglasses, 'so we gonna go get some food or what.'

'Or what, Sam what's up with the shades?'

'Eyes hurt in the light.' Sam admitted, 'so we going or not?'

Shaking his head exasperated with Sam's constant stubbornness Dean pushed the stroller out of the door and headed towards the road, 'let's walk it's a beautiful day...' His words trailing off as he turned around and saw Sam just standing next to the door, his hand still on the door knob. 'Sammy what is it?'

'There's someone else here Dean.' Sam said quietly, 'I can feel them.'

'Good or bad?'

'It's Azuraus, the translucent being we saw.'

'Where is she?'

'Ah right next to Isabelle.'

'Where are you lady?' Dean demanded staring around wildly.

Open-mouthed Dean watched her materialise next to the pram, slowly she took on a corporeal form, standing tall and slender, with waist length white hair and round green eyes, a cat's eyes.

'Hello Dean, Sam.' She spoke smiling slightly, her voice sounding almost lyrical. 'It is nice to formally meet you.'

'Ah hi, it's Azuraus isn't it?' Sam said stepping closer to Dean, 'we saw you watching over Isabelle.'

'She is a special child.'

'Special or not what do you want with my daughter and what do you have to do with all of this?'

'I can answer some of your many questions but first umm, could I have something to wear for now?'

The two boys blinked owlishly at her in time, almost comically as they realised for the first time, that she was standing naked in the morning light. Within a few minutes she was dressed in a pair of Sam's track pants with the legs rolled up and one of Dean's long sleeved T-shirts.

Grumbling under his breath Dean pushed the stroller ahead of the newcomer and Sam, not wanting her to be close to Isabelle until he knew exactly who she was. He gave a short sharp laugh at the thought of how paternal and protective he had become of the baby in just a few days.

Azuraus and Sam walked in companionable silence behind Dean, each lost in their own thoughts until Sam looked up at his brother's back and sighed deeply, 'you know who Isabelle's Mum is don't you.'

'Yes.'

'You were the one who placed her in the car to begin with?'

'Yes.'

'What are you Azuraus?'

'I am ... Isabelle's animal spirit guide.' She replied glancing up at the handsome young man, 'I am usually in my animal form but it is easier to deal with being solid like this.'

'Animal spirit guide?' Sam stopped and turned to stare down at her, 'what kind of spirit?'

'A good one Sam I promise, I am a cat in true form.' She admitted shyly, 'how did you know I was with you? I mean I didn't...'

'I could feel you.' Sam said simply, 'we had better catch up with Dean and the baby.'

'Sam why are you so sad?' she asked placing a hand on his chest, 'I can sense your pain and sadness.'

'It's fine, I'm fine we had better catch up.' Sam frowned and moved away from her touch. 'If I know Dean he'll be cursing us from here until Sunday if we hold him up.'

'Why?'

'He's hungry.' Sam said as he looked over to where he last saw Dean and Isabelle. 'Where are they?'

'They were just there...' Azuraus pointed, 'Sam look.'

'Dean?' Sam cried out as he saw his brother lying on the ground, the stroller lying upturned next to him. 'No Dean!' Running over to him, Sam held his breath as he gently rolled Dean over, 'Dean?'

'Sam the baby's gone.' Azuraus said as she inspected the pram, 'there's blood.'

'I think it's Dean's.' Sam said without looking up as he inspected the wound in Dean's chest. A small throwing knife was still embedded in Dean's flesh, the silver hilt glinting in the sunlight. 'Dean?'

'Sammy?' Dean asked squeezing his eyes closed he gasped with the pain, 'Isabelle?'

'She's gone Dean.' Sam admitted in a soft voice.

'No.' Dean pushed Sam's hands away and tried to sit up, gritting his teeth he grunted against the firestorm of pain in his upper chest, gradually he opened one eye and then the other as he clung to Sam's shirt and waited for the dizziness to pass.

'Dean I have to get you to the hospital.' Sam said trying to blink back his own tears.

'No, no Sammy you do it, take me back to the motel and you stitch it up, no hospitals.'

'Dean.'

'No I mean it Sam.' Dean snapped and then he turned his head and stared at Azuraus hate blazing in his eyes, 'what did you do? Where's my daughter?'

'I-I didn't do anything, I am here to help.'

'No, no you appear and my daughter disappears I want to know now.'

'Dean please, you're bleeding all over the place.' Sam wrapped his arm around Dean's waist and propped his brother up, 'we can fight and lay blame later but for now we have to get out of here. Azuraus can you get the stroller please?'

'Sammy.'

'No Dean, let's just get back to the motel room and patch you up first and then we go and bring Issy home.' Sam said, the tone of his voice reaffirming his stance, he was taking charge and there was no argument to be made on it.

Dean looked up at Sam, sweat dripping down his face as he struggled to stay standing. 'We are so gonna talk about your tone Dude.' Dean ground out as he stumbled and twisted his hands into Sam's shirt even tighter.

'Yeah, yeah whatever, for now just concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.'

'Sammy, they took Issy…they took my daughter.' Dean said his voice sounding defeated and filled with an eternal weariness.

TBC