Here is the next part of this story. Thank you to those you have stayed with it. I hope that you are still enjoying it. I would love to hear what you guys think about it.

Thanks for reading!

jem.

Samantha had to wait a couple of seconds before the stuck-in-a-blender feeling lessened and she was able to open her eyes. She was met by the familiar sight of strewn books and paper which created a clutter that she had considered home for years now. Bobby's place.

Glancing over at the stony faced angel, she wondered how long it would be to wait for an explanation from him. Probably until the end of time judging by the evenness of his stare, Castiel was showing no sign of telling Samantha why he had brought her to her late grandfather's home.

Footsteps drew her attention to the entrance way behind her. Samantha felt her entire body tense. No one should be in this house, only Dean and her ever came here since Bobby's death two years ago. Rocking back onto her heels, Samantha adjusted her stance to take on the threat.

The figure entered the room, paying no attention to the two new comers. His focus was on a small bundle cradled in his arms. Samantha froze in her attack as the world suddenly stilled. The worn ball cap blocked the top of his face and the lower half was covered with a grey streaked beard, but Samantha could recognize the man who had always been her Grandfather anywhere.

"Grandpa Bobby?" She breathed softly, unable to form any other words. Part of her wanted to demand an explanation about how he was here, while the young girl inside her wanted to throw her arms around him and breath in the mixed smell of car oil and dusty books. Just the sight of the old hunter filled the part of her that had been missing from her little family, the part that had longed to hear him call her "Sammy girl" and her father an idjit.

Bobby did not look up from his bundle, he simply moved into the room towards a the old sofa. Samantha stepped around Castiel who was still doing an decent impression of a tree. "Bobby?" She started forward reaching towards him.

Castiel moved into her path before she could reach him, his face a mixture of sympathy and sadness as if he understood her need. "He can't hear you, Samantha. I have brought you into the past. We are only shadows. I'm not allowing us to change what has occurred, I have brought you here to watch."

Samantha studied him for a moment before giving a curt nod and pushing past him to stand beside Bobby. Having heard Castiel, she made no move to gain Bobby's attention instead simply moved beside him as he settled himself on the couch, the bundle still safely held in his arms.

She peered at the item wrapped in a blanket trying to see what it was, when her father entered the room carrying a bassinet. Dean looked younger then her most recent memory of him, the wrinkles around his eyes were gone and there was a lightness to his step that she had only seen in their quietest family moments. Samantha looked over at Bobby with understanding, it was her that he was holding, herself as a baby.

Bobby nodded his head in greeting, which was returned by Dean as he shuffled some of the clutter over to make room for the bassinet on the desk. Once he was certain that it was sitting steadily on the desk, he turned to Bobby. "Are you ready to put her down now, or are you planning on holding her until she's four?" He said with a good natured smirk.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Can't a Grandpa hold his beautiful granddaughter for a minute without her pain in the ass father getting jealous?" He rose up from the couch careful not to bump the baby. "She's sleeping soundly, so don't you go waking her up." He said with a smile to her father, who shook his head in return.

"Both you and Susan think that I'm incapable of controlling myself." He complained as Bobby placed baby Samantha into his arms. Despite his early denial, Dean pressed his face towards his daughters little forehead kissing her gently. "Hello gorgeous." He whispered. Samantha saw her little face move towards her father's touch but she did not wake. Dean smiled up in triumph and was only greeted by a mumbled comment that sounded oddly like "idjit".

Dean placed his only child into the bassinet, brushing away the pale blond curls that fell into her eyes. "Waking up Samantha is next to impossible once she gets it into her head to sleep. She's a lot like Sam that way."

The wave of devastation that fell across Dean's face as the words left his mouth was mixed with surprise, as if he had not even expected himself to mention Sam. Bobby moved forward and placed his hand on Dean's shoulder in a sign of support as Dean rubbed a hand through his short hair. Neither said anything, both understanding that talking about it was not going to change how they felt.

It took a few moments for Dean to compose himself, but when he did he turned to Bobby, the gratitude shinning in his eyes. Bobby looked away uncomfortably, shrugging off any thanks Dean felt he needed to give. Samantha furrowed her brow in confusion, it seemed as if Bobby was feeling guilty but about what she didn't know.

Smiling Dean moved towards the door. "Susan's waiting in the car. Thanks for baby sitting, Susan really wants a evening together."

"My pleasure" Bobby answered, the look disappearing quickly replaced by a small smile. "Now, get out there to your wife you idjit."

Dean chuckled, he left the room with one last quick look towards the bassinet.

Bobby also glanced over at the bassinet. Sensing that all was well he left the room, pausing only to turn on the baby monitor.

Samantha watched his reseeding figure until he was out of her sight before she turned to Castiel with exasperation. "Ok wing boy, I think that your time GSP with scrambled, because that seemed pointless."

"You are as impatient as your father." The clipped comment was said without any malice or anger so Samantha smiled sheepishly, before she went over to watch her sleeping self.

She felt the new presence before she heard it. Turning around expecting to see her Grandfather re-enter, Samantha felt her heart stopped when she took in the figure that was obviously not Bobby.

He looked exactly like he did in his picture that sat on her desk back home. Shaggy hair pushed back out of the way behind his ears, a flannel collar peaking out from under his jacket. She was taken aback by the size of him. She came up to her father's nose, and she would be hard pressed to clear this man's chin.

Sam moved silently into the room, his eyes glued to the bassinet on the far side as if it was the treasure he had been seeking. He paused right in front of it and hunched forward to look inside though he didn't touch it as if he was afraid. Samantha had moved to the side as her uncle approached but she did not make a move away. She was struck with the insane notion that she could hold him there if she remained close by.

Samantha gazed up at his face which was now partly covered by a curtain of hair. A pair of hazel eyes, glistening with unshead tears, were locked on the little girl who was sleeping soundly unawares of the visitor. Ever so slowly, Sam reached out and ran a finger along the side of the baby's face, who in turn moved towards the tender touch. A quiet sigh escaped the hulking hunter, Samantha felt her heart fill and break all at once.

"You can hold her if you want?" Sam and Samantha both turned towards the gruff voice that came from behind him. Bobby leaned against the doorway looking all together not surprised to see Sam alive and well. The guilty look from before flashed in her memory. So that was why Bobby felt guilt about Dean's grief, she thought feeling a new sadness for how alone her father really had been all these years.
"She's so little and I'm uh...not." Sam answered in an equally hushed voice.

"She may be small but she's a hearty little thing. Winchester through and through I'd say." Bobby said as he moved forward, scooped up the small baby and placed her in Sam's arms.

For a moment Sam froze, his back and arms rigid, Samantha snickered at the fear on his face. Then he focused on the tiny face and he started as he noticed her large green eyes, so like Dean's staring up at him. Baby Samantha simply gurgled happily at him and Sam found himself relaxing with another sigh that sounded like pure joy.

Samantha was having a difficult time reconciling this gentle man with the man who she felt had abandoned his family for years. Her anger against her uncle was a new development, maybe it had not settled yet?

Bobby was watching the young man intently. "You can be a part of her life if you stay Sam."

Without raising his eyes from his niece, Sam answered. "That's why I'm here."

"Dean's going to be a little upset when he finds out that you've been alive for almost the whole time." Bobby observed as he stepped forward and stroked the child's head.

Sam chuckled as the baby scrutinized Bobby now a moment before she waved her arms. "I don't care if he's angry, Bobby, I just miss my brother." Sam tore his gaze from the girl in his arms to look over at Bobby. Nervousness was painted across his face and Samantha was hit with the fact that her uncle had missed his family, that maybe he had wanted to be a part of her father's life. Then why didn't he come back?

Bobby smiled and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. "He'll just be happy to have you home."

"You can't come back Sam." A voice called out startling both men. Samantha noticed that Sam tightened his arms protectively around her small form. She turned to notice that there was now two Castiels in the room. The younger Cas, who had spoken looked exactly as he did in the future, time was a friend to angel vessels who never aged despite the years that rolled by.

Sam was the first to recover from the unexpected entrance of their feathered friend. "What are you talking about Cas?"

Castiel did not seem to notice the hostility that was rolling off Sam at the thought of being kept away from his family. "I need your help against Raphael." A look of apprehension flashed across the heavenly beings face. "To protect Samantha from him."

The apprehension was necessary because both men started yelling at the same time before they noticed the baby's face scrunch up in annoyance.

All the love and gentleness that Sam had shown to his little niece was unimaginable at the angry glare that Sam levelled on the angel. "What the hell do you mean by that?" he spoke softly for the baby but the danger was not lessened by that in the least.

Castiel continued in his oblivious kind of way. "Raphael has manipulated Dean's life so that he fell in love with Susan and Samantha would be born as an angelic reliquary."

"I'm afraid to ask but what is that supposed to mean?" Bobby asked as straightened his hat on his head and cast a glace at the little one that Sam was now shielding from sight with his large arm.

"Raphael found out that I wished to use the power from various angelic weapons to defeat him. He reached the first weapon before I could and hid it in the one place that I could never reach it."

"Ok, I'll bite. Where did he hide the damn thing?" Bobby growled.

"Inside of Samantha."

For a moment no one moved as the words registered. Samantha took an involuntary step back towards Castiel from her time in anticipation of the reaction that would follow. She had heard from her father about Sam's temper and he didn't disappoint.

A dark cloud passed before the hazel eyes and though his face remained blank this simple difference was like a cold splash of dread through their veins. Without speaking Sam placed Samantha securely in Bobby arms who barely had time to take note of the little person before Sam was charging Cas and slamming him into the wall.

The thundering crash of the almost invincible being into the wall was deafened by Sam's voice bellowing, "I'm going to kill all of you angels!"

Samantha shot a frightened look at Cas and was relieved to see that neither Cas seemed too worried by the statement. Past Cas looked surprised by the force of Sam's anger and Future Cas continued to watch the proceeding calmly.

Sam did not seem ready to release the pinned angel, but it seemed that he did not have planned next step. "Since the moment that I have met you, you and your family have been interfering in my families lives. We have dealt with it so far but it will stop now!" Sam yelled into Cas' face. "Undo whatever that sonofabitch did to Samantha."

Past Cas looked defeated and Samantha could have sworn that a bit of apprehensive crossed his face. Her uncle really was a force to be reckoned with, when his family was threatened, just like Dean, Samantha thought with a little smile.

"I can't," Cas answered Sam's command sadly. "Please Sam, let me explain."

After a tense moment Sam nodded is head and backed away from the wall. Sam moved straight to Bobby and reclaimed the precious bundle. Once Sam was sure that Samantha was comfortably cradles in his arms he settled his eyes on the angel.

"Dean's wife Susan is from a bloodline of humans who protected angelic weapons and you know that the Winchesters are vessels. Raphael wanted Samantha to be born because her parents blood will make her an angelic reliquary. It means that her body can withstand holding an angelic weapon inside of it."

Bobby, who had so far remained silent moved forward. "How does this explain that you can't remove the weapon from her?"

"There have been few reliquaries in all the history of men. They were always adults when they were given the weapon because of the physical pain of the procedure." Cas paused to see if there would be another outburst before he continued. "I do not think that Samantha will survive it being removed, since she almost died from when Raphael placed it in her."

A quiet gasp came from Bobby and he rubbed a hand tiredly over his face. Sam looked at him with a silent question. "It must have happened two months ago, when she was tree months old. The doctor didn't know what was wrong with her. She wouldn't stop crying and was just so weak. We never found an explanation," Bobby supplied as memories of Dean's frantic phone call came back to him. He had raced through panicked hours to the hospital, where the only thing he could do was try to stop Dean from killing one of the doctors every time they returned with no answers.

"What can we do then?" Sam asked in a voice that had the weight of the world in it, or at least the weight of the lives of those he cared about.

"Raphael knew that I would not harm Samantha, so I cannot reach the weapon but there are other weapons that I can use to beat him. I have been searching, but it is difficult because I need to also protect Samantha from Raphael and his followers. He would not think twice to injure the child."

Understanding dawned on Sam's face. "So you want me to stay out of Dean's life so that I can protect Samantha? Couldn't I be of more help closer to the family?"

Castiel nodded but looked uncertain. "If you feel that is the best way."

It was Bobby who spoke up. "Sam, I'm not sure. I want you boys together again, but Dean has successfully left hunting. I believe he's as happy as he can get. Do you think that you can keep this from him if you are part of their lives?" Bobby looked at Sam pleadingly for him to understand why he would even consider keeping this from Dean.

Sam bowed his head over the baby and nodded quietly. "Ok, I will protect Samantha from a far, just until you defeat Raphael and she's safe again." He said softly without raising his head.

Samantha thought that he looked quite broken standing there and she moved towards him before she could question her actions. She placed her hand on his arm and peered into his down turned face. She started at the silent tears which were stubbornly caught in his eyes. She had been wrong about her uncle, Sam had cared about his family he had stayed away for them. For me. Samantha wanted nothing more then to apologize to her father, she could see why he loved Sam so much.

Once Sam had gotten his emotions under control he raised his head. "How long before Dean gets back?"

Bobby looked at his watch. "Probably about two hours with his driving."

Sam smiled wryly. "Then I'm going to spend the next hour and a half with my niece. Who knows how long before I get to hold her again."

With that Sam moved to sit on the couch. He moved baby Samantha so that she was laying against his chest with her face on his shoulder. Her hand curled around a piece of his hair and Sam relaxed as he felt her face burrow into his neck.

Past Cas and Bobby shared a look then quietly left the room. Future Cas moved towards Samantha, she shot her hand out. "Please Cas, can I just sit here with him for a couple of minutes first?" she whispered her eyes locked on the only time she would ever spend with her beloved uncle to this day. She desperately hoped that they would have a future, she wanted to get to know her uncle who for the first time in her life seemed truly real.

Future Castiel moved away into the kitchen. Samantha crept forward and sat down on the floor in front of Sam's legs. After a moment she placed her head on his knee, and closed her eyes knowing that he would never know that she was there but hoping to give him strength in some way.

Samantha jerked her eyes open at the sound of a car rumbling by the car she was sitting in on the side of the road. She looked around sharply and glared when she noticed Castiel sitting in the back of the car. Sam was in the drivers seat and he was pulling out a ringing cell phone.

"Hey Bobby," he said into the phone once it was answered.

"Hiya boy, how have you been?" Samantha heard Bobby answer much to her surprise. She looked at Cas questioningly. He nodded that he was the cause of her superhuman hearing.

Sam was practically vibrating with excitement. "I'm great! I just got word from Cas that he has finally been able to take care of Raphael, so I'm going straight to see Dean. I know he must need me after his wife's illness and death..."

"Sam!" Bobby cut off anything else Sam was going to say. "Samantha was attack last night."

Samantha sucked in a quick breath. She had jumbled but terrifying memories of the attack when she was six years old. Actually Dean was the only clear memory she had aside from the terror, his voice breaking through the dark, his strong arms holding her tightly. His presence had comforted her then and still did.

"No." Sam breathed into the phone, his voice suddenly hesitant. "Is she okay?"

"Dean was able to get her out in time, son." Sam sagged into the seat in relief. "He's on his way here. He says it was a demon. Sam, he said that the demon was screaming for Samantha to give her some weapon."

The murderous look that crossed Sam's face could have fried the demon in their shoes. "They found out about the angel weapon. God Bobby, now she'll never be safe."

"It's okay Sam, we will take care of her together. Just come here and help Dean with this." Bobby's voice softened at Sam's distress.

"I can't Bobby. Someone needs to go after the demon and Dean needs to focus on his little girl." Sam covered his face with one hand. "I have to do it. I'll tell Dean that I'm alive when I'm sure that his daughter will be safe. It's the best way for me to help him right now."

"He needs you Sam," Bobby said quietly.

"I miss him so much, but I have to protect my family. I gotta go Bobby, I should be on the road."

"Take care of yourself son."

"Take care of them for me Bobby."

"I always will Sam. Bye."

"See ya."

Sam hung up the phone without removing the hand from his face. No one moved in the car, until Samantha noticed that Sam was shaking and she felt her heart break.

He leaned back to let his head rest against the seat, no longer hiding the tears that were tracking paths down his cheeks.

Samantha couldn't help it, she moved forward and brushed at the tears. Her shadow hand did not have an affect on the moisture but she kept her hand there.

"I understand Sam." she said desperate that her uncle, her hero could know that she could see how hard staying away from his family was. He had only meant to keep her safe from all the evil in the world and he had sacrificed his happiness for it. He had done everything for her and she had hated him for it. "I'm sorry."

Castiel leaned forward and placed his fingers on Samantha's forehead. She felt a rush then she was sitting on the floor of her motel room again. She closed her eyes until the world decided to stop doing the twist.

When she was able to focus on the figure in the trench coat, she saw a look of pity on his face. She must really look a sight, for Cas to look so sorry for showing her her families past. Still, he spoke in a steady though soft voice. "So you see why you can't go. Sam spent your whole life protecting you from this. Now that you've seen his sacrifices you can't tell me that you will still walk into danger."

Samantha studied him without a word. Images of Sam's arms wrapped protective around her when she was a baby, rose in her mind. He had been so careful with her, his love for her and her father clear in every action. Having seen how much her uncle cared for her and her father, she felt that there was only one choice ahead.

Samantha got to her feet, all fear and confusion disappeared. She stood tall and confidently in a way that would make her father proud to see.

"No, it means that I need to go help them."