Chapter 8
Dean took every back road he could find to make the journey quicker back to Sioux Falls. Just under five hours, he was pulling into the driveway at Esmee's.
"You can let go now wuss." Dean scoffed to his brother.
"Were the tires even touching the road?" Sam complained, forcing his fingers to open from their death grip on the passenger door. He gave a quick thank you to whoever was listening that they made it without wrapping the car around a tree.
They got out of the Impala and hurried to the front door. Dean inserted his key and opened the door, allowing them entrance. Both brothers stopped in their tracks, not sure how to take the scene in front of them. Bobby was sitting on the couch with Chance and Tyler asleep on either side of him. Castiel was sitting in Dean's recliner with Mary curled up in his lap asleep too. She had snuggled down under his trench coat, using it as a blanket.
"What the hell?" Dean grunted. "Where's Es?"
"She remains asleep in the bedroom off the kitchen." Castiel answered quietly.
Without another word, Dean headed for Sam's bedroom to check on her.
"Well, since you boys are back, I'm heading home." Bobby said, easing up off the couch. "They've been fed dinner and brushed their teeth. Couldn't get them to go to bed. I don't think they wanted to be alone."
"Thanks Bobby." Sam nodded. "I'll get them in bed."
"Night and call me if ya need anythin'."
Sam gently picked up Tyler and took him to the boy's bedroom, tucking him in. He came back and did the same with Chance, being sure they were both settled before leaving them.
"Um...Castiel...right, you wanna put Mary to bed?"
"She won't let go of my tie." he stated, eyeing the child in his arms.
"What did you do to Esmee? She won't wake up?" Dean growled madly, as he stalked back into the room to stand over him.
"I healed her of the physical trauma and put her to sleep so her soul could finish the process. She should awake on her own once that is done."
"Physical trauma, what happened to her?"
"The demon broke her arm, a couple of ribs and she had a mild concussion. I was able to heal her with out any problems. She will be alright."
"Sam, we got a window to board up until tomorrow and we got a bunch of broken glass to get up." he informed Sam, not taking his eyes off the angel and his daughter. A wave of jealousness rushed through him seeing his daughter nestled in the angel's arms. She seemed so content and at ease it made him envious.
"Ok, right."
"Let me put Mary to bed first."
"If it is alright, I don't mind holding her until you are done. She is an interesting little human, I'm sure she is your daughter correct? She has your eyes, but she feels blessed at having two fathers to raise her."
Sam and Dean looked at each other not sure what he was saying.
"She knows you are her father Dean, but she also thinks of Sam as a second father also. Mary enjoyed the stories you told her about when both of you were little."
"You know what she's thinking?"
"Yes, it is much easier with children, there are no barriers hindering me from seeing their souls. Their souls are pure and the brightest. It is a joy being around them."
"Yeah well, don't go anywhere; we have some talking to do."
"I'll be right here waiting on you."
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Sam followed Dean out of the room and out the back door to the garage. They needed to get some tools and find lumber to put over the window. Sam could tell Dean wasn't in the mood to talk, so he stayed quiet. They carried what would be needed to patch the window for the night into Sam's bedroom.
"I'll take Esmee to our room."
"Alright, I'll start cleaning up." Sam said, taking a broom and dust pan to sweep up the broken glass. He looked around the room to determine what else needed picking up. There were books knocked in the floor, things were knocked off the nightstand and it looked like Esmee had raided his weapon's bag. He began to pick things up out of the floor and put them back in their place. He made a slow circle, walking slowly around his bed.
"Ok, she's settled, let's get these boards over the window and we'll replace it tomorrow." Dean instructed, picking up a board and positioning it over the window, gritting his teeth as he pushed his emotions and guilt back into a dark corner of his mind. There would be plenty of time for him to wallow in his own misery, after he took care of his family.
Sam grabbed the hammer and nails and tacked it in place, waiting for Dean to position another board. He knew his brother was upset, but sensed now was not a good time to bring it up. He could tell Dean had changed since his return from hell. Sam hoped he would talk to either him or Esmee about it and not let it simmer and stew and eat at his soul.
Once the window was sealed off, Dean and Sam headed back into the living room and found Castiel still sitting in the recliner holding Mary.
"Want me to take her?" Sam asked, not sure if Dean wanted him in on this conservation or not.
"She seems to have me in her grasp." Castiel explained trying to gently get his tie untangled from Mary's little hands. She grunted and shifted in her sleep but wouldn't let the tie go from her grasp.
"Ok, let's talk then Feathers." Dean stated, sitting down on the couch close to Castiel.
"I'll just head back to my bedroom." Sam told them nodding his head that way.
"It's ok Sammy, you can stay."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it involves you too."
"Ok." he said, unsure if that was good or not, but sat down beside him on the couch.
"What is it you wish to discuss?"
"First, I wanna thank you for savin' my family, but that don't mean I'm not pissed at you for leavin' me there. My family could have been killed because I wasn't here." Dean started he voice getting loud by the end.
Mary began to wake up at the sound of his voice, pushing her head up off Castiel's chest. She blinked sleepily, rubbing her eyes and looked toward her Dad.
"Dada." she smiled reaching for him happily.
"Hey baby girl." Dean cooed to her softly accepting her from the angel. His anger instantly vanished when he spoke to his daughter. "You ready to go to bed?" he asked as she tucked her head into his neck and sighed. "I'm going to put her to bed." he said getting up.
"Ca-Ca bye-bye." she waved to Castiel as Dean carried her to his bedroom.
Castiel waved back to her and called. "Sleep well Mary."
Dean came back into the living room minus one daughter and sat down beside Sam.
"Now back to what I was sayin', what's the deal with leavin' me out there alone?"
"You were not being very respectful of me, so I left."
Dean clenched his jaw and squared his shoulder knowing what he said was true. Sam glanced sideways at him seeing the tension in his body. He knew Dean could be short tempered and a hard head at times. Deciding to change the subject, Dean questioned him further.
"Do you know why demons would attack my family?"
"I do not know Dean, but I would think they didn't like you being taken away from them."
"Are there any more around?"
"I have not sensed others in the area."
"Man, I can't think straight right now, I need some rest, I'm going to bed." Dean told them as the adrenaline high he was on wore off leaving him exhausted and unable to get his mind to work. He got up and shuffled off to the bedroom.
"I'll see you in the mornin'." Sam replied, watching his brother closely until he went into the bedroom.
Sam tapped his foot and cleared his throat as he glanced at Castiel not sure what to do. "So, um, you want somethin' to drink or anythin'?"
"No, I have no need for food or drink."
"Ok, there's an extra bed in the spare room if you..."
"I do not need to sleep either. It is fine; I will stay here and watch over everyone."
"Well alright then, I'll guess I'll go to bed then." he said getting up wanting to get away from the awkwardness of the situation. "See ya in the mornin'."
"Good night Sam Winchester." Castiel stated settling in Dean's chair for the night.
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Dean looked in on the boys being sure they were alright, before heading on into his bedroom. He stopped at Mary's crib and looked down at his daughter, before pulling a blanket over her small form. He sighed feeling defeated and unsure how he was going to protect his family.
After kicking off his boots and changing into some sleep pants, he slipped into bed beside Esmee. She automatically sought out his warmth, curling into his body as he slipped an arm around her. Sleep evaded him as he lay there staring up at the ceiling, until he could not longer hold his eyes open and he drifted off into a restless slumber.
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Castiel listened to the sounds of the night in the house. He could hear Sam snoring gently in his bedroom and the restless movements of Dean in his bedroom. As the temperature dropped, the house began to settle and make its own symphony of sounds that the family had come to think of as a lullaby each night.
Castiel cocked his head when he heard a different noise coming from down the hall. Small whimpers drew him to the boy's bedroom and to Tyler's bed. He was twitching in his sleep, dreaming a dream that was frightening him.
"Be not afraid child, I will not let anyone hurt you." Castiel said laying a hand on his head.
"Cha, I scared." Tyler called out in a scared, shaky voice.
Chance seemed to sense Tyler's distress and was instantly awake and looking over at him.
"Come on." he whispered holding up the covers for his little brother.
Tyler slipped out of his bed and crossed the room quickly to scramble over his big brother and tuck himself closely to his brother's back. Chance made sure he was covered and laid back down looking over at the angel.
"I got this Cas."
"I will be here to keep you safe, you can rest in peace now."
"Thanks." Chance replied letting his sleepy eyes close as he drifted back to sleep.
Castiel stayed in the boy's room watching them sleep and making sure the bad dreams stayed away. Moon light filtered through the blinds, casting a soft glow around their bodies, like halos over their sleeping heads. Such innocent humans to have to deal with the evils of this world so early in life, Castiel thought.
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NC