Chapter 9
Morning was just around the corner, when Castiel heard snuffling from the other bedroom. He disappeared and re-appeared beside Mary's crib looking down at her wiggling body.
"Ca-Ca." she whined holding out her hands for him to pick her up.
"Sh-sh, your parents are still resting little one." Castiel spoke softly as he picked her up. He sniffed Mary for a second, realizing the ammonia smell was coming from her. "I think you need a change and dry pants." he commented feeling the dampness under his hand.
Castiel spotted diapers, and folded clean clothes on the changing table. He grabbed a handful of diapers, and a couple of outfits. Mary had snuggled her head into the crook of his neck, trying hard to keep her eyes open, but fussy enough to want a dry diaper. He went into the living room and laid her on the couch to change her.
Dean rose up in time to see someone disappear out the door with Mary in his arms. He figured it was Sam and settled back down next to Esmee pulling her over into his arms. She sighed contently settling her head on his chest and letting his heart beat lull her back to sleep.
Mary looked up at Castiel with sleepy eyes, grunting unhappily as he tried to figure out the workings of a disposable diaper. He took a clean one and examined it trying to determine how it was held on and which was the front and the back. After slipping off her wet pants, he found the tapes on the side of the diaper holding it on and pulled them lose, sliding the wet diaper out from under her bottom carefully. His first attempt was not very successful and Mary was letting him know she was not happy about all this. Castiel was beginning to think he was out of his depth here and wasn't sure how to proceed.
"I know Mary; I am not experienced in this matter."
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"Sam, Sam are you awake?" Castiel asked.
Sam groaned and rolled over to see the angel standing beside his bed hold his partly clad niece, who seemed to have a diaper hanging off her, but he couldn't quiet be sure due to his bleary eyes.
"I think I need a little help."
"What's wrong?"
"Mary woke up and smelled...Her diaper...So I tried to change her, but I'm not sure about these things." he said holding up a diaper.
Sam hid a smile as he shook himself awake enough to help. He rubbed a hand over his face and tucked his hair behind his ear as he sat up in the bed.
"Here, lay her down." he instructed Castiel patting the bed beside him.
Castiel placed Mary on the bed and held out a new diaper. Mary kicked and gurgled recognizing Sam, as he pulled the diaper Castiel tried to put on off, trying to figure out how he messed it up.
"I need wipes and the white tube of cream that's on the changing table." Sam explained.
"Alright." Castiel noted disappearing and appearing just a quickly with the requested items.
Mary clapped her hands happily reaching for him as Sam tried to keep her still long enough to get a new diaper on her.
"The part with the tape goes to the back, but you need to wipe her good, especially in the folds around her legs here." Sam showed him pulling out a couple of wipes and cleaning Mary carefully. "Next, put the white goop on to protect her from diaper rash." he continued smearing the cream on her bottom and wiping his fingers on a wipe. "Then position the front like so, and fasten the tapes here and here. Pretty simple really."
Castiel leaned over closer inspecting what Sam was doing unaware that Mary spotted his tie hanging above her. She grabbed it and jerked, almost pulling him off balance before he recovered. Sam bit the inside of his jaw to keep from laughing out loud, while the angel tried to untangle his tie from Mary's small hands so he could straighten back up.
"Thank you, I think I understand now." he acknowledged picking Mary up carefully. "You can go back to sleep now."
"She'll probably want her sippy cup with milk and she might go back to sleep for a bit. Give me another hour and I'll be up." he yawned laying back down. "Can you handle that?"
"I believe so," he replied, heading for the kitchen to get her a cup of milk.
Mary readily accepted the sippy cup and began to slurp the milk, as he settled back in the recliner with her in his lap. Castiel pulled his trench coat around her bare legs to keep them warm, forgetting he had clean clothes for her. She began to babble to herself as she played with the tie around his neck.
It wasn't long before two hungry brothers joined them in the living room. They shuffled into the room and stopped in front of Castiel.
"We're hungry; can you fix us something to eat?" Chance asked as his brother stood slightly behind him eyeing the angel. He was still leery of him.
"I'm not sure I know how to make food."
"We can eat cereal, if you get it down for us."
"Alright, show me."
Castiel followed the boys into the kitchen, watching as the child got two bowls and two spoons out of the dishwasher and sat them on the table.
"The cereal is in that cabinet." he pointed. "You can put Mary in her high chair if you want, just be sure to strap her in."
"Can you show me?"
"Ok," he answered waiting for Castiel to slip Mary into the chair. Chance pulled the straps around her waist and clicked it closed showing him how it was done. "There, now she can't fall out."
"You are a very smart boy. So which of these boxes do you want?"
"Cheerios and the milk is in the fridge."
"Can you pour it?" he asked setting the box on the table by the bowls and looking in the fridge for the milk.
"Yes, but sometimes I can't pour the milk if it's too full."
"I can do that. Does your sister eat this also?"
"Just pour some on her tray, she likes it that way."
"Cha, juice?" Tyler asked shyly as he pulled himself up into his booster seat.
"Oh and we get juice." Chance added. "There are boxes in the door of the fridge, but Mary gets hers in her sippy cup."
"Alright." Castiel said taking her cup and rinsing it before pouring apple juice in it and giving it to Mary. Castiel stood back watching the children eat; satisfied he had provided food correctly.
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"Hey guys." Sam addressed the boys as he walked into the kitchen. "See you made your own breakfast."
"Cas helped us." Chance smiled happily.
"Cas?"
"They were not able to pronounce my name correctly."
"Right, well thanks." he told the angel moving to the coffee pot to turn it on.
"Uncle Hammy will you play with us?"
"Let me get a cup-of-coffee." Sam said slowly, frowning because of the loud voices echoing down the hall from Esmee and Dean's bedroom. He couldn't quite make out what was being said but he could tell by the loudness, it wasn't good. He moved closer to the doorway cocking his head and listened.
"It seems Dean is upset Esmee got hurt." Castiel started. "He's trying to convince her that the best thing would be for them to move away."
"You can hear them?"
"Yes, I am a celestial being, I have excellent hearing."
"What does he mean move Uncle?" Chance asked in a panic voice looking up at Sam scared.
"Well Dean wants you..."
"Castiel, can I see you in here for a minute." Sam cautioned him pulling him into the living room. "We don't want to scare the kids. They don't need to know what's being said."
"Do you want to know what they are saying?"
"Not now, I'm sure Dean will talk to us later, hey kids, wanna go to the hardware store and get a new window for my bedroom?"
"Yea! Field trip!" Chance cheered as Tyler joined in. Mary, not sure what was going on, added her voice.
"Go get your shoes on and grab your coats." Sam instructed them watching the boys run to the foyer to grab their shoes and coats. "Cas, ok I call you that too?"
"Of course."
"Why doesn't Mary have on pants?" he asked eyeing his niece's bare kicking legs.
"I neglect to cloth her." he said unlocking the strap and pulling her out of the chair. "I have some in the other room."
Sam looked toward the hall as something crashed to the floor in Dean and Esmee's bedroom. He knew the kids didn't need to be hearing any of this and hustled them out the door.
"Come on lets go, maybe we'll get some lunch too." Sam said pulling on his jacket and pushing the boys out the door toward the van. "Come on Cas, you're coming too."
"If you like." he said taking the coat tossed to him for Mary. He slipped her arms into the light jacket and hurried after Sam.
"You can help me with the kids."
"What are we doing to the kids?"
"We're not doing anything to them, I'm guessing you've never went shopping with kids?"
"I've never been shopping, but I do know what it is."
"Great." he sighed getting Mary strapped in and checking the boys. "You too, buckle up."
"I'm not sure I understand."
"Your seat belt, car doesn't start until you're buckled up." Sam stated pulling his across his chest and buckling it.
"I see." Castiel nodded looking to the side and finding his seat belt.
"Music!" the boys cried from the back.
"Hold on." Sam grimaced finding the boy's cd and slipping it in.
Music began to play from the speakers and then the song, 'The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round all through the town.'
The boys began to sing alone with the music as Sam faked a smile since he had heard this song hundreds of time by now.
"I'll text Dean when we get to the hardware store and let him know we'll be out for a while." Sam commented.
"I could go tell him."
"No, I don't think he would appreciate the interruption while he's talking to Esmee."
"Alright." he said looking around with interest as they drove toward town.
"Have you never been in a car?"
"No this is my first time. It seems sort of confining and slow."
"Well, you'll get use to it."
"Mary wants to know why Dean and her Mom were yelling." Cas asked looking back at a babbling Mary.
"You can understand her?"
"Yes, should I tell her?"
"No! The kids don't need to know, we don't know ourselves what's really going on."
"She wants you to know she likes car rides and all the times you took her to the park."
"Um-m thanks, I guess. I couldn't just abandon them with Dean gone."
"That was kind of you Sam. You are a good brother."
Sam blushed slightly by the praise the angel had given him, clearing his throat not sure what to say.
A/N: An angel and a diaper, funny image. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks you fellow readers, I am glad the story is liked and hope you will stick around for more. Please review.
Happy Saint Patty's Day to all!
NC