Chapter 13 Quickening
The trip back to the bunker had been uneventful and for that Carrie Beth was grateful. They had easily fallen back into a routine of her cooking for them while they scoured the internet and newspapers for jobs. "Hey Dean," Sam called from the table. "So get this, there have been seven unexplained deaths in this little town in Georgia over the last year."
"Doesn't mean it's our kind of thing," he said playing a strand of Carrie Beth's hair while she read a book next to him.
"The last two victims were found with their hearts missing and both appeared to have been mauled by a wild animal."
"Could have been a bear," he said in response.
"I don't think there are bears in that part of Georgia."
"Are you saying you want to go? Go to Georgia?"
Carrie Beth looked up from her book. "Dean?"
"Hmm?"
"Please go to Georgia with Sam."
He stopped playing with her hair and turned to face her more directly. "Why?"
"Because you are driving me bat shit crazy!"
Sam laughed. "You have been a little overprotective of her lately Dean."
"That's my job!"
"No, your job is to hunt monsters. It sounds like there is one in Georgia so go… please."
"You'll be ok?"
"Dean, honey, I love you, but I haven't had any time to myself in over a month! I need some alone time!"
"Ok, ok, I get when I'm not wanted. Load up Sam. We are heading to Georgia."
Carrie Beth watched them leave and when she couldn't see the taillights of the Impala anymore she bolted back into the bunker. She went straight to the bathroom and pulled out the box she had bought at the market yesterday. She opened the box and read the insert. Deciding she was too nervous to pee on the stick directly she grabbed a disposable plastic cup and peed in it before dipping the end of the stick inside. She covered the end of the stick with the plastic tip and waited. She paced back and forth outside of the bathroom and when just over two minutes had passed she edged the bathroom door open. She grabbed the plastic stick and stared at the two bright pink lines. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she wasn't ready to believe it just yet. She rinsed the cup out and peed in it again repeating the same steps with the second stick in the box. After two minutes the results were the same, two bright pink lines. She started to cry. She was finally pregnant.
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"Well Mrs. Winchester let's take a look with the ultrasound and see if we can get an idea of how far along you are," the young lady in pink scrubs said with a smile. "Are you sure you want to do this without your husband?"
Carrie Beth nodded. "He's out of town and I want to surprise him when he comes back."
The young lady smiled before tucking a towel in along Carrie Beth's pant line. Dean had taken her back to her apartment after Viktor and Simon had been taken care of and she was able to retrieve all of her belongings so she was no longer stuck with three outfits to choose from. The young lady rubbed a little cold gel onto Carrie Beth's stomach and in a matter of moments she was staring at the profile of her baby. "Everything looks good," the girl said with a grin. "I'll print you some pictures and then you'll be ready to see Dr. Vandevere."
Dr. Vandevere was a local doctor who still attended home births. "Well Mrs. Winchester it looks like you have a healthy pregnancy so far and I estimate your due date to be just after the first of next year. We might just have a New Year's baby if you play your cards right. Do you want to birth at home or in the hospital?"
She thought about what Cas had said about not needing any assistance for the birth but she didn't share the information with the doctor. "My husband Dean and I have yet to discuss how we want to birth."
"That's fine," he said, "do your research and we'll talk about it at each appointment. I look forward to meeting your husband next time."
Carrie Beth paid the receptionist at the front and explained that she would be a cash only client. She gathered her bag filled with prenatal vitamins and the pictures of their baby and drove back to the bunker. The Impala was parked out front and she teared up knowing how Dean would respond to her news.
She opened the door to the bunker to hear Dean yelling at Cas. "She would have told me before we left! Hell Cas she wouldn't have let me leave if she had already known!"
"Dean the prophecy is being fulfilled whether you believe it or not. Carrie Beth is pregnant."
"Castiel to be an angel of the lord you are such an asshole!" Carrie Beth yelled from the top of the stairs. "It is not your place nor your business to tell Dean anything! What gives you the right huh?"
Cas grimaced at her words and Dean glared at Cas first and then her. "Carrie Beth do you have something to tell me?" he asked angrily.
"I made a cherry pie," she said happily. "I grabbed some vanilla ice-cream while I was out."
She made her way down the stairs into the large room below and grinned as she placed a quick kiss on Dean's mouth. "Want to join me in the kitchen?" she asked.
He stared at her and glanced back at Cas. "You made me a pie?" he said with a smile.
"I know it's your favorite," she said grinning back at him.
"Sam and Cas can join us in a minute. I want some time with just you and me," she said taking him by the hand.
"It's funny a week ago you couldn't wait to get rid of me," he said grumpily.
"And now I can't wait to serve you a piece of pie ala mode."
She cut him a piece of warm cherry pie and scooped a bit of vanilla ice cream on top. She sat it down in front of him and fixed him a glass of milk before she sat down. "Welcome home Dean," she said with a smile. "I missed you."
He watched her carefully. "What's going on? This feels like an episode of some stupid family comedy or something."
"Nothing's wrong Dean."
He looked at the pie and watched the ice cream slowly melt around the edge. He heard her rustling around in front of him and looked back up to see her holding some black and white pictures in her hand. She laid them on the table in front of him and pulled a bottle of pills out of a sack at her feet. He stared at the weird looking photos, but wasn't sure what he was looking at, they looked like some weird night shots. "Read the top of the picture," she said noting his confusion.
He read the lines typed at the top. C. B. Winchester DOB 09/20/1983 EDD 12/24/2017 Dr. P Vandevere. "What does EDD stand for?"
"Estimated date of delivery," she said softly.
His eyes flew to hers. "This is… these are… these…" he couldn't make a complete sentence.
"These are ultrasound pictures of our baby," she said and he jumped up from the table and pulled her into his arms.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked pushing back from her.
"I didn't know until you were gone and I wanted to surprise you when you got back," she said. "I hate that Cas ruined the surprise."
"When he told me… I mean… we got back and you weren't here and then he popped in and said… and I didn't believe… I knew you would have told me."
He wrapped her in a hug again. "We are having a baby, the prophecy is coming true." He suddenly felt heavy and sad. "The prophecy is coming true," he said again.
"And it is going to be alright," she said to him with a sigh. "Everything is going to be alright."
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Dean tried to enjoy Carrie Beth's pregnancy. He tried to remember that the end was going to justify the means and that he was not going to lose where when this as all said and done. Each month as her belly grew and her hormones changed Dean focused on her and tried to find the pleasure in each moment but as the time for delivery was growing closer it became more and more difficult.
The ultrasound tech had been unable to tell them the sex of the baby and of course neither of them were surprised. The pregnancy had been stone cold normal with no nausea or weird cravings. She didn't even have any swelling and for all of that they both were grateful. Each night when they went to bed he would cuddle up to her back and rub her ever enlarging abdomen. He had nearly jumped out of bed the first time the baby had kicked his hand causing her to fall into a fit of giggles. "Oh you think that's funny do you now," he said basically pouncing on her in the bed.
He had tickled her until she conceded defeat and then they had made love. One thing Dean could say for sex during pregnancy, it was amazing and Carrie Beth was insatiable. She had drifted off soon after and Dean gently placed his hand back on her belly. He felt the baby move and kick against his hand and he couldn't help but grin. His grin turned to despair quickly though when he realized he would never get to see this child grow.
He left their bed after that thought and went to the library in the bunker. He wasn't shocked to find Bobby there waiting for him. "How long have you been here?"
"I just showed up. Ezekiel came to me and said you were having doubts."
Dean sighed and drug a hand down his face. "What's going on in your head Dean?"
"This is happening so fast," Dean said. "Carrie Beth is already seven months along and when she delivers it's all over."
"But it will begin again," Bobby said. "We'll start over. You'll get your parents back, I'll get my wife back… wait…"
"What?"
"If it all reverts back to the way it was before the atrocities were released how will Carrie Beth be born? I'll be married to… and Ellen will be… how will we…."
"Damn it Cas!" Dean yelled and Cas appeared.
"Hello Dean."
"I found the catch asshole!"
"What? I don't understand that reference."
"How will Carrie Beth be born if everything reverts back to the way it should have been without the atrocities huh? Bobby and Ellen will never be together and she won't exist! I can't do this without her Cas… she's the whole reason I agreed in the first place."
Dean had leaned forward on his hands and was trying to figure out how he could change what was happening. "Dean…" Cas said, but he couldn't continue and appeared to be hunting for the right words. "She will exist… Bobby and Ellen will be together."
"At what sacrifice?" Bobby asked.
Cas tightened his mouth. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Hell yes Cas! Tell me that this is worth it! Tell me that I made the right decision and am not sacrificing the one true happiness I have!"
"The Harvelle line… it is the sacrifice. Jo will not exist in the new time line at least in the form you knew her."
"And what else?" Dean asked.
"Isn't that enough?" Cas asked.
"There is always more to the sacrifice… it can't be that simple. I hate that Jo won't exist but the life she lead was hell and it will almost be better for her not to have to deal with the shit we put her through," Dean said angrily. "So what's the real catch Cas… what are we really losing?"
Cas frowned. "Your favor will have changed," he said finally.
"Meaning?"
"In this time line you have been God's favored. He has allowed you many opportunities that otherwise would not have happened. You will still be in his favor, but you will not be the favored sons that you have been."
Dean shook his head and started to speak but Bobby interrupted. "Dean you can't change it so just let it go. We'll have to accept what happens in the alternate time line and hope that it is better than the hell we've dealt with in this one."
Dean nodded. "You are right Bobby, we really don't have another choice."
"Choice for what?" Carrie Beth said from the door.
Bobby glanced up and grinned. "Look at you! Honey you are just glowing! Wait till I tell your mother. She is going to hate she missed this moment."
Carrie Beth went to stand next to Dean and he lay his head gently on her abdomen. "I woke up and you were gone. Then I heard you yelling at Cas and I had to see what kind of trouble he was causing now."
"Hey!" Cas yelled.
"She's right Cas, you do cause a lot of trouble," Bobby said laughing.
"Are we having a party and no one invited me?" Sam asked joining the group with a sleepy look on his face.
"Just like high school Sammy," Dean said with a laugh.
"We didn't go to high school jerk."
"Bitch."
"Boys!" Carrie Beth yelled causing Bobby, Sam, and Dean to burst out laughing.
"She is going to be an excellent mother," Bobby said with a grin.
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It was December 23 and Carrie Beth was huge and miserable. She was kicked back in the bunker's library with her feet propped up on an ottoman and a book laid across her belly when Dean found her. "Hello beautiful," he said strolling into the room.
She glanced up with a scowl. "I think you mean hello fat pig."
"Oh no I mean beautiful," he said sitting down on the ottoman at her feet. "You are gorgeous and glowing. You are an enchantress and if you were not already my wife I would do anything in my power to make you mine."
"Okay suck up," she said with a giggle before she tried to lean up for a kiss.
"I'm going to need some help with this Dean," she said and he laughed before he leaned in to kiss her.
He pulled a long black box out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I know it's not Christmas but I'm not sure what the next days are going to bring for us so I wanted to go ahead and give this to you now."
"Dean!" she said excitedly. "You shouldn't have! You know it is just going to be wasted after the baby is born."
"Well, I hope that this is something that will stay with you when the time line changes. I hope that you'll always have this with you," he said. "Open it."
She had tears in her eyes as she slipped the bow off of the black box and opened the velvet box to reveal a beautiful charm bracelet. "Oh Dean! It's beautiful!"
Dean slipped the bracelet out of the box and fastened it around her wrist. "I picked the charms out myself," he said kissing her knuckles. "This one," he said pointing to a miniature version of the Impala, "is a reminder of my baby."
She laughed. "Because she was your first love."
"Damn straight," he said with a grin. "This one," he said pointing to a star encased in a circle, "is a small anti-possession symbol to protect you from anything while we search for each other in the new timeline."
She teared up as he spoke, but he didn't give into her tears. "This one that looks like a piece of pie represents the night you told me you were pregnant. Then each of our birthstones, a garnet for January and a sapphire for September, represent our past and present. If this makes it through to the new time line we will add a stone for each of our children to represent our future."
"Dean," she said and the tears began to flow.
They shifted positions and he gathered her into his lap holding her close to him. Her belly began to move as the baby shifted between the two of them obviously upset at their close proximity. "Chill kid," Dean said to her stomach before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss.
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The contractions started around ten o'clock in the evening on the 23rd, but she didn't wake Dean up until they were about three minutes apart. "Dean, honey," she said gently before the next contraction hit and she groaned in pain.
"Shit are you in labor?"
All she could do was nod and breathe through the contraction. Dean was up and trying to find his keys when Cas suddenly appeared with Ezekiel at his side. "It won't be long now Dean," Cas said. "All we can do is make her comfortable until the baby is born."
"Cas you idiot we need to go to the hospital!"
"Dean," Carrie Beth moaned. "I don't think we have time."
Suddenly she was standing in a puddle of clear fluid and panting in pain. "Let's start completely over and keep Eve from eating from that damn tree!" she yelled.
Cas looked at Ezekiel and he shook his head. "It won't go that far back Carrie Beth," Ezekiel said softly. "Now let's get you into bed and make you comfortable. Dean fix the pillows behind her to prop her up better. Carrie Beth you will know when it is time to push and I cannot guarantee that you will have time to say goodbye before the timeline resets so it is best to do that now."
Dean pushed her hair back from her forehead and gently kissed her. "I will find you Carrie Beth," he said with determination. "No matter what happens I will find you."
"I love you Dean," she said running a hand down the side of his face.
"I love you too Carrie Beth."
"Oooohhhh…" she moaned out. "I think…. its time… to… push…"
"You can do it baby," Dean said. "You can change our lives."