March 9, 2032
Weeks after Conception: 28 (About 7 months)
"Could you bring the heater down a notch?" asked Emily as she closed her drying, burning eyes to allow moisture to get to them.
"Of course," Castiel replied.
Emily could hear the sound of the blowing heater lower with a click as Castiel did so.
When the stinging in her eyes left, Emily glanced over at Castiel and their eyes met. Emily smiled and Castiel returned it before looking back to the road ahead of them.
They were on their way to the hospital for Emily's third doctor's appointment since they'd moved into Bobby's old house with Sam and Dean.
Emily's doctor, a fifty year old man with grayed hair named Jack Thomas had given her a clean bill of health the first two times she'd seen him. She was cautiously optimistic that it would be the same the third time around.
Emily rested her head against the passenger window and watched as the center of Sioux Falls flashed before her as she and Castiel passed in his car.
She'd grown attached to the little town and she had made a couple of friends on some of the shopping trips she'd taken. Emily hoped that eventually she and Castiel could get a house of their own here. She believed it would be a great place to raise their daughter.
Emily laid her hand on her distended stomach and when she felt the familiar fluttering that the baby inside her made, she smiled again. It was those movements that gave Emily a sign of the life within her and it made the morning sickness of the past, the swollen feet, and the crazy hormones worth it. It always made her happy.
When the hospital came into view Emily sat up in her seat and waited patiently for Castiel to pull his car into the parking lot and find a space to squeeze into. Once he'd turned the car off Castiel jumped out and ambled over to Emily's side to help her to a stand.
Damn stomach, Emily complained to herself.
She kept pace with Castiel's long stride and they entered Dr. Thomas's office through a side door into the building.
They were just in time for Emily's appointment. One of the nurses that worked with Dr. Thomas, Stacy, was approaching.
"Hello," Stacy greeted the both of them, than focused on Emily. "How are you?"
"Good," Emily answered truthfully.
"That's wonderful. Dr. Thomas is almost ready to see you so just follow me okay?"
Emily and Castiel both nodded and fell into step on the aging woman's heels.
Stacy stopped before the ultrasound room at a weighing scale and Emily sighed as she steps onto it, feeling more than ever like a hippopotamus, especially after seeing her weight once Stacy had balanced the scale.
Stacy seemed to know what was on her mind. "You're at a good weight, honey. You're supposed to gain some, no need to be ashamed."
Emily gave her a nod and Stacy walked into the ultrasound room, expecting her and Castiel to follow.
As Emily moved forward after her and Castiel stepped beside her.
"Emily, you are beautiful," he said in such a way it sounded like a promise.
"You're just saying that."
Castiel shook his head, and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss so quickly it stunned her and left her reeling.
"Wow, I stand corrected."
Castiel chuckled, and led her into the ultrasound room.
Stacy gestured towards the hospital bed in the middle and Emily lowered herself onto it. Castiel meanwhile took the chair beside it and pulled it closer to her before sitting.
"I'll go get the doctor," Stacy announced after switching on the ultrasound machine beside the bed, across from Castiel.
She slipped out the door before Emily could say anything back to her. Stacy was a woman on a mission.
While they waited Emily played with the engagement ring on her finger. A habit of hers since Castiel had slipped it on already nearly three months ago.
Castiel put a hand on her arm and Emily looked up into his blue eyes that shined with his life.
They never failed in making her feel warm and peaceful.
When Castiel glanced away from her Emily heard Dr. Thomas shuffle into the room. "Good afternoon. Pleasant weather out there isn't it?"
"Indeed," replied Emily in a friendly voice.
She liked Dr. Thomas. He was a nice guy.
Dr. Thomas walked over to her side. "So have you felt anything out of the ordinary? Any concerns?"
"No," Emily told him. "I feel normal."
"That's good," Dr. Thomas said as he squeezed some gel onto the ultrasound's probe.
He lifted Emily's shirt to reveal her belly, and placed the probe firmly on it.
Ultrasounds had improved quite a bit through Castiel and Emily's lives like every other technology. The picture that appeared on the screen was very clear. And even though Emily and Castiel had seen their baby on an ultrasound machine screen before it still put them in awe.
She was curled up tightly in a ball, one arm up against her side, the other raised up to her face because she was sucking on her thumb. They could see her mouth moving. She looked so peaceful and perfect.
They were focusing so much on the screen that they didn't notice Dr. Thomas frown, but when he turned off the ultrasound after only several seconds Castiel and Emily were confused.
"Why didn't you do your usual exam?" inquired Castiel.
Dr. Thomas ignored him and reached into the storage cabinet behind him for a scalpel.
When he turned to reveal it to them Emily became frightened. "Dr. Thomas what are you going to do with that?"
"Don't be afraid," Dr. Thomas reassured her. "You'll live. But the child has to die."
His eyes flickered white and he smirked evilly.
Emily gasped and leaped out of the bed, away from Dr. Thomas and into the arms of Castiel, who was now standing.
"It's you," hissed Castiel, his eyes becoming dark with fury.
Dr. Thomas burst into a wide grin.
"Jud," Emily spoke the name of the demon she'd been dreading for so long.
He was here, in Dr. Thomas. Emily battled to keep her fear from showing, but she was afraid it wasn't working very well.
Castiel pulled out the demon killing knife from his back of his jeans and placed himself in front of Emily, shielding her.
"You're not touching her," he claimed, glaring at Jud.
Jud fingered at the scalpel in his hand while keeping his eyes on him. "We can do this the easy way or hard way Castiel. Easy way, she lives. Hard way you all die. And I'll make sure it hurts."
Castiel narrowed his eyes, standing firm.
"Fine, hard way it is," huffed Jud.
He threw the scalpel away and reached for his own dagger in Dr. Thomas's white coat.
"Let's play."
Castiel hesitated as he moved away from Emily, but he knew he had to in order to fight. As he stepped forward he kept his eyes on Jud and the demon knife at ready.
Emily could only watch on, hoping Castiel would win, and wishing Sam and Dean were with them to help.
Jud was the first to act, bored with the standoff he and Castiel were having after a couple minutes. He charged forward with his knife and Castiel caught the hand holding it, using all his strength to keep it away from his chest while also trying to shove the demon knife into Jud's heart. But Jud was strong, his empty hand kept Castiel from making progress.
Castiel felt his skin moisten with the sweat that was breaking out on himself because of his effort to keep Jud's knife away from himself. He could already feel his hands beginning to ach, and he lost a half inch of distance.
He had to act fast if he was going to get himself out of the position he was in. Castiel dropped to the floor quickly and tripped Jud with his right foot.
Jud fell to the floor and his knife slid out of his hand and under the bed.
"Fuck," Jud cursed.
He punched Castiel in the jaw and as Castiel lurched back from the contact Jud reached out for the knife.
Emily saw, and kicked the knife away from his outsteched hands.
"You bitch." Jud shook his fists at her and Emily shrugged.
Castiel pushed Jud back from Emily and returned the punch he'd received before raising the demon knife up.
As he swung down at Jud the demon intercepted him with both of his hands and shoved him away, into the cabinets.
Castiel's head hit into it with a loud thud and he held it in pain as Jud got back up on his feet.
"You know your love for Emily and that child of yours just would melt my heart…you know, if I had one." Jud grinned.
Castiel starred up at him and gathered his strength before standing and running into Jud.
When they were back on the floor Castiel saw the ceiling spin above him. He was so dizzy he couldn't move.
And it gave Jud the chance to grab the demon knife from him.
"Always hated these damn weapons," muttered Jud.
He laughed. "Today though it's gonna be put to good use."
Jud leaned towards Castiel to kill him, but he surprised him by flipping him onto his back.
"Emily get out of here!" yelled Castiel as he held Jud down.
"No, not without you."
"Now, Emily!"
Emily bit her lip and maneuvered herself around him and the demon before running as fast as she could holding her stomach, out of the office.
Everywhere she looked she saw the dead bodies of the staff in the office, including Stacy, but she didn't stop, not until she reached the car.
"I'll get her eventually," Jud spat at Castiel after Emily was out of sight.
Castiel reached for the demon knife still in his hand and pulled it out just as Jud shoved him off himself.
They both stood up again before Jud slammed Castiel into the wall using his telekinesis powers.
He ripped the demon knife out of Castiel's hands and raised it to his throat.
"Oh how badly I want to kill you right now," Jud said wistfully.
Castiel closed his eyes.
"But that wouldn't be any fun."
Castiel opened them back up. "What are you going to do?"
Jud backed away and hind the demon knife in the white coat he was still wearing.
"Exactly what I want to do," he answered. "But not yet, no. Now is not good anymore. I want you alive so you can watch me cut that child of yours from your sweet Emily and then watch me kill her too."
He sniggered at Castiel's enraged expression and then he was gone.