The love herb made their nap quite deep. Cas only woke up because Dean was snoring so loud. He grumbled to himself, sat up and held the egg. It was warm—warmer than it had been before. He touched it and sensed the baby shifting inside.

"Dean," Cas muttered, nudging his partner.

Dean opened his eyes slowly, snorted a few times and said, "Wuhh…yeahh?"

"Feel our egg."

Dean extended a sleepy arm and laid his palm over the shell. He, too, felt the warmth and movement.

"Think it's gonna hatch?"

"Probably not right now, but soon. Definitely."

Cas smirked and gave his mate a kiss. Dean hummed at the touched then yawned, sat up and stretched. The love herb had been smoked out of the house already and only a few clinging scents of Dean's musk remained. Cas got out of the nest and put some clothes on.

"How do you people take care of the dead?" he asked Dean.

"Pyre."

"All right. I suppose that's going to start soon."

"Yeah, and I gotta help with it."

Dean also got up and dressed. He let out a stiff sigh.

"What's wrong?" asked Cas.

"What's wrong? Everything."

"Oh, Dean, it's not that bad. You have me and our egg."

A thin smile and Dean nodded. "You're right," he agreed, but then the sadness overtook him once more. "I have you and the egg. That's more than a lot of us. But I also have decisions; do I find this Azazel guy? Do I become king? Am I rightfully the king or is this a misunderstanding? Would it matter? And…and…do I become the grand alpha of my pack?"

"I'm sorry, Dean, but I can't answer those questions for you." Cas touched Dean's arm and looked at him sympathetically. "You know that I find Lawrence to be safe and I wouldn't mind going back there, but you are my alpha and I will do as you say. I like this town, too, but I prefer the woods. I miss the Valley."

Dean closed his eyes for a moment and leaned into Cas' touch. He put a hand on the egg and pressed his lips together.

"How d'you think the Valley is right now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the storm wrecked everything but it's been a little bit since that happened. Maybe people came back? Maybe it's livable?"

Cas cocked his head.

"Why do you ask this?"

"Maybe we should go back."

"But there's nothing there."

"We don't know that," Dean explained. A flicker of hope glistened in his eyes. "We don't know what happened to your herd. We don't know what my pack wants to do. If I'm the grand alpha, I can suggest we move back there. It's safer at least, yeah?"

"But what about Azazel and Lawrence?"

Dean frowned.

"I dunno," he said. "If I'm not really the king, then it wouldn't even bother us, I think. We can go back to the Valley and screw it all."

Cas wasn't sure how to respond to that. On one hand it sounded nice, but on the other, it seemed reckless.

"We'll take care of Cain and see," Dean added. "I'm sure the betas will be putting food together. Why don't you join them while the other alphas and I prepare the body?"

"Okay," Cas agreed softly. He kissed Dean on the lips before they went separate ways.

Charlie was due to lay her eggs at any moment. As she rushed about the place to get the funeral feast ready, Cas kept telling her to slow down and relax. Meg had caught a large buck and it was roasting over a fire, while Rowena and Jo were making dizzy-drinks. Abaddon was too busy with her babies to do much, and she was clearly grieving hard. Rowena, however, was fixated on Dean and didn't seem to care much about the last grand alpha's passing.

Once the food was ready, Meg, Dean and Cole announced that the pyre was going to start. They had taken Cain's body and rolled it up with customary blankets and herbs, then set it atop a large gathering of logs on the outskirts of the town. What Dean really didn't like about the place was how it had little resources—the townsfolk had bought that wood for travelers.

Cas didn't know how hunters took care of dead bodies up until then. Back when he lived with his herd, they would usually take it very deep into the woods and leave it for nature to take care of it. That reminded him of how Dean talked about the life cycle of things. He wondered why they burned Cain and how that played into it.

"Goodbye, dear alpha!" Meg cried out as they started the fire.

Abaddon was bawling on Rowena, whose eyes were fixed on Dean and not shedding a single tear. "Farewell, my Cain," the older redhead hummed. Abaddon was too sad to say anything.

"Be with the ancestors now," Cole said. He was standing beside Luci, who had apparently become his new mate. That was no surprise to Cas, since the last he saw them, Luci was taking care of Cole after Dean hurt him. Luci was almost as pregnant as Charlie.

The fire crackled and roared as it consumed Cain's body. Luckily the herbs they burned with it gave such a strong smell that you almost didn't notice the odor of melting flesh.

After a few more people from the town said their goodbyes, Dean's pack then burst into a slow, sad song. It was more of a chant or a hymn.

Oh, goes the wheel of life a' turning

Casting shadow 'cross our great and mighty land

Oh, is the flame of death a' burning

Pluck'st the flower o' life right out of my old hand

Cas watched the faces of the hunters as they sang. Abaddon was moving her lips but he couldn't confirm if she was actually singing or not. Tears ran down her smooth cheeks. She cradled two babies in her arms and touched her lips to the head of one.

The evening sun was casting shadows over the pyre. The flames licked up in red and gold tongues, matching the color of the sky. They continued to sing.

Oh, flows the endless stream of fate now

Mercilessly taking all the ones we love

Ah, if I held my heart against thou

Would it change the course of every star above?

Cas noticed now that Dean was not singing. His mind appeared occupied by other thoughts, which did not surprise him. As the group began their third verse, they were suddenly halted by loud squeaks.

"OH! OH! HOH!"

Everyone turned to the source of the noise and saw that it was Charlie, crouched to the ground and clutching her large stomach.

"She's laying eggs!" a voice among the group called out.

Meg darted to her side and held her up. "Help me get her to the house," she said.

Dean instantly appeared on her other side and hoisted up Charlie's other arm. The two of them gently carried her off towards their home. She was panting and gasping, holding her stomach and wincing in pain.

Cas went to follow but his attention was diverted by a lone figure that remained by the fire. Cain's body hadn't finished burning and was still a great blaze that sent dark billows of smoke high into the evening sky. There, with the fire glowing against her face, stood Abaddon. The children weren't with her, but instead her arms hung at her side and she wore a blank, stunned look. Cas approached her gently.

"Where are your babies?" he asked.

"Rowena," she answered in a weak monotone. Her lips remained open after she spoke.

Cas hesitated. "I'm sorry for you loss," he said.

"Thanks." She paused. "You know, I wouldn't mind if Dean claimed the title. And if he took us as his betas? That'd be all right by me."

"I know that Rowena likes him," Cas said, a little bitterly.

"Yeah," Abaddon sighed. Something was amiss in her expression.

"She doesn't seem terribly upset by Cain's…departure."

"No, she's not," the redhead replied quite calmly. "She never liked him much."

"Then why did she become his beta?"

"No choice," said Abaddon. She turned to look at Cas now, her icy blue eyes piercing him strangely. "The grand alpha does whatever he wants. If he says he is taking you to be his beta, then you are his beta."

"So the others," Cas began, "The ones that you lost…did they love Cain, or were they forced? And what about yourself?"

"They were forced. I wasn't. Cain loved me and I loved him. We were different than the rest. Had the others survived, I bet they would be dismissive as Rowena."

"Rowena wants Dean, doesn't she?"

"Not much gets passed you," Abaddon said, a smile finally showing on her face.

"I don't like the idea of Dean taking any other betas."

"I don't think he would. He already made that pretty clear."

"Yes, but…he's still so uncertain. About everything. I wouldn't be surprised if he changed his mind on his previous opinions."

"I don't know," Abaddon said. "Dean's always been straight forward. He's never walked back on things. Not on things that serious—when his heart is involved, his heart is involved."

"Do you think so?"

"By now, you ought to know him better than me, huh?"

"That's true." Cas smiled. "But, then, what happens if Dean declines?"

"Well," Abaddon said, her eyes flickering across the fire, "Cole is the next in line. It would fall to him. I think he would take it in a heartbeat."

"I agree," said Cas.

They stared in silence for many long moments. Cas felt bad for Abaddon. Here she was, having survived a storm that killed most of her people, moved several times, and when he finally found a safe place to stay and lay her eggs, her mate was taken from her. Now she had to raise those children with only the help of Rowena and whoever else in the pack would be willing to check in. That would have been Cas if he hadn't found Dean.

"I should see if Charlie had the eggs successfully," Cas said, breaking the silence at last. Abaddon acknowledged him with a soft hum and an even softer nod.

Cas bid farewell then went to Meg and Charlie's home, where the chaos had already died down and the fairy sat in the middle of a nest with three royal blue eggs nestled in her arms. Meg was proudly beside her.

"Oh, my!" Cas exclaimed when he saw the eggs.

Charlie looked exhausted but happy nonetheless. Dean and Cole stood by, while Luci knelt beside her with a towel and a bowel full of water.

"Not bad, huh?" Dean asked Cas when he came in. "Fairy eggs. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Well," said Charlie, "They aren't all fairy. Just have. All fairy eggs are much, much smaller."

"Really?" asked Cas.

"Yeah!"

Meg looked up at Dean and suggested, "Maybe we should leave the egg-bearers alone to talk, while we alphas step outside?"

"Uh, you sure about that?" asked Dean. "You are the father, after all."

"I know. We'll give them some space, let them talk…now that they have this in common!"

"Well, okay," said Dean. He then followed Meg and Cole out of the house.

It felt like night was falling faster. The land was already dark and stars were showing the sky above. Meg folded her arms, smiling, and looked up.

"You're next Cole, huh?" she said.

"Heh. Yep. Guess so. He's got a few more days at max, but those eggs are coming."

Meg turned to Dean now. "Yours too?"

"Yeah," he said. "When? I don't know. It's starting to move. Gotta be getting close."

"How exciting," Meg hummed. "You know, after all we've been through, here we are, all starting families and doing okay."

The two men nodded in agreement at Meg's statement. It was a comfort only to Cole, since Dean knew that the happiness could not remain a constant. There were too many decisions to be made. Too many changes that were likely to occur.

Without looking at Dean, Cole gave a sigh and said, "I'd better get back to Luci. Y'know, just in case."

"Makes sense," said Dean. "See you."

After he left, Dean and Meg were still standing around. Meg kept her head tilted to the sky. Dean joined her.

"What am I supposed to do?" Dean asked.

"About what?"

"Everything. What do I do?"

"Well, what do you want to do?"

Dean took a deep breath.

"I want to be with Cas," he said. "I want everything to be all right. I want to have my kid. I want Cas to be happy and I want him to be safe. He was happy and he was safe in Lawrence."

"Then maybe you should go back there?" Meg asked.

"But if we go back, they'll make me their king—and I don't know if I really am!"

"Does it matter? They think you are."

"Ugh. But I don't want to be king!" Dean yelled.

"Why not?"

"I don't want people serving me! I don't want people who could be putting their hard work and efforts into something more meaningful than just…than just taking care of their king! I don't want that. I like to provide for myself. I like to hunt and work and farm and wash—on my own! Not with servants or whatever. It's…I don't deserve that."

Meg gave Dean a few moments to relax. His fists tightened but then he steadied himself a took a deep breath.

"What about being our grand alpha?" she suggested.

"That's not as bad, but I still don't want it."

"Why not? You were never opposed to it before Cain died."

"A lot of things were different in my life before Cain died—before I met Cas. I don't want anyone else now."

"Well…that's easy to solve. You don't have to have multiple betas, that's just a benefit that you could reap."

"Yeah, well I don't want it. And I don't want the pack to turn to me."

Meg laughed. "You certainly don't want a lot of things."

"I know! I DON'T!" Dean yelled now. "I'm sick of this! I'm sick of finding out that the whole fucking land—Kaz, whatever the Hell it's called—is secretly waiting on me! Relying on me! Oh, the king, the leader! I'm sick of this! I wouldn't be surprised if this angel they're looking for also turns out to be me!"

"I don't think you're quite an angel," Meg mused with a small chuckle.

"Thanks, and I mean that."

"Well…there certainly are a lot of decisions to be made for you right now."

"I know. Tell me about it." Dean kicked at the ground. His rage died down. "I guess…my biggest concern is this Lord Azazel guy. If I'm king or he thinks I'm king, what's stopping him from finding me or killing me or Cas or whatever? Not to mention the people are Lawrence."

"I thought you didn't care about Lawrence?"

"I don't want to be Lawrence's king, that doesn't mean I can't be compassionate towards their people. Shit, if Lord Azazel turns up and slaughters those people—that blood is on my hands. I can't have that."

Meg hummed. "I think I understand you problem now."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Instead of doing what you want, or what they want, maybe you should consider what the right thing to do is?"

"That is what I'm thinking, I just dunno what it might be. Do you?"

"Dean, there are things I've learned in life so far—and I've had interesting things happen to me, not like you but still—I think there is always a right path. It might not be what you want, it might be. But what's the noble thing? What saves the most people? What's best? Anyway…think about that. I'm gonna go spend time with my eggs."

Meg patted Dean on the shoulder before returning inside the house. He saw the lamp within go out and decided it was time to get back to his home, too.