More context chapters that tie closely with the show! We'll have a fun little ultra-AU chapter after this. And the BIG AU plot line is coming. I just think having some background from Seasons 9-11 will help make the next section more impactful and easier to follow.
I had a really good time writing this. Hope you enjoy! Comments appreciated!
Dean jolted awake, nightmare reverberating in his mind and making his head hurt.
Sophie's arms came around him instantly, and he relaxed into her grasp.
"You okay?" She asked.
"Just a bad dream," Dean waved her off.
"It's only five o'clock," Sophie yawned, "Can we go back to sleep?"
"Of course babe," Dean glanced at the clock, then over at Miriam in her basinet. He lay back down and opened his arms so Sophie could curl against his chest.
"You sure you're okay?" She asked again.
"I'm sure," he murmured, drifting off again.
Later that morning, as they sat around one of the library tables eating breakfast, Sophie handed him her laptop.
"This is a furniture store Sophie," he said, "We have furniture."
"She needs her own room," Sophie replied.
"Miriam?" Dean asked.
"Yeah," Sophie said, "She's gonna be a year old in what…a week? It's time she had her own room. We need to go to that antique barn outside of town and buy a rocking chair and dig through storage closets until we find something I can use as a changing table. You also need to repaint."
"You want to repaint?" Dean sounded skeptical.
"They've done studies," Sophie clicked open another tab, "We need the walls to be a very light robins egg blue."
"Because?"
"It's optimal for sleep and brain development," Sophie said, "Read the study."
"I trust you," Dean agreed, "Want to go today?"
"You have other plans?"
Dean shrugged.
Sam offered to watch the baby while they went and searched for a rocking chair.
"We gonna do anything for her birthday?" Dean asked as they drove into town.
"I don't know…a cake. Some pictures," Sophie shrugged, "I made her a new sweater. Who would we invite to a party?"
Dean shrugged, "Fair point…there's always Cas."
"That sounds…horribly depressing," Sophie laughed, "A toddler's birthday party in an underground lair attended by one socially incompetent angel? No. A cake and pictures with just us will be fine."
Dean glanced at his wife. The look in her eyes said it definitely would not be fine.
As Sophie wandered around the old barn full of antiques, Dean searched through her phone contacts. Sister Margaret. There. He copied down the number and sent off a quick text.
He introduced himself, then asked the big question.
"Sophie's feeling really alone with the baby's birthday coming up. Do you think you guys at the parish could do…something? Doesn't have to be big. But I know she'll appreciate it."
"I found one!" Sophie called, "Can you help me look at the other side?"
Dean shoved his phone into his pocket and hurried over to her.
"Isn't it nice?" Sophie asked, gesturing happily at the wooden rocking chair with a faded blue cushion.
"I had one like that," Dean said abruptly, "Before."
"You like it?" Sophie's voice was soft, hesitant.
"Yeah," Dean agreed, "It's perfect. Mine had yellow flowered cushions though."
"I can reupholster them," Sophie said, tucking herself under his arm, "If you want."
He kissed her head.
"Where do we pay? And how the heck do we fit this thing in my trunk?" Dean asked. But as he was speaking his cellphone rang. Cas.
"Damn it," Dean muttered, "I gotta take this baby. Be right back."
"Dean I need you to come right away," Cas said.
"What's wrong?" Dean asked.
"It's an emergency," Cas said, "I'll text you the address."
Sophie was talking with the cashier when Dean found her.
"They'll drop it off at the end of our driveway tomorrow at noon," Sophie said as he walked up.
"Slight problem," Dean said, "Can we have a minute?"
He glared at the cashier and put a possessive hand on Sophie's back.
"I'll just go put a sold tag on the chair for you. It's all paid up. You can call us with delivery instructions later," the cashier said sheepishly, holding up placating hands and walking away.
"Cas needs us," Dean said, taking Sophie's arm and starting for the car.
"Now?" Sophie asked.
"Like right now by the sound of it," Dean told her, "I know I promised you'd get a break this weekend. That we could all just be together but…"
"Oh don't you start," Sophie said as she got in the car, "I'm coming."
"What?" Dean asked as he sat down beside her and started the engine.
"I'm coming," Sophie said, "Don't care if I end up waiting in the car or at the hotel or what. But I'm coming. I've been stuck in the damn bunker since you ran off with Crowley. I'm losing my mind Dean. I'm coming."
"You want to bring the baby?" Dean asked.
He wasn't going to argue. He'd seen that look when Miriam's birthday came up. He could see the desperation in her expression now.
The last few months had been so incredibly hard on her. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was worried.
The last thing he wanted was postpartum depression taking hold.
He could bring her. They'd figure it out.
"Can I?" Sophie's voice broke a bit.
"We'll figure it out," Dean agreed.
The four Winchesters stood in the restaurant parking lot, staring at Cas in disbelief.
"Cas, a dead body is an emergency," Dean chided, "Some chick bolting on you is not an emergency."
"I'm responsible for her," Cas protested.
"You met her once," Dean said, "How many years ago?"
"Besides…she ran," Sam said, "It's pretty clear she didn't want to play house."
"She manipulated you Cas," Sophie added, "She's nearly grown and she clearly has opinions about how she wants to live her life. You're not a part of it."
"I know," he replied, "But I need to know she's safe. And I need your help."
"Okay fine," Dean agreed, "We'll help you find her. Sophie, go with Sam to ask around at the group home. Me and Cas need to have a talk."
"You know that won't hurt me," Cas said, staring down the gun in Claire's hand.
"Fine," she agreed, turning to aim the weapon at Sophie and Miriam. Sophie turned her back immediately, ducking behind Sam.
"Hey!" Dean snapped, crossing the short distance in an instant and deftly grabbing Claire's wrist so she dropped the gun with a yelp.
"That's how a dad's supposed to react when his kid's in danger!" Claire shouted, glaring at Castiel.
"And your dad did…" Cas began.
"Shut up!" Claire shouted, "My dad was a good man! And what kind of messed up world is it that he died so that a monster like you could live?"
And then she bolted.
"You good?" Dean asked gently, pushing a strand of hair back from Sophie's face, "She good?"
He rested a hand on Miriam's head. The sleepy toddler roused at that.
"Dada?" She grumbled, "Bye."
Miriam put her head back down against Sophie's chest and scrunched her eyes closed.
Sophie chuckled as Dean pulled her up against his chest, her back to his front, arms wrapped protectively around her and the baby.
"That means she wants to go back to sleep," she murmured, "And I'm shaken up but it'll be fine. You're not okay though, are you Cas?"
They sat at the bar, getting a non-negligible number of looks for bringing a baby to a Tiki lounge.
"What about your dad, Sophie?" Cas asked, "You love him?"
"Yeah," Sophie nodded, "Growing up with immigrant parents can be weird. But my dad's a good guy. My mom used to work two weeks every summer at a kids sleep away camp. So it'd be just me and him and my sister. And he wanted so badly to show us a good American summer. So he'd make grilled cheese and lemonade and hotdogs. Stuff my mom never would have let in the house. And take us on walks. He was pretty sure that was the most American thing you could do. Go on a walk. And…"
She trailed off.
"He saved my life," Sophie swallowed hard, "At Carson's funeral…my fiancé that died…I had my first grand mal seizure. And I bit my tongue really bad and I was choking on the blood."
The paused, took a deep breath, rubbed Miriam's head in a subconscious self soothing gesture. Dean put a comforting hand on her back.
"And everyone panicked. But he didn't. He got me sitting up. Hit between my shoulder blades until I spat out the blood and started breathing again," Sophie reached up to wipe tears from her eyes, "He's a really good guy. And he's always taken really good care of us. Even when it was hard."
"Do you think Claire is in trouble? Do you think she needs saving?" Cas asked.
"She's hanging out with a guy named Randy," Dean said, "Of course she needs saving."
Claire screamed as Sam kicked the door open. And all of them froze at the sign of Dean kneeling amongst the bodies, blood everywhere.
"Dean," Sam rushed forward as Castiel tried to calm Jimmy's daughter.
"I'm sorry," Dean stammered.
"Tell me it was them or you," Sam demanded, "Tell me you had to do this."
"I…" Dean broke off.
"Take Miriam Sam," Sophie said, "Give us a minute."
Sam's jaw dropped.
"But he just…I can't…" he stuttered.
"She'll be mad about it for a minute but I'll be back out to get her to sleep again soon," Sophie said as she put Miriam in the big man's arms.
"But…" Sam tried to protest.
"Listen," Sophie's voice was hard now, it didn't leave room for arguing, "He is my husband. And we know…from Cain himself…that matters in this. If Colette could get Cain to tame his bloodlust I can do the same for Dean. Now take my baby and go wait on the porch."
Sam was speechless. But he complied.
Sophie knelt down on the bloody carpet and took Dean's hands into her lap.
"I'm so sorry," he said again, forehead resting against hers, "I'm so sorry."
"You killed a bunch of men who were trying to sex traffic an underage girl," Sophie said, "You killed monsters. That's what you do. You did it in a fit of psychotic magical rage. Which isn't ideal. But it's not like you went and took out some nice old friars or a preschool teacher."
Dean's breathing was ragged.
"Come back to me now," Sophie urged, putting her hands on his shoulders, "Don't think about them. Don't think about what you did. Think about me. Think about us. About Miriam. About how you are a good man, Dean Winchester. I know you are."
He just wrapped her in his arms and held on tight.