Chapter Text
Chapter Two
Back Seat Confidential
"Dean, we probably shouldn't," Castiel objected reluctantly, freeing his lips and trying to sit up from where Dean had pulled him down on top of him in the back seat of the Impala. "You're not fully healed yet."
As much as he wanted nothing more in that moment than to ravish his newly betrothed mate, he held himself back, because physically Dean wasn't completely back to his pre-pregnancy system.
The unexplained return of Castiel's intact grace had meant he could have healed Dean fully and undone the changes the pregnancy had caused to his anatomy in an instant. However, not wanting to overbear Dean's body, after it had been through so much, or cause the man any further pain, Castiel had chosen to heal him very gradually and leave recovery periods in between. As a result, there were still changes that needed to be restored to originality before the angel felt it would be safe for them to partake in intercourse.
"Then get with the healing," Dean demanded, holding his Angel's bicep, keeping him close. "Because we're consummating this engagement right here, right now."
Castiel opened his mouth to object again (and to point out that it would be their marriage that would need to be consummated, not their engagement), but the look in Dean's eyes stopped him instantly. He knew that expression. Dean was not going to take 'no' for an answer... and if the Angel was completely honest with himself, even he knew that he was being overly cautious.
"Alright," he agreed, keeping his eye-roll completely to himself as Dean's expression immediately brightened and the man started loosening his clothing. "It might sting."
"I can handle it," Dean said adamantly, tossing his shirt into the front seat.
Castiel hesitated for a couple of seconds more, only to give Dean the opportunity to change his mind, although the speed Dean was ridding himself of his clothing told the Angel that he wasn't going to.
With a near silent sigh he placed his palm to Dean's abdomen.
Dean quickly snatched hold of Castiel's wrist, pausing him before he could begin. "You remember the deal, right?"
"Yes, Dean," Castiel smiled at the memory. "You want me to leave the one stretch mark, so you will always have one in honour for growing a life inside you... I remember," Castiel recited proudly, pleased Dean had chosen that particular scar to spare from healing. It was a ludicrously soft one, stripping across the divot of his hip, as if their baby daughter had left her artist signature on the work of art that was his beautiful mate -
- Fiancé, he reminded himself. Dean had agreed to his proposal of marriage. They were engaged.
"'Kay," Dean nodded, releasing Cas' wrist. That wasn't exactly how he would have worded his request, but Cas wasn't wrong. He watched his Angel close his eyes as they lit up with his grace.
Castiel brought his glowing palm back down to Dean's lower abdomen and felt Dean flinch and heard his sharp intake of breath, as his grace manipulated the man's insides, undoing the changes the pregnancy had a need to have caused.
When everything was set back to how it was, Castiel eased his grace back, gently rubbing Dean's abdomen in what he hoped was a soothing manner. "It's done."
"Piece of cake," Dean sighed out, letting out the breath he'd been holding as he un-clenched his teeth and fists. "Shall we get this party started," he encouraged flirtatiously, "before our babysitter waves a white flag."
There was no doubt in Dean's mind that Sam would be a great uncle, but as of that moment his experiences in caring for a baby were limited. Ranging only from watching her sleep, to quarter of a feeding before handing her back to be winded or changed. So Dean was highly aware that it would only take a little trapped gas, a disturbed sleep or a dirty diaper for his brother to be out of his depth and his and Cas' date night to be over.
Seeing the urgency in Dean's eyes and with nothing holding him back any more Castiel dove down, capturing Dean's lips eagerly with his own. His soothing rubbing became gentle caresses, as Dean quickly started catching the Angel up to his own level of undress.
Castiel would have rather taken his time and truly savored each moment and sensation, but Dean had a point. There was no telling how much time they had before their parental duties would take priority over their primal urges. Time was of the essence, so Castiel called upon his grace once again, this time to urge Dean's muscles to relax, reducing his need for prep.
Grateful that Cas was on the same page, Dean hid his smirk in the apex of Cas' throat, as he felt the tingles saturate his rear. Smiling wider when he felt Cas' hand wandered southward, to finish off the job his grace had started, while Dean sucked insistently on his Angel's neck.
It hadn't been too long since they had last been intimate with each other, but so much had changed since that it felt like a lifetime ago since he'd felt his Angel inside him. He'd expected a longer dry spell, before an opportunity presented itself. They hadn't even discussed if they needed to do anything to prevent another pregnancy.
“Wait - wait - wait!" Dean demanded insistently, panicked by his realization. He pushed against Cas' chest, putting a little distance between them as he sat up on one elbow. "We’re safe here, right?"
"Yes, Dean," Cas told him, a confused frown pinching his brow together. "The bunker is perfectly safe."
"No, that's not-" Dean huffed, exasperated. "What I mean is, I don’t have to be on some kind of Angel proof contraceptives or anything, do I?”
Castiel sighed out an "Oh," and smiled with a nod of understanding. “No, Dean. You will never go through that again.” he said, leaning back in for more kisses as he hooked Dean's thigh on his hip.
“Well, never say never,” Dean teased around Cas' lips.
Cas however, backed away, staring at him through stunned wide eyes, housed beneath a firm and concerned brow. “Never, Dean!”
“Okay, let’s not talk about this now,” Dean attempted, trying to pull Cas down and not break the mood.
Castiel didn't budge. “You want another child?”
“Well, not right now,” Dean clarified huffily. “But, ya know, maybe one day.” He shrugged a single shoulder casually, as if what he was proposing was the most carefree and normal thing in the world.
Castiel sat back on his haunches, causing Dean's leg to thump down onto the leather seat, a look of angered pity taking over his features. “I’m sorry, Dean,” he said, shaking his head rapidly, his tone more troubled than apologetic, “But I won’t allow that. Not ever! You nearly died! I nearly-”
"-Okay, okay," Dean quickly appeased breathily, sitting up so he could touch his Angel's chest in what he hoped would be as soothing as distracting. Anything to lessen the expression Cas was currently wearing, as if he no longer even recognized the man he'd proposed to not twenty minutes prior. "We don't have to talk about this now." he leaned back in, attempting to capture his Angel's lips with his own, before the mood was lost.
But before he could manage it, Castiel's head snapped to the side, distracted by something Dean was unaware of. "I think our time's up," Castiel stated, throwing an apologetic look in his mate's direction, as he reached into the front seat and grabbed their respective clothing.
"Wha' do ya mean?" Dean frowned at him in confusion, before his ears caught the unmistakable sound of their daughter's cries getting louder as she neared.
"Sorry to interrupt," Sam's voice called pointlessly over the wailing. He stood in the doorway with his head fixed bowed to the floor, despite his tightly closed eyes. Baby Charlie fidgeted in his arm, probably more disgruntled by her Uncle's hand covering her whole upper face, blocking her from witnessing anything not age appropriate, than whatever had upset her. "Is it safe?"
"Far from it," Dean grumbled, as he struggled out from under his Angel and into his jeans.
"She's fed and changed, but I couldn't get her to settle," Sam explained, as Dean retrieved her from her Uncle's arms, bouncing her as he shushed her softly.
She fell silent almost immediately, her disgruntled squirming easing to little wiggles as she relaxed in her Dad's hold.
"Looks like she just wanted her Daddy," Sam stated, looking a little dejected as much as relieved.
"Looks like," Dean couldn't help but agree, taking in Sam's dishevelled appearance. His brother had clearly given his all before accepting the inevitable. "You've got something on your shirt by the way."
Sam glanced down, immediately spotting the dark smears that Dean was referring to. "Oh shit!"
"Literally." Dean couldn't help but snigger, as Sam attempted to wipe the mess away, only succeeding it making it worse. "You know what they say; Changing a diaper is like riding a horse, stand near her butt, you gonna get hit."
"No one says that, Dean!" Sam snipped as he speedily stripped off his shirt, heatedly balling it up, trapping the stain on the inside.
"Well they should," Dean objected lightly, as he headed out of the garage to put his nearly sleeping baby back to bed. "It's good advice."
"Thank you for watching her," Castiel told the aggravated uncle who stood with his hands on his hips in his undershirt. "And for your assistance with the evening."
Sam's irritation lessened as he took in the appreciation in the Angel's words and expression. He wished he could have held out longer and given the couple some more time, especially considering the lengths Castiel had gone to to plan the perfect proposal for Dean. However, their baby, who seemed to be every bit the part angel when with her parents, seemed to turn near demonic when away from them.
Sam had theorized that it was due to her being a Nephilim. She had sensed and known both her parents from in the womb, so it would stand to reason that she would be comforted in the familiarity of their presence, and that she would be denied that comfort when parted from them.
But knowing and understanding the reasons, didn't make it any easier to deal with when he was tasked with watching her by himself.
"How'd it go?" Sam asked, already knowing his brother would have accepted if the Angel had had the chance and managed to make his proposal.
Castiel's smile in response told Sam the answer even before the Angel spoke it.
"Better than I hoped," Castiel told him honestly, though their last conversation put a dampener on an otherwise perfect evening and he needed to get to the bottom of it, before he could let it rest. "He said 'yes'," he clarified, before hurriedly following in the direction his mate had left with their daughter moments ago.
Unsurprisingly, he found Dean in the nursery and watched silently from the doorway of their co-joining room, as Dean gently laid the sleeping baby in the foot of her crib, covering her lower half with a light blanket. Resting his forearms across the top bar, Dean took a second to bask in the view.
“You really want more children?” Castiel couldn't help but ask. It seemed almost nonsensical to him, especially considering the unmistakable look of contentment that was currently filling his mate.
Gazing down at his baby daughter, Dean thought about that for a while before answering. His own life would be completely different if he'd been an only child, if Sammy hadn’t been born. Yellow eyes may not have come for his family. Being Michael’s vessel and able to take on the mark of Cain had been relevant to him being an older brother, so there was a strong chance those wouldn’t have happened either. He wouldn’t have sold his soul. He wouldn’t have gone to hell... He wouldn’t have met Cas. He wouldn’t have Charlie-Jo.
Ultimately, being an older sibling had brought a lot of suffering to his life, but it had also led to the greatest of joys. If he was able to, he wouldn't change a single thing. He couldn't deny that to his daughter.
“Yeah. Yeah I do,” he said sincerely and watched out of the corner of his eye as Cas' head dropped sadly.
But even as the words left his mouth, Dean reconsidered. Whether he admitted it or not, Cas had a point. A second pregnancy carried immeasurable risks, ones that could very easily put an end to their little family unit as it was, especially considering that they still had no idea how they had dodged the bullet the first time.
He'd made the decision to retire from the hunting life - all he'd ever known - to be there for his daughter and give her the family life that he and Sammy had been denied. A life as free from monsters and the supernatural as possible. It didn't make sense to do that only to put his, and potentially Cas', life in danger in another way. His child, the most precious thing in the world to him, had to come before anything else. Nothing in his life compared to becoming Charlie's parent and having another baby wouldn't make him any more of a dad, or them any more of a family. He already had everything he'd always wanted and never thought he'd ever get.
"But, this is it for us," he said decisively. "You don't double down when you've already won the jackpot. We should quit while we're ahead."
Cas looked taken aback for a fraction of a second, before he let out a relieved, silent sigh as his whole body seemed to void itself of all tension and Dean had to stop himself chuckling at the reaction as he pushed against Cas' chest, backing the Angel up a step so he could ease the door closed.
He checked his watch, noting the time - It would probably be a couple of hours before Charlie would wake for her next feed and they had some unfinished business to tend to - but as he did he paused, noticing the date displayed: 09/18/16
"Is there a reason you picked today to pop the question?" he asked accusingly. It was obvious that Cas had done some planning, maybe too much planning if the amount of proposal cliches the Angel had used.
Cas let slip a shy smile. "I admit I was hoping the timing would work out, but I can't really take credit. It was actually a pleasant coincidence."
"You really are such a sap, Cas," Dean said, grinning, gently guiding the Angel backward until he sat heavily on the bed. Dean followed, crawling up over him. "Now, where were we?"
xXxXx
"Damn," Dean exclaimed, tilting the empty baby bottle to the side, showing the few droplets that remained of Charlie's milk. "She demolished that."
From his position sat at the kitchen table, Sam's eyebrows raised in response. "There's a 'hungrier baby' option," Sam - who had done the latest milk run - suggested, before getting distracted with the hot sandwich Cas deposited in front of him.
Placing a second on the other side of the table, Castiel plucked Charlene out of Dean's hands so the man could eat himself, draping the baby over his shoulder, patting her back gently to bring up any wind she might have trapped. "We might have to start weening her onto solids."
"She's not even two weeks old yet," Dean objected with his mouthful, a small piece of bacon escaping and falling back onto the plate he was leaning over. "Isn't she way too young for that?"
"Only by human standards," Castiel argued. "Which we can not go by for-"
He abruptly ceased talking, a pained expression creasing his brow, simultaneously Charlie started screaming hysterically.
"Take her! Take her!" Castiel demanded urgently, over Charlie's cries, clutching his temple the second Dean jumped up and rescued her from his shaking arms.
“Cas? What is it? What’s wrong?” Sam asked loudly, his words spilling out too quickly in apprehensive haste as he jumped to his feet also.
“Give him some space, Sammy,” Dean barked, shouldering his way in between his brother and the Angel, taking over the space he’d asked Sam to give Cas himself.
“Cas?” He took him tenderly by the arm with his free hand, as the tension seemed to ease slowly from his Angel. Charlie's screams turned to sniffled hiccups “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” he replied, slowly lowering his grip from his temple. An unreadable expression on his face, but Dean could tell that whatever it was that was causing his Angel to look that way, it couldn’t be good.
“Angel radio?” he asked hesitantly, unsure whether he wanted to know the answer or live in ignorance for just a bit longer, but ultimately aware that there was only one unseen event that could be affecting his Angel and his baby the same way at the exact same moment.
Cas nodded heavily. It was not exactly accurate, but the specific differences were irrelevant at that moment.
"Do they know about Charlie?" Sam asked, voicing the very question Dean was avoiding, because forewarned was forearmed. All the while wracking his brain trying to think of a way Heaven could have been made aware. Charlie had never left the bunker, and her future self had returned to her own time.
Castiel shook his head, although his expression remained fearfully grave as he faced both brothers seriously. “Another Nephilim has been conceived."