Chapter Text
Sam and Aisha were in the library when Dean arrived with his passenger riding his shoulders. He had stopped in the kitchen for a juice cup and graham crackers for Castiel and a bottle of water for himself. (He learned on day two that whatever he was drinking, Castiel wanted to share, so beer was off the menu, except at dinner time.)
“Dude, you have crumbs in your hair,” Sam said by way of greeting. Dean just glared.
“Well, this must be Castiel.” Aisha smiled prettily. She didn’t come closer but waved and said hello to Cas.
Castiel patted Dean on the head and leaned down to look at his face. “Gipy wish?”
“Yeah, that’s the witch. Her name is Aisha. Can you say that?”
Castiel straightened up and looked at the pretty woman who was kindly keeping her distance until he was ready to interact with her. He studied her for a long moment. Finally, he held up his two favorite toys to show her.
“Fraff n Pala wub Taz. Taz dood boy.” Glancing over at Sam, then back to the woman, “Bamit Tam no no huut Taz. Wish huut Taz?”
“Aisha would never hurt Castiel. Aisha is good. Romani witch is good.” She stepped closer when Cas did not protest and said in her mother tongue, “O Aisha si ek vortako le Castielosko. Laši šori te ažutil te sastiarel o čino.”[ Click this if hover effect is disabled ]
Castiel kept his eyes glued to her but did not shy away. He wiggled and grunted, “Bown, bown.” Dean carefully sat him on the floor, staying close enough to grab him into his protective arms if necessary.
“Aeessha.” Castiel sounded out the name slowly.
“Hello, Castiel.” She replied, smiling and sitting on the floor in front of him. They studied each other quietly for a few minutes before Cas spoke again.
“Taz bidboy, dood boy. Aeessha dood boy, nice Taz. Hep Taz?”
“Yes, darling. Aisha wants to help Castiel be a very big boy. Castiel is beautiful and pure. Aisha can see the love glowing all around Castiel.” She waved her hands in a circle around Castiel, and he giggled and tiptoed, spreading his arms wide. “Yes, exactly. So much goodness in such a small package.”
Castiel squatted in front of her and held out his giraffe and car. “Fraff n Pala dood, Taz pay Aeessha?” He laid his giraffe on her lap. “Bean wub Taz n Fraff. Aeessha dood Fraff?”
“Of course, Aiesha will be very good and gentle to Fraff.” She stroked the soft fur of the toy and booped Castiel on the nose with the nose of the giraffe. They both laughed and talked as Cas showed her how to push the car and make the giraffe dance.
Dean sank to the floor, eyes glued to every move the small boy made. He knew that if everything went as planned, he wouldn’t have this baby in his life much longer. A sad, hollow feeling washed over him, sending a chill down his spine. He wiped a hand down his face and was surprised to find it damp. Quickly and as discreetly as possible, he dried his fucking eyes. This is a good thing. They would get Castiel, the real grown-up Angel of the Lord Castiel, back. Why the hell was he sad? He should be happy. Blinking harshly, he refocused on what was right in front of him. Aisha was looking at him over Castiel’s head.
“Everything is as it should be, Dean. There is no pain. Only love exists in this place and time in which we reside.”
“Um, okay?” Dean replied. Sam cleared his throat.
“So,” Sam began, looking between Dean and Aisha, “I guess we should gather the necessary ingredients for the spell?”
“Yes, that would be prudent.” Aisha agreed.
Dean looked at Sam — confused or worried, he wasn’t sure what his face was doing. “But do we even know which of the hundreds of items in that damn room hexed him?”
“Yes, Dean. I quickly found the offending object. As it happens, it was an old Romani spell. Generations before my time. A very elaborate curse woven into the very bindings of the twine holding the wood together.”
“Wait. Are you telling me…” Aisha pointed to the image of the small wooden doll in the photograph that Dean printed off for Sam. “Son of a bitch!”
Castiel jerked around and looked at Dean, surprised by his shouting. He then saw the picture in Aisha’s hand. “Beebee!”
Dean just flopped back on the floor, blown away by disbelief in this whole situation. It wasn’t long before Castiel was sitting on his chest, staring down at him with bright, happy blue eyes.
XXX
Dean kept Castiel busy and out of the way while Sam and Aisha set up a small table in the center of the room to perform the spell. Dean kept glancing over at them as time ticked down to the big moment.
“Hey, guys?” Dean got their attention, “Cas and I are gonna take a little walk while y’all finish up. Gonna, um, freshen his diaper and grab… grab a robe for Cas when he, uh, you know.”
“Take your time, Dean,” Aisha replied kindly, “Remember, no one is leaving, but someone is returning.”
Dean just nodded. Lifting Cas into his arms, holding him close as they walked toward the bedroom. He stripped Cas out of his awesome outfit, wiped him down with a baby wipe from the little pop-up packet, and redressed him in a soft cotton shirt and shorts set pajamas. Castiel jumped on the bed, laughing.
“No no nih-nih Taz. Pay Aeessha, pay Bean n Bamit Tam.”
“Yeah, buddy, we will. But right now, how ‘bout just you and me read your book?”
Castiel curled his fingers into little claws and growled, “Wide ting!”
Dean sat on the bed, leaning against the wall, with Castiel on his lap. Castiel curled up close and gazed at the colorful pictures as Dean read, using all the right voices and sound effects. (Honestly, he practically had the story memorized; Cas wanted to read it every night.)
"The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another, his mother called him 'WILD THING! ' and Max said 'I'LL EAT YOU UP! ' so he was sent to bed without eating anything."
XXX
Dean stopped by the kitchen and refilled Castiel’s juice before rejoining Sam and Aisha in the library. Cas excitedly greeted them from his perch on Dean’s shoulders, chattering about his storybook and his pajamas and whatever floated through that amazing little brain.
“You ready?” Sam asked softly, watching Dean for any sign of hesitation.
“Yeah,” Dean sighed, “Let’s do this.” Lifting Cas over his head and bringing him in for a hug and kiss on the cheek, Dean relished in the child's tenderness as Cas fish-kissed him and nuzzled against his neck like a kitten. “You’re sure no harm will come to him? He won’t suffer during the change?”
“Simas armandine po greposhevo murhi babi.” Aisha declared before clarifying in English. “I swear on my grandmother’s grave. No harm will come to the cherished Castiel.”
Dean nodded solemnly and placed Cas on the floor. Castiel giggled and ran circles around the adult’s legs.
Sam made a few last-minute adjustments to the small table. A large brass bowl was surrounded by chalk markings on the surface of the table and three candles. Dean couldn’t tell and didn’t really care what was in the bowl as long as it worked.
Aisha knelt by Castiel and spoke softly, “Castiel, it is time for you to come sit inside the pretty ring of flowers. Can you do that for me?”
Castiel nodded, “Peedy fiers,” following her to the large circle of vines, leaves, and flowers. He was still gripping his giraffe and toy car. He took a giant step over the flowers and plopped down right in the middle of the circle. She handed him a small bundle of flowers wrapped together with sage and verbena leaves. (Dean recognized a few of the flowers surrounding Cas. Hydrangea, chamomile, and snapdragon were in the bundle she handed him.)
Aisha stood and stepped behind the small table. Sam joined her as her second and for support throughout the spell. She looked at Dean and gave him a small smile similar to the first one she shared as she descended the stairs. Again, he was awed by her beauty. She nodded and glanced from him to Castiel. Dean understood and leaned down to place one last kiss on the child’s head.
“I love you, Cas.” He said before backing away to a safe distance.
“Wuboo Bean,” Cas smiled up at him.
Dean wrapped his arms around his middle, physically holding in his emotions. He paid close attention as Aisha began speaking in a language he didn’t understand. Even as he listened, his eyes never left Castiel. He didn't tell Sam, but his gun was loaded with witch-killing bullets, just in case things went sideways. Because if anything happened to Cas, the bitch was going to pay.
“Beebee!” Castiel yelped excitedly.
Glancing up, Dean saw the dreaded toy wrapped in leaves as Aisha lowered it into the brass bowl. Her chanting grew louder, and a crackling sound emanated from the bowl.
Dean sucked in a breath as a purple cloud rose from the table and expanded to encompass Castiel and the circle he was sitting in. The smoke wavered and danced around like a living entity, just hazy enough that Dean could no longer clearly see Castiel. There was no crying or any other sound from the boy, so Dean prayed to the universe that he was okay. His eyes still focused on the purple smoke where he'd last seen Castiel.
Aisha’s voice rang out, strong and sure. Purple sparks lit the room like lightning. She clapped her hands together with her last word. Thunder crashed. The room went dark.
Dean gasped and forced himself to remain still.
The red safety lights glowed through the purple smoke as it dissipated. Dean took a step forward, eyes straining to see Castiel.
The main lights turned back on, causing everyone to blink against the sudden brightness.
Aisha was sitting on the floor, Sam reaching down to assist her. Dean was frozen only three feet away from the edge of the circle containing his best friend. Or at least he hoped Cas was there.
A form came into view as the smoke cleared. Too large to be the baby that Castiel had been for the past two weeks. They were lying, curled on their side, facing away from Dean. He took a half step, then remembered the robe and snatched it off the chair he had been standing near. Dean quickly covered the naked body on the floor. Kneeling, he reached out… fingertips brushing a lock of dark hair away from his best friend's eyes. His closed eyes. Dean’s heart thudded frantically in his chest. Was Cas okay? Was he alive?
“I assure you, Castiel is alive and well.” Aisha said softly, “He is resting. He may sleep for a few hours. Such old magic is quite exhausting.”
Tearing his eyes away from Castiel, Dean looked back at Aisha. Sam held her against his side, helping her stand as she slowly walked to a nearby chair.
“Yeah,” Dean said in a hoarse whisper. Swallowing and clearing his throat, he tried again, “Yeah, you should get some rest too. I’ll... Is it okay if I move him?”
“Yes, Castiel is safe now.”
Dean reached down, bracing Castiel behind the shoulders and knees. Grunting, he lifted the man into his arms. “Thank you,” he told Aisha before carrying the sleeping man to his bedroom.
Castiel looked so big, tucked into Dean’s bed. Dean couldn’t help but crawl in next to him and cover them both with the pink fuzzy blanket.
XXX
It was quiet. The only light was glowing through the crack below the door. Dean listened for Cas to cry or talk or let out a soft little sigh in his sleep.
Then the bed wiggled.
Oh.OH! Dean sat up, flicked on the bedside lamp, and stared at the full-grown adult Castiel snuggled in his bed. It wasn’t a dream. Castiel was really cured. The magic worked, and Cas was no longer hexed. Dean shifted to get out of bed and stopped short. His breath caught in his chest, and he sat there staring at the little travel crib sitting just a few feet from his bed. His eye twitched. He felt hot and cold, tingly and numb all at once. He wanted to cry out, but he wasn’t sure if it was with joy or grief. So he just sat there, one foot on the floor, the other still trapped in the sheets. His hand on his chest, breathing intentionally until he no longer felt like he was going to lose his shit.
“Dean?”
He nearly jumped out of his skin. It seemed as though he hadn’t heard that voice in years. Slowly, he turned, adjusting so he could see Castiel. That same rush of emotion flooded his entire being when he met those beautiful, big blue eyes.
“Cas,” Dean replied. “How do you feel?”
“Naked?” Cas’ furrowed brow made Dean smile. “Can you please explain why I am naked in your bed?”
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
Cas glared in that squinty, smite-you-slowly way. “I was working on cataloging the storeroom. It was close to lunchtime, and;” Castiel sat up, leaning against the wall, concentrating for a moment before he finished with, “… then I woke up here.”
“That’s all?”
“I have memories of fragmented dreams. Why was I dreaming? Dean, what happened?”
“It’s a long story, but the cliff-notes are,” Dean took a deep breath and sat up straighter, “You were hexed by a wooden doll with an old Romani spell. You were turned into a toddler, and we just got you back a few hours ago. You’ve been sleeping off the magic.” He grinned awkwardly and reached out, laying his hand on Cas’ calf. “Oh, and I think Sam is bangin' the witch.”
Castiel huffed and let his head fall back against the wall. Dean slowly withdrew his hand from Cas and began picking at a hangnail on his thumb.
“How long was I a toddler?”
“Um, right at two weeks. You were a freaking awesome little guy. We…” Dean stopped, unsure if Cas wanted to hear about everything they did while Cas was in his baby form.
“So they were not dreams. They were memories. Memories of interactions with you as an infant version of myself. I retained no grace, no memory of my angelic being. No memory of my time spent on Earth with you. A-and Sam.”
Dean shook his head, “No, you were totally a human baby. Cas, I-” Biting his lip, he looked back at the cot and other baby items still strewn around his room. He traced his fingers over the soft pink blanket still draped over Castiel’s legs.
“Dean?”
“Yeah, Cas,” Dean replied, still staring unfocused at the bubblegum pink gripped tightly in his fist.
“Would you please talk to me? I would also like to share the memories of the weeks we spent together. I do not have childhood memories. My fledgling years were not at all similar to those of a human child. I would very much appreciate having such fond memories. I can see in your eyes how much you cherish the time we shared.”
“Yeah, yeah, Cas. I wanna tell you everything. Just don’t laugh, ya know. We did so many ridiculous things. I don’t want you to think-”
“Dean,” Cas cut him off before he dove into the deep end of self-deprecation. “How could I think anything negative about a man who spent weeks caring for an infant? Keeping him safe and…. And loved.”
“Heh, yeah, okay, Cas.” Dean adjusted, sitting back against the wall next to Castiel. They shifted until they were both comfortable. Cas dug under the blanket to straighten a lump and found a toy car and stuffed giraffe. “Do you remember them?”
Cas smiled and nodded. “Vaguely. Please tell me, Dean.”
Dean did. They sat together, taking turns fiddling with the car and giraffe as Dean relived his time with baby-Cas.
Castiel laughed at some of the silly games and antics they got up to. He looked almost embarrassed and slightly repulsed by the messy diapers and table manners.
Dean was just getting to the moment Sam returned to the bunker when a soft knock drew their attention to the door.
“Dean?”
“Come on in, Sam.”
“Hey. I’m going to order some food and run into town to pick it up. Do you have any requests?”
Dean shared a look with Cas before answering, “Burgers from Earl’s?”
“Can do. I’ll text you when we get back. Keep your damn phone on you this time.”
“We?” Cas asked.
“Um, yeah, Aisha is going to stay for a while.”
Cas tilted his head, squinting at Sam, and then turned toward Dean. Dean ignored him long enough to get rid of his brother.
“Thanks, Sam. See ya in a bit.”
The door clicked shut behind Sam, and Dean slowly turned to find Cas staring at him. “Hey, I was interrupted before I got to that part of the story.” He chuckled, then added, “But I did tell you he was banging the witch.”
“Dean,” Cas growled exasperatedly. Dean sighed.
“Where was I? Oh. We were hunting for Fraff and Pala when…”
“Wait, did the child version of me have a speech impediment?”
“No, dude. Baby-you was super smart, and all little kids struggle to get words right in the beginning. You went from blowing bubbles with your spit and making brrr brrr sounds to practically complete sentences in like a week. Smartest, most adorable baby I’ve ever seen.” Dean grimaced at his own words, looking sheepishly up at Castiel. The bastard was smiling at him.
“Smart and adorable, huh?”
“Dammit. Yeah, okay. What do you expect? Take all this ,” Dean motioned to Castiel head to toe, “and squash it down into a perfect little chubby, sticky, drooling version and give it a high-pitched giggle and sweet little voice calling me Bean for two damn weeks. Fuck yeah, adorable is the only damn word I can come up with.”
Cas had that constipated look on his face, and Dean was ready to take it all back when suddenly Cas burst out in laughter. Dean was stunned for a moment before he broke and joined in. Once he caught his breath, Cas asked, “You think I was adorable when I was covered head to toe in spaghetti sauce and sticky noodles? Or painting my hair with peanut butter?”
“Yes, dammit. I think you’re adorable no matter what the hell you’re doing.”
Cas paused, sitting up straight, eyes laser-focused on Dean’s. “Present tense. You said that in the present tense.”
“Uh, I did, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Huh. Well, um, yeah. Yes. Present tense. Past tense. Future tense. Whatever the hell the other damn tenses are. I can’t help it. Cas I-” Material Girl blasted from Dean’s phone. “What, Sam?” He shouted into the phone.
“Did you want fries or onion rings?” Sam asked slowly.
“Fries or onion rings, Cas?” He asked through gritted teeth.
“Fries, please?”
“Fries. Anything else, Sammy?”
“Nope. See ya.”
Dean stared at his phone for a moment before dropping it on the bed behind him. Cas had one of those looks like when he was watching baby ducks or bees or something. “What?” Dean asked cautiously.
“Please continue the exciting tale of toddler Taz and his protector Bean. I must know if Fraff and Pala were safely returned to their loving owner.”
Dean tried not to smile. How did Cas keep such a straight face saying shit like that?
They settled back into their comfortable positions, and Dean picked up on the hunt for the lost toys and finally reached their current status, just as his phone pinged with a text.
“Food’s here,” he announced. Cas nodded and moved to get out of bed, stopping and turning back to face Dean.
“Dean?”
“Yeah?”
“May I borrow some clothes?”
“Oh, shit, okay. Hang on a sec,” Dean rushed to his dresser and dug out a clean t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of boxers with Scooby-Doo on them. “Here you go, man. Did you want socks?”
“No, thank you.” Dean turned around, allowing Cas to dress in semi-private. “I’m ready when you are, Dean.”
They walked side by side to the kitchen. Dean kept glancing over and grinning at Castiel.
“Do you find something amusing, Dean?”
“I, uh, I nearly forgot how tall you are. It’s kinda nice to look at you without squatting down.”
Castiel smiled. Dean didn’t know what else to say.
“Hey, guys,” Sam greeted. “Have a seat. Burgers are still warm.”
Castiel paused, staring at Aisha with that little tilted head, squinty-eyed look that Dean thought was beyond adorable on him as a toddler. Dammit, it’s still just as cute on a full-grown Cas.
“Oh, um, yeah. Cas, this is Aisha. She’s the one that reversed the hex caused by the cursed doll.” Sam said.
Castiel stepped closer and took her hand in his, “Thank you, Aisha. I’m grateful for your expertise in the conjuring of old magic.”
“You are most welcome, Castiel.” She squeezed his hand with both of hers, leaning close and whispering, “Your aura has not changed. And it shines even more brightly in the presence of your protector, as does his.” Cas nodded and forced himself not to look at Dean.
Dinner was most enjoyable and clean. Dean teased Cas a few times, sharing the experience of mealtime with a toddler with Sam and Aisha. Castiel relished in the retelling as Dean smiled, laughed, and spoke about the infant Cas with such love and tenderness.
After cleaning up the few dishes and tidying the kitchen, Dean suggested they all watch a movie. Settled in the Dean Cave, with beer and popcorn, Dean switched on the TV, and at the top of the cue was Shrek, the last movie he and baby-Cas watched. He glanced over at Cas, who shrugged, and Dean hit play. No one complained, for once.
Sam and Aisha were sitting close on the loveseat, his arm around her shoulders. Dean was pleased for his brother.
Looking at Cas, Dean tilted his head slightly and smiled softly. Cas understood and shifted the few inches so they were pressed together from shoulder to knee. Dean’s arm resting on the back of the couch behind Cas. As the movie progressed, Castiel found himself humming along with the songs.
Dean grinned and whispered, “You loved to sing and dance along with this movie. It was your favorite. You would talk to the characters and bounce around with your giraffe, singing in that sweet baby voice, using made-up words. Cutest damn thing I ever saw.”
“You miss the child,” Castiel stated just as softly.
“I do. I’m sorry. I’m over the fuckin moon that I have you back. But, dammit… I just…” He wasn’t sure how to say what he felt.
“Children show their emotions with a purity and untamed, unrestrained exuberance that adults have lost the ability to maintain.”
“Yeah,” Dean agreed, dropping his hand to Castiel’s shoulder and squeezing him in a slightly awkward side hug.
The credits rolled, and Sam stood, offering a hand to Aisha. “Well, guys, we’re off to... Um…”
“Bed,” Aisha finished, rolling her eyes at Sam’s hesitance.
“Make good choices,” Dean teased. Giving the couple a double thumbs up and a goofy wink. Sam groaned and led Aisha out of the room. Dean could hear her laughter echo down the hallway.
“I have a feeling that although a relationship may not last indefinitely between those two. Aisha is a good, strong woman who cares deeply and loves with a veracity I’ve not witnessed in many humans.”
“She’s something else, alright. You took to her faster than you did, Sam. It was like you could sense something in her, even as a baby.”
“Yes, I felt that when I first saw her tonight. It was as though I already knew and trusted her. And as for Sam, he frightened the infant me when he barged into the small bubble that we had developed. My entire world as an infant revolved around you, Dean.”
Dean’s gaze caught Castiel’s, and he could swear Cas was blushing. “Yeah, we had a good thing going. Bean and Taz were quite the team.”
“As are Dean and Cas,” Castiel replied so softly Dean almost missed it. “Dean?” he asked slightly louder.
“Mmhmm?”
“You realize that since the first moment I saw the brightness of your soul in Hell, my entire existence has revolved around you. Every choice, every battle, every mistake was my effort to be what I thought you needed from me.”
Dean leaned forward, elbows on his knees, face in his hands. “Cas…”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. Please don’t apologize. I-I know, I know we’ve been through… hell, too much to even think about. Heh, and we’ve been through Hell. Dammit. What I mean, Cas, you’re so damn important to me. You’re like the whole world to me, too. You know that, right?”
Cas rested a hand on Dean’s back, gently rubbing, much like Dean did to soothe the infant Cas.
“You’re my best friend, Cas. I missed you, even with a baby-you snuggled against me. I missed YOU. But… the feeling of, of,” Dean let out a shaky breath, “of love that washed over me every time that little boy smiled or rushed to me for comfort. His tiny body lying against my chest as he slept. I miss him, Cas. I fuckin miss holding that baby in my arms. Having him cuddle with me just because he wanted to.”
“Dean,” Castiel pulled him back against the couch, leaning him into his side and gently guiding Dean’s head to rest on his shoulder. “Please believe me when I say that the emotions the infant Cas showed you. The love and security he felt just being in your presence. Everything that he freely gave. Those things, those emotions, they are not lost. They did not solely live in the body and mind of an infant version of me. Dean. I hold those exact sentiments. After all, the infant was me, and I am him.”
“Huh, yeah, I guess that’s true. So, does that mean…”
“I would not object to the concept of ‘cuddling’ if you desired. I, too, share the comfort and joy of being in close proximity to you.”
Dean smiled brightly, throwing his arm across Cas’ chest, pulling him tight as he nuzzled into his neck. “What do you think about moving this into the bedroom? We could get comfortable under the covers and cuddle until we can no longer keep our eyes open.”
“Can we use the luxurious pink fuzzy blanket?”
“Of course.”
“Can Fraff and Pala join?”
“Anything you want, Cas.” Dean grinned and raised off Castiel's chest. They walked hand in hand to Dean’s bedroom.
Dean could barely keep his eyes open when he whispered, “Thank you, Cas. I love you.”
“Wuboo Bean,” Castiel whispered, kissing him on the forehead.