FIC - "Starsky & Hutch Never Had to Deal With Water Retention" - CHAPTER THREE
MASTERPOST
~*~ CHAPTER THREE ~*~
Doc Morgan strode confidently into the house and instantly Dean disliked him. He couldn’t really say why, just something rubbed him the wrong way with the other man. He had to be older than Bobby, with his hair gone milky white and jowls that sagged disturbingly low into his neck. Dean had shivered violently when the man had touched him in a customary handshake, and subconsciously backed up into Sam’s broad chest.
Sam’s long arms had immediately wrapped around him from behind. Dean was slowly getting used to the fact that, where Sam had always been kind of huggy before, now he was downright clingy-touchy-feely. Warm breath wafted across Dean’s cheek when his brother whispered into his ear.
“What’s the matter?”
Dean chewed on his bottom lip and shrugged, but didn’t remove his gaze from the stranger conversing with Bobby on the other side of the room.
“Just … don’t like him.”
Sam raised his head to follow Dean’s gaze toward the former doctor. His body tensed slightly where it was currently wrapped around Dean, and the pregnant man was relieved that his brother was going to just trust his judgment on this one and not try to soothe Dean’s nerves with false assurances.
Of course, it could also have to do with the fact that Sammy had started to go all Alpha-male on Dean the last several days. When they went into town now, if anyone so much as gave Dean a sideways glance of interest, Sam practically bared his teeth and pissed all over them. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad … but if he had ever been this overprotective with Sam when they were growing up … it was a fucking wonder the kid hadn’t smothered him with a pillow in his sleep.
Morgan clapped his hands together loudly and Dean nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Well! Let’s get this freak show on the road, shall we?”
Ten minutes later found Dean stretched out on his favorite couch shirtless, with his well-worn sweats just barely covering up enough of his dignity. Sam was hovering above his head and Bobby was seated on a rickety chair beside Doc Morgan. The good doctor himself was currently slathering Dean’s distended belly with some cold, disgusting goop. Dean had to fight his impulse to get as far away from the man as possible. His old, wrinkled hands moving over the baby was making Dean near nauseous.
Finally the portable ultrasound was up and running, and Morgan was shifting the wand around on Dean’s stomach and humming at the tiny black and white screen.
“Yup… there we go! One magically incubated tiny fetus!”
Sam froze behind the couch.
“You… you can see it?”
Morgan nodded and shifted the wand of the machine further south. Dean barely managed to keep himself from whimpering under his breath. He did not want this creepy old dude anywhere remotely near his junk, but apparently it was a necessary evil for the time being.
“Here… there you go, fella’s. There’s your little curse.”
The words sent a spike of anger up Dean’s spine, but he chose to ignore them and lean forward has much as he could. There was a vaguely human shaped blob on the tiny black screen. As he watched, it moved a little to its side, barely kicking out a tiny little leg, and holy fuck that was a baby.
That was a baby. That was a fucking baby. A real baby. It was real. It was really real.
HOLY FUCK. HOLY SHIT. HOLY FUCK.
Dean’s vision went white around the edges and there was a mighty roaring in his ears. He vaguely recognized Sam and Bobby calling his name out in panic and screaming at him to breathe. Which was ridiculous, because really … he didn’t need someone to tell him to breathe. He just … couldn’t quite remember how at the moment.
Something cupped over his nose and mouth, and pure oxygen rushed into this system. Vertigo rolled through his brain and he flung his hands out to grab something. Sam’s strong arms were immediately wrapped around him and his head was being tucked under his brother’s chin.
“It’s okay, Dean. It’s okay … just breathe and relax.”
Dean dug his fingers into Sam’s back, clutching painfully into his threadbare shirt. Sam just continued to whisper calm and soothing words into Dean’s hair and eventually the elder Winchester found himself coming back to the world around him.
Bobby and Doc Morgan were sitting across the room at the giant mahogany desk cluttered with papers and books. The ultrasound was conspicuously absent. The only remaining equipment was the tiny oxygen tank currently feeding the mask partially covering his face. Dean weakly patted Sam’s back, and his brother instantly moved away from him allowing Dean to sink back into the couch.
“How are you feeling?”
Sam’s voice was pitched low in a whisper just for Dean’s ears. Dean simply nodded in answer and closed his eyes, concentrating on steadying his breathing. He must have drifted off again for a while, because he was startled awake when raised voices exploded in anger.
Bobby and Morgan were clearly arguing on the other side of the room, and Sam was standing rigid with tension beside the couch where Dean reclined. It took him several seconds to make sense of the words being said.
“I’m telling you, Singer … just take the damn thing out now and kill it!”
Instant fear gripped Dean’s heart like a vice. Before him, Sam was shifting restlessly from foot to foot, clearly itching to jump into a brawl.
“It’s not a thing, Morgan … it’s a baby!”
A vicious sneer streaked across the former doctor’s visage.
“You don’t know that! It was created by magic, made up of the DNA of two fucking abominations! It’s probably the fucking Anti-Christ right there!”
Previous episode completely forgotten, Dean surged to his feet and wobbled dangerously for a moment. He gripped the small mask cupping his face and ripped it off.
“Who are you fucking calling an abomination, you sonuvabitch?”
The look on Morgan’s face was completely horrible, and Dean had the urge to wipe it off with a sledgehammer. Morgan crossed his arms tightly over his chest and turned partially to face Dean and Sam.
“You two are. From some of the stories that have spread through the hunting community since your Daddy died, you boys are some seriously screwed up freaks of nature, and the world would likely be a better place without you here.”
Sam snarled loudly and took a menacing step towards Morgan.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. We’ve given everything we’ve had, more than once, to save this world.”
The doctor sneered once more.
“Oh yeah? Well ask yourself this, Winchester … would the world even have been in those predicaments if it weren’t for you and your brother? We’d probably all be better off if you’d all died together with your mommy.”
Sam launched himself forward, and it was only Bobby’s hand held up in warning that stopped him inches from Morgan’s face. Dean was bristling under his skin so bad he could barely contain his rage. Bobby calmly stepped between the boys and Morgan.
“I think it’s time for you to leave. You seem to have outstayed your welcome.”
Morgan held himself straighter and puffed out his chest.
“You better think about this, Singer. God knows what that thing growing in there is, but if that Bruja was right … it could be some powerful mojo.”
Bobby’s hands clenched tightly into fists at his side.
“That thing … is my grandbaby … and I think … it’s time … for you … to go.”
Morgan suddenly flung his hands up in the air in exasperation.
“FOR FUCK’S SAKE, BOBBY!! THINK!!! That thing was spawned in magic! It’s currently planted inside a man, and its other father is also his uncle that once housed the soul of Lucifer! There’s a good chance that whatever it is, it isn’t human!”
No one answered the man’s outburst. He snorted in disgust before beginning the process of packing up his equipment.
“If none of those things bother you… then fine … what about the welfare of that poor bastard, then?”
Morgan flung a careless hand movement in Dean’s direction. Sam immediately shifted over to stand in front of Dean and glare at the doctor. Dean placed a hand in the small of his brother’s back before moving a step to the right in order to keep Morgan in view. Bobby had simply crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the other hunter to finish packing up.
“A man’s body ain’t built to support a baby, you poor delusional bastards. It can’t make room for it, it’s not flexible enough. The larger that thing gets, the more pressure it will put on Winchester’s internal organs and the more pain and danger he’ll be in. There’s only a slim margin he’ll be able to carry whatever that is to term without killing one or both of them, and even if he does … you’re gonna have to cut him open wide to get the little monster out. The shock of that will likely kill him … if he even makes it that far.”
Dean’s knees were going out on him. He stumbled backwards to land awkwardly on the couch, both hands cradling the swell of his belly. No matter what the asshole spouted, he refused to believe it. The baby inside him was going to be the only worthwhile legacy that he and Sam left behind, and he’ll be fucking damned if some backwoods idiot was going to convince him otherwise.
Sam had turned away from Morgan and followed Dean to the couch. He sank to his knees before Dean and covered Dean’s hands with his own. His eyes were wide with concern, but he kept silent.
The front door slamming made them both jump, and a string of curses followed Bobby into the room.
“Fucking bastard! What the fuck does he know? Mother fucker! ……….. I need some scotch.”
Dean sighed and leaned his head back against the couch, closing his eyes to escape the world for a few moments. He could hear Bobby rummaging around his desk for any kind of alcohol that hadn’t been confiscated in Sam’s previous house cleansing. For his part, Sam’s worry was palpable and thick in the air. His voice was soft and concerned when he finally spoke.
“He’s wrong, Dean. You know? He is.”
Dean sighed and removed his hands from below his brothers to rub at the ache in his temples.
“I know he is, Sam.”
The younger Winchester’s hands shifted around the baby bump and traced soothing little circles into Dean’s skin.
“What if … what if he’s right about your body though? What if this is dangerous for you?”
Ah. That was the crux of the whole problem right there. Sammy had no issue believing that the baby was going to be fine … it was his big brother he was worried about more. Dean opened his eyes and met Sam’s concerned gaze.
“Been through a lot worse than this, Sammy. I’m not worried.”
A small tick of a smile attempted to break Sam’s dimples free, but it never fully formed.
“Yeah, but-”
“Christ on a cracker, boy! Have some faith in your brother, will you? It’s going to be fucking FINE! We’re going to make sure it is.”
Bobby slammed his fist on his desk and sent papers and books scattering.
“BALLS!!! …………. I’ma go get some booze.”
The older man stormed out the door leaving the Winchester brothers alone in the quiet house. They watched him go with some amusement, but it was quickly sobered when Sam started sporting a killer set of puppy eyes and chewing roughly on his bottom lip. Dean rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.
“Out with it, Sammy. What’s chewin’ on your ass?”
Sam shrugged once before sitting back on his haunches, still on the floor before Dean. His hands moved away from his brother’s swollen belly, but his gaze remained locked on it.
“I want this, you know. More than I probably should. If the last several years had never happened… I’m pretty sure the idea of having a baby with my brother would have sent me screaming to the rafters and questioning my sanity. Turns out … I stopped searching for my sanity a long time ago, and now … I just want something good to happen for us.”
Sam’s warm hands found their way to Dean’s knees. Just rested softly against the fabric of his sweats. The feeling was so comforting that Dean’s throat began to burn with emotion. He understood exactly what Sam was trying to tell him.
They were both ready to be done with hunting. All they needed was an important reason to get out.
This was that golden opportunity.
“Thing is-”
Dean shifted his gaze back to his little brother.
“… the thing is … I don’t want this if it means I’m going to lose you, Dean. I can’t … I’m just not ready for that. So you have to tell me right now … what are we going to do if this starts to head south?”
Licking his dry lips, Dean sniffed once and cleared his throat before answering his brother’s question.
“I don’t know, Sam. I just know … that if this baby isn’t a monster. If it really is yours and mine, I want to give it every chance I can for it to survive, and if that means I might have to sacrifice myself … I’m okay with that.”
The hands on his knees clenched painfully.
“Dean-”
“No, Sammy, listen. How many stories have you heard about expectant mother’s demanding that if it’s a matter of choice between them and the baby, they chose the baby? It’s not like I’m just trying to throw myself on a sacrificial fire here … I’ve done my time. I’ve had my life. I’ve seen and done more things than people twice my age. I’m satisfied with what I would leave behind at this point. You can’t take a whole potential life away from someone that’s made of you and me just because you don’t want to let me go. Do you get what I’m sayin’ here?”
Sam looked away towards the empty kitchen.
“She’s gonna be a spitfire, Sammy, I just know it. And I fully plan to do everything within my power to make sure I’m here with you and her for lots and lots of years to come. But if it all goes south … you gotta promise me that you’ll worry about her first.”
His brother still refused to meet his gaze.
“Sam. You gotta promise me.”
Finally the younger man turned towards him. Tears were brimming in his eyes, but his gaze was resolute.
“You’re still so sure it’s going to be a girl, huh?”
Dean smiled but refused the change of topic.
“Sam.”
His brother groaned as he lifted his hands to wipe the burgeoning tears away.
“Fine, Dean! Fuck … I promise, okay?”
Dean chuckled and leaned forward to affectionately smack his brother upside the head.
“That’s all I needed to hear.”
CHAPTER FOUR
~*~ CHAPTER THREE ~*~
Doc Morgan strode confidently into the house and instantly Dean disliked him. He couldn’t really say why, just something rubbed him the wrong way with the other man. He had to be older than Bobby, with his hair gone milky white and jowls that sagged disturbingly low into his neck. Dean had shivered violently when the man had touched him in a customary handshake, and subconsciously backed up into Sam’s broad chest.
Sam’s long arms had immediately wrapped around him from behind. Dean was slowly getting used to the fact that, where Sam had always been kind of huggy before, now he was downright clingy-touchy-feely. Warm breath wafted across Dean’s cheek when his brother whispered into his ear.
“What’s the matter?”
Dean chewed on his bottom lip and shrugged, but didn’t remove his gaze from the stranger conversing with Bobby on the other side of the room.
“Just … don’t like him.”
Sam raised his head to follow Dean’s gaze toward the former doctor. His body tensed slightly where it was currently wrapped around Dean, and the pregnant man was relieved that his brother was going to just trust his judgment on this one and not try to soothe Dean’s nerves with false assurances.
Of course, it could also have to do with the fact that Sammy had started to go all Alpha-male on Dean the last several days. When they went into town now, if anyone so much as gave Dean a sideways glance of interest, Sam practically bared his teeth and pissed all over them. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad … but if he had ever been this overprotective with Sam when they were growing up … it was a fucking wonder the kid hadn’t smothered him with a pillow in his sleep.
Morgan clapped his hands together loudly and Dean nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Well! Let’s get this freak show on the road, shall we?”
Ten minutes later found Dean stretched out on his favorite couch shirtless, with his well-worn sweats just barely covering up enough of his dignity. Sam was hovering above his head and Bobby was seated on a rickety chair beside Doc Morgan. The good doctor himself was currently slathering Dean’s distended belly with some cold, disgusting goop. Dean had to fight his impulse to get as far away from the man as possible. His old, wrinkled hands moving over the baby was making Dean near nauseous.
Finally the portable ultrasound was up and running, and Morgan was shifting the wand around on Dean’s stomach and humming at the tiny black and white screen.
“Yup… there we go! One magically incubated tiny fetus!”
Sam froze behind the couch.
“You… you can see it?”
Morgan nodded and shifted the wand of the machine further south. Dean barely managed to keep himself from whimpering under his breath. He did not want this creepy old dude anywhere remotely near his junk, but apparently it was a necessary evil for the time being.
“Here… there you go, fella’s. There’s your little curse.”
The words sent a spike of anger up Dean’s spine, but he chose to ignore them and lean forward has much as he could. There was a vaguely human shaped blob on the tiny black screen. As he watched, it moved a little to its side, barely kicking out a tiny little leg, and holy fuck that was a baby.
That was a baby. That was a fucking baby. A real baby. It was real. It was really real.
HOLY FUCK. HOLY SHIT. HOLY FUCK.
Dean’s vision went white around the edges and there was a mighty roaring in his ears. He vaguely recognized Sam and Bobby calling his name out in panic and screaming at him to breathe. Which was ridiculous, because really … he didn’t need someone to tell him to breathe. He just … couldn’t quite remember how at the moment.
Something cupped over his nose and mouth, and pure oxygen rushed into this system. Vertigo rolled through his brain and he flung his hands out to grab something. Sam’s strong arms were immediately wrapped around him and his head was being tucked under his brother’s chin.
“It’s okay, Dean. It’s okay … just breathe and relax.”
Dean dug his fingers into Sam’s back, clutching painfully into his threadbare shirt. Sam just continued to whisper calm and soothing words into Dean’s hair and eventually the elder Winchester found himself coming back to the world around him.
Bobby and Doc Morgan were sitting across the room at the giant mahogany desk cluttered with papers and books. The ultrasound was conspicuously absent. The only remaining equipment was the tiny oxygen tank currently feeding the mask partially covering his face. Dean weakly patted Sam’s back, and his brother instantly moved away from him allowing Dean to sink back into the couch.
“How are you feeling?”
Sam’s voice was pitched low in a whisper just for Dean’s ears. Dean simply nodded in answer and closed his eyes, concentrating on steadying his breathing. He must have drifted off again for a while, because he was startled awake when raised voices exploded in anger.
Bobby and Morgan were clearly arguing on the other side of the room, and Sam was standing rigid with tension beside the couch where Dean reclined. It took him several seconds to make sense of the words being said.
“I’m telling you, Singer … just take the damn thing out now and kill it!”
Instant fear gripped Dean’s heart like a vice. Before him, Sam was shifting restlessly from foot to foot, clearly itching to jump into a brawl.
“It’s not a thing, Morgan … it’s a baby!”
A vicious sneer streaked across the former doctor’s visage.
“You don’t know that! It was created by magic, made up of the DNA of two fucking abominations! It’s probably the fucking Anti-Christ right there!”
Previous episode completely forgotten, Dean surged to his feet and wobbled dangerously for a moment. He gripped the small mask cupping his face and ripped it off.
“Who are you fucking calling an abomination, you sonuvabitch?”
The look on Morgan’s face was completely horrible, and Dean had the urge to wipe it off with a sledgehammer. Morgan crossed his arms tightly over his chest and turned partially to face Dean and Sam.
“You two are. From some of the stories that have spread through the hunting community since your Daddy died, you boys are some seriously screwed up freaks of nature, and the world would likely be a better place without you here.”
Sam snarled loudly and took a menacing step towards Morgan.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. We’ve given everything we’ve had, more than once, to save this world.”
The doctor sneered once more.
“Oh yeah? Well ask yourself this, Winchester … would the world even have been in those predicaments if it weren’t for you and your brother? We’d probably all be better off if you’d all died together with your mommy.”
Sam launched himself forward, and it was only Bobby’s hand held up in warning that stopped him inches from Morgan’s face. Dean was bristling under his skin so bad he could barely contain his rage. Bobby calmly stepped between the boys and Morgan.
“I think it’s time for you to leave. You seem to have outstayed your welcome.”
Morgan held himself straighter and puffed out his chest.
“You better think about this, Singer. God knows what that thing growing in there is, but if that Bruja was right … it could be some powerful mojo.”
Bobby’s hands clenched tightly into fists at his side.
“That thing … is my grandbaby … and I think … it’s time … for you … to go.”
Morgan suddenly flung his hands up in the air in exasperation.
“FOR FUCK’S SAKE, BOBBY!! THINK!!! That thing was spawned in magic! It’s currently planted inside a man, and its other father is also his uncle that once housed the soul of Lucifer! There’s a good chance that whatever it is, it isn’t human!”
No one answered the man’s outburst. He snorted in disgust before beginning the process of packing up his equipment.
“If none of those things bother you… then fine … what about the welfare of that poor bastard, then?”
Morgan flung a careless hand movement in Dean’s direction. Sam immediately shifted over to stand in front of Dean and glare at the doctor. Dean placed a hand in the small of his brother’s back before moving a step to the right in order to keep Morgan in view. Bobby had simply crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the other hunter to finish packing up.
“A man’s body ain’t built to support a baby, you poor delusional bastards. It can’t make room for it, it’s not flexible enough. The larger that thing gets, the more pressure it will put on Winchester’s internal organs and the more pain and danger he’ll be in. There’s only a slim margin he’ll be able to carry whatever that is to term without killing one or both of them, and even if he does … you’re gonna have to cut him open wide to get the little monster out. The shock of that will likely kill him … if he even makes it that far.”
Dean’s knees were going out on him. He stumbled backwards to land awkwardly on the couch, both hands cradling the swell of his belly. No matter what the asshole spouted, he refused to believe it. The baby inside him was going to be the only worthwhile legacy that he and Sam left behind, and he’ll be fucking damned if some backwoods idiot was going to convince him otherwise.
Sam had turned away from Morgan and followed Dean to the couch. He sank to his knees before Dean and covered Dean’s hands with his own. His eyes were wide with concern, but he kept silent.
The front door slamming made them both jump, and a string of curses followed Bobby into the room.
“Fucking bastard! What the fuck does he know? Mother fucker! ……….. I need some scotch.”
Dean sighed and leaned his head back against the couch, closing his eyes to escape the world for a few moments. He could hear Bobby rummaging around his desk for any kind of alcohol that hadn’t been confiscated in Sam’s previous house cleansing. For his part, Sam’s worry was palpable and thick in the air. His voice was soft and concerned when he finally spoke.
“He’s wrong, Dean. You know? He is.”
Dean sighed and removed his hands from below his brothers to rub at the ache in his temples.
“I know he is, Sam.”
The younger Winchester’s hands shifted around the baby bump and traced soothing little circles into Dean’s skin.
“What if … what if he’s right about your body though? What if this is dangerous for you?”
Ah. That was the crux of the whole problem right there. Sammy had no issue believing that the baby was going to be fine … it was his big brother he was worried about more. Dean opened his eyes and met Sam’s concerned gaze.
“Been through a lot worse than this, Sammy. I’m not worried.”
A small tick of a smile attempted to break Sam’s dimples free, but it never fully formed.
“Yeah, but-”
“Christ on a cracker, boy! Have some faith in your brother, will you? It’s going to be fucking FINE! We’re going to make sure it is.”
Bobby slammed his fist on his desk and sent papers and books scattering.
“BALLS!!! …………. I’ma go get some booze.”
The older man stormed out the door leaving the Winchester brothers alone in the quiet house. They watched him go with some amusement, but it was quickly sobered when Sam started sporting a killer set of puppy eyes and chewing roughly on his bottom lip. Dean rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.
“Out with it, Sammy. What’s chewin’ on your ass?”
Sam shrugged once before sitting back on his haunches, still on the floor before Dean. His hands moved away from his brother’s swollen belly, but his gaze remained locked on it.
“I want this, you know. More than I probably should. If the last several years had never happened… I’m pretty sure the idea of having a baby with my brother would have sent me screaming to the rafters and questioning my sanity. Turns out … I stopped searching for my sanity a long time ago, and now … I just want something good to happen for us.”
Sam’s warm hands found their way to Dean’s knees. Just rested softly against the fabric of his sweats. The feeling was so comforting that Dean’s throat began to burn with emotion. He understood exactly what Sam was trying to tell him.
They were both ready to be done with hunting. All they needed was an important reason to get out.
This was that golden opportunity.
“Thing is-”
Dean shifted his gaze back to his little brother.
“… the thing is … I don’t want this if it means I’m going to lose you, Dean. I can’t … I’m just not ready for that. So you have to tell me right now … what are we going to do if this starts to head south?”
Licking his dry lips, Dean sniffed once and cleared his throat before answering his brother’s question.
“I don’t know, Sam. I just know … that if this baby isn’t a monster. If it really is yours and mine, I want to give it every chance I can for it to survive, and if that means I might have to sacrifice myself … I’m okay with that.”
The hands on his knees clenched painfully.
“Dean-”
“No, Sammy, listen. How many stories have you heard about expectant mother’s demanding that if it’s a matter of choice between them and the baby, they chose the baby? It’s not like I’m just trying to throw myself on a sacrificial fire here … I’ve done my time. I’ve had my life. I’ve seen and done more things than people twice my age. I’m satisfied with what I would leave behind at this point. You can’t take a whole potential life away from someone that’s made of you and me just because you don’t want to let me go. Do you get what I’m sayin’ here?”
Sam looked away towards the empty kitchen.
“She’s gonna be a spitfire, Sammy, I just know it. And I fully plan to do everything within my power to make sure I’m here with you and her for lots and lots of years to come. But if it all goes south … you gotta promise me that you’ll worry about her first.”
His brother still refused to meet his gaze.
“Sam. You gotta promise me.”
Finally the younger man turned towards him. Tears were brimming in his eyes, but his gaze was resolute.
“You’re still so sure it’s going to be a girl, huh?”
Dean smiled but refused the change of topic.
“Sam.”
His brother groaned as he lifted his hands to wipe the burgeoning tears away.
“Fine, Dean! Fuck … I promise, okay?”
Dean chuckled and leaned forward to affectionately smack his brother upside the head.
“That’s all I needed to hear.”
CHAPTER FOUR