Fic: One Small Miracle (Dean, Castiel, Sam, Crowley)
Title: One Small Miracle
Author: thinlizzy2
Rating: G
Warnings: Just some bad language
Spoilers: Up to 7.02
Summary: Castiel was sent to Hell after the events of 7.02. Dean knew he had to get him out, even if that meant losing the angel forever. Contains de-aging and gender-swap.
Author notes: Originally written for deancas_xmas for
triedunture
Dean swallowed hard and tried to force a smile. Normal, he reminded himself. What do normal guys do in this situation? Do that.
“Congratulations, man.” He cleared his throat; his voice sounded weirdly thick. “She’s beautiful.”
Paul Jacobi, the father of the said beautiful baby, was hovering nervously over Dean in a way that suggested he didn’t quite believe the story Dean had given him about being his distant cousin from Canada who happened to be passing through town. But he couldn’t resist praise for his new daughter and his face relaxed into a grin. “Yeah, she is, isn’t she. I think she mostly got Karolina’s looks, lucky kid.
Dean shrugged absently and returned his attention to the bundle in his arms. As far as he could tell, she didn’t look at all like Karolina, currently fast asleep on the bed, or Paul either. The baby had a wild mop of dark hair and clear blue eyes and, in his opinion, looked exactly like the person he desperately hoped she really was.
“Chris?” Dean nearly forgot to respond to his chosen alias until Sam poked him sharply in the back. “Maybe... maybe we should get going, man. Let the family get some rest and all.”
Paul nodded. “I hate to rush you out, but Grandma’s flying in from Portland and I’ve got to get to the airport to pick her up. But thanks for coming. Really, I’m glad you got to see her.”
Panic gripped Dean’s chest as the new father reached for his daughter. He watched helplessly as she was taken from him and placed in her bassinet. As if sensing his distress, the previously calm child let out a high-pitched wail.
“Crap.” Paul picked her up and rocked her gently. “She loves being held. Put her down for a second and it’s like she thinks she’s being permanently abandoned.”
Dean lunged for the possible opportunity. “Well, why don’t I just hold her until she falls asleep or you get back? Otherwise she’s going to wake Karolina up, and she needs her rest. Right?”
Paul frowned. “I don’t know. Look-”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” An annoyed British voice cut in from across the room and Paul looked up in shock at the stranger who had suddenly appeared in his bedroom. The surprise only lingered on his face for an instant though, before it was replaced by a dazed, almost bovine, look of complacence.
“She’ll be fine”, Crowley continued. “Go to the airport and pick up Granny. You can trust these boys.”
“Yeah”, Paul agreed slowly. He handed the baby back to Dean. “I’ll go get Granny. It’ll be fine; I can... trust you boys” He collided with the door-frame on his way out but didn’t seem to notice. A few seconds later Sam and Dean heard the sound of a revving engine.
“He’s going to be okay to drive, right?” Sam glared at Crowley. “How much have you messed up his head?”
The demon rolled his eyes. “He’ll be fine once he gets on the road.” He pushed past Sam to peer down at Dean and the baby. “So, is she just a precious widdle ankle-biter then?”
Dean instinctively shifted, positioning his own body between the demon and the child. Crowley rolled his eyes. “Believe me, I don’t want to hold her. This is a good shirt, and babies leak. But you got what you wanted, all signed, sealed and delivered. Which means, if I remember correctly, it’s time to bloody well let me GO.”
Dean looked down at the baby, now resting comfortably. Maybe the resemblance wasn’t as strong as he’d thought; from this particular angle she did seem to have Karolina’s nose and cheekbones. He regarded Crowley with suspicion. If he let the demon go now, he knew he’d never catch him again. This was his one chance to do this right.
“You absolutely certain?” Dean demanded. “You’re one hundred percent sure that this is him? Because I swear, Crowley, if you’re playing with me-”
“Please”, Crowley scoffed. “Unlike some people, who are in this room as we speak, when I go into Hell to bring someone back, I don’t spectacularly fuck it up. She’s Castiel, Dean. Or he’s her. Either way, my part of the bargain is done and I seriously recommend you follow through with yours.”
Either Sam shared his brother’s doubts or he knew Dean would never rest easy without confirmation. “I think we’re going to need to see some proof.”
“Oh, no problem then. I’ll just pop her into a little baby trench-coat and she can glower at us for a while; will that do?” Crowley rolled his eyes. “I’m a bit insulted here, gentlemen. Think what you like of me, but I am known for keeping up my end of bargains.”
Dean stared him down. “No offense intended. It’s just that you’re a slimy weasel and I don’t trust you any further than I could throw you.”
Crowley beamed. “Thank you!” He looked apprasingly at the baby. “You know, there is something that might work. Give it here then.” He plucked the baby from Dean’s arms and plopped her face down on the changing table. The baby let out a startled little yelp and her mother stirred on the bed. Crowley waved his hand at her. “Sleep!” he commanded. Karolina stilled.
“She better wake up at some point”, Sam warned.
“She’ll be fine. There.” Crowley stripped off the baby’s jammies. “Take a look at those.”
Dean stared, mesmerised. Faint but unmistakably there, the shadows of two tiny wings protruded from the infant’s shoulder blades. Transfixed, he reached out to touch one with the tip of his index finger but pulled back as the shadows sputtered and faded.
“Only people who’ve had close contact with angels or demons will be able to see them.” Crowley briskly got the baby dressed again and handed her back to Dean. “And even that’ll stop as she gets a bit older. Still, you’ve got your proof. And I really do have places to be, so if you don’t mind?”
Dean hated to release the demon to do more of his particular brand of damage, but he knew Crowley was just as capable of returning a soul to Hell as he was of taking one out. Besides, he’d given his word. So he offered the baby to Sam, pulled a knife from his boot and rolled up his sleeve. With a slight wince, he cut through the sigil tattooed there and Crowley sighed in pleasure.
“Thanks ever so much.” The demon sighed and stretched, as though he’d been suddenly released after a period of close confinement. “I’ll be on my way now. Oh, and I think this goes without saying, but you do understand that the next time I see you I’ll be slowly, messily killing you, right?”
“Goes double for us.” Dean wiped down his arm and reclaimed the baby. Reclaimed Cas - this was Cas now. He’d seen the wings and he knew beyond any shred of doubt that it was true; all the research and shady deals and pain was worthwhile because Cas was out of Hell and safe. He stared down into those familiar blue eyes and finally let himself feel genuinely happy.
“Wait!” Sam’s voice cut into his reverie, but he wasn’t talking to Dean. “Is she going to remember any of it? Hell? I mean, she’s human now, and just a baby. There’s no way she could cope with that.”
“To be honest... I don’t know”, Crowley admitted. “No one’s ever done this before - taken a former angel out of Hell and remade them like this. Maybe not. It’s possible that her brain will just give her a break and wipe all of that clean. You can believe that, if you like.”
“And if not?”
The demon shrugged. “Maybe she’ll just have nightmares. Maybe she ‘ll wear black eyeliner and write crappy poetry, which will probably make her virtually indistinguishable from all the other girls in her classes. Maybe she’ll turn to religion and tell herself it’s all a test from God. Or maybe it’ll all get to be too much for her and she’ll throw herself into traffic. I don’t know. Far more importantly, I don’t care.”
“I want to keep her safe.” Dean’s grip on Castiel tightened. “Look, is there any way... is there anything I can do to make sure she stays safe?”
“Dean!” Sam spoke so loudly that Dean had to check the woman on the bed to make sure her magically induced sleep was undisturbed. “No deals, Dean; we talked about this.”
“As much as I’d love to add your soul to my collection, Dean, I’m afraid it’s impossible at any rate. Humanity comes with that pesky free will thing; I can’t permanently stop her from exploring these memories if they come up.” Crowley grinned maliciously. “I could try to put up a wall in her mind, but those do get itchy, don’t they Sam? And I doubt she’d be able to handle all those memories flooding in together once it crumbled. Its probably best to let her deal with it bit by bit, if she has to deal with it at all.”
It took the baby’s whimpers for Dean to realize he was clutching her much too tightly. Silently apologizing, he loosened his grip. “Fine. You did what you could and we’re done with each other. You can go now.”
“Not so fast”, Crowley chided him. “Tell me, do you want to keep her?”
“What?” Sam sounded outraged. “She’s not a stray puppy, Crowley.”
“Not talking to you”, the demon sang out. “So Dean, what do you say? I can muddle up a police investigation fairly well, and a fake adoption certificate is a doddle to create. I can modify her body too, so no one would recognize her. Would you prefer a little boy Cas? Would that feel more right? It’s all yours for the discount price of your soul.”
“The hell? We’re not kidnappers!” Sam grabbed hold of his brother’s shoulder. “Dean, we agreed no deals. Tell him no.”
Dean felt like he was being ripped in half. Family was everything; he believed that with all his heart. But he was at least as much Cas’ family as the Jacobis. Wasn’t he? “We can keep her safe, Sam. What if angels come after her, or demons? Her parents aren’t going to know what to do. And you and I - we’ve been through Hell. We can help her if those memories do come back.”
“Listen to yourself!” Sam sounded frantic. “Forget the whole ‘you go back to Hell’ part of it for a minute. You’re talking about stealing a child.” He knelt beside Dean and forced his brother to look at him. “I was behind you all the way when it was about getting Cas out of Hell. I couldn’t stand for... that to happen to him either. I wanted him safe. But this is as safe as people get. This is the best we’re going to be able to do and it’s got to be enough that we did it.”
Dean stared down into Castiel’s face. She yawned slowly and lifted her thumb to her mouth, suckling at it contently. Dean honestly didn’t know what he was going to say until the word came out.
“No.”
“Your call.” Crowley shrugged. “At any rate, I’ve got long-overdue business to take care of. Do call me if you change your mind; otherwise stay the fuck away from me, will you? Toodles!” He vanished with nothing more than a waggle of his fingers.
The Winchester brothers regarded each other. Sam offered a small smile. “You okay?”
Dean was far from okay, but he there was no point in dwelling on that. “It’s not about me. This is best for her.” The baby was sleeping now, her body a soft, warm weight in his arms. “Look, I want to say goodbye, all right? I’ll meet you in the car.”
Sam nodded and reached out, tracing the delicate line of the baby’s brow. “Listen, Cas. I know you probably can’t understand this, but I want to say it anyway. You and me? We’re square now. What happened with the wall was a mistake and a bad one, but making mistakes is all part of being human. So we can just think of it as you practicing for this. I forgive you - completely and totally. Dean too, right?” Not trusting himself to speak, Dean merely nodded. “Good. So if you ever need to remember all the rest, remember that too.” Sam stood and stretched, heading for the door. “Don’t take too long, Dean. Her dad will be back any minute.”
Dean placed the baby carefully next to her mother, hoping that the proximity would keep her from waking up and crying. Once she was tucked under the blankets, he bent low and pressed a kiss against her forehead.
“Look, I don’t care what Crowley says. I know that you’re strong enough to deal with this, if that’s what you have to do. And I want you to try. Grow up, Cas. Do finger-painting and make snowmen. Go to school and get a job and meet a nice boy or a nice girl or whatever it is you end up liking. Have babies of your own if you want them. And if none of that works out- then you come and find me. Come and find me then, and we’ll work on other ways of being happy.”
He forced himself to leave without looking back.
Author: thinlizzy2
Rating: G
Warnings: Just some bad language
Spoilers: Up to 7.02
Summary: Castiel was sent to Hell after the events of 7.02. Dean knew he had to get him out, even if that meant losing the angel forever. Contains de-aging and gender-swap.
Author notes: Originally written for deancas_xmas for
triedunture
Dean swallowed hard and tried to force a smile. Normal, he reminded himself. What do normal guys do in this situation? Do that.
“Congratulations, man.” He cleared his throat; his voice sounded weirdly thick. “She’s beautiful.”
Paul Jacobi, the father of the said beautiful baby, was hovering nervously over Dean in a way that suggested he didn’t quite believe the story Dean had given him about being his distant cousin from Canada who happened to be passing through town. But he couldn’t resist praise for his new daughter and his face relaxed into a grin. “Yeah, she is, isn’t she. I think she mostly got Karolina’s looks, lucky kid.
Dean shrugged absently and returned his attention to the bundle in his arms. As far as he could tell, she didn’t look at all like Karolina, currently fast asleep on the bed, or Paul either. The baby had a wild mop of dark hair and clear blue eyes and, in his opinion, looked exactly like the person he desperately hoped she really was.
“Chris?” Dean nearly forgot to respond to his chosen alias until Sam poked him sharply in the back. “Maybe... maybe we should get going, man. Let the family get some rest and all.”
Paul nodded. “I hate to rush you out, but Grandma’s flying in from Portland and I’ve got to get to the airport to pick her up. But thanks for coming. Really, I’m glad you got to see her.”
Panic gripped Dean’s chest as the new father reached for his daughter. He watched helplessly as she was taken from him and placed in her bassinet. As if sensing his distress, the previously calm child let out a high-pitched wail.
“Crap.” Paul picked her up and rocked her gently. “She loves being held. Put her down for a second and it’s like she thinks she’s being permanently abandoned.”
Dean lunged for the possible opportunity. “Well, why don’t I just hold her until she falls asleep or you get back? Otherwise she’s going to wake Karolina up, and she needs her rest. Right?”
Paul frowned. “I don’t know. Look-”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” An annoyed British voice cut in from across the room and Paul looked up in shock at the stranger who had suddenly appeared in his bedroom. The surprise only lingered on his face for an instant though, before it was replaced by a dazed, almost bovine, look of complacence.
“She’ll be fine”, Crowley continued. “Go to the airport and pick up Granny. You can trust these boys.”
“Yeah”, Paul agreed slowly. He handed the baby back to Dean. “I’ll go get Granny. It’ll be fine; I can... trust you boys” He collided with the door-frame on his way out but didn’t seem to notice. A few seconds later Sam and Dean heard the sound of a revving engine.
“He’s going to be okay to drive, right?” Sam glared at Crowley. “How much have you messed up his head?”
The demon rolled his eyes. “He’ll be fine once he gets on the road.” He pushed past Sam to peer down at Dean and the baby. “So, is she just a precious widdle ankle-biter then?”
Dean instinctively shifted, positioning his own body between the demon and the child. Crowley rolled his eyes. “Believe me, I don’t want to hold her. This is a good shirt, and babies leak. But you got what you wanted, all signed, sealed and delivered. Which means, if I remember correctly, it’s time to bloody well let me GO.”
Dean looked down at the baby, now resting comfortably. Maybe the resemblance wasn’t as strong as he’d thought; from this particular angle she did seem to have Karolina’s nose and cheekbones. He regarded Crowley with suspicion. If he let the demon go now, he knew he’d never catch him again. This was his one chance to do this right.
“You absolutely certain?” Dean demanded. “You’re one hundred percent sure that this is him? Because I swear, Crowley, if you’re playing with me-”
“Please”, Crowley scoffed. “Unlike some people, who are in this room as we speak, when I go into Hell to bring someone back, I don’t spectacularly fuck it up. She’s Castiel, Dean. Or he’s her. Either way, my part of the bargain is done and I seriously recommend you follow through with yours.”
Either Sam shared his brother’s doubts or he knew Dean would never rest easy without confirmation. “I think we’re going to need to see some proof.”
“Oh, no problem then. I’ll just pop her into a little baby trench-coat and she can glower at us for a while; will that do?” Crowley rolled his eyes. “I’m a bit insulted here, gentlemen. Think what you like of me, but I am known for keeping up my end of bargains.”
Dean stared him down. “No offense intended. It’s just that you’re a slimy weasel and I don’t trust you any further than I could throw you.”
Crowley beamed. “Thank you!” He looked apprasingly at the baby. “You know, there is something that might work. Give it here then.” He plucked the baby from Dean’s arms and plopped her face down on the changing table. The baby let out a startled little yelp and her mother stirred on the bed. Crowley waved his hand at her. “Sleep!” he commanded. Karolina stilled.
“She better wake up at some point”, Sam warned.
“She’ll be fine. There.” Crowley stripped off the baby’s jammies. “Take a look at those.”
Dean stared, mesmerised. Faint but unmistakably there, the shadows of two tiny wings protruded from the infant’s shoulder blades. Transfixed, he reached out to touch one with the tip of his index finger but pulled back as the shadows sputtered and faded.
“Only people who’ve had close contact with angels or demons will be able to see them.” Crowley briskly got the baby dressed again and handed her back to Dean. “And even that’ll stop as she gets a bit older. Still, you’ve got your proof. And I really do have places to be, so if you don’t mind?”
Dean hated to release the demon to do more of his particular brand of damage, but he knew Crowley was just as capable of returning a soul to Hell as he was of taking one out. Besides, he’d given his word. So he offered the baby to Sam, pulled a knife from his boot and rolled up his sleeve. With a slight wince, he cut through the sigil tattooed there and Crowley sighed in pleasure.
“Thanks ever so much.” The demon sighed and stretched, as though he’d been suddenly released after a period of close confinement. “I’ll be on my way now. Oh, and I think this goes without saying, but you do understand that the next time I see you I’ll be slowly, messily killing you, right?”
“Goes double for us.” Dean wiped down his arm and reclaimed the baby. Reclaimed Cas - this was Cas now. He’d seen the wings and he knew beyond any shred of doubt that it was true; all the research and shady deals and pain was worthwhile because Cas was out of Hell and safe. He stared down into those familiar blue eyes and finally let himself feel genuinely happy.
“Wait!” Sam’s voice cut into his reverie, but he wasn’t talking to Dean. “Is she going to remember any of it? Hell? I mean, she’s human now, and just a baby. There’s no way she could cope with that.”
“To be honest... I don’t know”, Crowley admitted. “No one’s ever done this before - taken a former angel out of Hell and remade them like this. Maybe not. It’s possible that her brain will just give her a break and wipe all of that clean. You can believe that, if you like.”
“And if not?”
The demon shrugged. “Maybe she’ll just have nightmares. Maybe she ‘ll wear black eyeliner and write crappy poetry, which will probably make her virtually indistinguishable from all the other girls in her classes. Maybe she’ll turn to religion and tell herself it’s all a test from God. Or maybe it’ll all get to be too much for her and she’ll throw herself into traffic. I don’t know. Far more importantly, I don’t care.”
“I want to keep her safe.” Dean’s grip on Castiel tightened. “Look, is there any way... is there anything I can do to make sure she stays safe?”
“Dean!” Sam spoke so loudly that Dean had to check the woman on the bed to make sure her magically induced sleep was undisturbed. “No deals, Dean; we talked about this.”
“As much as I’d love to add your soul to my collection, Dean, I’m afraid it’s impossible at any rate. Humanity comes with that pesky free will thing; I can’t permanently stop her from exploring these memories if they come up.” Crowley grinned maliciously. “I could try to put up a wall in her mind, but those do get itchy, don’t they Sam? And I doubt she’d be able to handle all those memories flooding in together once it crumbled. Its probably best to let her deal with it bit by bit, if she has to deal with it at all.”
It took the baby’s whimpers for Dean to realize he was clutching her much too tightly. Silently apologizing, he loosened his grip. “Fine. You did what you could and we’re done with each other. You can go now.”
“Not so fast”, Crowley chided him. “Tell me, do you want to keep her?”
“What?” Sam sounded outraged. “She’s not a stray puppy, Crowley.”
“Not talking to you”, the demon sang out. “So Dean, what do you say? I can muddle up a police investigation fairly well, and a fake adoption certificate is a doddle to create. I can modify her body too, so no one would recognize her. Would you prefer a little boy Cas? Would that feel more right? It’s all yours for the discount price of your soul.”
“The hell? We’re not kidnappers!” Sam grabbed hold of his brother’s shoulder. “Dean, we agreed no deals. Tell him no.”
Dean felt like he was being ripped in half. Family was everything; he believed that with all his heart. But he was at least as much Cas’ family as the Jacobis. Wasn’t he? “We can keep her safe, Sam. What if angels come after her, or demons? Her parents aren’t going to know what to do. And you and I - we’ve been through Hell. We can help her if those memories do come back.”
“Listen to yourself!” Sam sounded frantic. “Forget the whole ‘you go back to Hell’ part of it for a minute. You’re talking about stealing a child.” He knelt beside Dean and forced his brother to look at him. “I was behind you all the way when it was about getting Cas out of Hell. I couldn’t stand for... that to happen to him either. I wanted him safe. But this is as safe as people get. This is the best we’re going to be able to do and it’s got to be enough that we did it.”
Dean stared down into Castiel’s face. She yawned slowly and lifted her thumb to her mouth, suckling at it contently. Dean honestly didn’t know what he was going to say until the word came out.
“No.”
“Your call.” Crowley shrugged. “At any rate, I’ve got long-overdue business to take care of. Do call me if you change your mind; otherwise stay the fuck away from me, will you? Toodles!” He vanished with nothing more than a waggle of his fingers.
The Winchester brothers regarded each other. Sam offered a small smile. “You okay?”
Dean was far from okay, but he there was no point in dwelling on that. “It’s not about me. This is best for her.” The baby was sleeping now, her body a soft, warm weight in his arms. “Look, I want to say goodbye, all right? I’ll meet you in the car.”
Sam nodded and reached out, tracing the delicate line of the baby’s brow. “Listen, Cas. I know you probably can’t understand this, but I want to say it anyway. You and me? We’re square now. What happened with the wall was a mistake and a bad one, but making mistakes is all part of being human. So we can just think of it as you practicing for this. I forgive you - completely and totally. Dean too, right?” Not trusting himself to speak, Dean merely nodded. “Good. So if you ever need to remember all the rest, remember that too.” Sam stood and stretched, heading for the door. “Don’t take too long, Dean. Her dad will be back any minute.”
Dean placed the baby carefully next to her mother, hoping that the proximity would keep her from waking up and crying. Once she was tucked under the blankets, he bent low and pressed a kiss against her forehead.
“Look, I don’t care what Crowley says. I know that you’re strong enough to deal with this, if that’s what you have to do. And I want you to try. Grow up, Cas. Do finger-painting and make snowmen. Go to school and get a job and meet a nice boy or a nice girl or whatever it is you end up liking. Have babies of your own if you want them. And if none of that works out- then you come and find me. Come and find me then, and we’ll work on other ways of being happy.”
He forced himself to leave without looking back.