SALT OF THE EARTH--Chapter 20
Salt of the Earth Chapter 20
Dean awoke to the sunlight beaming into his bedroom. His hand went immediately to his torso. It was flat again, the muscle had reappeared and the pain was gone. He was tired and sore, but otherwise, he felt good. He could breathe again, and his back didn’t hurt anymore. His legs weren’t swollen, either. Really?!? How could I miss the squirming?!? It kept me up. They kicked my bladder. And my ribs. And my spleen…Dean rolled his eyes to himself as he gave up trying to deny it. ALRIGHT. FINE. I MISS IT, OKAY?!? It was kinda cool…overwhelming, but cool. No-never admit it to Sam-nope, never…
He could hear muted voices from down in the living room, and removed the bedspread and slipped his feet into slippers that had been placed on the floor by the nightstand. He was surprised to find he had sweatpants on, and apparently had been cleaned up, because he didn't smell himself. I had to be pretty ripe. His hands searched the sheets for any sign of the birth process the night before and discovered that the sheets were changed and clean, as well. He was also surprised at how weak he was when he tried to stand. His legs were shaky and he wobbled a little, but he easily adjusted and was able to walk out of the bedroom and down the hallway.
From the top of the steps he could see part way into the living room. Anse was there with Bob and David, and the girls were there, too. Mrs. Pemby fussed over the babies, as promised. She cooed and giggled and talked to them, encouraging them to ‘tell her a story.’ They were all gathered around the couch, but no one noticed him. He sat on the top step and decided to watch.
So this is what it's like to be Cas. Pretty cool. Calliel stood in the corner and sent Dean a wink, a nod, and a silent but enthusiastic thumbs up. Dean wasn't even sure that the others knew he was there. He nodded and winked back. The angel had his wings spread in a mighty display against the wall, in his left hand he held a mighty staff, and in his left, a tongue of fire. This, again, reaffirmed to Dean that no harm would ever come to these children.
Bob shifted to the left some, towards the front door, and then, for a second, Dean recalled the part of the Grinch story where the green anti-hero's heart grew to three times its size. There was Sam, sitting on the couch, smiling-no, beaming- beside Mrs. Pemby and cradling his two babies in his arms. He was freely laughing and talking to Anse and listening to advice from the men. Every second or so, he would glance down, and with all the times Dean teased him about falling in love, he witnessed it himself, in real time. He was pleased at this point that he went unnoticed, because he had time to dry his eyes before he strolled the rest of the way downstairs.
He actually got to the middle of the flight before a creak gave him away. He offered a shy, "Hey," finished the steps and walked towards his brother and their new family. All others in the room hushed and patted him on the shoulder and looked on as Dean approached his brother.
Sam looked up and smiled and scooted over for Dean to sit beside him. He handed the child nearest him and Dean took her without hesitation. Her skin was clear and pink and her nose was tiny and she had the littlest hands Dean had ever seen, but, they were perfect. Her eyelashes were long and Dean giggled when she started sucking in her sleep. Sam shifted over and handed the boy to him as well. His left foot was sticking out from under the receiving blanket and Dean was amazed at how little and wrinkly it was. He touched the heel and giggled when the baby retracted it back into the warmth under his swaddling. He felt himself becoming fascinated with them and that they were actually inside his body less than 24 hours ago. There was no doubt they were part angel. Dean used to laugh and tell Sam that he'd never seen a pretty baby in his life ("Dude-they're wrinkly and bald-if it ain't pretty when you're old, it ain't pretty when you're a baby! And you--you were really ugly…") This, this changed his mind. The boy was awake and had the brightest blue eyes Dean had ever seen and his hands were big like Sam's. His lips formed a perfect "o" as he looked around the room, and and then he yawned.
“He worked hard today,” Sam cooed. “He ate 3 ounces of formula, and then he pooped.”
Dean looked up at his brother. Of course, he was a little teary-Dean promised himself he'd tease him about that later-but all Dean could do was smile back. "You did good, little brother."
Sam chuckled briefly and said, "You did, too."
He looked down again, quickly disregarding the thought of these two being in the hands of Crowley. He found himself getting a little teary, as well, then it occurred to him: "What are their names?"
Sam looked up at Anse and the sisters. He smiled and looked at Dean. "Your nephew's name is Anderson Dean. If it wasn't for either of you, he wouldn't exist. And this most beautiful little girl in the world, her name is Mary-Elizabeth. It's Abby and Susie's mom's name. And they both weighed 6 and a half pounds. Twins are usually a little small, but these are average-sized. You should be proud of yourself.”
Dean nodded with approval and looked up at his company. This time was bittersweet. He wished his dad was there to see that he and Sam had 'done good,' and he wished Bobby was there to hold his adopted grandbabies. He smiled again, but couldn't resist the wisecrack. He raised his eyebrows and looked at the babies again. "Anderson Winchester, Mary-Elizabeth Winchester-cool names, you two, but I need to apologize in advance for First Grade Write Your Name Class-I hope you're as smart as your dad."
Just then, Mary-Elizabeth sneezed. Dean smiled, feeling as joyous and relaxed as his brother, recognized the little movements she made as familiar. "That was you, huh? I think I'm gonna call you Sneezy."
"Wait. You felt that?" Sam asked, amazed.
Dean raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Yep. Every couple days. I didn't know what it was at the time, but, yeah, now I know. I felt hiccups, too."
He traced his finger around Little Anderson's hands and the child gripped it tight. Dean, then, felt himself falling in love, as well.
Cas appeared among the group and looked favorably at the new family. The men greeted him with handshakes and 'thank-yous,' and then he turned to the brothers after acknowledging Calliel.
"I would-be very happy-if all I had to do was celebrate with you, but there is a matter of business we need to attend to." He looked each brother straight in the eyes, then blinked and looked around the rest of the room. "I only have 24 hours from their birth to give Heaven a decision on how to handle-them," he started.
Dean's face hardened, as well as Sam's. The elder Winchester was regretting his choice of slippers already, had they needed to make a hasty exit.
"You have to make a choice." Cas sat on the coffee table in front of the men. "You can leave them as they are, but by tonight, a garrison of angels will come and assume ownership of what they think is theirs. There will be nothing you can do. You can use sigils and try to ward them off, but they will come."
Dean set his jaw and looked at his brother. He remained silent, wanting desperately to believe that his friend wouldn't allow this to happen and had negotiated another way they could stay with their children. Sam was honed and focused on every word Cas said. Dean swore he could see all the cylinders firing in his brother's head.
"I was able to negotiate at least two more options." Cas took a breath. "I can bind their grace, just like Anna's, until they are older and able to decide their own path, or, I can make them entirely human, if Sam, you have found a suitable female that would assume the biological motherhood of your son and daughter."
The brothers looked at each other, then again to Cas. Just four months ago they learned of the soon-to-be-additions to their family, and now they had to make a decision that would entirely affect these babies' futures. It saddened Sam that he didn't have a dad or Bobby to seek for advice, especially since he felt he had to make it now, but he did have a brother who had proven his devotion not only to him, but his children, as well, AND he had the three additional men in the room who he trusted.
"How long do I have?"
"4:06 this afternoon. That's when Mary-Elizabeth took her first breath."
Sam agreed. "Can I think about it?"
Cas tried to sound as empathetic as he could. "Yes. I know this is a hard matter to consider.” He leaned in closer to Dean and touched the babies’ heads and smiled and thought he might feel teary himself. “I'll be back at 3:30."
Next
Dean awoke to the sunlight beaming into his bedroom. His hand went immediately to his torso. It was flat again, the muscle had reappeared and the pain was gone. He was tired and sore, but otherwise, he felt good. He could breathe again, and his back didn’t hurt anymore. His legs weren’t swollen, either. Really?!? How could I miss the squirming?!? It kept me up. They kicked my bladder. And my ribs. And my spleen…Dean rolled his eyes to himself as he gave up trying to deny it. ALRIGHT. FINE. I MISS IT, OKAY?!? It was kinda cool…overwhelming, but cool. No-never admit it to Sam-nope, never…
He could hear muted voices from down in the living room, and removed the bedspread and slipped his feet into slippers that had been placed on the floor by the nightstand. He was surprised to find he had sweatpants on, and apparently had been cleaned up, because he didn't smell himself. I had to be pretty ripe. His hands searched the sheets for any sign of the birth process the night before and discovered that the sheets were changed and clean, as well. He was also surprised at how weak he was when he tried to stand. His legs were shaky and he wobbled a little, but he easily adjusted and was able to walk out of the bedroom and down the hallway.
From the top of the steps he could see part way into the living room. Anse was there with Bob and David, and the girls were there, too. Mrs. Pemby fussed over the babies, as promised. She cooed and giggled and talked to them, encouraging them to ‘tell her a story.’ They were all gathered around the couch, but no one noticed him. He sat on the top step and decided to watch.
So this is what it's like to be Cas. Pretty cool. Calliel stood in the corner and sent Dean a wink, a nod, and a silent but enthusiastic thumbs up. Dean wasn't even sure that the others knew he was there. He nodded and winked back. The angel had his wings spread in a mighty display against the wall, in his left hand he held a mighty staff, and in his left, a tongue of fire. This, again, reaffirmed to Dean that no harm would ever come to these children.
Bob shifted to the left some, towards the front door, and then, for a second, Dean recalled the part of the Grinch story where the green anti-hero's heart grew to three times its size. There was Sam, sitting on the couch, smiling-no, beaming- beside Mrs. Pemby and cradling his two babies in his arms. He was freely laughing and talking to Anse and listening to advice from the men. Every second or so, he would glance down, and with all the times Dean teased him about falling in love, he witnessed it himself, in real time. He was pleased at this point that he went unnoticed, because he had time to dry his eyes before he strolled the rest of the way downstairs.
He actually got to the middle of the flight before a creak gave him away. He offered a shy, "Hey," finished the steps and walked towards his brother and their new family. All others in the room hushed and patted him on the shoulder and looked on as Dean approached his brother.
Sam looked up and smiled and scooted over for Dean to sit beside him. He handed the child nearest him and Dean took her without hesitation. Her skin was clear and pink and her nose was tiny and she had the littlest hands Dean had ever seen, but, they were perfect. Her eyelashes were long and Dean giggled when she started sucking in her sleep. Sam shifted over and handed the boy to him as well. His left foot was sticking out from under the receiving blanket and Dean was amazed at how little and wrinkly it was. He touched the heel and giggled when the baby retracted it back into the warmth under his swaddling. He felt himself becoming fascinated with them and that they were actually inside his body less than 24 hours ago. There was no doubt they were part angel. Dean used to laugh and tell Sam that he'd never seen a pretty baby in his life ("Dude-they're wrinkly and bald-if it ain't pretty when you're old, it ain't pretty when you're a baby! And you--you were really ugly…") This, this changed his mind. The boy was awake and had the brightest blue eyes Dean had ever seen and his hands were big like Sam's. His lips formed a perfect "o" as he looked around the room, and and then he yawned.
“He worked hard today,” Sam cooed. “He ate 3 ounces of formula, and then he pooped.”
Dean looked up at his brother. Of course, he was a little teary-Dean promised himself he'd tease him about that later-but all Dean could do was smile back. "You did good, little brother."
Sam chuckled briefly and said, "You did, too."
He looked down again, quickly disregarding the thought of these two being in the hands of Crowley. He found himself getting a little teary, as well, then it occurred to him: "What are their names?"
Sam looked up at Anse and the sisters. He smiled and looked at Dean. "Your nephew's name is Anderson Dean. If it wasn't for either of you, he wouldn't exist. And this most beautiful little girl in the world, her name is Mary-Elizabeth. It's Abby and Susie's mom's name. And they both weighed 6 and a half pounds. Twins are usually a little small, but these are average-sized. You should be proud of yourself.”
Dean nodded with approval and looked up at his company. This time was bittersweet. He wished his dad was there to see that he and Sam had 'done good,' and he wished Bobby was there to hold his adopted grandbabies. He smiled again, but couldn't resist the wisecrack. He raised his eyebrows and looked at the babies again. "Anderson Winchester, Mary-Elizabeth Winchester-cool names, you two, but I need to apologize in advance for First Grade Write Your Name Class-I hope you're as smart as your dad."
Just then, Mary-Elizabeth sneezed. Dean smiled, feeling as joyous and relaxed as his brother, recognized the little movements she made as familiar. "That was you, huh? I think I'm gonna call you Sneezy."
"Wait. You felt that?" Sam asked, amazed.
Dean raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Yep. Every couple days. I didn't know what it was at the time, but, yeah, now I know. I felt hiccups, too."
He traced his finger around Little Anderson's hands and the child gripped it tight. Dean, then, felt himself falling in love, as well.
Cas appeared among the group and looked favorably at the new family. The men greeted him with handshakes and 'thank-yous,' and then he turned to the brothers after acknowledging Calliel.
"I would-be very happy-if all I had to do was celebrate with you, but there is a matter of business we need to attend to." He looked each brother straight in the eyes, then blinked and looked around the rest of the room. "I only have 24 hours from their birth to give Heaven a decision on how to handle-them," he started.
Dean's face hardened, as well as Sam's. The elder Winchester was regretting his choice of slippers already, had they needed to make a hasty exit.
"You have to make a choice." Cas sat on the coffee table in front of the men. "You can leave them as they are, but by tonight, a garrison of angels will come and assume ownership of what they think is theirs. There will be nothing you can do. You can use sigils and try to ward them off, but they will come."
Dean set his jaw and looked at his brother. He remained silent, wanting desperately to believe that his friend wouldn't allow this to happen and had negotiated another way they could stay with their children. Sam was honed and focused on every word Cas said. Dean swore he could see all the cylinders firing in his brother's head.
"I was able to negotiate at least two more options." Cas took a breath. "I can bind their grace, just like Anna's, until they are older and able to decide their own path, or, I can make them entirely human, if Sam, you have found a suitable female that would assume the biological motherhood of your son and daughter."
The brothers looked at each other, then again to Cas. Just four months ago they learned of the soon-to-be-additions to their family, and now they had to make a decision that would entirely affect these babies' futures. It saddened Sam that he didn't have a dad or Bobby to seek for advice, especially since he felt he had to make it now, but he did have a brother who had proven his devotion not only to him, but his children, as well, AND he had the three additional men in the room who he trusted.
"How long do I have?"
"4:06 this afternoon. That's when Mary-Elizabeth took her first breath."
Sam agreed. "Can I think about it?"
Cas tried to sound as empathetic as he could. "Yes. I know this is a hard matter to consider.” He leaned in closer to Dean and touched the babies’ heads and smiled and thought he might feel teary himself. “I'll be back at 3:30."
Next