An Unexpected Turning (9/?) Part B

[vivhasarifle]

“Dean?”

Dean turned around to see Castiel standing next to him, looking concerned. “Dean are you all right? I was just coming to see how Gabriel was and I -.”

Castiel’s words were cut off when Dean threw himself into the jaguar’s arms, and held on tight, working desperately to slow his breathing.

“I need you to promise me something, Cas,” he whispered, and he felt Castiel’s chest tremble as he murmured his assent.

“Anything you want, Dean.”

“Promise me you won’t die.”

Castiel pulled away and looked Dean in the face.

“Dean? What’s brought this on?”

Dean shook his head, embarrassed at the tears that were welling up in his eyes. “Gabe...he’s a in a bad place, Cas, and he said some stuff...it scared me. He needs...he needs family right now, Cas; you should probably go and talk to him.”

Castiel nodded, “Of course I will, but are you all right? I don’t know if I feel comfortable leaving you alone.”

Dean shook his head. “I’m fine, Cas, really, I’m fine. I just got...shaken up, is all.”

Castiel nodded. “All right then. I think I must go and talk to my brother now.”

Dean nodded. “Yeah...yeah, that’s probably a good idea...but Cas?”

“Yeah?”

“I meant it you know, don’t die.”

Castiel smiled. “I promise, Dean. I will always come back to you.”

Dean watched as his mate entered Gabriel’s tent.

“You’d better, Cas,” he muttered to himself, “you’d better.”

It took several hours for Castiel to calm Gabriel down, with Sam eventually joining him. Dean wanted badly to go back and find out if Gabriel was okay, but he didn’t think he could face his brother-in-law. Instead, he waited in his tent with Adam, who was waiting for Castiel’s final say-so before he left for Azazel’s pack.

“Do you think he’ll be all right?” Adam was pacing Dean’s tent, and the movement was even making Dean nervous.

“I don’t know,” Dean said, “can you just...sit down, please?”

Adam blushed. “Sorry,” he said, “I pace when I’m nervous.”

Dean smiled a little. “So do I usually; Sam does too. I think I remember Dad used to do it as well.”

Adam snorted. “It’s one hell of a family trait.”

Dean nodded. “Yeah, well it’s better than the stupid courageous streak we all inherited from him. Seems like all of us like to rush into dangerous situations without thinking...I really don’t want you to go, Adam.”

Adam sat down next to his brother.

“I know, and believe me, I really don’t want to go either, but I’m just trying to think of what’s best for you, and the pack,” Adam grinned. “I want the best world possible for my little nieces or nephews that are on the way...I can’t believe that there will be three new babies in my family before the year is out.”

Dean shook his head. “I know...sometimes it’s pretty hard to believe. I mean...before the baby started moving, sometimes I totally forgot I was pregnant.”

Adam snorted. “Really? With that belly?”

Dean shoved the younger boy in the arm, hard.

“Ow!”

“Well, shut up!”

Adam looked like he was about to say something else but at that moment Castiel entered the tent, distracting the two brothers.

“How’s Gabe?” Dean asked, getting awkwardly to his feet and approaching his mate.

Castiel wrapped his arms around dean, and just from the feel of those arms around him and from the deep sigh Castiel let out Dean could tell that his mate was exhausted.

“Gabriel had a severe panic attack,” Castiel said, wearily, pulling away and moving to sit down on the bed. “We managed to calm him down, and Sam is with him now, but I am worried about him...”Castiel closed his eyes and his voice became think, “I should have foreseen that a second pregnancy could affect him like this.”

Dean kneeled next to Cas and held the jaguar in his arms as best as he could, mindful of his rounded belly.

“Castiel,” he said, burrowing his nose into the older man’s hair, “how could you have known? Besides which, Gabriel’s an adult, and makes his own decisions. He wants those babies Cas, and we just have to help him through this.”

Castiel clung to Dean. “He’s my brother,” he whispered, “I’m supposed to take care of him.”

“You are, Cas.”

Castiel nodded and kissed Dean’s chest. “Thank you,” he said, looking up at Dean with a smile, before turning to Adam, “I’m sorry you had to see that, Adam.”

Adam shook his head. “It’s all right, we all care about Gabriel. I was just waiting to take my final leave from you, Alpha.”

Castiel stood up and gently kicked Adam’s forehead.

“Good luck to you, my brother, my family; my kin. May your feet be swift and your eyes sharp; may you thrive in your endeavour. Mostly importantly, Adam, son of John, brother to Dean and Sam, come back safely. Come home to your family safely.”

Adam bowed his head. “Alpha, I swear to serve you in my absence, with every bone in my body.”

“Good luck, Adam.”

Adam nodded and turned to Dean. “Goodbye Dean, tell Sam goodbye from me, okay?”

Dean nodded, and hugged Adam hard before letting him go.

Dean watched his younger brother leave the tent knowing it could be the last time he ever saw him alive.

“He’ll be okay, Dean,” Castiel said, placing a hand on his mate’s shoulder.

“I hope so.”

“I hate to burden you further, Dean, but I have a favor to ask of you.”

Dean sniffed and nodded. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“I need you to go check out Gabriel. You’re the closest thing we have to another healer and I want to make sure that there’s no lasting damage to him or the babies because of his panic attack. I know that pregnant people are not supposed to become too anxious.”

Dean nodded. “Of course I’ll go, Cas. You said Sam’s with him?”

Castiel nodded. “Yes, and he seems fine, but I would prefer a second opinion. I, of course, am not a healer.”

Dean kissed Castiel on the cheek. “I’ll go now. Try to rest some, okay?”

Castiel nodded and sank down onto their bed of furs, gratefully.

Dean found Gabriel quiet and staring at a wall, lying on his side. Sam was spooned around him.

“Hey guys,” Dean said, quietly, “do you mind if I come in?”

Sam sat up. “Sure, Dean, it’s fine.” Sam stroked back Gabriel’s hair. “Gabe,” he said, gently, “do you mind if Dean takes a look at you to make sure you’re okay?”

Gabriel shook his head. “That’s fine,” he whispered.

Dean approached Gabriel slowly and gently touched his shoulder. “Can you roll on your back for me, Gabe?”

Gabriel dutifully shifted his position, and Dean hated to see his friend’s dejected face.

“How are you feeling?” Dean asked quietly, as he gently prodded Gabriel’s belly.

“Like shit,” Gabriel’s voice was gravely. “Hey Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry about what I said to you earlier.”

Dean shook his head. “It’s okay, Gabe, I know you didn’t mean it.”

“I’m still sorry.”

Dean gently shoved his friend’s shoulder. “Well, don’t be. We’re good, Gabe.”

Gabriel nodded. “Okay...thanks Dean. You’re a good friend.”

Dean smiled. “You might not say that in a minute.”

Gabriel’s brow furrowed. “What?”

“I’m putting you on bed rest,” Dean said.

“What? I’m fine! I’m a healer; I know!”

“And you’re training me,” said Dean, “and if anyone else had a severe panic attack while pregnant you would put them on bed rest for a while.”

“I’m not anyone!”

“No, you’re my friend, and you’ve obviously been way too stressed recently. A few days of rest will be good for you.”

Sam cleared his throat quietly. “I agree; you need to relax for a while, Gabe.”

Gabe spluttered. “But the pack needs me!”

“I can take care of them,” Dean said, “and if anything really stumps me, of course I’ll come and get you, but we want you and the babies to be safe, right Sammy?”

Sam nodded. “Right. You scared the shit out of me today Gabe...and I wish you had talked to me about some of this stuff...I’m here for you, Gabe.”

Gabriel nodded. “I know you are, Sammy. I love you.”

Sam smiled. “I love you too.” He walked over and kissed Gabriel on the forehead. “Will you be all right if I go and talk to Dean for a bit?”

Gabriel stretched and rolled onto his side. “I’ll be fine, Sammy. I just need sleep.”

Sam ruffled his hair and walked outside with Dean. He exhaled, hard.

“Hell of a day,” he said.

Dean laughed. “Yeah.”

Sam glanced at Dean. “So...Adam talked to me.”

“He did?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah...I just can’t believe it. I can’t believe we have another brother...and I can’t believe that dad never told us!”

Dean sighed. “I know, it’s crazy...but I’m pretty sure Dad would have told us...you know, if he’d had the time before -.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Dean walked over and gave his brother a hug. “Are you okay, Sammy?”

Sam shuddered and sat down. “I don’t know, Dean. I...I love Gabriel. I love him so much, and I don’t know how to help him, or how to convince him that I’m right here, and that I’m going to stay here.”

Dean sat next to his brother, but refused to meet his eyes. “You don’t know that, Sammy,” he said quietly.

Sam blinked. “Dean what hell?!”

“Well,” Dean said quietly, “you don’t. I didn’t really think about it until today, but something Gabriel said to me -.”

“Gabriel was upset -.”

“That doesn’t mean he didn’t have a point, Sammy. There’s a war coming, between Azazel’s pack and ours, and we don’t know when it will be. You and Cas will be fighting; Gabriel and I might, depending on if it happens long enough after we’ve both given birth, but either way, Gabriel and I could both lose the people we love. That’s a scary thought, Sam, a really scary thought.”

Sam tensed his jaw. “What does he want? Does he want me to not fight, when the time comes?”

Dean shrugged. “I don’t know, perhaps you should ask him.”

Sam let out a frustrated noise. “I just want to protect my family.”

Dean placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know, Sammy, believe me, I know, but really, you know what I think Gabriel really needs?”

“What?”

“You need to talk to him about this stuff, Sam; he needs to talk about it.”

Sam nodded. “You’re right, Dean. Hey, you know I love you, right?”

“I love you too, Sammy.”

It felt like it had been hours by the time Dean finally made it back to his tent, but Castiel was still awake and waiting for him; propped up on one elbow.

“Is Gabriel all right?”

Dean nodded and sank down next to his partner, snuggling into his side.

“He’s fine, but he’s exhausted and stressed out. I put him on bed rest for the next few days.”

Castiel nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. Gabriel was right to pick you as his assistant.”

“Thanks, Cas.” Dean pulled Castiel into a kiss, smiling as he felt his mate’s pliant lips against his. Castiel hummed into his mouth and wrapped his arms gently around Dean, one hand cradling his lower back and the other holding the back of his head.

“I love you,” Castiel said, pulling away rubbing Dean’s back, gently, “I love you so much.”

Dean sank down onto the pile of furs. “I love you too, Cas.”

Castiel smiled and rubbed Dean’s belly, gently. “I can’t wait to meet this little one.”

“Yeah, me either.”

Castiel’s eyes raked over Dean’s body. “You look so beautiful, pregnant.”

Dean snorted. “Yeah, okay, whatever.”

Cas frowned. “I mean it.”

“Cas, I love you, but you’re crazy. I know what I look like, okay? My belly’s huge, my chest is swelling, and my ass keeps getting bigger.”

Castiel shook his head. “All I heard was ‘beautiful’.”

Dean blushed. “You’re a sap.”

Castiel grinned and lay back down next to his mate.

“You love it,” he whispered in his ear.