The Grandfather Paradox 5/6
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Chapter 5
I Will Survive
Ever since Dean’s birth, Mary had had trouble becoming pregnant again. Castiel knew that; what he didn’t know was why. The cause appeared to be natural, but it was hidden from him. And while he knew how to heal many wounds and obvious illnesses, the intricacies of the human body-particularly the female-were too unfamiliar for him to feel confident in trying to search out the mystery. So he left it alone for a time.
But then, toward the end of the summer of 1978, John decided to take Mary out for a picnic, only to reach the entrance to the garage and find that it was raining. Mary suggested that they simply stop where they were, still inside the driveway tunnel, and have their picnic on the hood of the car. John agreed, and after the meal and some wine and kisses, they decided to move into the back seat and make love like a couple of teenagers. Since they were well within the bunker’s wards, Castiel left them to it.
Late that night, he sensed the spark of a soul’s conception. He hadn’t known Sam well Before, only observed him in company with Dean, and it had been hard then to see past the taint of demon blood making Sam an abomination. Yet somehow this soul seemed to Castiel to be recognizable still as Sam-and there were already traits about him that Castiel hadn’t seen Before but suspected Dean had always seen and loved.
At the same time, however, Castiel sensed Mary’s body already trying to reject the child.
Here was a dilemma he hadn’t been prepared for. Many among his garrison-Uriel, especially-would most likely advise him to let Sam die. To do so would end the Apocalypse threat for good, at least as far as this family was concerned. But could he allow it in good conscience, knowing that there was good in Sam? On the one hand, if Sam died now, in innocence, he would be assured of Heaven. But on the other hand, there was Dean, who for all his winsomeness seemed somehow incomplete without his brother at his side. The loss would diminish the rest of the family as well.
Still uncertain, Castiel flew into John and Mary’s room for a closer look at the new life. When he entered the room, the tiny soul sensed his approach... and brightened in welcome. He could also sense the child’s determination, a will to live and to fight for life if need be.
No. He couldn’t let Sam die. He would do whatever it took to help this child live and thrive and be what Dean had always known he could be.
So intent was Castiel on shepherding this pregnancy, in fact, that he didn’t realize he’d said nothing about it until he came back from buying supplies with John and a worried Henry cornered him in the kitchen. Castiel sighed, apologized, and explained himself.
That didn’t alleviate Henry’s worry, however. “Why don’t you just heal Mary?”
“I’m not a healer,” Castiel replied. “I don’t know what’s wrong. All I can do is to make sure they both live through it.”
Henry sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he digested that pronouncement. Then he looked at Castiel more closely. “Wait, is-this is the second son? The one Azazel planned to target?”
Castiel nodded. “Yes.”
“So we’re not going to have to stay here for another five years after all.”
“I believe not, no. No one will be expecting Sam to be born in what should have been Dean’s birth year. And he’ll be safe after his six-month birthday anyway. Once that day is past, he cannot be corrupted with demon blood.”
Henry nodded and blew out a breath. “Well, can’t say I’ll be sorry to get into a house with windows again.”
Castiel chuckled.
That fall, Mary asked Castiel to bring Dean with them to one of her appointments in Salina so that they could go to a park afterward. Castiel agreed, and after taking them to the park, he hid himself and checked for demons in the area. Finding none, he set out on a patrol of the perimeter.
He was on the far side of the park when someone flew straight into him. He recovered from the collision ready to fight... only to find himself face to face with Anna in her true form.
“Castiel!” she gasped. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m on assignment,” he replied evasively.
“No, you’re not. I sent you to-” She broke off and looked at him more closely. “You’re not the Castiel of this day.”
He chuckled wryly. “Depends on your definition, I suppose.” Then he sobered. “Anna, I have to ask your confidence. Don’t tell anyone you saw me. Especially Zachariah.”
She blinked. “Castiel... Zachariah’s dead.”
“Dead?!”
“Five years ago, he and Abaddon killed each other. I’m in command of the garrison now.”
He nodded slowly, assessing the new situation. Anna was more trustworthy than Zachariah or Uriel, certainly, and with Abaddon dead, the bunker was even less of a target. “What of the Winchesters?”
“No one knows. They’ve disappeared. Megara might be looking, but I’m not even sure she’s out of Hell yet. She was with Abaddon when the fight with Zachariah happened, and I can’t imagine Hell’s rulers being very happy that she let Abaddon die.”
“And the Campbells?”
“Ed’s about to drink himself to death, but other than that, they seem to be well. No one’s heard from Mary.”
Castiel nodded again and made up his mind. “Thank you. Again, I ask your confidence. Goodbye, Anna.”
“Wait, brother....”
But Castiel didn’t wait to listen. Instead, he flew straight to Mary and said, “We need to leave, now.”
As it happened, Dean had just fallen and scraped his elbow, so he was almost back to Mary’s side anyway. Mary put a hand on Dean’s shoulder and nodded to Castiel, and he took them straight back to the bunker before Anna could spot them.
While Mary patched up Dean’s scrape, Castiel sat with the men at the map table and explained what had happened, even falling into the very human posture of sitting slumped forward with his head in his hands. “I don’t know what to do,” he confessed at the end. “I want to trust Anna, but until we’re out of danger, I can’t. If she’s in command of the garrison, I don’t know if she’ll have taken over where Zachariah left off or whether she’d deem it best for the child to die now. I can’t take Mary back to Salina, but should we find another doctor elsewhere, or....”
John’s hand came down on his shoulder, cutting him off. “I think we already have one.”
Castiel looked up at him in alarm. “John, I’m not a healer.”
“No, but you’re doing a damn good job of keeping Mary and the baby healthy so far. I don’t want her or Dean leaving this bunker again until we’re absolutely sure it’s safe. So until then, I’m counting on you to keep doing what you’ve been doing.”
“What if it isn’t enough?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
“This is for your safety, too, Cas,” Henry noted. “If Anna does alert the garrison to be on the lookout for you, even as hidden as you are, the likelihood of another accident increases.”
Feeling horribly out of his depth but knowing Henry was right, Castiel sighed. “All right.”
And for most of the rest of the pregnancy, the decision seemed wise. Dean wasn’t happy about being cooped up in the bunker, but the adults did their best to keep him challenged with books and projects and helping Mary prepare a room for Sam’s arrival. Mary did have a few relatively minor complications, but Castiel learned enough from John and Henry to figure out how to heal them. And Sam grew and thrived exactly as he should, delighting in Castiel’s company much as Dean had done in the womb. Everything seemed to be going well as Mary reached the stage of Braxton-Hicks contractions helping her and Sam prepare for his eventual arrival.
But when the morning of May 2 dawned, Castiel had the overwhelming sense that something was about to go terribly wrong. After watching Mary anxiously for about half an hour, he decided to act on that sense. It took him a moment’s searching to find a good hospital that wasn’t too far, too close, too obvious, or too dangerous in other ways, but when he did, he flew to it and triple-checked its personnel and its surroundings for other angels or demons. Finding none, he warded it thoroughly-and called for help.
He didn’t think he’d been gone long. Yet when he returned, Mary was screaming in agony, and from her side, John turned to him in anger and fear. “Cas, where’ve you been?” he demanded. “She’s bleeding.”
Castiel turned to Henry, who was holding a terrified Dean. “Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis.”
Henry nodded. “We’ll meet you.”
Castiel nodded back and flew John and Mary straight to the emergency room. The nurses took one look at the human couple and flew into action, calling for a doctor and an operating room. Getting John to relinquish Mary to their care was something of a struggle, but Castiel soon convinced him that the place was safe. Mary was so afraid and in pain, however, that she fought the anesthetic even as the medical staff prepared to take her to the operating room.
Even from where he sat making John do the paperwork, Castiel was aware of the doctor calling the staff to a pause and gently taking Mary’s hand. “As surely as the Lord lives, Mary Campbell Winchester,” the doctor said quietly, “I will not let you die.”
Mary accepted the assurance for what it was and let the anesthetic do its work, aided by the touch of power the doctor brushed against her temple. Then the medical team whisked her off to the OR, and Castiel and John were left to wait.
And wait.
And wait.
Several hours passed before the doctor, looking weary and bloodied, finally came back to the waiting room. “John Winchester?”
John shot to his feet. “What happened? How are they?”
“First things first. Your son is fine, and your wife will recover.”
“Recover? What the hell are you talking about?”
The doctor opened his mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by a page. He shot an annoyed look at the intercom... and sent the illusion he’d been wearing off to answer the page by itself, revealing his vessel’s true form. Scowling, John reached for his gun.
Castiel caught his arm. “John. This is my brother Gabriel.”
“Your-” John did a double-take as the name’s significance registered, and he stared wide-eyed at Gabriel.
Gabriel held up both hands to forestall any questions. “Let me explain what happened.”
“I’m all ears,” John replied.
“Mary had a placental abruption. We had to do an emergency C-section. Now, that part of it went fine, thanks to Castiel getting you here right away; we got the baby out whole and healthy. He’s full term, shouldn’t have any residual problems as a result of all this. Then we cleared out the placenta. I looked away from Mary for two seconds... and by the time I looked back, there was a golf-ball-sized tumor on the back wall of her uterus.”
John gasped.
“I don’t know where the cancer had been hiding, but once that oxygen hit it, it started spreading like wildfire. Fortunately, she was already opened up, and we were able to get the uterus out before the cancer could metastasize. She lost a lot of blood, though-had to give her three units just to get her stable.”
John sat down hard.
“But John, she is stable. She’s in the recovery room right now. Barring further complications, she should make a full recovery. You just... won’t be having any more kids after this one.”
“Wh-why didn’t you....”
Gabriel spread his hands. “I’m not a healer. Had to swipe all the know-how from the doctor I’m replacing for the day, actually. And like I said, I don’t have a clue where that cancer came from. Besides, doing it this way keeps everybody off the radar, myself included.”
John ran a shaking hand over his mouth. “When can I see them?”
“It’ll be an hour or so yet before you can go in to see Mary. But the baby’s in the nursery. I can take you to see him now.”
John took a deep breath, nodded, and stood. “That’d be good. Thanks.”
Gabriel led John and Castiel to an elevator, through several halls, and to the nursery window. Sam’s warming crib was close to the window, and the poor boy was crying in fear and confusion, being in such a strange state so far from everyone and everything he knew.
Castiel put his hand to the glass. We’re here, little one, he thought.
Cas! Sam thought back, quieting some. Daddy Mommy Grandpa Dean?
Your father’s right here. Your mother will be all right. Grandpa and Dean are coming.
The nurse picked Sam up to show him to John, and Sam blinked. Daddy?
As if in answer, John put one hand to the window and ran the other over his mouth as he tried not to weep in relief. Castiel squeezed John’s shoulder.
“AaaAAAaaah!” Sam cried. Want Daddy!
Patience, Castiel replied. He’ll get to hold you soon.
“Do you have a name for him?” the nurse asked John.
“Yeah,” John replied, his voice rough with emotion. “Sammy-S-Samuel Henry.”
Castiel smiled at that. “He’ll be honored.”
Sam made another unhappy noise. Want Daddy.
Soon, Sam, was all Castiel could reply. Soon.
Just then John was paged to take a call from Henry at the nurses’ station. Castiel hung back to keep Sam company while Gabriel went with John. After giving Henry a brief update and finding out that he and Dean were still about four hours away, John came back to the nursery window to say goodbye to Sam for the moment. Then Gabriel and Castiel took John down to the cafeteria and made sure he ate some lunch. By the time he’d finished, Mary was well enough recovered that John was allowed in to see her. Gabriel and Castiel hid themselves and followed, waiting just inside the door while John clung to Mary and finally let himself break down.
“Ironic, isn’t it?” Castiel whispered for Gabriel’s ears alone.
Gabriel huffed. “You’re telling me. At least this time, cutting her open saved her life.”
“Gabriel, I don’t understand. There hadn’t been any cancer in the other timeline.”
“I know. I don’t get it, either, and I don’t know why the muttonheads came early. That much, I’m guessing, was Dad’s doing, but Mary... I dunno, almost seems like-”
The angels looked at each other as the same thought occurred to them at the same time, then stepped out into the hall to find another figure there, a white-robed blonde who’d been hidden even from their sight up to now.
“Atropos,” they growled in unison.
The Fate held up both hands, empty, palms out. “Take it easy, Loki. I’m not here to cut anyone’s thread, I promise.”
“Then what are you doing here?” Gabriel demanded.
“Look, whatever Yahweh’s doing with the Winchesters in terms of timing and who lives and who dies is none of my concern at this point. I’m just here to make sure John and Mary have only two children, no more, no less. That much is fated. I don’t care about the rest.”
Gabriel sighed.
Castiel frowned. “Does anyone else know we’re here, aside from your sisters?”
Atropos shook her head. “No. Well, Chronos might, but I don’t think he’s in this year right now. But before you get any bright ideas, Castiel, I give you my solemn word that neither Heaven nor Hell will hear anything from us-and besides, not even you can kill Fate.” And with that, she left.
With a grimace, Gabriel slammed a hand against a wall and added more wards to lock out any other inquiring gods and goddesses.
“We should leave,” Castiel said.
Gabriel shook his head. “No, no dice. It’ll be at least a week before the hospital will even think about letting Mary go. We can speed her healing, but anything more than that will raise way too many questions. Besides, Atropos never lies. If she says no one knows, then no one knows.”
Castiel sighed heavily.
“Hey.” Gabriel put a hand on Castiel’s shoulder. “You’ve done a damn good job so far keeping them safe. The hospital’s sealed up tighter than a drum. We’re still off the Host’s radar. We can keep them under cover for a week.”
“We?”
Gabriel shrugged dismissively and dropped his hand. “Eh. I got nothin’ else going on.”
“Gabriel... thank you.”
Gabriel shrugged again and ducked his head a little.
The next few hours passed quickly from an angelic perspective. Mary was moved to a private room before Henry and Dean arrived, and Gabriel performed some sleight of hand to ensure that the entire family would be allowed to stay with her. The only exception was Sam, who could be in the room while Mary was awake but had to stay in the nursery overnight so that his cries wouldn’t disturb Mary’s rest. Sam was decidedly unhappy about that, but there was nothing the angels could do.
Nonetheless, once the other Winchesters were soundly asleep that night, Castiel decided to go to the nursery and check on Sam. He arrived just in time to see Gabriel, cradling Sam in one arm, slide the nipple of a bottle into the babe’s mouth.
Sam made a small contented noise as he started to suckle. Yay, good, thanks. Bright good happy help saved thank you yes love love love.
“Ahhh,” Gabriel deflected, but Castiel could hear his wings ruffling in embarrassment. “Shucks, kid, weren’t nothin’.”
“You’re fond of him,” Castiel observed quietly.
Gabriel shrugged his free shoulder but didn’t look away from Sam. “He’s a cute kid. And Dean’s not bad.”
Sam was highly amused.
Castiel walked over and gently ran a hand over the top of Sam’s downy head. “Hello, Sam.”
Cas, Sam thought back. Happy bright good safe love.
Castiel didn’t really know what to reply to that, so he kept gently rubbing Sam’s head until the boy had drunk his fill and released the bottle with a wide yawn. Gabriel burped him carefully, and within seconds, Sam was asleep again, still resting on Gabriel’s shoulder.
“Come back with us, brother,” Castiel said.
Gabriel sighed. “I’ll think about it.”
He thought about it all the more when they got back to Mary’s room to find that Dean had crawled into bed with his mother and was asleep in her arms with his ear over her heart. A nurse had come in to check Mary’s vital signs, however, and was just about to wake Dean and move him.
“Hey,” Gabriel said quietly, getting the nurse’s attention but not disturbing the rest of the family. “Leave him be, huh? Poor kid almost lost his mother today.”
The nurse looked uncertain. “He’s really not supposed....”
“Ah, come on, what harm can he do? Look.” Gabriel pointed to a pillow shielding Mary’s incision from Dean’s knees that... might or might not have been present before he pointed to it.
The nurse wavered more. “Well....”
“He’s four years old. C’mon, have a heart, huh?”
She sighed. “Oh, all right, if... if you’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt her.”
Gabriel held up two fingers at shoulder height. “Scout’s honor.”
The nurse nodded, shot Dean a pitying look, and read the vital signs without waking Mary. As she left, though, Castiel gave Gabriel a long assessing look.
And Gabriel actually flushed a little under the scrutiny. “Shut up,” he grumbled once the door was closed.
“Scout’s honor?” Castiel asked.
“It’s a Boy Scout-look, watch the door, will you? Swear I’m getting soft in my old age,” he added under his breath as he stomped over to the window.
Castiel resolutely did not chuckle.
A week was only an instant from an angelic perspective, yet it was time enough for both Dean and Sam to worm their way firmly into Gabriel’s affections. The clincher seemed to be when Dean, being bored, convinced Gabriel to take him around to the children’s wing so he could make friends with the other kids who were sick. For his own part, Castiel found himself marveling often at Sam, whose innocent soul shone with the beauty of faith and hope Castiel kicked himself for having been unable to see past the demon blood and Ruby’s influence. He knew now that he’d done the right thing in bringing Sam this far, and he was more determined than ever to keep this precious child safe from those who plotted his destruction.
At last, however, the week was over, and Mary was indeed well enough to return home. Gabriel took charge of her wheelchair as John led the family out to the parking garage, and he lingered while John settled Mary in the front seat and Henry settled Sam in the car seat in the back. Then John got in the driver’s seat, and Henry and Dean took the remaining spaces in the back. And still Gabriel hesitated.
“Well, brother?” Castiel asked. “Are you coming?”
Sam and Dean looked up at him pleadingly.
Gabriel held out another fifteen seconds before caving. “Oh, fine,” he sighed and snapped his fingers to return the wheelchair to the front desk.
Dean cheered and scrambled over into Henry’s lap to let Gabriel get in beside him. Castiel slid in next to Mary, and once the doors were closed, Castiel laid a hand on the dashboard to take the car and all its occupants directly to the bunker’s garage.
The next six months were a trial, even with Gabriel there to help entertain Dean and ferry Mary back and forth to her doctor’s appointments. Mary’s recovery took three months, which meant the men and the angels had to take up quite a lot of slack in terms of housework and looking after the boys. Sam wasn’t really old enough to cause much mischief, but even though John and Henry tried to keep Dean occupied with lessons and projects and games, he still grew bored and restless. Gabriel finally had to turn an empty storeroom into a makeshift Holodeck (well, that was what Dean called it; Castiel had never quite understood Star Trek) just to give Dean an outlet and a change of scenery.
On the night of November 2, however, the family went even further into lockdown mode than they already had been. Just to make absolutely certain that nothing had been able to track Sam down and breach the bunker’s wards, John and Gabriel stationed themselves in Sam’s room, Castiel and Henry in the hall, and Dean with Mary. Dean fell asleep, naturally, but he and Mary still took comfort from being able to keep an eye on each other. Still, all through the long night, men and angels watched and waited.
Yet all was quiet. Nothing stirred in the bunker, outside the bunker, or in the town-no demons, no hellhounds, no angels. Castiel even made a quick patrol around Lebanon before first light, but he encountered no threats.
At sunrise, while Mary made coffee, Castiel came to John and said, “I think we should go into town today.”
John blinked in surprise. “Why?”
“There are three houses for sale. I thought perhaps... one for your family, one for Henry, and one for Gabriel and me.”
There was a stunned silence before John, sounding very young indeed, asked, “It’s... it’s over?”
Castiel nodded. “It’s over. Sam’s blood can’t be corrupted anymore. We’re safe.”
And suddenly, much to his surprise, Castiel found John pulling him into a crushing hug and sobbing gratefully into his shoulder.
Next
Chapter 5
I Will Survive
Ever since Dean’s birth, Mary had had trouble becoming pregnant again. Castiel knew that; what he didn’t know was why. The cause appeared to be natural, but it was hidden from him. And while he knew how to heal many wounds and obvious illnesses, the intricacies of the human body-particularly the female-were too unfamiliar for him to feel confident in trying to search out the mystery. So he left it alone for a time.
But then, toward the end of the summer of 1978, John decided to take Mary out for a picnic, only to reach the entrance to the garage and find that it was raining. Mary suggested that they simply stop where they were, still inside the driveway tunnel, and have their picnic on the hood of the car. John agreed, and after the meal and some wine and kisses, they decided to move into the back seat and make love like a couple of teenagers. Since they were well within the bunker’s wards, Castiel left them to it.
Late that night, he sensed the spark of a soul’s conception. He hadn’t known Sam well Before, only observed him in company with Dean, and it had been hard then to see past the taint of demon blood making Sam an abomination. Yet somehow this soul seemed to Castiel to be recognizable still as Sam-and there were already traits about him that Castiel hadn’t seen Before but suspected Dean had always seen and loved.
At the same time, however, Castiel sensed Mary’s body already trying to reject the child.
Here was a dilemma he hadn’t been prepared for. Many among his garrison-Uriel, especially-would most likely advise him to let Sam die. To do so would end the Apocalypse threat for good, at least as far as this family was concerned. But could he allow it in good conscience, knowing that there was good in Sam? On the one hand, if Sam died now, in innocence, he would be assured of Heaven. But on the other hand, there was Dean, who for all his winsomeness seemed somehow incomplete without his brother at his side. The loss would diminish the rest of the family as well.
Still uncertain, Castiel flew into John and Mary’s room for a closer look at the new life. When he entered the room, the tiny soul sensed his approach... and brightened in welcome. He could also sense the child’s determination, a will to live and to fight for life if need be.
No. He couldn’t let Sam die. He would do whatever it took to help this child live and thrive and be what Dean had always known he could be.
So intent was Castiel on shepherding this pregnancy, in fact, that he didn’t realize he’d said nothing about it until he came back from buying supplies with John and a worried Henry cornered him in the kitchen. Castiel sighed, apologized, and explained himself.
That didn’t alleviate Henry’s worry, however. “Why don’t you just heal Mary?”
“I’m not a healer,” Castiel replied. “I don’t know what’s wrong. All I can do is to make sure they both live through it.”
Henry sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he digested that pronouncement. Then he looked at Castiel more closely. “Wait, is-this is the second son? The one Azazel planned to target?”
Castiel nodded. “Yes.”
“So we’re not going to have to stay here for another five years after all.”
“I believe not, no. No one will be expecting Sam to be born in what should have been Dean’s birth year. And he’ll be safe after his six-month birthday anyway. Once that day is past, he cannot be corrupted with demon blood.”
Henry nodded and blew out a breath. “Well, can’t say I’ll be sorry to get into a house with windows again.”
Castiel chuckled.
That fall, Mary asked Castiel to bring Dean with them to one of her appointments in Salina so that they could go to a park afterward. Castiel agreed, and after taking them to the park, he hid himself and checked for demons in the area. Finding none, he set out on a patrol of the perimeter.
He was on the far side of the park when someone flew straight into him. He recovered from the collision ready to fight... only to find himself face to face with Anna in her true form.
“Castiel!” she gasped. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m on assignment,” he replied evasively.
“No, you’re not. I sent you to-” She broke off and looked at him more closely. “You’re not the Castiel of this day.”
He chuckled wryly. “Depends on your definition, I suppose.” Then he sobered. “Anna, I have to ask your confidence. Don’t tell anyone you saw me. Especially Zachariah.”
She blinked. “Castiel... Zachariah’s dead.”
“Dead?!”
“Five years ago, he and Abaddon killed each other. I’m in command of the garrison now.”
He nodded slowly, assessing the new situation. Anna was more trustworthy than Zachariah or Uriel, certainly, and with Abaddon dead, the bunker was even less of a target. “What of the Winchesters?”
“No one knows. They’ve disappeared. Megara might be looking, but I’m not even sure she’s out of Hell yet. She was with Abaddon when the fight with Zachariah happened, and I can’t imagine Hell’s rulers being very happy that she let Abaddon die.”
“And the Campbells?”
“Ed’s about to drink himself to death, but other than that, they seem to be well. No one’s heard from Mary.”
Castiel nodded again and made up his mind. “Thank you. Again, I ask your confidence. Goodbye, Anna.”
“Wait, brother....”
But Castiel didn’t wait to listen. Instead, he flew straight to Mary and said, “We need to leave, now.”
As it happened, Dean had just fallen and scraped his elbow, so he was almost back to Mary’s side anyway. Mary put a hand on Dean’s shoulder and nodded to Castiel, and he took them straight back to the bunker before Anna could spot them.
While Mary patched up Dean’s scrape, Castiel sat with the men at the map table and explained what had happened, even falling into the very human posture of sitting slumped forward with his head in his hands. “I don’t know what to do,” he confessed at the end. “I want to trust Anna, but until we’re out of danger, I can’t. If she’s in command of the garrison, I don’t know if she’ll have taken over where Zachariah left off or whether she’d deem it best for the child to die now. I can’t take Mary back to Salina, but should we find another doctor elsewhere, or....”
John’s hand came down on his shoulder, cutting him off. “I think we already have one.”
Castiel looked up at him in alarm. “John, I’m not a healer.”
“No, but you’re doing a damn good job of keeping Mary and the baby healthy so far. I don’t want her or Dean leaving this bunker again until we’re absolutely sure it’s safe. So until then, I’m counting on you to keep doing what you’ve been doing.”
“What if it isn’t enough?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
“This is for your safety, too, Cas,” Henry noted. “If Anna does alert the garrison to be on the lookout for you, even as hidden as you are, the likelihood of another accident increases.”
Feeling horribly out of his depth but knowing Henry was right, Castiel sighed. “All right.”
And for most of the rest of the pregnancy, the decision seemed wise. Dean wasn’t happy about being cooped up in the bunker, but the adults did their best to keep him challenged with books and projects and helping Mary prepare a room for Sam’s arrival. Mary did have a few relatively minor complications, but Castiel learned enough from John and Henry to figure out how to heal them. And Sam grew and thrived exactly as he should, delighting in Castiel’s company much as Dean had done in the womb. Everything seemed to be going well as Mary reached the stage of Braxton-Hicks contractions helping her and Sam prepare for his eventual arrival.
But when the morning of May 2 dawned, Castiel had the overwhelming sense that something was about to go terribly wrong. After watching Mary anxiously for about half an hour, he decided to act on that sense. It took him a moment’s searching to find a good hospital that wasn’t too far, too close, too obvious, or too dangerous in other ways, but when he did, he flew to it and triple-checked its personnel and its surroundings for other angels or demons. Finding none, he warded it thoroughly-and called for help.
He didn’t think he’d been gone long. Yet when he returned, Mary was screaming in agony, and from her side, John turned to him in anger and fear. “Cas, where’ve you been?” he demanded. “She’s bleeding.”
Castiel turned to Henry, who was holding a terrified Dean. “Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis.”
Henry nodded. “We’ll meet you.”
Castiel nodded back and flew John and Mary straight to the emergency room. The nurses took one look at the human couple and flew into action, calling for a doctor and an operating room. Getting John to relinquish Mary to their care was something of a struggle, but Castiel soon convinced him that the place was safe. Mary was so afraid and in pain, however, that she fought the anesthetic even as the medical staff prepared to take her to the operating room.
Even from where he sat making John do the paperwork, Castiel was aware of the doctor calling the staff to a pause and gently taking Mary’s hand. “As surely as the Lord lives, Mary Campbell Winchester,” the doctor said quietly, “I will not let you die.”
Mary accepted the assurance for what it was and let the anesthetic do its work, aided by the touch of power the doctor brushed against her temple. Then the medical team whisked her off to the OR, and Castiel and John were left to wait.
And wait.
And wait.
Several hours passed before the doctor, looking weary and bloodied, finally came back to the waiting room. “John Winchester?”
John shot to his feet. “What happened? How are they?”
“First things first. Your son is fine, and your wife will recover.”
“Recover? What the hell are you talking about?”
The doctor opened his mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by a page. He shot an annoyed look at the intercom... and sent the illusion he’d been wearing off to answer the page by itself, revealing his vessel’s true form. Scowling, John reached for his gun.
Castiel caught his arm. “John. This is my brother Gabriel.”
“Your-” John did a double-take as the name’s significance registered, and he stared wide-eyed at Gabriel.
Gabriel held up both hands to forestall any questions. “Let me explain what happened.”
“I’m all ears,” John replied.
“Mary had a placental abruption. We had to do an emergency C-section. Now, that part of it went fine, thanks to Castiel getting you here right away; we got the baby out whole and healthy. He’s full term, shouldn’t have any residual problems as a result of all this. Then we cleared out the placenta. I looked away from Mary for two seconds... and by the time I looked back, there was a golf-ball-sized tumor on the back wall of her uterus.”
John gasped.
“I don’t know where the cancer had been hiding, but once that oxygen hit it, it started spreading like wildfire. Fortunately, she was already opened up, and we were able to get the uterus out before the cancer could metastasize. She lost a lot of blood, though-had to give her three units just to get her stable.”
John sat down hard.
“But John, she is stable. She’s in the recovery room right now. Barring further complications, she should make a full recovery. You just... won’t be having any more kids after this one.”
“Wh-why didn’t you....”
Gabriel spread his hands. “I’m not a healer. Had to swipe all the know-how from the doctor I’m replacing for the day, actually. And like I said, I don’t have a clue where that cancer came from. Besides, doing it this way keeps everybody off the radar, myself included.”
John ran a shaking hand over his mouth. “When can I see them?”
“It’ll be an hour or so yet before you can go in to see Mary. But the baby’s in the nursery. I can take you to see him now.”
John took a deep breath, nodded, and stood. “That’d be good. Thanks.”
Gabriel led John and Castiel to an elevator, through several halls, and to the nursery window. Sam’s warming crib was close to the window, and the poor boy was crying in fear and confusion, being in such a strange state so far from everyone and everything he knew.
Castiel put his hand to the glass. We’re here, little one, he thought.
Cas! Sam thought back, quieting some. Daddy Mommy Grandpa Dean?
Your father’s right here. Your mother will be all right. Grandpa and Dean are coming.
The nurse picked Sam up to show him to John, and Sam blinked. Daddy?
As if in answer, John put one hand to the window and ran the other over his mouth as he tried not to weep in relief. Castiel squeezed John’s shoulder.
“AaaAAAaaah!” Sam cried. Want Daddy!
Patience, Castiel replied. He’ll get to hold you soon.
“Do you have a name for him?” the nurse asked John.
“Yeah,” John replied, his voice rough with emotion. “Sammy-S-Samuel Henry.”
Castiel smiled at that. “He’ll be honored.”
Sam made another unhappy noise. Want Daddy.
Soon, Sam, was all Castiel could reply. Soon.
Just then John was paged to take a call from Henry at the nurses’ station. Castiel hung back to keep Sam company while Gabriel went with John. After giving Henry a brief update and finding out that he and Dean were still about four hours away, John came back to the nursery window to say goodbye to Sam for the moment. Then Gabriel and Castiel took John down to the cafeteria and made sure he ate some lunch. By the time he’d finished, Mary was well enough recovered that John was allowed in to see her. Gabriel and Castiel hid themselves and followed, waiting just inside the door while John clung to Mary and finally let himself break down.
“Ironic, isn’t it?” Castiel whispered for Gabriel’s ears alone.
Gabriel huffed. “You’re telling me. At least this time, cutting her open saved her life.”
“Gabriel, I don’t understand. There hadn’t been any cancer in the other timeline.”
“I know. I don’t get it, either, and I don’t know why the muttonheads came early. That much, I’m guessing, was Dad’s doing, but Mary... I dunno, almost seems like-”
The angels looked at each other as the same thought occurred to them at the same time, then stepped out into the hall to find another figure there, a white-robed blonde who’d been hidden even from their sight up to now.
“Atropos,” they growled in unison.
The Fate held up both hands, empty, palms out. “Take it easy, Loki. I’m not here to cut anyone’s thread, I promise.”
“Then what are you doing here?” Gabriel demanded.
“Look, whatever Yahweh’s doing with the Winchesters in terms of timing and who lives and who dies is none of my concern at this point. I’m just here to make sure John and Mary have only two children, no more, no less. That much is fated. I don’t care about the rest.”
Gabriel sighed.
Castiel frowned. “Does anyone else know we’re here, aside from your sisters?”
Atropos shook her head. “No. Well, Chronos might, but I don’t think he’s in this year right now. But before you get any bright ideas, Castiel, I give you my solemn word that neither Heaven nor Hell will hear anything from us-and besides, not even you can kill Fate.” And with that, she left.
With a grimace, Gabriel slammed a hand against a wall and added more wards to lock out any other inquiring gods and goddesses.
“We should leave,” Castiel said.
Gabriel shook his head. “No, no dice. It’ll be at least a week before the hospital will even think about letting Mary go. We can speed her healing, but anything more than that will raise way too many questions. Besides, Atropos never lies. If she says no one knows, then no one knows.”
Castiel sighed heavily.
“Hey.” Gabriel put a hand on Castiel’s shoulder. “You’ve done a damn good job so far keeping them safe. The hospital’s sealed up tighter than a drum. We’re still off the Host’s radar. We can keep them under cover for a week.”
“We?”
Gabriel shrugged dismissively and dropped his hand. “Eh. I got nothin’ else going on.”
“Gabriel... thank you.”
Gabriel shrugged again and ducked his head a little.
The next few hours passed quickly from an angelic perspective. Mary was moved to a private room before Henry and Dean arrived, and Gabriel performed some sleight of hand to ensure that the entire family would be allowed to stay with her. The only exception was Sam, who could be in the room while Mary was awake but had to stay in the nursery overnight so that his cries wouldn’t disturb Mary’s rest. Sam was decidedly unhappy about that, but there was nothing the angels could do.
Nonetheless, once the other Winchesters were soundly asleep that night, Castiel decided to go to the nursery and check on Sam. He arrived just in time to see Gabriel, cradling Sam in one arm, slide the nipple of a bottle into the babe’s mouth.
Sam made a small contented noise as he started to suckle. Yay, good, thanks. Bright good happy help saved thank you yes love love love.
“Ahhh,” Gabriel deflected, but Castiel could hear his wings ruffling in embarrassment. “Shucks, kid, weren’t nothin’.”
“You’re fond of him,” Castiel observed quietly.
Gabriel shrugged his free shoulder but didn’t look away from Sam. “He’s a cute kid. And Dean’s not bad.”
Sam was highly amused.
Castiel walked over and gently ran a hand over the top of Sam’s downy head. “Hello, Sam.”
Cas, Sam thought back. Happy bright good safe love.
Castiel didn’t really know what to reply to that, so he kept gently rubbing Sam’s head until the boy had drunk his fill and released the bottle with a wide yawn. Gabriel burped him carefully, and within seconds, Sam was asleep again, still resting on Gabriel’s shoulder.
“Come back with us, brother,” Castiel said.
Gabriel sighed. “I’ll think about it.”
He thought about it all the more when they got back to Mary’s room to find that Dean had crawled into bed with his mother and was asleep in her arms with his ear over her heart. A nurse had come in to check Mary’s vital signs, however, and was just about to wake Dean and move him.
“Hey,” Gabriel said quietly, getting the nurse’s attention but not disturbing the rest of the family. “Leave him be, huh? Poor kid almost lost his mother today.”
The nurse looked uncertain. “He’s really not supposed....”
“Ah, come on, what harm can he do? Look.” Gabriel pointed to a pillow shielding Mary’s incision from Dean’s knees that... might or might not have been present before he pointed to it.
The nurse wavered more. “Well....”
“He’s four years old. C’mon, have a heart, huh?”
She sighed. “Oh, all right, if... if you’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt her.”
Gabriel held up two fingers at shoulder height. “Scout’s honor.”
The nurse nodded, shot Dean a pitying look, and read the vital signs without waking Mary. As she left, though, Castiel gave Gabriel a long assessing look.
And Gabriel actually flushed a little under the scrutiny. “Shut up,” he grumbled once the door was closed.
“Scout’s honor?” Castiel asked.
“It’s a Boy Scout-look, watch the door, will you? Swear I’m getting soft in my old age,” he added under his breath as he stomped over to the window.
Castiel resolutely did not chuckle.
A week was only an instant from an angelic perspective, yet it was time enough for both Dean and Sam to worm their way firmly into Gabriel’s affections. The clincher seemed to be when Dean, being bored, convinced Gabriel to take him around to the children’s wing so he could make friends with the other kids who were sick. For his own part, Castiel found himself marveling often at Sam, whose innocent soul shone with the beauty of faith and hope Castiel kicked himself for having been unable to see past the demon blood and Ruby’s influence. He knew now that he’d done the right thing in bringing Sam this far, and he was more determined than ever to keep this precious child safe from those who plotted his destruction.
At last, however, the week was over, and Mary was indeed well enough to return home. Gabriel took charge of her wheelchair as John led the family out to the parking garage, and he lingered while John settled Mary in the front seat and Henry settled Sam in the car seat in the back. Then John got in the driver’s seat, and Henry and Dean took the remaining spaces in the back. And still Gabriel hesitated.
“Well, brother?” Castiel asked. “Are you coming?”
Sam and Dean looked up at him pleadingly.
Gabriel held out another fifteen seconds before caving. “Oh, fine,” he sighed and snapped his fingers to return the wheelchair to the front desk.
Dean cheered and scrambled over into Henry’s lap to let Gabriel get in beside him. Castiel slid in next to Mary, and once the doors were closed, Castiel laid a hand on the dashboard to take the car and all its occupants directly to the bunker’s garage.
The next six months were a trial, even with Gabriel there to help entertain Dean and ferry Mary back and forth to her doctor’s appointments. Mary’s recovery took three months, which meant the men and the angels had to take up quite a lot of slack in terms of housework and looking after the boys. Sam wasn’t really old enough to cause much mischief, but even though John and Henry tried to keep Dean occupied with lessons and projects and games, he still grew bored and restless. Gabriel finally had to turn an empty storeroom into a makeshift Holodeck (well, that was what Dean called it; Castiel had never quite understood Star Trek) just to give Dean an outlet and a change of scenery.
On the night of November 2, however, the family went even further into lockdown mode than they already had been. Just to make absolutely certain that nothing had been able to track Sam down and breach the bunker’s wards, John and Gabriel stationed themselves in Sam’s room, Castiel and Henry in the hall, and Dean with Mary. Dean fell asleep, naturally, but he and Mary still took comfort from being able to keep an eye on each other. Still, all through the long night, men and angels watched and waited.
Yet all was quiet. Nothing stirred in the bunker, outside the bunker, or in the town-no demons, no hellhounds, no angels. Castiel even made a quick patrol around Lebanon before first light, but he encountered no threats.
At sunrise, while Mary made coffee, Castiel came to John and said, “I think we should go into town today.”
John blinked in surprise. “Why?”
“There are three houses for sale. I thought perhaps... one for your family, one for Henry, and one for Gabriel and me.”
There was a stunned silence before John, sounding very young indeed, asked, “It’s... it’s over?”
Castiel nodded. “It’s over. Sam’s blood can’t be corrupted anymore. We’re safe.”
And suddenly, much to his surprise, Castiel found John pulling him into a crushing hug and sobbing gratefully into his shoulder.
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