An Arranged Marriage

Chapter 39

Waiting. It was probably one of the hardest things any person had to go through. Having to wait while Dean was no doubt being tortured? You wouldn't have wished that feeling on your worst enemy.

You were waiting on Cas. Waiting for him to return from heaven with a piece of the branch. Worry with each hour he didn't return. Hoping that somehow he hadn't been captured, or killed.

Then there was Sam. He tried to keep a positive attitude, mainly for your benefit of course. Talking about the nursery, helping you decorate it. Making sure you were taking all of the vitamins the doctor had ordered. You often found him searching over pregnancy books, bringing you healthy shakes, or foods that you turned your nose up at. Even sometimes running to the grocery store, picking up your newest craving, no matter how weird they seemed.

Laying in bed, your hand rested against your belly. It was amazing to realize that a human being was growing in you. Getting ready to come out into this crazy world. Hopefully, by then, her Dad would be back at your side, her uncle back from Heaven. You wanted things as normal as they could get around here.

"Can I come in?" Sam asked, knocking on the doorframe.

"You don't have to ask," you told him, moving to slide up into a sitting position, finding it extremely hard with your protruding belly. "You're always welcome."

Coming to the side, he gently grasped your arm, moving to help you when you felt something flutter deep inside, before a hard jab to your stomach. "Ouch," you cried out instinctively.

Sam mistook your cry as something he had done, stepping back away from you, his arms raised. Placing your hand on your belly, you stared up at him in awe. "Sam, it was the baby. She kicked!"

His mouth hanging wide, Sam glanced down at where your hand was, both of you in shock. "Can...can I?" He asked, unsure.

Nodding, you reached for his hand, placing it on your belly as your baby kicked once again. "I can't believe...I've never felt anything like that before," he stuttered, his eyes shining, a huge smile on his face. "I just wish...,"

Just like that the happy mood was gone, and both of you were once again hit with the grim reality that you were more than likely going to raise this baby without it's Father. "I'm sorry, I didn't think."

Shaking your head, you took a deep breath. "Sam, we can't keep tiptoeing around it. Dean's not here, and while we're doing everything in our power to bring him back, we have a new life that will be joining us faster than we can imagine. We have each other, and I'm going to need you now more than ever."

Before Sam could answer, a loud thud was heard from the library. Glancing at each other, Sam took off down the hallway, leaving you to struggle to get off the bed. Moving as fast as you could, you raced down the hallway, peeking around the corner to see what was going on.

Sam had rounded the table, bending over to pick up what had fallen on the floor. Turns out it wasn't a thing, but the Angel you had been so worried about. "Cas!" You exclaimed, rushing forward, almost tripping over the stairs as you went.

As suddenly as you moved forward you stopped at the sight of Cas. He was bloody and beaten, barely able to stand even with Sam's help. Helping him to a chair, Sam stood back, running a hand through his hair. "What happened to you?"

"The angels," Cas sputtered, coughing up blood as he reached into his pocket. "They found me, and they really didn't want me to leave with this. I didn't kill any, but it was a close escape."

"Is that?" You asked, coming to stand by the table, reaching for the branch. But Cas kept it in his hand, shaking his head.

"Yes, this is the branch. But Y/N, it has powers. And I have no idea what those powers will do to a human. Especially one carrying a child. I will hold on to it until we need to give it to Crowley."

Sinking down into the chair you could see him staring closely at you, his head cocked slightly. "What?"

"Your baby. She kicked, didn't she?" He asked, and you nodded, wondering how he knew.

"She is growing fast. And strong. I think she will arrive sooner than any of us had planned."

Sam changed the topic, which you were slightly grateful for. "Cas, we have all the other ingredients Crowley asked. Now that we have the branch, we just need to contact Crowley."

Shaking your head, you drew their attention your way. "We don't contact him. He said to meet, in about a day, back in that alley."

Grasping the back of a chair, Sam frowned. "I still don't like this plan. It feels like a trap, and we're giving him powerful items that he has no right to possess!"

"What's your suggestion?" You asked him. Because you felt the same. You didn't trust Crowley, and you really didn't want to hand over such valuable, ancient relics so he could create World War 3 or something.

"Maybe you could wait and actually give me a chance," Crowley muttered from the staircase, making all of you jump.

Sam was the first to react, jumping to his feet, pulling the knife from its sheath. "Crowley, how did you get in here?"

Slowly moving down the stairs, he shrugged his shoulders, his sleek black coat barely moving with the gesture. "Don't you remember? You've let me in once. Now I can come and go as I please."

"Not for long. I'll have that fixed...," Cas muttered just as Crowley sank gracefully down into the empty chair at the head of the table.

Snapping his fingers, a glass of whiskey sat in front of him. "Now, shall we get down to business?"