Freaking Witches

And the Walls Come Down

Dean snorts, "And it's safe for the baby?"

"Yes, Dean, a little bit of witch weed won't hurt the kid," Gabriel assured him.

"Okay good," Dean said with a nod. That was the most important thing right now. Dean didn't want to do anything that could risk his daughter's life. He was lucky that she hadn't gotten hurt while he had been in hell. Dean was not ready to risk her life again. She was precious and needed the best protection he could provide for as long as he could. Once she was born, Dean knew there was no guarantee that he'd be around to keep her safe anymore, so he had to do what he could while he was still breathing.

"There is also a ritual they will perform during the birth. This ritual is supposed to help ease the pain too. They use semi-precious stones such as amethyst and clear quartz crystals. These stones are placed into a cloth bag and set upon an altar and blessed by the witches. As they chant, it's supposed to provide you with strength and help the whole process along," Gabriel told him.

Dean opened his mouth to speak, but Gabriel cut him off and said, "Yes Dean, it's safe, and no, this is not some scheme they are going to use to try and get free or screw us over."

Dean shut his mouth quickly. Gabriel's thoughts were already five steps ahead of Dean's. "Okay then," Dean said, "I'm down for anything that might help. I still have a bone to pick with those girls, but at least they're going to help."

Dean sighed softly and looked down at his stomach. He rubbed the bump absently. In his mind, Dean was telling himself that things could turn out good, though the odds weren't in his favor. Despite everything, there was still the slight chance that he would survive.

When Dean looked back up, he saw that Sam and Gabriel were still watching him. Sam looked away quickly when he met Dean's eyes. It looked like Sam was having a hard time keeping himself together. Dean hated that he was the source of so much distress.

"So how are things between you and Cas?" Gabriel asked hesitantly.

Dean shrugged and said, "Alright I guess."

"Have you talked about any more about this or the soul bonding stuff?" Gabriel pressed a look of concern crossing his face.

Dean shook his head, "Not really."

It had been a few hours since the last time they had even been in the same general vicinity as one another. Dean supposed that was probably his fault. He wasn't the most cheerful person to be around right now, so he understood why Cas might be avoiding him. His snappy antisocial behavior might have accidentally pushed Cas away.

Earlier, Dean had let Cas feel the gentle kicks of their child, and his face had light up in the most adorable way. For just a moment, it seemed as if everything was going to be alright between them but the mood between them had soon grown strained and uncomfortable. Eventually, it became unbearable, so Dean had excused himself and gone off to ask Sam for his laptop. That was how he now found himself illegally watching back to back episode of Doctor Sexy, wallowing in his own self-pity. All he needed now was a tub of Ben and Jerry's, to drown his frustrations in.

"You both need to stop being a pair of angsty teens and start acting like adults," Gabriel snapped bitterly. "I can't stand this drama between the two of you. Plus, don't forget you two will be soul bonding very soon, so I suggest you two work things out. The bond won't be nearly as strong if you two can't even be in the same space."

Dean sighed; of course, Gabriel was right –though he'd never admit that out loud– he just didn't know where to start or what needed to be said.

"Yeah I know," Dean mumbled, "We'll figure it out."

"You damn well better," Gabriel huffed.

"I said we would," Dean spat bitterly, "Now can you leave me in peace for like ten minutes?" Dean looked back down at the laptop screen, ready to finish watching his episode of Doctor Sexy. He'd figure things out with Cas later; he just wanted to finish his show first, so he had some time to prepare mentally.