The Quirkes of Magic

Aon: All Along the Watchtower

"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."
        -Chanakya
   The daylight had dissipated in the sky as the impala pulled into the driveway of the tiny shore cabin. Crashing waves had disturbed the ginger teen from her nap whilst her spit dribbled all over the seatbelt her head had been gently resting against. She groggily lifted her head and faced her eldest brother in the driver's seat.
     "Are we there yet?" she whined, irritated from an interrupted, peacefully dreamless, slumber. Her older brother glanced at her from the rear view mirror as he shifted into park and did a double take.
     "Did you drool in my car?" Dean asked, both astonished and annoyed.
     "Did you answer my question?"
     "Take it easy, you two. Yes, Danny, we are here." Dean looked to Sam, incredulously offended his brother did not back him up. In response Sam sighed and reminded his brother of the urgent mission at hand.
Dean grumbled a low, "Fine..." as he swung open the driver side door and the rest of the pack of Winchesters followed suit.
   After Mary had shut the door behind the small troupe of hunters, Danny immediately spotted their trench-coat wearing, angel friend. She smiled kindly at the familiar face.
     "Dean?" Cas questioned, obviously confused, after all, the group hadn't exactly parted mutually. Sam wasted no time asking Cas if the miniature beach house was warded, which Danny thought was obvious, as Dean and Mary let it slip that Lucifer was headed their way.
     When Cas asked why they had come Dean so eloquently replied, "Saving your ass!" Danny rolled her eyes at her brother's brashness. Sam began to lecture Cas about going rogue with Kelly when Danny realized what the woman must be going through. She flurried up the staircase and for a moment didn't know which room to turn into. Kelly cried out and the redhead followed the screams of agony. Danny could hear Mary rush up the stairs behind her. She couldn't stop herself from contemplating how unfair the whole situation was. Kelly Kline's whole life was derailed because the devil wanted to use her as an incubator for the Antichrist, or according to Cas, Jesus take two.
   She was instantly at Kelly's side, Mary shortly behind, holding her hand and instructing her to breathe. The pregnant brunette smiled to the best of her ability at the teenager beside her. When they had met Danny had known Kelly was having doubts about her baby, she remembered pulling the woman aside and explained that it was entirely her decision to carry the child to term or not.
     "Danny," said girl locked her eyes with Kelly's, "Thank you... for reminding me I had a choice."
     "Your son is going to grow up knowing you had a chance to play it safe, to save yourself instead of bring him into being, and you didn't. You and Cas risked everything based on the belief that he would be good and I'm gonna make sure he is. He'll know he's your son, Kelly, not some asshole archangel drop out's." That last comment got a chuckle out of both women.
     "I thought you didn't believe in Jack?"
     "Castiel does and that's good enough for me." Kelly grinned tearfully at the two Winchester women before releasing an ear-piercing shriek.
     "Okay," Mary breathed, "I think they're five minutes apart now. It's almost time." Kelly nodded in return. Mary reached out an moved a strand of hair out of the brunette's face, "How ya doin'?"
     Kelly exhaled deeply and smiled weakly, "I'm dying."
     "I know." The two older women then exchanged nods, like they had a deeper understanding that Danny wasn't apart of.
     "But that's okay... cause wouldn't you die for your sons?"
     "Yeah." The copper haired teen had never thought about it before, but began to contemplate if this, what the incredibly fierce and strong mothers in front of her were feeling, was the same way her mother felt that fateful night. The very notion sent a few crystal tears streaming down her cheeks. Instinctively, both women reached out and wiped them away. Danny couldn't stop the melancholy grin from reaching her face.
     As she sniffled a bitter laugh bubbled in her throat, "You would have been an amazing mom."
   A few moments later a delicate knock sounded from the doorframe. Castiel stood there, looking almost sheepish, and asked to speak with Kelly. Mary agreed while the youngest Winchester stayed rooted to the pregnant woman's side. Mary placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and began to gently guide her away when Kelly grasped at her small hands.
     "Danny..."
     "It's okay, we'll be right back. I promise." The woman released her hands when the teen smiled reassuringly. Before she could leave the room she was halted by an embrace from Castiel.
     "I didn't get my usual hug." he explained, making the petite girl chuckle. The pair of Winchester women made their way into the hall.
     "So," began Mary, "did you mean what you said back there?"
     "I mean everything I say, or at least I try to. 'Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.'"
     "Plato." The blonde seemed impressed by her, especially due to her youth. "How old are you, Danny?"
     "I turn eighteen in..." she thought for a second and checked her phone, "Today is May eighteenth, so forty-six days."
     "You are a remarkable young woman, Danny." Mary laughed.
     "Your sons are exceptional legal guardians and role models." Castiel exited into the hallway, gave the duo a curt nod, and strides downstairs. Before Mary could leave Danny grabbed her arm, "You know, I never really got to know Dad, and I only remember snippets of memories of my mom. Dad dropped me off with the boys the second he could. Your sons raised me, practically my entire life was built by them. They are my only constant; them, and Cas, and even Crowley. I guess, what I'm trying to say is... Thank you, Mary Winchester, for giving me my brothers." Mary promptly pulled the shorter girl into a tight hug. Danny relished the rare affection. The duo parted and returned to Kelly's side.
"We're back." stated Mary.
"I promised you, didn't I?"
Danny severely underestimated how painful childbirth was. She understood that it hurt a lot, but growing up with two brothers, who were absolutely unprepared and unqualified for raising a little girl, didn't help at all when it came to basically anything to do with her growing body. They had had 'The Talk', or at least she was pretty sure they did, but the whole thing was rather perplexing. Cas wound up explaining it the best, ironically enough. The same went for her first menstruation; she was a bawling ten-year-old on the toilet whilst her brothers were mortified and Castiel maintained a level head. The whole pregnancy situation however, was almost completely foreign to her, and from the faces and noises Kelly was making it seemed ridiculously excruciating. It had been almost fifteen minutes since Cas had left and it appeared that the baby would be arriving very soon.
Suddenly, Danny felt the wind get knocked out of her. She glanced over, gasping, at the women before her. They returned her gaze with horror and shock.
"Danny?" they called in unison, fear eminent upon their faces.
"What's... happening?" She swallowed roughly, unaware of the glowing violet cut stretching itself down her neck. An incredible ripple of power radiated throughout the room. At first she thought it must have been the nephilim, that was until she noticed the transparent, luminous, ribbon weaved around her body. The heavy energy of the ribbon rendered her immobile. Barely breathing, she raised her baby blues to the more experienced hunter to her left. Her step-mother offered no solutions, only shock and disbelief. Danny's entire being burned like ice as terrifyingly confused tears invaded the vertical incisions growing from her lower lids to her cheeks. The frightened teen caught a glimpse of the rune-work on the ribbons and something clicked in her brain, she wasn't sure what, but before she could remember the earth beneath the house began to shift and the cabin creaked and rumbled. The ribbon around her right thigh broke with an unfitting tink. A surge of power ripped through her legs as the left ribbon broke. It continued to move upwards as each of the remaining six ribbons snapped. Once the eighth ribbon disappeared a final shockwave rocketed through her body. It felt as if she was being eaten alive by lightning as the girl released a bloodcurdling wail. Just as abruptly as it started everything ceased; the world stopped quaking, the ginger teen could once again respire, her lacerations had healed, not a pinprick of pain was sensed by Danny. In fact, she felt strong, albeit slightly fatigued, like she had just completed a marathon that second. Her eyes, however, had transitioned from their slate-blue tone to an electric plum color. They remained that way for about three seconds before returning to their typical shade. All of this peculiar happenstance occurred rapidly as Kelly was suffering through the semi-final few pushes of labor. It had been difficult for Mary trying to help Kelly deliver the child and figure out a reasonable response to Danny. "What the actual Hell just happened to me?" panicked Danny.
"I have no idea, but we'll figure it out together later. We've got a job to do now." Danny nodded profusely and muttered a long string of 'Okay's. Kelly let out another scream and Danny centered back. A golden light ran up to Kelly's face through her veins and her entire body heated as it glowed.
She whispered a soft, "I love you." and the Winchesters were blown back, onto the floor, and blacked out. A moment later they awoke to Dean shouting no.
"You take the boys, I've got the baby!" Danny ordered while helping Mary to her feet. Her step-mother nodded and raced downstairs. She rushed to the bed and looked between Kelly's legs while apologizing to the corpse, but found no baby. She looked to the floor at the end of the bed, expecting baby guts, yet instead discovered footprints burned into the wooden floorboards, still smoldering. She trailed them around the corner leading into an open doorway. Stepping into the spacious nursery the first thing to catch her eye was the mural on the wall, which made her sadly smile. The second thing she noticed was the set of miniature suns staring at her from the corner of the room, where a boy around Danny's age sat nude and balled into fetal position. Instinctually, she let out a whisper, "Jack." It wasn't a question. She knew it was him because there was not a fraction of a chance he could be anyone else. His ears perked up and his eyes softened as he recognized his name.
He furrowed his brow and tentatively asked, "Father?" The stupefaction that adorned her features was prevalent as she tried to gather an answer in her mind.
"Um... no. I'm not your father, Jack, but I am a friend." A chorus of yelling arose from outside, causing Jack to wince in befuddlement. Danny stepped closer to comfort him and retreated in alarm. "I'm not gonna hurt you, okay, I promise." She sat down cross-legged in front of him and extended an arm out for him to take, "My name is Danny." Jack ogled, puzzled, at her gesture. His golden eyes searched hers for a second, before they shifted into a calming azure hue. Unsure, he placed his hand in hers.
"Danny." he repeated. Letting out a smile at his naïveté, she delicately enclosed her fingers around his palm and slowly started lifting herself to her feet. He grinned back and she held out her other hand. This time he took it without hesitation. Just as the youngest Winchester was about to help him up Sam's astonished gasp interrupted them.