In Your Grasp

Labor

Deansmiled as he looked at the nursery. It was fully done. Everything wasplanned out and he happily couldn't wait to have the baby out herewith him. Castiel was so big he was about to burst and was more thenready to have the baby.

Laying across the crib that Dean had made was the baby blanket he hadknitted. Castiel had loved the idea, and in truth Dean did to. Thecotton that Castiel had with his own hand spun and dyed green,yellow, pink and blue and Dean had knitted the blanket himself. Itwas something that was made by hand by both of them, and somethingimportant.

He had always been fine with knitting but he always had a bit oftrouble with purling, he could do 'continental knitting' as the oldlady had insisted was the correct way to knit and allowed him to knitfaster, he was fine with it in knitting but purling...purling was adifferent story, so he still did it the 'American way'.

Dean knew that Castiel loved all animals, but the two that are hisfavorite are guinea pigs and bumble bees. Guinea pigs come in allshapes and sizes but bumble bees, at least the ones that Castielloved so much, were just black and yellow. So he decided he wouldmake a black and yellow striped blanket for their bed. Already Deanhad made a blue, yellow, green, and pink sat flung over the crib thatwhen Sam had seen it called it a 'basset' which was basically a cribthat was for a small baby, Dean was already working on a bigger cribso when the baby-or fledgling as Castiel insisted on calling them, healso would have intuition that the baby would be a boy or girl but healmost daily changed which he thought-something that Dean would justchuckle and kiss Castiel promising that what was important was thatthey were happy and healthy no matter what gender, and until thenthey will keep everything gender neutral.

And yes, if his son wants to embroider, do ballet, play with dolls,and loves pink he will be more than free to. If his daughter wants tobe a tom boy, go ahead, Dean was nothing if not non-judgmental. Heloved the baby that hadn't even been born and the last thing he wasgoing to do was force them to be something they weren't. They weregoing to get to be kids. He'd teach them to defend themselves butotherwise they would be safe and have a childhood that he had beentoo small to give to Sam.

There were so many blankets already, not just the blanket that hungoff the crib-basset, whatever!-that would be kept in easy access towrap the baby around to carry them. Also there was a 'swaddleblanket' that came out looking like the basic shape of a spider webbut was in a repeating pattern of thick bright green and yellow(which was a pain to make) and would be used to swaddle thebaby up, while there was finally a stripped black, blue, white, andpink that would be an extra blanket. Just because.

Blankets were valuable. Especially baby blankets.

He always did miss the baby blanket that his grandmother hadapparently crochet for him, he was glad at least Sam's had beensaved.

He would allow their child to grow safe and sound and happy. Hewanted it all to be safe for his babies, both Castiel as well aslittle Robert or Elena.

"What do you think Cas?" Dean asked with a smile over the happylittle nursery. The little toy box was made up, not yet anything init but there would be. It was painted green and added was the word'TOYS' with the T being pink, the O being yellow, the Y being blueand the S being red, now the little toys Charlie had made and theblack and white coo patterned things Sam had gotten, because thelittle nerd had found that pattern helps developing eyes, Dean didn'tunderstand how but trusted his brother who was taking to being anuncle like a fish to water. He had just finished a rocking chair thatwas painted blue with green details-a request from Castiel while Deanhad been planning to just paint it white or use a wood stain. Sittingon the seat was a cushion made of a Star Wars fabric Castiel hadsewn. Hanging from the ceiling was a baby mobile that Sam had made,it had taken him forever to sew the little figureines but he couldsew-a hunter turned a student turned hunter again had plenty ofripped clothing that needed to be hemmed by hand since they couldn'treally carry around a sewing machine. Hanging from the mobile was amoon, star, sun, a little angel, a squirrel, a guinea pig and a bee.