Still no baby. Your contractions are worse the longer you go on, but you're managing the pain... well, you thought you were. There is no pain to manage, and you look around your hospital room in confusion. You're still pregnant, but you don't feel any different than you did when before she was conceived. Why do you feel this way? What is going on?
"Hello?" you ask into the air as if there is someone near that will hear you.
You reach down to press the button that calls for the nurse, but frown when you realize there is nothing there. You made sure to have the button in your hands at all times just in case you needed something or if something was wrong. Where the hell did it go?
You peel back the blanket to see if you can't go searching for it, but you can't get out of bed. You can move your legs within the confined space of the bed, but you can't leave it. It's like there is an invisible wall preventing you from getting out. You try to get out on the other side, but the same thing happens to you.
"Hello? Is someone there?" you yell.
The only response you get is silence, and it greets you every single time you open your mouth to say something. If not for this unusual situation, you would think this is a perfectly good hospital room. The pictures on the wall are the same, the curtains on the window, the color of the paint, the pattern of the chairs, and your belongings on the bedside table–wait, who is that?
There is a picture of a little girl on the table, and you lean in as close as you can get to see who it is. You don't recognize her at first because she is too far from the cameras, but then you know exactly who she is. The little girl in the picture starts moving and playing in the field she's in with a smile on her face. The sun is shining, the wind is blowing a gentle breeze, and she plays catch with a big dog who jumps around happily.
The little girl is your first daughter, and you're not real at all. Well, you are, but not on Earth. You're dreaming, and there is someone preventing you from leaving the bed. The hospital room door opens and a slim figure in a black dress enters with a cup in her hands.
Amara.
"What are you doing here?" you ask and relax in your bed.
"I'm always here," she chuckles and closes the door.
"You know, I can deal with the fact that you're here, always telling me what a good person you are. I can deal with you visiting me in my dreams, but what I can't handle is you being here when I am this close to giving birth to my daughter. Please, go away this time and leave me alone. You don't get to take this away from me."
"I am not here to take anything from you."
"Then what could you possibly be here for?"
"I am here to give you a warning if you will. A caution that you should always think about starting from the moment she is born."
"What are you talking about? What warning? Is she okay?" you panic.
"Yes, she is doing quite well," she smiles and sits down on the nearest chair. "Once she is born, that means there will be two vessels I can draw power from. I won't touch her or even think about using her, but this warning is for you."
She takes a sip of whatever is in her cup, and you know she is only taking this pause to create unnecessary drama. She looks pleased with the taste of it but continues.
"Whether she has her powers or not, you are able to draw from her and use her to become stronger. I am telling you this because with that much power comes with much more responsibilities."
"How much power?" you ask cautiously.
"Enough to take on the oldest monsters in the history of monsters."
"Wait, you're not talking about–"
"Purgatory, yes," she finishes for you. "You don't have to be touching your daughter to draw power from her, but the more power you use, the weaker you'll get. Please be careful and heed my warning. I know you don't trust me, but if you're going to trust anything that I say, trust this. I'd hate to see you lose the fight before it even began."
"Wait, now I have so many more follow-up questions," you say.
"I'm sorry, I have to go. You're waking up. Please remember this," she begs just as she mists away.
The picture frame containing your little girl mists away just as the rest of the room does.
You open your eyes and realize you're back in your real hospital room. The room is much darker, the curtains are closed, and the colors are duller than before. There is a nurse inside your room, touching your shoulder gently.
"Sorry to wake you up, but I need to check your vitals," she apologies.
"Where is Ashely Brian? She was my nurse yesterday," you mutter.
"Her shift hasn't started. She arrives in about an hour. Would you like me to give her a message when she comes?"
"I'm sure you do your job really well, but could I request her to be my nurse?"
"Of course," she smiles as she checks your heart.
You look around the room and frown when you realize there is something missing... or someone.
"Where is Dean?" you panic, but the new nurse eases your anxiety.
"He is out right now getting something to eat."
"Oh, okay," you nod.
She quickly finishes her tests and gets ready to leave the room when Dean enters with a sandwich in his hands. The nurse gathers her things and leaves the room, leaving you and Dean alone in the room.
"It's depressing in here. Mind if I open the curtains?"
"Yeah, go ahead," you nod.
He walks over to the window and slides the curtains open, letting in natural light to open the room up.
"So, I got a call from Bobby and Sam," he trails off.
"What is it? Are they okay? Did they find Crowley?"
"They think Crowley got to Eleanor Visyak before they could. If that's true, they will need all the help they can get. Only if it's okay with you. I don't have to go."
"No, you should go," you sigh.
"Are you sure?"
"Dean, it's been over twenty-four hours, and I am only dilated four centimeters. I have a long way to go, so you're more useful over there than here. I only ask that you keep your phone on just in case."
"I'll be quick. I don't want to leave you alone," he whispers.
"I'll be fine. Send my love to them," you chuckle.
He brushes some hair away from your eyes before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. You feel the love and power he holds behind the kiss, but before you can analyze it further, he pulls away.
"Call me if anything happens," he says and grabs his jacket.
"Please be safe," you plead.
"Same goes to you."
"I'm stuck in a hospital room. How much trouble can I get into?" you chuckle.
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Dean is lucky that where Sam and Bobby need him is close enough to the hospital that he can leave and still get to you in time, but far enough that if Crowley came to ambush him, he won't get to you or find you. The two men are worried about Eleanor because they got a phone call from her asking for help and that she would meet them in a run-down alley.
"How is Y/N doing?" your dad asks when Dean arrives.
"Good. She says she only dilated only four centimeters, so I guess that means it's slow," he shrugs. He just wants to get down to business so he can get back to you. "Where is she?"
"She said to meet her here," your dad shrugs. "I'll try her again."
He takes out his phone and dials the doctor and waits for her to answer. However, the answer he gets isn't the one he was hoping for. Instead of hearing her voice, he hears her ringtone not far from where they are. The phone is ringing all the way over by a dumpster, and the three men rush over to it. Eleanor is sitting on the ground against the dumpster. She is clutching her side painfully, and it seems to Dean that Crowley indeed got to her before they could. Bobby kneels in front of her and grabs her hand, and she clutches his.
"El?" he whispers.
"Hey. I guess I could've used your help after all," she chuckles weakly.
"Just be still."
"What happened?" Sam asks.
"They took me. I got away," she grunts and opens her coat to reveal a large bloodstain on her shirt that implies she was stabbed.
"Oh, Ellie. What have they done to you?" Bobby strains.
"Everything," she chuckles. "The demon I could've handled, but when the angel stepped in, I-I told him, Bobby. They have enough to crack Purgatory wide open."
"Tell me. I need to know."
"They need virgin blood. That's a milk-run for them. Then, they need the blood of a Purgatory native, and well, they've got plenty of that now," she laughs, but quickly groans at the pain it causes.
"Have they opened it yet?" Dean asks.
"Tomorrow," Eleanor shakes her head. "The moon–an eclipse. I'm sorry, Bobby."
"No, it's okay. It's okay."
"I'm sorry," her breathing is ragged and shaky, signaling her end, "really sor–"
"Tell us where they are," Bobby asks, but she dies in his arms. "El?"
"Bobby," Sam whispers.
Bobby closes her eyes and swallows a cry of pain. The men can hear a flutter of wings, and Castiel stands behind them.
"I'm sorry this had to happen," Castiel says and Bobby stands up. "Crowley got carried away."
"Yeah, I bet it was all Crowley you son of a bitch!" Bobby yells.
He lunges at the angel, but the two Winchester brothers hold him back from doing something he might regret later.
"You don't even see it, do you? How totally off the rails you are!" Dean yells at the angel.
"Enough! I don't care what you think. I've tried to make you understand. You won't listen. So, let me make this simple. Please, go home and let me stop Raphael. I won't ask again," Castiel glares.
"Well, good, 'cause I think you already know the answer."
"I wish it hadn't come to this," Castiel sighs and shakes his head. "Well, rest assured when this is all over, I will save Sam, but only if you stand down."
"Save Sam from what?" Dean asks fearfully.
Castiel disappears before Dean could get his answer, but the angel reappears behind Sam. They all turn, but it's too late. Castiel touches Sam's head and does the one thing that would ensure the end of Sam's life...
He knocked down the wall.