Cas walked into the bakery on a warm summer morning, and smiled at the framed photo of his and Dean's wedding hanging on the wall by the register, as he always did.
Alfie was behind the counter. He now had a tag that said his name, with 'Manager' underneath.
Cas enjoyed his lazy mornings now that he had taken Alfie on full-time.
'Morning,' Alfie smiled, passing Cas a cup of coffee. 'What's your plan for the day?'
'No plan,' Cas said, slipping on an apron. 'I'm just going to see what's back there and feel it out. Did you make some muffins for Mrs Holden? She should be coming by today.'
'I tried, but you know I can never make those as good as you.'
Cas rolled his eyes. 'I suppose that's what the plan is for today, then.'
Alfie grinned sheepishly.
Before Cas went into the kitchen, he did a quick inspection of the front.
Alfie had greatly improved, and seemed to have a knack for artisan breads, which the baskets were fully stocked with.
'Don't forget Sam's cookies,' Alfie called.
Cas chuckled and got to work.
He made Mrs Holden's poppy-seed muffins first, taking great care on them. He also found some spare pastry in the fridge, so decided to make Dean's favourite pie.
He mixed sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg in with his bowl of apples, and baked them without the top of the pie. He took them out just as they were going soft, drizzled them with honey, then put the top on the pie.
'Smells like pie in there,' Alfie called.
'I'm glad that you, a baker, know what pie smells like,' Cas called back.
'Are we selling that one, or is it for Dean?'
'It's for Angela,' he said. 'Dean can have some, I suppose.'
'That'll kill him.'
'Please, he'd give Angela anything.'
Cas went back out to the front when the pie was finished, just in time to meet Mrs Holden as she shuffled through the door.
'Good morning,' she said brightly.
''Morning, Mrs Holden,' they both said to her.
'I've got your muffins,' Cas said, bagging them for her.
She reached into her purse, but Cas shook his head.
'They're on the house,' he told her.
'You're so sweet, but you must let me pay for these sometime.'
'Never,' Cas smiled, passing her the bag.
Just then, a loud ding sounded from the pocket of his apron, and he drew out his shiny new smartphone. It took a moment, but he unlocked it to find a text from Dean.
It's time. I'm coming to get you.
Cas nearly dropped the phone, and his stomach flipped.
'Cas?' Alfie said, looking up in concern.
'I- I have to go.'
Alfie understood immediately, and his eyes widened. 'I'm sorry, Mrs Holden, but we have to close now.'
'All right, you two take care.'
'See you later, Mrs Holden.'
Alfie hurried around the shop once she was gone, packing all the food into bags, occasionally stopping to try and keep Cas calm, until the Impala pulled up outside and Dean blasted the horn.
'Go,' Alfie said, shooing Cas out.
'Will you-?'
'I'll call everyone, just go.'
'Okay... okay.' Cas wrung his hands, then ran out to the car, where Dean was waiting. He threw himself into the passenger seat, and Dean peeled away.
Cas forced himself to take some calming breaths. 'Are you all right?' he asked Dean.
Dean opened and closed his mouth several times, and sighed without saying anything.
'Dean, it's okay,' Cas said, squeezing Dean's leg.
Dean hadn't had to use his signs for several months, and seemed frustrated at needing it now. He drove on, perhaps faster than was strictly legal, but they made it to the hospital in good time. Dean parked the car, somewhat haphazardly, and they both sprinted into the hospital, and up to the maternity ward.
They met Angela being wheeled in.
'Oh, hey, you sure got here fast,' she said with a huge smile on her face. 'Come on, let's go.'
They went onto the ward with her, and she climbed onto a bed herself.
'How are you guys doing?' she asked after the curtain was drawn around them. She looked up at their faces, and struggled to suppress a laugh. 'Don't worry, we're not going to be here very long, I'm already almost there.'
Cas nodded.
'Maybe you guys should take a minute,' Angela said sympathetically.
Cas agreed, and pushed Dean back out into the corridor.
{Dean, are you all right?} Cas said, taking the lead with his signing.
Dean rubbed his face. {I'm scared}
{It is scary} Cas signed. {But it's exciting in the best way. We're ready for this, aren't we?}
Dean hesitated a moment, then nodded.
{This was all your idea, you can't back out on me now]
Dean laughed and kissed Cas. {Let's go back in}
Angela was having contractions in quick succession when they returned, and was just about ready to go to the labour room. 'I told you it wouldn't be long,' she said, panting hard.
'Do you need anything?' Cas said anxiously.
'I've already got some ice chips, don't worry.'
They waited with her for a while longer, before they were moved to a private room with the midwives.
'I'll be honest, this is not taking as long as I thought it would,' Cas said weakly, as Angela puffed through another contraction.
To her credit, Angela gave a short laugh.
'Okay, honey, it's time to start pushing,' one of the midwives said.
'Yeah, I sorta got that,' Angela gasped.
Cas held Angela's hand on one side, and Dean's on the other, squeezing both hard, though Angela gave as good as she got.
It didn't take long, and soon they heard the gasp of the baby's first breath.
'Congratulations,' the midwife said, 'it's a girl.'
Dean immediately burst into tears, and watched the newborn use her whole body to join him in crying.
The baby was placed on Angela's chest at first, and Cas stared down at her in wonder. 'She's beautiful,' he said through a lump in his throat.
The midwives cleaned her up and wrapped her in a blanket, then brought her over to Cas and Dean.
Cas pushed Dean forward slightly, and she placed the baby in Dean's slightly trembling arms. It was at that moment that Cas as glad he'd finally caved and bought a smartphone. He pulled it out and took a picture of Dean holding her for the first time.
Dean didn't want to let her go, but they needed to take her to another room and Angela to recovery, to free up the room they were in.
Before they took Angela away, Cas leant down and kissed her on the top of her head. 'Thank you so much,' he said, the tears finally falling down his cheeks. 'Thank you.'
'You're very welcome,' Angela said tiredly. 'Stay in touch and let me know what you decide to call her.'
'We will,' Cas said as they moved her from the room.
Cas and Dean were left alone for a moment, and Cas wrapped his arms around Dean's neck, and let Dean sob into his shoulder for a while. Then he cupped Dean's face with both hands and kissed him, despite them both being slightly wet from tears. 'Come on,' he murmured. 'Let's go hang out with our daughter.'
They held hands as they walked through the ward, to the room they were keeping the baby in. She had been properly cleaned, wrapped in a blanket, and a tiny yellow hat sat snugly on her head.
The remaining midwife placed her in Cas's arms.
His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at her little pink face.
The midwife gave him a few minutes, then helped him put her back in the little plastic crib. 'I'll come back later and show you how to feed her.'
Cas nodded, not trusting his voice.
She left and Dean put an arm around Cas's waist, drawing him close.
'I can't stop staring at her,' Cas murmured.
'It's a good thing she's not old enough to be creeped out by that,' Dean mumbled back.
Cas chuckled. 'You stay here with her. I'll go let everyone know how she is.' He kissed Dean again and exited the ward, to the waiting room, where Sam, Jess and Alfie watched him with bated breath.
'It's a girl,' he told them, wiping his face.
Sam grinned widely. His eyes were bloodshot; he too had been crying. 'Congratulations!'
'Six pounds, four ounces,' Cas said. 'I think Dean is a little overwhelmed right now, so I think it would be best if it was just Sam for now.'
'Of course,' said Jess. 'Come on, Alfie, let's go get something to drink.'
'Alfie, wait, is everyone coming?'
Alfie nodded. 'They got the first flight out, they should be here in a few hours.'
'Thank you.'
Cas walked Sam back to the room, where Dean had pulled a chair up next to the baby's crib.
'Oh my God, is this her?' Sam whispered.
'No, Sam, this is one I borrowed,' Dean said. He'd cleaned up his own face, and now a huge smile was plastered across it.
'Can I hold her?'
'Sure.' Dean gently lifted her up and helped Sam hold her.
'Wow,' Sam said, tearing up again. 'I can't believe you have one of these.'
'I know.'
'I'm an uncle.'
'Yeah you are. You're her Uncle Sammy.'
Sam rocked the baby, then passed her back to Dean. 'She's gorgeous, well done guys.'
'It wasn't really much to do with us,' Cas said, stroking her cheek delicately with one finger.
She snuffled slightly, and screwed up her face.
'Oh, no,' Dean gasped. 'She doesn't like you, Sam.'
'That's okay, you don't like me either. I'm sure she'll get use to it.'
Sam stayed with them until the midwife came back with some formula and bottles, then left to give them some space.
The baby wasn't ready to be fed just yet, so the midwife decided to come back later on.
For the next few hours, they got Alfie and Jess in to visit too, with plenty of time between, so as not to upset the baby too much.
At last, Charlie, Gabriel and Emily arrived, and Bobby, Jody, Ellen and Jo came up not long after.
Cas made all of them wait, except Charlie, who he brought into the room.
Dean was still holding her when they came in, singing to her softly.
'Look at her,' Charlie breathed. 'She's precious.'
Dean rocked her slightly.
'She got a name yet?'
Dean glanced at Cas, who nodded.
'She does. We talked about it, and we decided we wanted to tell you first,' Cas said. He hesitated a moment, then said, 'Her name is Mary Celeste Winchester.'
Charlie put a hand over her mouth and her face scrunched up. 'Oh my God, that's just like my name,' she cried.
Cas welled up again and hugged her. 'Now's not the time for Friends quotes, Charlie,' he sniffed.
'It's the only reaction I have right now.'
'You'll be her Godmother?' Cas said, pulling away.
'Of course!' She went over to Dean and Mary, and gently kissed Mary on the forehead.
'She likes you more than Sam already,' Dean said.
'I love you guys,' Charlie said, kissing Dean on the cheek.
When Charlie left, they had her send in Emily and Gabriel.
Emily started ugly sobbing the moment she laid eyes on Mary. 'I can't believe it, my first granddaughter,' she wailed.
'Mom, please calm down,' Cas said, slightly alarmed.
Gabriel looked down at Mary in her crib with interest. 'Well, she sure is a baby,' he said. He looked between Cas and Dean, and back down at Mary. 'So, who's stuff did you use?'
'Gabriel!' Cas exclaimed.
'Come on,' Dean said.
'All right, jeez, I was just curious.'
'There's a time and a place, Gabriel, and in this instance, it's never and nowhere,' Dean said fiercely.
Gabriel held his hands up defensively and backed away.
'May I hold her?' Emily said, daintily dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
Dean considered it. 'She's getting a little fussy, so only for a minute.'
Emily nodded.
'C'mere, Pinky,' Dean murmured, lifting her out of the crib once more.
'Pinky?' Cas asked with a slight laugh.
Dean shrugged 'Babies have nicknames.'
'I never had one,' said Cas.
'That's not true,' Gabriel interrupted. 'Yours was Squeaky, 'cause you used to make the weirdest squeaking noise when you were hungry.'
'Never around your father, though,' Emily added. 'He always insisted on calling you by your full name, even as an infant. It was quite odd addressing a baby so formally.'
Dean's eyebrows rose and he grinned at Cas.
Cas felt his cheeks warm, but rolled his eyes. {What is she called?} Cas asked discreetly, while Emily and Gabriel were looking at Mary.
Dean thought about it, then held up his hand, all his fingers but the little one closed, and he bent it down and up twice.
Cas laughed. {I like it}
Once Emily and Gabriel were done, Cas and Dean decided that Mary had had enough that day, and sent everyone to their various hotels and spare rooms.
They slept in the hospital room with Mary that night, listening closely to every sound she made. The midwives helped them feed her, and provided a few diapers for them to practice with.
Sometime during the night, Cas was awake, gazing at Dean, who was nodding off. 'Dean,' he murmured.
Dean opened one eye in response.
'I don't know anything about girls.'
Dean snorted and reached over to squeeze his hand. 'Looks like you'll have to start learning.'
After introducing Mary to everyone else over the next couple of days, they were finally ready to take her home.
Cas poked his head in on Angela before they left.
'Hey!' she smiled. 'How is she?'
'She's perfect,' Cas told her. 'We're calling her Mary.'
'I like it,' Angela nodded. 'You guys call me if you need any help, all right?'
'Oh, we'll be fine,' Cas said. 'You should rest.'
Angela waved her hand. 'Please, I've done this a million times. I'll be up and around in no time.'
'Humour me,' Cas smiled. 'I will call you, though.'
'All right, take her home already.'
'Thank you, Angela.'
Cas went back to Dean, who was carefully strapping Mary into her car seat, making faces at her as he did so.
'I have never loved you more,' Cas said at a particularly ridiculous face.
Dean carefully attached the car seat to the back seat of the car, making sure he could see Mary in his rearview mirror.
They drove through town, a tad slower than Dean would have normally driven, past the bakery, and past the turning for Cas's old apartment. He looked fondly down the street as it passed, briefly wondering who occupied it now, and they continued on to their house just outside town.
Alfie had brought Cas's bike back at some point, and diligently locked it up outside.
Dean slowed the car to a stop, the tyres crunching on the gravel.
It was a simple house, two up, two down, but it was theirs.
They brought Mary inside, and they were greeted by Gracie running to meet them, as well as a tabby named Fergus - Fergie for short. They both stopped and sniffed the air.
'We'll introduce you later,' Cas told them, bending down to scratch them both on the head.
They took Mary upstairs, passing all of their family photos that they had hung on the wall. Their wedding was there, of course, as was Sam and Jess's. There were a couple of Fergie as a kitten, of Alfie graduating, and of Charlie and Dorothy outside their own house with their own set of keys.
The nursery they had set up was painted a soft yellow on three walls, and the fourth was a half-finished mural of Van Gogh's Starry Night that Alfie had been painting for them.
Dean lifted Mary out of her car seat and set her down in the bassinet that Emily had bought for them.
'I love you,' Cas whispered to Mary.
Dean reached up and spun the mobile hanging above her. It was all white, with cherubs dangling from it. 'Angels are watching over you,' he murmured, leaning his head against Cas's.