Newborn (Destiel)

7 - Babysitting is Hell

"Hey Cas," Dean whispered, rubbing the back of the angel's neck. They were cuddling on the couch, watching Mary sleep peacefully in her playpen.

"Yes, Dean?" Cas answered. Dean kissed his cheek and smiled. "Let's go on a date."

"But we are married, Dean," Castiel noted, not understanding. Dean chuckled. "Just a weekend together...no baby, just us two." Cas thought about this for a moment. He didn't want to leave Mary, but they both really did need a break from parenting. "'Kay," he replied finally, kissing Dean's lips before getting up to prepare Mary's dinner. She had started on more solid foods, mostly crackers.

After dinner Dean and Sam went hunting and Cas and Gabe stayed with Mary. While the two brothers were gone, Castiel explained the situation to his older brother, cradling Mary back and forth in his arms. "I just don't want to leave her alone," he sighed, "nobody but me and Dean know what she likes, or what she wants..."

Gabriel smirked and took Mary from him, holding her gently in his arms. "I'm pretty sure I know how to take care of her, Castiel." He reached over to the shelf and got Mary's favorite stuffed animal for her, which Mary immediately started biting with her gums, squishing the cute little bee.

Cas couldn't help but smile and sigh again. "I suppose you and Sam could watch her while Dean and I take a weekend off..."

Gabriel did a thumbs up. "Of course we can!"

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"Don't forget to feed her her bottle, three times a day and only up to two snacktimes," Castiel said hurriedly, "crackers only, and you need to watch her eat them so she doesn't choke. Her pacifier and teether are in the top shelf above the changing table. And about changing her, it's every time she needs a change, Gabriel. Not just when you 'feel like it'." The angel was trying to fit all his instruction in as Dean packed the Impala. He was ever the protective parent. Gabe, of course, was only half-listening as Sam wrote down notes.

"Okay, Cas," Dean chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I think that's enough. They'll do fine, I trust Sammy!"

"Yes, but I don't trust Gabriel as much," Cas said deeply with a warning glare at his brother, who made the most I'm-innocent face he could muster, winking at the same time. Dean just laughed but saw the worry in Castiel's face.

So, naturally, he stepped face to face with the archangel, picking up the shorter man by the shirt collar. "You better not let anything happen to her," he growled, eyebrows furrowed in seriousness, "or you'll have me to answer to. If anything--"

Gabriel laughed, interrupting the hunter's spiel. "Okay, okay! Wow! Geez, we'll be fine, alright?"

Dean kept holding him in midair before grumbling, "I've been to hell and back," and finally dropping the archangel, who fell on his butt on the ground.

Carefully Castiel handed baby Mary to Sam, who smiled at her and gushed before saying goodbye to his brother and Cas and closing the door behind them. "Okay, so first thing," Gabriel smiled, "playtime!"

"Oh no," Sam warned, "it's Mary's naptime." He walked over to her room and put her in her crib, sitting in the light green reclining chair next to it. "Dean said you have to sit next to her until she goes to sleep," he said to Gabe. The archangel shrugged in agreement and snapped, reappearing on the hunter's lap. They watched Mary for what seemed like forever. She wouldn't fall asleep.

"Maybe a story?" Gabriel suggested, getting up to stand by her crib, sticking his face as far as it would go through the bars. "Okay Mary, I'm going to tell you the story of how I told a different Mary she was having a baby," Gabe smiled, and Sam rolled his eyes. "I found this other Mary at her house alone, so it was the perfect opportunity to bring her the news," he continued to the baby, who was intently watching the archangel with wide blue eyes. "I appeared to her and she screamed. And so I said 'whoa, don't be scared, I'm an angel of the Lord you idiot!"

At this point Sam rolled his eyes once more. "That's not the way I heard it," he said, trying to hide his laugh.

Gabriel beamed and contined. "And so then I was like, 'I bring you a message from God. You're pregnant!' And she was all like, "whaaaat?!' So then I said, 'God said to name him something...I don't really remember...James? Joseph? Josh? Uh...how about Jesus? Yeah, that's a nice name. Name your baby Jesus!'" Gabriel flashed a smile in Sam's direction as he did weird face expressions throughout the story.

"Then later Mary had a baby and named him Jesus! Cool, right?" Gabriel glanced over the edge of the crib and sighed in defeat. "Not asleep yet," he announced.

Sam thought for a moment before his face lit up. "A song! I sometimes see Cas dancing around the room singing Mary a song, or when Dean cuddles her he hums those old rock songs he likes!"

"Worth a shot," Gabe shrugged and snapped, an acoustic guitar appearing in his lap. He strummed a few chords then began to sing. "I see a red door and I want it painted black...."

"Whoa, whoa!" Sam interrupted, quickly stopping the archangel, "That's great and all, your singing I mean..." he paused for a moment, "Wow I didn't even know you could sing!" Gabriel waggled his eyebrows and Sam blushed, then continued talking. "I just don't thing Paint it Black is the best song for a baby girl."

Gabe shrugged but agreed and started singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Soon enough, Mary yawned, her chubby little face adorable as always. She fell asleep within minutes.

Sam and Gabe went to bed not to long after. They both were almost asleep themselves when Mary started crying loudly from down the hall. Sam grunted and got up. "And so it begins."