For Who the Heart Beats

Amazing Grace

Dean drew in a deep breath and gripped his exposed thighs as Cas braced himself. He had to put on a brave face and deliver this baby. His baby.
Cas looked up and was met by scared green eyes. Dean relaxed his shoulders, gritted his teeth and sunk down into his first push. His face turned red from the strain.
"Come on Dean, easy does it. Breathe....now push again " Cas coached.
Dean leaned into his legs and pushed hard, gasping as he did. He blinked away the tears to clear his vision. The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It felt like he was shattering from the inside. Ripping his inside on the shards. He suppressed the agony and focused on Cas' face. His angel was there. He'd never let anything bad happen to him.
"Okay, breathe through this contraction." Cas said as Dean gritted his teeth and arched up off the bed.
The hunter wanted to scream. He wanted to stop, rewind and just never go through this. Why had he agreed to have a baby?
"How do you even know how to do this?" Dean bit out.
"Movies. Metatron catching me up on pop culture finally comes in handy. " Cas laughed.
Cas encouraged Dean to push again and with a grunt he forced himself to. It took everything in him to bare down and not scream. Sweat was dripping from his face and his hair was matted and sticking to his neck.
"Cas, I don't know how many more pushes I have in me." Dean said breathless.
"Just a few more. You can do this. Our little girl is almost here." The angel grinned.
Taking in a lung full of air Dean gave his biggest push yet, feeling himself rip open.
"Jesus Christ!" He shouted into the room. The pain made his stomach flip.
"I can see her." Cas whispered.
"I hate you for this." Dean screamed.
"You don't mean that." Cas soothed.
The shine in Cas' eye made Dean lock the pain away. This was it. He was so close.
Elaine walked in, freezing at the sight before her. She hasn't expected to walk in and find the baby basically born.
"You gonna stand there or help?" Dean got out as his teeth grinded together.
She shook her head and pulled on a pair of gloves. She pulled the incubator over to the bed and steadied herself.
"What can I do?"
Dean reached out his hand and she took it, grasping it tightly. He was riding out a contraction, waiting for it to ease so he could push.
Taking quick short breaths he sat up and pushed, screaming as he did.
Cas helped ease Grace's tiny bloodied head out, then her shoulders. With one last exhausting push from Dean she was here. Cas looked down at her, squirming and making an angry face. Not ready to be forced into the world so abruptly. Nurse Elaine cut the cord and clamped it off before Cas wrapped her up in the blanket.
The angel, now father, stood and walked up to Dean and laid her in his arms.
Dean could feel himself crying but all the pain was forgotten as he looked down at the tiny baby on his chest. Her big green eyes stared back up at him. Her dark hair was grimy and stuck to her head as she started to cry.
Dean could feel the nurse working. Ridding him of the placenta then stitching him up, but none of it mattered. Cas would heal him the first chance he got so it was only a matter of time.
Elaine came over and eased the baby from Dean just as the doctor walked in dumbfounded.
"You've already had her?" He asked.
"Delivered her myself." Cas gloated proudly.
The doctor mumbled something to himself as he stepped farther into the room. He loomed over the baby before sending her to the nursery, Cas followed.
Dean's vitals were taken and pain medicine was administered into his IV.
Jody and Sam walked in soon after, nonbelieving that the baby was already born. Jody slipped out and down the hall to see. Sammy took a seat next to Dean's bed. His brother was freshly dressed and covered up, green eyes drooping.
"Did I do good Sammy?" Dean whispered.
"Yeah you did Dean." The younger Winchester replied.
*. *. * .
Dean woke later on, not remembering falling asleep. Soft humming was drifting through the room. He looked over to find Cas walking and bouncing a small pink bundle in his arms.
"Hey you." Dean yawned groggily. "What time is it?"
"Its very early morning. Maybe five or so." The angel smiled lovingly down at his husband and sat on the edge of the bed.
Dean pulled himself up to sit and cringed at the pain in his lower body. The hunter held out his hands and Castiel placed the sleeping baby into them.
She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her hair was now fluffed up on top of her tiny head, her tiny lips puckered as she sucked them in sleep. Their baby was perfect. She was beyond perfect.
Green eyes met blue as Cas and Dean shared a look and then a kiss. A kiss that spoke wonders. They had created this tiny life before them. It was at that moment that Dean was truly thankful for what had happened to him. His world would not be the same without Grace in it.
They pulled apart when a nurse walked in, she introduced herself as Christine. She was much younger than Elaine but just as warm and nice. She spoke with a southern accent as she congratulated the couple and replace Dean's fluid bag on the IV.
Christine slipped out as Sam and Jody walked in, each carrying a cup of coffee.
Jody kissed Dean's head and ran her hand over Grace's bundled head.
"When do we go home?" Sammy asked, sounding every bit the tired younger sibling.
"When Dean is ready. I can heal everything as soon as you'd like and we can go home. I have a surprise waiting for you there. " Cas told his husband.
"I'm ready when you are." Dean said anxiously. He was ready to be out of the hospital bed and in his own room.
Jody and Sam nodded, telling them goodbye as they shuffled to the impala in the parking lot. They were more than ready to escape and get some sleep.
"She's okay to leave right? With her being early?"
"She was early yes but the doctors are amazed by her. She's not premature. She was a healthy seven pounds eight inches. Not a single health problem."
Dean felt relief fill his chest and took Cas' hand. "Let's go home. "
Castiel squeezed his hand tightly as he closed his eyes. He felt the familiar warmth rush through him as his body was put back together in a snap. The pain evaporated as though it had never been there at all. Just a memory in his mind. When he opened his eyes the light from Cas' hand was fading.
And then they were home. Sitting on Dean's bed. Grace still tucked against his chest asleep.
Dean laid her back in Cas' arms and stood to shower and change. He may of felt like he could chase a vamp through the backwoods of Mississippi but he smelled awful. The blood and sweat lingering on his skin.
The shower felt blissful, it hadn't even been tweleve hours since he'd given birth but he didn't even feel remotely human until he'd scrubbed and washed every body part.
When he emerged from the shower, steam billowing out into the room Cas was gently laying Grace into a bassinet.
Where did that come from? Dean asked himself.
Cas motioned for Dean to follow him out, leaving the door open. The angel walked to the room right next to theirs, the one that had once been Castiel's. The door swung open and the smell of paint fumes wafted out.
Stepping in he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The room was a soft shade of purple. A crib was in the far corner made up with soft brown sheets and a pink fleece baby blanket. The mobile that hung above it chimed as it went round and round, making the angels sway. Every item from the baby shower and more that Dean had never even seen were organized and hung neatly. A large stuffed bear sat in the rocker by door. A bookshelf next to it filled with children's books.
"Who did this?" Dean breathed, in complete awe of the room.
"Sam and I. We came while you slept and did this. Jody stayed and looked after our daughter. So Grace would have her very own room with all of her things." Castiel's smiled at Dean's thrilled expression.
The hunter wrapped his arms around his angels neck and hugged him. It was better than he could of ever imagined. He'd have to thank Sammy as soon as he could. 
"No child has or ever will be as lucky as ours to have you as a father. "
"I'm not her only father here." Cas laughed.
"Yeah we have time to figure out a way to explain that one." Dean chuckled.
Grace's cry startled them. They walked back in to find a very aggitated baby squirming around in her bassinet.
"I bet she's hungry." Dean eyed Cas.
"Feed her then." Jody said from the door.
"Did we get formula?" Dean's eyes widened.
"Nope, your gonna breastfeed." Jody replied, like it was obvious.
"What?" Cas and Dean both said at the same time.
"Its better for her. Come on." Jody walked in and sat down on the bed. Dean cautiously went to her and she pulled his shirt off, leaving him in just a sports bra.
His chest did feel heavy and..well weird. What about this wasn't weird?
Cas carried Grace over and Jody showed them how to get her to latch. It took a few tries. Between her wiggles and Dean making uncomfortable noises with a baby attatched to his breast. But once she got it, it went smoothly. Dean watched in awe. Not sure how he felt being a source of food.
"Dean don't make a big deal out of it. All women should do this."
"But I'm not a woman." He countered.
"Uh yeah you are." Sammy shouted from somewhere down the hall.
"Bitch." Dean whispered before looking back down at Grace as she ate. Her green eyes staring up at him and her nose squished up.
Jody left them to it and after a few minutes it felt okay. Cas laughed and hugged his husband around the shoulders. They sat on the edge of the bed in complete happiness. Dean wouldn't of minded staying that way forever ..

------
"She's been born!" The witch hissed, swiping her hand through the bowl in front of her. The image of the hunter and angel holding their baby blurred.
"What now priestess?" A small hunched woman asked.
"I WILL have this child. My efforts to persuade the Winchesters didn't work. I was so sure he'd want his body back and I could snatch her without their knowledge. But now I'm going to have to use force."
"Cleo, do you really think that's wise? This is the Winchesters we're talking about.."
"Don't speak to me as if I'm ignorant Marcus. I know what they are capable of." The witch sneered back.
Marcus nodded and passed a hand over his suit jacket. Cleo sucked her lip as she pondered what she would do next. She knew she had the element of surprise. She would have to just go in and take the angel baby.
"I'm the reason this child even exists. Can you imagine the powers she will possess? I've already seen her heal Dean after I set those vampires after him."
Marcus sighed and left the room, knowing Cleo would not be talked out of her plans.