Denver Paranormal Society

Chapter Thirty-A Prelude

"Edward, talk some sense into your wife, please." Dean, upset by the latest turn of events, had enough of my wife's stubbornness. Not that I blamed him, I was right there with him.

"We discussed this at length," Castiel started, shaking his head. "The meeting would take place on neutral territory. No side would be able to perform any spells or magic, nor would any outside influences be able to penetrate the protections that will be placed on all those involved."

Sam sighed. "How many times do things go wrong, Castiel?" The trench coat wearing angel seemed to think for a moment, ready to answer. Sam raised his hand to stop him. "It was a rhetorical question. The point is, when demons or angels are involved, not everything goes as planned."

Castiel finally seemed to understand. "Do you think I'm incapable of protecting her?"

Dean cursed and rubbed his hand over his forehead. "I know you'd give your life for her."

"I would."

"It's not going to come to any of that," Bella whispered, tending to our daughter. "Edward will remain with the baby, along with my dad and Sue, and my baby brother. Garrett and Samuel both agreed to stand over as guards in case it's a ploy to separate me from Eve."

"It could be!" Dean reasoned. "They are no good, lying demons you're meeting with Bella."

"They have an agenda," Sam agreed.

The Winchesters didn't seem to understand there would be no changing Bella's mind. If it meant a temporary stop to the ongoing battle between good and evil, she'd want to hear what the other side had to say. We both agreed, there was a gray area; good and evil weren't so black and white. Even Dean agreed, not every supernatural creature was inherently evil—some wanted more than that kind of life.

Then again, there were those that did enjoy playing games, as Dean and Sam had been up against many times in their journey of hunting things.

"Every possible precaution must be taken." It was the most diplomatic answer I could stand to say. I agreed with Sam and Dean that it was a bad idea to allow Bella to meet with some demonic council, yet I knew if it meant we could have some peace, we needed to take a chance.

"Your grandfather will be present, along with a league of angels." Castiel seemed to hope that his words would reassure all those involved.

"I'm going," Dean stated, rubbing his hands together. His eyes were on the supernatural arsenal on the coffee table.

"We're not allowed to bring any weapons, only protection spells." Bella handed me Eve, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She looked up at me and stood on the tips of her toes to kiss me, too. "I'll be fine."

"How do you know?"

"I'm still in the picture a few hours from now." Her visions and feelings were subjective and could change in a second.

I had to believe in her as much as she believed in herself. It was damn hard, considering her petite size. Yet, as I stood back to look at her, I realized she had a presence that not only demanded attention but extruded power. Dressed in an eye-catching blue and black power suit, she looked as if she was heading to a meeting as a powerful CEO.

I barely managed to keep my body from reacting, loving this look on Bella, as much as a beautiful wife and mother. My best friend. Gone was the softness, replaced by a determination to set things in motion.

The reprieve would not only allow us years of peace but to regroup and prepare for a battle in 2020. It would give us time to find others like her, team up with other angels and supernatural beings that didn't want to see the world turn to ash.

It would also give us a chance to perfect our fighting skills, which mine were seriously lacking. My gifts continued to manifest because for once, I wanted them. If it meant I could protect my family, I wouldn't stop them or wish them away.

I needed them.

The helplessness that formed into tightness in my chest throughout my relationship with my wife finally started to loosen. Before, I was unable to fight the things I couldn't hear or see. The week before I managed to stop a demon from approaching us at the grocery store, with a push from my mind, sending the possessed human hundreds of feet away, immediately dispelling the demon for his body.

"I wish I could be in two places at once. My wife needs me." Bella started to shake her head. I pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "I know, Bella, I know. I need to be here with Eve."

I looked at Dean, Sam, and Castiel. "Protect her at any cost."

They each nodded, giving us a few moments, Sam taking Eve into the family room, though Dean wanted to hold her, too. Those two always fought over her, her honorary uncles.

I pulled Bella into my arms, memorizing her scent of sweetness and woman. I loved her so damn much, and I knew I wouldn't survive without her. I'd be nothing but a shell of the man I was; only Eve would ground me enough. I hated to think that way, not when I was a father, but it couldn't be helped.

"You need to come back to us." The crack in my voice tightened her hold on me, her fingers intertwining over the small of my back.

"I will." She sniffled, and I did not need to pull back to know that there were tears in her eyes.

"Unscathed."

"Okay," she hiccupped after a moment's hesitation. Gone was the woman in the badass power suit, replaced by the sweetness that was my wife, the mother of our daughter.

"That does not mean that you get hurt and get healed. Even a millisecond of pain by their hands and they will answer to me."

My voice scared her enough to pull back, her eyes widening at something she saw in my gaze. "You can protect her." She sounded both awed and scared.

Finally, I could see in the reflection of her dark eyes, the spark in mine. The same fire that I often saw in hers when her powers were at the surface, waiting to be unleashed.

"I can protect you both."

She nodded and kissed me with a desperation that sent a fissure of fear through me. "I know how important that is for you, and I understand, just be careful around our daughter. Sometimes I don't know my strength."

"I've been practicing."

I looked over her shoulder and noticed Castiel and the others waiting. Jacob waved from the kitchen with a giant sandwich in his hands. I pulled back and looked into Bella's eyes. "Are you ready?

It only took a few seconds for the transformation to begin. The softness around her mouth and eyes disappeared first, replaced by a hard edge that meant she wasn't to be trifled with. The spark I'd seen hundreds of times since meeting her, turned into an inferno that even demons would fear.

"Come home," I whispered, kissing her forehead and stepping away to take Eve from Dean. My gaze fell on each of them, one by one, and there was no mistaking the message I was sending.

To bring Bella home at any cost. They all nodded and disappeared in an instant.

AN: Thanks to my Dawnie for her help with the chapter, any mistakes are mine, I like to tinker. Remember this story is set in 2016-2017...I think, lol. Don't quote me on that. Anyway, I have to figure out how to approach the ending and setting up the last segment of this LONG story. Hopefully, I can get some much needed cafe time to write next week. Thanks for your continued patience and support. Hopefully, I'll see you soon.