When The Bough Breaks
Part One of ?

Dean could blame it on Gabriel. After all, almost everything could be blamed on the Archangel-turned-Trickster. Or he could blame it on Sam, since his brother had read the books, knew the stories, yet he hadn't thought to warn Dean about the possibility.

Hell, he could even probably blame Cas for not knowing all there was to know about angel physiology, but as he watched the angel writhe and sweat beneath the thin sheet, the only covering his pain-riddled body could stand, he knew there was only one person to blame: himself. After all, he was the one who had fucked the angel.

He was the one who had tempted Castiel to sin, the one who had tainted the once-pure heavenly being. Cas was lying on an old mattress in Bobby's panic room in pain, fighting for his life because of Dean. He would lay the blame at no one else's feet.

Gabriel knelt at the head of the makeshift bed, whispering soothingly in a language Dean didn't understand.

"Does he have a chance of surviving this?" Sam asked the Archangel, voicing the question Dean was too afraid to ask.

"Yes, Sam, a very good chance. Angels have done this before. Cas is young, but his Grace is strong," Gabriel answered, brow furrowed.

"Then why do you look so worried?" Dean had to ask.

"Because... sometimes... sometimes an angel doesn't survive. The tearing of your Grace is harsh and painful... add that to what his physical form is going through, and it doesn't always come out favorable. The strain on Cas between severing his Grace and sustaining his vessel will greatly weaken him. It's not an easy process, but I think he's strong enough."

Sam shifted on his feet.

"Is there anything we can do?" his brother asked.

"RIght now? Not really. Just wait. Keep him as comfortable as possible," the shorter angel told both Winchesters.

Dean felt like he was suffocating. Every bad thing that had happened to Cas since he set foot on Earth was his fault. He had led the angel down one wrong path after another and now... now this.

He couldn't take it anymore. He had to get out of there. Turning quickly, he all but sprinted out of the room and up the stairs, not stopping until he burst through Bobby's front door into the cool night air.

Gulping harshly, Dean fought to keep his tears at bay. The sound of fluttering wings caused him to turn and he found himself face to face with Gabriel.

"You should be in there with Cas," the shorter man told him, looking annoyed.

"This wasn't supposed to happen... he wasn't supposed to... it... it was nothing! A meaningless fuck! I..." Dean trailed off, a sob building it's way up into his throat.

Gabriel's eyes flashed with fire.

"The only reason I don't strike you down where you stand is because I know those words are a lie. A lie you tell yourself to make what you were doing okay. You can't face the fact that you just might actually care for Castiel. Now, get your ass back in there beside my brother where it belongs."

Dean swallowed hard. Gabriel was right. No matter what his reason's for taking the angel to bed, these were the consequences, and he couldn't leave Cas to deal with them alone. He pushed past the furious Archangel and stomped back down the stairs, quieting his steps as he neared the panic room.

When he re-entered the circular room, he saw Sam kneeling beside Cas, holding a glass of water up for the angel to drink.

"Since when does he need to drink?" Dean asked.

"Gabriel said his Grace would be focused on holding itself together while the small piece was being severed and by maintaining the fledgling. Apparently, his vessel isn't at the top of the priority list, so... he'll need actual nourishment until it's all over," Sam explained.

Dean flinched at the word fledgling, a reminder of what was going on, another mistake Dean had made.

He looked down at the shivering angel. Cas's once vibrant blue eyes were dull and full of pain. Dean's stomach churned. He felt the air behind him displace, signaling the return of Gabriel.

"How long does it take?" he asked, watching as another flare of light around Cas brought on another whimper and gasp.

"It varies. It's not an exact science, Dean," Gabriel answered, scorn evident in his voice.

"You know, you seem pretty okay with this whole thing... weren't you the one that had to slay all the Nephilim last time?" Sam asked, bringing up a valid point. Even with Dean's serious lack of knowledge, he knew God hadn't been happy about angels and human's mixing blood.

"Sammy, you of all people should know not to believe everything you read," Gabriel bit out, eyes flashing fire once more.

"Gabriel refused to raise his sword... not against his own son," Cas's wrecked voice came from the makeshift bed, "it was Uriel who destroyed the Nephilim."

Dean's eyes snapped to the weak angel below them.

"His own... son?" Dean asked,eyes turning back to the Archangel. "You've done this before?"

"You seem surprised. Yes, I did... and then my Father ordered their death. It was... the final straw. The beginning of the end," Gabriel fluttered his hands around, dramatically making his point. "Shortly after I said screw it and I left."

"Uriel was only too happy to comply to Father's wishes," Cas spoke, voice still riddled with pain. Dean knelt down beside the shaking angel.

"You doing okay?" he asked quietly.

"If I answer, 'yes', will you believe me?"

"Nope."

Cas gave a small smile before light flared around him once again and his smile faded into a pain filled grimace.

Without thinking, Dean reached out and gripped Cas's hand, offering him whatever strength he could.

Gabriel lay a hand over Cas's chest.

"Well?" Dean asked anxiously.

"Well, he's getting closer. I can feel the piece pulling away from the whole. Once it has separated completely and is absorbed by the fledgling, the worst will be over, though... the egg actually coming out is far from pleasant. You should lay on your side, bro... it'll be more comfortable."

Dean blanched at Gabriel's words.

"Coming out! Can't you just... I don't know... zap it out or something?" Dean asked.

"And risk pulling it out while it's Grace is still attached to Cas? No... even angels have a natural order to some things. Afraid you'll have to wait the old fashioned way, Deano."

"Where does it come out at?" Sam asked, a horrified look on his face.

Gabriel smirked.

"Do you really have to ask, Sammy?"

Sam looked like he was going to be sick.

Dean looked back down at Cas and noticed the angel looked a little scared.

"Hey, Cas, man, don't worry. You're gonna be fine. I'm here, 'kay?" Dean told him, trying to stuff more confidence into his words than he felt himself.

Cas nodded as the light flared once more. Dean watched the angel take in measured gasps between clinched teeth.

"Gabriel... I... I can feel it ripping... it burns," Cas forced out between gasps.

The Archangel knelt down beside Dean.

"I know, Kiddo. That's good, actually. It means it's getting closer," he told Cas, his voice calm and soothing, "roll onto your side for me, Bro," Gabriel ordered calmly.

Cas rolled over towards Dean, hissing at the pain moving caused. Gabriel stood up and moved around behind Cas, kneeling down once more at Cas's back. Dean watched the older angel raise the thin sheet, looking at something underneath.

"Not too long now, it's already coming starting to come out," he told the three men who were watching him.

Dean glanced at his brother and was sure Sam was about to lose his lunch.

"Sammy, you need to puke, you go out there to do it, got it?" Dean told Sam, his voice taking on the Winchester "Don't Argue With Me" tone.

Sam nodded, swallowing hard.

Gabriel walked over to Sam and laid a hand on his arm.

"You okay, Kid?"

"I'm not a kid," Sam answered, giving Gabriel Bitch Face Number Four, "and, yes, I'm fine... just trying to imagine..." Sam shuddered, letting his sentence trail off.

"Hey, I know the thought of passing an egg the size of a watermelon out your ass sounds unpleasant, but I promise, feeling your Grace shred itself in two is about a million times more painful," Gabriel told Sam, smirking as the younger Winchester paled even more.

"Not helping," Cas muttered into his pillow, wiping the smirk off Gabriel's face.

"Sorry, Bro," he whispered, and Dean was surprised to find that the Archangel actually sounded like he meant it.

The light around Cas flared, brighter and longer than the last time, and Dean flinched as the angel actually cried out this time, shaking harder when the light didn't go away like it had every other time.

"What's going on?" Dean asked worriedly.

Gabriel came over and laid a hand over Cas's chest again.

"His Grace is almost severed. The fledgling is trying to absorb the sliver. It's almost over, Brother, hang in there," Gabriel told Cas, pushing sweaty hair off the other angel's forehead.

Cas didn't even seem to hear his brother's words as the light flared again, brighter and stronger than before. The angel bit into his pillow, letting out in inhuman scream as the light flared even stronger.

"Uh... you two might want to close your eyes," Gabriel warned.

Dean shut his eyes but tightened his grip on Cas, feeling the angel sob into the pillow. The cries falling from the angel's lips hurt Dean's ears and his heart.

"Sam... little help here?" he heard Gabriel ask in a worried tone. He felt, rather than saw Sam move to kneel beside the Archangel.

"Keep your eyes, closed," Gabriel ordered.

"How the hell am I suppose to help you if I can't see?" his brother asked.

"Just hold out your arms, you don't need eyes to do that."

"Dean... I'm sorry," Cas's broken voice came, sounding very weak.

"Don't you dare apologize for this, Cas. It's not your fault, you hear me?" Dean demanded, keeping his voice low. From behind clenched lids, he could see a bright, painful flare of light before he felt Cas go limp beside him. Without thinking, Dean ripped his eyes open. Cas lay, unconscious, pale and sweaty on the old mattress. He glanced down to the foot of the bed and gasped when he saw Sam sitting there, a bundle of blankets in his arms and just peeking through what looked like the golden shell of a very large egg. Gabriel crawled up to lean over Cas, a worried expression on his face.

"Is he okay?" Dean asked, voice hoarse and rough.

Gabriel laid his hand once more over Cas's chest and sighed in relief.

"He's okay. His Grace is repairing itself, he'll probably be out for a bit. I can heal the physical wounds, but we'll have to wait for the rest," the older angel told him, a small smile on his face.

"Uh... guys? I think something's wrong," Sam spoke up, looking unsure as he cradled the odd bundle.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, wondering what else could possible go wrong.

"The... the egg... the light around it is fading."

Gabriel jumped up and quickly made his way over to the younger Winchester. He studied the egg for a moment.

"It's Grace is failing. The small sliver it took from Cas isn't enough to sustain it. It... He is too weak," Gabriel told them.

"What? You mean, it's dying... after all that, it's gonna die?" Dean asked incredulously.

"No," Gabriel answered, taking the egg from Sam. "It happens sometimes. Usually, the angel parent would infuse the fledgling with Grace until it was strong enough to sustain itself, but... Cas isn't in any shape to do that, so I'll do it for him. Your fledgling will be fine," Gabriel assured him.

"Wait... just a second ago, you said he," Sam pointed out, catching on before Dean did.

"He? How do you know it's a he?" Dean asked.

"Well, a fledgling like this is created from two things. The genetic material of the father and the angel's vessel, and the Grace from the angel parent. Considering you are both men, well, you don't exactly have the genetic material required to create a girl so... congrats, Dean, you have a son."

Dean swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"When will it... he hatch?"

"Two... maybe three days. Cas should be awake by then. I'm going to take this upstairs, give you two some privacy. Call me when he wakes up," with that, Gabriel blinked out, leaving only a rustle of wings behind.

"You okay?" Sam asked him.

"No, not really... but I'm not the one that just went through hell either," Dean answered quietly.

"He'll be okay. I'm gonna go fill Bobby in. Holler if you need anything, 'kay?" Sam told him before leaving him alone with the unconscious angel.

"Son..." Dean whispered, trying to wrap his mind around that.