| Chapter Three
*This story runs during the equivalent of Season 3, with some skewing of timelines and information, as it is an Alternate Universe, based on the events of the television series. Canon parts are worked in with my own.
Honey fell asleep shortly after the birth, and Sam joined Trixie and Dean. None of the family was allowed back to see Honey yet. He ditched the scrubs and excitedly told Dean all about it. Dean looked less than thrilled as his brother animatedly described the birth of his daughter.
“It was incredible, Dean,” his eyes were shining. “I watched my daughter being born. I have a daughter.”
Dean nodded and clapped his brother on the arm. “Congrats, Sammy.”
“I didn’t think to ask Honey what name she’d chosen,” Sam muttered. “She’s asleep now.”
“Elora Mary Wheeler,” Trixie answered. Sam’s head snapped up. “Mary for your mother.”
The Winchester boys were silent for a moment.
“Wheeler?” Sam asked. Trixie took a deep breath.
“Sam, I know Dan explained it to you. If the baby had your name, Matthew would hunt you down and destroy you for getting Honey pregnant. As it is, Dan wanted the baby to have his name.”
“I think Dan really wants that kid,” Dean said.
Trixie glanced at him and nodded.
“Dan was an orphan when we met. He watched his mother die when he was thirteen and his father was killed in the line of duty years before that. He wants a family as badly as you do, Sam. He’s willing to raise another man’s child, and he’s spent the last seven months loving that baby and being involved in every aspect of the pregnancy. Minus the genetics, Dan is willing and ready to be that child’s father.”
Sam swallowed.
“Look, I need to go deal with our family. You guys come around the other entrance, act like you just arrived, Sam, don’t blow this cover. Once you meet Matthew, you’ll understand why we did what we did.”
Dean nodded. “C’mon Sammy.”
Trixie turned to hurry to the families.
Dean started waking and Sam caught up to him.
“I can’t believe you knocked her up,” Dean muttered.
Sam glared at him.
“Yeah, well, it’s a miracle we haven’t gotten any phone calls about your kids.” He didn’t mention Ben, the boy Deans suspected was his, despite Lisa’s protests.*
Dean turned to his brother, his eyes flashing. “I’m smart enough to wrap it, Sam, for this exact reason! Not only did you get her pregnant, she’s the daughter of multi billionaire CEO who could make us disappear!”
Sam clenched his jaw. “I told you she was special to me. I know that’s impossible for you to understand, Dean, that one woman could be enough, but I can’t stop thinking about her. I haven’t since Maine, nine months ago. She’s on my mind constantly. Now I know why. She had my child Dean, why can’t you be happy for me?”
Dean stopped walking and faced his taller brother, his deep green eyes tormented. “Because this is going to tear you apart, Sammy. You can’t be focused and Hunting with me, knowing there’s a woman and a baby you want elsewhere. Look at what Dad went through, what we went through, growing up. Constantly on the go, never knowing where we’d be sleeping, hustling pool to have food? Remember how much you wanted a normal life? Remember how things changed after you found Dad’s journal and figured it all out? You can’t put a baby through that, Sam. Another man is going to raise that kid and it will eat at you until the day you die, because you know we can’t interfere and it’s for her own good.”
“What if I want to give up Hunting?” Sam demanded. “You know I never planned to do it this long after you came for me at Stanford.”
Dean glared.
“You heard what Trixie said. Honey won’t let you. She wouldn’t marry Dan out of obligation, she won’t marry you. Besides, if you think her rich daddy is going to let her marry a man who hunts creatures that most people don’t believe in, you’re crazy as well as stupid. A college dropout who took off on a roadtrip with his brother? You’ll be wearing cement shoes.”
Sam’s face flushed red in anger.
“Azazeal took Mom, Dad and Jess, Dean. Now something bigger is gunning for you. Honey might be my last chance at a family. I won’t let you or her father interfere with that!”
“What am I, chopped liver?” Dean demanded. “Sammy, there’s more at stake here than just that kid’s pedigree.”
“Like what?” Sam demanded. “Dean, if we don’t get you out of that deal, I won’t have you much longer either.”
Dean sighed.
“That’s what I’m talking about, Sammy, that kid is yours.”
Sam just stared at Dean, not comprehending. “Dean, I know that.”
Dean’s frustration with his brother’s denseness was growing. “Sam, think about it. You know why Azazeal wanted you, and all the children like you. We’ve already established Honey is an Empath, and for all we know, she’s one of you.”
Sam turned white as he understood where his brother’s train of thought was going. “My daughter. Third generation of Hunter, child of a psychic, potentially two.”
Dean nodded. “Yeah. If you stick around, this new demon, whoever he or she is, will track you to the kid. The child has your blood, Sam, it might already know about her. You’ll be putting her life, yours and probably Honey’s in the way. You know what it did to Mom, and she was a trained Hunter too, for crying out loud. You willing to make a deal to protect her for a few years, then have to give her up? You willing to sacrifice Honey’s life?”
Sam shook his head, speechless.
“I know it sucks, Sammy, and I’m sorry,” Dean’s voice softened. “But you can’t raise this baby. You can’t be anywhere near it.”
“What if he already knows?” Sam asked. “What if he comes after her?”
Dean shook his head. “With Azazeal out of the picture, we don’t know what to expect.”
“And if we don’t break your deal, what then?” Sam asked. “How can I protect her, without you to help me? If you go to Hell, Dean, I have no one at all.”*
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Dean said. “We’ll plan it all out; I still have a few months. Let’s go deal with her family and see what’s what there.”
***
Trixie greeted the boys as if she hadn’t seen them in a long time. Dean immediately knew who Matthew Wheeler was. Tall, broad shouldered, redheaded imposing man wearing a suit that Dean was sure cost several thousand dollars.
“These are the friends I told you about, that called. This is Dean Thompson and his brother Sam,” Trixie introduced them after a hug and kiss on the cheek from Dean and a hug from a pale Sam.
Dean sized the crowd up. He could pick out Trixie’s brother Mart easily enough. There was a stunning woman with dark hair and violet eyes, and a girl who must have been her sister. The redheads were Honey’s father and brother, and a third…Dan’s uncle, he remembered. These were all good people, he thought, wholesome, never encountered a ghost or demon, or lived by credit card fraud. Upper-class all the way, he thought. His niece would be well cared for in their absence, never lacking anything. That was a small comfort. They just had to keep her away from the demons.
There was idle chatter and conversation, Dan beaming as the proud father. Dean glanced at Sam. He knew his brother was furious; wanting to announce it was his baby. Dean knew if they couldn’t get him out of the deal, Sam would come running back to Honey and the baby, and that would be bad news for everyone. Sam had already died once, they had yet to tell Honey and Trixie about that.* It wasn’t exactly pillow talk conversation. Sam said he didn’t have visions anymore, but Dean wasn’t one hundred percent sure about that. Sam wanted to be normal and he wondered on occasion if his brother was lying to him.
They were allowed in one at a time to see Honey and the baby, only for a few minutes. Honey held Sam’s hand as she studied him sleepily. He kissed her hand gently.
“Come see me tomorrow,” she said softly. “Early, so we can talk.”
“All right,” he pressed her hand against her lips.
“I want you to stay at our place,” she said. “You can have my room. I should be released tomorrow.”
Sam just nodded.
“Sam,” she said softly. “Please understand why I’ve done this.”
“I’m trying Honey,” he answered huskily, “but it’s really difficult.”
“I know,” she answered. “I promise to explain.”
Sam knew he owed her some explanations as well, with everything that had gone on since he had last seen her.
***
The brothers followed Trixie back to the lavish condo she shared with Honey. She knew they were impressed and felt awkward. The Agency was doing well, which was the only way she could afford her half of the rent.
“Swanky digs,” Dean commented.
Trixie shrugged.
“Yeah. Honey’s dad owns the building but we still pay rent.”
Sam was quiet as he followed them. Trixie showed him to Honey’s room where he set his bag, and wandered through the apartment. Trixie glanced at Dean.
“Um, we turned the third room into the nursery,” she said awkwardly. Dean raised one eyebrow.
“You gonna stick me on the couch?” he asked, amused. Trixie hesitated and he set his bag down, reaching for her.
Speech left her as he drew her close. God, he felt good, she thought, wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling in. Smelled good, felt good, his hand running over her curls.
“No,” she murmured. “I’d just be pouncing on you in the middle of the night.”
He chuckled, and she smiled as she tilted her head up for a long, slow kiss. She felt herself relaxing in his embrace, in a way she hadn’t in months. Since the last time she had seen him, in fact. The last few months of secrets and lies eased out of her as he stroked her back.
A throat clearing drew them apart. Sam was in the doorway.
Trixie smiled at him. “C’mon. I’ll show you two the nursery.”
“Damn,” Dean said. The room had been painted in soft purples and blues, and the elegant furniture all matched. Sam ran his hand over the wood of the crib.
“Jim and Dan made the crib, Mart the basinet and the changing table,” she told them. “Di and Moms did the paintings, Honey sewed the curtains.”
“Real family effort,” Sam said, with a bitterness Trixie had never heard in his voice.
“Sam,” Dean said softly.
“I need some air,” Sam said abruptly, turning and leaving. Trixie heard the door shut and sighed, leaning back into Dean, who rested his chin on her head.
“I want you to know I wanted her to call you guys,” Trixie said. “It was Dan’s idea that he claim the baby, and once I realized Honey wouldn’t be swayed, I thought it was the best route to go.”
“What is this Dan to you guys?” Dean asked casually but Trixie heard the note of jealousy.
“One of our best friends and business partners. That’s it,” she turned to face him, slipped her arms around his waist. She glanced at his face and frowned. “Dean, what’s wrong?”
He looked tired suddenly, and older. Trixie felt his guard slip down, and she saw the haunted look in his eyes that she had only had a glimpse of before.
“This is what I always wanted for Sammy,” he said, his eyes blank as he stared at a wall. “This is what we had. A nice house, nice nursery for him. You don’t know how many nights I wished Sam wasn’t involved in all this. He didn’t enjoy it, didn’t want it, and fought with Dad at every turn for his freedom. He wanted to be normal,” Dean hugged Trixie closer. “I resented him because I knew Dad wanted to let him go but he just couldn’t. Not after Mom died.”
Trixie didn’t answer, hugging him tightly.
“This is his chance to be a father, Trixie,” he said softly. “His chance for a family. And I have to take it away from him.”
Trixie moved to look up at him. “Why? Why can’t you let him go, Dean? I know he’s all you have but—”
“It’s not that,” Dean sighed. “Hear me out. Azaeal-that’s the Yellow Eyed Demon’s name by the way, killed Mom and Jess because they got in the way of his plans for Sam. He’s eluded us for years. Now I killed him a couple months back, but there’s a new demon in town that we don’t have a name on yet, and it’s worse than Azazeal, more powerful.”
“Azazeal built his little army, picked his handcrafted heir, and it’s Sam,” Dean continued. “Killing Azazeal didn’t put an end to it like we thought. Now this other demon wants Sam.”
“How can Sam be an heir to a demon?” Trixie asked. Then her eyes widened.
“Mom made a deal with Azazeal, to save our Dad’s life, years ago. He fed demon blood into Sam when Sam was a baby.” * Dean said quietly. “Mom was a Hunter too, Dad never knew.”
Trixie’s jaw dropped. “Your Mom Hunted? And Sam—is a—”
“No,” Dean said sharply. “But let me finish, Trix.” She nodded. “Azazeal’s basically tried to build an army of these psychic kids. They all had different abilities: telekinesis, super strength-there was even a chick that killed people with her touch and a guy who could electrocute things. Azazeal basically set them against each other; survival of the fittest. Sam was one of the remaining two.”* Dean decided to leave out the part of Sam dying and Dean’s soul-selling deal with the demon to bring Sam back to life.
“Did he kill the other guy?” Trixie asked.
“He had to,” Dean answered. Technically, Jake killed Sam first but that was more of a splitting hair situation. Plus, Jake was fully willing to work for Azazeal and release the demons. That made him just as bad as the demon, as far as Dean was concerned. “No one knows how many other kids like Sam are out still out there. From what we gathered, most of them are dead, killed by this chick Ava, who gave in to the temptation of working for Azazeal, and wanting to be his heir.”*
Trixie just shook her head, her mind spinning at the new information.
“That’s why I have to take Sam away, Trixie. He’s a magnet for demons. And we still don’t know what the blood the demon fed Sam will make him do. He hasn’t had the visions for a while, since I killed Azazeal, but I think he might gain other abilities. And it could be genetic.”
“Elora,” Trixie whispered. Dean nodded and stepped back from her, holding her by the arm.
“You see what I’m getting at. This other demon, the one that is higher up than Azazeal, is a nasty sonovabitch. And it might already know about Elora. I don’t know for sure, but we know next to nothing about it, other than it’s a higher level. The demon grapevine isn’t real helpful. But Azazeal watched Sammy growing up; it’s possible this other demon is watching Elora. And if Sammy and I stick around, then it will target her for sure. And you can bet your pretty ass it’ll come after her, or Honey or both, or you or your families. And I can’t let Sam lose them too.”
“Can’t you protect them?” Trixie asked.
Dean sighed. He couldn’t tell her he had a one way ticket to Hell in a couple months. He wouldn’t put that burden on her.
“I don’t know, Trix. We don’t know the name of this demon yet, so we don’t know who we’re up against. But Azazeal wasn’t easy to kill, and this one will be worse. Right now we’re running low on resources we can trust. There’s apparently a bounty on Sam now, from other Hunters, because someone got word out that Sam had a psychic gift. Our pool of safe havens is pretty small. But if we hang around here, it will show up sooner or later, without a doubt. And I don’t think Sam can take any more loss. And if he’s trying to protect Honey and Elora, that leaves me to fight the demon, and I don’t know that I can,” he said quietly. “I have no gifts, no super juice, nothing but steel and rock salt.”
Trixie took his hand. “I have faith in you, Dean.”
Dean wanted to tell her. Unless he found a way out of his contract with the demon, he was going to be dragged to Hell by the Hellhounds in roughly three months, and spend eternity in damnation. But the less Trixie knew right now, the better.
Trixie nodded. “I understand. You’re doing it for the same reason Honey did.”
Dean nodded. “I was angry at her at first, because she knows how much Sammy wants a family and a normal life. But she understands the dangers. I have to make Sam understand them.”
“How long will you stay?” she asked softly.
“A few days. Any longer than that and the Demon will find us for certain.”
Trixie leaned her head against his chest. Dean Winchester wasn’t the settling down type of man, but she wanted him to hang around more than a few days.
Dean tilted her head up and kissed her gently. “Listen; don’t worry about it tonight, okay? I could use a shower, a beer, and some alone time with you,” he nuzzled her neck, making her laugh.
“Nice to know I’m on the bottom of that list,” she said dryly.
He flashed her his sexy grin.
“Oh, sweetheart, you’re not, trust me,” he kissed her again.
“Shower’s in my room,” she smiled, slapping him on the butt as he moved away from. Smiling, he turned and grabbed her, crushing him up against her.
“Join me?” he asked, his deep voice sending a thrill down her spine.
“I’d love to, but I’m going to go check on Sam.” She giggled when he made slightly pouting face, which was seductive on him.
Sam walked into the living room as Trixie did.
“You’re back already?” she asked.
“Yeah. I just… I don’t know,” he sighed and rubbed his eyes.
“Sam,” she said quietly. “Go to bed. You look like hell and I know Honey wants to talk to you in the morning.”
Sam nodded, but knew he wouldn’t sleep. It would be weird, sleeping in her bed with soft sheets. The room was in warm pastels, elegant and sophisticated, a lightly sweet scent he didn’t recognize. It was perfect for her. Warm, comforting, chic.
Once Sam had gone to Honey’s room, Trixie hurried to hers and stripped off her clothes to join Dean in the shower.
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Author’s Notes
- a big “I call this my Blue Steel”, to Donna and Mary, my fabulous editors!
- A repeat of some lengthy notes here but they'll fill in some gaps on the Winchester boys!
- Season 2, All Hell Breaks Loose parts 1 & 2, Sam was murdered by another ‘psychic kid’ that Azazeal was using to open a gate to Hell (built by Samuel Colt to trap demons and protected by a private railroad- iron bars that demons can’t cross.) Dean made a deal with a Crossroads Demon to bring Sam back to life, in exchange for Dean’s soul. Instead of the standard ten years though, Dean was given one year before his soul would be claimed and he’d go to Hell. Which he did.
- Season 3, episode 3, The Kids Are Alright, Dean encounters a fling from 8 years prior, and her son is a mini-Dean. Lisa insists the boy is not Dean’s but he never quite believes her. In episode 8, Dream a Little Dream, Dean’s dream is revealed to have Lisa and Ben as his family.
- Season 4, episode 3, Back to the Beginning, Dean is given a chance to go back in time, and discovers his mother was a Hunter, unbeknownst to his father. John was killed and Mary made a deal with Azazeal, the yellow eyed demon. In return for John coming back to life, Mary would give Azazeal ‘something’ ten years later, when he returned. “Something” turned out to be Sam. Mary died trying to protect Sam (pilot episode). Azazeal fled, and after Mary’s death, John began to realize there were darker things in the world. He never knew Mary was a Hunter when he met her.
- Word Count, 3,186
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