Dean deserves a Hug

4-Blackbird

A sharp cry pierced the silence, echoing through the halls of the bunker. Dean's eyes snapped open. He was awake now, but the memory of Castiel's lifeless vessel stayed burned into his mind. Groaning, he rolled to his side and pulled one of the pillows over his head. The crying continued for several minutes before he heard the sound of a door opening, followed by footsteps moving past his room and into the one at the end of the hall. Dean shut his eyes tight, trying hard to resume his unconsciousness. The crying continued. Whatever Sam was doing to try and soothe the thing was failing miserably. He waited for what felt like years, but was in actuality five minutes, before throwing the sheets off and storming out of the room.

Sam was standing in the middle of the room, the screaming child held in his arms. They had managed to get the crib Kelly had bought to the bunker and were using one of the many vacant rooms as a makeshift nursery. Dean stood in the open doorway and his brother turned to face him. He looked exhausted; he had dealt with most of the baby troubles for the four days they had been with him. Dean had went straight to his room once they were back and remained there almost all day every day.

He hadn't meant to leave Sam responsible, but what else was he supposed to do. He wanted nothing to do with Satan's son, especially not after what happened with Cas. It should've been the angel who got to live, not some demon child they knew nothing about. But that's just how things turned out, and now Dean had to take care of the situation. If not for the child then at least for his sleep schedule and Sam's sanity.

"Give it to me" he sighed, holding his arms out towards them.

Sam hesitated, unsure of Dean's intentions. Rightfully so, since Dean had immediately grabbed Cas's angel blade upon their first encounter.

"Dean, he's just a baby. We don't-"

"I said give it to me."

His arms remained outstretched. The child remained screaming. Sam was about to refuse when he remembered the soft, comforting domain that was his bed. He gently lifted the child from his chest and transferred it to his brother. He placed a hand on Dean's shoulder as he walked out past him, already feeling himself drift closer to sleep despite the crying.

"Alright, come on now" Dean mumbled, moving the child to his shoulder in the same position Sam had done. He swayed lightly and shushed as he stroked the baby's back. It dawned on him that this was the first time he had actually held the child. He had to admit that although he was still cautious, a part of him was content. He loved kids, thought of it as a special honor to hold the baby of a friend, not that he had any. He had to remind himself this child was the spawn of the devil himself.

"What's your deal, huh ?" he asked quietly. He felt the bottom of the baby's diaper. It didn't need to be changed. Food, maybe ? Did it even need to eat ? He decided to see if he could get the child to sleep without it first.

"Bad dreams, then ? Yeah, tell me about it."

The crying was only half as severe now. It had begun to lessen the second Dean took the child, but that would go unnoticed for now. He turned to sit on the bed, which had been pushed into the corner to make space, and leaned back against the headboard. He sighed and stared at the wall, thinking of what to do.

"Nephlims like music, right ?" he said more to himself than the child. He thought of Cas. He might not have been fond of other human things, but Dean could remember multiple occasions where Cas expressed a liking, or at least a tolerance, for music. "Let's hope angel kids and human kids ain't too far off."

Dean's first thought was Hey Jude and he instantly shut it down. He wasn't going to share something so special with this child when it was the reason his mother was gone again. Something less sentimental, but still smooth and gentle and somewhat nurturing. He continued rubbing the baby's back as he began to sing.

"Blackbird singin in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise"

Dean watched to see how the child would react to him singing. He wondered if Sam had tried the same and, if he had, why it hadn't worked. This wasn't the first time he had had trouble getting the nephlim to sleep. As far as Dean knew, it had always worked for his mother and it appeared to be working now.

"Blackbird singin in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free"

The crying had been reduced to faint coo's. The child was still on Dean's chest, it's ear pressed close as if it were listening to his heartbeat.

"Blackbird fly
Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night"

Dean began to hum the rhythm of the song. His eyelids felt heavy and he was about to drift off to sleep when he heard something coming from the side of the room. He turned to look at the crib.

The mobile was playing a soft lullaby as it spun, making the stars and moon float in a circle over where the baby's head would be. He stood and slowly made his way over. There was no plug connected to it. It had to be wound up to start playing. He hadn't touched it, and if Sam had it would've been playing when he walked in. And yet.....he looked down at the child in his arms.

"Did you do that ?"

No response. In fact, the child was completely silent. Fast asleep. Dean sighed, then leaned as close as he could towards the crib and slowly began to lower the baby into it. Other than the mobile, which continued to spin and sing, the room was silent. Dean rested his hands on the edge of the crib and watched the child. He stayed like that for a few moments before the exhaustion began to get to him as well.

"Alright then", he whispered as he turned to walk out. He stopped at the doorway, one hand on the light switch and the other on the door knob. No crying. He turned the light off and closed the door behind him. The mobile music cut off. He made his way back to his own room and collapsed onto the bed, letting his mind wander before passing out.

Guess Cas influenced him after all.