Maybe Someday; Sam Winchester

Chapter Ninety-Nine

The past couple weeks had been quiet. For Cielo, at least. Still angry at the brothers and Diana, she kept her distance and left them to their own. And though she wasn't exactly trying to be around Stella because god forbid she cracks while having a tea party with her, Stella always found her and stuck with her mom. She'd been unusually clingy lately, and whether that be because of the tension between Cielo and the rest of the group, Cielo could never say no to Stella.

As for Sam, he'd tried talking to Cielo and tried stepping in, despite his own guilt of keeping the book after he'd faked it back at the cabin, Cielo dismissed him every time, just like he did to her the year prior.

Sam's heart ached every time he watched her brush him off again and again. He couldn't blame her for being angry, but the distance between them was tearing him apart. Every time he tried to talk to her, she shut him down, the hurt in her eyes impossible to miss.

Dean, on the other hand, had taken a more stoic approach. He tried to give her space, knowing that she needed time to cool off. But the guilt still gnawed at him, making him more irritable than usual.

And as for Diana, she just wanted Cielo back. She did anything and everything she could think of doing while still working with Charlie, Cas, Ciana, and Rowena to find the spell that gets rid of the mark.

Cielo was oblivious to what they were doing, thinking that they would find something else if they cared as much as they did. So, she kept as much space between them and her as possible.

Despite Cielo's efforts, the atmosphere in the bunker had gone from tense to downright hostile. Everyone walked on eggshells around her, scared to say the wrong thing and make it even worse. Even Stella had picked up on the tension, her usual bubbly personality replaced by confusion and sadness.

Dean and Sam were at a loss. They wanted to fix things, but they knew that forcing her to talk when she wasn't ready would only make matters worse.

⛧⛧⛧

Cielo and Stella cuddled in her crib, and though it might be frowned upon that a grown woman was in a crib with her toddler, she was pretty comfortable as she held onto Stella and used her other hand to hold up the tablet on her hip with a movie playing.

Stella was snuggled up against Cielo, her small body warm and cozy as she watched the movie with wide, innocent eyes. She occasionally pointed at the screen and babbled, but her focus was mostly on Cielo, her tiny hand holding onto her shirt as if she was scared she'd disappear.

Despite the tension these past couple weeks, Cielo tried her best to keep Stella out of it and moments like these reminded Cielo that what everyone thought of her was wrong. It was moments like these that kept her the most calm and collected. And after recent discoveries, God knew that Cielo needed her daughter right now.

Stella suddenly looked up at Cielo, her little hand reaching up to touch her face. "Mama?" she whispered, her eyes still fixed on Cielo.

"Mhm?" Cielo hummed, looking down at Stella.

Stella's little face scrunched up in concentration as she tried to form the words. "¿Estás triste?" she said, her Spanish still a little broken but improving with each passing day.

Cielo smiled a bit, shaking her head and putting on a mask, yet again. "No, mi Estrellita," Cielo replied, moving Stella's hair behind her ear.

Stella's face relaxed as she heard Cielo's response, a soft smile appearing on her lips. She snuggled closer to her, her small hand rubbing her cheek. "Te quiero, mamá," she whispered.