The Devil You Know - SPN

Chapter Twenty-Two

The One In Which Carmen Receives Some Bad News

---

I peeled apart my eyelids, wincing when the sun that filtered through the blinds fell across my face. Dean's arms were still looped around me and his face pressed against the top of my head. It took a moment for the haze of sleep to wear off but when it did the memories rushed back to me, and with them a pang of regret that clawed at my stomach like a monster in its cage.

I squeezed my tired eyes shut and wriggled out of his grip. I ran into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. My mind was racing, my heart pounding in my chest. I pressed my clammy palms against the cool porcelain of the sink and leaned close to the mirror, staring at woman facing me.

Her face was deathly pale save for her cheeks which were a bright shade of red as if someone had held a match to them. Her eyes were wide and frantic, her breath coming out in ragged pants, she didn't look anything like the woman who stared back at me last night.

After a moment I heard a grunt coming from the other side of the door followed by Dean's voice, gravelly from sleep, "damn it."

I wrapped my fingers around the grimy handle of the bathroom door, every muscle in my body as taut as a wire. I twisted the handle minutely before ripping my hand away as if the metal had scalded my skin, fear coiling around my chest.

I stood stock still, my eyes glued to the chipping paint on the door until I finally heard Dean leave. Never have I enjoyed hearing the squeak of a door's hinges as much as I did then.

I yanked open the door collapsing against the mattress the moment I was out, now the only problem I faced was seeing him when I inevitably had to speak with Sam.

-

I was laying on my bed, now fully clothed, with my mind racing until a sharp rap on the door snapped from my stupor. I shot upright, not thinking before I yanked open the door to see the youngest Winchester smiling down at me.

"Morning," he greeted, extending his hand which was wrapped around cardboard coffee cup.I gratefully took it, savoring the warmth that seeped through the cup into my quivering hands.

"Morning," I replied with a nod, "when are we leaving?"

"Now," A deeper voice replied as Dean stepped into my line of vision.

I cleared my throat and nodded, dropping my eyes from his immediately and retreated back into my room mumbling about grabbing my things—so much for acting as if it never happened.

-

The tension was palpable in the old Impala, Dean's white knuckled grip telltale of his own emotions. The car was entirely silent as if everyone were holding their breath.

"We can't make it back before night," Sam muttered, his words breaking the silence followed quickly by Dean's relieved sigh.

I nodded, "So we'll stay out another night?"

Sam nodded, his hair bobbing and his eyes glued to the road. Dean didn't move aside from his death grip on the steering wheel loosening infinitesimally.

I opened my mouth to say something to him—to apologize, comment on the weather or tease him about his music, anything would do, but I was cut off by the fluttering of wings and a ruffled angel sitting beside me.

"Dean," He acknowledged, although it was more of a statement than a greeting.

Dean, having recovered from the shock of the angel's appearance, nodded in reply, "Hey, Cass."

"Carmen—I must speak with you," he stated turning to me, his blue eyes flooded with worry.I furrowed my eyebrows but didn't object when he pressed two fingers to my forehead and the seat of the Impala fell out from beneath me.

And then we were gone.

The car disappeared in the blink of an eye and suddenly we were standing in a gravel lot, the sharp rocks poking into the soles of my bare feet and the cool wind engulfing me.

"What is it, Cass?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow and folding my arms across my chest in a feeble attempt to preserve my body warmth.

Castiel dropped his eyes to the ground and cleared his throat before meeting my inquisitive gaze again, "You are prophesied to have a child," he began, his voice hesitant.

I nodded, raising my eyebrows to prompt him to continue.

"This child will be our savior," he continued, his eyebrows furrowing at my expression.

I nearly laughed, "Are you kidding?"

"The product of broken righteous man and a pure woman," he recited.

"A pure woman? I think you forgot—I'm not human." I retorted sharply, my insides churning.

He straightened and stared into my eyes, "You dreamt of it," he began, his blue eyes boring into mine, "You dreamt of your child."

I swallowed thickly, rolling my bottom lip into my mouth,"Yes," I rasped. Fear overcame my body, my limbs quivering and my mind a scrambled mess.

I'm going to have a child.

-

My heart was beating faster than I thought possible, my skin flushed bright red. I hardly noticed Castiel placing his fingers on my forehead and the wind whooshing past my ears.

If it weren't for the sudden disappearance of the sharp rocks from beneath my feet and the familiar leather seats of the Impala that instantly warmed my clammy skin, I wouldn't have realized that we'd left at all.

I took a deep, shaky breath and wrenched my gluey eyelids apart expecting to see Castiel beside me but the seat was empty. Dean had pulled off to the side of the road his gaze trained on me.

His eyes were flooded with concern, his eyebrows pulled down to form a crease above his nose, 

"What was it?"

I shook my head silently praying my tears don't spill, "Nothing."