Chapter Text
The waiting party at the bunker gasped as they appeared, the blood covering Lily that had transferred to both Sam and Rose a terrifying sight. Before anyone could utter a word, Cas was there, touching Lily and healing her wounds. The sobs he couldn't stop. Lily continued to cling to Sam with a desperation no one had seen from her before. Erin was beside them, checking on both her daughters and Daisy was there, hugging both her sisters. And then Rose was in Dean's arms, her head burrowing into his shoulder. "Are you OK?" he asked gruffly and Rose nodded.
“It’s not my blood,” she said softly and Dean nodded and held her tighter.
There was more chaos then, everyone checking on everyone, speaking over each other and wanting to know what happened. It was loud and grating and Rose felt her head start to ache. She took one look at Lily and knew she couldn't handle this now either.
Luckily the guys noticed as well and Dean held up a hand.
"We can do this later, guys. I know we need details but they aren't up for this." He nodded to Lily who was swaying on her feet and Sam chose that moment to reach down and swoop Lily up in his arms and head to their room, making his answer clear. Rose gave everyone a weak smile and then Dean led her to their room.
He watched Rose cautiously as she took her coat off slowly and then just stood in place, staring at the floor. She was quiet in that way she got after something traumatic happened. He walked up and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Let’s get these clothes off of you, get you in the shower,” he suggested softly and Rose nodded. She wanted these clothes off, gone and never touching her ever again. Dean led Rose towards the bathroom, stripping her gently and getting them both in the shower. He washed her, wiping the blood from her skin and Rose just stood there, mutely, letting the heat soothe her muscles.
By the time they got out and Dean had left her in the bathroom only to return with one of his shirts and a pair of her pajama pants that he eased her into, the shock of what happened slowly started to set in. As Dean took her hand and she padded softly out into the bedroom behind him she was starting to shake.
"Are you mad at me?" she asked, in a voice just above a whisper then before he could answer, "And if you are, can you not be right now?"
Dean lowered himself to the bed and opened his arms in answer then pulled Rose down into them. And that was what Rose needed tonight. She didn’t care what he did later, if he was angry, if he yelled. She had her body as tightly against Dean's as she could, needing his warmth and solidness.
“I don’t tend to shower and dress people I’m mad at, Rosie,” Dean said softly and Rose just pushed her head closer to his chest.
"You want to tell me about it?" he asked and Rose slowly shook her head.
"Not tonight," she said and Dean nodded. "I just, I need to feel safe, OK?"
"You got it," Dean said.
"And then, in a minute I need to be with my sister."
And Dean nodded again because he'd figured that.
"We'll just stay here for a few minutes then we'll stroll on down to their room, OK?"
And it was Rose's turn to nod, closing her eyes and letting herself soak up the feel of Dean and the safe feeling he gave her.
Lily couldn't stop crying, or shaking. She was cold, so cold. No matter that Sam had taken a hot shower with her, even though she was in her warmest pajamas and under the blankets with the heat of Sam’s body next to her. She still felt frozen.
Sam was sitting by her, stroking her hair soothingly and she heard him pick up his phone and a moment later her mom appeared. She watched the two of carry on a quiet conversation, both glancing at her in concern, but it felt like they were a very long way away. Then her mother was slipping out and Sam was back at her side.
"Lil, your mom's going to get you something to help you relax. And then your sisters want to come in. Is that OK?" Lily nodded. Her mom was back quicker than Lily thought she would be. Or maybe it wasn't that quick. Maybe Lily had lost some time there. But she was urging Lily to drink something, something sweet. And then Rose was there, curling up beside her and wrapping her arms around her.
"Will you get Daisy?" Rose asked someone Lily couldn’t see and then there was a small soft body on the other side of Lily and she was trying to soak up the warmth that was surrounding them.
"Is she OK, Rosie?" Daisy asked and Lily heard her sister say, "She will be. She just needs some time. And we'll stay with her." And then Daisy was wrapping her arms around the other side of her.
Charlie was hovering outside the door when Erin exited. Erin stopped and smiled at her.
"You should go in, dear," she said softly. "You'll be welcome."
Charlie took a breath and hesitantly entered the room. The sisters were all curled up on the bed together and it took a minute for Rose to notice her. When she did she smiled and motioned Charlie over.
"You can smoosh in behind Daisy there," she said and again Charlie hesitated, not wanting to intrude. Rose noticed and said, "Charlie, you are family. Now get your butt on the bed."
And Charlie smiled at that, Rose sounding like she was channeling Lily, as she joined the trio on the bed.
Lily's eyes were drifting closed, whatever her mother gave her working quickly. She was finally relaxing a little, the shaking easing and she fell asleep with the women she loved most around her.
“Did she tell you anything?” Sam asked his brother. The two had met up in the hallway, giving the girls a chance to get settled before going in. If they had to sleep on chairs tonight so be it; They weren't leaving them alone.
Dean shook his head.
"She was too upset. Shaking up a storm for a bit there."
"Yeah, well you saw what Lily was like and God, what her back looked like..." Sam drifted off, his eyes taking on a pained look as he thought of Lily's injuries. Dean grasped his shoulder.
"She's OK now, man. Cas fixed her up. And Lily's tough. She'll be OK."
Sam nodded, running a hand through his hair, hoping his brother was right.
When Lily woke up hours later everyone else was asleep. She looked around to find Sam on one side of the bed, Cas at the foot and Dean on the other side, all the men aside from Cas at least dozing. She felt movement behind her and glanced over to find Rose waking up.
"Are you OK?" Rose asked as soon as her eyes opened and she realized Lily was awake. Lily turned to face her and shrugged.
"I'm not cold anymore," she said softly.
"Or shaking," Rose pointed out and Lily nodded. “Us Sullivan girls make good heaters.”
“And Charlie,” Lily said softly and Rose smiled.
“Yeah, I was including her in the Sullivan girls. She’s been through enough hell with us, right?”
Lily nodded, liking that. Rose reached out and brushed Lily’s hair back from her face, her touch tender.
“You ready for us to leave? Give you some time with Sam?”
Lily nodded, thankful her sister knew what she needed before she did sometimes. Before she could do more than nod a small voice behind her was piping up.
“Why are you two talking? It’s the middle of the night.” Lily glanced over her shoulder to find Daisy looking at her with big, sleepy eyes.
“We’re going to get out of here now that Lily’s feeling a little better,” Rose said and Daisy pouted slightly but nodded. Daisy hugged Lily from behind, whispered she loved her and then scrambled off the bed, grabbing Cas’ hand and pulling him from the room. Lily felt Charlie who had woken up when Daisy moved, hug her as well and whisper she hoped she felt better then slip from the room. And then it was just Lily and Rose and the boys.
Another time Rose might have thought they all needed to pile into bed together, the familiarity and the safety of the four of them being together naturally soothing. But something told her Lily and Sam needed to be together right now, just the two of them. Something had happened that Rose didn’t quite understand but it was obvious it had affected the couple deeply. So, she hugged her sister tight, told her how much she loved her and slipped out of bed, taking Dean’s hand that he offered her and following him down the hallway to their room.
Lily met Sam’s eyes which were watching her carefully, such kindness and love there it made her heart ache. She reached out a hand and he moved, turning the lights off and climbing into bed next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and Lily burrowed her head into his chest.
“I was so scared,” she said softly and Sam hugged her tighter.
“Me too,” he admitted, his voice catching.
“I thought…I thought God, I really screwed up here and now I’m going to pay for what I said,” Lily said, her voice quavering. Sam looked at her questioningly and Lily took a breath and there in the darkness of their room she spilled forth her greatest fears. And Sam held her through it all, loving her just the same.
Some couples get weaker with pain, some can’t survive trauma. Others grow stronger from it, their bonds deepening and becoming nearly unbreakable. Lily and Sam would look back years later and realize this was the moment above all others that made them. They’d had their foundation, built on friendship first and then on love. But this pain, this almost-loss, strengthened them. Their bond was forged in fire now and nothing could come between them.
Dean and Rose settled down into bed together, their bodies finding their usual positions and taking comfort in them. Rose settled her head on Dean's chest, his hand entwined in her hair and their bodies relaxed as they lay together.
It was quiet for a moment, everyone settled in after a tumultuous day. Dean was thinking how tired he was, how exhausted Rose must be and was just starting to drift off when she spoke.
"I think they want me."
Her voice was soft, the meaning not completely clear and Dean frowned, as she turned her head, her eyes on his face and he watched her in the dim light spilling in from the bathroom.
“Who wants you, Baby?”
"The witch sisters," she clarified. "They want me to join them in some way." She shuddered, remembering what Ashling had said to her. Dean was frowning still, taking in what she said. "I chose Lily," she said in an even softer voice and Dean saw there were tears in her eyes now. "Ashling, the one we saw in Daisy’s vision? She said in order for me to get Lily back she had to get her sister back as well. I think I let her loose, Dean." The tears spilled over, tumbling down Rose's cheeks. "But I had to," she defended herself, as if she expected Dean to chastise her for her actions. "She's my sister and I had to."
Dean hugged her to him. "Of course, you did, Baby. I would have to. We always choose family. You made the right call,” he assured her.
"But now they'll be together, be stronger," Rose said, as her tears continued to fall.
"And we'll fight them," Dean said. "And we'll win." He sounded certain of this fact as he held Rose to him as she finally cried, letting out some of the pain over the night's events.
He had to be sure. There was no other option.
Everyone slept in the next morning, everyone aside from Lily finally making their way into the kitchen for breakfast. After they'd eaten Rose asked Sam if she could talk to Lily and he checked with her quickly then told Rose to go on into their room.
Lily was sitting up in bed when Rose knocked and let herself in. She placed a fresh cup of coffee down on Lily's bedside table, getting a smile of thanks in return. Then she settled down at the end of the bed with a mug of tea in her own hands, her eyes on her sister’s face.
“How are you?”
Lily shrugged. She’d slept, had nightmares, woken up, then fallen asleep again only to repeat the entire process.
“I’m tired,” she said finally and Rose nodded.
"Lil, what…” Rose began carefully. “When you came out of the cave the first thing you did was apologize to Sam. Why? And what did that demon say to you? Do you know what she meant about your blood having purpose?"
Lily hesitated, and Rose stopped her flow of questions, realizing how drained her sister looked. "I'm sorry," she said. "You don't need a billion questions right now. This can wait."
"No, I…I want to tell you," Lily said and Rose nodded and sat back to wait for Lily to find the words.
"I thought I was pregnant," Lily finally breathed and Rose stilled, feeling her eyes widen and her stomach lurch.
"Aren't you...I mean you guys are careful right?" Lily has been on the pill for years. Rose knew that. You would be hard pressed to find someone more meticulous about birth control than Lily.
"Of course, we're careful," Lily said giving her sister an annoyed look. Then she dropped her eyes, twisting the blanket in her hand. In Sam's t-shirt which swallowed her up she looked small, vulnerable and easily breakable. She looked nothing like the woman Rose had watched hurl insults at a demon just hours ago. She seemed for the first time Rose could remember, fragile and scared and those were words Rose never associated with her big sister. "It's just..." Lily tugged on her hair and her words stalled.
Whatever it was it was huge, Rose realized suddenly. Whatever this was it would change things. Reaching out she snagged Lily’s hand that had the blanket in a death grip. "Talk to me, Lily," she urged and gave her sisters’ hand a reassuring squeeze.
Lily stared at their joined hands for a long minute then slowly raised her eyes to meet Rose's concerned filled ones. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper and that more than anything scared Rose. Lily was the very definition of boisterous. She was never quiet.
"It's just...see, there's this prophecy..."