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Dean got out of his niece’s room, feeling crushed and exhausted. She had fallen ill, and no one had found a way to heal her. Not even Dean had been successful, even with his knowledge of potions. He had tried many things but was running out of solutions.
“Did it work?” Sam asked, standing up from his couch when he saw Dean. He had dark circles under his eyes, the result of the long hours he’d stayed awake. Besides Sam, Eileen was looking just as exhausted.
“No. I am sorry, she is still sick.” Dean sighed. Sam slumped back to his chair in defeat.
“I swear, I will save her,” Dean said. And he will keep his promise.
Dean left, coming back to his house as fast as he could. The moment he was back home, Dean grabbed as many books as he could and started his research for a solution. After hours and a lot of books, the only thing he found that could help was a tree called ginkgo. The leaves were told to have healing properties and could even extend their life span. Fortunately, there was a forest not far from Dean’s house. And Dean knew they were ginkgos in this forest. However, they were a problem. Numerous stories surrounded this forest. Legends said an evil creature was living there. A monster that terrified those who dared to enter its lair. Some people said it was a demon or an evil spirit. And those who saw it always had a different story. Sometimes the creatures were made of wood, sometimes had horns. But one thing that Dean knew was that no one saw it coming.
Not that that would stop Dean from going into those woods and collecting those leaves. But not without protection. Ready to get the ingredients and maybe fight some creatures, Dean packed a bag and took his sword.
With a bit of luck, those stories were only stories. Some people see danger and the work of dangerous creatures everywhere. But anyway, evil creature or not, Dean had to go if he wanted to save his niece.
As Dean walked into the forest, he took out a pendulum to help him find the best tree around. He focused on the surrounding trees. Although any ginkgos could work, Dean couldn't take any risk. The forest was large and flourishing; the light passing through the branches, illuminating the entire forest. Dean could hear a variety of noises coming from birds and some animals that he couldn’t identify. After a few minutes, he stopped before one tree. It wasn’t taller or larger than the others. Nor did he have fruits. But there was something about this tree that drew Dean towards it.
Dean held out his hand and took some leaves. The next thing he knew, he was upside down, a branch holding his foot. He looked around him, startled. A man appeared in front of him. He had yellow leaves in his dark brown hair and his hands seemed to be made of wood.
“Hello? Can you put me down, please?” Dean tried.
“Do not touch my leaves!” The creature shouted before throwing Dean to the ground. Dean got up and left the forest as fast as possible. The last thing he needed right now was offending a creature.
Once he was at his home, Dean took off his bag and sword and dropped them to the floor. He paced in his room, thinking about what happened. So, there was a creature and Dean was sure he’d offended him. But Dean was still alive, and he wasn't hurt. Well, except for a few bruises from falling off the tree. But no missing limbs or burn marks. The creature didn’t seem to be as evil as what the stories said. Just protecting this tree. Maybe he could make up for it and still get some leaves. He had to get them.
Dean entered his lab. The creature seemed to be a dryad, but he had to be sure. The shelves in the room were full of empty jars, potions, books, and many ingredients. Dried plants were hanging from the ceiling, upside down. A vast table at the back of the room had a few objects scattered on it and a small cauldron. Above the table, you could see a colorful and flourishing garden from a window.
Dean owned a lot of books about creatures and the supernatural. One book was about creatures who lived in the forest.
D, Demons, Dragons… Dryad!
Dryads:
Dryads are the tree’s spirits. They need their trees to live and inversely. As a result, they can feel pain when their trees get destroyed, sick, or when people pick some leaves and fruits.
Physical appearance:
Even though dryads look a bit different depending on their trees, a few leaves grow in the dryad’s hair. Some parts of their bodies are like woods.
So the creature was indeed a dryad, and Dean had hurt him. Dean was going to have a hard time being forgiven. He flipped through the pages of the book, searching for what to offer this dryad. But there was nothing.
Well, all he had to do now was improvise . He could make a potion for the dryad. Maybe one for protection. Dean took a glass jar, some pins, sea salt, a ribbon, and a black candle. He took Dean time and energy to finish the potion, but it was worth it.
The next morning, Dean woke up still tired because of the potion he made last night. He took his bag, and like the day before, headed toward the forest. This time he didn’t take his sword, not wanting to anger the dryad even more.
He walked around, searching for the dryad’s tree. Once he found the tree Dean, put his bag down, and approached the tree with care.
“Hello? My name is Dean. I am sorry about yesterday. My niece is very sick, and no one’s found a way to take care of her. I may save her with your leaves.” For a moment, no one answered. Dean stood in front of the tree. The longer he waited, the more he felt like his last chance to save his niece was slipping through his fingers.
“You are telling the truth?” Dean heard behind him.
“What the hell!” Dean shouted as he turned around. The dryad had somehow appeared next to him. He was in his tree, his face at the height of Dean's.
“You are telling the truth?” The dryad repeated.
“I swear, I am.” Dean nodded, hoping the dryad would believe him. The dryad came down the tree and moved toward Dean. He stared at Dean for a few seconds like he was examining him, trying to know if he was being honest or not.
“All right. Just take some of them. Please, be quick.” The dryad sighed. Dean strongly thanked the dryad. While Dean took the leaves, he heard the dryad wincing behind him.
Before going out, Dean took his bag and opened it.
“I bought some gifts. I want to apologize for yesterday.” The dryad stared at him, his head tilted. Dean got the potion out of the bag and handed it to him. The dryad took the potion, looking confused.
“It’s a potion for protection,” Dean told him. The dryad looked at him and the potion back and forth.
“It does not look drinkable.” The potion was a dark green and smelled a little funky.
“You aren't supposed to drink that.” Dean chuckled. The dryad seemed even more confused. “You pour it around your tree to protect it.”
“Thank you. I hope your niece will recover.” The dryad told him, still looking with suspicion at the potion.
“Thank you very much.” As Dean went back home, hope was coming back. He put himself to work right when he arrived home. He couldn’t waste his time. This potion took him time and was tricky to realize. It took him a few hours; but when he finished it, Dean felt relieved. This time, he was going to make it. The potion was going to work, and he was going to save his niece.
Dean ran out of his house, the potion in his bag, toward Sam’s house. When he was in front of the house, he banged as hard as he could on the door.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Dean heard Sam grumbling.
“What the hell, Dean! It’s almost midnight.” Sam said. As soon as he opened the door, Dean bolted in the house toward his niece’s room.
“I found it!” Shouted Dean, the potion in his hand.
“You found what?” Sam asked, his brows furrowed. Eileen got out of his bedroom after hearing the fuss Dean made.
“What is going on?” She asked.
“I found a way to save Ella!” Dean kept shouting, grinning. He entered Ella’s room. She was woken up by Dean and all the sound he made.
“Hey, squirt. I found something to help you.” He said as he handed Ella the potion.
“Is it going to work?” she asked with a low voice.
“I promise,” Dean answered.
“You said the same things the last time.”
“Please, just drink it,” Dean told her.
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The next day, Sam found Dean asleep on his couch. The night before, Sam had had to insist that he went to sleep instead of staying at Ella’s bedside.
“Dean...Dean...wake up. You have to get back home.” Sam said with a low voice, knowing very well that you shouldn’t wake up Dean by surprise.
“Is she ok?” Dean mumbled, still half-asleep.
“Yes, she’s still a bit sick, but she is getting better,” Sam said with a smile. It had taken a lot of work on Dean's side and sleepless nights on Eileen and Sam's side; but in the end, it was worth it.
“Great,” Dean said as he went back to sleep. Sam sighed and took off the blanket Dean was sleeping under all at once.
“I hate you,” Dean grumbled, curling up on the couch.
“Right. Now get up. You should get back home.”
Dean got up from the couch, still grumbling about being woken up. If Sam was right and Ella was getting better, then Dean had to thank the dryad a second time. But for now, he was going home and back to sleep.
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A few days later, Dean was in town, buying ingredients he needed for his potions. And a pie. Ella was now no longer sick. Therefore, Dean had decided to offer a pie to the dryad. What was better than a pie to thank someone, anyway? He took a cherry pie, hoping that the dryad did eat fruits. He went back to the forest after putting the ingredients he just bought in his home.
Like a few days before, he found Castiel’s tree again. Something was drawing Dean toward it. Somehow he could recognize this tree among all the others without problems.
Before Dean could call do anything, the dryad appeared behind him, once again.
“You came back.” The dryad said.
“Holy shit! Don’t do that!” Dean shouted. “You are going to make me have a heart attack if you continue.” Where did the dryad come from? He wasn’t there two seconds ago.
“I am sorry. I did not think you would come back.” A silence feels between them. “Is your niece better?” The dryad asked.
“Yes. I came to thank you for your help. I’m Dean.”
“Castiel. You don't need to thank me. I just wanted to help.”
“You won’t say that once you that you tried the pie, that I got you. It’s the best in town.” Dean said as he got the pie out of his bag. Castiel stared at him, eyes squinted and head tilted.
“What’s a pie?” Castiel asked. The moment Dean heard that he stopped what he was doing, his jaw-dropping.
“What? Are you kidding me?” Dean asked, still not believing what he was hearing.
“I am not sure that I understand…” Castiel stopped when Dean grabbed his hand. Castiel ended up sitting next to his tree, eating the pie Dean bought. With Dean by his side, of course. For Castiel, the human was weird but endearing. The other dryads had many stories about how humans were dangerous and wouldn’t hesitate to destroy the trees, which would result in killing the dryads.
Dean seemed weirdly passionate about pie. Castiel had to admit that it was delicious. But it seemed to be a religion for Dean.
“I have never seen any human in the forest before. Just heard stories from the other dryads.” Castiel said in the middle of their conversation. The other dryads always told him that humans only entered the forest to destroy their trees.
“People in the town say that a monster lives here. From the stories I heard, I thought I would meet a demon or something as dangerous.” Dean answered with a smirk.
“You wouldn’t have gone very far suspended upside down.”
“I had a sword! I am just not a big enthusiast of offending people.”
“You looked terrified.” Castiel chuckled as Dean laughed along with him. Indeed, he hadn't expected to end up like this or to stumble on a dryad.
“Anyway,” Dean said, changing the subject. “How many of you are here?”
“Here? A lot, but not every tree has a dryad attached to it. Our job is to protect the forest and animals living here.” Castiel answered. “And what about you? How did you find that potion?”
“I made it. I own a potion shop.” Dean answered, grinning when he saw Castiel’s dumbfounded expression.
“Wait, you are a witch? I thought witches were rare among humans.”
“We are. I am the only witch in town.” Castiel and Dean kept talking for an hour. Castiel was quite interested in Dean’s job and potions and wouldn't stop asking questions. Dean was thrilled to answer each of them, and in return asked questions about dryads.
“Will you come back?” Castiel blurted out when Dean had to go. Dean turned around, surprised. Castiel was scratching the back of his head and was looking at the ground.
“Sure thing.” He said and nodded, a smile appearing on his face. Castiel returned the smile, and his gaze followed Dean as he got out of the forest. When Dean got out of sight Castiel wandered towards the deepest corner of the forest. He wanted to pay back, Dean.
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At his potion shop, Dean couldn’t stop thinking about his few encounters with Castiel. Unfortunately, with all the work, he had to wait until the end of the week to get back to see Castiel. And he wondered why Castiel wanted to see him again. Not that he was complaining. The day passed slowly, way too slow for Dean. From time to time, he wondered if he should bring some human objects that Castiel had never seen before.
When the week was finally over and Dean could go back to see Castiel, he picked a few books with him. As he arrived in the forest, Dean called for Castiel. He looked around, in case Castiel appeared out of nowhere again.
But instead of Castiel appearing, Dean found himself hung upside-down from his foot, again.
“Castiel! Not again!”
But this time, it wasn’t Castiel who did it. Instead, there was another dryad standing in front of him. She had golden blonde hair that dropped over her shoulders.
“What do you want?” She asked, her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed.
“I am here to see Castiel!” Dean answered with difficulty because of his position. Dean had no idea why she was attacking him. But, he was sure she wasn't going to hesitate to kill him.
“Why? What do you want from him?” She insisted.
“ Hester, please, stop! ” Dean heard before he could answer. He turned his head and saw Castiel running toward them.
“ Hester, please let him go, ” Castiel begged Hester.
“He is human! ” Hester shouted. Dean observed the two dryads arguing, while he was trying to understand what they were saying.
" This man is dangerous. Why haven’t you kicked him out of the forest? He could have killed you! " Hester shouted.
" If he wanted to kill me I would already be dead! Hester, I promise he is harmless. He even helped give a potion for protection! " Castiel replied.
“ He must be lying! One day, he will cut down your tree and it will be too late for you! ”
The dispute continued while Dean was trying to escape. But being upside down, Dean was feeling worse and worse.
" He only took a few leaves from my tree to save his niece! "
Dean continued to try to escape when he realized that both dryads stopped talking. Hester stared at Dean for a few seconds, her eyes narrowed.
“ Fine! But the moment he hurts someone, I won't hesitate to kill him. ” She said. She moved her hand, making Dean fall to the ground before walking away.
“Dean! Are you all right?” Castiel ran to Dean, who was lying on the ground.
“Dryads have weird ways to say hello,” Dean grumbled, still lying on the ground. Hearing that, Castiel chuckled as he helped Dean get up.
“I promise we are not all like this.” Castiel laughed as Dean continued to grumble, pain shooting through his legs. He stretched a bit and picked up his bag from the ground.
“Sure. You didn’t hang me by the feet too the first time. Do you have any idea of what we could do?” Dean asked, smiling at him. Castiel smiled in return and told Dean to follow him. He did so, a bit slowly because he fell from the tree. They arrived next to Castiel's tree. Castiel took something from the ground.
"I found those herbs in the forest. Some are rare." Castiel said, handing the herbs to Dean. Dean stared at him for a few seconds, taking the herbs. Dean did bring gifts to Castiel, but he hadn't expected Castiel to do the same. Dean recognized among other things perilla, mandrake, and some John Charles.
"And I have your jar." Castiel picked up the empty jar laying next to his tree.
“Thank you very much. I got you some things for you too. I brought you some books. I didn't know what you like, however.” Dean handed his bag in return. Most of the books Dean owned were about witchcraft, mainly potions. But he still found a few fictions. Castiel took a look at the books, his eyes wide open.
"They are beautiful." Most of them had a brown or red binding with golden decorations.
"Wait, do you even have a place to keep them?" Asked Dean, when it was time for him to go. For his only response, Castiel pointed to his tree.
"This is where I sleep and keep what I own," Castiel explained when he saw Dean's puzzled look.
Dean approached the tree, looking back and forth between Castiel and his tree.
"How do you even get in here?" Dean asked, making Castiel laugh.
__________________________________________________________________
A few days passed and Dean could finally go back to see Castiel. Castiel had asked him to go for a walk around the forest the next time they saw each other. To which, Dean instantly accepted. During their walks, the forest was empty except for the animals that would run away when they heard Dean and Castiel. Castiel knew this place by heart to every single last little corner. He and Dean passed near the river where Castiel often swam in the summer with the other dryads.
"It must be nice in summer. No surprise that you guys don't let anybody in the forest." Dean said as he leaned over.
"I wouldn't get too close if I was you," Castiel told him. But Dean didn't listen to him. The riverside was sloping. Those who didn't know this place often ended up falling in the water. So did Dean. Fortunately, the river wasn't deep.
"I warned you," Chuckled Castiel when he saw Dean getting his head out of the water and leaning on the riverside.
"Very funny. Now come on, help me get out of here." Dean said as held out his hand toward Castiel, a cocky smile on his face. Castiel took his hand only for Dean to pull him in the river. Castiel hit the water with a scream of surprise.
"Who's laughing now?" Dean roared with laughter.
"You assbut!" Castiel said, faking being upset. His hair and leaves were plastered on his forehead. The water was cold, but hearing Dean laugh like this made it worth it. Crow's feet formed around his eyes when he laughed.
"Are you trying to insult me?" Dean asked, laughing even harder before getting splashed in the face by Castiel. They could have continued for hours but every minute that passed the water felt colder and colder. They got out of the river with a few difficulties, their clothes heavy because of the water.
As both of them shivered in the middle of the forest, Dean got a crazy idea. Before he could stop himself, Dean asked Castiel.
"Would you want to go to my home? I have a fireplace, there." Dean immediately regretted asking, ready to hear Castiel reject him. But instead of that, Castiel stopped what he was doing and blinked at him before smiling.
"I would love to. But are you sure it's safe?" Right. It won't be a good idea for Castiel to wander in the human world, but his house was close enough to the forest to be safe for Castiel, and it was getting late. With luck, they wouldn't get noticed.
"We could manage it...if we are discreet enough."
"All right." Castiel agreed. With that, Dean led Castiel out of the forest, looking around himself in case of. They arrived quickly and without any problems at Dean's house.
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It was dark when Walt saw two people running towards a house. One of them opened the door, looking around before locking it. Walt made a sign to Roy to follow him and approached the house. He took a look through one of the windows.
"What the hell are you doing?" Roy asked him.
"Shut up! I just want to see what they are doing."
Walt only had the time to take another look through before one of the men closed the shutters. He still saw the men's face. One of them looked like he had left in his hair and his arms strangely looked like wood.
"You saw something interesting?" Asked Roy, behind him.
"No." Walt walked away from the window, thinking about the strange look of one of the men.
_______________________________________________________________________
"Here we are. Make yourself at home." Said Dean as he let Castiel in. "We should get dry clothes." The house looked very comfortable. There was a big fireplace in the living room, a chair with a pillow on it. A few plants were scattered around the room. Some were hanging from the ceiling and others were dispersed on different pieces of furniture.
Dean brought a bunch of clothes to Castiel and let him change in his bedroom. A few minutes later, Castiel came from the room, Dean's clothes on.
"Are you sure I can borrow them?" Castiel asked.
"It's okay, don't worry about it," Dean answered. He had also changed into dry clothes. "I have some logs outside. Just wait a few minutes."
"Can I help with something?" Asked Cas.
"There are matches in the lab Thanks," Dean answered with a smile.
When Dean came back, a log under his arm, Castiel wasn't back with the matches. Dean put the logs in the fireplace and went to find Castiel.
Castiel still hadn't found the matches and was currently taking out objects from a drawer.
"How much stuff do you fucking have here?"
"Ingredients for every occasion. It took me some time to get there." Dean opened another drawer and got out a box of matches.
"I searched in that one. What the hell?" Castiel groaned. "You could just have told me where it was," Castiel grumbled as they were putting back the objects. When they were finished, Castiel took a few seconds to look at everything in the room.
"Nice place, right?" Dean said, startling Castiel.
"It's beautiful, but there are way too many things in there."
"Come on, we have a fireplace to light up. I'll show you around later if you want." Castiel nodded and followed Dean.
Once the fire was started, Castiel and Dean sat in front of the fireplace, covers draped around them. From time to time, Dean kept glanced at Castiel as discreetly as he could. It was weird to see him in his clothes. Not that he was complaining.
Dean cleared his throat, making Castiel turn his head towards him.
"Would you want to stay here tonight? It's getting late." Castiel opened and closed his mouth, searching for an answer.
"Are you sure? I’m not bothering you?" Castiel asked, making Dean chuckle.
"Cas, I already invited you in and gave you some of my clothes." Dean put his arm around Castiel's shoulder and drew him closer. "I can assure you that you aren't bothering me."
"All right, then," Castiel answered with a smile. "Thank you, by the way." Castiel scooted a little closer to Dean.
The next morning came too quickly. Castiel was reluctant to get back to the forest and leave Dean. But he had to.
"Thank you again. I will give back your clothes when I can." Castiel told Dean. Dean nodded at him and waved him goodbye.
Castiel walked home, thinking about last night. He never had been out of the forest, he knew it was dangerous for him, but the glimpse made him want to see more.
"Hey, Castiel!" Castiel heard, stopping his train of thoughts. He looked up. His friend, Charlie was sitting in her tree, looking down at him.
"Someone has been out." She said, grinning. "Were you with that human Hester attacked?"
"I see that news travels fast here. Promise you won't tell anyone?" Castiel asked her.
"That wasn't my intention. But as your friend, I want to know everything." She answered, jumping from her tree.
"All right, but first I need some new clothes. The others might not be as happy as you to see me hang out with a human."
________________________________________________________________________
"I know what I saw!" Walt answered. "And this man wasn't human!"
"Then what was it?" Roy asked him. This had been going for a few minutes now, and Walt just wouldn't stop talking about what he saw.
"I don't know, but it may be important. Look, we have been waiting for an opportunity to make money for a long time. This may be it."
"And if it isn't?"
"We lose nothing.
"I swear to God if it ends up like the last times," Roy muttered.
________________________________________________________________________
After changing his clothes, Castiel and Charlie found themselves sitting next to Castiel's tree.
" So, how was it? The human house? " Charlie asked.
" There are a lot of rooms and Dean hoards a lot of objects. I am not sure he needs all of them, however. " When he entered Dean's house, yesterday, Castiel was overwhelmed by how many things Dean had. At first, he had no idea where to look. But the longer he passed the more he found this habit endearing.
" Weird, " Charlie said.
Castiel chuckled, remembering Dean talking about how every single ingredient in his lab, his eyes wide open.
" I don't mind. And I learned a lot about potions. " Castiel answered.
"And you are suddenly interested in potions?"
"Yes? Wait! It's not like that!" Charlie roared in laughter when she saw Castiel blush.
"Oh, shut up!" Castiel mumbled, hiding his head in his hands.
Charlie sat, crossing her arms and sighing.
" This is very nice and all. But you realize you aren't going to be able to wander around in the human world. "
Castiel stayed silent for a moment, staring at the sky. He knew this. They couldn't risk humans discovering that dryads occupied the forest instead of some dangerous creatures. And he couldn't pass as a human. And he couldn't live away from his tree for too long.
" I know, Charlie. I know. Let's talk about something else ."
Castiel and Charlie passed the next hours discussing their lives and remembering their childhood shenanigans.
______________________________________________________________________
Castiel paced, waiting for Dean. Dean couldn't visit him often enough in his opinion. But he knew it was the weekend when Dean came to the forest to visit him. This time, Castiel had something to show him. A place that he and Charlie had found when they were kids. They had found a cave. No one ever came there, except for them.
"Cas?" Castiel heard, making him smile and turn around. Castiel ran toward him, his heart beating in his chest.
"Dean!" Castiel called.
"Someone looks happy. Good news?" Dean asked him, grinning. Castiel winced at that; he didn't want to spoil the surprise.
"Nothing. Just wanted to show you something."
"Ooooh, what is it?"
Castiel chuckled seeing Dean's face light up."It is a surprise." Castiel smiled at Dean and led him towards his secret place. When they arrived, Castiel realized he had been holding Dean's hand all time. He realized that Dean was staring at their hands too and blushing. Castiel let go of Dean's hand and cleared his throat.
"Here we are." Castiel pointed to the bushes that hid the cave, avoiding Dean's glance. The entrance was a passage hidden between two bushes. Castiel entered first, bowing his head. It was smaller than he remembered.
"We’re almost there," Castiel told Dean after hearing grumbling about bumping his head for the third time.
"What is this place?" Dean asked when they arrived in the cave, rubbing the top of his head.
"I used to pass my time here when I was a kid. Found it a long time ago with a friend."
"You did that yourself?" Dean asked, pointing to a table made out of branches.
"Yes, my friend and I decided to decorate this place. We didn't go very far, however." Castiel remembered the day where he and Charlie decided to completely decorate this cave. They had stopped after a few days.
After a few moments of exploring the cave, Dean and Castiel sat down, leaning on the wall. They stayed there next to each other, in silence for a few minutes.
"This is a nice place," Dean murmured to Castiel.
"And for once you won't get attacked by dryads." Castiel chuckled.
"Oh, shut up." Dean pushed Castiel slightly laughing along with him. Every time Dean laughed crow's feet formed around his eyes. To Castiel, it was one of the most beautiful sights he ever witnessed.
Realizing how close he was to Dean's face, Castiel gulped. And according to his expression, Dean had noticed it too. Castiel leaned in slowly and closed his eyes.
"Castiel! There you are."
Castiel jumped away from Dean.
"Charlie, what are you doing here?!" Castiel asked, standing up as fast as he could. The redhead was standing in front of the cave's entrance, her arms crossed.
"I was searching for you. Am I bothering you, guys?" She asked, visibly confused and looking at Dean who was staring at the floor.
"No, no, it's all right. Charlie this is Dean, Dean this is Charlie. My friend I talked about."
"Nice to meet you." Dean shook Charlie's hand.
"Nice to meet you too. Castiel told me a lot about you." Charlie said, grinning. Behind Dean, Castiel mouthing at Charlie to shut up.
"I feel like I'm intruding. I am going to leave you alone." Charlie told them.
"You don't have to," Castiel answered.
"No, I don't want to bother you." Charlie headed toward the exit of the cave. Castiel sighed and turned toward Dean.
"I'm so sorry for that, Dean."
"It's okay." Dean nodded. They passed the rest of their time in the cave until Dean had to go back home. When Dean was gone, Castiel went back to his tree and went to sleep, disappointed. What happened in the cave this day was strange. What would have happened if Charlie didn't interrupt them?
_______________________________________________________________________
Walt and Roy were sitting behind bushes observing the two men. One of them not being human.
"So, what did I tell you?"
"Shut up!" Roy muttered. "Do you want them to hear us?"
They saw the two men leaving, going somewhere unknown. At this moment Walt stood up and moved as discreetly as he could.
"What are you doing?" Roy gritted, trying to stop his friend. But Walt didn't stop. Instead, he picked something up before going back to their hiding place. He was holding a leaf.
"What do you want to do with that?"
"It may not work but we could find out what this creature is."
________________________________________________________________________
Back at his home, Dean was thinking over and over again about what happened in the cave. Because of it, he had trouble falling asleep. The next morning when he was working, Dean stumbled upon the herbs Castiel had given him. Dean took the jar, a smile on his face as he remembered this day. Dean put the jar back, sighing. He knew that if he had kissed Cas, Dean would have been rejected.
________________________________________________________________________
Castiel and Charlie put their hands on the ground, closed their eyes, and concentrated. A tree had fallen sick and they decided to help it.
Castiel concentrated on the tree's roots, trying to find the source of the sickness, imagining the tree getting better, him (almost kissing Dean).
"It's not working." Castiel gritted.
"Are you all right?" Charlie asked, her eyebrows frowned.
"I'm fine. Sorry. Let's do it again."
Castiel closed his eyes again, inspiring deeply. Searching for the source of the sickness, imagining the tree getting better, Dean's face close to his.
"Dammit!" Castiel stood up and passed his hands in his hair. He couldn't do it.
"You know communication solves a lot of problems," Charlie told him.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Dean? You haven't seen each other since I stumbled on you in the cave. And you seem stressed lately." Castiel sighed, looking at the ground.
"I will think about that. Leave me alone, please."
"Good luck." Charlie left shaking her head.
Charlie was right. He had to talk to Dean. But how?
________________________________________________________________________
It was late at night when Castiel decided to go to Dean's house. After minutes of walking and getting lost twice, Castiel arrived in front of Dean's house. He looked at the door, his hand lifted ready to knock. Mustering his bravery, Castiel knocked on the door. A sound of a bottle breaking followed
"Crap!" Castiel heard Dean shout in the distance. "I'm coming!"
The door opened, Dean's eyes wide opened.
"Castiel? What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to talk."
"Sure, come in." Dean moved to let Castiel in, looking behind him, if anyone had followed him. "Is everything all right?"
Castiel nodded.
"Let me just clean the mess I made in the potion lab. I broke a potion."
Castiel winced. That wasn't a good start. Castiel waited for Dean to come back, searching for what exactly he was going to say. He sat on Dean's couch right in front of the fireplace. Dean came back, a smile on his face, and sat next to him.
"Are you sure you're all right? It's late and you’ve never come here before on your own." Dean asked Castiel. "Is something going on in the forest?" He continued, his eyebrows frowned.
"Dean, no need to panic." Castiel chuckled. There was a silence, Castiel didn't know what to say. "You remember the cave?" Dean nodded a small blush appearing on his face. "Am I crazy to believe something was going on? I mean between us?" While he was saying all of this, Castiel was avoiding Dean's gaze and picking his clothes.
Castiel winced as Dean didn't say anything. He shouldn't have said that. He tried to pick his clothes quicker. All he wanted now, was to leave.
"Cas," Dean said gently. "Look at me, please." Castiel turned around and looked at Dean who had a big smile on his face. Dean opened his mouth and closed other and other again.
"Can I kiss you?" Dean said, as fast as he could. Castiel didn't answer for a few seconds registering what Dean said. He smiled, leaning in, and pressed his lips to Dean's. Finally.
Dean tilted his head slightly, and their lips slotted against each other like lock and key. Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel's waist and pushed him on the couch.
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"Hey! Look what I found! " Roy pointed something in the book he was holding.
Ginkgos are reputed to heal rare illnesses and extend life expectancy. However, they are incredibly rare.
"Jesus Christ. This must be worth so much money. We need to have those trees."
"I told you so." Walt chuckled.
"Oh, shut up."
________________________________________________________________________
The next morning as Castiel woke up in Dean's bed, he turned around, Castiel turned around to check if what happened yesterday wasn't a dream. He smiled when he saw Dean snoring next to him. Castiel moved closer to Dean who slowly opened his eyes.
"Ummmm, morning, sunshine," Dean said, still a little groggy. "Did you sleep well?" He asked. Castiel hummed and buried his head in the crook of Dean's neck.
"I'm going to need to make breakfast." Dean chuckled.
"Noooooo, five more minutes, please."
"Come on, Cas, wake up," Dean said as he opened the blinds, letting light come in.
"Assbutt." Castiel groaned and got out of Dean's bed, reluctantly. They both searched for their clothes that were scattered on the floor.
"Do you need help?" Castiel asked when he saw Dean going toward the kitchen.
"No, go sit down."
Castiel sat down at the table, slightly wincing.
"Sore?" Dean chuckled.
"It's all your fault."
"You weren't complaining last night." Hearing that, Castiel rolled his eyes. And then it hit him.
"Oh, fuck," he muttered.
"Is everything all right? Dean asked.
"I fucked up," Castiel said his head in his hands. "Dean you should sit down with me for that one."
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Dean was sitting in front of Castiel, not knowing what to say. The fact that Castiel may be pregnant was the last thing he expected.
"So, some male dryads can become pregnant?" Castiel nodded.
"And you're one of them?"
"Yes. I am sorry I didn't tell you earlier. With everything that happened, I forgot about it." Castiel sighed.
"Well, I didn't expect that... But I can work that."
Castiel looked up at Dean, his eyes wide open."Really?" He asked.
"Hey, I am not going to leave you for that. Plus I always wanted to have kids."
Castiel smiled back at Dean. "We don't know if I am pregnant now. But if it's the case, I would be happy to have a kid with you."
Both of them stood there, simply smiling at each other. There wasn't any need to talk right now.
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A few days later, when Dean arrived at the forest, Castiel ran towards him, hiding something behind his back. When he saw what it was, Dean looked at Castiel, confused.
"A branch? Tell me it doesn't come from your tree." He knew that would hurt Castieand he didn't want that to happen. "You know I don't need to use branches from your tree for my potions."
"It's from my tree. It's a Dryad's tradition to offer a branch of our tree to our mate, or partners like you say."
Dean looked at the branch Castiel gave him, realizing that he almost turned down such an important gift.
"Thank you, Cas. I don't have anything to offer in return. But this means a lot to me. I swear I will take good care of it."
"Thanks," Castiel said as his smile grew bigger.
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"So, what have you been up too, lately?" Sam asked, standing in front of the counter of Dean's shop. He, Eileen, Ella had decided to visit Dean. Eileen had decided to take Ella to look around the shop to let Sam and Dean talk alone. Ella adored her uncle's shop anyway.
"Not much, the usual."
"Right... You have been away a lot lately." Dean froze. He hadn't talked to Sam about Castiel. What was he supposed to say anyway? Hey, this is my boyfriend Castiel, he is a Dryad. Oh, and he might be pregnant! The normal things.
"Had a lot of things to do. And I found a place with a lot of rare plants." Dean said as he put away some potions and turned his back to Sam.
"Right..." Sam knew something else was going on but he wasn't going to insist. Dean didn't want to speak right now.
Sam, Eileen, and Ella were gone. And Dean decided to close his shop early for once. He needed Castiel's advice right now.
He found Castiel sitting next to his tree reading Dean's book. Castiel had borrowed a lot of books lately.
"Hello, Dean. You finished work early." Castiel said, looking up at Dean with a smile on his face.
"Happy to see you too." Dean chuckled. He sat down next to Castiel and put his head on his shoulder.
"Would you like to meet my family?" Dean asked out of the blue, after a few minutes. This question had never crossed Dean's mind before. Somehow, it hadn’t occurred to him.
"What?"
"I don't want to keep you a secret. And I don't think I am very discreet anyway." Dean said chuckling. "But I have no idea at all how to explain our situation."
"I would love to. But to be fair, I don't know either what to do." Castiel said as he cards his fingers through Dean's hair. "We can wait to do that, you know." Dean nodded at that. "But if you want to do it, then I would love to."
After that, both of them stayed silent, Castiel reading his book and Dean leaning on Castiel.
"I should go back to work." Dean sighed as he stood up and stretched. "Do you want to come tonight?"
"I can't. I have to see Rowena check if I am indeed pregnant." Castiel sighed. "Maybe tomorrow?"
"All right, sweetheart. See you tomorrow." Dean said before kissing goodbye to Castiel.
________________________________________________________________________
The next day, when Dean opened the door, Castiel jumped on him to hug him.
"Oooofff, someone's happy to see me."
"My tree is starting to blossom!" Castiel told him, a huge smile on his face. "I'm pregnant!" After he registered what he said, Dean laughed and hugged Castiel closer.
"You should come to see my tree. It blossomed now that I am pregnant."
"I am sorry, I have to finish some work," Dean told Cas.
"Do you need help?" Castiel asked.
"Oh, why not." Dean pointed at a few ingredients while explaining what they were for.
"Can you give me the ginger powder?" Dean asked. "Cas? Castiel?" He said after a few seconds and then realized Castiel wasn't listening. He was leaning on the wall and was looking at Dean, a smile on his face.
"Caaaaassss."
Castiel’s head snapped.
"Can you give me the ginger powder?" Dean chuckled.
"Sorry, I got distracted," Castiel mumbled as he handed the plants to Dean.
Castiel fell with a scream, the pain suddenly coursing through his body.
"Castiel!!!" Dean shouted, immediately kneeling next to Cas.
"Someone is hurting my tree." Castiel groaned, trying to stand up. "We have to go back to the forest."
Dean nodded, grabbing his sword, and helped Castiel get out of the house and heading towards the forest. As they headed towards the forest and time passed, Castiel's pain got worse and worse.
"We have to hurry." Castiel grabbed Dean's arm, trying to stay on his feet. When they arrived, Dean and Castiel saw a group of men chopping down Castiel's tree.
A few dryads were already there, fighting off those people. Some of them had bruises and were bleeding.
"Hey!" Castiel shouted before Dean could do anything. He kneeled and put his hands on the ground. With his last strength, Castiel controlled his tree to hit one of the men with the branches. Unfortunately, the hit wasn't strong enough to knock down that man. Castiel fell to the ground, exhausted.
Taking advantage of the other men's confusion, Dean grabbed his sword and charged the men. No one could hurt Castiel. Not on his watch.
"Nice to see you again." Charlie moved next to Dean after managing to knock out one of those men. She grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Go take care of Castiel. He needs you."
Dean looked back at Castiel who was having a hard time staying awake. Another dryad was sitting next to him, checking if he had any wounds.
"Cas!" Dean dropped his sword and ran as fast as he could next to Castiel. Castiel's tree was chopped down but fortunately, Castiel was still breathing. Charlie followed him closely.
"Castiel, Castiel, look at me." Castiel opened his eyes, his gaze lidded.
"Cas, how long do you have?" Dean asked him.
"I can survive a few days without my tree," Castiel answered, his voice weak.
"All right, hang in there. I need to grab something." Dean helped Castiel lean his head on another tree and draped his coat on him. He then ran toward Castiel's tree and cut a few branches from it. Dean heard Cas wince behind him. But he couldn't slow down. They didn't have enough time.
"You're coming?" Dean asked Charlie who nodded in response. Once he had everything, Dean came back running to Castiel. Dean and Charlie helped Cas to stand up and they walked towards Dean's house as quickly as they could.
Castiel passed out the moment they passed Dean's house threshold.
"Shit! Castiel!" Dean put Castiel in his bed and tucked him in before running to his garden with the branches from Castiel's tree. Dean already regrew a few trees only a few times before. He tried to remember the exact steps as he prepared the branches. With the help of Charlie Dean replanted those branches.
"You should go see Rowena, she would be able to help Castiel," Charlie told Dean as they replanted the branches. Dean nodded in answer.
The process took way too long to Dean's liking. He tried to hurry up when he heard Castiel call him.
"Dean?" Dean turned backed and saw Castiel leaning on the door, his face pale and his legs shaking.
"Castiel! I'm coming. Just go back to bed. You need to rest."
But, Castiel didn't listen to him and instead limped towards him, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.
"I'm going to leave you guys alone." Charlie chuckled before standing up.
"Cas..." Dean stopped talking when Castiel glared at him.
"Whatever, you are going to say next, no I'm not going back inside without you." Dean sighed and slightly shook his head. That was not the first time that happened. And by experience, he knew Castiel won't let this go.
"All right. Do you feel better at least?"
"A little bit. But I barely have any energy." Castiel put his head on Dean's shoulder and closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry about what happened. That was my fault." Castiel lifted his head and looked at Dean, his brows furrowed.
"What, no? Dean, you weren't the one chopping down my tree."
"I gave you a potion for protection and look at what happened. It didn't work."
"Dean." Castiel looked down. "I didn't use it."
"What?"
"I didn't trust you. I didn't know you, yet, and you came back with a jar full of something I didn't know."
"Fair enough." Dean calmed down. He had thought his magick abilities had gotten worse. Now that he knew that this wasn't the case, Dean was sure he could save Castiel. After those men attacked Castiel's tree, Dean had been afraid to use his potions. What if another one backfired?
Dean saw Castiel shaking next to him. "Let's go back inside." Castiel nodded and Dean helped him stand up. [Inside, Dean found a note written by Charlie.
I went back to the forest. If you need to see Ronewa, just come to see me and I will help you.
"Castiel? Who is Rowena exactly?"
"A witch. She is the only dryad witch in our forest."
"Great. Will be nice to meet another witch."
It didn't take long before Castiel fell asleep again. Dean walked towards his lab, taking one last look at Castiel before entering his lab.
Dean grabbed as many ingredients as he could. He passed the next few hours working on potions to help Castiel's tree to grow back. And he added another to ease Castiel's pain.
He put the potion for Castiel next to him trying to not wake him up. When Dean poured his potion over Castiel's tree, it grew slightly and created a sprout. He stopped there. With that, the tree will grow quicker than normal.
Dean went back to Castiel and sat next to him. He could have lost him. He could have lost him so easily. And now with Castiel being pregnant, it was even worse.
Dean carded his fingers in Castiel's hair. He had a small fever.
"Dean?" Castiel said as he woke up, still a bit groggy.
"Hey, I'm sorry for waking you up. I made you this." Dean gave him the potion. "It will ease your pain."
"Thank you. That's sweet." Castiel grabbed the potion and slowly drank it. Once he finished, he patted the space next to him. "Dean, come in bed with me.
"I should bring Rowena. Just in case there is something worse."
"Please? You can do it later."
Castiel gave him puppy eyes.
"All right, all right. I'm coming." Dean crawled next to Cas in the bed. He cradled him in his arms and put his head on Castiel's shoulder. They passed their time in bed together, before Dean fell asleep.
When Dean woke up Castiel had his hand in his hair and was staring at him.
"Hello, Dean." Castiel had regained a few colors but he still looked sick.
"Hello, ready to go see Rowena?” Castiel nodded. Dean got out of bed, helping Castiel to do the same, trying to make a few noises as possible. Dean looked outside the window. Dense fog made it impossible to look further than the house. When he and Castiel got out of the house, the cold hit them.
They walked outside, shivering and walking slowly towards the forest. He hoped Rowena was free and would be okay with helping him.
"Charlie?" Dean shouted when he arrived in the forest.
"I'm here." Dean and Castiel turned around. Charlie was standing there, with another redheaded dryad at her side.
"Rowena?" Dean asked.
"Yes, sweetie. So, what do you have here?" Rowena pointed to Castiel. She was a redhead with a thick Scottish and was wearing longer clothes than the two other dryads.
"My tree has been chopped down but Dean replanted it." Dean grabbed Castiel's hand, trying to soothe him when he noticed them shaking.
"Not the only seed he planted,” Rowena commented.
“Rowena!” Castiel complained while Dean was looking at his feet and was blushing.
“Well, let's look at that, shall we," Rowena told Dean. Dean looked at Castiel, not knowing what to say. He wanted to go with them. He wanted to stay at Castiel's side.
"Dean, it's okay," Castiel told him. Rowena lifted her eyebrow, and Dean stepped back sighing. If Castiel was okay with going along with Rowena then he was too.
"So, how long have you known Castiel?" Dean asked Charlie a few minutes later.
"Since we were kids. I helped him to hide from an adult he pulled a prank on."
"A prank?" Dean asked. Well, that was surprising coming from Castiel.
"We did a lot of embarrassing things. Just ask Castiel." Charlie chuckled.
"Yes, same here. I used to play around with potions as a kid. I scared my parents more than once." They laughed as they exchanged embarrassing stories of their childhood. From time to time, Dean would look in the direction Castiel and Rowena had gone.
"Dean, Castiel is going to be okay. Rowena knows what she is doing." Dean nodded, after what happened, he was stressed about leaving him alone. He knew he could trust Castiel, but the fear was still there.
________________________________________________________________________
"You still need rest, but you will heal. And your kid will be all right." Rowena told Castiel. Her hands and eyes were glowing slightly purple. "Dean helped a lot. I can recognize another witch’s talent when I see one."
"Thank you. I'll see you when the little one comes." Castiel prepared to go back to Dean and Charlie. Rowena put her hand on his shoulder, stopping him and making him Castiel turn around."
"Be careful," she said.
The last time someone attacked them was a long time ago. And they took a few precautions so that wouldn't happen again.
"It won't happen again. I promise you."
__________________________________________________________
Dean turned around, excited when he heard Castiel coming.
"Everything's all right?" Dean asked him the moment he saw Castiel.
"Castiel will be all right, sweetheart." Rowena chuckled. "But he needs sleep and some rest."
Today and yesterday had been exhausting, and Dean couldn't wait for it to be over.
"Oh, and it's a boy."
"Thank you, Rowena. That means a lot."
"I know, I know. And I don't want you to come to visit me before you give birth." Rowena told them. Dean and Castiel nodded in sync. They had to admit that she looked slightly scary, her eyes slightly glowing purple as she told them that.
_____________________________________________
As the time passed, Castiel slowly but surely was getting better. However, he was growing frustrated that he would often need Dean to help with simple things.
"Dean, I can do it on my own." He grumbled. His stomach had started to grow, which was not helping anything.
"You're all right?" Dean asked.
"I am!" Castiel stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just, I wish things were better. I'm useless right now."
"Castiel. You aren't useless, sweetheart." Dean hugged him. "If it would help, I was thinking about expanding the garden. So it could be easier for you to go back to the forest. Don't want to choose between the forest and here."
"Thank you, Dean. And, we'll do that together. Now, you need some rest. All right?"
"All right, sweetheart." Dean nodded.
_____________________________________________
It took them a bit of time to expand the garden. But with Castiel's power and the help of Charlie, things worked out well in the end.
One of the trees almost fell, to Castiel's disappointment.
They had also changed a few things in the house. Like in the bedroom. They got a new bed and Castiel would alternate between sleeping with Dean and in the tree.
Castiel's tree was now completely blossomed and everyone could see that he was pregnant. And, now Sam, Eileen, and Ella had to visit Dean. And now Dean was panicking. He still had no idea how to explain what was going on.
When he heard them coming, Dean made sure one last time that everything was in place.
They had talked beforehand and decided that Castiel was going to wait until Dean had explained the basics.
"Hey! Had a nice day?" Castiel heard Dean say at the door.
"Sam almost broke the bathroom door." A woman chuckled, that Cas recognized was Eileen.
"Eileen!!!"
"He often accidentally breaks stuff." A young girl added.
"Ok, moving on! Anything new?"
"Well, actually I wanted to tell you something. You may need to sit down."
Castiel listened as Dean tried to explain what was going with the forest and about the dryads. When Dean started to talk about him, Castiel crossed his fingers, hoping that everything will be all right. From what Dean told him, his family should be accepting.
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure that I'm following," Sam told Dean.
"You know what? Cas can explain better what is going on than me. Cas?" Castiel took a deep breath before entering the living room.
"Hi. I'm Castiel."
________________________________________________________________________
Sam and Eileen had hundreds of questions to ask them. Meanwhile, Ella wanted to know if the leaves in Castiel's hair could be removed. So she pulled on one of them, hard. Ella apologized for a few minutes, tears in her eyes when she realized she hurt Castiel.
Castiel had explained to her how his leaves grow like hair. But in way smaller quantity.
Once Sam, Eileen, and Ella went back home, Dean for the first time in the day felt relieved.
"It went better than I thought," Dean said with a grin on his face.
_____________________________________________
One morning, Dean was woken up by Castiel shaking him and calling for him.
"Dean! Dean! The kid's coming!"
Dean sat up immediately. They’d talked about what they were going to do beforehand. Dean would help Castiel to go to the forest and see Rowena.
Still a bit tired, Dean helped Castiel get out of the bed.
"Dean, it hurts. It hurts so bad!"
"It's going to be all right, sweetheart." At this point, Dean didn't know if he was saying this to reassure himself or Castiel.
When they arrived at the forest, Dean immediately called for Rowena.
"It's two in the morning! Whoever you are, you better have a good reason to wake me up!" Rowena shouted. "Oh, it's you two. Come on, I'm going to take care of you." She immediately softened at the sight of the two. Castiel, in pain but holding it together, and Dean was panicking.
Rowena and Dean helped Castiel to lay down as he groaned, pain shooting through his body.
"Wanna help me?" Rowena asked Dean. Dean nodded and sat down next to her. Castiel was half-naked and had blood and slick running down his legs. This was the last thing Dean saw before it all went black.
___________________________________________________________________________
"Dean? Dean, wake up." Someone (murmured), waking Dean up. He was laying, face first, on the ground. A baby gurgled next to him. A baby! His baby! That was enough to fully wake Dean up. He sat down, Castiel was looking at him, a soft smile on his face. He looked exhausted.
"Did I pass out?" Dean asked him.
"Yes. But don't worry, this is not the first time someone passed out on me during labor." Rowena said behind them.
"I'm so sorry, Cas. I wish I could have been at your side." Dean sighed.
"It's okay, Dean. Do you want to hold him?"
"Him?"
"This is very heart-warming, but you should go back to your house. And I need my beauty sleep." Rowena told them.
Castiel and Dean thanked Rowena one last time. This time with their kid. When they arrived, Dean noticed that something had changed in the garden.
"Castiel, look." A tree sprout had appeared not far from Castiel's tree. Seeing this, Castiel smiled at it.
"And it's going to grow as he does."
________________________________________________________________________
"Castiel!" Dean shouted as he ran toward him.
"He's napping in his tree. His tree is grown enough now." Castiel said, calmly.
"Oh, crap. I forgot about that." Dean sighed. Jack had grown a lot lately and so had his tree. Unlike the rest of the dryads, leaves were missing from his hair. And he was a curious young boy. A bit too much if you asked Dean. Jack had multiple times touched potions and ingredients. Once, almost making a potion explode by adding new ingredients.
"He grew way too fast."
"He's still a kid." Dean chuckled. "Anyway, when do you plan to go back to the forest?" From time to time, Castiel brought Jack to the forest to pass time with the other dryads.
"Probably next week." It was always complicated for Dean to watch them go for some time. But he knew it was the best for Castiel and Jack. And he wouldn't trade it for anything.