::Thank you all so much for your favorites, follows, and reviews. You're all AWESOME and I appreciate all the love. "Wayward" was a long journey, so thanks for sticking with me. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some lighter and shorter "Winchester Ranch" stories. They fit into the timeline, but are good for a laugh and some adventure. Stay tuned to find out what happened in El Paso.

Lots of Internetty hugs and love,

::TheGirlWithTheDinosaurTattoo::

...

Chapter 41

Grace

Faith Emery Winchester was born late one blustery Thursday night in September. She came into the world without hesitation, almost impatient with the birth process. Dean was a calm, experienced father, who spent most of my labor wandering around, sipping his coffee, and thumbing through car magazines as he waited for his fourth baby.

Cas made the birth as painless as he could, trying to heal me as the pain took hold, wrapping ribbons of his grace around my muscles and the contractions radiating through me. Every once and awhile, he would throw out an opinion in disbelief.

It seems inhumane that women would have to do this unassisted on a regular basis, he thought at me while I was in the throws of labor. It just seems mean.

Don't get me started, I had answered.

Cas left my body soon after delivery, heading down to find his body safely where he left it, downstairs in cold storage. Alana, our doctor friend that knew our secrets, had pulled out his drawer when I had begun labor. I shook myself out of my memories and stared down at our beautiful newborn.

Dean touched her head lightly, gazing at her. "She looks just like Everett," he whispered. "Same nose. Same lips."

I nodded, looking up at my husband. "Yeah," I answered. "They're yours." He looked confused as he tilted his head. "Your nose," I explained, "your lips. Everett and Faith both are your identical twins."

Chuckling, Dean bent down to kiss her forehead, breathing in her baby scent. "Have you heard from Serra or Sam?" he asked, standing back up to check his phone. "I called them earlier, but neither one of them answered."

Listening momentarily, I tuned in to my sister's mind, smiling to myself as I made contact. "That's because she's in labor."

"What?"

"Yeah," I continued, laughing. "She's here."

Dean walked to the doorway and propped open the door, glancing up and down the hall. "Are they going to have the same birthday?" he asked, grinning.

I shook my head, shrugging. "Wouldn't that be something?"

Dr. Alana came down the hall towards Dean and smiled at him. "Did you hear?" she asked, pointing. "Serra's in labor."

Dean nodded and chuckled. "Yeah," he answered, holding the door open for her as she walked in. "Grace just told me."

"Hi, beautiful girl!" Alana squealed as she got close to Faith. She stared down at her and grinned up at me. "She doesn't even look like a newborn," she said, shaking her head. "She doesn't have any of the wrinkled, squishy looks that so many have…and she's so calm!"

"It might have something to do with the fact that she's mostly angel," Dean muttered, shaking his head.

Alana stared up at me, her mouth hanging open slightly. "Give me the short story," she whispered, looking from me to Dean and back to me.

I smiled, shaking my head. "The short story is too long," I explained. "Just know that it was necessary to help Everett."

Nodding, Alana looked back down at Faith. "Well, she is perfect. I'll keep you posted on your sister." She glanced at me as she made the move to walk out of the recovery room. "Although," she said, pausing in the doorway, "you heal almost immediately, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, there's really no reason to keep us here."

"Stay overnight so you can hang out with Serra," Alana said, shrugging. "I was about to go check her. You wanna come?"

Moving towards the edge of the bed, Dean took Faith from my arms and cuddled her close. "You coming?" I asked, looking back.

Dean shook his head, having eyes only for his newest daughter. "Nah," he said, "I am going to lay in your bed and cuddle with my new girl."

Sighing as the hint of a smile touched my lips, I was enamored with the scene before me, but I knew that Serra would be cursing Sam out around this time, and with any luck, the epidural would have already been placed so they would both be in the clear. As I walked down the halls barefoot, following Alana, I was grateful that we had Jody and Emery back in our lives; otherwise, the maternity ward of Serra's hospital would be overrun with Winchester kids.

We turned the corner and I glanced at the clock. It was approaching two in the afternoon, so there was a distinct possibility that Faith and Charlotte would share a birthday. Alana pushed the door of the delivery room open and I could see Serra curved around herself on her side in bed, breathing deeply.

She was asleep.

"What the hell?" I whispered to Sam, who was sitting in one of the rockers in the corner of the room.

He glanced up at me and grinned. "They got the epidural in," he whispered back, standing to hug me. "This is the best thing ever."

Alana and I exchanged looks and I shook my head. "That bitch," I said, crossing my arms in front of me. "She is the luckiest little tramp in the world." I looked up at Sam and shook my head. "How far along is she?"

"We've been here about two hours," he said, still smiling. "How did it go with Faith?" he asked, standing back, realizing I wasn't pregnant anymore. "Is she perfect?"

I grinned and nodded. "Dean is with her. They're probably both asleep in my bed by now."

Sammy wrapped me in a hug and kissed my head. "Congratulations, Grace," he whispered. "Stats?" he asked as he pulled away. Alana was pulling the contraction cart around and watching the tiny green line rise and fall with another contraction while Serra continued to sleep.

"Faith Emery Winchester, one-sixteen this morning. Eight pounds, ten ounces." I squinted, trying to remember how long she measured. "Nineteen inches long, I think."

We both turned to stare at Serra, "Can you imagine if they had the same birthday?" Sammy asked, shaking his head.

I giggled. "No," I said. "No I can't." I patted him on the shoulder. "I'll come back later to check how she's doing. I've gotta go nurse Faith. I'm so uncomfortable."

Sammy nodded, chuckling. "Okay," he said. "I'll text you if something happens before then."

…

Grace

At twelve-oh-seven on Friday, September twenty-ninth, yet another Winchester entered the world, screaming and annoyed, just like her mother. Dean and I walked the hall towards Serra's recovery room an hour later to see our new niece, carrying our brand new daughter.

I grinned when I saw her, holding the tiny bundle wrapped in pink. "You had a girl," I whispered mockingly, laughing at my sister.

"Shut up," she answered, yawning, shaking her head.

"Allow me," Dean said, approaching the bed between us. "This is Faith Emery," he said gesturing to Faith, barely containing himself. I held her lower so that Serra could see her face.

She grinned at me and sighed. "She looks just like you, Dean," she said, reaching out to touch Faith's light brown hair. "Same lips. Beautiful. She doesn't even look like a newborn."

After a brief pause, Sam stepped closer to his brother and grinned. "And this," Sam said, gesturing to his daughter, "is Charlotte Grace."

I took a sudden, gasping breath, finding my sister's eyes. "Oh, Serra," I breathed. "That's…that's…"

"That's perfect," Dean finished, stepping towards the bed.

I leaned over, tucking Faith against my body, to hug Serendipity. "Thank you," I whispered into her hair.

"Thank you," Serra whispered back, "for always being there. Now, don't think that because you got the namesake, you get to back off at all. I need all the help I can get."

"Yeah, you will," I said, letting go. "Especially if she's anything like you."