Authors Note: This fic takes part of a series based on the actual episodes of Supernatural. Sam Winchester belongs to the creator and writers for the show (you hear that Sam? they OWN you). Background on Kayla can be found in previous episodes from the series.

Desperate Times

Sam slammed Ruby's dagger down into the demon's hand to pin him in place. "Listen you son of a bitch."

"No you listen." He hissed. "I'm not giving you anything. If you want to kill me, kill me. I've made peace with my God."

"So deal with me, it's what you do."

"You don't get it." He tilted his head and saw that Kayla was actually spraying a devil's trap around where he stood. "Hey, hey! This isn't going to help you!"

She scowled at him. "I'm gonna need you to move your feet."

Thrown off, the demon stepped aside and let her finish the trap right underneath him. That was a new one.

"So come on." Sam continued. "You can take me, without any time, even trade right now."

Kayla didn't stop him.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. Everything is exactly how we want it. There won't be any deals, there won't be anybody getting out of hell. Nothing you can do or say will change that."

Sam twisted the blade but jerked it out. "Kayla." Better to try and save the body than drive the dagger into it.

She started the incantation; she'd memorized it now. They must have taken out a dozen demons in the last month. The demon was in pain but he took it. There was no pleading, and definitely no changing his mind.

It had been six weeks now. After the hell gate incident they tracked down a slue of demons by following the electrical storms and omens Bobby had told Kayla about. Every one of them had the same story. No one was dealing, no one was giving in. The demon community had cut them off.

No matter. There was another location to check out. Kayla threw the spray can in the trunk and slammed it shut, spreading the map on the car.

"This is the next one. Supposed to be a nasty one, a lot of activity."

Sam glanced at the map, then did a double take and checked the location again.

She looked at him. "You game?"

"Yeah." He folded the map back and got into the car. After awhile he gripped the steering wheel a little. "Kayla."

She stared out the window. I can't believe there's not one fucking demon that will give this information up.

"I know, but, I need to know. Do I need to worry about you? I mean in a sense that…I don't know, you're not going to do anything drastic."

"Like what." She asked flatly.

"Like go to Dominic."

She looked at him, then turned back to the window. "Stay out of my head."

"I wasn't in your head, I had a dream about it." Kind of. He remembered back to his loop of Tuesdays, when the trickster had told him about her suicide.

"A vision."

"I don't know. Look, we're going to do everything humanly and non-humanly possible to get him back but you've gotta stick with it. This is hard for me too."

Kayla took a breath.

"I know you're having a hard time, I know it's my fault." She didn't answer. "I'll do whatever I can. You can talk to me, I'm here for you."

"I know."

"So you didn't pick this demon because it's close to…"

"No." She flat out lied to him. This demon was supposed to be the next town over from Dominic's resort. One way or another she would accomplish something this trip.

"I have to ask."

She was nearly impossible to talk to recently; he could hardly get more than a couple words out of her. In all honesty trying to put up this front was the hardest thing he'd had to do. Dean was dead and it was miserable thinking of him in hell. He didn't give a damn about hunting anymore and he was glad they weren't directly doing it. The only thing keeping him going was the fact that Dean had told him to take care of her. Sam was trying but if she was in the same mindset he was, keeping her alive wasn't going to be easy.