Summary: After "Lucifer Rising." The apocalypse has begun, but Lucifer is nowhere to be found. The brothers have vowed to hunt him down, but bad blood runs deep, and demons of their past aren't resting easy. Contains Dean/Anna and Sam/Ruby with light bloodplay, but not as a focus.
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Author's note: I don't have this story planned out completely, but I tried to list warnings as best as I could. The rating is for sex, swearing, and likely graphic violence. On the off chance I add more pairings in the future, they won't be the focus of the story. And in case anyone objects to slash, don't worry, there won't be any. That said, enjoy.
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Chapter 1: Empty
A brilliant light filled Sam's vision as the ground began to shake. He stared at the light for as long as he could, but the memory of Pamela's hollow eye sockets made him turn away, squeezing his eyes shut. At the same moment, something hit him like a speeding car, knocking him backward onto the ground. Air whooshed past him as an earth-shattering ring filled the room. He pressed his hands over his ears and gritted his teeth, praying for it to stop.
Then, all at once, it did.
Opening his eyes, Sam pushed himself with shaky arms. The convent was in a shambles, the candles blown out and scattered all over the floor. Lilith and Ruby's bodies lay on the ground exactly as they had before, immobile.
Sam's eyes fell on the other form lying face-down a few feet away. Fear gripped him, but even as he started to pull himself over, Dean began to stir. He looked up at Sam with his lips slightly parted, his face tired and shocked.
"So that's him, huh?" Dean said after a moment.
The absurdity of the question drew one, quiet laugh from Sam. He felt lightheaded and slightly giddy. "Yeah, I think so."
Dean made the same noise and smirked. "You know, I always thought he'd be taller."
Sam's smile faded. "Dean--"
A loud rumbling cut him off and the ground gave another violent jolt. In the center of the pattern left by Lilith's blood, the floor cracked and a fissure sped toward the altar.
"Come on," Dean grunted, scrambling to his feet. He hauled Sam up and supported him as they fled the convent. A few feet out the door, they looked back just in time to see the whole building implode on itself, sending up a cloud of dust. Sam pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, coughing.
Dean gripped his shoulder tightly. "You all right, Sammy?"
"Yeah." Even as Sam spoke, however, all the strength fled and his knees gave out.
Dean caught him before he hit the ground. "Whoa, take it easy. Let's get you to the car."
But Sam did not move, staring at the empty spot next to the Impala with trepidation. "The car," he muttered. When Dean gave him a questioning look, he went on. "The one Ruby and I came in, it's gone."
Dean furrowed his brow. "So...what? Lucifer jacked the car? He doesn't have a body."
The image of the demon-possessed nurse filled Sam's mind. He and Ruby had left her body on the ground out here. He did not even have to look to know that it was gone. "He has one," he said, refusing to meet Dean's eye.
To his relief, Dean did not question this. Instead, he helped Sam over to the car, opening the passenger door. As he did so, Sam caught a glimpse of his own face in the side mirror. His skin was white as a sheet and drenched in sweat. He looked away quickly and collapsed into the seat, breathing heavily.
Dean slammed the door and walked around to the driver's side. In dead silence, he turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life and they sped off into the night.
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Dawn broke on the horizon. Sam shifted in his seat, his forehead pressed against the cool window, and watched trees speed past. He still felt weak, too weak even to move, but sleep would not come. Not with the gaping hole in the pit of his stomach. Yellow eyes had filled that pit once, back when it was not so much a pit as a tumor. Then he was gone, but that hadn't been so bad.
Then came Ruby. When she was there, things seemed better. He felt in control. Powerful. She carved out a part of him and inserted herself in its place. He couldn't stand the thought of being away from her.
But he was. And then there was the nameless demon who possessed that nurse. A temporary, but welcome fix.
Now they were all gone. Never before had he known what it felt like to be so empty.
Without warning, the car lurched to one side, crossing the center line and driving off into the dirt. Dean shifted it into park and sat back with his elbow propped on the window, his hand covering his mouth as he stared out the window.
"We gonna talk about this?" Dean asked in a slightly muffled voice.
Sam closed his eyes. "No."
"Damn it, Sammy," Dean growled.
"What do you want from me?" Sam asked, whipping his head around. This turned out to be a very bad idea as it made him dizzy, but he pushed through it. "Huh? You want me to apologize again?"
"No." Dean went silent for a moment, as though searching for the right words. "Look, just listen to your damn voicemail."
Sam recalled the hateful words on the recording and his eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I heard it already." Another dizzy spell hit him, and this time he groaned, pressing his eyes with his fingers.
"Hey," Dean said, grabbing his shoulder, "you're not going all DT's on me again, are you?"
"No," Sam muttered under his breath, shaking off the hand.
Dean took a moment to speak again. "But...why not? I mean, its been hours, and that last bit has to have burned you out pretty bad. Shouldn't you be jonesing right now?"
Sam didn't reply. Honestly, he didn't have an answer. True, a part of him still wanted the demon blood, a part of him that he wished would just disappear. He still missed the thrill and ecstasy of pressing his lips to Ruby's arm. But he didn't need it like he had before.
Dean sighed and shifted gears. The car rolled back out onto the street.
Sam leaned against the window again. "Where are we going?" he asked.
"To see Prophet Chuck. If he's still alive."
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Author's note: Please review. Any concrit is welcome. I'm making sure to double-check on canon that I'm unsure of, but please let me know if I slip up on anything. Next chapter: The Winchester boys drive out to the prophet Chuck's house to discover the outcome of Castiel's stand against the archangel.