Dean and Sam are so close to finding Pestilence. They now have three of the four rings that they need to open Lucifer's cage so the boys can throw Lucifer back in there to stop the apocalypse.
With Pestilence's ring in hand, Sam and Dean make there way back to Bobby's place for a shot of cold whiskey and to plan an attack on Death, the fourth horseman. While the boys are cruising in the impala, rocking to some AC/DC, Bobby is back at the house with a special guest. Crowley.
"What the hell do you want, Crowley?" Bobby snarled as the somewhat famous crossroads demon entered his living room.
"Well that's no way to greet a comrade, now is it?" Crowley responded as he poured himself a glass of whiskey.
"Comrade, huh? I don't think our relationship is on that level." He popped back.
Crowley stared at him for a few seconds before taking a quick sniff of the whiskey. He scuffed at the smell of Bobby's cheep whiskey and immediately put the glass back down. "Would you still say that if you knew what I had to offer?"
"Do I look like an idjit to you? What could you possibly offer me? And why the hell would I take a bone from a hell hound like you?" Bobby was less than ecstatic to hear what this demon had to say to him.
"Because I have something that you want. Something that can save your precious little boys from their all but executed, well, execution." He said with a slight grin.
"Oh really." Bobby smirked. "Thought those angel dicks had this whole thing already planned and written in stone." Bobby brushed off Crowley's statement like it was impossible, but somewhere deep inside he knew that Crowley is a man of his word and likes to maintain his bargains.
"I may be the King of the Crossroads," Crowley refuted, "but would I really lie to you?" Bobby didn't really know what to say to and replied with a scuff and a smirk. Crowley continued his little sales pitch. "Listen, I have a solution to help you end all of this and ending it with your precious boys intact. There is a way that you can sign off the Winchesters as vessels and yet still be able to throw Lucifer back into his cage."
Bobby just stared at Crowley sort of blank faced not knowing what to do. The hunter inside him knew he had to do something to stop the damn apocalypse and the instinctual father inside of him also knew he had to save these boys from this destiny that they were assigned to. They were all the family they had. Bobby wheeled himself over to the table where Crowley had set down is glass of untouched whiskey and took a sip before wheeling himself back behind his desk, with Crowley's glass in hand.
"So what your trying to telling me is I can stop the apocalypse and have Sam and Dean live?" Bobby couldn't believe he was even still talking to him.
"Precisely." Crowley responded.
"Well, I suppose you're not just doing this out of the goodness of your cold, dead heart." Bobby said slightly sarcastically, actually very sarcastically.
"Oh, you know me too well." Crowley snared back. "The usual bargain of course. Your soul for the key to locking up Lucifer forever and saving your, less than charming, Winchesters."
Bobby looked at Crowley with such a questioning look because he knew what he had to do, but he also knew he didn't want the boys to know. He knew that Sam and Dean would never let anyone else carry their burdens, especially when it could mean death. But ultimately, Bobby saw it as a way to save these boys, the ones he practically raised, all the family he had left. And besides what is one measly soul when the whole worlds going to end, anyways?
"If I were to agree," Bobby started, "and I ain't sayin I am, but how do I know you ain't just pullin strings here."
"Well that's the fun part, you don't." Crowley gave another sly grin.