"Don't do it, Rade."

"Give me one good reason." The man hesitated, then added, "Actually, give me three. And provide examples from the text."

"Snarky, for a human."

A glint of teeth as the man grinned. Straight teeth, from braces that his past could amply afford. If one knew him, they might question why he'd become a hunter in the first place. "You've been gone a long time, haven't you?"

The teenage girl scowled. She crossed her arms over her pink shirt, which was covered in cobwebs and thick dust. It matched the webs hanging in the corners of the old crypt. Her pale face was lit by the moonlight streaming in through the open doorway.

"Long enough to remember what respect really is."

"Isn't that a kind of doily?" Rade grinned, then flicked off the safety on his gun. "Or, you know, something similarly useless."

"Just like that bullet's going to be." The girl flicked her wrist, and the gun went flying from Rade's hand. It clattered against the dark stone wall. She pouted. "I thought you knew better."

Rade shrugged, watching as the girl's eyes turned black. The demon was finally showing itself. "What can I say, I'm an optimist."

"That's cute."

Rade pointed up at the ceiling, where a demon's-trap had been spray-painted on in white earlier that day. He had been prepared. "And what about that?"

The girl looked up, and the blood drained from her face. Her eyes flicked back to Rade's and she snarled. "That's less cute."

Rade let out a sigh. "Oh well. I guess I'll just have to start in on the exorcism, now that I've got you trapped..."

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Is there a 'but' at the end of that sentence, Rade Montgomery?"

The man grinned. His teeth were bright against his tan skin. "So demons do recognize social cues. I would've thought that with all the mindless killing and bloodshed, you'd be a little less inclined."

"Well, whatever it is you wanted, you're not getting it for free." The girl gave a little shrug of her own. "So either you exorcise me and get it over with, or you pull the rod from your ass and you make me an offer I can't refuse."

The smile faded from the man's face. Suddenly, he looked tired. His gray eyes fixed on the girl's. "You know what I want."

Her lips turned up, transforming her mouth into a wicked grin. "Oh, I know. I just want to hear you say it."

His jaw clenched, but the girl could tell he wouldn't refuse. Desperate men don't shove away their last hope for redemption. "I want you to bring her back. Bring Jessica back."

Her grin slipped into a pout. "Isn't that the sweetest thing. Making a deal for your little sister." The girl stepped forward to the edge of the circle etched above her head. "Reminds me of someone. Only that someone wasn't the cause of his brother's death. Not like you and Jessica."

"I didn't kill her." His fingers started to shake.

"No, maybe not; but you let her die." She put on a saccharine smile. "To the man upstairs, it's pretty much the same."

"But I'm not dealing with the man upstairs. I'm dealing with you." Rade stepped forward. "So do we have a deal?"

The girl laughed. "You've really never done this before, have you? Honey, that's not how it works. You tell me what you want, I tell you what it's gonna cost. Then we shake on it - or kiss on it, whatever floats your boat. And the cost for your sister ain't cheap, Rade. You know why, don't you?"

The man blanched, and his lips pressed into a line. Knowledge was a burden, and he had carried it for a long time. "I do."

"And this won't escape Her notice. Lilith will find her eventually. And your sister'll get dragged back to Hell just like five months ago, only this time, you won't be here to magic her back out again." The girl stepped back again, cocking her head at him. "Is it really worth it?"

There was no pause. "Yes. Yes, it is."

"Okay then. Rade, I accept your offer. In return, I'm taking your soul. Sound fair?"

Rade took a step back, frowning. "No - don't I get ten years?"

The girl laughed. "I'm no crossroads demon, Rade. And everyone knows your soul is worth less and less the more you dirty it with the blood of my kind. No, I think I'll take my chance for the cleanest side of your soul I'm ever going to see. You want to save your sister so bad? It's your soul, up front, or the deal is off."

Rade stared at the girl. She didn't look possessed. Hell, she looked nice. Kind. But he looked past that, imagining the face of another girl, a few years older than the demon vessel, with dark hair, tan skin and gray eyes like his. Jessica.

The wistful thoughts evaporated. After the beating the demon inside of her had taken, it was highly unlikely that the girl would get out intact. She would join the ever-increasing ranks of those dead at the hands of demons. Her life was lost.

Jessica's didn't have to be.

But it appeared that Rade knew something about Jessica that even this demon didn't know. Something that would make his death worth what it would bring.

So instead of rattling off the exorcism rites, Rade walked forward and used the button of his coat-sleeve to scrape away some of the paint over the girl's head. The trap was broken.

The girl glanced up, then sidled closer, grinning. "That's real nice of you, Rade."

"Just do it."

The girl shrugged, and pushed herself up on her toes to bring her lips close to Rade's. "Then seal the deal, big boy. Your soul for your sister's."

Rade sucked in his last breath. It was dusty, stale. Then he pressed his mouth to hers.

He'd been headed for Hell anyways.


Please review! This is my first Supernatural fanfic (and my first fanfic on this site).

~MK