It had been several weeks since Dean was sent to Hell. Since then, Sam had been doing everything in his power to bring him back, including summoning demon after demon. None of them would make any deals with him, for reasons he couldn't understand. What did it matter if he switched with Dean? They still got to torture a Winchester in Hell. Shouldn't that be all they cared about?

Sam wasn't giving up though, hence why he was at another crossroads summoning one last demon. If this one turned him down, he would use other means. Ruby had been bugging him for a while to work with her to harness his powers to go after Lilith. He was just reluctant to go that route because he promised Dean. But the hell with it. If it would save Dean, he'd do whatever it took.

Sam stood back and waited for the next demon to show up. After about five minutes, he was about to give up, assuming that they had decided not to even bother answering him anymore. But then he heard a man with a British accent behind him.

"Five demons turn you down, yet you still don't give up."

Sam turned around to see a dark haired, balding man with a beard, dressed in all black, standing several feet away from him. "I was beginning to think no one would come."

"Yes, well, I told my people to hold off. I decided to handle this one personally," the demon said.

"Your people?" Sam asked.

"Yes. I control the crossroads. The name's Crowley," he said as he walked a few feet closer.

"You know what I want."

"Yes, that was evident after the last five of my demons you killed," Crowley said.

"Great. Swap me for my brother and you won't be number six," Sam bargained.

Crowley chuckled. "Moose, I'm going to call you Moose, by the way. Has it ever occurred to you why no demon would make a deal with you?"

"Yeah, it has. I can only guess you guys hate Dean more than me," Sam said.

"True, your brother certainly knows how to piss us off, but that's not why. You have no idea what you're a part of. Both of you actually. You've been a part of it since the moment that demon bled into your mouth," Crowley said.

Sam flinched slightly. He didn't like thinking about what that demon had made him do as a baby. The idea of having drank demon blood made him sick every time he thought about it. And it unnerved him that someone else knew about, though he probably shouldn't be surprised. All demons probably knew about it. "That Boy King thing ended the moment Yellow Eyes died.

"Boy King? No, you were never meant to be the Boy King. The real plan just sort got jumbled up. It's like spreading a rumor. Eventually, the truth gets distorted and turned into something else. And the truth certainly didn't end with Azazel's death," Crowley told him.

"What's the truth then?" Sam said.

"For another time. You never know when certain beings might be listening. The point I'm trying to make is that most demons won't make a deal with you. It'd be a death wish," Crowley said.

"You said most," Sam pointed out.

"Now clearly you're the smart one, Moose. I might be willing to deal with you. See, as it turns out, I don't like the plan that's in store for you, for all of us. I kind of think it'll destroy all of us. I'm not into it. The problem is if I were to deal with you and put you on the rack, they'd yank you right off before the first knife started carving into your soul, and I'd become enemy number one. But there could be a way to get around that," Crowley said.

"How's that?" Sam wondered. For the first time, he felt like he was finally getting somewhere. Yes, it would involve being tortured for eternity, but he felt that it couldn't be any worse than living with the knowledge that his brother was getting the same treatment because of him.

"Hide you away and make you my own little play thing," Crowley said with a smirk. It was a win-win as far as he was concerned. Not only did he stop the apocalypse before it even started, but he got his own Winchester to torture.

"And you'd nullify Dean's contract in return? But I was told his contract lies with Lilith," Sam said.

"Well, yes, it did while his heart was still beating, but there's no reason for her to hold it now that it's been fulfilled. Now it lies with every other contract, and those lie with me. So, yes, I could destroy his contract," Crowley explained.

"How much time would I have?" Sam asked.

"None," Crowley said bluntly. "As soon as we seal the deal, you're mine. Then I place your contract in a hole somewhere so no one can ever find out that I made it."

Sam shook his head. "No, I have to see Dean at least once."

Crowley sighed dramatically. "Have you not been listening, Moose? This deal is the most delicate any demon has ever made. If anyone finds out about it before it can be completely fulfilled, all bets are off. And the second Dean Winchester is topside, they will know something is off."

"Who's they? Demons?" Sam asked. He really didn't know what this was about. Why was this demon so worried about making a deal with him.

"Among other things. Now, let's make this quick before someone figures out what is going on, shall we. The deal is as follows: I destroy your brother's contract and put him back in his body. In return, your soul is forfeited to me immediately. Any questions?" Crowley asked impatiently.

"Dean will try to make another deal when he realizes what happened. Will you be able to stop it?" Sam asked.

"You know, for someone who is supposed to have brains, you don't listen well. As I said, your contract is going into a hole, where no one will be able to find it if I can help it. If they can't find the contract, they can't void it with another deal. Now, do we have a deal?" Crowley asked.

Sam suppressed a shudder. He honestly couldn't say he wasn't scared. He was about to give himself over to a demon. There didn't seem to be any worse fate. But Dean had done it for him. He should have been left dead. Dean on the other hand, had his whole life ahead of him. He should get to live it. "Yeah, Deal."

"I think you know what comes next," Crowley said before invading the hunter's personal space and kissing him on the lips for several seconds. Once he was done, he let out a loud whistle.

The next thing Sam heard was a growl. Having witnessed Dean's death, he knew exactly what it was. Hell hounds. Sam closed his eyes and waited. It wasn't long before one pounced on him and he let out a loud scream.