I know it's been forever since the last chapter. I'm really sorry! Just know that I haven't forgotten about this fic. I had a writer's block and then I had to sort out some stuff with the timeline...whatever, you don't care about my excuses. If any of you are still around; thanks.

Sam's head snapped up when the motel door burst open. Just Ruby, enchanting bathed in the moonlight. "I thought you weren't going to come around anymore," Sam commented, resuming his knife sharpening.
"Dean just doesn't want me around him."
"I don't think he'd appreciate you being around me, either."
"What Dean doesn't know won't hurt him, right?" Ruby smirked slyly. Sam couldn't help but return the expression.
"Do you think that's really the best idea after...everything?" Sam asked, still sharpening his various instruments of death.
"Do you want me to leave?" Ruby asked hesitantly. Sam bit his lip and paused his work.
"Not really."
"Cool," Ruby smiled. "Where's Dean?"
"Hustling, drinking, fucking," Sam rolled his eyes. "The usual."
"Really?" Ruby said, one eyebrow raising in a playful arch.
"Um...yeah. Why?" Sam replied, thoroughly confused at Ruby's sudden interest in his brother's nighttime habits.
"Sure he's not hanging out with a certain blue eyed cutie of an angel?" Ruby questioned.
"What?" Sam laughed. "Why would he be doing that?"
"They have gotten pretty close," Ruby shrugged. "Who knows what's going on."
"Okay, no. Just no," Sam shook his head. "The things you come up with." Ruby plopped herself down on the couch laughing.

Sam really didn't know what to think of his dreams of Jessica. He didn't know if they were some weird psychic crap resurfacing or just the result of too much chocolate before bed. He also couldn't decide whether he should listen to her or not. Lindsey was a sweetheart, though. Sam was glad he met her. Still, Sam wished he knew more about what was going on with Dean. Sam shook his head. Just focus on the task at hand. Clear the dishes, wipe the table. Clear the dishes, wipe the table. Easy, simple, straightforward. Normal. Until the two lives clash in a violent explosion. Like Jess. Clear dishes, wipe table. Clear dishes, wipe table. A chime. Probably another drunk looking to haunt a place where they don't know him. Happens all the time. So why were the hairs on Sam's neck standing up? "Bar's closed," he said to the would-be customer. Nobody answered. Sam turned around. Tim. He didn't look too good.

"Hey," Sam said gently. Tim's eyes ran over Sam slowly. Tim stepped closer to Sam equally slowly.
"Something you want to tell me, Sam?" Tim asked cryptically.
"What? No."
"You sure about that?"
"I – I don't know – jeez," Sam replied. Something was wrong. "Are you okay? Where are Reggie and Steve?"
"Oh, Steve's good," Tim said, tone contradicting the statement. "He's, uh, his guts are lying roadside outside the five and dine." Things were definitely not okay.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry don't cut it, Sam," Tim said accusingly.
"What do you want me to say?"
"The truth." Sam got a very, very bad feeling. "Okay, fine. Let me give you some of my own, then. We go into town, we catch ourselves a demon, we get jumped by ten more. Steve bought it."
"I'm sorry," Sam repeated.
"Saying it twice don't make it so, Sam," Tim said. "You see, this demon, he, uh, he told us things. Crazy things, things about you, Sam." Shit. Shit shit shit.
"Demons lie." Sam's heart was racing, mouth dry. He willed Tim to believe that that was all it was.
"Yeah. I'm gonna ask you one last time. The truth. Now," Tim demanded, threatened. Another chime sounded, such a pretty sound being twisted by an act of terror. Reggie came in, dragging Lindsey with him.

"Lindsey!" Sam shouted. Damn it, he should have just went on the hunt.
"What's going on?" Lindsey asked. Why did good people always have to get dragged into this crap? Reggie pressed a knife against Lindsey's neck.
"Just take it easy, okay? Put the knife down." Defuse the situation, get lethal weapons away from the hysterical. Reggie put the knife down. Sam relaxed slightly, very conscious of the fact that Reggie still had a hold on Lindsey. "It's true. What the demons said, it's all true."
"Keep going," Tim said.
"Why? You gonna hate me any less? Am I gonna hate myself any less? What do you want?"
"I want to hear you say it." That's right, say it Bella, say it.
"I did it. I started the apocalypse." It sounded ridiculous when he said it out loud. Like something from a movie, not from real life. Tim took out a test tube. A test tube of red liquid. It called out to Sam, saying 'Drink me, Alice. Drink me. Go down the rabbit hole one last time.' "What is that?" Sam asked, even though he knew the answer.
"What do you think it is? It's go juice, Sammy boy," Tim replied with a nasty chuckle.
"Get that away from me."
"Away from you? This is for you. Hell if that demon wasn't right as rain. Down the hatch, son."
"You're insane," Sam protested to deaf ears.
"Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna drink this, Hulk out, and you're gonna waste every one of the demon scum that killed my friend," Tim said confidently, then nodded towards Lindsey. "Or she dies."

"No, sweetie," a woman's voice interrupted Sam's objection. "Here's what gonna happen. You're gonna turn around, walk your sorry ass out of here, and never show your disgusting face again." Tim scoffed at the thin woman. "Or I'll rip your heart out of your chest with my bare hands," the woman's voice lowered to a deadly drawl as she stepped out of the shadows. Ruby. Always with the dramatic entrances. Tim and Reggie laughed sharply.
"Yeah, a wispy little thing like you?" Tim said, continuing with his laughter. Ruby smirked dangerously. She blinked and her eyes turned black. The hunters stopped laughing.
"What? Where's the laughs? I thought we were having a grand old time," Ruby teased. This was not going to end well. Sam knew Tim and Reggie were out for blood, some would be shed before either of them left. A sick anticipation curled in Sam's stomach. He didn't want to see people get hurt. He did, however, want to see Ruby in action. It's been so long since he'd seen her in proper combat. Since Ruby got back from Hell, she'd let Sam deal with the fighting on his own. Something about the remorseless brutality called to a dark part of him as much as the demon blood did. Maybe more.

Tim rapidly lunged toward Ruby. She was faster. Ruby's arm whipped out and Tim ran right into her hand. Which immediately began rooting around in his chest. Holy shit, she's actually keeping her promise. There was the sickly sound of bones cracking and Tim let loose a horrid, breathless, squealy sound. Ruby removed her hand, bloody and holding an equally bloody lump. Tim fell to the ground and Ruby examined the heart distastefully before dropping it beside the newly deceased hunter. Sam could practically hear Reggie's nervous swallow. Ruby looked to Reggie with wide eyes. "I'd run if I were you," she said. Reggie whimpered and sprinted out of the bar. "Sorry about this," Ruby said, addressing Lindsey and gesturing to Tim's bloody body. "I'll clean it up, I swear," she continued with the sincere apologetic tone of the sweet girl next door. "In the meantime, Sam can fill you in," Ruby finished, compassionately resting her hand – the non-bloody one – on Lindsey's shoulder.

Sam sighed. "That was one conversation I really wished I wouldn't have to do," he said to the ceiling.
"Come on, Sam. You had to know this was going to happen," Ruby said.
"Why can't I just be normal for a bit without somebody dying?"
"Because life isn't fair. Stop expecting it to be," Ruby said, tapping her fingers on the arm of the stiff wooden chair. Sam gave her a face that made her feel like she had kicked a puppy. Ruby rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Do you want me to hold your hand and let you cry on my shoulder?"
"Fuck off," Sam spat, sitting upright on his bed.
"What? I'm being serious," Ruby smiled. "Seriously though, Sam. You need to stop being so emo. It really can't be healthy. And if you say the word 'serious' in your next sentence, I will punch you."
"Could you at least pretend to have some empathy?" Sam asked, disgust flowing through his voice. Ruby flinched.
"I'm just trying to cheer you up. I do remember what happens when you get too depressed," Ruby said. She smirked and walked over to the bed.
"Hey, hey...w-what are you doing?"
"Just relax, Sam," Ruby replied. She hopped onto the bed and straddled Sam. "I think I can make you happy." Ruby attempted to push Sam back onto the pillows.
"No," Sam said, taking Ruby's arms off of him. "We're not doing that."
"Why?" she asked playfully. She had slithered her arms out of Sam's grip and was wrapping herself around him.
"Because I said no," Sam said firmly. He effortlessly lifted her off of him and plopped her down on the bed. "We should have never gone there in the first place."
"Please, Sam," Ruby whispered. Everything about her was desperate; from the tone of her voice to the way her eyes welled up to how she was clenching Sam's shirt.
"No! You really think I'd fuck you? After what happened, you're lucky I'm still talking to you." Sam shook his head. "When did you get so pathetic?" Ruby's body went entirely stiff. They made eye contact and her eyes turned black. Then, she disappeared into thin air.

"Wait, slow down Sam. What happened?" Ruby said into her cellphone. "You had a dream that Jessica turned into who? Lucifer? Well, that doesn't mean anything. It could have been just a dream. What?" Ruby frowned at her phone. "Lucifer's what? I'll be right there." Ruby gave a little girl quite a fright when she disappeared of the street. Sam looked up at Ruby. He was sweating and his face was pale. Sam tried to stand up but Ruby rushed to his side and gently guided him back down. "It's okay Sam, it doesn't mean anything," Ruby said softly, stroking his hair.
"What if – what if I end up saying yes?" Sam asked. "What if I'm not strong enough?"
"You are," Ruby said fiercely. "And if something changes, you have people around you that you can lean on."
"Who?" Ruby pulled away from Sam slightly.
"You should call your brother. He deserves to know about this," she said, handing Sam his cellphone.
"He's not gonna like it. He's probably going to freak," Sam said. Ruby put her arm on Sam's back.
"I'll stay, if it'll make you feel any better."
"Thanks."

"Damn it, Cas, I need to sleep!" Dean's voice projected from the cellphone. It was a bit distorted from the speakerphone, but Ruby could still hear the sentence clearly. Sam rolled his eyes at her teasing smirk.
"Dean, it's me," Sam said.
"Sam? It's quarter past four."
"This is important," Sam said, bracing himself for the next words. "Lucifer was invaded my dreams and well, long story short, I'm his vessel."
"So, you're his vessel, huh? Lucifer's wearing you to the prom?" Dean didn't seem nearly as upset as he should be.
"That's what he said."
"Just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in, huh Sammy?"
"So that's it? That's your response?"
"What are you looking for?"
"I don't know. A – a little panic? Maybe?" For you to get overprotective and worried and demand I come back where you can see me at all times?
"I guess I'm a little numb to earth-shattering revelations at this point."
"What are we gonna to do about it?"
"What do you want to do about it?"
"I want back in for starters."
"Sam -"
"I mean it," Sam interrupted. "I'm tired of being a puppet to these sons of bitches. I'm gonna hunt them down, Dean."
"Oh, so, we're back to revenge, then, are we? Yeah, 'cause that worked out so well last time." Ruby gave a look of outrage. She opened her mouth, but Sam silenced her with a wave of his hand.
"Not revenge. Redemption," Sam clarified.
"So, what, you're gonna walk back in and we're gonna be the dynamic duo again?"
"Look, Dean, I can do this. I can. I'm gonna prove it to you."
"Look, Sam – it doesn't matter – whatever we do. I mean, it turns out that you and me, we're the, uh, oil and fire of the Armageddon. You know, on that basis alone, we should just pick a hemisphere. Stay away from each other for good."
"Dean, it doesn't have to be like this. We can fight it."
"Yeah, you're right. We can. But not together. We're not stronger when we're together, Sam. I think we're weaker. Because whatever we have between us – love, family, whatever it is – they are always gonna use it against us. And you know that. Yeah, we're better off apart. We got a better chance of dodging Lucifer and Michael and this whole damn thing, if we just go our own ways."
"Dean, don't do this." Please.
"Bye, Sam," Dean hung up. Sam stared blankly at the phone. Whatever he had expected, that wasn't it.
"Good thing I brought lots of hot cocoa, huh?" Ruby said. Sam was glad she was there.

"I hope you like marshmallows," Ruby laughed, coming into Sam's view with a glorious cup of hot chocolate that would have made his twelve year old self piss his pants. The top of the mug was piled with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles made a swirl pattern, powdered cinnamon filled in the gaps, and in a clear space at the top tiny colourful marshmallows formed a smiley face. Sam smiled.
"I should not be drinking this on the bed."
"Then come over to the tiny ass table," Ruby said, pulling Sam by the hand.
"How am I even supposed to drink this?"
"Hilariously," Ruby replied, planting her face in her own whipped cream topped drink. This resulted in some rather interesting white facial hair.
"I can't believe you just did that," Sam laughed.
"What? Have I got something on my face?" Ruby said, lips strained from trying not to smile.
"What are you, twelve?"
"Maybe," Ruby said, sticking out her tongue and crossing her eyes, causing Sam to roll his. "Drink your hot chocolate before it gets cold."
"Do you have a spoon?
"You want to drink hot chocolate with a spoon?" Ruby asked. "No, we don't have spoons. You're a hunter, remember? You don't lug silverware around. And plastic spoons should not be used in scalding hot liquids. Just drink, it's fun." Sam frowned and picked up his mug, very aware of Ruby examining his every move. When he finally drank, Ruby's face brightened up and she giggled. Giggled.
"How many marshmallows did you put in here?"

It turned out Ruby was right. Drinking the hot chocolate was fun. Sam felt a little sick from all the sugar and he was pretty sure he hadn't gotten all the whipped cream off his face, but he did feel happier. Ruby smiled slowly and walked to Sam. Once again, she straddled him. Sam sighed and looked away from her. "You still have some whipped cream right...here," Ruby said softly, licking the whipped cream off of him. Oh crap, Sam thought as he turned his head and caught Ruby's mouth. Once again, Ruby pressed herself tightly against Sam. It was as if she wanted to melt into his body; they just couldn't be close enough. Sam wrapped his arms securely around Ruby and she started to give off these little sighs that - "No," Sam said, pushing her back from his mouth. At least this time she had the decency to look ashamed.
"Sorry," Ruby said, eyes firmly planted at Sam's neck. A few moments passed and Ruby still hadn't moved.
"Um, are you gonna get off anytime?" Sam asked awkwardly. Ruby stiffened and reluctantly removed herself from Sam's lap. She looked kind of sad. "Ruby," Sam said. She looked up at him. "Are you, uh, sure you're not like, a – a sex addict or something?" Ruby huffed and rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but seemed to think better of it. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little worried. I don't know what's going on with you and -"
"Look Sam, I gotta go. There's some things I need to do," Ruby said quickly, grabbing her jacket and rushing out before Sam could stop her.