Wow you guys are awesome! Your reviews make me want to get these chapters out as fast as possible.

Skies are blue: As for writing anymore stories, I'll see how this one turns out first. But, I might get addicted and have to keep going.

Jo Harv: Ellen talking about Jo was one of my favorite things to write so far. I always saw her more of a ball buster than what she was portrayed.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Winchesters or anything Eric Kripke and his genius mind comes up with.

Rated: T for now with only strong language.

Spoilers: If you haven't seen any of the 5th season, I suggest not reading (and possibly catching up on your Supernatural)

Pairings: Dean/Jo

Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Raised on promises
She couldn't help thinkin' that there
Was a little more to life
Somewhere else
After all it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to…

Dean turned down the radio and pulled the Impala off at exit seven, turning left at the light with the Red Door Inn in sight. It had been since this morning since he'd spoken to Castiel and his patience was starting to wear thin. He'd tried his number a few dozen times or so but he guessed there were some places phones couldn't reach.

Castiel had said they probably had a few days to find Sam, that he'd turn down Lucifer's offer and Dean agreed. But he couldn't imagine the tricks and trials they were putting Sam through to get him to say yes. He was a tough kid but everybody has a breaking point and Dean wondered just how long it would be until they found Sam's. He'd stay at the motel tonight and try to put together a plan. He could wait for Castiel until morning but if he didn't show, Dean was leaving to find Sam somehow.

He turned into the bare parking lot and cut the rumbling engine. Grabbing his weapons bag and a few essentials, he made his way down to room 217 and knocked on the door. He heard movement and the sudden halt inside next to the door. After a moment it opened and Jo let him in.

"Hey Jo." As Dean stepped inside and the door shut behind him, he took her in. Jo was standing before him wearing a vintage REO Speedwagon t-shirt, black jacket, and tattered jeans. She held a smile but he could tell her hunt here had been grueling on her by the traces of exhaustion in her eyes.

"Hey. How ya holding up?"

"I've been better." He smirked and continued into the room, throwing his bags on one of the beds. He noticed the bedspread was a tasteless green and brown, matching the rest of the small motel room. "They really are all the same."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." He hadn't even realized he'd said it out loud. He sat down on the bed and looked at Jo as she settled into a chair.

"So what's going on Dean?" She leaned back in the chair and focused on the older Winchester.

Dean paused a moment, figuring out where to start.

"Well, after the thing in Colorado, Sam and I decided to part ways for a bit. Some stuff that's happened in the last month, it was just too much. We figured going our own ways for now would be the best." Dean looked at Jo and saw the shock in her face.

"So in the middle of the apocalypse, you all decided splitting up and doing your own thing was the best option? Are you freaking kidding me Dean?" Her eyes were wide and she bit her lip as she waited for Dean's answer.

"Look, like I said, the past few months haven't been the best with me and Sammy. Us working together…. it just doesn't work right now." Dean stopped and thought about telling her everything. Ruby, Sam drinking the demon blood, killing Lilith and raising Lucifer, but it was too much right now. She didn't need to know that now and he still had to tell her about Castiel and the angels before he decided to show up. He looked at her and continued to tell her most of the story. About angels existing, Castiel's role, Lucifer needing to find a vessel, and Castiel hearing that the demons had Sam.

Jo kept her eyes on Dean as she took everything in. She'd easily accepted demons in the world and all the evil that surrounded them but angels? That was something she had never really considered. Deep down she believed in heaven and all that but she never put much thought into angels and God actually existing.

As Dean finished his story, he looked to see what Jo's reaction would be. He saw her look away from him in thought as she bit down on her lip again. She spoke as her attention turned back to Dean.

"So what do we do next?"


It had been hours, maybe even days since Sam had seen Jess. Maybe she'd been a dream or a vision sent by the demons to sway him. Either way, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Stuck in this room, not knowing what day it was or even what state he was in, the encounter with Jess haunted him. Over the years, he'd built up walls in himself when it came to Jess and what happened to her. He didn't think of her everyday and the guilt that came with it but after seeing her, it came flooding back over him and he was drowning in it.

The few times Meg had come in to check on him and brought him food to keep him alive, he hadn't even acknowledged her presence. She made comments in an attempt to get a reaction but he didn't hear them. All he could hear was Jess's voice.

"Sam." His heart sank at the sound of her voice. But this time it was different. Her voice wasn't coming from inside his head but from behind him. Sam turned around to see Jessica in the same white dress he had seen her in last time. She looked at Sam with pity and sadness. "So, this is you life now? Think you can just live forever with your head buried in the sand?"

She walked back over to the bed and sat in front of Sam. She leaned forward and brushed the hair out of Sam's tortured face. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"I love you Jess. God knows how much I miss you too." He looked at her, gathering determination within himself. "But you're wrong. People can change. There is reason for hope." Jessica stood and walked behind him. She lowered her mouth to his ear and laid her hand on his shoulder.

"No Sam, there isn't."

"How can you be so sure?" Silence. A few seconds ticked by.

"Because you freed me," said a man's voice. Sam whipped his head around and no longer saw Jessica but a man. His brown short hair was the same color that ran throughout his beard. His average build was concealed by his jeans and the unbuttoned blue shirt that covered the black shirt beneath. He walked around until he stood in front of Sam. "That's right. You know who I am."

Sam opened and closed his mouth, not wanting to admit it. But the truth was inevitable. His voice came out in disbelief. "Lucifer."

"You are a hard one to find Sam. Harder than most humans. I don't suppose you'd tell me where you are?" Since setting Lucifer free inside the chapel, he'd imagined meeting him one day but his mental image of the fallen angel had been more grotesque and terrifying. But this version in front of him was anything but that. The look in his eyes and the way that he spoke so calmly, made this conversation even more terrifying for Sam.

"What do you want with me?"

Lucifer began to slowly pace before answering. "Thanks to you, I walk the earth. I want to give you a gift. I want to give you everything."

"I don't want anything from you." Lucifer stopped and looked at Sam.

"I'm so sorry Sam. I…I really am. Nick here is just an improvisation. Plan B can barely contain me without spontaneously combusting."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why do you think you were in that chapel? You're the one Sam. You're my vessel. My one true vessel."

Those words tore through Sam like a wrecking ball. "No."

"Yes."

"No. That will never happen!"

"I'm sorry but it will." The calmness in Lucifer's voice continued. "I will find you and when I do, you'll let me in. I'm sure of it."

Sam was taken back by what Lucifer had just said. "You need my consent?"

"Of course, I'm an angel."

"Then I'll kill myself before I let you in!"

"And I'll just bring you back." Lucifer walked over to Sam and sat in front of him on the bed. He meet Sam's gaze and almost looked sympathetic at the hunter as he slowly continued. "Sam, my heart breaks for you. The weight on your shoulders, what you've done, what you still have to do. It's more than anyone can bear. If there was some other way but there isn't. I will never lie to you, I'll never trick you, but you will say yes to me."

Sam gathered up the same determination he found earlier to confront Jessica. "You're wrong."

"I'm not," he stated with confidence. "I now you better than you know yourself."

For the first time, Sam felt the hope start to drain from within himself . "Why me?"

"Cause it had to be you Sam. It always had to be you."