Ding-dong! The witch is dead!
Enjoy the chapter.
Cas tries to talk to Dean about what just happened, what they just witnessed. He knows about sex of course but more as a theoretical construct. He has never seen the actual act up close like that and he has so many questions. Dean however just shifts uncomfortably and rubs his neck but refuses to answer and eventually Cas gives up. For the moment at least.
"What do you want?" Sam asks in a hostile voice the moment he shoves open the door and steps outside, closely followed by Ruby.
"To talk to you. Without her." Dean tries to keep his voice calm, which takes a lot of willpower in Ruby's presence. The demon just glares at him and doesn't take one step away from Sam's side.
"I didn't think you'd ever want to talk to me again," Sam says, softer now. "But if it's about the blood then my answer hasn't changed. I can take Lilith, I know I can." Sam sounds pleading, he really wants his brother to understand. Ruby just smirks at Dean at Cas, certain that she has already won the fight for Sam's allegiance.
"You're still my brother, Sam," Dean tells him softly. "And some new information has come up. Something you need to know before you try to take down Lilith." Dean knows he has to be careful how he says things now. He only has one shot to convince Sam. If he doesn't succeed and Sam runs of with Ruby again he might not find them in time anymore. He has to do this right. Now.
"Sam, don't listen to him. He's just scared you'll steal his glory. You have to drain the demon now and then we have to go to the convent where Lilith will be," Ruby says and goes to the car and opens the trunk. The woman inside starts screaming the minute she sees her, Cas' magic having worn off by now.
Sam is obviously torn between his brother and the demon and stands there between them a little forlornly. Finally his trust in Ruby and what he himself thinks is right wins and he walks over to her. It hurts Dean to witness this. Sam choosing a demon over his brother again. He is ready to give up but Cas, who seems to know exactly what Dean is thinking, just squeezes his shoulder and gives him an encouraging smile and together they follow Sam to the car.
"Do it!" Ruby tells Sam and hands him a knife which he accepts hesitantly. Then he takes a step closer towards Cindy who has been reduced to a shivering, crying mess at the sight of the knife. She can't even scream anymore.
"Sam, stop," Dean yells and Sam turns around slowly with a look of determination on his face. He is dead set on doing what he thinks he must.
"She's a demon, Dean. She must die to give me strength." And he focuses his attention back on the poor woman in the trunk, who is now certain she won't get out of there alive and has started praying quietly under her breath.
"She's not possessed anymore," Dean tells him and this gives Sam pause.
"I exorcised the demon," Castiel adds in an attempt to help. But this statement only makes Ruby laugh.
"You? You don't have the juice anymore. Human," she hisses viciously. "Don't listen to them, Sam. Her blood is still what you need."
But Sam has picked up on the fact that Ruby called Cas a human and looks at Cas in confusion. "What does she mean? You're human?"
Castiel nods. "Yes, I fell to escape Zachariah and to help you and Dean to prevent Lucifer from walking free. But I still have all the knowledge I had as an angel. I might not be able to smite a demon anymore but that doesn't mean I can't use an Enochian exorcism on it." The last part is clearly directed at Ruby and an unspoken challenge hangs in the air. Push me and I'll show you exactly how it works, are the words Cas left unspoken but which Ruby heard anyway.
Sam is confused now. He's standing over the woman with the knife in his hand and his gaze jumps from Ruby to Cas, then to Dean and at last back to Ruby. She nods encouragingly but Sam hesitates.
"Sam, he's bluffing," she tells him and laughs triumphantly when Cas starts the exorcism and nothing happens. "See? He can't exorcise me. Kill the girl. Her whining is getting on my nerves."
"Sam, no. She's not possessed. Look at her, she's praying," Dean implores and his brother looks at him doubtfully.
"It could be a trick." Sam still advances but he sounds very unsure now. Dean grabs his free hand and shoves a silver flask into it. Sam holds on to it out of reflex.
"Holy water," Dean says. "Try it first. Please."
Sam looks at the flask and then at the woman. He quickly unscrews the cap and splashes some water in her face. Nothing happens other than her stopping her prayer and looking very confused.
"How do you even know that that was holy water?" Ruby, who has stepped next to Sam, asks trying to poison his mind again.
"Let's find out," Sam answers calmly and before Ruby has a chance to comprehend the meaning of those words he splashes the water into her face. As she screams in sudden agony from the feeling of having acid dumped onto her, Sam deliberately empties the entire flask over her head and turns to Dean.
"I'm so sorry."
"I know. Let's talk about that later. Listen. Ruby is right, you could kill Lilith but you absolutely should not do that," Dean says, trying to explain the situation before Ruby recovers.
"But why? Lilith breaks the final seal," Sam says, not understanding what his brother is saying.
"No. Lilith IS the final seal. Her death will free Lucifer from his cage. The first demon shall be the last seal or some crap like that. Anyway, Ruby wants you to kill her because she wants to free Lucifer."
Dean waits anxiously for a response, reaction, anything from Sam. But his younger brother just stands there staring at him. He needs time to process what he just heard. Then he slowly turns to face Ruby who is just recovering from the holy water.
"Is he right? Have you been playing me all this time?" he asks in a dangerous voice and Ruby retreats from him and the menace in his scowl.
"Sam, baby, I have great plans for you. For us," she coos, neither denying nor confirming Dean's accusations. But it's enough for Sam. Her reaction tells him all he needs to know and he tries to render her immobile with the help of the demon blood, her blood, that is still in his system.
He achieves nothing much except to make her stumble slightly. "You don't think I taught you everything I know, do you? I know a few tricks and you're not strong enough to hurt me with the little blood I gave you."
And just to demonstrate her strength she flicks her wrist and Castiel goes flying several yards and crashes into the bushes he and Dean hid behind earlier.
"I used to be a witch. I have taken precautions. That's why your exorcism didn't work, fallen angel. You don't have the power it takes anymore," she yells in Castiel's direction, taunting him.
It makes Dean mad. He is worried that Cas got hurt. He is human now, breakable and he doesn't know how to deal with that. Neither Cas nor Dean do really. Cas doesn't get up from where he fell down and Dean is worried and mad as hell at the bitch who did that. He charges her but she easily stops him and he can't move another inch towards her, no matter how hard he tries.
Sam however she cannot stop and since his powers won't work on her he just punches her in the face, hard. This makes her lose concentration and she lets go of Dean, who quickly tries to get to her. Just before he reaches her she flings him sideways and he slams against the Mustang, the impact knocking all air out of his lungs.
Sam sees his brother hit the car and slide down to the ground not entirely conscious anymore. In that moment his concern for Dean takes over and he turns to him to see if he's alright and lets Ruby out of his sight. Stupid really but he didn't exactly think this through, he simply reacted.
Dean looks at him but doesn't seem to see him. His eyes are unfocused and Sam crouches down next to him. "Dean. Hey, dude, are you all right?" Dean doesn't answer but at least he's breathing.
"Sam, watch out. Behind you," a voice, Castiel's voice, yells and Sam turns just in time to block Ruby's attack with a knife.
"Bitch," he growls as he gets up and drives her back, away from Dean who thankfully is now slowly getting to his feet again. The rage fuels his powers and suddenly Ruby chokes and her hands fly to her throat, clawing at the invisible power holding her there. Her eyes go wide as she stares at Sam. The hunter just grins at her, a cruel smile, and turns her around so he stands behind her and grabs her arms holding her tight against his body.
Dean walks over to them holding the demon killing knife loosely in his hand and then presses it against her throat when he reaches her and Sam. Ruby closes her eyes, knowing she has lost, knowing she is going to die now. But Dean doesn't deliver the fatal slash with the knife, just holds it there.
"Hey, Cas," he calls over his shoulder. "You saved our asses just now. Do you want to do the honor and gank her?"
Cas has finally managed to extricate himself from the thorn bush he landed in and eagerly walks over to where Sam and Dean are holding Ruby. "I'd like that very much. Thank you, Dean," he says and takes the knife from Dean's hand, regarding first the knife and then Ruby for a long time. Then he lifts his arm, carefully takes aim and then plunges the knife in Ruby's chest, driving it slowly but surely right into her heart. Ruby gasps and convulses and then she goes limp. Sam lets her dead body fall to the ground and Dean bends to retrieve the knife from her.
"Good job, Cas," he says and smiles warmly at the ex-angel, who lights up at the praise from Dean.
Dean looks around them, at the dented car and the still crying woman in its trunk and at the dead body at their feet. "Let's clean up this mess. Poor Cindy," he says.
"I think we could use some help," Cas tells them. "And I know just who to call."