Chapter 10

Sam picked at a loose thread on his jeans, his face tight, a frown drawing his eyebrows together. This wasn't turning out to be a quick job at all -- and for it to be Bela of all people.

His brother climbed into the car beside him, turning over the Impala's engine.

"Dean…you sounded way too confident on something we've entirely no clue about. I don't think it was right to get her hopes up like that. We may never find Bela, let alone what she did with the Heart."

He felt his brother's disbelieving stare pierce him where he sat. "Dude, she doesn't know we're involved. And she's too damn full of herself. That gives us an edge. She'll never know we're coming till it's too late."

Sam still didn't like it. Bela Talbot was bad news.

"Besides, we have new tricks up our sleeves this time. All we need is to catch her scent and she's toast." Dean grinned wide, reminding Sam of his brother's other self.

It didn't really make him feel better about the whole thing at all, even if Dean had a point.

They grabbed their stuff from the Comfort Inn but didn't check out expecting to be back and drove the four plus hours on down to Queens, New York and set themselves up in the cheapest motel they could find. They weren't planning to stay long.

"I'll go stake out her place and see if she's in town."

Sam nodded at his brother's suggestion, but doubted it would be so easy. Nothing ever was whenever that woman was involved.

"Meanwhile, why don't you rest? I'd like to give her a big surprise when she sees us." Dean's accompanying grin was wicked.

Sam felt his gut clench. "Do we really have to go there? Can't we just confront her as humans?"

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy, where would be the fun in that? I want to scare her crapless. I owe her." His eyes turned hard.

Sam sighed doubting he could talk Dean out of this. "Fine… I'll need to go out for a while then. I think I have an idea on how to make this a little less draining on myself."

"That's awesome!" Eyes dancing, Dean clapped him hard on the back. "Way to go, Sammy!"

Sam frowned, sure his wellbeing was not what his brother was thinking about right then, but rather about how he would be able to change more often if this worked. He sighed again. "Yeah, whatever."

"Here, you take the car. I'll take the subway." He tossed Sam the Impala's keys with a wink. "Just make sure to lock her up tight. This is New York after all. Call you in a bit."

Sam watched him go, frowning again, still not liking any of this, but having little choice about any of it.

A quick search on the net showed the location of several specialty shops that might have what he needed, so after writing a list with addresses, he went shopping.

He'd just gotten back to the drab motel room when his Q went off.

"Dean?"

"Dude, I'm telling you, we are so in the zone today."

Sam shook his head. "What the heck are you talking about?"

"She's here. The overconfident bitch is here."

His brother sounded way too happy about it. Sam just couldn't believe they'd actually found her this easily. Maybe he'd given her too much credit before. "Why don't we get this over with now then? I can meet you there in fifteen and find out what she knows."

"Nuh uh. No way, dude. After I 'fix it' so her car won't take her anywhere, I'm coming back. Then you and I will be doing a little mojo and tonight, tonight we're gonna have some fun."

Sam hung up not looking forward to it.

By the time Dean got back to the motel, Sam had things set up. He'd pushed one of the rickety tables to one corner of the room and placed matching wooden bowls in a half circle. Expensive cigars, liquor, candies and other tidbits of food filled each one. He'd also printed out stickers with Mayan symbols to identify the bowls and their contents. All of the Mayan system worked from Words. He wanted to hedge his bets as much as possible.

A tendril of perspiration rolled down his back, more nervous about what he was hoping to do than he would have thought. He'd performed a Mayan ceremony and summoned spirits to aid him once before, but back then Ix Chel had been in attendance, helping him with her power, making him remember. Though he knew she'd done something to them in the dream world this time around, he wasn't sure if she'd done anything more than just connect the two of them together so he could help Dean change. He hoped when the time came he would recall the past as before, but there were no guarantees.

Both times they'd had to deal with Bela before, she'd proved deft, quick, and totally untrustworthy. She was amoral and dangerous. Not the type of person he wanted to deal with when drained and not entirely himself. This had to work.

"Oh, hey! What's with the bowls?" Dean sauntered over to check out what he'd set up. "Booze and food! Dude!"

"Don't touch that!" Sam was forced to smack his brother's hand away as the latter reached for one of the pieces of candy.

"Ow! You stingy bastard!"

"Dean, this isn't for me or you." Sam got between his brother and the table. "This is an offering. To help with the transformation."

His brother's brow went up. "It is?"

"Yes." He stepped forward to force Dean to step away a little further. "So don't mess with any of it, okay?"

A hurt little boy look crossed his brother's face. "You could've just said so in the first place you know."

"Like you gave me a chance before you were reaching for stuff?"

Dean looked away with a slightly abashed look. Didn't last long. "So can I go ahead and change now then?"

All of Sam's previous nervousness came crashing back. "I'll, I'll need a few minutes."

"Check." His brother grinned. "Gives me time to strip slow. But no peeking!"

Sam rolled his eyes and turned away. "As if." He pushed the hair away from his face and stared at the makeshift altar trying to relax. He attempted to clear his mind, letting the worry ease off his shoulders, trying to recall everything he could about the last time he'd done this. He needed to believe in Ix Chel, in the fact she'd given him what he'd require. He was connected to that otherworld, whether he could see it or not. He just had to call the spirits and they would come. He needed to create music with Words that would turn to honey. He must open his heart and mind to them, so they would see he was true, and ask them for their aid.