Chapter Ten:

A/N: Well, here's the long-awaited chapter. However, I'm afraid that I may not have lived up to all the suspense. I don't know, but I'm not really happy with this chapter. Any comments or criticisms are welcomed. This song is "When the Bullet Hits the Bone" by Earrings Golden. I've been wanting to use this song for awhile because it just seems to Supernatural to me. Thanks to everyone still sticking with me on this.

Chapter Ten: The Twilight Zone

Somewhere in a lonely hotel room
There's a guy starting to realize
That eternal fate has turned his back on him...

It's 2 A.M. the fear has gone
I'm sitting here waiting the gun still warm
Maybe my connection is tired of taking chances

Yeah there's a storm on the loose
Sirens in my head
Wrapped up in silence all circuits are dead
Cannot decode my whole life spins into a frenzy...

Help I'm stepping into the twilight zone
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far
Help I'm stepping into the twilight zone
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone

"Fun? Are you freaking nuts?" Dean demanded.

"What?" Ty shrugged, "We're all fine and the demon's gone. That's a win, right?"

"That demon's gone." Dean corrected, taking his eyes off the slick roadway long enough to glare at her, "And Ty got hurt."

She rolled her eyes, "She's fine. As long as I'm in here, she's safer than ever."

Dean didn't reply because, although that might be true for now, if...no, when he did get the demon out of her, Ty would be left with all the consequences of the demon's recklessness. He'd seen it before when they had exorcised Meg.

"You really need to lighten up, Dean." Ty commented casually, "I know you got off on that hunt as much as I did."

"You need to stop talking." Dean growled.

"You know, Ty actually helped us out in there, too. She's the one who caught on to the fact that he was playing me and calling up that storm. I think we make a pretty good team, the three of us."

Dean ignored her, reaching out and switching on the radio. The storm made the reception a little fuzzy, but Dean really didn't care. He just needed some noise to drown out both Ty and his own thoughts. Because she wasn't completely wrong. He knew that. And the more he thought about it, the more it was bothering him that he couldn't deny it. She was right that Ty was stronger and more impervious to harm when she was possessed. She was also right that they hadn't done so badly on that hunt. Without a Devil's Trap, he would probably have been hard-pressed to pull off that exorcism without her. And damn if fiery ruins weren't cool, but none of that was the point. The point was that she was a demon, a demon pulling the strings of Ty's body like she was nothing more than a puppet. Accepting the situation just wasn't an option.

Ty sighed when she realized that Dean was going to try to ignore her. Adrenaline from the hunt was still coursing through Ty's body and, while she was in it, it affected her, too. She didn't want to sit here quietly. She was already bored just thinking about it. Well, if Dean wouldn't talk to her, she knew someone who would.

'Thanks for the help.' she directed inwardly.

She almost smiled at the stunned silence that met her comment. She could feel the young hunter's confusion before she finally replied, 'You're welcome?'

'I'm serious.' she insisted.

'Okay.' Ty acknowledged, her thoughts still cautious, 'And why are you telling me this?'

'Well, like it or not, we're in this together. I figured that sooner or later, the two of us should probably talk. Plus, I'm bored.'

'In this together?' Ty repeated incredulously, 'You freaking stole my body!'

The demon rolled her eyes, 'You humans just can't share, can you? Has it ever occurred to you what this is all like for me? You've never been to hell, little girl. You have no idea what it's like. I think if you spent a few hundred years down there, you'd do whatever it took to get back on this plane, too.'

'So what? I'm supposed to feel sorry for you?'

'I don't want your pity.' the demon scoffed, 'I have everything I want from you already.'

If Ty were in control of her body, she would have smirked, 'If that were true, we wouldn't be talking.'

The demon paused before she responded. It was possible that she'd been a little lapse in her control over the hunter and had let her see and hear a little too much.

'Alright. Maybe there is something else I want.'

'And what makes you think I care?' Ty challenged.

The demon smiled again and turned her gaze towards Dean, allowing Ty to see him, as well, 'I know you better than you think. Every insecurity, every fear, every doubt. Everything that you think you can never have...I can give it to you.'

Ty took a long time to reply. Finally, she spat, 'Fuck you.'

But not even her thoughts were all that strong. The demon's grin widened as she blocked Ty out again. Despite her denial, it was obvious that she would win out in the end. For one thing, she was already in Ty's body. It was just a matter of time before Ty gave up fighting her. Even if she wasn't lured by her promises, eventually she would beg for just the chance to experience anything again.

The Impala pulled in at the hotel and rumbled to a stop. Dean shut off the car and climbed out, apparently unconcerned by the rain, clearly still avoiding her even though there really wasn't anywhere else for him to go. He fidgeted next to the car, looking around for any sign of Sam and Alex. Ty got out and turned to lean against the vehicle, folding her arms atop the hood and gazing over the car at him. Resting her chin on her folded arms, she watched him in the light from the hotel as he waited impatiently for his brother, pacing back and forth with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He glanced at her a few times, feelings the weight of her gaze, but maintained his silence. It was time for her to push things.

"She loves you, you know." the demon commented, knowing that would grab Dean's attention. Smiling, she let Ty in on the conversation, too, knowing it would mortify her.

Dean whirled around towards her, staring at her, "What?"

"Don't act surprised, Dean. You have to have known. She didn't want to tell you because she knows you're not the serious relationship type, but she's got it bad." she pushed her wet hair out of her face and rolled her eyes, "She's yelling at me for telling you."

Dean's eyes were wide, mouth slightly agape. He sputtered for a second, trying to respond, when Sam and Alex arrived. Sam met Dean's gaze as he climbed out of the truck and approached, raising his eyebrows questioningly. Dean shook his head, unable to even think about answering that question. In fact, he was almost thankful that Alex distracted him by being strangely pissed off.

"What the hell is your problem?" Alex growled.

It took Dean a second to figure out that the question wasn't being directed at him. He looked from Alex to Ty on the other side of the car in confusion.

Ty smiled faux-sweetly at Alex, straightening and walking around the car to join them, "What's the matter, Alex?"

"Was it him?" Alex snapped.

Dean looked to Sam, wondering if he knew what the heck was going on. Sam shook his head, just as out of the loop as he was.

"Didn't we have a talk about asking nicely?"

Alex lunged for Ty, but Dean caught him and pushed him back. Sam moved close, ready to step in and help if he needed to.

"Hey, hey." Dean said until Alex's eyes flicked towards him, "I don't know what the heck is going on here, but there's an innocent...okay, not innocent, but there's a girl between you and that thing in there."

Alex glanced at Dean and paused in his struggles. Rage still smoldered in his eyes as Ty grinned at him over Dean's shoulder, but he shoved Dean away and walked away from her.

"You know, Alex." Ty called after him. Alex stopped, but didn't turn around, "It wasn't him. Or was it? You know, I can't seem to remember."

"Alright. That's enough." Dean said, taking Ty by the arm and moving her away from Sam and Alex. Once they were a fair distance away, he turned her to face him, "We had a deal. Stop screwing with Alex. Hunt's over and I'm still not buying it, so get out."

"Now Dean, I don't think you're being honest with yourself. I know you like your women a little dangerous. Come on, you can tell me. You were getting a little bored with her, weren't you?"

"Don't push me." Dean growled.

"Or what?" Ty challenged, pulling her arm free from Dean's grip and backing up. She grinned at Dean, a flash of lightening illuminating her face even more, letting Dean stare into the black abyss of her eyes, "You want her Dean? Come and get her."

Dean had just enough time to think that he didn't like the sound of that when the street light illuminating that section of the parking lot emitted a groan and starting crashing down towards him. With a yell, Dean threw himself out of the way, rolling across the wet pavement. The street lamp crashed down, impacting painfully with the hood of the Impala, the light smashing as it did so and leaving Dean immersed in shadow. Dean cursed angrily. The bitch was already messing with his girl and now she'd hurt his car. She must have a death wish.

Sam and Alex both yelled, running towards him, but Dean couldn't waste any time. He knew that if he waited, he'd lose Ty. Spinning around, Dean searched the darkness for any sign of her. He barely caught movement around the corner of the building next door, moving down the street. He reached behind him, quickly pulling out his gun.

"Sam, exorcism! Get the stuff!" Dean yelled before sprinting after Ty.

Dean ran out into the street, whipping around looking for Ty. He spotted her about a hundred yards away, standing in the middle of the street like she was waiting for him. He turned to face her, his gun held tight in his hand, but pointed down at the street. He didn't want to have to use it, not if he could avoid it.

Ty smiled at him and started moving towards him. As she moved, the lights on either side of the street snuffed out, plunging the area around her into darkness. Dean frowned, adjusting his grip on his gun as he momentarily lost sight of her before she moved out of the shadow and back into the growing luminosity of the next street lights. But almost as soon as she reached the periphery of that circle of brightness, those lights snuffed out, too. Suddenly, all the street lights were starting to go out, one by one down the street towards Dean until he was swathed in darkness, too. Dean whirled around, momentarily blinded by the sudden change in lighting, blinking his eyes rapidly as he tried to adjust, his ears straining for some sound that would tell him where Ty was. The street was eerily silent but for the rain splashing against the ground.

"I don't want to fight you, Dean." Ty breathed in his ear, but when he spun back that direction, there was no one there, at least not within arm's length. The heat of her breath on his skin, quickly replaced by the chill night air, caused a shiver to run down his spine.

"We had a deal." Dean growled, still searching for her.

His eyes were slowly adjusting so that he could make out the darker outline of forms in the night.

"What is it you hunters like to say? Demons lie." Ty shrugged, grinning in the darkness, "Besides, we both know you were only playing along. You'd have exorcised me a long time ago if you'd had the chance."

"Damn right I would have." Dean growled, continuing to cast his gaze about, pretending to be completely blind still, and stumbling in Ty's general direction.

"But we also both know that part of you deep down would miss me if you exorcise me," Ty continued in a taunting, sensuous whisper, "that every time you're with her, you'll think about me."

Dean whirled around just as Ty was finishing her sentence, throwing his arms around her and trapping her against his chest. With her back pressed tight against him, his arms pinning her there, and his gun gripped tight in his right hand, Dean leaned over her shoulder and whispered back, "Sweetheart, I just wish I could put a bullet through your brain, just like your daddy."

Ty laughed although her voice was a little strained from the pressure of Dean's arms on her chest. Her head lolled back and eyes darker than the night around them looked up into his face, "Go ahead, Dean, if you think you've got the balls to go through Ty to get to me. But just so you know, you're not sounding so good and squeaky clean right now. You sure you're not coming over to my side?"

"Last chance. Get out." Dean growled.

"Make me."

"Fine." Dean agreed. He looked away from Ty, unable to see him in the dark, but trusting he was there, "Sam!"

Sam voice reached Dean through the darkness, familiar Latin words causing the girl in his hold to stiffen, then thrash violently. Dean was having trouble holding her. Scowling, he threw down his gun so he could use both his hands. Ty's back arched unnaturally, her body pulling away from him as her head craned back towards him. Her eyes were closed and the rainwater ran across her face and into her open mouth, her expression one of terrible agony, but she wasn't outwardly screaming.

"Ty?" Dean ventured.

Her eyes flew open and, even though he was expecting it, Dean almost jumped back when black, soulless eyes looked up at him.

"Sorry, Dean." she said with a smile, "It's just me."

With that she jerked free from his grip, snapping back upright again with an audible pop of her spine. The wind was picking up around them, making it almost impossible for Dean to hear Sam's chanting. Dean felt like he was being caught in the eye of a whirlwind and he feared that Sam was getting the brunt of the storm. If he made it out of this, Dean was really going to have to memorize the damn exorcism.

"I'm not leaving, Dean." the demon hissed and her voice hardly even sounded like Ty's, "You can either have both of us or neither."

"You know, I'm usually an all or nothing kind of guy, but in this case..." Dean grabbed the flask from his pocket and quickly spun off the cap, "I'm not settling."

With that, he splashed the contents on Ty, wincing at the scream of pain she issued. He mentally reminded himself it was the demon he was really hurting and splashed her again. Maybe if he could keep her distracted, it would take some of the heat off Sam.

"This is all your fault, you know!" the demon snarled at him. Despite himself, Dean couldn't help but listen even as he was mentally shouting at himself to ignore her, "You broke her Dean, left her wide open for this."

"Bullshit." Dean spat out, but inwardly he felt a pang of guilt. He was Dean Winchester, after all. Breaking hearts was sort of his motus operandi. And it wouldn't be the first time he'd put Ty in danger, caused her to be hurt both physically and emotionally. He'd never intended it, but it had happened any way.

The demon could practically smell the guilt and pain that coursed through him. She grinned at him, moving slowly again, circling him like a predator. Sam's words were being snatched away in the wind, but she could still feel them like whips. She ignored them, their power lessened by the force of her own, and focused on Dean.

"Really? Think so, Dean? 'Cause I'm in here, in her head, and I happen to think differently. It's a mess in here, really. She wants you so bad and yet she's convinced that she can never get you. Thinks you could never want a girl like her, not really. Actually, she's still trying to figure out what in the hell made you dumb enough to even look at her twice. She knows that someday you're going to wake up and come to your senses."

"Shut up!" Dean yelled, shaking his head fervently in denial.

The problem was that her words stung like the truth. Dean was good at reading people. He knew Ty was a little insecure when it came to the two of them. He'd just ignored it since it was easier to pretend like they were fine than deal with messy issues like that, issues that might force him into defining their relationship in order to work things out. When it all boiled down to it, Dean had been more concerned with avoiding the subject of him and Ty and what it all meant than with Ty herself. Dean scowled. He had caused this. It was his fault. But he'd be damned if he was going to just sit back and accept it.

"Then, there's you, Dean." the demon continued as if Dean hadn't said anything, "She's too good for you, really. She doesn't think so 'cause she's all infatuated, but you're all fucked up, aren't you? You don't even know how to love somebody, do you? Besides, little Sammy, of course. So, I guess she was right, you never could give her what she wants."

Dean gritted his teeth, wondering why the exorcism wasn't working like it usually did. Sam must be nearing the end by now. The demon should be screaming, not taunting him about how emotionally stunted he happened to be. Dean thought back on the demon asking him what he would do if an exorcism didn't work and wondered if maybe he was missing something. She was wearing a jacket, making it impossible for him to see her arms, to see if maybe she'd locked herself in Ty's body like Meg had locked herself in Sam's. But she'd been down to her bra when he'd discovered Ty's possessions and he hadn't noticed anything unusual. Could she be hiding the mark somewhere else? He had to find out.

"But you know what, Dean? I don't care about any of that. I like you all damaged. You want Ty without all the messy emotions, here's your solution." her grin turned into a shrewd smirk, "I know you like what I've got in mind. Don't..."

Dean didn't wait to hear any more. With a yell, he launched himself at her, knocking her to the ground. She instantly fought back, knocking the flask out of Dean's hand, but he managed to get a hold of both her arms and pin her down. She tested his hold a couple times, but he kept his position. And yet, she didn't seem all that concerned.

"Gee, Dean. I don't know if this is really the right time." she teased.

"Sam!" Dean yelled, ignoring her, "Could really use a little help right about now!"

Dean pressed his weight down on her, trying to keep her secure while he went for the holy water again. She saw what he was reaching for and thrashed beneath him to try and unseat him.

"Hold still, damn it!" Dean growled in frustration.

"What gives you the right?" the demon gasped, her eyes turning back to Ty's blue again, "You're not perfect either, Dean! How come you get to live up here and I can't?"

"Freaking chatty demon bitches." Dean swore, his fingers finally closing around the flask.

"Before you knew it was me, Dean, you liked me better. Admit it!" she demanded, "Everything that was different about Ty, it excited you."

Dean continued talking to himself to drown her out, "Can never go quietly. No, that'd be too freaking easy."

"We're the same, Dean! That's the only reason you're fighting me so hard. You know we're the same." she insisted, staring wide-eyed up at him as he lifted the flask to her face.

A few drops fell from the flask, splashing onto her cheek. She cringed like he'd punched her. It was hard to watch; Dean didn't particularly like the feeling that he was hurting Ty.

"Why aren't you exorcised yet?" he demanded, holding off on spilling any more holy water on her.

A small smile graced her lips, "Oh, Sam stopped saying it a few minutes ago. Alex stopped him."

A muscle in Dean's jaw jumped as he gritted his teeth in anger, glancing in the direction he'd come from, where he assumed Alex and Sam must be, he bellowed, "Alex!"

"He won't let you exorcise me." Ty said smugly, "He can't."

"Why?" Dean snapped, checking himself to keep from grabbing her forearms and shaking her, "What have you got on him?"

"I'm his only lead on who murdered his parents." she revealed. She leaned her head back to glance back down the street. Dean looked up and saw Alex running towards him with Sam in pursuit.

"Dean!" Sam yelled.

"Dean!" Alex interrupted before Sam could say any more, halting next to them, "You can't! Not yet! She knows, Dean. She knows. You have to make her tell me."

"What are you talking about, Alex?" Sam asked, coming up behind him.

"You can't make me, Dean." Ty asserted confidently, "There's nothing you can do to make me tell him. Except...let me have this body."

Dean looked from the smirking demon to Alex. Genuine pain and desperation shown in the kid's eyes and now that Dean knew what was going on with him, he had to relate. If it were him, he knew he wouldn't be able to stand idly by as his only lead on who killed his parents disappeared before his eyes. But there was no way he could compromise on this. He couldn't let this demon have Ty. Even if that was an option, it wasn't his decision to make. He couldn't sentence someone else to a life as a slave to a demon.

"Alex, I'm sorry..." he began, then drifted off, unable to think of anything to say that would make this any easier.

"Wow." Ty commented sarcastically, "That's touching."

"Shut up!" Dean snarled, his grip tightening on her unconsciously, "You want a permanent meat puppet? Take me."

"Dean!" Sam cried in protest.

Ty looked up at Dean in surprise, "Dean. That was certainly unexpected."

"Well," Dean continued quickly in frustration, "we got a deal? You can have me if you leave Ty alone and tell Alex what he needs to know."

"Dean, you can't." Sam insisted, pushing past Alex.

"What's going on in that head of yours, Dean?" Ty asked, cocking her head as she looked at him, ignoring Sam, "No, I get it. Self-sacrifice is kind of your thing, too, isn't it?"

"You got about ten seconds before I exorcise your ass!" Dean snapped, entirely too sick of hearing her tell him about his less than desirable traits.

"Cut the crap, Dean!" the demon snapped back, "I'm holding all the cards here, so get the freaking holy water out of my face! You wanna deal? Fine. But it's on my terms. Now, let me up."

Slowly, Dean pulled the flask away, setting it down on the ground nearby and backed up so she could sit up. Ty nodded her approval.

"Good. Now, as much fun as it might be to take you out for a spin, I kinda like the arrangement we have now. Here's the deal, I stay in Ty, but every once in awhile, I'll let her out to play. You don't try any exorcisms and I'll tell Alex who offed his parents."

Dean just stared at her. He didn't know what to say. They were screwed. That's all there was to it.

"Let us talk to Ty first." Sam piped up suddenly.

Dean glanced at his brother. He didn't know what he had in mind, but he trusted him. Maybe Sam saw something he didn't.

The demon sighed in exasperation, then fell silent. Her head dropped to her chest for a second, her hair falling in front of her face. Dean watched expectantly, reminding himself to be wary of another trick.

Ty gasped and her head snapped back up. Her eyes were wide as she looked around quickly.

"Ty?" Dean asked. When she didn't immediately reply, he grabbed her chin and turned her face back towards him, "Ty? That you?"

She nodded quickly, "Dean! What's going on? She blocked me out..."

"Ty," Sam interrupted quickly, "she's got the upper hand. We need your help if we're going to get out of this. You have to hold her."

Dean glanced up at his brother, "Dude, you want her to...?"

"No time." Sam shook his head, refusing to explain. He grabbed the journal and started reading quickly.

"Shit!" Dean exclaimed, quickly pinning Ty back down again. Apparently, Sam was hoping that springing the exorcism on the demon might give them a chance. Unfortunately, Dean was pretty sure that the demon was expecting something like this and wouldn't be sitting idly by. Sam seemed to be hoping that Ty could hold the demon long enough for them to finish the ritual, but Dean wasn't sure. Their father had barely been able to maintain control of the Yellow-Eyed Demon for a few seconds after he'd been shot. They were asking Ty to fight her for at least a solid minute, no matter how fast Sam read. Plus, they were kissing Alex's chance for retribution goodbye. Well, it couldn't be helped. They had to save Ty. He'd personally help Alex track the son of a bitch down later, if he had to.

"Ty! Listen to me!" Dean yelled as she twisted beneath him, "You have to fight her. If you can keep her busy for just a minute, we can get you out of this."

"Dean..." Ty panted, her hands clawing at the ground, "I can't...she's too strong."

Dean shook his head, "You can. Come on. I know you. No one pushes you around. Not me and certainly not some damn demon."

Ty cried out in pain and her eyes flashed black for just a second before they were blue again, "Can't..."

"Damn it!" Dean growled. They needed more time! Thinking quickly, he decided to try something else, "You want to be a hunter? Then, prove yourself, damn it! Don't tell me you can't handle one little demon."

Dean almost laughed hysterically when Ty managed to glare at him in the midst of her struggle to keep the demon at bay.

"That's right, sweetheart. Get good and mad. You wanna deck me? You're gonna need your body to do it." Dean continued to taunt her.

Ty growled angrily, but she was still contorting in his hold. She squeezed her eyes shut and Dean was almost certain that when she opened them again, the demon would be looking up at him.

"Sammy! Little faster!" he called.

Sam took a deep breath, then began reading again, the words spilling out of his mouth so quickly, Dean hardly even recognized them. Dean shot a quick glance over at Alex, suddenly worried that he might try to stop them again. Thankfully, he was standing frozen, just staring, as if he couldn't move, but just watch what was unfolding. They could deal with him later.

Ty gasped again and her eyes flew open, back arching upwards just as Sam shouted the last words. Her eyes were black, but all the demon could do was scream as it was pulled from her body, billowing out of her mouth in a black cloud that chased her cries up into the night.