A/N: Last chapter time. I'm planning to go back to this because I'm not finished with it ust yet, but I have a new story to post. It's called Imagine Me and You and it has hurt!Dean and some naked!Sam (just to draw you in, lol). Keep a look out for it.
The Hunter Chapter Eleven
"SAMMY!" Dean cried and tried to run over to his brother's lifeless form but he was stopped by Jess grabbing hold of his arm.
"Dean," she pleaded. "We have to go before they catch us." Dean made no attempt to move so Jess had to use all her strength to drag him to the Impala. She helped him into the passenger seat before speeding off as quickly as she could.
Jess decided that going to Bobby's house was the best idea, he could help them figure out what to do. Dean didn't speak for the entire journey; he just sat there completely in shock. He had just witnessed the death of his baby brother and his brain couldn't quite process it. Jess didn't try to make him talk she just let him sit there. She wanted to cry so badly but she had to hold it together for Dean, breaking down wouldn't help him in anyway so she resolved to stay strong. For him.
"Hey Dean we're here," she said softly once they reached Bobby's house. He didn't react to anything she said. Knowing she didn't have the energy to carry him to the house, she went to fetch Bobby.
Bobby heard the incessant knocking on the door and went to see who it was. When he opened the door he was confronted by a very distressed looking Jess.
"Jess, what's goin' on?"
"I need your help," she let herself cry. "Sam's dead and Dean won't talk. I don't know what to do."
"Where is Dean?"
"He's in the car. I drove all night to get here."
"You go inside, I'll go and get Dean," he told her. She nodded and went inside to wait for Bobby to return. He did a few minutes later carrying a limp and motionless Dean. He gently dropped him into a chair and turned to Jess for an explanation. Dean did not respond at all the entire time Jess was explaining what had happened to Bobby.
When she had finished Bobby lowered himself into a chair, not trusting himself to be able to stand any longer. He couldn't believe what Jess was telling him. Sam was dead.
"What do we do now, Bobby?" Jess asked; her voice small and childlike. She was lost and she had no idea what to do next. In situations like this she would turn to Dean for help and advice but he was unable to do anything right now.
"We need to prepare to fight," Bobby told her; burying his grief and pain and took charge of the situation. "They'll know by now that you have the Colt and they'll be coming to take it back. We need to make sure they don't."
"I don't know if I have the strength to fight anymore," she admitted. "I'm so tired."
"I know you are but you just have to hold on just a little longer."
"Ok," she stood up and moved towards Dean, kneeling down and staring him in the eyes. "Dean," she whispered. "Can you hear me?" Dean lifted his head slightly and met her eyes. "How are you?"
"Jess?" He croaked. It was the first time he had spoken since he had witnessed the death of his brother.
"Yes, it's me," she told him. "Dean we need to get ready."
"Ready for what?" He asked his voice hesitant and uncertain.
"We need to get ready to fight. They'll be here soon and we need to stop them from taking the Colt."
"No," he disagreed. "We can't fight, we can't win," tears began to flow down his face. "They killed Sam," the tone of his voice broke Jess' heart; he sounded so broken she didn't know if he could ever get over this.
"I know," she soothed, pulling him into a hug. He buried his face into her neck and sobbed his heart out. "But we need to fight. Sam told you to make sure they didn't get their hands on the Colt and we need to honour that."
"I can't," he sobbed. "I can't fight anymore."
"You have to. Just one more time. All you have to do is hold on for a little longer. Once it's over then we can stop hunting, we can give this all up but you need to fight first. Can you do that?" Dean thought about it for a moment before nodding his head.
"Just this once," he whispered.
"Okay, let's get ready to fight then," Bobby interrupted. "Jess, salt the doors and windows, Dean you can help me with the devil's traps."
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"How are you doing?" Bobby asked Dean as he painted yet another devil's trap. Dean had been quiet, concentrating far too much on what he was doing and not talking.
"Hmm?" Dean responded, not really paying Bobby any attention.
"I said how are you doing?" The older hunter repeated.
"I'm all right," Dean tried to sound convincing with this statement but he failed miserably.
"Don't lie to me, boy. I know you're not doin' so good so don't even try to hide it."
"Okay, I'm not all right. I'm not okay in the slightest. I couldn't save him Bobby."
"Dean, you did save him," Bobby told him, resting his hand on Dean's shoulder. "He wasn't evil when he died; he tried his hardest to help you."
"But he still died," Dean's voice cracked but he was trying his hardest to keep his emotions in check. It wasn't the time to break down, even though that was all he wanted to do.
"That wasn't your fault and you know it. You have to stop them from taking the Colt, it's what Sam wanted."
"I know," Dean sighed and went back to his painting.
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They arrived as night descended. Azazel and the man who had stabbed Sam stood outside Bobby's house, waiting.
"What are they waiting for?" Jess asked.
"I don't know, maybe they're trying to unnerve us," Dean replied.
"Well it's working," Dean turned to Jess and gave her a reassuring smile. She returned it with a nervous one.
"Don't worry," he told her, taking hold of her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"They're movin' in," Bobby said and they prepared to fight. They knew that the salt would not stop them; Jake was human and therefore not affected by the salt so once he broke the salt line Azazel was able to move into the house freely.
Jess heard Dean cock his gun and she did the same. They all lifted their guns and pointed them at Jake.
"Well, well, isn't this a welcome," Azazel laughed, he wasn't the slightest bit afraid of them. "I have to say I'm disappointed you didn't put a little more effort into it," he raised his arm and cracking the ceiling, breaking the devil's trap. "It's pathetic really."
"You won't be saying that when you're dead," Dean said with more conviction than he actually felt at that moment.
"Oh please, like you're actually going to kill me. Pretty soon you'll be joining your brother."
"Shut up," Dean growled through gritted teeth.
"Did I hit a nerve? Looks like Sammy wasn't strong enough to win," he teased. "I think Jake should finish you all off."
"I think Jake should die," Dean said as he pointed the gun at the young man.
"You won't kill him, you don't have the nerve."
"Do you really want to bet on that?"
"It doesn't matter anyway," Azazel laughed as he stepped up behind Jake and snapped his neck. "I don't need him anymore." Dean, Jess and Bobby stood there shocked at what they had just seen. They had thought he needed Jake to open the Devil's Gate but for some reason he had decided that it wasn't the case anymore. "Now, I don't know how you got a hold of the Colt but I want it back. Now."
"You don't know?" Dean said, with a hint of a laugh. He didn't know that it was Sam who had given them the Colt and Dean was glad. Azazel still believed that Sam had been on their side when he had been killed.
"No and to be perfectly honest I don't really care. I just want it back."
"Well that ain't gonna happen," Bobby told him.
"I'm going to kill you first," Azazel pointed at Bobby. "Then you," he pointed at Jess. "I want Dean to watch you both die before I end his pathetic and miserable life."
Dean grew very angry at that point and abandoning all pretence of calm, he launched himself at Azazel; who easily swatted him off and into the wall.
"Or maybe I should just kill you first and save me a lot of time and trouble," he laughed as he picked Dean up and pinned him to the wall.
"Go to hell," Dean snarled as he struggled to free himself from Azazel's grasp.
"You first," he threw Dean across the room again and he landed in a heap on the floor. "You really are a pathetic excuse for a human, you know that?" He said as he punched Dean in the gut. Bobby attempted to pull him off but Azazel easily stopped him and pinned him to the wall. "You're all pathetic, now give me the Colt."
"Why don't you get it yourself," he heard a voice come from behind him. Jess was stood over him pointing the Colt right at his head. Azazel stood up and laughed.
"Do you really think you are going to kill me?"
"I think I don't have to."
"And what do you mean by that?" Azazel did not realise that Jess was just distracting him to give Dean a chance to stand up.
"I mean this," she said as she threw the Colt to Dean who caught it, pointed it at Azazel and before he had a chance to react; Dean had fired the gun, the bullet hitting Azazel right in the chest. He looked shocked before he dropped to the floor dead. Bobby crashed to the ground with a thud as he was released from the Yellow Eyed Demon's hold. Dean lowered himself into a chair, placing the Colt on the table and lowering his head next to it.
"It's over," he whispered.
"Yes it is," Jess replied.
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Dean was exhausted. He couldn't remember the last time he had managed to sleep and the last few days had really taken their toll on him. Bobby suggested they stay for a couple of days to recuperate and Dean wasn't going to argue with him. While Bobby disposed of the two corpses, Dean and Jess attempted to sleep but it wouldn't come. Jess was curled up in Dean's arms and she could feel how tense he was. He was barely holding it together.
"What do you think he meant?" She asked.
"What?" Dean replied, confused at what she meant.
"What do you think he meant when he said he didn't need Jake anymore? I thought he needed him to open the Devil's Gate so why would he kill him?"
"I don't know what he meant," Dean answered honestly. "To be honest I don't care anymore. He's dead so it really isn't our problem."
"You're right, I was just wondering." She paused and sighed before asking, "How are you holding up?"
"Not so good," Dean knew that trying to lie to Jess was completely futile so he answered her honestly. "I still can't believe he's actually gone. When he was evil I could imagine being able to save him and he would still be alive, but he's dead so I don't even have that small comfort anymore."
'I'm here for you," she told him but he already knew that.
"I know you are and I'm thankful for that. I don't think I could do it on my own." Dean had the overwhelming urge to break down in tears but he held them in. He wasn't one for showing his emotions and instead chose to bury them deep inside him.
"I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what."
"Thank you, I really needed to hear that. I don't know if I can do this anymore."
"Do what anymore?" It was Jess' turn to be confused.
"I don't think I can hunt anymore. I've been feeling like this since dad died but now that Sam is dead too my heart just isn't in it."
"Then what do you want to do instead?"
"I don't know. I've never really known anything other than this life but I know that I can't do it anymore."
"Whatever you decide I'm here for you," she said cuddling closer to him and he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll stand by you whatever."
"Thank you."
"You can cry you know. I won't think any less of you. He was your brother and you need to grieve for him." Dean lay quiet for a moment before he let everything go. All the pain and anger at his brother's death came flowing out of him as he finally embraced his grief and cried his heart out. Jess just hugged him and comforted him until he quieted and finally accepted the pull of sleep.
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They went back to the house to find Sam's body but it was gone. They thought that the demons must have disposed of it after they had run off but neither one of them said it out loud.
"Do you know what you want to do now?" Jess asked Dean, her hand entwined with his.
"Find the nearest bar and get very drunk," Dean said with mock seriousness.
"That sounds fun, but seriously what's the plan?"
"I don't know. My whole life all I ever had to hold onto was killing that Yellow Eyed son of a bitch and now he's gone I don't have that. For the first time ever I don't have a plan and it feels good."
"Well, you just let me know when you decide."
"I will."
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Meg watched them leave with a look of disgust on her face. She was angry that they had managed to steal the Colt and kill her father. She was determined to have her revenge against them, but she would have to be patient and wait.
The time would come and she would be triumphant. She would make sure of that and she had the perfect plan for carrying it out. All she needed was one man and he would be ready soon enough.
