Been to Hell
Chapter 11: Love is A Battle Field
THEN
"She told me that your doctor, the one that you're going to see tomorrow…he's your soulmate."
She rested her head on his shoulder. "So?"
"What do you mean, so?"
"Sure, we're hurting, we just lost our child. But that doesn't change the fact that I still love you, Sam Winchester."
He buried his head in her shoulder, holding her close to him. He loved her so damn much. He didn't know how they couldn't be soulmates. She was everything he'd ever wanted in a woman. Everything he'd ever wanted in his life.
…
"You told Sam."
"Yeah I did. He had a right to know."
He got up and grabbed her hands and roughly pinned her against the wall. "Damn it, Dalia."
She wedged a leg between them and kicked him back onto the bed. "Don't your put hands on me again unless you're going to fuck me, or you want to get beaten bloody."
…
"If you want dear Dalia's soul back, you can have it, under one condition."
"What's the condition?"
"You get to her soul, she goes, you stay."
"Deal."
NOW
Dean cracked his neck as he pulled up to the motel. He'd left Dalia alone with Sam and Elena, hoping she'd be able to behave herself while we went for food. He was having his doubts. It'd been about a month since Sam and Elena had lost the baby. Things had been gradually getting better. They seemed happy again. There were still some days when Elena wouldn't get out of bed, and Sam would mope around, or beat the punching bag off the wall. This group hunt was their idea. They'd thought it would help them get back to where they'd been before the baby.
Dean didn't want to say anything, but he didn't think that hunting with a soulless Dalia was the best idea ever. They'd been at each other's throats the whole month. He'd been ready to kick her ass, and she was game. They'd almost gotten that far once. He'd pulled his punch at the last second and they'd ended up having angry sex on the library table. He was pretty sure there were scratch marks gouged into the wood. Weather they were his or hers he didn't know. Probably a combination of both. She needed her soul back, like right now.
He walked into the motel. Sam and Elena were sitting at the table, going through research on the killings. Dalia was stretched out on the bed, one leg folded over the other, her foot bobbing with whatever was pouring from her headphones. She glanced over at him and took a drink of the Jack Daniels she had sitting beside her. So far no one was dead, but the night was young. "Anything?" he asked, walking over to the table. He started pulling food out and lying it in front of Sam and Elena. He threw a burger over at Dalia.
"Nothing concrete," Sam said, popping open his salad and drizzling his dressing over it. He playfully slapped Elena's hand when she stole a tomato and popped it into her mouth. Maybe things really were getting better. "It looks like a vengeful spirit to me. All of the victims died on the same floor of the building. They were all in the same department too. We've got a few leads, but we should talk with some of the people there before we just start digging up graves." He pushed his laptop aside so he could start eating the rabbit food instead.
Dean sighed and sat down at the table. He looked over as Dalia sat up. "I already told you idiots. It's Michael Garret. He hung himself in the accounting department when they told him they were going to fire him because they were "downsizing"." She tossed the burger onto the table and pinned Dean with a look. "We could be halfway home right now if you'd just listen. You're letting your feelings get in the way." She got up and walked to her bag, pulling out her lighter and a box of salt.
"Where do you think you're going?" Dean asked. He physically got between her and the door. There was no way he was letting her go off alone.
"I'm going to take care of this, like we should have done three hours ago." She crossed her arms. "Now, are you coming with me, or are you going to stay here and bitch?"
"You're not going anywhere." He took a step forward.
"Guys, just calm down," Elena said, getting up. Sam quickly pulled her back down and shook his head. He knew this was something they needed to do. It wasn't going to pretty, but it needed to happen.
He grabbed the salt from her and tossed it to Sam before grabbing her shoulders, trying to push her down onto the bed. She punched him, knocking him back into one of the chairs that broke under the force. "I told you, don't put your hands on me again unless you were going to fuck me or wanted to get beaten bloody." She spread her legs, getting ready to strike again as Dean got up. "Now I know you'd rather fuck your hand than me right now, so you must want a beating."
He glared at her, wiping blood from his split lip. "Don't do this, Dalia."
She smirked, cocking her head to the side. "Baby, I've wanted to do this for a while." She launched herself at him, knocking him back to the floor and punched him again, snapping his head to the side before coming in from the opposite way, punching him again. Dean growled and grabbed her wrists. He wrapped a leg around her waist and rolled them, pinning her under him. He really didn't want to hit her. She snapped one of her legs straight up, the toe of her boot cracking the back of his head and sending him rolling over her. Fuck it, she wanted a fight, she was going to get one.
They got to their feet at the same time. Dean didn't give her any time to recover. He grabbed her around the waist and slammed her back into the wall. "Dalia, knock it off, or I am going to hit you," he warned her.
She threw her head forward, cracking their skulls before bringing her knee up. He caught it before she could hit him in the groin and elbowed her in the jaw. He was pulling punches. He might be royally pissed at her, but he wasn't going to hurt her…badly. He grabbed her by the hair and slammed her face first into the wall. "You done?" he asked.
"Hardly." She reached out with her hands and grabbed his balls, squeezed, and twisted. Dean yelped and let her go, jumping out of her hold. She smirked, licking blood from her lip as she turned to look at him. "Baby, I'm as clever as the devil and twice as pretty." She kicked him in the chest.
Dean grabbed her foot so she couldn't gain her balance and planted her flat on her back, pushing his elbow into her throat. "You're not that clever." She smirked, wrapping her arms around his head and rolled them. She fisted a hand into his short hair and punched him again. He growled and lost it, punching her, knocking her off of him. He got up and kicked her in the stomach, knocking her back onto the bed.
She grabbed the radio clock, ripping it from the wall and threw it at him. He ducked only to get hit in the jaw with her boot. He growled and grabbed her arm, throwing her into the table. She caught the edge with her stomach and he heard the air leave her lungs. She turned and glared at him. "Had enough?"
She wiped blood from her lip and glared at him. "Finish the case without me." She walked over and picked up her bag.
"Where are you going?" he demanded.
"Do you really care?" She walked out, slamming the door behind her.
Dean sighed and sat on one of the beds, scrubbing his hand over his face, smearing blood. Elena came from the bathroom and lifted his face, wiping the blood away. "We've got to do something about her," she whispered.
"We know what we have to do." Dean looked up at her. "That didn't work out too well last time."
She bent and kissed his forehead. "We don't have anything to lose now."
He sighed. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to go after Dalia's soul again. Only this time he knew what they were going to lose. His soul. It was a price he was willing to pay. He felt like shit. He'd never hit a woman who'd been important to him before. Ever. That had been the lowest, shittiest thing he'd ever done. He shouldn't have. He never should have given into her. Hindsight was a bitch.
He looked over at Sam. "Call Garth, he's close. He can finish this case." He'd only ever left a case once. But he couldn't handle a hunt right now. His head wasn't in the right place. Someone was just going to get hurt. Sam didn't ask any questions, he called Garth.
They were in the car, on their way back home when he sighed and pulled over. "What's wrong?" Sam asked.
"Crowley called me about a month ago." He shut the car off and looked at his brother. "He said that if we wanted to try for Dalia's soul again he'd keep the demons away."
Sam's eyes narrowed. "What's the catch?"
Dean smiled a little. Sam was a smart one. "If I make it through the fire without burning she'll get her soul back, but mine stays behind."
Sam shook his head. "There has to be another way, Dean."
"Can' Cas do something?" Elena asked from the backseat.
Dean shook his head. "I already talked to Cas. The only way to get her soul back is an exchange. We all know that even if I survive the fire, me soulless would be worse than Dalia right now." He looked at his brother. "If I manage to get her soul back, you have to promise me you'll leave me there."
"No. No, Dean. I'm not leaving you in hell."
"Damn it Sam, we don't have a choice anymore." He rubbed his face and leaned his head back against the seat. "I did this. It's my fault, all of it. Let me at least make one thing right." He turned the car back on and cranked the music, drowning out any protests from Sam or Elena. He was going to make things right. One way or another.
xXx
Castiel was pacing in front of the library, waiting for Dean to get back. He knew Dean was going to try for Dalia's soul again. He wanted to help, he just didn't know what he could do. It was dangerous for him to even go to hell. There was nothing he could do to save his best friend. There was nothing he could do to save Dalia's soul. There was nothing he could do to save Sam and Elena's child.
He had a theory he wanted to talk to Dean about. Things had changed over the years since the last time this had been an issue. Dean had been touched by both heaven and hell now. He was the man who went to hell to save his brother's life. He was the man who was raised from hell by an angle of the Lord. He was the man who had fought his way through purgatory. Crowley might have said that Dean's soul would have to remain in hell, but Castiel wasn't so sure. Dean's soul was stronger than Crowley gave him credit for.
