**Anything from Charmed or Supernatural does not belong to me.**
Chapter Eleven
Peyton and Melinda went around, asking a few more questions, and gaining a pretty good insight from the high school art teacher. Sam and Dean went poking around some more, and they met back at the hotel around noon. The girls stopped at the door, and the boys pushed them back, guns drawn, until Melinda stopped them.
"Wait, wait! That's Castiel."
Dean looked closer, and put his gun down. He glanced at the man standing near the window, exchanging a glance with Melinda. She shrugged her shoulders, and Dean slid the gun back into the waistband of his jeans at the small of his back.
"Next time, Cas, try a knock."
Castiel stood up from his seat on the couch, turning to face them. Melinda smiled, and Castiel offered one back to her before facing Dean.
"Have you located the witch?"
Dean and Sam exchanged a look.
"Yes."
"Is the witch dead?"
Melinda and Peyton glanced at each other.
"Not quite yet."
"What did I tell you, Castiel?"
As Castiel sighed, Melinda looked back at the man standing at the window, with his back to them.
"Who is this?"
Castiel ignored Melinda's question, turning to Dean again.
"The witch must die, Dean. It is imperative that she be destroyed."
"And she will be."
"Castiel, you know what we must do."
They all looked at the other man, and Melinda let out her breath.
"Seriously, Chuckles. Who the hell are you?"
He turned to face them. A tall black man, he was wearing a suit with no tie, looking out of place next to Castiel, whose ill-fitting suit and dirty trench coat gave no air to his true identity as a powerful angel. The other man definitely looked like the part, and just from the few sentences he spoke, Melinda already didn't care for him. Castiel motioned to him.
"This is Uriel. He is … what you would call a specialist."
"A specialist of what?"
Castiel looked to Melinda, and his sapphire-blue eyes seemed tired.
"You must leave town immediately."
Everyone started to protest, until Uriel sighed. Peyton, who had been hovering behind Sam, spoke up.
"Why? We've done all the work, located the witch. We just have to stop her before the next sacrifice."
"Which will be tonight. And your carelessness nearly cost one or all of you your lives."
Melinda crossed her arms over her chest.
"What are you talking about?"
Castiel leaned over, picking a hex bag up off of the nightstand.
"This was in the wall of this room. If we hadn't found it…"
Dean reached back and took Melinda's hand. He ran his thumb over the ring she hadn't taken off since he slipped it on her finger. Castiel sighed, looking at Dean.
"You need to pack up and go now."
"Why, Cas?"
Castiel looked back to Uriel, who smiled.
"Because we're going to destroy this town."
Everyone was silent for a minute, until Sam spoke up, in a choked voice.
"Destroy it? The entire town?"
Castiel and Uriel nodded at the same time. Sam shook his head.
"There are like a thousand people here!"
"One thousand, two hundred and fourteen, to be precise."
"And you're just going to kill them all?"
Uriel stepped closer to them.
"It wouldn't be the first time. I have gone to greater lengths to purify a city."
Dean shook his head.
"No. No, wait just a damn minute. No one's getting destroyed, except for this witch."
Castiel sighed as Uriel stepped closer to Dean.
"You are not in charge here, Winchester. This is not up to you."
"Wanna bet? I'm not going to stand here and let you level this town for one stupid witch."
"That is not the reason, Dean."
"Then what is, Cas? Enlighten me, please."
Castiel nodded, looking at the four people in front of him.
"The raising of Samhain is one of the 66 seals."
"Oh, I knew it."
Melinda let out a shaky breath as Dean took her in his arms. Melinda turned her face in to his chest, and Dean looked back to Castiel.
"The witch has to die. The seal must be saved. No matter the cost."
"We'll stop this, Cas. Don't destroy the town."
"You are in over your head, Winchester. You have no clue what you're up against."
"Won't be the first time."
Uriel smiled.
"If we're lucky, it will be the last."
"You son of a bitch."
Melinda raised her hands, but Castiel grabbed them, shaking his head. He let out another sigh.
"You have tonight. If the witch is not destroyed, and the seal kept from being broken, we will destroy the town."
"Whether you are in it or not."
And just like that, they were gone. Melinda closed her eyes as she let out a breath. Sam ran a hand over Peyton's head, and Dean sighed.
"Let's get a plan, then."
That night, close to midnight, they gathered at the basement of the school. And nothing went as they had planned. The girl who they thought was the witch was tied up, and the art teacher was reciting an incantation. He went to slit the girl's throat, when Dean shot him three times. The girl was so happy to be rescued, until she revealed that the spell was a two-person job. She pinned them to the floor, and Melinda hit her head, getting knocked out. At Dean's insistence, Peyton was able to take hold of Melinda's hand and teleport them out. The girl continued with the spell, and Samhain was resurrected. Lying on the floor, Dean and Sam could only watch in horror. Sam slid over to where the teacher's body had been, where blood was pooled on the floor. Sam dipped his hand in the blood, wiping it on his face, then Dean's.
"Sam, what the hell?!"
"Just follow my lead."
He laid back, closing his eyes, and Dean did the same. They heard Samhain snap the girl's neck, then walk out. They got to their feet, and at the look on Dean's face, Sam sighed.
"People used to wear masks to hide from him. I took a chance."
"You took … you took a chance?!"
"Dean, we've got more important things to do. Come on."
Peyton and Melinda were by the car when Sam and Dean came outside. Melinda was rubbing the back of her head, and Peyton went to Sam, then backed off.
"What the hell is all over your face?"
"Blood. It's a long story."
"Did you get him?"
Sam and Dean exchanged a glance, and Melinda sighed. Dean walked over to her.
"Did you call Chris?"
Melinda shook her head.
"We can't keep calling him every time one of us skins our knees, Dean."
"You could have a concussion."
"I'm fine. Let's worry about Samhain. He's obviously gone to resurrect some buddies. If you were a centuries old demon looking for a few good men, where would you go?"
"Cemetery."
Sam, Dean, and Peyton spoke at the same time, and they crawled in the car and left. At the cemetery, they decided that Sam and Melinda would go after Samhain, while Dean and Peyton took care of the ghosts and zombies. But in the crypt, Dean was trapped when a ghost shoved him in a grave. Sam heard Peyton yelling, and he and Melinda turned back.
"Mel, go."
"Sam, you can't take him on alone."
"I'll be fine. Peyton and Dean need your help."
"Sam…"
"Go, Mel."
She nodded, tossing Ruby's knife to him before jogging back to the crypt. Sam smiled when he heard the screams, as Melinda blew up whatever she was facing. Sam walked inside a chapel, glancing down a long hall. At the end was Samhain. Sam made his way down the hall, until Samhain turned around, sending out a bright blast of light. Sam chuckled when the light died down, as the demon gave him a shocked look.
"Sorry. I'm kind of immune to your demon ray-gun blast."
Samhain came running at Sam, who stopped him with a few punches. He pulled Ruby's knife out of his pocket, cutting Samhain's arm, until the demon knocked it out of his hand. Sam was thrown at the wall, but he quickly got to his feet, holding up a hand, and Samhain stopped in his tracks. That shocked look came back on the demon's face, as little bits of black smoke came out of his gunshot wounds. He pressed forward, and Sam's nose began to bleed. Sam pressed a hand to his forehead, as more smoke came out, and the demon smiled. Sam kept on, crying out, and watched as the demon lit up as the knife sank into his chest. Samhain fell to the ground, leaving a beautiful, yet pissed-off brunette standing behind him. Sam sighed.
"Ruby, I almost had him."
"You're kidding, right? My god, you are a hell of a lot stupider than you look."
She handed him a cloth, and he held it to his nose. Ruby cleaned off her knife and stuck it in the back waistband of her jeans, setting her hands on her hips.
"Sam, we've talked about this."
He sighed.
"Can we just skip the 'I told you so,' Ruby?"
"What do you think? You're sloppy. Out of shape."
"Ruby…"
"I told you this would happen, Sam. You wanted to put it away, hide it from your brother. Fine. I tried to talk you out of that, but you wouldn't listen. I told you, Sam. You can't just bring it up when you want to. You have to work at it, practice with it. And you know what makes you stronger."
"No."
"Sam, it's—"
"I said no, Ruby."
She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"It's been more than two years, Sam. You only had it for four months while Dean was downstairs, and you've put it on the back burner for two friggin' years."
"Not really."
"Oh, what? Those 'trips' you took with 'Bobby' every now and then?"
"They didn't know I was really with you."
"Right. Thanks for that, by the way. I don't feel like a whore at all."
Sam blew out his breath, tossing the cloth down. Ruby walked up close to him.
"Sam, you know what you have to do."
"Ruby, I can't."
"You can. You just don't want to."
Sam sighed.
"If you really want to kill Lilith, this is the only way. And you know that."
They locked eyes, and Sam smiled.
"There has to be some other way."
Ruby shook her head, pulling the knife out and handing it to him.
"Here. I'll go before your motley crew shows up."
Sam nodded, and she blew out her breath.
"Would a 'thank you for saving my ass, Ruby' kill you?"
He smiled.
"Thank you for saving my ass, Ruby."
She waved a hand as she walked down the hall, disappearing just before Dean, Melinda, and Peyton came running in. Peyton ran into Sam's arms, and he caught her, sighing as Dean and Melinda stood over the dead body.
