Chapter 11 - Countdown to Midnight

The sound of tearing mixed with the screams of John Winchester rent the air; hurtling down the eternal hallways of oblivion.

"Was it worth it, John? Was it worth trading your insignificant soul for that brat of yours?"

"Shove it up your ass, Lucian. That is … if you have one," said John through clenched teeth.

"Funny. Let's see how humorous you are after I tell you about Elizabeth," said Lucian. "The apple of daddy's eye had no trouble at all using her new gifts today up top. I was there, so, I know." Lucian gave the knife a quick flick with his wrist; splattering some of John's blood at his feet.

With a smirk that John had come to know all too well, "After today, I have no doubt that she will turn before our next visit. She is special … after all, how many children get to brag about having two fathers in Hell." Another long cut to John's side and Lucian left to begin his work on another human.

John was left physically exhausted and cut beyond recognition. Hands chained above him, he let his head drop: only this time it was more from despair than pain. John knew in his heart that he couldn't save all of his children. He had paid the ultimate price when he sacrificed himself for Dean. Since that day, worry had been his constant companion over the duty he had left with Dean regarding Sam. '…you may have to kill him…'

Dean wasn't supposed to be the one to bear that burden … it should've been John. But, John knew he wouldn't be alive much longer to watch over Sam, and Dean was the only one left that could.

John knew Dean loved his brother above himself and would lay down his life for him without hesitation. If there had ever been any doubt in John's mind, all of that was put to rest when he stepped back from Dean's hospital bed and saw the look of shock mixed with horror on his son's face.

Now, Dean and Sam faced another great test. If Elizabeth could not get control of her powers before they took control of her, something drastic would have to be done. John knew that. Sam and Dean knew that. His time was finished. John could do no more. With each passing day, he hoped that his sons would be strong enough to save their sister from herself before it was too late. That was the only thing that kept him as sane as he was.

If only there was a way he could have an influence on what was happening with Elizabeth. If only he could speak to her one more time.

If only.


Elizabeth drifted in and out of sleep most of the way back to Bobby's. Her body had been left physically drained. Occasionally, she would talk in her sleep, but, neither Sam nor Dean could make out what she was saying.

Sam and Dean felt it would be a good idea to call in some help and, right now, Bobby was the only hunter they could trust with Elizabeth's secret.

They also debated whether to call Castiel to ask for his help. Dean thought it would be better, in regard to Castiel, to wait until they talked with Bobby first. Sam didn't see where it mattered either way, but, still, Dean insisted that they wait.

"Honestly, Dean, I think we're making a mistake by not calling Cas as soon as possible."

"Why is that?"

"For starters, he's an angel," retorted Sam.

"Because he's an angel?" asked Dean. "I'll give him brownie points, but, that's it."

"He might be able to help, Dean."

"Didn't you have your ears on back at Bobby's? He said that it might not be able to be reversed." Dean shot Sam an angry look. "Read between the lines, college boy. If something can't be fixed, you junk it."

"Cas wouldn't do that. He wouldn't harm Beth."

"I don't care what you say, Sam. You can forget about us calling him until we talk with Bobby. Hell, what are you trying to do, huh? Are you trying to get her killed?"

Sam was quiet for a moment and studied Dean with twilight eyes, "How can you even ask me that, man?"

"I'm sorry, Sam, I respect your opinion; I really do. But, in this instance, I think you're dead wrong. We can't take any chances at all." Dean ventured a look in Sam's direction. Sam stared straight ahead. Usually, that meant that the conversation was over. Dean took the action at face value and turned his focus back to the road.

As they pulled up in front of Bobby's home, they could see him inside, removing some of the rubble from the den.

A rustling coming from the back seat got Sam's attention and he turned around. "She's waking up."

Elizabeth blew out her breath. Her mind felt so foggy it even extended down to her vision. Blurry, everything was blurry. She opened her eyes, blinked several times, and shut them again. This went on for a couple of moments before she spoke. "Daddy?"

Dean stopped the Impala, got out, and went around to the passenger rear door. Opening it, he leaned in over Elizabeth.

Dean stroked Elizabeth's forehead; pushing back her bangs, "Beth, can you hear me?"

Elizabeth tried again. She opened her eyes, gave a great sigh, and was relieved to see someone looking back at her. A fleeting memory of John got caught in the cobwebs of her mind, "Dad … daddy? I … where?" She rolled her head to the left and tried to focus on Sam.

No good.

Dean lowered his head for a moment. "Baby, it's me, okay? It's me … it's Dean. And Sam is here, too."

"What's wrong with her?" asked Sam.

"I don't know. It's like she waking from a drug induced sleep or something."

Dean took Elizabeth's face in both of his hands; forcing her to look only at him, "Beth, who am I? Look at me, Beth."

She studied him for a few seconds before answering, "Dean?" Elizabeth breathed.

"Yes, baby! It's me. It's Dean." Grinning broadly, Dean looked toward Sam who shared his expression. "Come on; let's sit you up, okay?"

Taking her arms in his strong hands, Dean gripped Elizabeth tightly and eased her into a sitting position. "That's my girl. Are you thirsty?" Dean motioned for Sam to hand him the Coke from the front seat. Taking the top off, he held it out for Elizabeth. She wrapped both hands around the plastic bottle. Dean began to release his hold on the soda when he felt it slip. Grabbing it before it fell all the way into her lap, Dean helped her guide it to her parched mouth.

Elizabeth drank greedily. After a few large swallows, he handed the empty bottle back to Sam.

"Thanks," said Elizabeth. "I was so thirsty."

"Don't mention it," said Sam. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak, like I've ran the gauntlet," explained Elizabeth. "My muscles hurt a lot: especially my arms and hands." Elizabeth held them up for reference, then, let them fall back to her lap, "Ouch."

"Where are we?" Elizabeth looked past Dean out the open door.

"At Bobby's," said Dean.

"The last thing I remember is a loud buzzing in my head and a pounding headache. I pulled over to rest for a few minutes and … "

"And, what, Elizabeth?" asked Sam.

Suddenly uneasy, Elizabeth inhaled sharply, "I don't know. It's right there on the edge of my memory, but, I can't get to it. You know?"

She shifted in her seat, "But, sometimes …"

There was a pause.

Sam and Dean waited.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. Let's just go inside, okay?"

"Okay, squirt. Come on, take my arm," said Dean.

Elizabeth allowed Dean to help her emerge from the car. Together, they entered the house and began to make their way to the kitchen.

Bobby emptied his arms of their load, "Hey! Didn't expect ya'll back this soon."

Elizabeth gave a weary sigh, "Hi, Bobby."

"Hi, yourself, glad to see you again little lady." From under his eyebrows, Bobby studied Elizabeth. She had a grim expression on her face which spoke volumes about her time away. He was almost afraid to hear what had happened.

Almost.

"Ya'll watch yer step, I haven't cleared away a lot of the debris from that side of the room," said Bobby. "So, step lively."

"Got it," replied Sam who had just entered with a bag of food they had picked up at one of the local restaurants.

"Bobby, we grabbed a burger for you if you're hungry," said Dean.

"When have I not accepted food as a gift?" snickered Bobby. "Let's dig in."

The four seated themselves around the square table in Bobby's kitchen.

Elizabeth sat across from Sam and Dean was seated across from Bobby.

In silence, they ate their food with Elizabeth only picking at hers. The tension was building and avoiding eye contact with the men was becoming extremely difficult for Elizabeth. She knew that eventually someone was going to ask a question she wasn't prepared to answer. Maybe it wouldn't be today.

Sam finally broke the silence. Reaching across the table, Sam covered Elizabeth's hand in his own, "Beth, why did you run off like that? Anything could've happened to you."

"Yeah, sweetheart, we were worried," said Bobby.

Elizabeth's eyes shifted to Dean and shifted back to Sam, "Cas told me to leave."

Silence.

Sam dropped his fork.

"Wait," said Dean. "Cas told you to leave?" Incredulous, he looked at Bobby and Sam, "What else did he say?"

"He told me that the powers of heaven have turned against me," Beth responded. "He said that they were looking to kill me. If I didn't go, and they found me here with all of you," Elizabeth's countenance fell, "you would die along with me."

She looked up sharply, "I needed to leave. I couldn't stay and lose any of you. It would be my fault." The strain was evident in Elizabeth's voice. She bit her bottom lip to stop it from quivering. "I shouldn't be here even now."

"Yes, you should be here, Beth. We're your family and families stick together," interjected Bobby.

Gripping Sam's hand in return and reaching for Dean's, "You guys are my life. If anyone was going to die, I wanted it to be only me."

Bobby opened his mouth to say something else, but, Dean cut him off, "No one is going to die, Beth. You got that? No one." Then, Dean's face lit up with an idea.

"I think I know who can help us." he beamed.

"Who?" asked Elizabeth.

"We have completely overlooked someone that is perfect for a situation like this." Dean looked at everyone, in turn, as if it was such an obvious thing. Blank stares abounded around the table, "Come on, guys, don't tell me she hasn't occurred to you?"

"Who?" asked Sam.

"Why, Missouri, of course!" exclaimed Dean.

Sam and Bobby grinned broadly.

The last time Elizabeth saw Missouri, she had been five years old. After that, there had been no further contact, "I don't remember much about her, Dean. Are you sure it's the right thing to do?" asked Elizabeth.

"Missouri and I don't agree on a lot of things, Beth. But, she's the one … the only one, that I believe can help."

"Okay, I'll give her a call." Sam rose from the table, pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and walked into the den.

"Hello, Missouri? This is Sam … John's son."

"Sammy! Were ya 'll waiting for the world to end before you called me again?"

"Listen, I have a big favor to ask of you, Missouri. It involves Elizabeth."

"Baby, you don't have to say anything else. I felt the problem when you rang my phone," said Missouri, "what can I do?"

"We are here with Bobby Singer at his home in South Dakota … can you come?"

"Give me a day to get my things together, tie up some loose ends, and I'll be right there, Sam."

"Thanks, Missouri. You don't know how much this means to us … to me."

"Baby, no thanks necessary." Missouri paused. "Sam, make sure to keep an eye on Elizabeth at all times. Don't let her go off by herself until I get there."

"You can count on that. Don't worry," said Sam. "See you soon."


Over the next two days, as they waited on Missouri, all of them tried to keep busy. Sam and Dean helped Bobby continue the work on his home. After he had cleared the rubble out of the way, he declared that it was time to call in the professionals to repair the rest of the place. Elizabeth had offered to help pay for it with her credit card, but, Bobby declined saying that she didn't owe him anything.

When night came, Elizabeth chose to sleep alone. Nightmares haunted her after she closed her eyes. She still dreamed about her own grave, only now there was a new figure standing about five feet away from Sam and Dean in the dream. It was the trucker. He would point an accusing finger at Elizabeth, shouting obscenities, closing the gap between them, until his arms shot out grabbing her by the throat. Bolting upright in bed, covered in a cold sweat, Elizabeth would sit in the dark until her heart remembered its place, and she could breathe normally again.

And, just as soon as she returned to sleep, the dreams were waiting for her with a vengance.

So, when Missouri arrived Saturday afternoon, it came as no surprise to Elizabeth that Missouri noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She was relieved that the woman didn't ask about it. It was almost like she knew what Elizabeth would say.

As they gathered in the den, Elizabeth studied this woman from her past, that she remembered absolutely nothing about. She mentally recounted the stories that her dad and brothers had told her about Missouri. Still, listening to Sam, Dean, and Bobby talk so openly with Missouri, Elizabeth wished she had been older when they had last met. She wouldn't feel so alienated.

Lost in her thoughts, Elizabeth wasn't aware that Missouri had come to stand in front of her, until she felt her grasp her hands. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking." But, the woman didn't seem to hear her. Instead, Missouri bowed her head, and closed her eyes. For a moment, she stayed in that position, until she finally looked up into Elizabeth's eyes, "Castiel wasn't the one who told you to leave, Elizabeth." said Missouri.

Startled at this revelation, Beth said, "But, he was with me at the car right before I left."

"That's impossible, Beth. Cas never left when you went outside," said Bobby.

Elizabeth shivered. "If it wasn't him ... then, who was it?"

"A demon, no doubt," Sam explained, "But, which one, and why?"

"Meg?" asked Dean.

"It's possible," Missouri said turning around to face the window. "We have to also consider another possibility."

"Which is?" asked Sam.

"That it might have been a demon from the higher ranks," interjected Bobby.

Elizabeth turned away from the conversation to look at the books in Bobby's den, at the haphazard way he kept his desk, but the room didn't exert its usual calming influence. She could almost hear a clock ticking down to some dreaded event to come in her near future and she had no idea what to do about it.

Elizabeth turned back at the call of her name.

It was Missouri.

"Elizabeth, what I'm going to suggest will seem incredible to you. But, you must hear me out before a decision is made," said Missouri.

"All right, I'll listen," she looked into her piercing brown eyes, feeling inclined to shift her gaze elsewhere.

Missouri had the floor. "Let's look at what we know. First, there are two main players in this feature … Lucian and Asmodai. Both of these demons are of very high rank. Second, for reasons as yet unknown, an attempt was made to separate you from Dean and Sam."

"They wouldn't want to kill her," said Sam, "because, if that were true, then why send her back? Why not just leave her in hell?"

"Are you thinkin' they wanted to get Elizabeth alone so she could be used in some kinda plan?' asked Bobby.

"It's possible, Bobby," said Missouri. "The power that Elizabeth possesses is extremely volatile. She is like a ticking time bomb; just waiting to go off."

"So, what do you propose I do until we know more, Missouri?" asked Elizabeth who was becoming increasingly agitated with where the conversation was headed.

"I believe that you should maximize your potential, Elizabeth."

"Come again?" asked Dean. "I don't believe I heard you correctly. You're saying that you want her to use her powers?"

"That's right, Dean."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. Our dad trusted you and you're asking our sister to learn how to use a demon's powers." Dean raked his hand through his hair, "Well, I've officially heard it all now. I can retire happy."

"Are you insane?" asked Sam. "Missouri, that's what they want her to do. They expect her to become some kind of … of."

Her heart shrank at these words. "You can say it, Sam," said Elizabeth, "Monster."

"Beth, I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean that," Sam moved up behind Elizabeth; placing his hand on her shoulder.

Elizabeth rested her hand upon his, "After this afternoon, I already feel like one."

"What did happen while you were away?" asked Missouri.

As Bobby, Dean, Sam, and Missouri listened, Elizabeth recounted what happened between the time she left and the killing of the truck driver. She told them about Lucian's appearance just as the tractor trailer lost control and that she believed he was responsible.

"Can you understand now why it is in Elizabeth's best interest to learn to use her powers? It is not simply to be destructive, but, to control the abilities that Asmodai gave her."

"I still think it's the craziest idea I've ever heard you give, Missouri," said Dean. He looked toward Elizabeth, "Beth, personally, I don't want you to do it. Look at Sam. He didn't try to maximize his potential."

Bobby kept quiet. A million red lights were going off in his head. This was wrong on so many levels; he didn't even know where to begin.

"Missouri, if I keep using these powers, won't they become a greater part of me than now? They'll keep growing inside me until I don't even know myself anymore."

"The power is there, Elizabeth, whether you choose to use it or not. It isn't dimished by ignoring it."

Elizabeth scowled, "If you're trying to make me feel better, it's not working, Missouri."

"I'm being logical, Elizabeth. If what you said was true about today, and it happens again, someone else could die." She took a deep breath, "Your dad was a very good friend of mine. I would never tell you to do something to hurt you, baby."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, Missouri." Elizabeth walked over to stand by the desk.

"I don't blame you. But, you are not a child, Elizabeth. You are the only one that can decide how your future unfolds … no one else."

The driver's death resurfaced in her mind. She could actually feel him dying. It was horrible beyond description. Maybe Missouri was right. If just by learning control when the power resurfaced, she could prevent another death, then … maybe she should reconsider.

Elizabeth sighed as she looked at the desk. Without turning around, "What did you have in mind?"

"You're not seriously considering this?" asked Dean. "No. Elizabeth you can't do this."

"Dean, try to understand. Today, I killed a man. He had a family. He had a home," stated Elizabeth. "The man had children, Dean."

"How do you know that, Elizabeth?" asked Bobby.

"Because … because I felt him die, Bobby," Elizabeth's eyes glistened. "And, I could see his last thoughts. They were of his children."

Bobby gave her a sympathetic smile as he neared the desk. He wrapped gentle arms around her, "I'm sorry, Beth. I'm just worried … that's all."

"So, you knew his thoughts?" asked Dean.

"Yeah, it was like I was open to everything. I even felt the fear, worry, and frustration coming off of you and Sam."

"Do you feel anything now?" asked Missouri.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and breathed deeply, "No. It must only happen when the energy builds inside me."

Elizabeth let out a tired breath. The day was really starting to get to her and she just wanted a minute to sit down and have five seconds of peace. A moment to catch her breath before something else was thrown at her. For the last few days her life was careening madly out of control.

Missouri walked over to Elizabeth. "What is it, baby?"

"You know what I want, Missouri?"

"Your life back."

Elizabeth nodded. "I really need a do-over for today. Then again, I could really use one for the last eighteen years."

"I know, baby." Missouri gave her a motherly hug. "It'll be okay, Elizabeth. I promise. We take care of our own. Sam, Dean, Bobby, and I included are all here to help you. Don't worry. You're safe now."

Elizabeth fell silent. Missouri had misunderstood her. She wasn't afraid for herself. Elizabeth was afraid for the people she loved. Right now, she was the thing that could make their worst nightmares come true.