Title/Chapter: Look Into His Eyes – Ch. 11 "Rise and Fall"

Author: Supernatural Mommy
Characters: Sam, Dean (no pairings), OFC (no romantic interests), OMC (child)
Spoilers: None really, unless you've not seen Season one, to Nightmare
Warnings: PG-13: Language, mild violence (towards a child) and hurt/comfort, some religious references
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em pity, but new characters are my own creation.
Summery: A battle rages against evil, and new gifts are revealed.

Chapter 11 "Rise and Fall" Part 1

Sam could hear the door opening. He sensed it was Dean, and almost sighed in relief. But the fact that this was all a trap negated the relief of having his brother there. He knew that the demon was still here, somewhere.

He heard footsteps and realized quickly that Dean had someone else with him.

"Sam!" Dean's whisper carried softly across the room, and he quickly turned his head toward the sound. Footsteps echoed softly against the floor and soon he felt Dean was beside him. "You okay?"

Dean pulled the blindfold off his face and winced at the bruises that hid there. Sam nodded, unable to speak. His mouth was too dry to even try and talk around the thick gag. He remembered his vision though, and made an effort to get Dean to understand. He needed to be able to speak.

He jerked his head and wiped the side of his face against his shoulder. He knew from experience it wouldn't loosen the gag, but he counted on his brother to comprehend.

"Need that thing off?" Dean used his knife to cut through the handkerchief covering Sam's mouth.

"Thanks." Sam's raspy voice sounded weak, even to his own ears. His throat was dry, and the effort to talk caused a coughing fit.

"Bobby" His eyes met Dean's and then he turned his head to look at Bobby. He was relieved to see Annie already had his blindfold and gag off, but he was still rocking and trembling violently. His eyes were wide open and vacant.

The pastor kneeled beside the Carvers, and draped a chain with a cross on it around the boy's neck, murmuring softly. Then he turned to Sam and repeated the procedure. At Sam's questioning look, the pastor nodded towards Dean and continued murmuring in Latin.

"It's a blessed cross, for protection. I've got a matching one." He leaned forward and dangled his cross where Sam could see.

Sam realized just seconds before it happened: The demon was coming back. Sam felt the difference before he could see anything. He shivered. It was a feeling more than a drop in air temperature though.

"Dean!" His warning came just as Larkin's demon-filled body came into the room, entering from a small doorway off to the side. He felt Dean reach around to press something into his bound hands.

A knife.

He smiled grimly and set to work trying to saw through one of the ropes. The position his arms were in made it hard for him angle the knife purposefully. He kept working at it as Larkin moved towards the center of the room.

Dean moved around the chair to stand in front of his brother, Annie and Bobby. He tensed, waiting.

Annie was frantically trying to connect with Bobby. She didn't see the demon's entrance. Sam looked around, spying Andy to the side, almost behind him. He was a study in concentration, murmuring quietly to himself.

Something else was different from his vision. He tried to remember it - bad guys. There were no other bad guys around. He wondered what happened to them, still trying diligently to saw through the ropes that bound him.

His thoughts scattered as the room moved in fast forward.

He blinked.

Annie and Dean were no longer in front of him. Instead, they were pinned to the wall: Dean in front of him, Annie on the same wall but several feet away.

He worked frantically at his ropes, but he couldn't get the knife at the right angle, and it kept sliding away from him. Frustrated, he watched the scene in front of him unfold while still working desperately to free himself.

Something happened. Something intangible shifted within the room. Larkin turned toward the opposite wall, where Andy was pinned. But while everyone else was watching the demon within Larkin, Andy's eyes were closed and he was still whispering quietly to himself.

Larkin closed his eyes, hiding the black depths. The dark mist flowed out of him in a loud exclamation of anger and despair, slipping into the air and down, then through the floorboards.

For a moment, all was silent.

Dean and Annie looked at each other, both still pinned precariously to the wall. Sam watched Larkin intently, knowing something else was happening. He remembered his vision.

Knowing didn't make reality any easier, though. As Larkin opened his eyes, the yellow brightness there was intense. Maybe it was the smile; Or maybe it was the light: For whatever reason, suddenly he looked more menacing than before.

He locked eyes with Andy, who stared in horror at the demon as it inched closer.

Andy's words echoed slightly louder now, and in sudden understanding, Sam realized the pastor was reciting the exorcism ritual. Reminded of his and Bobby's goal, he glanced at the boy. What he saw shocked him.

The little guy was curled into himself, still rocking. Trembling. His eyes were wide and fixed, unseeing. Face white.

He threw himself into working the knife in his hands, and finally found purchase on the ropes. By this time, his frantic maneuverings had caused the rope to cut into his skin. Every movement of his arms caused pain to dart through them and up to his shoulders. He didn't care about the pain. He needed to get free, do something.

He looked back over at the pastor and the demon. They seemed to square off, Andy still speaking the words of the exorcism, his voice growing stronger by the word. Larkin's body sidled up closer to the pastor intimately, his face mere inches from Andy's.

"And what do you think you're doing, pastor?" The words had an edge to them. "Don't you know that doesn't work on me?"

The pastor smiled as he kept talking.

"Didn't you hear me? Pathetic man." He leaned just an inch or so closer. "Didn't you hear me? It's useless, pointless."

The thing laughed: A deep, throaty laugh. Then it grinned, turning around to face Annie and Dean. Its golden eyes gleamed as they roamed the captives pinned to the wall.

Sam felt the rope giving way too slowly. His hands were trembling. He had to steady them to try to cut the rope. It was taking too long.

Larkin moved with inhuman grace, pausing in his walk across the room to study Annie.

"You know, you've worked so hard to keep you and your brother together" He leaned close to her, whispering harshly. "But it doesn't matter anymore. You can't protect him from what's to come."

He sidled closer, pressing himself almost against the woman on the wall. She shuddered and recoiled mentally, head pulling back.

"Leave him alone. You don't need to hurt him. He's innocent!" She hissed through her teeth, furious.

"Oh, I don't know that I need to kill him anymore. I kind of like the little guy. Don't you think he'd make a great little helper?" He leered at her. "I could find all kinds of great uses for that memory of his. He's a special boy alright."

He tugged a piece of her hair, playfully trapping it between his fingers. When he looked into her eyes, she didn't see anything playful. A tear freed itself and ran unchecked down her cheek. His breath was hot against her face as he continued.

"I'm sure I could find all kinds of special uses for such a special boy. He would serve me well." He leaned in, breath hot against her ear, whispering for only her to hear. "Forever."

"Never!" Annie shook her head vehemently. "He could never serve you. He already belongs to God. And we know God's will is greater than yours."

She met his eyes unflinchingly.

"Well, he's only what? Seven, eight?" He chuckled. "I'm sure I could get enough service out of him on this earth. By the time he dies, perhaps I could sway him. No matter. He'd meet your God as a broken creature."

Her eyes widened. Another tear ran, unchecked, down her other cheek.

"Why would you hurt him?" She spoke brokenly.

"Because I can." He jerked her head back with a fistful of hair. "Because that's what I do."

She couldn't muffle a broken sob as he forced her head back even further, opening up the column of her neck. His breath trailed the length of her neck before he spoke again.

"I might consider a trade, of sorts." His voice was soft, almost like a caress. Annie could not help the shudder that coursed through her body. "You come to serve me, willingly, and I will leave your brother to lead his simple, innocent existence."

He stepped back abruptly, letting go of Annie's hair and gazing at her in a steady, thoughtful way.

"I can't do that." She almost sobbed with the words. And then, as some unseen strength steadied her, she rallied and glared at the demon. "I serve God, same as Bobby. You can do what you want to us here, but eventually we'll be in heaven. In the end you'll lose anyway."

"Oh, I don't know about that." He stepped back again, settling his feet and squaring his shoulders. An unseen force whipped Annie's face to the side, bloodying her lip. Repeatedly her head flew from one side to the other.

"Is that the best you've got?" Dean's voice broke into the exchange. "You're a big bad demon, beating up a woman, aren't you?"

Annie's head abruptly dropped forward, blood dripping in a stringy line from her cut lip. The demon turned and walked the few feet to settle in front of Dean.

"How's it feel to be completely, pathetically useless?" The demon leaned closer to Dean, inching Larkin's body closer still to the pinned man. "You know, you get off on helping people, saving lives. But when it really counts you're just too little too late."

Dean stared at the demon within Larkin, a carefully balanced sneer hanging on his face.

"I might be useless, but it looks like I can still make you sweat." He looked pointedly at the sweat springing up on Larkin's brow. The demon paused for a moment, but just a moment, before stepping back, an almost excited expression on his face. As it focused it's attention on Dean, he pressed back into the wall, his chest and ribs painfully squashed beneath an invisible force.

Sam stared in horror at the sight. His brother was compressed against the wall. Dean kept his sneer protectively in place for a moment, but then it crumbled and his head fell to the side, face drawn in a silent scream of agony.

Sam was painfully quiet throughout the demon's torture of Annie and Dean, wanting to have a chance at doing something, anything. He continued working at the ropes, even while watching the exchanges with revulsion and growing anger.

Suddenly, finally, his hands were free. He ignored the stabbing pain as he brought them around the edges of the chair, still clutching the knife. Then he reached down quietly and picked up Bobby, forcing the action even when his muscles fought against it.

He pulled Bobby against him and leaned his head against his right shoulder, using the knife to reach behind the boy's back to cut swiftly through the ropes there. He gathered the trembling child close, and whispered in his ear.

"Bobby? I know you're still in there buddy. You've got to listen to Sam. It's time for those special words, kiddo. We need you." He looked desperately at his brother, relieved to see nothing further happening to him. He knew they needed to join the reciting. It was their best chance.

"Look, Andy's saying the special words, and we need to help him. Bobby?" He was frustrated when Bobby remained quiet, but the poor little guy had just been through too much. Sam's arms tightened around him.

He listened intently, discovering where within the ritual the pastor was and he joined in, his words echoing in the small room. Unfortunately, the demon heard the additional voice and turned, remembering his other prisoners. He sneered at Sam and laughed.

"You think you can do anything with those words, Sammy boy?" He leered at Sam. "Why do you call on God? He's nothing to you."

He moved closer to the boys in the chair. Sam recited the ritual from memory. He was surprised suddenly to feel an abrupt change in Bobby. The boy stiffened, and then pulled away from Sam and sat forward. He glared at the demon.

"You ba' ting'." He flung the words at the demon, who looked surprised, then flung his head back and laughed with relish. The deep sounds echoed off the walls.

Sam saw Dean lift his head up, more alert. He couldn't see Annie, but knew she was watching. He could still hear Andy's firm words. He was still delivering the words of the ritual, and trying to hold Bobby, who was straining against his arms.

The demon advanced threateningly and Sam tried to curtail his panic. Suddenly Bobby broke loose. He ran into the demon, shocking Sam. He started pummeling the evil being with his small fists. A gasp heard from behind Larkin signaled that Annie saw what was happening.

"Well, look what we have here." Larkin picked up the small child by the collar of his shirt, shoving him to perch against his side. His arm in an iron grip around the boy's hips, he grinned savagely in the boy's face. "What are you going to do, little Bobby, fight the big bad meanie?"

He chuckled, thoroughly amused by the child.

"Stay put, Sammy." He jerked his head in Sam's direction, stopping his attempt to move towards Bobby. "You don't need to be getting any ideas about coming to anyone's rescue."

He laughed deeply again.

"That turned out real well for Bobby here, didn't it." He grinned maliciously at Sam, who flinched away from the truth of the words. The demon had pinned him effectively.

But not his voice.

"Special words Bobby. Rememberspecial words." The little guy's eyes met his for a brief second and secret understanding passed between them.

Sam started reciting the ritual from the beginning. Bobby's clear, sweet voice chimed right in, echoing the words with perfect intonation.

"Oremus. Deus, et Pater Fomini nostri jesu Chrisi, invoco nomen sanctum tuum, et clementiam tuam supplex" In unison their voices combined, strengthened. The words marched on. Like poetry, they created an even cadence and stilled the atmosphere of the entire room.

The demon pushed Bobby down to stand in front of him, jerking him by his arm to stand when he almost fell. With his other hand, he clutched the boy's neck and lifted him off the ground, choking him.

Bobby kicked wildly and clawed at his neck. He still recited the words he knew would help. Within seconds they were falling silently from his lips, as his air was cut off.

"Stop it!" Annie's voice cut through the thickness in the room. All eyes turned to take her in. Her face was red with the hint of bruising to come, blood dripping from both sides of her lips and her nose. She glared at the demon and then gasped as she took in her brother's appearance. By now he was barely conscious.

"You. Need. To. Stop. It. Now!" She fell from the wall and landed on her hands and knees. She seemed surprised as she looked down at the floor and then glanced behind her at the wall. She glared at the demon, speaking in her low, growling voice again. "Leave. Him. Alone."

Larkin's hand was still tightened around Bobby's neck. She closed her eyes as if in agony and stumbled to her feet.

Larkin stumbled backwards. Annie took a shaky step forward. Larkin stepped back again. Yellow eyes narrowed in anger at the small woman who dared defy him.

Bobby dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. He looked at his sister, met her eyes.

She blinked. With sudden purpose, her shoulders squared and body tensed.

"Go to Sam, Bobby. Stay with him." She grinned at her brother. "Bobbyuse those special words, sweetie."

She glared again at Larkin as Bobby scrambled to climb into Sam's lap.

"You need to leave me and my brother alone." She all but screamed the words at the demon. "You need to leave Dean and Sam alone. Go back to hell."

Larkin laughed, simply, dangerously.

"Annabelle. Some things are not meant to stay in Hell." He gazed at her with a sneer. "I'd be back before you could blink."

"You can call me Annie. My mother was the only one who ever called me Annabelle." She paused, grimaced, then spoke firmly. "Hell might be too good for you. But you're still going."

She concentrated and closed her eyes. Blood started running from her nose and she wavered.

"God help me. I might not know all those fancy words, but I can still pray." Her voice broke, and still concentrating, she continued. "Please, Lord, send this demon back to hell and keep him from harming us again. I pray in Jesus' name, amen"

She opened her eyes and gazed in pity at the monster in front of her.

"You might come back, but you won't come near me or Bobby again." She shrugged tense muscles and tried to relax, still concentrating.

"You think your puny power can hold me, girl?" He sneered at her, in contrast to the sheen of sweat dotting his brow.

"Long enough . . . for their words to work . . . on you." She spoke painfully, haltingly. Suddenly, the background noise hummed to the foreground. In unison, three voices were carrying the words of the ritual across the room.

They became as one, and their words moved through the air, snaking over and around and causing an almost visible rift in the atmosphere. Dean fell to the ground in a heap. His shocked eyes found his brother's. Sam met his gaze steadily, even while speaking softly in Latin.

Annie stood in front of the demon, blood dripping more heavily from her nose as a look of pained concentration graced her features.

The pastor rose behind Larkin, still speaking steadily. He watched in fascination as Annie's powers held the demon in place and moved to stand closer. His words mixed more completely with Sam and Bobby's and a shift was felt, slight and electrifying, in the room.

The words had a life of their own.

Three voices.

Two with faith, one with innocence, and all with determination.

One believed in the power of the words as never before.

All felt the pull of the words as they neared the end of the ritual.

Sam held Bobby, speaking as one. Their eyes locked. And held.

The power of the words joined them together.

"Amen."

The end of the ritual.

All watched expectantly.

Andy moved closer to where Larkin's body stood heavily. The creature was hanging on to the earthly realm as only a powerful demon can.

"This is the end for you. Here. Now." He gazed with pity at the creature within Larkin. "The Word of God says that wherever two or more gather in his name in prayer, that prayer will be answered. We must pray . . ."

Bowing his head, he took a breath and opened his mouth to begin the simple, fervent prayer. In a flash of black mixed with golden energy, the demon escaped his human shell and interrupted the pastor before his prayer even began. The loud screaming radiated, throbbed within the black mist that rolled restlessly around the room. As the pastor picked up his prayer again, quiet words barely registered but whipped the lifelike mist into a frenzy, sending murky tentacles in every direction throughout the room.

Bobby and Sam flew through the air as their chair exploded against the arm of a whispy limb. Dean was thrown into the wall. Andy was tossed in the air and fell heavily to the floor. Annie stood her ground, blood streaking from her nose. Then she, too, fell in a heap on the floor.

As quickly as it attacked, the demon was gone, in a flash of blinding yellow light. His human host fell in a heap to the ground.

Bodies littered the floor, and they didn't move at all for a moment. Then . . .

One lone form rose. Small and silently, the child stood and walked slowly, carefully to the center of the room, his arm clutched tightly against his chest. His face bruised and mouth bloodied, the little one knew he still had work to do.

One lone voice rose, and the special words came forth. Blanketing the room in a soothing, invisible presence of pure goodness.

The ancient words were all there were.

A cleansing calm descended on the room. And the words moved gently along. Quiet became almost deafening, as in the foreground the special words lived.

The words breathed.

The words lived.

Were anyone to look, the child would have appeared above it all. He stood on the ground, but something about him seemed otherworldly.

Innocence.

Pure innocence.

Very rare.

Combined with an equally rare gift in a unique mind.

The special words poured forth.

And finally, much later, the words ceased and the lone figure floated to the floor.

He rested.

And in his mind, God held him and pulled him close as he dreamed the dreams of angels

I know there was a bunch of stuff happening...but go ahead and tell me - did you like it okay? Hope so

I'm rushing to post the re-edited bits of this so I can go ahead and start posting the edited bits of the sequel. Hoping to get all the way caught up to where I am writing...but we'll see. There is a benefit to being a bit ahead...SMILES

---Remember, reviews are like chocolate (who said that?????)

----Kat