Chapter 32
"You get the hell out of her, you son of a bitch" Dean growled as the demons mouth contorted into a grim smile. "I love it when you get feisty like that Dean" Ashley's retorted, her voice sounding different, stronger and more confident. Ashley pulled her wrists out of the restraints, standing up. She routed Dean to the spot with the wave of her hand, and began to slowly circle him. All three were stunned, not expecting this scenario when they entered the warehouse. Sam began to chant the incantation for a demon exorcism but suddenly Ashley raised her arms, pushing both Sam and Castiel to the wall with an invisible force. They were left suspended in mid-air, helpless. Dean furrowed his brow, trying to move.
"You're wondering how I got in here huh?" she asked, slowly circling Dean. "Those anti-possession tattoos are all well and good. That is until we get the chance to peel them off of your bones. You should have heard the screams" she told him grinning. Dean balled up his fists. He was powerless. The demon had him exactly where he wanted him. "You know, its cosy inside here, I don't think I wanna leave just yet" Ashley's voice filled the warehouse. "And the thoughts she had about you two. Wow if only you knew what goes through her head!"
"Just leave her out of his" Dean growled at her, "she has nothing to do with this. It's us that you want." Ashley leaned in close to Dean, putting one finger over his mouth. "You're right Dean; she hasn't got anything to do with this. But you make it so easy. I mean you bring it on yourself really. I mean you really didn't learn your lesson?" she shook her head. "You should know by now that if we can't get precious Sammy, we're going to go for the girl"
Sam felt himself suspended useless, watching the scene play out. He could see the pain in Dean's body language, the guilt was overpowering him. Castiel was likewise suspended, a couple of feet away from him. Sam noticed that he was trying to observe the demon, see how to deal with it no doubt. "Come on, I mean all the people we've had killed to hurt you two. Your mommy, your daddy. What with Joe and Ellen, Lisa and Ben, even dear old uncle Bobby, I'm surprised at your two boys. Don't you know that the less people you have surrounding your lives, the less people you have to hurt. And here you bring a sweet innocent girl into it." the demon explained, patting Dean's cheek. She then began to walk away from Dean, still routed on the spot. Making it's way over to Castiel it explained "ah now here's my favourite angel. Meet Ashley, the girl who didn't even know what you where, never mind where you were hiding. I still enjoyed torturing her for the information though" she added, winking at Sam. "Why are you doing this?" Castiel asked in a straightforward manner. Anger flicked across Ashley's face. "Why do you think Castiel? Did you really think that we wouldn't come back for revenge eventually?" Looking towards Dean she waved her fist, causing him to fly through the air, landing in a heap by her feet.
"She loves the power Dean, in fact she's begging me not to leave her" she stated, raising an eyebrow and pursing her lips. "It's all here, inside her head. Come on, ask me anything. I promise I won't lie" she retorted, winking at him. He was still on the floor, his whole body aching from the impact. Ashley leaned over his hunched body, grinning in a sinister fashion. "Fine, you don't want to find out what's really going on inside your girlfriends head. We'll make this short then shall we. Time for the real reason you're here. You killed hundreds of my brothers and sisters, Castiel over there made things worse when he showed up. So first, I'm going to strip this little princess limb from limb while you watch, since she's the most important person in your tiny little insignificant lives. And then, after that I'm going to kill you both, so Cas over there can watch me kill his two favourite pets. When I'm through with you two monkeys then I'm saving the best for last." Finishing her monologue she pulled out an angel blade from behind her, waving it about. "So any last words before I begin the show?" she asked, raising the angel blade above her head and then plunging it into Ashley's chest. "No!" Dean cried, fighting the invisible choke hold that the demon had over him. Dean tried to stand, to get to Ashley, as Sam began to recite the incantation again. Ashley was scarred now either way, but Sam didn't want her to suffer any longer than she had too.
Ashley laughed, however her throat began to tighten as she spat grey smoke from her mouth. "Enough" she shouted, raising one arm and closing her fist as if she were strangling an animal. Sam's airway became narrower, the words barely able to come out. He glanced at his brother, Dean needed to finish the incantation but he was visibly falling to pieces in front of Sam's eyes. Castiel saw the plea in Sam's eyes as he began to lose consciousness. He had not performed an exorcism in a long time, and was unsure whether he would get the words right, but as Sam was unfit to do so and Dean was falling apart he had no other choice. Finishing the exorcism, Ashley's body slumped to the floor as the demon discarded her. The chokehold that the demon had over both Sam and Castiel vanished and they both fell to the floor. Sam gasped for air as Dean stood up and ran over to Ashley, her shirt soaked in her own blood. After removing the angel blade he rocked her in his arms as he tried to stop the bleeding. Her eyes opened briefly, deep brown pools of emotion barring into him. "Dean," she whispered. He took one of her hands, cradling her face with the other. "I'm here" he told her, trying to keep his voice strong. "You're going to be ok" he told her as her breathing slowed. She smiled dreamily, her eyes closing once again. "Ashley? Ash?" Dean shouted. By this time Sam had recovered and had rushed over to the scene, kneeling beside his brother. "I can't find a pulse" Sam told his older brother, and they both turned to look at Cas. He looked bewildered, like he was a lost child. "What are you waiting for, do something" Dean shouted at him, bringing him out of his trance. Castiel leaned down, placing two of his fingers on her head. Immediately Ashley's chest started to rise and fall but her pulse was still weak. Castiel warned the two brothers "my healing powers aren't what they used to be, this might not hold." Dean managed to get the words out, "what do you mean, this might not hold?" he asked. But Castiel had vanished in front of both Sam and Dean's eyes, the warehouse now silent and empty.