Chapter 14

I felt an arm snake around my waist and pull me backwards. I spun and faced Azrael and glared at him.

"You're lucky it's you," I snapped.

"Why do you think they sent me?" he shrugged.

"I'm not going out there," I said. "And I'm not going to interfere."
"Well, I have to be here," he glanced around the room we were in. "They have holy water, salt, there's no way that the others are getting in here."
"Why do you think that they decided to possess the corpse?" I nodded in the direction of Bobby who was trying to restrain Tamara.

"Oh that's pretty low, bringing up that traumatic event that turned them into hunters," Azrael sighed.
"You know about it?" I was curious.
"It wasn't pretty," Azrael explained. "I was there personally because a child was involved."

"They were attacked," I listened partially to Isaac's pleas for Tamara to let him into the house.

"They were savaged," Azrael briefly closed his eyes. "She was a sweet child. But it is the way that things go. It was enough to make them the way that they are now."

I perched on a table while we waited for the whole thing to unfold.

Isaac's tone changed as he realized that the hunters weren't falling for the ruse. So, he pulled out the only card left. A woman's grief and rage at not only losing her child but also her husband.

"I guess that's what you do isn't it dear? Like that night when those things came to our house? Came for our daughter? You just let her die too!" the demon goaded.

"You son of a bitch!" Tamara screamed as she pulled open the door and broke the line of salt.

Bobby couldn't stop her, "Tamara no!" he yelled, as she rolled down the steps with the corpse. I caught a glimpse of her staking the corpse with the Palo Santo. Then the remaining five ran into the house. Azrael nodded as he moved in the direction of one of them and I followed Dean as he tried to evade Lust. She managed to get to the flask of holy water away from him and he backed into a room. I could hear Bobby beginning an exorcism rite downstairs so I knew that he was safe. I managed to get behind Dean and blew in his ear for I knew that would be enough to keep him clear headed.

"I suppose you're lust," Dean said.

"Baby I'm whatever you want me to be," she responded.

"All right, just stay back," Dean warned.

"Or what?" she challenged.

"Good point," Dean answered.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she promised. "Not yet," she placed her hand on his shoulder and infected him, "not unless you want me to."

Dean kissed her. I was impressed because I could sense that he had remained focused. I saw that we were in a bathroom, but I couldn't leave just yet. I had make certain he was safe and I figured that the others wouldn't hurt Sam. Dean managed to get her over to the tub filled with holy water. He shoved her head beneath the surface of the water while she screamed.

I sensed that Sam was in danger and quickly crossed to where he was in the process of being beaten up by the three remaining demons. I was surprised, but Azrael grabbed my arm and shook his head and I realized why he had stopped me. Ruby had entered the room as well. She unsheathed her blade and slashed the first demon, then, the second turned and recognized her.

"You!" the demon screamed and punched Ruby in the face.

Ruby fought back and managed to stab her with the blade. The demon, which had Sam in a chokehold, released him to attack Ruby. Sam grabbed him from behind, giving Ruby enough time to stab him through the jaw. The demons were all dead on the floor.

"Who the hell are you?" Sam demanded.

"I'm the girl who just saved your ass," Ruby replied.

"Well I just saved yours too," Sam retorted.

"See you around Sam," she told him as walked out the room.

"Wait!" Sam called as ran out of the room. But by that time Ruby had already vanished.

I turned and looked at Azrael who shrugged in reply. Ruby didn't have to interfere so part of her plan included Sam and that made me uneasy.

The sun peaked into the house and the hunters began the process of cleaning up the wreckage left behind. Bobby finished his exorcisms and there were two people left alive out of the seven who had been possessed. Tamara wrapped her husband's body and prepared to burn him. Sam and Dean dug a large trench to put the other bodies. They had to be burnt as well. Bobby came up to them and they were locked in conversation.

I sat by a tree and watched them while Azrael sat beside me.

"The seven were onboard initially with the plan," he told me.

"But now that Azazel's dead, they were no longer into it?" I guessed.

"There are going to be some of them who will attempt to kill him," Azrael rested his head against the tree trunk.

"I guess that's why we're here," Sammael replied as she joined us.

"They're trying to figure out who Ruby is and they're asking about the knife," Micah stated as he threw himself down on the ground.

"Where's Michael?" I asked.

"He's gone to see how the other groups are faring in this battle," Micah explained. "He took Raphael with him."

I chuckled. "What about their souls?" I asked Azrael.

"They go to Limbo to be sorted," Sammael answered for him. "It's pretty hard considering that they were possessed and had no way to redeem themselves before they were killed."

"That knife," Micah frowned.

"It probably came from Hell's Market Place," I suggested.

"And if it didn't?" Sammael grew somber.

"Well," Azrael smiled coldly, "Ruby better hope and pray that we don't find out."

"That knife isn't something that we would carry," I was puzzled.

"You'd be surprised at the weapons we carry these days, Denri," Micah said.

"Oh?" the thought hadn't occurred to me that the knife might belong to an angel.

Sam's voice brought my attention to what they were saying.

"If you want a troubling question I got one for you," he said.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"If we let out the seven deadly sins, what else did we let out?"

"You're right," Dean replied as he looked down at the bodies. "That is troubling." He struck the matches and threw them into the trench. The flames licked the air as that bodies burned.

When everything was finished we waited as they left. Tamara grabbed her bag and headed for her car.

"See you gents around," she told them.

"Tamara," Bobby called to her. "The world just got a whole lot scarier, be careful."

"You too," she said as she opened the car door and got in to drive off.

Bobby returned his attention to the boys.

"Keep your eyes peeled for omens," he told them. "I'll do the same."

"You got it," Dean said.

Bobby started to walk away from them.

"Hey Bobby," Sam stopped him. "We can win this war can we?" Sam asked.

Bobby stared at him in silence and I was curious to hear his answer. He simply said, "Catch you on the next one," and walked away. He got into his car and drove off.

Azrael nudged me and we got up and walked away from the house. Sammael and Micah followed us on our walk down the path.

"They're in for it," Azrael said at last.

"We help them when we can," I replied.

"How much help can we give them?" Sammael argued. "Face it, our hands are seriously tied."

"It is the way that it has to be," Micah reasoned. "They are in charge of their own fate. It's their choice."

"Yes, well," I muttered.

I sensed something and I stopped. I felt that I was being called and it wasn't on the telephone.

"I'll catch up with you three," I said.

I traveled to where he was leaning against the car. I walked up to him.

"Bobby?" I asked.

"That was close," he stared at me.
"Yes," I nodded. "But you managed to get through it."

"That chick with the blade?" Bobby asked.

"Today she helped," I shrugged.
"What is she after?" Bobby demanded.
"I don't know," I replied.

"Kelsey," Bobby shook his head.
"I'm being truthful," I insisted. "I don't know what she's up to. And until I know I can't make a move against her."

"How did Dean manage to defeat Lust?" Bobby narrowed his gaze.
I shrugged. "Well we all know that Dean pretty much is on intimate terms with lust. It's not something that he can't handle," I grinned.

"Of course a little help from an angel didn't hurt," Bobby surmised.

"Bobby," I gasped.

The Impala drove up and stopped. Both Sam and Dean got out of the car.

"You've been here?" Dean demanded.

"Well, hello to you too," I remarked.

"Very funny," Sam said bemusedly. "We had a bit of help."
"Yes," I nodded. "Bobby told me."
"Um, speaking of which," Bobby looked at me. "The Colt has to be fixed."

"So, fix it," I told him.

"It would help," Bobby frowned.

"I can't help with that gun Bobby," I said.

"We'll continue this conversation another time," Bobby nodded.

Dean frowned, "Uh, there are times when I swear that you two are more complicated than Dad."

"Just sometimes?" Sam chimed in.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Nothing," Dean grinned.
"Hmm, Sam's not caving to you anymore?" I guessed.

"Yeah," Sam stared at the ground. "Look we're headed out. We'll catch up with you."
"Got my phone," I told him.

Dean nodded and got back in the car. They drove off.

"Kelsey," Bobby stood straighter.
"I can't help with that gun," I told him. "It's bad enough the amount of damage that it did."

"But it's an advantage that we need," Bobby argued.
"Then, you shall have to figure it out," I said.

"Kelsey, you need to help me," Bobby reasoned.
"I can't," I pleaded. "Please don't ask me what I can't do."

"You've got to let go of guilt at some point," Bobby shook his head.

"I don't feel guilt," I said defensively.

"Yeah, well as my grandmother used to say, 'pigs may fly but they make unlikely birds'!" Bobby refuted.

I sighed. "Look, I'll tell you how to fix it. But I can't actually fix it." I compromised.

"Well, that's better than nothing," Bobby acquiesced. "See you soon?"
"Sure," I muttered.

I watched as the car drove off and waited for the others to join me. I heard the rumble of the truck as Azrael pulled up beside me.
"We have another place to check out," he said.

"I know," I agreed as I pulled open the door and got in beside Sammael.

"I can't wait to meet them," she sighed.

Azrael stared out of the window until he could regain his composure.
"You know," Sammael commented. "You're really a lot of fun. I don't know why they keep painting you as grim."

I stared at the ceiling of the truck as Azrael put it in gear and drove off down the highway. I saw that Micah was stretched out in the back simply relishing the sunlight.