Rating: M (language, violence)
A/N: Big thanks to Hannah (she kicks total ass as a beta!), and to Dora (love your thoughts!) and to everyone who has reviewed and encouraged me (Thanks to Jaby whose thoughts kept me focused, and to 'B' who continues to spoil me with praise - thank you!) :D
'Seven Nation Army'
"Ah, that's better."
Jo licked her sticky fingers clean, and brushed the remaining crumbs of pie from her shirt. Leaning forward, she deposited the plastic container in a plastic bag, and finished the last dregs of Dean's chocolate milkshake. Grinning happily, she put the plastic bag in the backseat, and released a content sigh.
Her stomach, swollen from having eaten so much food, protested against her jeans, and she pushed the waistband down until she felt comfortable. Jo gazed down at the sleepy town below. The scenic overlook they had stopped at was nicer than any of the ones she'd seen as a teenager – not that scenery had been an important factor when she was trying to loose her virginity in the back of a mini van with a boy who went by the name of 'Chad'.
Smiling sleepily at the twinkling lights, she waited patiently for Dean to return to the car. Jo wondered if he had finally managed to get a hold of Sam. Despite wanting nothing to do with the younger Winchester personally, she understood and supported Dean's desire to keep his brother out of trouble. While they had not spoken about Jo's limited interaction with his brother, she was curious as to whether Dean was aware of his sibling's extra curricular activities. Not that she would be the one to tell Dean about what she had seen in that abandoned house before she died – it wasn't her place – but by the angry snarl that itched at Dean's lips when ever she mentioned Ruby's name, Jo had no doubt Dean was more than aware of Sam's continued disobedience.
Propping a hand under her head, she hummed softly to herself while staring out at the sky through the windshield. Her eyes began to droop sleepily, and Jo relaxed into the leather seats lulled by the scent of apple pie and Dean's cologne.
A gunshot pierced the peaceful night air, and Jo snapped to attention. In one swift move, she had the glove box open, and she grabbed the weapon Dean had left her with. Peering out the window, she listened intently. A movement in the trees behind the car caught her attention; she took the safety lock off the 9mm Glock.
"Jo-" Dean staggered out of the thick forest lining the car park, and stumbled towards the car, clutching his blood stained chest. Jo cried out in surprise, hopping out of the car in a matter of seconds. He reached out for her, his eyes wide and panicked. "Jo, no-" His knees gave out and he fell harshly to the ground.
"Dean! Dean? What happened?" she demanded, while racing to his side. She dropped the gun clumsily to take his head in her hands. He turned his head towards her, and placed a bloody hand to her face. He reeked of sulphur.
"Run…" he moaned, blood spilling out of the corner of his mouth. He coughed, blood slapping against her panic stricken face. His hand fell back onto his chest.
Fingers shaking, heart pounding, Jo tilted his face slightly to the side to avoid him choking on his own fluids. He moaned in agony, his eyes closing briefly. "Dean? Oh my God, wha-" Jo was at a loss as to how to help him. 'Stop the bleeding!' the practical side of her brain screamed.
She gently lowered his head to the ground, and struggled to yank off her button down shirt quickly. Pressing the material to the gaping wound in his chest, she gasped when the shirt was soaked in seconds. His eyes started to roll to the back of his head, and more blood rolled sluggishly from his nose.
"Dean? Dean stay with me," she begged, trying to stop him from closing his eyes. His eyes flickered briefly, and she could see he was fighting to stay awake. "Dean, come on. Please don't go to sleep… stay with me. Please?"
"Need to… get out…" he coughed again, his fingers twitching with pain. Jo felt something warm and sticky seep into her jeans, and she realised with horror that he was bleeding out. "Leave me," he begged.
Jo shook her head, tears starting to prickle her eyes. He was so pale and his eyes were fluttering again. Holding back a sob, Jo swallowed her tears and forced herself to focus. "No, Dean. Come on - we've got to get you to a hospital." Holding the soaked shirt to his chest, she struggled to be careful and pull him to his feet. He moaned in pain, but there was no way she was going to leave him in the dirt to die. "I'm sorry, I can't leave you," she told him, trying to worm her arms under his back.
He moaned and shook his head. "No… go… not safe."
"Dammit Dean," Jo swore, her hands struggling to maintain a grip with all the blood sliding under her fingers. 'If I can just get him to the car, then he has a chance of making it,' she told herself, determination outweighing the fear in her bones. "I'm not leaving you. Come on!" She managed to get him to his knees, and used every ounce of strength she possessed to pull him heavily to his feet. He leant against her, nearly sending them toppling to the ground, and she panted from effort while dragging him towards the Impala.
Something in her stomach stirred, but Jo didn't have time to analyse the feeling. Each step was an effort, her fingers digging into his forearm painfully in an attempt to keep his arm around her shoulders. The car seemed miles away. She gritted her teeth, and bit back the unexpected flash of red-hot pain in her lower abdomen.
"Jo-"
"It's okay Dean, we're almost there. Just hold on." His legs dragged behind them uselessly, and all of his weight now encased her. Willpower forced her brain to work through the pain and continue. "Almost there," she moaned and finally, five long, painful steps later they reached the side of the Impala. They fell painfully against the side of the car groaning. Dean's eyes slid shut.
Panicking, Jo shouted his name, desperately trying to pin him to the side of the car with her own body, while she fumbled for the passenger door. She cried out when his head fell back limply. "Dean?" she shouted terrified.
The necklace around her neck started to tingle. 'Castiel!' Jo remembered the allusive Angel, and looked to the sky, and started to shout Castiel's name in vain. 'Where is a friggin' Angel when you need one?' she wondered, while screaming for help.
When no answer came, Jo realised how painfully alone she was. Despite what Castiel had said, no help was coming. 'Fine, I'll save him myself!' Resuming her earlier activities, she used her lower body to press Dean against the car, and she reached over to wrenched open the car door. She pulled Dean against her, and as she did so, his face crashed into her neck.
The stench of burning flesh distracted her momentarily from trying to guide him into the back seat. She looked down. Smoke slithered out from underneath Dean's face where it touched her silver necklace. Jo froze. She was suddenly hyper aware of the muscles clenching in her stomach.
Dean's eyes slid open, and oily black demonic eyes stared back at her.
"Oops!"
"No-" she cried in disbelief, untangling herself from him instantly. Instead of falling to his knees, he leant back against the car, and laughed at her horrified expression. "No!" Jo repeated, and continued to back away from the demon possessing Dean's body.
"I was this close," the demon crowed triumphantly. "Pretty good disguise, huh? Had you fooled for a second there, didn't I?"
"Wha-" The breath escaped her lungs. "What did you do to Dean?" The demon smiled smugly, his black eyes full of arrogance.
"What this?" He pulled his bloodstained shirt forward, and slapped the gaping wound in his chest. "This is just a flesh wound." He started to advance towards her. Jo's eyes darted around, desperate for an escape plan.
A burning sensation gripped her stomach, but the fear over ruled the pain, and her mind constructed possible scenarios of the forth-coming attack. 'The gun! Where's the freakin' gun?' Jo wondered, glancing around for the Glock she had dropped carelessly. "Stay back!" she warned, still retreating from the demon. He continued to stalk towards her, his steps slow and deliberate.
"Or what? You'll call for help? You gonna sic one of your Angels on me?" He reached out to take a swipe at her, but she sidestepped him. "Clever," he taunted and made another swipe for her. Jo ducked under his arm in time and took another step back. "Did your boyfriend teach you that move?" He continued, his fist clenching and unclenching. "Did Deanie Beanie take the time out of his busy schedule of saving the world to teach his girlfriend a thing or two about fighting demons?"
"He didn't need too," Jo retorted, side stepping another one of his attacks. "Demons are such a low threat that I learnt all I needed to watching Bugs Bunny."
The demon grinned, the smile twisted and full of menace. It stole the breath from her lungs to realise the same face had grinned boyishly at her that morning. They started to walk in circles, dirt kicking up into the air from their frenzied steps, until Jo finally spotted the abandoned Glock over his shoulder. She glanced at the demon, trying to determine his next move, and paced her steps out until she could turn and make a run for it.
"Aw, it's so cute when you talk all tough. But let us not forget that we killed you once, so be a good girl and stay dead this time." He lunged towards her. Jo saw her opportunity and ran towards him. At the last second, she faked left and darted to the right. She sprinted towards the gun.
"Not so fast, beautiful," he snarled, appearing beside the gun just as she reached it. He clocked her in the face, and she stumbled backwards, while he kicked the gun off into the trees.
Hand resting over the stinging mark now imprinted on her check bone, Jo started to back away towards the Impala. She knew she'd never make it, but she wasn't about to meekly lie down in front of the demon and admit defeat. Fear gripped her heart, he prepared to strike at her again, and she lifted her leg in response. Jo barely felt her boot brush across his knee before she heard a sharp crack.
"Fuck!" the demon snarled, clutching his now broken kneecap in agony. He struggled to keep himself upright, and he glared at her while balancing all his weight on one leg. "You're stronger than Lilith said you'd be."
The demon's revelation barely registered in her head as Jo struggled not to moan in pain. The burning commotion in her stomach intensified the minute she had struck the demon; it was unlike anything she had experienced before. The pain seeped it's way into her nervous system, a pins and needles like sensation lacerating her arms and legs - Jo wondered oddly if she was about to have a heart attack.
The demon possessing Dean's body charged towards her with a deep cry. Instinctively, she raised her arm to evade his fists, and her foot connected with his stomach. The demon cried out in surprise as he was launched backwards into a tree several meters behind him. The massive tree trunk snapped in half due to the force of the impact, and the demon fell messily to the ground.
He didn't move.
Panting around the receding pain in her stomach, Jo quickly darted to the Glock, and snatched up the gun. Her hands shook as she crept towards the slumped demon. Exhaustion replaced pain, and she blinked sluggishly; it was a battle just to keep upright.
"Get up!" Jo instructed the demon, the shaking in her limbs increasing. Blood continued to ooze from beneath Dean's motionless body. His eyes, no longer black, stared unseeingly at the aging pine needles beneath his face. "Now!" she shouted hysterically. 'Oh my God, I killed him. I killed Dean. Oh my God.'
Falling to her knees, she used the gun's muzzle to push at his shoulder. He rolled limply, like a rag doll, onto his back. Jo heard a muffled screaming in the distance, and it wasn't until she lowered her blood soaked hand from her mouth that Jo realized she was the one screaming.
She shut her mouth, the sound tangling itself in her throat, and she touched his face. "Dean?" she whimpered. "Dean, wake up." Rational thought abandoned her; she began to shake his battered and lifeless body. "Dean… no… not you… not now… come on… Dean! DEAN!"
Footsteps thundered behind her. Submerged in grief, Jo turned, tears streaming down her face, and trained the gun on the two figures exploding from the trees.
***
When the light faded behind his eyelids Dean opened his eyes. He looked up curiously at Castiel, who suddenly took hold of his collar, and jerked him to his feet. Annoyed, Dean glared at Castiel for pushing him around, until he spied the red headed demon on the forest floor. It was clear by the gaping black holes where her eyes should be, that she was dead.
Dean turned to congratulate Castiel, when he realised the Angel was saying something. Dean shook his head, his ears still ringing from Castiel's earlier actions, and tried to make out the muffled words. "Cas, I can't hear you!" Dean shouted over the ringing in his ears.
Castiel's mouth continued to move franticly, and it wasn't until a piece of spit hit him in the face that Dean realised the Angel was shouting. Dean was stunned, he couldn't recall the Angel ever raising his voice, let alone looking as furious as he did at that moment. Dean tried to focus on Castiel's mouth, trying in vain to read what he was shouting, until his lips formed one word he recognised.
"….Joanna?"
Realisation smacked Dean with the force of a Mac truck. 'Shit! Jo! I left her in the car! Shit! Shit! Shit!' Dean sprinted down the hill. Stray, low hanging branches snapped at his face, but he barely noticed them in his desperation to reach the blonde haired hunter. He cursed himself for his incompetence, while leaping over a rotting stump. He couldn't believe he was stupid enough to leave her unattended, and silently vowed to rip every demon to pieces that dared touch her.
His imagination projected possible outcomes he would find upon reaching the car. No amount of self-loathing and torture would be punishment enough if he found her in a pool of her own blood. Dean barely noticed that Castiel was running swiftly beside him, until the edge of Castiel's trench coat whipped the side of his leg. He wondered oddly why the Angel didn't just zap them to the car.
"DEAN!"
"Jo!" Dean's hearing returned with a burst of clarity, and his legs propelled him faster down the track. He burst through the trees, his eyes wide, and he spied the empty Impala with the doors open.
Castiel's hand grasped his shoulder, and twisted him towards the direction the Angel was facing. Dean shook the trench coat clad hand off his shoulder when he spotted Jo, drenched in blood, aiming a shaking gun towards them. "Jo!" he hollered and sprinted towards her.
His lungs deflated when he noticed her eyes widen in fear, and he realised she wasn't alone. A suspiciously familiar body lay crumbled by her feet. Dean stopped running and slid to a stop. It was an exact replica of his body – only dead.
She pulled the trigger.
Castiel yanked the Winchester sideways, seconds before the bullet tore through the space he had been occupying. Dean raised his arms in defence. His eyes narrowed; her hand was clamped over her stomach protectively, while her other hand aimed the gun at his head. Beside him, Castiel stilled his movements. Her eyes darted towards Castiel, and she turned and aimed the gun at the Angel.
"Get back!" she shouted, her tone indicating she was petrified and panic-stricken.
"Joanna, are you hurt?" Castiel asked gently.
Dean's eyes trailed over her body, analysing the disturbing amount of blood saturating her jeans, her tank top, her bare arms and finally, the blood streaks and splatters across her face. Even his well-trained eyes couldn't determine if she was actually injured or if the blood came from his doppelganger.
"Jo, it's me… are you hurt?" Dean tested, holding his hands up to show he wasn't going to hurt her. The arm aiming the gun at Castiel began to droop with fatigue, and Jo's uncertain eyes flicked from Dean's face to the impostor on the forest floor. "Jo, speak to me. Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"
"We have to leave, Dean. It isn't safe here," Castiel spoke up, glancing around the empty car park with an apprehensive gaze.
Dean glared at him. "Shut up," he hissed at the oblivious Angel. "Can't you see she's freaking out?" Dean turned back towards Jo; he knelt slowly in front of her. "Jo, it's ok. I promise. No one's going to hurt you. I just need to know that it's not your blood."
Jo didn't answer. She dropped her gaze down to her clothes, and as soon as her attention was diverted, Dean launched himself forward, and snatched the gun out of her hands. She reacted how he anticipated, however her resistance was surprisingly half-hearted and sluggish. She screamed in his already sensitive ears, squirming in his restraining arms, but she remained imprisoned against his chest.
"Jo, it's ok. I got you," he assured her, distributing his weight accordingly so that he could pull her onto his lap. She wiggled, trying to slide free, but her emotional state made it impossible for her actions to have any real impact. "Cas, take the gun."
Castiel did as he was instructed, and took the gun out of Dean's hand, and placed the safety lock back on. Hand now free, Dean pulled Jo tighter and let out a huff to clear her hair away from his mouth. "Lemme go," she whined, still fighting him uselessly. "Lemme go."
Dean didn't release his hold; he couldn't risk her escaping and bolting into the forest where she would probably hurt herself. "It's alright, Jo. I got you. You're safe now," he promised her. "It wasn't me. I'm ok. It was just a demon fucking with you. It's over now."
Her wiggling abruptly changed to trembling, and he detected her submission when she slumped against his chest. He buried his head into her shoulder, rocking her gently as her grief filled sobs penetrated the night. Her hands clenched franticly at his shirt, and he loosened one of his arms so that he could run a soothing hand through her hair. "It's ok," he repeated in her ear. "I got you."
Dean continued to sooth her, looking up only when he heard Castiel move around him. He watched the Angel bend over the fake Dean and roll him onto his stomach. Dean scrunched his face up at the sight of an exposed vertebra.
Jo's sobs subsided, and he slowly loosened his arms. He leaned backwards to push the hair away from her face. "Dean?" she whispered, her eyes staring at him vulnerably.
He nodded, and used his thumb to wipe away blood and tears from her eyes. "Did he hurt you?" he asked gently.
She shook her head, and shakily started to pull away from him. He eyed her warily, unsure if she was about to freak out on him again - but she merely climbed to her feet with unsteady legs. Dean quickly stood, keeping a steady hand at the small of her back in case her legs gave out. "I'm sorry," she mumbled embarrassed, wiping away tears and blood from her face with the back of her hand. "I thought I killed you," she admitted, looking at her feet ashamed by her emotional outburst.
"You did," Castiel announced bluntly, standing up after inspecting the body. "The spine is completely crushed and severed."
Jo gasped, and Dean shot Castiel a reprimanding glare. "Thank you Mr Sensitivity," he lectured. "And Sam says I'm a jerk." He ignored the Angels confused expression, and turned his attention back to Jo. She was staring at his carbon copy.
"I-I don't know what happened," Jo admitted quietly, her hands rubbing absently at her exposed arms. Dean immediately shucked off his jacket, and wrapped it around her. She barely acknowledged him as he forced her hands into the armholes.
"It was probably the-" Castiel cut himself off; he tilted his head towards the sky and closed his eyes. Dean raised a questioning eyebrow. Castiel's eyes flew open and he stared at Dean. "We need to leave, we're being observed."
"By who?" Dean asked, his eyes already on the tree line. He pulled Jo closer to his side subconsciously, and felt her stiffen. The muscles in her back clenched, and he glanced down to discover her hand was gripping her stomach again. "What's wrong with your stomach?" he asked concerned. 'Is it just my imagination or did she just gain a couple of pounds in a matter of minutes?'
Jo looked up at him, surprised by his question. "I-" Without warning Jo bent over in pain, her arms winding around her stomach. "Oh God, it hurts," she moaned.
Castiel whirled around at the sound of her painful whine. Without warning he seized Jo's arm, threw it over his shoulder, and scooped her up into a fireman's lift. Jo cried out in surprise, and tossed a panicked look at Dean as Castiel strode towards the Impala. "Hey!" Dean cried out angrily, and chased after the Angel. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Put her down!Cas! Put her down now!"
"I'm not the one you should be worried about," Castiel remarked mysteriously, and pulled Jo to his chest tightly. Dean swore angrily, and ran to keep up with him.
"I'm serious Castiel, let her go or it'll be the last thing you do!" Dean demanded grabbing the Angels' shoulder. Castiel ignored him, wrenching his shoulder out of Dean's grip, and continued to advance towards the passenger side of the Impala. Dean could only watch infuriated as Castiel placed her gently in the front seat. "What are-"
"Head to Fort Collins," Castiel instructed him calmly. He stood up, and slammed the car door shut. "Drive as fast as you can. Don't stop unless it's necessary. Keep a low profile and remain vigilant."
"What about Jo? She's-"
"The pain will recede as soon as you are clear of the demonic activity."
"What? Cas-"
"Do not fight me on this, Dean!" Castiel insisted with an anxious expression staining his face. "I know you want answers, and I will give them to you when the time is right -but for now you must do as I say. Keep her safe, Dean. Nothing is more important than their survival."
"Whose 'they'?"
"Dean!"
"What?" Dean barked with an insolent glare. Castiel looked livid. He narrowed his eyes, and Dean could tell he was mentally willing him to fall into line and obey his order. But Dean had, had enough of being pushed around. "You can't keep doing this Cas! I need to know what is going on, and I need to know now!"
"Dean-" The sound of Jo's whimper broke Dean's concentration, and he glanced at her through the window. She was hunched over, rocking back and forth in pain. Setting his face with a determined scowl, Dean pointed a warning finger at Castiel, before abruptly turning, and rushing to the driver's side. He started the engine with a growl.
With a vow to give Castiel a piece of his mind the next time they met, Dean squealed out of the parking lot, and hurtled back down the road towards the highway. In the rear vision mirror Dean caught sight of lightning, and was tempted to turn around. As furious as he was with Castiel for the constant cryptic orders and frequent absence, he did fear for the Angels safety.
"You were right, leaving the cabin was a bad idea," Jo admitted softly beside him.
***
"Anything outside?"
Ruby entered the small bathroom shaking her head. "Nope - just a bunch of firewood. I couldn't find any sign of Dean."
"Maybe we have the wrong place?" Sam mused out loud. He picked up a pair of jeans off the bathroom floor. His brother owned a similar pair that had the exact same, badly stitched up, hole on the left thigh. However the last time he checked, his brother's jeans didn't smell like they were covered in vomit.
Sam dropped the jeans back on the floor in disgust. He stepped around Ruby and headed back in the bedroom. A blue flannel shirt lay scrunched up on the edge of the bed, and a pair of women's briefs peeked out from under a wet towel on the floor.
He frowned. While nothing substantial proved his brother's identity in the cabin, Sam was convinced his brother had been living there for the last week. He walked towards the window and spied a thick line of salt. It was the same rock salt he had to kick aside to allow Ruby access through the front door.
The demon in question was eyeing the wooden cross on the wall above the bed. When she realised Sam was watching her she shrugged, and headed into the main room. "Maybe they'll be back," she called out.
Sam screwed his face up in thought, and joined her in the main room. A pair of jeans and a tank top lay slung over a chair in front of a long cold fireplace, and an errant blue sock sat on an armchair. Ruby was sniffing the tin of opened peaches on the kitchen counter. "Eww," she exclaimed, and put the peaches down.
"They can't have gone far," Sam said glancing around the room. "If Dean had taken off he wouldn't have left so much stuff behind."
"Since when has your brother been Mr. Clean?"
"Dean doesn't leave weaponry behind," Sam replied. His eyes roamed the bags on the table. "Not if he can help it."
"Well then maybe he went out to get some food," Ruby remarked with a raised eyebrow. "Speaking of which, I am starving. We drove all night to get here. If we head to the nearest town we might find him there."
Sam bit his lip. He was hungry and if Dean didn't plan on returning then he really was wasting his time. Still, he didn't want to run the risk of missing Dean if they left the small cabin. "You go - I'll wait here," he finally decided.
"Sam-" Ruby started to protest, but he waved her off.
"I'm staying here." Sam insisted stubbornly.
Ruby rolled her eyes and crossed her arms defensively. Sam noticed that her pouting had increased significantly since Dean returned from Hell. "Fine. It's your funeral," She grumbled and headed for the door. "Do you want me to bring you something back?"
"Yeah, whatever's easy," Sam agreed, distracted. He rummaged through the weapons bag until his hands froze over a small knife. He recognised it instantly. It was the first hunting knife their father had given Dean for Christmas. He smiled and showed the discovery to Ruby, but she was already gone. Sam heard the distinct sound of the SUV speeding down the driveway.
Sam was positive he was closer to finding his brother. Feeling the weight in his chest lighten significantly, he conducted yet another inspection of the cabin. It was while he was inspecting the closet in the bedroom that Sam realised he had accidentally left his cell phone in the SUV with Ruby. He shrugged. He could always check his messages when Ruby returned.
***
"And you're sure?" Lilith questioned the demon bowing before her. The young girl nodded franticly, her small black eyes quickly glancing up at her before falling back to the floor submissively.
"I saw the whole thing. Asmoday was killed upon impact with the tree, but she barely touched him."
Lilith smiled, her dimples showing. She was delighted by the news. 'Finally, someone who can follow a simple order,' she thought smugly. "Excellent," she praised the girl, patting her on the head. "Lucifer will be pleased."
The girl raised her head and beamed. "Anything for our father," she said, her pale cheeks growing pink with pride. "Is there anything else I can do to assist you?"
"That's all for now," Lilith responded and waved her hand. "You're dismissed." The girl seemed disappointed that her services were no longer needed, but she climbed to her feet obediently and rushed out of the room.
"I think she just about peed her pants with glee," Ruby spoke up, pushing herself away from the wall with her heel. "I think she'd chop off her head if you asked her to."
Lilith frowned at the brunette demon. "Too bad some of my recruits aren't as eager to follow orders."
Ruby smiled, "I'm here aren't I?"
"It took you long enough," Lilith reminded her and took a seat in the velvet-covered armchair. Beside her a tower of frosted cupcakes adored the table, as well as a tall crystal wine glass filled with the blood of a newborn. Lilith smiled and ran her index finger over one of the chocolate flavoured cupcakes, and brought the frosting covered finger to her mouth. She sucked her finger and moaned delighted. She was going to miss sugar when Lucifer burned the earth to the ground. 'Maybe I could convince him to spare a single bakery for all my hard work?'
"You knew I was humouring Sam with his search for his brother. A whiney determined Winchester is no use to me, not when I need his inner emo to come out in order to activate his powers," Ruby explained.
Lilith shrugged, and leant over to pick up her wine glass. She sniffed the contents and allowed an orgasm like shudder to run through her body. "You know if I was the demanding kind of boss everyone fears I am, than I might say you're wasting a gross amount of time with your pet. If it wasn't for Lucifers wishes that Sam be his little General in charge of the siege on earth, than I would have put an end to that oversized monkey years ago."
"Well I guess it's a good thing Sam has friends in higher places then," Ruby quipped.
Lilith raised her delicate eyebrow. "Careful Ruby, I wouldn't want you to forget your place – you are growing a little too big for those designer boots of yours."
Ruby's gaze immediately dropped to the floor, and Lilith suspected that it was out of habit rather than actual obedience. She sighed. She resented the day Lucifer had chosen the cocky, headstrong demon to be a part of his master plans. Lilith didn't like to compete for her father's attention, and she'd be dammed (so to speak) if she were going to be pushed aside for a human loving, French fry obsessing, ugly- "Forgive me," Ruby mumbled, interrupting her thoughts. "I was out of line."
"Yes, well, isn't everyone these days," Lilith grumbled. She flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulders. She was due for a new vessel; the one she was wearing was starting to tire from the constant globetrotting. "That's the problem with your generation – you grew up thinking the world was your oyster instead of working hard to earn your place. In my day we had to work for our virgin sacrifices – now you all just pop into any old body, have your way with a few carcasses and then leave a big mess… and for what? Does anyone remember your name? Does anyone fear your wrath? Do children lay awake in fear of your presence? No. Lucifer is just going to hand you kids the world on a platter and tell you to mind your manners," Lilith snarled and took a long sip of her drink.
Ruby was picking at something under her fingernails. Irritated by her lack of respect, Lilith stood and resisted the urge to rip the younger demon's face off. 'Wouldn't be so smug if you were stuck with no face for eternity, now would you?' Lilith thought bitterly. "I should probably go," Ruby spoke up, dropping her arm unimpressed.
Ignoring her completely, Lilith replenished her wine glass. "Speaking of kids," she said turning around to look at Ruby. "Now that we know for sure that the Harvelle girl is pregnant with the prophesised child I can move forward with my plan. Your job will continue as normal; distract Sam - keep him separated from his brother. Make him think Dean's ashamed of him and let him focus on trying to kill me. I need that wedge to be driven a little deeper between those brothers so that my plan will succeed."
"About that," Ruby said raising her eyes, and met Lilith's eyes confidently. "I had a thought."
Lilith rolled her eyes. "Really? I know that must be uncommon for you."
Ruby refused to be baited by Lilith's words and squared her shoulders defensively. "I know you're planning to attack Dean and steal the baby in order to bring it to Lucifer, but obviously that's going to be difficult even without Sam in the picture-"
"You think I'm scared of a couple of human hugging Angels?" Lilith challenged. "Please! I have met scarier kittens than Castiel."
Ruby tried to hide her disbelief, but Lilith spotted the slight quirk in her eyebrow and frowned. "Of course," Ruby acknowledged. "But I thought that maybe, you might consider an alternative option? One that would require little casualties on our side, but still accomplish the same goal."
"Ruby, I don't have all day – spit it out or get out."
"Let me do it," she pleaded. "Let me bring you the child."
Thoughts? Questions? Threats? :D I love reading your responses!