Evan had driven the rest of the night to get back to Sioux Falls before Jamie woke up from her drug-induced sleep. When he finally got to Bobby's house, it was coming up seven in the morning. He pulled the grey Toyota in beside the black Impala before jumping out of the car and running around to the passenger's side to carry Jamie out.
Her hair was damp from being in the rain he her clothes were still slightly soaked and really muddy from their fight on the street. Evan carried her bridal style up the porch steps and in through the door. Dean, Sam, and Bobby all lifted their heads from whatever books they were reading in the study. "Hey, guys." Evan greeted them with a small smile as Sam and Dean approached.
"What happened to you?" Dean asked, taking in Evan's bruised and slightly bloody face–not to mention him and Jamie's soaked attire and damp hair.
Evan shrugged and jerked his head down to the girl in his arms. "She did."
Dean felt a sense of pride knowing the kid had some fight in her when it came to getting captured. He'd remembered when he tried to say 'yes' and Cas tried to stop him, the angel kicked his ass six ways to Sunday. But seeing Evan beat up made him wonder how Jamie was the unconscious one. "How'd you get the drop on her then?"
"Roofies." Evan answered matter-of-factly. The brothers and Bobby all raised their eyebrows. "Yeah, yeah, bitch at me later. Right now we need to get her somewhere secure before she wakes up and kicks my ass some more."
"Why'd she even try to run?" Bobby asked. "Where'd she expect to go? Mexico?"
"She was headed East." Evan replied. "She was going to go say 'yes'."
Sam, Dean, and Bobby all exchanged weary looks. "Why the hell would she do that?" Dean demanded.
Evan's eyes darted to Sam then. "You didn't tell him?"
"Tell me what?" Dean asked.
Sam winced and Evan's eyes widened. "Oh..."
"Sam, what's he talking about?"
"I'm gonna go put Jamie down in the panic room." Evan said quickly before exiting the room to go down in the basement. He took longer than necessary as he gently set her down on the cot in the middle of the panic room. He then tore his partially dried grey hoodie he had underneath his leather jacket and covered her upper body. He heard yelling coming from upstairs and decided against going back up there, instead sat down in the chair beside the cot.
After a few minutes, sleep succumbed the teenage boy and he found himself curled onto the chair passed out. The long drives without any sleep finally caught up to him.
Meanwhile, Jamie slowly began to stir, the roofies' effect having worn off. Her eyes blinked open and she slowly sat up. She took in her surroundings and recognized it as the panic room back at Bobby's. "Great..." She muttered under her breath. As she did a once-over of the room, she found Evan asleep on he chair in the corner. What was he doing here? Last she remembered she'd been getting a ride from him to get to Cleveland. She should've known not to trust that he would follow through with delivering her to her death. But how had she been asleep for that long? ...the flask. Dammit.
Just then, Sam walked in through the door of the panic room. The memories of the younger Winchester's phone conversation with Bobby sprung back to Jamie's mind and she glared at him. "Hey," He greeted awkwardly. "You're awake."
"No thanks to you." She muttered bitterly.
"Look, I know you're upset-"
"Save it and get me the hell out of here."
Sam frowned. "You know I can't do that."
She turned away and let out a humorless laugh. "Why not? You're the one who wants to say 'yes' to Lucifer, not me!"
"I don't want to say 'yes' to Lucifer."
"Oh, so you weren't just talking to Bobby about it last night? That was all just a bad dream?" She retorted. Sam opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "If you're not here to let me out, what the hell do you want?"
"We got a lead on Pestilence and Cas is back."
Jamie's head snapped up at that. "Cas? He's alive?"
"Yeah, barely." Sam answered. "He's at some hospital."
"Okay, well, are you gonna go get him?"
"No, we're, uh, planning to go gank Pestilence before we go get him. He still needs time to heal, I guess."
"So, why are you down here telling me all this?" She prompted.
"I just, I thought you'd want to come and help..."
She scoffed. "For what? We get all four Horsemen's rings so you can say 'yes' to Lucifer and jump in the Cage?"
"Yes!" Sam exclaimed. "This is the only way we can defeat Lucifer, Jamie!"
"No, it isn't!"
"And what's your better option, huh? Saying 'yes' to Haniel and letting the Apocalypse happen?"
"If I can get Haniel to help us, she can help Michael kill Lucifer before he ever gets his hands on you or Dean." She explained. "This isn't the Apocalypse, this is me stopping it."
"That's not your responsibility."
"And it's not yours either."
"Yes, it is." Sam stated. "I released Lucifer, I have to put him back where he came from."
Jamie shook her head. "Then I'm sorry. I can't be apart of that suicide attempt."
"Jamie-"
"Just...leave."
Sam didn't immediately leave at first. He stood off to the side and tried to figure out a way to convince her. "I know that you think everyone in your life wants to leave you, abandon you. But Jamie, that's not what I want for you. I'm doing this so that you don't have to say 'yes'. So that you can live a better life. A life without monsters and angels and demons." He explained. Jamie remained silent as she stared down at the floor, unable to meet his eyes as he spoke. Sam took a deep breath before speaking again. "Dean and I are leaving in four hours if you want to come." And with that, Sam walked out the panic room door and back up the basement stairs to prepare to leave.
Jamie sat in silence for a few more moments, taking in the conversation. She had been so caught up in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed Evan watching her silently. Well, at least not until he spoke up, "You should go with them."
Jamie's head snapped up to meet his eyes. "Why should I listen to the guy who roofied me?"
Evan grimaced. "Sorry."
"Dick move."
"It was the only way I could get you back here without breaking a limb." He explained.
"Sorry about the face."
"I'll live." He assured her. "But like I said, you really should go with them."
Jamie shook her head. "I can't."
"You can." He stated.
"No, Evan, I can't. If I do this, if I help them get Pestilence's rings for them, they're one step closer to getting all four so Sam can get possessed and jump into the Cage." She explained. "I've lost everyone I ever cared about. Either they threw me away or I ran before they ever could. But Sam and Dean? Bobby? AJ? You?...You were all the first to come and find me before I could escape. And now..." She trailed off. "I'd be killing Sam if I helped them."
"You can look at it like that," Evan said. "Or you can see it as fulfilling what he wants, to keep you and Dean safe. He's stopping the Apocalypse, he's locking away the Devil. He is sacrificing his life for us to have a better one."
"My life's shit anyway, what good would a better life do if he's not apart of it?"
"Look around." He told her. "He's not the only one there for you."
Jamie remembered that night in the street fighting Evan and knew that it was true. Sam wasn't the only one there for her. She had Evan. She had Dean. She had Bobby. She had AJ. She had Rover. Sam was right, so was Evan. The Devil needed to be put back in the box if she wanted to keep any of these people she cared about. Sam may have been one of the most trustworthy and loving person she knew, and she couldn't stand the thought of him dying, but there truly was no other option to stop the Apocalypse.
"So, James ain't coming after all?" Dean asked as he threw his duffel bag into the trunk of the Impala.
Sam shook his head as he threw his own beside his brother's. "No, she's not exactly on board with the whole Lucifer-Cage thing."
"She doesn't want you to say 'yes'?" Dean concluded before shrugging. "I can see where she's coming from."
Just before Dean was about to shut the Impala trunk, another duffel bag was thrown in. Both brothers turned to see who had added it and found Jamie smiling back at them. She was wearing her signature black skinny jeans with her holsters around her hips where she held her knives. She was wearing a clean blue and turquoise flannel shirt and brushed out her hair leaving it in it's natural curly state just below her shoulders. "I figured you losers could use my help ganking another Horsemen."
Dean and Sam smiled before Dean shut the trunk. "Let's head out. We're burning daylight." He exclaimed as he moved to the driver's seat.
Sam and Jamie walked over to the opposite side. But before Sam climbed in, he turned to the teenager. "So, you're on board with the whole Cage thing?"
Jamie shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever be on board with it. I'll probably try all sorts of crazy things to think of a way out of it, but if this is what you want to do...I can't stop you, can I?"
Sam frowned. "I'm sorry."
"Me too." She replied before they both slid into their seats.
Dean smiled at the girl in his rear view mirror. "Good to have you, James." Jamie could only force a small smile just before Dean pulled the Impala out of the Salvage Yard. Jamie looked out the window and stared at the house. Evan was standing at the edge of the porch with Rover at his feet waving. Jamie only watched as dust clouded her view and they turned onto the street, leaving him behind. God, was that kid messing with her emotions.
After a days drive, the trip arrived at a large Senior Citizen housing unit where Pestilence was supposed to be. Jamie leaned over the front seat while the brothers scoped out the place with binoculars from inside the Impala parked across the street. "So, this is Dr. Evil's lair, huh?" Dean asked.
"More sad and depressing than it is evil." Jamie remarked.
"It's like a four-color brochure for dying young. Of course, to Pestilence, it's probably Dollywood in there."
"Great." Sam huffed. "A whole building full of people. We don't know who's human, who's demon, and who's Pestilence. So what do we do?"
Jamie watched as a nurse led a woman in a wheelchair through the entrance of the building when something caught her eye. "Let me see those real quick." She said, before snatching Dean's binoculars and using them to take a closer look at the entrance. "Security cameras..." She breathed.
"Yeah, what about them?" Sam asked.
"If there are security cameras on the outside, it means there are some inside." Jamie explained. The two brothers exchanged knowing glances before Jamie chuckled and handed Dean his binoculars back. "Glad we're on the same page, let's go."
The trio grabbed the weapons bag before entering the building. They trekked through the halls until they came upon the room they assumed the security guard was in with the camera system.
Jamie nodded to the boys before opening the door. The security guard looked over at her, slightly surprised. "Hi..." Jamie began with a small, innocent smile. "I'm looking for my grandma. Her name is..."
"Eunice Kennedy!" Dean hissed to her from beside her.
"Eunice Kennedy." She said with a slight bitter after tone.
The guard didn't seem to notice her hesitance as he replied in a dull tone, "Go around front and see the nurse."
Jamie smirked before walking into the room slowly. "I was actually hoping you could help me..." She said as she got closer and closer. "By staying down."
The guard's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wha-" He was suddenly cut off when Jamie grabbed the back of his head and rammed it into the desk where the security feed was being played on multiple monitors.
After knocking out the guard, Jamie dragged his unconscious body away from the screens as Sam and Dean entered the room. "Eunice Kennedy?" Sam asked his brother with an amused smile.
"Seriously?" Jamie added.
"That's the beauty of improv, kids." Dean exclaimed. "You never know what's gonna come out of your mouth."
The group got comfortable sitting in the chairs in front of the monitors while they scoped out the joint for any signs of Pestilence or even a demon. Hours passed by slowly and Dean began to fall asleep on Jamie's shoulder as she leaned forward examining each screen.
"So, what are-" Sam started but caught sight of Dean sleeping on Jamie's shoulder. "Hey!" The younger Winchester smacked his brother lightly to wake him up. Once he was awake, he asked, "What are we even looking for?"
"Well, he's Pestilence so he probably looks sick." Dean exclaimed.
"It's a Senior Citizen Center, Dean." Jamie remarked. "Everyone looks sick, dumbass."
Dean threw his hands up before deciding to pace the room to keep himself awake while Sam and Jamie continued to watch the screens. It seemed hopeless until an older man exited a room, the camera contorting his face everywhere he moved in the halls. "Hey," Sam called Dean over.
Dean leaned in and watched the man. "Oh, now we're talking." He exclaimed.
Sam, Dean, and Jamie all made their way through the halls towards the room they saw Pestilence enter, weapons in hand. Once they turned the corner, they found a pile of dead bodies surrounded by blood and vomit.
The trio gagged slightly before covering their noses due to the smell. "We must be getting close." Sam remarked.
"You think?" Dean snapped.
"Yeah, no shit." Jamie added as the walked through the bodies. As they made their way down the hall, Jamie found herself sweating profusely. Her head began to ache and throat started to feel dry. Nausea slowly overtook the teen before her body gave way and fell to the floor, unconscious.
When Jamie woke up, the pain and sick feeling in her gut was still there, worse than it was when she was in the hall. She forced her head up to try and gage her surroundings. It seemed like she was in some sort of room where a nurse with pink scrubs stood beside the man on the security cameras. Pestilence...
"You three don't look so well." He commented. Jamie turned her head to her left to see Sam and Dean lying down sick on the ground beside her. "It might be the, uh, Scarlet Fever. Or, uh, the Meningitis. Oh! Or the Syphilis. That's no fun." He stated as he stood from his spot leaning on the bed. "However you feel right now, it's gonna get so very, very much worse. Questions?" No on answered due to the fact that they were either barfing up their brains or groaning in pain, so he continued. "Disease gets a bad rep, don't you think? For being dirty, chaotic. But really that just describes the people who get sick. Disease itself, it's very pure, single minded."
Jamie watched as Dean stretched his arm out to try and reach for the demon blade. Pestilence caught sight and stepped onto Dean's hand causing him to groan. "Bacteria have one purpose, divide and conquer. That's why in the end, it always wins..." Pestilence smiled. "So you gotta wonder why God pours all his love into something so messy. And weak! It's ridiculous. And all I can do is show him he's wrong. One epidemic at a time..." He said before putting his glasses on and leaning down towards the sick group. "Now, on a scale of one to ten, how's your pain?"
Jamie groaned and spasmed on the floor from the pain burning in her stomach and her chest and her head. She was trying to focus on the demon blade a few feet in front of her. If she could get it, they could cut the ring off and break free from the diseases they were infected with. She strained her strength and strained and strained and strained, until a thump came from behind them.
They all turned their head to see Castiel standing in the doorway. "Cas?" Jamie mumbled.
"How'd you get here?" Pestilence demanded of the angel.
"I took a bus." He answered. "Don't worry, I-" He suddenly cut himself off with a groan before falling down on all fours, coughing up blood.
"Well, look at that," Pestilence chimed with a smile. "An occupied vessel, but powerless. Oh, that's fascinating." Jamie turned back to the knife and built up all her strength. Come on, she thought to herself, push through. Grab the knife. "There's not a speck of angel in you, is there?"
Just then Jamie was able to use what little strength she had to grab the demon blade and slide it across the floor to Cas. The angel grabbed it before jumping to his feet, grabbing the Horseman's hand, and chopping off his finger with the ring on it. "Maybe just a speck." The angel hissed before the demon in pink scrubs charged at him. Jamie was able to recompose herself after Pestilence's ring was cut off and quickly jumped onto the demon's back. She pulled her holy-water soaked knife and rammed it into the demon's neck before it did anymore damage to Cas.
After slaughtering the demon, Jamie jumped off it's lifeless body and tossed it aside to help Cas up. "Thank you." He said.
Jamie nodded and coughed slightly. "No problem." She said, before the two turned to face Sam and Dean who had snatched up Pestilence's ring before he had time to put I back on.
"It doesn't matter." Pestilence said as he held his bloodied hand to his chest. "It's too late." Before any member of the group was able to say anything, the Horseman vanished leaving them alone to wonder what he meant.
When the group arrived back at Bobby's they were met with the familiar faces of the Maxwell siblings, AJ included. The pair met the group at the porch steps, Sam being the first to spot the eldest. "Hey," He greeted with a small smile
"Hey," AJ replied with a matching grin before looking over his shoulder to the rest of the group. "You all look a little rough."
"Is that your way of saying we look like 'shit'?" Jamie asked with a smirk as she walked over and gave the blonde a small half-hug. "Nice to see you again, Abby Jo."
AJ rolled her eyes. "Screw you."
Jamie laughed before embarking up the porch steps with Dean and Cas hot on her trail along with Evan who was carrying Rover. Meanwhile, Sam stayed behind on the porch with AJ. "How was Alabama?" Sam asked.
She shrugged in response. "Hot."
Sam chuckled. "Yeah, I bet."
"How've you been?" AJ asked with a concerned look. Sam noticed that ever since the zombie incident in Sioux Falls a few months back, the blonde had taken it upon herself to make sure the Winchesters and their wayward kid made it through everything alright. Especially the younger brother. "Evan told me, you know."
Sam's smile fell slightly. "About the plan?" AJ nodded. "You know I wouldn't do it if we had any choice."
"I know. It just seems so...surreal."
Sam saw how her expression became pained, almost prepared. She was mentally preparing herself to lose him. Sam recognized that expression. When he first met Jamie, she had the same calculating look with each person she met, like she was preparing for them to leave her. Now, AJ was doing the same. "Look, AJ, I-" Sam was suddenly cut off when Bobby's voice came from inside.
"You two gonna keep making out on my front porch, or re we gonna figure out what the hell to do next?!" The older hunter called out.
AJ chuckled and Sam blushed. "I think that's our cue." She said before she walked through the front door, Sam following her lead. Everyone seemed to be gathered in the study. Bobby seated behind his desk, Cas standing on either side of the study entrance, Evan leaning against the side of the desk, and Jamie sitting in a chair in front of Bobby's desk beside Dean with Rover in her arms. Sam gave AJ a parting smile before he took a seat on the other side of Jamie while she moved to stand beside her brother.
"Well," Bobby started as he looked down at the ring Jamie had dropped in front of him on the desk. "It's nice to actually score a home run for once, ain't it?" None of the four who had retrieved it agreed from the looks on their faces. "What?"
"Last thing Pestilence said, 'it's too late'." Sam explained.
"He get specific?"
"Not even a little." Jamie replied.
"We're just a little freaked out that he might have left a bomb somewhere." Dean exclaimed. "So, please tell us you have actual good news."
"Chicago's about to be wiped off the map." Bobby stated bluntly. "Storm of the millennium. Sets off a daisy chain of natural disasters. Three million people are gonna die."
"Huh," Dean huffed.
"I don't understand your definition of good news." Castiel said.
"Me neither." Evan agreed.
"That's where our last ring will be." Jamie explained. "Death..."
Bobby nodded. "And if we can stop him before he kick-starts this storm, get his ring back-"
"Yeah, you make it sound so easy." Dean interrupted.
"Hell, I'm just trying to put a spin on it."
"How'd you get all this information anyway, Bobby?" AJ spoke up.
"I had, you know...help." The older hunter shrugged.
"Don't be so modest," A new voice chimed in. Everyone spun around to see Crowley pouring liquor into a glass before turning towards the group. "Hello boys, girl, and friends. Pleasure, et cetera." He greeted before looking to Bobby. "Go ahead. Tell them. There's no shame in it."
"Bobby?" Sam asked. "Tell us what?"
Jamie immediately caught on stared at the older hunter in horror. "Tell me you didn't, Bobby..."
"Didn't what?" AJ asked.
"World's gonna end. Seems stupid to get all precious over a little..." Bobby bowed his head with a guilty expression as he bit out, "soul..."
"You sold your soul?!" Dean and Evan asked at the same time.
"More like pawned it." Crowley corrected. "I fully intend to give it back."
"Well, then give it back!" Dean demanded.
"I will."
"Now!" Jamie growled as she set Rover down and stood up, holding her knives.
"Did you kiss him?" Sam asked Bobby.
"Yeah, did you?" Evan chimed in.
"Sam!" Dean and Jamie scolded at the same time AJ shouted, "Evan!"
Sam shrugged. "Just wondering."
When Bobby didn't answer right away, Jamie turned her head, intrigued. "Did you...?"
Bobby looked at all the eyes that were on him before answering, "No!" Crowley then cleared his throat from behind them. They all turned their head to see a picture on Crowley's phone showing Bobby and the demon locked in a kiss. Jamie's jaw dropped and Evan held back a round of laughter. Bobby frowned. "Why'd you take a picture?"
"Why do you have to use tongue?" The demon countered causing Jamie and Evan to guffaw.
"Alright, you know what?" Dean stood up to face the demon. "I'm sick of this. Give him his soul back now."
"I'm sorry. I can't."
"Can't or won't?" AJ prompted as she too advanced on Crowley.
"I won't, alright?" Crowley finally admit. "It's insurance."
"What are you talking about?" Dean prompted.
"You kill demons. Gigantor over there has a temper issue about it." Crowley stated, gesturing to Sam. "But you won't kill me as long as I have that soul in the deposit box."
Jamie glared at the demon before her. "Don't be so sure." She said in a menacing tone.
"You son of a bitch." Bobby cursed.
"I'll return it. After all this is over, and I can walk away safely." Crowley exclaimed. "Do we all understand each other?"
"Screw you very much." Jamie muttered.
Sam and Dean were outside talking out by the garage while Jamie, Evan, AJ, and Bobby were inside prepping for Chicago to face Death. Jamie wasn't sure how she was going to face the Horsemen. After what Lucifer told her back during the mission with Jo and Ellen, she wasn't even sure if she could. Jamie had died while possessed by Haniel and struck a deal with him to send her back in time and to another universe. But what was her end of the deal she needed to hold up? That was what scared her.
"Hey," Sam walked over to her while she had been packing the guns into her duffel bag. "We've got a problem." He told the group.
"Problem?" AJ repeated. "What happened?"
Dean came in holding up a newspaper. "We found that bomb Pestilence was talking about." He exclaimed before throwing the paper down on the study desk.
Bobby looked over the article as did Evan, AJ, and Jamie did the same. "Niveus releases swine flu vaccine..." The older hunter read.
"I don't understand, isn't this the counter to Pestilence's little epidemic?" Jamie asked.
"No, this IS the epidemic." Sam explained.
"That vaccine isn't actually a vaccine, is it?" Evan muttered.
"Nope." Dean replied. "Croatoan virus."
Jamie groaned. "Just when we thought we could catch a break."
"So, what do we do?" AJ asked. "Death is gonna be in Chicago tomorrow, this is the only shot we got at him."
"We split up." Dean exclaimed.
"What?" Jamie asked. "No. Bad idea."
"Jamie, this is the only way we stop both Death and the virus." Sam told her.
"This is Death we're talking about, Sam!"
"And none of us know him better than you." Castiel spoke up as he entered the room.
The group turn towards him with questioning looks. "What the hell are you talking about?" Dean asked the angel.
Castiel gave Jamie a pointed look. "You didn't tell them?"
"Sam knows. No one else does." She admit.
"What?" Evan asked. "What is going on? Jamie, what's he talking about?"
"I've been possessed by Haniel before...before any of this." Jamie began. "I died one day through her and somehow struck a deal with Death to escape. He banished Haniel from my body and sent me through time. When the angels caught up with me, he sent me to another universe. But when Sam unleashed Lucifer, I was sent back."
"Oh my God..." AJ breathed in horror.
"Jamie is the only one of us who's seen Death before. She should go to Chicago." Castiel explained.
"Alone with Crowley?" Dean scoffed.
"No way." Evan added.
"Not alone." Cas said. "Dean, you'll go."
"Alright," Sam finally sighed. "It's settled then. Let's pack before we head out to Niveus."
Bobby and Cas prepped the van for their journey to stop the Croatoan virus while Jamie, Evan, AJ, Sam, and Dean packed the bags inside before coming outside to meet them. Dean and Jamie threw their two bags into the Impala trunk before turning back to the group. "Alright, well...good luck stopping the whole zombie Apocalypse." He told them.
"Yeah. Good luck killing Death." Sam joked back lightly.
"You make it sound so easy." Jamie chuckled.
They fell into silence before Sam spoke again. "Remember when we used to just...hunt wendigos?"
AJ and Evan laughed as AJ threw her arm over her brother's shoulder. "You almost got killed by a Wendigo a few years back." Evan quipped to his sister.
AJ pursed her lips and nodded. "Yeah..."
"I've never hunted a Wendigo yet." Jamie complained.
"You're not missing anything." Sam assured her.
"Not really." Dean agreed.
"Well, um..." Sam started before taking the demon blade out from his jacket and holding it out to Dean and Jamie. "You might need this."
"Keep it. They're covered." Crowley said as he walked over and handed Dean a miniature scythe. "Death's own. Kills, golly, demons and angels, and reapers, and, rumor has it, the very thing itself."
"How did you get that?" Castiel asked.
"Hello. King of the Crossroads." Crowley exclaimed with a small smirk. "So, shall we? Bobby, you just gonna sit there?"
"No, I'm gonna river dance." The older hunter retorted bitterly from where he sat in his wheelchair.
"I suppose if you want to I press the ladies." Crowley remarked as he glanced to AJ and Jamie. "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. Really wasted that crossroads deal. In fact, you get more if you phrase it properly. So, I took the liberty of adding a teeny little sub-A clause on your behalf. What can I say? I'm an altruist." He explained. "Just gonna sit there?"
Everyone turned to face Bobby as he raised on foot and set it on the ground. He then proceeded to do the same with his other foot before standing up out of the wheelchair. "Son of a bitch." Bobby breathed in awe.
"Yes, I know. Completely worth your soul. I'm a hell of a guy." Crowley said.
"Thanks." Bobby said win sincerity.
"This is getting maudlin."
"Agreed." Jamie said, still in shock that Bobby actually thanked a demon. "Can we go now?"
"Yep, let's go." Dean said before patting her shoulder.
"Hold on." She said to him before going over to Sam and embracing him an a tight hug. "I swear to God, if you die before I come back, I'm going to kill you myself when you get resurrected." She told him in a threatening voice.
Sam chuckled. "Got it. You be safe and keep an eye out for Dean."
"Okay." She relied before releasing him and moving onto Bobby and Cas. "See you on the other side."
"Be careful, kid." Bobby said.
"You got it, old man." She ignored his glare and turned to the angel. She noticed the shot gun in his hands and smirked. "You know how to use that?"
Castiel glanced down at the gun and shrugged. "I'll manage."
"Good luck. And a little piece of advice, take close up shots with that one and aim for the head." She pat his shoulder before turning to Evan. "You better not say anything corny right now." She said before he had a chance to get a word out.
"Fine, but if you don't come back in time for the Deftones concert, I'm going without you." He told her.
"No, you won't." She said simply.
Evan smiled and shook his head. "No, I won't."
Jamie stared at him for a moment before looking around, "Hey, where's AJ."
"Um..." Evan glanced over her shoulder and pointed.
Jamie turned around to see Sam and AJ locked in a kiss. Her jaw dropped to the floor, as did Dean's who had been standing within earshot of the teenager's conversation and turned at the same time Jamie had. "I knew it!" The eldest Winchester shouted before turning to Jamie. "Pay up."
Jamie rolled her eyes before whipping her wallet out and throwing two tens to him. "Screw you."
AJ and Sam broke apart and turned to look at the group. "You bet twenty dollars on this kiss?" AJ asked incredulously.
Dean quickly hid the money in his back pocket as his smile quickly dropped. "...No."
"Unbelievable." Sam muttered before taking AJ's hand in his and leading her to the van with the rest of the group.
"Be safe." AJ said to Jamie as she passed.
"You too." The teen replied before walking to the Impala with Dean and Crowley.
Before she climbed into the car, however, she heard Evan's voice cry out, "I can't believe you kissed my sister, Winchester!"
The drive to Niveus was tense. Not because they were about to stop the zombie Apocalypse, but because Sam had just kissed Evan's older sister and he was now glaring at the back of his head trying to imagine holes burning through the Winchester's skull.
Thankfully, Evan had fallen asked a few hours into the drive and Sam was able to relax a little. He hadn't expected to kiss AJ in that moment, hell, he hadn't expected to kiss her the day he met her all those months ago. But things changed each second he spent with her. That was the beauty of it. The girl was unpredictable and quirky. All those hunts and text messages and late night researching together. He hadn't noticed they were getting close until it was too late.
Sam glanced in the rear view mirror and caught a glimpse of AJ's sleeping form. She was curled up in the chair beside Cas and her brother clutching her double barrel to her like it was a stuffed animal. The Winchester smirked before turning back to look out the front windshield.
After having a brief conversation with Cas and Bobby about the Lucifer plan, Sam decided to get some sleep before they arrived at Niveus. By morning, they finally pulled up in the parking lot across from the building where shipment trucks were being loaded. AJ and Evan had woken up to keep watch of the trucks with the group.
"Yup, they're loading up hotshots of Croatoan in the trucks." Bobby explained as he used his binoculars to scope out the joint. "Okay. First truck don't leave for an hour. We get in, we plant the C4's every twenty-five feet, then we pull the fire alarm so everyone scrams."
"Uh, that truck is leaving" Castiel pointed to a loaded truck pulling out of the building.
"Balls!" Bobby cursed the same time AJ muttered, "Shit."
"Okay, new plan." Bobby stated.
After hashing out the new plan, Evan, Sam, and Bobby all head to the warehouse while Cas and AJ ran to intercept the truck. The driver slowly reached his hand out to touch the keypad to open the gate when AJ grabbed his wrist arm and pulled it forcefully enough that his head slammed forward into the door. She then opened the door and pulled his unconscious body out before sliding in. Cas crawled around the other side just before AJ slammed the butt of her rifle into the keypad, breaking the gate.
She quickly turned to Cas as he opened up the duffel in his hands where the C4 was. "You remember how to work these, right?"
"I believe so, yes." The angel replied before taking the explosive device and opening the back hatch to the trailer on the truck.
"The minute you activate it, we need to run. Got it?" Cas nodded before pressing the activation switch. "Now! Go, go, go!" The pair jumped out from the truck and dashed back to the warehouse. After a few yards of running the, truck behind them exploded. AJ turned to Cas and nodded. "Nice work. Now let's go help them."
The two ran in just in time to see a Croatoan infected man choking Sam. Bobby struggled with loading his gun, but Cas quickly stepped forward and fired off his double barrel into the Croat's head. "Actually, these things can be useful." The angel examined his gun just before AJ helped Sam to his feet.
"Can we commit our act of domestic terrorism already?" Bobby asked impatiently. "Let's go."
"Wait, where's Evan?" AJ asked, her eyes darting across the warehouse. Just before anyone could answer, she heard a cry for help that sounded a lot like her brother. "EVAN!" She shouted back before dashing through the warehouse to find a Croat attacking her brother. She dashed forward and rammed her body into it's body, pushing it off her brother. She landed on her side, her gun being knocked from her hand a few feet away. The Croat was pushed away from Evan, but quickly jumped onto AJ while she was down and bit her collarbone. AJ threw her head back and let out a blood curdling scream.
"ABBY!" Evan cried out before grabbing her shotgun and shooting the Croat in it's head. He pushed it's lifeless body off his sister to get a better look at her. She groaned as Evan removed a small scrap of clothing blocking the bite mark that was oozing blood. "Oh, God..." He breathed in horror.
"AJ?" Bobby, Cas, and Sam called out as they dashed around the corner. Sam caught sight of AJ's lying body and ran faster towards her. He slid onto his knees beside her and caught sight of the Croatoan bite mark on her collarbone. "Hey, hey, look at me." He told her as he placed his hands on the wound trying to stop the bleeding, but he knew it would do no good. She was infected. "You're gonna be okay, alright? You're gonna be just fine." He lied right through his teeth.
"What happened?" Castiel asked as him and Bobby approached.
"Is that...?" Bobby trailed off once he saw the wound on her collarbone.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Evan asked the older hunter.
Bobby took a deep breath before delivering the news, "She's infected, son."
"What?!" Evan practically growled before turning to Sam. "Is he telling the truth?" Sam didn't respond as he kept his eyes locked on AJ's slowly drooping eyes. He could already see the bloodshot red veins beginning to form around her blue irises. "Sam!" Evan snapped him back to reality.
Sam turned back to face the younger Maxwell sibling. "One bite from a Croatoan and you're infected." He stated, his voice breaking slightly at the end of his statement. "There's no cure."
Evan looked up at Castiel. "You're an angel. Heal her!"
"I've been cut off from Heaven." Cas replied. "I can't."
"Dammit!" Evan cursed as he turned back to AJ. "Please don't do this to me. Please." He sobbed.
"I'm...sorry." She bit out with a sad smile. She then placed a hand on his cheek and wiped away a small tear that had fallen from his eye. Her smile turned into a frown as she took the pistol from her holster and handed it to her brother. "You have to..." She coughed. "It's the...only...way."
"No. Abby, please." Evan sobbed.
"I love you." She told him as a small tear fell from her cheek. "Do it. Now...before it's...too late."
Evan shook his head. "I can't."
"You...have to."
Evan hesitated before he stood up as while helped AJ sit up onto her knees, her hand clutched onto her bite mark and her eyes slowly turning more red the longer they waited. Evan cocked the pistol, tears in his eyes, before turning to look down at her kneeling figure before him. AJ looked over to Sam who stood to the side beside Bobby and Cas. "Please...don't watch." She begged.
Bobby and Cas walked away, but Sam hesitated for a moment before whispering, "I'm sorry."
She gave him a sad smile before mouthing back to him, "I'm not."
Abgail Josephine Maxwell closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned her head back to her brother.
Sam closed his eyes, fulfilling her dying wish of him not watching her while she was killed.
Evan swallowed down the lump in his throat before pressing his finger on the trigger.
A single shot rang out and echoed off the walls of the warehouse.
She was dead.
Jamie was about to be dead.
Or at least it felt that way to the teenager. Her nerves were going crazy and the storm brewing didn't help while her, Dean, and Crowley stood outside in the small drizzle that was about to become a deadly storm.
"Hey, let's stop for pizza." The demon said as they walked down the street.
"Seriously?" Jamie scoffed at the same time Dean asked, "Are you kidding?"
"Just heard it was good, that's all." Crowley shrugged before stopping the pair in their tracks once they reached the edge of a street. "Up ahead. Big, ugly building. Ground zero. Horseman's stable, if you will. He's in there."
"How do you know?" Dean prompted.
"Have you me me? 'Cause I know." Crowley replied. "Also, the block is squirming with reapers." Crowley darted his eyes back and forth through the empty street. Jamie couldn't see the so called reapers, but she did feel a dark, sullen presence. It could have been Death or maybe just the amount of reapers surrounding her. A lot of Haniel was still left in her apparently. "I'll be back." Crowley said before vanishing from between the pair of hunters.
Jamie shivered as a gust of wind whipped her curls in her face. She shoved her hands into her grey hoodie pockets and looked around the empty street. "I don't like this. I have a bad feeling about this."
"Yeah, me too." Dean replied.
"You really think we can kill Death?"
Dean shrugged. "Gotta have faith, right?"
Jamie scoffed. "Faith. Yeah, right."
Crowley suddenly reappeared, causing the pair to jump slightly. "Boy, is my face red." He said. "Death's not in there."
"You want to cut the cute and get to the part where you tell us where he is?" Dean snapped impatiently.
"Sorry. I don't know." Crowley shrugged before starting off.
Jamie and Dean exchanged confused looks before following after. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. You don't know?" Dean demanded.
"Signs pointed. I'm just as shocked as you."
"Bobby sold his soul for this!"
"Relax. All deals are soul back or store credit." Crowley assured him. "We'll catch Death in the next doomed city."
Jamie rolled her eyes before grabbing the lapels of his tux and pushing him against the chain link fence behind them, using her other hand to hold her knife up and hold it to the demon's throat. "Millions of people are going to die and our friend sold his soul for this," She growled in a low tone. "So, you are going to find Death or I will stick this holy-water soaked knife so far down your throat, your piss will be nothing but burning pain. Understood?"
Crowley's eyes widened as he turned to look up at Dean. The older Winchester, taken back by the young girl's sudden anger, only shrugged. "Don't look at me. You heard the girl."
Crowley swallowed hard before turning back to face the terrifying little girl. It seemed the rumor's of her upbringing really had been true. This child reflected Lucifer's sadistic and homicidal personalities driven by frustration and anger. "So..." Jamie held her chin up and pressed the tip of the blade more firmly to Crowley's skin. "Am I understood?"
"Crystal." Crowley answered.
Jamie let go of his collar and backed away just before he vanished again. "Come on." Dean said before leading the teen back to the Impala. They say in the car for a few minutes while Dean began to grow more nervous. "What if we don't find Death?"
"We will." Jamie assured him.
"How can you be so sure?" Jamie smirked before pointing to Crowley across the street pointing frantically at the entrance of a pizza joint. He tried mouthing something to two, but neither could make out what he was saying. "What? I can't hear you!" Dean called back.
"I said, I found him." Jamie and Dean spun around to find Crowley suddenly reappearing in the backseat. "He's in there. And he's alone."
"Let's go." Jamie said as her and Dean climbed out of the car. Jamie tightened the knives on her holsters while Dean popped his collar just before the eldest Winchester poked his head down to the window of the Impala. "Are you coming or-" He cut himself off when he realized the demon had vanished. "...not."
"Flake." Jamie muttered. "We can do it without him." She said before the pair began to cautiously enter the pizza place. The moment they opened the door, they saw a trail of dead bodies lying all across the restaurant. Jamie felt something she hadn't felt in a while, utter and complete fear.
Dean took the lead as they trekked through the bodies until they reached a separate room. Once they peeked inside, they caught the sight of a single man seated at a table eating. Jamie felt her breath catch in her throat. Death...
The two slowly walked forward, Dean pulled the scythe Crowley had given him and prepared to kill Death. As they advanced forward cautiously, Dean felt a burning pain coming from the scythe. He looked down and found the handle glowing orange then red. Dean quickly dropped it and watched as it fell to the floor with a clang. Jamie winced and stopped in her tracks beside the Winchester. They were made.
"Thanks for returning that." A mellow voice came from Death who hadn't bothered to face them as he spoke. Dean raised an eyebrow before glancing down to the scythe on the floor only to find it gone and on the table next to Death. "Join me, Dean, Jamie. The pizza's delicious."
Jamie was the first to move. She was going to die and she accepted that. There was no point in delaying her fate any longer.
"Sit down." Death commanded once Dean and Jamie made it around to stand at the table before him. The pair exchanged fearful looks before doing as they were told. "Took you long enough to find me. I've been wanting to talk to you both." He exclaimed as he cut pieces of his pizza.
Dean swallowed hard. "I got to say–I have mixed feels about that." The hunter admit.
Jamie kept a expressionless look while she kept her eyes on Death's hands as he continued to cut and eat his pizza. "Are you going to kill us?" Jamie finally mustered up enough courage to speak.
"Why would I do that?" Death prompted as he ate. "You both have an inflated sense of your importance. To a thing like me, a thing like you, well..." He trailed off before taking a long drink from his cup of soda. "Think how you'd feel if a bacterium sat at your table and started getting snarky. This one little planet in one tiny solar system in a galaxy that's barely out of its diapers." Death explained. "I'm old, Dean and Jamie. Very old. So, I invite you to contemplate how insignificant I find you."
Very, was what Jamie answered in her mind, unable to for, the words due to how dry her mouth felt at that moment.
Jamie was about to open her mouth to ask what exactly he wanted from the, when Death surprised her by serving two pieces of pizza onto plates before sliding them over to the pair. "Eat." He commanded of them.
Jamie and Dean slowly brought their plates toward themselves and picked up utensils to eat. Jamie was the first to cut off a small piece and lift it to her mouth. This was it. That was where he killed her. But surprisingly, when Jamie took that bite and ate the pizza, nothing happened. Dean quickly followed, not wanting to displease the Horseman.
"Good, isn't it?" Death asked.
"Y-yeah." Dean stammered at the same time Jamie muttered, "Mhmm."
"I-I got to ask," Dean began. "How old are you?" Jamie turned her head to face the Winchester with wide eyes. She wanted so badly to smack him right there for even opening his mouth to ask HOW OLD DEATH WAS.
To Jamie's surprise again, Death answered, "As old as God. Maybe older. Neither of us can remember anymore. Life, death, chicken, egg. Regardless, at the end, I'll reap him too."
"God?" Jamie and Dean asked at the same time. "You'll reap God?" Dean added.
"He can die?" Jamie asked.
"Oh, yes." Death replied. "Everyone, every thing dies. It's only a matter of time. You know this."
Dean could only smile. "Well, this is way above our pay grade."
"Definitely." Jamie murmured.
"Just a bit." Death agreed.
"So, then why are we still breathing, sitting here with you?" Dean asked.
Jamie says new the reason why. "You want something from us..." She concluded. "What?"
Death then leaned forward towards the girl. "I want you to hold up your end of the bargain."
The bargain... The deal Jamie apparently made with the Horseman to exile Haniel and send her forward in time and then to another universe. "The deal..."
"Exactly. I want the leash around my neck off. Lucifer has me bound to him. Some unseemly little spell. He has me where he wants, when he wants. That's why I couldn't go to you. I had to wait for you to catch up. He made me his weapon, like he did you, Jamie. Only in a much different way. Hurricanes, floods, raising the dead. I'm more powerful than you can process, and I'm enslaved to a bratty child having a tantrum."
"And you want me to unbind you?" Jamie asked. "How?"
"There's your ridiculous bravado again." Death replied. "You can't unbind me. But you can help me take the bullets out of Lucifer's gun. I understand you want this." Death raised his hand to reveal his white Horseman ring. "I'm inclined to give it to you."
"To give it to us?" Jamie repeated.
"That's what I said."
Dean then spoke up, "But what about...?" He looked slightly over his shoulder at the storm going on outside.
"Chicago? I suppose it can stay. I like the pizza." Death mused as he slid the ring off his finger and held it up. "There are conditions for our deal, Jamie."
"Like what?" She asked.
"In order to hold up your end, you have to do whatever it takes to put Lucifer in his cell." He explained.
Jamie gulped. "Of course." She replied quickly.
"Whatever it takes." Death reiterated.
"I understand."
"Do you?" The Horseman promoted. "Because when I first met you all but five years ago, you were a stone cold killer. The exact weapon Lucifer had those Princes of Hell mold you into. You had no will and no morals. When I gave you this deal in exchange for your freedom, you took it no hesitance. But from the look in your eye, I can see you're having second thoughts."
"I don't remember when I accepted this deal..." She admit.
"Of course you wouldn't, your mind was a jumbled mess from being thrown through time and space. Your memories are tangled and confused." Death explained. "I look at yu now Jamie, and I wonder...are you really willing to exchange your life for Sam Winchester's? Are you going to let that boy say 'yes' to Lucifer and jump into the pit?"
Jamie kept her eyes on the ring in between Death's fingers as she contemplated what to do. What was she going to do? Hold up her end of the deal and let Sam die? Reject the deal and watch the World, and herself, burn? No, Sam wouldn't want that. Sam wanted to save the world and the people on it. He wanted to save her. "Yes." Jamie finally answer.
"That had better be a 'yes', Jamie. You of all people know, you can't cheat death." He said as he dropped the ring into her hand. "And Dean," Death said turning to him. "You have to promise the same thing. That you'll let your brother do what he needs to do to stop Lucifer. Do I have your word?"
Dean looked at Jamie with weary expression before answering, "Yes."
"Good." Death finally said. "Now, would you like the instruction manual?"
When Jamie and Dean arrived back at Bobby's, the first thing they saw was Sam sitting on the front porch Steps of the house, his eyes red and puffy. Something was wrong.
The pair quickly jumped from the car and walked over. "Hey, what's going on?" Dean asked his brother when they approached.
He didn't answer, only looking up at them with a pained and sorrowful expression. Jamie felt panic rise in her chest. "Sam, what happened?" He still didn't answer and the teen quickly dashed inside, despite Dean's calls of protests. She spotted Bobby and Cas in the study and dashed quickly down to the basement. "Evan?" She called out.
As soon as she hit the bottom of the stairwell and turned the corner she gasped in relief when she saw the younger Maxwell sibling perfectly fine standing at the panic room door. "Jamie?" He asked as he sniffled slightly.
"Oh, thank goodness you're alive." Jamie said as she walked over. As she came closer, she noticed how pale his face was and how red his eyes were. He'd been crying, just like Sam. "Evan, what's wrong? What happened?" Evan didn't answer as tears began to well up in his eyes. "Evan, where's your sister? Where's AJ?" That's who was missing, but somehow she already knew her answer.
Evan bowed his head as he gestured to the panic room door.
Jamie moved to look through the peephole only to see AJ lying on the cot inside. She seemed to be unconscious and had a gaping wound on her collarbone. Dried blood covered her entire left side of her body and a small trickle of blood fell down the side of her forehead. Jamie narrowed her eyes and spotted the source of the blood coming from a bullet hole in her forehead. She was dead.
Jamie's breath caught in her throat as she backed away from the door. She was unable to meet Evan's eyes when she whispered, "What happened?"
"A Croat got her." He explained. "She got bit trying to save me... She had me kill her before the infection completely took over." Evan's cheeks were wet from a new set of tears as he recounted the horrid story.
Jamie quickly walked over and wrapped her arms around Evan's torso and hugged him as tight as she could. Evan was taken back abut, having never seen Jamie show affection. But in that moment, he didn't care he hugged her back and cried into her shoulder.
If the Apocalypse hadn't already taken it's toll on them before, it sure as hell would now.
This was the beginning of the end...
A/N: HOLY SHIT! only one chapter to go and I am pumped! So sorry for the emotional trauma I caused this chapter, it gets worse next chapter, trust me. Oh, how I love torturing people through my writing. It's my therapy.
RIP Abigail Josephine Maxwell.
Also, I just realized I didn't do chapter song last week. Well, last chapter's song was Hold On Tighter To Me by Tedy. And this week's chapter song(s), plural, are, Smells Like Teenage Spirit covered by Think Up Anger ft. Malia J. for AJ's death. And the end of the chapter song is Nothing Else Matters covered by Marlissa.
Next up, Swan Song...prepare.
Incorrect Quote of the Chapter:
Sam: *bursts in* Hey, you wanna explain why I found a lighter in your room?
Jamie: Oh, I set a bunch of dead bodies on fire.
Sam: Oh, thank Chuck. I thought you were smoking weed again.
[let's throw in another one, because I feel bad]
Crowley: *bursts in holding a knife* You ready to fucking die?!
Jamie: I'm a bad bitch, you can't kill me!