Chapter 21

"Someone care to enlighten me?" asked Dean.

Bobby, Sam and Laney were all looking at each other as if they had some shared secret that he wasn't in on.

"Devil's trap," repeated Bobby.

"Let her come to us, then we trap her," added Laney.

"How's that?" asked Dean.

"Key of Solomon," Laney answered as she walked over to Bobby's bookshelf and grabbed the book. "We can draw protective circles. You get a demon in one and they're trapped."

"It's like a satanic roach motel," Bobby added.

"You're sure this works?" asked Dean, unconvinced. They couldn't afford to go on a hunch. He needed hard facts and a sure thing. His father's life was at stake.

"Positive…seen it in action myself."

Dean nodded. He couldn't think of a better idea and this was as good a plan as any. "Okay, let's do it."

Everyone looked at each other, not sure how to take action. Laney pointed at Sam, "You're the artistic one."

"Yeah, okay," he said.

Laney smiled apologetically at her brother. She knew the task at hand was going to be a bitch to pull off, but he was stickler for details so he wouldn't miss a thing.

"I've got everything we need down in the basement…give me a hand would ya?" Bobby asked Sam.

"Sure."

Dean studied his sister for a moment. "Good call, kiddo."

"I'm good for something," she answered wryly.

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I should clean up," she said ignoring her brother's advice.

Dean frowned at her.

"Yeah, you do that. Get some rest too. You're going to need it."

"What about you?" Laney asked. She knew he had to be just as exhausted as she was.

"I'll manage."

Laney walked over to her brother and gave him a hug. "Thank you…for everything."

"Don't mention it."

He patted her on the back before releasing her. "Now go clean up. You smell pretty rank."

"You would know," she retorted as she headed upstairs.

Dean smiled even though he was beginning to worry about his sister's state of mind. So much had happened in such a short time. It was enough to send the sanest person bat shit crazy. Considering everything, she was holding up really well. He knew it had to be the Winchester blood running through her veins. They took a licking and kept on ticking.

Dean was pulled from his thoughts by the return of his brother and Bobby.

"Let's get to work," said Sam.

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

A couple of hours later Sam had completed the circle. He and Bobby went over it with a fine tooth comb, making sure that they had covered every painstaking detail. They couldn't afford any mistakes. When they were convinced that they'd reproduced it correctly they took a much needed breather.

"Well, now comes the hard part," said Bobby.

"What's that?" asked Sam. As if that hadn't been hard enough.

"Waiting," he answered.

Sam nodded his head in agreement. Waiting was the hard part. He just wanted Meg to show her damn face already. The more time that went by, the more he was worried about what was happening to his father.

Sam went to check on his siblings. They were both asleep on the couch in the living room. Laney had fallen asleep with her head in Dean's lap after begging him to rub her back. He had obliged because he knew she needed the comfort. And if he was being honest; it comforted him to do it.

Sam smiled before tapping his brother on the shoulder. "Dean," he said quietly.

Dean opened his eyes, nearly jumping up at the touch before remembering where he was. "What is it?"

"We finished the trap."

"Good," Dean looked at his watch. He'd been knocked out for two hours.

"I'm going to grab a shower," said Sam, grabbing his bag from the floor by the door.

"Yeah, okay…I'll keep watch."

Dean rubbed his hands over his tired face. Two hours was simply not enough sleep. He almost would have rather not slept at all. He just felt more tired. I need coffee.

He carefully lifted his sister's head from his lap so he could get up. He didn't want to wake her. There was no reason she couldn't sleep longer. He grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and gently covered her with it. She stirred for a moment and turned over on her side, letting out a soft whimper of pain with the movement.

Dean frowned. She was probably in a lot more pain than she'd let on and she was just trying to make it easier on her brothers. Soon as she woke up he was going to make her take something. Pride be damned. Too bad she had to go and be so much like him when it came to stuff like that.

He waited until she relaxed and settled back into a peaceful sleep before heading into the kitchen to make some much need coffee. Luckily for him, Bobby had already brewed a fresh pot.

"Come to Daddy," said Dean, grabbing a clean mug and filling it up.

"Need a moment alone there kid?" asked Bobby, walking into the kitchen.

Dean smiled. "No, it's okay. Don't mind an audience."

Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Aren't you going to try and sleep?" Dean asked.

"Don't think I could if I tried."

"No kidding. Nothing like the impending doom of a demon on your ass to keep you up at night."

"Didn't seem to keep you from passing out on the couch."

Dean raised an eyebrow. He's got me there.

"Yeah…well I didn't want to leave Laney alone. She's really beating herself up. Blames herself for everything that's happened."

"Not her fault," said Bobby. He knew this would have happened one way or another.

"Yeah, I know. But try convincing her of that. She's put this whole thing on her shoulders."

"You can't let her do that. It'll eat her up."

Dean nodded knowingly. But he didn't know what he could do to change fix it.

Sam walked into the kitchen, his hair wet from the shower. "I could use a cup."

"There's plenty," said Bobby.

Sam poured himself a cup of coffee. "So what are you talking about?"

"Laney," answered Dean.

"What about me?" asked Laney, with a yawn. She stood in the kitchen doorway.

"We were hoping you'd sleep longer. You need it," lied Dean.

"I'm good," she said.

She walked over and poured her own cup of coffee. Bobby looked at her in disbelief.

"Coffee?" he asked in surprise.

Oh yeah. One of the many things that have changed for me. "New habit I picked up a while back."

Bobby looked at Dean, who gave him an expression that said he should just drop it.

"How you feeling?" asked Sam.

"Sore and itchy. But I'll live."

She was wearing long pants and a hoodie. It was impossible to tell that underneath all the clothes she was covered in cuts and bruises, which he guessed was the point of her dressing like that.

Sam walked up next to her and put an arm around her. He pulled it away when she winced at the touch.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, Sammy."

"You need to take something for the pain," said Dean.

Laney frowned; by his tone she could tell it was a demand and not a request. Now, wasn't the time to be a pain in the ass, so she went to do as she was told.

She walked into the bathroom in the hall and closed the door behind her. She studied herself in the bathroom mirror. With a sigh, she splashed some cold water on her face and took a couple of ibuprofen she pulled out of the medicine cabinet. She couldn't afford to use anything stronger. She needed to be alert and focused when the time came.

She was in the middle of drying her face when she felt a strong sensation wash over her. It was like an electrical current running the entire length of her body from head to toe, a dim buzzing left in its wake. Oh crap.

"She's here," said Laney breathlessly, charging into kitchen.

All the men were immediately on alert.

"Meg?" asked Sam, "You sure?"

"Yes. I can feel her."

That was enough for all of them to take her seriously. Dean grabbed his shotgun with one hand and his sister with the other, pushing her behind him as he backed up towards the living room. Sam and Bobby followed behind, covering her from the other side. Before they had gotten into the safe zone, the door was kicked in and suddenly she was there standing in the doorway.

Laney's breathing quickened. Meg.

"No more crap," she said, walking into the house.

Dean let go of Laney's hand and walked straight for her, a flask of holy water in his hand. Meg stopped his charge with a flick of her hand, sending him across the room and slamming him into the bookcase.

"Dean!" shouted Laney. She started to run for her brother but Sam grabbed her and pushed her behind him. He moved as quickly and discreetly as he could. They had to get into the safe zone, before Meg pulled anymore crap. She needed to be perfectly positioned in order to walk into the trap.

"I want the Colt, Sam. The real Colt. Right now."

"We don't have it on us," lied Sam. "We buried it." He continued walking into position. Keeping her talking so she wouldn't notice what was happening.

"Didn't I say no more crap! After everything I heard about you Winchesters, I've got to tell you that I'm a little underwhelmed. First your sister walks right into our hands, then Daddy tries to pass of a fake gun and leaves the real gun with you idiots. Lame, man. I mean, did you really think I wasn't going to find you?"

Laney's eyes widened, when she saw Dean appear in the doorway behind Meg. She was glad to see he was okay.

"Actually we were counting on it," he said.

Meg turned around to face Dean. He looked up towards the ceiling, her eyes following his up to the protective circle that had been painted there. She looked at Dean, mild disbelief in her eyes.

"Gotcha."

Meg was effectively trapped. She attempted to take a step and couldn't. Laney felt bittersweet victory.

"You were saying?" asked Laney. We'll show you what Winchesters can do.

"Aren't you smug?" asked Meg. "How's my artwork holding up? Going to leave scars is it?"

Dean walked up to Meg and threw the holy water in her face. "That's for my sister, you demon bitch."

She screamed. Sam and Bobby ran up and helped Dean tie her to a chair while she was in her weakened state. Once she was situated Bobby went off to make sure the rest of the house was secured from any further demon encroachment. Laney pulled up a chair and sat against the wall, but face to face with Meg.

Bobby returned quickly. "It's taken care of," he said. "If there are any demons out there, they ain't getting in."

Dean nodded and turned to the demon. "Where's our father Meg?"

"You didn't ask very nice."

"Where's our father, bitch?"

"Geez…you kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh, I forgot. You don't."

Dean, who had been trying to maintain his cool, lost it. "Do you think this is a freaking game? Where is he?" he shouted.

"He died screaming. I killed him myself."

Laney's breath hitched. No, no way. She's lying.

Sam reached out for his sister's hand. She grabbed it tightly.

Dean punched Meg in the face.

Meg grunted, but didn't act like it hurt much. "That's kind of a turn on, you hitting a girl."

Dean cocked his hand back ready to smack her across the face again.

"Dean," said Bobby, nodding for him to step away.

Dean sighed and approached his siblings and Bobby.

"You okay?" asked Sam.

"She's lying," said Dean, looking straight into his sister's eyes. "Dad is not dead."

He said it with such force, that Laney had to believe it was true.

"Dean, you've gotta be careful with her. Don't hurt her," said Bobby.

"Why in the hell would I care if she's hurt?" demanded Dean.

"Because she really is a girl, that's why."

"What are you talking about Bobby?" asked Sam.

"She's possessed. That's a human possessed by a demon. Can't you tell?" asked Bobby, incredulously.

Laney shook her head in disbelief. They hadn't had much experience with demons outside of yellow-eyes. Other than him she hadn't even met one before Meg came along and if her brothers had, she didn't know about it.

"Are you trying to tell me there's an innocent girl trapped in there somewhere?" asked Dean.

Bobby nodded. "Yeah."

"That's actually good news," said Dean.

"What? Why?" asked Laney.

"Sam, get Dad's journal."

Sam didn't ask questions, he knew what his brother was thinking. He dug through the pile on the desk and pulled out their father's journal.

"Dean?" asked Laney.

"It's okay, baby," he responded.

Laney bit her lip. Whatever was going on she was just going to have to go along for the ride.

Sam opened up the journal and nodded to his brother. They walked back into the room.

"You gonna read me a story?" asked Meg.

"Oh, we're going to read you a story all right," said Dean. "Hit it Sam."

Sam began to read from the journal – in Latin.

Oh shit. An exorcism, thought Laney. She should have known. She recognized the Latin immediately.

"An exorcism?" asked Meg.

"Yup…projectile vomiting, head spinning…the whole nine yards," said Dean.

As Sam read, she started to squirm and struggle in her chair. "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to rip the bones from your body and I'm going to finish the job I did on your beloved little sister."

"No. You're going to burn in Hell," spat Dean, "Unless you tell us where our Dad is."

Sam paused for a moment. When Meg said nothing, he continued.

"He begged for his life with tears in his eyes," sputtered Meg, "He begged to see his kids one last time…and that's when I slit his throat."

Laney stood up from her chair. She was ready to charge at Meg all on her own. Bobby walked over to stand next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"For your sake, I hope you're lying…because if it's true, I will march into Hell and I will slaughter each and every one of you evil sons of bitches, so help me God," said Dean.

Sam continued reading. Laney could feel the pulse of energy in the room.

"Where is he?" demanded Dean.

"He's dead!" shouted Meg.

"No! No he's not!" Laney shouted.

"Laney," said Bobby, softly, "Let your brother handle this."

"How does it feel Laney?" asked Meg, "Knowing your Daddy died saving your life."

Laney charged after her, slapping her in the face. She didn't care if there was an innocent girl in there. She wanted to hurt her. She wanted to hurt her the same way she'd been hurt. She wanted her to die.

Bobby grabbed Laney and pulled her back. Dean put an arm up in a protective gesture in front of his sister.

Sam paused for a moment before continuing. Meg's chair started to jerk from side to side under the devil's trap. She started to convulse. Sam was getting close to completing the incantation.

"Wait! He's not dead," said Meg.

Dean put a hand up to gesture for Sam to stop reading.

"How do I know you're not lying?" asked Dean.

"You don't."

"Sam, finish."

"Wait…a building. There's a building in Jefferson City."

"Missouri? Where? Give me an address."

"I don't know."

"And the demon we're looking for, where is it?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," answered Meg. "I swear. That's all I know."

"Finish it," said Dean, after a pause.

Sam looked at his brother unsure of what to do.

"But I told you the truth," pleaded Meg.

"I don't care," said Dean.

"You son of a bitch…you promised."

"I lied. Sam read."

"We could still use her," said Sam.

"She doesn't know anything else," said Dean. "There's an innocent girl trapped in there. We've got to help her."

Bobby released Laney from his hold. "Dean, you're going to kill her."

"What?"

"You said she fell from a building. That girl is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that demon. You exorcise it and she'll die."

"Listen to me…both of you. We're not going to leave her like that."

"She'll die," said Bobby.

"And we're going to put her out of her misery. Sam, finish it."

Sam looked between his brother and Bobby unsure of what to do.

"Finish it," Dean pleaded.

Sam sighed before he continued reading.

Meg began to shake violently before her mouth opened and a thick black cloud of smoke was expelled. Her held fell forward and blood began dripping from her mouth.

Dean kneeled down and felt for a pulse. "She's still alive," he said, shocked. "Call 911."

Bobby ran off for the phone.

Laney stood still shocked. She'd never seen an exorcism before.

Dean and Sam carefully laid Meg down on the ground.

"Thank you," she breathed out, her voice ragged. "It's been a year."

"Don't talk, we're getting help," said Dean.

"I was awake for it…but I couldn't move my own body. It was a nightmare."

"Was it telling us the truth about our Dad?"

"Dean," said Sam in warning.

"We need to know."

"Yes, he's still alive," whispered Meg.

Laney let out a sigh of relief. "Where are they keeping him?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Dean and Sam looked up at their sister. They'd almost forgotten she was there.

"Sunrise."

"What does that mean?" asked Dean.

Before they got an answer the light went out from her eyes. She was gone.

Tears began to fall from Laney's eyes. She no longer saw the demon that had tortured her and captured her father. She saw a young woman, not much older than herself, who had been innocent. She was dead now; as much a victim of the demons as they all were.

Laney looked at her brothers. The girl's death was obviously deeply affecting them. Their lives had been dedicated to saving innocent people. This girl's only crime was getting possessed by a demon. She didn't deserve this end. But there was no other alternative.

"You better get out of here before the paramedics show up," said Bobby.

"What are you going to tell them?" asked Dean.

"You think you guys invented lying to the cops? I'll think of something."

They started walking towards the front door.

"Take this," said Bobby, handing Sam the Key of Solomon. "You never know when you might need it."

Sam nodded. "Thanks Bobby."

Laney cleared her throat. They had failed to mention what she was supposed to do.

"Get your stuff. You're coming with us," said Dean.

She looked at her brother in surprise. She had expected him to leave her behind with Bobby.

"Okay," she said, not questioning him.

Bobby looked at Dean, "Are you sure about that?"

"I'm sure. Splitting up hasn't really worked well has it?" He wasn't about to let her out of his sight again. He didn't know what they were going to be facing, but he knew he would feel a hell of a lot better having her by his side. As far as he was concerned, it was the safest place in the world.

Laney returned with her bag. She gave Bobby a quick hug.

"Take care, sweetheart," he said.

"You too."

"Ready?" asked Dean.

Laney responded, voice steady and sure, "I'm ready."