Chapter Twenty
Sam groaned as he looked at whatever he was looking at on his laptop, whilst Asmodeus and Dean sat opposite him in the booth, Asmodeus' ears flat on his head whilst he tried to protect his chips from a pilfering Dean, who now had quite a few scratches on his hand.
"Oh come on! Just one!"
"No! You shouldn't have gobbled all yours down like they were going out of fashion, should you? Now, what's up with you Sam?" Asmodeus asked, hissing at Dean when he nicked another chip when Asmodeus looked away.
"Shift over Sam." Sanguini muttered, sliding into the booth besides Sam and then glancing at the laptop screen and snickering.
"What is wrong with you two?" Dean asked them, getting impatient and rubbing his sore hand.
"You two are screwed. Dean, you've got a warrant in St Louis and you are both officially in the Feds' database."
"Wait. Why am I in the database? I was acquitted of all my crimes!" Asmodeus stated indignantly, before grumbling and pushing the rest of his chips to Dean, who grinned at him.
"Well... it would seem that they think you were with Dean in St Louis, as they knew he was with someone and well, you two told them that I had split from you over a year ago. Anyway, you are now an accomplice and are considered dangerous."
"Oh come on! Look at me! I'm harmless! Do they have a photo of me?" Asmodeus asked, ignoring the snort that came from Dean for the harmless comment.
"Er... Nope, just a description of you both."
"Dude, I'm like Dillinger or something."
"Hey! What about me?!"
"But you're just an accomplice..." Dean said with a smirk, before snatching his hand away when Asmodeus' strayed to near to it.
"It's not funny you two. It just makes the job harder. We've gotta be more careful now." Sam scolded them, making them both look suitably shamed. For all of a second before Dean smirked.
"Alright, alright. This is all very amusing, but I must ask, what the hell are we doing here when we could be out there hunting something down?" Sanguini asked in frustration as he slumped in his chair.
Sam shifted a stack of papers over to him, which Sanguini eagerly took to look through. Raising an eyebrow at some of the things he was reading.
"So what have you got?" Asmodeus asked, leaning forwards on the table to rest his head on his hands.
"'Architect Sean Boyden plummeted to his death from the rood of his home – a condominium he designed." Sanguini read to them, raising an eyebrow when Asmodeus snickered, and garnered him strange looks from Dean and Sam.
"And that's funny because..." Dean questioned, though looking as though he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
"Erm... It just is? Oh come on! He builds a high rise, then throws himself off of it? It's amusing, admit it. Sanguini, don't you pretend you don't find it even remotely funny. Your sense of humour is as warped as mine."
"He does have a point, it is a little amusing. However, that's not what Sam researched into." Sanguini said when Sam looked at him pointedly and then snatched the papers out of his hands.
"Yeah, two days earlier he called Animal control about a black dog." Sam told them, getting them both to sit up straight and look at him.
"Did he actually say 'black dog'?" Dean asked him and Sam nodded.
"Yeah. 'Vicious, wild, black dog.' The authorities couldn't find it, no one else saw it. In fact, the authorities are a little confused as to how a wild dog could get past the doorman, take the elevator up, and start roaming the halls of the cushiest joint in town. After that, no more calls, he doesn't show up for work. Two days later, he takes the swan dive."
"Do you think we're dealing with an actual black dog?" Dean asked, whilst Asmodeus looked at Sanguini curiously, and then his ears drooped when Sanguini nodded. "And what are you two silently communicating?"
"I think we may be dealing with a black dog, yes and I'd imagine As asked Sanguini what he believed. Am I right?"
"Somewhat." Asmodeus admitted slowly and then sighed, tugging at one of his ears. "It sounds like a Grim. An omen of death or perhaps a hellhound."
"A Grim?"
"Yeah, supposedly, you see one of these dogs just before you die. Of course, an old acquaintance of mine used to scoff and say that if anyone believed in such myths, then as soon as they saw a big, black dog then they would give up and die. So, there is no solid proof that they exist."
"Except your godfather." Sanguini pointed out, grinning unrepentantly when Asmodeus glared at him and gave out a little kitty growl that made Dean try to hide a grin.
"Shut up Sanguini."
"Your godfather saw a Grim? Did he die afterwards?" Sam asked, perhaps a little insensitively and winced when he realised how he had worded his question. "Sorry."
"No, Sirius didn't die because he saw a Grim. He was a Grim. It's is part of his bloodline. Mine too seeing as he adopted me through blood. Hence my black hair." Asmodeus added, tugging at a lock of his hair.
"I had wondered why your hair was black and the rest of your families hair wasn't." Sanguini said, looking somewhat enlightened.
"Wait, so you can turn into a giant black, death omen dog?" Dean asked, looking at Asmodeus incredulously.
"No. My neko side won't allow it. However, if I was an inu, then chances are I would have been a Grim too. Instead I'm a black cat."
"Kitten." Sam, Dean and Sanguini all said, grinning when Asmodeus glared at the table and growled.
"I'm a cat. I'm twenty-six years old, don't you think I am a little old to be a kitten?"
"Technically, in both demon and vampire years you are still a baby, and thus the kitten form when you change. Sorry Asmodeus, but you're still a kitten and you will be for a couple of centuries to come." Sanguini told him with a wide grin.
"Bitch." Asmodeus hissed at him, stealing Dean's favourite insult, which made Dean smirk.
"Now, now. Explain the hellhounds to them, if it's them it's a little bit more serious."
"Why?" Sam asked them, looking at Asmodeus.
"Well if it was a Grim, then I could ask it to leave, of course it is only doing it's nature and there's nothing we can really do to stop it. It's not causing the deaths."
"You could tell it to go away? How?" Dean asked him.
"Were you not listening? I have Grim blood in me, which admittedly doesn't really go well with the neko blood, but it didn't kill me. Just made me a little strange for a cat." Asmodeus admitted with a grin and a shrug.
"Could be the Black Insanity."
"That's a myth and you know it." Asmodeus growled at his brother, narrowing his eyes when Sanguini just smirked and leant back in his seat.
"Sure, sure. Hellhounds, kitten."
"Ah, yeah, a hellhound comes to collects you when you've served your deal to their master, normally a crossroads demon."
"Crossroads demon?" Sam asked him curiously.
"Yep, ooh, does this mean I get to kill another demon?"
"You're allowed to kill crossroads demons?" Sanguini asked him curiously.
"Well... I don't actually know, it's always been a little sketchy. I mean, you can't summon one just to kill it off, it has to approach you. So um, if it is a crossroads demon, then I have no idea how to stop it unless it is already summoned and didn't return."
"Ah, so... damn! Is this a hellhound? It could hump the crap out of your leg." Dean said, picking up a drawing of a giant dog and then looking at Sam when he glared at him. "What? They could."
"That's an exaggeration, no Grim or hellhound is that large. Though if they did hump your leg, don't give it a kick. Might be the last thing you do."
--
"So, Sam and Dean are once more pretending to be reporters, which makes me wonder if they just like role-playing, and we are... doing what exactly?" Sanguini asked as he followed Asmodeus up on to the roof of the condominium.
"Huh, might bring up the whole role-playing thing with Dean, could make things even more interesting."
"That is not something I want or need to hear. Why are we up here?"
"I'm looking for clues. Chances are the angry little buggers left something behind if it was a hellhound and if not, then Grims leave behind a kind of aura, like a warning of what happened I suppose."
"What do you think it is?"
"A hellhound."
"Why?"
"For one it took two days for this guy to croak it after seeing the dog and for another, I'm sensing nothing to indicate that it was a Grim. Plus, from what I can gather, Sean Boyden only came into this great ability to draw amazing building about ten years ago. Sound familiar to you?"
"I can think of a few people off the top of my head. How do you know that anyway?"
"Miranda connects me to Dean when we are not together."
"You can read each other's minds?"
"No, don't be stupid. That crap only happens in wizarding Mills and Boons. No, Miranda can send images of what is happening to and around Dean to me. Kinda useful, though she only does it if she thinks I need to know something. Would make it very hard for him to cheat on me I suppose."
"Does Dean know about this?"
"Of course he does! You think I wouldn't tell him this? Pfft, give me some credit. Anyways, Miranda thought I should know about the seemingly ten year deal this idiot has made."
"So what now?"
"Now we go back to the hotel and tell the other two, then we see if the demon hung around after making the deal, or went straight back to wherever the hell they come from. If it did stick around, then I suppose we should find the others that may have made the deal."
"How the hell do we do that?"
"Ah, good point. Okay, I'll admit, I have no idea what we should do about this. I mean, there isn't anything we can do and these people deserve everything that's coming to them."
"A bit harsh isn't it?"
"Really? You think it's harsh that I don't think we should waste our time saving people who knew what they were doing when they made the deal."
"Yes, but what did they make the deal for? Could have been to save someone's life."
"Why do you care so much Sanguini? You're hardly the spokes person for kindness to humans. You hate most humans, Sam and Bobby seemingly being the only exceptions."
"Jo and Ellen aren't that bad for humans."
"My point exactly. So why are you so for saving these hopeless cases?"
"It's not me I'm thinking of. It's the two humans we—Hang on, why didn't you include Dean in the list of humans I like?"
"Huh? You mean you actually like Dean? It doesn't come across." Asmodeus told him, hoping Sanguini didn't sniff out the lie.
"Hmm. And you know I like Dean. Don't think I'm letting that go, but for the time being, the reason I seem to care, is because Sam and Dean will care. Personally I couldn't give a rats ass, you're right, they deserve everything they get. The Winchester's however, they won't let it go until they have helped whoever is left."
"Damn. You're right."
"So what do you suggest? I'm all for just leaving here, but the other two won't agree."
"We could seduce them into agreeing with us." Asmodeus suggested with a wicked grin as they made their way back to the staircase.
"You perhaps, could seduce Dean. I think it may fail with Sam however."
"What? You mean you two actually aren't sleeping together?"
"No, we're not."
"How come Sam smells like you then?"
"We may have shared a bed once or twice when Sam has had a nightmare."
"Sammy's still having nightmares? I thought he was doing alright." Asmodeus said worried, before he shook his head and narrowed his eyes at Sanguini. "Wait, don't use my worry over Sam to distract me. You sleeping next to Sam would not make him smell like you."
"Perhaps not, but I have not had sex with Sam Winchester. Surely you can smell that much! Asmodeus, just, leave it."
"Why does he smell like you though? If you're not shagging?"
"It's really none of your business. So butt out. Okay?"
"Fine, but just... It's nothing to hurt him is it? Or you? Neither of you are going to get hurt in all of this are they?"
"No, Sam will not get hurt in this."
"I don't just care about Sam! I care about you too! Will you get hurt?"
"There is a possibility, yes." Sanguini admitted with a sigh, bowing his head as they both hurriedly made their way towards the exit.
"So stop! Stop whatever the hell you two are doing! Which, if it's not sex then I'm at a loss. And I'm not entirely sure I want to know."
"I can't... no I don't want to stop." Sanguini told him as he spun around to pin Asmodeus with a glare. "I like what I'm doing, okay? Sure I know that there is a very likely chance that nothing will come of it and I will end up getting hurt, but I like what I'm doing."
"Fine... but... come to me if you do get hurt, yeah? Don't run away."
"I won't run away as that will be detrimental to you. I can't promise I will come to you, but I promise not to run."
"Fine, if that is the best you can do. Just for the record though, I don't like this. I don't... I don't want to have to pick sides." Asmodeus admitted with a small sigh.
"And you won't have to. It won't ever come to that Kitten. If I get hurt, it will have been my own fault. Look, Sam has no clue how I feel about him, okay? I have no plans of telling him, either."
"Why not? Do you not want to be happy?"
"Look Kitten, it's cute and sweet that you want to pair me and Sam up, but people don't get together just out of convenience, and that is what this would be. Sam has no feelings for me, so if we did get together, then it would have just been because he was lonely and saw me as some comfort." Sanguini told him, placing his hands on Asmodeus' shoulders and rubbing his collarbone with his thumbs.
"Sam wouldn't do that."
"No he wouldn't, you're right. Which is why Sam and I would never happen. He won't ever find out how I feel unless he tells me that he is attracted to me and would like to start a relationship."
"If he does? Like you I mean."
"Then clearly Fate has decided to give me a break, but I don't see that happening, do you? Besides, you know what The Three would ask of me if they caught wind of my relationship with a human hunter."
"So, you just ignore your feelings?" Asmodeus asked him in a small voice as they finally exited the building and made their way back to the car.
"Yeah, pretty much. Now, let's get back to the hotel and wait for Sam and Dean to finish up with their side of the investigation."
"You know, I kinda wish it had been a Grim, you know."
"Why?"
"Well, I may not really like dogs, but Grims are different. I like them. Maybe it's because I can feel a kinship with them, I don't know."
"You lied about the Grim blood in you. I know you did."
"No, I never. I just withheld some information. Sirius really did make me his son and heir. If I hadn't been a neko, then I would have been a Grim."
"You don't smell remotely like a Black."
"How would you know? You never met Sirius."
"No, perhaps not Sirius, but I have been around for a long time, I met other Blacks. Walburga was one of them. You don't smell like they did."
"At all?"
"Well, perhaps a little. But not of a Grim. Not canine."
"I'm a feline, that would be why. Look, the neko blood cancelled out the Grim blood of the Black's. I had more of it and it was more natural to me. However, had I not had the Grim blood, then I would have been a white or silver neko. Like all other neko's ever born. I am the first and amusingly enough, the last, black neko. I've seen pictures of me from before I was kidnapped, I had the beginnings of silver hair like my father, though my eyes were green."
"The black hair could have come from the Potter's."
"No, for one, James and Lily didn't blood adopt me. Sirius did behind their backs. And no, he never told me why. Perhaps he knew he would need an heir. I don't know."
"James and Lily didn't blood adopt you? I thought they did, why didn't they?" Sanguini asked in shock as Asmodeus drove the car back to the hotel.
"No, again, I don't know why not. Perhaps they wondered why Dumbledore had fobbed a small baby onto them and resented that."
"I doubt they would have given their lives to protect you if they had resented you."
"Perhaps you are right." Asmodeus conceded with a sigh.
"Why do you tell people that they did blood adopt you?"
"I don't. Well, I have a couple of times, but to be honest, I don't know. At first, I thought they had, I mean I have black hair, why? But then I finally plucked up the courage to visit Sirius' vault contents before I left Britain and found a letter. Sirius told me what he had done, but not why."
"I wonder why not.."
"Your guess is as good as mine."
"How do you know the Potter's didn't blood adopt you as well though?"
"I tested my blood in my third year at Stanford. I was curious one night and Sam was out with Jess, so I thought it would be safe to do a test. I wondered what it would come up with for my parents."
"What did it come up with?" Sanguini asked out of curiosity, as they both stepped out of the car and walked to the hotel.
"Heh, one mother, two fathers. I share the genes of three people. Makes me a bit of a freak. You know?"
"Yeah, it really does."
"Thanks. Think Sam and Dean have found anything?" Asmodeus asked in the lift.
"What do they need to find that we have not already worked out? We know it's a demon we are dealing with."
"Maybe they will find out if there is more than one contract." Sanguini stated as Asmodeus opened the door to their suite and walked in, leaving Sanguini to follow him.
"Huh, and if they do? Seriously, you are not considering saving them are you? I know we've discussed this, but can't we just tell them that there is nothing we can do? I mean there is nothing we can do!"
"Do about what?" Asmodeus jumped in his seat and hissed, turning to face a grinning Dean and Sam.
"When the hell did you two get here?"
"Er... just this second. So do about what?" Dean asked again, walking over to stand behind Asmodeus' seat, then jumping over the back of the couch and sitting next to a still bristling Asmodeus.
"Nothing. So, what have you found?"
"Er... there has been at least one other person, but we don't know where she is. The two do have something in common though, they were both at Lloyds bar at the same time." Sam told them, moving to sit beside Sanguini opposite Asmodeus and Dean.
"What did you two find?" Dean asked him.
"It's a crossroads demon. So we might as well head on out. Nothing we can do about it." Asmodeus told them, wincing slightly at the stunned looks coming from Sam and Dean.
"What? You want to leave these people to die?" Sam asked him incredulously, making Sanguini chuckle.
"Told you Kitten. They're hunters, they live to save 'innocent' people from the big bads of the supernatural world."
"Yes, well speaking as a Big Bad, this is pointless and we can do nothing to save the morons that wished this upon themselves."
"I hate to say it Sammy, but he does have a point." Dean said, grinning sheepishly when Sam glared at him.
"No, we are all going to go to Lloyd's bar and we are going to find out if there were more people. That's that. Then we are going to find a way to help these people get out of their deals."
"Playing with fire there Sammy. The only way I know of someone being let out of their deal is for someone else to make a deal in their place. You want to do that for a stranger who brought this upon themselves?"
"No, but surely there is another way. I mean, you could summon one and then kill it, right?"
"Did you not hear me when I said it was against the rules of my kind to summon a demon just to kill it. I don't want to know what would happen to me if I broke that rule." Asmodeus told them with a shudder.
"Huh. How about if someone else summoned it, and then you killed it? One of us could summon it." Sam suggested, pointing to himself and then Sanguini and Dean, neither of which looked happy to be included in this argument.
"That could maybe work, but you forget, even if the demon dies, the deal still exists and the hellhounds won't back off. You have to get the demon to verbally retract the deal. How are you gonna do that before I kill it?"
"Good point." Sam conceded, and slumped in his chair. "Well we can still go to Lloyd's Bar and see if anyone knows anything about the demon, then we will be able to see who made deals and we can try and work out if we can help anyone."
"Fine. Come on then." Asmodeus said with a sigh, getting up from his seat and shaking his head when Sam grinned at him.
"You two go. Me and Dean will stay here." Sanguini told them, getting a suspicious look thrown at him from both Sam and Asmodeus, whilst Dean just gaped.
"Why? What are you up to?" Asmodeus asked, whilst Sam looked as though he wanted to ask the same thing.
"Nothing! Just, you two haven't had anytime to actually be alone together for a while. You are best friends, I just thought you would want some time to catch up."
"Catch up? We practically live together! And you make it sound like some sort of slumber party and we're two little girls trading stories."
"Well—"
"Shut up, Dean." Sam hissed, doing a remarkable impression of Asmodeus and narrowing his eyes when Dean just grinned at him.
"Hmm. Just for the record, I don't trust your motives, but me and Sam will be going to Lloyd's. Stay out of trouble." Asmodeus told him with narrowed eyes before he spun around and walked out of the room, Sam rushing to catch up with him.
--
Asmodeus stopped the car outside of Lloyd's Bar and climbed out, looking around him and confirming his beliefs about it being a crossroads demon. Sam got out the car too and looked around.
"Huh, looks like you were right. They're yarrow flowers right?" Sam said, pointing to the yellow flowers planted outside of the bar.
"Yep. You know what they're used for, right?"
"Yeah, summoning rituals." Sam said grimly.
"Yup. And tea." Asmodeus added, bending down and taking a couple of cuttings of the yellow flower.
"Tea?"
"Yep. Helps cure colds and flu like symptoms. Can also prevent pneumonia and a whole host of other things that I can't be bothered to remember." Asmodeus told him, walking back to the car and opening to passenger side to pull a small satchel bag out of the glove compartment.
"What's that?"
"Hmm? Oh, it's my herb bag. If I come across any interesting herbs on my travels, they go in here. Two compartments. One to keep them fresh and another to dry them. These will be dried. Makes better tea."
"Right... So what do we do?"
"Find out who made the deal. Come on, grab a spade and start shovelling." Asmodeus said, opening to boot of his car and making Sam shake his head and amused disbelief when he pulled two large shovels from the small boot.
"Your car never ceases to amaze me. Think here is about centre?" Sam asked as he took a shovel from Asmodeus and then stopped where he thought it was the middle of the crossroads.
"Looks it." Asmodeus agreed, and then they both started to dig a hole. They had dug for a few minutes when their shovels hit something and they stopped. "Huh, looks like we got something."
"Looks it." Sam agreed, he then bent down and shifted the rest of the soil away and pulling back with a mall metal box. He opened it and saw several objects, including a small jar of dirt and some tiny bones that made Asmodeus make a strangled growl.
"Graveyard dirt and black cat bone. Seriously, I hate that part of it! It's just cruel! And... and sick! Why a black cat anyway? All that crap superstition is just that! Crap!"
"Er... okay... is this enough to summon a crossroads demon?"
"Oh yeah. There should be a photo of whoever did it in there too." Asmodeus told him, Sam looked in the box and then pulled out a small, dated photo. "That'll be the one."
"You know, this is just like the Robert Johnson legend. I mean, 'selling you soul at the crossroads' kind of deal."
"You do know that wasn't a legend, right? I mean, all his music had occult references in the lyrics." Sam just looked at him, confused. "You don't know Robert Johnson songs? I thought you lived with Dean? Come on! Even I know his music. Though to be fair, that was because my uncle came across a crossroads demon and then played me the music to explain. He was a bit loopy, my uncle Justus. Bless him."
"Right... how did he die?"
"Uncle Justus? He was killed in the Purge."
"No... not that, that isn't important, but I kinda meant Robert Johnson." Sam said, as they walked back to the car.
"Oh. Apparently he died choking on his own blood, muttering about big, evil dogs."
"Were there any of your kind of demons here, in America?" Sam asked him curiously, looking at Asmodeus.
"Not from my family, no. There were a couple of ookami's here, but they came back to help us during the war, and well... I can imagine you can guess what happened to them. They were the ones that were keeping an eye on Azazel when he was over here. They went to your house after it happened you know, you'd already left Lawrence by the time they got there, and obviously Azazel had gone, so there really wasn't much they could do."
"They came to our house? Why?"
"They went to all the families that they suspected Azazel had visited, explained to the fathers what had happened if they asked, if they didn't, then they offered funds to help them settle down once more. Your dad had gone, so they couldn't offer him any help."
"He probably wouldn't have taken it anyway. Though back then... I dunno what he was like. Dean probably would have had a better idea."
"Probably."
"Dean doesn't know about this?"
"He never asked about other demons. He's asked about my family and what they were like, and he's asked about other demons in Britain, but he never asked about demons in America."
"Huh."
"Should we go inside Lloyd's to see if anyone recognises this guy?" Asmodeus asked, sitting back in his seat.
"Is it open?"
"There's people in there, so I'd imagine it is."
"Okay then, then we can get back to the other two and hope they haven't killed each other."
"Hmm... Hope not. I'm kinda horny."
"Didn't really need to hear that, As."
"Heh, maybe not, but your face when I say it is hilarious. So..."
"What?" Sam asked nervously, stopping when he opened the door and looking back at Asmodeus.
"You and Sanguini? What are you doing with my brother?"
"Nothing! Why do you ask that?"
"Because you smell like him. And not from just sleeping in the same bed together. This is deeper. Though not what you would smell like had you had sex with him, which is really confusing me." Asmodeus said, watching him shrewdly and holding back a smirk when Sam shifted uncomfortably.
"There's nothing going on between us."
"You know what I have noticed, besides your scent I mean."
"What?"
"Sanguini doesn't go out to hunt quite as much as he used to. You're feeding him, aren't you?"
"What? No!"
"Sam, you don't have to lie to me, I won't even tell Dean if you don't want me to. Chill, I've fed him before, hell he's even had to glamour me into liking it before. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Fine! He's drank my blood, okay? He forgot to feed one night and so I offered."
"Did you like it?" Asmodeus asked slyly with a grin, which broadened when Sam blushed and refused to look at him.
"Maybe."
"Heh. Thought you might. Like I said, he's fed from me before."
"Should we go and see if anyone recognises this guy?" Sam asked as he shifted uncomfortably in the car, Asmodeus took pity on him and opened his own car door.
"Just so you know, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Helping him I mean."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
--
"What reason did they give for not coming?" Sam asked as they walked up the stairs towards where they were told the guy who summoned the demon lived.
"Er... 'manly bonding that you two girls wouldn't understand.' Want to spike Sanguini's blood and make Dean sleep on the lumpiest couch he has ever had the unfortunate opportunity to sleep on?"
"Wouldn't spiking Sanguini's blood mean spiking me?"
"Well yes. But you'll find it fun." Asmodeus reassured him.
"I'll think about it, though I do want to get him back for calling me a girl."
"To be fair, it was Dean I spoke to. So we don't even know if Sanguini is even alive right now."
"Shouldn't you be more concerned about that?"
"Nope, Dean knows that I'll just bring Sanguini back and sic him on him should he kill him. Same goes for Sanguini. So what's this guy called again?"
"George Darrow. Apparently quite the regular at Lloyd's. This house probably ain't up next on 'MTV Cribs', is it?"
"You do have a point, which probably means his deal wasn't for fame and fortune. Who knows, maybe he wished for a constant stream of women." Sam looked at him as though he was crazy and Asmodeus blushed. "I'm just saying. I just hope whatever he asked for was worth what he has coming to him."
"What will happen to him?"
"Er... why do you want to know?"
"I'm not stupid As."
"I know you're not, Sam. I just want to know why you would want to know."
"I know that this is the kind of deal my dad made. I want to know what happened to him."
"No you don't."
"Yes I do."
"No. You really don't. And I'm not gonna be the one to tell you." Asmodeus told him bluntly, then went to knock on the door when Sam knelt down, frowning.
"What is this?" Sam asked, looking at a line of black dust along the floor.
"Huh. Haven't seen that for a long while. It's goofer dust." Asmodeus told him just as the door swung open and George Darrow looked at them.
"Who the hell are you?"
"George Darrow?" Sam asked, standing up and looking at the man in front of him.
"I'm not buying anything." George told them and then went to close the door, but Sam stopped him by stepping forwards.
"Whoa, whoa. Look we want to talk to you about the deal you made."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm talking about this." Sam said, holding up George's photo that they had found inside of the metal box.
"Have you seen the hellhounds yet? Judging by the use of the goofer dust, I would say you have, you know it's pointless right?"
"Ignore him, we just want to help. Give us five minutes. Please." Sam pleaded and George sighed but let them in anyway. Asmodeus followed them both, grumbling under his breath about pointless missions. "So what was that stuff on the floor again? Goofer dust?"
"You wanna help me and you don't know about goofer dust? Well, he does at least. What's your name boy?"
"Asmodeus Tenebrion. I'm a demon hunter, this is Sam, he's an apprentice demon hunter. I haven't gotten around to teaching him about goofer dust just yet."
"Huh. Well, you can keep that, boy. Might help you more than it has me." George told them, passing the bag of goofer dust over to Sam, who opened the bag to look at its contents.
"Mr Darrow, we know you're in trouble." Sam said, looking up from the bag. "But it's not hopeless, alright? There's gotta be something we can do."
"You need to teach your apprenticed some more things about demons if he's getting ideas like that."
"Yes, but he's stubborn and didn't listen to me when I told him that you will only be getting what you asked for." Asmodeus said coldly, ignoring the glare Sam shot him, though George just grinned at him in amusement.
"Mr Darrow..."
"Look, I was weak. I mean, who don't wanna be great? Who don't want their life to mean something? I just... I just never thought about the price."
"And was it worth it?" Asmodeus asked still unimpressed and still ignoring the venomous looks Sam was shooting him.
"Hell, no. But you know that, don't you? 'Course, I asked for talent. Should've gone for fame. I'm still broke... and lonely. Just, now I've got this pile of paintings nobody wants. That wasn't the worst."
"Go on." Sam urged, whilst Asmodeus just rolled his eyes, but looked at the paintings in curiosity.
"The demon didn't leave. I never counted on that. After our deal was done, the damn thing stayed at Lloyd's for a week, just chattin'. Makin' more deals. I tried to warn folks, but who's gonna listen to an old drunk?" George told them in a slightly broken voice.
"How many others are there?" Sam asked him, glancing back at Asmodeus, who was busy inspecting a painting.
"This architect, a doctor lady – I kept up with them. They've been in the papers. Least they got famous."
"Who else, George? Can you think of anyone else?" Sam asked him almost urgently.
"One more. Nice guy, too. Hudson – Evan, I think. I don't know what he asked for. Don't matter now. He's done for."
"No. No, there's gotta be a way."
"I've told you Sam, there is no way. Give it up already." Asmodeus told him angrily.
"You don't get it. I don't want a way." George told Sam, making Sam gape at him, though Asmodeus' respect went up for the man.
"Look, you don't—"
"Sam..."
"I called that thing! I brought it on myself! I brought it on them! I'm going to hell one way or another. All I want is to finish my last painting – day or two, I'm done. I'm just trying to hold 'em off 'til then. Buy a little time. Okay, it's time you went. Go help somebody that wants help." George told them, ushering them towards the door.
"You can't just—"
"Sam, shut up. George, how much for this painting?" Asmodeus asked, making Sam just gape at the back of his head, whilst George looked at him shrewdly, and then smiled.
"Take it, what am I gonna do with the money?"
"Thanks. This demon, she gave you talent, just so you know. And Van Gogh didn't get famous until after he had died."
"I know."
"Good. Oh and you will get out one day." Asmodeus told him in a quiet voice that Sam couldn't hear, though he did look at Asmodeus suspiciously.
"Thank you. Good luck with your future."
"Thanks and I hope you manage to finish your painting."
--
"Sam! You can't save everyone! Some people just don't deserve it!" Asmodeus yelled at Sam as they walked into the suite at the hotel, making Dean and Sanguini look at each other and then turn back to look at the two that had just entered.
"Everyone deserves to be saved!"
"No! They asked for this! You think that they didn't know what they were getting when they made the damned deals? It's their fault and now they have to pay for their stupidity!"
"No! We are going to Evan Hudson's house and we are going to try and save him! I don't care what warped ideas you have about this, As, but you are going to go and get them out of their deal!"
"I can't! Don't you listen to me? I can't kill it! It's not allowed! Unless she comes to me, then she's safe! There is no way out of this deal."
"I'm not giving up. Please, As!"
"Fine! But you two are coming with us as well. Dean and I will go to the crossroads, whilst you two use the damned dust to keep the fool safe. Only once I have deemed it worth it. We are all going to meet him and I am going to ask him what his deal was and if it was worth it."
"Fine. So we going now?"
"You got his address?" Asmodeus asked him, with a raised eyebrow.
"No."
"Then shouldn't you do that before we leave here half-cocked?" Asmodeus asked him, still completely unimpressed. Sam just glared at him and then stormed into the room he shared with Sanguini and where his laptop was kept, the door slammed shut behind him.
"Dude! You royally pissed off Sammy." Dean said, looking at Asmodeus impressed.
"Don't call me that!" Sam yelled from his room, making Sanguini snicker, whilst Dean just looked at the door stunned.
"How did he hear me?"
"How the hell should I know. Moron that he is."
"What did you do to piss him off so much? I mean, this is Sam that we're talking about, Mr Laid-Back."
"I told him the truth. That what he wants to do is bloody pointless and that I am against it." Asmodeus told him stiffly, sitting down next to Dean and glaring at nothing.
"Right."
"I told you they would be against leaving them alone to their fates, Kitten."
"Yes and you don't have to sound so damned smarmy about it."
"Hey! I'm with you on this one, those people don't deserve to be saved." Dean told him, smiling at Asmodeus, whilst Sanguini just rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, so we're going to save this one guy?"
"I said maybe. If I think he deserves it. I still don't know how we're going to achieve that though."
"Right, I've got the address. Let's go." Sam said, walking out of his room and looking at them expectantly.
"Fine, whatever. Let's go."
--
The four approached the front door of the Hudson house and Sam knocked, glaring at Asmodeus to keep shut, whilst Dean and Sanguini just rolled their eyes. The door opened and Evan answered, looking at them curiously.
"Yes?"
"Evan Hudson?" Sam asked, stomping on Asmodeus' foot when he went to speak.
"Yeah."
"You ever been to a bar called Lloyd's? It would've been about ten years ago." Dean asked him and Evan slammed the door in their faces. "Come on, we're not demons!"
"Oh forget this crap." Asmodeus muttered, waving his hand and slamming the door open, which just made Sam glare at him once more. "What have I done now?"
They went into the house and watched as Evan ran into his office and closed the door behind him. Dean went to kick the door open, when Sam grabbed his leg to stop him and showed him that the door was unlocked. He then pushed the door open and walked inside, followed by the other three.
"Evan?" Sam called out, looking around the room, and Evan stepped out of the shadows.
"Please! Don't hurt me!"
"We're not gonna hurt you, alright? We're here to help you." Sam told him in a soft voice, elbowing Asmodeus sharply when he snorted. Asmodeus growled lowly and glared at the back of Sam's head, but did nothing as both Sanguini and Dean grabbed his arms to stop him from launching himself at Sam.
"We know all about the genius deal you made." Dean told him, not letting go of Asmodeus, even though he had stopped struggling.
"What? How?"
"Doesn't matter. All that matters is we're trying to stop it." Sam told him, whilst Asmodeus just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
"How do I know you're not lying?"
"Well, you don't, but you're kind of running low on options there, buddy boy." Dean told him, gently tugging Asmodeus to lean against his chest.
"Can you stop it?"
"Don't know. We'll try."
"I don't wanna die."
"Of course you don't. Not now." Dean said, getting an amused snort from Asmodeus and Sanguini.
"Dean, stop."
"What did you ask for? I'm not helping you until I find out what your soul was worth to you." Asmodeus asked, looking at Evan and making the man glance at him nervously before looking back at Sam.
"My wife."
"Right, getting' the girl. Well, that's worth a trip to he—"
"Dean." Asmodeus told him sharply, glancing at Sam's stiffened back and sighing softly.
"No. He's right. I made the deal. Nobody twisted my arm. That woman, or whatever she was, at the bar – she said I could have anything I wanted. I thought she was nuts at first, but... I don't know. I was... I was desperate."
"Desperate?"
"Julie was dying." Evan told him softly, looking down at the floor.
"You did it to save her?" Dean asked, letting go of Asmodeus finally as he looked at Evan.
"She had cancer, they had stopped treatment, they were moving her into hospice. They kept saying 'matter of days.' So yeah, I made the deal. And I'd do it again. I'd have died for her on the spot."
"Did you ever think about her in all this?" Dean asked him incredulously.
"I did this for her."
"Yeah, right. What you did was selfish. You didn't want to live without her, but you didn't think about her. Because, guess what, she's going to have to live without you now. But what if she knew how much it cost. What if she knew it cost you your soul? How do you think she'd feel?" Asmodeus asked him, sneering when Evan just looked at him in horror.
"Okay, that's enough. Evan, sit tight, alright? We're gonna figure this out." Sam said, and then ushered the other three out of the door. "You alright?"
"Oh sure, this is just the most perfect idea any of us has ever had. Ever. Including my idea of making Ash go kite flying in a thunder storm. So, you and Sanguini keep the stupid mutts away from Evan with this stuff. Should work for a while, though they will eventually use wind to get rid of it. Dean and I will go to the crossroads to talk to the demon."
"Fine. Is there no other way, As?" Sam asked him, almost desperately.
"No, the stupid, selfish fool is fucked, sorry to say it. Me and Dean, well we might get out of this alive. Evan, chances are he won't. And Sanguini knows to get you out of there when it looks like we've failed. So at least two of us will be safe."
"I think I hear it! It's outside!" Evan yelled to them from the office. Asmodeus sighed and then grabbed Dean.
"We'll be back as soon as we can." Asmodeus told them, then apparated himself and Dean to the crossroads.
--
"So you bury this stuff and then the demon will come to me?" Dean asked, as Asmodeus placed a photo of himself into the box of items and placed it in the hole in the ground that Dean had dug.
"Yeah, pretty much. It's the photo that summons them, they wouldn't come without one. That and the yarrow flowers."
"Huh. And I will be..."
"You'll be staying under the water tower over there."
"Will she not be able to sense me?"
"Not really, I'm more powerful than you so she will just assume it is me."
"Will you be okay?"
"Yeah, you know the plan?"
"Yeah, think this is gonna work?"
"Doubt it, but it's worth a shot."
"Huh. Well get burying, I'll go hide." Dean said, pressing a kiss to Asmodeus' lips and then running to the water tower in the background. When Asmodeus deemed Dean hidden enough, he kicked the dirt over the box in the ground and then waited.
"Well, well. I didn't expect it to be the last demon to call me. This is a surprise. You do know you can't kill me, right?" Asmodeus spun around and saw a beautiful woman walking over to him.
"Yes." Asmodeus said through clenched teeth as he glared at the woman in front of him.
"And you do know that you forfeit your soul should you kill me after summoning me, right?"
"Of course."
"So why am I here? What do you need a deal for? You can't make deals with demons. Your kind cannot enter hell."
"You know that then. Huh. Well good thing I'm not here to make a deal, right? I'm here to get you to stop a deal. One with a Mr Evan Hudson. Made a deal with you to save his wife. Should be getting a visit from your delightful little mutts round about now."
"You're so young. The last true demon. How's that going for you?"
"It's hard. As you know. So, the deal. You gonna let it go?"
"Oh come on, you didn't think it was going to be that easy did you? I mean, what's in it for me?"
"I think I can come up with something. How about your life?"
"Honey, I will willingly let you kill me, I know the consequence should you do so. It'll be worth giving my life just to see you get punished for going against your laws."
"Oh, it won't be me that kills you."
"Oh? And who else could do it?"
"My mate." Asmodeus said with a wicked grin, just as Dean stepped up behind the demon and placed a hand on her shoulder, ensuring she couldn't get away. "Oh, look, there's two of us."
"No! No, you can't!"
"You gonna let Evan go?"
"Why should I?"
"You want to live don't you?"
--
Sam began to put goofer dust around all the possible entrances to the room, whilst Sanguini stood next to Evan and tried to keep him calm. He wasn't entirely sure why he was given the job, seeing as his presence just seemed to be making Evan more nervous than he was. Sam glanced at them and then used the rest of the goofer dust to make a circle in the centre of the room.
"What is that stuff?" Evan asked Sam, though still occasionally throwing a nervous glance at Sanguini.
"Goofer dust."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, afraid so. Look, believe me, don't believe me, whatever you want. Just – whatever you do, stay inside the circle, all right?" Sam told him, Evan nodded and walked over to stand in the middle of the circle, then glanced at Sam and Sanguini.
"Don't you want to come in here too?"
"It's not us it's after. Besides, they don't come after my kind and Sam will probably join you soon enough, once the hellhounds begin to show themselves to him as well."
--
"So, I let go of the deal and you let me live? So sure your little mate can take me?" The demon asked with a leer, licking her lips and then leaning back into Dean, who looked somewhat uncomfortable.
"You're not his type, honey. And he can do it, who do you think killed Bechet? Ooh, you should have seen him, turned me on." Asmodeus told her, grinning and then glancing behind her at Dean and leering, making Dean grin back at him.
"Who is your mate? Will you not let me see him?" The demon asked, straining her head to see Dean.
"I don't think you need to see him. So, do we have a deal so to speak?"
"You really think I'm going to let the stupid mortal go?"
"I don't know, do you want to live to make another deal? Look, I could care less to be honest. The stupid git deserves everything he gets and of all the demons I've fought with, crossroads demons are the least offensive. You don't go out of your way to possess people and make their lives miserable, you just make deals and prey on peoples weaknesses. It's their own fault that they die."
"So why the deal? Why not just let him die?"
"Because one of the people I'm travelling with has a bleeding heart and begged me to try and get the guy out of the deal. So I am doing as he asked. Now, will you release Evan Hudson from his deal?"
--
Evan suddenly gasped and then looked around the room, making Sam look at him in confusion, whilst Sanguini just sighed and leant against the desk.
"What?"
"You hear that?" Evan asked, looking at the doors to the study.
"No, where?"
"Right outside the door." Evan said, just as the door to the room began to rattle. Sam, somewhat startled, stepped inside the circle, which made Sanguini grin.
"You sure you're going to be safe 'Guini?"
"Oh, I'll be fine. They don't want me after all. You'd be fine as well, you know. It's Evan they want. Only if we get in the way will they attack us."
"Still, I think I'd feel safer in the circle."
"Suit yourself."
--
"I get that your little mate will kill me, but why should I release the pitiful mortal from his deal?"
"Because you know how painful I can make it for you before you do die."
"So you'd torture me? Doesn't sound like the kind of thing the last of the sweet demons would do. Wouldn't that damn your soul?"
"Oh shut up, you know it doesn't work like that for my kind. Besides, I'm one of the last, my mate being the other only demon left, do you think there is anyone who would care what I do?"
"Huh, I guess with you two being the last ones left, that the race of demons has changed in their morals."
"They changed long before we were the last left. The war that killed them changed them. Made them realise that they had to fight fire with fire."
"Oh yes, don't think we don't know about your exorcism ritual you performed. All demons heard about that one." The demon said, grinning widely when Asmodeus flinched and then glared at her.
"Shut up, bitch. Are you going to end the deal or do we get to kill you in a delightfully, painful way?"
--
The doors to the office carried on rattling, looking as though they were about to burst under the pressure, when suddenly the doors stilled. Sam and Evan glanced around themselves nervously, whilst Sanguini narrowed his eyes at the door.
"Do you still hear it?" Sam asked Evan.
"No. Is it over?"
"Don't count on it." Sanguini called over to him, making Evan look at him startled. Evan suddenly looked over to the vent in time to see the grate fall off. Sanguini stood up straight from the desk and Evan gasped in horror.
"It's here!"
"Stay inside the circle!" Sam told him, as claw marks began to appear on the floor, stopping just outside the circle of dust. Sanguini watched it in concern and then glanced at Sam, who looked back at him.
"Sam..." Sanguini stated, walking towards them slowly, just as a strong wind began to blow inside the room, just as Asmodeus had said would happen.
"Sanguini, what's happening?"
"They're getting rid of the dust. You're gonna have to make a run for it."
"Shit. The circle's broken, come on!" Sam yelled, grabbing Evan as Sanguini ran ahead of them and flung the door open. They all ran down the hall and entered a closet, shutting the door and then they leant against it to keep the dogs out.
"You do know that this is considered as standing in the way. If Asmodeus doesn't succeed, then they're gonna come after us as well."
"What do we do?"
"We wait, I'm sorry to say it, but should those dogs get through the door, I'm apparating us out of here, without Evan." Sanguini told him in a hissed whisper.
"Fine." Sam agreed, defeated.
--
"Fine! Evan Hudson is released from his deal."
--
The door to the room suddenly stopped shaking and, unbeknownst to Sanguini and Sam, the dogs stopped barking. The three in the room all looked at each other in confusion.
--
"So happy you could oblige. Dean, do it." Asmodeus said, looking at Dean, who grinned at him and then placed one hand over the demons mouth and the other over her chest.
The demon struggled weakly, and looked at Asmodeus with frightened, betrayed eyes, before Dean smirked at Asmodeus.
"Dean Winchester. Crossroads Demon, Alodia." The demon shook in his arms and this time, Dean made sure that he had a good hold on the demon, whilst Asmodeus just watched him with a smile. Suddenly Alodia stilled and a bright white light began to shine out of her opened eyes. Dean let go of her and let her drop to the floor as the light began to shine out of her mouth and then stepped over the body to stand next to Asmodeus.
The light show soon came to an end and then the body stopped moving and Asmodeus tilted his head.
"Sorry, she's dead."
"I know." Dean said softly, placing his arm around Asmodeus' waist. "So... me killing demons turns you on, huh?"
"Oh definitely." Asmodeus told him with a grin, leaning into Dean and reaching up to press a kiss to his neck. Dean tightened his hold on Asmodeus and leant down to kiss Asmodeus' lips passionately.
"We should get back to the other two."
"I say we ring them and tell them to meet us at the hotel. We can have some time alone before they get there, you did leave the Impala there for them to drive home in."
"Yeah, not through choice." Dean grumbled into Asmodeus' hair, making the smaller male chuckle.
"Oh stop moaning, you knew the plan."
"Sure, sure. Let's get back to the hotel so we can ring Sam and Sanguini and tell them they are safe to leave Evan."
"Okay." Asmodeus told him, and then apparated them away with a pop.
--
Sanguini hung up his phone and then looked at Sam, who was standing next to Evan in the hallway to his house.
"Asmodeus says it is over and Evan is safe, unless he makes another deal, and then he is on his own." Sanguini told him when he walked over to Sam and Evan.
"So it's over?"
"Yep. Seems like it." Sam told him with a smile.
"Thank you."
"No problem. We'll be going now."
"Of course. And just for future reference, I'll stay away from crossroads from now on."
"You do that Mr Hudson." Sanguini told him as he followed Sam out of the house and to the Impala.
"So what did Asmodeus and Dean do? Did they tell you?"
"No, just told me that they had made the demon release Evan from his deal." Sanguini told him as they got in the car.
"Asmodeus knows by the way."
"What about?'
"About us?"
"All of it?"
"Just that I feed you from time to time."
"Huh, I had wondered if he had noticed that I don't go out to feed as often as I used to. What did he say about that?"
"He didn't say anything, well actually, he teased me about it. But he didn't seem to be against it."
"I told you he wouldn't be."
"Yes, you did. I'm still right about what Dean's reaction would be."
"Yes, I'll admit that you probably are right there. So, we're not going to tell Dean anytime in the future then?"
"No. Definitely not."
"And Asmodeus won't either?"
"He said he wouldn't."
"Then he won't." Sanguini told him with a small smile. Sam smiled back at him and then frowned when Sanguini fidgeted next to him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Sanguini..."
"I'm hungry."
"You want... Okay." Sam said, pulling the car to a stop at the side of the road, much to Sanguini's shock.
"Sam..."
"Look, I said I would let you feed anytime you wanted. You want to feed now, so I'm going to let you feed."
"Yeah, but here? At the side of the road?"
"Don't tell me you don't want to, especially in Dean's car. His pride and joy. His baby." Sam told him with a smirk, which made Sanguini grin, teeth elongating as he moved to straddle Sam, placing his hands on Sam's shoulders.
"You sure?" Sanguini asked quietly, mouth brushing the pulse point in Sam's neck. Sam swallowed and then nodded his head. Sanguini pressed a kiss to his neck and then gently bit down on it, using a glamour to make it pleasurable for Sam, instead of hurting him.
Sam groaned and arched up into Sanguini, moving his hands to Sanguini's hair and tugging on it slightly, though not enough to hurt Sanguini, or move him from his neck.
Sanguini soon pulled away, licking the bite mark on Sam's neck and then watching as the skin healed, then pulling back to look at Sam, who looked at him dazed. Sanguini smirked at him and then leant forwards and pressed a kiss to Sam's mouth, running his tongue along Sam's lips. Sam opened his mouth and let Sanguini explore his mouth, hands moving down to Sanguini's shoulders and then running down his sides.
"Thank you." Sanguini whispered, pulling back from Sam, who just grinned at him.
"What are friends for?" Sam asked, Sanguini chuckled and shook his head, then leant forwards and pressed a sharp kiss to Sam's lips once more, then moved off of his lap and sat down in the passenger seat once more.
"We should get back to the other two."
"Pfft, like they're not already busy."
A/N – So, what do you think? I even added a little Sam and Sanguini scene for you all. Of course, that scene doesn't actually confirm or deny anything. Sam even said they were just friends, though he could have been joking. Who knows? Well, to be fair, I do, but you know what I mean.
Anyways, tell me what you think! Ooh! And my CPN (no I can't remember what that means, I think the P stands for psychiatric) told me that due to my um... paranoid nature, that I should cut back on watching Supernatural! *gasp* All because I admitted that I spent half an hour searching for salt in my cupboards and then bemoaned the lack of it. (Low sodium freak that I am) My mum told me I shouldn't have said anything, and I'm beginning to think she's right. Of course, I'm not going to stop watching Supernatural. I'll just stick with being paranoid.