"Are you all right?"
Jessica and Sam are sitting in the Impala, waiting for Dean and Ruby. Sam is sitting in front of Jessica, so she can't see his face, but she knows he's feeling every heartbreaking emotion there is. They are parked outside the house that Lilith has taken over. She has possessed the body of a ten year old girl, and is making the little girls' family do whatever she wants. If they don't, she kills them. Because of this, she is in perfect condition to be killed, and that's just what they plan to do.
"No, not really. I can't believe this is actually happening."
"I know the feeling. But maybe this will do it. Perhaps this will save Dean," she says, trying to force a smile onto her face. She knows he's looking in the mirror at her, and she wants to show a positive front, even though she's as heartbroken as he is.
Now they're getting ready to go to battle with Lilith, the demon who holds the contract to Dean's deal. She is in control of his soul, and what happens to him, and they are all terrified of what is going to happen.
"Come on!"
Dean appears at the side of the car, banging the top with his fist, and giving Jessica and Sam the fright of their lives.
"All right," they say, climbing out of the car.
They look over at the house. This is the location where it's all going to go down, and their hearts are pounding.
Ruby appears from the side of the house.
"Well come on girls, let's move."
The three of them follow her, very anxious, but ready to do what needs to be done. Ruby was certain she knew how to help them, but Jessica, and Dean in particular, don't trust her. They realise they don't have a choice however, as they've reached a stage where they are willing to try just about anything.
Once inside the house, they make sure the family is safe before going after Lilith. They find the little girl she is inhabiting in the bedroom with her mother, but she's a little girl again. Lilith has left her body, and no one knows where she has gone.
They find themselves alone in a room downstairs, trying to work out their next move. Sam is still ready to do battle, but Dean stops him in his tracks. There is nothing more they can do. They have reached the end of the road. Sam tries to fight him on it, but Dean is determined. He doesn't want to fight anymore. Jessica looks over at Ruby, hoping she has some ideas on what they can do, but she's standing watching them, emotionless.
With tears streaming down both brothers cheeks, Dean tells Sam to take care of his wheels, and remember what he and their father taught him. He looks over at Jessica.
"Take care of my brother, Jessica," he says.
Jessica is trying to be strong, and not let her emotions get the better of her, but she can't do it anymore. Her tears start to descend like a waterfall, and there's no stopping them. She looks over at Sam, his handsome face wet with tears. He looks over at her with total devastation on his face.
Jessica nods her head, wiping the tears from her eyes as she does so, but they are quickly replaced by new ones.
The clock strikes midnight. Dean hears a hellhound scratching and snarling at the door. They rush into another room, hoping to put it off for a little bit longer. Dean and Ruby protect the room with goofa dust while Sam and Jessica hold the door closed.
Dean realises that Ruby isn't herself anymore. Her entire demeanour has changed – Lilith is inside her.
She throws the brothers apart. Sam lands against the wall, unable to move, while Dean ends up trapped on the table. Jessica sees an opportunity. She rushes up to Lilith, but she is grabbed round the neck and thrown against the same wall as Sam.
"Silly girl!" says Lilith, smiling at her with evil in her eyes.
"What have you done with Ruby?"
"I've sent her far, far away."
Lilith kisses Sam, taking enormous pleasure out of the fact that Jessica is watching her every gesture.
She moves to the door, and opens it, allowing the hellhound into the room to attack Dean.
Sam pleads with Lilith to stop the hound, but she's smiling widely, loving every moment of it. Sam screams, wanting this all to end, but there is nothing he can do.
"Ruby please! If you're still in there, stop this!" shouts Jessica, but to no avail. Lilith has too strong.
Sam and Jessica are blinded when a bright light emerges from Lilith. The light frees Sam and Jessica from being locked against the wall, and both collapse onto the ground.
When the light show is over, Lilith looks down at Sam. Ruby is back, and she knows what's happened. Sam swings at her with a knife he had stashed inside his belt, but she throws her head back violently, black smoke shooting out of her mouth. Ruby and Lilith have gone back to wherever they came from. She falls back onto the ground, where Sam and Jessica discover Dean's lifeless body. His eyes are wide open, and he's saturated in blood. He's been ripped apart by the hellhounds. There's nothing they can do.
Dean Winchester is no more.
Sam and Jessica explode into a wave of tears, falling into one another's arms.
After the burial in Pontiac, Illinois, Sam and Jessica return to Bobby's. He asks them to stay for a while, recharge their batteries after everything that has happened. Sam isn't keen, but Jessica accepts on their behalf.
That evening, over quite a few shots of whiskey, they have a bit of a wake for Dean, remembering the good times, and the not so good times.
"Did we ever tell you about the case with the poltergeist in Philly? Dean, me and dad were working on it together. We got rid of the poltergeist, and Dean managed to get the girl."
"Sounds like Dean. How old were you and Dean?" asks Jessica.
"I think I was still in high school, so I would have been about fourteen, so Dean would be around seventeen, eighteen."
"Always the ladies man," smiles Jessica.
The three of them are silent for a few moments, regularly taking sips from their glasses. None of them know what to do or say. It's a strange situation when someone dies, in any circumstance, but when the person has gone to hell, it puts a weird tinge to the story.
Sam finally asks the question the three of them have been perusing.
"Do you think we'll ever see Dean again?"
Jessica and Bobby look at one another.
"I don't think so Sam. Once you go to hell, that's generally the end," answers Bobby.
"Well I can't let that be the end. I have to do something," he replies, climbing to his feet.
"What are you going to do?" asks Jessica, watching as he makes his way over to Bobby's massive bookcase, where he has every type of supernatural and religious book known to man. Or demon.
"There has to be a way to get Dean back. Maybe if I go after Lilith I can make her give him back? Or I could track down some demons. Maybe they'll know a way to bring him back? Or maybe I'll just kill some demons. Nice way to get some revenge," he states strongly, flipping through some of the books.
Jessica looks at Sam in horror. One of the things she admired about him was that he only killed when there was no other option. It was always a last resort action. But now he's talking about murdering demons just for revenge. He's not the man he was before Dean's death.
"Sam, can't you just accept what has happened and move on? I know how heartbreaking and devastating this is, believe me. But revenge isn't the way to go, son. It will just eat you alive!"
Sam doesn't respond to him, he's so enraptured with the books in front of him. Bobby looks over at Jessica.
"Try to talk some sense into that boy, will you. Before he destroys himself," he says, climbing to his feet and heading into the kitchen.
"Time for something to eat I think!" he says as he opens the fridge.
"Brilliant, thanks Bobby," says Jessica, realising for the first time that she has barely eaten since the funeral. She joins Sam at the desk, taking a seat at the side of the table so she's able to look down at Sam, and the books he's looking through.
"Hun, what are you doing?"
Sam looks up at her, all confused.
"What do you mean?"
"I know how angry and upset you are about Dean's death, but do you really think this is the way to go?"
"I have to do something Jessica. I can't just sit about, doing nothing."
"I'm not saying that you shouldn't do anything, but maybe we should get back into doing what we do best?"
Sam looks a bit confused.
"And that would be?"
"Hunting! The family business, remember? I think that's what Dean would want."
"How would you know what Dean would want? You haven't spent much time with him, I've spent years with him!" he says, storming out of the room. She hears the front door slam shut.
Bobby dashes out of the kitchen.
"What happened?"
"I'm not sure. I said I thought we should get back into hunting, for Dean, and he went nuts."
Bobby smiles sadly at Jessica.
"You have to give him time, Jessica. This is really difficult for him. I know that it's rough for you too, but it's more intense for Sam. He's just lost his big brother."
"I realise that Bobby, but don't you think I should be the person to help him? I've lost a sibling as well, and to the same demon that took his parents."
"Jessica, you have to let him do this on his own, in his own way and time. He won't thank you if you try to interfere. He needs to go through this alone. It's the Winchester way," says Bobby sadly.
Jessica sighs heavily, gently nodding her head in agreement. She hates this. She loathes having to see the man she loves in such pain, and know that there is nothing she can do to make it easier.
The next morning, Jessica wakes up alone. She climbs out of bed, half unconscious, and heads downstairs. She finds Bobby sitting on the couch, a whiskey in his hand.
"Isn't it a bit early for that?" she asks, heading into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.
"After everything that's happened last night, I would say no," he says, taking another swig.
"Yeah, it's been rather trying, I have to admit."
"That's the understatement of the century, Jess."
"Have you seen Sam yet this morning?" she asks.
"No, he's not with you?" he asks, concern colouring his voice.
"I haven't seen him since he stormed off last night. I just assumed he had come back, and just didn't want to see me."
"I haven't seen him. Where could he have gone?" asks Bobby, his fatherly instincts kicking in.
Jessica moves to the couch and moves the lace curtain from the window so she has a clear look out of the window. The Impala has disappeared.
"He couldn't have gone too far. Maybe he's just gone off to be alone for a few hours. He did get pretty heated yesterday."
"That he did. I'll give him a ring on his cell," responds Bobby, picking up the phone and hitting the relevant speed dial.
The two of them stare at the phone for the longest time, waiting for Sam to pick up, but there's no answer. Bobby eventually gives up.
"Where the hell is he?" shouts Bobby. He's not angry at anyone, he's just highly concerned. He's just buried one surrogate son, he's not about to lose another one.
"Ok, you look in one part of town, and I'll look the other way. He couldn't have gone far," she says, hoping that she's right. With everything that Sam has been through recently, she's not sure she recognises the man she fell in love with inside the man he is now. He's a vastly different person than he was just a few months ago, and she's not sure what he'll do.
A few hours later, and Bobby and Jessica meet back at his house.
"Anything?" asks Bobby, stepping out of his truck.
"No, I couldn't find him anywhere. I asked in a few different places, and no one remembers seeing him."
"So he's left town," adds Bobby.
"This isn't good."
Bobby shakes his head.
"Really isn't, but perhaps he just needs some time alone. He's been with you and me since Dean died. Maybe some time on his own will help him realise what's important, and he'll come back. We just have to bide our time," he says, forcing a smile onto his face.
Jessica smiles in return, but she isn't feeling confident. Sam is capable of anything at the moment, and the fact that he's taken off without telling anyone is intensely troubling. Under normal circumstances, he would never do such a thing. When the three of them were hunting together Sam never disappeared without telling either Jessica or Dean where he was going. Even if it was just popping out to get some coffee.
She didn't mind if he wanted some alone time, she just wanted to know that he was all right.