AN: eh... i'm so so sorry for never updating, forgive me?


28. In which there is a trio from hell

They've been on the road for hours and the car is all too silent, Jo hasn't said anything at all since an "okay" when Sam said they'd be leaving. Somehow Dean and Cass has ended up in the back seat but they are not saying much either.

He would have thought they would be talking strategy, planning, but Cass seems to be sleeping, still weak from the wound no doubt and Dean is just staring at the angel, then staring out the window and then back at the angel.

Suddenly Sam gets it, of course they are busy thinking about other stuff, but that is not the only reason they don't care to argue about Crowley or magic rituals, they don't care how they do anything as long as they do something. And so they expect him to come up with a plan.

"We're talking to Crowley, set up a plan to lure Lilith out, or find her", he says to test his theory.
"Okay", says Jo and then keep staring at the road and mindlessly playing with her small knife.

"Sure, I guess we're all out of other options", he hears Dean saying from the back seat.
"We'll just keep driving for a while first."
"Yeah, sounds good."

It makes him a little uneasy, the lack of arguing, apparently Dean has no problem working with demons anymore but there should still be something, a hole in his plan, arguing just for the sake of arguing. No one has for example brought up that Crowley seemed very unhelpful last time they talked to him.

Sam really has no idea what he could do to lure Lilith out, they've done all kinds of stuff, it's not like they've never drawn attention to themselves, so what is necessary to get the queen of hell to pay him a personal visit?

Then Jo finally says something.
"What do we do with Lilith when we find her? She'll bring backup."

No one answers and Sam spends the rest of the silent drive to think of one.


Cass seems better when they finally checks into a hotel, but Dean wouldn't want him in a fight just yet, he still looks pretty tired and weak, but at least he doesn't seem to be dropping dead anytime soon.

When they have gotten up all the protection Dean finally allows himself to relax, to think. He agrees that the only plan is to go after Lilith, one last fight and then don't have to worry about the devil anymore. It's just that they will never be able to beat Lilith, she's clever and she's strong and she's followed by an army, he doesn't bring this up to anyone because there is nothing they can do about it.

And so the research begins, Sam is tapping at his laptop with his usual determination and Jo is working in a silent furious way that says she'd rather have it over with and just get to the killing part. Dean gives up in about an hour, it's not that he doesn't have the patience, it's more that he knows they won't find anything, they've checked up Lilith before, nothing useful. Sam has even called Bobby, nothing there either.

Bobby… he wonders if Bobby knows he's alive, or as close to alive as a demon is anyway, he probably doesn't. Sam wouldn't have told him, too many questions, and they haven't met any other hunters, well, except Jo. He wonders if she will break, wonder if she will ever get back to the way she was. He wonders if he will ever actually see Bobby again, and how he would explain things. He wonders how things will be when all this is over.

A little voice whispers that it will never be over, not for him, if there ever was a chance it is gone now, he can never have any kind of normal. There will always be hunting and blood and danger. It doesn't bother him as much as it should but it makes him a little nostalgic, like a memory of a time when it still was an option.

It could all be over so very soon now, he wonders how many of the persons in this room will be dead, probably all of them. Maybe not Cass, or maybe him too, he seems to have lost his advantage.

Thinking of Cass
"How are you feeling?"
"It's almost healed, but I still feel powerless."
He's sitting on one of the beds with a very tired expression.

"Maybe we should wait with this whole plan until you've gotten all the juice back, you could be good in a pinch."

"I am sorry for putting you in danger."
"Not your fault, at least we got a warning, and I'm used to danger."
Why is he saying that? Why is he just trying to make him feel better for no reason at all?
The angel tilts his head a little and watches Dean with that searching look.

"Then I am sorry for putting him in danger."
Dean doesn't need the slight nod in Sam's direction to know who he's talking about. But he can forgive that too, in a heartbeat, because this is Cass and somehow he just keeps forgiving him. He blames it on the angel grace running through his soul. He smiles, just a little sad smile.
Apology accepted. And Cass understands him, just like that.

Then he is pulled from the world of blue eyes by Kira's growling. He looks over at her and sees her sniffing in the air and then he feels it, one look at Cass tells him he has felt it too.

"There's demons here!" he calls out and reaches for a shotgun with his powers, Sam has the colt and Jo's carrying the knife, looks like he has to rely on his rather undependable demonic powers, and on Kira of course. He just wishes he could rely on Cass too, but the angel seems to have trouble just standing up so that doesn't seem like something he should be counting on.

"Where?"
"Somewhere… that way", Dean says and waves a hand in the general direction in which Kira is staring and he himself feels a wage sense of the demons. He curses himself for getting so relaxed, it's probably Ruby's fault, hanging around another demon has made him ignore that little tingling sensation, well, maybe it's Cass' fault as well since he's the one who's causing most of the weird sensations with that grace of his. Dean chooses to ignore that part as he proceeds in making up a plan with the others.

"Can you fight?" Sam asks looking at Cass who now seems to have regained his balance.
"I will do my best."
"The guy can barely stand, count him out."
"I can help, Dean."

"Yeah? Through me across the room, blast something with that angel mojo of yours."
"I can fight, but I am not wasting my powers on proving a point."
When did he move in so close? What is it with this guy and standing just inches away?

"Just stay here, it's not far and you'll notice if we need you, right?"
"I'll notice if you need me."
Well, that sounds like a completely normal thing to say…

"Right… that's what I meant, and I'll notice if anyone else needs you. Stay here and be the backup."
Cass looks like he's about to say something but Sam beats him to it.
"Dean's right, there's no need to take any unnecessary risks."
And that, of course, decides it.

Sam and Jo is already out of the door when he casts one last look at Cass, it feels uncomfortable to leave him alone when he probably can't protect himself, but Sam is priority one so he just meets those blue eyes and hopes that Cass knows what he's thinking.

Then he follows the others out. He lets Kira lead the way, they don't even get out of the hotel, Kira just comes to a stop outside one of the doors.
"There goes the plan and the element of surprise, they know we're here by now", Dean says as he prepares to kick down the door.

"Of course it was a hell of a coincidence that they were here to begin with, they probably knew where we were long before you even noticed them."
He has to agree with Jo on that one. He doesn't agree with Sam when he stops him from kicking in the door.

"Why the hell not?"
"We don't want the whole hotel of innocent people to come running."

So they pick the lock, or they attempts to, Dean is just about to get it open when it opens from the inside.

"Hello boys!"
A young chick with dyed, short red hair is standing at the threshold looking potentially evil.
"Oh, and you", she adds with a look at Jo.

"Welcome in!"
It is not the behavior they have expected but it doesn't really chance anything. Jo throws herself at the chick in the doorway while Sam takes aim at someone they can see behind her.

"Stop or I'll cut his throat!" a voice calls from inside the room. Dean pushes the demon out of the way and finally gets a grip of the situation in the room. There are three demons in all, the redhead, a boy who looks like he's about fourteen, but with an evil smile that no normal teenager would ever have on their face, and over by the window there's a woman in a suit with neatly braided hair.

The last one is holding a big nasty-looking knife to the exposed throat of someone sitting on a chair in front of her. It takes Dean quite a few seconds to recognize Morgan, he has a new haircut and is dressed like he's heading to the gym. Probably some disguise.

"Let them kill the he-witch, it's not like he's our loyal friend or anything."
Sam gives him a dangerous glare as he and Jo steps into the room and closes the door behind them, still with weapons ready.

Dean rolls his eyes in an 'Dude, I'm not serious' way, but the truth is he's not completely sure, it's probably best if Morgan lives though.

"I'm with Dean, let them kill him if they want to", Jo says and he can't tell if she's serious either, he hopes not, it would somehow be sad if she is getting as screwed up as he is.

You could probably cut the tension in the quite crowded room with a knife, Dean focuses on keeping himself totally calm, he doesn't want Cass coming running right now, could make all hell break loose. A part of him wants that to happen of course, always want that to happen, but it's not big enough, it will never be bigger than the part that will always keep Sam as safe as possible no matter what.

"We just wanna talk", says the redheaded demon.
"So let him go and we'll talk", Sam says and nods in Morgan's direction.
"We need insurance that you'll hear us out."
"Hey, guys, I'm sorry", Morgan starts but is cut off by increased pressure of the big knife against his throat.

"So talk, did Lilith send you?" Sam is of course taking the lead in the negotiations.
"We're here on our own."
"Really, why?"

"I'm a friend of Ruby's."
"No you're not", Jo says in a dangerous tune that leaves no room for discussion, at least according to Dean.

"And how would you know?"
"She didn't have friends."
"She told you that?"
"Yes, actually."

"Ok, so maybe I didn't know her that well, but I want the same thing she wanted."
"Yeah, you know the funny part is that no one ever actually knew what Ruby wanted, it was all peace on earth and fluffy puppies and whatever, but it wasn't all that clear on how to get there", Dean says, slowly easing farther into the room.

"Of course she was, everyone is clear on that. Sam. Simple as that, if Sam just takes his place as antichrist or whatever people want to call him, he can take control of hell."

"And do what exactly?" Sam asks, he does look a little nauseous at the thought.
"Well, you were meant to free Lucifer, but once you're in charge you can do whatever you like, and I don't think that's what you'd do, if we wanted a war we would be following Lilith and not you."

"Demons who don't want war, now that's a plot twist."
Dean's standing really close to her now, close enough to reach out and break her neck at the first sign of trouble, shame it won't help much.

"You don't want war, Ruby didn't want war. People die in wars, demons too, actually dies sounds so passive, get sacrificed is probably closer to the truth."

"Well, look at that Sammy, you're getting the cowardly part of hell and Lilith's getting the fanatic religious and bloodthirsty part. I think your chances are pretty good."

"I would say it takes plenty of courage to join the losing team", says the boy demon, and his voice, even though it evidently belongs to a child sounds so much like Alistair it sends chills down Dean's spine. Pure sadistic evil, laced with humor.

"How did you know we were here?" Jo asks spinning the knife over her fingers with a threatening smile.
"We've been tracking you since we caught this witch of yours", the redhead says indicating Morgan.
"We're protected, you shouldn't have been able to do that", Sam says and Dean assumes he's referring to whatever magic Ruby put up, well, big surprise that failed.

"Hex bags and spells don't help against the old fashioned way, you know actual tracking, and we happen to be very good at it."
"So you just followed us?"

"We know what you look like, what bad rock aliases you use and in case you haven't noticed your car is sort of inconspicuous."
"Smart-ass."

"Actually my name is Rose", the red-head says and makes a gesture to the colt that Sam's still aiming at her head, "you think you can put that away so we can talk like civilized people?"
"You're not people", Sam says, not giving an inch.
"Look who's talking."

Of course his little brother looks hurt at that, but he lowers the gun. It's true, Dean catches himself thinking, even he can feel it these days, the smell of Sam's soul isn't quite human anymore. He's been using that physic demon thing way too much to be all human, if he ever was.

"So you just wanna help us kill Lilith? Why would we want you on our team?"
"Assassination is, you could say, our profession, and we are really good at what we do. You could definitively use the extra fire power", the woman in the suit with the knife to Morgan's throat says, and Dean forgets that he ever thought the kid was creepy, this one is scary enough to give the Azazel a run for his money. He gets a feeling she's the real leader and that Rose just does the talking.

"Let him go and we'll talk."
"How do we know you won't just shoot us?"
"I guess you'll just have to take your chances."

While Sam and Rose are negotiating Dean and Jo share a look, a silent agreement to just attack, but right as Dean is about to fire his shotgun the other demon just removes her knife from Morgan's throat, pulls him up from the chair and pushes him, not very gently, in Jo's direction. The witch lands in a heap on the floor, hands still tied together. Jo reaches down to help him up but he's already on his way to his feet, muttering something under his breath to make the ropes fall off.

"Hey, you couldn't have done that before?" Dean says, not even trying to keep the accusing tune out of his voice.
"Yes, and then I could have fought three powerful demons without any proper spell material, who do you think I am? Merlin?"
"Very funny."

"Dean I think you can put the gun down."
Dean doesn't think that is a good idea at all, seeing as he's the only one in the room who is still aiming a weapon at these suckers, but of course he lowers the shotgun anyway, god what happened to those good old days when he trusted his own judgment better than Sammy's?

"What the hell are you?" Rose suddenly says, and she's looking at something behind Dean, actually all the demons are staring at something over his shoulder and Dean realizes what or rather who they are looking at a second later, and then he curses himself for not noticing the door opening. He's getting rusty.

"Why", says Cass as he walks into the room, "are these sisters not dead yet?"