Chapter 54

Dean was furious at Lisa. Why was she trying to kiss him and what had she done with Jo? Jo had been right here a second ago. He was tired of Lisa's juvenile tricks to try to get him back. He thought Gabriel had taken care of that. He needed to find Jo and get out of here. He snapped at Lisa and stormed off.

Scorch watched puzzled as his Master snapped at his Mate. The Winchester would never talk like that to his Mate unless it was to save her life or he was being influenced by something. Ember and Lava were trying to comfort Jo. Scorch squeezed past them and licked Jo's face.

'Remember the angel?' Scorch said as he licked away her tears.

Jo remembered Balthazar talking about a curse. Of course! What was her worst nightmare? Dean pushing her away. She looked at her right ringer finger and the mark left by Meg and Cas was glowing a deep orange, like a hot coal. Dean would not make those promises to her and leave her the next day. He loved her. When she felt the truth of his love sink into her bones, into her soul, she felt a band around her break and heard a small furious shriek. She threw her arms around Scorch.

'Thank you for helping me remember! Do we need to help Dean too?' she asked Scorch.

'The Winchester needs us,' Scorch replied.

Jo stood and ran down the hallway after Dean, three Hellhounds at her heels. Dean had already left the building when she caught up to him. He was in the alley having a conversation with thin air, but the air seemed to be answering him back.

"Dean!" She called out to him, but he didn't seem to hear her.

She stepped closer to see if she could hear whom he was talking to.

Dean could not find Jo anywhere. He was staring to panic. Had they missed a demon? Did Crowley have her? Where were the three hellhounds? He decided to wait by the exit for a few minutes. They had decided to meet there if they were separated for some reason. When he arrived at the exit, he was surprised to see Sam.

"Sam? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Helping you. What took you so long?" Sam said.

"I ran into some demons. Jo and I got separated. Has she come this way yet?" Dean asked.

"Hand me the tablet and let's talk about this outside," Sam said.

Dean slung the backpack over his shoulder.

"Jo has it," he said.

"Where is Jo?" he asked again.

Sam sighed.

"We really need to talk outside before more demons show up," Sam said, walking outside.

Dean followed cautiously. Sam shouldn't be here. And where was Sarah? Sam wouldn't just leave Sarah to take a tablet to Kevin by herself. And Sam would never ask him for the tablet, especially by name out in the open.

"Dean, Jo is dead," the fake Sam said casually.

Before he even thought about it, Dean whipped out the knife still covered in demon blood and stabbed the fake Sam in the chest. Whatever it was, it disappeared in a flash of light.

"Dean?" Dean turned to see Balthazar.

"Balthazar, I got separated from Jo. Help me find her," Dean said in relief.

Relief that turned to fear as he saw the look of pity on Balthazar's face.

"Dean, whatever that thing was pretending to be Sam, it was right. Jo is dead," Balthazar said.

Dean's heart almost stopped. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Just now? Did Crowley…."

Balthazar shook his head.

"Meg, several years ago," Balthazar replied.

Dean shook his head.

"No! No! She came back, almost two months ago. We just got married. She was with me just thirty minutes ago!"

Balthazar's look of pity turned to concern.

"Dean, you have made up this fantasy world to get you through living. To help you do your job. Ever since her death you have slowly been cracking. She is gone, Dean. She isn't coming back. Why do you think Ash hadn't seen her yet when you went to Heaven? She doesn't exist anymore, not on Earth, not in Heaven or Hell. She is not anywhere to come back from," Balthazar reluctantly told Dean.

Tears rolled down Dean's face.

"No. She came back to help us. I finally got her to believe I love her. She is my wife!" Dean yelled at Balthazar.

"You have just convinced yourself of this to cope. You need to let her go," Balthazar said.

'He is wrong, Dean. I am right here! Something is keeping you from seeing me. I know if you try you can feel me.'

Dean could have sworn he heard her voice in his head.

Jo was standing next to Dean, her hand on his arm. Out of everything Dean had seen in Hell, in Purgatory and on Earth, this was his worst nightmare. Her being gone and never being able to see her again. She kept trying to get through to him in a way that no curse would know they could do.

'If I am just your imagination, why did you have to work so hard to win me over?'

Dean smiled to himself. True. He would never have made that up or her SOB ex-boyfriend.

'Look at your ring finger, Dean.'

Dean looked and saw the infinity mark glowing like an ember. He held up his hand and he felt another hand lay on top of his. He could feel Jo's heart beating next to him. He could smell her and hear her breathing. He still could not see her, but he knew she was there. He knew to his soul she was alive and standing by him, she was not just a figment of his imagination. As he realized this three things happened; Jo was visible next to him, Balthazar screeched like a banshee and Scorch materialized out of thin air in front of Dean. Balthazar lunged for Dean, but Scorch lunged first. He had Balthazar by the throat and was dismembering him. As pieces flew, Jo and Dean saw that Scorch was actually tearing apart a mummy. Just to be on the safe side, when Scorch was finished, they lit the remains on fire.

"Just for the record, you and I are never working a job together in New York again. Ever," Jo said with a shudder.

Dean held her close.

"I completely agree. Let's get out of here as fast as we can."

They held hands tightly and ran to the Impala.