CHAPTER FOURTY-FOUR
Day 321
'The Length I'll Go'
Andie was wide awake; as she had been since they hit day 300 of Dean's last 365 before he was sucked into hell. It wasn't as though she'd forgotten she needed to save him; but the finality that the three double zero brought was so sudden Andie had literally woken up in a cold sweat the morning after day 299. The reality that she had so few weeks left with Dean and no way to save him gave her many sleepless nights. They did not, however, have this affect on Dean who was snoozing quietly beside her. Sam was in a bed on the other side of the room sleeping in a similar way to his brother.
Rolling onto her back, Andie sighed heavily, searching her brain for scenarios that might get Dean out of his deal. She'd already looked into time travel; to go back and stop Dean before he made the contract. But she would also have to deal with Sam being killed as well as all the mental ramifications of time travel. Plus; she had no idea how to do it without some kind of demonic help so it wasn't the most colourful option.
Dean sighed in his sleep, rolled over and laid am arm over Andie's middle. She laid her on hand on top of his and closed her eyes; willing her brain to sleep. It worked in a way; her mind kept ticking with Dean and his contract, how they'd spent their final day, what would happen when he was taken, would simply clinging to his body as they dragged him away do anything? This deal was so final; the end. The magic behind it was unsurpassed; incomparable. She couldn't even hope to match it.
Suddenly the answer hit her like a Mack truck and she woke up almost jumping out of her bed. It was only then she'd realized she'd fallen asleep because Sam and Dean were already awake and sitting at the table having breakfast.
"Morning, sweetheart." Dean greeted her as he continued eating his breakfast burger.
"I got it!" She yelped as she shrugged off her blankets and hurried towards them in her pajamas. "I know how to save you!"
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked her curiously.
"I make a deal!" Andie said happily.
Dean furrowed his brow. "What?"
"I make a deal; like yours." Andie explained. "Except they'll give me the regular ten year wait 'til they take my soul; not one."
Dean almost laughed. "Are you insane? I'm not gonna let you do that."
"Last time I checked I didn't have to ask your permission." Andie replied curtly as she gathered some clothes to change into.
Dean got to his feet and followed her as she tried to ignore his reasoning. "You do when it involves selling your soul."
"It'll save you!" Andie snapped at him. "Then we got ten years to figure out how to save me."
"Ok; Andie, even if I agreed; you couldn't do this." Dean pointed out. "The Crossroads Demon is dead; Sammy shot her with the colt; she's gone."
"You thought the Trickster was gone, too." Andie countered with a smug smile. "And look how spot on you were with that." She sighed. "Worst thing that can happen is nothing which means we're in the same place we are now." She shrugged. "I'm doing it."
"This is the stupidest thing you've ever said!" Dean yelled at her.
Andie headed for the bathroom; too wrapped up in her own idea to really be listening to him. "Stupid or not; I'm doing it!" She yelled at him and then slammed the bathroom door in his face.
Dean turned to his brother who was trying not to laugh as he ate his breakfast. "You're laughing? She's gonna go kill herself for me and you're laughing?"
"No, no." Sam suppressed his giggling. "Just...you picked her, Dean." He told him with a shrug. "I coulda told you she'd do something like this sooner or later." He laughed again.
"You're helpful." Dean told him bitterly. "You are so helpful."
xxx
Andie had heard enough about the Crossroads Demon to know that she needed to go to a place where three roads met, or crossed, have a photo of herself in a tin with some other ingredients. It took Andie a grand total of two hours to get everything together; she was shocked at the ease at which she managed to organize herself, especially with Dean over her shoulder. She had to hand it to him; by the time the sun set he hadn't weakened his resolve.
"How many ways do I have to say no?" he yelled at her as she packed her bag.
"As many as you like; I'm still going." Andie told him as she looked around for her cell phone.
"You're not taking the car."
"Yeah; I figured. I'll call a cab – where is my phone?" Andie asked him.
"Andie; stop this!" He grabbed her by her forearms and held her in front of him. "Look; you can't do this! I won't let what's happening to me happen to you!"
"What the hell am I supposed to do, Dean?!" Andie yelled back. "You have six weeks left! And this is the first thing that is a sure fire way to save you!"
"I don't want you to do it; doesn't that mean anything?"
"NO!" Andie yelled. "I didn't want you to make the deal you made!"
"I didn't know you when I made that!" He protested.
"Technicality!" She snapped.
"Andrea!" He yelled. But then his face softened."Please. Don't do this."
Andie sighed. He'd never used her full name before. "I just want you out of this, Dean." She mumbled.
"I know." He stroked the back of her hair. "And it is totally awesome you wanna do this for me; believe me. No girl I've met's been willin' to sell her soul."
Andie smiled weakly. "I don't want you to die." She shrugged.
Dean rubbed her shoulders with his hand. "I won't. We'll figure out a way, alright?"
"Alright." Andie hugged him; swiftly pulling her hand in and out of his jacket pocket. "You want pizza?"
"Always." Dean told her.
"I'll call; you seen my phone?" she asked, glancing around the room.
"I think it's in the kitchen." He said. He flopped in front of the couch and clicked on the TV; set up for a busy night of stuffing himself and falling asleep.
Sam came out of the bathroom where he'd been hiding out while Dean and Andie fought. "You done?"
"Yeah; she's not going." Dean told him. "Told you I'd change her mind."
Sam noticed Andie was missing. "Where is she?"
"Calling for pizza." Dean told him. Sam closed his eyes, not believing his brother's idiocy, and hung his head. Dean watched his brother's reaction and then immediately felt like a fool. He jumped off the couch. "ANDIE!" he roared. He ran into the kitchen; she was nowhere to be seen and the window was wide open.
"Whoa." Sam muttered as he followed his brother. "She totally Cunninghamed your ass."
"What?"
"Happy Days." Sam explained. "Richie Cunningham'd sneak out through windows…"
"God; you're sad." Dean muttered. "Ok; she's on foot so she can't have gone far." A very familiar roar of an engine rumbled outside followed by a loud screech of tires. Dean checked his pocket. "No!" he yelled as he ran out the front of the motel. "Andie!" He screamed as the Impala disappeared into the distance. Sam jogged beside his brother. "She stole my damn car!" Dean snapped at him.
"She totally got you, dude." Sam told him.
"Shut up." Dean grumbled.
xxx
Andie arrived at the three-way dirt street just as the sun disappeared on the horizon. It was one of four or five in within a few hours' drive of the motel but she'd tried to pick one that Sam and Dean wouldn't think she'd pick. At first she'd thought she'd go to the closest one; figuring that they'd assume she'd take the one further away. But since she had the Impala; the longer away she was the better so she went with her gut and wound up in the middle of nowhere with in the centre of three roads. She dug a shallow hole with her hands and buried the small tin containing everything she hoped she needed to resurrect the demon. She'd never met it before; but Sam and Dean had told her it appeared as a different, but stunning, brunette woman every time. Brushing off her jeans, Andie got to her feet and waited. A night chill breezed past her making her shiver in her jacket.
"I gotta give you credit." A deep, sultry male voice said behind Andie.
Turning, Andie didn't see an attractive woman, but a very handsome young man wearing a black suit with black collared shirt and tie.
"Demons get killed and yet you still won't let us rest in peace." He clucked his tongue. "You love us that much?"
"Huh...not exactly what I was expecting." Andie told him as she folded her arms.
"Cos I'm not a hot chick; you mean?" The demon inquired.
"That was a red flag." Andie nodded.
"Well; nature of the beast sweetheart." He held out his hands and grinned. "I chose a façade that I felt would be most pleasing to your pretty eyes."
"I wanna make a deal." Andie said; cutting right to the chase.
"Ahh, yes." The demon rocked back on his heels. "And this would be because of Dean; heroic son of a bitch who sold me his soul to save his little brother. Methinks that deal comes to an end in, I dunno...exactly forty-four days?" he smirked.
"Cut the crap; I've heard it." Andie spat at him. "You toss me a few one-liners about how I can't save Dean; how he's doomed. How I'm supposed to just accept it; move on? I don't wanna hear it."
The demon nodded patronizingly. "Strong girl." He leered. "Stoic. By the way; I noticed the Impala." He jabbed his thumb behind him at Dean's car. "I doubt Dean tossed you the keys. Perhaps you swiped them after a roll in the hay? He doesn't know you're here does he?""
"That doesn't matter." Andie replied. "Get Dean outta his deal and you can take my soul."
"Alright; the heroine is just darling." The demon applauded her. "But you didn't really do your research on me; did you? See I bring people back from the dead. Meaning your beloved Dean has gotta come to the end of his cynical rope before I can do anything."
"Does that mean you'll do it?" Andie asked.
The demon laughed. "Sweetie, I couldn't if I wanted to. Yes; I make the deal but I don't keep them. I don't have Dean's contract. But even if I did; your soul is useless."
"Why?" Andie asked; annoyed with herself that tears were forming in her eyes.
The demon paused before he started walking towards Andie. "Did it ever occur to you that we don't want your soul?"
Andie furrowed her brow. "What do you mean? You don't care. A soul is a soul; since when are you picky?"
"Darling; believe me, if I could I'd be sealing this deal with a kiss as we speak." The demon licked his bottom lip. "But your soul downstairs...big no-no."
"Why?!" Andie yelled; her fists balling and arms tensing even though they were folded across her chest.
"Hate to sound like a broken record; but look at the big picture here, Andie." The demon simpered. "You get shot by the colt; yet you stand before me hotter than ever."
"What's your point?" Andie sneered.
"My point is that you are meant to stay on this side of the coin, Andie." He gestured to the land around them. "Whereas Dean belongs down there." He pointed two thumbs down at the ground.
"No; he doesn't." Andie told him firmly. "He's a good man. He did what he did to save his brother; he's a her-"
"Oh; sweetie, if you say 'hero' I may vomit!" The demon yelled exasperatedly. "He's not a hero! He's an arrogant moron who only saved Sam because he was too selfish to let him go. If he had just let it go; you and I wouldn't be having this conversation." He shook his head. "Tell me; what was your plan if I could actually do this? Wait out the ten years; hope that your little fling with Dean lasts long enough to save you before he gets bored and moved on to the next whore?"
Andie surged with anger and the demon flipped back off his feet; crashing to the ground heavily. Her heart jumped into her throat; she had never, in her whole life, used her telekinesis without moving her hand to control it. But she couldn't dwell on it at that second. The demon got to his feet and wiped the back off his hand over his bloodied lip.
"So, you don't like whore?" he smiled evilly. "Sweetness; what makes you think you're any different to all the others?"
"Can you save him or not?" Andie continued, blinking back tears of uncertainty.
"No." The demon said simply. "Dean is going to die. And you can't stop it. My advice? Move on." He shrugged. "You woulda had to eventually. It's not like you two could live happily ever after. See, what you have with Dean? This "relationship"? It's a mirage. It's all an illusion. When you're together you drift into a fake world of sunshine and rainbows; we're you're love conquers all." He made a weak fist with his hand and held it to the air. "I know you love him. But answer me this...does he loves you?"
Hatred boiled in Andie's throat but she didn't get a chance to release it. The Crossroads Demon was shot four times in the head and slumped to the ground before releasing itself from its human body and disappearing. Andie, with tear-filled eyes, turned to her left and saw Dean lowering his shotgun. He was close enough that Andie knew he must have heard what the demon said; she wondered how long he'd been standing there. She turned away from him, brushing tears from her eyes before Dean could see. When she turned back he was walking towards her.
"You good, Morgan?" He asked her.
Andie nodded. "You killed my lead."
"Hate to say I told you so…" Dean began. "Who am I kidding; I love it. He can't help me, Andie."
"How did you find me?" Andie asked him. "Where's Sam?"
"Five crossroads in town. Sammy and I each rented a car and split up." Dean explained. He paused; watching her carefully before continuing. "Why did you come here after I asked you not to?"
"You don't own me, Dean." She muttered as she headed back to the Impala.
"That's not why I didn't want you to come!" Dean snapped as he followed her.
"I know why you didn't want me to come." She sneered over her shoulder.
"Oh yeah?" Dean questioned. "Why?"
"Because it's a waste!" She screamed as she turned to face him. "It's a friggin waste, right? You don't want me to do this because...because you...you don't…you don't…" She hated to say what she was about to say; but it was a worry she'd had for some time. Since day three hundred, to be exact.
"What?" Dean pressed.
"You don't care about me like I care about you." She mumbled; tears welling in her eyes. "You wouldn't go to the length I am to save me." She gave him a wobbly smile. "And y'know what?" She shrugged. "I don't care. I don't care if a week after I save you; you dump me...as long as I save you."
"Andie…" Dean shook his head and looked at the ground. "Since when do you listen to demons?"
"I don't." She mumbled.
"That guy tells you I'm gonna leave you and you're totally on board?!" he snapped. "What's the matter with you?"
"Demon or not; he's right." Andie admitted. "What are we doing? I mean, we're just having sex, playing house and fighting like none of this craziness is going on around us."
"Look where we are." Dean gestured to the crossroads. "I just got rid of a demon you were trying to sell your soul to to get me outta a deal I made to bring my brother back from the dead. I'd say we're pretty much smack-bang in the middle of the craziness."
"But what if we weren't?" Andie asked him. "What if we had no craziness? What if-"
"No! Stop the what-if's, Andie, the fact is we are always gonna have the craziness; it's a fact. Hell; look at your life; full of craziness. Same with mine. We attract it; we thrive on it." He shrugged. "That's just how we are." When she didn't answer he took a step towards her. "And what the hell gave you the idea that I wouldn't do what you're doing if you were in my position?"
"Look; can you just man-up and say what you're trying to say so I can go home?" She tried to keep her tears steady and stand firmly with her hands on her hips.
"Fine. I love you." Dean said in the same breath with an easy grin on his face. "Morgan; you annoy me more than anyone...but I wanna spend every god-forsaken exasperating moment with you."
Andie's heart was torn between elation and heartbreak. "Then why don't you want me to save you?" She asked as she bit her lip; her tears dangerously close to bubbling over.
"Because..." Dean began slowly. "Andie; I'm scared." He admitted. "I don't wanna die. I don't wanna leave you." He had to swallow hard to keep the tears away from his eyes. "But more than anything...I don't want you to go through this. Please promise me that you won't sacrifice yourself for me." Dean saw her open her mouth to protest. "No; I don't wanna fight over this. Not this; Andie. Look; you can hate me - you can even beat me up later if it'll make you happy - but please don't give up your life for me." His voice cracked as he spoke.
Andie looked to the dirt road beneath her; tears sliding off her cheeks and making miniscule splashes as they hit the ground. She took a deep breath, looked up at Dean and nodded. "I promise."
He finally came all the way over to her and wrapped his arms securely around her back. They held each other for a few moments before Dean broke the ice. "What did you do to me?" he asked in his normal voice. "I got into this for some hot sex with a foreigner and now I'm in love? You're like a female Harry Potter."
Andie smiled as they started walking back to the cars. "Why wouldn't you just go with Hermione?" she inquired.
"Cos unlike some people I'm not a nerd and I don't know all the people." Dean retorted.
"I hate you." Andie mumbled with a smirk.
"No; you love me." Dean corrected her.
"I know." Andie agreed as they walked off together.
They didn't hold hands, they didn't link arms; they just walked. That was the kind of love they had; Andie understood it now. It wasn't physical. Not anymore. It was deeper than that. Andie didn't love him for what he looked like (not that it wasn't a bonus that he was a heartthrob) but for who he was; every messed up vein in his body was hers. And it always would be; whether he was gone in forty-four days or forty-four years. He was hers. And she was his.
xxx
