A/N: Hey guys. So I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter, with my writing and all that it's just not that well written. So I deeply apologize. But! Next chapter is the season four finale and I am beyond excited to get started on it! I would love to hear from more of you guys, listen to your in take and see what you would like to happen next. I'm up for anything! Anyway, hope you all are having a great summer!
Episode: When The Levee Breaks
Disclaimer: I own none of the Supernatural characters.
I found myself through the woods with my feet hanging in the water on the dock. The night was still dark and I knew if I focused my mind, I could hear Sam's desperate cries from Bobby's basement, locked in a cage like an animal.
Maybe I was bitter because that could be me in there right now. It should be me. I rip demons and angels' god damn hearts out of their chests. Sam exorcises them and saves the human's life.
I knew I was thinking the wrong way. This was for Sam's good. I think about Dean, those mean words that I said to him. I regret it, even if he said some awful things too. Dean was only trying to protect his younger siblings, and he will do anything he can to do so.
The dock rocks back and forth, creeks vibrate under the sound of someone's footprints. I turn my body, half expecting to see Dean half expecting to see no one.
Braden walks to me with his hands stuffed into his high school sweatshirt….or someone else's high school sweat shirt he found in a lost and found. He sits next to me but keeps his feet from the water. We sit in silence.
He wraps his arm around my shoulders and brings me in so that my head rests on his shoulder. I take a deep breath. He smells like laundry detergent and sweat. A scent that is so familiar to me that my body instantly relaxes against him.
"When did you get here?" I breathe.
"Dean sent me a text when you guys were on your way here," Braden answered.
I pulled away from him and tilted my head, "Wait, Dean called you? Not Bobby. Dean?"
Braden laughs, "Yeah, I know. I was shocked too. But I didn't question it."
"What exactly did it say?"
Braden shifted, "It was like, 'we're on our way to Bobby's. Maddie is gonna need ya.'"
"Informative," I say sarcastically. "So he said nothing about Sam?" Braden shook his head. "Well, he was right. I do need you. Now more than ever."
"They think locking him up in that panel is going to help Sam?"
I shrugged, "It's a way of detoxing Sam. I didn't know about until we got here and Dean held me back before shutting the door in Sam's face." I hold my head in my hands. "Braden, you should have seen the look on his face—heartbreaking."
"Its for the best."
"I don't know that it is." I looked at him. "I mean, I guess he deserves it, right? He did this to himself, he made himself get worse."
"Are you trying to compare this to yourself?" Braden asks. I stare. I cannot lie. Not now. He saw right through me. "You guys are dealing with two different things."
"Barely," I scoff. "He chose this. I didn't. That is the only thing that is different. And that doesn't stop us from being a monster. That's what we're becoming. Monsters."
"Every human is a monster. You just have a more extreme case."
"The most extreme case," I correct him. "And I don't know if that's the life I want to live—trying to hold on to humanity until I cant? I'd rather be dead than be a monster."
"I'm not going to let you die because of this. You saw how Dean's death tore your relationship with Sam apart. I can bet ever dollar I got that it would do the same thing to Dean and Sam."
"So what you're saying is that I should keep going."
"Yes."
"Even if that means taking matters into my own hands."
Braden pulls away to look me dead in the eye. His eyes are narrowed and eyebrows are furrowed. "Okay, you lost me."
I groan. "Lilith is ten steps ahead of us. God only knows how many seals are broken by now. And with Sam in the cage, Dean will be too busy moping around to really focus on what matters most right now—stopping the apocalypse." I grab his hands and give them a squeeze. "She wont hurt me. I can find her, and I can stop her."
"You sound crazy right now." Braden steps up. "What this is—it's a suicide mission. She may want you alive, but the thousands of other demons you'll have to go through to get there, don't. I am not letting you do this."
"Then what do you suppose I do." I'm now stood up, completely out of focus and so lost on my next move. "Because I don't know where to go, and sitting here on my ass is helping nobody."
"What you can do is stay here for your brothers—"
"Lilith—"
"Lilith is a hard bitch to find, let alone kill. You're only going to find yourself empty handed."
"Thanks for having faith in me," I scoffed.
"I do have faith in you. But you need to wait till you have people behind you on this. You need to get stronger, know your limits, and learn when to make a final call. If you do this, you're going to prove to everyone that you're still an irresponsible girl. You're thinking like a hunter who has nothing to lose. But Madds, you have everything to lose. You have two older brothers who want nothing for you than your safety. Bobby, who has been a better father to you than John. And me. A man who loves you so much, that he would rather die than you see get yourself hurt."
He opens his arms for me. I slowly walk into them. "You love me?"
"I've never loved anyone as much as I do now." He kisses the top of my head.
"I love you too," I smile up at him. "I'm glad Dean texted you. Who else would stop me from going through a stupid plan."
"If you think about, someone in this family would have found you before you've gotten far."
"Hey love birds," Bobby calls from off the dock. He waves his arms to us. "Its getting late. Come on back!"
Braden pecks me once on the lips and takes my hand. We follow Bobby back to the house.
You couldn't block out Sam's desperate cries even if you tried. They were blood dripping out of your ears, a scorch to the throat, and a kick in the ass.
Bobby, Dean, and I didn't look at each other for a long time. Bobby pulled us in because it was getting late, but god bless if anyone is able to sleep through this long night of hell. If this was hard for us, imagine Sam.
"So," I clear the silence. "Did you talk to Sam since he's been down there?"
Dean glances at Bobby. For a second, I think that there is something I am missing here. "He doesn't think he's doing anything wrong. All that matter's to him his Lilith. This is all to kill Lilith."
Bobby poured all of us a glass of whiskey and passes it out. I move my cups to my lip. When I hear Sam calling for help, I squeeze my eyes tight and down the alcohol in two gulps. The hardness doesn't even faze me anymore.
"How long is this gonna go on?" I look up.
"Here, let me look it up in my demon-detox manual." Bobby pretends to look for a book. He stops. "Oh wait. No one ever wrote one. No telling how long it'll take. Hell, or if Sam will even live through it."
I snap my head in Dean's direction. His head dangles down, eyes shut.
Bobby's phone rings. "Hello.." He answers. His face contorts into disgust. "Suck dirt and die, Rufus. You call me again, I'll kill you."
"What's up with Rufus?" Braden asks.
"He knows." Bobby answered bluntly.
"Well if he knows, then a whole lot of other hunters probably do to. Gossip flies like wild fire." I add.
The phone rings again and Bobby is quick to answer it, his voice not friendly at all. "I'm busy, you son of a bitch. This better be important."
SAM'S POV:
My voice is horsed from my screaming. How long was I down here, minutes? Hours? Days? I cant keep track of time. My hands have begun to shake and my head hurts like a bitch.
I'm strapped down on a table. Leather belts hold me down by my hands, ankles, and chin. Alastair stands above me. He has a smile on his face, enjoying the view. Revenge is a bitch.
Blood runs down my forearms and every other piece of skin he has touched with his knife. His face haunts my memory and brings back old ones I never want to live through again. I picture Dean on the floor, knocked out cold with cuts and soon-to-be bruises covering his body. The image makes me nauseous
I squeeze my eyes shut and let out a loud cry. It amazes me that my brother and sister would let me wither in here. They think this is going to help? This is helping Lilith win.
When I open my eyes, I am no longer bound nor gagged. I look around me. The panic room is empty, the door is still shut, and its only me and the cot.
"The answer's yes." I hear someone say. My head whips. A boy, about fourteen years old is standing there. "You're hallucinating." He's so familiar. It takes seconds for my brain to process. He is me. "That's right. It's me. Or I mean it's you."
"I'm losing my mind," I grumble.
"Definitely," The boy nods. His mouth plays a teasing grin.
"What do you want?" I ask. Was I really talking to a hallucination? I guess so.
"An explanation," He states. "Hwo could you do this to me? I thought we were gonna be normal?"
"I tried. I did," I defend. "It didn't pan out that way. Sorry, kid."
The boy scoffed, "'Sorry, kid'? That's what you have to say? It's all we ever wanted. We were so close. You got away from Dad. You quit hunting. You were gonna become a Lawyer and get married. Why'd you blow it?"
"Look," I clench my teeth together. The thought and memory of Jessica pulls a new string at my heart. "They killed Jessica." Those words taste like burning acid. I feel the hotness in my throat.
"Yeah," He nodded. "And if you hadn't run off with Dean, if youd been there to prtect her, she'd still be alive."
"I know."
"You think Jess would want you to turn into this? She loved you. You think she'd be happy you using her as an excuse?"
"I'm sorry. I am. But life doesn't turn out the way you thought when you were fourteen years old. We were never gonna be normal. We were never gonna get away. Grow up." I say aggressively.
The boy shrugs, "Maybe you're right. Maybe there's no escape. After all, how can you run from what's inside you?"
The boy's eyes blink. His brown eyes change into the yellow that used to haunt my dreams for the longest time. Azazel.
MADDIE'S POV
"Why isn't anyone telling me anything!" I slap my hand on Bobby's desk. Dean and Bobby had moved into another room to talk. "I'm apart of this family to, you know. I'm not five. So tell me what the fuck Rufus said on the phone, or I swear to god I will go to his house and find out myself."
Bobby and Dean walked back into the study. Dean looks at me, but I cant make out the emotion on his face. "The news. The news aint good."
"No shit Sherlock." I said rather rudely. "I figured that one out when you so discreetly left the room."
"More seals are being broken," Dean cuts in. I lean both hands on to the circular table in front of me holding the booze. "Key Wests sees ten species go instinct."
"Plus Alaska. Fifteen-man fishing crew all stricken blind, cause unknown. New York, teacher goes postal, locks the door, kills exactly sixty-six kids. All this in a single day. I looked them up. There's no doubt about it. They're all seals. Breaking. Fast."
"So how many are left?" I ask.
"Who knows. Cant be many," Bobby answers. "Where the hell are your angel pals?"
"You tell me." Dean answers
"I'm just wondering…"
"What?"
"The apocalypse being nigh and all...is now really the right time to be having this little domestic drama of ours?"
I wait for Dean to answer. I agree with Bobby one hundred percent. But I also agree with Dean that Sam is having a real problem here. Sam was becoming less and less human with his own free will. This is coming from a kid who wanted nothing but to be normal when growing up.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I don't like this anymore than you do. But Sam can kill demons. He's got a shot a stopping Armageddon."
"So what? Sacrifice Sam's life, his soul, for the greater good? Is that what you're saying? Times are bad, so let's use Sam as a nuclear warhead?"
"Why don't I do it?" I pipe in. "I can kill demons just as much as Sam. The only difference is I don't have a an obsession with revenge."
"If I'm not letting Sam do this, then why the fuck do you think I would send you out in a blood zone."
"Because for some reason, you didn't lock me up with Sam in the fucking panic room."
"Madd—"
I cut Braden off with the wave of my hand. "Lilith wants me, she wont kill me. It's not self sacrificing if I know I will get out of there alive."
"Have you lost you damn mind," Dean raises his voice. "Do you have any idea what you're talking about here? You may not die, but if your plan works, you're sure as hell not coming back. God only knows what she wants you for. It could be worst than death. To put it in perspective, that's far more worse than putting Sam out there."
"Then why is he the one suffering?"
"Because he cant control himself! You can!"
"Look, I know you hate me for suggesting it," Bobby cuts in. "I hate me for suggesting it. I love that boy like a son. All I'm saying is maybe he's here right now instead of on the battlefield because we love him too much."
I know loving someone too much was an actual thing. But I never thought it would exist within the rough interior of my messed up family. I avoid eye contact with everyone.
SAM'S POV:
I sit crossed legged on the floor of the room. Its dead silent and there is almost too much time for my mind to think—which is now doing constantly. The existing light flutters as the fan above me wheels itself around under the bulb.
There is a pitcher of water a few feet away from me. What was I, some kind of dog? Cant even get a beer around here? My mouth is dry, thirsting for the water. I'm so weak. I have to brace myself on the cot just to get off the floor.
"Poor baby," I hear a woman's voice. I brace myself to come face to face with Maddie.
I turn around too see my mother, looking down at me with a frown. I'm shocked when I look down at her appearance. She's wearing the same night gown she wore the night she died, in my room, right above me. Her abdomen is stained with blood where Yellow Eyes made the final kill.
"Mom," It is all I can say. She's so beautiful, exactly as I pictured her. Yes, I've seen her before. But the more I look at her, I see the resemblance in Maddie.
"Sam," She sighs. She walks closer to me. "You look just awful."
I laugh. If she was anything like my other family, she was going to lecture me, yell or mock me. I get ready for the hit. "Let's hear it. Go ahead."
"What do you mean?"
"You're disappointed. You never thought I'd turn out this way. I'm a piss-poor excuse for a son. Your heart is broken. Am I close?" I raise an eyebrow at her.
I read her expression. She doesn't smile. She furrows her eyebrows, she's full of sorrow. "Not at all. You're doing the right thing, Sam. What you're doing is brave. You're not being crazy, you're being practical. Sam, I am so proud of you."
"But—but—Dean—"
"Your brother doesn't understand." She sits next to me on the cot. "I was raised a hunter from a long line. We understand that there are gonna be hard choices. And we do what we have to to get the job done. Yes, our family is cursed. But you-you have the power to turn it into a gift. You can use it against them."
"For revenge?"
"No," My mom shakes her head. "for justice. I know how scared you are."
"What's in me, Mom, it's—"
"Evil. And you know it."
"What if it's stronger than me? Look at me," I motion my hands to the room. "What if Dean's right."
"Dean can never know how strong you are, because Dean is weak. Look at what he's done to you. Locking you in here? He's terrified. He's in over his head. You have to go on without him. You have what it takes. You have to kill Lilith."
"Even if it kills me?"
"Make my death mean something. I'm counting on you, Sam. Don't let anyone or anything get in your way. Not even Dean nor Maddie."
My mom leans forward and leans in to kiss me on the forehead. I close my eyes, soaking the loving touch of his mother. When I open my eyes, she's gone and I'm alone again in the panic room.
DEAN'S POV:
I'm standing in the salvage yard. Actually, I've been standing in the salvage yard for hours now, trying to pray to Castiel to get his holy ass down here—give me advice—heal Sam. Anything to get my family stable once again.
I turn around. Castiel stands in the one street lamp in the yard. The gloom in the light shows his silhouette making this whole thing super creepy.
"Well, it's about time. I've been screaming myself hoarse out here for about two and a half hours now." I say.
"What do you want?" Castiel asks. No sign of sorrow, no sign of any emotion. He was back to the same Cas the first day we met him.
"You can start with what the hell happened in Illinois."
"What do you mean?"
"Cut the crap," I snapped. "You were gonna tell me something."
Castiel lowered his eyes to the ground and began to move. "Well, nothing of import."
"You got ass-reamed in heaven but it was not of import?" I scoff.
"Dean, I can't. I'm sorry. Get to the reason you really called me. It's about Sam, right?"
"Can he do it? Kill Lilith, stop the apocalypse?"
Castiel nods, "Possibly, yes. But as you know, he'd have to take certain steps."
I didn't like what that mean. "Crank up the hell-blood regimen."
"Consuming the amount of blood it would take to kill Lilith would change your brother forever. Most likely, he would become the next creature that you would feel compelled to kill. There's no reason this would have to come to pass, Dean. We believe it's you, Dean, not your brother. The only question for us is whether you're willing to accept it. Stand up and accept your role. You are the one who will stop it."
I stop. This is the reason why I was raised from hell. Would that make me a hypocrite of taking this opportunity. It would take the attention off of Sam and Maddie for a while. I've already died once.
"If I do this, Sammy doesn't have to?"
"If it gives you comfort to see it that way," Castiel moves around the truth…or a lie.
"What about my sister? When Lilith is dead, what will happen to her?"
"The demons will stop their act. They wont pretend to worship her just for the sake of staying on Lilith's good side. Sam will no longer be your problem, she will. My problem, included."
"What? So this is a save Sam or save Maddie kind of situation? What the fuck!"
"Don't get me wrong. There are other demons who would want to protect her. She just needs to show that she belongs on their side. She needs to choose hell, physically mentally and all. But the problem with that is the angels will find her and kill her in a second."
How the hell was I supposed to decide? I think through it. Sam has the opportunity to make himself better, to make himself human once again. As far as I could tell (not that I took much look into it, which makes me feel guilty every day, Maddie was gone. She's trying to hold in her humanity, but she's slowly loosing me. There's no cure for her.
It pains me. "God, you're a dick these days." I walk a few steps away and sigh. "Fine, I'm in."
"You give yourself over wholly to the service of God and his angels?"
I squeeze my eyes shot. "Yeah, exactly."
"Say it," Castiel demands.
"I give myself over wholly to serve God and you guys," I turn around to face him.
"You swear to follow his will and his word as swiftly and obediently as you did you own father's?"
"Yes, I swear. Now what?" I get impatient.
"Now you wait, and we call on you when it's time." And just like that Castiel disappears.
MADDIE'S POV:
I close my eyes when I hear Sam's desperate cries from the basement. "Guys! Help!" Is all I've been hearing for hours. Bobby and Dean stay quiet, lost in their own thoughts and ideas.
I couldn't look at Dean. He came back inside, explaining to Bobby and I that he was the one who was going to end the apocalypse. That Castiel appeared to him and made me take an oath to follow Angels' orders.
Bobby narrows his eyes at my older brother. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you willingly signed up to be the angels' bitch?" Dean looks at him. "I'm sorry. You prefer 'sucker'? After everything you said about them, now you trust them?"
"Come on, give me a little credit, Bobby. I've never trusted them less. I mean, they come on like shady politicians from planet Vulcan."
"Then why in the hell did you—"
"Because what other option do I have? It's either trust the angels or let Sammy trust a demon?"
"I see your point."
I stand up from my spot. I no longer hear the sounds of Sam. It's quiet. And it hasn't been quiet down there all night.
"Whoa, do you guys hear that?"
Bobby stands up from behind his desk, "Yeah, that's a little too much nothing."
I lead the two of them down the basement. I bound down the steps and run into the panic room door. I open the window. Sam is on the floor, seizing.
"What if he's faking?" Dean asks.
"You really think he would?" Bobby looks at him.
Dean shrugs, panicked. "I think he'd do anything."
Sam is swooped off the floor and slammed into the wall by an invisible force. I rush to get the locks open. "That aint faking."
It takes the two men to pull Sam off the wall. They pin him down to the cot. I stand over him. I lay my hand gently on the crease of his jaw. His sweaty and shaking figure breaks my heart.
"We're gonna have to tie him down for his own safety," Bobby said. Dean didn't say anything. He just stared down at Sam with complete concern. "Dean? You with me? Dean! Before he has another fit."
Dean's head snaps. "Yeah, yeah. Lets just get it over with."
SAM'S POV
I feel my shirt soaking to my skin. My hair is matted to my forehead. I try to sit up. My hands and feet are tied down to the cot. Chained. I manage to pull myself up.
Dean and Maddie are standing over me. Neither look to happy with me. Shocker.
"We had to." Dean speaks up. He motions towards the chains that bound me to the uncomfortable bed. "The demon blood was flinging you all over the room. Tell me something, Sam. Why did you do this to yourself?"
"You know why," I'm tired of explaining myself. Its like no matter how much I try to make them understand, no one in my family will understand that this is all to kill Lilith.
"Right, Kill Lilith." Dean nods. "The big excuse. But why? What, revenge? Right?"
"Of course."
"Revenge for what? For sending me to hell? Did you happen to notice I'm back? Alive and kicking. So what's the point?"
"Point?" I scoff. "How about to stop the damn apocalypse?"
Maddie smirked down at me. Her eyes twinkled with evil, something I haven't seen in her before. "Oh, Sam." She laughed. "That's Dean's gig now. The angels picked him, not you. You can't be the big hero anymore. Look at where you are. You're locked up like an animal. Just like some pathetic druggie."
"So, you got an other fantastic excuses? Hmm?" Dean questioned. I didn't answer. "I know why you really drink that demon blood, Sam."
"Just leave me alone." I said.
"Makes you feel strong. Invincible. A big bad wolf in a world of little pigs."
"No. You're wrong."
"It's more than that, isn't it? It's because your whole life you felt different. Am I right?
"Stop."
Maddie chuckled, "Oh, I hit a little close to home, huh? Not different because you were some lonely kid or because of your weirdo family."
"Stop it."
"Because you're a monster, Sam."
"Shut up!" I demanded. Just shut. The hell. Up." I snarled.
Dean continued, "You were always a monster. And you only feel right when you're sucking down more poison and more evil."
"Dean, no," I pleaded.
"And I tried so hard to pretend that we were brothers. That you weren't one of the filthy things that we hunt. But we're not even the Same species. You're nothing to me."
I shook my head. "Don't say that. Don't you say that to me."
I squeeze my eyes shut when I feel a nasty headache coming on. I open my eyes again and no one is in room but me.
MADDIE'S POV
We were all sitting around Bobby's living room. Our heads are down as we listen to Sam's protests. Braden and I sit close to each other on the couch. His hand fits comfortingly on my thigh, warming me with protection. I lean in on his shoulder.
Bobby breaks the silence. He is huddled over his desk, paging through millions of books. "I'm gonna ask one more time. Are we absolutely sure we're doing the right thing?"
Dean stands up from his seat. The question gets to him. He walks closer to where Bobby is standing. "Bobby, you saw what was happening to him down there. The demon blood is killing him."
"No it isn't. We are." Bobby stands upright.
"What?"
"I'm sorry. I can't bite my tongue any longer. We're killing him. Keeping him locked up down there. This cold-turkey thing isn't working. If-if he doesn't get what he needs, soon, Sam's not gonna last much longer."
"No. I am not giving him demon blood. I wont do it."
"And if he dies?" Bobby challenges him.
"Then at least he dies human!" Dean yells back him. Dean pauses, recollecting himself. "I would die for him in a second, but I won't let him do this to himself. I can't. I guess I found my line. I won't let my brother turn into a monster."
I shift when I feel someone's stare bore into my head. I turn around to look out the window behind me. Castiel stands there in the eerie light. I ask myself once again, 'why cant he just come in here like someone who is normal.' Then I remind myself, he's not normal. He's an angel.
I stand up. He's looking straight at me. Braden follows my gaze and stands up too. Castiel starts walking away, as if that tells me to follow him.
I put my hand on Braden's shoulder, telling him to stay here, and walk out. Dean is hot on my trail. I can't tell him to turn around, that this is my business and not his. He's not going to let anything happen to me after seeing Sam suffer like he is.
"Castiel," I call to him. He stops and turn around. "Is this about Sam?"
"No." Castiel looks at Dean. "Can we talk alone?"
"No," Dean answers straight up. "I am tired of being out of the loop when something is wrong. You say whatever it is you need to say with me right here."
I sigh. "It's okay, Cas. You can say anything."
Castiel looks back at me. "I told you before that God had his intuition for me to kill you."
I cross my arms and shift side to side. "Yes."
"If you're not dead in the next week, God's word will not be fulfilled."
"Screw his word," Dean spits.
Castiel continues, "It doesn't look as if his word is going to fulfilled. Angels have been sent down to do the deed. And each time, that angel dies under Madison's hand."
"Okay, so that's a good thing." I say optimistically.
"The word is traveling fast back in heaven. Your case is different than the other two we talked about before. If the last seal is broken and Lucifer rises, the chances of you making a complete change are high." Castiel explains. "When Lucifer finds you, he'll take you, and you'll be his."
"What the fuck does that mean," Dean interrupted.
"Why are you telling me this, Cas?" I asked.
"Lucifer betrayed my father. There is no name that holds a lower value. Becoming a member of his family…there is no worse."
"Wait…" I narrow my eyes. "Are you saying that dying is a better fate than what the future holds?"
"Gods creation will go in ruins with two of the biggest—"
"Say it, Cas. Say it." I glare. "Abomination, monster—"
"It won't be safe for anyone." Castiel holds his stare with mine.
My blood runs cold when endless thoughts cross my mind. But when I think more about, I think about the angels in heaven and how this would be the answer to their prayers. One down and one to go. But I'm stubborn. Those damn angels have been nothing but ugly to me and my family. Why should they get off that easy?
"Well I've got news flash for you, Castiel. I'm here, alive, and ready to face the world that is beginning to spin in a different direction. And if you haven't noticed, I got two older brothers by my side 24/7 who value family more than anyone else I know." I take a step closer to him. "I'm going to win this thing, not you guys."
I storm back into the house and slam the screen door. I walk past the living room, past Bobby and Braden. Braden runs towards me and grabs my by the arm to turn my around. "Hey."
"I've had it, Braden. I have never been more motivated to stay alive my whole entire life. Those bloody asshole fuckers will not get what they want."
"Madds—"
"Maddie!" Dean runs after me.
"Dean," I walk to him. "Promise me that those dick angels wont take away my life. They only want to do it because it will make their life easier."
"Whats going on?" Braden asks.
"Some Guardian Angel Castiel is. Aren't they supposed to protect you, not kill you?"
"Yeah well if you haven't realized, angels can't be trusted." Dean crosses his arms.
We go back to the living room where we've been for the past many hours. Slowly, our eyes begin to droop. Dean passes out on the couch, and Bobby sleeps with his head down on the desk. Braden and steal Dean's pillow and knock out on the floor. I'm wrapped up in an endless cloud of darkness with the lullabies of Sam's constant cries.
Bobby woke us up in frenzy panic. It was five in the morning—we all probably got about two hours of shut eye. Bobby was bleeding in the side of his head, his eyes were big, ranting about something on and on.
When I was fully awake, I was able to comprehend. Sam had gotten out and ran off. Escaped. Dean and I bolted to the panic room, wrenching that door open only to be stepping in to another nightmare.
"How the hell did he get out?" I screamed. I step in. The sigils were still in tact, the room was still put together. It was like he just walked out.
"Maybe he had help. Room full of busted devil's traps." Bobby sighed. He ran a hand over his face. Braden was behind him, looking around for a loss screw.
"Demons?" Dean asked. "Ruby?"
Bobby shrugged. "That'd be my guess."
"How did she even touch the door?" I was yelling. I didn't try and hold back the volume. Now, Sam was out doing god-knows-what with probably the biggest grudge against Dean and I for locking him up in the first place.
"You think she's got the mojo?"
"I didn't think so. I don't know, man," Dean paced the room.
"What difference does it make?" Bobby asks. "How he got hone aint as important as where he got gone to."
"Well, I'll tell you one thing. At this point I hope he's with Ruby."
"Why?"
"'Cause killing her's the next big item on my to-do list," Dean walked out and charged to the stairs.
"I thought you were on call for angel duty," Bobby called after him.
"I am on call," Dean said. "In my car, on my way to murder the bitch."
"One thing," Bobby stopped him.
Dean turned around with a mean glare. "What?"
I quickly moved behind Dean, ready to follow him wherever he goes.
Bobby continued, "Sam don't wanna be found, which means he's gonna be damn near impossible to find."
"We'll see," I move pass Dean and up the stairs.
Dean and I didn't know where to go, but we were driving until Bobby called with anymore leads. We didn't speak to each other, our thoughts only on Sam and his safety.
I twiddled my fingers together, biting my lip until I tasted the iron of my blood. Think, think! There is nothing I have that could go into finding Sam. I'm sitting in the passenger seat of the impala with nothing. Useless.
Bobby called my cell. I clicked speaker phone. "Police found my car. Abandoned in al alley in Jamestown, North Dakota."
"He's switching up," Dean said. "Any other cars stolen in Jamestown?"
"Two," Bobby answered. "1999 Honda Civic, blue. Nice and anonymous, like Sam likes."
"What was the other one," I asked.
"White oh-five Escalade with custom rims. It's a neon sign."
"You're right. He'd never take that. Which is exactly what he did," Dean said.
"You think?"
"I know that kid. All right, I'll head in that direction. Keep riding the police databases. We gotta find him quick."
Bobby called again. "Cops found the Escalade in a ditch outside Elk River."
"How far away am I?" Dean asks. His face was stone hard. He gripped my phone in his hand until his knuckles turned white.
"A couple of hours. I pulled up a weather map, made some calls. There's a town not far from there, Cold Spring. Lighting up with demon sign."
"A good place to look."
"Hey, listen."
"What?"
"Us finding Sam? It's gotta be about getting him back, not pushing him away."
"Right," Dean scoffed.
"I know you're mad, Dean. I understand. You got a right to be, but I'm just saying. Be good to him anyway. You gotta get through to him."
Dean hung up.
"What's our game plan?" I asked. I look away from the window and take my phone back. "He's not going to come willingly and obviously anything we say is going right over his head."
"I'm going in there, blowing Ruby's brains out. And I'll go from there."
I turn back to the window and watch the blurry trees zoom by me.
When we reach Cold Spring Motel, I don't move. I stare into the windows. I don't know what I was expecting to see—Sam arguing with Ruby? Or maybe Ruby's blood through the glass.
"Stay here," Dean gets out of the car. I open my mouth to protest, "Watch out for anyone suspicious. Or Sam. I'll be out soon."
Dean walked into the building with no other words. I hop onto the hood of the impala. I crack my knuckles.
My phone rings. I pull it out, expecting to see Bobby's name. It wasn't Bobby. Jo. I answer it instantly. "Jo!"
"Demons," She sounds out of breath, like she has been running. I sit up straight. "They're killing thousands, looking for you and your brothers."
"Where are you?" I demanded.
"Wilmington, Delaware," She answered. "I'm fine. I got out. They heard about Sam, about Alastair, about you. And they're happy."
"They're killing people," I retort.
"If you haven't noticed, murder is demons' hobby. It's like they're celebrating."
"Maybe it's because all the seals are being broken. They're looking ahead. It's basically the end."
"And killing Lilith will end the apocalypse?"
"That's what everyone is telling me—" I see someone erupt from the motel lobby doors. "I gotta go."
I slap the phone shut and follow Ruby. I grab her shoulders and turn her around. Her eyes are big. I throw her into the parking lot. She lands on someone's white Sudan with a crash. She opens her eyes. I'm right above her. I bring my fist down to her face.
She growls and flips me over, doing the exact same thing. "Stop getting in my way." She pulls a knife out of her bag and carves into my forearm. She brings out a small tube that doctors use to collect blood. She places it under my bleeding arm. "This will work. When Sam drinks this, he's going to be as strong as he needs to be." She laughed up at the sky. "You Winchesters really are the best."
I struggle under her. I am able to use my feet and kick her off of me. She flies into the phone pole. She rolls on the ground and picks herself up. She is still smiling. My eyes turn silver. Her body is filled with the ugly black smoke. I am about to go after her, kill her with my own bare hands.
A man's voice stops me. He screams, "Hey!" He's in his forties, tall, and fat. He storms at me. I look back at Ruby. She's fleeing the scene with her bag in hand. My eyes blink back to normal. The guy comes at me.
I take off my flannel and use it to cover my arm. "Sorry sir," I grit my teeth. When I look back, Ruby's gone.
DEAN'S POV:
Sam gets to me before I can slash Ruby's throat. He rips me off of her, screaming at her to run. Saving her. I watch her run out. I hope Maddie get to her.
I shrug my shoulders, fixing my jacket. I take a few steps away from Sam and glare. "She's poison, Sam!"
Sam's face is hard. "It's not what you think, Dean."
"Look what she did to you. I mean, she up and vanishes weeks at a time, leaves you cracking out for another hit-"
"She was looking for Lilith!" Sam cuts me off with a yell.
"That is French for manipulating your ass ten ways from Sunday."
"You're wrong, Dean."
"Sam, you're lying to yourself. I just want you to be okay. You would do the same for me. You know you would."
"Just listen," Sam raises his hand, holding Ruby's knife that he took from me when he pulled me off of her. He looks at it and tosses it on the bed. "Just listen for a second. We got a lead on a demon close to Lilith. Come with us, Dean. We'll do this together."
I nodded, completely fine with the idea. "That sounds great. As long as it's you and me. Demon bitch is a dealbreaker. You kiss her goodbye, we can go right now."
Sam's jaw tightens, "I can't." I turn away nodding my head. This was it. I will never be able to get through to him. "Dean, I need her to help me kill Lilith. I know you can't wrap your head around it, but maybe one day you'll understand. I'm the only one who can do this, Dean."
I turn back around, "No, you're not the one who's gonna do this."
Sam scoffs, "Right. That's right. I forgot. The angels think its you."
"You don't think I can?" I narrow my eyes, challenging him to say something.
"No. You can't. You're not strong enough."
"And who the hell are you?" I say offended.
"I'm being practical here. I'm doing what needs to be done."
"Yeah? You're not gonna do a single damn thing."
"Stop bossing me around, Dean. Look. My whole life, you take the wheel, you call the shots, and I trust you because you are my brother. Now I'm asking you, for once, trust me."
"No," I shook my head. "You don't know what you're doing, it's what you are! It means—" I stop myself. I don't want to finish.
"What?" Sam takes a step closer. He knows what I was going to say. "No, say it!" Tears begin to grow in his eyes. I feel them in mine too.
"It mean's you're a monster." When I say those words, I know this all too real.
Sam nods. I feel a tear run down my cheek. I'm taken my surprise when I feel a cold hard punch on the left side of my face. I fall down to the ground, hard, taking some things that were sitting on a near by dresser with me. I pick myself back up and place a hand over my cheek. I retaliate. And soon, Sam and I are really fighting.
MADDIE'S POV
I rush into the motel down the endless hallways. I hear glass shatter and deep grunts. I turn a corner. Sam storms out of the last room. He's fuming angry. I guess, things didn't go well with Dean.
"Sam," I whisper in astonishment. I take in his face. Red. Sweat glitters his forehead. He walks right past me. Actually we bump shoulders.
I jog to the last room. Anything that could be broken, is. Dean is on the floor, holding his chest. His nose is bleeding and he looks badly beat. I kneel by his side. I look around the room.
"I told him if he left to never come back," Dean grunts. He cant bring himself up. Not yet. I look into his eyes. His bottom lids are filled with tears.
I turn around and stare at the door Sam left in. He made his decision. Without hesitation. Easily.
