November 13th, 2008 - Bobby's house
Amy sat in the backseat between Anna and Ruby as Dean drove them to Singer's Salvage Yard. Sam immediately left to go print out what they had discovered about Anna.
"Bobby's got a panic room," Dean explained as he led Anna down the steps to the basement. "It'll keep us safe from the angels and demons until we can figure out what's going on."
"Bobby?" Amy called out as Dean, Ruby, and Anna disappeared downstairs. "You up here?" When there was no answer, she followed the others downstairs.
Ruby was standing outside the panic room while Dean and Anna sat inside.
"Iron walls coated in salt," Dean was saying as he ran a hand along the walls. "Demons can't even touch the joint."
"Which I find racist by the way," Ruby added as Amy stepped past her.
Amy rolled her eyes, ignoring the demon. "On the plus side," she told Anna, "it'll give us time to figure out what's going on."
Ruby pulled out three hex bags, tossing them to Dean.
"Hex bags?" Dean asked.
Ruby nodded. "Extra crunchy. It'll hide us from demons, angels, all comers."
Amy took a hex bag from Dean. "Perfect."
"Thanks, Ruby," Dean said with a nod. He handed one to Anna. "Don't lose this," he instructed.
Anna nodded as she put the hex bag in her pocket.
"So, Anna, what's playing on Angel radio?" Dean asked. "Anything useful?"
Anna shook her head. "It's quiet. Dead silence."
"Well, that's probably a good thing," Amy muttered.
"Yeah," Dean said sarcastically, "it's not troubling at all."
"We're in trouble, aren't we?" Anna asked.
"Nah," Dean replied with uncertainty.
Sam's voice came from upstairs, indicating his return. "Hey, Dean, Amy!" he called. "You down there?"
"That was fast," Amy commented. She started heading towards the stairs.
"Just stay here, okay?" Dean instructed Anna before following Amy up the stairs. "Keep an eye on her, okay?" he asked Ruby.
Dean and Amy made their way upstairs, where Sam was waiting.
"How's the car?" Dean asked instantly.
Sam rolled her eyes. "I got her. She's fine," he informed Dean. "Where's Bobby?"
"Uh, the Dominican," Dean said as they walked through the kitchen. "He said we break anything, we buy it."
"He's working a job?" Sam asked.
"God, I hope so," Dean replied. "Otherwise, he's at hedonism in a banana hammock and a trucker cap."
"Thank you so much for that mental image, Dean," Amy groaned.
"What did you two find on Anna?" Dean asked, gesturing to the file Sam was holding.
"Uh, not much." Sam laid the contents of the file out on the table. "Her parents were, uh, Rich and Amy Milton - a church deacon and a housewife."
"Riveting."
"And it turns out the latest psych episode wasn't the first," Amy added. "She had one when she was two and a half."
"What happened?" Dean asked.
"When she was two and a half, she'd get hysterical any time her dad got close," Sam explained. "She was convinced that he wasn't her real daddy."
"Who was? The plumber, hmm?" Dean joked. "A little snaking the pipes?"
Amy shook her head. "Dean...reality. Porn."
"Look, Anna didn't say," Sam continued. "She just kept repeating that this real father of hers was mad. Very mad - like wanted-to-kill-her mad."
"Kind of heavy for a two-year-old," Dean said.
"Well, she saw a kid's shrink, got better, and grew up normal," Sam explained.
"Until now. So, what's she hiding?" Dean questioned.
"Why don't you just ask me to my face?"
Amy spun around to find Anna and Ruby standing behind them.
Dean glared at Ruby. "Nice job watching her."
Ruby shrugged. "I'm watching her."
"No, you're right, Anna," Sam said, turning to the red-head, "is there anything you want to tell us?"
"About what?" Anna asked.
"The angels think you're guilty of something," Amy explained. "We just wanna find out what."
"You tell me," Anna said with a shrug. "Tell me why my life has been leveled." Her voice began to shake, "why my parents are dead. I don't know. I swear. I would give anything to know."
"Okay," Sam said, trying to calm Anna down. "Then let's find out."
"How?" Anna asked.
"Pamela might be able to help," Dean realized. "She's a few miles away. I can bring her back here, maybe she can shed some light on this whole thing."
"Okay, yeah, good idea," Sam agreed.
"I'll call Pamela, let her know I'm on my way. You guys stay here, watch after Anna?"
"Sounds good," Amy said. "See you in a bit."
Dean grabbed his keys and headed out the door.
"It's getting pretty late," Amy noted. "Dean will probably be gone for a long time, so I'm gonna try and get some sleep until he gets back."
Sam nodded. "Okay, yeah. I'll keep an eye on Anna."
"Thanks, Sam." Amy headed up the stairs, opening the door to the all-too-familiar bedroom she had grown accustomed to over the past year and a half. She slipped into a pair of sweatpants and a loose-fitting t-shirt before climbing into bed and fell asleep.
Amy looked around. She was standing in the middle of an empty warehouse, no clue as to how she got there.
"What the hell?" Amy muttered to herself as she walked around.
"Amy," a gruff voice said.
Amy turned around to find Castiel standing behind her. She sighed. "Should have known I was dreaming. What do you want?"
Castiel looked around. "What are you dreaming about?"
Amy shrugged. "An empty warehouse apparently. I have no clue."
"Where are you?" the angel asked.
"I told you," Amy nearly snapped, crossing her arms. "I have no clue."
"I meant in the real world."
Amy scoffed. "Like I'd tell you."
Castiel stepped forward. "Tell me. Now," he demanded, his eyes flashing with anger.
"I'm not letting you get your hands on Anna," Amy hissed.
"I will find out where you are," Castiel informed her.
"Whatever," Amy said, shaking her head. "You're still not getting Anna."
Castiel stood there, staring Amy down, but she held her ground. A moment later, the angel vanished.
November 14th, 2008
Amy sat up in her bed, the dream still fresh in her mind. It was now daytime outside, which meant Dean would be returning any time now if he wasn't back already.
As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door.
"Hey, you in there?" Ruby called out from the hallway.
"Uh, yeah?" Amy asked, slightly confused as to why Ruby had come up to get her. She opened the door. "Dean back?"
"Sam and Dean are down in the panic room with the psychic," Ruby informed her. "They sent me up here to get you. Said you were probably asleep."
"Uh, thanks," Amy acknowledged. "I'll be right down."
Amy followed Ruby down to the panic room. Ruby stood outside the room as Amy stepped inside the iron-coated room.
"Hey, Pamela," Amy greeted.
Pamela smiled. "Amy. How are you?"
"Fine," Amy stated simply.
Pamela looked at Amy, and the white plastic balls in her eye-sockets seemed to stare into her soul.
"Uh, is something wrong?" Amy asked.
Pamela shook her head. "There's just something about you. I can't quite put my finger on it."
"Well, okay then," Amy said. "I don't really know what to say about that."
Sam cleared his throat. "So, Pamela, how does this work?"
"Well," the psychic replied, "I should be able to dig into Anna's mind. It shouldn't be too difficult to figure out what's going on."
"So, what do I need to do?" Anna asked.
"I just need you to lie down on that bed over there and just relax."
Anna did so, and Pamela pulled up a chair next to the bed.
"Okay, Anna," Pamela said in a quiet voice. "Nice and relaxed."
Anna took a deep breath as she relaxed on the bed.
"Now," Pamela continued, "I'm going to count down from five to zero. When we're at zero, you'll be in a deep state of hypnosis. As I count down, just go deeper and deeper, okay? Five... four... three... two... one. Deep sleep. Deep sleep. Every muscle calm and relaxed. Can you hear me?"
"I can hear you," Anna replied.
"Now, Anna, tell me," Pamela asked, "how can you hear the angels? How did you work that spell?"
"I don't know," Anna replied. "I just did."
"Your father," Pamela continued, "what's his name?"
"Rich Milton."
Pamela nodded. "All right. But I want you to look further back... When you were very young... Just a couple of years old," she instructed.
Anna squeezed her eyes tighter. "I don't want to," she said, her voice shaking slightly.
"It'll be okay. Anna," Pamela promised, "just one look - that's all we need."
"No."
"What's your dad's name?" Pamela asked again. "Your real dad. Why is he angry at you?"
Anna began thrashing around. "No. No! No. No!"
"Calm down," Pamela instructed.
"He's gonna kill me!" Anna screamed.
"Anna, you're safe," Pamela assured the woman.
"No!" Anna screamed again. The lights in the room began to explode.
"Calm down," Pamela said louder.
"He's gonna kill me!" Anna repeated.
"It's all right, Anna," Pamela promised.
"Anna?" Dean asked, walking towards the thrashing woman.
"Dean, don't," Pamela warned.
Without any warning, Dean was suddenly thrown across the room, crashing into the wall.
"Wake in one, two, three, four, five," Pamela said quickly. Anna immediately calmed down and woke up. She sat up on the bed. "Anna... Anna?" Pamela asked. "You all right?"
"Thank you, Pamela," Anna acknowledged. "That helps a lot. I remember now."
"Remember what?" Sam asked.
"Who I am."
"I'll bite. Who are you?" Dean asked.
Anna looked around the room. "I'm an angel."
"And, there it is," Amy commented.
No one replied to Amy's statement. The room fell so silent, you could hear a pin drop. Pamela gulped uneasily at the news as Anna sat there, looking around at them. Nobody knew what to say as they processed the news Anna had told them. After a beat, Anna ran out of the room, quickly followed by the others.
They found Anna pacing back and forth in Bobby's study.
"Don't be afraid," the angel said when she saw them all standing there, "I'm not like the others."
"I don't find that very reassuring," Ruby said.
"Neither do I," Pamela added, leaning on the desk.
"So...Castiel, Uriel - they're the ones that came for me?" Anna asked.
"You know them?" Sam asked.
"We were kind of in the same foxhole," Anna explained.
"So, what, were they like your bosses or something?" Dean asked.
Anna smirked. "Try the other way around."
"Nice!" Amy exclaimed.
"But now they want to kill you?" Pamela asked.
"Orders are orders." Anna sighed. "I'm sure I have a death sentence on my head."
"Why?" Pamela asked.
"I disobeyed... which, for us, is about the worst thing you can do," Anna explained. "I fell."
"Meaning?" Dean asked.
"She became human," Amy replied.
"Wait a minute. I don't understand. So, angels can just become human?" Sam asked.
Anna nodded. "It kind of hurts. Try cutting your kidney out with a butter knife. That kind of hurt. I ripped out my grace."
"Come again?"
"My grace," Anna repeated. "It's... energy. Hacked it out and fell. My mother, Amy, couldn't get pregnant." She smiled. "She always called me her little miracle. She had no idea how right she was."
"So, you just forgot that you were God's little Power Ranger?" Dean asked.
Anna nodded. "The older I got, the longer I was human, yeah."
"I don't think you all appreciate how completely screwed we are," Ruby cut in.
"Ruby's right," Anna agreed. "Heaven wants me dead."
"And Hell just wants her," Ruby shrugged. "A flesh-and-blood angel that you can question, torture, that bleeds." The demon looked over at Anna. "Sister, you're the Stanley Cup. And sooner or later, Heaven or Hell, they're gonna find you."
"I know," Anna said. "And that's why I'm gonna get it back."
"What?" Sam asked.
"My grace," Anna explained.
"Do you remember where it is?" Amy asked.
Anna shook her head. "Lost track. I was falling about ten thousand miles per hour at the time."
Sam straightened up, looking more alert. "Wait. Do you mean falling, like, literally?"
"Yes."
"Like the way a human eye can see? Like a comet, maybe, or a meteor?" Sam continued
"Why do you ask?" Anna asked.
"I think I know how we can find your grace," Sam explained.
"Looking for meteorites that flew over where Anna was born in eighty-five?" Amy asked.
Sam nodded. "Exactly."
"I need to get some air," Anna announced. She turned out of the room and headed outside.
"I should get home, myself," Pamela said.
"I'll drive you home," Dean offered.
"Can I come with?" Amy asked.
Dean nodded. "Yeah, sure." He grabbed the Impala keys. "We'll be back."
Dean helped Pamela into the passenger seat as Amy climbed into the back.
The trip to Pamela's house was silent. Dean walked Pamela to her front porch while Amy waited in the Impala for him to return.
It wasn't until they were driving back to Bobby's house that the silence was broken.
"So, you knew Anna was an angel, huh?"
Amy looked confused. "Huh?"
"Back at Bobby's place," Dean clarified, "when Anna told us what she was, you didn't look shocked or anything."
"Yeah, I knew Anna was an angel," Amy admitted. "I wasn't sure at first, but when she drew the angel-banishing sigil the other day, that pretty much confirmed it. Only angels know how to do that."
"Hmm." Dean nodded. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"A lot was going on," Amy said, shrugging. "And I wasn't too sure if you'd believe me."
"Well, do me a favor," Dean told her, "next time, just tell us, okay? Even if you aren't sure or you think we won't listen for any reason, just tell us. Because chances are, you'll be right, and it'll save us a lot of time. Deal?"
Amy nodded. "Deal."
"Okay, while we're on that, is there anything we should know?"
Amy thought for a moment. "I could be wrong, but-"
Dean cut her off. "Hey, remember what I said. Even if you think you're wrong, just say it."
"I'm pretty sure one of the angels already has Anna's grace," Amy continued. "It's been ages since I watched this episode, even long before I met you guys, but I think I remember that one of the angels, either Castiel or Uriel, already has it."
"Okay, good," Dean acknowledged. "Anything else?"
Amy shook her head. "No, nothing."
Dean gave her a disapproving look.
"I swear," Amy insisted, holding up her hands, "that's all."
"Alright," Dean said. "That's good. It helps us a lot."
Amy nodded but didn't say anything as she turned her head to look out the window.
They arrived back at Bobby's late that night. Sam was in the study with Ruby, looking through books and old magazines.
"Hey," Sam said as soon as Dean and Amy walked into the room. "I think I know where Anna's grace is."
"Yeah, so do we," Dean cut in. "Cas or Uriel, one of them already has it."
"What?" Sam asked. "How could you-"
Dean cut Sam off again. "Amy," he stated simply. "She knew Anna was an angel this whole time. Said wherever it was before, it's gone now."
Ruby cocked an eyebrow. "And, we're just supposed to believe that?"
Sam and Dean exchanged a look, both hesitating to say anything.
"Amy, uh," Dean began, "she knows things, some things, before they happen."
"How?" Ruby pushed.
Amy sighed. "Maybe we should just tell her. It'll make this a whole lot easier."
"No," Dean snapped. "She doesn't deserve to know."
"Well, I'm here," Ruby said, "and now I know you're hiding something from me, so you may as well spit it out."
Sam sighed. "Amy's not exactly from around here."
"What does that mean?" Ruby asked.
"It means I'm from another universe," Amy explained, much to Dean's annoyance. "One where all of this is a TV show. All of what's happening with Anna, I've seen it before."
Ruby huffed. "And you two knew about this?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah, we did."
Ruby raised her voice. "And you're just now saying something?"
"Yeah," Dean snapped, "because we didn't want you to know."
Sam held up a hand. "But, now, you do know. And we can use this to our advantage. Get a head start even."
Ruby sighed. "Okay. So, since we apparently just wasted all that time looking for nothing, what's the new plan?"
"Maybe we should get Anna in here first," Amy suggested. "She still outside?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah."
"I'll go get her," Amy offered. She didn't give anyone time to protest before hurrying outside.
Amy found Anna sitting on the hood of one of the many cars in the junkyard. "Anna?"
Anna turned around at her name. "Hey, Amy," she greeted.
"Hey. Uh, we're trying to come up with a plan. Thought you might wanna come inside so we could all figure something out together."
Anna nodded. "Yeah, sure. Did you find my grace?"
"Uh, not exactly. It's not where it was before. Cas or Uriel, probably Uriel, already took it."
Anna scoffed. "Figures."
"Really?" Amy asked. "You're not gonna ask how I could know that?"
"I know who you are," Anna explained. "The angels have talked about you. About how you know the future. You knew I was an angel this whole time, didn't you?"
Amy nodded. "Yeah, I did. Sorry, I should have said something."
"No, it's okay," Anna assured her, "if I knew all the things you knew, I don't think I would just run around telling everyone either."
Amy sat on the hood next to Anna. "To be honest, I'm still trying to figure all this out. Even after all this time."
"What do you mean?" Anna asked.
"I mean, the things I know. You being an angel, Dean being pulled out of Hell by Castiel, even things that haven't happened yet, I could tell Sam and Dean if I wanted to. It would probably make things a lot easier, but I don't know what'll happen if I do. I could tell them about something bad that'll happen in the future, so they can be prepared, but if I do that, then something else might happen. I prevent one thing, and something equally or more catastrophic happens."
"Must be hard."
Amy scoffed. "Hard barely scratches the surface of what this feels like. There are so many things I haven't told them."
"Like Gabriel?" Anna asked.
"You know about that?"
Anna let out a small laugh. "A lot of angels know about that."
"Well, do me a favor and don't tell Sam or Dean. I promised Gabe I wouldn't blow his cover."
Anna laughed. "Deal. We should probably get inside, right?"
Amy nodded. "Before they come out looking for us."
Amy and Anna made their way back inside.
"Okay," Dean said as soon as everyone was in the study, "We still got the hex bags. I say we head back to the panic room."
"That's the plan you came up with when I was getting Anna?" Amy asked.
"Well, you got any better ideas?" Dean snapped.
Amy thought for a moment. "It's risky, but-"
"But what?"
"But what if we brought the angels and demons together?" Amy finished.
Sam turned to Anna. "Anna... Do you know of any weapon that works on an angel? To what? To kill them?"
"Well, there's an angel blade," Amy recalled.
Anna nodded. "But we can't get to it right now." She suddenly put a hand to her head. "Um... guys?" she asked. "The angels are talking again."
"What are they saying?" Sam asked.
"It's weird, like a recording... a loop. It says, "Dean Winchester gives us Anna by midnight, or..." Anna paused.
"Or what?"
"...or we hurl him back to damnation," Anna finished.
"Okay, wait, wait. I say we call Bobby," Dean suggested. "We get him back from hedonism."
"Dean, what's he gonna tell us that we don't already know?" Sam asked.
"I don't know, but we gotta think of something!" Dean snapped.
"What if we went with Amy's plan?" Sam asked.
"You want to bring angels and demons together in the same room?" Dean asked.
"I know it sounds crazy," Amy said, "but it might work."
Ruby scoffed. "How?"
"We let them fight," Amy replied. "It'll distract them long enough for Anna to get her grace back." She paused. "Hopefully."
"Hopefully?" Dean asked.
"Hey, it worked in the show, it's bound to work again."
"And you're sure about this?" Sam asked.
Amy nodded. "Positive."
"You guys really think that'll work?" Ruby asked.
Sam and Dean shrugged.
"I don't know, but if Amy says it'll work, I believe her," Dean said.
Ruby scoffed. "If you say so."
"Ruby, can you handle the demon delivery?" Sam asked.
Ruby nodded. "Yeah."
"Wait, wait, wait," Dean said, "we're not gonna bring them all here to Bobby's place, are we?"
"No, Dean's right," Amy agreed. "We'll need a place to get them to all go to."
"There's an abandoned barn a couple of hours from here," Sam suggested.
"That'll work," Amy agreed.
"I'll handle the demon delivery," Ruby said. "You guys get Anna to that barn and get the angels there."
Sam nodded. "See you there."
A moment later, Ruby disappeared.
"Sam, where's this barn?" Amy asked.
"It's a few hours up the highway," Sam repeated.
Dean nodded. "Let's get going then."
Dean drove down the highway with Sam, Anna, and Amy in the car. Before long, they reached the barn. Dean parked the Impala near some trees off to the side, and they headed inside.
"So, I guess we should burn these hex bags then," Dean said, pulling the hex bag Ruby had given him out of his pocket.
Amy pulled her hex bag out too. "Sam, you got a lighter?"
"Uh, yeah." Sam pulled a lighter and his hex bag out as well.
Dean took everyone's hex bags away from them and handed them to Sam, who burned them with the lighter, dropping the flaming hex bags to the ground.
Anna sat on a chair as they waited for something to happen.
Sam sighed. "I don't know, man. Where's Ruby?" he asked Dean as he paced around the room.
Dean scoffed. "Hey, she's your Hell buddy." He pulled out a flask and took a drink from it.
"Little early for that, isn't it?" Anna questioned.
Dean shrugged. "It's two a.m. somewhere." He took another drink from the flask.
"Are you okay?" Anna asked softly.
Dean nodded. "Yeah, of course."
Before anyone could say anything else, the barn doors burst open, and Castiel and Uriel entered.
"Hello, Anna," Castiel greeted. "It's good to see you."
"You guys really shouldn't have burned those hex bags," Uriel said with a laugh.
"Guess we were just tired of running," Sam said.
Anna walked up to Dean, kissing him on the cheek. "You did the best you could," she whispered. She turned back to the angels. "Okay. No more tricks. No more running. I'm ready."
"I'm sorry," Castiel told her.
Anna shook her head. "No. You're not. Not really. You don't know the feeling."
"Still, we have a history. It's just-"
"Orders are orders," Anna finished. "I know. Just make it quick."
Amy looked around, wondering if she had messed something up, and Ruby wasn't going to get there in time with the other demons when the doors behind the hunters burst open.
Alastair and two other demons appeared, dragging a bleeding Ruby behind them.
"Don't you touch a hair on that poor girl's head," Alastair demanded.
The hunters and Anna quickly moved out of the way as the angels and demons began to argue.
Uriel stepped closer to the demons. "How dare you come in this room," Uriel sneered, "you pussing sore?"
Alastair tossed Ruby into a hay bale next to him. "Name-calling. That hurt my feelings." He sneered. "You sanctimonious, fanatical prick."
"Turn around and walk away now," Castiel demanded.
Alastair nodded. "Sure. Just give us the girl." He smirked. "We'll make sure she gets punished good and proper."
"You know who we are and what we will do." Castiel stepped forward as well. "I won't say it again, leave now... or we lay you to waste."
Alastair smirked. "Think I'll take my chances."
Castiel, Uriel, Alastair, and the other demon stared each other down for a moment. Suddenly, Uriel lunged for one of the demons, and the fighting began.
Uriel smashed the demon into a pillar, causing it to collapse. He punched another demon away as it came up from behind.
Castiel punched Alastair in the face several times, before putting a hand on the demon's forehead and trying to exorcise the demon, to no avail.
Alastair smirked. "Sorry, kiddo. Why don't you go run to daddy?
Uriel put a hand on another demon's forehead. The demon screamed as it was exorcised.
Alastair pinned Castiel to the ground, placing a hand around the angel's throat. "Potestas inferna, me confirma," he chanted. "Potestas inferna, me confirma. Potestas inferna, me confirma!"
Dean grabbed a crowbar, swinging it at Alastair and knocking him away from Castiel.
Alastair stood back up. "Dean, Dean, Dean... I am so disappointed. You had such promise."
The demon held a hand out, and Amy instantly felt her lungs start to close up. She fell to the ground, struggling to get any oxygen into her body.
Anna rushed up to Uriel as he began to exorcise the last demon and grabbed a glowing vial from around his neck.
"No!" Uriel yelled as Anna threw the vial on the ground. The glass shattered, and white light flowed into her mouth.
"Shut your eyes. Shut your eyes!" Anna yelled as she began to glow brightly. "Shut your eyes!"
Amy covered her eyes as a blinding light erupted from Anna. The light was gone as quickly as it had come, and when Amy opened her eyes again, Alastair was gone.
Dean picked up Ruby's knife. "Well, what are you guys waiting for?" he asked. "Go get Anna. Unless, of course, you're scared."
"This isn't over," Uriel said as he took a threateningly step forward.
Castiel put a hand on Uriel's shoulder, stopping him. Dean smirked. "Oh, it looks over to me, junkless."
Castiel and Uriel disappeared.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked as Ruby walked over to them.
Ruby groaned. "Not so much."
"What took you so long to get here?" Dean asked.
Ruby scoffed. "Sorry, I'm late with the demon delivery. I was only being tortured," she said sarcastically.
Dean nodded. "Well, I gotta admit, Amy. Bringing them all together was a pretty damn good plan."
Amy smiled. "Thanks, Dean."
"I guess when you got Godzilla and Mothra on your ass, best to get out of their way and let them fight," Sam said.
Amy sighed. "So, I guess we won't be seeing Anna for a while, huh."
Sam nodded. "She's some big-time angel now, huh?"
Dean nodded, but Amy could see tears forming in his eyes.
"She must be happy," Sam continued, "wherever she is."
"I doubt it," Dean said, his voice shaking slightly.
"Well, I better get out of here," Ruby told them.
"See you around," Sam said. Ruby nodded before disappearing, leaving the hunters alone in the barn.
November 15th, 2008
The sun was coming up as they left the barn. Dean pulled out three beers, handing one to Sam and one to Amy.
"Oh, no," Amy protested, "I can't."
"Come on," Dean insisted. "You earned it."
Amy smiled as she took the drink. "Thanks." She took a sip, wincing at the bitter taste.
"I can't believe we made it out of there," Dean said with a slight laugh.
Sam scoffed. "Again."
Dean took a sip of his beer and sighed. "I know you heard him," he said finally.
"Who?" Sam asked.
"Alastair," Dean replied. "What he said... about how I had promise. I know you both heard him."
Sam nodded. "I heard him."
"I heard him too," Amy told him.
"You guys aren't curious?" Dean asked.
"Of course we are, Dean," Amy admitted.
"But you're not talking about Hell," Sam finished, "and we're not pushing."
Dean took another sip of his beer. "It wasn't four months, you know," he admitted.
"What?" Sam asked.
"It was four months up here," Dean explained, "but down there... I don't know. Time's different. It was more like forty years."
"My God," Sam said breathily.
"Dean, I-" Amy didn't know how to finish.
Dean hesitated. "They, uh... They sliced and carved and tore at me in ways that you... Until there was nothing left." He took a deep breath. "And then, suddenly... I would be whole again... like magic... just so they could start all over."
Dean's voice began to shake. "And Alastair... at the end of every day... every... one... he would come over. And he would make me an offer. To take me off the rack... if I put souls on... if I started the torturing. And every day, I told him to stick it where the sun shines."
Amy looked at the ground as she listened to Dean tell them about his time in Hell. She let out a shaky breath.
"For thirty years, I told him. But then I couldn't do it anymore, Sammy. I couldn't," Dean continued. "And I got off that rack. God help me, I got right off it, and I started ripping them apart. I lost count of how many souls." A tear rolled down Dean's cheek. "The - the things that I did to them."
Dean stopped talking as he started to sob.
"Dean... Dean, look, you held out for thirty years," Sam told his brother. "That's longer than anyone would have."
Amy nodded. "It's longer than I would have," she added.
"How I feel," Dean said as tears ran down his face, "this... inside me... I wish I couldn't feel anything, Sammy. I wish I couldn't feel a damn thing."
Amy put an arm around Dean, trying to bring him comfort. "It's okay," she said in a soothing voice. "You'll be okay."
Dean's entire body started to shake as he sobbed harder.
'We're here for you,' Amy thought, making a silent promise to Dean.