The phone call ended.
Meg had John.
"They've got Dad." Dean revealed.
Sam turned to him, eyes wide. "Meg?" Dean could only nod. "What'd she say?"
"I just told you, Sammy." Dean snapped, upset. "Okay. Okay." He grabbed the Colt from the table, tucking it away in his jeans.
"What are you doing, Dean?" Sam asked, confused.
"We got to go." Dean stated. He grabbed his duffle bag.
"Why?" Sam pressed.
He threw on his jacket. "Because the demon knows we're in Salvation, alright. It knows we got the Colt. It's got Dad-it's probably coming for us next." Dean excused.
"Okay." I held my Bag higher up on my shoulder. "Let's go."
"Good. We've still got three bullets left. Let it come." Sam countered.
Dean stared down at Sam, glaring with warring protective instincts and anger. "Listed, tough guy, we're not ready, okay? We don't know how many of them are out there. Now, we're no good to anybody dead. We're leaving... now!"
He marched out the door.
After he left, I put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "It's okay. You know how he gets about family."
Sam nodded. Together, we walked out from the motel room.
==DG==
It was happening.
Here we go-
Heading towards Bobby Singer.
I mean, Dean isn't heading that way yet.
But he will.
And like...Bobby.
The Impala was rushing down the highway.
"I'm telling you, Dean, we could have taken him." Sam grumbled
"Or we could have died." I argued. "So let's work on a plan, okay? They won't have killed John, not before they have a chance at the Colt."
"We just gotta find out where." Dean agreed. "They're gonna wanna trade him for the gun."
Sam shook his head, scoffing.
"What?" Dean questioned.
"Dean, if that were true, why didn't Meg mention a trade?" Sam pointed out. He took a heavy breath, holding back the thought that his dad was dead. "Dad, he might be-"
"Don't! Raven tell him!" Dean snapped.
"I mean...you don't wanna know why I think John's still alive." I admitted. 'There's no way Meg won't wait until we get there to kill him. She'd want to kill him while we watched, helpless. Given what actually happens, my idea is better. Worse, and cruel, but better for a demon to have done. Would Crowley be proud of me?
"Look, I don't want to believe it any more than you." Sam assured Dean. "But if he is, all the more reason to kill this damn thing. We still have the Colt. We can still finish the job."
"Screw the job, Sam!" Dean snapped.
"Dean, I'm just trying to do what he would want. He would want us to keep going." Sam explained.
'And since when do you take John's word as gospel?'
"Quit talking about him like he's dead already." Dean snapped, his voice rising until he was almost shouting. "Listen to me, everything stops until we get him back, you understand me? Everything."
Sam stared at Dean, unsure of how to carry on the conversation with that much emotion on Dean's side.
"Okay. Where do we start?" I asked Dean.
"Maybe we go to Lincoln. Start at the warehouse where he was taken." Dean suggested.
"Come on, Dean, you really think these demons are going to leave a trail?" Sam questioned.
Dean sat up straight in his seat- an idea coming to him.
OhChuckohChuckOhChuck he's got it-
"You're right. We need help." Dean stated.
He drove us off towards Bobby's.
To Bobby's house!
YES!
==DG==
Singer Salvage Yard was more beautiful than I ever imagined.
Yes, the entire lot was just a junkyard full of old cars.
That's what made it beautiful.
Once inside, there was so much more beauty. Bobby covered his house in bookshelves and hunters' lore. The bookshelves were full of old books, some were becoming worn from use. The hunter lore was pinned to the walls. Drawings of monsters were depicted, beside them writings of their weaknesses.
I love Bobby's house.
This- this was a good house.
Bobby himself was the best.
Sam himself seemed surprised that Dean had brought us here. From the few things I knew about how John left the Bobby house, I can understand the confusion. Whatever Sam's confusion, Bobby himself seemed relieved to see the brothers on his porch.
He listened as Dean explained the issue with John. As we walked inside, Bobby was surprised at my- well- existence.
I was exploring the house. There were so many good books. Sam seemed to have the same idea. He pulled out a book, sitting down at a table to read. Myself, as a non-functioning disaster, could only look at the books in awe. Touching these books was an honor of which I was not yet worthy.
Holy shit, I could see the multiple phone lines in his kitchen. The taped on labels for which line was for which cover story he needed.
I love Bobby's house.
Dean and Bobby were focusing on tools to hunt Meg. Bobby walked towards Dean, holding two circular flasks with etchings on the fronts. He handed one to Dean. "Here you go."
Dean accepted the flask. "What is this-holy water?"
"That one is." Bobby held up the second. "This is whiskey." He took a drink before handing it to Dean. Dean took a shot too.
Another reason to love Bobby's house: the alcohol. Bobby had good shit just lying around his place...I love it.
"Bobby, thanks. Thanks for everything. To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure we should come." Dean admitted.
"Nonsense, your Daddy needs help." Bobby brushed off.
"Well, yeah, but last time we saw you, I mean, you did threaten to blast him full of buckshot. Cocked the shotgun and everything." Dean reminded him.
"Yeah, well, what can I say? John just has that effect on people." Bobby replied.
"Yeah, I guess he does."
"None of that matters now. All that matters is that you get him back." He glanced over at me.
Until that point, I had forgotten that maybe I shouldn't be staring at Bobby like he was the coolest character Chuck had ever wrote besides Charlie. So I pretended to be interested in the bookshelf again. To be fair, I didn't have to pretend that hard.
"Like you got her back." Bobby stated. He made a grunting noise, shaking his head in disbelief. "Your dad was sure you were dead for the longest time."
"Yeah...apparently I'm hard to kill." I answered, awkwardly fumbling over my words. I'm sorry, but this house was awesome and I am in awe of it. "What even- I love these books. These are incredible."
I pulled out a book, giving it a quick page-flip. The book was good- talked about witch spells. Really informative.
"Bobby, this book... I've never seen anything like it." Sam admitted.
Bobby glanced over to what Sam was reading. "Key of Solomon? It's the real deal, alright."
He pointed at the demonic protection circles. "And these, uh, these protective circles. They really work?" Sam inquired.
"Hell, yeah." Bobby answered. "You get a demon in- they're trapped. Powerless. It's like a Satanic roach motel."
Sam laughed.
"And this book- the things about witch spells? I haven't heard of half of them before."
"They're a nasty bunch of work. It's not often I see witches with that power. Still, doesn't hurt to have them on hand."
"Man knows his stuff." Dean praised.
"I'll tell you something else, too. This is some serious crap you kids stepped in." Bobby told us.
"Oh, yeah? How's that?" Sam asked, exchanging a nervous glance with Dean and I.
"Normal year, I hear of, say, three demonic possessions. Maybe four, tops." Bobby began.
"Yeah?" Dean asked.
"You seen more lately, huh?" I winced, fingers toying along the edges of the book.
Bobby nodded. "Damn right. This year I hear of twenty-seven so far. You get what I'm saying? More and more demons are walking among us-a lot more."
"Do you know why?" Sam asked.
"No, but I know it's something big. The storm's coming, and you kids, your Daddy-you are smack in the middle of it." Bobby revealed.
Outside, his dog started barking.
"Rumsfeld." Bobby realized. He went over to his window, peeking out. "What is it? Something's wrong."
The door was kicked open. Meg marched in. Dean was the first to move. He ran to the door, raising the flask of holy water.
"No more crap, okay?" Meg snapped.
She waved her hand. Dean went flying, smashing into one of Bobby's bookshelves.
OH NO!
THE BOOKS!
Oh Twilight Sparkle, I understand your pain now.
"You bitch." I stormed forward. Sam and Bobby held my arms, keeping me back.
"I want the Colt, Wonder Twins-the real Colt-right now." Meg warned us, glaring our way.
Sam and Bobby started pulling me away. Moving off to a different part of the room. I shook off their hold, still following them.
"We don't have it on us. We buried it."
"Didn't I say 'no more crap'?" Meg warned. "I swear-after everything I heard about you Winchesters, I got to tell you, I'm a little underwhelmed. First Johnny tries to pawn off a fake gun, and then he leaves the real gun with you three Chuckleheads. Lackluster men, and their punk ass wimpy sidekick."
I growled at her, wanting so badly to lash out. My mind was working quickly- rapidfire ideas spinning past my head.
"I mean, did you really think I wouldn't find you?" Meg scoffed.
Dean stood up from the collapsed shelf. He dusted himself off, walking our way. "Actually, we were counting on it."
Meg snapped around to him. Dean glanced up to the ceiling. Meg did too.
And saw the demonic circle, painted up on Bobby's ceiling.
Bobby is the best.
Meg glared at us.
Dean smirked. "Gotcha."
==DG==
Meg was tied to a chair now. "You know, if you wanted to tie me up, all you had to do was ask."
I grinned at the remark. The boys continued sneering at her.
Bobby came back into the room. He was holding a large hunter-size container of salt. "I salted the door and windows. If there are any demons out there-they ain't getting in."
"Good." I praised. Then I turned to the boys. "So, it's taken some workshopping, but I have this idea-"
Dean ignored me. He stormed over to the edge of the protection circle. He glared down his nose at Meg. "Where's our father, Meg?"
"You didn't ask very nice." Meg taunted.
"Where's our father, bitch?" Dean repeated.
"Jeez. You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Meg mocked. "Oh wait, I forgot, you don't."
Dean raised his hand.
I stepped between them both. Dean snarled Meg's way. I pushed Dean back.
"I've got an idea." I told him.
Dean huffed. "So do I."
"Your idea stinks." I stated. "And I don't even know what it is." Pushing him back, I left him in the control of Sam and Bobby. With that, I turned back towards Meg. "So. Meg. Hi. Like I was saying before. I had an idea that I just finished workshop-"
Meg snorted. "What's that? A Winchester's got another-"
"Verum videre, est modo scire. Ut alligent in omnibus. Per potentiam tribus, obsecro te ad me ad veritatem tuam." I recited, glaring at her.
At first, I thought really hard about how to complete this ritual. Yet standing here in front of Meg, I was overthinking it. Spells were performed by people with lesser knowledge for ages in this world. Surely, I could do it too. There was demon blood in my veins- as disgusting and foul as it felt beneath my skin. Knowing that it was there made my stomach boil.
That demon blood was from Meg's father.
Blood called to blood.
Because Meg's possession of the girl left traces. Bits of sulfur in the blood from Meg's soul. Something in those veins that admitted she wasn't quite human. That same blood was in me- even if it was only as small as one drop. I'd seen one drop of blood do a lot more than this.
So, on that chance, that small tiny chance, this spell could work.
It had to work.
"Dic mihi verum: daemonium de filia veteris ones. Dic verum Urere ne gehennae ignibus mancipatur." I spoke.
Meg twitched as the spells did their work. I grinned as she groaned out, fighting against it. She twitched and sputtered in her seat, crying out. In the end, her eyes glowed a bright yellow.
"You know what that was, then?" I prompted.
"A truth spell." Meg answered. She shifted in her seat. She kept trying to close her mouth, but each time it sounded like she was choking herself. Her cheeks were turning red- the red spread to her neck. Eventually she had to 'breathe'. "GAH! A powerful and simple one!" She hissed out her breaths. "Extracts the truth as requested. Compels the victim to tell."
"Alright." I beamed. "Cool." I turned to the others. Sam was staring at me in pride. Dean's expression was more like, surprise and confusion. Bobby's expression was slack. "Yeah...had a witch phase in middle school. Never really went away. This spell was too cool not to try."
"So we can ask her any question? And she has to answer with the truth?" Sam asked.
"Yep. I called on the power of three, so the three of us can ask anything. Sorry Bobby, the spell had to work with three." I explained.
Bobby shook his head, grinning and his eyes glinting with pride. "No problem. That's a powerful spell, even on a demon. You said you workshopped it?"
I shrugged. "Gave it a few upgrades. Just some tweaking for the impact."
"How?" Bobby asked.
"Well...I had a witch phase in middle school. Who didn't? The spell in the book was great but it needed tweaking. She can fight off the spell if she tries, so I...added a second spell so that whenever she fights the truth, she burns."
"You wrote that?" Bobby asked.
"I did." I grinned.
Bobby hummed. "Smarter than these two then."
"Hey."
Bobby grinned appraisingly at me. I beamed. "Yeah...I'm pretty good."
"She's pathetic and weak." Meg spat. I tilted my head at her, keeping my expression inquisitive. "The spell won't last as long as she thinks it will."
"Do not test me, Meg Masters." I cautioned her. "Cause that book had a lot of good spells...my brain can absorb information taken in by reading at 300x the speed as normal humans."
"Wait, you can do that? Then why they hell weren't you doing all the research?" Dean asked.
"You guys were so excited about it." I excused. Back to Meg. "I read every spell in that book. Even the painful ones. I killed a vampire nest at 12. I've been hunting ever since. When I want someone dead, I make it hurt. I know an exorcism to cast you back to Hell."
She shifted in her seat.
"And the circle would keep you stuck in there, so you couldn't lash out at us." I told her. "How hot is hellfire, I wonder? Does it burn every part of you, even the deepest parts? Thousands and thousands of years in that heat...you must remember it so well. Does it feel the same?"
"N-" She stopped herself again. She shifted in her seat. Her eyes widened as her face and neck turned red. "N-n-YES!" She gasped, her face and neck returning to normal.
"You get it now? You're going to be helpful. And the spell is going to work. Otherwise, I get to have fun." I supplied with a wide grin.
"No you won't. You're too good. A Winchester." Meg sneered.
"Yeah...but I'm not a very good one." I told her.
"Raven, you got to be careful with her. Don't hurt her." Bobby instructed.
"Why?" Dean questioned. Apparently torturing someone was his idea of a good ti-
Oh my Chuck.
There's never a good time for that thought.
"Because she really is a girl, that's why." Bobby explained.
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked him.
"She's possessed. That's a human possessed by a demon. Can't you tell?" Bobby questioned.
"Are you trying to tell me there's an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there?" Dean asked.
"No, she can't be." I countered.
"No. There is. There really is." Bobby told me.
"No, cause I know the lore too." I told him. "And we dropped her from seven stories. That shirt has a bullet hole in it. If there's a girl in there, she's long dead. The demon is the only thing keeping her alive. You know it as well as I do."
"But she's still in there." Bobby told me.
"Riding in a demon? I think she'd be happy to see Meg hurt." I explained. "I mean, unless anyone has a better idea?"
Dean looked back at Meg. She was struggling against the restraints again, pulling at the rope. It did nothing though.
"You said you knew an exorcism?" Dean asked me.
I smiled in delight.
==DG==
"You really have the spell memorized?" Sam asked.
"It was a spell to take out demons. Sounded pretty essential to me." I countered. "I mean, granted, magic's always been easy for me. Calling it a phase...kinda implies I ever stopped doing it."
"You know, Sam had a magic phase too." Dean stated.
"Shut up." Sam warned him.
I smiled at the two of them. "Seriously? Whoa, that's actually cool. What if it was the same time as mine? Like, some kind of twin thing? What if us both having a magic phase connected us on some kind of deep connection that may even have been tied with the-"
"Raven." Sam interrupted. He looked down, away from me. "Uh...he doesn't mean...that kind of magic." He admitted.
"...oh you mean stage magic." I narrowed my eyes at Dean. "You little-"
"Just get on it with the exorcism." Dean replied. He rolled his eyes. "Why are both of you such nerds?"
I turned my nose up at him. He'd just seen me perform two spells on a demon, and those spells were working. Yet he still snarked at me? He either had steel balls, or he was asking to be pranked on a level that was unholy.
He's a Winchester
It's definitely both.
Dean and I converged on the demon again.
"Are you gonna read me a story?" Meg taunted.
"Something like that. Hit it, Raven." Dean commanded.
"Regna terrae, cantate deo, psallite domino-" I began.
Meg snorted. She scoffed. "An exorcism? Are you serious?"
"Oh we're going for it, baby -head spinning, projectile vomiting, the whole nine yards." Dean cheered.
"-tribuite virtutem deo." I recited.
Meg flinched back, hissing in pain. I smiled innocently. "I'm gonna to kill you." She promised me. I'd been bit by stronger demons. It was below her paygrade. Meg turned to Dean. "I'm gonna rip the bones from your body." She turned to Sam. "I'll burn you alive."
"No, you're gonna burn in hell. Unless you tell us where our Dad is." Dean stated. Meg smiled innocently. "Well, at least you'll get a nice tan." Dean gave me a nod.
"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incuriso infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, onmis congregatio et secta diabolica-"
Meg was beginning to shake at the spell. She gasped out in pain, straining against the ropes. I paused in the exorcism, giving her a curious look. Meg glared at Dean, sneering. Before she could say anything, Meg's whole body flared red. She screamed out in pain again.
"Ergo perditionis venenum propinare. Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae." I continued on. Meg roared and ranted as she tried to spit out lies but my last spells prevented it. A wind began blowing through the room as she continued her spell. "Hostis humanae salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu dei. Contremisce et effuge. Invocato a nobis sancto et terribile nomine. Quem inferi tremunt."
Meg grunted, clawing at the chair ends.
"Where is he?" Dean demanded.
"You just won't take 'dead' for an answer, will you?" Meg asked. She screamed out.
"Where is he?!" Dean demanded.
"De-agh!!" Meg strained.
"No, he's not! He's not dead! He can't be!" Dean snapped. I continued with the spell. Behind us, Sam watched in concern. Dean noticed. "What are you looking at?" He turned to me. "Keep reading."
"Ab insidis diaboli, libera nos, domine. Ut ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias, libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos." I reported. Meg's chair began rocking about in the demon circle. "Ut inimicos sanctae ecclesiae humiliare digneris, to rogamus audi..."
"He will be!" Meg snapped.
"Wait! What?!" Dean barked.
"He's not dead." Meg revealed. "But he will be after what we do to him."
Dean turned to me. "That spell you did. It working?"
"Is her face on fire?" I countered.
"Can it be?" Dean requested.
"Oh yes!" I replied. "Without a doubt."
"A building!" Meg answered, actually looking startled at the idea. She had no idea how I was doing it, but there was definitely hellfire burning under her skin. "Okay? A building in Jefferson City."
"Missouri? Where, where? An address!" Dean demanded.
"I don't know." Meg insisted.
"And the demon-the one we're looking for-where is it?" Sam asked.
"I don't know! I swear! That's everything. That's all I know." Meg admitted.
"Finish it." Dean ordered me.
"What? I told you the truth! You can see that!" Meg yelled.
"I don't care." Dean snapped at her.
"I mean I kinda care-"
"You son of a bitch, you promised." Meg snapped.
"I lied! Raven?" Dean turned to me, glaring. "Raven! Read."
I said nothing.
Sam leaned over towards me.
"Maybe we can still use her. Find out where the demon is." Sam suggested.
"Sam, as much as I hate it now, she's wearing an innocent girl. She deserves to be at peace." I told him.
"She doesn't know." Dean stated.
"She lied." Sam countered.
"My spell wouldn't have allowed for that." I reminded him.
"Then your spell failed." Sam argued.
"It has not. Or else she'd be in flames." I told him.
"Sam, there's an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there. We've go to help her." Dean told him.
Bobby walked in on the family pow-wow. "You're gonna kill her."
"What?"
"Raven said she fell from seven story drop, and that she's been shot. That girl's body is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that demon inside." Bobby explained. "She had it right. You exorcise it-that girl is going to die."
"Listen to me, both of you, we are not gonna leave her like that." Dean told them.
"She is a human being." Bobby countered.
"And we're gonna put her out of her misery. Raven, finish it." Dean ordered.
"Raven." Sam called, stopping me.
"Sam. We have to let her go." I told him. "She's been dragged around by a demon. She's watched that demon do bad things. Awful things. She doesn't deserve this."
Sam locked eyes with me, for a long moment. He was arguing with the idea- trying to come up with any other option for this. There wasn't one. We had to let her go.
"Finish it." Dean ordered.
I took a breath, walking over to the chair. "If you're in there, I'm sorry you've suffered like this. But she has to be stopped." Meg sneered at me, glaring at me like she wished it was me burning with hellfire. I took another breath. "Dominicos sanctae ecclesiae, terogamus audi nos, terribilis deus do sanctuario suo deus israhel. Ipse tribuite virtutem et fortitudinem plebi suae, benedictus deus, gloria patri."
Meg threw her head back to scream. Her demon form escaped the girl in a cloud of black, pushing against the ceiling. It did nothing about it though. The smoke fell to the earth, being dragged back into hell.
The girl herself sagged forward. Blood dripped onto her jeans. I moved to help. Sam held me back. They thought she was already dead, I suppose.
The girl lifted her head.
"She's alive." I pulled from Sam's grip, going to the girl's side. Quickly, I untied her wrists.
"Call 911. Get some water and blankets." Dean instructed Bobby. The hunter rushed out, while the other two helped me untie her.
"Thank you." Megan wheezed as we untied her.
"Shh, shh. Just take it easy, alright?" Sam assured.
We untied the last of her ropes.
"Come on. Let's get her down." Dean instructed.
He and Sam lifted Megan from the chair. She groaned as the pain in her body could truly be experienced. Her bones crunching could be heard, as they lifted her and moved her to the floor. Megan growled and moaned in pain.
"I'm sorry." I knelt by Sam's side, looking over the poor girl. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry, sorry. I got you. I got you. It's okay. It's okay." Sam assured.
"A year." She wheezed.
"What?"
"It's been a year." Megan explained.
"Shh, just take it easy." Sam assured.
"You don't have-" I tried.
"I've been awake for some of it. I couldn't move my own body. The things I did-it's a nightmare." Megan recalled.
"Was it telling us the truth about our Dad?" Dean prompted.
"Dean." Sam scolded.
"Time and a place." I told him.
"We need to know." Dean reminded us.
"Yes. But it wants...you to know...that...they want you to come for him." Megan revealed, through blood soaked lips.
"If Dad's still alive, none of that matters." Dean told her.
Bobby came in at that. He handed a glass of water to Dean, who proceeded to give it to Megan. Sam and I took the blanket to cover Megan.
"Where is the demon we're looking for?" Sam asked her.
"Not there. Other ones. Awful ones." Megan revealed.
"Where are they keeping our Dad?" Dean prompted.
"By the river." Meg croaked out. She looked off over Dean's shoulder, her final breath leaving her to the tune of "Sunrise."
The light in her eyes faded. The rise and fall of her chest stopped.
"'Sunrise'." Dean asked.
Megan didn't move. I stood up, away from them. She was gone.
"What does that mean? What does that mean?" Dean continued asking.
It was then that the boys realized she was already gone.
==DG==
We laid the blanket over her. Bobby walked us towards the exit. "You better hurry up and beat it. Before the paramedics get here." Bobby warned us.
"What are you gonna tell them?" Dean asked.
"You think you guys invented lying to the cops? I'll figure something out." Bobby excused.
Because Bobby was The Guy.
To prove his status, he handed the Key of Solomon to Sam. "Here take this. You might need it."
Sam smiled in surprise, grateful for it. "Thanks."
"And Raven?" Bobby held out another book. The witch book of spells. My eyes widened in surprise. "I don't know how you did it, but you made it work so I think it's best in your hands."
Reverently, I accepted the book. "I...thank you, Bobby Singer."
"Thanks... for everything." Dean added. Bobby just smiled warmly at us. "Be careful, alright?"
"You just go find your Dad. And when you do, you bring him around, would you?" Bobby requested. "I don't even try to shoot him this time."
That was pretty awesome.
I love Bobby Singer.
With that note, we left the Singer Salvage Yard.
==DG==
The drive to Jefferson City wasn't that long. Dean probably broke more speed limits here than he ever had in his entire life.
We stopped at an overpass near town. All of us gearing up for the fight of our lives. Well the fight of their lives. To me, this fight was fairly average.
Sam was reading his new demon protection book. I was going over the spells in mine. The lord was great too- and the counter curses? Oh those always earned a second look.
Dean was loading up his duffel bag with guns. He hadn't said a word most of the drive up.
Sam rapped the marker he was holding against the car hood. "You've been quiet." Sam noted.
"Just getting ready." Dean replied.
"He's gonna be fine, Dean." Sam assured.
"John won't get down that easy." I added in. 'The Author and Chuck aren't that kind to me.'
Dean was silent.
Sam flipped around the book. He found the demon repelling circle. He uncapped the marker in his hands. He walked over to the trunk. I had found something awesome to use as well, so I walked with him to the trunk.
He raised the marker towards the trunk. He popped it open, I held up a hand to stop him.
"Marker?" I requested. After a small hesitation, he handed it over. "Thank you."
Sam nodded at me to start. "Sit crudelitate dolore mil omnibus die is hoc Scalia. Crudelior converterent sortem illi tormenting verto facit." The marker glowed red for a moment before fading back. "There you go."
Sam eyed the marker for a moment. I just gave him a nod. He dusted off the top, using a small patch of clean trunk to draw on.
Dean noticed this immediately. "Dude, what are you drawing on my car!"
"It's called a Devil's trap. Demons can't get through it or inside it." Sam reported, finishing the triangle outline of it.
"So?" Dean snapped.
"It basically turns the trunk into a lockbox." Sam drew in the details inside more suited for protection.
"So?"
"There's a spell cast on the ink inside the marker, so that it casts bad karma onto demons who touch it." I added.
"So?"
"So, we have a safe place to hide the Colt while we go get Dad." Sam told him.
"What are you talking about? We're bringing the Colt with us." Dean countered.
"That's not gonna be a good idea, Dean." I told him. "The girl said that demon wasn't there."
"Then she was wrong." Dean dismissed.
"When Meg was exorcised, the spell would've transferred to the host body. The girl's. She wouldn't have lied- not while she was dying." I countered.
"But there are demons there. Demons we can take out." Dean argued.
"And how many? One? Two? Three? Use up all our bullets before we had the chance?" I pointed out.
"No, we have to save Dad, Raven, okay?" Dean argued. We're gonna need all the help we can get."
"Dean, you know how pissed Dad would be if we used all the bullets?" Sam reminded him. "Dean, he wouldn't want us to bring the gun."
"I don't care, Sam. I don't care what Dad wants, okay?" Dean snapped. "And since when do you care what Dad wants?"
"We want to kill this demon. You used to want that, too. Hell, I mean, you're the one who came and got me at school!" Sam shouted. "You're the one who dragged me back into this, Dean. I'm just trying to finish it!"
Dean "Well, you and Dad are a lot more alike than I thought, you know that?" Dean accused. "You both can't wait to sacrifice yourself for this thing. But you know what? I'm gonna be the one to bury you. You're selfish, you know that? You don't care about anything but revenge."
"That's not true, Dean." Sam argued, looking hurt that his brother had said that. "I want Dad back. But they are expecting us to bring this gun. They get the gun, they will kill us all. That Colt is our only leverage and you know it, Dean. We can not bring that gun. We can't."
Dean huffed. He looked off. "Fine."
"I'm serious, Dean." Sam stated.
"I said fine, Sam." He snapped. He made a show of pulling the Colt out his pocket then tucking it into the trunk.
Sam took that as it was.
I let Dean think he had me fooled.
Anything to keep Sam alive.
==DG==
Sam, myself, and Dean were walking along the river. So far there hadn't been any signs of demons or John. For a long while, there wasn't anything.
Dean spotted the clue first. He stopped in his gate, looking out towards the apartments. "Hey, hey." Sam and I stopped. "Think I know what Meg meant by Sunrise."
Across the street, the entrance blocked by innocent families, was the Sunrise Apartments
"Son of a bitch. That's pretty smart." Dean complained.
"I'm a little jealous, if it wasn't so messed up." I admitted
"I mean, if these demons can possess people they can possess almost anybody inside." Dean stated.
"I know. It's upsetting." I agreed.
"Yeah, and make anybody attack us." Sam explained.
"And so we can't kill them-a building full of human shields." Dean reasoned.
"By now, they know our faces. So we can't just casually walk in, they could be watching." I reasoned.
"And they could look like anybody." Sam reasoned.
I nodded.
"Yeah, this sucks out loud." Dean huffed.
"Tell me about it." Sam glanced at the building, then at Dean. "Alright, so, how the hell are we going to get in?"
Dean and I exchanged a look. Both of us having the same idea. An oldie, but a goodie that hadn't failed us yet. "Pull the fire alarm." We suggested.
"Get out the civilians."
"Leave in the demons."
"You two are terrifying." Sam admitted. "But then the city responds in, what, seven minutes?"
"Seven minutes exactly." Dean replied.
"Well actually it's less, depending on their-"
"Okay, okay. Around seven minutes." Dean corrected.
"Thank you."
==DG==
For the record, it took them six and a half minutes.
Not important to the grand scheme of things. It's just important to me.
Sam had pulled the fire alarm. Dean had distracted the fireman while I picked the lock on the fire truck. There was just enough suits for us all.
So we suited up. Which was totally awesome to do, to dress in fireman suits. Even though my policeman baseball teams had taken them out more than once.
Dean was scanning the hallways with his EMF. "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up." He remarked.
"Dude really? That's cool." I nodded.
"You never told me that." Sam admitted.
The EMF spiked up.
Dean pounded on the door. He kept knocking until we heard footsteps. "This is the fire department. We need you to evacuate." He announced.
Before they had the chance to jump us, we shoved the door open. The possessed woman yelled as she was thrown backwards. Once inside, the boys activated their spray tanks filled with holy water. While they attacked, I rushed off towards the bedroom.
The possessed people shrieked as they were doused. I opened the bedroom door. John was indeed tied to the bed.
"Come on!" Dean yelled to Sam.
Glancing over, I saw them shoving the possessed bodies into the closet. I looked back at John, walking towards his restraints.
I pulled out my own spray tank.
"Hurry up!" Dean yelled.
I sprayed water onto John's face.
He spluttered awake. The water hadn't burned him, just soaked him. "Millie?" He coughed. "Why- why did you-"
"Holy water." I supplied in a cool tone. "You understand."
His head fell back against the pillow.
The boys ran in.
"Dad?" Dean sighed in relief.
"He's breathing." I reported. Holding up the spray nozzle I added "Passed the demon check."
"Dad, are you okay?" Dean asked. He went up to 'John's' restraints. He pulled a knife out from his pockets.
"They've been drugging me. Where's the Colt?" 'John' asked.
"Don't worry, Dad, it's safe." Sam promised.
"There's no way a demon could get to it." I added in, with a peppy smile.
Dean got the restraints by then.
"Good boys. Good boys." 'John' praised. "And...and you too, Millie."
I hummed.
They got to work on his leg restraints. I shed my fireman outfit, throwing it to the side. Though I kept the tank of holy water. Before long, the boys freed 'John'. Dean and Sam supported his weight.
The front door was thrown open- oh they had closed it?- for the two demons. They changed bodies, huh.
"Boys." I warned.
"Go! Go!" Sam yelled the same time Dean was shouting "Back! Back!"
Retreating into the bedroom I closed the door, locking in between us and the demons. Theywastd no time using an axe on the door. I grabbed the alar, making a line at the door.
Turning back showed Dean and 'John' already out on the fire escape. Sam was climbing after them.
"Raven!" Sam shouted. He grabbed the duffle bag, following Dean. "Come on!"
After another look at the axe torn door, I ran to the fire escape. Once there I laid out the salt on the windowsill. It wouldn't last for long, just long enough.
At the bottom, the Winchester family gathered. Sam went ahead to check that the cost was clear.
Though before he got far, one of Meg's demon friends lashed out at him. Sam was quickly thrown to the ground to be punched and punched.
"Get off him!" I yelled, running at them. I held up the spray tank, aiming it at him. The demon lashed out first.
"Sam! Raven!"
The demon lashed out, using his power to sent us both flying back.
I hit a wall.
Dean crashed onto a car.
Hitting the ground, I groaned in pain. I hurt. The tank had been between me and the wall. That was gonna bruise something awful last. Just what I needed, really.
There was a gunshot.
Looking up I saw Dean holding the Colt towards Sam and the demon. The dead boy flopped to the ground. Dean went to Sam.
"Sam!" Dean lifted him up to his feet.
I pushed myself up too, ignoring the pain in my side.
"Sam, Raven, come on! Come on!" Dean yelled at me. "Come on. We got to get out of here."
The boys went over to help 'John'.
'John' was being oddly quiet.
==DG==
We'd found a cabin not too far from town. Dean was making sure John was okay, resting on a bed until the 'drugs' wore off. Sam and I were working on the salt lines for the windows and doors.
Sam's wounds were beginning to show. His face was swelling around his eye, his split lip was healing, but it was still raw. My own back was aching. I doubt I'd broken anything. Bruised, maybe. Hitting a wall and a spray tank wasn't anything one easily walked off. Then again, I'd walked off worst.
Correction: you died. Then stood back up.
Hard reset?
No...no that hasn't worked. We don't have that kind of healing here.
Demon blood.
Look how well that worked out for the others.
True, true.
Dean walked into the room.
"How is he?" Sam asked him, finishing off the last window.
"He just needed a little rest, that's all. How are you?" Dean asked him.
"I'll survive." Sam answered. "Hey, you don't think we were followed here, do you?"
"I don't know. I don't think so." Dean admitted. "I mean, we couldn't have found a more out-of-the-way place to hole up."
"Yeah." Sam replied. He looked back towards Dean, hesitant. "Hey, uh... Dean, you, um... you saved my life back there."
"So, I guess you're glad I brought the gun, huh?" Dean joked, but it fell flat.
I scoffed. "Don't."
A long pause.
"Hey, guys?" Dean prompted.
"Yeah?"
"What."
"You know that guy I shot? There was a person in there." Dean stated.
"You didn't have a choice, Dean." Sam reminded him.
"Yeah, I know, that's not what bothers me." Dean admitted.
"So? What does?" I asked.
"Killing that guy, killing Meg. I didn't hesitate, I didn't even flinch." Dean revealed. "For you or Dad, the things I'm willing to do or kill, it's just, uh...it scares me sometimes."
"I know." Reaching over, I stood by Dean's side. "There's a part of me that's scared too. Those spells I used...they were hurting her too. And I used them. There was just...I knew she had what I wanted...and I wouldn't stop to get it. Because it was to help keep you safe. I...kinda get tunnel vision where that's concerned. And...and you guys know what happened...about the last time I crossed that line."
Sam wasn't saying anything. He was staring at Dean and I.
Lucky for him, someone else came to speak.
"It shouldn't. You did good." 'John' assured us.
"You're not mad?" Dean asked, concerned.
"For what?" 'John' wondered.
"Using a bullet." Dean gulped.
"Mad? I'm proud of you." 'John' told him. "You know, Sam and I, we can get pretty obsessed. But you-you watch out for this family. You always have."
Dean smiled. A whole lifetime, validated in a single moment. "Thanks."
'John' smiled back. At his smile, the lights flickered and outside the wind picked up.
My hand itched for the Colt. Though I knew I would not have it.
"It found us. It's here." 'John' warned.
Sam inhaled sharply. "The demon?"
"Sam, Raven, lines of salt in front of every window, every door." 'John' ordered.
"We already did it." Sam told him.
"Well, check it, okay?" 'John' ordered us.
Sam huffed. I reached over, holding his arm. I gave it a squeeze. He looked down at me. I just gave him a nod. "Okay." He walked out from the room.
As we left the room, I waited until we were a few steps gone before stopping. Sam turned round to me, confused. I held up a finger, pointing it to my ear then back towards 'John'.
"Dean, you got the gun?" 'John's' voice carried back our way.
Sam tapped my arm. I waved my hand, telling him to shut up and wait.
"Yeah." Dean answered.
"Give it to me." 'John' ordered.
"Dad, Sam tried to shoot the demon in Salvation. It disappeared." Dean reported.
"This is me. I won't miss. Now, the gun, hurry." 'John' ordered. Silence. "Son, please."
Now Sam was looking confused. I moved my hand to my forehead, letting out a silent sigh.
"Give me the gun. What are you doing, Dean?" 'John' questioned.
"He'd be furious." Dean realized.
"What?"
"That I wasted a bullet. He wouldn't be proud of me, he'd tear me a new one." Dean stated.
Sam held my arm. It had come together for him. I held his arm too, warning him to hold off.
We heard the cocking of a gun.
"You're not my Dad." Dean realized.
Sam tried to storm in. I held him back again.
"Dean, it's me." Azazel insisted.
"I know my Dad better than anyone. And you ain't him." Dean warned.
"What the hell's gotten into you?"
"I could ask you the same thing. Stay back." Dean warned him.
I let go of Sam. He stormed back into the room, glaring up a storm. I came in after him, watching the events unfold. "Dean? What the hell's going on?" He asked his brother, glaring at
"Your brother's lost his mind." Azazel lied.
"He's not Dad." Dean cautioned us.
"I know." Sam answered. "Raven stopped us by the door. We heard everything."
"Yeah?" Dean prompted, still keeping his focus on Azazel. "I think he's possessed. I think he's been possessed since we rescued him."
"Don't listen to them, Sammy." Azazel argued.
"Dean, Raven, how do you know?" Sam prompted.
"He's... he's different." Dean explained, hesitant to say the truth.
"Raven?" Sam prompted, desperate to find an answer for what the hell was going on.
"John's never said one nice thing to Dean the entire time I've known him." I admitted. "Sorry to say."
Dean only gave a curt nod.
I moved to stand at his side, glaring at Azazel.
"You know, we don't have time for this. Sam, you wanna kill this demon, you've gotta trust me." Azazel explained. Azazel looked off towards Sam, as close to John could be to pleading. "Sam?"
Sam looked over at me. I looked back at him. "No. No." He shook his head, walking to my side.
Azazel sighed. "Fine. You're all so sure, go ahead. Kill me."
Dean hesitated. He held up the gun, holding back.
Azazel noticed that. "I thought so." He met John's eyes flared up with yellow.
Sam lashed out. Azazel threw him back with his power, using it on me as well. Azazel pinned us there for good measure. Dean was thrown to the floor, pushed back. He dropped the Colt.
He picked it up off the flower. "What a pain in the ass this thing's been." Azazel complained.
"It's you, isn't it? We've been looking for you for a long time." Sam spat.
"Well, you found me." He boasted.
"But the holy water?" Sam strained.
"You think something like that works on something like me?" Azazel taunted.
He strained against the hold on him. "I'm gonna kill you!"
"Oh, that'd be a neat trick. In fact." Azazel lowered the Colt into the table. He grinned at Sam. "Here. Make the gun float to you there, psychic boy."
Sam grunted, straining. The gun didn't budge.
Azazel turned to me, smirking. "And you? What about you, girlie? Gonna make some magic happen?"
I narrowed my eyes at him.
I could do it.
Oh I could do it.
Tap into those demon powers- shoot him down with no hesitation.
That's to say if the powers work on him at all.
If his own blood in me keeps from it.
Unless-
Unless I don't use his blood to move it.
I could- I could use other magic.
I know how to cross the powers over.
If- if I focus then I could-
I strained. Azazel's power pressed down on me. It took work, going against my his power and trying to reach my own. His blood was everywhere inside- it had grown like a steady infection for years.
I'd had my powers long before stepping into an Azazel infected body.
I reached out, trying and trying.
Magic buzzed in my hand.
The Colt was a useless option.
On the other hand...
"Well, this is fun." Azazel finished. He walked towards Dean, boasting. "I could've killed you a hundred times today, but this. This is worth the wait."
Dean seethed.
Azazel grinned. He opened his mouth.
A knife flew at him, hitting him in the shoulder blade.
I grinned, sagging back into the power holding me up.
Azazel turned to me.
I kept up my grin.
He just hummed, pulling it out from his back.
He threw it out towards me. I watched, not flinching.
The knife stopped, just before my heart.
We all watched in bated breath.
"Cute." Azazel taunted.
The knife floated over to my arm. It pressed down. Cutting threw the shirt, it reached the skin. I hissed as he moved it downwards, a trail of blood in its wake.
"You know, Daddy dearest is still in here with me. Trapped inside his own meat suit." He walked towards me, sneering. The knife dug in, just before my elbow. I gasped at the pain- too sharp and fast to hold back. "He says 'hi', by the way. He's gonna tear you apart. He's gonna taste the iron in your blood."
"Let him go, or I swear to God-" Dean warned.
"What? What are you and God gonna do?" Azazel mocked Dean. The knife dropped down to the floor. My blood dripping from the edge. "You see, as far as I'm concerned, this is justice. You know that little exorcism of yours? That was my daughter."
"Who, Meg?" Dean asked.
"The one in the alley? That was my boy. You understand." Azazel explained.
Dean let his head thunk against the wall. "You've got to be kidding me."
"What? You're the only one that can have a family? You destroyed my children. How would you feel if I killed your family?" Azazel smiled. "Oh, that's right. I forgot. I did. Still, two wrongs don't make a right."
"You son of a bitch." Dean spat.
"I wanna know why. Why'd you do it?" Sam demanded.
"You mean why did I kill Mommy and pretty, little Jess? Take away little baby Millie?" Azazel questioned.
"Yeah."
Azazel chuckled. "You know, I never told you this, but Sam was going to ask her to marry him." He told Dean. He turned towards me. "Been shopping for rings and everything." Azazel focused back on Sam. "You want to know why? Because they got in the way."
"In the way of what?" Sam demanded.
"My plans for you, Sammy. You... and all the children like you." Azazel explained. He grinned, turning towards me. "See, Millie, taking you was just part of an experiment. To see if one of those children could grow around monsters. See if the monsters could hold themselves back. Figure out if you'd be like them, or if you'd join the family business. Not even I expected them to take in Molly- she wasn't even one of mine but I wish she had been. That girl was a killer."
I strained against the holding. 'Worst thing is, she'd enjoy it.'
"But then, I know who made her like that." Azazel grinned at me, showing teeth.
I hissed at him. "Shut up."
"Listen, you mind just getting this over with, huh? Cause I really can't stand the monologuing." Dean taunted.
"Funny, but that's all part of your MO, isn't it? Masks all that nasty pain, masks the truth." Azazel taunted right back.
"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Dean hid his pain further deep.
"You know, you fight and you fight for this family, but the truth is they don't need you. Not like you need them." Azazel told him. "Sam-he's clearly John's favorite. Millie's his baby girl, the one he lost but clearly loved more. Even when they fight, it's more concern than he's ever shown you."
"I bet you're real proud of your kids, too, huh? Oh wait, I forgot. I wasted 'em." Dean mocked.
I snickered.
Azazel just grinned, lowering his head.
Dean shouted in pain.
"Dean! No!"
"Stop it!" I yelled at Azazel.
Dean's shirt started soaking blood, dripping down onto the floor.
I pushed against hold. Azazel lifted me back then slammed me back down. I yelled.
"Dad! Dad, don't you let it kill me!" Dean pleaded. He screamed out.
"Dean! No!" Sam screamed.
"Let Dean go!" I screamed.
Azazel ignored us.
Sam strained, reaching towards the Colt. He was pushed back.
Wait...
That hold would waver soon.
Holy shit.
I actually have a shot.
Literally.
To kill him.
Blood dripped out from Dean's mouth.
"Stop!"
"Dad, please." Dean pleaded before his head dropped. Blood was still flowing so he wasn't dead. It was probably a near thing.
"Dean!" Sam and I cried out.
Dean stayed silent.
Azazel staggered back. "Stop, stop this."
Sam and I were released from the wall. I didn't hesitate. I leapt at the Colt.
Here it is.
I can stop him.
Right now.
All the problems in season 2-
They can be stopped
Or held off
If I kill him now
Azazel turned around. He grinned widely, boasting. "You kill me, you kill Daddy." He warned me.
"Good."
Because you need to go down
And John would die soon anyway
This only spared them a day
You need to be put down
Like all the other monsters
Sam leapt at me.
He made me miss.
The bullet hit John's shoulder. The same shoulder I had stabbed, so boo.
"Sam!" I scolded him.
Azazel fell down.
Dean did as well. Sam went to his brother's side.
"Dean? Dean, hey? Oh God, you've lost a lot of blood." Sam panicked.
He woke up, dazed and out of it. "Where's Dad?" Dean groaned.
"He's right here. He's right here, Dean." Sam promised.
"He's just a little shot." I told him.
"Go check on him." Dean asked Sam.
"Dean-" Sam tried.
"Go check on him." Dean insisted.
"I'll go." I walked away from the boys, heading towards John. "John? John? Ground control, to Mister John."
John groaned. He clutched at his bleeding shoulder. "Millie!" He strained against the floor, shouting in complete panic. "It's still alive. It's inside me, I can feel it. You shoot me. You shoot me! You shoot me in the heart, Millie!"
I can't say no
When people ask
My biggest weakness
I always have to help
Even if Sam and Dean hate me for it.
I aimed the gun at him.
Azazel's bullet ready to fire.
The last bullet.
The one I knew that would kill him.
The destiny that's been waiting for it a long time.
"Do it now!" John begged.
"Raven, don't you do it. Don't you do it." Dean pleaded.
"I've got to!"
"You've gotta hurry! I can't hold onto it much longer!" John pleaded.
I cocked it.
"You shoot me, Millie! Shoot me!" He ordered.
"Raven no!" Sam leapt at me. He pulled at my arm, keeping me from aiming properly.
"Sam what the actual Hell!" I snapped.
"Son, I'm begging you! We can end this here and now! Sammy!" John pleaded.
"Sam, no." Dean begged.
"Sam yes!" I tried to pull away. Sam held tighter. "Please! I have to!"
"You let her go!"
"Please! I have to help him!" I begged, yanking my arm so bad it was hurting. "Please!"
"Sammy! Sam..." John begged. His head fell back.
"NO!"
Azazel left. In a cloud of black.
==DG==
Back in the Impala, I was working on fixing up Dean. With all his bleeding, I was doing my best to keep it from getting on the seats. My own blood would be fine once we got to the hospital.
Dean wasn't looking at me.
Sam either.
I hated it.
It hurt.
It hurt so badly.
I didn't want them to hate me.
That wasn't worth it.
It never would be worth it.
Please.
Please understand.
I had to do it.
You heard him begging.
He needed help.
For all I hate the man, I couldn't stop myself from answering his plea.
It's not in me.
Sam was driving. John sat beside him. I had patched up the wounds on his shoulder, as Sam helped Dean into the back seat. Once there Sam took the keys from Dean. I was regulated to the back.
For everyone's safety.
I understood it.
I wasn't safe to be around.
Soon enough I had the cuts covered in the best bandaging I could manage like this.
"I've got the cuts cleaned and covered, but I can't close them like this." I reported obediently to Sam. "He does need more blood."
"Look, just hold on, alright. The hospital's only ten minutes away." Sam assured Dean.
I nodded. Turning back to Dean, I saw him looking away from me out the window.
"I'm surprised at you, Sammy." John began. I tried to fight the ache in my chest- ignore the pain. Writing it off as the pain of being slammed into a wall twice in a day. "Why didn't you kill it? I thought we saw eye-to-eye on this? Killing this demon comes first-before me, before everything. Raven would've done it." He checked his bandaged shoulder. "She tried!"
"I was aiming for the head." I admitted.
"See?"
"The Colt was too heavy. I was moved the second and third time. But I would've shot you." I added on, trying (poorly) to add some levity to the moment.
"I get it-"
"I would've done it, no hesitation."
"I get it."
"You would've died in front of your kids- just a short while-"
"Raven. I get it." John cut me off. "You can stop."
Sam glanced in the mirror. I tried am apologetic smile- but it must've come across as awkward cause Sam glanced at Dean. "No, sir. Not before everything. Look, we've still got the Colt. We still have the one bullet left. We just have to start over, alright? I mean, we already found the demon."
There was a bright light to my right. I looked up, bracing myself.
The eighteen wheeler slammed against the side.
I did my best to block Dean from the worst of it.
But the Impala kept moving. And moving.
The truck hadn't stopped.
It pushed us into a ditch.
Glass shattered all around. Metal twisted and crunched.
And all I could hear was the screaming.
And all I could feel was the pain.
==DG==
AN: This will be continued in Got My Back...publishes either tomorrow or the day after.
Thank you to everyone that's been reading along with me! To everyone that left comments, you've kept this story going! It's been going for 2 ½ years! Can you believe it?! It's my 4th largest story at over 130k words! Raven Quinzel has been a great to write. There's more to come for her, don't you worry!
And cause I love you, not all of it is angst! There's also whump. And hurt/comfort. And family.
Thanks to chrissyweir for following, and to foxysilverxxl for favoriting/following!