Three weeks.

21 days.

504 hours.

That's how long Rian had left before she would be joining Crowley in hell.

She had been given one month left to live and she was standing in the rain in the middle of the night hiding from the Winchester brothers in the Washington wilderness.

If Rian was being honest, and she rarely was these days, she knew that running from them was only hurting everyone more. But she couldn't stop. They would only try to fix things and there was nothing left to fix.

She had signed over her soul and that was it. They couldn't save her. She didn't want to be saved.

One Week Ago

"Dean... I hate to bring this up, I really do," Bobby muttered, he'd come back nearly an hour ago after losing sight of the man who stabbed Sam. He found Dean still attached to Sam's body. The younger hunter had refused to let go and had barely let Bobby guide him to one of the abandoned houses. He had wanted to go find Rian but had assumed the girl had just needed space. He saw how she had looked at Sam, "But don't you think maybe it's time... we bury Sam?"

"No."

"We could maybe…" Bobby started before Dean cut him off.

"What? Torch his corpse?" Dean said snapped, "Not yet."

"Want you to come with me," Bobby tried again.

"I'm not going anywhere," Dean argued, not looking away from Sam

"Dean, please," Bobby urged. He needed Dean to come with him. He needed Dean to see that there was nothing left to do for Sam.

"Would you cut me some slack?" Dean snapped, turning on Bobby.

"I just don't think you should be alone, that's all," Bobby said, "I gotta admit, I could use your help."

Dean snorted.

"Something big is going down – end-of-the-world big," Bobby reminded the Winchester

"Well, then let it end!" Dean snapped, just wanting to be alone

"You don't mean that," Bobby said calmly.

"You don't think so? Huh?" Dean asked, getting in Bobby's face, "You don't think I've given enough? You don't think I've paid enough? I'm done with it. All of it. And if you know what's good for you, you'd turn around, and get the hell out of here." Bobby didn't respond, "Go!"

Dean pushed him. Watching Bobby stumble back in abject horror.

"I'm sorry," Dean said contritely, shaking his head "I'm sorry. Please, just go."

"You know where I'll be," Bobby said with one last glance at Dean and Sam.

Dean swallowed hard and turned back to Sam's body. He felt a tear fall down his face. Dean was about to sit down next to the mattress Sam was lying on when Sam suddenly sat up with a gasp.

"What?" Dean said, blinking heavily in his shock, "The Hell?"

"Dean?" Sam asked, blinking in confusion.

"Bobby!" Dean yelled, calling the older man back in.

Shaking his confusion off Dean grabbed the bewildered younger Winchester in a hug.

She had loved camping as a kid and figured it would be the safest thing for her to do. A way to avoid, demons, reality, and the Winchesters. Mostly reality.

She'd chosen to go back to Washington, needing something vaguely familiar around her. It had taken her almost a week of hitchhiking and car theft to make it but she'd done it.

Rian had used one of the credit cards Ash had made for her to pull out three thousand dollars somewhere outside of Lebanon, just to throw the boys off her trail, before hitchhiking to Montana where she stole a Kia Soul. She'd ditched the Kia outside of Coeur D'Alene before hitchhiking from there to Spokane where she bought a greyhound ticket to Portland before hitchhiking to Wenatchee and take the shuttle from there to sea tac.

When she'd gotten to sea tac Rian had paid in cash for a rundown car under an alias that the Winchesters didn't know about before heading up to Baker to camp at a place she had remembered going back in her world. A place she was missing dearly now.

Rian had spent so long trying to get back to her old world and now it was pointless. In less than a month, she would be in hell.

She'd bought all she needed for camping in a small ski town in the cascades where the shuttle had stopped. It had been more expensive than she would have liked but not freezing in the cold weather was her priority. She didn't need to go to hell early.

With a zero degree sleeping bag, a two-person tent, a fleece liner, and several warm layers she was ready to move into her new home.

On the way to Baker Rian had purchased several dozen pieces of firewood as well as a couple tarps to keep it dry. She'd also found someone selling an old army cot and a propane stove for cheap. She'd stopped at a local grocer outside of Bellingham to purchase a month's worth of perishable and nonperishable food as well as a cheap pair of snowshoes.

"I should have just gone to Mexico," Rian grumbled as her car slid in yet another patch of ice. She had some experience driving on ice and snow but not enough to justify driving into the mountains in early spring. While much of the snow had already melted it was late and the temperatures were below freezing at night still.

"Dean?" Sam breathed, hugging his brother back despite his confusion. He remembered a sharp pain along his spine and now there was nothing. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Dean said, squeezing Sam tighter.

"Ow," Sam groaned, feeling his ribs rub together, "Dean."

"Sorry," Dean said, letting Sam go but only taking a step back, "I'd thought I'd lost ya."

"What happened?" Sam wondered, glancing around the decrepit room.

"What do you remember?" Dean asked.

"I-I saw you, Fin, and Bobby, and... I felt this pain," Sam winced, remembering the pain, "This sharp pain, like... white-hot, you know, and then you started running at me, and... that's about it."

"Yeah, that— that kid, stabbed you in the back," Dean explained. "You were dead."

"What?" Sam squeaked, "Dean, how am I alive then?"

"I-I don't know, let's get you to the Impala before we worry about that, this place gives me the creeps," Dean said, helping Sam stand as Bobby came back into the room.

"I can't fi-" Bobby did a double take, glancing from Sam to the bed and back, "What the hell?"

"Tell me about it," Dean quipped, helping Sam past Bobby.

Bobby stared blankly as the Winchesters passed him. He shook his head before following them out. The unusual was becoming a norm with his family.

"What the hell?" Bobby repeated.

"Where's Rian?" Sam asked after looking around the area, "I know I saw her."

"That's what I came to tell you idjits, Rian's missing," Bobby said, patting Sam on the back as he walked past.

"What?" Dean asked, "she's not in the Impala?"

"She's not," Bobby agreed, "and the damned idjit left her phone too."

"Damnit," Dean grumbled before picking up the pace, not wanting to push Sam too hard but wanting to find Rian. He knew her well enough to know that she'd done something stupid.

She found a place in the back of a first-come-first-serve campground a few miles up a service road and decided to settle there for now. She was next to the Nooksack River and was glad to be back.

That night Rian slept in her car, too exhausted to bother setting up her tent. She moved everything from the seat in the back and curled up in her sleeping bag, piling her extra clothes and blankets on top of her.

The next morning Rian set up her camp after a granola bar and a mug of tea. Once that was done she decided to explore the area more, wanting to see who was around her and what her options were should someone, somehow, find her.

There were a few other people at the campgrounds, a couple young families, and a few experienced backpackers. She didn't talk to any of them but kept track of what they looked like and where they were staying. After the initial walk-through Rian went down to the river with a book to relax for a few minutes.

"Ah, he said I'd find you here." An accented voice said only fifteen minutes later.

"What do you want?" Rian asked, looking up to see Crowley watching her from beside a tree, "can't you see I'm busy? Besides our deal lasts another three weeks so get lost."

"Ah, but I have a favor to ask of you," Crowley grinned, sauntering closer to Rian, who ignored the demon and turned back to her book.

"You're already getting my soul," Rian said after a moment, "what more could you want from me?"

"Knowledge."

"And that's when you guys showed up," Sam said, wringing his hands together. They'd searched for Rian for a few hours but there was no sign of the girl. Sam was telling Dean and Bobby what had happened to him.

They were sitting at a table in a motel a few hours drive from Liberty. Sam had taken the chance to shower and change while Bobby called Rufus and got some food for them.

"That's awful," Dean cringed, both horrified at what had happened and grateful to have Sam back, they'd figure out what happened to Rian soon, "Poor Andy."

"The demon said he only wanted one of us to walk out alive," Sam told his brother quietly, trying not to let the fact that he was here, alive, overwhelm him.

"He told you that?" Dean demanded.

Sam scoffed, "Yep. He appeared in a dream."

"He tell you anything else?" Dean wondered, hoping they could get some inkling of information.

"No. No. That was it. Nothing else," Sam said glumly, Dean could tell he was hiding something but decided not to push it, "You know, what I don't get, Dean, is if the demon only wanted one of us, then how did Jake and I both get away? Do you think Rian did something"

"Well, I mean, you were dead, they thought it was over." Dean said before taking a bite of his pizza, "So now that Yellow Eyes has Jake, what's he gonna do with him?"

"I don't know," Sam replied shaking his head "but whatever it is, we got to stop him."

Dean stopped Sam from standing with a hand on the man's shoulder, "Well, hold on. You need to get your rest. We got time."

"No, we don't," Sam argued, "Dean, Rian is missing, something could have happened to her."

"Let's get you your strength back first," Dean argued, "we won't be any help for Rian if you're collapsing everywhere."

"Well did you call the Roadhouse?" Sam asked, "They know anything?"

"Yeah," Dean said slowly, not making eye contact with Sam.

"Dean... what is it?" Sam demanded.

"The roadhouse burned to the ground," Dean told his brother, "Ash is in the hospital, probably won't walk again. No one knows where Ellen and Jo are though. And Jed's still missing."

"Dean," Sam said, "Azazel has Jed. He's been possessed."

"Son of a bitch."

"Yeah," Sam said, "he said he was possessing Jed to get to Rian."

"Damnit," Dean growled.

"Let's go to Bobby's," Sam said, pushing himself out of his chair.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dean urged when Sam swayed a little, "Stop, Sam, stop! Damn it. You almost died in there. I mean, what would I 've — can't you just take care of yourself for a little bit, huh? Just for a little bit?"

"I'm sorry," Sam apologized, "No. Not when Rian isn't safe."

Dean shook his head but gave in, leading Sam to the Impala. His brother could be so stubborn. "Fine. But you bet your ass you're gonna sleep on the way to Bobby's."

"Alright, Dean," Sam agreed with a tired smile.

"What kind of knowledge?" Rian asked, placing her bookmark in its place and looking up at Crowley with apathy.

"You know what kind," Crowley said smoothly, sticking his hands in the pockets on his jacket.

"All the planets were named after-" Rian started with a grin before Crowley cut her off.

"Do you think I'm playing a game?" Crowley demanded, suddenly in Rian's face. To her credit, the only sign of surprise she showed was a blink. She didn't even lean back to avoid the stench of alcohol flowing off Crowley's breath.

Rian shrugged, she set her book down and stood up, forcing Crowley to move back so that she didn't clock him in the chin. She grinned at the demon, relishing in his confusion.

"Yes," Rian answered simply, "I think you're playing a game. And I'm not going to play it. Right now, here, I am not going to give you the knowledge you seek. Do you wanna know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you wouldn't know what to do with it," Rian shrugged, "the knowledge I have right now is useless. Things have changed."

"What do you mean they've changed?" Crowley demanded with a frown.

"I mean they're not going the way that anyone has planned. I've fucked it all up, thank goodness." Rian told the demon, "which means that any knowledge I had of the future is useless, and therefore you don't need to know it."

"Hey, Bobby," Dean greeted when Bobby opened the door to let them in. Dean had driven all night to meet Bobby at his house.

"Hey, Bobby," Sam parroted giving the hunter a brief hug

"Sam," Bobby said, "It's good to ... see you up and around."

"Yeah…" Sam said smiling at the man, "I'm not so sure about that."

"Well Sam's better," Dean started when Bobby entered the room, "And we're back in it now, so... what do you know?"

"Anything about Rian?" Sam asked curiously.

"Nothing on Finn but I found something else," Bobby said, "But I'm not sure what the hell it means."

"What is it?" Sam asked, sitting on a spare chair in Bobby's study.

"Demonic omens... like a frickin' tidal wave. Cattle deaths. Lightning storms. They skyrocketed from out of nowhere. Here." Bobby pointed to Wyoming, "All around here, except for one place... Southern Wyoming."

Dean looked at Bobby with a raised brow, "Wyoming?"

"Yeah," Bobby agreed, "That one area's totally clean – spotless. It's almost as if…"

"What?" Sam questioned.

"The demons are surrounding it," Bobby said.

"But you don't know why?" Dean asked from where he was leaning against the wall.

"No, and by this point, my eyes are swimming," Bobby told the two, "Sam, would you take a look at it? Maybe you could catch something I couldn't."

"Yeah, sure," Sam agreed, taking the map from Bobby.

"Come on, Dean. I got some more books in the truck," Bobby said, "Help me lug 'em in."

"Yeah." Dean agreed reluctantly, knowing the hunter wanted to talk about his feelings and all that girly crap.

Crowley had left soon after, recognizing that Rian wasn't going to give him information without him torturing her. And since she was going to be in hell in three weeks time anyways it wasn't worth it at this point.

Rian sighed as she put her book in the car and pulled out the fire top stove, a lighter, a pot, and a can of soup. She started the fire burning hot and set the pot on top with the soup in it before grabbing her bedding and moving it to the tent she had set up.

Rian considered sleeping in her car where she would be safer and warmer but decided against it. There was something calming about being in the woods and she needed that right now. Rian had been wound up the last week as she moved across the country and now that she had a chance to settle she was exhausted.

After her soup was finished Rian poured it into a bowl and let it cool for a minute before drinking it down. She had bought some silverware but she didn't think it was necessary to use right now.

Rian went to the river to clean out the pan and the bowl and stowed them back in the car before grabbing her flashlight and book and settling in the chair by the fire.

She was nearly done when there was a sound of a twig breaking. Rian slowly put her book down and stood up, not turning around even as she felt whoever, or whatever, was behind her moving closer. What scared her the most was that they were doing nothing to mask their presence.

"What the fuck?" Rian said when she turned to see a child standing behind her. The child was small and ragged looking. Rian couldn't tell how old they were or what their gender even was. She quickly raised her hands to show that she wasn't armed when the child pointed a gun at Rian.

"What's your name?" Rian asked when the child didn't move, "My name's Rian. You can shoot me if you want, I'm dead in three weeks anyway."

"Are you on the run?" The child asked. Rian still couldn't figure out how old they were.

"I'm hiding from some people, yeah," Rian said, watching the child tilt their head, "are you on the run?"

"I'm running from some bad men," The child said, "they said I was an 'abomination' because my mommy was different. They killed-ed her."

"Would you like to hide with me?" Rian asked, seeing that the child was relaxing, "I've got some extra food and we can share my blankets."

"I'm very hungry," The child nodded and lowered the gun, not before clicking the safety on, and walked over to Rian. "Can I put this in your car?"

"Of course," Rian agreed, opening the passenger door and gesturing for the child to put it on the floor, where it was hidden from sight. "You got a name, kid?"

"Zaria, but mommy called me Bee," The child said proudly.

"Well Bee," Rian said kindly, "it's too late to wash up in the river but I've got some wet wipes you can use and then we can make a sandwich for ya."

"Do you have honey?" Bee asked, "I love peanut butter and honey sandwiches!"

"As a matter of fact I do," Rian said, pulling out the honey and peanut butter to show the girl, "but first you gotta wipe your hands off and clean off your face."

"Okay, Miss Rian!"

They found Ellen in the scrapyard, hiding by some trucks. Dean and Bobby were extremely pleased to see she was still alive and quickly told her that Ash was in the hospital. They waited until they were inside to tell the woman about Rian.

"She's missing?" Ellen repeated, trying not to break into tears again, "and you think she sold her soul?"

"How else would I be alive?" Sam wondered. They had explained what had happened to him to Ellen and Sam had gotten a newfound respect for the woman when she started to cuss Rian out, despite the fact that the girl wasn't there.

Ellen pulled a paper out of her pocket, "I got this from a safe we kept in the basement. Ash told me to find it."

"Is he awake?" Dean asked, smiling when Ellen nodded.

"I don't believe it," Bobby said a while later, setting aside the book he was reading.

"What?" Sam asked, looking up from his own reading, "You got something?"

"A lot more than that," Bobby assured, "Each of these X's is an abandoned frontier church— all mid-19th century. And all of them built by Samuel Colt."

"Samuel Colt— the demon-killing, gun making Samuel Colt?" Dean asked.

"Yep. And there's more," Bobby continued, picking up a pen and using it to trace what he was talking about, "He built private railway lines connecting church to church. It just happens to lay out like this."

"Tell me that's not what I think it is," Dean said, looking at the map.

"It's a Devil's Trap. A 100-square mile Devil's Trap," Sam said in awe.

"That's brilliant," Dean remarked, "Iron lines demons can't cross."

"I've never heard of anything that massive," Ellen said peeking over Bobby's shoulder.

"No one has," Bobby said.

"And after all these years none of the lines are broken?" Dean wondered, "I mean, it still works?"

Sam nodded, "Definitely."

"How do you know?"

"All those omens Bobby found," Sam explained, "I mean the demons, they must be circling and they can't get in."

"Yeah, well... they're trying," Bobby said.

"Why?" Ellen asked, "What's inside?"

"That's what I've been looking for," Dean said, "And, uh, there's nothing except an old cowboy cemetery right in the middle."

"Well, what's so important about a cemetery or... what's Colt trying to protect?" Sam wondered.

"Well, unless…" Dean started, thinking back on some of the things Rian had told him about Colt during one of their late night conversations.

"Unless what?" Bobby wondered

"What if Colt wasn't trying to keep the demons out?" Dean said, "What if he was trying to keep something in?"

"Now that's a comforting thought," Ellen remarked sarcastically.

"Yeah, you think?" Dean quipped.

"Could they do it, Bobby?" Sam asked the older hunter, "Could they get inside?"

"This thing's so powerful, you'd practically need an A-bomb to destroy it," Bobby said, "No way a

full-blood demon gets across."

"No," Sam agreed with a grimace, "But I know who could."

"Where are you from?" Bee asked Rian when the two were finished drying off after a very short and cold swim in the river. Rian had been pleased to learn that Bee knew how to swim. The girl was eight years old but still very inquisitive and extremely smart for her age.

"Little town in Washington called Aberdeen. It's near the coast," Rian told the girl as she took the towel from her so she could get dressed, "I haven't been there is a couple years."

"Why not?" Bee asked after putting a sweatshirt on over a long sleeve shirt. Rian had decided to toss the girl's old clothes out when she saw that they were covered in blood.

"I started traveling with a couple friends of mine," Rian explained as she started brushing her hair out, "there was no need to go back home so we didn't."

"Oh," Bee said, pulling on a pair of too-long sweats over some leggings, "why aren't you with them anymore? Is it because you're gonna die in three weeks?"

Rian stared at the girl for a moment, shocked by her forwardness before shaking it off. Rian had managed to do all the monster checks yesterday without the girl noticing and knew that she was fine.

"Yeah," Rian said, "they'd try to save me and I don't want to be saved."

"Wouldn't you rather be with them, though?" Bee asked innocently as she tied her boots onto her feet.

"Yeah," Rian said.

Bee glanced at Rian with a frown, "If I knew Mommy was going to die I would have spent more time with her."

Rian closed her eyes briefly before looking over at the girl. She was small, about 4'5, with wide brown eyes, long brown hair, and freckles covering her face.

"You're right, little Bee," Rian said with a small smile as she sat down on the log, pulling Bee onto her lap so she could brush out and braid the girl's hair, "I should spend more time with them, I know. But, I just don't know how. I know they're going to be angry with me."

"Only cause they care about you," Bee said with such finality that is startled Rian, "Sorry, sometimes I know things that I shouldn't know."

"It's no problem, lil Bee," Rian assured as she worked on a rather nasty knot, "you're completely right."

"Are you going to find them?" Bee wondered, trying not to wince at the pull on her scalp, "Can I go with you? I want to see more than these stupid mountains for once in my life."

"Sure, Little Bee," Rian agreed, knowing she had lost the fight, "let's go find my friends."

"Yay!" Bee said, starting to bounce excitedly in Rian's lap, "can we see the Grand Canyon?"

"Yes!" Rian agreed with a laugh of her own, "but only if you stop moving so I can braid your hair, child."

"Take cover!" Bobby yelled, pulling Ellen down next to him as he hid behind a gravestone.

They watched with trepidation as Black demon smoke poured from the crypt in different directions. They had found the cemetery just in time to see Jake open the devil's gate.

"What the hell just happened?!" Dean demanded from where he was hiding nearby.

"That's a devil's gate. A damn door to hell," Ellen explained loudly so both Dean and Sam could hear her, "The railway iron is shown being bent in two and a pair of legs crossing, while a black demon smoke trail goes out the other way. Come on! We gotta shut that gate!"

Dean checked the Colt for bullets, "If the demon gave this to Jake... then maybe…"

Dean flinched when the Colt was flung out of his hands. He turned to see the Yellow-Eyed Demon disguised as Jed standing band him.

"Boys shouldn't play with Daddy's guns," Jed taunted before throwing Dean into the air and letting the hunter crash into a tombstone, smiling when he hit his head.

"Dean!" Sam called letting go of the gate door and running to his older brother.

"I'll get to you in a minute, champ," Jed said, flinging Sam off to the side, "But I'm proud of you— knew you had it in you." he glanced over to see Dean sitting up and threw him against a nearby post, "Sit a spell. So, Dean... I gotta thank you. You see, demons can't resurrect people unless a deal is made. I know, red tape— it'll make you nuts. But thanks to you, Sammy's back in the rotation." Jed laughed, "Now, I wasn't counting on that, but I'm glad. I liked him better than Jake, anyhow. Of course, you didn't make the deal, did you? You're little bitch of a girl got to it first."

"What are you talking about?" Dean demanded. Of course, they knew that Rian had made the deal. But why did it sound like it was supposed to be Dean?

"Well, you would have gotten longer than she did. And you never wondered why she made the deal? I'm surprised at you. I mean... you saw what your brother just did to Jake, right? That was pretty cold, wasn't it?" Jed chuckled as he got in Dean's face, "How certain are you that what Rian brought back, is 100%, pure, Sam? You of all people should know, that's what's dead, should stay dead. Anyway... tell the girl I said thanks a bunch when you see her. I knew I kept Rian alive for some reason. Until now, anyway. I couldn't have done it without her pathetic, self-loathing, self-destructive desire to sacrifice herself for your family."

Jed brought the colt up, aiming it at Dean only for John to appear behind him and tackle the demon to the ground. Dean watched the black smoke and his dad wrestle from a moment before grabbing the Colt. When the Yellow-Eyed Demon entered Jed Dean already had the gun pointing at him. He quickly pulled the trigger, hitting Azazel in the chest and watching him fall to the ground, dead.

Dean doesn't pay attention as Bobby and Ellen close the gate doors. He watched his dad as John Winchester walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder with a smile. John nodded at Sam as his younger son approached, smiling when Sam nodded back. Sam, Dean,

Bobby and Ellen watch as John disappeared in a bright light.

Dean and Sam watched as Jed's body burned in front of them. They had considered just leaving him but knew that Rian would be pissed if they didn't give her friend a hunters burial.

"Was it supposed to be you?" Sam asked after a few minutes of silence.

"What do you mean?" Dean questioned, facing his brother.

"The deal? Azazel made it sound like it was supposed to be you," Sam said, his voice wavering.

They stood in silence for a moment, Dean not having the answer to that.

"How long do you think she got?"

"I don't know, Sammy," Dean said, "but we better find her before her time is up."

"Well... Yellow-Eyed Demon might be dead," Ellen said, approaching the two cautiously, "But a lot more got through that gate."

"How many you think?" Dean asked.

"Hundred. Maybe two hundred," Sam told his brother, "It's an army. He's unleashed an army."

"Hope to hell you boys are ready," Bobby said, joining the trio, "Cause the war has just begun."