"So you're telling me you've never seen Titanic?" Paige shrieked.
Sam smiled, and Paige smiled back. He loved to see her smile, especially when it was at him.
"Never," he replied.
They were walking down the street, hand in hand, and Sam couldn't remember a time recently that he'd been so content with life. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining, and puffy white clouds dotted the blue sky. After they had returned from the bunker, Paige had suggested a quick walk since she knew they would be headed into a fight as soon as Crowley returned with an item of Rowena's. Sam would have done anything to just forget what was really going on, just for a little while, and Paige could give him that. He wondered if she knew just how grateful he was that he had met her.
"But, it's like the most famous movie ever! You know," she lowered her voice make it more seductive, "Paint me like one of your French girls, Jack."
Sam laughed nervously, "I know, but I grew up sort of unconventionally, in case you forgot. Not a lot of stability, many seedy motel rooms, usually with no TV, or a TV with like three channels. There wasn't a lot of time to watch Leo be "King of the World" in between monsters."
"What about when you went to college? No one made you watch it then? Like a girlfriend or something, because it is kind of the perfect date movie."
Sam shook his head, "My girlfriend in college was actually an avid horror movie fan. It made for some interesting discussion considering my upbringing. But, she hated romantic movies."
"Well, we'll have to watch it some night. It's my all-time favorite."
Sam squeezed her hand, "It's a date."
Paige smiled, and then her brow furrowed as she yelled ahead to her eldest nephew, "Hey Wyatt, don't get too far ahead of us, okay?"
Chris had wanted to come too, and had kicked and screamed when Piper had told him no. Sam knew she was scared for him, that she had been scared for both of her sons for much too long. She was a mother and the head of her family, through and through. Sam was sure she spent her days worrying about everyone she loved, just like Dean.
Wyatt, hopping over the cracks in the sidewalk on one foot, turned around and stuck his tongue out at his aunt, whose jaw immediately dropped, "You listen here young man, there are demons on the loose, and I might just let them have you if you don't—"
Paige cut herself off at the sound of Sam's laughter.
"No wonder they like you," she said. "You let them get away with everything!"
"Hey, someone's gotta be the good cop. It just so happens that good cop is my specialty."
Paige rolled her eyes, "Yes, I've noticed this. You and Dean are a regular duo…" she trailed off. "So… speaking of Dean, how do you think he's doing, I mean with Cas leaving and all? Is he going to be okay?"
Sam sighed, "You know, I honestly can't tell you. There isn't a lot I know about my brother anymore."
"I think it's safe to say you know more than anyone else."
"I wish I could get inside his head. Maybe then I could help him. I know he felt better once Cas was back in the game. I think he makes us feel safer. He's saved our skins so many times."
"How exactly did you guys wind up slumming it with an angel?"
"Well, Cas has really been doing most of the slumming. He lost his wings because of us, and still stays steadfast."
"But, how did he get so loyal? How did you guys even meet an angel?"
Sam thought about lying, because parts of the story were some of his weakest moments. But, Paige had been honest with him thus far. Who was he to lie to someone who had only ever cared about him?
"Well, he was actually sent to us. He saved Dean from hell, and was supposed to recruit us both to help stop the apocalypse."
"The apocalypse."
"Yeah. He needed Dean, because Dean is the true vessel of the archangel Michael. And he needed me because I'm the true vessel of the fallen angel Lucifer. We were supposed to have some kind of a show down and decide the fate of the world. Safe to say we didn't exactly go along with that plan…"
"Wait, rewind," Paige said, dropping his hand, "You are the true vessel of Lucifer? Not Dean?"
"Hard to believe isn't it," Sam replied, beginning to regret his choice to tell Paige the truth.
"It's just with the whole Mark thing, and Dean being a demon…"
"The roles have definitely reversed, and actually I haven't ever really thought about that until now… I was almost as bad a few years back…"
"Were you ever a demon, like Dean was?"
Sam swallowed, "Not quite. I was… uh…"
"Sam," Paige grabbed his hand again, and squeezed hard, "Just tell me. I haven't shut you out yet, and between you, Dean, and your feathered friend, there's been a lot of cause."
"I was addicted to demon blood. It was like a drug to me, and it gave me certain powers that were pretty useful to me at the time."
"Powers like?"
"I could see the future, exorcize demons with my mind... It doesn't really matter anymore. It's in the past. The point is I've been where Dean is at. My lowest point was… well it was bad. There was this she-demon, and I thought she cared about me, you know, I thought we had something real, and I let that cloud my judgement. By the time I realized she was no good, I was an addict and nothing else mattered. I know where Dean's head is, I just don't know how to help him. This isn't as easy as putting him through detox. We literally have no clue how to get rid of this thing."
"Have you thought about using witchcraft to remove it? I mean, there is a lot we can do with a few words."
"I know, I've seen it. I think you might be able to help quite honestly, but Dean is… reluctant. He doesn't like putting people in harm's way, not to mention he doesn't trust people as quickly as I do. Which, I suppose, is why I ended up in love with, and literally addicted to, a demon named Ruby, and he didn't."
"Aw," a silky smooth voice came from behind them. "In love? That's sweet, Sammy. I'd say I loved you too, but I think we both know my uses for you were far less… emotional."
Sam was sure he'd hallucinated her voice, it wouldn't have been the first time he heard someone that wasn't really there. But, when he turned, he came face to face with her. Ruby. Her appearance wasn't completely recognizable because she had a new vessel, though it looked eerily similar to the last one. But even so, he knew it was her. Everything else about her was the same. The way she stood, with her hands on her hips and head cocked to the right. The maniacal sparkle in her eye that said she was forever up to something, but he would never figure out what. Even her scent was the same, like burnt amber and ash. There was not a shadow of a doubt in his mind that it was Ruby, but how?
"Ruby?"
"Howdy there, Sammy," she blinked, her black eyes flicking in and out of view. "Long time, no see."
"How… How are you here? We killed you."
"No, you thought you killed me. There's always a loophole, sweetheart, and you can always leave it to me to find it. I'm nothing if not careful, unlike you and your… friend here. Nice to see you again by the way."
Sam turned to Paige, and he could see by the paleness of her cheeks, and her wide-eyed expression, that this was not the first time she had come face to face with Ruby. Suddenly, everything came together in his mind. It had been Ruby who destroyed the Impala and sicced the hellhounds on Dean and Paige. That's why the attack had been so personal, why his brother had kept the true details of it hidden from Sam. Ruby knew them, knew their weaknesses, and Dean knew that Ruby was his.
"Damn it Dean," he cursed under his breath, and then thought back to what Ruby had just said about he a Paige not being careful. Whirling around he was brought face to face with six more she-demons, two of whom had their hands gripped tight, around a scared but silent Wyatt.
Paige shouted something about his force field, and Ruby began to laugh, "Do you really think we would have come back if we didn't have a way to get around that pesky little thing?"
The witch was having none of it, and yelled, "Wyatt!" in hopes that her nephew would materialize in her arms.
Ruby laughed again, "For an all-powerful witch, you sure don't catch on very quickly. Haven't you seen little Wyatt's new accessory? You're not getting to him using any kind of whitelighter voodoo, okay? So quit while you're behind."
Sam looked closer and saw that Wyatt's hands were bound by a pair of metal shackles that were heavily marked with some kind of runes. He could only guess that they were meant to stunt a whitelighter's powers. Sam could feel a mixture of fear and rage begin to form inside of him.
"Let him go, Ruby. He's just a little kid," Sam said defiantly, his fists clenched.
"And that makes a difference why?" she spat back. "I have my orders, and I plan to follow them."
Sam sneered, doing his best to mask his growing fear, "Typical Ruby, always following everyone else around, doing their bidding. First Lilith, now Rowena? I hate to break it to you sweetheart but you're nothing but a glorified lap dog."
"You would know, wouldn't you Sammy? I bet you're just dying to run back to big brother right now, aren't you? I mean can you do anything on your own? You couldn't embrace your destiny when it really mattered, with one word from your precious Dean you couldn't close the gates of hell, and you were barely able to function after Dean's deal expired, at least until I showed up. I hate to break it to you, but you're nothing but a dependent, spineless, little bitch."
"Well, someone's defensive," Paige said.
Ruby ignored her.
"Listen, Sammy," Ruby continued, "I'd love to stand here all day and argue with you, it really brings back some good memories, but I have a plan to implement. So let's get a move on, shall we?"
Sam scowled.
"Oh, that's right, you're coming too, and you aren't even going to argue with me about it."
"You're insane. I'm not going anywhere with you."
Ruby smiled then, a sweet smile that chilled Sam to the bone. "I think you forget how well I know you, Sam. I'm taking the kid, regardless of whether you come too. But, unless you've somehow become heartless in the time we've been apart, which I know isn't true, you're going to come with simply to keep an eye on the little one. Because you're compassionate and valiant, and because you care."
Sam said nothing.
"Well, in case that isn't enough, I came up with a backup plan."
Suddenly Paige's hands flew to her throat, choking noises escaping her mouth. Sam didn't even have to look at Ruby to know she was responsible. She had him backed up against a wall, and she knew it. Threatening loved ones was a sure fire way to get anyone to do your bidding, but Sam had always cared more about others than he had about his own well-being.
"Alright, I'll go with you. Just leave her alone."
"Fantastic," she said, letting Paige breathe again. "My next ploy was going to be to slit my wrist and drug you, but this was a lot… cleaner." Two more she-demons stepped forward and clapped a pair of silver shackles onto Sam's wrists, though he noticed that his were smooth, unmarked.
"As for you, little red," Ruby said, addressing Paige, "You tell those sisters of yours that if they ever want to see little Wyatt or Sam again, that they're going to have to do something for me."
"What do you want?" Paige asked through gritted teeth.
"A fair trade, Sam for Dean, and Wyatt for Chris. No harm will come to any of them if you cooperate, but if not… Well, let's just say that Sammy here might have to go through detox all over again, and you might just get to see Wyatt's inner demon emerge, if you catch my drift."
"How do we contact you?"
"Oh, my employer will be in touch," Ruby said with a quick wink. "Ladies, shall we?"
Sam looked to Paige, "Tell Dean I'm sorry, and don't let him give himself up! He'll try, but you have to find another way! Whatever Rowena needs them for… If Ruby is involved, it's bad."
Paige nodded, and began to say something in reply, but before Sam could hear a word of it, Ruby grabbed his arm and they blinked away. All of a sudden he and Wyatt were no longer standing in the streets of San Francisco. Instead, they were in what Sam could only assume was the Underworld. It was a cave-like place, dark, except for what was lit by the torches on the walls. The room they were in was large. In the center of it was a large cauldron filled to the top with some kind of shimmering liquid, and in the corner was a large, empty, cage.
The minute Wyatt realized that they were no longer near his home, he burst into tears, and began screaming for his mom. Sam wished with everything he had that he could get to the child and soothe him, but Ruby's grip was tight, and he didn't dare fight her.
"Lock 'em up, girls. And Sam, shut the kid up," Ruby ordered, shoving Sam toward her minions. Two of them grabbed him on either side and escorted him rather roughly to the cell in the corner, along with Wyatt. Once they were both locked inside, Sam kneeled down and looked the little boy over. Other than few red marks on his wrists from the handcuffs, and being incredibly terrified, he seemed okay, though he was still sobbing.
"Hey Wyatt," Sam said, attempting to calm him down. "Hey buddy, it's going to be okay. I'm here for you."
"I want to go home!" Wyatt yelled, clearly angry about the situation they were in.
"I know you do, and you will. You know your Mom and Dad and your Aunties, and both of our brothers are doing everything they can to get us out of here."
"My Mommy's going to blow that girl up! Just wait!"
Sam did his best not to laugh, since Wyatt was clearly still in distress, but it was hard not to find his five-year-old bravado funny. "I know she is. We're going to be okay, I promise, but you have to be brave. No more tears, it only makes them mad."
Wyatt wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and nodded.
"Come here, bud," Sam said, opening his arms as best as he could to the child. Surprisingly, Wyatt stepped forward and accepted the embrace, his little face nuzzling into Sam's chest, taking comfort in the idea that he was not alone, and that Sam would keep him safe.
"I don't want them to have my brother. They can have me instead," Wyatt said quietly, and Sam wasn't sure if his reaction should be to laugh or to cry. That is exactly what he would have said about Dean in this situation, and what Dean would have said about him, if either of them were capable of being honest about their feelings.
Hugging the child a little tighter, Sam sighed, "No one's getting anyone, okay Wyatt? We're going to get out of here. All of us. I promise."
Piper wasn't sure why she was doing laundry at a time like this. It was calming, she supposed, to just be, to not think about the evil that was once again plaguing the lives of her sisters and her children. There were definitely better things to do with her time, like making potions, or studying lore. But, really all she wanted to do was stand in the quiet of her bedroom, and fold laundry. Laundry was normal, safe, monotonous. Her laundry would not surprise her, or scare her. It would stay the same as it always had, and that was comforting.
She looked to Chris, who was playing with some Legos on the floor in the corner of the room, and her heart ached. Piper felt awful about not letting him go out with his brother, Sam, and Paige. But, how could she let him out of her sight when there were people after him? How could she ever let either one of her children do anything they wanted to do, when there were forces of evil at every turn waiting to take them captive?
"Hey Piper, can I talk to you?" a voice said from the doorway, interrupting Piper's thoughts. It was Phoebe, and she had a look on her face that Piper was all too familiar with. It was what she and Paige would have referred to, up until this point, as Phoebe's "Cole-face". Now, she supposed, it was her "Dean-face".
"What's up, sweetie?"
"Oh, I don't know. I guess this whole thing has just shaken me up a little bit," Phoebe replied, coming into the room and flopping down on her sister's bed. A bed, Piper mused, that her sister had become much too comfortable in lately.
"Which thing? The Rowena thing? The Leila thing? Or, could it possibly be the Dean thing?"
Phoebe sighed, "Yeah that last one is a doozy."
"That last one? Not the evil witch after my son, or the innocent we just sent on an impossible mission, no. Dean is the doozy."
"Yes? No. Look Piper, I'm just confused. I feel like I can trust Dean, but I don't know if I should. So much is happening so quickly and I'm just having a hard time seeing which way is up. Of course I'm worried about the boys, and Leila too, but something about that stupid hunter just takes up all of my thoughts. At first I thought it was because I wanted to help him, and I still do. Eventually that Mark is going to have to go. But, now… there's more. I think maybe he can help me too."
Piper sighed, wary of her next question. "Do you love him?"
Phoebe didn't say anything at first. "I know I could… It's all just happening so fast, and I guess he isn't exactly the ideal boyfriend."
"The anger issues are questionable."
"He's never gotten angry at me. Not since the first day we met."
"Still Phoebe, he's dangerous."
"Do you know how long it has been since I felt anything like I feel for him? I've been running around, searching for someone who can make me feel like life is more than writing an advice column and fighting demons all day. I've been walking through life, ever since Cole, with very little feeling, Piper. He reminds me what it is to be passionate and truly committed to a cause. He feels everything to such an extreme degree, it's almost inspiring."
Piper narrowed her eyes, "Just be careful that you aren't letting the Mark influence your feelings. We don't know anything about who Dean is without it. All of this passion and life you feel in him, might not truly be him. Don't let your empathic powers get in the way of thinking rationally about this."
Phoebe nodded, "You're right. I know you are. His emotions are so strong it's sometimes hard to tune them out."
"All you can do is be vigilant. I do think that all three of the men that have stumbled into our lives recently have honorable intentions, but there are always going to be things that are beyond their control."
"Especially for Dean. Do you think it's even possible for us to remove the Mark of Cain? Do we have that kind of cosmic power?"
"It's hard to say," Piper said, folding the last piece of clothing in the basket, and then placing her hands on her hips. "I guess we'll never know until we try. My only question is, once it's removed does it just go away? It sounds like the Mark has been passed down from person to person, or demon to demon, I suppose, for a long time. I mean, how come no one has gotten rid of it before?"
Phoebe was about to agree with her sister, when the bang of the front door opening caught her attention. "Piper! Dean! Anyone!" Paige's voice rang out through the house. Piper wasn't sure she had ever heard her little sister sound so scared. With one quick glance at Phoebe she grabbed Chris and the two of them were out the door.
In the living room, they found Dean on the couch next to Paige, trying to get her to tell him what was wrong, but she was crying too hard to answer. Phoebe, driven by her inner empath, and Piper driven by her inner mother, immediately went to their sister. As they crouched down in front of her, they each took one of her hands.
"Paige, honey," Piper started. "Tell us what is going on. Where is Sam?" As she said it, she realized that Wyatt was also nowhere to be seen, that Paige had returned from their walk alone.
"They… took them!" Paige said between hiccupped breaths, and Piper's stomach dropped.
"Who? Paige who took them," Piper asked frantically, practically shaking her sister.
"Piper, stop, you're just scaring her more," Phoebe told her.
"Where are they?" Dean asked, his voice low and demanding.
"Paige, honey, just calm down and tell us when you're ready. It's okay," Phoebe said soothingly. It wasn't like any of them to get so emotional in the face of danger, but the last week had been exhausting, Piper knew that. And, how could she possibly think clearly, when one of her children had been kidnapped?
"It was Ruby," Paige said, doing her best to breathe.
"Who?" Piper asked. At the same time Dean sprang up from the couch, fists clenched in rage.
"Dean, who is Ruby?" Piper demanded, recognizing his sudden burst of anger as a confirmation that he knew exactly who Paige was talking about.
"Piper, don't," Phoebe said under her breath, her eyes wide in fear.
"No, I don't care about his anger issues right now, Phoebe. Where is my son? Dean, what do you know?"
"She's a demon," Paige piped up, really starting to compose herself. "One of Rowena's. She and Sam have a past of sorts."
"How do you know that?"
"Sam told me about her just before she showed up. It was weird, it's like she knew that we were talking about her, like she was waiting around for that exact moment to strike. And… She's also the one who wrecked Dean's car and sent the hellhounds after us."
Piper whirled around and addressed Dean rather aggressively. "You knew her? You told us that it wasn't anyone to be worried about, just some random demons!"
Dean didn't reply, in fact he didn't even turn around. He simply stood in the doorway that led from the living room to the foyer, shoulders tense, breath shallow, and the conflict within him extremely apparent. Phoebe put up a hand, indicating that she would try to talk to him, and that Piper should stay silent. It took everything within Piper to do as her sister asked.
Phoebe approached him, and placed one hand gently on Dean's shoulder. He winced, surprised at her touch, but he didn't pull away. She walked around him so they were face to face, her hand never breaking contact. All of a sudden, as if a switch had flipped, Dean relaxed. Piper frowned, could Phoebe really have that much of an effect on him?
"Talk to me," she said, and Piper could see the love in her sister's eyes. "Tell me who this Ruby is. How dangerous is she? How do we stop her?"
Dean bowed his head in shame, until his forehead nearly met Phoebe's. "I was just trying to protect Sam. I never thought—"
"I know, Dean," Phoebe said, taking both of his hands in hers. "But, now to protect him, you have to tell us the truth."
"Ruby is a demon we used to trust. We thought she was on our side, but she played us. She's extremely attracted to power, and a born henchman. If she is truly loyal to you, she'll do whatever it takes to make you happy. We thought we killed her, but it turns out we didn't. Now she's in league with Rowena, which probably means that whatever that witch's plan is, it goes way beyond plotting her revenge. Ruby wouldn't get involved unless it was something big."
"Would she hurt Wyatt?" Piper couldn't help but blurt out.
Dean turned to her this time, still clutching one of Phoebe's hands, "If it meant she could get her way, yes, she would."
Piper's heart began to beat faster, and she felt like her stomach was in her throat.
"But," Dean continued, "She and Sam have a past. If she was going to target one of them, I have to believe that going after him would be much more amusing for her."
"They were in love," Paige said, her voice devoid of emotion.
Piper turned back to her youngest sister, who was now sitting on the couch with her legs pulled into her chest, and was chewing her nails to bits.
"Sam was in love," Dean corrected. "Ruby was just using him. And in the end, I'm not sure if Sam was in love with Ruby or with her blood. He was an addict, Paige. He would have done anything to get a fix. Which is why I need to get to him as soon as possible."
"Where do you think Crowley is?" Piper asked. "Shouldn't he have been back by now?"
Dean looked at her grimly, "He hasn't really ever been trustworthy, or prompt for that matter. He may not be coming."
"How in the hell are we supposed to find them then?" Phoebe asked, her tone a little more on edge than Piper thought it should be.
"We could just orb down there and look for them, I suppose," Paige suggested.
"No way," Piper replied. "That could prove extremely dangerous, not to mention time consuming. Speaking of danger, I should probably send Chris up to the elders. Paige, would you?"
The redhead nodded, standing to take her nephew into her arms, glad to have something to do. As her sister orbed away, Piper thought fleetingly of calling for Leo, knowing that she could really use the emotional support that he could give her. But, he was off doing his part to fight this fight. Getting Castiel back in the game was extremely important, and Leila wouldn't survive without both of them.
Paige orbed back into the room, ready to get down to business, "Chris is fine. What's our next move?"
"Dean," Piper said, pushing thoughts of Leo to the back of her mind. "Call Crowley. We need to find Rowena, now."
Dean nodded and started to pull his smart phone out of his pocket, but before he could even unlock it, a big puff of red smoke bloomed in the corner of the room. When it dissipated the three of them stood face to face with a tall, red-haired woman. She was dressed head-to-toe in black velvet and lace, her porcelain skin showing through in the most strategic places. Her eyes were bright green, and they glinted with the indication that she knew something you didn't, matching the all-knowing smirk on her face. Piper did not question for a moment, that they were meeting Rowena for the very first time.
"No need to find me, dearies," she winked, as ten or twelve, nameless she-demons appeared behind her. "Here I am."
They all stood in silence for a moment, none of them sure of what to do. Attack? Let her talk? But then, the moment passed and a seraph blade dropped down from the sleeve of Dean's flannel, while Piper's hands flew up with the intention to blow up whoever got in her way.
Paige shouted, "Vanquishing potions," and three of them appeared in her outstretched hand. Phoebe flung herself into the air, levitating with careful precision and with more focus than Piper had ever seen, a scowl fixed on her face.
"Paige!" her sister shouted, holding out a hand, ready to catch a potion and administer it to their target.
"Ah, ah, ah, dearies," Rowena warned, her Scottish accent thick and lilting. Piper watched Dean's grip on his blade tighten as Rowena's small demon army took a step in front of her.
"If something were to happen to me," she continued, "What would become of little Wyatt, or your precious Sammy? There are a handful of demons who know where they are, and I've cloaked them all with dark magick. They'll be impossible to find if you don't have my help."
Piper clenched her hands until they were tightly wound fists, knowing that any attempt at blowing up Rowena would be blocked by her minions anyway. Anger welled up inside of her, "Why are you after my son?" she shouted.
Rowena, who had had her eyes trained solely on Dean, slowly shifted them, without moving another muscle in her body, until her gaze landed on Piper. Then she looked up, and over, scanning the faces of each Charmed One, before bursting into a maniacal laugh.
"What's so funny?" Phoebe asked, through gritted teeth. Piper looked up and could practically see the rage coursing through her sister's body, every muscle in her body tense. She understood being angry, but Phoebe was taking it to a new level… A Dean-like level.
"The three of you, that's what's funny," Rowena cackled, distracting Piper from her realization. "You're the almighty Charmed Ones, and here you stand, beaten, all because of your love." She spat out the last word like it was poison. "Don't you understand that it only makes you weak? It's wretched to see such cosmic power go to waste."
"Listen, you hag, where's my brother?" Dean asked.
"And then there's you, Dean Winchester, so concerned about your brother, so… co-dependent, that you're willing to ruin the world you live in, just to keep him breathing. It's disgusting, but it's why I need you. Come with me, and Sam goes free. Bring me the other little runt, and you can have the blonde one back. It's not rocket science."
"You're not taking him anywhere, you bitch! You're not taking anyone anywhere!" Phoebe yelled.
Dean looked up at her frowning, and then looked back down at his arm, at the place where the Mark lay hidden under his flannel. "Phoebe," he began, "Why don't you come down from there?"
Phoebe whipped her head around so she could look at Dean, and Piper was surprised she didn't get whiplash because of it. Her brown eyes were wild, unblinking, and full of anger, "My powers, my prerogative," she snapped. "Piper, blow them up!"
"Phoebe, if I do that we'll never get Wyatt back. Honey, there's something wrong with you. Come down, please."
"There's nothing wrong with me. In fact, I feel good. I feel powerful. Too many people have been after us, for too long! I can't take it anymore, Piper. I can't take the people I love feeling so beaten down all of the time. I'm tired of demons and warlocks and stupid, evil witches, thinking they can control our lives!"
As Phoebe spoke, her voice rose in volume, until it was so loud it no longer seemed human. Piper looked on in terror, as Phoebe rose higher and higher overhead, until there was no longer anywhere for her to go. Suddenly, at the end of her tirade, she let out a blood curdling shriek, one so loud that all of the windows in the manor shattered simultaneously.
Piper only had to cover her ears for a few seconds, and then Phoebe's voice cut off abruptly. When Piper looked up, she saw her sister's eyes roll back in her head, and suddenly she was falling through the air. Dean lunged, but Paige beat him to it by orbing her sister to the couch, safe and sound.
Dean ran to Phoebe's side with worry in his wide, green eyes. He gave her a once over, making sure she was alright. She stirred, her head lolling back and forth, as if she had simply passed out. This seemed good enough for Dean, who squeezed her hand almost sadly, and then turned to Rowena. Piper could see very clearly that the fire had returned to his eyes. "Take me," he told the dark witch, "But, I want to see Sam and Wyatt back here, safely, first."
"That's not the deal, dearie—"
"I don't give a damn about your deal. The other kid isn't here, and where he is, is a place you will never be able to go. That is a fact. Make due with me, or you get nothing."
Dean's threat echoed through the house, and Piper was surprised that he would give himself up so easily. He looked formidable enough, and she knew that he wasn't bluffing. If she had been Rowena, she thought, she would accept his terms.
"Dean," Paige said, her voice soft, but strong, "Sam told me to tell you not to give yourself up, that he could handle himself. He said that we could find another way."
Dean scowled, "Do you see another way out of this, Paige?"
"We'll figure it out, I promise. Sam wouldn't want you to go, neither would Phoebe, and neither do I. Please, Dean," Paige pled. As much as Piper wanted to agree with Paige, she wanted her son back even more, to the point where she couldn't bring herself to ask Dean to stay.
"There will be no figuring it out," Rowena deadpanned. "No deal, Dean Winchester. Do you want to know why?"
Dean didn't reply.
"Because," she continued with no prompting, "I am the one with the leverage. Withholding one of the things I want, is only going to make me happier to use that leverage to my advantage. Ruby!"
All of a sudden, there was a pretty, brunette, she-demon next to the witch, and next to her, a bound and gagged Sam Winchester.
"Sam!" Paige and Dean yelled at the same time. Piper's hands flew up, ready to freeze the demons to get Sam back.
"Girls," Ruby said calmly to the other demons, and Piper found that her hands were glued to her side, and the rest of her was stiff as a board, the demons holding her in place. She looked around a realized that both Paige and Dean were glued to the spot as well, and Phoebe was still out cold.
"Now Ruby, tell these witches and hunters what exactly is going to happen if they do not do what is asked of them."
Ruby grinned, and Piper could see very clearly that she was enjoying every second of this entire situation. Without saying a word she took a dagger from the sheath at her side, and held it up to her wrist. Sam's eyes widened at this action, but Piper was unsure if it was in fear, or in longing.
"He's addicted to what runs through these veins," Ruby said, her voice gravelly. "If you don't give us what we have so politely asked for, Sam is going to go on one hell of a bender, and you're going to lose so much more than just a crazed hunter, and some wonder-kid. You're going to lose everything you've ever loved."
Piper strained against the force holding her mouth shut, and suddenly she felt the pressure on her jaw ease. "Dean said he would go, and we'll give you Chris," she said, and heard a whimper escape Sam's cloth-filled mouth. "We'll give him to you, but the only one that can get to him is my sister, the red-head over there. She has to orb up to the elders, which means you have to let her go."
Ruby's eyes narrowed, "They're up to something."
"How could we be?" Piper asked. "We haven't had time to formulate a plan, we haven't been able to talk to each other this entire time. Do you think I planned for my other sister to pass out, or to get caught in this trap? I'm giving up. I'm giving you what you want. Please, just bring Wyatt back to me."
Ruby turned to Rowena, "It's too easy. Don't listen to her."
But, Piper could see the want in Rowena's eyes, and that it was clouding her judgment, "Let her go. We have enough power here to thwart any kind of coup she might try to start. Keep her mouth shut until she leaves. Her voice makes her dangerous."
Paige's shoulders relaxed, and she glanced, just barely, at her oldest sister before orbing away. Piper could only hope that Paige would think on her feet. She knew that neither one of her sisters would ever believe that she would willingly give up either one of her children. She surveyed the room for any sign of a last ditch effort to get out of their predicament, and saw Sam jump slightly. His eyes began to look every which way until they locked on hers.
And then all hell broke loose. Paige orbed back into the room, her hands full of exorcism potions, she began throwing them one by one, hitting a few of her marks. What demons she didn't take care of, Sam did. Somehow, Paige had freed him from his bonds, and gotten Dean's angel blade into his hands. One after the other, the she-demons fell until Piper and Dean were freed from their bonds, able to help in the fight. Piper blew up a few of them, while Dean grabbed an extra angel blade from his boot and ran over to protect Phoebe's sleeping form.
Soon enough the only enemies left standing were Rowena and Ruby, the latter of whom had Sam's knife to her throat. "Bring us Wyatt, or I cut her throat," Sam threatened.
Rowena smirked, though you could tell her confidence had diminished significantly. "I'm not sure that would be wise, Samuel, what with your condition and all."
"I don't care what happens to me," Sam growled. "I'd go through twenty withdrawals to get that little boy back, and now, the leverage is on our side. What do you say Rowena? Do you really want to live without your right hand demon? I know how… helpful she can be."
A scowl crossed her face momentarily, showing everyone in the room that they had found a weak spot in her armor, but she did not reply. Instead, in the same puff of red smoke she had arrived in, Rowena took her leave, retreating to whatever part of hell she had come from.
"No!" Piper yelled, her heart felt like it was in agony as she realized that she still didn't have her son. "Come back, you bitch! Bring him back!"
"Piper," Paige began, encircling her sister in her arms, but Piper was frantic.
"He's just a little boy, and now he's all alone! He must be so scared," Piper felt tears spill down her cheeks, as she clung to her baby sister.
"Paige," Sam interrupted, grunting as his grip on Ruby began to slip, "Look, I'm sorry we couldn't get Wyatt back, but if we're going to, the first thing we need to do, is pump Ruby for information, and we can't do that here."
"Orb us back to the bunker," Dean chimed in. "We'll take care of it."
"We all need to go, actually," Sam said, "I'll explain everything once we get there, but—" Ruby kicked Sam in the shin, causing his grip on her to slip, but Dean was there in a second with his angel blade pointed squarely at her stomach.
"Don't try it, bitch," the hunter warned. Knowing she was caught between two Winchesters with nowhere to go, Ruby spat in Dean's face. Sam took hold of both of her arms again, his knife at her back, and nodded to Paige.
"Piper can you grab Phoebe?" Paige asked.
"You got this?" Dean asked Sam, who nodded in return.
Dean handed Piper his angel blade, hilt first, with a look in his eyes that read, I'm trusting you with this, don't screw it up. Piper did her best to hold the knife like she knew what she was doing, as Dean walked over to the couch, and smoothed Phoebe's short, brown hair back from her face before taking her up in his arms.
Paige glanced back at Piper, a look of worry in her eyes. For which reason, Piper could only guess. One of her children was missing, the other out of their immediate reach. Her husband was trekking cross country with a nurse and an angel getting into God knows what. Phoebe was down for the count because of, what Piper suspected to be, the development of a new power, and the man that she was falling in love with, while extremely valiant, was more dangerous than any of them wanted to admit to themselves. Her house was in shambles, and on top of all that, there was an extremely lethal demon in their custody that she was sure someone was going to have to torture for information.
As they orbed away from the manor, Piper thought of the road ahead, and wondered if she was truly ready to commit to it. She had been preaching all week that their two families needed to work together to defeat whatever they were facing. But, after all that had happened, all she wanted was to get her son back, and orb away until the fight was over. She was sure that they were headed into something much bigger than they knew. As her feet landed on the concrete floor of the bunker, Piper took a deep breath, knowing that turning back was simply wishful thinking. If she was going to make the world safe for her boys, this was one battle she wouldn't be able to watch from the sidelines.
Author's Note: BAM! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted a chapter but I hope this extra long one makes up for it! This is my favorite one so far, and there's so many places to go from here. Please let me know how you feel about it by REVIEWING! Your feedback means so much, and I'm even trying to incorporate a few of the ideas I've gotten in reviews, so thank you to all that have helped in that capacity!
I can't wait for you guys to see what I have in store. It only gets more fun from here!
XOXO AryaUnderfoot