"That'd be right." Tandy scoffed, shooting the skeletal God a scathing look. "You showin' up now."

Baron Samedi shrugged, an indolent gesture, and the bottle of rum disintegrated between his finger tips, falling, like dust, to the floor. Then, as if by magic, a lit cigar burned brightly in its place; a preferable substitute, so it seemed. "Timing has always been sort of important ta me." He mumbled as he narrowed his gaze and assessed her; his dark eyes roving over every inch of her petite frame. It was almost as if he were looking for something, a fault or a flaw, or perhaps even ... a connection? Tandy shook her head and muttered a silent curse beneath her breath. Whatever it was, the way his cold eyes raked over her, it made her stomach turn over.

Dean grunted and opened his mouth to spit a colorful threat at the Haitian god when Baron Samedi flicked the hand that held his cigar towards the Winchester's, growling dangerously.

Immediately, Dean and Sam both gasped, grasping at their throats, unable to speak. They struggled, frozen in place, voiceless and unable to move.

The Hellfire that spilled into the room began to grow around them and a faint, inhuman sound could be heard coming from deep within its depths.

"Der will be no interruptions." Baron Samedi ordered, sparing the Winchester's a brief yet malevolent glance. He then approached Tandy and slung his arm over her shoulder, smiling blithely, amicable. His nonchalance towards her made her suspicious, and again, deeply unsettled. It was almost as if the God knew her. She, of course, was familiar with him, but Haitian God's were not like the Christian God's. They didn't channel prayers. They spoke in the language of sacrifice. They were dark and dangerous. They weren't omniscient. They weren't listening. At least, not always. So, why did he feel so damn familiar?

"Tick tock, tick tock. Time is running out, mon cheri." Baron Samedi breathed, gesturing towards the door, where Lucifer would no doubt, in a matter of seconds, appear from, blowing them all to pieces.

"What's in it for you?" Tandy grunted, wriggling out from beneath his arm in repulsion. She took a step closer towards Dean and Sam, ready to defend them if she needed to. Like she was going to somehow singe-handedly take down the God of all Haitian God's and the Morningstar himself.

"Well, it is all very simple, really. When de favor is complete, I wish for you ta join me." Baron Samedi stated.

Tandy blanched. What?! Was he serious?

Baron Samedi rolled his eyes, annoyed. "In answer to de blank look upon your face, child, yes, I am deadly serious."

"But ... but why?" Tandy stammered. "Why me?"

Curiosity piqued within the surface of his depthless gaze at that moment and Baron Samedi smirked, taking a step towards her, his arm outstretched in a sweeping gesture. "You truly do not know?" He asked.

Tandy took a step back again, defensive. "Know what?" She asked.

Baron Samedi chuckled, his dulcet tone glancing off of the walls around them. "Child, it is your birth right."

Dean made a deep, surprised sound in the back of his throat and Tandy swallowed numbly. "What? What're you sayin'?" She breathed.

"Your mother is a very devout woman." Baron Samedi observed, admiration lilting his tone. "And the man you tink to be your father, well, let us just say, he could never fully understand or appreciate my ... well ... let us just say dat I borrowed him."

Tandy frowned, perplexed, and Baron Samedi continued.

"Tink about it. Why is he away so much? For so long? Taking your brothers wit him, but not you? Why is he so cold towards you, so indifferent?" He raised the cigar to his lips and took a deep, satiating drag. "It may have been your father's seed dat entered your mother to conceive you, but it was I who had a hold of him when it did." He exhaled, dispelling the smoke in adjacent plumes, through his nostrils.

"What? No ... that ain't ... that ain't possible." Tandy choked, glancing helplessly at Dean and Sam, who merely stared at each other, just as confused and horrified and disturbed as she was.

"Oh, but it is. Christian's call it poss-e-ssion." Baron Samedi teased, stressing each syllable. "And if you want to, all you have to do is allow me to grant you dis favor. It would be my pleasure." He purred.

"I ... I ... No! I can't." Tandy gasped, shielding her gaze from the ever-growing Hell light that encompassed them. She didn't want to believe him, this God, but what else would he have had to gain in lying to them? It sort of made sense, in some sick and twisted way but then, he could have been bluffing. Surely her mama would have told her this if it were true. She didn't know her mama to be a liar, and she certainly didn't believe that she was capable of something so depraved, but she just couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that Samedi, in fact, could be telling the truth. Tandy frowned, uncertain. Her mama loved the Haitian god's. She devoted her life to them. Could she really have given Baron Samedi a child? Could she really be that child?

"You care for dis boy, no? He is a handsome one." Baron Samedi said, approaching the eldest Winchester. He clutched Dean's jaw between his bony fingers and roughly angled his head to one side, surveying him.

Dean wanted to spit in his face, to draw back and punch this sucker right between the eye sockets, but he was rooted to the ground, his muscles taut and heavy, as if they suddenly weighed a thousand pounds.

Baron Samedi snarled and clicked his tongue once, squeezing Dean's jaw tightly before releasing it. He then gestured towards Sam with a half-hearted shrug. "And dis one, too?" He queried. "How lucky dey both are."

Tandy felt as if all the air had been drained from her lungs. "I can't." She wheezed, her voice hoarse. "Please."

"But I can help you. Let me stop dis, child." Baron Samedi urged.

"But that means I'll have to go with you." She whispered, fearful.

Tandy found Dean's gaze through the blinding fluorescence that surrounded them. His green eyes were soft and pleading, begging her not to take the bait.

"Well, not right away. I'd let you say goodbye, of course." Baron Samedi explained. "Or, I could just leave now and let old Luci have all tree of you, if you would prefer?"

"No." Tandy murmured, forcing herself to break eye-contact with Dean. "I-I wouldn't prefer that at all."

"You'd be giving dem both what dey want, what dey need. The only ting dey need." Baron Samedi told her.

"And what's that?" Tandy gasped.

"Each other." Baron Samedi muttered frankly, as though it were obvious, plain and simple. "I can shove dis biblical termite back into his cage, and you can all call yourselves heroes, I don't mind, so long as you come wit me." He chuckled. "So, what do you say, child?"

Tandy grimaced and shook her head, lost. "I ..."

Dean and Sam grunted, desperate to gain her attention, to stop her from making a terrible mistake, but she chose to ignore them, her eyes locking onto the Haitian God's.

"Okay." She breathed at last, finding Baron Samedi's waif-like figure through the mounting luminosity.

"Okay?" Baron Samedi pushed.

"Okay ... Please." Tandy whispered, her voice projecting in a fractured huff. "I give in. Stop this."

Baron Samedi smiled and disappeared amidst the Hellfire, leaving behind a trail of thick, black smoke.

Suddenly, able to move, Sam dropped to his knees, unable to support himself beneath his own weight. His body was overcome by tremors and he forcibly pushed himself up and off of the floor, dazed. What the hell had just happened?

"No!" Dean yelled, rushing forward and seizing Tandy by the shoulders. "You can't do this!" He shook her violently, frantically and Tandy's injured shoulder screamed at her in agony. She winced, raising her hands to Dean's chest. With all the strength that she could muster, she shoved him off of her with a labored grunt. He stumbled back momentarily and then advanced upon her again.

"I just did, dang it." She hissed, clutching her shoulder with her opposite hand.

"Tandy, no! No! No! No! How could you?" He stammered.

Tandy looked up, into Dean's glowing, green eyes, silent. She hitched her good shoulder and shook her head, lost for anything more to say than a muted, "M'sorry."

"You're sorry?!" Dean spat, pain and devastation evident in his voice. "You promised me that this wouldn't be the end!"

"It's not!" Tandy argued.

"How is it not?!" Dean countered, cupping her face between his large, callused palms. "You're leaving." He murmured, his voice dissolving into a heart-broken sob. "You're leaving me."

Tandy collapsed against Dean's chest, the weight of her decision crashing down upon her. "I'll find a way." She said blearily.

"Let me guess, you promise?" Dean spat, the sattire in his voice not lost on her. Despite his anger, Dean cradled her in his arms, unwilling, but more so, unable to let her go. He felt her small frame fold in against him, their bodies melding perfectly together, like they had done so on the dance floor when the world was still ripe and full of hope, and she was still in it. Tandy brought her uninjured arm up behind his back and gripped his shoulder tightly, her fingers curling into his flesh. Her other, she tucked into the groove of his stomach. They stood together, beyond time and space, and the seconds slipped away. Dean hadn't even realized it but, at some point, Sam had come to stand behind her.

Dean was almost tempted to push him away. He didn't deserve to say good bye. This was his fault. But again, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Sam was his greatest weakness, and because of that, he was about to lose the very best thing that had ever happened to him.

"Okay, time's up." Baron Samedi chided and the Hellish light began to recede.

Reluctantly, Tandy drew back, almost forcing herself from Dean's iron-clad grip.

"Just a little longer." He croaked.

Tandy stepped out of the little nook that she had been nestled in between the brothers warm, safe bodies and gently backed away from them. Their faces were twisted by sorrow, eyes welling with unshed tears.

Baron Samedi offered Tandy his hand, his eyes aglow. "Come now, child."

Slowly, mournfully, Tandy reached forward and slipped her hand into his cold, cadaverous palm.

Tandy nodded, calm, and flicked her gaze between each of the brother's. This is the right thing to do, it whispered. I'm doin' this for you.

Baron Samedi took another lengthy drag from his cigar and exhaled slowly before he disappeared amidst the smoke, and Tandy along with him.

Several seconds later, Castiel stumbled into the room, breaking the heavy silence that fallen upon them in their departure.

"What has happened here?" He demanded, his deep, resonant voice slicing through the dead air.

"She's gone, Cas." Dean breathed, collapsing against the angel's soiled trench coat.

Castiel caught the leather-clad hunter in his arms and softly lowered him to the floor, cradling him against his lap.

Dean's empty words echoed in the space around them, quiet, as the entire cathedral was plummeted in darkness.

"She's gone ..."