A/N: Just a reminder that this fic is AU, but roughly overlaps with Season 3 and occasionally borrows from certain episodes. Aspects of Season 4 are also folded in along the way. I will try to make sure to point out when I'm borrowing from particular episodes, but just in case I miss something, I obviously do not have any rights to anything Supernatural. The song for this chapter is One of These Nights by the Eagles (because unlike Chuck Klosterman, I am not contractually obligated to hate them).
Chapter 12: Crazy Old Night
One of these nights
One of these crazy old nights
We're gonna find out pretty mama
What turns on your lights
The full moon is calling
The fever is high
And the wicked wind whispers and moans
You got your demons, you got desires
Well, I got a few of my own
Ooh, someone to be kind to in between the dark and the light
Ooh, coming right behind you, swear I'm gonna find you
One of these nights
One of these dreams
One of these lost and lonely dreams now
We're gonna find one
Oh, one that really screams
I've been searching for the daughter of the Devil himself
I've been searching for an angel in white
I've been waiting for a woman who's a little of both
And I can feel her but she's nowhere in sight
Ooh, loneliness will blind you in between the wrong and the right
Ooh, coming right behind you, swear I'm gonna find you
One of these nights
After the demon disappeared, there was a long moment of silence, each hunter frozen in place as they processed what had happened. The silence was finally broken when Alex swore angrily.
"Son of a bitch!" he snapped, just barely resisting the urge to punch something. Instead, he whirled towards Dean, "I knew I shouldn't have let you…"
"You can shove it right up your…" Dean interrupted angrily.
"Guys!" Sam jumped between them, "Come on, this isn't helping."
Alex ignored Sam's attempts to mediate, growling around him at Dean about how he'd cost him his chance to avenge his parents and how if it had been Dean's family, he never would have let someone else pull a stunt like that. Dean snapped right back, telling Alex he had no idea what he was talking about and how this wasn't all about him, anyway. Sam frowned, but held his ground between them, arms already out to try and keep them apart.
"You're right. It's not just about me. It's about Ty, too. You know, the girl you claim to give a crap about." Alex replied, gesturing vaguely behind him in Ty's direction.
Dean's eyes followed the gesture towards her. She had regained her feet after the demon had sent her reeling, but she had yet to say anything. When she saw him looking in her direction, she ducked her head, avoiding his gaze, and left the room without a word, the Colt left abandoned on the ground behind her. Dean frowned, watching her go, immediately forgetting his argument with Alex.
When Dean didn't snap a retort back at him, Alex paused and followed his gaze, catching Ty slipping silently out of the room. He frowned, too.
"Ty?" he called after her.
When she didn't pause or reply, the male hunters exchanged glances, silently agreeing that their feud could wait and started after her, Sam pausing to snatch the gun.
Ty heard the others following her, but only quickened her pace. She just couldn't face any of them right now. This had to be her worst screw-up of all time. She'd blown their chance to find out about Lilith's plans for Sam, she'd squandered Alex's shot at vengeance even after he'd entrusted her with their only weapon capable of achieving it, and she'd almost killed Dean in the process. The demon didn't even need to possess her; she was wreaking plenty of havoc all on her own.
Ty slipped quickly through the crowds in the grandstands and, as soon as she made it free of that public area and back onto the horsemen-only backside, broke into a run. She could hear the others calling after her, but she tuned them out, solely focused on getting away. She ran, cutting through empty barnyards, avoiding any other people as best she could until she approached the security gate. Then she made herself slow to a fast walk again until she reached Alex's truck. She used her spare key to get in and start the truck, hesitating for only a moment before she shifted it into gear.
Ty drove with the windows down and the stereo cranked up just about as loud as it would go, blasting heavy metal. She wanted it loud enough to drown out her thoughts. She could feel her phone buzzing insistently in her pocket, but she ignored it. At first, she drove aimlessly, but eventually she found herself driving back to their motel. When she pulled into the lot, the Impala was already there and the light was on in the room Alex and Sam were sharing. Ty sighed as she contemplated rejoining them. She knew she had to at some point, but the thought of facing the three men, of trying to find the words to apologize, still made her want to run the other way. God, she'd rather fight anything than see the disappointment on their faces.
So, like a coward, she parked the truck and slunk up to the room she was sharing with Dean instead. Sooner or later, they'd figure out she was here, but at least this gave her a little more time to figure out a plan for how she could make this right.
In the other room, Dean paced, wearing the already threadbare carpet down even further. The simmering rage he kept bottled inside was up to a steady boil now after everything that had happened today from that creep Jack to the demon and he couldn't stop himself from repeatedly clenching his hands into fists and grinding his teeth.
Part of him was more furious with Ty than he could ever remember being in all their clashes. How could she do this? There was so much they needed to figure out now given everything they'd learned between the incident in Massachusetts and what this demon had told him. So much he had to figure out. But how could he begin to try to wrap his head around everything when she up and vanished like this? The least she could do was answer her freaking phone so he knew she was okay. Then maybe he could turn his mind to something else on their long list of problems. But no, of course not.
And yet, as much as he tried to ignore it since being pissed off was so much easier, another part of him kept chiming in about how hard this must all be for her, too. How often does someone run into the sleazeball that preyed on them as a kid and the demon that screwed with their head and stole their body all in the same day? And then to have the demon get away after they'd managed to trap it...because he'd screwed up...again. Yeah, he probably wouldn't want to be around him right now either.
"Well?" Alex demanded impatiently from the other side of the room, where he was alternately texting or calling Ty and leaning over Sam's shoulder while he tried to track Ty's phone.
"One sec...okay, got it." Sam finally announced.
Alex immediately leaned over his shoulder again to look at his computer screen. Dean paused in his pacing, glancing over towards them.
"Huh." Sam said, "Well, her phone's showing she's here."
"What?!" Alex demanded, "Are you sure?"
Dean didn't wait to see Sam nod. He already had a good idea of where she was now. He headed for the door, gesturing at Sam and Alex to stay put.
"I got it." he called.
"Hey…" Alex started to protest, but Sam cut him off.
"It's okay." he reassured him.
Dean didn't hear the rest as the door swung shut. He automatically scanned the lot as he stepped outside and spotted Alex's truck. Yeah, she was definitely here.
Dean turned and headed for their room. When he walked in, he found Ty sitting on the edge of the bed, listening to music, and sharpening her knives. A tumult of feelings surged through him at the sight of her: relief that she was okay, anger that she'd made him worry for no reason, concern over how she was handling everything, frustration that he was having to deal with all these complicated issues. Ultimately, he felt like he'd rather be facing another demon than this. Dean squared his shoulders and forced himself to walk over to her.
"Hey." she greeted him quietly, not pausing in her actions and only briefly glancing up, her eyes avoiding his. She nodded towards the radio that was currently playing Boston's Peace of Mind, "You know, for the longest time, I thought he was saying 'All I want is to have my piece of pie.'"
Dean paused, listening to the chorus and thinking about her words. He smiled briefly and his anger receded, "My kinda song."
He took a seat next to her and his smile faded. Man, he didn't want to do this, but he felt like he had to, "So...hell of a day, huh?"
"You can say that again." Ty huffed, gaze fixed on her blade. The light glinted off of the dagger in her hands, attracting Dean's eyes.
"Look, I think we need to talk...but I'd rather not do it while you're holding a blade." he said as he reached over and plucked the dagger from her hands.
Ty's voice rang hollow as she shrugged, eyes still fixed on her lap, hands fiddling with the sharpener, "Fair enough. I already almost killed you once today."
Dean paused, surprised by her words and the tone of her voice. He'd never heard her sound like that before, like she was dead inside, not even when she'd been playing fast and loose with her life after the trauma of actually dying. Was this what had made her run from them?
"Hey," Dean said, leaning forward to try and find her eyes, "I'm fine, okay?"
Ty finally met his gaze, but she did not look reassured. She looked furious.
"Because she saved you. From me." she snapped, slapping the sharpener down on the mattress beside her, her voice wavering slightly. She dragged in a breath of air, forcing that weakness back down, "I should never have taken that shot."
Dean shook his head, "No, I told you to shoot if she tried anything. Besides, you have any idea how many times Sam and I have almost killed each other on a hunt? You didn't do anything wrong."
Ty barked out a bitter laugh, looking away again, "I did everything wrong. I ruined our best shot…"
"I'm the one who let it out. That was my call." Dean interrupted, "So if you wanna be pissed at someone, you can be pissed at me. Alex has got it down. I'm sure he can give you some pointers."
Ty shook her head in denial, but she didn't say anything, so Dean figured he had to be getting through to her.
"Listen, a lot of awful crap either happened or came up today, but not a single part of it is on you. You hear me?" Dean said firmly, level gaze fixed on her until she finally met his eyes again and slowly nodded.
Somewhat encouraged by this success, Dean pressed on to the next elephant in the room, awkwardly blurting out, "So...uh...about that Jack guy…"
Ty stiffened, her hands curling into fists in her lap, her voice going quiet again, "I don't want to talk about that."
Dean sighed, "I know, babe. And trust me, I'm not much of a spill-your-feelings kind of guy either. I'd much rather just go find the bastard and shoot him for you, but...geez, don't tell Sam I said this, but I think maybe it'll help to get it out."
Ty frowned, "What else is there to say? I already told you what happened."
"I know, but I've got a feeling that maybe you've never told anyone else…" Dean said, wishing that she had so that maybe that asshole would be in prison and not here, making her go through this now. He resisted the urge to grimace, feeling like he could almost hear Sam calling him a hypocrite as he continued, "...or thought about how it's affected you."
Ty sprang suddenly to her feet and started pacing the room, "What are you talking about? It's not like I was… Anyway, I'm fine. Can't we just forget about this? We've got way more important problems."
Dean stayed where he was, but he understood her need to move, to do something, and her desire to focus on other problems. Hell, it was what he'd been doing his whole life. But he was certainly no role model and he wanted better for her.
"Just because he didn't take it as far as he could have doesn't mean it wasn't a big deal." Dean insisted, feeling himself getting furious all over again as he thought about it. He forced himself to calm down before he added, "I'm sorry that happened to you."
Ty spun on her heel to face him, "No. Please don't. I don't want pity or anything. It was a long time ago. Please just forget about this. It doesn't matter."
Dean stood up, feeling like he needed to do something to get through to her and becoming frustrated with his inability to do so. God, he hated that demon for orchestrating this whole thing. Next time, he wasn't going to hesitate. Next time, that thing was dead.
He didn't mean to, but his frustration made his words come out louder and more clipped, "It does matter! Why do you think you're so self-conscious about your body, huh? Between that and the number that freaking demon did on you..."
Ty just stared at him a moment, her expression unreadable.
"I can't do this." she finally announced, spinning away again and moving quickly for the door.
"Ty!" Dean protested, but she didn't stop. Dean sprang after her, determined not to let her run off again. He caught the door before it could slam behind her and followed her out into the parking lot, "Where are you going?"
"Out!" she called back over her shoulder, "Away from you!"
"Ty, come on! Will you stop?" Dean jogged a little to catch up with her. Why did it feel like half the time he was chasing after her, "I thought we weren't doing the shutting each other out thing anymore?"
"That's rich coming from you."
"Hey, I'm trying, okay?" Dean replied defensively, "This is the longest relationship I've ever had with a woman."
Ty resisted the urge to whirl around to face him, figuring that was what he wanted and instead just walked faster, heading aimlessly out of the lot and along the side of the road, "Oh, yeah? How long do you figure it's been? Did you subtract the eight months you ghosted me?"
Dean dragged a hand over his face. Would she ever forgive him for that? Didn't she see it was basically the same as when she'd left on this demon hunt? Okay, granted eight months was a lot longer than a couple days, but still. They'd reached an understanding about that so he'd assumed they were good about this, too, but apparently not.
"Fine, you want the truth?" he snapped, "I'm worried you're turning into me."
Ty couldn't help herself. Despite her earlier resolution not to do so, she stopped and turned to him, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Look, I've seen people lose themselves to hunting, where it becomes their whole life. And you know how that ends? Bloody. Just look at my dad. This is how I was raised. I don't know anything else, but you. You have a home, a family, a future…"
"A future?" Ty interrupted, her voice bitter and angry, "You wanna know what my plans were for the future before I met you? Just keep going to school until I ran out of school to go to. I didn't have a future, Dean. I didn't have a purpose. There was no point to my life before this."
Ty couldn't believe they were retreading the same ground as back when they'd first met, him arguing that she should give up hunting for her own good and her trying to make him understand that it gave her a reason to be. She'd suspected that sort of reasoning had been behind his disappearing act, but to hear him say it made her feel like maybe he'd never really listened to her or maybe he just couldn't understand her. Thinking that made her feel sick inside because if it was true, how could she keep loving him? Her eyes dropped to the ground, unable to bear looking at him at the moment.
Almost as if he could sense at least some of what she was thinking, Dean spoke again, his voice not quite so heated now, "I'm not saying give up hunting. I know you better than that now and I know you won't. I'm just saying...I think you should have more than that."
Ty swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump that had just formed in her throat at his reply. He did listen and he did understand. He...cared. Ty felt emotions welling up inside her, like a painful ache in her chest, and blinked rapidly to dispel tears that seemed to want to form in her eyes. She took a couple deep breaths to steady herself after the rollercoaster of feelings she'd just been through. When she felt grounded again, she looked back up at him. She almost told him that she did want more than that, she wanted him, but she restrained herself. As a compromise, she said, "I appreciate that you care about me and want the best for me, but you've got to stop deciding you know what that is without talking to me."
Dean slowly nodded, accepting the olive branch she was offering, "Okay, fair."
Ty almost relaxed, thinking the conversation was over, but then he added something that made her anxiety return.
"But that means we've got to be able to talk about stuff, right?"
Ty crossed her arms, muttering in annoyance to cover her real feelings, "Ugh, like a dog with a bone. Okay, fine. What do you want from me?"
Dean took a cautious step closer, "I don't know. Just maybe think about what I said earlier and let me know if there's anything I can do to help?"
Ty sighed, frankly a little annoyed at how reasonable that sounded. She grumbled her response, not caring if she seemed petulant, "Fine, I guess."
Dean smiled, relieved, "Good. So can we go back to the motel, now? Alex has probably messaged your phone so many times it's exploded by now and I've got a whole shitstorm of crazy to tell you guys still."
Ty nodded, resisting the urge to press him to tell her everything now. They walked back to the motel side by side, both quietly processing. As she replayed what had just happened, Ty found herself somewhat amazed at how much Dean had changed since she'd first met him. Who would have predicted that he would be the one arguing with her about how they had to be able to talk about their problems?
Ty was so distracted by her thoughts that she was startled when she found they had reached the door to their partners' room. Dean pulled it open and gestured for her to enter. The second she did, she felt Sam and Alex's eyes on her. Both men jumped to their feet, their faces a mixture of concern and relief.
"Ty! Are you okay?" Sam asked.
At the same time, Alex hurried across the room and enveloped her in a tight hug, saying sternly, "Don't do that again."
Ty nodded silently. She had to admit, these didn't seem like the reactions of men who were upset with her or blamed her for the hunt going sideways. As that slowly sank in, she felt the tension drain from her body and almost collapsed in Alex's arms. She suddenly felt exhausted. When he released her, she backed a few steps to one of the beds and sank down to sit on the mattress. The guys were still looking worried, so she offered them a small, almost sheepish smile.
"Sorry. I...I didn't mean to make you worry." she said, hoping they wouldn't press her to explain more.
Alex opened his mouth like he was about to do just that, but Dean beat him to the punch, guessing from Ty's face that she didn't feel like saying more, "So, now that we're all here, I've got stuff I've got to tell you guys. Things the demon said."
Alex paused, looking like he still wanted to talk to Ty, but he eventually nodded and gestured for Dean to continue. Dean shared what the demon had said about Lilith making the deal with John so that she could start breaking Seals to unleash Lucifer. He didn't bother delving too much into the specifics about how John broke the first Seal or what the demon had said about him being tortured. He also didn't say anything about how the demon had not only confirmed what he and Sam had learned about demons being created from damned humans, but that a similar fate awaited their dad and him, if Lilith or her minions dragged him down to Hell. He figured Satan and the Apocalypse were enough for the others to worry about.
Dean briefly considered whether or not he should share the last tidbit of information the demon had left him with, but eventually decided he had to tell them, "It...uh...also told me it's name."
"What?!" Alex exclaimed, springing back to his feet. The demon's name was crucial in so many ways. Not knowing it had stalled his research into its history and potential weaknesses.
"Just before it vanished, it whispered it to me...so that I could summon it to make a deal." Dean admitted.
"But if we can summon her...we can trap her again!" Ty said, glancing around from one hunter to the other, suddenly feeling more energized now that there was a chance to fix everything.
"Okay, slow down." Dean said, holding up his hands, "Even if we do trap it again, we need a better plan. If it can stop the Colt…"
"Dean, what's its name?" Alex demanded impatiently.
Dean sighed, wondering if he was making a mistake after all by telling them. Too late now, "Melchiresa."
After that revelation, the hunters spent the next few hours researching, plotting, and planning. After a while, Dean started to feel overwhelmed by it all. How were they supposed to stop the literal apocalypse? He wasn't even convinced they could stop the demons they'd already set loose from killing them all. And, given the extra large target on his back, he had a feeling he'd be the first to go. God, what he wouldn't give for a break from it all. Just take Ty and Sam and head south, see the Grand Canyon, hit Tijuana and get Sam laid, anything really that wasn't this.
Dean muttered an excuse about needing some fresh air and stepped outside. However, almost as soon as he entered the dark, virtually empty parking lot, the lights flickered, putting him on edge. He looked around and spotted Ruby standing across the lot, clearly waiting for him. While he figured nothing good could come from it, he walked over to see what she wanted anyway.
"Wondered when you'd show up again." he commented.
Ruby shrugged, "Been busy."
Dean considered demanding more information from her, about what she'd been doing, what she knew about Melchiresa, or Lilith's plans in general, but at the moment he just felt too exhausted to duke it out with her. Besides, it seemed like the more information he got these days, the worse things were. However, there was one thing that kept weighing on his mind.
"Can I ask you something?" he began. Ruby gestured for him to continue, so he did, "You were human once, you died, you went to Hell, and then you became a…"
"Demon, yeah." Ruby nodded.
"How long ago?"
"Back when the plague was big." Ruby replied dryly.
"So...all of them...every damn demon...they were all human once?" Dean pressed.
"Everyone I've ever met." Ruby confirmed.
"They sure don't act like it." Dean protested, not wanting to believe her any more than he had the other demons even though deep down he was already sure it was the truth.
"Most of them have forgotten what it means, or even that they were. That's what happens when you go to Hell, Dean. That's what Hell is, forgetting what you are."
Dean scoffed, not wanting to hear any more, "Philosophy lesson from a demon. I'll pass, thanks."
"It's not philosophy." Ruby snapped, annoyed, "It's not a metaphor. There's a real fire in the pit. Agonies you can't even imagine."
"Nah, I saw Hellraiser. I get the gist." Dean replied flippantly, done with this conversation.
"Actually they got that pretty close. Except for all the custom leather." Ruby said as she turned her back on him and started walking away, apparently no longer interested in continuing the discussion either. She paused after a few steps, however, and glanced back over her shoulder, "The answer is yes, by the way."
"Sorry?" Dean asked, frowning.
Ruby turned back to face him, "Yes, the same thing will happen to you. It might take centuries, but sooner or later Hell will burn away your humanity. Every Hell-bound soul, every one, turns into something else. Turns you into us. So, yeah. Yeah, you can count on it."
Dean dropped the sarcasm and snark, leveling her with a serious look, "You don't think we're going to be able to keep one of them from dragging me into the pit, do you?"
"No." Ruby answered simply and unapologetically.
"Then why do you keep leading Sam on, making him think there's something…"
"So he would talk to me." Ruby interrupted, "You Winchesters can be pretty bigoted. I needed something to help him get past the…"
"The demon thing?" Dean finished for her, his distrust clear on his face. It didn't matter that she'd saved his life. He knew there had to be something in it for her, "It's pretty hard to get past."
Ruby laughed derisively, "Look at you. Trying to be all stoic. My god, it's heartbreaking."
Dean's eyes narrowed, any brief moment of rapport they'd had going now certainly over, "Why are you talking to me anyway?"
"I need your help." Ruby admitted.
"Help with what?" Dean demanded, suspicions growing. Maybe now he would finally get to the bottom of whatever game she was playing.
"With Sam. You need to help me get him ready...for life without you. To fight this war on his own. He's almost there, but I don't know how much longer we've got."
That wasn't the sort of answer he'd been expecting and yet, chances were she was right. Some demon would probably manage to end him and then Sam would be on his own, probably sooner rather than later. Sam did need to be ready to fight on his own without Dean there to protect him, but he'd be damned if he'd trust some demon skank to have his brother's back. When he didn't say anything, Ruby turned away again, starting back into the shadows.
"Ruby!" Dean called suddenly, making her pause. He decided he might as well just ask her straight up, "Why are you helping us?"
Ruby turned again, "Isn't it obvious? I'm not like them. I don't know why. I...I wish I was, but...I'm not. I remember what it's like."
"What what's like?"
"Being human." Ruby answered simply.
Dean looked down as he considered her answer and everything else that had happened today. When he looked up again, she was gone. He still didn't trust her, but if she was right, if he was headed for the pit and would eventually find himself in her shoes, then he hoped that she was telling the truth, that there was still a chance to retain something of himself even after he turned into one of them.
When Dean eventually returned, still looking pensive and withdrawn, Ty decided that maybe they should call it a night. They were all exhausted, but she suspected that there was something eating at him that he hadn't told them and thought that maybe she could get it out of him if they could talk in private. An obstinate and somewhat bitter part of her figured he owed her as much for pressing her about Jack.
Plus, after wading through all the messages from Alex, Sam, and Dean, she'd discovered missed messages from Bobby. An angry voicemail began with "Don't you check your damn messages anymore?" and ended with "Let me know you're all okay and get back here pronto. We got a lot to talk about." Ty sent Bobby a quick text that they were all okay, then relayed his instructions to the others. They all agreed to head back to Bobby's in the morning.
Almost as soon as Ty declared they should call it a night and dragged Dean off to their room, Sam made another excuse to duck out and find Ruby. Again, luck appeared to be with him because Alex was still absorbed in researching Melchiresa and hardly paid any attention to him.
Once again checking to make sure he wasn't seen, Sam snuck through the parking lot to an out-of-the-way spot to call Ruby. Double checking once more that there was no one in hearing or visual range, he reached into his pocket for his phone.
"Sam."
Sam jumped and spun around. Ruby stood behind him where there had definitely been no one a moment before. She smirked, pleased as usual to catch him by surprise.
"Stop doing that." Sam grumbled.
"And miss that adorable look on your face?" Ruby teased.
"How did you even…" Sam began to ask.
"I was in the neighborhood." Ruby interrupted, striding over to him, "What can I do for you, Sam?"
Sam shook his head, fed up with her vague answers and flirtatious remarks, "Look, I drank the blood, but I still couldn't do anything against that demon, Melchiresa. I don't think she felt a thing…"
"Wait." Ruby interrupted, looking alarmed, "What did you say?"
"I said it didn't work…" Sam began again in frustration.
"No." Ruby snapped, "About Melchiresa."
"That's the demon we tracked here. We had it, but it got away." Sam explained quickly, "Why?"
Ruby shook her head, "You're lucky she didn't disembowel all of you and paint the town with your guts. You are definitely not ready for a demon of her caliber. Baby steps, Sam."
"I don't have time for baby steps." Sam insisted, "And what do you know about this demon?"
"Just that she's very old and very powerful. More powerful than Astaroth, the demon that was harvesting witch souls in Massachusetts. I think maybe she was the first demon your old friend Azazel turned. She's been keeping a pretty low profile for as long as I can remember. What happened?" Ruby demanded.
"What happened is she told us that Lilith is trying to break Lucifer out." Sam said, watching Ruby closely for her reaction, trying to judge whether this was something else she'd been keeping from him, "What do you know about Seals?"
Ruby's eyes were wide. It took her a moment to respond and when she did all she managed was an incredulous, "What?"
"Lilith is trying to break out Lucifer. Which means I need to be stronger than this. You said that stuff would make me stronger, but if I couldn't take this demon, I definitely can't take Lilith."
"You need practice, Sam. It's like a muscle, remember?" Ruby advised, although she still seemed preoccupied with the information Sam had just revealed. Her gaze wandered as she contemplated Lilith's plan.
"Okay then. Let's practice." Sam said, crossing his arms, resolved not to let her put him off again until he saw proof that there was something to her promises.
Ruby focused on Sam again and her eyes trailed up and down his form, taking his measure, before finally she grinned, "Alright, then. Come with me."
Sam hesitated for only a moment, glancing back towards the motel, before he followed Ruby further into the darkness.
