We're close to the end of the journey now. This story will have 13 chapters, so one down, two more to go.

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. I wanted to make it longer, but it's been a rather lousy week and I've caught this really nasty flu to top it all. Thanks for all your reviews last week. It's always fun to know where your mind's taking you. Let's get this show on the road :)

Chapter 11

Blair was standing by the fountain trying not to look at it. He wished he could block out the sound of water lapping as well. He had never told Jim, but for months after the drowning that sound had haunted his nightmares, eating away at him. At times, it was even worse than his memories of the drowning itself.

Blair took a deep, controlled breath, placing his hands in his pockets, trying to act as if nothing was bothering him. It was early morning and it was Saturday, so there would not be many people around. There hadn't been anyone around the first time, either.

Blair squared his shoulders, irritated with himself. This was ridiculous, he thought. It was just a fountain. It shouldn't freak him out so.

"Get it together, man," he urged himself.

Terror was a very effective weapon. Blair had heard that once, when he was interviewing some World War Two veterans for some university project. One of them had told Blair that if your opponent knew how to make use of your fears, it could bring defeat more certainly than conventional means would. Blair wondered how much Moira knew of this. She seemed to be good at such strategies.

Moira was nowhere to be seen, which worried Blair. Had she, perhaps, discovered that he was not there alone? Was she trying to eliminate the others before moving on to Blair? But no – she needed Sam and Dean just as much as she needed Blair if she wanted her plan to succeed. And she wouldn't hurt Jim, he was sure of that. She would have done it long before if she had wanted to. Blair had the sinking suspicion that it was not just out of the goodness of her heart. Moira, he was sure, was leaving Jim for Alex.

"There you are."

Blair twisted round at the sound of the unexpected voice. Moira now stood between him and the fountain. She did not look at all unhinged. In fact, he would have probably liked her, if he had not known who she was.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up," he said, trying to keep his voice level.

"I keep my promises," Moira said flatly.

"Why this place?" Blair asked. "What do you have to prove?"

Moira's face was closed-off.

"You were dead, Blair," she said. "You should have stayed that way. And today, right here, you're going to see I'm right."

For the second time in his life, Blair found himself in front of the fountain with someone pointing a gun at him. Someone who was just as determined to see him dead. He raised his hands slowly and shook his head.

"You don't want to do this," he said slowly. "Not yet. Not yet, you understand?"

The last words were for Jim, hoping he would hear Blair and not come riding to the rescue yet. Much as Blair wanted to have someone pull him out of this mess, he had not tried his plan yet. He still thought he could reach Moira, and he didn't want Ellison riding to the rescue too early and making things more difficult it the long run. Of course, Sam and Dean did not have super hearing, so Blair had to deliver the message to stay put some other way.

He shook his head again, hoping the two would get the hint. The problem was, he thought ruefully, neither Jim nor the Winchesters had a good track record when it came to listening to other people. They could still barge in at any moment.

"You don't want to do this," he repeated, this time to Moira. "This isn't you."

He vaguely remembered telling Alex the same thing, three years back. But this was different, Blair told himself. He had misjudged Alex, convinced that no Sentinel could ever be evil. He did not think he was misjudging Moira. Moira was doing all this out of loyalty and grief. And Blair thought he understood the kind of desperation she was feeling.

"I know what this is about," Blair went on.

Moira scoffed.

"Oh, you do, don't you?"

Blair nodded.

"It's about Alex. Trust me, no one is more sorry about what happened to Alex than I am…"

He stopped as he saw Moira's hands clench around the gun.

"I'm sure you are," she said scathingly.

Blair nodded and held Moira's gaze. He meant it. Whatever Alex might have been, however skewed her moral compass, she had needed help. And Blair had not tried hard enough.

"I should have helped her better," he said. "I know. I should have taught her more about how to control her senses."

Moira huffed.

"Don't you get it?" she exclaimed. "She wasn't yours to help, or to teach or to…to…"

Blair took a step closer to Moira ignoring the gun pointed straight at him. Here was the moment he had been looking for. He was finally at the root cause of Moira's problem, and he was going to make her face it.

"Or to guide?" he asked gently. "Because, after all, you think that should have been your job, right? You should have been Alex's guide. Hell, you probably are without knowing. That's why you were such good friends, why you were drawn to each other…that's why you feel so torn now."

"What do you know about it?" Moira jeered.

Blair tried to shrug still keeping his hands up.

"Nothing much. I was lucky, I admit it. I have no idea what's going on in your head or what I'd do in your place. I'd like to think I wouldn't sacrifice people to a mythological dog, though."

Moira's smile was icy.

"If you're not ready to sell your soul for the ones you love, you don't really love them, do you?"

Blair shook his head.

"I'm willing to sell my soul," Blair said. "I have no right to anyone else's. Which means that here, now, it's just me and you. No one else."

Moira took a step towards him. The gun was still pointed at his chest.

"I know you're not alone," she said. "But don't worry. We'll take care of that."

Blair felt himself growing cold.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Moira shrugged.

"Let's just say there are more ways than one to keep Cerberus in check. True, that might stop if you use or destroy the amulet – but you haven't, so right now, I have the upper hand. And I can make Cerberus do what I want for a while."

A dog howled in the distance followed by the crack of a gunshot. It came from where Jim's car was supposed to be parked. Blair felt as if he no longer had any air to breathe.

xxXXxxx

It had taken a lot out of Jim to just sit in the car while Moira was pointing a gun at Sandburg next to the fountain of all places. He had understood Blair's message loud and clear. Not yet. He was not to interfere yet.

"Fine, Chief," he muttered. "You can have it your way. For now."

Blair had good instincts and Jim had sworn to respect his opinions after the whole dissertation fiasco. Still, Blair was born without a sense of self-preservation. Jim would treat him as an adult and acknowledge his choices – but only until Blair put his own life in danger. That was when Jim would always interfere – no matter how much crap Sandburg would give him afterwards.

Still, Blair was holding his own. Talking to Moira, keeping her engaged, trying to get under her skin. He wasn't a bad negotiator and he often got results. However, as far as Jim was concerned, Moira was already too far gone. Beyond the redemption Blair was so eager to give her.

He understood, though. Blair had accused him of double standards, but Jim did understand. Moira was a guide, just like Blair. And Blair could not help seeing a little of himself in her. What he could have become had circumstances been different. Yes, Jim saw that well enough.

He got out of the car, too tense to sit still any longer. Blair did not seem to be making any headway with Moira. He'd give him a few more minutes, then head over there. He did not care how many plans he blew. Seeing Sandburg so close to the fountain was already making his nerves stand on edge. He had to physically fight with himself not to give in to the urge to simply grab Blair and drag him away from there.

His instincts suddenly told him something was wrong. Not with Blair and Moira, but closer to him. There was something watching him. He turned around, gun in hand. And, this time, he saw it.

It was a dog only it was almost as big as a horse, its fur slick and black, its eyes red and mesmerizing. There was some kind of beauty in it, Jim was forced to admit, like the beauty of the abyss when you're looking from a tall mountain and feel compelled to jump. He stared at the dog, almost hypnotized.

Then he noticed the aggressive stance and knew instantly there was only one reason why he was seeing it: it was going to attack.

It all happened so fast, Jim didn't even have time to think. The dog howled and jumped at him. Jim felt the hot breath against his face. He fired the gun, praying that Sam Winchester was right and the bullet dipped in that water would actually work. The dog vanished.

Jim staggered backwards, still feeling the phantom weight of the giant paws against him. He lowered his gun and turned away. He had given Sandburg enough time. He was going to deal with Moira his way now.

xxxXXXxxx

When the gunshot erupted, Sam and Dean were already on the alert. They were both out of the car in a flash. Their cover had already been blown, so it was high time they rode to Blair's rescue. They reached the fountain at the same time as Jim. Moira did not seem too concerned at having three guns suddenly aiming at her. But, then again, she had hers pointing firmly at Sandburg.

"You're not gonna shoot," she said.

"Wanna bet?" Dean asked through clenched teeth.

"You're not," Moira insisted. "Because even if you do kill me, there's nothing to say I won't pull the trigger right before I die. And where will Mr. Sandburg be then?"

"You won't kill me," Blair said. "I have the amulet, remember?"

Moira smirked.

"What makes you think I won't take it off your lifeless body? If they don't manage to kill me, that is, which they might not."

"Quite sure of that, are you?" Jim challenged.

Moira ignored him. She only had eyes for Blair, as if this moment was a culmination of everything she had worked for.

"Today was the day Alex was supposed to wake up," she said. "With your sacrifice, of course."

"But you don't have the amulet," Blair insisted. "And neither do I."

That was a surprise, since the whole point of the meeting had been for Blair to pretend he wanted to strike a deal for the amulet.

"Sandburg…" Jim began warningly.

Blair's eyes sought Moira's, needing her to believe that he meant every word.

"If you hurt me, you won't know where I hid the amulet. If you kill my friends, I won't tell you where I hid the amulet no matter what you do to me."

Moira's gun turned on Jim.

"But if I threaten to kill your Sentinel," she drawled. "You'll tell me everything, Blair. You won't risk him."

"Sandburg, don't you dare," Jim hissed.

"Oh, but you will, Blair," Moira went on. "Remember in many ways I'm like you. I know where you'd draw the line. Am I wrong?"

Blair took a deep breath. His plan was falling apart before his eyes. It was then that Cerberus appeared again. Sam whirred round and fired the enchanted bullet, blasting the dog away. Moira's hands tightened on the trigger when Dean's shot hit her in the shoulder. She collapsed.

"Did you just waste a bullet meant for Cerberus on her?" Jim reprimanded, bending over Moira who was half-conscious.

Dean grimaced.

"Yeah, you're welcome. She was ready to shoot."

Jim handcuffed Moira who was beginning to steer.

"The problem is," he went on. "I just shot the damn thing not ten minutes ago. Your precious water only works to hold Cerberus for ten minutes."

"Well, we have ten minutes to get to the car," Sam said.

"And go where?" Jim pressed. "That thing's gonna keep following us. And Moira's gonna let him. So, unless you're suggesting Sandburg uses the amulet…"

Sam shook his head quickly.

"No. Not yet, we're not there yet."

He noticed Dean eying him worriedly, but he avoided looking at his brother.

"We need to be on hallowed ground. It's a stretch, but some creatures can't make it there. Or they can, but they're power's not that strong."

"So, you want a church," Blair guessed.

"Preferably with a graveyard," Sam said.

He hoped his tone was casual enough. He hoped Dean was buying it.

"I think there's a way to put a stop to this and we won't need the amulet or to sacrifice Moira," he went on. "Trust me, guys, I think I know what to do."

He knew Dean was watching him with that half-nervous, half-belligerent look. He also knew how hard it would be for Dean to allow Sam to do anything risky now that he had just got him back, soul and all.

"Trust me," he repeated quietly, only to Dean.

It was an appeal he knew Dean would be unable to refuse – since Dean had been so determined to prove that he trusted Sam now, that there was a big difference between this Sam and the one who had been running around with no soul; or the one who had freed Lucifer.

"Just as long as you won't do anything idiotic," Dean said, his voice still wary.

Sam fought not to clench his hands into fists.

"Nothing idiotic," he said. "I won't."

He did not know if he should be glad or not about how quickly Dean seemed to trust him then. He thought, considering he was keeping his main plan from Dean, that maybe he had no right to such trust.

xxxXXxxx

They drove in silence to the nearest graveyard. It was still early, so no one would be out and about, which was a good thing, considering they had Moira with them. Cerberus had not appeared again. Whether being shot with two bullets dipped in the water of Lethe had slowed him down considerably or Moira could not use him as she was weakened by her wound, it was hard to tell. They all knew the reprieve was only temporary, though.

Sam was the first to get out of the car. He stood at the entrance of the graveyard, his chest tightening.

"Are you ok?"

Dean's voice would have sounded matter of fact, even disinterested to someone who did not know him well. But Sam heard the underlying worry loud and clear. He regretted telling Dean about his fears of cemeteries now.

"Fine," he said through clenched teeth. "Just fine. Really."

The lie was obvious even to him, but he moved away before Dean could grab his shoulder in what his brother no doubt wanted to be an encouraging gesture.

It wasn't as if Sam did not want Dean close, because of course he did. But he thought of the last time he had been in a cemetery and what he had done there. He thought of what Cas and Bobby had told him about his stint while soulless, the stuff he had done to Dean and the stuff no one knew about, since Sam guessed he had done plenty of other things too, before meeting Dean. He thought of how his soulless actions had somehow marred his previous sacrifice, making him even less worthy of redemption.

Whatever would happen in the graveyard, Sam told himself, it would be something he thoroughly deserved. It would be like wiping the slate.

Sam led the way to the furthest end of the graveyard, glad that no one was asking any questions. He was looking for the right spot, a place where not a lot of people would stumble upon, if things went wrong. He found it, eventually. There was a crypt, almost at the end of the graveyard. It was old, he thought, nodding to himself. Good.

"This is it," he said.

"This is what?" Blair asked frowning. "What do you plan on doing here?"

"Building a sort of trap inside," Sam said. "Call it a…uhhh…a supernatural dog cage. There are markings we can set to make sure that whatever walks in, can never come out unless we want it to."

"Sounds reasonable," Jim agreed. "The only problem is, how are you gonna get Cerberus to walk in here? Won't he suspect a trick?"

Sam nodded.

"He probably will. But he won't be able to help himself."

"Why?" Jim asked non-compromising.

Sam hesitated. He knew if he explained, Dean would figure out just how risky his plan was – and be quick to object it.

"He's gonna come because I'll be inside the trap. And he won't be able to help himself."

He saw Dean's eyes widen in comprehension.

"Absolutely not!"

Sam shook his head helplessly.

"Dean, you know this is how it has to happen," he argued reasonably. "One of us has to draw Cerberus into a trap."

"One of us," Dean agreed. "Why does it necessarily have to be you?"

Sam looked at him pointedly.

"You know why."

True, there were three of them who had died and come back, but Sam's death had been the most recent. And Sam's soul had spent years in hell. Cerberus probably could still smell the traces of hell all over Sam. Not that Sam wanted to say that out loud – or think about it too much.

Sam sought Dean's eyes and noticed the stony rebellion in them. He reached out and grabbed his shoulder, shaking it slightly.

"Hey," he said pointedly. "This isn't going to be like last time."

He noticed Dean having trouble swallowing.

"Really?" Dean asked, and, just as Sam had expected, his voice was hoarse. "Because from where I'm standing, this looks a hell of a lot like last time."

Sam squared his shoulders, pretending he didn't feel the shiver down his spine.

"It's not," he insisted. "I'll be able to get out of the trap."

"Before Cerberus tears your throat out?"

Sam shook his head.

"He won't. He's…I think he's gonna be interested in me. In what's in my mind. He'll be drawn to it."

Sam realized Blair and Jim had no idea what he was talking about, but he did not think any good would have come out of him explaining. Dean knew, though. Dean understood everything.

"I still don't like it," Dean said.

"Neither do I," Sam admitted. "But I think this can work."

He noticed Jim shift impatiently.

"Good, so you trap the thing. Then what? He remains here in the graveyard?"

"Then we destroy the amulet," Sam explained. "Where is that, anyway?"

"Oh, I have it," Blair answered casually.

Dean frowned in his direction.

"Wait, didn't you tell Moira you didn't have it on you?"

Blair shrugged innocently.

"Yeah, uh…I lied."

Sam snorted. It seemed he was not the only one who took wild gambles that could get him killed – or worse. Still, that could play to his advantage.

"Fine. I think I've got a better plan."

"Trap both Cerberus and the amulet in the crypt, then set it on fire," Dean guessed.

Sam looked at him in surprise. Sometimes he forgot how in sync he and Dean used to be before demons and angels had tried to pull them apart. He nodded.

"Yeah. The amulet will be destroyed. Cerberus will have no choice but to go back where he came from."

"Won't he return, though?" Blair asked, troubled.

"Without anyone here having the ability to call him back and control him?" Sam mused. "I guess not. There's no reason for him to want to return."

"There's Moira, though," Dean argued.

They had left Moira handcuffed in the car and semiconscious. The wound Dean had given her was superficial, so they did not worry that she would be in danger of bleeding out. She probably wouldn't be escaping, either.

"I'm sure if there's no Cerberus Moira will be more reasonable," Blair said. "Maybe I could convince her to turn herself in."

Jim snorted.

"Sometimes I wonder how you have such a rose-colored view of people, Chief."

Blair's mouth set in a thin line.

"It's not rose-colored. When I look at her, I see myself. So I know what language to speak to her."

Dean and Sam exchanged questioning looks.

"I doubt Moira can call Cerberus back without the amulet," Sam said. "So even if she doesn't turn herself in, she probably won't be much of a threat."

"Right," Dean said. "Our first priority is Cerberus, anyway. Sam…"

Sam nodded quickly.

"I know what to do," he said. "And I can do this. It'll be over in no time."

You sure about that? The intrusive voice that suddenly sounded in his head resembled that of Lucifer's former host way too much. Sam suppressed a shiver. He did not want to think about the terror knocking on the edges of his mind. He did not have time for it now.

In case you haven't figured out I'm about to have Sam do something very, very unwise. I wonder how he'll get himself out of this. And of course, Moira's still on the board, so I wonder how that will turn up. We've got two more chapters to fix this mess :)