Author's notes: I feel I've been writing this story forever. It's a wonder half of you even remember what the story is about. Well we're finally coming down to the home stretch. Maybe a chapter or two after this one I think. Thanks for reading and hanging in there with me.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Sammy had moved off the bed and was now sitting in one of Missouri's old armchairs back in the corner. He looked up as he heard a knock on the door and his father stuck his head in the room.
"How's it goin?" John asked tentatively not sure of the reception he would receive.
"What do you think Dad, first you shot him, and then Missouri drugged him. I keep hoping he'll wake up soon but then part of me hopes he doesn't. While he's unconscious I can fool myself into thinking that's our Dean laying there. He really doesn't know who we are does he?" Sam looked up at John with worried eyes.
"'fraid not son, but we're gonna get him back Sammy, we just have to be patient." John came inside and stood next to the door.
"But how Dad? What if there's nothing left to get back? How can we unscramble what that bitch did to him? I don't want to lose him Dad, not this way."
"We're not gonna lose him son. Between the four of us, we'll come up with something, I promise." John glanced at Dean guiltily before remembering the reason he came upstairs. "Listen Sam, Missouri thinks Meg may be nearby." Sam jumped up and moved over to John immediately concerned.
"Meg, how the hell did she know to find us here Dad?"
"I don't know Sammy, maybe she has a way of tracking Dean, but if she has found us we have to be prepared to take her on." John looked up at the ceiling at the replicate of the protective circle on the kitchen ceiling. Sam followed his fathers gaze and was surprised to see the design there.
"What is that Dad?" He asked studying it, amazed as his father was, at how something so simple could stop a demon.
"Bobby says it's a trap for demons. Traps them so they can't get out. If she gets past us and gets upstairs to you boys we'll still have a way to stop her. I want you to stay up here with your brother no matter what you hear going on down stairs do you understand me?" John said switching back to hunter mode.
"But, what if you need my help?" Sammy said, not wanting to be left out.
"Stay here and guard your brother, that's an order." John watched as Sam reluctantly agreed, resigned to waiting as the others face Meg. "Sammy it's not that I don't think we need your help, it's just that you would be better utilized up here protecting your brother. We can't let her take your brother again not after what she's done to him already. I'm not sure these traps are gonna be enough to stop her and what ever army she brings with her. I'm counting on you Sammy so please don't give me a hard time on this."
"Yes sir." Sam looked John in the eye and nodded. "That bitch ain't getting anywhere near Dean, Dad."
"That's my boy." He nodded back to Sam. "Check your weapons son, I don't think we have much time."
"On it Dad." Sam spun around and picked up the bag that held his and Dean's various weapons. It had been days since he had been through it. Everything had happened so fast he hadn't gone back to make sure they were cleaned and loaded again. Dean had always been the one fanatic about that but given the recent events Sam hadn't had time to even think about them. Seeing Sam take action, John turned to head back down stairs.
"I'm locking the door. Remember stay here." John gave Sam one final order.
"Yes sir." Sam replied pulling out one of his handguns and a clip. Sam spent the next few minutes checking and loading all the weapons in the bag, even Dean's.
Downstairs the three of them were in a flurry of activity. Missouri hurried to get bottles of holy water ready as well as a few potions she thought might come handy. Bobby was busy drawing another trap on the parlor floor, while John, still in the kitchen, checked and loaded their weapons making sure they had plenty of ammo. When he was finished he flipped through several books on exorcisms before settling on a couple he thought they would have to use. Setting the books down, he joined Bobby and Missouri in the parlor.
Suddenly the lights started to flicker and the front door started shaking in its doorframe. John and Bobby grab their guns and stood in the front of the door with Missouri protected behind them. Howling filled the air as they could hear demons attempting to get into the house. The front door exploded inward sending shards of wood at the two men in front of it. Momentarily stunned, they quickly recovered to see Meg striding in the house, a wicked grin on her face.
"John Winchester we finally meet, and look you have your friends with you. I think it's important to have your friends and family around you when you die." With one wave of her hand the trio went flying across the floor landing feet away from each other. John and Bobby quickly got up and moved to the parlor taking cover, weapons drawn and ready as she walked towards them.
Missouri, slower to get up, stood back in the hallway making a sign of protection as she saw the demon coming towards her. Meg merely laughed when she saw the psychic's feeble attempt to ward her off. The hallway closet door suddenly flew open and Meg with a look tossed the woman inside and locked the door. John and Bobby moved opposite of each other in the parlor watching as Meg tuned her attention back on them.
"Boys, boys, boys. Your little weapons can't harm me." She moved with assurance into the parlor, eyes twinkling with her evil intentions.
"Johnny I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to this." she moved ever closer to the protective circle painted on the floor. Bobby watched, heart beating a mile a minute as she stopped just short of the circle. John glanced over at his friend before making his move. He stood up and moved to the opposite side of the circle noting with satisfaction her continued ignorance of the trap in front of her.
"Listen bitch, I don't know why you chose this family to mess around with but it ends tonight, do you hear me?" John's eyes never left Meg's as he gave her his ultimatum.
"You're right Johnny, it does end tonight, when I have your bodies broken and mangled at my feet. But first, I'm gonna make you suffer. Suffer for what you and your kind have done to my family, my family. You thought killing my father was the end but it just started a whole new war against you, John Winchester. Your son may have been my first victim but I guarantee he won't be my last." She stepped a few inches towards them again.
Suddenly the sound of Dean screaming filled the house. John looked up horrified as he heard his son's agonizing cries. Mixed with Dean's screams was Sam's voice as he tried desperately to help his brother.
"That's right Johnny. He may have come back to you but I still have him in my grasp. Listen to him scream Johnny. I made him do that for hours after you killed my father. I made him whimper and beg for mercy before removing every last memory of his family from him. There's nothing left of your precious son now, nothing but what I want him to have." She started to laugh as she watched John's anger grow.
"John." Bobby called out to his friend trying to get his attention. Reluctantly John turned and looked over at Bobby, then followed his gaze to the floor. Meg in her self-righteousness had stepped into the trap without even knowing. John looked back over and her, an evil smile of his own on his face.
"Check mate." John said his voice low and barely controlled.
"Why Johnny I know you don't think this is a game, do you?" Meg asked confused at his statement.
"Yes, and it's a game I just won, look down." John spoke triumphantly.
Meg looked down and immediately realized where she was. Her expression was a combination of surprise and anger as she tried to escape, to avail. Fuming she shot evil glances at the two of them.
"Bobby help Missouri, I'm gonna run upstairs and check on the boys." John said ignoring Meg's spew of threats and vulgarities directed at them. Bobby quickly moved back down the hall throwing the closet door open as John rushed past and up the stairs two at a time. Sam was still hovering over his brother when John burst through the door.
"Dad oh my god…. Dean…I can't ….." Sam was still struggling to help his brother. Dean's face was contorted with pain. Blood trickled from his ears and nose as he continued to thrash on the bed. John rushed to the bed and help Sam hold his brother down as he started to speak the old words he memorized from the books in the kitchen. Realizing what his father was saying, Sammy gave John a terrified look.
"Dad's he not possessed, he can't be." Sam listened to his father speak the Latin words knowing each one caused his brother even more pain.
"Possessed no child, but under attack, yes he is." Missouri said as she moved in behind John with holy water. "Meg has sent a demon to kill your brother and we have to stop it right now before it succeeds."
Dean's screams grew louder as Missouri threw holy water on him. John's voice got louder, as he felt the demon begin to lose its hold. Finally Dean arched up in one final attempt to stop them and fell back on the bed unconscious, the demon attack over.
John and Sam collapsed over Dean as the battle suddenly ended. Sitting on his bed they looked at each other, breathless, shaking, realizing just how close they came to losing him. Bobby's voice suddenly called up from the parlor.
"John hurry we don't have much time." Hearing Bobby's voice, John gave a relieved father's glance at his two sons before switching back to hunter mode.
"Sam stay here and don't come down until you hear me call you, you understand?" John commanded as jumped up from the bed.
"Yes sir." Sammy replied as he watched his father and Missouri run back down stairs. Sam moved back to the door, closing it once again, the door frame in splinters from his father's explosion through the doorway. Sitting back on the bed he picked up a towel and tried to remove the blood from his brother's face, and then reaching down, he picked up the gun he dropped in his rush to help his brother, and placed it on the nightstand.
By the time John and Missouri made it back down stairs Bobby had tied Meg to a chair in the middle of the protective circle. Bottles of holy water sat on the nearby table as well as the book on exorcisms. John rushed up to Meg about the beat the crap out of her when Bobby grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Don't John." He cautioned, holding tightly to John's arm. John struggled to pull away but Bobby just held on tighter.
"Damn it Bobby let me at her, the bitch just tried to kill my son." he turned on his friend almost ready to hit him as well. Bobby let go and stepped back.
"John look at her." He pleaded trying to rein John's anger in.
"Yeah I did look at her and now I want to kill her." John spat back.
"No John look at her. She's a human being, not a demon. She's possessed…. you can't harm her." Bobby quickly explained. John whipped his head around and stared at Meg quickly realizing Bobby spoke the truth. Meg, seeing John's hesitation, started to laugh taunting him even further. John moved abruptly towards her again before stopping inches away from her face.
"When we're through with you, you little…" Missouri cleared her throat effectively stopping John's threat knowing he would never hit the woman in front of her. John stepped back and took a deep breath.
"Let's get this started then." He sneered never taking his eyes off of Meg.
"John remember, she's human, this exorcism is most likely going to kill her." Bobby warned John.
"And this should bother me how?" John looked over at Bobby, revenge clearly on his face.
"John Winchester, I know you don't think we're just gonna let you kill this girl." Missouri spoke up pulling his attention to her.
"She's already dead." He said looking Missouri in the eye. "She died the minute she fell out that warehouse window. Only the demon is keeping her alive."
Missouri and Bobby looked at each other realizing John spoke the truth. The person that used to be Meg was long gone, kept alive only by demonic means.
"You realize we can't leave her this way, and I'm not just saying this because I want some sort of revenge. It's too cruel and it needs to end. We can end it right now." John continued. Bobby looked down at the floor but nodded in agreement with John. John looked over at Missouri for her approval. She turned towards Meg, momentary lost in thought, as Meg glared back at her. Breaking eye contact Missouri turned towards the two men.
"John's right, I don't feel any part of who the real Meg was, left inside her body. Only the demon remains. We're gonna have to do it, just to give that poor girl some peace."
"So we're in agreement then, we exorcise her?" John asked already knowing their response.
"Let's do it." Bobby said still somewhat reluctantly. Meg looked up at the trio with a smile still on her face.
"You'll be sorry. You have no idea who you are messing with. You think I gave you a hard time? Just wait till the others find out what you have done to me. I promise the hell I put you through will be magnified 100x's over." She started laughing again.
Bobby picked up the book of exorcisms as looked at John for the signal to start. John looked at Meg, remembering the feeling of helplessness he felt when he thought Dean was dead. Remembering the look of terror on his youngest sons face and the pain he just saw on it a short time ago. Remembering the agonizing pain he knew Dean must have felt as he was being tortured.
"Do it." he said giving the signal. Bobby nodded and started to speak.
Tbc
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Authors notes. Ahhhhh how I love cliffhangers. Thanks for reading and leave a review at the door.