Hi lovelies! I'm still here and updating. I have had some focus on my other story because to be honest it's just flowing much easier for me right now and so its tempting to just keep writing that one, but I'm trying to be better about pacing it out between the two of them. This chapter was kind of challenging to fit Emily into and so I hope I did it justice. I didn't want to skip it because I know it's important to the story line, I hope you guys enjoy it and I would love for you to drop a review and let me know!
"Are you on your way yet?"
"Yes babe, I should be there soon… is Bobby doing any better?"
I sighed as I looked down the hallway towards his room.
"Not really… I think it's just getting worse to be honest with you. I don't know how to help him Jud."
"I don't know if you can babe, just be there for him."
"I wish you were able to find out more. I feel like this was all for nothing."
"Not for nothing Em. We know he's got a vessel. He's got to have permission too… I just have a feeling he was more persuasive than Zac the asshole."
"I'm just ready for you to be back… drive fast. But careful."
"I'll see you soon baby. Promise."
"Soon."
I sighed as I hung up the phone and leaned back against the wall. I walked forward until I met Dean and Sam outside Bobby's room. He sat in a wheelchair. Staring out the window… where he's been for the last six hours. It broke me. One of the strongest men I know- is suddenly so defeated. I hated it.
"It's been like three days now? We got to cheer him up. Maybe I'll give him a backrub." Dean mused outloud.
"Dean. Shut up." I rolled my eyes.
"Well, what, then?"
"Look...we might have to wrap our heads around the idea that Bobby might not just bounce back this time." Sam sighed. I looked up and his eyes met mine with a sad smile. I leaned against him, which was when I noticed the large envelope in Dean's hands.
"What's in the envelope?"
"Went to radiology." Dean answered as he pulled out the contents and held them up to the light above us. "Got some glamour shots."
"Holy shit…" I whispered as I grabbed it from his hands.
"Let's just say the doctors are baffled."
"That's creepy as hell."
"Yeah, well, Cas carved you one, too."
I cringed at the thought, Sam's ringing phone caught all of our attention.
"Hello? ...Castiel?"
"Speak of the devil." Dean shrugs.
"Ah, St. Martin's Hospital. Why? What are you—Cas?"
"What was that about?"
"I don't know." Sam shrugged, but then a man in a trench coat came into our view and made his way down the hallway towards us.
"Cell phone, Cas? Really? Since when do angels need to reach out and touch someone?" Dean asked.
"You're hidden from angels now—all angels. I won't be able to simply—"
"Enough foreplay." Bobby interrupted as he turned around and wheeled towards us. "Get over here and lay your damn hands on."
… But Cas simply stood there, staring at him.
"Get healing. Now."
"I can't."
"Say again?"
OH shit. I know that look on his face. Castiel finally stepped towards him.
"I'm cut off from heaven and much of heaven's power. Certain things I can do. Certain things I can't."
"You're telling me you lost your mojo just in time to get me stuck in this trap the rest of my life?"
"I'm sorry."
"Shove it up your ass." He yelled as he turned and went back to the window.
"Bobby… we'll figure it out. We'll find something." I encouraged. He only huffed as a reply.
"At least he's talking now." Dean added.
"I heard that." Bobby growled back. Castiel turned and walked back to us.
"I don't have much time. We need to talk."
"Okay." I shrugged, then he looked to Dean.
"Your plan to kill Lucifer."
"Yeah. You want to help?"
"No. It's foolish. It can't be done."
"Oh. Thanks for the support."
"But I believe I have the solution. There is someone besides Michael strong enough to take on Lucifer. Strong enough to stop the apocalypse."
"Who's that?" I asked. I seemed to be surprised by practically nothing since the other night when we found out Dean is a vessel for Michael. It just never seems to shock me when we end up getting fucked form all sides.
"The one who resurrected me and put you on that airplane. The one who sent me to grab Emily from that convent. The one who began everything. God."
I knew it was him. Why that brought me a sense of relief I'm not sure, but it did.
"I'm gonna find God." He repeated so sure of himself.
"God?" Dean questioned.
"Yes."
"God."
"Yes! He isn't in heaven. He has to be somewhere."
"Try New Mexico. I hear he's on a tortilla." Dean teased.
"No, he's not on any flatbread."
"Cas." I sighed. "Remind me to teach you the definition of sarcasm."
He looked at me even more confused, but before I could speak Dean interrupted us.
"Listen, Chuckles, even if there is a God, he is either dead—and that's the generous theory, or he's up and kicking and doesn't give a rat's ass about any of us."
"Dean stop." I crossed my arms as Castiel glared at him. "How can you just discount that option after everything else that's happened lately? Shit. If he can find God then maybe we an straighten shit out for once."
"Em, Cas… I mean, look around you, man. The world is in the toilet. We are literally at the end of days here, and he's off somewhere drinking booze out of a coconut. All right?
"Enough. This is not a theological issue. It's strategic. With God's help, we can win."
"It's a pipe dream, Cas." Dean shut him down once again. I looked to Sam and told him with one look that I'm moments away from punching him, he smirked at me slightly before squeezing my shoulders. But when I looked back a very angry Cas was only inches from Dean's face.
"I killed two angels this week. My brothers. I'm hunted. I rebelled. And I did it, all of it, for you and Emily, and you both failed. You and your siblings destroyed the world— and I lost everything, for nothing. So keep your opinions to yourself."
"… Well that was harsh." I mumbled as I leaned back against the wall, my pride more wounded than my feelings at the way the words rolled out of his mouth. Like I was a child being scolded for breaking something.
"You didn't drop in just to tear us a new hole. What is it you want?" Bobby yelled to him not bothering to turn around.
"I did come for something. An amulet."
"An amulet? What kind?" Sam asked.
"Very rare. Very powerful. It burns hot in God's presence. It'll help me find him."
"A God EMF?"
Cas nodded in response.
"Well, I don't know what you're talking about. I got nothing like that." Bobby finally turned towards us.
"I know. You don't." Cas answered before turning back to Dean and staring down at the amulet around his neck. The amulet he's worn every day since I was 9 years old, and Sammy and I gave it to him.
"What, this?"
"May I borrow it?"
"No." Dean and I said simultaneously. Don't ask me why something as silly as a necklace seemed so significant, but it was a part of us. A part of the pact we made between the three of us so long ago.
"Dean. Give it to me." Cas insisted. Dean looked down at me, I sighed and then he looked back at Cas and finally pulled the amulet off.
"All right, I guess."
"Don't lose it." I warned the angel.
"Great. Now I feel naked." Dean sighed.
"I'll be in touch."
And with that he was gone yet again…
"When you find God, tell him to send legs!" Bobby yelled turning back to the window again.
…..
…..
…..
"He's an hour out, Dean. We can wait for 1 damn hour… Rufus has survived this long he can survive an hour longer."
"Em, Bobby was serious. He said the place was crawling with demons and that we needed to go NOW."
"Fine. Go. Leave me here and I'll ride in with Judson."
"Yeah. You know I'm not letting you out of my sight when the angel squad is hot on your ass, not a chance kiddo."
"Dean, please!" I begged.
He huffed and looked between Sam and I.
"If Rufus is dead when we get there you get to explain it to Bobby." He finally said with a roll of his eyes.
"Rufus is a cockroach, he's survived this long he'll be fine." I yelled back as he walked out to door to keep packing the car and making sure the engine looked good for a long drive.
"Em, he's right. You can't separate from us right now. Not until we know the angels aren't lurking for a chance to split us up. Hell, they might try to take you or Dean."
"I know." I sighed as I sat at the table across from him. "I just want to wait for Judson, that's all. I wouldn't have actually stayed alone."
"What do you think we're fixing to walk into?"
"Who knows. Rufus is a pain in the ass, but he's not one to ask for help. If he called then I know its serious." I admitted.
…..
…..
…..
Em: Think you could ride this ass any harder?
I giggled to myself as I shut the phone and turned to grin at Judson through the back windshield. After our brief but satisfying reunion we hit the road and even though Dean refused to let me ride in the truck I was having my fun texting back and forth.
Every time the phone buzzes against my leg I smile like an idiot.
J: Keep it up, I'll ride that ass all night long.
Em: I prefer to be the one riding on things.
J: Well I certainly won't stop you.
Em: Good. I'll need your helmet.
J: Um, should I be afraid of why?
Em: You never let me ride the motorcycle without one.
I grinned and giggled again as I laid the phone down and turned to watch his expression as he read it. He shook his head at me and bit his lip.
"Can you please stop." Dean whined. "You two are making me uncomfortable."
"YOU? I'm sorry… the great man whore Dean Winchester is uncomfortable with a little flirting?"
"First of all, shut up. Second of all if it was just flirting I'd let it slide but there's no way those texts are rated PG and the thought of it is making me uncomfortable. We're almost there, please. I beg of you… put it away."
"Fine. Signals starting to get shitty anyways." I rolled my eyes, sending one last text to Judson before I slid it in my pocket and leaned forward with my chin resting on the back of the front seat between him and Sam.
"What the hell." Dean mumbled as the car crawled to a stop, it wasn't until we were right in front of it I realized a chunk of the bridge was missing.
"Holy shit." I mumbled as we got out and stepped to the edge, I heard the engine to the truck shut off as well and within moments arms wrapped around my shoulders and I leaned back against Judson's chest as he planted a kiss on my cheek.
"This is the only road in or out." Dean said as he turned back towards us.
"No signal." Sam said as he held his phone up.
"Rufus was right. Demons got this place locked down." I sighed.
"Looks like we're hiking in." Sam sighed as he turned and started to grab a bag.
We followed, Dean right behind us.
"Em. Stay close, eyes open. You stay between two of us at all times, got it?"
"Don't worry, I'll be sure to stay close." I said as I winked at Judson.
Dean fake gagged before throwing a bag at me with a little more force than necessary. Judson grabbed a few things from the truck, and then it was a task of how the hell we get across this gap in the bridge.
"What do you think? Jump it?" Judson asked looking between Sam and Dean.
"Easy for you three, your legs are longer than my entire body." I mumbled.
"Jump shorty." Dean teased as he grabbed my bags from me. Sam was the first to leap across the gap, making it look like a game of hopscotch. Dean began to toss him all of our bags one at a time, Sam caught them with ease.
Dean was next, with no problems of course.
"Alright kiddo, just don't think. Jump We'll grab you if you come up short."
"Yeah easy for you to say." I deadpanned as I stepped to the edge, kicking a rock and watching it take a long drop to the river bed.
"Don't think, just jump." Judson echoed them as he caught my hesitation.
"Well then you go!"
"Not until you're with your brothers. I'm not stupid enough to leave you over here by yourself."
"Ughhhh… I hate you guys." I groaned as I took a step back and a sucked in a deep breath, bouncing back and forth on my feet before finally pushing myself off the edge. My feet barely landed on the edge of the other side, but both Sam and Dean were quick to grab on and pull me forward, making my landing a little easier than I thought it would be.
"See. Easy peasy." Dean winked. I lightly hit his shoulder with the back of my hand before turning and waiting for Judson to come across, he too made it without any issues. Bunch of long legged assholes.
The walk into town wasn't far, maybe a mile from the bridge, but the sight was concerning.
It was empty… it was more than empty, it was deserted. I started to worry maybe we were too late after all.
"Guns out?" Dean asked as he turned back towards Judson and I. Sam and He both wielded a shotgun, I carried my sawed off but had my pistol tucked close by, and I could see the knife handle in Sam's waist band in front of me.
"Yeah. We're good." Judson answered, keeping himself as close to me as possible without stepping on my feet. We walked down the street, shops open with lights on but not a person in sight. We approached a car turned upside down in the street, Dean ducked down to look for any sign of bodies, blood, anything.
"This is kind of freaking me out."
There's another car in the street, this one tan and the right way up. The driver's door is open, the engine is running, and the radio is playing "Spirit in the Sky".
We circled the vehicle, guns pointed, but it too was empty.
I reached in and turned off the radio, Sam and Dean turned to me with a curious look.
"What?! It was freaking me out… Spirit in the sky?" I said as I raised my eyebrows. Dean shook his head at me and they turned back around, we continued down what must be the main street in town as it held a banner over the road. It advertised something about Pioneer Days Festivals blah blah blah.
"Where is everyone?" I whispered to Judson.
"I don't know babe. I feel like we're being watched though."
We kept a steady and quiet pace, coming up on a red old school classic mustang. Dean stopped, lowering his gun for a moment while he whistled and admired it. I gotta admit it looked damn good, and a little out of place in the midst of this vacant chaos.
The sound of something sparking caught our attention and we all whipped our heads around to the right. There was a gas station, a busted light throwing sparks every few moments.
"De. Blood." I mumbled as I noticed a puddle of it next to a minivan we were approaching.
"I know." He said as he lifted his gun again, the driver door of the van stood open a baby stroller sat in front of it… more blood leading away from the van. I swallowed down the sick feeling in my gut and turned away from it until we passed. Although it too was empty without a single sign of a person living or dead, I just couldn't stand the thought.
We only took maybe another five or six steps before the sound of a gun cocking stopped me in my tracks, I whipped around and we all came face to face with Ellen, gun pointed in our direction.
"Ellen?" Sam questioned as he and Dean lowered their guns.
"Hello, boys. Emily." She smiled at us as she lowers her gun and walks closer to us.
"Ellen, what the heck's going on here?" Dean asked.
She only replied by splashing him in the face with holy water and raising her gun again.
"We're us, Ellen." I assured her. Reaching up and using my hand to wipe some of the holy water off Dean's face and onto my hand. I held it out for her to see- no burning flesh.
"Follow me." She said as she started to walk towards a church across the courtyard in the center of town.
"You going to tell us what the hells going on?" I asked as we walked.
"You gonna introduce me to your boyfriend?"
"Oh. Yeah, uh Ellen this is Judson. Judson- Ellen. She and her daughter Jo ran a bar, lot of hunters stopped in. They kinda live the life too."
"Speaking of Jo, where is she." Dean asked. Ellen stopped, looked at him, and then kept walking.
No.
Not Jo.
Dean threw a concerned glance back at me and my stomach flopped.
Ellen doesn't answer or stop talking until she walks us in to the church and pass a devils trap, a salt line at the doorway for us to step over. Once the doors are closed she turns back to us and begins to hug us one at a time.
"Real glad to see you kids." She mumbled as she hugged me, then moved to the boys. But when she got to Dean she hugged him, reached back and slapped him. I slightly gasped in shock.
"The can of whoopass I ought to open on you." She growled.
"Ow!" Dean dramatically whined.
She flipped her head around to Sam and then looked between us all.
"You can't pick up a phone? What are you, allergic to giving me peace of mind? I got to find out that you're alive from Rufus?"
"Sorry, Ellen." Sam muttered.
"Yeah, you better be. You better put me on speed dial, kid."
"Yes, ma'am." Dean nodded.
"C'mon." Ellen said turning to lead us further into the church.
"What's going on, Ellen?" Dean asked again as she led us down a set of stairs.
"More than I can handle alone."
"How many demons are there?"
"Pretty much the whole town, minus the dead people and these guys." She stopped once more at the closed door and looked back at us. "So, this is it, right? End times?"
We glanced between each other, Sam pulling his eyes to the ground and me reaching back to grab Judson for comfort.
"It's got to be." She sighed seeing our reactions.
"Seems like it." Sam agreed.
"It's me." She said loudly as she knocked on the door. Someone from the other side slid open a peep hole before opening the door and allowing us all to come in.
"This is Emily, Sam, and Dean. They're hunters. Here to help. The kid's not exactly a hunter, but he's handy from what I've heard." She introduced us to a young man, gun over his shoulder. Military stance. I'd recognize that look anywhere. He's a soldier.
"You guys hip to this whole demon thing?"
"More than you know." I sighed.
"Yeah. Are you?" Dean asked as another man came to stand beside the soldier.
"My wife's eyes turned black." He said as he played with his wedding ring. "She came at me with a brick. Kind of makes you embrace the paranormal."
"All right, catch us up." Dean said turning to Ellen.
"I doubt I know much more than you. Rufus called. Said he was in town investigating omens. All of a sudden, the whole town was possessed. Me and Jo were nearby—"
"You're hunting with Jo?" Dean asked surprised.
I'd ask where she is again, but honestly I'm afraid to hear the answer.
"Yeah, for a while now. We got here, and the place—well, the place was like you see it. Couldn't find Rufus, then me and Jo got separated. I was out looking when I found you."
"We'll find her. Promise." I replied. No way am I leaving my only real friend out there.
"Either way, these people cannot just sit here." Judson said looking around the room.
"I'm with him." Sam nodded in agreement. "We got to get them out now."
"No, it's not that easy. I've been trying. We already made a run for it once." Ellen argued.
"What happened?"
"There used to be twenty of us."
"Well, there's five of us now-" Dean started.
"You don't know what it's like out there. Demons are everywhere. We won't be able to cover everybody." Ellen interrupted him with a frustrated tone. I could tell she was worried about Jo.
"What if we get everyone guns?" Sam asked.
"What, are you gonna arm up baby bump over here?" Dean asked.
"I'll cover her." I said looking between them. Don't put a gun in her hands. She's terrified.
"You will cover yourself, and he will cover you. Period." Dean pointed a finger at me.
"Dean. As much as I don't want to use them, you and I both know if it came down to it I could cover us all. We stand a chance."
"No. Not with him out of the cage. We don't know what will happen now… what if it draws him to you? What if it's like a tracking thing or what if it doesn't work now that he's here? You said yourself he came to you like the red smoke. The game's changed kiddo… we might as well be starting from scratch as far as that goes."
I wanted to argue but I couldn't… he's right.
"Em. He's right. Even if you could cover all of us, your abilities could have intensified, or weakened. I don't think we should find out when we're facing an entire town of demons."
"Fine… But I still have a gun, and I'll cover her if it comes down to it." I said as I crossed my arms.
"More salt we can fire at once, more demons we can keep away." Sam said pulling us back on track.
"There's a sporting goods store we passed on Main on the way in. I bet they got guns." Dean nodded as we dropped our things to the floor.
"All right. You stay. Em and Judson can help here. We'll go." Sam said looking up to Ellen and gesturing to Dean who nodded in agreement.
"What about—"
"If Jo and Rufus are out there, we'll bring them back."
"Um. I'm sorry… but I'm not staying here. Salt lines keep out demons, but not angels incase you forgot about that. And there's no way I'm sitting in here with Jo out there, the more eyes open the better our chances of finding them. We're going."
"Fine." Dean said as he shoved his gun at me. "You stay on my ass."
"Sir yes sir." I mocked slightly as I reached down and grabbed an extra flask of holy water. We stepped out the door and went to climb the stairs when Dean stopped us.
"Whoa whoa whoa Hold on. Why don't you stay Sam."
"What?" He asked confused.
"Well, yeah. Somebody's got to stay here and start giving them Shotgun 101."
"Yeah. Ellen."
I looked at Dean's face and knew this wasn't about shotgun class… this was about Sam. He didn't want him around the demons. Shit… I'm so tired of this uncomfortable dodging. I wish they'd either drop it or duke it out and be over it.
"It's gonna go a lot faster if you stay and help, okay?"
"While you guys go get guns and salt and look for Jo and Rufus? That's stupid. Besides you said yourself we shouldn't split up while Em is with us."
"Me and the kid can handler her. She can handle guns and salt. We'll all keep our eyes open for Jo."
"You don't want me going out there." Sam said as the realization finally hit him.
"I didn't say that."
"De.. Sam. Please, we don't have to do this right now." I groaned.
"Around demons." Sam continued, both of them ignoring me.
"I didn't say that."
"Fine, then let's go." Sam said turning and pushing past us to the climb the stairs. I stopped and stared at Dean as Judson followed behind him.
"What?" He asked exasperated.
"Really? Now?"
"Shut up and move." He said pushing me lightly, I jogged up the stairs and he followed behind.
"I'll get the salt. You three get the guns." Sam said as we stepped onto the street and he realized the grocery store and the sporting goods place were on opposite sides of the road and a little ways apart.
"We'll go together." Dean argued.
"Okay. Stop." I said stepping in front of them. "Two of us go for guns, two of us go for salt. Both of you stop acting like children and do the math. Even the numbers, efficient and quick. Whoever finishes first go to the others."
"Fine." Sam sighed.
"Em, with me." Dean said as he turned away and started walking towards the sporting goods store. Judson pecked my cheek before leaving to follow Sam.
"Be careful." He called out to me as I moved to follow Dean. I nodded back.
"I'm getting a little sick of your attitude today." Dean mumbled as we carefully made our way into the unlocked and open store, moving to grab duffle bags to carry the weapons in first.
"I'm getting a little sick of being the adult in this family. I like it better when I get to be the petty bitch and you two keep us on track and out of trouble."
"You're still a petty bitch sometimes." Dean mumbled.
"I heard that." I said back as I used the butt of a gun to bust the glass case that the handguns were in.
"I'm serious Em. Just stay out of it."
"I'm serious too De. Either the two of you punch each other till your happy with the blood shed, or drop it. He's done everything he can since that day to try and make things right. He's not sleeping well because he feels guilty, he is so determined to make it up to you- to us, and you just cut him down like that."
Dean sighed as he stopped gathering things for a moment and turned towards me.
"Emily. I know this is hard to understand. Okay? But there's no way he just went cold turkey and never looks back… it took you weeks to wean off. Even longer to kick the feeling of needing something even though you were clean. Tell me… when you think about Lucifer and it overwhelms you, if you had a pill in your pocket would you still feel tempted?"
I stared at him sadly.
"Yes." I whispered.
"I know you wouldn't take it, but the urges. The thoughts. They're still there even if you don't talk about it or think about it kiddo. I know that, and I'm so proud of you for kicking it in the ass but it's going to take time for him too. He's lying. He's lying because he thinks he has to, but still… it's a lie."
"Maybe it's not, De."
"I wish it wasn't." He said before he ruffled my hair and went back to packing the last of the weapons we could get our hands on.
"We good?" I asked as I slid a duffle bag over his head and secured it on his shoulder.
"Yeah. This should be plenty." He said. He carried two bags, and I carried one myself. We carefully ducked out of the sporting goods store and made our way over towards the general store.
The closer we got, I began to hear noises… a struggle.
"De?"
"Yeah. I hear it." He said drawing his weapon and pushing me to follow behind him as we carefully entered the store. The door bell chimed as we stepped in and looked at the bodies in the floor.
"Sammy?" Dean called out as we turned to look down the aisle.
Judson leaned against the wall catching his breath, but my eyes go straight to Sam. He stood over the dead demon's body. Knife in hand and blood dripping onto the floor from the blade.
I could see it in his face… I could see the desire.
The pain.
It was that moment that told me Dean was right.
…..
…..
…..
I watched as Sam taught the young pregnant woman and a few other men how to load, unload, and turn the safety off of a shotgun. Judson was teaching a couple of others across the room. Ellen beside him trying to help the man with the wedding ring, he really seemed to struggle.
"You know your way around a gun at all?" Dean's voice beside me caught my attention. I turned and found him looking at the soldier.
Oh this will be good.
The man, Austin- I've learned, quickly and efficiently disassembles the entire gun within seconds. I chuckle and smile up to him, he gives a kind smile back.
"Hm. Where'd you serve?" Dean asked.
"Fallujah. Two tours. Got back a little over a year ago. Takes one to know one. Where'd you serve?"
"Hell."
A chill ran down my spine at the way the word left his mouth, Austin however assumed it was a joke and looked at him with an amused chuckle.
"No, seriously."
"Seriously. Hell."
I turned and left them to walk over to Sam, who was now sitting my himself in the corner as the people he was instructing took turns practicing loading the gun.
"Hey." I said leaning against the wall beside him.
"Hey."
"What's wrong?"
"It's just...at the store. Those demons were possessing teenagers. I mean, I had to slit some kid's throat."
"Come on, Sam, you had to."
"I know. I just...it used to be like... I just wish I could save people like I used to."
"When you were all juiced up on demon blood?" I asked bluntly.
"I didn't say that." He sighed.
"I know, but.. Sam that's the reality of it. You were slowly dying in the process of saving them."
"Yeah." He sighed.
"I love you."
"I love you too, kiddo."
"I'll be back." Ellen said suddenly coming to stand in front of us, catching Dean's attention too as he walked towards us.
"Where you going?" Dean asked.
"I can't sit here on my ass. My daughter's out there somewhere. I'm not back in half an hour, go. Get these people out of here."
"No, wait. I'll go with you." I insisted as I jumped up, now Judson too was walking towards us.
"Em, what's going on?" He asked.
"We're going to look for Jo."
"Whoa, hold on." Dean said stepping in front of me.
"Em. I'll go, you need to stay with Dean and with the group. Just incase."
"Oh. So you're gonna go out there again?" Dean questioned him irritably as he pulled him off to the side and out the door to the area by the stairs. I followed right behind them, seeing another argument budding.
"Well, crap doesn't hit the fan with coffee breaks."
"I'll go." Dean said with a finality in his voice. I sighed- here we go again.
"Has it been like this every day?" Judson whispered in my ear.
"Pretty much."
"It's fine. Just stay here, get 'em ready. I'll cover Ellen." Sam argued going to walk away.
"Why's it got to be you?" Dean said before he could walk past him.
"Oh, that's right, I forgot. You think I'll take one look at a demon and suddenly fall off the wagon, as if, after everything, I haven't learned my lesson."
"Well, have you?"
With that Sam slammed Dean up against the wall.
"Stop it!" I yelled as I moved to get between them, but Judson held me back. I could see Ellen looking over at us from inside the room full of people, luckily she was the only one by the door.
"If you actually think I—" Sam huffed before cutting himself off. He pushes off of Dean, who took it all without a word, I'm not even sure he blinked. Sam moved to grab his weapons and looked back to Ellen.
"We're going." He said to her, she took the hint and grabbed her gun and moved to follow him up the stairs.
"Sam, wait." I called out, but he just kept going.
I turned to look back at Dean, but this time I was out of words to say…
"Get back inside." He said as he moved to walk forward. I shook my head in frustration.
"C'mon babe. You gotta let them work it out." Judson said weaving his fingers into mine and pulling me back in. "We just gotta focus on these people."
I followed him back in and let Dean blow off steam working on weapons. Judson went back to helping a couple of guys he noticed were struggling with unloading shells. I looked around the room, my eyes falling again and the pregnant woman.
"Hey." I smiled as I walked over to sit beside her.
"Hi." She breathed nervously. I looked down at the .22 rifle in her hands. They shook as they set it back down on the table.
"Boy or girl?" I asked, hoping to distract her. Calm her.
"Oh. Uh… boy."
I smiled.
"Do you know what you want to name him?"
"We, couldn't decide on a name." She said sadly.
She said we, but she's been alone this entire time. My heart sunk as I realized her husband is probably dead already, at least I hope so. I can't imagine her having to shoot at him if he's possessed.
"What was his name?"
"It was Tyler." She smiled sadly.
"I like that name."
"Yeah… I guess I do too." She said as she rubbed her belly.
"What's your name?"
"Leah."
"Leah, I know you're scared. But I promise we will do everything we can to get you out of this. To get you somewhere safe."
"Do-do you do this a lot? Fight demons?"
"More than I want to admit." I shrugged.
"I never imagined that they were so… literal. So physically present in our world. I always kind of imagined them as ghosts."
"Now ghosts are their own brand of crazy." I chuckled. "Some are harmless, some are angry and need help being put to rest."
"Oh. Okay… ghosts." She nodded. Oops- I may just be making this worse.
"Do you think Angels are down here too? I mean, if demons are then surely the angels could be too."
I froze. I know what I would say to anyone else… but I can't get my mouth to say the words to her. She looks so hopeful. So sure that the angels would swoop down and save her if she just prayed hard enough.
"I like to think so." I lied, holding back the lump growing in my throat.
…..
…..
…..
"Dean they should have been back by now, let me go look… I promise I'll be back."
"No." He said as he paced back and forth.
"De- I'm the only one of us who can take on that many demons at once." I whisper yelled back at him.
"I said no."
"Em, he's right. You can't go out there by yourself, you'd be a sitting duck if the angels are watching."
"Well if they were watching then I would hope maybe one of those feathered assholes would have the decency to help these poor fuckers!" I grumbled to him, trying to keep my voice down so that the others didn't hear.
Pounding on the door interrupted us all, I jumped slightly as Dean opened the peephole, moved the barricade on the door and opened it. Ellen walked in alone.
"Where's Sam?" Dean and I asked simultaneously.
She looked between us and just shook her head back and forth.
"Ellen?! What the hell does that mean." I said following her as she moved to sit at the table.
"They took him? Demons took him? Oh my god. What if they're in here? The demons?" Leah began to panic and cry.
"Could they get in?" The pastor asked.
"No." I assured them. "The salt and the devils trap would stop them."
"Everybody sit tight. I got to—"
"The hell you are." I said standing up and walking over to him. "Either WE go or WE stay. If I can't go off on my own then neither can you, you can't take on that many alone no matter how bad you want to."
"Let me go, I'll just scope it out." Judson stepped forward to Dean and I.
"No! Stop it." I yelled at Judson. "None of us go alone anymore, period! Either you take me or you don't go because I'm the only one who can take them."
"What do you mean you can take them?" Asked the man with the wedding ring.
I looked up and suddenly realized our argument was louder than intended.
"Nothing, I just… I've fought a lot of demons." I said trying to cover it up.
"Okay, we need to get a plan together." Dean said pulling the attention off of me, He turned to sit across from Ellen. "Tell me everything."
"Dean, one of them's in Jo. We got to get it out without hurting her."
I sighed and Dean shook his head up and down, contemplating.
"It called me a bitch." Ellen snorted.
"Bruise a little easy, don't you think?" Dean said caught off guard that something so small would stick with her.
"No, that's not what I meant. It called me a black-eyed bitch." She said a little quieter looking between Dean and I. "What kind of demons are these? Holy water and salt roll right off. My daughter may be an idiot, but she's not stupid. She wears an anti-possession charm. It's all kind of weird, right?"
"The whole thing's off." Judson agreed.
"What's your instinct?" Ellen asked him. I looked up and looped my arm in his as the thought it out.
"The only demons who don't get affected by something like holy water are high level. Far too high to be concerned with a town that has a population of a couple thousand- maybe."
"My instinct is to call Bobby and ask for help. Or Sam." Dean sighed.
"Well, tough. All you got's us, and all we got's you. So let's figure it out." I said as I patted him on the shoulder.
"Do you know why Rufus came to town? Was there a specific omen?" Dean asked Ellen.
"He said something about water. That's all I know."
"Padré, you know what she's talking about—the water?" I asked looking over to him.
"The river. Ran polluted all of a sudden."
"When?"
"Last Wednesday. And the demon thing started up the next day." Austin answered.
"Anything else? Anything." Judson asked him.
"Maybe, but it's pretty random."
"Good. Random's good." Dean nodded.
"Shooting star—does that count?" Austin asked as we looked between each other. "Real big. Same night. Wednesday."
"That definitely counts." Judson nods before jogging over and grabbing a bible and then bringing it back to the table next to me, laying it between Dean and Ellen as he flipped through the pages.
"So, uh, you think that all this comes from outer space?" Austin asked confused.
"This isn't X-Files, pal." Dean asked as he and Jud kept scanning for passages.
"There. That one." Judson said as he pointed to it and turned it to Dean.
"And there fell a great star from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell upon the river, and the name of the star was Wormwood. And many men died." Dean read out loud.
"Revelation eight ten. Are you saying that this is about the apocalypse?" The pastor asked with a shaky voice.
"You could say. And these specific omens, they're prelude to what?"
"The Four Horsemen."
"And which one rides the red horse?" I asked catching on to where this was going… the damn mustang.
"War."
Dean and I looked to each other and nodded. Yep. He's thinking it too.
"That cherry Mustang parked on Main." He said turning to Ellen.
"You can't think that a car—"
"It's the way I'd roll." I shrugged.
"I mean, think about it. It all makes sense. If War is a dude and he's here, maybe he's messing with our heads." Dean added.
"Turning us on each other." Ellen pondered.
"You said Jo called you a black-eyed bitch. They think we're demons, we think they're demons. What if there are no demons at all and we're all just killing each other?" Dean asked.
"De. The exorcism. Sam- Judson said he tried to exorcise the demons at the store but it wasn't working."
"Wait, just back up. It's the apocalypse?" The pastor asked again.
"Yeah. Sorry about that, Padré." I shrugged.
"So now you're saying that there are no demons and war is a guy." Austin asked skeptical.
"You believed crazy before." Dean suggested.
Suddenly there was more hammering on the door.
"Open up! It's Roger!" He screamed from the other side. Austin moved to let him in, he charges in the room out of breath and shaken.
"I saw them, the demons. They know we're trying to leave. They said they're gonna pick us off one by one."
"Wait wait wait. What?" Dean asked.
"I thought you said there were no demons." Austin turned towards him.
"There's not. Where did you go?" I asked Roger with my arms crossed as I stepped towards him.
"I thought someone should go out and see what's going on!"
"Where did you see the demons and what did they say exactly?" Judson asked him coming to stand behind me.
"We just sit here, we're going to be dead." Austin interrupted.
"No, we're not!" Dean shouted over him.
"They're gonna kill us unless we kill them first." Roger continued to feed the fire of panic.
"Hold on. Hold on." Dean said stepping between them again.
"No, man, we got people to protect. All right, the able-bodied go hunt some demons." Austin said as he picked up a shotgun and handed it to a young man beside him.
"Hey soldier. Slow your roll. This is not a demon thing." I said holding my hands up at him.
Just as I turned back Roger began to shout and point at us.
"Look at their eyes! They're demons!" He accused.
I turned to see who the fuck he was pointing at- cause I know it ain't me.
As I turned I realized they were all staring at us, at me. I looked over to Leah who gasped and began to cry. The pastor suddenly lifted his gun and pointed it in our direction. Judson grabbed me and pulled me away from the people around me and shoved me towards Dean and the door.
"Go, go!" Dean yelled ushering us all out before slamming the door behind us.
"Move!"
We ran fast and hard until we were away from the church and out of sight. Leaning against the side of a house while I sucked air in and out of my lungs.
"De. Weapons." I tried to say. Realizing all of our weapons were back there other than a couple of hand guns.
"I don't think we need em Kiddo. We just need strategy."
"You good baby?" Judson asked as he pulled me into him.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I said finally catching my breath. "But they won't be if they go into a shoot out full of fear. They'll lose. They'll die."
"Only thing we can do is try to knock some sense into the other side. C'mon… Ellen take us to their base, lets scope it out." Dean waved for us to follow him.
…..
…..
…..
Ellen was in position to grab Jo. Dean close to Rufus's spot by the window. I gave them the signal from the yard and they both moved. Ellen taking down Jo from behind while Dean dragged Rufus through the window and slammed him down.
Judson and I moved towards them at that time, ready to disarm anyone else who may be a threat while they reason with two of the biggest demon hating hunters I know.
Now you listen up, Joanna Beth Harvelle.
"Listen to me. I'm not a demon. Think, Rufus. All those omens." Dean started to explain as they struggled, I kept the gun up watching Ellen and Jo while Judson covered Dean- our backs pressed against each other.
"You go to hell." Rufus yelled as he kicked Dean in the balls and then the punched him in the face. He lunged for the gun he had dropped, but Judson kicked it away as Dean grabbed him again and shoved him against the wall beside the doorway.
"Rufus! The polluted water, the shooting star, the red Mustang—it's War. I'm telling you, it's War!" Dean yelled.
"You're damn right it is."
"The Horseman!" I yell back at them, getting tired of the struggle.
"Horseman?"
"Yes. He's turning us against each other. You're hallucinating." Dean told him again.
"The Horseman. War." Rufus repeated as he began to settle down.
"Yes."
"Did you figure this out all by yourself, genius?"
"Get up." Dean said as he stood and pulled Rufus up beside him. I turned to look at Ellen and Jo, who were now hugging instead of fighting.
"Hey bitch." I called out as I lowered my gun. Jo turned and smiled, moving towards me.
"I shoulda known if there was trouble, you and those idiot brothers of yours would be nearby." She said as she hugged me, I squeezed her back. Damn I missed her.
"Yeah well, its never boring." I laugh as I step back.
"Who's the new dude?"
"Oh." I smiled as I looked back and reached for Judson's hand. He linked his in mine and stepped forward.
"Judson." He smiled to her.
"Huh." Jo nodded up and down and then turned to me. "He's hot, he got any brothers? Yours are annoying."
I giggled, moving to hug her again.
"We all on the same page?" Ellen called out as Rufus and Dean moved towards us.
"We're good." Rufus nodded.
"Hi, Jo." Dean smiled relieved.
"Hey."
"Okay, we got to find War before everybody in this town kills each—" Judson started, but gunfire pointed in our direction knocked us all to the ground, Judson laying over top of me.
"Damn it! Where's Sam?" Dean yelled.
"Upstairs." Rufus answered.
"Em, with me." Dean called as he threw me a shotgun and we moved to run up the stairs.
"Boy toy, you know how to shoot this thing?" I heard Jo ask as she slid Judson a weapon, he laughed in return.
Dean and I made it to the top of the stairs, clearing each room in silence as we walked, until suddenly we open the door to find Sam tied to a chair.
"Sam!" I breathed with relief as I dropped the gun and moved to untie him.
"Dean. It's not demons." He said looking up to Dean as I untied his hands form behind him.
"It's War." They both said in unison as I finally broke him free. He stood.
"I just can't figure out how he's doing it." Dean sighed looking down the hall again.
"Wait." I said thinking back to his story about the wife… the ring. He kept playing with the ring. "Its his ring. His wedding ring… he kept playing with it all day."
"The ring. The ring—that's right. He turned it right before he made everybody hallucinate and go hellbitch on us." Dean nodded.
"Did the same thing in here." Sam agreed.
"We got to move. Come on."
We rushed back down the stairs where everyone was taking fire.
"Ellen!" Dean called out. "We're going after War."
"Go! Hurry!" She yelled back.
"Jud?!"
"I'm fine- go!"
We ducked out the back door and ran as quickly as we could, looping the long way around to not be seen as we made it back towards main street, and the pretty red Mustang.
Dean put us in position, and then we waited…
Surely enough War came strolling casually towards the car, fiddling with the key as he went. Just before he put it in the door Dean moved first and shoved him against the car. I followed and pinned his arm out, Sam moving towards us with the knife.
"Whoa. Okay. That's a sweet little knife. But come on. You can't kill war, kiddos." He chuckled.
"Oh, we know." I smiled turning to look him in the eye as Sam cut his fingers off, I could hear the ring fall to the ground. Dean leaned down to pick up the ring and suddenly both War and the mustang were gone, as if they were never here in the first place.
The gunfire in the distance stopped.
"Well… that was fun." I sighed as I leaned against Dean for support. I've done more running today then I've done in weeks, I think. I want a nap.
…..
…..
…..
"I missed you." I said as I kissed him again. We sat in the parking lot of the gas station, I promised Dean we would only be a mile away and it would only be for maybe 20 minutes and he finally caved and agreed to let me ride with Judson to fill up the truck.
Besides… he and Sammy looked like they needed to get it all out. I'm honestly not sure we won't come back to a bloody now and a black eye or two.
"I missed you too, Em." He said as his mouth trailed down my neck. "How much time do we have left?"
"Uhh… six minutes." I said checking the time.
"Ugh." He groaned as he pulled back.
"What, you don't think I can't make it happen in less than six minutes?" I teased as I straddled his lap.
"Oh you can… but I want to enjoy it. Enjoy you. We can wait for the next motel."
"Fine." I sighed defeated as I slumped back and leaned my back against the steering wheel.
"He's got a vessel, Em."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I got a message, from a contact upstairs. Lucifer took his vessel."
My stomach rolled.
He must have noticed because he trailed his hands around my hips and squeezed, trying to comfort me.
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know." He shrugged. "If I had to guess it probably makes him stronger. The ability to walk and talk in a body, ya know?"
"Yeah." I answered, my eyes darting back and forth.
"Hey. Don't get lost in there." He said as he rubbed his thumb along my temple.
"He terrifies me."
"He's the devil babe, he should."
"No… not like that. Not like it should." I mumbled pulling myself off his lap and curling my knees up as I sat in the seat beside him.
"Talk it out with me, Em."
"He terrifies me… because I can't stop the pull towards him. When, we were alone. In the convent. I had every chance to run, but I couldn't. I didn't want to. It was like I was as drawn to him as he was to me."
"You could have just been in shock."
"Maybe." I shrugged. But I knew better than that. My whole life I've been honing my fight or flight skills and that definitely was a flight situation. Yet, I stayed… I didn't move.
"Do you really think my abilities have changed now that he's free?"
"I don't know. We can probably test some of it out, but we won't know until we probably end up in a situation where we need it. Where your life is threatened."
"Why didn't it feel threatened in front of him."
"I don't know, Em. Something to do with the blood connection if I had to guess."
"Times up." I sighed as the clock pulled my attention again.
I curled to sit against him as he backed out and pulled back down the dirt road to the small park where the impala was parked, Dean was sitting at a table not far from it. We jumped out and walked towards him.
"Hey." I said as I walked towards him. "We about ready to go? I'm hoping we grab somewhere to crash tonight. I'm exhausted."
"Yeah. We can head out." Dean said as he stood, but something was off.
Something was wrong.
He moved to walk towards the car.
"Wait, where's Sam?" I asked looking around, noting the bathrooms weren't far but they didn't appear to be in use since the door was wide open.
"He uh. He left." Dean said not meeting my glare, rather he kept walking towards the car.
"Left?" I questioned.
I felt the anger. The panic. The fear of what Sam must be feeling right now if Dean told him he had to leave, the way he would sulk in that guilt until it killed him.
"Em. Calm down." Judson warned as he grabbed my arm but I ripped it away from him.
"Yeah." Dean said nonchalantly. I rushed forward and shoved him from behind.
"You look at me when you answer that question!" I demanded. He stood. His face solid and emotionless.
"Where is Sam?" I asked him again, feeling my eyes water.
"He left." Dean said crossing his arms.
I shook my head back and forth.
"I can't fucking believe you Dean Winchester! He is our brother! You can't just tell him to leave like that, where is he?! Maybe we can still catch up." I said as I moved towards the road.
"I didn't tell him to leave, Em. He left on his own."
No.
Not again. He wouldn't.
"Oh sure, and I bet you tried so hard to talk him out of it!" I accused as I turned back and pushed him again out of anger. He just took it…
"Kiddo he-
"No! You do not get to kiddo me right now Dean! What the hell happened, we were gone for 20 fucking minutes?!"
"He's not there yet Em. He's a danger to you. He's a danger to us, and he was a danger to himself staying on the job with demons and angels around every corner."
"I swear if you told him that I will knock your teeth out myself." I growled crossing my arms and going to walk towards the road again.
"Em. I didn't tell him to leave, I just let him make that decision."
"Well then what did you say Dean?!"
"He said he didn't trust himself, Em. He said he was in no shape to be hunting, and that he was going to go his own way for a while… and I just didn't fight him on it."
I stood, feeling the hot tears fall down my cheeks, the ones that were no doubt red with anger. I felt my hands shake as I squeezed them closer to my body and bit down on my lip to stop the quiver.
"Emily." Judson said softly as he stepped behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" I pulled away.
Dean sighed as I stood and stared him down, he slowly began taking steps towards me. I only took a step or two back as he approached.
He moved to wrap his arms around me.
"NO!" I pushed back, swatting at him as he continued to reach for me. "Don't touch me!"
But he grabbed my arms and wrapped one around my back.
My anger melted, replaced with sadness.
"I didn't get to say goodbye." I cried into Dean's chest as he let go of my arm and wrapped his hand around to rub up and down my back.
What if he doesn't answer the calls again.
What if he disappears.
What if he gets hurt or dies because he's on his own and we're all targets right now.
Its not right… he shouldn't be alone.
"Bring him back." I begged as my voice broke.
"I can't kiddo…"
"It's not right."
"I know, none of its right anymore Em. It's just what we do to survive. Right now, we have to keep moving. Keep the angels off your tail. Keep the demons at bay. Keep looking for any way to fight this. Okay?"
I finally pulled away from him, crossing my arms and taking a deep breath.
"Where do we go now."
"We find a motel, crash. Eat… pick up a case." Dean shrugged. Then he turned to Judson. "We can swing by Bobbys and drop the truck off if you wanna ride."
"Yeah, I think that's probably the best way to keep her safe." Judson nodded.
I hated this.
I hate when we separate.
I hate when they fight.
I hate when they hurt, and it was obvious they were both hurting.
I hate being in the middle of all this bullshit with angels and demons.
I just want to go to sleep, wake up, and go back to fighting monsters and ghosts… I never once thought that would seem like a simple life but I would give anything to have it back.