"How about we send your ass back to Hell or somewhere worse instead?" Dean wasn't really asking, but he smiled slyly as he said the words.
"Because, Dean, you'll want to hear me out before you do that. Your kind always wants to pump us for information when you've got one of us."
The demon was right, they all knew it.
"What do you want?" Sam asked, his hand still held out towards the demon, ready to at least keep him in line. He couldn't exactly do much more in a diner full of witnesses without causing some sort of scene.
The demon laughed. "I didn't come here for you two, but now that I see you're both here… let's just say that's the sweetest cherry on top. We'll get three for the price of one."
Church remained calm. "You came for me, but you're not him."
"Ronove sends his regards, but you'll see him soon enough as it is. So tell me, Church, which brother is your saviour… because it's always one or the other."
Sam's shoulders tensed up.
Church's eyes went to Sam without hesitation, and then she realized her mistake.
"My, my… so, it's baby brother Sammy. Could have sworn you'd be a Dean kind of girl. Little too used up for you, huh? But hey, I get it… Sam's the brooding, sensitive one, and has just enough demon blood within him to be more dangerous than his big bro. Women do love those bad boys."
Dean grunted out a laugh. "What can I say? Sometimes I let Sammy get the girl. But more dangerous? Ha. Who knew Hell had comedians? Sorry I somehow missed your show while I was down there, asshat."
"Aw, Dean, you must have too busy getting tortured or torturing someone else during my time slot."
"Listen, you sad son of a bitch, tell that scared boss of yours we're waiting for him," Dean almost hissed it out. "He's not getting Church. I will take him out just like I did his sorry ass yellow-eyed brother Azazel." A sweet smile formed on Dean's lips.
"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to drag your bag of bones back once he's done with her. And Church is his, you boys better ask her to tell you the whole story, because like the deal you made to save little Sammy, well, Dean, there's no way for her to get out of it. No spells, no Sam and his special powers, and no angels are going to save her. Not when she has and is what he needs…" The demon stopped, smiled crookedly. "Did I say too much?"
"Lies, that's all you demons are full of. There's a way out." Church was angry instead of afraid now. "Any deal can be broken."
"Now who's lying?" The demon was smug. "A few more days, Church… and the Winchesters can't save you."
With that the demon was gone, and the stranger's eye's turned back to normal. He looked around nervously and confused. "Wha-what am I doing here? How did I get here?"
"You… you felt faint, nearly passed out while on your way to the bathroom," Sam quickly lied.
"Lucky you sat down so quickly. Are you feeling better?" Church asked.
"I… I… I think so." The man got up and walked away dazed and confused, and in a bit of a hurry.
The three of them looked at each other, each had questions and thoughts racing through their minds over what had just happened.
"What did that cheap pay grade demon mean by that you have and are what he needs?" Dean asked, giving her a hard look.
"I…it meant… I am…" Church was failing at getting out the words.
"You what?" Dean pushed.
"Dean, give her a minute." Sam just watched Church, seeing she was unable to get out the words. He wished she would tell them so then maybe they could start figuring out a way to help, but even if it took her all night, he was willing to wait. He felt for her when her unease was now showing.
Church looked at Dean, her voice frozen in her throat. He was going to make her say the words and she wasn't sure she could now. She had been just about to before the demon had shown up, but now she wondered if it even mattered. This was her problem, always had been. In a few days it would evolve into an atrociously toe-curling nightmare, one she still didn't feel right about getting them into just because they might be able to help her. It was a long-shot anyway.
It was on her mind to tell them to forget it, the demon was probably right, they couldn't save her. And then she looked at Sam.
She saw an understanding in him, one that she knew he had over being chased and haunted by a demon that wanted you under its thumb, to do its bidding. Knowing the stories she'd heard about him, Sam had been in a different situation, unaware for most of his life about it, but he'd been there.
Church saw it in his eyes, the way he wanted to save her or would try to save her. This man she barely knew was ready to stick his life on the line to save hers from this evil, the same type of evil he was apparently fighting against becoming. The tale of what Sam Winchester could possibly become one day was well known by nearly every other hunter at this point. Church knew she had to tell them then, because if anyone would understand, it would be Sam. Maybe even Dean would too.
"Sam, if we want to have a hope in hell of helping her, she has to spit it out." Dean was straightforward, and right.
"I know, Dean." Sam hated the way Dean could be so right even when he was being insensitive.
"Ronove wants me because he thinks I'm an important key to help bring Hell up here, but also to unleash something down there," Church said absently, trying to detach the emotion from her voice and the words.
Dean whistled lowly. "Goddamn it. One of the seals to break, probably." That was all he could say.
Sam felt the hairs on his body stand up on end because he knew exactly how she must be feeling. He was supposed to have been the first in line for whatever Azazel had planned, before Dean had killed him that was. He was ready to help fight to get her out of this when he knew what it was like to feel evil luring, pulling, calling you to its side.
"How would you help Ronove do either?" Sam curiously eyed her as he asked.
This was the moment Church dreaded almost as much as what was waiting for her once Ronove got his hands on her for once and for all - speaking the words out loud. She'd only done this a few times before, once to Bobby, another to a close hunter friend, and once to someone else she'd loved deeply and had lost because of the demon.
"I…" she paused, the next words searing her mind as she thought them, stinging her throat before she said them. "I'm the sacrifice he needs. My soul is one he's owed."
Sam and Dean were staring at Church with a bit of disbelief and wonder.
"If this is something as simple you're some sort of virgin sacrifice he needs, one of us can go back across the street with you and solve that issue today," Dean joked with a slight chuckle and a charming smile.
Sam gave his brother a look that said he was unbelievable, and shook his head, but the trace of a small laugh and a tiny smile were noticeable on his face.
Church couldn't help but to laugh at how ridiculous Dean was, but appreciated the way he tried to joke about it. "Yeah, um, no. That ship has long sailed. If only it were that simple."
"An owed sacrifice?" Sam was thinking out loud, putting the pieces together in his mind. "I'm guessing a deal was made somewhere along the line?"
Church nodded. "I'd rather not tell the story here, though, so how about we head back across the street. Meet me at my room in ten minutes?"
"Yeah, okay. We'll be there," Sam agreed.
"Sammy's invited back to a girl's room. How long has it been since the last time?" Dean teased. He could see the looks going on between his brother and the female hunter – the attraction was mutual.
Sam just shrugged, and wished Dean would just lay off him already.
Church left some money on the table, and saw the odd look on Sam. "Guess today's his lucky day then."
Dean chuckled. "Hear that, Sam, you're getting lucky. You might even get to cry afterwards."
"Sure thing, Dean." Sam's tone did not sound impressed. "At least I'll remember her name five minutes later," he snapped back, his hard look telling Dean to stop.
Church laughed, their brotherly banter was a welcomed distraction from the matter at hand.
"Hey, I remember their names… well, most of the time." Dean just smirked and shrugged nonchalantly.
"As much as I'd like to stick around and hear the rest of this, I'm going to go back to my room now. See both of you in about ten minutes."
"Okay," they both replied.
Church gave them both a little nod as she left.
The brothers smiled back as they watched her leave. Both of them knew things were just about to get real interesting for everyone involved.
"We've got to help her, Dean." Sam looked at his brother, his eyes were pleading.
"I'm not sure we can, Sammy," Dean paused, he wanted to tell his brother the story of meeting Ronove, but he couldn't and he wouldn't. "I'm just not sure we can help her out of whatever this turns out to be."
[ - ]
Back in her room, Church paced the small quarters as she pondered over the best way to tell them the full story. The whole story she had been told as a child, and then later again when she'd been old enough to understand it wasn't just a fable or had been told just to scare her. It was the reason she'd become a hunter, because to most of her family, that was the only way to survive.
Coming to a stop and reaching into her bag, Church pulled out a small book. It was old, most of the pages turning shades of yellow now. She opened it and scanned the names, the dates, the locations, the descriptions and summaries.
It still pained her to read it, the fates of all the names, but the thing that stung the most was reading her own name
Closing the book and letting it rest in her fingers for a moment, she knew it only held the past, and the present. There was no future written for her in this book.
Church then placed the book back inside the bag knowing that whatever the outcome of the next few days were, it all ended with her. Her name was at the end of the list, hers was the only one left, and it finished off the long line of all those before her.
Notes: The idea of how Church is supposed to help Ronove has slightly changed with this updated edit. Originally it was just to bring Hell to earth, but it always felt a little weak in truth.
Hope Sam and Dean are staying somewhat in line in this one.
Will try to post the next re-edit update ASAP. So if there is some pverlapping while you read this - please check back. It will be updated, and we will be going from 10 chapters to 9. And it should be obvious if anyone is reading the old reviews that they might not match up with how the chapters now run. I just didn't want to delete the whole story and start fresh, so... it's chapter replacing and I swear it's just a little cleaner, has a little more added in, but is still very much the same.
Thanks for checking it out and reading!