Content Warning: language and violence

DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.

Sam's eyes shot open. The room was dark and quiet. Only Dean's soft snores broke through the silence.

The nightmare of Jess' death still found its way into his sleeping mind. It didn't get less terrifying or painful as time went on. Each time felt like he was back to the night he watched her die. Sam faced the digital clock his way.

2:56 AM. He sighed.

A soft tune came through the motel room. Sam looked to the other bed and Riley wasn't in her usual spot with Dean. Rubbing his eyes, he removed the covers and went to investigate. As he walked through the room he realized it was coming from outside.

Sam opened the door as quietly as he could as to not wake his brother. Stepping outside, he saw Riley sitting cross-legged against the motel wall under the window. She had her guitar in her lap and the tune was soft as she tickled the strings. Finn laid at her side. He was always soothed by her music.

She turned as she heard the door. "Sam." Riley smiled. "Oh, no. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No. Not at all. Do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course." She patted the ground beside her. He slid down the wall and sat beside her. "So you had a nightmare, huh?"

"How did you know that?"

"I can read–"

Sam interrupted, "–read minds. Right." They chuckled. "What about you?"

"Eh, I'm more avoiding the nightmares. Between both of the recurring ones, I get nervous to go to sleep." She strummed the guitar lightly.

"Yeah. I know the feeling." Sam paused and listened to her pick the strings. "Who taught you to play?"

"Well, uh– I did. Dad and I were so close when I was growing up and we were on the road a lot together after I was about eleven years old. But he didn't let me go on most hunts with him, so I was alone a lot." Riley continued her melody as she spoke. "One time, dad snuck me into a local bar to hear a band play. Music was our thing. Turned out he was there to get intel on the guitar player. He seemed to be having issues with an old groupie that happened to be a witch." Sam laughed.

"Anyways, the guy was so grateful to my dad and heard how much I loved music. He gave me his guitar and told me it was good luck. So, whenever dad was gone, I used all my spare time learning." She patted the base of the guitar. "It's been with me ever since."

"Man, I can't imagine not having Dean growing up. We were lonely even with the two of us."

Riley's face saddened. "Yeah. Growing up in this life is never easy. You two are so lucky to have had each other."

Sam and Riley always had a bond from the beginning. Their friendship was effortless and both felt the other understood them. They had a connection that neither understood. But they counted themselves lucky to have found it.

"You know, I always wanted to learn guitar, but never had the opportunity.

A grin grew on her face as she handed Sam the guitar. "No time like the present." Sam scoffed as he pulled it into his lap. "Ok, so this is the fretboard. Support the neck and use the tip of your middle finger here. Your pointer here, and then your ring finger here." She placed his fingers in the right spots.

"Like this?"

"Yup. Now give her a strum." He did as instructed and an on key tune came from the instrument. Sam let out a small breathy laugh. "Congratulations, Winchester. You just played a G major open chord."

"I have no idea what that means. But that's pretty cool!"

Riley laughed. "Baby steps, Samuel." She shifted herself into a more comfortable position and continued her lesson with a smile. "Ok, next chord…"

—

The next night, the hunters pulled up to an old abandoned house. Their hunt for a Rawhead led them there. The shack was barely holding together and looked like it could collapse at any moment. An owl hooted and it softly echoed in the distance.

Dean popped the trunk and rifled through it looking for the proper tools. He grabbed a taser gun, charged it and handed it to Sam before getting another for himself. "100,000 volts. Should do the trick."

Riley stood by the trunk and held the flashlight for them. "You sure this is gonna work?"

"Absolutely. I want this Rawhead extra crispy. Remember Sam, you only get one shot with these. Make it count." He turned to the auburn-haired woman beside him. "Sure you don't wanna stay with the car, Rye?"

"'Rye?' That's new."

Sam eyed his brother and they chuckled. "Nah. We've called you that forever behind your back. We just are saying it to your face now." Dean gave a goofy grin.

She chuckled. "Well alright then. Oh, and Dean? I was hunting long before I met you two. Don't you dare try to put training wheels on me."

Sam laughed softly as Dean made a face that showed he realized his mistake. He closed the trunk and turned on the other flashlight. "Alright, let's go."

Inside the shack, they found the door that led to the basement. Rawheads tended to hide in dark and wet places. If they were gonna find it or the missing kids, it was gonna be down there.

As they walked down the old wooden stairs, Dean led the way. Their taser guns were up and they vigilantly looked around covering each other's backs.

The basement was damp and there was a smell of mold. The sound of water was dripping from every angle. Reaching the bottom, they turned in all directions as they searched. The three stopped when a sound came from a large, old cupboard that sat across the room. The water splashed under their steps as they eased in its direction. Dean mouthed to his partners, "…one…two…three."

They swung the cupboard doors open and a small boy and girl sat terrified hiding inside. Riley reached her hand out. "It's okay. It's okay. We're here to help you." The little girl took her hand and her brother followed. Getting down to their level she instructed them, "take your sister's hand and don't let go. We're gonna get you out of here." He nodded and did as he was told.

Riley began to head back up the steps with the children, while Sam and Dean stayed ready to fire protecting them. They moved cautiously trying not to provoke anything that might be dwelling in the dark. As they reached the top, a hand came out from under the stairs and grabbed Sam by the ankle. He fell and tumbled down the steps.

"Sam!" Dean jumped to off the side of the steps and aimed his gun in the direction of the creature. He fired with purpose as the Rawhead roared in pain. "Sam, get them out of here!" Throwing Dean the other taser gun, he ran up the steps following behind Riley.

"Go, go! Run!"

The basement had gone quiet as Dean was left alone with the monster. He waited for any sign of its movement and grew tired of its games. "Come on…" he said in frustration.

Coming out from behind stored objects, the Rawhead lunged at Dean and sent him flying against the wall. He landed in one of the large puddles on the floor filled with inches of water. The taser had landed away from him and he threw himself in its direction. He stumbled into another puddle of water and grabbed his weapon. As soon as it was back in his hand, Dean fired at the Rawhead and it hit the creature in the chest. Little did he know, it was standing in the same large pool of water as he was. The electrical current met the water and found its way to Dean. The shocks ran through him as his body stiffened and spasmed in response. He groaned in pain and his teeth clenched together as the shock continued. Finally, the charge had run out. The Rawhead thudded to the floor and Dean's eyes rolled back as he went unconscious.

Running back down the stairs, Riley hit the ground and frantically looked for the man she had left behind. "Dean?" She turned around a pile of stacked objects to see him lying still in a puddle. "Oh my god," she whispered as the air seemed to leave her lungs. The room began to spin and there was a sharp pain in her chest. She grabbed at the stabbing feeling and hurried through the water to his side.

"Dean! Dean!" She fell to the floor and pulled him into her lap as she tapped his face again and again. "Honey? You gotta wake up. Babe! Wake up!" There was panic in her voice as he didn't move and she could feel him fading away. Riley sobbed as she thought of being without him made her want to die. "SAM!" she screamed. The sound came from her gut and exploded in the air in agony.

The youngest Winchester came barreling down the stairs after securing the kids in the car. He saw the couple together and ran to their side. "No, no, no, no, no. Dean! Open your eyes!"

—

Monitors beeped and a small tv played as Dean scanned through the channels. The smell of the sanitized hospital was overpowering. There were dark circles around his eyes that made it look like death was waiting around the corner. It seemed as though there were moments where he fought to get a full breath.

"Ugh. The fabric softener teddy bear. I wanna hunt that little bitch down."

Riley feigned a smile at a joke that, any other day, would leave her in stitches. But she just sat at his side holding his free hand in both of hers. She fought to keep herself together for Dean's sake, though inside she was breaking.

Sam walked in as his head hung. He wiped his eyes hoping no one saw him.

Turning to his presence she asked with anxiety, "what did they say?"

He took a deep breath and raised his head to look her in the eyes. A tear ran down her face as she felt the heartbreak that Sam carried with him.

"The doctors… they uh–" he ran his hand to scratch his head trying to find the words. "They said it was a massive heart attack. There's been too much damage to his heart." Sam cleared his throat feeling like he was going to vomit and sob all at once answering her question.

A heart attack? Was she feeling the remnants of his pain when she found him? Riley had accepted that her ability made her feel emotional pain, but this was new.

Her voice was full of pain as it trembled. "…so what does that mean?"

"…means I'm not gonna make it, sweetheart." Dean squeezed her hand and looked her way.

She fought with everything she had to respond. "…what?"

"The doctors said that they've done all they can. That they're gonna make him comfortable." Sam swallowed hard. "But uh– they said he has a few weeks; maybe a month."

Riley had been on the brink of a breakdown since she lost Deb. She had been hanging on by a thread because she had the boys to keep her going. At that moment, she was forced to imagine a world without Dean and it was one she didn't want to be in. "But–there's gotta be something they can do. Some kind of treatment."

Dean shook his head. "This is it, Rye. You guys are gonna have to leave without me."

"Like hell we are!" Riley barked.

"And you," he said pointing at Sam. "You, better take care of that car. If you don't, I'm gonna haunt your ass."

Sam scoffed as the urge to cry came back to him. "That's not funny."

"Look, it's a dangerous job. I drew the short straw. That's it. End of story."

"No, there are other options. There have to be. We're–"

Dean interrupted his brother, "the only options left are burial or cremation." Sam and Riley were stunned. "I'm gonna die. There's nothing you can do about it." Dean looked up as his girlfriend's eyes flooded. Anger bubbled over inside of her and her face showed it.

"Fucking watch me." She got up in frustration and her chair squealed on the floor beneath her. Riley whipped around and marched out of the room.

Finding an empty part of the hospital hallway, she pulled out her phone and found John's number. She sniffled and cleared her throat as the line rang.

"You've reached John Winchester. If this is an emergency, call my son Dean at 785-555-2476."

As she heard the tone she did her best to pull herself together. "Hey, John. It's Riley. I uh…I know we haven't talked since dad died. Hell, you probably won't even get this message." She sniffled. "But, it's Dean. He's sick." Riley's voice began to break with every word. "The doctors say there's nothing they can do. But, they don't know what we do huh?" She released a breathy laugh and then paused. "John, your boys need you. Please. Please. Call me back, or call Sam. I–I just thought you should know."

Ending the call as she closed the phone, she began to cry. She stood against the wall with her head back and her hand covering her mouth. A silent sob released itself and took hold of her.

—

Back at the motel, it felt as though all hope had died. Sam and Riley already felt like they were already mourning Dean. Neither were dealing with it well either.

Sam had gone for a walk trying to clear his head; though it didn't work. He got to the motel door as the neon lights that hung above the roof glowed on his face. Opening the door, his eyes immediately went to Riley. She was sitting against the wall with her knees up in front of her. There was a bottle of Jack Daniels in her hand that she drank straight out of. She swallowed hard as the whiskey burned her throat.

Taking off his jacket, Sam threw it on the bed. No words were spoken as he sat next to her. She offered him the bottle. He took it in his hand and took a large swig. Sam didn't drink much so he seethed through his teeth. He gave it back and she took another drink. The silence continued. The only sound was the faded traffic in the background. Finn was lying on the bed watching over Riley.

"What are we gonna do, Sam?"

He sighed. "I really don't know."

"I shouldn't even be here right now. I should be with him. The damn hospital wouldn't let me stay." There was a moment of silence. "I just don't–" Riley's voice broke and tears fell from her red eyes. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do without him." The smell of whiskey weighed heavy on her breath.

Sam wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close. He sniffled and held back his crying the best he could. "That's not gonna happen okay?" He cleared his throat and fought the stinging in his eyes. "We're gonna find a way to make it right."

"You saw him, Sam. You saw how sick he is." She wiped her eyes. "I spent every moment I've had researching any possible lead. I even called a witch friend I have and begged for her help. She said there was nothing she could do. I'm completely out of options at this point." Riley took another drink from the bottle as her tears mixed with the alcohol.

"You and I both know we aren't letting him go without a fight. If you're in this with me, we'll do whatever it takes."

The tears fell once again as she spoke, "I love him, Sam. I love him so much."

Pulling her in close again, a tear betrayed him and fell down his cheek. "I know, Rye. Me too."

—

Sam sat on the motel bed with Finn. The golden retriever had made a bond with him from the beginning and he could feel Sam was in pain. Doing what he could to help, he laid his head in his lap while the young hunter made every phone call possible. He was desperate to find someone to help his brother.

There was a sound at the door and it shot open. Riley had shoved it as Dean leaned onto her and she held him steady.

His eyes widened and Sam shot off the bed and ran to help. "What the hell is going on? Riley! Why did you let him leave the hospital?"

"Let him?" she scoffed. "I fought him the whole way. Stubborn ass won't listen."

Dean let out a laugh. "Why stay there? My girlfriend is way hotter than those nurses." He gave her a mischievous smile. "Besides, what little time I have left, I'm not wasting it in a damn hospital." He laid down on the closest bed as they guided him.

Sam pulled up a chair and sat looking at his big brother. "For the record? I don't buy this "laugh in the face of death" crap for a second." Dean rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I scoured the internet for three days and called every one of dad's contacts."

"Why?" Dean looked perplexed.

"To find someone that can help you. And one guy, Joshua, actually called me back. He told me about a specialist in Nebraska."

"Great!" Riley's tune changed. "Let's get going!" She immediately went to start packing everyone's bags.

"You guys just aren't gonna let me die in peace are you?" Dean asked.

Sam looked him in the eye. "We're not gonna let you die at all."

—

Sam, Riley, and Dean checked into the local motel in Ford City, Nebraska, and dropped off Finn. Riley drove her family in the Impala towards their destination. She had always wanted to drive but was always too afraid to ask. Getting to hit the road with Baby was ruined under the circumstances. Although she wouldn't admit it out loud, she loved the purring of the car beneath her and the leather wheel in her hands.

Dean sat in the front seat, too tired to move. But he watched Riley drive and even with what little strength he had, it made him smile. He trusted her implicitly and had no problem with her behind the wheel. His eyes traveled over her as he watched her run a hand through her hair. Dean always loved the way her favorite leather jacket fit her just right; how her jeans hugged her in all the best places. A devilish smirk grew on his face. "Mmm. You look good in this car, sweetheart. You handle her just right."

She laughed. "Keep it in your pants, Casanova. Once you're well, we can have all the fun in Baby that you want." Glancing his way she gave him a flirty wink.

"Ugh. How about you both keep it in your pants?" Sam groaned, reminding them he was in the backseat.

The rain continued to fall and the scene matched the car's mood. Dark clouds filled the sky and thunder rolled off in the distance. As they pulled into a dirt lot, that had now had become a field of mud, they saw a large canopy tent. There were a surprising amount of cars parked around it. People walked inside with umbrellas, and most need help to get inside. The large wooden sign outside read: "Church of Roy Le Grange, Faith Healer. Come and witness the miracle!"

As the car parked, Dean opened his door and struggled to get out. Sam ran to his side and tried to help him out. "I'm fine! …wait." He read the sign. "You lying bastard. You said we were going to see a doctor. Instead, you take me to a guy who heals people in a fucking tent." Dean used all his strength to trudge through the mud and let it be known how annoyed he was. Riley was hooked to his arm and guided him on.

A woman overheard as she passed by and said, "Roy Le Grange is a great man!"

Dean looked back at her with a look of "who asked you." "Yeah, ok. That's nice." His eyes rolled. "But c'mon, Sam. A faith healer?"

"Well, maybe it's time to have a little faith."

"I have faith. In reality."

Sam wasn't about to give up. "Dean, how can you be a skeptic after everything we've seen? How can you know that real evil exists and not believe there can be some good?"

"The Lord works in mysterious ways," Riley added with sarcasm. It was enough to get a breathy laugh out of Dean.

Entering the tent, they saw it was nearly a full house. Wooden chairs sat on both sides of a set aisle-way and there were few left. Church organ music swept through the air. Upon looking closer, most of the people in attendance were all of poor health. Some had oxygen tanks with them as they took slow breaths. There were men and women with canes, crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs. Others were frail and old, or obviously pale and sick. Dean couldn't help but wonder where the hell his brother had dragged him to.

They began to walk down the aisle to find seating and Dean noticed there were cameras up in every corner of the tent. "Oh, yeah. Peace, love and trust all over," he said snarkily. He went to lead Riley to a seat towards the back but Sam stopped him.

"C'mon there are some seats up front."

Dean huffed in annoyance as Riley turned their direction towards Sam. They sat two rows from the front and had the oldest Winchester seated closest to the aisle. Both Riley and Sam were on the edge of their seats, waiting to see if this would be the miracle they were hoping for.

An older man with white hair was guided onto the stage. He was dressed in his "Sunday best" and wore dark sunglasses. It was obvious he was blind, but he was smiling from ear to ear. His wife was at his side with sandy blonde hair and a soft colored suit. As Sam watched the preacher take his place on stage, he noticed a strange looking cross on a table behind him. The preacher began his sermon.

"Each morning, my wife Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good does it?" The crowd mumbled in agreeance. "But I say to you, God is watching. He rewards the good and punishes the corrupt." Roy paused. "It's the Lord that does the healing here, my friends."

Dean couldn't help but feel like they were wasting their time. He was only there to appease the people he loved. "Man, this guy is just full of it," he thought.

Riley turned to look at him after hearing his thoughts and whispered to him. "Just give it a chance." Closing his eyes, he tried to muster up what patience he had left as she held his hand.

The preacher went on. "The Lord will guide me in choosing who to heal, by helping me see into people's hearts." The congregation let out an "amen" in unison.

Turning his head towards his girlfriend and brother, Dean spoke out of the side of his mouth. "Yeah, or into their wallets."

Roy heard his every word and smiled. "You think so, young man?"

The tent went quiet in shock over what Dean had said and he instantly realized he said more than he should have. "Sorry."

"No, no. Don't be. Just watch what you say around a blind man. We got real sharp ears," he joked and Dean was surprisingly amused. "What's your name, son?"

He cleared his throat. "Dean."

"Dean. I want you to come up here with me." The audience clapped and cheered him on.

This was exactly what Dean was afraid of. He hesitated and smiled saying, "no, it's okay."

"What are you doing?" Sam leaned over shocked and frustrated.

"You came here to be healed, haven't you?" Roy was not about to let Dean deny the opportunity.

Dean looked up at him awkwardly, "well yeah, but uh– maybe you should just pick someone else."

"Oh, I didn't pick you, Dean. The Lord did." The congregation continued to clap and cheer with shouts of "amen".

"Get up there!" Sam pushed in earnest and Riley nudged his side.

Getting up, Dean mumbled under his breath, "this is ridiculous."He walked up onto the stage as Sue Ann smiled at him and he stood in front of Roy. "Look, no disrespect, but I'm not exactly a believer."

"You will be, son. You will be." Roy's smile grew as his faith lead him on. "Pray with me, friends." The people of the church lifted their hands towards the stage as Roy raised his towards Dean. He put a hand on his head and not a moment had passed before Dean began to feel strange. His legs got weak and his eyes were heavy as he fell to his knees. As the prayer continued, something rushed through Dean and he collapsed to the floor. The congregation cheered and yelled, "hallelujah!"

"Dean!" Riley and Sam ran towards the stage and tried to wake him. Gasping for air and his eyes wide, Dean came out of the trance. "Say something!"

As he began to lift his head, Dean saw a figure standing at Roy's side. It looked like an old man in a suit; his face wrinkled and somewhat grey.

—

Both Riley and Sam insisted that Dean see a doctor afterward. Not knowing if the trance had a negative effect or if he had been healed, they needed answers. Sam paced in the corner.

"Honey, you sure you're ok?" Riley asked as she rubbed his hand.

"Yeah. I feel fine." Dean's face almost looked guilty. He doubted what had happened and why.

The doctor came in and looked over his charts. "Well, there's no evidence of any heart damage and no sign that there ever was. Not that a man your age should be having heart problems. But, it's strange. It does happen."

"What do you mean, 'strange'?"

"Well just yesterday, a young guy like you – 27, athletic – out of nowhere, he has a heart attack."

Dean's face turned to concern as he replied, "thanks, doc." Once they were alone, he turned to the others. "That's odd, don't you think?" His tone was condescending and unsure.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence. People's hearts give out all the time."

"No, they don't, Sam."

"Look, Dean, do really have to look this one in the mouth? Why can't we just be grateful the guy saved your life and move on?"Sam was relieved. His brother was healthy again and he wasn't about to let anything take away that good news.

"Because I can't shake this feeling." As he turned to gather his things he continued, "when I was being healed, it just felt…wrong. I felt cold and for a second I saw this old man standing next to Roy. And I'm telling you, man, it was a spirit."

"Dean, if there was something there we would have seen it too. I would have seen it. I mean, I've been seeing an awful lot of weird stuff lately. Riley would have felt something."

Riley sat in a chair in the corner quietly. She could feel how deep Dean's concern was. He felt like this wasn't something he deserved; that being healed, was too good for him. But more than that, that something was very wrong over at Roy Le Grange's. She stood and walked over to him as she placed a hand on his back and looked up at him. "Is your gut telling you that there's more to this?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

She exhaled sharply. "Ok, so what do you wanna do, honey?"

"I want us to go talk to Le Grange. Sam, you go check out that guy who had the heart attack." He kissed her temple and whispered, "thank you for hearing me."

—

The Le Grange's house sat on the same grounds as the tent. There was nothing for miles and it was like they had built a world of their own. Sue Ann poured lemonade for her guests. Dean and Riley sat in chairs beside each other across from the reverend.

"You know, I feel great. I really do. I'm just trying to make sense of what happened." Dean gave a half smile to Riley as he spoke to the married couple.

Sue Ann let out a soft chuckle. "A miracle is what happened. They happen so often around Roy." She smiled at her husband and patted his hand lovingly.

Knowing that she trusted Dean's instincts, Riley was willing to go along him. She was just so happy that she wasn't going to lose him. Anything he could ask of her would be easy to give him. "When did all the miracles start happening, Roy?"

"Well, I woke up one morning completely blind. Doctors found I had cancer and gave me maybe a month. So we prayed for a miracle. Even when I was too weak to, Sue Ann kept on praying." His wife smiled at him as he spoke. "I went into a coma and they told her I wasn't going to wake up, but I did. And the cancer? It was gone. If it wasn't for my eyes, no one would even know that I was ever sick."

Dean was curious to know what he had to say. "And suddenly you could heal people?"

"I found out about it after it all. The Lord just continues to bless me."

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask you one last question, Roy."

"Of course."

"…why? Why me?"

That same friendly smile stayed on Le Grange's face as he looked at Dean. "The Lord, he let me see into your heart."

"…and what did you see?"

"A young man with great purpose; who's job wasn't finished yet."

Riley had sat and listened as they talked. She waited to pick up on something negative or worrisome coming from Roy, but she didn't. His heart was kind and he truly believed that Dean had been worth saving; that God had a divine plan for him. Roy knew Dean was something special. And as she picked up on his thoughts and feelings, she looked over at the man she loved and breathed a sigh of relief. He was going to be okay.

—

Dean opened the motel door for Riley and she went inside as he followed her. Sam was sitting at a table in front of his laptop. His head was in his hands but he looked up when he heard the door.

Finn hurried to Riley's side with his tail wagging in excitement. She squatted down to kiss his head. Feeling some hope for the first time in what felt like forever, she smiled in contentment. She stood and looked at Sam, "hey! How was your afternoon?" Riley stopped as she realized an emotion hurling her way and hitting her chest. It was guilt. That seemed to be going around a lot lately with the Winchesters.

"I'm sorry," Sam whispered and waited for his brother.

That concern that Dean had been feeling welled up inside him. "What do you mean?"

"I looked into the guy with the heart attack, like you said. Apparently, Marshall Hall was a really healthy guy; always active. The instructor there said that he was terrified and said something was chasing him. But no one else saw anything." Sam gathered his courage to keep talking. "Marshall…died at 4:17. The clock at the gym had frozen."

"…the exact time I was healed." Dean had sat on the edge of the bed with his legs somewhat spread and his hands folded between them. He knew it all was too good to be true and was trying to prepare himself for what else Sam had found.

Riley sat at the table without a word and patiently listened. She was feeling physically sick over the palpable guilt that was flooding the room. There was a heavy weight on her shoulders as she carried the burden of their emotions.

"There's more." Sam rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and continued. "I put together a list of the people Roy has healed in the last year. There were six and I cross-checked them with the local obits. When someone was healed, someone else died. Each of the victims died of the same thing that Roy was healing at the time." His voice was full of remorse and sorrow.

"So, someone gets cured from cancer, but then someone else dies of cancer. He's trading one life for another."

"…yeah."

Dean's guilt swelled inside him and he knew someone paid the ultimate price for him to get well. Standing up in a huff he turned to Sam. "So Marshall Hall died to save me. You never should have brought me here. He's dead because of me."

Riley adjusted in her seat so she could look at Dean. "Sweetheart, you don't know that. It looks like Marshall was the chosen target. He probably would have died when Roy saved someone else. You can't blame yourself."

"I wasn't fucking worth saving, They should have just let me die."

Hearing Dean's thoughts were like daggers to her heart. He really believed he didn't matter and that his life was less valuable than others. To her? His life was more precious than he could ever know.

Sam sat quietly waiting for his brother to unleash his anger that he felt he had earned. He carried the guilt for them both knowing that taking him to Le Grange lead them here.

Riley squeezed the back of the chair in her hands trying not to scream at them both. The constant shame and self-loathing they felt drove her insane. How did they not see the world was a better place because of them? The boys were just too stubborn and set in the belief that they would never be enough.

"But I don't understand," Sam said. "How is Roy doing it?"

"Oh, he's not the one doing it. Something is doing it for him."Dean leaned on the table and hung his head. "I had a feeling when I saw that old man on the stage with us. There's only one thing that has the power to take and give life like that. I didn't wanna believe it but deep down I knew it." He paused. "We're dealing with a reaper."

"Wait, like 'comes to collect your soul', reaper? Like the GrimReaper?" Riley's eyebrow arched and she wondered what the hell they had gotten themselves into. Then she thought back to earlier when they spoke to Roy. It didn't make any sense. The preacher gave nothing but love and positivity in the room. She felt it. No one could be a loving person and do that. It didn't add up.

"Not the reaper. A reaper. There's lore on them from pretty much every culture. It's definitely possible there's more than one."

Sam leaned on his hand as his elbow sat on the table. "Dean, you said you saw some dude in a suit."

"What? He has to be working the whole 'black-robe thing'? …look, you said it yourself that the clock stopped right? …reapers stop time. And you can only see them when they're coming at you which is why I could see it and you couldn't."

"Ok, so say you're right. How is Roy controlling it?"

"Guys," Riley jumped in. "I don't think it's Roy. I really don't. Yes, something is definitely using this thing to play God, but I felt him when we were in the room with him. It's not him."

"Rye, you can't know that for sure," Dean replied.

"Dean, I'm sure of it. It's not him." She always supported him. Why didn't he believe her?

Sam had a realization. "The cross. I noticed this weird cross in the church tent. I knew I had seen it before." He shuffled through a deck of tarot cards and pulled one out. He chuckled as he saw it and handed it to Dean and Riley leaned over to look. There was a picture of a skeleton in a robe and a crown. It had a staff in its hands and at the top, was the same symbol.

"A tarot? You gonna read our fortune, Sam?" Riley asked.

He laughed through a scoff. "It makes sense. Tarot dates all the way back to the early Christian era. That was back when priests were still using black magic and got into all kinds of dark stuff. Things like necromancy and how to push death away or even how to cause it."

Dean flipped the card in his fingers. "So, someone is using black magic to bind a reaper and is using it through Roy?"

"Well, if that is what's happening they're playing with something they don't understand. It's like trying to keep a great white on a leash."

"So how do we stop it?" Riley got up and poured a glass of water from the small kitchen in the motel room. She took a drink and leaned against the counter.

"Well," Sam looked at her. "If someone is using dark magic to hold the reaper, we have to figure out what it is and how to break it. That's the only way."

"Alright. Well, looks like it's time to stop death, boys." They both stared at her perplexed. "What? We've said weirder things."

—

Driving back through the mud on the grounds of the church, Dean pulled the Impala to a halt and parked. It felt so good to be back in the driver's seat. "Ok, so if someone's using a spell, then there might be a spellbook. Sam, you go to the house and Riley and I will try and stall. There's a service in 15 minutes."

As they walked from the car, there was a man handing out flyers, who was there in protest. "Roy Le Grange is a fraud! He's no healer!"

Dean took a flyer as he walked by and said, "amen, brother."

As Riley walked ahead a bit to get out of the rain, Dean grabbed Sam's jacket and pulled him to the side. "Riley doesn't wanna believe it's Roy, but I do."

"Me, too."

"Okay, so go get proof and we'll handle it." He patted his little brother's shoulder.

Sam snuck behind the sea of cars and made his way to the house as the others headed into the tent.

—

Roy Le Grange's tent was packed just as much as it was before. The constant rain didn't seem to stop any of the church members from coming to the service.

Riley and Dean stood to the side and watched as everyone settled in. Both were on edge and worried they weren't going to be able to prevent the death of another victim. Hearing his cell phone ring, Dean stepped aside to find a quieter place as Sam's ID showed on the screen. "What'd you find?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Dean, Roy's choosing victims that he sees as immoral. Remember the protester outside of the tent? His name's David. I think he's next. I gotta go find him. Don't let Roy heal anyone, okay?"

Hanging up the phone, Dean made his way back to his waiting companion. "Sam find anything yet?"

"Not sure. He thinks so."

Roy stepped up to the stage and his arms stretched out. His next "miracle" was being chosen. "Layla. Layla Rourke. Come up here, child." The crowd burst into cheers and applause as a young blonde woman stood with excitement. Her mother hugged her and grinned from ear to ear hearing her daughter's name called. Layla walked towards the stage and headed up the steps.

"What are we gonna do, Dean? We can't let him go through with this." Riley was scared they wouldn't be able to stop the "healing". Yet her heart broke for the woman who only wanted to be well again.

The congregation prayed with Roy. He raised his hands out again towards his flock and they returned the gesture. As he was going to lay hands on Layla, Dean began to yell, "FIRE! The tent's on fire! Everybody get out!"

Panic began to spread through the tent as everyone reacted to the shouting. They all hurried to evacuate, and Layla's healing was stopped. Roy spoke to his people and told them to remain calm. But poor Layla was left dumbfounded and realized her moment had come and gone.

Dean's phone rang again and he answered. "I did it. I stopped Roy."

"I think it's ok. I'm with David. He's alright." Through the phone, Dean could hear David begin to yell in terror. Sam couldn't see anything but the parked cars that surrounded. But he knew what was happening as David slowly fell to the ground as he turned pale and blue. He struggled for breath and his eyes began to fog over."Dean! The reaper's still coming! It didn't work! Roy must not be the one controlling this thing!"

As his brother conveyed the events outside, Dean felt shame course through him. He swallowed hard realizing that he hadn't trusted Riley when he should have.

"Oh god, she was right."

Riley turned as she heard Dean's thoughts echo through her mind. "What? What do you mean?" He knew she had heard him.

A soft praying came from the corner of the empty tent. Mrs. Le Grange had her back turned as she whispered words in Latin.

"It's Sue Ann."

Flipping the phone shut, Dean ran in her direction. He took her arm and turned her around, stopping her prayer. She was holding the same cross-like symbol that clung to a chain around her neck. Sue Ann panicked when Dean saw what she was doing and shoved the cross into her top. She began to yell for help where Dean had her cornered. Officers that stood by to help prevent chaos from protestors, rant to her aid and pulled him away.

At the entrance, the two men in uniform drug out an angry hunter. Dean tried to pull from their arms as they reached outside. Sue Ann joined them and spoke in a frail and broken tone. "I don't understand, Dean. After everything we've done for you. Roy healed you. We're just very disappointed, Dean." He looked at her letting her know he wasn't buying the act but she continued. "Let him go, officers. I won't press charges. God will handle it as he sees fit." Mrs. Le Grange took her leave and returned to the tent.

The officers still held on to the eldest Winchester. "You come back here and we'll put the fear of God in you, understand?"

Full of snark and annoyance Dean replied, "yes, sir. 'Fear of God.' Got it." They shoved him away and he stumbled to catch his footing as he shot them a glare.

Dean took a calming breath and turned around. Riley stood there waiting for him with her arms crossed and sadness in her face. "Riley, I–"

"You just couldn't trust me, could you? Neither could Sam apparently. I told you I knew it wasn't Roy. I told you I could read him. But you sent Sam to find evidence to prove me wrong." She shook her head and scoffed. "You told me you needed to see this through because your gut told you to. I didn't question you for a second and stood at your side."

He felt terrible. Dean knew she wouldn't have told him what she did unless she was sure. He grew angry with himself for doubting her. His eyes softened and his body calmed. "I'm so sorry. I just had to make sure."

"Yeah, well…I hope your certainty helped you, Dean." She walked back towards the Impala with her head hung and didn't look back.

Sam helped a safe but shaken David to his car and watched his brother with Riley. He knew they had made a mistake.

—

Sam and Dean knew they had messed up. Finn sat on the bed as Riley rummaged through her things. She was calm but obviously angry and never made eye contact. Working efficiently, she put items that belonged to Dean into their rightful bag. Riley picked it up and placed it on the other bed. She then retrieved Sam's and put it on the same. Dean knew this meant he wouldn't be sleeping next to her that night.

Without a word, she got out her headphones and headed towards the front door. It shut with a solid slam as she left and the boys jumped at the sound. Riley went to the car and sat in the back with frustration. She knew they would be leaving soon anyway.

"I think we're in the dog house, Sammy."

"Yeah. I think you're right."

Dean ran his palm down his face. "She's right. I should have trusted her. She's never once questioned me. …dammit. I fucked up." He paused. "I gotta go talk to her." As he got up to walk away, Sam grabbed his sleeve.

"We both fucked up, Dean. Let's just give her some space. She obviously doesn't want to talk to us right now."

Dean inhaled deeply and sat back down. "You're right. You're right." He groaned as his head found his palms. "Okay, so did you find anything back at the house?"

"Yeah. There was this book in the study that stood out from the rest. There was dust everywhere except near one. I picked it up and went through it but didn't find anything. When I went to put it back, I realized something had been hidden behind it." Sam handed Dean the small book he had found. It was old and filled with Latin and drawings of death itself. "It was written by a priest who went 'dark side'." Finn walked up to Sam and nudged his hand to pet him as he went on. "It's black magic. You would build altars with bones and blood for the spell. Human blood."

"Wait. Roy was dying and Sue Ann was desperate. What if she was using the spell to keep the reaper away from him when he was sick? She would have done anything to save him," he said as he skimmed through the pages of the little book. "It was her all along."

"She was cheating death."

"Yeah, but Roy's alive. Why keep using the spell?"

"Now she's using the reaper to kill people she thinks are immoral. The people that died? One was an abortion activist, one an openly gay teacher, David was protesting the church…all of them were 'deserving of punishment'."

Dean landed on a page that showed a cross that was the same one he saw on Sue Ann's necklace and the one that sat in the church tent. "This was the symbol she was wearing. It's a Coptic cross. Seemed like when she dropped it, the reaper backed off."

"Maybe it's tied to the spell somehow." He took a minute before continuing, "let's destroy both the cross and the altar. We gotta make sure this stops for good."

"Well, we better do it fast. Roy is having a private service tonight for the girl he was trying to help earlier."

They both got up to leave and grabbed their things. Sam said a goodbye to Finn as Dean headed out. When they both stood in front of the motel, they could see Riley alone in the Impala.

"Well, this won't be an awkward drive at all," Dean said with sarcasm.

—

Darkness had fallen over the Le Grange property. Cars still filled the field and the tent had a string of soft lights lit around it. The rain still drizzled on the ground and fed the muddy earth beneath Baby.

The hunters looked towards the tent. "Alright," said Dean. "You guys ready to go?" Sam nodded and Riley kept her focus on the area around them. "…Riley?" Dean turned to his body to look towards the backseat.

She got out of the car and slammed the door without a word. Sam and Dean looked at each other in discomfort before following her.

Peering into the tent, they saw Roy onstage. There was a small group of people standing in front of him with their arms extended. It was meant to be a private healing for Layla, whose moment had been ruined earlier.

"Where's Sue Ann?" Dean asked. The air was brisk and his breath created a fog as he spoke.

Sam turned his head, "the house I'm guessing."

"You guys go find her, I'll catch up." Before Sam or Riley could respond, Dean had made his way over to the two officers from earlier. They were standing in front of the house. "Hey!" he yelled. "You gonna put that fear of God in me?"

Realizing who was talking to them, the two ran in pursuit of the Winchester. Dean turned and ran in the other direction in a full sprint.

Once the officers were occupied, Sam and Riley made their way up the steps to the porch that wrapped around the house. They peered into the windows of the dark home and continued their way around. There was no sign of Sue Ann.

"Psst", Sam whispered as he pointed down over the railing of the porch.

Riley turned and hurried to his side. As she peered over the edge, she saw a cellar. Through the cracks of the wooden doors, light seeped through. They moved quickly back down the steps and towards the space beneath the house. Sam opened the doors with ease and held them for Riley to go in. He closed them behind them as he followed.

It was fairly dark in the cellar, save for the candles that were lit on one side. Behind a wall of chicken wire, stood the altar.

As Riley walked closer, she could feel a presence. It felt trapped and was angry. Though it didn't seem to be in the room with them, its energy flowed from the table before them. The wooden counter was splashed with blood. There were another Coptic cross and bones including a human skull. Bird feathers scattered themselves amongst the dark items as the candles flickered. She reached her hand out and picked up a picture. It was Dean. A red "X" had been painted over his face in blood. A shiver ran up her spine as she felt the dark magic at work. Sam walked up behind her and was shocked to see his brother's picture.

"I gave your brother life," a voice spoke from behind them. Sam and Riley spun around to see Sue Ann staring back at them. "…and I can take it away."

Anger rushed through Sam as he grabbed the altar and flipped it over. A loud crash came as it hit the concrete floor and as glass broke. Both hunters rushed towards Sue Ann as she closed the cellar door. They grunted and pushed together trying to force open the exit.

Sue Ann held the cellar shut as she slid a piece of wood between the handles. "Don't you both understand? The Lord chose me to reward the just and punish the wicked. And Sam, your brother is wicked. He deserves to die just as Layla deserves to live. It's God's will." She stood from her spot on the door and turned to leave.

While Sam did his best to break through the door, Riley saw a small window across the room. She grabbed a long piece of wood and rammed it into the glass. Turning at the noise, Sam joined her as he saw her crawling out. As he attempted to go through the opening, he struggled, but Riley took his hand and helped to pull him out.

"Thanks."

"No time for that. Sam, go stop Sue Ann. I gotta go find Dean before it's too late." They both bolted at full speed in the appropriate direction.

Riley rounded a string of cars and came to a screeching halt when she spotted Dean from a distance. Her breath clouded before her as she slowed her breathing. He was on his knees, groaning in pain. "DEAN!" she yelled as she ran towards him. She moved as fast as her legs would carry her.

The reaper had its hold on Dean and the hunter looked up at the creature as the life began to fade from him. His eyes fogged over and his lips went blue. Dean gasped for air as the reaper began to take his soul.

Skidding through the mud as she went to her knees, Riley held onto Dean and pleaded with him. "Dean! Hold on! Fight him!" She could feel that presence again. But this time, she knew it stood right in front of them.

Meanwhile, Sam had found his way back to the tent. Outside, he saw Sue Ann clutching her necklace and whispering a prayer in Latin. He ripped it from her hands and smashed it on the stony ground. The cross shattered and the blood that had filled it spilled on the rocks. "No!" she shouted.

As Sue Ann stood in front of her shattered charm, she saw the reaper standing ahead of her. He smiled in a malevolent manner knowing he would finally punish her for her mistake. She gasped in fear and shook as she stared back at death.

She turned to flee, but the reaper appeared and they were face to face. His grin continued as he touched her face and she fell weakly to her knees. Sue Ann finally experienced the horror her victims felt as the life drained from her. A final breath escaped her as her corpse crashed to the ground.

In the field, Dean was still catching his breath after his brush with death and slowly came back into focus. Riley had his head in her lap and her hands gripped into his jacket as she clung to him for dear life.

He finally regained his composure and sat up. Dean looked at the beautiful face that looked at him with crying eyes. He grabbed the sides of Riley's face and crashed his lips into hers. His eagerness to mend the space between them came through the desperate kiss.

Dean pulled away from her still holding her face. "I'm so sorry. I swear, I will never not trust you again."

She kissed him again, deeply and then locked eyes with him again after they broke apart. "Glad you learned your lesson, dumbass." They both smiled at each other and Dean let out a chuckle. "Come on," Riley said as she helped him stand. Dean leaned on her as he gained his footing. They made their way to the car as Sam did the same.

"Did you two make up?" Sam asked as he saw the couple.

Riley eyed him in jest as her eyes squinted in a fake judgment. "Yeah well, you and I still got some shit to work out, Winchester."

He laughed and put his hands up in a form of surrender. "Fair enough."

As Riley went to get into the passenger side, Dean stopped her and held out the keys. "If you're interested, I'd love to see my two favorite girls together again." He gave her a smirk and raised his eyebrow. Sam scoffed and rolled his eyes.

Taking the keys from Dean's hand, Riley kissed him before he got into the car. She walked to the other side and slid onto the seat as she closed the door, and Sam settled into the back.

Riley put the key in the ignition and turned it to hear the Impala roar beneath her. She revved the engine and smiled as she finally got to enjoy handling the beautiful car. Dean turned on the stereo as Def Leppard came through. The couple got back into their rhythm of rocking out to a classic song as Sam surrendered and joined in.

They pulled out of the property lot and Dean gave one last look at the church tent in the side mirror. He hated that the sweet girl would never be healed and that her life would probably be cut short. That familiar feeling of guilt sat hard in his stomach.

Riley could feel him and reached her hand to take his. She attempted to send a thought to him as she thought, "remember Dean, we can't "play god." What is meant to be, will be and you aren't to blame for that. All I know is, there won't be a day that I'm not grateful that I get to have you back at my side."

It had worked. Dean was confused and shocked as he heard her voice speaking into his mind. He turned to look at her and saw her smiling. It made sense that the first time she was able to use that part of her ability, happened with the one person she had the most profound bond with. He squeezed her hand and pulled it to his lips to kiss it.

The tent faded into the night as the three hunters tried to leave their worries behind along with it. Baby's headlights guided them down the road as the music continued to play. All that mattered was the road before them, and that they would be traveling down it together.

—