Bela Talbot had done many things in her short life. She admitted, without shame or regret that she was greedy, manipulative, and more than a tad selfish. She did not feel guilty if people got hurt or even killed while she acquired the items she'd been hired to find. If people were not so careless with their things, if they didn't make deals they had no hopes of repaying, if they didn't cross the wrong person... well, she wouldn't have been hired to take their possessions. In her rather admittedly jaded opinion, the world was beyond saving.

In hindsight, she wasn't overly proud of a few of the things she had done. She'd screwed more people than a high-priced call girl. Many of those people had not really deserved to have their possessions taken or their lives ended. Her biggest regret, though was the deal she made ten years ago with a crossroads demon. Granted, she didn't feel any remorse whatsoever for using the deal to murder her parents.

Mummy and Daddy got what they deserved. However, there were other ways she could have used to have accomplished the same outcome. Course, the realization of that came on the eve of her deal's end, but Bela still had hope that she could get around her fate and beat becoming a demon's new plaything in hell.

"Her name's Lilith," she said as calmly as she could. "She is the one who holds your deal. She holds all deals, actually."

"Lilith?" There was a soft speculative hum and then Dean asked, "Why should I believe you? Huh? After everything you've done, why should I believe that this isn't just some other line you're trying to feed me?"

Even knowing it for the truth, it still stung to hear.

"You shouldn't believe me," she admitted with a slight grimace. "But it's the truth, Dean. I swear it."

The roar of a car engine and the squeal of tires muted out any other sound for a few moments. Finally, there was a sigh and Dean resumed speaking.

"This can't help you, Bela, not now. It's too late for you. The hellhounds are coming to make you their new chew toy."

She swallowed the bile that rushed into her mouth at those words.

"I know."

"So, why are you telling me this then?"

"Because maybe," she managed around the hard lump in her throat. "Just maybe, you can kill the bitch."

Dean didn't say anything at first. Bela half wondered if he had hung up on her. It was what she deserved after everything she had done to him and his brother.

"Yeah, well, if we don't kill the bitch," Dean said brusquely, "I'll be seeing you in hell."

Then there was a click and silence. Bela sat there with the receiver of the phone pressed to her ear, her breath coming in short, tattered gasps. She slowly set it back on the cradle as a clock in the distance started to chime.

Midnight.

The witching hour.

The end of her time on this disreputable rock. A lone, mournful howl echoed in the distance.

For a moment, Bela imagined it was merely a wolf calling to its mate.

For a moment, she thought she would be okay. She'd wake up on the morrow and find this was just her wild imagination working overtime.

For a moment, she allowed herself to believe there were no hellhounds lurking outside her door.

For a moment, she was almost right.

A/N: Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!

This is tagged to episode 3x15