Reese was finally on board with the Michael and Lucifer situation. Dean had a wild idea to kill the devil with the legendary colt. During the case with the Supernatural books, that actually turned out to be a case, Sam caught some information from his "super-fan". According to her, a demon named Crowley was in possession of the colt. The three hunters high tailed it to South Dakota to meet with Bobby, to see if they could locate the demon and regain the colt.
That proved to be difficult. Reese, Dean, Sam and Bobby all sat around the table, searching book after book on how to locate the King of the Crossroads. Reese slapped her hands on the table in frustration. "Why the hell can we not summon him?"
"It doesn't work like that." Sam said. "There's no telling who will come for the summoning. There are hundreds of crossroad demons. It's like a one in a million chance of actually getting the right guy." Sam said, laying his chin down on his crossed arms. Reese sighed. She was getting tired of looking through all the books and words, they were starting to mold together. She glanced over at Dean, who had dozed off. She chuckled at the way he looked. His legs were propped up on the table, his ankles crossed. He was leaning against the table with his elbow and his head was propped by his fist. Bobby wasn't in the mood for sleepers. He rolled his wheelchair to Dean and slapped his arm down, causing Dean's head to drop quickly. He snorted when he finally woke up.
"Wake up, ya idjit." Bobby grumbled as he wheeled over the book self to retrieve another book.
"What! I'm tired of reading. You know I hate doing research…" Dean mumbled, getting comfortable again. Reese and Sam shook their heads as they continued reading. Out of nowhere, Dean pops up with his eyes wide. "Cas! We can get Cas to seek him out!"
"That's actually not a bad idea." Bobby said, thinking that Dean could be on to something.
Cas had been given the mission to find Crowley and follow him. Dean told him to call him if he found him, and he, Reese and Sam would figure out the rest. Cas agreed. With a slight flutter of wings, Cas was gone. He was gone for a day before he finally called. Dean put him on speaker so he and Reese could listen. They were sitting on a backroad, ready to high tail it to where ever Cas told them to. Sam was leaning against the Impala looking out into the distance, taking in the rare beauty of his surroundings. Reese was sitting on the hood of the Impala, with Dean between her legs, with his back to her. Reese leaned against his back to better hear the conversation. "Got him." Cas said. "The demon Crowley is making a deal. Even as we speak, it's… going… down." he stuttered with his words. Reese chuckled, knowing Cas's vocabulary was getting better the more time he spent with them. Dean flinched with confusion.
"Going down?" Dean shook his head, amused. "Right. Okay, Huggy Bear. Just don't lose him."
"I won't lose him." Cas said. Dean hung up the phone and turned to Reese. He smiled as he put his arms on her shoulders and she wrapped her arms around his waist. Sam turned to see if there was anything useful that Cas had told them and he quickly turned around again, seeing Dean and Reese lip locked. He decided to take a walk up the trail to give them a little alone time. Dean pressed his lips to hers. She giggled against him and pulled away.
"I really hope we can end this soon. I'm tired of looking over my shoulder." She said. Dean nodded. He knew where she was getting at. After a couple of weeks of begging for her to explain what the Djinn had made her see, Reese finally told him. Dean couldn't promise the apple pie life or her family, but he would try his damnedest to make her happy. And she agreed.
"I know. Me too. Come on. I wanna be moving by the time Cas calls us." Dean pecked her lips once more before letting her hop off the car. "Sam! Let's go!" he called to his brother. Sam jogged back up the trail and hopped into the Impala. They were back on the road, awaiting Cas's call.
About two hours after Cas's first call, Dean receives his second. He quickly answers. "Yeah."
"I followed him. It's not far, but it's layered in Enochian warding magic. I can't get in."
"That's okay." Dean said. "You did great. We'll take it from here." Dean hung up the phone and pressed the accelerator to push the car faster. Cas had given them the location and Dean could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
"I hate this." Reese gritted as Dean zipped up the black knee high dress.
"We gotta sell it, Reese." he replied. Sam snickered as he could see the look on Reese's face. She hated wearing dresses. She hated wearing heels, she hated anything remotely girly. Yes, she did her hair and 'some' make up on occasions, but this was too much. She let out another sigh as she stepped into the suede black heels. She turned to Dean who gave her a teethy smile. "You look fine. You only have to be in this get up until Sam and me get the colt. Then you can strip in the back seat." he said, wagging his brows at her. She peered annoyingly into his eyes.
"Don't push it." she snarled. She turned and faced the direction of the gigantic house. She let out one more sigh before walking towards it. She turned and looked back at the boys, who were at the trunk of the Impala getting what they needed. She looked forward and noticed she was almost to the gate. She straightened the hem of the dress and walked up to the buzzer. She wrapped her arms around herself as she pressed the button.
"Yeah?" a mans voice replied.
"Hello? My car broke down. I need some help." Reese heightened her voice to sound like a helpless girl. In her mind she could hear Dean. 'We gotta sell it'. She waited until the voice replied back to her.
"I'll be down in the minute." the voice sounded annoyed. She didn't care though. She turned and watched the boys hop the fence into the house's property. She didn't have to wait long before the gate opened. She turned and walked through. She cleared her throat and straightened her dress again. She gritted her teeth, knowing she was going to kill Dean and Sam for making her wear such a thing. She looked up and saw two men in suits coming her way. She walked forward to them. "Evening, pretty lady." the man with blonde hair said, shooting her a smut grin. He waved to her. "Get yourself in here." Reese kept her arms wrapped around herself. 'Sell it Reese.' she told herself. She chuckled at the blonde.
"I just need to make a call." she let out. Her voice still pitched high. The blonde shook his head.
"You don't need to call anyone, baby." he turned and looked at the dark haired man behind him. "We're the only help you're ever gonna need." Reese bit her lip.
"You know what? I think I should wait by my car." she turned her back against them and she soon felt a cold hand on her shoulder. The man's voice grew deeper and his eyes blinked black, but Reese didn't see his eyes.
"We said get your ass in here." Reese held her breath as she turned and knocked his arm away while kicking his knee, taking him to the ground. Sam came up behind the dark haired man and shoved the demon blade through the side of the neck. The demon glowed orange before crumbling to the ground. Sam kicked him away and came up behind the blonde. He grabbed him by the hair and shoved the blade in the back of his head. He pushed him down once he knew the demon was dead. Dean came up behind Reese and grabbed her shoulder, making her jump.
"Nice work, Reese." he said quietly.
"Thanks." she replied. Dean handed her a duffle with a new set of clothes and a pair of wire cutters. She stepped behind one of the large bushes and changed as quickly as she could. She came out and nodded to the boys and they followed her around the house to the electrical unit. Dean pointed to the main power line and Reese snipped it in half, cutting off all the power. The three got into the house and they heard footsteps coming from the hallway.
"It's Crowley, right?" Sam's voice echoed through the house. The demon stopped in his tracks.
"So, the Three Stooges finally found me. Took you long enough." he said, his english accent biting through their ears. Sam and Dean stood tall while Reese stood straight after kneeling. Crowley walked forward toward them but stopped, noticing that the edge of the rug was rippled, like it had been moved. Reese was kneeling before due to the fact she was painting a devil's trap under the rug. She winced at herself, knowing she had been made. The boy's jaws clenched in unison. Crowley sighed and and bent down to move the rug. "Do you have any idea how much this rug costs?" The three hunters were grabbed from behind, keeping them in place. Crowley took out the colt from his suit jacket pocket and held it up for them to see. "This is it, right?" he said glancing back to the hunters. "This is what it's all about." He looked back down at it once more before taking aim toward the trio. Reese gasped and the boy's eyes went wide. The plan had back fired. But Crowley's slight movement to the left caught them by surprise as he fired three shots, hitting the three demons that had them pinned, in the head. They collapsed to the ground, freeing the hunters. They looked at Crowley in utter shock. "We need to talk. Privately." he turned away and started walking to the office at the end of the hall. The trio looked at each other, still in shock. They decided to follow him. They entered the office, just a few steps behind Crowley.
"What the hell is this?" Dean asked, looking around at the vintage office.
"Do you know how deep I could have buried this thing?" Crowley chirped, holding the colt back up to see. He waved his hand and the door shut behind them. "There's no reason you or anyone should know this even exists at all. Except that I told you." Reese was becoming annoyed. She cocked her hip and placed her hands there.
"You told us?" Sam asked.
"Rumors, innuendo, sent out on the grapevine."
"Why?" Sam kept his voice low. "Why tell us anything?" Crowley held the point of the gun in the air. He seemed to be admiring it again. Reese and Dean both sighed in unison. Crowley then pointed the gun at Dean. His shoulders tensed and Reese took a step forward, grabbing his hand.
"I want you to take this thing to Lucifer and empty it into his face." his tone seeped with venom. Dean nodded.
"Uh-huh. Okay, and why exactly would you want the devil dead?" Dean said. Crowley lowered the gun.
"It's called survival." he placed the gun on the desk. "But I forgot you three, at best, are functional morons."
"Hey! You're functioning morons." Dean spat, instantly regretting it. Reese held back a chuckle. In the six months she's known him, he was never good with come backs. Crowley shrugged off his mistake and kept talking.
"Lucifer isn't a demon, remember? He's an angel. An angel famous for his hatred of humankind. To him, you're just filthy bags of pus." He turned and grabbed a glass, bottle of scotch, and poured him a glass. "That's the way he feels about you." Dean and Sam both glanced down at the gun, thinking of a way to get it and kill Crowley. "What can he think about us?"
"But he created you." Reese said, stepping into sight. She was shielded by the boy's height. She thought she might as well make her presence known.
"To him were just servants. Cannon fodder. If Lucifer manages to exterminate humankind, we're next." he sighed. "So, help me, huh?" he smirked. "Let's all go back to simpler better times. Back to when we could follow our natures. I'm in sales, damn it. So what do you say? What if I give you this thing, and you go kill the devil?" he turned and picked up the colt and held it out to them. They all looked at him like he was crazy. He shook it at them. Sam was hesitant, but he reached for it anyway. When the grip was in his hand, he nodded to Reese and Dean.
"Okay." Sam said, mostly to himself.
"Great." Crowley smiled brightly at them.
"You wouldn't happen to know where the devil is, by chance, would you?" Sam knew he was pushing it, but he had to take a chance.
"Thursday. Birdies tell me he has an appointment in Carthage, Missouri." Sam nodded in approval and looked back to his brother.
"Great." Sam said, looking down at the colt. "Thanks." He held up the colt point blank at Crowley's face and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. Crowley got up and went around to his desk, unfazed by the attempt on his life.
"Oh yeah, right, you probably need some more ammunition." Dean took a step forward.
"Uh, excuse me, but aren't you kind of signing your own death warrant? I mean, what happens to you if we go up against the devil and lose?"
"Number one: He's going to wipe us all out anyway. Two: After you leave here, I go on an extended vacation to all points nowhere. And three: How about you don't miss! Okay! Morons!" he yelled before throwing a sleeve of bullets to Dean and then disappearing. The three were shocked and annoyed at the same time. Reese threw up her hands.
"Well, I say we head back to Bobby's and party like there's no tomorrow, huh?" she said, turning to head back back outside to the car. The boys shrugged and followed her. Once they caught up to her, she stopped and turned to them. "And call Cas. He needs to let lose too. Oh, and I'm gonna call up some friends to help with the hunt and to party!" she smiled as she turned and hopped into the Impala.
Reese had called Ellen and Jo to help with the hunt for Lucifer. She hadn't seen them in awhile and this was the time she needed to see them. Ellen was like a mother to her when her father had passed and even more so when Athena died. Her and Jo became good friends also. They all piled into Bobby's house and began to party like there was no tomorrow. Cas sat at the table with five shots of whiskey sitting in front of him. Reese sat across from him with Jo and they both downed one shot. She winced and blew sharply through her lips. She placed the glass upside down and looked at Cas. "All right big boy. You're turn." Cas looked down and picked up one shot and downed it like it was nothing. He then started to pick up the other four and quickly downed those as well. Reese watched in amazement. Once all five were down, Cas nodded to her. His eyes wide and a small smirk played on his lips.
"I think I'm starting to feel something." The girls laughed at the angel and poured five more shots.
"Cas, we have to get you out more." She got up and walked around to his side of the table. Jo moved to her seat as Reese wrapped her arm around Cas, holding herself in place as she poured him his five shots. "Alright, go!" she called. Cas and Jo quickly picked up a glass and drank. Reese threw up her arm in victory. Bobby watched with Ellen as the girls tried to get the angel plastered. He rolled up beside the table once Cas finished his drinks.
"Alright, hot shot." he said pointing to Reese. "Let's have it." he said, nodding to the shot glasses in front of him. Reese cheered as she poured more alcohol into the glasses for Bobby and Ellen. She then refilled Cas's and Jo's and stumbled around to her side of the table to grab a glass. She walked back around and sat in Cas's lap as he drank. Bobby smiled up at Ellen, knowing that this could be their last night on earth.
Sam and Dean were in the study looking over maps and books while sipping on beer. "It's gotta be a trap, right?" Sam said. Dean chuckled at his brother.
"Sam Winchester having trust issues with a demon. Well, better late than never." Sam scoffed at his brothers comment.
"And thank you again for your continued support." Sam held up his bottle of beer and Dean picked his up.
"You're welcome." he said, clinking the tops together and taking a sip. Sam chuckled at his brother. He knew Dean had no shame in what he said sometimes. "You know, trap or no trap… If we have a snowball's chance, we gotta take it, right?" Sam shrugged and nodded.
"Yeah, I suppose."
"Beside's I'm not sure it is a trap." Dean said, grabbing papers that were placed around him. "Check it out." He placed the papers in front if Sam and pointed. "I mean, Carthage is lit up like a Christmas tree in Revelation omens. And look at this." he grabbed more papers. "There's been six missing persons reported in town since Sunday." he picked up his beer and brought it to his lips. "I think the devil's there."
"Okay." Sam sighed.
"But if we think about it, you can't come with."
"Dean." Sam said in an annoyed tone. He knew where this was going.
"Look, I go against Satan and screw the pooch…" he pursed his lips, "Okay. I mean, we've lost a game piece. That we can take. But if you're there, then we are handing the devils's vessel right over to him. That's not smart."
"Since when have we ever done anything smart?" Sam said, annoyed by the conversation.
"I'm serious, Sam."
"So am I. Haven't we learned a damn thing? If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it together." Sam peered at Dean, begging him to agree. Dean started back at his younger brother, knowing he was right. He let out a sigh.
"Okay. But it's a stupid friggin' idea." he said, taking a sip of his beer. Sam turned around at the sound of Reese and Jo cheering once Cas had finished another round of shots. Bobby shook his head and rolled out of the room.
"Boy, talk about stupid ideas." Sam said, motioning to the kitchen where the fun was happening. Dean glanced around Sam's shoulder to see Reese get up from Cas's lap.
"I'm gonna get me a beer. You want one?" Reese called to Jo as she walked to the fridge. Jo nodded and looked back at Cas. Dean bit his lip as he watched Reese strut to the fridge.
"Good God." Dean whispered to himself. "True that." he got up and walked into the kitchen to see Reese bent over. She stood up and was caught by surprise when she saw Dean's towering form above her.
"Oh! You scared me." she said, placing a hand over her heart. Jo glanced their way and she felt a slight pang of jealousy. She had always had a crush on Dean. Ever since she met him a few years ago at the Roadhouse. Seeing him with Reese made her stomach turn a little. She bowed her head and then took another shot.
"Hey." Dean said.
"Hi." Reese replied, a smile playing on her lips.
"So…" Dean started, turning to lean against the counter. "Dangerous mission tomorrow." Reese nodded. "Guess it's time to eat, drink and…" he stumbled with his words. For the first time in a long time, he was nervous. "Ya know, make merry." he chuckled. Reese looked at her feet smiling. She knew exactly where Dean was going with this. She had got to sleep with him in her alternate reality, and now this could be her only chance to make that happen for real. They may not make it through tomorrow. She looked back up at him.
"Are you giving me the last-night-on-earth speech?" she asked, swaying her hips slightly.
"What?" Dean asked, surprised she caught on.
"What?" Reese played.
"No. No." he chuckled. "If I was, would, uh, would that work?" he nodded to her. Reese smiled as she placed her beer on the counter and leaned towards him. She raised her hand and ran her fingers through his hair and over his ear, making Dean shudder. She chuckled softly as she brought his lips to hers. She lightly brushed over them, sending chills down his spine. She pulled away and looked into his peering green eyes. She shrugged.
"Why not." She dropped her hand and laced her fingers with his as she began pulling him to the staircase. Jo watched them with pure jealousy as they start to leave when she heard Bobby's voice come through the hallway. Reese and Dean stopped and looked to the direction his voice was coming from.
"Everybody, get in here!" he yelled. Sam and Ellen were the first to get up and walk to him. "It's time for the line up." he said, playing around with the vintage camera that was set up. "Usual suspects in the corner."
"Oh, come on, Bobby, nobody wants their picture taken." she chuckled.
"Hear hear." Sam piped in.
"Shut up, you're drinking my beer." he said, setting the timer and rolling backwards to join the others. Cas, Jo, Dean and Reese entered the living room and took their places. "Anyway, I'm gonna need something to remember your sorry asses by."
"Ha!" Ellen laughed. "It's always good to have an optimist around." the others laughed with her.
"Bobby's right. Tomorrow we hunt the devil." Cas said, as everyone was putting arms around each other. "This is our last night on earth." And with that statement, it felt as if they were in a funeral. An awkward silence fell on the group as they heard the timer buzzing on the camera. Smiles turned to scared expressions as the camera snapped a picture.
Sam, Dean and Cas rode in the Impala while Ellen, Jo and Reese were behind them in Ellen's bronco. The trip was going to take at least a few hours. Reese made herself comfortable as she stretched out in the back seat. She was thankful for the wide seat, it was more room for to lay across without being scrunched on her side as she was in the Impala. Jo had stuck her earphones in her ears as she tried to rest up for the upcoming day. Ellen kept her eyes on the Impala's tail lights as her mind reeled of what could go wrong with the coming hours. She glanced to the back seat to see Reese trying to get comfortable.
"There's no sense in tryin, sweetheart. That seat is harder than a rock." Reese rolled her eyes as she sat up between the seats. Jo had fallen into a light sleep, but she could still hear their voices. Ellen decided to break the glass with Reese. After her father and Athena had passed away, Ellen looked after Reese. To make sure she got through her grief without getting herself into trouble. Reese was like another daughter she'd wanted for Jo. Ellen glanced back and forth from the tail lights in front of her and Reese who was now beside her while still being in the back seat. "So, when did you and Dean become an item?" she asked, a little bit of that motherly tone slipping off her tongue. Reese cleared her throat as a blush crept up her neck and through her cheeks.
"Um, well. It just sort of happened." she started. Jo stirred in her sleep, knowing that they were talking about Dean. She slowly moved her finger to turn down her music so she could hear. "And it's really nothing serious right now. I guess we're just testing the waters." she shrugged, hoping that would be good enough for Ellen. But Ellen knew better. She let out an exhale through her nose.
"Now Reese. I've known you since you were little. I know that spark in your eye when you want something. And I see it every time you look at Dean. Now tell me again it's nothing serious?" she questioned. Reese looked down.
"I don't know." she sighed. "Like I said, it just sort of happened. After Dean had his head trip he sort of threw himself to me. And then I left and got a head trip of my own and it went from there. He's not the dick every hunter I've come across says he is. He so much more, ya know?" Jo clenched her jaw. She thought about waking up and screaming at Reese for what she was doing. But she was her friend, and she couldn't do that her. Ellen nodded. Seeing Reese happy and hunting was something a hunter don't see everyday. He inhaled through her teeth and glanced in the mirror.
"I'm just letting you know," Ellen paused. "I know how to use a gun." her brow shot up, causing a smile onto Reese's face. It was good having Ellen around. She felt like she had a mother again. She reached up and patted her shoulder and leaned back into the seat to get a little sleep before the big show down.
The hunters got into Carthage a few hours later. Missing Persons posters plastered over the walls of building and telephone poles. The faces of people of all ages staring back at them. They drove slowly through town, noticing the lack of people around. Sam and Dean stuck their hands outside the car, holding up their cellphones, trying to get signal. The little screens blinked the words 'No Signal', making them uneasy.
"Are you getting a signal?" Sam asked, turning to Dean, who slowed the car to stop. He shook his head.
"No, nothing." He continued to look around at his surroundings. "Nice and spooky." He closed his phone and waved the girls around. He pulled over to the curb and put the Impala into park. The girls came up beside them. Reese leaned up between Ellen and Jo, a concerned look on her face.
"Place seem empty to you?" Ellen asked.
"We're gonna go check out the P.D. You guys stay here, see if you can find anybody." Dean said.
"Okay." she replied. Dean nodded and drove forward. Ellen pulled the bronco to the curb and put her into park. The three of them filed out of the car, Cas appearing beside it. They had gotten used to Cas popping in and out, so he didn't catch them off guard anymore. Reese stepped out and looked up at him. He nodded. Cas looked around, a confused look on his face. Reese put her hand on his arm.
"What is it, Cas?" she asked. Cas continued to look around, not meeting her eyes.
"This town's not empty." he said. The girls looked around and saw nobody. Cas's eyes focused on something, but they didn't know what. He took step forward. "Reapers."
"Reapers? As in, more than one?" Ellen asked, taking Reese's place. Cas's eyes would not stay in one place, he continued to move his eyes around.
"They only gather like this at times of great catastrophe. Chicago fire, San Fransisco quake, Pompeii. Excuse me, I need to find out why they're here." Cas began walking forward, still looking around him. Reese watched him go and turned to Ellen and Jo. She was worried, but she needed to stay on her A-Game for the boys and her friends. She turned back in Cas's direction, seeing him still walking. They saw him stop and look at a building. He focused in on it. And at the snap of a finger, he was gone.
"Well, that was weird." Reese said, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, no kidding. Come on, let's go find the boys." Jo said, climbing back into the car. Ellen and Reese nodded in agreement and followed suit. They piled back into the car and headed toward the police station. They drove a couple blocks and saw the boys standing beside the Impala. Ellen drove up next to them. Dean and Sam turned to them.
"Station's empty." he said.
"So it everything else." Jo said.
"Have you seen Cas?" Ellen asked.
"What? He was with you." Sam said, knitting his brows together.
"Nope, he went after the reapers." Reese said, popping her head out of the window.
"Reapers?"
"He saw reapers? Where?" Sam asked. Jo bit her lip and looked back at Reese, who nodded to her. She turned back to the boys.
"Well, kind of everywhere." She said, continuing to bite her lip. Sam and Dean turned and looked at each other. They knew that that was not good at all. The girls got out of the car and gathered their weapons. They loaded them and stood ready to take on anything. Reese turned to the boys.
"Let's go find our angel." she said, starting to the road, the others following her.
They looked around, waiting for anything to pop out. All five of them on their toes, ready for anything. Sam was the first to break the long silence.
"You think Lucifer got him?" he asked. Reese bit her lip. She hoped not. Jo noticed her tense shoulders and pated her on one. She smiled her friend and continued their trek down the road.
"I don't know what else to think." Dean said.
"There you are." A female voice came from behind them. The five hunters spun on their heels to face the voice. A woman with long dark hair stood a few yards away, with a smile on her face.
"Meg!" Sam yelled. Ellen, Jo and Reese looked at each other confused and turned back to the woman.
"You shouldn't have come here, boys." she said, still baring the cocky grin. Dean stepped forward.
"I could say the same thing for you." he pulled the colt from his waistband and cocked it, pointing it at Meg. He remained smiling.
"Didn't come here alone, Dean-o." she glanced down her side, and the hunters hood patters of feet and a low growl. The growl turned into a bark and fear was etched into Dean's face. The others heard the barks and growls all around them. They held tight to the weapons. Dean turned back to Meg.
"Hellhounds."
"Yeah, Dean! Your favorite!" she laughed. A hellhound barked up Dean's leg, making him tense. "Come on, kids. My father wants to see you."
"I think we'll pass, thanks." Sam said. Meg shook her head.
"Your call. You can make this easy, or you can make this really, really hard. Dean turned and looked at the girls. Reese's eyes met his and she nodded. He turned back to Meg.
"And when have you known us to ever make anything easy?" he said, keeping his tough mask in tact. He shifted his arm and took fire onto the hound standing next to Meg. the bullet hit, making contact with the dog, shooting black blood from the wound.
"Run!" Sam yelled. They all turned and sprinted away. They heard the pounding of paws chasing them and the faint sound of Meg's laugh. The dog caught up and grabbed Dean by his pant leg. He tumbled to the ground with a grunt. Jo turned around to see Dean on the ground. She cocked her shot gun.
"Dean!" she yelled, stepping to him.
"Jo, stay back!" he yelled at her. Reese turned and went to grab Jo but she had already fired off a shot.
"Jo!" Reese yelled, go after her, but Sam grabbed her and held her to his chest. She struggled against his arms, but she couldn't move. Jo fired off another shot, making contact. She fired another two shots before turning around to see if Dean was alright. Before she could fully turn, another hound jumped on top of her, pulling her to the ground. She screamed as hit the pavement.
"No!" Ellen yelled, running to her. Sam let Reese go and they followed Ellen. Reese stopped in her tracks as she heard Jo scream in agony as the hellhound ripped through her abdomen. Sam took a couple of shots, shooing off the hound. Dean bent down and picked up Jo, bridal style before he took off into the sports store. Ellen and Reese fired at nothing before following Dean into the shop. Reese followed Dean to the counter, watching blood flow from Jo. She was whimpering in pain and it brought memories into Reese's head. Her breath caught as she stopped and watched Dean put her down. Ellen bent down beside her, talking to her, trying to calm her down. Reese was petrified. She couldn't move. Athena was flashing before her eyes, causing tears to pool on her lids. Dean moved around her, spotting bags of rock salt. He grabbed one, ripped it open and lined the door while Sam chained it shut.
"Guys, need some help here!" Ellen yelled, keeping her tone steady.
"Go." Dean told Sam as he continued to line the door. He ran to the back door and windows and lined them too. Once finished, he grabbed his gun and turned to look down at Jo, who had blood pooling around her. Dean took a step back, noticing Reese was still behind him. He went to her, seeing how distraught she was. She continued to look at Jo, tears slowly running down her cheeks. "Hey." Dean's voice echoed through her ears. She felt his hand on her shoulder as she was slowly coming back to reality. "Reese! Are you all right?" She looked in his eyes and nodded, knowing she didn't have time her own pity party. Her friend was dying and she needed to help.
"Yeah. I'm fine." she pushed passed Dean and bent down to Jo. Reese gabbed her hand and Jo looked at her, pain in her eyes. Reese put down her gun and sat down beside her. Jo lazily leaned her head on her shoulder, knowing soon that she wouldn't make it.
They were quiet for a while. Ellen asking Jo if she was okay, only getting a nod as response. She had lost too much blood, she knew it wasn't much longer. She grip on Reese's hand tightened. Reese moved her head a little to look at her. Jo smiled. "You're gonna be okay, Jo. I promise." Reese whispered. Jo nodded again, pain rippling through her body as Sam bent down to hand Ellen a bowl.
"Thank you." she said. Ellen began working on Jo's wound to try and stop the bleeding. Reese moved her hand a little, getting her attention.
"I'm gonna see what the boys have planned, okay?" Reese patted her hand. "I'll be right back, promise." Jo nodded and moaned in pain as Ellen began to clean her gouges. Reese stood and walked over to the boys. Dean didn't make eye contact with her.
"How's she doin?" he asked, putting up his mask once again. Reese glanced at Sam and they both sighed. Neither one answered.
"Salt lines are holding up." Sam said, changing the subject.
"Safe for now.: Dean said, playing with a radio. Reese crossed her arms.
"Yeah, safe or trapped like rats." Dean turned to her.
"You heard Meg. Her father's here."
"We heard, Dean." Sam said, stepping in front of Reese. Sam didn't like the attitude he was giving to Reese. She didn't deserve it. She narrowed her eyes at Dean. She understood that he was worried and maybe a little scared, but that gave him no right to be a dick. Dean flared is nostrils and looked at his younger brother.
"This is our one shot, Sammy. We gotta take it no matter what." Sam looked at his brother, knowing deep down he was right. Reese turned her head away, clenching to the fabric on her jacket. Dean sighed and went back to the radio. He clicked it on. "Here we go."
"Sam, some help here please." Ellen called. Reese turned and looked at her friends. Jo was pale and a little green. Reese closed her eyes and looked back at Dean. He took the receiver off the side and tinkered with the dial.
"KC5 Delta Oscar," he said, still tinkering. " KC5 Delta Oscar, come in." Reese took a step closer so she could hear the respondent. She heard Bobby's garbled voice through the speaker.
"KC5 Delta Oscar, go ahead."
"Bobby, it's Dean. We got problems." there was a short silence before they heard Bobby's voice again.
"It's okay, boy. That's why I'm here. Is everyone all right?"
"No, it's…" Dean's voice cracked. Reese looked at him and her hand landed on his shoulder, giving him her support. "It's Jo. Bobby, it's pretty bad."
"Okay, copy that. So now we figure out what we do next." Dean looked at Reese. She nodded, silently telling him it was okay. He nodded back to her.
"Bobby, I don't think she's…" he stopped. He placed a finger over his lips. He couldn't say it. He couldn't say she was going to die. Reese squeezed his shoulder.
"I said, what do we do next, Dean?" Bobby's voice came through softly. They could tell he was worried, beyond worried. Terrified. Dean sighed and rubbed his face with the back of his hand. Reese let go of shoulder and walked back over to Jo, Ellen and Sam.
"Right. Okay, right." Dean said, getting his bearings back.
"Now, tell me what you got." Dean began to explain what had happened up to that point. Telling him that Cas has vanished and that the town was crawling with Reapers.
"Now before he went missing, did Cas say how many reapers?"
"I don't know. He said a lot of things, I guess. I mean, does the number matter?" Ellen got up from her spot beside Jo and walked to Dean.
"Devil's in details, Dean." Bobby replied. Ellen patted Dean's arm and nodded to the radio. Dean pushed the button and held it to her.
"Bobby, it's Ellen. The way he was lookin, the number of places Castiel's eyes went, I'd say we're talking over a dozen reapers, probably more."
"I do not like the sound of that." Bobby said, his voice dropping. Ellen turned and went back to her place beside Jo.
"Nobody likes the sound of that, Bobby, but what does sound like?"
"It sounds like Death, son. I think Satan's in town to work a ritual." Dean could hear pages turning as Bobby continued to explain. "I think he's planning to unleash Death."
"You mean, like, as in this dude and taxes are the only sure thing?"
"As in Death, the horseman, the pale rider in the flesh." Reese came up beside Dean again, hearing the tail end of the conversation.
"Unleash?" she said, grabbing the receiver from Dean's hand. "Hasn't Death been tromping all over the place already?" Once she was finished speaking, Dean snatched her radio back with a grin on his face. She smacked his shoulder and waited for Bobby's reply.
"Not this guy. This is the Angel of Death. Big daddy reaper. They keep this guy chained in a box six hundred feet under. Last time they hauled him up, Noah was building a boat." he stopped. "That's why the place is crawling with reapers. They're waiting on the big boss to show." Dean let out the breath he'd been holding. Reese looked up to the ceiling and ran her hands through her hair. Hunting used to be simple. When did it become so complicated. 'Oh yeah. The day I met the friggin' Winchesters' she thought.
"You have any other good news?" Dean asked softly.
"Well, in a manner of speaking. I've been researching Carthage since you've been gone trying to suss out what the devil might want there. What you just said drops the last piece of the puzzle in place. The Angel of Death must be brought into this world at midnight through a place of awful carnage. Now, back during the Civil War, there was a battle in Carthage. A battle so intense, the soldiers called it the Battle of Hell Hole."
"Where'd the massacre go down?"
"On the land of William Jasper's farm." Dean sighed and thanked Bobby for the information. He placed the radio back on the shelf and turned to the three four hunters behind him. Reese and Ellen were talking to Jo, trying to get her to calm down. Ellen whispering her motherly tone to her, while Reese held her hand, telling her how it was going to be okay. Sam was bent down beside Reese, being her moral support. Dean snapped and got Sam's attention, getting him to go over to him.
"Well?" Sam asked.
"Now we know where the devil's gonna be. We know when, and we have the colt."
"Yeah, we just have to get past eight or so hellhounds and get to the farm by midnight."
"Yeah, and that's after we get those three the hell out of town." Reese had heard that one. She stood and stormed to Dean.
"I'm not going anywhere. I meant it when I said you were stuck with me." Reese stood her ground. Dean tightened his jaw and narrowed his eyes at her. Sam smirked and it soon faded when he glanced down at Jo.
"Won't be easy." he said. Dean looked back at his brother.
"Stretcher?" Sam nodded.
"I'll see what we got." They went to part ways to get the supplies when Jo's pained voice hit their ears. They all stopped and looked at her.
"Stop… guys stop." she breathed. Ellen looked the boys and back to Jo. Reese turned and crossed her arms. "Can we, uh, be realistic about this, please?" the three hunters moved slowly over to her. Jo sighed heavily. "I can't move my legs. I can't be moved." Reese slowly dropped her arms to her side while the boys looked at each other. Reese knew what Jo was doing. She was giving up. "My guts are being held in by an Ace bandage. We gotta—we gotta get our priorities straight here." they all waited for her to continue. "Number one: I'm not going anywhere."
"Joanna Beth, you stop talking like that." Ellen said, her motherly tone slipping off her tongue. Reese let out a small breath
"Mom. I can't fight. I can't walk. But I can do something. We've got propane, wiring, rock salt, iron nails, everything we need."
"Everything we need?" Reese asked, her voice cracking slightly.
"To build a bomb, Reese." Reese's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
"No. Jo, no." Dean said softly.
"You got another plan? You got any other plan? Those are hellhounds out there, Dean. They've got all of our scents. Those bitches will never stop coming after you." Realization hit them all, now knowing where she was going with all this. She took in a shaky breath and continued. "We let the dogs in, you guys hit the roof make a break for the building next over. I can wait here with my finger on the button. Rip those mutts a new one." she smiled. "Or at least get you a few minutes head start anyway." Tears were pooling in Ellen's eyes, along with Reese's.
"No, I won't let you." Ellen pleaded, tears falling from her lids down her cheeks.
"This is why we're here, right?" Ellen shook her head, trying to stay strong for her daughter. "If I can get us a shot on the devil…" she looked up at Dean. "Dean, we have to take it."
"No…" Ellen looked up at Dean, begging him to say no. "That's not—"
"Mom." Jo interrupted. Ellen slowly turned and looked at her broken daughter. "This might literally be your last chance to treat me like an adult. You might wanna take it." She smiled at her mother. Reese inhaled sharply. Saying goodbye to another loved one hurt. It really hurt. Ellen sobbed, bowing her head. Reese bent down and hugged Ellen, grabbing Jo's hand. The boys looked helplessly at the three women below them. They knew there was nothing they could do. Jo nodded to her mother and smiled. Ellen and Reese smiled sadly back at her. Ellen knew that in order for this to work, she had to let her go. She took a breath and turned to the boys.
"You heard her. Get to work."
Without missing a beat, Reese jumped up, grabbed the boys by their arms and hauled them to the isles. Pointing to the elements they needed. The three of them gathered the supplies and began working. Dean grabbed the wiring and began making the fuse while Sam and Reese began constructing the other elements in giant metal pales. They each made layers of salt and nails, burying the propane tanks within it. They made four bombs and Dean lead the fuse over to Jo.
"Okay, this is it." he said, placing the fuse in her hand. They remained quiet and Jo smiled sweetly to Dean. He smiled back to her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before getting up again. Reese took his place and softly wrapped her arms around her friends shoulders.
"I'm so sorry, Jo." Reese cried. Jo nodded against her neck and hugged her weakly. The two of them stayed like that for a while before Jo pushed her away, telling her to get to safety. Reese hugged her one more time before standing and moving over with Dean and Sam. Sam put his arm around her shoulder for comfort and they watched Ellen kneel beside Jo. She sat down on her legs and grabbed her hands. Jo motioned her to get up and go with the others, but Ellen simply smiled and shook her head no. Jo sobbed.
"Mom, no."
"Somebody's gotta let them in." she said softly. "And like you said, you're not moving. You got me, Jo. And you're right. This is important." Jo nodded to her weakly. "But I will not leave you here alone." Jo had given up trying to get her mother to leave.
"Dean…" Sam started.
"Get going now, kids." Ellen said.
"Ellen…" Reese asked.
"I said go." the three of them started to the back door before Ellen stopped them. "And Dean? Kick it in the ass. Don't miss." They smiled to her and started back to the door. Ellen got up and removed the chains and salt from the door. The others kicked the salt out of the way and moved to the stair case leading to the roof.
Ellen took her spot next to Jo and wrapped her arms around her shoulder. "I will always love you baby." Jo started to say something before her last breath escaped her lungs. "Jo?" Ellen asked, but got no response. She squeezed her shoulder and she knew that Jo was gone. "Oh no." she sobbed, suddenly being but off by the growling and barking of the hellhounds. She took a deep breath and glanced around her. The front door swung open, sending a blast of cool air toward them. She heard items falling from the selves around her as the hounds moved around the shop. She looked straight ahead and her hand clutched around Jo's and the fuse. She felt the dark hot huff of dog breath beside her. She stayed still and looked down at her hand. Her breathing quickened as she prepared herself. She grinned. "You can go straight back to hell, you ugly bitch!" She pressed the button on the fuse and the last thing she heard was the sound of a whimpering dog.
Reese, Sam and Dean made their way down the fire escape and onto the street a couple hundred feet away from the shop. A loud explosion brought them to halt as they turned around, seeing the shop explode into flames. Reese started back to the store before Dean grabbed her around the waist and ushered her away. They all turned and ran to their destination.
They arrived to the farm and hid in the tree line. They kneeled down once they saw people standing in the field. "I guess we know what happened to some of the townspeople." Dean whispered.
"Okay." Sam said. Dean repeated. Reese remained quiet, waiting for the next part of the plan. "Last words?" Reese and Dean looked at each other and then to Sam. Reese didn't want to overstep with the 'let's talk about our feeling' gig. She was never really good with that. Even with her sister. Dean looked down and then back up to Sam.
"I think I'm good." he said, thunder rolling above them. Sam stared at his brother. Even though he didn't say it directly, Sam knew what he meant. He nodded.
"Yeah, me too."
"Alright, now that we have that out of the way, can get this show on the road?" Reese asked, looking between the boys. Dean looked forward and took a step.
"Here goes nothing." They took two different ways. Sam went left while Reese and Dean went right. Dean held out his arm to stop her. "You stay here. Let me take the shot, if I miss, run like hell." Reese let him have her first 'bitch face'.
"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not going anywhere." she said, brushing past him. He caught her arm and swung her around and caught her lips with his. She melted into it. He slowly pulled back and looked into her deep blue eyes.
"Just in case." he said before stepping in front of her again. Reese watched him make his trek into a nearby tree line before following him. They both watch Sam come into sight a few yards away. They looked up on the hill to see a man with a shovel, digging a gigantic hole.
"Hey!" Sam yelled, cocking his sawed off. "You wanted to see me?"
"That's Lucifer?" Reese whispered. Dean nodded. He quietly tiptoed up the hill behind Lucifer. He pulled the colt from his waistband and prepared himself for the kill.
"Well, Sam, you need that gun here." Lucifer pointed to the shot gun. He took a few steps down the hill and smiled at Sam. "You know I'd never hurt you. Not really." Dean got up beside him quietly and pointed the colt at Lucifer's head.
"Yeah?" he said. "Well, I'd hurt you." he pulled back the hammer and placed his finger on the trigger. "So suck it." he pulled the trigger, shooting Lucifer point blank. His body fell to the ground in a heap. Sam and Reese both let out a collective sigh. Reese walked to the side of the hill, keeping her distance. Sam shook with joy before they heard a loud intake of breath. Dean looked down at Lucifer's body and saw him breathing and opening his eyes. Dean's eyes widened. He turned to Sam and Reese, shocked.
"Ow!" he cried. His breathing quickened. He stood to his feet, rubbing his head. "Where did you get that?" he asked, pointing to the colt. Dean was speechless. Lucifer raised his arm and took a swing at Dean. All of his strength was behind the blow, sending Dean flying through the air. He made contact with a tree and fell unconscious on the way down. He landed on the ground hard. Reese called out his name and rushed over to him when he hit the ground. She gently picked up his head and moved his body over. She laid his head in her lap before looking back up at Sam and Lucifer. Sam was speechless. He watched his brother fly through the air and he was too scared to move. Lucifer turned to Sam and healed the gun shot on his head. "Now, where were we?" Sam clenched his fists in fear. he had no clue what to do now that the colt idea was a bust. "Don't feel bad, Sam. There's only five things in all of creation that that gun can't kill and I just happen to be one of them. But if you give me a minute., I'm almost done." He turned back and grabbed the shovel and continued digging. Sam remained quiet.
"Dean, wake up." Reese whispered, shaking Dean slightly. Sam got his bearings back and moved over to Reese and Dean. He bent down and grabbed her shoulder to see if they were okay. Reese looked at him and then back down to Dean. Both their heads shot up when they heard Lucifer's voice.
"You know, I don't suppose you'd just say yes right here and now? End this whole tiresome discussion." Sam stood to his feet. Lucifer shrugged. "That's crazy, right?"
"It's never gonna happen." Sam snapped.
"Oh, I don't know, Sam." Lucifer began digging again. "I think it will. I think it'll happen soon. Within six months. And I think it'll happen in Detroit." Tears pooled in Sam's eyes as a new found anger rippled in his stomach.
"You listen to me, you son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill you myself, you understand me? I am going to rip your heart out!"
"That's good, Sam. You keep fanning that fire in your belly. All that pent-up rage. I'm gonna need it." Sam looked around at the people standing behind Lucifer.
"What did you do? What did you do to this town?"
"I was very generous with this town. One demon for every able-bodied man."
"And the rest of them?" Lucifer stopped and stuck the edge of the shovel in the ground and pointed to the hole.
"In there." Sam and Reese gasped in horror. Reese couldn't believe any of it. Her arms tightened around Dean's shoulders as she continued trying to wake him up. "I know, it's awful, but these horsemen are so demanding. So it was women and children first. I know what you must think of me, Sam, but I have to do this. I have to. You, of people, should understand." Sam shook his head.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucifer threw down the shovel and stepped to Sam.
"I was a son, a brother. Like you, a younger brother. And I had an older brother who I loved. Idolized, in fact. And one day, I went to him, and I begged him to stand with me. And Michael… Michael turned on me. Called me a freak. A monster. And then he beat me down, all because I was different, because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something, Sam. Any of this sound familiar?" Sam looked at him sorely. He did feel the same way. But that was a long time ago. He didn't feel that way now. He loved his brother, and Dean loved him. They had each other's backs, no matter what. Lucifer smirked. "Anyway, you'll have to excuse me. Midnight is calling, and I have a ritual to finish. Don't go anywhere. Not that you could if you would." he pointed before turning his back. Sam dropped back down to Dean and Reese. Checking Dean's vitals, making sure he was going to make it. Sam and Reese looked up to see Lucifer chanting. He turned to the group of people behind him. Their black eyes fixed upon him. "Now repeat after me." he said. "We offer up our lives, blood, souls." the group repeated. Reese felt Dean shudder and she looked down to see him opening his eyes. She smiled slightly before looking up at Lucifer again. "To complete this tribute." the group repeated, but a couple of them glowed orange before tumbling to the ground. A few more after that and more and more began to fall. The three of them watched and looked at the devil. He shrugged and looked at the bodies and smiled. "They're just demons." the hunters remained quiet as Lucifer completed the ritual. The ground under them began to shake and rumble. Reese's arms tightened around Dean. She reached over and grabbed Sam's hand, letting him know that they were still there. He squeezed it. They heard a ruffle of wings and they turned to see Castiel kneeling beside them, telling him to remain quiet. He placed his hand on Dean's shoulder, made sure that they were connected, before flying off, getting them to safety. Lucifer looked over and smiled, knowing that they had left. He walked to the top of the hill and smiled again. "Oh, hello, Death."
Cas had dropped the hunters off at Bobby's and decided to stay himself to gain his strength back. They looked around saw the empty shot glasses and beer bottles all over the kitchen table and counter. Bobby was listening to the television, watching the news on how the Apocalypse had started. Freak weather reports, strong earthquakes, illness. The world was ending, and there no hope in sight. Reese walked into the living area to see Bobby sitting in front of the fire place, holding the picture they had taken before the hunt. They all looked scared. And seeing Ellen and Jo in the picture brought tears to her eyes. Dean and Sam walked up behind her and gave her comfort. Sam went forward and put his hand on Bobby's shoulder while Dean's arm went around Reese's. Bobby continued to look down at the picture, remembering all the good times they had had with the two women. All three remained quiet as Bobby moved forward to the fire and placed the picture into the flames. Tears in everyones eyes as they watched the memory burn.