Chapter Twenty-Six

"Let me get this straight," Madison said. "You're in love with the devil."

"Lucifer," Sam corrected. "And yes, I love him."

She looked doubtful. "How does that even work? How is he capable of you loving back? He's Satan."

"Not anymore," Sam said. "Now he's Lucifer."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means he gave up his happiness and freedom for the world. It means he abandoned the apocalypse for us. He understands humanity now and he sees the good in it. He changed, Maddie."

"And you really love him?"

Sam nodded. "I do."

She stared out over the stream, looking pensive. "Did you think of me at all?"

"I did," Sam said emphatically. "For a long time you were practically all I thought of." Madison and Jess, the women he'd loved. "But you have to understand, I thought you were at peace. It was the only comfort I had after what I did to you. You were gone, I thought to Heaven, and I had to go on living. People needed me. And then Lucifer came, and I fell in love again. I didn't expect it. In fact, it was the last thing I ever thought would happen, but it did. It's not just been a few years, Maddie. We had centuries together."

"How's that?"

"It's a long story, but we were in our own… heaven I guess you'd call it for over two centuries."

"Better than the few days we had," she said with a sigh.

"Different to the few days we had," Sam corrected.

"You must really want to get back to him."

"Yes," Sam said seriously. "All of them: Lucifer, Dean, Bobby and Cas." He forced himself to sound accepting of his fate, though he didn't feel it. Truth was, he was scared for them. Lucifer and Dean had proved in the past that there was nothing they wouldn't do for him. What might they be doing now to try to get him back? How they would twist themselves in knots to save him.

"Guess it's good you found me then," she said.

"It is. I don't think I could make it in this place without you."

She smiled slightly. "That's true, but also not what I meant. You need to get out of here, Sam; not just because it will kill you to stay, but because you need to get back to them. I know a way."

A flicker of hope lit in Sam's chest. "How?"

"There's a portal, a way out. Apparently, God was worried one of His favorite creations would get trapped in here. It won't work for us monsters, but a human should be able to slip through without a problem."

"Where is it?" Sam asked intensely.

"By the north cliffs. I've seen it." Her tone was unmistakably and understandably bitter. Sam would be bitter, too, seeing a way out he couldn't take.

He hesitated before asking, "Why haven't you told me about this before?" He had been in Purgatory for weeks now, fighting and killing for his own survival.

She turned away. "Because I thought you still loved me. I thought that would be worth staying for. I was wrong."

"I do love you," Sam said.

She looked into his eyes. "Perhaps, but you love him more."

Sam had no answer that wouldn't hurt her.


The Reaper was obviously terrified, but he made a good attempt at nonchalance as he faced Lucifer. "I can get you in, well, one of you, but it can't be you."

"Why not?" Lucifer asked through gritted teeth.

"It's a human portal," Ajay said. "No supernatural being can pass through."

"Make an exception," Lucifer said.

"I can't. It's not me being difficult. It's that I can't transport an angel through. It's hard enough to do with a human."

Dean was unconcerned, even a little relieved that he was the one going through. He didn't think he could trust anyone else to get Sam out.

Lucifer turned to him. "Dean…"

"I'm doing it," he said without hesitation. "I'll get him back, Lucifer."

It felt strange to reassure Lucifer when what he wanted to do was slug him for abandoning them when they—Sam—needed him most. But Lucifer was a wreck, and that made it hard for Dean to hold onto his anger. He had only seen one person looking so devastated once in his life, and that was Sam after Lucifer banished himself into the cage again.

"I would be remiss if I didn't warn you," Ajay said. "It's not like Hell. There are no levels you can traverse. This is a pit of constant confusion, danger, pain and fear. There is no way to orient yourself unless you have spent long years there. I can only give you twenty-four hours. Searching for someone that has been there weeks is going to be a challenge."

The thought of the challenge meant nothing to Dean. He was more concerned with the constant pain and fear Sam was going through. Sam was no coward; he was strong, but how long could he handle that place.

"I'm up for it," Dean said. "Just get me in there. I'll find him."

Ajay shifted uncomfortably. "He might not be there anymore. Purgatory takes lives."

"He'll be there," Lucifer said with certainty. He glanced at Dean who nodded. "If he'd died, we'd know."

"Okay," Ajay said. "You might want to arm yourself a little better. You're going to need to stack the odds in your favor as much as you can."

Dean made for the Impala where they'd parked in a side road and popped the trunk. There was a wealth of weapons on offer—weapons Sam hadn't had access to before he was thrust into Purgatory—and he loaded up with everything he could think of for every monster he might face in there.

Bobby came to stand beside him, watching as Dean stowed a silver knife in his boot and strapped on a machete. Dean waited for him to say something, but he didn't.

When he was as armed as he could be, he turned to his friend and said, "Something you want to say, Bobby?"

Bobby hesitated for a moment and then he turned Dean with a hand on his shoulder and dragged him into a hug. Dean returned it forcefully for a moment and then pulled back when he spotted Lucifer standing behind Bobby. He looked as wrecked as he had the moment he'd arrived in Bobby's library, fresh from Gabriel's retrieval but there was something in his eyes now that spoke of hope.

"Something on your mind, Lucifer?" he asked.

"Thank you," Lucifer said fervently.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Uh, you're welcome."

"For this," Lucifer said. "For Sam. I know you will do this, bring him back."

"Damn right," Bobby said. "No one better."

Ajay appeared and asked, "Are you ready?"

Dean patted his machete, reassuring himself, and nodded. "More than ready."

"Come with me." Ajay walked deeper in the alley and Dean followed.

"Good luck," Bobby called behind him.

Dean waved a hand in thanks. He had a feeling he was going to need it.


"Sam, to the left!" Madison shouted, then grunted in pain.

Sam couldn't look to see what had happened to her. Two vampires were coming at him from the side. One was armed with a handcrafted blade; he would pose a challenge. The second was relying on fangs for the kill. Sam could handle him.

He kicked the blade wielding vamp in the chest, knocking it back a few feet, and then swung at the fanged vampire with his own weapon. The blade sliced through its neck, dropping the head and body to the ground with thuds. He had no time to relish the kill, though, as the second vampire was coming at him, teeth bared in fury. He struck out with his blade but the vampire dodged it and hit out with his own. The very tip of it caught Sam across the chest, slicing a burning cut into his skin. Sam lurched back, unbalancing himself so the blow the vampire caught him across the cheek knocked him on his ass, making him drop his blade.

The vampire bore down on him. "Lookie here. Human boy isn't as tough as the stories tell."

"There's stories?" Sam asked, trying to distract the vampire so he could get to his feet again to fight. "I had no idea. Didn't realize I'd left any survivors to tell tales."

The vampire kicked him in the side, and Sam curled into an aching ball. The vampire rolled him with a foot and then set it on Sam's chest, pinning him in place. "Say goodbye to your lady friend, Winchester."

Sam had a moment's fear as he saw his death approaching, and then a surge of anger swept through him. He was not going down like this. He had people he loved that he wanted to get back to, people that needed him as much as he needed them.

He grabbed the vampire's ankle and wrenched it up, knocking it onto its back. He sprung to his feet, pushing down the pain in his gut, and grabbed his blade from the ground. He slammed it down, directly at the center of the vampire's throat, decapitating it with a triumphant shout.

He turned to Madison in time to see her kicking away the head of her attacker and then he gasped as strong hands grabbed his shoulders and turned him. He looked into an unremarkable face that quickly transformed into a huge mouth with sharp teeth. The blade was in his hand, but he couldn't raise it as the Leviathan had moved its grip to his wrist and was twisting.

He was dead, he knew. All the fighting and killing had been for nothing as he wasn't getting out of here. He would never see the people he loved again. He squeezed his eyes shut then he realized he was already dead, because he could hear Dean's voice shouting, "Down, Sam!"

He reacted instinctively, years of following Dean's commands in the heat of battle working in his favor, and dropped to his knees. There was a meaty thud, a grunt and then two more thuds as a head and body fell to the floor. Someone dropped down in front of him and a face swam in his vision. "Sammy, you okay?" A hand pressed to the gash on his chest, making it burn with pain. "Damn, look at you."

Sam blinked and the face came into focus. "Dean?"

"Yeah, I'm here." He tore open Sam's shirt and hissed between his teeth as he saw the wound.

Sam pushed his hands away and grabbed at his shoulders. "Dean!"

Dean grinned and patted his cheek. "Yeah, Sammy. I'm here."

"How?" Sam asked, then shook his head. "What are you doing here?"

Sam struggled to his feet, not taking his eyes from his brother as he straightened.

"Came to get you out, obviously. Come on, we haven't got long and this place is huge. We need to—" He cut off as Madison came toward them, one hand raised in a placatory gesture and the other carrying her weapon at her side. Dean stiffened and his grip tightened around his machete as he shifted to stand in front of Sam.

"No, Dean," Sam said quickly, stepping around him and placing a hand on Dean's chest. "It's Madison."

"Madison?" Dean questioned, leaning forward slightly and narrowing his eyes.

"Hello, Dean. Long time no see."

Dean breathed out in a rush. "Wow."

She smiled. "Yeah. Wow."

Contrary to how Sam had felt when he'd seen Madison again, Dean looked disappointed, sad even.

"Did you come through the portal?" Madison asked him.

"I came through something," Dean said. "I guess you could call it a portal. A Reaper bounced me through some door in an alley and I wound up here." He checked his watch and his mouth pressed into a thin line. "He'll be waiting for us soon."

"Awesome," Sam said. "Let's go."

Dean hesitated. "Sam, I…"

"What?" Sam asked. "You came to get us out, right?"

"He came to get you out," Madison corrected.

"It's not like that," Dean said quickly. "It's that this door is for humans only. Not even Lucifer could use it. I'm sorry, Maddie, but you're…"

"Not human," she said bitterly. "It doesn't matter. Sam, go with him. Get out of here."

"Not without you," Sam said angrily.

She looked mournful. "I told you, there is no way out for me."

"You don't know that!" Sam said emphatically. "You're still part human. It might work."

Perhaps he was imagining it, but he thought he saw a spark of something deep down in her eyes—something that could be hope. It was quickly quashed when Dean spoke.

"Sam, if an archangel can't make it work for him, it's unlikely the Reaper can do it for us."

"Then we'll use the other exit," Sam said. "There's another portal here. Madison said it's an escape hatch for humans. We've been working our way there, and it's not far now."

"It's for humans," Madison said.

Sam shook his head and started to speak but Dean spoke over him. "Look, Sam, I get that you're torn, but we don't have time for this. The Reaper will be waiting, and he told me he can only wait so long." He turned to Madison. "Maddie, I am so sorry for what has happened to you, but we've got a real chance of getting out of here."

"I know," she said. "I understand. Sam, this is it for me. No portal is letting me out. Go with Dean."

"No," Sam said defiantly.

"Sam!" Dean said angrily. "This is not the time to play the hero. Lucifer is waiting for you. Are you going to give up what might be your one shot at getting out of here?"

The pull of Lucifer's name was hard to deny, but Sam couldn't leave Madison behind. He had to at least try to get her out. She deserved that for what she had done for him.

"No," he said firmly.

"No!" Dean growled. "Sammy, this could be it!"

"I don't believe that. Hell couldn't keep us apart. Purgatory won't either." He picked up his weapon from the ground and walked away from them both — heading north.


So… Sam got out of the stubborn-ass side of the bed this morning. Bless him.

Until next time…

Clowns or Midgets xxx