A/N: This chapter is one of my favorites. I really enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think!
Dean sped down the road to Lincoln, determination and fear in his eyes. He whipped the Impala around a turn, almost sped out and fishtailed back on track without blinking. Carmen had never seen him so filled with fervor.
"Dean, what if it's a trap, what if they don't have John at all and they're just trying to lure us to them!" Carmen spoke quickly, trying to reason with him.
"It was a text from Dad's phone. They have him, and even if it was a trap it wouldn't matter." Dean kept his eyes on the road, not even glancing towards her.
"They want the colt, that's why they want us to come!" Sam exclaimed, exasperated. "We can not bring that gun, Dean, we have to keep it away from them, we need it!"
"Not as much as we need Dad, alive! That thing is our only bargaining chip for his life!"
"It's the only thing that can kill The Demon! Dad would want us to keep it safe!"
"I don't care!" Dean yelled heatedly.
Sam argued with Dean until they got to Lincoln, which took them most of the night. A faint dawn light illuminated the quiet town as they drove in and screeched to a halt in Caleb's driveway. Dean slammed the car door and cocked his gun as he fearlessly invaded the house. Carmen and Sam weren't far behind him. The colt was locked safely in the demon-proofed trunk…for now.
Sam picked the lock and Caleb's front door swung open. The whole house was in disarray. Sam went up the stairs, and Dean and Carmen examined the first floor. Pictures were torn from the walls, tables had been flipped over, couches were overturned, but it was quiet. There were bloodstains on the floors and walls.
A quick whistle from the hallway caught Carmen's attention. Dean stood at the top of the basement stairs, following a trail of blood.
"It looks fresh," he whispered. They descended the stairs together, Dean leading Carmen. Half way down, Carmen could already see a man's body lying on the floor. It was definitely not John, but she ran to his side and knelt beside him.
But Dean grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt and pulled her back up to her feet. "He could be possessed," Dean warned. He took out his hip flask filled with holy water and cautiously flipped the body over.
It was Caleb, and he groaned with pain as Dean moved him.
"Oh, my God," Carmen knelt to try and sooth him. He was bleeding and could barely move. His leg was twisted at an awfully wrong angle.
"Dean, they attacked…" He croaked.
"It's okay," Carmen soothed. "We know, just try not to move, okay? We'll get you to a hospital."
"Where did they take our father?" Dean asked intently.
"Dean!" Carmen scolded, appalled.
"We need to know." Dean defended.
"Sunrise…they took him to sunrise…"
"Sunrise? What does that mean?" But Caleb was gone.
"Shit," Carmen whispered as she turned away. Caleb didn't deserve this. Sam came bounding down the stairs, and he took in the scene.
"Is he...?" He asked. Carmen nodded.
"We've got to find Dad," Dean said, "before they do this to him, too."
"We can't just leave him here like this," Sam motioned to Caleb's body.
"He's gone, Sam, and we don't have time! We have to figure out what he meant by sunrise."
"Sunrise?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, why, does that mean something to you?"
"I found this," Sam took a book of matches out of his pocket, "upstairs. It's from sunrise apartment buildings. That must be where they took Dad."
"Who knows if he's even still there," Carmen said.
"Let's hope he is."
Dean pulled into the parking lot of Sunrise apartment buildings. It was bustling with people even in the early morning. It was cheery and certainly didn't look like a place that a demon would choose for its lair.
"We need to search the place." Dean said.
"We're never going to be able to search with all those people around."
"It's okay, I think I have a plan. Wait here," Dean got out of the car and ran into the lobby.
Carmen and Sam waited, and then all of a sudden, a blaring of a fire alarm went off inside the building. It rang through the parking lot, and Carmen saw Dean slip out the side door and return to the car.
"That'll get everybody out."
"Yeah, but Dean, the city's going to respond in, what, seven minuets?"
"It's all part of the plan, Sammy."
The city did respond. As dozens of people filed out of the building, a dozen firemen charged in to examine it. Dean, Sam and Carmen snuck out of the Impala and slunk behind one of the fire trucks. There were two firemen's outfits, complete with helmets, lodged into a compartment in the back of the truck, but there was a man blocking them.
"Carmen, go distract him."
"Why me?" She shot.
"Because he's a guy." Dean grabbed her shirt and pulled it down considerably so that her cleavage became the first thing anyone would notice when looking at her.
"I hate you," she spat.
"Just meet us around back" Dean pushed her out from behind the truck.
She rolled her eyes, but walked straight up to the fireman anyway. "Hi, excuse me," she said in what she hoped was a sultry voice.
"Can I help you?" He asked as he turned to her and, thankfully, away from the truck.
"Oh, I was just wondering what happened here? You know, I live a few streets over and heard the sirens." Out of the corner of her eye, Carmen saw Sam and Dean steal the outfits from the truck and slip away.
And now she waited in the alley behind the building, where Dean had said they would meet her. She paced the sidewalk, hoping John was okay, worrying about Sam and Dean, and wishing she was in there to help them.
Finally, Sam appeared on the fire escape of the seventh floor. "Carmen!" He called down to her. "We got him!" John appeared next to Sam on the fire escape, but it looked like he needed Dean's help to stand.
Wanting to do something to help from her post on the ground, Carmen climbed atop the dumpster against the wall and leapt to the fire escape ladder so that it opened up. She swung from it and landed on the ground agilely. It took Sam and Dean some time to get John on the ground, and all the while Carmen watched them.
She didn't notice that there was someone else in the alleyway with her.
Sam jumped down first, and then Dean helped to lower John down. He was beat up, Carmen could tell, but it looked like he just needed some rest.
Dean jumped down next to Carmen, but as soon as he got his feet on the ground, it attacked. It was a man with eyes like onyx, black as the night. It tackled Sam, slamming his face against the wall. Sam was holding John up, so when that support was gone, John fell to the ground as well, useless. Carmen and Dean lunged at the demon, but it put its hand up and threw them simultaneously back into a car windshield.
Carmen knocked her head, and her vision swam. She raised her head to see the demon was beating Sam, relentlessly punching him in the face, forcing him to the ground and digging its knee into Sam throat.
She tried to push herself up, but Carmen's head was still fuzzy. A loud BANG from close by her made her jump and cleared her head instantly. She looked to see the demon that was attacking Sam fall sideways with a bullet in his head, and Dean aiming the colt.
Carmen and Dean were able to bring Sam and John safely back to the cabin in the woods. They decided it was the best place to hide while they still had demons out scouting them. Carmen salted the doors and windows for protection. After they got John and Sam a place to rest, she drew demon traps by each entryway.
They took the day to rest. All four of them had been hurt that morning, and they tended to each other's wounds. John stayed in bed nearly all day with little convincing, which was rare for him.
"Dad's still not up yet?" Sam asked as he came back into the room with dinner after dark that night. His face was swollen and bruised from the morning, but his spirit was unbroken. They had gotten their father and the colt out safely.
"No. It's pretty unlike him to be out for the day." Dean answered.
"Guess he was pretty beat up."
"You don't think we were followed here, do you?" Carmen asked as she pulled back the curtains.
"Nah, we couldn't have found a more out of the way place to hold up," Dean said, but he looked uncomfortable.
"Hey, Dean?" Sam looked at his brother. "You, um…you saved my life back there."
"Well I guess you're glad I brought the colt, huh?"
"I'm trying to thank you."
Dean nodded. "You're welcome."
But for some reason, he looked down at the floor as he said this.
Carmen waited for Sam to leave, and then turned to Dean. She put her hand in his, and she didn't even have to ask.
"You know that guy I shot in the ally? There was a person in there."
"Dean, you know you didn't have a choice. He would have killed Sam."
"I know, that's not what bothers me. It's just, killing that guy…I didn't think twice, I didn't even flinch. The things I'm willing to do for Sam, for you, for Dad, it just…it scares me sometimes."
"It shouldn't" John said, appearing from his room. "You did good, son."
"You're not mad?" Dean looked surprised. "I risked the gun…"
"Mad? No, I'm proud of you. Sam and I, we can get pretty obsessed. But you watch out for this family. You always have."
At this, a cold gust of wind blew through the house despite the closed windows. The lights flickered, casting ominous shadows on all three of their faces.
Dean looked to John with trepidation, jumping up and putting his hand on the colt, which was holstered in his belt.
"It's coming," John announced. "Carmen, salt all the doors and windows."
"Already done," she announced, but John practically ignored her.
"Dean, give me the gun, we're only going to have one shot at this."
Dean pulled the gun from his holster, but didn't relinquish it. He stared up at his father.
"Dean, come on, what are you waiting for?" John scolded.
"He'd be furious," Dean whispered. Carmen stood behind him, watching Dean cautiously.
"What?" John bellowed.
"My dad wouldn't be proud of me for risking this gun, he'd tare me a new one." He aimed the gun at John. "You're not my dad."
"Dean, what are you talking about, it's me!"
"No, I know my dad better than anyone, and you're not him."
"What the hell's gotten into you?" John yelled again.
But Dean stayed clam. "I could ask you the same thing. Stay back."
"Dean? What's going on?" Sam entered and was bemused by the sight that met his eyes.
"Your brother's lost his mind!" John bellowed.
"He's not dad," Dean said. "I think he's possessed. I think he's been possessed since we rescued him."
"Don't listen to him, son." John pleaded.
"Dean, how do you know?" Sam asked, ignoring John.
"Because, he's…he's different."
"You know what, we don't have time for this! Sam, you want to kill this demon, you have to trust me!"
But Dean and Sam traded a look and communicated in a way only they could, and Sam slowly came to stand next to his brother and Carmen in a sign of solidarity.
Shock and pain crossed John's face, but Dean didn't put down his gun. "Fine. All of you are so sure? Then go ahead, kill me."
Carmen held her breath, trusting Dean but afraid he may be wrong. John cast his gaze sadly down at the floor. Dean dropped his hands a fraction, but it was enough.
"I thought so." It was John's voice, but it wasn't John. Before any of them could react, before Dean could pull the trigger, they all flew through the air and crashed against walls on opposite sides of the room.
Dean tried to hold on to the colt, but he couldn't. He smacked the wall and saw John pick it up where he dropped it.
When the demon looked up and stared directly at Sam, he could see that John's eyes were a terrifying, bulbous yellow.
"What a pain in the ass this thing's been." The Yellow-Eyed monster said as he examined the colt.
"It's you, isn't it," Sam said, and The Demon flashed him a sinister smile.
"Nice to see you again, Sammy." It cackled.
"I'm going to KILL YOU!" Sam bellowed.
"Oh, that'd be a neat trick. In fact," it placed the gun down on the table. "There you go. Make the gun float to you, psychic boy."
Sam looked at the gun, but try as he might, nothing happened. He had spent so much time trying to repress his power. He never thought it could save his life.
The Demon cackled again. "Yes, I thought so. You know, this is fun. I could have killed you three a hundred times today, but this…this is worth the wait." He glanced over to Dean now. "Your Dad…he's in here with me. He's trapped inside his own meat suit. He says hi, by the way. He's going to tear you apart, Dean. He's going to taste the iron in your blood!"
"Let him go." Dean spat. "Or I swear to God-"
"What? What are you and God going to do? You see, as far as I'm concerned, this is justice. You remember your little adventure with Jenna? The way you threw her from that building? That was my little girl." The Demon got close to Deans face so he could feel the heat of its breath. "And the one you shot in the alleyway? That was my boy. So you see, when I kill you and Carmen over there, I'll just be getting even. Not Sammy though. Oh, no, not Sammy." It turned away from Dean, and crossed the room to stand in front of Sam. "Because that would interfere with my plans for you, right, Sammy? And we can't have that. I didn't feed you my own demon blood when you were a child just to waste it now!"
Dean and Carmen both stared at Sam, but he wouldn't look at either of them.
"Sam?" Carmen called softly. "Demon blood? Did you know?"
Sam nodded minutely.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Carmen felt betrayed. She thought her and Sam had worked out their issues, that Sam could trust her with anything….
"Oh, you forgot to mention that little detail, huh Sammy?" The Demon instigated. "Well, I'm sorry to be the one to spill the beans." It cackled again.
"Listen, if you're going to kill us, get on with it already, cause I really can't stand the monologue." Dean said from the other side of the room.
"That's funny, Dean. But that's all part of your motive, isn't it? Mask all that nasty pain," The Demon taunted. "Mask the truth."
"Oh yeah? And what's that?"
"That you fight, and you fight for this family but the truth is that they don't need you! Not like you need them! You are the least important member in this dysfunctional, makeshift family you've got here. You try to convince yourself that they need you, but the truth is, they're better off without you. Sam and Carmen could be together, and John wouldn't have to deal with you anymore. Sam's clearly his favorite. He even shows the girl more affection than you, and she's not even his daughter."
"Dean, don't listen to him!" Carmen screeched. "He's lying, don't listen!"
"I'm just telling him what he already knows!" The Demon bellowed, finally looking at Carmen. He slowly came toward her, holding her gaze with his terrible yellow eyes.
"You know, Carmen. You and Dean are more alike than either of you know. Both tormented, both trying so hard to force it away. But maybe that's why the two of you just can't seem to stay away from each other." Its evil smile sent a shiver down Carmen's spine.
Dean's head snapped up.
"What?" Sam whispered incredulously. "Carmen, what's he talking about?"
Carmen could only shake her head with guilt.
"Oh, little Sammy doesn't know what happened while he was away at college?" The Demon continued.
"Don't you dare," Dean threatened, but the demon ignored him.
"Sam, you had visions of Carmen while you were away at school, but you didn't see everything. You saw Carmen crying over you, pinning over you, drinking because of you…but you didn't see Dean comforting her, holding her, kissing her…"
"Shut up!" Dean bellowed.
"…and making love to her." This time the demon's smile was more triumphant than ever. Sam's face betrayed the pain that The Demon's words inflicted on him. He looked from Dean to Carmen, his eyes pleading with them to tell him that what The Demon said was untrue.
"Carmen…?"
"I'm sorry, Sam." Carmen sobbed. He dragged his eyes away, unable to look at her any longer.
"So," The Demon said, "this chatting has been fun, but now, its time to move on. Sam, it's time for me to fulfill my promise to you, except I'm going to make a slight change in the plan. We'll save Carmen for last." It chuckled darkly.
The demon turned to Dean and narrowed his eyes at him, and Dean began to scream in pain. It was cutting him from the inside.
"NO!" Carmen yelled.
"No, Dean!" Sam screamed. He desperately tried to free himself from the psychic restraints, but it was no use. There was nothing they could do but watch as Dean's blood spread on the floor. He coughed, and it spurted from his mouth.
"NO!" Carmen bellowed again. She fought and kicked and screamed, but it was no use. "John! John, don't you dare let that demon kill him! John, you're stronger than this, you can fight him! Come on," she sobbed as useless tears streamed down her cheeks. "Come on, John, fight, FIGHT! You can't let Dean DIE!"
Dean suddenly stopped screaming. His eyes rolled back and his head lolled. Carmen held her breath.
"No," the demon whispered. It backed away from Dean. "This can't be! N-," it choked. Then John's body fell to the floor, and Carmen, Dean and Sam were freed from their restraints.
Dean fell to the floor, and Carmen and Sam were at his side in an instant. Carmen supported Dean's head in her lap.
"He lost a lot of blood," Sam said to her.
Carmen removed her jacket and covered Dean with it. He was trembling. "We have to get him to a hospital, now. There's too much damage; there's nothing we can do here."
Dean's eyes opened minutely. "Where's Dad?" He croaked out. The sound of his voice sent a wave of fear through Carmen.
"He's right here, Dean," Sam soothed.
"Go check on him…check on him." He whispered as his eyes rolled back into his head again. Carmen didn't notice the tears still streaming from her eyes. She gently stroked Dean's arm, his cheek. Her warm hands felt soothing to him on his ice-cold skin. She couldn't take her eyes off of his bloodstained face.
"Dad?" She heard Sam say softly as he put a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him.
"SAM!" John's scream made Carmen jump. Her head snapped to Sam, who she saw suddenly stand up and stagger backward. "Sam, it's still in me, the demon is still in me! You have to shoot me son, now!" Sam aimed his gun hesitantly at his father's chest, but put his finger nowhere near the trigger. "Come on, Sam, we have to kill this thing! Shoot me, shoot me!"
"No," Dean whispered. Carmen could only gawk.
"Come on Sam, I can't hold it much longer! Now! You have to shoot me!" Sam put his finger on the trigger, but could not pull it. He stared at his father for a long moment before the demon erupted from John's body and disappeared into the floor.
They were all breathing heavily, except for Dean, who was barely breathing at all. John said nothing, but gave Sam the most disappointed look he had given him his entire life.
"Sam," Carmen said after a moment. Sam turned away from his father's disapproving eyes and looked at her. "We need to get them out of here."
"Get Dean in the car," he ordered.
Carmen practically dragged Dean's body to the backseat of the Impala, while Sam helped his father to the passenger's seat. She slid into the backseat, holding Dean, and Sam stared the car and sped away.
"What the hell happened back there, Sam?" John scolded when they got onto the long stretch of desolate road. "I thought you wanted this demon dead as much as I did. I thought we agreed it came before everything!"
Sam hesitated. He met Dean's eye in the rear view mirror. "No, Sir." He shook his head "Not everything."
Dean was leaning heavily on Carmen's shoulder, still trembling. There was nothing she could do but hold on to him and try to make him as comfortable as possible. She felt so helpless. She stroked his cheek with one hand. Dean slowly found her other hand with his, and, shivering tremendously, weaved his fingers through hers, craving her warmth. The gesture caused a lump to build in her throat. The affection she felt for Dean in this moment was overwhelming, and her face crumpled as she pressed her lips to his forehead, willing him to fight long enough to be saved.
But it was possible that none of them would be saved. Carmen turned to look out her right side window, the passenger's side, Dean's side, and saw two enormous headlights come crashing into the Impala in a mess of broken glass and bent metal. She instinctively attempted to shield the injured Dean by wrapping her arms around his head. She felt the slam, and everything went dark.