Chapter 5
Dean got out of the car, slamming the door with a squeak-bang. He jogged up to them as Sam broke the kiss, Ruby quickly pulling away and wiping a hand over her mouth.
"Sammy?" Dean called out as he came up beside his brother. He took in Sam's appearance, a very startled Ruby and the crystal Sam held with reverence out to him.
"We got it Dean." Ruby followed Dean's eyes to his brother's and was relieved to see the familiar hazel shining with unshed tears. Maybe it hasn't affected him too deeply yet. Maybe there's still hope. Ruby thought with a spike of worry lancing her not-quite-demon heart. Dean eyed the odd shaped crystal that seemed to resemble a glowing flame.
"That's the contract?"
"Yeah."
"What do we do with it from here? Destroy it?"
"No!" Ruby said vehemently "You can't just destroy it. If you do your soul will get sucked into the ether." Fear shot through her at the thought of Dean not being around to help Sam through what was yet to come.
Dean looked at Sam and raised his eyebrows. "Well, that would be bad." He looked at Ruby. "How do we break the contract then?"
"Sam has to play his role again. Summon the new crossroads demon and make her break the contract. She can. I'm not sure how easily she'll agree but after what I've seen…"
"No! Forget it!"
"Dean, what? What makes you say that?"
"Just… no, Sam. I don't want you doing this again."
"What? Dean, why?"
"Just… NO! Okay. I'll just put the damn thing somewhere safe and when the deals up I'll find something to do with it."
"You can't risk that, Dean. If that crystal get broken or if another demon gets its hands on it… No. I'm doing this. I'm going to make her break that contract. I'm going to force her to set you free."
"Sammy."
"No, Dean. Look, I get it man. You're worried. You think something is happening to me that you can't control and it's freaking you out. I get it. But, Dean, I can control this. I know you're in my corner and I can do this. Please," Sam begged with tears in his eyes, "Dean, please man, let me save you."
"Okay." Dean whispered.
Sam turned to Ruby. "Can we summon the bitch from here?"
"That's the plan." She said. Sam walked to the Impala and retrieved a little metal box. He opened it to reveal all the necessary things to summon the crossroads demon. The offerings it craved. A small bottle of Jack Daniels, some old coins, graveyard dirt, a black cat bone and lastly was a picture of Sam, standing at the fender of the Impala. Sam closed the box with a metallic click and walked back to the center of the crossroads. Ruby waited there with Dean.
"Dean you'd better step back. I don't want her thinking you had something to do with this."
"Yeah." Dean headed off to stand at the Impala. He folded his hands within themselves and placed his elbows on the roof of the car. He then noticed how badly they were shaking.
Sam settled down on one knee in the exact center of the crossroads. Ruby stood off to the side, watching intently. She saw the demon emerge form the darkness before Sam even started digging.
"You don't have to summon me, Sam. You command me; as much as it pisses me off that you're the one that sent me back to hell in the first place." The woman was lovely, with long straight black hair and green eyes that flashed red for a split second. Her face was pale and displayed high cheekbones. "You wish to speak with me?" she said, crossing her arms slightly defiantly in front of her black clad chest.
Sam held out the crystal that was Dean's contract. "I want you to free Dean Winchester from his deal. He lives a long life, I love a long life, everyone goes home happy." Sam said with barely concealed menace.
"Gee, I'd like to, but there's someone coming who wants that crystal badly and he's a hell of a lot scarier than you, leader. I'd like to see who winds up with the contract then."
"I'm going to send you back to hell in pieces if you don't do as I command." Sam advanced on her but she remained where she was.
"We'll see," the crossroads demon said sweetly, "he's here." A male demon had appeared off to the side and stepped into the moonlight, eyes glinting.
Ruby growled, low in her throat. "Braxus." She glanced at Sam as he turned to face the other demon. The crossroads demon stepped back, a smirk making her appear ugly. "Sam, be careful."
Sam handed Ruby the crystal that controlled Dean's fate. "Take care of that, I've got this." Sam menaced and turned to advance on the demon.
"Little Sammy Winchester, finally stepping up to take your place? Too bad I'm taking your throne from you before it even warms to your human ass."
"I don't think so. I'm sending you back to hell, after I put you on your knees." Sam's eyes faded from human hazel to the darkest black as he stood to face the demon that threatened. Sam drew on the powers that he'd been infused with and with a wave sent the demon flying backwards to crash into the large boulder that marked one corner of the crossroads. The demon pushed himself upright and returned the favor, pushing Sam backwards but not knocking him off his feet. The demon growled and lunged at Sam only for him to pull lightening from the sky.
Sam roared with laughter and Dean cringed from where he stood transfixed near the Impala. The sound reminded Dean of when Sam had been possessed. Dean was lost to the memory. Sam, tied to a chair, Bobby reading the first lines of the exorcism rite. Sam was taunting. "Oops, doesn't seem to be working…Dean, back from the dead…like a cockroach…. You really think that's what this is about? I don't give a rat's ass about the master plan… ha, ha haha hahaha!"
"No. Sammy, NO!" Dean began to run to where Sam was losing his battle with the darkness Ruby had channeled into him. Sam had shot lightening at the demon, but it had only received a glancing blow. It lunged for Sam and tackled him, knocking him to the gravel. Sam groaned and Dean jumped into the fray, landing atop the demon's back and knocking him from Sam. "You sonofabitch, you let my brother alone!"
The demon rolled out from under Dean and got to his feet. Turning, he lifted Dean by his neck and held him off the gravel. Dean gasped for breath and the demon sneered. "Worthless human." He threw Dean hard, the older Winchester landing several feet away to bounce once and lay utterly still. His right arm was bent crookedly under his right leg and his body was curled into a semi-fetal position. His face was pale, bathed in the feeble moonlight. Sam roared in anger and stood. The demon turned, fear flickering briefly across his face at the look of unabashed loathing that twisted Sam's face into a hideous mask.
"Ruby," Sam bellowed, "Go to him." Ruby started, her mesmerized eyes showing true fear of the power Sam wielded. She bolted to Dean's side and touched him.
"He's not breathing!" She called, not looking at the person she was afraid of. Sam bellowed in agony and lightening split the sky, thundering cutting off the last of his echoing cry.
Sam pulled a fireball from the sky, a flash that grew to a fiery orb. He growled and launched the fire ball at the demon. It screamed horribly and separated from the human host, the human dying instantly. The demonic black smoke burst into flame with another shriek. It disappeared. The crossroads demon looked on in horror as Sam, the victor in the war, turned to her with the blackest eyes she'd ever seen. In their depths an unimaginable fury raged; burning bright in the darkness.