Sam took a moment before speaking. He had to gather up a little courage. That voice... that voice – whether it used the mask of a hospital janitor or his father, or just taunted him in his dreams – that voice was always the same and it sent chills down Sam's spine. But, if there was one thing he had learned as Dean Winchester's kid brother, it was to use you fear and throw it right back at'em.

"Yeah, fine," he said with a strong but disinterested voice, "I know how this goes. You show me a terrible world and then my name on a headstone and I plead for another chance. I've read Dickens, you know? Oh, and I'm pretty sure you're supposed to stay silent – it adds something to your stalker creepy vibe."

This time, the cloaked figure said nothing. But, through the blackness under his hood, Sam thought he saw white teeth grinning at him. And, yeah, silent was creepier.

"Look," he tried for the same strength of voice and failed as it cracked, "I know what you're trying to do. Azazel is dead. And not dead, like gone back to Hell dead. He's dead dead, shot in the head by my brother. So, yellow eyes aren't going to scare me."

At that, the figure's smile grew even wider. His right hand reached down to the material at his knee and with a flourish he pulled the cloak off like a magician finishing a trick. But, what was hidden under the cloak was not Azazel. The figure beneath was half the size of the tall, hooded demon from seconds before. This was a child, a little girl with a frilly pink dress and ribbons in her pigtails of golden ringlets. She was wearing lacy white gloves and white tights with shiny black patten leather Mary Jane's. She focused her bright blue eyes at Sam.

"Well," she said with innocent delight, "that was a bit melodramatic, don't you think? I happen to know that big brother Dean got Azazel in the heart – or where his heart should have been." She giggled at her own joke.

"And," she continued, walking around to circle Sam, "you silly billy goat, you and I both know you never read Dickens." She tsk-ed a few times and looked up to face him. "You saw a low budget performance of Oliver! in fourth grade and watched A Muppet Christmas Carol on television back in your old apartment with Jess. That's not the same thing, you know? You shouldn't be telling fibs, my little boy blue."

Sam was taken a bit aback. Part of him was actually frightened of this demon in little girl clothing. She had been gunning for him for over a year now, after all. And, she was the one who took Dean away from him for four painful months. However, she also didn't seem to have any power over him. But, any relief he may have felt with that discovery seeped out of him as Dean's lifeblood flowed from his body.

"Uh oh," Lilith said, "seems the cat's got your tongue. Well Sammy, since you know everything, where should we go first? Do you want to see the reopened Roadhouse where everybody is celebrating and full of good cheer... without you? Or, what about checking up on some friends? People you've helped over the years?"

Sam didn't care for the malicious glee painted all over her angelic face.

"Let's see... your friends – Becky and Zach Warren? Oh wait, you can't see them – they're gone."

"What?" Sam found his voice. "What do you mean gone? I got an e-mail from Zach last month. And, I saw that Becky is getting married on the 27th."

"Oh, you silly rabbit, I thought you said you knew what was going on," she taunted. "We're not here to see Christmas 2008. That's the present. I was gonna show you Christmas 2009."

"But..."

"Yes, Zach will be dead way before Christmas. And so will Becky and her husband Matt. Oh, and so will their twins. But don't worry too much about them. They won't feel a thing. At least, I don't think they will. What do all of the scientists say about babies in the womb? Do they feel things or not?"

"Twins? Becky is going to have twins?"

"No Sammy, didn't you listen?" she said slowly, as if he were simple. "I'll have killed them all by September."

"You... why?"

"Well, to get to you, of course. It's quite a game of hide and seek we play. I'm afraid I have to pull a couple of tricks to get you to show yourself."

"A couple of..."

"Are you feeling OK Sammy," she asked with so much concern on her little face it made Sam's head spin. "You look a little pale. Maybe you should sit down."

"I don't want to sit down!" Sam yelled and the little girl actually seemed to jump in surprise.

"OK then," she said with a smile. "How about we take that trip? Don't worry. We won't have to go far. In fact, all the people you will want to see are right here." Again with the smile – as if she had really done something good – and a wave of her arm to the grounds around them.

And Sam remembered – they were standing in a cemetery. He didn't want to look around, but he had to.

In the first row he walked down, he saw a large family stone with Haley, Thomas, and Benjamin Collins, along with two other names that Sam assumed were their parents. He saw Andrea and Lucas Barr, Lisa and Ben Braeden, Cassie Robinson. Lori Sorenson, Amanda Walker, and Mara Daniels. There was Larry, Joanie, and Matt Pike. When he came to Layla Rourke, he stopped and saw the date on the stone. November 2009.

"Layla?"

"Yep," Lilith gave him something between a smile and a frown. "She said that her brain tumor had got all fixed. Said it was a miracle or something. So, I fixed it back."

Sam felt sick to his stomach. Everywhere he turned, there were names he recognized: Pamela Barnes, Roy Le Grange, Joe White Tree, Craig Thurston, Kathleen Hudak, Diana Ballard, Donna and Lily Shoemaker, Gertrude Case. She might have had wandering hands, but Gert didn't deserve that. None of them did.

Sam tried to turn away, but he saw even more names. Kenneth Spruce, Edward Zeddmore, Harry and Margaret Spangler.

"Now they were fun," Lilith told him. "They were in Vegas – which has all these pretty lights everywhere you look... anyway. Harry and Maggie were getting married in a little chapel with Kenny and Ed as witnesses. They were all so much fun to play with. And they were all in costume."

"They were dressed up," Sam said sullenly.

"No, they were in costumes," Lilith said, nodding her head, ringlets bouncing around her head. "Kenny was Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ed was Luke Skywalker, Harry was Han Solo – which was kinda funny – and Maggie wore a pretty white dress and her hair up in buns at the side of her head that looked like two danishes and everybody called her princess 'cause she was Princess Leia."

Sam would have laughed at the idea, but he couldn't find humor in anything at the moment. Then, he saw another family stone: Harvelle.

"Harvelle? I thought you said that the Roadhouse reopened."

"Yeah, I was after Ellen for months. Got really close a couple times, too," the little girl said, like an old fisherman telling his great fish story. "But I only ever got an eyeball and a finger or two to show for it.

"Bobby tried to keep her safe and away, but I guess she got tired of hiding. All of a sudden, she was easy to see. It was a little disappointing in the end. And after she was gone, her baby girl opened up the new Roadhouse as a kind of memorial." The little girl shook her head sadly. "Little Jo Jo was not good at hide and seek."

"And Bobby?" Sam asked, not seeing his name on a stone.

"Oh, he's still around," she said as if it was of little consequence. "For now."

"Missouri!" Sam couldn't believe that Missouri Mosely was gone.

"Oh, I can't take the credit for that one," Lilith said mysteriously, turning around and skipping along another row.

"What does that mean?" Sam asked, following her. The innocent looking child seemed so out of place in this very dark and rundown area of the cemetery. All of the stones looked much older than the ones he had been looking at. With the exception of one. There was one small, newer looking stone on a freshly filled in grave where Lilith was standing.

"That means, silly goose, that there are two people here – two people that you have come to visit – that I am not responsible for."

So this is it, Sam thought. Now we come to the big finale. He may not have read Dickens, but he could remember Michael Caine crouching down to brush the snow off the headstone to reveal 'Ebenezer Scrooge' underneath. Whatever Lilith was playing at, Sam could take it.

Or, maybe not.

When all of the snow had been swept away, Sam remained crouched down. He didn't understand. He knew the story... everyone knew the story. So, why then, did the grave read:

Dean Campbell Winchester

May 2, 2009

"I don't understand," he murmured.

"I know," Lilith said, "it's kinda cheating – what with you killing him in May."

"I what?!"

"Yeah, Dean and Bobby and Missouri, they were all worried about you using your big brain to exorcise demons. But, because you always know best, you kept turning the arguments around on them and making them the bad guys. Bobby started getting all scared of you and spending more time hiding out, only talking to Dean. Missouri kept saying she was ashamed of you.

"Dean was the only one that stuck by you. He tried to keep you from getting angrier and angrier. But then, you and Missouri got in a big fight... when Dean found out that you killed her and hid it for more than a month-"

"What?" Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I would never hurt Missouri."

"Well, I guess she kinda pushed you into it," Lilith said, as if consoling a small child. "I mean, she kept trying to read your mind and stuff. Kept telling you that your soul was getting darker and darker... until even the smallest sliver was gone.

"When Dean found out... I guess that was the last straw. He finally realized that he couldn't save you or didn't save you or something. He tried to talk to you one more time before – you know. Such a stupid-hero thing to do, really. I mean, doesn't he watch movies? Doesn't he know not to give away his plan? His own fault that you got the better of him, if you ask me."

"No. No, I couldn't... I wouldn't... No, no, no," Sam collapsed, sitting on the snowy ground.

"Well," Lilith said matter-of-factly and putting her little hand on his shoulder, "you will. I was a little worried at first. Thought all your dark demon powers had finally progressed. But it all turned out OK in the end."

"What do you mean?"

"You and me, silly. A strange partnership to be sure, but I'm sure we can make it work."