Ten minutes later, they were on their way. Dean drove, Sam gave him directions according to Cas' map, and Elizabeth sat in the backseat, looking out the window.

"Okay, uh… turn right up here," Sam directed.

Dean turned onto a gravel road.

"Go five miles," Sam said. "And then we have to walk about a mile to get there."

Dean nodded. "Got it."

Sam glanced aback at Elizabeth. "You okay?"

She nodded and smiled softly at him. Sam couldn't help smiling back.

Dean saw the way they were looking at each other. It seemed cruel to bring up and unfortunate bit of information right now, but they needed to know. "Sam, I found something while I was looking stuff up. Every source said the ritual had to be performed by a shaman or priest with god-like powers."

"An angel," Sam presumed.

"Yup."

Sam shrugged. "So? We've got the ritual and some of Cas' grace, right?"

Dean shook his head. "I found an old tradition that says anyone else trying to perform the ritual would 'hear a rushing of great wings and be swallowed by the sky'. Apparently, heaven thinks it's some kind of blasphemy or something and destroys anyone doing it except an angel."

"Mm-hmm," Sam said somberly, trying to block out Dean's warning. "Well, it's a chance I'll just have to take, then."

Dean gave him a frightened look. "What are you, suicidal? You do it, you die."

"And if I don't, she dies," Sam reminded him angrily.

"I'm not gonna let you kill yourself, Sam."

"So you're gonna let her die?"

"It's too big of a risk."

"When the hell has that ever stopped us? I am not about to let some poor girl die because there's a possibility that I might be a casualty."

"I'm not letting you do it, Sam!" shouted Dean. "If you're insistent on us going through with this, I'll do it."

Sam was stunned for a few seconds. Then, "No, you won't."

"If one of us is gonna die, it might as well be me," Dean said. "I mean, you've been dead four times already; me, only three. I want to make it even."

Sam's nostrils flared and his eyes flashed. "That's not funny, Dean." His hazel eyes burned a bright yellow. His voice was lower, but firmer, as he said, "One of us is gonna have to give his life. For her. It's gonna be me."

Dean looked at him strangely. "You're serious?"

"Yes," Sam said. "Look, you said you'd start respecting my ideas."

"Letting you kill yourself was not part of the contract!"

Elizabeth, who had been listening the whole time in quiet shock, suddenly thumped the back of Sam's seat so violently that it made both boys jump in fright. She stuck her hands up between the seats and signed, "One: Don't talk about me like I'm not here. Two: Quit with the fucking heroics, both of you."

"What's she saying, Sammy?" Dean asked. (Sam hadn't translated Elizabeth's sign language.)

"Elizabeth…" Sam began.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No one is dying for me. I don't want to see either of you hurt." She met Sam's gaze. "Especially you."

Sam held her gaze for a long moment. Then he turned around to face the front again, swallowing hard. His eyes stung badly. He could see the faintest glow off to the east. "Elizabeth…."

Sam gasped sharply and grabbed the sides of his seat as Dean slammed on the brake, nearly throwing Elizabeth into the front seat with them.

Meg stood in the middle of the road. Dean couldn't stop in time, and the Impala crashed into her, smashing in the front of the car. Steam whistled as it escaped from under the hood.

Meg smiled at them malevolently.

Dean's door was stuck. He kicked it open and joined Sam as he helped Elizabeth get out of the backseat. Dean spun towards Meg, who stood with her arms folded, watching Elizabeth with a satisfied smile. "Come and get it, you bitch!" he shouted at her.

Sam slapped his shoulder and pointed up the road as three gigantic, black-eyed men, one of them taller than Sam, joined Meg in watching the boys. Meg shrugged, looking very self-satisfied. "Go ahead and run. We'll be right behind you."

Dean looked ready to take on the whole lot of them (probably he was just pissed at them for wrecking his car), but Sam grabbed his arm and the two of them ran into the trees, dragging Elizabeth between them.