Title: Shadow Play
Author: Cindy Ryan
Category: Xover--SG1/SGA, sequel to Eternal
Notes and Summary: See part one
Many thanks to Karie for betaing

Without thinking, Dean lunged forward and stabbed the dragon where he thought the beast's heart was.
The sword barely penetrated the skin before the dragon backhanded him with a vicious blow.

Dean hit the back wall of the cave hard and slid to the ground. He could feel blood seeping down his chest from where the dragon's talons had landed.

He took a shuddered breath and immediately regretted it as pain sliced through his chest.
Pure instinct caused him to miss the dragon's latest blast of fire… just barely. He could still feel the heat on his left shoulder.

Wobbly, Dean forced himself to his feet. Seeing that the sword was still in the dragon's chest, he knew he had one option left.

Focusing only on the sword, he launched himself at the dragon. As he landed on the beast, he gripped the sword's handle and plunged it as deep as he could.

With an agonized roar, the dragon attempted to shake Dean off. He held on pressed the sword deeper.
A violent shudder swept through the dragon and he vanished, sending Dean crashing to the ground.

"No."

"I know it sounds crazy…."

"Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it."

"It's the only way…."

"Like hell it is."

"It'll work."

"For one, I'll never get Ronon to agree to it. For two…"

"Stop!" Elizabeth ordered as she raised her right hand, turning it palm outward. "Just stop, all of you. Nothing can be decided if nobody can hear each other."

Daniel looked up from his perch on the end of Elizabeth's desk. "This will work."

Sheppard shook his head fiercely. "With all due respect, Dr. Jackson… I can't go along with murder. That's what this is."

Sam placed his father's journal in Sheppard's hands. "Dr. Jackson… Daniel told me that a lot of you have dealt with alternate realities… different timelines. I should've died in Cold Oak…."

"We don't know that, Sam," John stated firmly, though his thoughts were wavering. If it was his team… his family.

"I'm just trying to put things right," Sam pleaded ,looking from Weir to Sheppard and back again. "Dean has sacrificed his entire life raising me, keeping me safe. The least I can do is make sure he has a chance to live."

A familiar female voice kept Dean on the verge of consciousness.
Teetering.
Part of him wanted so badly just to give into the painless dark void.
The other part, however, didn't trust the demon bitch as far as he could throw her.
If he gave in, there'd be nobody to protect Sam from her and the rest of her kind.
That was his duty… always had been…. protect his little brother from the evils of the world.

"I had forgotten just how stubborn you Winchesters were," the Crossroad demon stated as she hovered above Dean's prone form, his back just inches from her black high heeled shoes.

"Family trait," Dean muttered as he tasted blood from his split bottom lip.

The demon waved her hand and Dean felt himself flip onto his back. He was now staring at her red gaze.
The demon lowered herself and trailed a finger through the fresh blood on his chest.

She placed a kiss on his throat just above his Adam's apple.

It took every ounce of Dean's remaining will power to remain still. He wanted to hurl her away from him but that wouldn't get him back to Sam.

"Even though we have all eternity, luv," the demon purred, "you know I can't let you win every time."

Dean smirked. "So why give me the weapon?"

She shrugged as she ran a hand down his left cheek. "Have a soft spot for you… if I don't help you, I can't play with you later."

Dean inwardly cringed. "So let me go."

The demon laughed as she sprang off of him and floated to the nearby wall. "Soft spot, not blind spot."

The next instant, the cave disappeared.