"Wait! Let me see if I have this right . . . You want to stab me before the hell hounds eat me – am I getting this right?" Dean said incredulously. It was the day the deal came due and Dean had just finished the last meal he would ever have and tried to listen patiently as Bobby and Jack planned his murder.

"I know it's not the perfect solution . . ." Jack began

"You think!" Dean retorted

Bobby had retreated from the kitchen to give the brothers a chance to fight it out. He knew how stubborn Dean could be and thought that maybe Jack would have better luck if the two could be alone. Moving upstairs to his attic, Bobby gathered the things they would need for the spell. If Jack couldn't cinvince Dean, then Bobby would. If he couldn't, well, he would just have to knock Dean over the head. Bobby paused as he heard Jack's voice reverberate up the stairs.

"Look," Jack said forcefully "The hell hounds won't . . . you know. . . eat you if you are already dead. If we can get Lilith to show herself, we can go ahead and you know, do it and your soul will be caught. It won't be able to go to hell. But Lilith won't know that. Then we'll figure out a way to get you back in when she's gone."

"No, I don't like it!" Dean stood shaking his head. "It's too dangerous. I mean she's going to figure it out and once she does, Sam is dead."

"I thought you said that Sam could take Lilith."

"No, I said that Sam said he could take Lilith. That's an entirely different thing. I won't risk it – not when you can save him."

"Yeah, about that . . .how exactly am I supposed to do that," Jack asked frustration edging his voice.

"I don't know," Dean answered equally frustrated, his voice raising. " I just know that he doesn't want to be near you."

"Great." Jack muttered dejectedly. "It sounds more like he's just decided that I'm not worth the trouble. That you're the only one that's really important."

"No," Dean reinterated, looking into Jack's eyes. "It wasn't that he didn't care – if anything he cared too much. Something about you scares him and the only thing that scares him at this point is losing his power."

"So, your plan is for me to let you ride off into the sunset to die alone and burn forever in Hell while I stay here and hope to have an ephiphany on how to save my demonic brother who's so afraid of me that the mere sight of me will turn him from his wicked ways. And you thought my plan sucked." Jack said coming to stand in front of Dean.

"Yeah, well, it's the best one we've got right now."

"No. It's not. We have my plan."

"I won't do it." Dean yelled to make his point, turning away from Jack.

Suddenly Dean was thrown up against the wall. Bewildered he looked across the room at Jack, who was as furious as Dean had ever seen him. "You Damn Coward!" Jack screamed as he stalked across the room to face Dean. "I know why you won't fight! You know Sam can't be saved and you can't face it so you're just going to check out. You don't give a shit about me being here to clean up this mess. You just want out! You don't care that I . . . that I . . ." Jack's yell choked off into a sob that he immediately tried to suppress. Dean felt the force holding him let loose and reached out, wrapping his arm around Jack's neck and pulling him into his shoulder. "I won't let you. I can't . . . I can't. . . ." Jack said trembling as Dean pulled him into a rough hug.

"I know." Dean pulled back to look into his brother's eyes. "I won't make you," he said softly, immediately drawing back and hitting Jack squarely on the chin. Dean caught his brother as Jack's eyes rolled back in his head and softly laid him on the floor of the kitchen. He couldn't believe that actually had worked. Rubbing his sore fist, Dean looked around quickly. Now to get out of the house before Bobby had realized what Dean had done.

Dean quckly pulled of his amulet and ring and placed them in Jack's hand. He turned to head for the door but stopped again. Shrugging out of his leather jacket, he placed in over Jack's torso and whispered, "Give the ring and necklace to Sammy but the leather jacket is yours. – it's a babe magnet." Smiling sadly, Dean quietly slid out the door.