Chapter Twenty: Death Omens
To say that Dean was overprotective would be an understatement. It thrilled me to no end how excited he was but I was under lock and key at all hours of the day. Instead of helping I was left at the sidelines and as the weeks went by I got moodier and moodier which meant that they were even more eager to leave me behind. Being left behind wasn't just annoying but it left far too much time for soap operas and snacks. As much as I wanted to be healthy only a pregnant woman would know how bad the cravings were and how sporadic they were. Doritos were my newest best friend. I had a bubble but I wasn't showing too much yet. Though I was more then aware of the being growing inside of me. I went through names and the whole bit but I was so eager to see Dean every time he came home it almost felt like a normal family. Except for the hotel room part and the fact that he was coming home from another demon fight.
"Baby!" I grinned as he came through the door.
"Hey!" He said kissing me as his hand found my stomach. After he kissed me he bent and kissed my stomach. I grinned and put my hands on his head. "How was your day?" He asked kissing me again.
"I can get you caught up on the soap operas I've been watching." I grinned at him.
"On second thought, I think I know how your day went." He smiled and kissed me.
"Yes, it was boring as hell. So how did the architect thing go?" I asked as I sat on the bed.
"Possible black dog. We're going to look into it." He said dropping onto the bed. I dropped next to him. He rolled onto his side, his hand finding my bump. I smiled and ran my fingers through his hair. "How's our son?" He asked.
I laughed, "Don't you mean our little girl?"
He just smiled and kissed me. "I don't care what it is as long as it's healthy." He said sweetly.
"I feel the same way." I smiled caressing his face.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I feel left out is what I feel like." I told him sternly. He frowned at me. "I'm sorry, but being pregnant doesn't mean I'm handicapped."
"I don't care. You're out of the game until after the baby is born and then some if I have any say in it." He replied.
"Baby, I can handle it. Even if I'm pregnant." I told him calmly. He just looked at me. "Let me in. We're supposed to be doing this together not separate. It'll fall apart if we try to do it separately."
"I know." He said as he gently rubbed my stomach. "I just worry twice as much now that there are two of you."
"No, there is a me and a we." I smiled. "You're in here too."
He smiled and kissed me passionately. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"And I love you." He said talking to my stomach.
I smiled before frowning. "Listen, I love that you're talking to your baby but if you start talking to my stomach more then me we're going to have a problem." I told him.
"That won't happen. I'm going to love our kid but you're my number one." He told me sweetly.
"You're perfect." I grinned at him.
"Not even close but thanks anyway." He smiled kissing me.
"Dean." Sam said to his brother.
"What is it?" Dean asked without looking at him.
"Come look at this." His brother replied.
"What is it?" I said echoing Dean's words.
"Don't worry about it." Sam smiled at me.
"Seriously, I am not going to sit on the sidelines anymore. I'm going to be a part of this so just deal with it." I told them. Dean sighed but nodded. "Good. So what've we got?" I asked looking over Sam's shoulder.
"This is the doctor who reported the black dog." Sam told us.
"Successful." I stated.
"And I found the address for Lloyd's Bar." Sam said looking at Dean.
"I guess we're going to Lloyd's." Dean stated.
It was in the middle of nowhere. Right at the corner of a crossroads. Yarrow flowers were lining all sides. They were used for rituals, summoning rituals. Which was very interesting considering what brought us there to begin with. With the architect and the doctor both had come into fame ten years ago. It wasn't a coincidence. Dean took a shovel from the trunk and found the center of the crossroads. Just a few inches down we found a box. A bottle of graveyard dirt along with a black cat bone.
"That's serious spell work. I mean, that's Deep South hoodoo stuff." Dean stated.
"So a demon was summoned?" I said looking at him.
"Not just summoned." Dean said standing. "Crossroads are where pacts are made. These people are actually making deals with the damn thing." I frowned at him. "You know, because that always ends good."
"They're seeing dogs, all right." Sam stated. "But not black dogs, they're seeing hellhounds. Demonic pit bulls."
"And whoever this demon is, it's back and it's collecting. And that doctor lady, wherever she's running…she ain't running fast enough."
In the box there was a picture. Our only lead to who summoned the thing. Once we found the name we sought him out. So far he was still alive. When we got to his home there was a dark powder lining the door. It wasn't salt but one could only assume it was being used to serve the same purpose. Though George Darrow was much less friendly then the others. Dean and Sam managed to talk their way in. I had promised to be more of an observer then a principal considering the fact that I was carrying Dean's baby. I wasn't going to argue. At least I wasn't sitting and watching Carly Jax and her baby issues. It didn't help the fears that were always inside of me.
"So, what is that stuff out front?" Sam asked.
"Goofer dust." George replied. We all exchanged glances, unfamiliar with the term. George noticed it. "You boys think you know something about something but not goofer dust?" He said and tossed Dean a cloth bag.
"And girl." I added partially raising my hand.
Dean shot me a look. I shrugged at him. "Well, we know a little about a lot of things." He told George. "Just enough to make us dangerous." He smiled.
"What is it?" Sam asked.
"Hoodoo." George replied. "My grandma taught me. Keeps out demons."
Dean gave a short laugh. "Demons we know."
"Well, then, keep it. Maybe it'll do you some good." He said walking to a chair with a bottle of scotch or whatever he was drinking.
I nodded as I moved around the apartment. "These are wonderful." I told him. George didn't reply. "Is this what you wanted?" I asked.
"Four minutes left." He said referring to Sam's five minutes of his time that we were allowed to take.
"Mr. Darrow." Sam said putting concern in his voice. "We know you're in trouble."
"Yeah, that you got yourself into." Dean added. Sam glared at him but I had to say that I was on Dean's side when it came to this. They knew what they were doing. You can't save people from their own freewill.
"But it's not hopeless, all right?" Sam told him. "There's gotta be something we can do."
"Listen." George said sitting down. "I get that you boys wanna help. But sometimes a person makes their bed and they just got to lie down in it."
I looked at the floor. The rest of the conversation didn't go any better. George didn't want our help. Sam was being stubborn about it and Dean was willing to let him die due to his own actions. He had asked for talent. He wanted to paint. He hadn't been nearly as successful as the others but to me his art was wonderful. His only wish now was to finish his last painting before the hellhounds came to claim him. But he did have the last name of the people the demon dealt with. George was clearly guilty for summoning the demon. Unaware that it would stay and make more deals after the one he made with it. When we left, George was prepared to die. He would finish his painting and then the inevitable would happen. He was afraid but ready. I couldn't blame him for being tired. I could sympathize with where his head was at. But as much as we wanted to help him he would have none of it. So with the last name we went to try and save the last victim. Hoping that he would be just a little more compliant.
"Any more bright ideas?" Sam shot at his brother.
Evan Hudson was the last victim and Dean did a smashing job at terrifying him as soon as he opened the door. You don't open up with, 'Have you seen any hellhounds yet?' But that was Dean. I loved him but he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. Being Dean he kicked the door open. We rushed in after Evan. He was in his study. Dean went to kick the door down but Sam stopped him. Checking the door it was already open. I gave a short laugh as Dean shrugged at his brother. When we stepped inside Evan showed himself. He was terrified beyond belief. He had been hearing the dogs which meant that it wasn't going to be long before they would come for him. Sam was determined to help. I was with Dean in my uncertainty but softened considerably when Evan explained that he had made the deal to save his wife. She had cancer; they had stopped treatment and were only giving her a few days. I understood his desperation, knowing that if I were put in a position like that it would be very hard to turn it down. I looked at Dean and the new information seemed to have the opposite affect on him. He looked hard and then it occurred to me what he was thinking. It hadn't even crossed my mind but now I understood where he was coming from.
"Did you ever think about her in all this?" Dean asked him.
"I did this for her." Evan told him.
"You sure about that?" Dean shot at him. "I think you did it for yourself. So you wouldn't have to live without her. But guess what, she's going to have to live without you now." I could hear the pain in his voice. "And what if she knew how much it cost? What if she knew it cost your soul? How do you think she'd feel?"
"Okay. That's enough." Sam told his brother.
I put my hands on his arms and pulled him back a few steps. "It's okay." I whispered to him. He shook his head.
"Evan." Sam said turning to him. "Sit tight. All right? We're gonna figure this out."
Dean pulled away from me, walking from the room. I followed him, Sam right behind me. "You all right?" Sam asked him.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Dean replied quickly, expecting the question. He stopped and turned, I stood between them. I didn't like where Dean was at and Sam seemed to feel the same way. "Hey, I got an idea. Throw George's hoodoo at the hellhound. Keep it away from Evan for as long as you can. I'm gonna go to the crossroads and summon the demon."
"What?" I said shocked.
"Summon—Are you nuts?" Sam asked him.
"Maybe a little." Dean replied.
"I don't think so, Dean." I told him.
"But I can trap it. I can exorcise it and I can buy us time to figure out something more permanent."
"Yeah, but how much time?" Sam asked.
"I don't know, a while." Dean replied. "It's not easy for those suckers to claw their way back from hell and into the sunshine."
"No. No way." Sam said shaking his head.
"Not allowed to say 'no', Sammy. Not unless you got a better idea." Dean told him.
"Dean, please." I said putting my hand on his arm.
"You can forget it, all right?" Sam told him.
"You can't do this." I told him. "Don't do this."
"I'm not going to let you summon that demon."
"Why not?" Dean shot at him.
"Because I don't like where your head's at that's why not." Sam told him, anger in his voice.
"Me neither." I told him.
"What are you talking about?" He said looking at us.
"You've been on edge ever since we found that crossroads, Dean. And I think I know why." Sam told him.
"We don't have time for this." Dean said moving around him.
"Dean…" I said following him.
"Dad." Sam said quickly. Dean stopped. "You think maybe Dad made one of these deals, huh? Hell, I've been thinking it. I'm sure you've been thinking it too."
I felt tears come to my eyes. This was a talk I wasn't ready for. I wasn't here after it had all gone down but I knew what I felt and I knew what Dean felt. The guilt was weighing heavily on him but there was nothing I could do to fix it.
"It fits, doesn't it?" Dean asked him. Pain in his voice. "I'm alive, Dad's dead. Yellow-eyed demon was involved. What if he did?" He said with a sad smile on his face. "What if he struck a deal? My life for his soul?"
"I think I hear it." Evan's voice broke into the conversation. "It's outside."
"Just keep him alive, okay?" Dean said turning and walking away.
"Dean-?" Sam said following his brother.
"Go!" Dean shot at him.
Sam stopped but I followed Dean from the house. "Please don't do this." I pleaded. "You don't know what you're doing. They can be very convincing."
"This isn't up to you." He replied looking at me.
"Like hell it isn't." I shot at him. "I'm carrying your baby. So it is up to me."
He stopped and turned. "You need to get out of here. I'm not going to let you get caught up with a hellhound. I won't risk you."
"I'm not staying here. I'm coming with you." I told him.
"No!" He practically yelled at me. "You need to get out of here. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." He said turning and walking to the car.
I followed and slipped into the front seat before he could stop me. He just looked at me with his jaw clenched. "I'm not getting out. Let's go get this done."
The trap was set. Now all we had to do was bury the box. Dean was adamant that I not be in site and I wasn't going to argue with him on that. I didn't want to be in the direct line of fire but I would watch out for my man. I wouldn't leave him no matter how much he begged me to. I slipped into the trees. I could easily see and hear Dean. I watched him bury his picture in the center of the crossroads and waited for the demon to show. It didn't take long.
"So, what brings a guy like you to a place like this?" A woman asked him. "You called me?"
It took all of me not to blow my cover. She was a very attractive woman. Even though she was a demon. Then again, the demons were always beautiful. A silly twang of jealousy went through me before I pushed it away. It was ridiculous anyway.
"I'm just glad it worked." Dean told her.
"First time?" She asked.
"You could say that."
"Oh, come on, now, don't sell yourself short. I know all about you, Dean Winchester." She told him. From my hiding place I could see her red eyes before that shifted back. A sudden fear entering me.
"So you know who I am?"
"I get the newsletter."
"Well, don't keep me in suspense. What have you heard?"
"Well, I heard you were handsome but you're just edible." She said stepping up to him.
"You little whore." I whispered to myself.
"What can I do for you, Dean?" She asked him.
"Maybe we should do this in my car." He told her. "Nice and private."
"I'm hating you right now you son of a bitch." I shot toward my fiancé. "If you do anything I'm going to kill you."
"Sounds good to me." The demon smiled at him.
As they moved toward the car I couldn't hear them as well. I knew the plan but I wanted to hear what they were saying. I moved through the trees until I was close enough to hear them again.
"What are you offering?" She asked him.
"Me." He stated, stepping in front of her. My stomach fell. That's wasn't part of the plan.
"Well, well, well." The demon grinned at him. "You'd sacrifice your life for someone else's? Like father, like son."
I almost ran from the trees but if I did she would more then likely disappear. Dean's back was to me but I could only imagine what his face looked like right now. He was about to possibly learn something both needed and unwelcome.
"You did know about your dad's deal, right?" She asked him. "His life for yours?" Dean didn't say anything. "Now, I didn't make the deal myself, but, boy, I wish I had."
Dean opened the door to the car, "After you."
"Such a gentleman." The demon smiled and was about to get in but noticed the white chalk underneath the car.
This was where it got dicey and Dean had to be sure to get her where he wanted her. She was pissed. I was ready with a shotgun if it came down to having to step in but for now I remained in the trees. Watching…waiting…
"I'm not going to put you out of your misery." She was telling him.
"Yeah? Why not?" He asked her.
"Because your misery's the whole point. It's too much fun to watch. Knowing how your daddy died for you. How he sold his soul." She was taunting him. Hitting him where it hurt. "I mean, that's gotta hurt. He's all you ever think about. You wake up and your first thought is, "I can't do this anymore." You're all lit up with pain. I mean, you loved him so much. And it's all your fault." His face must have been pained because she laughed. "You blew it, Dean." She told him. "I could've given you what you need."
"What do I need?" He shot at her.
"Your father." She told him. "I could have brought him back."
I felt a flutter inside of me at her words. It was as tempting a thought as any thought could be. To have John back would have been a miracle. But the price was too high. I also knew that if I was considering it just for a moment Dean was considering it even longer.
"Your loss." She told him. "See you, Dean. I wish you a nice, long life." She turned away from him.
I watched as Dean didn't say anything and I wasn't sure what he would say if he did. "Come on…" I said as I watched. She was walking away. We still needed her.
"Hold on." Dean said moving underneath an old water tower that was near the car.
The demon stopped and turned back to him. "You're lucky I've got a soft spot for lost puppies and long faces. I just can't leave you like this." I felt that protectiveness that could be mistaken for jealousy twang again. "Besides, you didn't call me here to bargain for Evan. Not really."
"Can you bring him back?" Dean asked her. "My dad?"
"No." I whispered from the trees. "Baby, don't fall for it. Don't do anything stupid."
"Of course I can." She smiled at him. "Just as he was. Your dad would live a long, natural life…like he was meant to. That's a promise."
"What about me?" Dean asked her.
"I could give you 10 years. Ten long, good years with him. That's a lifetime. The family could be together again. John, Dean, Sammy. Even Evy." She grinned. Dean shot up at the mention of my name. "Yes, I know about her as well." She told him. "The Winchester boys all reunited." She stepped under the wood with him. "Look, your dad's supposed to be alive. You're supposed to be dead. So this will just set things straight. Put things back in their natural order. And you get ten extra years on top. That's a bonus."
I was right behind them now. Dean was quiet. He nodded in a way that worried me. She was getting to him. She was getting to him and I was afraid that he wasn't going to be able to go through with it. I knew he missed his dad. Hell, I missed him too. But it wasn't worth letting others die for it. We were here working for a greater good. Evan's life was at stake. I was afraid Dean was losing perspective. Falling into her trap, only it occurred to me that she had already fallen into ours. It was a little comfort though, Dean still hadn't said anything.
"Do you think you could…" He finally said, turning toward her. "Throw in a set of steak knives?" He asked her.
I grinned from the shadows. Damn he was good. I knew he was tempted but he knew what he was doing.
She laughed at him. "You know, this smart ass, self-defense mechanism of yours—" She stopped and looked up. She was in the devil's trap. We had her where we wanted her. She looked back at him. "Dean." She glared.
"Now you're really trapped." He told her. "That's gotta hurt."
"Let me out now." She told him.
It was time for me to come out. I didn't have to hide anymore. She couldn't hurt me and she'd do what we wanted or go back to hell.
"Hey baby." Dean smiled and kissed me tenderly. "Oh, and sure, I'll let you out. We just gotta make a little deal here first." He told her. "You call off your hellhound and let Evan go. Then I'll let you go."
She just smiled at him, "I can't break a binding contract."
"Hm. And by "can't" you mean, "Don't want to"? Last chance." He told her. "Evan and his wife get to live to a ripe, old age. Going, going –"
"Let's talk about this." She told him.
"Okay. Gone." Dean said pulling John's journal from his jacket.
"You are so screwed." I grinned at her. She just glared back.
She noticed the book and took a step toward Dean. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, you're just gonna go on a little trip." He told her. "Way down south."
"Look, forget Evan. Think of your dad." She told him.
"Shut up." I told her. "You just don't get it."
"What don't I get?" She asked me. "Would you like Jim back?"
I looked at her but was un-phased. "No, I don't." I told her.
"That's right. Because you have Dean here." She smiled at me. "Just wait sweet cheeks. You'll lose him eventually and then you'll come crawling back to me."
"Dean…" I said, my eyes still on her.
"RegnaTerrae,cantatadeo,
psallite domino,
qui vehitur per calus
caelos antiques!
Ecce, edit vocem suam, vocem potentem:
Akinoscitepotentiamdei!"
As Dean chanted I watched as the demon started to shake. The exorcism was working. She was starting to feel the affects and just when I thought she was going to let herself get thrown back into Hell she called out.
"Wait." She told him. She went to him, grabbing him, kissing him hard. I glared at her.
"What the hell was that for?" He asked her.
"Sealing the deal." She smiled at him.
"You know, I usually like to be warned before I'm violated with demon tongue." He told her.
"Dean…" I frowned at him. He just glanced over at me.
"Evan Hudson is free." She told him. "He and his wife will live long lives."
"How do I know you're not lying?" He asked her.
"My word is my bond." She told him.
"Oh, really?" He asked unconvinced.
"It is when I make a deal. It's the rules." She replied. "You got what you wanted. Now let me go."
He took a step back and seemed to ponder the idea. I wasn't all gung-ho for letting her go but I too tried to stick to my word. It wouldn't be the first time it had happened. Dean ran his fingers along the rosary in his hand and looked down at the journal.
"You're gonna double-cross me?" She asked him. "Funny how I'm the trustworthy one." He just grinned at her. "You know…you renege, send me to hell…sooner or later I'm gonna climb out and skinning Evan Hudson will be the first thing that I do." She told him seriously.
He seemed to contemplate it a moment longer before he reached up and broke the devil's trap. She made no time in walking out from under it. But she wasn't done talking just yet.
"I gotta tell you. You would have never pulled that stunt if you knew." She told him.
"Knew what?" He asked.
"Where your dad is." She replied.
I went to Dean's side, both of our eyes locked on her. "What are you talking about?" I asked her.
"You should have made that deal." She told Dean. "See, people talk about Hell, but it's just a word. It doesn't even come close to describing the real thing."
"Shut your mouth, bitch." Dean shot at her.
"If you could see your poor daddy, hear the sounds he makes because he can't even scream."
"How about I send you back there?" He said stepping up to her.
The words were barely out when black smoke billowed from her mouth. The demon was leaving. What was left behind was just a scared girl, unaware of what had happened to her.
"It's okay." I said bending down to her. "We'll get you home." I looked at Dean who was struggling a little. His breathing was hard and his eyes looked like they were far away. "Come on, sweetie." I told her softly as I helped her to her feet. I took her to the car before turning to Dean. He was still standing in the same spot. I went to him, taking his head in my hands. "Come back to me." I whispered.
He looked at me and gave a small smile, nodding. "I'm okay."
"You're not, but we'll fix that later." I smiled at him.
He nodded again, putting his arm around my waist as we went to the car. When we got the woman safely home we went and picked up Sam. Dean and I waited in the car. Both of us quiet. It wasn't till we were out of town before we explained to him what had gone down.
"Demons lie all the time, right?" Sam said. "Maybe she was lying."
"Come on. Is that really what you think?" Dean asked him. "How could he do it?"
"He did it for you." Sam told him.
"We've talked about this." I told him.
"I know." Dean said softly. "I just…don't understand." I took his hand in mine, squeezing it. "How am I supposed to live with that? You know, the thought of him…wherever he is right now—" He said and paused. "I mean, he spent his whole like chasing that yellow-eyed son of a bitch. He should have gone out fighting. That was supposed to be his legacy, you know?" He said. "Not bargaining with the damn thing. Not this."
"Baby…" I said and ran my fingers down his face. He kept his eyes on the road.
"How many people so you think Dad saved? Total?" Sam asked him.
"That's not the point, Sam."
"Evan Hudson is safe because of what dad taught us. That's his legacy, Dean." Sam told him. I nodded, there was nothing I could say here to make it okay. "Now we're still here, man. So we gotta keep going. For him. Hey, Dean?"
"Yeah."
"When you were trapping that demon, you weren't –" He said and paused. "I mean, it was all a trick, right?" Sam asked him. I looked at Dean before glancing back at Sam. "You never considered actually making that deal, right?"
Dean never replied. He just turned the station and sped up. I didn't say anything. He needed to be as alone in his head as he could be. He took his hand back and mine moved to my stomach. He glanced at me before giving me a small smile. It was something, but we'd talk later about what happened. There was plenty of time for that.