The sleek black chrome of the impala glimmers in the moonlight as Dean and Sam move quietly through the forest to the base of Blue Mountain. Dean is about to open the trunk and deposit his pistol when he sees a shadowy figure lurking in the bushes.

"Oh..." he sneers in a hateful tone. "It's good to see you finally made an appearance."

"Ruby!" Sam cries. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I've been here the whole time, doofus." Ruby says, shaking her head. "What were you thinking, summoning Lilith here?"

"I was going to destroy her." Sam insists.

"But you're not strong enough yet!"

"Well I could have been if you were there!" Sam spits. "But you left me to confront her on my own!"

"Because it was a stupid idea! Can you imagine what would have happened if Lilith showed up? She would have ripped me to pieces!"

"So what about me?" Sam interrogates her. "Don't I matter?"

"Sam, you were intent on suicide, bringing all of us down with you. If that hopeless romantic hadn't shown up, you would have had no choice."

"So you saw it?" Dean asks. "You saw the whole thing? And you never bothered to intervene?"

"I am no match for Lilith, Dean." Ruby exclaims. "And neither are you."

"But you were happy to throw an innocent man into the fire?" Dean scowls. "You know, any last drop of respect I ever had for you has totally gone. You are utterly the scum of the Earth, and Hell combined."

"You're such a drama queen." Ruby groans. "Like Cory said, he was a lamb to the slaughter. You were the one who brought him along, Dean, hoping to play cowboys, no doubt. Talk about Brokeback Mountain..."

"Get the hell out of my sight, you bitch." Dean growls. "I don't want you anywhere near me ever again."

"Fine." Ruby shrugs carelessly. "Come on, Sam; we have work to do."

She turns on her heel and begins to walk along the road. When she hears no echoing footsteps, she stops and turns.

"Sam? Why aren't you coming?"

Sam stays rooted to the spot, standing beside his brother. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Don't you want to stop Lilith?" Ruby tempts him. "Don't you want your powers back?"

"You don't get it, Ruby." Sam grimaces. "You left me for dead on that mountain. I didn't have a hope of killing Lilith, and you stood here and watched instead of coming to help."

"Sam, you know I-"

"You watched an innocent man sacrifice himself just to get us out of another hole, while you stood there and did nothing to help us!" His booming voice echoes around the hollow mountainside. "What are you here for Ruby?"

"I told you, I'm here to help you stop Lilith, and the apocalypse!"

"Well right now, you're helping us about as much as the angels. And the angels aren't doing a lot."

Dean watches approvingly as Sam finally stands his ground. He had finally made his choice between the two of them: and Dean came out on top.

Ruby clenches her fists. "So that's it. You don't want my help. I get it." she hisses. "But just you wait until Lilith breaks the final seal, and Lucifer is set free. When the whole world is on fire, and billions of people die, then you'll regret not having me around."

Ruby turns and marches away into the shadows of the trees. Sam is still shaking with rage as he watches her go.

"Come on, Sammy." Dean pats him gently on the shoulder. "We don't need that demon bitch, or any angel. We're gonna stop this thing ourselves."

He unlocks the trunk of the impala and chucks the pistol inside. Sam's hands shiver in the chilly December air as he stares into the mysterious depths of the forest. Could he really cope without Ruby? Could they really stop the apocalypse without the help of her, or Castiel, or anyone?

Even if he didn't truly believe it, it was too late to change his mind. Sam opens the door of the impala and joins his brother in the driver's seat just as dawn breaks over the mountaintops.

"Hey, Dean...can I ask a question?"

Dean keeps his eyes fixed on the road. "What?"

"Did Alex really...you know...like you?"

Dean sighs. "He was still in a bad place since his partner died. Single, alone, needed a shoulder to cry on. I was there, picking up the pieces, stopping him from drowning his sorrows. Maybe he thought I was some sort of saviour, or a 'guardian angel'? I mean, who can blame him?" he smirks cockily.

"And what about you?"

Dean glances to him suspiciously. "What?"

"Did you...like like him?"

"No!" Dean retorts defensively. "No, of course not! I'm not gay! I would never...no!"

"Alright, alright!" Sam laughs. "I'm just saying, I would be totally fine if you were...you know..."

"Shut up, Sam." Dean stops him, and flicks on the radio.

"Have you heard anything from Cas recently?"

"What does Cas have to do with anything?"

"We haven't seen him in a while, that's all." Sam says anxiously. "I hope he's alright."

"He's fine, Sam." Dean answers, although knowingly. "He's an angel, for God's sake. He can take care of himself."

He cranks the volume up, so that the noise of the music suppresses any further questions. The creeping sunlight banishes the remaining stars in the sky, and the impala continues down the mountain road back to the town of Missoula.