I enjoy long walks on the beach...

Sam

I walked around the beach for an hour or so before I noticed a figure standing in the water. As I walked closer to the water's edge I noticed it was Ashley. I had gotten so upset with Dean all of a sudden that I completely forgotten she just stormed out… even though I went looking for her. She was standing still, but her shoulders were shaking. "Ash?" I called out as I got closer.

"Hey Sam," she sniffled "why are you out here?"

"Checking up on my sister, and uh, needed some air" I admitted as I slipped an arm around her shoulders. "You really gonna pull a page from my book and leave?"

Ashley looked up at me like she was caught kicking a puppy. Her eyes were almost as bright as Dean's own, but they were red and puffy around the outsides. She didn't want to really go and I didn't want her to go either. Ashley would have to take my niece with her, probably Justin too. "I can't stay here, not if he isn't willing to help himself."

"I get that" I nodded "but I don't want you to leave with Tara and Justin." There was a silence between us that seemed to agree on all fronts. Dean couldn't be left alone and Ash couldn't take care of two kids all on her own. "I'll go see what the deal was Dean mentioned. One more night, see if he changes his mind and if not I'll call Mom and tell her you'll need help back in San Diego."

"Thanks, Sammy" she whispered as I began to walk back to the hotel.

Dean

I couldn't imagine a house without kids again, or a house at all. I didn't think Ashley would really leave either, but she probably will and Sam will probably go with her. Means I'll only have Ben if he decides to stay.

"Dean?" Sam called out "You still here?"

"Huh? Yeah" I answered from the conjoining room. "So, you are leavin'?"

"No, she's not leaving yet. Talked her into waiting a bit."

"Hmm, woulda made a good lawyer" I kidded as he came to sit across from me and the laptop.

"Hah, maybe" he chuckled. "So, what was the deal?"

I looked up into his eyes for the second time in a day. They weren't angry anymore, now they were protective and concerned. "I had a nice meeting with 5 of the 7 Princes of Hell. They offered to remove the mark if I get rid of the last Knight of Hell."

Sam stared at me with shock dripping out of his wide open mouth. It took all I had not to laugh at the stupid look that had taken over my brother's face. The 7 princes?"

"Yup. Mammon, Asmodeus, Baal, Belphegor, Lucifer, Satan, and Leviathan" I answered.

"Wait, you said only 5 were there," Sam clarified "who wasn't?"

"Lucifer and Satan" I answered as I pushed the laptop back over to him.

"Cuz they are one in the same-"

"-and still locked in the cage." I finished for him.

"And Leviathan were there?"

"Naah, just our friend Dick Roman" I confirmed.

"Of course he was" Sam sighed. "Look Dean, we gotta tell Ash. She deserves to know, she can help. Her back is getting stronger-"

"- no Sammy" I interrupted. "She wants to leave, so she will! And you're going with her."

Sam

I finally heard when Ashley came in it was a couple hours after Dean passed out from the amount of alcohol he drank after our fight. He told me to leave with Ashley; I wasn't too accepting of that order.

I punched him square across the jaw, I felt his face give way and I saw him stumble backwards. My size was almost a slight advantage when it came to our fights, but only until he regained his footing. Dean came back at me, lunging for my knees. I felt my head smack against the edge of an armchair and Dean's weight fall onto my chest. "Well fuck" I gasped out as all my air was forced out of my lungs.

"Big fall harder" Dean grunted as he pulled me back to my feet by my shirt.

"Dean, you can't expect me to just leave you" I groaned as he pinned me against a wall. This was the calmest fight we had ever had; we were getting old and softening up too much.

"Watch me" he spat as he started to pull me towards the front door.

"Boys" a stiff voice said behind us. "stop quarreling."

Dean stiffened up at the voice as if it was our fathers, it did sound exactly like him though. "Cas, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to sit with Tara; I welcome her thoughts like I used to welcome the autistic man's heaven. Why are you two fighting?"

Dean released my shirt so I could turn to face the angel. The look of confusion on his face was almost comical, but I had enough to sense not to laugh.

As I heard Ashley making her way over to the bed, I heard her whisper something (probably to Castiel) before kissing (hopefully) Tara's forehead. I didn't wasn't to tell her about my fight with Dean or about his predicament, but I also didn't want her to think I fell asleep without her knowing if she was okay. "Little One?" I whispered out in the dark.

"Why are you still up, Sammy?" she answered as she sat down next to where I was lying.

"Make sure you were okay" I smiled as I started to tickle her side- it always made her squirm when we were kids. This time I felt my hand against a bandage on her thigh. "A-are you okay? What happened?" Instead of a verbal answer, I got an unsought of tears spilling onto my brown shirt as soon as she curled up into my side around her sobs. "Dammit, Dean" I sighed as I pulled her in closer. "I'm going to kill him!"

" 'm sorry Sammy" she sniffled, voice heavy with sleep.

"Not your fault, just sleep."

AN: Sorry it took me a little longer to update this time, I had some family business going on, but all is great now! Here is the next chapter, sorry it is a bit short but here it is! Tell me what you think, please! Leave a review..good or bad! ~Ash