Thanks to "huntergirl" for bringing to my attention that I messed up the symbols for the telepathic talking. I m very sorry!
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The symbols should have been §... ...§ for when they use their telepathic link and I have put things back to normal in this chapter.
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Chapter Six
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Sam sighed as he reluctantly put down his book and rubbed his tired eyes. He was getting nowhere fast.
Although giving Castiel and Crowley his soul was not an option, he might just have to end up giving them the location of the passageway that Eleanor Visyak had used to get out of Purgatory.
He knew he would if there was no other way, because getting his brother back safely was the only thing that really mattered to him.
However giving the two C's the information would mean letting them get their hands on the purgatory souls to boost up their powers, Castiel to defeat Raphael and Crowley to keep a firm hold against all-comers in Hell.
Moreover Crowley had already voiced his ambition to add purgatory onto Hell doubling his "Real Estate," something that would surely upset the natural heaven- hell- purgatory equilibrium.
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He glanced over at the couch where Meg was asleep, her muffled breathing the only sound audible in the quiet room.
Just before Dean was taken they had been working on his recently discovered angel blasting power but he hadn't been able to disintegrate anything bigger than a pebble and some very small rocks; to get full benefit from it Dean would have to keeon practising, just as he had with his own.
Sam had discovered that his demon power was still latent inside him but he hadn't used it on a demon since Ruby's time. This might be good time to put in a little practice seeing that there was a demon not more than a couple of yards away, he mused.
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He pushed back his chair and went over to the couch, putting a hand on Meg's shoulder to wake her, and an unexpected shudder went through him as the pleasurable memory that the demon blood had given him spread through his body. He suddenly found himself wondering if Meg's blood would taste as good as Ruby's.
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§ Sammy! § Dean's voice reverberated in his head. § What's going on with you? §
He pulled his hand back as if it had been scorched and he found himself being scrutinized by Meg's eyes as she turned towards him.
Sam felt the blood rushing to his face in a mix of guilt and embarrassment.
He had believed that he had put the blood addiction behind him, yet as soon as he had placed his hand on a demon, the whole experience came rushing back.
Oh, crap! Dean must have felt something through the link if he had called out to him!
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§ I'm fine, Dean, § He reassured his brother.
§ I can't explain right now 'cos Meg is looking right at me. I'll get back to you later. §
§ You be sure to do that! I'm not going anywhere but I'd like to know what I felt just then. § Dean grunted back through the link.
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"Sam," Meg smirked as she saw him standing over her. "I didn't know you cared!"
"I don't!" Sam answered dryly. "I was just looking for a volunteer for a little experiment."
"Mmm...! Sounds kinky!"
Sam rolled his eyes. "Feeling better I see."
"I'm getting there. So what do you want?"
No point in beating about the bush, Sam thought to himself.
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"I need to see if my power still works on a demon and get in a little practise. Can I try it out on you?" He tried to keep his expression as non-threatening as possible.
A look of surprise came over her face." You still got the juice to pull demons, Winchester? I thought you lost it when Lucifer got his hands on you in the pit."
Sam shrugged his shoulders. "I thought so too but it seems that it's still there. I'd never thought about it until now."
Meg looked suitably impressed. "Well well well, little Sammy isn't as helpless as he looks!" she complimented.
Sam held out his hand, as he used to do to focus his energy, and pulled at Meg's smoke.
"Hey," she yelled as the black cloud started to spiral its way out of her mouth. "I didn't say you could do that." But before she had even finished the phrase her smoke was whirling around in the air obedient to Sam's will.
A familiar feeling of power swept through him.
It had been one of the rushes that had accompanied the blood addiction.
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§ Sammy, What the hell is going on with you! I'm getting these weirdo feelings washing over me. Care to explain? § Dean's thoughts abruptly interrupted his sensations and grounded him.
Sam released his hold on Meg and she slithered back into her body.
He looked at her as if she had turned into a poisonous snake and without another word made for the door:
He ran between a row of cars slumping down dejectedly onto one.
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§ Dean...I tried pulling out Meg's smoke and it all came flooding back to me; all of it; including the rush I used to get.
I don't think it's such a good idea to continue. I'd be better just pushing it back down and forgetting all about it. My demon power is tainted with evil Dean, and nothing is ever going to change that! § Sam insisted wretchedly.
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§ So what I felt was the rush you used to get from the blood high? § Dean asked, everything becoming clear.
§ It was a strange sensation, but to me it just felt like a powerful jolt, more like a sting by a gigantic wasp! § Dean continued.
§ You mean that you didn't receive any kind of rush from it like I did? Is that what you're saying? § Sam asked.
§ Yeah. I suppose so. § Dean answered uncertainly.
§ When you spoke through the link, it stopped the blood lust completely. Your voice grounded me and I... ...§
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A low-pitched sound behind him stopped Sam's conversation with his brother in mid-sentence and as he turned to face whatever had just made the noise, he found himself standing in Death's personal space.
"Sam," the being said, tilting its head in greeting. "How are you? It's nice to see that your wall is still holding up!" Sam stood there eyes wide. Whoever he had expected to find, it certainly wasn't him.
He stepped back, somehow finding oneself too close to the emaciated being wasn't that enticing.
"What do you want?" he asked.
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"Now, Sam. I just wanted to have a quiet conversation with you. I've met Dean many times but you and I have never really talked."
He moved in closer to Sam who couldn't move back any further, his ass against the metal of an old car.
Death studied him and then took a step back. "You are not in awe of me as your brother is, Sam. I wonder why that is?"
"I...um...I suppose that once you've been dead as often as me and Dean have, death sort of loses its horror." Sam answered not knowing exactly what Death expected him to say.
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Death nodded." I have a soft spot for Dean. He and I share a love for junk food and then he makes me smile. Also he is suitably respectful towards me but I know very little of you Sam except that you do not seem to fear me. The only way I could make you do so is if I threaten Dean, am I correct?"
Sam felt the panic rising in his chest. "Why would you want to do that?" He asked alarmed. "Dean hasn't done anything to you."
Death just stared with his cold eyes and nodded.
"I was curious to see if your love for Dean was a strong as his for you. I see that it is." He concluded enigmatically.
"You two have upset the very foundations of the universe, dying and coming back to life multiple times, going against all the laws of God and Man, so I can only conclude that both of you are very special to my counterpart; wherever He may be hiding out at the moment!
Anyway, that is not why I am here." Death continued.
"I spoke to Dean about the souls and how important they were, and why am I not surprised that Sam Winchester's soul is the key to opening the doors of Purgatory! Wherever I go I find you two mixed up in something that should be way over your heads.
However, when I retrieved your soul from the Cage I saw how pure and white it was even after all that it had been through and I suspected that there might be something more to the story. I have come to expect nothing less from you Winchesters." He sighed.
"But on the other hand you do spice up my day!"
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"Now, down to business. I have heard that Dean is being held in the pit as ransom for your soul. Those two idiots Crowley and Castiel want to open Purgatory and take in the monsters' souls. That can only finish in tragedy so I will give you a hand to stop them."
Sam looked at him with disbelief. "You will? Why? What difference does it make to you?"
"Personally none, but such upheavals are not good for the stability of what God has designed and who knows what consequences all this tampering might cause."
"I can go with that. Sounds logical." Sam acknowledged. "So will you go into Hell and get Dean out?"
Death stared at him as if he was crazy, his cold eyes chilling the younger Winchesters blood. Sam could understand why his big brother was wary of him.
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"I have already been the messenger boy for Dean when I went into the Cage for your soul. Once is enough! If anyone can get Dean out, that would be you."
"Well you could have saved yourself the visit then, if you're not going to help me," Sam answered unsympathetically.
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"Be careful, Sam," Death threatened. "You had better be a little more deferential or I may just let Dean stay where he is for all eternity. I hear he has a great future as a torturer."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be impolite. I'm just worried for Dean." Sam gulped, backtracking. He wasn't afraid of Death but there was no point in antagonizing him further.
"That's better, Sam! Now I won't go into Hell but I can give you a hand to do so."
"I'm listening," Sam answered wondering what was coming next.
"I can kill you," was the curt reply. "I can send your soul off to Hell and you can lead your brother out."
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Sam turned his head to the side, rolled his eyes and laughed incredulously. "Right, great plan. Not only do I let you kill me but my soul walks into the lion's den. No thanks!"
He found Death right up in his face again. "You had best watch your manners, young man!"
"I'm sorry," Sam spluttered. " I just don't see how that would work."
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Death took a step back.
"Although your soul seems white and pure it is nevertheless tainted with demon blood. In other words the inhabitants of Hell will not even notice it as you walk through. You were supposed to become King of Hell, and let me just remind you that it is theoretically still possible for you to do so. You couldn't be any worse than Crowley!"
Sam's eyes filled with pain.
"Why are you telling me this? It can't be true. I thought all that was in the past!" He whispered dismayed.
"Is the Past ever really past, or does it continue to influence the Present and the Future, but I didn't come here to discuss philosophy. Do you want to get Dean out or not? Confer with your trucker friend and call me if you decide you need my help."
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Sam found himself alone once again and he opened the link with Dean who was cursing and swearing at him for having cut him off.
§ What the Hell, Sammy! Why did you shut me out? I thought something had happened to your skinny ass.§
§ I'm fine Dean! § Sam tried to calm his apprehensive big brother. § I just had a visit from an old friend of yours and I was sort of occupied. §
§ WHO? §
§ Death. §
§What did he want? §
§ He...wanted to give me a hand to get you out of Hell. § Sam began.
§ Did he say he would come in and get me? § Dean asked relieved.
§ Not really. He ... ... offered to get me into Hell as a soul to lead you out. §
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Sam waited for the explosion that he knew would come through the link at his words, and he wasn't mistaken as Dean shouted and yelled all his displeasure at such an idea. Sam hung on to his head with both hands as Dean vented.
§ You finished now, Dean? § Sam asked when his brother eventually slowed down.
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§ If you shut up and let me explain, I'll tell you what Death said. §
§ I said NO, Sam! I'll listen but the answer is still no. I got myself into this mess by going out to Claire like an idiot. You warned me and I didn't listen. §
§ Shut up, Dean. Playing the blame game isn't gong to get us anywhere. We can go over our mistakes another time! §
And he proceeded to tell Dean all that Death had said.
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XXX TBC XXX