Thank you so much for all the reviews. I really appreciate them! This might be the final chapter, but who knows?
Last chapter: "Race you!"
Sam stood up, only acknowledging his injuries when they caused a shooting pain down his side. "Aaaah!" he yelped. "Take it easy, Sam!" Dean said, at his side instantly.
He helped his brother into a chair before going over to where Bobby was still standing, frozen.
"Bobby, what are we going to do?" Dean whispered so Sam wouldn't here. Bobby sighed. "I don't know, kid. I guess we go find her new family. But you know we can't take your brother with us. He's not fit to do anything, not to mention hunting demons!" Dean nodded. He walked over to where Sam was sitting, staring at the wall with a vacant stare.
"Sam?" Sam looked up when he heard his name, and Dean's heart melted at the sight of the tears forming in his brother's eyes. He had always known that Sam had a special bond with Ruth. Despite what Sam thought of himself, Dean knew that he was being a better big brother than he thought. Dean had watched as Sam had cleaned her first scraped knee, taught her all the Latin she ever needed to know, and steadied her when she was first learning to shoot.
"Sam?" he repeated. "We're gonna head out. But, uh, Bobby and I think that maybe you should stay here. You were beat up pretty bad back at the prison and I don't want to worry about both of my little siblings." He tried to lighten the mood, but Sam had continued his vacant stare at the suddenly interesting cracking wallpaper.
"I'm going to bed." He whispered, limping up the stairs to the guest bedroom.
Dean began to help Bobby pack up all of the necessary weapons in their fight for Ruth. 10 minutes later and Dean was zipping up a duffel bag and following Bobby out to the Impala. One problem: the Impala was gone.
...
Sam winced at the splitting headache that had begun about an hour ago. He was driving one handed- his right arm in a cast and too painful to move.
He knew that his idea to go save Ruth himself was stupid; he knew Dean might never forgive him if he got hurt, or worse, if Ruth got hurt. But Sam was way past caring about that. The demons might be there by now. Ruth might be dead. Sam was going crazy with worry.
...
"SAAAAAMMM! GET BACK HERE! THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO DO THIS! I CAN'T LOSE BOTH OF YOU! YOU SON OF A-" "Dean!" Bobby grabbed Dean by his shoulder. "Stop! You IDGIT!" The two were both breathing heavily, from worry or adrenaline, neither knew. "We'll take my truck." He said calmly.
Dean nodded, staring at his shoes.
...
Sam cursed Dean for forcing him to take that Advil earlier. He was getting tired, but he couldn't stop. Not now. He was almost there.
...
"We'll catch up with your brother, you'll see." Bobby reassured Dean. They were almost to the address Bobby had looked up. Ruth was living with the Collins' family. Bobby figured Sam had called for the same information and was heading there himself.
...
Sam pulled into the driveway and went through the little gate leading through the freshly painted white picket fence. It didn't look like the demons had been here. All the lights were on.
The pain in Sam's side was growing and his headache had escalated to a full out migraine. He felt slightly dizzy, but it was probably nothing. He stumbled up the front steps, surprised to find the door unlocked.
He smelled it before he saw it.
...
"Faster!" Dean was running out of patience. "It'll take longer to get to Ruth if we get pulled over!" Bobby just about yelled. "I'm already going fifteen above speed limit!"
"THERE'S THE NEIGHBORHOOD! BOBBY!" Bobby squealed into the neighborhood full speed, only slowing down slightly at the turns.
...
The poor, poor Collins. They didn't deserve this… If the Collins' were all dead, does that mean Ruth is, too? Sam thought. He held onto the counter in the kitchen, stumbling through the house. The dizziness was overwhelming. His head felt like it was going to explode. He barely saw the figure step in front of him. There was three of everything, his vision swimming on the brink of darkness. He let the darkness take over, he gave in to unconsciousness.
...
Dean just about jumped out of the car when he saw the Impala and the open front door. He grabbed a gun at the last minute, realizing how suicidal it would be to run in without one. Bobby was right behind him.
Dean came to a halt when he saw the Collins' in the middle of the kitchen. He cursed and was about to continue when he saw the blood. Lighter, paler, fresher.
Sam…
...
Ruth almost started bawling again when she saw the brunette demon, Alex, dragging a limp Sam up the stairs and into the bedroom. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. She watched painfully as the demon handcuffed each of Sam's arms to a leg of the bed. Ruth tried for what seemed like the millionth time to struggle out of her own handcuffs.
...
Dean began running through every room. Bobby had told him to be quiet. The element of surprise could be very useful in this situation. Eventually, Dean couldn't help himself any longer.
"RUTH! SAM!"
...
Ruth felt a surge of hope when she heard Dean calling her. She figured Bobby was with him, too. She made a split second decision.
...
"DEEEAAAANN!" The shriek burst through the silence. Dean froze. He stopped checking the bottom floor and flew upstairs. He saw Bobby emerge from the basement and come running after him.
...
Alex slapped Ruth. When that didn't feel like enough she slapped her again and then punched her. Satisfied, she turned back to the job at hand. She was almost finished with the altar when Dean kicked open the locked bedroom door. "You!" Alex growled.
Dean aimed the shotgun at the demon and pulled the trigger, watching the rock salt slam into her chest, propelling her backwards. The demon groaned from her position in the corner of the room.
Bobby ran in, taking in the sight in front of him. He rushed over to where Dean was in front of his brother and sister. "They're handcuffed, Bobby." Dean quickly pulled out a paperclip, only to watch it fall out of his hand as the two were suddenly slammed against the wall. The demon was standing again, her hand casually up, pinning them down.
"Hello, Dean. Bobby." The demon walked up to the two. "You're late."
"Bite me." Dean said through gritted teeth.
"Be nice, now." The demon replied. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to anyone would we?" She glanced at Sam, out cold.
"You touch him and I swear…" Dean threatened.
"You be quiet!" She shouted.
"You let Sam and Ruth go!" Dean spat.
With a snap of her fingers and a wave of her hand, Dean watched Sam's handcuffs click open and his body go slamming against the doorframe before falling to the ground.
"I told you to be quiet." The demon shrugged.
"Okay, okay!" Dean agreed. "Just, take me instead."
...
Ruth noticed the paperclip as the demon was talking to Dean. She knew if she could reach it she could get herself free, picking locks was one of the first things Sam had taught her. She began to inch forward, dragging the desk she was handcuffed to with her silently, thankful for the carpet beneath her.
Eventually, she was able to reach the paperclip, her arm outstretched as far as possible. Her fingertips pulled it closer until she could grab it with her hand. She shakily began to unlock her handcuffs.
...
Alex the demon was still talking to Dean. "This altar is going to summon a much more powerful demon, and all I still need is some-" Click.
...
Ruth cringed at the sound of the handcuffs unlocking. She turned to see Alex glaring at her with hatred in her round, black eyes. Ruth nervously pulled Ruby's knife out of her boot and held it up in defense. "D-don't try to come close." She tried not to sound scared, but her voice sounded shaky. "I have a knife."
The demon took a step forward, but Ruth didn't waste another second. She threw the knife at the demon with all her force, watching its path from her hand and firmly into the demon's heart. She watched as the demon's fiery life force flickered and died, releasing the hold on Dean and Bobby.
She watched as Dean made a mad rush to his brother and as Bobby walked over to her, checking her for any serious injury. "That was a good throw." He said happily. "I think you made your brother very proud."
...
Sam was asleep in the backseat of the Impala, having woken up only long enough to ask if Ruth was okay. He seemed to settle much more peacefully when he saw the girl sitting in the front next to Dean with an ice pack in one hand and Ruby's knife in the other.
Dean was happier than he had been in a while. He had Ruth next to him and a slowly improving Sam in the backseat. They would be out of the state by the time the police found the bodies in Ruth's temporary home.
Ruth had amazed him back in the bedroom. He realized how much he had underestimated her. He had already guaranteed her a new phone, new clothes, her own gun, and the promise to take her on the next hunt. He smiled. Leave it to Ruth to be the only 13 year old girl to be more excited about getting a gun than a phone.
...
Sam woke up again when they reached Bobby's. The old hunter was more than happy to have the three staying there for another week, understanding how motel beds and diner food wasn't going to help Sam gain his health back quickly.
Ruth helped Sam upstairs to the guest room and sat down on the bed next to him. "Can I ask you something?" she asked timidly. "Sure." Sam answered quietly, the headache not completely gone. "Why did you come after me when Dean and Bobby told you not to?"
Sam answered honestly. "I couldn't just let them save you without me. I'm your big brother, and I'm supposed to be there for you. I didn't even help, though. I just made matters worse. I failed miserably. At being a great brother. At everything."
Ruth snuggled closer to her brother. "But you didn't fail. Dean said I saved us all, but I didn't. You taught me everything I know. Without you, we would all still be in that bedroom with that horrible demon. It was you, Sam. You saved me."
And scene. Unless…. Epilogue?