Episode 7: I'm Living For Giving the Devil His Due

"So exactly why am I helping you, then, if my kingdom isn't protected from the Grimoires?" Crowley was furious, as he sat across the table from the tall, handsome God of the Underworld. Hades smiled a menacing smile.

"Because you'll have shelter in MY domain. You would be my second in command. And you love this sort of thing. Death and destruction."

Crowley sighed in exasperation. "I don't do nefarious things just because I enjoy doing them!" He frowned. "I do nefarious things because I personally gain something from them. I have nothing to gain here. Less than nothing. You would have pulled this all over my eyes if I hadn't found out Hell hadn't been properly warded." Crowley sneered. "You've been messing with the wrong Demon, Hades."

"I'll find the girl soon enough." Hades steepled his fingers in front of him. An evil smile spread across his dashing, youthful face. "You'll either help me and be my second in command, or be left out of my underworld and left to the creatures that come out of Pandora's box."

Crowley got up. "I believe we're done here. At least, I am." He turned to leave. "Oh, and when entertaining, open the bottle of expensive scotch. This shit is an insult." He gestured a the glass on the table, and disseappeared.

The trio arrived back at the bunker the next day. Weary from the road and hungover, they all went their separate ways. Mina showered and locked herself in her room to read. Sam began to research again, and Dean crashed out in his bed.

That night at midnight, Dean's phone rang. He awoke with a start, and reached for the phone to stop the shrill noises emanating from it.

"Yeah?" He asked, putting it to his ear.

"Dean Winchester, is that really any way to answer a telephone? No manners whatsoever." Dean groaned. How had Crowley gotten his number and why was he calling at midnight?

"What do you want, Crowley?"

"We need to talk about the girl."

"We already talked about the girl."

"The situation has... changed. Dramatically." Crowley paused for effect. "You can choose the location, you can trap me, doesn't matter."

"Or you can tell me what the hell you want over the phone and let me go back to sleep. How'd you get this number, anyway?" Dean had sat up in bed, turning on the bedside light.

"King of Hell, remember? Has it's perks." He could hear Crowley sigh in exasperation. "I'll leave you with this tidbit. It's about Pandora's box. Discuss it with the rest of the Musketeers, and get back to me." With that, Crowley hung up on Dean.

Dean found Sam still in the library. Sam looked like he had found something. He was tapping at his keyboard a mile a minute.

"Dude, we gotta talk. Crowley just called me. On my phone." Dean slid into the seat across from Sam, sliding a pile of old tomes out of his way so that he could see his brother. "Something about needing to discuss Pandora's Box with us."

Sam looked up from his research. "I was going to tell you this in the morning, but I found something. An artifact has been stolen from a private collector in Cairo. A jar."

"So?"

"Pandora's Box is a mistranslation. It was actually supposed to have been a jar. She opened it up, let out all of the bad stuff, and left only hope inside." Sam continued. "But of course the story can't end there. That would be too perfect. There are theories that she closed the jar before all of the really bad stuff came out."

"So someone needs Mina to open this... Pandora's Jar... and it isn't Crowley." Dean sighed. "He could be toying with us, or he could legitimately be freaked out."

"Is it time for another night ride to talk to Crowley?" Sam asked, rubbing his eyes.

Dean nodded. "Let's go. Mina's asleep. She'll probably still be asleep by the time we get back."

"That was faster than expected, boys. I thought for sure you'd keep me hanging for a few days." Crowley said, after appearing suddenly in their Devil's trap. They'd once again driven a ways away from the bunker, even though it was technically proteted for several miles around it.

"Turns out Sam found some information that made this all a bit more pressing." Dean said drolly. "What have you got for us? You said you wanted to talk about the girl. Well, here we are. Talk."

"I do so love it when you take charge, Dean." Crowley said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I really hate to help you two out, but there's something you fail to understand about me."

"And that is?" Sam replied.

"I don't do things just to be bad. I do things for my own gain. So don't get all sentimental or think we're friends if I help you two bumbling idiots out on this one."

"I hardly think we're the sentimental types." Dean said. Crowley shot him a look that said oh please.

"I just had a talk with Hades."

"Hades? The God of the Underworld?" Sam asked. Dean could see wheels turning in his brother's head.

"One and the same." Crowley nodded. "He's a slimey bastard. The histories don't give him nearly enough credit." He paused, picked a fleck of lint from his black tie, and continued. "I was working with him. He want's to open Pandora's box."

"So why are you here, ratting him out? Opening a jar of voodoo sounds right up your alley." Dean had pulled up an old folding chair and now sat backwards on it. Crowley liked to be dramatic. This conversation could take a while.

"Because I found out he was going to screw me over." Crowley shook his head. "The box, or jar, as it were, still has a lot of nasty stuff in it. Things that make the Leviathans look like a nice play date. Things that, as it turns out, can get into hell and into heaven. But not into Hades domain. He's protected it. His plan is to gain as many souls as possible when humans, angels, and demons beg to cross the river Stix, to be safe. He wants to control it all."

"But so do you." Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yes, but since that won't be happening at this point in time, I'm willing to help you." Crowley rolled his eyes. Hunters could be so narrow minded sometimes.

"Help us how?" Dean asked suspiciously.

"With the girl. Mina. You've no doubt figured out her powers. I can make them stronger. I can make her strong enough to stand a chance. To, survive, if you will, while you do whatever it is you guys do and get rid of Pandora's box."

"How are you planning to do that?" Sam was now very suspicious. "She's NOT starting on demon blood."

"So protective, aren't we, Sam?" Crowley paced about the inside of his trap. "Not so much Demon blood, no. Remember those powers you had? Courtesy of Yellow Eyes?" Sam nodded. "I'm the King of Hell. I could give her powers. They'd stick. None of that wearing off nonsense like you and your jonesing for the demon blood. They'd be her's to keep until I got knocked off, which is highly unlikely."

"Why should we even trust you? This is insane." Sam turned to Dean. "Dean, this is nuts. We can't do this."

"I'm protecting my kingdom. I'm willing to help you, in order to do it." Crowley sighed. "You two have way too much pride. It'll get you both killed eventually."

"We'll think about it, Crowley." Dean said, motioning to Sam to follow him out of the building.

"What the hell was that all about? Does he really expect us to just give Mina over to him?" Sam asked out loud as they returned to the car.

"This situation is getting out of hand. We're dealing with Hades now."

"We need to find out how to kill Hades. And steal the jar." Sam was making mental note of everything they had to do.

"We don't breathe a word of this to Mina." Dean turned to Sam. "She's strong and she's stubborn. She'll do it. This isn't a choice we have the luxury of having her decide."

Sam wasn't sure how he felt about that, morally, but he agreed. He also knew that the more powerful Mina became, the more safe she would be.

They rode back to the bunker in silence.

The next morning I woke up early. The bunker was silent. The kitchen was empty- no coffee started yet. The library was empty. No Sam in there, reading old dusty books or fallen asleep at the table. Both of the brothers' rooms were empty.

I checked my phone. No messages. I was kind of worried. I called Sam. I got no answer, it went straight to voicemail.

Convincing myself they must have gone out on a hunt the night before, I returned to the kitchen, and discovered there was nothing for breakfast. I sighed.

I went back to my room, and discovered a post-it stuck to my door. It simply said "Mina- we're going out. Be back by morning. See you then." I sighed again. That was cryptic. They were probably off hunting something that they deemed too dangerous for me.

I dressed, grabbed some keys to one of the old cars currently residing in the garage, and went into town. I stopped at the grocery store. Shopping was going to take a while. We needed basically everything. I decided to go get my haircut first, then do the shopping. Might as well waste some time if the guys had decided to take off without waking me, and I had no idea when they'd actually be home.

Throughout my haircut (a cute pixie) I kept checking my phone. Throughout my shopping ordeal, I kept checking my phone. Nothing.

I finished shopping. I was putting the bags of groceries in the trunk when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and was promptly hit in the face. The lights went out.

I awoke on a table, or some kind of cold, flat surface. I couldn't move. My arms and legs were tied tightly to it with leather straps. I looked around. I was in some kind of dusty old room.

"Ah, you're awake." A heavily accented, stout man came walking into view, setting down a cell phone. He wore a dark suit. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm-"

"Crowley." I guessed, interrupting him.

"It's not polite to interrupt."

"It's even worse to deck someone in the face and tie her to a table." I retorted. I knew I should be scared, but this little man was pissing me off.

"Fair enough." He approached the table. I could see he was holding a vial of red liquid.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Oh, just some plasma from the King of Hell." He replied. "I already talked to your friends. They weren't very receptive to the idea, so I had to borrow you." He drew some of the liquid into a small eyedropper.

"Receptive to what idea?" I tried to shy away from him, but my bindings were tight. I couldn't get free.

"Don't fret, child. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to make you strong."

I shook my head. "No, thanks, that's okay."

"You don't have a choice. The fate of the world depends on you not being able to be jump attacked in a parking lot again." He said, a certain amount of anger in his voice. I closed my eyes and turned my head away from him. "Boys, open her eyes and hold her head steady."

Two demons approached me. One help my head and one pried my left eye open.

"No, I know what demon blood does. I don't want it." I struggled. I couldn't even invisi-throw anyone because my hands were tied.

"This isn't just demon blood. This won't wear off." Crowley dropped three drops into my eye. It burned. The demon let me close my eye and let go of my face. A phone rang. It was mine. It kept ringing.

I realized no one was paying attention to me now, so I began trying to get my hand out of the restraint. I had small wrists. I should be able to do this eventually.

I stopped as Crowley approached the table. "I'll be back in a few, and then we'll return you to your friends. Remember, I'm only doing this for your own good." Then everyone left me alone in the room.

I finally got my hand out of the restraint, and untied my other hand and my feet. Then I sat up. I heard people outside the door. I hid behind the table. I saw my phone on the counter. When no one came in, I grabbed it, and frantically dialed Sam's number.

Dean and Sam returned to the bunker around 11 that morning.

"Something feels wrong, Dean." Sam said as they stepped inside. They both listened. They heard nothing. "I don't think she's here."

Sam went down the hall, checking her room. She wasn't in there. Dean checked the library and kitchen. "She went for groceries." Dean called out to his brother. "She left a few hours ago."

Sam walked in, looking at his phone. It was suddenly blowing up with missed calls. "We must have been out of cell-service range." He said. The missed calls were from Mina. He hit a button and waited for her to pick up. It rang a few times, then went to voicemail. He clicked the phone off. "Something isn't right."

"I'm sure she'll be back in a few minutes." Dean said, not sounding sure at all.

They waited another hour, then two. Sam kept trying to call her. Finally, around two PM, her phone was picked up on the other end.

"Mina?" Sam asked worriedly. "Where are you? Did your car break down? I-"

"Sam Winchester. SO good to hear you again.' A distinct british voice crooned at him over the phone.

"Crowley, if you hurt her-" Sam growled. He was cut off again.

"I already told you gents that I'm not going to hurt her. I'm going to make her better." He laughed. "So untrusting." He paused, as he liked to do, to add some dramatic flair. "And when she's ready, I'll give her back. It won't be long. Have your Angel ready to come pick her up."

The phone went dead. Sam tried calling back but it kept ringing and went to voicemail. He looked at Dean. "We were had. He just needed us away from her so he could grab her."

"How did he know where she was?" Dean asked.

"He must have picked up her cell signal. She must have gone out of prtective range." Sam shrugged, then slammed his fist down on the table in anger.

Suddenly, the phone rang again. This time Dean grabbed it. "Listen you son of a bitch, you lay a hand on her, we're coming for you! We'll bring the whole damned world down on you and-"

"Dean?" He paused as he heard Mina's voice. "I don't know where I am. But... There are a LOT of demons and I need you to come get me."

They had traced the cell signal to a small house not far away. Dean got them there within fifteen minutes. Cas was called along the way, and was doing reconaissance until they arrived.

"I swear to God, if he lied to us, and they hurt her..." Sam trailed off and looked out the window. He kept flexing his hands and then balling them into fists. "I want the demon blade on this one, Dean."

Dean handed it over, not arguing. He thought he had an idea of what had gotten into Sam.

They pulled up in front of the house. It was a two story red brick building with an outer entrance to the basement. Cas appeared in the backseat.

"There appear to be ten Demons in the house. Crowley isn't one of them. He already left. They aren't going to hurt her, but I doubt she knows that." He pointed. "She's in the basement."

Suddenly, they saw flashes of light bursting from the basement windows. Dean turned to Sam. "Shit." They said in unison and leapt from the car, running to the basement door. Dean took the lock off with an axe, and they threw the doors open.

Mina stood in the center of the room. There were four demons on the floor, dead. Six more raced into the room. Her eyes were completely white as she turned to look at them. "In the name of God, I command you to leave those bodies NOW!" She said ina low voice.

Dean raised an eyebrow at Sam. Sam shrugged. Then they looked on incredulously as black smoke poured from the six demons, and their vessels fell to the ground, coughing and writhing, but otherwise seemingly healthy and unpossessed.

Mina fell to the ground as well. Sam ran and scooped her up. Dean checked on the previously possessed people, determined they were all fine, then ran after them to the car and they left.

Sam was in the back with Mina, holding her close. Her eyes lolled back in her head. She was out, but breathing. He looked concerned. Cas was in the front seat.

Dean peeled out and headed for the highway. Once there, he turned to Cas. "Could you give us a minute, Cas? Alone?" Cas nodded and disseappeared.

Dean looked at Sam through the rearview mirror. Sam was only paying attention to Mina. Dean cleared his throat. Sam looked up.

"You want to tell me how long this has been going on?" Dean asked.

Sam turned a shade of pale red. "Um...well, we kind of hooked up the night you and Garth hunted the Djinn. And we've been together pretty much ever since."

Dean rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. "I know when you two started sleeping together."

"How?"

" You answered the door in an inside out shirt, and only one bed was slept in." Dean sighed again. "I'm a hunter, Sam, I notice things. Plus don't you think I've noticed my own brother being a whole lot happier lately?"

"Then why are you asking me?"

"That's not what I'm asking you." Dean said. Sam raised his eyebrows. "I want to know how long you've been in love with her."

Sam seemed surprised and taken aback by the question. After some time, he finally answered. "I... I'm not sure. I guess... since I met her."

Dean nodded, and pulled into the garage of the bunker.