A/N quick update as a little thank you for you guys getting so into this. I love the reviews and I really want to see what you think. No patience! lol

Think I might need something stronger than a cushion for the end of this one though, more tomorrow, or earlier if I get the chance.

Thanks again.

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Lucifer held out the arms of his new acquisition and smiled to himself. It wasn't Sam Winchester but still, there was a lot to be admired about the older brother too. Not the good traits oh no, but the others…oh my. So much pain, so much need. And he'd gotten one over on Michael. He chuckled as he cast an eye over the body that he now called home.

"You're perfect Dean. This is one ride that I'm going to enjoy and when I'm finished with you, well at least you won't feel anything anymore Dean. Just a long pleasant nothingness." He stretched Dean's arms up over his head and wondered at the little jolt of pain that flash through him. His arm was hurt? Wondering briefly if it was Castiel's mark that was troubling him he took off the shirt he was wearing and stared at the bandage, for the first time a little doubt creeping into him.

Slowly he unwound it and touched the outline of the mark that was branded there. "Very nice try Dean, bind me to your soul so that I can't leave you and take on your brother as host. It won't work, I'll burn it off but still, nice try." A nagging doubt that he was missing something hit him as he stared as the burn.

"That isn't why he did it." The English tones of the crossroad demon came from behind him and the devil turned, lifting a hand and pinning the man to the wall.

"Crowley! Why, I've been looking for you. I know it was you that gave them the gun, pity it doesn't work on the likes of me."

Crowley smirked. "Well now you found me. And yes I gave them it, hoped that we could solve a mutual problem that we had with it. You. Now if you don't mind, I've come to collect something that's mine. Seems I've bagged a bonus prize as well though." The sound of the hell hounds howling drifted to the ears of Lucifer.

"Hell hounds? Really? You think that you can use your dogs to drag me back down Crowley?" A small mirthless laugh escaped Dean's lips.

The crossroads demon nodded his head towards the raised, burnt skin on Dean's arm. "That mark is old magic that I doubt even you can break in the time you have left." He cleared his throat. "And no, on their own the hounds are useless against you but Dean here you see, he made a deal."

Lucifer's eyes widened.

"And him, they can and will drag back to Hell. Seems that you're going to get to come along for the ride. Twofers – got to love 'em, eh?"

"You can't do this to me."

"Now that is where you're wrong." The clock started to chime and Crowley's smile deepened. "A deal is a deal, even if it does come with baggage." He uttered a small chant and the door flung wide as the last chime struck, the hounds rushing it to claim their prize. "Never underestimate what humans will sacrifice in the name of love, my master. As they say, it conquers all."

The rest of his speech was drowned out by the snarl of the dogs and the screams.

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It was déjà vu. Sam was here again. Another house. Another deal. Another time that he would have to bury his brother.

Crowley had cleaned house as part of the deal. This time there was no blood, and the body was healed, the wounds of the hell hounds removed and Dean re-dressed before Sam or Bobby set foot in the house.

Now to Sam it seemed as if his brother was merely sleeping, Dean's face peaceful and serene to look on. If only that was the truth, Sam wished.

"So Jack is back in the box."

Sam looked round to see the demon Crowley leaning on the doorway. "How did Dean do it?"

"Made a deal that if I fixed you and the old hunter out there, he'd let Lucifer in, be my worm on the hook to drag the devil back to Hell. You see, Dean and you share the same blood, that means that technically, Dean can be Lucifer's vessel as well. An angel has an open phone line to its vessel, so Castiel showed Dean how to tap into that line and use it to summon Lucifer to him. The binding link and the iron though, that was my idea. Burn the link onto Dean's arm and once he let Lucifer in, well then he couldn't just let himself back out again. I dragged his ass to Hell right along with your brother's."

Crowley walked to the bottom of the bed and looked down on the body there. "Even Lucifer can't break a contract and Dean's deal sealed both their fates. He's a brave bastard, I'll give him that. Stupid, but like I said, he has balls."

Sam could only nod. "So my brother is in Hell and Lucifer is there to?"

'Fraid so. Can't see him being very happy with your brother either, what with Dean snaring him back downstairs and halting the apocalypse. Can't see that being pretty." He gestured to Dean's body. ""So what are you going to do with that? Not like the other one can get in there now, no one left to say yes. It's just an empty vessel now. You should burn it, before it starts to smell bad."

Sam threw him a look, wishing for just a second that he could still use his powers and banish the idiot back to Hell himself. "That's my dead brother's body that you're talking about."

Crowley shrugged. "Sorry, Demon. Not known for our tact you know?"

"I take it there isn't anything that I can do to bring him back?"

The demon smirked. "No, and if you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting that would be a double no. His orders not mine."

Sam looked at Dean. "He made that part of the deal?"

"Yup. No deals with Sam Winchester or he gets a get out of jail free card and I get locked down instead and much as I admire your brother's balls, I prefer my own topside."

"What about Michael? Couldn't I call him to me and use him to get Dean out?" Sam asked hopefully.

Crowley shook his head. "Michael isn't going to help now, Dean screwed his plans just as much as he screwed Lucifer's. They were suppose to fight. There was supposed to be an apocalypse. Michael has no need for Dean now, besides, I'm sure that if your brother put a leash on me he'll have put one on your friendly, neighbourhood angel as well and without Castiel's help you'll never be able to summon Michael."

Sam looked back over at his brother, the question bubbling inside him. "What's it like?"

"Hell?" Crowley shook his head. "You don't want to know. It's better that you don't know. I need to go now, if you need anything….call someone else alright?"

Sam turned his attention back to Dean as the demon vanished, the pain in his chest causing his whole body to tremble. He leant over his brother and placed a hand over Dean's own, flinching at the coldness of it.

"This time, I swear I'm going to find a way to get you out."

TBC