"The exorcism," Sam realized, but Dean was already on it.
"Exorcizamus te, Omnis Immundus-" Dean began and Sam watched it carefully.
The demon had regained control over Carena and roared animal like in protest of the exorcism. She was trapped by the Devil's Trap and somehow Paul was able to hurt her with the necklace on. Deep vicious cuts appeared on her arms, objects were thrown at her violently. Sam could see Paul flickering in and out of existence. His face contorted into a protective and anger filled emotions.
"Ergo Draco Maledicte, Ut Ecclesiam Tuam Secura, Tibi Facias Libertate Servire, Te Rogamus, Audi Nos!" Dean finished with a ringing finality.
The demon roared, its cry of pain high pitched and painful as it flew out of Carena's mouth. The thick black fleeing for it's dark existence.
Before he could finish the second part of the ritual, Paul did it himself, running straight into the smoke. A thunderclap sounded and a bright light exploded in the room.
The brothers shielded their eyes and looked back up after the explosion.
Both Paul and the demon were gone. Carena was collapsed on the floor, unconscious.
Dean rushed to her, holding her in his arms. The wounds from Paul's attack were deep and she had lost a lot of blood. Sam pressed his finger against her throat and she coughed, blinking.
Clear brown eyes.
Human eyes.
"What the hell?" She asked, coughing blood and bile, "Did I win?"
Sam chuckled and Dean hugged her close, with a smile.
Two days later, Dean and his Metallicar were sunning themselves in a parking lot.
It was about noon and the boys were still in Ventura. After the nasty fight with the demon, they had decided to stick around for the show.
It was after all, Collector Car Day.
"She looks good," Carena smiled.
"Doesn't she?" Dean grinned, nodding to his black beauty next to him, "Your buddy gave me some Mother's Wax and microfibers. She's looking like a fresh new penny."
"Ya," Carena sighed, "To bad you wouldn't take the invite up front."
"Not one for cheer teams," Dean smirked.
"It's a club. And after helping, well it was the least I could offer."
"Hey," Sam waved, walking back with burgers and fries.
"In N Out!" Dean moaned happily, "I love you!"
"Thanks," Sam chuckled, falling into the other chair.
"You guys vote yet?" Carena asked, "I know you don't know anyone but you've got taste."
"Ya, I just put my Baby down for everything I could and left the rest blank." Dean grinned, chomping down on his Double Double.
"Thanks," Carena rolled her eyes sarcastically, "You didn't even give me best interior?"
"Nope."
"Besides the show," Sam interrupted, "How'd the whole crime deal go?"
"Easier then I thought actually," Carena smiled, "No prints from any of us and the homeless man that demon possessed was dead. Easy to make him the attacker."
"The one that you gave the note to? To give yourself up?" Sam asked.
"Ya, I staged the attack out in the fields at the old Nunes Ranch. All four dead. Now there's no chance of anyone going missing. Or ending up dead."
"It wasn't your fault," Sam reminded her.
"Hard to believe when it was your own hands that killed them," She said darkly.
"Hey you're family, the car people, they are all here. All alive. Thanks to you. And so are you."
"I know," Carena fingered thepiston necklace solemly.
Since Paul had killed the demon, he hadn't reappeared. Leading the three hunters to believe the demon had been killed and Paul sent up into heaven.
"Hey Chevy girl!" Jake yelled, running up to her.
"What's up Herbie?" She asked, giving him a hug.
"Skeet's calling winners in an hour. If I didn't know better, I'd say you weren't finished voting."
"How would you know that?" She asked.
"Cause I've got your vote card," He laughed.
"Dude, give it back," Carena chided.
"Not till you put Herbie down for Bet in Show," He sung.
"Not gonna happen," Carena laughed.
She punched Jake in the gut, lightly and snagged the card from him.
"I actually only have one more category to fill," She smiled.
"Ya? What? Best Young Rodder? You can't win, you're 21. 1 year too late," Jake smirked.
"No," Carena rolled her eyes, "I'm voting Best Rookie. One which you have absolutely no chance of winning."
"That hurts," Jake faked a piercing blow to his heart.
"I'm picking Metallicar," She smirked, "Beat your ass didn't it?"
"Oww! You've killed me!" Jake cried dramatically.
"Me?" Dean asked, "Why? I'm sure there's a lot better candidates out there."
"Not really," Carena shook her head, "The last Rookie was Del Sean and well you know how he ended up. I want the new Rookie to be better,"
"Think anyone else will vote for me?" Dean asked, "There's a lot of cars out here."
"Only 618." Carena shrugged, "Slow year actually."
"C'mon Carena, us? There's gotta be some better cars, better people then us. We're not even really car people," Sam asked.
"How dare you?" Jake asked, "You drive an SS Impala! How are you not car people?"
"Dude chill," Carena held her hand up, "Typically we have a couple of rookies but this year it's only between you and those guys from Burbank. And to be honest, Gill isn't all that great."
"Plus haven't you noticed the people around your car?" Jake asked, "You were swarmed."
"Figured it's cause were new," Dean shrugged.
"Wrong again," Carena rolled her eyes, "I told you before, people come from all over the state, sometimes even out of state."
"Ya, you just impressed a lot of the top dogs around here by racing," Jake added, "Gave you more credibility."
Sam shrugged, eyeing the lot as Dean and Jake began to argue over another race.
The day was nice, he thought, crisp and hot. The cars were lined up for two miles straight with booths scattered around. He even saw a mobile dyno and heard the band in the distance. Classic rock, burgers and candy colored cars with monsters under the hood.
It wasn't normal, but Carena seemed to love it. Maybe being weird was ok. Maybe him and Dean could have a life like this, racing for cash and going to shows. Talking without hiding anything cause they knew cars. No lying, no scrambling off to another town. He could just sit back and hear the whir of the dyno being fired up all day.
He blinked sharply as a blonde woman walked through the crowd. He sat up straight, watching.
No, it was just a coincidence. She as dead, she had been dad for weeks, killed by a horrible demon monster.
Jess.
Of course when he thought about normalcy, everything came back to her. Then he was reminded of how painful it was to come home and find her dead on the ceiling. Dead like Nessie and everyone else.
Coincidences. He hated them.
An hour later, Skeet blasted his truck horn over the speakers and dozens of car guys waited at the foot of the stage.
The awards were given out quickly, Carena snagged two of them herself, Project Racer and Best, in her decade, 60-69. Herbie won Best Mock Up, a category dedicated to copying famous cars and cheered on stage. Dean and Sam whistled and clapped as Skeet won a trophy himself for Best Paint. The Burbank kid Gill won Best Modern Muscle. Finally Skeet held up the final trophy.
It was small like the others, a white stand with a gold column and a 50s Chevy model on top. On the stand, a plaque that read Best Rookie Collector Car Day 2005.
"Alright alright,"Skeet said over the mic, "The last trophy besides Best in Show."
"I'll be taking that now!" Someone hollered in the crowd, everyone laughed.
"This," Skeet cracked a smile and continued, "Is Best Rookie. This is a trophy that not only shows you have beyond incredible potential with your car, but you also have potential on your own to change the world."
Dean nudged Sam with a snicker and Sam hit back.
"Shut up!" Carena hissed, grinning at their childishness.
"We've seen some incredible people over the years, from kids that we've raised ourselves to kids we've adopted, to complete strangers," Skeet declared, "But I gotta say, this year was an easy pick. Two boys rolled up earlier this week and stood by us as we lost some of our own. They didn't run when we challenged them and they brought a badass ride. On Tuesday they were strangers knocking on my door, but now? They're brothers that have a key."
Carena stepped back, grinning as Skeet announced the winner.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Best Rookie of 2005 is Dean and Sam Winchester with their 1967 Chevy Impala SS Metallicar!"
The crowd whooped and hollered in excitement as the boys raced up on the stage.
They smiled with Skeet as a photo was snapped and Dean accepted the trophy.
"Thanks," He said.
"Anytime boy," Skeet nodded, "You just keep your foot down on that pedal of yours. I expect you back next year smoking more then just a bug."
Sam and Dean laughed and walked off the stage.
"Kinda cool isn't it?" Dean smirked, "Although I can't figure out why he called you."
"What are you talking about? We came together."
"Ya, but I raced Jake and won. And not to mention I did the exorcism on the demon."
"You are so full of yourself," Sam sighed.
"Nice job," Carena nodded to the trophy.
"Thanks."
"Meet me in the Canyons tonight," Carena said, "I'm not going to the race. I need your help with something."
"Sure," Sam nodded.
"Thanks."