Rochester, New York
Seventy-two hours. That's all the time Bela Talbot had left in this life if that damned Crowley doesn't show up. After snatching the Colt from the Winchesters, Bela tried for months to contact the crossroad demon but nothing worked. She tried everything from conjuring rituals to actually summoning another crossroads demon just to pass on a message that she had what Crowley wanted. Nothing worked as if the demon wasn't interested anymore and didn't have the courtesy to tell her. Maybe he wanted her desperate or maybe he was just screwing with her for fun. That was a possibly Bela started to believe more and more as the weeks went by.
She moved from hotel room to motel room, temporary apartments, and safe houses all over the country to stay one step ahead of Dean and Sam. The brothers proved to be a lot better at tracking her then Bela cared to admit so she did a little homework and left them a laundry list of hunting jobs on a motel wall. Knowing Dean he was probably insisting they handle each and every one of them before trying to pick up Bela's trail again. She didn't need to get rid of them, just slow them down long enough to find that damned demon and close the deal. Eventually Bela lost her patience and managed to trap a demon to pass on a message to Crowley. Call her for a meeting within twenty-four hours or she would take the Colt back to the Winchesters. An hour after that, Crowley called her up to set up a meeting.
Bela set the time and place, ensuring she could fill a warehouse full of wards. The windows were salted and Bela would be surrounded by Devil's traps. She wasn't going to take any chances with this. Crowley would only be able to step a few feet inside and nothing else. After she was certain the deal was genuine and the demon was alone, Bela would move close enough for the Crossroad Kiss. An unfortunate part but she was almost willing to do anything at this point.
The King of the Crossroads wasn't even a second late. He stepped inside the warehouse in the same business suit from the dream, glancing around at Bela's handiwork on the floor and windows. "You certainly tidied the place up for our first date luv. Love the window dressings," Crowley commented.
"Well enjoy them because it's our only date," retorted Bela. She pulled out the Colt from her jacket. "One demon killing antique as requested."
"You're more reliable than Amazon," chuckled Crowley. Bela took a deep breath and then slowly approached the demon. Only one way to seal a deal with a demon and that was a kiss. Just one kiss and then she was free. Still the thought of locking lips with a demon made Bela's skin crawl. "Oh don't be so discriminative. I'll have you know I'm considered to be quite a catch. Hell's sexiest bachelor for two centuries," he joked.
Bela made sure she could still be standing in a Devil Trap's when they do the deed and kept the Colt ready with one hand and a knife coated in holy salt water. When they were finally face to face, Bela groaned then leaned forward. The two locked lips, making her want to vomit. She tried imagining kissing someone else like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, or Dean Winchester. After a few seconds, Crowley wasn't pulling away so Bela shoved him off. "Perv," she growled.
"I prefer sadistic mass murdering psychopath myself," laughed Crowley. This demon certainly enjoyed his wisecracks.
"Whatever makes you feel better William Wallace," muttered Bela. She held out the Colt which Crowley almost immediately snatched out of her hands. "You've got your precious pistol now rip up the lease."
"I would love to but there's a slight complication," Crowley explained. "You see I may be the King of the Crossroads but technically I don't own any of the contracts. My boss Lilith does." Bela's heart skipped a beat. Still she wasn't surprised by any of this. Demons weren't exactly known for releasing contracts so Bela had a little insurance prepped.
"Big mistake," she said before pressing a button to a garage opener in her jacket. It sent a signal to drop a tarp in front of the door Crowley came in. The demon turned to see it had a Devil's Trap spray-painted onto it. Combined with the other wards and devil traps Bela had surrounding the entrance, Crowley was now officially trapped. "You didn't think I was just going to take you at your word?"
Crowley mockingly clapped, "Well someone give little Miss Muffat a girl's scout badge. But you think I became the King of the Crossroads by being stupid?" He turned to the windows and shouted, "Lite 'em up boys!"
Suddenly the windows around the warehouse shattered as Molotov cocktails were hurled inside, setting the floor ablaze. Within seconds Bela was trapped inside the burning building along with Crowley. Flames enveloped the Devil's Trap tarp, incinerating it within moments. "You've got two choices sweetheart. You can either be extra crispy or you can step outside with me and hear my offer," Crowley smirked before he snapped his fingers. The fire blocking the door was extinguished as the demon calming walked out. Seeing no choice, Bela quickly followed.
The minute she ran outside, Bela was hurled by some unseen force into the brick wall of the neighboring building and pinned against it. Crowley strolled up to her, admiring the Colt as he did. "Think of handing this over as a donation to Lilith. And now that you've gotten on her good side, she's the one willing to offer you a real deal," he spoke.
"We did have a deal!" cried Bela, nearly in tears.
"Yes we did as in me and you. Not Lilith and she's the one who hold your contract. Now shut up and listen princess because you have no idea how lucky you are to be getting an offer like this. Kill Sam Winchester and we'll call it even," replied Crowley.
"What?" frowned Bela.
"Kill the Sasquatch of the Hardy boys and you get off the Highway to Hell. Do I have to write it down for you?" muttered Crowley.
"If you want them dead then go do it yourself," snapped Bela.
"Well two things. One, demons have been trying that for years and accomplished nothing. The Winchesters for whatever reason always seem to let their guard down around you so naturally you're the perfect assassin for this job. And two, I want Sam not Dean," spoke Crowley.
"Why?" demanded Bela.
"Because my pups are going to make a chew toy out of him soon enough," answered the demon. Bela couldn't believe it. Dean had made a deal with a Crossroads Demon? But this was Dean Winchester, the famous kill demons first and ask questions later hunter. What possibly made him so stupid as to sell his soul?
"So what do you say lass?" Crowley asked
Bela answered him by spitting in his face. "Go to hell!"
"I understand you're a little upset so I'll overlook that," Crowley said while pulling out a hanger chief and wiping his face off.
"Why should I even believe you?!" shouted Bela.
"Because you can't afford not to sweetheart," the demon smile before disappearing. Bela was suddenly released, collapsing to the ground in tears. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. She did what she was told to do. All this running around the country and staying one step ahead of the Winchesters for the past few months was all for nothing. Her betrayals and sacrifices were all meaningless and now those damned smokers wanted her to kill Sam. Could she even do that? Stealing the Colt from the Winchesters was one thing but murdering Dean's younger brother? Even if she did the deed, there was no guarantee Lilith would actually honor the agreement. Bela didn't for a second think they were actually going to just let her go. They were just stringing her along while she was useful then once they got what they wanted from her, they'd sick the hellhounds on her. No matter what she did, in three days Bela was dead and damned.
Erie, Pennsylvania
For the past few months, Dean had felt like he was running in a gerbil wheel. Constantly checking one false lead on Bela after another had taken its toll on his time and now he had only a few days left. Dean should have just kept hunting monsters and saving a few more lives before his time expired but Sam insisted on going on and Dean just didn't have it in him to refuse. He felt so damn guilty for what Sammy was enduring and how he was going to have to live with Dean suffering in Hell because of a deal to save him. It wasn't his fault just like it wasn't Dean's fault Dad made a deal to save him but that wouldn't take away the guilt. At least Sam would be alive and that's all that mattered to Dean.
And now they finally had a lead. Bobby called and said that a former hunter named Rufus Turner in Vermont sold Bela a bunch of things. She didn't get everything she wanted but when Rufus told her he needed time to get the rest, Bela bailed. The ex-hunter wasn't specific about what she bought from him because he had some bad history with Bobby. Dean thought it was all a waste of time until an hour later when Bobby called back and said he had something else. "Remember that friend I told you about in the Justice Department keeping tabs on Bela's accounts? I think we might have something."
"After all this time Bela's finally making a mistake?" Dean asked. She's been careful not to leave any kind of trail that could potentially lead back to her. The Winchesters found out about three of her accounts but for months she never touched them. Probably was using others they didn't know about.
"I don't know if mistake's the word to describe all of this. She emptied them all. Down to the last penny," answered Bobby.
"Any idea where the money's going to?"
"The accounts that we know about all transferred everything to a trust fund for a Jacob Foster. A nine year old in Warsaw, New York." said Bobby. The thought of Bela giving all her money to someone else seemed
"Any idea why Bela's suddenly becoming charitable for this particular kid?" asked Dean.
"Beats me but maybe you can ask him. I'll text you the address and see if I can convince Rufus to tell me what Bela bought from him," stated Bobby.
Sam was less than thrilled when Dean gave him the news. It turned out the current mysterious case they were on wasn't so mysterious to one of them. Something had been killing people and taking their organs. It wasn't a zombie or werewolf since the bodies had been cut out with a scalpel. Just after Dean just the calls from Bobby, Sam admitted he knew who was responsible for this. Doc Benton was a doctor in 1816 that apparently found a means to immortality and had been killing people for their organs for nearly two centuries. Dad fought this guy years ago and supposedly killed him by tearing his heart out. Apparently old Doc got himself a new one.
Dean was furious that Sam kept this to himself. They were supposed to be a team when hunting something. You can keep a secret about your personal life but not when it comes to a hunt. If that wasn't bad enough, Sam didn't even want to kill this guy. He wanted to find out what keeps Frankenstein ticking so he can use it on Dean. Sammy wanted to save Dean by turning him into the same monster as the doc. After exchanging a few heated words, Dean grabbed his keys and left. Sam had a point that Bela probably sold the Colt by now but Dean needed to be sure and he'd rather use the pistol to kill the impending Hellhounds then get turned into something out of a George Romero movie.
After a two hour ride, Dean arrived at Warsaw. The town was small and out of the way which begged the question who the hell was Jacob Foster and why was he so important to Bela? Maybe something happened to him and Bela felt responsible? That didn't exactly sound like the con artist thief Dean knew but then again that woman always did completely baffled him. One minute she would be saving his life and then the next stealing something from him.
The Fosters lived in a two story split level home near the outskirts of town. Nothing Dean saw around the lawn seemed suspicious or even that these people were loaded with cash. Of course he'd seen plenty of haunted houses that looked normal until you stepped inside to meet the tenants. Dressed in a business suit, Dean pulled out the fake FBI badge from his glove compartment and headed towards the front door. People rarely believe you were an FBI agent unless you were wearing a suit.
He knocked on the door and only had to wait a few seconds before it opened, revealing a young boy. He glanced up with green eyes and light brown hair that was almost familiar. "Hi there. Are your parents home?" smiled Dean.
The boy didn't even need to answer before a man in his mid-forties stepped up behind him. "Run along Jacob," he told the boy before turning his attention to Dean. "Can I help you?"
Dean pulled out his badge, "Agent James Hetfield FBI. Can we talk inside?" It was a good thing this guy wasn't a Metallica fan.
After being invited in, the man introduced himself as Jonathan Foster or Jon for short. His wife Emily seemed around the same age and was nice enough. Dean used a cover story about Jacob's name used in a trust fund and the agency believed it was a case of identity theft. From the look on their faces, they seemed somewhat nervous rather than confused. They definitely knew something.
"Identity theft? But the people we talked to about it said the account was completely legit," protested Jon.
So they actually knew about it. Dean wasn't expecting that. "So you know about it?" he asked.
"Not until a few years ago. I got a call from a hedge fund group who needed our signatures," explained Emily. "We thought it was a hoax but everyone we talked to from the bank to the Federal Trade Commission all said everything was alright."
"Do you know who set up the account in the first place?" Dean inquired.
"No," answered Jon though Emily's face said otherwise.
"Mrs. Foster is there something you want to share?" Dean spoke in an official no nonsense tone. Maybe that would intimate her enough into answering.
Emily checked around and then said, "I think its Jacob's mother."
"Jacob's adopted?" frowned Dean. Then it hit him. Jacob had the same green eyes and brown hair among other things. Put him next to Bela and you'd see the similarities. Suddenly everything was starting to make sense.
"Nothing else makes sense," nodded Emily.
"Have you ever actually met her?"
"No," Jon shook his head. "The adoption was confidential but if this woman has the kind of money she's been putting into the trust then I guess it's no surprise she found him."
"Actually I might have seen her as one of Jacob's soccer games yesterday. Everyone pretty much knows everyone there so this woman seemed out of place. I thought maybe she was a distant relative of the student's but I could have sworn she was looking at Jacob. I turned my back for a moment and then she was gone," admitted Emily.
Well this was certainly something Dean wasn't expecting. He thought maybe Jacob had been victimized by Bela in the past in some way and she established the trust out of guilt. Clearly he was way off. But if Bela had been at this soccer game then she might still be nearby. "Well if you know about the account then I guess it's not identify theft. Sorry to have wasted your time," Dean excused himself and left as quickly as he could.
Once he got back into the Impala and drove off, Dean immediately called Bobby. "Bela has a kid," he blurted out the second old man Fisher answered the phone.
"Our Bela a mother?" Bobby asked. He seemed as shocked as Dean was when he found out.
"The kid's adoptive mother thinks she saw Bela the other day which means she might still be in the area," Dean stated.
"Crap," sighed Bobby.
"What?" Dean asked, not liking the tone in Bobby's voice.
"I think I might know what's going on Dean. I managed to get Rufus to cough up some more details. He got a picture of her and sent it to some friend overseas. Turns out ears can be used to identify people over in Europe like fingerprints," explained Bobby.
"Ears?" frowned Dean.
"The method isn't exactly popular here in the states but it's a different story across the pond. Rufus told me Bela's whole life story. Her real name is Abigail Grayson. Born in 83 to Ian and Zoe Grayson. The family wasn't the Waltons but they were quite wealthy. First ten years of her life was completely uneventful then around eleven she got into all sorts of trouble. At first it was just shoplifting then it escalated to petty theft, grand theft auto, breaking and entering. By age 12 Abby was quite the little criminal mastermind. Never spent a night in jail though thanks to her family's connections and wealth. Then when she was 14, her parents died in a car accident. Police suspected somebody slashed the brake lines but they couldn't prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. Abby goes on to inherit millions and then poof. Disappears without a trace. Almost a year later, she pops back up to empty her family's bank accounts and that was the last time anyone ever saw her," said Bobby.
"I thought you said you knew what was going on?" pointed out Dean.
"Pipe down ya idgit. I was getting to that," replied Bobby. "Rufus finally told me exactly what she bought from him. All of it was your typical anti-demon weaponry. Salt rounds, holy water, that kind of stuff. But the thing she wanted the most was devil's shoestring."
Devil's shoestring was only used for one thing. Keeping Hellhounds at bay. The draining of her bank accounts, seeing one of her son's soccer games, the ghost back at Sea Pines that wanted to kill her for spilling her family's blood, and now a devil's shoestring all meant one thing. Bela made a deal with a demon and her contract was almost up. No wonder she wanted the Colt. "When exactly were Bela's parents killed?" asked Dean.
"Almost ten years to the day. She's getting her affairs in order Dean," Bobby stated grimly.
Bela had been wondering around for hours, the whole time trying to keep herself from crying. She just didn't know what to do. She could be trying to track down this Lilith and find some way to force it to break the contract. But that was childish, Bela didn't have the time to track the demon down let alone trap it. She thought maybe introduced herself to Jacob but that was even more childish. He probably didn't even know she existed and what good would come out of telling him now. What would she tell him? Hi I'm your real mother and I'm about to die. Jacob was better off believing the Fosters were his real parents.
Bela didn't know what to do so she was just kept walking, enjoying the last nice summer day she'd ever know. The feel of the sun on her skin, the gentle breeze on her hair, so many things you take for granted until you realize you were about to lose them. Bela sat on a bench and watched the sun set. Strange how beautiful it was, almost poetic. Finally Bela got up and headed back to her motel room. She wasn't sure what she was going to accomplish by holding the Hellhounds off for a time but Bela refused to die on the time the demons chose for her. Maybe she could find a way to contact the Winchesters and ask for their help? What would be the point? They couldn't help her now anyways.
As she walked back, the images she saw got worse. They started the day before but now they were steadily increasing. People's faces morphed into monsters, trees shifted into bony hands grasping for her, dogs turned into hellhounds snapping at her. Nothing but illusions. Bela knew they couldn't hurt her. She had until midnight before the real danger came and she wasn't going to waste what little time she had left cowering in a corner. Bela wanted to experience the world one last time.
It was dark by the time she got back. Bela thought about maybe watching Jon Stewart of the Daily Show one last time when as she entered her room when suddenly something in the dark came up and shoved up against the wall. Bela almost screamed, thinking it was a hellhound but quickly realized who it was. Dean Winchester with a gun in her face. The last person she expected or wanted near her. "Where's the Colt?" he demanded.
"Dean…" Bela started to say.
"No more extra words," Dean interjected.
"It's long gone," Bela answered.
"You're lying," spat Dean who quickly started checking her bags.
"I don't have it Dean," Bela tried to tell him but the man wasn't listening. He forcibly spun her around and patted her down, discovering her Walter PPK/S pistol. It was small and easy to conceal. But it didn't do you any good when someone removes it from you.
"Oh yeah I'm definitely going to take your word for it. Don't move," Dean ordered her as he started looking through the drawers then Bela's luggage.
"It's gone Dean. The demons have it," Bela admitted.
Dean gave a mixed look. He was disappointed, confused, and mostly angry. "What are you talking about?"
There was no reason to lie to him anymore. "I…made a deal Dean. I was young and stupid and…," Bela tried to explain.
"And now it's come due right? Tell me Abby was it worth to have your parents killed?" spat Dean.
Bela was almost at a loss for words. He knew everything. "How did you….?"
"Doesn't matter. Let me guess. Your little deal didn't work out," Dean again talked over her.
Bela nodded, "They changed the terms. Now they want me to kill Sam."
"Well there's a plot twist. Demons who don't keep their word," Dean scoffed.
"Dean please…" Bela nearly started to beg for his help. For the past few months, she lost track of Sam and Dean's whereabouts. She nearly slept every night with one eye open and yet once Crowley took the pistol she had no idea how to contact them. The only way she knew how to get in touch with them was Bobby but he wasn't answering his phone. Probably on a hunt himself.
"Oh shut up. How stupid are you to trust the word of some demon over me and Sam? We could have used the Colt to kill any one of those demonic poodles that'll come after you and now we've got nothing," snapped Dean.
"You're right I should have trusted you. What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry? Well I am and I almost want to die rather than say this. Please help me. I'm begging you," cried Bela.
"Why should I?" Dean's eyes were piercing, almost condemning her.
"I…I…" Bela tried to think of something clever or heartwarming to say but nothing came to her. Finally she just said, "You know what. You're right. I don't deserve it so just get it!" Just asking for Dean's help now was almost too much for her to bear. Bela wasn't going to die crying on her hands and knees in front of anyone. She half expected Dean to walk out the door but he didn't.
"You might think you don't deserve it but there's a little boy growing in the Fosters' home has a mother he doesn't even know exists. And if he knew you did, he wouldn't want you to die," Dean stated. Bela thought she'd feel some relief but Dean's judging eyes didn't make her feel any better. "So I'm going to help you if only for his sake."
"Thanks," Bela sighed.
"Don't thank me. I'm probably not going to be able to do anything now the Colt is gone," Dean reminded her. He just had to twist the knife didn't he?
"I know and you could have saved yourself too. They told me about your deal Dean. You probably don't have much time either so I guess we're both attendees at the dumb idea class," snapped back Bela. For once it seemed Dean was the one on the receiving end.
"Don't act like we're alike in this Bela. You made a deal to get rich by killing off your folks. I did to save Sammy!" shouted Dean.
"You don't know anything about me," snapped Bela.
"Hey shut up!" someone yelled from the next room. The random shout managed to lower the volume but not the intensity of their voices.
"Then why did you have them killed Bela? Daddy not hug enough? Mommy not give you a big enough allowance?" Dean used the same insults back at Sea Pines when the Winchesters found out the Hand of Glory ghost was coming after her.
"I wanted them both dead for years Dean and it wasn't for money. My father came into my room on the night of my tenth birthday and did things to me. Things that were worse than anything those monsters you kill could ever do to me. Afterwards he said he was sorry and that it wasn't really his fault. A man has needs he repeated over and over again every single time. I tried to tell people but they wouldn't listen to me. It's one thing when strangers don't believe you but it's another thing when they simply don't care. The one time I tried to go to the police and tell them what was happening to me, my own mother told them I was lying. Later that night she slapped me and told me to keep my mouth shut. So when I was approached by a little girl who told me she could make them go away, you're damn right I took it. I didn't know she was a demon and I didn't care. I just wanted them dead," cried Bela.
She hadn't expected to say any of that but once she started talking, it all came pouring out. Bela had this all bottle inside for so long that despite the tears, it strangely felt good. Like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders all these years. Through the rant, Dean's anger and condemning eyes faded away. Just as Bela imagined, hearing the truth changed her in his eyes. No longer was she the scheming conniving bitch but the poor little girl who desperately needed help and never got it. The man was completely speechless. No witty one liners or petty insults, just complete silence.
"I never told that to anyone before," admitted Bela, finally breaking the silence.
"Yeah…that's a lot to get off your chest," whispered Dean. He actually believed her. Bela wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't and she was telling the truth but she was surprised he did. Maybe helping to save his life bought her some measure of good will.
"You have no idea," replied Bela. She almost felt naked the way she opened herself up like this. Dean Winchester was probably the first person to see her for who she was.
"Look Bela…I…" Dean started to say. Maybe it was to apologize but realized it was pointless. Telling someone sorry never helped anyone. "I need to leave and get Sammy."
"Dean wait. You can't just leave me now," Bela protested. The last thing she wanted to be was alone now. The illusions kept getting worse and worse.
"I need his help Bela. I can't protect you alone. He's not coming into this room with you but I need him here. Just put Devil's Shoestrings around every door and window and don't leave this room. You'll be safe at least until midnight," said Dean. Of course he wouldn't put his younger brother with Bela. He wasn't going to risk Sam's life by having him in the same room as the woman who needed to kill him to live.
Dean headed for the door and Bela didn't try to stop him. He was going and there was nothing she could do to convince him otherwise. "Dean there's something you should know. The demon that holds the contracts. Her name is Lilith. The demon I dealt with told me and from the way he was talking I know he wasn't lying. I don't know if that will even help you but I thought you should know in case I don't make it," said Bela.
Dean turned to face her. "We're all going to make it. You, me, and Sam. And when it's all over, you can repay the favor by calling up Jacob and tell him he has a mother who cares," he said before walking out the door.
Dean was grateful for the silence during his two hour ride back. Finding Bela was easy enough. All he had to do was search every hotel and motel parking lot in the area for Bela's car. No one else in town would own a Silver Mercedes. Finding her room was even easier after he charmed a receptionist. Then he picked his way into the room and waited for Bela to return. He went in thinking he was taking his Colt back from a woman who murdered her own parents for money. Granted he thought there was more to her. Even Bobby admitted he couldn't figure her out. One minute saving them and the next robbing them. Then Bela had to reveal everything and it all made sense. Of course she didn't trust anyone after what she had to go through. Looking back, it was obvious why she acted the way she did. And Dean could only imagine how much it stung every time he mocked her for not getting enough hugs from Daddy. God he felt so stupid.
He called up Sam and explained the situation. Sam seemed more concerned though about the journal he stole from Doc Benton. He claimed that the doc's method to immortality wasn't black magic but really weird fringe science. This was the ticket to getting out of their deals. They could use it to save Dean and Bela from the hellhounds and Sam when Dean's deal goes wrong for the demons. Dean wasn't convinced but the conversation ended when he heard his brother's muffled cries over the phone. Knowing Doc Benton kidnapped him, Dean recalled the area Sam told him he believed the doc had set up his chop shop and raced as full speed towards it.
A few bullets didn't slow Frankenstein down but a knife dipped in chloroform did. When the old man came to, he was strapped to his own surgery table. Dean thought the freak finally understood how his victims felt. Benton told them he could tell them his secret. Sam tried to urge Dean to listen but he wasn't having any of it. The doc killed other people and stole their body parts which meant Dean would need to do the same. He wasn't going to sacrifice someone else's life for his own. The only thing that made him hesitate slightly was that this might be Bela's only way to survive but the truth was simple. Dean would be turning her into the same monster as Benton, killing other people for parts and Dean just couldn't allow that.
So Dean picked up a meat cleaver and started chopping old doc up into pieces that thrashed around when severed. Even the head was begging him to stop before Dean chloroformed it. They stuffed the pieces into a large plastic container and buried it behind Benton's little shed of horrors. "Rest in pieces doc," Dean said as he dumped the first pile of dirt on top of the container.
Bela didn't know how much longer she could take this. The illusions were getting worse and longer. She couldn't watch any television or the images would look like they were jumping out of the screen to kill her. She couldn't get to sleep, not with what was coming to her at midnight. So Bela just lay on the bed, praying that Dean would return quickly.
When the sound of a knock came from the door, Bela froze. "Who is it?" she called out.
"Police ma'am. There were reports of shouting from your room," a voice answered. Dammit. This was the last thing she needed to deal with. She got to her feet and headed towards the door, looking through the peephole. Suddenly Bela was lifted through the air by some unknown force and slammed into the door, hard enough to knock it down off its hinges. Bela rolled onto the concrete on the outside, dazed and seeing stars. Before she could regain her senses completely two pairs of hands reached down and grabbed her by the arms, hoisting her up. She was forced to her feet and came face to face with one that was familiar.
"Did you miss me luv?" Crowley asked.
"You don't even want me in the same room?" frowned Sam after Dean explained his little plan. Well technically it wasn't really a plan. More like a strategy that ultimately wasn't going to do much but prolong the inevitable. But Dean didn't word it like that.
"Bela's desperate Sammy. She's terrified and I am not putting you in the same room as her. People do crazy things when they're desperate, even believe demons," explained Dean. He knew all about desperate. When Sam was killed last year, Dean knew what he had to do the moment he clenched his brother's body. It had just been a matter of mustering the strength to make a deal with a Crossroads Demon. Did he think he made the right decision? Yes and he would do it all over again.
"Fine. When Bobby gets here, I'll…Dean isn't that Bela's motel?" Sam said, noticing something. When Dean saw the fire, he knew it was Bela's room. The fire department had arrived to put the blaze and a crowd was circling the scene. Dean hit the brakes, shifted the gear into park, and rushed out the door. "Dean!" he could hear Sammy shouting behind him. Dean pushed and shoved his way through the crowd until he was finally stopped by patrolmen guarding the scene.
Dean quickly pulled out a fake badge and they allowed him to pass. He made his way over to the firefighters who emerged from the room. "Was anyone in there?" he demanded.
"Who the hell are you?" said one of them as he removed his breathing apparatus.
"Did you find anyone in there?!" Dean shouted.
"Calm down pal. No one was in there," the firefighter replied.
"Dean we need to go now," Sam told him as he grabbed his brother by the shoulder, urging him back.
Bela awoke with a killer headache. The last thing she remembered was Crowley's sadistic smile so one would natural expect to be dead or in some kind of torture chamber. But that didn't seem to be the case as Bela got a bearing on her surroundings. She was lying on a bed in what looked like a child's room. The room had pink wallpaper with stick figure drawings on the wall along with dolls and teddy bears arrayed on a nearby shelf. There were curtains designed to surround the bed but were open at the moment.
"Wakey wakey sleepy," said a voice. Bela glanced over at the doorway to see a blonde little girl. She couldn't have been more than eight or nine.
"Where am I?" asked Bela, completely confused.
"You're in my bed. I knew you would like it. It's much better than Mommy and Daddy's bed. It's just too hard for me," answered the girl. Bela watched her as she skipped up to the bed. "C'mon Bel Bel. It's time to get up. Today's my birthday and we're going to have lots of cake, ice cream, and presents. It'll be fun," she giggled.
"I'm sorry. Who are you?" moaned Bela, starting to think this was some kind of weird dream.
"Lilith," the girl smiled before her eyes turned pure white.
(Next chapter Dean races to save Bela from Lilith's birthday party. I apologize in advance fellow Bela lovers but you won't like what she's going to endure.)
