Demon Blood

Chapter Four: Exorcism

"He's resisting."

Azazel frowned, staring through the one-way glass at Sam, who was firmly planted on the mattress and glaring silently at Marian setting a plate of buttered toast with another glass of water on the floor in front of him.

"He's clearly curious," Tara said, "and I'm pretty certain he's figured it out already from what I said to him nine hours ago, but he's refusing to even try."

"How did his most recent dose go?"

"Same as before," Tara answered, shaking her head. "I look in his eyes and I can see he's becoming addicted as you said he would, but I think his Hunter instincts are holding him back right now."

"No," Azazel said softly, watching Marian leave Sam's room, "not his instincts. It's his father and brother." He narrowed his eyes as Sam learned forward and snagged a slice of toast, eating it at a sedate pace even though hunger was written all over him. "He knows they're trying to find him, or he at least hopes they are."

"Why didn't you kill them?" Tara asked curiously.

"Right now, I still need them," Azazel answered. "Have they been located?"

Tara nodded. "They're with that man, Bobby Singer. Sioux Falls, South Dakota."

Azazel curled his upper lip in disgust. "That's where they got Meg," he said softly, and Tara nodded.

"Derrick says the brother was hospitalized for four days," she said after a moment.

"Only four?" Azazel raised his eyebrows slightly at that. "The state I left him in should have put him in there for a solid week, if not longer." He snorted. "He's either very good at recovering or he's incredibly stupid."

He noted Tara's amused grin as he continued to watch Sam eat. Not for the first time, Azazel wondered why he had made such an abrupt change in his plans for the young man before him. All those other demons he had summoned to keep on eye on Sam as he grew up and push him in the right direction had also been a bit over the top; no other child had been given such special consideration. Of course, no other father had taken to Hunting as John had, and once Sam had started showing talent as a Hunter in his own right, he knew he had correctly judged time-traveling Dean's reactions clear back in 1973. Even better was the fact that it had only been a year since his "visit" to that convent in Maryland. Something told him it was greater than destiny, being led to Sam Winchester, and he certainly wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Marian entered Sam's room to clear his dishes, muscles tense once more at the thought of Sam possibly testing his curiosity out on her. Sam, however, stared blankly at the wall, and Marian suddenly growled.

"Aren't you going to do anything?" she asked, clearly angry and afraid. Azazel frowned thoughtfully as he watched Sam blink and focus on Marian.

"Do anything?" he asked in turn. "Why would I do anything?"

"You've made sense of what Tara told you, I know you have," Marian snapped, "so why aren't you trying? You've got to be curious!"

Sam smiled slightly. "I'd sooner draw a Devil's Trap and learn dozens of exorcisms in Latin than use whatever powers the demon blood I've been forced to ingest gave me."

"But you've used your other abilities before!"

"Up to nine hours ago, yeah," Sam responded, "but that's what they want, what he wants. What I don't understand is why you're telling me to do something you obviously don't want me to do." He smiled bleakly. "What demon wants to get sent back to Hell instead of wrecking havoc on their potential meat suits?"

Marian narrowed her black eyes and she suddenly moved so she was right in Sam's face. Tara tensed but Azazel motioned for her to stay still, wondering if Marian could possibly give Sam the right push.

"You don't see the potential, do you?" Marian hissed, and Sam actually scooted away on the mattress until he was backed into a corner. "Almost every exorcism in Latin will fucking kill our hosts. What you're capable of can save their oh-so-precious lives, and gets rid of us with far less damage."

Azazel studied Sam's eyes, noting the flickering emotions as he stared at Marian. "I don't believe you," Sam said softly, and Marian started laughing.

"Right, because demons only ever lie, right?" She stood up and Azazel saw Sam relax slightly, although he was still clearly tense and on his guard. "Well, I guess the only way you're gonna know for sure is by trying, isn't it?"

Azazel watched Sam's face. The boy was so tempted…

"No," Sam finally said. "I'm not doing it." There was a pause, and Azazel wondered if Marian would react violently or just leave in frustration.

It was the former. Marian let out an angry yell and dove forward, grabbing Sam around the neck, hoisting him off his feet and pinning him to the wall. Sam's eyes shot wide open in panic and his hands grasped her wrist, trying to dislodge her hand so he could breathe again.

"Do it!" Marian screamed at Sam, not releasing the pressure she had on Sam's windpipe. "DO IT!"

"Azazel," Tara said, "we should —"

"Wait," Azazel cut her off, still watching Sam's face as he gasped for air. "She won't kill him, she knows not to."

"But this?" Tara asked. "I thought we weren't resorting to violence for once."

Azazel smiled as Sam's eyes bulged. "With Sam, I'm starting to think that violence may be the only answer." And he watched.

Sam was scared. No, scratch that. He was fucking terrified. He knew it was useless to get the demon's hand off his neck using only his human strength, but he also knew what she wanted and had the feeling no one was going to step in and save him before he lost consciousness. And the alternative —

No. He wasn't giving in. Black spots danced at the edge of his vision, and he knew he didn't have much longer before losing the battle to stay awake, if not alive, but he couldn't, he wasn't going to do what they wanted.

Unfortunately, he was about to discover something unnerving about his new-found abilities.

Sam looked down at the demon, stared into her black eyes for one moment, allowed himself to wish she'd go back to Hell, leaving her host alive the way she said was now possible.

The demon twitched and started choking, releasing her grip on Sam's throat. He slumped to the ground, staring in shock and the wish still bouncing around in his head. No. No, I didn't mean it!

The demon stared at Sam as she continued choking and then she dropped to her knees as black smoke starting puffing from between her lips. Sam wanted it to stop, wanted to be left alone, but the girl was slowly being exorcised by his brain of all things and he could feel his body tingling, feel the blood rushing, singing in his veins and how could he have ever ignored its call?

He vaguely realized he had raised one hand and was now concentrating on ridding the body of the demon inside, watching in growing fascination as the black smoke dropped to the ground, bubbling around the host as though it were completely under his command.

Which it was.

Sam was starting to get another headache and thought his nose was even bleeding, but now that he had started he couldn't make himself stop until the damn demon was back in Hell.

The ground below the black smoke seemed to crack with an eerie, reddish light, slowly pulling the black smoke into its depths. And then, it was gone.

Sam dropped his hand, head pounding as he tried to focus on the young girl before him. She was barely holding herself up on her hands and knees, breathing hard. "Hey," Sam managed softly. "Are… you okay?"

The blonde-haired girl looked up and plain brown eyes stared at him. "I… What?" She seemed so confused, but then her face crumpled and she started shaking, not from obvious fatigue, but from barely suppressed emotions. "Oh, God," she gasped, dropping onto her bent legs and wrapping her arms around herself protectively. "That… that thing…" Her brown eyes started watering and then the tears were spilling over. "What have I done?" she whispered brokenly.

"Hey," Sam said again, forcing himself forward and placing his hands on the girl's shoulders to both comfort her and maintain his balance. "It wasn't you, it was the demon that possessed you."

"But I choked you!" the girl gasped out between sobs. "And then you… What did you do?"

Sam tensed and dropped his head. "I…" He swallowed. "I saved you."

And I think I just damned my soul.

"Oh," the girl said.

There was a long moment of silence as the girl's sobs tapered off.

"What's your name?" Sam asked, slowly lifting his face just enough to see the girl's through his shaggy hair.

"Marian," the girl whispered. "You?"

"Sam."

There was another pause.

"What happens now?" Marian asked, lifting one hand and wiping her tears away.

"I don't know," Sam sighed, looking over at the one-way window and wondering if Azazel had just witnessed Sam giving in under so little pressure. "I think they might let you go now."

"Might?" Marian echoed. "Why might? And what about you?"

Sam smiled tightly. "I'm not going anywhere for a while," he said.

Then the door to Sam's prison opened, and Azazel and the demon he now knew was called Tara entered.

"Bravo, Sammy!" Azazel said, yellow eyes glowing eerily in the well-lit room. "I knew you had it in you!"

"Fuck off," Sam bit out, finally wiping at his bleeding nose with one hand and dropping his other hand from Marian's shoulder to put pressure on his forehead as his headache continued to pound away. "Are you letting her go?"

"Of course!" Azazel said brightly. "She was only here for you to practice on, and I must say, you passed with flying colors." Then he stopped smiling. "She only has one other mission left."

"What?" Marian gasped and Sam's head snapped up.

"You're not killing her!" he shouted around the dizzy spell that suddenly assaulted him. "Just let her go, let her leave this place in one fucking piece!"

"And she will," Azazel said in a voice so reassuring it made Sam's skin crawl. "She just has one more stop in South Dakota."

"What?" Marian repeated. "But I live in Washington."

"Do you?" Azazel said in an interested way that meant he was anything but. "I'm sure you'll still get there one day, but you're going to give a message for me first, and the only way you'll get it delivered is if you're alive and without a demon in that meat suit of yours."

Sam stared at Azazel as realization dawned. South Dakota. That's where Bobby lived. Did that mean that his dad and Dean were there, too? They were alive, and they must be looking for him.

"Figured it out, Sammy?" Azazel asked smugly as Tara pulled Marian to her feet roughly.

Sam looked away and nodded silently.

"And you have nothing you want the girl here to tell them?"

Sam closed his eyes before looking up and meeting Marian's eyes. "If you see Dean, tell him I'm sorry," Sam whispered. Marian looked horribly confused, but she nodded, anyway, and then Tara pulled her from the room.

"Are you happy now?" Sam asked dully.

"Sure," Azazel said. "You finally did it. I'm just sad it had to be until you were under pressure."

Sam couldn't meet Azazel's eyes. "I guess that means you expect there to be a next time, then."

"Of course," Azazel said. "I could see it in your eyes. You can't ignore the call of your blood, Sammy, and I intend to make sure that you don't."

Azazel left, and Sam closed his eyes against the tears that suddenly filled them. He now knew that demon hadn't been lying, but the price…

Suddenly feeling beyond exhausted, Sam made his way back onto his mattress and was asleep within minutes.

Dean told his dad was going to take a break and was now on his back under the Impala, using the pretense of an oil change to get away from both John and Bobby. However, he had a stolen ID in one hand and his cell phone in his other hand. He stared up at the underside of his car, thinking over the conversation he had just completed. Fredric Lehn was still alive in a psychiatric ward in Maryland, and was one of the ward's calmest, sanest patients.

Other than the fact that he claimed to have been possessed by a demon, that is.

Dean wasn't sure when he'd be able to get over to Maryland to talk to the man, but at least he knew he was still around for when the chance arose. Stuffing the ID and cell phone away, he shoved out from under his car and started to do the oil change for real when the sound of an approaching car attracted his attention. He straightened up, looking toward the entrance to the salvage yard.

Both Bobby and John were still inside, and he knew they weren't expecting any visitors, so who…?

A plain, nondescript car drove into view, skidding to a halt before the back passenger-side door was thrown open and a young girl was shoved out, stumbling to stay upright. The car quickly drove away, and Dean was left staring at the girl as dust floated through the air between them.

"Ah, hi," Dean said after a moment as he took in the girl's appearance. Medium length blonde hair framed a pale face with plain brown eyes. She looked to be just over five feet tall, and she was shaking. Dean frowned and slowly moved forward. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Do you even know where you are?"

The girl looked up at him. "I'm guessing South Dakota," she said. "That's where they said I had to go before I could go home."

"They?" Dean asked, suspicions rising in his mind. "Who's they?"

The girl swallowed and looked around. "Is there a Dean here?" she asked instead. "He told he if I saw him —"

"He? Who are you talking about? What did he want you to tell me?" Dean knew he must be scaring this girl, but if she had seen Sam…

"You — you're Dean?" the girl asked, starting at the sound of a door opening and slamming. Dean turned to see John and Bobby hurrying toward them.

"Yeah," Dean answered, turning back. "Please tell me you saw Sam."

The girl's eyes widened. "You must be the right Dean," she said softly. "Sam…"

"What's going on?" John asked as he reached Dean's side. "Who are you?"

"M-Marian," the girl answered, eyes widening. "I — God, I'm sorry, it's so hard to think straight after everything, I haven't even had a real chance to sleep since he got that thing out of me —"

"Sam?" Dean asked, and Marian nodded. "Were you possessed?"

The girl tensed, but finally nodded once more.

"Let's get you inside," Bobby said from John's other side. "I think you could use some food and maybe some rest before anything else."

Marian nodded a third time as Bobby and John turned away before meeting Dean's eyes. "Dean," she whispered so softly John and Bobby couldn't have heard her. "Sam wanted me to tell you he was sorry."

Dean's heart clenched and he stopped walking, the older men moving on ahead and clearly unaware of what was going on behind them. "Why?" he choked out. "Sam has nothing to be sorry for."

Marian smiled sadly and started walking again. "He must be your brother or something."

"Yeah," Dean said as he guided Marian up to Bobby's house. "Younger brother. How is he?"

Marian frowned and looked away. "He… Sorry," she muttered as she stumbled on the front steps. Dean seized her elbow and helped her into the kitchen, where Bobby quickly set about preparing some food as Marian took one seat, Dean sitting next to her and John sitting opposite. Dean silently took in the dark circles under Marian's eyes and the way her hands shook from obvious fatigue. Should they wait before questioning her?

"Do you know how long you were possessed?" John asked after a moment. I guess not, Dean thought in answer to his own question.

Marian looked up before shaking her head. "A few days?" she guessed. "I'm just not sure about anything right now…" She sniffed and closed her eyes briefly.

John nodded. "Did they have something they wanted you to tell us?"

Marian swallowed before nodding. Dean wanted to ask what it was, what more there could be apart from what Sam had wanted her to tell him, but Bobby chose that moment to thrust a sandwich and a glass of water in front of Marian. "Eat up," he ordered gently. "You can tell us everything once you feel ready, okay?"

Marian smiled gratefully at Bobby and started eating. Bobby all but shoved John and Dean from the room, telling them to set up a sleeping space for Marian on the couch in the front room. "She's gonna need a few days to recover before we can send her back home," he told him.

"What if she's still possessed?" John asked, but Bobby shook his head at once.

"That was holy water," he said, "and she didn't react to it at all. I'd say she's nothing but a scared, young girl who went through a traumatizing experience and probably just wants to go back home." He sighed and shook his head again. "Give her time, she'll tell us whatever it is Azazel wanted us to know about Sam. Hopefully there's a clue that'll lead us to where he is."

"I hope so," Dean said softly, still wondering what on earth Sam could have to be sorry for. "She told me that Sam asked her to tell me that he was sorry."

John's eyes narrowed. "Sam's sorry?" he said.

"Wish to God I knew why," Dean answered. "I guess she might have the answer to that one, too." He shook his head. "I'll be outside when she's ready," he said, leaving the older men behind and returning to the Impala. He stopped when he reached the car, staring at the passenger seat. Sam's seat.

Where are you, little brother?

TBC...