Ella sighed with relief when the nurse finally left the room and Sam walked in again. "Where's Oshea and Dean?" She asked, absent-mindedly touching the diamond ring around her finger.
Sam frowned a little as he stepped toward the bed and sat down on the edge of it. "I don't know, Ells. I talked to him in the hall earlier and he said that he was going to run to get us some food to celebrate our engagement." A smile returned to his face briefly before fading. "I haven't seen Oshea since we got here. Maybe she and Dean met up and left together. I think I'll call him. Will you be okay in here for a few minutes?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," She smiled a little. "Just tell them to get their butts back here."
Sam smiled and stood from the bed. He leaned over and pressed his lips to her forehead gently before walking around the end of the bed and pulling out his phone. He stepped into the hallway and dialed Dean's number. It rang for what seemed like ages before he finally heard his brother's voice on the other end. "Dean? Where the hell are you? Ella and I have been worried. Is Oshea with you?"
"Get Ella, and get out. Get out of the hospital as fast as you can," Dean said quickly into the phone.
Sam's brows furrowed and his tone became serious. "What are you talking about? Ella's still in critical condition, she can't just leave... Dean, what is going on?"
"Oshea... she did the ritual, the one to close the last seal. I guess all that research paid off... but it's bad, Sam, it's real bad.." He sighed. "She's possessed.. and I don't mean by one demon. It's a bunch... and she's coming to the hospital to kill Ella. You have to get out of there."
"What?" Sam nearly shouted into the phone. "So that's where you've been? Doing this ritual? You didn't even think to tell me and Ella about it?" He sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair and cursing loudly. "Where the hell am I supposed to take her, Dean?"
"I don't know, Sam, just anywhere but there. Do whatever you can, and get out, and call me when you get somewhere safe," Dean said.
Sam sighed and looked down the hall both ways as he stepped backwards toward the door. "Yeah, okay, Dean. Be careful." He said before closing the phone and hurriedly going back into the room. "Ella, we have to go now." He said quickly as he moved to the heart monitor and unplugged it. He then went to her side and apologized before he pulled out the needle of her IV.
Ella's brows furrowed. "What's going on, Sam? What are you doing?"
"I'll explain on the way, just trust me when I say that we have to leave right now." He said as he stepped away from the bed toward the door. He glanced down the hallway and slipped out, walking until he reached a nurse's station where a solitary, pleasant looking woman sat. Sam leaned his arms on the surface of the desk. "Miss? Hi... I'm sorry to bother you, but my grandmother is here for surgery in the morning and she's so nervous she can't sleep a wink. She wants me to take her for a little walk down the hall a ways to calm her nerves. Do you think we could borrow a wheelchair? We promise we won't be loud or disturb anyone."
The nurse looked up at him and frowned thoughtfully, chewing on her lower lip. "I don't know...," She said hesitantly. When she saw Sam's pleading expression, she melted a little and nodded, gesturing toward a chair that was sitting off to one side by the desk. "Take that one and hurry up, okay? I probably shouldn't be letting you do this..."
Sam gave her a tiny smile and nodded. "Thank you so much... you're a lifesaver." He took the chair and wheeled it as fast as he could back to Ella's room. After closing the door behind himself, he moved to her bed and lifted her up carefully before setting her down in the chair and wheeling her from the room, out of the hospital and into the parking lot.
He scanned the parking lot until he found what he was looking for, a convertible Volkswagen Beetle with the top down. He wheeled her to the vehicle and hopped over the door, digging down beneath the steering wheel until he had found the necessary wires. After a few moments of fiddling, the car hummed to life. Sam unlocked the door and climbed out, lifting Ella from the chair and laying her in the backseat. "Just try to relax." He said as he put the top up on the car and peeled out of the parking lot.
xx
It seemed like forever before Dean's phone rang again. He was sitting out on the steps of the shack, and Castiel was standing on the porch behind him.
"Hey, Dean. It's me," Sam said wearily as he rubbed his eyes. He had been driving all night, stopping only once at a store to buy Ella some comfortable blankets and pillows to make the backseat of the Volkswagen more comfortable along with the strongest paid medication he could find over the counter. He had pulled over at a small motel and after renting a room, carried Ella, still wrapped in the blankets to one of the beds. He had piled the pillows around her carefully and made sure that she was as comfortable as possible before pulling out his phone to call Dean. "Ella and I are at a place called… the Black Door Inn in Crow Agency, Montana. I was going to go to Bobby's but Ella is in a lot of pain… I didn't think she was up for such a long drive."
"Okay, Cas and I will be right over," Dean said, twirling the demon killing knife in his hand as he stared at it a moment.
"I'm really worried, Dean," he whispered into the phone. "Ella shouldn't be out of the hospital this soon. What if she-" The door to the room suddenly burst open, and Sam's eyes widened as he saw Oshea standing in the doorway. She looked different. Her long, thick hair had been chopped off; the red curls now barely reached her jaw. She was dressed in a short black dress with a plunging neckline and a pair of stiletto heels.
"Hello, Sammy," She said with a smile as blinked and her eyes became black. Sam dropped the phone as he was suddenly flung backwards against the wall. The younger Winchester slumped down to the floor and pushed himself up. Oshea stepped toward Ella, smirking. "Hi, sis. You don't look so hot."
"Stay away from her!" Sam said, rushing toward her. He threw a punch toward her face, but she caught his fist in her hand and gave it a light squeeze. Sam cried out as bones snapped in his hand, and once again he was flung roughly against the wall.
"Don't interrupt, Sammy. The girls are talking."
"What's going on?" Ella asked, sitting up slowly. She looked to Sam, then back at Oshea. "How... how is she possessed.. the tattoo.. she can't be..."
"Sam? Sam?" Dean yelled into the phone. A few moments later he and Castiel appeared in the room. "Get away from her," Dean said from behind Oshea.
Sam pushed himself up, brushing a little blood from his lower lip with his uninjured hand. Oshea laughed softly, "Confused, dear?" She said, looking down at Ella before lifting a hand and tugging down the collar of her dress. The skin at her collar where the tattoo had once been was clear. "There's this little thing called tattoo removal. Your little sis had in done in preparation for this. This, our big moment." She grabbed Ella's throat roughly. "She knew what was coming, and she didn't warn you. Some sister." she scoffed. "Now we're going to take you and use you to get the low down on what is going on Upstairs." Sam started toward her.
"You get your filthy hands off her!" He snapped, only to be violently thrown against the ceiling and pinned there. Oshea released Ella with a jerk and tilted back her head, looking up at him.
"You ever wonder how it felt to die like your mother did? Like Jessica?" A chorus of laughter escaped Oshea's throat. "You're about to find out, Winchester."
Dean's knuckles were white as he tightly clutched the handle of the knife. Without thinking, he stepped forward. "Hey, demon scum," He said, trying to get her attention.
Oshea closed her eyes and gave a little smile. Sam dropped from the ceiling, slamming into the floor. Oshea turned to face Dean, arching a brow. "Now, Dean, is that any way to speak to your girlfriend?" With a flick of her wrist, she pinned Dean to the wall. "Boys, I'd really love to stick around and play, but we have things to do, angels to kill, a world to take over." She turned to face Ella, but instead found herself staring at Joel. Joel reared back and punched her in the face, sending her staggering backwards. A little blood ran down from her nose, and she narrowed her eyes. "You're going to regret that." With a cry, she lurched forward, throwing herself onto the angel. The pair exchanged blows and blood from both of them splattered onto the floor. Oshea punched Joel repeatedly in the face and lifted her foot, kicking him violently in the chest and sending him into the wall by the bed. She stepped forward and grabbed his throat, holding him there. "It's time you went back home." She lifted her free hand and smirked as she began to recite an incantation. Joel shuddered and his brows furrowed as light began to pour from his eyes and mouth.
"Oshea, I know you're in there somewhere," Ella said, stepping forward a bit. "You can stop this, now."
Castiel was standing by Ella, one arm protectively wrapped around her waist to keep her standing. Oshea paused and released Joel, who gasped sharply and collapsed to his knees on the floor, panting heavily. She turned to Ella and snarled. "Stop it!" She said, lifting a hand to strike Ella. She stopped before she could, however, and grimaced. Staggering back, Oshea gave a sharp gasp and began to breathe heavily.
Slowly, she lifted her eyes, which were wide and green. "E-ella... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She whispered, backing away from her. Turning to Dean, she swallowed hard. "Dean..."
Dean stepped forward, his eyes a little wide. He leaned forward and kissed her. He bit his lip and looked away and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Oshea." Oshea closed her eyes as she returned the kiss. She stroked his cheek gently and offered him a sad smile. "It's okay, Dean...," She whispered. "I love you."
As the knife was lifted in the air, Sam stepped to Castiel and Ella, pulling his fiancé into his arms and turning her head toward his chest so she would not have to see. Castiel stood in front of them protectively and Joel slowly rose to his feet. Oshea gasped as the blade pierced her chest and gave a cry. Her body jerked and shuddered as a burning light flickered briefly at the wound and from her mouth. Tendrils of smoke rose from her chest and she swayed.
Ella pulled free of Sam and looked down at her sister's body, tears welling up in her eyes. The room was completely silent for a few moments, until she spoke. "I don't understand... what happened? Why... why did Oshea get that tattoo removed.. what was she preparing for?"
Sam stepped up behind her and rubbed her back gently. Joel took a deep breath and released it in a soft sigh, brushing a little blood from his lips. "Oshea and Bobby found the ritual they needed to close the
door you and Oshea opened when you were brought back to life." Joel began slowly. "The ritual called for a sacrifice of blood and..."
"And apparently the person who gave the blood had to be possessed by a legion of demons," Sam continued for him. Joel nodded.
"All of the demons that escaped from the door that was opened."
Ella's jaw clenched as she tore her eyes away from Oshea, looking back up at Sam. "So... you knew about this? You just rushed me out of that hospital, let me sit around in this motel room, completely oblivious to the fact my sister was about to have herself killed?"
Sam pulled back a little. "Look I had no idea this was going to happen until Dean called me and told me that Oshea was possessed and coming after you. I didn't have a chance to explain, I had to get you out of there before she found you."
"You should have told me..." She said a little quietly, crossing her arms over her shoulder as she turned from them and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She leaned back against the door, and slumped down to the floor, crying quietly.