It's Also Paved with Dismembered, Screaming Bodies ...

There's a reason humans can't see inside their own mind, or anyone else's for that matter. For the most part, it's a jumbled up mess of memories and random thoughts. Some are capable of organizing their mind to the point of being termed 'geniuses'. Sam Winchester is one such human. And right now, Sam was locked in that genius mind of his, sitting in a chair, with a fishing pole hanging limply from his hands. He stared remotely across the top of a glittering pond listening to frogs and crickets, doing his best not to think about what was going on outside his mind or around his body.

He knew Nikki was dead. After he let his brother walk him outside of his pain and to this place, he'd heard the unspoken apology. The agony in Dean's wordless plea had broken the few pieces of his heart that Nikki had managed put back together. Once again, another woman that he'd loved had died, and that is why Sam sat in the chair, Lucifer next to him, not saying a word. Lucifer was a mirror image of himself of course; he loved using Sam, in more ways than one. It rankled Sam that he still used his face though, even in his mind, but at this point Sam could care less.

"You know, YES, is still an option. It must be looking pretty good to you right about now." Sam rolled his eyes. Lucifer chuckled quietly. "Oh Sammy, really, until you fucked me over and threw us back into the pit even you admitted we had some fun." Sam jerked around and looked in to his own eyes, a fleeting memory of the dead bodies of the demon's from his past flashed through is mind.

"You are such a dick." Lucifer laughed and nodded.

"So I've had to listen to Michael tell me repeatedly. Honestly, my little piece of hell was much more tolerable without his whining."

Sam sighed.

Lucifer went on and on for some time complaining about Michael. The Archangel was still pissed over the fact that Sam had drug him down with him. At least he knew now that Adam was safe, relatively so, Michael having tossed him into Purgatory in order to preserve his vessel, you know, just in case. The asshole could have released him before he fell so Adam could have gone back to Heaven, but hell no. The selfish douche had meant to punish him by continuing to keep him from his mother, simply because he knew he wouldn't get out of the pit.

"How is it that he's still in there anyway? Why didn't his brother's get him out?" Sam asked.

"Because he's an asshole?" Lucifer mused, staring humorously at Sam. Sam shrugged. Lucifer sighed again. "Seriously Sam, we've had this conversation before. Just say YES and this will all be over. No more torturous memories to whine over, no more angst ridden nights fretting over how you killed numerous innocent ... "Lucifer had to snicker over that one, "humans. Just one simple word and all that's behind you."

Sam sighed. Lucifer sat in silence for a bit more, watching Sam morosely casting his line. Finally the water began to bubble and fish started rising to the top. Sam growled and tossed the fishing pole into the pond. He glared at him.

"Happy now?" Lucifer's lips thinned.

"I thought it would hasten this little fishing trip of yours. I'm bored." Sam shot him a bitchface, which his Luciferself shot back at him. Very unnerving watching himself do that.

"You know, I'm proud of you."

Sam twitched, just a bit then said, "Proud of me? That's about the most offensive thing you've said to me yet, and believe me you put me through enough shit in the pit, you worthless, ugly, wingless, piece of human shit." His voice was calm, though inside he wanted to torch the look off Luciferself's face.

"Yes, proud of you." He continued unfazed, though Sam knew he'd scored a hit. He hated to be reminded that he'd been cast out, was wingless, and no longer considered 'beautiful'. "No matter what I threw at you, no matter what Michael threw at you, you didn't break. You truly are a special human Samuel Winchester." He looked at Sam, who was staring glumly at the water again. "Unfortunately, you are as stubborn as the whole Heavenly Host put together." He noted Sam grudgingly cutting his eyes over to him now and smiled inwardly. "This is what you were born for Sam. I may be evil, it's what I was created for apparently, but it's all in the way you use it right? Castiel is good, his intentions are good, but he's done some really evil shit. I'm impressed with him actually, never thought he'd have the balls. He probably wouldn't have if he'd never been introduced to you and your brother." He turned to look at Sam, who was looking at him with half interest now. Which was better than the silent treatment he'd been getting from his depressed vessel since he'd gotten here.

"You know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Sam said.

"It's also paved with dismembered, screaming, bodies. What's your point?" Lucifer's voice was clipped, his restraint with Sam starting to fray a bit.

Sam shrugged. "No matter your good intentions, if the act is evil, then you've never really done anything good have you? Cas thought he was helping, but what he was really doing was trying to justify the fact that he was in uncharted waters and no clue as to what to do with the freedom he'd gained thanks to the sacrifice I made. Angels are used to be being given orders and freewill just doesn't factor in to the equation for them." The look on Luciferself's face was comical. His eyes bulged (Sam vowed never to do that, it just looks stupid), his mouth hanging open.

"You have a rare insight to angels Samuel which has to be where you get your creative thoughts from. As interesting as this conversation is however, you still have not said Yes to my offer."

"How many times do I have to tell you NO before you leave me alone?" Lucifer's oily smile spread wide.

"Samuel, I will NEVER leave you alone. Ever."

Dean stood in the middle of the motel floor staring in to empty space. Athropos had puked so much information that his head was still reeling. Though he knew she was telling the truth, he still didn't know how to put it all together. The only thing he knew for certain was that Detroit was going to be the final resting place for the Winchester's. He looked down at Sam's still body. Occasionally he'd notice his brother's lips twitch, almost like he was talking to someone, a frown here, a grunt there. Dean didn't know what was going on in Sam's head but he knew that Death had gotten Sam out of harm's way long enough for them to get to Detroit. He looked around the room at Bobby and Jo. They were busy pulling websites and cruising through maps trying to find a way in to the city, which was on military lock down. They still didn't realize that it was all useless. They wouldn't need a map or weapons. This was it. Someone or something would get them there because they had Jo. Or kill them and take her. Either way, there wasn't any amount of maps or rock salt that would stop it.

If Fate was right they were walking into Armageddon all over again.

Dean sighed. Bobby looked at him, a deep sadness had settled into the old hunter's eyes. He knew too. Jo met his eyes a time or two and it was the same for her.

"You are the most incredible woman I'd ever come across. You came at me ready to kick my ass the first time we met, full of spit and fire, and the more I got to know you the more I wanted you so badly." Jo's mouth fell open, she cast a hesitant look at Bobby whose smile was already spreading wide across his face. Dean took the keys to the Impala from his pocket and reached his hand out to Jo pulling her up from her chair. He cupped the back of her neck and brought her lips to his in a tender kiss, full of every last decent and kind emotion that was left to him. He felt a small bit of love left in him, and let it flow in to Jo, hoping that he was communicating everything he felt. He pulled back and looked deep into her eyes. "You were the one person I didn't think I'd ever get to have a second chance with, the one thing that I always kept in the back of my head. Late at night, I'd take your memories out and we'd drive across country in the Impala doing whatever we wanted. Sometimes it would just be driving and talking, other times we would be making love on the hood of the car under the stars. So, will you go for a drive with me Jo? This time for real?"

Tears in her eyes Jo nodded, afraid to speak. She turned to Bobby, who nodded to her smiling. Dean guided her out the door and to the Impala.

They drove for a while in silence, Jo scooted close to him leaning her head on his shoulder, Dean's strong arm wrapped around her, his hand tracing circles on her arm. They listened to music while driving, some of which reminded them of Ellen's Bar. Dean smiled to himself thinking of Ash and his mullet, his geeky computer tech personality was offset by his backwoods redneck ways.

'Dad would have gotten a real kick outa Ash', Dean thought.

Dean found an empty field with a pond, the moonlight shining brightly over its surface. He pulled the Impala in to a clearing and helped Jo out of the car then went in to the trunk and pulled a blanket out. Spreading it out they cuddled under the stars and talked about everything that came to mind from childhood memories of how his mother used to cut the crust from his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to how Ellen had shot one of Jo's ex-boyfriends in the ass with rocksalt because he'd made her little girl cry. They'd went on for hours like that, Dean's back against a tree and Jo's head on resting on his chest. His deep voice vibrating in his chest was soothing, his strong hands caressing her, all the while Dean talked about Sam with such love and devotion that Jo couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to be the recipient of that much loyalty.

Finally Dean stopped and looked down at her, such desperate need radiated between the two of them that Jo nearly stopped breathing. He leaned down and kissed her and it was as if small fireworks were going off in her brain. She snuggled closer to him, doing her best to not pressure Dean to go faster than he felt comfortable with, but needing to be closer than they were. He took her cue and slowly slid his hands under her shirt, raising it up over her head, and tossing it to the ground. Jo did the same, removing his jacket and then his shirt. Her fingertips slowly grazing over his skin, her lips quickly following. Dean moaned, letting the moment flow over him in a healing balm. They both quickly shed their remaining clothes and the cool night air did nothing to cool the raging inferno of aching need in either of them. Dean lifted Jo up and carried her to the Impala, a rakish grin on his face. Jo yelped as the cold metal of the hood came in contact with her skin, but Dean's lips quickly warmed her. They made love slowly, neither of them in a rush to bring on the morning. As they lay cuddled together on the blanket once again, Jo mused that she'd never felt more fulfilled, more loved, than she did at that moment. There was no part of her that Dean had left untouched, including her heart. He was as intense, erotic, and thorough a lover as he was a hunter and she smiled blissfully to herself, wondering what she had been thinking so long ago.

"You're smiling ... is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Dean mumbled, his eyes still closed.

"I was just wondering why we never did this before." He opened one eye and crooked his mouth in a cocky grin.

"I seem to remember telling you that you were missing out ... OUCH!" He laughed and rubbed the spot Jo had just pinched.

"That'll teach you." They both sighed as the sun rose. Rooster's began crowing off in the distance and Jo stiffened. Dean frowned and tightened his arms around her.

"I'm scared." She whispered.

"So am I." He whispered back.

They lay that way for a few more minutes and then finally began to slowly get up and get dressed. The warmth from the emotions the night before slowly seeping away from them, leaving a seeping pit of fear and uncertainty in its wake. Jo leaned against the trunk as Dean put the blanket in and shut it. He leaned against the car and took in Jo's pensive posture.

"I know I said that I wouldn't let anything happen to you but the fact is I don't know what's going to happen Jo. I don't know what will happen to you, me, Sam, or Bobby, or how they will use you to open the door to Purgatory if it comes down to that happening. I do know this though," He looked hard into her eyes, "I will fight to the death to keep you from harm. However, I need the hunter that you were to rise to the occasion today Jo. We're going to need everyone's game faces on when we enter the city. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Jo nodded. "Hell on earth and the angel's aren't bearing goodwill towards mankind. Don't worry stud, I'll be bringing my A-Game. I don't intend to go out without a fight."

Dean smiled, leaned down and kissed her. "Stud? I like that." He wiggled his eyebrows at her as they both got in the car. Just as Dean pulled out onto the highway to head back towards town his cell phone rang.

"Let me guess, you're lonely and Sam's not much company?" Dean said with a grin on his face.

"Where are you at?" Bobby's gruff voice answered, wiping the playful look off Dean's face. He heard the no-nonsense tone and knew something was up.

"Heading your way, what's wrong? Is Sam OK?"

"You're brother's fine. But we have company."

"Demons or Angels?"

"Dragons."

"WHAT?" Dean nearly lost control of the car, sending Jo flying across the seat. "Shit!"

"They say the deal Nikki was talking about has been struck. We don't have much time and I need you here now."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." Dean hung up the phone and looked at Jo.

"Dragons showed up at the motel, the deal for the Guff has been struck between Raphael and Crowley." Jo's eyes widened.

"What do the Dragon's want?"

Dean shook his head. "I don't know, but we're fixing to find out."

- I'm very narcissistic so please review -