Authors note: Thanks to everyone who has followed and added this bad boy to their favourites. It's truly encouraging. It's been a fun ride and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. New fic to come soon as well so please come back soon Safe and happy holidays to everyone!

Thanks for reading.

Chapter 16

"You don't have to do this Dean," Sam tried to reason, moving so his body was shielding Zoe, "you're better than this."

The older Winchester let out a bitter cackle, "please Sam, I've been waiting for this. To have the privilege of gutting her like an animal is just too much to pass up."

Sam shook his head his brain clicking over at a millions miles a second, though Zoe spoke from behind him first, "do the exchange first then, let the others go. They have nothing to do with this. We didn't drag them into our mess so they could become collateral damage."

Tobias's eyes flared for a moment before he turned to look at the two women waiting to get back to their friends.

"Please, they have no part in this just let them go!" Zoe stepped out from behind Sam, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides, "they're good people Toby."

The man across from her almost visibly cringed at the familiar shortening of his name, "fine, give them their people."

"We ain't leaving here without these guys too," Daryl barked from behind Zoe, his shoulders taught with anxiety though his eyes were steady as he spoke.

Rick nodded slightly and came to stand beside his friend, "they're just as much a part of this group as anyone else is. We won't leave without them."

Tobias's piercing red irises drew over each of them slowly before a deadly smile spread across his face, "then you'll all just have to watch her die."

"No!" Zoe turned to face Daryl and Rick her heart racing in her chest as her enormous blue eyes met theirs, "get your people out of here. We never asked you to be a part of this, we know the kinds of dangers our lives lend themselves to. Please, you have a chance to live, to survive, don't throw that away for us."

Sam turned to look over his shoulder briefly, one eye still on Dean and Tobias as he spoke, "we aren't worth your lives. Trust me."

There was a sincerity and a sad sort of resignation in Sam's words that sparked something inside of Daryl, something fierce and primal, like he would go to the ends of the earth to protect the two in front of him. There was so much more going on in that situation than he realised but he simply couldn't bare even the thought of walking away from the newest members of their group, they were just as much a part of that family as anyone else was.

"No. We're in this together," Daryl said with a fierce glare, "we never leave our own behind. That's why we're here, why we came all this way to get those two, we ain't leavin' without you."

Rick's hand had come to rest on his gun as Daryl spoke, his eyebrows narrowing as he watched the two men across from them looking ridiculously smug.

"As much as I adore this little lover's quarrel you have going on here, we have a sacrifice to make, and a world to rule," Tobias's red eyes glanced over his shoulder at Carol and Beth, "take the two girls and leave. Or you can stay and watch your little friends get sent to the slaughter house. Either way."

Dean looked over to where Beth had started to push Carol forwards in the wheelchair, her eyes focused dead ahead of her as she tried desperately to keep a steady pace walking towards the rest of the group though all she wanted to do was run to them. As soon as she got within an arms distance she let Tyreese take the back of Carol's wheelchair with a grateful nod as she turned back to face Dean and Tobias. Something in the set of her shoulders, in the determination in her eye resinated with Dean, he remembered seeing that same resilient and defiant look in his brother's eyes so many times before. He knew the thinly veiled anger, the remarkable and unwavering bravery and courage in her face, he had seen Sammy with the same look a hundred times before. He had seen it in Sam when he was facing off against their Dad, he'd seen it when Sam had stood up to Lucifer, when he had laid down arms to protect his older brother countless times before. Dean knew the look in Beth's eyes and as his own irises rose to meet Sam's he saw the exact same look reflected there, the same look that was in Zoe's eyes as well.

This group was stronger than they had given them credit for. They were steadfast and completely united and nothing in that world or any other was going to tear them apart. Something inside of Dean seemed to twinge, like a spot fire blazing into existence as he watched Sam's hand slowly link with Zoe's, their fingers lacing together forming a seemingly indestructible bond. Dean was only vaguely aware of Tobias speaking beside him, too preoccupied with the internal war blazing inside of his very soul. When he finally dragged himself back into the real world though his eyes were no longer the pitch black they had been before, though the look on his face was still steely and resolute. In the time that Dean had been forging his own internal battle Beth had come to stand nearly face to face with Tobias, her blue eyes filled with an anger that none of them had ever seen before and when she spoke, her voice was steady, dark and totally smooth.

"I get what you're doing here. I get that you want this world to belong to you," her eyebrows narrowed slightly as she looked up into his blood red eyes, "but you can't rule us. You can't break us. As long as you live in this world, we will be looking for you, we will be doing everything we can to survive, and make damn sure that this world doesn't fall to your reign."

Tobias gave her a devilish grin, "you don't stand a chance against me."

Before anyone had a chance to react Beth had plunged a set of surgical scissors into Tobias's shoulder sending him reeling backwards, Zoe mimicking his actions beside Sam as he did so. Before he fell too far though his hand came to grab Beth's wrist, the barrel of his now un-holstered gun coming to rest against the underside of her chin as his finger pulled back on the trigger. An ungodly bang resounded in the hallway as the bullet ripped through her skull, blood splattering against the wall as her lifeless body fell to the ground.

Everything from there seemed to go in slow motion, Sam heard Daryl's pained scream from behind him as he pulled his own gun from his belt, the barrel turning towards Tobias's head as he stepped forwards.

"No!" Sam's hand connected with Daryl's just as he pulled the trigger, the bullet ripping from the gun and slamming straight into the boy's stomach. Daryl was already stalking towards Tobias, his finger about to let off another round when Sam's voice tore through him like a lightning strike.

"Zoe!"

As Daryl turned back to look behind him, his gun still raised in the air he felt his heart lurch inside of his chest. Sam had Zoe lying in his lap, his hand pressing against her stomach as a pool of blood stained the front of her shirt and trickled down onto the floor at his knees. Realisation and a sickening sort of dread spread its way through his whole body as Tobias's bitter, gurgled laugh filled the hallway.

"Well done genius," he coughed, blood pooling in his mouth, "you just killed her!"

Daryl's hand slowly came back to his side, his blue eyes filling with a watery film as he looked from Beth's tiny frame to Zoe's pale face on the floor.

"You killed her!" Tobias's voice was cut short though as he began coughing up more blood. Daryl's face had gone a sickly shade of grey as he stared down at the scene before him.

Zoe was gasping for air, she could feel her lungs heaving underneath her ribcage, desperately trying to expand and fill themselves. Sam's bloodied hand came to rest on her forehead wiping a strand of hair from her face as he shook his head.

"It'll be fine Zo, we're going to be just fine," he whispered, his voice shaking as he tried to smile through the stream of tears that were pooling in his hazel eyes. She forced a half smile back at him just as her body was wracked with a fit of coughing, the metallic taste of blood rising in the back of her throat.

"Dean?" Sam's tear streaked face rose to meet his brother's as he adjusted Zoe into a sitting position, blood streaming from her mouth, "help. Please. What am I supposed to do?"

The older Winchester blinked a few times, his green eyes watching as Zoe writhed on the floor in Sam's arms.

"Dean!"

Zoe heard the desperation in Sam's voice as she closed her eyes, her body aching in a way she never thought possible and her eyelids heavier than she could bear.

"Zoe, hang on, please, you're going to be fine. DEAN! Please!"

She could still feel her chest rising and falling, though far more shallow this time.

"Zoe?"

This voice was different. It was familiar but, almost angelic.

"Hey little one, open your eyes."

Zoe very slowly, and painfully opened her eyes. A familiar set of almost golden brown ones were staring down at her.

"Hey kiddo."

A sad smile spread over her face, though it felt different, like it wasn't her body she was controlling, as if she were separate somehow.

"John?"

The older man kneeling beside her rose up onto his feet, his hand extending down to her as he moved, "it's good to see you Zo."

"How?" her voice sounded muffled and distant to her ears.

"Stand up, it'll make more sense," John said with a smile, his hand stretching out to her. Without a second thought she reached up and took hold of him, his hand wrapping around hers gently and pulling her to her feet. A cold shiver rippled through her body as she came to stand in front of John, confusion clear on her features as she turned back to look at Sam, her body still in his arms as he wrapped his arms tighter around her squeezing her to him. She could almost feel the pressure against her arms.

"I'm sorry kid," John wrapped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her to his side gently.

"What now?" she whispered, her head falling against his chest.

John planted a soft kiss against her head as he hugged her a little tighter against him, "now you watch over them."

She could feel a lump forming in the back of her throat as she watched Sam's expression fall, realisation taking over him as he looked down at her surprisingly peaceful features.

"Zoe?" Sam's voice broke as he shook the young girl's now limp body in his arms.

"Zoe come on, I can't. I just…" his watery hazel eyes rose to meet Dean's empty green ones before falling back on Zoe's lifeless body, his voice barely a whisper this time, "Zoe?"

Zoe turned her face against John's chest, his arms wrapping around her tightly as she desperately tried to block out the sound of Sam begging her to come back.

"I can't do this without you Zoe please," Sam was whispering in her ear, so quietly no one but them could hear it, and even though she was standing with John she could still hear his voice as if she were in Sam's arms, "I can't face Dean alone Zoe, please. I can't lose both of you."

Zoe slowly stepped back from John, her blue eyes ablaze as she turned to face Dean standing absently staring at Sam and Zoe. Without skipping a beat John slowly walked towards his son, his eyebrows narrowing slightly when he came to a halt at Dean's side.

"Zoe?" John's voice sounded almost fearful, "what's the matter with him?"

Zoe shook her head and glanced back at Sam briefly, "he's taken on the Mark of Cain. He tried to save me John, but it just took over. I don't know how but he's some sort of demon or something, he did it for us though, like always," She couldn't bear to meet the man's gaze as she spoke.

"Always the head strong idiot," John whispered with a sad shake of his head. Zoe didn't hear what he said after that though, her interest had gone to where Daryl was now kneeling over Beth's body, his dirt covered face was streaked with tear lines as he desperately wiped at the water still free flowing from his murky blue eyes.

Zoe couldn't stop the tears that bubbled over and streamed down her face as she watched Daryl slowly slide his hands underneath the girl's tiny body and gently lifted her lifeless form from the floor.

"Dad?" Zoe's eyes went wide as she turned to see Dean staring quite openly at John, "what…"

"You listen to me young man. I don't know what the hell it is you have inside of you and I don't care what Mark you're carrying around, you need to get a grip on this and wake up. I asked you to look after your brother Dean, I told you he would need help and here you are stalking around like your Lucifer. Sammy needs you, now more than ever. You already let Zoe get killed, if I have to come down here and take another one of my kids before their time is up, I swear to everything we hold dear Dean, it'll be your head I take. Do I make myself clear?" Zoe watched, wide eyed as Dean seemed to almost physically shake himself, his eyes filling with the overwhelming life and ferocity she had come to love so dearly over the years.

"Yes Sir," he whispered.

Zoe watched awe struck as Dean slowly walked over to where his little brother was kneeling, his hand coming to rest on Sam's shoulder as he knelt down on the other side of Zoe. Sam flinched against his brother's hand though as he slowly raised his eyes to face Dean a flood of relief washed through him.

"I'm sorry Sammy," Dean whispered, watching as his little brother completely broke down, his body wracked with sobs as he leaned forwards, hugging Zoe's body tighter against him as Dean sat silently, his hand resting on his Sam's shoulder, his own grief slowly getting heavier as he listened to his little brother cry.

"Come on kiddo," John's arms wrapped around Zoe's shoulder lightly, "we gotta go."

"But," she looked up at him through teary eyes.

"They'll be okay Zoe. They always are."

Sam woke with a start, his body aching and sore as he slowly sat up. He was in the passenger seat of the Impala, Dean sitting next to him staring out of the window absently.

"Dean?" Sam felt his voice tremble.

"It wasn't a dream Sammy," Dean spoke without looking at his brother, "I still have the Mark and we get to start over."

Sam glanced out at the road beside them, there were no abandoned cars, no lifeless bodies roaming the streets. It was as if none of it had ever happened. He spun around in his seat, looking into the enormous backseat of the car and felt an overwhelming sadness wrack his body.

Dean ran a hand through his hair and turned to face Sam, his eyes veiled by a thin watery film, "she's gone Sammy."

The younger Winchester slowly turned back around in his chair, his heart heavy in his chest, "now what?"

Dean grabbed the keys from the console, slid the key into the ignition and let the engine roar into life, taking the slightest bit of comfort in the familiarity of the sound, "we do what we've always done Sam. We hunt things, we save people, we use this second chance to make sure this never happens again. We can't bring people back, but we can save those that are left."

Sam stayed quiet for a long moment as they pulled out into the buzzing, early morning traffic, "I'm sorry about Zoe, Dean."

Dean's green eyes seemed to flare in the morning sun, his mind straying back to the words he had heard his Dad say in that hospital corridor, his chest tightening as a sickening realisation flooded him, he could have saved her. He could have stopped it before more people had died, but he hadn't. He had let his demons control him, and in that warm morning sunshine, as the Mark on his arm stung like a razor blade biting into his skin, he couldn't help but wonder if that was just the fate he was destined for, if he was just meant to be evil, "me too Sammy. Me too."