Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for my lack of updates but I've been ridiculously busy. I'm actually really behind in one of my classes right now and I should be using this time for that but I figure I've left you all hanging long enough. This is where our story ends (until the sequel at least), so I hope you all enjoy!
PS I will post another "chapter" which will be an author's note letting you know when the sequel is up and what it will be called. Please don't stop following this story for updates and please tell me what you thought of it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.
Chapter 9:
Sam did not listen.
Despite what Dean had said, despite Dean specifically asking him not to, he had summoned Ruby. There had been a lot of yelling, according to Bobby, along with multiple punches thrown and a Devil's Trap in there somewhere, but before Vivian knew it they had a knife that supposedly killed demons and they were on their way.
Dean hadn't wanted her to come. He had pulled her aside before they left, pleading with her, begging her, not to but she had refused.
"Whether you like it or not," she told him, "this involves me too."
She had nearly touched his face then, too caught up in the moment to realize what she was doing before it was almost too late.
"Besides," she said, looking down once she had lowered her hand. "I need to be with you."
He had nodded at that, understanding simply because he felt the same way.
"I just don't want you to get hurt," he whispered, causing her to look up at him; the tears in her eyes catching him off guard.
"Dean," she laughed softly, a sort of bitter expression in her tone, "that's going to happen anyways."
Realizing she was right he left her alone after that, barely looking in Vivian's direction the whole ride there.
She had to admit, it pained her that he did that. She hated that one moment they were practically the same person, one heart shared amongst two chests, and then the next it was like she had never existed. She hated that he could go back to normal so easily. She hated that she couldn't.
The trip was rather uneventful except for being pulled over by a demon police officer. Dean had killed it in record time, allowing her to watch the demon die. It was a little strange, watching a monster of Hell emit light like that in it's final moments. Vivian had always assumed that some sort of dark substance would leak from them when they were killed, not the opposite.
It turned out that Dean could see demons because of his predicament; something which they all agreed might come in handy as they continued on their trip; after they had hidden the body and the police car, of course.
It was only when they reached the house Lilith was residing in that Vivian realized with a start that Dean wasn't the only one with a special talent.
"She's awful," Vivian breathed, staring at what she supposed the others thought was a little girl. Almost absentmindedly she added, "so that's what they were," under her breath, keeping her eyes on the horrible monster disguised as a human.
"You can see it?" Dean asked in surprise, glancing over at the blonde and causing her to pull her gaze away from the terrible creature that was now eating cake across from the dead body of an old man.
Sam replied for her, using his logic to explain the situation.
"Well you two are connected, aren't you? She can probably see Lilith's real face because you can."
"The boy's right-" Bobby began before Vivian cut him off, a memory resurfacing.
"No," she interrupted. "He's not."
"What do you mean?" asked Dean, sending the female an odd look.
"I've always been able to see them," she realized. "Before the dreams, before meeting you guys, before everything." Vivian looked up at the men in awe, so much making sense now. "I always thought I was crazy or imagining things; hell I pushed the memories of them so far down that only another demon could bring them back up again." She shook her head, "I never hunted demons with Bobby and I didn't get a good view on the police officer from the backseat before you ganked him but all this time, I could see them. In stores, on the bus, at school, I could always…."
Vivian trailed off, lost in her own thoughts as all her memories returned to her at once. Horrible rotting flesh beneath pleasant human faces, smiling down at her in the supermarket as she held tightly to her mother's leg. Black eyes staring right through her from her first grade teacher; one day there, the next gone, replaced with the familiar kind wrinkles and warm blue irises the woman usually had. The encounters had been few and far between, so much so that Vivian was sure her mind was playing tricks on her. As she had gotten older she had begun seeing them less and less, only a glimpse of maggot filled mouths on the subway, only a short glance cast in the direction of a man without skin or eyes as she passed him on her way to work.
All this time, it had been demons. All this time they had been there, waiting for her to do what she always knew she could. To look, to see.
Vivian shook her head, pulling herself back to reality; a light laugh escaping her lips. She had been a part of this world long before the Winchesters had brought her into it.
They had a plan. It was a little reckless, stupid even, but it was a plan. The group of hunters had a plan.
Bobby and Vivian were tasked with blessing the water system, turning anything that came out of those pipes into Holy Water. Dean and Sam went off to kill however many demons they could without causing alarm, using their skills and Ruby's knife to the best of their ability.
By the time everyone had all met up again, Sam and Dean had attracted far too much attention from all the demons nearby and had somehow collected Ruby on the way. Vivian grimaced at the sight of her face as well as the others, still not used to so much all at once. Luckily, the rest of the demons couldn't reach them, the sprinklers having gone off and burning any creature of Hell that was within 2 feet of them.
They entered Lilith's house with a little difficulty, namely Sam being slow with his lock picking skills. It seemed normal inside except for the dead body covered in insects right in the front foyer. Vivian scrunched up her nose at that, doing her best to avoid the stench and looking at the carcass.
"That's disgusting," she muttered, turning to the others.
"Get used to it girl," Bobby replied in a quiet tone, completely unfazed by both the body and the fact that there was a demon in their midst. Vivian supposed that under different circumstances perhaps he would ask more questions but they really didn't have time for that now.
"Do you think Lilith knows we're here?" asked Sam, cautiously stepping over the body and walking into the living room.
"Probably," Ruby answered bluntly, looking around in distaste.
Suddenly Dean disappeared from Vivian's side. She glanced behind her, only to find him holding a man she had seen earlier through the window when Lilith had been eating cake. He looked frightened, with good cause she supposed considering he was a human among hundreds of demons.
"We're here to help," Vivian said softly, stepping towards the man slowly, a kind smile on her face.
"I'm gonna move my hand, and we're gonna talk nice and quiet, okay?" Dean told the other man, waiting for him to nod before letting him go.
"Sir, where is your daughter?" Sam asked immediately.
"Upstairs…" the man paused, the look of fear on his face doubling if possible, "only it's not her anymore. It's something else. There's something inside her!"
"We know," Vivian responded soothingly, placing her hand gently on the man's shoulder. "We're here to get rid of it."
The man looked relieved for a moment, even though there was clear skepticism in his gaze.
"Listen to me," Dean pulled his attention back in the eldest Winchester's direction. "I want you to go downstairs to the basement. Put a line of salt at the door behind you. Do you understand me?"
The man shook his head vigorously and resolutely.
"Not without my wife."
"Yes, without your wife." Dean said, sighing when the man refused yet again.
"I'm sorry sir," Vivian interrupted, "but we just don't have time," she finished before punching the man right in the nose, knocking him unconscious.
The Winchesters stared at her with wide eyes.
"What?" she asked, clutching her rather sore fist in her other hand.
"Bobby?" Dean said in a voice that was a little higher than usual, looking questioningly at the older man.
"I didn't teach 'er that, son," the redneck said proudly, making Vivian grin for what would, unbeknownst to her, be the last time in months.
Luckily, Dean had stopped Sam in time.
The group of hunters had crept up the stairs as quietly as possible, making their way to the room where Lilith was with her "mother". They had found her there, curled up against the older woman who looked terrified, but something was off. It took Vivian longer than it should've to realize that the little girl was human, still not used to the "demon gaze", as she was calling it.
Thankfully Dean had warned Sam about the girl before he had done anything.
It was only after they had put the child and her mother in the basement with the man they had dumped down there earlier that Vivian snapped, punching a hole in the wall in her anger.
"Dammit!" she yelled, paying no mind to the pain shooting up her arm. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"
The others all looked like they wanted to do the same, everyone's eyes filled with the same rage and sadness her's held. Even Ruby seemed upset.
"I'm sorry Dean," the demon said. "I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy."
Vivian was crying at this point, tears streaming down her cheeks without her notice as she did her best to think of something. Anything.
It was too late though. She could hear the Hellhounds coming. Nothing could be done.
A growl caused them all to turn in the same direction, Vivian's lips twisting into contempt at the sight of the ugly dog.
"Where are they?" Sam asked frantically, looking around and making Vivian realize that not everyone could see these creatures either.
"There," Dean said, pointing in the first one's direction as more entered the house from who knows where, nearly surrounding them.
Vivian didn't mind. She would rip all their throats out with her bare hands before she'd let them get to Dean.
The eldest Winchester had a different idea however as he took off in the direction of what must've been the study. The group followed him, not everyone as eager to tear the animals apart as Vivian was.
Dean shut the door behind them quickly, putting some sort of power in front of each entrance, presumably to keep the Hellhounds out.
Ruby turned to Sam, hand outstretched.
"Give me the knife. Maybe I can fight them off."
"What?" Sam asked, confused. A knife wouldn't stop them from getting to Dean, everyone in the room knew that.
A low growl was heard from the vent and another from outside the window. Whether they liked it or not, the hunters and demon were trapped.
"Come on!" Ruby all but shouted, "That dust won't last forever!"
"Wait!" Vivian yelled, pulling Sam away from the demon before she was even aware she was doing it. "That's not Ruby."
Within an instant everyone in the room had been flung against the walls, Sam and Bobby on one end, Dean and Vivian against the other. The knife sat at Sam's feet, useless where it was.
"How long have you been in her?" Dean growled, doing his best to break the invisible restraints that held him.
"Not long," Ruby/Lilith replied, staring down at her body with childish curiosity. "I like it though. It's all grown up and pretty."
She twirled as if showing them a new dress while Vivian glared at her.
"I'm going to kill you bitch!"
Lilith laughed.
"Silly girl," she tutted, shaking her head. "You can't even move, how are you going to kill me?" She closed her fist, causing Vivian to scream out, a searing pain erupting in her stomach as she coughed up blood. "And don't use bad words."
"So, is this your big plan, huh?" Dean asked desperately, obviously trying to get her to leave Vivian alone. "Drag me to Hell, kill them and then what? Become queen bitch?"
"I don't have to answer to puppy chow," Lilith replied smugly, turning back to Vivian in what might've been interest. "Hmmm, I put so much work into this plan. It's a shame nothing ever became of it."
The human looked away from the demon, knowing her eyes would tell the creature all it needed to know. Apparently averting her gaze did the same thing.
"Awwwww," Lilith all but cooed. "Something did become of it. You actually care for him." She laughed and clapped her hands excitedly. "Yay! That just means I'll take my sweet time killing him in front of you."
Vivian looked up at Dean, who met her gaze with a determined look and a nod.
"No you won't!" Vivian shouted suddenly, turning her head back towards Lilith with a defiant stare before reaching out as far as she could and brushing her fingers against Dean's.
There was a moment where it seemed like time had stopped, the whole world becoming quiet except for the sound of Dean and Vivian's hearts beating in unison. She looked at him, a small smile gracing his features as he glanced at her for one last time.
And then the second heart stopped.
"No!" Sam screamed from his side of the room. "No! No! No!"
Lilith ignored him, glaring at Vivian coldly as Dean's body crashed to the floor.
"You stopped my fun."
"What are you going to do about it skank?" the blonde asked, her anger the only thing that kept the tears from falling.
"You little-" Lilith began, enraged and losing her little girl persona. Vivian fell from the wall in a heap, only to be thrown across the room by an invisible force, her head slamming against a bookshelf. She felt dizzy and disoriented as books toppled down on top of her, the only clear thing in her mind being her need for revenge.
"I hadn't planned on this," Vivian could feel her hair being pulled violently as she was dragged to her feet, "but it looks like you'll be joining your precious Dean sooner than expected."
"In your dreams," the human replied, a vicious smile taking over her bloody features.
Had Vivian moved a moment earlier she would've gotten her. Had Vivian simply been a little quicker, the demon killing knife she had picked up just before she had been pulled to her feet would've hit Lilith straight in the heart.
Unfortunately, Vivian didn't move fast enough.
She only saw Lilith's white eyes turn black a moment before her knife plunged into the demon's chest, causing light to pour out of every possible opening before the body collapsed, and Vivian with it.
The blonde barely registered Sam's cries as he held Dean's head in his hands. She didn't notice the lack of Hellhounds or Bobby's comforting hand on her shoulder. She couldn't hear the sprinklers going off or the older man's reassuring words. She was in a daze, looking at her own blood covered hands in shock.
"At least we got Lilith," Bobby tried, doing his best to keep himself together. His words cut through the haze that was Vivian's mind and pulled her back to the terrible reality she now had to face.
"No," She whispered, shaking her head slowly as the tears began to fall. "It was Ruby." She looked over at Dean's lifeless body. "We have nothing." Her whole body shook as the weight of all she had done crashed down upon her. "I have nothing."
Love it? Hate it? PLEASE REVIEW! Tell me what you think of the ending please. Did you see it coming? Will you read a sequel? Reviews mean a sequel will be on it's way (I already have tons of ideas) but no reviews mean that I assume no one wants more, so please tell me what you think! It means a lot to me as well. Also, as I mentioned above, if you guys want a sequel I will post another "chapter" to this story which will be an author's note telling you that it's up and what it's called, so please continue following this story if you want updates. Things are obviously going to go in a different direction now that Ruby's dead and Vivian can see demons and Hellhounds. What do you think will happen? Please let me know in the reviews and thank you all so much for being so patient with me and being such a wonderful group of people to write for :)
See you in the sequel!
~Liliana
PS thanks again!