A/N: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters. All rights reserved.
Chapter 5
Sam stared at the blonde woman standing before him, eyes blazing. Ruby, on the other hand, was as nonchalant as ever, leaning against the bathroom doorframe, snapping on a piece of chewing gum. She began to advance, and without hesitation Sam drew his flask of holy water, prepared to recite the Latin phrases necessary to exorcise her. The demon merely smiled a trifle condescendingly, clearly unfazed by the hunter's attempts to send her back to hell.
"You won't try that," Ruby said coyly, tossing the wad of Doublemint in the trash.
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because I know all about the trouble big brother is in."
Sam hesitated, feeling the whoosh as his breath seemed to escape his lungs. But he kept cool, the stern expression never leaving his face. Could she be telling the truth? Was it possible that Ruby really could save Dean? His mind raced before him, a mishmash of jumbled thoughts that nearly cost Sam his concentration on the demon standing casually before him. He could hear both Dean and his father repeat the words that he knew, had known in fact since he was old enough to start hunting: never trust a demon. He remembered how Meg had possessed him a few years earlier, had caused him to turn on Dean and Jo, had relived every painstaking detail of how John Winchester had gotten Bill Harvelle killed. Sure, there was such a thing as friendly vampires, Lenore had proved that not everything in this world, supernatural or otherwise, was black and white. But demons? No. Never could he trust one of them.
And then another scenario: Dean, lying dead after being a hellhound's chew toy, insides torn to shreds. Oh, he knew the damage of hellhounds, had heard of the lore since before Dean had even made that goddamed deal, and was well aware of his brother's fate if he proved to be unable to stop it. And the dying would be the easy part. Though he had never actually been to Hell, he'd read enough (even believed enough) in Christian doctrine to understand that a stint in Hell would be no picnic.
"I know how to save your brother."
Sam froze. Was Ruby really offering to save Dean? A demon, willing to actually do something half decent for a change? Had to be something in it for her. There was absolutely no way that a Hell spawn was willing to put her ass on the line for a hunter, a damn Winchester at that. Sam's mind was swimming as he tried to make sense of Ruby's sudden revelation. Should he trust her? After all, lying was a huge part of the job description. Besides, Dean would be pissed if by some off chance Ruby was able to save him. Demons were what had ultimately cursed the Winchester family.
But Dean was his brother. The damn idiot had sold his soul for him, which had not exactly been the brightest move on his part. Noble, perhaps, but incredibly stupid. So what harm would it be to be equally so and return the favor? He remembered that night in Cold Oak, after his brother had admitted his deal and that he had only a year to live. "You're my big brother," he had said, full of emotion. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." And he meant it. Every damn word. He would be willing to die for his brother…just like his brother had done for him.
"Ah, shit," he murmured and Ruby arched an eyebrow.
"Earth to Sam." Sam hadn't even realized he had gone off into space until Ruby's sarcastic voice snapped him back to the real world. Rather startled, Sam blinked, still holding on to his flask in a death grip. The confused look on the demon's face was enough to confirm that the younger Winchester had zoned out.
"For a man whose brother's head is on the chopping block you sure are out of it," Ruby sighed, rolling her eyes, once again the sea green of her vessel. "I know how to save your brother."
"Oh yeah?" Trying to keep cool, trying to remember that demons lie and that the bitch was more than likely playing him for a fool.
"Yes. I do." Ruby reached for a bottle of Jack Daniels and downed a generous swig before continuing. "But I need you to trust me.
"Trust a demon. You must be joking." Sam tried to laugh, but the sound seemed forced, dying in his throat. Ruby merely let out an exasperated sigh. "Last time I checked Sam, you don't have a lot of options. How's the research going? Find any useful info to save your brother's ass from the pit?" The guilty look on Sam's face said it all and Ruby smiled slightly. "You need me, Sam. So cut the crap, get over the whole 'she's a demon' bullshit and let me help your arrogant excuse of a brother."
"Fuck you."
"Fine." Ruby's eyes flicked black for a moment. Sam reached again for the Holy Water but before he could attempt to exorcise her, the demon was gone.
"Sammy, what's the hold up?" Dean's impatient voice could be heard from inside the motel and Sam sighed, reaching for his duffel. He hadn't realized how long he had left his brother waiting in the car. Would he be suspicious? After all, how long does it take to throw a few shirts in a duffle bag? Trying to rid his mind of Ruby's visit, Sam reached for the bag and his Colt, and left the motel room.
XXX
Fortunately, the visit to the MacLeod's proved to be uneventful. The brothers sat in uncomfortable chairs, sipping coffee and listening to the girl's parents as they recalled stories of their murdered daughter. It was clear that neither had coped with the loss well, still grieving as if Vanessa's murder had been a few weeks ago rather than several years. Sam listened with a heavy heart, trying to give his full attention; but thoughts of his brother kept nagging him, nearly causing him to lose focus. If he couldn't save his brother, it would be him grieving the loss of a loved one. It would be him living each day wondering if he would have the courage to just pull the fucking trigger and be done with it; him who would do the same damn thing his stubborn brother did and make a deal of his own…
A subtle kick in the knee brought Sam back to reality. "We'd moved shortly after her passing," Dean continued, nailing the part of grieving classmate. "My brother and I want to pay our respects, you know, just talk to her. We would be grateful if you could let us know where she was buried."
The couple exchanged glances, almost skeptical. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Mrs. MacLeod spoke up. "Did you not hear? Vanessa was never buried. They never found her body. It was all over the news." Her blue eyes grew misty and she wiped them with a trembling hand. Ever the professional, Sam quickly pulled the pair out of an awkward situation. "Yes, of course. What my brother meant to say is that we wished to visit her headstone." Dean nodded, and the couple relaxed slightly. "Of course. She the stone was placed in the St. Augustine's cemetery, just down the road. Would you like directions?"
Five minutes later the brothers were back in the Impala, clearly frustrated at the turn of events. "That's just great. Fuckin' peachy." Dean pulled the keys to the Impala from his pocket with a little too much enthusiasm and fired up the engine. "This just keeps getting better and better. There is no fucking way we are going to find the body in a goddamned harbour! How could you have missed this before, Sam?"
Because I've been a little preoccupied trying to save your life. Sam sighed, running his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit he had since childhood which always seemed to come out when he was more anxious than usual. "I know, I should have found the info, Dean, but I have been a little stressed lately." The words came out harsher than intended; Sam could see his brother tense up, and immediately the younger Winchester regretted his choice of words. The last thing he needed was his older brother on his case. Fortunately, Dean left it at that, but the drive back to the motel was passed in uncomfortable silence, except for Zeppelin blaring in the background. At least he doesn't know about Ruby's visit, Sam thought bitterly, staring out the passenger window. The last thing he needed now was for his brother to find out about the demon's impromptu visit. Sam may not have trusted her, but that didn't mean that Dean would be thrilled to hear of their little tete-a-tete. Sam Winchester intended to keep it that way.
XXX
Despite the limited visibility, it was decided that the Winchesters would search for Vanessa MacLeod's body after dark. The Antignosish Harbour was far too populated for the boys to work unnoticed, and being unwilling to spend time in lock up, their options were limited. Fortunately, hours of searching the internet had helped to pinpoint a general area as to where the car had been dumped (which, Sam felt, more than made up for the fact that he had missed the fact that the girl's body had never been recovered). Now, in the cover of darkness, the brothers were searching the lake for any sign of the woman's remains. Hours passed, slow and painstaking, the old speedboat (rented under the name of Sam and Dean Hetfield, of course) covering nearly every inch of the river. Both Winchesters were frustrated, hoping to find something, anything, to help put the young woman's spirit to rest. Unfortunately, all that resulted were two cranky young men, Dean complaining about the flies and Sam laying out more "bitch faces" in one setting than he had in months.
It was just before dawn when Sam felt a sudden chill as the temperature dropped dramatically. Immediately his hunter's instincts went into overdrive, and judging by Dean's reaction, his brother had felt the same way. Carefully Sam reached behind him for his weapon; ahead of him, Dean was doing the same, eyes darting around him, trying to pierce the darkness through the beam of the flashlight. For a moment, all was still, eerily so, like the eye of a deadly hurricane. Too still, and Sam felt a pang of fear from his gut. They were on a goddamned boat, basically sitting ducks. Hardly daring to breathe, willing himself to calm, Sam shone his light across the harbour, on the lookout for any sudden movement.
"Got anything, Dean?" Whispering, trying not to alert Vanessa MacLeod's spirit. But Sam's efforts were in vain. Dean had turned, about to respond, when a sudden cry escaped from his lips. Before his younger brother could react, Dean Winchester was pulled beneath the waves, his flashlight dropping to the boat's floor. In seconds, he was gone.