4.

The lights in the locker room were fading, down to total blackout, and when they went up again, it was another TV studio. This time, instead of a dance competition, it looked more like a talk show; couches on a raised stage in front of another live audience. There were tasteful ferns all around, neutral colours and a large projection screen on the back wall, with the words "Mary and Betty" on in looping script.

Tara and Alex were standing at the side of the stage, flanked by security, while the hosts – two middle-aged women, one white, one black – addressed the overexcited audience.

"Are you ready for our special guests?" the white lady asked.

"We're ready, Betty!" the audience yelled back, in unison.

"Are you sure?" the African American woman followed up.

"Very, Mary!"

Clearly, this was the catchphrase of the show.

"Wasn't this what you were watching earlier?" Alex whispered, frowning.

Tara's face had broken into a broad smile.

"Oh wow!"

Alex rolled her eyes.

"Seriously?"

But the security men were ushering them forward, just as both women on stage announced their names. After the applause, whooping and whistling had died down, the sisters were directed into two chairs between the couches, facing the audience.

"So... Tara and Alexis Winchester." Betty looked them both over with mild disapproval. "You've had a busy year."

"And then some!" Mary added. "Have you ever had a quiet year?"

"These two?" Betty quipped. "Wouldn't know quiet if it hit them. You ever take time off?"

"Well, there was that year I went to Hell," Tara remarked dryly. "Didn't get a lot done then."

"Unlike you." Mary turned her attention to Alex.

"That was an... eventful time for you, wasn't it?"

Alex flinched, stunned into silence.

"What was the name of that demon you were shacking up with? You know, the one who got you hooked on demon blood, tricked you into freeing Lucifer?"

"I know who you mean," Alex replied icily. "You don't need to remind me of - all that."

"I'm not hearing a name," Betty sing-songed, waggling her finger at Alex like a twee kindergarten teacher.

"Rudy. His name was Rudy. He's dead now, by the way," Tara cut in. "We killed him. And Lillith."

"Too little, too late, if you ask me." Mary shook her head. "But that's not why we're here. Let's talk about something nicer. How are you doing, honey?"

"How am I doing?" Tara's eyebrows raised.

"Well, I got stuck in TV land by the same psychotic bitch who once spent a couple of months killing me over and over again in more inventive ways than an ACME cartoon character... So I guess I'm just peachy. Why do you ask?"

"Things have never been easy for you, have they?" The woman's tone was sympathetic as she focussed on Tara entirely, ignoring a fuming Alex.

"Losing your mother so young, your father leaving you all alone to look after your little sister, and then forcing you into the family business?"

"Hey, no." Tara was instantly defensive. "He did the best he could. What would you have done?"

"You think it's fair, forcing children to fight monsters? Putting all that responsibility on you?"

Tara got to her feet, holding back her anger.

"That's enough."

But the security men were behind her now, grabbing hold of her and pushing her back into the chair, another two stopping Alex from getting up.

"Not yet, honey," Mary told her, gesturing to someone off-set to bring on a trolley, covered in a sheet so its contents were hidden. "We're just getting to the good part."

The chairs the sisters were sitting in suddenly changed, restraints appearing on the legs and armrests and wrapping themselves around their wrists and ankles.

"What the hell?" Tara tried to struggle, but they were held fast. Alex twisted around to try and find another way out, but could see nothing remotely helpful.

Then, to whoops from the audience, the cover was whipped off the trolley, revealing the equipment underneath.

"This... this is not going to end well." Alex stared at the lie detector, trying to work out what the other equipment was. The security guards busied themselves attaching electrodes to the sisters, then wiring them up to the other machinery.

"Now, not to be cruel, but you two are well known for being a little less than truthful sometimes," Betty was saying. "So we want to make sure you're being honest."

"And if you ain't," Mary cut in. "We'll know."

Tara and Alex stared at each other.

"What the hell? This is what we're supposed to play along with now?"

Alex shrugged.

"So long as I don't have to waltz or anything, I guess I'm okay with this."

"So, Alexis. You can go first."

Betty pulled out a series of cards, facing Alex.

"You brought on the Apocalypse, is that true?"

Alex's expression went from resigned to pissed in a millisecond.

"Seriously?"

The machine buzzed, then pinged and Alex felt a small jolt of electricity go through her.

"Ahh! What?!"

The audience cheered, applauding like crazy and Alex realised this wasn't just a talk show. Well, why would it be? The Trickster had built it specially for them.

"Better answer quickly, girls. And always be honest, or the shocks get worse!" Betty seemed quite pleased at the idea, almost as much as the baying audience.

"So... do you admit it?"

"Yeah, sure."

The older woman gave her a hard stare, and Alex yelped as another shock hit her.

"Yes, I brought on the Apocalypse! Happy now?"

"I don't think anybody's happy about that," Mary cut in. "Tell us why."

"Why?" Alex tried to think fast. "Um, I trusted the wrong people? Demon. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong."

The audience was making a peculiar rumbling noise, disapproval radiating across the room, but Alex didn't get another shock.

"Hmm. Seems that's the truth," Mary said, glancing over the machine.

"So, Tara. Your turn."

Tara stared back at her, resentment simmering beneath her apparent stillness.

"How do you feel about that?"

"How do I feel? About the Apocalypse?"

"About your sister being the one who brought it on."

Tara was silent for a moment, and Alex winced in sympathy, but the anticipated shock didn't come.

"At first? Pissed. But then..."

Tara dropped her gaze down to the floor, then defiantly back up.

"Responsible."

A strange sound went through the room, a hushed whispering, but Tara wasn't done.

"I mean, she's my kid sister. I'm the one who's supposed to look out for her, and when I went away..."

"You mean, when you were in Hell? After you literally sold your soul to bring her back to life? And you still feel responsible?"

Alex was staring at her sister, open-mouthed, but Tara wouldn't look at her.

"Yeah, I do. Our parents are gone. All we got left is each other."

The audience burst into rapturous applause, but Mary and Betty were less impressed, turning back to Alex.

"And you chose a demon over this woman?"

Alex clenched her jaw.

"I didn't- ow!"

This time, the shock made her whole body jolt, pulling against the restraints.

"Ah, ah, ah." Betty waggled a finger.

"No lies."

"That wasn't how it was! I didn't - OW!"

"Stop it!" Tara was shouting, wrenching against her own bonds. "Stop hurting her!"

"She's hurting herself," the hosts told her, impassive. "If she was honest, she'd be fine."

"Okay, yes, I chose Rudy! I thought I was right, but I was wrong, and I screwed up!" Alex yelled. "I didn't know then, but that doesn't mean I don't know it's my fault!"

The room fell silent.

"You admit you let a demon seduce you into evil?" Mary asked.

"I thought that... If I could use the powers I'd been given, the exorcisms, for good ... then it would be okay. That the demon blood that was already in me... that I could control it, instead of it controlling me. That was all I wanted! To save people, free them from their possession. But-"

Alex shut her eyes, shame burning her cheeks red.

"It got away from me. I let Rudy manipulate me, and it all went so wrong. If I could take it back, I would."

"Take it back? The world's ending, honey, and that's your fault. Because you were weak."

"That's enough!" Tara's cry cut through the accusing words of the hosts. "What more do you want from her?"

"It's sweet that you're defending her, Tara, but she's not a kid anymore. You need to live your own life, not spend yours looking out for Alexis. Wouldn't everything have been better if she'd just never been born? I mean, your Mom would still be alive, wouldn't she?"

"That's not fair-" Tara began, but her own electric shock cut her off.

"Wouldn't she?" Mary pressed. "Your Dad, too. You'd have gotten to grow up in a real home, with a real family, if it wasn't for your baby sister."

Tara refused to answer, gritting her teeth as she received another shock, then another. The security guard behind Alex put his hand over her mouth, stopping her from protesting as Tara was shocked again and again. The hosts, and the audience leaned forward, watching intently as she fought against the pain, determined not to give in.

Then, as it looked like Tara was about to pass out, everything froze again, and the shocks stopped.

Tara slumped forward, exhausted and Alex wrestled her way out of the grip of the frozen security guard.

"Boy, you two really are masochists, aren't you?"

They turned to see the source of the voice. The Trickster was seated in the front row of the audience, eating popcorn and being fanned by several hunky young men in skin-tight swim trunks, like a classical queen.

"I mean, I could watch this all day, but we're getting nowhere, are we darlings?"

"How about you go screw yourself?" Tara threw at her. "This is fun for you? Great! Tell us something we don't know."

The Trickster rolled her eyes.

"Come on, ladies! This is the lesson I've been trying to teach you, over and over. Play your part, and stop trying to save each other. It just ends in tears!"

She vanished, and then once more, everything changed.

Disclaimer: Nope, didn't invent Supernatural. I decided to make up a 'talk show' rather than adapt one, as I don't watch them.