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Chapter 28

Mary found Sam sitting by Dean's side with his hands clasped together, his fingers interwoven, and his head bowed. Quietly, as not to disturb him, she approached the bed. It was a few seconds before her youngest was even aware she was there, jumping slightly when he noticed he wasn't alone anymore.

"Mom," he breathed quickly raising his head and pulling his hands apart from each other.

"I'm sorry Love, I didn't mean to startle you. I just didn't want to interrupt."

"Oh no, no you didn't. I was just-"

"You were praying," she finished for him. Sam's face turned pink at having been caught and his gaze darted away from her. "It's alright, it's nothing to be ashamed of." Mary brushed her fingers through her youngest boy's hair affectionately.

"Dad never approved," he mumbled.

"Your father wasn't a religious man, you know that. It doesn't mean he didn't approve, he just didn't understand. He had a rough upbringing. Practically raised himself. It's hard to believe in a higher power watching over you when you feel abandoned by everyone," she explained. His hazel eyes made their way back to meet his mother.

"Mom, do you...do you really believe angels are watching over us?"

She smiled down at her son. "I do, and I believe your father is there among them. Even if he didn't believe in Heaven."

Sam's eyes became evasive once again as they bounced from the floor to his brother, up to her, and back to Dean again.

"I-I'm so, so sorry I didn't come see Dad when you and Dean called and told me he was sick. I'm sorry that the last time I spoke with him, I told him to go to Hell."

"Oh Sweetie," Mary bent down to wrap her arms around Sam, rubbing her hand on his back soothingly as he cried.

"What if," the younger man hiccuped, "what if he died thinking I hate him?"

"Shhh Sammy, you know that's not true."

"What if-what if Dean dies thinking the same thing?"

"Listen to me," she replied pulling Sam away from her so that she could meet his red watery eyes. "Your brother is not going to die. We aren't losing any more in this family. Ok? I promise."

Sam nodded and ran his hand over his face to clear away tears.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Winchester? Someone by the name of Robert Singer is looking for you," a woman reported, sticking her head in the hospital room.

"I'll be there in a second."

The mother turned back to her youngest and kissed his forehead. "I'll be right back. Come and get me if anything changes," she ordered.

"Yes Ma'am."

"And no more of that talk. You're a good man Sam, and both your father and your brother know that you care about them. I love you."

"I love you too Mom."

Mary then leaned over to her eldest and gently kissed his forehead as she had done her youngest's. "I love you Dean, keep fighting. Come back to us."

As before, there was no response from the twenty six year old. The mother ran her fingers through Sam's hair one last time before taking her leave of them.

When she reached the waiting room, she made a beeline for the hunter.

"So, did you get everything?" She asked eagerly.

"I did. Are you sure this is a good idea though? If this goes wrong, it could end with the boys as orphans or worse, Sam could lose everyone. You sure you wanna take that risk?"

"Sam won't be left alone. If I play my cards right he'll have us both, if not, he'll at least have Dean. If for any reason something happens, please, keep an eye on my boys. Make sure they don't do anything stupid?"

"I'll certainly give it my all," Robert assured the mother. He transported the bag of ingredients to Mary who thanked him and then was gone.

The hospital was by far one of the lease accommodating places to hold a summoning, no doors available to the public had any locks on them. Except for the bathroom stalls which were too small and still not private enough. Instead, Mary found an unoccupied hospital room, crept inside, closed the door, and wedged a visitor's chair under the handle. It wouldn't hold for long if someone really wanted in, but it would buy her a little more time at least.

She got to work on combining the items into the bowl Robert had brought for her, while also drawing the correct sigil. Once she was done, she placed the candles accordingly, and began to light them. Next she brought the knife Robert had packed for her and slit the palm of her hand, holding it over the bowl and letting her blood fall into it while she recited the incantation.

"Attenrobendum eos, ad consiendrum, ad ligandum eos, potiter et solvendum, et ad, congregontum eos, 'coram me."

Mary stayed kneeling on the floor, looking around the room for any signs of company. Suddenly the door handle jiggled and a man's face appeared, causing the woman to jump. She quickly got to her feet and removed the chair gaining the man entrance. The newcomer was wearing a janitorial outfit and a scowl was engraved in his features.

"What the hell are you doing here lady?" He asked in an angry tone, his eyes falling on the summoning spot and then looking back at her. "What is that? You some kind of Devil worshipper?" Mary didn't say anything. "You're going to have some serious explaining to do to security."

"You won't call security," she responded matter of factly. "Now, stop playing games. We both know who you are."

The man chuckled in amusement and his pale grey eyes turned an inhuman yellow.

"I always did like you, Mary Winchester. You've got spunk, brains, you know how to handle yourself. It's why I chose you. I knew you'd pass it down to your offspring and boy howdy, I was right."

"You can't have Sam."

"Can't have him? Come now Mary, you're smarter than that. I already 'have' him. I'm in his blood, he's one of my children, you ensured it. And in doing so made me the happiest creature to walk the earth." The vessel of the yellow eyed demon licked his lips as he took in the woman's expression. "Your boy Sam is special. More so than you can even imagine. I have big plans for him."

"I'm not here to chat," the mother remarked.

"No? So you don't want to hear all about my plans for your youngest?"

"It doesn't matter, because it's never going to happen. So what do you say we cut the bullshit and get to why I summoned you?"

"Oh," he replied excitedly, "well then if you aren't here to talk about Sam, you must be here about the other one."

"Bring Dean back," she demanded.

"Oh, Mary," the man shuddered, "it gets my meatsuit all hot and bothered when you get all commanding like that." Mary didn't flinch. "You know, you played the resurrection game once already, look how that turned out." He paused before continuing. "There are, a few...complications to all this this time round however."

"Such as?"

"First and foremost if you're looking to make a deal you have to have something I want. You don't." The demon began to use his vessel to circle her. "Secondly, I'm perfectly content with this current situation with your other boy. Sure he's not dead, but I have a satisfying suspicion that he's not far from the light at the end of the tunnel."

"Then take me instead," Mary suggested. "Take me and let my son go free."

"Except me having you, it does nothing. I've got many eyes and ears and they're all focused on one person. Sam. If you'd come to me...oh...about a few months ago, we may have had a deal. But things change. Sam has a warm heart, which makes him SO much more fun and gratifying to play with than I had originally thought. The rest of the children have been fairly easy, some of them eager even. Sam however, he's needed some...gentle nudging. But he's coming along, he's got time yet. The death of Jessica was a good start, now imagine what your son would become if he lost his brother merely weeks after losing his wife? Sure at first I'll admit, I completely mistook Dean for being irrelevant. But now," the demon's eyes appeared to grow brighter with joy at his thoughts, "now I know better. Sam already thinks his own father thought he hated him, imagine what'll happen if Dean dies and Sam has the same fear and guilt for him? That boy will be brimming with dangerous emotions which will only open up his mind to his gift. So the way I see it, everything is coming together perfectly."

"How do you know about how he feels about John?"

"Like I said, I have eyes and ears everywhere. Well, almost anyways. There are a few exceptions. But this hospital isn't one of them." The demon paused and the vessel halted. "Do either of your boys know about the deal John had made? Or what about your own all those years ago?"

Mary gulped. "No, and they never will. It's best that they believe he died from an illness. As it was, Dean was suspicious as to why he couldn't see his father after he passed."

"Didn't want him to see his daddy all shredded up from the Hellhounds, huh?"

"John was just trying to do right by his family. I didn't want their lives and beliefs to be ruined," Mary snapped.

"How'd John even find out about demons and deals in the first place? I thought you having hunted the supernatural was the deep dark secret in the Winchester household?"

"It doesn't matter how. None of this matters. Now, I've played you're game of twenty questions, and I'm completely and utterly through screwing around. What is it you want other than my sons?"

"You don't give up, do you? I've already told you, you have nothing that I...Oh." The demon's vessel rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"What?"

"Well, there is one thing I do want more than for Dean to die."

"What is it?"

"Full access to Sam. That boy is now hell bent on getting to the bottom of what caused all this and keeping tabs on him no matter where he is would be the cherry on my sundae."

"You want me to allow you to have access to my son so that you can trick him into using his physic abilities?" Mary asked incredulously. The demon looked at her in surprise. "Like you said, I'm smart, I can put two and two together. That's what happened when he managed to stop your demons, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't be tricking him into anything. All I'm saying is that you simply would be allowing it to happen."

"And if I don't?"

The vessel shrugged nonchalantly. "Then Dean drops back into a coma that rapidly results in death."

"You're asking me to chose which one of my children I want to protect?" She questioned with a look of disgust.

"No, I'm simply giving you the option to save them both. Yourself as well. Look at the big picture here, Mary. We can both win. You give me what I want, I'll give you what you want and we both go home happy. No one, not even you will be the wiser that one of us is among you. Or in you. Besides, in my scenario, who's to say you can't protect your boys, hmm?"

"But you demons can just possess whoever you want, why make a deal when you could just do it?" She asked suspiciously.

"It's not the possession that's the deal, it's your word that you won't stop Sam from his destiny while also allowing me to have eyes and ears on him at all times."

Mary opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the sound of her youngest shouting for help further down the hall, accompanied by the intercom calling out code words and demanding immediate assistance in Dean's room.

"Oh God," Mary breathed.

"Sounds like your first born has drawn his last breath," the demon's lips curled into a wicked grin. Mary could hear Sam frantically calling for her, his voice growing nearer. "Time's running out Mary, and reapers wait for no one. So, what'll it be? We both win? Or you lose?"

A/n: SparksFlyAngel: I'm not sure if this answers any questions exactly, but the next chapter will. I'm glad it was a twist you didn't see coming and that you're still enjoying this story! Thank you so much for your review and as always your time, interest, and thoughts!