A/n: Alright second to last chapter everyone! I can't believe it!
WARNING: Major character deaths
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Chapter 40
The demon removed the sling from Dean and threw it carelessly to the ground with a look of disgust.
"What a pain in the ass that thing's been," he remarked bitterly with Dean's voice but not his tone. He twisted his hostage's features from genuine annoyance to bored and negligent. "Not that I needed it, it just added to the performance. What'd ya think? Do I have a shot at an Oscar?" He questioned Sam with a grin. The younger Winchester had lost the look of confusion and shock and was now wearing a snarl that radiated with rage and loathing.
"Dean never woke from the coma, did he? It's been you this whole time."
The demon laughed with Dean's voice but with a sinister cruelty he'd never heard from his sibling. He outstretched the eldest Winchester brother's arms in a means of "ta da."
"How did you get pass the Holy Water and salt test? I saw you drink the shot?"
"And the best actor award goes to..." he moved closer to the twenty two year old. "You honestly think a demon at my pay grade is going to be bothered by a thing like that?" He watched Sam a little longer and then smiled. "I've gotta say, this was the best deal I've had the pleasure of making since...well, since the promise of you."
"Get out of my brother," Sam demanded in a low and clear voice. The yellow eyed demon laughed again, throwing Dean's head back as he did so just to show the youngest Winchester how serious he was being taken. Sam finched at the gesture, not because he was surprised, but the way of which the demon laughed was done in the same manner of his actual brother. He and Dean may not have shared many funny moments together, but he recalled the seemingly endless pranks Dean enjoyed pulling or times scaring his little brother when they were younger. He'd throw his head back and explode with laughter much like the foul monster who was now donning the mask of his sibling had. Never in all his life had he wanted to have his obnoxious pest of a family member back with him clapping him on the shoulder as he wiped away tears of victory and calling him "Sammy," as he did now staring up at a face that was both so familiar and so alien to him.
His wrathful glare softened and his hazel gaze became pleading. "Dean if you can hear me, fight him." Azazel chuckled.
"Oh he can hear you, but I'm afraid your one hit wonder brother isn't able to come out and play," he reassured him. "Now let's just forget about Dean and focus on the future for a minute, hmm? Thanks to you, we're already a quarter of the way there to achieving our life mission, your destiny. Lucifer will be free. He will rise, and when he does you will have power like nothing the world has ever seen." Dean's face grew peaceful as the demon thought of the glory he'd soon be thriving in.
"No," Sam replied sternly. The complacent look fell from the possessed Winchester's face. "No I won't fulfill my 'destiny.' No I won't help you free the devil, and no I'm not going to be his bitch. You can take your power and cram it up your ass. My answer to you and this destiny bullshit, is and always will be no." The brother stared into the yellow eyes looming in front of him, neither speaking but both Sam and the demon driving home their refusal to back down with stares. The youngest Winchester didn't have time to react other than to let out a scream in pain as Azazel moved Dean's hand to press down hard onto Sam's injured foot.
"Listen good, Sport," he spat keeping his hostage's hand firmly on him. "If you're a good little solider and led an army of demons into a war we are certain to win, all your little friends will be set free and your family treated like royalty."
Sam bit back the urge to cry out in pain again as he felt the demon make his brother's hand apply more pressure. "And what if I tell you to go fuck yourself?" He challenged with venom in his voice.
"If you're a bad little solider? You can watch as everyone you've ever loved chokes on their own intestines."
The yellow eyed demon turned his gaze from the twenty two year old and glanced behind them.
"Mary!" He greeted with a warm smile. "Welcome to the family pow wow. You know I really owe you a fruit basket."
Sam looked passed the demon and saw his mother standing with the Colt aimed steadily at her eldest son, eyes unwavering. Her youngest hadn't even seen her remove herself from the doors that were still bursting with black smoke. Bobby, the Harvelle's, and the Flores' were all still pressed up against them trying their hardest to close them.
"This wasn't part of the deal. You were suppose to take me and save Dean. That was our agreement."
"Mom?"
"Come now Mary, we both know you're smarter than this," the demon cooed. "I agreed to save Dean in return for your word that I could stay close by undetected by anyone. You never specified which cup the ball could hide in, you just naturally assumed it was you." The demon tisked at her. "You're getting rusty my dear."
Both Mary and Sam looked mortified though for different reasons, however she never moved from her stance or directed her attention anywhere than on Azazel.
"Mom, you made a deal?" Her youngest asked choking up with emotion. "Again?"
"I had to Sam. It was that or let Dean die. I couldn't do that, I could never do that to either of you. At least this way I could protect you both."
"Bang up job on that," Dean's voice said amused. "Speaking of bang, we both know you're not going to shoot me." She cocked the Colt.
"Don't be so sure," their mother growled. Her youngest son's breath caught in his throat as he watched her. "You took a lot of people from me. My parents, my John, you tried to take my boys. I have a bone to pick with you."
"Tell me, whose fault is it really that they're all dead? Hmm? Who do you really hate? Me? Or that pretty little reflection of yours?"
"Definitely you."
Azazel scoffed. "You kill me, you kill Dean," he reminded her.
"About that," she countered. "Let my son go and take me, I won't fight you."
"Why would I take you when I have everything I could ever want with this meatsuit? I have all the Winchesters exactly where I want them. Except," Azazel began, punching up his fingers and pressing the tip of his thumb against the tip of his ring finger. "I believe your work here is done." With a click, Mary's neck snapped and she dropped soundlessly to the ground with the gun falling close by.
MOM!" The twenty two year old shouted. The demon rolled Dean's shoulders and glared down at the woman then turned back to Sam. The youngest Winchester could feel hot tears building up in his hazel eyes.
"Now, where were we?"
"You son of a bitch," he seethed through his teeth.
"She walked in on us. Besides, you should be grateful, her death was a quick one. An act of mercy. Keep resisting and the next one won't be so lucky. I mean, hell," he chuckled and turned to look at everyone still putting their all into closing the Gates of Hell. "The gang's all here. I have the pick of the litter." His yellow gaze fell back on Sam. "So, what do'ya say Sammy? Are you ready for your destiny? Or would you rather dinner and a show? How long do you think Bobby can last once his insides start to turn out?"
"If I agree to do this, let Dean go," Sam bargained. "You let them all walk away without a scratch or a demon attack or possession. They go back to living their lives."
Azazel licked his lips in satisfaction. "Trying to make a deal with the devil? You are your mother's son. Father's too. You Winchesters are so desperate to throw away your own lives. You never really cared about Dean before. In fact, you've down right questioned and cursed your being related. Why should you care?" Sam knew it was the demon talking but hearing these words coming from the mouth of his big brother made everything seem real. Sure he and Dean couldn't be any more opposite of each other, sure he'd wondered both to himself and out loud how it was possible they were from the same parents. But he never once hated his brother. Disagreed with him? Almost always. Was annoyed by him? Often. But hate? Never. Despite having told him so back when he'd shown up to help him through the loss of Jessica, he never hated him. Now more than ever he wished he could have Dean back so that he could tell him, reassure him, that he never has and never could.
"Because," Sam replied in the strongest voice he could muster despite the emotion that fought to be heard as well. "He's my brother."
The demon chuckled. "And that is precisely why Dean is the perfect candidate for me. Why should I wear your mother when it's your brother that clearly gets to you? Your rage, your fear, your passion, it all stems from this one human being. Believe me Sam, I was a bit thrown myself. I'd thought him useless at first, but how wrong I was. And that is the exact reason I can't let your brother go. You understand don't you? As long as Dean's around, you're bound to follow your destiny. Say yes and he will live on. With me inside him of course, but at least he won't be dead. Of course if you'd rather I could kill him and use his body like an empty shell and continue to live within."
Sam tensed at the thought, but before he could say anything, the demon looked as though he were going to stumble almost like he'd had a dizzy spell all of the sudden. The elder brother closed his eyes and when he opened them again, the yellow was gone and Dean's own green eyes peered back. He looked lost at first until his gaze fell on their mother laying lifelessly on the ground.
"M-mom?" He stammered in a shaky voice.
"Dean?" Sam questioned hopefully.
The eldest turned pale and unable to support himself any longer due to a mixture of exhaustion and shock his legs gave out and he fell to his knees and hurled. Tears pricked his eyes as he sat staring at Mary.
"Dean, Dean hey look at me. Look at me Dean." Sam had managed to half crawl half walk himself to his sibling where he grabbed his head in his hands and redirected his brothers attention to him. Looking into Dean's eyes and finally seeing his actual brother brought tears to his own. "It's ok Dean. It's going to be ok."
"I-I killed-" the words stuck and Sam thought Dean was going to empty his stomach once again.
"That wasn't you. That wasn't you Dean. It was that yellow eyed bastard." The words didn't seem to breech the elder brother. "It's alright. I'm just...oh God. It's so good to see you Dean," the younger sibling said with a grateful smile moving his hands from Dean's face to wrap his arms around him in a tight embrace. His smile faded when he was shoved away and his relief was replaced with horror when he saw his brother with a shaky outstretched hand, a bowed head, and closed eyes. "Stay back," he demanded. "I can't hold him off much longer. He's-"
"Dean?"
The eldest opened his eyes and they were yellow once again. The demon shook his hostage's head. "It would seem I've under estimated your brother once again. But no matter I've-" he closed his eyes again and when he opened them, they were Dean's once more. Sam could see him struggling to keep the demon at bay.
"I-I can't hold him back for long," he explained through clenched teeth. His hand found the fallen Colt and he quickly collected it. "You've got one shot, make it count Sam." He held it out to his younger brother who shook his head rapidly with a look of disbelief, all color drained from his face.
"No, don't talk like that. We're going to get through this, I promise you we will."
"I'm not seeing any other options here."
"Bobby'll help us. He'll know what to do. Just like he did with Jessica," Sam reassured him trying to keep his voice calm.
"Sam we aren't talking about some run of the mill demon. He's not going to just let me go. Please," Dean tried again with a pleading look in his eyes.
"No Dean forget it. It's out of the question."
The elder brother brought the hand that held the weapon up and placed it at his temple.
"Dean don't! Don't do this, please. Please don't leave me all alone. I've already lost Jess, I've lost Mom, Dad, please...don't make me lose you too. I can't, not after everything. Please." Fresh tears welled up in his imploring eyes.
"It's the only way I know I can keep you safe," the elder sibling responded as his own gaze began to mist. "Its the only way I can watch out for my little brother."
Sam made a move to get closer to his sibling, but Dean only edged away slightly. The gun still pressed to his head. "Dean, please," Sam begged as tears rolled down his cheeks. The twenty six year old bit his lower lip trying to keep it from trembling.
"Take care of yourself Sammy," his smile didn't reach his watery eyes.
"No, Dean-"
Dean's finger closed in on the trigger and a bang rang out throughout the cemetery.
A/n: I'm so sorry for the wait. I kinda struggled with getting this one out. The day I would have posted happened to be the date that I lost someone and I wasn't feeling up to posting.
SparksFlyAngel: I hope you enjoyed or at least didn't dislike this chapter. I'm glad to hear that you were (hopefully are) still liking the story and that your sanity is still in tact lol. Again I'm so sorry I didn't post last Wednesday. Thank you so much for your review!