Chapter 9: Life at Bobby's

4 Weeks Later

It was strange, not having the Roadhouse to go back to. Andy was happy to set up home base at Bobby's place, and Bobby was more than happy to have her. His house wasn't huge, but Dyson helped with that. He made a small room for Andy just off the porch. Bobby was curious about Dyson and his relationship with Andy. But, being Bobby, he didn't ask out right. He observed. He kept note of how they were together. He found he liked the man, in spite of the fact that he was serious competition for Dean. Bobby had known Andy for close to 11 years. John had brought her around only a few months after she appeared. Together they had told him the whole story. Where Andy was from, what she could do. Everything. Bobby had accepted Andy in a day, and come to care for her in three. So he watched out for her, even though he knew she could easily take care of herself. He made sure that Dyson was respectful of her privacy while they were in the house together.

Dyson had gone with the boys to help with demon hunts for a while. They were his speciality after all being a Death God. He also went to get new materials for his jewelry. When they made it back to Bobby's Dyson would work for hours. It got to the point where he stopped going on hunts and just worked. When the Roadhouse had burned down, he had lost all of his stock. It was sad, because he was just starting to get some recognition. Word had been spreading. Once he had rebuilt his stock he started looking into selling again. He ended up talking at length to Bobby about his ideas on how to do it. Together, over a few months, they built the business to the point that Bobby set up a shell corporation to house the cash. With all that was coming in Dyson let the boys take what they needed. It kept them comfortably in cash. They still hustled at pool and poker for extra lining, but the credit cards were scrapped which was a good thing when the feds started looking into them. Bobby started calling him Payday for all the cash he could rake in with one deposit of gold or silver. While all of this was going on Andy had decided to catch up on her herb lore. She was happily camped out at Bobby's combing through his library. It was stimulating. It had been a long time since she had had a chance to do some quality research.

Hey Andy

What's up Bobby?

I have, sort of a job for you if you want it.

I'm listening

Girl I know is looking for a specific magical herb, she'll pay well.

Ok What's she looking for?

Devils Shoe string

Ok, I can get that. When does she want it by?

Next week.

Sure sounds good . What's her name?

Bella Talbot.

Andy had quite the small adventure with Bella. First she tried to swindle Andy out of some of her rarest medicinal herbs, then she tried to brag about how she outwitted the Winchester brothers. Her biggest mistake was telling Andy about the scratch tickets she had stolen from them. Because Andy stole them back. She cashed them before heading back to Bobby's. She stashed the cash in a simple savings account and hoped she wouldn't forget to tell the boys eventually. When she got back to Bobby's he was fiddling around with the colt.

"Bobby, I really doubt you're going to be able to figure that thing out."

"Yea, well it's worth a try." It was only a few hours later that Andy got a sudden foreboding. Something akin to a vision without pictures. She rushed out to where Bobby was testing the gun and got to him just in time to see a woman suddenly appear.

"Bobby watch out!" she called to him. He saw her and pointed the gun.

"Well now, any way to treat a friend?"

"Who are you?" Bobby asked suspiciously.

"You know that gun won't stop a demon if that's what you're after."

"How the hell would you know?"

"Oh I don't know," the blonde lowered her head for a moment then looked up at them. Her eyes were completely black." Call it an educated guess."

"Well I'm in luck then," Bobby said and shot her.

"Ouch. Now that we're done posturing, do you want me to help you out with that gun or not?"

Bobby looked back at Andy who shook her head slightly. Bobby just shrugged.

"Couldn't hurt." Everything about this screamed wrong to Andy, but she kept her mouth shut. As it turned out it came in handy when Dean got himself stuck in a basement with a demon. But something about this demon chick rubbed Andy the wrong way. She was poison walking.

Shortly after Ruby had introduced herself Andy exhausted Bobby's supply of books and was itching for more. She decided to take a trip to New York to check out some of the Folklore museums scattered around the state. She hit one in Buffalo first. She spent about a week combing through dusty volumes. She spent a good few weeks bouncing around small town to small town devouring book after book of folklore, herb-lore and other fun stuff. She was keeping in touch with the boys. Dyson had turned his attention to tracking down the demons that had gotten through the gate while it was open. He somehow felt obligated because, as he put it, "I hunt broken souls, demons are close enough." When the boys were working a job in Albany, she met up with them to help. It was going pretty smoothly, until Gordon Walker showed up and started shooting.

"Run! I'll daw them off." Dean said. Before either Sam or Andy could say anything Dean went sprinting off. Sam and Andy ran. They made it to the house they were hiding out in with no problem. When they got in Andy could tell that Sam was frustrated and worried.

"He'll be fine Sam." Andy said as much to reassure herself as Sam. Sam sighed heavily and shook his head.

"I don't know Andy. It's like he wants the danger."

"Yea well, he's kinda always been like that."

"This is different Andy. I don't know…I think it's his deal. He thinks he's already dead so he has nothing to lose." Andy sighed and sat at the small table in the corner of the room.

"Not much we can do about it right now but wait." Sam nodded. Two hours later and Sam nearly pacing a hole in the floor Dean reappeared.

"There you are!" Sam said. "What the hell took you so long?"

"The other guy was hard to lose."

"Nice move you pulled back there, running right at the weapons." Dean just shrugged.

"So I guess Gordon's out of jail."

"Looks like," said Andy standing up. "How did he know where to find you?" Dean shook his head, then got a look of understanding.

"That bitch," he said quietly as he pulled out his phone.

Bella, Andy decided, was almost as bad as Ruby. Poison walking. She only slightly redeemed herself when she let the boys know where Gordon was later. When they got to the place, there was no Gordon, but they did find the vampire they had been looking for. But what they found out was so much worse. The vampire had turned Gordon. Dean and Andy went to check motels and other abandoned placed to see if he could find Gordon while Sam went back to their place. When Andy got back she heard raised voices coming from inside. She quietly opened the door and looked in. The boys were facing off.

"Stop trying to act like you're not afraid." Sam was in fine form.

"I'm not-" Dean's hard voice shot back.

"You're lying. And you may as well drop it 'cause I can see right through you. And so can Andy." Andy winced and wished Sam had left her out of it. He was right though.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." There was a pause.

"Yea, I do. You're scared Dean. Your year is running out and you're still going to hell. You're freaked."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I know you Dean. I've been looking up to you since I was four Dean, studying you trying to be just like my big brother. So yea I know you. Better than anyone, except maybe Andy, and this, right here, this is how you act when you're terrified. And I can't blame you…it's just…"

"What?"

"I just wish you would drop the show and be my brother again. 'Cause…just 'cause." Dean looked at his brother. Andy could see he had taken what Sam had said to heart.

"He's not wrong Dean," Andy said making the boys both jump. Dean honest to God blushed. Andy went over to him and took his hand. "We know you're scared, because we are too. Sam is right. You don't need the act. Not for us. We need you to be you, and we will stand by you. Together." Dean looked at Andy then glanced at Sam. He brought Andy's hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Alright we'll hold up. Cover our sent and wait the night out here." That was a great plan, until Gordon threw a wrench into it.

They went into the warehouse carefully. Weaving through the corridors always on guard. They came into one section and heard a muffled cry. Sam and Dean went to the woman tied to a pipe while Andy kept an eye out for Gordon. They got her free and got going.

"Come on boys, pick it up." Andy said as they hurried back the way they had come. Dean scooped the girl up in his arms.

"Sammy, stay close." They passed through an opening, when suddenly the door fell in separating Sam and Andy from Dean.

"Sam! Andy!" Dean shouted from the other side of the door.

"Dean!" Sam kicked at the door but it was shut tight.

"Damn it Sam! Be careful!" Dean shouted. Andy sighed as they walked away from the door, trying to figure out where to go. That was when the lights cut out. Andy and Sam both put their blades up. Ready and waiting. Andy felt Sam move away. She couldn't see a thing.

"Sam!" she hissed. "Sam, what the hell!"

"Gordon! You've got me where you want me! Might as well come out and fight!" And he's thinking Dean is the reckless one. Andy glanced at the blade in her hand, which she could barely see at all. Screw this! She dropped it and shifted. Much easier to see. And smell. She sniffed out the vampire's sickly sent and stalked it. He was so focused on Sam, Gordon never saw her coming. She growled and lunged at him, knocking him down. She went for a swipe at his head, but he managed to throw her off quickly. She twisted in the air and landed well.

"Well well. We have a room full of monsters." Gordon's voice was cocky. Andy growled again. They circled each other. Gordon lunged first. Andy went for a strike again, but he caught her leg and twisted. White hot pain lanced all the way up to her shoulder. She roared, and was forced back into human form.

"Andy!" she heard Sam yell, then she heard a crash, and saw light. She managed to stagger up and made stumbled toward the light. She found the hole in the wall just in time to see Gordon sink his teeth into Dean.

"No!" she and Sam yelled in unison. She saw Sam hit Gordon over the head, and he let go of Dean. Gordon beat on Sam until he managed to grab some razor wire and wrap it around Gordon's neck and pull until his head came off. Andy got to Dean and helped him up with her good arm. She looked at Sam.

"Kinda reckless don't you think. Charging a vamped out Gordon?" Sam went over to them. He looked at Andy's arm.

"We should get you to a hospital." he said. Dean looked at Andy suddenly concerned.

"What happened?" Andy tried to shrug off his question, but Sam wouldn't let her."

"Gordon broke her arm while she was a cougar." Dean did a double take.

"Well, that's just great." he said with a sigh. Andy shrugged. They got themselves out, and to a hospital, where Andy had her arm set and casted.

"Fucking sucks. Tell me I can't ride my motorcycle for six weeks. I hate not being able to heal myself. At least I heal fast. This thing will be off in one."

Andy decided it was time she started hunting with the boys again. She was stuck anyway, not being able to ride her motorcycle at the moment. She wasn't complaining. She watched Sam and Dean work on the Impala together, something they had never done before. She and Dean had long talks about nothing in particular, and sweet nights wrapped in each other's arms. They tried not to think about the looming date not that far away. The day that would tear apart the small amount of happiness they had found.

Six months later

Here it was. Dean had 30 hours to live and she was at her wit's end. When Bobby found the ritual to find Lilith, she felt a glimmer of hope. If they could kill her, maybe Dean wouldn't die. Maybe she didn't have to watch another person she loved go down bloody. She wished she knew why Dean was so resistant. Sure, it was dangerous, and she agreed that asking Ruby for help was an option to avoid like the plague, but something was keeping Dean nervous, and Andy wanted to know what. She caught Dean alone at one point. Sitting on the couch staring off into space.

"Dean?" He blinked and looked up at her. His eyes said it all. Andy went over to him and knelt down in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. He stroked her hair lightly. She couldn't take it. She crawled into his lap and locked her arms around him. He chuckled softly. It was a sound thick with unshed tears.

"I'm gonna miss you too baby." With that Andy broke down. When she had come down a bit she pulled away and kissed him.

"We have to try something. I can't just sit here waiting for you to die. Dyson's a badass he can take Lilith on." Dean sighed.

"Andy, I can't let Sam make the same mistake. I can't let him go down that road. And I can't let Dyson get hurt for me. 'Specially because of what it'll do to you." Andy looked at him seriously.

"Then we take that bitches knife, and we go after Lilith our way." Dean looked up at her with the first sign of life she'd seen in days.

"Damn straight." He kissed her, then gently pushed her off his lap and wandered out of the house. Andy could see he was planning something. She hopped it involved killing Ruby. Bitch needed to die.

Andy watched Sam as he summoned Ruby. She had known he would do it. There she was. Cocky bitch as ever, talking bullshit about Lilith being on shore leave and not giving up her knife. When she came out with this stuff about Sam having powers beyond visions. She knew right where to push. Dean. That was when Andy walked out of the shadows.

"Sam, you know he wouldn't want you to do this." They both turned to her.

"Andy we don't have a choice." Sam said frustrated.

"You always have a choice Sam." Andy returned hoping he would see reason.

"Exactly," Ruby butted in. "Sam, it's your choice, not this chicks."

"Shut up bitch. No one was talking to you." Andy shot back at her. "Sam think about this Dean would not want you to go down that road and you know it."

"But Andy this could save him."

"You're not going to teach him anything." Dean's voice came from behind them. He came walking in with a slightly satisfied smirk on his face. "Oh, I knew you would show up. But you are not teaching him anything. Over my dead body."

"Well you got that right," Ruby said facing Dean. Andy's fists clenched, but Dean glanced at her and she forced herself to relax.

"Now, here's the deal. You're going to give me that knife, then craw back into whatever slop hole you came from and never bother us again."

"You're brother is holding a time bomb and we would be stupid not to use it."

"She's right Dean. Maybe we should-"

"Sam don't! Are you blind, can't you see what she's doing here. She wants you to give in to this demonic anti-Christ shit."

"I want Lilith dead. That's all. You know I am so sick of proving myself. You want to live, this is how you dumb spineless dick!" Andy lunged for Ruby but Dean beat her to it. He punched her hard across the face. Ruby swung back. Then they were kicking each other all over the barn. Well more like she was kicking Dean. Right to where he wanted her. He stood ginning.

"Missing something," he said holding up the knife.

"I'll kill you," Ruby said taking a few steps and running into an invisible barrier.

"Like I said. I knew you'd come. Let's go Sam." The three of them walked out to Ruby's shouts.

Andy was heading to her bike to grab a few things when she overheard Dean talking to Dyson.

"Will you promise me something?" Dean's voice was serious, almost pleading.

"Sure. Anything." Dyson's tone was even, but Andy knew he was nervous.

"Look after Sam for me? Just, I don't know, keep an eye on him. If this all goes south he's going to need someone." There was a pause.

"Absolutely. It's a promise." Andy saw Dean hold out his hand which Dyson shook stoically. Then pulled Dean into a rough hug. Andy smiled through the tears she hadn't noticed. Once again, she felt that slight glimmer of hope. That night she had a vision. There was no way they could save him. Dean was going to hell. She had known it for a long time. She had seen it. When she healed Dean two years ago, she had seen him in hell. She knew now. There was nothing she could do. In spite of knowing this, Andy decided not to give up.

How Ruby made it out of the devils trap was something Andy would always wonder at. But that didn't matter right now. It was a close thing, but they made it into the house where Lilith was possessing a little girl. Sam took the knife, Dyson had his blade, so they went looking. Ruby went with Sam, Andy with Dyson and Dean. When Sam found the girl, Lilith had left her. They got the family down to the basement, and tried to regroup.

"Alright Ruby you win. What do I have to do?" Sam said. Ruby looked at him skeptically.

"I gave you your chance. We needed time."

"Sam what are you doing?"

"There's got to be something? Some way. Whatever it is I'll do it." Dean grabbed Sam, who tried to shove him off. "Dean, no. Dean! I'm not going to let you go to hell!"

"Yes you are!" Dean shouted. Andy looked up at him tears stinging her eyes. "Yes you are. I'm sorry. This is all my fault, I know that. But this is not going to save me. It's only going to kill you."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Keep fighting. Take care of my wheels. Sammy, remember what Dad taught you. Remember what I taught you." That was when the clock stuck midnight and they all heard a howl. Suddenly Dyson swung at something.

"Run!" he shouted, and they did. They found a room with a door. The swung it closed and Dean laid down a line of Goofer dust.

"What about Dyson?" Sam said panicked.

"He'll be fine." Andy said. They could hear the Hell Hounds streaking as Dyson cut them down. But they just kept coming.

"Give me the knife, maybe I can fight it off." Ruby said. Andy looked at her suspiciously.

"Come on, that dust won't last forever."

"Wait," Dean shouted. "Sam, that's not Ruby. It's not Ruby it's Lilith!" Sam tried to swing the knife at her, but Lilith batted him aside.

"Dyson!" Andy screamed, and was thrown against a wall for her trouble. The impact knocked her out. When she came to Sam was holding Dean, crying. Dyson was standing at the doorway looking defeated. Dean was a bloody mess. Andy scrambled up and went over to where Sam was holding Dean. She fell to her knees. It felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest and crushed. Sam stood quiet and fierce. He went to Andy and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. He looked as dead as she felt. They stayed that way for a moment and then Sam walked out. She swore she heard a cry.

Somebody help me! Andy!...Sam!...SAM!