Author's Note: First, I would like to apologize for the long delay. I really wanted to get this chapter up in May, but the month got busier than expected and I didn't meet that goal and I needed to finish it then because I had a writing class from June-August where I was working on a novel idea I had and there wasn't time for both projects. Unfortunately, after the writing class ended I fell into a writing slump. I really struggled with this chapter. A lot of that probably had to do with the content. There is going to be a major warning with this chapter so please read that before continuing on to read. Second, I had intended for this to be the last chapter and combine the final two episodes of the series but even though this probably means a shorter last chapter, it was going to be way too long. There will be one more chapter for this fic. Remember, I split the seasons into their own fics so the story is not so overwhelming, especially for anyone who is looking to start these fics. The new fic title will be There's No Time for Us. Thank you for reading! If you have time please leave me a review. They motivate me and honestly I could use some for the last chapter.
Warning: I am very serious. Please pay attention to and heed these warnings before deciding to read the chapter. I do not want anyone to be triggered and this is a very rough chapter. There is rape and graphic torture and victim blaming in this chapter. There is also a confrontation with a past abuser. Please do not read if you are uncomfortable. You can message me if you want to know what happens in the chapter. Please protect yourself. No one under 18 should interact with this fic.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Supernatural. All rights belong to the creators and writers of the show.
Dean pulled up to a small diner. They had just finished a case and were stopping for takeout before getting on the road again. It had been a mostly quiet drive since leaving the last town behind. Most car rides were silent these days. Dean's gaze went to the rearview mirror so he could check on Fallon in the backseat. After the incident with the djinn things had gotten worse for her. She was silent and completely withdrawn. He only got minimal responses from her, usually a slight shake of the head or a nod, and she didn't interact with Sam at all.
He and Sam had both tried everything they could think of to get Fallon back to herself. Sam had purchased numerous magazines and books from gas stations, but they hadn't interested her. Dean had gone out of his way to pick a fight with her, but she didn't take the bait. She didn't participate on the hunts. As a last resort they'd dropped her off at Bobby's. Sam had thought maybe some time away from the hunt where she could spend time in an almost regular life would do her some good. Dean had been reluctant to let her out of his sight, but had agreed to this plan.
It hadn't worked. Bobby had called them after only a week and told them they needed to get back there pronto. Dean had never gone so far above the speed limit in his life. When they got to Bobby's it was obvious why he'd called. Fallon had almost gone full on vengeful spirit. She kept flickering in and out of sight and there were signs of a haunting happening at Bobby's house. She stopped though when he and Sam had shown up. Dean thought she looked relieved when she saw them, but it was hard to tell as she just teleported to the Impala without saying a word to anyone. Dean had been worried that Bobby would be mad, but he'd just been concerned. Dean thought the old man might have been starting to warm up to Fallon.
After that, both boys agreed maybe they just needed to give her time and space to come back on her own. As he watched her blank and emotionless face as she stared out of the window in the back seat Dean realized that plan wasn't helping anything. A car door opening turned his attention away from Fallon.
"What do you want to eat?" Sam asked as he slid out of the car.
"I'll have a burger," Dean said. "And don't forget about the extra onions. Oh, and take Fallon with you."
Sam looked surprised before sending a guilty glance towards Fallon. "I don't think she wants to come in with me."
"Well, that's too damn bad," Dean said. "We've let her mope around enough. It's time to get things back to normal. It's time for some tough love."
Sam sighed but looked back at Fallon. "Fallon, come on, come in with me to place the order." Fallon didn't respond. She didn't even look in Sam's direction.
"Hey!" Dean said, raising his voice. "You're going in with him, Fallon." It was a relief to see a flash of anger cross her face as she turned to look at him.
"I don't want to go in," she said. Her voice almost had some emotion in it.
"Tough," Dean said. "You're going in, even if I have to drag you in myself."
Fallon snorted; anger clear in her face now. "You wouldn't dare," she said. "You'd look like a nut job struggling against thin air."
"I can live with that," Dean replied and opened his car door. This prompted Fallon to teleport out of the car next to Sam. She stormed off in the direction of the diner's entrance. Dean and Sam shared relieved looks. It was the most normal she'd been in almost a month. Dean hadn't realized how much he'd missed her. Sam started to walk towards Fallon, when another thought crossed Dean's mind. He stuck his head out the window and shouted after Sam and Fallon. "Bring me some pie!" They both shot him unamused looks. Dean just smiled. "I love me some pie."
Dean flipped on the radio while he waited for them, but after a few moments the station went to static. He tried another station, but the same thing was happening. He frowned as he switched through multiple stations before it shut off completely. He looked up at the diner to see if Sam and Fallon were on their way back and jumped when he realized he couldn't see anyone. No customers were at the table. The waiter wasn't moving around. Sam and Fallon were nowhere in sight. Startled, Dean got out of the car and ran into the diner.
"Sam?!" he called looking around the empty diner. "Fallon?!" His eyes landed on a nearby booth and when he walked over to it, he saw a customer slumped down in the booth, his face in a puddle of his own blood. Dean quickly drew his gun and began scanning the rest of the space. "Sam?" He spotted the employees behind the counter. They were also dead. "Fallon?!" He rushed to the back room of the diner. The room was empty. He was about to turn to leave when he noticed a strange dust on the ground. He knelt to inspect it and his stomach dropped. "Sulphur."
He rushed back out to the car hoping to find his brother and Fallon there. "Sam! Fallon!" he cried desperately. "Sammy!" They weren't in the car and there was no response to his calls. "Fallon! Sam!" He leaned back against the car in dismay. He was alone.
Sam woke up and immediately covered his eyes from the bright sun that was shining down on him. After waiting a few moments for his eyes to adjust he sat up and looked around him. He was lying in the middle of a street. Around him he could see a few abandoned buildings in various states of disrepair. He didn't see anyone else. He got to his feet and took a few steps as he continued to survey his surroundings.
"Fallon!" he called. She'd been with him in the diner when he got taken. "Fallon!" He searched a few of the buildings around him, but didn't find her. If she was here, she was in a different area. He pulled out his phone to try and call Dean, but there was no signal. He cursed and continued his search of the town. He paused in his search when he heard something nearby creak. He grabbed a loose board off a porch and held it up in case he needed to fight, but he lowered it when he recognized the person who turned the corner. "Andy?"
"Sam!" Andy said shocked. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know," Sam replied.
"What am I doing here?!" Andy asked panicked.
"I don't know," Sam said again.
"Where are we?"
"Andy," Sam said. "Calm down."
"I can't calm down!" Andy screamed. "I just woke up in freaking Frontierland!"
"What's the last thing you remember?" Sam asked.
"Honestly?" Andy said. "My fourth bong load. It was weird. All of a sudden, there was this really intense smell. Like, uh…"
"Like sulfur?" Sam said.
"How did you know that?" Andy asked.
"Because I smelled it to before I wound up here," Sam said.
"Is your brother here?" Andy asked. "Or your ghost friend?"
"I don't know where my brother is," Sam said. "Or Fallon. She was with me when I got taken, but I don't think she's here."
"That's too bad," Andy said. "She would probably be a lot of help right now."
Sam laughed. "Yeah, she…" He cut off when he heard a woman scream. He shared a look with Andy and they both hurried in the direction of the scream. They hurried to another building nearby where they could hear the woman pounding on the door. It was locked shut. "Hello?"
"Help me!" the woman cried. "Help me, please!"
"Okay, I'm here," Sam assured her. "We're gonna get you out, all right? Just hold on a second." Sam looked around and saw a large rock lying nearby. He used it to smash the padlock on the door. The woman burst out gasping for air. Sam was stunned to realize he recognized her. "Ava?!"
"Oh my god, Sam!" she cried hugging him and sobbing.
"So, I guess you guys know each other," Andy said confused.
"Yeah," Sam said. "Ava, have you been here this whole time?"
"What whole time?" Ava asked. "I just woke up in there, like, a half an hour ago."
"Well, you've been gone for five months," Sam said. "My brother, Fallon, and I have been looking for you everywhere."
"Okay, that's impossible," Ava said. "I just saw you two days ago."
"You didn't," Sam told her. "I'm sorry."
"But…that makes no sense," Ava said. "That's not…on my God! My fiancé! If I've been missing that long he must be freaking out!"
"Well…"
"Sam, what's happening?" Ava asked.
"I don't really know yet," Sam said. "I know one thing: I know what the three of us have in common." Suddenly, a new voice called out to them. Sam looked up to see another man and woman approaching them. "Maybe more than three. Hey, you guys all right?"
"I think so," the man replied.
"I'm Sam."
"I'm Jake," the man replied.
"Lily," the woman said curtly.
"Are there any more of you?" Sam asked.
"No," Jake said.
"How did we even get here?" Lily asked. "A minute ago, I was in San Diego."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I went to sleep last night in Afghanistan," Jake replied.
"Let me take a wild guess," Sam said. "You two are both twenty-three? We all are. And we all have abilities."
"What?" Jake exclaimed.
"It started a little over a year ago?" Sam continued. "You found you could do things? Things you didn't think were possible." Jake and Lily both nodded. "I have visions. I see things before they happen."
"Yeah, me too," Ava said.
"Yeah, and I can put thoughts into people's heads," Andy said. "Like, make them do stuff. But don't worry. I don't think it works on you guys. Oh, but get this…I've been practicing. Training my brain like meditation. So now it's not just thoughts I can beam out, but images too. Like, anything I want. Bam! People see it."
"So you go, "Simon says give me your wallet" and they do?" Lily said and then turned to Sam. "You have visions? That's great! I'd kill for something like that."
"Lily, listen, it's okay…"
"No, it's not," Lily cut off Sam. "I touch people and their hearts stop. I can barely leave my house. My life's not exactly improved. I just want to go home."
"And what?" Jake snapped. "We don't?"
"Don't talk to me like that," Lily said.
"Hey, guys, please," Sam said. "Look, whether we like it or not, we're all here and so we all have to deal with this."
"Who brought us here?" Andy asked.
"It's less of a who," Sam said. "It's more of a what."
"What does that mean?" Ava asked.
"It's a…huh. It's a demon," Sam said. He wasn't surprised by the set of disbelieving stares.
When Dean arrived at Bobby's the two had immediately gotten to work trying to figure out what had happened to Sam and Fallon. They hadn't had any luck so far.
"This is it," Bobby said looking down at a map he'd spread out over his desk. "All demonic signs and omens over the past month."
"Are you joking?" Dean snapped. "There's nothing here."
"Exactly," Bobby said.
"Well, come on, there's got to be something," Dean said desperately. "What about the, the normal, low-level stuff? You know, exorcisms, that kind of thing."
"That's what I'm telling you," Bobby sighed. "There's nothing. It's completely quiet."
"Well, how do we look for Sam and Fallon?" Dean cried. "What, do we just close our eyes and point?" Bobby opened his mouth to reply and hesitated. "What?"
"We'll find Sam," Bobby said. "We know the demon has plans for him. But I'm not sure we'll find Fallon."
"Of course we will," Dean replied. "She was with Sam. She'll be with Sam."
"Don't you think that if she was with Sam, she would have teleported her way back to you to let you know where to find him?" Bobby questioned.
"Maybe she thinks it's too dangerous to leave him," Dean said. He felt panic consume him at the disbelieving look Bobby gave him. "Well, then maybe the demon is holding her captive somehow. It wouldn't be the first supernatural creature we've faced that figured out how to contain her."
"Dean," Bobby sighed. "the demon needs Sam. As long as Sam is involved with whatever this demon is up to, we can find him. But, Dean, what does the demon need Fallon for?"
"Fallon's fine, Bobby," Dean snapped. "Wherever she is she's okay. She's probably trying to figure out a way to get to me or Sam. She's okay. She has to be."
"I hope she is," Bobby said. "I really do. I know how much she means to you and to Sam. Hell, I've grown to like her at this point too, but we need to accept the fact that she may not be here anymore. The demon is much more powerful than she is. He could have destroyed her."
"He didn't," Dean replied.
"How do you know?" Bobby asked.
"Because, I… I need her to be okay, Bobby," Dean said. "We can't not look for her." Bobby sighed. He could tell by the look on his face he thought looking for Fallon was a pointless task. Dean opened his mouth to continue the argument when his phone rang. He looked down and recognized the number. He answered it and put it on speaker. "Ash. What do you got?"
"Okay, listen, it's a big negatory on Sam and Fallon…"
"Oh, come on, man!" Dean yelled, frustrated. "You've gotta give us something. We're looking at a three-thousand-mile haystack here."
"Listen, Dean, I did find something," Ash said.
"Well, what?"
"I can't talk over this line, Dean," Ash said.
"Come on, I don't have time for this!" Dean exclaimed.
"Make time, okay?" Ash said. "Because this…not only does it help you find your brother, this is huge. So, get here. Now."
Dean cursed when Ash hung up. "I guess we're going to the Roadhouse. Come on."
Fallon groaned as she regained consciousness. As usual when she came back from having her powers drained, she felt like she got hit by a truck. She blinked her eyes a few times before finally focusing on her surroundings. She was lying on her back in the middle of the room on what felt like a stone table. Her arms were tied down above her head. She felt a spike of fear run through her when realized she didn't recognize where she was. Her last memory was waiting for food at a diner with Sam. She'd felt something coming and then nothing.
"Sam!" she called out looking around the parts of the room she could see. "Sammy!" She got nothing back. Either he was unconscious or he was being kept somewhere else. She refused to think of any other reason he wouldn't answer her. She took a few deep breaths to push down the panic and then really looked at her surroundings. It appeared she was in some kind of dungeon or a scary basement. Her grandmother's basement came to mind as she stared at where the walls were crumbling in some parts. Aside from the sketchy foundation of the room she was in the walls had chains hanging on them. The kind of chains used to hold people captive. And Fallon was pretty sure the stains on the wall were blood.
She didn't plan on sticking around to find out. She was too weak right now to teleport so she'd have to wander around her surroundings the normal way. She tried to phase her wrists through the cuffs so she could sit up, but when her skin hit the cuffs, it burned her. "Gahhh!" she cried. She tried again with the same results. Her wrists were now covered in blistering burns and were bleeding. In her weakened state she didn't understand why she couldn't escape the cuffs. They couldn't be soaked in salt. She took a few deep breaths and was about to try again when a voice stopped her.
"I wouldn't try again," it said. The voice was familiar. "Those cuffs are iron."
Fallon whipped her head around and saw someone had walked into the room. Someone with yellow eyes. "You!" she gasped.
"Me," the yellow eyed demon said with a smile. "I've got to tell you, Fallon. You've been quite a pain in the ass. An unexpected pain in the ass. In all my calculations never did I expect the Winchesters to ally themselves with a ghost. I wasn't too concerned at first. I didn't think the alliance would last and then I thought it wouldn't matter anyway when it did. You're not an old spirit. Your power would be nothing.
"Then much to my surprise you wind up being more powerful than could be expected. I don't think you understand just how much of an anomaly you are. Most ghosts your age are lucky if they can move an object around a room. You, on the other hand, well you can fight against demons. Well, stall them anyway. You have caused me quite the conundrum. It's taken me awhile to decide just what to do with you. I couldn't leave you with Sam. You'd be able to get back to Dean. I need Sam away from him so he can fulfill his destiny. Dean would just get in the way."
"In the way of what?" Fallon asked, but the demon ignored her.
"And even if you stayed with Sam you'd cause too many problems," he continued. "You can't beat me, but, as you've proven, you can inconvenience me. You've caused me a lot of trouble you know. You almost ruined everything with my special children when you were searching for Ava. I had to send numerous Acheris up to the ghost town to distract you. And even then, you almost came across my children more than once. It was a relief to me when you gave up.
"Of course, you wouldn't have given up when I took Sammy." He shot her a fake look of sympathy. "I want you to know I did consider trying to take Sam when he wasn't with you. In the past that wasn't very often but you've been sidled up to our Dean-O lately. I could have gotten him without you. But I knew nothing would distract you from searching for Sam so…here we are."
"Where is here?" Fallon asked.
"Where is here?" the yellow eyed demon laughed. "Why you haven't figured it out, Fallon? You're in Hell."
"That's not possible," Fallon said. "I haven't moved on."
"It is a grey area," the yellow eyed demon admitted. "I'm not supposed to tell you this of course, but you aren't marked down in Hell's books. You're right. You shouldn't be here. Here's the thing though. Hell doesn't require you to decide to move on. See God always had this proponent about free will. He likes to let his creations make their own decisions. When a person whose soul is destined for Heaven dies, they can choose to move on to or they can choose to stay like you did.
"But you see, Hell doesn't give a damn about anyone's choices. We could drag any lost spirit down here that we desire," the demon said. "So, you see, it doesn't matter that you didn't decide to move on. By staying you revoked your right to choose what happens to your soul. And unfortunately for you, Hell has decided you are an incredibly useful weapon."
"I'm not going to be a weapon for you!" Fallon cried. "I will never help you."
The demon sighed, bowing its head. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that. You see, I like you, Fallon. You've got spunk. I'd hate to have to beat it out of you. Things will go much better for you if you cooperate."
Fallon snorted. "I'm not going to do a damn thing for you," she said. "I would rather be destroyed."
"And waste your potential?" it said in mocked dismay. "I don't think so. We'll just have to turn you into one of us the hard way."
"What, a demon?" Fallon said. "That's not possible. I'm not a fallen angel."
That made the demon laugh out loud. "That bit of lore always amused me," he chuckled. "Some lore is just myth. No, we weren't fallen angels. We were humans. And when we were condemned to Hell, well, our souls were corrupted."
Fallon fidgeted under the demon's stare. She didn't like where this was going. "How?"
The demon smiled. "I think you'll find out soon enough." His gaze landed on something behind her. "Alistair, thank you for coming."
"My she is a gorgeous soul," a scratchy voice sounded behind her. Fallon craned her neck and caught sight of another demon approaching her. This demon wasn't possessing anyone. She was horrified to realize she could see its true form. A grotesque skull was staring down at her as he observed her. Most of the skin and tissue had worn away but some still clung to certain parts of the face. Its one remaining eye was hanging by a thread and resting against its cheek. The rest of its body was just as nightmarish. She wished she could look away. It seemed pleased with her appearance though. "It's rare to see a soul so bright. We don't normally get these."
"I thought you'd be pleased," the yellow eyed demon said. "Do your worst with her. We need her corrupted and topside as soon as possible. She'll be a great help in the war."
"You know I like to take my time," Alistair said.
"Yes, but not too much time," the yellow eyed demon said. He then turned his gaze back to Fallon and gave her a smile. "Welcome to the team." She glared at him until he was out of sight and then she turned her gaze back to Alistair who was staring at her with a wicked gleam in his eye.
"I won't break," she told him.
He laughed. "Oh darling," he rasped. "They all say that." He turned away and moved to a cart that was resting by the wall adjacent to her. When he turned around, he was holding a knife. He smiled at her again as he approached and then cut into her wrist. She grimaced as the knife sliced through her skin. She assumed the blade was iron since it burned her skin, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of screaming from pain. Alistair lifted the blade after a few moments and Fallon craned her neck to look up at the wound. The knife had left a horizontal cut across her wrist just below her hand. It was bleeding but not a lot. She didn't think it was very deep. She laughed.
"Is that all you got?" she huffed giving Alistair a defiant stare. Alistair's smile widened and he dropped the knife to the floor. She frowned as his hand went to the cut and held onto the loose piece of skin he'd sliced before. She screamed in agony when he peeled the skin down her wrist. It burned agonizingly as her flesh was peeled away. Blood flowed down her arm and her screams became louder when she saw her arm had been flayed deep enough to reveal muscle and bone.
Alistair stopped when he reached her elbow. His smile was sadistic now and the look in his eyes was pure evil. "What was that you said?" he asked, mocking her. She couldn't respond. All she could do was sob and then scream again when he continued to tear the flesh from her.
"So, we're soldiers in a demon war to bring on the Apocalypse?" Jake said incredulously after Sam explained what he believed to be going on.
Sam winced. "When you put it like that…"
"And we've been picked?" Jake cut him off.
"Yes."
"Why us?"
"I'm not sure, okay?" Sam replied. "I just know…"
"Sam, I'm sorry," Ava cut in. "Psychics and spoon bending is one thing, but demons?"
"I know it sounds crazy but…"
"It doesn't just sound it," Jake muttered.
"I don't really care what you think," Sam snapped. "If we're all gathered here together, then that means it's starting and we've gotta…"
"The only thing I've gotta do is stay away from wackjobs, okay?" Jake cried. "I've heard enough. I'm better off on my own. FYI, so are you."
"Jake, hold on," Sam said as he started to walk off. "Jake!" Sam sighed as he continued to walk away. He turned to the remaining group. "We need to follow him. Just keep your distance. Sam led the group through the town. He left enough space between them and Jake so he wouldn't know they were following him. At one point Jake was out of their site. Sam hurried around a corner and spotted Jake in one of the abandoned buildings. As he got closer, he saw what looked to be a little girl, but when she sprouted claws, he knew immediately it was something else. He immediately rushed into the building and grabbed an iron poker abandoned by a fire place and attached the being in enough time to save Jake. Ava, Lily, and Andy rushed in right at that moment.
Sam looked at Jake who was staring in shock at the space the creature had been before. "Just so you know…that was a demon. I think it was an Acheri. A demon hat disguises itself as a little girl. That still doesn't tell us where we are." He turned to face the others. "Andy, are you with me or what?"
"Give me a minute," Andy said still looking stunned. "I'm still working through demons are real." The group continued their survey of the town. Eventually they came across a building with a large bell on top of it.
"I've seen that bell before," Sam said. "I think I know where we are now; Cold Oak, South Dakota. A town so haunted, every single resident fled."
"Swell," Ava deadpanned. "Good to know we're somewhere historical."
"Why in the world would that demon or whatever put us here?" Lily asked.
"I'm wondering the same thing," Sam said.
"You know what, it doesn't matter," Lily said. "Clearly, the only sane thing to do here is get out of Dodge."
"Wait, hold on, Lily," Sam replied. "The only way out is through miles of woods. We don't know what's going on yet. I mean, we don't even know how many of them are out there right now."
"Yeah, he's right," Jake said. "We should…"
"Don't say we!" Lily cried. "I'm not part of a we. I have nothing in common with any of you. I accidentally touched my girlfriend!"
"I'm sorry," Sam said.
"Whatever," Lily huffed. "I feel like I'm in a nightmare, and it just keeps getting worse and worse."
"I've lost people too," Sam said. "I have a brother out there right now that could be dead for all I know. And my best friend is missing too. We're all in bad shape. But I'm telling you, the best way out of this is to stick together."
"Fine," Lily said.
"Okay," Sam said. "We need to gather weapons. Look for iron, silver, salt…really any kind of weapon."
"Salt is a weapon?" Jake asked.
"It's a brave new world," Sam replied.
"Well, hopefully there's food in your world," Andy said. "Are you sure Fallon isn't here somewhere?"
"Wherever Fallon is she's incapacitated," Sam said glumly. "She'd be here if she was okay."
"But, she's a ghost," Ava said. "She can't die again."
"No, but ghosts can be destroyed," Sam said. "And this demon would be able to do that."
"I'm sorry, Sam," Ava said. "I liked Fallon."
"Yeah, I did too," Andy said.
Sam nodded. "Thanks. I can't worry about Fallon or my brother right now, though. We need to gather supplies." The three looked through buildings for anything they could use.
"You guys! I found something," Andy cried. Sam and Ava turned to face him. Andy held up two bags. "Salt!"
"That's great, Andy," Sam said. "Now we all can…where's Lily?" The sound of giggling filled the air and they cautiously stepped outside and rejoined Jake. Ava gasped and pointed to the top of a tower where Lily was strung up.
"Oh my God!" Ava cried. "She's dead! You said we were chosen for a reason. That is not chosen! That's killed! We have to get out of here."
"Yeah, I second that emotion," Andy agreed.
"Not sure that's an option," Jake said.
"What?" Ava cried.
"Lily was trying to leave," Sam said. "The demon's not gonna let us get away that easy. We've gotta gear up for the next attack."
"I'll get her down," Jake said after a moment.
"You know, I was just thinking about how much Dean would help right now," Sam sighed. "I'd give my arm for a working phone."
"You know, you may not need one," Andy said. "I've never tried it long distance before, but do you have anything of Dean's on you? Like, something he touched?"
"Uh, I've got a receipt," Sam said fishing it out of his pocket. "Would that work?"
"Yeah," Andy said taking the receipt. "Give me a minute. I need to concentrate."
Dean's heart plummeted as he and Bobby pulled up to the Roadhouse. Well, what used to be the roadhouse. He looked in dismay at the smoke that was rising from the charred ashes of what remained of the building. There wasn't even a structure left.
"What the hell?" Dean muttered as they exited the car.
"Oh my God," Bobby exclaimed.
"You see Ellen?" Dean asked as they walked around the scatter remains of the building.
"No," Bobby said. "No Ash, either." Dean nodded and continued to look through the rubble. Something caught his eye and he bent down and discarded some rubble and groaned as he recognized the watch attached to the arm he'd uncovered.
"Oh, Ash, damn it!"
"This is…"
"What the hell did Ash know?" Dean said. "We've got no way of knowing where Ellen is. Or if she's even alive! We've got no clue what Ash was gonna tell us. Now, how the hell are we gonna find Fallon and Sam?"
"We'll find him," Bobby tried to reassure him. Dean was about to tell him off for not including Fallon in that reassurance when a sharp pain suddenly slammed into him right behind his eyes. He clutched his head in pain as it quickly spread through his entire skull. "Dean?" Dean only groaned as he doubled over. And then frowned as an image of an old bell appeared in his head. Then the pain lifted.
"What was that?" Bobby asked concerned.
"I don't know," Dean replied. "A headache?"
"You get headaches like that a lot?" Bobby said disbelievingly.
"No. Must be the stress," Dean said then chuckled. "I could have sworn I saw something."
"What do you mean?" Bobby said. "Like a vision? Like what Sam gets?"
"What?" Dean cried. "No!"
"I'm just saying…"
"Come on, I'm not psychic!" Dean cried and then doubled over as the pain returned. He fell against the car and held a hand to his forehead. This time the image he saw was Sam.
"Dean?" he heard Bobby calling his name. "Dean! Are you with me?"
"Yeah, I think so," Dean said as the pain faded again. "I saw Sam. I saw him, Bobby."
"It was a vision," Bobby said.
"Yeah," Dean said. "I don't know how, but yeah. Whew! That was about as fun as getting kicked in the jewels."
"What else did you see?" Bobby asked.
"Uh…there was a bell," Dean replied.
"What kind of bell?" Bobby asked.
"Like a big bell with some kind of engraving on it, I don't know," Dean said.
"Engraving? Was it a tree? Bobby asked. "Like, an oak tree?"
"Yeah, exactly," Dean replied.
"I know where Sam is," Bobby said and started to get into the car.
"And Fallon," Dean said defensively.
Bobby paused and looked back at Dean. "Did you see Fallon in the vision?"
"No. Just the bell and Sam," Dean said. "She's got to be with Sam though."
"Then why didn't you see her?" Bobby asked.
"I don't know!" Dean cried. "Maybe she was the one who sent the vision!"
"She can do that?" Bobby questioned doubtfully.
"She gains new abilities all the time," Dean said. "Maybe she figured this one out."
"Maybe," Bobby said, but Dean could tell he didn't mean it.
"Do you want her to be destroyed?" Dean snapped. "Is that why you're so sure we won't find her?"
"Of course, I don't want her to be destroyed," Bobby replied angrily. "She's a nice girl and I know how much she means to you and Sam. I do. But you need to face the facts here. The demon can't keep her around. She's growing increasingly powerful. She's effected or negated his abilities before. He got her out of the picture."
"He could just be holding her captive," Dean said. "We can't just give up on her. I…I need her to be okay."
Bobby nodded. "I understand that," he said. "But right now, we know where to find Sam. We know he's okay. We need to focus on getting to him so we can keep it that way. Then we can focus on Fallon."
"Yeah," Dean said. "You're right." He got in the car and got her running. He sped off for Cold Oak, South Dakota hoping he got there in time to save Sam and hoping Sam could lead them to Fallon.
Fallon cried out as Alistair's whip bit into her back yet again. She doubted any flesh remained on her back. He'd been torturing her for hours now. Her arms were being held above her head in iron chains that hung from the ceiling. Her toes were just barely on the floor. She couldn't get any relief for the strain on her shoulders.
The physical torment alone was unbearable, but she had also been stripped naked. She was on display for anyone who came into the room or who walked by. Alistair had invited many demons to come and watch a demonstration of his torture techniques. Fallon was sure they'd only been watching her. She did her best to ignore their lewd comments, but that wasn't easy to do when she was displayed for all to see.
Alistair moved to stand in front of her. His hand grazed her hip as he moved and she flinched away from the touch. She watched him warily as he gazed at her with a considering look. She was very familiar with this look by now. It never meant anything good for her.
"You seem to be approaching your limit," Alistair said. His tone suggested concern, but she could see his mocking smirk. This demon didn't know the meaning of mercy. "There is a way you can earn a break."
"I won't become a demon," she said.
Alistair chuckled. You will, but you're not there yet. I need to work you over more to get your soul to that state of corruption. You misunderstood my offer. I am offering you a chance to earn a break from your torment." He stared at her consideringly for a moment and then struck her across the face.
She cried out. Her cheek felt like it was on fire and she felt dizzy from the blow. She looked fearfully back at Alistair whose expression had changed to one of anger. "You shouldn't make assumptions," he told her. "You'll make an ass out of you and me."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," she replied. She hated herself for apologizing to him. She felt sick offering any courtesy to her abuser. She was more afraid of what he'd do to her if she didn't though.
His expression softened. "It's all right, my sweet," he crooned, stroking the cheek he'd just slapped. "You're not thinking straight. You need a break, don't you?" Hesitantly, she nodded. "Speak!"
"Yes!" she gasped. "I need a break!"
"And you've nearly earned one," he said. "If you want a break, all you need to do is admit it was your fault your pal Evan raped and then later murdered you."
"What?" Fallon asked, convinced she'd heard wrong.
"Admit your rape and murder were your fault," Alistair repeated. "You lead Evan to commit both acts."
"I…I didn't do anything to Evan," Fallon replied baffled. She was completely thrown by this turn of event. She also realized she meant what she said. She hadn't done anything to Evan. She hadn't brought either acts on herself. She had tried to tell herself this for years, but she hadn't listened until she had the support of Sam and Dean.
"It wasn't my fault," she said forcefully. Alistair gave her a truly sadistic smile.
"I guess you didn't need that break," he quipped and then forced his fingers inside her cunt. She shrieked in pain. "I suppose you're going to tell me that wasn't your fault, too?" She whimpered as he roughly thrust his fingers in and out of her, but she refused to tell him what he wanted. It wasn't her fault.
After Andy sent the image of the bell to Dean, Sam led the group in finding resources for their survival. He learned more about Jake and his power of super strength and he'd had to tell Ava about her fiancé. The group was currently resting together in one of the abandoned houses in varying states of distress. Sam tried to keep his thoughts on their next steps but he couldn't help but worry about his brother and Fallon. He scanned the room to check on everyone when he saw the yellow eyed demon lurking behind Jake.
"Jake!" Sam shouted. "Behind you!" Jake didn't react. Sam glanced around in confusion. No one seemed to notice his outburst.
"Howdy, Sam," the yellow eyed demon said with a grin. "What do you say you and I take a little walk?" Sam gritted his teeth but followed the demon outside. "You're awfully quiet Sam. You're not mad at me, are you?"
"I'm gonna tear you to shreds, I swear to…"
The yellow eyed demon cut him off with a chuckle. "When you wake up tiger you give it your best shot."
"Where's my brother?" Sam asked. "Where's Fallon?"
"Quit worrying about them," the yellow eyed demon ordered. "I'd be more worried about yourself."
"Why? You gonna kill me?"
"I'm trying to help you," the demon replied. "That's why we're talking. You're the one I'm rooting for."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked.
"Welcome to the Miss America pageant!" the demon exclaimed sarcastically before fixing him with a serious look. "Why do you think you're here? This is a competition. Only one of you crazy kids is gonna make it out of here alive."
"I thought we were supposed to be…"
"Soldiers in a coming war?" the demon finished his question. "That's true. You are. But here's the thing…I don't need soldiers. I need soldier. I just need the one."
"Why?"
"Well, I couldn't just come out and say that," the demon replied. "I had to let everyone think they had a fighting chance. But what I need… is a leader."
"To lead who?" Sam asked.
"Oh, I've already got my army," the demon replied. "Or, I will soon, anyway. Your pal, Fallon, will be joining it."
"You son of a bitch," Sam hissed. "What have you done with her?"
"Honestly, I'm surprised you hadn't guessed," the demon continued ignoring his question. "I mean, why do you think so many children flamed out already? Max Miller and Andy's brother, what's his name? They weren't strong enough. I'm looking for the best and brightest of your generation."
"My generation?"
"Well, there's other generations, but let's just worry about yours. That's why I'm here, Sam. I wanna give you the inside track. You're tough. You're smart. You're well trained, thanks to your daddy. Sam, Sam, you're my favorite."
"You ruined my life," Sam said. "You killed everyone I love."
"The cost of doing business, I'm afraid. I mean, sweet little Jessica had to die. You were all set to marry that little blonde thing, become a tax lawyer with two kids, a beer gut, and a little McMansion in the suburbs," the demon replied. "I needed you sharp, on the road, honing your skills. Your gifts."
"What about my mom," Sam challenged.
"That was bad luck," the demon replied. "She walked in on us. Wrong place, wrong time."
"What does that mean?" Sam asked.
"It wasn't about her. It was about you," the demon said. "It's always been about you." The demon then brought Sam back to the night his mother died. Sam watched as the demon fed him blood.
"Does this mean I have demon blood in me?" he asked, but the demon didn't respond and then his mother came into his nursery.
"It's you," Mary gasped.
"She knew you," Sam said confused. He watched as Mary approached the demon but the demon quickly pinned her to the wall and then the ceiling. "No!"
"I don't think you want to see the rest," the yellow eyed demon said and the vision went black. Sam jolted awake to find himself back in the abandoned home.
"Sam, wake up!" Jake called. "Ava's missing." Sam and Jake rushed outside after ordering Andy to stay in the house in case she returned. "I'll take the barn and the hotel. You take the houses."
"All right. Meet back here in ten minutes, okay?" Sam replied. Jake nodded and then hurried off in the opposite direction. Sam quickly began to search the abandoned homes in the town. He was just about to look through the fourth home when he heard Ava's scream. He rushed to the direction he'd heard the scream, but frowned when he saw it was back at their home base. He quickly rushed inside and found Ava crying over Andy's body. He'd been torn to strips.
"Sam!" Ava called when she saw him. "I just found him like this!"
"What happened?"
"I don't know!"
"How'd that thing get in?" Sam questioned. "Where were you?"
"I just went to get some water from the well," Ava said. "I was only gone maybe, like, two minutes."
"You shouldn't have gone outside," Sam said as he scanned the room for clues. "Ava, we have to stay in here…" He trailed off as he saw a break in the salt line under one window. "Who did that?"
"I don't know. Maybe Andy…"
"Andy wouldn't do that. Ava, that line wasn't broken when I left."
"What? You don't think that I…"
"I'll tell you what I think," Sam interrupted her. "Five months. You're the only one with all that time you can't account for. And that headache you got? Right when the demon got Lily."
"What are you trying to say?"
"What happened to you?"
"Nothing!" Ava cried. Sam just looked at her and after a moment Ava dropped the mask. "Had you going though, didn't I? Yeah. I've been here a long time. And not alone, either. People just keep showing up. Children, like us. Batches of three or four at a time."
"You killed them?" Sam said. "All of them?"
"I'm the undefeated heavyweight champ."
"Oh my god."
"Don't think God has much to do with this, Sam," Ava replied bitterly.
"How could you?" Sam asked.
"I had no choice," Ava said. "It's me or them. After a while it was easy. It was even kind of fun. I just stopped fighting it."
"Fighting what?" Sam asked.
"Who we are, Sam," Ava replied. "If you'd just quit your handwringing and open yourself up, you have no idea what you can do. The learning curve is so fast, it's crazy, the switches that just flip in your brain. I can't believe I started out just having dreams. Do you know what I can do now?"
"Control demons," Sam said.
"Ah, you're quick on the draw," she replied putting her hands to her head. "I'm sorry, Sam, but it's over." Sam whirled around to see a cloud of smoke pouring in through the window, but then it disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared. Sam faced back around to see Ava's corpse on the ground and Jake standing over her.
Fallon laid chained to the stone table and stared mindlessly at the ceiling and waited for whatever new torment Alistair had for her. She hadn't had a moment of reprieve since she'd refused to admit what Evan did to her was her fault. She had only just come to accept she was not to blame and she didn't want to let go of that progress. So far, she hadn't, although as the torture worsened, she was having a harder and harder time holding on.
She heard movement in the doorway and turned her gaze to see what Alistair had brought to torment her with and her eyes widened in horror. "Evan!" she cried, shocked.
"Hello, Fallon," Evan said. He stared at her with such a bitter and resentful expression she almost wasn't sure it was him. It was such a contrast to the overly adoring one he'd always given her when they were alive. She wasn't sure which was worse.
"Evan, you need to get me out of here," she said ignoring his tone. "I need to get back topside. I need to get to Sam and Dean. They need me. I need your help."
A cold, reedy laugh filled the room. "She damns you here, and then has the nerve to ask you for help," Alistair guffawed as he stepped up to Evan's side.
Fallon frowned. "I didn't put him here," she said. "His own actions did that."
Alistair ignored her and spoke to Evan. "You hear her?" he asked. "She's refusing any accountability. She blames only you for what happened to you both."
"I hear her," Evan ground out through clenched teeth.
Alistair finally met her gaze. "And yet you have the nerve to ask for his help."
Fallon looked at Evan pleadingly. "We were friends once," she said.
"The manipulation!" Alistair exclaimed. "It's not wonder she drove you insane, my friend. It's easy to see why you believed it was really you she cared about." He gave her a disdainful look. "She was cruel to lead you on all those years."
"I never…I didn't…" she began to protest but cut off. She had led him on, hadn't she? At the very least she'd strung him along. When they'd dated, she had let the relationship last longer than she was invested in it, only ending it to get back with Mason. And then after they broke up, she had insisted on being friends. She always told him how much she cared about him; how much he meant to her. She could understand why he'd thought she still had feelings for him. It was why she'd been so patient with his increasingly concerning behavior.
"That's right," Alistair said. "You know you can't deny it. You led him on. You are responsible for both of your deaths."
"I…I may have unintentionally led him on, but you don't rape and then murder someone for that," Fallon said. "Those actions were all his."
"That you drove him into doing," Alistair said shaking his head. "And now it's time to pay your due."
"Dying didn't cover it?" she asked finding a measure of sarcasm she had left.
"That was just the down payment," Alistair replied. "Now you'll pay it in full." He turned to Evan. "Go ahead and collect what you're owed."
Fallon felt panic rising as Evan approached and began removing his clothes. "Evan, don't do this," she pleaded.
"You owe it to me," he said, crawling over her. He tucked a strand of her dark auburn hair behind her ear. She felt disgust course through her. "Besides, you want this, Fallon. I know you do."
"No, I…mmph!" she cut off when he kissed her. She squirmed, trying to break the kiss, but he raised his hands to hold both sides of her face, keeping her head in place. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and she bit down on it hard. He squealed in pain and sat up.
"Bitch!" he screamed and punched her in the face. She cried out at the pain and her vision blacked out for a second before her eyes refocused on the livid expression on his face. "I'm going to take what I want from you and you're going to like it." He raised her right leg up and back towards her chest and forced his way inside her.
She shrieked. "Stop!" she cried, tears pouring down her face. "I don't want this! Please stop!" He didn't listen. He continued to thrust forcefully in and out of her. The dungeon she was held in slipped away and she was suddenly back on the floor of the frat house's bedroom, only this time it wasn't only her and Evan in the room. Alistair stood in the corner watching them. She met his gaze. "Please help. Please make him stop."
"You know how to make it stop," Alistair replied softly, as if he sympathized with her. "You know what you have to admit to." Fallon closed her eyes and felt more tears drip down her face. She opened them and stared past Evan's flushed and sweaty face above her to the ceiling. She recognized every crack in the plaster. She'd counted them repeatedly as he'd raped her. Another tear leaked down her cheek. She couldn't do it again.
"Okay," she whispered. "It was my fault."
Sam and Jake left the abandoned home. "I think we can make it out of here now," Sam said.
"But the Acheri demon…"
"That was Ava. She was summoning it, controlling it," Sam explained. "It shouldn't come back now that she's dead. We gotta go!"
"Not, "we," Sam," Jake replied coming to a stop. "Only one of us is getting out of here. I…I'm sorry."
"What?"
"I had a vision," Jake said. "That Yellow-Eyed Demon or whatever it was, he talked to me. He told me how it was."
"No, Jake, listen," Sam pleaded. "You can't listen to him."
"S-Sam, he's not letting us go. Only one," Jake replied. "Now, if we don't play along, he'll kill us both. Now I-I like you, man. I do. But do the math here. What good's it do for both of us to die? Now, I can get out of here. I get close to the demon; I can kill the bastard."
"You come with me, we can kill him together," Sam said.
"How do I know you won't turn on me?"
"I won't," Sam said.
"I don't know that," Jake replied, getting aggravated.
"Okay, look," Sam said pulling his knife out of its sheath and showing it to Jake. He placed it on the ground. "Just come with me, Jake. Don't do this. Don't play into what it wants." Jake watched him carefully for a moment, but then very slowly, placed his own weapon on the ground as well. Sam sighed in relief and then felt a burst of pain when Jake punched him. The blow from Jake's super strength sent him flying feet through the air before he landed on the ground. Sam worked to get back on his feet and when he did, he managed to get some blows in himself, his training taking over. Eventually, he managed to beat Jake to the ground and knock him out. And then he heard a familiar voice calling for him. Relieved, he headed towards where he heard his brother.
"Sam!" Dean yelled searching frantically around his surroundings. "Fallon!"
"Dean!" Sam called back suddenly coming into view. Dean felt relief fill him, but panic quickly followed when he saw a figure approaching Sam from behind.
"Sam, look out!" Dean called out beginning to run towards him. He could hear Bobby running alongside him. The warning came too late. The figure reached Sam and stabbed him. Bobby rushed after the man while Dean quickly caught Sam as he slumped to his knees. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Sam. Sam! Hey, hey. Come here. Let me look at you." He placed his hand over the wound on Sam's back. His hand was covered in blood when he pulls it away. He needed to reassure his brother though. "Look, at me. It's not even that bad. It's not even that bad, all right? Samm? Sam!"
Dean watched as Sam struggled to hold his head up and panic consumed him. "Hey, listen to me. We're gonna patch you up, okay? You'll be good as new. Huh? I'm gonna take care of you. I'm gonna take care of you. I've got you. That's my job, right? Watch out for my pain in the ass little brother?" He touched Sam's face. "Sam? Sam! Sam! Sammy!" Sam's eyes slid shut as he died and now Dean carried his whole weight. "No. No, no, no, no, no. Oh, God. Oh, God." Dean began to cry. "SAM!"
Fallon was trying to float away. She needed to detach from herself and escape her situation. She knew it was something people could do. People would disassociate from themselves if their minds or bodies were placed under too much pressure or pain. She found it hard to believe she had not reached that point.
She screamed as Alistair stabbed another bamboo shoot under another of her nails. The pain felt like fire traveling from her fingers and then up her arms. She was drenched in sweat and if she could throw have thrown up, she would have. She sobbed as her nail was finally pried off. Alistair moved to the next finger and began to wedge the rod beneath it.
"No! Please stop," she begged. Alistair met her gaze and smirked cruelly.
"Stop now, Alistair." Fallon and Alistair both glanced towards the door of her torture chamber. The Yellow-Eyed demon stood there, a serious expression on his face. Fallon didn't like it. He almost looked sad, though she knew he wasn't capable of feeling any human emotions.
"If you want her a demon sooner, rather than later, you need to let me work," Alistair hissed. She could feel his anger at being interrupted. She whimpered, knowing she would pay the price for this interruption.
"I said stop," the Yellow-Eyed demon barked. "She needs a break." Alistair returned the bamboo shoot to his torture cart and then stormed from the room. The Yellow-Eyed demon watched him leave and then turned his gaze to her. She watched him with wary curiosity. He rarely made an appearance to the room they held her in, but when he did, she usually got a reprieve from the torture. It was not lost on her that he and Alistair were playing a twisted version of good cop/bad cop, but she couldn't help but feel relief when the Yellow-Eyed demon showed up. She hated how pathetic she'd become.
"I'm sorry you're suffering so much pain," he said after a moment, moving closer until he stood next to her. "It's not easy to corrupt a soul, especially one as bright as yours." She kept her gaze on him, but didn't say anything. She couldn't read his expression. He wasn't here to gloat and that couldn't mean anything good.
"Something's wrong," she said, voice raspy from screaming.
The Yellow-Eyed demon nodded. "I have some bad news for you." Fallon felt fear grip her chest. Her mind immediately went to Sam and Dean. Something had happened. The Yellow-Eyed demon placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sam's dead." She felt tears well up in her eyes. "He didn't get past the trial. I knew you'd want to know." He patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss." He then left her alone. She expected to burst into tears as grief overwhelmed her, but instead she finally…finally…slipped free of her body and mind. She felt nothing at all.