Chapter 8: Serious Problems

3 months later

Andy had been doing a few hunts around the Roadhouse for a while. Dean and Sam had been busy all over the lower states with cases and hadn't really had a chance to stop by in a while. Dean called often though, which was nice. Although Andy almost dropped everything and high tailed it to Arkansas when Dean told her about what Deacon had asked them to do.

Dean, of all the crazy schemes you have come up with this has to be the craziest!

Andy, Deacon was a friend of Dad's, and we owe him a favour, Dean said with finality.

Yea but getting thrown in prison is a pretty damn big favour Dean. I really hope you have a solid exit strategy, and post job plan. If you do a jail break you are going to have cops on your ass for months.

I know Andy, don't worry. We've got it covered. Say hi to Ellen and Jo for us will ya?

Yea, yea, sure babe. Call me when you're out ok?

Will do sweetheart, talk to you soon.

Andy sighed. There wasn't much she could do about it. The boys were fiercely loyal to people their dad had connections to and if one of them needed something, they would be there. She would just have to ride it out and hope they had some good help inside. She gave herself a shake and went back to cleaning her gun.

Dyson was staying out of her hunts mostly. He was a lot better mentally now that he'd been around people for a while again. He could be alone comfortably for a while. He had even found a hobby. One day he was wandering around the back part of Ellen's property and stumbled across a deep-set deposit of gold. He wandered into the bar one afternoon with a lump of something in his hands.

"What's that?" Andy asked. She was writing in her journal about her last hunt. Dyson came over to her and sat down at the booth and set the thing down in front of her. It was heavy based on the thunk it made when he set it down. It looked like a rounded hunk of metal. As Andy looked at it more closely she suddenly had a guess as to what it was. "Is that gold?" she asked her voice rising.

"Yup," Dyson said with a grin.

"Where the hell did you find that?"

"There's a vein deep down out back," he said casually. Andy stared at him open mouthed.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No. It's not that unusual, you just have to know how to look, or feel in my case."

"Ok…what…what are you going to do with it?"

"I'm not sure yet," Dyson answered picking up the lump of gold and looking at it. "Remember when I talked about making jewelry if I had enough material back in Iceland?" Andy nodded. "Maybe I'll try that."

"It would be something for you to do," Andy agreed.

So, Dyson got Ash to look into sourcing some jeweler's tools and books on gold manufacturing and started making jewelry. It took him a few weeks and a couple of mishaps, but he started getting pretty good at it. He quickly ran out of gold to pull out of the ground, considering Nebraska was not known for its gold production. So, he started wandering around finding other precious metal deposits, no mater how small, and used whatever he could get to make unique pieces. Over the past three months he had developed quite a collection.

"You know honey, these are really nice. You should consider selling some of these," Andy said in an off-hand way one day. Dyson thought about it for a bit, then asked Ash for help getting a website set up. He also had some business cards done and had them at the bar of the Roadhouse. Through the website and some word of mouth, Dyson got a few sales which inspired him to do more. That became his focus for his time. Andy worked the bar and went on hunts, Dyson made and sold jewelry and life went on. One day in late April, after she had just wrapped up a case, Andy went out for some food and left her phone behind charging. When she got back, she had a missed call from Ash and a voicemail from Dean. She hadn't heard from him in a while, which wasn't too unusual, but it was getting to the point that it was just a little bit concerning. She wasn't sure why, but something made her nervous about the voicemail. Andy braced herself and picked it up.

Andy, Its Dean…Listen I need some help…Sammy's, Sammy's missing. Andy I really need you here, please. Call me back.

Dean?

Andy?

What's going on? What happened to Sam?

He's missing. Like vanished into thin air missing. Andy I don't- I don't know what to do.

Where are you?

Nebraska. Andy, the Roadhouse is gone. Andy was silent for a moment. What did he mean the Roadhouse was gone?

What?

They torched the place. We…we can't find Ellen, but Ash…He's gone Andy. Andy swallowed thickly.

What about Dyson?

We can't find him either.

…I'm coming to you.

No Andy I need you to help me find him. We think he's in Cold Oak can you get there?

Cold Oak? Like…Cold Oak South Dakota? The ghost town?

Yea, that's what Bobby thinks. Can you get there?

As fast as I can sweetheart.

Ok. See you there.

You bet.

Andy?

Yea Dean?

Thanks.

'We have a serious problem,' she thought. She could mourn for Ash later and she wasn't even going to consider the thought of Ellen being dead. At least she knew Jo was safe up in Minnesota, and she knew Dyson was safe because she doubted anything could ever take him down. She got on her bike and went speeding down the highway toward South Dakota.

Five hours later she was still on the road. Bobby had told her about Cold Oak once and showed her on one of his old maps where it was, so she had general idea of where to go. She really hoped his info was right. She was close when it came. The first flash blinded her, and she nearly tipped her bike. She managed to pull over and stop before the second flash came. She could see a town, it was old. There was a young black guy in fatigues and Sam. Suddenly the black guy swung a punch at Sam and sent him into a fence. Next she saw Dean and Bobby, running into the town. Suddenly she could see Dean's face, terror, and anger mixed, and he was running. Then he was kneeling with Sam in his arms crying "No. No, no no no no. Oh God. Oh God….SAM! The vision let her go and she gasped. We have a really serious problem. She would never understand what it was that led her to the right place, but she found the Impala and parked her bike next to it. Then she was running. If Bobby and Dean were already there her vision couldn't be far behind.

She could just see a windmill and the tops of building when she heard Dean call out for Sam. She thought she heard Sam answer. She tried to go faster. She turned a corner around the first building in the town just in time to hear Dean shout:

"Sam look out!"

Her brain didn't register what she was seeing right away. She saw Dean and Bobby running. She saw Sam standing ridged with a strange look on his face. She saw the young guy she had seen in her vision behind Sam. Then he was sprinting off in the other direction. Sam was on his knees. Dean was sliding to catch him before he collapsed into the mud. Then she was frozen as she watched her vision playout in real time. Dean's final scream for his brother finally unfroze her and she was running again.

"Dean!" she shouted, mostly to let him know she was there as she went to her knees next to the brothers. She put a hand on Dean's shoulder. She slipped into her healing sight. From the way Sam was slumped Andy thought she knew what she would see.

She was right. Sam was gone.

"Oh gods, Dean..." she said her voice catching in her throat. His face was buried in Sam's neck so she couldn't see his face. She heard Bobby come running back. She looked up at her old friend, tears were coursing down her cheeks. They locked eyes and she could see understanding stricken Bobby.

"Did you get him?" Andy asked. Bobby shook his head and swallowed hard.

"He was too fast," he said haltingly. Andy turned to Dean.

"Dean, we need to go. It is not a good idea for us to stay here," Andy urged. Dean didn't move.

"She's right son, we can't stay here," Bobby added crouching down and putting a hand on Dean's other shoulder.

Nothing.

Andy glanced at Bobby who shrugged. Andy leaned in and pressed a kiss to Dean's temple.

"Dean, sweetheart, I need you to move."

Something finally reached him. He looked up and oved at Andy. She could feel the heart break in that look. The raw, unrelenting pain that poured off him. Tears came fresh to Andy's eyes.

"Dean, we have to go."

Dean nodded in a daze and shifted. In a fluid motion he scooped Sam up into his arms like he weighed nothing and started walking back towards where the Impala was parked.

It was a long and painful trek back with Sam's body. Dean doggedly put one foot in front of the other and wouldn't let either Andy or Bobby help. Bobby directed them to an abandoned cabin he knew of close by. Dawn had long broken when they got there. Dean carried Sam inside by himself. Andy and Bobby exchanged concerned looks again. Dean hadn't said a word yet. Andy stood there, watching Dean get his brother inside the cabin. She was frozen again. She felt Bobby come up next to her.

"Andy…" he said in his gruff tone. Almost a question. Without really thinking, Andy turned and threw her arms around the old hunter. Even though she had only seen him a few months ago, it had been a short whirl wind moment. He had been her mentor for years, and she was ashamed to say she had been neglecting him for nearly a decade.

"It's good to see you Bobby," she said after letting him go. The man's smile was sad.

"You too Andy," he replied and touched her cheek. Then he waved her inside. Dean had laid Sam out on a rickety old bed that was in the one bedroom of the cabin. Andy stopped short when she saw him. He looked like he could be sleeping…except for the perfect stillness of his body, and the grey pallor of his skin. A memory flashed across her mind, and she had to turn away.

They all crashed for a bit. Andy knew Dean barely slept at all, but rather sat vigil over his brother's body. Andy knew that vigil. She couldn't count the number of times she had sat one herself. In the early afternoon Bobby went out to make some calls and get some food. Andy stayed with Dean. She didn't try to talk to him. She had learned better now. Dean looked wrecked, and he said nothing. Andy just sat with him. She was there, ready to hold him up if he needed. Ready to be a shoulder. When Bobby came back Dean said he wasn't hungry. Bobby made the hard suggestion that maybe it was time to bury Sam. Dean gave him a dark look.

"No." Bobby and Andy exchanged looks. Bobby pressed on. Andy thought he would probably regret it.

"Dean, I want you to come home with me. You shouldn't be alone right now, and I need your help."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Something big is going down. End of the world big-"

"Well then let it end!" Dean shouted standing up suddenly. Andy winced. There it was. Bobby looked at him dumbfounded.

"You don't mean that."

"No?" Dean looked between the two of them. "I'm done with it. You don't think I've given enough. Paid enough? I'm done. If you know what's good for you, you turn around and get the hell out of here." His tone was harsh and bitter. Now Andy was amazed. He had not expected this kind of anger from Dean. Not towards Bobby at least. "Go!" Dean shouted pushing the older hunter away from him. Andy step in at that point.

"Dean!" she said looking at him. She was worried now. After a moment Dean seemed to come back to himself. He turned away.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry. Please, both of you just go." Andy looked at him long and hard then she turned and gently guided Bobby to the door. As she left she turned back to Dean and looked at him once more.

"You know where we'll be." And they left.

Usually, Andy enjoyed the drive to Bobby's. It was fairly flat and made for a nice ride. This time, it was all she could do to keep her eyes clear and on the road. She pulled into the driveway of Singer Salvage and cut her engine. Bobby's truck was already parked beside the house, but Andy just sat there on her bike. It only took a second or so before everything hit her at once. Tears streamed out of her eyes; her breath hitched in gut wrenching sobs. She tore her helmet off and threw it to the ground, folding over her handlebars she cried like she hadn't for a very long time. She had hoped she was done with losing her brothers. She had clearly been naïve. She didn't think she was being that loud, but shortly after she started sobbing she heard the creak of Bobby's screen door and quick footsteps crunching across the gravel. Then strong arms were hauling her off her bike and wrapping themselves around her. She and Bobby clung to each other like they were drowning, and they were the only things holding each other up. Eventually Andy calmed down enough to pull away and wipe her eyes.

"Sorry for drooling on you Bobby," she said with a watery smile. He chuckled back, equally as watery.

"Not the worst bodily fluid I've had on me," he said and put an arm around her and walked her inside.

Once they were settled and she felt ready, Andy tried to call Dyson. There was no answer, but she had really been expecting that. He tended to have a hard time remembering his phone if he was going anywhere, and if he had been at the Roadhouse when it burned, it was likely his phone had gone up in the blaze. All she could do was hope he might find some kind soul to lend him a phone and he would call at some point. She stood on the porch for a moment. The image of Sam stretched out on the cabin bed flashed across her mind and a wave of grief swamped her. She took a deep breath, collected herself, and went back inside.

Andy and Bobby had a good catch up, in spite of recent events it had been a very long time and it was nice to do a bit of visiting. Bobby knew what she was, who she was in all her capacities. She had saved his life once or twice on a couple of different occasions. John had introduced them not long after Andy had joined John and the boys. Then when she and John had…gone their separate ways, she would stop by every so often for lore references or when Bobby needed some extra hands for a hunt. She had always felt close to Bobby. He was a great second father to the boys and an excellent mentor to her. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him.

Later that afternoon, Andy was in Bobby's office pouring over maps, charts, and other bits trying to figure out what it could have been that Ash found. She was just about to make tea when there was a knock at the door. Bobby went to open it, Andy followed, and came face to face with the boys. Both of them, alive and well. Sam quirked a smile at them.

"Hey Bobby," Dean said not meeting his eyes. Sam echoed the greeting patting Bobby on the shoulder and walking through the door to wrap Andy in a hug.

"Good to see you up and around Sam," Bobby said stunned.

"Thanks for patching me up Andy," Sam said when he pulled away.

"Don't mention it," Andy said in a daze, staring at Dean passed his brother's shoulder.

"Well Sam's better, and we're back in it now so…what do you know?" Dean asked trying to act casual. Bobby stared at Dean, poorly concealed horror on his face. Andy was pretty sure a similar look was on hers.

While Bobby filled the boys in on what they had been working on, Andy escaped outside. Her mind was reeling. Sam had been dead. She had seen it. There was no way…unless. Unless Dean had done something monumentally stupid. Crossroad pact. Her heart sank. Dean, what have you done… A few minutes later she saw Dean and Bobby coming out of the house. She figured Bobby was going to get the story out of Dean. Andy took a few steps forward, then hesitated. She could hear Bobby cursing Dean out. So, Dean had made a crossroads deal for Sam. Her heart nearly stopped when she heard Bobby grate out the question of 'How long?' and when Dean answered she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. When Bobby was finished Dean lingered for a moment. Andy went over to him.

"Oh Christ, I don't need a lecture from you too," he said grimacing. Andy stood in front of him for a moment. She looked down and shook her head. "Andy, I couldn't-" she cut Dean off by punching him in the jaw. He kept his head turned for a moment then looked at her rubbing the spot. "I guess I kind of deserved that for dragging you all over hells half acre."

"You're damn right you did," she said her fist still clenched. He looked at her almost pitifully.

"I couldn't let him die Andy. I just couldn't." The look in his eyes told her that he would have done anything to get his brother back. She knew that feeling. She hitched a sigh that sounded more like a sob and buried her head in his chest and put her arms around his waist. He wrapped his around her shoulders. She held him tight for a moment.

"One year Dean? You let some crossroad demon bring you down to one year?" Andy her words muffled in his jacket. "Bobby had a point though. You Winchesters seem to all be itching to die for each other. Who would have guessed you're all a bunch of softies at heart." Despite himself Dean chuckled and held Andy hard.

"Don't let it get out," he said his voice rough. He kissed the top of her head softly. Suddenly they heard something.

"Bobby?" Dean called out. Nothing. Automatically Andy and Dean dropped low and hid behind a wrecked car. They heard a noise again. Together they went sprinting towards the sound and straight into Ellen.

Once they got Ellen inside and Bobby, paranoid bastard that he is, had her take a belt of holy water they finally had a chance to start really working on what Ash had died for. While the boys hit the books Andy asked Ellen if she had heard at all from Dyson.

"He decided to go and visit you and Jo just that morning. Boy forgot his phone." Andy had to roll her eyes. She called Jo to ask if he had showed up yet.

"Can I talk to him for a second. Then I think your mom will want to talk with you," Andy said. "Wait, my mom's with you?" Jo asked surprised.

"Yea…we have had…a rough few days Jo. I'll let your mom fill you in," Andy said. She heard Jo pass the phone to Dyson.

"Andrea, what's going on?"

"Honey, we need you at Bobby's. Like now, there is some serious demon shit going down. Give the phone back to Jo and get here ok?"

"I'll be there in five," he said and Jo was back on.

"Andy, what the hell is going on?" Jo demanded. Andy passed the phone to Ellen, who took it out to the back porch.

It took no more than an hour. Bobby found the reference to Samuel Colt's frontier churches and the rail lines that connect them. Dean made the connection to keeping something in rather than out, and Sam figured out who the demons might be using to get into the uncrossable barrier.

Jake.

In less than half an hour this time, they were geared up and heading to Wyoming to an old cemetery.

It was dark. Dyson had gone to check the perimeter for Yellow Eyes and the others all spread out around the mausoleum and waited. Dean was the first to see Jake walking towards the structure, but it was Sam who called him out.

"Howdy Jake," he said, and they all surrounded him. Jake stared at Sam.

"I killed you…"

"Looks like next time you should finish the job,"

"I did…cut clean through your spinal cord…you can't be alive."

"Let's take it real slow here," Andy said.

"And if I don't," Jake challenged.

"Wait and see," Sam spat back. The soft chuckle that came out of Jake was one of the most eerie sounds Andy had heard in a long time.

"Hey lady, do me a favour," Jake said looking at Ellen. "Put that gun to your head."

Andy could see the struggle in Ellen's face, but her arm moved smoothly. No resistance and put her gun to her head. "Once you give in…there's all sorts for tricks you can pull."

Everything moved fast after that. Jake made them all put their guns down. Just as Sam lowered his, Jake moved pulling what looked like the colt, the one that went missing after John died, and placing it into a hole on the mausoleum and turning it like a key. When Jake moved, Andy, Bobby and Dean all rushed to Ellen and pulled the gun away from her. Then there were four shots in quick succession. Andy looked over and saw Sam, gun in hand, and Jake lying on the ground. As she watched, Sam stood over Jake and squeezed off three more rounds into his chest.

Moment's later, a mechanism on the door of the mausoleum locked into place. She could see Bobby looking intently at the door.

"Bobby, what is it?" Andy asked.

"Oh no," he said "it's hell. Take cover, now!" They all ran for cover just after Dean grabbed the colt. The gate burst open and spilled multitudes of black smoke out into the night.

"We need to shut that gate!" Ellen shouted over the tumult of demon, spirits and other hell nasties pouring out of the door. Andy forced herself up and sprinted towards the gate. She was followed closely by Ellen, Bobby, and Sam. They all shoved hard. It was slow going but inch by inch to door began to swing shut. Andy turned around to throw her back against the door, just in time to see Dean go flying into a tomb stone, and Dyson go rocketing past her and get pinned against the side of the gate. Sam shouted for his brother and went sprinting toward Dean. Adrenaline spiked through Andy. If Azazel could throw Dyson around, what chance did Sam and Dean have against him. Andy pushed with everything, and the gate slammed closed. Andy could only watch as Sam was thrown against a tree and Azazel swaggered over to Dean. She panicked when she saw the demon aim the colt at Dean.

"No!" she couldn't help screaming. Then she saw him.

John.

He was nothing more than a faint outline, but he wrapped his arms around Azazel and pulled him out of his host. Then she watched Dean grab the gun, Azazel smoke back into his meat suit, and in perfect synchronicity Dean pull the trigger.