Fic: The Plan In Action
Title: The Plan In Action
Characters: Sam, Devil, Andi, Josie, Sock, Ben
Rating: PG-13. Nothing you wouldn't see on the show.
Spoiler alert: Not really.
Disclaimer: I don't anything other than this fic. Illustration by onyourmark at TWoP. Thanks!
Summary: Sam struggles to keep his relationship with Andi in the midst of the chaos his life with the Devil brings.
Part One
Part Two
Sam watched Cassie pick up Henry from the crib in the spare bedroom. The night watch had been uneventful, and Sam had introduced himself when he had seen signs of life stir in the house. Cassie had invited him in, and they had talked about Melissa for awhile. Well, mainly she had talked. Sam had politely sat and listened. When Henry woke up, Cassie had excused herself to go get him. Sam had followed to make sure she didn’t need any help. Now all three returned to the living room.
“Did you know her well?” Cassie asked as she sat down on the sofa.
Sam shook his head, taking his own seat on the armchair. “No. We’d just met.” The baby fussed in Cassie’s arms, and she leaned down to comfort him. Searching for something to say, he settled for telling her for the second time that morning, “I really am very sorry about your loss.”
Cassie was silent for a while. Then looking at Henry, she said, “You know, it’s ironic. After that whole disaster with Frank, she was just now starting to get her life back on track. She had a good job, a nice place, and had even started dating again.” She was obviously fighting back tears. “She was actually starting to be fun again.” Then Cassie did cry. “I’m going to miss her so much.”
They heard a sudden sound outside and Sam jumped up. He rushed over to the window and looked out. Gainer was standing on the other side of the street. Turning back to Cassie, Sam ordered her quickly, “I need you to take the baby and get out of here.” She looked confused. “Look, I can’t really explain, but I think the man who killed your sister is after her son. You need to leave. Now.”
Cassie watched him with a look of uncertainty on her face. He was a complete stranger after all. She must have decided he was trustworthy because she then nodded. “Okay.” She picked up Henry, and Sam helped her escape out the back through the kitchen. “Run,” he urged. “Go hide at your neighbor’s.” Cassie didn’t need to be told twice. She took off with Henry immediately. Sam watched until they reached the house next door and he was satisfied they’d be safe.
He headed back to the living room. As he walked he took out the rattle and shook it. Nothing happened. Sam swore the next time he saw the Devil he’d say screw it with the info about the souls, just give him the directions for the vessels.
He passed the spare bedroom that doubled as Henry’s room, and came to a sudden stop. Looking into the room, he smiled to himself.
He had an idea.
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The house was silent when he entered. Gainer speculated the residents must still be asleep. He’d take his son first, then find the woman who dared take him away. Then he’d kill her, preferably by invoking a lot of pain.
Gainer entered the small bedroom and headed directly for the crib. The child laying in it was fast asleep. He reached in and pulled back the blanket covering his son.
But his son wasn’t there. It was a teddy bear, with a baby rattle laying on top. Fury arose in him as he picked up the rattle and shook it in his rage. Immediately, the floor gave a lurch. Gainer looked around in confusion as the floor lurched again. He turned around to see Sam standing in the doorway. Sam gave him a large smile and waved. “Bye, bye.” The floor starting shaking uncontrollably and Gainer lost his hold on the rattle. It fell to the floor. Large rays of light shot out of it, wrapping themselves around him. He screamed as the rays pulled him into the vessel. Then the shaking stopped.
Walking over, Sam picked up the rattle. He made sure no one was watching. Then he mimicked a touchdown and yelled into the empty room, “YES!”
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Sam had rushed to make it to the DMV before Gladys’ lunch break. He had learned the hard way that missing it added at least an extra hour to his wait. Today, he was in luck. Not only was Gladys still there, but the line of customers was unusually short. He’d only stood in line for five minutes, instead of the usual forty.
“Hi, Gladys,” Sam said as he approached her. After this, he looked forward to going back to his apartment and taking a nap until it was time for his shift at the Bench and he saw Andi again. He’d entertained himself in line by remembering the last time he’d slept in his bed. He cheerfully asked Gladys, “Place the vessel on the mat?”
She pushed the mat forward. Then something occurred that frightened him more than anything he’d ever encountered before.
Gladys smiled.
“Good morning, Sam,” she said kindly.
Sam stared at her, his hand frozen with the vessel still in it. As far as he could tell, she wasn’t being sarcastic. She actually seemed like she was trying to be nice. Noticing his reaction, Gladys quickly reverted back to her old self.
“Place the vessel on the mat.”
Sam slowly placed the rattle on the mat. Gladys took a quick glance at it, then picked it up and put it in the tube.
Forcing himself to speak, Sam slowly told her, “Thank you, Gladys.” He backed up, straight into the lady standing behind him waiting for the next teller. Sam quickly apologized, and rushed out of the DMV as quickly as he had rushed to get in.
He didn’t know Gladys watched him worriedly all the way.
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“Tacks,” Sam muttered. “Tacks, tacks, tacks, tacks, tacks. Where the hell are they?” he asked himself as he walked down the aisles searching for the section he wanted. Turning down the lighting aisle, he stopped short. Andi was marking inventory not more than ten feet in front of him. She stood by the floor lamps, and the light that cast over her looked like she was surrounded by a halo. She was gorgeous.
“Hey,” he said softly.
She looked up. “Hey yourself,” she replied gently.
“I know it’s lame, but what’s a gorgeous girl like you doing hanging out with this dim bulb crowd?”
Andi gave a sweet laugh, and Sam’s heart lifted. A small hope rose in him that maybe things would turn out okay. “That is lame, Sam,” she agreed.
He flashed her a shy smile. “I missed you.” He leaned in for a kiss, but to his distress, she turned away.
“Sam, we need to talk.” He noticed how she refused to look at him.
Sam started to speak in a rush. “I’m sorry about last night. It’s just something came up that I needed to take care of and I’m sorry I didn’t call but I promise - “
Andi interrupted him. “Sam,” she ordered. “Stop. Just stop.”
He looked into her eyes, and that‘s when he lost it. Sam couldn‘t help it. The pain wouldn’t go away. He just started babbling. “I don’t want to stop. I have to keep talking. If I stop, you‘ll tell me something I don‘t want to hear. You‘ll tell me how much I hurt you, how disappointed you are in me. How I let you down and don’t treat you right, even though I love you more than my own life and would do anything I could for you. How even though I’ve loved you for years, and waited for so long for you to notice me, it doesn‘t matter and it‘s all over. If I stop talking, you‘ll tell me you don‘t love me, and that you don‘t want to be with me anymore and that there are no more chances to ever be with you again.” He tried to pull her close, but she resisted. “I’ll do better, I promise. I’ll work harder. Anything. Please, Andi. Don’t do this.”
“Sam.“ Andi took a deep breath. She held his eyes, then spoke sadly, “I think we made a mistake.”
Sam tried to deny her words. “No. What we have is not a mistake. We are not a mistake. What we did was not a mistake. I love you. You make me happy.” Pleading, he made one final attempt to change her mind. “I can make you happy,” he insisted.
Slowly, with tears streaming down her beautiful face, she shook her head. “That’s the problem, Sam. All you do is make me sad.”
More in denial than anything else, he shook his head as he backed away. He felt removed from his next words. “So it’s over?”
“Yes, Sam. It‘s over.”
The words were obviously final. If he wasn’t so numb, he might have felt his heart rip in half. Without a word, he blindly turned around and headed for the exit. As he was leaving, he bumped into someone at the door.
“And where do you think you’re going, Mr. Oliver? Your shift just started.”
Sam looked at Ted, but didn’t really see him. Ted gave him an odd look. Sam just stood in front of him like an idiot. Then Sam slowly took his apron off.
“Here, Ted.” He handed his apron to his manager. “Consider this my final notice. I won’t be coming back.” Then he walked out of the store.
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Sam wandered around aimlessly for nearly an hour before he ended up at the park.
Over by the pond, he finally saw the well dressed man he had expected to find the moment he arrived here. The man was sitting on a wooden bench, feeding the ducks. Sam walked over and without a word, sat down beside him. The man offered him a bag of bread crumbs, which Sam took. They kept an amiable silence for awhile, watching the sunset and feeding the birds. As he watched the sun drop lower in the sky, Sam couldn’t help but think it was mocking him with the fact that soon it would be gone.
Finally, he asked, “Is this all because I gave into temptation when I slept with Andi?”
The Devil shook his head. “Not really. You should consider that more as a gift. I thought it would make it easier for you.”
Sam nodded and threw some more crumbs out. After awhile, he spoke again. “I guess I should thank you. For giving them a reason why I left, that is. Instead of just making them wonder. They’ll buy I left because of a broken heart. I think they’d prefer believing that actually. I know my mom really couldn’t take it if she knew I was gone only because you thought it was time for me to go to Hell.”
“You’re welcome.” The Devil watched Sam closely, but said nothing more. He knew Sam needed time to digest what was happening, and they could afford a few more moments.
“I should write them a letter before I go. Explain things.”
“Already done.”
Sam looked up in surprise.
“Your mom will find it on the kitchen table in a couple of hours. Don’t worry. You’d approve. I filled it with heartbroken moping. The stuff you’re good at. It explained everything. I even managed to make a slam on Kyle.”
Sam gave a soft chuckle. “He’d expect that.” More silence. Then, as if it was torn from deep within him, he quietly confessed, “She said all I did was make her sad.”
The Devil nudged him kindly. “You know that’s not true. You’ve had many happy times together. I don’t recall her being sad yesterday when you two were,” he made a gesture clearly indicating what they did, “knocking boots, so to speak.”
Sam winced at the memory. He didn’t want to remember that anymore. It hurt too much. Yesterday seemed like a lifetime ago. “You were never really angry about my visit to the priest, were you?”
“No. Your contract is airtight. I made sure of that. I just wanted to prepare you for the possibility of leaving your friends and family. I knew you‘d be more receptive to taking the bait Andi offered if you realized how easily it can all be taken away.” He leaned over. “But you should know you can’t hide in the church. As my property, I can go in and collect you.” The Devil gave a small laugh. “But I know you’ll never be that stupid.”
Taking a deep breath, Sam finally asked the question he’d been putting off until the end. “Will it hurt when I die?”
“What? No! Sam!” The Devil actually looked offended. “What is with your obsession with death? You’re so morbid! You’re not going to die. Although,” he mused, “you may wish you had.”
“Terrific.” The single word dripped with sarcasm.
“Relax, Sam. You’re not going away forever. Just a little while, until your job is done. Then you can return,” he gave him an encouraging smile, “and maybe try and win her back.”
Sam slumped down miserably. “No, I’m pretty sure that bridge has been burned. She deserves better anyways. Someone who can be there for her. Take care of her. Someone with a future.”
“Knock it off, Sam. I’ve told you before how much I dislike how stupid you act about that girl.” Sam didn’t respond and continued to gaze out at the pond, idly feeding the ducks.
Finally, the bread was gone and the sun had set. The Devil stood up. “Are you ready now?”
“If I say no, will you let me stay? Will you take it all back, let me out of my contract, and let me be with her?”
The Devil just gave him a wry smile. “Sam, enough. Self-pity time is over. It’s time to go.” He offered Sam his hand. Sam looked up, sighed, and took it. As the park around him disappeared, the Devil gave him one final piece of advice.
“Don’t be scared, Sam. Just remember to be a good boy and everything will be all right.”