The Consequences of Prophesy Part Five
Part Four
Jimmy glanced around the small town as he searched for a motel. In the past two months, Castiel had taken him all over the country and tried to show him just what he’d need to do. He’d taken him to learn from men and women who had a lot more experience at handling evil then Jimmy did. Jimmy hated it. He’d finally put his foot down and purchased an old clunker of a car so he could get wherever he needed to go without relying on the angel and his stomach turning method of travel.
He wanted to be with his family, he hated being a “Hunter”, and he didn’t understand how people could devote their lives to what he’d been doing for two months.
He’d broken more laws in the last two months then he’d even realized existed. He had several fake ids that proclaimed his name was one of half a dozen different names, with as many professions. He’d learned how to use all sorts of guns, including the illegal ones.
He wasn’t the same man he’d been before that accident. Of course, his nightmares of Hell and what he’d done there pretty much assured that, never mind his new status as angel errand boy.
“You are more then that,” Castiel said.
“Stop that,” Jimmy snapped. “Stay out of my head.”
Castiel just tilted his head. It was funny how the angel managed to look like an innocent child, even though his body looked at least ten years older then Jimmy.
Jimmy sighed. Despite everything, he was growing to like the angel. The angel had been his only constant companion since he’d come back to life. The angel was irritatingly dense, didn’t seem to grasp human concepts at all, was prone to simply expecting Jimmy to just follow whatever orders he gave, and quietly sure in a way that grated on Jimmy’s nerves. He was also brave, caring in his own way, and someone to talk to.
“So, explain to me why we’re in Colorado again,” Jimmy said.
“There is a nest of vampires here that need to be taken out,” Castiel said. “If you can handle them, then we know you’re ready to take on the demons that will be attacking the world shortly.”
“If they’re not attacking yet, why don’t you stop them now?” Jimmy asked.
Castiel sighed. “We do not have enough information about how they will attack,” he said. “They will, but we just don’t know…”
Jimmy shrugged. “You know, I thought Armageddon was supposed to be God purifying the world, and making paradise afterwards, not demons destroying everything.”
“If we do not succeed, then the demons and Lucifer will destroy the world,” Castiel said somberly.
“No pressure,” Jimmy muttered, but it wasn’t like this was new. Castiel only told him this about once a week.
“So, vampires,” Jimmy prompted. He’d learned not to question what was real and what couldn’t possibly exist in the world.
“Yes,” the angel replied.
Jimmy waited a moment, and then sighed. “How can I handle vampires?” he finally asked. Blasted angel didn’t have any sense of how to handle a conversation.
Castiel nodded. “They can be killed if you decapitate them. The can be paralyzed if they are injected with Dead Man’s Blood.”
“Dean Man’s Blood?” Jimmy asked.
“The blood from a dead man- or woman- can be used to paralyze a vampire. If they are stabbed with a knife coated in it, they can be decapitated at leisure.”
Jimmy snorted. “I bet,” he said. “Right, what about sunlight? A stake through the heart?”
Castiel frowned at him. “I don’t understand. Neither of those things can kill vampires. They do sleep during the day, but that is because sunlight irritates their skin.”
Jimmy sighed. “Of course,” he said.
He pulled the car into the parking lot of a cheap motel that he never would have touched in his former life. He parked right next to a beautiful muscle car, and took a moment to admire it before getting out and heading for the office.
“Alright, I’ll get a room, then you can tell me where the vampires are,” he said.
Jimmy groaned as he opened the door to his room. Castiel had flown off somewhere- he did that sometimes. Jimmy didn’t care; it meant he had some time to himself.
The door to the room next to him opened, and a beautiful blonde walked out and nearly right into him. “Sorry,” she said.
“Don’t worry,” Jimmy replied. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said.
A tall- very tall- man appeared in the doorway to the room she was just in. He took in the scene and then stared at Jimmy.
Jimmy shifted uneasily.
He didn't like it when people stared at him, and this guy just would not stop.
"Sam?" the woman asked.
Sam shook his head. "Sorry, you... uh... just reminded me of someone."
"It's alright," Jimmy said. "I'm Cas," he added. It was better if he didn’t use his real name, so he’d taken to shortening Castiel’s name whenever he needed a quick alias.
"Nice to meet you, Cas," Sam said. "I'm Sam, this is Jess."
"So, what are you doing in Colorado?" Jess asked.
"Just passing through," Jimmy said. "On my way to California."
Sam nodded. "Same here, only we're heading for the east coast."
Jimmy grinned. "Great. Well, it was nice to meet you, Sam and Jess," he said.
"Nice to meet you too," Jess said.
Jimmy entered his room and smiled. Those two were a cute couple. It was nice to talk to normal people every so often, now.
He set his duffle down and pulled out the notebook that he'd purchased. He'd been told that the best way to organize his Hunts was to have a journal full of information he'd come across. Other Hunters said that it made sense to have one easily referenced fact book.
Castiel still wasn't back. Jimmy sighed. It looked like he'd be going this Hunt alone.
So, decapitation. Jimmy knew that he had a machete in his car trunk. He'd need to pull out his large knife, too, so he could cover it in Dead Man's Blood.
But first, he had to find the vampire's hideout.
He heard a loud rumbling and peaked outside the window. The couple, along with another kid about their age, was leaving in the muscle car.
Jimmy sighed. He wished he could be as carefree as those kids.
“Jimmy Novak?”
Sam rolled his eyes. “For the tenth time, Dean, yes, Jimmy Novak.”
“You’re sure?” Dean pressed.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Sam growled. “It’s either that, or Novak has a twin.”
Dean tilted his head.
“No, Dean. I looked into him when Azazel told us about him. He doesn’t have any siblings. And that wasn’t a shape shifter, either.”
“So… if it’s really Novak, how is he back?”
Jess leaned over the seat. She had no clue, really. “A deal?” she asked.
“No, Azazel said they wanted him dead and out of the way in Hell,” Sam reminded her. “No one would deal for him, if anyone thought to ask.”
Dean sighed. “Then it can’t be Novak,” he said.
“Then tell me who it is!” Sam exclaimed. “I know its Novak, or else he’s got a double out there, and no one knew.”
“What about the angels?” Dean asked. “Azazel said that they were trying to get to him.”
Sam grinned humorlessly. “I figured that they were just trying to get him out of Hell and into Heaven or something.”
Dean snorted. “Fine, we’ll tell Meg or Azazel when we get back to the mansion,” he said. He pulled the car off the road and hid it behind some trees. “We’re here,” Dean said.
Sam climbed out of the car and opened the trunk. “We’re going in armed,” he said. “I don’t care if we’re not going to fight, I want us armed.”
Jess frowned at him. “Are you expecting problems?” she asked.
“I just have a bad feeling about this,” Sam admitted.
Dean sighed. “Alright, machetes all around,” he said. “Good thing we have an extra one for Jess,” he said.
Jess led the way to the barn the vampires were using as a nesting site. She had several tricks up her sleeve, tricks she’d picked up in the past few months.
Sam was right behind her. She might have learned how to defend herself, but he had spent a lifetime dealing with the supernatural, and he knew how tricky it could be.
Dean brought up the rear. He wasn’t going to let his brother out of his sight.
The reached the barn with no problems, and Sam rapped sharply on the smaller door.
They had to wait a while before the door opened and a sleepy looking man peeked out.
He blinked, taking in their weapons. “I’ve never known Hunters to simply knock,” he said.
“We’re not Hunters,” Sam said. “We’re just careful.”
The vampire snorted. “Yeah, sure.”
“Azazel sent us,” Sam continued.
The vampire stiffened. “I already told him that we aren’t going to help him,” he said.
“We know,” Sam said. “We came here because a Hunter had something we needed.” He paused. “Can we do this inside? I know sunlight irritates your skin.”
The vampire sighed. “Yeah, sure,” he said as he let them in. Dean looked around. The barn didn’t look that impressive, and it was rather dark inside, but he could see a couple of locked cages and some hammocks.
He returned his attention to center of the room and the table the vampire was leading them towards.
It was covered in cash and jewelry, with an antique gun carefully placed on one corner. They sat on bales of hay around it. Jess pulled back slightly, doing her best to pretend to be of no importance.
“I’m Luther,” the Vampire said. “Why are you here?”
Sam smiled. “I’m Sam Winchester; this is my brother Dean, and Jessica Moore. We’re here because we were told that Daniel Elkins had a gun we needed.”
“I told Kate that killing Elkins was a mistake,” Luther said.
“Oh, we don’t care about that,” Sam said. “One less Hunter in the world. But we need that gun.”
Luther frowned. “Why?”
“Azazel didn’t tell us why,” Sam lied.
Dean leaned forward. “It’s an old colt revolver. Azazel said that it was… important.”
Luther nodded slowly. “And if I say we don’t have it?”
“Then we go back and tell Azazel that a nest of vampires is trying to impede his plans,” Dean said harshly. He glared. “And he’d know if you kill us. He’d be very displeased if that would happen.”
“Since when does a demon care about humans?”
Jess smiled. “His host is their father,” she said. “Has been for a while now. Azazel raised these two.”
Luther studied them after that. “Demons use humans,” he said. “Whatever he wants you for, he doesn’t actually care about you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Sam said.
“If you die, he’ll just find someone else to do what you would have done.”
“Perhaps,” Sam dismissed. “But he did say that I’m the best one for the job. Do you think he’d be happy to see over twenty years of work lost because one vampire was too aggressive?”
Luther snorted. “I don’t care what Azazel thinks,” he said.
Sam leaned back. “Maybe not,” he said. “Still, you should give it some thought.”
Luther rolled his eyes. “So, you say you’re not Hunters,” he said.
“We’re not,” Jess replied. “We’re just here for the gun. Once we have that, we’ll leave you alone. You can go back to doing whatever you want to do.”
“Somehow, I don’t believe that.”
“We know Hunters are going to come after you, because you killed Elkins,” Sam said. “Hunters know how to hold grudges. And they’re always chasing after me.”
“You killed a Hunter?”
“My dad did, when they attacked us when I was a baby,” Sam replied. “That’s when they killed my mom.”
Dean leaned forward. “So, Luther, what do you say?
“I say no,” Luther said. “I don’t have to give that gun to a bunch of humans.”
Sam and Dean exchanged glances. “That’s unfortunate,” Dean said. He shrugged. “Because we aren’t really interested in a no.”
“You’re also surrounded,” Luther said.
Dean didn’t even blink. “So?” he asked.
Luther didn’t like that. A female vampire reached out to grab Dean.
Dean let her touch his arm before lashing out. He felt that power he’d been cultivating for over two months flash through him. The female vampire cart wheeled through the air and slammed against the wall, pinned like a bug.
“What does it matter, if we can beat all of you?” Dean continued.
Sam smirked. “We’re not ordinary humans, Luther. Now, we came here in good faith, and tried to be polite about it. Now, I’m telling you. We’re taking the gun with us, and you’re not going to be able to stop us. If you try, you’ll all end up against the walls, and then we’ll use our machetes. Or Dean and I will simply freeze you in your tracks, perhaps.”
Luther glared at him.
Sam smiled. “Starting with girly there already pinned to the wall. You’ll be the last one we kill.”
Luther growled low in his throat. Dean flicked a glance at the vampire, most of his attention on the one he was holding up.
“Fine,” Luther said. “It’s the one on the table.”
“We know,” Sam said. He reached over and carefully picked it up. He checked to make sure it was loaded.
“Well, Sammy?” Dean asked.
“Five bullets,” Sam said.
“That’ll be enough,” Dean replied.
Sam lifted the gun and pointed it straight at Luther. “Now, how shall we see if it’s the real thing?” he asked.
The vampires, already immobile thanks to the powers Sam and Dean were using, stilled even further.
“If you kill me, you’ll never be safe. Kate and the others will hunt you down and kill you. And you don’t have enough bullets to kill us all.”
Sam sighed. “True, I suppose. Still, there are other ways to prevent that.”
Jess got up and moved to stand behind one of the other vampires.
Sam smiled coldly. “We’re going to make sure, Luther,” he said. He pulled the trigger.
The vampire jerked back as the bullet hit him in the head. Sam watched impassively as darkness leached out from the hole, and the vampire jerked again before collapsing, dead.
“I’d say that proves it,” Dean said.
Sam tucked the gun away under his shirt after a moment. “Yes, it does,” he said before looking around at the rest of the vampires.
“We can’t let them come after us,” Dean said easily.
Jess looked faintly disturbed, but nodded. “They’ll come after us?” she asked. “Even after… all this?”
“Yes,” Dean said.
“You don’t have to stay for this,” Sam said quietly.
Jess shook her head. “No way, Sam. I’m a part of this now. Though I don’t think I want to…”
Sam nodded. “Of course.” He and Dean pulled out their machetes and made quick work of the ten vampires in the nest.
Jess didn’t turn away, but she didn’t help, either.
“Let’s go,” Dean said once they were done.
“What would you have done if he’d just given us the gun?” Jess asked.
“We’d have left them alone,” Sam said. “But he threatened us, and that was a foolhardy mistake at best.”
Jess nodded. “It seemed a bit violent,” she said.
Sam shrugged. “It’s the only way to stop them,” he said. “They’d have kept coming after us, and more importantly, you.”
Jess nodded. “I understand,” she said. “I hope I never have to do that, though.”
“I don’t blame you,” Sam said. “It’s not easy.”
Jess smiled. “I’m not doubting you,” she said. “Or my choices. I just wonder what it’d be like if you didn’t have to do that sort of thing.”
“I wonder that, too, sometimes,” Sam said. “But then I remember that I have a lot more freedom as one of Azazel’s chosen.”
Jimmy glared at Castiel. “And you didn’t tell me they were already dead, why?”
They were standing in the old barn that they’d tracked the vampires to, only to find that all of them were dead. Most of them had been beheaded, just like Castiel had told him, but one of them had been shot, apparently.
“I didn’t know,” Castiel said. “Perhaps some other Hunters were here.”
“I thought you said Vampires could only be killed by beheading.”
Castiel frowned. His light blue eyes darkened for a moment as he studied the corpse. “This vampire was killed by the Colt.”
“A horse or a gun?” Jimmy asked.
Castiel glanced at him in confusion. “A gun,” he said. “One that can kill anything.”
Jimmy snorted. “Alright, if you say so.”
He paused and looked around. “Well, we don’t have a Hunt here,” he commented, then winced at how obvious he was being. “I suppose we should just torch the place.”
Castiel frowned at him. “Why would we do that?”
Jimmy frowned. “So the police don’t come here and think they have some sort of serial killer? So that if they do find the place, they won’t find any fingerprints from us? It’d be strange if they found the fingerprints of a dead man here. And I don’t know about you, what you do when you’re not helping me, but you don’t need your fingerprints in the system.”
“They are not my fingerprints,” Castiel said. “I do not have fingerprints. And Nick does not have any criminal record.”
“Nick?” Jimmy asked.
“My vessel. He is a good man, though he was reluctant to help at first.”
Jimmy frowned and shrugged. He’d given up trying to understand his angelic shadow.
“Fine, but I don’t want to do that to my family. They think I’m dead. I don’t want them to find out I’m alive because I’m a suspect in… something like this.”
Castiel nodded. “We cannot let them suspect you are alive at all,” he said. “Or they would be in danger.”
“I know,” Jimmy said sadly. It wasn’t like they hadn’t had this conversation before.
He made short work of dousing the barn in gasoline then left the building and created a makeshift fuse so he could light it safely. That was a trick he’d picked up from a Hunter named Bill Harvelle and his wife, Ellen.
He watched for a moment to make sure the building was burning well, and headed out. Luckily, it had rained the day before, so the trees surrounding the barn weren’t in any danger.
When he turned around, Castiel was right behind him. Jimmy jumped. “Castiel!” he yelled. “God, would it kill you to stand a little farther away?”
Castiel frowned at him.
Jimmy snorted and stomped away. He hated this.
“Head for South Dakota,” Castiel ordered once they had reached the car and Jimmy had tossed the gear in the trunk.
“Why?”
“There is a Hunter there, one who my superiors say will be important to the future battles. He can teach you a lot about demons.”
Jimmy sighed. “Does this Hunter have a name?”
“Robert Singer. I believe he goes by Bobby.”
“Is there any reason you can’t teach me about demons?” Jimmy asked. He hated spending time with Hunters. Most of them were suspicious, and after one or two learned that he was supposed to be dead, Jimmy kept away from them as much as possible.
He still hadn’t gotten over nearly being killed by that husband and wife team down in Okalahoma.
“You cannot do everything angels can, when it comes to fighting demons. It is best that you learn from a human.”
Jimmy snorted. “Fine, South Dakota it is. He better not try to kill me.”
“He will not,” Castiel said. “Robert Singer is a good man who has not killed anything just because it’s different. He didn’t even try to kill Sam and Dean Winchester.”
“Who?”
“The Winchesters. They are often Hunted. They were attacked when they were children, because some of the Hunters thought that Sam would end the world. The Hunters have pushed them to the side of demons, but Sam and Dean have not done anything worth Hunting, yet. My superiors hope that they will redeem themselves.”
“They were attacked when they were kids?” Jimmy yelped.
“I believe Sam was seven weeks old.”
“Holy shit,” Jimmy said. “How did they survive?”
“I don’t know. Their mother was killed. A few years later, they and their father were forced to go on the run by more Hunters. I believe they fell in with demons after that.”
Jimmy frowned. “See, this is why I don’t like Hunters,” he said. “What kind of person would attack a seven week old for something he might do in the future?”
“He is going to try to end the world now,” Castiel said. “But I believe if he hadn’t been attacked, he wouldn’t have.”
Jimmy snorted. “Surprise, surprise.”
“We still have to go to Robert Singer,” Castiel said.
Jimmy rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he said. He jumped in the car and started it. “Are you coming with me?”
“No. My superiors need me to track a group of demons down in South America. I will direct you to your destination, then leave.”
“Fine, whatever,” Jimmy said. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Azazel considered matters for a moment. He wanted to keep the Hunters in doubt over how evil the Winchesters were a little while longer. That meant, since the next part of the plan was going to be highly visible to Hunters after a while, he needed to take another host.
He frowned and traveled to a hospital in Missouri, where he knew another suitable host could be found.
He woke John and let him know that he was leaving, and then exited John’s body.
He saw John collapse right in front of the hospital, and headed out to find his next host. The janitor was just getting off shift, ready for three days off. Perfect.
Azazel entered him and settled in. The man wasn’t quite as comfortable as John, but he’d do for now.
There was a commotion near the emergency room, but Azazel ignored it. His host wouldn’t have paid any attention to it either, so the demon just walked out the door.
Azazel reappeared in Cold Oak. Sam, Dean, and Jess weren’t back at the mansion yet, but they had called Meg and let her know that they had the Colt. Now that he knew that, he needed to check on the ongoing competition between his chosen children.
Ava Wilson had become a surprisingly strong competitor, lasting nearly three months so far. Max Miller had been disappointing, falling to Ava after only five days. Most of the rest of the children had performed about as well as expected.
He was down to just four left, not counting Sam. In just about a week or so, he’d bring Sam and the other three into it.
“Hello, my dear,” Azazel said as he reappeared next to Ava.
“Who are you?” she snapped, jumping to her feet.
“I’m hurt, Ava,” he said. “I realize that I look different, but I’d think you’d still recognize me.” He allowed his eyes to turn yellow.
“Oh!” Ava said. “How did you…?”
“It’s just something I can do,” Azazel waved her question away. “No matter. I’m just here to give you a bit of a pep talk. You’re doing well, my dear.”
Ava smiled proudly.
Azazel didn’t look directly at her, but out at the slowly crumbling town of Cold Oak.
She was doing well. Just, she wasn’t doing well enough to win. If Sam didn’t take her out, then Jake Talley would. Andy Gallagher would also be one of the last competitors, though Azazel doubted he’d be any sort of threat to the others.
Azazel had finally decided that Lily Reyes would be the last of the final five competitors. It hardly mattered; the rest of the children had proven to be fairly weak. Lily was no different.
“I’ll be bringing in another group soon,” Azazel said. “Don’t worry, my dear. You shouldn’t have any trouble with them.”
Ava nodded. “Of course,” she said proudly. “None of the scared little boys and girls have been a problem.”
“You were the same way when you first came here,” Azazel said. “The only difference is that you’ve used your fears to become stronger.”
Bobby watched the other Hunter as he paged through another of Bobby’s books on demons.
The Hunter, going by the name of Jimmy Novak, had shown up a week ago asking Bobby to teach him about demons. Bobby hadn’t wanted to, but the man had had that haunted look in his eyes that Bobby knew meant he’d lost people.
“So, what do you think?”
“I think that it’s pretty crazy that this devil’s trap actually works,” Jimmy replied. “But, hey, I don’t make the rules.”
Bobby smiled. Despite himself, he liked the other man. “Neither do I, kid, neither do I.”
“I’m not a kid,” Jimmy said. “I have… had…” he swallowed and shut up.
Bobby frowned but didn’t push. Every Hunter was either born to this life, or had something happen to them to push them into this life. And Jimmy had definitely not been born into this life.
His nightmares proved that he’d experienced a lot, though.
“So, Jimmy,” Bobby said. “If you keep having screaming nightmares under my roof, I might need to find a hotel just to get some sleep.”
Jimmy paled. “Sorry, I didn’t realize…”
“Forget it, kid. Just… we all have bad experiences, sounds like yours was worse then most. Sometimes, we need to talk about it.”
Jimmy frowned. “I’m not sure…”
“You don’t have to tell me everything, but even a bit of sleep means you can be a better Hunter, and it’s clear you’re not getting it.”
Jimmy sighed. “A few months ago, demons faked my death and… and it was bad. I can’t go back home, not any more. And I won’t put my family in danger.”
“Aren’t you putting them in danger by keeping them ignorant?”
“I’d be putting them more in danger if I went to them,” Jimmy said. He frowned and didn’t say anything else.
Bobby eyed him for a moment, but Jimmy just buried his head in the book and ignored him. In the end, Bobby didn’t say anything.
John sighed. He still felt a bit disconnected from the world. He’d only been in control of his body for a week, after hosting Azazel for several months.
But he was recovering, and he was so proud of his sons, how they’d acted since he was possessed.
He was sitting in the kitchen watching Jess as she made a sandwich for herself. “Do you want a sandwich, Mr. Winchester?” she asked.
“You know you can call me John,” John said. “And, yes, please.”
She set a sandwich down in front of John after a moment and then sat down across from him.
She ate silently, mind clearly somewhere else entirely.
John smiled at her. Before he could say anything, though, Azazel walked in. The demon was smiling.
John shifted. It was never a good thing when a demon smiled like that. At least, not for most people.
“It’s time,” Azazel said. “Where’s Sam?”
Jess took a deep breath. John closed his eyes. He knew Sam would be fine, but he still worried.
“Can I tell him something first?” Jess asked.
Azazel nodded. “Of course,” he said. “But first we have to find him.”
“He and Dean went out to do something to Dean’s car,” Jess said. “When I asked what, they said it was a secret.”
Azazel and John both snorted. “That just means that they’re doing something that I wouldn’t approve of,” John said.
Jess smiled. “I do need to tell him something before he goes, if I can,” she said.
John smiled in response.
Azazel rolled his eyes. “Well, assuming I can find him,” he grumbled.
Almost on cue, the door banged open, and Dean and Sam rushed in, arguing.
“No, Dean, trust me. That won’t work!” Sam snapped. He side stepped John and headed for the kitchen.
“Sammy, which of us is the one who can actually work on the car? You might be the college boy, but you can’t tell the carburetor from the engine.”
“Boys,” Azazel said mildly. They both ignored him.
“Yes I can,” Sam objected. “It’s not my fault you’re in love with your car, Dean. And I can handle most of the maintenance on the Impala.”
“Yeah, as if I’d ever let you. You’d probably make the engine drop out.”
“Boys,” John tried.
“I would not!” Sam replied. “Besides, you’re the one who mixed up the antifreeze and gas lines.”
“I was eight!” Dean objected. “And you’re the…
“BOYS!” Azazel thundered.
Sam and Dean froze for an instant before turning to face him.
“Ah… sorry, sir,” Sam managed.
John couldn’t help be feel impressed. He’d seen Sam and Dean go at it many times. Their bickering could last for hours, and he’d never been able to short circuit one of their arguments before they were good and done.
It probably helped that Azazel could pin them to the wall if he wanted, John figured.
Azazel sighed. “I did not sign up for this,” he muttered. “Sam, it’s time.”
Sam took a deep breath. “Right,” he said.
Jess ducked down and grabbed his hand. “Sam,” she said quietly before she stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.
John couldn’t hear what she was saying, but it was clearly important. As soon as she was done, Sam leaned down and kissed her.
When nearly a minute had passed, and they didn’t show any signs of stopping, Dean whistled loudly.
Sam pulled away reluctantly. “I’ll be fine, Jess,” Sam said. “After all, I’ll know what’s going on.”
“Be careful,” she said.
“I will,” Sam said.
He turned to Azazel. “I’m ready,” he said.
The demon smiled. “You’ll do fine, Sam,” he said. “Now, I know I told you all about your competitors, but watch out for Ava. That girl is ruthless. Though I think she might take a liking to you. Put on your “I’m just a likeable boy trying to do what’s right” act and you’ll be fine for a while.”
Dean snorted. “So that’s what it’s called,” he said. Sam and Dean stared at each other for a moment before Dean nodded. “See you in a couple of days, little brother,” Dean finally said.
Sam nodded.
Azazel reached up and touched Sam on the forehead. They both vanished.
John took a deep breath. “I hate waiting,” he said.
Dean nodded. “Give me an hour and I’ll have the Impala ready,” he said.
“And go where?” John asked.
“I’m heading for Cold Oak to pick Sam up.”
John took a deep breath, but Dean straightened. “I’m going, Dad,” he said. A burst of yellow flashed across his eyes for just a second. It was different from when Azazel showed his eyes, but it stopped John in his tracks.
“Dean?” John asked.
Dean frowned at him. “Yeah, dad?”
“Never mind,” John said. “Be careful. And take care of your brother.”
“Always, Dad,” Dean said. “We’ll be back in a few days.”
Part Six
Jimmy glanced around the small town as he searched for a motel. In the past two months, Castiel had taken him all over the country and tried to show him just what he’d need to do. He’d taken him to learn from men and women who had a lot more experience at handling evil then Jimmy did. Jimmy hated it. He’d finally put his foot down and purchased an old clunker of a car so he could get wherever he needed to go without relying on the angel and his stomach turning method of travel.
He wanted to be with his family, he hated being a “Hunter”, and he didn’t understand how people could devote their lives to what he’d been doing for two months.
He’d broken more laws in the last two months then he’d even realized existed. He had several fake ids that proclaimed his name was one of half a dozen different names, with as many professions. He’d learned how to use all sorts of guns, including the illegal ones.
He wasn’t the same man he’d been before that accident. Of course, his nightmares of Hell and what he’d done there pretty much assured that, never mind his new status as angel errand boy.
“You are more then that,” Castiel said.
“Stop that,” Jimmy snapped. “Stay out of my head.”
Castiel just tilted his head. It was funny how the angel managed to look like an innocent child, even though his body looked at least ten years older then Jimmy.
Jimmy sighed. Despite everything, he was growing to like the angel. The angel had been his only constant companion since he’d come back to life. The angel was irritatingly dense, didn’t seem to grasp human concepts at all, was prone to simply expecting Jimmy to just follow whatever orders he gave, and quietly sure in a way that grated on Jimmy’s nerves. He was also brave, caring in his own way, and someone to talk to.
“So, explain to me why we’re in Colorado again,” Jimmy said.
“There is a nest of vampires here that need to be taken out,” Castiel said. “If you can handle them, then we know you’re ready to take on the demons that will be attacking the world shortly.”
“If they’re not attacking yet, why don’t you stop them now?” Jimmy asked.
Castiel sighed. “We do not have enough information about how they will attack,” he said. “They will, but we just don’t know…”
Jimmy shrugged. “You know, I thought Armageddon was supposed to be God purifying the world, and making paradise afterwards, not demons destroying everything.”
“If we do not succeed, then the demons and Lucifer will destroy the world,” Castiel said somberly.
“No pressure,” Jimmy muttered, but it wasn’t like this was new. Castiel only told him this about once a week.
“So, vampires,” Jimmy prompted. He’d learned not to question what was real and what couldn’t possibly exist in the world.
“Yes,” the angel replied.
Jimmy waited a moment, and then sighed. “How can I handle vampires?” he finally asked. Blasted angel didn’t have any sense of how to handle a conversation.
Castiel nodded. “They can be killed if you decapitate them. The can be paralyzed if they are injected with Dead Man’s Blood.”
“Dean Man’s Blood?” Jimmy asked.
“The blood from a dead man- or woman- can be used to paralyze a vampire. If they are stabbed with a knife coated in it, they can be decapitated at leisure.”
Jimmy snorted. “I bet,” he said. “Right, what about sunlight? A stake through the heart?”
Castiel frowned at him. “I don’t understand. Neither of those things can kill vampires. They do sleep during the day, but that is because sunlight irritates their skin.”
Jimmy sighed. “Of course,” he said.
He pulled the car into the parking lot of a cheap motel that he never would have touched in his former life. He parked right next to a beautiful muscle car, and took a moment to admire it before getting out and heading for the office.
“Alright, I’ll get a room, then you can tell me where the vampires are,” he said.
Jimmy groaned as he opened the door to his room. Castiel had flown off somewhere- he did that sometimes. Jimmy didn’t care; it meant he had some time to himself.
The door to the room next to him opened, and a beautiful blonde walked out and nearly right into him. “Sorry,” she said.
“Don’t worry,” Jimmy replied. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said.
A tall- very tall- man appeared in the doorway to the room she was just in. He took in the scene and then stared at Jimmy.
Jimmy shifted uneasily.
He didn't like it when people stared at him, and this guy just would not stop.
"Sam?" the woman asked.
Sam shook his head. "Sorry, you... uh... just reminded me of someone."
"It's alright," Jimmy said. "I'm Cas," he added. It was better if he didn’t use his real name, so he’d taken to shortening Castiel’s name whenever he needed a quick alias.
"Nice to meet you, Cas," Sam said. "I'm Sam, this is Jess."
"So, what are you doing in Colorado?" Jess asked.
"Just passing through," Jimmy said. "On my way to California."
Sam nodded. "Same here, only we're heading for the east coast."
Jimmy grinned. "Great. Well, it was nice to meet you, Sam and Jess," he said.
"Nice to meet you too," Jess said.
Jimmy entered his room and smiled. Those two were a cute couple. It was nice to talk to normal people every so often, now.
He set his duffle down and pulled out the notebook that he'd purchased. He'd been told that the best way to organize his Hunts was to have a journal full of information he'd come across. Other Hunters said that it made sense to have one easily referenced fact book.
Castiel still wasn't back. Jimmy sighed. It looked like he'd be going this Hunt alone.
So, decapitation. Jimmy knew that he had a machete in his car trunk. He'd need to pull out his large knife, too, so he could cover it in Dead Man's Blood.
But first, he had to find the vampire's hideout.
He heard a loud rumbling and peaked outside the window. The couple, along with another kid about their age, was leaving in the muscle car.
Jimmy sighed. He wished he could be as carefree as those kids.
“Jimmy Novak?”
Sam rolled his eyes. “For the tenth time, Dean, yes, Jimmy Novak.”
“You’re sure?” Dean pressed.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Sam growled. “It’s either that, or Novak has a twin.”
Dean tilted his head.
“No, Dean. I looked into him when Azazel told us about him. He doesn’t have any siblings. And that wasn’t a shape shifter, either.”
“So… if it’s really Novak, how is he back?”
Jess leaned over the seat. She had no clue, really. “A deal?” she asked.
“No, Azazel said they wanted him dead and out of the way in Hell,” Sam reminded her. “No one would deal for him, if anyone thought to ask.”
Dean sighed. “Then it can’t be Novak,” he said.
“Then tell me who it is!” Sam exclaimed. “I know its Novak, or else he’s got a double out there, and no one knew.”
“What about the angels?” Dean asked. “Azazel said that they were trying to get to him.”
Sam grinned humorlessly. “I figured that they were just trying to get him out of Hell and into Heaven or something.”
Dean snorted. “Fine, we’ll tell Meg or Azazel when we get back to the mansion,” he said. He pulled the car off the road and hid it behind some trees. “We’re here,” Dean said.
Sam climbed out of the car and opened the trunk. “We’re going in armed,” he said. “I don’t care if we’re not going to fight, I want us armed.”
Jess frowned at him. “Are you expecting problems?” she asked.
“I just have a bad feeling about this,” Sam admitted.
Dean sighed. “Alright, machetes all around,” he said. “Good thing we have an extra one for Jess,” he said.
Jess led the way to the barn the vampires were using as a nesting site. She had several tricks up her sleeve, tricks she’d picked up in the past few months.
Sam was right behind her. She might have learned how to defend herself, but he had spent a lifetime dealing with the supernatural, and he knew how tricky it could be.
Dean brought up the rear. He wasn’t going to let his brother out of his sight.
The reached the barn with no problems, and Sam rapped sharply on the smaller door.
They had to wait a while before the door opened and a sleepy looking man peeked out.
He blinked, taking in their weapons. “I’ve never known Hunters to simply knock,” he said.
“We’re not Hunters,” Sam said. “We’re just careful.”
The vampire snorted. “Yeah, sure.”
“Azazel sent us,” Sam continued.
The vampire stiffened. “I already told him that we aren’t going to help him,” he said.
“We know,” Sam said. “We came here because a Hunter had something we needed.” He paused. “Can we do this inside? I know sunlight irritates your skin.”
The vampire sighed. “Yeah, sure,” he said as he let them in. Dean looked around. The barn didn’t look that impressive, and it was rather dark inside, but he could see a couple of locked cages and some hammocks.
He returned his attention to center of the room and the table the vampire was leading them towards.
It was covered in cash and jewelry, with an antique gun carefully placed on one corner. They sat on bales of hay around it. Jess pulled back slightly, doing her best to pretend to be of no importance.
“I’m Luther,” the Vampire said. “Why are you here?”
Sam smiled. “I’m Sam Winchester; this is my brother Dean, and Jessica Moore. We’re here because we were told that Daniel Elkins had a gun we needed.”
“I told Kate that killing Elkins was a mistake,” Luther said.
“Oh, we don’t care about that,” Sam said. “One less Hunter in the world. But we need that gun.”
Luther frowned. “Why?”
“Azazel didn’t tell us why,” Sam lied.
Dean leaned forward. “It’s an old colt revolver. Azazel said that it was… important.”
Luther nodded slowly. “And if I say we don’t have it?”
“Then we go back and tell Azazel that a nest of vampires is trying to impede his plans,” Dean said harshly. He glared. “And he’d know if you kill us. He’d be very displeased if that would happen.”
“Since when does a demon care about humans?”
Jess smiled. “His host is their father,” she said. “Has been for a while now. Azazel raised these two.”
Luther studied them after that. “Demons use humans,” he said. “Whatever he wants you for, he doesn’t actually care about you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Sam said.
“If you die, he’ll just find someone else to do what you would have done.”
“Perhaps,” Sam dismissed. “But he did say that I’m the best one for the job. Do you think he’d be happy to see over twenty years of work lost because one vampire was too aggressive?”
Luther snorted. “I don’t care what Azazel thinks,” he said.
Sam leaned back. “Maybe not,” he said. “Still, you should give it some thought.”
Luther rolled his eyes. “So, you say you’re not Hunters,” he said.
“We’re not,” Jess replied. “We’re just here for the gun. Once we have that, we’ll leave you alone. You can go back to doing whatever you want to do.”
“Somehow, I don’t believe that.”
“We know Hunters are going to come after you, because you killed Elkins,” Sam said. “Hunters know how to hold grudges. And they’re always chasing after me.”
“You killed a Hunter?”
“My dad did, when they attacked us when I was a baby,” Sam replied. “That’s when they killed my mom.”
Dean leaned forward. “So, Luther, what do you say?
“I say no,” Luther said. “I don’t have to give that gun to a bunch of humans.”
Sam and Dean exchanged glances. “That’s unfortunate,” Dean said. He shrugged. “Because we aren’t really interested in a no.”
“You’re also surrounded,” Luther said.
Dean didn’t even blink. “So?” he asked.
Luther didn’t like that. A female vampire reached out to grab Dean.
Dean let her touch his arm before lashing out. He felt that power he’d been cultivating for over two months flash through him. The female vampire cart wheeled through the air and slammed against the wall, pinned like a bug.
“What does it matter, if we can beat all of you?” Dean continued.
Sam smirked. “We’re not ordinary humans, Luther. Now, we came here in good faith, and tried to be polite about it. Now, I’m telling you. We’re taking the gun with us, and you’re not going to be able to stop us. If you try, you’ll all end up against the walls, and then we’ll use our machetes. Or Dean and I will simply freeze you in your tracks, perhaps.”
Luther glared at him.
Sam smiled. “Starting with girly there already pinned to the wall. You’ll be the last one we kill.”
Luther growled low in his throat. Dean flicked a glance at the vampire, most of his attention on the one he was holding up.
“Fine,” Luther said. “It’s the one on the table.”
“We know,” Sam said. He reached over and carefully picked it up. He checked to make sure it was loaded.
“Well, Sammy?” Dean asked.
“Five bullets,” Sam said.
“That’ll be enough,” Dean replied.
Sam lifted the gun and pointed it straight at Luther. “Now, how shall we see if it’s the real thing?” he asked.
The vampires, already immobile thanks to the powers Sam and Dean were using, stilled even further.
“If you kill me, you’ll never be safe. Kate and the others will hunt you down and kill you. And you don’t have enough bullets to kill us all.”
Sam sighed. “True, I suppose. Still, there are other ways to prevent that.”
Jess got up and moved to stand behind one of the other vampires.
Sam smiled coldly. “We’re going to make sure, Luther,” he said. He pulled the trigger.
The vampire jerked back as the bullet hit him in the head. Sam watched impassively as darkness leached out from the hole, and the vampire jerked again before collapsing, dead.
“I’d say that proves it,” Dean said.
Sam tucked the gun away under his shirt after a moment. “Yes, it does,” he said before looking around at the rest of the vampires.
“We can’t let them come after us,” Dean said easily.
Jess looked faintly disturbed, but nodded. “They’ll come after us?” she asked. “Even after… all this?”
“Yes,” Dean said.
“You don’t have to stay for this,” Sam said quietly.
Jess shook her head. “No way, Sam. I’m a part of this now. Though I don’t think I want to…”
Sam nodded. “Of course.” He and Dean pulled out their machetes and made quick work of the ten vampires in the nest.
Jess didn’t turn away, but she didn’t help, either.
“Let’s go,” Dean said once they were done.
“What would you have done if he’d just given us the gun?” Jess asked.
“We’d have left them alone,” Sam said. “But he threatened us, and that was a foolhardy mistake at best.”
Jess nodded. “It seemed a bit violent,” she said.
Sam shrugged. “It’s the only way to stop them,” he said. “They’d have kept coming after us, and more importantly, you.”
Jess nodded. “I understand,” she said. “I hope I never have to do that, though.”
“I don’t blame you,” Sam said. “It’s not easy.”
Jess smiled. “I’m not doubting you,” she said. “Or my choices. I just wonder what it’d be like if you didn’t have to do that sort of thing.”
“I wonder that, too, sometimes,” Sam said. “But then I remember that I have a lot more freedom as one of Azazel’s chosen.”
Jimmy glared at Castiel. “And you didn’t tell me they were already dead, why?”
They were standing in the old barn that they’d tracked the vampires to, only to find that all of them were dead. Most of them had been beheaded, just like Castiel had told him, but one of them had been shot, apparently.
“I didn’t know,” Castiel said. “Perhaps some other Hunters were here.”
“I thought you said Vampires could only be killed by beheading.”
Castiel frowned. His light blue eyes darkened for a moment as he studied the corpse. “This vampire was killed by the Colt.”
“A horse or a gun?” Jimmy asked.
Castiel glanced at him in confusion. “A gun,” he said. “One that can kill anything.”
Jimmy snorted. “Alright, if you say so.”
He paused and looked around. “Well, we don’t have a Hunt here,” he commented, then winced at how obvious he was being. “I suppose we should just torch the place.”
Castiel frowned at him. “Why would we do that?”
Jimmy frowned. “So the police don’t come here and think they have some sort of serial killer? So that if they do find the place, they won’t find any fingerprints from us? It’d be strange if they found the fingerprints of a dead man here. And I don’t know about you, what you do when you’re not helping me, but you don’t need your fingerprints in the system.”
“They are not my fingerprints,” Castiel said. “I do not have fingerprints. And Nick does not have any criminal record.”
“Nick?” Jimmy asked.
“My vessel. He is a good man, though he was reluctant to help at first.”
Jimmy frowned and shrugged. He’d given up trying to understand his angelic shadow.
“Fine, but I don’t want to do that to my family. They think I’m dead. I don’t want them to find out I’m alive because I’m a suspect in… something like this.”
Castiel nodded. “We cannot let them suspect you are alive at all,” he said. “Or they would be in danger.”
“I know,” Jimmy said sadly. It wasn’t like they hadn’t had this conversation before.
He made short work of dousing the barn in gasoline then left the building and created a makeshift fuse so he could light it safely. That was a trick he’d picked up from a Hunter named Bill Harvelle and his wife, Ellen.
He watched for a moment to make sure the building was burning well, and headed out. Luckily, it had rained the day before, so the trees surrounding the barn weren’t in any danger.
When he turned around, Castiel was right behind him. Jimmy jumped. “Castiel!” he yelled. “God, would it kill you to stand a little farther away?”
Castiel frowned at him.
Jimmy snorted and stomped away. He hated this.
“Head for South Dakota,” Castiel ordered once they had reached the car and Jimmy had tossed the gear in the trunk.
“Why?”
“There is a Hunter there, one who my superiors say will be important to the future battles. He can teach you a lot about demons.”
Jimmy sighed. “Does this Hunter have a name?”
“Robert Singer. I believe he goes by Bobby.”
“Is there any reason you can’t teach me about demons?” Jimmy asked. He hated spending time with Hunters. Most of them were suspicious, and after one or two learned that he was supposed to be dead, Jimmy kept away from them as much as possible.
He still hadn’t gotten over nearly being killed by that husband and wife team down in Okalahoma.
“You cannot do everything angels can, when it comes to fighting demons. It is best that you learn from a human.”
Jimmy snorted. “Fine, South Dakota it is. He better not try to kill me.”
“He will not,” Castiel said. “Robert Singer is a good man who has not killed anything just because it’s different. He didn’t even try to kill Sam and Dean Winchester.”
“Who?”
“The Winchesters. They are often Hunted. They were attacked when they were children, because some of the Hunters thought that Sam would end the world. The Hunters have pushed them to the side of demons, but Sam and Dean have not done anything worth Hunting, yet. My superiors hope that they will redeem themselves.”
“They were attacked when they were kids?” Jimmy yelped.
“I believe Sam was seven weeks old.”
“Holy shit,” Jimmy said. “How did they survive?”
“I don’t know. Their mother was killed. A few years later, they and their father were forced to go on the run by more Hunters. I believe they fell in with demons after that.”
Jimmy frowned. “See, this is why I don’t like Hunters,” he said. “What kind of person would attack a seven week old for something he might do in the future?”
“He is going to try to end the world now,” Castiel said. “But I believe if he hadn’t been attacked, he wouldn’t have.”
Jimmy snorted. “Surprise, surprise.”
“We still have to go to Robert Singer,” Castiel said.
Jimmy rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he said. He jumped in the car and started it. “Are you coming with me?”
“No. My superiors need me to track a group of demons down in South America. I will direct you to your destination, then leave.”
“Fine, whatever,” Jimmy said. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Azazel considered matters for a moment. He wanted to keep the Hunters in doubt over how evil the Winchesters were a little while longer. That meant, since the next part of the plan was going to be highly visible to Hunters after a while, he needed to take another host.
He frowned and traveled to a hospital in Missouri, where he knew another suitable host could be found.
He woke John and let him know that he was leaving, and then exited John’s body.
He saw John collapse right in front of the hospital, and headed out to find his next host. The janitor was just getting off shift, ready for three days off. Perfect.
Azazel entered him and settled in. The man wasn’t quite as comfortable as John, but he’d do for now.
There was a commotion near the emergency room, but Azazel ignored it. His host wouldn’t have paid any attention to it either, so the demon just walked out the door.
Azazel reappeared in Cold Oak. Sam, Dean, and Jess weren’t back at the mansion yet, but they had called Meg and let her know that they had the Colt. Now that he knew that, he needed to check on the ongoing competition between his chosen children.
Ava Wilson had become a surprisingly strong competitor, lasting nearly three months so far. Max Miller had been disappointing, falling to Ava after only five days. Most of the rest of the children had performed about as well as expected.
He was down to just four left, not counting Sam. In just about a week or so, he’d bring Sam and the other three into it.
“Hello, my dear,” Azazel said as he reappeared next to Ava.
“Who are you?” she snapped, jumping to her feet.
“I’m hurt, Ava,” he said. “I realize that I look different, but I’d think you’d still recognize me.” He allowed his eyes to turn yellow.
“Oh!” Ava said. “How did you…?”
“It’s just something I can do,” Azazel waved her question away. “No matter. I’m just here to give you a bit of a pep talk. You’re doing well, my dear.”
Ava smiled proudly.
Azazel didn’t look directly at her, but out at the slowly crumbling town of Cold Oak.
She was doing well. Just, she wasn’t doing well enough to win. If Sam didn’t take her out, then Jake Talley would. Andy Gallagher would also be one of the last competitors, though Azazel doubted he’d be any sort of threat to the others.
Azazel had finally decided that Lily Reyes would be the last of the final five competitors. It hardly mattered; the rest of the children had proven to be fairly weak. Lily was no different.
“I’ll be bringing in another group soon,” Azazel said. “Don’t worry, my dear. You shouldn’t have any trouble with them.”
Ava nodded. “Of course,” she said proudly. “None of the scared little boys and girls have been a problem.”
“You were the same way when you first came here,” Azazel said. “The only difference is that you’ve used your fears to become stronger.”
Bobby watched the other Hunter as he paged through another of Bobby’s books on demons.
The Hunter, going by the name of Jimmy Novak, had shown up a week ago asking Bobby to teach him about demons. Bobby hadn’t wanted to, but the man had had that haunted look in his eyes that Bobby knew meant he’d lost people.
“So, what do you think?”
“I think that it’s pretty crazy that this devil’s trap actually works,” Jimmy replied. “But, hey, I don’t make the rules.”
Bobby smiled. Despite himself, he liked the other man. “Neither do I, kid, neither do I.”
“I’m not a kid,” Jimmy said. “I have… had…” he swallowed and shut up.
Bobby frowned but didn’t push. Every Hunter was either born to this life, or had something happen to them to push them into this life. And Jimmy had definitely not been born into this life.
His nightmares proved that he’d experienced a lot, though.
“So, Jimmy,” Bobby said. “If you keep having screaming nightmares under my roof, I might need to find a hotel just to get some sleep.”
Jimmy paled. “Sorry, I didn’t realize…”
“Forget it, kid. Just… we all have bad experiences, sounds like yours was worse then most. Sometimes, we need to talk about it.”
Jimmy frowned. “I’m not sure…”
“You don’t have to tell me everything, but even a bit of sleep means you can be a better Hunter, and it’s clear you’re not getting it.”
Jimmy sighed. “A few months ago, demons faked my death and… and it was bad. I can’t go back home, not any more. And I won’t put my family in danger.”
“Aren’t you putting them in danger by keeping them ignorant?”
“I’d be putting them more in danger if I went to them,” Jimmy said. He frowned and didn’t say anything else.
Bobby eyed him for a moment, but Jimmy just buried his head in the book and ignored him. In the end, Bobby didn’t say anything.
John sighed. He still felt a bit disconnected from the world. He’d only been in control of his body for a week, after hosting Azazel for several months.
But he was recovering, and he was so proud of his sons, how they’d acted since he was possessed.
He was sitting in the kitchen watching Jess as she made a sandwich for herself. “Do you want a sandwich, Mr. Winchester?” she asked.
“You know you can call me John,” John said. “And, yes, please.”
She set a sandwich down in front of John after a moment and then sat down across from him.
She ate silently, mind clearly somewhere else entirely.
John smiled at her. Before he could say anything, though, Azazel walked in. The demon was smiling.
John shifted. It was never a good thing when a demon smiled like that. At least, not for most people.
“It’s time,” Azazel said. “Where’s Sam?”
Jess took a deep breath. John closed his eyes. He knew Sam would be fine, but he still worried.
“Can I tell him something first?” Jess asked.
Azazel nodded. “Of course,” he said. “But first we have to find him.”
“He and Dean went out to do something to Dean’s car,” Jess said. “When I asked what, they said it was a secret.”
Azazel and John both snorted. “That just means that they’re doing something that I wouldn’t approve of,” John said.
Jess smiled. “I do need to tell him something before he goes, if I can,” she said.
John smiled in response.
Azazel rolled his eyes. “Well, assuming I can find him,” he grumbled.
Almost on cue, the door banged open, and Dean and Sam rushed in, arguing.
“No, Dean, trust me. That won’t work!” Sam snapped. He side stepped John and headed for the kitchen.
“Sammy, which of us is the one who can actually work on the car? You might be the college boy, but you can’t tell the carburetor from the engine.”
“Boys,” Azazel said mildly. They both ignored him.
“Yes I can,” Sam objected. “It’s not my fault you’re in love with your car, Dean. And I can handle most of the maintenance on the Impala.”
“Yeah, as if I’d ever let you. You’d probably make the engine drop out.”
“Boys,” John tried.
“I would not!” Sam replied. “Besides, you’re the one who mixed up the antifreeze and gas lines.”
“I was eight!” Dean objected. “And you’re the…
“BOYS!” Azazel thundered.
Sam and Dean froze for an instant before turning to face him.
“Ah… sorry, sir,” Sam managed.
John couldn’t help be feel impressed. He’d seen Sam and Dean go at it many times. Their bickering could last for hours, and he’d never been able to short circuit one of their arguments before they were good and done.
It probably helped that Azazel could pin them to the wall if he wanted, John figured.
Azazel sighed. “I did not sign up for this,” he muttered. “Sam, it’s time.”
Sam took a deep breath. “Right,” he said.
Jess ducked down and grabbed his hand. “Sam,” she said quietly before she stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.
John couldn’t hear what she was saying, but it was clearly important. As soon as she was done, Sam leaned down and kissed her.
When nearly a minute had passed, and they didn’t show any signs of stopping, Dean whistled loudly.
Sam pulled away reluctantly. “I’ll be fine, Jess,” Sam said. “After all, I’ll know what’s going on.”
“Be careful,” she said.
“I will,” Sam said.
He turned to Azazel. “I’m ready,” he said.
The demon smiled. “You’ll do fine, Sam,” he said. “Now, I know I told you all about your competitors, but watch out for Ava. That girl is ruthless. Though I think she might take a liking to you. Put on your “I’m just a likeable boy trying to do what’s right” act and you’ll be fine for a while.”
Dean snorted. “So that’s what it’s called,” he said. Sam and Dean stared at each other for a moment before Dean nodded. “See you in a couple of days, little brother,” Dean finally said.
Sam nodded.
Azazel reached up and touched Sam on the forehead. They both vanished.
John took a deep breath. “I hate waiting,” he said.
Dean nodded. “Give me an hour and I’ll have the Impala ready,” he said.
“And go where?” John asked.
“I’m heading for Cold Oak to pick Sam up.”
John took a deep breath, but Dean straightened. “I’m going, Dad,” he said. A burst of yellow flashed across his eyes for just a second. It was different from when Azazel showed his eyes, but it stopped John in his tracks.
“Dean?” John asked.
Dean frowned at him. “Yeah, dad?”
“Never mind,” John said. “Be careful. And take care of your brother.”
“Always, Dad,” Dean said. “We’ll be back in a few days.”
Part Six