Demon's Year 07/?: Supernatural AU
Title: Demon's Year
Author:
yami_faerie
Words: ~5,000
Ratings/Warnings: Rated PG-13, or R if you're offended by the "f" word, language, some violence, spoilers for seasons 1-5.
Disclaimer: This isn't my world. I just like to imagine it is.
Summary: Dean has one year left to live before he goes to Hell. Meanwhile, he and Sam are being chased by the FBI, demons and even an escaped-from-prison Gordan Walker who wants Sam dead. Can Dean keep Sam alive before his Deal is up?
Chapter Seven: Shields Made of Lies
"There are all kinds of different torture, and not all of them involve physical pain. Most everyone gets thrown on the rack and tortured day after day. I'd sooner die than go back there."
- Derrick, "Demon Blood"
"This is a statement by the Young family and Roxanne Parker, drawn up by their lawyer, Vincent Westridge," Reidy said, dropping a manilla folder on Victor's temporary desk at the FBI field office in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"You read it?" Victor asked with a drawn-out sigh.
Reidy nodded. "There's some details we didn't know about that they admit to," he said, "but the picture they paint of the brothers is… well, they said they're strong, noble and mentally stable. It also says they were in the neighborhood selling discounted sprinkler systems when Sam and Palmer managed to start talking and connecting. But get this. The brothers were here in January, too."
Victor looked up. "Come again?"
Reidy smirked. "It seems that Dean got stabbed during the bank robbery in Milwaukee, but he and Sam didn't show up at the house Palmer and Parker were renting until nearly nine days later to recuperate. Parker also states that while Sam and Palmer were very close, their relationship was never of a sexual nature."
Victor frowned and picked up the folder. "This statement is a good nine pages long," he said.
"Apparently a lot can happen in the space of six months. Oh, both of Palmer's sisters have Asperger's autism, but they both signed the statement and said they found the brothers 'a lot of fun' to be around." Reidy reached out and flipped the pages of the statement. "The interesting part is near the end," he said. "They knew about their criminal history, all of it."
Victor stared down at the page Reidy was pointing to.
Their criminal record does not match their personalities. Both brothers were trustworthy, kind, and very polite. There was never any indication that they should be feared or mistrusted.
"I cannot believe this," Victor groaned out, "and all this from a man who works with crazy people. Shouldn't Harry Young have a better perception of crazy? He's with them all day, surely he knows what to look for!"
Reidy shrugged. "There's a pretty good chance they've already been in contact with the Winchesters to let them know we're here, so I doubt they'll be dropping by anytime soon, if ever again."
Victor sighed. "Were they here for Palmer's funeral?"
Reidy sighed and nodded. "Statement says that Sam delivered the news of her death to her parents personally. It uh… it says that he tried to save her."
Victor rubbed his chin. "Given what we know about the younger brother, it's entirely possible that he did," he said, "but Dean…"
"You think he might've pulled the trigger himself?"
Victor picked up another file he had been looking over before Reidy showed up with the family statement. "I got a ballistics report," he said. "The bullet recovered from Palmer's body at Provo's morgue appears to match the silver bullets pulled from the corpse in St. Louis."
"Appears?"
"Silver is more malleable," Victor sighed, "which makes it harder to reconstruct, but there's a good chance it was the same gun that fired both bullets. We have to suspect Dean."
Reidy nodded. "So what's our next move?"
Victor rubbed his chin for a few seconds. "We're at a dead end here," he finally said. "Unless new evidence turns up, then the Young family and Ms. Parker have merely joined the list of those the Winchester's managed to fool. We're leaving."
It was more than easy to mentally prod everyone to stay asleep when Sam slipped out of Bobby's house and drove off in the Impala. There weren't a lot of crossroads in South Dakota, and chances were the one Sam was going to was the same one used by Dean two months ago, but he had to ask. He had to know.
"Hello, Sam."
The Crossroads Demon was in the body of a slight brunette with dark eyes and olive skin. She smiled charmingly at Sam and smoothed her host's hands down the front of her black dress. "Come to try and break your brother's Deal?"
"No," Sam said. "I already know it can't be done by you." He pulled out the Colt and pointed it at her.
"So what?" the demon asked with a laugh, "you're gonna kill me in a fit of petty revenge? I tend to only make the Deals, Sammy, not keep the contracts. At least," she added with a seductive smile, "not a Deal like Dean's."
"Because his is more important than most," Sam guessed.
"You didn't hear it from me," the demon with a poised shrug.
"I want to know who does hold his contract," Sam said after a few seconds, "who you answer to."
"My boss?" The demon's smile turned into a coy grin. "He didn't get a say with this contract, just like he didn't get a say in the Deal Azazel made with your father. He did allow me to let that Evan Hudson with the cancer-ridden wife out of his contract, but those were… extenuating circumstances."
Sam narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Being the King of the Crossroads doesn't mean you're in complete control of the business," the demon added after a moment. "Crowley answers to his own boss."
"Crowley," Sam echoed. "So he doesn't hold Dean's contract."
The demon shook her head. "Dean's contract is held by a much more powerful demon," she finally said, "and this demon? She really wants you dead."
Sam frowned. "This wouldn't be the same demon Azazel wanted to let out of Hell, would it?"
The Crossroads Demon broke into another grin. "Been talking to Tara, have you?"
Sam nodded. "She's dead."
"Killed by the same gun you're pointing at me, or so I'd imagine." The demon took a deep breath, letting it out with a smirk as she turned away and looked around. "There isn't much in South Dakota, is there?"
"Rolling hills, mostly," Sam agreed quietly. "You gonna tell me the demon's name? Tara didn't know it."
The demon looked over her shoulder. "I have no interest in telling you," she said, turning away again and stretching her arms above her head.
"Being threatened by a gun that can actually kill you isn't enough incentive?" Sam asked skeptically.
"You're not gonna kill me," the demon laughed, turning to face Sam again. "Everyone knows that Sam Winchester isn't a killer. Besides," she added, "my meatsuit is still living and breathing. You really want to kill the human trapped inside?"
Sam swallowed hard, grip tightening slightly on the Colt. "Tell me who hold Dean's contract," he said tightly.
The demon tilted her head to one side. "Why aren't you using your mojo on me?" she asked.
Sam's jaw tightened. "It doesn't work the same since Azazel died," he finally admitted. "I can only control human minds, not monsters like you."
The demon snorted. "Of course," she said. "Azazel's blood was the source point of most of your powers."
"Most?"
The demon stepped closer to Sam, ignoring the demon-killing gun still pointed at her face. "Azazel was searching out bloodlines with psychic potential," she said softly. "He could've fed blood to your brother, but he chose you, Sam. It always had to be you."
"What does that even mean?" Sam asked sharply, thinking of the vision he'd had at that convent in Ilchester nearly a year ago. "You can't be talking about destiny."
"But I am," the demon said lightly. "You can scoff all you want, Sam, but your brother is supposed to go to Hell by way of a Deal."
"That's not gonna happen," Sam said tightly, and the demon laughed.
"You can't control what happens next," she said. "You were always meant to be the last one of your generation standing once the dust settled. That's why you shot your dear Danielle in the abdomen and then watched her bleed out."
"Shut up," Sam snapped.
The Crossroads Demon laughed some more. "You're the boy king, Sammy. You're supposed to lead us to victory."
"That's never gonna happen," Sam told her. "I'm not evil."
"But there's a lot of Hunters out there who think otherwise," the demon replied. "They listen to the ravings of a lunatic and desire to find you and end your life."
Sam's jaw worked, but he refused to reply.
"The demon who holds your brother's contract really is topside," the Crossroads Demon finally said after a few moments had passed. "She wants you dead, Sam. She wants to be the leader who conquers the world, and since she's not some infected human like you, her words and power hold sway."
Sam slowly lowered the Colt. "I won't let her kill me," he said quietly, "and I won't let her have Dean." He reached out with his telekinesis and forced the Crossroads Demon still while he mentally drew a Devil's Trap around her and began to chant. A few minutes later, the demon had been sent back into the Pit, and Sam returned to Sioux Falls with the once-possessed girl in tow. After dropping her off at the nearest bus station with some money to get back home, he headed back to Bobby's with a heavy heart. Whoever the demon holding Dean's contract was, she was going to come after him sooner or later, and when she did, he would be ready.
Hell was not going to have his brother, too.
Roxy was heading into work at the movie theater when her phone started ringing. She pulled out and stared at the number for a moment, feeling her heart start to pound. What answers did the caller have for her? Were they the answers she wanted? Did she even want answers?
Swallowing hard, she pressed the 'talk' button and held her phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Roxanne Parker?"
"That's me."
"Hello, it's Natalie Forshner," said the caller in a crisp accent, "I'm returning your call about your missing friend."
Roxy quickly headed for the employee break room, tense with trepidation. "What did you find out?"
Natalie sighed. "Well, you have good instincts, first off. Bobby was right to get you in touch with me."
Roxy paused, hand on the break room door. "Okay," she said.
"Your friend apparently vanished without a trace, according to the report," Natalie said, "but the kicker is in the details. There were no signs of forced entry through either the hotel room door or the fire escape by the window, but there was something on the windowsill."
Roxy swallowed.
"The crime scene unit identified it as sulfur."
Roxy closed her eyes and backed away from the break room, seeking refuge behind a standee of some upcoming movie. "So she was taken by a demon."
"It would appear so," Natalie said. "Unfortunately, without knowing the name of the demon, I have no way to help you find your friend."
"Summoning rituals only work if you have their name?" Roxy asked.
"Or have at least seen the possessed human since the demon took over," Natalie answered, "neither of which has occurred, yes?"
"That's right," Roxy said softly, thinking of Taryn's bizarre story a week earlier. She couldn't tell her what was really going on, though. There was no way Taryn would believe her, particularly seeing as how the redhead was borderline atheist. She tugged loosely at the ends of her wig and tried to focus. "Well, thank you for your help, it's way more than any of us has had since she went missing."
"I'm glad I could help at all," Natalie said. "Oh, tell Bobby he still owes me one for Osaka."
Roxy frowned, but promised to pass on the message. "Weird," she muttered, putting her phone away and heading to the break room to put her purse away and clock in, mind whirring over the new information she now had.
Alexia had definitely been taken by a demon, but how was she going to track it down and get her girlfriend's cousin back? She resolved to email Sam her information as soon as she got home, and headed out of the break room to take her post in the box office. One way or another, she was going to get Alexia back.
"Sam, duck!"
A week after the events of the rabbit's foot found Sam and Dean hunting vampires in Seattle, Washington. Dean didn't know about Sam's trip to the crossroads, and Sam had no desire to bring it up. Dean was clearly already of the opinion that there was nothing to be done and that he was happy with it (Sam knew better, of course), so telling him the demon holding his contract was determined to see Sam dead again would fail to help things. At least, that was how Sam justified his decision in his mind. Truthfully, he just didn't want Dean to know for as long as possible, because once he started being honest, other truths might come tumbling out.
After all, Dean didn't need to know that he was going to one day go back in time and set Azazel's sights on their family. Knowing it was going to happen was the only thing that gave Sam hope that he could save his brother. You couldn't go back in time if you were dead and in Hell, right?
The question remained, though: how was Dean going to manage such a feat?
But now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. Sam obeyed Dean's command and dropped to the floor, feeling one of the vamps they had tracked to its hideout in the warehouse district go tumbling over him. He was up a moment later, machete in hand and two seconds after that, the vampire's head was chopped off from its body.
Sam still didn't like killing monsters in such a close and personal way. If they could have picked the vamps off one at a time by capturing and sequestering them, then Dean could have done all the bloody work. In fact, Dean seemed to be having the time of his life, jeering at the vamps as his machete slashed through the air, taking off one head after another. If Sam had a weaker stomach, he would have opted out of the fighting as much as possible, but even if he didn't like any of this, he could at least handle it.
The fighting didn't last much longer, and soon it was Dean against one last vampire. Sam sensed that Dean wanted to handle this one on his own, so he backed away, ready to step in if needed. This particular vamp was the oldest and clearly the leader of the 'family' the boys had taken out.
"I'm going to rip you to shreds," the vamp hissed as he and Dean circled each other.
"Well, that's already on the cards for my future," Dean replied with the barest hint of a shrug, "but you're welcome to try, anyway."
The vampire frowned before rushing forward to tackle Dean, but he was more than ready. In a matter of seconds, he managed to flip the vamp onto his back, raised his machete, and with a dull thunk, the vampire's head was separated from the rest of his body.
Dean rose and turned to Sam with a grin. "Man, what a rush!" he exclaimed, looking positively energetic as he wiped off his blade on one of the vampire's clothes.
"You get all your jollies out, then?" Sam asked dryly. Dean flipped him off and headed for the warehouse exit. Sam sighed and quickly moved to follow his brother.
"Is this how it's gonna be, Dean?" he asked as they stepped out into the fading sunlight.
"Is this how what's gonna be?" Dean asked.
"The rest of your year before Hell," Sam replied.
Dean didn't say anything, but his emotions were making it clear he didn't want to talk about it, which was tough, because Sam wanted words and he was going to get them, even if it meant getting punched or left on the side of the road.
"So, what, you're gonna hunt, kill monsters, get drunk and have tons of sex until the Hellhounds come for you?"
Dean stopped about five feet away from the Impala and turned to face Sam. "Yes," he finally said. "I am going to drive my baby all over the country with my little brother riding shotgun and do what I do best. And when my time is up, I'm done, end of story."
"But that's just it!" Sam exclaimed. "You'll be dead and in Hell, Dean. It's not like you'll get to relax by a beach with a fruity drink in one hand while watching girls in bikinis play volleyball." Dean's eyes glazed a little at the imagery that invoked and Sam barely bit back a growl of frustration. "Dean, they are going to torture you. They'll stick you on a rack and do God knows what to you day after day after day until you break and become just like them, and we're both supposed to just be okay with this?"
"A rack?" Dean asked.
Sam bit back a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "When I was in L.A., one of the demons, Derrick, he told me a little bit about Hell," he said. "But most of what I know came from Meg."
"From Meg? But I thought she didn't show you -"
"She liked to torture me with my own memories," Sam cut Dean off, "but she also liked to talk a lot. I didn't take a whole lot of what she said in while she was strapped into the drivers seat, but later on, when Dani - when she was helping me put my brain back in order, some of the things Meg said managed to shake loose."
Dean stared at Sam with a sense of morbid curiosity. "What'd she say?"
"She…" Sam swallowed and looked away as the memories came to the forefront of his mind. "She said it was a prison of flesh and bone and blood. No one likes it down there, Dean, they all want out so they can come here and have the freedom to do whatever they want. Everyone gets twisted and bent and burned out of shape until they lose their humanity so completely that some forget they were ever human at all." Sam refocused on Dean, giving him a hard stare. "You say you can't live without me, but how am I supposed to live without you when I know where you're going and what's going to happen to you?"
"We did it when Dad went," Dean said.
"Yeah Dean," Sam snapped, "we did it, together."
There was a moment of silence.
"You already said you can't save me," Dean finally said, raising his arms slightly before letting them drop back to his sides.
"Ruby says I can if we find the demon who holds your contract and kill her," Sam replied.
"Her?" Dean echoed.
Sam realized he had slipped up, but quickly recovered with, "She thinks the demon is the same one Azazel wanted to set free back in Wyoming."
Dean's eyes hardened. "You really trusting a demon, Sam?"
"I never said I trusted her," Sam said at once with a frown, "but you can't deny that she's been helpful. Besides, her emotions are easier to read than most demons, so it's not like I wouldn't be able to tell if she was lying to us or not."
Dean's jaw clenched, but he only said, "Let's get going," and headed for the car.
Sam sighed once again, silently prayed for patience, and headed for the passenger seat. One way or another, he was going to make Dean stop lying to the both of them and everyone else. There was no way he'd be able to save Dean if he couldn't convince them both that it was possible.
Taryn was in the kitchen when Roxy got home. "Hey, babe!" she called out. "I'm making lasagna!"
"Sounds good," Roxy replied, pulling her phone out of her purse and heading for their bedroom. "I'll be out in a minute to help."
Taryn didn't reply, but Roxy knew her girlfriend had to be a little confused by the lack of a proper greeting. She told herself that nothing was more important than getting that email sent out to Sam and Dean. They encountered so many demons that maybe, just maybe, they might have seen Alexia as someone else. Even if Taryn's cousin was dead, any information they could provide was better than leaving it a mystery, right?
She pulled out her laptop, pulling up a picture of Alexia from Taryn's MySpace page and loading it into her email. She clicked the 'send' button right as the bedroom door opened and Taryn walked in. Roxy quickly closed down her browser and smiled up at the redhead. "Hey, almost done."
"What's up?" Taryn asked, pulling the laptop aside and leaning in for a kiss.
"Just had to send a quick email," Roxy said softly. "Lemme get out of my work clothes and then I'll be out to help like I said, okay?"
Taryn nodded and stepped back. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, love," Roxy said. "Why?"
"It's just -" Taryn broke off and pressed her lips together in a way that reminded Roxy painfully of Danielle. "You've been kinda… secretive this last week. Did I say o-or… maybe I did something wrong?"
"No!" Roxy exclaimed, surging to her feet and seizing Taryn's shoulders. "Never, Taryn! Don't ever think something like that, you understand me? You could never do anything wrong." She pulled Taryn into her arms. "I promise," she whispered.
Taryn clung to Roxy and buried her face against the side of her neck. "What's going on, then?" she asked. "And don't say 'nothing', cause I can tell better than that." She paused. "Is this about what I said last week when I was in Salt Lake?"
Roxy swallowed hard. "I…" What could she say? Taryn wasn't ever supposed to know about the things that went 'bump' in the night, she and Danielle had agreed on this before Taryn had moved in with them, and they had both held to that agreement. Taryn's world was supposed to be normal. "Kind of," she finally said. "I've been hearing other weird stories like it from friends at work, and I've… well, I've been curious about it. But that's over with. Nothing's wrong, I swear it."
Taryn nodded against Roxy's neck and kissed it before pulling back. "Okay," she said. "I believe you." She placed another kiss on Roxy's lips, and Roxy barely resisted the urge to pull her love in close and show her physically that everything was fine. "I need to get back to the food," Taryn sighed, and Roxy grinned.
"Contain yourself until after we eat," she said with a wink. Taryn laughed, snagged another kiss and left the room. Roxy slumped onto the bed and dropped her head into her hands, roughly pulling off her work wig and barely resisting the urge to crush it in her hands.
This was all so much easier to hide when Dani was here, she thought with a surge of anger. Why did you leave me? Why did you betray us all? What was there about you that I never knew?
Not knowing all the answers was so frustrating at times, and now was a prime example. Roxy heaved herself off her bed, set her wig back on its head, pinned it in place and changed out of her work clothes, pulling on sweats and an oversized t-shirt. She paused to stare at her reflection and wondered what kind of person she'd be if she had never known the truth about the world. Would she still have been able to live in the same ignorant bliss that Taryn did?
"You ever coming outta there?" Taryn hollered, and Roxy couldn't help but grin.
"Chill out, princess!" she called back, shoving her feet into her flip-flops and heading out of her bedroom. "I'm coming!"
Sam -
Not long after you and Dean left, Taryn came home saying that her cousin, Alexia Fisher was missing. Alexia was supposed to return to Utah after a two-week trip to England back on May 12, but she never checked-out of her hotel or boarded any of her flights. I asked your friend Bobby if he could get me in touch with anyone who could look into her disappearance and learned the following:
There was sulfur on the windowsill of her hotel room. Alexia must be possessed by a demon.
I've included a picture of what she looks like on the off-chance that maybe you've seen her or will see her at some point. You said that a lot of demons escaped from that Devil's Gate, and it stands to reason that not all of them chose people to possess just here in part of the world, right? Some of them must have gone to other countries across the planet.
Anyway, if you've seen Alexia or do see her, please try and save her. If she's already dead… Well, I'd like to know, whatever the news may be.
Thanks,
Roxy
Sam clicked on the attachment and let the picture load.
"Oh, shit," he said a moment later.
"What?" Dean said from across the motel room where he was eating one of his cheeseburgers with extra onions. "What is it?"
Sam took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, still staring at his computer screen. "We've got a problem," he said, gesturing to it.
Dean came across the room and leaned over Sam's shoulder, staring at the screen, too. "Wait," he said, righting himself a moment later. "Isn't that -?"
"Her name is Alexia Fisher," Sam said. "She's Taryn Fisher's cousin."
"Taryn, girlfriend of Dani's friend Roxy, Taryn?" Dean clarified.
"Yeah," Sam said. "Alexia went missing back in May, right around the time we were taking on the seven deadly sins."
"Timeline fits," Dean said quietly. "You said she looked familiar, didn't you?"
"I did," Sam said. "I never knew her, but she looks a lot like Taryn." He ran a hand through his hair roughly. "I should've realized."
"Hey," Dean placated, "it's not like she was being forthcoming about it, right?"
"Still," Sam said, "I could tell she was hiding something."
"Probably because she knew you'd react like this?" Dean suggested.
Sam scowled. "I need to call Bobby, see if he knows a demon-summoning ritual." He snagged his phone and took another look at the picture on his screen.
Ruby was going to have a lot of questions to answer for this.
TBC...
Chapter Eight
Author:
yami_faerie
Words: ~5,000
Ratings/Warnings: Rated PG-13, or R if you're offended by the "f" word, language, some violence, spoilers for seasons 1-5.
Disclaimer: This isn't my world. I just like to imagine it is.
Summary: Dean has one year left to live before he goes to Hell. Meanwhile, he and Sam are being chased by the FBI, demons and even an escaped-from-prison Gordan Walker who wants Sam dead. Can Dean keep Sam alive before his Deal is up?
Chapter Seven: Shields Made of Lies
"There are all kinds of different torture, and not all of them involve physical pain. Most everyone gets thrown on the rack and tortured day after day. I'd sooner die than go back there."
- Derrick, "Demon Blood"
"This is a statement by the Young family and Roxanne Parker, drawn up by their lawyer, Vincent Westridge," Reidy said, dropping a manilla folder on Victor's temporary desk at the FBI field office in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"You read it?" Victor asked with a drawn-out sigh.
Reidy nodded. "There's some details we didn't know about that they admit to," he said, "but the picture they paint of the brothers is… well, they said they're strong, noble and mentally stable. It also says they were in the neighborhood selling discounted sprinkler systems when Sam and Palmer managed to start talking and connecting. But get this. The brothers were here in January, too."
Victor looked up. "Come again?"
Reidy smirked. "It seems that Dean got stabbed during the bank robbery in Milwaukee, but he and Sam didn't show up at the house Palmer and Parker were renting until nearly nine days later to recuperate. Parker also states that while Sam and Palmer were very close, their relationship was never of a sexual nature."
Victor frowned and picked up the folder. "This statement is a good nine pages long," he said.
"Apparently a lot can happen in the space of six months. Oh, both of Palmer's sisters have Asperger's autism, but they both signed the statement and said they found the brothers 'a lot of fun' to be around." Reidy reached out and flipped the pages of the statement. "The interesting part is near the end," he said. "They knew about their criminal history, all of it."
Victor stared down at the page Reidy was pointing to.
Their criminal record does not match their personalities. Both brothers were trustworthy, kind, and very polite. There was never any indication that they should be feared or mistrusted.
"I cannot believe this," Victor groaned out, "and all this from a man who works with crazy people. Shouldn't Harry Young have a better perception of crazy? He's with them all day, surely he knows what to look for!"
Reidy shrugged. "There's a pretty good chance they've already been in contact with the Winchesters to let them know we're here, so I doubt they'll be dropping by anytime soon, if ever again."
Victor sighed. "Were they here for Palmer's funeral?"
Reidy sighed and nodded. "Statement says that Sam delivered the news of her death to her parents personally. It uh… it says that he tried to save her."
Victor rubbed his chin. "Given what we know about the younger brother, it's entirely possible that he did," he said, "but Dean…"
"You think he might've pulled the trigger himself?"
Victor picked up another file he had been looking over before Reidy showed up with the family statement. "I got a ballistics report," he said. "The bullet recovered from Palmer's body at Provo's morgue appears to match the silver bullets pulled from the corpse in St. Louis."
"Appears?"
"Silver is more malleable," Victor sighed, "which makes it harder to reconstruct, but there's a good chance it was the same gun that fired both bullets. We have to suspect Dean."
Reidy nodded. "So what's our next move?"
Victor rubbed his chin for a few seconds. "We're at a dead end here," he finally said. "Unless new evidence turns up, then the Young family and Ms. Parker have merely joined the list of those the Winchester's managed to fool. We're leaving."
It was more than easy to mentally prod everyone to stay asleep when Sam slipped out of Bobby's house and drove off in the Impala. There weren't a lot of crossroads in South Dakota, and chances were the one Sam was going to was the same one used by Dean two months ago, but he had to ask. He had to know.
"Hello, Sam."
The Crossroads Demon was in the body of a slight brunette with dark eyes and olive skin. She smiled charmingly at Sam and smoothed her host's hands down the front of her black dress. "Come to try and break your brother's Deal?"
"No," Sam said. "I already know it can't be done by you." He pulled out the Colt and pointed it at her.
"So what?" the demon asked with a laugh, "you're gonna kill me in a fit of petty revenge? I tend to only make the Deals, Sammy, not keep the contracts. At least," she added with a seductive smile, "not a Deal like Dean's."
"Because his is more important than most," Sam guessed.
"You didn't hear it from me," the demon with a poised shrug.
"I want to know who does hold his contract," Sam said after a few seconds, "who you answer to."
"My boss?" The demon's smile turned into a coy grin. "He didn't get a say with this contract, just like he didn't get a say in the Deal Azazel made with your father. He did allow me to let that Evan Hudson with the cancer-ridden wife out of his contract, but those were… extenuating circumstances."
Sam narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Being the King of the Crossroads doesn't mean you're in complete control of the business," the demon added after a moment. "Crowley answers to his own boss."
"Crowley," Sam echoed. "So he doesn't hold Dean's contract."
The demon shook her head. "Dean's contract is held by a much more powerful demon," she finally said, "and this demon? She really wants you dead."
Sam frowned. "This wouldn't be the same demon Azazel wanted to let out of Hell, would it?"
The Crossroads Demon broke into another grin. "Been talking to Tara, have you?"
Sam nodded. "She's dead."
"Killed by the same gun you're pointing at me, or so I'd imagine." The demon took a deep breath, letting it out with a smirk as she turned away and looked around. "There isn't much in South Dakota, is there?"
"Rolling hills, mostly," Sam agreed quietly. "You gonna tell me the demon's name? Tara didn't know it."
The demon looked over her shoulder. "I have no interest in telling you," she said, turning away again and stretching her arms above her head.
"Being threatened by a gun that can actually kill you isn't enough incentive?" Sam asked skeptically.
"You're not gonna kill me," the demon laughed, turning to face Sam again. "Everyone knows that Sam Winchester isn't a killer. Besides," she added, "my meatsuit is still living and breathing. You really want to kill the human trapped inside?"
Sam swallowed hard, grip tightening slightly on the Colt. "Tell me who hold Dean's contract," he said tightly.
The demon tilted her head to one side. "Why aren't you using your mojo on me?" she asked.
Sam's jaw tightened. "It doesn't work the same since Azazel died," he finally admitted. "I can only control human minds, not monsters like you."
The demon snorted. "Of course," she said. "Azazel's blood was the source point of most of your powers."
"Most?"
The demon stepped closer to Sam, ignoring the demon-killing gun still pointed at her face. "Azazel was searching out bloodlines with psychic potential," she said softly. "He could've fed blood to your brother, but he chose you, Sam. It always had to be you."
"What does that even mean?" Sam asked sharply, thinking of the vision he'd had at that convent in Ilchester nearly a year ago. "You can't be talking about destiny."
"But I am," the demon said lightly. "You can scoff all you want, Sam, but your brother is supposed to go to Hell by way of a Deal."
"That's not gonna happen," Sam said tightly, and the demon laughed.
"You can't control what happens next," she said. "You were always meant to be the last one of your generation standing once the dust settled. That's why you shot your dear Danielle in the abdomen and then watched her bleed out."
"Shut up," Sam snapped.
The Crossroads Demon laughed some more. "You're the boy king, Sammy. You're supposed to lead us to victory."
"That's never gonna happen," Sam told her. "I'm not evil."
"But there's a lot of Hunters out there who think otherwise," the demon replied. "They listen to the ravings of a lunatic and desire to find you and end your life."
Sam's jaw worked, but he refused to reply.
"The demon who holds your brother's contract really is topside," the Crossroads Demon finally said after a few moments had passed. "She wants you dead, Sam. She wants to be the leader who conquers the world, and since she's not some infected human like you, her words and power hold sway."
Sam slowly lowered the Colt. "I won't let her kill me," he said quietly, "and I won't let her have Dean." He reached out with his telekinesis and forced the Crossroads Demon still while he mentally drew a Devil's Trap around her and began to chant. A few minutes later, the demon had been sent back into the Pit, and Sam returned to Sioux Falls with the once-possessed girl in tow. After dropping her off at the nearest bus station with some money to get back home, he headed back to Bobby's with a heavy heart. Whoever the demon holding Dean's contract was, she was going to come after him sooner or later, and when she did, he would be ready.
Hell was not going to have his brother, too.
Roxy was heading into work at the movie theater when her phone started ringing. She pulled out and stared at the number for a moment, feeling her heart start to pound. What answers did the caller have for her? Were they the answers she wanted? Did she even want answers?
Swallowing hard, she pressed the 'talk' button and held her phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Roxanne Parker?"
"That's me."
"Hello, it's Natalie Forshner," said the caller in a crisp accent, "I'm returning your call about your missing friend."
Roxy quickly headed for the employee break room, tense with trepidation. "What did you find out?"
Natalie sighed. "Well, you have good instincts, first off. Bobby was right to get you in touch with me."
Roxy paused, hand on the break room door. "Okay," she said.
"Your friend apparently vanished without a trace, according to the report," Natalie said, "but the kicker is in the details. There were no signs of forced entry through either the hotel room door or the fire escape by the window, but there was something on the windowsill."
Roxy swallowed.
"The crime scene unit identified it as sulfur."
Roxy closed her eyes and backed away from the break room, seeking refuge behind a standee of some upcoming movie. "So she was taken by a demon."
"It would appear so," Natalie said. "Unfortunately, without knowing the name of the demon, I have no way to help you find your friend."
"Summoning rituals only work if you have their name?" Roxy asked.
"Or have at least seen the possessed human since the demon took over," Natalie answered, "neither of which has occurred, yes?"
"That's right," Roxy said softly, thinking of Taryn's bizarre story a week earlier. She couldn't tell her what was really going on, though. There was no way Taryn would believe her, particularly seeing as how the redhead was borderline atheist. She tugged loosely at the ends of her wig and tried to focus. "Well, thank you for your help, it's way more than any of us has had since she went missing."
"I'm glad I could help at all," Natalie said. "Oh, tell Bobby he still owes me one for Osaka."
Roxy frowned, but promised to pass on the message. "Weird," she muttered, putting her phone away and heading to the break room to put her purse away and clock in, mind whirring over the new information she now had.
Alexia had definitely been taken by a demon, but how was she going to track it down and get her girlfriend's cousin back? She resolved to email Sam her information as soon as she got home, and headed out of the break room to take her post in the box office. One way or another, she was going to get Alexia back.
"Sam, duck!"
A week after the events of the rabbit's foot found Sam and Dean hunting vampires in Seattle, Washington. Dean didn't know about Sam's trip to the crossroads, and Sam had no desire to bring it up. Dean was clearly already of the opinion that there was nothing to be done and that he was happy with it (Sam knew better, of course), so telling him the demon holding his contract was determined to see Sam dead again would fail to help things. At least, that was how Sam justified his decision in his mind. Truthfully, he just didn't want Dean to know for as long as possible, because once he started being honest, other truths might come tumbling out.
After all, Dean didn't need to know that he was going to one day go back in time and set Azazel's sights on their family. Knowing it was going to happen was the only thing that gave Sam hope that he could save his brother. You couldn't go back in time if you were dead and in Hell, right?
The question remained, though: how was Dean going to manage such a feat?
But now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. Sam obeyed Dean's command and dropped to the floor, feeling one of the vamps they had tracked to its hideout in the warehouse district go tumbling over him. He was up a moment later, machete in hand and two seconds after that, the vampire's head was chopped off from its body.
Sam still didn't like killing monsters in such a close and personal way. If they could have picked the vamps off one at a time by capturing and sequestering them, then Dean could have done all the bloody work. In fact, Dean seemed to be having the time of his life, jeering at the vamps as his machete slashed through the air, taking off one head after another. If Sam had a weaker stomach, he would have opted out of the fighting as much as possible, but even if he didn't like any of this, he could at least handle it.
The fighting didn't last much longer, and soon it was Dean against one last vampire. Sam sensed that Dean wanted to handle this one on his own, so he backed away, ready to step in if needed. This particular vamp was the oldest and clearly the leader of the 'family' the boys had taken out.
"I'm going to rip you to shreds," the vamp hissed as he and Dean circled each other.
"Well, that's already on the cards for my future," Dean replied with the barest hint of a shrug, "but you're welcome to try, anyway."
The vampire frowned before rushing forward to tackle Dean, but he was more than ready. In a matter of seconds, he managed to flip the vamp onto his back, raised his machete, and with a dull thunk, the vampire's head was separated from the rest of his body.
Dean rose and turned to Sam with a grin. "Man, what a rush!" he exclaimed, looking positively energetic as he wiped off his blade on one of the vampire's clothes.
"You get all your jollies out, then?" Sam asked dryly. Dean flipped him off and headed for the warehouse exit. Sam sighed and quickly moved to follow his brother.
"Is this how it's gonna be, Dean?" he asked as they stepped out into the fading sunlight.
"Is this how what's gonna be?" Dean asked.
"The rest of your year before Hell," Sam replied.
Dean didn't say anything, but his emotions were making it clear he didn't want to talk about it, which was tough, because Sam wanted words and he was going to get them, even if it meant getting punched or left on the side of the road.
"So, what, you're gonna hunt, kill monsters, get drunk and have tons of sex until the Hellhounds come for you?"
Dean stopped about five feet away from the Impala and turned to face Sam. "Yes," he finally said. "I am going to drive my baby all over the country with my little brother riding shotgun and do what I do best. And when my time is up, I'm done, end of story."
"But that's just it!" Sam exclaimed. "You'll be dead and in Hell, Dean. It's not like you'll get to relax by a beach with a fruity drink in one hand while watching girls in bikinis play volleyball." Dean's eyes glazed a little at the imagery that invoked and Sam barely bit back a growl of frustration. "Dean, they are going to torture you. They'll stick you on a rack and do God knows what to you day after day after day until you break and become just like them, and we're both supposed to just be okay with this?"
"A rack?" Dean asked.
Sam bit back a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "When I was in L.A., one of the demons, Derrick, he told me a little bit about Hell," he said. "But most of what I know came from Meg."
"From Meg? But I thought she didn't show you -"
"She liked to torture me with my own memories," Sam cut Dean off, "but she also liked to talk a lot. I didn't take a whole lot of what she said in while she was strapped into the drivers seat, but later on, when Dani - when she was helping me put my brain back in order, some of the things Meg said managed to shake loose."
Dean stared at Sam with a sense of morbid curiosity. "What'd she say?"
"She…" Sam swallowed and looked away as the memories came to the forefront of his mind. "She said it was a prison of flesh and bone and blood. No one likes it down there, Dean, they all want out so they can come here and have the freedom to do whatever they want. Everyone gets twisted and bent and burned out of shape until they lose their humanity so completely that some forget they were ever human at all." Sam refocused on Dean, giving him a hard stare. "You say you can't live without me, but how am I supposed to live without you when I know where you're going and what's going to happen to you?"
"We did it when Dad went," Dean said.
"Yeah Dean," Sam snapped, "we did it, together."
There was a moment of silence.
"You already said you can't save me," Dean finally said, raising his arms slightly before letting them drop back to his sides.
"Ruby says I can if we find the demon who holds your contract and kill her," Sam replied.
"Her?" Dean echoed.
Sam realized he had slipped up, but quickly recovered with, "She thinks the demon is the same one Azazel wanted to set free back in Wyoming."
Dean's eyes hardened. "You really trusting a demon, Sam?"
"I never said I trusted her," Sam said at once with a frown, "but you can't deny that she's been helpful. Besides, her emotions are easier to read than most demons, so it's not like I wouldn't be able to tell if she was lying to us or not."
Dean's jaw clenched, but he only said, "Let's get going," and headed for the car.
Sam sighed once again, silently prayed for patience, and headed for the passenger seat. One way or another, he was going to make Dean stop lying to the both of them and everyone else. There was no way he'd be able to save Dean if he couldn't convince them both that it was possible.
Taryn was in the kitchen when Roxy got home. "Hey, babe!" she called out. "I'm making lasagna!"
"Sounds good," Roxy replied, pulling her phone out of her purse and heading for their bedroom. "I'll be out in a minute to help."
Taryn didn't reply, but Roxy knew her girlfriend had to be a little confused by the lack of a proper greeting. She told herself that nothing was more important than getting that email sent out to Sam and Dean. They encountered so many demons that maybe, just maybe, they might have seen Alexia as someone else. Even if Taryn's cousin was dead, any information they could provide was better than leaving it a mystery, right?
She pulled out her laptop, pulling up a picture of Alexia from Taryn's MySpace page and loading it into her email. She clicked the 'send' button right as the bedroom door opened and Taryn walked in. Roxy quickly closed down her browser and smiled up at the redhead. "Hey, almost done."
"What's up?" Taryn asked, pulling the laptop aside and leaning in for a kiss.
"Just had to send a quick email," Roxy said softly. "Lemme get out of my work clothes and then I'll be out to help like I said, okay?"
Taryn nodded and stepped back. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, love," Roxy said. "Why?"
"It's just -" Taryn broke off and pressed her lips together in a way that reminded Roxy painfully of Danielle. "You've been kinda… secretive this last week. Did I say o-or… maybe I did something wrong?"
"No!" Roxy exclaimed, surging to her feet and seizing Taryn's shoulders. "Never, Taryn! Don't ever think something like that, you understand me? You could never do anything wrong." She pulled Taryn into her arms. "I promise," she whispered.
Taryn clung to Roxy and buried her face against the side of her neck. "What's going on, then?" she asked. "And don't say 'nothing', cause I can tell better than that." She paused. "Is this about what I said last week when I was in Salt Lake?"
Roxy swallowed hard. "I…" What could she say? Taryn wasn't ever supposed to know about the things that went 'bump' in the night, she and Danielle had agreed on this before Taryn had moved in with them, and they had both held to that agreement. Taryn's world was supposed to be normal. "Kind of," she finally said. "I've been hearing other weird stories like it from friends at work, and I've… well, I've been curious about it. But that's over with. Nothing's wrong, I swear it."
Taryn nodded against Roxy's neck and kissed it before pulling back. "Okay," she said. "I believe you." She placed another kiss on Roxy's lips, and Roxy barely resisted the urge to pull her love in close and show her physically that everything was fine. "I need to get back to the food," Taryn sighed, and Roxy grinned.
"Contain yourself until after we eat," she said with a wink. Taryn laughed, snagged another kiss and left the room. Roxy slumped onto the bed and dropped her head into her hands, roughly pulling off her work wig and barely resisting the urge to crush it in her hands.
This was all so much easier to hide when Dani was here, she thought with a surge of anger. Why did you leave me? Why did you betray us all? What was there about you that I never knew?
Not knowing all the answers was so frustrating at times, and now was a prime example. Roxy heaved herself off her bed, set her wig back on its head, pinned it in place and changed out of her work clothes, pulling on sweats and an oversized t-shirt. She paused to stare at her reflection and wondered what kind of person she'd be if she had never known the truth about the world. Would she still have been able to live in the same ignorant bliss that Taryn did?
"You ever coming outta there?" Taryn hollered, and Roxy couldn't help but grin.
"Chill out, princess!" she called back, shoving her feet into her flip-flops and heading out of her bedroom. "I'm coming!"
Sam -
Not long after you and Dean left, Taryn came home saying that her cousin, Alexia Fisher was missing. Alexia was supposed to return to Utah after a two-week trip to England back on May 12, but she never checked-out of her hotel or boarded any of her flights. I asked your friend Bobby if he could get me in touch with anyone who could look into her disappearance and learned the following:
There was sulfur on the windowsill of her hotel room. Alexia must be possessed by a demon.
I've included a picture of what she looks like on the off-chance that maybe you've seen her or will see her at some point. You said that a lot of demons escaped from that Devil's Gate, and it stands to reason that not all of them chose people to possess just here in part of the world, right? Some of them must have gone to other countries across the planet.
Anyway, if you've seen Alexia or do see her, please try and save her. If she's already dead… Well, I'd like to know, whatever the news may be.
Thanks,
Roxy
Sam clicked on the attachment and let the picture load.
"Oh, shit," he said a moment later.
"What?" Dean said from across the motel room where he was eating one of his cheeseburgers with extra onions. "What is it?"
Sam took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, still staring at his computer screen. "We've got a problem," he said, gesturing to it.
Dean came across the room and leaned over Sam's shoulder, staring at the screen, too. "Wait," he said, righting himself a moment later. "Isn't that -?"
"Her name is Alexia Fisher," Sam said. "She's Taryn Fisher's cousin."
"Taryn, girlfriend of Dani's friend Roxy, Taryn?" Dean clarified.
"Yeah," Sam said. "Alexia went missing back in May, right around the time we were taking on the seven deadly sins."
"Timeline fits," Dean said quietly. "You said she looked familiar, didn't you?"
"I did," Sam said. "I never knew her, but she looks a lot like Taryn." He ran a hand through his hair roughly. "I should've realized."
"Hey," Dean placated, "it's not like she was being forthcoming about it, right?"
"Still," Sam said, "I could tell she was hiding something."
"Probably because she knew you'd react like this?" Dean suggested.
Sam scowled. "I need to call Bobby, see if he knows a demon-summoning ritual." He snagged his phone and took another look at the picture on his screen.
Ruby was going to have a lot of questions to answer for this.
TBC...
Chapter Eight