Screaming on the inside
I am frail and withered
Cover up the wounds that I can't hide
Walls that lie between us
The saint is in the sinner
I have lost the nerve
But it's alright
Carry the wounded and shut your eyes
All will be forgiven
None will rise
Bury the fallen and lead the blind
I have found the lost
Dead inside
….

Leave me at the bottom
I am lost forever
Letters from the dead
Say goodbye
Sorrow falls upon us
This will be the last time
Days begin to end
But I'll get by
Follow the hopeless and shut your eyes
All will be abandoned
None will shine
Gather the broken and leave this life
Lying in the earth
Side by side
…..

I'll keep you inside
Where I lead you cannot follow
Straight into the night
As my breath grows still and shallow

Into the nothing
Faded and weary
I won't leave and let you fall behind
Live for the dying
Heaven hear me
I know we can make it out alive

Stay with me
You're all I have left
I know we can make it out alive
Stay with me
You're all I have left

Breaking Benjamin – Into The Nothing

The night had passed us in what seemed to be the blink of an eye. We hadn't talked much, there was nothing to say. Sam was gone. After so many years of promising to keep him safe, we'd let him down.

Needing some fresh air for a little while, I came outside, sitting on the porch steps of the small, abandoned house, trying my hardest to not think of the scene inside as the sun poured down on me. I knew where Dean was, sitting at the table staring down at Sam's lifeless body.

The images of Sam falling to his knees in front of Dean, the life slowly leaving his eyes, kept replaying in my mind. I couldn't stop it.

Hearing the low rumble of Bobby's car as he pulled in front of the house, I looked up to see him stepping out with a bucket of chicken in his hand.

"How's Dean?" He asked, walking up in front of me.

"I don't know. We haven't spoken." I shrugged, nodding to the bucket. "I really doubt he's gonna eat either, but you can try."

"You want some?"

"No."

"'Course not." Bobby sighed. "Well, if you don't want anything, he won't either. But I'll see what I can do." I nodded, looking back down to the ground, listening to Bobby's footsteps as he made his way inside. "Dean? Brought you this back."

"No, thanks. I'm fine." Dean muttered.

"You should eat something."

"I said, I'm fine."

With a sigh, I got up and decided to head back inside, the heat of the sun burning down on my skin finally getting to me. Not that it mattered. Just as I entered, I saw Dean take a swig from the flask beside him before throwing it back down to the table.

I kept my eyes straight, trying my hardest to not let them drift into the next room where Sam laid.

"Dean... I hate to bring this up, I really do." Bobby stared, glancing over at me before returning his gaze to Dean. "But don't you think maybe it's time...we bury Sam?"

"No."

"We could...maybe-"

"What? Torch his corpse? Not yet." Dean said, shaking his head.

"I want you to come with me." Bobby said. "You and Tori."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Dean, please."

"Would you cut me some slack?" Dean snapped.

"I just don't think you two should be alone, that's all. I gotta admit, I could use your help." Bobby said. "Something big is going down. End-of-the world big."

"Well, then let it end!" Dean said, raising his voice.

"You don't mean that." Bobby muttered. Dean quickly stood to his feet, walking in front of Bobby.

"You don't think so? Huh? You don't think I've given enough? You don't think I've paid enough? I'm done with it. All of it. And if you know what's good for you, you'd turn around, and get the hell out of here." Bobby just shook his head, staring blankly at Dean. With a huff, Dean pushed Bobby back a bit. "Go!"

A few moments of silence passed between us when an apologetic look crossed Dean's face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, just go."

"You know where I'll be." Bobby turned to me with a sigh. "You coming?"

I looked back over to Dean, seeing the look on his face as he glanced up at me. "Do you- do you want me to go?"

"You can do whatever the you want." Dean said, looking back down.

"I, uh- I'm gonna stay." I muttered.

"Okay. Call if you need me." Bobby said, finally leaving the room. I stood where I was until heard the sound of Bobby's car driving away. I went over to the table, sitting down across from Dean, keeping my hand in front of my eyes so I wouldn't look over at Sam.

Dean grabbed his flask, taking another swig. When he set it back down, I grabbed it, taking a long gulp. I closed my eyes as the liquor stung my throat, pulling in a deep breath.

Seconds turned into minutes, the minutes turned into hours and before I knew it, it was pitch black outside. I still sat in the same position, my head in my hands as I stared blankly across the table. Dean hadn't said anything, but I didn't expect him to.

I could only imagine what was going through his head right now.

"Dean?" I called, looking up at him.

"What?"

"What are we doing here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is it really right to- to leave him like this?"

"You better not be saying what I think you are." Dean said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I just-"

"That's not happening, dammit!" Dean yelled, slamming his fist down on the table. I flinched at the volume of his voice, looking down to the table. "If that's what you're gonna say, then you can just get the hell out, too."

"I'm just trying to help."

"Yeah, well, you're not." Dean scoffed. "Just go."

"I know you're upset, Dean. I know. But you can't take your anger out on me." I muttered, staring up at him, trying to fight back my tears. "I lost Sam, too."

As soon as the words left my mouth, Dean's entire expression changed to one of sadness and despair as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I just- I just need to be alone for a little while. I'm sorry, really."

"Alright. I know." I nodded, heading back outside. Once on the steps, I finally allowed the tears to flow from my eyes, the sobs wracking my body as I sank back down, holding my head in my hands.

After some time had passed, I was about to go back in and check on Dean when I heard his quiet voice through the walls.

"You know, when we were little – and you couldn't been more than five – you just started asking questions. How come we didn't have a mom? Why do we always have to move around? Where'd Dad go when he'd take off for days at a time? I remember I begged you, quit asking, Sammy. Man, you don't want to know."
"I just wanted you to be a kid...just for a little while longer. I always tried to protect you...keep you safe...Dad didn't even have to tell me. It was just always my responsibility, you know? It's like I had one job...I had one job...and I screwed it up." Dean paused, sniffling. "I blew it. And for that, I'm sorry. I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. How can I- how am I supposed to live with that?"

"What am I supposed to do? Sammy. God. What am I supposed to do!?" Dean yelled, sending a chill down my spine.

As much as it scared me, I knew exactly what needed to be done. For Dean, for Sam. For the family I loved too much to be selfish.

You're special. The yellow-eyed demon's voice rang through my tears. Your life for Sam's, now that's a very temping offer.

I took a deep breath, wiping the tears from my cheeks, standing to my feet as I started walking down the empty street. I couldn't take the car, the keys were inside and I didn't want Dean to know where I was going. But I remembered passing it when we drove over here. It wasn't very far away, so I knew it wouldn't be a long walk.

With every step, I talked myself into it more and more, not allowing my fear to get in the way. All I had to keep thinking was that Sam would be alive, Dean would be happy and I would have more than enough time left to see them together again.

That was all I needed.

CROSSROADS – NIGHT

With my bare hands, I dug out the small hole in the ground, placing the box inside before covering it back up. My stomach flopped as I stood upright, seeing a woman with long, dark hair in a black dress standing there, a smirk on her red lips.

"Well, well, well...what do we have here?" She asked, her eyes flashing red before me. "What can I do for you, angel?"

I let out a shaky breath, looking down to the ground. "You know what I want."

"You want to make a deal."

"Yes."

"Bring back poor little Sam so you don't have to see your love suffer anymore over the loss of his baby brother? Is that right?" She asked patronizingly, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, I completely understand why. Dean is acting pathetic right now, though he wears it so well. It's kind of a turn on to see him cry."

Anger surged through me, and I took a step towards her. "Listen bitch, for some reason you demons want me. Bad. So, are you gonna keep talking or are we gonna do this? Because right now I can just walk, remember that."

"Okay, okay. Calm down, now." She muttered quickly, holding her hands up. "Let's talk business."

"Bring Sam back in exchange for-"

"Your instant death."

"My what?" I asked, my eyes widening as I stared over at her. "No, I get ten years. That's how this works."

"True. But you're right, you are a very wanted woman."

"Fine." I nodded, letting out a heavy breath. "Eight. Eight years."

"Eight?" The demon scoffed. "No way."

"That or nothing."

"Not even for Sammy?"

"Okay, okay." I paused, closing my eyes. "Five. Five years, or nothing at all."

She thought it over for a minute, a small smile spreading across her lips as I heard the faint sound of an engine speeding down the road behind me. "Well, this just got very interesting."

I furrowed my brow, looking behind me to see the headlights of the Impala coming closer. My eyes widened and I whipped back around to face her, my breathing starting to pick up. "Come on. Please."

"Look at that. A saint begging a sinner."

"I swear-"

"Fine. Five years." She smirked, tapping a finger on her blood red lips. "Seal it with a kiss, sweetheart."

"Tori, no!" Dean yelled out, his rushed footsteps coming closer. I didn't even look back at him, quickly pulling the demon to me, pushing my lips against hers with a grimace. I trembled, stepping back from her, staring into her glowing red eyes as my stomach turned over harshly.

Suddenly, Dean grabbed my shoulders, turning me around. "What did you do?!"

"It's okay." I muttered, trying not to gag. "It's okay, Dean."

"What the fuck did you do?!" Dean shouted at me, quickly turning back to the demon as she walked away. "No, you stay right there. Don't go anywhere."

"I don't take orders from you." She spat.

"Dean, listen to me, it's okay." I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking as I held onto the tops of his arms. "It's okay. Sam's gonna come back."

"You sold your- for- for Sam?" Dean asked, his eyes going wide. "Why?"

"Dean, you already lost your Dad. And this time I can- this time I can do something. I won't let you lose Sam, too. It won't happen, not if I can help it. You need your brother, Dean." I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

"I need you!" Dean yelled, holding my arms for a moment before pushing me away as he turned back to the demon. "New deal."

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "What?"

"Dean, stop it." I hissed, trying to pull him back as he ignored me, shaking my hands off.

"You bring Sam back, forget everything about Tori."

"In exchange for what? You don't have anything that valuable."

"My soul."

"That's hilarious." The demon laughed, folding her arms. "You think your soul is more valuable than hers? Please."

"Dean, stop it right now." I said, turning to the demon. "We're done here."

"Okay, then." She nodded, turning away.

"Wait." Dean called, his voice desperate. "Please, what do I have to do?"

"First of all, quit groveling." The demon said, looking as though she was thinking something over for a moment when a strange look came into her eyes. "Look, I shouldn't be doing this. I could get in a lot of trouble. But what can I say? I got a blind spot for you, Dean. You're like a puppy. Just too fun to play with."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we're leaving." I said, pulling Dean's arm. Suddenly I was pushed to the ground, the demon holding her hand out to me as I strained against her invisible grip.

"Wait a second, baby. The adults are having a conversation."

"You fucking bitch." I hissed, looking up to Dean. "Stop, please."

"Will you do it?" He asked her, ignoring me again.

"I will." The demon nodded, a smirk on her face as she held up a finger. "But there's a catch. You know, gotta read the fine print and all."

"What is it?"

"Victoria is very valuable. So, if I was going to make a trade like that, well...I'd need my payment pretty quickly."

"Wha-"

"But since I'm a such nice little girl, I'll give you some time." She said, a small smile on her face as I heart dropped. "One year."

"Dean, please." I muttered, feeling the panic rise in my chest as I stared up at him. "Don't do it."

"Just one?" Dean asked, a slight tinge of sadness and fear covering his voice.

"It's a fire sale and everything must go."

"If I do it, Sam comes back and Tori doesn't have to go to hell?"

"Right. But if you try and welch or weasel your way out, then the deal is off. Sam drops dead and Victoria gets sent to the pit. He's back to rotting meat, her skin starts pealing off layer by layer." She muttered. I saw Dean flinch back at her words, staring down at the ground. "Listen kid, it's a better deal than your Dad ever got. What do you say?"

"Dean, you better not fucking do this!" I yelled, my voice cracking as I screamed. "I swear to God, Dean! Don't you fucking-"

"I have to." Dean mumbled, pulling her to him roughly as he placed his lips on hers.

"No!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, watching the demon back up a few feet, a smirk on her face as she disappeared from sight.

The pressure finally released from me and I quickly stood to my feet, pushing Dean back as tears streamed down my face.

"What is wrong with you?! I had five years, Dean! Five! I don't know about you, but I wasn't even planning on living that long because of our stupid lives!"

"I couldn't sit back and let you die to save Sam." Dean said, sounding numb.

"Oh, but I can sit back and watch you die!?"

"I can't let you go to hell, Tori!" He shouted suddenly. "I can't live with that, with you gone...knowing there was something I could have done about it."

"But I'm supposed to let that happen to you? I'm supposed to live without you?!" I yelled, fighting him as he tried to pull me close. "How is that okay, Dean? How?!"

"You're stronger than I am, you know you are." Dean muttered. "You can live without me."

"I'm not. I- I can't." I mumbled, my voice clouded with emotion as I gave in, allowing me to pull me into his arms.

"You are." Dean said, running a hand through my hair. "We have to go."

Dean brought me back to the Impala, placing me into the passenger seat as I started to feel myself grow numb. Even after we'd gotten back to the house, I still just sat there, staring straight ahead.

"Sam can't know."

"What?" I asked, his voice breaking me out of my trance.

"Sam can't know what happened,"

"How can we not tell him about this?"

"Please. He- he can't. Come on, Tor." Dean said, getting out of the car. I followed along, walking slowly behind him as he entered the house. "Sammy?"

"In here." Sam called. I had to admit, through my confusion and sadness, hearing Sam's voice made me feel a little bit better.

We entered the bedroom, finding Sam standing in front of one of the mirrors, examining his back where there was a large scar from the knife. Dean sighed in relief, hugging his brother tightly.

"Ow." Sam muttered, shooting Dean a weird look as he pulled back. I slowly walked over to Sam, my eyes wide as I stared at him. Even though I knew all that deal stuff did work, I still couldn't believe he was alive. "What's wrong?"

"N- nothing." I mumbled, forcing a smile on my face as I hugged him.

"We're just- we're just happy to see you up and around, that's all." Dean said, going over to the table. "Come on, sit down."

"Okay." Sam nodded, sitting down. "What happened to me?"

"Well, what do you remember?"

"I saw you and Tori and Bobby, and...I felt this pain. This sharp pain, like...white-hot, you know?" Sam said, looking between Dean and I. "And then you started running at me, and...that's about it."

"Yeah, that- that kid, stabbed you in the back. You lost a lot of blood. It was pretty touch and go for awhile."

"But Dean, you can't- you can't patch up a wound that bad." Sam said, looking up to me for some clarity. I shrugged, not able to speak, afraid I would just cry.

"No, Bobby could." Dean said, noticing how I was acting. "Who was that kid, anyway?"

"His name's Jake. Did you get him?"

"No, he disappeared into the woods."

"We got to find him, Dean. And I swear I'm gonna tear that son of a bitch apart." Sam said, standing up.

"Whoa. Easy, Van Damme. You just woke up, alright? Let's get you something to eat. Huh? You want something to eat?" Dean asked, to which Sam nodded. "Aright. I'm starving. Come on."

Dean headed out to the car, glancing back at Sam and I as he went. Sam glanced over at me. I could tell he was about to ask what was wrong, so I didn't give him the chance, leaving before he could say anything.

RESTAURANT – DAY

When we got into the booth, Dean ordered a pizza and a few soda's. I knew I wasn't going to have anything. I couldn't make myself eat right now. I glanced over at Dean, watching everything he did closely, barely even registering the fact that Sam was speaking.

In one year's time, I wouldn't see him anymore.

"Is something on my face?" Dean asked, looking over at me.

I shook my head to clear it, blinking my eyes a few times. "What?"

"Staring is rude, you know. Eat some pizza." Dean said, putting a plate in front of me.

"I'm not hungry." I mumbled, pushing the plate away. Sam stared over at me, obviously picking up on the fact that something was wrong.

"So, then she killed Andy?" Dean asked.

"Andy? Andy Gallagher?" I asked, looking over at Sam.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Ava went nuts and killed nearly every person who showed up in that town."

"Oh my god."

"The demon said he only wanted one of us to walk out alive."

"He told you that?" Dean asked.

"Yup." Sam scoffed. "He appeared in a dream."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "You know what was really weird? After he finished talking to me, he said he had to pay my sister a visit. Did you- did you see anything Tori?"

"I had a dream. He was in it. It wasn't good, and I don't wanna talk about it." I muttered quickly, not wanting to think about any of the last forty-eight hours.

"But-"

"Sam, please?"

"O- okay."

"Did he tell you anything else?" Dean asked.

"No. That was it. Nothing else. You know, what I don't get, is if the demon only wanted one of us, then how did Jake and I both get away?"

"Well, I mean, they left you for dead. I'm sure they thought it was over." Dean said, shoving a bite of pizza in his mouth. "So now that Yellow Eyes has Jake, what's he gonna do with him?"

"I don't know. But whatever it is, we got to stop him."

"Well, hold on. You need to get your rest. We got time."

"No, we don't."

"Sam, oceans aren't boiling, okay? Frogs aren't raining from the sky. Let's get you your strength back first."

"Well, did you call the roadhouse? They know anything?" Sam asked, looking between Dean and I, noticing the looks on our faces. "What is it?"

"The roadhouse burned to the ground." Dean muttered. "Ash is dead. Probably Ellen – a lot of other hunters, too."

"Demons?" Sam asked, tears forming in his eyes.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Ash found something."

"What did he find?"

"Bobby's trying to figure that out."

"Well, come on then. Bobby's only a few hours away." Sam said, starting to stand. Dean placed his hands on his shoulders, pushing him back down.

"You almost died in there. I mean, what would I- can't you just take care of yourself for a little bit, huh? Just for a little bit?"

"I'm sorry. No." Sam said, walking to the front of the restaurant.

SINGER HOUSE – DAY

I could tell Sam was starting to get more suspicious of why I wasn't talking on the ride over to Bobby's. The whole time, I managed to not say one word, keeping to myself in the backseat. I feared that if I started speaking, I would probably cry and then Sam would find out and Dean would be angry at me. I just didn't want him to get upset. Not now.

Once we made it to Bobby's, Sam knocked on the door. Bobby opened it, taking in Sam with astonishment.

"Hey, Bobby."

"Sam. It's good to...see you up and around." Bobby muttered, swallowing hard.

"Yeah. Thanks for patching me up." Sam patted Bobby on the shoulder, walking past him into the house.

"Don't mention it." Bobby said, looking back to Dean and I with a hard glare.

"Well Sam's better." Dean said stiffly. "And we're back in it now, so...what do you know?"

"Well, I found something. But I'm not sure what the hell it means." Bobby said, shutting the door behind Dean and I.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"Demonic omens like a fuckin' tidal wave. Cattle deaths. Lightning storms. They skyrocketed from out of nowhere. Here." Bobby said, pointing to the map spread out on his desk. "All around here, except for one place...Southern Wyoming."

"Wyoming?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. That one area's totally clean – spotless. It's almost as if the demons are surrounding it."

"But you don't know why?"

"No, and by this point my eyes are swimming." Bobby said, glancing over at me before looking to Sam. "Sam, would you take a look at it? Maybe you could catch something I couldn't."

"Yeah, sure."

"Dean, Vic, I got some books out in the car. Help me lug 'em in?"

"Okay." I nodded, following Bobby outside over to his car.

When I noticed he wasn't opening the trunk, I looked up at him, seeing that he was staring down at us, his eyes hard. "You stupid ass! What did you do?"

"What?" Dean asked.

"Tell me the truth. One of you made a deal."

"Bobby-"

"It's all my fault." I said, interrupting Dean.

"Wait, what?"

"It is."

"That's ridiculous."

"Could you two stop bickering and fill me in here?" Bobby snapped.

"I- I couldn't stand seeing Dean the way he was anymore and I- I knew there was something I could do. So I went to a crossroads. The demon, she would make the deal and give me five years in exchange for Sam." I explained, feeling the tears fall from my eyes.

"Five years?" Bobby asked, worry filling his eyes.

"Dean came and made another deal."

"And?"

"He's only got a year, Bobby." I cried, throwing my head into my hands, finally letting the tears I'd been holding in escape.

"Damn it, Dean." Bobby shook his head.

"Which is why we gotta find this yellow-eyed son of a bitch. That's why I'm gonna kill him myself. I mean, I got nothing to lose now, right?" Dean asked.

"I could throttle you!"

"What, and send me downstairs ahead of schedule?" Dean asked, his tone light, like it was no big deal. I lost control of my temper at that, pushing him up against the side of the car, holding him there with my hands on his chest.

"What is wrong with you!?" I shouted, tears flowing down my cheeks.

"Tori, calm down."

"This isn't funny, Dean!"

"Tori, stop." Dean said, his voice calm. He tried to pry my hands off as Bobby tried to pull me away from him. I shook off Bobby's hands, stepping away from Dean with a huff.

"What is it with you Winchesters, huh?" Bobby asked. You, your dad. You're both just itching to throw yourselves down the pit."

"That's my point. Dad brought me back. I'm not even supposed to be here. At least this way, something good could come out of it, you know? I- it's like my life could mean something."

"Like it didn't before?" I asked, looking up at him with sad eyes.

"Have you got that low of an opinion of yourself? Are you that screwed in the head?!" Bobby yelled, grabbing Dean by his collar.

"I couldn't let him die, Bobby. And I couldn't let Tori go to hell. I couldn't." Dean muttered, getting choked up.

"Yeah? Well, how do you think Tori feels now? How is your brother gonna feel when he knows your going to hell? How'd you feel when you knew your dad went for you?"

"You can't tell him. You take a shot at me, whatever you got to do, but please don't tell him."

For the first time in a long time, I saw Bobby start crying as he released Dean's shirt, grabbing his chin, staring down at him. Suddenly, a clank sounded across the junkyard, catching our attention. We made our way over to the noise, stopping beside a door-less car.

Dean and I reached in at the same time from both sides, grabbing the person. Once I had her in my arms, I realized who it was.

"Ellen?" I watched as she nodded, starting to cry. I pulled her to me, hugging her tightly. "Oh, my god."

After bringing Ellen back inside, I sat down at the table with her and Bobby, watching as he poured holy water into a shot glass, pushing it over to her.

"Bobby, is this really necessary?" She asked, glancing up at him.

"Just a belt of Holy Water. Shouldn't hurt."

Ellen drank all the water, placing the glass back down. "Whiskey now, if you don't mind."

"How did you get out?" I asked, looking up at her.

"I wasn't supposed to. I was supposed to be in there with everybody else." She scoffed, shaking her head. "But we ran out of pretzels, of all things. It was just dumb luck. Anyway, that's when Ash called. Panic in his voice. He told me to look in the safe. Then the call cut out. By the time I got back, the flames were sky-high. And everybody was dead. I couldn't have been gone more than fifteen minutes."

"Sorry, Ellen." Sam muttered from across the room.

"A lot of good people died in there. And I got to live. Lucky me." Ellen muttered, tears in her eyes. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, shooting her a small smile as she put an arm around my waist, leaning into me.

"Ellen, you mentioned a safe." Bobby said.

"A hidden safe we keep in the basement."

"Demon's get what was in it?"

"No." Ellen shook her head, puling a map from her pocket, unfolding it and setting it down on the table. I peered over at it, seeing that it was just a regular map with several black lines and X's placed on it.

"Wyoming. What does that mean?" Dean asked.

"Hang on." Bobby muttered, going over to his bookshelf, grabbing one before coming back over with it. We all watched as he flipped through it, reading a few pages before setting it down. "I don't believe it."

"What? You got something?" Sam asked.

"A lot more than that. Each of these X's is an abandoned frontier church – all mid-nineteenth century. And all of them built by Samuel Colt."

"Samuel Colt? The demon-killing, gun-making Samuel Colt?" Dean asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yep. And there's more. He built private railway lines connecting church to church. It just happens to lay out like this." Bobby said, taking a marker, drawing in the missing lines until a star was made.

"Tell me that's not what I think it is."

"It's a devil's trap." I muttered.

"A hundred-square mile devil's trap." Sam mumbled, shaking his head in astonishment.

"That's brilliant." Dean said. "Iron lines demons can't cross."

"I've never heard of anything that massive." Ellen said.

"No one has." Bobby shrugged.

"And after all these years none of the lines are broken?" Dean asked. "I mean, it still works?"

"Definitely" Sam nodded.

"How do you know?"

"All those omens Bobby found. I mean the demons, they must be circling and they can't get in."

"Yeah, well...they're trying."

"Why?" Ellen wondered. "What's inside?"

"That's what I've been looking for. And, uh, there's nothing except an old cowboy cemetery right in the middle." Dean said.

"Well what's so important about a cemetery or...what's Colt trying to protect?" Sam asked.

A long moment of silence passed before I pulled in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "What if he wasn't trying to keep something out? What if he was trying to keep something in?"

"Now that's a comforting thought." Ellen muttered.

"Could they do it, Bobby?" Sam asked. "Could they get inside?"

"This thing's so powerful, you'd practically need an A-bomb to destroy it. No way a full-blood demon gets across."

"No, but I know who could."

CEMETERY – NIGHT

We all hid in the cemetery, watching Jake break open the gate, walking over towards the crypt. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to go out there and kill him myself, but I stayed back, keeping as calm as possible.

"Howdy, Jake." Sam muttered, stepping out from behind a tree, Bobby and Ellen by his side, each of their guns raised.

"Wait...you were dead. I killed you." Jake muttered, taken a-back.

"Yeah? Well next time, finish the job."

"I did! I cut clean through your spinal cord, man." Sam glanced over at Dean, who quickly looked to the ground, his eyes full of guilt. "You can't be alive. You can't be."

"Okay, just take it real easy there, son." Bobby said.

"And if I don't?"

"Wait and see." Sam threatened.

"What, you a tough guy all of a sudden? What are you gonna do, kill me?"

"It's a thought."

"You had your chance. You couldn't."

"I won't make that mistake twice." Sam said. Jake stared at him for a moment, then started laughing.

"What are you smiling at, you little bitch?" Dean spat.

"Hey lady, do me a favor. Put that gun to your head." Jake said. I watched in horror as Ellen lifted her gun, pressing the barrel of it to her temple. "See that Ava girl was right. Once you give in to it, there's all sorts of new Jedi mind tricks you can learn."

"Let her go." Sam said through gritted teeth.

"Shoot him." Ellen told him.

"You'll be mopping up skull before you get a shot off. Everybody, put your guns down. Except you, sweetheart." Jake said. I opened my hand, the gun quickly falling onto the ground along with everyone else's. "Okay. Thank you."

Jake pulled the Colt out of his pocket, going over to the crypt to insert it. Bobby and Dean held Ellen's arms down as I grabbed the gun from her, watching Sam as he shot Jake four times in the back.

"Please...don't. Please." Jake pleaded from the ground.

Sam stood over him, shooting him three more times in the chest. The four of us made our way over to him as he wiped the blood off his face. I stared at him with wide eyes, knowing how unlike him all of that was.

Just then, two of the engravings on the crypt started spinning in different directions, stopping abruptly.

"Oh, no." Bobby muttered.

"What is it?" Ellen asked, glancing up at Bobby as Dean went over to get the Colt. I held onto my stomach as it churned, trying not to get sick as the feeling took over me.

"It- it's hell." I said, my voice quiet as I stared at the crypt, almost not able to look away.

"What?" Dean asked, looking over at me with wide eyes. "How do you know that?"

"Take cover, now!" Bobby shouted, as doors started shaking, ready to burst. He pulled Ellen behind a tombstone with him for shelter. Dean noticed I wasn't about to move, quickly grabbing me, shoving me behind a tombstone with him as the doors flew open.

A huge cloud of black smoke erupted from the crypt, shooting out into the sky. I started to gag, letting out a cry as my head spun and my stomach turned more violently than ever. It almost felt as thought someone was stabbing me.

"Tori!" Dean called, trying to get me too look at him, though I couldn't seem to keep my eyes focused on anything. "What the hell just happened?!"

"That's a devil's gate. A damn door to hell!" Ellen shouted over the gusts of wind swirling around us. "Come on! We gotta shut that gate!"

"If the demon gave this to Jake... then maybe…" Dean checked the bullets in the Colt, glancing up at me. Thunder crashed in the distance, lightning lighting up the sky as the Yellow-eyed demon appeared behind Dean.

"Dean!" I called. He turned just as the demon took the Colt from his hand.

"Boys shouldn't play with Daddy's guns." He smirked, throwing Dean across the graveyard. I watched in horror as Dean landed, hitting his head on a tombstone a few feet away.

"Dean!" Sam called, letting go of the door that he, Ellen and Bobby were trying to close, running over to his brother.

"I'll get to you in a minute, champ." Yellow-eyed said, throwing Sam up against a tree, holding him there. "But I'm proud of you – knew you had it in you. So, Dean, I gotta thank you. You see, demons can't resurrect people, unless a deal is made. I know, red tape – it'll make you nuts. But thanks to you, Sammy's back in rotation."

He paused, glancing over at me. "Actually, I should be thanking you, I suppose. If it weren't for you, Dean wouldn't have done that in the first place."

"Fuck you." I spat, gagging again.

"Now, now." He smiled, looking back to Dean. "Tell me, have you ever heard the expression, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is?"

"You call that deal good?" Dean asked.

"Well, it's a better shake than your dad ever got. And you never wondered why? I'm surprised at you. I mean...you saw what your brother just did to Jake, right? That was pretty cold, wasn't it? How certain are you that what you brought back, is one-hundred percent pure, Sam?" He asked, leaning down to be face to face with Dean. "You of all people should know, that's what's dead, should stay dead."

"Stop!" I shouted, fighting against my nausea to stand up.

"What's that?" Yellow-eyes asked, stepping away from Dean.

"You're a piece of shit, you know that?"

"You've got a real mouth on you." He said, moving over to me. "You did this. You brought Sam back. You killed Dean. You're the one sending him to hell."

"...I know." I muttered, holding back tears.

"Tori, don't listen to him!" Dean exclaimed.

"You're not as strong as you think you are, are you?" He asked, wiping a stray tear off my cheek. "I couldn't have done any of this without you and Dean. Your self-destructive desire to sacrifice yourself for your family. I knew I kept you alive for some reason. Until now, anyway."

He glanced between Dean and I, holding up a hand towards me. I immediately felt a searing pain in my stomach, dropping to the ground as I started coughing up blood.

"What are you doing to her!?" Dean shouted.

"Never mind that." He said, lifting the Colt up, aiming it at Dean.

Suddenly, John's spirit appeared, grabbing the demon from behind. The body it was possessing fell to the ground and I watched with wide eyes as John grappled with the cloud of black smoke. Ignoring whatever pain I was in, I crawled over to the body, taking the Colt out of his hand.

Just as I threw the gun to Dean, the demon tossed John to the ground, possessing the body again. He grabbed me by the shoulders, tossing me across the graveyard.

The sound of a gun cocking echoed through the night air. I watched as Dean pulled the trigger, shooting the demon straight in the heart and he fell to the ground, dead.

Once they shut the crypt, Bobby came over with Ellen by his side, the both of them helping me up off the ground. Dean stood to his feet as John walked over to him with a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. Sam came over then, standing near John and Dean, all of them with tears in their eyes.

John glanced over at me, nodding with a smile as a bright light shined down from the sky, enveloping him. I felt that familiar peaceful feeling wash over me, and suddenly all my nausea and stomach pains were completely gone. And when I looked back up, so was John.

I broke away from Bobby and Ellen, feeling well enough to walk over to the boys on my own. Dean wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me as I leaned into him, the three of us standing over the demon's body.

"Well, check that off the to-do list." Dean muttered, laughing lightly.

"You did it." Sam breathed in astonishment.

"I didn't do it alone."

"Do you think Dad really- do you think he really climbed out of hell?"

"The door was open. If anyone's stubborn enough to do it...it would be him."

"Where do you think he is now?"

"Wherever he is, he's at peace." I murmured quietly, looking up a the boys as they stared down at me questioningly.

"How do you know?" Dean asked.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I just do."

"I kind of can't believe it. I mean...our whole lives, everything...has been prepping for this, and now I-" Sam chuckled, shaking his head. "I kind of don't know what to say."

"I do." Dean said, leaning closer to the body. "That was for our mom...you son of a bitch."

IMPALA – NIGHT

We double and triple checked the crypt, making absolutely sure that it was completely shut before the five of us made our way out of the cemetery, slowly heading back to the Impala to get the hell out of here.

"How do you feel?" Dean asked, making sure to keep him arm around me the whole way even though I'd insisted that I was fine.

"Okay."

Sam glanced down, watching me. "What did- what did he do to you?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" Dean asked.

"I'm never going to another hospital as long as I live." I muttered, pulling in a deep breath. "I'm fine."

"You know, when Jake saw me...it was like he saw a ghost." Sam said, scoffing. "I mean, hell, you heard him. He said he killed me."

"Glad he was wrong." Dean said, opening the door for me.

"I don't think he was, Dean." Sam paused, looking between Dean and I. "What happened? After I was stabbed?"

"We already told you."

"Not everything."

"Sam, we just killed the demon. Can we celebrate for a minute?"

"Did I die?"

"Oh, come on-"

"Did I die?" Sam repeated, looking more to me for the answer than Dean. I glanced up at Dean, swallowing hard as I looked back to Sam.

"Sam-"

"Did one of you- did you sell your soul for me? Like Dad did for you?"

"Oh, come on! No!" Dean exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Dean, tell me the truth." Sam said, seeing through him in an instant. "How long do you get?"

"One year. I got one year."

"That's why you've been so quiet." Sam muttered, looking over at me with tears in his eyes. "You knew."

"Yeah." I nodded, glancing down as the tears feel down my cheeks. I couldn't stand the way he was looking at me right now.

"Why did you let him do that?"

"There was nothing she could've done, Sam." Dean interjected. "I had to. I had to look out for you. That's my job."

I noticed how he completely left out the part where I was the one who made him do this. Sam needed to know everything, he needed to know this was my fault.

"And what do you think my job is?"

"What?"

"You've saved my life over and over. I mean, you sacrifice everything for me. Don't you think I'd do the same for you? You're my big brother. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. And I don't care what it takes, I'm gonna get you out of this." Sam said. "Guess I gotta save your ass for a change."

"Yeah."

"Well...Yellow-Eyed Demon might be dead, but a lot more got through that gate." Ellen said, walking over to us.

"How many you think?"

"Hundred. Maybe two hundred. It's an army." Sam said. "He's unleashed an army."

"Hope to hell you kids are ready." Bobby muttered. "'Cause the war has just begun."

"Well, then." Dean smiled, throwing the Colt into the trunk, closing it. "We got work to do."

A nervous feeling flew into the pit of my stomach as I thought of what the future held. Though our future never seemed particularly bright, this time it was completely shadowed by a thick layer of darkness.

I didn't see a single way out of it this time and that scared the hell out of me.

Let me start off by saying a huge thank you to all of you guys who have favorited, followed and reviewed! It means so much to me that you guys really like this story and I seriously can't believe we're already on to s3! Which we all know is the beginning of the truly heartbreaking sadness we call Supernatural (for a Dean-girl like myself, at least)

So with that, look out for the first chapter of Bring The Rain, which will be posted soon!

As always, thanks for reading and I really hope you enjoyed!

Let's dry each others tears!

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