**Hey! I'm so so sorry. My God this took forever to get out. I rewrote sections of this chapter two to three times to try to get the characters reactions right. I hope you all like it. Again, sorry it took so long. I'd love it if you could all review and tell me your thoughts, ideas, or comments about my writing. I'm also open to anyone who wants to PM me. Thanks to everyone who's kept up so far! Hope you enjoy it!**

The Magnificent Seven

-3rd Person-

Sam sat in the driver's seat of the parked Impala watching the motel window in front of him with raised eyebrows. He clicked on the small flashlight in his hand and tried to refocus on the book that was laying open in his lap. 'Crossroad Demons' was written across the top of the page in big, bold capital letters. He had barely read the first two words when faintly blaring music came from the room in front of him. Almost against his will, Sam glanced back at the large window just as Dean walked over to it, facing Sam from behind the glass and flashing a two thumbs up at his brother.

With a massive effort, Sam suppressed an eye roll as well as a (more than a little jealous) scowl and, instead, nodded awkwardly before returning his attention to the book. Annoyingly, his eyes were drawn back up to see Dean beginning to close the thin, white curtains, but he paused to wiggle his eyebrows at Sam. This time, Sam couldn't help but scoff, which turned into a smirk of satisfaction as a pillow was thrown at Dean from out of sight. Dean closed the curtains, but, unfortunately, Sam could see right through them anyway.

He stiffened as another, smaller figure stepped into sight behind the closed curtains. He set his eyes on the book more determinedly; he didn't want to see whatever was going to happen next. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop the small glance upwards. Mel was lowering her weight from her tip toes back to her heels, her hands resting on Dean's chest. Her hands slid down to intertwine in the fabric of his white undershirt. Thankfully, she pulled him slowly backwards until they were both out of sight of the window.

For what seemed like the thirtieth time, Sam forced his eyes to the book on his lap. He didn't need to read it anymore. He practically had the words committed to memory at this point. He'd spent enough hours staring at the page to know. At that moment, Sam's cell phone rang loudly, causing him to shuffle around to fish the device from his pocket.

"Hello?" He spoke into it, knowing who the call was from without having to look at the caller ID.

Hey, Sam. Bobby's voice came through clearly, accompanied by the familiar hum of an engine in the background.

"Hey, Bobby," He returned the greeting, waiting impatiently for the man to tell him if he'd found anything that could help. Hell, he would take half a lead at this point. They'd been searching for days.

What you doing? He didn't have anything. Sam knew the words to be true as soon as Bobby asked the question. It was just another daily check up. Since they'd killed yellow-eyes, Bobby had called them nearly every day.

" Oh, same old, same old," He replied evenly, but he could tell by Bobby's scoff that he knew exactly what Sam was doing.

You and Mel buried in that book again? Sam glanced up at the curtained window in front of him.

"Actually, Mel's a little indisposed at the moment," He heard Bobby chuckle humorlessly.

Good. She could use a break. Sam wasn't surprised by the reply. Hell, he'd said the same thing to her before she'd gotten out of the car. He was worried about her.

Sam, you want to break Dean free of that demon deal, you ain't gonna find the answer in no book. As much as Sam, wished he could deny it, he knew what Bobby was saying was the truth. There wasn't exactly a how-to manual for hell.

"Then where, Bobby?" It was the question he'd been asking himself for the past two days.

Kid, I wish I knew. Bobby sounded resigned as he spoke the words, and Sam felt worry pull at his stomach. Well, you three better pack it up. I think I finally found something.

"We'll meet you there," Sam snapped the phone shut and reading more of the book. He waited an hour before transferring his book to the passenger's seat and getting out of the car. He knocked on the door as he heard 'and she looked at me with big brown eyes' blasting from the room.

"Dean?" He questioned weakly, praying to God that they would be fully clothed. "You conscious? Bobby called, and he thinks that maybe we-" That's when Sam caught sight of the tangle of limbs and bedsheets that was Mel and Dean. He let out a small. squeak of horror and quickly pulled his head back through the door with a quietly whispered, "Oh God,"

-1st Person-

I was mortified to say the least. Sam and I sat in total silence as Dean let out a loud, adrenaline filled whoop of excitement that made me jump. I glanced in the rearview at Sam to see him bracing himself against my seat as the car bounced over the hills in the road.

"Dean, slow down!" I couldn't stay in silence any longer. He was going to get us killed.

"And while you're at it, can I see one of your knives?" Sam questioned politely from the back, causing me to frown in confusion.

"What for?" Dean asked before I could.

"So I can gouge my eyes out," He replied, and I turned away from both boys so they wouldn't be able to see the embarrassment written in my eyes.

"It was a beautiful, natural act, Sam," As usual, Dean's comment made me laugh softly.

"It's a part of you I never wanted to see, Dean," Sam responded, causing Dean to chuckle.

"Hey, I appreciate you giving me and Mel a little quality time-" He broke off as I slapped his arm with the back of my hand, hating the way my cheeks were growing warmer.

"It's fine. You two deserve to have a little fun," I put my head in my hands and groaned at Sam's words. This is the last thing I wanted to be talking about.

"Well, I'm in violent agreement with you there," I sat back in my seat, casting a withering look at Dean before glancing in the rearview.

"So, what'd Bobby say?" I switched the topic pointedly.

"Not much. Crop failure and a cicada swarm outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. Could be demonic omens," Sam relayed the information Bobby had given him, which wasn't much.

"Or could just be a bad crop and a bug problem," Dean pointed out, and I couldn't help but agree with him.

"At least it's a lead," I shrugged as I spoke, looking back down at the map to check our progress as we passed a town sign. "Any deaths?"

"Nothing Bobby could find - not yet, anyway," Sam told Dean and I.

"It's weird, man. The night the devil's gate opened, all these weirdo storm clouds were sighted over how many cities?" He glanced at his brother for the number.

"Seventeen," Sam and I answered simultaneously, causing Dean to glance at me and then Sam with a frown.

"Seventeen," Dean repeated the number, turning his eyes to the road. "I mean, you think it would be 'apocalypse now' but it's been five days and bubkes. What are the demons waiting for?"

"Beats me," Sam replied, and I shrugged in agreement.

"It's driving me crazy," He complained, his eyes flicking to me. "I tell you if it's gonna be war, I wish it would just start already,"

"I don't know," I mused, a faint tug of worry pulling at my mind. "Be careful what you wish for," I hadn't intended to say the words, but when I opened my mouth, they'd come out.

The drive was another four hours, four and a half with Dean's snack stop. If you could call buying a bacon cheeseburger a snack. There was some small talk, but, for the most part, the rest of the drive was spent in silence. I turned my attention out the window to watch the growing light illuminating the green blurs that shot by. I was scared. No, I was terrified. Three hundred sixty days. That's how many Dean had left. Sam and I had three hundred sixty days to break him out of his deal.

I curled my fingers into fists in my lap, realizing they were shaking. Suddenly, a powerful impatience overwhelmed me. I was eager to get on with this hunt. Maybe it would get my mind off of things. As soon as we'd left Bobby and Ellen after the demon, I'd called Max and Jo again. Thankfully, they'd picked up. Said it was just a rough hunt that they'd gone through. Things hadn't gone as planned. I was just glad they were okay. I told them to call me if they found a hunt. They hadn't found one yet. In fact, none of the hunters I knew had found hunts in the past five days. It had gone quiet. The calm before the storm. I tried to push the thought away but it stubbornly refused to budge.

I glanced sideways at Dean's profile as he fixed his eyes on the road. Briefly, I wondered what he was thinking about. Against my will, my mind turned to darker thoughts. What would it be like if Dean wasn't there? Would Sam be driving? Would I? I quickly returned my eyes to the road as I felt a familiar lump form in my throat. I blinked away the threatening tears and coughed to cover up my shaky breath. I was snapped out of my thoughts as the car slowed to a stop in front of a white, wooden house. I got out of the Impala, slamming the door shut behind me.

"Hear those cicadas?" Sam noted, and I only had to listen for a moment before I heard the buzzing.

"That can't be good," I muttered, glancing at the house in front of us. Not for the first time, I wished I still had my abilities. After we'd killed the demon, they'd vanished. I felt almost… naked without them. Unarmed. Like I was a sitting duck with its wings clipped. We walked up to Bobby, who was staring at the cheeseburger Dean had just taken a bite out of.

"So, we're eating bacon cheeseburgers for breakfast, are we?" Bobby commented, and it didn't take abilities to detect the concern in his voice.

"Well, sold my soul. Got a year to live. I ain't sweating the cholesterol," His words stung me, making me turn my head to pretend to regard the house while hiding the tears filling my eyes from the boys.

"So what is this?" My voice came out calm and business-like. "A biblical plague? What?" I turned my now emotionless, dry eyes to Bobby, patiently waiting for him to explain.

"Well, let's find out," He headed to the steps of the house with Dean, Sam, and I following. We ascended the steps. and Dean knocked on the door loudly.

"Candygram!" His shout got no response, so I pulled out my lock pick set from my pocket. It only took me twenty seconds to pick the lock on the door, making it swing open with a protesting creak. Dean walked into the house unconcerned with Sam and I following, guns drawn. We were greeted by a horrible stench that I, unfortunately, was familiar with.

"That's awful," Sam coughed out the words in a choked voice while I pressed my sleeve across my nose, trying to breathe through my mouth instead.

"That so can't be a good sign," I agreed whole-heartedly with Dean's words. Someone or something had died in here. He finally pulled out his gun, cocking it before continuing down the hallway. Sam and I followed him to a corner where he paused, glancing back at us and nodding before whipping around the corner brandishing his gun. There was nothing there. Suddenly, Sam paused, cocking his head to one side. That's when I heard it to. A woman was screaming. Sam went to the door, pressing his back against it and I followed suit next to him, gun raised as Dean took his place beside me. We both nodded at Sam, who promptly kicked backwards, causing the door to spring open.

"Oh, god," I let out a gag as the stench became thicker and more horrible. There was a woman on the television set who was yelling at someone off screen. That must've been the screaming. "Bobby!" I called out, hoping he'd hear from upstairs. I slowly walked around the couch to get a better look at the long dead family. I heard a gagged breath from behind me and knew without looking that Bobby had entered the room.

"Bobby, what the hell happened here?" Sam questioned, but Bobby just shook his head.

"I don't know," He replied, staring at the family.

"Check for sulfur," I knelt by the door, scanning the floor for any signs, but there was nothing. Dean's sharp whistle snapped my attention back to him, and he gestured to the door with a stiff hand before holding up two fingers. I silently raised myself to my feet and headed towards the door with Dean. I stayed hidden in the doorway while Dean walked to the edge of the porch and scanned the surroundings. I took a step towards the opening when a man jumped swung himself over the railing, swiftly gaining on Dean. He slammed the gun out of his hand and kneed him in the gut before pointing his shotgun at Dean, who was now lying on the ground, stunned.

"Drop it," I smoothly cocked my gun with one hand while I pointed the barrel at the man's head as I gave my command. A woman rushed up besides the man and turned to glare at me furiously. I met her gaze remorselessly and pressed the barrel of the gun against the man's temple, shoving it slightly. "Now, if you don't mind,"

"Isaac? Tamara?" My eyes darted to Bobby, who was walking over to us, before they fixed on the man in front of me again, narrowing. I lowered my gun as the man, Isaac, did the same.

"Bobby," The woman, Tamara, greeted him in a british accent with a smile. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same," Bobby smiled genuinely, causing me to relax.

"Heya, Bobby," Isaac and him shook hands like old friends.

"Mel, you remember Isaac and Tamara," I raised my eyebrows at Bobby's words. "You did some research for them, what, five years ago?" I frowned in confusion and slight distrust.

"The vengeful spirit in Baltimore. That was you on the phone?" My expression suddenly cleared at Isaac's words as I remembered the pair of them.

"Oh, yes. It was using the electrical wires," I replied with a smile as I shook hands with both of them. "Good to finally meet you in person,"

"Same to you," Tamara answered with a wide smile. "So, is Maxwell here, too, then?" My smile faltered as I remembered why I was staying at Bobby's the last time I'd spoken to them.

"Hello? Bleeding here," Dean's voice interrupted anything I was about to say, and I offered him my hand to help him up.

"Honey… where's the Palo Santo?" Isaac questioned as I curiously studied one of the many supernatural artifacts they had lying around.

"Well, where'd you leave it?" Tamara asked him, setting down a jar that she'd been holding.

"I don't know, dear. That's why I'm asking," Isaac pointed out, sounding a tad annoyed.

"What's Palo Santo?" I questioned curiously, realizing how much we could learn from the hunters.

"It's holy wood from Peru," Tamara explained, walking calmly to Isaac's side and rummaging through the clutter that was spread across the table. "It's toxic to demons like holy water. Keeps the bastards nailed down while you're exorcising them," She held up the newly found wood.

"Thank you, dear," Isaac accepted the wood, studying it keenly.

"You'd lose your head if it wasn't for me," Tamara informed him, and he didn't put up any argument, which brought a small smile to my face.

"So, how long you two been married?" Sam asked, and my hand unconsciously went to the ring that was hanging from a chain under my shirt. We hadn't talked about it yet. I glanced in the direction where Dean had taken off in to talk to the woman from the coroner's office. We hadn't talked about much of anything since I'd found out about the deal.

"Eight years this past june," Tamara's answer brought my attention back to her and Isaac, who put his hand on her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"The family that slays together…" I let out a chuckle at the comment.

"Right. I'm with you there," Sam agreed wholeheartedly with a smile on his face that surprised me.

"Speaking of marriage, where's Max? Thought he'd be here with you," We'd split up since we'd met at the house. Dean, Sam, and I had gone to collect information from the officers after we'd called the police about the dead bodies in the house. I hadn't gotten the chance to explain to her what had happened.

"He…um," I stammered awkwardly before collecting my thoughts. "It didn't work out," I finally summed up, and Tamara's face dropped, instantly looking apologetic. "No, he's okay. He's fine. He checks in ever once and a while,"

"Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out," Tamara apologized anyway, and I gave her a small smile. There was a brief moment where I could've told them about Dean and I. They still didn't know we were together. I should tell them. Then the moment passed and Sam spoke up.

"So, how'd you get started?" Tamara's face fell instantly, and I gave Sam a sharp look. Never ask a hunter about how he or she started. That's practically the first thing you learn. Well, first thing behind salt and holy water and run. Neither Isaac nor Tamara spoke, but their body language was enough. "Oh, you know… I'm sorry. It's not - that's none of my business,"

"No, no, it's - it's all right," Before Tamara could say more, Dean came back through the door, snapping his phone shut.

"That was the coroner's tech. Get this - that whole family's 'cause of death - dehydration and starvation. There's no signs of restraint, no violence, no struggle. They just sat down and never got up,"

"But the kitchen was full. It was just yards away. Why didn't they get up and get something?" This case was just getting more and more confusing.

"Right. What is this, a demon attack?" Sam questioned, frowning.

"If it is, it's not like anything I ever saw, and I've seen plenty," That had to be the understatement of the century. I'd thought Bobby had seen almost everything, but this…

"What now? What should we do?" Dean looked to Bobby for the answer, but it was Isaac who spoke.

"Uh, we're not gonna do anything," My heart dropped as I recognized his tone. This wasn't the first time I'd met possessive hunters in my life.

"What do you mean?" Sam didn't quite get it yet.

"You guys seem nice enough, but this ain't 'scooby-doo', and we don't play well with others," God, they sounded like Gordon. My eyes flicked to Bobby, but they ended up landing on Dean's expression instead. I knew that look.

"You know, we would have more of a chance at solving this with no one getting hurt if we all just suck up our pride and work with each other," I gave Isaac a pointed look as I spoke the truth.

"No offense, sweetheart, but we're not teaming with the damn fools who let the devil's gate get open in the first place," Anger turned my stomach at Isaac's comment. What right did he have? He wasn't even there when it happened.

"What did you say to her?" Dean took a threatening step forward, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. As annoyed as I was by the man's comment, fighting wouldn't solve anything.

"Isaac, like you've never made a mistake," Tamara came to our defense, trying to placate the situation.

"Yeah, locked my keys in the car, turned my laundry pink. Never brought on the end of the world, though," His tone became sardonic as his gaze landed on Dean with a smugness darkening it. Dean let out a humorless chuckle that made me tense.

"All right. That's enough," He stated, starting forward again while I exchanged a glance with Sam, stepping in front of Dean and putting a hand on his chest to prevent him from confronting Isaac.

"Don't. It's not worth it," I spoke too quietly for Tamara and Isaac to hear, trying to stifle the anger that still churned in my stomach at what Isaac was saying to us.

"Guys, this isn't helping. Dean-" Sam tried to help, but Dean and Isaac weren't listening anymore.

"Look, there are a couple hundred more demons out there now. We don't know where they are, when they'll strike. There ain't enough hunters in the world to handle something like this. You brought war down on us - on all of us," Tamara met my eyes apologetically before going to her husband.

"Okay. That's quite enough testosterone for now," I gave a small smile at her words as she grabbed Isaac's hand and pulled him out of the room.

"I've got some books in my car that might help. Sam?" Sam nodded, and he and Bobby left as I shifted piles of stuff from the desk to the table in search of holy water. Tamara and Isaac had loads of cool stuff, but organization didn't seem to be their strong suit.

"How do you know them?" I glanced at Dean as he spoke without looking at me. He had returned to his previous position of leaning on the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Awhile ago, while I was at Bobby's for that month, Bobby got a call from them asking him for help on a hunt. Since he was already helping another hunter, he asked me to do some research for them," I shrugged as though it were no big deal. I did research for three or four different hunters in between the wedding planning that month. Of course, it wasn't just me doing the wedding planning or the research, but I didn't say that aloud.

"And you never told them you broke it off with Max?" I could hear the edge in Dean's voice, and I straightened, abandoning my hunt for the holy water.

"I never spoke to them again until now," I shrugged, scrutinizing Dean's face for a moment before crossing my arms over my chest. "Why? Are you still jealous?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh, you are," A slow smile twitched at my lips as I walked forward, dropping my arms.

"I'm not jealous," He denied, straightening as I drew closer and closer until I was right in front of him.

"Are you sure?" I questioned innocently, shifting my weight to my toes so my nose brushed his. I heard his breathing hitch as my fingers played with the collar of his jacket before sliding over the exposed skin of his neck. He inclined his head until his forehead was resting on mine.

"So what if I am?" His hands found my waist as I raised my lips to meet his. That was when someone let out a surprised 'oh!' from our right. "Every goddamn time," Dean hissed in irritation as I lowered myself to my heels again and turned to look at the surprised woman who stood there.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you two were…" She cleared her throat before glancing into the other room just as Isaac came into view. "We're going now," She gestured outside to her car. "You can stay here as long as you like,"

"That doesn't mean we're working together," Isaac added for unnecessary clarification. I nodded in gratitude and slight embarrassment as they walked out the front door.

"So-" Dean didn't get any farther than that before the door banged open and Bobby and Sam walked through, each carrying an armful of books. "Great," He muttered in annoyance.

I stared at the crime scene for a moment before leaving Sam and walking into the store. I had only just entered when Dean jogged towards me, a pleased grin on his face. Before I could ask him what he found, he pressed his lips to mine, making me stiffen in surprise. He pulled away, still smiling widely.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, glancing around to see if anybody had seen us. Dean never acted that way when we were working a case; it was one of the first things John made clear when he'd found out about us.

"What I can't kiss my girlfriend?" He answered my question with a question and a smirk.

"Not while we're working a case," I dropped my voice, glancing around us again, but there was no one else in the store except for Sam, who had just come up behind me.

"She's right, Dean, we're working," He admonished halfheartedly. "You know, dead body, possible demon attack, that kind of stuff," Dean opened his mouth to reply but coughed loudly instead.

"I'm sorry. It's just I don't have much time left, and…" I tensed at his words as he let out another theatrical cough. "…got to make every second count," He winked at me as he spoke, but I averted my gaze to Sam.

"I'm going to interview more of the witnesses outside," I told him quickly, feeling my throat begin to close. I made a hasty exit, blinking back the threatening tears and taking a deep breath. I mentally kicked myself for being so vulnerable. Dean had been making those jokes for nearly a week now. It shouldn't be able to affect me anymore. But it did. Every time hurt as much as the first time he'd told me what he'd done. Each joke was a reminder of the timer that was constantly ticking. I shook my head to rid myself of those thoughts and knelt by the police officer taking pictures.

"What can you tell me about what happened?" I questioned, flashing my badge briefly. He squinted at it and then me and didn't protest when I pulled it away.

"The girl just went crazy," He shrugged taking another photo of the blood spatter on the ground. "Apparently this one bought a pair of shoes she wanted so she followed her and killed her. Then took the shoes," He shrugged nonchalantly as he finished taking the photos. "Nutter," He muttered under his breath. "This sort of thing is unusual for a town like this,"

"Well, thanks for your time," I straightened, brushing myself off and mentally reviewing what he'd said to me. There was nothing too new.

"Wait," I stopped to glance down at him as he called back to me. "Listen, um, my brother… he knew the girl that did this. Said she was the sweetest thing," He frowned as if his own words didn't make sense to him. "He wouldn't believe me 'til he saw it on the news. Not sure if that helps, but…"

"Every little bit helps. Thanks for taking the time," I told him appreciatively.

"Hey," I looked sideways to see Dean leaning out of the store door. "I found something," I followed him to the back room where Bobby and Sam were staring intently at a TV screen. "Anything interesting?" Dean questioned them as he and I stood behind, scanning the monitors.

"I don't know yet. Might just be a guy… or it might be our guy," Sam rewound the tapes, and I saw the young women looking through some racks of clothes. The guy approached the woman, and she turned to speak to him. For the first couple of seconds, the conversation seemed harmless enough, but then the man put his hand on the woman's shoulder and jerked his chin at the shoes. It was him. Bobby printed out two copies of the picture, and handed one to me while keeping one for himself.

"Okay, you two take the South side. We'll take the North," Dean and I headed out the door to start asking around town if anyone had seen him.

"What time is it?" Bobby questioned from where he was sitting in the driver's seat, and Dean glanced at his watch tiredly.

"Seven past midnight," He answered, glancing at Bobby, who turned his eyes to the bar in front of us suspiciously. We'd been parked here for the past two hours waiting for the guy from the photo to show up.

"You sure this is the right place?" He asked wearily.

"This is the right place," I replied shortly, the lack of sleep I'd been getting was starting to affect me more than I cared to admit.

"We spent all day canvassing the town with this guy's stupid mug," Dean held up the picture as he talked irritably. "And, supposedly, he drinks at this stupid bar," A loud thump on the window interrupted his rant, and I jumped as Dean let out a startled yelp. Outside, Sam started laughing at our terrified faces. "That's not funny!" Dean snapped at him as he pushed forward the seat so Sam could slide in next to me.

"Yeah. Uh, all right, so-" I slapped him in the shoulder lightly as he sat down; he just responded with an overly pleased grin. "So, John Doe's name is Walter Rosen. He's from Oak Park just west of Chicago. Went missing about a week ago,"

"The same night that the devil's gate opened?" I guessed, and Sam's face confirmed it even before his words did.

"Yeah,"

"So he's probably possessed?" I spoke the only logical conclusion.

"It's a good bet," Sam replied, nodding. "So, what, he just walks up to someone, touches them, and they go stark raving psycho or something?"

"Those demons that got out at the gate - they're gonna do all kinds of things we haven't seen," Bobby voiced a scary thought.

"You mean the demons we let out," I gave Sam a sharp look as he corrected Bobby, an underlying note of anger in his voice.

"Guys," Dean interrupted the impending argument, and I followed his line of sight to see a man getting out of the car in front of us and heading to the bar. "Alright. Showtime," He went for the door, but I leaned forward to grab his shoulder, keeping him in the seat.

"Wait a minute," I followed the man with my eyes as Dean looked at me questioningly. "Bobby's right. These things are going to do all kinds of things we've never seen before. We need to know what we're up against before we go charging in there,"

"We should tail him till we know for sure," Bobby agreed with me.

"Oh, so he kills someone and we just sit here with our junk in our hands?" I felt an anger that I had grown familiar with rise in my throat.

"If we go in there now we're as good as dead," I argued, gesturing at the bar. Dean turned to me, opening his mouth to disagree, when I saw them. Tamara and Isaac were getting out of the Ford they had just parked and were heading towards the bar. "Shit," I pointed out the window at them as they closed the door behind them.

"Damn it," Bobby hit the steering wheel in annoyance as Dean got out, quickly followed by Sam and myself. I ran to the door, trying to push it open only to realized it was locked from the inside. Dean reached it a moment later and began banging on it. I closed my eyes, trying to hear what was going on inside, but it only took me a moment to remember I couldn't, not anymore.

"Dean, where are you going?" My eyes snapped up at Sam's shout, and I saw Dean opening the door of a random junk car. Thankfully, the windows had been left rolled down.

"You and Bobby make sure you're out of the way," I ordered Sam before sprinting towards the Impala. There was no way I was letting him drive a car into a bar. At least, not alone. When I reached the Impala, it only took me a moment to throw five bottles of holy water into a bag and sling it over my shoulder. I slammed the Impala door shut and slid into the junk car just as Dean was revving the engine.

"Get out," He demanded, and I met his eyes determinedly.

"Drive," I returned his command with one of my own.

"Damnit, Mel-" He began hotly.

"Tamara and Isaac could be dying. Drive, Dean!" I snapped, knowing we didn't have time for this argument. I grabbed one of the bottles from my bag as he swore and stepped on the gas. I braced myself as we crashed through the wooden double doors. I handed a bottle to Dean before unscrewing the lid of mine and kicking open my door. I came out spraying everything in sight. Dimly, I caught sight of Bobby and made my way over to him just as he grabbed one of the bottles.

"Cover me," I called to him as I made my way to the trunk. Quickly, I drew my switchblade and carved a devil's trap into the trunk, wincing at the screeching it made.

"Dean, here!" I yelled, ignoring Sam's shouts to get in the car. Bobby had gotten into the driver's seat now. It was just Dean and I still fighting.

"Go!" Dean shouted at me as he backed up, still spraying the same demon. The one we had been hunting. I hesitated for a moment before sliding into the backseat beside Tamara. I heard the trunk slam shut and Dean was in the passenger's seat a moment later.

"We left Isaac," Tamara whispered as Dean parked in front of their house. "We just left him! We have to go back there! He could be dying!" Her voice got louder and louder until she was screaming.

"Look, I'm sorry about Isaac, but I say we stay here and figure out a game plan," Bobby tried, but Tamara wasn't having it.

"And I say we're going back - now!" She yelled as Sam, Dean and I finished tying the demon to a chair a devil's trap that was drawn on the ceiling and entered the room where Tamara and Bobby were arguing. "I left my husband bloody on the floor!"

"Okay, I understand that, but we can't go back," Sam attempted to calm her down and make her see reason.

"Fine. Then you stay, but I'm heading back to that bar," Tamara glared at Sam, as if daring him to protest one more time.

"I'll go with her," My eyes snapped to Dean, widening slightly. He couldn't be serious. Apparently he was, for he grabbed her arm and started towards the door purposefully. I stepped in front of him quickly, not letting him reach the door.

"That's suicide, and you know it!" I argued, putting a hand on his chest to keep him from passing me.

"So what? I'm dead already!" I flinched at his yell, taking my hand back and looking anywhere but him.

"Then go," I stepped out of the way, gesturing towards the door. Dean glanced at me in surprise. "Go," I repeated, still not meeting his eyes.

"How you gonna kill 'em?" Sam broke in before Dean could say anything. I turned my gaze to Sammy, but I could still feel Dean's eyes on my face."Can't shoot 'em. You can't stab 'em. They're not just gonna wait in line to get exorcised!"

"I don't care!" Tamara screamed back at him.

"We don't even know how many of them there are!" He yelled, and I could clearly see the fury in his eyes.

"Yeah, we do. There's seven. Do you have any idea who we're up against?" Bobby interrupted us, walking forward slowly before looking up from his book with worry in his eyes.

"No. Who?" Dean questioned with more than a little sarcasm in his voice.

"The seven deadly sins, live and in the flesh!" A short, stunned silence followed Bobby's announcement.

"'What's in the box?!'" Dean joked lightly, causing the four of us to turn to look at him incredulously. "Brad Pitt, 'SE7EN'? No?" His grin slowly dropped when he saw that none of us were smiling. Bobby slammed the book shut and tossed it to him. "What's this?"

"'Binsfeld's Classification of Demons'. In 1589, Binsfeld I.D.'d the seven sins - not just as human vices but as actual devils,"

"The family - they were touched by Sloth," Sam realized as my mind kept pace with him.

"And the shopper… the demon we have in there-" I pointed to the other room. "That must be Envy,"

"Yeah. I couldn't suss it out at first until Isaac. He was touched with an awful gluttony," I glanced at Tamara apprehensively just as she snapped.

"I don't give a rat's ass if they're the three stooges or the four tops! I'm gonna slaughter every last one of them!" Tamara snarled, and Bobby stormed up to her furiously.

"We already did it your way. You burst in there half cocked and look what happened! These demons haven't been topside in half a millennium! We're talking medieval, dark ages! We've never faced anything close to this! So we are gonna take a breath… and figure out what our next move is!" By his last words, he was screaming in her face. For once, she seemed at a loss for words. "I am sorry for your loss," He added, barely able to suppress his anger enough to mutter them in a normal voice. Tamara stalked back into the other room, not saying another word, Bobby following suit. My eyes met Sam's briefly, and I could feel Dean's eyes on me, but instead of meeting his gaze, I just walked off into the other room. I was greeted by soft, dark laughter that raised goosebumps on my arms.

"So you know who I am, huh?" The demon raised his head to regard us with a smug curiosity.

"We do. We're not impressed," Bobby told him flatly, taking a seat a couple feet from him.

"Why are you here? What are you after?" Sam asked, coming to a stop in front of the demon. I leaned on the doorframe and crossed my arms over my chest.

"He asked you a question," Dean's voice was louder and more threatening than Sam's. "What do you want?" I picked up a flask of holy water, tossing it to Dean before leaning back against the doorframe. The demon just started laughing when he was splashed with the water. His laugh turned into a groan of pain.

"We already have what we want," He opened up.

"Which is?" I prompted, waiting for him to elaborate. He turned his eyes one me as he chuckled darkly.

"We're out," He grinned widely at his own words. "We're free. Thanks to you, my kind are everywhere. I am legion, for we are many. So me, I'm just celebrating, having a little of fun,"

"Fun?" Sam repeated, disgust clear in his voice as well as his face.

"Yeah. Fun. See, some people crochet. Others golf. Me? I like to see people's insides… on their outside," Tamara stepped forward, her fists clenched.

"I'm gonna put you down like a dog," She hissed at him.

"Please," Was his soft response. "You really think you're better than me. Which one of you can cast the first stone, huh? What about you, Dean?" My eyes flicked to my boyfriend on the other side of the room, whose eyes were fixed on the demon. His face was set in an expression I knew well. He was plastering an expression of indifference on his face, so no one would be able to tell if the demon's words affected him. "You're practically a walking billboard of gluttony and lust. And, Tamara, all that wrath," He shook his head, clucking his tongue at her. "It's the reason you and Isaac became hunters in the first place, isn't it? It's so much easier to drink in the rage than to face what really happened all those years ago,"

For the second time in five minutes, Tamara snapped. Her fist cracked across Envy's face, causing his head to snap to the side. Bobby and Dean grabbed her, hauling her away from him.

"My point exactly, and you call us sins. We're not sins, man. We are natural human instinct, and you can repress and deny us all you want, but the truth is, you are just animals. Horny… greedy… hungry… violent animals, and you know what? You'll be slaughtered like animals, too," His eyes moved to the lights in the corner that were beginning to flicker. "The others - they're coming for me,"

"Maybe they are," I pushed off the wall and came closer to him till I was at the edge of the devil's trap. "But they won't find you…" I bent down so my face was at eye level. "Because you're going to be in hell," I glanced at Tamara, nodding to her. "You want to do the honors?"

"My pleasure," She ground out, opening the book eagerly. She began reading the ancient words as I followed Bobby out of the room and into the kitchen.

"I don't think we're gonna have to worry about hunting them," He informed us, putting his hands on his hips as his eyes flicked out the window.

"You think that clown is right?" I realized, jerking my chin at the other room as Sam and Dean joined us.

"I think so. They're gonna be hunting us, and they're not gonna quit easy," I mulled over Bobby's words, trying to come up with a plan.

"Why don't you three take Tamara and head for the hills? I'll stay back, slow them down, buy you a little time," I turned to look at Dean with a mix of surprise and incredulity.

"You're insane, Dean. Just forget about it, okay?" Sam looked honestly worried.

"Sam's right," Bobby agreed without hesitation.

"There's six of them, guys. We're outmanned. We're outgunned. We'll be dead by dawn," Dean pointed out, his voice growing louder.

"There's no place to run where they won't find us," My eyes flicked to Bobby in surprise that he would actually consider Dean's proposal.

"This is insane. If we're going down, we're all going down together, all right?" I met Dean's eyes as I spoke the words. Maybe it was the determination in my voice or the look in my eyes as I said them. Whatever it was, it made Dean nod slowly.

"Well, let's not make it easy for them," A short scream followed his words, and we turned to look into the other room where Tamara was slamming the book shut.

"Demon's out of the guy," She informed us, walking past us as she did.

"And the guy?" Sam questioned.

"He didn't make it," She called back apathetically.

"Great," I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose for a moment before I tried to shake off the fatigue. "I'm going to set some traps upstairs," I grabbed some chalk and salt from the table before ascending the stairs. My phone rang just as I was drawing my second devil's trap. I checked the caller ID briefly before pressing the speaker to my ear.

Mel? Max's voice came across the line before I could even say hello.

"Max. Hey. I'm kinda busy at the moment-" I began, shifting the phone to pinch it between my shoulder and ear.

This won't take long. His words were rushed, and I could hear the pages being turned hastily in the background. You asked me a few days ago about getting out of a demon deal. Said you had a friend who had made a wrong move?

"One moment," I straightened, setting the chalk down on the table, so I could properly grab the phone. "Okay, tell me,"

Well, Jo and I were in Louisiana on a case, and I think I found something that could help. There's a hoodoo priestess, lives right outside of Shreveport. I heard a rumor going around that she's the real deal. Went to see her, and she helped Jo and I find the body of a spirit. Mel, I think she can help.

"Outside of Shreveport, Louisiana?" I repeated eagerly, hope igniting inside me.

Yeah. I even checked it out. I know how the faith healing turned out. My heart sunk slightly as he brought up a sore subject. She's clean. No deaths surrounding her. I checked every government database I could think of. Nothing came up. No weird deaths in Shreveport either. Well, except for that spirit, but Jo and I took care of it. Bloody nasty thing.

"Thanks. I owe you one," I felt a smile pulling at my lips. "Tell Jo I owe her, too,"

I will, but, Mel…? I waited patiently for him to continue as he hesitated. You never said who it was.

"Who what was?" I questioned dumbly, hoping he'd back off. A long silence met my words.

Mel,… is it Dean? My heart froze at the question, but I recovered quickly.

"I have to go. Thanks for the info," I snapped the phone shut before he could say anything else, and I shoved it into my pocket. "Sorry, Max," I muttered, grabbing the chalk and finishing the half drawn devil's trap. I'd already salted all the doors and windows in the room, so all I had left to do was finish the trap.

"Who was that?" I jumped, letting out a small yelp of shock. I gave a chuckling Dean a withering, unamused look before accepting his outstretched hand and letting him pull me to my feet. I set the chalk on the table again and turned to face him.

"Max. He was just checking in. He and Jo just finished a salt and burn in Louisiana," I replied, figuring now wasn't the best time to tell him about the hoodoo priestess.

"Did you tell him we were taking down the seven deadly sins?" Dean's cocky grin made me smile slightly.

"No, I decided to wait until we actually take them down before bragging," My lips twitched into another smile as I met his eyes. "Pride is a sin, you know," He chuckled, fishing for something in his pocket. He tossed me a small, metal object, and it wasn't until I caught it that I realized what it was. The Impala's car keys.

"Look, Mels, if this thing goes sideways-" My eyes widened slightly at what he was saying.

"I'm not leaving," I stated firmly, my eyes flicking up to glare at him determinedly.

"Mel, there are six of them and four of us," Dean tried to convince me, but I just shook my head.

"We've had worse odds than that," I argued, shrugging. "Besides, I like a challenge," I added, starting past Dean only to have him grab my arm tightly.

"Mel if you stay, you'll die," I stared into his eyes and saw the fear and worry in them. I gave him a small smile.

"Then I'll go down fighting with you and Sam," He studied my face as if trying to find some hidden message in it and then chuckled softly with an unwilling smile pulling at his lips.

"You never did give up easy," I pushed the Impala keys back into his hand before tilting my head to brush my lips against his briefly.

"I don't give up at all," I kissed him mid laugh, and he inclined his head, pressing one hand to my hair as the other snaked around my waist and pulled me closer. We were interrupted by the radio in the corner of the room turning itself on. Dean and I broke apart, both of us gazing at the radio for a moment. "Stay safe and don't do anything stupid," I turned back to Dean as I spoke softly.

"You know me," He grinned cockily, and I gave him a searching look. I was worried to say the least. In the last two hours he'd offered to go on a suicide mission and stay behind to take on six demons by himself. "Hey, I promise I won't do anything stupid," I relaxed slightly at the sincerity in his words. "You're worried about me?" I rolled my eyes but laughed slightly.

"I just don't want you dying before I've had the chance to save you," I informed him, picking up the chalk and shoving it in my pocket before heading out the doorway. Dean's hand slipped in mine, his fingers lacing through mine tightly as we walked down the stairs.

"Here we go," He called to Sam, who made his way towards us from the living room.

"Tamara!" My head snapped up as I heard a familiar voice screaming outside. "Tamara!" It sounded again, closer this time. "Help me! Please!" I moved slowly towards the door next to Tamara, who was trembling. "I got away, but I'm hurt bad. I need help!"

"It's not him, okay? It's one of the demons," I reminded her gently, and she nodded to show she understood, wiping away the tear that was traveling down her cheek.

"Baby!" I jumped as there was a sudden banging on the door. "Why won't you let me in? You left me behind back there. How could you do that? We swore… at that lake in Michigan. Remember? We swore we would never leave each other!"

"How did he know that?" She turned to me and Bobby for an answer, but we had none to give.

"Steady, Tamara," Bobby put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently in an effort to console her.

"You just gonna leave me out here? You just gonna let me die?! I guess that's what you do, dear! Like that night those things came to our house… came for our daughter! You just let her die, too!"

"You son of a bitch!" She screamed in fury.

"Tamara, don't!" I called, but it was too late. She flung the door open, breaking the salt line and leaping at her possessed husband. They tumbled down the stairs, and she finally pinned him at the bottom. I turned and bolted up the stairs after Sam and Dean, knowing there were five others we needed to stop. I turned down a hallway and glanced back to see I was being pursued by a young, blonde woman. I ducked into one of the rooms I'd set a trap in before turning to face her. She regarded me curiously as she walked closer slowly.

"You're lust," I realized, taking in her less than conservative appearance with raised eyebrows. She licked her lips slowly, smiling as she looked me up and down.

"Sweetheart, I'm whatever you want me to be," She crossed her arms over her chest, stopping a few feet away from me. "You know, I don't see what all of the hype was about? I mean sure you're pretty, but queen of the demons?" She laughed, shaking her head. "I could do it so much better," I moved sideways along the wall, hoping she'd follow. Just a little further and she'd be under the devil's trap.

"Yeah?" I urged her to keep talking, and she smirked. She opened her mouth to add to it, but suddenly froze, cocking her head to the side.

"Hear that? Oh wait, I forgot," She tapped her ears tauntingly and pouted. "You can't," She brightened immediately as she went to stand beside the door. "Guess you'll have to find out the normal way," I frowned, taking a step forward when Dean entered the room, shotgun raised.

"Dean, no!" I took two quick steps forward before freezing as she placed a hand on his arm gently. She shifted her weight to her toes to whisper something in his ear before turning her eyes to me, and Dean's gaze followed. There was something different in his green eyes now. A hungry look that I didn't like. I took a small step back as he approached me.

"Dean, whatever she said to you-" I began, but was cut off as he grabbed my face and slammed his lips down on mine. I froze as my body began to respond to the kiss against my will. He gripped my waist possessively, and my back slammed into the wall, making me gasp in surprise. He took advantage of the moment, sliding his tongue inside my mouth. I pushed him back, tilting my head down to break away from the kiss, breathing hard.

"Dean-" I got out the word between breaths.

"I need you," He kissed his way down my jawline hungrily, and I let out an involuntary moan. "You have no idea, Mels. I need you,"

"Dean, stop," But the words were airy as he slid his fingers up my shirt. I fixed my eyes on Lust, who was standing only a few feet away. "De-" I started only to have my breath catch as he moved to my neck. My hands went to Dean's jacket, feeling for the flask I knew he kept there. "Dean, stop," I tried again, my fingers finding the flask and unscrewing it.

"I can't. I want you. I need you," I clenched the flask tightly and swung it as best I could. I heard a hiss of fear and pain that made me smirk in satisfaction. Dean froze, slowly taking a step back in confusion. I slammed my heeled boot into Lust's stomach, making her fall under the devil's trap. She hissed, trying to get to me, only to realize she was trapped. Her anger turned into fear as she screamed and pounded the walls of her invisible cage. I spoke the incantation quickly, and the demon poured out of her with one last yell. The woman fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Mel…" I glanced at Dean, trying not to let on how shaken I was.

"Come on. We should go see how the others are," I ducked out of the room before I could hear his answer.

"He was a good man, Tamara, and he loved you more than anything. Even in the short time I knew him, I could see that," I tried to provide even a little comfort. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and nodded.

"I know," She whispered, giving a small, broken sob. "You know, he always wanted to protect me," I glanced at her before returning my gaze to the flames that were consuming Isaac's corpse. "No matter what happened, he wanted to make sure I was alright," She shook her head, clasping her hands together tightly, one finger running over her wedding ring. "I just… I don't know what I'm going to do now," She sniffled, wiping the tears away from her eyes brusquely. "You should go back to your boys," My lips twitched. Only Max ever called them that. Maybe it was a British thing.

"You're going to be okay, you know. You'll find a way to go on," She nodded bravely, offering me a forced smile as I put a hand on her shoulder before jogging to where Sam and Dean were standing by the mass grave.

"Think she's gonna be all right?" Sam asked solemnly, and I shook my head without thinking about it.

"No," I answered at the same time Dean said, "Definitely not," Bobby strode up to us, stopping beside me.

"Well, you look like hell warmed over," Dean commented, and Bobby sent him a small glare.

"You try exorcising all night and see how you feel," He grumbled, rubbing his bleary eyes.

"Any survivors?" Sam questioned, glancing at the four bodies in the pit that were now covered with salt and gasoline.

"Well, the pretty girl and the heavy guy, they'll make it. Lifetime of therapy bills ahead, but, still…" Bobby informed us.

"Well that's more than you can say for these," I gestured to the people in the pit that Sam's mystery girl had knifed. "Hey, Bobby, that knife that Sam mentioned - what kind of blade can do that?" I asked the question that had been on my mind ever since Sam had told his tale.

"Yesterday, I would have said none," He confessed, shrugging helplessly.

"I'm just gonna ask again - who was that masked chick? Actually, the more troubling question would be, 'how come a girl can fight better than you?'," Sam scoffed his eyes flicking to me.

"You're one to talk. Let's see, how many times has Mel saved your ass?" He pretended to count on his fingers.

"Shut up," Was Dean's reply.

"And there were two demon's at once. Can't forget that," I helped Sam's cause, and he pointed at me gratefully.

"Exactly. Thank you, Mels," He agreed, giving Dean a superior look.

"You are welcome, Sammy," I replied, causing Dean to snicker.

"Don't call me Sammy," I just gave him a look.

"Whatever you say, Sammy," Dean broke in, and we exchanged a smile.

"I hate you both," Sam muttered. It felt good to joke around like we used to. It felt like, for a moment, a weight was lifted off my shoulders. "I have a troubling question for you," Sam spoke up after a moment of silence, making the three of us turn to him expectantly. "If we let out the seven deadly sins, what else did we let out?"

"You're right. That is troubling," Dean agreed, turning his gaze to the dead bodies before lighting them up. My eyes slid past Dean to focus on Tamara, who had just gotten her bag and was heading towards her car.

"See you around," She nodded to us as she passed.

"Tamara," Bobby called to her, making her pause and turn. "The world just got a lot scarier,"

"What he's trying to say is be careful," I spoke for Bobby with a small smile that Tamara returned.

"You too," She threw her bag into the blue pick up before she got in herself and drove off. She had gone with Dean and Bobby earlier to pick up the cars from the bar where we'd left them after our hasty exit. I glanced at Isaac's flaming body again.

"Keep your eyes peeled for omens," I returned my attention to Bobby as he spoke up. "I'll do the same,"

"You got it," Dean agreed as Bobby began walking away.

"Wait, Bobby," Sam called him back, hesitance in his voice. "We can win this war, right?" Bobby stood silently, and I could see the struggle in his eyes and the way he stood.

"I'll catch you on the next one," He spoke finally, turning to walk back to his car, head down. Half of me admired him for being strong enough not to lie to us. The other half desperately wanted him to turn around and say he did believe we could win…. cause someone had to. A moment later Bobby was gone.

"So, where to?" Dean questioned as we started towards the Impala.

"Louisiana," I informed them, remembering my talk with Max.

"Little early for Mardi Gras, isn't it?" Dean commented lightly, and I smiled slightly.

"Look, I was talking to Max earlier and he found a hoodoo priestess outside of Shreveport that he thinks could help you get out of the deal," I explained, surprised when I saw the frown tugging on Dean's lips.

"You told Max about the deal?" I shook my head as we stopped walking.

"I told him I was helping a friend," I studied his face intently, realizing there was something he wasn't telling me. "So, the hoodoo priestess - she helped him and Jo out. He thinks she's the real deal,"

"Not up for it," He shrugged, not meeting my eyes as I stared at him incredulously.

"I'll wait in the car," Sam muttered, making a hasty exit. My eyes followed him to the Impala before turning back to Dean.

"'Not up for it'? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" My frustration seeped into my voice as it rose in anger.

"Mels, listen, no hoodoo spell's gonna break this deal. It's a goose chase," I couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Dean, we don't know that. Even if she can't break the deal, she may be able to buy us some more time," I reasoned logically, but Dean was already shaking his head.

"Forget it. She can't help. We're not going," He glanced at the Impala before looking back at me. "What about Arizona, huh? You always wanted to see the Grand Canyon," He moved closer, placing his hands on my hips as his head dipped closer to mine.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I snapped, pushing him back roughly; my anger finally got the best of me.

"O-kay," He put his hands up, glancing at me in confusion but I could see the fear and worry behind the confusion.

"For the past week, I've been calling every hunter I can think of, researching, reading practically every book on demons - all to try to find a way to keep you alive, and you act like you couldn't care less. Are you really that eager to die?"

"It's not like that," He defended himself ambiguously, and I just raised my eyebrows at his halfhearted defense.

"Then what is it like?" I crossed my arms over my chest as I demanded his answer.

"We trap the crossroads demon, trick it, try to welsh our way out of the deal in any way, you die, okay?" He stated, and I swallowed hard, my anger fading. "Those are the terms. There's no way out of it," I looked away from him, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets as I felt my fingers begin to shake.

"I can't just sit here while your time runs out," I shook my head, my eyes meeting Dean's. "You can't ask me to do that,"

"Didn't you hear me? If you try to find a way out of it, you'll die!" He snapped, and I clenched my teeth as fury took over.

"I don't care!" I yelled back, only just realizing how true the words were.

"I do!" He growled, a look in his eyes that I'd never seen before. "I care. Listen, Melody, I can't loose you twice, okay? I can't. I won't. If you try to find a way out of this deal, so help me God, I'm gonna stop you,"

"How could you do that, Dean?" The anger was gone now; a dull ache filled the hole it had left.

"Cause I couldn't live with you dead. Couldn't do it," Dean said simply with a shrug.

"You should have," Dean's gaze snapped to me at my words, the dull indifference vanished from them. "You should've just left me dead-"

"Don't." He cut me off, his voice growing hoarse. "You don't get to say that. You didn't see…" His eyes grew distant and haunted. "You don't know what it felt like," He cleared his throat roughly before continuing at a faster pace. "Look, that doesn't matter now. I love you, okay? And you're alive. I feel good. I got a year to live, Mels. I'd like to make the most of it. So what do you say we kill some evil sons of bitches and we raise a little hell, huh?" He raised his eyebrows and grinned widely, and I just shook my head.

"You're incredible," I scoffed, and he pressed his lips to mine as hard as he could, making us stagger. He pulled away and headed towards the Impala.

"Very true," He agreed with a smirk. I let out a small laugh, silently swearing to myself to break him out of that deal. I wouldn't mention it to Dean, but that didn't mean I was going to stop trying. Not by a long shot. I would get him out of that deal, even if I had to march into hell myself to do it.