Au Contraire

-5-

Authors Note: This was intended to be the last chapter but I realized there was just still too much that had to be addressed and so as of now there's not exactly a cap on when it'll end…took me awhile because I wanted to change some things after seeing the finale but…damn it, there was a point in there somewhere…sticks tongue out at self silly girl…anyhow, enjoy, and more to come in the hopefully near future. Oh! And even though its probably pretty obvious by this point: flashbacks, italics, yeah?

Three Months Later

When Dean fell asleep--or perhaps, passed out--in his bed was a more accurate description, Sam relaxed slightly.

He'd finally figured it out, how to save Dean. He had to admit that he owed a great majority of this fact to Bela, if it hadn't been for the translations she'd acquired and e-mailed him...he knew he'd still be at square one.

Sam sat back in the chair with a groan, waiting to be sure that Dean was good and asleep before he left. The only problem with this whole waiting thing was that it left him with time and nothing to think about except the decisions he'd made. He knew how to save his brother, that much he was certain about. What he wasn't certain about was how to deal with what had happened between him and Bela.

He got to know the other side of her, and he fell for her. He fell hard, he loved her. And then it got all fucked up when it fell into the crosshairs of Dean's deal.

Did she feel the same way? He had no idea, she helped him though...and he couldn't help but to feel that even though she had started it; he had been terrified when she mentioned the Goetia...keeping the plan secret from Dean was more necessary than anything because if Dean knew...Dean would never let him do it.

Maybe when it was all over he could apologize, maybe he could explain, and maybe she...he didn't know. Maybe she'd love him.

Or maybe not.

Sam glanced from Dean, to the clock, and back to Dean.

Time's up.

Sam turned over in the bed, admittedly realizing that it was actually kind of amazing compared to the places he and his brother spent their time in. But who the hell was he kidding, the company definitely beat the accommodations. He wondered if maybe they were wrong about Bela all along...maybe they could trust her. That maybe his intuition was right, and Dean was wrong, and he could completely justify the fact that he was falling for someone Dean thinks is just about on the same evil as whatever demon holds his contract...god knows, he needs to justify the way he feels somehow.

"Hey." Bela said with a slight smile, slipping on a blue silk robe.

"Make yourself comfortable Sam, I'm going to see about some room service. Something sweet...and some wine, do you have a preference, I was thinking...gruner veltliner?"

"A dry riesling, Austrian. Good spring choice." Sam replied.

"Impressive." Bela was surprised. "You have fantastic taste."

"Shocking, of course." Sam said, with a teasing smile. Sam turned serious as she smiled, finding himself wondering fleetingly how genuine it was, sometimes he just couldn't tell with her. He hated that every word, every movement with her, he didn't know whether to take it at face value or be second guessing it. "We should talk." He said.

"I am." Bela said, " I'm going to go talk to room service."

"Bela." Sam's tone was flat, they had to figure this out. He had to, he couldn't just leave and have this...floating like it was, maybe Dean was right, maybe he thought like a chick but if she felt the same way...it was important to him.

But maybe it was just some kind of desperation for a human connection, his inner Sigmund Freud, taunted him, Dean might die, maybe he was just searching for something to cling to and it was just sex. Desperation to have someone out there in the world aside from his brother.

"Sam, we are having fun. Don't ruin it, okay?" Bela told--asked--him.

She walked away to make the call for room service and Sam found himself alone in the master bedroom.

"Do you have it?" Bela demanded.

The hunter handed her a grimy envelope and she handled it disdainfully, looking inside to check.

"It's there." He told her, "Now, I want the rest of my payment."

It was, not like she'd trust a hunter though. Especially him, he made Gordon Walker look like Mother freakin' Teresa.

Bela picked up her phone dialed a number, talked for a moment to the person of the other end of the line, then she nodded her head, slipped away her phone and replied,

"The other half is being wired into your account," She looked up at him to find a shotgun pointed at her forehead.

"You really think I'm going to let go of that? With war coming like it is?" He kept the gun trained on her.

Bela dropped the envelope at his feet, when he bent down to grab it she pulled her gun out of her bag and shot him in the back of the head. "No."

She picked her envelope off of the ground, "I never really thought anyone was that stupid, but with you it was a toss up."

As Bela looked down at Sam, seeing that serious face, those gorgeous brown eyes looking back at her, questioning, she felt her stomach drop.

This was the beginning of the end.

She might love him, she's not sure but when she woke up curled up against his body, his hand circling her waist, she felt happy, a real sort of happy not the kind of regular animalistic post-sex happy she was so familiar with. She almost didn't recognize it, she hadn't felt that way in years. It was scary, and dangerous, and territory she didn't even want to think about venturing into--never mind actually venture into but...she was letting her guard down. She realized it from the moment she slipped to him her big secret, she was setting herself up for it.

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When he woke up and Sam was gone he didn't really think twice as it was early morning and Sam had offered to make the coffee run that morning as yesterday when Dean did, Sam complained that Dean had ordered his half-caf vanilla mocha something-or-another wrong. So Dean just rolled back over cursing the early morning and the crazy people that got up at such an ungodly hour by choice. Getting up before the sun just didn't hold the same appeal to him that it did to Sam.

When he woke back up again three hours later with the bright sun glaring in his eyes through the open curtains he swore angrily, he'd closed those when he went to bed and he was going to kill Sam. Hangover accompanied by bright sun and lack of coffee did not make him feel nice thoughts toward his brother. His anger quickly dissipated though as it hit him. No coffee. He'd woken up hours ago to the sight of no Sam, making the assumption he'd went for coffee. He heard no water running so Sam couldn't be showering and the room was completely silent. His fear gnawed at his stomach, creating a pit that made him nauseous.

Where was his brother?

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Dean called his brother's phone a few times before he realized it was sitting on the bedside table, silently vibrating with each call. Sam would never leave without his phone. It was the number one rule with the Winchesters. Even if they were angry with one another...they always had their phones. Their line of work was too dangerous not to.

And it wasn't like Sam would just leave like this with no word to him about it. Dean had seven days left...just one lousy week.

"Sam, where the hell are you?" He asked his voice quiet and scared. The last time his brother had gone missing was Cold Oak. Dean refused to let Cold Oak happen all over again. He'd worked too hard, and given up too much for that. They had his soul, fine, whatever, but he wouldn't let them have Sam.

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Dean slammed the door to the motel room angrily. Angry at himself, angry at the owner who hadn't seen a trace of Sam, angry that he had no idea where to find his brother.

Scared.

Dean grabbed his brother's phone, checking the messages for some hint of anything. He half-wished to find some trace that Sam was off on some new venture to try and save him from the pit because that would mean that he could be angry at him, he could be pissed at his little brother screwing things right to hell, and not terrified for his life.

Fourteen messages? What in the hell...

Sam checked his phone so attentively that Dean was sure he had things organized and alphabetized in cute—and annoyingly anal retentive—little folders. Not keeping up with his messages wasn't like Sam.

"This is your wireless provider calling to offer you--"

"No." Dean said, clicking forward, praying for the first time in a long time…he needed something, anything.

"Hey Sam, Becky here--"

Dean as thrown for moment, not having realized that even after all this time, after everything, that Sam was still keeping in touch with the Stanford people. Three years...something about it made him feel slightly better, like when he was gone, he wouldn't be leaving Sam completely alone; like Sam could go back to trying to have that normal life he so desperately wanted.

"God damn it, Sam. I'm going out of my way to try and help you with this fucking thing, really, the least you could do is return my calls. I put my ass on the line getting that damn thing for you."

Click.

Dean knew that tone, he knew that voice.

Bela.

He'd be damned, his brother was working with...friggin' Bela? To get him out of the deal? Dean didn't know, all he knew was at the very least...this was the closest he had to a lead on Sam

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Dean continued to rifle through the messages as he got in the impala, trying to find Bela's current number, as the one she had given him was naturally disconnected. Nothing in the address book, and most of the messages seemed to be along the same line, and Dean became more and more confused as he listened to each one.

"Sam call me."

"I didn't have to care, and you know frankly, I don't know if I give a damn, but I think I can help you with whatever you're screwing around with at the Crossroads."

"Sam, please call me."

The last one was pleading, Dean would almost dare say she sounded worried, but impossible. He didn't even understand how Bela could know any of this, or why she'd help; it sure as hell hadn't been her style with them—unless of course helping them benefited her in some way.

"You're wrong about what you've found in the Goetia--call me."

What the hell? How did she know about that book...that book had never left his car.

Make yourself scarce...he was in that mansion with her for a long time...research...Bela riding his brother at that club and laughing...Bela saving their asses (and other appendages)...Faust...she didn't disappear with the colt when she could have...tell Sam...

"No." He said aloud, to himself. There was no way, no damn way. Even if Sam would sleep with the self serving bitch; he'd never tell her what was going on.

SamandBelaSamandBelaSamandBela

It was her damn fault, whatever was happening, he blamed that bitch for it.

Maybe she loves him?

Maybe he loves her.

No fucking way.

On a whim, Dean grabbed Sam's phone again and pressed the talk button, letting it redial the last number called.

"Its about god damn time Sam." Bela's tone was angry.

Good, Dean thought, he was pissed too.Join the friggin' club.

"What in the hell are you doing with my brother Bela?" Dean asked.

There was silence for a moment. "Dean?"

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"You made a deal with a crossroads demon." Bela reiterated Dean's words slowly, carefully as if she was dissecting them or just biding the time until she came up with a smart ass comment to make him feel even more like an idiot for what he'd done, for coming to her for help.

"Yeah." He said watching her carefully. Bela seemed genuine enough but she'd screwed them over before. "Sam's missing. I woke up this morning and he was gone."

Bela went pale at his words. "I warned him." She said, unable to help the worry; that was bad, it was really, really bad.

"What?" Dean demanded, having way too many questions and not half enough answers to explain any of this. "What did you warn him about?"

"Well, I imagine you know about it much better than I do." Bela said. "Going after the crossroads demon, and her boss...its suicide."

Jesus...Dean swore. I wasn't suicide, it was worse...Sam was still trying to save his life and it was going to get him killed. Well, he had news for Sam...he wasn't going to let him do that. He'd been in this game for twenty-seven years, a lifetime, he couldn't do it alone--he wouldn't.

"Damn it!" Dean swore, why couldn't Sam just listen to him? Why couldn't he just let things be and let him die? "We weren't hunting the friggin' bitch..."

"Oh my god." Bela said as it all clicked in her mind. "I never actually thought...the rumors are true. You made a deal with her. You sold your soul."

Dean didn't deny it. He had less than two days left, he accepted his fate.

"You idiot." She breathed softly, unbelievable. "What? What did you get? Revenge on the demon? The Colt?"

"Listen," Dean told her, he didn't want anything from her aside from her explanation of just what it was she was doing with Sam. All he'd wanted was to find out what all the calls meant, because right now they were his only lead to finding Sam. "I didn't come here to get bitched out by someone who obviously isn't even capable of having some sort of real emotional connection with anyone...I'm sure you can't understand it but...Sam is my brother, the only family I have left and I will do anything to protect him."

"You'd be surprised by just how much I could actually understand." Bela said softly, standing up and walking away from Dean, lingering in front of the fireplace.

...they turned her into a vampire. When I found out I hunted her, and I killed her. I chopped my sister's head off...

Right, of course, Dean thought, getting up. He should have known better than to really, truly, expect any kind of substantial help from Bela.

"Wait." Bela said, stopping him from leaving.

Bela lingered in front of the fireplace, as if she couldn't decide what her next course of action would be, so Dean turned to look at her. As much as he hated to admit it, she really was his only lead in finding Sam right now.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Why?" She asked him, "Why'd you do it?"

She'd bet millions that she'd been wrong, and all those psychos touting their rumors about the Winchesters were right.

"Hunters are nothing more than revenge craved lunatics." She said quietly, repeating her earlier sentiments.

Dean looked at her, really looked at her…his people skills may need work, but if there was one thing he was familiar with it was saying something and trying to make yourself believe it.

"I'm surprised." She said lightly."All this 'family is everything' and you'd leave your brother alone just for revenge. Nothing is worth giving up your soul—that's a whole different kind of hell that I don't even want to imagine. Nothing is worth that."

Dean shrugged, looking away from her. "You'd be surprised." He replied, echoing her earlier statement, but she was right in a way, he was leaving Sam alone. He'd give anything for it not to have played out this way but he couldn't be the one to do it alone. It was selfish and unfair but he couldn't.

"Well, its interesting. All those cryptic questions from your brother...actually completely makes sense. He was trying to break you from your deal. And here I thought he was playing roulette with demons. It was revenge wasn't it?"

"Bela!" Dean was getting worried it had been hours now. "Please. You owe us. In case you forgot, we saved your life."

"And I compensated you for it, and just so happened to save your sorry ass and a few other appendages." Bela finished. "Sorry, but I happen to enjoy staying alive. I told you...hunters are nothing more than revenge craved lunatics. Clearly you're no different."

Bela turned back to the mantle, glancing at her reflection in a mirror that cost her over a million dollars and made her miserable. Every time she looked at it, she was reminded that she hated the person who looked back at her.

"Even Sam?" Dean tried, trying to ignore what an idiot he had to have been to miss it. He could tell though, even though she put on her best bitch face, she cared about his brother.

Bela stopped in her tracks, not turning back to look at him. "Of course. Hunters are all the same..." except Sam wasn't. "I don't even care Dean, you two want to play with demons...knock yourselves out. Revenge isn't what its cracked up to be though."

"It wasn't about revenge." Dean finally said as she started to walk away.

She stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. "What then? What is worth eternity in hell to Dean Winchester?"

"Does it matter?"

"Listen Dean, I have a deal that needs closing." What those boys did was none of her business anymore, right? Sam had made that much clear. If he didn't want her help when she'd offered it...and yet, she couldn't help but to be worried about him.

Sure she could, just don't care. It used to be easy, and then Sam Winchester had fucked everything she knew and felt and thought right to hell. Well, fuck him.

Except it wasn't that easy, was it?

Dean might not believe it, she wasn't even sure if Sam did entirely, but she cared about him, she cared about him more than she wished she did--she loved him. The question was, did she care enough to put her heart, and maybe even her life, back on the line?

"Look, I know you and I don't get along and you don't even care if I live or die, but you do care about Sam...or at least you did. If you don't help me, I don't know if I can save him, and I can't watch my brother die again." Once the words left his mouth, he'd realized what he'd said. He was sure it would only take a moment for her to piece together what his admission meant.

Bela turned back to look at him as the admission clicked, the rumors were true. "Fuck." She breathed so quietly, she barely heard herself.

"You idiot." She murmured, unable to believe the ridiculous rumors were true. "Morons both of you. You sold your soul for you brothers life."

"Hey! You know what, I don't need the judgment of some unfeeling bitch, okay? I did what I had to do."

"You did what you wanted to do." Bela said ignoring the insult.

"You told Sam you knew things about this deal thing. What were you going to tell him?"

"He was wrong about what he found in the book—well not wrong entirely, just...incomplete."

"What the hell does that mean?"

Bela turned back to her mantelpiece, and removed an amulet from a small box, dropping it into Dean's hand.

"I called him, tried to tell him...he was missing this."