Die Another Day, (rough draft of) Supernatural FanFic
So I'm doing something a little different. I started this fic way back in December, right around the time 3x08: A Very Supernatural Christmas aired. I haven't touched it much...but tonight I finished the first major part (the next part is more like a sequel...really...and while I've started it...it's far from finished). So anyway...I'm posting this now only because the actual end of the third season is rapidly approaching (*sadness*) and if I don't post this now (as it's my little vision of how Dean's deal is managed) I'll never have the guts to post it later. And I like it too much to have it shoved to the bottom of a stack of other stories I've never shared.
Thing is, this is a rough draft. Eventually I'll smooth it out a bit...probably expand a little. I'm definitely not posting it on FanFiction.Net yet. Any and all comments are welcome...rough drafts are meant to be criticized.
Master Fic List
Title: Die Another Day
Rating: T (for a Teensy bit of language)
Characters: Dean and Bobby (brief appearance by Ruby)
Word Count: approx. 2800 (WIP)
Summary: Dean's time is up and Sam's nowhere to be found.
Disclaimer: None of this is owned by me. I even have to have adverts on my LJ.
Author's Note: This is a work in progress. And it's also not quite a death fic. Or at all really...
Chapter 1
"I don't know where he is Bobby," Dean whispered into his glass. "And tomorrow..." The older hunter looked at the younger as his voice cracked. Bobby reached out and squeezed Dean's shoulder.
"I won't give up on him son," Bobby promised. Dean looked at his old friend, eyes brimming with tears of gratitude.
"I just wanted..." Dean swallowed and looked away.
"You'll see your brother again someday," Bobby tried to soothe. Dean shook his head.
"Don't say that. If that's true, it'll mean he ends up in Hell, and I can't...that can't happen tot him."
Bobby removed his hand and both men stared off in silence.
------
Neither man slept that night and Dean spent the morning wandering around the salvage yard. He found Bobby in the kitchen sometime after noon.
"I...uh...think I should go out on my own this evening," Dean said awkwardly. "I'm gonna leave the Impala with you, just in case Sam..." Dean swallowed. "I wrote a note for him too." Bobby grit his teeth together and nodded as he looked away.
"I got a couple steaks out if you wanna fire up the grill," he grunted.
The two men ate a late lunch in silence. Dean had never seen the older hunter cook so much for one meal and he knew it was the older man's way of trying to make his last meal special.
The sun was getting low in the sky when Dean stood with a deep breath. He took off his amulet necklace and handed it to Bobby as the older hunter stood with him. "Give it to Sammy if...when you find him." Bobby nodded, trying not to think too much about the first time he'd given it to the youngest Winchester.
"I think I'll go to the field where we..." Dean couldn't say it.
"I'll take care of things," Bobby promised. The men stood in silence for several long minutes.
"You and your brother," Bobby began quietly. "You're the closest thing I've had to family in a long time." Dean nodded without looking at the man.
"You taught me as much as my old man. Maybe more." Dean sniffed. "Take care of yourself Bobby. And look out for Sammy."
Dean clapped a hand awkwardly on the older man's shoulder, but Bobby surprised him by pulling him into a tight hug. Dean stepped back after a long moment and the two avoided eye contact. Without another word, Dean turned, shoved shaking hands into his jean pockets and set off across the darkening salvage yard.
It'd been two years since Dean had been in this particular field. Once his father's funeral pyre had turned to smoldering ashes, Dean had turned his back on the formerly peaceful place. He had no clue why he sought it out in his final hours, but he had a feeling there was some part of his subconscious that thought it might bring comfort to be closer to his father's final resting place.
Dean chose a spot near the center of the clearing and sat slowly, crossing his legs in front of him. He hadn't pictured his last day ending like this. Sure, maybe the awkward farewell with Bobby. But where the hell was his little brother?
For the last year Sam had been determined to save him, going so far as to summon and kill the Crossroads Demon, even. He'd known the risk to his own life, yet he'd kept on trying, fighting Dean on the issue several times. The last few weeks, though, a quiet sort of resolve had taken over his demeanor. A part of Dean had hoped it meant Sam had finally come to terms with losing his brother. Another part had a gut feeling something was going wrong.
So when Sam had disappeared in the night six days before Dean's Doomsday, Dean hadn't known whether to be relieved or terrified. The youngest Winchester had always sucked at goodbyes and had often opted to leave their temporary homes behind without a word to any friends he may have made. He hadn't even said a word to Dean the day he'd left for Stanford, slipping out the back door as Dean had come in the front.
It wasn't unreasonable for the younger brother to have left to avoid saying the worst goodbye of his life. And Dean honestly wasn't sure what he would have said if Sam had been around.
But Sam had sworn to see it through to the end with Dean, despite the older man's protests. Sam had never been easily shaken off when he was determined and Dean knew something bad had to have happened to take Sam away from him in his last week.
So for the past six days, he and Bobby had searched, somewhat frantically, for the younger Winchester brother. There'd been no trail whatsoever and the two had retreated back to Bobby's place, trying to obtain some fragment of peace for Dean's last day.
Dean wouldn't deny he was scared. He was fucking terrified; he knew too much of Hell not to be. But a larger part of him was most fearful for his brother. Not only where the hell he was, but how he'd fare on his own. The kid had done all right for himself at Stanford, but the world was a different place than it had been then, and Sam had made it clear he had no intention of returning to a quiet life of college geekdom.
Dean glanced at his watch and knew it was getting close. He wasn't sure of the exact minute of his bargain, but he knew the general timeframe.
He was sick of running; tired of fighting, and without his brother to have his back, he was ready to lie down and die.
And so he did.
Reclining back in the cool grass, Dean stared numbly at the stars above him, willing the hounds to take him before his resolve cracked and revealed him as the trembling coward he was.
There was a rustling in the trees, too loud for a breeze. Dean took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
++++++
Chapter 2
His face was burning; but he had been expecting Hell, right? So he supposed he couldn't really complain if his face was just unpleasantly hot. It was sure to be the least of his worries soon.
Then a bird chirped. Not a scream of anguish, or the cry of a bird reveling in the scent of carrion. A freakin' songbird, greeting a new day.
Dean's eyes flew open to a blue sky. The sun was at an angle above him heating his face, not as harshly as he'd first felt.
"What the..." he muttered to himself. If he'd somehow died and gone to Heaven, there'd be a naked chick with beer three feet in front of him. He sat up suddenly, ignoring the rush of blood to his head.
"Holy mother...!" he heard exclaimed behind him. It was very clearly not the voice of any chick, naked or not, and Dean turned sharply. His eyes settled on a ghostly pale Bobby. The older man was staring at him in what could only be shock.
Dean looked down at himself quickly, searching for wounds or missing limbs. Finding himself intact, he sprang to his feet and rushed closer to the treeline where Bobby stood.
"What the hell Bobby!?" he demanded in a hoarse voice, grabbing onto the man's arms. Bobby shook his head, speechless as he weakly grasped for Dean's elbows.
"Boy is this really you?" he finally asked. Dean looked down and noticed the supplies at Bobby's feet. The younger man's knees felt weak and the older man followed him to sit heavily in the grass.
"What...?" Dean started to ask, feeling shakier than he had in just over a year. Bobby shook his head, moth gaping slightly.
"I don't have a fuckin' clue," he said gruffly. "You were lyin' still as a corpse..." His voice cracked and Dean met his eyes, noticing for the first time how red-rimmed they were. The salt and gasoline nearby told Dean what he'd come to do; what he'd asked him to do.
"I don't understand," Dean whispered, closing his eye sand shaking his head. Bobby squeezed his arms gently to let him know he was right there with him.
"What happened, Dean?" the older hunter queried softly. Dean opened his eyes and looked at him.
"I don't...nothing," he told him. I thought I heard something in the trees and I laid down and closed my eyes..."
"You fell asleep!?" Bobby asked, sounding torn between incredulity and amusement.
Dean frowned as he considered the question. "Yes?" he said, sounding doubtful even to his own ears.
The two men were silent for a long moment. "Maybe you had the date wrong," Bobby suggested slowly.
"It was a leap year..." The two men glanced at each other, both knowing that would have killed him a day sooner rather than later.
Bobby stood and moved to where Dean had slept. The younger man watched him move through the grass, examining the ground closely. Dean spent the time trying to slow the pounding of his heart. He was supposed to be dead, wasn't he?
"You look like yer gonna pass out," Bobby's voice was gentle as Dean realized he was kneeling next to him again. Dean laughed darkly and drew his knees up toward his chest.
"I'm not ruling it out," he muttered, taking a shaky breath. Bobby's hand was steady as it settled on Dean's shoulder.
"C'mon," he said softly after a moment. "Let's go back to the house and figure this out." Dean nodded numbly and let Bobby pull him to his feet.
Dean wasn't surprised when Bobby made him try a belt holy water. Or when the old man muttered an exorcism ritual under his breath in passing. In truth, it made Dean glad someone else was there to keep him from having to come up with what to do first.
After a silent lunch, the older man disappeared behind a desk full of books, trying to figure out what the hell had happened. Dean sat numbly in a kitchen chair, far from breathing a sigh of relief. His bill could still come due, and his not-so-little-but-still-younger brother was still missing.
The day passed slowly without a word between the men. Bobby fixed a small evening meal and stayed in the kitchen with Dean after they'd finished eating.
"Should I go back to the field?" Dean asked quietly. He looked up to find Bobby watching him closely. After a moment, the older hunter shook his head.
"Keep an old man company," he requested. "It's been awhile sine I seen a Hellhound anyhow." Dean raised an eyebrow, but Bobby didn't elaborate, and the two fell back into silence.
------
It was a long night.
Neither man even felt like dozing and they spent the long hours sitting across from each other at Bobby's kitchen table, staring off in different directions. They didn't have to speak to know they were thinking the same thing: the hounds could still be coming for Dean.
When dawn finally came, Dean was the first to move, seeking refuge in a warm shower. Bobby had breakfast waiting when he came out.
"Do you think...?" whispered Dean. Bobby shook his head as he poured the coffee.
"I don't know," he said simply.
Bobby disappeared in his bedroom after breakfast and Dean moved to the living room. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Sam's number, mostly on reflex. He flinched when a recorded voice came over the line, informing him coldly the number was no longer in service.
With a curse, the phone ended up in pieces across the room.
-------
Dean failed to die the rest of the week.
He barely spoke, only enough to help Bobby research. There was still a younger Winchester to find, in addition to a reason for Dean's continued existence. It was unspoken that it was highly possible the two were connected.
On the eighth night past his expiration date., Dean found himself working his way through a twelve pack in Bobby's kitchen. The older man wondered where the beer had come from, but he didn't ask as he took one and sat down with him.
"Sam's behind this," Dean croaked from his beer bottle. Bobby looked at him quickly.
"We don't know..." he tried to argue. Dean turned angry eyes his way to shut him up.
"I'm here. Sam's gone." He laughed bitterly. "Just like Dad, ain't it?"
Bobby shook his head sadly. "You found yer Daddy..."
"You don't think Sammy wouldn't have gone off somewhere just so I wouldn't have to find him?" Dean rebutted. Bobby stayed silent and looked away. He had thought as much the moment he'd gone for Dean's body, and found him still alive.
The men jumped as someone pounded on Bobby's backdoor. They shared a glance before Bobby stood, grabbing the shotgun on the counter as he moved cautiously for the door. Dean watched as a frown deepened on the older man's face with a glance out the window.
"Bout time, old man," a familiar voice griped as Bobby opened the door. Dean stood in anger as the blonde came in the room.
"You bitch!" he spat. His speed surprised the older man as he suddenly saw Dean in Ruby's face, both of them looking murderous. This wouldn't end pretty. "Where the hell is my brother!?"
Ruby pushed Dean away from her; harshly, but not as hard as she was capable of. "If you'd give a girl a second," she hissed. She tossed her bangs out of her eyes defiantly.
"How'd you get past the wards?" Bobby asked out of curiosity. After Demon Meg's last visit, Bobby had finally put up extra protections on his property. Ruby's attention snapped to him and he nearly took a step back at the malice in her dark eyes.
"You already knew they weren't impenetrable," she snapped. "Any decent demon could get through them." Her focus moved back to Dean. "I'm here about your idiot brother."
"Where is he?" Dean's voice was quiet, but his tone was threatening and Bobby found himself glad he wasn't between the other hunter and the demon girl.
"Not here," Ruby said. "He cut a deal." Dean paled and his anger was suddenly replaced with fear.
"He what...?" Ruby rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry too much: he's worth more to them alive."
"Who?" Bobby asked. Ruby glanced at him.
"Not allowed to say. Part of the deal: you can't know who has him."
"Lilith?" Dean asked shakily. Whether his voice shook from fear or anger was uncertain.
"Not allowed to say," Ruby repeated impatiently.
"Then why are you here, Ruby?" Bobby asked, just as impatiently. He didn't care how old the demon was, the body it was using was young enough to get on his nerves. She sighed and Bobby thought she almost seemed regretful.
"They want Dean to have a message..."
"What message?" Dean demanded quickly.
"Quit looking for your brother," Ruby told him. "If you don't interfere, they might keep you updated. Maybe someday they'll even get bored with him and let him go."
"He's in Hell?" Dean asked in a quavering voice.
"Something like that," Ruby replied cryptically. "You can't look for him, Dean." Bobby was surprised to find her tone was actually gentle. "He entered the contract willingly. You've nothing left to offer in exchange." When Dean opened his mouth to protest, Ruby smiled sadly.
"I tried to talk him out of it," she said softly. "No go."
"So I'm just supposed to let him go?" Ruby nodded.
"They'll let me pass along updates, but only if you stop looking."
"Updates? What is he? Some fucking news story!?" Dean spat.
"In some parts of the Underworld, yeah." Ruby looked to Bobby. "He's going into a bit of a shock. remind him later?" Bobby nodded absently, feeling a bit in shock himself.
"I'll be in touch," the demon said, and suddenly she was gone, the back door clicking shut behind her.
"Dean?" Bobby questioned after a long moment of heavy silence. The younger hunter looked at him slowly and Bobby found himself staring into green eyes nearly as cold as Ruby's black.
"Let it go, Bobby," Dean grunted. He turned and left the room and Bobby was too stunned to react as the front door slammed and the Impala roared to life outside.
The Winchester Family, his own family in many ways, had crumbled and Bobby wondered if Dean's bill hadn't come due after all.
/end
Final Author's Note: So there's the end of the first part of this little imagination of mine. The second part addresses what's happened to Sam, but I haven't fully decided how I want to tell that part of the story.
Like I said before, any and all comments are welcome. Even if it's to say "Good god woman, delete this trash immediately!"
Thing is, this is a rough draft. Eventually I'll smooth it out a bit...probably expand a little. I'm definitely not posting it on FanFiction.Net yet. Any and all comments are welcome...rough drafts are meant to be criticized.
Master Fic List
Title: Die Another Day
Rating: T (for a Teensy bit of language)
Characters: Dean and Bobby (brief appearance by Ruby)
Word Count: approx. 2800 (WIP)
Summary: Dean's time is up and Sam's nowhere to be found.
Disclaimer: None of this is owned by me. I even have to have adverts on my LJ.
Author's Note: This is a work in progress. And it's also not quite a death fic. Or at all really...
Chapter 1
"I don't know where he is Bobby," Dean whispered into his glass. "And tomorrow..." The older hunter looked at the younger as his voice cracked. Bobby reached out and squeezed Dean's shoulder.
"I won't give up on him son," Bobby promised. Dean looked at his old friend, eyes brimming with tears of gratitude.
"I just wanted..." Dean swallowed and looked away.
"You'll see your brother again someday," Bobby tried to soothe. Dean shook his head.
"Don't say that. If that's true, it'll mean he ends up in Hell, and I can't...that can't happen tot him."
Bobby removed his hand and both men stared off in silence.
------
Neither man slept that night and Dean spent the morning wandering around the salvage yard. He found Bobby in the kitchen sometime after noon.
"I...uh...think I should go out on my own this evening," Dean said awkwardly. "I'm gonna leave the Impala with you, just in case Sam..." Dean swallowed. "I wrote a note for him too." Bobby grit his teeth together and nodded as he looked away.
"I got a couple steaks out if you wanna fire up the grill," he grunted.
The two men ate a late lunch in silence. Dean had never seen the older hunter cook so much for one meal and he knew it was the older man's way of trying to make his last meal special.
The sun was getting low in the sky when Dean stood with a deep breath. He took off his amulet necklace and handed it to Bobby as the older hunter stood with him. "Give it to Sammy if...when you find him." Bobby nodded, trying not to think too much about the first time he'd given it to the youngest Winchester.
"I think I'll go to the field where we..." Dean couldn't say it.
"I'll take care of things," Bobby promised. The men stood in silence for several long minutes.
"You and your brother," Bobby began quietly. "You're the closest thing I've had to family in a long time." Dean nodded without looking at the man.
"You taught me as much as my old man. Maybe more." Dean sniffed. "Take care of yourself Bobby. And look out for Sammy."
Dean clapped a hand awkwardly on the older man's shoulder, but Bobby surprised him by pulling him into a tight hug. Dean stepped back after a long moment and the two avoided eye contact. Without another word, Dean turned, shoved shaking hands into his jean pockets and set off across the darkening salvage yard.
It'd been two years since Dean had been in this particular field. Once his father's funeral pyre had turned to smoldering ashes, Dean had turned his back on the formerly peaceful place. He had no clue why he sought it out in his final hours, but he had a feeling there was some part of his subconscious that thought it might bring comfort to be closer to his father's final resting place.
Dean chose a spot near the center of the clearing and sat slowly, crossing his legs in front of him. He hadn't pictured his last day ending like this. Sure, maybe the awkward farewell with Bobby. But where the hell was his little brother?
For the last year Sam had been determined to save him, going so far as to summon and kill the Crossroads Demon, even. He'd known the risk to his own life, yet he'd kept on trying, fighting Dean on the issue several times. The last few weeks, though, a quiet sort of resolve had taken over his demeanor. A part of Dean had hoped it meant Sam had finally come to terms with losing his brother. Another part had a gut feeling something was going wrong.
So when Sam had disappeared in the night six days before Dean's Doomsday, Dean hadn't known whether to be relieved or terrified. The youngest Winchester had always sucked at goodbyes and had often opted to leave their temporary homes behind without a word to any friends he may have made. He hadn't even said a word to Dean the day he'd left for Stanford, slipping out the back door as Dean had come in the front.
It wasn't unreasonable for the younger brother to have left to avoid saying the worst goodbye of his life. And Dean honestly wasn't sure what he would have said if Sam had been around.
But Sam had sworn to see it through to the end with Dean, despite the older man's protests. Sam had never been easily shaken off when he was determined and Dean knew something bad had to have happened to take Sam away from him in his last week.
So for the past six days, he and Bobby had searched, somewhat frantically, for the younger Winchester brother. There'd been no trail whatsoever and the two had retreated back to Bobby's place, trying to obtain some fragment of peace for Dean's last day.
Dean wouldn't deny he was scared. He was fucking terrified; he knew too much of Hell not to be. But a larger part of him was most fearful for his brother. Not only where the hell he was, but how he'd fare on his own. The kid had done all right for himself at Stanford, but the world was a different place than it had been then, and Sam had made it clear he had no intention of returning to a quiet life of college geekdom.
Dean glanced at his watch and knew it was getting close. He wasn't sure of the exact minute of his bargain, but he knew the general timeframe.
He was sick of running; tired of fighting, and without his brother to have his back, he was ready to lie down and die.
And so he did.
Reclining back in the cool grass, Dean stared numbly at the stars above him, willing the hounds to take him before his resolve cracked and revealed him as the trembling coward he was.
There was a rustling in the trees, too loud for a breeze. Dean took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
++++++
Chapter 2
His face was burning; but he had been expecting Hell, right? So he supposed he couldn't really complain if his face was just unpleasantly hot. It was sure to be the least of his worries soon.
Then a bird chirped. Not a scream of anguish, or the cry of a bird reveling in the scent of carrion. A freakin' songbird, greeting a new day.
Dean's eyes flew open to a blue sky. The sun was at an angle above him heating his face, not as harshly as he'd first felt.
"What the..." he muttered to himself. If he'd somehow died and gone to Heaven, there'd be a naked chick with beer three feet in front of him. He sat up suddenly, ignoring the rush of blood to his head.
"Holy mother...!" he heard exclaimed behind him. It was very clearly not the voice of any chick, naked or not, and Dean turned sharply. His eyes settled on a ghostly pale Bobby. The older man was staring at him in what could only be shock.
Dean looked down at himself quickly, searching for wounds or missing limbs. Finding himself intact, he sprang to his feet and rushed closer to the treeline where Bobby stood.
"What the hell Bobby!?" he demanded in a hoarse voice, grabbing onto the man's arms. Bobby shook his head, speechless as he weakly grasped for Dean's elbows.
"Boy is this really you?" he finally asked. Dean looked down and noticed the supplies at Bobby's feet. The younger man's knees felt weak and the older man followed him to sit heavily in the grass.
"What...?" Dean started to ask, feeling shakier than he had in just over a year. Bobby shook his head, moth gaping slightly.
"I don't have a fuckin' clue," he said gruffly. "You were lyin' still as a corpse..." His voice cracked and Dean met his eyes, noticing for the first time how red-rimmed they were. The salt and gasoline nearby told Dean what he'd come to do; what he'd asked him to do.
"I don't understand," Dean whispered, closing his eye sand shaking his head. Bobby squeezed his arms gently to let him know he was right there with him.
"What happened, Dean?" the older hunter queried softly. Dean opened his eyes and looked at him.
"I don't...nothing," he told him. I thought I heard something in the trees and I laid down and closed my eyes..."
"You fell asleep!?" Bobby asked, sounding torn between incredulity and amusement.
Dean frowned as he considered the question. "Yes?" he said, sounding doubtful even to his own ears.
The two men were silent for a long moment. "Maybe you had the date wrong," Bobby suggested slowly.
"It was a leap year..." The two men glanced at each other, both knowing that would have killed him a day sooner rather than later.
Bobby stood and moved to where Dean had slept. The younger man watched him move through the grass, examining the ground closely. Dean spent the time trying to slow the pounding of his heart. He was supposed to be dead, wasn't he?
"You look like yer gonna pass out," Bobby's voice was gentle as Dean realized he was kneeling next to him again. Dean laughed darkly and drew his knees up toward his chest.
"I'm not ruling it out," he muttered, taking a shaky breath. Bobby's hand was steady as it settled on Dean's shoulder.
"C'mon," he said softly after a moment. "Let's go back to the house and figure this out." Dean nodded numbly and let Bobby pull him to his feet.
Dean wasn't surprised when Bobby made him try a belt holy water. Or when the old man muttered an exorcism ritual under his breath in passing. In truth, it made Dean glad someone else was there to keep him from having to come up with what to do first.
After a silent lunch, the older man disappeared behind a desk full of books, trying to figure out what the hell had happened. Dean sat numbly in a kitchen chair, far from breathing a sigh of relief. His bill could still come due, and his not-so-little-but-still-younger brother was still missing.
The day passed slowly without a word between the men. Bobby fixed a small evening meal and stayed in the kitchen with Dean after they'd finished eating.
"Should I go back to the field?" Dean asked quietly. He looked up to find Bobby watching him closely. After a moment, the older hunter shook his head.
"Keep an old man company," he requested. "It's been awhile sine I seen a Hellhound anyhow." Dean raised an eyebrow, but Bobby didn't elaborate, and the two fell back into silence.
------
It was a long night.
Neither man even felt like dozing and they spent the long hours sitting across from each other at Bobby's kitchen table, staring off in different directions. They didn't have to speak to know they were thinking the same thing: the hounds could still be coming for Dean.
When dawn finally came, Dean was the first to move, seeking refuge in a warm shower. Bobby had breakfast waiting when he came out.
"Do you think...?" whispered Dean. Bobby shook his head as he poured the coffee.
"I don't know," he said simply.
Bobby disappeared in his bedroom after breakfast and Dean moved to the living room. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Sam's number, mostly on reflex. He flinched when a recorded voice came over the line, informing him coldly the number was no longer in service.
With a curse, the phone ended up in pieces across the room.
-------
Dean failed to die the rest of the week.
He barely spoke, only enough to help Bobby research. There was still a younger Winchester to find, in addition to a reason for Dean's continued existence. It was unspoken that it was highly possible the two were connected.
On the eighth night past his expiration date., Dean found himself working his way through a twelve pack in Bobby's kitchen. The older man wondered where the beer had come from, but he didn't ask as he took one and sat down with him.
"Sam's behind this," Dean croaked from his beer bottle. Bobby looked at him quickly.
"We don't know..." he tried to argue. Dean turned angry eyes his way to shut him up.
"I'm here. Sam's gone." He laughed bitterly. "Just like Dad, ain't it?"
Bobby shook his head sadly. "You found yer Daddy..."
"You don't think Sammy wouldn't have gone off somewhere just so I wouldn't have to find him?" Dean rebutted. Bobby stayed silent and looked away. He had thought as much the moment he'd gone for Dean's body, and found him still alive.
The men jumped as someone pounded on Bobby's backdoor. They shared a glance before Bobby stood, grabbing the shotgun on the counter as he moved cautiously for the door. Dean watched as a frown deepened on the older man's face with a glance out the window.
"Bout time, old man," a familiar voice griped as Bobby opened the door. Dean stood in anger as the blonde came in the room.
"You bitch!" he spat. His speed surprised the older man as he suddenly saw Dean in Ruby's face, both of them looking murderous. This wouldn't end pretty. "Where the hell is my brother!?"
Ruby pushed Dean away from her; harshly, but not as hard as she was capable of. "If you'd give a girl a second," she hissed. She tossed her bangs out of her eyes defiantly.
"How'd you get past the wards?" Bobby asked out of curiosity. After Demon Meg's last visit, Bobby had finally put up extra protections on his property. Ruby's attention snapped to him and he nearly took a step back at the malice in her dark eyes.
"You already knew they weren't impenetrable," she snapped. "Any decent demon could get through them." Her focus moved back to Dean. "I'm here about your idiot brother."
"Where is he?" Dean's voice was quiet, but his tone was threatening and Bobby found himself glad he wasn't between the other hunter and the demon girl.
"Not here," Ruby said. "He cut a deal." Dean paled and his anger was suddenly replaced with fear.
"He what...?" Ruby rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry too much: he's worth more to them alive."
"Who?" Bobby asked. Ruby glanced at him.
"Not allowed to say. Part of the deal: you can't know who has him."
"Lilith?" Dean asked shakily. Whether his voice shook from fear or anger was uncertain.
"Not allowed to say," Ruby repeated impatiently.
"Then why are you here, Ruby?" Bobby asked, just as impatiently. He didn't care how old the demon was, the body it was using was young enough to get on his nerves. She sighed and Bobby thought she almost seemed regretful.
"They want Dean to have a message..."
"What message?" Dean demanded quickly.
"Quit looking for your brother," Ruby told him. "If you don't interfere, they might keep you updated. Maybe someday they'll even get bored with him and let him go."
"He's in Hell?" Dean asked in a quavering voice.
"Something like that," Ruby replied cryptically. "You can't look for him, Dean." Bobby was surprised to find her tone was actually gentle. "He entered the contract willingly. You've nothing left to offer in exchange." When Dean opened his mouth to protest, Ruby smiled sadly.
"I tried to talk him out of it," she said softly. "No go."
"So I'm just supposed to let him go?" Ruby nodded.
"They'll let me pass along updates, but only if you stop looking."
"Updates? What is he? Some fucking news story!?" Dean spat.
"In some parts of the Underworld, yeah." Ruby looked to Bobby. "He's going into a bit of a shock. remind him later?" Bobby nodded absently, feeling a bit in shock himself.
"I'll be in touch," the demon said, and suddenly she was gone, the back door clicking shut behind her.
"Dean?" Bobby questioned after a long moment of heavy silence. The younger hunter looked at him slowly and Bobby found himself staring into green eyes nearly as cold as Ruby's black.
"Let it go, Bobby," Dean grunted. He turned and left the room and Bobby was too stunned to react as the front door slammed and the Impala roared to life outside.
The Winchester Family, his own family in many ways, had crumbled and Bobby wondered if Dean's bill hadn't come due after all.
/end
Final Author's Note: So there's the end of the first part of this little imagination of mine. The second part addresses what's happened to Sam, but I haven't fully decided how I want to tell that part of the story.
Like I said before, any and all comments are welcome. Even if it's to say "Good god woman, delete this trash immediately!"