Song Remains the Same

Chapter 132: Great Expectations

"When nightmares come, keep you awake.
Well close your eyes, I'll take the weight."
- Foy Vance

Alex breathed out softly, her exhale being the only sound in the world for that brief moment. Her head hurt, her stomach hurt. Her body felt strange to her in that moment.

She was incredibly tired.

From being dragged back to Earth from Hell just days ago.

From not sleeping thanks to the nightmares of darkness, fire, and eternal damnation.

From everything surrounding their efforts to complete the trials from the demon tablet.

From the current fiasco of Cas's work to close Heaven with Metatron's help.

From Crowley's latest round of bullshit.

She breathed in again, steadying herself.

"Al."

Her eyes came open at the sound of Dean's quiet prompting voice, and she was transported from her thoughts to reality.

They stood in a hotel room: Alex, Dean, Sam, and Castiel. Sitting on the hotel bed, Sarah Blake, who had only known Alex as a mute little sister to the Winchester brothers: Dean, who had been much younger and more free-spirited back in the day when they had saved Sarah from a cursed painting. Sam, who had apparently been Sarah's type.

"You good?" Dean asked his sister lowly so as to not disturb the conversation Sam and Sarah were currently having. She nodded, and refocused. "Here," he said, giving her exactly a half second to catch what he was already throwing.

As Dean tossed his sister a shotgun and she double checked it, Sam continued to address Sarah intensely. "Okay so look, we're gonna put devil's traps everywhere—the windows, the door. We've got holy water, an exorcism ready to play on a loop, a freaking angel ready to go... and anything that comes through that door—it's meat." Despite being incredibly ill from the trials, Sam was resolute and sensitive to Sarah's fear.

This was not what Alex had expected in terms of things that were likely to happen. Life was currently a disaster (as usual)—but now Crowley was gunning for people they had saved in the past. What was his angle? It would become apparent soon enough, she figured.

Sam was still talking as Alex picked up a red spray paint can and shook it sharply, the ball-bearing rattling inside the canister noisily. "Look, I know this is insane, but you know us—insane is kind of what we do. We'll keep you safe."

Sssssss. The can hissed and a large demon ward began to take shape in bright cherry red. A symbol Alex had drawn more times than she could count.

"Okay," Sarah finally said softly.

Sam was obviously surprised. "Okay? That's it?"

"I mean... you've done it before, right?" she asked, then sighed hard. "I could really use a drink though."

Always the man with the alcohol, Dean came through with a can of beer. "Catch."

"Thanks, Dean."

Alex coughed a little against the strong smell of paint, taking a break to shake the can another time. Nearby, Cas was watching her with a worried look. "The fumes are very bad for you," Castiel insisted. "Is there something else you could do?"

Alex looked at him skeptically. "Yeah, lemme go whip up a batch of grandma's brownies."

Dean was bordering on disapproval, and also grabbing a can of spray paint. "Since when are you such a buzzkill, man? Let her do her thing."