Heaven's Child ≫ SPN

23. The Forsaken

They were all sitting across the table from me, watching me scarf down a meal fit to feed seven. No one said anything, and I didn't even look up from my plates, plural, ever since I started eating.

"Eliza," Dean cleared his throat. "You're going to make us ask?"

"Ask what." It came out muffled because I was trying to chew on a too-big spoonful of spaghetti.

"What happened with Death?" I just swallowed loudly and hauled an even bigger spoonful in my mouth.

"Liz," Sam tried. He looked like he was sitting on the very edge of his seat, prepared to shake me for an answer. Kevin and Dean looked just the same.

I was busy with the food on my plate, going to war with my fork and a piece of chicken that didn't want to break off.

"Eli—"

"He said that all of you are going to die. And that I should leave you and that I should take the souls or else." I didn't look at any of them.

"Or else what?"

"Didn't say."

"Did he say why?"

I shook my head. "Just that I didn't want to know." A soft hiss left the third can of soda I was opening.

"Anything else?"

"No," I swallowed and shook my head. "He did however rewind my dad's death for me, live motion picture and everything. Don't know how many therapists I'm going to need for that one." No one commented on that and I wasn't looking at them to know what expression they had.

"So what are you going to do?" Kevin broke the silence.

"Eat."

"Liz—"

"And drink." I cut him off and took a long sip from my soda.

"You can't leave." Kevin was getting red in the face with anger. "The demon douche is after you—he'll kill you. Right, Cas?"

"I can do whatever I want." I told Kevin with a look.

"But you can't leave," he repeated firmly. "You'll get killed. Right?" Again, Cas didn't say anything. He strictly kept his eyes anywhere else.

"Why do you insist that I have all the answers?" He replied in a low voice. "I've had bad credit with Death before. Saying that it wasn't pleasant is putting it mildly. But," Cas finally met my eyes, "I still survived. You're not going to survive Alec."

"Thanks for all your support team," I mumbled sarcastically. "You guys really give me the faith that I need."

"What if...we bought a soul from Crowley. One that hasn't been demonized yet," Sam began quietly, his eyes on the phone he was twirling in his hands. "Just one. Just enough to keep her alive and well."

It was a short silence while everyone considered his words.

"What would we buy it with?" Kevin asked.

"No!" I exclaimed, shocked that he would even think something like that, let alone say it out loud. "It doesn't matter that they're in hell. They're still human." Sam stared at me but said nothing. My eyes dragged to Cas and Dean who didn't comment yet.

"Why the hell aren't you getting angry about this!"

"Because maybe we're out of options," Kevin snapped back. "There's no way you'd be able to fight, let alone kill Alec before he kills you."

"Yeah. Maybe in 400 B.C. Right now there's machine guns and—and, I don't know, meat graters."

"If you're ever able to get close enough," Dean muttered.