Not Just the Family Business

Spirits in the Night

Bela was gone when we got back, and she made off with the Colt. I was too shaken up to really care much. I didn't say anything until we were loading the Impala up to hit the road again.

"I keep wondering," Dean said. "When you were in my head, what did you see?"

"Uh, just Jeremy. He kept me separated from you. Easier to beat my brains out that way, I guess." Sam shrugged.

Dean scoffed. "What about you, Mel?"

I shook my head. "I didn't see you. You both vanished right away."

Sam gave me an apologetic smile knowing whatever I experienced was terrible. He turned to Dean. "What about you? You never said."

"Nothing. I was looking for you the whole time." Dean shut the trunk, and we clambered into the Impala.

Sam sighed as he sank into the seat beside me.

"Sam," Dean said.

"Yeah?" Sam asked.

Dean exhaled and cleared his throat. He looked at the gear shift to avoid our eyes. "I've been doing some thinking, and...Well, the thing is...I don't want to die."

Sam shifted to get a better look at Dean's sad face.

"I don't want to go to hell." Dean blinked rapidly to keep the tears from spilling over.

Sam was quiet for a long time and then nodded. "Alright. Yeah. We'll find a way to save you." Sam looked down at me. "We'll save you both."

Dean nodded. "Okay, good." His voice quivered.

Without another word, Dean started the Impala and headed for Bobby's. I refused to sleep all the way home. I chugged three coffees over the course of our trip. My bones felt like they were jittering in my body, but I didn't care.

As soon as we were home, I told Sam and Dean that I needed a break. Sam asked me if I was okay, and I became an acrobat, finding unique ways to dodge his questions. Before long, they left on another hunt, and my life became much easier.

I stayed up all night pouring over the books Sam had. Unfortunately, I didn't get any further than he did. I summoned over a dozen crossroads demons and exorcised each of them trying to find out who held my deal. Any time I felt myself start to doze, I snapped out of it and chugged another energy drink.

Meanwhile, Sam and Dean had their hands full. They ran back into the trickster they fought a year ago and hoped they finally killed it since Sam had to relive Dean's death over a hundred times. Then they got arrested by our favorite FBI agent, Victor Henriksen. However, the precinct was attacked by a hoard of demons that Ruby helped them fight off. But it didn't matter, another big bad, Lilith swooped in and killed them all anyway.

Bobby must've called Sam to talk about my behavior. When they came home from this hunt, Sam was like velcro to my side, watching everything I did. He noticed my energy drink consumption and lack of sleep.

"Melanie, we need to talk." Sam patted the bed.

I pulled his Stanford sweatshirt on and sank down beside him. "I think I know what this is about."

"It's been almost three weeks, Melanie." Sam took my hand in his. "Bobby says the only time he sees you sleep is when you pass out from exhaustion." He pulled my eyes up to his by lifting my chin. "What did you see in that dream?"

Tears welled in my eyes. "I saw my family, dead. I was back in that God-forsaken house in Spokane. The blood was still fresh. And Azazel...he-he taunted me. He made Bee appear." My lip quivered. "He said I was going to become him."