Science Fiction Multi-Feature Picture Show

The Demon and Mrs. Lincoln (Part 5)

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii-"***

The demon gave a choking laugh, peeking at Dean through blood stained fingers. "An exorcism?" It rasped, the echo of another voice chasing Mary's as it spoke. Black veins forked from the corner of her eyes, giving him pause. "I've traveled too far for a mere hunter to stop me now." She flicked her fingers, sending him flying up against the rough hewn barn wall. Lincoln's eyes widened at the sight, as Dean struggled like a pinned bug. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of John inching his way into the barn, his face chalk white, gun raised and ready. That would do little more than piss the demon off and kill Mary.

As the demon stalked toward him, squeezing him, he suddenly had a deep respect for the man who locked his wife up every time she was possessed rather than hurt her. It would make everything easier if they could hurt her. His ribs creaked in protest, making him wince. This one was far more powerful than your run of the mill demon, not that the lady in white was all that specific about what he would be facing. Still, he would have liked to have the tools for the job. A devil's trap would have been nice.

The demon Mary came to an abrupt halt with a confused snarl. The pressure on Dean disappeared, dropping him to the floor. Where the floor was empty before, there was now a devil's trap painted a glowing white.

"Awesome," said Dean, nodding at John. The man darted in, dragging Lincoln out of the danger zone by the back of his jacket.

"How," the demon's gaze bore into him. "You can't stop me, I've come to far!"

"Man, I don't get it. Why this moment? Why this guy? There had to be hundreds of other events you could have picked to mess up."

Mary's face split in a grin too wide for her to make. "You don't know much about chain reactions do you, human? If you untangle a point in time just right, the whole skein comes unraveled. I will make a world of beautiful chaos, one of violence without conscience, war without peace. Killing this man, here and now, it won't just falter the abolition of slavery, it will tip the scales of this nation, and I shall revel in its downfall."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think I heard enough psycho babble for one night. Think you can back me up on this, Johnny boy?" Dean crossed the air in front of him. "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus"

John tripped over the unfamiliar wording, but his voice joined in, growing stronger with each syllable. The demon writhed, cursing and spitting at them.

"You won't win. You may cast me out, but I will come slithering back in. This one shines like a beacon in the night. I've never met a mortal so open to my kind. I will crawl back into her. I will rip her family to shreds so that she can feel the blood drip down her fingers!"

The demon broke off with a very human sob. Lincoln's head jerked up. "Mary!"

Dean continued the chant, John's voice echoing his. Lincoln's hoarse voice joined in for the third round. The demon was weakening. This was going to work.

With a defiant screech, the demon spun around, diving for its original target. Dean thought the two were far enough away. He didn't realize both John and Lincoln had crept forward as Mary started to re-emerge. Her claw like fingers grabbed both men by their shirt fronts, pulling them close. Dean reached for his gun, prepared to shoot her in the arm when she suddenly ripped John's gun away from him. She paused, meeting Lincoln's eyes.

"I love you," she whispered, bringing the barrel to her temple.

"No!" It was a collective shout, one made too late. The sound cracked into the night, unstoppable, irreversible. Lightning flared behind her eyes. Dean watch incredulous as the demon in Mary died with her. It was impossible, but there it was, happening in front of him. He also knew he'd screwed up big time.

"This isn't how she dies," he whispered, glancing up at the shell shocked Lincoln. He crawled forward, mindless of the blood, cradling her on his lap.

John walked out without a word, Dean followed, unable to do anything for the man now.

"Give him a moment to say his good byes," said the younger man, leaning against the barn as he attempted to light a hand rolled cigarette with his badly trembling hands. Dean helped him out of pity, watching him take a drag on the smoke like his life depended on it. "How are you not shaking on your last wits?"

"You get used to it."

John nodded, staring out into the night. "Why couldn't we save her?"

Dean sighed, leaning beside her. "Not sure we could have, not once she made her choice." He looked at the haunted expression on John's face. "It was her choice in the end. She refused to let the demon win. I don't know how, but it's dead. It's not coming back for him."

"A necessary means to a necessary end." The lady in white stood before them, her sparkling white eyes full of sorrow and loss. John startled, dropping his cigarette.

"That was you in there? You made it so the bullet killed the demon?"

The lady spread her hands. "I provided the tools, but the choice was hers. Fired by anyone else, the bullet would just be a bullet."

Dean sneered at her. "Why did you even bring me here? Save history? The whole outcome was out of my hand and I still messed it up!"

"No, Dean, no, you have shifted the course of events, but they will correct themselves in time. Time has frayed, but it remains intact." She nodded to John. "Well done my champion. He will need you in the coming months more than ever."

"Yes, my Lady."

"Are you ready to return, Dean?"

"Just a sec." He held out a hand to the younger man. "We never introduced ourselves. Dean Winchester. Take care of the big guy." The other man enveloped his hand in a firm shake.

"John Wilkes Booth. He is my dearest friend. I will guard him with my life."

Before Dean could react, he reappeared in the driver's seat of the impala. The clock read the exact same time. "Oh Baby, I missed you." He leaned onto the steering wheel, the events of his adventure playing out in his head.

Whatever happened after that night, the world wasn't burning in the flames of chaos so he took that as a good sign.

He continued driving toward the gas station. 

***Exorcism speech is from the show's very own wiki, seen here: http://supernatural.wikia.com/wiki/Exorcism***