Killing Me Slowly (Third Book to the Secrets Will Kill You Series)

Working With Demons...Again Part 2

We all got outside the gates of the factory-looking building that Crowley was apparently hiding out in. Cas told us to meet us at the side door, so we did and he got us in…it all seemed way too easy…and that wasn’t just me being paranoid, the others agreed. We started to walk down the hallway with our flashlights and looked in the jail cells that were on either sides of us that contained some dead bodies but some alive ones…and they weren’t human. In one of them, there was a djinn who was shaking from fear, begging us to let her out…but we had to keep going. We continued down hallways…but I stopped abruptly in the middle of one. I felt my heart start to race a little as my eyes widened.

“Mel? What’s wrong? You hear something?” Dean asked as his eyes filled with concern.

I didn’t answer though, I turned to face the opposite direction. “Damn it. Here come the guards” Meg said. She could hear them too.

Then, the barking got louder as I felt Dean tense beside me. “Hellhounds” he said.

No one moved…so I took charge for the moment. “Run!” I yelled as I grabbed Dean’s hand and we took off down the hallway and everyone followed as we raced down passed two doors.

We all turned to see the other two demons got attacked and ripped to shreds but Sam and Dean shut the doors quickly and stuck a metal bar through the handles as well as salted the door line. The dogs started to bark and growl as they scratched at the doors. I noticed I was trying to stay close to Dean to make sure he was still here but not be too clingy and whatnot.

“I knew this was a trap” he said.

“What do you want? A cookie?” Meg quipped. “That should keep them out” Sam said as he finished the salting.

“Not for long, how many more are there” I asked quickly as I started to feel sick to my stomach but I tried to hide it. Come on, not now.

“Lots. But I’ll be pulling for you...from Cleveland” Meg replied. “What?” Dean narrowed his eyes.

“I didn’t know this was gonna happen. The bright side? Them chewing on my meat suit might buy you a few seconds. See you fellas” she said.

Then, she opened her mouth, staring up to the ceiling and we were all expecting the black smoke to come pouring out but nothing happened. “It’s a spell, I think, from Crowley. Within these walls you’re locked inside your meat suit” Cas said.

“Karma’s a bitch, Bitch” Dean said to her. Then, Sam pulled out the knife. “What are you gonna do? Slice thin air until you hit something?” Dean asked him.

“You can see them. Take the knife and hold them off. It’s our best shot” Brit said.

Meg seemed to be contemplated something as she looked at Brit, then at Sam. “Take it and go. You kill the slimy dick. I’ll hold off the dogs”

“How are you going to…” Dean started but he stopped when Meg turned to Cas and kissed him.

We all were kind of taken back by the action as we all rose our eyebrows, looked at each other and then back at them when they pulled away. But, then Cas grabbed her, pinned her on the wall and they started to make-out. We all kind of just stood there, awkwardly.

“What was that?” Meg asked, breathlessly when he pulled away. “I learned that from the pizza man” he said, simply.

“Well A plus for you…” she sighed, happily. “Okay, you gotta go…” she said, pulling out Cas’ angel-killing sword.

He looked down at his trench coat and I saw him ponder how she got it. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, is that gonna work on a hellhound?” Dean asked. “Guess I’m about to find out. Run” she instructed.

We were about to…but then I felt a sharp pain in my stomach…it was so bad and uncomfortable that I had to stop and lean against the wall as I held my stomach. “Mel?” Brit asked.

“Melissa, what’s wrong?” Dean asked.

I didn’t respond though. I just straightened out my posture, still leaning onto the wall for balance and I squeezed my eyes tight, waiting for all the pain to subside. “Mel, you’re bleeding, did the hell hounds get you?” he asked, quickly.

I looked down to see red liquid dripping down my leg. “Melissa! Are you hurt?” Sam asked, sternly. “No, no, I’m fine…come on” I said and tried to get them to follow.

“Melissa” Cas said and I looked up to see him shaking his head.

I looked at Brit and I saw she knew because she was giving me…or trying to give me…a sympathetic look. “Mel, right now isn’t the time to…” Dean started.

“I’m fine! I’m just…I’m having a miscarriage…” I told them…and I looked up into Dean’s eyes. “You’re what?” he asked, quietly, not sure if he heard me right.

“We don’t have time to talk right now, there are [i]hellhounds[/i] on the other side of that door and you’re funny if you think I’m going to let them drag you to Hell again, now come on” I stressed as I grabbed his arm to make him move and we all ran down the hallway.

Once we got a safe distance away, in a completely different side of the building, we started walking down some stairs. The others needed their flashlights cause it was pitch black but I got my eyes to adjust to the darkness and Cas just didn’t need one obviously. We all stayed close so we at least saw a little bit of each other. I was happy it was dark though because then I didn’t have to see Dean look at me with…a look that I just didn’t want to see. Then, there was a flash of light and Cas was gone.

“Cas?” I asked, quickly as I looked around and so did Dean. “Guys” Brit said.

We all looked down the steps and saw Samuel and George standing by an angel sigil that they drew on the wall. George looked me up and down. “Melissa, you’re bleeding” he pointed out, concerned.

“What do you care? You sold us out you son of a bitch!” I spat and went to kick both their asses but I was grabbed from behind.

I saw some demons were holding all of us. “I have to say, this has been the best purchase since Dick Chaney” a voice said and out came Crowley. “Hiya Crowley. How’s Trix?” Dean quipped.

“Above your pay grade. I’ve been working. Big things. Alas you’ll be too dead to participate. Shame I have to do away with you both. I rather enjoyed your servitude”

The demons threw us all into dirty, rotting, cold cells for the time being. I started to pace and I tried to ignore the smell of my own blood and the feel of it stained on my jeanshorts but I didn’t want to think of the smell of the cell I was in, either. There was one thing I wanted, honestly…and it was Dean.

“Sam?” I heard him speak up.

“Yeah?”

“I'm standing in pee”

“Consider yourself lucky”

“Yikes. That sucks”

There was some silence. “Mel? How you doing?” Brit asked.

From hearing all of their voices, I could picture which cells they were in. Dean and Sam were side by side in front of me and Brit who were side by side. Sam’s cell was across from mine while Dean’s was across from Brit’s.

“Terrible. My clothes reek of my blood. Eck” I made a face.

“I meant…”

“I know what you meant” I sighed. “I’m fine…I-I just want to get out of this hell hole”

“You can freakin punch holes in walls but you cant break out of jail cells?” Dean asked, monotonously.

“No, I cant…not at the moment anyway…” I sighed, trying to control my temper, reminding myself that he was the wronged one here. He was the victim.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he murmured.

“Dean, do you really think now is…” I started but stopped short when a little flap opened up at my door and I jumped over to it to see it was George. “You’re kidding right? If you want forgiveness or something, find a different granddaughter. Oh wait, I'm your only granddaughter and you stabbed me in the back!” I snapped.

“I need you to understand…”

“Ya know, my father talked very highly of you. Taught me that putting blood first is important and said that’s what you taught him but I really cant see what he saw in you as a father” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I am putting blood first. Will is my blood. My son…” he started to get worked up.

“George, let me…” Katherine said gently as she came into view instead and George went off to the side.

“And what makes you think I want to see you? You sold out your own daughter! You chose a demon over me”

“Well, it’s not like you’ve even given me the chance to even see you as my daughter…you’re a stranger to me, Melissa…”

“But my father wasn’t”

“Yes and your father was a great man. He was so good to me and I was wrong for what I did, I know that…which is why I have to try and get him back so things can be different”

“If you loved him so much, you wouldn’t be doing this…you would know better…he would protect Brittney and Sam without anyone even asking!”

“But that’s the thing…I don’t think he would. Hunting does change a person, Melissa. The kill…it turns you into a completely different person…you just need the right thing to trigger it”

“Don’t talk to me about hunting. I’ve been doing it longer than you have, that’s for sure” I glared.

“Fine…but if he would protect them, it would be because he knew them…saw them grow…I don’t know them…and they’re different now, we don’t even know what Sam and Brittney are, you expect us to just protect them?”

“Yes! Because I’m your blood and I’m asking you too”

“But I don’t even know you!”

“You wanna know me? Okay. I’m the girl that you never wanna see again because I will get out of here, believe me, and next time you see me, I’ll be there to kill you”

“Don’t think there’s gonna be a next time”

“Whatever gets you through the night” I shrugged. She shifted in her spot and then shut the flap.

I started to pace even more as I felt the walls closing in on me…my claustrophobia started to kick in. “Melissa? Melissa, you have to breath” Dean instructed.

I didn’t even realize I started to have a panic attack. “What’s wrong with her?” Sam asked.

“She’s getting claustrophobic. Her panic and anxiety attacks have gotten worse over the passed year…”

Yea, he was right…and I hated myself for letting myself get this damaged. “Melissa, listen to me, you’re fine…”

“No, Dean, I am not fine!” I screamed at him.

“You’re just overwhelmed, Mel” Brit said.

“You need to calm down…” Dean tried again.

I started to even out my breathing as I put a hand on the wall to keep my balance. “You alright?” he asked me after a minute.

“Yea…”

“Good. Now I can go back to not talking to you”

“Dean, you cant just not talk to me forever…look, I was going to tell you…”

“But you didn’t”

“You didn’t even remember about busting me for having the test in the bag! I figured you didn’t care that much!”

“It’s not that I didn’t care, it’s that I forgot because you got hurt and then we got sent on those cases…”

“It doesn’t matter now, anyway…” I murmured.

Everyone was silent. Then, a few minutes went by and I listened as Samuel and Dean had a similar talk that George, Katherine and I had…but when they were done, I heard Dean’s cell get unlocked and he started grunting.

“Dean?” I called out. “Let me go” he grunted.

But, I heard them head down the hallway, all the while he was trying to restrain. “God damn it” I cursed as I started to ram my body into the door, hoping that maybe some miracle would happen and it would swing open. It was no use.

I started to pace some more. “This is ridiculous. Guys, what do we do?” I asked. “Sit tight, Mel. I have a plan” Sam said. I just sighed and continued to pace.

Minutes later, my cell door flew open. “What the hell?” I said as I spun to see Sam standing there. “Go get a head start on Dean, I’ll get Brit” he said.

I nodded and raced out. I listened carefully as I heard Dean’s grunts and some thumps. I started to run even faster as I flew into a room. I saw two guys trying to eat Dean while he was on the floor, trying to hold them back. I was going to guess that they were rougaroo’s. I didn’t stop running, though, so I dove into one of them and we both went flying across the room. I grabbed a broken pipe and shoved it into his neck so some blood squirt onto my face and he laid there, bleeding out, dead. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and stalked over to where Dean and the other rougaroo were fighting. I stabbed the pipe into the back of the rougaroo so he fell to the ground, dead. It was like something just snapped inside me that just made me want to kill every single son of a bitch that was locked up in this place. We both stared down at the dead body and Sam and Brittney came running in but they just stood there, staring at us. I brought my eyes up to meet Dean’s and the look on his face seemed…foreign.

I heard Meg’s screams and headed out with determination written all over me. I felt them started to follow but I also felt them feel like they didn’t even know me…like I really was a stranger, now. I got to the room where I saw the Christian-possessed demon was torturing Meg as she was restrained to a table. She screamed but when she saw me stalk into the room, she started to laugh. Christian gave her a weird look.

“What are you laughing at?”

Then, I stabbed him in the back. I was just on a roll…. “Melissa Stern’s behind you, meat sack” she said, smirking.

Christian’s body fell to the floor as I pulled the knife out. I helped her out of her restraints and got her clothes for her to put back on. “You seem different…” she noted.

“Yea, well, having a miscarriage can do that to a person”

“No…that’s not what I mean…”

“Well, can someone please say what they mean?!” I shouted, annoyed.

~~

The fire alarm started to go off and we waited a few minutes…and then Crowley walked in. He shut it off slowly…then turned to look at Dean. “You should be smooshed food by now” But, then Sam hit him from behind with a pipe, Brit threw her leg up to kick him in the face and I swung my leg around to push him from behind and he fell forward a few feet in front of us. Don’t ask us where we came from…we’re just that good.

“Now was that really necessary? I just had this dry cleaned” he said, dusting off his suit as he stood up.

But, then he looked up to see the devil’s trap that we set for him on the ceiling. “So to what do I owe this reach around?”

Then, Meg walked in. “Crowley” she smiled. “Whore” he replied.

“Okay, ya know what?” She raised a hand up and Crowley spit up some blood as he doubled over. She stopped. “Sam and Brittney, here, want a word with you” she put her hands on her hips.

“What can I do for you two?” he breathed out. “You know damn well” Brit glared. “We want our souls back” Sam said. He didn’t respond right away. “Well?”

“No”

“Meg!” Dean and I grunted. She stepped forward and made a fist so Crowley fell to his knees coughing up some more blood. “I cant” he gasped. “Cant or wont” Sam asked.

“I said cant and I meant I can’t you muppet head lumber jack. I was lucky to get this much of you out. I’m not goin back in there for the sloppy bitch, no way, I’m good, but those two in there, forget it”

“How do we know you’re not lying?” Brit asked.

“You don’t. But that doesn’t change anything. I’m telling you…Sam, Brittney, why would you want the things back…Satins got one juicy source of entertainment in there, I just went through a bar house full for it before I took those souls…you want to be a drooling mess?” he asked them.

“Guys, I hate to say it but he’s right” Meg said. “Yea, I got it, thanks…he’s all yours” Brit said. “Are you crazy? He’s our only hope” Dean said

“Dean, did you hear him? He’s useless. He cant help” Sam said. I handed Meg the knife. “You’ll let me back out, right?” she asked.

I just nodded. She stepped into the circle. “This is for Lucifer you pompous…” she started but then Crowley slid his foot under her so she fell to the floor, he stood up with the knife and threw it up so it broke the circle in the ceiling.

Then, with a wave of his hands, he threw us all to the walls so we were pinned. “You don't know torture, you little insect” he spat at Meg.

I felt Cas coming… “Leave them alone” he said as he appeared.

“Castiel, haven’t seen you all season. You’re the Calvary now?”

“Put the knife down”

“Are you that bossy in heaven? I heard you’re losing to Raphael. This whole affair makes Vietnam look like a roller derby…”

But, then he saw the big brown sack that Cas was holding. “What's in the gift bag?” Cas pulled out a skull. “You are” My eyes widened, shocked and impressed.

“That’s not possible”

“You didn’t hide bones as well as you should have”

“Cookie for you” Crowley slowly clapped. “Can you restore Sam and Brittney’s souls or not?” Cas demanded, putting the skull back in the bag and setting the bag on the floor. Crowley snapped his fingers and we all fell to our feet.

“If I could help out in any other…”

“Answer him!” I ordered.

His eyes went to me, then Cas. “I cant” Then, just like that, Cas pointed at the bag on the floor and it was set on the fire. Crowley started to be encased in flames and then he blew up. Then, Dean picked up the knife, ready to kill Meg but when we all looked, she was gone. Smart.

We all got outside and it was day now. We walked over to where the Impala and the truck were parked. “Thanks, Cas…if it hadn’t been for you…" Dean started.

“Crowley was right. It’s not going well for me upstairs”

“Is there anything we can do?” I asked.

“There isn’t. I wish circumstances were different. Most of the time, I wish I were here”

“Cas, we know you got a steaming pile on your plate. There’s no need for apologies” Dean said.

“We’re your friends” I added, smiling. He nodded back at me.

“Listen, Sam, Brittney…we’ll find another way”

“You really wanna help? There’s a prison full of monsters, we cant just leave them and we cant just let them go” Brit said. “I understand” he replied and then vanished.

Brit and I shared a look and I nodded so we walked away over to the truck to let the guys talk and so we could talk as well. “You look like you were stabbed” she noted, bluntly.

“Yea, well, I feel like it…” I said, simply. “You know he’s right, right? We’ll figure something else out when it comes to yours and Sam’s souls”

“No we wont. I heard what Crowley said, Mel and you heard what Cas said. Putting our souls back into us will smash us to bits”

“We don’t know that for sure though…”

“Ya know…when angels and demons agree on something, call me crazy, but I tend to pay attention”

“And you bring this up now that we almost practically died trying…”

“Exactly, Melissa. We almost got ourselves killed…you had a freakin miscarriage because your body couldn’t handle all of this…how many times do we have to risk or asses for this? Enough is enough” she stressed.

“Brittney…”

“I don’t even know if I want it back!”

"You don’t know what you’re saying…”

“No, you just don’t like what I’m saying. I know you care about me and Sam…a lot. That’s obvious. But I think Sam and I are just better off without it”

“You’re wrong…you’re oh so wrong”

“I don’t think so” she shook her head and then started walking away.

“Brittney! Come on!” I called after her.

“Sam, don’t walk away!” Dean called as well.

Sam went right by me, looked at me once and then caught up with Brittney. Dean and I just stared at them both continue to walk away, no stopping them. I turned to look at Dean. He looked back at me and then walked over to me.

“We should talk”

“Yea…” I nodded.

But, I looked back, over my shoulder at Sam and Brit’s back to us…just walking away.