(1) The Devil's Hybrid (D. Winchester)

Chapter Seventeen

Back to the present: Erika has moved to sit beside Dean who rests his arm over the back of her chair.

"So? What'd she teach you?" Dean asks.

"Well, the first thing I learned... I'm a crappy student" Sam answers.

................

Past: Sam is trying to exorcise a demon tied to a chair in a devil's trap, but can't. Some black smoke comes out of the demon's mouth, but then it goes back in. Sam holds his head in pain. As the demon begins to laugh, Ruby kills him with her knife.

"Not funny" Ruby turns to Sam. "Just give it time, Sam. It'll get better"

"What? I need more practice?" Sam asks.

"I'm not talking about pulling demons. I know losing Dean was...."

"Hey! I don't want to talk about it. You know what? Where do you get off slapping me with that greeting-card, time-heals crap? What the hell do you know?"

"I used to be human. And I still remember what it feels like to lose someone. I'm sorry" Ruby puts a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Uhn-huh. Don't. I can't"

"Sam, you're not alone" Ruby kisses Sam. He stands up and walks away from her.

"What are you doing?"

"Sam, it's okay!"

"No, that is anything but okay!" Sam snaps.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Where do I start?"

"Is it because of the body? Because I told you -- it's all me inside of here. There is no one else. And it's nice inside this body, Sam. Soft and warm"

"What are you doing?"

"Isn't it 'cause you're really scared to go there with a demon? Because it's wrong and it's bad and we shouldn't?" Ruby and Sam begin to have sex.

..............

Present: Dean and Erika stare at Sam.

"Sam?" Dean asks.

"Yeah?"

"Too much information"

"Hey, I told you I was coming clean"

"Yeah, but now I feel dirty. Okay, well, uh, brain-stabbing imagery aside... So far, all you've told me about is a manipulative bitch who, uh, screwed you, played mind games with you, and did everything in the book to get you to go bad"

"Yeah, well, there's more to the story"

"Just... skip the nudity, please" Dean warns.

"Pretty soon after... that, um... I put together some signs... Omens"

"Saying what, love?" Erika asks.

"Lilith was in town. And I wanted to strike her first"

.................

Five Months Earlier: Ruby stands in front of Sam.

"You're not ready yet" she tells him.

"It's now or never"

"No, we got to wait until you get it right. You haven't been too successful"

"All right, I'll use this" Sam holds up the demon killing knife.

"Stop. You can't just fly in there reckless, Sam. We need you to take the bitch out"

"Oh, I'll take her out all right"