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

Chapter Forty-Three

Erika pours herself another drink as Bobby sighs rubbing his head, he looks to Dean. 

"I'm gonna ask one more time. Are we absolutely sure we're doing the right thing?"

"Bobby, you saw what was happening to him down there. The demon blood is killing him"

"No, it isn't. We are" Erika tells Dean, he snaps his head to her.

"What?" he asks her.

"I'm sorry. But keeping him locked up down there....." she shakes her head. "The cold-turkey thing it doesn't work, it's not working, If—if he doesn't get what he needs, soon, Sam's not gonna last much longer"

"No. I'm not giving him demon blood. I won't do it" Dean argues.

"And if he dies?" She asks.

"Then at least he dies human!" he snaps at her. "I would die for him in a second, but I won't let him do this to himself. I can't. I guess I found my line. I won't let my brother turn into a monster...."

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

The cuff on Sam's left arm snaps open, then his left ankle, then the other two. The door opens. Sam sits up, staring; he didn't do this.

"Hello?" Sam gets up and slips out the door. "Someone here?" Sam hurries quietly out of the basement without noticing Castiel behind the stairs. From a distance, Castiel closes and locks the panic room door.

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

Castiel stands at a railing, looking over the water. The streetlights flicker. He turns; Anna is there.

"What did you do?" She asks.

"You shouldn't have come, Anna"

"Why would you let out Sam Winchester?"

"Those were my orders"

"Orders? Cas, you saw him. He's drinking demon blood. It's so much worse than we thought. Dean was trying to stop him"

"You really shouldn't have come" Two angels appear on either side of Anna. White light illuminates Castiel; when it is gone, so are the other three angels. Castiel turns back to the river.

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

Sam is working on stealing a car. There is a whooshing sound and he stiffens before turning around, Erika stands behind him.

"The only place you're going is back inside with me, love" she tells him.

"No"

"Bloody hell, I will make you"

"You won't hurt me, Erika"

"Don't test me" she growls at him.

"You won't do it. You can't do it"

"We're trying to help you, Sam" she begs of him, Sam moves closer to her, she nods and holds out her hand to him, he takes it and pulls her closer before shoving a stake into her chest, her eyes widen, as do his. "Sam" she breathes accusingly at him.

"Erika" he whispers apologetically. She steps back as desiccation veins creep up her neck and face before she collapses, Sam stares down at her before he returns to hotwiring the car. He drives off. Erika's hand twitches towards the stake, trying to remove it, she gasps for air.

"Erika?" Dean asks leaving the house. "You find him?" he asks looking around, his eyes falling on her on the ground, he hurries towards her. "Eri!" Dean kneels at her side and pulls the stake out of her chest, her skin slowly returns to normal, she looks to him, he looks back at her. "Damn it" he complains helping her sit up. "Here" he rolls up his sleeve and offers his wrist.