𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 || 𝐒𝐚𝐦 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Chapter 23 ~ Deals with Devils (Or Reapers)

Episode: Season 11 - Red Meat Pt. 3

I felt so numb as I lay in my hospital bed, just staring up at the ceiling. It was like there was a gaping hole inside of me now. A void. The place that Sam had filled, making me complete. Until him, I didn't know anything had even been missing in my life. But he changed everything for me. And now...now I just felt empty. Lost, even.

Frowning, my mind wandered back to Dean. I knew he had to be feeling even worse than I did. He'd just lost his brother. So against the protesting pain in my side I'd acquired during the werewolf fight, I got up from my bed to go look for Dean. It didn't take long - he was just in the room across the hallway. But he wasn't alone - Michelle was in there already.

"Well, my mom used to say, um- I didn't believe her then but I think I do now," she was telling him, "She used to say 'Death: it's not the end'."

Silence passed then as I leaned against the doorway, "She wasn't wrong, you know."

Dean's gaze snapped in my direction at the sound of my voice, a smile tugging at his lips as he read my thoughts completely. And surprise, surprise - seconds later, I was following after Dean as he raided the hospital's supply of medicine from their glass cabinets.

"Dean. Dean! This is not what I meant and you know it," I reprimanded, trying to take back control of the situation, "You can't do this!"

He wouldn't listen though, he was too far invested for that. Scooping up a handful of red and yellow pills into his palm, his gaze flitted to mine.

"Carter...you know I have to. Look, after I do this, Michelle will go get the doc and tell her to, um...tell her to bring me back, if she can. If not, no hard feelings, okay?" he told me assuredly.

I put my hand on his wrist, "You don't have to do this,"

"Yeah, I do." he said, green eyes twinkling with determination before he shoved the pills down his throat.

Minutes later, he hit the floor and my stomach dropped as Michelle came racing into the room, the doctor on her heels. As Dean convulsed, I looked on helplessly, feeling as if this entire thing were my fault. If I could have just healed Sam...

It was in that moment that I felt a hand on my shoulder and spun around to meet a familiar green-eyed gaze.

"It had to happen, Car," Dean said softly and I nodded, knowing he was right in his own way.

Suddenly, a bright glow beamed out from behind us and by the time we turned, Billie was standing there. Her eyes traveled to the protective stance Dean had taken in front of me and she arched one sculpted eyebrow.

"Gotten a little closer there with the Winchesters, have we, Baby Grim?" she mocked, stalking over to us.

"Well, it took you long enough," Dean snapped, changing the subject.

"Dean Winchester. Though I have to say of all the ways I thought you'd go - heart attack, some fang, choking on a burger while binge-watching Charles in Charge-"

"Well, that was peak Baio," Dean defended himself.

"Point is, I never took you for the suicide type. Doesn't fit your whole martyr thing. So what's up?"

"We need to talk about Sam," I spoke up, my voice confident but as her eyes cut to me, I felt it begin to ebb away.

"What about Sam?" she asked, arching an eyebrow once more.

"I need him back," I started, stopping as I caught myself and corrected, indicating Dean as well, "We need him back,"

"Hm...I bet you do..." Billie murmured ominously.

"Stop playing. Look, you've got him, we need him. Let's make a deal," Dean interrupted.

"Pass,"

"Really? Just like that?"

"Just like that,"

"You know, the Darkness is out there and the world is gonna burn. And once she gets started, that's the end of everything, including you,"

"Sam's the only one who can stop it," I piped up suddenly, hoping that would convince her as I lied through my teeth.

"Mm...how's that?" Billie tilted her head.

When I fell silent, she only smirked in response.

"That's what I thought. It's cute, though. You pretending you're trying to save Sam for the greater good, when we both know you're doing it for you. You can't lose him,"

Realization hit me like a punch to the gut as I glared daggers at Billie.

"Is that why you took my powers away?" I questioned, anger coursing through my veins.

"I took them away because you were losing sight of your duty. Sam Winchester made you too human," she spat the last word as if it were poison on her tongue, "You disobeyed my direct orders and brought him back. You weren't worthy of wielding that kind of power. Not since the day you fell in love with him,"

Dean had stiffened beside me and I could sense the tension rising in the air, how it took all his willpower not to deck her then and there.

"You don't have that authority - only Death can take away what he gave!" I snarled.

She waved me off though, dismissing my words as if I'd said nothing, "But even if Sammy could win the title bout the answer would still be no. The answer will always be always be no. Game's over, you two. No more second chances. No more extra lives. Time to say bye-bye to Luigi, Mario,"

"I'm asking you," Dean said quietly, his tone the most sincere I'd ever heard it as he pleaded, "I'm begging you, please. Bring him back. Bring him back and take me instead,"

"I'm not here to bargain with you, kid. I'm here to reap you. And the kicker is...Sam's not dead,"

I gasped, putting my hand over my mouth as my senses went into overdrive.

"W-what?" I whispered.

"But you are," she told Dean, "Or will be, soon enough. Come on, Dean. The Empty, it's waiting,"

Suddenly, the doctor stabbed a needle deep into Dean's unconscious form on the floor and he gasped awake. Glancing to my right, I noticed Dean was gone - back into his corporeal form. And Billie had disappeared, too. Actually getting discharged from the hospital had been easier than I had imagined though. Dean and I were just walking out when we heard the commotion form inside.

Corbin, the guy we'd rescued, had apparently been bitten and turned. He was trying to bite Michelle when we found them. Dean tackled him to the floor as Michelle screamed. It didn't last long before he had gained the upper hand though, getting Dean in a choke-hold.

"Stop it! Stop it!" I ordered, trying to pry him off Dean to no avail.

I barely missed the bullet that zinged by, lightly singing my jacket as it embedded itself directly into Corbin's back. He fell to the linoleum floor, lifeless. And just as Dean and I turned, my gaze met those familiar, warm hazel orbs that I loved so much.

"Sammy..." I breathed out in relief.

He was alive.