Reckless and Brave

LXXV. (75) Fooling Yourself (Part I)

[When the Levee Breaks]

Sam was sitting inside Bobby's panic room. Dean was outside, talking through the small barred window in the door, and Holly was standing next to him.

Sam frowned. "Okay. Let me out. This is not funny."

"Damn straight." Dead deadpanned.

"Dean, Holly, come on. This is crazy."

Holly shook her head. "Nope. Not til you dry out."

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you. Just open the door."

Dean sighed. "You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault. It's not your fault that you lied to us over and over again. I get it now. You couldn't help it."

"I'm not some junkie."

"Really? I guess I've just imagined how strung out you've been lately."

"You're actually trying to twist this into some kind of ridiculous drug intervention?"

"If it smells like a duck."

"Dean, I'm not drinking the demon blood for kicks. I'm getting strong enough to kill Lilith."

"Strong?" Holly repeated. "Strong?"

"Yeah."

Dean narrowed his eyes. "This is about as far away from strong as you can get. Try weak. Try desperate. Pathetic."

"Killing Lilith is what matters. Or are you two so busy being self-righteous you forgot about her?"

Holly stared at him. "Lilith is gonna die. Bobby, Dean, and I will end her. But not with you."

"You're not serious."

"She's dead serious. Congrats, Sammy. You just bought yourself a benchwarmer seat to the apocalypse."

"Dean, Holly, look--no, wait--"

Dean shut the window cover.

"Come back here. Dean! Holly! Let me out of here! Let me out! Dean! Holly!"

They made their way to Bobby's living room and he poured three glasses of whiskey and handed one to Dean and Holly.

"Stop! Stop!" Sam cried.

"How long is this gonna go on?" Dean asked.

"Here, let me look it up in my demon-detox manual. Oh wait. No one ever wrote one. No telling how long it'll take. Hell, or if Sam will even live through it."

Holly breathed in deeply. "I hope to God he lives through it. Cause if he doesn't, well--" She didn't finish her thought.

"What, H?"

"Nevermind."

Bobby's phone rang and he sighed and answered. "Hello. ...Suck dirt and die, Rufus. You call me again, I'll kill you."

"What's up with Rufus?" Dean asked.

"He knows."

The phone rang again and Bobby answered. "I'm busy you son of a bitch. This better be important."

After a moment, Bobby said grimly, "The news ain't good."

"This is what Rufus called about?" Dean questioned. "'Key West sees ten species go extinct'."

"Yep. Plus Alaska. Fifteen-man fishing crew all stricken blind, cause unknown. New York, teacher goes postal, locks the door, kills exactly 66 kids. All this in a single day. I looked them up. There's no doubt about it. They're all seals. Breaking. Fast."