Part 4: Sarah Blake

Awkward was too nice a word for the situation. Disaster may have been too harsh. And yet Dean felt like was he was witnessing a potential train wreck and there were only so many ways it could be avoided. He was pretty damn sure that Sam standing there gaping and staring at Sarah, his face filled with apprehension and mute shock, was not the way to go. Something about that smile of hers seemed too much like a challenge and Sammy was not up for it. Dean considered it his brotherly duty to step in as proxy.

"Well, I'll be. Sarah Blake—that was it, right? Butt-ugly painting in New York and a few too close shaves if I remember," Dean grinned, walking around the couch towards Sarah to give Sam a little more buffer room, "You seemed pretty cozy working with all that estate crap for Daddy last we saw. Gotta admit, much as you already had the kick-ass part down, I didn't exactly expect this change in vocation. Guess we must have left a lasting impression."

For a few moments Sarah didn't even break eye contact with Sam. Then she turned to Dean and her smile shifted. "Guess you did," Sarah said, "Hi, Dean. Been a long time. And from what I hear I'm not the only one who's made a few changes in their life." Her smile quirked a little as she turned to Sasha—who was actually the closest to her—and she held out a hand in greeting. "Sasha, right? It's nice to meet you. Jo has only good things to say about you."

Sasha broke into an answering grin, accepting her hand. "I'm glad only good things. It's the 'how many things' that worries me," the incubus said. His glance at Jo was subtle but still severe. Her easy smile in reply and Sarah's equally easy laugh told the boys that the incubus bombshell was not one of the 'many things' Jo had divulged.

"I suppose the biggest thing is how you've become an addition to the Winchester duo," Sarah explained, doing that whole 'I'm watching you with my peripheral vision for a reaction' thing that Dean thought was so evil of girls, "I'd ask how you managed that but I guess it just came down to choosing the right brother." Her teeth flashed again in a smile.

Snap. "Eheh," Dean tried to laugh that off for Sammy's sake; the train was barreling forward and the damn crossing arms hadn't even moved, "Yeah, what can I say. I'm incorrigible right? So," this conversation really needed a heading, "How'd you get from auctioning haunted paintings to Thelma & Louise? Way I remember you were brave as hell but not exactly the throw me into the action type. Jo said you've been hunting for two years. That'd be right after we last saw you."

"Pretty much," Sarah agreed, turning back to Dean. There seemed to be this wall between her and Sam—the couch being there helped—that she was now avoiding looking at after having stared him down. Jo was just sort of watching and Dean could imagine a bag of popcorn in her hands only too well. "I tried going back to work, back to the way things had been before, but…lasting impression, yeah, that's a fairly accurate way to say it. It's hard to go on doing something that seems so pointless after knowing what's really out there. It took awhile at first to even find someone who would talk to me but eventually I met this woman in the city. A detective, helps keep things under wraps when hunters need to blow through. Didn't know you two but she was able to point me in a few directions."

Okay, so they were from the same state and all but Dean still had to laugh at the coincidence. "Well we know her now. Detective McBain, right? Got her network of supernaturally knowledgeable cops going? We met her a while back. I guess once you get in the loop there's really a crazy number of contacts. Not too many are friendly though or likely to tell a pretty girl how to hunt. Bet most of the real thing you met up with told you to go on home."

"And then some," Sarah chuckled, "Apparently if I'd have had a close friend or relative brutally murdered they would have been more hospitable. Try and do this job just because you want to help and you might as well teach yourself. For the most part I did. Helps that my mom was a card-carrying member of the NRA. Dad never cared for it but in this country house of ours when I was a little girl I used to shoot pop cans off the fence from forty yards."

"Sarah is a mean shot," Jo jumped in, "Better than me, I'll admit, and most other sharpshooters I've seen. Couple hunts ago she sniped a squonk in Pennsylvania before I'd even spotted the damn thing. Can't dissolve if it gets blindsided," she chuckled.

Dean made a face; he hated squonks—ugly-ass things and annoying as hell. If they see you coming they can dissolve into a puddle faster than you'll ever get a shot off and they can stay that way for as long as it takes. Dean remembered the first one he ever hunted. Took him all night before he finally got the jump on the thing. "I don't remember you sounding too Annie Oakley back when we met," Dean had to mention. One of the things he liked most about Sarah was that she could admit when she was scared but wouldn't let that stand in her way or hold her back if something needed to get done. Still, she hadn't exactly asked for a firearm.

"And how much help would a sharp aim be against a ghost?" Sarah shot right back, "Unless you were ready to hand over one of your sawed-offs, and with those it's not so much a matter of aim as it is timing. But then I'm sure you know that." Another flash of teeth. She was being coy and cute and a little devious but Dean didn't sense any ill-intent. She was only partially scorned after all—she and Sam hadn't been a real item, but he had still promised to stop back some time. Two years later that had to sting.

Sam gave a few faltering steps forward finally, as he was the last one still around the front of the couch, and even though it was obvious that whatever subtle pain Sarah wanted to inflict upon Sam was right on target, the kid still found some semblance of his pitiable puppy eyes and said, "It's good to know you've been doing so well. I have to agree with Dean that I wouldn't have imagined you here, but…you couldn't have a more capable partner." He smiled feebly.

In almost twenty-five years Dean had yet to meet a human being—or sex demon it would seem—other than their father who could resist that look. Sarah held firm but Dean saw her expression soften. Some of the tension in her shoulders faded and her smile was significantly more genuine. "I am good. Have been good," she said, "And for all I've learned the last couple of years, I think I have to agree that Jo and I are a good match."

"But not too good a match, boys," Jo snarked, "Keep those heads out of the gutter please." Her hip was still cocked to the side with a hand resting just at the start of her jeans. Dean was reminded of when she had teased him about finding out about him and Sasha even though she had already known. He had to chuckle at the comment though and Sasha and Sarah chuckled too. Sam just sort of smiled sideways, his eyes on Sarah so constant that one would think it would have to make the girl uncomfortable.

"I'm sure there's plenty for us to catch up about," Sarah went on, holding that steady gaze of Sam's easily, "But I think I'm more interested in what you boys have been up to." Her eyes danced a little over to Sasha, knowing obviously that most of the tale would involve the redhead who hadn't been apart of the team when she first met the Winchesters back in 2006.

There really wasn't a quick way to answer that question—what they had been up to—since the responses were basically about being dead, being an incubus, and selling one's soul. Not to mention Sam's powers. All of the above, for the most part, were on the boys list of things to discuss with Ellen and Jo anyway. They probably would have liked a little side-chat about how to handle things now that Sarah was involved, but time didn't allow for that.

Ellen walked into the little lounge, this time without the accompanying sight of refreshments, and immediately stopped in the doorway to survey the group of younger hunters with a hand—much like Jo—propped on her hip.

"Now then," Ellen started right in, "I'm thinking there are at least five different things circling the brains of the people in this room that I don't know. Who wants to go first?"

The lounge had one of those hidden sliding doors that could seal it off from the rest of the building, which Ellen closed behind her when she came in and they all settled on the couch and in the various chairs around the room. By the time things got rolling, Wally had opted to curl up in Sarah's lap, who she seemed determined to make love her since the huntress was new to the 'okay to be your real self around' list. Sarah didn't mind at all and had obviously been told about the chimera beforehand.

The boys claimed the couch, unintentionally segregating themselves from the women, although Dean had to wonder if it was on purpose subconsciously. Most of what needed to be told was about them after all. Therefore they were more than willing to let Sarah and Jo divulge their story first.

The girls had actually run into each other on accident. Jo had left the Roadhouse hoping for a little mild action to get back into the swing of hunting and had initially planned to return to the Roadhouse after a couple of cases. It was after a successful salt and burn that Jo stumbled upon a case Sarah was already tracking. Thankfully neither of them had mistaken the other for the rawhead they were hunting and they ended up finishing the hunt together. Seeing how well they had worked as a team the girls decided to roll with their success and hadn't had a problem since.

Knowing women as Dean did—and Dean liked to think he knew women pretty well—he shuddered to think what Jo and Sarah might have discussed over the past two months. He didn't like that the girls hadn't contacted them until this chance meeting either. At least Dean could be sure that Sam had to have been up for more scrutiny than him.

When the conversation turned to Dean and the others finally it was Sam who spoke up first. He explained the growing extent of his powers—without being too blatant about a few things, Dean noticed—ensuring the women that he had a strong handle on things and knew what he was doing. Ellen and Jo had known before about the visions but Sarah hadn't even known that. After hearing about how much more Sam was capable of, Ellen looked rightly skeptical that the younger Winchester knew what he was getting himself into, she being a hunter at heart and more the traditional kind. Jo just seemed a little awed.

Sarah didn't look surprised at all. "Two years is a long time," she said, "I caught a few grapevines here and there. A while back a few hunters were circulating stories about these 'special kids'. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that your name didn't come up every time, Sam, but I think hearing it once would have been enough for me to wonder. I suppose that might also explain a few other things." She lowered her eyes and then glanced up at him from beneath her lashes.

Actually those facts would explain the biggest thing, because of course Sam's powers were one of the main reasons Sam had never thought to go paying a visit to upstate New York, much as he may have wanted to or thought about it. The other even bigger reason was because of Dean.

That part was a little bit more difficult to explain.

"You did what now?"

Dean had expected pretty much that exact maternal response from Ellen, along with the glare and posture that threatened to smack him. He doubted he had made things much better by explaining the deal the same way he had to Shiarra—blunt and unrepentant. He brought up Cold Oak, said, "Yeah, remember how we told you Sammy got real hurt? Well hurt was more like dead. And he wouldn't be sitting here now if I hadn't sold my soul to bring him back," among other things.

"Dean. Of all the damn fool things I have ever heard, and believe me I have heard them all," Ellen snarled, "Rule number one is no hunter makes a deal with a devil. You know better than that. Your father taught you better than that."

Oh it was only too easy to summon up a remnant of that old cynical laugh. "Yeah," Dean said, staring back at Ellen directly, "Well apparently he taught me to do just what I did because he did it first. Or did you really think a heart attack took out John Winchester?" His words came out cynical too. Dean hated this conversation; he hated how many times he had already had it.

He had to give Sarah some credit though. She didn't look pitying or angry, just sort of thoughtful and concerned for all those involved, not only Dean. Jo, on the other hand, was only a slightly muted and damper sounding version of her mother. "God, Dean, you were here months ago and you didn't even say anything," she accused.

"Coz I was so looking forward to this," Dean shot right back, gesturing flippantly to the Harvelle women and their similar expressions, "I don't need pity and I don't need you telling me what an idiot I am. Deed's done. Nothing you or anyone can do about it. 'Cept…well, maybe there is. And that's what we've been working on the past couple of weeks, why we're hunting down as many demons as we can. Contract holder gave me a way out."

If possible Ellen looked even more enraged. "You're working with a demon?"

"It's not that simple," Sam broke in, quick on the defensive, "There's no other way to get Dean out of going to Hell. The contract holder gave us our only chance, renegotiation of the details. If we can send all of the demons that broke out of the Devil's Gate back to Hell than Dean's out. Free. I'd say that's a fair enough trade and worth the risk of doing what this demon wants."

"But why would a demon want you to do that?" Sarah asked before Ellen or Jo could retaliate again, "Sort of a conflict of interest, isn't it?"

They had had this discussion already too, that night when they first met Malak and it all seemed too go to be true. "We think…maybe…" they hadn't said this out loud, not since Dean first told Malak to stuff it, "We think he wants to get Sam to use his powers too much, to make him…hell, I don't know, turn on us, I guess. Live up to Old Yellow Eyes'…plan." It stung something awful to actually say that and to see how all three women looked to Sam like maybe they weren't sure whether or not that darkside possibility was already happening.

"It's not gonna happen like that," Sam said with quiet conviction, "Even if that's really what he wants, what he thinks he can do to me, I won't let it happen. This is about Dean. Not power. Not me wanting power. I'm using them because I have to not because I want it. I don't feel any less like me. And maybe you don't believe that, but whatever I have to do to save Dean I'll risk it. You know as much as we know now. If you don't trust me then…I guess you can't help us," he said, not condemning or judging of whatever they might think, just understanding that this wasn't easy, "Don't think Bobby hasn't expressed more than enough disapproval but without my powers we don't stand a chance. I exorcized twenty-five demons in under five minutes on our last hunt. Tell me how that would ever be possible another way?"

Dean could see the dissention rising in Ellen, see the fear so obvious on Jo's face. This was dark stuff, unknown and, damn it, usually the kind of thing they would hunt. Sam, some guy with demonic powers, if they didn't know him it might not even be a question. They would hunt him.

But it was Sammy. And when Dean looked into his brother's eyes he believed him. He believed that they could do this and not lose anybody, not him to Hell or Sam to Hell's plans.

"I believe you," said Sarah amidst the quiet of the other more experienced hunters. Even if that was the only reason, because she didn't yet know how horrible all the monsters in the world could really be, Dean didn't care. It was enough. It was enough that she smiled, honest, without any thought left for what might lie unresolved between them. "I can't imagine a less likely person to be evil. That's something you have to choose and you would never choose that, Sam. And there is no less deserving person to go to Hell," she said with sympathetic but still not pitying eyes on Dean, "What do you need us to do?"

It was bold to include the Harvelle women like that without asking, but Dean well remembered how Sarah had a way about her that just made everyone want to follow after, a quiet strength Dean had admired and liked immediately.

Jo still looked frightened, unsure, but she nodded, steeling herself for the sake of her friends. Ellen was less convinced that this was a good idea, much like it had been when they first explained to Bobby. And yet the older huntress lost her anger even though her eyes remained narrowed. She stared at Sam, and Dean knew as sure as he knew when it was him looking at his brother that hard as Ellen may try she couldn't find a reason to distrust him.

"You better have a damn good plan for finishing what you've started," she said, "Because this is tricky business, no two ways about it. The demons you've gotten rid of so far, I'm sure they've been easier than what lies ahead. Just the way it works. But regardless of how absolutely idiotic you boys may be, you're right that there is no other way to help Dean. Don't think I'm not livid at the idea of helping a devil though. There's about a million different ways this could all end badly."

One of course being that they weren't entirely sure, nor had they said aloud, that they might not be dealing with 'a' devil so much as…'the'.

Dean decided not to mention that.

"Thank you," Sam said on their behalf, "We know how dangerous this is. I know. And to tell you the truth if we thought we could, we'd rather handle this mostly on our own, but Bobby's already said he'll be on our tail as soon as he finishes up this case he's on. What we'll really need your help for is when things start to get closer to the end."

"Most devil deals they'll give you ten years," Dean explained, "I got one. We only got til May before it's up. Not a lot a time."

Jo scoffed, "No shit. Well where you headed now?"

"We were going to continue on to Colorado," Sasha said, "Sam…senses something that way and…that's usually how we track them down. Might be demons there."

Now it was Sarah and Jo both who looked a little stunned though not at all fearful this time. "Where in Colorado?" Jo pressed, "Coz Sarah and I were passing through going that way too. Been watching for demonic signs, usually to stay away from them to be honest, using Ash's database. Castle Rock's been ripe with electrical storms, cattle death—granted this is winter in Colorado—and a ton of missing persons too."

"Only thing we haven't pinpointed is where to start," Sarah continued, "But if you can…sense it…maybe we can help each other out." She smiled warmly at Sam and Dean both.

Dean had been hoping that this would be more of a meet and greet, here's the low down, please don't hate us, and we'll call you sometimes later kind of thing. But Sarah and Jo were ready to hook up today and Ellen wasn't too far behind them. Dean was almost certain that if it wasn't for the Roadhouse and the help it gave to so many hunters, Ellen would have dropped everything to help out now too. She didn't seem too happy that her little girl would be going off on a hunt for demons but that was another surprise—Ellen didn't give any sharp warning or try to talk Jo out of it. She just said that when they needed her all they had to do was call and she would be there.

Later, after Ellen had returned to her duties as the runner of the Roadhouse, the group had dispersed to prepare themselves—stretch their legs, gather supplies—and then they would leave for Colorado. They could discuss further details about what they knew about this case once they got there, since the most they would be able to do after they arrived was hit the hay.

Dean had just come from the bathroom when he spotted Sam down one of the narrower and more out of the way hallways talking with Sarah. He had suggested the break in hopes that the two of them would get the chance to work their way through a few things. Last he and Sam had seen of Sarah before today she was smiling after Sam had kissed her crazy and left her wondering. Now she was a hunter and teaming up with them on the mission to save Dean's soul. It was all a little much for about a half hour's time frame.

"Even if I wasn't an incubus," came Sasha's voice from behind Dean, soft and thoughtful, "It would be pretty obvious there's something between those two."

Turning around, Dean came fairly well face to face with Sasha and had to wonder how up in his head he had been not to notice the redhead sneaking up on him.

"That hunt you did that saved Sarah's life," Sasha went on, "What happened?"

Dean shrugged. "Baddie wasn't after her actually. Haunted painting. Vicious little girl with Daddy's razer blade. Sarah worked with her father selling estate art and furniture and all that. Sort of got tangled up in it. Had a soft spot for Sammy right off the bat. I…may have tried to help things along there."

"I'm sure," Sasha grinned. They were standing close at the mouth of the hallway, voices hushed. They were too far away from Sam and Sarah to hear what they were saying.

"She could have freaked when she found out what was really going on," Dean continued, "She didn't. She wanted to help. Now I was off doing the salting and burning when Sam did the saving her life bit, but out of all our damsels in distress she was definitely the least actually in need of rescuing. Sam even got a date out of the deal. Hadn't seen her since though. Things got sort of…complicated."

"To say the least."

"And it's hard ya know, doing this job and trying to have a real relationship." Dean realized too late how that had sounded and it pained him to see Sasha's tight smile. "Hey, hard doesn't mean I'm not happy we're doing it," he immediately reassured the incubus, "You being a hunter makes a whole world of difference. I don't have to hide anything from you or worry about you not being able to handle yourself. Course I worry anyway but that's just me." Dean grinned, knowing it would be enough for Sasha to grin with him.

He was right. "Maybe this is a good thing then," Sasha said, nodding down the hallway, "Sarah's a hunter now. She knows things and how to take care of herself. She's also not even a little scared of Sam. Which I can't say is true for Ellen and Jo."

"You can feel that?" Dean asked.

Sasha nodded.

Looking down the hallway at Sam and Sarah, Dean could tell that too; there was awkwardness and halting words going on to be sure, but none of it had to do with Sarah being afraid. "Maybe she can sense something we can't," Dean said offhandedly, not meaning the comment in any way supernatural.

"Woman's intuition?" Sasha prompted.

"Figures this would happen now…" Dean said a little bitterly, more to himself than for Sasha to hear. He was still staring at Sam and Sarah, with Sasha half behind him just out of his vision. "Sam finally loosens a little, has his first good time in…shit, a year? Then he has to get all this serious crap thrown at him. I mean there's nothing I'd want more than for Sam to hook up with someone that meant more than a night, but there's a lot of baggage here."

A strong hand squeezed Dean's shoulder reassuringly. "Maybe they can work it out. Sarah being here and helping us isn't a guarantee or a mandate that she and Sam have to hook up for better or worse. Neither of them might even be thinking that."

Dean turned back to Sasha skeptically. "You're an incubus and you actually think I'm gonna buy that when I know you know what's going on with their emotions? Besides, I'm not so blind myself. A person never forget the 'if onlys'. And Sarah was a big one. Only other time Sam got something even close to her was…well it may have had a hotter storyline…but not so nice an ending."

"Dean?"

A sigh fell from Dean's lips. Sasha hadn't heard about that either. Much as they had told their friend about cases and crazy happenings, there were certain things that always went unsaid. What Dean was about to tell Sasha was one of them. "After Sarah, and probably more from good old fashioned human pheromones buzzing than anything else, Sam hooked up with this chick we were protecting from a werewolf. Turned out she was the werewolf we were hunting. We couldn't help her. She didn't even…know what she was. She wanted us to…free her from it. Asked us. I told Sammy I'd do it, but…" Dean glanced up, his suddenly damp eyes having drifted downward, and the look on Sasha's face was pure heartbreak. The incubus was such an empathetic person and not only because he could literally feel what people felt but because he cared about the emotions he picked up on.

"God, Dean…that must have been horrible. No wonder Sam cut himself off. After Jessica and then this other girl…shit, that's why after all this with his powers he thinks he's too dangerous to be with anyone. I was surprised even the energy high was enough to get him to relax with the twins. It's like waves rolling off of him all the time," Sasha confessed, like it was something he had been keeping from Dean until now, "Need and guilt and loneliness. He needs to stop thinking everything he touches turns to dust. It doesn't have to be that way. He deserves more than that."

No one knew that better than Dean. "Was a time I thought Sarah was as close a perfect match for Sam as anyone, but we never went back to see her," he said.

"What do you think lit the fire under her ass to become a hunter?" came Jo's voice suddenly as she appeared behind them from inside the bar. Dean and Sasha turned to her and she glanced down the hallway, seeing Sam and Sarah still talking. Jo's eyes remained on them as she spoke. "Boys," she said with a touch of disgust, "You know how rare it is to actually feel that kind of spark for someone and to know they feel it too? Doesn't matter how short a time you have together. Sam said he'd come back. He never did. Sarah joined ranks to find him." Jo turned her steady gaze onto Dean.

He couldn't believe it. "What?" Dean gaped, "She spent two years looking for him and we're just now crossing paths? She had to have tracked us down sooner than that."

"Probably did," Jo shrugged, "But if he wasn't looking for her then she wanted to be ready when she finally went searching for him. She can take care of herself. Believe me. I think more than anything she just wanted to know why a good guy like Sam, who she knew had feelings for her, just up and disappeared and never came back. Course she wanted to help people too, do more than just sell art and work for her dad. Gotta want that a little or you can't hunt, plain and simple. But she also wanted to prove that she can handle living this life. She certainly has to me."

Wow. That was a little more than going above and beyond. Dean felt a swell of affection for Sarah that she would go to such lengths to prove to herself and to Sam that she could handle this life and wanted it. Sasha had given Dean that and he loved the incubus for it.

"She already knew about Sam's powers, about the…'special kids'," Jo said a little more hesitantly, "Sure I knew about the visions before but…sensing demons? TK? Super strength? Exorcizing demons with his mind? I mean…it's some pretty crazy shit. Freaks me out a little. Psychics I can handle, but Sam's stuff seems so wrapped up in demons now…"

"My powers are demonic," Sasha offered quietly, "For the most part. You trust me, don't you?"

Dean could tell by the hurt expression that filled Jo's face that she hated hearing that wounded tone of Sasha's just as much as he did. "You know I do. But I've known you for years, Sasha, and you've had the same powers since day one, it's what you are. Sam…what's in him isn't natural. You both know that."

"I still maintain it's about choice, just like Sarah said too," Sasha affirmed. His eyes were blue determination as he looked down the hallway again at Sam, "Sam's more powerful than me but I have to believe that what I feel from him is genuine. He just wants to help. There's nothing more important to him than saving Dean."

Unfortunately, that's what Dean was afraid of.

They let Sam and Sarah continue talking a little while longer and just when they were finally going to break things up and insist that they really needed to get going, it was Sam and Sarah who came to get them.

Wally wasn't very happy that they were leaving so soon after getting there and she followed them all the way to the door—in cat form—mewing mournfully. Ellen nodded to them as they left maybe a little too gravely and once again they were leaving the Roadhouse behind.

The girls had been using Sarah's car, not Jo's, so Dean was tempted to 'suggest' that maybe Jo should ride with them and Sam with Sarah. Sam was a little too quick to get into the Impala though, much as it appeared that he and Sarah had ended their conversation on friendly terms, so Dean decided to leave it alone.

Dean was actually the last of his crew to get into the car as he had to ogle what he discovered was Sarah's car. Sarah's 1968 red Camaro—vintage. He about pissed his pants because he was certain that that uptight prick of a father Sarah had did not have this kind of good taste. Sarah smiled at him like she had this wonderful little secret she wasn't going to share as she climbed into the driver's seat. Dean would have to grill her about that later.

They weren't two minutes onto I-70 before Dean had to ask, tactful or not. "Dude, so what's the story? You two talked for like half an hour back there."

Sam had been unnaturally quiet since they got in the car, which didn't match up at all with how he had been smiling when they left. "Sarah's…been good," Sam said, like he hadn't been thinking about her at all, "Told her dad she wanted to pursue more non-profit art ventures around the country. He's got money to burn and she's always been daddy's little girl so he's been footing the bill. Doesn't know she's actually hunting monsters for a day job." He turned to Dean with a grin but Dean could still tell there was something else on Sam's mind.

"So then…what's with the spacing?" Dean asked, "You two come to terms? You explain the whole sorry I didn't write but I had superpowers and was dead for awhile and now my big brother's on the express route to Hell? Coz that's all gotta give you at least a few extra points. There wasn't exactly a good time to come calling."

"She gets all that," Sam nodded, "She just wanted to know. She really wants to help, Dean. She wants to know what's happening. And there's a part of me that wants to let her, really let her in and know, and I know that's kind of what we're doing but…" He turned away with anguish dusting his features and stared out the window. Sasha was silent in the backseat but Dean could see that the incubus was sitting up to better overhear, watching the brothers intently. "That whole hunt when we met her…I kept waiting for something bad to happen to her, like…like it had to be pre-ordained that if I care about it something bad has to happen to it eventually. Yellow Eyes needed Mom out of the way. Needed…Jess out of the way."

"Yellow Eyes is dead, Sam," Dean said firmly.

And really he should have expected that Sam would turn and bare the yellow eyes that were now apart of him. "Yellow Eyes is me, Dean. Some hybrid thing between a demon and a human, stronger than either and more dangerous. Maybe next time it doesn't have to be some outside force taking what I love away from me. Maybe it's just me."

"Sammy…"

"I haven't told you everything," Sam said suddenly, his yellow eyes fading back to hazel as he stared straight ahead at the open road before them. Jo and Sarah were following behind. "I was about to tell you when Jo came in before, but…" he sighed, "I want you to understand even before I tell you this that it doesn't change anything. I'm still going to want to do this because it's the only way to save you and I don't care what that means for me." It was a vicious promise that made Dean pause and remain silent as Sam turned to him again. "Sarah doesn't change things either, even if it makes me more afraid. Okay?"

Dean just nodded, his eyes seeing out of their periphery that Sasha had leaned forward in between the seats. Sam looked at both of them, breaths coming slow to calm himself.

"Last night…I had this dream."

Throughout the whole span of Sam telling them about his nightmare Dean squeezed the steering wheel so tight his knuckled were white by the end of it. Sam didn't have nightmares. Sam had visions. Okay, so Sam hadn't had an honest to god vision since before the Devil's Gate, and he had more than likely had some form of normal nightmare in between, but this was too close to home. It was the future Dean feared too.

His own dreams were such similar echoes—a demon Sam wanting Dean to join him and Sasha in a Hell on Earth. Was that what they were preparing unwittingly, with Sam the Boy King and Dean and Sasha his perfect generals? Dean thought maybe he was shaking.

"But then there's the proof right there," Sasha said from the backseat, "It's all gotta be okay."

How any of what Sam had just said was proof it would all be okay, Dean couldn't even begin to imagine. "Were you listening to the same story?" Dean practically snapped.

Sasha was completely between the seats now, nearly crawled up in front with them as he smiled and said, "Yeah, I was, and I'm telling you it's a good thing. Sam, think of it," he said, turning to the other Winchester, "When you got visions before they were so you could prevent something, so you could help someone. If the powers themselves were evil then why would they give you an out, a warning like that? They wouldn't. They'd try to lead you to that future not away from it."

"So…what are you saying?" Sam asked.

As always, Sasha's smile was blinding and filled with affection. "It's not ordained and it's not a future guaranteed just because you use your powers. It's something we can stop. You using your powers is not what's going to condemn you, Sam. Now I don't know what is, but if we can be warned than we can beat it. And don't you dare think for one second that being something other than human means you don't get the chance for a happy ending." Blue eyes danced over Dean's face, not at all subtle, before turning back to Sam. "If Sarah's spent all this time waiting for you than being what you are isn't reason enough to push her away. I hope you haven't done that?"

Dean hoped that too because he had been praying for Sam to find something like what he had with Sasha. Really praying. It was too soon to assume Sarah was going to be that but it hadn't taken them more than a couple days to know there was something between them the first time. When Sam said, "No, we didn't really talk about that. More like…everything but," and smiled shyly, Dean had hope that there was light at the end of the tunnel that did not include Hellfire.

He listened only halfway as Sasha prodded for more, just enough to make it clear to all of them that Sam's heart was fluttering at the mere presence of Sarah, scared as he was. But Dean only half listened because the other half of his attention was still on the dream.

Sasha had a point, he did, but Dean had interpreted the dream a little differently, differently enough that he didn't want to tell the others. He focused on what Sam had seen of him. Black demon eyes. Black demon eyes that flared red on black.

Choice was a dangerous thing. Now Dean had to wonder if it wasn't going to be a choice of Sam's that condemned the younger hunter but a choice of Dean's instead.

They arrived in Castle Rock after midnight, having stopped briefly for dinner at a diner on the way that was surprisingly not as awkward as Dean had expected it to be. They were able to shoot the shit, talk about the case, and even joke a little. Dean could see Jo's unease towards Sam fading quickly. It was just so hard to distrust the kid when he had those puppy eyes and so much genuine concern in everything he did. Sasha was the same way.

When Sarah excused herself to the bathroom while they were waiting for their food, Dean gave Jo's shin a gentle kick to be sure she didn't follow the usual girl rule and go along. Jo glared at him after Sarah had gone. "What?" she asked.

"Just want to be sure. She knows about Sasha and me. No problem there. Not something I mind sharing. But I'm right to assume you didn't mention the whole, oh, and he's also an incubus part, right?" That had been bothering Dean even though it had seemed clear before that Sarah didn't know.

Jo looked a little affronted. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "I like her. I trust her. I enjoyed the fact that she already knew you guys and we could have some…interesting conversations about that. But I am not so stupid or so low a person as to casually hand out information that could be dangerous for my friends." She looked to Sasha sincerely. "I'd never tell anyone without getting the okay from you first. But I can vouch for her, and I'm sure Sam and Dean can too, that if you wanted to tell her yourself before we get started on this hunt and it ends up coming up anyway, I think she'll be okay with it. She didn't even bat an eyelash finding out about Sam. Though she might be a little bias on that front," Jo tossed Sam a slight smirk, to which Sam tried valiantly to look like he had no idea what she was talking about.

In the end Sasha just smiled back at Jo and explained that it wasn't that he didn't trust Sarah but that he didn't know her yet. Besides, there had been enough things for everyone to digest for one day. Dean couldn't blame the incubus for deciding that either. As fortunate as he had been with most of his hunter friends discovering his secret, he had also been brutally tortured by one.

It still burned Dean to think about that. Kubrick. Gordon too. Intolerance for race, color, or creed was bad enough, but intolerance over species seemed somehow worse.

They checked into the nearest Motel 6 in Castle Rock, the girls in one and all three boys in another. Sam had requested it and Dean was hard-pressed to refuse his brother anything he actually asked for. It was as if Sam didn't trust himself to be alone, as if the dream and recent events were enough to make him doubt himself even though everyone was being supportive. It made Dean feel selfish that they were doing all this to get him out of the deal when Sam's plight seemed so much greater.

"Hey," Sasha said, snapping his fingers in front of Dean's face. He had been sitting at the little table in their room, staring out the window at the dark, empty streets while Sasha unpacked. Sam was in the shower.

When they first arrived, they had briefly discussed with the girls that they would get up early and head over to the county library first thing. Being in Castle Rock had Sam more and more on edge as he could feel that whatever presence was pulling at him was close. He seemed certain that it wasn't mere demons but he still couldn't pin down what he was really sensing. They needed to do some local research.

"Are you okay?" Sasha pressed, slipping into the other chair.

Lately, that question was really starting to grate on Dean. "I got a bad feeling about this," he admitted, which was more than his usual response of 'I'm fine'.

"About the case?"

"About everything." Dean shuddered, feeling the cold seeping in from the window since he was sitting so close to it. He allowed Sasha to scoot the other chair closer so he could pull Dean into his side and that wonderful warmth the incubus always seemed so full of. Dean hated being the one taken care of but he had to admit that it felt good from time to time.

"You're not starting to doubt Sam, are you?" Sasha asked.

Dean couldn't shake his head fast enough. "It's not Sam. It's…just something Malak said about…things not being how they seem. Maybe he meant this case. Hell, maybe he meant the whole damn demon hunting, but I just feel like one wrong move on my part and the whole thing'll crash down around us. Hell's not the worst thing he can do to me." Dean thought unfairly of that morning when Malak had forced images of Sasha torn apart into his mind and he couldn't escape them.

Then Sasha did something amazing; he smiled and rested his head on Dean's shoulder like Dean was the one holding him. "Things can't go bad, Dean. Not with the girls along. They'll keep us in line." And maybe it was because Sasha said that so lighthearted and used 'us' instead of 'you' that Dean actually felt a little better.

"Okay, that's enough. I'm not having anymore late night pillow fights with you two," Sam said teasingly as he came out of the bathroom. He was damp and tired looking and hadn't brought any clothes in with him when he went to take his shower, so he came out in just a towel and started scrounging through his duffle.

Sasha chuckled from his place against Dean's side but when he looked over at Sam, Dean couldn't help noticing that the incubus' gaze drifted a little too far south down Sam's chest to his hips. Where the gaze lingered.

"Hey, knock that off," Dean growled, half-serious as he pulled away from Sasha and smacked his shoulder.

The incubus chuckled again and turned back to Dean. There was something sparkling in his eyes that had nothing to do with Sam in a towel. Sasha grabbed the front of Dean's T-shirt and pulled, claiming a swift but deeply loving kiss. Dean forgave and forgot immediately. Almost. "Mmm…okay, you're off the hook this time. But I don't like your thoughts going there. Ever," Dean warned.

Sasha looked at him with a thoughtful tilt of his head. "Am I only half in trouble if you're included in those thoughts too?" he asked with a quirked smile.

"Hey, hey, hey," Sam said before Dean had time to get angry over Sasha's inappropriate teasing, "I can hear you, ya know." Sam had pulled out clean shorts and a T-shirt to change into. He made a little turn around gesture with his hand at Sasha even though there was a smile on his lips too, playing along since he knew the comment was harmless and only meant to ruffle Dean.

At least Dean hoped that's all it was. He promptly did the job of covering Sasha's eyes for the incubus, holding his whole hand tightly over those bright blues so Sam could change. "I like it better when you're agreeing with us that that is never going to happen," Dean griped, "The twins can do what they please but you better knock that fantasy right out of your head. Never. Going. To. Happen."

The incubus laughed heartily, allowing Dean to cover his eyes. "I'm not saying it would. Or that I want it to. Though it did cross my mind as funny that, for whatever reason, the only person I would ever feel comfortable sharing you with is, well…Sam. Anyone else and I'd have to kill them. Guess threesome's are out for us then," he grinned cheekily.

Dean was having a real tough time not breaking into like laughter. He could tell Sam was in the same boat. But really, Dean didn't need those kinds of images playing through his mind right now, thought it seemed that since they didn't carry anything even remotely frightening he could at least enjoy the fact that he wasn't thinking about how doomed they were anymore.

The tension that had been following them all day finally started to break and was gone completely by the time Sam had finished changing and Dean removed his hand from covering Sasha's eyes. Dean was too tired to want to shower as well. He'd wait and do it in the morning. He smacked Sasha in the arm one more time for good measure before getting up to find his own clothing to sleep in.

"I don't know if all that should be flattering or disturbing," Sam was saying as he climbed into bed.

"Aw, can't it be both," Sasha snarked. He opted for shimmying out of his jeans and tossing his shirt over by his already open duffle on the floor. Since Dean had a tendency to take the bed closest to the door—old habit—that always put Sasha on the side closer to Sam's bed. In a weird way the Winchester brothers already shared the incubus. And not in a way that was anything but right.

Dean climbed under the covers, pleased that Sasha's warmth had already spread to the sheets, and nudged the incubus to turn off the lamp on the nightstand between the beds. In the dark Dean said, "So…any idea what we're gonna find tomorrow?" It was a question for either of them but really more for Sam.

And Sam answered. "If it's demons, or even one demon, then it's something powerful. I can't sense it as anything individual. I just sort of…feel like this is where we're supposed to be. I don't know if I like that or not."

Dean didn't either, especially since the girls were involved now too. He shook those thoughts off; he didn't want to lose the sense of everything being okay. "Well then," he said more lightly, "Sarah's looking pretty good, huh? Can't wait to see some of those mad skills she's sporting, what with her being so wicked with a gun apparently."

"Dean," Sam said in warning.

"I'm just saying."

"Dean," Sasha said in support of Sam even though he was half laughing.

"Well we better get Sam hooked up fast, baby, or we're at risk of you trying to get us drunk and compliant some night. Crazy perv," Dean said lovingly as he rolled closer to Sasha and pulled the incubus to him.

Sasha cupped Dean's face and kissed him, soft and slowly on the lips. "Mmm…now there's an idea."

"Can still hear you," Sam said, sounding both mortified and amused.

"See, Sammy," Dean called even as he was staring into Sasha's eyes that glowed back at him in the dark of the room, "Guess we're gonna have to get you crazy kids together."

"I marvel at your logic, Dean."

"Damn straight."

"Good night, Dean."

Dean kissed Sasha again, a tight connection, deep, with a slow twirl of his tongue just along the inside of the incubus' lips. It made Sasha shiver and Dean grinned before pushing on the incubus chest. "Night, Sammy." Dean would hold on to what he could until his last breath, would fight and struggle and joke with cocky remarks until there was nothing left. If nothing else at least it always kept Sam smiling.

tbc...

A/N: Yes, I know this is shorter, but this chapter HAD to be. The next part gets things rolling and into what I am really excited for. As I have posted a little earlier than mentioned, the contest will continue until tomorrow if you want to still send it to me. Let's say all the way up until the new episode starts. I'll post on the website the winner and all the entries compiled, and then again when I post the new chapter next week. Oh, and Sasha was TEASING. Do not expect any threesome with Sasha and the brothers any time soon. Although, I suppose there is that one thing that...oops, wouldn't want to spoil that. ;-) Til next time.

Crimson