Fic #20: The A to Z of Demonology 6/6

[mizpah1931]

Title: The A to Z of Demonology
Season: 3 – immediately after the episode Bad Day at Black Rock
Category: General, Action, Humour
Warnings: Sam ouchies...
Tagline: After dealing with the YED and the Seven Deadly Sins, the boys thought they were getting a handle on demons  – but they’d never encountered anything quite like this before…
Total Word Count: 34,601
Total Chapters: 6
Chapter 6 Word Count: 6960
Beta:ziggyuk 
Story Banner: Chasidern
Award Banner: hobbleit
Winner:  SN.TV 2008 Awards – Best Humour Fanfiction (Tied with Concussed – And Loving It)

Epilogue

“No, no, no! Al!” Dean sprinted past Harry, racing to get to the enraged mechanic before he tackled the demon. Al had already reached the other side of the street as Dean hurtled across the sidewalk, and the hunter saw with a sinking heart that he would be too late. Even as the thought formed in his head he saw the little man slam to a halt as though he’d hit an invisible brick wall.

Al grunted, the breath leaving his lungs in a rush as he was caught in a demonic grip. He flailed his arms helplessly, his mouth gaping open like a stranded fish, and glared impotently at the smirking woman as she strolled closer.

“Hi, Al – nice night for a stroll, wouldn’t you say?”

“You…” Al blinked, falling silent as the Winchester brothers sped past him on either side. He saw Sam’s long arm snake out, a spray of holy water fanning from the silver flask in his outstretched hand, and cheered silently as the blessed water hit the possessed woman in the face. The demonic hold fell away, and Al stumbled forward a few paces before Harry grabbed hold of his arm to stop him falling.

Hissing like an enraged snake, Mrs Tremayne jerked sideways, full into Dean’s upswinging fist. Her head snapped back and she buckled at the knees. The green-eyed hunter caught her in his arms before she could hit the ground.

“Sorry, ma’am, but I’m sure you’ll thank me for it once we get that hell spawn out of you,” Dean murmured as he hoisted the unconscious woman across his shoulder. He looked at his sibling in wry amusement.  “Scratch one demon.”

Sam rolled his eyes and groaned. “Man – will you stop? We gotta exorcise her first, Dean.”

“Come on, Sammy! It’s one little demon. What can it possibly…” Dean trailed off into an uneasy silence as his sibling shot him a murderous glare. “Okay…”

Shaking his head in frustration, Sam stalked back to the Tremayne house, muttering under his breath.

Dean pursed his lips and followed in his pissed off sibling’s wake. He glared at Al as he passed. “Dude, that was kinda stupid, don’t you think?”

The little mechanic rubbed at his chest and trailed after the two tall hunters. “Didn’t think so at the time,” he muttered darkly as he cast a glance at his long time friend.

“Dean’s right – that was pretty stupid, Al,” Harry agreed. He clapped a hand on the smaller man’s shoulder as he steered Al up the front steps.

The two elder men found a hive of activity when they stepped inside. Their eyes tracked from Sam drawing the curtains in the living room, to Dean dragging a chair from the kitchen, the unconscious woman still slung over his broad shoulder.

With the outside world blocked from view, Sam turned his attention to the floor. Stooping, he rolled back the rug, exposing the polished floorboards underneath. He disappeared down the hall, and the local men glanced at each other in confusion as they heard the young hunter rummaging around in the rooms. He returned a few moments later, a piece of chalk held triumphantly in one long-fingered hand.

Crouching down near the middle of the floor, Sam quickly drew a devil’s trap on the floorboards and stepped back as Dean placed the chair in the centre of the diagram. The elder hunter lowered the unconscious woman onto the chair as his sibling disappeared again. Sam returned carrying a length of silk cord. He tossed it to his brother, who made short work of tying the possessed woman to the chair.

Finally, Dean stepped back, nodding in satisfaction as Mrs Tremayne groaned her way to consciousness. He smirked as the glowing fuchsia eyes tracked toward him. “I guess things are gonna get real hot for you, too, huh? Your little vacation topside’s just been cancelled, you pyro son of a bitch.”

To Dean’s dismay the woman’s face crumpled, tears welling up in her neon-bright eyes and spilling down her powdered cheeks. Her chest heaved as a sob escaped her thin lips, and the startled hunter cast a worried glance toward his sibling.

Sam’s brows shot toward his hairline as the possessed woman broke down. “Uhh…”

“Son of a bitch,” Dean muttered, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. “I – uh…crap…”

“You’re – you’re sending me back?” Slowly, the demon let its host’s head drop until the woman’s chin was almost touching her chest. “You – you don’t know…” Another sob broke free of the woman’s heaving chest. “You don’t know what it’s like down there. It’s awful. Horrible.”

“Awful?” Dean mouthed silently to his brother, his brows arched in confusion.

“They push me around – treat me like a slave!” Sniffling, the demon turned its gaze toward the younger hunter, a desperate plea in its glowing eyes. “All I get all day is Ukobach, do this – Ukobach, check the oil in the cauldrons – Ukobach, come here – Ukobach, throw the coals on that damned soul – Ukobach, hurry up and get your ass over to new admissions. I’m sick of it, I tell you! Sick of it!”

Sam cleared his throat, his eyes shifting away from the tear-streaked face before him. His shoulders twitched, as the sobbing grew louder.

“I’m sorry I pushed you.” Ukobach fastened its gaze on Dean. “Please – please don’t send me back there! I’ll do anything! Anything you want – just name it. Please!”

“Ah, Jeez…” Dean rubbed the back of his neck.

“I’ll be good, I promise! Please don’t send me back to the pit!”

Dean glanced helplessly at his sibling. Sam’s eyes were wide, stunned disbelief in their hazel depths. Turning back to the sobbing woman, Dean blew out a sigh and held up a hand. “Look – just – stop cryin’, okay? Jeez…”

The heartbroken sobs trailed into soft hiccups, and the demon gazed hopefully at the tall hunter.

“Okay, look – I’m not making any promises. First of all, you gotta leave your host before I’ll agree to anything.” Dean swallowed, studiously avoiding meeting his sibling’s shocked stare. “So come on, out already!”

Mrs Tremayne threw back her head, opened her mouth, and belched long and loud as the small black cloud of demon smoke issued from her throat.

Sam scrunched up his face in disgust. “Oh, man…”

“Dude, that’s so gross,” Dean muttered, his lips curled in distaste. He scowled at the demon and turned his gaze to the woman on the chair. “Mrs Tremayne? You okay?”

Mrs Tremayne blinked rapidly, coughed a few times, and cast a horrified look at the tiny black cloud puddled on the floor near her feet. “Ugh! Get that thing away from me!”

Sam held up a hand. “We will, trust us.” His eyes narrowed as he glanced at his brother. “Right, Dean?”

Dean chewed on the inside of his cheek, his eyes on the little cloud.

“Right, Dean?” Sam asked forcefully. “We are gonna send it back to hell, right?”

The elder hunter’s lips twitched as he faced his tall sibling. “Uh – I – well, if it – I mean…” He waved his hands helplessly. “He promised to be good.” Dean saw the top section of the little black cloud begin to nod enthusiastically.

Sam’s jaw dropped. “I don’t believe this!” He began to pace up and down the perimeter of the devil’s trap, raking his hand through his hair in agitation. “I don’t believe this!” He turned back to face his sibling. “Dean – we’re hunters! We hunt evil things – you know, ghosts, wendigos, demons. And last time I looked, that right there? That’s a demon!”

The cloud slumped in dejection, puddling out a little on the floor.

Dean raised his left hand, his thumb and forefinger held a few inches apart. “He’s only a little demon…”

“What happened to sending his tiny ass to hell for pushing you around?” Stalking forward, Sam grabbed his brother’s arm and hauled him toward the kitchen, out of earshot of the local men.

Harry’s brows rose as he watched the whispered but heated discussion between the two young hunters. He glanced at his friend. Al shrugged, turning his gaze to the woman tied to the chair and the little black swirl of smoke hovering beside her.

Adele Tremayne shuddered in disgust, her frosty blue eyes narrowing as she glared at the demon. She turned away, and met the concerned gaze of her friend and neighbour. “Harry – damn it, Harry, get me out of here and away from that – thing.”

Al cast a swift glance at the Winchesters before turning to his friend. “Guess it couldn’t hurt to get her out of there. I mean, the demon’s out of her – what harm can it do?”

Shrugging, Harry stepped inside the devil’s trap, and reached for the knots on the silk cords binding the woman to the chair.

*     *     *     *     *

“Dude, get off me!” Dean whipped his arm out of his sibling’s grasp as he halted in the kitchen doorway. “What is your problem?”

“What’s my problem?” Sam’s jaw dropped. “What the hell is your problem, Dean? We’ve been chasing this demon all over town, and now that we’ve finally caught it, you’re gonna let it go?”

“Who said anything about letting it go?” The elder hunter shifted uncomfortably under his brother’s scrutiny.

“Did you or did you not just consider letting the damned thing go?”

“No….”

Sam didn’t buy his brother’s innocent look for one second. “Oh really? How about, ‘He promised to be good’, or ‘He’s only a little demon’. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me? You saying I should waste every demon that comes along, is that it?”

“Yes!”

Dean’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Except for your little ‘pet’ demon. Can’t let anything happen to Ruby.”

Sam’s face hardened into a cold, angry mask. He leaned closer to his brother, his hands curling into fists. “She’s not my pet, Dean – she’s a way to save your life!” he snarled.

His lips tightening as his own anger mounted, Dean glared at his sibling. “I told you…” He bit off the rest of his sentence as Sam’s gaze became fixed on a point beyond Dean’s right shoulder. “What?”

Sam’s jaw dropped. “Oh, crap…”

Dean spun on his heel, his heart sinking as he saw Harry standing inside the devil’s trap. “No, no, no, no…”

In a move almost too fast to be seen, the demon shot back into its last host as Harry undid the ropes binding her to the chair. The elder hunter leapt toward the pair, knowing in his heart that he was going to be too late.

Laughing in triumph, the newly re-possessed woman swept her arm upward. Her bony fist thudded into Harry’s outthrust jaw, knocking the stocky businessman off his feet. He fell across the outer edge of the trap, sliding a little on the polished floor, and broke the trap’s cohesion. Mrs Tremayne grinned evilly, grabbed Al in a demonic grip, hoisted him into the air and flung him at the approaching hunters. “Catch!”

Dean grunted as the flying mechanic collided with him, and they fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Sam nimbly sidestepped his falling brother, pulling out his flask of holy water as he jumped over Al’s outflung arm.

Flinging up a hand, the demon sent a shove toward the young hunter, staggering him off-balance. Adele Tremayne glided forward rapidly as Sam stumbled, shoving him again as she stepped away from the trap and the cursing men rolling on the floor.

Sam’s arms flailed out to the sides as he tried to regain his balance, leaving his body wide open for an attack. Swiftly, the demon struck out at the hazel-eyed hunter, whipping up her stocking-clad leg and kicking him sharply in the groin.

A strangled croak left Sam’s lips as white-hot agony roared through his lower body. He crumpled to the floor, folding almost in half, his arms curling around his lower belly, and lost all interest in the proceedings.

The front door banged as Dean finally pushed the weakly writhing mechanic off his chest, and he sat up, cursing a blue streak. His gaze skated over the stunned businessman spreadeagled on the floor, and fastened on his sibling kneeling in front of the couch with his forehead almost touching the floor. “Sammy!”

Skating across the floor on his knees, Dean slid to a stop beside his brother. He reached out, grasping Sam’s shoulders, and tried to straighten the younger man up. “Sam, talk to me!”

Groaning, the shaggy-haired hunter curled himself into a foetal position, cradling his throbbing groin. Tears of pain leaked from his tightly closed eyelids and trickled down his pale cheeks.

“Ah, Jeez,” Dean muttered, running one hand through his hair as he patted his sibling’s back with the other hand. “Okay, all right.” He glanced over his shoulder as Al got to his feet. “Hey, where’d that son of a bitch go?”

Al waved a hand toward the door as he staggered over to the two hunters. “Think she bailed out on us. What happened to Sam? What did she do to him?”

Dean chewed on his lower lip as he again tried to get his little brother to straighten up. “Kicked him in the jewels.”

“Man, what a bitch.” Al’s pale grey eyes widened as he heard a groan from behind him. He spun on his heel, eyeing his weakly moving friend. “Harry – what the hell happened?”

“Ohh, crap.” Sitting up slowly, Harry held a hand to his jaw as he glanced up at his friend. “Man, that woman packs a hell of a punch.”

“She packs a hell of a kick, too,” Dean muttered as he slid his hands under his sibling’s armpits, hauling Sam up and sitting him on the couch. The young hunter immediately toppled onto his side, tucked his knees up toward his chest and moaned breathlessly. “We gotta find her, and fast.”

While Al helped a groggy Harry to a chair, Dean disappeared into the kitchen. He returned a few moments later, halting beside the couch as his sibling’s eyes fluttered open. Dean held out the ice pack he’d found in the freezer. Sam eyed the ice pack and squinted up at his brother in disbelief.

Dean shuffled his feet and shrugged. “Ice – you know – for – for your – ice is – good for bruising…” He broke off as Sam’s glare almost fried him on the spot. “Okay, maybe – not a good idea…” Dean tossed the ice pack onto the couch and scratched the back of his head, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

All four men stiffened as the front door was suddenly flung open. Dean reached for the gun in his waistband, stepping in front of his injured brother. His mouth fell open in surprise as a dishevelled Adele Tremayne staggered into the room and threw herself into his arms.

“Oh, my God – oh, God…” The woman sobbed, clinging to the tall hunter like a lifeline. “You have to – help me.”

“Holy…” Dean staggered back a pace, releasing his grip on the pistol’s butt as he wrapped his hands around the woman’s upper arms. He cursed as he looked down into her tear-filled blue eyes. “Where is it? Who’d it jump into?”

The woman grasped the lapels of Dean’s jacket, pressing her face against his chest as she continued sobbing. “That thing – that thing…”

“Yeah, I know, I know,” Dean gritted. “Where. Did. It. Go.”

Adele waved a hand in the direction of the street. “Went – it went down the street – it just left me on the sidewalk. Oh, my God.”

Dean rolled his eyes and glanced at the two older men, his eyebrows drawing together in a frown. “Al – take her, will you?” He released his grip on the crying woman and turned toward the couch, eyeing his sibling speculatively. “You okay? Can you walk?”

Sam nodded, holding out his arm. He winced as Dean dragged the offered arm across his shoulders and hauled him to his feet. Feeling as if he had two red-hot cannon balls between his legs, Sam hobbled to the door with his brother’s help, and half-staggered, half-fell down the front stairs.

The brothers halted on the edge of the sidewalk and glanced up and down the street. Dean kept a firm grip on his sibling’s arm as he studied the neighbourhood. A car approached from the left, driving slowly, and the hunter glanced up in curiosity. As the vehicle drew level with the Winchesters, the fuchsia-eyed driver leaned out the open window, grinned at the stunned hunters and stepped on the gas, sending the car fishtailing down the street.

“Son of a bitch!” Dean growled. He pulled Sam’s arm more firmly across his shoulders and turned to head back to the motel, and the waiting Impala, as fast as his brother could move.

“Dean – wait!” Al drew level with the staggering hunters, Harry and Adele following closely behind him. “What was it? Who was it?”

Dean narrowed his eyes in anger. “Alisa. That hell spawn son of a bitch’s possessing the hot librarian chick. Any of you got any ideas where Ukobach could be taking her?”

“Hell, she’s got the car – she could go anywhere.” Al worried his lower lip with his teeth as he hurried along beside the two hunters. “There’s two towns a few dozen miles away…” he broke off as Harry grabbed Dean’s coat sleeve.

“Oh, my God! I know where he’s going!”

Dean stopped, swinging Sam around as he faced the agitated businessman. “Where?”

Harry swallowed nervously. “In the next town – where Alisa went to the movies – and where she was supposed to be spending the night with a friend – there’s a…” he swallowed again and cleared his throat, his face losing its colour. “There’s a fireworks factory…”

“Holy crap!” Dean shared a horrified look with his brother. “Ignite – inventor of fireworks! Crap, crap, crap!” He released his grip on his brother’s wrist and steered Sam toward Harry. “Take Sam, wait here! I’ll bring the car around!”

Dean spun on his heel and sprinted up the street, his heart hammering in his chest.

*     *     *     *     *

Dean glanced in the rear view mirror and licked his lips. The three formerly possessed people sitting in the back seat of the Impala stared back at him; worry clearly etched into their faces. He shot a concerned look at his sibling and murmured softly, “Definitely gonna need a bigger room, dude.”

Sam glanced at his brother, and returned his gaze to the road in front of the Chevy’s headlights.

Dean flicked another lightning glance at his too-silent sibling. Sam hadn’t said a word since the demon had kicked him, and Dean was beginning to get a little worried. He could tell his brother was pissed, but he wasn’t sure just who Sam was pissed at – Dean, the demon, or both. “Hey, you okay? How’s your – I mean – are you – is it…” Dean stuttered into silence as Sam stared coldly back at him.

Adele winced, and leaned forward to rest a hand on the young hunter’s shoulder, inadvertently pressing against the healing bullet wound. She jumped slightly as Sam flinched, and quickly snatched her hand back. “Oh – I’m – I’m so sorry, young man – I mean, about your – you-know-what.” She blushed and sat back, folding her hands in her lap.

Dean suppressed an amused smirk as his brother gave the embarrassed woman a half-hearted smile in return. He glanced in the rear view mirror again, meeting Harry’s eyes in the glass. “How far, Harry?”

The businessman gazed out the window for a long moment, looking for landmarks in the dark. “Well, we just passed the Pryor farm, so we should be there in about fifteen minutes, give or take a few.”

The Impala growled throatily as her master trod harder on the gas pedal. Dean pressed his lips together, staring out at the deserted road unfolding before the Chevy’s headlights. “Let’s see if we can shave some time off that, huh?”

The outskirts of the town came into view a scant ten minutes later and Dean gave a tiny sigh of relief, easing his foot off the gas. The last thing he wanted was to get caught by an over-zealous town cop for speeding.

“Turn left at the next crossroads – the factory’s about three miles out,” Harry instructed, leaning forward to rest a hand on the back of the front seat. He glanced at the falling needle on the speedometer and tapped the green-eyed hunter on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about the cops – Dale goes off duty around ten pm. He’ll be asleep, unless someone goes and hauls his lazy ass out of his nice warm bed.”

Dean nodded, easing the big Chevy into the left hand turn without losing too much speed. He poured on the gas again as the car came out of the turn, sending the black classic hurtling down the narrow road. A few moments later the road began to climb a small rise, and the hunters tensed as the car neared the summit. Dean blew out a noisy sigh as the factory roof came into view. “Finally, something went right to…”

With a roar that shook the very ground, the roof of the factory blew into a million pieces, sending strips of roofing iron whizzing through the air like shrapnel. As Dean brought the Chevy to a screeching halt, one wall of the building bowed outward with the force of the explosion and toppled, revealing the blazing interior. Suddenly, hundreds of shooting stars erupted from the inferno, arcing toward the sky before bursting into multi-coloured sparks. Rockets screamed and hissed, twisting across the landscape and erupting into flaming colour. Dean’s jaw dropped in stunned surprise.

“Oh, shit,” Al muttered from the back seat.

Dean gritted his teeth, tearing his gaze from the spectacular display to glance at his sibling. Sam stared out through the windshield, his expression unreadable. The bright flashes of the exploding fireworks reflected in his eyes. Dean cleared his throat, uncomfortable with his sibling’s continued silence. “Sam? Aren’t you gonna say anything?”

Sam’s gaze tracked a rocket as it shot toward the sky and exploded in a rainbow of spinning sparks. “Red….green....blue …”

“Funny, Sam.” Dean closed his eyes and rubbed a hand across his face. “Jeez, this gig just gets better and better.”

Harry tapped the tall hunter on the shoulder and pointed toward the parking lot nestled against the base of the hill. There was a small car parked in the corner of the lot, and the businessman caught sight of a dark, slightly built figure making its way rapidly toward the vehicle. “Dean, look!”

“Son of a bitch,” Dean growled, slamming his booted foot down onto the gas pedal. The Impala leapt forward with a roar, the tyres screaming as they spun on the asphalt surface. The black classic rocketed down the slope and slid sideways into the parking lot, coming to a sudden halt in front of the stunned librarian.

Dean flung himself from the still rocking Impala and sprinted toward the fuchsia-eyed figure as he pulled a silver flask from his pocket. Twisting the cap off, he flicked his wrist and showered the possessed woman with the fluid. She reared back, blinking in surprise as the spray of Jack Daniels ran down her face and dripped onto her sweater. “Ah, crap – wrong freakin’ flask!”

Ukobach snarled; waving a hand at the dismayed hunter, and Dean staggered backwards, his feet tangling together. His balance destroyed, the hunter fell, landing on his back with a winded grunt as his brother ran awkwardly past him.

Sam gritted his teeth against the dull ache in his groin, and flung the contents of his silver flask at the smirking demon. The holy water hit the woman in the face, and she hissed as she cowered back against her car. Sam bored in, pressing the struggling woman against the side of the vehicle. Raising his arm, he tilted the bottle above her head and began pouring the rest of the contents over her. “Dean! Get over here!”

“Nag, nag, nag,” Dean muttered, climbing to his feet and pulling his other flask from his jacket pocket. He sprinted forward, adding his own stream of holy water to his brother’s dwindling supply. Dean grabbed the pretty librarian, wrapping his arms around her slender body and pinning her arms to her sides. “Sam, exorcise the son of a bitch!” he shouted over the crackling roar of the fireworks.

“We need a devil’s trap!”

“No time! Just do it!” Dean gritted his teeth as the demon-possessed woman fought against his hold. “Make it the condensed version!”

“Exorcizo te, immundissime spiritus, omnis incursio adversarii, omne phantasma, omnis legio, in nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi eradicare, et effugare ab hoc plasmate Dei. Ipse tibi imperat, qui te de supernis caelorum in inferiora terrae demergi praecepit.”

Dean grunted as the possessed librarian kicked him in the shins, and tightened his grip. “Ow, damn it! Hurry up, Sam!”

Sam huffed in annoyance. “Ipse tibi imperat, que mari, ventis, et tempestatibus imperavit. Audi ergo, et time, satana, inimice fidei, hostis generis humani, mortis adductor, vitae rap…” Sam broke off, staring in shock as his wildly yelling brother flew across the hood of the Impala and disappeared from sight, followed by a heavy thud. He glared at the demon, and drew in a deep breath. “Recede ergo in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti; da locum Spiritui Sancto, per hoc signum sanctae Crucis Jesu Christi Domini nostri: Qui cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto vivit et regnat Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum – Amen!”

Alisa’s head was wrenched back, her wavy hair flying around her head in a soft brown cloud. Her mouth opened, and the demon spewed forth with a long, loud belch, twisting in the air as it was pulled from its human host. It hovered for an instant before disappearing in a bright flash, accompanied by a dull boom. The librarian staggered back, fell against her car and slid down its side to the ground.

Harry, Adele and Al stood near the Impala, staring in open-mouthed shock at the tableau before them. They turned as one as a low groan floated up from the other side of the car. Dean’s pale face appeared over the hood, and he blinked dazedly at his sibling before switching his gaze to the crumpled figure of the formerly possessed girl.

“Did I miss anything?”

*     *     *     *     *

“We definitely have to get a bigger room,” Dean muttered to himself as he refilled the coffee machine for the third time. He turned, leaning gingerly against the sink, and surveyed the crowded motel room with a wry grin.

Al and Adele sat at the small table. Al held the widow’s hand, patting it gently as she dabbed at her eyes with a tiny lace handkerchief. Harry perched on the arm of the couch, sipping his coffee. Sam had settled on the end of his bed, Alisa by his side. Her arms were wrapped around the young hunter’s neck, her face pressed against his muscled chest as sobs shook her petite frame. Sam’s arm was draped around her shoulders.

Dean shook his head, relaxed further against the sink and winced as he discovered a new bruise. He straightened up with a muttered curse and rubbed at his back as he eyed his sibling. “Well, that went well, wouldn’t you say?”

Sam’s mouth opened, and closed without a sound as he stared at his sibling in disbelief. He closed his eyes and shook his tousled head.

The green-eyed hunter pouted, and jumped as a sudden knocking shattered the quiet. His gaze flicked from the door rattling in its frame from the force of the blows, to his sibling. Sam nodded, eased Alisa from him and reached for the pistol lying on the nightstand between the two beds as he got to his feet.

Motioning for Sam to take the left, Dean sidled to the right hand side of the door. He shot another quick glance at his sibling, who nodded back once, signalling that he was ready. Dean flung open the door and quickly stepped aside, his gun coming up and lining on the bearded face of Bobby Singer.

“What the hell have you two boys been doing?” the demon hunter demanded as he pushed by Dean and stormed into the room. “I’ve been tryin’ to call you two for a day and a half!” He blinked in astonishment as his gaze swept around the room. “And who are these people?”

Dean shrugged as he tucked his .45 back into his waistband. “They followed us home, Bobby. Can we keep ‘em?”

*     *     *    *    *

“Ukobach? Really?” Bobby pushed his baseball cap back off his forehead as a steaming cup of coffee was placed on the table in front of him.

“Yeah,” Sam replied softly.

“How the hell did he get out of Hell?”

Dean shrugged, his lips quirking into a faint smirk. “Well, the gate was open, Bobby.”

“I know that, Dean, but Ukobach’s a really, really minor demon. He wouldn’t have the strength to get out on his own – one of the other demons must have brought him along.”

Sam raised a sardonic eyebrow, giving his elder sibling an ‘I told you so’ look. “Well, we kinda didn’t get a chance to ask him before we sent him back to Hell.”

“And not before time, too. I heard about the fireworks factory going up.” Bobby shook his head as he sipped at his coffee. “Lucky no one was hurt.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Lucky,” he murmured sarcastically, jerking as his leg was kicked under the table. He glared at his brother and kicked him back.

Sam hissed; bending down to rub his bruised shin.

“So, what else did he blow up while he was topside?”

“Oh, not much,” Dean cocked his head to the side while he ticked off the list on his fingers. “Let’s see, first there was the furniture factory, then the diner, then the communications tower, then the garage.”

Bobby shook his head ruefully. “Damned busy little bastard. And those people?”

“All possessed by him.” Sam scratched the back of his head as he gazed around the motel room. The local people had gone to Harry’s house to freshen up and grab an early breakfast, leaving the Winchester brothers to bring their old friend up to speed on the hunt. He glanced over his shoulder as the first rays of the rising sun splashed across the curtains, and rubbed his gritty eyes. “It was weird, though, Bobby. Ukobach didn’t hurt them – he didn’t hurt anyone, actually.”

Dean snorted in disbelief, earning himself another glare from his sibling. He carefully schooled his face into a picture of innocence as Bobby’s gaze turned his way.

The bearded hunter frowned uncertainly at the elder Winchester. “Well, if you boys are sure there’s no harm done, and you’ve covered your tracks…”

Dean snorted again, thinking of the nerve-wracking hour they’d spent hiding in the woods near the fireworks factory, waiting for the cops to stop patrolling the roads so they could get the hell away from there. He had brought the three older locals back with him in the Impala while Sam drove Alisa’s car, with the distressed librarian riding as shotgun. They’d had to hide both vehicles under the cover of the trees until the coast was clear.

“Then I guess it’s time to head out,” Sam finished for the elder hunter. “You got another gig for us, Bobby?”

The demon hunter shook his head. “Nah. Why don’t you boys come on back to the house? I want to see if I can figure out what makes that Colt tick. You two might as well take a couple of days off while I have a look at it. Give your shoulder a chance to heal up, Sam. How is it, anyway?”

Sam flexed his left arm. “It’s better. But I guess we could use the down time.” He glanced at his sibling, his eyebrow arched in a silent query.

Dean nodded as he got to his feet. “No arguments here.”

The green-eyed hunter retreated to the bathroom to shower, leaving his brother with their long time friend. Bobby eyed the youngest Winchester.

“Sam? Everything all right?”

“Yeah, sure, Bobby. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“You didn’t run into trouble on this hunt, did you?”

The young hunter let out an amused huff. “Of course not. Well, kinda...” Sam shrugged his good shoulder. “It kinda made things a little hard when the demon blew up the tower. But the library had some pretty good reference material, so we managed okay in the end.”

“Huh.” Bobby fell silent as Sam rose to his feet. The demon hunter finished his coffee, helped himself to another cup, and sat back down while the young hunter packed his bag.

Fifteen minutes later the bathroom door opened, emitting a cloud of steam. Dean strode out into the main room and tossed his dirty clothes onto his bed. He smirked as his brother pushed past him.

“You better have left me some hot water,” Sam muttered darkly.

“I always leave you some.”

“No, you don’t!”

Bobby rolled his eyes as the bathroom door slammed. “So, Dean,” he began, his shrewd gaze locked on the young hunter. “Everything all right?”

“Sure, Bobby. Why do you ask?” Dean glanced up from his packing, a faint frown between his brows.

“No reason. Just making sure you didn’t run into any trouble on this one.”

“Course not.” Dean smirked as an angry yell issued from behind the closed bathroom door. “No trouble at all.”

Bobby shook his head as the cocky hunter picked up the bags and began to load them into the trunk of the Impala. “Boy, you two are gonna be the death of me one of these days,” he muttered quietly. Finishing off his coffee, he put the empty cup in the sink and strode to the door.

The sun was just clear of the horizon, and the town was bathed in soft gold light as Bobby approached the Impala. “Well, I’ll hit the road. See you boys in a while.”

Dean glanced over at Bobby’s battered sedan, and grinned. “Oh, don’t worry – we’ll catch up with you soon. Probably be back at the house before you, anyway.”

“Smart ass!” The elder hunter swatted his young friend on the shoulder as he dug his keys from his pocket. “See you at home.”

Folding his arms and leaning against the trunk of the Impala as Bobby drove up the street, Dean watched the car until it disappeared from view around a corner. That simple phrase, ‘see you at home’, struck a chord in his wandering soul that he never knew existed. It was a nice feeling, knowing that there was some place in their mixed-up world that the boys could actually consider home. He smiled softly, dropping his gaze to the concrete surface of the parking lot.

Hearing footsteps, the hunter glanced up, tensing slightly out of habit. He relaxed as he saw the group of townspeople headed toward him, and grinned in welcome. “Hey.”

Harry winked as he came to a halt, a plastic bag containing his borrowed clothes dangling from one hand. He gestured toward the trunk and the bags resting on the false bottom, and tossed the plastic bag inside. “Thanks for the use of the clothes. Guess your work here is done, huh? Time to hit the road again?”

“Yeah, it is.” Dean shook the stocky man’s hand. “Hey, thanks for the help. It’s been – well, weird.” He shrugged, and laughed softly as his sibling emerged from the motel room.

Sam dumped his duffle in the trunk and shook hands with the two local men. He stooped down to accept a kiss on the cheek from Adele before turning to face the pretty librarian.

Alisa took Sam’s hand, gazing up into his soulful eyes. “Will we see you again?”

“Maybe. Our job kinda takes us all over, you know?”

“Well, guess this is goodbye, then.”

“I guess it is.”

Dean rolled his eyes. Al smirked. Harry let out an amused snort. The businessman waved a hand at the young couple. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, kiss the girl already!”

 Blushing furiously, the young hunter bent down, taking the girl into his arms. Her fingers threaded through his slightly damp hair as his lips pressed against hers, and she pulled him close, not wanting the kiss to end. Finally she felt Sam begin to draw back, and she released her grip on his long dark locks, running her hands down his shoulders and chest before she reluctantly stepped back.

Dean grinned as Harry draped a fatherly arm across Alisa’s shoulders. “So.”

“So. You boys take care of yourselves, you hear?” Al smiled. “We certainly won’t forget you in a hurry. And if you ever do pass through this way again, you be sure to stop by and say hello to the Bang-up Club.”

Sam cocked his head to the side, his eyebrows raised. Dean frowned, staring blankly at the grinning foursome.

Adele laughed lightly as she twined her fingers around Al’s hand. “We decided to form a club. Since we have so much in common, we thought we’d stick together.”

“Bang-up Club?” Dean shook his head in wry amusement.

“Working title,” Harry shrugged. “Alisa’s going to work on it for us – come up with a better name – something really…”

“Explosive?” the green-eyed hunter suggested.

“Snappy,” Al corrected. He shook Dean’s hand. “See you around, boys.”

Dean gave Alisa a brief hug, sliding behind the wheel as his brother closed the trunk and dropped the motel room key off at the reception desk. The newly formed Bang-up Club piled into Alisa’s car, waving at the brothers as they pulled out onto the street. Dean waved back, and chuckled softly as his sibling emerged from the office and walked toward the Impala.

Sam let out an exasperated huff and flung his long frame into the car. He turned to look at his brother, his face scrunched in disgust.

Dean arched his eyebrows as he shoved the key in the ignition. “Dude, you look like you just sucked on a lemon. What’s wrong with you?”

“They got possessed by a demon, blew up a few buildings, and now they’re forming a club?” The younger man slowly shook his tousled head. “And I thought our lives were weird.”

“You’re telling me.”

Sam stretched out a long arm, grabbing hold of the steering wheel as Dean reached for the gear lever. “Dude – do me a favour. Don’t tell Bobby that we – got our asses kicked by a midget demon…” He let go of the wheel, and flapped a hand toward the departing car. “You know, ‘cause that would be…”

“Awkward. Yeah, absolutely. Bobby’d never let us live it down.” Tossing a faint, sickly smirk his brother’s way, Dean pulled the Chevy onto the road and headed for the highway. He shot a glance at the rear view mirror. “Although in your case it wasn’t your ass the demon kicked, it was your…”

“Shut up!”

“I’m just sayin’.”

“Well, don’t.”

Dean tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, an innocent look in his wide green eyes as he cast a glance at his sibling. He grinned as Sam huffed and turned away. The grin faded and Dean turned his gaze back to the road, falling silent until the Chevy reached the outskirts of the town. He raised an eyebrow at his brother. “You know, that would have to be one of the most spectacular exorcisms we ever performed. I mean; we don’t usually send a demon to hell with a display of fireworks. That was bigger than the Fourth of July stuff.”

“Yeah,” Sam murmured, faint laughter in his voice. “I gotta admit, it was pretty surreal.”

“Yeah, we gave old Ukobach a pretty good send-off.” Dean’s eyes narrowed against the glare of the sun. “Hope the little guy’s gonna be okay down there.”

Sam stared back incredulously. “Oh, tell me you did not just say that!”

“What?” Dean rolled his eyes at his brother’s annoyed snort. He chewed on his lower lip as Sam turned to face the window once more. “Hey, Sammy?”

Sam turned from the window and gave his sibling a curious glance. “What?”

“Are we – you know – good?”

A slight smile tugged at the young hunter’s expressive mouth. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

“So, that’s a yes?” Dean pressed.

“Yeah, Dean. We’re good.” Sam watched his brother’s hand move toward the cassette player. “But we won’t be if you turn that thing…”

Dean shoved in the tape, and turned the volume up to an ear-splitting level, grinning at his sibling’s pained expression. “Can’t hear you, Sammy.”

Sam took a deep, calming breath and reached toward the volume knob, jumping as his hand was slapped. “Just turn it down a little, Dean!”

“Told you, shotgun shuts his cakehole.”

“Then maybe you should ride shotgun for awhile.”

“Oh, so you can put on your chick-flick music? Not gonna happen – not in my baby. She only likes real music.”

“Have you listened to yourself? You’re obsessed with this car to the point where it’s downright scary. And I do not listen to chick-flick music!”

“Chick-flick music, frou-frou coffee – when are you gonna start wearing pink? Oh, wait – I forgot – you already have a pink shirt.”

“Dean, I swear…”

The black Impala roared down the open road, and was soon lost to sight, the deep growl of her engine slowly fading in the quiet morning air.

End.

 

Special thanks to Windyfontaine for letting me use her as a basis for the character Alisa.

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