[AU] dark gonna catch me here

[gavemea_45]

Not two seconds after the door closed, Dean started demanding answers. Sam explained pretty much everything, although he glossed over the part where Wynonna'd threatened to shoot him, and for the most part Dean took it pretty well.

Until he made the suggestion of bringing Wynonna - and Peacemaker - to a crossroads and forcing the demon there to give up Dean's contract.

By the time the fight's over, Sam's certain of two things. First, that Dean's not willing to listen to reason because he doesn't want to risk Sam. And second, that he's not going to let his brother go to hell.

He makes sure Dean thinks he's asleep first, and waits until he hears his brother start snoring... then waits another half hour to make sure. Once he's certain Dean's not faking, Sam sneaks out and borrows the Impala.

There's a crossroads three miles north, an isolated one with an abandoned gas station nearby that he can use to get to the bar.

It'll do.

Comments

[pacificator]

She steps out into the night of another world and tips her head back to look up at the stars. They look familiar enough, not that she's all that into astronomy.

It's warmer than back in the Triangle, and there's no snow or frost on the ground. Her boots crunch on gravel, instead. The old gas station is near a lonesome crossroads, which is probably where they'll do their business, but her attention is caught first by the sleek black muscle car parked off to the side. "Oh, shit."

She jogs over to the Impala, running her hands almost reverently over its frame. "Who does this sexy beast belong to?"

[gavemea_45]

That startles a grin out of him. "It's Dean's." Sam comes over to join her as she examines the Impala. "He loves that car."

[pacificator]

"Jesus Christ, I gotta meet Dean."

A man who makes deals with demons and has taste this good in cars is almost certain to be a hellishly good time. He's babied this Impala as much as she has her Harley; she can tell from the polished rims and glossy exterior. She wants to hug it. Or drive it. Or both. "Oh, mama."

[gavemea_45]

Sam laughs. "I'll be glad to introduce you." Once this is over, anyway.

"Our dad was a mechanic. He taught Dean everything he knew. He can tell you about every inch of this car, it's unreal."

[pacificator]

"And I would listen to it all for a car like this."

Reluctantly, she pulls away from the car. "Damn. This must be what love feels like."

[gavemea_45]

"You talk about it like he does." Sam walks around to the driver's side. "I'm not as good with cars as he is, but I can start it for you so you can hear the engine, if that's a thing you'd like."

[pacificator]

Business before pleasure, she should probably say, but the business they're here for is fucking depressing and she really wants to hear that baby growl. "Well, I'm not gonna say no to that offer."

[gavemea_45]

Sam slides into the driver's seat and puts the key in the ignition. The Impala comes to life with a powerful roar.

[pacificator]

God, she wants to roll around on the hood like that chick in the Whitesnake video. The initial roar steadies into a deep rumble she can just about feel in her ribs.

She wonders how it would do against her Harley. Give them both a clear stretch of road and let them just go.

Wynonna leans down to give Sam a nod of appreciation. His brother sure knows what he's doing... with the car, at least.

[gavemea_45]

Sam flashes her a quick grin and lets it run for a few moments, revving the engine a little, before he shuts it off again and climbs back out.

"So. Yeah. That's Dean's car."

[pacificator]

She whistles, low and appreciative, and gives the glossy black paint a last pat. "Pretty sweet."

[gavemea_45]

"It sure is." He shoves the keys back in his pocket and comes back to join her.

"Ever seen a demon summoning?"

[pacificator]

She shakes her head.

"Not unless you count Happy Hour at Shorty's."

[gavemea_45]

"You guys have a weird setup with that," he notes. "Okay. So this is a pretty specific one. Crossroads demons - their whole thing is getting people to trade their soul in return for a wish. And because of that, they have to make it easy for people to reach them."

He goes around to the trunk as he talks and opens it to rummage through. "The way you do it is to bury a box with specific ritual items at the crossroads."

[pacificator]

"I guess they can't exactly go knocking door to door."

Her sharp glance flickers over the assortment of weapons and defenses stored in the trunk of the car. "What items?"

[gavemea_45]

He pulls out a metal box and sets it to the side with its top flipped open, then keeps rummaging until he pulls out a large leather case. Sam opens that too, revealing an array of corked and capped and sealed jars with a variety of contents.

"Graveyard dirt," he tells her, as he shakes some into the metal box and replaces the jar. "Yarrow. A black cat bone." Sam shuts the case and opens the bag that contains most of their fake IDs, rummaging through until he finds an older one that he can discard for this.

"And a picture of the person doing the ritual." His college ID photo stares up at them from the card in his hand.

[pacificator]

She watches, making note of the various elements. Waverly would be fascinated; Dolls, professionally interested.

He has even more of a baby face in that ID he uses. Somehow, it feels pretty damn wrong to use that innocent-looking kid to call up a demon. But it's not like she wants to summon the thing.

[gavemea_45]

He drops the card in the box and shuts it, then digs in a pouch that's tucked in between a machete and a hatchet. Sam pulls out a tarnished silver charm strung on a black cord and holds it out to her.

"Here. Put this on."

[pacificator]

She puts the cord over her head. The charm makes a gentle ticking noise as it swings against her own necklace. "What is it?"

[gavemea_45]

"Anti-possession charm," Sam tells her. "Don't take it off."

[pacificator]

She pauses, her fingers on the thin black cord, then drops her hands and nods. "Yeah, okay. Handy."

[gavemea_45]

"Yeah." Sam meets her eyes. "You ready?"

[pacificator]

In answer, she leans down and slips Peacemaker out from the side of her boot, curling her fingers around its familiar grip.

When she straightens, she looks Sam in the eye, level. "Yeah."

[gavemea_45]

He nods. "I'm gonna try talking to it first. It should be able to release Dean from the contract. If that doesn't work, then we can blow it back to hell."

Sam leads the way to the center of the crossroads, where he crouches down and scrapes gravel and dirt aside to make a hole in the very center. He puts the metal box in the middle and shoves the dirt back over it.

[pacificator]

She keeps her hand down, Peacemaker flat against her hip, her finger off the trigger, and watches as Sam buries the box of little offerings to whatever demonic asshole is hanging around. "Well, well, well."

The voice comes from behind them both. Wynonna spins to see a woman in a sleek black dress, her hair cut in a stylish bob. "Little Sammy Winchester," the demon says, and smiles.