The Supernatural X-Files

The Monster at the End of this Book [7]

Chuck was sprawled on his couch when Dean and Maxima entered; this time, Chuck looked surprised to see the duo. "What are you doing here? I didn't write this,"

Maxima grabbed Chuck roughly and dragged him back to the Impala. "I need you to come with us,"

"What? Where?"

"To the motel where Sam is,"

"That's where Lilith is,"

"Yeah, exactly. I need you to stop her,"

"Are you insane? Lilith? I know what she's capable of, Maxima. I wrote her,"

Maxima turned roughly on Chuck "All right, listen to me. You have an archangel tethered to you, okay? All you got to do is show up and boom! Lilith gets smoked,"

"But I-I haven't seen that yet. Th-the story..."

"Chuck, you're the only shot that we've got left,"

"But...I'm just a writer,"

"This isn't a story anymore. This is real! And you're in it! Now, I need you to get off your ass and fight. Come on, Chuck,"

Chuck shook his head feverishly "No friggin' way,"

Maxima's gaze turned stone cold as she looked Chuck down. Chuck gulped as he watched Maxima's eyes flicker with untapped power.

"You know what I'm capable of Chuck, you really want to test me right now?!"

"I thought you said I was protected by an archangel,"

"By all means, let's test and find out who the quicker draw is," Maxima said as lights flickered.

***

Sam heard a knock at the door and approached it slowly. He turned the handle carefully, then flung the door open.

The doorway was empty.

Sam closed the door, turning around, and saw Lilith.

"Hello, Sam," Lilith greeted.

"I've been waiting for you," Sam said.

Lilith's eyes turned white "Where's the knife, Sam?"

"On the nightstand. By the bed," Sam replied.

Lilith began walking toward the bed, then stopped. She stooped down and lifted the rug: beneath it was a Devil's Trap. Lilith rolled her eyes and touched the edge of it with a finger; the mark flared and burned away. She stood to face Sam "You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that,"

"How 'bout this?" Sam reached out a hand and concentrated; a wind blew Lilith's hair back, but he had no effect on her.

"You're strong. But you're not that strong. Not yet,"

"So why don't you throw me around then?"

"Because I can't, and you know it. You're immune to my charms. Seems we're at a stalemate,"

"Why are you here?"

"To talk,"

"Yeah," Sam scoffed "well, I'm not interested,"

"Hmm...even if I'm offering to stand down? From the seals...the apocalypse...all of it?"

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Honestly?" Lilith asked "No. You were always the smart one. But it's the truth. You can end it, Sam. Right here, right now. I'll stop breaking seals, Lucifer keeps rotting in his cage. All you have to do is agree to my terms,"

"Why would you back down?" Sam asked in confusion "Why now?"

"Turns out, I don't survive this war. Killed off, right before the good part starts,"

"What do you want?"

"For it to go back to the way it was. Before I had angels to deal with 24/7. The good old days, when it was all baby blood all the time,"

" And what do you want in return?"

"Your head on a stick. Dean's, too. Don't worry about your sweet M&M is safe...as long as she plays nicely. So what do you say, Sam? Self-sacrifice is the Winchester way, isn't it?"

"You really think I'm stupid enough to fall for this?"

"I make a deal, I have to follow through. Those are the rules, and you know it. Are you really so arrogant that you would put your life before the lives of six billion innocent people? Maybe it's all that demon blood pumping through your pipes. Man after my own heart,"

"You think I'm like you?" Sam scoffed "I am nothing like you,"

"Then prove it. Going once." Lilith turned and walked to the bed "Going twice,"

"Fine,"

Lilith turned back "Swell. By the way, a contract with me will take more than a kiss." she sat on the bed "A lot more. Don't worry. The dental hygienist in here? She wants it bad," Lilith patted the bed.

Sam approached; Lilith ran a hand up his leg as her eyes turned white.

Lilith took him by the collar and pulled him on top of her.

When Sam got close enough, he grabbed the knife and tried to stab Lilith with it.

Lilith countered his attack and flipped him over, grabbing the knife.

Before Lilith could attack, the door burst open and Dean, Chuck, and Maxima entered.

"Surprise, bitch," Maxima growled as she extended her hand causing Lilith to slam against the wall.

Chuck entered the room "I am the prophet Chuck!" he introduced.

"You've got to be joking," Lilith hissed.

"Oh, this is no joke," Dean claimed as the room began to tremble, and a great white light poured in through the windows. "You see, Chuck here's got an archangel on his shoulder. You've got about 10 seconds before this room is full of wrath and you're a piece of charcoal. You sure you want to tangle with that?"

Lilith gave Maxima one last look, then poured screaming out of her vessel's mouth.

***

Dean was driving, Sam was in the passenger's seat, Maxima sat in the backseat mindlessly watching the scenery go by as they drove.

The rear window of the Impala was still busted, still clumsily covered in a tarp flapping in the wind.

"So a deal, huh?" Dean asked.

"That's what she said,"

"To call the whole thing off-angels, seals, Lucifer rising, the whole nine?"

"That was the gist of it,"

"Huh,"

"What?"

"You didn't think once about taking it?"

"You kidding me?" Sam argued "Dude, you spent all day trying to talk me off the Lilith track,"

Dean shrugged "I'm just saying..."

"She would have found some way to weasel out of it. And all it would have cost us was our lives,"

"Yeah, I guess you're right,"

"Anyway, that's not the point,"

"What's the point?"

"The point is, she's scared," Maxima spoke up causing both brothers to glance back at her. "I could see it. Lilith is running,"

"Running from what?"

Maxima shrugged "Don't know,"

"She's not gonna survive the apocalypse." Sam said "I'll make sure of that,"