Standing Outside the Fire

41

Sam and Dean stepped forward from either side of Kevin and Francesca remaining back, and threw liquid onto Mrs. Tran. "Ah! Oh! What..."

"She's clean," Dean informed.

Kevin hugged his mom, who cried in happiness.

"You smell that?" Sam asked.

Sam, Dean and Francesca walked into the house. As Sam entered the kitchen, black smoke poured from Eunis' mouth.

Sam said, "Et secta diabolica, omnis congregatio, omnis legio, omnis incursion..." the black smoke flowed back into Eunis, "...infernalis adversarii, omnis spiritus exorcizamus."

Kevin put his arms around his mother as she watched in horror. Francesca stabbed Eunis with the knife.

"Aah!" Mrs. Tran cried. Eunis screamed as her body flashed with light, and she fell to the ground, dead. "Eunis!"

Francesca glanced at Mrs. Tran. "That's not Eunis."

They made their way to the couch and Kevin sat down next to his mom. Sam said, "Mrs. Tran, your friend was possessed by a demon."

"Have you ever seen 'The Exorcist'?" Kevin asked.

Mrs. Tran turned to her son. "Is that what you've been doing all year -- watching television? Did you really have to kill her?"

Francesca nodded as Dean replied, "The demon would have warned Crowley if we didn't."

"And Crowley is the one who kidnapped you?"

"Yeah," Kevin answered. "He needs me to translate his stupid tablet so he can take over the universe or something."

"Which is why we need to get it so that we can shut the gates of Hell forever, with Crowley locked inside," Sam explained. "So that things like that don't ever happen again."

"Prophet of the Lord, huh?" Mrs. Tran stated proudly. "It does have a nice ring to it. I'll get packed." She got up.

Francesca clapped her hands together once. "Okay. We're gonna need a safe house since Crowley's been to the cabin, so-"

"Safe house? I thought we were going to get the tablet."

"We are. You're taking a trip to a demon-free zone."

Mrs. Tran frowned at Francesca. "And risk letting Kevin into the hands of this Crowley again? I don't think so."

Sam met her eyes. "Mrs. Tran, with all due respect, Frankie is right. Crowley isn't just a killer. He trades in torment. If he can find a way to separate your soul from you, he'll take that soul to Hell and burn it til there's nothing left but black smoke. I get you want to protect your son, but it's best if you let us handle this."

"I understand. But it's not my soul I'm worried about. It's my son's." She stood and crossed her arms.

Dean glanced to the prophet. "Kevin, you want to back us up here? Came all the way down here to pull her out of the fire, and now she wants to jump right back in."

"Like I can tell her what to do?" Kevin returned.

Dean, Saoirse and Mrs. Tran looked at each other and Dean chuckled and shrugged. "All right. Coming with us has conditions -- uh, hex bags to stay off the bad guys' radar and, uh, you're going to have to get inked up."

"Do what now?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, uh..." He pulled his shirt back to reveal his tattoo. "You, too, shortstop. Keeps the demons out."

"Fine," Mrs. Tran replied.

"Really?" Dean and Francesca asked in surprise.

"What, like it's my first tattoo?"