Bless the Broken Road

38. All Hell Breaks Loose (Part Two)

Sam's corpse was lying on a mattress. Dean was sitting next to him, gloomy. Zach was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall he held his fist to his mouth.

Dean began speaking. "You know, when you were little -- you couldn't have been more than five -- you just started asking questions. How come we didn't have a mom? Why do we always have to move around? Where'd Dad go when he'd take off for days at a time? I remember I begged you -- "Quit asking, Sammy. Man, you don't want to know." I just wanted you to be a kid... Just for a little while longer. I always tried to protect you and Zach... Keep you two safe... Dad didn't even have to tell me. It was just always my responsibility, you know? It's like I had one job... I had one job... And I screwed it up. I blew it. And for that, I'm sorry. I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. I let Dad down. I've let Zach down. And now I guess I'm just supposed to let you down, too. How can I? How am I supposed to live with that? What am I supposed to do? Sammy. God. What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?!"

He glanced at Zach. "Stay here. I gotta get out of here."

Zach didn't seem to hear him.

---

Dean drove off in a reckless fashion. He stopped on a dirt road and inserted several items into a box, including a photo ID of himself. He began burying the box in the middle of a crossroads. Several seconds passed in silence as Dean looked right and left.

"Oh come on already. Show your face, you bitch!" Dean yelled.

A beautiful woman in a black dress appeared. "Easy sugar, you'll wake the neighbors. Dean. It's so, so good to see you." She inhaled sharply. "I mean it. Look at you. Gone and your family killed. You all alone in the world. It's too sweet. Excuse me, you're gonna have to give me a moment. Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses."

"I should send you straight back to Hell."

"Oh, you should. But you won't. And I know why."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Following in Daddy's footsteps. You wanna make a deal. Little Sammy back from the dead, and -- let me guess -- you're offering up your own soul?"

"There are a hundred other demons who'd love to get their hands on it. And it's all yours. And all you got to do is bring Sam back. And give me ten years -- ten years, and then you come for me."

"You must be joking."

"That's the same deal you give everyone else."

"You're not everybody else." She whispered in Dean's ear. "Why would I want to give you anything? Keep your gutter soul. It's too tarnished, anyway."

"Nine years."

"No."

"Eight."

"You keep going, I'll keep saying no."

"Okay, five years. Five years, and my bill comes due. That's my last offer -- five years or no deal."

The demon leaned in for a kiss. "Then no deal."

"Fine."

"Fine." She began walking away. "Make sure you bury Sam before he starts stinking up the joint."

"Wait."

"It's a fire sale and everything must go," the demon said softly.

"What do I have to do?"

"First of all, quit groveling. Needy guys are such a turnoff." She sighed. "Look... Look, I shouldn't be doing this. I could get in a lot of trouble. But what can I say? I got a blind spot for you, Dean. You're like a... puppy. You're just too fun to play with." She sighed again. "I'll do it."