(1) The Devil's Hybrid (D. Winchester)

Chapter Fifty-Three

"Too friggin' much, pal" Dean enters the hotel. The religious man watches him go.

......................

Dean sits on the edge of the hotel bed whilst on the phone to Castiel.

"We're talking about the Colt, right? I mean, as in the Colt?" Dean asks.

"We are" Castiel answers.

"Well, that doesn't make any sense. I mean, why would the demons keep a gun around that, uh, kills demons?" A car goes by Castiel.

"What? What? Did—I didn't—I didn't get that" Dean laughs.

"You know, it's kind of funny. Talking to a messenger of God on a cellphone. It's, you know, like watching a Hell's Angel ride a moped"

"This isn't funny, Dean. The voice says I'm almost out of minutes"

"Okay, all right. I'm—I'm telling you, Cas, the mooks have melted down the gun by now"

"Well, I hear differently. And if it's true and if you are still set on the insane task of killing the devil, this is how we do it"

"Okay. Where do we start?"

"Where are you now?"

"Kansas City" Dean leans across the bed to grab his room key off the bedside table. "Century Hotel, room 113"

"I'll be there immediately"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. No, no, come on, man. I just drove like sixteen hours straight, okay? I'm human. And there's stuff I got to do"

"What stuff?"

"Eat, for example. In this case, sleep. I just need like four hours once in a while, okay?"

"Yes"

"Okay, so, you can pop in tomorrow morning"

"Yes. I'll just..." Dean hangs up. Castiel hears a dial tone. "Wait here, then" Castiel stands at the side of the road.

......................

Elijah rests his chin on his joint hand as he watches his little sister fidget with a ring on her finger.

"Are you not hungry?" he asks, Erika looks to him and then to her meal, she's not touched it. The wine though, she's already most of the way through it and he's not had any.

"Oh," she whispers. "I guess not" she shrugs and leans back.

"What's bothering you?" Elijah asks.

"Nothing" she answers.

"If you tell me, I could fix it" he offers, she smiles and shakes her head.

"It's nothing you can help with, Eli, it's just...personal"

"And we're family" he argues, she smiles warmly at him.

"I know....but I meant personal as in: I have to deal with this myself" Elijah takes her hand and smiles. "But thank you" she squeezes his hand.

..................

Dean is in bed. His phone vibrates; he answers it.

"Damn it, Cas, I need to sleep!"

"Dean, it's me"

"Sam? It's quarter past four"

"This is important," Sam tells him.

................................

Dean gets a beer out of the fridge. Sam is driving.

"So, you're his vessel, huh? Lucifer's wearing you to the prom?" Dean asks.