[Trial and Error]
Francesca watched as her husband meticulously organized everything. A small smile tugged at her lips and Dean, sensing he was being stared at, said, "Don't judge, Frankie."
She shook her head. "I'm not."
He kissed her and smiled. "I'm hungry. Are you?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
"Great. I'll make something! Are the twins down?"
"Finally. Should I be concerned?"
"Nope."
He kissed her again and left the room.
Francesca made her way into the library. Sam was reading and Francesca pulled a random book from the bookshelf, then sat across from him.
Dean entered the library with three plates, two in one hand. He noticed Sam and Francesca with books. "What you guys reading?"
"Sort of, uh, everything," Sam replied.
"Oh, good. Somebody's gonna have to dig through all this and it ain't gonna be me."
Sam looked at his burger. "You made these?"
Dean nodded. "We have a real kitchen now."
"And a home. Finally," Francesca said. "This looks delicious. But a taste will prove all."
"Have faith in me, Frankie."
"Burgers," Sam stated, turning to Dean. "I know. I-I just didn't think you knew what a kitchen was."
"I'm nesting, okay?" Dean shot back. "Eat."
Sam took a big bite from his burger while Dean smiled and watched. "Huh? Yeah."
"Wow," Sam said, with a mouth full of food.
"You're welcome."
Francesca smiled at her husband. "I think you should be in charge of food from here on."
She started eating her burger and gave Dean a small smile. He was about to take a bite from his burger when his phone rang. He sighed and pulled his phone from his pocket and it rang again.
Dean answered. "Yo."
Kevin's voice came through. "Dean? Come quick."
"What? Kevin? Kevin?!"
"Something wrong?" Sam and Francesca asked.
"Guess."
His phone beeped off. Dean stood with his plate in his hand and left. Francesca picked up her plate and followed. Sam stood, started to follow, stopped, grabbed his plate, and ran after the other two.
The twins were gathered up and placed in the car.
---
They made their way to the boat where Kevin was and came through the metal door. They all had their guns at the ready.
"Kevin?" Sam called. "It's us."
Francesca found a door marked 'N 2Rt stb' and opened the door and saw Kevin vomiting and grimaced slightly. "Found him."
Sam and Dean entered the doorway as Kevin continued puking. Francesca rubbed his back and he eventually nodded.
Kevin walked over to a table and sat down as he wiped his bloody nose.
"Wow," Dean commented. "You look like hammered crap."
"Yeah," Kevin said in a nasally tone.
"Are you sleeping?" Sam asked.
"Not really."
"Are you eating?" Dean questioned.
"Hot dogs, mostly."
"Sure, yeah -- breakfast of champions. Look, I'm gonna feel dirty saying this, but you might want a salad and a shower."
"I know, and I've been getting bad headaches and nosebleeds, and I think maybe I had a small stroke. But it was worth it."
"What was worth it?" Francesca questioned.
"I figured out how to close the Gates of Hell."
"You-" Dean began.
Sam, Kevin and Francesca chuckled and Dean smiled as he said, "Come here, you smelly son of a bitch." He gave Kevin a big hug, lifting him up off the ground and everyone laughed.
Sam clapped his hands. "Okay, okay. So, what does this mean? What are we looking at?"
"It's a spell," Kevin replied.
"And?" Dean asked.
"And it's just a few words of Enochian, but..." He gave a piece of paper to Dean.
"Oh, here we go."
"...the spell has to be spoken after you finish each of the three trials."
Sam frowned. "T-trials like, uh, like 'Law and Order'?"
Dean handed Sam the piece of paper and Sam grabbed it from his hand. Francesca moved closer to Sam to look at the paper.
"More like Hercules," Kevin explained. "The tablet says, "Whoever chooses to undertake these tasks should fear not danger, nor death, nor..." A word I think means getting your spine ripped out through your mouth for all eternity."
"Good times," Dean mumbled.
"Basically, God built a series of tests, and when you've done all three, you can slam the gates."
Sam frowned. "So, what -- God wants us to take the SATs?"
"I-I guess. Uh, he works in mysterious ways."
"Yeah, mysterious, douchey ways," Dean said. "All right. Where do we start?"
"I've only been able to crack one of the tests so far, and it's gross. You've got to kill a hound of Hell and bathe in its blood."
"Awesome," Dean said.
"Awesome?" Francesca and Sam questioned.
Dean nodded. "Yeah. Hey, if this means icing all demons, I got no problem gutting some devil dog and letting Calgon take me away."
"Where are you gonna find one?" Sam asked.
"Well, Hellhounds like to collect on crossroads deals, right? So all we need to do is track down some idiot who signed over his, or her, special sauce ten years ago, get between him/her and Clifford the big dead dog."
"Doesn't sound easy."
Francesca shook her head. "It's not."
Dean turned to Sam and Francesca. "Look, you get on the net -- see what you guys can dig up. I'm gonna go for a supply run, because we need goofer dust, and the kid needs to eat something that's not ground-up hooves and pigs' anuses -- not that there's anything wrong with that." Dean left.
Kevin showered, shaved, and changed his clothes. "Okay, I feel a lot better."
"Hey, Kevin, buddy, you got to slow it down," Sam said.
"What?"
"Get some shut-eye. Take a day off. Open a window."
"No. You said nuking Hell -- that's how I get out. That's how I go home."
Francesca met his eyes. "Yeah, it is, but, Kevin, you cannot live like this."
"You think I want to? I hate it here. I can't leave because every demon on the planet wants to peel my face off. I can't talk to anyone except you guys or Garth, when he swings by, or my mom. Right? And when she calls, all she does is cry. I just... I need this to be over."
Sam nodded. "We know. But trust us on this -- this whole "saving the world" thing -- it's a marathon, not a sprint. You got to take better care of yourself."
Kevin sighed and left to shower.
The door squeaked and Dean entered. Dean immediately spoke. "Hey. Did you know that there are, like, 6,000 kinds of tomatoes?" He put the plastic shopping bags down on the table. "Did you find anything? Twins are crying, babe."
"Yeah, demon signs, ten years ago, all centered on Shoshone, Idaho," Francesca informed, walking to the car.
"Okay, well, big-time mojo means a big-time freak. So, anyone got a horseshoe shoved up their ass?"
Sam chuckled. "That's one way of putting it." He cleared his throat, and turned his laptop around. "Meet the Cassitys, small-time farmers who struck oil on their land in February of '03, which is weird because geological surveys-"
"You had me at weird," Dean interrupted. "All right. We thinking deal?"
"Best lead we got."
"Well, let's go visit the Beverly Hillbillies. You stay here," he told Kevin, "work on step number two, and, uh, if you come across anything about Hellhounds, drop a dime, okay? 'Cause between the -- the claws and the teeth and the whole invisibility thing, those bitches can be... real bitches." He reached into a shopping bag and pulled out two bottles. "I got you a present." He gave one bottle to Kevin. "The, uh, blue ones are for the headaches, and the Greens are for pep." He gave Kevin the second bottle. "Don't O.D." He smacked Kevin's arm.
"Thanks?" Kevin answered in a questioning tone.
They walked off and Sam said quietly, "You sure about that?"
Dean returned in the same quiet tone, "Sam, we are on the one-yard line. It is time to play through the pain."
---
The hunters made their way to Shoshone, Idaho and Dean shut off the engine. "All right, keep an eye out. Anybody with a Hellhound on their ass is gonna be showing signs -- hallucinating, freaking out -- the usual."
"And if we find someone?" Francesca asked.
"You get 'em clear." He picked up Ruby's demon-killing knife. "I spike Fido. The crowd goes wild." He put the knife in an inside pocket and they exited the car.
As they walked through the farm, Dean, holding Talia, asked, "Hey, pal, who runs this joint?"
A pretty, young Hispanic woman slid out from under the tractor. "You're looking at her."
"You... own the ranch?" Sam questioned in surprise.
"Nope, just manage the property. You guys hear about the job?"
Francesca smiled briefly, patting a fussing Oliver's back. "How'd you guess?"
"We get our share of drifters."
"Ah," Dean mumbled.
"Ever worked a farm before?" Ellie asked.
"Definitely."
"We're quick learners," Sam added.
Another man approached the group. "Ellie... who we got here?"
"I'm Dean. This is Sam and Frankie. The little ones are Talia and Oliver."
"Oh. Carl Granville. A pleasure."
"Pleasure," Francesca replied. "So you're not a Cassity?"
"No, my wife is. Her and her family own the place. I'm just one of those, uh -- what you call 'em?" He pat his somewhat pudgy belly. "Trophy husbands." He laughed. "So, we, uh, hiring the fellas and lady?"
"Not sure yet," Ellie replied.
"Oh, come on. They seem like swell guys and she seems like a kind lady."
"Well, he's right. We're swell, and she's kind," Dean said as the three of them smiled.
Ellie took them to the Cassity barn. "You bed down in here. Breakfast is at 5:00, dinner is at 8:00, and in between, you're mine. Questions?"
"I miss my room," Dean whined.
Francesca patted his shoulder. "We'll be back soon."
"We're good," Sam said, looking at them.
"Okay," Ellie stated. "Job is yours if you want it. But I better warn you -- it's crap work."
Sam took the twins who had fallen asleep again.
Inside the Cassity barn, Dean and Francesca were shoveling manure. A horse whinnied.
Dean frowned. "Crap -- she literally meant crap." He grunted and dumped a shovel on a shovel of manure into a wheelbarrow. He walked over to a horse with its head hanging out of the stall. "I hate you."
Francesca frowned. "Hey, be nice to the horse."
"We're cleaning up his crap."
"So? Be nice to him."
The two of them heard Ellie and Alice arguing and Dean asked, "Drink?"
"So, what are we thinking?" Sam questioned as he walked up. "The twins are asleep in a bedroom inside."
"What, dealwise? Well, Ellie's the help, so that rules her out."
"And Carl doesn't really seem like the sell-your-soul type. So, Alice?"
Francesca nodded. "Ding-ding-ding."
"Should we talk to her?" Sam inquired.
"Why? So she can lie to us and then call the cops? No. No, we're not gonna have to go stalker on this one, Sam."
Dean frowned. "Frankie, you sound way too excited about that. Need I remind you, we have a job to do."
She shrugged and smiled sweetly.
Sam, Dean and Francesca watched as Carl and Alice sat, talked, and drank wine and the hunters walked inside the house.
A sheriff appeared shortly and said. "God almighty." He was kneeling by Carl's sheet-covered body. Ellie, Sam, Dean and Francesca were standing there.
"I'm sorry, Ellie," Dean told her. "Carl seemed like a good guy."
"The best."
"You say his head was practically ripped off?" Sam asked.
"And you are?" the sheriff questioned suspiciously.
"Just curious."
"He's new. He works here," Ellie informed.
"Carl died bad -- let's leave it at that. They've been reintroducing wolves round these parts, but I never thought..."
"That wasn't a wolf," Ellie said. "I got to make some phone calls. The whole family's flying in for this."
"All the Cassitys under one roof."
"Oh, son of a bitch," Dean and Francesca muttered.
"So, what do you two think?" Sam asked.
Dean frowned, meeting his eyes. "I think Carl signed the deal, and now he's dog chow. Hellhound gone bye-bye, and we were too busy chasing a pile of jack to stop it. Let's grab our stuff and get outta here."
Sam and Francesca made their way into the barn to talk to Alice.
INT. CASSITY BARN - NIGHT
Sam and Francesca walked into the barn. Alice was brushing a horse and thunder rumbled.
"You okay, Mrs. Cassity?" Sam asked.
"Fine," Alice replied.
"You sure?" Sam and Francesca questioned.
"I really am. And... I know I shouldn't be because I loved Carl... I think. I just can't remember why."
Sam glanced at Francesca and frowned before asking, "What do you mean?" Sam and Francesca looked confused and a horse whinnied.
"I mean... Carl grew up around here. We went to school together, and he was always mooning over me. But I never – I used to make fun of him."
"When did you two get together?" Francesca wondered.
"Valentine's Day, 2003. I was at this party. Carl was there, and it was like I was seeing him for the first time. You know, suddenly he was cute and smart and funny. It was magic. Carl and I were happy for 10 years. Now he's dead, and I'm not sad or angry. I'm just... fine."
INT. CASSITY RANCH-HAND BEDROOM - NIGHT
In the ranch-hand bedroom, Dean was packing. Dean zipped his bag closed. Sam and Francesca entered. The twins were laying on a bed.
"Hey, we, uh, we have any graveyard dirt?" Dean asked.
Sam and Francesca nodded. "We should. Why?"
"Yarrow?"
Sam realized what his brother was up to. "Yeah. No. Dean, no. We're not summoning a crossroads demon."
Dean frowned. "Plan 'A' bombed, so welcome to plan 'B' -- we get some red-eyed bitch in a trap, then we hold a knife on her until she calls us in a pooch -- special delivery."
Francesca's brow furrowed. "Yeah, except when Crowley finds out we're dialing up Hell, he won't send one Hellhound -- he'll send a hundred. That's not a plan, Dean -- that's suicide."
"You got a better idea?"
"Yeah, we stay here," Sam replied. "Seri and I just talked to Alice in the barn. Carl didn't sell his soul for oil -- he sold it for Alice."
"His wife?"
Francesca nodded. "He loved her, she barely noticed him, so he made a deal. And now that time is up, it's like she barely even knew the guy."
"You think our demon signed up more than one schmuck while in town?"
Sam met his eyes. "Wouldn't be the first time." Thunder rumbled. "Look, Dean, this family's rich because someone booked a one-way ticket downstairs. And as of tomorrow, they're all gonna be right here."
"And you want to scope 'em out?"
Francesca met her husband's eyes. "Sam and I want to kill a Hellhound and not die. How 'bout you?"
"Two days -- then we do it my way." He unzipped his bag.
EXT. CASSITY DRIVEWAY - DAY
They stood on the Cassity driveway and an SUV pulled up and parked. An older man with gray hair exited the vehicle. He was wearing cowboy boots, nice trousers and jacket, bolo shoestring tie, and a cowboy hat. Ellie, Sam, Dean, holding Talia, and Francesca, holding Oliver, stood watching as Alice greeted the man.
"Meet Noah Cassity," Ellie told them. "He's 71, worth a billion, and just married wife number 5, a 20-year-old lingerie model."
"'Cause they have so much in common?" Dean returned.
"Alice is his oldest, and that's Cindy, the middle girl." Cindy got out of the SUV wearing a minidress and a short white fur jacket. She greeted Alice with a peck on the cheek. "She had a single on the country chart a few years ago. Then she started hitting the bottle, and, well... Her last album was a bunch of holiday songs for dogs. My favorites were 'Jingle Bark Rock' and 'Don't Pee on This Tree'. Happy Arbor Day."
"So she's the devil," Dean stated, earning a look from his wife.
"Pretty much."
A door closed and a younger woman got out of the SUV. She was wearing a sweater and tan pants.
Ellie continued, "And there's the baby -- Margot. She ran away just before Alice and Carl tied the knot, lives in Paris."
"How do you know all this?" Sam asked.
"I've been working on this farm since I was 13, and I've got eyes. Okay, tonight is an all-hands-on-deck situation. I'm gonna need two of you inside, serving dinner and pouring drinks -- a lot of drinks."
"Okay. Well, have fun." Dean patted Sam on the arm. "I won't wait up."
"And someone needs to man the grill."
"What kind of grill?" Dean asked, handing Talia to Sam.
Dean took over the grill while Francesca and Sam went to pour drinks. The twins had been placed in their car seats nearby.
Sam had his shirt sleeves rolled up, while Francesca had her plaid shirt tied around her waist and rolled the sleeves up. The two of them were pouring drinks into glasses. Sam poured wine into Cindy's. Margot pushed food around on her plate.
"Really?" Cindy asked in an irritated tone. "Keep it coming, Ken doll." Sam drained the rest of the bottle into Cindy's glass, but there was little left in the bottle. She gave an annoyed wave of the hand.
They watched as the Cassitys' argued and Francesca frowned. "Dios, they're annoying."
Sam nodded. "Yeah they are." He turned to Ellie. "Are they always like this?"
"More or less," Ellie replied.
"How can you work here?" Francesca asked as Sam opened a bottle of wine.
"I love the property, I love the animals, and I tune out the people."
The Cassitys' began arguing again.
Sam and Francesca entered, both carrying a bottle of wine. The Cassity sisters were trying to sound through a name.
"Crowl -- Crowley?"
"Hmm..." Sam hummed.
"Crowley."
"Son of a bitch," Francesca muttered. "Let's go. Dean has to know."
They made their way outside and met up with Dean. "Crowley?" Dean repeated.
"That's what they said," Sam confirmed. "Apparently, he swung through ten years ago, to the day."
"So, what -- do you think tea and crumpets made these deals and now he's collecting?"
"Or sent his dog -- told it to go fetch," Francesca answered. "Dude's the king of Hell. Under my father of course. Grabbing a few souls -- that has to be below his pay grade."
"Sure. Any idea who signed the dotted line?"
Sam shook his head. "We have no clue. It's brutal in there."
Dean's phone rang and he answered. He put it on speaker. "Hey, Kev, what's up?"
"Hey, Dean, good news, uh, I think... kind of."
"Don't oversell it."
"Sorry. Um, I found something on the tablet, uh, about Hellhounds. Uh, this mean anything to you -- "the dire creatures may be seen only by the damned or through an object scorched with holy fire"?"
"Like with holy oil?" Sam asked.
"Gotta be. We could use a window."
"Or glasses," Francesca suggested.
Dean thought for a moment. "I think we've still got some Jesus juice left in the trunk. All right, Frankie and I will take care of the, uh, the X-ray specs. You stay here. Do not let J.R. and the gang out of your sight."
"Right," Sam said, leaning into Dean's phone. "Hey, Kevin, uh, you did great, man. Get some sleep."
"Okay. Tha-" Dean closed his phone.
INT. CASSITY DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Sam was removing plates from the table. Cindy, wine glass in hand, and Alice were sitting there. The twins had fallen asleep again.
"Oh, look," Cindy said, seeing that Noah and Margot were armed and were walking outside. "Daddy's drunk and armed. Must be Christmas." Sam looked, then ran out of the dining room.
EXT. OUTSIDE - NIGHT
Sam, now wearing his coat, ran after Noah and Margot. "Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Where are you going?"
"Wherever I damn well please," Noah retorted. "The wolf that killed my son-in-law – he's a man-eater, got to be put down."
"Doing this for Carl," Margot added.
"Okay, just – just hold on a second," Sam said.
"No, going now," Noah argued.
"I'll come with you."
Noah stopped and turned to face Sam. "You know anything about hunting, boy?"
"A little bit, yeah."
Noah nodded his head towards Margot; she handed her rifle to Sam.
"Let's do it," Noah said.
Sam exhaled.
INT. TOOLSHED
Dean and Francesca searched through containers of tools, paint supplies, tool shelves, and found three pairs of glasses each. He held up a pair to the light.
"Will they work?" Francesca asked.
"They should," Dean replied. He put them on. "How do I look?"
She grinned and nodded. "They suit you." She put hers on. "What about me?"
"You're stunning, baby."
Dean smiled back and grabbed an ancient jar of holy oil, poured some oil onto the floor, Francesca lit a match, and they passed the pairs of glasses through the fire. They each put on a pair and saw that their vision had been muted, like they were looking through cellophane. Ellie walked towards the barn. Dean stamped out the fire and the two of them looked at her.
"I like it..." Ellie said as Dean took the glass off and put them in his pocket, "...the whole Clark Kent look."
Francesca nodded. "Yeah. Hey, you okay, Ellie?"
She nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'm okay."
Ellie walked away with a rueful look and Francesca frowned. "Something's off."
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Noah, Margot and Sam were walking through the woods, thunder sounded, all three held their guns out, but pointed towards the ground. The Hellhound followed Sam, Noah and Margot. Noah was in the lead, Margot slightly behind and to the side, and Sam behind them both. Sam heard a branch snap. He turned towards the sound, rifle up. The others kept going. Sam was stalking through the woods alone. A rifle was cocked, the barrel shoved in front of Sam's face. Sam gasped, grabbed the rifle barrel and shoved it down.
"Watch yourself, boy. Where's Margie?" Noah asked.
"I thought she was with you," Sam replied.
They heard Margot scream and ran towards the sound. The Hellhound was barking and snarling, Margot was on the ground, still screaming. Sam and Noah run into the small clearing. The Hellhound was tearing into Margot. Sam fired his rifle at the Hellhound, hitting it, blood spurted and the hound yelped in pain.
"Oh, my God! No!" Noah cried.
"Go back to the house," Sam ordered, grabbing Noah, forcing him away from Margot. "Go! Move!"
"No!"
Margot laid on ground, throat ripped, dead.
INT. CASSITY LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
The three hunters entered the living room to see Noah, Cindy and Alice sitting on the couch with upset looks. The twins were still sleeping.
"What was that thing?" Noah asked.
Francesca crossed her arms. "It was a Hellhound. See, when you sell your soul to a demon, those damn mutts are the ones that come and rip it from you."
"Demon?" Alice repeated.
"Crowley," Dean clarified. "Poncey guy, about yea big, mountain of dicks. We know he was here ten years ago, making dreams come true. Now, if you didn't sign, great. That freak out there won't touch you. But if you did, I need to know, and I need to know now. So, hands up."
"So, wait," Noah said. "T-the British guy was a demon, and now there's a Hellhound after us? A-are you insane?"
"They're obviously insane," Cindy reasoned.
"Don't play dumb," Sam retorted.
"Yeah, I'm not playing. I didn't sell my damn soul."
Francesca glanced between them. "Well, someone did, and the sooner that idiot owns up, the sooner the rest of you can go."
Cindy and Alice looked around as Dean instructed, "Okay, seal 'em in."
"Yeah," Sam agreed.
"What?!" Alice cried.
"Look, I'm gonna spread goofer dust around the doors, the windows. That will keep the Hellhound out... for awhile."
"What is that -- how long?" Noah wondered.
Francesca met his eyes. "Long enough for me or my husband to stab it in its throat. Our twins get hurt, y'all get hurt."
Noah sighed. "No way. No way. You can't do this. You can't-"
"Yeah, I can. Wanna know why? 'Cause it's what I do. And sir, my husband and I, we're the best. See, he or I gut old yeller out there, and maybe -- just maybe -- you walk away unscathed. We don't -- you're meat. So, sit down, " she pointed her knife at Noah, "shut up... And put these on." She held up a pair of handcuffs.
Dean poured a line of goofer dust. Francesca stood watching the Cassitys as Sam handcuffed them.
"I don't..." Alice began. "Who are you people?"
"We're here to help," Sam said.
"Like you helped Margie?"
Francesca met their eyes. "When the Hellhound gets close, you might start seeing things, hearing things. It's gonna feel like you had a heavy dose of the brown acid, and it's trying to kill you. The handcuffs are so you guys won't hurt yourselves."
"And when one of you starts bugging out, we'll know who's on tap to be puppy chow," Dean replied as he walked away.
Dean spread the goofer dust and brother and wife came up behind him.
"So... what's our play?" Sam asked.
Francesca met his eyes. "Well, you guys camp here, figure out who whored their soul. I'm gonna scout the grounds -- see if I can't gank Huckleberry Hound before he makes someone else puppy chow."
Dean shook his head. "No, Frankie. You're not going to do this. I'll go."
Francesca opened her mouth and Dean shook his head. "Don't you dare argue with me, Francesca Winchester. I'm going and that's final."
Sam frowned. "Wait, you're not going alone, Dean. I'm gonna come with you."
"Wrong."
"Uh, they're on lockdown, and you need backup."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I need you two to be safe, okay? That's what I need."
Francesca narrowed her eyes. "What? What are we ever safe?"
"This is different."
"How?" Sam demanded.
"Because of the three trials crap -- God's little obstacle course. We've been down roads like this before, man -- with Yellow Eyes, Lucifer, Dick friggin' Roman. We all know where this ends -- one of us dies... Or worse."
Sam narrowed his eyes. "So, what -- you just up and decided it's gonna be you?"
"I'm a grunt, Sam. You're not. Frankie isn't. You've both always been the brains of this operation."
"Dean-"
"And you told me yourself that you see a way out. You and Frankie both see a light at the end of this ugly-ass tunnel. I don't. But I tell you two what I do know -- it's that I'm gonna die with a gun in my hand. 'Cause that's what I have waiting for me -- that's all I have waiting for me. I want you both to get out. I want you to have a life -- become a Man of Letters, whatever. You, with a wife and kids -- and -- and grandkids, living til you're fat and bald and chugging Viagra -- that is my perfect ending, and it's the only one that I'm gonna get. Frankie, if I don't make it, move on. Raise our kids right. So I'm gonna do these trials. I'm gonna do them alone -- end of story. You're both staying here. I'm going out there. If a landshark comes knocking, you guys call me. If you try to follow me, I'm gonna put a bullet in your damn leg." He walked away and a door opened.
Francesca followed him out and Dean cocked his gun. "I told you not to follow me!"
"Dean, if you think I'm letting my husband go off and do something so suicidally insane alone, you're insane. Til death do us part, right?"
"You're insane."
"Well, I married you, so I guess I am."
Dean sighed and slipped his glasses on. The two of them heard music coming from the barn and walked towards it.
---
Inside the house, Sam was also wearing his holy-oiled glasses, looking outside while the Cassitys bickered. He was gently rocking the car seats.
He turned to the Cassitys. "Because you struck oil where there was no oil. That didn't seem weird to you?"
"Margie," Alice said. "Margie used to say that -- that if we were rich, we'd all be happy."
Noah scoffed. "Right. We're the damn Waltons."
Alice agitatedly struggled with the handcuffs as Noah informed, "I need to take a leak."
"Hold it," Sam ordered.
"Yeah, at my age? Not really an option, so either you two let me go or get me a bottle."
"Ugh," Cindy groaned. "You're disgusting."
Sam made his way to the window and he saw the outline of the Hellhound. He heard it growling.
Alice got out of the handcuffs and ran out the door. Sam turned around to see the door closing. "Wait!" Sam cried, running outside.
Alice got to the car when Sam arrived.
"No!" Alice exclaimed as a Hellhound growled. "No, no, please. Just let me go, please." Sam grabbed her and propelled her back to the house as she cried. "No! Please, don't hurt my family."
Sam took Alice's shoulders. "We're not going to hurt you. We are trying to help." They heard growling and barking. They stopped for a moment and Sam saw the Hellhound through their holy-oiled glasses. "Get in the house."
"What? What?"
"Go!"
"Oh, God!"
"Go!"
INT. CASSITY BARN - NIGHT
Dean and Francesca were outside Ellie's door, they saw the closed barn door, they walked through the barn, and put the holy-oiled glasses on. Dean slid one barn door open. He had the demon-killing knife in his hand. The Hellhound growled. Dean and Francesca approached the outer barn door that was open. The Hellhound was growling and snarling.
"Oh, so you're Crowley's bitch," Dean said. "I guess pets really do look like their owners." Dean and Francesca saw the growling Hellhound and it ran behind some farm equipment. "What are you waiting for? Come and get it! Frankie, move back."
The Hellhound attacked Dean and Francesca, clawing their left sides. Dean and Francesca were thrown into a wall, fell, dropped the knife, and the glasses fell off his face.
The two pulled their hands away, bloody and cried, "Ah!"
The Hellhound stomped towards Dean and Francesca, paw prints showing in the dust, breath showing. Before Francesca could do anything, there was a gunshot and Hellhound blood spewed. It whined in pain.
Sam shot at it again and it whined and growled. Francesca lunged for Dean's knife, which was in the dirt, and Sam yanked it away before she could get it. The Hellhound attacked Sam, who was lying flat on the ground, holding the snarling, barking Hellhound off with his left hand. He slit the Hellhound's belly with the knife in his right hand. The Hellhound was gutted and Sam was covered in black blood. The Hellhound died. Dean was propped up on one arm, watching. Francesca was lying next to him, flat on the ground.
"Ohh," Sam gasped.
Dean fell back down and Sam looked at his blood covered hand holding the knife and let it flop to the ground.
Sam crouched next to Dean and Francesca. "Are you guys okay?"
Francesca let out a pained sigh and shook her head.
INT. ELLIE'S ROOM - NIGHT
Dean and Francesca laid on the bed so they could be stitched up.
They groaned as the alcohol burned their skin. Then came the piercing needles.
Dean patted his left side. His clawed T-shirt had a white bandage under it. "Mnh."
Francesca had a bandage on her left side and pulled her clawed shirt up, trying to hide her exposed bra.
"You need to go to a hospital," Ellie said.
"Oh, we've had worse," Dean replied. "Frankie, you okay?"
Francesca nodded. "I'll live."
"Not what I asked."
"I'll live."
He let out a sigh and nodded.
Ellie looked to Sam, whose T-shirt was covered in black blood. He was holding his button-down shirt.
"Yeah, they've had worse," Sam confirmed.
"So, what now?" Ellie asked.
Francesca met her eyes. "Now, we make you a hex bag, and you start running. If Crowley can't find you, then he won't be able to sic another one of his mutts on you."
"So I'm not going to Hell?"
"Not on my watch, or hers," Dean answered. "Will you give us a minute?"
"Sure."
"Thanks."
Ellie left and Dean snapped his fingers towards Sam, who said, "Dean, even if she can dodge Crowley, as soon as Ellie dies, her soul is earmarked for Hell."
"Not it we shut it down first," Dean said, grabbing the bloody button down shirt from Sam's hand.
Francesca frowned, pulling her shirt up more, still trying her best to hide her exposed bra. "I don't think the spell will work for you, Dean."
Dean sighed and pulled the paper with the spell from his pocket. "Kah-nuh-ahm-dahr." He looked around, but there was no response. "Doesn't matter. We'll track down another Hellhound and I'll kill it."
"No," Sam argued.
"Sam, I didn't pass the test."
"But I did... And I'm doing the rest of them."
"My ass you are!"
"I'm closing the gates. It's a suicide mission for you two."
"Sam..." Dean and Francesca began.
"I want to slam Hell shut, too, okay? But I want to survive it. I want to live, and so should you two. You have friends up here, family, a marriage to live. I mean, hell, you've got your own room now. Dean, you were right, okay? Frankie and I see a light at the end of this tunnel. And I'm sorry you don't -- I am. But it's there. And if you come with me, I can take you there."
"Sam, be smart," Dean said.
"I am smart, and so are you. You're not a grunt, Dean. You're a genius -- when it comes to lore, to -- you and Frankie are the best damn hunters I have ever seen -- better than me, better than Dad. I believe in you, Dean. So, please -- please believe in me, too."
Francesca nodded. "I do believe in you, Sam. Dean?"
Dean slapped the paper into Sam's hand and Sam sighed. "Kah-nuh-ahm-dahr." There was a whooshing sound. Sam went bug-eyed, twisted around, fell to his knees, and grunted in pain.
"Sammy?" Dean and Francesca called as Sam grunted.
"Sam!" Dean and Francesca cried.
There was a crackling sound and Sam dropped the paper with Enochian symbols. The veins in his right hand and arm were highlighted with bright white light. He grimaced in pain.
"You okay?" Dean and Francesca asked again.
Sam was still gasping. The bright white light disappeared from his hand and arm, and he clenched a fist, grabbed the paper, and stood up. "I'm good. I'm okay. I can do this." He exhaled sharply.
Dean looked at his brother and Francesca looked at her brother-in-law with concern.
Francesca and Dean went to get their twins and rejoined Sam.