~*****~
Dean's gazing at me worriedly as I keep trying to start the Impala. "Stupid, son of a--"
I give a sharp yelp as someone knocks on the window. "Hey, where do you think you're doing?" Bobby asks, as he lifts up the distributor cap.
"We got the knife." Dean retorts irritably as we clamber out of the impala.
"And you intend to use it without me?" Bobby snaps, and suddenly, I feel like a scolded child. "Do I look like a ditchable prom date to you?"
"No, Bobby, of course not." Sam tries.
"This is about me, Lottie, and Sam, okay?" Dean retorts softly. "This isn't your fight."
I squeak in surprise as Bobby storms up to snarl at Dean. "The hell it isn't!" He snaps aggressively. "Family don't end in blood, boy. Besides, you need me."
"Bobby--" Dean tries.
"You're playing wounded. Tell me, how many hallucinations have you had so far?" Bobby asks.
"Hallu--" I huff. "What?" I sputter as I swing my gaze up to Dean.
"How'd you know?" Dean asks.
"Because that's what happens with you got Hell Hounds on your butt, and because I'm smart." Bobby recites. He holds up the distributor cap. "I'll follow. Lottie, you're riding with me. I don't trust those chuckleheads to be toting around a pregnant lady."
"I'm not even gonna ask, but okay." I snort as I trot after him.
"Don't be stopping to pee every ten minutes, either." Bobby called back.
"Uh, you're gonna have to stop frequently. My bladders kinda bein' abused." I retort as I slip into his truck.
~*****~
The drive is long, and tiring. "Did he get pulled over?" I hear Bobby hum. I jerk upright from my position against the glass. I rub at my eyes quickly as we pull up behind him. "Oh, hell--" Bobby yelps as we pile out of the car as Dean stabs the officer in the neck. "What the hell happened?" Bobby asks breathlessly.
"Dean just killed a demon," Sam says as he continues to gaze down the cop.
"How'd you know?" I gasp.
Dean just gazes back up at me. "I just knew." Dean says breathlessly. "I could see it's face, it's real face under that one."
"Oh, shit," I gasp. "We've gotta get rid of him, now. Before anyone comes across this road. I'll move the car."
Dean and Sam nod as I slip into the cop car. We pull it off into the forest and hide it in a bunch of forestry. "So, what, now you're seeing demons?" Sam asks.
"I've been seeing all kinds of things lately, but nothing like this." Dean mentions.
"You're piercing the veil." I explain breathlessly. "You've got a little over five hours left with the deal. You're getting small glimpse of the B side."
"Little less new agey, please," Dean retorts.
I roll my eyes. "You're almost hell's bitch. So you can see hell's other bitches." Bobby snaps.
"Thank you." Dean snorts.
"It'll actually come in handy." I respond.
"Oh, well, I'm glad my doomed soul's good for something." Dean huffs.
"Damn right it is." Bobby hums. "Lilith's probably got demons stashed all over town. We can't let 'em sound the alarm. If she knows we're here, we're dead before we started."
"Well, this is a terrific plan." Dean grunts. "I'm excited to be apart of it. Can we go please? Yeesh, this what you deal with on a daily basis?" Dean asks as he curls his palm against my back.
I shrug. "Ugly bastards, aren't they?"
Dean huffed. "You got that right."
~*****~
New Harmony felt so strange. There was a slightly sulfuric taste to the air, and was no doubt the result of Lilith's take over. "It's the little girl." Dean mentions as we peer through the window of the only house for sale on the street. "God, her face is awful."
"All right, then let's go. We're wasting time." Sam mentions.
"We can't," I retort.
"What? Why?"
"Sam, if we're not careful, she'll kill the rest of them, and us." I snap. "Look-- There's too many demons out there." I explain.
"What?" Sam asked again and peered over my shoulder.
"You ever see mailmen work at nine P.M.?" I ask irritably. "Mr. Rogers over there, too."
"Demons?" Bobby asks. "You sure?"
Dean grunted. "Of course she is, she's see 'em a lot longer than I have. But she's right." He explains.
"Okay, fine, we ninja past those guys, sneak in." Sam retorted.
"And what? Give a Columbian necktie to a ten year old girl?" Dean asks irritably. "Come on."
"Look, Dean, I know it's awful." Sam tries.
"You think?"
"This isn't just about saving you, Dean." Sam snapped. "This is about saving everybody."
I grumble. "He's right. She's gotta be stopped, Dean." I explain softly.
Dean sighs. "Oh, damn it." He scrubs his hands down his face and turns to me. "You make sure you stay out of reach, understand?"
I nod quickly. "Bobby and I will bless the water systems." I chirp. "C'mon."
Bobby nodded and followed after me.
I clutched the small rosary in my hands as I gazed down at the piping leading to the neighborhoods water systems. "Exorcizo te, creatura aquae, in nomine dei patris onmipotentis." The small rosary plopped into the water and drifted down the piping. "Okay, light 'er up." I order. Bobby starts cranking different pipes and the sprinklers come on. Distressed shrieking echoed out from the streets.
"C'mon, let's get you off the streets, now." Bobby ordered and grabbed my arm tightly.
"No, we have to get to Sam and Dean--" I try, but I'm being led away from the water tanks. "Bobby--" I whimper.
"I won't let you go in there, Lottie--" He snapped and shoved me into the house we'd been hunkering down in. "Put the salt lines up, and do not leave, or I swear to you, demons will be the last of your worries." He shuts the door behind him and goes to peer out of the window. I bite back my whimpers and do what I'm told.
It's silent for a long time as we gaze at the line of demons surrounding the house. My watch starts chirping at me, signifying midnight, and I start to whimper again. Bobby curls his arms around me, and lets me sob into his chest.
~*****~
Sam remains silent at my side as I continue to gaze down at the pine box we'd put Dean in. My hands were trembling, even as I hold them against the swell of my belly. Most of the night had blurred once Bobby finally let me out of the house. Every time I shut my eyes, all I could see was his bloodied, torn up body, eyes completely void of life.
"Let's go." Sam says in such a soft tone, I almost didn't hear him. I let my gaze waver towards him before nodding slowly and grasping onto his hand. We don't speak, not for a long time. Day in and day out after Dean died, we said nothing to one another.
I'd gotten plenty of calls from Bobby, concern lacing his tone, but I couldn't find it in me to give him my honest answer. I wasn't okay. I knew that. But I put on a brave tone, telling him not to worry.
It wasn't until Ruby showed her face again, in the body of some poor schmuck, that I went off on Sam. "I don't give a shit if she can teach you shit, Sam!" I bellow at him, my voice hoarse from the constant crying. "She's a demon! Sam, if you gonna let that bitch near you, I am having no part of it!"
"Lottie, we need a way to fight against the demons. We've got one knife between the two of us, the colt is gone, and you're tired. I promised Dean I'd protect you, and now that they're gunnin' for the both of us, Ruby's the best chance we got!" Sam shot back just as loudly.
"I will not allow it! You wanna shack up with her, go right ahead, but I'm getting out of here! I'm not staying anywhere near this town! If you've forgotten, we've got a job to do!"
"And what's that? You can't do much, Lottie." Sam snapped.
I swat at him before shoving him aside and grabbing at my bag. I hesitate when I grab at Dean's flannel that I'd been sleeping with and shoved it into my bag. "I told you what I'm gonna do." I snap.
"You're not doing that." Sam said in a low tone.
I whirl around on him. "I'm not selling my soul like you two idiots!" I hiss. "I'm finding a hell gate, and I'm gonna open it! I'm gonna get him out myself. I'm not gonna sit around having tea with a soulless bitch."
Sam grabbed at my arm as I try to barrel past him with my bag over my shoulder. "No, Lottie! I'm not going to allow it--"
"YOU DON'T OWN ME! DEAN IS DEAD!" I shout at him. My lip wobbles. "So... while you sit here, training your psychic powers-- THAT YOU GOT FROM A DEMON-- I'm gonna do my job. Saving as many people as I can before I find that hell gate."
Sam tries to stop me again, until I crack my palm against his face, and storming out of the room. I gaze at the Impala longingly before breaking into a small sedan.