Fallen: 2/?

Author: Johnnyjosh

Fandom: Supernatural

Rating: 18+

Pairing: Sam/Dean

Beta: behrbemine, sprnaturalgrl_one, mad_server

Spoilers: Season 3

Disclaimer: Kripke created this universe; I just enjoy warping it and borrowing his boys for my own twisted amusement. None of it is mine, sadly.

Warnings and Notes: Slash, wincest, language, eventual light non-con and violence. Possible OOC, AU, and General Weirdness.

Summary: Is it possible to fall from grace, and find the one thing left that can keep you from caring?

Dean sighed, rising from the bed and stalking across the room. He snatched up a black t-shirt that was draped across the back of the chair, and pulled it over his head. Long fingers ran through his hair as Dean tried to tame the unruly curls forming there and he laughed softly, reminded of the times he'd teased Sam about his curls.

Dean looked toward the heavy wooden door, a pensive expression on his face. I'd give anything to tease you and have those kinds of good times with you again, Sammy, he thought wistfully, then scowled as he glared into the mirror, eyes changing from green to onyx. But I don't have anything left to give�

Dean turned his head and gazed around the bedroom, fittingly enough decorated mainly in dark colors: reds, browns and black. It was lavishly furnished with old, hardwood furniture, the bed of course being the centerpiece, covered with soft blankets and mounds of pillows. Sam was nothing if not conscientious of his lover and brother's comfort.

The walls were stone, and so thick it would be a chore even for someone with Sam's power to tear them down. Yet when Sam was here, touching and teasing him, Dean knew his younger brother enjoyed making sure Dean's voice carried past those walls, so anyone or anything nearby would hear his screams of agonized pleasure.

Dean was always keenly aware of the jealousy radiating from some of the other demons when he was among them, and it gave him an almost perverse sense of satisfaction to know he was envied for his place at their King's side. Dean also took some pleasure in Ruby's reaction to their relationship. He'd overheard them arguing once. Ruby had asked Sam how he could let himself fall so far, and how he could drag his own brother down with him, taking the love Dean felt for him and twisting it, using it and corrupting it to keep Dean by his side forever. Dean had almost felt sorry for her when Sam had punished her for daring to question what they had.

Dean had been curious at first as to why Sam was always so lenient with her, but then it occurred to him. The demon had played a fairly large role in their survival. Having saved Dean from the witches, then at least trying to give them an out when they'd been trapped in the prison, had been the only things that had ensured her survival during Sam's horrific, brutal rise to power. Sam didn't like being lied to, or used, and Ruby had done both, but he owed her for helping Dean.

The fact that she was still breathing was all the proof Dean needed that his brother was still there somewhere, inside the fearsome Demon King that now ruled a world gone mad.

Ruby was the only one, human or demon, that Dean knew of to survive blatantly lying to and using his brother, and Dean wondered sometimes if she wished she hadn't. For then she wouldn't have had to watch as the man she had tried so hard to prepare for saving the world, ended up being the one to enslave it.

"Bet the irony still kills you to this day, doesn't it?" Dean snickered, turning toward the door. His gaze raked over the room once more, and paused on an old talking board. It had belonged to the first of many people who had paid the ultimate price for double-crossing the Winchester brothers, Bela. He sighed as his thoughts drifted back to that night, the night he realized his brother truly was well on his way down the path to darkness.

It had been a little over a week since they'd reclaimed the Colt, and together he and Sam had hunted down two more demons. Dean had been withdrawn and pensive for almost the entire week, unsure what to think of the sudden return of Sam's powers, or the younger man's cold demeanor when he'd killed the old man.

It wasn't until Sam had put himself at risk to save the humans their second target was after that Dean felt some measure of relief. At last Sam seemed to be himself again, complete with a touch of angst when he couldn't save all the innocent people involved.

Dean chalked the old man's death up to a fluke, deciding to believe Sam's words about protecting him. After all, it wasn't that long ago that Sam had suffered that awful, cruel prank at the hands of the Trickster. Seeing him die over a hundred times, then having to live without him for months, as Sam had finally confessed when it was all over, was bound to have some effect on the younger man.

He had decided not to tell Bobby about the man's death, or Sam's powers. It wasn't that he didn't trust Bobby completely, but� He knew Bobby would tell Ellen, and he wasn't entirely sure about her anymore. He hadn't been ever since Gordon had first come after Sam. After all, it was only at the roadhouse that Sam and Dean had shared the frightening secret about the powers bestowed on all the children connected to the yellow-eyed demon. He'd even questioned her about it directly, but something about her answer didn't quite ring true. Nobody else had been hunting one specific demon for years the way their father had been, and only Ellen and Jo had been around when Sam had started demanding Ash look up dates of birth and fires in nurseries. So where else would other hunters hear about it?

He was drawn out of his musings when AC/DC suddenly blasted from the Impala's speakers, almost loud enough to make even his ears hurt. He glanced over in surprise, eyebrows rising at the grin his younger brother was sporting. Sam leaned back in his seat and tried to speak to him, but his voice was lost amid screeching guitars and pounding drums. He made out something to do with it being too quiet and that was all. Dean turned his attention back to the road, a genuine smile on his face for the first time in several days. Suddenly the lack of conversation between them was no longer quite so awkward.

Half an hour later, Dean decided all three of them needed some fuel, so he pulled into a small diner with a gas bar, parking the car and shutting off the music. He opened his mouth to say something but Sam's hand settling gently on his shoulder stopped him. The two of them shared a long, silent look and a faint smile, before getting out of the car and walking toward the diner.

Both men paused as Ruby stepped out from around the corner and stopped in front of the door, arms crossed, head tilted slightly to one side. "We have to talk," she said without preamble.

Sam nodded and merely moved around her, pulling open the door. "Fine, but we're hungry." He held the door open, lips quirking as Dean brushed past him, a wide smile on the older man's face.

"Looks like the sudden entrances have gotten old, princess," Dean murmured, chuckling as Ruby scowled at him. He led the way to a booth in the back corner, sitting down and grabbing for a menu. Just as he opened it, his cell phone started to ring. He picked it up and suddenly his eyes narrowed in annoyance when the display screen showed who was calling. "What the hell do you want?" he barked into the phone as Sam sat beside him, Ruby taking the seat across from them.

"First, congratulations on escaping from jail, I knew when I saw the news report something had happened, and I just knew you tenacious Winchesters would find a way to survive. Second, I always said your kind were a bunch of obsessed, revenge-driven sociopaths, but I never thought you'd go that far, Dean." Bela's voice was sharp in his ear.

"Oh please, cut the flattery and get to the point." Dean sneered, glancing over as Sam silently gestured to the phone, wondering who it was. He held the phone away from his ear just as Bela shot off a few choice insults.

"You know full well what my point is! You killed that old man, over the gun. How could you? I'm sure with your�dubious talents you could have taken it from him without being so violent about it." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I suppose I should ask now if you intend to kill any of my other buyers who were unfortunate enough to end up with some item you figure should be in your possession. I need to know, as that could put a bit of a damper on my business."

Dean narrowed his eyes and took a breath of his own. "First off; for the record? That was�an accident."

"Oh, his neck being broken so viciously that one vertebrae was nearly ground to dust is an accident. Of course, I can see how that might happen," Bela said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Dean growled and continued on as if he hadn't heard her, though inwardly he flinched at just how much power Sam had used. "Secondly, no. Now that we've got the Colt back, that's all we need, we won't trouble you or your batty clients again," he sneered, shaking his head.

"Oh, you won't trouble me again, can I get that in writing?" Bela laughed softly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention," Dean continued, starting to go into full-on rant mode, "none of this would have happened if you hadn't been such a blind, greedy bitch, would it? You know how important the Colt is and what do you do? You steal it and sell it to the highest bidder, just like I knew you would. Then you try and get me and Sam locked away for life. You hypocritical moron, you talk about us being obsessed, you're so damn obsessed with money you're willing to let the whole world be destroyed just so you can turn a-" He jumped when Sam reached out and grabbed the phone.

"What my brother's trying to say," Sam said quietly, "is that we're done with you. We see now what asking for help, or giving help to you costs, so there's really no reason for us to ever interact again."

"Aw, Sam, I thought we were just starting to be pals," she said, then gave a low, throaty chuckle.

"Listen to me, and listen well," Sam's voice dropped in pitch and turned ice-cold. "If you come near us, or send anyone after us again, I will kill you." He listened to the moment of silence on the other end. "Unlike my brother, I won't be swayed by some cheap, token gesture after the fact. You've double-crossed us for the last time. Stay the hell away from us if you value your life." That said, Sam snapped Dean's phone shut and slid it into his own pocket.

Dean took a moment to digest Sam's words, tamping down the brief flash of fear he'd felt at the sound of the younger man's voice. Once he'd convinced himself that Sam wasn't turning evil before his eyes, Sam was simply as fed-up with the brazen thief as he was, Dean sat back in his seat, sighing heavily.

"That sanctimonious bitch," Dean growled, shaking his head. "It's not even worth arguing with her. Who knows, maybe hearing a death threat from you this time will convince her to take a hike."

"You should have killed her when you had the chance," Ruby said quietly, sitting back and studying both brothers with hooded eyes. "She's nearly gotten you two killed how many times now?"

"Too many," Sam admitted quietly, suddenly finding Dean's hands splayed on the table very interesting.

"Yeah, but that's not your style, is it? Still not able to assess and deal with threats to your safety," sighed Ruby. "Dean and I are going to have to work harder to cure you of that."

Sam lifted his head, pinning her with a serious look. "Find her for me. I want to have a little�talk with her. Maybe I can convince her not to screw around with us like that again."

Ruby laughed quietly, shaking her head as a waitress approached, staying silent while Dean ordered 2 beers, and hamburger platters for himself and Sam. Once she was gone, the blond demon sat forward again. "Even if I could just snap my fingers and find her, why should I? We've got more important things to discuss."

"Fine," Sam said, voice dropping down, once again growing cold. "You want to talk about your plans for the big war? Find Bela for us, then we can talk. I know you can," he hissed, hazel eyes narrowing. "You used to be a witch. Talking boards, pendulums, there's all kinds of things you can use. Find her. Don't bother coming back until you do."

Ruby looked surprised, then a little disconcerted, before a smirk settled on her lips as she leaned forward in her seat. "Ooh, Sam, learning to take charge a little, are you? I think I like it," she snickered, then got up and sauntered out.

Dean frowned and studied his younger brother, brow furrowed. "What the hell was that about?"

"What?" Sam looked at him, puzzled at his reaction.

"That," he gestured to the front door, Ruby already long gone. "Usually she's tryin' to order you around, suddenly you're the one in charge. Not to mention, why do you wanna go see Bela so bad anyway? She'll probably try to have us arrested again, crazy bitch�"

"Because I want to have a talk with her," Sam murmured, sitting back as their drinks arrived, the waitress saying their food would be out momentarily. "She obviously didn't take your threats seriously enough before. Now it's my turn to try and reason with her. Maybe she'll learn to stay away from us from now on."

"Yeah, right," Dean scoffed sitting back and shaking his head. "As long as there's either profit or amusement in it for her, she'll never leave us alone."

"Well, I've got to give her at least one last chance to see the error of her ways," Sam said cryptically, smiling at the waitress as she brought their food over and set the plates in front of them.

Dean gazed at his brother for a moment, his expression one of unease, but he said nothing.

Dean walked over to the wall and reached out, taking the talking board down from the shelf and turning it over in his hands gently. He wondered, briefly, if there would have been any turning back, stopping what was to come even if he'd managed to keep Sam from staining his hands and his soul with human blood once again.

"Probably not," Dean muttered, sitting down in the chair and holding the talking board loosely in one hand as his thoughts drifted back once more.

After they were finished with lunch, they headed to the nearest motel. "Finally, no more damn twin beds," Dean groused, sprawling on his own bed, bags dropped carelessly beside him on the floor.

"For now," Sam chuckled, glancing over at his older brother with another chuckle at Dean's obvious enjoyment of having some room to move for a change.

"Aw, come on, man," Dean mock-whined, then turned and gave him a weary smile. "We gotta stay here at least a month, enjoy having enough room to stretch out a bit."

Sam laughed and shook his head, even as he lay back on his own bed, long arms and legs stretched out. "You know we can't stay in one place that long," he murmured, closing his eyes and toeing off his shoes.

"Yeah," Dean said, then his smile faded as he thought about how many creatures must be trying to pick up their trail even as they spoke. "I know. I'm just gettin' tired of running all the damn time."

"You and me both, Dean," Sam said quietly, then glanced over at him. "But at least we've got the Colt back, right? That's something in our favor, finally." He snorted with a bitter smile as he looked up at the ceiling. "Now we just need to know a little more about our main enemy, come up with some kind of plan to defeat her, and we're good to go."

Dean laughed and looked over at the younger man. "Gee, is that all? You make it sound so easy." He grinned at the soft laugh he pulled from Sam.

Both of them blinked and sat up as a loud knock sounded at the door. Sam rose first and went over to look through the peephole. A smirk settled on his lips as he opened it to reveal a less-than-pleased looking Ruby.

"Hey, that was fast, you bound by some kind of 30 minutes or it's free thing?" Dean sneered, then got to his feet. "Aw, what happened to service with a smile?"

"Jackass," Ruby gave Dean a sidelong glare, then pushed her way into the room. "She wasn't easy to find. She's definitely more than just a thief; she can use a lot of the crap she steals, including wards to prevent others from using magic to find her."

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked, his skepticism apparent. "Then how'd you pull it off so easy?"

"Simple, I stopped trying to track her, and tracked the powerful objects. She's not half as smart as she likes to think she is," Ruby answered, she and Dean sharing a chuckle. "She's holed up in a surprisingly modest neighborhood right now, not much in the way of modern security," she handed Sam a piece of paper, then tossed a black, leather-bound journal to Dean. "I doubt she's expecting you to come after her considering what you just said, but I wouldn't put it past her to try and alert the authorities to the fact that you're both still very much alive and free once it's to her advantage. So now would be a good time to go have that little talk, before she gets around to it." Ruby gave Sam a disdainful look, and then shook her head. "Good luck with that, and try not to get yourself thrown in jail this time."

Dean opened the journal she'd given him and rifled through the pages. "Hey�what is all this?" His eyes widened as he took in lists of names, dates, places, maps and even a few spells and diagrams. "You've started a journal for us, all about her," he looked over at Ruby, impressed.

"Yeah well, Azazel's dead, which means your father's journal isn't much use to you anymore. That was his obsession, and now it's over. You need to focus on your own nemesis, don't you think?" she shrugged, meeting Dean's gaze with a calm stare.

Dean tilted his head, lips parted, about to speak when Sam interrupted.

"Dean, let's pack up. I think we should move as far out of the area as we can once we're done with Bela," he said, a strange smile on his face as he gazed down at the piece of paper in his hand. "She's not far, it's kinda weird that she holed up here, we nearly stumbled right on to her again."

"Yeah, almost as if she was trying to track you two this time," Ruby said, narrowing her eyes at Sam. "Too much of a coincidence, don't you think?"

Both brothers looked over at her in alarm.

"What, you think she was following us?" Dean asked incredulously. "Why the hell would she do that?"

"It doesn't matter," Sam said, pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. "Ruby's right, it's too much of a coincidence. We have to assume she was following us. Who knows, maybe she was trying to pin down our whereabouts, steal what she could and then turn us in again."

"Or sell you out to yet another enemy, just like she did with Gordon. Only this time, it will be a lot worse than one vampire coming after you," Ruby said, folding her arms and leaning one shoulder against the wall. "You really need to deal with her Sam, once and for all."

"Yeah�" Sam murmured, his eyes meeting hers.

"Whoa, hold on a minute," Dean glared at her, not at all liking the look passing between Ruby and Sam. "We're not cold-blooded killers." Dean sighed, then ran a hand through his hair and started to pace the room, clearly agitated. "If she's already tracking us, she's probably using her talking board or something, to find out what we're up to. She'd know we're coming for her before we even got out the door, just like last time. Then we would end up in jail again, or worse�"

Sam clenched his fists, remembering with more than a little anger the clever trap she'd lain for them before, ending with them getting caught by Henricksen.

"No she won't," Ruby said with a self-assured smile.

"How do you figure that?" Dean asked, green eyes narrowed slightly.

"Just a little something called a binding spell," the blond demon smirked at Dean, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "All those magical objects she uses? They're useless to her right now, she won't be able to find out what's happening beyond the perimeter of her quaint little apartment." She looked over at Sam, her expression sobering. "You two had better hurry. I've got a feeling it won't be long before she decides to check up on you again, and starts to wonder why she's not getting any answers."

Without another word the two men started packing their bags, neither of them even noticing Ruby's abrupt departure.

It took them all of fifteen minutes to find Bela's new digs, and another ten to reach her front door. They'd left the Impala a short distance away as the car would just be too easily noticed, especially by her.

Sam stood to the left of the door, Dean to the right, the two brothers staring at each other intently for several moments, the silent tension palpable in the narrow hallway. Then they nodded to each other and moved as one, each man with one raised leg delivering a firm kick to the heavy-looking wooden door.

With a snapping, splintering sound, the door swung open, crashing against the wall. The two brothers strode in, guns drawn, to the sight of a very surprised Bela staring up at them from the floor, where she was seated cross-legged in front of an antique glass table, apparently trying to use her talking board.

"Well, well," she said quietly, eyes darting back and forth between them as Dean forced the door closed, pressing it into place in the ruined frame while Sam strode forward, gun pointed at her chest. "I wasn't expecting company." Her eyes narrowed, her lips a thin line as she leaned back on the couch, hands sliding along the cushions.

"Move one more inch toward that gun I know you're hiding," Sam growled, stopping directly in front of her and raising his gun, pointing it at her face. "And I will sink a bullet right between your eyes, you bitch."

Dean walked up behind him, his own gun held loosely at his side as he watched the expressions flitting across Bela's face. A touch of fear, obviously surprise that they'd gotten this close without her being ready for them, and perhaps even a bit of grudging admiration, before her expression turned calculating. "Don't do it, it'd be a shame to ruin that nice couch with brain and blood splatters," he said, giving her a wry smile.

"Hm, I guess now would be a good time to apologize for taking your gun, and getting you locked up, yes?" she said, tilting her head back and giving them a cheeky smile. "It was nothing personal, I had a very legitimate reason for taking it. As for Henricksen�I just needed you two out of the way for a little while."

"Yeah, for the rest of our lives more like," Dean growled, narrowing his eyes at her. "Not that they would have been long lives, given what happened there. You nearly got us killed, again!"

"I figured you'd be able to find your way out of jail; I know for a fact you've done it before," Bela said with a smile, giving an exaggerated shrug as she straightened her legs out in front of her, glancing down at the table. "As for you nearly getting killed, well, I can't help it if you two have hordes of enemies, bad timing, and rotten luck."

"I'd say the worst luck of all was running into you," Ruby said from her perch on the arm of the recliner beside the couch.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, slanting a look at her.

"Just making sure that this particular threat is finally out of the way, permanently," the blond answered, rising to her feet and moving over beside Sam. She gazed down at Bela, then closed her eyes for a moment.

Bela frowned up at the newcomer, wondering briefly how she'd gotten inside without being seen, then she stiffened when the other woman opened her eyes, revealing pitch black orbs. "Hm, acquired yourself a pet demon in lieu of the gun, did you?" she asked smarmily. "Well, I can see now how you found me, I knew you two wouldn't be able to do it on your own."

"Get up." Sam waved the gun, gesturing for her to rise, watching her carefully as he stepped back.

Bela quirked a brow at him, then slowly got to her feet, scowling faintly as Dean moved to one side, covering her with his gun as well. "What are you going to do, shoot me? Surely we can talk about this." She raised her hands, tilting her head and giving Sam a thoughtful look. "Trust me, I can see you're very serious about wanting to never cross paths again, and right now that's looking like a good idea."

"Oh, sure, we can talk," Sam gave her a tight smile. "Let's talk about why you're following us. What are you after this time? You obviously didn't need the Colt anymore, or you wouldn't have sold it off, and as far as I know, we don't have any other powerful items that you'd be interested in, so what is it?"

"Or are you just keeping tabs on us until somebody offers you enough cash or a nice enough item to tell them where we are?" Dean asked angrily, fingers tightening around the gun still trained on her chest.

"Hm, I guess trying to claim I'm just hanging around to see if I can make things up to you is out of the question, and I'm not the noble type, so championing for justice for the old man wouldn't work either, would it?" She smirked, looking at Sam, then Dean, before she switched her gaze to Ruby. "I see now how that poor bugger died so violently. Although it seems a little strange you'd resort to a trained monster to do your dirty work for you."

Ruby's eyes narrowed and she rose quickly, taking two steps forward before Sam's arm shot out, halting her progress. She glared up at him, obsidian eyes flashing, but stayed where she was.

"Oh, she is well trained, isn't she? Very nicely done," Bela goaded, taking advantage of Sam's distraction to sit on the couch as her hand darted beneath the cushion, fingers brushing the gun hidden there.

I t was Dean who surprised everyone, including himself, when he squeezed off a shot, grazing her shoulder and sending Bela to the floor with a sharp cry of pain. "I told you not to do it," he said shakily, eyes wide as he glanced around, noticing Sam staring at him in shock while Ruby looked perversely pleased by this turn of events.

"We'd better move this along, that shot will attract attention. Even I want to know what she was up to now," Ruby said, walking over and grabbing Bela by the hair, hauling the other woman to her feet and forcing her into the recliner despite an almost whimpered protest. "It's pretty obvious she's stalling, trying to hide something."

Sam nodded, hazel eyes narrowed as he strode over and jammed the gun under her chin, forcing Bela's head up. "Why were you following us?"

"You really are psychotic, aren't you?" Bela hissed through the pain, one hand clamped over her injured shoulder.

"If you don't start talking, you're going to see just how psychotic I can be," Sam said darkly, looming over her, his expression harsh. "Tell us, otherwise this," he poked at her injury, wrenching another stifled cry from her, "isn't the only injury you'll end up with tonight."

"Fine, I guess the game really is up," she said, voice low and raspy. "That old man wasn't the first of my recent clients to die, and have the last item I'd sold to them disappear. I thought you two really had lost it, and were killing them off to collect or take back things you needed. I had intended to track you down and turn you in again, as you really were becoming bad for my business." Bela paused and took a few deep breaths, leaning back in the chair, trying to get away from the gun. She glared up at Sam as he merely moved around to her injured side, keeping the gun touching the soft flesh just under her chin.

"So what changed?" Dean asked, moving up behind Ruby and glaring down at Bela. "You probably had dozens of chances to do it, but you didn't. Why not?"

"Because a more lucrative opportunity presented itself," she admitted, not meeting Dean's eyes.

Dean watched her silently, wondering why she suddenly turned her gaze to the floor.

"What opportunity?" Sam whispered, his expression making it clear he already knew the answer.

"I had a couple of�people, and I use the term very loosely, pay me a visit. They had the same eyes as your little pet, and they wanted to make a deal. They offered me several items, worth millions, and all I had to do in return was keep tabs on you two, and let them know when you left Dean alone for any length of time." Bela chanced a look at Sam, eyes widening a fraction at the rage that twisted his features.

Sam stared down at her, feeling a familiar, blinding rage welling up within him. Everything faded away except for Bela, and the sound of his own blood rushing through his veins, heart pounding as her words echoed in his head. Anything he'd felt toward her other than contempt, anger and loathing melted away, leaving him with a sharp desire to hurt her for her willingness to hand Dean over to those who would undoubtedly kill him. Now he felt he saw her for what she truly was, and decided it was time she got what she deserved.

Dean sucked in a short, sharp breath. He thought back to the jail, where the first demon had taken a gun and played fish in a barrel, though not with Sam, who was supposed to be the threat, but with him. He'd been wondering why they'd tried to kill him first, and this only compounded the mystery. Why did they want him out of the way so badly?

"You�were going to sell my brother out to demons, for money?" Sam asked quietly. "Do you have any idea�yeah, you probably do have an idea of what they wanted, just like you did with Gordon," he said, voice still surprisingly mild considering his frighteningly enraged expression.

"Well not just money, I do have a business to run, and now people are afraid to deal with me, thinking that either myself or my objects are cursed-" Bela broke off with a gasp as the chair suddenly was flung over onto its back, making her grimace in pain as she was bounced out of it onto the floor. She looked up, seeming confused, and maybe even a little frightened.

Dean looked up at Sam uneasily, knowing full well no one had touched the chair to knock it over. His gaze moved to Ruby, who was staring at Sam intently. "Sam�" he murmured, setting a hand gently on his brother's arm.

"If you're going to do it, make it quick and clean, Sam," Ruby said quietly. "Take her out, and she can't tell them anything. Then we have to get out of here, and you two better skip town. You'll be able to keep Dean safe, for a little while at least."

For the first time, Bela began to really look afraid. She rose up onto one knee, holding a hand up in a placating gesture. "Sam, I'm sorry, but we all know what kind of creatures I was dealing with. I simply couldn't say no to them, they wouldn't have taken kindly to my refusal." She managed to get up, hunched over slightly as she still cupped a hand to her injured shoulder. "But believe me, I would have warned you and Dean first, before I set them on his trail."

"Yeah, right, just like you warned us about Gordon," Sam said quietly, tilting his head forward, some of his face cast in shadow. The effect made his eyes appear black. "No, I don't believe it. Like I said before, you've double-crossed us for the last time�"

Suddenly Bela's feet left the ground as she was hurled across the room, slamming into the far wall hard enough to crack the smooth, off-white surface behind her. Her eyes slid closed and a pained groan fell from her lips as her head lolled to one side.

"Sam!" Dean shouted, eyes widening. He could do nothing but watch in horror as Bela's arms stretched out to the sides, her legs pointing down. He realized she looked as if she were being crucified. "What the hell are you doing?" He grabbed Sam's arm, then cried out in surprise as he found himself pinned to the nearest wall.

"You're wasting time, finish this and let's go!" Ruby snapped, but her voice wavered, her eyes wide, expression uneasy as she walked over to stand beside Sam. She narrowed her eyes as he seemed not to hear her, growling as she attempted to get in front of him and force him to pay attention. "Sam you have to-" Ruby gasped in surprise as she suddenly found herself joining Dean against the wall.

They shared a shocked glance, then turned toward the far wall as Bela gave a stuttering cry of pain, the sound of bones snapping making both of them flinch. The two of them watched helplessly as pressure was put on her sides, snapping her ribs, and Bela's last cry dissolved into sickening gurgling sounds as blood spilled down her chin, one of the broken ribs obviously having punctured a lung.

"Sam," Dean said, voice hoarse with pain, fear, and emotions he couldn't even put a name to as he stared at his brother, a sick feeling churning in his gut. "Sammy, stop it, please�"

"No Dean, you know as well as I do that she has to be stopped," Sam said, voice still deceptively soft, but chilling for its lack of emotion. He stepped forward, stopping just in front of the wall before he gazed up at Bela. "I can't even bring myself to feel the littlest bit bad, or guilty about doing this." He smiled faintly as Bela's eyes opened a crack, the thief staring down at him with eyes glazed over in pain and shock, her breathing labored, peppered with wet sounds from the blood filling her airways.

"See, your actions have threatened our lives so many times. Hell, I killed Gordon for less. I can't just let you go, not after hearing how you were willing to offer up my brother to a bunch of demons," Sam murmured, tilting his head and stepping back as a large drop of blood fell from Bela's chin, hitting the floor between his feet. "Not to mention the fact that I can't even begin to imagine how many innocent people have died as a direct result of your actions. How many items have you taken out of the hands of people like us and sold off for a quick buck just when they were about to be used to save lives? Hmm?"

He snarled up at her, his power pushing her against the wall even harder, more cracks appearing behind her bruised and battered body. "You were so greedy, you even sold off an item that could have saved your own life," he shook his head slowly, turning away from her. "We've hunted a lot of things over the years, but right now I think you're one of the most monstrous creatures I've ever seen."

Bela let out one short scream, then fell silent as her body was engulfed in flames. At first the fire just surrounded her body, but seconds later it swept across the wall, then the ceiling, making its way around the room with what seemed like a hunger to consume everything in its path.

Dean and Ruby were suddenly released, falling to the floor and ending up in a tangled heap. Ruby scrambled to her feet, watching Sam warily as he strode toward the door. She glanced down at Dean, a frown on her face as she watched him stare vacantly at Bela's burning body.

"Let's go," Sam said, his soft voice somehow carrying over the sound of the flames that engulfed the room.

Sam's quiet command gave Ruby a start, and she reached down, grabbing Dean by the arm and hauling him to his feet. "Come on, let's get out of here," she said, getting angry when Dean didn't move. She stepped back and eyed Sam apprehensively as he stalked over and seized his brother, half-dragging, half-carrying the older man out of the room and moving him forcefully toward the stairs.

Dean wasn't aware of any of it, not Ruby, his brother or the heat and smoke that surrounded them, not even the tears that streamed down his face as he continued to brokenly whisper one word over and over. "Why?"

Dean looked down at the board he was holding, realizing that his knuckles had turned white from gripping the edge so tightly. "I don't even remember this being taken out of her apartment," he murmured, shaking his head slowly. With a sigh he got up and set it back on the shelf, frowning when a drop of moisture landed on the back of his hand. Bringing his hand up to his face, Dean was shocked to find a trail running down his cheek. He wiped it away slowly, honestly surprised that he was still even capable of tears.

Tbc�

Well, that was�startling. I probably just made the fantasies of a few of my fellow Bela-haters come true *snickers*. I know you're wondering who's really the dark one here, and why Dean's the one with the black eyes� patience, friends >:D

To those that know my usually sappy, sweet writing style, no, I can't tell you where the hell all this is coming from�<<

Feedback is love, still a little worried about this darker fare�

JJ