All Hell Breaks Loose: Part 1

chapter fifty one , All Hell Breaks Loose: Part 1

a/n : WE'RE SO CLOSE TO THE END OF THE SEASONNNNN

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The radio was blasting rock music (as usual). The car wasn't silent, but there was a lingering feeling of rage and it wasn't coming from either of the brothers. Dean slows to a stop, in front of a diner. He holds a wad of cash out to his brother. "Hey, don't forget the extra onions this time, huh?"

"Dude, we're the ones who are gonna have to ride in the car with your extra onions." Sam sighs, he then takes the money. Deann gives Sam a mischievous smile. Sam then looks back at the quiet girl. "Hey, Thena. Did you want anything?"

Athena softly hums, her eyes glued to the window. "Not hungry."

Dean looks at Sam, "She'll have a cheeseburger with tomatoes.

Did Athena like tomatoes? Yes. But did she want any from Dean? No.

But she didn't even manage to muster up a response. She just shakes her head and sighs. Sam and Dean exchange a look of worry for their little sister. "How about you get some pie too?" Dean speaks. "Athena, you want some pie?"

"Sure." Athena's voice was a murmur.

Sam inhales a small breath. It's been like this since the Djinn. Athena cut every single opportunity for a conversation short. Dean understood why she was mad and he wasn't going to pretend like he wasn't angry at himself for what he did. Sam had heard about what happened from Dean. But he hasn't heard it in Athena's words. Every time he tried to ask about it, she would just get quiet and say she was tired.

Sam looks at Dean and gives him a small smile before leaving the car.

The car was now silent and Dean shifts his eyes to the rearview. He contemplated on saying something--anything. But he knew that anything he said would just be ignored. Was it worth a shot? For a normal person, they would most definitely just keep their mouth shut. But Dean was far from normal.

"You know, I'm sorry, right?"

Athena lets out a breath, "So you've said..." She presses her knuckles into the side of her face. "You stabbed me."

Dean purses his lips and nods his head. "I did."

Athena keeps her eye glued to the still leaves on the tree. "I was ready to die, y'know?"

"I know, that's what you think, but--"

"I know that I was ready to die." Athena voices. "I mean, sure...I didn't want to, but...my life there was better." she finally pulls her eyes away from the window and meets Dean's eyes in the mirror. "And you took that away from me."

"That life...it was amazing, you're right." Dean nods his head. He turns his head, so he could look Athena in the eye. Her back straightens when she sees the pain flicker through Dean's eyes. It was the same pain she felt about leaving that dream world.

"But, it wasn't our world," Dean says. "Our world is...messy--like so fucking messy. But it's the world that we were all born into. The world that needs us."

Athena lets out a small breath, "You and Sam are just...so much stronger than me."

Dean pulls his brows together.

"I would've stayed in that world and given up." Athena bites the inside of her cheek. "I'm sorry I'm not...strong like you guys."

"Is that what you really think?" Dean asks

Athena doesn't answer, but that gives Dean his answer. Dean lets out a breath of disbelief. "Athena, you are...stronger than Sam and I combined. And Sam would agree."

A lump forms in Athena's throat. "Well, it doesn't feel like it." she looks away from Dean and her eyes land back on the trees outside. Dean lets out a small breath and looks forward. A moment passes where Dean thinks that this whole conversation didn't make an impact on Athena at all. Then she speaks.

"Do you think...Sam's bringing back apple pie?"

A small smile hopeful smile spreads across Dean's lips. "He sure as hell better. What other pie is there? Blueberry?"

Athena then frowns, "Blueberry's actually pretty good--"

"How dare you?" A dramatic gasp comes from Dean's mouth. It caught Athena off guard, so she lightly jumps. She quickly looks At Dean and a smile forms on her lips. Then a laugh leaves her lips and she covers her mouth. "What was that?"

"What do you mean? That was an overdramatic gasp." Dean bunches his shoulders.

"You're acting is terrible."

"Okay, but it made you laugh, right?" Dean raises his brows.

Athena cranes her neck forward. "Yeah...?"

"Then my work here is done." He pats his hands together.

Athena snorts softly and a small giggles her lips. Dean softly laughs with her. Suddenly, the radio begins to fill with static more than music. Dean pulls his brows together and taps at the radio. Athena pulls her brows together and squints at the radio. It begins to flicker on and off before cutting off completely. Athena looks out the car window and sees the trees around them that were still before, were now excessively moving from the wind. The girl's shoulder begins to ache from the bad weather approaching. Her breathing hitches as soon as the bad weather stops altogether. Then everything around the Impala falls silent.

"Athena."

The youngest Winchester turns her head to Dean and follows his eyes. She looks at the diner window and doesn't see anybody in sight. More importantly, Sam was nowhere to be found.

"Shit."

Athena and Dean quickly scramble out of the car and run into the diner. As soon as they entered, all that could be heard was the country radio station playing. Dean's eyes shift to the lifeless body with his face in the plate of food at the booth. Before Athena could look at the body, Dean grabs her arm and pulls her out of the diner. "Wh--Dean!"

"Stay out here." Dean's voice was stern, but there was a shakiness to it. The shakiness in his tone, caused Athena's heart to drop into her stomach. Dean pulls his gun out of the back of his waistband and he goes back into the diner, calling out for Sam. Athena waits outside, her heartbeat pounding through her ears. She fidgets with the end of her jacket, her shoulder begins to ache more than before and her teeth chatter together from the cold weather.

A few minutes later, Dean runs out of the diner with his breathing quick. Athena pulls her brows together, not seeing Sam behind him. "Dean?"

Dean looks down at Athena with panic. "He's gone."

"What...?--"

"There was sulfur," Dean says. "He's not here."

Athena begins to feel sick to her stomach. She swallows and shakes her head, "Okay, uh...but, if he's not here then that means he's alive, right?" she looks back at Dean, who was staring off into space. "Dean!"

He snaps out of his thoughts and looks at her. Athena raises her brows, "We need to call Bobby."

Dean swallows and slowly nods his head. "Right, right..." he grabs his phone from his pocket and calls Bobby.

☆

"This is it--all demonic signs and omens over the past month."

Athena was standing between Bobby and Dean, her eye glued to the map. Dean looks at Bobby before looking back at the map. "Are you joking? There's nothing here."

"Exactly."

Athena pulls her brows together and gnaws on her lower lip.

"Come on, there's got to be something." Dean huffs. "What about the normal, low-level stuff--you know exorcisms, that kind of thing?"

"There's nothing. It's completely quiet." Bobby states.

Dean shakes his head, "Well, how are we supposed to look for Sam, what do we do--just close our eyes and point?"

Athena's phone begins to ring and she quickly pulls it from her jacket pocket. She flips the phone open and answers it. "Hello?"

"Hey, little Winchester."

Athena raises her brows and looks at Dean and Bobby. "It's Ash--Hi, Ash!" she puts the phone on speaker and places it on top of the Impala.

"Ash, what do you got?" Dean asks.

"Okay, listen. It's a bit negatory on Sam."

"Oh, come on, man. You got to give us something." Dean exhales. "We're looking at a 3,000-mile haystack here."

"Listen, Dean. I did find something."

"Well, what?" Dean asks with a bit of force behind his voice. Athena nudges her elbow into Dean's side. Dean looks down at Athena and she glares at him, telling him to 'be nice'. Dean exhales air through his nose. "What do you got, Ash?" he asks, his voice more patient and gentle.

"I can't talk over this line."

Dean's patience snaps. Again.

"Come on, we don't have time for this." Dean snaps.

"Obviously, it's something serious and dangerous." Athena seethes. "So, we're gonna make time."

"Thank you, little Winchester. 'Cause this..." Ash falls silent. "What's up? What's happening?" He greets someone that just passed him. "...almost definitely will help you find your brother, this is...it's huge. So, get here now."

Ash ends the phone call and Dean raises his brows. "I guess we're going to the Roadhouse." he motions his head to the Impala. "Come on."

The three hunters get in the Impala and Dean speeds down the road with urgency. Athena felt it in her gut that there was something horrible approaching, and it wasn't just because Sam was missing.

She hated being right.

The Impala pulled into the dirt road, leading to the roadhouse. "What the hell?"

Athena looks up and her eye lands on the burned building in front of them. Her mouth opens and it felt like she could hardly breathe. "Wait...this isn't...this isn't the right place."

"Athena, stay in the car." Dean says, he parks the Impala and gets out. Athena keeps her eyes on the bar that was in ashes. The place she would go to when her father didn't want to deal with her. The place she would go when she needed someone to talk to. Athena gets out of the car and cautiously walks toward the wreckage.

"You see Ellen?" Dean asks, his hand covering his nose.

"No." Bobby shakes his head. "No Ash, either."

Dean hears footsteps crunching behind him, he turns to see his little sister. "Dammit, Athena--"

"Dean."

Dean turns to Bobby, who had a look of sympathy across his face. He looks back over to Athena and this time he notices the tears in her eyes. Athena's eye stays on the charred wood. She crouches down and a small cry escapes her lips when she sees the familiar watch on the burned wrist. Her nose behind to burn with the smell of burned skin. "This is..." She swallows the vomit that was rising. "...Ash's w-watch."

Guilt fills Dean's chest, not noticing it before. Athena has been to the roadhouse more times than he even knew. So, of course, she was going to have a more devasted reaction. "Athena, "I'm sorry."

"They're all just gone." Athena's voice breaks. She steps away from the debris and tries to wipe the rancid smell of burning flesh out of her nose. "And Ellen is--"

"--we don't know where Ellen is," Dean says.

Athena softly scoffs and looks at Dean with an incredulous look.

"If she's not here then that means she's still alive, right?" Dean says the words Athena spoke earlier. Athena licks her chapped lips and nods her head. "Right, okay..." she scratches at her brow.

In silence and defeat, they make their way back to the Impala. "What the hell did Ash know? We got no clue what he was gonna tell us."

Athena lets out a panicked breath and her stomach clenches. "How are we going to find Sam?"

Bobby looks at the two Winchesters, who were hanging onto their hope by a thread. "We'll find him."

Dean squeezes his eyes shut and clenches his head in pain. Bobby and Athena look at him.

"Dean?"

A groan comes from Dean's lips and clutches at his head even tighter than before, more pain practically ripping through his skull. Athena's back straightens and she takes a step towards her brother.

Dean releases his head and opens his eyes, his vision kind of blurry.

"What was that?" Bobby asks.

"I don't know. Headache?" Dean assumes.

"You get headaches like that a lot?" Bobby asks.

"No..." Dean shakes his head. "No. It must be the stress."

Dean pinches the bridge of his nose. "I could've swore I saw something."

"Like a vision?" Athena asks. "Like Sam?"

"No...I don't think so." Dean says.

Athena and Bobby exchange a look.

"Come on, guys! I'm not some psychic."

Another wave of pain hits against Dean's skull and more images rush through his mind as he crumbles to the ground.

"Dean?!" Athena runs around the car and crouches beside her big brother. She watches as Dean slowly recuperates.

"Are you with us?" Bobby asks.

"Y-Yeah, I think so..." Dean answers, his voice weak. "I saw Sam. I saw him, you guys."

Athena pulls her brows together, "So, it was a vision?"

"Yeah. I don't know how, but yeah."

Bobby helps Dean onto his feet. Dean lets out a breath, "That was about as fun as getting kicked in the jewels."

"What else did you see?" Bobby asks.

"Uh, there was a bell." Dean states.

"What kind of bell?"

"Um, like, a big—big bell with some kind of engraving on it." Dean answers. "I don't know."

"Engraving?"

Dean nods.

"Was it a tree—like, an oak tree?" Bobby asks.

Athena and Dean look at the man. "You've seen it before?" She asks.

Bobby nods his head, "And that means I know where Sam is."

☆

"No, no way you're leaving me here."

"Athena, it's not safe—"

"I don't care!" Athena folds her arms. "Sam's out there and I'm gonna help you guys get him back!"

"Listen, kid, we know you want to help..." Bobby starts. "But right now, we need to worry about Sam, okay? We can't have you tripping over those feet of yours."

"I've been getting better!" Athena cries.

Bobby smirks and touches the top of her head. "I have no doubt, but..."

Athena slumps her shoulder. "You have to focus on Sam..." she looks at her red converse. "I understand." She looks at Bobby then Dean. "You're gonna...get him back, right?"

Dean crouches in front of Athena and cups the side of her neck. "I promise you, I'm gonna bring him back to us."

Athena's lower lip quivers, she wraps her arms around Dean's neck. "Please be careful..."

Dean touches the back of her head. "Yeah, you too. This place is fucking creepy." He winces.m as he looks around the crickety old cabin.

"Oh, I know right?" Athena wipes her nose. "What was Bobby thinking?"

"Hey, Beevus and Butthead!"

Athena and Dean look at the man and he holds his arms out. "I am right here."

"Sorry, Bobby."

Bobby lets out a couple of grumbles and marches outside. Athena looks back at Dean and they both laugh. He wipes her tears and presses his lips into a small smile. "We'll be back soon. With Sam."

Athena swallows and nods her head. "I believe in you, Dean."

Dean raises his brows, taken aback by the statement. He never thought he and Athena would get to this kind of place in their relationship. And Athena couldn't believe it either, but they were both happy about it.

...

Sam had fought tooth and nail to walk out of this abandoned town. He didn't want any of them to die. He wanted them all to get out of there together. But one by one, everyone started to die; leaving him and Jake being the last two standing. Sam tried to convince Jake that the both of them could walk out of there alive, find the demon, and kill him themselves. But, Jake didn't believe it.

The two fought, and Sam ended up with a dislocated shoulder. But he was alive. He heard his brother calling for him from afar. And everything felt better. He was going to be okay.

Then Dean saw the knife.

"Sam, look out!"

Jake thrusts the dagger through Sam's back, a strained groan leaves Sam's mouth. Dean felt his heart stop. He couldn't breathe--he was so far away. Dean breaks off into a sprint and screams. "No!"

Sam falls to his knees, his breathing quickly falling shallow. Before Sam could fall to the ground, Dean falls in front of him and catches him. "Sam, hey."

Bobby runs after Jake in the darkness. Dean touches the liquid spot on Sam's back, "Let me look at you." his eyes flit to the immense amount of crimson liquid staining his hand. Dean's breathing hitches and his throat constricts. "hey, look." Dean slightly pulls Sam back to look at his paling face. "Look at me. It's not even that bad--it's not been that bad, a-all right?"

Sam's eyelids begin to fall heavy and his body starts to feel cold. He was so tired. He heard his brother, but his vision was growing dark. He couldn't see or feel him. "Where's Athena?" Sam tried to ask. But nothing came out of his mouth. He was so sleepy.

"Sammy?" Dean's voice shakes. "Sam!"

"Hey, listen to me. We're gonna patch you up, okay?" Dean forces out a chuckle. "You'll be good as new. Thena's been practicing her stitching skills and she's been getting better. This'll be a piece of cake for her."

Sam's head drops to the side and his eyes fall shut. But, Dean forces his head up. "We're gonna take care of you." his voice cracks. "I got you. That's my job, right? Watch out for my pain-in-the-ass little siblings."

Sam's eyes don't flutter and his body got heavier. "S-Sam?" Dean cups Sam's face and searches his lifeless face. "No..." he whispers. "No, no, no..." he softly cries. "Oh, God." he wraps his arms around Sam, holding him tight. "Oh, God." he sobs.

Dean inhales a shaky breath, hardly able to even catch his breath. He then lets out a wail of agony for his brother.

"Sam!"

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author's note.

this chapter was so short lmfao, but it still hurt (i hope 🤭)

words : 3085