SAVING DAD

"What?" Dean asks.

"You said she fell from a building. That girl's body is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that demon inside. You exorcise it – that girl is going to die." Bobby says.

"Listen to me, both of you, we are not gonna leave her like that." Dean says.

"She is a human being." Bobby says.

"And we're gonna put her out of her misery. Sam, finish it." Dean says. Sam looks at his brother and Bobby, not sure what's the right thing to do. He looks over at Meg. "Finish it." Dean says.

Sam takes a breath and keeps going. "Dominicos sanctae ecclesiae, terogamus audi nos, terribilis deus do sanctuario suo deus israhel. Ipse tribuite virtutem et fortitudinem plebi suae, benedictus deus, gloria patri..."

Meg throws her head back and screams. The demon leaves through her mouth in a black cloud and spreads out in the protective circle in the ceiling before disappearing.

Meg leans forward and blood starts to drip from her mouth. The men stand there looking at her, not really sure it's over. Meg slowly lifts her head. "She's still alive. Call 911. Get some water and blankets." Dean says to Bobby.

Bobby rushes off. Dean and Sam untie Meg. "Thank you." She whispers.

"Shh, shh. Just take it easy, alright?" Sam says.

"Come on. Let's get her down." Dean says. They lift Meg from the chair. There is the sound of bones crunching and Meg screams in pain.

They lower her to the floor. "Sorry, sorry. I got you. I got you. It's okay. It's okay." Sam says.

"A year." Meg says, clearly strained.

"What?" Sam asks.

"It's been a year." She repeats.

"Shh, just take it easy."

"I've been awake for some of it. I couldn't move my own body. The things I did – it's a nightmare." She says.

"Was it telling us the truth about our Dad?" Dean asks.

Sam looks at his brother. "Dean." He says.

"We need to know." Dean says.

"Yes. But it wants... you to know... that... they want you to come for him." She says.

"If Dad's still alive, none of that matters." Dean says just Bobby comes in with a blanket and a glass of water. He hands the glass to Dean while he and Sam cover her. Dean holds her head up so she can drink.

"Where is the demon we're looking for?" Sam asks.

"Not there. Other ones. Awful ones." She replies.

"Where are they keeping our Dad?"

"By the river. Sunrise." Meg croaks.

"'Sunrise'. What does that mean? What does that mean?" But Meg is dead.

"You better hurry up and beat it. Before the paramedics get here." Bobby says.

"What are you gonna tell them?" Dean asks.

"You think you guys invented lying to the cops? I'll figure something out." he hands the Key of Solomon book to Sam. "Here take this. You might need it."

"Thanks." Sam says.

"Thanks... for everything. Be careful, alright?" Dean says.

"You just go find your Dad. And when you do, you bring him around, would you? I won't even try to shoot him this time." Dean and Sam leave.

[ ☼ ]

he Impala is parked by some train tracks. Sam is looking through the Key of Solomon book on the roof of the car, spinning a marker in his hand. Dean is at the back of the car, loading up guns and putting them into his duffle bag.

Dean is very solemn and Sam looks over at him, concerned. "You've been quiet." Sam says.

"Just getting ready." Dean says.

"He's gonna be fine, Dean."

Dean doesn't answer and Sam flips to another page of the book. He sees a symbol and picks up the book to walk to the open trunk lid. He rubs off the dirt and starts to draw on the lid.

"Dude, what are you drawing on my car!" Dean yells.

"It's called a Devil's trap. Demons can't get through it or inside it." Sam says.

"So?"

Sam as he moves around to the other end of the trunk. "It basically turns the trunk into a lockbox." He says.

"So?" Dean repeats.

"So, we have a place to hide the Colt while we go get Dad." Sam says.

"What are you talking about? We're bringing the Colt with us." Dean says.

"We can't, Dean. We've only got three bullets left. We can't just use them on any demon, we've got to use them on the demon." Sam says.

"No, we have to save Dad, Sam, okay? We're gonna need all the help we can get." Dean says.

"Dean, you know how pissed Dad would be if we used all the bullets? Dean, he wouldn't want us to bring the gun." Sam says.

"I don't care, Sam. I don't care what Dad wants, okay? And since when do you care what Dad wants?" Dean asks.

"We want to kill this demon. You used to want that, too. Hell, I mean, you're the one who came and got me at school!" Sam says and Dean scoffs. "You're the one who dragged me back into this, Dean. I'm just trying to finish it!"

"Well, you and Dad are a lot more alike than I thought, you know that? You both can't wait to sacrifice yourself for this thing. But you know what? I'm gonna be the one to bury you. You're selfish, you know that? You don't care about anything but revenge." Dean says.

"That's not true, Dean." Sam says and Dean scoffs. "I want Dad back. But they are expecting us to bring this gun. They get the gun, they will kill us all. That Colt is our only leverage and you know it, Dean. We can not bring that gun. We can't."

"Fine."

"I'm serious, Dean." Sam says.

"I said fine, Sam."

Dean takes the Colt out of his jacket pocket and holds it up to show Sam before putting it in the trunk. Dean and Sam are walking by the river. They step up beside some trees and Dean stops.

"Hey, hey." Sam stops and looks at him. "Think I know what Meg meant by Sunrise."

Sam looks over and sees an apartment building with a sign out front that says "Sunrise Apartments".

"Son of a bitch. That's pretty smart. I mean, if these demons can possess people they can possess almost anybody inside." Dean says.

"Yeah, and make anybody attack us." Sam says.

"And so we can't kill them – a building full of human shields." Dean says.

"They probably know exactly what we look like, too. And they could look like anybody." Sam says.

"Yeah, this sucks out loud."

"Tell me about it. Alright, so, how the hell are we going to get in?" Sam asks.

Dean looks over at the building for a minute. "Pull the fire alarm, get out all the civilians." He says.

"Okay, but then the city responds in, what, seven minutes?" Sam asks.

"Seven minutes exactly."

Inside Apartment Building, Sam walks in the front door and goes to a fire alarm on the wall. Just as he's about to pull it a man comes walking down the hallway. Sam moves to the stairs like he's going up them, but when the man leaves through the front door he quickly goes and pulls the alarm.

The scene shows a man and a woman sitting almost motionless at a table in one of the apartments. They look up as the alarm goes off. Sam leaves the building. The man in the apartment gets up and goes over to the bedroom door. He opens it and we see John tied to the bed. He's breathing.

Outside the Building People are leaving and firemen are coming in. Dean comes up to one of the firemen. "Hey, what's happening? Is it a fire?" Dean asks.

"We're figuring that out right now, sir. Just stay back." The fireman moves Dean away.

"Well, I've got a Yorkie upstairs and he pees when he's nervous..." Dean drifts.

"Sir, you have to stay back."

Sam moves behind them to the fire truck. He finds a compartment and picks the lock.

Inside the Building Dean and Sam come down the hallway dressed in full fireman gear – helmets, breathing apparatus, etc. Dean is using his EMF to check the doors of the apartments. "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up." He says.

"You never told me that." Sam says.

Dean's EMF starts reading high. Inside Apartment The woman is sitting with her head down. There is banging on the door and she looks up – her eyes are completely black.

She and the man go over to the door to look out through the peep hole. "This is the fire department. We need you to evacuate." The man steps behind the door and nods for the woman to open it. She unlocks the door and the boys shove it open.

The woman is thrown backward as Dean and Sam come through. The brothers spray the couple with water from their tanks and it burns them – holy water.

Dean punches the man and shoves him into a closet. "Come on!" Dean yells.

Sam grabs the woman off the table and shoves her in as well. Dean leans against the door and it lurches as the demons inside try to get out.

"Hurry up!" Dean yells. Sam grabs a canister of salt from the duffle bag and runs a line around the closet door.

As soon as he finishes it the pounding stops. The boys take off the fireman gear and move to the bedroom door. They slowly open it and see John on the bed. Dean goes over to his father. "Dad?" He leans down and listens. "He's still breathing."

Sam looks relieved. Dean starts shaking John. "Dad, wake up. Dad!" Dean yells.

Dean takes out a knife and is about to cut the restraints around John's wrists. "Wait. Wait." Sam says.

"What?" Dean asks.

"He could be possessed for all we know." Sam says.

"What, are you nuts?"

"Dean, we got to be sure."

Sam takes a flask of holy water out of the duffle bag and sprinkles it on John. It has no effect. John moans and starts to come around. "Sam? Why are you splashing water on me?" He asks.

"Dad, are you okay?" Dean asks.

"They've been drugging me. Where's the Colt?" John asks.

"Don't worry, Dad, it's safe." Sam says.

Dean cuts him free. "Good boys. Good boys." John says.

Outside the Building A fireman is talking on his radio while a group of people look on. A man in the crowd looks around and suddenly acts surprised – then his eyes go completely black.

He moves toward the building and the fireman tries to stop him. "Hey, buddy, you can't go in." The fireman's eyes suddenly go black as well and he follows the man into the building.

Inside the Apartment Dean and Sam are carrying John out of the bedroom. The front door suddenly bursts open and the man and fireman come in. "Go! Go!" Sam yells.

"Back! Back!"

They go back into the bedroom and close the door locking it. An axe suddenly comes through the door.

Inside the Apartment Sam runs a line of salt at the bedroom door. Dean and John are already out on the fire escape. "Sam, let's go!" Dean yells.

Sam tosses him the duffle bag and goes through the window out onto the fire escape.

He runs salt along the window sill. Dean helps John down onto the street and Sam moves ahead of them.

Sam is suddenly attacked by the man who was with Meg in Lincoln. He pins Sam down on the street and starts beating him to death. Dean puts John down and goes to his brother's aid. "Sam!"

Dean runs over and kicks the man in the face, but it has not effect. Dean is suddenly thrown onto a parked car, shattering the windshild, and the man goes back to beating Sam.

Suddenly there is a gunshot and the man gets a bullet through the head. He falls off of Sam , dead. Dean is standing with the Colt. He puts it away and comes over to his brother. "Sam! Sam, come on! Come on!"

Dean gets Sam onto his feet and they look at the dead man. The demon is dead and so is the man it was possessing.

"Come on. We got to get out of here." Dean says. They go over to John and pick him up, leaving the area in a hurry.

[ ☾]

he Impala is parked outside a cabin in the woods. Inside Sam is pouring salt along the window sill. His face is a mess – bruised, bloody, and swollen. Dean comes into the room. "How is he?" Sam asks.

"He just needed a little rest, that's all. How are you?" Dean asks.

"I'll survive." Sam turns to his brother. "Hey, you don't think we were followed here, do you?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. I mean, we couldn't have found a more out-of-the-way place to hole up." Dean says.

"Yeah." Sam looks at his brother. Hey, uh... Dean, you, um... you saved my life back there."

"So, I guess you're glad I brought the gun, huh?" Dean asks.

"Man, I'm trying to thank you here."

"You're welcome." Sam walks across the room.