Standing Outside the Fire

56

[Taxi Driver]

Dean and Francesca pounded on the metal door and he cried, "Kevin, open up! Kevin!" Kevin opened the door, a huge cast iron skillet in hand, a haunted, tired expression on his face. "Whoa! Whoa. Geez. What's going on? What's with that S.O.S.?" Sam, Dean and Francesca entered.

"It's him," Kevin said.

"It's who?" Francesca asked.

"Crowley."

"What about him?" Dean questioned.

"He's in my head."

Sam frowned. "He's... in your head."

"Do you know what that means?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, it means we need to up your anxiety meds. Kevin, you're dreaming. Look, if Crowley knew where you were, he'd do a hell of a lot more than mess with your head."

"All right, where's Garth?" Francesca inquired.

"On a case or -- or the dentist. I don't know. I haven't heard from him."

Dean frowned. "Okay, well, what did you want to tell us that you couldn't say over the phone? Would you put the frying pan down, please?"

Kevin put the pan on the stove. "I translated the second trial from the tablet."

Dean grinned. "You... crazy prophet, you. Nice work!"

"And if Crowley's in my head, he knows."

"Okay, he's definitely not in your head," Sam and Dean said in sync.

Francesca shook her head. "He's not in your head, Kevin. It'll be all right. Just... We know you're distressed. Stay with us, okay? What's the second trial?"

"An innocent soul has to be rescued from Hell and delivered unto Heaven," Kevin answered.

"What?" Dean said.

""Unto." That's -- that's how God talks."

Sam asked, "Rescue a soul from Hell? Like actually... Go to Hell? How -- how do you get a soul unto Heaven? I mean, how do you even get a soul out of Hell?"

Francesca shrugged. "Guess we need an expert."

They made their way to a crossroads. Sam had prepared a box. He put the box in a hole in the ground and covered it with his foot.

"Winchesters," a male demon said as his eyes flashed red.

"What happened to the hot chick?" Dean questioned.

Francesca rolled her eyes as the demon said, "I'm out of here."

"Maybe not," Sam replied.

The crossroads demon looked down to see that he was standing in a huge Devil's Trap. He was taken into an abandoned building. "I got nothing." He was tied to a chair, seated under a Devil's Trap. Dean dumped holy water on him and he sizzled. Francesca was in the car with the twins.

"Oh?" Dean asked.

"Bite me."

"Yeah, no. How about another owie, then?"

He splashed more holy water on him and he cried, "Ohh!"

Sam frowned. "You know, wouldn't it be a lot easier just to tell us how to enter Hell, uh, uninvited?"

"It's... a secret."

Dean's voice dropped, like he was talking to a child and a mocking excited expression crossed his face. "We promise we won't tell anyone."