(1) The Devil's Hybrid (D. Winchester)

Chapter Forty-Two

Jimmy, Dean, Erika, and Sam stand outside the impala. Amelia and Claire sit together in the back seat of the impala.

"You were right" Jimmy admits.

"I'm sorry we were" Dean offers.

"I'm telling you, I don't know anything," Jimmy tells them.

"I don't think they're inclined to believe you, love" Erika responds. "And even if they did, you're a vessel. They're still gonna wanna know what makes you tick"

"Which means vivisection, if they're feeling generous" Dean adds.

"I'm going to tell you once again, you're putting your family in danger. You have to come with us" Erika tells him firmly.

"How long? And don't give me that "cross that bridge when we get to it" crap"

"Darling, don't you get it? Forever" Erika tells him. "The demons will never stop. You can never be with your family. So you either get as far away from them as bloody possible or you put a bullet in your head. And that's how you keep your family safe. But there's no getting out and there's no going home"

"Well, don't sugarcoat it, Eri"

"I'm just telling him the truth, Dean. Someone has to" she argues back, Jimmy nods and moves to the back of the impala. Jimmy opens the back door to speak to Amelia. Claire is asleep next to her.

"Hey. So I pretty much owe you the biggest apology ever"

"No, you don't" Jimmy assures her.

"Yes, I do. I'm so sorry, Jimmy. And I will never, ever forgive myself for letting you walk out that door"

"Well, you did what any rational person would have done. I mean, hell, I thought I was crazy half the time"

"So demons, huh?"

"Yeah"

"Can we . . . ? Can we even go home, or . . . ? What are we gonna do?"

"These guys are gonna get you a car, don't ask me how, and you're gonna take Claire to Carl and Sally's as fast as you can," Jimmy tells them.

"Wait. What about you?" she reads his facial expression. "No, I'm not going anywhere without you, Jimmy"

"Listen to me. Every moment that I'm with you, you and Claire are in danger"

"I don't care. We are not splitting up again"

"We don't have a choice"

"For how long?" Amelia asks.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it"

"We're a family"

"They will kill you, Amelia, and they'll kill Claire. You just have to get as far away from me as you can" Jimmy and Amelia embrace while Erika watches. Dean watches her.

.............

It's raining as Dean drives. Jimmy is asleep in the back seat. Sam sits in the passengers, Erika in the back.

"What the bloody hell happened back there?" Erika asks Sam, he looks to her.

"What?"

"You practically fainted trying to kill a demon" she points out.

"Okay, I didn't faint. I got a little dizzy"

"Well, you can call it whatever you want, love. Point is, you used to be strong enough to kill Alastair. Now you can't even kill a low-level grunt-demon? "