Down the Rabbit Hole

Self-Possessed Part 1

Dean and Lacey stood outside a row of shops. Dean checked the address written on the paper in his hand against the shop awning in front of them.
"Is this it?" Lacey asked sceptically.
"Yes." Dean sighed. "You've got to be kidding me." The two shared a look before heading into the grocery store. Dean nodded to the guy behind the counter.
"Hi, I'm uh looking for..." He trailed off.
"Follow all the way back. All the way back." They headed to the back of the store and were buzzed through a door. They followed some stairs up to the second floor where they were met by a guy in a lab coat.
"Dean Winchester?"
"You must be Dr Robert?" Dean shook his hand. "This is Lacey. I've heard a lot about you." He said as Lacey and the Doctor shook hands.
"Son, I stitched up your daddy more times than I can count, let me tell you. Oh, it's good to see you. Course that was ages ago, back when I still had my medical license. Right this way." He lead them down a dusty hall.
"Well, you know, I'm uh... I'm no germ freak but..." Dean glanced around the place warily.
"Rents cheap." The Doctor shrugged before leading them into his office. "Eva, my assistant." He nodded in the direction of a sour faced woman with dark hair.
"Hi." Dean said but got no response.
"Hop right up." Dean sat on the edge of the gurney before stretching out.
"Now, you...you have done this a lot?" He asked, sounding worried.
"Oh, many, many times." The Doctor reassured him.
"And your success rate?" Dean prodded.
"Oh excellent, almost 75%." Lacey raised an eyebrow and looked at Dean worriedly. "So, should we get the preliminaries out of the way?"
"Yeah... uh yeah, right." Dean handed the Doctor and envelope full of cash.
"Can we have a moment?" Lacey asked.
"Of course." The Doctor nodded to Eva who headed out into the hallway with him.
"Dean, are you sure about this?" Lacey asked, her fingers nervously tracing the stitches on the gurney upholstery. Dean took hold of her hand, stopping her.
"I'll be fine sweetheart."
"Are you sure there's no other way..."
"Can you think of anything we haven't tried? Cause I'm open to suggestions." Dean smiled at her.
"75% is not enough of a chance..." She started but Dean gently tugged on her arm pulling her down to his level and kissing her softly.
"That's why you're here. You even out my odds." He told her.
"All ready in here?" The Doctor asked, poking his head round the door.
"I think so." Dean replied and the two of them came back into the room. "Listen Doc, Lacey's gonna stay here while I'm under and if it looks like things are going sideways, you let her do whatever she needs to." Dean instructed him. The Doctor eyed Lacey curiously but acquiesced to Deans request. Eva inserted the IV into Deans arm.
"Ow." Dean muttered.
"Don't be a baby." Eva told him stoically.
"You know, a little bedside manner would be nice." Dean grumbled.
"Are we ready hmm?" Doctor Roberts checked. "You've got three minutes." Lacey watched as Dean fell unconscious.
"No pulse, no sinus rhythm." Eva reported.
"He's dead." Lacey clenched her fists, using all of her will power not to wake up Dean right away. She watched the clock, counting down the seconds.

Every second seemed to last a life time to Lacey. As the three minutes finally ticked by the Doctor sprang into action.
"Four, three, two, now..." Eva said as they placed the defibrillator on Dean's chest.
"Again." The Doctor instructed. They tried again but to no avail. "Eva, adrenaline." The Doctor barked. Eva injected him with adrenaline but still nothing happened.
"Let me try." Lacey said, pushing past them. She put a hand on Deans chest and closed her eyes. A second later Dean started breathing again and moments later he opened his eyes.
"Oh, thank Moses." The Doctor sighed with relief.
"You couldn't have given me five more seconds?" Dean asked as he slowly sat up.
"Son, you were gone for seven minutes." The Doctor told him.
"I was?" Dean looked surprised.
"Mmmhmm. I thought for sure death had you by the twins." The Doctor told him as he started to tidy up. Lacey whacked Dean on the arm, getting his attention.
"Don't ever do that again, you hear me?" She told him angrily.
"Believe me, I'm in no hurry to do that again." Dean said as he pulled her into a hug.

"You what!?" Sam exploded as he heard about where they had been. It was later that day and they were all sat in Bobby's living room .
"Just hear me out." Dean asked.
"I heard Cas and Crowley when they said it would either kill me or turn me to jello, Dean! I heard enough!"
"Death said he could put up a wall." Dean interjected.
"A wall?" Sam didn't sound convinced.
"Yes, yes a wall that... basically, you wouldn't remember hell."
"Really?"
"Really."
"For good? Like a cure?" Sam clarified.
"No, it's not a cure. It... he said it could last a lifetime."
"Great. So playing pretty fast and loose with my life here. Don't you think, Dean?" Sam asked, gritting his teeth.
"Now hold on a minute..." Lacey started.
"Stay out of this Lacey!" Sam growled. Lacey gave him a death glare. "It's my life, it's my soul. At the end of the day it should be my decision. And it sure as hell won't be either of your heads that are gonna explode when this whole scheme goes sideways." Lacey sighed audibly and the three of them sat in sullen silence.
"Just curious, I presume Death's not doing this out of the goodness of his heart, so what's your half of the deal?" Bobby asked. Dean looked between them but didn't answer. "I'm sorry, I didn't get that." Bobby prodded.
"I have to wear the ring for a day." Dean admitted.
"Why the hell would he want you to do that?" Bobby looked confused.
"Get this rocks off. I don't know. But I'm doing it." Sam got to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Sam sighed.
"Look, I hear you, alright. I get it. I just need a minute to wrap my head around it alright?" Sam asked before heading for the door.

Sam wandered across the junk yard until he found what he was looking for. There was a small hole dug into the ground. He peered down at it, hoping he would find something was still inside, but he was out of luck.
"Looking for this?" Sam turned around to find Dean, Lacey and Bobby standing behind him. Dean was holding up Deaths ring and it glinted in the light.
"Just taking a walk." Sam shrugged. Dean sighed.
"Sam, I'm your brother. I'm not gonna let you get hurt. I know what I'm doing here."
"What if you're wrong?"
"I won't let it go wrong." Dean reassured him.
"Fine." Sam nodded reluctantly.
"Fine? So you're..."
"I'm trusting you here. Barely."
"You sure?" Dean checked.
"You're the one with the compass, right? Just don't mess it up."
"I won't." Dean walked back to the house. "Watch him." He told the other two quietly. Bobby nodded and headed indoors leaving Dean and Lacey alone.
"You'll be careful, right?" Lacey asked, studying his face. "I mean, I want Sam back, I really do, but promise me you won't do anything too stupid, ok?" Dean smiled at her.
"Sweetheart, I'm gonna effectively be death, how much trouble can I get into?"
"Knowing you? Lots." Lacey said a she wrapped him in a hug. Dean chuckled. As they pulled apart Dean cupped Lacey's chin in his hand.
"Don't worry about me sweetheart. Just make sure Sam isn't the one to do something stupid."
"I'll do my best."
"That's all I ask." Dean leant down and kissed her softly. Lacey gave him a small smile before disappearing into the house. Dean took the ring from his pocket. "Well here goes everything." He put the ring on his finger and promptly disappeared.

Lacey was sat on Bobby's couch reading through one of his musty old books about the four horsemen and eating a poptart. Sam came in through the back and leant against the door frame. Bobby looked up from where he was studying papers at his desk,
"So is this the part where you pull a gun on me and lock me in the panic room?"
"Do I have to?" Bobby asked.
"No. I guess Dean's got to do what he's got to do." Sam replied nonchalantly.
"Guess we all do kid." Sam nodded and headed back outside. Lacey gave Bobby a look.
"Is it just me or did he give up too easy?"
"I guess we'll have to wait and see..."
"If the shit hits the fan?" Lacey guessed.
"That's the one." Lacey turned back to her book, waiting.

Sam was stood in an abandoned warehouse at the back of Bobby's property. He uttered something in Latin as he finished his summoning spell. There was a puff of smoke and a voice rang out of the emptiness.
"Sam Winchester. This had better be good." Balthazar was stood in the middle of the empty room. "Why, here's one for the list of dumbest things ever. Summon the angel that wants to kill you."
"Desperate times. I need your help Balthazar." Sam explained.
"Interesting. Since last time we met you wanted to...what was it? Oh, yes, fry my wings extra crispy." Balthazar replied as he sauntered slowly towards Sam.
"Well... that was a misunderstanding." Sam tried.
"Some misunderstanding!" Balthazar scoffed.
"I need some advice." Sam tried a different tack.
"Advice?"
"Angel advice."
"Well then, go ask your boyfriend." Balthazar shrugged.
"Cas can't help me. I need to know if there's a spell or a weapon, anything that can keep a soul out, forever."
"Ohh." Balthazar sounded interested. "What's going on Sam?"
"It's for me."
"Well the plot thickens. Where's your soul, Sam?" He stopped for a moment, realisation dawning. "Good god, no. It's not still ...is it?"
"My brother found a way to put it back in me. I don't want it."
"No you don't. No, cause Michael and Lucy are hate banging it as we speak."
"Can you help me?" Sam asked.
"Oh yes. The question is will I?"
"Set your terms." Sam stated.
"I'll do it for free." Sam looked surprised.
"Free? Why?"
"Well you seem like a capable young man. I'd love to have you in my debt. And I have to say, I'm not a fan of your brother, so screwing him will delight me. Anyway, to business. The spell, yes, so, finding the ingredients are easy enough, but, uh, there's one tricky part however."
"Okay." Sam waited for him to elaborate.
"You need to scar your vessel."
"Meaning what?"
"Meaning something that so pollutes it, it renders it uninhabitable. Calls for something very specific."
"Great. What?"
"Patricide." Sam stared at him.
"My dad's been dead for years."
"To be clear, um, you need the blood of your father, but your father needn't be blood. Comprende?"
"Bobby." Sam muttered. "Fine, but how can I get to him, he's with Lacey and there's no way she'll let anything happen to him."
"Ahh yes." Balthazar brightened. "The delectable one. Leave her to me, I'll get her out of your way. You deal with the rest. Do we have a deal?"