The Ticking Of The Clock {Ry's Plot}

[Simone Winchester]

May Day. It was so beautiful. Flowers were blooming, birds were chirping, and the sunshine was like a warm caress on bare skin. The trees around the house stretched their leaves over the garden and it was like its paradise on earth. It was the best time of the year in Simi's mind and she couldn't help smile as she and Ry went about yard work. It was a picture perfect scene right out of a happily ever after storybook. How could anything go wrong on such a bright day?

Weren't those the famous last words of a fool? she would later think back. It was as the clock struck six in the evening that her world started to fall apart.

ONly, she didn't know it at the time. Poor stupid fool that she was.

As they laughed and carried trash bags full of rubbish to the trash bin, Simi became aware of something stirring in the air. Pausing for a moment, she frowned and then looked about. Although nothing seemed out of place, goosebumps rose on her bare arms and she was suddenly cold. It was then that she saw the figure of a man standing by the front gate and her blood turned to ice in her veins.

She KNEW he was not human and fear swept through her like a tide.

"Ry..." she choked out in a bare whisper. "RYDER!" she managed a bit louder before her husband turned to her, smile dying upon his lips, seeing the same sight she did.

Unsure what to do, she gripped the sack harder and shivered. She didn't know what the creature wanted but instinct told her that whatever it was.. It was not good.

What a wonderful day. All bright and shiny and much to perfect. It just couldn't be allowed to continue. At least, that was the thought of Kobal as he watched the young lovers laugh and play among the spring foliage. Really, it was so sweet it was enough to make him sick. Evidently, the young hunter had forgotten he was living on borrowed time. That thought made him smile malevolently. IT was a good thing he was here to remind them, wasn't it? After all, Kobal hadn't taken his soul in contract just so he could spend his time HAPPY! Oh no, he had rejoiced in the fact that he had been wallowing in misery.

And then that damned chit had come along. Made him all happy and joy filled again. It had been a brilliant stroke of luck that Cristines body had been possessed by a lesser demon at Christmas but that too had gone by the way side.

Damn true love to hell and back.

However, it had come to his attention that the stupid foolish hunter was currently unaware of the stipulations of the contract. He had no clue as to how long he had left or when his time would be up. So what did it matter if he, the contract holder, called the payment due a little ahead of time? No one would know so there could be no complaints in that department, right? Right.

And seriously, the scene before him made him want to destroy the happy little scene.

Oh, sure, he'd watched for the last few weeks as the hunter had tried to hunt him down and the little angel bitch had hid her fears but it hadn't been enough to destroy the bits of happiness they had found within each other. Love and Hope still sprung eternal in their hearts and it just really pissed Kobal off. He wanted the pair broke... He wanted to feel the womans grief and the hunters terror. He wanted to hear them beg for mercy only to have the last shreds of hope torn from their hearts. In short, he wanted them to languish in horror and misery.

And he was here to accomplish just that. The thought made a wide grin spread over his meat suits face. It was in that moment that the blond turned and saw him. Knowing she would soon draw the man's attention to his presence, Kobal tapped his fingers patiently on the wooden fence and waited.

Come in, Come in, said the spider to the fly ran the refrain in his head. It was one he truly loved. Humans were so fanciful in their imaginations at times. It was one of their only good traits.

The deal hadn't been forgotten. Oh no; not in the slightest. The young hunter, or more correctly the young husband and father-to-be just refused to let the cloudy future rain on his happiness -today-. He was with the woman that made him whole; was in fact, the better part of him. They were making a home of their own, like adult, and nervously waiting for the arrival of their babies. Two...little babies. They needed him. Simi needed him. Not to be a hunter or even a -Winchester- that had bargained his soul away (again) but she needed him to be man she had married.

And the man was never happier to step into that role.

Kisses never ceased. Backrubs were a plenty. Making love was...well...it was so much more than just those two words. And nothing could drive the smile from his face as they worked and played like lovers in the yard of their home. Ryder loved chiding Simi about bending over and flashing her better assets and Simi loved to smear dirt on his face and then run away to start the chase. And they worked with their hands and together, making the house their home in every detail possible. The young hunter's thoughts were nothing but bliss as he bent to bag some pruned bougainvillea leaves, but his eyes turned cloudy hearing the sudden panic in his wife's voice.

Dropping the thick thorny brush Ryder stood, narrowing his eyes on the man grinning at them from the fence. Ryder didn't have the same 'sense' as Simi, but the malice in the male's smile was apparent even from afar. Ryder charged toward the blonde, putting himself between the man and the woman, his hand behind his back and protective against her belly. "Can I help you, sir?" Ryder's voice was firm, but lacking intent. Shoot first and ask questions later wasn't the safest course of action when a pregnant woman was so close.

Arching a brow at the hunters question, Kobal smiled even more broadly. He had indeed caught the young lovers off guard and his glee at that was a bonus. "Actually, I hear its what I can help YOU with, young sir...." he drawled out, leaning a lean hip against the fence and eying the pair. "I suspect that this might be a conversation better carried on between the two of us but if you wish the woman to listen in...." he said, letting his voice trail off but allowing the unspoken one to linger in the air between them. "I'm here about some information you've been looking for? Word has gotten around to me that you are needing some details??"

As the words resounded in the bright spring air, Kobal gave them both a good looking over and his lip curled at the advanced state of the blonds condition. Obviously, the filthy little worm had been busy sowing his seed in fertile soil. Oh well, all the better. The hunter would be doubly interested and terrorized in turn. More the better for Kobal. He half hoped that the hunter would want to have the conversation in front of his little woman so that he'd receive the added glee of watching comprehension

Terror filled Simi as she watched the man and felt Ry's own reaction. When he suddenly moved between them, she peeked over his shoulder and stared in horrified fascination at the gentleman. Every sense in her told her that he wasn't at all what he seemed and his words only confirmed it. He was here about Ry's deal. That was the only thing it could mean. The only questions was... Was he here to help them or to harm them? In her experience, demons only harmed so this new occurrence scared her to the very pits of her soul.

"Ry..." she choked out. "Don't listen to him... He probably doesn't know anything and hes just trying to lure you out. He can't come inside the wards I've put up and they end at the gate.... Lets go inside and call Ben or someone... "

Even as she spoke though, she knew Ry wasn't listening. His eyes, too , were fastened on the creature who loomed at their gate like a spectral of doom. As much as Simi wanted to run into the house and hide away, she knew that it wouldn't do any good. The bastard would just wait and force them to face him.

Ryder felt a fire rise up in his belly. The the pit of his soul alight with rage, the young hunter heard a possessive growl, only realizing afterward it had come from his own throat. The sunlight caught the male's eye and Ryder could not ignore the glint in them. It was glowing with its own fire-- from the pits of hell.

No...it...this couldn't be it. His time wasn't up!

Ryder hissed in his breath through gaping lips and then turned a horrified stare on the pleading cherub behind him. "Simi...go inside. Go inside Simi....call...call someone. Yeah..call Ben." If it was his time to go he didn't want the delicate woman watching from the window. Distractions...yes...dis​tractions... Before she could move or react the haunted Winchester reached out for her waist, dragging her desperately against him and covering her mouth with a feverish kiss. There was no time.

There was never enough time for goodbye.

As Ry's words poured over her, Simi felt the first cracks open under her feet. His horrified expression was the only thing she needed to tell her that he had come to the same conclusions that she had. God, the panic... It was threatening to undo her but she wouldn't, couldn't let Ry see it.

Vaguely, she was aware of nodding her agreement to his demands but then he reached for her and kissed her as if for the last time and she couldn't help but return the embrace. Her arms trembled with the knowledge that when she let him go... it might be for the very last time. Her stomach clenched and she put everything she had into the kiss because she wanted him to know he was her whole world and more. He was her everything.

Finally though, it could not be put off any longer and Simi was forced to step away. Shaking with terror and worry, the young woman reached up and cupped her husbands cheek in her hand and whispered words that she never got tired of say but felt the need to say now more than ever. "I LOVE YOU, RYDER WINCHESTER. HE CAN"T HAVE YOU!"

That said, she whirled on her heels and rushed for the house in a mad dash to reach the phone. She had to call Ben..Dean.. Someone. They would know what to do!

With a grace that belied her six month plus pregnancy, Simi hit the front porch and was in the house. Barreling through the hallway to the kitchen, she grabbed at the phone and gave a cry as it slipped from her fingers and hit the ground with a clatter. All she could think of was the precious second ticking by and that she needed to get back to Ryder.

Finally, she managed to get a handle on the receiver and punch buttons. Her brain was on autopilot even as she heard Ben's voice pick up on the other end. "BEN!!! BEN!!!!!" she cried out, tears making her voice choke and sputter. "Demon.... Hes here... There's a demon outside...."

Oh yes. This was good. Kobal could feel the anxiety and terror flooding off the young people and the sense of power it gave him was a rush. No longer did they wear happy, stupid grins. Instead, frowns and horror rode their expressions like they should. This.. This is what he lived for. This is how it should always be.

However, he decided, he could afford to be magnanimous. After all, they were providing him with such pleasure. Perhaps he'd allow them one last goodbye. Yes, Yes, he thought he would. Instead of the now deadline... Maybe he'd let them have 24 hours before he sent the hellhounds. Enough time to let reality set in and have one last hurrah. After all, as the victor, he didn't have to be heartless now did he? Well, he was heartless but... This would only make the victory so much sweeter in the end. The hunters screams and agony so much more... rewarding.

As the couple kissed and then the young woman broke away to run for the house, Kobal almost laughed. He knew what the wife was doing but it would do her no good. She had no leverage with which to save her handsome lover. His soul was consigned to the pit as the young man no doubt already knew. Turning his eyes to the hunter, Kobal arched a brow and pushed away from the fence.

"Come.. Lets have a wee chat, shall we? Mayhap a stroll?"

Gorgeous Header By Mak!

[Simone Winchester]

Ryder could feel the tremors race through Simone's body as he held her close, his lips and his clinging hands telling her all the things he felt inside, all the thing he would miss saying to her if this was indeed the end. A fleeting thought entered the terrified hunter's mind then; that maybe if he just kept holding her...if he never let her go...that the demon would have to forfeit the whole deal because he couldn't take her too. Could he?!

Horrified even more at the thought of Simi pulled down with him, Ryder reluctantly pulled away at the same time as his wife. Her hand came up to his cheek and the young Winchester laid his on top; rain filled grey eyes fixed on the perfect bow of her mouth as she whispered only for him. And then she was darting into the house. Ryder reached out for her, his face tightening as he struggled not to loose it and run in after her. But he had no time. If there was any way possible to find a way out of the contract it was going to by fighting, and he meant to fight to the very end.

Turning back to the demon slowly the young man steeled his back, narrowing grey-blue eyes on the male. Heart breaking in his chest, he nodded once at the demon's suggestion and cast a backwards glance over his shoulder to the house before past him and through the gate. Out of the safety of Simi's protective wards.
A chill stole through Ryder and he frowned, shoving his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans and ignoring the instinct to jack the devil. Calm Ryder. Calm. "So...is this...are you hear just to talk or...what the fuck are you here for demon?" Ry finally addressed Kobal, staring him square in the face with a pluckiness that he truly didn't feel.

At the hunters words, a creepy smile stole over the demons face. "Now, now... Is there really any call for such language? I've not offered you any harm...." he said, letting the "yet" linger unsaid in the air between them. Reaching into the front of his shirt pocket,Kobal pulled out a pack of cigarettes and tapped one out with practiced moves.

Then, as if as an after thought, he held it out to Ryder as if in offering. When the young man didn't take one, he shrugged. "Your right.. Probably just as well. These things will kill you.... "he drawled out before grinning and staring the young man in the face. "Awww.. but then...You don't have to worry about that little problem do you?? Tell me, how is is going? This hunt for your contract holder? I hear that your doing the old man proud! You should congratulate yourself on that one! I thought for sure you'd wallow in your self pity and pride so long that you wouldn't even attempt to find out who you made the deal with.... But then... with such a pretty piece of ass like your wife... I guess I can completely understand why you didn't."

With a cruel glint to his eyes, Kobal watched the hunter closely for signs of attack and had to admire the self control he kept himself under. To bad it was for naught. Raising his cigarette to his mouth, he flicked a lighter and inhaled a deep cloud of smoke as he lit the long cylinder. When he was done, he blew it out and continued.

"I must say, it almost pains me to have to destroy the happy illusion you have going on here... The wife.. the whelps on the way.. the white picket fence... The only thing missing is the dog! It shames me to think that i'm bringing an end to all this perfection...." the demon went on. ".....Well, actually... now that I think on it... no... Lets be honest, shall we? It really doesn't bother me at all.... In fact, I think this is even better than I originally planned.... Your contract... It was quiet the feather in my hat. A Winchester soul.... Thats an accomplishment that will go down in the record books. There are some people down below that are mighty impatient to see you.... This new change from the sniveling worm you were to a spunky fighter is worth your weight in gold. I do hope you'll keep it up once your in the pit...."

Taking another puff on his smoke, the demon sent a glance back at the house and saw the pale face of the young woman glaring out the window. An evil smirk glimmered over his face even as his eyes flashed amber. "After all, it would be a real pity if I had to come back for your woman, wouldn't it? She would make a very lovely decoration in hell, don't you think?"

Ryder's face was a mask of impassiveness. He didn't react to the snide comments the demon was flinging about not being there to -harm- him, instead just clenching his fists at his sides and his jaw tight. The young hunter didn't even respond to the not-so-funny joke about cigarettes killing him, though -that- remark would have definitely drawn a smile across his lips coming from anyone else. But when Kobal mentioned Dean and then went and called Simi a peice of ass, it was as if a time bomb exploded within the man.

Suddenly Ryder's steady hands were shaking like the San Andreas Fault Line and his chest burned as if a fire had started there, blooming out to his limbs and rising with the bile in the back of his throat. But still the hunter remained the imagine of calm determination; unwilling to give the demon more than he had already given him. Which was nearly everything. But there was no way in HELL he was getting his hands on the woman he would sell his soul for a million times over. The mere suggestion drew a husky curse from Ryder even though he was struggling to retain the false serenity. "Fuck you." Was all the young Winchester could utter as a violent tremor coursed through his sinewy frame.

He glanced back to where the demon's gaze had directed his, wincing when the angel face of his bride looked back out from the window. Inhaling deep to distract him from the pain that was reaching out to every nerve ending inside of him, Ryder resumed the slow walk away from the house they shared; hoping to draw the evil as far away from it as possible. "Cut the bullshit, demon." Ryder gave the male his stormy eyes, keeping a casual pace that the man would follow. "You're the demon that holds the contract. You've already got my nuts in a vice so what the fuck else do you want from me?" It really didn't matter what else he wanted. Ryder wasn't ready to go, but if this was the end he was bound and determined to go down like a Winchester. Proud. Unafraid. "Who the hell are you? Whats this gon' do for you? You think this is gon' make you the king of hell cause if so...you're more fucked than I am." A mirthless laugh escaped the young man and he shook his head, still wearing the slight smile on his lips. "You know it aint gon' end with me...right? You gotta know, being who I am that my family and friends aren't just gon' let this go. You're gon' suffer demon. You're gon' go down in flames."

The hunter was good. Kobal had to give him that. Most would have snapped under the words that he'd delibriatly spoken. He'd been hoping to get a rise out of the young man or at the very least, see pain and helplessness line his face. Unfortunately though, while it was evident in his eyes, Winchester was made of sterner stuff. Mores the pity.

Letting a smile spread across his face, Kobal listened to the brave words that rattled the air between them and drew another breath of his cigarette. For a moment, he just watched the hunter before he threw the butt on the ground. When he did speak, his voice was deliberately light. "Yes, there is that isn't there? As it happens, I don't want anything from you.. I already have it, don't I?" he drawled out in tones husky from the real persons lifetime of smoking. "As far as retribution.... Well, they are welcome to try. Unfortunately, you still don't have a name, do you? I'm just another demon walking around in a meat suit. They are welcome to try but I've kept it undercover this long.... I think I can stay one step ahead for a bit longer."

Then, smiling evilly, the demon took a few away and plucked a flower from the limbs of a lilac bush. Lifting it to his nose, he inhaled its scent and then tossed it aside like rubbish. His eyes gleamed as he turned back to Ryder. "I actually came here today to give you a little going away gift. I debated whether to give you any warning at all but it didn't seem quiet fitting after word got back to me that you didn't remember your .... deadline. I thought it was only proper I give you a bit of a heads up. You have 36 hours to say goodbye and do all that sentimental stuff you humans do. Tomorrow night .... when the clock strikes midnight... Times up!"

His business done, Kobal gave the human one last knowing smile and then he was gone. "See you soon, Winchester." whispered on the air in the sudden stillness.

[Simone Winchester]

The young hunter watched the inhale of the demon's smoke, swallowing thick when the wispy tendril escaped his lips and then disappeared in the afternoon breeze. He wasn't strong. He wasn't brave. Each moment standing there thinking that those last words he'd said to Simi would be the last killed him as completely as if they were jagged, dripping fangs ripping him limb from limb. He wanted to run. Far away so that his delicate wife wouldn't see the horror, but at the same time back to the safety of her embrace.

There, nothing could hurt him. the demon didn't have everything.

He certainly didn't have the image of the angel engraved in Ryder's mind which would ease him into the endless sleep. He didn't have the sound of Chey's laughter, and that of her daughter. The things he would cling to and remain stoic as he was taken down.

A smirk graved his lips when the contract holder dismissed the idea of his family's retribution. "You so sure about that? You -do- know that I am a Winchester, yeah?" He loosed a snort from his nose and shook his head.

Ryder's grey-blue eyes tracked the male as he gave the hunter his back, frowning when the demon stole a bloom from the foliage linging the fence. The flower fell from the man's tawny hand and the middle Winchester merely stared at it, realizing that it would be his soul next so easily plucked and discarded. His gaze lifted hesitantly when Kobal revealed his 'gift', his mouth dropping open and his heart seizing within his chest. The demon was gone with the wind, leaving the hunter to mourn the loss of time.

Unbidden, his knees threatened to give way and he sagged, clutching the white wooden gate. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, trying to make his legs work. How in the hell could he do this? How could he tell his wife that tomorrow he would have to leave her. The thought was unfathomable. Reining what strength he had left the young hunter turned, staring at the frightened face staring back out at him.

He took a step. Two...found he was running now. He burst through the door and grabbed Simi, pulling her close before falling down on his knees.

No. NO. NOT NOW. NOT EVER. This was NOT happening. It couldn't be. Even as those thoughts spilled through her mind, Simi knew it was, in fact, reality. A reality that she'd desperately fought not to believe would come to pass. A reality that had given her nightmares for the last four months and left her fighting for breath even as she spoke to Ben on the phone. A reality that was already ripping her soul apart and shattering her world into a million pieces. Her whole life was standing outside talking to the demon responsible for all their torment and the knowledge that she couldn't do a damn thing to stop the coming storm almost brought her to her knees.

It was only with a death grip on the counter that the young mother managed to remain upright even as she stared out across their wide lawn to where her love stood face to face with the bane of their existance. On some level, she heard Ben's voice shouting "Simi?? SIMONE?? GOD DAMN IT, WOMAN!!! SIMI?? FUCK.. I"M ON MY WAY!!" and then the silence as he evidently hung up the phone. Unfortunately, it didn't even register on her plain of awareness as she stood watching at the window. Having told the older brother everything she could, her focus was only for the one thing that made her heart beat.

For a few horrible, heart breaking moments, Simi stood transfixed as she waited for something, anything to happen. Like a person who knew that the wreck ahead was going to be gruesome, she couldn't seem to pull her eyes away or move from the spot where her feet had become rooted to the floor. Then, just as suddenly as he'd arrived, the demon was gone and Ry still stood there. Alive. Breathing. Running towards the house." Oh god, thank god." she thought to herself suddenly freed from her immobility and rushing towards the front door. Even as she rounded the kitchen table though, Ryder was there. Taking in his expression, Simi frantically grabbed for him and then they were falling to their knees on the floor. Tears fell from her eyes even as she wrapped her arms around him and held him as tight as she could. "Ry.... What is it?? Whats going on??" she sobbed out frantically, knowing something bad was in motion and sick with the knowledge it could only be one thing. "NO... NO!!! I'm not going to let this happen.. IT CAN"T HAPPEN!!!"

Even as she spoke, the little voice in the back of her mind mocked her. As it had done for the last few months, it sneered and laughed at her protests. There was nothing she could do to stop the events set in motion and she knew it. There was nothing anyone could do and the moment she'd come to dread was here. For all her supposed powers and gifts, she was powerless to save the one person in the world who meant everything to her.

Thirty-six hours. It might as well be thirty-six minutes. Ryder clung to his woman with a desperation he had never felt before; unable to imagine ever being able to let her go. Not when he knew they had so little time left together. The young hunter wasn't even sure how much time passed as they stayed like that; holding on for dear life, holding one another together so the fissure inside wouldn't split him down the middle. The blonde seraph's words etched themselves into his chest but despite their doggedness, he knew they were as empty as the hole slowly consuming his soul.

Finally realizing he could not waste another minute on dispair, Ryder inhaled deeply, steeling his back and reaching out to wipe the diamonds shimmering on her alabaster cheeks. "Angel...we have right now." He told her husky from the moisture staining his own face. "Lets not regret how we spent it..." With that he leaned forward, nuzzling the adorable width of her belly, where his children slept. He kissed it and whispered to them, pausing only briefly as the ache in his trunk made it impossible to breathe. The thought he would never see those cherubs widened the chasm taking over his chest and he had to force his stormy grey-blue eyes up to meet the crystalline ones of his angel. "You'll tell them how much I loved them, wont you?" Ryder asked, and his voice was as desperate and brave as a 5 year old boy. "You wont forget how I loved you...?"

What did one do when they felt as if the world were ending? How did a person react when facing to loss of the one person who was their very soul? Simi would later look back and wonder at her own ability to even move without shattering into a million pieces. No amount of knowing could have prepared her for the grief and terror that seized her heart as she looked into her lovers eyes and knew.... simply knew... that the clock was ticking down to the end game. His familiar azure eyes were hazed with emotions that tore at her and she could barely suppress the new tide of tears that threatened.

On some level, she wanted to scream.. to rail at the fates.. while on another... she didn't want to waste the precious moments they had left on things such as redundant denials and useless temper tantrums. Those things would not change the course set and it was with a weird sense of calm that she heard Ry speak his next words. Words that made her arms tighten around him and shear force of will tamp back the storm raging inside. Because he was right. They had now and she didn't want to regret that their last moments were wasted in grief.

And then he spoke the words that truly tore her soul apart.

"Oh Ry...... Don't you know that your the only one that I will ever love? The only one who I will ever want?? I think you always were. There was a reason for everything thats happened and I know it was because you and i.... We were just meant to be. Your my soul mate..... These babies are a piece of that love and there won't be a day that goes by without them knowing what a good man their father is...... "she choked out, refusing to say the word "was". "Your my Prince Charming and I will never love anyone else...."

Then, in a gesture born of desperation, Simi pulled him down to her and kissed him with all the love she had in her heart. The warmth of his skin burned against her bare skin and she choked back a sob that threated to tear from her throat. Pressing as close as she could to him, she kissed him as if her very life depended on it and.. in some ways.. it did. "I love you Ryder James Winchester. No one will ever take that from us. NO ONE. "

[Simone Winchester]

If only she knew just how true those words were. Ryder clung to Simi's forearms just as he clung to her voice; knowing above all that it would be those words that he would hold onto during his decent into hell. The hunter's grey-blue eyes were stormy; a single raindrop escaped down his tawny cheek and the young man quickly brushed it away with his palm. No matter how terrified he was there was no way in hell he was going to let his wife see it.

No way he was going to confess just how little time they had left together even though he was sure deep inside she already knew it. Ryder wanted her to remember him as her strength. A hunter that was fierce and strong, who loved her just as fiercely as he hunted; hands strong but gentle when he touched her.
And right now the middle Winchester just wanted to pretend time had stilled for them. Kissing her; drinking in her mouthy embrace and her warmth, Ryder could almost ignore the tension of the minute hand tightening around his throat.

And he prayed that the demon's warning had only meant to frighten him more. That once down in the pit one Winchester to torture would be enough for them and that from his sacrifice the safety of his family would be borne.His family. His wife. Would she ever really know how much he hated that this surrender of his soul was untrue? That his soul was hers, and would always be...no matter who held it?

His kiss became more feverish; desperate, and it was then Ryder lifted his wife into his arms and carried her to a spare guest bedroom on the lower floor. The desperate young man told her with his kiss how much he loved her, with his body how badly he needed her; etching each sensation of her onto his heart. As if he would ever be able to forget.

After he had marked her with his lips and his body and his breath Ryder made them something to eat, but both merely picked at the meal. They talked, laughed, cried, and kissed some more, just enjoying the ephemeral moments they had. Finally when the night had become dark the lovers retired to their bedroom, wound in one another's arms and staring at the ceiling overhead as they whispered secrets and promises and spoke of the past and the future.

She had said she wouldn't sleep, but when Simi's breath became more even, Ryder was glad that she had finally given in to exhaustion. What scared him more than painful it would be be when the Hellhounds caught him with their dripping fangs was the thought of Simi watching it happen with wide tear-filled eyes. That would kill him as surely as any demon dog. He swallowed thickly, turned his face to hers once more and watched her slightly parted lips and her chest rise and fall with her slumber breathing; winced when he saw the glow of head lights turning into their drive. The sound of a thrumming engine gave him pause. Had the demon come to get him in a hell mobile?

Panic tightened the hunter's chest and he found he couldn't breath. Couldn't tear himself from his wife's side. But...if she was with him the demon would take her...it would be too easy... Ryder pressed a kiss to the Angel's pale cheek and climbed out of bed, pulling on the blue jeans that had been rumpled on the floor. Dragging his eyes away from his wife, Ryder searched in the darkness until his grey-blue orbs fell on a white paper on the table across the room. He had to say something...he just couldn't leave it like this...even though the words they had exchanged earlier was his form of goodbye.

Using a pen that he pulled from one of the drawers, he scrawled something down on it and then left it on the pillow where his head had just departed. The note read 6 simple words, but ones that the young man hoped would make her understand. it said: I WILL ALWAYS BE RIGHT HERE.

With that Ryder reluctantly drifted back downstairs, pulling a tee-shirt on over his head and trying to ignore the desire to run back upstairs and hide under the covers. Inhaling deeply and steeling his chest, the hunter pushed open the front door, squinting into the head lights that had him momentarily blinded. "What are you waiting for?" He asked huskily, pretending to be brave, when really all he wanted was to shut the door and the world out for five more minutes...

The sounds of the bar around him was deafening; a cacophony of fake laughs, obnoxious music and the soft clank of liquor filled glasses. Sitting at the back, watching the others mile about in their ignorant little bubbles, Ben couldn't help but crack a smile. Once upon a time, he'd hunted a nest of vampires with his father, before the great and powerful 'Forced Retirement.' They had been a group of particularly nasty monsters; preying on young children who ventured too far into the state park near their houses. They would stalk the unsuspecting youths who, in their innocence, had seen nothing but shadows lurking around the quiet foresty paths. When bodies started showing up, mutilated and drained of all blood, good 'ol Papa Winchester had taken his eldest boy with him to annihilate humankind's enemy.

He didn't remember much about the Hunt-- hell, he could remember much about the hunt he'd been on two weeks ago, thanks to his being used to the lifestyle after so many years. But what stood out, what he'd never forget, was the nest leader, before he'd gotten his head chopped right off. Looking at him straight in the eye, the vampire had snarled, 'They're all mindless, thoughtless sheep; just wandering around aimlessly until they die. Why is it so wrong for us to hurry it along, if it's inevitable anyway?

Watching the others live out their drunken, party-going lives...well, he couldn't help but wonder about it himself. None of these wacko’s even wondered about the hundreds of disappearances that took place every other day in the midwest. Or gave a second thought to where all those Boogeyman stories they were told as a kid really came from. They were just as the bloodthirsty vampire had described them; mindless sheep.

"Damn, I'm never eating the burger here again," He couldn't help but mutter into his beer, as he tilted his head back for a sip. Jesus, talk about morbid...the next thing he knew, he'd be reading poetry and wearing black eyeliner. Wouldn't his siblings get a kick out of that? Speaking of...

Pulling out his cell phone as it vibrated, Ben frowned at the caller ID. Simi was calling him? Were there problems in Paradise already? Had the baby come? Was Ryder in some sort of trouble? Putting the reciever to his ear, he pressed star and listened to his messages.

He would out on the road two minutes later.

It was a nice little drive, but thanks to the Impala's newly souped up engine, he managed to reach Ry and Simi's house in a few hours. Strung out with worry, his mind couldn't help jumping to all kinds of conclusions; problems with the baby, Ryder being hurt, Cristine pulling another fast one, some homicidal Winchester hater breaking into the house and taking everyone hostage...God, he was about to physically explode, if he didn't get to that damn front door fast enough!

Especially when he managed to listen to the message one more time- this way, all the way through- and heard the truth behind the frantic call. God, the demon had finally called in Ryder's contract. Right when the twins were due to be born.

Practically screeching to a halt, he eyed the familiar outline of his brother, standing at the beginning of the driveway. The younger Hunter was eyeing the Impala as if he were waiting her to chomp on his ass, and the anxiousness in his chest amped up tenfold. Shoving the door open, he managed to catch the tail end of his brother's growled demand and slammed the door behind him. "I'm waiting for someone to tell me who replaced my normally intelligent brother with a moron of a clone," He managed to say back. Reaching through the open driver's side window, he flipped the Impala's headlights lower and looked Ry up and down. Good, no signs that the hellhounds had come for him already. This was...promising.


Shit, screw that; this was the beginning of what was going to be a very bad night. He could feel it in his goddamn bones.

How he hadn't recognized the familiar sound of the Impala was beyond the young hunter, but when Ben lowered the glaring headlights and spoke, Ryder felt as if the weight of the world was suddenly removed from his shoulders. Unbidden, he lunged forward, throwing his arms around his older brother like he had done in his childhood. "Fuck. Ben...." was all he could make out before the waterworks had sprung a leak in his face; the feigned bravado all but gone in the presence of his hero. The night seemed to pause as the younger Winchester sobbed into the shoulder of his brother; they were transported back in time to days long gone; an older sibling comforting his younger one when the reality of their life became too much for a kid to bear.

Finally, Ryder pulled away, swiping his backhand over his eyes and then his dripping nose. "Fucking -a- Ben....I can't do it. I can't leave her." He mumbled around a shudder in his chest. Apparently the sobbing wasn't through with him yet but he held it in so that he could address the elder hunter.

Blinking his grey-blues in order to clear his hazy vision, Ryder ran a shaking hand back through his tawny hair. "She...she told you? Simi told you about the...about the demon?"

Ben

With a sound that was half surprise and half 'oh my God, you just man hugged the breath outta me,' Ben caught his brother in a tight embrace. Given that the males in his family weren't the most touchy-feely on the planet, he was just a tad panicked as to what to do...but once the sounds of soft sobbing reached his ears, he didn't have to think too hard. Forget the Winchesters Don't Hug routine; his little brother was hurting. What else could he do but try to make everything better?

"Yeah, she called me when she figured out what was going on with you and the fucker," He replied, concern apparent on his face when Ryder stepped away. "So what was your big plan, brother? Disappear on her, hole up in some shack out in the woods and wait for the hellhounds to get you?" A muscle started twitching in his jaw. "I'm sorry, buddy, but your ass is too damn scrawny to become a chew toy. Come with me, alright? We can figure something out...maybe...maybe the James' know of some kind of hoodoo spell that could get you out of the deal. Yeah, that's it. C'mon; we can make it there by daylight if we shag ass."

Catching hold of Ryder's arm, he yanked him toward the Impala. No fuckin' way would he go break down, or let his brother see the panic slowly rising in his chest. They were going to find a way out of this; that was it. There wasn't any other choice.

[Simone Winchester]

When Ryder finally stepped out of the cage of his older brother's arms he drew the back of his hand across his moist eyes; hating for the elder hunter to see him as a driveling whiney suck. Ben had always been the one most like Dean-- tough, unaffected...a real man. The younger hunter had always wanted to be that way, or at least act that way, but sometimes you just couldn't help but let your insides pour out for the world to see. And his big brother had also always been the one with the plan. Ryder envied that the eldest Winchester could react so quickly to things whereas he had always been the one to take too long trying to plan out all the little details instead of just acting on instint. If he'd only had the sense that Ben had, perhaps he wouldn't be here right now.

The middle Winchester was shaking his head in despute but followed Ben around the passenger side of the Impala just the same. "Dont have a plan except to make sure those hounds are as far away from -her- as possible..." He glanced back up to the house and a wretched expression twisted his boyish visage; the tears that had been wiped away moments before refilling the pool of his blue-grey eyes.

He climbed into the classic black muscle car and was struck by a sense of deja-ju; the smell of leather and rock salt stirring up flashbacks of a family that had hunted together too many times to count. Ryder reached one hand out to smooth his digits across the dashboard, turning to his sibling once he'd climbed into the driver's position. "Remember the time we snuck out and took the Impala on a joyride to the James house that summer?" An distant smile touched Ry's eyes and a wistful smirk turned up one corner of his lips. "I couldn't have been more than eight years old. Chey was spending the night with Simi...we knew we were gonna' be in deep shit but it was so worth it." The young hunter blinked, and his smile faded. "I dont think Lexi can help Ben. If she knew of a way she'd have said something by now." His brow creased and the non-smile turned into a heavy frown. "I dont want you there when it happens man. Just...Just drop me off somewhere. I'll deal with this by myself."

When he was sure Ryder wasn't about to leap out of the Impala and hightail it down the driveway, Ben slid into the driver's seat and shut the door. He took in a deep, calming breath, resisting the urge to bring the younger Winchester in for another girly hug and, only half listening to what was being said, he started the engine and backed out. His brain was too caught up with the stories their Dad had told him on a hunt, when just a few too many cold ones had been tossed back. About how the dogs had chased them, how it had felt to lie there, staring up into hell's own eyes until finally being dragged down to a place no man should go...God, that couldn't happen to Ryder! Not to his little brother; the nerdy little kid who used to follow him everywhere. That trip was meant for the morons who thought they could trick a demon, or the murderers that truly deserved to burn. Not Ryder Winchester. Not the father of his future nephews.

Backing up into the street, he put the car in gear and gunned it toward the highway. A shake of his head forced his brain back to reality, so the current freak fest in my brain wouldn't be obvious to the other hunter, and he barked out a laugh at the memory that resurfaced. "Yeah, I remember that. We were both howling to Bad Company, feeling like some hot shit...until we got to the James' and Dad came speeding over in Mom's minivan. I think that was the best part, before all hell broke loose; Dad climbing out of the van, like some kind of demented soccer mom."


Another laugh escaped him as he shook his head, eyes locked on the darkness outside. The I-90 was empty and he gunned it, his gas foot twitching down when the conversation then took a- according to him- very stupid turn. He took another deep, calming breath and let it out through his nose.

"Lexi's part angel, Ry, and Tris is rich as God. They have to know something...and if they don't, they'd know where to find the guy who does. So stop it with that shit, brother, or I'm gonna knock you one. I'm not going anywhere...and neither are you, Goddammit. So just...sit there and look pretty." He gunned it; slamming his foot down on the accelerator until the Impala started to whine in protest and steered toward the James family mansion.

[Ryder James Winchester]

Ryder couldn't take his eyes off the home he and his wife had made together, watching it long after it had blended into the landscape as they drove away. Even as his gaze stayed open, grey-blue orbs intent on the image it saw, they were getting further and further away from the house.
The sound of his older brothers almost calm voice and the smell of leather managed to soothe him a little, and he shook himself out of the daze in order to focus on the elder hunters words. It was true that Simone's mother had angel blood; was more powerful than he could fathom just by the things he'd witnessed and heard since childhood. She was a proud and determined woman, and he half believed what Ben was telling him. It wasn't even the price of his due that urged him to get as far away from anyone he loved, but the threat the demon had laid down. It didn't matter if he'd only mentioned Simi...it could be anyone...anyone in the vicinity of him when the hounds came.
"You don't understand, brother." Ry finally found his voice, but he hardly recognized it. He didn't know when it had happened, but somewhere between seeing the Impala and feeling Ben's embrace, he had reverted to a frightened child. "The demon threatened me. He'll snatch you...or anyone thats with me just to climb a little higher in the rungs down there. You can't be there...I need to...I...fucking dont know what to do Ben. If there was anything...anything that could be done, woudn't we have found it by now? You know I've been looking for a way out of this more than I've been hunting? I...didn't tell anyone...told Simi not to worry. Let her believe I was chasing monsters when I was really chasing my own. I didn't want her to believe it would really come to fruition. I...guess I almost didn't believe it either." He blinked, taking a long breath of air and holding it in as if it might be the last one ever. Ry's stormy stare was locked on the yellow painted lines on the road. He stared until it made his eyes fuzzy. Until his head was spinning and it didn't feel real. "I really fucked up, man. Dad...dad probably hates me. I can't believe I fucked up this bad Ben."

Damn, but he was really tempted to stay in that little cave of fond memories inside his head. The smell of leather, the feel of the wheel under his fingertips; he could just sit back and relive all those times when he and his younger brother sat just where they were...talking, shooting the shit between a hunt, singing along with the classic vinyl that the Impala seemed geared toward. Maybe even commenting on the cute chicks Ben had hit on during their outing into the local bars, before the bartender realized the kid drinking the light beer was underage. God, but those were good times. Innocent times.
Not this. Not sitting there, doing his best to ignore the weighty reality hovering over their heads, as they sped toward a pipe dream. Why couldn't this just be a really bad dream? Something that a three day old burrito kicked up? Why did their family name always have to carry such damned heartbreak along with it?
His hands clenched the steering wheel so hard it cracked, and Ben had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from snapping at his brother. Hell, he knew that Lexi probably couldn't do anything, with or without angel's blood in her veins. If the great Dean Winchester, who seemed to have all the connections and knew all the in's and out's of every situation, couldn't get himself out of a demon deal...how would Ryder? Not that his little brother wasn't a damn fine Hunter, but...shit, there really wasn't anything anyone could do. He knew all of that.

And yet, he hoped.

"Don't be stupid, Ryder; Dad doesn't hate you. Nobody hates you...we're just gonna never let you live this down when everything blows over. Because it will, okay? We'll find something...anything[/i]. There's no way that I'm gonna let you get dragged anywhere 'cept home to your babies. You hear me? I WON'T." The tires made a squealing noise as he jerked on a turn, his foot practically stomping on the accelerator. The James house was another couple hours away, but he had it on good authority that Lexi hadn't been staying there, now that the vampire patriarch was back in the picture. There was a cabin a bit off the beaten path that he'd used sometimes; knew that Lexi liked to frequent when she had to get away from things. It would be the most likely place she'd hole up at this stage in the game.

Too bad it was another hour away. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to relax his hold on the wheel and erase all the tension from his body. Falling back on the calm voice he'd been relying on before, he cut his brother one of his patented 'big brother' looks. "Now, no more talking like that, okay? We're almost to Lexi's cabin and I don't wanna have to stop the carousel and duct tape your mouth shut. Let's let...Creedence do the talking for a while," Because, if he had to think about Ryder being hurt and his being powerless to stop it...with a tic of clenched muscle in his jaw, he flipped the car radio on and blasted the music up high. Poor Ryder probably thought he was insane, but he just...couldn't allow himself to think of it right now. Not if he was going to live up to the promise he'd just made.

The ride to the cabin was ridiculously long, or so it felt, and Ben had to bite back a sigh of relief when he caught sight of the gravel driveway. Urging the Impala onto it, he took the snake-like turns with practiced ease and ignored the ping of rocks against the doors when he screeched to a halt. The headlights framed the darkened front, as he shoved the gear into park.

[Ryder James Winchester]

The drive to Lexi’s cabin was a somber one. Though classic rock blared out of the Impala’s speakers, the silence between the brothers was the loudest Ryder had ever heard. It was nearly unbearable. The young hunter could believe that his father didn’t hate him for making the same disastrous mistake that he had, that his brother and sister, nor would his wife hate him for leaving them too soon, but the middle Winchester couldn’t ignore the relentless self loathing that was tearing him apart inside.

With each stretch of road that took him further from Simi and his unborn babies he grew more anxious. Fear was building a brick wall around his chest making it harder and harder to breathe and the agony within him was threatening to drive him insane.
Ben was right beside him but he felt as those the man was a million miles away. Ry was unable to speak lest it escape of more miserable whining or tears.

What if the demon decided to take him now? The young hunter had been waiting for the hellhounds, but if that wasn’t feasible would hell just open up a hole for him to fall down like some fucked up Wonderland story? Would Ben get sucked down too?!
Ryder was once more going to demand his brother leave him there when suddenly a familiar cabin appeared in the night before them.
Unbidden, a sense of hope surged through the man, lighting a flame that had died out hours before.

Ben veered down the short stretch of drive and Ry was fairly coming out of the passenger seat with rejuvenated optimism by the time the car was put in park just at the front walk. There was no illumination from inside the place but a warm, welcoming light glowed outside the door like a beacon for all those in need. And damn, did he ever need her.
“She’s got to be here Ben.” He told his elder sibling absently as they both stared at the darkened windows like weary eyes looking back at them.

Deciding he didn’t have time to waste before the sense of calm fled him, Ryder pushed climbed out, quickly making his way up to the door. He wrapped his knuckles loudly against the wood and held his breath.
Hoping. Waiting.

Those following moments dragged on as if in slow motion. No sound came from inside the house and there was no answer. Blinking in disbelief Ry knocked louder this time, and when still no response followed, he began pounding.
He didn’t even realize he was hammering so hard that he’d busted the thin skin on the side of his hand; blood exploded across the painted panel of the entryway.
“Fuck!” Ryder cursed, punching the door so hard it splintered. He turned to his big brother with beseeching grey-blue eyes; the light draining out of them just like the sand from his hourglass.

[Ben Isaac Winchester]

Half of his instincts screamed at him to jerk Ryder back in the car and hightail it away from the obviously empty house, but all he could do was sit behind the wheel and stare. Lexi HAD to be there, he thought, mimicking his brother’s hopeful words. The last time he’d spoken to her, she’d been taking some time away from her newly ‘reincarnated’ hubby and was spending time in the cabin. She’d assured him that she’d be there, if they needed anything.

But there were no lights on, no car in the drive. No signs of life anywhere. Lexi wasn’t home…and they were fucking screwed.

Panic and frustration warred inside, until it threatened to gag him. When Ryder leapt out of the car, Ben was right on his heels; practically leaping up the front steps to get to the front door. But a few wraps against the scarred wood later, and his worries were confirmed. No one was home.

”God DAMMIT!” He fell back against the porch beam, staring at the door. God, Lexi had been the only seemingly full proof plan he could come up with. Without her and her angel blood…how else would they keep Ry out of hell? He had half a bag of the black ash that his Dad had revealed kept the hounds at bay…and they did have the Colt, tucked away in a charmed lockbox in his trunk. Could he barter it for his brother’s soul? Could their family risk losing the gun for the second time?

Hell, screw that; how could he NOT use it as leverage?

Placing a hand on Ryder’s shoulder, he eased the younger Hunter aside. Then, with a low grumble, he lifted his leg and kicked the door in. Lexi was going to have his hide later, for breaking the lock, but…she’d understand later. Without any explanations, Ben swiveled, took a handful of the back of his brother’s shirt and yanked him inside the cabin.

”We don’t need her. It’s gonna be fine, Ry,” He managed to say, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. ”Sit your ass down there and don’t move. I’m gonna go get some things from the car. We’re gonna get through this. You’re not going anywhere but back home. I swear it.”

But he couldn’t look his brother in the eye when he made his promise. A part of him, the practical Hunter, knew that it was all for none. With a ruthless mental shove, he boxed away all those ‘practical’ thoughts and hightailed it to the Impala. The Colt was shoved into the inner pocket of his jacket, various guns, ammo and the black ash dust was loaded into a duffel…and still, he felt like he needed more.

A glance out at the road that led to the interstate had him pausing, wondering if there were a crossroads nearby. But he dismissed the thought, knowing the demon who would answer his summons would do nothing but waste time. Jogging back to the cabin, he hustled in and kicked the door shut, pulling the sack of dust from his duffel.

Then, the alarm on his watch started to go off. It was almost time…

[Ryder James Winchester]

Ryder could barely hear the desperate words Ben had spoken; the sound drowned out by the haunting echo of something unseen; a howling coming from afar but close enough to raise goose bumps on the young hunters tawny arms.
“They’re coming…” He whispered vacantly but the declaration was lost to the noise of Ben’s boot going through the door; the entrance to his personal Purgatory by the swift action of his sibling.
His older brother grasped a handful of his shirt and drove him inside, settling him on a couch just inside the entrance just before disappearing back outside. Ryder nodded in return and watched his back vanishing into the darkness before standing up to drift further into the cabin.

With slow, deliberate steps and wide gray blue eyes Ryder made his way down the hall taking in the modest, but attractive décor and the treasured knick-knacks that made this place a home away from home.
The young man couldn’t help but feel a surge of regret that he’d had to invade the personal space of his mother-in-law, but Lexi would surely understand. The woman was nothing if not kind and loving; just like her golden haired daughter.

Another ghostly howl had Ryder frozen where he stood and a shudder ran through him when he realized it was closer than just moments before. The glint of something in the corner of his eye thawed him and he turned his gaze toward the twinkle, finding the face of Lexi herself standing over a young-faced Bastian and a pig-tailed cherub named Simi.
Despite his circumstances Ry couldn’t help the grin that bloomed across his visage as he moved closer and lifted his fingertips to the glass.
Forcing his orbs from that one they moved onto the next; a shot of him along with the group; his extended family. A family of hunters.

So engrossed by the visual reveries Ryder didn’t hear cabin door close behind him, sealing shut even with the damage Ben had caused with his size 12.
The young man moved deeper inside, going from picture to picture; memory to memory.
He chuckled quiet as his digits moved across the glass shielding a picture of young Simone and Chevrolet and he was instantly transported back in time; to the day the wicked pair had stolen his clothes while he skinny-dipped with his adolescent crush.
He swallowed thickly and held onto the reverie, seeing that day end with a B-B-Q surrounded by all those he loved. Friends, siblings, his mother and father, cousins, aunts and uncles…

He was clinging to that memory when the sound of snuffling came from behind him and he whirled to face a trio of black hounds; their maws gaping to reveal rows of pointed teeth and forked tongues.
Ryder gasped, backing up to the wall and shaking his head in silent negation. It couldn’t be time. Not yet. It wasn’t time yet…

The middle Winchester could hear the sound of the doorknob being twisted anxiously and Ben’s voice from the other side; the pounding of his fists soon joining the noise.
Ryder tried to call out to his brother, but it was no use. Terror had made him mute.
When the hellhounds came upon the hunter, he did what he’d been trained to do. Ryder fought. He found with all that he had.
Fangs cut through his skin as easily as a sword through paper as the trio of beasts over took him, and Ry tried to ignore the unbearable pain as he struck back at them with clenched fists. Blood, tissue and the material of his clothing painted the room as they tore and snapped at him; splaying the middle Winchester open at the belly so his entrails puddled on the floor below.

Gasping in agony, Ryder tried to hold himself together, absently plucking the intestine off the ground to stuff it back inside him.
He could feel himself being pulled from the earth; by the bowels escaping his body, by the thin cord that had tethered him to his wife; a marionette tugged elsewhere by the puppet master… a stinking demon.

In the end when Ryder had no fight left within him and he could see the horrible glow of pyre from the pit, he clung to the faces in those pictures hung on the walls. He chose to swim in the ocean of his woman’s blue eyed reflection than to drown in misery…

The smiling faces of his family were the last his grey-blues saw. The hunter’s lips curved up into their own smirk as his gaze slid closed and the pit opened up to suck him below.

[Ben Isaac Winchester]

Everything was going to be alright; the voice in his head whispered the words over and over, as if he had to console himself, rather than his brother. Working feverishly, he pushed the heavy oak table off to the side in front of the door, propping it up. Next he went to the windows on either side, making sure they were locked and secure. Skidding to his bag, he shoved various guns and ammo packs out of the way, snatching the little bag of black ash from the bottom. His movements hurried, frenzied, he made a neat little line of the stuff along the bottom of the door.

But he was too late. The day turned to midnight, and the deal was up. Glass and wood flew everywhere, misting the air, and Ben fell back with a yell. He couldn’t see them, but heard long, gashing nails skitter on the wood floor as they ran toward the back. Toward his brother.

”NO!” He howled, launching himself at the hallway where Ryder had disappeared. He hadn’t noticed his brother’s disappearance until then; hadn’t noticed that the younger hunter had wandered off down Memory Lane. He was too slow, too disorganized, too late, too late, too late—

He let loose another scream of denial as he rounded a corner and caught sight of his brother standing in the large office at the end of the hall. For a split second, he caught sight of the fear and resignation in Ryder’s face, met his eyes for a heartbeat…then, the door slammed shut.

Momentum had him slamming into the study doors, and he pounded against the wood until it cracked. From the other side, he could hear the sounds of growling, furniture breaking; the sounds of a Ryder fighting for his life. He heard his name being yelled from the study and he went into a frenzy; attacking the door like it was a worse enemy than the hellhounds on the other side. Wordless sounds escaped him as he took a step back and kicked at the doors, before going at it with his shoulder again. He cried out triumphantly as the wood splintered and cracked, and without a thought, he slammed his knuckles into the widening hole.

Blood and gore misted the air, splattering on the floor and walls. Another howl escaped the hunter as he watched the life drain from his brother’s eyes; the sound eclipsing the triumphant sounds of the hellhounds, as they dragged their quarry down to Hell.

Ryder stopped moving and the chaos in the room just…stopped. The study doors crashed open so easily, and Ben stumbled to his knees with the excess force. Half crawling and half skidding over to Ryder, he placed shaking hands on those still shoulders and shook him. God, please no, please, not his brother. Not his baby brother, the father of his future niece and nephew…take him instead, God…please, please, no…

The smiling faces on the walls mocked him with their happiness; eternal in that one moment of joy. Sliding his arms around the still body at his knees, he cradled him to his chest and let loose a roar of despair.

Someone was going to pay for this, he swore, grief stricken eyes locked on the smiling faces above him.

Someone was going to die.