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Sam and Dean looked up. Where there was no one a second before, now stood a woman. She looked at them intently.
"Winchester?", she asked in a flat voice.
"Uh...maybe. Who's asking?" Dean was wary but didn't sense any realt hreat from her.
She paused before answering. "I'm a demon. I bear news and warnings, freely given."
Sam glared at Dean and motioned his head to the bed, where a loaded shotgun lay. Dean shook his head silently and turned back to the woman.
"Demons only offer things freely if they're in deep dookie. What's your problem?"
"This is going to sound both new and cliché. Certain factions…back home…have begun a series of competitions against each other." She frowned a bit. "Less competitions, more outright warfare."
"I think I have heard that before, but not that same setting." Sam said quietly.
She nodded as her eyes held his. "The previous war was simple, as wars go. There were two sides. Now there are several, and there are those like me who aren't aligned, and are just watching."
She moved to the window and looked out on the parking lot. "They've moved the battleground up here. There will be mounting difficulties for you. I can't say what will happen, only that when they're done here, the winners are going to come back home and hunt down those of us who didn't line up behind them."
"Doesn't sound like my problem. Fewer demons is good all around." Dean chuckled.
She looked at Dean and he actually shuddered. "Your kind will be slaughtered before I am in any danger. I do not wish for either of usto perish."
"Um…question?" Sam said, still a bit shocked at Dean's reaction. "Why don't you just pretend to be on somebody's team?"
She sighed. "Last time I picked sides….I chose poorly. I'm not giving out my loyalty again."
"So you want us to try and fight whoever comes calling? What's in it for us?"
"There are a few of us who don't want to fight on any side, yet don't want to be destroyed. We will help in any way we can. You understand we can't do anything directly…that would be noticed."
The boys looked at each other. Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Ok. We accept your help."
"I will contact you when I know anything. Or another like me will."
"Hang on a sec." Dean said. "What kind of demon are you? You're not that scary, really. No offense."
"None taken. I am Despair."
Dean nodded. "Yeah, that still doesn't sound too awful tome."
She stepped toward him and touched his arm.
His mother's face came into view. He couldn't save her. His dad's face…he couldn't save him either, and Sammy, oh god, he couldn't even keep his brother from getting killed, he had to bargain down his soul so ademon would trade with him, that's how useless he is, he should just take the Impala and drive it off a bridge so no one would ever have to be inflicted with his hideous presence again…
"Dean!" Sam yelled and tried to lift his brother off the floor where he'd fallen.
Dean was sobbing, tears streaking his face, unable to catc hhis breath. The demon reached down and stroked his cheek. Dean calmed down as she did, and she licked his tears from her fingertips.
"So sweet." She murmured.
"Point taken," Dean mumbled.
"I will see you soon." She said. "Be careful."
"Yeah you too", Sam said to the empty air.