CHAPTER THIRTY ONE:
CAN YOU FEEL MY HEART.

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A WEEK WITHOUT Dean Winchester around to pester Birdie about going out for just a few drinks, going on a pie run, or simply texting the younger woman to check in or see what she was up to already felt like an entire eternity had passed.

Every day, Birdie thought about her fallen friend, unable to forget what his torn body looked like as it would forever be ingrained in her brain no matter how hard she tried to forget. Her muffled cries meshed along with Sam and Bobby's echoed in her head during the nights, sometimes even creeping into her vivid nightmares that seemed to be becoming more frequent. She couldn't remember how long they'd sat inside the house with Sam tightly clutching Dean in his arms, not a single sound except for the sobs and sniffles echoing in the house. She barely remembered even leaving or Sam carrying Dean's body to the car——did anyone even check on the family who Lilith had been torturing for who knew how long? Bobby had, but Birdie had been trailing behind Sam, wishing and wishing that she could've done more to save Dean.

But, now he was truly gone.

His funeral had been the next day, but rather than doing the typical Hunter funeral, they had buried Dean.

Bobby was adamant that they do it the hunter way, but Sam simply refused. Birdie had wanted to agree with Bobby, but seeing the absolute heartache on Sam's face, she couldn't bring herself to try and change his mind about it. More tears had been shed during it, Sam being the last to leave as Birdie and Bobby had walked back to the car to give Sam a moment alone. When he returned to the Impala, Birdie and Bobby were patiently waiting for him. But, rather than going off on his own like he'd intended, Birdie had convinced him to go to Bobby's just for the night. However, in the morning he was gone, only texting Birdie that he was okay and just needed some time to himself when she left a voicemail asking where he was.

That was a few days ago and he hadn't answered any of her calls or texts. She had a feeling he wouldn't answer her calls anyways, but with a few days passing and not a single text from him just to let her know he was at least safe somewhere, Birdie felt her worry increase. Kaiya had made sure to text Birdie at least once a day, wanting Birdie to know that she was there for her if needed, but Birdie couldn't bring herself to call the woman just yet. Her thoughts were clouded, feeling like her entire body had been put on autopilot. But, instead of trying to focus on her own pain and grief, she was focusing on trying to find Sam. Kaiya tried to reassure her that he probably just needed some more time to try and process Dean's death, but there was a terrible feeling gnawing inside that she just couldn't seem to shake. So, with some assistance from the phone company——and the ruse that her boyfriend had lost his phone and needed the tracker turned on so that they could find it——she tracked Sam down to a secluded little town a few hours west of Springfield, Missouri.

She quietly made her way down the dimly lit hall, tiredly rubbing at her eyes after spending most of the night driving. Her phone was tightly clutched in her hand, still no response from Sam after she'd texted him almost an hour ago just to see if she'd get a response.

She had a few texts from Bobby, but Birdie had left her replies short and only told him she was fine and that she'd call him once she found Sam. Part of her wondered if Lilith might've had something to do with Sam's lack of response, but she quickly forced that thought to the very back of her mind. The thought of perhaps Ruby being back had popped into her mind as well, but why would Lilith lie about sending her far away when she'd been helping Birdie and the boys to stop Lilith?

Birdie shook her head and read over the numbers glued onto the doors, looking for the one that had 25 placed above the small peephole; thankfully the man at the front desk hadn't asked too many questions when Birdie said she was looking for her boyfriend but couldn't remember what room he got and described Sam's appearance. She let out a shaky breath once she saw it at the very end of the hall, stuffing her phone in her back pocket. A do not disturb sign was hung on the door handle, making Birdie purse her lips together in thought.

After a few moments of consideration, she lifted her hand and gently knocked three times. "Sam?" she softly said, leaning close to the door in hopes she'd heard some movement from inside, or even Sam's voice muffled from the door. "It's me. . .Birdie."

All she received was silence.

Birdie heavily sighed and reached into her jacket, pulling out a lockpick set; it was Dean's. She quickly glanced around to make sure there wasn't anyone around to witness what she was about to do, getting to work on picking the lock. It didn't take very long for her to get the door open, an eerie silence lingering around her. She brushed it off and then stood up straight, shoving the lockpick back in her pocket. Then she partially pushed the door open, poking her head inside. "Sam?" she softly said, glancing around the small room. It was incredibly dark inside, Sam's duffle bag was tossed on the round table while some clothes were tossed near the edge of the bed; a good sign that he was still staying there. "You in here?"

No response still.

Birdie heavily sighed to herself and walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She moved towards the kitchen, glancing around for anything that might've hinted at where he was, but there wasn't anything. He had some more clothes lazily tossed on the table near a crinkled-up map, but there wasn't anything significant about it. Birdie shook her head and made her way over to the bed, her heart sinking when she saw some empty beer bottles knocked over beside the bed. She deeply frowned and bent down, picking one up. "Oh, Sammy. . ."

"Nice of you to drop by, big bird." Birdie sharply spun around, her eyes widening when seeing a black-haired man standing in front of her. He had his hands held behind his back as he stood tall with his head held high. He wore a slick black suit with matching shoes, his hair perfectly gelled back with some gel that made Birdie scrunch up her nose in disgust as the scent of it reached her nose.

"Who the fuck are you?" she demanded to know, subtly starting to reach for her knife.

The man wickedly smirked, tilting his head just as his eyes turned black. Birdie made a move towards him, but she was suddenly grabbed from behind. She grunted and her hands latched onto the person's arm that wrapped her throat as they pulled her into their chest, trying to pry their arm away from her. They tightened their grip and pried her hands away, using their other arm to wrap around her torso with her hands pinned to her sides. Birdie hatefully narrowed her eyes, angrily clenching her jaw at the demon.

He continued to smirk and stepped forward, pulling his hands out in front of him to reveal that he was holding a camera. "You poor, poor little thing," the demon dramatically sighed, feigning a wave of sadness. "Your white knight isn't here to save you yet again, is he?"

"Fuck you," Birdie snapped. "What do you want?"

"What do any of us really want in this world, Birdie Fowler?" the demon asked in response, glancing down at the camera as he opened it up and turned it on.

Birdie struggled against the other demon, but he tightened his grip with a low chuckle. Birdie sucked in a raggedy breath, huffing in annoyance. "Whatever you're gonna do, do it already."

"Oh, don't worry, we will," the demon said, giving Birdie a toothy smile that made her frown. "We just wanna make sure that lil' ole Sammy Winchester knows."

"Leave him out of this, you motherfucker," Birdie snapped, pulling against the other demon but he yanked her straight back into his chest with a loud chuckle of amusement.

The demon in front of her raised his brows, laughing as he looked at the demon holding Birdie in place. He shook his head, raising the camera and aiming it at Birdie as he pressed the red record button. "Wow, that's just——it's very adorable, Birdie Fowler. You wanna protect Sam, but where is he to protect you?"

"I don't need protection from the likes of you, asshole," Birdie sharply said.

"Oh, no, not me," the demon darkly chuckled, shaking his head from side to side. Birdie's eyes narrowed slightly, visibly confused. "Silly girl, it's not me who wants you."

"Then who?"

"Lilith."

Birdie's eyes widened in horror, features falling as the words sunk in, making her heart sink into her stomach.

The demon smirked, having seen her reaction. "Oh, yeah. She's not just gunnin' for Sammy anymore, but for you, too. She thinks you might be a bad, bad influence on him, so she wants you out of the way."

The demon holding Birdie leaned close to her ear and she grimaced in disgust, trying to turn away. "Lucky for you, she wants to do it herself," he whispered, reaching up to gently stroke her cheek. Birdie clenched her jaw, eyes sealed shut. "Use your death as a message to send to your boyfriend."

"Can we just get it over with then?" Birdie huffed in annoyance, not liking the feeling of the demon's chilly fingers on her skin.

The demon in front of her rolled his eyes, puffing out his cheeks. "You're no fun. But, we really should get going. We don't want to keep Lilith waiting." The demon turned the camera around on himself, smirking once again. "Guess this is the last time you'll see your girlfriend, Sammy."

"Any last words, Bird?" the demon that was holding Birdie asked as the camera was turned on her one last time.

Birdie grunted and tried to pry herself out of the demon's hold, but he tightened his arm and moved the other, gripping her throat in his hand. She sucked in a sharp breath, looking away from the demon and the camera. The demon narrowed his eyes and walked closer, holding the camera just a few inches away from her face. "What? You don't want to say goodbye? It's really the least you could do for him since poor ole' Sammy didn't get the chance with Dean——"

Birdie angrily grunted and lifted her leg, kicking the demon directly in the crotch. He shouted in pain and sank to his knees, the camera clattering to the floor. The one holding Birdie snarled and grabbed her by the shoulders to spin her around to face him. He clenched his teeth together and punched her in the jaw, knocking her to the wooden floor. Her body loudly thudded against the floor, the harsh blow knocking her unconscious as her head smashed against the ground.

The other demon picked himself up with an enraged expression, blackened eyes burning into Birdie's unmoving figure. "Fucking bitch," he huffed, glancing across her toward his fellow demon. "She's just like her mother."

"She'll get what's comin' to her, my friend. Don't you worry," the other said, a smirk appearing on his lips as he thought of all the things that Lilith could do to Birdie. Then he moved to the side of the hunter, pausing to nudge his head towards the camera laid on its side on the floor. "I'll take her down to the car. You can finish up Winchester's present."

The demon snickered, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I'll be right down."

He watched as Birdie was picked up from the ground, the other demon tossing her over his broad shoulder. Then he picked up the camera and aimed it at his friend, showing him carrying Birdie out of the room with her arms dangling past his back. The demon spun the camera around on himself, giving it a fake smile. "You really can't save anyone, can you, Sammy?" the demon asked, chuckling as he ended the video. He spun on his heel and moved towards the bed, setting it on the edge of it as pulled out a crinkled-up piece of paper, scribbling Sam's name on it before partially placing it under the camera. Then he exited the motel room, making sure to leave it ajar just to make sure Sam knew someone had been inside like it wasn't obvious enough already.

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Sam tiredly rubbed at his eyes as he trudged down the hall, a small bag of groceries and a six-pack of beer were held in one of his hands, the other struggling to find his key that seemed to have gotten lost in his pocket somehow. But, as he reached the motel door, his brows furrowed together when he saw it was slightly opened.

That wasn't how he'd left it.

He suspiciously narrowed his eyes and glanced around, not seeing anyone else in the hall or peeking out of any nearby rooms like they were waiting for him. He faced the door again, bending down to set the groceries and beer near the wall. He quietly reached into his jacket next, grabbing hold of his gun before he cautiously pushed the door open. He cocked the gun and aimed it into the room, his eyes scanning over the room as he crept inside.

That was when his eyes landed on the camera.

He looked around in suspicion, keeping his gun slightly raised as he cautiously approached the bed. He tilted his head, seeing a slip of paper tucked under it with his name messily written under it. He frowned, taking one last look around. There didn't seem to be anyone else in the room with his things in the same place he'd left them a few hours ago. He moved to the side and sat on the edge of the bed, setting his gun beside him as he picked up the camera.

He held it up to look at the screen, twisting his lips in thought as he pressed the play button. He watched the footage blur at first, suddenly focusing on two individuals. Sam felt his eyes widen in fear, seeing Birdie being forcefully held against a man with his hand on her throat and arms pinned at her sides. Sam looked up across the room where it had been filmed, but there was no longer any sign of Birdie or the man. Did this just happen?

"Wow, that's just——it's very adorable, Birdie." A voice Sam didn't recognize said from behind the camera, confirming Sam there was more than one more man. His lips parted, continuing to watch the video with his heart beginning to beat faster than normal. "You wanna protect Sam, but where is he to protect you?"

"I don't need protection from the likes of you, asshole," Birdie sharply said, eyes hatefully narrowed at the man.

"Oh, no, not me," the man darkly chuckled. Birdie's eyes narrowed slightly, visibly confused by his words. Sam deeply frowned, trying to figure out who they were. "Silly girl, it's not me who wants you."

Then who?"

"Lilith." Birdie's eyes widened in horror, features falling as she took in his response. The demon holding her smirked, feeling her shoulders droop down. Sam's expression was almost identical to Birdie's, shaking his head in complete disbelief. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening——not to Birdie. "Oh, yeah. She's not just gunnin' for Sammy anymore, but for you, too. She thinks you might be a bad, bad influence on him, so she wants you out of the way."

The demon holding Birdie leaned close to her ear and she grimaced in disgust, trying to turn away. Sam clenched his jaw as he watched, feeling his anger intensify. "Lucky for you, she wants to do it herself," he heard the man whisper, seeing his eyes briefly turn black as he reached up to gently run his fingers along her chin. "Use your death as a message to send to your boyfriend."

"Can we just get it over with then?" Birdie huffed in annoyance, clearly not liking the feeling of the demon's fingers trailing along her skin.

"You're no fun. But, we really should get going. Don't wanna keep Lilith waiting." The demon turned the camera around on himself, smirking once again. Sam ground his teeth together, taking in the demon's features to see if he recognized him, but he'd never seen that vessel before. "Guess this is the last time you'll see your girlfriend, Sammy."

"Any last words, Bird?" the demon that was holding Birdie asked, the camera turned on her again.

Birdie grunted and tried to pry herself out of the demon's hold, but he tightened his arm and moved the other, gripping her throat in his hand. She sucked in a sharp breath, looking away from the demon and the camera. The demon holding camera walked closer, holding it just a few inches away from her face. "What? You don't want to say goodbye? It's really the least you could do for him since poor ole' Sammy didn't get the chance with Dean——"

Sam's brows raised in surprise as Birdie angrily grunted and lifted one of her legs, kicking the demon in the crotch. He shouted in pain and sank to his knees, the camera clattering to the floor. It flickered for a few seconds as it landed on its side, but it continued recording as Sam could still partially Birdie and the demons.

The one holding her snarled and grabbed her by the shoulders to spin her around to face him. He gritted his teeth together and punched her in the jaw, knocking her to the wooden floor. Her body thudded against the floor, the blow knocking her unconscious as she hit her head. Sam let out a shaky breath as he helplessly watched, glancing towards the floor where Birdie had crumbled, feeling his heart clench when he saw her necklace was there, slightly hidden under the kitchen table.

The other demon picked himself up off the with an enraged expression, eyes burning into Birdie's unconscious figure. "Fucking bitch," he huffed, glancing across her towards his fellow demon as he dusted off his suit. Sam narrowed his eyes, feeling his anger bubbling more and more. "She's just like her mother."

"She'll get what's comin' to her, my friend. Don't you worry," the other one said, a smirk appearing on his lips. Then he moved to the other side of Birdie, pausing to nudge his head towards the camera that was still on the floor. "I'll take her down to the car. You can finish up Winchester's present."

The demon smirked as well, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I'll be right down."

Sam watched as Birdie was picked up from the ground by the demon who'd been holding her, tossing her over his shoulder. The other one picked up the camera and aimed it at his friend, showing him carrying Birdie out of the room with her arms swinging back and forth behind the demon's back. Then the demon spun the camera around to himself, giving it a fake smile that made Sam narrow his eyes. "You really can't save anyone, can you, Sammy?" the demon asked, chuckling as he ended the video.

Sam hastily stood up and snatched his gun off of the bed. He picked up Birdie's necklace, placing it in his pocket as he headed towards his bag that was still placed on the table, opening it up to grab his laptop.

It was a bit of a longshot, but if he could find a way to track Birdie's phone——if the demons didn't toss it out since some of them seemed to actually have the ability to properly think things through——then maybe he could find where they were taking her.

He sat down at the table and opened his laptop, going to turn it on when he saw a figure step into the doorway. He instantly grabbed his gun and aimed it at the person, frowning in confusion when he saw a dark-haired woman standing there. She wore a leather jacket and a purple v-neck, dark jeans that covered a pair of black boots.

She quickly raised her hands, eyes wide as she stared back at Sam. "Wait, wait, Sam it's me," she said.

Sam narrowed his eyes, carefully eyeing the woman. "Ruby?"

She breathed out a laugh, innocently shrugging her shoulders. "In the flesh——and a body that's fully empty."

Sam clenched his jaw, lowering the gun; it's not like it would work on her. "Get out. Now."

"Don't you wanna know why I'm here?" Ruby asked, carefully stepping closer to the table, not missing how Sam had her knife near his other hand.

"I don't give a shit," Sam said, looking up to meet her gaze.

Ruby scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Sam, I can help——"

"Yeah, that's what you fucking said about Dean," Sam snapped. "And now he's fucking dead——give me one good reason why I shouldn't just fucking kill you right here, right now."

"I know I lied to you about Dean, and I'm sorry, but Sam, this time. . .I can help you save Birdie."

Sam shot up from the chair, snatching up the knife. Ruby instinctively backed away, holding up her hands to show she didn't mean him any harm. "What do you know?" Sam demanded, walking closer as the demon backed away. Ruby bumped into the wall, sucking in a sharp breath as Sam pressed the blade against her neck. "Tell me!"

Ruby let out a sigh, keeping her eyes on Sam. "I had to prove my loyalty to Lilith——pretend like I was actually sorry for betraying the bitch."

"So you what, handed Birdie over to her to prove your loyalty?"

"Yes, but——" she scrunched up her nose, feeling Sam press the blade further against her neck, eyes burning into her with pure hatred. "I know you can save her, and I can help."

"I don't think so," Sam firmly said.

"Then she'll die, Sam," Ruby said. Sam narrowed his eyes, looking over her features. "Listen, I'll be gone as soon as it's done, alright?"

"Why should I trust you this time?"

"You probably shouldn't, but I'm the only one left to help you," Ruby said, holding her hands out at her sides. "So, what do ya say, Sammy?"

Sam clenched his jaw, rolling his eyes as he lowered the knife and backed away from the demon. Ruby let out a sigh of relief, watching Sam head back over to the table. He picked up the camera, his eyes briefly flickering over the timestamp; it was filmed nearly ten minutes ago. He shook his head and looked over at Ruby, watching her give him a faint smile. Then he held the camera out to her, motioning for her to take it.

She cautiously eyed him, taking it into her hands. Sam moved over to the table and sat in front of his laptop while Ruby pressed play. She remained silent throughout the whole thing, only frowning or furrowing her brows together until it finally ended.

"They friends of yours?" Sam wondered, not nothing to look up from the laptop as he spoke.

"No," Ruby sighed, shaking her head. She moved towards the table and sat the camera down. "But, I think I might know where they took her."

"Where?" Sam asked.

"Come on," Ruby said, starting to make her way toward the door. Sam narrowed his eyes, slowly rounding the table. "Sam, we don't have a lot of time."

"How do I know this isn't a trap? You're using Birdie as bait to get me to Lilith?"

"Sam. . ." she started, taking a few steps closer, "If I was gonna set you up, I would've done it already. Now, do you wanna save your girlfriend, or not?"

It took them a little longer for them to reach the rundown warehouse than Sam would've liked, finding that it was almost thirty minutes away from the motel. There was nothing in the area except for dense trees and raging rivers that could cover up all kinds of sounds; a perfect place for demons to hide out and commit their heinous acts without ever being detected. But without a second more to waste, they headed off together in the Impala, Sam behind the wheel with Ruby beside him in the passenger seat.

The talking was kept to a minimum, each of Ruby's attempts at a casual conversation being shot down by Sam. He was only focused on reaching the warehouse and finding Birdie. He just lost Dean. He wasn't about to lose his best friend either.

If anything happened to her. . .

They parked a mile away from the building, discreetly making their way through the thickened woods. Sam had Ruby's knife in his clutch, eyes narrowed in the darkness to be aware of his surroundings and make sure Ruby wasn't about to physically stab him in the back. She closely trailed behind Sam, constantly looking from side to side to be sure none of her fellow comrades could alert the others. They chose each step carefully, trying to avoid twigs or branches that might've snapped a little too loudly or could've been made into a discreet trap for anyone who might've been trying to sneak up on the demons.

"It's just up ahead," Ruby whispered.

Sam took a few more steps and stopped behind a large tree, examining the tall warehouse. There was an orange light lit up above a black steel door, not a single demon in sight. Flaming torches were lit up and spread around the edge of the roof, giving the impression that might be where they had taken Birdie.

"I don't like how this looks," Sam quietly said. "They should——"

"Be out here. Yeah, I know."

Sam sucked in a heavy breath, adjusting his hold on Ruby's knife. Then he hurried forward, Ruby right behind him. Sam grabbed the door handle, pausing to look at Ruby as she stood in front of him. She silently nodded.

Sam slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside with the knife raised, but sadly, the demons were expecting them.

A group of five demons ran straight at them as soon as they heard the door open. Sam grunted as he was harshly punched by a demon who came at him from the left. He staggered to the side and swung his arm back, knocking the demon into another one just when they went to hit again. "Poor, Sam Winchester," another demon snickered, fists raised as they stopped in front of him. Sam clenched his jaw, tightening his fingers around the knife. "You couldn't save your brother, and you won't save your bitch either."

Sam gritted his teeth and lunged at the demon, driving the knife straight into their neck. The demon's eyes widened, their body flickering as blood spurted from the wound. Sam grunted and pulled the knife out, causing the body to fall to his feet.

"Sam, get to Birdie!" Ruby shouted, kicking a female demon to the ground. Sam panted, glancing over his shoulder as Ruby pointed to a set of stairs off to the side. More and more demons raced over from a door directly across from them, snarls on their faces and eyes pitch black. "I'll hold them off!"

Sam headed for the stairs, planting the knife into a demon's chest as they hopped down the last few steps. Their body knocked into the wall, sinking onto the floor with their head lulled to one side. He rushed up the stairs, taking them two at a time with his heart racing faster and faster.

A demon rounded the stairwell and punched Sam in the nose. He grunted and fell back, catching himself on the wall. Sam blinked as tears welled in his eyes from the blow, gasping in pain. His vision cleared and his eyes widened. "Wait, Ryder?"

The demon——who was possessing Kaiya's ex, Ryder——wickedly smirked, adjusting the collar of the leather jacket they wore. "Well, not at the moment," the demon said. "But he is awake, and I'm very excited to let him feel what it's like to kill a Winchester."

"Get in line, asshole," Sam snapped.

The demon swung a fist, but Sam ducked, using his elbow to hit the demon in the back. They grunted as they fell forward, roughly hitting their head against the cement wall. Sam grabbed the demon by the shoulders and spun them around. Then he swiftly shoved them to the ground, firmly placing the knife against his throat as he kneeled over him.

"Woah, hey," the demon stammered, black eyes disappearing and turning into Ryder's pretty hazel eyes. "Ryder, he's-he's still in here, Sammy boy. You're not gonna kill him, are you? Dean was the killer, not you. You're supposed to be the hero."

Sam scrunched up his nose, pushing the blade further against his neck. The demon grunted, glaring up at the Winchester. The demon groaned, clenching their eyes shut. Sam tilted his head, peering down in confusion. But suddenly the demon's eyes snapped open. Yet, instead of them being narrowed with hatred, they swelled with fear and anguish.

It wasn't the demon Sam was staring down, it was Ryder.

"S-Sam," Ryder whispered, sucking in sharp breaths, "she's-she's on the roof."

"Ryder," Sam whispered, eyes growing wide.

"Kill it," Ryder said, tears welling up in his eyes. Sam frowned, loosening his grip on the knife. "Sam, please. He-he——"

"No, no, I. . ." Sam shook his head, quickly beginning an exorcism.

Ryder's eyes widened, jaw clenching. His eyes shut a few seconds later, a pained shout leaving his lips, but Sam continued. When Ryder opened his eyes again, they were completely black. Sam rushed out the last of the exorcism and black smoke began to spew from his mouth as he howled. Sam clambered off of him and pressed himself against the wall, watching the smoke seep into the floor.

He stole a look down at Ryder, heavily breathing as he watched for his chest to move as a sign that he was still alive. Sam frowned and kneeled beside him and pressed his fingers against Ryder's neck for a pulse. He felt it, but then it stopped. Sam's eyes widened and his eyes flickered to Ryder's face. "Ryder?" he asked, shaking the man's shoulders to see if he would awake. He didn't budge. Sam heavily sighed and stood up, heart lurching when he heard a scream echo from above.

He took off and sprinted up the remaining stairs. He raced down a narrow hall towards a door that read ROOF ACCESS, busting through the door with the knife raised. His eyes flickered around the roof for any sign of Birdie, his heart stopping at the sight before him.

There, standing on the ledge of the roof was Birdie, the light provided by the dozens of torches off to light up her fearful expression. A demon——the same one who'd grabbed her in the motel——held her there with his hand tightly gripping one of her arms. Her hands were tied in the front with some scratchy rope, a bandana tied around her head, and partially stuffed in her mouth to keep her from being able to speak.

Seven demons lingered on the roof, each one with their eyes trained on Sam and ready to pounce. He sharply turned his head when he heard someone come up behind him, but he saw it was Ruby. Blood stained her neck, and a few drops soaked into the front of her shirt. Her eyes tripled in size when she saw Birdie on the ledge, stealing a glance over at Sam.

Sam clenched his jaw, taking a few steps forward. "Get her down. Now!"

"All in good time, Samuel," a demon said, stepping forward. Sam and Ruby recognized him as the other demon from the videotape. The demon chuckled, his wicked grin never faltering as he folded his hands behind his back. "But first. . .hand over your special knife."

"No," Sam denied. "Where's Lilith?"

The demon raised a brow, glancing around at the other demons who were smirking along with him. "Uh, wow, okay. I thought you might've noticed this by now, but. . .she's not here, Sammy. This," the demon said, gesturing to the building and the demons behind him, "was all a trap just to get you here. How could you not have realized that by now? Aren't-aren't you supposed to be the smart one?"

Sam sharply narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the knife. Ruby shifted behind him, angrily clenching her jaw. "Let her go," Sam firmly ordered, slightly raising Ruby's knife. One of the demons off to the side snickered, sharing an amused look with the lanky demon next to them. "You can have me, and-and the knife. Just-just let her go. . .please."

"Sam, wait——"

"Oh, well, since you said please so nicely," the demon holding her said, beginning to smirk as a wicked thought crossed his mind, "We'll let her go just for you."

Sam's eyes widened in horror, realizing what the demon meant. The demon's smirk widened and he harshly pushed Birdie backward, a muffled scream escaping her lips as she fell from the ledge.

"BIRDIE!" Sam shouted at the top of his lungs, racing forward without a second thought.

The demon from the video rushed at Sam, but Sam swung the knife when he got close, swiftly plunging it into their chest. His body flickered briefly as Sam wasted no time in pulling the knife out, just barely acknowledging Ruby as she came over and took the knife from his hands. "Go get Birdie! I got them!" she urged, nudging him away as one of the demons got too close. 

Sam raced over to the ledge where Birdie had just been standing and leaned over, placing his hands on the brickwork to peer over the side as Ruby took on the remaining demons. Sam felt his heart completely shatter as he peered over the ledge, seeing Birdie lying on the cement ground, head to the side and body perfectly still while blood began to pool around her body. Heavy footsteps came up behind him as Ruby came over and looked for herself, her breath catching in her throat when she saw Birdie.

"I-I need to——"

"Go!"

Sam sprinted towards the door and down the stairs, nearly tumbling down the last few in his panicked haste to get to Birdie. He plowed through the back door, stumbling to a stop as his eyes frantically searched for Birdie. She was a few feet in front of him, laid in the same position she had been when he saw her from the roof.

Sam headed straight towards Birdie, sinking to his knees beside her. "No, no," he whispered, feeling his tears becoming closer to spilling over as he peered down at her unmoving figure. His bottom lip wobbled, reaching out to pick her up into his arms and hold her in his arms.

It was how he held Dean when he died.

He removed the bandana from her mouth, carelessly tossing it off to the side. "Bird, please. . ."

Ruby hurried over and kneeled on the opposite side, a frown on her lips as some blood dripped down from a cut on her shoulder. "Sam. . ."

"No, no, no," Sam sniffled, his tears spilling down his cheeks as he held Birdie's unmoving body in his arms. He'd just lost Dean. He couldn't lose Birdie, too. "This-this can't be happening, Ruby. I-I——"

"Sam, wait," Ruby said, her brows knitted together. Sam looked up in curiosity, watching the woman reach over as she gently touched Birdie's neck. "She's. . .she's still alive."

Sam lifted his head, looking at the woman in shock. "Wh-what? How is that even possible?"

"I-I don't know." Ruby faintly shook her head, her frown deepening. "But she won't be for much longer."

"No, no, no, no. She can't-she can't die," Sam said, sniffling again. "I can't lose her, too."

"Sam. . .with her wounds and a fall like that. . ." Ruby's voice dragged off, a thought suddenly occurring to her as her eyes skimmed over the blood splattered on Birdie clothes, some smeared on her clothes with a pool staining the cement floor beneath. She slowly looked up at Sam, seeing his helpless eyes fall on her. He would do anything to save her. "There might be a way to save her."

"What? What is it?" Sam asked.

"You won't like it, but. . .there's. . .there's someone I know who can help," she said. "But, if we're gonna do it, we need to leave, like, now." Sam sucked in a sharp breath, stealing a glance down at Birdie. She remained perfectly still, her chest just barely rising and falling. "Sam!"

"Okay, okay," Sam said, faintly nodding his head. "Let's go."

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Sam sped straight back to the motel faster than he'd ever driven before, rushing Birdie into his room as Ruby collected some things from Sam's bag that she needed. He gently laid her down on the bed, heart racing as he turned towards the table where Ruby was preparing something in a wooden bowl. "What-what're they gonna do?" Sam wondered, frowning as she poured some items into the bowl. It was almost like she was going to summon——

"Well. . ." Ruby said, briefly glancing up at Sam, "They're gonna need to possess her."

"What?! You said——"

"It's the only way they can save her. They can heal her, but only from the inside, Sam," Ruby firmly said. "If they can just——"

"She-she wouldn't want that," Sam said, firmly shaking his head.

Ruby heavily sighed, tilting her head as Sam's sorrowful eyes remained focused on her. "Then she'll die——"

"Do it."

Sam quickly looked over his shoulder, eyes falling on Birdie. He hurried over to the bed, his eyes widening when they saw Birdie's were partially opened. "What?" Sam whispered, his lips curling downwards more as he met her gaze.

Birdie scrunched her face in agony, some blood coating her lips. "Do. . .it."

"Birdie, we don't even know who or-or what——"

"Sammy," Birdie softly whispered, just barely able to look up at him as Ruby wandered over with a frown. "It-it-it'll be okay. I. . .I made. . .a-a promise, and I. . .intend. . .to keep it."

Ruby stole a quick glance at Sam, sharing a silent look with him before she looked down at Birdie. "Are you sure?" she questioned.

Birdie weakly nodded, a pained expression appearing on her face moments later. Sam let out a shaky breath, looking over at Ruby. She gave him a forced smile, silently nodding her head.

Then she returned to the table, putting the last of the ingredients together. Sam kneeled beside Birdie as his eyes remained locked on Ruby. She spoke in an unfamiliar language, eyes black as she spoke each word. Once she was done, she struck a match and dropped it into the bowl. A bright flash of white smoke poofed from the bowl, causing Ruby to take a quick step back. Sam flinched with a hiss at the brightness, his hand holding Birdies.

Seconds later, a white smoke appeared from the bowl, rushing toward Birdie. Sam watched with wide eyes, feeling Birdie's body jerk slightly as the smoke entered her body through her mouth. Ruby hurried over and stood at the edge of the bed, lips parted as she watched. The smoke disappeared a few seconds later and Birdie completely stilled, causing Sam to slightly frown.

"Birdie?"

Birdie's eyes abruptly snapped open seconds later, sucking a sharp breath as she tried to sit up. Sam reached over and wrapped an arm around her, tightening his grip on her to keep her on the bed. She looked aside when she felt his arms around her, visibly relaxing when she saw it was Sam. "Sammy?" she meekly whispered, dark brown eyes raking over his face as she lifted one hand to gently touch his cheek like she was checking that he was actually there.

Sam softly smiled, nodding his head as he breathed out a relieved laugh. "Hey, Bird."

Birdie smiled back and wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him for a tight hug. Sam quickly reciprocated it and held her close, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. Birdie closed her eyes as she held onto the older boy, finally letting go after a few seconds to sit up straight. Sam loosened his grip on her, his hand lingering on her back as she sat in front of him, still partially in his arms.

"So, uh, who. . .or what did I just agree to let in my body?" Birdie wondered, raising a questionable brow towards Sam before she looked aside at Ruby.

"Her name's Felicity."

"Felicity. . ." Birdie whispered. She let out a quiet sigh, glancing between Sam and Ruby. "Now what?"

"Now. . ." Sam puffed out his cheeks, faintly shaking his head. "I don't know."

"I know," Ruby said, a small smirk spreading across her lips. "We get ready."

"Get ready?" Birdie repeated, cocking a brow. Ruby nodded. "Ready for what?"

"What do you think, Birdie? To kill Lilith."

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Well, now y'all know how felicity ended up with sam and bird!! there was A LOT that happened in this chapter but hopefully it answers some of the questions y'all might've had so far!! and if not, there's still plenty more to come + lots more drama/angst, and my all time favorite, hurt/comfort!!!! there might be too much hurt/comfort for some of y'all, but idc because i love it so much <3

anyways, please don't forget to leave your feedback in the comments but i hope y'all enjoyed! 🫶