Sam was against it, of course. He was against getting his soul back from the very start, and he was even more stubborn about it now. It didn't matter Death had said he could put up a wall inside his head to make him forget about the Cage, Sam just refused to listen. They'd expected this reaction from him, just like Dean had expected Sam to be dumb enough to try and get Death's ring to stop him from going through with any of it. Luckily, Dean dug it up from where he'd buried it in Bobby's salvage yard the moment he and Allegra got back from their trip.
As the brothers argued, Allegra and Bobby watched at a distance, one more concerned than the other. Eventually, Sam went back inside, prompting Bobby to follow him. Allegra lingered outside with Dean, wanting nothing more than to take him in her arms to comfort him. She hated that Sam was forcing him to actually become Death for a day. And she hated she stood helpless when Dean was slowly freaking out.

"Tell me I'm doing the right thing here, Alley. Please tell me this isn't gonna screw us any further."

"You can do this," she spoke softly. "But remember what I told you. Don't try to bargain with the lives. Death always takes what he's owed."

She drew closer and let her fingers gently trace his skin.

"I'll be right here when you get back," she promised.

"I'm gonna be real pissed if you're not," said Dean.

They smiled at each other. Against her better judgment, Allegra dared to brush her lips against his, hoping it would give Dean some courage to see this through. His gaze lingered on her mouth. She stepped back before things could escalate.

"Good luck," she whispered.

"Here goes everything."

Dean slid Death's ring on his finger, vanishing into thin air. Allegra took a deep breath and turned to find Sam at the window of Bobby's house, looking right at her. Unease washed over her as she looked back at the younger Winchester. The dark calculated expression in his eyes scared Allegra down to her very core.

***

"Are you absolutely sure that's what he said?"

"As sure as I'm sitting here talking to you, Bobby," answered Allegra. "I followed Sam at a distance and saw him summon that good-for-nothing Balthazar. He asked him for something to stop Death from putting his soul back. Balthazar said the only way to do that was to scar his vessel by rendering it uninhabitable. I very clearly heard him say patricide was one way to do it, and since you're the only father figure in Sam's life right now..."

"Oh, now that's just peachy!" exclaimed Bobby. "What the hell is that boy thinking?"

"Sam isn't Sam anymore. The part that makes him human got ripped out over a year ago. He's a stone-cold Hunter with an extreme survival instinct that just kicked in."

Just at that moment, they heard the door opening and closing, and Sam strolled into the living room. Allegra noticed Bobby tensed up a bit, but he didn't give away anything.

"Woke up, and you were gone," he said. "Where you been?"

Sam shrugged.

"Just driving around. No biggie."

"Clearing your head?" asked Allegra, watching Sam intently.

"Yeah, something like that."

She threw Bobby a meaningful look as Sam sat at the table with a deck of cards.

"Well, I'll leave you, guys, to it then. I'll go up and translate those runes you asked me about earlier, Bobby."

"You do that," replied Bobby as he sat down across from Sam, who merely glanced up.

Allegra discretely pointed to a book on the table and mouthed 'one minute' so that Bobby knew what to do. She left the room and went up the stairs, stomping her feet so that Sam would definitely hear her go up. When she was in her room, she quickly changed her combat boots to sneakers and strapped her knife to her belt. Then she heard Bobby's voice.

"Damn girl forgot the book she's supposed to use. Deal the next game. I'll be right back."

Allegra snuck back and met Bobby halfway across the stairs. 

"Get down to the basement and wait there," he whispered as he put the book down.

"Bobby, I'm not leaving you alone with him," urged Allegra in a hushed tone.

"Will you, for once, just do as I ask? Stay there until I find a way to lure Sam in."

The old Hunter hurried back down and resumed his game with Sam, mumbling about how he did not sign up to live with a damn redhead. Allegra snuck into the hall and peeked around the corner to make sure Bobby kept Sam distracted. When he cleared his throat, Allegra took her chance to continue down to the basement. She hid behind the staircase and waited.
All the while, Allegra kept hoping that Dean was doing the job as she told him to. But knowing him, he'd probably do the exact opposite. She just wished he wouldn't forget what she told him. Death is owed a life. And a life he shall have. It doesn't matter whose. 

*** 

This, Dean did not sign up for. The robber in the store got what he deserved. The fat guy was a walking heart attack waiting to happen. But a 12-year-old girl? No freakin' way! Hell would have to freeze over before he did that.

'Don't try to bargain with the lives. Death always takes what he's owed.'

Dean heard Allegra's voice in his head again. Deep down, he knew she was right. Allegra was always right. But that wouldn't stop him from finding the loophole on this one.

"Dean, you have to take her."

Tessa, the reaper who once tried to take him, was still trying to convince Dean to kill that girl. He wouldn't fold that easily.

"Says who?"

"Death."

"I'm Death."

"You know what I mean."

Dean could tell by her snarkiness and the annoyed eye-roll that Tessa was losing her patience with him.

"Well, who tells him?" he demanded.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "It just is. It's destiny."

"Give me a break. I've spent my whole life fighting that crap. There's no such thing as destiny, just like there was no Apocalypse. Just a bunch of stuck-up mooks who didn't want us human slaves asking questions. I say the little girl lives."

Dean didn't care what Tessa said. He didn't care about what Allegra told him. He was not taking that little girl. Not in a million years.

***

Allegra waited anxiously in the basement. She could tell by the hold on Bobby's soul that he was just as nervous as she was. Suddenly, she heard a thud above her. Seeing how Bobby still felt okay, she assumed Sam was the one on the ground. Then Allegra heard a hurried scuffle. She followed the sound and saw that it was close to the trap door that would come out in the middle of the basement, just outside the panic room. There was banging upstairs. Like someone was trying to get in a room or something. Muffled voices, and all of a sudden, the trap door opened, and Sam fell right through, dropping his ax. Allegra quickly kicked the weapon away and punched Sam in the face with a right hook when he attempted to get up.

"Allegra!" Bobby screamed from the open basement door. "Get up here, now!"

She raced up the stairs, and Bobby slammed the door shut behind her. The locks kicked in as soon as the door closed, trapping Sam inside. They heard him groaning and slumping up the stairs.

"Reinforced steel core, titanium kick plate," said Bobby in a loud voice. "Get comfy. You want to explain what this is about?"

"I just...I have to do this, Bobby," answered Sam from behind the door.

"Yeah, says who?" Bobby's eyes constantly shifted from the door to Allegra and back.

"If Dean shoves that soul back in me, think how bad that could really be. I can't let it happen, Bobby. I mean, it's not like I want to kill you. You've been nothing but good to me."

Bobby's eyes widened, and Allegra gave him a told-ya-so-look.

"You're making a mistake, Sam."

"I'm trying to survive."

"Dean's got a way to make it safe."

"Oh yeah, what, some wall inside my head that maybe stays up? Come on."

"If it works..."

"Yeah, what if it doesn't?" retorted Sam. "Dean doesn't care about me. He just cares about his little brother, Sammy, burning in Hell. He'll kill me to get that other guy back."

Allegra shook her head. It was too late. Sam, or whoever this guy thought he was, was already too far gone.

Dean, where are you?

When Sam stopped talking back at Bobby, the old Hunter opened the reinforced basement door and carefully descended the stairs, gun at the ready. Allegra followed close behind him. As soon as they came downstairs, they saw why Sam hadn't responded; he had used the vent in the panic room to escape. Sam was gone.

***

Dean messed up. By letting the sick little girl in the hospital live, the nurse who was supposed to be in surgery left early and got into a car crash. He had to take her instead of the kid. She wasn't supposed to die that night, not for another 60 years or so even. Her name wasn't on the list. Not until Dean decided to go rogue. A domino effect, Tessa called it. A stone that fell out of place and knocked over one after another, causing a chain reaction.
Allegra had warned him about this. Why did he think he could change anything? If Allegra herself, a hybrid-Archangel, couldn't convince Death to spare the innocents of the plagues she wielded, then how the hell was he supposed to do anything about the 'natural order of things'?
And to make matters worse, the ring was off. He lost his bargain with Death and thus the one shot he had of getting back Sam's soul. The nurse's husband was doing a kamikaze run with his car when Dean took the ring off to save the poor bastard. Then he did the only thing he could do to set things even remotely right. He went back to the hospital to kill the 12-year-old girl. The order was restored.

"Your boss can have his job back," he said to Tessa, defeated and exasperated. "You have to be a stone-cold bastard to do this."

"I felt the same as you did at first. But I learned to put the feelings aside. Everyone dies, Dean."

"Don't start preaching that whole circle of life thing."

"Fine, see if I care. Are you ready t-...?"

Tessa's breath suddenly caught, and she froze. Dean eyed her with concern, but before he could ask her what was wrong, he felt a sharp twist in his chest. He gripped and clawed and gasped for air. It felt like someone was trying to rip his heart right out of his body. Allegra's voice echoed through his mind, calling out his name. But it was fading. Fading fast. 

***

Bobby and Allegra had to split up to cover more ground. They each took a side of the salvage yard, coming back together in the middle. Sam was still around; they were certain of it. But the young Winchester wasn't the prey tonight - he was the Hunter.

With her knife in hand, Allegra was just about to check another car wreck when she was disturbed by a noise. Something was getting dragged through the gravel. No, not something, someone. Allegra turned the corner and saw Sam lug Bobby's body to his shed. She immediately locked onto Bobby's soul and sighed in relief when she found it safe and sound inside his body. He wasn't dead. Yet. 
She moved quietly but fast towards the shed and hid behind some oil vats, watching how Sam dropped Bobby's legs. He stood with his back to her. If she had any hope of saving Bobby, she had to act now.

Allegra held a firm grip on her knife and jumped out from behind the vats. She sprinted towards Sam but held back just in time when he swirled around with his own blade in hand. Narrowly avoiding her throat getting sliced open, Allegra lunged with her own knife for his side. Sam blocked her attack easily, but this wasn't her first rodeo. She dropped and kicked her leg hard against the back of Sam's knees. He fell, and Allegra somersaulted to create some distance between them. She didn't want to hurt Sam (well, not that much, anyway). She just had to keep him distracted long enough for Bobby to regain consciousness. 
Sam came back up as well, and the pair kept their blades pointed at one another. He walked back and forth like a restless predator on the prowl, his eyes focused on Allegra.

"This isn't you, Sam." She met his gaze daringly. "You're better than this. Don't become this thing just because you're afraid of what might happen."

He scoffed.

"Oh, you're one to talk. Don't play the saint with me, Allegra. We both know you're no better than me. You have that desire for freedom just as much as I do, maybe even more. Your fear keeps you back when all you wanna do is let it all out. Just do it. Let it out. It feels so damn good. But you already know that, don't you? You almost let go once. Months ago... in your bedroom."

Allegra's eyes widened.

"You thought I didn't remember." Sam threw her a mean grin. "But how could I possibly forget? You were so eager, and if it hadn't been for Lucifer and Castiel interrupting us..."

"Shut your goddamn mouth!"

His eyes narrowed. 

"Maybe you need a reminder."

Sam went full-on Hunter mode, attacking Allegra head-on. She jumped aside to dodge his attack and went for Sam's side again. He turned his body away from Allegra, making her believe he was retreating, but his hand went straight for her wrist. He grabbed hold and twisted Allegra's arm. He used so much force that the bones in her wrist just snapped under pressure. She screamed out in pain. Her knife dropped to the ground. 
Allegra made a fist with her other hand, but before she could take a swing at Sam's face, he plunged his own blade right into her chest. She gasped, feeling something deep inside of her dying. Sam twisted the blade, making her tear up, and he leaned in to whisper.

"Then again, who could ever want a freak like you?"

He pushed her away, and Allegra fell to the ground. Her body burned from the inside. She clawed at the dirt beneath her, desperate to breathe and hold on. It couldn't end like this. She promised Dean she would wait for him.

Dean... I love you... Dean...

Slowly, the world around her went black.

***

"Hi Sam, I'm back."

Dean knocked Sam's lights out with one strong punch before his brother gave Bobby the killer blow. He quickly caught Bobby's eye to see if he was okay, but his mentor waved him away.

"I'm good! Check Allegra; I got Sam!"

Dean hurried over to the redhead's body whilst Bobby secured Sam and got sick when he saw the damage his own brother had inflicted on her. The blade was stuck in her chest, an inch from her heart, warm blood seeping from the wound. Her one hand lay at an unnatural angle.

"Alley!" Dean dropped to his knees and gripped her shoulders. "Alley, don't you dare die on me now! ALLEGRA!"

He shook her, trying to get some sort of reaction, but it was no use. Allegra's eyes were wide open, but they were... empty. She was...

"Take out the blade, you idiot."

Dean's head jerked up at the voice. A scrawny-looking fellow stood at the entrance of Bobby's shed. He looked more like a rat than a person, the way he was hunched over and sniveling. Bobby aimed his shotgun at the stranger, who hastily raised his arms.

"Wow, easy there, Wild Bill! I come in peace. That blade in her chest is poisoning her. Take it out and pour this on the wound.'

He threw a small vial with a shining white liquid at Dean, who caught it nimbly with one hand.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Just sent by someone protecting his investment. Toodles!"

The stranger waved and disappeared in a poof of black smoke, and from where he had stood just a second ago, a big grey rat sprinted away across the gravel. Dean wasted no time, ignoring his primary alarm bells of never trusting a demon, and took the blade out of Allegra despite every book warning against doing that. He threw the damn thing across the floor and uncorked the vial rat-fellow had given him with his teeth. As he let the contents trickle into the wound, he saw the white light spreading through the open gash. Tiny little specks of gold shimmered through the air, and the wound began to heal itself. 
Dean caressed Allegra's face, muttering her name over and over again, whilst Bobby hoovered behind him. They anxiously waited for something to happen. The whole world just stopped spinning, and those few seconds felt like the most agonizing hours. When Allegra finally gasped for air, both men sighed in relief.

"Hey, you're okay," Dean whispered, tears stinging in his eyes as he held her close and rocked her body in his arms. "I'm here, Alley. You're safe now. I've got you; you're safe."

***

"Bit risky not saving her yourself, don't you think?"

Crowley watched the scene in Bobby's shed further unfold from all the way across the salvage yard. His associate alerted him Allegra was in mortal danger, and, as per his deal, he had come to her aide. Well, he sent someone in his stead. He was, after all, supposed to be dead.

"I'm curious why you're not appearing as her knight in shining armor," he asked. "Chicken, are we?"

The flutter of wings marking his associate's exit made the King of Hell chuckle. He couldn't wait to see how this played out.

***

Allegra blinked against the light beside her. She was back in her room. The nightlight was on. How did she...? Dean... He must've brought her here after... Sam stabbed her. She was dead. Or she'd been dying anyway. Was she the reason Dean returned? Had he taken off Death's ring when he saw Allegra was next on the list? Had he lost his chance of getting his brother's soul back because of her?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the voices downstairs. Allegra pushed herself up from the bed, forgetting Sam broke her wrist. She nearly cried out at the sudden pain but managed to hold back and bit her lip instead. Holding her wrist in her hand, Allegra carefully got up. She walked out of her bedroom and went down the stairs. 
Just before she reached the final step, she saw Dean rushing to the basement. Allegra hurried after him. She could hear Dean yelling out to Bobby to open the panic room door. The Hunters both turned at the sound of her footsteps.

"The hell you think you're doing?" Dean immediately shielded Allegra's view.

"What's going on?" asked Allegra.

"Go back upstairs."

"Don't tell me what to do."

Allegra pushed Dean aside, wincing a little as she did, and saw Death sitting next to Sam, who was strapped on the cot inside the panic room.

"Now, Sam, I'm gonna put up a barrier inside your mind," said the pale man.

"No, don't touch me!" yelled Sam.

"It might feel a little... itchy." Death continued unperturbed, completely ignoring Sam. "Do me a favor, don't scratch the wall. Trust me; you're not gonna like what happens."

A brown leather bag opened, and a bright light came out. Allegra gasped as she realized it was Sam's soul. But... it was...

"Dean, stop him!"

"What?"

"You can't let him put Sam's soul in. Not like that. You have to..."

But it was too late. Dean's confused expression was torn away from Allegra when Sam screamed, begging his brother not to let it happen. Before either he or Allegra could stop him, Death placed Sam's soul back inside his body. The young Winchester cried out in pain as all the tortures of the Cage, everything Michael and Lucifer had done to him, all the harm his soul had gone through in that past year were all sinking in and walled up. Allegra watched in horror as she realized one thing; the wall wouldn't hold.