~*****~

For the next few days, I listen to Sam scream and shout downstairs, as if he's being tortured violently with no end in sight. "How long is this gonna go on?" I ask softly, unconsciously bouncing as Mary tugs at my hair.

Bobby grunts. "Here, let me look it up in my demon-detox manual." Bobby retorts. "Oh, wait. No one ever wrote one." We all sigh. "No telling how long it'll take."

"He was... completely infected, there wasn't a trace left of human blood that I could find." I mention softly. "I don't even know if Sam will even live through this..."

Bobby lifted the phone and grunted. "Hello?" A familiar expression crosses his face and I fight back a chuckle. "Suck dirt and die, Rufus. You call me again, I'll kill you."

"What's up with Rufus?" I ask.

Bobby snorts. "He knows." The phone rings again. I gaze at Bobby as he stares at it with such a loathsome expression before he snaps the phone back up and growls into it. "I'm busy, you sumbitch. This better be important." Bobby remains silent for a moment, his gaze sliding towards us with an alarmed expression on his face. He hangs up and moves towards his study.

"Bobby?" I call out. "What happened?"

He returns a moment later with a few papers from the printer. "The news. And the news ain't good."

"This is what Rufus called about?" Dean asked as he took the papers from Bobby. "Key West sees ten species go extinct?"

"Yep." Bobby sighs. "Plus, Alaska-- fifteen-man fishing crew, all stricken blind-- cause unknown. New York-- Teacher goes postal, locks the door, kills exactly sixty-six kids. All this in a single day? I looked them up. There's no doubt about it. They're all seals. Breaking-- fast."

"How many are left?" I ask.

Bobby shrugs. "Who knows? Can't be many. Where the hell are your angel pals?"

I scoff. "You tell me."

Mary makes an annoyed sound before tugging at my hair again. I hiss lightly and start bouncing her again, pacing around the room. Dean sets the papers down and steps towards me. "I'm just wondering..." Bobby starts.

"What?" Dean asks as he plucks the baby from my arms.

"With the Apocalypse being nigh and all, is now really the right time to be having this little domestic drama of ours?" Bobby asks.

"What do you mean?" Dean asks.

"Well, I don't like this any more than you two do, but... Sam can kill demons. He's got a shot at stopping Armageddon." Bobby retorts.

"So, what, sacrifice Sam's life, his soul, for the greater good? Is that what you're saying?" Dean snaps. "Times are bad, so let's use Sam as a nuclear warhead?"

"Look, I know you hate me for suggesting it-- I hate me for suggesting it! I love that boy like a son. All I'm saying is maybe he's here right now instead of on the battlefield, 'cause we love him too much." Bobby explains softly.

~*****~

Something strange pulls me from my slumber. It's not Dean, who's adjusting the blankets around my body. It's not Mary, who's cooing happily to get his attention. There's something hanging over Dean. "What did you do?" I ask softly as I cup his face. His eyes snap to me, reluctance flooding through them. "You... You spoke with Castiel. What did he say?"

Dean sits on the edge of the bed, rubs his face, and sighs heavily. He explains what he had done to me, and I just sit there, staring at him with wide eyes.

"You willingly signed up to be the Angels' bitch?" I ask. Dean grunted and gave me a scolding look. "Oh, my bad-- the angels' sucker? After everything that's happened? Now you trust them?"

"Come on, give me a little credit, Lottie," Dean snapped. "I've never trusted them less! I mean, they come on like shady politicians from Planet Vulcan!"

"Then why in the hell--"

"Because what other option do I have?!" Dean suddenly shouts over me. "It's either trust the angels, or let Sammy trust a demon! Or, have you-- have you risk your neck--" He shudders and leans against my shoulder.

I sigh softly and rub at his back. "I understand, Dean, I do... you're a very loving man to do this... I don't know many people who would go the lengths you do for us." Dean doesn't respond, and it takes a moment to notice just how quiet it is. Mary is laying in her crib, dozing off, not making a sound.

"Do you hear that?" Dean asks after a moment.

I slip my legs from over the edge of the couch. "That's a little too much nothing." Bobby comments as he steps in from the study.

We all exchange glances before hurrying toward the basement. Dean snaps the metal hinge away from the door and we peer through. Sam is on the ground, writhing in agony. "What if he's faking?" Dean asks worriedly.

"You really think he would?" Bobby asks.

"I think he'd do anything," Dean retorts.

Sam is all of a sudden slung to the wall. "That ain't fakin'," Bobby says quickly and we hurry to pry the door open.

Dean and Bobby manage to wrestle him to the ground, getting his arms over his chest, and shoving a belt between his teeth so he didn't break anything. "We're gonna have to tie him down." I say urgently. "So he doesn't hurt himself!" Dean doesn't answer. "Dean!" I snap. He continues to stare at Sam.

"DEAN! Before he has another fit!" Bobby shouts.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with!" Dean says quickly. We manage to restrain him, and he settles down, resting in a fitful state as we leave him in the panic room.