Chapter 20: I'm Tired Of Fighting

Castiel is back. Everyone thinks that whatever saved us from Saint Mary's brought him back to life. Cas says that it's God and he just needs to find him and get help. He can't even heal Bobby unless he can somehow get his power restored. He borrows the amulet that Sam gave Dean as a Christmas present so that he could track him down. While he's busy with that, we get a call from Rufus. He's in trouble and he needs our help.

The city is in ruins when we arrive. Ellen is there which is a very welcomed surprise.

"Ellen" I smile

She splashes Dean in the face with holy water.

"We're us." Dean says and she takes us to a church where she and some others have been hiding out.

"Real glad to see you boys" She says

"It's been a while" Dean says

"Yeah, no kidding. If it wasn't for this one keeping me up to date, I wouldn't have a clue you were even alive"

"Sorry, Ellen"

The town has been overrun with demons and all of the survivors. Ellen says she got separated from Jo so be on the look out for her. Sam, Dean, and I head off the sporting goods store so we can stock up on weapons.

"I'll get the salt, you two get the guns." Sam says

"We'll go together." Dean protests

"Dean, it's right there. Can we at least do this like professionals?"

The sun beams through the window and illuminates the blade selection at the far end of the store. I leave my bickering brothers and check it out. I pick up a 16-inch machete with a serrated tip and cut it loose from the package with my pocketknife.

"Whoa there Rambo" Dean says from behind me, "these are demons, not vampires, remember?"

"It'd be tough for a demon to do too much damage without a head, don't you think?"

While he carries the guns to the car and Sam loads up on rock salt I use my new toy to open a bag of cheese doodles. The front door chimes and two demons step inside. One of them goes to a shelf and starts taking water. What do demons want with water? Sam makes a move and the demon runs toward him. I run up behind them and slice the back of it's neck almost clean through. I whack at the rest of the connecting flesh and muscle and blood splatters all over my face. Sam's eyes widen at me for a second before he turns to the other one and stabs it through the neck. I wipe the blood from my eyes and smile.

"I knew this would come in handy. Stab it, Sammy. With the demon killing knife."

Sam stabs the headless corpse on the floor curiously and inspects the knife as the door chimes again. It's Dean this time.

Armed and ready to go, Ellen wants to go searching for Jo. While Sam and Dean fight in the hallway I volunteer.

"You sure your brother's okay with that?"

"It wouldn't be the first time they left me with you" I grin and she ruffles my hair, "okay kid, let's go"

"I'm coming too." Sam says as he comes back in.

"So, what's up with you and Dean?" She asks Sam as we walk. He doesn't answer her.

"Sam didn't listen to Dean, Dean's being a baby." I say and Sam shoots me a look.

"It's complicated." He changes the subject to Jo just as we reach a house with smoke coming from the chimney. Sam says that demons don't get cold and wonders what they could be burning in the fireplace. I can't think of a good answer as we walk up the steps and directly into an ambush. One of them grabs Ellen from the back so I swing the machete down at their elbow. It screams in pain and falls backwards. I finish it off with a slice across its throat and head towards Sam. I see Jo rushing towards Ellen in the corner of my eye. I raise up my machete again and suddenly I'm being wrenched into the air by my shirt and thrown to the ground hard.

"Evan!" Sam bellows

I can't yell back. There's no air in my lungs. I see a fist rise over my face and fall. Blackness.

"Evan? Evan?"

I open my eyes slowly, my head is pounding and I'm tied to a chair. Sam is in a chair tied to the back of mine.

"Sam" I groan, "are you okay?"

"Alright, that's enough of the chit chat" A man's voice says from behind me. I hear water splash on Sam and feel water running down my face. It stings when it mixes into the fresh cuts on my face. Jo shows up in front of me and gives me a hard glare. Her eyes are black and menacing. Why would a demon go through all this trouble?

"Evan, if you can hear me in there, don't worry. We're going to get you out"

"Jo. I am Evan"

"Yeah right" The man growls "let me tell you something, fourteen year old boys don't just run around lobbing people's arms off and slitting their throat"

"Actually, I'm fifteen."

"Wait" Sam says, "This is all a big-"

"Shut up you evil son of a bitch" The man commands, I can hear Sam sputtering and spitting behind me as salt falls to the ground. I can't budge from my seat.

"That was a good person, you killed" Jo glares as the man starts reciting an exorcism. She splashes water in my face and frowns.

"I'm not a demon" I tell her and spit some of the water out of my mouth. She's not listening, neither of them are. I'm beginning to think that Jo isn't as smart as everyone gives her credit for. After some failed exorcisms, she and the man disappear into the hallway.

"Sam, what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know. Rufus and Jo think we're demons but they're the ones who look like them"

"That's Rufus? Not very personable, is he?"

"I don't know what's going on"

We find out soon enough when Roger comes in to talk to us. He's one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. War. He's making everyone look like demons so that we'd kill each other.

"Honestly, people don't need a reason to kill each other. Do they, Evan? How do you feel knowing that those people you murdered were completely innocent?" He calls over Sam's shoulder to me.

"I don't know what you're talking about" I yawn, it's been such a long day, I don't have any energy left to argue with this guy.

"He doesn't ever need a reason. At least you, Sam, you have good intentions. Of course good intentions are a quick slide to hell, buddy boy. But if you feel bad now, wait until you're thigh deep in worm corpses. Because I'm just getting started"

"If only I still had my machete." I groan as I try to loosen myself from the ropes

"Machetes don't kill demons." Sam says. He's worn and haggard from having his ass handed to him again after war pretended that Sam attacked him.

"They might not kill demons but it would help us break out of here"

"You mean it would cut through the ropes…"

"For one thing, yeah"

"For one thing? These people are just people. You heard War. Everyone here is innocent. You don't just go around killing innocent people with a machete. We have to convince them…"

The door opens and Dean runs in.

"Dean! It's not demons"

"It's War" they both say

Dean cuts both of us free of our restraints and we chase the bastard down. Sam cuts his fingers off and the ring falls to the ground. Shortly after, he disappears.

I reunite with Ellen and Jo while Dean and Sam sit together at a picnic table. Maybe they're making up. I hope they are.

"Hey" I say to Jo as she packs her duffle bag

"Sorry about that back there" She half smiles

"It wasn't you. No biggie"

"You heading off with Dean and Sam now?"

"Soon"

"Are you taking care of yourself?" Ellen asks

"Of course. I haven't even been arrested yet"

She smiles.

"Have you heard anything from Haydn?"

They both shake their heads.

"I think she and her family moved out to Oregon last I heard" Jo says

Of course they did. Without me there, what reason did she have to stay?

"I'm sorry" Ellen frowns, "but maybe it's best this way, you know? There's enough to worry about already these days without having some monster with a score to settle come after her"

I see Sam stand up in the corner of my eye.

"I better go. I'll call you." I say and Ellen scoops me into a hug

"Good. I miss you, be safe, you hear?"

"You too Ellen"

She kisses the top of my head. It feels nice. Suddenly, I don't want her to let me go. She's soft and warm but she lets go and I take a step back. I wave at her and walk back to my brothers.

Sam has his duffle around his shoulder but Dean hasn't moved from his seat on the bench.

"Hey" Sam smiles

"Come on, Dean! Get the lead out." I shout at him. He looks away. "What's his problem?"

"Nothing. It's me. I just… I need a break from this for a while. From hunting"

"Are you joking? It's the apocalypse"

"I know. That's why. I already talked about it with Dean and-"

"Are you serious?" I shout at him, "you're leaving?"

"Evan, please" his hands grip my shoulders hard and heavy

"Dean!" I shout over my shoulder, "Dean! Don't let him go!"

"Dean agrees with me"

I snatch his hands off of me and shove him hard. "Dean's an idiot! And so are you!"

Sam frowns and looks at the ground. Dean stands and starts over.

"You're cowards! The both of you suck! Dad told us to stay together, didn't he? Was I the only one listening when he told us that family came first?"

"We're just trying to do what's best." Dean says

"Funny how good intentions turn out, huh?" I glower at the both of them

Dean looks at the ground and Sam is pleading at me with his eyes.

"Fine" I say, "do what you want. Separate. But I'm not going with either one of you"

I look behind me to see if I can hitch a ride with Ellen and Jo but they've already left. Awesome. Sam looks like he's about to cry. He takes a step towards me, arms outstretched.

"Stay away from me! Just go!" I shout. He looks at Dean who solemnly nods like he'll take care of the situation. Sam looks sadly at me one more time before walking towards a pickup getting ready to go.

"Can we talk?" Dean asks me "just grab a burger or pizza or something and talk it out?"

"How many times am I going to have to lose one of you before you decide that I matter?" I say flatly

"You and Sam are the most important things in my life. I don't have all the answers, but I'm doing my best"

"Yeah? Well, your best blows" I sling my bag over my shoulder and run.