S15 sometime

[weirddreams]

His first red flag should have been a few days ago (48 hours eariler) when Ruby texted him to say that she was on a case in Detriot and would be gone a little while. Normally by now they would have had at least one phone call or video chat to check in on each other. The strangest thing of it all came when he decided to follow her last known location by tracking her phone and almost the second he set foot in town Ruby texted him again to meet her somewhere. In said text message, babe and other such words or mannerisms struck him as suspect as Ruby leaned heavily to calling him Puppy and generally was more teasing in her speech or writing. He tested his theory by playing along with sexting her to discover that his intuition was on to something. It couldn't be Ruby. She often would describe things in a way that almost painted a real picture of their sex life. All the prose on her end read as if someone else entered the picture.

On the flip side, if it was a trap...his only clue to finding Ruby was to agree to meet her and do his do dilegence in surveying the place beforehand. If he was wrong, which he was sure he wasn't, then he would be open to new possibilities and tease her about what calling him babe was about. He brings coffee for the two of them to the location.

Comments

[peaceonearth]

There had been something and she had gone to Detriot, but she would have never not checked in with him. She'd arrived in Detriot on the trail of a demon, but she hadn't expected to find Tammy. After all, Tammy was supposed to be dead. She'd seen Dean kill her with her knife. Tammy is one of the few things in this world or the next that Ruby is terrified of. The demon had used that fear and Ruby's shock to her advantage. At first, Ruby had gone on the defensive. She'd fought and postured and tossed insults and jabs at Tammy. She'd tried to let the torture, physical and emotional, roll off her back, but Tammy knew every weak point Ruby had. Tammy's minion, had tried to get Ruby to help her draft those text messages, but Ruby would rather have Sam safe than herself. At this point, she's well aware Tammy is going to kill her. She needs Sam to be safe.

The blonde, not Ruby but definitely a type, is standing with her hip against Ruby's car when Sam shows up. She's also wearing Ruby's clothes. At first glance, Sam might even think it's Ruby with the way the demon has her head down, but she ruins the illusion quickly, glancing up and smiling at him. "Sammy. I wasn't sure you'd show. You've cost me a bet," she says with a bit of a pout. "But the sexting was fun at least."

[weirddreams]

There is nothing in the world or the next that could have really stopped him from falling into the trap for her sake. But he is keenly aware that later he will have to apologize to Ruby.

At first sight, Sam did think it was Ruby because of similar curls at the end of the blonde hair and the clothes that could only belong to someone of Ruby's stature. The illusion falls away the moment he steps out of the vehicle he rented with the sole purpose of catching up with her; it was better not to raise more suspicions by hurriedly asking Dean for the Impala. His relief dropped the moment the blonde's smile grew. "No, you don't get to call me that. Secondly, you're going to tell me where Ruby is." Unlike with his favorite demon, the pout doesn't particularly win any points with him. "For the record, that's how I was sure something was off."

[peaceonearth]

Tammy and her crew are counting on that. She'll be very grateful he came to get her if they both get out of this alive.

When demons are unscrupulous, it's not hard to find a certain body type. With the rental car, Dean does assume Sam is going to meet up with Ruby. He had tossed out the usual statements. "Call me if things get out of hand. Check-in regularly." "Oh, Sweetheart. I'll do you on better. I'll take you there." She pulls a pair of handcuffs her her back, dangling them. "Just put these on. I'll enjoy every moment of the pat down and then we'll be on our way." She frowns at Sam's comment about the sexting. "I guess there's more of a learning curve than I realized."

[weirddreams]

He doesn't exactly have a plan on how to get them both out yet; he'll work on that once he has her in his sights.

It is distasteful that the demon would go so far as to try to copy Ruby; Sam's expression makes it fairly clear that he's uncomfortable. There were other signs to point to Sam being in a rush such as packing very lightly and with a fistful of cash. He answered the usual way. "I'm sure Ruby will have it handled by the time I meet up with her. We're taking a break for a few days." He may be omitting a few details, but if things do go sideways, Dean will be the first to hear about it. "What? Not going to gloat about why you have Ruby in the first place?" He was hoping to get a few more clues about what or whom he was dealing with before it escalated to his surrender. "Let me do you one better." He held his hands up to show compliance and slowly discarded his phone and the gun in his waistband under the seat of the open door before closing it.

He didn't expect that it would stop the patdown but it might keep his phone from being smashed. The GPS was on and maybe there were also a few photographs that were regretfully not backed up on his device.

[peaceonearth]

Fair enough, though coming in with a plan would make her feel better about the both of them getting out alive because if she has to pick one, she's picking him.

Making Sam uncomfortable is the point. She smirks at Sam's question. "Not in my job description. Personally, I don't know her very well. Astaroth seems to have quite the hard-on for her though." That gives Sam a little bit of information if he remembers Tammy's real name. The demon watches Sam discard the phone and gun, though she's not worried so much about a gun as long as it's not The Colt. Thankfully, most demons, this one included, aren't tech-savvy enough to consider the GPS aspect of that phone. "Sorry, Sammy. I'm still going to have to pat you down." She gestures to the hood of Ruby's car, indicating he should be put his hands on the car with his back to her. "We don't know that your demon whore didn't create another knife."

She's heard rumors about the angel blades too. Thankfully, Dean will think about the GPS later if he can't get in touch with Sam or Sam doesn't check in.

[weirddreams]

When you break down all the things that have ever happened to them, it's pure luck that they've survived this long. Sam is at least confident there is some advantage to having his abilities and counting on Ruby's captor(s) not as aware.

Pushing the wrong buttons won't make him more compliant either. It is for Ruby's sake that bites his tongue. He can now confirm that any other demon with the slightest similarities to Ruby is unattractive. Ruby is one of a kind when she smirks. He does recall the name Astaroth the instant it's uttered. They have been tracking all the other spirits Chuck set loose or brought back but Astaroth was one he never would have expected. He knew Ruby was in some serious trouble. "She better be in one piece, you hear me." Who said you couldn't threaten the messenger, and Sam intended to stand by his words if Ruby wasn't alright. He'd certainly define her mental well being as part of it. There's a lot that the blonde demon doesn't seem to be cautious of, which tells Sam that it is possible she hasn't been topside at all. Not that his gun is loaded with angel blade bullets, but it could be a threat. The phone is mostly what he hopes goes overlooked and he is glad when it seems to be the case. "It's Sam." He jerks his head to the side frustratedly but compiles with his hands on the hood. He tried to minimize the frown he made when the blonde referred to Ruby as a whore because he knew it was only fuel to fire. "Sorry to disappoint. I figured if my hunch was right about you, it wouldn't be wise to bring along the arsenal." The Impala tended to have a good stock of sharp instruments that killed monsters. "Hurry this up." The last thing he was going to allow was her to take her sweet time with it. This wasn't remotely a date.

The angel blades are certainly their most versatile weapon.

The demon is clear about him being blindfolded as well but he insists it would look strange to any passerbys if they saw that. He doesn't earn that particular concession but he is able to talk himself into the backseat of Ruby's vehicle rather than the trunk. He remains quiet for most of the drive to count the miles and turns. The blindfold comes off moments after being not so gently tugged through the threshold. His eyes adjusted to the light at the same time followed the sound in Ruby's voice.

[peaceonearth]

That is an advantage. Ruby will also rally when she sees Sam regardless of the insecurities that Astaroth has put in her head.

She doesn't really care if he's compliant. She figures she's holding the cards with knowing where Ruby is. Of course, Sam could fight now, but that doesn't seem to be his move. The demon hums a little at his threat. "Oh, that's not my decision either, Sweetie. We should make it before Astaroth starts cutting off pieces. Ruby isn't much fun to torture," she pauses, "physically, that is. Anything Astaroth could do to her, she's already done many times over. They've got a history, you know." The 'you, however' goes unsaid, but it's clear that Sam is being brought in for extra fun. Not everyone is allowed topside or has the guts and ability to fight their way out so no, she hasn't been topside in a very long time. The pat down is quick, but it is pretty thorough. She gets in all the nooks and crannies before stepping back.

The blindfold isn't optional. Astaroth made that clear. His position riding in the car is more debatable. In all honesty, she's not sure how he'll stuff himself in the trunk anyway so she consents to allow him to sit on the passenger side in the back. The abandoned building that Astaroth is holding Ruby at isn't far away, but per instruction, the demon drives around, doubles back and forth before parking in the back lot away from the street. She shoves Sam roughly toward the entrance, not bothering to tell him about the stairs.

"Mr. Winchester," Astaroth says as she walks toward him wearing the body of a redhead. She looks very different from the last time Sam saw her, but her body language is the same. "it's such a pleasure to see you." She turns to look behind her where Ruby is hanging from chains. Ruby's eyes are black and wide when Sam walks in. The look of fear and horror on her face makes it clear that Sam isn't supposed to be there. She's naked and the chains are pulled short enough that she has to either stand on her tiptoes or hang from her wrists. There's another demon standing next to her with the demon-killing knife just to make sure Sam doesn't try anything. Physically there's some clear damage where Astaroth tested out the knife. "Sam..." she shakes her head as says his name, her voice hoarse and broken. Though she does seem to perk up a little, her chin lifting a bit. Surely Sam has a plan and isn't just walking right into the middle of the trap Astaroth set.

"I was beginning to get so bored with Ruby." She snaps and the demon who delivered Sam as well as another one steps to his side. "Why don't you have a seat over there." There's a metal chair and a length of rope. It's pretty clear that her suggestion isn't really one at all. The chair is several feet from Ruby facing her so that they'll both be able to see each other.

[weirddreams]

It is true that he holds none of the cards at the moment but it wouldn't do him any favors to lose his nerve over it. He's been in other sticky situations before. "It doesn't matter to me. You're as culpable as Astaroth is if she's missing pieces." His control over his expression slips away and reveals a deepened frown. "I'm aware they have history." He recalled when Ruby finally opened up about it years into their relationship. What she did tell him with her words and body language to this day still wore heavy on his mind (and he strove to be more romantic and caring than ever to show her the softer, respectful side of love). What Astaroth was could only be described as a masochist with narcissistic tendencies. Step one is finding out where Ruby was or why she was acting strangely, and he accomplished that. The next step of his plan, voluntarily, was to accept that he'd be that extra little bit of fun until he could come up with the next thing. He was vocal about the part of the patdown that was too thorough. There were no other weapons to be found. Nothing about the search was happy.

"The pleasure is all yours." By way the redhead was acting, it led Sam to recognize Astaroth by memory. He'd be foolish to ignore how she grows in proximity to him by taking his eyes off her, but at the same time half his attention stays on where Ruby is. All the signs pointed to Ruby being in a bad way; not just her eyes being the deepest black, the chains causing her smooth skin underneath to look red and sore, but her naked body has signs of knife play. With the demon that lead him in, he counted only three of them which wasn't an impossible number. "I found you," he shakes his head in return to the fear in her eyes, saying without saying that it was never an option to abandon her. About the plan, first he'd have to find a way to get her out of the chains. He assumed either Astaroth had it or the demon standing guard. He'd assess as time went on.

He didn't see that other demon that joins the one that brought him but four demons in total is still not bad, he convinces himself. "Not until you let Ruby down." One of the two demons doesn't take kindly to him speaking to their boss this way and grabs one side of his unzipped jacket. Sam has none of it and jerks away from their hold. Her suggestion is clearly not one. He didn't agree to be civil. There are only two ways to make him sit: the easy way of letting Ruby have her wrists free (he knows asking to have her feet unbound is too much) or the hard one by dragging him and tying him down. He challenges Astaroth to consider it with a sharp look.

[peaceonearth]

The demon delights in that loss of control. She doesn't comment about being culpable, though she gets the threat. Sadist can also be added to Astaroth's list of qualities. She had counted on never having to see Astaroth again. Thanks, Chuck. Oh, the demon enjoyed the search, but that's beside the point.

"I forgot you're the cheeky one," Astaroth says. She glances back at Ruby and then at Sam during their little display. "I'm glad we got that out of the way though I think we found you," Astaroth comments, taking Ruby's phone out of her pocket. She dropped it to the concrete floor and stomped on it. Astaroth is a little more tech-savvy than the others. Now that Sam is here, there's no need to keep Ruby's phone. As for the keys to the chains, Astaroth has those too. She doesn't trust any of these idiots with them.

Astaroth laughs at Sam's condition. She looks to the demon standing next to Ruby and that demon steps closer, slicing at Ruby's thigh. "Careful. Not too deep," Astaroth warns. She doesn't want her game over too soon. Simultaneously, the demons on each side of Sam step forward to drag him. Apparently they're going to do this the hard way.

[weirddreams]

There are a number of other words that Sam could think of to add to her list of qualities. Each one less complimentary than the last.

"We really haven't had the chance to talk much," he answers dryly. "You thought those messages fooled me? I was suspicious from the beginning. I'm here for Ruby, nothing more. You'll see." He winces at the phone being crushed under her heel. At the end of the day, Ruby's phone could be replaced but it would still have been useful. Probably the safest bet for Astaroth to keep the key on hand. Give him time and Sam soon will understand that the other demons couldn't possibly have her trust in the key. It's beginning to be clear that they're nothing more than lackies.

It's not the laugh that bothers him, but it's the cut made to Ruby's thigh. He holds up his hands. "Alright. Alright. I can seat myself. Just take it easy." Each of the two demons still are emboldened to push and shove him until his ass is on the aged metal chair. He gives a miffed glance at the one that unnecessarily shoved him against the back. His hands were still cuffed in front of him so one of them had to get creative to tie him more securely. This would definitely be the dumbest part of his plan in progress.

While they were busy, he turned his eyes to Ruby and mouthed 'Don't worry. I'll think of something. Just try to stay awake.'

[peaceonearth]

"You're here, Sam. That's all that really matters," Astaroth told him. "The texts were just more fun than 'we have your girlfriend. come and get her'." She pauses, letting her gaze flicker across Sam's body and over his limbs. "Or should I say wife? I thought maybe Ruby here was just delusional when I saw her ring. This just keeps getting better."

Ruby tries to bite back the scream that rips itself out of her throat when the demon digs the knife into her thigh, but Astaroth has been at this too long for Ruby to have many reserves left. Once she catches her breath she casts an apologetic look at Sam. She watches as the demons tie him up, leaving his hands cuffed in front of him, but binding his arms, torso, and legs to the chair.

Ruby understands what Sam is telling her and it snaps her out of it. She finally speaks up. "Astaroth, it's not--you know Dean will come looking for him. Remember? The guy who killed you last time? Let him go, run him off, and if you're lucky you never have to see another Winchester again."

Astaroth turns her attention to Ruby, walking over to her to reach up and grab Ruby's chin. "Oh. Kotku. You've gotten so weak. Besides, if I remember my human rituals correctly, You are a Winchester." She turns back to Sam, picking up a knife from a table holding an array of sharp instruments. "Besides, if you two are any indication, I'll have Dean eating out of my hand to save you," she looks to Sam. "Things are just starting to get fun," she approaches Sam with the knife.

[weirddreams]

He's not about to talk about his engagement with Ruby and what led them there. He doesn't deny that she is his wife though. It's very clear that he loves her to have come in the first place. His ring does indeed make it fairly clear. The less information Astaroth can use against them, the better it is; it's why he thinks quickly and shifts the subject a little. "You've missed a lot where you were dead. We've defeated the likes of Lucifer himself so I'm hardly afraid of you." He taunts her. If anything, he wants her attention to move off of Ruby and on to him to give his favorite demon a break from the torture.

Watching Ruby unable to escape and scream out isn't easy. He almost makes his gums bleed inside of his mouth holding back a few choice words. As hard as it is, he wants the attention to remain on himself. He shakes his head when Ruby delivers an apology through her eyes. It's not her fault. The blame rests on the mastermind in the room. The rope might be snug in some areas and tight in others but he tries to not to be any more tense under the circumstances (keyword: try.) It's impossible not to be uneasy and tense is exactly how he gets.

He was confident she could read his lips given how many times she's watched him speak or talk to her.

For a split moment, he fears the worst for Ruby when she speaks up and Astaroth without issue jerks Ruby's chin up from his perspective. He forgets trying to play calm and loses it. "Take your filthy hands off her. You've done enough. You've got me now so do you worst." His legs might be bound but he can scoot the chair with him an inch closer to them in protest. He grits his teeth even before the sting of the sharp instrument slices into a sensitive nerve along his hand. More disturbing than that is when Astaroth grabs his fingers (lefty hand) to force them to straighten out; the point of her knife hooks onto his ring and pulls it off as it slices downward from there. The band clatters on the floor. One of them wasn't expecting that, the other seems happy to have removed that little nuisance.

[peaceonearth]

"Yes, I'd heard he'd been let out of his cage," Astaroth says, a smile creeping across her face. "But he's not here and I guess I'll just have to make you afraid." Her attention does shift from Ruby to Sam, so he's successful on that front.

The rope is tied reasonably well. The demons might not be up on technology, but knots haven't changed. Thankfully, none of them were sailors, rock climbers, or survivalists.

Astaroth might have run her through the wringer, but she's still Ruby, and seeing Sam here is tearing her apart regardless of the things that Astaroth has tried to convince her of. When Sam has his outburst, Astaroth goes up on tiptoe so that she's close enough Ruby can feel her breath on her skin. "Maybe I was lying just a little bit when I said I didn't think he'd come for you." She lets Ruby's chin go and uses her body to shove away from her, pulling on Ruby's wrists and making her gasp, wincing a little at the pain.

"Oh, but don't you see, Sam. It's about having you both here, but don't worry, hurting you hurts my little Ruby. I like your spunk," Astaroth says as she moves toward him quickly. She makes the cut slowly though, making certain that both Ruby and Sam feel it. "You know, I could do a lot of damage by digging deeper. You'd never be able to use this hand again," she says as she holds his hand tightly, stroking the palm with the tip of the knife. "You really should have picked that mousy little hunter to date. This wouldn't be happening right now if you had."

[weirddreams]

His presence alone is proof that whatever Astaroth told her isn't true. He glares daggers when Astaroth adds to Ruby's pain. "Here I am." He dares her to focus solely on him despite the consequences.

"Why are you so bothered by us anyway? You know, Ruby was never yours. Is that it? You can't admit it to yourself that you think you love her in your twisted little way." He struggles against his bindings to move his hand away but it's useless. His choice against the pain is either to come dangerously close to chipping a tooth or sucking in air and exhaling out heavily to control the pain; he chooses the latter. Blood trickles down to the floor and the fabric of his jeans at an uneven rate. He still manages to give her a defiant look with his eyes as it's all talk until she actually does it. It doesn't go unnoticed that the ring had been her primary focus. That, too, was on the floor with the droplets of red. His next look is one that doesn't follow what she's saying. Eileen doesn't even occur to him. "Who? You can't mean...Jo. That's, uh, it doesn't matter. It really isn't your business." Ruby is one of us is at the forefront of his mind but he bites his tongue rather than add those words exactly.

[peaceonearth]

It's very chivalrous of him to want to distract her, Astaroth thinks, but then humans often do the stupid, noble thing. "Oh please. You'd come for her if you'd met her yesterday at a gas station and she'd flipped you off. Stupid, noble Winchesters," Astaroth rolls her eyes.

Astaroth scoffs at Sam's taunting. "I own her soul, whatever is left of that twisted, dark thing anyway. She's mine in a way that you can't even comprehend. You've gotten compliant, Sam. Demons are evil. This is what evil looks like. You're here, she's here because this is fun for me," Astaroth seethes at him. The anger on her face transforms into a grin when he breathes through the pain. The look of confusion is interesting. She expects that Chuck would lie but maybe Sam truly doesn't know. "The deaf one. The one that's head over heels for you." Obviously, she heard Sam say Jo's name, but Jo doesn't really concern her. She doesn't think torturing Jo would hurt Ruby the way watching Sam be tortured hurts her. Astaroth looks over her shoulder to make sure that Ruby is watching, that her expression is broken. Ruby catches her eye.

"Let him go. I'll be yours again. You can do whatever you'd like with me," Ruby tells her. It diverts Astaroth's attention and she walks toward Ruby again. "Been there. Done that. You zone out on me and that's no fun," she says, picking up a lighter as she moves closer to Ruby. She flicks open the lighter, flame igniting as she holds it close to Ruby's leg. Ruby twists and writhes, trying to get away from the heat. "You did say anything," Astaroth tsks at her and Ruby goes still. "Watch me," Astaroth commands her. "Don't slip off to whatever little wonderland you go to. I bet you remember the way it felt when they burned you as a human. Those are the kind of things Hell lets you keep."

[weirddreams]

He would have come more stealthily had it just been a regular person off the street and not the love of his life.

"You've been gone a long time," he manages even with the light headedness. "That deal, and so many others like it, were ripped up a long time ago. I saw to that. I've been around enough evil to know that Ruby isn't it. All you're doing is projecting." He hopes that is enough to continue to get under her skin. Either way, he has Astaroth talking, which serves as a temporary reprieve from the tortue. He does righteously get a little defensive when the words deaf one comes up but not for the reasons it might seem. He will always worry about a friend's safety when he feels it's threatened. "You've been watching us for the last week or two? " Eileen was over a lot in that timeframe. There's a lot he hasn't yet connected the dots to. Her crush on him is one such thing. "I don't know what you think you saw, or if you're lying to get under my skin, but it isn't going to work." He tries grabbing Astaroth's hand, sleeve, anything to keep her from walking towards Ruby again but his fingers barely grasp anything at all.

His blood runs cold, anxiety rises when Ruby offers herself to Astaroth; he knows all too well that demon deals are binding and enforced in a few short words and typically some form of intimate act. "No, no. Ruby, don't do it. Do agree to anything." It bubbles, it boils, for the first time in a while, his head starts to split (figuratively) as to his very core he fears Ruby only has little left to put up a fight before she's truly broken. He folds his thumbs into his fists and struggles against his bindings to either pull them looser or slip out of them. There's no surviving if he doesn't do something quickly. Rushing forth from a deep place within him, his powers also extend out to save Ruby first and foremost. His intention is to knock Astaroth's balance but the lighter goes flying instead. He pushes even harder to try to accomplish more.

[peaceonearth]

Fair enough. Though most of Astaroth's protests about him coming for Ruby are for Ruby's benefit rather than Sam's.

At Sam's words, Astaroth turns to look at Ruby and grins. "I guess he should have seen you a century ago," she purrs at Ruby then directs her attention back to Sam. She is going to ignore the bit about Ruby's deal being torn up because she knows it's true. If it weren't, she would have had a much easier time getting to Ruby. "Unlike some people in the room, I didn't launch into this half-assed," Astaroth says as she squats in front of Sam to pick up his ring. She stands, examining it before tucking it, still bloody, into her pocket. "You really are stupid and oblivious sometimes, aren't you? I could see it watching from a distance." If Sam had been able to grab her, she would have had his restraints tightened. Him being touchy-touchy is not part of the plan.

If Ruby had to make an official deal to save Sam's life, she would. Right now, she's desperate enough, but still trying to get out of this without being formally bonded to Astaroth again. Sam isn't wrong about how close Ruby is to breaking. She's close to drafting her own official demon deal for Sam's life. When the lighter flies out of Astaroth's hand, several things happen at once. A pile of rubbish and boxes catches on fire which distracts a couple of the demons. The demon standing guard with Ruby is one of them. He hands off the knife to Astaroth (they all know it's the best threat they've got to keep Sam in line) and Astaroth turns, snarling toward Sam as she rushes at him, demon knife in hand.

Ruby summons her own power, working on busting the manacles around her wrists so she can help Sam. "Keep it up, Puppy," she yells in a hoarse voice, trying to make sure that he knows that whatever he's doing is a good thing.

[weirddreams]

He can't deny that Ruby told him things about her past that would turn him away from her if she didn't have the potential for change. He scoffs at Astaroth's statement because the point is that Ruby isn't the same as she was. Nothing could freeze his feelings for her now. "Which is exactly why you will never understand." What he means by that exactly is everything between having a connection with Ruby and in between. He watches her pick up the ring that signifies his greatest promise to Ruby and pocket it. He can't stomach that her little grubby hands are on it. One thing he can do is make it clear that taking the ring changes nothing by the daggers in his eyes. "Then clearly you need your eyes checked." Though later he might look at if Eileen has something for him with new lenses. He won't believe it out of the mouth of her

She should never have to make a deal for him. There's no way he's letting her hand herself over more to Astaroth and that could even mean if he deals first. Their anniversary is only around the corner but this doesn't make a very good anniversary date. It wasn't his intention to start a quick fire so close to them. But he does see the advantages of it and flings the embers wildly at Astaroth as she rushes him for cover or time. He's less afraid of burning himself given the situation. Fortunately, the flames allow him to free one of his tied wrists so he can fiddle with and loosen his other bounds. The fire wall that is thrust between Astaroth and him does remain his key focus.

He hears Ruby shout from the distance; it encourages him to try making a ring around Astaroth unnoticed. The winner will be who has the stronger will or who has more smarts. His gaze flickers between Astaroth and the more important Ruby. "I'm coming to you. Stay where you are," he calls to her. In a reckless move, he pushes the fire one more time at Astaroth before darting to the side to go around to gather up Ruby. Like facing a bear in the wild, his back is never turned to the big bad demon.

[peaceonearth]

Ruby wanted to be fair, to let him know the person she had been. She's not that person anymore, or at least she tries not to be. She wasn't that person when she met Sam; she was fighting to be a better person, for the chance to be a better person, and he has helped her become one. He makes her more human. Astaroth took the ring because she suspected it would bother both Sam and Ruby. They can pry it from her cold, dead hands. She smirks in response to Sam's comeback. One of them needs their eyes checked and she's positive it's not her. Of course, Chuck also gave her some info on Eileen that Astaroth isn't sharing.

No one should have to make a demon deal, and ye there are plenty of new demons that suggest otherwise. That being said, if Ruby were going to make another deal, she thinks Sam is a good reason for one.

The fire is a good distraction, though Ruby is worried about being caught in it. She's concerned about Sam and the smoke inhalation as well. However, she trusts that Sam can take care of himself and concentrates on breaking the manacles around her wrists. She hears Astaroth scream in frustration and it makes Ruby smile a little. She tugs hard on the manacle that seems weakest and gets one hand free before she starts working on the other. She tries not to yell out again, to distract Sam. She just steadily works on the manacle with her power and brute force to pull her hand out. Her left hand is going to be a mess: bruised, swollen, scraped, and possibly fractured, but it doesn't matter because she's finally free. She drops to the ground, knees giving out on her. She's been on tiptoe or dangling for over 48 hours.

Ruby grabs onto Sam when he comes to gather her up. "We need to get the knife from her." She's keeping an eye on the two demons that are trying to put the fire out. They seem torn between wanting to help Astaroth and trying to grab them. "Once we kill her, we need to get out of here."

[weirddreams]

They will pry it from her cold, dead hands later should they have the chance. The ring doesn't take precedence over Ruby though. When he had decided that he wanted to have a relationship with her, there had been a learning curve to open his mind up more the gray areas. As long as Ruby fought to be a better person he found he could love her unconditionally. Likewise, he felt fortunate to have someone who was by his side through the best and worst of things. How can he believe anything that comes out of Astaroth's mouth? It's very possible that Sam already needs eyeglasses to go with his blindness to Eileen's feelings for him. Astaroth's smirk doesn't convince him anymore than her taunting does.

The fire isn't his best move as he helps spread it quicker. Fortunately, the adrenaline coursing through his veins helps steer him through any smoke inhalation he might have already gotten. Her trust in him isn't misplaced as he moves away from the smoke soon enough. It's only when he reaches her side that he can exhale with any real ease. Should one of her shackles still be fastened to her, he will gently but firmly hold her wrist with one hand to keep it from unnecessary movement and pull the band off with the other hand. His range is still limited by his own cuffs. When she does finally drop from her binding, he's there to pick her up with both hands on one arm and support her upright position by bringing her close to his chest.

He looks her over briefly, deciding that he might have to break his bonds to carry her even if it means he might need to dislocate his thumb to free a hand. He shushes her with concern that fluctuates in his stress lines between his brow. "Save your energy. Our best bet might be to run unless you have an idea." They're at a clear disadvantage but he does assess how he might get the knife back. The two other demons being distracted with the flames' growth is a good and a bad thing. The energy alone around them could almost stifle any living creature's mood and he knows Astaroth is a ticking time bomb. He glances down at Ruby then back to Astaroth. He decides once again to push his powers out to unbalance her. Whatever happens next decides it all. Ruby has a lot of sway with their next move.

Fight or run.

[peaceonearth]

Ruby is always going to be morally grey, but she's also always going to struggle to do the 'right' thing. She often asks herself WWSD (what would Sam do). Of course, even when she figures out what Sam would do, she doesn't always do that; she does what has to be done; she does the things that she doesn't want Sam to have to do. Ruby and Sam can (and should considering Astaroth's emotional and mental torture she put Ruby through) talk about Eileen later.

Thankfully the ceiling of the warehouse is high so the smoke isn't too bad at Sam's height. It will get bad worse. She can definitely use the help getting the manacle off without tearing up her wrist and hand too much. She leans on him once she's free and upright. She can take care of his cuffs when they're free. She'll only need a little blood and the ability to concentrate to use a spell to unlock.

She can force herself to walk to save him any additional pain. She does her own assessment of the situation and shakes her head. "I want to be away from her," she finally says. Yes, Astaroth is a ticking timebomb, and Ruby has no doubt that they'll have to deal with her, but maybe after they regroup. They had other weapons to kill demons now; maybe it was time to let the knife go. They could recover it when they dealt with Astaroth. Ruby looks, and sounds, guilty as well as completely broken when she says 'Let's get out of here."

It's not the first time she's chosen to run in her life. Sometimes surviving means running and she thinks right now, it's the best choice. They help each other get out of the warehouse as quickly as possible while everyone is distracted and the fire is growing. The keys to her car are still in the ignition when they approach. "I can drive," Ruby says. "I should drive." She doesn't think they've got time to get rid of Sam's handcuffs right now.

[weirddreams]

Astaroth had been smart to add an anti witchcraft spell and anti demon sigil to Sam's cuffs because of his reputation and ties. That alone had been strong enough to keep any attempt Ruby or himself made while they're in a rush. He absolutely paused to protest with a questioning glance when she made the call to drive, but she was right. He couldn't drive in his state. He did get in after a moment and helped correct her driving every so often with his hands pulling the steering wheel to straighten. Both of them were in bad shape when the wheels squealed to life.

They manage to ditch the cuffs somewhere a safe distance away but before they reach town. He insists she wait for him while he pays for a motel room. There's not a lot covering her other than his jacket and button down that he offers her before he does inside. It's not that she was naked but it's also that she looks beaten down and worn too. He certainly points out someone might call the cops if they see her. He promises to be right back. He's back in only a few short moments to open her driver side door and help her out of the car comfortably. In fact, he's sure to let her know with his body language that she can choose to rely all on his weight if walking is too much. He looks at her straight. "You've done enough. Let me at least carry you the rest of the way."

Somehow he manages to fiddle with the keys and open the door while supporting her the whole time. He's careful when helping her lie on the bed, aiding her in lifting her legs up on the bed gently. "Don't worry about what's next. I think we're safe here for a while. I'll call Dean." He'll talk to Dean on the other end for a while. Of course he has to calm Dean down a bit to actually explain 'what the hell' happened on his end and get Dean caught up. He's not expecting Dean to call Cas right after and send Cas ahead of himself. He's so worn down that the idea to call Cas slips his mind.

He rejoins Ruby at her bedside. "You should sleep until Dean gets here."

[peaceonearth]

Astaroth is very smart. She wouldn't have gotten far if she weren't. Ruby had been doubtful if she was in any shape to drive, but she had both hands free so she had to try and there wasn't time for discussion. It wouldn't take Astaroth long to get out of the warehouse; they needed to be gone before that happened. At least together they manage to get away safely.

It's a much better decision to have him get the room. They're both beat up, but him less so, plus he's fully clothed even without the jacket and button-down shirt. Most of the time, Ruby would insist that she can walk, but she's beaten down emotionally and mentally as well. She gets out of the car with his help, but when he asks to carry her, she hesitates then nods. Her lips form the words okay, but there's no sound.

"Salt the doors and windows. Astaroth won't hesitate to switch bodies to find me." She closes her eyes as she listens to Sam talk to Dean. She opens her eyes when Sam comes over to the side of the bed. "You know she was hurting you to hurt me. You shouldn't have come. She said you wouldn't."

[weirddreams]

He can support her with his arms without injuring his hand. He understands her hesitation and waits for her to make the decision before scooping her up. Somehow he manages to carry her and unlock the room door, pushing it open with his foot.

He looks over his shoulder to her when she prompts him to salt the windows and doors while talking to Dean. Last he could recall, there was a bag of salt in her vehicle. "One thing at a time," he mouths to her. He would go and return the moment he hung up the phone. He also brought back the first aid kit for the both of them. He started to pull out the gauze and alcohol for wounds. He wraps his hand up first only so that he's more freely able to tend to her. "Yeah, no. If something happened to you, I couldn't live with myself. She doesn't know me as well as you do. What did you believe?"

[peaceonearth]

She tries to assist as well, holding onto him as tightly as she can, though she's definitely weaker right now than she usually is.

She nods, obviously on the defensive, even a little jumpy. She breathes a little sigh of relief once he gets the salt spread in front of the door and along the window sills. "What did Dean say?" she asks, avoiding his question a little. She focuses on his hands when she speaks, not ready to look him in the eye when she answers. "I don't--she had some good points. If...when we get Chuck under control, you could have a normal life with a normal, human wife, like Eileen. Someone who doesn't pull you back into this life because of a past that I'm never going to be able to outrun."