Live Free Or Twi-Hard

"Answer your damn phone, you jackass." I muttered, pacing the motel room. Dean hadn't come back. Sirens wailed outside, making the worry grow in my chest even more.

Good thing was the kids were asleep, so I didn't have to come up with something to tell them. I slipped out of the room, heading for Sam's. I slammed my fist into the door.

It opened just a little, enough for me to see only Sam. The lights were out, that much was obvious.

"Is Dean in there? Is he okay?" I asked.

"Dean? No. Haven't seen him." Sam shook his head. "Just me and Millie...you know, hanging out."

"Don't lie to me, Sam. It's almost midnight and he said he'd meet me at the alley two hours ago. Where is he?" I asked.

"I do not know." 

A clattering sound echoed from in the room.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Millie tripped."

"Ugh." I groaned, moving back to my own room. 

I called Dean again and again as I slipped into bed. I lay on my side, phone to my ear as I listened to his voicemail again.

"Hey, baby." 

I flipped around, finding Dean standing in front of the now open window.

"Did you climb through the window? You have the room key." I said, sitting up. "Are you alright? Is everything okay? I told you to charge your phone earlier--"

I flicked on the lamp, noticing how Dean shied away after that. He looked away, eyes flickering shut a few times. 

Dean sat down on the bed, placing a hand on my leg. 

I sat forward, placing a hand on his jaw, brushing my thumb back and forth across the five o'clock shadow he had. "Is everything okay?"

Dean tensed as I drew closer, eyes flickering over me. "I love you, okay? Remember that."

"I love you too." I said. "Dean, what's going on?"

Dean swallowed, standing and crossing the room. He mumbled something under his breath.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing, sweetheart. But I gotta go. There's--" 

"No. Tell me what's going on." I stood, moving toward him. I placing a hand on his chest, feeling his thundering heartbeat under my hand. "Dean, what's happening?"

Then I understood. I understood because I could smell it on him. 

A vampire had gotten to him. 

He wasn't a full vampire yet, but it was coursing through his veins. 

"Listen, Si, I'm gonna die soon. I want you--" Dean began.

"No." I shook my head. "Don't say that. Maybe--Maybe." I placed a hand on each of his arms, just above his elbow.

"Stop it, Si." Dean grabbed my upper arms, lifting me enough to spin me around and pin me to the wall. He leaned closer. "Stop damning yourself to save me."

I blinked, staring into his eyes. 

"You're not scared." Dean whispered, eyes trailing down to my chest, right where my heart was. 

"No. Not of you." I told him. "Never of you."

His eyes moved upward, landing on my neck, right where my pulse was. He leaned closer, lips hovering over mine.

"You know, I always did think vampires were pretty kinky, had to be." I joked quietly, gripping his arms. 

Dean groaned, dropping his head onto my shoulder. For a moment, he was still. Then his lips moved over my collar, up my neck, pausing right over my quickening pulse. Something sharp brushed against my skin. Fangs. 

Dean stepped back then, pulling away from me and tilting his eyes downward. "I'm sorry. I--I--"

"Dean, listen to me." I said. "It's alright."

It wasn't just him fighting against an instinct at the moment. He was a vessel, his body was built to withstand the angelic. I wondered if his blood was similar to monster blood. Now? Now I knew for sure it was similar. He was turning. He was almost a vampire. 

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wanted blood. It was supposed to mend Sorceress and I, it hadn't yet but maybe I just hadn't consumed enough.

It will kill us.

____

"I told you he'd kill me when he showed up." Dean said as he lingered in the dark corner of the room. 

Sam and Samuel walked in, the elder of the two saying we had to prepare to deal with this, that Dean was a monster now.

Did I believe that? No.

"You lied to me, Sam." I said, sitting at the table in front of Dean as the two men before me pulled machetes.

"Did you feed?" Samuel asked. 

"I went to say goodbye to Si. Didn't end the way I wanted, but, you know, she's stubborn so--" Dean began.

"Answer the question." Samuel said. 

Dean turned to face them, eyes cold and glaring. "You can relax. I didn't drink anyone."

Okay, listen, maybe I'm crazy, but he was super hot in the moment.

Maybe I need help.

"Thank God." Samuel sighed.

"But I came close." Dean said.

Which was also surprisingly hot, but I think it's best I don't say that out loud. 

Dean then pulled off his jacket. "Get out, Si."

"Nah." 

"Get out."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Listen, it might not make sense, but it's my turn to tell you to suck it, so..."

Dean gave me a look. "I don't want you to see this."

"I'm not letting them kill you." I insisted. 

"If he insists." Samuel moved closer.

I turned, pulling the knife from my belt. "I'm warning you now, you touch him and I will slit your throat."

"Si." Dean said.

"Shut up, Dean."

"Or I could just turn him back." Samuel offered.

"What?" Dean and I asked in unison.

"What?" Sam also asked, a little behind. 

"I didn't drive all this way to kill you, Dean. I'm here to save you." Samuel stated. 

____

Samuel slid a journal across the table to Dean and I. "That's my grandfather's journal. The cure's an old Campbell recipe, kind of like the soup. No one's tried it since God knows. From what I hear, the stuff is a bad trip."

"Awesome." Dean muttered as I gave his knee a squeeze under the table.

"Hey, the cure is good." Samuel insisted. "But a lot of this is on you. You drink, it won't work. I'm talking one drop of human blood."

"I got it." Dean said. 

"Do you?" Samuel asked. "Because you will feed. It's a matter of time."

"He won't." I insisted. 

"Si, be realistic. I almost drank you an hour ago."

"Okay, well, that's not even true."

"What do we need?" Dean asked. 

"Some stuff we got, some we gotta get." Samuel listed. "Trickiest thing on the list, blood of the fang who turned you."

"That guy was huge." Sam stated.

"Nothing in the recipe about easy." Samuel pointed out.

"I can get it." Dean said, standing.

"That's my man." I smiled. "I believe in you."

"You gonna walk right into the nest?" Samuel asked.  

"Well, I'm one of them, aren't I? So all I gotta do is get in there, get the guy alone and shoot him with so much dead man's blood he'll think he's rushing a furturnity."

"I should come with you." Sam said.

"No. And don't you even think about it." Dean pointed at me before I could saying anything. "Dude, you reek. Si smells pretty good though but in I-want-to-rip-your throat-out kinda way."

"Thank...you...?" I said.

"You're both like a walking hamburger. I gotta do this solo." Dean continued. 

"Okay, except we haven't been able to find them yet." Sam pointed out.

"No problem. I can smell them. They're two miles east of town." Dean grabbed his jacket, slipping it on. "You guys get the other crap and meet me there." He turned to the door.

"Dean." Samuel stood, holding out a syringe. "It's dead man's blood. Now, there's enough there to drop a linebacker and then some. Good luck, son."

Dean took the blood, tucking the needle into his jacket. He walked out of the door. I followed.

"Dean." I called.

He turned, eyes meeting mine.

I slipped my fingers into the belt loops of his jeans, tugging me to me. 

"No, Si, I--" Dean was cut off when I set a hand on the back of his neck and pulled his lips down to mine. He pushed me back against the wall, hands on my hips, fingers pressing into my skin. 

"We'll fix this." I whispered as I pulled back. "Just...Don't--"

"I know. I won't." Dean promised, tracing a knuckle down the side of my neck, stopping at my pulse.