Supernatural 1. Kismet Chapter 1 Desperate Measures

**Title**: Kismet Story One In a Town, Called Karma

**Author**: Jeanine Stice

**Summery**: The night after Sam shot Dean at the Asylum, John Winchester calls and they end the episode. This is my postulation as to why John called his boy's so soon after the Home Episode. John needed to tell Dean to help a girl he's come to consider like a daughter to him. An Ex of Dean's who couldn't call Dean for help because of their past history. Can Dean help her friends and save her soul or will he never get a chance to make up for his past sins and show her how much he loves her? Will he be fated to kill his one love after she becomes one of the things he hunts?

**Warning**: This story contains a small bit of drunken domestic violence and graphic descriptions of rape in. Be warned.

**Author's notes**: An Ex of Deans enters the picture that calls John for help. My way of explaining the end of Asylum since I just can't wait till the next damn episode to find out what happened. (As Booth on Bone's would say) I just had to postulate on what had happened. Since it was too soon after the 'home' episode for John to have found the truth I had to find something very important for him to pop his head out of hiding for.

Also in the Asylum Episode Dean mentions that the only thing that made him more nervous then a pissed off spirit was the pissed of spirit of a psycho killer. A nightmare/flashback sequence of Dean's in this story explains what happened in his past to make him nervous about pissed off spirits of psycho killers.

In Episode Windingo Dean mentions the possibility of the creature they are hunting being a 'Black Dog' or a 'Skinwalker' when the only clues they had about the creature was that it moved too fast to be seen and had claws. So in this story I have a Black Dog in a nightmare sequence of Cyn's a full explanation will be forthcoming later on in the stories. It tie's into how Dean and his father meet Cynthia after Sammy leaves for collage and help her with a Black Dog situation.

Last but not least while this is a work in progress I reserve the right to change anything in the story so just be prepared. Enjoy. Please Read and Review! I'm begging you, on my hands and knees!

Kismet

Story One

In a Town Called Karma

Chapter One, Desperate Measures

The night was clear and bright the moon full and high in the star filled sky. In most small towns in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains it was a good night for a stroll or to go star watching. In the large two-story house alone atop of the hill in a town called Karma, the atmosphere was less then calm. A lone young woman paced in the front section of the wrap around porch, a cell phone clutched tightly in her hand.

Finally she stopped mid-pace as though coming to a decision taking a deep breath and dialing her cell phone. Sweeping her long black hair out of her pale face her green eyes burning in the moonlight as she listened to the phone ringing mentally keeping a tally of the number of rings.

"Come on." She muttered to herself, counting off two rings. "Pick up the phone, **please**."

After the third ring it clicked over to a message and for a moment she thought he'd picked up the phone, drawing breath to speak to him.

"This John Winchester, if this is an emergency please call my son Dean…" Those were the last words she registered, echoing teasingly in her head. Dean. My son, Dean. Then she heard the beep that signaled it was beginning to record her message.

"John, it's Cynthia. I know your not available but I'm praying your checking your messages. I need a little consultation as I'm in a bit of a situation. People have died, some friends and I might be in danger but I don't know what is going on. I don't know how to fight it. I-I can't ask Dean this. I can't. Not after…Please, John, call me back if you get this. I need help." She said voice pleading before she hung up the phone walking inside.

She looked out the dinning room window to the beautiful calm night that didn't seem to spread past her windows, like some eerie painting. She looked down at a picture of her with another smiling young girl their arms wrapped around each other, and then glanced down at a picture of the same young girl in the obituary's that announced her death and funeral in three days. It looked like she and her friends might be the one's haunted and hunted this time and the one person that could help her was the **one** person she never wanted to see again. Dean Winchester.

Eighteen Months Ago

West Virginia

Cynthia walked into the hotel barely refraining from slamming the door closed behind her before standing facing the bed hands fisted as she fought to maintain control. One of them had to try and remain levelheaded and after he was done drinking Dean would be anything but. She knew she'd make him angry when she didn't listen to him but she was too worried to.

All she knew was he was getting in over his head and she couldn't just stand by and watch. She'd tried not to follow after, at first sure she was just letting her feelings for him get the best of her. In the end her waiting while he went off to the woods alone to face the ghost of some psycho killer while he hunted down the remains had been too much to ask.

Grabbing her gear she'd gotten on her bike and took off after him. Finding him had been easy, too easy but she was too worried about him to realize the spirit was leading her into a trap. She'd walked right into it almost getting the both of them killed. Dean nearly forced to watch her death at the spirit's hands but for his quick reflexes saving them and destroying the remains.

He hadn't said a word to her as they made their way to the Impala and her bike in the parking lot. He didn't need to say anything one cold seething look had been more then enough. Then he'd parked the Impala in front of the hotel and walked across the street to the bar without a word to her. It was something Dean only did when he was furious, and to her knowledge the alcohol never improved his mood.

She was sitting nervously on the foot of the bed still dressed in her ridding leathers an hour later when Dean came in the door. He slammed the door hard behind himself making her jump slightly as he swayed around to look at her. His eyes were still seething or (she imagined) seething even more then before…if that were possible.

She tried to brace herself uselessly against the coming on slot. She didn't handle Dean's disapproval and ire well that was why she so often avoided it. It was clear now she'd never seen him angrier and never at _her_.

"So, are you going to tell me?" He asked her semi casually.

"Tell you what?" She asked him softly as if it would forestall the sudden impending outburst.

"What the hell you were thinking? Not that there is much point to it, it's pretty clear there wasn't much thinking involved on your part. I'm mean, I knew you weren't a genius Cyn but I didn't know you were truly _stupid_." Dean said sneering at her. She pulled back in her seat feeling almost as if physically struck by the words, brow furrowing as she stood.

"All I was thinking about was **you**!" She said angrily.

"Yeah the same **me** you nearly killed showing up like you did. Nearly getting your own dumb ass killed in the process!" He yelled angrily.

"You want me to say I fucked up? Fine, I fucked up! I'm sorry, it's not like I did it on purpose!" She pleaded in an angry voice.

"Of course not babe, not even you could be _that_ stupid." He said in a cool voice.

"Christ Dean. It's not like you've never made a mistake." She said beginning to get truly angry at his insults.

"I _told_ you **not** to go." He growled angrily.

"But you refused to tell me _why_! You kept the helpful fact that the spirit had a predilection for female victims to yourself." She growled back at him. "We're supposed to be partners damn it fifty-fifty not sixty-forty Dean. You're not allowed to just make choices for me, you're **not** my boss!"

"Like it or not I'm the most experienced of the two of us. If you can't take my orders and follow them then you need to take your bags and leave. Now." He said voice cold.

"What?" She asked pulling back sharply sure she'd misunderstood.

"You heard me, leave." He said in the same cold voice.

"You're kicking me out? Just like that? I thought I meant a little more to you then that!" She cried in shocked disbelief.

"Yes, well, nearly being killed by your stupid mistake was enough of you for a lifetime." He told her voice emotionless and icy.

"I guess I never really knew you, if you can just throw me out like this! Maybe it's a good thing your mother isn't alive to see this." She said without thought, regretting the words almost instantly except for the vicious backhand that knocked her off her feet knocking that regret right out of her head.

Cheek throbbing she climbed to her feet her own face now cold and devoid of emotion. She allowed the thin stream of blood falling down her chin to drip off sure for a moment she saw regret stamped on Dean's face. It just didn't matter to her anymore suddenly and she smiled coldly at him not caring it split her lip open farther and made it bleed more.

"Thank you Dean. Seriously, you have _no_ idea how happy I am that you did that. At least I know **now** what kind of a basterd you are, before I wasted more years on you." She said coolly.

She gabbed up her saddlebags and duffel glad for the first time she never bothered to unpack much as often as they had to move around. After loading up her bike she started it revving up the engine still strangely numb about everything that had just transpired. Dean and his father John had been her life since her parents deaths that and the hunting. She thought she heard Dean calling out to her as she pulled away but she didn't look back to see, just opened up the throttle and vowed not to stop or look back till she was out of town.

Present Day

Karma Cemetery

The whole service was morose and depressing, the worst part of it the open casket. Always the strong one of the girls Cyn had to go up and say their goodbyes for them all, none of the others could make it and one of them had to. Sandy's mother's sobs echoed jarringly threw the large church as she stood looking at the vessel that had once held her friend. It was clear that whatever had made Sandy, _Sandy_, was no longer present and it was heartbreaking to her. Especially since this was the second friend she'd buried in as many weeks.

This had been the town she'd grown up in and most of the girls she'd grown up _with_. Karma Washington, population thirty thousand a place she never spent much time in after she turned eighteen. When she heard about the work needed on her childhood house she went down to oversee it and decided to finish up some of her collage classes at the local University during that time. It and been great to visit and make a few new friends while getting to know old ones again. Until the strange deaths started first Glory dying and then Sandy.

Maria and Kimmie stood with her as they watched Sandy's grave being filled in with dirt and the other mourners left. Finally they turned for their long walk to the cars. All of them thinking about the same thing, it didn't take long for it to come up.

"What if he doesn't call?" Kimmie asked her eyes on the ground ahead of her feet.

"He's never let me down before. He was a father figure for me for years after I lost my parents." She assured her friends privately worried the same thing herself. She saw no need to worry the others with it.

"But you said he was busy." Maria pointed out and Cynthia sighed nodding at her sideways glance.

"Yeah. I know. If he doesn't call then, Dean's the last ditch effort." She said his name coming out on the ghost of a whisper. It didn't matter the girls didn't need to hear his name to know who she was referring to.

"We could always beat the hell out of him, after he saved us of course." Kimmie said brightly.

"That's if John doesn't call, Kimmie." Cyn reminded her.

"How long will you wait?" Maria asked hand going self-consciously to her scarf-covered throat. The thing that killed their friends had attacked Maria the night Cynthia had called John. It came into her home and attacked her just like the others. Leaving a bruise-like handprint on her throat that would apparently finally fade away after her death at his hands. Just like the others.

"If I don't hear from him by dinner…I'll call Dean." She assured her friend not willing to wait longer for their sakes, knowing she was being selfish not calling Dean the night she didn't reach John. No matter how much they hated each other he'd never turn her down if she needed help, not if something supernatural was involved.

They were almost to the near by lot when she saw the car pausing mid step as it caught her eye. Her brow furrowed as she recognized it, registered it was empty and herd Kimmie's playful voice.

"Oh, nice, who're the hottie's over by your car, Cyn?" She said nodding their way. She turned from the familiar Impala and looked over at her Minnie Cooper and blinked her heart stopping at the first sight of him.

"Shit." She said emphatically.

"Well, yeah, they _are_ good looking but come **on**? Who can think about guy's at a time like _this_?" Maria asked in bewilderment. Cynthia put some speed in her steps leaving the girls in the dust with her longer legs. She didn't notice them slowing behind her knowingly, coming to a stop in front of Dean sitting on her car's hood and the younger man leaning on it next to him.

"Dean, what're you doing here?" She asked in mild annoyance as he slid off the hood of her car onto his feet, she _had_ still been holding out on John.

"Dad called. I don't know what you said to the man. He'd been incommunicado for months when he suddenly calls out of the blue and tells us to get down here ASAP he said you were in trouble." Dean said troubled eyes never leaving her his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"Of course, I never talked to him. I left him a message telling him I needed help, said I couldn't ask you. Guess he took it upon himself to ask you for me." She commented ruefully as she looked off into the distance. Normally she'd have thought it was sweet of him like when John tried to intervene when they were fighting in the past but in this instance, she was less then pleased.

"Dad always considered you like a daughter to him." Dean replied softly.

"Obviously," The younger man beside him commented snidely. "When he's been missing for half a year and finally pops up to order us to go help her and refuses to tell us what's going on **or** what he's been up to." The younger man next to him complained angrily.

Then she registered how he was talking about John and the only thing that could mean. It would also explain why he looked familiar; she'd been shown a few pictures of Sammy and had heard Dean and John talk about him.

"Sam, I take it? Nice to finally meet you." She told him offering him her hand assuming at his age he wouldn't want some strange chick referring to him as 'Sammy'.

"Hi, eager to learn how you know so much about my family." Sam said, smiling politely at her as he shook her hand before throwing a glare Dean's way.

"What you mean he didn't tell you? Dean and I dated and hunted together for a year." She explained.

"Cyn, babe, is this what I think it is?" Kimmie asked from a few feet behind her.

"Kimmie, Maria, I'd like you to meet, Sam Winchester. That's his brother, Dean."

"Um, that wouldn't be _Dean_,Dean, would it?" Maria asked from beside her.

"Yes, it **would**." Cyn said meaningfully.

"Speak of the devil, can I geld him for yeah, babe?" Kimmie asked wrapping a comforting arm around Cyn's neck.

"I thought we agreed not to hurt him if he came to help, at least not until after he saved us?" Cyn reminded her chidingly.

"Aw, darn, guess I'll have to wait then." Kimmie said winking playfully at Dean who was smiling at her with a look like he wasn't sure if he should laugh or be offended.

"Yeah, I'd like not to meet our friend the attacker again." Maria said Cynthia looking at her in time to see her cup her throat again.

"Look why don't we get together at my place, where we can talk out of the cold, yes?" Cynthia asked glancing at Sam and Dean who nodded in agreement.

Normally, the drive took folks forty-five minutes in good traffic but Cynthia made it in twenty-five, Dean close behind her. Her friends sitting quietly in the vehicle with her, all of them heavy with there own thoughts. She pulled in next to Maria's white Saturn and Kimmie's BMW electric blue Beetle, Dean pulling in alongside her in the Impala.

Sighing inwardly she let everyone inside hanging up coats by the door before they all sat in the living room. She gathered her thoughts a moment as she decided what she needed to tell them before taking a deep breath and bracing herself. The last two weeks had been hard for her, and the added distraction of Dean being back in the picture was just something she didn't need.

"Three weeks ago our friend Glory called nine, one, one around half past midnight, she'd been attacked by a man who'd suddenly appeared in her home. After investigating and finding no signs of forced entry and no signs of the man the police filed a report and left writing it off as some crazy girl looking for attention. Two nights later she called again, they wouldn't even come this time and the only evidence he'd even been there was a bruise-like marking on her throat. Seventy-two hours later I went to her house when she missed our lunch date and found her upstairs in bed, dead.

"In the next week the pattern continued and my friend Sandy was found dead in her bed. I've buried two friends in as many weeks, and I have no idea what it is. The only clue is the hand print." Cynthia said looking over at Maria who looked down at her feet and pulled off her scarf to reveal her marked throat.

"And I'm next." Maria said softly.

"Not if we can help it." Cynthia assured her.

"Sounds vague. No other clues?" Dean asked her.

"There's nothing I haven't already told you." Cynthia assured them hands up in the air helplessly.

"You can't think of anything to add about your attack?" Sam asked looking at Maria.

"No." She said shaking her head eyes still lowered. "Only that when we say he 'suddenly appears' we do mean that _literally_." She added with a shrug.

"Hey Cyn, babe, you still planning to feed the animals?" Kimmie asked her after a few moments of silence.

"Coarse, Kimmie, wouldn't want you to waste away to nothing, would I?" Cynthia joked standing up. "Food'll be off the grill in about an hour."

About ten minute's later she stood outside keeping an eye on the charcoal starter when she heard the back door in the kitchen open and looked over to see Dean stepping outside and watching her with those intense eyes of his as he walked over. Sighing she fed the charcoal starter more newspaper a little early so she could avoid him for one more moment.

Then she stood and watched the flames shoot out about half a foot from the top rim.

"Cyn." Dean said meaningfully and she looked over at him with cold eyes.

"If this is going to be more comments about my intelligence I think I've heard enough, Dean. We fought, you kicked me out and we went our separate ways. I need help now, and that's **all**. If you want, I'll pay you for the job, but I think you and I should keep our distance." She told him keeping her narrowed gaze on the fire only glancing at him occasionally as she spoke.

"I won't accept any money from you." Dean said sounding offended.

"My money's not good enough for you anymore? Fine Dean. Whatever." She said stuffing more newspaper in the bottom of the charcoal starter.

"That wasn't what I meant." Dean said sounding exasperated and sighing deeply. "I owe you this, if not a hell of a lot more." He told her softly. She looked over at him shrewdly before raising a brow in question. "I'm sorry, I was wrong." He said shrugging helplessly.

"Your sorry…Dean Winchester is _sorry_? Your not going to talk about how I…disobeyed your **orders**and nearly got us killed…or how you backhanded me at the hotel for a snide thoughtless comment made after you repeatedly insulted me and kicked me out on my ass in the middle of the night?" She said scathingly.

"The only words I can think of to say are, I'm sorry Cyn." Dean said looking down.

"Oh, well then, you apologized, so that just makes everything **all** better. It's like it never happened." She mocked him.

"I wish I could, make it so it never happened. That I'd gone for a drive to cool off or done anything but _drink_ before talking to you about what had happened. Nothing I can say or do will take it away, I know that. I just wish it wasn't so. All that I have left is those words. I'm _so _sorry." Dean said voice rough and sincere.

"What do you want?" She asked him voice sounding lifeless.

"What?" Dean asked seeming momentarily confused.

"I asked what you wanted Dean? You said no to money, and we both know you just don't _do_ that. So you want something else. All these tender moments are making me think you're after a **certain** something else. What is it? Got a hard on for the old day's Dean? All you had to do was say so, it's not like I'm in a position to argue, am I? I _do_ after all need your help." She told him coolly.

They look he gave her was completely new, the wide stunned eyes, quirked troubled brows and offended tight lips.

"I would never do that to you…or to anyone." Dean said voice laced with disgust. "Do you really think so little of me?" He asked her.

"Was once a day I would say I knew you like the beat of my own heart, but then I also would've said you'd never lay a hand on me or any woman in anger. Seems I recall a backhand knocking me a few feet to eat carpet that proved me wrong on that night." She told him tossing the hot coals into the barbeque. "Now if you don't mind I have a dinner to cook, seems I have more guest to feed then I originally intended. Though I seem to recall you liking my cooking and unless Sam turned veggie on you he should be happy too." She said spreading the coals out. She half heard a murmured reply and the back door opening and closing as she focused all her attention on the grill and dinner.

The food went quickly as it usually did everyone spreading out with beers after agreeing until this was over they all should stay under the same roof. It was darkly ironic, she had a house big enough _and_ empty enough to room all of her unexpected guests comfortably. Dean and Sam settled onto the office desk Sam on a laptop while Dean navigated on her computer.

Kimmie was being Kimmie and dancing around the living room listening to her mp3 player and getting some cardio aerobics in. By unspoken agreement all of them were keeping mainly to the same floor, Maria over in the reading chair with a book from her overflowing shelves. She sighed when she heard the doorbell ring surprised to have a visitor this late aware of Dean's silent eyes on her as she got up and left the room.

Glancing out the peephole she was surprised to see Sandy's father a medium sized box in his hands. Brow furrowed in confusion she opened her door and greeted the man with a forced smile motioning for him to come inside surprised when he shook his head and motioned for her to take the box from him, automatically doing so.

"Sandy wanted you to have these things. She had a list she made, damn girl was always so practical, and she planned for the worst." He said wiping suddenly runny eyes.

"Tell me about it Jake, you're sure you won't come in?" She asked genuinely concerned for the man she had known since she was a small child.

"No, got to get home to Ginny, she's not taking this well. I try not to leave her alone for long, just wanted to give this to you before she got curious about this stuff and nosed around. Sandy didn't want us mucking threw these things…she's left the clean up to you. Take care of yourself Cynthia you're dearer to our hearts now then you know." Jake said giving her a soft peck on the cheek before turning and leaving the porch to climb in his pickup wave and drive away.

"Well since your standing there, eavesdropping, you might as well make yourself useful and take this box upstairs to my room for me, Dean." She commented casually before turning around and raising a brow at Dean's surprised look that she'd known he was there. "Here." She said thrusting the box into his arms. "I'm sure your eager to nose around my room, just stay away from my underwear drawer." She commented with a pointed look, he avoided with a mischievous grin before following her up the stairs.

She led him silently into her room watching as he took it all in motioning for him to put the box down on her bed. After doing so he moved over to the vanity and began to finger things making her roll her eyes. He was always so hands on, had to get into everything and play (not that it wasn't enjoyable in bed).

"Think there might be anything worthwhile in here?" Dean asked after he was done motioning towards the box.

"Doubtfully but I'll go threw anything that looks interesting." She assured him forcing herself not to think about her and Dean…together. "So you're just going to plan on keeping this up? Being my shadow while you're here?"

"Sorry, old habits die hard, Cyn." Dean replied shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down at his feet.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to do my best not to verbally abuse you every ten minutes. I don't know Dean, it's going to be hard…my head just might explode." She commented airily shrugging regretfully, as close as she would get to apologizing for being a bitch. Dean rolled his eyes but couldn't hold back a small smirk and a chuckle shaking his head.

"Some how I think you'll manage." He replied winking.

tbc


	2. Chapter 2 Past Haunts

See Chapter One for Disclaimers and Warnings.

Chapter Two, Past Haunts

Something was on the car, darker then the pitch-black night around them. It broke threw the windshield and attacked her mother ripping her throat out. Her dad flipped the car trying to get it off and it came to a halt right side up, the creature breaking threw the back window to try and get to Cyn. Then, when it couldn't reach her, hiding on the floor of the car it went after her father while he screamed for her to get out of the car, to run while he tried to fight it.

_Adrenalin rushing she instinctively did as her father ordered turning just in time to see the large over sized black dog yank her father's head at an unnatural angle breaking his neck audibly. She couldn't help the scream that came up and ripped threw her throat like some living thing. The oversized black dog instantly turned towards the noise dropping her father's lifeless body for something clearly more interesting. It was at that moment that the car blew knocking her off her feet and when she rolled onto her back and looked up the black dog was atop her growling at her with gruesome looking fangs covered in her dead parent's blood._

Shooting up in bed Cynthia let out a strangled scream she managed to cut off panting harshly and pulling her legs up to her chest as she rocked herself. She tried to control her breathing hoping she hadn't woken anybody, looking over to the clock to realize she hadn't been asleep long it was only half past midnight. She jumped about a half a foot in the air at the soft knock on her door her bowie knife instinctively finding it's way into her hand.

She sighed deeply rolling her eyes at herself when Dean emerged threw the door in just jeans looking slightly disheveled but completely awake. She stuffed the Bowie back under her pillow and brushed her long hair out of her face motioning for Dean to sit on the foot of her bed.

"You heard." She stated more then asked pulling her legs back up to her chest.

"Yeah. You still have the nightmares?" Dean asked her.

"Sometimes, they come and go." She explained with a shrug.

"Guess it makes sense for them to be on the coming end during something like this." Dean replied.

"Yeah." She replied softly.

Abruptly for no reason what so ever she unexpectedly remembered all the nights she'd spent crying into her pillow because of this man. Sighing inwardly she tried to shake the thought from her head, not needing any reminders as to how much this man next to her had broken her heart. Not right now when she needed him here to help her and her friends. She tried to force the tears back but one slipped passed her control sliding down her cheek until Deans finger caught it and wiped it off.

"That's not because of the nightmare is it, Cyn?" Dean asked in a sad knowing voice.

"No." She said, the single word carrying more of her pain then she'd intended.

"I am eternally sorry that I hurt you, Cyn." Dean said, voice pleading for her to believe him. "Not just that drunken night but every night after that. I should have tried to let you know how sorry I was, how much of a fool I felt, how much I _hate_ myself for what I did and **was** doing to you." He told her voice full of pent up emotion. "It was just that I was so worried about you that night, when I learned the spirit preferred female victims. I knew if I had told you why I wanted you to stay at the hotel you would have fought with me about it and argued…like you always did. So I _ordered_ you, keeping the information to myself. Then when you showed up like you did, it scared the hell out of me. I got my ass kicked and you were nearly killed." Dean said rubbing his hands over his face and up threw his hair.

"All I could think about." He told her in a rough voice. "Was that I nearly lost you, and I kept thinking it was all because _you_ hadn't listened. My fear turned to anger and my concern to stupidity when I added alcohol to the mix. I sent you away because I wanted to protect you and myself. Drunk as I was it all made perfect sense to me at the time. The only thing I will never try and justify about that night…is hitting you. There is no excuse for the way I acted all I can say is that it was only because I love you that I reacted like I did." Dean told her.

"Ironic isn't it?" She said with a sardonic chuckle looking off into space. "The only reason I didn't listen to you that night, the only reason that I followed after you? Was because of my feelings for you. I was too worried about you getting in over your head and losing you. So I guess we both messed up for the same reasons." She said smirking up at him as he pulled her into a hug and gave her forehead a chaste kiss. "But if you ever hit me again I'll kick the crap outta you and you'll never be welcome in my life again. And if you ever, ever make me cry myself to sleep at night for years on end again, I might just not survive." She said voice breaking as the pain of it overwhelmed her again.

She couldn't hold back the tears any more silent sobs shaking her frame completely beyond her control. Dean pulling her to his chest so he could hold her and rock her in his arms. She still fit so comfortably there, felt so right there despite his actions and their time apart. She fell asleep cuddling in his arms under the covers without thought feeling safe and protected from the demons of the real world _and_ sleep.

_The woods were thick and dark the headlamp he'd brought not providing Dean with much light to see the forest around him. He knew his father wouldn't approve of his actions hunting down a psycho killers body in the woods the spirit it's self was haunting, all alone at night. He'd tell Dean to take Cyn and search the place during daylight when it was safer. Only he didn't want to give the spirit a chance to find them tonight and kill Cyn in an effort to stop them from putting him down._

_He knew the general area where the high activity was happening and had a general idea where the folks back in the late nineteen hundreds had thought the man had died. When another girl had gone missing in town when so many mangled corpses of missing girls had been found the town's men had put together a search party to go out into the woods at night. They'd gotten lucky and the girl's painful screams led them to the killer. According to the account in the old paper he'd found they hadn't made it in time to save the girl but had shot the man several times and left him for dead…and the animals._

_Several body's had been found in the woods recently a total of six and half were men who he believed had wondered too far at night and trespassed into what the spirit considered his territory. The girls he believed were the ones the spirit had hunted down purposefully for the enjoyment of it. They had all met the M.O. of the killer when he was alive, young pretty with long hair and no family. Cynthia was a little too much of a fit for Dean's comfort and he didn't want her anywhere near these woods._

_He knew she was upset when he left her, that they would probably fight when he got back. He also knew they would make up soon after that and she'd pamper him if he was injured before they had some great make up sex. He smirked to himself as he walked, that was the best part about their fighting, making up later. Shaking his head at himself Dean forced himself to stop thinking about Cynthia and focus back on what he was doing._

The dowsing rods in his hands still hadn't moved to indicate he'd encountered human remains in the ground under his feet. The light on his forehead barely illuminated the forest around him only his hands and a bit of the ground at his feet. He'd been at it now for an hour and he knew the longer he took the more likely it was Cyn would worry. He had a downhill slope to his left bushes and trees about six feet in front of him the hill to his right continued up about fifteen feet the vale he was near the end of was about thirty feet long and ten feet wide.

_He was just about near the end of the vale and needed to figure out which direction he wanted to go in next. He was about three feet from the end of the vale when he felt a great force lift him up and throw him back about ten feet. He landed on his duffle bag the spare shotgun and flashlights digging unforgivingly into his back along with the shotgun hanging from a strap over his other shoulder. He rolled painfully to his feet shaking his head to try and clear it, when he looked up he saw a man standing over at the end of the vale he'd been approaching._

_The man was wearing old-fashioned cloths from the right period, a cold gleeful look in his eyes as he slowly walked towards Dean. That was when Dean registered the sound of footsteps running towards them threw the woods. Thanks to his father's training he had his shotgun out and leveled on the ghost in half a second pulling the trigger and making him scatter. He turned just as Cynthia ran out of the woods towards him looking slightly flushed flashlight in hand and shotgun over her shoulder._

_Even in the dark of the forest he could see how beautiful she was with tanned skin and chestnut hair that glowed in the sunlight. She had on her black ridding leathers that showed off her hourglass figure and biker boots. Her hair was back and she didn't have a spec of makeup on but she still took his breath away at first sight. He didn't have time to undress her in his mind and caress her skin with his eyes now though, he had to push all that inside and let the anger find its way threw._

"_What are you doing here? Get the hell outta hear Cyn, now!" Dean cried taking hold of her shoulders and shaking her._

"_I can't let you do this alone!" She cried frustration clear in her voice. _

_He opened his mouth to say something, what he wasn't sure but something that would get her to walk or better yet run out of these woods. Suddenly he was thrown back again to the end of the vale right into the bushes at the base of the tree's. He stood up but had to throw himself back down when a large boulder came flying at his head nearly braining him. He still managed to see Cynthia struggling in the spirit's grasp trying to level her shotgun on it when it was ripped from her hand and flew out of sight._

_He couldn't hit the spirit from this distance and moved to push himself to his feet so he could get closer when he felt it. Under his left hand he felt something long hard and smooth grabbing it he lifted it up using his lighter since the light on his head was out. His eyes widened at the sight of the bone and he was up in a flash grabbing the salt and his spare flashlight from his duffle bag._

_He forced himself to ignore the sounds of Cyn fighting with the spirit behind him knowing his and her best chance was to put the ghost down for good. He salted the bones before dousing them in lighter fluid and lighting them up. With one last angry yell Cliff Anders' spirit was put to rest for good the figure Cyn was fighting with crumbling to ash as he turned. All Dean could remember was his shaking hands as he forced himself to look once at Cyn before making for the car, knowing he couldn't talk to her now._

_The drive to the hotel and the bar were all a blur until he stumbled into their room slamming the door behind him. He remembered calling her stupid and kicking her out his alcohol charged brain not thinking straight. He remembered what she said about his mother and the anger he'd felt all night found an outlet slipping past his control and before he'd known what had happened she was picking herself off the hotel room floor._

_It was at that moment he'd sobered up and he saw it again and again in slow motion like a looped tape, the sound of his flesh hitting hers an added detail he hadn't needed. Before he could move she had her bike loaded up and started, he could remember the sound of it sputtering to life drawing him out of his dumbfounded state of shock. He'd run out and called to her before he could think twice about it but she didn't even seem to hear him as she speed down the road and out of his life._

_But as always in this dream that moment of sobriety never came and she never got a chance to get up off that carpet floor. Some uncontrollable raged overtakes him and he's suddenly straddling her fighting form choking her while she tried to pull him off. He always strangles her into unconsciousness in the dream before leaning down and kissing her brushing the hair lovingly out of her face. It's when he starts to cuff her hands together when he begins to pull out of the nightmare recognizing it for just what it was._

Dean woke up to the smell of a home cooked breakfast his stomach rumbling and his bladder telling him sleeping longer was _not_ an option. That was fine with him his dreams were not that bright at the moment. Sitting up in bed gingerly (due to the still healing wounds from the point blank shot of salt rock thanks to his brother) the events of the night before ran threw his mind and his hand absentmindedly caressed Cyn's empty side of the bed. He'd never dreamed he'd be lucky enough to spend the night in bed with her again lack of sex or not.

After a trip to the bathroom, Dean dressed and made his way downstairs to find Sammy and Kimmie already up and eating. He and Cyn shared a meaningful glance before everyone said good morning and he sat down with a plate. After finishing her own plate Cyn went upstairs to wake up Maria for breakfast before it got cold. He was just wolfing down the rest of his breakfast when he heard the scream from upstairs.

"Noooooooo!" Cyn cried out in an agonized voice.

Despite his shorter legs Dean was leading his brother up the stairs and into the spare room Maria had stayed in. They all stopped at the foot of the bed to find Cyn cradling Maria's lifeless body sobbing. Dean and Sammy exchanged a glance clearly concerned that whatever it was could kill under the same roof as them without anything suspect being noticed. Also, it was clearly picking up speed and they needed to kill it before someone else died, like Cyn.

Cyn ran into Dean's arms while Sammy gave Maria a quick once over looking for anything suspicious, making note that the handprint bruise was gone from her throat. Dean led her and Kimmie out of the room and downstairs where they could call the cops and wait while he and Sammy took advantage of being first on the scene to look for clues. After not finding anything telling, he and Sammy agreed they needed to check out the local library to find out about the area's history.

After a brief hesitation the girls reassured them they'd be fine and he and Sammy headed out. They stopped for some coffee and made their way for the stacks. This was Dean's least favorite part of hunting but he wouldn't let it detour him in this case. He had to help Cyn he couldn't allow himself to let her down ever again.

Cyn stood at the door waving at Kimmie as she pulled out onto the road in her car about a half hour after the authority's left with Maria's body. Kimmie wanted to take care of a few things at home and pick up a few necessities until this was all over. So Cyn focused on cleaning, not letting herself fall apart yet she'd have plenty of time later but not yet. Breakfast cleaned up quicker then she'd expected so she started dinner throwing a roast in the oven with some veggies and she slowly made her way upstairs to clean up the room had Maria died in.

Heart in her chest as she walked into the room noticing the little bits of her friend scattered about. Some of her jewelry on the dresser and hair stuff, some makeup and cloths along with her overnight bag scattered about. Cyn's eyes filled with tears and she sucked in a shuddering breath, as she fully absorbed the thought that her friend was truly gone. Maria Santiago was gone, she could never call her on the phone and talk to her again could never see her innocent smile again.

Cyn picked up the pillow Maria had slept on and lifted it to her face inhaling faint traces of vanilla from Maria. Cyn wrapped her arms tightly around the pillow sitting heavily on the bed while she sobbed into it. If only she had just called Dean the night she hadn't been able to get John, Maria might still be alive today. If she'd swallowed her stupid pride and put her past with Dean aside they might've been able to stop this thing before anyone else died.

Guilt weight on her heavily as she sat the sobbing into the pillow that muffled her sobs. Finally Cynthia gathered control of her self, wiping her tear streaked face, she'd have plenty of time to break down later, after they killed this thing. Gathering Maria's things together in her overnight bag Cynthia left it on the dress and went about stripping the bed. She sent the bed sheets down the laundry shoot before deciding she couldn't face the room anymore.

Going to her room she decided the best thing for her would probably a nice long hot shower. She was tired and worn down with all the deaths and her emotional outburst. Brushing her hair out in front of her vanity, she stripped and threw the cloths into the laundry hamper. Turning around for the bathroom Cynthia let out a scream as she found a very attractive equally naked large man standing at attention in front of her (and she wasn't just talking about his posture).

It took her a split second to realize just what was happening and she ducked out of his reach when he moved for her trying to get to the bedroom door. His impossibly strong immovable arm wrapped around her waist and threw her back towards the bed. She barely managed to miss the bed but it cost her, making her trip over the frame painfully.

Rolling she tried to squirm away from him only to have him grab her ankle and yank her back under him. She hissed painfully at the feel of rug burn on her ass and shoulders from that move and punched the guy square in the face only managing to hurt her hand and barely make him flinch. He backhanded her and picked her up around the middle with one arm tossing her onto the bed.

She moved to roll off the bed only to find her self pinned suddenly under the man's hard body, Cyn struggled desperately under him. She lost ground during the fight whimpering when her knees where pinned open and she felt him forcing himself inside of her crying out in soul deep denial. Her mind was fighting against the shock of his invasion not having expected it despite the circumstances.

She could feel him moving inside of her a hand securely over her throat pinning her to the bed while the other caressed her body boldly. It felt like she was pinned that way forever when he suddenly forced her mouth open with his own and she felt a sharp burning tugging inside of her. The fire ripped throughout her nerves feeling something essential giving inside of her painfully.

Then it changed the burning filling her up, overflowing inside of her so hot she couldn't see or feel or sense anything but **it**. Something alien and so cold it burned hot inside of her raping her deeper then any man ever could. She couldn't hear it but she let out an agonized scream filled with anguish before blackness finally claimed her. The last thing she was aware of was the thing withdrawing from her his icy cold hand caressing her face as he whispered in her ear.

"My love."

Cyn woke in the fetal position on her bed freezing cold and feeling ill. It took a moment for what happened to sink in and she ran naked into the bathroom to empty her stomach. Shaken and shaky she stepped into the shower stifling her tears and instincts. She wanted to stay in the shower for hours scrubbing her skin raw and sobbing, but she only allowed herself to clean off quickly while the silent tears slid down her cheeks mingling stubbornly unnoticed with the water.

Dressing in thick jeans and a big baggy sweater Cyn ran downstairs with a diary she'd found in Sandy's box grabbing her phone. She dialed Kimmie her stomach sinking with a sick feeling when first her cell phone and then her home phone just rang on, until the answering machine picked up for the third time in a row. Heart pounding she dialed Dean's cell phone her hand shaking making her grit her teeth in annoyance. She didn't have time to fall apart now she had plenty of time for that later.

"Dean." He said curtly into the phone seeming both pleased an annoyed by this distraction.

"D-Dean." She said stuttering as she tried to speak, shaking her head in frustration. "You guy's need to get to Kimmie's right now. She went home to pick up a few things. He-He came for me Dean, and I think he's going for Kimmie right now. You have to help her." She said forcing the words out as quickly as she could.

"Shit! Sammy! Leave. Now! We are _going_. Cynthia, are you all right? Tell me the truth." Dean asked in a deeply worried voice.

"No, Dean, I'm not alright. They _never_ **told** me, none of them. I didn't know what to expect. Dean, he raped them. He-he raped _me_." She said voice shaking. "Just please hurry." She pleaded.

"Son of a! We will Cyn I swear. I'll be there soon." He promised before she gave him directions and they hung up.

Hands still shaking she hung up the phone as she picked up Sandy's diary flipping to the last pages and starting to read. She didn't know if she should feel angry or sad as she read and her fears were confirmed. Sandy had been raped too, each time. Too ashamed and embarrassed she kept it secret just like the others must have.

Fifteen minutes later she was sitting at her bar with a glass of vodka from the freezer sipping liberally. The phone rang and she dashed for it praying that it wasn't to confirm her fears about Kimmie.

"Dean?" She asked when she picked up the phone.

"No, it's Sam, I'm calling from Kimmie's. You were right but she's okay. Deans continuing up to you while I stay here and drive Kimmie back up." Sam explained to her.

"Alright Sam, thanks. I'll see you soon." She told him before hanging up the phone and going back to her drink. She sat their time slipping by unnoticed as she tried to keep her mind off so many things.

She heard the Impala pulling to a screeching stop and jumped out of her chair to meet Dean. He must have jumped out of the car before it stopped moving as quickly as Dean was up the stairs and in the front door. All she cared about was that he was there and that his arms were wrapped around her keeping her safe again. She pushed back her tears and fears knowing he was going to want to talk to her about what happened.

He led them carefully towards the couch sitting down with her in his lap his arms wrapped safely around her. He sat there for a moment holding her tightly arms shaking from emotion her head tucked under his chin. He just sat there rocking them both for a long quiet moment giving her the support that she need most at the time.

"Are you alright baby?" Dean said hoarsely in her ear. She shook her head into his shoulder unwilling to trust her voice yet as she clutched onto him. "Can you tell me about it?" Dean asked her in an apologetic voice.

"I-I think so." She replied unsurely. "I was upstairs, getting ready to take a shower. I turned around after stripping and he was just a few feet from me, naked. He was strong too, and fast, I tried to fight him off but I think he was just playing with me. Like it was foreplay for him." She said her voice shaky she could feel Dean tensing under her as he listened to her story.

"While he was in…raping me, something happened. It was like he was sucking the life outta me. He had me pinned down to the bed his hand on my throat while he kissed me. Only he wasn't kissing me to kiss me, it was so he could…feed. It felt like a burning tugging inside of me ripping threw my nerves but then it reversed it self and it started to fill me up. It was overwhelming me, I couldn't even feel him on top of me anymore and I started to black out. The last thing I remember is what he said to me, 'my love' before I was out cold." She finished with a shrug looking up at him with tear stained eyes.

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked her with worry filled eyes.

"No. Dean, he raped me in my bed. In _my_ room. I couldn't fight him off. I-I couldn't…I-I tried but I couldn't Dean." She cried finally letting go and sobbing brokenly into his shoulder as he rocked her.

"Well I'd say I felt insulted he skipped the hearts and flowers bit but he's already raped me." Kimmie said later when Cyn had told her what happened. "And the part where that sucking sensation reversed and overwhelmed you? He didn't do that to me, babe." She said shaking her head. She was sitting next to Cyn on the couch sipping on vodka in a pair of gray sweats the only change in Kimmie the cloths, she was still her perky self more or less and Cyn envied her that.

"So your attacks were different?" Sam asked from the table at the laptop he and Dean brought.

"Yep." Kimmie told him. "No decorations of love afterwards and the whole life sucking reversal overwhelming bit, didn't happen with me." She recounted for him with a shrug.

"Hey a timer just went off in here." Dean said poking his head out of the swinging kitchen door.

"Oh! My pot roast!" Cyn said jumping up and running into the kitchen after he poked his head back inside.

"Smells great." Dean said from where he stood at the oven pulling it out.

"Thanks." She said smiling before stopping short.

The same overwhelming burning sensation hit her from before and she sucked in a breath sharply hissing as she did. She doubled over from pain before her feet buckled and she hit the floor hard, hearing Dean cry out her name in alarm. She looked up when she felt him beside her confusion heavy in her eyes as she tried to force words out around the pain.

"Dean, it's happening again. It hurts." She whimpered feeling it flash threw her stronger then before. Awareness was ripped from her and she didn't hear her own agonized scream as she was claimed by the darkness.

**He was standing before her naked and hard again a circle of fire around them, symbols drawn on his flesh in blood. Her hands shook as everything inside her told her to run but there was nowhere for her to run too. And she was keenly and shockingly aware that this was all in her head. This thing that had attacked her and killed two of her friends had formed some kind of mental link with her.**

**There was nothing she could do to save herself, Cyn knew that instinctively, she felt it. She was even more helpless here then she had been in reality fighting the thing off her. Fear burned threw her threatening to send her into a panic that she pushed away by force of will alone. She might be helpless and more or less alone here but panicking wasn't going to help her at all. Cyn could hear John Winchester's voice in her head telling her 'Turn your natural fear and panic of these things, and use it against them. Allow it to fuel your fight, but never to weaken your mind'.**

**The man-like creature didn't say anything to her Cyn didn't hear anything at all, not even the roar from the circle of fire around them. Cyn could feel him though, she feel how much he wanted her, literally burned for her. She could feel he wanted her and intended to have her…that this was all the beginning of something he had planned, just for her. He planned to have her as his and intended to kill everyone she had left around her until he did.**

Cynthia sat up with a scream instantly fighting the person who had their arms around her until she saw it was Dean. He held her and rocked her while she cried into his shoulder trying to shake the feeling of helplessness from her dream out of her mind. Suddenly she felt sick, like she was going to vomit and she moved quickly for the bathroom to get rid of what was left of her lunch.

"Cyn? Tell me what's going on?" Dean asked her as he handed her a cup of water to rinse her mouth out with when she was done. After rinsing her mouth out she moved back to the bed and sat down heavily.

"That thing wants me. I think he's making me like him. He was in my head it was like a dream but wasn't. He intends to kill everyone around me and make me into whatever the hell he is. I felt him sharing it with me…what he feeds off of, that first time here and then in the kitchen it was happening again. Now I feel ill and cold my head is heavy and I feel like I have the worst hangover of my life." She complained laying back down.

She sat back up when she realized she was in her room, back on the same bed she'd been raped on.

"Dean, I can't stay in here." She said getting up off the bed. "I can't even stand the sight of it right now." She said shakily. It was more then that though now, she wasn't even sure if she was going to be able to continue living there in the long run.

"Good thing my room isn't far." Dean said with a smirk giving her a hand to help her trying to hide the fear he was feeling but she could see it in his eyes. Dean led her into his room tucking them into bed together before turning off the lights sighing she cuddled deeply into his arms feelings safe and secure. She felt his hand soothing small circles on her back as she drifted off soothed by the sounds of his heartbeat and breathing.

tbc


	3. Chapter 3 Darkening Dawn

**Personal Authors Note**: Mild to moderate changes have been made to all chapters and I suggest re-reading them. Some refining and additions made and this chapter has probably been reworked the most. Also this chapter is written entirely in Dean's perspective, seeing as it's more difficult for me it was a bit of a personal challenge. Feel free to tell me how I did. See Chapter One for disclaimers and warnings.

Chapter Three, Darkening Dawn

After dawn, Dean figured it was safe to leave Cyn alone to sleep in the room, that or he'd risk waking her with his restlessness. He could remember from her days hunting with he and his father on the road, when he and Cyn had shared a bed, that she was a very light sleeper. When Dean had asked her about it, all she would tell him was that, yes, she had been a light sleeper all her life. There where many nights that he'd woken Cyn from what appeared to be a dead sleep with his constant tossing and turning.

Not wanting to risk waking her now, especially since it wouldn't have the same nice possibilities for fun once awake as it would've in their past, and Cynthia obviously really needed some good solid sleep. So, fidgety, Dean slid into his cloths a little after dawn carrying his boots and socks in hand as he headed quietly out of the room and downstairs. As Dean's nose was tickled by the smell of fresh coffee he scoffed, unsurprised at the sight of his brother with bed hair and a coffee mug in hand, behind his laptop. They shared a silent look nodding before Sam went back to the laptop and Dean headed for the kitchen and coffee.

Snorting in disbelief at the sight of a fresh fruit salad in a covered bowl in the fridge that Sam had apparently thrown together with coffee that morning. The bowl hadn't been there the night before and some of Cyn's fresh fruit was missing, Sam was _such_ a girl, Dean thought to himself with a snicker. He contemplated several disparaging remarks for his brother but decided to keep them to himself since he knew Cyn would enjoy it for breakfast when she woke. Grabbing half a dozen ingredients from the fridge, Dean went about throwing him self a manly omelet together, while drinking some coffee.

After wolfing it down, he joined Sam in the office/library section in the front of the house to join in on the research. After finding out Sam had been up since daybreak and that he'd found nothing yet, they quietly went back to work. They had a variety of different sources to check on the net to see if they could find anything like their guy. Sam had spent the night fruitlessly combing over their dad's diary to see if he ever mentioned hunting anything like this and watching over a sleeping Kimmie, so neither of the girls was alone during the night.

"The girls sure are sleeping late." Sammy commented around twelve thirty.

"You probably would too Sammy, if you'd just had some of your life force sucked outta you." Dean replied sarcastically.

"I can't believe we still haven't found anything. Do you think, maybe we should call dad?" Sam asked looking up at Dean with big inquiring brown eyes that hadn't changed much since Sam was young.

"Right, cause he is so easy to get a hold of lately." Dean replied rolling his eyes at the thought.

"Yeah, but, Dean, he sent us on this one. If Cyn is really that important to him, which you never fully explained by the way. How did she get dad to break his number one rule?" Sam asked Dean in confusion, Dean smiling at the memory.

"He'd picked up on a Black Dog in this little vacation spot in Washington. There had been three different fatalities in the area, two 'wild animal maulings' and one 'car accident' being the most recent. A Black Dog had killed Cyn's parents in that crash, jumped on their car, killing her mom and father in front of her. If another car hadn't driven by when it did and driven off the Black Dog she would have been killed as well." Dean said shaking his head.

"So dad talked to her?" Sam asked and Dean nodded.

"She wasn't in a very good place at the time. She was vocal about it not being a car accident and that something killed them. No one listened but when she talked to us, she was upfront about what all she saw. It was obviously hard for her and she was still really freaked out by it but she made sure to tell us everything.

"Dad and I staked out her place since we knew the Black Dog caught her sent and wouldn't stop until it had killed her." Dean told him laughing to himself as he remembered what had happened shaking his head. "One moment, we were watching her moving some firewood and the next we had these two great big German Shepherds staring us down growling like they wanted to tear out our throats. So long as we didn't move, they wouldn't act like they were going to actually attack, just waiting for Cyn to show up. She called them off and invited us in since we 'insisted on hanging around' the two dogs following her around like shadows." Dean told him.

"Dad got caught by two dogs?" Sammy said with a smile and soft laugh. "How'd he handle that?"

"Well, let's just say, he fell in love with those dogs. Dad told Cyn what was going on, with the Black Dog and when she found out what was happening she offered herself up as bait. It was obvious the Black Dog scared the hell out of her but she wouldn't let that phase her one bit. I never met a braver girl in my life, she'd stared one of those things in the face after it killed both her parents and was almost been killed by it. She knew it was sheer luck that she survived and yet was still willing to go back for more.

"She wanted a shot at it too but most of all she just wanted it dead. So we set it all up and laid in wait for the Black Dog to come for her. Everything seemed to go wrong and Cyn almost died, her dogs distracted it long enough for her to get away, giving their lives. Dad injured fatally it before handing the gun to Cyn and letting her take the kill shot.

"Afterwards, she told us that she planned to find out what she could about the supernatural and hunt evil stuff like we did. Dad tried to talk her out of it, but she was insistent, in the end he felt it was better to keep her with us and train her so she didn't 'get her fool self killed' as he put it too her." Dean said with a smile.

"Wow, I just, I can't believe it." Sam said shaking his head a small smile on his face.

"Believe it, Sammy, those too, they got close in their own way. Dad always thought of her as a daughter, treated her like a part of the family. She got him to open up in a way I had never seen before, got him to laugh and smile again, brought a little life back into the old man." Dean said shaking his head at the memory sadly.

"Cyn and I got close when we were working her case and we just naturally drew closer over time. Dad found out and he told us 'don't let it interfere with your job' and that if we were 'going to act like adults we'd better behave like them to'." Dean told him.

"So dad gave you his blessing. Wow. So what happened? If you guy's got so close how'd you two break up?" Sam asked him and Dean frowned.

"I messed up. Cyn and I had a bad case and we both let our feelings interfere with our work. I got my ass handed to me, and Cyn almost died, I'd tried to do the job myself. Knew Cyn fit the profile for the spirits victims and if she got near the body she'd be a prime target. So I went myself and ordered her behind, surprisingly, she listened…at first." Dean shook his head standing to pace.

"She showed up and the spirit did what I thought it would, more or less zeroed in on her. I destroyed the remains just in the nick of time and when we got back to the hotel I went across the street to the local bar. I got plastered before walking back, a mission in mind. I was breaking it off and things somehow escalated then, both of us doing and saying things we both regretted, no one more so then me." Dean told him.

"So, it ended badly." Sam stated more then asked.

"Bad enough that she wasn't willing to call me for help on this case." Dean told him shaking his head. "I messed up big time, Sam, even dad knew it when we met up the next time and she wasn't there. I could tell she hadn't called him and told him what'd happened, he was surprised at first and asked me where she was. I told him we'd broken up, then he just gave me this look and shook his head sadly, not saying a word."

"These kinds of things happen in relationships, Dean, especially young ones. You can't blame yourself, it takes two people." Sam told him.

"Trust me Sam, that fight was totally on me." Dean told him shaking his head. "What I did to her Sam…I pray dad never finds out."

"Why, what did you do, Dean? It couldn't be _that_ bad." Sam assured him faith for his big brother obvious in his voice.

It crushed Dean, the thought of ruining that faith but he needed Sam to know. He wanted Sam of all people to understand exactly what happened that night between them. Little as Dean liked sharing it, Sam was the one person he would tell, the only person. He and Sam had always been close, that was why his brother leaving for collage had felt like Sam was leaving him.

"I was drunk, which wasn't an excuse. She tried to reason with me at first, but I was too angry to let her. I called her all kinds of names and kicked her out in the middle of the night. Finally she went off eventually telling me that maybe it wasn't a bad thing Mom wasn't here today to see it." Dean told him Sammy's eyes widening in shocked surprise, a small spark of anger behind even Sammy's eyes at the words.

"What'd you do, Dean?" Sammy asked in a small voice, sounding like he might already know and just wanted Dean to tell him he was wrong.

"I was so mad at her it was like a knee jerk reaction, totally devoid of thought. I hit her Sam backhanded her hard enough to knock her off her feet, and Cyn can take a hell of a punch. It was like getting punched myself, seeing the blood on her mouth and knowing I put it there. I sobered up in that instant, but it was like time froze and by the time I snapped back Cyn was outside on her bike gunning it to life. I tried to call out to her but she either didn't hear or didn't care." Dean told Sam eyes down so he wouldn't see the disappointment there in his kid brother's eyes.

"I should've called her endlessly until she would answer or call me back. I should have tried to tell her how sorry I was for everything but I never did. I was too damn cowardly to face up to what I had done. I don't know how she could ever forgive me for the way I acted." Dean said dry washing his face.

"Dean, as far as I can tell, she already has. Cynthia doesn't seem the type to keep a secret buried grudge. If she was still pissed I doubt she would have spent the night in the same bed with you." Sam reminded him.

"Yeah, Sammy, she more or less **said** she's forgiven me. I remember the look in her eyes though, as the blood spilled down her chin from her lip. She smiled at me, **_smiled_** Sammy, and said thanks that she was happy I'd done that. That at least now, she knew what kind of a basterd I was before she wasted any more years on me." Dean said shaking his head as he recalled her burning words (despite the time, and the emotional turmoil and copious amounts of alcohol involved).

"She may have told me she forgave me Sammy, but she will never trust me, not like she did before that night. I know Cyn and I know some small part of her buried deep inside, is never going to be able to forgive me for it." Dean told Sam voice full of self-loathing.

"Obviously the only one who could change your mind about that is upstairs sleeping, so I'll drop it. For now." Sam told Dean serious brown eyes pinning him in warning. "Now, why don't we try calling dad? He sounded really worried on the phone, and like I said he did send us on this case, Dean. I mean, you talked to him too, I don't think I've ever heard him that worried before."

"I have, but yeah, I get your drift dude. Maybe, get he'll back to us or who knows maybe he'll actually **answer** his phone." Dean joked standing and grabbing his cell keying up his dad's number.

Dean wondered out to the front porch remembering from his one trip here with Cyn in the past that cell reception was best there. After his father had agreed to train Cyn he and his father had taken a short break to give her a crash coarse. She'd needed to come home for her parent's funerals and to take care of her house. After finding out that her house, sat atop a hill alone surrounded by forest his dad decided it would be ideal for most of her training.

It had been a pleasant surprise to the two Winchester men training her, what a natural Cyn had been to it. She'd actually taken archery in high school, took track, and had two martial arts under her belt. She was already highly athletic and in the end, it had all been more like a vacation for the three of them then anything. They had all worked hard yes, but they were all doing stuff they genuinely enjoyed doing.

The only dark point had been her parent's funeral, which both men attended to support her at her request. They had gotten a fair share of looks from locals and close family friends but Cyn had either ignored them or brushed them off. She had toughed it out throughout the funeral, wake, and dinner that night making jokes and burying the pain like him. It wasn't until late the night when he'd heard her crying up in her room, he'd ended up spending the night holding her while she cried. Dean would never admit to the fact that his cheeks had been wet too as she cried against him.

It had brought up a lot of buried emotions for him and thinking back Dean was sure it had probably done the same for his dad. He'd never really cried over his mother's death to young to understand the concept well enough. He'd just tried to be tough for his dad and brother, but that night a few tears fell for his mother and Cyn's lost parents. It was the first night of many they'd spend together, at first not doing much more then sleeping, until things eventually progressed. It was the morning after when his dad saw him coming out of Cyn's room that he'd given them his 'talk'.

They had only stayed three weeks at her home but it was the best three weeks of Dean's adult life to date. Waking up mornings to Cyn cooking breakfast in the kitchen and joking with her father, the sound of his laughter sometimes carrying up to his room. It had all felt somehow right to Dean, in a way he hadn't felt since he was a small child and his mother was still alive. When they had finally left Cyn wasn't the only one looking back longingly at the house.

Dean didn't really care that much about the cell reception, it wasn't really why he'd come out on the porch. It was more of an excuse to get some privacy when he left a message to his dad not really expecting to get him to pick up. Then again, Sammy was right about one thing, their father had been worried when he'd called them. The only other time Dean remembered hearing that kind of worry in his voice was when he talked about Sammy alone in the world at Stanford.

Their father really did consider Cyn part of the family, took her on as a surrogate daughter after her parents death. They had quickly found that they could depend on Cyn to watch their backs after her training and that they worked like a well oiled team together. The only time that Cyn and his dad had ever argued was when she had calmly informed them, that she planned to be a hunter like them. His dad had blown up and Cynthia hadn't been surprised, she more or less took it in stride. For every argument his dad came up with she had an equally good counter argument ready, stopping his dad's in their tracks.

She told them that now that she knew what was really out there in the world the best thing for her to do was to learn to protect herself. That meant learning to fight and kill her enemies learning their weaknesses and habits. She told his dad that she hoped he would help her but regardless of whether he did or not, her mind would not be changed. She'd caught Dean a little out of the blue with it all as well, even more surprised when twenty-four hours later his father returned to tell her that he'd train her.

It had been an interesting added element to the relationship Dean had with his father. They had a woman around suddenly who was nurturing, loving, and yet could scold either man with just **one** look. Cyn became another one of his dad's good little soldiers, following his orders and spouting out 'yes, Sir's' in the appropriate places. She did ask more questions then Dean, though unlike Sam she waited until after the hunts, and John seemed more indulgent towards them then.

During their hunts together Cyn had gotten in under John's armor and gotten the man talking again and opening up. He was telling stories about his late wife Dean never heard before and wished Sam had been there to hear. Cyn even got him to laugh and joke around with her and Dean in ways he hadn't since the boys were very little. The years of hunting had worn on him and made him colder and harder but some how Cyn had helped find the man still under all that.

It had all nearly vanished when she had gone, all that work she'd done opening his dad up. She called his dad half a month after vanishing on her bike into the dark night, letting the man who had become her surrogate father know she was okay and sorry for not calling him sooner. Dean remembered it like it was yesterday, glancing over in surprise when his father said his ex-girlfriends name into the phone he'd just answered. A mixed ball of emotions in Dean's stomach and throat while a warm smile spread over his dad's face and he gave a loud chuckle Dean hadn't heard since she'd left.

He remembered his father had talked with her for half an hour about what she was doing now. Cyn had promised to keep in touch with his dad and called him at least once a week if not more. As far as Dean knew the two of them never discussed what happened between her and Dean that night, and Dean was pretty sure his father would've walloped him a good one if he'd found out. Most of the time his dad hadn't been able to help being right in the middle of their fights since they worked together and lived in close quarters most of the time but in this case his dad seemed to believe it was best left between the two of them.

Dean ran a hand threw his hair as he looked out at the bright slightly chilly day outside. It was the wind chill factor that felt below freezing making Dean wished he'd shoved his feet in some socks at least before coming out. He wrapped his free arm around himself and tried to create some friction for warm, knowing that despite how they felt his arms would be taking care of them selves. Counting off one ring, after the cell in his hand connected, then another, Dean mentally preparing a message in his head.

"Dean?" His dad's worried voice coming over the line, live, momentarily stunned him.

"Dad?" Dean replied voice clearly surprised.

"Who were you expecting?" John asked voice sounding almost amused.

"You're voice mail. I didn't think you'd actually pick up." Dean told his father honestly.

"Dean, I've been waiting for your call. This is Cynthia, I've been worried of course I'm going to pick up." John replied voice sounding a little offended.

"Of course, sorry, dad. You've just been hard to reach lately." Dean told him.

"Dean, we don't have time for this right now." John told him in a stern voice.

"Right. Look, dad, Cyn's in trouble." Dean told him bluntly.

"I know Dean, I got the call. Why do you think I sent you boys over there? Now, tell me what going on." His father ordered him.

"Three girl friends of Cyn's have died. They are being attacked, raped and marked by this thing that for all appearances looks like a man. The only clue left is a handprint on the victim's neck, which disappears when they die." Dean told him stopping when his father interrupted.

"And what're they authorities saying?" His dad asked him.

"Police think it's more or less natural causes, doctors still can't even pin down a cause of death. They say it's like the girl's hearts just, suddenly, stopped working. Cyn and her friend Kimmie have been attacked once already, by the pattern, they have two more attacks until they are killed. Accept, Cynthia's attacks are different, she thinks this thing is trying to make her like him." Dean told his father mind churning as he tried to recall if he was forgetting anything. "His pattern is speeding up now as well."

"This isn't good Dean." His dad told him, voice clearly worried. "She's beset by a succubus that wants her as his mate."

"Great, so you know what is, how do we kill it?" Dean asked him feeling a bit of hope.

"You don't understand, Dean, you can't kill it. You can banish it, to keep it from returning to her but then she'd go into a fatal withdrawal from the energy this demon is feeding her. In order to save her it has to die, but the only thing that can kill a succubus is _another_ succubus, Dean." John told him.

"What, how in the hell are we supposed to do that?" Dean asked angrily.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Dean, it's **impossible**. Succubae are territorial, which is why they mark their victims, so the other's will know and will leave them be. They don't fight each other for food though, as far as they are concerned, there is _plenty_ to go around. They have disputes over territory only, rarely do you every hear tell of two succubae actually killing each other." John told him.

"No, there has got to be away to help her, dad." Dean argued.

"I've never run across anything Dean. You know if I had even the smallest of leads I'd be on it. I'd put everything aside until Cynthia was safe and sound. She's been a light in our life's since she entered it, I'm not ready to let her go yet either Dean." His dad told him voice choked with emotion.

"Your talking like she's already gone! It's like you're giving up on her, like your not even going to try!" Dean exclaimed in a heated voice.

"Oh, Dean, I'm so sorry." John told him voice full of sadness. "I wish you didn't have to go threw this."

"So help me, talk to your friends. Someone has to know something dad, they **have** to." Dean told him.

"I'll look into it, of course I will. But if it gets bad there, you'll be doing her a favor, son. You know how Cyn would feel about becoming one of the things she hunts, Dean." His dad told him.

"I know, just, don't say it." Dean begged him.

"It has to be said. If it comes down to it Dean, your going to have to kill Cynthia." His father told him voice dark and ominous.

It was like everything was shutting down inside Dean at the words, like his brain just couldn't compute that bit of information. Sure Dean had killed a lot of things, had imagined killing all sorts of evil to protect Cyn in the job, but this was unthinkable. His very heart and soul where crying out against it in denial, it just couldn't happen this way. Dean had sworn the moment he was sure Cyn was hunting with them that he would do anything to protect her and keep her safe.

That long ago drunken night Dean had thought he was doing just that, protecting her from his family and it's curse. He'd hoped she'd even quit hunting but somewhere inside of him he knew it'd always be a part of her. He wasn't surprised when his dad had filled him in the night she'd called him, saying Cyn was still on the road hunting. They had shared a worried glance at that bit of information, he and his father, until Dean had lowered his eyes from guilt and shame.

Dean wondered now, if he had done things differently, he might not be here now. If he'd never kept himself from calling her or dropping in on her maybe she would have rejoined them. Maybe the succubus would never have seen her or gone after her friends if she hadn't been back at home. How could he know things would go so horribly wrong that night, that they would still be feeling the ripples even now?

tbc ('lovely cliffhanger, don't you thunk? Little bit shorter then I'd like, but it's for the sake of the cliffy', maniacal laughter)


End file.
