Chapter 1

Disclaimer: It's just a little homage to a really cool show; no disrespect intended.

A/N: This wasn't the story I was writing. Really! I was well on my way with a Wee!Chester story when this one wormed its way into my head and insisted on being written. Stay tuned for the story I meant to write, LOL.

oooOOOooo

Change the words
Don't change the meaning
Change the hands
But don't change the healing
Change the tune
Don't change the feeling
Change the heart
But don't change the needing

Whisper to the Wild Water

Lyrics by Máire Brennan, Tim Jarvis and Denis Woods

oooOOOooo

Even though she was sore and she had more aches than she wanted to think about, Kristine Ryan was angry. She was mad at herself for getting into such a stupid situation – she had been brainless and foolhardy. It was just a momentary lapse in judgment, but the repercussions would last for days….at least.

Kristine didn't want to go to the main house, but she was expected. She could cover the bruises on her arms and upper body with clothes, but there was little that she could do about her face. The swelling had gone down, but it had still been painful to put on make-up. She wouldn't have bothered, but she wanted to downplay the injuries and the makeup helped make the bruises look less severe.

"What the hell happened to you?" Ellen Harvelle asked when Kristine came through the back door.

"It looks worse than it is," Kristine said nonchalantly as she poured a cup of coffee, her back to Ellen.

"I saw you for a split second when you walked in, and it looked pretty damn bad."

Kristine steeled herself before turning around.

"Oh my….Kristine!" Ellen made a move to stand up, but Kristine pulled out a chair and sat across the table from her. "What happened? Have you seen a doctor?"

"Nothing's broken."

Ellen shook her head, then looked at Kristine. "Who did that to you?"

"Ellen," Kristine's voice was soft, but firm. "I made a mistake yesterday, okay? We need to leave it at that."

"A mistake? You call this –"

"Please, Ellen?" Kristine asked, her eyes no longer quite meeting Ellen's. "It's all superficial."

"You were in Ashville last night, weren't you?"

"Don't we have some estate business to talk about?" Kristine asked.

Ellen sighed. "Fine."

They went over what they had to, and then Kristine headed off to another appointment. She wasn't particularly forthcoming with information, and Ellen decided not to push. She'd come to the estate not long after her bar, a haven for hunters, burned to the ground. With her home gone and her daughter out who knew where, she'd felt lost. Kristine had asked her to help run the estate that was also a safe house for hunters; her friend and the former manager had died in a vampire attack.

At first, it hadn't felt like a good fit, but Ellen quickly grew to love the estate and liked being able to help hunters in need. She appreciated the trust Kristine had in her, and after a few ground rules had been worked out, the two women did well together.

Ellen was aware of Kristine's past mental issues. She knew that Kristine was on anti-depressants and saw a counselor regularly, but they didn't talk about it much. Kristine had told her about how she had started to cut herself as a teenager after her sister died at the hands of the yellow-eyed demon, and how she'd spent a lot of time in mental hospitals of one kind or another for years. Ellen also knew about the dangerous things she used to do in Asheville when she was in what Kristine referred to as a dark period.

That's what worried Ellen about the bruises on Kristine's face. Had she been engaging in old behavior? And if so, why? Ellen had no idea what warning signs to look for. She knew some of Kristine's friends, and wondered if she should call any of them. Would it be an invasion of Kristine's privacy, or would it be a proactive act that might help nip something in the bud?

She decided to wait for a while and see what the next few days brought. No need to ring alarm bells if this was an isolated incident.

-----

Kristine was a trained counselor and because of her own issues, her supervisor had convinced her to start working with children. She didn't think she'd be very effective, but as it turned out, that had been her niche. At first, she'd worked primarily with teenage girls but her supervisor had gradually added younger children to her client list and now she was the main counselor assigned to children's cases.

Financially, she didn't have to work. Her family had what some referred to as old money, and she could have lived comfortably just on the interest. But that wasn't the way she was raised. Most everyone in her extended family was taught that the money wasn't a right and no one should automatically expect to share in it. Everyone was expected to work in some capacity and philanthropy was encouraged.

Kristine's contribution in that area was different than most, but no less important. She used the estate she'd inherited from her parents to house supernatural hunters in need of rest. The estate provided them with a place to stay for as long as necessary and was a primary point of information, especially after Ellen had joined the ranks. Medical care was available to anyone who needed it, and Kristine made sure anyone who needed psychological help had as much of her time as they needed.

With the help of many hunters, including Bobby Singer and the Winchesters, Kristine had managed to turn the estate into a trusted place. And because it was on the outskirts of a small town, they had all the privacy they needed. Kristine had the ear of local law enforcement as well as government officials all the way up to the governor's office. Some knew the truth about what the estate did, but most just followed orders and kept out of the way. Her family had been in the area for generations, and most of the townspeople thought the estate was just a mental health facility.

After her meeting with Ellen, Kristine drove the 40 miles to the clinic in Ashville. She decided on the way to come up with a story about a mugging and wished she'd done the same thing with Ellen. She wanted to say she didn't know why she hadn't, but in truth, she probably had wanted Ellen to force the truth out of her. On the one hand, Kristine was relieved Ellen had dropped the subject, but she was also a little disappointed.

She only had four appointments, but they weren't until the afternoon and into the early evening. Summer tended to be different, but with kids and school, she had to have a pretty flexible schedule. It normally didn't bother her since she was such a homebody.

It turned out to be a good day. All her clients had made progress in the previous week, and one little girl had even drawn a picture of a beach sunset for her. The 7-year old had been the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a family friend. It had taken Kristine a long time to earn her trust, but it had been worth it. Her parents were extremely responsive, and Kristine spent some time with them after their daughter's appointment.

Kristine knew she should feel better. Her entire day had been a success, but as she walked to her car, her mood fell lower and lower. She sat in the driver's seat with her hands clasped tightly around the wheel. She knew what she should do. She came up with three great options without even thinking very hard.

She could go home and watch a movie alone, or better yet, with Ellen. She could go back inside the clinic and tell her supervisor she needed help. Or, better yet, she could pick up her cell phone and call her therapist. She did none of those things.

Kristine started her car and drove toward one of the clubs she sometimes went to when she was feeling this way. She parked at a lot next to a gas station and went inside to change in the bathroom. She'd gone in wearing jeans and a blouse, but came out wearing a short denim skirt with a tighter blouse. Her loafers were replaced with cowboy boots. After dropping her bag at the car, Kristine walked the block to the club.

It was the kind of place where only members or guests were allowed. Kristine didn't keep her membership up, but she was known and always allowed to go in.

The room was just over 1,000 dimly-lit square feet. There was a bar across from the door with stools in front of it, and tables scattered around. The tables each had a small electric candle on it and a deep red table cloth that looked black from a distance. A dj was stationed in a corner opposite the bar, in front of the wooden dance floor. All kinds of music were played throughout the night, from standard club dance music to country and even the occasional classical selection.

This was the kind of place where anything could happen, but the customers were expected to behave in a certain way. People came here to get picked up, but no was supposed to firmly mean no; unless, of course, someone was living out a rape fantasy. But even that game had very strict rules. There was a limit on the number of drinks a customer was served. No one left drunk. In short, the club was supposed to be a safe haven for engaging in potentially dangerous sexual behavior.

"Hey, Joey," Kristine said when she took a seat at the bar.

The bartender smiled at her and set down a shot of tequila and a beer. "Didn't expect to see you here tonight."

"I wasn't sure myself."

"You feeling okay?" Joey had been working the night before when Kristine got into trouble with a new member. He touched her chin and gently moved her face to get a better look at it. "Quite an expert job with the makeup, little girl."

"I'm all right," she smiled at him.

"You get my message?" he asked, busying himself with wiping down the already spotless section of counter.

"What message?"

He looked at her. "Come to the office with me."

Kristine watched him curiously as he came around the bar. He waited for her at the end, and she swallowed the tequila shot then grabbed the glass of beer and followed him.

Joey Bragoff was one of three owners of the club. He was almost 60-years old, but could easily pass for 50. Joey was protective of all his customers, but some more than others, and Kristine was one of those. As with a lot of things in her life, it had nothing to do with her family status, but because of what she often thought of as her other life. Until 15 years ago, when he lost an arm in a fight, Joey had been a hunter and he knew all about how Kristine's sister died. He'd been the one to contact and help the family after he got wind of a demon attack in the area. His current relationship with Kristine was a coincidence.

Joey was leaning back against his desk when Kristine walked into the office. She glanced around the small, immaculate room before sitting on the couch that was against one wall. "What's going on, Joey?" She felt his stare and took a long swallow of the beer.

"Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor?"

"Seriously? Come on, I'm fine."

"You notice anything about the guy who did that to you?"

"Yeah. His fist hurt."

"Kristy," Joey paused and sighed. "Little girl, he was a vampire."

Kristine stared at him. "What?"

"You heard me."

"You know him?"

Joey shook his head. "He was in here on a guest pass from another member."

"Who is this other member?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Joey, I –"

"I understand the issue, but we still have privacy rules. I gotta protect him like I would anyone else. Besides, he's dead."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Do I look like someone who jokes about things like that?"

"Then why do you have to protect him?"

"It was probably the vampire that killed him. He most likely wasn't involved."

"Any idea what this vampire's story is?"

Joey shook his head. "No. I watched the security tapes, recognized his face. I thought I'd make some calls to see if I can find out who he is, but it occurred to me that your sources might be better."

"You make me a copy of the security footage?"

He nodded and held out a DVD in a simple plastic case. "I know why you come here. I mean, why you usually come here. I know sometimes it's just for a drink and a chance to unwind without prying eyes, but that's not why you've been here the last few nights."

Kristine looked away.

"Go home, Kristy. Do whoever you gotta, but get yourself together."

Kristine thought she should want to cry, but the best she could manage was curiosity about the vampire. She stood up. "Can I use the back door?"

"Of course. Call me if you need help, or when you find something out."

"I will."

"Hey."

Kristine paused at the office door.

"If you're not going to take my advice come back here. Don't go to any of the other clubs, okay?"

Kristine glanced over her shoulder with a small nod, then walked down the hall.

-----

"You okay?" Sam asked as he glanced at Dean. His brother had taken a pretty bad beating the night before while the brothers were trying to dispose of an angry zombie. Sam had gotten him back to their motel room and patched him up before he fell asleep.

Dean groaned loudly as he sat up. "Swell. How long you been awake?"

"A couple of hours."

"You wanna take off after I grab a shower?"

"If you think you can sit in the car."

"I've been hurt worse and still sat in the car." Dean grunted as he stood up.

Sam shook his head as Dean walked past him. He waited until he heard the water running before going back to his computer. Dean was out of the shower 15 minutes later.

"You find us another job?" Dean asked, dressing slowly.

Sam looked at him, trying to evaluate his condition. "There are some possibilities, but I was thinking we could just hang out somewhere for a few days."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Dean. You can barely move well enough to put your pants on."

"So? I'll just hunt naked."

"Yeah, I don't need to see that," Sam said. "Besides, it's winter. You might not like the, uh, look."

"You got somewhere in mind, then?"

"Not really. There's something a few days east of here. Nothing exciting or time sensitive, but we can head that way."

"Fine," Dean said, finally managing to get into his shoes.

The brothers packed up and were out of the room within 15 minutes. Dean insisted on driving, but before they hit the outskirts of town, he'd turned the wheel over to Sam.

When they stopped for lunch a few hours later, it was obvious to Sam that his brother was in a lot of pain. It became even more clear when he only hate half of the burger he'd ordered. Sam knew that Dean wasn't hurt badly enough for a doctor, but he needed more rest than being in the car would allow.

"I think we should stop for the night," Sam said.

Dean looked at him with a mixture of surprise and relief. "It's not even 2:00 in the afternoon."

"Yeah, but that last job took a lot out of both of us. How about we step up the accommodations and stay at a better class of place tonight? A gym with a hot tub? Or an indoor pool?"

"Are you serious?"

Sam shrugged. "Why not? Most of the time we stay in fleabags or we find places to squat. What's wrong with being a little more comfortable for one night? We'll both feel better tomorrow."

Dean seemed to consider it, then he nodded. "Yeah, okay."

-----

It took a little convincing for Sam to get Dean into the hot tub, but it helped that no one else was around. They soaked for a while in a comfortable silence, and Sam noticed Dean looked more relaxed than he had in a long time.

Hunting and destroying supernatural creatures wasn't exactly a paying job. Like most hunters, the Winchesters lived a simple life. The brothers didn't have paying jobs, so they lived off of gambling winnings and credit card fraud. Once in a while they got rewards from grateful victims, but that didn't happen very often.

They almost never stayed in anything other than rundown motels that had seen better days. They stayed under the radar that way and could use a credit card longer than if they spent hundreds of dollars a night. Even the hotel they were in now wasn't overly luxurious, but it was a solid family establishment with a few amenities they weren't used to.

"Feeling better?" Sam asked after the brothers had dried off and were on their way back to their room.

"Yeah, actually. This was a good idea, Sammy."

"All my ideas are good," Sam smiled at him.

"I wouldn't go that far," Dean snorted. "Hey, you wanna really splurge?"

"What do you mean?"

"Room service."

"Dean…."

"Hey, this place was your idea," Dean pointed out.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. Room service."

-----

Two days later, Ellen was still worried about Kristine. The bruises were healing, but her mood didn't seem to be. She hadn't seen much of her young friend since their morning meeting. There weren't any hunters at the estate currently, and Kristine had limited her time at the main house. They'd spoken on the phone at least once a day and even though Kristine sounded cheerful enough, Ellen could tell it was just an act.

Ellen had the authority to handle virtually everything on the estate. Most of the financial things were taken care of automatically in case something ever happened to Kristine, but Ellen had access to an account for emergencies and other things that might come up. There wasn't much that Ellen needed Kristine to take care of, and that had been by design.

That arrangement made it very difficult for Ellen to find some reason to get her to the main house, so she took the chance of going to the cottage at the end of the property. Generations ago it had been housed the estate manager and his family, but Kristine's parents had used it primarily for storage. When her mother died, Kristine cleaned it out and had it remodeled then made it her home.

It was a mile to the cottage on the road through the estate and Ellen often walked, but since it was just over 35 degrees, Ellen took her car. She didn't call ahead, and wasn't sure if Kristine was even home, but she was relieved to see the red Toyota Rav 4 parked near the back door. She drove around to the front of the house where she could see lights burning through the living room window.

Ellen rang the doorbell and it took longer than she thought it should for Kristine to open the door. She was wearing sweat pants and a long-sleeved University of North Carolina t-shirt, and, without makeup, the bruises looked worse than Ellen had expected.

"Is something wrong at the main house?" Kristine asked as she moved aside to let Ellen in.

"No," the older woman said. "I just wanted to see you. You haven't been around much the last couple of days, and I wanted to make sure you were all right."

Kristine seemed somewhat uncomfortable as she glanced around the room. Ellen noticed a bottle of wine on an end table with an empty glass next to it, but she said nothing.

"I'm all right. You want something to drink?"

"No, thanks." Ellen sat down without waiting for an invitation. She heard the slight slur of Kristine's words and wondered how much of the wine she'd had to drink.

"Do we have any guests?" Kristine asked, sitting on the couch.

"No, it's quiet. I got a call from Patch, though. He's bringing a few guys by sometime in the next couple of days." Patch McGill was an old friend of hers who had often hunted with her late husband.

Kristine nodded.

"So, did I interrupt anything?" Ellen asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. She glanced toward the stereo when a new song began. Kristine normally listened to a country and blues, but what was coming from the speakers now was definitely leaning more toward metal. It wasn't entirely out of character, but not her usual choice.

Kristine put a foot up on the coffee table. "We don't have to play this game, Ellen. Really. I know you're worried about me, and I know you came over specifically to check on me. You don't have to try to come up with polite conversation."

Ellen tried to decide if she should be offended by Kristine's words, but it didn't take long to realize she was right. They were too good of friends to hide behind civility. "Yeah, you're right. I was worried about you. And seeing you doesn't make me feel any better. What's going on, Kristine?"

For a few moments, it seemed that Kristine wasn't going to answer. Finally, she looked at Ellen. "Honestly? I'm not sure."

"That doesn't make me feel any better, either."

"I can't say that I blame you."

"Should I be suggesting you talk to your therapist?"

Kristine shrugged. "I have an appointment in a couple of weeks."

"You think it's smart to wait until then?"

Kristine shrugged again. "It's not like before."

"What do you mean?"

"Before, I always knew it was coming. There were specific triggers – anniversaries, for instance. And I felt like I was falling into a dark hole. This isn't the same."

"But that doesn't seem like a reason to ignore what's happening."

"I'm not. Not exactly."

"You're drinking more. And I'm guessing you went to that club."

"I sometimes go there anyway. It's a safe place."

"Is that where you got beat up? That doesn't sound very safe to me."

Kristine looked away for a few moments. When she turned back to Ellen, her face was blank, but her eyes looked sad and afraid. "I was hit by someone who broke the rules."

"You don't have to tell me what happened," Ellen said, intentionally keeping her voice gentle. "But I'll listen if you want to."

Kristine appeared to think about that for a moment before she shook her head. "I don't think so, but thanks."

"I don't know what to do here, Sweetie."

"I appreciate you wanting to do something, but there's nothing to be done. I'll talk to my doctor next week and we'll go from there."

"I don't understand why you're waiting."

"There'd be more reason to worry if I cancel the appointment. I'm not going to do that."

"Are you still going to the club?"

"I haven't been there in a couple of days."

Ellen looked at her, hearing more in her voice than what her words said. "Something else is going on, isn't it? What are you up to?" Kristine didn't answer, and Ellen sighed. "All right. But when it's time to call in the Calvary, do it."

-----

"That could have gone better," Dean said as he tried to catch his breath.

Sam looked at him. He was bent over, hands on his thighs. "Little bit."

"This sucks, man. We get our asses kicked by a zombie and now this? We need a vacation."

"You got your ass kicked by a zombie," Sam corrected. "But this? Yeah, this definitely sucked."

"Damn pissed off ghosts," Dean muttered.

Sam stood straight as the flames in the grave began to burn down. "We got 'em, though. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Mostly."

The brothers stood side by side, and when the flame had finally extinguished, they gathered their supplies and headed for the car.

"Where to?" Sam asked.

Dean slammed the trunk closed once their things were loaded. "Out of town. Pick a direction."

"East."

"Why east?"

"Closest highway goes east-west. I pick east."

Dean shrugged. "Okay. East it is."

-----

Sam fell asleep not long after they got on the highway. Dean never minded when that happened. The Impala was practically the only hone he had growing up, and it was one of the few places of comfort for either the brothers.

Dean drove until he could barely stay awake. He found a motel and parked in front of the office and rented a room, waking Sam when he got back to the car. Sam didn't even ask where they were; he just followed Dean into the room and flopped onto the bed.

"You're not setting the alarm, are you?" he asked as Dean picked up the bedside clock.

"The clerk said we could stay until 2:00 without paying for another night. That's only nine hours from now."

"Set it for 1:59 then."

Dean snorted. "That might be cutting it a little close."

"I don't care," Sam muttered as he rolled over, his back to Dean.

Dean watched him for a few moments, then kicked off his shoes and slipped out of his coat. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.

-----

"Dean!" Sam groaned when he heard his brother's cell phone ring tone. He had no idea what time it was, and he wasn't interested in finding out. When there was no response, he called Dean's name again, then reached for where it sounded like the noise was coming from. "Hello?"

"Sam? I thought I dialed Dean's number."

"Hey, Ellen. Yeah, you did, but I was closer. Hold on." Sam stood up and kicked Dean's bed. When he grunted, Sam dropped the phone on his chest. "Phone for you. It's Ellen."

Sam saw him fumble with the phone, then he staggered toward the bathroom. When he came back, Dean was sitting on the edge of his bed with his phone to his ear. He sat down on his own bed, concerned by Dean's expression and heard him leave a voicemail for Kristine.

"What's going on?" Sam asked when Dean plugged the phone back into the charger.

"We need to go to Mountain Ridge."

"Okay. What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure. Ellen said she's worried about Kristine. She tried to call her cousin in Charlotte, but she's out of the country. She didn't think Kristine would appreciate her calling her aunt in Asheville, and then there's something about vampires."

Sam straightened up. "Vampires? What?"

Dean shook his head. "I don't know. I told Ellen we'd be on the road within the hour."

"Grab a shower. I'll go get our stuff from the car."

"Yeah," he rubbed his face. "Thanks."

With less than five hours of sleep, the brothers were back on the road after a quick stop for coffee and food they could eat in the car.

"Ellen wasn't more specific about the vampires?" Sam asked a little later.

"She wasn't specific about anything. She sounded pretty worried."

"The estate is still safe, isn't it?"

"Yeah. At least I think so," Dean reached for his phone. "I hate that I keep getting Kristine's voicemail. She's probably at work, though."

"Why is Ellen worried about her?'

"She thinks Kristine might not be taking her meds."

"That's not good."

"No kidding," Dean said quietly. He'd been through one of the low points with Kristine, and it was one of the worst things he'd ever been a part of. It had been frightening to see how little regard she'd had for herself. His own low self-esteem had paled in comparison. "I wish we were closer."

"There's no one else Ellen could call? You said she didn't want to call her aunt?"

"Elizabeth," Dean said. "You've met her. She'd come in like a bull in a china shop and have Kristine committed by nightfall."

"I guess," Sam was noncommittal. "Her boss? Her doctor?"

"I don't know, Sam," Dean tried not to sound irritated.

Sam seemed to sense his brother's concern, and he backed down. "We're not that far away. We should be there in about 10 hours."

"That's kinda far," Dean pointed out.

"Just drive," Sam said. 'You want me to call Ellen and see if I can get anything out of her?"

Dean glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Before he could reply, Sam had his phone out.

-----

Kristine had a busy day. In addition to 7 appointments, she had a staff meeting. Despite how she felt when she wasn't at the office, she managed to keep her mind on her job during the work day. She enjoyed her job; always determined to help her clients as much as possible. The staff meeting was a different story, but she managed to get through it.

It was late afternoon before she had time for lunch, and as she walked down the street to her favorite deli, she turned on her cell phone. She saw she'd missed a call from Ellen as well as several from Dean. It wasn't unusual for Dean to call, but she had a feeling that Ellen had called him first. She thought about not listening to the only voicemail message he'd left, but knew she'd only be putting off the inevitable.

"Hey, Darlin', it's Dean. Sam and I just finished up a couple jobs and thought we'd spend some time at the estate. We're on the way, and should be there late tonight. Give me a call, okay? Talk to ya soon."

There were no other messages, and she wondered what Ellen had wanted. After ordering a sandwich and a soft drink at the deli, Kristine sat at one of the tables outside. It wasn't overly warm, but in the sun she was comfortable with a light jacket.

She took a few bites of the sandwich before dialing Dean's number.

"Hey, Kristine," he answered, his voice warm. "You got my message?"

"I did," she confirmed, her Southern accent more pronounced than usual. Kristine had never realized it, but her accent came out more when she was tired, drunk, or trying to hide something. "Where are you?"

"A few hours out, somewhere in Indiana. Is it okay if we come to the estate?"

"Of course it is. You know you never have to ask."

"You got anything going on there?"

Kristine took a sip of her soda. "You talk to Ellen?"

"Briefly. To check in."

"Uh-huh," Kristine didn't believe him. "I've been busy at work this week. In fact, I'm just getting lunch today. I have a couple more appointments this afternoon."

"You goin' out tonight?"

Kristine thought that an odd question, but if he'd talked to Ellen, Dean was no doubt worried about her. "No. I don't have any plans for the weekend. Well, other than spending time with you." She tried to sound inviting, but she was actually concerned about how things would go. Dean wouldn't be as easy to divert as Ellen. "What time do you think you'll be here?"

"Not until after midnight. We'll probably just grab a room in Asheville or something, and come to the estate in the morning."

"That's silly," Kristine told him, because he would expect it. "I'll wait for you at the main house. I know Sam won't want to stay at the cottage, so I'll make sure his room his made up."

"His room?" Dean asked with a laugh.

She could imagine Sam's curious look at his brother. "The room he likes. I know he says it doesn't matter, and it probably doesn't, but there's one room he likes more than the others."

"He'll appreciate it, I'm sure. You don't have to wait up for us, though."

"Don't worry about it. I don't want to cut this short, but I'm starving and I need to get back to the office soon. I'll call you on my way home."

"Okay. Talk to you later."

-----

Dean slipped the phone back into his pocket, then glanced at Sam across the car. "She's hiding something."

"Ellen's right, then?"

"Maybe. So, tell me again," Dean said, even though Sam had already relayed his conversation with Ellen several times. "That guy, Patch, he says he's gotten wind of a vampire nest in Ashville?"

"Yeah. Ellen trusts him. She's known him for years, and he knew Dad, too."

Dean grunted.

"Patch called Ellen – he and a couple friends were on their way to the estate anyway when they got word of vampires. She tried to talk to Kristine about it, but she didn't seem interested."

"That would make sense if she was off her meds. She's not gonna care about much of anything."

Sam didn't respond.

"Of course, knowing Kristine, she could just be up to something. It wouldn't be the first time."

Sam still didn't respond. The last time Ellen had been worried about Kristine, she'd gone off with a vampire on some half-baked plan to find him after Dean had been sent to Hell.

"Damnit!" Dean hit the steering wheel. "What is it with her and vampires?"

"These could be unrelated events, Dean," Sam pointed out.

"I hope so. I think."

-----

Kristine finished her day, wished her supervisor and co-workers a happy weekend, then left the building and headed for her car in a garage down the block. It was after standard business hours, but there were several people moving about on the sidewalk. The air was colder after the sun set, but Kristine found her light jacket to still be warm enough.

The clinic leased parking spots for its employees, and Kristine entered the stairwell to get to the fourth level. She'd sensed someone following her on the street – not in any paranormal way, but in the same way that people could feel that they were being watched. She wasn't surprised to hear footsteps behind her on the stairs.

"Big plans for the weekend?" she heard as she opened the door. Kristine looked over her shoulder as she walked out onto the parking level. "Roger. I didn't realize you were behind me."

"I left right after you did, but was too far away to get your attention on the street," Roger, one of the other counselors at the clinic laughed. "You seem pretty focused."

"Oh, yeah, sorry," she fumbled for words. "I have guests coming this weekend, and I was just thinking about what I still had to get done."

"So, you do have big plans," he laughed. "Well, enjoy."

"Yeah, thanks. What about you?" Kristine asked, forcing politeness.

"The wife and I are going to be doing some remodeling, so we're gonna pack up a couple rooms."

"Oh, fun."

"Yeah," he rolled his eyes. "Loads. Well, see ya on Monday."

"Okay. See ya."

Roger got into his car as Kristine slowly continued to her small SUV. She still felt as if she wasn't alone, but when she looked around, she saw no one. She'd just reached her car when she heard someone call her name.

"Jean-Claude." She turned around to see the pale man step out of the shadows. "It's about time. I've been trying to get a hold of you for days."

"What are days to someone who is immortal?"

"Yeah, well in case you've forgotten, I'm not immortal."

"Would you like to be?" he smiled, earning him a glare. He took a few steps closer. "The bruises are healing, I see."

"You know who did it?" she asked.

He nodded.

"You know, things would be much simpler if you guys really couldn't be photographed."

"Things would be much simpler if you didn't keep going looking for trouble," Jean-Claude rebutted. He didn't wait for a response. "That said, his name is Benjamin, and he's one of mine. He killed the club member whose guest pass he took, and since he didn't feed on the man, he's broken the rules. We don't kill indiscriminately. He'll be dealt with once he's been found."

"Found? He's not in town any more?"

"Not as far as I've been able to determine."

"Why did he go after me? Please tell me it was random."

"That's doubtful. But I won't know that until I've been able to talk to him. There are others here, you know."

"Others?"

"You have a nest in your midst. They aren't mine and they have hunters on their trail already."

"What hunters?"

"Friends of yours."

"The Winchesters?"

"No. Friends of Ellen's is more correct, I suppose."

"Patch."

Jean-Claude nodded. "I don't want to get caught in the cross-fire, which is one reason it took me so long to come to you."

"You could have just called."

"That's so impersonal," he touched her face. "Especially considering our relationship."

"We don't have a relationship," Kristine said, though she didn't move away. "At least not like that."

"We did."

"Jean-Claude…."

He moved his hand away. "As you wish. Would you like to know when I've taken care of Benjamin?"

"Would that require another personal visit?"

"Don't worry, I won't show myself in front of your hunter. I'd hate to get myself staked."

"He's not my hunter," Kristine said quietly.

Jean-Claude looked at her. "You walk a very fine line. You know that, though, don't you?" Kristine said nothing, but she saw the vampire's smile. "That's why you do it. You like the adventure. The danger. And you know exactly what to say to your doctor so he'll prescribe the exact right amount of medication that keeps you from toppling over the line, but not so much as to make you avoid it."

"Are you done?"

"Don't be so disrespectful. I like you, but even I have my limits. I wouldn't push me if I were you." He moved even closer, put his face near her neck and breathed deeply. Kristine stayed still and after a few moments he stood up straight. "I will deal with Benjamin. The other vampires are not my concern. I'll be in touch."

-----

Sam knew that Dean was anxious to get to North Carolina, but he really wanted some food and at least a few minutes out of the car. He glanced across the car and saw his brother's determined expression. With a little subtle maneuvering, he could see the gas gauge; they'd need to stop soon.

Dean pulled up to the gas pumps outside a large store. While he pumped, Sam went inside to use the bathroom and to buy some supplies. He would have preferred eating at a restaurant, even a fast-food place, but he knew Dean wouldn't agree to that. Instead, Sam picked up things from the deli that wouldn't make a mess in the car. He took his time, not that Dean would get the Impala's huge gas tank filled quickly.

Kristine had called Dean on her way home from work as she promised, and the conversation had left Dean even more worried. He didn't really tell Sam much – the conversation had been pretty short, anyway, but Dean knew her well enough to be able to tell when something was wrong. And Sam knew his brother just as well.

Sam had talked to Ellen, and she told him she was going to try to get Kristine to spend the evening at the main house. Her friend, Patch, had finally arrived with his partners, so she thought it would be easy to convince Kristine to come to the house to meet them. She also filled him in on the latest intel from Patch about the nest that he was sure had moved into Asheville. Sam told Dean, who became even more agitated.

After paying for the food, Sam paused at the door to watch his brother. He was leaning back against the car with his phone to his ear. He waited until Dean put the phone away, then made his way outside slowly. "I got you a sandwich."

Dean nodded. "Thanks. Can you watch this? I'm gonna hit the head."

"Sure." He put the bag into the car, and when the gas tank was full he replaced the nozzle and closed the gas cap. He was standing next to the car sipping coffee when Dean got back from inside. "Were you on the phone before?"

Dean gook the offered coffee and nodded. "I called to check in with Kristine. She's been at the main house all night, so I guess she's been out of trouble."

"She say anything about the vampires?"

"I didn't ask. This is going to be an interesting visit."

Sam nodded in agreement. "You want me to drive for a while?"

"I'm okay."

They were back on the road a few minutes later.

-----

Kristine was curled up on a couch in the media room, not really watching the television. The hunters had turned in a couple hours before, and Ellen was in a chair across the room. Kristine had no doubt that Ellen was as disinterested in the movie as she was herself.

She wanted to be annoyed that Ellen had called Dean, even though neither one would admit that she had, but logically she knew she was in way over her head. She'd never intended for Dean to find out about Jean-Claude – it wasn't because she and Dean had an exclusive relationship, because they didn't, but because of how he would feel about her being involved with a vampire. She hoped she could get through the next few days without divulging that piece of information.

She'd thought a lot about what Jean-Claude had said to her about walking a fine line. She really didn't think her therapist was as easily manipulated as Jean-Claude did, but she couldn't help but wonder if there was at least some truth to it. She agreed that she walked a fine line, and she didn't really want to stop doing that.

Even though the media room was close to the center of the first floor, the unmistakable sound of the Impala's engine could be heard as the car drove past the house. There was a small parking area in the front of the house for visitors, but Dean always parked in the back and came in through the kitchen door.

"Sounds like we have visitors," Kristine said with a smile she didn't really feel.

"Maybe it was just the wind," Ellen laughed as she followed Kristine out of the room.

"Hey, guys." Sam and Dean hadn't gotten too far into the house when Kristine and Ellen reached them. She hugged Sam lightly, then moved closer to Dean. After a quick hug and kiss, Dean put his arm around her shoulders.

"You must have been speeding," Ellen said maternally. She hugged them both.

"No more than usual," Sam grinned.

"Well, now that I know you're here safe and sound, I'm going to bed. See you both in the morning."

"I'll walk upstairs with you," Sam said. "Night guys."

Kristine saw the look that passed between the brothers, but like so many of them, she wasn't exactly sure what it said. She forced another smile. "Good night."

Once they were alone, Kristine turned to face Dean. He slipped his arms around her waist. "Hey."

He smiled at her. "Hey."

"You look tired."

Dean touched her cheek. "So do you."

"We sleeping here?"

Kristine shook her head. She took his hand and led him out the back door.

TBC