Dead leaves floated throughout the streets of South Dakota, dancing with the cold, bitter autumn wind that stung Dean's eyes. He wrapped the scarf around his neck and walked to his baby, a 1967 Chevy Impala with beautifully sleek curves and a roar that caught attention anywhere she went. Dean gladly hopped in the drivers seat, effectively cutting off the chill of outside by a few degrease. He started the car with a low grumble, and drove out onto the leafy road back to Bobby's house where his family resided. Loud classic rock played from the speakers and he sung along loudly, enjoying the rare moment of peace.
He drove on for another two miles then parked just outside of the house. Shadows from behind curtained windows showed all the people he cared about, drinking and laughing the night away. Dean walked into the warm house, a pack of beer in hand and a small, content smile in place. Dean walked into the kitchen and set the beer on the table. He greeted Jo and Ash, who were talking amongst themselves beside the refrigerator, warmly, as if they were his own siblings. They might as well have been, for they have been together for as long as they all remembered.
"Hey man, thanks for the fuel." Ash said, already drunk but grabbing another bottle for himself. Jo smiled and nodded at Dean and he mirrored her. He headed to the living room where the real party was. His Dad, Bobby, Sam, and Ellen were celebrating Bobby's birthday with stories of the past. Laughter carried on throughout the room like a song and Dean smiled. He grabbed a beer and sat down beside Sam, listening to Ellen as she told everyone of how she caught Bobby at the salon getting a pedicure. Bobby was gruffly begging Ellen to, as he put it, shut her pie-hole. When she had finished, everyone was red in the face from laughter and in Bobby's case, embarrassment.
The night wore on like that and nobody slept until very early the next morning. Bobby, John, and Ellen took up the upstairs bedrooms while Ash and Jo took the downstairs bedrooms. Sam and Dean, being used to sleeping in the living room, did just that. Dean took the couch and Sam took the comfy recliner.
Late the next day, at around 1:00 in the afternoon, the members of the house started to awake. Bobby and Ellen were first and they sat quietly in the kitchen drinking coffee while sporting major headaches. After about an hour later, the rest of the house awoke. Jo wobbled into the kitchen followed by Ash and Dean who each made their own hangover recipes. Sam and John woke next and copied the others, each moaning in despair at their aching heads.
"Well me, Jo and Ash had better get going. We can't keep the customers waiting all day." Ellen said a few hours later, grabbing her coat and scarf. Jo and Ash copied her and they each said their farewells. Once they had left, the Winchesters were the only company Bobby had. "When will you be leaving for Stanford, Sammy?" Dean asked curiously. He and Sam hadn't seen much of each other ever since he had left and to be honest, Dean missed his little brother much of the time. It would often get lonely hunting, and a bit aggravating. John would bark out orders and expect Dean to follow them like a good little soldier, and he would because that was how he was raised. But he often wondered what it would be like if he and Sammy hunted just the two of them. He wouldn't have to follow orders and be treated like a child, but would have freedom and maybe even some fun as he and his brother hunted monsters and saved people. But Sammy was a school boy. He had a girlfriend, an education, a life ahead of him and Dean just couldn't bring himself to drag Sam back into this life.
"I'll be leaving tomorrow. Jess and I have some plans and I have a job interview in two days time." Sam smiled and Dean looked to the table. He thought of how much more Sam did that, smiled. He was so happy and that fact brought a proud smile of his own to his face. Dean looked up and he couldn't find the words to express just how proud of his little brother he was at that moment. Sam understood this as he looked in Dean's eyes. He didn't need to say anything because it was all there, the way he smiled, sat up straight, eyes squinting gleefully, Sam could see the emotions Dean was feeling and that enlightened Sam. Dean had taken care of him as a child, more than their father, and to see how proud and happy Dean was for Sam, almost brought tears to his eyes.
"If you two keep staring into each other's souls like that your gonna make me cry." Bobby said gruffly, as per usual.
"So what are we gonna do today?" John said from his seat beside Bobby. "Well y'all are the party planners, so plan." Bobby said, standing up to go wash off his cup. As he rinsed the cup clean of his coffee, one of his many phones rung loudly, making the still slightly hung over men wince. Bobby picked up the phone that said "friends" on the back. He held it up to his ear and greeted the person on the other end suspiciously. "Bobby Singer speaking."
"Hello Bobby, it's me, Agent Williams. You helped me awhile back with a Wendigo." Bobby thought for a minute before it clicked. "Ah yes, Clint Williams?" Bobby asked.
"Yes sir. I'm calling because as you know I work for the FBI. I have many connections with people in other branches of government that informed me of something suspicious. I have met a few other hunters since I met you and I know that there are a lot more creatures out there than Wendigos. I want to inform you of something that is highly classified at the moment but is very serious. I feel like I owe you this information to help aid you in better protecting you and your loved ones. Could you meet me somewhere private that we can talk?"
The voice on the other end was hushed as if hiding from other passerby or eavesdroppers. It was also rushed, trying to get all the information he could across the phone without looking suspicious and ending up caught. Bobby was taken aback. "Yeah sure. Could you meet me at my place?"
"Yes sir. I still have your card with your address on it. I should be there in a few days." Bobby nodded even though the other couldn't see. "Okay got it. Thanks." He was about to hang up when the voice stopped him. "Bobby, you need to know that some stuff might go down before I can reach you in time. You will here some crazy shit over the next few days and I need you to stay inside. You need to be breathing when I walk through that door, do you understand me?" The voice was of a middle aged man but held power and wisdom beyond his age that startled Bobby. "Um, yeah sure. No going outside, got it. Get here as soon as you can, I guess." And with that the call ended. Bobby thought about all the man had said and looked to expecting faces.
"An old friend just called. He works for the FBI. He said something big is going down in the next few days and to stay low for the mean time." Bobby walked into the living room and took a seat behind his desk. The boys, including John, followed. "So what is it?" Sam asked curiously, falling onto the couch ungracefully. "That's just it, I have no idea. He'll be here before we know it. Just stay indoors and survive whatever it was he was talking about."
The rest of the day was filled with anxiety. Everyone gathered weapons and supplies, enough to supply a war, and waited. Dean and Sam would sit on the table unloading and reloading the guns, Bobby listened for the news on the radio, and John got out every spell book, just in case they needed to recite some old incantations. "Hey idjits. Get over here and listen to this." Bobby yelled. The Winchesters jogged over to Bobby's side and Bobby turned up the volume on his old radio.
This is Sally Roberts reporting live from downtown New York, where it seems a large group of people are chasing and, what is that...oh god they're eating them! Ah, run! From the other side it sounded like static, as if they were running from something. After a minute of the static it became clear again. These people are just biting into whatever person they can! They are fast and the whole world needs to know to stay indoors and be safe! This is Sally Roberts.
"What is this, zombies? Really?" Dean said taking a seat beside Sam who was frantically pulling out his cell phone. "Oh no, I have to warn Jess!" Sam muttered walking to the kitchen for some privacy. He clutched the back of one of the chairs and held his other shaking hand up to his ear. "Hello?"
Jess' voice calmed him and he visibly sagged in relief. "Hey Jess, how are you?" He asked. "I'm fine, I was just on my way to see Brady. Why?" Brady was an old time friend of theirs, he had actually introduced the two love birds. "Jess could you please, please turn around and go back to your dorm room. I need you not to go outside for the next few days. I'm going to come get you and we'll stay at Bobby's house." "Sam is everything okay?" Jess asked, worry clear in her voice now. "No, just listen for the news and don't answer the door for anybody, don't go outside for any reason, at all." "Okay I'm heading back now. Come home soon, okay?" Sam smiled warmly and agreed. "I love you, stay safe." "Okay, you too." The call ended and Sam laid his head heavily in his hands.
"I have to go and get Jess. I'll be back tomorrow." Sam gathered his things, a few weapons, and emergency supplies, and headed for the door. "Hey you can't go out there, especially not alone." John's voice was like steel, hard and clear. The grip he had on Sam's arm was painful but firm, and his eyes pierced Sam's skull like a bite from a viper, freezing him and causing him unable to breath clearly. Dean shoved John's arm away and held a duffle bag of his own. "Which is why I'm going with him. We've faced zombies before Dad, we'll be fine. See you guys tomorrow." Dean said, leading Sam out the door cautiously, looking around for any unwanted strangers. The coast was clear and the brothers ran to the car. Once they were behind the safe doors of the Impala, they finally took a breath of relief. Sam turned on the news station and they headed off.
"Don't worry Sammy, she'll be fine." Dean said reassuringly, but his words were white noise to Sam. All he could think of was Jess not being there for whatever reason. The only thing that could reassure him that she was okay was to see her alive and well. After a day's drive all the way to Stanford, they made it at 2:00 in the morning. Sam bounded up to Jess' dorm room and pounded on the door frantically. After barely waiting a second he burst through the door, effectively cracking the door frame. Jess sat up in her bed, confused and startled. Sam ran up to her and gave her a passionate kiss. He had worried a bit too much but when you're in love, you tend not to think straight.
"Did you pack?" Sam asked, pulling back to glance over the room. Her bags were stacked beside the door. It wasn't much, just a suitcase and book bag which made things easier for them. Dean guarded the door for any disturbed people or any...zombies. To Dean this was all pretty much a joke. Sam had him drive all day and night, without stopping for something that could turn out to be nothing at all, a false alarm.
"Baby, what's going on?" Jess asked standing up, still in her nightclothes. "I'll tell you on the way to Bobby's." Sam said taking her hand into his.
"Hey!" Dean hissed, keeping his voice low but clear. He was standing behind the wall, peeking around the corner at a slow moving figure. Dean signaled with his fingers to prepare himself and Sam obeyed, pulling his gun out and handing Jess a small machete. She looked at it, confused and a bit frightened. Her grip tightened around the handle and her face hardened like a soldier during battle, preparing herself to do whatever must be done.
As the thing walked closer, Dean got a better view of it. It's eyes were blank as it inched through the silent halls. It was a girl with brown hair and a blue tank top with baggy night pants. She looked completely human, except for the large piece of flesh hanging off the bone of her left arm. Dean grimaced and he looked to Sam, mouthing one, two, three. He jumped in front of the girl and Sam led Jess to her bags. They picked up the bags and ran behind Dean, weapons at the ready. The girl jerked her head up at Dean and shrieked. She charged at Dean with her mouth open and her arms out towards him. In one smooth motion, he sliced her head in half vertically, all the way down to her collar bone. The girls body stopped and she dropped to the floor, blood leaking out of her skull. The three turned and made their way to Dean's car, passing a few sick humans who were coughing up blood and writhing on the ground in pain. They got into the car and hastily drove away.
Sam and Jess sat in the backseat and Sam explained what was going on. He told her, hesitantly about the hunting and she froze. "Wait, what are you saying Sam?" Jess asked, looking at Sam suspiciously. Sam gulped and looked to Dean through the mirror. "Me and Dean... hunt monsters. We have our whole lives." Jess stared at Sam. She stared for the next twenty minutes before blurting out, "Okay then." Sam and Dean bore shocked faces and Jess laughed. "Hey I just saw your brother chop a zombie's head in half. No wonder, I mean, it makes sense. In my room you two used these hand signals and Dean didn't even hesitate when he killed that thing. I'm just shocked that you haven't told me anytime sooner." Jess said simply, as if reciting the alphabet. "Sammy, keep her and don't ever let her go." Dean said grinning. Sam smiled warmly and gave her a kiss. "Would you have believed me if I told you before now?" Sam asked. Jess tilted her head and smiled. "Probably not."
"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice." Clint Williams said formally, shaking Bobby's hand firmly. "Thank you for being here. So what's the deal?" It had been a day and a half ever since Sam and Dean brought Jess to Bobby's house. Bobby led Clint into the living room and offered a chair to the old time acquaintance, but he declined politely. Sam and Jess sat together on the couch and Dean leaned against the wall. "As you all probably know, I work for the FBI and I have some information that I feel obligated to share. Consider this repayment for saving me and my son's life from that Wendigo, all those years ago." Clint held up a manila folder and dropped it on Bobby's table. Everyone crowded around it, including John who had previously scoped the perimeter of the house and had only just got back.
Clint opened the folder and laid out a series of photos, some satellite, others from on the streets of major cities. Clint pointed to the satellite photo with small red dots scattered throughout the world. They weren't big, nothing too alarming. "These individual red dots are one person who had been infected by a virus called H7PDE, or in other words, the Atlantic Flu. They call it this because the majority of people with this virus are located around the Atlantic Ocean. This satellite photo was taken approximately four days ago." Clint slid out another satellite photo with large masses of red spread all over the world, the biggest were in major cities and crowded places. "This photo was taken yesterday. This virus is infecting people faster than anything CDC has ever seen. Even the Black Death supposedly didn't spread this fast. SWAT teams and private militaries are being stationed around large government agencies and wealthy business corporations, leaving all the lower corporations to basically handle the problem themselves. CDC are working with scientists to find the "fingerprint" if you will, in the virus, trying to find the origin of the virus while simultaneously trying to make a cure. These are, under normal circumstances, extremely difficult to do under any normal epidemic, but this one is so fast that by the time a cure is found, the whole world will be walking corpses." The room was silent, everyone digesting what Clint had just said. Jess looked at the photos from the streets. One was from a China Town. People tripping over each other as they ran to get away from a crowd of sick looking people. Another was from Florida on the beach. The photographer shot a picture of a man eating into the stomach of a young tanner who looked like she was screaming loudly, obviously in terrible pain. The pictures brought tears to her eyes and she buried her head into the crook of Sam's neck.
John stood up straight and rubbed at his jaw, thinking over the news. Sam held a silently crying Jess in his arms, while staring blankly at the photos. "So you're telling me that the government won't make anything useful until when, approximately? Assuming we all don't die." Dean asked. Clint masked whatever emotion he was feeling at that moment professionally and shrugged. "All I can say is that under normal circumstances, a cure could be created in a matter of days. It's the problem of producing enough of it for a few million or more people in under a few weeks. But this virus, they say, is unlike any other they have ever seen. I don't know all of the details but something about the virus being transferred through blood on blood contact and sexually passed on from one to another makes it difficult to control. There are theories that claim how it all started but they are still only theories at the moment. One leading theory is that a man with a mutation passed it on through sexual contact and then it spreads like that and through blood from then on."
"What so it's like killer herpes? Great! Well how do you know if a person is infected?" Dean said, sitting down on Bobby's chair heavily. Clint shook his head. "They say that the infected display signs of nausea and delusions at first, much like a nasty flu, but after about an hour they get uncontrollably angry and hungry. An experiment was conducted and they found that the subjects can't stop moving either. If strapped down, they will thrash and bite at whatever is close. They also don't seem to be affected by injuries inflicted upon themselves. You can break every bone in their body and they still won't react in the slightest. The only thing that seems to kill them is injuries to the head, or more specifically, the brain."
"Is there anything else that you can tell us about these things?" John asked still examining the photos. "I'm sorry, I wish I knew more, but they don't tell us much these days. I got all of this from my cousin who is one of the leading scientists working on this virus. He can only share so much with me, without risking getting caught. At the moment, most of what I've said is classified information. I hope this information helps you all in the upcoming days ahead. I recommend finding a secure spot to lay low. A bunker or underground shelter stocked with all the necessities would be best. I also recommend you tell all your friends and family. I don't want any more people getting hurt by this thing, but I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone where you got all of this information." Bobby nodded, "Of course. I am grateful for you telling us this, thank you." Bobby shook Clint's hand and led him to the door. Bobby wished the man luck for the next few days and walked back into the quiet room.
Jess had stopped crying and was being embraced by Sam firmly, reassuring her that he was there for her. Dean watched the couple and thought about all of the other clueless families and couples out there who knew nothing of what was really going on. John picked up his gun and went to search the perimeter again and Bobby went to the phones, dialing every number he knew, starting with Ellen. "Hey Ellen, It's Bobby. We got a serious situation on our hands."