Missing

A/N - Feedback is always appreciated!

Chapter Three

"Please...please...stop..."

The demon threw another bucket of cold water over me, laughing as I hung there shivering, my eyes squeezed shut and my teeth chattering. "P...p...p...please..."

"Why would I stop?" he taunted, "when I'm having so much fun?"

I couldn't take much more, and I could feel my body starting to give up, knowing that Dean was alive, that he'd been alive for months and hadn't even thought about me, my heart was broken.

Another blast of ice cold water broke me from my thoughts and I coughed and sputtered, scrambling backwards trying to get away from him. But I only ended up swinging back towards him, my toes scraping across the wet concrete floor. The chains dug into my wrists, and I tried to pull myself up in an effort to stop the chains from digging into my wrists further, but I was just too weak, making the chains rub against the already broken skin, and I winced as I felt blood run down my arms.

He laughed as he dropped the bucket to the floor with a loud clang, making me wince, and walked over to a window at the far side of the room. "It' a little stuffy in here, don't you think? Let's get some air in here."

I dropped my head to my chest, my whole body trembling. As soon as he opened the window, I could feel the cold air swirl around me, making my teeth chatter. I closed my eyes, refusing to let him see the tears threatening to spill.

He walked back over to me. "I'll leave you to hang out to dry for a while."

I let out an involuntary sob and he laughed as he walked out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him.

"Hey Ava, It's Bobby. Not heard from you in a while. Call me kid"

Dean listened to Ava's voicemails, a frown on his face.

"It's Bobby. Just checking in. Call me."

"Ava, just let me know you're ok. Call me."

"'sighs' It's Bobby. Call me back."

"Ava, it's about Dean. Call me."

He put down the phone and rubbed his face with his hands. "The last message was left 2 days after I came back." He looked up at Sam. "And ot one message from you Sam. They were all from Bobby."

Sam looked down at the floor. "I didn't..."

Dean stood up and started to pace the room. "No, you didn't, did you? One cal Sam, one call, and I'm betting she would have answered. But you were too busy shacking up with Ruby, a demon, not even thinking about her at all." He sighed and sat back down at the table. "What did we do, Sammy? We were both so caught up in this angel crap. Lilith breaking seals, we didn't even think about her at all."

Sam sat down opposite him. "You're right, I should have called her, and I feel awful that I didn't. We were both messed up, and I was so focused on my own grief, my determination to bring you back that I forgot about her. Left her with Bobby, not even thinking about how she was coping with your death." He slid the file they had found in her belongings over to Dean. "She was tracking some vamps. A small nest by the looks of things."

Dean opened the file and flicked through it. "We need to go back and check out if, and when the vamp activity stopped."

"I'll call Bobby. He might know if any other hunters passed through town at about that time."

"Yeah, thanks Bobby."

Dean raised his brows. "Well?"

"He said he would check it out and call us back." Sam said, placing the photo on the table.

Dean sighed and nodded.

"So, get this," Sam turned the laptop around, "the file she had was wrong. Four bodies with major neck injuries and two missing. I'm guessing the vamps took the missing and either turned them or kept them as their own personal blood banks."

Dean skimmed through the report. "Puncture marks were found all over the body and blood loss was significant but barely any blood found at the scene." He squinted at the screen. "This was all in the same week, and it stopped as quickly as it started. No more bodies, but the investigation into the missing people is still ongoing."

Sam frowned. "She was missing before the third vic was found. There's no mention of any 'FBI' involvement. I'm guessing that the nest moved onto the next town."

Dean stood up. "If the vamps took two people, maybe they took her as well? I know Bobby said demons, but he could be wrong."

Sam shook his head. "They stuck around long enough to kill another two people and take two more. Ava was already missing." He sighed. "I think Bobby's right..."

The sound of his cell phone ringing cut him off, and he picked it up. "Bobby," he put the phone on the table and put it on loud speaker.

"Boys, I checked with some other hunters," he said through the phone, "the vamps ran through two more towns before a couple hunters I know took them down. Ava wasn't with them."

"Damn it," Dean said, before sighing. "So, it's definitely demons."

"Looks like," they heard him shuffle about before speaking again. "I might have a lead. There's talk doing the rounds, about a girl that used to hunt with the Winchester's."

"Where did you hear that?" asked Sam, a little sceptical.

Dean frowned. "I don't care where you heard it from, I just want to know where she is. Bobby, tell me it's something solid."

Bobby sighed. "I'm not sure. From what I've gathered, someone put out the order for her to be taken alive."

"Lilith?"

"That's what I'm thinking," he said, "She's trying to distract you boys while she keeps breaking seals."

"Fuck the seals. And fuck those winged dicks too. They won't help us, so we won't help them. Finding Ava is more important." Dean sighed. "We failed her Bobby. We let this happen and we need to fix this," he said quietly.

Sam shifted in his chair. "We could ask Ruby..."

"No." Dean said, loudly. "We are not asking that demon bitch."

"She could help us..."

"Help us?" Dean said, incredulously, "help like when she got you to use your powers? Help like she did when she got you addicted to demon blood?"

"Dean, he has a point..." Bobby said quietly.

"Are you kidding me? Your agreeing with him?"

"Look," Bobby said, "it's not ideal but we have to think of the big picture here. She might be able to help us track down the demons who took Ava."

He shook his head. "No." He took the phone off the table. "Bobby, keep looking for more leads." He ended the call before Bobby could say anything else.

Sam sighed as he watched his brother pace, his jaw tense. He knew Ruby could help, and if it meant going behind his brother's back to find Ava, then he would do it. "So, what now?"

"We catch ourselves a demon."