A KILL IS A KILL

Matt, Michael, Xander, Tom, and Chad tore up the Novak estate looking for Dean and had no luck. They checked the pool five different times and every pond that James had on property and they just couldn't find him anywhere.

"So who's going to tell Sam that we lost his brother?" Matt asked.

"Whoa, there Matty boy you and your boy lost him you leave the rest of us out of it." Chad stepped back as if they were diseased.

"Zane isn't going to take it well either." Xander pointed out.

"Yeah, well Zane isn't going to rip our heads off and stuff them up our ass is he?" Michael huffed and paced. "God and we have to tell Bobby."

They looked at each other and shifted nervously.

"I'm getting Randy and Morgan and checking on the outside for any signs." Chad said and ran off.

"The entire perimeter one more time?" Xander asked.

Without another word they headed out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Towers was one of the securest buildings Arandi had ever encountered but of course they didn't know her skill set.

She was on the outside within ten minutes and on the move. She had had to pull in some favors but she had found Dax. She hoped that he had enjoyed his last few days because as soon as she got to him he was a dead man. He was going to die for hurting Dean.

He had been smart enough to leave the city but not smart enough to leave the state so she sat in an empty apartment not too far from his putting on her wig, contacts, and make up, transforming herself into an entirely different woman.

One of her sources had let her know that Dax had called out for a hooker since he was too scared to go out. His apartment under an assumed name, he was sure that he was safe.

He had no clue what was coming to him. She slipped on her bracelet with the hidden garrote and checked herself over one last time.

The outfit didn't leave much to the imagination and nowhere to hide any type of big weapon so hopefully it would be enough to keep Dax feeling safe just until she could get a hold of his fucking neck.

She quickly stepped out of the room and headed to the apartment and rang the doorbell.

She heard the shuffled footsteps of Dax and he barely opened the door.

"Where's Gina?" He asked suspiciously.

"Who the hell is Gina? I'm here to replace Coco." Arandi said in an exaggerated Jersey accent. "You know the one whose wrist you broke."

Dax seemed satisfied with her answer and opened the door wider to let her in. He had a gun in hand and she looked at him with feigned worry.

"Hey dude, gun play and roll play is extra."

"You're a hot one." Dax said licking his lips and running his hands over her ass.

Oh yeah she was going to kill him fast well maybe not too fast because she wanted to whisper in her ear 'this is for Dean Winchester' and see the terror in his eyes for just a minute.

"So you want a drink?" He asked as he walked to the bar. She looked up at the so called art on his walls and replied with a yes.

He slipped something into her drink and Arandi almost laughed since she had caught it so easily.

She turned towards him to say something and froze. The soft clink of breaking glass seemed so very loud and Dax's head did an awful pop sound and blood and brain splattered forward.

Arandi instinctively lunged out of view. Seemed like a lot of people wanted Dax dead and they probably were not too keen on leaving a witness alive.

She scrambled into the bathroom and with a tool she pulled from under a fake patch of skin she quickly unscrewed the vent and got into it and replace the vent from the other side as securely as she could.

She was very glad to be so flexible because the vent was small and she had to move fast and quite.

She made it to another occupied apartment making sure that no one was home and dropped into the bedroom and with years of practice changed her outfit with expert precision. Her boots heels could be reduced in height the top rolled to make them a different color, her skirt was reversible and the shorts she wore underneath became long tights. She peeled off one top and another one lay underneath. She peeled off more fake skin to reveal a fake tattoo and her wig changed to red with a few splashes of water and she quickly changed the style of it.

Satisfied that she looked completely different she stepped into the hall and walked steadily to the stairs, went up two floors and then took the elevator down.

She was out of the building and back in Dallas before the body was even found.

Back in her apartment she paced wondering who had taken out Dax. It had been a pretty fantastic shot since the nearest building that anyone could sit at the same height of his apartment had been over a mile away. An impossible shot only one she could make and she had chosen not to because of the chances of it not going right.

Only one other person that she knew of could make that shot and if he was in Texas at the same time as her then things were just getting more and more interesting.

And why would a deadbeat like Dax even make his radar?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam sped past the gates once he had made it past Morgan and Randy. He wondered why they looked so uptight but didn't ask, he had been away from Dean for hours and he was itching to make sure that he was alright.

He headed towards the medical house and frowned when he saw Matt and Michael outside instead of with Dean the way he had instructed them. He saw Chad rush away and Xander looked as if he was about to hurl.

"What's going on?" He asked roughly ready to rip some new ones.

"Sam we…." Matt began stepping in front of Michael as if to protect him. That was so winning him brownie points.

"Hey guys what'd I miss." Zane appeared out of nowhere looking frazzled.

"Where the hell…" Xander began and got elbowed by Michael.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be watching Dean?" Sam asked as he stepped past them.

"He's not in there." Matt blurted and everyone stiffened up as Sam was suddenly his full intimidating height. He could be the cutest playful puppy you could imagine until you tried to take his bone then he was a savage rabid pit bull.

"Where is he?"

"Is it all possible to get a fucking bacon cheese with extra onion burger around here?" Dean's voice rang out from the balcony of his apartment.

Everyone looked at each in bewilderment but sighed in relief and Sam made a classic bitch face.

"Don't look like that, Sammy, I hate being in a hospital bed and you know it. So Zane can you please flirt a burger out of Ruby for me with fries and the coldest damn beer you can find." With that he walked back into his apartment.

Matt, Michael, and Xander exchanged glances again of the 'what the fuck' since they had searched that apartment at least fifteen times.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean ate the burger slowly.

"Where the hell were you?" Michael whispered hoarsely.

Dean grinned huge. "I really need to retrain you guys because I was hidden in plain sight the whole time."

"That is a load of crap and you know it Dean."

Dean took another bite of burger. "I'm here so leave it at that." Drop it now or suffer my wrath was dripping from every word.

Michael sighed and walked out as Sam walked back into where Dean was propped up against his headboard.

"Dax is dead."

Dean sat up further setting his burger aside. "What the fuck did you do Sam?"

"It wasn't me." Sam huffed and looked guilty because he couldn't hide crap from his big brother for long he added. "He was already dead when I got there."

"Damn it, Sammy, what have I told you about going after people alone."

"He almost killed you I wasn't about to sit back and let the fucker get away with it or try again. You would have done the same if it was the other way around. And you would have gone after him anyway for Arandi wouldn't you?"

Sam had him there so he sat back and crossed his arms. "Who did it then?"

"No clue but it was a kill shot from outside, one that only three people I know could make."

"One of the assassins and it couldn't be Kill Switch because he's been presumed dead."

"Why would a high priced assassin go after Dax?"

"He fucked with the wrong person more than once probably."

"Well, there were two drinks on the bar and a wad of cash where he was shot and one of the drinks was laced. So he had company when he died most likely a hooker that he wanted pliable."

"Fucker couldn't even get laid like a man." Dean growled.

"It's done then he's gone and life goes back to normal."

"I need to see Arandi." Dean replied.

Sam knew not to argue he could see in his eyes the wonder if Arandi would still accept him after what had happened.

"Fine but you are far from ready to move the earth, Romeo."

Dean half smiled. "I just want to see her I swear and just be close to her. Maybe just move a couple of city blocks, if I'm lucky the state."

"Damn that last hit to the head turned you into a complete sap." Sam grinned.

A death glare shot his way.

"Get ready alright." Sam said hurriedly because hurt or not Dean could still hand him his ass.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean was dressed in soft black sports pants and a black t-shirt and his black and while Nike running shoes waiting for Sam to tell him they were ready to go. He knew Sam was running the perimeter and leaving orders for the men while they were gone. So he had to be patient.

He jumped up ready to go when the knock came to the door but he was surprised to see Victoria Novak when he gave the ok to come in.

"Lady V?" Dean asked in surprise. He called her that because she hated to be called Mrs. Novak and he thought it to disrespectable to call her by her first name.

"Dean, I heard you were up and around. I see you're anxious to get to your lady love."

Dean blushed. He had many conversations with Victoria but never about his love life.

"No need to feel embarrassed. I got to know her a little while you were down since I'm still a kick ass nurse."

To that Dean snapped his head up. "She's alright right? She didn't get more hurt than I realized?"

"She's fine Dean a little bruised and sore but she'll be fine once she knows that you're not dead."

Dean felt like he was in a middle of a high school flash back. "Did she say anything about me other than thinking I was dead?"

Victoria chuckled. "She had plenty to gush over you. She's nuts about you."

Dean sighed loudly running his hands over his head as he began to pace. "I killed for her, I killed in front of her. Flat out murdered men to keep her safe. What if after having time to think about it she runs for it?"

"Trust me when I tell you it's going to take a lot more than that to scare Arandi away. You killed in self-defense and they were bad people who would have hurt others. Besides she wasn't exactly cowering in the corner was she?"

"She's a big Xena fan." Dean grinned while he didn't like Arandi putting herself in danger, he did like that she wasn't the girlie girl type either.

Victoria laughed. "Yeah, imagine a chick that won't faint at the sight of a broken nail or cry when she gets a run in her hose. There is a lot left that you will have to learn about each other but it's up to you on how to judge each other."

"Neither one of is God the last time I checked." Dean sighed.

"I like the way you think mister, now get going before one of you flies into the air being wound up so much."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean leaned against Zane as they drove him to the Towers. He felt like a celebrity surrounded by his bodyguards. Zane on one side Xander on the other while Morgan and Chad were up front and Sam sat across from him.

"She would have left if she was upset don't you think?" Sam asked.

"Fixing to find out now ain't I?" Dean let all his Texan hang out.

Sam nodded watched the way Zane seemed so content to have this connection with Dean and couldn't help but notice the glances that Xander shot his way.

They arrived at the Towers and went through all the security before heading up to the tenth floor where Arandi basically had the entire floor to herself with the two guards that had a desk by the elevator and the door to the stairs.

Dean looked exhausted already and worried. He stared at the door to the room as if he was waiting for it to turn into a portal to hell. With a loud sigh he pressed the doorbell and leaned against the doorframe waiting.

Seconds later the door opened and Arandi stood there in black silk pajamas.

Dean felt his heart speed up at the sight and gave her his under the eyelashes look and half smile. "Hey, sweetness."

Arandi let out a squeal of delight and threw herself into his arms and thankfully the wall of Sam was right behind him as Dean laughed and stumbled back a bit. He lifted her off the floor in a tight hug.

"Yeah, I missed you too, baby girl." He whispered into her hair and had to swallow the large lump in his throat. He had more feelings than he could process for this wonderful woman that he barely knew and he wanted this, wanted for her to throw her firm luscious body into his arms every time that she saw him and make him feel as he was the only man on earth that could make her that happy.

Damn, when had turned into a walking romance novel?

"Oh my God, Dean, I was beginning to think that you were dead and they just didn't want to tell me." She breathed into his neck.

"I should have called you but I was a bit scared that you wouldn't answer."

Arandi looked confused and he motioned for them to head into the apartment.

"I wasn't allowed to come out and play unless I brought my goon squad with me." He said rolling his eyes.

"I don't care who's with you as long as you're here." She said her eyes shiny and she got on her toes to kiss him soft but hot."

Dean sighed into her lips. He really didn't think he could miss such a simple thing so much. He pulled back and took her hand to head to her bedroom.

"Just want to talk to her alone guys. I'll even leave the door open dad." He said.

"You guys make yourself at home." Arandi called out.

"Ordering take out what's everyone in the mood for?" Sam asked.

"Thai." Was the collective response from the bedroom.

Sam ordered enough food for a small army even though Morgan and Chad had already headed back to the estate. He was starving and he knew that Zane and Xander at six three could out eat him sometimes and his recovering brother had seemed to have regained his appetite.

He could hear Dean and Arandi talking softly and he smiled. He had been certain that he would have never lived to see the day that his brother fell in love and if he wasn't in love, it sure was the closest damn thing to it.

He saw Zane glancing towards the bedroom and sighing as he got his laptop going getting ready for a long detail. Sam had told both Zane and Xander that he could handle this on his own but they had both insisted that they would feel better staying.

Sam knew that Zane and his unrequited crush on Dean had a lot to do with it and for some reason that crush had gotten more intense in the last few days.

He was beginning to think that Xander was falling for Dean to but didn't show it quite as intensely as Zane because Zane would probably go all territorial on him.

Zane and Xander both looked at him with raised eyebrows when he started laughing because he had just imagined Zane with his hand on his hip wagging his finger in Xander's face and saying. "That's my man bitch."

Xander stood up. "Um I'll go downstairs and wait for the food."

Sam handed him a wad of cash and kept on snickering.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Arandi kissed lazily as they lay on the bed facing each other, in no rush to move beyond that at the moment. They both just needed to feel each other's presence and take it in.

Dean pulled back to look into her gorgeous blue eyes that he could absolutely spend hours getting lost in and he caressed her face loving how she leaned into it and seemed to crave it.

"So I killed those men." He popped off directly getting to the point.

"Yeah, I was there and I know that it wasn't the first time you killed." She replied.

"It doesn't bother you?"

"It's not as if you walked in on a family having dinner and blew them away."

Dean studied her face. "You've been around death before?"

Arandi sighed and shifted her eyes. She had to tell Dean the truth but how did you start that conversation. 'Hi, my real name is Arandi Remington and I'm a hit woman for the Japanese mafia.' Just didn't cut it.

"Whatever it is that you think is going to make me turn on you it won't." Dean offered.

"You can't possibly know that." She whispered.

"Try me."

She locked eyes with him and it was a mistake because she could see all the raw emotion in his emerald eyes and it was too much for her. She had never seen anything even remotely close to that directed at her in her whole life. She hated herself when she began to cry and he pulled her in his arms and held her.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm here when you're ready to bare your soul to me but I'm not going to push it and I'm never going to let you go."

That only made her cry harder.

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks for reading!