Thank you very much for your wonderful reviews. It certainly helps to keep me motivated to update! Enjoy the new chapter, I hope.

Susanne

CHAPTER SEVEN

Five hours after he laid his head on the pillow, Dean Winchester's eyes slammed open. It took a dizzying few seconds to figure out where he was. It seemed a little ironic given his usually nomadic lifestyle to be lost by waking up in the same room more than once. Turning his head to the right, he found Sam still asleep. In the light filtering through the heavy, overdone curtains, Sam looked very young. Looking at him, Dean was reminded of the kid brother that depended on him for everything while they were growing up.

"What do I do now?" Dean asked quietly. Even after the hours of sleep they'd managed so far, Sam appeared tired, his face almost gaunt looking in his exhaustion. Every fibre of Dean's being was telling him to protect his brother, just as he always has. Another, newer part was beating through his body, trying to get him to go look for Nick, even if he had to do it alone. When had the Legacy member become the equivalent of his brother? Dean wasn't sure. But now that it was a reality, there wasn't a lot he could do about it.

"Shut up and let me sleep some more," Sam responded, his eyes still closed. As much as he wanted to jump out of bed and begin the search anew, he knew his body wasn't going to let him. He didn't want Dean to head out alone. All he needed was another hour or two. Hopefully.

"We should start looking again," Dean said as he sat up in bed. It was the last thing he felt like doing at the moment. As much as he hated to admit it, Dean Winchester was getting older. Today he felt every one of his years plus another twenty. More sleep seemed like a wonderful idea.

"Just give me two more hours," Sam murmured as he rolled over onto his side, his back toward his brother. He curled up, drawing his knees close to his stomach.

As much as Dean wanted to get going, he couldn't face forcing his brother out of bed. Sam looked so young and vulnerable at the moment. He needed to let Sam recover a little more before dragging him all over hell again. Sighing, Dean slumped back onto his side of the bed, his right arm coming up to lie across his eyes. Just a little more time, then they'd get back to the search for Nick.

OOOOO

"Get up sleepy heads," Bobby growled as he burst through the bedroom door. It was nearly ten o'clock in the morning. Derek had wanted him to leave the two men sleeping but Bobby had other plans. He should have been surprised to find both Winchesters still sound asleep but somehow he just wasn't. The brothers had been through hell and back and not that long ago.

"Go away," Dean mumbled as he rolled onto his side, the top of his head coming to rest against Sam's back. He'd only been asleep for a few minutes, hadn't he?

"Get up!" Bobby roared. His voice sounded much angrier than he actually was but it had the desired effect. Both Winchesters sat bolt upright in bed, blinking the sleep out of their eyes as they slid their legs out from under the blankets and sat up on either side of the bed. "That's better. Get cleaned up and meet me in the kitchen. We have a busy day ahead of us."

Without waiting for a reply, Bobby turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Now that the brothers were sitting up, he knew they wouldn't go back to bed. If they did, he'd be back.

OOOOO

Feeling a little better after a shower and fresh clothes, the brothers made their way into the kitchen. Walking in the door, they found a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns, ham and orange juice waiting for them. Sitting on the other side of the counter were Bobby and Jacob. Both men were cradling a mug of coffee while they waited. There was a companionable silence hanging between the two men. When had that happened?

"Morning," Sam said as he settled into the nearest chair and dug into the food. While it wasn't his usual breakfast of choice, pancakes, it was the best looking food he'd seen in a while. He hardly came up for air between forkfuls.

"Morning," Bobby responded as he watched Dean sit beside his brother and similarly attack his plate. He didn't bother talking to the older man. He knew time was of the essence. How had he managed to sleep that long? "Once you two are fed, we're heading back into the city. I spent hours yesterday calling all the hunters I have phone numbers for and ones that I had to get the numbers for from other hunters. I got some really good leads to follow up on to find the vampire nest."

"Where are they?" Dean asked around a mouthful of food. While his right hand continued to direct food into his mouth, Dean's other hand caught hold of the map Bobby offered to him and held it in front of him so he could scan it. "We checked two of these yesterday. There was nothing. These other ones look promising though."

"I'm glad you approve," Bobby stated somewhat sarcastically. He glanced up as Andrew came into the room, a syringe in hand. Instantly on guard, Dean turned to see who was there. He considered tackling the man to keep him away from his brother but changed his mind. Andrew was many things but an enemy wasn't one of them.

"You missed your shots yesterday," Andrew said by way of greeting. His social graces were only marginal but he made up for them with his scientific skills. Without waiting for Sam's response, Andrew stepped toward him and jabbed the needle into his right bicep. "You need to make sure you come back before midnight tonight."

"Ow!" Sam yelped as the liquid was squeezed into his muscle. Not only did it burn but it hurt like hell too. It felt like the kid had injected ounces of liquid instead of just a small amount. Instinctively, the youngest Winchester rubbed his right arm with his left hand, casting a recriminating look at the thin man behind and beside him. A momentary urge to beat the man to a pulp played through his mind.

"Sorry. I didn't want you to get away from me again," Andrew stated. There wasn't any apology in his voice, belaying his words. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Sam responded automatically as he turned back to his food. The sooner they finished eating the sooner they could get away from the mad scientist and his needles.

"I doubt that but okay, whatever you say," Andrew responded as he turned to leave. "Just remember to be back by midnight, unless you like the werewolf blood, of course."

"I'll be here," Sam grated as he glanced at his brother. Dean looked ready to rip the man limb from limb. Instead, he too returned his attention back to his food.

"How many cars are we using?" Dean asked as he continued to fork food into his mouth.

"Two. There're still eight places on this list. Most of them are isolated and will take a while to search so we'd be better off if we split up. I hear Nick has a 60's Mustang that's wasting away in the garage," Bobby responded. "You and Sam will take half the list, Jacob and I will take the other half."

"Are you sure you're feeling up to this?" Dean asked the older man. He wanted to ask Sam but knew his kid brother would take the question the wrong way. He wasn't insinuating that Sam was weak or useless. He was just worried about him.

"Don't get me started, idjit," Bobby growled. He'd been examining young Sam out of the corner of his eye and didn't much like what he saw. The kid looked old and tired but he knew there was no way they'd be able to leave him behind without sedating him, heavily. While the idea was appealing in some forms, he knew the kid would never forgive him.

"I've marked a restaurant on your map. We'll meet there at 3 pm to compare notes before we continue. Phone us if anything comes up," Jacob said as he stood up. While he moved, the Frankfurt Legacy member tried to hide just how sore his side was. Broken ribs sucked when you didn't have the time to let them heal. Derrick was all ready out on the streets, trying to run down some of his own leads. He too would meet them at the restaurant.

"Sure thing," Dean responded around yet another mouth full of food. The plate was nearly empty. A quick glance at his brother showed that he too was nearly done. Wolfing down food wasn't going to help the digestion. Dean knew he'd need to stop and eat something else before too long but at least this would get them off the island.

OOOOO

The first place was creepy as hell but didn't yield a vampire nest. The second place too was a dud. By three o'clock the Winchester brothers were starting to feel a little dispirited. Silently following his brother's laconic directions, Dean steered the Impala through the streets of San Francisco. In all the years of hunting, there hadn't been many times that Dean had come to the city. If he were a different person, he might have wanted to spend some time doing the tourist thing. But, this was Dean Winchester. The only thing he was interested in was finding the vampires and killing each and every one of them.

Just as Dean pulled up out front of the restaurant, a red '60's Mustang convertible came down the other side of the street. While he admired the two door power car, Dean was mildly surprised to find that at the wheel was Bobby. The older hunter had a rare grin on his face. Clearly he was enjoying driving Nick's car.

"He looks happy," Sam stated as he climbed out the passenger door. There was almost a spring in the older hunter's step as he jaywalked across the street, followed shortly by Jacob.

"I wonder what he's been smoking," Dean responded. He stepped around onto the sidewalk to await the two older men. It was a rare thing seeing Bobby in a good mood. He almost found it a little on the creepy side.

OOOOO

Situated in a large table by the front window, the four paranormal hunters compared notes after having ordered their meals. Dean, of course, ordered a loaded cheeseburger with fries. Sam had gone for a fancy salad which elicited a snicker from his older brother. Bobby stuck to a hamburger as well, while Jacob went for a pasta dish.

"We've covered the two closest ones without any luck," Dean stated after the waitress left. She'd filled all four mugs with steaming hot coffee after taking their food orders. Wrapping his hands around the ceramic vessel, Sam relished the heat for a few moments before taking a long, healthy swig. During the last search he'd started to feel a little weak. He hoped desperately the strong liquid would help to revive him. They still had two more places to look at.

"Were you taking a coffee break or two?" Bobby responded. "We've searched all the places on our list. Give us one of yours and we'll all be able to get back to the island at a decent time."

Sam nearly choked on the coffee. It almost sounded like the older hunter was looking forward to returning to the Legacy house. He looked over the rim of his mug before he set it down and scanned the older man's face. For the first time since John Winchester died, Bobby looked almost happy. It was unsettling to see. One of the few constants in the Winchester's lives was that Bobby was in a perpetual bad mood.

"Whatever you say," Dean said as he ripped the bottom address off his list and handed it over. "Knock yourself out."

The door to the restaurant opened and Derek stepped inside. Locating the others, he headed for the table and sat in the nearest chair. A great deal of time was spent catching up. By then their meals were coming out of the kitchen. All Derek wanted was a cup of coffee, which he'd promptly received from the waitress.

"So now there's four places left to search," Dean summarized. His burger was wonderful, as most of them were. He glanced from Derek to Sam. His kid brother was playing with his salad. From the looks of things he'd eaten only a few bites. Frowning, he nudged Sam and nodded toward his food. Dragging his eyes away from the lettuce and vegetables, Sam picked up on what Dean was trying to tell him. With a deep sigh, the youngest Winchester forced a forkful of salad into his mouth.

"Yes," Derek responded. He was pouring over Bobby's map, figuring out where the locations were.

"That leaves two each," Bobby said as he handed Dean back his ripped piece of paper. Let the boys deal with that one at least they knew where the hell it was.

"Do you want to ride with us?" Jacob asked Derek. He could see that the older man was feeling a little left out but there was no way in hell that he was going to let the San Francisco house precept go searching alone. The image of Derek trying to climb into the back seat of the Mustang almost made him smile.

"Thanks but I have a few more people to talk to," Derek responded. He looked around at the men at the table. If anyone could find Nick, it would be them. "Let's get going."

OOOOO

The first thing Nick became aware of was that he was in incredible pain. The second thing that presented itself was that he had a really foul taste in his mouth. Tremors of revulsion passed through his entire body. It only made the pain that much worse. Unconsciously gritting his teeth, the ex-SEAL forced his eyes open. He expected to find darkness the same as he'd found the last two times. Instead, Nick blinked in the bright light. A few feet away a gas lantern burned brightly.

"About time you woke up," Marcus grated. The vampire moved into Nick's line of sight. The vampire still looked like a teenage boy with blond hair and blue eyes. If Nick didn't know that he was an immortal blood sucker, he would have felt protective toward the kid. All he felt now, though was a steadily growing block of fear in his stomach.

"Go to hell," Nick responded, his voice very low and raspy. Marcus bent over Nick, blocking the light out of his eyes. He slipped an ice cold hand under the human's head and brought a container to his lips. Thirsty beyond imagining, Nick still turned his head away. If Marcus was offering it to him, chances were there was an ulterior motive involved.

"Well, now. I guess I wouldn't trust me either," Marcus said, his voice as smooth as silk. "The choice is yours. You can drink the liquid I'm offering you or you can die sooner than I'd planned."

Glaring up at the vampire still hovering over him, Nick considered his options. He knew that Derek, Sam and Dean were looking for him. Wherever this was, it was going to take time to find it. Time was something Nick knew he didn't have. He was injured, dehydrated and hungry. He needed to find a way to give them more time. Gritting his teeth even harder, Nick turned his head back toward the container.

"Good choice," Marcus stated. He held it up to Nick's lips and tilted it enough for some of the fluid to run into his throat. The foul taste seemed impervious to the liquid. While the human drank, Marcus spent the time checking out his specimen a little closer. Nick was trying very hard to not move. The wound Lily had inflicted on him was turning red and puffy despite his earlier ministrations. He was mildly amused by just how dirty his sister's mouth really was. He supposed he should give the man some clothes. As he watched, a shiver passed through Nick's body, followed immediately by goose bumps that rose on the man's pale skin. A low moan issued from Nick as he struggled to not choke on the liquid that tasted suspiciously like Gatorade.

"That hurts does it?" Marcus asked. The liquid drained, he put Nick's head down and pulled the container away and set it down on the ground. The moan Nick had made fascinated Marcus. He liked the sound of it and wanted to hear more. While he was a vampire, Marcus really wasn't that particularly sadistic. Apparently Nick brought the urge out in him. His earlier scream also amused the hell out of him. Turning his attention from the man's head and torso, Marcus moved closer to his sister's bite.

"Don't touch me," Nick grated as he suspiciously watched what the vampire was doing. He still couldn't move. Any movement at all caused excruciating pain to radiate from his groin. Damn he wanted to get the hell out of here. With a detached fascination, he watched as Marcus reached out with one finger to prod the wound. Nick's reaction was immediate and intense.

As the pain registered in the damaged nerve endings Nick's brain switched into overload. His back arched off the table. His eyes clenched as tightly as his teeth. Sweat broke out over every inch of skin and his breathing became shallow and hitched. Otherwise, though, Nick was silent. Not what Marcus wanted.

Casually, the vampire pushed a little harder. A clear liquid began to squish up through the twin holes. Infection was all ready setting in. A low scream issued from Nick as the new pain blossomed and spread. It was muffled though through his clenched teeth.

"Well, I guess I'm going to have to do something about that if I want you to stay with us," Marcus purred. A second finger joined the first as Marcus added more pressure. The muffled scream became much clearer as Nick struggled weakly to pull his body away from the vampire. The agony was beyond imagining.

Releasing the pressure, Marcus brought a sharp finger nail toward the puncture wounds. Grinning, he dragged it across the area, cutting deeply into the inflamed skin. Still grinning, he placed fingers on either side of the cut and squeezed.

Unable to handle it any longer, Nick once more retreated into darkness. He could only take so much and keep his sanity intact. His last thought was that the others were taking their time in finding him. He didn't know how much more of this he was going to be able to take.

"You're not much fun," Marcus said. He continued to squeeze the skin on either side of the cut. He was fascinated by the amount of infection he was pulling out of it. Once the liquid turned red, he wiped absently at the wound and threw the rag on the fire still burning a few feet away. The smell was sickening as the cloth burned but he ignored it as he used a fresh, clean rag to finish with the wound. Nick was no good to him if he died from infection.

Picking up the liquor bottle from its position on the floor, Marcus poured its contents over the much larger wound. Even unconscious, Nick's breathing became more laboured and his muscles flinched in response to the pain. Small moans escaped from Nick's still clenched teeth as Marcus let the alcohol sit in the wound, the better to clean it after all.

When the muscles stopped responding but remained clenched tight as a fist, Marcus wiped the alcohol away and taped a clean bandage over the site. Glancing at the pale, sweat slick face of his human, Marcus decided clothes or at least blankets were definitely in order. As handsome as Nick was, Marcus really didn't want to stare at his naked body any longer. Sadistic Marcus may be toward the man but he was not into men in any other capacity. Humming quietly to himself, Marcus picked up the items he'd brought last time and left the chamber. He knew exactly where to find clothes that would fit the man. Then he'd move onto more interesting pursuits.