"Dean. How nice to see you without your pet for once," Michael said with a sly smile as he sidled up to where Dean was leaning against his locker.

"Michael. I was wondering when you'd show your ugly face," Dean replied, his mouth twisted into a sickeningly sweet smile.

Michael shrugged. "Well, I couldn't let my favorite toy go without my attention for too long."

Dean fought the urge to punch him. As much as he hated the guy, they were on school grounds and Dean had just two more hours before he was free for three weeks. He really did not want to screw that up at the last second. "What do you want?" he asked with fake politeness.

"I'm just here to ask how little Cassie is doing." He leaned back into the locker beside Dean and watched him keenly.

Dean forced himself not to jerk away. "He's fine, thanks for asking," he muttered, venom slowly starting to leak into his voice.

"You know, Dean, I'm a little surprised you haven't left him yet. After all, he's ruined now, isn't he?"

Dean sharply turned and looked at the skinwalker, who was still smiling. "That was your plan?" He barked out a laugh. "If you think for one second that I'm going to leave him because of a shitty move you pulled, well, you've got another thing coming." The look on Michael's face didn't waver, but Dean pushed away from the lockers disgustedly and stalked his way to class as the bell rang in his ears.

He was damn glad that Christian would be coming soon and then he'd never have to see Michael's stupid gang again.

And he sure as hell didn't feel a pang in his body when he thought about that. Then again, Dean Winchester has always been known to lie to himself more than anybody else.

Christian came on Saturday. Mary answered the door and led him into the main room where everyone except John was gathered. John still didn't know that Christian was coming, and he would be staying in a motel anyway, so the point was pretty moot in everyone's eyes. Behind Christian, though, was a familiar face that had Dean jumping to his feet in surprise.

"Gwen?" he asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

She grinned at him. "Funny story actually…"

"She and Christian are both my cousins," Mary told him.

"No way!" Sam exclaimed, rising to his feet, too.

"Last name Campbell? Come on kids, I'm surprised you didn't figure it out earlier. Why do you think I never questioned you about that black dog and the skinwalkers?" Gwen was laughing, her eyes lighting up at the boys' confused glances.

"Yeah, okay, I guess. But why are you here now? Mom didn't say anything about you coming."

Gwen looked at her cousins. "Christian called me up on his way since he was going by where I live up north and as soon as he mentioned you lot, I just had to come with. Besides, I haven't had a good hunt in a few years. Plus this job comes with revenge."

Dean had to grin a bit at that. "Well it's good to see you."

"Likewise."

Mary took Sam with her into the kitchen to put together some sandwiches for everyone as Gwen and Christian got comfortable in the main room for some catching up. Dean found out that Gwen, like Mary, was raised in the hunting life, but had left the open road to settle down years ago. She had run the summer camp during the season, and for the rest of the year she owned a little hardware shop in a small town in northern Kansas. She hadn't completely given up the life of a hunter, though, and she still went out when Christian or another hunter needed an extra pair of hands for a job.

After Mary came back with lunch, it was down to business and the little group told what they could about the skinwalkers in an attempt to help them. They already knew the address of their house, and were planning on staking it out that afternoon and hitting it that night. It was going to be a quick job and before long the two Campbell's were heading back out the door to ready themselves.

Gwen took Dean aside as Christian was saying his goodbyes and led him out to the car in the driveway. "You know how to shoot a gun?" she asked, watching him with stern, but concerned eyes.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, Bobby and Dad used to take me and Sammy hunting in the woods when we were younger."

"Good. Don't tell your mother about this, but here." She opened the trunk of the car and pulled out a pistol. She took the clip out and showed it to him. "Silver bullets. One in the head should put a skinwalker down for good, but anywhere else they still hurt like hell. I want you to take this, just in case. I'm not expecting there to be any trouble, but I want you to be protected." She shoved the clip back in and pressed it into Dean's palm

"Gwen, I—"

"It'll give me a little peace of mind. Just don't shoot yourself with it on accident." Gwen gave a wry smile, but Dean still felt nervous. He nodded stiffly and stuck the pistol in the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Don't underestimate them," Dean said quietly. Gwen squeezed his shoulder and closed the trunk just as Christian came out. Dean watched them drive off down the street and tried to make the lump in his throat go away.

. . . . .

That night found Dean sitting on a recliner in the main room watching a movie with Cas on his lap and a blanket over them both. His arms were around Cas, whose head was resting back on his chest. Periodically, Dean would lean his head forward and press a kiss into Cas' hair to make him smile. Whenever Sam saw him do that, he would laugh under his breath, but Jess would just look over fondly and smack Sam's shoulder since they were sitting together on the couch with Brady. Mary and John were in the kitchen doing something or other with bills or something involving paperwork that Dean didn't really care about.

"I wonder what's happening right now," Brady mused suddenly during a quiet part of the movie.

"I could care less. As long as it all ends tonight," Dean said.

Cas turned in his arms to glance at his face. "It will be over, don't worry. And I'm sure that Gwen and Christian will be fine."

Brady nodded to himself. "Yeah, let's just enjoy the movie!"

"This movie sucks," Jess deadpanned. They all glanced at her until her mouth broke out into a smile and they all laughed. It was a shitty movie though, something lame from the eighties, but they were all too wound up to really care. Laughing helped ease the tension a little bit, though, and Dean felt Cas relax against him again as they all quieted.

The silence was only permeated by the various noises from the movie and the muffled talking of Dean's parents. At least until the doorbell suddenly rang and everybody in the room visibly tensed. Sam was the first up and he cautiously made his way to the door. He opened it and Dean was disconcerted that he didn't make a sound. He saw his brother stoop over to pick something up before shutting the door.

"What is it?" Dean called over. Mary had left the kitchen table and was walking towards her youngest son with the same question written on her face.

Sam was quiet for a long moment. "Um, Dean?"

He heard Mary let out a choked noise and he suddenly untangled himself from Cas to see what the deal was. In Sam's hands was a box, the lid was open and he was staring in with a mask of shock. Mary didn't say a word, and as Dean drew closer, he could see what was resting inside on a bed of tissue paper.

It was Christian's head.

"Guys? What is it?" Jess called over, standing up.

Dean stuck a hand out behind him and said, "Don't look."

"What? Why?" Brady asked, standing beside her.

Turning back to look at them, Dean said softly, "Christian's dead." They were all silent and Jess covered her mouth with one hand as Cas moved and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Who was at the door?" John's voice came from the kitchen and they all looked to Mary.

"Just some neighborhood kids," Mary called back after a moment. She glanced at Sam, who was still holding the box. "Hide that in the backyard. I'll take care of it tomorrow," she told them in a hushed voice.

"What are we going to do now?" Dean asked her.

His mother shook her head. "I have no idea. I can call some other hunters. Get some other help."

"Because that's worked out well so far."

"Dean!" Cas hissed at him.

"Dean, I can't go after them on my own. I don't have the weapons and it's been a long time since I've held a gun." Mary seemed to be getting over her initial shock, but she was still a bit flustered.

Sighing, Dean muttered, "Yeah, sorry."

"I'll see what I can do," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder. She turned and went back to the kitchen. Part of Dean wanted to yell after her, get her to do something right then, but he knew that John couldn't know anything about this, and that there wasn't much they could really do until later, or morning.

Dean glanced at the box again, which Sam had thankfully shut. "Come on," he said, walking towards the back door and expecting his brother to follow behind him. Sam did, and they both went into the backyard, quickly finding a place to stash the box on the side yard where critters wouldn't be able to get to it. He vaguely wondered what Mary planned to do with it.

He went inside without another glance at Sam and headed straight to his room. There, still in the inside pocket of his jacket was the gun Gwen had given him. He slipped the jacket on and glanced around his room to find his keys before going back down the stairs. The kids were all sitting or leaning on the couch, depressed looks on their faces. Cas looked up when Dean passed them by to grab his shoes from where they sat next to the front door.

"Where are you going?" he asked, straightening and gathering the attention of the others.

"To kill them," Dean replied simply. He opened the door just as Cas grabbed his arm.

"No you're not. They'll kill you."

Dean smiled bitterly. "No they won't. Not at first." He almost felt a little satisfied when Cas glanced away momentarily.

"Dean, it's too dangerous." Sam took a few steps towards him.

He took the gun from his pocket and looked it over for a moment before his eyes met his brother's. "I'm prepared."

"You still remember how to shoot?"

"It's not hard to miss at point blank."

"Dean, please," Cas begged, his grip tightening on Dean's arm.

"Don't tell Mom, at least until I'm already gone," Dean told his brother, meeting his eyes and seeing the resigned understanding in them. He looked back at Cas and saw only bright fear. He put the gun back into his pocket. "In case I don't ever get to do this again…" He pulled Cas tight against him and crushed their lips together.

It had been two weeks since he'd tasted Cas, and damned if he was going to die without having that mouth against his just once more. It was rough and intense and he could feel Cas clutching at him desperately, trying to make him stay. But he had to go. He wanted more than anything to hold him just a little longer and kiss him just a little more, but reluctantly Dean pulled away.

"And don't come after me," he added to his brother.

That said, Dean shut the door behind him and sucked in a deep breath of cold night air. He walked with purpose to his beloved Impala, running his fingertips across her side before he slipped in and started up the purr of her engine. Oh, she was a beautiful car, no doubt about that. And Dean was sure going to miss her. But she would go into good hands. She would be Sam's, and he knew that no matter what, Sam would take care of her for him.

He refused to think about who would take care of Cas when he was gone.

Instead, he turned up the radio, happy to hear some Alice Cooper playing, and took off down the road, determined to make his last ride in his baby last as long as it could. If it was his last night on earth, he was gonna go out with a bang.

The gun felt just a little heavier in his pocket.