OK, I was meant to post this a couple of days ago and kinda forgot. I'm not sure how I forgot after I edited it in here, but, well, I have been super busy lately. I have two jobs, a toddler and a husband who acts like a big toddler at times, so do get my hands full sometimes. But I'll try not to leave updates too long from now on.

Chapter 11

Melinda rolled her neck with a groan. Her head still hurt. In fact it was pounding. She couldn't believe her brother had jumped into her head. Couldn't believe that he'd tried to save her the way their cousin Hen had saved him during his evil stint. Did he really think that there was a way to save her from this?

Did he even think she wanted to be saved?

Melinda finally opened her eyes and tried to move her arms. That was when she realized that she was tied down to a chair she was sitting in. Rope wrapped around her arms, wrists and even hands. They were keeping her from using her powers for now. Her legs were tied to the legs of the chair, and she could feel rope around her chest. They were really taking precautions now.

"You're not getting out, Melinda," a male voice called out to her from the shadows. She smirked when she recognized the voice, "I'm not letting you turn forever. I'll save you even if it kills me."

"Dean, Dean, Dean..." Melinda laughed, moving her eyes to see if she could spot him, "There is nothing you can do now."

"Yes, there is," Dean said, stepping out of the shadows, looking deep into Melinda's green eyes, "You haven't killed an innocent yet. We can get the antidote."

"I'll get out of these before you can," Melinda sneered at Dean, "And then I'll kill you, Wyatt and everyone else gets in my way."

Dean just shook his head. He wasn't going to let Melinda turn evil. He couldn't let that happen. She was good, and she protected innocents. If she turned, it would make her the monster that he hunted. It would mean he'd have to do the one thing that he knew deep down he couldn't. And he was sure her family couldn't do it either.

"Maybe I'll leave you for last, actually," Melinda broke the silence, "Or at least second. As poetic as it would be killing you first—after all, I did recently save your ass from the burning fires of Hell—I think I want to see you beg for death. That would happen once I kill Sammy and maybe Bobby...what about Ellen and Jo?"

Dean clenched his jaw, staring at Melinda. She wouldn't see that she was starting to get to him. Nobody threatened his family and friends.

"I'll kill everyone you care about in life," Melinda smirks, "And then I'll make it slow so you're begging for it. You'll wish that you were my first kill."

"We'll save you before it comes to that."

"No you won't," Melinda shook her head, "And deep down you know it. You're wondering whether you could actually kill me. Can you picture putting that knife through my heart? Maybe the Colt would be easier. You won't have to look into my eyes as you do it then.

"You know your problem has always been that you're weak. You pretend to act like the tough guy, but you're weak. You couldn't kill Sam when you knew you might have to, and you blamed yourself for his death. You'd rather go to Hell than see your precious Sammy rotting in the ground. You're weak because you fear the loneliness, Dean. You've feared the loneliness for as long as you can remember."

"You don't know me," Dean shook his head, but he knew deep down that she was right. He did fear the loneliness. It was part of the reason he had let Melinda remain hunting with him for as long as he did. He'd thought about bringing her home weeks ago, "You know nothing, Melinda."

"I know plenty," Melinda smirked, "I know secrets you've buried deep inside of you. You've tried to hide them for so long, Dean, but you can't. You never will be able to. You and me? We're the same, and you know it.

"What about joining me, Dean? I can turn you evil. You won't have to hold onto your guilt and your fears anymore. Imagine never feeling sorry for yourself anymore."

"I'd never turn evil, Melinda," Dean shook his head, knowing that this wasn't really her. But it sure looked and sounded like her. He had to remember the poison running through her veins right now. Evil wanted this to happen, "But I'm going to save you."

With that Dean turned to walk up the stairs from the basement. They'd tied Melinda up down there to keep her from harming anyone at all. The last thing they needed was for her to finally get her human kill that she needed.

"Are you running away now? I haven't even gotten started with you, Winchester."

"I'm going to save you, Melinda," Dean replied, "Once you're you again, then you can tell me whatever you want."

Dean stepped into the kitchen and shut the door to the basement behind him. He only realized now that his body was shaking. Anger, fear, every single emotion he could think of was running through him. Could they save Melinda? How could she say some of the things she did? How did she even know some of that crap?

They were one and the same. He knew that was true deep down. They were so similar it was scary at times, but they worked because of it. And he loved her because of her personality. She felt guilt that she shouldn't, and she wanted to save people; especially now that she wasn't on her destructive path. Give her an innocent and a demon to fight, she'd get to work. That was just what he did.

"Is she awake yet?" Sam looked up from the kitchen table. It was only then that Dean realized there were others in the room. Sam and Pru had helped him get Melinda back to the Manor. They'd tied her up and took her back in the Impala, just in case she woke up on the way home. Luckily for them, she was out cold so they could tie her up in the basement. Wyatt had orbed home as soon as he found out what had happened, so he could heal Bianca and make sure she and Xandra were home. Dean would hate to be on the receiving end of Wyatt's anger. He wondered whether Wyatt would be able to kill his sister if it became a necessity.

"Yeah," Dean said, "And she's not happy."

Dean pulled his flask from his jacket pocket and took a long swig of it. The burning sensation of the alcohol helped to steady his nerves. He couldn't have stayed down there with her any longer. As much as he wanted to make sure she was okay, she was going to get inside his head. She was going to say things that would mean Dean could never forgive her. Even though he knew she was being poisoned right now, he'd hold grudges against her and was unwilling to let it get that far. He loved her!

"Well, Dana is searching for the antidote," Pru sighed, "She isn't as knowledgeable as Ruby was."

"I'm sorry about her, Sam," Dean looked at his brother with sympathy, "I didn't like the bitch, but she helped us."

"She helped you, Dean," Sam replied, "There are good demons out there."

"Speaking of good demons," Pru moved the subject on before they could think anymore about the dead demon that Sam and Dean were going to burn later. Ruby was currently in the sunroom, covered with a sheet, "Riley is at the demon bar. He's going to find out who ordered the hit on Melinda."

"Good," Dean nodded, "I'm gonna kill the son of a bitch who did it."

"Where is she?" Wyatt slammed the kitchen door open and walked straight through. He headed directly for Dean as the kitchen door swung back, hitting Chris.

"Wyatt!" Chris called out.

Dean grabbed Wyatt's arms and stopped him from going past him.

"Where the hell is she, Dean?" Wyatt asked, anger in his brown eyes. In fact, this was more than anger. He looked like he was ready to kill.

"Wyatt, calm down!" Chris called out, now in the kitchen. The kitchen door was still swinging.

"Calm down?" Wyatt shouted at Chris, "She tried to kill my wife and daughter. I'm gonna..."

"Kill her?" Dean frowned, making his friend turn his attention to him, "You really wanna kill your sister?"

"You have no idea how it feels," Wyatt's nostrils flared, making it clear that he was out for blood, "She almost killed them. Bianca said she was gonna raise Xandra to be evil."

"But we stopped it in time," Sam was now standing and walking around the kitchen table. Pru had rushed out of the room, while the three men tried to calm Wyatt and prevent him from doing something he would later regret, "They're safe and we're finding a way to save Melinda now."

"What if she can't be saved?" Wyatt asked, "She took it too far today."

"You can't kill her, Wyatt," Chris argued, "She's our sister."

"Let's get the fucker who did this to her, instead," Dean suggested, "You and me. We go after him and kill him ourselves."

Wyatt frowned and looked into Dean's green eyes. The eldest Halliwell slowly nodded his head, accepting that idea.

"Is Melinda okay?" He now asked. He seemed calmer, so Dean let go of Wyatt's arms.

"She's not gonna hurt anyone right now," Dean shrugged his shoulders, "She's out to hurt someone though."

"She's not herself right now," Chris now stood next to Dean, looking directly at Wyatt, "She'll have all sorts of thoughts running through her head. The poison is making her kill and do everything she did."

"Do we know who the son of a bitch is?" Wyatt kept his eyes on Dean.

"Not yet," Dean shook his head, "But Riley is trying to find out."

Just then, Riley shimmered into the kitchen with a big grin.

"Riley has just found out," Riley said with a grin, "You'll wanna grab your shit. The guy is after another witch as we speak."

Riley was right. The white-haired man was after another witch as they spoke. And Riley knew who it was.

The white-haired man walked up the stairs to the large, five-bedroom house. He knocked on the door and patiently waited. When a 16-year-old girl answered the door, he tilted his head with a smile.

"Poppy Halliwell?"

"Yes?" The girl answered. Before she knew what had hit her, the man raised the gun and fired at Poppy.


Dum dum dum...I know, poor Poppy! Will Dean manage to save her and Mel in time?