A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS! okay so its the 26th but still, I hope you guys had an awesome Christmas Get anything cool? I got some awesome TWD/SPN stuff, Doctor Who too :D. Here is chapter nine! sorry this took so long to get up, I had finals and bunch of holiday stuff to do and haven't been able to get to posting it. However its here now and ready for you to read and REVIEW! Thank you for all the alerts and reviews. I hope you continue to make comments and read. Give me your input and I'll answer ya! :) Alright that's enough from me. ENJOY!

Tales From the Crypt

The campfire flickered, casting distorted shadows around the group that danced with the fire light. The bizarre shapes might have triggered fear a year or so ago, but now anything strange and terrifying was almost mundane. It was almost impossible to go a day without encountering those festering monsters.

Rick's group, minus the sheriff himself and Daryl, were actually the most relaxed they had been since the mess had started. Even after the Walker attack, this was the safest place they had been in a long time. The prison had been secure with its barbed wire fences and stone walls, but at times it felt like living in tombs. The fresh air and rustic cabins were much less drab and claustrophobic.

But that didn't mean much to Merle. He knew that this peace wouldn't last. Nothing did. What the Winchesters had created was fragile, penetrable. Not even the Governer's Woodburry was able to make it to the end- or the prison for that matter. There wasn't a chance in hell some rubble and a few rundown cabins in the woods could survive. .

The eldest Dixon leaned back against his tree, outside of the ring of light where the others sat, but close enough to overhear their conversations. His eyes however never left the gate his brother had walked out of hours ago. He'd wait all night for Daryls safe return if he had to while the others talked and joked.

Castiel turned the lukewarm beer bottle in his hands.. He could hear the liquid sloshing around, still half full, as Ellen finished a story about Dean and Jo when they were kids. He didn't know if it was true or not, but Rick's group seemed convinced. Cas hoped it was true, it made him feel better knowing Dean hadn't always been burdened with such a dark cloud over head all the time.

"What about you, Cas? How did you meet the Winchesters?" Glenn asked looking across the flames to the fallen angel absentmindedly who still twirled the carmel colored bottle.

"I- uh, raised Dean from Hell." Cas looked through the bottle at the campfire. The flames were really quite beautiful through the dark tented glass.

Everyone fell quiet and looked to Castiel with large amounts of concern on their faces.

"What he means is that he found Dean in a very bad place and helped him out." Ellen quickly explained with a nervous half smile. "The two have been friends ever since,"

Everyone relaxed.

"Actually he didn't trust me at all at first. Stabbed me in the chest." Jo immediately elbowed the fallen angel in the ribs pulling a look of blank confusion as to why she'd hurt him.

"Did he really stab you in the chest?" Carl asked, brushing his long dark hair from his eyes. . "Kind of an initiation thing like he did with us?"

Jo choked on her beer and Maggie had to pound her on the back a few times.

"Of course not," Carol laughed but shot Cas a look all the same. Castiel didn't reply, realizing once again he'd said too much. Instead he looked down the mouth of the bottle rolling between his hands at the liquid inside hoping that the weight of the eyes on him would soon disperse.

"So!" Ellen clapped her hands to get everyone's attention back and away from Cas. "That's enough of the past. Do you guys know any fun campfire stories?" she asked the kids.

"Not really," Carl said. "I never went camping before the Walkers."

"Beth knows a lot of songs," Maggie inclined her head towards her sister. .

Beth smiled shyly down at Judith who she held in her lap.

"Go on, Beth. I love it when you sing." Carol said as she offered outstretched arms, silently proposing to take Ricks little girl so Beth could stand.

"I don't know many camping songs." She meekly rubbed her arm, looking at Ellen.

"Whatever you want, sweetie. I think we all need a break from this insanity." Ellen nodded encouragingly.

Beth bit her lip and fingered the protective necklace around her neck for a second, then visibly brightened as she thought of a song. She opened her mouth and everyone fell quiet.

My head is spinning round.
My heart is in my shoes.
I went and set the Thames on fire.
Now I must come back down.

Cas cocked his head and peered at the girl with unblinking blue eyes. He hadn't had much experience with singing before the Apocalypse had occurred. Those songs he did hear were the ones that Dean liked. Classic rock was what he called it, though Cas still had no idea where the rocks came into the music. But that was nothing compared to the young girl singing. Dean's music was harsher and with loud instruments. Beth's was beautiful, and simple and needed no accompaniment.

The world is upside down.
My pockets filled up with gold.
Now the clouds have covered o'er
and the wind is blowing cold.

Her voice echoed between the cabins and bounced back like an eerie echo, the crackle of the fire the only other noise. Cas glanced at the others. Maggie snuggled against Glenn, his arms wrapped around her. Her eyes were fixated on her sister, but Glenn only looked at her. Ellen patted Jo's knee to the slow rhythm of the song while Jo leaned against her shoulder. Judith was quiet as Carol slowly rocked her back and forth and Carl stared into the fire.

I don't need anybody
because I learned to be alone
and anywhere I lay my head, boys
I will call my home.

Beth finished and stayed standing quietly as the last strains hung in the air.

Maggie got to her feet and gave her sister a hug. "Daddy loved it when you sang," she murmured, visibly fighting back tears.

"That was beautiful." Ellen whispered.

"She has a voice like an angel," Carol agreed.

This time Jo was quicker on the draw and grabbed Cas's knee and squeezed to keep him from saying anything along the lines of angels being warriors of God and not strumming harps and singing hymns all day. "Where did you learn to sing?" she asked if only to keep Castiel from commenting.

"Momma sang to us a lot. And I sang in the church choir before all of this happened." Beth sat back down next to Carl.

Maggie moved back to her spot by Glenn. "I didn't last two days in choir. Got in a fight with that lady in charge."

The laughter from Maggies statement stopped abruptly as Merle rushed into the middle of the circle. "Did ya'll see that?" he demanded, brandishing his knife-hand in the direction of the main cabin.

"See what?" asked Carol.

" Daryl, Rick, and them Winchesters. They're back, and it sure as hell looked like they was draggin' someone else with 'em in cuffs. Looked to me like Michonne."

"What are you talking about?" Glenn frowned, put off with just Merles presence.

"I'm tellen ya, they're up to something. Now they gone and dragged my brother in to it." He leered at Ellen, "You're precious Fearless Leader too." He spat eyeing Ricks people.

Ellen and Jo exchanged a glance and stood. "It was good to talk with you all, but we should get back and see what's goin' on. Feel free to finish up these beers and if you kids want to roast marshmallows, I think there's a bag left in the store house. Just tell the guard Ellen sent you." She and her daughter started to walk away, when Merle caught her arm and forced her to face him.

"Hold on now Mother Goose, You ain't goin' nowhere without me."

Ellen yanked her arm out of his grasp. "Like hell you are. Just stay here and enjoy yourself." She lowered her voice so the others wouldn't hear her. "I don't think you know what you're lookin to get yourself into. I doubt you saw what you're sayin."

"I know what I saw." Merle narrowed his eyes.

"It's dark. It's an easy mistake to make."

"You listen to me. You people are so wrapped up in this voodoo shit, now you got my brother involved in it. I'm comin' with you." His dark eyes bore like sharp daggers down at the woman.

"Merle, I really think you should just—"

The redneck suddenly reached out with his good hand and smacked Ellen across the face. Cas was on his feet between the Dixon and his friend before the sound had faded completely -his unfinished beer left rolling on the ground, the amber liquid sloshing into the grass.

"Do not touch her again," he warned. His icy blue eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness, although it was most likely from the way his eyes caught the firelight. Everyone else was standing as well. Maggie had moved closer to her sister and Carl lingered just behind Cas eyeing Merle fiercely.

"Watcha gonna do, pretty boy? Hmm? You gonna protect her?" Merle pressed closer to Cas, his face only inches away and his chest bumping into the slightly taller man. "Be a big man?"

Cas puffed out his chest and straightened his posture, as if stretching out his once impressive wings threateningly but said nothing .

"Merle, come on," Glenn said, trying to calm him down. "Let's not get into a fight."

Cas had to admit Merle was a bit intimidating. He glanced quickly at the man's knife-hand which was a mistake. Merle took the opportunity of Cas being off guard to punch him in the stomach. The fallen angel clutchd his gut, fell to the ground and Merle kneed him in the face before anyone could stop him. Blood gushed from his nose and he collapsed to the ground just as Jo stepped up.

"Ah, little lady, don't make me hurt—" Merle didn't get to finish his sentence before Jo took him down with a few well-placed hits to his knee, groin, and neck.

She squatted down next to Merle's doubled over form laying in anguish on the cool ground. "Remember that the next time you even think about laying your disgusting hand on my family You son of a bitch." While Merle continued to cringe in agony Jo helped Cas to his feet with Glenn's assistance.

"Offer still stands for the marshmallows." Ellen smiled at Carl and Beth before turning to Glenn. "If he raises anymore Hell, you come find me or Jo. We'll figure out somethin' to do with him." She stared at Merle as he withered, cursing, on the ground. "He sure is a piece of work."

"If it was up to me we wouldn't have him," Glenn sneered.

Ellen clapped him on the shoulder with a small smile. "He's Daryls brother ain't he? That's family."

"Yeah, but Daryl's twice the man that pathetic jerk is."

"Then be thankful for that." She glanced one more time in Merles direction. " Keep an eye on him."

Ellen bid the others goodbye before following Jo and Cas's slow progress. The fallen angel wiped the blood flowing steadily from his nose on his sleeve as they walked.

"You might want to keep your head tilted back. And pinch your nose," Jo corrected Cas.

"I can't see where I'm going."

"We'll keep you on track," Ellen said taking his free arm gently.

"Are you alright?" Cas asked, looking out of the corner of his eye at his friend.

"I'm tougher than I look, Cas. And I look pretty tough. It's going to take more than a slap from a jerk like Merle Dixon to take me out."

"Apparently I'm not as tough as you." Cas took his hand away from his nose for a second to check the blood flow. It was still going fairly steady.

"No, he just went easier on us because he thought we were weak." Jo glanced at Ellen with a smirk. "Guess I showed him."

Ellen chuckled slightly. "I don't think he's going to be able to live that down for a while. Wish we still had cameras."

The pair laughed and even Cas cracked a smile.

"Seriously, Cas, thank you." Ellen placed a hand on Cas's shoulder and squeezed. "You're a good guy. Now lets get you fixed up."

By the time the night had encompassed the now thoroughly secured campsite Dean and the others were already through the east gate and making their way to the cellar located on the opposite side of the HQ building. For the time being they'd left the vehicles and supplies just outside the boundaries of the camp electing to take care of the demon first. Dean kept an eye peeled as they walked through the grass for anyone who might question why they were escorting a strange woman bound in chains across faction. From the shadow in which they walked a few orange glows from campfires indicated that not everyone had turned in for the night. However things were quiet and Meg hadn't uttered a single word since the confrontation on the road- Dean half expected her to make a scene the second they were within earshot of any living person. While he was grateful for her silence, it also made him weary about what she was concocting in her festered mind. Nonetheless getting her to the Crypt without being seen was enough of a distraction to keep him from dwelling too much on the subject.

The pale light seeping out of the single pain widows of the Head Quarters cabin meant Bobby'd gotten the generators running again, meaning they wouldn't have to deal with only candle light once they got into the crypt. The silver padlock glistened almost magically in the cascading moonlight when the group reached the locked cellar doors. Dean shoved Meg closer to Sam while he fiddled in his coat pocket for the key. Placing his hand back on the demons arm he tossed the key to Sam for him to open the lock.

"Better hurry it up." Daryl murmured looking over his shoulder. "Think Merle saw us."

Sam flung open the rusty hinged doors and Dean all but pushed Meg down the stairs. Rick and Daryl cautiously followed. It wasn't until Dean pulled the chain on the single bulb hanging from the wooden rafters that everyone proceeded to follow him.

"Put this back on the doors could you? It'll keep anyone from getting in." Sam tossed the sheriff the padlock and pointedly glanced at the doors.

Rick did as he was told while Daryl sauntered slowly around the perimeter of the small dungeon like area investigating the various symbols and markings. "All these supposed ta word off evil or somethin'?" the redneck asked sounded genuinely interested.

Dean was too busy expertly tying Meg to the chair positioned in the center of the Devils Trap spray painted on the floor to explain what the sigils were for.

"Or trap it." Sam answered. "You might want to stay back by the stairs."

Daryl looked at Sam looking for more of an explanation then reverted back to the wooden stairs.

"Yeah I doubt you two are gonna just let me and Sammy here do our job and leave right?" Dean grinned sarcastically knowing there was no way either of them would agree to letting them alone with Meg since she was currently residing in one of their friends. The idea of an audience annoyed him, partly due to the fact that he didn't like the feeling of eyes on the back of him, and mostly because the witnessing a demonic exsorsisim was something that stayed with you as long as you lived.

Rick kindly shook his head in response to Dean's statement.

"Yeah, thought so. . ." he grunted.

Sam pulled out their fathers leather bound journal and flipped knowingly through the yellowed pages. Meg continued to remain silent while the brothers readied what they needed to properly interrogate without causing Michonne harm. She didn't even flinch when Dean pulled out the demon slaying knife to set it on the table setting askew of the south east corner of the Crypt. Instead she kept eerily quiet, staring blankly at Rick and Daryl seated across from her on the bottom of the stairs. They were too busy watching Dean unpack the items in the bag he'd carried all day to notice her heavy leer.

"Hey," Dean snapped his fingers in front of her face a moment later. "you still in there?"

She turned her head to glower the eldest brothers direction. "You put a demon trap in the my shoulder numb nuts, of course I'm still here."

Dean chuckled to himself and turned to rummage through the bag some more. He turned around with a long medical looking tool and knelt beside Megs bleeding shoulder. "Luckily for Michonne, demons make a damn good anesthetic, meaning she won't feel this."

It took him only a short time to locate the bullet and remove it while Meg stayed stone still and quiet. He finished wrapping the wound with clean gauze. It wasn't perfect, and if Michonne survived any of what had happed she'd be sore. "That'll do. Have to say I ain't used to you keeping that hole on your face shut for so long. Gotta say I almost miss that razor sharp wit and bubbly personality." Dean grinned.

Megs eyes narrowed. "Oh drop the snarky ego act buster. I know why you drug me down this hell hole, and I'll just save you the trouble cause you aren't gonna get anything out of me."

Dean's grin diminished and he glared at her. "We'll see about that Sweet heart."

Meg smirked this time but ignored his comment. "How's Clarence? Hear he got his wings clipped. Poor bastard is probably having a hell of a time coping without his halo."

Dean heard one of the two men on the stairs ask what the demon was talking about, thankfully Sam brushed it off for the time being.

"Shut it." Dean barked.

"No need to get hateful Deano. It was just a question." With her notorious crooked grin painted across her dark face she glanced around at the four walls caging her. "I have to hand it to you boys, got yourself a nice demon proof dungeon." Her gaze end with Rick and Daryl. "You two probably don't know what to think."

The sheriff shifted uncomfortably on the wooden steps and Daryls eyes narrowed. It was difficult to say what exactly the two of them were thinking just by looking at their expressions but they seemed too transfixed by what was going on to react appropriately.

"Just tell us how it's possible." Sam pleaded sternly.

She just laughed dryly and shook her head. "You'd think you two would know by now demons don't work with you."

Dean's fingers brushed the hilt of the demon knife lying on the table with the other supplies. Every instinct he had was urging him to take it and run it deep into her chest to be rid of her forever. It would be so easy he almost considered it even if Daryl and Rick would probably take him down as soon as it happened. Sam kept an eye on him in case he did do something he regretted later.

"Mmmmm." Meg purred eyeing Dean. "Don't wanna use that. I don't think the Sheriff and his pal would like that too much.

He picked up the blade and peered down at it in his calloused hand. His knuckles were white from his tight grip and his fingernails all but punctured his palm. "Just tell us what we need to know." He hissed, knowing he was going to have to force it out of her somehow. He let go of the knife and let it fall back onto the surface of the table. Dean rummaged through the bag shortly and removed a silver flask from inside. He didn't have a choice; he had to make her talk somehow. He spun around with the open container and several drops flew and landed on Megs skin. Sam moved closer to where Rick and Daryl were seated; observing how they reacted when Dean subjected Michonne to Holy Water. Unsurprisingly their reaction was negative. The first time Dean tossed the liquid onto her skin she cringed and her flesh almost boiled and steamed, which put Rick and Daryl on edge. The second time, the eldest Winchester poured it over her skin making the demon let out a yell, almost a growl type of sound and she cursed. That time the two on lookers got to their feet.

"What the Hell is that stuff!?" Daryl snarled watching the skin burn and his.

Making them understand that the water was only dangerous to the demon and not Michonne was something no amount of arguing could help them comprehend. There was no formula that stated the possessed are not harmed by that which harms the possessee. Thusly it had been in Sam and Deans experience that it was true to some extent.

"Relax." Dean said as he stepped closer to Meg. "Its only holy water, its not gonna hurt your friend."

They watched Dean as he continued to flick the seemingly harmful substance onto her dark skin still apprehensive of the Winchesters assurance. "Hurts like a bitch doesn't it? Scolding hot poker. . ." he taunted as he poured a measurable amount of holy water down her unbandage shoulder. "Sammy and I've got this stuff stock piled. I could do this all day, every day for a long time." Again he poured the liquid over her skin while she squirmed and tried to pull free from her restraints.

"Tell me, why does Lucifer suddenly have a new vessel?"

Meg didn't say anything right away causing Dean to torment her even more with the water. She was close to breaking, he could tell. With one more douse of holy water she began to say something just when heavy banging started coming from the cellar doors.

Meg grinned sinisterly. "That'll be the door."

"Damn it. Sam, handle it!" Dean barked not breaking eye contact with the demon.

Quickly Sam ascended the few steps to the Crypt doors with Daryl right behind him. "Betcha it's Merle." The redneck scoffed. "Toldya he saw us."

"Well he's gonna have to wait." Sam said.

Dean however thought differently. He spun around shoving the almost empty flask into Ricks hands as he too went up the stairs. "No. This is the perfect time for that pain in the ass to see the crap we put up with. Maybe then he'll believe us."

He held out his hand for Sam to give him back the small key that worked the padlock, hesitantly his brother obliged. In Deans frustration he missed the key hole twice before fitting the metal piece into place to open the rusty doors, and sure enough, Daryl's one armed, short tempered brother was the cause of the disturbance.

Merle seemed slightly taken back when Dean thrust the doors open practically hitting the elder Dixon in the face. In the dim light it was difficult to see but from the state of his face it looked like he'd just come from a fight, one he'd lost. Never the less her peered down into the cellar accusingly.

"What the hell happened to you." Daryl sneered.

"Me and Blondie had ourselves a disagreement." He paused and craned his neck to father see what was behind the three men. "Whatchew fellas up to down there huh? They drag you into this devil worshiping bull shit too?" he eyed his brother.

"It ain't bull shit. It's real." Daryl told him calmly.

Merles jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed.

"Why don't you join our little voodoo session?" Dean jeered.

With fierce determination he shoved his way down the rickety stairs and stopped the second his eyes fell on Michonne tied to the chair.

"We know how this looks." Sam said carefully watching Merles expression.

"Looks like what it is. Torture." He said.

From the lack of compassion in his tone Dean got the impression that Merle and Michonne didn't get on very well.

"That ain't Michonne. There's a demon in 'er."

Merle snorted sarcastically, and Meg smirked. Her solid black eyes locked onto the eldest of the redneck brothers, gleaming with fiendish intent. "Mighty fine arm you got yourself Ace." She sneered.

"Zip it." Dean spat.

Merles brow furrowed as he watched Michonne carefully and his body language altered. He seemed mesmerized with the monstrous black eyes leering back at him.

"Her eyes . . ."

"She's possessed. Like your brother said." Sam explained calmly. "Its controlling her."

Rick and Daryl went back to setting on the old wooden stairs, Merle stood stiffly beside his brother quietly watching for once. The damp space fell into silence while Dean rummaged in the bag on the table for another flask.

"Alright you black eyed bitch. We're gonna try this one more time." He dumped more water on her bare skin. "Tell us what you know or Sam'll send your ass back to Hell." Dean looked to his brother as if to tell him to get the journal ready.

A slow chuckle escaped her and she moved her gaze from Merle to Dean. "Go on. I'm just gonna crawl my way back up and wreck more havoc. Since you two broke the world it's so much easier."

Dean ground his teeth and threw the flask against the stone wall as Sam started the Latin chant.

Michonnes body shook violently, jutting back and forth quickly. Rick and the others watched with wide eyes as her body moved wildly, pulling at the restraints until a pitch black cloud of smoke burst from her mouth and dissipated through the ground. When it was all over everyone but the Winchesters looked completely dumb founded. Even Merle – Mr. Skeptic- was rendered speechless.

Sam took the initiative to make sure the woman Meg had possessed was okay while the others gathered themselves.

"Hey." He said gently tapping her face. "Michonne, are you with us?"

With a jolt her eyes shot open and she sat up straight looking around. A nervous sweat broke out on her forehead as she attempted to yank herself free from the chains on her wrists and ankles. It wasn't until Rick moved into her line of sight that she calmed down slightly.

"Michonne, Michonne, hey. My name is Sam. That's my brother Dean." He pointed behind him. "Rick, Daryl and Merle are here too." He paused watching her look around the room. "Do you know what happened to you?"

She was quiet a moment, looking to Rick as if to test whether she should answer Sam's question.

"She ain't gonna answer ya. Don't like talkin' ta people she don't know." Merle chided.

Her exhausted eyes glared at Merle and maybe just to spite him, she spoke. "My ankle." She said.

Sam looked puzzled, "Your ankle?"

"I got bit. Passed out before I could take myself out." She explained.

All of them but Merle moved to get a closer look at the wound. The gash was large and the chunk that had been taken out was mostly all muscle. Thankfully the bleeding seemed to have stopped a while ago looking at the clotting and the area itself didn't look in the least bit infected.

"How long after you were bit did you pass out?" Sam tested sounding somewhat confused.

"Right after."

Sam looked back at the Croat bite quizzically and Dean with Daryls help began untying her restraints.

"This area should have started to fester as soon as the demon was out of her system." Sam said to Rick who'd knelt down to bet a better look for himself.

"It doesn't even look like it's infected at all." He agreed.

Sams head was spinning, rolling over why Michonne wasn't affected by the fatal bite. He got to his feet and stood looking at the injury puzzled.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Mostly just tired."

"No fever?" Rick added as he too stood up straight.

She shook her head.

The group hovered around her not sure what their next move should be. If she was truly unharmed by the Croat bite then all that needed to be done was make sure that she healed up. But the question was still burning in the back of Sam and Dean's minds; how did it not affect her?

"What do we do?" Sam finally asked his brother.

"She's staying here." Rick said sternly.

Dean was still uneasy about the idea. "I have people here I need to protect. If she stays, she's your responsibility. If she turns and attacks any one of my people its on you. Understand?"

Both Rick and Daryl nodded. "She can stay with Carl and I. Beth can go with Carol and Maggie."

"We'll get her bandaged up." Sam told them. "You've been gone all day. I'm sure your son and the rest of your group wants to know you're safe. You can come back and get Michonne in a while." He turned to Dean who was repacking the bag on the table. "I'll go find Ellen, she does stitches best."

Dean nodded and Sam disappeared up the small stair well and out of the hinged metal doors. Rick knelt down in front of the woman sitting in the chair. "Are you gonna be okay here for the time being?" She hesitated slightly; looking at Dean then nodded. It become somewhat obvious the woman they'd just rescued didn't take too quickly to people. "I'm gonna go check on things, then I'll be back here." He told her.

As he turned to the exit, Daryl caught him by the arm and stopped him. "What about the supplies?"

In all the excitement Dean had forgotten all about the vehicles filled with much needed items they'd left abandoned by the gate.

"I can bring it in if ya want. Gonna go get my bike anyhow." Daryl offered.

"Think you mean my bike Little Brother." Merle corrected from his sitting place on the second to last step.

"You left. Makes it mine now." He retorted. The redneck turned his attention from his brother to Dean, waiting for an answer.

"Don't go alone." The Winchester instructed. "Bring everything to the storage tent, we'll go through it in the morning. And if you take Sticky Fingers with you, make sure he doesn't end up with something he shouldn't have."

They all threw Merle a dirty look before the tree of them left. It wasn't long before Sam returned with Ellen- who was toting a makeshift first aid kit to fix up Michonne. Through the entire process she remained silent and stone faced. Not even the sting of the needle piercing her flesh fazed her. The brothers sat on the catty-corner tabled, legs dangling, absentmindedly watching Ellen doctor Michonnes' injury. Dean could tell Sam was still pensive about the mystery of the Croat bite. That ever so prevalent look of concern hadn't left his face since first finding out. Unfortunately there wasn't much they could do except hope that by some miracle she was okay and letting her wouldn't be a decision Dean lived to regret.

Rick returned just as Ellen was finishing her handy work to take her back to his cabin.

"She needs to stay off that leg for a few days." Ellen told the sheriff as he helped Michonne to her feet. "Let us know if you need anything, okay?"

He thanked her and assured her he would before he left. Ellen gathered her tools while both of the Winchesters remained perched on the wooden table making hardly a sound.

"Alright, whats with you boys? I don't think I've ever seen you this quite."

"It's nothing." Sam murmured.

Ellen frowned. "Like hell it is. I know you Sam Winchester. Something has you perplexed ."

"That wound we just had you stitch up," Dean said when Sam didn't reply. "That was a Croat bite."

Ellen's brows pulled together. "She's not showing any signs of reanimation?"

They shook their head and she thought a moment. "You said she'd been possessed right? Ellen looked at Sam. "Maybe that has something to do with it."

The idea has crossed both of their minds, that maybe Demon blood was the cure to the sickness. They'd wondered that since the scare with Sam the first time they'd dealt with the Croatoan virus. Michonne had only been possessed, but even then it made sense with demon blood flowing in someone's system.

"I'd talk to Bobby." She told them. "see if he has anything in all those books of his."

"Oh hey. Merle said he had a disagreement with Blondie. I'm assuming it was Jo. Is everything okay?"

Ellen laughed. "Yeah, Cas got a bloody nose and split lip, but Jo gave it right back to him."

"Atta girl." Dean grinned.

"So it is theoretically possible?" Sam asked Bobby for the second time.

Both brothers, Bobby and Castiel sat around the table, nursing from a bottle of Jack, nose deep in old books. Three of them thought for sure it was going to be yet another restless night doing research that would ultimately end with no solution, but Bobby seemed to already done a little digging on the subject.

"I book marked a few places after what happened to Sam several years ago." He flipped pages lazily in the book currently setting in front of him.

"What did you come up with?" Dean yawned.

Bobby stopped on a random page and trailed his finger down the yellowed parchment until he found what he was looking for. "There's some instances, mainly in Louisiana where witch doctors would use possessions to cure diseases."

Castiel shifted and took a drink from his glass. "Wouldn't that harm the person the demon was possessing? Demons kill their host bodies all the time without right or cause." The confused squint the fallen angel was notorious for touched his face as he spoke.

"Sounds like it was more a gamble than a cure." Sam commented. Bobby agreed.

Cas wasn't the only one confused by the theory. "So if you've been possessed you don't turn into Night of the Living Dead?" Deans tone sounded annoyed.

Sam shook his head. "I don't think so, I bet it has to do with the blood." From the look on Dean and Cas' face it was evident his correction only confused them more. "Think about it. I've had demon blood in my system since I was six months old. The virus doesn't affect me. Now Michonne was bit and immediately after got possessed; which sorta mixes demon into your blood stream. And right now she's perfectly fine considering."

Dean held up a hand. "Whoa, are you suggesting we play voodoo and possess anyone who gets bit?"

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. "No. What I'm saying is that demon blood might be the turnaround for this thing."

"Subjecting mortals to demon blood has negative consequences." Cas murmured. "Look what it did to you." His blue eyes landed on the youngest Winchester.

It was quite for a moment while they all thought to themselves.

"Every drug has it's side effects. . ." Bobby finally piped in.

"This isn't penicillin Bobby. It's demon blood." Dean pointed out. "The side effects are gonna be a little more extreme than just diarrhea."

"Look, we don't even know if it works. I'm just saying its something we should consider." Sam sighed.

"Yeah well, we'll consider it later. I'm bushed. It's time for my Siesta." Dean got up in a huff and downed the rest of the amber liquid in his glass. With slow movements he made his way to his cot and laid down. He'd heard enough talk about demon blood, and demons in general. He aimed his focus on the fact he'd saved someone for a change. Michonne was safe and healing and it was because of him and Sam. For once in a long while it was with positive thoughts that Dean Winchester finally drifted off to sleep.

A/N: don't forget to review! :D