Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

Shades of Grey

Chapter 25 – Illusions

"Dean, you don't understand. By tonight the vampire blood should be gone. But your brother might still think he is a vampire. If he does, he'll act like one…do you understand me Dean? He'll try to kill you so that he can feed."

Dean stopped long enough to grab his back pack from the car, loading it with what he thought he might need. He also grabbed his bed roll, just in case he had to spend the night. "Tell Dad that I've gone after him. I'll call him as soon as I find him. How will I know that the vampire blood is gone David?"

"The fever will have gone and your brother will no longer have the ability to heal quickly. But Dean, you need to be careful. Remember what I said, with no one to convince him otherwise, Sam may believe he is still a vampire and act like one. Anyone that comes in contact with him could be in danger."

"I understand, but he's my brother and I promised him that nothing bad would happen to him. I always keep my promises to Sam." Dean started to track his brother as he headed into the forest.

Luckily Sam wasn't trying to hide his trail, so Dean was able to follow it easily enough. "Sam, it's a good thing I'm not Kate or you'd be in big trouble!" Dean said to himself as he noticed that Sam seemed to be heading for the town they stayed in before Sam was kidnapped. Dean figured that Sam was heading back for the last place that he remembered they had been. "OK Sam lets just hope that you don't do anything stupid before I get to you." Dean began to move quicker. He had to find Sam soon.

Sam had woken from his uneasy slumber, groaning from the pain that still clung to him. He gazed around the woods and realized that he had slept for quite a while. He had to get moving; he had to get to the hotel before night or Kate would find him. Sam stumbled to his feet and set off for the town once more. It took him most of the day to reach the small town, but he began to breathe easier once he saw the hotel. "I'm coming Dean…please be there!" Sam mumbled as he went around back to the room that they had stayed in.

As he approached the room, he saw that it was boarded up. The window was broken out and their appeared to have been a fire. "DEAN!" Sam yelled as he kicked the door in on the room. His shocked eyes looked at the damage, including the blood. Sam fell to his knees and sobbed. "Oh God Dean, I'm too late. They got you too!" Not knowing what else to do, Sam quickly left the hotel and headed back towards the woods. As he headed back into the woods, he thought he saw a familiar figure. He paused, wiping the sweat from his face trying to make it out. Before he could figure it out, he heard a loud shout from behind him.

"Hey buddy! You gonna pay for that door?" Sam turned and saw the hotel manager heading in his direction. Sam growled and began to advance on the man, suddenly realizing that he needed something that this man could provide…he needed fresh blood and this man was just what the doctor ordered.

The hotel manager stopped a few feet from Sam, fear evident in his eyes as he saw the man in front of him bear his teeth and head towards him. "What the hell!" The hotel manager turned to run, but he only took a few steps before Sam was on top of him.

Sam knocked the man to the ground, causing the man to hit his head and fall unconscious. "This is too easy!" Sam smirked as he pushed the man's shirt aside and started towards his shoulder.

"SAMMY NO!"

Sam's head jerked up as he saw the figure of his brother running towards him. But that couldn't be, his brother had to be dead. Sam jumped to his feet and headed back towards the woods. He had to get away before he was caught.

Dean ran as fast as he could, but he had to stop to check on the hotel manager. His blood had run cold when he saw his brother attack the man. Dean sighed with relief when he noticed that Sam hadn't been able to bite the man. With luck, the hotel manager would just chalk it up to a drunk. Dean moved the hotel manager onto the sidewalk where he could be easily found and after checking to make sure that he had a strong pulse, moved to follow his brother.

Sam heard the sounds of pursuit behind him. He had to find a place to hide; he couldn't go back…Kate would kill him for sure this time. Sam continued to move as quickly as he could, but his body was betraying him again. Looking around, Sam saw that he was approaching the edge of a cliff; he stopped and looked down to see a ridge just a few feet below. If he was careful, he could make it. Sam turned as he heard a sound behind him. He didn't have a choice, he had to hide. Turning, Sam jumped and landed hard on the ridge below. A smile broke over his face as he saw the small cave to his left. It had been hidden from the view above. Moving quickly, Sam pulled himself into the small opening and once again gave into the darkness that was calling for him.

Dean continued to follow the trail. His brother couldn't be that far ahead of him. "SAMMY!" Dean yelled again, hoping that his brother would respond. There was no telling what was going through his brother's messed up mind. He still had trouble getting the image of Sam attacking the hotel manager out of his head. "Damn it Sammy…answer me! You know how I hate camping!" Dean slowed down and took a closer look. Sam's steps were more staggered. He never thought he'd be glad that his brother wasn't operating at 100 percent.

Dean noticed that the sun was beginning to set. Soon it would be getting cold and he knew that Sam didn't have a coat. Of course, with the night, Sam might also come back to his senses, but then he'd remember what had almost happened. Dean continued to follow Sam's trail, hoping he could get to him before it was too late.

Sam came to in a cramped cave. He looked around him wondering how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered…suddenly the events of the past few days began to filter back into his memory. He saw his brother thrown against the wall…his father stuck on the ceiling and the hotel manager…"God, it didn't work…I'm still a vampire." Sam closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto his arms. After all he had suffered and it hadn't worked. Suddenly in the distance he heard someone calling his name.

"SAMMY! I know you're close by…you have to answer me. Damn it Sammy I know you're here some where!"

"Dean?" Sam said softly, swallowing as in the same moment he was overcome by a hunger…a need that had to be addressed. "NO! I can't…I won't" Sam fisted his hands, trying to quell the hunger that raged within.

The scene from his vision was suddenly back. He saw himself attacking Dean and sinking his teeth into his brother's shoulder. Dean looked at Sam as his brother slowly began to drink his life force. "Why Sammy? Why are you doing this?" Dean cried as he slowly closed his eyes. Sam sat up, blood dripping from his lips and threw his head back to let out a loud cry "NO!"

Sam shook his head as the vision left him with the normal pain in his head and this time the nausea couldn't be stopped. Sam found himself retching helplessly as he continued to see the accusation in his brother's eyes.

Dean had made it to the cliff and was getting frustrated. He knew that Sam was close, he could feel it. But his brother still refused to answer him. Suddenly he heard a familiar sound below him. Looking over the edge of the cliff, Dean only saw a ridge a short distance below. But he knew that sound.

"Sammy?" Dean said softly. "I can hear you getting sick Sammy, hold on I'm coming!"

Sam's head snapped up as he heard his brother's voice above him. He lurched to his feet and stepped out onto the ledge. "NO! Stay where you are Dean!"

Dean saw his brother's pale face in the moonlight. He was glad to see that the fever seemed to be gone and his brother's eyes, thought filled with fear and self loathing, appeared to be clear of the fever. "Sammy, you really gave me a scare little brother. Why don't you just sit down there and I'll come down to help you."

"No…Dean, you don't understand. It didn't work! I'm…I'm…Oh God Dean, I'm a monster…I tried to kill a man and would have if you hadn't called me. Even now, all I want to do is kill someone…I need blood Dean…stay away from me!"

"Sammy, listen to me. You aren't a vampire any more than I am. It's all in your mind Sam, you don't need blood and you'd never hurt me. Now let me come down there and we can straighten this all out."

Sam looked at Dean, a brief moment of hope showing in his eyes as he watched Dean adjust the backpack on his shoulder before stepping closer to the edge. But then he remembered, Dean would say anything to keep him from doing what needed to be done. "I'm sorry Dean…I can't ask you to end this…but end it must." Sam calmly walked closer to the edge of the ridge; he turned one more time to look at Dean. "Don't blame yourself Dean; this really is for the best."

Dean jumped and raced towards his brother, his fingers actually touching his shirt before his brother disappeared over the edge. "NO! SAMMY!"

But the only sound was the sound of rocks falling along with his little brother as they headed for the bottom of the cliff.

TBC

Raven524: I know, a cliffie…but I just couldn't help myself. I promise I won't make you wait too long…next chapter should be up by tomorrow night!