.-.-.-.Death Markers.-.-.-.

I'm a bad person… I deserve to be punished. I haven't updated in ages… haven't been able to get down to some serious writing but here we are and can you hear the crescendo? Yeah… yeah… I know, just shut up and let us read the story 'cause you took so damn long to update but let me tell you – you probably owe this update to me being too afraid to sleep for fear of freaky little cuddly teddy bears singing 'Teddy Bear's Picnic' entering and taunting me in my dreams… okay, long story… well, no it's not… but it's too late to explain, lol.

Anyway, please enjoy! Thank you for your patience!!!!

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

38. Thou Shalt Not Kill

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Mary's smile became wicked and twisted as she listened, she never noticed her grip on Sam loosening but Sam did, though he knew better than to act so soon. They needed information and it seemed that Nex himself was here to give it up freely.

"Why five?" Dean asked, still trying to pull his hand away.

"Because it's so easily split that way." He shrugged, "You see, there is my life force which was given to a dying child."

Dean shook his head and glanced at the scene in front of him, he refused to meet anybody's eyes as Sam and Bobby looked towards him.

"Then there is my desire." Nex continued and as he did, Dean felt a searing pain in his guts reminding him of where the knife had been dug in.

"And my mind." Dean nearly bit his tongue as he tried to fight against the flash of pain that ignited another headache and he heard an echo of a memory, remembering the Doc's little 'procedure'.

"And my heart." Dean winced as he remembered lying half conscious in that bed with Mary holding a hand on his chest and pain flared up deep in his chest as his heart pounded at the memory. "And yes, demons do have hearts. Not exactly pure but they're there."

Bobby ground his teeth together as he listened to Nex and watched the fear and pain glistening in Dean's eyes. Dean was obviously piecing the words together, even if Bobby didn't understand… unless the demon meant… but no… that was impossible.

"Didn't you start to wonder why it just kept getting harder and harder to resist? Because each time a little bit more of me was going into you…"

"Wh… what's the last?" Dean stammered, unsure he even wanted to know the answer.

"My sins." Nex smirked and pressed Dean's hand more so the knife sliced a little into the throat, "Which is why it is so fitting that you kill me… well, the Doc here actually '… just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.'"

"And then what? You'll… you'll possess me?"

"No! Never! As much as I would want to, I mean who wouldn't? You would be my right hand man so to speak… you would be the knife that I wield… but for now, I need to get all the pieces in one place and where better?"

Dean felt himself go slack, the only reason he was still standing was because Nex was keeping him up. Everything he'd been through had all been planned, it was all leading to this moment, so that Nex would have his weapon and his essence back together and it didn't matter what Dean did.

"Dean?" Sam questioned, frowning when he saw that raging fire in Dean's eyes go dim.

"So what do you say Dean? Slit my throat and become who you're meant to be or try and fight it and get Sammy's throat slit in the process?" Nex taunted.

But Dean didn't reply, mind too chaotic to take it all in. Everything sounded muffled, his vision blurred, he was losing himself. He looked up lazily, eyes catching the unfocused but worried face of Sam who was mouthing something to him but he couldn't make it out, the blood was pounding in his ears, heart thumping, breathing hard. He was just some demon's bitch? After everything? That's what was meant for him? No. No.

"No."

"What did you say?" Nex demanded, eyes narrowing.

"I don't belong to you. I don't belong to anyone. You can take you're freaking essence and shove it where the freaking sun don't shine 'cause I don't want it! I don't want any of it! Any of this! So get the hell out of my mind and out of me!" Dean growled dangerously, fire coursing through his veins, anger flaring.

"You want you're precious Sammy to die?" Mary asked, dumbfounded.

"You hurt him and I'll kill you. I swear." Dean promised, turning his gaze on her.

Sam smiled at his brother, taking a deep breath; this was the Dean he knew. He looked over at Dean who was staring determinedly at Mary and Sam realised he could feel Mary's heart pounding in her chest and could feel her body trembling, she was scared. She had good right to be because in one swift and calculated move, Sam grabbed her arm and pulled the knife away from his throat, twisting her around so she was now in front of him with the knife pressed against hers.

"Let him go." Sam commanded.

Nex looked down at the knife and then up at Sam, "He's the one that's got me."

"Let him go." He repeated.

"Or what? She means nothing to me. Just like this shell means nothing to me. The only thing that's important is my weapon."

Dean tensed, every time he tried to pull away; he felt his body going numb, unable to complete the task.

"I won't give him up. Not when I'm so close. He's mine."

"No, he's ours." Bobby snarked, clicking his tongue slightly and stepping into the scene, he brought his gun up to the Doc's temple, "Now let him go or I will blow your hosts brains out."

Swirling green eyes met Bobby's and Nex snarled, who did these people think they were? Trying to take away what was rightfully his? "That'll buy you what? Ten minutes at the most? And then I'll just possess one of those kids out there and I'd love to see you take one of them down."

"Try me."

"You want my host to die that badly?" The smile on the Doc's lips was so wrong that Bobby wondered just what Nex was thinking.

Before he had chance to react though, before any of them had a chance to react, Nex tightened his grip on Dean's wrist and guided the knife swiftly across the Doc's throat. Dean yelped, pain spiking up his arm, and finally managed to pull away as blood pooled from the open wound and the Doc's eyes went dim and his body fell to the ground.

Dean stared down as the knife dropped numbly from his hands and he took several steps back, taking deep uneven breaths. He looked up helplessly at Sam, eyes pleading, "I… I couldn't stop him… it doesn't… it doesn't count… right?"

"You held the knife that did it. Of course it counts." Mary nodded, overjoyed at what she'd seen, "I never really liked Bill much anyway - he was annoying."

"Shut your mouth bitch!" Dean growled at her, his body shaking so much that he had to lean against the wall to steady himself.

"Dean, come on, we've got to get out of here." Sam's voice was barely a whisper, worry and shock taking all his strength, "Bobby…"

"I got it." Bobby replied before Sam even had chance to utter the request, bending down to pick the bloodied knife up. He looked over at Dean and held his arm out in an offer for support.

Dean shook his head, body still trembling. He backed away from Bobby, sliding along the wall, "You can't… what if I… what if…"

"Dean, you're coming with us. You're going to be fine. I promise." Bobby growled, inching closer, arm still held out.

"You can't trust me." Dean said simply, shaking his head.

"I trust you with my life boy, now get your damn ass over here before I tear you a new one." Bobby threatened.

Dean looked down at the dead doctor and then at his shaking hands. There was no blood on them; he'd been released too quickly for the blood to reach his hands, so why did he see them stained with the sickly crimson liquid when he looked at them? Why could he taste the metallic and coppery taste of blood in his mouth?

"Dean, come on." Sam growled from near the door, still keeping tight hold of Mary, "I can here people outside."

Dean lifted his head and tilted it to the side, eyes a swirling mix of green, mouth twisted into a sinister smirk. Sam took a deep breath and cursed, this week was just getting better and better.

"You said you weren't going to possess him." Bobby pointed out but the demon spared him no thought, the green eyes landing on Mary who began to squirm in Sam's hold.

"No! You can't." She pleaded, "It should be the other way around! You can't!"

The eyes looked her up and down, studying her before Dean… no, it wasn't Dean, it was Nex… shrugged and headed straight towards her. She stamped her foot down on Sam's and whether it was out of shock that his possessed brother was coming straight at him or because of the pain but he released her and before he could regain his grip, she was in Dean's… arms. She began sobbing, still trying to pull away but Dean… no, Nex… moved one hand up and gripped the back of her neck and though she didn't stop struggling, she did fall silent.

And then Dean leant in, one deep and passionate kiss that she didn't return at first but then she brought her own hand up to the back of his neck and Sam noticed that it was no longer her struggling to break away, but Dean. And when the kiss did end and Dean had managed to pull out of it, his eyes had returned to their normal colour as they sent daggers towards Mary.

"Best damn kiss I've ever had." Mary laughed, still keeping her hand on the back of Dean's neck. Dean snarled at her but she only smiled back, eyes a soft glowing green, "Guess I'm back in the game properly now."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.