Claire exhaled a long wary sigh and slammed the laptop closed. When Sam had said he was bringing her along, she'd hoped it meant he'd finally come around to her joining the family business. That he's accepted she wanted to hunt, and this was her chance to learn on the job. She probably should have known better, really.
Almost from the moment they'd arrived in town, she'd been put on research duty, while Sam and Dean got all dressed up in their smart FBI suits and had headed out to meet with the local sheriff. She's argued, obviously. Tried to convince them that she could go with them.
"And if someone see you?" Dean had quizzed, brows raised.
Claire huffed, shrugging nonchalantly while glaring at her uncle. "Take your daughter to work day." she'd argued back logically.
When Dean had laughed, shaking his head, she'd fallen onto the dining chair and shot him murderous looks.
"Claire, no one will believe you're either of our daughter. You're way to old."
Claire had rolled her eyes, mostly out of protest. She knew he was right, of course he was right, didn't mean she was going to smile and agree. "I might as well have stayed at the bunker." she'd crumbled, reaching furiously for the computer.
She'd heard Dean grumble something but had been able to make out what was said. Then they were gone, leaving her alone in the motel room.
That was almost two hours ago, and frankly Claire was bored and pissed. There was nothing online, and the police radio was silent. Shoving herself out of the chair, she snatched her leather jacket off the bed and headed for the door, not forgetting to grab the key. If they weren't willing to show her the ropes, she'd just have to work them out for herself. - And she was hungry.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
The barman had been no help at all, unless testing her patience was considered helpful. Frankly it had taken all her self-restraint not to stab him in the face after the third time he tried to get her to head out back with him. - Even after she'd revealed her age.
With no leads on the victim, and with a text from Sam saying they were looking into a lead and order in a pizza, Claire had grabbed a table in the far corner and ordered herself a burger, making herself comfortable, and just letting her mind wander. Hunting wasn't ease, but she'd known that, yet sit was what she wanted to do. Sam had said it was a natural reaction to losing her parents, that she just wanted revenge, but Claire didn't think that was true. She wanted to help. It was like a calling, a quiet voice in the back of her mind telling her to fight back against the constant darkness. It didn't matter what Sam wanted for her. This was the life she wanted for herself, and if Sam and Dean, and even Gabriel had a problem with that, well…she'd just have to hit the road.
The wind had picked up when she stepped out of the bar, and she tugged her jacket tighter around her. It was almost 10pm, and while neither of the brothers had decided to check in with her, she was beginning to feel an uncomfortable need to be back in the safety of the motel room. She could pick up her investigation tomorrow.
She was heading back towards the motel when she heard it, a struggle in an alley across the street. A muffled scream that set her heart racing. Looking around, she frowned briefly as the few people that were making their way through town seemed to have either not heard the noise or were willingly ignoring it. - Though considering she could hear it from across the street, she'd got with option two.
Looking both ways, she rushed across the busy road and towards the alley. She waited until she was wrapped in the cover of darkness before pulling her weapon, not wanted to be seen with a gun in a strange town. The noise was coming from the end of the alley, and when she grabbed and switched on her small flashlight and aimed it, she's caught sight of two figures, and man going by his build, holding onto a struggling woman. His head was bend over her neck and Claire felt her heart begin to race. Either he was giving her one hell of a hickey, or he was feeding.
Speeding up, she raised her weapon. "Hey, you okay there?" she called, and felt her stomach twist at the desperate weak cry for her. "Police, step away! Now!"
The man turned, teeth bared as he hissed at her furiously. Claire didn't even hesitate, squeezing the trigger and pinning the gun with three bullets. He cried out in pain, but barreled towards her, his previous victim forgotten and running away in the opposite direction. Claire felt a mix of anger and relief at the sight, before she was slammed fully into the wall, her head bouncing off the brick with a sickening crack.
"Bitch." the vampire hissed, fingers tightening around her throat. "It's fine," he huffed, shaking his head. "You'll do just as well."
Her head was spinning, and his face seemed to swim in front of her, darkness crowding in from all sides, and then she felt it. The sharp sting of teeth against her throat, the warm trickle of blood rolling down beneath her jacket and shirt. She tried to push him off, tried to punch and kick, and scratch, but it was too late. Her legs turned to jelly beneath her and her heart slowed.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Sam stared at the house. It looked normal, white picket fence and all. He felt a twinge in his chest, the memory of the house back in Indiana. The thought instantly brought Claire to mind and he felt another twinge, he should probably check in.
"You coming?" Krissy called.
Tugging his cell out of his pocket, he shot off a quick text telling Claire to order intake out and they'd be back in an hour, then he slid it back into his pocket and followed Dean.
"Not what I'd call a compound." Dean remarked, glancing between the house and Sam.
Stepping inside didn't ease that feeling of loss and regret. The house was homely, with dark wood paneling in the hall. He watched Krissy and her friends vanish into separate parts of the house, the girls in the living room, with its green walls, book shelves and comfy looking couch and armchairs. Books open on the coffee table. The boy, he'd slipped into the kitchen, and Sam could see him from where he stood, helping himself to the fruit bowl.
"Uh?" Dean grunted, stepping into the living room, gaze searching. Sam close on his heels.
"What's wrong?" Krissy asked, turning to look at them curiously.
"Just not what I expected?" Dean replied.
"And what was that?" Krissy smirked.
"A little more Lord of the Flies, less Huxtables."
"Sorry to disappoint." Interrupted a smooth male voice from behind them, causing the pair to turn to greet the fellow hunter.
They'd met him before, years ago, but neither of them remembered much beyond his name. Obviously, he hadn't been someone they'd kept in their contact list, but that didn't necessarily mean anything bad. Mostly likely they just hadn't clicked the way they'd done with many of the hunters they occasionally worked with.
"Victor Rogers." he introduced himself, holding out his hand to them.
"We me, a Rugaru hunt in Washington. I'm Sam, this is Dean."
Victor looked between them, then smiled with recognition, "Oh yeas. The Winchesters."
"Right." Sam nodded.
Their reunion was interrupted when the other girl, Josephine, came up to them, her features sad but peacefully. Victor turned, opening his arms for her to step into and squeezing her tight. Sam smiled at the scene, warmth flooding his chest as he thought of Claire.
"Better now?" Victor said gently.
"Much."
"And what do we always say?"
"Move on, but never forget."
"Good." Victor smiled, "Now, don't you have a trig test in the morning?"
She nodded, smiling at them all before hurrying up the stairs. She'd barely gotten half way before Aidan strolled out of the kitchen.
"Oh, I'm good, Vic. No test. I'm gonna chill. Play video games."
"Yeah," Victor nodded, "keep dreaming. I asked you to clean your room twice and you still haven't done it. Go on." he ordered, nodding to the stairs. "And you," turning to greet Krissy.
"Full report about the hunt on your desk by morning."
Victor smiled at her warmly, bowing in gratitude.
It was weirdly normal. It could almost have been him, Gabriel and Claire a couple of months ago, before it all when to hell. Sam glanced over at Dean, who looked confused and more than a little suspicious.
"Okay, I'll be in my room." Krissy said, marching off past them all.
"Drink?" Victor offered, turning back to them.
"Sure." Dean grumbled, lips pinched together.
While Victor poured them each a whisky, He and Dean made themselves comfortable on the couch.
"Okay, so how does this work?" Dean demanded when Victor handed him a glass and took the armchair, facing them. "After-after soccer practice and, and, and the bake sale, they chop vampires' heads off?"
"Well, yeah, I think a balanced approach is best, don't you?"
"They're kids? They shouldn't be hunting at all." Dean insisted, angrily.
Sam shifted awkwardly on the sofa, dropping his gaze to his glass. He knew what Dean was trying to get at, but, well they'd gone to school, he'd played soccer and dated, and gone to prom. He'd done all of that and then gone out and hunted vampires and werewolves and burned ghosts.
"You gotta break this up right now."
"When I found them, they were lost, confused and angry." Victor looked between them, "I give the family and purpose, and you wanna take all that away? Why?"
"So, they don't get killed." Sam pointed out.
"They know the risks."
"Yeah, but why take them?" Sam asked, brows pinched tight.
"Because the next generation of hunters has to be better."
"Better than what?"
"Better than us." Victor snapped warily, letting out a bitter laugh, "Come on, guys, I know your friends. I mean, Martin was insane…" he leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "and somebody obviously dropped Garth on his head when he was a baby, and I know you two loved that Bobby guy, but he was a barely functional alcoholic."
Sam gritted his teeth, tensing as he felt anger practically roll of Dean.
"What it." Dean warned.
"No disrespect meant. - But Josephine is an all-state athlete and National Merit Scholar. Aidan is so fast he could pick your pocket before you could blink, and Krissy, well, she's just a natural born leader and hunter."
"So, what?" Dean snapped.
"So, these kids are the cream of the crop. They are The Beatles. They are the Dream Team. And once they get their revenge…they'll be better hunters than any of us ever dreamed of."
Sam shifted uncomfortably. He felt torn, he hated the idea of kids hunting, it was why he'd fought Claire so hard. He wanted her to have a normal life, a happy safe life. - That said, he couldn't deny that Victor had a point, there would always be monsters, even once they closed the gates of hell there would still be vamps, ghost and other creatures praying on the innocent, and those things needed to be stopped. Maybe Victor's way was the better option. Maybe training kids to take over while giving them a seemingly normal 'balanced' existence would work out best for everyone.
How might he and Dean's lives have been different if they'd been given what Krissy had? Would his relationship with his dad have been better if John was more like Victor? Would it be better if he stopped fight against Claire, and started fighting with her? Gabriel certainly thought so.
Victor exhaled, rubbing at his eyes. "You know what I realized?" he began quietly, not looking at the boys. "These kids, they don't have to live the way we have. Crappy hotel rooms. Always moving. No family. No life." he looked up, meeting Sam's gaze. "It's not the only way."
Sam pressed his lips together, closing his eyes.
"Alright, well we've got stuff to do." Dean said abruptly, setting his glass down on the coffee table with a loud thud, and getting to his feet.
Sam followed suit, smiling apologetically to Victor, who was also getting up.
"Of course," Victor nodded, following them to the door, "I'd say you don't have to stick around, but I know you're going to," he looked Dean dead in the eye, "reassure yourself Krissy is safe," he nodded, "So please, why don't you boys come for dinner tomorrow."
"Sure." Dean agreed.
There was a tense few seconds before they finally said goodnight and Victor closed the door.
"This is crazy." Dean grunted, marching off back to the Impala.
"Is it? They got a pretty good life." Sam argued.
"Kids aren't supposed to hunt, Sam."
"We did."
"Yeah, look what that did for us." Dean grumbled, shaking his head.
Sam couldn't help but scoff, once upon a time Dean would sing the praises of their childhood. Never acknowledging just how shitty it really was. Sam supposed it was progress that Dean was finally accepting how their upbringing had screwed over. - The irony was Sam was beginning to accept that maybe Claire hunting wouldn't be so bad. "Maybe they're doing right. Maybe they can hunt and have a real life."
"You know that's not true."
"Why, because it didn't work for us?" Sam frowned.
"Because it doesn't work for anybody."
Sam sighed, this wasn't about the kids, he suddenly realized. It was about so much more. It was about him and Gabriel, about Castiel. It was about Dean's continued belief that he couldn't be a hunter and have a family of his own. "Okay. So, what do you want to do?" he muttered warily, "Because Victor's not gonna stop this."
"They said they were hunting nests, right?" Dean said, watching Sam over the roof of the Impala, keys in hand.
"Yeah."
"Well then, lets hunt it for them. That way, until we figure out what to do with Victor, they stay safe."
Sam's shoulders slumped. "Alright, um, so what's your move?"
"First, we head back to the motel, check on Claire."
Sam's inhaled deeply, biting back a smile.
"Get some sleep. In the morning, I'll head to the hospital to talk to the girl we found tied up. Something doesn't smell right 'bout that." he shook his head. "While I'm doing that, you and Claire can come back here and keep an eye on the Brady Bunch, make sure they don't go looking for any more vamps." he yanked open the car door and claimed inside.
"Okay." Sam agreed, settling into the passenger seat.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Claire woke up with a pounding, burning headache. It took her forever to open her eyes, and when she did she instantly closed them again, the light from the bulb above her sending shocks of pain through her head. Rolling over onto her stomach, she pushed herself up, turning her back to the light before attempting once more to open her eyes.
It still hurt, but she could deal with it. Forcing the dizziness and pain away, she tried to focus on her surroundings. She was in a cabin, bunk beds and blankets scattered around, and the fresh scent of damp trees and earth filtering in from beyond the wooden logs that made up the walls.
She scrambled to her feet and tried to drag herself over to the window, only to discover after a few steps that she was chaired to the foot of the bed. The cold metal biting into her bare ankle. Looking down at herself she winced, seeing blood staining the front of her shirt and jeans.
Claire shuffled back to the bed, lowering herself down on its edge and tugged at the chain, lifting her leg to examine it more closely. Panic began to slowly creep up on her as she remembered the previous night. The argument with Sam and Dean. Skipping out of the motel without so much as leaving a note behind. The vamp in the alley.
Forgetting all about the chain at her ankle, Claire hurried began to riffle through her pockets. The vamp, assuming that was who was responsible for her being tied up right now, had emptied her pockets, which included her motel room key, her phone and her damn lock-pick.
She growled furiously at herself and punched at the bedpost, feeling her knuckle crack. Drawing her hand to her chest she shivered, the shock of her situation finally taking hold of her whole body. She felt back against the bed, her knees pressed against her chest. Her head began to pound more viciously, and her insides felt like they were on fire. She was hungry, and her stomach clenched hard with need.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
"What the hell do you mean, you can't find her!" Gabriel yelled down the line. "You said you'd look after her, Sam! You fucking promised!"
"I know." Sam muttered, breathless and pacing. Gabriel had every right to be pissed at him right now, because he'd not only broken his promise, but he'd let both Gabriel and more importantly Claire down. He shouldn't have left her hauled up in a dingy motel room all afternoon, while he and Dean went to talk to the local police sheriff.
When they'd returned to find the place empty, and a note from Claire about going to get food, he should have insisted on waiting for her to get back before heading back out. Instead what had he done? He'd changed out of his suit, scribbled a quick not telling her he and Dean were looking into something and ordering her to stay in the room, and then he'd gone off with Dean hunting down Krissy and her friends.
What made it worse, he hadn't so much as thought about calling Claire to check in. Granted, it was because he hadn't expected it to take so long to find the teenager, and once they had, everything had gotten a little crazy.
"We left her in the motel, but she left."
"Of course, she left." Gabriel spat furiously, "You took her on a hunt and then dumped her in a motel room while you and your moronic brother went out to hunt fucking vampires! What made you think for a second, she was going to just stay there? Did you forget the last time?"
Sam pinched the bridge of his nose tight, wincing and dropping down onto the end of the bed. "We couldn't have taken her with us to the sheriff's office!" he argued back, lamely. "How would we have explained her being there?"
"Take your daughter to work day!"
Sam could almost laugh, had it not been for the fear that was growing in his gut. "Come on Gabriel?"
"You two asshole lie for a living, and you've never been called out on your bullshit before, you telling me you couldn't come up with something plausible between you?"
Sam closed his eyes, head in his hand. Of course, they could have been convinced, they'd gotten people to believe worse, and frankly, the sheriff was so gullible he'd have brought whatever they were selling.
"Find her Sam. Forget the damn vampires and find our daughter, or I swear to my father, I will kill you myself!" he seethed, ending the call.
Sam stared down at the cell with a sigh. He then let his thumb move over the screen, pulling up Claire's contact info and hitting call.
As it had done the last ten times he'd tried, the thing rang out and he muttered a curse under his breath. Ending the unanswered call again, he dropped his head into his hand, panic chewing up his insides. This was exactly why he hadn't wanted Claire hunting. She could be out there, hurt.
She wouldn't be if you're just taken her along. His mind reminded him. The cell vibrated beside him and he hurried to answer, holding his breath. "Dean? Have you found her?"
Once Sam had gotten back to the motel and found it empty, he'd called Dean. His brother had decided after leaving Victor Rogers to go talk to the woman they'd saved from the vampire, but when Sam had said that Claire was missing, Dean hadn't even hesitated, he's turned the car around and headed straight back to the motel. They'd decided that it would be a good idea for Sam to stay at the motel in case Claire returned, while Dean hit the local diners and bars. That was forty minutes ago.
"A barman at a local bar said he saw her six hours ago. She asked some questions about the guy killed by the river, then ordered a burger and coke, before leaving."
"What about the Sheriff?"
"No one's seen her." Dean sighed, clear worry tinging his normal cool determination.
"Dammit." Sam swore, dragging his fingers through his hair. "Gabriel is going to kill us."
He expected Dean to say something defensive, but all he heard was a long sigh and then his brother muttered, "We'd deserve it. We shouldn't have left her in the room alone. - Better yet, we shouldn't have brought her with us at all." he growled.
Sam winced, shaking his head. "Dean?"
"No, Sammy. It was dumb to bring her. She's a kid,"
"She's almost eighteen Dean." Sam argued, "I, we can't keep her from hunting if she wants to."
Dean growled down the phone. "I find it amazing that you spent almost your whole life complaining how dad dragging us into this life, and now you're willing to do the same thing!" he snapped angrily.
Sam inhaled sharply. "I'm not dragging her into this, she was already part of this life the second Cas took Jimmy Novak as a vessel, and Crowley's demons killed her mom."
Dean scoffed, and Sam sighed.
"Look Dean, right now all I want to do is find my daughter, okay?"
There was a long drawn out silence and then Dean exhaled down the phone, "Okay. - It can't be a coincidence that Claire's vanished while looking into this vampire case. I'm going to head back to that motel we found Krissy at, ask some questions about the vamp."
Sam nodded, glancing around the room. "I'll keep an ear on the police radio."
"Maybe you should head back to Victor's place, he might know something that could get us a lead."
Sam nodded to himself, that made sense. "Yeah, I'll do that."
"Alright. I'll call if I find something."
"Same."
With that, Dean hung up. Sam got to his feet and headed for the door.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
A sound from the darkness caught Claire's attention and he cracked open her eyes to see a hooded figured stalking towards her, instantly she scrambled off the bed only for her feels to turn to jelly beneath her and she crumpled. The figure let out a husky chuckle and Claire winched at the loudness of the sound.
"Don't worry sweetheart, it'll all be over soon." he grunted, dropping to his knees in front of her. "Just a little while longer. We just need to make a little trip."
He unlocked the chain around her ankle and Claire tried to lung forward, prepared to attack but she felt so weak. She'd started to shiver but her skin felt as if it was on fire. She felt sick to the very pit of her stomach as her insides churned and rolled. There was the overpowering scent of vomit that made her gag.
Then she was being yanked to her feet and dragged out of the cabin and into fresh damp air.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Sam hurried up the path, taking the porch steps two at a time. His heart hadn't stopped racing since he's returned to the motel to find Claire gone. Taking in a huge gulp of air, Sam raised his fist and hammered on the door.
He wasn't waiting long before the door swung open and Victor stood frowned up at him. "Sam?"
"I need everything you have on these vampire's attacks?" Sam demanded breathlessly, eyes desperate and pleading.
Roger stared at him, "Of course, why the rush?" he stepped back, waving his arm for Sam to step inside.
"My daughter's gone missing."
There was a long silence, "Your daughter?"
Sam nodded, "Claire. She came along with us on this hunt." he informed the older man, pacing the living room. "She was meant to stay at the motel and do research," he shook his head, "but she wasn't there when I got back."
Roger was staring up at him again, features tight with worry. "How old is she?"
"18." Sam answered, and sighed when he saw the somewhat judgement way Roger was staring at him, "She's adopted. She was the daughter of a…. friend, me and my…. partner took in when her mom died."
"I though you and Dean didn't agree with training a new generation of hunters?" he asked, indignant.
Sam met his gaze, "Dean didn't, I… I was…," he dragged his hand though his hair, "This is exactly what I was scared of, though. Just because Claire what's to hunt doesn't mean she should." he snapped, frustration and anger tinging his voice.
"But you brought her on a hunt?"
Sam sighed, pacing, "I - I hoped we could reach a compromise. I thought if I brought her on the hunt, I could show her just how hard this life is, then she'd reconsider college. She'd get out before it cost her…" he inhaled sharply, shaking his head, "She was meant to stay in the damn motel!" Sam spat, furious at himself and Claire.
Roger watched him closely for a few minutes, then straightened his back, "Okay, Sam. Come into my office, I'll show you want I have."
"Thank you." Sam inclined his head, hurrying to follow the man.
Victor led him down the hall and through the kitchen, then down into the basement. It was dimly lit, which maps pinned to the walls and a computer in the corner behind a large wooden desk that looked like an antique. There was a roe of filing cabinets and yet more bookshelves. He couldn't make out the titles, but it was reasonable to assume this was where they kept the occult books. He'd planned on doing something similar with the house in Indiana, but never got the chance.
Victor led him over to the desk and handed over a thick file. "This is all I have on the vampires we've come across so far."
Sam flipped open the pages, scanning the details. "You never found the nest."
Victor shook his head. "But its likely local. I'm sure we'll find it soon enough."
Sam clenched his jaw, frustrated at the lack of information. Then he frowned down at the picture of the vampire Josephine had killed earlier, his brows pinching as something came back to him. When they'd returned to the motel, all he'd found was Claire's laptop, a notepad and a local paper dated three weeks ago.
"Sam?"
He looked up, eyes scanning the room as his mind put everything in place. The guy in Victor's files was on the front page he'd remembered briefly glancing at it when he lifted Claire's note pad. He was a returning war hero, but Josephine's parents had been killed months ago.
Something caught Sam's attention over by the computer and he hurried over to it, lifting the paper and inhaling sharply as he caught sight of Claire in a gas station car park.
Then the world when dark.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Dean yanked open the hotel room door and marched up to the counter, shoulder bumping one of the guest on his way. The guy behind the desk stared at him, brows pinched with recognition. "Ah. Nice to see you again."
"Yeah, I bet." Dean grunted, "Listen, I need to know who checked into room 215 earlier?" he reached into his pocket, pulling out a stack of folded bills. Counting out $60 and slamming it down on the counter.
The clerk grabbed the bills, counting them before answering. "Some guy wearing a hoodie, so it was hard to make out his face."
"Did he drive a blue van by any chance?"
"Do I look like a valet?"
Dean glared, he wasn't in the mood to play nice right then. Claire could be in danger and if it meant smashing this guy's face into the desk, then so be it. Thankfully, one look at his face had the clerk spilling the beans.
"He took one of those." he gestured to the display of flyers.
Dean marched over, brows pinched. "Which one?"
"One that says lodge on it."
Dean pointed to the flyer, when the guy confirmed he tore it from the wall. "Conway Springs Lodge?"
"Yup, big during the summer season, but this time of year it's closed."
Dean gritted his teeth. Closed huh? Perfect place for a hide out. "How far away is it from here?"
"It's a couple miles down the road."
Without so much as a thank you, Dean rushed out of the hotel and back to the Impala.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Claire groaned, burying her face deeper into the sweat soaked pillow, her knees pressed to her chest. The pain was like nothing she'd ever felt, and tears ran down her face. She clothes were wet through with sweat and rain from her trip outside.
She'd been dragged back into the cabin an hour ago after a short trip to the local gas station. She'd hoped to take the opportunity of him letting her out of his sight to escape, but she'd barely made it fifty feet before he was dragging her back into the van and returning to the vile smelling cabin.
Now she was alone once more, drifting in and out of consciousness, hungry and scared. She should never have left the motel room.
She shook as a broken sob ripped through her at the realization that she was never going to see her dads again. That her stupidity was going to get her killed. Sam was never going to forgive her, and Gabriel…well, he was probably never forgive Sam, and it was all her fault.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
It was almost dawn when Dean pulled up to the cabin, rain tapping out an eerily comforting rhythm on the roof of the Impala. He'd tried to call Sam, twice but both time the line was engaged, he was probably talking to Gabriel again.
Shutting off the Impala, Dean got out and headed around to the boot to grab a machete, before cautiously making his way towards the cabin. He prayed he was right about this, and that he wasn't too late. If they were lucky the vamps hadn't killed Claire outright, but were rather holding her as food. It would make sense, especially with Victor and the others hunting them. It would work in their favor to hold Claire and lay low.
He paused outside the door, listening for any sight of movement before quietly tugging on the handle. The door opened without so much as a squeak and Dean exhaled a relieved breath. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the flashlight and stepped into the dark interior.
The small hit him instantly and it took all his self-control not to throw up. He gaged silently and moved deeper into the large cabin, past empty bunks. A whimpering sound had him speeding up and he turned the corner to find a shaking heap on the bunk a few feet away.
"Claire!" Dean gasped, hurrying over to the teenager, turning her over and helping her sit up.
"D-Dean?" she whispered, voice weak and broken, she lifted her face to look and him and Dean's stomach dropped.
"Shit, Claire." he whispered, shaking his head and brushing her damp hair out of her face. "What did they do to you?"
"V-vamp-ire." she stuttered.
"No shit." Dean sighed, he got to his feet and marched over to the light switch.
"No shut them off," Claire whined, "It's too bright!" dropping her head back down into the covers.
Dean swallowed thickly and hurried back to her, "I'm sorry, sweetheart." he whispered, "but I need to check." sitting her up, he tilted her head back and pulled back her top lip. "Have you feed?" he sniffed at her breath, only to recoil at the scent of vomit.
"Please make it go away," Claire wept, "It hurts so much."
Dean stroked back her hair, exhaling a long breath. If she was in that much pain, she hadn't fed, which meant there was still hope. "Where's the vamp that bit you?"
Claire shook her head, crying.
"It's okay, sweetheart." he pulled her into a hug, only push her away as her mouth met his neck. "No." he snapped, getting to her feet. "We're going to fix this, Claire, but you can't…"
Claire shook her head, "I know," she shivered. "I know."
Dean's heart pounded with panic. "The vamp that grabbed you," he asked, "was he wearing a hoodie and driving a blue van?"
Claire frowned, shaking her head. "I…yeah, yeah."
"Okay." Dean breathed, stepping up to Claire and helping her to her feet. "Come on, let's get you out of here and then we'll find hoodie guy."
"Dean!"
Dean spun, eyes wide with surprise to find Krissy and her sidekicks stood glowering at him, guns drawn. Taking a deep breath, Dean took a step closer to the three newcomers. "Put those away and we can talk."
Krissy looked past him to Claire, "Why are you with the vampire that killed my dad?"
Dean frowned, looking back to Claire then returning his gaze to Krissy. "She didn't kill your pops." he argued.
"I don't want to hurt you, Dean. But I will if you don't move!"
"Listen to me, Krissy," Dean sighed, sliding his machete into his belt, "She's innocent,"
"And how would you know what?" Josephine asked, voice shaking.
Dean looked between the teenagers, "Because she's my niece." he stated firmly, "She arrived in town with me and Sam yesterday."
"Your niece," Aiden scoffed, looking between Dean and Claire, "Right, sure."
"She's fresh-made," Dean said, ignoring the boy, "Your dad was killed months ago."
Krissy narrowed her eyes at him, "You never said you had a niece?"
Dean sighed, and reached for his pocket
"Hey!" Aiden yelled, taking a threatening step forward.
"Just getting my phone, to prove what I'm saying." he said, eyes fixed on Krissy. She nodded, and he continued, opening his phone and pulling up a photo of him, Sam, Claire and Charlie from a few months ago. He held out the phone to her, "Take a look. Check the date."
Krissy stared at the cell for a long moment before taking a step forward and accepting it, staring at it for a second before pulling up the information.
"That vamp that we killed last night?" Dean continued, "Why was he swearing he didn't do it?"
"Because he was a liar." Aiden sneered.
"Vampires don't beg for their lives," Dean shouted, "they attack!" he narrowed his gaze at the kid, finger raised in warning, "Last time I'm gonna ask nicely, take the damn guns off me or somebody's gonna get hurt."
"Big talk." Aiden scoffed.
"I know, it is, isn't it?" Dean smiled as he took a step forward and snatched the kids weapon before he had a chance to react. He cleared the chamber and tossed it aside.
"So, let's say this isn't the vamp who killed my dad," Krissy said, voice shaking with confusion and hurt.
Dean sighed but didn't say anything.
"She's still a monster and deserves to die." Krissy muttered, dangerously, gaze fixed on Claire.
Dean took a step to the side, putting himself between the two teenagers. "We can save her."
"What?" Aiden scoffed disbelievingly.
"She hasn't fed yet. We can reverse this is we find her maker and get his blood."
"And why should we care about her?"
Dean took a step closer to the kid, hovering over him threateningly, jaw tight. "Firstly, because she's my family and if you lay a finger on her, I'll kill you." he growled, "Secondly, hunting isn't always about killing."
Aiden inhaled sharply, his chest heaving.
"I want the bloodsucker who killed my dad to pay." Krissy insisted,
"And we're gonna find out what that is, but let's not be so bloodthirsty that just anyone will do."
"But Victor says it's her." Josephine argued, confused and panicked.
"And I'm saying it ain't. So, we're gonna pack her to go, and we're gonna ask Victor ourselves, okay?"
Krissy glanced over at Claire, who was doubling over again, eyes fixed on the other teenager. "Okay."
"Good." Dean nodded, turning away from the three teenagers and rushing back to Claire, "Come on," he muttered, helping her to her feet and wrapping a blanket around her shivering shoulders before leading her past Krissy, Josephine and Aiden.
"I'm coming with you." Krissy insisted when they got outside, "Just in case."
Dean rolled his eyes but nodded, helping Claire into the backseat.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Sam came around tired to a chair in the living room. It took him a few minutes to get his equilibrium back and then came the flood of anger and panic. "Claire!"
"Finally, you're awake, good. We don't have much time."
"For what?" Sam seethed.
"Picture this…" Victor said, tossing over the table next to the couch, "The kids arrive home victorious," he paused looking back at Sam, a look of regret in his gaze, "Sorry about Claire, by the way. If I'd know she belonged to you, I would never have let my friend here turn her, such a waste of potential. A girl raised by a Winchester would be an excellent addition to the family, but can't be helped." he sighed, stepping over to the window, "Now, where was I? Oh, yes, returning victorious, only to find you dead, in their living room. Seems that next of vampires they were hunting was seeking revenge."
Victor paced over to the coffee table, over turning it with a loud crash. "And killed you, thus, inspiring them to hunt even more."
Sam gritted his teeth, shaking his head. His eyes were burning, and a tear rolled down his cheek.
Victor stepped over to him, voice low. "I'm sorry, Sam. I know what you're feeling," he shook his head, "but I can't have anyone poisoning my kid's minds."
"Other than yourself, that is." he spat furiously.
Victor's face contorted with fury, "I don't need to justify my actions to you or your self-righteous ass of a brother!"
Sam glanced over to the guy hovering in the doorway, watching as he opened his mouth and allowed his teeth to extend. "You mean like why you're working with a vampire? So, what's he get out of this? Free roaming rights?"
Victor sighed, "We are at war. A war that we are losing. That Leviathan fiasco was a wakeup call. We have to do what we can to survive." He dropped down onto the edge of the couch, leaning towards Sam, his voice calm once more. "You've got to understand, Sam. You're a father. You know what it's like to lose a child."
Sam swallowed thickly, chest heaving.
"But now I have a second chance to make it all right." he slipped to his knees in front of Sam, "To create the next generation of hunters. Stronger. Faster. Smarter."
The sound of the front door opening caught them all off guard, and they turned surprised when Dean stepped into the house.
"Hey, we're home." he called, before freezing in the doorway of the living room, his eyes flickering from Victor, who was back on his feet with his gun drawn, and Sam.
"Claire?" Sam gasped, eyes wide with panic.
Dean gave a reassuring nod as the kids stepped in behind him, and Sam relaxed, shoulders slumping for a moment as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes.
"What is going on here?" Josephine demanded.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
Claire stared up at the roof of the Impala, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. A familiar scent seeping in through the vents, calling to her. Closing her eyes, she listened to the buzz of the streetlamps and the insects going about their day in the lawn. Her body was trembling and humming restlessly. She forced herself to sit up, turning her gaze towards the house. She caught the distant sound of voices, muffle and angry.
There was that smell again, the vamp. The son of a pitch that had turned her. He was in the house, in there with Sam and Dean. Gritting her teeth, Claire forced her body to cooperate with her will. She shoved the car door open and slid out, legs shaky.
She shook her head to try and clear it and inhaled deeply. Sam and Dean were in danger. She couldn't lose more family. Not again.
Claire stumbled her way around the house to the back door. The closer she got the clearer the voices inside became.
"These fake vampires were just a way for you to train us and fill our heads with lies?"
She recognized that voice as the dark-haired girl. Krissy, right? That's what Dean had called her.
"Don't you see? This is bigger than all of us." A stranger's voice said. "We have to learn to put things in perspective."
Shaking her head once more to clear it, Claire bit her lip and reached for the door handle, turning it as quietly as she could. Stepping into the house she looked around, it was nice. Reminded her of home. Of Pontiac. Of Indiana. Of normal and safe.
The sunlight gleamed off a carving knife next to the sink and she stumbled over to is, wrapping her shaky fingers around the hilt, then she slowly made her way towards the voices.
The vamp caught her scent and turned before she could reach him. He rushed at her but was tacked to the ground by the dark hair guy who'd wanted to kill her, followed swiftly by the dark-skinned girl. But they were easily thrown off, then the vamp was on her, teeth bared and fingers around her throat. Around her the house was in chaos, and the scent of panic and fear was almost suffocating.
Baring her teeth, Claire straggled against the vamps hold. When the guy attacked again, the vamp grabbed hold of him, yanking him down close to Claire. "Go on, beautiful, take a bite."
The guy struggled, and Claire turned her face into his throat, inhaling the sweet smell of fresh warm blood.
"Claire no!" Sam yelled, behind them.
Then there was the familiar sound of an air gun going off and the vamp collapsed on top of them. Claire shoved him aside and grabbed the other teenager, rolling them over till she was straddling him, her teeth still bared.
"Claire." Dean and Sam yelled.
"You wanted to kill me," Claire seethed, narrowing her eyes. "Lucky for you, I had better teachers." she spat, pulling back her fist and bring it down on the guys nose with a satisfying crack. She climbed off him, stumbling to her feet and dragging herself over to Sam, who was still tied to the chair. "Hey, Dad." she panted, fussing with the ropes.
Sam smiled warmly down at her, tears brimming in his eyes. The moment he was released, he pulled her into a hug, only for her to pull away, nose wrinkling. She shook her head and bared her teeth to him in silent explanation. Sam nodded.
"If we want revenge for our families' deaths, he gives it to us." Krissy said, pulled everyone's attention to her and the older man.
"We don't kill people." Dean reminded her. "You don't kill people."
"He's not a person, he's a monster."
"Krissy, this ends bad no matter what we do." Sam said, cautiously.
"Exactly." Krissy muttered, pulling back on the hammer of her gun.
"Krissy, don't."
Claire stared, watching in anxious silence. Her legs going beneath her, Sam tightened his arm around her, dragging her over to the couch. The firing of an empty shot is the last thing she hears before passing out again.
_What Doesn't Kill You_
"Hey, sweetheart, drink this." Sam said, lifting Claire's head and pressing the mug to her lips. Claire gulped down the mixture desperately. "Slowly." Sam insisted, "Slowly." he brushed his hand through her hair, "That's it." he smiled.
Claire lowered the mug when it was empty, her head spinning. "What happened?" she looked around at the now empty house, "With the guy?"
Sam sighed, "Dead."
"Krissy?"
"No," Sam shook his head, "He shot himself."
"Good." Claire nodded, licking at her lips and resting her head back on the couch. "Where is everyone?" she asked quietly.
"Dean and Krissy went to get rid of the bodies, and Josephine took Aiden to the emergency room to get his nose treated."
Claire lifted her head quickly, only to groan as the room span, "Sorry."
Sam smiled, "From what Dean said, he deserved it." he chuckled, "He's just lucky you weren't feeling 100%."
Claire scoffed, "Yeah. I doubt he'll agree."
Sam shrugged, "Who cares."
"What happened? I mean, all of it?" she waved her hand.
"I'll fill you in on the drive home."
Claire hummed, "Yeah. Home. - Wait, Gabriel?"
Sam stiffened, "I called him, told him you were fine. He wants you home as soon as you're feeling ready to leave."
Claire nodded, leaning to her right to stretch out on the couch. "Just a little sleep, first she said tiredly. Eyes already closed."
Sam stroked his fingers through the girl's hair. "Yeah."
A/N: I hope that wasn't too daunting. I know it was a little longer than I'd originally planned. This is not the end to Dean and Claire's attempts at building bridges. I love Claire and Dean's relationship. While I started this story before Claire was reintroduced in the series, this plot line was a nod to Claire's incident with the werewolf in season 12.
