As soon as Ali heard the first gun shot, she knew it wouldn't be a normal day. She was out of the Impala and kicking the front door of the house down before she had time to think about what she might be confronting on the inside. Ever since Sam had pointed out the word Croatoan carved ominously into a tree that morning, she'd known something bad was happening in this town, not to mention the reason they were there was because Sam had a vision of Dean killing someone in this town. All her instincts were telling her to flee, but she wasn't a coward. She was a hunter.

"Dean!" she yelled as she entered the living room. The elder Winchester pulled at the ropes tying a dishevelled looking woman to a chair, her watering eyes fixed on a man's body lying on the floor.

"Help me with this, would you?" he asked, stepping away so he could get a better look at the woman's husband who he had just shot dead. Ali pulled her silver knife from her boot and used it to free the woman's wrists before grabbing a towel from the counter and pressing it to her wound. It was bloody and looked gross, but as Ali took a closer look, she didn't think it seemed too deep.

"What happened?" she asked, keeping pressure on the woman's shoulder as she looked around, spotting Sam by the window.

"The husband and the son," Dean started, checking over the man lying dead on the floor. "They attacked her." Ali raised a confused brow at the elder Winchester as the woman whimpered. The blonde girl rubbed her hand over the frightened woman's back, hoping it would be comforting.

"He got away," Sam informed his brother as he made his way over from the window. He must've been referring to the son. Dean huffed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Okay, Ali can you take Mrs Tanner outside, she needs to get her shoulder stitched," he instructed. Ali nodded, helping the woman to her feet and leading her outside. She pulled open the door and helped her to slide into the back seat of the Impala. Not before long, Sam and Dean emerged from the house carrying what Ali assumed was Mr Tanner wrapped in a sheet. The put his body in the trunk before climbing into the Impala and speeding away.


Sam was the first out of the Impala when they reached the doctor's clinic. He quickly helped Mrs Tanner out of the car and rushed her inside as Ali and Dean climbed out of the car. Dean went straight to the trunk, taking a look around to see if anyone was watching before pulling it open.

"Something's happening here," Ali said as she stood next to Dean, both of their eyes trained on the body.

"I know," Dean said grimly, his fingers drumming on the trunk as he held it open.

"You want a hand?" she asked, grimacing at the spot on the sheet where the blood had started to soak through. Dean's face mimicked hers.

"I got it," he replied and Ali nodded, a little thankful. She held the trunk open as Dean hoisted the body over his shoulder and they headed inside. They were met with the surprised face of a woman who looked like a doctor.

"Is that…?" she asked, eyeing Dean wearily. Ali hung back, not wanting to get involved in this discussion.

"Mr Tanner?" Dean asked.

"Was he attacked too?" the doctor asked.

"Uh…no, actually, he did the attacking and then he got himself shot," Dean replied. The doctor didn't have to asked who by.

"And who are you?" she asked, clearly suspicious of Dean.

"U.S. Marshal," Dean replied. "I'd show you my badge, but uh..." He trailed off, gesturing to the body that resting on his shoulders. The doctor nodded in understanding before her gaze shifted to the blonde girl standing by the door.

"Who's she?" she asked. Ali was clearly too young to be another Marshal. She shifted uncomfortably under the doctor's gaze. She hadn't prepared a story.

"Work experience," she blurted out, fixing a small smile on her face that she hoped was convincing. She could practically feel Dean rolling his eyes. "First day." The doctor nodded slowly, but seemed to believe it.

"Well, I guess you've seen that it can be a pretty gruelling job," she commented. The look on her face was like she expected Ali to start crying or something at any moment. Poor girl. Having to witness something like this at such a young age.

"You have no idea," Ali muttered under her breath.

"Hate to interrupt but, uh…" Dean cut in, his arms tightening around the body to keep it from slipping off his shoulder.

"Right, sorry," the doctor said, opening a door on the right and gesturing through it. "Bring him back here."


Ali stood in the foyer with the Winchester brothers as the spoke in hushed voices, though she wasn't really paying attention to anything they'd said. All that was swirling around her head was something Mrs Tanner had said earlier when Dr Lee was checking her over.

One minute they were my husband and my son. And the next, they had the devil in them.

Ali hadn't said a thing since hearing those words. She'd been frozen in a state of terror, the words resonating deep inside of her. She understood now why all day she'd wanted to do nothing else but run. She'd wanted out of the town from the second they'd arrived. The only problem was that Sam and Dean wouldn't agree. They wouldn't want to leave until whatever was going on in the town was over. Ali just hoped there wouldn't be any more casualties in the process.

"Ali?" Dean barked in irritation. Ali looked up at his questioning face. "You go anything to add to this discussion?" She shook her head. Dean stayed staring at her for a moment before turning back to his brother. Something was up with her, but he had more important things to worry about.

"I don't know, man," Sam said. "We didn't see any of the demon smoke with Mr Tanner, or any of the other usual signs."

"Something turned him into a monster," Dean said. "And you know if you would've taken out the other one there'd be one less to worry about."

"I hesitated, Dean," Sam replied, a little exasperated. "It was a kid!"

"No, it was an it," Dean corrected harshly. "Not the best time for a bleeding heart, Sam." The conversation was interrupted by Dr Lee striding out of the examination room, her heels clicking on the tiled floor.

"How's the patient?" Sam asked nervously. The doctor sighed harshly.

"Terrible!" she exclaimed. "What the hell happened out there?"

"We don't know," Dean told her truthfully. Neither him nor Sam had a clue what was going on.

"Yeah? Well, you just killed my next-door neighbour," she said sadly. Ali dropped her gaze. Whatever was going on, it still couldn't have been easy for Dean to shoot someone dead.

"We didn't have a choice," the elder Winchester replied, echoing Ali's thoughts. She knew what it meant to not have a choice.

"Maybe so, but we need the county Sheriff," Dr Lee said, looking between the brothers. It was clear she was exhausted. "I need the coroner."

"Phones are down," Ali said. The doctor cast her a look before her eyes shifted back to Sam.

"I know, I tried," she said tiredly. "Tell me you have a police radio in the car?"

"Yeah we do" Sam replied. "But it crapped out just like everything else." Great. Ali was starting to feel an all-encompassing sense of impending doom.

"How far is it to the next town?" Dean asked.

"It's about forty miles down to Sidewinder," Dr Lee informed him. Dean nodded.

"All right," he said. "I'm gonna go down there, see if I can find some help." He turned to Sam, giving him a pat on the back as he continued to talk to the doctor. "I'll take Ali. My partner will stick around, keep you guys safe."

"Safe from what?" she asked. Dean bit his lip.

"We'll get back to you on that." He grabbed his gun and put it back into its holster before turning to Ali. "You're with me, kiddo."


Ali stared out of the window, watching the woods race by. Riding shotgun in the Impala was a rarity for her, but she found she couldn't enjoy it. She'd have preferred having to sit in the back seat as this would've meant Sam was in the car with them. She knew it was selfish, but she wished it was all three of them who were driving away from the god-forsaken town in Oregon. All she wanted was for the three of them to be safe from whatever was lurking in the shadows.

"You're quiet," Dean commented as he drove.

"Thought you'd be the last person to complain about that," she replied, keeping her eyes fixed on the trees rushing by. Dean chuckled dryly.

"Is it Sam's vision?" Dean questioned, trying to guess what was bothering the teen next to him. She held herself with more tension than usual. "What he said he saw me do?"

"No," she replied.

"Because it's okay if you're scared," Dean said.

"I'm not scared," Ali said defensively, sending Dean a harsh glare.

"Then what is it?" he asked as he drove. Ali hesitated. She wanted to explain everything to him. Tell him exactly what thoughts were swirling around her mind at that very moment. But she couldn't. She could never tell him or Sam what she had been thinking about all day. She could never tell them of the memories that had surfaced for the first time in a long time.

"I just wish we'd never come here," she muttered. Dean was about to ask her what she meant when he abruptly pulled to a stop. Up ahead of them was a mangled looking car as if it had been in a bad crash. He pulled up behind it before pulling out his gun.

"Wait in the car," he instructed as he climbed out and went to inspect the wreckage. Ali watched impatiently, craning her neck to get a better look. It looked like the windows of the car were smashed and if she squinted, she was sure she could spot blood dribbling down the side of the door.

She watched as Dean bent down to pick something up but she couldn't see what. Soon he was back in the driver's seat, having tossed a bloody looking knife into the trunk. They continued on down the road, neither of them saying a word.

The came to a bridge that appeared to be blocked. A dozen me or so stood in front of a large barricade that stretched the width of the road, blocking anyone from leaving.

"What the hell?" Ali muttered as they came to a stop, the hairs on the back of her neck pricking up. She looked to Dean who nodded in the direction of one of the men. She recognised him as Mrs Tanner's son.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the roof of the car, causing both Dean and Ali to jump.

"Sorry. Road's closed." A man's head swung into view and Ali held a hand to her chest, her heart racing. She was unusually jumpy today.

"Yeah, I can see that," Dean replied, putting on a nonchalant tone. "What's up?"

"Quarantine," the man replied. Dean raised a brow.

"Quarantine?" he repeated back. "What is it?"

"Don't know," the man said. "Something going around out there." Ali started to feel uncomfortable and she was pretty sure Dean knew it. She could see his hands tightening around the steering wheel whilst he kept the smile on his face.

"Uh-huh. Who told you that?" Dean asked.

"County Sheriff," the man replied.

"Is he here?" he asked.

"No. He called." There was a moment of silence as the man eyed the two of them. Ali shifted in the passenger seat. "Say, why don't you and your little lady get out of the car and we'll talk?" Ali gritted her teeth together as Dean started to laugh nervously.

"Well, you are a handsome devil, but I don't swing that way, sorry," he replied.

"I'd sure appreciate it if you got out of the car," the man said more seriously, his eyes lingering on the blonde girl longer than appropriate. "Just for a quick minute." Dean kept his expression light as he glanced at Ali before looking back to the man, nervous smile still in place.

"Yeah, I'll bet you would," he said before putting the car into reverse and slamming his foot down on the accelerator.

"Dean!" Ali yelped as the man grabbed the elder Winchester around the neck. He didn't let go until the impala has swung around, throwing him to the ground.

"Get down!" Dean yelled as they sped away, gun shots beginning to fire. Ali held her hands over her head as the bullets flew past them. Her heart hammered in her chest as they rounded a corner. As they distanced themselves further from the bridge the sound of gunfire died down.

"Dammit," Dean muttered as they pulled to a stop. Ali struggled to catch her breath, adrenalin pumping through both their veins. "You okay?" Dean looked over to the girl in the passenger seat. Her eyes were wide as she hyperventilated, her hands gripping the leather seats.

"We gotta get outta here," she panted. "We need to go get Sam and find a way out."

"That was our way out," Dean said. Ali squeezed her eyes shut, her chest feeling tight as she forced air into her lungs.

"We're gonna die," she breathed, her eyes starting to water. "We're gonna die here."

"We're not gonna die," Dean said, turning to the blonde girl. She was still breathing heavily, the panic evident on her face. "Hey." He grabbed her shoulders and angled her body towards him. "Ali, we're not gonna die."

"You don't know that," she replied quietly. "You don't know what could happen."

"Yeah, I do," he said, his brow furrowing in concern as he watched the teen before him. He'd never seen her like this. He'd never seen her so afraid. "Ali, look at me." He softened his voice, gently tilting the girl's chin up so she was forced to look him in the eye. "Do you remember what I told you in the hospital?" Ali's eyes were shut as she tried to force the tears back in. "You remember what I said?" She took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She remembered it clearly. He'd said it right before she and Sam had found John dead in his room.

"You said, 'Dean Winchester doesn't just roll over and die'" Ali replied, her heart still pounding but her breathing more controlled.

"That's right. And that's true for you," he said, looking her in the eye. He was dead serious. "And that's true for Sam too. None of us are going down easy." Ali nodded. "You're not gonna die here, that's a promise."

"Okay," Ali whispered, feeling much calmer. She felt embarrassed at getting so worried in front of Dean. She didn't want him to think she was weak. Usually she was good at keeping her emotions in check.

"Okay," Dean echoed, removing his hands from her shoulders and back to the steering wheel. He pressed his foot on the accelerator and they carried on back to the clinic.


The Impala pulled up outside the clinic and Ali and Dean jumped out along with Mark, a guy they had picked up on the way back. He'd been stranded in the town like the rest of them.

"Sammy?" Dean called as he banged on the window of the clinic. "Open up!" Sam appeared at the door and let them in, eyeing the new comer up and down. He was carrying a weapon like Dean.

"Did you guys get to a phone?" Sam asked.

"Road block," Ali replied as Dean told Mark to talk with the doctor.

"What's going on out there, Dean?" Sam asked with a worried frown. He'd been on edge ever since he had the vision of Dean. They all had been.

"Man, I don't know," Dean said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Mark is the only sane person we could find."

"Do you know what it is?" Ali asked tentatively. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know the answer, but it might be the key to their survival.

"Doc thinks it's a virus," Sam replied.

"Okay, great," Dean said, a little sarcastically. "What do you think?"

"I think she's right," Sam said. Dean raised a brow. "And I think the infected are trying to infect others with blood-to-blood contact." Ali pinched the bridge of her nose. Despite what Dean had promised, things sure weren't looking promising. "Oh, but it gets better. The uh, the virus? Leaves traces of sulphur in the blood."

"A demonic virus?" Dean clarified.

"Yeah, more like demonic germ warfare," Sam said. "At least it explains why I've been having visions." Ali sighed.

"That's perfect," she muttered.

"Who knows how far this thing can spread?" Sam said worriedly. "We gotta get out of here, we gotta warn people."

"They've got one!" someone shouted from inside the examination room. Ali recognised it was Mark. "In here!" Ali followed the Winchesters into the room, a frown on her face.

"The wife," Sam started. "She's infected." Ali pushed her way through to see that they were all huddled around a door to the storage room. Mrs Tanner must've been in there.

"We've gotta take care of this," Mark said, turning to Dean. "We can't just leave her in there. The longer we wait, the stronger she'll get." Ali sucked in a breath when she saw Dean reach for his gun, a stony look on his face as he reached for the door handle.

"You're gonna kill Beverly Tanner?" the nurse, Pam, questioned incredulously.

"Doctor, could there be any treatment?" Sam asked in a last effort to save Mrs Tanner. "Some kind of cure for this?"

"For God's sake, I don't even know what it is!" Dr Lee exclaimed. Ali kept her gaze low as she folded her arms tightly She knew exactly what had to be done. If no one else was going to do it, she'd take care of it herself. She didn't have a choice.

"I told you, it's just a matter of time before she breaks through," Mark said.

"Just leave her in there, you can't shoot her like an animal!" Pam protested. Ali watched Dean take a deep breath before he looked to his brother. He nodded. Sam grabbed the door handle as Mark and Dean readied their weapons. Carefully, Sam opened the door and Mark and Dean raised their firearms.

Ali held her breath as Mrs Tanner pleaded for her life. She tried to convince Mark that everyone else was infected and not her. Ali held her jaw tight. She couldn't see Mrs Tanner but she must've been a great actress. She could see Mark's face and he looked like he was about to cry. He lowered his weapon leaving Dean to be the only one left to do the deed.

"You sure she's one of 'em?" Ali heard Dean mumble quietly to his brother. Sam nodded, his face contorted in distress. The elder Winchester's face hardened, his eyes gliding over the blonde girl once before he fired. Two shots rang through the clinic. Mrs Tanner was dead.


"You get why he had to do it, right?" Sam muttered to Ali as he eyed his brother from across the room. Ali twirled her silver blade between her fingers and Sam sharpened his own knife.

"Trust me, I get it," Ali replied. She knew he was just trying to make sure she was okay, but he didn't need too. It wasn't the first time Ali had witnessed something like this. "Do you?" Sam raised a brow at her, wondering why she thought he might not understand what Dean had to do. Maybe it was because he hadn't shot that kid earlier in the day.

"Why are we staying here?" Ali and Sam looked up at the sound of Pam's protests. She looked terrified. "Please, let's just go!"

"No, we can't, because those things are everywhere," Dean barked back as Dr Lee when to console the scared nurse.

"No, she's right," Ali said, looking up at Dean. "We've gotta get out of here. Let people know what's coming." Dean nodded.

"Yeah, good point," he agreed. "Night of the Living Dead didn't exactly end pretty."

"Well, I'm not sure we've got a choice," Mark said. "Lots of folks up here are good with rifles. Even with all your hardware we're, we're easy targets. So, unless you've got some explosives..." He trailed off. They were so screwed.

"We could make some," Sam said suddenly as he ran over to a shelf and grabbed a bottle of potassium chloride. Suddenly, there was a banging from the door. Mark and Dean rushed out of the room, Sam and Ali following closely behind.

"Hey! Let me in," someone shouted frantically as they banged on the glass. "Let me in! Please!"

"It's Duane Tanner!" Mark exclaimed as he ran to let him in. Ali's eyes widened and she looked over to Sam and Dean. Sam sent her a nod, confirming her suspicions. This was the kid in Sam's vision. This was the kid Dean was going to kill.

Duane was lead into the examination room as he explained he had been on a fishing trip when this had all started. Ali could tell Dean was suspicious of him, and she couldn't blame him. Ali knew that Dean would only kill someone like Duane if he had to. At least that's what she hoped.

"You're bleeding," Dr Lee said suddenly, her voice serious. Ali turned her attention to the boy's leg where a deep gash was bleeding through his jeans.

"Where'd you get that?" Dean asked harshly.

"I was running, I must have tripped," he replied defensively.

"Tie him up," Dean instructed. "There's rope in there."

"Wait," Duane whined before Dean pulled his gun on him.

"Sit down!" he ordered the terrified looking kid.

"I'm sorry, Duane, he's right," Mark said. "We've gotta be careful."

"Did they bleed on you?" Dean asked.

"No, what the hell? No!" Duane insisted.

"Doc? Any way to know for sure, any test?" Sam asked.

"I've studied Mrs Tanner's bloodwork backwards and forwards," Dr Lee explained. "It took three hours for the virus to incubate. The sulphur didn't appear in the blood until then, so no. There'd be no way of knowing. Not until after Duane turns."

"Dean, I gotta talk to you," Sam muttered to his brother. "Now." From their hushed tones, Ali inferred that she wasn't invited to this mother's meeting. She watched the brother's exit the room into the corridor as Mark continued to tie Duane up.

"Sit in that chair," he instructed. Duane did as he was told and allowed Mark to secure him. Ali perched herself on one of the tables, absentmindedly continuing to twirl her blade between her fingers.

"Nice knife." Ali looked up and caught the boy's eye. He was raising a tentative brow at her. Ali shot him a blank look, stilling the blade's movements in her fist. "You don't look like a U.S. Marshall," he said. He was trying to make a joke to lighten the mood, but all each of them were thinking was: would this guy explode at any moment? "What's your name?"

"Allison," she replied quietly, sliding off the table and leaning against it. "Sorry about your family." He smiled sadly back at her but Ali didn't return it. She was now preoccupied with the shouting she could here coming from the corridor. This wasn't good.

She barged through the door, catching sight of Sam and Dean in a heated argument.

"What the hell's happened to you?" Sam asked his brother, his voice raised.

"What?" Dean asked.

"You might kill an innocent man, and you don't even care!" Sam yelled back. "You don't act like yourself anymore, Dean. Hell, you know what? You're acting like one of those things out there."

Ali frowned at what Sam had said. They were harsh words coming from him. She watched as Dean pushed Sam away as he tried to pull him back, causing her to rush over.

"Hey!" she shouted. "What's going on here?" The brother's ignored her as Sam tried to stop Dean from going back into the examination room. As he did, Dean pushed him back hard, causing Sam to fall back against the table in another room. Without looking back, Dean slammed the door shut, locking Sam in the room.

"Dean! What are you doing?" Ali shouted after him.

"Keep outta my way," he said seriously. She watched him stalk down the corridor as Sam hammered on the locked door.

"Open the damn door, Dean!" he yelled as he rattled the door handle. "Don't do it, Dean! Don't!" After a moment, Ali had regained her senses from what had just happened. She rushed over to the door to let Sam out and they both headed into the room where the others were.

"Please, don't," Ali could hear Duane pleading as they pushed the door open. Dean had his gun cocked in the boy's direction as he pleaded for his life. Just like his mother had. Ali held her hand out in front of Sam to stop him advancing forward. If he did, it might provoke Dean to fire. "Don't, please. I swear, it's not in me, it's not in me, I swear." Duane continued to try to reason with Dean but he only held his weapon higher.

"I got no choice," Dean said in a low voice, his finger on the trigger. No one in the room moved a muscle. They were all focused on the man with the gun. Duane was sobbing now, the others all watching on in silence. As the seconds passed, Ali noticed a slight tremble in Dean's hand. She knew how hard this was for him. Whatever Sam said earlier, Dean wasn't just a mindless killer.

"Dean," she breathed quietly. She could see his shoulders tense even more than they were already.

"Damn it!" Dean muttered as he retracted his weapon and stormed out of the room.


The blonde girl sat at the window, pulling back a small section of the curtain to take a look outside. A few dozen men stood in the streets, all armed with rifles and knives. She sighed, letting the curtain fall back into place as she rubbed her neck. She was starting to grow tired now that the adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins all day had subsided a little.

"How'd you get that scar?" Dr Lee asked, her voice soft. Ali's fingers glided over the mark on her neck that the vampire had left when he'd bitten her. Truth be told she'd been pretty out of it that night that she couldn't remember all the details. Probably had something to do with the blood loss. Or the concussion.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Ali replied. The doctor raised a brow at her.

"After today, I don't think there's anything I wouldn't believe." Ali laughed a little at that, though she still wouldn't tell her how she got the scar. It had faded considerably since she got it, mainly thanks to Sam's pretty good stitches, but it was still visible. She figured it would probably remain so for the rest of her life. "You're not just a work experience girl, are you?" Ali shook her head. "I can see it. You care about each other. What are they, your brothers or something?" Ali snorted dryly.

"No," she replied. "I guess you could say we're family friends." That was technically true.

"I talked with Dean. It's been over four hours and Duane's blood is clean," she said. "He said it was okay if I untie him." Ali nodded before she left to free the boy.

Ali walked in the opposite direction, discovering the elder Winchester in the lab making the explosives. He was alone.

"Where's Sam?" she asked quietly. Dean had been pretty silent since the incident earlier. She wasn't sure how much talking he wanted to do.

"He went to get more alcohol from the store room," he replied without looking up. Ali nodded. "Look, I'm sorry about -."

"It's fine," Ali cut in quickly. She didn't blame Dean for any of it. He'd been convinced the kid was a threat. He thought he was doing the right thing.

Suddenly, there was a loud clanging coming from the opposite room. Dean and Ali ran out, meeting Mark on the way who had also heard the commotion. Dean pulled out his gun, heading over to the store room. With a hard kick, the was open and Dean was storming in, sending three shots into Pam's back. She lurched forward away from Sam who was lying on the floor, his shirt bloody and red.

Ali was at the door, looking in. Her face was horrified. Dean walked over to Sam, reaching out a hand to help his brother up before Mark pulled him back.

"She bled on him," he pointed out, causing Ali's heart to race. She knew what this meant, but she didn't want to accept that it was true. "He's got the virus."


Ali pressed the dressing to Sam's wound silently, her eyes downcast. The Mark and the others had told her to keep a distance but she hadn't listened. She didn't care what they said. Whilst Sam was still Sam, she wasn't going to leave him bleeding and in pain.

"Doc, check his wound again, would you?" Dean asked as he paced the length of the room. Mark and Duane hovered at the door whilst Dr Lee stood nervously in the corner. "Doctor!"

"What's she need to examine him for?" Mark asked. "You saw what happened."

"Did her blood actually enter your wound?" Dr Lee asked.

"Come on, of course it did!" Mark protested.

"We don't know that for sure," Dean said.

"We can't take a chance," Mark replied. "You know what we have to do." Ali could feel the tears start to form in her eyes. She tried to force them away as she taped up the edges of the dressing and stepped away from Sam, turning her face to the wall so she could compose herself.

"Nobody is shooting my brother," Dean barked.

"He isn't gonna be your brother much longer," Mark continued. "You said it yourself."

"Nobody is shooting anyone!" Dean yelled.

"You were gonna shoot me!" Duane reminded him.

"You shut your pie-hole, I still might!" he shouted back.

"Dean, they're right," Sam said as he looked up. Ali looked over to him but didn't meet his gaze. She couldn't. "I'm infected. Just give me the gun and I'll do it myself."

"Sam," Ali warned as she shook her head. Sam smiled sadly at her.

"Forget it," Dean said. Ali was conflicted in her mind. She didn't want Sam to die, but at the same time, she knew exactly what he was going to turn into. She couldn't decide which was the better option. Both seemed like a crap choice.

"Dean, I'm not gonna become one of those things," Sam said.

"Look, I understand he's your brother," Mark cut in. "And I'm sorry, I am. But we gotta take care of this." Ali watched as the man pulled out his handgun and pointed it in Sam's direction.

"I'm gonna say this one time," Dean said seriously. "You make a move on him, you'll be dead before you hit the ground. You understand me? Do I make myself clear?!"

"Then what are we supposed to do?!" Mark asked in a shout. Ali watched as Dean tossed the man his car keys.

"Get the hell out of here, that's what," Dean said. Ali frowned. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going. "Take my car. You've got the explosives, there's an arsenal in there. You two go with him. You've got enough firepower to handle anything now."

"What about you?" Mark asked. There was a moment of silence as Dean shifted uncomfortably.

"Dean, no," Sam protested. "No. Go with them. This is your only chance!"

"You're not gonna get rid of me that easy," Dean joked. Ali didn't see anything funny about what was happening. She was staring at Dean and she knew he could feel her gaze. He was avoiding it purposefully.

"No, he's right," Mark said. "Come with us." Dean shook his head. "Okay, it's your funeral." He made his way to the door, Duane following closely after.

"You too, Ali," Dean said, his eyes still not looking up. Mark and Duane stopped by the door, looking back. Now it was Ali's turn to shake her head.

"No way," she said firmly, and though she was trying to stay forceful and strong on the outside, she felt like she was crumbling. "If you're staying, I'm staying."

"You gotta go, kiddo," Dean said, finally meeting her eyes. "You gotta get outta here. Go back to Bobby's, tell everyone what's happening here."

"I can't," she protested, trying to hold back the tears. "You said you wouldn't go down without a fight," she argued. "You promised!" Dean bent down, taking her shoulders and bending down so he was at eye level.

"I promised you I wouldn't let you die here," Dean corrected. "And I promised Bobby I'd keep you safe."

"Screw what you said to Bobby," Ali argued. "I'm not leaving without you and Sam." Dean shook his head.

"Come on, Ali," Dean said quietly, trying to persuade her to leave with the others. "You've been saying all day that you want out of this town. Now's your chance. There's no point in all of us dying over this."

"None of us have to die!" she yelled. She'd given up trying to hold back the tears. Now they were flowing freely down her cheeks. "We can figure out how to cure Sam. We'll find a way, there has to be a way!" She was crying now and Dean pulled her into a hug, trying to soothe her.

"Okay, okay," he whispered. He could feel her shaking. "Its's gonna be okay." He rested his chin on top of her head as he caught Mark's eye. The older man sent him a look. Dean knew exactly what he was asking. He nodded to confirm. He held the girl a moment longer before he released his grip. "I'm sorry."

And then Dean's arms around her were replaced with Mark's as he pulled her backwards out of the room.

"No!" Ali yelled at him. "Stop! Let go of me!" He didn't listen as he pulled her away from the Winchesters. Ali fought against his grip but he was too strong. "Dean! Sam!" She yelled for them as she struggled to get free, but Dean had already closed the door. She'd stopped crying. Now she was just angry. "Let go of me, you asshole," she said bitterly to Mark.

"Your friend just saved your life," he muttered as he pulled her outside, Dr Lee and Duane right behind them. She was still struggling as they made their way towards the Impala, but she stopped when she felt Mark slacken his grip around her waist.

"Look," Duane said as they peered around. Mark let go of Ali but she didn't try to run away. She was staring at the streets. The deserted streets. All the people who'd been there before had vanished. There wasn't a single person anywhere.

"Oh my God," Dr Lee muttered. Ali heard her footsteps as she ran back inside, but she remained in place. There was something creepy about seeing the streets so empty. Something unnerving. Not before long, Ali heard footsteps at the door of the clinic. Sam and Dean followed the doctor outside as they looked around, the six of them confused bewildered.

"There's no one," Dr Lee said. "Not anywhere. They've all just…vanished." Ali frowned, feeling a chill to her spine as she caught sight of the telephone pole to her right. She ran a finger over the letters that were engraved there, goose bumps forming on her skin.

Croatoan.


Dean looked up as Sam approached him. It was morning now and since Sam had shown no signs of violence or any other symptoms, they were pretty sure he was okay.

"Hey," Duane called over to Dr Lee who was leaning against the door of the clinic. "The Sarge and I are getting the hell out of here, heading south. You should come."

"I'd better get over to Sidewinder, get the authorities up here," she said. "If they'll believe me. Take care." Mark and Duane waved goodbye before heading off.

"What about him?" Dean asked, gesturing to Sam. Although he hadn't turned like the Tanner's he was still worried about his brother."

"He's going to be fine," she assured them. "No signs of infection." She headed back inside as Dean turned to Sam, sending him a look.

"Hey man, don't look at me," Sam said defensively. "I got no clue."

"I swear, I'm gonna lose sleep over this one," he said, running his fingers through his hair. The whole situation didn't add up. Something wasn't right. "I mean, why here, why now? And where the hell did everybody go? It's like they just friggin' melted."

"Why was I immune?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. You know what? That's a good question," Dean said, heading over to the driver's side of the Impala. "You know, I'm already starting to feel like this is the one that got away." Sam stood on the passenger side, his eyes cast down. He didn't know why he was immune, but he was going to find out.

"Hey Ali?" Dean called to the girl who was leaning against the trunk. She'd barely said a word all night.

"Don't talk to me," she said harshly, sliding into the back seat and slamming the door. Dean sighed, leaning tapping his hand on the roof of the Impala as he caught Sam's eye over the other side.

"She's pissed," the younger Winchester pointed out. Dean nodded, his mind wondering back to his brother.

The visions, the immunity, his father's warning…

Dean had far bigger problems than Ali to worry about. His brother's condition was the priority.

"She'll get over it," he said as he pulled open the door before they got the hell out of that town.


AN: Thanks for reading. Hope you liked that chapter!

I feel like Ali was unusually emotional in this chapter and now she'd mad at Dean again. Do you think she'll get over it?

Let me know what you thought, much love x