H is for Hunter

Dean looked at the abandoned junk yard. There was what looked like a cave built out of junk. This had to be the place. Castiel had presented him with a case a week ago. Teens had been going missing in a small town in Wisconsin. Castiel had done his research. Dean let him take the lead. They had rolled into town, and it was apparent something was going on. It had been Castiel who figured it was vamps.

Dean led the charge, readying his machete. Sam and Castiel were behind him, machetes in hand. Castiel had led this entire case. However, in the case of the raid, Dean took the lead. He wanted to protect Castiel. To do that, he needed to kill as many vamps as possible. He didn't want them anywhere near his angel. Castiel didn't seem to mind following his lead other.

Soon they were killing vampires and trying to rescue any of the teens that hadn't been turned or been fed yet. The guys split once they hit a fork in the path. It wasn't long before Sam found Dean again.

"Dean, on your six," Sam hollered.

Dean whipped around. A short blonde girl tried to attack him. She was relatively free of blood and looked hungry. Dean knocked her back and glanced at Sam. Sam seemed to know what he wanted. He pulled a needle from his bag. The girl lunged forward at Dean. He caught her and quickly brought her to the ground. The girl just hissed at him as Dean held her down so she couldn't bite him. Sam injected her with the dead man's blood. She stopped fighting as the blood entered her body.

The raid continued. Once they were sure, they had cleared the best out. They returned to the girl. Dean tied her up. He had a feeling that she was a new vampire. Curing her would be no problem as long as she hadn't fed. Dean looked around, trying to see if he could figure out who was the sire here.

"Who do you think turned her?" Sam asked. Dean looked up with a shrug.

"Alaric."

Sam looked at the girl as she started to come to. She fought her restraints until she realized they weren't moving. The three sat in silence for a moment. She seemed to be thinking her next words over carefully.

"Have you fed?" Dean asked.

"No, not yet," She said, looking at Dean.

"There's a cure if you want it," Sam said, holding up the cure he had been mixing. "All you gotta do is tell us who Alaric is."

"He's not here. He's out doing some business of his own," the girl said.

"Where's Cas?" Dean asked, looking around for the angel. How had he not made his way here yet? Was he hurt? Or worse?

As if on cue, Castiel crashed through a wall, followed by an older-looking cocky man. Castiel groaned as he rolled over, coughing. Dean moved to stand over the former angel.

"Cas! you good?" Dean asked, not taking his eyes off the man.

"I'm fine," Castiel replied gruffly.

"Fiona, you're awake, don't play with your food," The man said.

"Alaric," Fiona said, panicked. She looked at Sam.

"So you're the one who's been siring new vampires," Sam said, looking at him. He grabbed his machete. He readied for an attack. Alaric smiled cockily at the younger Winchester.

"Don't make me laugh," Alaric said.

"We're planning on making you laugh," Dean said. He pulled his own blade out. He readied himself for an attack as well.

Before he or Sam could move, a knife sliced through Alaric's neck. His head flew to the side, and his body slumped down. Behind him stood Castiel, holding his blade. Sam's eyes went wide as he looked to the ground.

"Cas," Dean said, shocked. He looked to the ground behind him where Castiel had been second before. He hadn't even noticed him move. He was getting better at that.

"Your welcome," Castiel replied.

Sam quickly gathered the blood for the rest of the antidote. He told Fiona what he was doing and that it might make her sick.

Dean moved over to Castiel. He quickly gave the angel a once-over. He didn't see any apparent damage. Castiel watched him, confused.

"Dean I'm fine," Castiel said, noticing what Dean was doing.

Dean just grabbed his arm and led him away from Sam and Fiona. Once they were safely away from prying eyes, Dean turned to Castiel. He pulled the angel into a hug. Castiel returned the gesture, seeming to know that Dean needed this.

"I thought you were a goner for a moment," Dean admitted.

"I can handle myself," Castiel said.

"Yes, you can. You are a full-fledged hunter now," Dean said, smiling proudly at the angel. "You saved my ass, even though I could've taken him."

"Was I not a hunter before this?" Castiel asked slowly.

"No, you were. This was like a right of passage. You found the case, did a lot of the leg work, and got the last kill. You are a real hunter, not that it'll make me worry any less," Dean said, slowly trailing off as he realized what he said. He felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He looked away from the former angel.

"I worry about you too, Dean," Castiel replied, "always have and always will."

The two stood there in awkward silence. Dean still wasn't entirely used to this kind of thing. Castiel was still learning too. It would take time. Dean pulled the angel close again, this time connecting their lips. Castiel sank into him this time, letting the hunter take the lead once more.

Shuffling was heard. Dean stood up straight and turned as Fiona approached them. He tensed until he saw Sam behind her.

"Well, boys, this was fun, thanks for the cure," Fiona said, "but I gotta run."

"What was Alaric doing here? Why did he need so many fledglings," Sam asked, stopping her.

"You're a hunter," Dean commented. It wasn't a question but a statement. It all made sense now.

"What gave it away," Fiona asked.

"Well, for starters, you're not freaking out about vampires," Dean said. "So what was the plan."

"Don't know, Alaric was scared something big was coming, and he decided he needed an army. I got close and got discovered. He changed me in hopes that it would stop me," Fiona said, shrugging.

"What was coming?" Castiel asked.

"We didn't get that far," Fiona said. "As I said, this has been fun, but I gotta run."

"If you ever-" Dean started.

"The big guy beat you. I've got your numbers. It never hurts to have a few more contacts in the world. If I ever need a hand, I'll call," Fiona said, holding up her phone. "You boys behave now and don't go getting yourselves killed."

With that said, she was gone. Dean turned to Sam, who looked mildly impressed.

"What was that?" Dean asked.

"Don't know," Sam replied.

"That was strange," Castiel said.