A/N: Sorry this chapter's so short, it's hard to break this up into chapters that fit. Also, sorry in general (you'll see).
Anyway, there's about five more chapters left to the story, so just a heads up :)
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SAM OR DEAN WINCHESTER THEY BELONG TO THE WRITERS OF SUPERNATURAL. THE OCs, HOWEVER ARE MINE.
Consecutive loud cracks erupted from the ends of both Dean and Mel's guns, causing Wellons to dissipate with a yell. Knowing the danger was over for now, Sam pulled away from Alice, glancing around. Slightly dazed, he realized that he could have died.
"We need to get her out of this place, it's too dangerous." Dean stated, looking at Alice.
"I'll get her out. If he shows up on the way, I'll shield her." Mel said, motioning to her ripped shirt.
Dean nodded. "Sam and I will torch him, you just get the hell out as fast as you can."
Mel strode toward her sister, determination in her eyes. She grabbed her arm and made a run for it. Alice followed, taking one last glance at Sam. He was looking at the wall with a thoughtful expression. Sighing slightly, she continued running.
Dean watched the two girls disappear down the hallway before turning to his brother. Sam tore his gaze away from the wall, looking hell-bent. "We need to find him. Now."
With a curt nod, Dean cocked his gun and headed in the direction he hadn't explored yet. "Where all did you two go?" he asked.
"Archives, Surgery, and some of the rooms in Ward A." Sam rattled off. "All of floor three, basically."
"Good 'cause Mel and I checked most of floor two, which leaves us two options where he could be." Dean glanced into a room before he continued walking.
"I doubt he'd be on the first floor. The fire started in the basement..." Sam's eyes widened slightly. "It's probably like you said earlier, Dean. They might have stuffed his body somewhere where he used to experiment, like that case in Illinois."
"Question is, where did Wellons do his dirty work?"
Sam thought for a moment, visualizing the map of the asylum he had studied earlier. "There was a room for staff only down in the basement...you think...?" he asked, giving Dean a questioning look.
Dean sighed. "Damn right. Let's go."
Sam nodded and walked ahead of Dean, leading the way. His thoughts were all tangled- half of him worrying about Alice's safety and the other half trying to come up with other places the body could be if the basement was a bust. He was so concentrated he couldn't hear the rising screeches coming up being them.
"We have company, Sam, run!" Dean's panicked voice jerked him out of his thoughts.
He turned to glance back and immediately started running. The two ghost nurses from earlier were back and even more gruesome then he recalled. Both of them sprinted, their footfalls echoing off the walls, mixing with the screeches and gurgles of the angry spirits.
"In here!" Sam yelled as he reached the end of the hall, wrenching the door to the staircase open. Dean ran in and Sam slammed the door shut behind them, drenching them in complete darkness. Sam tensed as the screeches came closer to the door. There was a long moment of uncertainty before the screeches slowly faded.
"Dumb bitches." Dean muttered.
Sam let out a short, nervous laugh. "Do you have the flashlight?"
There was a rustling noise as Dean fumbled in his bag and a flicker of light before the whole stairwell lit up. Dean jumped slightly as the light revealed a decaying headless corpse laying on the stairs.
"Nice to meet you too, Laura." he muttered, making a face.
Now that they knew the corpse was in the room, the smell became apparent. Sam looked sick.
"Let's just go down to the basement and get this over with." he said.
Dean sighed, shining the light down the stairs. "Why does it always have to be the basement?"
Sam grabbed the flashlight from him, rolling his eyes before starting down the steps. Dean grimaced and took his shotgun off his shoulder strap, cocking in just in case before following. He moved in front of Sam as they descended, Sam instinctively falling in line behind his brother.
"So where's this room?" Dean asked when they finally reached the bottom of the staircase.
"At the end of the hall. He glanced at a room number then nodded his head to the left. "That way."
As they walked toward the end of the hall, Sam sighed. "There's just one thing I don't get."
"What?"
"Wellons has to know we're after him by now. We're close, I can feel it."
"Yeah, so?"
"Why isn't he here defending his body? He hasn't even shown up yet what could be more important than-" he stopped dead, horror on his face. "Oh God...Alice."
Dean glanced at him, realizing. "Shit."
They both took off down the hall, determined to make this the quickest salt and burn they'd ever done.
Alice leaned against the wall in a concrete room, catching her breath. Mel stood watch at the door, a look of concentration on her face.
"You're lucky you don't even get winded when you run." Alice commented.
They had ran for a while until Alice had needed a break. Mel suggested hauling up in the room for a moment, since being in a closed area was safer if she was going to protect her.
Mel glanced over at her sister and paused. Alice's tone had been joking but her expression wasn't one of amusement. She looked more worried than anything.
"What's wrong?"
"This whole thing is screwed up...they're risking their lives to save me. I'm a hunter, I'm supposed to save myself..." Alice said, smoothing her hair back.
"Even hunters need saving sometimes, Al. It's fine, really. Besides, I think Sam's perfectly fine with saving you." Mel smirked slightly, trying to lighten the mood.
Alice blushed. "He's just doing his job. It's not like that."
"Are you serious? The guy might as well sick a paper to his forehead that says 'I have the hots for Alice', it'd be the same thing."
Alice laughed a little. "Think what you want, I don't think he likes me."
"Do you like him?"
The question caught Alice off guard, but the answer came out before she could think. "Yes."
"I knew it. You're as obvious as he is, it's adorable."
"Shut up." Alice sighed. "I hope they're okay."
Mel's expression changed. She was quiet, then, "Me too."
There was a long silence, then the worry was back on Alice's face. "What if he comes back...?" she asked, barely a whisper.
"We're gonna get through this, Alice, okay? We're tough and we have an advantage." she comforted. "I'll shield you."
"I know, I just hate this." Alice sighed, hugging herself with her arms. "Not knowing when or how I'm going to die...I mean, you know how terrified I am of that. I'm the worst possible person for this job."
"Alone, maybe but not with me with you. We're a dynamic duo, Al! I'd never let anything happen to you, you know that." Mel's normally serious expression turned to one of sisterly fondness.
"I know."
Mel smiled a little, then tensed. Alice was frozen, eyes wide.
"Did you hear that?"