Two Hunters and a Baby.

Disclaimer: Sigh no matter how hard I try I just don't own anything to do with Supernatural or the characters of the show. Although anything that comes from my fevered imagination is ... kind of ... that's my excuse anyway!

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Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to post this update but I had to finish up three assessments to hand in this week and one was an essay on schools of theory in literature ... now I know what I prefer to write but if I want my Diploma well I guess I do have to prioritise!!!

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CHAPTER 7

Merci nursed Isabelle rocking the baby gently until she once again slept, her heart broke as she watched her daughter, and she could see so much of Dean in her already.

Dean, the thought of him made her cringe inwardly, she should never have involved him now he knows about Issy it won't take him long to put it all together.

'What do I do know?' She whispered brushing a kiss on her daughter's downy head, 'I wish your father was here.'

'Your wish is about to come true Meredith.' A loud masculine voice boomed through the room, waking Isabelle instantly making her cry in fright.

'What do you want?' Merci asked as she desperately tried to sooth the infant.

'Oh I want to see this little family reunited.' Laughter sounded in the voice.

'Why? What does it matter who we are?'

'It matters because both you and Winchester are the off-spring of hunters and are both hunters yourselves. You see both of you seem to possess greater skills than your own fathers.'

'Again why?'

'All in good time, I have brought the child to you to care for while I wait for Dean to mount his tragically heroic rescue attempt.'

'What you are going to do to him?' Merci cried out but her only answer was silence, glancing down she stared into the wide knowing eyes of Isabelle. 'Oh baby where's your daddy?' Isabelle smiled and gurgled when she heard Daddy, he won't be far away. 'I bet your daddy bought you this T-shirt and jeans.' Merci smiled at the outfit, the tiny black Metallica T-shirt, and dark blue baby jeans. 'I bet that he even got you a little leather jacket.'

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Sam rubbed the back of his neck; exhaustion had started to spread its tentacles through his long body. Yawning he stood up and stretched as he glanced at his watch. It was nearing 2am, Dean slept soundly in bed, getting badly needed rest after Sam snuck a couple of extra strong pain killers into his coffee, just enough to make him to tired to stay awake.

Azuraus perched on the kitchen bench seemed to be resting although with animal spirits its hard to work out. The computer screen blinked with the various searches going on, it was going to be another ten minutes at least so Sam decided to go and get a coffee from the vending machine, not wanting to wake Dean by making a pot in their kitchenette.

Once outside the room he stopped and inhaled a deep breath of the clean fresh air, reviving his sleep deprived body and mind; hell even his soul benefited this time.

Footsteps behind him made Sam freeze and to listen intently for any further sounds of a possible attack. His fingers brushed the small knife nestled in its sheath on his belt, slowly he straightened and made a show of sipping his coffee before making his way back to the motel room. The wind picked up and swirled pieces of rubbish and fallen leaves along the ground and Sam's feet, smiling and berating himself for being such a baby he balanced the coffee cup while digging for the keys to the door.

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Dean yawned and stretched, glancing across the room he noticed that Sam's bed hadn't been slept in, still neatly made with a few of Sam's things strewn across it. The laptop still connected to the Internet beeped interminably signally the long finished searches.

Frowning he slipped out of bed and hurried to the bathroom door, knocking first he tried the handle and opened it to discover the bathroom empty and no signs of recent use.

'Sam?' He called out, panic rising in his chest, 'Sam where the fuck are you?'

'Mmm what's the matter?' Azuraus asked as she pulled herself back to her corporeal body.

'Where's Sam?'

'He was there on the computer last time I looked.' The spirit answered, 'Dean I can't feel him.'

'Sam?' Dean yelled again as he ran for the door, swinging it open he stood scanning the car park with his gaze, the impala was still parked outside so Sam didn't go anywhere in the car, then it caught Dean's eye. A dark wet stain on the doorstep next to the dropped cardboard coffee cup, he must have dropped a full cup ... then Dean looked closer one stain was the spilt coffee but the other stain made him hold his breath unconsciously, dark red, thick and sticky a pool of blood against the wall just above it a spray of blood arced across the dirty almost white walls.

'Dean what is it?' the spirit asked as she peered over the man's shoulder.

'They've taken Sam.' He snarled as the realisation hit him, 'how? How did he get passed you?'

'I was ... hey you were asleep too.'

'Yeah but you're supposed to be a guardian spirit or something, why weren't you guarding him.'

'I am not assigned to Sam.' Azuraus said her voice filled with defiance.

'Yeah well we know just how a bang up job of guarding Isabelle don't we.' Dean snapped pushing past the sprite.

'Dean I ...' Azuraus started and then stopped herself, Dean was right she had failed all of them. 'So what are we going to do about it?'

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Sam opened his eyes gradually, letting his sight come into focus before he opened them completely. His head thumped unmercifully, like a tiny man was drilling a hole into his skull and then making it bigger with a hammer.

Blinking he gazed around at his new surroundings, well this isn't Kansas. The thought drifted through his mind as he let his awareness grow again.

'Are you alright?' A soft feminine voice came from the shadows; slowly Sam turned his head and tried to focus on who spoke.

'Who ... who are you?' His voice sounded thick and slurred to his ears.

'My name is Meredith but most people call me...'

'Merci?'

'Yeah how do you know?'

'I'm ah Sam ... Dean's brother.'

'Dean? Dean Winchester?'

'Yep that's my brother.'

'He told me a lot about you Sam, weren't you at Stanford or somewhere?'

'Yeah I was – ah a long story, and until recently I didn't know you even existed.'

Sam looked up when he heard the baby cry, 'Issy?' He smiled as he painfully got to his feet and had to wait until the dizziness passed then he lurched towards the cot.

'Hey Issy I have missed you.' He said smiling down at his niece; Isabelle stopped crying and gurgled happily at the sight of her uncle's face. Tenderly Sam picked the baby up and cradled her close to his chest, 'oh how I have missed you.'

Merci watched the scene between the tall young man and her daughter, uncle and niece the connection was evident already even though they had barely time together, what would she be like when Dean comes? Would she still even want me?

Still dizzy Sam managed to make it to the bed before his knees gave out, Isabelle let out a little gasp and reached up to plant a sloppy kiss on Sam's cheek wanting to help him.

'So Sam how did you manage to get here?' Merci asked her voice sharp, 'where's Dean?'

'I ah went out to get a coffee from the vending machine near our motel room.' Sam explained keeping his gaze fixed on Isabelle, 'I thought someone followed me but there was no one there, or well I thought so but well I don't remember anything else except for waking up here a few minutes ago.'

'Did you see who attacked you?'

'No, no just a strange wind and then it all goes black.'

'Sam you have a pretty bad head injury by the look of the amount of blood on you especially your collar.'

Sam lifted a shaking hand and cautiously probed the back of his neck, he could feel the stickiness and warmth of fresh blood, he still bled from the wound. 'Merci would you mind?'

Merci frowned but went over to Sam and checked the back of his head, 'you have a pretty nasty gash just above your right ear,' she started mindful of every wince and shudder he made when she touched his injuries. 'Sam I – I'm not sure but just above the cut there's ... an indent or something I have a feeling Sam that you might have a skull fracture or at least a very deep bruise forming.'

'Thanks.' Sam moved his head away from her touch, 'ah I think you had better take Issy.' He said as he stood up swaying unsteadily.

'Sam you've gone awfully pale what's wrong?' Merci asked as she took her baby and stared up at him.

'I ah don't feel so ...' Sam pitched forward, unconscious blood dribbling from his nose he collapsed onto the bed. Merci let out a small cry and hurried to put Isabelle in her cot so she could check Sam out properly.

Ten minutes later she managed to roll Sam's inert body over onto his back and up further until his head rested on the pillows, although his extra long legs still hung over the edge.

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Dean paced the small motel room like a caged predator, Azuraus sat silently in a corner watching him, the anger radiating from him made her quiver and start to shimmer from transparent to her human form, occasionally flashing into a large cat.

The ringing of Dean's mobile phone startled the both of them, with a low growl Dean snatched up the phone, 'what?'

'Dean?' A young woman spoke, her voice familiar.

'Merci?' Dean asked his anger starting to dissipate.

'Dean oh thank the Gods I have found you.' Merci wept, 'I have to be quick I found Sam's mobile still in his pocket.'

'Sam?' Dean's heart sank at the mention of his brother's name. 'Is he?'

'He's unconscious but alive, they have the three of us, me, Sam and Issy, I – I'm not sure but I think that they are using us as a trap for you.'

'Do you know ...?'

'I have to go Dean they're coming.' Merci interrupted him and suddenly the connection was dead.

'Merci?' Dean whispered but he knew she was gone, hopefully they didn't find her on the mobile.

'Dean?' Azuraus asked timidly, 'what is it?'

'They have all of them, that was Merci she found Sam's mobile and was able to make a quick call.'

'Sam?'

'He's unconscious but alive.' Dean answered automatically as his mind processed the hurried conversation with Merci. 'Issy and Merci are alright.'

'So what do we do now?'

'What do you mean we?'

'We are gonna work together whether you like it or not.' Azuraus declared stubbornly jutting her chin forward and balling her fists on her hips. 'I can follow you anyway so you may as well get used to me being here.'

'Argh that's all I need, a female Sam!'