A/N: I thought to break this into two chapters several times but I wanted to make ya'll wait a little longer so I held it. Hope I did the movie in my head justice with this piece. Thanks for your time Sarah

Chapter Eight

"Sage?" Athena whispered, not sure he was gone yet. The woman didn't answer and fear gave birth to rage. "I'm going to kill that bastard!" she vowed. "YOU HEAR THAT? I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" she screamed at the door.

It didn't do any good to fight something that wasn't there. Athena had learned that from years of watching Autumn fight things that no longer existed, the fights would turn inward and the older Daemon would tear herself apart. Athena couldn't think of her sister right now, it was too hard to think of the young woman she'd always considered her hero, and tend the only other woman who had ever held her while she cried.

"Sage, you okay?" A low groan was her only answer. That was good enough, though. Noise meant life. Athena drug herself across the floor, her legs were scrapped raw from being drug across the concrete so much. She had to be extra careful of the splint lifting that leg just enough that she wouldn't misplace anything. "Sage, it's okay now. You're with me. You are safe." Athena laughed inwardly. Safe was too strong a word.

"You're next." Sage whispered.

"I know, as soon as he gets cleaned up and changed he'll come for me. I know." Athena propped herself against the wall and locked away the thoughts of the worst. "How bad are you?" Sage had been a doctor, her mental checks of herself were so much better than the mental checks Athena did of herself.

"I don't know that I have any ribs that aren't broken at this point. We're lucky he's stupid."

"How stupid is he?" Athena asked her fingers numbly working over Sage's arm. It was laying at her side limply.

"He stops working an area over when it stops reacting. Had he kept up I could lose the whole flippin' arm and live."

"He don't want us dead. I don't like that." Athena whispered back. Neither of them willing to raise their voices to a normal level until they were sure he was long gone. He'd come and taken Sage, the two were gone a half hour, Athena knew because she counted the seconds, before he flung Sage back into the room.

"He wants the colt." Sage told her. "He… I'm going to pass out in a second, while I'm out pop my arm back in socket."

"Yes, ma'am." Sage was right, it wasn't a full minute before the woman swooned. Then Athena set to work patching her friend back together. Athena bit through her lip when she put Sage's shoulder into place.

They returned to the motel to get John and search more buildings after their run in with the real Aiden. The boys sent Autumn after the dog, they'd wait in the car. When she didn't return after a few minutes Dean turned off the car. He signaled for his brother to follow. Both of the hunters climbed the steps, prepared to find Autumn held hostage or worse. Instead she was staring at the door to her room. She looked at them blankly when they approached.

"Aut?"

"There's a note on the door." the fingers of her left hand were curled around the silver bullet at her throat and her eyes were locked on the yellow page torn from a legal pad then held up with scotch tape. Sam pulled the note down and read over it before turning to his companions.

"Hey, You want them back you'll just have to trust me. Meet me in the woods outside town at midnight. Be there… or they die. What? Thought I was going to say be there or be square? - Your Secret Admirer." Sam said his eyes flicking from their faces to the note and back. Autumn pushed Sam out of the way and let her dog out of the room. John made quick work of surveying his humans. "Where are there woods?"

"Autumn?" Dean asked. She knew the area a lot better than they did. It was just over an hour away from her home town.

"15 minutes west, out of town." she answered closing her eyes, checking her mental map. She hadn't been in Covington since the funeral of the church's choir director, when she was seventeen. Dean checked his watch.

"We've got half hour to kill." he said. Autumn looked around the balcony.

"We should get inside before someone hears us." she disappeared inside her room, John on her heels. "Should we call someone? Tell them what's going on, so if we don't come back out" she trailed off.

"Don't talk like that." Sam scolded.

"Sam, I'm just looking at reality here. We don't know if he's working alone, we don't know what he looks like. Hell we don't even know if Sage and Athena are alive! We could be walking out there for nothing." Dean didn't have to be able to see the future to see the fight coming.

"Autumn, call Jen, tell her what's up." he ordered. She turned angry eyes on him before digging out her phone and walking away from them, deeper into the room.

"Dean" Sam started and the hesitation in his voice was heart breaking.

"They're alive." Dean stated flatly.

"How do you know?" Dean grinned slinging an arm around his little brother.

"Cuz I'm the oldest which means I'm always right."

Autumn skipped the call to Jen and went straight to the big guns. She dialed John Winchester's number, unsurprised when voicemail picked up. Autumn took a deep breath, steadying herself, before starting.

"John, Sage called something attacked her. Our kind of something. We came out and lost Athena. I'm going with your boys to meet the bastard. If I don't call you back in the next 12 hours, we're in Covington, Kentucky." she hung up and dialed Jen.

"Yo?" Will answered. Autumn shook her head.

"You need taught how to talk on a telephone, William." she teased.

"Autty?" he asked.

"One and only."

"What's wrong?" the fear in his voice was undeniable.

"Nothing, babe. We're just getting ready to head into a possible ambush. Wanted to call headquarters in case we need back up and can't get to the phone." Will didn't answer for a second and she could hear him sifting through papers. No doubt notes on her hunts. Jen kept files on her hunters.

"You're out in Covington, missing persons, what else?" he asked.

"Yea, best we can figure it's a shape shifter. Wants to meet in the woods about 15 minutes west of town." he repeated what she'd said writing it down.

"You have six hours. If I don't hear from you I'll call. If you don't answer I'll dispatch a unit." Autumn laughed at how ridiculous it sounded.

"Did I join a secret government group when I wasn't paying attention?"

"Autumn, you have six hours and I'm heading out there. How is everyone?" She had made it a rule to never lie to a partner. She'd never once lied to Will about anything hunt related and couldn't help but feel the stab up pain at the words she wasn't going to say.

"We're all good." he let out sigh she wished she could share.

"You take care, Plays With Fire."

"Always." if they were in person this would be the moment he hugged her tight, when they took each other in wondering if they'd ever see the other again. "Six hours right?"

"I'll take the plane and be there before dawn." he promised.

"I'll call you in six hours."

"You better." another pause. "Autumn, watch your back."

"Bye Willy." she hung up before he could get all sappy on her.

Autumn turned around to see the two brothers, heads bent together over a map they'd picked up at the gas station. She shook off the feeling of dread. No need to fret so much, it was just another hunt. Athena's life was at risk every time. This wasn't any different. Why was she worried? Hunters don't really die, they always make it out by the skin of their teeth.

Athena spat blood and dared to run her tongue over her teeth, they were all still there. He'd taken the form of Billy-Jack this time, zeroing in on a childhood fear. She'd seen that face twist into the same cruel, animalistic smirk too many times to count, but it had never been aimed at her. He'd tied her to the chair again. No weapons were anywhere in sight. That was good. If he didn't have weapons he'd have to stick to his hands.

"I'll get her later, too." he whispered in her ear. She rocked in her chair head butting him before falling over backward. "Bitch!"

"We've covered this. I don't want you wearing out my name." she smiled sweetly. He ripped her back into and upright position.

"I think I'll make her watch when I kill you." he smirked walking away. Athena had seen enough of the building they were in now to know it was a run down house. Probably on the edge of town, with enough space between it and the next house that no one would hear her screams, at least unless they were outside. But the house's condition led her to believe no one would care even if they did hear. "I can hear her begging for your life, now." he sighed blissfully, as if he actually could hear Autumn's begging.

"She'll rip you to shreds before you can say boo."

"Maybe. But I doubt it. See she's with the Winchester boys. Your big sister isn't going to move with them watching. She won't kill me right off anyway. If I'm dead how will she find you?"

"She's found people with less to go on." The shape shifter laughed.

"Maybe so. I went to see her today, you know. Went to the bar first, but my model was already there. Good looking guy, no? Aiden. I like the name even. Maybe when I turn your boys over I'll take his name and skin and do some damage." the man shrugged. "Of course it would be more fun to go back and see how Dean stands after the last shape shifter he dealt with. Or maybe I'll go find Sarah as Sam. Give her one hell of a shock."

"Leave her alone!" Athena shouted.

"What does she matter to you?"

"She hasn't done anything wrong!" Athena told him.

"That don't matter. What have most the things you hunt done wrong?"

"Kill innocent people?" Athena asked in a 'duh' tone. He tossed Billy-Jack's head from side to side stepping out in the hall returning seconds later with a tire iron.

"There are those, aren't there, that don't do any harm? They're just born with the wrong genes. My kids won't have to worry, though. I get rid of the Winchesters and no hunter will ever try to touch me." he swung the tire iron in a bored fashion.

"How are you going to get rid of them?"

"Shhh, child. Don't worry that pretty head of yours. I've got friends, that's all you need to know. I've got friends." he hoisted the tire iron up like a bat and swung it at her bad leg. She let out a scream before she could think to bite it back. The bone shattered, and he reached to pet her hair. "You broke my nose, did you really think I wouldn't get you back for that?" she managed to twist her head sharp enough to bite his arm before he had time to react. She chomped down until his blood filled her mouth.

Dean turned off the engine and let the Chevy roll into place behind the bushes. Hidden away from the road. John was going nuts in the backseat, the dog knew something was going down. Sam was out of the car and around to the trunk mere seconds after the car came to a complete stop. Dean let Autumn out of the backseat, her dog right behind her. She brushed her arm against his, a silent plea for support. Sam watched the older pair as he tucked weapons into ever crevice of his body, that wouldn't hinder him too badly. There might be hope for them, they seemed to strengthen each other. Amplifying the other's good qualities and weakening the bad ones. Autumn made Dean stop and think, about things other than hunting and skirt chasing. Dean loosened Autumn up so that she wasn't such a stick in the mud.

There was an language to their movements. Autumn brushing Dean's arm was: I'm scared don't let me fail. Dean's hand hovering fractions of an inch away from the small of her back said: I've got your back, babe. The quick kiss that followed spoke the words both were to proud to say: I need you. Sam rolled his eyes checking his shot gun, making sure it was loaded. If something good came from everything those two had been through, it would be this.

"We don't split up." Dean reminded them shutting the trunk after going over both of them. Autumn nodded an affirmative. She knew to stick close, so did he.

"He don't die until we have Sage and Athena." Autumn said tightening the laces of her boots.

"Right." Sam couldn't think of anything else to say. When Autumn stood back up they headed out.

The trio trekked through the brush, bramble, and mud a good fifteen minutes before Autumn stopped. Her head spun around like a four year old in a swivel chair. John tensed up at her feet hackles standing on end. The crack of a twig made Sam and Dean go deeper into hunter mode. They formed a circle back to back and waited on their attacker.

"Hear that?" Autumn whispered. "Heel toe. Heel toe." Sam saw her fingers tap out the beat of steps on the handle of her gun. "If it were a deer it'd be toe heel."

"Good to know." Dean's hushed sarcasm fell on deaf ears as the shape shifter revealed himself. There was nothing about him that set off alarms. He looked like an ordinary, everyday, run of the mill guy. About Dean's height, black hair, dark eyes, blue jeans, and beaten brown coat.

"Evening." he smiled. "I'm Zack." John growled low and menacingly, all the more Autumn needed to know.

"Autumn, charmed I'm sure." she introduced herself. "Now give me three good reasons not to blow you full of holes right now."

"1: None of you are sure I'm who you're looking for. 2: You kill me you're sister will be dead before you find her…and not that I need a third reason but 3: I'm just too damn sexy to kill."

"Dude, you gave yourself up." Dean pointed out.

"Who said I would kill, Zack." Autumn spat his name out like a sour grape. She ran her eyes lovingly over her gun.

"She's just that good." Sam said, he could be cruel too. "She can shoot you just right that it will take days before it kills you ." Dean nodded.

"She loves doing that."

Autumn listened to her boys talking her up but never took her eyes off of Zack. The only visible weapon was a tire iron, but that didn't mean he wasn't packing heat, they sure were. He stood so still, and relaxed, barely visible in the dark beneath the trees. He held a flashlight, and could have blinded them, made the first move, but instead he held it low so all four people were clearly illuminated amongst the shadow.

"So pistols run in the family." he mused. "The blonde bit me. Broke the skin and everything."

"She does that." Autumn smiled. "Ma wanted to buy her a muzzle when we were kids."

"You realize, doll baby, that you're coming with me tonight." Autumn fired a shot clipped his ear. "What the hell!"

"Don't. Call. Me. That." Autumn ground out.

"Aut, let me do the talking." Dean whispered so only she and him could hear. She shook her head, Sam knew that look. There was no way she was going to let that happen.

"No." she hissed at his brother. "Where are they?" she demanded.

"No, we're done talking now. You don't get to shoot me and then sit down for a tea party."

Zach moved in humanly fast. John was on him before the hunters had time to register he'd moved. It was horrible to watch, for the whole minute it lasted. The dog bit anything that came near his powerful jaws, ripping through flesh, crunching bone. Zach raised his tire iron and struck the dog. John collapsed to the ground after a yelp of pain. Sam was next up though Dean tried to pull him back. Zack was bleeding, and weakened but adrenaline more than made up for the disfigurements John had inflicted.

Autumn couldn't track his movement. Sam was down, John was down, then he had her held against him arm around her neck and Dean pointing a gun at Zack. There was an awkward moment, where Zack was unarmed before he got a hold of Autumn's dropped gun. He tightened his grip on her holding the muzzle directly to her head.

"Move and I shoot her." Dean froze.

"Girlie, you wake your little ass up now, or I'm going to" Sage wasn't sure what she'd do but she wasn't going to lose Athena in a dark hell hole. She would have missed it had she not been stroking the girl's cheek. The slight twitch of her lips, pulling into a pained smile.

"You'll what Sage?" Sage bit back a happy sob, not because it was a total break of character but because her whole body ached and sobs would only make it worse.

"I'll hang you up by your toes, and beat you like a red headed step-child." Athena laughed which quickly turned to a cough, and she spat up blood. "Here. Shh shhh." Sage pressed a Dixie cup to her friends lips and helped the younger woman to get some water down. "How you feeling?"

"Like someone beat the shit out of me." Sage leaned over Athena pressing their foreheads together.

"Girlie, I never thought I'd be so happy to see you awake." Athena snorted a chuckle.

"Yea, well I never thought I'd be so happy to see you." Athena repositioned herself. "He messed up my leg again." she closed her eyes against the pain that shot through her. "How long was I out?"

"You were out when he brought you in, you've been here about an hour." Athena let out a colorful string of curses. "Easy, kiddo. You'll be fine."

"Where'd he go?"

"I'm supposed to know this?"

"I wish." Athena sighed. "How bad am I?"

"I did a stitch job, with what we had left of the thread. But your leg and ribs are another story. You take another beating like that he's liable to puncture a lung, and I can't do much with that." neither of them said anything for a long moment. "Teenie, what the hell do you do to that thing?"

"To get worse than you?"

"Yea."

"I bite." she smirked.

"Okay, little vampire, you need some rest."

A/N: we'll pick back up with Dean-o, Autty, and Zack in a few minutes. But for now, everyone take a pee break, there are cookies and some punch in the lobby.