Chapter Five

Nessa felt a slight buzz against her hand and swore under her breath. Selena and Rachel had one job. One simple job. All they had to do was go pick Shay up at his house. How hard could that possibly be? It wasn't like they had to fly to a constant call in report from Foci Command as their best magus scryed the location of Ambre. They didn't have to change their altitude to avoid air traffic or spin around in mid air every time one of those bastard Magus got the location of the moving target wrong. All they had to do was sit and wait outside a damn house!

Nessa wasn't chipper now…her good Nessa phase was over as soon as Cowboy loaded her full of bullets…from her own gun! No, gone was the way of pleasant and easy going Nessa…at least as easy going as she got. She still felt a sting in her chest…pain shivering through her arms…God, that man was going to pay.

Nessa looked at the still buzzing phone with a sigh as she flipped it open revealing Selena's number in bold as the caller. "What?" the anger in her voice made Selena pause before relaying her news.

"We have a problem." Selena finally choked out nervously.

"How could you possibly?" Nessa screamed through clenched teeth.

"Someone else is here to pick up Shay as well." Nessa could hear Selena swallow as if she was scared half to death.

"And?" Nessa replied as if there shouldn't be any problem in the world.

"I'm pretty sure he's a hunter?" Selena replied as if that should explain something.

"So you cut through him, take the human and meet me later…this is not rocket science." Nessa couldn't believe that the Foci had done this to her.

"He…uh…"

"Spit it out!" Nessa was almost to Chattanooga….almost ready to kill the bastard that shot her.

"He wants to talk to you." Selena exhaled sharply as Nessa closed her eyes in disbelief. This was an absolute nightmare. There was a pause where in Nessa could hear the phone switching hands and a muffled sound like crying…If Rachel was crying so help her God…Nessa was going to join the resistance. There was no crying in this job! Nessa didn't care if this idiot had a hot poker up her…

"Seems we've had a conflict of interest." Came the drawl of a male voice into the phone as Nessa spotted the house in question and then the car slowly approaching from down the street. She took up a hovering position in mid air.

"I'm listening." Nessa said quickly.

"Not much to listen too." The voice replied. "I'm walking out of here with Shay and if you want your Barbie dolls back you need to send someone to pick them up."

"Why haven't you killed them?" Nessa asked curiously.

"Dean told me not to…also wanted me to give ya a message."

"Who are you?" Nessa pushed further.

"Not important…the message though was that you have no idea what you're getting yourself into…and that if ya want to defeat Alturoc or at least protect you're charges then you're going to have to work with him…not over him. He said shooting you was the only way to get Ambre out in one piece and that he regretted havin' to do it…"

"Oh he's going to regret it." Nessa cut him off.

"Look honestly I don't know what half of what I just said meant…and I'm done…I've got my boy here and he's going to stay safe. So nice talking with ya and all, but you have a nice night…like I said you're girls are hanging around if you decide you want 'em back." And the phone went dead…Nessa would have thrown it had she not needed it. Instead, she glared at the car that was pulling up across the street from the house in question as she moved into a better position to exact her revenge and retrieve her charge.

It wasn't until she got close enough to see the shades coating the house like slime and the blood soaked windows that she felt chills race through her like lightning. She watched in horror as Cowboy…also now known as Dean retrieved a giant can of salt from the trunk of his car and a shotgun before decking his buddy and then making a full out run for the house.

"He's crazy." Nessa half laughed half starred in shock as he kicked the front door open and walked right on in. The act itself stirred feelings inside her that she had long ago quit trying to stir. She felt the guns in her hands before she even realized what her plan was.

Ambre was in the back seat of the car. This should have been simple. Shoot the other guy and take her back…easy enough…but Nessa couldn't force herself in that direction…not just yet. Apart of her just wanted to see if he came back out …in one piece.

Dean's foot connected with the door and sent it flying inward as he heard Sam shout his name from the street and he ignored his brother to call out for Ben. He got his reply in the form of a scream from the kitchen and sniffed back the unease wavering through him.

Before him in a tangled, seething, almost breathing black mass the walls swelled in and out. The shades consistency mirrored an impenetrable smoke that had enough substance to glisten in the flickering bloodied bulbs of the interior of the house. Dean noticed that the space just before the front door was relatively shade free as he took in the unbroken entrance table bearing two huge flower arrangements that framed an ornate mirror on the wall. Dean wasn't even sure that the plan had become solid as he dropped the can of salt and picked up the first vase.

Positioning the shotgun under his right armpit, Dean tossed the flowers out of the vase and then dumped the water over his head. He gave a gasp as the water soaked into his freshly changed clothes and then followed up by doing the same with the second vase. The shades were growing restless…he could feel them taking notice of him…moving in his direction.

"God, this is going to burn later." Dean breathed as he set down the second vase and picked up the can of salt. He had popped the top in mid run for the house and now looked into the can with a frown. "Hang on Ben!" Dean's words seemed to help him strengthen his own resolve as he slammed his eyes shut and dumped the salt over his head. He immediately felt the grit stick to the water coating his skin and clothes and grimaced at the bit of a bite the burn was already having before he shook his head lightly and cleared away his eyes just enough to see.

Dean gagged on the salt that fell into his mouth as he opened his eyes and inhaled the burn, tasted the bite. Still he moved the can to his other hand and repositioned the shotgun to clear a path to Ben. He took two steps forward remembering what just one of these monsters could do with their clawed incorporeal hands. Remembering that it had been a shade that had killed Sam months ago in a world that no longer existed. Just one that had near made mince meat of his brothers brain. Dean heard a shriek as he took another step forward and felt the pain radiate from the shadows as they back away.

Dean smiled.

So far so good. He leveled the shotgun at the doorway leading to the kitchen and fired the rock salt spray, opening just enough of a space to give him a window to jump through. He really didn't want to have to take the time to reload so he hoped that his salted body idea was going to hold out for him as he broke for a run through the door, through the wriggling near weightless bodies that separated him from Ben. Dean jumped, head first through the doorway hole, feeling the shades close around him with a scream of tearing flesh. They instantly tasted the salt against them though and after the initial ripping flew backwards away from him. He hit the floor on the other side at a roll landing winded at the free flowing blood that ran down his arms and his flanks even through the tattered over shirt and T-shirt.

Dean nearly passed out when the salt hit the fresh wounds and he had to fight the black lines racing across his vision to keep his focus on saving Ben and getting that antiscrying recipe.

" Son of a bitch." He got out through clenched teeth at the pain before spotting Ben on the floor pinned beneath a shadow. "Ben!" Dean screamed taking aim at the shadow on top of him…so much for not having to reload. "Close your eyes!" Dean fired the shot into the shadow and watched it jumped through the ceiling in pain freeing Ben just enough for Dean to see the extent of the damage. The man was not looking good. He found the recipe card on the floor next to Ben…the writing slightly marred by the man's blood.

The green goo of lost potions and broken glass littered the floor causing Dean to curse under his breath.

Ben gasped up at him blood slowly seeping from his lips as he struggled to breath. Claw marks ran deep into his flesh through the tattered remains of his clothing…and the rest of his coven… Dean noticed them at the table…splayed open like some impromptu exploratory surgery gone wrong. "I'm so sorry." Dean whispered as he leaned down quickly slamming the barrel of the gun open as he riffled through his pockets for the next two rock salt shells. "You hang on Ben. I'm getting you out of here."

This was all his fault. Dean should have known that Alturoc would sent himself back as well. No one that wanted that much power and control was going to leave so much to chance. Still, Dean closed the barrels and cocked the gun back before winding an arm under Ben's back and heaving the man up and over his shoulder both of them groaning in pain from the action. Dean turned back toward the doorway and raised the gun. "Hold on Ben." He whispered again. He fired two shots into the mass again and then ran through the opening again feeling it close around the two of them and the clawing that resulted.

The two scream in tandem from the tearing of flesh before Dean pitched forward catching himself and Ben under the weight of one arm and a set of straining knees. Dean's head snapped up as the shot gun sounded from the doorway.

He took in Sam standing, firing two rounds into the tangled mass before switching off hands to the other shot gun and firing the next set of rounds. Over his own shoulder unconscious from What Dean could only imagine was shock, was Ambre. She didn't exactly have the strength of a god to pad her slide into the supernatural this time…and the ride had to be hell on her…thus the passing out.

Dean let out a strangled laugh as he shoved himself upward under the weight of Ben's body and made his way through the hole that Sam had cleared. Along the way Dean popped open his own gun again and began to reload. He had just snapped the barrel shut past the front doors when he spotted her. "Sam, run." Dean breathed stepping up just beside Sam in time to see Nessa headed in their direction.

Before Dean could offer further explanation Nessa's body hit Dean like an airborne missile. The force of the impact simultaneously knocked Ben from his grasp and Dean backward into the hedgerow that encased the small yard. He landed hard with Nessa on top of him.

The first fist that connected with his jaw snapped his head back with enough force to cause his neck to pop. Dean wasn't even able to force out a sound as the second punch landed. He was surprised when she seemed to hold back the third punch as if her first two had done more damage then she expected, proving, in fact, that he was human. "Who are you?" She growled.

"Dean Winchester." Dean spit out a mouth full of blood from his busted lip with a cough as he met her eyes. Dean shifted his eyes slightly at the sound of shotgun cocking and let his head slip back to the ground, his eyes closed as he tried to collect himself amongst the pain.

"What do you want with Ambre?"

"To keep her safe." Dean whispered wishing Sam had taken him up on that whole running thing…cause now he was worried what Nessa would do if she decided that she didn't believe him.

"From who?" So far so good. At least she was still asking questions.

"Alturoc." Dean lulled his head upward to look at her.

"How do you know about him?" Nessa motioned to Ambre seeming satisfied to be getting as much information as she was getting. "And about the girl?"

"It's a long story." That was the last of the satisfaction as Nessa's fist connected with his temple and Sam fired the shotgun in unison with her strike.

The rock salt caught her in the shoulder and she growled barely flinching. "You shoot me again…and I'll break his neck…got me?" She called out. Sam's eyes widened in shock that the blast had so little effect on her. "Now you settle down there, Sugar."

"Look he's telling the truth, and I'm not going to let you kill my brother!" Sam screamed back adjusting Ambre on his shoulder.

"I was sent back in time to stop, Alturoc." Dean rasped out his voice fading as coherency took a back seat to his declining condition. "If you kill me…he wins hands down. I've already seen the capacity of his armies."

"Who sent you?" Nessa narrowed her eyes in distrust.

"That's kind of complicated." Dean scoffed and then instantly regretted the slight pressure he put on his ribcage as he doubled over coughing. Once he had composed himself he felt Sam and Nessa's eyes both settle on him as he delivered an explanation that he wished had been left unsaid as soon as it left his mouth. "Look last time around you went to hell, literally, and clawed your way back out…to stand beside me, and him, and her… in that damn fight and it was a lost fcking battle. So I understand the lengths you're willing to go to, but you don't know a damn thing about me. So don't judge me based on this one conversation."

The house behind them gave a groan under the strain of the shade's still writhing across it, obviously not having been given the orders to follow the group just yet. "Any chance we can continue this in the car?" Dean had barely gotten that out before Nessa rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She grabbed him by the shirt front and yanked him to his feet slinging him like a sack of potatoes over her own shoulder. Dean screamed out near losing his fight to stay conscious as he struck her shoulder. Nessa then quickly grabbed Ben up, slightly more cautiously with her free hand. Sam's eyes widened taking in her strength and he got a sort of "what" shrug out of Nessa before the two of them started back toward the Impala. "Alright, I'll let you live…long enough to cart your ass in to Foci Command." She held out her hands to Sam. "Give me the keys."

"We're not going to Foci Command." Dean wheezed into her back near limp against her.

"You're in no position to fight me on this." Nessa laughed out as she tossed Ben into the back of the car and set him up against Ambre who Sam had just placed on the other side of the back seat.

"Don't be so sure." Dean breathed as he slowly and with small movements shifted his arms weakly against her. She didn't seem to see him as a threat any more. Dean slid the knife from his wrist strap and with the remaining strength in his body he slammed it into her back hoping he hit a lung. Nessa's gasp letting him know he had.

Nessa managed to toss him off her, head first, over her back before she turned on him as he hit the pavement hard and she slowly sank to the ground out cold.

"Tie her up and put her in the trunk." Dean gasped out as he struggled to even move on the pavement before he met Sam's eyes to let him know he was quite serious. Dean rolled onto his hands and knees panting from the pain sweeping through his body as he kept eye contact. "Dammit, do it before she wakes up." Dean rasped out struggling to his feet before staggering into the side of the car where he held himself trying to gain enough strength to get around to the passenger side.

Sam couldn't believe he was doing this. He looked to his brother's battered form before walking to the trunk and getting the rope to tie Nessa up.

"Hog tie her." Dean called out as he stumbled around the car and nearly passed out on the hood.

"Dean" Sam raised his eyebrow and met Dean's eye from his position on the hood of the car.

"Do it!" Dean screamed out and then pushed off the hood hard before he finally made it to the passenger seat and collapsed there slamming the door shut behind him.

He was teetering on the thresh hold of consciousness by the time Sam got into the driver's side having done as Dean asked with Nessa. "You and Ben need a Hospital." Sam cranked the car as soon as he was settled in the car and put it in drive.

Dean simply lulled his head against the seat in protest. "No." he choked out. "Hit a drug store for some medical supplies then we find some out of the way motel with a kitchen for the night. After we get this potion cooked up and everyone had taken it we need to meet up with Bobby. Then we all sit tight for a while. "

"Dean…"

"Sam just drive." Dean whispered out suddenly. Sam watched him close his eyes and then the tears that slipped down his brothers face as the frayed edges of Dean's soul seemed to be unraveling faster and faster. It didn't help that his body was now near as broken as what was left of his sanity. Sam had seen Dean reckless but this…tonight…this was a whole other level and he didn't know how long Dean could possibly survive this way.

One thing was for sure, Sam wasn't about to let Dean destroy himself. If he had to tie him down and get the answers out of him, he was going to find a way to help him. "So who sent you back?" Sam hadn't missed the hesitation when Nessa asked it. "And whose Alturoc?"

Dean swallowed back the tears and tried to quiet his sadness, but it came out in a sob instead.

"Never mind." Sam swallowed as he heard the response that Dean gave. "Just calm down Dean…I'll get us that room…and the supplies."

Dean nodded as best he could.