ok, first, sorry for the long wait. first i was sick and then i couldnt upload a file for two days. ggrrr.

thank you all again for the great reviews, i am glad you are enjoying this story. as always, let me know what you think.

oh the things i had to go through to get this online. WOW!

TWILIGHT

Chapter 15

Dean sat on the bench beneath the window, staring down at the fields below him, the green slopes mocking him, destroying him. It had been almost three days and Kerri was still nowhere to be found, and the eleven year old was quickly losing hope. He had gone out everyday, searched the forest and surrounding land for hours, coming home only when exhaustion was threatening to claim him. But, no matter how hard or long he searched, he still came home empty handed each time.

And every time he walked through the door, it was to see Evelyn, wide eyed and eager, hoping that he would keep his promise. But as of yet, he had been unable to do so, and he was afraid he would never be able to fulfill that little girl's wish. Her sister was gone, and he didn't know how to tell her that. So, instead, he left Evelyn with Sam, letting his little brother comfort the distraught girl. Because, no matter how hard he tried, Dean just couldn't face her.

He knew he had screwed up, knew he had failed, and Evelyn and her family were going to be the ones to pay for it. And it just wasn't fair. He had promised to keep them safe, told John and Tom that they didn't have to worry about leaving them alone. He had promised all of them that he was good enough to handle the task, and he had been wrong.

He jumped when he heard a light knock on the door, Sam leaning hesitantly against the frame. The little boy had been down with Evelyn while Dean had gone to recheck the salt lines. That had been their routine every since Kerri had gone missing, and it was waring on everyone. Everyday, Dean left Evelyn with Sam, repeating his instructions, all the while refusing to look at the pale eyed girl. And everyday, he left the house, everyday he searched. But no matter how hard he prayed, no matter how long he looked, there was still no sign of his long time friend.

"Dean?" Sam began, slowly inching his way into the room.

"Yeah, Sammy?" Dean sighed, turning back towards the window. He couldn't look his little brother in the eye, couldn't see the disappointment there.

"Are you hungry?"

It was only then that Dean noticed the wrapped up sandwich clutched in his brother's chubby hand.

"No, I'm ok."

"You have to. It's your favorite, Bologna and ketchup." Sam stated, pushing the food in his brother's hand.

"Thanks, Sam." Dean forced a smile, taking the offering. He fiddled with the wrapper, turning sorrowful green eyes back towards the forest. The storms had continued to rage on outside, mocking him, keeping him cut off from help. They were still so alone, still cut off from the outside world, and it was starting to destroy them all.

Everyday the air seemed to grow colder, the winds stronger, rain heavier. At that moment, Dean would bet anything that this was the spirit's way of showing him that it was pissed. And, as much as he hated to admit it, he was sure that that was why it had taken Kerri, too. It had wanted Sam and Evelyn, and Dean was sure that it still did. But instead of trying to take them again, it was punishing Kerri for his interference. And that fact tore at Dean more than any other.

"Are you going back out?" Sam asked, sitting on the bench beside his brother, Kerri's room eerily empty.

"Yeah. I have to."

"Evelyn's fever is up a little bit again."

"What to?"

"101.2."

"That's not too bad, Sammy. It's probably because she's worked up. Keep an eye on her, and give her lots to drink."

"Yeah, I was doing that, but she's sleeping now."

"You should go back down there, you shouldn't leave her alone."

"I will. But you were up here for such a long time. I was just checking on you."

Dean looked down at his watch as Sam spoke, amazed to see that he had been sitting up in Kerri's room, lost in thought, for nearly two hours. He had to pull himself together, had to be ready to go back out and look for his friend.

"Sorry, Sammy. I just got distracted."

"Evelyn keeps asking when you're gonna bring Kerri home."

"I don't know, Sammy. But I will bring her back."

"Alive?"

Dean turned wide eyes toward his brother, the little boy before him voicing exactly what he was thinking. He couldn't believe that Sam could read him like that, and he couldn't believe that his little brother's innocent mind had already begun to consider their friend's death as a real possibility. Dean didn't know what to say. He had been truthful when he said that he would not stop looking until he brought her home, dead or alive.

"Yes, Sam, alive."

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Dean didn't look at Evelyn when he came down the stairs a few minutes later. He couldn't. There was so much pain in her pale eyes, so much fear, and he knew that he was the one who had put it there. Everything in his life was just spiraling too far out of control, everything he thought he was fading away with each hour that Kerri was missing. A few days before, everything seemed so easy, but now, well now he didn't know what to think.

His entire world was turning on its axis and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Kerri was gone, Sam thought she was dead, and Evelyn blamed him. And Dean didn't even want to think about their dads. He had fallen asleep when he was supposed to be protecting them. And the young hunter knew that, for that there would be no forgiveness. This was his fault, and he would fix it or die trying.

He checked and loaded his shotgun, filling his pockets with extra rounds. The storms were growing stronger, almost as though the watcher was calling him out. And he knew that he had to go out and meet the monster's call. Because Kerri was alive, he could feel it in his bones. She was alive, and being used to punish him. The watcher wasn't happy with him, of that Dean was certain, and he knew that that thing wouldn't kill Kerri until he was there to watch it happen.

He look once more at the two seven year olds huddled together on the couch, Sam holding a sobbing Evelyn in his arms, before turning towards the door, and back into the cold and stormy night. He had to find her, he had to make this right. He couldn't face losing her, wouldn't consider the possibility that she might already be gone, not even for a moment. He would find her, safe and whole, and he would bring her home.

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Kerri laid on the cold, muddy ground, her body shaking uncontrollably. She had never been so cold in all her life, her clothes, though long since dry, seemed to hold in the icy temperature of the lake. She tried pulling her hoodie tighter, but it didn't even offer her the slightest bit of warmth. And so, she had remained curled up in a ball for who knows how long, trying to hold on, to stay strong until Dean came and got her.

But it had been so long, and she was so cold. She couldn't tell how much time had passed, where ever she was being far to dark to tell, but she knew that it had been a while. She had fallen asleep several times, her pain wracked body unable to stay ludic. And still, Dean had not come.

She had tried to hold back her tears for as long as she could, but every time she opened her eyes, every time she awoke to find that she was still alone, she could feel her heart breaking. She knew that Dean would never leave her there, hurt and frightened, not if he could help it. He was far more resourceful and resilient than anyone else she knew, eleven years old or otherwise, and she knew that the only thing that could stop him was injury or death.

'No!' She shook herself, refusing to believe that he was gone. 'If Dean were dead, the world would know it.'

"You think so, child?"

Kerri jumped when she heard the icy voice, her blue eyes opening to see the monster hovering above her. It was staring down with blood red eyes and a hungry, unnatural smile. Its throat was ripped to shreds, the voice that had once sounded so angelic and beautiful now as rotting and horrid as the creature it belonged to.

But instead of answering it, instead of giving it the pleasure of watching her suffer, Kerri just closed her eyes and pulled up her hood. Repeating to herself over and over again that Dean would be there soon, that he would come for her.

Reading the young girl's mind, the watcher merely laughed, a steady purple haze growing around it as it spoke.

"He's not coming. He has his brother, safe and sound, he has no need to venture out again."

"Shut up." Kerri whispered, her ears popping and stinging as the icy voice echoed in them. She pushed the fabric of her sweater into her ears, the plain almost unbearable. She tried to breath through it, but her fear and fatigue were getting the better of her. She could feel something thick and warm soaking into her hood as she pushed it to her burning ears, a steady ringing growing as tears ran down her pale face.

She was so cold, and so scared and now in more pain than she could ever remember. All she wanted was for Dean to find her, to bring her home, lay her by the fire and tell her that everything would be ok. She needed him to be there for her, to take care of her, to save her. But, as the pain and cold finally claimed her, she was afraid that he would never come.

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The watcher smiled down as the girl before her finally fell into the dark oblivion. She was amazed that the child had managed to hold on for so long. In fact, the watcher was amazed by all the children. They were all so much stronger than she had anticipated, and she knew that she was running out of time. It was only a week now until the hunters returned and the creature knew that that would not be enough time. She had been waiting so long, and now she knew that it had all been in vain.

But then again, maybe not all was lost. It smiled once more as it looked down at Kerri, Dean's frantic voice echoing to it through the forest. If it couldn't have the younger two, than it would take the older ones. Oh yes, taking the older two would destroy both families, leaving the little ones, Sam and Evelyn, vulnerable in the future. And it would leave the adult hunters nothing more than empty shells.

Yes, it thought as it moved towards Dean, it hadn't lost yet, and with these two, it wouldn't. It may not get what it wanted, but maybe, just maybe, taking Kerri and Dean would turn out even better.