Chapter 10, This Family
"Okay, you two, just cool it," Sam said, hoping they wouldn't notice that he was using his Dad voice. He sat down to get a closer look at the mark on Cassie's neck.
"Do you have any idea who did this?" he asked her. In order for the Necromancer to place his mark on Cassie's neck, the two would have to be in fairly intimate contact (thus Dean looking half murderous over there. Heads were definitely gonna roll tonight).
Cassie's eyes narrowed, "what do you mean who did it? I don't even know what it is? Dean saw it and went completely berserk on me." Cassie jerked away from Sam's attentions and fixed him with an expectant glare.
Sam gave Dean an annoyed look which seemed to further piss the man off. Swallowing, he tried to broach the issue as delicately as possible. "Cassie. I think Dean's concern is that--"
"Who did you fuck, Cassie?" Dean cut in crudely, wanting to see Cassie's eyes widen with hurt. He wasn't disappointed.
"What?" Cassie said, mouth dropping open. Before Sam could insert his awkward deflating statement, she was on her feet, pacing and spitting mad. "Who the hell do you think you are?" She flung at Dean. "You are such a hypocrite, you know that? This from the man who is probably only about 20 percent sure that Ellie is his only offspring! It's not like you didn't share your bed with a girl in each state on the way 'home' to me!"
"YOU put our daughter in danger!" Dean retaliated.
"ENOUGH!" Sam cut in, letting his own anger show. "You two can deal with your issues later. Right now we have a job to do." Cassie and Dean glared at each other but had the graciousness to nod with affected contrition. It was true that Sam had sacrificed a lot to come out to meet them.
"THANK you," Sam said in the following silence. "Cassie, we need to know who did this. Now, the mark cannot be placed against your will," he shot Dean quelling stare, "though it can be coerced. Just tell us what happened, so we can fix this."
"I don't REMEMBER what happened" Cassie bit out in exasperation. God, she had never felt so violated.
Dean felt his heart thump at Cassie's stricken look, but he didn't let the pang get further than his eyes. He stood there, rigid and icy. How had he thought this might work? He wasn't like Sam. He didn't do very well with these types of situations. And things were happening so fast. And there was so much at stake. Dammit he swore to himself.
Sam, thankfully, was like Sam or at least had some Sam-like qualities. He managed to draw Cassie out, being "sensitive" or whatever. "Come on, Cassie, start from the beginning," Sam persuaded gently. Dean pursed his lips.
Cassie drew a shaky breath. "Two nights ago, I went out with a couple girlfriends and..." she glanced nervously at Dean. "I danced with this guy." She shook her head. "Had a couple drinks." God, this was painful. "Apparently, I went home with the guy. But I don't remember anything!"
"What do you remember," Sam pressed. Dean's face remained hard.
"I woke up here," she said, looking down at her hands. "I didn't think that... I thought... I thought maybe he had put something in my drink..."
"AND you didn't CALL me!" Dean yelled, breaking into a sweat. That this could have happened at all...
"Yeah, 'cause you were sure to be so understanding," Cassie snipped back. "GOD, Dean..."
"You're NOT helping." Sam said, reinforcing the message by glaring at his brother.
"Fine. I'm gonna check on Ellie." It was an obvious emotional retreat. He couldn't really deal with this crap.
Cassie shot Sam a look that betrayed just how uncomfortable this was getting. She folded her hands over her chest, doing her best to get a little distance on this. When she spoke, her voice was measured but tight. "What exactly does this mean?"
Sam swallowed. It was obvious that the situation was seriously fucked. "The mark is transfered through the exchange of bodily fluids, like the with vampires, though in necromancy, well, usually its through intercourse."
Cassie winced. Had she been raped? Nothing was worse than this feeling, not knowing. Two hot tears spilled out through her closed eyes and Sam put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Cassie jerked away, eyes flying open and signaling silently that Sam should continue.
Sam did and the seriousness of his words settled ominously about them. "The mark gives the necromancer certain powers over the person he claims. He will be able to track you, knows where you are. He may be able to coerce you, though probably not from great distances. Um... in death, the body is given over wholly and becomes an undead servant."
"Oh." Cassie said weakly. She tried to remember to breathe. Suddenly she surged to her feet, "I have to go then... Ellie..."
"Cassie, I don't think that's..."
"You're not going anywhere," Dean interrupted, reappearing at the doorway. He stepped towards Cassie. "I'm not going to let anything happen to. To either of you."
Sam smiled in relief. He'd need his brother in this fight. "God, this family," he laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah well," Dean said simply, a sardonic smile playing at his lips. Cassie tried to return his smile. Light hands one her neck and a couple of murmured apologies did wonders in that regard. Sam felt a pang of homesickness as he averted his eyes.
"So, geek boy," Dean said, slinging a comforting arm around Cassie's shoulder. Seemed there were a few conflicting claims there.
Sam's head came back up, glare nowhere near convincing. "That's geek man, to you," he said with a smile.
"How do we break the seal?" Dean said, getting serious.
"That's the interesting thing..." Dean and Cassie glared. Sam retracted. "That's the difficult thing... It's not like a demonic seal," he unconsciously fingered the scar from all those years ago when Bobby had released the demon within him by putting a glowing poker to his arm. "You can't just physically corrupt the mark. It's protected by strong magic."
"Maybe I can help with that," said Erin, appearing in the doorway.
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Author's Note: Okay, y'all. Sorry for abandoning you with this story. I know where it's going, but I'm not sure you're gonna like it...