Disclaimer: Not mine.
Hate to say it but there aren't too many chapters left in this one.

Chapter 6

Dean held Sam, smiling at the way he curled up with his head on Dean's chest. He wished he still had body heat to give the kid, or even a heartbeat for Sam to doze off listening too but Sam didn't seem to mind. Sam raised his head and smiled at him, leaning in for a soft kiss. So far the voice seemed content with kissing and cuddling but Dean was concerned about Sam being pushed for more. He was worried that Sam didn't really want it, that he was being made to do it by whatever it was that was happening to him, Dean didn't even know if they could go all the way, what if he lost control and drained him or hurt him?

"It'll be okay." Sam whispered, gently kissing him again and Dean smiled.

"Reading my mind Sammy?" He teased and Sam froze, making Dean frown.
"Sam?" Dean called.

"I…Dean think something totally unrelated." Sam pleaded and Dean nodded, letting his mind wander to thoughts of tuning the Impala's engine and Sam swallowed.

"Sam?"

"You….you were considering tuning up the engine." Sam whispered and Dean froze.

"You….you heard that?" Dean asked and Sam nodded, eyes wide.
"Is it just me?" Dean asked and Sam focused before nodding.

"Or it takes proximity but I can't hear anyone in the other rooms." Sam admitted and Dean nodded, weirded out a bit and obviously Sam picked up on that because he started to pull away.

"Sam no, it'll be okay. We'll deal with this just like we have everything else, alright?" Dean asked and Sam chewed his lip. Dean leant up and kissed him.
"No matter what Sam, I won't leave you." Dean promised and Sam smiled slightly as he heard Dean's thoughts on the subject.

"Okay."

Sam smiled softly as he saw Dean fast asleep in the passenger seat before the smile morphed into a grin. He leant in the drivers' window and hit the horn, making Dean jump and look around wildly. Sam laughed as he got in and Dean glared at him.

"Man, that is so not cool." Dean grumbled, yawning and stretching.

"I just swept the Telesca house with the EMF. It's clean. And last night, while you were out I took the history of the house. No hauntings, no violent crimes, nothing strange about the Telescas themselves either." Sam explained as he started the engine, Dean leaning back again. Just because he could go out in the sunlight didn't mean he enjoyed feeling like he was being sunburnt all the time, not to mention he was sleepier during the day.

"All right, so if it's not the people and it's not the house, then, uh... maybe it's the contents, a cursed object or somethin'." Dean mumbled, forcing himself to think things through and Sam shrugged.

"The house is clean."

"Yeah, I know, you said that." Dean frowned and Sam shook his head, reaching over to take Dean's hand.

"No, I mean, it's empty. No furniture, nothin'." Sam explained, that got through the sleepy fog in Dena's brain.

"Where's all their stuff?" Dean asked, rubbing the back of Sam's hand with his thumb, making Sam smile at him.

"Go back to sleep, I'll look for it." Sam told him and Dean studied him before nodding and closing his eyes, body soon going still as he fell asleep.

"A fine example of American primitive, wouldn't you say?" A female voice asked and they turned to see the young woman in a formal black dress walking down the stairs towards them.

"Well, I'd say it's more Grant Wood than Grandma Moses." Sam told her and she looked at the ground bashfully, making Sam smirk
"But you knew that. You just wanted to see if I did."

"Guilty. And clumsy, I apologize. I'm Sarah Blake." She introduced herself as Dean took a quiche of a passing waiter.

"I'm Sam. This is my brother, Dean." Sam hesitated on the brother bit but what else was he going to say?

"Dean?" Sarah asked and Sam had to fight a smirk, the quiches must be rather good since there were few human foods Dean would still eat.

"Mm?" The vampire answered and Sarah smiled.

"Can we get you some more mini-quiche?" She asked and Dean swallowed.

"Mm-mm, I'm good, thanks." He answered and she turned back to Sam.

"So, can I help you with something?"

"Yeah, actually. What can you tell us about the Telesca estate?"

"The whole thing's pretty grisly, if you ask me, selling your things this soon. But, Dad's right about one thing. Sensationalism brings out the crowds - even the rich ones." She shared a smile with Sam who nodded in understanding.

"Is it possible to see the provenances?" He asked even as Daniel Blake walked up behind his daughter.

"I'm afraid there isn't any chance of that." The older man stated and Sam frowned.

"Why not?"

"You're not on the guest list. And I think it's time to leave."

"Well, we don't have to be told twice." Dean answered and the man barely held in a sneer.

"Apparently, you do."

"Okay, it's all right. We don't want any trouble. We'll go." Sam stepped in and Sarah watched him go sadly, Dean fought the urge to snarl at her, he could smell her attraction to Sam and a few months ago he would have encouraged it, but not anymore

"Dad, that was rude." Sarah chided, sad to see the guys leave, they were more interesting and far cuter than anyone else there.

"So…." Dean trailed off and Sam looked over at him, puzzled, before he obviously picked up on the thoughts Dean was trying to hide. Sam's new little telepathy thing was a real pain sometimes. Sam got up and sat in Dean's lap, his lips crashing against Dean's forcefully.

"Mine." He snapped, eyes yellow and Dean relaxed under him, nodding.

"Yours Sammy." He whispered before Sam kissed him again, hands wandering under Dean's shirt, the feel of Sam's warm skin on his cold making Dean shiver. Dean moaned as Sam began to nip and suck at his neck, his hands moving up to thread through Sam's hair. He just rested them there, not trying to stop or control Sam's movements so Sam allowed the touch. Sam began yanking at Dean's shirt so he pulled it off, leaning back against the couch as Sam continued.
"Mmmmmm Sammy." He moaned as Sam moved down his chest. Sam raised his head, eyes more hazel than they had been. Dean gently ran his fingers over Sam's cheek, smiling when Sam leant into his touch.
"We need to…..Sam we need to…the case." Dean tried to snap Sam out of it as Sam went back to work on him. Dean shut his eyes as his vampire teeth dropped, fighting to stay in control of his body and instincts. He nearly jumped when his belt undid itself and then his jeans.
"Sam stop please." Dean whispered, hoping to get through to Sam and he was relieved when Sam blinked and then froze before trying to get away. Dean stopped him, knowing why.
"Sam it's okay." He soothed but Sam shook his head.

"I…you said stop and I didn't…I would have…" Sam stammered and Dean kissed him.

"Sam I trust you. I wasn't really arguing or fighting, I knew you'd stop if I said the word and you did." Dean assured him, tipping Sam's head up to make eye contact. Sam stared at him, obviously reading him and Dean let his thoughts back up what he'd said, smiling when Sam slowly relaxed in his arms.
"Come on, let's finish up the research and then get some sleep." Dean told him, kissing him again before letting Sam get up.

"I don't understand, Dean, we burned the damn thing." Sam said as he got in the drivers seat and Dean nodded, relaxing into the passenger seat. He didn't drive during the day anymore, the sun and sleepiness too much for him and he hated it but it was safer for both of them if Sam drove.

"Yeah, thank you, Captain Obvious. All right, we just need to figure out another way to get rid of it. Any ideas?" He growled and Sam grabbed his hand, making Dean calm down a bit.

"Okay, all right, well, um... in almost all the lore about haunted paintings, it's always the painting's subject that haunts them."

"Yeah? All right, so, we need to figure out everything there is to know about that creepy-ass family in that creepy-ass painting. What were their names again?" Dean mumbled, starting to drift off and Sam smiled, staying quiet until Dean went still. He started the car and slowly drove towards the library, wanting Dean to get some sleep before they got there so he'd be a little less grumpy. When he finally had to park he turned in his seat and gently stroked Dean's cheek, smiling when Dean leant into his touch.

"Hey Dean, come on wake up. I know it's daytime but we need to keep researching." Sam whispered and one green eye cracked open sleepily.
"Come on Dean, we'll order pizza later if you get up." Sam called and Dean grumbled but opened both eyes and sat up, stretching, grimacing when he saw where they were. Sam laughed and got out, Dean following more slowly. They went inside and found a librarian to help them, following him deeper inside, Dean relaxing as they moved away from all natural light sources.

"You said the Isaiah Merchant family, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Sam answered as he sat down.

"I dug up every scrap of local history I could find. So, uh, are you boys' crime buffs?"

"Kind of. Why do you ask?" Dean asked, leaning his head on his hand sleepily.

"Well..." he held up an old newspaper page. The headline read, "Father Slaughters Family, Kills Self".

"Yes. Yeah, that sounds about right." Dean mumbled. Sam pinched him under the table.

"The whole family was killed?" He asked when the librarian glanced at Dean.

"It seems this Isaiah - he slits his kids' throats, then his wife, then himself. Now, he was a barber by trade - used a straight razor."

"Why'd he do it?"

"Well, let's look." He began to read the article.
"Uh, "people who knew him described Isaiah as having a stern and harsh temperament and controlled his family with an iron fist." Wife, two sons, adopted daughter - yeah, yeah - there were whispers that the wife was gonna take the kids and leave, which, of course, you know, in that day and age... so, instead, Old Man Isaiah - well, he gave them all a shave."

"Does it say what happened to the bodies?" Dean asked, more awake now.

"It just says they were all cremated." Was the answer and they exchanged annoyed looks.

"Anything else?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Actually, I found a picture of the family. Its right here somewhere." He opened another book and flipped through it.
"Right. Here it is." He showed them the picture and they stared at it. It was the same as the painting except Isaiah was looking straight ahead and not down at the daughter.

"Hey, could we get a copy of this, please?" Sam asked.

"Sure."

"I'm telling you, man, I'm sure of it. Painting at the auction house, Dad is lookin' down. Painting here, Dad's lookin' out. The painting has changed, Dean." Sam explained as he stared at the photocopy. Dean just nodded, half asleep on the bed while sucking blood through a straw. Sam wasn't sure if he found it cute or gross.

"All right, so, you think Daddy Dearest is trapped in the painting? He's handin' out Columbian neckties like he did with his family?" Dean asked around a yawn.

"Yeah, it seems like it. But if his bones are already dusted, then how are we gonna stop him?"

"All right, well, if Isaiah's position changed, maybe some other things in the painting changed as well. It could give us some clues." Dean offered, laying back down.

"What, like a DaVinci Code deal?" Sam asked, studying the picture closer.

"I don't know, I'm still waitin' for the movie on that one. Anyway, we gotta get back in and see that painting. Which is a good thing because you can get some more time to crush on your girlfriend." Dean grumbled and Sam turned to him. He could hear Dean's thoughts and they were rather depressing. Sam got up and sat beside him on the bed.

"Dude, enough already." Sam chided and Dean opened an eye.

"What?" he mumbled and Sam sighed.

""What?" Ever since we got here, you've been worrying about me going to Sarah. It's not gonna happen Dean. I need you; I want to be with you. And no, it's not just that voice. It was at first yeah but now…..I'm not leaving you." Sam whispered, kissing him and not caring that he could taste blood in Dean's mouth.

"Well, we still gotta see that painting, which means you still gotta call Sarah, so..." Dean whispered when they parted and Sam nodded, pulling out his phone.

"Sarah, hey. It's Sam.
Hey, hi. Good, good, yeah, um, what about you?
Yeah, good, good, really good." Sam winced and shrugged and Dean smirked slightly.

"Smooth." He whispered and then ended up with a face full of pillow.

"So, listen, me and my brother were thinking that maybe we'd like to come back in and look at the painting again. I think maybe we are interested in buying it.
What?
Who'd you sell it to?
Sarah, I need an address right now." Sam demanded and Dean sat up in alarm.

Dean looked up from the laptop, scenting the air, when someone knocked, his eye rollw as enoguht to let Sam know who it was so he opened the door.,

"Hey." Sam greeted as Sarah walked in.
"You all right?" he asked and she glared at him.

"No, actually. I just lied to the cops and told them I went to Evelyn's alone and found her like that." Sarah snapped and they relaxed a little, Sam even smiling slightly at her.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm about to call 'em right back if you don't tell me what the hell is going on. Who's killing these people?"

"What." Sam finally muttered after sharing a silent conversation with Dean.

"What?" She asked in confusion.

"It's not who, it's what is killing these people." Sam said and Sarah shook her head.
"Sarah, you saw that painting move." He told her gently.

"No. No, I was seeing things. It's impossible."

"Yeah, well, welcome to our world." Dean snapped, shutting the laptop.

"Sarah, I know this sounds crazy, but we think that that painting is haunted." Sam continued and she stared at him.

"You're joking." She stated and Dean sighed before letting his teeth drop and she backed away.
"You're not joking. God, the guys I go out with." She mumbled and Sam winced but didn't correct her, it hadn't been a date to him, just an information gathering mission.

"Sarah, think about it - Evelyn, the Telescas. They both had the painting, and there have been others before that. Wherever this thing goes, people die, and we're just tryin' to stop it. And that's the truth." He told her even as Dean went to get another blood pack, ignoring the way she stared at him.
"And yes, Dean's a vampire. No he won't hurt or try to eat you." Sam added, seeing the way she was watching his brother.

"Well, then, I guess you better show me. I'm coming with you." She stated, gathering her wits.

"What? No. Sarah, no, you should just go home. This stuff can get dangerous, and..and I don't want you to get hurt." Sam told her.

"Look, you guys are probably crazy, but if you're right about this - well, me and my dad sold that painting, we might have got these people killed. I'm not saying I'm not scared; 'cause I am scared as hell, but I'm not gonna run and hide, either." She stated, walking to the door.
"So, are we going or what?" She asked as she left.

"Sam? She'd be the perfect hunters wife. Think we could get her with Dad?"

"Eww Dean!" Sam answered and Dean laughed as they grabbed their stuff.

"Keep the motor running." Sam said as he grabbed a few things from his bag.

"I thought the painting was harmless now." Sarah argued and he shrugged.

"Better safe than sorry. We're gonna bury the sucker." Sam told her as he got out.

"I wanna come with you."

"You sure?" He asked, leaning in and she nodded.

"Yeah." She got out as well.

"Hey, hey, hey. I'll stay here; make sure no one tries to sneak up like the cops or something." Dean told him and Sam nodded, leaning in to kiss him briefly before heading after Sarah. They headed inside and towards the living room only to freeze as they saw the painting.

"Uh, Sam? You're the expert on all this ghost stuff. Is that painting supposed to look like that?" She asked, looking at where Isaiah's daughter used to be.
"Where's the little girl?" She asked but Sam was more focused on what else was missing.

"And the razor?" He muttered, shivering as they heard the sound of girlish laughter and then the front door slammed shut.

Dean jumped fro the car and ran up the steps, trying to break the door down, but failing. Inside, Sam ran to the door.

"Dean! Hey! Is that you?" He called and then relaxed as his brothers thoughts washed over him.

"Yeah, you all right?" Dean's voice was a lot calmer than his mind.
"Tell me you slammed the front door."

"No, it wasn't me. I think it was the little girl." Sam answered, knowing Dean could hear him easily.

"The girl? What girl?"

"Yeah, she's out of the painting. I think it might have been her all along." Sam admitted.

"Wasn't the dad lookin' down at her? Maybe he was tryin' to warn 'em."

"Hey, hey, hey, let's recap later, all right? Just get us out of here." Sam called, looking around nervously since things had gotten a little too quiet.

"Well, I'm tryin' to pick the lock, but the door won't budge."

"Well, then, break it down."

"Okay, genius, let me grab my battering ram. It won't budge." He admitted and Sam swore.

"Dean, the damn thing is comin'!" he yelled.

"Well, you're gonna have to hold it off until I figure somethin' out. Get some salt or iron."

"Come on." Sam called to Sarah, heading for the kitchen, looking around frantically for anything to use.
"What kind of house doesn't have salt? Low-sodium freaks. Hey, you find any iron?"

"No, what's it for?" Sarah asked, glancing around nervously.

"Iron repels evil spirits, but it's gotta be pure. Hurry! Uh, Dean, give me a sec, don't go anywhere." Sam called, hearing Dean still working at the door.
"Look under the chairs, sometimes the seats..." he trailed off as every door in the house slammed, papers scattering everywhere. Sarah gasped as the daughter slowly walked into the room, holding the razor in her right hand, her doll in the other.

"Sam?" Sarah asked nervously and he got between her and the ghost, backing them away but the little girl followed.
"That is just so wrong." She mumbled as Sam backed into a display of pokers. He grabbed one and swung it through the girl, making her dissolve into smoke.
"Iron?"

"Yeah."

"Sammy, you okay?" Dean called out fearfully.

"Yeah, for now."

"How we gonna waste her?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. She was already cremated. There's nothin' left to burn."

"Well, then, how's she still around?" he demanded and Sam gave a frustrated sigh.

"There must be somethin' else." He muttered and Sarah's eyes widened.

"Sam, wait. We used to handle antique dolls at the auction."

"Well, that's fascinating, Sarah, but important right now?"

"Well, back then, they used to make the dolls in the kid's image, I mean, everything, like, they would use the kid's real hair." She explained and Sam smiled.

"Dean? Sarah says the doll might have the girl's hair. Human remains - same as bones." He called out.
"The mausoleum." Both brothers whispered at the same time.
"Go Dean!" Dean ran for the car even as inside the lights went out.

A writing desk moved on its own and pinned Sam to the ground. Sarah rushed over to try and get it off.

"Sam! Come on! Push! Come on!" She yelled but even with his telekinesis it didn't move. Sarah turned to find the little girl before her.

In the cemetery Dean got out of the car and entered the mausoleum. Once inside, he found the glass case holding the doll and tried to break it open, but even his strength couldn't do it. He used his gun to try and smash it, but it didn't work. He thought it over for a second and then felt like hitting himself.

"Come on, Dean!" He muttered in self disgust before shooting the glass out.

In the mansion Sarah was thrown against the wall.

Dean took the doll out of the glass case.

Sarah watched, unmoving, as the little girl moved towards her. Sam scrabbled, trying to get free.

Dean is tried to light the doll's hair on fire, but the lighter wouldn't work.

"Come on, come on!" He growled in rage, he had to burn it and save Sam.

The little girl moved closer as Sam kept trying to move the desk, his eyes fully yellow but the little girl didn't seem to notice.

Dean finally lit the doll's hair, and the doll went up in flames.

Just as the girl raised the razor, Sam lunged up and moved Sarah out of the way. Suddenly, the girl burst into flame and disappeared. A second later, she reappeared in the painting, next to Isaiah.

Dean watched the burnt doll on the ground, and then called Sam, who picked up. Dean sighed in relief.

"Sam, you good?" He asked. Sam looked at Sarah whose lip was bleeding.

"Not bad." He answered and then they hung up. Sam and Sarah flopped down on the floor, exhausted even as Dean was leaving the tomb.

"This was archived in the county records. The Merchants adopted daughter, Melanie. Know why she was up for adoption? 'Cause her real family was murdered in their beds." Dean explained as they watched the painting being boxed.

"She killed them?" Sarah asked and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, who'd suspect her, a sweet little girl? So, then she kills Isaiah and his family, the old man takes the blame - spirit's been tryin' to warn people ever since."

"Where does this one go?" One of the worked asked.

"Take it out back and burn it." Sarah answered and they stared at her in confusion.
"I'm serious, guys. Thanks." She told them and they shrugged, carrying it away.
"So, why'd the girl do it?"

"Killin' others, killin' herself - some people are just born tortured. So, when they die, their spirits are just as dark." Sam answered.

"Maybe. I don't really care. It's over, we move on." Dean grumbled and Sarah laughed awkwardly.

"I guess this means you're leaving."

"I'll go wait in the car. See ya, Sarah." Dean called as he left.
"I'm the one who burned the doll, destroyed the spirit, but don't thank me or anything." He mumbled but Sam heard the words from Dean's mind.

"There are a million things that I want to say to you, but for the life of me, I can't think of one." Sarah told Sam who laughed.

"Yeah, I'll miss you, too." He admitted, she was a nice girl and could be a good friend.

"You know, there's a lesson in all of this." She told him and Sam looked at her.

"What's that?"

"We all got through this in one piece. I didn't get hurt."

"Yeah, I'm glad for that."

"So, maybe you're not cursed. Maybe... maybe you'll come back and see me."

"No, I won't. This isn't your world Sarah and….I have someone. I'm sorry if you thought…the dinner was to get info, but I do like you, as a friend." Sam told her and she looked down but nodded.
"Thank you." He whispered, kissing her cheek before going after Dean.

Sam smiled and stroked Dean's hair as Dean swallowed down Sam's blood, his teeth in Sam's wrist. Once again the stored blood had been ruined so they were in a new town and Dean was feeding from Sam. Sam definitely didn't mind, he'd gotten used to the feeling and it didn't really hurt anymore. When Dean pulled off and wrapped his wrist Sam pulled him down into a kiss, also used to the taste of blood in Dean's mouth. Dean moaned, pulling him closer and Sam rolled them until he was on top of Dean. He put his hands on Dean's belt and then waited. Dean stared up at him, Sam knew he was checking his eye colour, and then he nodded, lifting his hips. Sam was about to ask if he was sure but Dean's thought reassured him that Dean wanted it, as long as Sam did and wasn't just following along with the voice. Sam smiled and kissed him even as he yanked Dean's jeans off. Dena undid Sam's belt for him and Sam wriggled out of his jeans. They studied each others bodies before Sam aligned their lower bodies. The heat from Sam had Dean gasping and writhing pretty quickly as Sam claimed his mouth again. They didn't last long but that was okay, they had plenty of time to go again.

"All right, dude. Not a decent lead in all of Nebraska. What do you got?" Dean asked form where he was sprawled on the bed, looking at a paper.

"Well, I've been scanning Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota. Here, a woman in Iowa fell ten thousand feet from an airplane and survived." Sam answered, not looking up from the laptop.

"That sounds more like "That's incredible" than, uh, "Twilight Zone"."

"Yeah." Sam admitted.

"What else you got?"

"Uh, Manning, Colorado - a local man by the name of Daniel Elkins was found mauled in his home." Sam finally answered and Dean frowned, sitting up.

"Elkins? I know that name."

"Doesn't ring a bell." Sam admitted and Dean grabbed his journal which had a lot fo stuff he'd copied form their Dad before they'd spilt up.
"It sounds like the police don't know what to think. At first, they said it was some sort of bear attack, and now, they found signs of robbery."

"Mm-hmm." Dean answered as he searched.
"Here. Check it out." He handed the journal to Sam and there was a phone number listed for a D. Elkins.

"You think it's the same Elkins?" Sam asked and Dean shrugged.

"It's a Colorado area code."

TBC….