Disclaimer: Still not mine

Chapter 17

Magic swirled around the three unmoving bodies, ensuring their lives continued as time passed. All boundaries between them were gone, three becoming one, no thought or emotion could be hidden.

Hazel eyes flecked with gold eventually fluttered open and Sammy sat up, thoughts sluggish, slowed by the unconsciousness of the others. Driven by the desire to return home he formed the magic, able to use all three of their magic. The car disappeared, reappearing in the garage and then the three of them appeared on their bed, clothing vanishing as well. With that done he slumped down beside Dean, eyes slipping shut as their exhaustion pulled him back under.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Dean felt something pulling him awake and green eyes slowly blinked open to find Rowena in front of him and he smiled, able to feel her love for him. He bared his throat, knowing what she wanted before her lips were there, nipping and sucking gently even as strong hands began caressing his body and he moaned as Sammy rubbed against his back, eyes rolling back as he felt what they did.

Sammy's grip on Dean tightened as he felt phantom lips on his throat, the feel of a body holding him, moving against his back.

Rowena bit down harder as she felt the phantom hands on her skin, a firm body behind her, and then gasped as she felt someone bite down. Some distant whisper said this was not normal, but it was drowned out by the tripled sensations that ensured they didn't last very long.

They lay curled together as their breathing slowed, thoughts flying through their mind. Sammy and Dean finally saw Rowena's past and all her motivations in pursuing them but there was no anger, they accepted it even as she saw their childhoods and John's bad parenting, what their lives with Jess had been like. There were no secrets now, no recriminations, nothing. They were one mind but three bodies with a vague sense of identity and the knowledge they had once been separate beings but with no desire to go back to that. The links they'd had then, had been thin, this was better. After a while Sammy got up and went to cook a meal, knowing they were also hungry. Dean lay on the bed as Rowena got up to use the bathroom, but she stopped once in the room and used magic, settling the spells permanently around their bodies to deal with such things. They all had memories of such things from both male and female perspective but why continue when it was unnecessary? She returned to the bed to lie with Dean, seeing herself through his eyes, seeing that her eyes were now flecked with purple.

Sammy returned with three floating trays and they ate, eyes closing in pleasure as the taste impacted them from three sets of tastebuds. Every sensation was experienced in triplicate and was easily overwhelming. The room was silent, what need did they have for speech?

Time passed in silence as they went about living as one, much of the time spent adjusting to the increased sensory input. Using the most pleasurable method made sense, it didn't hurt that it felt utterly amazing, often leaving them with mind utterly blank.

Eventually they left the house and hit the road, hunting for the remaining children, their new single mind making it even easier as they acted in perfect unison to subdue their targets and force the purging potion into them before wiping their memories of it and any powers they may have developed. The one that would have been difficult before was now easy as they appeared in Afghanistan.

Jake Talley froze in shock and that was all the opening they needed, his body crumpling under a sleeping spell. The potion was forced down his throat and he began convulsing before throwing up the tainted blood as they stared impassively at him. Emotion concerning anyone outside of their mind was muted, distant, but they didn't care. They were happy as they were. Once Jake was clean Sammy knelt and pressed a hand to his head, his memories open to them. He had gained superhuman strength and the memory of lifting a jeep faded from the soldier's mind. They woke him and vanished, returning to America. Jake sat up and shook his head he didn't feel so good. So, he headed for the medics.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Impala drove into Fitchburg, Wisconsin, Dean behind the wheel with the other two asleep. It was how they travelled now, one driving, the other two sleeping until it was their turn to drive, the boy's memories hers now, none of them could give up the car. Green/gold eyes took in the town as he drove, able to take in more information now than when he had been an individual being. The biggest thing was the lack of children despite school being out.

He pulled into a hotel and Sammy's eyes opened and he went in to book a room while Dean and Rowena grabbed bags, used to blend in and not out of necessity. Sammy came out with a room key and they went in, quickly laying the protections, everything Dean had seen now known by all. They had sensed something in this town, could it be targeting children? Rowena sat, and Dean moved to brush her hair, before braiding it gently even as Sammy ran his fingers through Dean's ever lengthening hair. Sammy's was almost to his shoulder blades now and Dean's was only a few inches shorter. All the while their mind was going over everything Dean had seen, cataloguing anything that targeted children at the same time. Sammy brushed Dean's hair aside and kissed the back of his neck, all three bodies feeling it. They then got up and left the hotel to wander around town, Rowena and Sammy holding hands while Dean walked beside them, an illusion making him appear as a child of about ten. They reached a park and Dean went to the play equipment where only one child was playing.

"Sure, is quiet out here." Sammy offered to the woman watching the girl.

She looked over and saw a happily married couple. "Yeah, it's a shame."

"Why's that?" Rowena asked gently.

"You know, kids getting sick, it's a terrible thing."

"How many?" Sammy asked even as an old, faded memory flashed at her words.

"Just five or six but serious, hospital serious. A lot of parents are getting pretty anxious. They think it's catching."

They turned to watch the little girl playing with Dean. They stayed a while before leaving for the hospital to investigate.

Once there they split up to look around, investigating was so much easier now as they all knew what each body learnt immediately no matter the distance physically between them.

Sammy went to the desk and was sent to the doctor handling the cases while Rowena went to the labs and Dean to records.

"Well, thanks for seeing me, Dr. Hydecker," Sammy offered as they walked together.

"Well I'm glad you are here. I was just about to call CDC myself. How'd you find out anyways?"

"Oh, some GP, I forget his name, he called Atlanta and, uh, he must've beat you to the punch. So, you say you got six cases so far?" Sammy asked as he saw the records through Dean's eyes.

"Yeah, five weeks. At first, we thought it was garden variety bacterial pneumonia. Not that newsworthy. But now..."

"Now what?"

"The kids aren't responding to antibiotics. Their white cell counts keep going down. Their immune systems just aren't doing their job. It's like their bodies are ... wearing out."

"Excuse me, Dr Hyecker." A nurse hands him some forms to look over and sign.

"You ever see anything like this before?" Sammy asked as Rowena began looking at the lab results.

"Never this severe."

"And the way it spreads...that's a new one for me," the nurse offered.

"What do you mean?" Sammy turned to her.

"It works its way through families. But only the children, one sibling after another."

Her words pulled at some vague memories that appeared to be Dean's. "You mind if I interview a few of the kids?"

"They're not conscious," she admitted sadly.

"None of them?" Sammy's eyes widened as their mind was shocked by that, their bodies freezing briefly in reaction to the information.

"No."

"Can I talk to the parents?"

"Well, if you think it'll help."

"Yeah. Who was your most recent admission?"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

They walked into the children's bedroom and instantly felt the malevolent power. As soon as Dean saw the withered handprint the memory slammed through their mind.

Young Dean sat watching TV. He turned it off and went to the front door, looking back at Sammy asleep in the other room before he left, locking the door behind him. He played arcade games in reception until the owner approached.

"Kid. We're closing up."

Returning to the room he saw a strange light coming from Sammy's room. He moved closer and saw the shtriga leaning over Sammy. Dean reached for the rifle by the door but the shtriga heard him cock it and reared up, hissing.

Dean hesitated, terrified.

As he did John burst through the front door, gun raised. "Get out of the way!"

Dean ducked, and John shot the shtriga multiple times with his hand gun. The shtriga jumped through the bedroom window, glass shattering. John rushed to Sammy's bed and pulled him close, cradling him.

"Sammy. Sammy. Sammy. You ok?"

"Yeah Dad, what's going on?" Young Sammy answered, confused and sleepy.

"You all right?" John held Sammy close while turning to glare at Dean. "What happened?"

"I - I - I just went out."

"What!?"

"Just for a second. I'm sorry."

"I told you not to leave this room. I told you not to let him out of your sight!"

Young Dean watched sadly as John cradled Sammy.

"Shtriga," Rowena stated coldly, it would die for the pain it had caused them and these children. Now that they knew what it was their magic surged, seeking the others magic. It led them to the Doctor and Sammy snarled at the creature hiding among its victims. As soon as the doctor left the hospital they attacked. It was old and powerful but so where they and, in the end, they won, leaving a smoking black robe at their feet.

They returned to the hotel to sleep and sure enough the next day the town was celebrating as the children began recovering. They didn't realise than an hour after they left, Bobby Singer showed up.

TBC...