A/N: I don't own anyone but my OC's…though I wished I owned the guys…*sighs*

Maximilian chose to take his time as he rode along the trail. The air hung heavy with the earthen tones of the human's scent as it mingled with the vampire's. He wanted to toy with them a little, string them along before making his move. As long as the scent remained strong, Maximilian continued at his leisured pace.

Dean woke up and felt the cool air rush around his open arms. His human was missing. The vampire bolted upright and quickly scanned the cavern but emptiness greeted his eyes.

"Brook!" He called out as his feet propelled him from the safety of the cave and out in the open. He came to a dead stop and listened to what his hearing perceived to be splashing water. The vampire turned a sharp right and darted through the underbrush and shrubs as the sound increased with every thundering step. He burst through the last line of foliage and discovered the source of the sound.

Brooklyn was swimming in the clear warm water feeling the sweat and sickness wash away. Her clothes were drying on a nearby rock with sword resting at the water's edge. She didn't expect to feel so much better but didn't want to cast a shadow over her good fortune. The soothing gentle waters continued to ease the few aches remaining in her body. Dean watched as his human vanished beneath the surface then emerged several seconds later. The sight of the human looking so refreshed and healthy as she started back to the bank made the vampire smile.

Dean crouched down and remained quiet until she looked up and let out a startled cry.

"Brook why didn't you wake me?" Dean asked as he pulled his shirt off then his pants.

"I tried but you were sound asleep," she shrugged and launched her body back to the center of the creek. Dean just sighed as he entered the water. It was unusually warm but the vampire suspected it was fed by a hidden hot spring somewhere. Brooklyn was standing but the water was still up to her shoulders as Dean dropped his body to her level. Slowly he lifted his hands to her face, cradling her head and running this thumbs across her cheeks. The vampire heard his human's heart beating in steady rhythm and not the erratic racing of earlier.

"I was so worried you didn't make it," his voice shook and cracked.

"I didn't think I would either," she whispered and sadly looked at the rippling water. Dean tilted her chin back up seeing the deep overwhelming grief in her eyes. Brooklyn felt the endless jade depths reaching out for her, pulling her towards them. Their mouth slowly came together fitting perfectly together. Dean felt his human push in but the vampire pulled back and his human stared in bewilderment at his sudden rejection.

"Dean what is it? Did I do something wrong?" She choked and bit her bottom lip.

"No," he smiled immediately erasing her fears. "It's just you've been so sick….." Brooklyn grabbed the back of his neck and hungrily took his mouth in hers. The vampire initially resisted fearing a relapse but the need within claimed his body. Brooklyn grinned into his mouth as he grabbed her legs and wrapped them tightly around his waist giving him access to what he so badly missed. The solid erection nudged against her inner thigh feeding her excitement with ever brush. His human shifted her hips down impaling her body on his rock hard cock. Dean broke away amidst Brooklyn's vocal protesting but quickly the protests morphed into pleasure as he nipped at her neck and shoulders. The vampire sensed his human's head go back revealing more of the sweet skin for him to kiss. He could hear the mewling in her throat as he thrusted slowly inside letting her body accept every hard inch.

Brooklyn sharply gasped and writhed on top of him as her lower body coiled and clenched around his cock in an intense orgasm. The vampire groaned and pinned her against him as she rode wave after wave. His arms wrapped tighter still around her back though felt the small frame of his lover writhe and thrash against him. Brooklyn's body shuddered in the water which only fed the heated charge between them. Sharp short bolts of unspoken emotion raced between as Dean snapped his hips harder against her the closer he neared release. The primal instinct crept up from the depths of his soul and felt the needle sharp fangs extend from their resting place.

"Do it…." Brooklyn's voice broke the silence. It dripped thick with lust and love turning him on even more. The way the words fell from her lips and hung in the air sent jolts of sexual energy flowing between them as Dean snapped his hips harder before piercing the soft flesh of his human's shoulder and neck. Brooklyn cried out but not in pain but in ecstasy as she felt him taste the thick warmth running from the bite marks. He pulled back at the moment his body rocked then exploded inside filling her waiting body with thick hot ropes of release.

"God I missed you…." Dean whispered. "I don't know what I would've done if I lost you."

Brooklyn could hear the raw unchecked fear and love in his deep soulful voice and brought tears to her eyes. Dean saw the teardrops brimming along the edge of her eyes, threatening to fall at any second. Without thinking, the vampire quickly kissed them away then pressed his lips tightly to her forehead.

The human and vampire remained connected together as they drifted as one through the still water refusing to break the tight intimate connection they shared.

A little later Dean and Brooklyn found themselves in the cave huddled together by the warmth of the fire. The heat was a welcome relief to the dampness upon their skin. It didn't bother the vampire but it wasn't comfortable either but for Brooklyn, she had to warm up.

"Here," he handed her his shirt. "It's dry."

Brooklyn pulled it down over her head and body almost feeling better instantly. She balled the fabric up to her nose and inhaled the deep rich scent that belonged to him. It was musky and earthen but completely Dean. She smiled over at her vampire then at the fire. Brooklyn hoped they would reach Des Moines before they were caught. She knew of the area but had never seen it with her eyes.

Maximilian slowly stretched and hopped on his horse for the next leg of hunt. The sun was setting to his left as the creatures of light sought shelter from what would come out under the cover of darkness. Off in the distance a lone wolf howled and an owl screeched nearby. He loved the night as after all vampires were by tradition and legend beings of darkness. But he loved the sun and all its warmth. As his mount continued along the depressed trail, the tracks turned fresher and less disturbed the closer he approached the river. Though he could easily take a bridge over the Missouri, Maximilian decided to follow the trail even if it meant crossing the icy waters.

"You two are making this way too easy for me," he said with a snicker.

Brooklyn was finally dressed in her own clothing as they were dry enough to wear. Dean was hoping she would stay in his shirt a little longer as he loved how she looked in black. That and not wearing anything underneath left little to his imagination. Sighing, he slipped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder. They had to leave again but this time with her being healthy they could make more progress and maybe even make it to their destinations a day sooner.

The human sensed his apprehension as she too was worried they had lost time with her injury and illness. They weren't aware Maximilian was hunting them down and closing in even as they sat around the fire. Her eyes focused on the sword nearby, ready to shed vampire blood at any given moment. The human wanted to take out as many vampires that stood in their way as possible. But she wanted Alaric's head being severed from his body and she wanted to be the one to do it. The vampire caused her so much pain and agony for the time she was in captivity. Brooklyn didn't want any other human to suffer the same fate as she had.

"Alaric's gonna pay," she vowed to herself. "His blood will be shed by my hand."

Dean heard her quiet oath and would help in making her dream a reality.

I know this one's a bit shorter than usual but I wanted to get something posted!