A/N: Okay, here it is, at long last. The End! You've all been very patient and I can only say "Thank you." I hope you enjoy it. I took out a rather exciting car chase in favor of something less grandiose and improbable. What can I say, I'm practical. If you wonder what I've been doing that took this last chapter so long to be typed out, I have no answer. However, I have been doing this [[ .com/watch?v=JdofQDnK4cQ ]] lately. Check it out if you're curious.
Disclaimer: I have no claim on Sam or Dean. Damn.
Linnea was gone; the beast had taken over. She climbed the stone stairs, her wings tucked in close to her body. She moved carefully past the shattered pantry door. Silently she crossed the kitchen as she tracked the men moving overhead by the sound of their footsteps. The wolf had been unexpected, but she knew about him now and would not be surprised again. They would all die. What need did the beast have for the ritual? Why would the beast want to be human? She was powerful now; more powerful than she had ever been before.
No! That way led madness. Dean must be kept alive so she could complete the ritual. She would be human again. She had to be human! She deserved the life that had been stolen from her, and she would have it.
She had seen Dean kissing the girl - claiming her. Linnea knew now that he would not come willingly, but that was of no concern. He didn't have to want her, he only had to survive until she was done with him. First, though, Anna would have to die. She had wanted to save the girl for last, but that was no longer an option. It had probably never been an option.
The beast laughed at her, but she pushed it down. With the girl dead they would both have Dean. If the girl lived, Linnea would always be hunted.
Dean used the barrel of his shotgun to move plastic covered clothes around in the recesses of a dark closet. Satisfied their prey wasn't hiding in there he turned away and crouched to check under the bed. Clean...ish. Dean sneezed.
"Bless you," Anna said in his ear.
"Thanks."
He stood and moved to the window that looked out over the front yard. Anna sat on the trunk of the Impala. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watched her swaying to the music, her toe tapping in time. He frowned though when he noticed something laying in her lap. Another weapon, no doubt. He wondered what she was thinking, if she was mad at him. What the hell had he been thinking?
He hadn't, Dean realized, and that was the problem. He was quickly becoming obsessed with her safety and that didn't bode well. forcing her to stay behind would only cause problems and she would begin to resent him. Unfortunately the only other option was to let her hunt and trust in her skill to keep her safe. It occurred to Dean that that was probably the only option. How depressing.
"Winchester, you done daydreaming?"
Dean spun to see Genchy lounging in the doorway. He nodded and moved away from the window, embarrassed at having been caught off guard.
"What's happening?" Anna sounded concerned.
"Nothing," he replied as he followed Genchy into the hallway. "What's that you're holding?"
"A gunblade." He could hear her grinning.
"You scare me," Genchy said.
"You say the nicest things," she shot back with a laugh.
Dean grinned. He'd work through this overprotective thing, somehow. Someday. Maybe.
Linnea stepped silently over the rubble where the front door used to be. The sun was bright in the clear afternoon sky and glared off the surfaces of the two cars. She stayed in the shadows as she watched the girl sitting on the car. There she was, dancing happily to the music blaring from the empty car. She shook with rage at Anna's carefree attitude. Boldly she stepped out onto the porch and locked eyes with her opponent.
"What's the matter?" Anna called out to her. "Don't the boys want to play with you?"
Linnea smiled coldly. "I could say the same to you.
Anna narrowed her eyes and slid off the trunk. She held the iron bar casually in one hand, the way one would hold a bat.
"I'm guessing you want to play together."
They moved at the same time, but Anna knew right away that Linnea had the advantage. She had speed, flight and madness. Anna had a length of rebar. As she slashed at an outstretched claw she began to think that pressing the mute button before might have been a mistake. She dodged another swipe but was too slow for the foot that sent her flying back into the car. The blast of a shotgun from the backseat deafened her, but she heard the gargoyle scream. She looked up, hopeful that Bowen had caught her. He had missed.
When Linnea dove for her again, she screamed.
The men had run to the nearest windows at the sound of gunfire. Dean's heart leapt to his throat at the sight of Annie trying to hold the gargoyle off. He heard Genchy swear when Linnea tossed Anna like a rag-doll across the lawn.
"I didn't even hear anything," Sam exclaimed as he headed for the door.
"Maybe she lost the earpiece," Genchy said.
"I doubt it," Dean said angrily. "If she dies, I'll kill her."
"Which one?"
They burst out the door in time to see Anna slam into the hood of the Lamborghini. Dean froze as she slid to the ground and lay crumpled on the ground.
"Come on baby, get up," Dean muttered.
Anna raised her head and met his eyes. She couldn't be sure of what she'd heard, but she knew this was not the time for a nap. She struggled to her feet, her left left refusing to cooperate. To buy the guys some time she leaned back against the car and beckoned to the creature kicking her ass.
"Come on. Let's play some more. I've got time."
Linnea's eyes flashed with rage, literally, which Anna found more than a little unnerving. She dove and Anna allowed her legs to give out, falling to the ground once more. She had a vague thought about rolling under the car, but before she had the chance a gunshot rang out.
The force of the shot spun Linnea to face Dean, Sam and Genchy. The men opened fire aided by Bowen from the back of the other car. She jerked with the impact of each bullet then fell, almost in slow motion, to the ground. Their gaze met and Anna watched in horror as the life left slowly left Linnea's eyes. A moment later there was a nude woman dead on the lawn.
Anna sat on the ground fighting the tears. The adrenaline was wearing off and the pain kicked in, forcing her to double over. Warm, safe arms stole around her, cradling her.
"Are you okay?" Dean's voice sounded weak in her ear. She looked up and saw the men gathered around her, their anxiety plain to see. She inhaled a shaky breath and twisted carefully in Dean's arms to look up at him.
"I'd just like to say - I stayed outside."
Sam chuckled as Genchy crouched down. "It'd be better to fix that now," he said.
Bowen paled visibly when Anna nodded. Dean stiffened behind her but tightened his grip.
"Do it," she said.
Genchy reached out and wrenched her dislocated knee back into place. For the first time in her life, Anna fainted. Dean held her close to his chest and exhaled slowly. He'd be lucky if he didn't have a heart attack before he was thirty.
He closed the file and stared at the photo attached to the front. Anna MacKeary was being carried into the emergency room. He lifted the photo to examine the shot of two men approaching her home. 'Sam and Dean Winchester' the caption read. He pulled the photo free of the paperclip for a closer look and another fell onto the floor. He retrieved it and realized it was a snapshot. It showed one of the men kissing Anna in a disturbingly possessive manner. He noticed it was the same man carrying her in the hospital shot.
He leaned back in his chair and held up the snapshot.
"Keep an eye on her," he said without looking up. "And get me information on these Winchesters, especially this one. What of the creature?"
"Dead," the young man said. "Our London laboratory did receive tissue samples, though. She is not failing in her duty to us."
"I know," the older man answered. "Perhaps we have no cause to worry about these others, but I want to be sure."
"There is the wolf. Both of them. She also assisted in the recapture of the halfbreed."
"Because the Den pays very well," he said shaking his head. "We can't fault her for making a living. Watch her and report back to me."
The young man bowed his head and left the office. He watched his son leave then looked back to the photo. Yes, this situation would require watching.