_Author's Note_

So, this is exciting... I've created a GoFundMe because guess what... Imma try and make a cosplay of Trinity! Not only because eit'd be freaking awesome, but I want to wear it to whichever convention we go to this year (either Chicago or Pittsburgh... by the way, if you go and see me, please come say hi, give hugs, take pictures, everything, I WANT to meet and talk!) and take a photo op with at least one of the boys! =D So it'd be really amazing and helpful and awesome if you guys could help out by either donating and/or sharing! :) So, yeah. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to go like "Abomination's Facebook page for behind the scenes type stuff and other updates. ;) Also, please go and leave some reviews! 3 (Fanart is still accepted... just saying. *wink*) The campaign is called "From Page to Cosplay" on GoFundMe dot com. I'll have the link in my bio. ;)

Okay, I'll let you read now. :)

_Chapter 23_

"Hunting the Heart"

_Author's Song Note_

"I'm Not Alright" by Shinedown

Cas

It was like what I imagined a dream to be.

I saw a sign, "Colma, California."

And then another, "Colma Mental Institution."

I saw a scene…

"I wish I knew your name sweetheart," the pudgy dark skinned woman said. She wiped down a young girl's face with a damp cloth. They were in what looked like a sterilized hospital room, all white and clean. The girl was in all white as well and she had a short, messy, bob cut, the dark, black curls an extreme contrast against the white linen.

"Hey, there. Can you hear me?" the nurse took the girl's face in her hands, the face I couldn't see.

No response.

Quietly, "What happened to you, child?" with wonder on her face. She bent down to wash out the rag.

I saw the curly head slowly turn, eerily silent, toward the kind nurse. When she straightened back up, she gasped loudly dropping the wet cloth, making a grotesque sound on the linoleum floor. The girl's head turned a little more to the side and the nurse gasped for breath.

Then I saw a hand come up, throwing the nurse against the wall without touching her. The other hand lifted as well and held out a palm. Within seconds, a black iron sword appeared in her hand and she gripped it tightly with confidence.

But there was something different about this hand, there was a design, a design I had only seen two hands covered with.

She slowly walked over to the nurse holding her bleeding head and backing away on the floor. "Please, please…" she begged.

The young girl stopped in front of the whimpering nurse. Her Marked hand flew to her head, clutching a tuft of hair, in pain.

Then all of a sudden she flinched her head to look at the woman on the ground. She hunched over and screamed, "Help me!" But when she stood again she slashed the blade across the nurse's throat.

As she fell, choking on her own blood, to the floor, the young girl with the Stygian sword turned around. She stared at me, those eyes painfully close to my heart, pleading with my dream-self. The girl's bare feet stepped through the bloody, white floor.

Next, an image of dozens of bodies wearing nurse and doctor uniforms, some in hospital gowns, some with name tags spotted with blood. The lights were flickering, walls were damaged, doors hung on hinges, and windows were broken. A telephone dangled on a cord, a voice yelling through.

In the center of it all, the short, curly, black haired girl was now covered in blood, the sword hung from her hand, and as she dropped it, the noise echoing through the now empty corridors.

As I watched her drop to the ground, the girl I thought I had lost forever began to weep. Her enormous red wings stretched in grief and curled around her body. Before they covered her face, she looked up at me, like I was there and whispered in pain, "Paid emna."

The next thing I knew, I was staring at nothing, my vision had vanished. All I saw before I woke up from whatever this was, was a single red feather fall in front of me, twisting and swaying in the empty white space. But as it fell, it slowly began to burn. As the flames travelled up the feather, the ashes swirled around. What woke me was the ashes being blown at me by an intensely strong force.

I jolted up, looking around, and when I blinked, all I could see was Trinity Scarborough's image seared onto my eyelids..

…1 Year and 5 Months Ago…

Dean

"She's dead," Cas whispered, then he looked directly at me, blame in his eyes, "Trinity's dead."

I grabbed the molding of the threshold to balance myself, or else I would have fallen to the floor.

"What?" Bobby's voice sounded from the entrance to the kitchen. I could only picture his face, mouth open, disbelief in his eyes, tear turning them glassy. But I could only imagine, the world had started to turn still and silent.

I slowly slid down the wood, sitting on the floor, I could barely breathe. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sam still as a statue one moment, but then the next, his body wavered and his eyes squeezed shut as tears fell out.

I closed mine tightly, as if to block out the world around me. But that only brought more pain. Images of the past rushed through my mind. Meeting the independant, sarcastic girl at that dusty kobold barn three years and four month ago. Moving into her apartment with her, becoming a family. Starting to bring her on cases with us. All the times she saved our asses, all the times she made us laugh in a bad time. Going to New York with her and experiencing… fun. Exchanging our gifts… unconsciously I felt my hand rub the woven bracelet on my wrist, I had never removed it. The first time we ever made love, one of the best nights of my life, the night I realized I needed her in my life, the night I realized I was the happiest I had ever been. The thought of losing her to Raziel. Moving her in with us in Bobby's. The Christmas party.

My mind cut off. I hadn't realized it, but tears were dripping rapidly off of my cheekbones, like a ticking clock, they'd land on my chest and soak into the light grey fabric of my t-shirt. When I closed my eyes again, I saw her as she really was. I saw her trying to tell me, explain to me. What I ignored, what I dismissed as a lie. How I was inevitably the one who killed her, from what I saw happen before I left her alone in the night, alone in the rain. And from what I had seen in my visions and felt these past few months.

A wave of pain surged through me as guilt and utter sorrow washed over me. I didn't even hear any noises around me, the world was black and white, my whole body just crumpled. These past months I had sat, wondering, how could I have turned my back on her like that? How could I leave the love of my life in the mud, alone and scared? I cursed myself over and over, I wasn't even sure when it was in my head or out loud.

Then I barely felt Sam grasp my shoulders and shake me to look at him. I wasn't sobbing, I wasn't even making a noise. It was the silent sadness, the kind that comes with a vengeance and attacks your whole being, consuming you into darkness, but is hard for anyone else to see. The only signs were the rivers of tears streaming down my face.

Sam shook me and I heard a mumble, but as I came to, he was actually yelling my name, tears filling his own eyes, his chin quivering.

I was shaken out of my daze and we just looked into each other's eyes for a second before he pulled me in and wesat there, in the threshold, with Cas to the side of us, leaning against the wall, motionless and expressionless. It was as if everything had left him, feelings, emotions, and tears. Sam and I embraced each other tightly, trying to take in the news.

And that's when my walls broke, falling down in crumbles, like a dam shattering letting everything behind it flow wildly over the edge of the dark abyss. I didn't even realize my body shaking sobs until Sam's shirt became wetter and wetter against my cheek. Mine was as well from his tears.

I chanced a look at Bobby. He hadn't moved. He looked like he was still trying to perceive what he just heard. That's when I saw a tear escape from each of this burly man's eyes.

There was no more talking that night.

What had I done?

…

"Take me to her, Cas," I mumbled after not sleeping all night, still in the same spot, Sam leaning against the opposite side of the threshold.

I could feel his glare, "Why should I?"

"Please, Cas, I, I…" I actually didn't have a good reason other than my love for her. I felt the air cold against my wet cheeks. My back was sore from leaning against the molding.

"Cas, please?" Sammy said very quietly. I looked up and saw pain and desperation on his eyes, like he had seen something more.

Cas looked over at him and his expression softened just a little. They both knew something.

"I should've helped, I saw her and I should have helped more," Sam scorned himself.

"What are you talking about?"

"Cas took me to her a couple months ago, I saw her condition, I…" he trailed off.

"Why didn't you take me?" I could hear the hurt in my own voice.

"I didn't know what would happen, plus you were in the same state at that time," he murmured stone faced.

"Well, nothing can happen, now. Can it?" a little too much harshness came out.

Cas' chin quivered and he blinked trying to keep tears back.

Before I could apologize, he grasped my hand along with my brother's.

We appeared in a practically empty house. There were no lights, plain white walls, a table by a window, and a bed in the corner. There was a splatter of blood on the opposite wall and the sheets on the bed were rumpled.

"Cas? Are- are you sure, you brought us to the right place?" Sam asked with worry filling his sorrowful voice.

"Y-yes," he looked around his eyes seeking every nook and corner, as if something was missing. He began to frantically run through the room and into the other empty rooms of the abandoned allotment house. From a room at the end of a hallway we heard him start muttering "No" over and over, getting increasingly more scared and crazed.

"Cas, what-" I started.

"She's gone," he stated, his eyes still full of sadness and tears, but now worry and confusion as well. He stalked over to the empty bed. "She was right here," he pointed to the pillow. I walked over beside him as he looked down at it. The only trace that anyone had been on it, a long, curly black stand of hair on the pillow, its jet-blackness contrasted against the white linen.

"She's… gone," Cas repeated. I just stared.

…

"Maybe it's what happens to… whatever she was considered.. when they die," Sam questioned days later, after we searched, for anything.

"I don't know, Sam. She was the only one in existence. There's no research to be done," Cas replied defeated.

"Are you sure she was…" I couldn't finish the sentence.

"Yes," he didn't want to say it, but I could tell in his eyes, that it was true.

"What day is it? Sam asked, pain filling his tone.

"December sixteenth…" my words stopped and an agonized fog set over us as we all realized something that shattered our hearts even more.

Trinity Scarborough died on her birthday.

…

It had been six months since losing Trinity. Cas had started showing up with us more and we started going on hunts not long after Cas showed up with the news that broke me. We used hunting to hide our emotions and distract us from the pain. I had never felt this pain before. It was different than the pain of losing Sam, it was different than the pain of losing Cas, this was like a special section of my heart that died along with her, that nothing could replace.

…

On August fifteenth, we were on a hunt after some lingering spirits when I realized that it would have been a full four years with Trinity. That was the hunt I left early, despite Sam's efforts to make me stay with him and finish the job.

…

We were in Maine on a hunt and I was on the phone with Bobby trying to get some help. But then before I hung up he brought up something I had avoided talking about for a while now.

"How ya doing, Dean?" his fatherly tone taking over after chastising me for not knowing what to burn this monster with.

"As well as you'd expect, Bobby," I sighed leaning my shoulder against a brick wall, my breath coming out in a white puff of clouds in the cold, winter air.

"It's been a-"

"I know, I know," I closed my eyes, "It will be a year tomorrow… I know."

It was silent for a moment.

"How's Sam?"

I looked across the street at my little brother. At first it was a normal sight, him just sitting in the shotgun on Baby, it almost looked like he had just woken up, rubbing his eyes. But the longer I looked, I saw his rub his face, his eyes and nose, and then turn a page on his lap. Realization smacked me across the face. He was going through Trinity's old photo album.

"Dean?" Bobby's voice brought me back to reality.

I wiped my eyes, "Fine, he's fine," a sniffle escaped.

"Sure you are," he could tell I was lying through my teeth, like he always could. "Get this job done and get you behinds home quick. Kay?"

"Yeah."

"Be careful, ya idjit."

…

We were back home at Bobby's in February. I couldn't sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes and fell asleep, I would see extremely blurred images of Trinity. Whether it be something I remembered, or a new sight that my mind came up with. Sometimes she'd look how I last saw her, others she looked like she always had, but then other times, my mind came up with a completely new version of her, the long hair I used to tangle my fingers in, cut into a short bob. A shrill scream would always wake me.

I walked into the kitchen with tired feet and droopy eyes. I ran my fingers through my bed-head hair and opened the fridge. As I was looking I heard a sniffle from the living room. I quietly closed the fridge door and tip-toed to the threshold. Peaking around the corner, I saw Cas sitting on the floor, leaning his back against the sofa. His head in his hands, his hair an utter mess, and wet sleeves. Behind him I saw something I hadn't seen in over a year. Something I hadn't seen since the night in the barn. Behind Cas, I saw the black wings with iridescence and long, frilled feathers that I had seen before.

I just watched the angel weep and watched as two feathers silently fell to the floor.

…

It's been a year and three months since I lost the love of my life.

Something's killing angels.

Something's killing them by destroying their wings and eyes.

Something's killing them and leaving a strange design on their wrist.

…

A month later we were on a job in Nebraska.

Sam made a disgusted noise. "What do you think this even is?"

We were both crouched down over a dead body in an apartment with no other sign of struggle. The guy had his eyes missing and there was blood underneath him, soaking the carpet.

"I don't know Sammy."

When the body was moved to the morgue, we investigated some more.

"But get this," Sam walked over to the coroner, I followed. "Do you think you could show us the dorsal wounds again?" My brother gave his subtle puppy eyes to the woman.

"Sure," she smiled and lead us over to pull the corpse out of the wall. He was already flipped over and when she removed the sheet I felt my lip twitch up in confusion and disgust.

"Don't you think this looks familiar?"

"What do you mean? You think it's a serial killer?" the woman asked.

"It's classified," I muttered.

The cadaver's back was laced with patterns of burned skin, resembling angel wings. Then there was a stab wound right between his shoulder blades, which were also missing.

"Dude, this isn't a normal monster," Sam whispered as we exited the room.

"Then what is it?"

"Do you think it could just be some psychopath with an obsession with angels?"

"If they are connected, how would some sick bastard have an angel blade?"

"Well, you have any ideas then?"

"Let's go check out his apartment again.

…

"Well, that's helpful," Sam raised his eyebrows after he pulled away a bookshelf in the man's office room.

I joined Sam where he was standing and saw a square cut into the wall, filled with candles, hex bags, and other things that only we have to deal with.

"Great, I mumbled. "Witch or demon?"

"Both?" Sam shrugged. He looked over the mix of items in the hidden cubby.

"That would suck."

…

"Balls," Bobby grunted on the other end of the line. We told him about the predicament and said he'd get to researching.

Sam was right about one thing, this wasn't a normal monster.

…

Three weeks later we had the exact same case in Montana.

"Who even lives in Montana?" I complained as we drove away from the small town morgue.

…

A month later, "Another?" I asked Sammy exasperatedly.

"Yup, South Dakota."

…

"We still don't have any idea what these markings mean? They're on every one of these bodies," Sam lifted the dead woman's arm.

The warm June breeze blew across my face. I felt the warm sun on my face and slipped into a chamber in my mind that I had tried to keep locked.

I thought of the day a couple years ago, not long after Trinity and I had become a couple. I couldn't remember what month it was, but I just remembered the feeling of the sun shining on my face as I watched Trinity nap in the afternoon warmth on top of Baby's hood. Then it flashed to her clumsily running around in the sunset light, hands grazing over the tall grass of the field. She turned to me, her bright hazel eyes drawn up with her big smile. I laughed and so did she. She pushed her crazy curls back behind her ear and the bright light from the sun setting would shine through their blackness and shadow her face perfectly. But then she tripped on her own feet and fell backwards. At first I stood in shock, but then I saw an arm jut up with a thumbs up along with a laugh and a snort from below the grass. I joined in her happiness.

"Dean?" Sam's voice brought me back. I felt the small smile that had appeared on my lips fade away. "You okay?"

I looked back to the dead body and a cloud covered the sun. "Yeah, I'm fine," I hid my emotions behind my mask once again.

I felt his eyes trained on me for a few more moments, I'm sure his face showed concern, but he continued, "They're each different, but similar."

He was right, each of the bodies starting with the angels we kept finding dead in March, all the way to now, had a small design on the inside of their wrist, sometimes it was burnt on, sometimes carved, sometimes painted like a tattoo. It was the thing that threw us most.

…

"Get this, it seems like it's just going after other creatures," Sam looked up at me over his laptop in the motel.

"What? Like a monster hunting monsters?"

"Exactly. First angels, then demons and witches. I don't know what that means, if it even is a monster. But we should probably find out what it is, cause who knows if it's satisfied with monsters."

Almost ironically, as soon as Sam finished his sentence, Bobby's number showed up on my cell phone.

I answered, "Hey Bobby,"

"You boys figure it out yet?" he had an urgency to his voice.

"No, we're trying but-"

"Well, you idjits better hurry."

"Why? Bobby, what's wrong?" I sat up in my chair and Sam looked over at me with cautioned eyes. I put the phone on speaker.

"Whatever it is, it's not just killin' creatures anymore, it's moved on."

"What do you mean?"

"Buffy's just committed three mass killings of average Joe, humans."

"What?!" Sam asked.

"All over the place too. Within the three days you guys have been gone, it's hit Tallahassee, Austin, and Columbus."

"How?"

"I don't know you idjit! It's like it's teleporting or something."

"But why would it go from ridding the world of monsters to becoming one?" Sam questioned.

"Who knows," Bobby sighed and continued, "But you two better be careful, this thing isn't messing around."

"Why?" my eyebrows furrowed.

"Each masacre left behind fifteen to twenty five bodies, all with that marking you sent me. But they weren't killed the same way," he paused, "Some had their eyes burnt out, some were drained of blood, some had missing hearts, some stabbed to death, some had steamed blood, and there's more. Want me to go on?" I could hear the sarcastic smile.

"No, we get the idea," I mumbled.

"Well, we should go then, try to find this thing, right?"

"Yeah… oh wait! One more thing, whatever this thing is, it doesn't like salt."

"What, why?" confusion filled Sam's voice.

"Everywhere this thing had been, one of the only things similar besides the trail of bodies, the whatever salt was present, wasn't touched."

"Demon?"

"Maybe, but what else have you seen kill so many people in so many ways?"

"Angel?"

Bobby stayed silent.

"Great, so wing it?"

"Probably, princess."

I sighed, "Kay, Bobby, I guess we'll see y-" I was cut off by a struggle on the other line. "Bobby?!" I looked at Sam and more commotion occurred from the other line. A scream followed by a soft, plea, "Help, Bobby, I don't want to hurt you!" and another scream. Then Bobby said, "No," disbelief in his tone, before the line went dead. My brother and I gave each other one quick glance before we both hurried to gather our stuff and head out the door to Baby.

We had to get there, and fast.

Whatever we were hunting, that's what had to be there now.

_Author's Song Note_

"Come Back For Me" by Jaymes Young

…

All of the lights were off in his house as Sam and I quietly entered.

We heard a woman's voice from the living room and we silently flanked the threshold.

"This isn't you, I know it," Bobby's voice pleaded.

I heard his gasp as if something had became very close to him, then a whisper slid through the air, followed by a quiet chuckle. As the laughter subsided, the sound of a blade being unsheathed sounded.

I peeked around the corner to check its position. I saw a small, feminine figure, cloaked in a tight-fitting, black, hooded jacket, black leggings, and combat boots. But a huge silhouette of wings extended from its back, blocking Bobby from view.

I looked over at am and mouthed, One, two, three.

I lunged out first and Sam followed.

Demon Blade in hand, I twisted the small frame of what was poised in front of Bobby, holding a black sword, around to face me.

As the blade slid in between her ribs she gasped. The moonlight shined through the window on her face. My lungs stopped working as her face lit up. Eyes that haunted my nightmares looked at me with shock. But as I watched her breath hitch, they changed to the eyes that filled my best dreams. Their hazel colors filling with pain.

"Dean-" was all that Trinity got out before collapsing into me. Her wings falling weakly behind her back.

My eyes widened as hers looked up at me, as if trying to remember my face, remember the feeling of my arms around her. Remember.