Day of the Dead

Chapter Five: Dark Places

Dalia sighed, setting her toothbrush down and rinsed out the sink. She was on a hunt, alone, with Dean and John. Sam had all but refused to go with. He didn't think it was a good idea to be anywhere near John. She couldn't say she blamed him. She was trying her best to get along with John. That mean that she was basically just doing what she was told. She was trying not to let it show, but she was ready to knock him out. He was giving her all of the crap assignments. She wanted to talk to Dean about it, or someone, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Sam and Elena were taking care of a wendigo out in Montana and John was watching her like a hawk. He didn't want her alone with Dean any more than she wanted him alone with Dean.

Although, it seemed like John was getting his way in that area. She was in the motel room, alone. She was supposed to be doing research while the men went and talked to the locals. It was a bullshit assignment. They knew what they were up against. The lunar cycle fit, the animal attacks, and the fact that the heart was missing all pointed to a werewolf. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

Dalia sat down at the computer. She was going to do some research alright, but it wasn't going to be on the case. They were still trying to find a decent lead on John. She rubbed her eyes and got to work. Two hours went by before Dean came back with dinner. They'd gotten in late, but had decided to get a jump on the case anyways. She frowned, looking around for John. "Where's your dad?" she asked when Dean closed the door.

"Out scouting the locations. He thinks we should hold off hunting tonight, wait until tomorrow after we're not so tired from driving all day." He set the food on the table and sat beside her.

Dalia chewed on her lip as Dean pulled the food out. Now was her chance to talk to him. She didn't know how long John was going to be gone. "Can we talk?" she asked. Dean looked up at her warily. They were still on rocky ground with each other. Finally he nodded her head. "You see what he's doing right?"

"No, I guess I don't. Why don't you fill me in?" He sat back, burger in hand.

She didn't miss the sarcasm. "Dean, he's giving me all of the shit assignments so I'm stuck in the motel room."

"That's bullshit."

"Is it?" She swept her arms open. "Dean, since when do we need to do research on a werewolf killing?"

"How do we know it's a werewolf?"

That pissed her off more than anything. Dean knew it was a werewolf and now John had him second guessing himself. Which was bullshit. Dean was the best damn hunter she'd ever known. She wasn't going to play nice anymore. She reached across the table and slapped him. He growled, getting up and glaring at her. They'd had a knock down drag out fight before, and they both knew they were willing to do it again. "Don't you fucking give me that," she spat. "You're a good hunter, Dean. A damn good hunter. Do not let your poisonous father come in here and make you start second guessing yourself."

He walked around the table. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pinned her to the table. "I'm not second guessing anything," he growled.

"That's bullshit."

He pulled back and ran a hand through his hair. "If you don't like the way he does things, then you don't have to hunt with us."

There it was. The knife through her heart. He was picking him over her because he was too damn blind to see what John was doing to him. She crossed her arms. "I'll finish this hunt," she told him. "But I'm done. I can't watch John do this to you." She walked over to the table, grabbed her food and sat on a bed. She flipped on the television and tried to ignore Dean.

xXx

John was smirking outside of the door. He'd been waiting for an opportunity like this. He just needed to push Dalia and Dean a little further apart. Sam he wasn't worried about. He was never a good son, never the right kind of hunter. He let his emotions get in the way too much. But Dean…Dean was the son John had always favored. He did what he was told, without question. He was the son John wanted by his side.

He just needed to wait until Dalia went to sleep before he drove them just a little further apart. It wouldn't take much before she would leave Dean and the bunker for good. Soulmates be damned. He was going to make sure that she was away from his family. He pulled out a cellphone as soon as the lights went out. He'd gotten some insurance the last time he went on a hunt alone. He'd cloned her mother's phone. He quickly sent the text message and walked into the motel.

Dalia was sleeping in one of the beds, Dean was passed out on the couch. John rolled his eyes but went to the vacant bed and fell asleep. It wouldn't be long before Dalia was out of the picture. He was disappointed in Dean. The second he learned she wasn't a human any longer, the second he realized she was something supernatural, he should have put a bullet in her.

xXx

Dean woke when Dalia kicked his leg. She was running around the room, quickly throwing things into her bag. "What's going on?"

"My mom texted. She said she's in trouble." She was worried, Dean could see it. Her muscles were tight, her brow drawn together. He got up and started packing up his own things. He wasn't going to let Dalia go alone. She could be walking straight into a trap. He noticed John was just sitting at the table, watching her.

"Where are you going, Dean?" he asked.

"I'm going with Dalia." He threw his jeans into his bag.

"We have a case to finish." John looked at Dean, ignoring the daggers Dalia was glaring at him. "Did you forget that?"

"Dad…it's Dalia's mother."

"And like you said, Dalia's been hunting for a long time, long before she met you. I'm sure whatever it is she can handle it."

Dean chewed on his lip. John had a point. And they did have a werewolf to stop. It'd already killed three people. "You've got to be kidding me," Dalia snapped. "You're seriously going to stay?"

"Did I say that?"

"It's all over your face!" He could see the tears burning in her eyes. "Fuck you, Dean." She grabbed her bag and walked out of the room, slamming the motel door with enough force to rattle the cheap pictures hanging on the walls.

He flinched. "Son of a bitch."

"You can meet up with her after we finish this." John got up and put a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, I know who our werewolf is."

Dean nodded and grabbed his gun, making sure it was loaded with silver bullets as he followed John out of the motel room. He wasn't happy about the situation. He wanted to be with Dalia, but John was right. They had a case to finish. They had innocent people to save. That was the family business, it always had been. Dalia could handle whatever was going on with her mom. At least until he could get there. He climbed into the Impala and drove to the warehouse John directed him to. Apparently that's where the werewolf was camping out. He loaded a gun into the chamber and followed John inside.

He slowly walked through the building, gun raised, ready to fire. He tried to keep his footfalls quiet as he rounded a corner. He could see the werewolf. He had a girl tied to a chair. She was either going to be another meal, or he was going to turn her.

Or he already had.

Dean walked in, putting his gun on the werewolf. He didn't even give him a chance to turn around. He fired, putting a bullet through his heart. Dean watched him fall to the ground, gasping for air, choking of blood. He walked over to the girl. She was crying, begging him to let her go. He moved her hair to the side and swore when he saw the bite mark on her neck. She was a goner already. He started to tell her he was sorry, there was nothing to do, but John put a bullet in her.

He looked over at John, frowning. He didn't like the look in his eyes.

xXx

Dalia slammed on the breaks of the stolen car in front of her mother's house. She grabbed her gun, double checking to make sure it was fully loaded and cocked it, putting a bullet in the chamber. She rushed out of the car and kicked the door in, gun up as she swept left and right. She kept her eyes level, tried to trample down the emotions running through her. The worry for her mother, the anger at John. She walked into the living room, training her gun on the man sitting on the couch.

"Whoa!" He put his hands up and backed into the couch, trying to disappear into it. "Whatever you want, just take it."

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Dalia?"

She turned, her mother was standing in the doorway, two glasses of wine in her hands. "Mom, are you okay?" she asked, keeping her gun on the man.

"Yes, but why are you holding my date at gun point?" Tammy glared at her daughter. "What's going on?"

Dalia slowly lowered the gun, more than confused. "I need to talk with you." She grabbed her mother's elbow and led her into the kitchen. "What's going on? Are you hurt?" she asked.

"What are you talking about? Dalia, I'm fine."

Dalia wasn't buying it. She grabbed a flask of holy water and threw it on her mother. She spat it out and huffed. "Really, Dalia do you—" Dalia threw salt next. When that didn't work she narrowed her eyes. Tammy could still be a shifter. She grabbed her silver knife and roughly pulled her mother's arm, nicking her with the blade. "Dalia!"

She huffed and put the knife on the counter when nothing happened. "Mom, you texted me last night, you said something was wrong."

Tammy put a rag over the small wound on her arm. "No, I didn't."

Dalia frowned and looked at her mother. "But…" Everything started to click into place. She growled and threw her knife into the wall just to hit something. "Son of a bitch!"

"Baby, what's going on?"

She shook her head and pulled her cellphone out and dialed Sam's number. She was livid. "Dalia?" Sam asked. "What's going on?"

"Get back to the bunker, now," she growled. She walked over to the wall and ripped the knife out of the plaster. "We're finding out how John came back." She hung up and rubbed her eyes.

Tammy walked over and put her arms around her daughter. "What's going on baby?" Dalia broke down. She wrapped her arms around her mother. Everything came pouring out. Fighting the Titans, dying, coming back, her memory loss, John showing up. Everything. Tammy kissed her head. "I'm so sorry baby."

She shook her head, drying her eyes and glaring at the knife in her hand. She wanted to put it deep in John's heart. "I'm going to do something about John Winchester. He's not taking Dean from me."