...
Give what I give, give what I got
Make it worth while, cause I got another shot
..

Ben speaks

My eyes were burning as I kept them locked on the dark road, the steering wheel warm under my hands. I tried not to yawn, listening to the light breathing of both Jesse and Claire as they slept was making it hard to concentrate. It was unfair, but I had asked to drive; Claire had done enough.

We left as quickly as I could, leaving the key in the door as we rushed into the car, Claire driving half way until she was hugging the white line like a life line. Now I was stuck driving, wanting to sleep but it wasn't the first time, any other time I would be by myself, driving until dawn or a late night place to get a cup of coffee. I couldn't do that now, not while Jesse was sleeping, dying whatever on the back seat and Claire sleeping peacefully beside me.

I took a few glances at her, legs tucked up on the seat with her, shielding herself from the world around her. Blonde hair spilled around her face, and I felt my heart pinch. I was getting feelings for her; I was getting damned feelings for her! It was hard not to, she was stunning, strong willed, she was Claire and as much as I loved falling for her, I had no idea what I was falling into.

Oh the simple days where it was simply drive around, hunt monsters, sleep with women and not give a rats ass about anything else. Sometimes I missed it but in a matter of weeks, I knew it was going to be different, I knew I couldn't treat Claire like others, I knew Jesse would be more of a friend that I have ever had and now I had a surviving member of the family, no matter how distant. It was my new family, and I felt so glad but at the same time I don't think I have ever felt more dependent.
Hunting on your own could prove challenging, both mentally and physically.

Going around for so many years in a world of darkness and monster, not knowing anything normal, things became obscured. You get tough, not needing anyone or anything but your gun and car and scotch; you're the hero the world would never know. But at the same you get weak, not caring and tired. You get so tired.

Some days it's a struggle to get out of bed, to hop in your car and drive to the next town to do the same thing you did last week. Seeing the terror on people's faces, watching people die or seeing the dead, some innocent some not, but all in all they were bodies, empty shells of people that once lived only to be snatched away by things they thought were only in their nightmares. It was hard to try and keep your own life separate from that of others you were trying to help; we all had our problems but being a hunter, the reason isn't entirely pure of helping others, saving people. No, more often than not it was our own selfish need that spurred us on day after day like a disease that would slowly kill us. The only thing that made it worthwhile was that at the end of the day it was one less monster or demon in the world and one more family that wouldn't end up like you.

I yawned again, my eyes watering as they stung each time I blinked. We weren't far away now, but I groaned as my fuel dropped to nothing. I could have made it there on nothing, but then I may not get her going again later.

Up ahead a fuel station was glowing; 24 hour service.
Pulling in, I pulled the keys out of the ignition, flinching slightly as Claire moved, mumbling something before her eyes opened.
'There already?'
'Not quite.' I replied gently, watching as she stretched out before glancing out the window. Stepping out, a began to fill her up and Claire stepped out of the car, opening the door to Jesse before she carefully placed a jacket over him. Good idea to, we wouldn't want people to see a bloodied man on the back seat of my car.

Rubbing her eyes and fixing her messy hair, Claire grabbed her wallet out, silencing me before I could even argue.
'I'm famished and it's my turn to pay.' She smiled, 'want anything?'
I was so tempted to say 'you' but I shook my head, Claire walking into the store without another word. I had just finished as Claire met me, handing me a coffee with a wink and I chuckled slightly.
'Cheers.'
'No worries. Want me to drive?'
Again I shook my head, sitting in the car for a moment as I sipped the hot coffee and Claire dug into some plain crackers. Just the way I liked it.

Like I said, it wasn't long until we were at Adams.
As soon as the car stopped, Claire leapt out and ran up onto the deck, knocking on the door furiously. Jesse had started wheezing in the back, neither of us really knowing what to do while we were in a car. So we just drove that little bit fast. A light flicked on and Claire was speaking with Adam while I slung Jesses arm over my shoulders, not hearing his breath as I got us towards the house. Adam rushed down, helping me carry him in quicker and Claire preparing the lounge.

'Get some towels and a bowl of water.' Adam barked, Claire nodding her head and dashing off. Adam looked to me next, eyes full of concern.
'What the hell happened?'
I put Jesse head down steadily, watching as Adam tore the shirt away from Jesse, revealing the wound Claire had fixed so perfectly but it no longer looked healthy and healing. The skin around it was pale and crusty looking, dark veins spreading from the point of entrance and bleeding once again. The skin was pulling at the stitches Claire had put in, making a mess.
'Zeno, we were fighting but Jesse got us out. I think he was stabbed…'

Adam groaned, Claire returning with the towels and water. When she saw the wound, she grimaced, making an odd noise.
'It was not like that when I fixed it up, and there's no way it could be infected!'
'What was he stabbed with?'
Claire tried to think, but it was difficult as Jesse writhed on the lounge suddenly, sweaty and face screwed up in pain.
'A knife, dagger or something, it was Zenos.'
'Do you have it?'

Claire clapped her hands, and I tossed the car keys to her before she raced out to the car.
'Ben, in the kitchen in the pantry there's a black box, bring it.'
Doing as he said I brought it back to him in a flash and he opened the lid, revealing a collection of clear bottles filled with different colored liquid.
'What is all of this?'
'Jesse may have been poisoned, but he gets poisoned to different things than us.'
I just nodded, not even knowing how or why that would be, I mean of course he is a cambion or anti Christ or whatever, but he was still human wasn't he?

Claire returned, pulling out the serrated blade, handing it carefully to Adam. He was in his pajamas, stripped pants and a baggy t-shirt but his mind was no longer sleeping as he carefully held the knife, pouring a small amount of a green liquid over it. It hissed, the silver of the blade turning a cloudy grey and Adam grinned.
'Dam I'm getting good.'
'What was that?' Claire asked, nervously folding her arms.
I stood up also, my knees aching from kneeling on them. 'Adam thinks Jesse was poisoned. Don't worry, it isn't your fault, you weren't to know. He is poisoned by things that normally wouldn't affect us.'
'By us you mean, human?'

Jesses cry in pain made both our heads twist to him, Adam applying the liquid over the wound that made a horrid sizzle but instantly worked.
Using a damp towel he washed away blood and a blackness that began to seep from the flesh.
'I don't think I want to know.' Claire said, covering her eyes as it continued. I would have chuckled, thinking Claire was tougher than that but it was always harder to watch a friend or family go through pain then it was a stranger.

When Adam was done, Jesses side looked a lot nicer, and we both remained frozen to the spot as it began to heal almost instantly. Skin reached out and pulled itself together, the black veins gone and bruising fading.
'That's amazing.'
Adam stood up, gathering the ruined towel and tossing it into the fire place not far away in the lounge room.
'Jesse being what he is, certain things can affect his ability to heal or his power in general. What you saw there was something that attacked a certain cell in his body that carries his demon DNA, the power cell or whatever you want to call it.' He dabbed Jesses forehead with cool water, and I knelt down to inspect the contents of the black box.

'So you think Zeno knows about Jesse?'
'I would say he does now.'
Adam replaced the green vile and shut the lid quickly before I pulled out anything else. Questions rolled in my head and I was sure Claire was the same but we both remained quiet, Claire picking up the dangerous blade and inspecting it with care.
'How many things can kill him?'
Adam shrugged, moving into the kitchen and returning the box to its place.
'We just like to be prepared.'
'Where did you get that stuff?'
Adam grinned at us, a bit of a sly smirk as he cracked his knuckles in front of him.
'I know a guy who knows a guy who has a friend.'

A breath of laughter escaped my lips, Claire also not pushing for answers. It didn't matter, Jesse was going to get better and we knew where we could find the stuff to fix him up if he did get hurt.
'Wonder if he can eat salt?'
Claire slapped my shoulder and jingled my car keys, heading back out as Adam sat down, pulling out a couple of glasses and pouring a generous amount of whiskey into each of them. I accepted one, downing it quickly as I leant back on the desk; if I sat down I might fall to sleep.
'So Jesse will be alright?'
Adam nodded as he drank the liquid. 'Probably just sleeping now the lazy bugger.'
Claire returned, putting the bags down when she saw a glass waiting for her. She sighed as she drank it, not pausing for a breath as it warmed her.

'Now, what do we know?'
Claire sank into the chair, rubbing her face before she held the glass out for another drink.
'I've got Lance having a look around the country for anything that is linked, but we may need to do this thing globally by the sounds of it.'
Ben nodded but Adam sat up straight, a little alarmed.
'Lance?'
'A very good friend of mine, don't worry.'
'Who else knows of this?'

I shared a very nervous glance with Claire; do we tell him about the shifter?
'No, just Lance.' She answered and I felt a sting of hurt for lying to Adam, but I guess it was the right thing to do. Adam sighed, long and heavy, sinking back into his chair. A gallop of feet on wooden floorboards announced Pearls arrival and she leapt onto Claire, who chuckled at the warm greeting.
'This seems big Adam.' I spoke quietly, taking my time to swirl the bronze liquid around in the glass.

A phone began to ring, the rock music cutting through the silence and Claire pushed Pearl off, her attention now turned to me.
'Good timing Lance,' she said with a smile and her face lit up in a way that could only be a sort of love she had for Lance and I felt a stab of jealousy but then her face became covered in shadow as she stood up.
'Got that map?'
Adam got to his feet, pulling out a new large one and spread it over the table. Claire grabbed a pen and marker, circling places all over the country before making a list down the side of other places.
Adam and I hovered over the map, watching as numbers were jotted down and other places marked with an X, what the hell was all of this?

'Thanks Lance, I owe you one. Yep, well you to, you may not actually hunt but they don't see shades of grey. Take care.'
With that she hung up and sighed, rubbing her eyes as Adam and I waited for her to explain.
'All these places have been showing high activity of demons, electrical storms, crop deaths, missing persons,' she pointed to them as they formed a circle around the edge of America. 'These are where Zeno has strike, Lance managed to find others; not exactly the same sort of death or number, but still him.' All the X marks the spot places were within the circle and I held my breath as her hand moved to point to the list of other places down the side of the map.
'These are places overseas. Egypt, Australia, England, Ireland and Iran, heaps.'

There was a silence that was only kept from being one of fear by Pearls panting as she curled around Adams legs.
'I don't get it…' I groaned, feeling stupid but Claire nodded at me.
'Lance reckons the demons are setting up something like a border…' her finger connected all the towns and cities where the demons were, 'and hunters are being killed all over the place.'
'I'm sorry.'
Claire and I looked up at Adam, confused by his apology.
'I got you kids into this, I wasn't expecting this to…' he waved his thin hands around the map, 'to be global.'
'Hey we would have been involved in it somehow.' I said, patting his shoulder as he took another swig from the quickly depleting bottle.
'One way or another.' Claire said, sharing a smile with him. There was something haunted in Adams eyes but he blinked it away, turning and pulling out his mobile.

He handed it to me, my eyes questioning as Adam shrugged back into his seat, Claire doing the same.
'We're going to need all the help we can get.'
I still didn't know why I was holding the phone but soon the dial tone stopped and the voice on the other end spoke. My heart was in my throat, and I only just registered the smile on Adams face. I turned away from them, trying to find my breath.
'Dad?'

..
Broken families that always got pain
I break the chain, refuse to be the same
...

I hope this chapter alright. I'm full time at work now, Mon - Sat gah but I'm hoping to still get this up regularly.
Please read and review!

Silver-Kirin
xXx