Once we established the new rules we spent most of the rest of the trip having a rambling conversation that jumped around a lot. Some of it was reliving old memories, some was new stuff and some of it was just random crap to pass the time. We stopped for lunch, I grabbed my usual just for old time's sake and had a rather rude awakening when I took a bite of the burger.

"Damn, this is greasy as hell." Coyote and I used lean meat or game meat like bison when we cooked, and we'd come up with some pretty tasty spice combinations for it too. This burger was bland, greasy and nasty.

Sam stared at me in shock, "Holy crap, you actually have taste buds now? I didn't know they could grow this late in life."

"Shut up," I debated sending it back and ordering something else but I didn't want to be one of those people so I just choked it down. It hit my stomach like a load of bricks. "Uggh, this sucks."

He didn't seem all that enthusiastic about the chicken thing he'd ordered either, "This is pretty much the only part I hate about the life now. I've gotten used to home cooked meals between you guys, Lyla and what I put together at home. It's hard to find decent food now."

"Yeah, seriously."

We chose not to linger over lunch, paid and left. He's been getting texts from the other hunters that were joining us on their eta to the nest. It seemed like all of us would be getting there within an hour or two of each other, I'd never really run a hunt with this many people so the whole concept was odd to me. "So, how are we doing this anyway?"

"Since we're all getting there midday and the houses are all conveniently located in shady areas we're going to try to hit them all at the same time. Felicity's hooked me up with some of those earpiece things she uses so we can all stay in touch and make sure everyone makes it out okay. It seems your return has generated some interest and we've got a few more hunters than we need, probably have them on stand by just in case."

That surprised me, "What the hell? It's not like I'm some prizefighter or something. I don't need a crowd watching me hunt, that'll just be awkward."

"Uh yeah, not so much guys watching you hunt. It's more along the lines of the hunters you hooked up with for your extracurricular activities."

"What...oh. This is going to suck."

He managed to keep a straight face, barely, "Seems some of them aren't quite willing to believe you're off the market. At least, that's what I'm assuming, since the ones that are replying that they are joining are all ones you've slept with."

"Is this how this works now? Tons of hunters just randomly showing up places?" I was starting to think killing the vampires would be the easiest part of this hunt.

"Nope, first time I've ever seen this happen. Usually a hunter requesting help gets two or three people joining up, we're up to seven, half of them are women you know."

"Any chance we can just go hunt elsewhere? There's got to be other nests nearby."

And that's when the faked sympathy took over, "Aww, you want to disappoint your adoring fans?"

"I hate you, really, really hate you."

He laughed, "Can you imagine if Coyote had come with us?"

Visions of hunter on hunter violence filled my head, "We never, ever, mention this to her. Ever."

"She wouldn't hurt you, you'll behave."

"It's not me I'm worried about."

"Good point."

I may as well get prepared for this, "Which ones do I need to worry about."

"Shayna, Irish Shayna."

"Shit." It wasn't so much that Shayna and I had ever had anything all that special, it was just that she barely tops five feet tall, is Irish, a redhead and fully embodies all the stereotypes associated with those three things. She used to do amateur MMA matches until she got pregnant. She'd been undefeated before she quit. There was never, ever a safe conversation with her, she'd turn anything into a reason to fight. Sure, that'd made sex with her exciting, especially when I was all about living on the edge, but it didn't bode well if she tried to hit on me and I turned her down. Which I would. Well there was no turning back now. "Thanks for the heads up."

"No problem. Anyway, back to hunting. Gerald's scoping out the houses to see which house has the most vamps. Do you want to go with the main group to that one or hit one of the smaller ones that you and I can probably take out ourselves?"

"Smaller one," I'd never been all that comfortable hunting with people I didn't know. It's not that I didn't trust other hunters but I didn't know how they acted or moved. Too many things can go wrong when you hunt with strangers.

"Got it. Basically that's it. Gerald will probably run the hunt at the house with the larger number, you and I will hit one and then whoever else wants it can have the third. We'll get the blood in them, take two, kill the rest, head back."

"Better hope there are some smaller sized vamps, your trunk isn't as large as Baby's." I pointed out.

"I grabbed some blankets to cover whoever we lay across the back seat. Oh and I've got body armor now too."

"What?"

"Christmas gift from Lyla. Keeps claws, blades and bullets from getting to you. Fortunately she gave me two sets so I have one that will fit you."

"Wow, nice gift."

He smiled, "Yeah, after that I started calling her my hunter mom. She insists I text her after every hunt and let her know I'm okay."

That kind of bothered me, it shouldn't have, but it did. Not that I had anything against Lyla taking care of him, it was the thought of him calling someone else mom. Course he hadn't really known our Mom, but still. I hid it though, "I'll have to tell her thanks for watching out for you."

"She's good people."

"I've always thought so."

About an hour later we pulled off the freeway and pulled up to a motel. I recognized a few of the cars, they were ones I'd built. "Huh, Joey, Rich and Sherm. Nice. They're solid guys."

"Yup, along with Gerard, Shayna, Teresa and Susan."

"Damn, how many vamps does he think are here?"

"Fifteen."

"Almost one hunter per vamp, this should be cake then."

"Should be." He didn't sound all that convinced.

"Not exactly the confident agreement I was going for."

"I don't know, vamps splitting up between houses like this. It's not normal."

"Yeah, guess we'll just have to wait and see. When's Shayna supposed to get here?"

He parked next to Sherm's old black Nova I'd rebuilt and turned off the car, "An hour. Want the keys so you can bolt and hide?"

"In front of all these people? You're kidding right?"

He put his hand on my leg and gave me a somber look, "We'll give you a good funeral, your headstone will stay "It wasn't the demons, it was the redhead. Learn from my mistake and run."

"You were a lot more fun when you didn't have this sarcastic side," I shoved his hand off me, got out and grabbed my bag from the back.

He got out and unloaded his stuff, "Sorry, I think it comes from being the oldest on the team now. I can get away with a lot more crap."

"I may have to start riding with you again just to remind you to riespect your elders."

We started up the stairs, Gerald had texted us the room he was in, "Yeah, that horse left the barn months ago. Once you start being a smart ass you can't stop, you should know that."

I knocked on Gerald's door, he opened it and there was a huge smile on his face, "Dean Winchester rides again, or should we call this the Winchester reunion tour?" Gerald stands about 5'6, he's all muscle, half Italian, half Irish and all attitude. He's mostly bald, wears glasses, looks like a linebacker and I'm pretty sure has mafia connections with the amount of things he's "acquired" for the truck stop. I keep expecting to get visited by a bunch of guys in Armani suits telling Coyote and I that we owe them favors. He is, however, one of the few guys other than Sam I'd go hunting with in a heartbeat. He's solid, knows his stuff and deadly.

I shook his hand, "No tour, one and done Gerald, just doing this for a friend and a kid."

"Uh-huh, huntin' dogs are always huntin' dogs Dean. Where's Coyote?"

"Holed up with the friend and kid at Sam's place."

"All right. Sam, good to see ya."

Sam shook his hand and we walked in, "Yeah, you too Gerald. Anything new?"

Joey, Rich and Sherm were sprawled out in chairs and the beds, Rich and Sherm had beers Joey had a bottle of water, he's a bit of a health nut and a recovering alcoholic. When I'd found that out I asked him how he managed to stay sober around hunters. Beer's pretty much a requirement for us, he'd said he saw being around it all the time as a sort of an immunization thing. If he kept exposing himself to being around people who were half drunk most of the time it'd be a constant reminder why he quit. I had major respect for someone with that much willpower. Joey was Brazilian, his name was Juan but he'd gotten tired of lame hunter jokes so went by Joe, he was one of those wiry guys that you think is weak until he hits you. Rich was a Southern boy, born and bred on a farm on Georgia and Sherm was a former beach bum from California, all blonde and tan. He'd been on some sort of drug induced trip when a Djinn decided to feed on he and his friends. Rich saved their asses and he's hunted ever since.

"So Dean," Rich drawled, "Back in the saddle? Didn't think anything'd pry you out of that garage."

"Like I just said, helping a friend. This is Sam and Gerald's hunt, I'm just riding shotgun."

None of them seemed al that convinced. Great. "When's everyone else gettin' here?"

Sherm smirked, "You mean the Dean's Ex-lovers Club?

This was going to be a long hunt. "Is who I've slept with public record now?"

"Well," he continued, "Since you've been off the market things have definitely picked up for the rest of us in that area. We drew certain conclusions. Plus, the speed of their replies was rather unusual."

"This must be what a high school reunion feels like," I said, "Now I get why people hate them so much."

Joey decided to join in on the fun, "Now if we can just get Sam hitched..."

"Yup," Rich said, "both the pretty boy Winchesters off the field means a whole lot less competition."

"Sam? You're competiton now?" I asked, he's never been a play the field kind of guy.

He cleared his throat, looked away and shrugged, "First I've heard of it. So. Vampires."

I should have just stayed home.