AN: Thanks for everyone's reviews! I'm always happy to see them, and it fuels the fire to post faster. Everything is slowly coming together, and I'm really enjoying where it's all going! I have a new character coming in, a couple of unexpected team ups and some little moments that I plan to expand on in later chapters. Let me know what you think! - Vanessa
…
Chapter 6: Call in the Calvary
Sam arrived at the school, and Matt escorted him through the halls to an office. When the door opened, he wasn't prepared to see who was on the other side. "Bonnie?"
"Hi Sam." She walked around the desk and approached him. "I know you probably have a lot of questions, but I assure you we're both on the same side." He glanced to Matt, who nodded in reassurance.
Sam looked back down at her. "Tell me everything."
…
He headed for the door, and her voice called back out to him. "Where's your brother, Dean? Aren't you two attached at the hip or something?" Her words made him stop in his tracks. "I was kind of hoping for the Winchester combo, but…I guess I'll settle for just you. Probably for the best anyways…daddy doesn't like it when I play with his toys." She smirked.
Dean's glare turned cold as he turned to face her. "Lilith…"
"Miss me?" she asked coyly.
"Only in the 'I can't wait to kill you' way." He snarked back, placing the bag of food and beer on a neighboring high table. "What's with the meat suit? Isn't she a little too old for you?"
She shrugged casually, pushing off the bar and slinking towards him. "The girl suit's more for the shock value. But if I'm being honest…I wanted to dress up for you." She flirted, running her delicate finger sensually down the valley between her breasts, and down to her stomach, just kissing the strip of skin between her cropped top and low-rise jeans. "You like?"
"You're not really my type." Dean played along as he thought up a game plan. He needed to get out of there; he didn't have the demon blade, and a mental checklist told him he didn't have his phone either.
Her eyes hardened. "Right. You're more into darker tastes, aren't you?" She teased with a little giggle when Dean stiffened in realization. "Bonnie Bennett; the black magic woman herself. I can see the appeal. But you know…you're not her only suitor. You might wanna take a number." She mentioned vaguely with a hidden undertone.
Dean shifted, solidifying his stance and crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn't about to let Lilith get in his head, especially about Bonnie. "Why don't we skip the pleasantries and you tell me what angle it is you're playing. Cause you and I both know if you wanted me dead right now, I would be."
Her eyes rolled up dramatically. "You got me. I don't want you dead, not yet." She placed her hands on his chest, caressing him. "I mean don't get me wrong, I want nothing more than to cut this out…" her nails dug in firmly, yanking aside his collar to expose the anti-possession tattoo. "And slip into this tasty meatsuit and feel you from the inside but…" she breathed leaning up into him. "I have bigger plans for you, Dean."
He glared down at her. "Are we gonna fight or make out, cause I'm getting some serious mixed signals." He barbed, refusing to let her see him falter at her proximity.
She shoved him away with a dark laugh. "All in good time, baby. I've got a friend that's dying to meet you."
"Your Tribrid?"
Lilith's brows raised. "Ooh! Someone's been doing their homework, well so have I, and your little friend Asa wasn't the only one hunting down my new favorite pet. She's been a busy little beaver."
His brows furrowed. "She?"
…
It took a Sam a moment to process everything, but there was no time to waste. He'd learned that the Tribrid, was only a girl; a girl they were trying to save from her own demon, and that was something he understood. Maybe the line between good and evil wasn't as black and white as they thought it was.
He stood beside Bonnie as they packed their weapons, and he watched her drop the shackles into a duffel bag. The symbols on them looked familiar. "Where did you get those?"
"A temple in Egypt. They're meant to contain the power of a witch. Can't for the life of me figure out what this says though. I though it might be ancient Sumerian, but the symbols are all wrong."
Sam shot her a knowing smile. "It's Enochian. The language of the Angels."
Bonnie's brows shot up in surprise. "Well, I guess that answers the 'Is there a God' question, doesn't it. I've seen vampires, werewolves, ghosts, but yet somehow that scares me even more." She trailed off nervously.
"You get used to it." He reassured easily. "So, you went all the way to Egypt to get these for Hope?"
"Not exactly." She turned to him with a sigh. "I actually got them for me. At my strongest I can be…unstoppable. I needed to make sure that if it ever came down to it, I could be stopped. I've done things…hurt people. It's a darkness I don't ever want to touch again." She admitted solemnly.
"I know what you mean." He empathized, earning a surprised look from her. "We all have our monsters, Bonnie; but that's not what makes us who we are. It's how we fight that monster inside us that does."
She smiled gratefully. "Thanks Sam. I just hope Dean sees it the same way."
He could still see the worry in her eyes. "Bon, Dean really cares about you. More than I've seen him care about anyone. The only reason he's been distant is to protect you from this life. Honestly, I think you being a witch will be kind of a relief." He chuckled it off. Then he frowned as he padded himself down for his phone, checking the screen. "Speaking of…he hasn't gotten back to me. I'm gonna swing by the motel, see if he's been by. We'll meet you guys there."
"I'm coming with you." She swung around to face Ric and Matt. "You two stay here."
Sam headed for the door with Bonnie hot on his heels, but Matt blocked her path. "We can help. I'm not standing by while you charge in there with no back up."
"Matt, this isn't a vampire or a werewolf, okay. We're talking demons. Multiple demons that can possess your body with a snap of their fingers. I'm sorry, but I'm not risking it." She enforced firmly, but he didn't budge. "Don't make me use my magic on you." She warned. After a brief moment, he stepped aside, holding her to a heated glare. "Thank you." Bonnie turned her gaze to Alaric. "We'll call if we need anything."
…
Damon followed the map from Bonnie's locator spell out to the abandoned factory on the edge of town, although he barely needed to with the scent she gave off. It was putrid and rancid like rotting flesh or sulfur; so strong that it burned his nostrils. Whatever she was, he couldn't wait to kill it.
When he reached the location on the map, he snuck into the building, avoiding the suited guards with the same black eyes. The smell was overwhelming; like there were dozens of them surrounding the building. Damon zipped through, searching the floors and rooms silently. Then a different scent hit him; blood. Lots of it. He crept soundlessly, tuning into the dull sound of a pulse fading, and the disturbing suckling and growls of what he could only recognize as a feeding. He knew it was Hope before he saw her, and when he stopped in the doorway, her glowing amber eyes snapped to him in the darkened room making him freeze.
"Hope…" he breathed, holding his hands up. "You don't want to do this." His eyes subtly darted down to the limp body in her clutches, the eyes of a husky man slowly draining of life. "You can safe him. All you have to do…is let him go." He continued further into the room cautiously. In animal instinct, she yanked the body closer to her. Her mouth was overflowing with blood, the man's flesh stuck between her elongated fangs. He noticed the ring on his left hand. "He's got a wife, Hope…a family. Maybe a daughter. Do you really want to take a father from his little girl?" and for a brief moment, Damon saw a flicker of the usual blue in her yellow eyes. He knew the loss of her father was something she struggled with, and he hoped that there was still of sliver of her in there; at least enough to feel sympathy. He continued his approach, stepping over the dead body a woman. She was nearly ripped in half by Hope's vicious assault. "I know you're still in there. You can fight this!"
She blinked; the internal struggle clear on her face, but she shook it off. "I-I can't stop."
Damon pressed on. "Yes, you can. You're strong, Hope. Stronger than whatever Lilith has over you. You're a fucking Mikaelson, act like it!" He hissed at her, firmly but not loud enough to attract attention.
Surprisingly she glanced up at him, and the specks of blue bled through. "She's stronger than me. The things she's made me do…" Her tone was reflective, but not regretful. Damon was on the cusp of breaking through to her, but she still needed another push.
His head snapped in the direction of the entrance when the bang of the metal door resounded through the lower level. "Honey! I'm hoooome." The sound of a young woman echoed, and Damon risked a glance. "And I brought you a little treat." Hope was suddenly growling again, her hunger insatiable. "Puppy?" She called out. "Come to mama!"
Hope rose, a predatory look in her eyes, discarding the nearly dead man before her and heading for the door. Damon intercepted. "Fight it Hope."
"Move, Damon." She growled menacingly.
"I can't do that." He said bravely.
"I'll bite you." She warned.
"Then do it." He called her bluff. He wasn't afraid to die; he'd been ready for it for years.
The black veins under her eyes darkened and her chest heaved as she fought the animal inside. With a frustrated groan, she sent him flying into the opposing wall and watched him crumble to the floor. "Stay down."
As Damon pushed himself up to lean on the wall, he watched her walk out the door of the room.
…
"Dean!?" Sam called out as he burst into the motel room. He stormed straight through checking the bathroom, while Bonnie looked around. Her eyes fell to the table, and the note left by Sam, with Dean's phone still placed on top of it.
A dark hollow feeling shuddered through her. "Sam…" she called out with a wobble in her voice. Her eyes met his when he came back out of the bathroom, panicked. "Something's wrong. I can feel it." Since that kiss, Bonnie had felt a psychic connection to Dean on a more metaphysical level. She couldn't see him, but she could feel that he was in danger.
Sam's chest heaved as he racked his brain. Finally, he looked up. "Cas? Castiel…I need you." Bonnie watched on, eyes narrowing in confusion. "It's Dean. He's in trouble. Lilith is here and she's killing hunters-"
Castiel appeared beside him before Sam could even finish. "I'm here." He greeted solemnly, looking worse for wear. "I would have come sooner, but the Angel's have been fighting a war of our own. Lilith has broken sixty-four seals. We're losing the battle." Bonnie's eyes widened in shock at the man that literally appeared of thin air. "Hello, Ms. Bennett."
She blinked, nearly staggered in her surprise. "How do you know my name?"
"I know all God's children." He uttered evenly.
"Bonnie, this is Castiel. He's an Angel." Sam explained. "Thank you for coming."
Cas turned to Sam. "Where's Dean?"
"I was hoping you could tell me."
The Angel shook his head. "I'm unable to locate him using traditional methods. He may be warded. Lilith has all the Angel's veiled from her whereabouts."
The young witch picked up a familiar necklace; one she recognized as Dean's. "Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem." She chanted, closing her eyes, and holding the necklace tightly in her hands close to her chest. Finding Dean would be easier than finding Hope due to her connection to him and the fact that he was human. It wasn't long before her eyes popped open. "I know where he is. She's taking him to the factory." Castiel came forward wordlessly, placing one hand on Sam's shoulder and the other on Bonnie's. A split second later, the two humans staggered forward as they were transported elsewhere. Sam recovered quickly, while Bonnie spun around in astonishment. "Are we…did we just…?"
"We teleported." Cas responded patiently. "This is as close as I can get you. The building is warded." He nodded to the symbols magically etched into the walls. "I'll have to find the first sigil and destroy it before I can enter."
Sam nodded. "We'll meet you in there." He gestured Bonnie to follow him, around the side of the building where there was a cellar entrance, and led her down through the dank and darkened basement, his flashlight guiding the way as they silently following the sounds of the voices above. The flashlight soon began to flicker, before slowly dying out. "Damn it."
"I got it." She held her palm out. "Post tenebras spero lucem." A ball of light hovered over her hand, illuminating the path before them.
"Cool." Sam breathed with an amazing look on his face, earning a smile from Bonnie. "So how did you become a witch?" he asked quietly as they navigated through the halls.
She shrugged. "I always have been. I'm a Bennett; my ancestors came by way of Salem. I only came into my power when I turned seventeen; when Damon and his brother Stefan came to town, I learned that all the stories my grams told me were actually true and I started practicing."
"You've known him for a long time, huh?" Sam probed, checking their surroundings.
Bonnie smiled reminiscently. "Yeah. We've been through hell and back together…literally. We didn't really get off on the right foot, but he ended up being one of the best friends I've ever had."
He frowned. "But, he's a vampire."
Bonnie turned to face the younger Winchester. "Damon's a good man, Sam. He's not known for his stellar life choices, but he tries…and he's done a lot of good to make up for the bad. I don't expect you or Dean to understand it, but I trust Damon, with my life. And you don't have to trust him, but you can trust me."
Sam nodded, about to reply only to be distracted by the sound of the metal door of the factory flying open.
"Honey! I'm hoooome. And I brought you a little treat."
…
Damon could hear Hope's footfalls as she descended the stairs slowly, and he made his way over to the man, ripping into his arm as he did. "Here…drink." The man weakly pushed his hand away. "It'll heal you."
"I…don't…want to…turn."
It was then that Damon realized that this man knew what he was. "You won't. Just don't die with it in your system." He offered his arm again, and this time he didn't refuse. When the man recovered, Damon helped him to his feet. "You're another hunter, aren't you?"
"What gave it away?" he answered wryly.
"Well the flannel for starters." Damon gestured. "And she seems to have a taste for your kind as of late." He added offhandedly, looking down at the other body on the ground. "We gotta get you outta here."
"Why would a vampire be helping a hunter, anyhow?" he asked suspiciously.
Damon shot him a tight, dry grin. "I'm reformed." He glanced around, and spotted a window on the far side of the open room. "Let's go."
…
Lilith's face split in a sickly-sweet grin as Hope walked down the stairs, blood covering her mouth and an amber glow in her eyes. "Hey puppy! Look what mama got you." She thrust Dean forward roughly, causing him to stumble to his knees. His wrists were bound behind his back preventing him from catching himself, and his eyes was beginning to sport heavy bruising from Lilith's assault.
"This your big plan? Feeding me to your dog?" Dean grumbled, glancing at her over his shoulder.
She gripped his hair, yanking his head back to whisper in his ear. "You should feel honored, Dean. You about to be a part of something big. A whole new world. We're in the end game now; only a couple seals to go. My only regret is not being able to see how it ends."
"Sam's gonna find me and he's gonna drive that blade right through your chest." He growled back hatefully.
Her lips came even closer to his ear. "Can't wait."
…
Damon was able to get the hunter out of the building and back to safety, and spotted a man in a long trench coat. "Who the hell is this now?" He uttered to himself. He strode up, with his usual strut of confidence. "Hey! Buddy! Private property so move along, okay." He shooed him off with a wave of his hand.
The man turned to glare at him. "Vampires working for demons now? Perhaps earth is doomed after all." Castiel's eyes glowed an ice blue, and the celestial shadow of his wings protruded from his back.
Damon staggered to a halt, putting up his hands in defense. "W-whoa, hey. I don't work for anyone. I'm trying to kill the thing that's got my friend. Nasty little bitch," he held a hand near his belly button. "About this high, a mean right hook…pitch black eyes?"
"Lilith." Castiel grumbled pulling in his wings. "She has my…friend too." He trailed off awkwardly. He hadn't considered anyone to be a friend in many years, but Dean and Sam treated him like one. "I need to get in there. The world depends on it." He stated gravely.
"Okay… a little dramatic." He uttered to himself. "What can I do?"
The angel blade slipped from his sleeve. "I need a distraction." He tossed it to him. "Kill some demons."
…
AN: I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. I won't say too much on it, but it's going to be a big chapter and may take me a bit to get through. Thanks again! - Vanessa