~*****~
"That vampire's still out there, Dean." Sam mentions.
"First things first." Dean retorts.
"Gordon." Sam nods.
I snort. "About that-- when we find him, or if he finds us..." I trail off, my machete halting against the whet stone for a moment.
"Yeah?" Sam asked.
"He's not leaving us a whole lot of options." I explain.
"Yeah, I know. We've got to kill him." Sam agrees.
"Really?" Dean asks, his head cocked at his brother. "Just like that?" Sam shrugs. "I thought you woulda been like, no we can't. He's a human. It's wrong."
"Dean," I grasp his hand. "How many times have we run into Gordon-- how many times have we nearly been killed by Gordon, I mean." Dean doesn't answer. "He's not going to stop until we're dead..."
"She's right." Sam nods. "It's either us... Or him."
My cell goes off, and my rage bubbles back up as I gaze at the screen. I press my phone against my ear with a growl. "What?"
"Look, I don't like it when people hold grudges again me," Bela chirps. "And more to the point, I'd rather you didn't kill me, so I went ahead and found Gordon's exact location for you."
"You're like--" I trail off. "A hundred and sixty-seven miles away--"
"So don't wanna know how you know that--" Bela cuts me off. "Anyway, I'm a purveyor of powerful occult objects. I used a talking board to contact the other side."
"And?"
"Warehouse. Two stories, riverfront, neon sign outside." Bela recites.
"Thanks." I say irritably.
"One more thing. The spirit had a message for you. Leave town, run like hell, and whatever you do, don't go after Gordon." Bela reiterates. "For whatever that's worth. Now I hope my fruity red jacket won't be the clothes I die in."
I end the call and grimace. "What is it?" Dean asks.
"I have a location on Gordon," I mention. "But the spirit Bela found him with says to run."
"Why would it say that?" Sam asks.
I'm silent for a moment before shrugging. "I have no clue."
~*****~
The warehouse is empty-- save for the vampire we'd lost during Gordon's initial attack. He's kneeling before two headless women chained to the ceiling. Dean gestures to the knife on the table before moving towards it. Sam and I nod, stepping closer to the vampire. "Go ahead..." The vampire sniffles. "Do it... Kill me."
"What happened here?" I ask.
"Gordon Walker." The vampire answers with so much venom, I'd wondered just how deep the vampires hatred ran. "I never should've brought a hunter here. Never. I just-- I just wanted some kind of revenge. Stupid-- exposing him to my family."
"Oh, yeah, you're such a family man." Dean sneers.
"You don't understand..." The vampire sniffles.
"I don't want to understand, you son--"
"I was desperate. You ever felt desperate?" The vampire cuts Dean off. "I've lost everyone I ever loved. I'm staring down eternity alone. Can you think of a worse hell?"
"Well. There's hell." Dean reiterates.
The vampire swallows thickly. "I wasn't thinking. I just... I didn't care anymore. Do you know what it's like... when you just don't give a damn? It's like-- It's like being dead already. So just go ahead... Do it."
I swallowed thickly and gazed up at the Vampire. "Dean, Lottie..." Sam calls out. We shoot a cautious gaze at him. "Head wasn't cut off, it was ripped off... With someone's bare hands."
"Did you... turn Gordon?" I ask desperately. The vampire's lower lip is trembling as he fights back fresh tears. "I'll make it quick." I express before palming his face. Bright light erupts from under his skin, and he's a pile of ash on the ground the next moment.
~*****~
"Man, I must have checked three dozen motels," I hear Dean call out as I sit in the bathroom. I shove the item in my hands into the trash can as fast as I can and cover it up. I wipe at the tears burning down my face before opening the door and offering Dean a smile as he slings his jacket onto a nearby chair. "Empty buildings, warehouses."
"Yeah, me too." Sam agrees. "Big city."
Dean brushes past me and turns on the sink. My skin prickles for a moment before I travel to the fridge. "It's like a giant haystack, and Gordon's a deadly needle. We're running out of daylight. Won't have the sun slowing him down."
"Yeah, he'll be unstoppable." Sam reiterates as I tug out a can of soda. "Hey, uh, Lottie, Dean, give me your phones." I hum in response before tugging it out and handing it over.
"What for?" Dean asks.
"Well, if Gordon knows our cell numbers, he can use the cell signal to track us down." Sam explains.
"Oh, yeah. Thanks." Dean hands over the phone. I hold up a beer for Dean, earning one of those playboy smiles and an affectionate kiss. Sam tosses the phones on the ground and begins stomping on them. "Sam, Lottie. Stay here."
"Why?" I ask quickly.
"I'm going after Gordon." Dean explains as he pulls out the Colt.
"What?" Sam reiterates.
"You heard me."
"Uh, not alone, you're not." I quickly put in.
"Baby, I don't need you to sign a permission slip, okay?" Dean states. "He's after Sammy, not me, and he's turbocharged. I want you two to stay out of harm's way. I'll take care of it!"
"Dean, you're not going by yourself!" I exclaim. "I'm the only one here who can't die-- wouldn't it make more sense for me to go?"
Dean shot a threatening look at me. "If you think I'm letting you face off against this juiced up freak while Sam and I sit here on our asses, you've got another thing coming." Dean shot back savagely. "You're not going, and that's final."
"Oh, so what-- you're the guy with nothing to lose now, huh?" I ask shrilly. "Oh, wait, lemme guess. Because you're already dead, huh?"
"If the shoe fits." Dean retorts.
"You know what, man, I'm sick and tired of your stupid kamikaze trip!" Sam cut in.
"Whoa, whoa-- Kamikaze?" Dean echoes. "I'm more like a ninja."
"That's not funny." Sam snaps.
"It's a little funny." Dean chuckles.
"No, it's not." I snap.
"What do you want me to do, huh?" Dean asks as he stands up. "Sit around all day writing sad poems about how I'm gonna die? You know what-- I got one. Let's see--- what rhymes with, Shut up, guys?"
"Drop the attitude. Now." I hiss. "Stop turning everything into a punch line. And you know something else? Stop acting like you're not afraid!"
"I'm not." Dean grits.
"Dean, Sam and I spend twenty-four hours around you seven days a week. We can see straight through you." I mention angrily.
"You got no idea what you're talking about." Dean retorts with a smirk.
I scoff. "I do. And you're scared, Dean. You're scared because your year is running out and you're still going to hell, and you're freaked."
"And how do you know that?" Dean asks.
"BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU!" I shout.
"Really?" Dean scoffs.
"We've followed you around most of our life! I've looked up to you ever since John took me in! I was always trying to be just like you! We know you better than anyone else in this entire world!" I furiously wipe at my face. "And this... Is exactly how you act when you're terrified.... And I can't blame you. And I just.... I just..."
"What?" Dean asks softly.
"I wish you'd just drop the face, and act like our family again, like the man I fell in love with..." I curl my arms around my waist. "We love you, Dean...And we're scared, too..."
Dean is silent for a moment. "All right, we'll hole up." Dean states softly. "Cover our scent so he can't track us, and wait the night out here." My lip continues to tremble as I nod.
Sam and Dean set to fortifying the room for the night, leaving me time to thoroughly get rid of the pregnancy test I'd tossed in the trash can. My hands shake violently as I gaze at the results before shoving it into the toilet, and flushing. The test clatters for a moment before it slips down the drain.
"You all right, baby?" I hear Dean from outside the bathroom.
I hesitate and wipe at my eyes. "Y-Yes." I stammer. Dean eases the door open and steps inside.
"C'mere." Dean offers, and curls me into his chest, his hands brushing through my hair before angling my head back and kissing me softly. "I love you. You do know that, don't you?" I nod and lean into his touch. I sigh against him. Just for a moment, everything feels right. Like everything will be okay. And even though I know it's not in the cards, I allow myself to relax into his embrace.