Chapter 9:

Present day

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, he couldn't even think: Liz's words had cut through Dean like a knife. Dean's heart was in a millions of pieces and the sharp pieces cut him from inside. He didn't think that the feeling could get any worse than it was when he realized he had failed her, but now it was thousand times worse. Her words had made his most horrified dream come true: she blamed him that he wasn't able to find her. But he had tried. He really had.

Still, after all those years, Dean never stopped thinking about whether he could have done something differently. Every time, he realized that yes he should have done everything differently - he never should have fell for Liz. Without him and his stupid hunter past, nothing like that would have happened. Dean was a son of a bitch magnet and for some reason they always got his loved ones first. First mom, then Liz, then dad, then Sam... Dean stared at Liz and when he saw the lonely tear falling from her eye, he felt a bit of him dying.

Dean couldn't turn his eyes away from Liz, even though he wanted to. The moment was too much to him to bear. Everything was silent, until Sam broke it.

“Dean if we are going to make our move, we have to do it now,” Sam said and Dean tore his eyes away from Liz. He looked at Sam, who looked like he was really sorry about the interruption.

“They are on a move.”

“You leave - I go,” Liz said, and Dean turned back to her. He pushed the pain to back of his mind, like he had done to so many things lately. He just didn't have time to deal with them now. He had to face Liz without freaking out.

“No. We are going in, you leave,” Dean said.

“Stop. We all go,” Sam put a end of the argument before it really had time to start.

“Fine. But I go first,” Liz said sounding determined. Dean opened his mouth to refuse and was pretty annoyed when Sam cut him off.

“Anything works, but we have to go now.”

So Liz got her way at least in something, when she led them to the door. Dean looked at her when they organized behind the door. Liz stood in front of the boys, and they were on both sides of her. Even from behind Liz looked gorgeous to Dean's eyes.

“Where are your weapons? We have some extra if you need,” Dean asked. He couldn't make Liz back off from the battle so he could try at least help her.

“I have all I need,” Liz said without looking Dean. Dean wanted to ask what did she mean by that, but he didn't have time.

“Let's go,” she said and before Sam and Dean had time to agree, Liz pushed the door open.

It was show time.

They walked in and the werewolves froze. It was obvious that they hadn't expected anyone to come to their secret nest - ever. Dean almost froze too, when he noticed the other group of werewolves in the other side of the barn. They had been invisible when looked from the window. There were at least twenty of them altogether: Dean, Sam and Liz were badly outnumbered and it scared Dean. Not for him and Sammy so much; that was their life and they knew when was time to flee. He was mostly scared for Liz. He didn't know what her status was in hunting. Dean would have liked to know how long she had done that, and what kind of things she had been hunting. Whatever the answers were, she was still a newbie and newbies made mistakes.

Evelyn's quick words and even quicker hand gestures made Dean to concentrate on the situation again. He couldn't help now that Liz was with them, but he could try to protect her. Not one of these horrid creatures was going to get her - this time.

And the battle began. Ten werewolves started to come towards the threesome and the rest of them started to move towards the other wall. A couple from that other group stayed behind intending to get Dana with them. The group that was left to take care of the intruders, tried to surround them.

“Dean! We have to get Dana before they take her!” Liz yelled to Dean and Dean nodded. They were in a battle and he didn't have time to think about all the questions that small sentence woke up in him.

Dean moved quickly next to Liz and shot down the few werewolves that were blocking her way to Dana. She moved forwards expecting Dean to follow her, and help her to get the civilian out of the harms way. Dean had all intensions to help Liz, but he couldn't when he was captured by one of the enemies. These are much stronger than humans usually are raced through Dean's mind and he understood that these were trained to fight.

Another werewolf came in front of Dean, blocking his view to Liz. He couldn't stand the idea of Liz being beaten up by some dirty douchebags, so he yanked his gunhand free from the grip of the werewolf. In a blink of eye, the werewolf before him was lying in the ground, dead. But there was too many of them; Dean caught just a glimpse of Liz before he had a new batch of those bastards all over him. They forced him to let go of his gun and then they just started beating him. Three against one: one was holding Dean and the other two just enjoyed being able to make Dean suffer.

“Sam!” Dean yelled - partly hoping that he would be able to help him, partly checking if he was still alive.

“I don't have time to chat,” Sam answered and Dean heard disgusting crunch; someone had probably hit Sam. Dean started to get frustrated, when he had no chance to help anybody. With the power of that thought he kicked one werewolf down and hit the other in the face with his head. The werewolf couldn't take it and Dean was free. First thing he did was beat the crap out of the one who had held him.

“Next time think who you pick on,” Dean said, but then the other two were again all over him. They pressed him to the ground and Dean cursed out loud. He bled so bad that he hardly saw anything. Suddenly someone grabbed both of the werewolves from behind and threw them to the ground. Liz stood there, looking angry as hell.

“Dean, waste them,” Liz said not looking to him and then she moved again. Dean was grateful to her, but he couldn't believe that without Liz he would probably be dead. Dean reached to his gun and shot both of them immediately - they didn't have even a change to get up anymore. Then he turned to Sam who had fought all the time right next to him. Dean saw Sam jumping to his gun and killing the last one.

He didn't look good either, and Dean wondered which one of them looked worse.

“Are they all dead?” Sam asked as he dropped to sit to the ground. Dean looked around himself and nodded.

“I think, but how... I have no clue,” Dean said and as he said it he really realized that ten against three was almost an impossible battle to win, but against all the odds they had won even though they all should be dead.

From outside Dean heard familiar roar. It was Impala's sound.

“What the hell?” Dean asked and walked to Sam, to pick him up. They walked out leaning on each other. Dean felt Sammy's blood dripping on his shoulder. Or was it his own?

Impala was parked in front of the barn, Liz sitting behind the wheel. She didn't look at the boys: she just clamped the steering wheel.

“Hop in,” Liz told, and the boys walked closer.

“Sorry, missy, but you aren't driving my car,” Dean said.

“Just get into the damn car! You are not in a condition to drive,” Liz said and her voice made it clear that the conversation was over. Dean humbled to his role, when he understood that he indeed wasn't in a condition to drive. He helped Sam to sit to the backseat, and then he dragged himself to their duffle bag, which they had left next to the door. With a grimace on his face, Dean picked it up and stumbled back to the Impala. Finally he sat next to Sam in the back.

If Sam said Dean drove like maniac, what word he might use about Liz? She hardly touched the brakes, when she showed the Impala all her best tricks. The closer they got to the motel, the wider Liz's smile came, and despite all the pain he felt, Dean couldn't help to wonder once again: what had happened? Liz, he thought he knew wouldn't have enjoyed driving like that.

“Liz.. Don't crash my baby,” Dean said from the backseat and Liz looked at him from the rearview mirror. Her face expression was hard to read: she looked little amused and a little mad.

“Your baby is better safe with me than she is with you,” Liz answered and suddenly she stepped on the brake. They had arrived to their motel. Slowly Liz moved her eyes away from the mirror and back to the road. Slowly the Impala moved again and Liz parked it perfectly to the same spot it had been earlier.

Sam got out of the car, but Dean hesitated. He noticed that Liz didn't have even a slightest intention to get out of the car: she just squeezed the wheel staring in front of her.

“You are not staying alone in here,” Dean said, but he didn't get Liz to move anything else than just her lips.

“Go inside and patch yourself up.”

“So you can have time to disappear again? I don't think so,” Dean refused in a urge to get Liz close to him. He might be in pain and covered in blood, but letting Liz slip through his fingers wasn't something he was going to do.

“I will come. I just have things to do first,” Liz told Dean, and her voice was completely normal, so Dean didn't see other option than believe her. He got out of the car and pushed the door close behind him.

“You better keep that promise or I will hunt you,” Dean announced with a weak sign of joke in his voice.

* * *

Dean and Sam had sewed each others wounds, cleansed the cuts and erased all the blood from their skins. They had changed their clothes and even cleaned up the room a little, but still Liz wasn't there. Dean started to get anxious. He scared that Liz wouldn't come, even though she had promised. And it would be completely understandable. Maybe she hated him.

Maybe?

Of course she hated him. Dean had left her to the enemy without even a real fight. Liz would probably hate him the rest of her life, but Dean would give anything just to see her smile at him once more. Just one time, and then she could continue the hating. Dean would leave. It would break Dean's heart even smaller pieces than it already was, but he would do what he should have done a long time ago. He would give Liz one more kiss and then he would go. He would leave permanently. At least Liz was alive.

“Dean,” Sam's voice broke through Dean's agonizing thoughts. Dean turned his face to Sam, and from his brothers face he could see the fear he was feeling because of Dean. All this was too much for Dean and he couldn't fight it off. His 'ignore' box was too full and the things he had stored there, started to come back to him. Dean had to turn his face away from Sam; now wasn't the time to give in for the feelings.

“I'm sorry Dean, but we have to keep on working,” Sam said carefully, but it didn't ease Dean's reaction.

“She's coming. We are not moving before she's here,” Dean told and giving him a quick glance. Why Sam couldn't understand? He couldn't just get up and work. They had to wait for Liz. Maybe she had something to tell them. Maybe she would help them. Maybe... She isn't coming.

Dean couldn't sit. Minute ago he had been sure that she isn't coming, but now when Sam thought so too, he was sure she was. Dean let out a noisy sigh. He should get a hang of the situation. Everything was getting out of control and he didn't like it.

“If I hadn't come, you would be dead right now,” voice said from the door. Dean's heart skipped one beat, when Liz's soft voice reached his ears. Her words meant nothing, when Dean turned around and smiled when his eyes met Liz's.

The smile died to his lips when Liz's eyes were pure ice.

“You would have never been able to take them out by yourself,” Sam replied and stood up from the bed he was sitting on.

“They got Dana. She is turned right after they change,” Liz informed them ignoring Sam. She stayed by the door, not moving towards the boys.

“We will save her,” Dean said and Liz let out a dry laugh. It made Dean feel uncomfortable, and he hated it. He tried to think that at least Liz had come, but he was getting angry to her. She could just tell what was her problem instead of mocking them.

“Yeah right. That is what you do best,” Liz mocked crossing her arms on her chest. She stared Dean.

“Actually, yeah that is,” Dean admitted and Liz just rolled her eyes.

“Poor humans. If their future is in your hands, they are all dead before the year passes by,” Liz said.

“What is your problem? Why you can't just spill it? Why go wander when you can just say it,” Dean asked. He had had enough - Liz could blame him all she could and she could call him the most ugliest names she came up with, but she had to let Sam be. If Dean was a bad hunter, it didn't mean that Sammy was too.

“Take a guess,” Liz suggested. Dean was really starting to see red. Liz was starting to be more and more annoying.

“Calm down! I think there are more important things than you two blaming each other. We have an army on the loose and you two aren't helping the situation,” Sam cut them off. Both, Liz and Dean, turned to look at Sam. Dean looked angry, Liz looked compassionate.

“Oh, Sammy. You should not have to be doing this, but after Jessica... Kind of romantic, you know. You hunted down her killer and gave her peace,” Liz said in a sad voice. Sam looked at Liz his mouth open, and Dean turned to her. God damn, that girl was walking on a thin ice.

“Now just shut up. I do not care what you say about me, but leave Sam out of this,” Dean warned. Liz glanced at him and opened her mouth to answer, but again Sam shut them up.

“Dean, it's okay. Calm down, we need to focus here,” Sam tried to get them into the right subject.

“Is that what you do? Babysit Dean while he is out of control? Everyday telling him that he should focus?” Liz asked.

“It's not like that! Now everybody just calm down! We are going to solve this case and after that you will have time to rip each other to pieces. Now I will go to check the board, if they have put Dana up yet. In the mean time you will solve your issues well enough, that you can work together. Got it?” Sam talked them like to children. Neither of them answered to him - even Liz didn't complain about them hunting with her. Sam left the motel room with a swing of the door.

Liz looked after him and sighed.

“I'm wondering if Sam is same kind of scumbag as you. He could be - he spends his every waken hour with you,” Liz wondered out loud looking at the door.

“That's enough! Liz, you don't want to go there,” Dean whispered between his teeth.

“Or what? You will give me to rabid dogs?” Liz asked and lowered her voice, “Oh, right, you did it already.” Dean tried to calm himself with breathes, but every word she said was like a poison. She killed Dean from inside a bit by bit. And he couldn't do anything to stop it, because every word she said... He knew it was the truth. He had given her up to the rabid dogs, which probably tried to eat her alive.

“They weren't dogs, honey,” Dean said grinding his teeth.

“How do you know?”, Liz asked, “Where you peeking behind the windows?”

“If I just had found the right window I would have!” Dean's voice started to rise.

“You sadistic bastard. I trusted you. I believed the words you said. I thought that you would come. You said you are my knight. I screamed for you. I screamed and I screamed. You never came. My heart slowly started to break. Your name turned into a poison. Still, I yelled until there was nothing left. The change was slow, when I realized you never come. All the sorrow and agony turned bit by bit into a wrath. Finally I stopped screaming. That was the day I died,” A tear rolled down Liz's cheeks as she trembled, because of the emotions that finally got her.

Dean had no answer to that. He looked at the angel he had broke, and he felt like curling up to the corner and die away. Liz's words made him feel worse than he ever could, even in Hell. Liz didn't bother to wipe the tear away, when she looked at Dean. Dean realized that he was also shedding few tears.

They stared into each others teary eyes for a moment, before Liz turned to leave. She didn't say anything when she reached to the door.

“Wait,” Dean said and Liz looked at him, “Tell me what they did to you. What they were.” Liz just kept looking and shook her head slowly.

“I will never tell you,” Liz said in a cold voice and when she opened the door, Dean hurried to her. He pushed the door close and stared Liz into eye.

“I know what you are,” Dean whispered, when the pieces finally started to click together. The whole picture started to form, but Dean wanted to be sure. He didn't want to believe himself, but some part of him knew he was right and it also knew that he should have understood it a long time ago.

“You know nothing,” Liz said in a warning tone. Without any warnings Dean pulled a knife from his rear pocket and cut a long wound to his arm. The whole time he was staring Liz.

Liz gasped, wobbled backwards, trembling heavily. Then she raised her head and her extended teeth came out behind her human teeth. Hunger glistened in Liz's eyes when she attacked towards Dean.
Chapter 10