Chapter Text
Supernatural Encounter
by Lilithangel
abchainey@xtra.co.nz
http://www.livejournal.com/users/lilithbint
It was just another small town clinging to survival as the interstate dragged its life away. Dean had seen hundreds just like it and expected to see hundreds more.
Despite being used to travelling alone he missed his brother’s presence. It really hadn’t taken long to get used to having Sam in the car beside him, but there was no way he had wanted Sam to know about this job.
Dean had started hearing stories about young girls suddenly developing strength and agility beyond normal and then stories about some of the girls becoming psychotic, talking in languages they didn’t know, suffering fits of uncontrollable rage. After that last exorcism that had nearly broken Sammy Dean had been determined to protect his brother from another experience like that.
Luckily Dean had been able to convince Sam that he was just going to hook up with an old girlfriend for some R & R. Sam had been happy to be left behind in a separate town rather than have to watch his brother make out.
The girl here had reportedly broken a kid’s arm while screaming about vampires and monsters. That wouldn’t have been anything more than a normal student breakdown except that to break the kid’s arm she had thrown him fifty feet into the air.
Driving through the streets Dean found a nondescript motel as sad looking as the rest of the town. There was only one other car in the lot when he pulled in a battered De Soto that made the Impala look pristine in comparison.
As always seemed to be the case Dean had arrived as the sun set so he threw his bag in the room and headed for the local bar.
There weren’t many people in so he ordered a beer and the house special. People watching was always fun even if he was always wondering if each person wasn’t in fact human. There were a couple of guys playing pool at the back of the bar and he toyed with the idea of a game to pass the time but watching the blond warned him that there was already a hustler in the room.
"Hi I’m Nancy." A husky beer soaked voice drew his attention. "Mind if I join you?"
Despite the powerful blast of cigarettes and booze on the not-as-young-as-she-looked Nancy Dean smiled and gestured to the other chair. "Name’s Dean," he said giving her the patented Winchester smile.
"You passing through?" Nancy asked him as she sat down.
"I’m a writer," he said, "just travelling and looking for stories. Might stay a couple of days if something interests me."
Nancy preened and fluttered her eyelashes, "I’m sure we can find something to keep you interested."
Dean kept the smile on his face despite the urge to assure her that nothing she could offer would interest him. She was covered in the aura of desperation common enough for women of a certain age in small towns and nothing about her appealed except the chance that she could tell him something about the possessions.
"Virgo, what about you honey, what’s your sign? You look like a Capricorn, I’m normally really good at these sorts of things, you are aren’t you?" Dean was drawn back to the conversation.
"Close," Dean said, "but I was born January 24th."
"Aquarius huh, you strike me as more of the strong goat type." Nancy smiled with what she obviously thought was coquettish look but only served to highlight the cigarette wrinkles around her lips.
To Dean’s enduring relief a fight broke out between the pool players. It seemed as if the locals didn’t appreciate being beaten by an escapee from the eighties. The peroxided blond didn’t seem to need any help but Dean took the excuse and smiled apologetically to Nancy before he threw himself into the fight.
He dodged a pool cue and spun another guy around to punch him squarely in the nose. A leather clad arm blocked the cue’s return blow from cracking his head open. The blond twisted and disarmed the attacker easily tossing the cue to Dean with a smirk.
They found themselves back to back facing off the three remaining fighters. Dean used the cue to keep them at bay while the blond taunted them, happily casting aspersions on their parentage and sexual abilities.
"Not helping," Dean said over his shoulder as he fended off another lunge.
"I’m enjoying it," the blond replied with a bark of laughter.
The distinctive sound of two barrels being primed stopped all the fighting. "Think it’s time you boys headed out, it’s too early in the evening to be breaking up bar brawls," the barman said glaring at them over the shotgun.
"Alright mate," the blond put his hands out and Dean dropped the pool cue.
"You two head out first," the barman continued, "Chuck and Steve keep your lads in place for a minute I don’t want to see this continue in my parking lot."
They backed out of the bar together and Dean gave Nancy an apologetic wave as they left.
"Oh great," Dean said as they left, "I didn’t get my burger."
"The food in there’s crap," the blond said lighting up a cigarette, "I’ll take you to Martha’s for a bite. Name’s Spike by the way."
"Dean," he said in reply, "and you don’t have to."
"Owe you one don’t I? And Martha has a way with the deep fryer you won’t believe."
Dean laughed, "Lead on then," he said with an expansive gesture.
Spike led him around the corner to an unobtrusive diner tucked between two empty buildings. A cheery bell heralded their entry into a drab but clean restaurant. Most of the counter was taken by people but Spike snagged a booth down the back with a grin for the waitress behind the counter.
The waitress quickly came over with menus and a flirtatious smile. "Same as last time Spike?" she asked sucking on her pen lightly.
"Definitely Penny," Spike said. "Chilli is bloody fantastic," he said to Dean, "and Penny can give you the good word on the burgers if you’d rather."
"I’ll take the chilli too then," Dean said to the unspoken challenge in Spike’s words. "So you live here?" he asked after Penny took their orders and got them coffee.
"Nah, just stopped to pick up a package," Spike replied wrapping his nicotine stained hands around the mug of coffee.
"Package?" Dean sat back in his seat and stared at Spike. He had no idea what sort of package a punk Englishman could be picking up in a dead end town like this but there was no way it was anything legal. "You don’t strike me as the courier type."
"Doing a favour for someone," Spike replied calmly, "just waiting for a few details to be cleared up."
Dean’s questions were stopped by Penny arriving with their food.
"Martha says she’s added more spice to yours Spike," Penny said with a grin, "sooner or later you’ll crack."
"Bring it on." Spike sniffed appreciatively at the bowl and tore apart the bread it came with.
Dean looked at the two bowls. His chilli was much paler than Spike’s more like tomatoes than the blood red mixture still bubbling in the bowl in front of Spike. Taking a hunk of bread Dean dipped it into his chilli and carefully tasted it.
"It is good," he said adding more bread.
"Told ya," Spike said tucking into his.
"How much spicier is yours?" Dean asked after a while.
"A lot," Spike said with a grin.
Dean tore off some bread and dipped it into Spike’s bowl. He could smell the chilli and spices even before it reached his mouth and then he couldn’t smell or taste anything.
Spike chuckled at Dean’s spluttering red face and handed him some more bread and the glass of milk that Penny rushed over.
When he was finally able to talk Dean glared at Spike. "You are not human man, nothing human could eat that."
Spike laughed, "Not my fault you’re a wimp."
"Wimp? This stuff could degrease my engine." Dean finished his bread and stole the last of Spike’s.
Spike raised an eyebrow and finished his chilli. Then he leant back and lit up a cigarette.
"Those things will kill you," Dean said.
"So will a lot of things. Want a drink?"
Spike pressed his tongue against the back of his teeth and smirked in a way that Dean couldn’t take his eyes off. "Don’t think we’re welcome back at the bar."
"Got some beer in at my place," Spike said.
Dean couldn’t deny his attraction to the blond man. He wasn’t stupid enough to mix the attraction with alcohol though, but his mouth was still tingling from the chilli and a beer sounded great. He wasn’t going to get any information about the girl now anyway.
"Where’s your place?" Dean said.
"Motel around the corner," Spike said pulling some bills out of his pocket and dropping them on the table.
"Is that crappy De Soto yours then?"
"Don’t diss my girl," Spike said in offence, "been through a lot together we have."
"Lots of garages and services stations I bet," Dean snorted.
"And what do you drive oh connoisseur of motor vehicles?"
"That." Dean pointed to his Impala as they entered the motel car park.
"Well at least it’s a Chevy," Spike said, "looks pretty mint."
"She’s been through a lot but I’ve got a good mechanic on side to fix her up when she needs it."
Spike opened the door to his room and ushered Dean inside. "Make yourself comfortable," he said shrugging off his leather jacket and heading for the fridge.
Dean snagged the only chair and accepted the beer Spike offered. Spike opened his own beer and sprawled out on the bed.
They relaxed and argued about cars for a while and then the conversation drifted to music and girls and family. Dean noticed after his third beer that Spike was doing most of the questioning.
He had used the same story as he had in the bar about being a freelance writer adding that he wanted to write about the death of small town America. He wasn’t sure if the blond believed him or not but Spike didn’t call him on it.
"What about you, any family?" Dean asked after telling Spike about Sam and college.
"Sort of," Spike said, "more like adopted family but we don’t get on all the time. Left him a few towns back to do this job figured it would only take a few days and we needed the break."
Spike steered the conversation back to music and Dean became aware that the blond was subtly flirting with him. Suggestive lyrics were brought up and Spike’s hands were constantly playing with his beer bottle.
Deciding that things had gone far enough for one night despite his mild flirtation back Dean finished his beer and stood up.
"Thanks for the beer and the company," Dean said as he stood, "I’d better get some sleep now."
"Pity," Spike said moving to the door with him, "it was fun."
Spike did that thing with his tongue again making Dean imagine what else that tongue could do.
"Catch you tomorrow then," Dean said opening the door.
"You betcha." Spike caught the top of the door just over Dean’s head so they were standing close almost lip to lip.
"So… good night then," Dean said licking his lips quickly.
"Yeah," Spike said letting their lips brush over each other for a brief moment before pulling back and ushering Dean out.
Dean leant heavily against the closed door. He was going to self combust if he spent too much time around Spike that was for sure. He hurried back to his room for some much needed alone time with Mrs Palm and her daughters.
An hour later Dean woke to the sound of someone shutting the Impala’s door quietly. He got to the window in time to see Spike slip away from the car and head out into the night.
"Somebody’s being nosy," Dean said to himself as he pulled on a shirt to follow the blond.
Out in the parking lot he nearly missed the trail as Spike moved a lot faster than he expected, but a flash of blond hair gave him a direction.
Spike was moving stealthily through the streets with the same grace he had shown during the bar fight. He seemed to be hunting for something and it was something that was leading them into older parts of the town.
Spike stopped suddenly and Dean thought he’d been spotted but Spike pivoted and vaulted over a chain link fence. When Dean got there it was higher than he realised and he started to wonder more about Spike.
The scuffled sounds of fighting convinced him to make a far less graceful climb over the fence. Pulling the gun he had brought out of his jacket pocket Dean moved quickly into the darkness.
Spike was fighting two guys and apparently loving it. Dean’s first thought was that it was some of the men from the bar until he got a glimpse of one of their faces.
Spike was fighting monsters, he was hunter like Dean. He was shrugging off their blows and hitting back hard enough to send them flying bodily through the air.
While it looked like the blond was handling things Dean settled back to watch and enjoy until one of them got behind Spike and pinned his arms.
Dean’s cry of alarm was too late and only managed to distract Spike long enough for the one behind to sink its fangs into Spike’s shoulder.
Spike cursed and flung his head back to smack into his assailant’s nose then he kicked the one in front in the chest driving himself backwards and crushing the one behind him against a wall.
Dean watched as Spike tossed the creature over his shoulder and followed through with what looked like a piece of wood. There was a strange noise a puff of dust and the creature was gone.
The second one was about to jump Spike so Dean fired his pistol. Somehow Spike was in his line of fire and took the first bullet. The rest ploughed into the creature that yelped but didn’t slow down.
"Bloody hell," Spike cursed although his voice sounded muffled. He pulled another piece of wood and rammed it through the creature’s chest and it did the same as the first one.
"What the hell were they?" Dean demanded running over to Spike. "What the hell are you?" he said when Spike turned and revealed a ridged face and yellow eyes. He watched as Spike appeared to shake off the strange features returning to normal.
Dean levelled his gun on Spike and repeated his question, "What the hell are you?"
"Vampire and your bullets can’t kill me, even if they do hurt." Spike kept his distance watching Dean warily.
"Vampire." Dean laughed shakily, "You’re not like any vampire I’ve ever seen."
"Seen lots have you?" Spike raised an eyebrow.
"A few and you’re nothing like they were."
Spike sighed and lit up a cigarette. "Different species then. Trust me I’m the real deal."
"Then why didn’t you, you know, bite me?"
"On the wagon, my food comes out of a bag now." Spike shrugged and then leered, "course there were a few bits of you I would snack on."
Dean blushed at Spike’s words. The fact that the blond was some sort of blood sucking fiend only seemed to increase his interest but he sure as hell wasn’t going to find out just yet.
"So why did you kill them if they’re your own kind?"
"They’re nothing like me," Spike said, "they’re mindless killers need to be put down. What were you doing following me anyway?"
"What were you doing snooping in my car?" Dean said.
"Checking you out. Got some interesting toys hidden in there. You some sort of rogue demon hunter?"
"Some sort yeah."
"Stupid thing for a human to do you know."
"I can hold my own."
"I just bet you can."
"Stop doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Flirting with me."
"Fair enough." Spike’s face seemed to close over.
"You obviously know I’m interested," Dean grumbled relaxing against his better judgement.
They turned back to the motel. "So how much is myth and how much is reality about vampires then?" Dean asked as they walked.
"Like I’m going to tell a hunter," Spike scoffed.
At the motel they separated and headed for their own rooms. Dean had a lot to think about and he still had the possessed girl to worry about. And now he had Spike to worry about as well. He really had to wonder what package a vampire would be picking up.
TBC…
Next time will be from Spike’s point of view and we find out why he is in town.