Isabella Lombardi's Story

She could demand him not to defend her all she wanted, but that was just something the hunter could never stop doing. It was his job, he couldn't rely on one thing, he had to use everything and anything in his reach to keep her safe, not doing so would be a disaster.

"There's a difference between believing in someone, and wanting to keep them safe. All I care about is keeping you alive, nothing else matters. You're forgetting I'm a hunter and working solo is my thing. Trust issues, the likes," Dean admitted, after a moment, then at hearing the news of Wolfgang's passing he paled, "Someone is going to die tonight, and it'll be all your fault." he stepped back, his gaze distant, like he wasn't even there, his mind back pedaling to when he had saved his father's life, preventing him from dying, while also, taking another. He didn't know Wolfgang much, but was aware of the importance his life signified around them all. There were things he knew about their past, useful intel that might never be recovered, also, he had a family that loved him, would miss him and mourn his loss. And now the man was dead. But was it really Dean's fault? It's not like he pointed to the old timer and told the Reaper to have a go-at-it with him. If Dean could save him, he would too, and prevent all this crap. Whether it was his fault or wasn't, the hunter felt that heavy pang of guilt and hurt hit him like bullets, piercing his flesh, striking his heart.

How many more had to die before all this was over?

My father will be dead soon, I've set off an ugly chain, Wolfgang won't be the only one dying sooner than later… I know it… Dean thought, realizing this himself, he knew of the workings of reapers and how they loved to improvise when things turned the other direction. Having trailed after her, he leaned back against the bark of the tree, preferring to stand rather than sit. He reached down, fingers touching her crown of ebony locks, and almost instantly, his touch created a light, a soft glow that escaped his fingers and blanketed over her entire frame. The radiance quickly lifted away the blood and stains from her clothes, erasing any traces of her having even been in any training, returning her strengths to her, while robbing him of his own. This was his angel side.

"You can do whatever you want, I won't stop you," he softly began watching the rest of the cemetery before them, soon the leaves of fall would be replaced by the soft covering of the sparkling pure white snow, "but I'm not giving up on you. And I'm not going to sit back and watch them take you away. You can pretend all you want that these vampires will play nice, but I know otherwise. As soon as they make their move on you, I'll kill them. Simple as that."

Isabella shivered at the rush of warmth that overwhelmed her like a wave of honey when Dean touched her. At feeling her strength return and her wounds bind up as if they shrank back into her flesh, she was amazed. She knew that she and Dean shared something of a magical bond, but she never would have known that he was capable of doing things like this. Then, at seeing Dean grow weaker after healing her, she furrowed her brows and frowned. It took all of her willpower and then some not to strike him in the cheek.

"Stop it, Dean!" she cried, simultaneously angry and yet full of worry.

As he turned and walked away from her, she ran up behind him and linked her arms around his torso. She buried her little face into his back and squeezed him as though he might slip away from her should she dare to let go. However cute she appeared, her face was scrunched up in her fit of being mad at him, but she couldn't deny the heat that started between them whenever they were in contact. Had it been this way since they were babies?

She was hardly one to believe in soul-mates, no matter how romantic that idea may be. But when she saw Dean, and felt the surge of comforting warmth when they came into contact with each other, she couldn't necessarily deny the possibility either. She wondered if he could feel it too, or if he just thought her crazy and felt nothing at all.

"I don't want you killing yourself to try and protect me," she continued, her voice lowered into a gentle whisper as she breathed in his musky scent. "You're crazy if you think that I'm just gonna sit back and watch you march into martyrdom on my behalf."

She almost smiled at the thought of just how hard-headed the both of them were. It was no wonder they butted heads so soften. She let him go, however reluctantly, and watched him with inquisitive golden eyes. She knew he had his mind set on working alone, but if he went through with whatever plan he had to do it by himself, then they ran the chance of their odds completely getting shot. The whole ordeal needed a system- no one person could single-handedly fight an empire of ancient vampires and bring them down.

She had told him to stop the healing, but it was already done, he couldn't magically un-do it, even if he could he wouldn't obviously. Having done that, he simply wanted to give her space, let her be, that was her reason for being here, because of the isolation and quiet this place could only provide, and he knew that. She had a place to run away to, a place that would also remind her of what she had lost. Sure she could remind herself of the happy memories she had with that person she dearly cared for, but none of that could ever bring them back. That was which would bring her sadness too. It was an oddity though, that she would seek comfort among the dead. Was it a healthy habit? He was no psychologist at that, but what he was sure of was that this wasn't the place that he would haunt if and when she'd die. Though short their encounter it may be, he couldn't help but bring to light his care for her. Was this love? It felt that way, no other girl he's ever met left such a strong impression on him ever. Was it too soon? Did it matter? Since when did he compare himself to the normal intricacies of a relationship? He wasn't normal, and from what he'd gathered and had experienced with her, she wasn't either.

He was going to help her through this crap, but that was all. In no way was he letting her get hurt in doing what she thought was right. Call him crazy, but he had that damn feeling that in using her as bait, the vampires just might kill her. He had to take action, at all costs, two feet in. If there is a chance that he could save her, then he was gonna do it. She would never need to know that. Dean decided on that, not caring for the consequences.

Unexpectedly, slender arms snaked around his mid-section, slightly constricting him. Had she been someone other than Isabella, he would have pulled her hands off him, maybe even push her away, but he stiffened, like a stone, not used to close contacts. Why he accepted this solely from her spoke volumes to anyone that knew him enough. For one, he was never a Care Bear, maybe that's why he was always single. He could feel her pressing her face into his back, the tension of her form against his.

He heard her say, "I don't want you killing yourself to try and protect me," her voice lowered into a gentle whisper as she breathed in his musky scent. "You're crazy if you think that I'm just gonna sit back and watch you march into martyrdom on my behalf."

He upturned his gaze to the sky, his mind in blank, her touch engulfed him, filled him from head to toe in a soothing heat. It calmed him, made him relax for the moment she held him in her arms, somehow though he managed to say "Well, this is a bit touching…" his tone the usual cool brogue, he wasn't going to tell her what he felt. Though his hand clasped hers as they griped at him firmly, giving him the impression that she wanted him to stay put. If only he could break out the warm and toasties, but then where would that take them?


The instant she detached herself from him, that good feeling was gone, like a candle bluffed out. Her words were a sure sign of her faith in him. None, zero. She didn't know him enough, he sighed, aware of how hard it would be for her to see things his way, but she had to. Turning to face her, his eyes stared right at her quizzical gaze, he reached for her shoulders, bringing her that much closer, "So what you're saying is that I should just stay out of whatever you're planning, and not do my job while you risk everything because they want you to? They threatened you, your life, or this whole town and you're just gonna go with them and pretend that you can get away with your big plan? These vampires are gonna kill you, and no amount of training is gonna prepare you for what you're going up against. I'm sorry but I just can't keep doing this. Maybe Vera thinks I'm a fucking sexist ass, but come on, really? Do you know how long it takes to become a hunter? Yeah, you can learn a few moves, learn how to shoot a gun, but it's not like you're dealing with an ex-human, we're talking pure bloods here. They're monsters. Only hunters can put them out, not some six months training, none of that will ever shape you into a vampire slayer," He would not allow himself to believe in something that will never happen. That's just how he saw it. She was still human at the end of the day, she would make that mistake, which was all it would take to get herself killed. That didn't mean he wasn't going to quit teaching her how to defend herself, but what she had in mind wasn't something he was gonna follow. If he did that, she would die,

"we've been around this block so many times man, what part of I'm a hunter did you not get? What I am is a risk. Every day I put my life at risk, I've grown up around it, I've lived it," he told her almost desperate, trying to get her to understand him, he knew what she meant by him putting his life on the line for her, not only that, but what it would mean to her. Dying if he failed.

If she knew the abomination that he was, would she still worry so much? Would she even talk to him without thinking that he was also a monster, far worse than a vampire? She just may hate him. A topic he wasn't about to bring up. Not now, "Did you not think that I'd thought the same thing every night my father stepped out that door for a hunt? Every time he left me, I feared that that would be the last time I'd see him, ever. I know what that's like, trust me, but… You don't have to worry for me. Once this is all over, I'll find some way to break this binding spell thing, you'll have your own life to worry about. I have to go up against them, because if I don't, who will?"

Another sigh and he let her go, this was too much, perhaps there was no way of reaching her, making her get it. He got a grip on himself before he lost his cool, talking about this, his past with her wasn't something he really enjoyed. He looked away then back up to her face, her eyes, a small smile tugged at his lips not a happy one, and he shrugged, "When it comes to horse trades, deals like those never end clean. Since we’re tangoing with vampires I'm preparing for the worst. You're gonna get close to them, and it’s gonna get ugly. There is no 'ifs' and 'buts' or hoping for the best in this, you know that. And dying isn't on my agenda, I know how to handle vampires and as rough as you think it is, that's how I like it." he winked at her, no, he wasn't going to bog his mind down in fears or concerns, he knew what he was, and what he was capable of doing. Hopefully she'd feed off his exuberance, and stop talking like that.

She listened to him, her eyes large and pleading, knowing that she wouldn't get through to him as much as he would her. What they each wanted was what the other was trying to prevent. He talked and talked, and when he finally finished trying to explain why he had to do what he was doing, she grabbed his shirt, yanked him as hard as she could toward her, lifted herself onto her tiptoes and smashed her lips into his. Her hands clasped him tight, and the warmth that had softly radiated between them would now wash over them like a violent wave.

It was almost dizzying, and Isabella felt her knees trembling violently, feeling his lips against hers and as close as they could possibly be to each other. She broke away from him, shattering the heat and staring up at him with a look that was actually quite grave. Her brows were furrowed, and she almost appeared to be frowning at him, an odd reaction to having just passionately kissed him.

"Dying better not be on your agenda," she said, her shoulders slightly becoming flaccid. "I'm not a horse, and this isn't a trade. It's an infiltration scheme. A Trojan horse, if you will, and I'm not hoping for the best, I'm working to achieve it. You're not the only pawn in the game, we have a team going, and as much as I trust you, I also trust them."

She sighed, almost turning away, but deciding to stand her ground. She didn't want him to think that she was closing herself off to him in any way- she wanted him to know that she trusted him entirely, that she was willingly and absolutely vulnerable to him. This was a side of herself that only Aleksei had ever seen, and even then, the furious palpitating of her heart only happened when she was around Dean. Only this boy could simultaneously make her blood boil and her knees start knocking together. What was it that she felt? Could this be the workings of a magic spell placed on them when they were babies, or did things such as soul-mates actually exist?

At this point, anything was possible. Maybe they had been slipped love potions in their bottles, or maybe what she was feeling was something akin, if not actually, to the beginning of a budding romance. She almost shook her head of the thought; Dean would surely laugh if he knew what she were thinking. Though he held her in a way that only a lover would, she knew well enough that he had no interest in romance- after all, she was just another case to solve, was she not? When all this was over, he would almost certainly move on to the next one, wouldn't he?

Yet, she couldn't deny the fluttering in her tummy and especially the thunderous beating of her heart. And that ridiculous, euphoric warmth- so overpowering it was almost tangible. Still, though she knew he felt it too, she could see that he was hiding something from her; alot of things, actually, almost like he was shying his true face away from her in fear of what she might think. She dared to reach out a hand, her demeanor softening as her fingertips lightly touched the outline of his face.

"I have faith in you," she said softly, withdrawing her hand and letting it fall to her side. "I know you're capable of alot more than we give you credit for. I just..."

She paused for a moment, and then a gentle smile crept over her lovely features. Her eyes were like rings of warm honey as they gazed at Dean for those few seconds; indeed, it was strange the effect that he had on her- how he could agitate her beyond all conceivable means, and at the same time, her heart was like putty in his hands. How would he react if she confessed to him the effects that he had on her? That he made her weak in the knees the way that she had only ever read about in her storybooks?

They were like dancing partners in a masquerade- their true identities concealed by a carefully crafted mask, as they played with the idea of drawing closer to each other, though they kept their safe distance like cautious little pups. Was this the way her grandmother had felt for Aleksei, or her mother had felt for her father? Or was this all some odd dream, a conjured little magic spell that would soon be broken when and if they defeated their relentless foes?

{Sweet I love your post, epic! You read my mind again, I was gonna have him kiss her in the next post -you beat me to it XD}

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That kiss took his breath away, made his pulse race faster than he had ever known it could, he was shocked beyond words. She drove him nuts! Yet, he'd wanted more, craved it, but all too soon she had torn herself from him, crashing him back into the now. Great. He heard snippets, something about a Trojan horse and trusting their team? It took him a couple of seconds for him to catch up and figure out what is was that she was saying, then her fingers reached for the side of his face, butterfly touch, gripping at his attention. So she did believe in him after all, that was a good thing. But then she seemed hesitant and withdrew her hand from him, taking that warmth with her and leaving him cold -if only she knew how much her simple touch stirred him.

He caught that pause and her little smile, he moved fluidly, in tune with her, she seemed to him like a fleeting dream, and he captured her arms again almost in the same way she had held him, "Just what...?" he pressed, gripping her firmly, staring dead into those eyes that reminded him of something he couldn't exactly make clear in his head, felt like something instinctual rather familiar. Had he met someone like her before? Had he gazed into those eyes before? Would it always be like this every time they were together? There was only one word to describe this: intense. There was no denying what he was feeling right here and right now. He wanted this, what they had going on, he wanted a shot at having a relationship with someone outside of family. He couldn't wish for normalcy, that became impossible the instant he was bound to her life. It was that which they shared was it not? Life, as if one lived solely for the other? Was this the making of a spell? Had her kiss awoken something in him?

"Whatever you have to say, just say it!"

(Ahh, damn! I would have loved to read how you would've written that out! Sorry my post is so short and drab, I'm kind of suffering from writer's block again.)

He gripped her hard, but his touch made her feel secure rather than threatened. He didn't seem to want to let her go as much as she couldn't bear the idea of doing the same. His pure blue eyes stared into hers, seeking something, but the look that reflected from those irises was almost knowing. And she felt it too- that odd sense of familiarity between them, as though they had known each other before, perhaps in a previous life. Was it the strings of destiny that tied them together? Had it been written in the stars and foretold by their ancestors? What was this force, like magnetism, that pulled them to each other with so much intensity?

"Dean, I... I..." she stammered, her golden eyes faltering from his azure ones and falling to the floor. "I just..."

She turned her face for a moment, still unsure of what to say only because she was also quite uncertain of what it exactly it was that she felt for him. Before Dean, Isabella had been much too preoccupied with her books and studies to have interest in romantic relationships. This would be the first anything with anyone, and she wasn't positive on how to approach the situation.

"Whenever I'm with you, I feel like that is where I'm meant to be," she finally admitted, her eyes locking on his. "and that's where I want to be. I know we don't know each other well, but I can't help feeling like somehow, in some way, we do... if that makes any sense..."

She sighed, snaking her fingers around his hands that held her. She wondered what he was thinking, and if he would assume she was insane for saying what she had. Well, what they had going on wasn't exactly normal, either, or anything of the sort. She had felt like something inside Dean was sleeping, and the weakness that overcame her when she kissed him had served a purpose, reaching its completion when she parted from him.

She almost felt like she had gone through her life and only really started living when she met Dean; like the reason she had never been involved with anyone else in affairs of the heart was because her heart was being reserved just for him. And when she kissed him, was the first time it really started beating- like it had recognized its purpose. The smile she had given him when she touched his face returned when she thought that over; what was his say in all this craziness? He surely felt at least a little of what she did, right?

I hate writer's block! I know what you mean, that gets annoying. I had a good post for you but then Google Chrome decided to crash on me before I could hit send DAMMIT!!!! So here I go trying to re-type what I was trying to send you before. Sorry if it sucks balls! XD

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So basically she was telling him that she liked him too, like being next to him. Well, ditto to that. He listened to her and gradually relaxed as she let this tid bit out, her touch was way too distracting though and despite his wanting to listen to her his thoughts kept going up in smoke. The sensations were overwhelming, and then that smile returned to her features and he smiled too, I want this smile... I want this warmth… the thoughts kept replaying itself in his mind over and over again, as though tattooing itself to his brain. He leaned in closer to her, about to kiss her, so close were his lips to hers that all he had to do was lean in some more, than a gunshot suddenly made him pause and a smile curved his lips. "Jack pot," he said, turning his head to stare across from where they stood to the creature he'd just blown its head off. With none other than Silver Moon.

A group of demons had picked up Dean's presence and sought him out here in the cemetery, looks like he wouldn't have to go after them, they all came to him, that was convenient. "Stay behind me!" He instructed her, handing her another gun, a golden double of the one he held, this one called Solar Flare, "Shoot if anything gets close to you, and don't miss, they won't give you a second chance, if you got the Baretta, use that too!"

And off they went on a demon hunt.

(Ugh I hate when that happens...)

Isabella closed her eyes, ready for their lips to meet again, before an explosion shattered her concentration and made her jump and cry out in shock. She whirled around, seeing the demon Dean had blasted and the others that accompanied it. She took hold of the gun he thrust at her, then pushed her behind him, his usual means for her defense. She furrowed her brows, almost crossing her arms but remembering they had no time to lose.

Oh hell no, she thought, I didn't slave all day to just be pushed aside.

She took in a deep breath, remembering what Selene had drilled into her brain about aiming and firing a weapon. Though the demons were scattered about, running in every which direction, Isabella stood her ground. They would come to her, and soon enough, one in particular did. The adrenaline pulsing trough her veins threatened to make her limbs shake, an her hand was a little unsteady to begin with.

But then the creature looked at her as if she were some kind of helpless prey, its sharp bowels curled into a malignant grin as it hissed and began to slither toward her. She took another deep breath and held it, making sure both eyes were fixated directly on the creature, and when it leapt at her, she pulled the trigger.

It exploded, dissipating into the atmosphere and making way for more of them to come at her. She then moved from her stance to dive into the headstones, crouching low like a little warrior as she peeked over the top to await the next oppressor. She could hardly see Dean above the mist, but his constant blasting of the Silver Moon assured her he was near. She waited, and soon enough another slithered her way, and again she shot and hit her target.

When a third came shooting her way, she aimed and tried to fire, but the round got jammed in the chamber. The demon, like an arrow, sailed in her direction and she threw herself onto the ground, unsheathing her Baretta that had been faithfully tucked into her pocket. She flipped off the safety and three rounds exploded from the barrel, catching the demon and killing it.

For a moment she lay on the ground, panting and quivering with the rush, still a bit shocked that she had just pulled off such a seasoned move. Maybe Selene had succeeded in teaching her something after all. Her victory was short lived, however, as a pair of demons took hold of her ankles and started to drag her through the aisles of headstones at light-speed. She struggled to aim at them both, in fear that she might shoot herself in the leg and become totally useless.

Before she could squeeze the trigger, something rained down on one of the demons and crushed it. When Isabella looked, she could see it was an arrow, still humming as it lodged itself in the ground. She shot the other demon, and when she stood to her feet she saw that Selene had appeared just in time, her large bow still clutched in her hands. The huntress watched her with a grave and unwavering expression, and something told Isabella that it was just because of her having to be rescued.

Dean was having quite a "blast" but when he noticed Isabella on the ground, he was just about to drop his assaults and go after her, but before he could react, the demons that were just about to strike at her were shot down with familiar arrows. Selene. He smirked, glad that she could join in for the fun. The trend would continue, demons ganging up on him, trying to knock him down, him slicing through them like a man hacking off binds until his end was mostly clear. The hunter would continue to move toward the girls, switching between shooting and swinging Rebellus to clear their way. Soon enough the fight would come to a close, that was definite.

"Morrigan, jump in anytime, it's fun, hey Isabella stay steady!" Dean smiled as he pulled out two ninja stars from some where hidden in his coat, the objects sizzled with pulsing electric shocks, drawing from his powers to grow larger (about the size of a vinyl disc) and he sent them soaring, the three edged bladed weapons diced the hell out of the sneaky demon, destroying its very being from existence. He reached out his hand to grab at the stars as they flew back to him. He sent them off again in another direction, severing more of them to pieces, getting the job done much faster.

"This party is just gettin' started!" He cheered, enjoying this. He shot out toward the west, taking out the bunch of them, "Spread out guys, we can finish them quicker that way!" He instructed, blood and demonic energies exploding all around him as he sliced and shot the many demons in his corner. Sort of like cleaning out the evil from this place. Of course he didn't want Isabella or Morrigan to feel left out, that's why he was holding back. Things got much dicier when a meaner, badder, and much nastier demon formed after he killed enough of them and they decided to regroup and turn level 2.

Dean smiled liking this, "Sup?"

"You... You must be the nuisance that everyone keeps talking about!" The gigantic monster spat, he resembled a twisted Hulk, all viny and grey and uglier than its siblings. Those glowing yellow eyes stared down directly at Dean who aimed his Silver Moon at the giant's head. "Dean Salvatore!"

Dean glanced back to see how his companions were doing, before staring up at big and terrifying here, casting him a dark look, the hunter replied with, "So you know who I am? That's great, now we can skip the intros and get straight to the point!"

"I'LL DESTROY YOU TINY PIECE OF SHIT!" Demon boss retorted as he sent a huge fist crashing toward the hunter who leaped up into the air and landed on the beast's arm. At his miss, he seethed angrily, "HOW DARE YOU KILL MY SIBLINGS!" The fist made a giant crater into the earth, looking like an airplane or something hit the ground.

"Hey they had it coming, you know better than to try crawlin' into a world where you'll never belong demon scum," The hunter was on the monster's shoulder, after gaining the attention of the beast, he ran his sword into its throat before slicing at the flesh and once again acrobatically soaring away.

"Vera I know you're near, if you can hear me I need you to get Isabella a bigger gun, a cannon would do. Chicks love cannons!" He called out to her, sensing her aura.

"You're right Dean because I know that wherever you are, something is always happening!" Veratos answered appearing as if she had been summoned by him. "I can get you that later, but for now let's tango with him first."

"Protect Isabella, I got this!"
"Aww I wanted to fight him."
"There is always the Italian vampires!"
"Yeah but they don't compare to him."
"Well that's too bad!"

She turned away and headed to help the Italian girl.

Dean did get himself caught a bunch of times by the giant beast, that took advantage of his constant distraction over Isabella's safety. Oh yeah, it got very bloody for both hunter and demon.

Panting on the ground, his crimson plasma soaking his torn clothes, the hunter glared at the beast cackling like it was doing something great.

"See, you don't mess with me, I'm the fucking master, I'm taking over this world and you're gonna be my slave once I kill you and that Italiana Lombardi!"

"I haven't seen so much of my blood like this in ages..." Dean thought aloud as he inspected his own damages, he was getting tired of this crap, more tired than ever. He didn't think he could keep going at this rate, ignoring his injuries, he stood and aimed his weapon at the monster intent on wiping it out, "Hey now don't talk like that, the fight's far from over!"

"Well I'd say it's just about!" Demon boss declared triumphantly as it smashed his huge fists on the hunter for the fifteenth time already, along with blasting at the kid with giant energy bombs that not only hit hard, but cause major destruction. This fight destroyed half the cemetery!

Another rounds of gunshots blasted through the air, Dean made sure not to let the battle extend any farther from their current location, he was aware of the damages but there wasn't much more he could do about it.

Meanwhile, the one pulling the strings sat on a head stone, watching from afar as the situation unfolded itself before her eyes. The light purple irises of the white-haired girl who resembled a teenager tsked, not liking the outcome. "Too many of them backing her up..."

Another figure morphed beside her, its eyes red as blood watching the very scene. This one looked like it could be a panther or a giant black cat, its form was undefined, almost evanescent but equally powerful.

"I know Zeri, but we have to wait until I know who we're dealing with... That boy looks like he'll be a challenge to take down. But I'll be able to read him once this is over..." she smiled, "I already know his weakness."


"Why are you still alive?" Demon monster yelled clearly frustrated as he swung his fists at the fleeing hunter.

"Why does your breath stink? Why is the sky blue? Why do you ask such stupid questions?" Dean replied, slicing at the monsters' arm only to realize that the remaining carcasses of demons that he'd destroyed earlier were the very things Demon boss pulled at the regenerate his missing limbs. Great.

A force knocked him into the ground, deep into the dirt. For a second it was lights out for Dean, but a few seconds later he shot out like a bullet with eyes glowing like sun lights he roared with his strike, punching the demon directly in the left eye, tearing out the crimson orb of collected blood it kept there. That, and cutting off its head, with Rebellus along with its entire body.

"Veratos!" He yelled glancing over at her to see her readily toss her holy water bombs at what was left.

More explosions rocked the small town, and what was left were slimy pieces all burning away of the Demon.

"No... How can this be...? I will not be destroyed by such a creature as you... NEVER!" Then what was left of the monster orbed away.

"Eat me, don't forget to write!" Dean said with a smile.

"That's nice, don't you love how they always puss out like a bitch every time they think they're gonna lose?" Veratos commented as she placed her hands on her hips and eyed Dean, concern in her features.

The hunter shrugged with a sigh as she flipped his blade over and slid it on his back, "He'll be back."

"Dean?"
"What?"
"Look."

They both saw the newcomer, a girl, her aura just as menacing and deadly as the demon, but much more potent and focused, more than Demon boss.

"Well, I see you're catching on fast, but let me warn you Son of Adacio, not even your father could defeat me. Are you ready?"

"Always am, bring it on!"

Isabella watched in horror as the cemetery she so dearly loved was being destroyed before her very eyes. It was all too much to bear- she had just seen her own house burned to ashes, and now her favorite place in the world was getting annihilated. She didn't have much time to think, however, as the world that had briefly succumbed to slow-motion now quickened in its pace and a hand shoved her to the ground. She bit the dirt, only able to catch a glimpse of leather boots propelling from the earth and demon carcasses falling to the ground, impaled through the skull with arrows that stank of sulfur and hissed.

"Get out of here," Selene growled, yanking her back to her feet. "It's about to get ugly, and we haven't prepared you for this. RUN!"

Isabella hesitated for a moment, watching Dean as he battled the foes that seemed to be paving the way for an even larger, more powerful one. She froze when she saw the devilish behemoth appear, like some twisted apparition that came straight from her worst nightmare; she cried out in horror, but she was pushed again by Selene, who glared at her with a look almost equally as menacing.

"Get out of here, Isabella! GO!!"

She nodded, then bolted as the ground shook and tremored beneath her feet. She turned around just in time to see the monster obliterating the ground where her grandmother's grave had been, crushing part of the willow along with her headstone. Isabella opened her mouth to scream as she nearly disappeared behind the corner; but before she could utter any sound, while both hunters were busy attempting to conquer the enemy, a hand pressed itself against Isabella's lips and seized her. She was shoved against the wall, out of sight from her friends, and when she came to she was staring into the familiar yellow eyes of Lorenzo.

"Don't say a word," he hissed, his own mouth barely touching her ear.

She whimpered beneath his grasp, knowing full well that Dean was too busy to come to her rescue and Selene as well. She watched him with expectant eyes, fidgeting uncomfortably under his overwhelmingly powerful grasp. He held her against the wall for a few minutes before she suddenly convulsed, her eyes shut tight and her face screwed up in agony. A muffled shriek came from behind Lorenzo's strong fingers, and she then became limp, appearing to be on the brink of fainting. Lorenzo studied the Italian girl, becoming puzzled.

Then he caught a whiff of Dean's hybrid blood, which mixed with the sulfuric odor of the demon monster and the earth; he grimaced exaggeratedly. It smelled like a fusion of burnt hair and incense- two different dynamics, and that meant two completely opposite breeds. His eyes widened as he realized what these different scents really meant. Isabella shifted again from underneath him, and as the ground shook with the force of the giant and Dean, he scooped her up into his arms and took off.

"Let me go!" she growled, still very obviously in pain. "What are you even doing here?!"

"Be quiet," he ordered, disappearing into the belltower that overlooked the cemetery from a safe distance. "They know you're here. You will be safe with me."

"What are you...ugh!"

She doubled over as though she had personally taken the blows that Dean was receiving. Lorenzo nodded toward the graveyard, where the white haired girl had suddenly appeared, addressing Dean who was now standing upright. Isabella watched, starting to pant a little, as both of the hunters stood their ground, watching the newcomer expectantly. Selene shifted her weight on her feet, her head slightly craning toward the belltower as if she had somehow sensed that Isabella was there, although she made no attempt to try and see if her instinct had been correct.

"Smart little newborn," Lorenzo purred under his breath. "Don't let the puppeteer know where the prize hides."

Selene's grip tightened around her bow and readied itself on an arrow, prepared to strike if need be, though she said nothing as she stood beside Dean. She knew very well that these things were coming from all over the damned place, especially from hell it seemed, and they usually only had one purpose: to take Isabella, or to kill Dean. She wondered which this odd looking girl served, her aquamarine eyes flaring red as the metallic crimson that stained Dean's clothes.

The silver-haired girl eyed the hunter, she smiled, "My name is Azera it matters not if you remember it, aww aren't you happy to see me? I'm the answer to your prayers!"

"No one prayed for someone like you, what the hell do you want?" Dean asked pissed.

She looked up, her eyes spotting the place where she could sense Isabella, "I know where you're hiding child and you'll have to come out eventually, I have a question for you…" She levels her gaze back to the bunch that have instinctively gathered closer around her, as if preparing to fight her if she so moved a muscle. A little frown touched her features, "Why are you all staring at me like that? It's not me whom you should be fearing, it's Dean."

Vera glanced at him, she could see he was dying to slice the bitch in two with Rebellus, he returned her gaze at the ready, so that she could join in.

She chuckled darkly, "Right now he's nothing but a walking puppet, waiting for me to pull the strings. If anything he should be the one you aim your arrow at vampire girl."

Dean lifts his pistol to aim it straight for Azera's head, but hesitates at pulling the trigger when she locks her gaze with him, "That jewel you pulled from the monster you've just defeated was a seed. You already absorbed it into your body as raw energy, only beings of the same kind can do such. How are you capable of doing that?"

"Fuck you that's how!"

"You can't pull that trigger can't you?"

Dean realized that he couldn't shoot her, no matter how hard he tried, it literally freaked him out. He grit his teeth in frustration, pulled out his blade and attempted to slice her to bits, but the edge of the blade wouldn't touch her, not because he was missing her, but because he couldn't force the blow. As if an invisible force blocked him from doing her any harm.

"Dean you are a monster, just like your father, a beast that cannot be controlled, these people here you call your allies have all lied to you, they are nothing, they are enemies, and they will destroy Isabella unless you kill them first."

"Aww shit, you're gonna make him turn against us, that's jut fucked up and unoriginal!" Vera shouted, glaring darkly at Dean, knowing full well that this was the exact thing that was gonna happen next.

Azera stood atop the head stone like a ballet dancer en point, her pet small and cute now draping around her neck as she watched them react to this.

"Show me who you really are Dean, your demon side that it, change, summon all your rage that's been seething within you. Kill them all!" She commanded, probing the control over him full strength so that there could be no way he could resist her compulsion.

"You cheeky dick waffle!" Dean said, trying so hard to stay cool but his body was going crazy with the change already happening. It was painful as all give out, but it also felt good, as if he'd been injected with a triple dose of caffeine. As if falling from a cliff. Everything about his human form morphed entirely (looks like this). His mind slipping into a fog of nothingness, where he couldn't feel anything but the desire to purge the living shit out of the very ass holes that had lied to him, wanted to kill Isabella. With remorse in his expression, unable to control his body, he targeted Veratos who was "at the ready" to face him now, she pulled out her twin katanas they made a vibrating sound enough to make his ears bleed, and was holding him off expertly well as he tried to kill her.

"He's gone, we won't be able to reach him, Morrigan deal with Azera, she's the one pulling the strings!" Veratos warned them all.

Azera smiles malicioiusly, "Ah, ah,ah, you have these ghouls to deal to with first." She twirled away as she presented the walking corpses bursting from their graves and groaning and moning as they all ambushed the group.

Azera appeared up above, her eyes set on the exact spot where the girl was being hidden, she was really loving this, "Now Isabella, you know what to do, the question is, will you kill someone you love, because of love?"

Isabella cupped her mouth, stifling a scream as she watched Dean morph and mutate into a giant, horrible looking monster, far worse than the one he had just defeated. She began to tremble violently, unable to tear her large golden eyes away from his huge form, which had turned against all of her friends and comrades within an instant. Fear struck her where it hurt the worst, and her mind started spinning again at lightspeed; as she tossed herself against the wall of the belltower, away from the window where she could see Dean, a vision flashed in her thoughts:

"I want you to have this," said a very handsome man, with eyes as blue as the purest sapphire and hair golden blond like the sun. He starkly resembled what Dean looked like now. He held a jewel in his hand, which had been saughtered and attached to a long golden chain, which he offered to a woman whose face Isabella could not see. She had long, dark hair, and instantly she knew that this was the woman with the blurred face whom had recurred in her visions repeatedly.

"Adacio, I cannot... you know what could happen," the woman replied, her voice heavy with sorrow and a thick Italian accent.

But she was too late; as soon as her flesh came into contact with the jewel, it began to glow like a little star, with a brilliant light that was comparable to the aurora borealis. The woman gasped as the trinket began to levitate from Adacio's hand, hovering above her open palm before it completely fell within it. The color left the man's face, and he collapsed onto his knees, having grown weak apparently from this significant action. She knelt to his aid, taking his head into her arms and cradling him, while he gazed up at her lovingly.

"My heart will always belong to you," he said softly.

"Wake up, principessa," Lorenzo barked, perched at the edge of the window like a raven overlooking the cemetery. He was carefully studying Selene as she struggled to wipe out the undead rising from the earth like a scene from a bad horror movie. "Your boyfriend is about to obliterate your friends from the earth."

Isabella opened her eyes, staring helplessly at the Italian pureblood standing before her, offering no sense of direction or a clue as to what she would have to do in order to save Dean. Was he even capable of salvation? She had never seen anything like this before- not even all the years she attended her Catholic masses had prepared her for facing these demons. Her breathing was labored, and it felt as though there was napalm running through her veins, but shakily she stood, watching Lorenzo expectantly.

"I could care less if he kills those useless fools, or if he in turn is killed," he continued, his cold yellow eyes stoic and unwavering before they lazily traveled over to Isabella. Immediately upon seeing her, his features softened, including his gaze. "I will not have you throwing yourself into harm's way for that hybrid imbecile."

"Lorenzo, you don't understand," Isabella began, her eyes becoming glossy with tears. "I have to help him!"

She turned on her heels, and despite the pain, she bolted for the door that led to the staircase she could descend. Before she could get anywhere, Lorenzo was already blocking the threshold, bearing his incisors at her with his eyes flaring scarlet. He hissed and jumped at her, pummeling her to the ground. The floorboards creaked with their weight and the sheer force of his blow.

"You will not be harmed, principessa," he snarled, his nose almost touching hers. "Do you understand me? Your boyfriend is not a human. It is better if they all kill each other."

"Get...off me!" she cried, wriggling violently from underneath him, but he wouldn't budge.

"HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE ANYMORE, ISABELLA!" Lorenzo screamed, and instantly she stopped fighting, staring at him with sorrowful eyes, as though she had just been struck. "I know his kind- they're monstrous. They have no humanity- he will kill you!"

"You're lying!" she groaned, tears streaming down her face.

"Why would I lie to you, amore mio? I love-"

An explosion rang throughout the tower, and Lorenzo's eyes grew large with shock. There was another blast, and he stared into Isabella's crying face in disbelief before he fell off to the side, an enormous gushing wound in his chest where she had shot him with her Baretta. She sobbed, but stood to her feet and started to run as fast as she could, tripping on the second flight and tumbling down the stairs all the way to the ground. She collided against the wall, briefly obscuring her vision as she reeled from the fall.

"I will always love you, Maria," a voice echoed in her mind while her vision was incapacitated. "For all eternity..."

She opened her eyes, pushing herself to stand and limping through the door of the belltower to momentarily hesitate on the sidewalk. She stared across the street at the graveyard, where a hundred corpses had risen, each getting impaled through the skull by Selene's arrows, and ultimately where Dean in his new form was attacking Veratos. She pushed on, tears still streaking her cheeks, crossing the road and continuing through the destroyed iron gate, navigating the ruins until she was a few years away from the scene.

An arrow zipped in front of her and plunged into the earth right in front of her feet, stopping her from going anymore. When she looked up, she saw Selene glaring at her.

"Don't you dare come any closer, Isabella, do you hear me?!" she roared, her voice the most furious she had ever been. "Dean is gone! You can't save him! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!!"

But Isabella ignored the huntress, instead moving past the arrow and sadly watching the huge demon trying to smite his comrade. She observed him, deeply hurt, then looked up at Azera, howling with laughter at the whole scenario. Her brows furrowed and she sniffed, determined to be defiant.

"What do you want, bitch?" she barked, though it was a bit comical, considering Isabella was not the type to curse.

"Dean, listen to me, you're stronger than this, fight it!" Veratos yelled as she dodged his brutal hits, knowing full well of what would happen if she let him strike her down.

I know that… But I can't…I… Dean stopped suddenly at the sense of warmth swimming through his veins. A familiar sensation that usually meant… Isabella.

The white haired girl glanced down at the Italiana as she called out to her, most people would run away, but this child did not. That, Azera found both intriguing and curious. Isabella was no mere mortal, she could see it in the girl's eyes, she was full of potential, very promising. Smirking as the human girl asked her what she wanted, the other thought for a moment, what she wanted really was something she could never get back. So she would have to settle for this instead, "I want you to answer my question girl. Will you kill someone you love, because of love?" She brandished a long silver sword out of nowhere it appeared and dropped it, so that it would land purposefully in the direction of where their new threat was located.

"You have only one chance at this, get him before he gets away, if you don't then the deaths by his hand will be your fault. Let the games begin!"

Dean stops his attack, he stands there for a while motionless, his eyes staring out at Isabella looking up at a figure he could no longer see, tunnel vision, he felt something like a heavy weight dragging him down, down. down, until all he could see was miasma black as night, pulsing with reddish electricity.

"Welcome to my domain…" He heard a voice that sounded like himself, so odd it was, twisting in his mind, echoing within the walls of his consciousness, draping over his view of everything and anything and drawing him in deeper, and deeper.

A shadowy figure formed itself before him, eyes glowing beautifully red, his face morphed into those of a monster. That was himself reflected like a glass standing upright, but when he rose his hand to touch his cheek, he felt normal skin, his own human flesh.

The monster knew what Dean realized, it didn't change anything, "Even so, we aren't that much different. You and I, we are exactly the same, you've only decided to keep your humanity intact, that is why you look that way, you've pushed me out. And I want in."

"As long as I'm like this, she has no control over me…" He spoke, the words vibrating through his entire body like a command.

"Isabella will kill you, you have to kill her first!" The demon hissed at him, not liking the glowing golden eyes of the human reaching out for the girl that only he could see. Anger flooding him, he wanted nothing more than to cut the human part of Dean down so that he could take over.

And destroy everything.

"I can't... I've done everything I can to protect her... And I will keep doing that." Dean shouted, aware of what was happening, and trying to break from the surface, to be himself again. But try as he might, he could not move, like his legs were made out of lead or something, he was stuck on this barren land within his mind, the sky above was dark and thundering with the anger making his guts coil. Everything around him signified his emotions, that much was certain, from what he could tell, the world he was in was as fractured, and messed up as he was.

"Go on Dean, fight it... You can win and you will damnit!" He heard Veratos' voice from the outside, the vibrations of the war taking place reverberating in his head, making him feel like he was dreaming.

"Alright, let's make this quick!" Dean shouted, reaching for his blade only to realize with horror that he felt nothing but air.

"Azera took that from you hunter, it was the only way to activate your Devil Trigger, without that you won't be able to ever change back, let's hope she destroys it. As for now you're running on nothing but raw instinct, and with me on the hot seat you're nothing but a monster. The only way for you to gain control is if you kill me!"

Outside his mind, the monster that was he stood there, quite still and unresponsive to the fight happening around him. Vera was trying her best to protect him by slicing any zombies that came his way. She realized a bit too late that he didn't have Rebellus on him, that it was hanging from a cord that Azera held. If she could reach Dean some how and have him call on the blade, that just may work to snap him back to reality. However if he didn't awaken from his inner battle with the evil twin, she didn't think any salvation on his part would be possible.

It would take a long time, what was an hour or two in the real world, would feel like centuries within Dean's mind, and upon his awakening his eyes flared golden instead of its berserker red.

"Good you're back, now change! Call Rebellus!" Veratos yelled as she hacked off a zombie's head.

Azera hated how strong Salvatore had become, but it mattered not, she still held the leash, all she had to do was put her knight in play against the pawn that was Isabella.

"Kill Isabella Dean, she's a threat to us, now!"

Dean turned away, he could see that she held his blade from one hand, and control over his with the other. Try as he might, he couldn't control himself not to approach Isabella --he actually wanted to.

"Like I said before Isabella, he's going to kill you and everyone in this town, pick up the blade, strike him down, if you love him than you will do it..." Azera coldly addressed the Italiana, not exactly cruel, more so curious and expectant. She wondered how this girl would be able to handle doing such a heavy task.

"No..." Veratos whispered, watching the hunter race after the girl ready to tear her to shreds, "DEAN DON'T!"

As soon as he entered the proximity that was Isabella, smiled welcoming her heat, letting it wash over him like waves of the warmest ocean, his heart beat slower his movements slowed, and his eyes glared right at her.

"KILL ME..." The words left his mouth in a deep and grating voice that he couldn't recognize himself, it was strained and full of pain as he reached for her shoulder and pulled her in, engulfed in her world. He wanted this nightmare to end, he wanted Isabella to stop him and in a way it was working. He hadn't killed her. Yet.

Why the hell hasn't he just killed her yet? Why the heck isn't she stabbing him? This is not going as planned, how boring... Azera watched him with such distaste as he held the girl close to him, instead of landing the blow that should have ended her. "KILL ISABELLA DEAN! DO IT!"

An electric jolted in him, but he resisted, he held on to Isabella, struggling against her control, If I don't change back, I might... I WON'T

Veratos stared at him with horror as he pulled the girl even closer against him, wrapping his arms around her frame, lowering his face to her shoulder, he wasn't crushing her, he was hugging her and then a light suddenly burst out from the two.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Azera screeched, knowing full well what this meant.

Dean glowed so bright that it burned away the devil side of him, even his wings changed, looking more angelic than demonic, though not all the way, they wouldn't go all white, it stopped at a light grey tinge. He changed back to his normal human state and fell to his knees while holding her. He was able to accomplish this without Rebellus a big plus. The light faded and so did his wings, he was left as he had been, only his shirt was torn and so was his jacket and his jeans, the boots were gone -those he would dearly miss, but he was okay for now.

Shivering violently, he released her and fell back, spitting out blood and trying to grasp at the what was going on. Azera had commanded him to kill the girl he loved and he could still feel the order pulsing in his veins but it wasn't as strong anymore. He looked at Isabella, she must be as shocked at he felt, and he saw the blade on the ground at her reach. He went for it and picked it up, how the hell did Azera have an Angel sword on her? This thing would indeed kill him if Isabella had stabbed him with it. Which meant that she must either have killed an angel to get one, or she's an angel herself.

Sighing, he let the object fall into the ground, his mind was spinning, but that didn't mean he would give up.

"I need Rebellus back..." he muttured.

Isabella hadn't even touched the sword when Dean started charging at her. Her golden eyes were locked on him, ready for him to strike her down, though she knew that he wouldn't. She didn't voice this to Azera, however; in fact, she totally ignored the woman, hardly even glancing at the sword that glowed at her feet and practically called Isabella to reach for it. But she did not; she didn't move at all, save for her hair billowing around her face and the ground underneath her that quaked with Dean's monstrous weight.

The tears still fell, shining like little diamonds streaking her caramel cheeks as she watched Dean sadly. She knew he was in there, battling himself, trying to seize his humanity which was hanging by a thread. He looked like he was about to smite her down, but she wasn't surprised when he did not, though her heart did skip a beat. When he pressed his head to her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her little frame, it burned and she winced. But despite the pain, she pressed her mouth to his cheek, curling her own little arms around his torso.

"My heart will always belong to you," she breathed into his ear, closing her eyes as the white light engulfed them.

Selene hissed, shielding her face from the intolerable brilliance that swallowed the pair. She retreated behind a grave, casting her gaze to Veratos, who seemed equally as surprised at what was going on. At sensing the fury of Azera, Selene knew very well that something powerful was taking place, something that couldn't be defeated- especially if Dean, once unable to control his demonic form, had stopped himself from slaying Isabella, whom she knew would refuse to fight him, ending in her eminent death.

That girl was either really ballsy, or incredibly stupid. She seemed to take the biggest, riskiest leaps of faith when it came to Dean and his wellbeing with no concern for herself. It was almost like she wanted to kill herself. That's when something clicked in her head- it all made sense: the prophecy, the sacrifice, the empires; and why Isabella kept throwing herself in harm's way to try and save Dean's life or that of her friends.

Although her eyes had been closed for most of the duration of the blinding flash, she opened them just in time to see the feather's on Dean's wings disappear into the atmosphere like vapor. There was an ethereal glow around the boy, and the warmth that they shared had intensified to a feeling akin to euphoria. Or was that love they were experiencing? A supernatural, out of body, otherworldly kind of love that only two linked souls could share?

Either way, Isabella was breathless when it all ended, and she held Dean's weakened figure in her arms much like the woman held Adacio in her vision. She studied his seraphic face- she had never seen his usually hardened features so gentle and vulnerable before. She admired the swell of his sweet lips and the pretty color of his eyes, all in one infinite moment, before he fell away from her and voiced his determination to keep on going. She picked up the angelic blade, and an electric shock surged through her arm when she did so.

The blade sparked like a flash of lightning in her grip, but she whirled around despite the oddity, standing beside Dean whom she very well knew was too injured to move on. It was at that moment she longed for Aleksei's wise guidance; for his protection; but moreso than anything, his comraderie.

"What the hell was that?" Selene muttered to Veratos, referencing the weird light explosion that had just taken place between Dean and Isabella.

"That my friend was Dean finding an outlet, didn't think it would work, I'm quite impressed, usually he has Rebellus to help him change back again," Veratos began to explain to the huntress, "he's a Nephilim, and has the ability to change into his true form, we call it a Devil Trigger, it unlocks his full supernatural potential, though he doesn't ever turn unless he thinks it's absolutely necessary --or he's forced. He can't always control himself in that form which is why he rarely activates the trigger. That's why he uses Rebellus most of the time so that he won't have to rely on it much. The sword basically keeps his powers in line, that's why he always needs it." The young woman's dark grey eyes flickered to the Italian girl as she reached for the blade and turned to face Azera. "Don't tell me, she's planning on taking her down?" She can't be that stupid at trying to kill an angel Vera thought not agreeing with this move at all. "That girl is his source of strength."

Dean stood up, he wasn't so sure if what he'd heard Isabella say was real or something he wanted to hear, in any case, it wasn't something he was about to bring up. He really needed to get back on track and do this right. At noticing the large amount of zombies all gathering around them, he smiled like a child in a candy store, even his eyes seemed to light up with excitement flowing like an open hydrant in his veins. Must have been his Devil Trigger that revitalized his energy making this possible. Upturning his gaze to meet Azera's cold, expectant gaze he asked rather non-nonchalantly, "Did you put up all this for me?"

"I may or may not have tinkered with the dead to use as my puppets, so yeah." She said bored.

Whipping out Silver Moon and taking back the much needed Solar Flare from Isabella, the hunter shot multiple "charged shots" at the line that held Rebellus suspended in the air, making a mental note on the curiosity of Azera's not doing anything to stop him. After the metallic-like cord snapped, he called it forth, and like a magnet the weapon flew to his hand, which he caught by its hilt then swung it over to his back. Satisfied, he smoothly continued on to shoot multiple "charged shots" at a bunch of zombies that were getting too close for comfort, a bunch of head shots would do the trick to clear up the congesting hordes of walking dead. "This is almost like Resident Evil, but way cooler!" Of course he remained beside Isabella, "Hey Isabella, you should join me, it's fun!"

Once that was done, he turned to face the real threat, an angel who was definitely up to something. The question was what? Kill him? Kill him and Isabella? That seemed to be their enemies' main shtick.

"This is getting rather dull, I was expecting you two to kill each other, I wasn't planning on this." Azera said with a sigh as she pet her shadowy companion. She noticed the little Italiana now possessing her angel sword and she smiled, then laughed. "What do you plan on doing with my blade darling? By the looks of it I can tell you want a fight," the sclera of her eyes become an icy, aqua blue, and she looked quite irritated, almost bothered by the fact that this mortal little swine wanted to go up against her. She wouldn't last a second. Smiling rather cockily Azera addressed her, "Go on, make your move girl, I'm waiting."

Dean glanced back at Isabella and he rose a brow, she was either very brave, or very dumb, was she joking? Taking on a full fledged angel like that? "Um, Isabella, what are you doing?" he whispered, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. "She'll kill you, I don't think you want to die yet, let me handle this, it's what I get paid for." He aimed his pistols at Azera who wasn't pleased with the hunter's always messing up her plans.

"No, I want her to try and hit me!" Azera shouted, glaring at the hunter for intervening.

"Now come on Aze, you know she can't put up a fare fight with you," he said this, as an idea formed in his mind, he couldn't shoot down Azera because she was using her demonic mind-possessing pet on him, (he could sense the demon aura practically oozing from the creature) if Isabella could work with him, than he could destroy the creature, while letting Isabella make her move. He shrugged at the angel's persistence, "Alright, if that's what you want," the hunter slid beside Isabella and wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled at her, confident in her ability to at least wield a blade properly, "Okay I'll give you a boost, hope you've got a good swing." Holding Isabella this close to him, Dean was able to detect the scent of her salt tears and Lorenzo's blood on her. Did something happen in-between them? He'd ask her later.

"Oh sweet lord, what is he doing?" Vera groaned, as she shot one of the zombies that was trying to leave the premises of the cemetery without having to look at it. She exchanged glances with Selene giving her a 'seriously' expression.


Dean held both his weapons and leaped up into the air, tossing Isabella at the angel who stared back at them with a dark smile on her face. He aimed both Silver Moon and Solar Flare at the shadow creature that was glaring at him surprised and he let loose a barrage of bullets that pummeled the otherwise ghostly creature. Destroying its form to nothing, the hunter felt the control she had over him literally "break" at the action and the woman's eyes widened like saucers -she did not see that one coming, and before she could react, that damned Italian girl was hovering above her glowing like an angel sent by the wrath of God himself, poised with the silver, glistening Angel Sword that would potentially kill her if she didn't do anything.

And she couldn't do anything, she did say for the human girl to get the first hit, but what she hadn't expected was for the hunter to destroy the very thing that kept her immortal! As strange as it may be, she was feeding off Zeri for both immortality and the power to dominate demon kind. Now that her link was shattered, she was pretty much screwed. Unless she dodged Isabella and in turn attacked the girl herself and this she attempted to do.

"Now don't go back on your word!" Dean yelled, seeing the angel's intentions, she reached out for her as he soared downwards, grabbed her arms, pinning her in place and keeping her there as Isabella did her thing -if she would do the honors.

"LET ME GO YOU DISGUSTING DEMON!" she yelled, struggling in his iron grasp.

"Sorry, but I take orders from no one, I'm the master of myself," he replied, kicking her forward, so that Isabella could reach her sooner and get this done quickly.

A giant black wolf emerged from the shadows, as if brought in by the night, morphing into Aleksei, the figure glided among the cemetery, passing by the re-animated corpses, his fury and power so great that the surrounding area of zombies were obliterated by his auras alone. Coming to a full stop below he cast a dark look at the hunter, not agreeing with his decision of allowing Isabella to be utilized against the enemy -no matter if they had a plan.

But he was too late to try and stop what was happening all too fast.

{Happy Valentine's day, my loves!}

Isabella stared at Azera, her golden eyes glowing, brows furrowed, a steep frown tainting her features. The woman writhed in Dean's grasp, screaming for him to let go, though he did not. The sword hummed in Isabella's hands, which were trembling with a mixture of fury and guilt. Lorenzo's blood was still fresh on her clothes, and the image of the betrayal ridden on his face when she had shot him continued to plague her mind. Would she be subjected to brutally maiming someone who had saved her life, and kill another, all in the same day after seeing her father die in her arms and burning her house to the ground?

While corpses continued to rise from their graves, then falling to the ground in permanent death as Selene and Vera slayed them, she took a shaky breath, wielding the sword and aiming the tip of its blade at the girl's throat. She stepped over her, gazing down at her with the mercy usually so eminent in her honey colored irises gradually continuing to fade away. It had only been her first day of training- would she have to become a ruthless killer to be a successful hunter's apprentice? would a moment like this, in which she had to lay her compassion aside to eliminate a threat against their lives, define or determine her success against the Italian vampires?

She raised the blade above her head, its sleek metallic frame flashing again in her grasp, as though it were channeling her rage. She took a breath, her eyes glossing over, and caught a glimpse of Aleksei's silhouette. She could almost feel the hatred he had for the situation she was being subjected to. But he had to have known it would come down to this one day; she couldn't look upon all of those who tried to kill her or her friends and let them live; what would be the point then?

Selene glanced over at Vera, who had explained the supernatural phenomenon that had occured between Isabella and Dean in the simplest of terms. Clearly, Vera didn't believe in the soul tie that the two shared, which was so transparently eminent that even the corpses were feeling from it, having lingered off toward the entrance of the cemetery. Then her eyes shifted over to the Italian girl, inspecting her, trying to predict the girl's next move. Would she do as they expected her to? Would she let the potential killer leave with her life, or would her first day of training prove effective on the girl?

Her hand touched her neck almost by instinct, reliving the moment that the French messenger had snapped her neck, and then waking up with a debiliating thirst for human blood. She recalled the ethereal sweetness of Isabella's blood after she had attacked her, and the euphoric surge of power that she experienced with just one taste; this, she also remembered, was the reason that the girl was being hunted so relentlessly.

There was something inside the girl that their enemies were trying to get their hands on. What was it that made Isabella's blood so special?

Isabella, with her teeth gritted, rained the blade down over Azera, stopping just before one of its two edges could cut the girl's neck in half. The grace in her eyes was returning, though faintly as ever; she held the humming sword above Azera's throat for a few moments before she withdrew.

"I knew she wouldn't do it," Selene muttered under her breath, her shoulders drooping in defeat. She couldn't help the mild disappointment she felt, either. "She's not ready to kill another person yet."

And then, out of nowhere, an angry cry erupted from the Italian girl's lips, and she plunged the blade into Azera's heart. She pressed down with all of the strength that she had, watching as the crimson spilled from the wound, though she knew it probably wouldn't kill her. The weapon flashed again, an image comparable to lightning, and Isabella let it go, stepping away and turning her face to hide it away from the others.

[Happy V-Day everyone! <3]

"What are you doing?"
"Having fun."
"Of course."

Azera turned away from the group as they crowded around her dead "corpse" in the cemetery. She smiled back at Zeriel a taller man clad in black with light hazel eyes,(no longer a shadow cat) as he stopped beside her, inspecting the damage she'd made this time, he made a slight frown, "You really suck at duplicating clones, do you get easily side-tracked?" He could make out the objects of her greatest interests being the son of Adacio and that girl Lombardi, the one who had landed the blow on her craptastic double. "Love don't you think they'll realize they've been tricked?"

She smiled as she leaned against him with a sigh, "Yeah but I guess I wasn't focused enough to make her right, she came out with my nastiest and brattiest attitude. She's more like a little sister, which they killed. Oh well, Salvatore will notice it, unless he doesn't know much about angels which I highly doubt since he is one -sort of, but that's not the case, I've already acquired what I've come for. He's grown stronger that much is certain and his morality pet is that girl. He's protecting her and he's made it quite obvious too, this boy has so much to learn."

"Like you?" Zeriel nudged her shoulder, ignoring the death glare he could sense her shooting toward him.

"Hey, you know what happens when I get bored. Come on let's go, we're to report on our observations with the fancy royal vamps, let's not keep them waiting." She turned and like the wind both angels vanished.


Dean turned his gaze toward were he could slightly pick up the auras of angels near by, but he couldn't focus enough to determine who they belonged to for they had dropped out of his range. Returning his gaze to the dead body he looked around trying to find all the things that just didn't add up. If this here were an angel, and was stabbed with her own angel sword, than why hadn't she glowed when she was impaled by it? Where where the burnt imprints of her wings on the ground? Unless...

"Don't worry Isabella, it's not like you actually killed the real thing, I should have known." Dean said softly, putting his guns away as he stared at the decaying corpse, even the sword turned into a rusted, old rod as the spell cast to create it wore off. It was just a doll, another one of Azera's puppets.

"And how did you come to that conclusion Salvatore?" Aleksei asked, staring at the hunter darkly, still not at all moved by the boy's decision to involve Isabella in his mission.

"Well for starters... an angel would never give away their sword, that should have been my first clue, and second," he reached for Isabella's hand, tugged her toward him so that she could see what he was talking about, "when she was stabbed by her blade, that should have been enough to destroy the angel within the vessel, a mini light show should have bursted from it. So from those two factors I'm able to conclude that this is a fake."

"Congratulations, do you want a prize?" Aleksei spat, clearly not impressed, he glared at the body of Azera as it turned to ashes under his influence.

Dean perked up and actually semi-smiled at the pureblood, "Sure, got something for me?"

Aleksei shot him the most scariest look he could conjure. Dean reacted with a shrug, not giving a damn.

"So if the winged monkey is still kickin' I think I should go after her." Dean said easily as he let go of Isabella's hand and started to walk in the direction of his parked ride. He would let her stay out of this one for the moment, let her kick back with the girls. She'd seen and done enough and he was pretty sure as hell that she wouldn't want to hang with him anymore -not after seeing what a total beast he was. Even he wouldn't want to stick around with himself after that huge reveal.

"No, you stay. Calisen has been notified of the disturbances, and is on her way. I'll handle this Salvatore, take Isabella to my place it has been prepared for her so it's perfectly safe." he instructed the hunter seriously, before leveling his gaze with Isabella, speaking to her much softly, he told her, "Unfortunately I will no longer be your guardian for the time being, something's come up sweetie. You'll be with Salvatore for a while, please be more careful." He offered her a kind smile before turning to address the others, switching back to his authoritative, no-nonsense, tone, "Keep her safe, I urge you to do so, it's getting more and more hectic out there, and Salvatore, we have more important matters to handle, like figuring out who sent the avenging angel in the first place, that's why you can't go after her just yet."

"Like the Italian vampires?" Dean guessed, hesitating, turning slightly to stare at the pureblood, "we can figure that out now," he smirked, glanced in the direction were he could sense Lorenzo's wounded pride and called out with a chuckle, "Hey Dandi-Dick, come out, come out where ever you are!" he brandished Solar Flare, aimed the double-barreled weapon to the air, focused his energy into a charged shot and let it fly in the ebony night sky, sounding like fire works as the blast roared into the silent atmosphere above, a warning for the perp if he refused, "come on, or I'll shoot your brains out. Isabella wouldn't but I will!"

And that was a promise, damn straight.

"As if he's going to tell us anything useful besides his wanting Isabella back in Italy for a marriage proposal or the prophesy or which ever they decide to do first." Veratos stated coolly and business-like as she approached them. "We should get a move on before the sweepers arrive or they're gonna want to interrogate us on what happened and you know how fun that gets."

(OOC--After giving it much thought, it would make much more sense for her to be within the protective confines of Aleksei's home rather than away from it.))

"Aleksei!" Isabella cried, running up to embrace him lovingly.

She buried her face into his chest, fighting the urge to cry, though it waned when that familiar sense of security she felt when she was with him returned. A sigh escaped her lips, and she recoiled from him, turning to stare at the belltower where she had left Lorenzo to bleed out while Dean tauntingly addressed him. She watched him raise the gun and fire a shot that warned him not to come near the girl again, and she let her gaze fall to the Baretta nestled in her jeans. She felt it had become almost like an extension of her body, as though it belonged there at her side; perhaps that was because it was previously owned by Dean, whom she also shared a connection with.

"He came back," Isabella admitted to Aleksei, turning and looking up at him inquisitively. "I don't know why. He didn't attack me, but he wouldn't let me leave the tower. He was trying to protect me-"

"There he goes," Selene interrupted, nodding to a wounded shadow as it leapt from the building and disappeared. She could smell his strong metallic scent from where she stood, her eyes still flared crimson. "Stupid little bastard."

Isabella gazed in the direction that he had fled, wondering what he had returned for, and how he felt about her shooting him. Would he report to his father back in Italy? Did she let off the first shot that would ignite the war between them? She grew a little nervous, standing among her friends, though they didn't seem very phased by it at all more than peeved. Then Aleksei began to explain that she could no longer stay with him at his estate, and her heart sank.

She had a strange feeling that he wasn't telling her certain information; like where he had wandered off to this whole time, and why he was suddenly kicking her out of his house that he had prepared a room for her in. She studied him, her eyes curiously trying to decode him, though she couldn't read him as well as she might have liked to. She knew everything that he did was to ensure her protection, and for some reason she felt like this time would be no different, though it was much graver.

"Dean Salvatore?" came a random voice, which, when they turned around, could see belonged to Damian Ulric, one of Julian's brothers.

Behind him were two other males and a female, though neither of them said a word as they followed. Their eyes inspected the group closely, although their gazes were not intimidating moreso than intrigued. Selene was the first to step forward, nodding at Damian in acknowledgement and she silently inquired why they had been sought out. Damian and his packmates then turned and recognized Aleksei, their heads low as to show respect for the man they recognized as the White One.

"I am Damian Ulric, and these are my brothers, Lukas and Tristan, and our sister Artemis. We believe we may have caught one of the rogues that belonged to an outlaw tribe that attacked your father... James Salvatore, is it?"

"We have bound the intruder, if you wish to question him," Tristan added, his dark curly hair bouncing about his fair face. "Our methods have failed to get anything out of him."

"His name is Botolf," continued Artemis, her eyes still on the ground and her voice soft like a child.

"Rogue tribe?" Isabella whispered, a little confused. "So there's more of you?"

"Yes," Lukas answered. "And there shouldn't be. At least not in this region. This is land grandfather Wolfgang established as our domain- we were appointed its guardians. Anyone else is an intruder."

"They attempted an attack on another human," said Damian gravely. "Thankfully, the alpha was present to defend her. They have wounded him severely, and the human is still tending to him."

"Another human attack?!" Selene said in bewilderment. "In Sable?!"

"The borders," Tristan replied. "They breached Silver Mist and tried to claim a little red-headed girl that was camping as their next target."

Isabella froze. Her heart turned to ice inside her veins and a feeling like she was about to vomit wrenched her gut and turned it upside down. She realized she hadn't spoken to Lyra since they left school yesterday- could she have been that victim?

"You said they're still in the forest?" Isabella asked, her tone and speech quickening with urgency.

"Yes."

"Well, what do you think?" Selene spoke up, her eyes shifting from Veratos to Aleksei, then to Isabella and finally settling on Dean. "Should we check it out?"

Aleksei welcomed the girl with open arms and a smile, though it did nothing to take away the heavy sadness from his eyes. He held the girl in his arms but it would never compare to actually being there, right there with her, feeling the full warmth of her small body against his. She would never forgive him if she knew. His thoughts skirted away from the terrible decision but ultimately the right one that he had made for her sake. At the sudden blast of the hunter's gun, his own heart jolted and he instinctively moved himself closer to her, like at any second he would pull her in and be her human shield if needed. The hunter was addressing someone, and by the familiar scent of that idiot, Aleksei already knew who.

He returned his gaze to Isabella as she spoke to him, then to Selene as she pointed out where the royal vampire escaped. "A coward is more like it. This won't be the last you've seen of him."

Dean watched the vampire flicker in and out within the shadows, obviously retreating from them, to most likely return to Italy this time and to his guess, inform the other dandy vampires about what had occurred. However he wasn't too sure that the vampire would admit having been shot by Isabella, or he risk major embarrassment. At the arrival of the wolf tribe the hunter listened to them report on their findings of the rogue wolf they had captured and had tried and failed to get information from, and of a particular girl whom had reddish hair. The last person he could recall ever seeing that fit the description was Isabella's school friend, Lyra. He hoped she was okay, getting mixed up with were wolves could never be a happy experience for a human.

"I say we get going." Vera said.

"I don't have anything else to do right now," Dean drawled with a half smile, almost too happy.

As they all shuffled out, the pure blood would pass by him and hand him a key, along with his own mansion keys and a card containing the deets to his address before morphing into a black wolf. That alone was enough to inform him that the vampire had never truly been with them.

Take care of her. The wolf probed the thought to the other, its crimson eyes glowing faintly at the moonlight.

Dean nodded at the wolf as he gripped the keys, now the girl's life truly rested in his hands, now he was appointed to her as her full-fledged guardian, and would probably get a good pay as well, the pure blood didn't ever do things half-way, that much he knew. But what he didn't know was why he had decided to suddenly give her up to him. Must be doing some shady business that he wouldn't even tell the hunter about. In any case, whatever it was, he was certain that it had much to do with Isabella's well being. The vampire cared about her so very much, as much as Dean himself, and he was an ancient, he could handle himself, the hunter didn't have to concern himself about the dude. Though he couldn't say the same for Isabella, she would worry about the pureblood's disappearance and would hammer Dean with questions about his whereabouts. Perhaps that explained Aleksei's silence, as if he could not trust him with that info.

"She'll find out eventually, as she has before, you should really stop keeping shit from her." Dean told him seriously, as he started to follow the group back to the forest.

This is something that doesn't concern her for her own safety, I'm paying the price. Keep moving forward hunter, even if what lies ahead, is but a river of blood. Above all, keep her safe. Or I'm not paying you jack squat. You have your orders Ace.

At the mentioning of his old alias, the hunter felt a flash of memories flood his mind and he had to stop for a moment, hand to his face as he tried to sort it all out but failing to. It ended up giving him a head ache.

"Dean." That was Vera, glancing back to see him rubbing his forehead in pain, he looked up at her and dismissed it with a frown. Dropping his hand and slipping it into his pocket he ignored her staring and continued to stroll to his car so that he could drive to the place without having to abandon his baby. He fit as many people as he could into it, Isabella riding shot gun and the others that wanted a ride into it, he knew that Selene already had a bike of her own so she wasn't a part of that group.

Arriving at the spot where the hunter could see the silhouette of the tent illuminated by a small fire that was kept up, so Lyra was camping out here in the woods? Why? Oh right, she had no idea that this side of the wood housed a pack of wolves all hungry, she was like a sitting bar-b-q. Yet they didn't seem to be the bad guys, they had turned to him after all for assistance with a particualr wolf that wasn't playing nice at all. This would be fun.

And there was one in there with the human girl, he could smell the blood of him all over the place. This was where they had all been fighting it out, and also where they kept the captured one.

Dean could also pick up the scent of his father's blood on the man that had been bounded to a tree a little farther away from where Lyra's camp was set. Like they wanted to conduct their business away from human eyes, on that he agreed, saying simply,"take me to the bastard." No time to waste.

Vera could sense the anger within Dean, already knew he was pissed off without him having to say nothing more. She knew him that well, when it came to family, things got dangerously personal. "I'll stay here with Isabella while you handle this," the huntress glanced at Selene with a nod, putting a hand on the Italian girl to keep her from following Dean.

The hunter left them to follow his new comrades to the sunovabitch that wouldn't cooperate. Coming into such close distance with the animal that would have nearly killed his father tonight had he not intervened made such a sudden jolt of irritation fill the hunter that it took a lot to keep himself cool. This was still business and he had to treat this as it was.

Standing a few feet away from the bloody mess of the man that was also a beast he glared at him, just as curious to know who had sent him here, why Sable? When they were originally from Carolina? He could see that the others had beaten the crap out of him in attempt to get that info from him. If he hadn't spilled the beans yet it was because he either had been sworn by his sire not to reveal anything, was very fucking stubborn, or they hadn't tortured him enough.

Taking out Silver Moon, the hunter smirked at the man, staring at him right in the eye, the other was half shut, and badly swollen from being punched several times in the face, but it wasn't enough was it?

"Give me ten with him, I'll make him talk." Dean spoke this without having glanced back at the others, he stepped out of the group and walked toward the man until he was at arm's reach from him.

"Killing you now would be too easy, though every cell in my body is screaming to shoot you in the fucking head. We can do this the easy way," he cocks the pistol, "or the hard way, it's your call pal."

He really hoped Isabella wouldn't try to venture out and try to find him, though that wouldn't be her cue, as of now she's probably obsessing over her BFF and demanding answers. Good. That'll keep her busy while he chats with this one. A great chat it would be.