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Hunting Humanity X	By : greenwizard11 Category: Supernatural > Slash - Male/Male Views: 1093 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Supernatural universe. No money is being made from this story. Strictly entertainment.

Chapter List
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Dean headed out to the back porch and sat on a wicker chair next to Sam who was drinking a beer. “You don't look as happy as I thought you would,” Dean observed. “Everything okay?”

Sam sighed and leaned back on the couch he was sitting on. “Not really. I still love my family, but...”

“But what?”

“It's like I don't know them anymore. I was gone for so long. I made the occasional visit, and there were lots of phone calls and video chats, but I was somewhere else. The kids are happy to have me here of course, but it doesn't feel like home anymore. I was so focused on you that everything else just slipped away.”

“Look, man-”

“Don't apologize,” Sam cut his brother off. “It was my choice. This is the life we lead, and it's what I've always been afraid of. How does any hunter do it?”

“We're not like most hunters. We're deep crap magnets.” Dean took a long swig from the beer in his hand while he tried to put together his thoughts. “Look, when you and Natalie started this thing, we all knew it wasn't gonna be easy. But I was happy for you then, and I still am. Things aren't gonna go back to the way they were over night. And I'm sorry, but I sure as hell won't be content with sitting around here for months on end. I'm gonna want to work, and I'll want you with us. But spend time with those kids, and enjoy every minute of it. Find some time to be alone with Natalie, and try to remember why you fell in love with her in the first place.”

“That part's easy. She's a generous woman who knows what we do, and she's supportive of it. She hasn't complained about the way things turned out. I can tell she's not happy though.”

“Well, I'm safe to be around rugrats again. We can do what we did before and come here after cases unless there's a reason we can't. You'll figure it out. I just want you to be happy.”

“I know, and I want you to be happy too. Speaking of, how are things going with the hobbit?”

“I'd say pretty good. Sometimes he stares off into space like he's deep in thought about something, and he won't tell me what, but he's mostly his normal self. Happy to have me back, even though it just brought up one more problem.”

“The Darkness,” Sam nodded. “Yeah, there's nothing about her anywhere that I can find.”

“It seems like I'm always saying this, but we'll figure something out. Natalie said dinner is almost ready, so I'm gonna go find my hobbit. Just... I know things don't look that great, but hang in there, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Dean found Liam in the bedroom. The blond was on the bed with his laptop, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. “You might wanna put some clothes on to go eat,” Dean said as he shut the door.

Liam looked up and closed the laptop. “I'm hungry, but not for food.”

“Were you just surfing porn?” Dean joked.

“No, that's your specialty, remember?” Liam moved the laptop to the night stand. “Have you even noticed that it's been months since we...?”

Dean sat on the edge of the bed. “I have definitely noticed, but I didn't wanna push you. And if you're thinking it, no, I have not been with anyone else.”

“Good to know you're not that stupid.” Liam moved to kiss Dean passionately and pulled the other man down on top of him.

Dean returned the kiss, pausing only long enough to remove his shirt and toss it to the floor. “You sure about this?” Dean asked when he pulled back.

“What, you don't want to?” Liam said with a little glint in his eye, briefly looking down at the tent in his boxers.

“You should know better than to ask that.” The rest f their clothing was removed and Dean reached for the lube that was kept in the night stand drawer. Then he pulled his lover close, nibbling the right spot on his neck to make the blond moan softly.

After a minute Liam pulled away and gazed into Dean's eyes. “You do love me, don't you?”

Dean softly stroked his cheek. “More than I ever thought possible.”

Liam started kissing his husband again, and the two fell back on the bed. Dean reached to tease the blond by stroking his erection, but his hand was pushed away. “Not a good idea if you want in on the action,” Liam whispered.

Dean moved to slick himself up. “Remember, little ears,” he said softly as he got himself into position.

Liam licked his lips in anticipation and let out a long but soft moan as his lover entered him. Dean leaned down to claim the blond's mouth as he settled into a steady rhythm. Liam wrapped his arms around Dean's body and pulled him close, reaching to nip at his earlobe.

Dean started stroking Liam again, the blond barely able to contain himself. His eyes rolled back in his head and his mouth opened, but only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard when Dean hit the right spot. Dean started nibbling at the front of his throat as the pace quickened.

Liam's body tensed and he sank his teeth into Dean's shoulder as he fell over the edge. Dean wasn't far behind, letting out a moan as he climaxed.

Dean let himself fall onto the bed beside his husband and his fingers ghosted over the bite mark. “I think you drew blood,” he said, still panting heavily.

“At least I wasn't noisy,” Liam said with a smirk before kissing Dean softly.

“As much as I'd like to do that again, I think we better put our clothes back on and head down for dinner.”

“I suppose,” Liam sighed when his heart had settled back into his chest.

Both he and Dean dressed and went back downstairs in noticeably good moods. The meal was uneventful, and after everything was cleaned up the two returned to their room. “You know, earlier Sam said being back here after so long felt strange,” Dean commented while he was removing his clothing. “I kind of agree, I'm not used to having rugrats around anymore. What do you think?”

Liam climbed into bed and reached for the TV remote. “I kind of agree. The whole family thing used to be normal, but it's been like two years since... We've been living in the bunker all that time. We did make it feel kinda homey, but I do like it better here in an actual home. The kids are getting big, and asking a lot of questions.”

Dean snuggled up close to his husband while Liam looked for a movie to watch. “Yeah, they take after their father.”

“I'm guessing Sam used to be full of questions when he was young then.”

“Yeah, he always wanted to know where dad went, and when he'd be coming back. I'd always make something up until I figured he was old enough to handle the truth. That seems so long ago.”

“It was a long time ago. Now Sam has three kids of his own, two of them in school. I wonder what kind of grandfather your dad would've been.”

“Probably just like the dad he was. I don't know, maybe he would've softened a bit. Who knows.”

They watched the movie, and Liam fell asleep before the end. Suddenly he found himself chained to a wall with heavy chains, and Lucifer stood before him. “Hey there, sunshine. Sorry about the accommodations. Much safer for me this way.”

“You fucking bastard!” Astiratu lunged, but was held back by the chains. “This isn't real, you're rotting in a cage.”

Lucifer chuckled. “Well, I was, and sort of still am. But a lot has changed recently. Because of your friend the Darkness was released.”

“You bring me here to tell me something I already know?”

“Yes and no. Something I find very curious though. After everything Dean did under the influence of the mark, you still forgave him, but you won't forgive me.”

The half angel glared angrily. “One, Dean didn't betray me. Two, you didn't have the mark when you stabbed me in the back, Cain did. Don't go blaming your fuck ups on other things.”

Lucifer moved a little closer, almost close enough to reach. “I always did love your spirit. Everyone else was kind of a bore, but you...”

“Get to your point before I get really angry again,” Astiratu growled.

“Even though when it's not directed at me, it's kinda hot, you really should work on that temper. My point is that your companions opened up a big can of worms, and you were complicit in it all. You really should have known better.”

“I didn't know exactly what was going to happen! Even if I could have read the book, the witch Rowena said it wasn't specific.”

“Yeah, but Dean was right, magic like that always comes with a price. Not even I know what's going to happen now, but I felt the ripple. I'd deal with it if I could, but the truth is, only you three can take this on. The ones who opened Pandora's box have to be the ones to shut it.”

Astiratu rolled his eyes. “Kinda figured that, and we're working on it. Now, if you're done, well, you know the saying. If you love something, let it go, with the emphasis on the letting me go part.”

Lucifer smiled at him. “I will always have a tiny flame burning just for you. And I will let you go now, just tell your friends about our little chat.”

Everything went dark and Liam bolted upright in bed, his chest heaving. Dean stirred and put a hand on his arm. “Bad dream?”

Liam nodded. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Dean sat up.

“I don't know if I should or not. Dean, I saw Lucifer. He had me chained to a wall.”

“Lucifer?” Dean blinked. “Didn't he get thrown back in his cage a long time ago?”

“That's what you told me, but in this dream he was talking about the Darkness. Releasing her had a bigger effect than we know. He also said that only we can deal with it.”

Dean stroked Liam's hair, trying not to look as worried as he felt. “Babe, it was a dream. And we were planning on dealing with the Darkness anyway, as soon as we figure out how. Now come here and let's go back to sleep.”

A little over a week later Dean entered the kitchen where Sam was sitting at the counter with his laptop. “Don’t suppose you’ve got a twenty on the darkness.”

Sam closed the laptop. “Well, I thought I had something earlier. Half a town flipped their gourds and started attacking people. But it turns out they’d eaten rabid possum meat.”

“Okay, they do realize that possum is a giant rat, right?”

“It’s a marsupial. Not the point. I did find something interesting though. Um, a couple was ax murdered in Fall Rivers, Massachusetts at, wait for it, the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast museum.”

Dean shook his head. “A B&B and a museum. Yeah. That doesn’t sound like a tourist trap at all.”

“I mean the thing is the inn was Lizzie Borden’s actual house. In 1892 she hacked up her mom and stepdad there. Or allegedly hacked them up. She was acquitted and spent the rest of her days in Fall Rivers hounded and persecuted by the townspeople.”

“So you’re thinking revenge killing. Why now? It was probably some psycho fan who’s seen to many slasher flicks.”

“Could be, but the inn was locked up. No signs of entry or exit. Half a dozen guests. None of whom saw or heard any intruders.”

“Well, maybe the murderer was actually competent. Sam, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Does this have anything to do with what we talked about earlier?”

“No,” Sam shook his head. “I've actually been kind of settling back into things. Still strange, but we can come back after we look into this.”

“Wait a minute. I know what this is. This has something to do with your freaky fetish for serial killers.”

“It’s not a fetish.”

“You’ve always wanted to see that house! Does your wife know about your interest in psychos?”

“I don't have to tell her everything. Dean, two people are dead. In Lizzie Borden’s home. We got no leads on Amara. I say we check this out. Besides, the entire Borden clan are buried in Fall Rivers. Including Lizzie.”

“What about Cas? Have you checked on him recently?”

“Oh, he’s knee deep binge watching 'The Wire'. Just started Season two.”

“So he's gonna be holed up for a while.”

“Yeah, he's on the mend.”

“Alright, let me go fetch my beautiful assistant.”

“Better not let him hear you call him that. You might be walking funny for a while. Um, I promised I would pick the boys up from school, but then we should be good to go.”

The next evening they were walking into the museum and looking around at all the decorations. The place had definitely embraced the building's history. “So I guess now Lizzie Borden has her own doll,” Sam commented when he saw it on a table.

“Yeah, went a little overboard on the crazy eyes,” Dean mumbled.

The innkeeper behind the desk was on the phone. “No, it’s absolutely not a crime scene anymore. The room’s been cleaned and you’re not even on the same floor. There’s no reason to cancel!”

They approached the desk when the innkeeper was hung up on. “People still freaked out about the murders, huh?” Dean said in a friendly tone.

“Some find it exciting. Can I help you boys?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah. We’d read about the tragedy and I’m a bit of a history buff. I just wanted to ask. Do you think the killings had anything to do with Lizzie Borden? I mean her ghost, or whatever?”

“Probably some crazed fan broke in, right?” Dean was still skeptical.

“These are great questions, guys. Ones we usually answer for our paying guests.”

“Right,” Sam pulled out his wallet and got out a wad of cash.

Just then an older woman came in. “Mason! You forgot to cancel the bakery order!”

“Mom! I’m with customers.”

“Two hundred dollars worth of danish and no guests to eat it!”

“These guys can put away a few,” Mason motioned to the three men.

“This is coming out of your paycheck!” she cried as she left.

Mason sighed. “Of course it is.”

“Working with family can be tough,” Dean said, getting a little glare from both Sam and Liam.

“Twenty years. You’ll have your pick of rooms.”

“I'll take the one the couple was in,” Sam said.

“The deceased couple?” Mason was surprised by that.

Dean nodded. “We came a long way to see ghosts. We figured there’s the most unrest there.”

“Uh, we’re not renting that room right now. Out of respect.” Sam handed him some more money. “But, you gotta get back on that horse some time. Lucky. We redid the room.”

“My man and I will take a room right next to that one,” Dean spoke up.

“And now that we’re paying guests...” Sam went back to trying to get information. “Did you hear or see anything unusual that night?”

“Not til we heard the screams. I told mom to stay downstairs and I ran up there. Oh, god. Blood.”

“And who was the couple?” Dean asked.

“Local kids. Nothing special about the girl. But the guy. He was a descendant of the original Bordens.”

“Thanks,” Sam said as they grabbed their room keys and headed upstairs.

They all three went to the room where the couple was murdered. The wallpaper was pink, and everything was frilly. “I don’t know where to put my eyes. I think I’m gonna to throw up,” Dean commented.

Sam nodded in agreement. “We’re surrounded by doilies. They’re everywhere.”

“Okay, you think the innkeeper might have mentioned this before he ripped us off.”

“Yeah, this is a little much,” Liam commented as he looked around. “I hope we don't have to stay here long.”

“We'll get this figured out,” Sam said as he pulled out his EMF detector. It lit up right away. “Look at that. That jives with what people online have been saying about the upstairs. Crying in empty rooms. Footsteps. Buzzing lights.” He stepped into the closet and the lights went out. He was a little puzzled by that. “No secret panels or passageways in the closet.”

Dean came out of the bathroom. “Well, the world’s smallest bathroom is clean. What is that smell?”

Sam picked up an old perfume bottle. “I think it’s this. It’s like a lavender toilet water.” He squeezed some out.

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Bottled toilet water? Why do you keep spraying it?”

“I just wanted to see of the squeezy thing worked. I think it was supposed to be a perfume or something.”

“Alright, Liam and I are gonna go check the rest of the inn because now I’ve got grandma all over me. So...”

Liam followed Dean downstairs and they went into the museum part. “What are we looking for?” Liam asked quietly.

“I don't know, anything that seems out of place,” Dean answered. He rolled his eyes at the Lizzie Borden t-shirts. “Though I still don't think we'll find anything.”

Just then the lights on a chandelier above them flickered. They both paused and looked around. “No cold spots, and nothing else happening,” Liam said as he looked around.

“Yeah, probably means something more explainable is going on,” Dean said as he found a step ladder and climbed up to inspect the lights. He nearly fell when there was a flash from outside. Both of them raced to the window to see a guy standing outside with an old fashioned camera on a tripod. “Hey!” Dean shouted at him, but that scared him off and made him run.

“Sam isn't gonna be happy if we can debunk all of this,” Liam said as he started examining things closer.

The two of them discovered quite a bit, and went back to Sam's room to wait for him. It was clear by the look on his face when he returned that he'd found some things out too. “Yeah. No Lizzie in the attic. But, I did find a homemade EMF generator. Turned that beast off, and what do you know, no more signal.”

“Shocker. The, uh, flickering lights? Wired to timers buried in the walls,” Dean held up a timer he'd pulled out.

“Come on!” Sam wasn't at all happy.

“And look what Liam found.” Dean pulled a picture of Lizzie off the wall to reveal a sound system. Dean pushed a button and crying sounds started playing.

“Crying in empty rooms,” Sam sighed as he lowered himself to the bed.

“And there’s more. Running footsteps. Uh. Creepy whispers you can’t make out. One flushing toilet. Not sure what that’s about. The whole place is a hoax, man. It’s a tourist trap just like I said.”

“Yeah. But we still don’t know how that couple got axed,” Sam pointed out. “I mean, how did the killer get in and out?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t we Sherlock that over a beer or something and a lobster roll. I got to get out of this doily coffin.”

Before they could leave they heard a scream. They ran downstairs to see what was going on, and discovered that Mrs. Kemper had been murdered with an ax. When a police officer showed up Sam introduced himself as an FBI agent. “You weren’t Feds earlier!” a very distraught Mason cried.

“Well, um. My partners and I were undercover,” Sam explained quickly. “Investigating the original murders.”

“Where the hell were you when my mom was being...” he started to cry.

“I’m so very sorry, Mr. Kemper.”

“We’re gonna find the son of bitch who is doing this,” Detective Madsen tried to be assuring. He turned to Sam. “He had just finished locking up. No one was inside but him and Mrs. Kemper. Staff went home hours ago.”

“And no suspects for the first murders either?”

“No.”

“Hi, um, I’m Agent Gabriel,” Dean introduced himself. “Listen, I saw a guy hanging around earlier snapping some photos, and he ran away when I tried to make contact.”

“Let me guess. Short. Chunky. Baby faced?”

“Yeah, that's him.”

“Yeah, that’s Len. Total teddy bear. I went to high school with him. Obsessed with ghosts but harmless.”

“Ghosts? Is that a real issue around here?” Sam asked, his enthusiasm squashed.

“According to the Chamber of Commerce, absolutely. I’ll send an officer to Len, get a statement from him.”

“You know what? You guys got your hands full. We’ll, uh, drop by,” Sam offered.

“Sure,” the detective agreed.

They waited until morning to pay a visit to Len. “Well, so far we got squat that says ghost. Or anything remotely us,” Dean said in a slightly irritated tone as he drove.

Sam sighed. “So maybe its not our usual kind of gig? Maybe we’re dealing with a serial killer?”

“Yeah. You’d love that wouldn’t you?”

“Don't start,” Sam wasn't in the mood. His phone rang and he answered. “Agent Collins.”

“This is Detective Madsen. There’s been another victim. Accident in the next county. I’m there now.”

“Thanks for letting us know.” Sam hung up and turned to his brother. “Another ax victim. This one miles from the B&B.”

“Ghosts don't travel that far,” Liam pointed out. “Except in that weird case with the transplanted kidney. That was freaky.”

“Okay, guys, point made,” Sam grumbled. “I’ll take the crime scene. You guys take Len.”

They dropped Sam off at the second crime scene, then went to see Len. His house looked much like the museum. “Well, I didn’t expect to see her here,” Dean glanced at a Lizzie doll.

Len shrugged. “Well, gotta live your bliss.”

“Boy, you are a Lizzie Borden... I don’t think fan covers it.”

“That’s superfan. And curator.”

“And is that what you were doing that night at the B&B? Uh, curating?”

“I uh...” Len was suddenly flustered.

“Len, it’s best just to go with truth here.”

“I was trying to get a picture of Lizzie’s ghost.”

“And is that what I saw you with?” Dean pointed to an antique camera.

“Yeah. It’s what the victorians used for spirit photography.”

“And have you captured any Caspers on that thing?”

“Well, I’ve seen Lizzie at her house. She’s this wispy, gray shadow. But she never shows up on film. Maybe I should go high-def.”

“Why not go inside?”

“I’m not exactly allowed at the inn anymore. There’s a minor restraining order. And there’s a gag order not to talk about the restraining order. But you’re Federal agents.”

“Why don’t you tell us about the restraining order?”

“It was Lizzie’s one hundred and fifty fifth birthday and I couldn’t get Lizzie’s room so I stayed in the basement. For a couple days. Weeks! I wasn’t bothering anybody.”

“So it’s safe to say that you know the inn pretty well. Let me ask you, did anything about last night strike you as weird?”

“Just you banging on the window.” Len's computer beeped suddenly. “Oh god, no. I’m supposed to lead a live chat about the ax murders in Fall Rivers. I’m not Lizzie CNN.”

“Yeah, I don’t know why anyone would think that.”

“I’ll close it down. Be right back.”

When Len was gone Dean turned to Liam. “Thoughts?”

The blond shrugged. “Well, he's a little odd, but I don't think he had anything to do with this. But there's something I can't put a finger on.”

“I don't think he's our ax murder either,” Dean said as he started to look around. He stopped when he saw a drawing of the Mark of Cain on a desk. He picked it up, and when Len returned Dean showed it to him. “Where did you see this?”

“Uh, a site about ghosts? The paranormal?”

“Len, you might be the worst liar I’ve ever met. Tell me where you’ve seen this symbol. I’d take you down to the station and ask you there. But then we’d have to involve the local police, your restraining order.”

“Okay, uh... I was outside Lizzie’s house a couple nights ago trying to catch a picture of her.” He started telling the story of meeting a very strange young girl outside the house. She seemed very creepy to him. “I ditched her quick after that.”

“And you didn’t tell the police?” Liam raised an eyebrow.

“A, restraining order? B, what am I supposed to say? I was hanging out talking murder with a little twelve year old girl in the middle of the night?”

“Where does the symbol come in?” Dean asked.

“She had it on her shoulder. I don’t know if it was a scar or a birthmark.”

“What did this girl look like?”

“A girl. Amara. That’s what she said her name was. You know her?”

“You said she was twelve?”

“Maybe a little younger or older. Who is she?”

“She’s a runaway. Do you know where Amara is now? Is she still in town?”

“I don’t know. Why are you looking for her?”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss that.”

“You have to tell me. Please. I need to find her!”

“Why?”

“You won’t believe me.”

“Try us,” Liam crossed his arms.

Len continued with his story, about how the girl Amara grabbed his face and did something to him. “I don’t know what that girl did to me, but I haven’t been right since. I can’t eat or sleep. I don’t dream. And all the things I used to love. My Lizzie blog. The ghost conventions. They leave me cold. I put this whole collection on ebay last night. Now it belongs to some machinist in Ohio.”

“Well, what about superfan, curator living the bliss?” Dean asked.

“Just playing the part of what I used to be. You know. Fake it til you make it. Or feel it.”

“So is that what you were doing at the inn? Faking it?”

“No. I was looking for Amara. I want her to put me back. I’ve always been odd and quirky. But I had a life. Friends. And now. I remember how to talk to people. What to say. But I feel like I’m acting. Going through the motions. I’m like a robot puppet man.”

Liam patted him on the shoulder. “Cupcake, finding her again ain't gonna help you.”

“You know what she did to me? Can it be fixed?”

“Like my partner said, can't really talk about it.”

Dean went outside to meet Sam when he arrived. “Wait? Amara was here? How?” Sam was just as surprised as they were.

“Oh, and the real crazy? Apparently she’s like twelve.”

“What? How’s that even possible?”

“It ain’t Wheaties she’s eating, I can tell you that much.”

“Meaning?”

“Len. He ain’t doing so hot. I think Amara sucked out his soul.”

“So, Amara’s growing like a radioactive weed?”

“Yeah. By stuffing her face with souls.”

“Does that mean she’s getting more power too? And for what?”

“I don’t know. That tsunami’s gonna hit us sooner or later. We’ll deal with what we can deal with. All these spent shells Amara’s leaving behind.”

“You don’t think Len’s our Lizzie Borden, do you?”

“No. I talked to his neighbors. And except for me seeing him at the B&B he’s been here all night. So, we can’t kill him because he hasn’t done anything yet.”

“Dean, we don’t want to kill him. We want to save people. Remember?”

“Right. The new rules. Why hasn’t he offed anybody? I mean, it took Jenna all of walking downstairs to slit her grandmother’s throat.”

“I don’t know. Maybe not everybody that gets their soul sucked out turns into a killer.”

“Or maybe he just hasn’t got around to it yet. Alright. Well. I think the best thing is we stick close until we figure out how to help him out. Which starts by you telling him he’s got no soul.”

“Why do I have to do it?”

“Because... He doesn’t even know he’s been hoovered yet.”

“Well, yeah. But you have a better relationship with him than I do.”

“Yeah, but you’re better with that whole sensitive verbal massage.”

“There is no sensitive way to tell somebody their soul’s been sucked out by a prehistoric tween! And even if Len does believe us, is that supposed to make him feel better?”

“Fine. Probably couldn’t handle the truth right now anyways. He’s a little fragile right now. Okay. Well, great. Looks like we’re babysitting a thirty year old man.”

“There may be someone else Amara got to as well.”

“Our hatchet man.”

“Yeah. So the murders started right around the time Len saw Amara, right? Well, the wife of the last victim, Donna Pensky, had this bizarre reaction to hearing her husband... like she couldn’t care less. That seems a little soulless to me. The detective thinks it’s shock. But I think it may be mom lost her soul and picked up an ax.”

“Right,” Dean nodded. “Let's get Liam and Len in the car and go find her.”

They drove to the house, but nobody was home. After seeing no sign of anyone Sam called the babysitter. “Sydney. This is Agent Collins. I’m trying to find Mrs. Pensky. Do you have any idea where she might be?”

“No. She, um, didn’t mention anything. Dawn didn’t want me to come over today.”

“Sydney. You are a part of a Federal murder investigation. You do not want to hold anything back from us.”

“Okay. There might be one place where she might be. Dawn has a friend, Nate. A special friend. Look, I’m not trying to get Dawn in trouble.”

“You have an address?”

Sam gave Dean the address Sydney gave him and they started driving again. Len was being very talkative in the backseat. “Kitten videos, chicken and waffles, eucalyptus scent. I don’t care for it anymore. Used to swoon for dark, curly hair. Now, not so much. Do you think I had a stroke? Or maybe it’s a brain tumor. What’s really freaky is all the stuff that used to make my skin crawl now seems... eh...”

“We get it,” Liam tried to get him to shut up as they pulled into the driveway.

“I couldn’t shake a guy’s hand before. God, that wetness. Now I could lick the sweat off a stranger’s...”

“Okay!” Dean cried, also having had enough.

“Yeah. Any body part. I’m serious. I feel weird, man.”

“Weird how?” Sam asked.

“Like, something’s hatching inside of me. Something dark. With wings.” The brothers exchanged a look. “What?” Len was a bit alarmed when he noticed it.

“Nothing,” Dean said quickly as he got out of the car.

“But you looked at Sam like you guys know what’s wrong with me!”

Dean grabbed Len's hand through the window and handcuffed him to the door handle. “You don’t have a soul. Alright? Amara sucked it out.”

“What?” Len's face drained of color.

“Dean! You wanna be a little more blunt?” Sam chided his brother.

“How is that even possible?”

“We're not sure,” Liam said as he got out.

“Look. This is just so you don’t get in trouble,” Dean explained about the handcuffs. “Alright, we’ll be right back, and then we’ll figure out what to do with you.”

“Well, how do I get it back? My soul,” Len asked.

“Generally, you don't,” Sam tried to let him down easy.

Len sat back in the seat. “It feels good to finally know.”

The three men went up to the door and rang the doorbell. When no one came to the door after a few minutes Dean peeked into the window to see a mess. “Well, something happened in there.”

Sam motioned to a blue car in the driveway. “The blue car is the mom’s. I saw it at the house.”

Dean picked the lock and they entered the house. He motioned for Sam to check the rest of the house while Liam followed him to the basement. The light didn't come on so they pulled out flashlights and started to look around. They found two dead bodies in the corner.

Suddenly something hit Dean on the back of the head and he went down. Liam whirled around to see a teenage girl with a shotgun pointed at him. “I'd sit down quietly if I were you,” she cocked it.

“Yeah, but you don't know me.” Liam lunged and the girl fired. He was hit in the side of his stomach, and after a quick struggle she subdued him and tied him up next to Dean.

She headed back upstairs, and only a few minutes later she came back with Sam, the gun pointed at him. “You okay?” Sam asked Liam when he saw all the blood.

“I've been worse,” the blond answered.

Dean came to after only a few minutes. “Oh, thank god. I thought you were dead. Huh. I can’t believe that I bagged all three of you guys.”

“Yeah, so it’s Sydney, the killer babysitter. Not the mom. So what’s the story? You gonna hack us up like the others?” Sam asked her.

“I’m past that. You two are an offering to my new friend.”

“Let me guess. Is your new bestie Amara?” Dean already knew the answer.

“You know her?”

“Oh, yeah. We’re tight. How’d you two meet?”

“A couple of nights ago I got pretty sloshed. This, uh, smug, little trust fund dirt-bag had just dumped me.” She recounted the night she met Amara in the parking lot of a bar. Just a touch from the girl brought ecstasy like Sydney had never felt before. “Have you guys ever seen the iced tea commercial? Where the lady is lying along the inflatable raft and she’s just drifting along a sparkling pool? That’s what it was like! Being with Amara. Bliss. No hurting. No sadness. No memories.”

“So you don’t want memories?” Sam asked.

“Did you have nice parents, Sam? Because my folks treated me and my sister like human ash trays.” She lifted up her shirt to show circular burns on her stomach. “I used to have to drink myself blind to even look at these, let alone show anybody. And now I don’t know what Amara did to me but it’s just skin.”

“Right. Well, that’s really... Good for you.”

“No more waking up screaming from nightmares. No more flashbacks. Amara took away the pain. She lightened something in me.”

“Except now you’re an ax murderer,” Dean pointed out.

“I’m free. Before there was always this constant voice in my head. You can’t do that. It’s wrong. What if you get caught? And now it’s quiet. It’s just me and what I want. And when you can do whatever you want you don’t have to get caught. And then you can really fly.”

“Were you flying when you diced up that couple at the inn?”

“Oh. When I’d found out that that puss-hole was taking another girl to the B&B, that’s his deal closing move. I didn’t have to sit at home and cry about it.”

“And what about the innkeeper's mom?”

“That piece of jerky. She screwed me out of two weeks pay. I used to fantasize about killing her and now I’m living the dream.”

“So that’s how you got in and out. You worked there,” Sam figured it out.

“Just for one summer.”

“What about Jeordi’s parents? Huh? What? Did they screw you over, too?” Dean asked.

“Not me. Jeordi. Where to start. Meth dealing dad. Slut mom. No, I saved Jeordi. And I’m going to take better care of him than they ever did.”

“Well, you said that we were, uh, an offering. Well, how do you plan on bringing Amara here? Don’t tell me that girl’s got a cell phone.”

“I’ve been praying. And I know that she can hear me. I can feel it. She’s close. She hasn’t left me.”

“Well, bring her on out. We’ve been hunting that bitch for weeks.”

Sydney smacked Dean in the head with the butt of the shotgun. “She is a goddess!”

Sam used the opportunity of the distraction to lunge at Sydney and try to grab the gun. She was a little too fast for him, and she took a shot, but missed. Then suddenly she fell to the ground and Len was behind her with a bloody ax in his hands. “Holy crap. I just did that,” he couldn't believe it.

Sydney stared blankly as she bled to death on the floor. “The darkness is coming. It’s so peaceful. It’s coming for all of us.”

Liam gave Sam a bit of a dirty look. “And you lecture me?”

Sam rolled his eyes while he untied Dean. “She was distracted. You... I'm not the one that got shot.”

“Yeah, you need medical attention as usual,” Dean said when he moved over to examine the wound. “You promised you would be more careful.”

“I'm still alive, aren't I?” Liam pointed out.

“Because you're lucky,” Sam said as he headed upstairs to find the kid.

“He has a point.” Dean took the ax from Len, and while Sam was with the kid on the front porch, Dean took Len to living room. “Okay, Len, we're gonna have to call this in and take my partner to the hospital. I don't even know how you got out of the cuffs.”

“First of all, I ripped my hand out of the cuff,” he showed Dean how his hand was bandaged and a little bloody.

“Well, you saved us, Len.”

“Yeah, that’s not why I mauled myself. I wanted to see if I could do it. It hurt like a mother. But it didn’t wig me out at all. I picked up my thumb like it was a mini hot dog.”

Dean cringed a little at that. “I’m not gonna lie. That’s worrisome.”

“And that girl. My brain said I should help you but I didn’t really feel anything. For you or her. What kind of person can murder and feel nothing?”

“Len. Whatever darkness you have inside you, if there is a shred of conscience then there might be hope.”

“No. Sam said once your soul is gone you can’t get it back. And I know for sure now if I’m not stopped there will be another kill. I can feel it. Like a bubble rising up.”

“So, what do you want to do?”

“You could kill me.”

“No, I can’t. I don’t want to do that.”

“Then there’s only one thing. I’m gonna turn myself in. I’ll confess to all the murders. That way I can’t get out.”

“Well, there’s not too many soulless killers that would give themselves up.”

“I remember what it was like to do the right thing. So, I’m going through the motions. For as long as I can.”

Sam came back in. “We're gonna leave Jeordi here. I think he'll be okay, and he said he has an aunt that the cops can contact when they get here.”

Dean looked to Len. “Can you be trusted alone with a kid for a little while?”

“I think so,” Len nodded.

“Why?” Sam asked.

“Because he's gonna confess to all the murders,” Dean explained. “He's not total dark side, but he doesn't trust himself.”

“Okay,” Sam seemed to accept that. “Make the call, and we'll figure out what to say at the hospital on the way.”

Dean helped Liam into the car and sat in back with him while Sam drove to the nearest hospital. The wound wasn't as bad as it could have been, and when Liam was out of surgery the brothers had come back with food and they sat with him in the room while they ate.

“Still can’t believe Len turned himself in,” Dean shook his head.

Sam shrugged. “I mean, it kinda makes sense, you know. People having different reactions to losing their souls. Everyone’s got their own history, right?”

“Len loses his heart. Sydney loses her head. What are we? Looking for the cowardly lion next?”

“You know I get like this pit in my stomach any time I think of her. The Darkness. Like we only know the tip of what she is. What she does to people. You know Len was freaked out by her. But Sydney. Sydney couldn’t get enough. The bliss she was talking about, you know? What was it like for you? Did you feel like that with Amara?”

“No, I mean it was quiet. Until, uh, she started hatching killers and rallying monsters to raise armies.”

“So that’s how we have to find her. Follow the bodies.”

“You got a better idea? Look, at the rate Amara’s growing, sucking souls and getting stronger, she may not be that hard to find.”

“You gonna share those fries?” Liam asked weakly.

“Nope, you had to be put under,” Dean answered. “And anesthesia makes you puke for several hours after. No one needs that to clean up. I'm sure they'll feed you later.”

“Yeah, hospital food. Unless you go get me something in a few hours.”

Dean took his husband's hand. “Babe, if you don't like hospital food, quit landing yourself in here. We'll stay until visiting hours are over, and maybe we'll bring you breakfast, but for now, you made the bed.”
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Hunting Humanity X