CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"This is ridiculous." Nyx grumbles as she paces back and forth beside the Impala.

"Cole, it's not that big a deal." Jeremy says, and she glances at him.

"Yeah, it kind of is." She argues.

"He probably just didn't want you to get hurt. You know, with the twins."

"Being pregnant doesn't make me an invalid, Jeremy." She says. "I can still hunt. Besides, I'm not even sure that John knows."

They hear a woman scream, but it doesn't sound like she's afraid. It sounds almost monstrous, closer to a roar. Nyx grabs the machete from the roof on the Impala, tosses Jeremy the keys, and then takes off running for the barn. She runs into Sam and Dean as they're running toward her.

"Get back to the car!" Dean tells her, and they all head for the Impala.

"Where's John?" Jeremy asks once they make it back to him,​ and his sister turns around.

"Dad?!" Dean calls.

John comes up from the trees, and Nyx lowers the machete. "They won't follow. They'll wait till tonight." He says. "Once a vampire gets your scent, it's for life."

"What do we do now?" Dean asks.

"You got to find the nearest funeral home." He says, and the boys and Nyx look at each other.

John explains what he means, and then Dean goes off on his own to do what his father asked of him. The oldest takes the other three back to the motel in his truck, and it's a cramped and uncomfortable ride for the four of them. And then it's a long wait for Dean to get back to them.

"It shouldn't be taking this long." Sam says as he paces the room. Nyx's laying on one of the beds, staring at the ceiling above her, and Jeremy's​ on the other. "We should go help."

"Dean's got it." John says, and his son keeps pacing. "Sammy."

"Yeah?"

"I don't think I ever told you this, but the day you were born, you know what I did?"

"No."

"I put a hundred bucks into a savings account for you. I did the same thing for your brother." He says. "It was a college fund. And every month, I'd put in another hundred dollars until..." He trails off. "Anyway, my point is, Sam, that...this is never the life that I wanted for you."

"Then why'd you get so mad when I left?"

"You gotta understand something." He says. "After your mother passed, all I saw was evil, everywhere. And all I cared about was keeping you boys alive. I wanted you prepared. Ready. So, somewhere along the line, I, uh... I stopped being your father. And I— I became your drill sergeant. So, when you said you wanted to go away to school​, all I could think about, my only thought was, that you were gonna be alone... Vulnerable. Sammy, I just— It never occurred to me what you wanted. I just couldn't accept the fact that you and me... We're just different."

Sam laughs lightly.

"What?" John asks.

"We're not different." He says. "Not anymore. What happened to Mom and Jess... We probably have a lot more in common than just about anyone."

"I guess you're right, son." He agrees with him. "And that's all I was trying to protect Dean from today, Nycole."

She looks over at the two of them as she sits up. "What?" She asks, confused.

"I see the way you two are with each other, and I was afraid of what would happen if you went in there and didn't come back out." He tells her. "I was just trying to protect my son from going through the hell that I went through when I lost their mother."

"You can't protect people from life. My parents died in an accident — completely human and unexpected. Death is a part of life, and you can't escape it." She tells him. "I appreciate the concern, even if it was just for Dean. But if I'm going to die, it's going to be trying to save someone's life. Dean knows that, just like I know it's the same for him."

He nods, a small smile on his face as he looks away from her.

"Hey, Dad." Sam says. "Whatever happened​ to that college fund?"

"Spent it on ammo." He says, and they both laugh.

Dean walks in then, and they all look over at him. "Man, there's some heavy security to protect a bunch of dead guys." He says as he walks over to John and Sam.

"Did you get it?" John asks, and Nyx gets up from the bed. Dean pulls a bottle out of his jacket pocket, then takes it out of a brown paper bag before handing it over to his father. It's dead man's blood. "You know what to do."

Dead man's blood is poisonous to this species of vampire. The same as vervain is poisonous to vampires like Stefan and Damon.

"Nycole." Dean turns to his girlfriend.

"Oh, am I allowed to help now?" She questions.

"Nyx..." Sam sighs.

"What? I think it's a fair question. I mean, I heard John, and I get it. But can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't be pissed too?" She asks him.

"You two can fight about it later." He says, and she looks at Jeremy.

"You stay with Sam." She tells him and then turns back to look at Dean. "What are you waiting for?" She then starts for the door.

"I get what he sees in her." John says, and Dean smiles as he looks at them, then he closes the door behind him and Nyx. "She's good for him. I like her."

—

"Car trouble?" A woman asks, and Dean turns away from the Impala's engine to look at her. "Let me give you a lift. Take you back to my place."

"You know, I really don't think my girlfriend would like that very much." He says as Nyx walks over to them.

"She can come too."

"Sorry, honey. You're not my type." She tells the vampire as she walks up beside Dean.

"I usually draw the line at necrophilia anyway." Dean adds, and his girlfriend chuckles.

"Ooooh." The vampire slaps him across the face, and he falls to the ground.

"You b—" Nyx takes a step toward her, but another vampire grabs her from behind.

The first vamp then bends down and puts her hand under Dean's​ jaw before lifting him up off of the ground. "I don't normally get this friendly 'til the second date." He says as Nyx tries to get away from the guy that's holding her. He has her arms held behind​ her back.

"You know, we could have some fun. I always like to make new friends." The female vampire lowers Dean back down and kisses him, and the guy holding Nyx laughs as she starts fighting harder.

"Sorry, the only woman who's ever been able to keep my attention is standing behind me." Dean says, and she looks briefly over at Nyx.

They hear something whistle through the air, and then the guy behind Nycole groans as he lets go of her. The same thing that hit him, then hits the other vampire, and she lets go of Dean.

"Damn it." She says, and Dean quickly pulls Nyx to him. "Barely even stings." She tells John as he, Sam, and Jeremy walk out of the tree line.

"Give it time, sweetheart." John says as he looks at her. "That arrow's soaked in dead man's blood. It's like poison to you, isn't it?" She starts to fall, and Dean quickly catches her. "Load her up. I'll take care of this one."

Jeremy​, Sam, and Nycole follow after Dean as John decapitates the vampire that was holding his son's girlfriend. "Why does he get to do the fun part?" Nyx asks, and Sam laughs.

"Because he doesn't call it fun." He says.

"Fair enough." She shrugs and then they build a fire.

"Toss this on the fire. Saffron, skunks, cabbage, and trillium. It'll block our scent and hers until we're ready." John tells them.

"Stuff stinks." Sam says.

"Yeah, I think that's the idea." Nyx tells him, and he narrows his eyes as he looks at her.

"Dust your clothes with the ashes, and you'll stand a chance of not being detected." The boys' dad tells them.

"You sure they'll come after her?" Sam asks.

"Yeah. These vampires mate for​ life. She means more to the leader than the gun." He says. "But the blood sickness is gonna wear off soon. So, you don't have a lot of time."

"Half hour ought to do it."

"And then I want you out of the area as fast as you can." John tells them.

"But—"

"You can't take care of them all yourself." Dean cuts his brother off.

"I'll have her and the colt." He argues.

"But after — we're gonna meet up, right?" Sam asks. "Use the gun together, right?"

John doesn't answer.

"You're leaving again, aren't you? You still want to go after the demon alone?" He questions. "You know, I don't get you. You can't treat us like this."

"Like what?" John asks.

"Like children."

"You are my children. I'm trying to keep you safe."

"Dad, all due respect, but that's a bunch of crap." Dean says, much to all of their surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"You know what Sammy, Nyx, and I have been hunting. Hell, you sent us on a few hunting trips yourself. You can't be that worried about keeping us safe."

"It's not the same thing, Dean."

"Then what is it?" He questions. "Why do you want us out of the big fight?"

"This demon... It's a bad son of a bitch. I can't make the same moves if I'm worried about keeping you alive."

"You can't be as reckless."

"Look... I don't expect to make it out of this fight in one piece. Your mother's death... It almost killed me." He looks between Nyx and Dean, and then the four of them. "I can't watch my children and my son's girlfriend — or her family — die too. I won't."

"What happens if you die?" Dean asks him. "Dad, what happens if you die, and we could have done something about it? You know, I've been thinking. I think maybe Sammy's right about this one. I think we should do this together. We're stronger as a family, Dad. We just are. You know it."

"We're running out of time." He says as he looks​ at them. "You do your job, and you get out of the area. That's an order." He starts walking away.

"Yes, sur, drill sergeant, sir." Nycole says, and he stops, but doesn't turn around, then he continues walking away.

They get into their cars and go their separate ways from there. The four younger hunters clear out the nest and save the victims, but then they head out to help John instead of clearing out of the area like he ordered. They get there just in time to see the vampire that they'd kidnapped hit him. He flies backward, and Nyx raises the crossbow in her hand.

The brunette shoots one of the vampires that are watching the scene with John, and she groans in pain as she falls to the ground. They then run out of the trees toward the oldest Winchester, and Dean shoots another vampire as Nyx hears Sam go down. She picks up his machete and turns to face him and the vampire who has him.

"Don't!" The vampire yells, and she stops when she sees the position Sam's in. "I'll break his neck. Put the blade down."

She doesn't listen, so he squeezes Sam's throat, and he starts gasping. Nyx then takes one of her hands off the machete and drops it, letting it fall back to the ground. Jeremy and Dean walk up beside her, also unarmed.

"You people." The vampire says, looking between the three hunters. "Why can't you just leave us alone? We have as much right to live as you do."

"If only you knew the irony of that question." She mumbles as John walks up behind the vampire and his son.

"I don't think so." John says, and the vampire turns around.

He has the colt aimed at him and he shoots the vampire in the head. It lets go of Sam, who then stumbles backward, and Dean quickly steadies his brother. The vampire falls to his knees, and the one that the hunters had kidnapped screams his name. He then falls to the ground completely, dead.

The other two vampires get into a car as Nyx picks up the machete. They speed off, and John smiles as he looks at them. The colt really does work to kill anything.

The five of them then go back to the motel and start packing up their things. John walks into their room later, and they all turn to face him.

"So, boys. Nycole..." He stands in front of the four of them.

"Yes, sir." Sam's the first to address him.

"You ignored a direct order back there."

"Yes, sir."

"But we saved your​ ass." Dean says, and Nyx looks up at him, surprised again.

"You're right." John says, and that surprises all of them even more.

"I am?"

"It scares the hell out of me. You two are all I've got." He says. "But I guess we are stronger as a family. So... We go after this damn thing...together."

"Yes, sir." His sons agree.

John then looks at Nyx and Jeremy. "I'd say this isn't​ your fight, but I have a feeling I know what you would say." He says, and she just smiles. "So, it's your choice, you can help us or you can go home to your​ family."

"I'm staying." She tells him, but then she turns to Jeremy. "But you should go home."

"No." He quickly argues.

"Jeremy, we haven't had much time to look into what's happening to you, and now we're going to have even less. I know you've technically​ worked a few jobs with us even though you weren't supposed to, but this is different." She says.

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is. This isn't ghosts or vampires, this is demons. As in creatures from actual hell." She tells him. "You​ can't stay here."

"If you can, I can."

"Jeremy, one of these things has already threatened to kill you, and you weren't​ even here. Put yourself in my shoes for a second."

"Put yourself in mine." He says as he looks down at her, and her expression softens. "I'm just supposed to walk out of here and leave my pregnant sister to fight a demon?"

"Stop using these babies as a reason for why I can't or shouldn't do something. They are not a handicap, Jeremy." She argues.

"No, it's adding two more family members that I stand to lose." He says. "We lost Mom and Dad a year ago. I lost Vicki and Anna. We just buried Jenna and John less than two months ago. I'm not going back to Mystic Falls if you aren't going too. I'm just not."

"That's what this is about, isn't it? That's why you wanted to come out here." She realizes. "It wasn't about seeing Vicki or Anna. You're afraid that I'm not gonna come home."

"Can you really blame me?"

"Jer—"

"If them being together makes them stronger, why do you think us staying together makes you weaker?"

"Because it does, Jeremy."

"So, teach me." He says. "Make me better at this. I can help you guys."

She sighs as she looks at him. "You can stay...for now. But you're going back next month before school starts. Even if I have to have Ric come out here and drag your​ ass home." She tells him.

"Deal." He agrees, and she takes a deep breath.

"I am so gonna regret this." She shakes her head. "You know Elena's gonna kill us both, right?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"If you feel you must." She nods.

"If I had a girlfriend and she were pregnant, would you consider her and the baby your family?" He asks.

"Of course."

"So, why do you seem to be under the impression that it's any different for me?"

Nyx hesitates for a second, letting what he just said sink in. "Are you saying you consider Dean your family?"

"You've been living with him for a year now, and he's the father to my nieces or nephews or whatever." He says, and smirks as she glances toward Dean. "So, yeah, he's family now, Nycole."

"Are you sure you're only fifteen?" She asks, and he smiles at her.

"I'm more mature than you are." He says as he tries to hug her.

"Yeah, right. Get off of me, you baby gorilla." The older girl says, and he starts laughing.

"So..." John speaks up again, and they all look over at him. "Were you two ever gonna tell me that I'm gonna be a grandfather?"

Dean and Nyx look at each other and then back at his dad, both a little speechless.

"Yeah, Dean!" Nyx suddenly says, lightly smacking his arm. "Why didn't you tell your dad? Mine knew."

"Hey, Bonnie's the one who told John!" He argues. "And the doctor in Missouri told Ric."

"Klaus told Jenna, Jeremy told John..." She stifles a laugh. "We're really bad at this." She says, and he chuckles.

"Hey, wasn't it Meg who told Dean?" Sam asks, and she starts laughing a little harder.

"Hey, Dad." Dean looks over at John again. "Nyx is pregnant with twins. She's a little over five months along, and we have no idea if they're boys or girls. We want to wait until they're born to find out." He tells him.

Nyx lifts the shirt she's wearing — one of Dean's — to reveal the skin-tight tank-top she's wearing as she looks down at her slowly growing bump. "We also can't agree on any names." She adds.

"I keep telling them that Sam's a good name." Sam interjects. "Or Samantha if one of them ends up being a girl."

"And I told you to let it go." His brother says, placing a hand on her bump. "Are they awake?"

"Jeremy is a great name." The youngest says, and his sister looks at him.

"You keep dreamin', buddy." Nyx tells him, and he laughs as she looks up at her boyfriend. "Of course they're awake. I think they sleep about as much as you do." She says, and he smiles when he feels a kick.

John chuckles as he looks between the four of them. "Babies, huh?" His gaze then settles on Nyx as Dean pulls his shirt down to cover her belly. "Winchester or Gilbert?"

"Oh, Winchester. No question." She smiles​ as Dean looks down at her.

"You never told me that." Her boyfriend says.

"You never asked."

"You don't want them to have your name?"

"If you were some pathetic deadbeat, then yeah." She says. "But you've been more help than I knew I needed since the second you found out. And if there was ever even a moment that you considered high tailing it to Timbuktu, you never let me see it. Of course they should have your name."

Dean smiles as he reaches up and rests his hands on either side of her face; he brushes her hair behind her ears. "You're amazing, you know that?" He asks, and she smiles.

"You wanna know something?" She asks, and he motions for her to continue. "I hated John for most of my life, and I hated finding out that he was mine and Elena's father, but... I'm glad I have his name. He really did do everything that he did because he believed it was best for us. Maybe he didn't always make the best decisions, but he wasn't the worst father. And I'm alive right now because of him. All three of us are." She says as she rubs her hand over her baby bump.

"Loving him like a father won't take anything away from your dad. You know that, right?" He asks, and she nods.

"I know."

"If you wanted to name one of them after him, we could." He tells her. "Johnathan, or maybe Jane."

"I appreciate that, but no." She shakes her head. "I think you're right, they should have their own names. They should be one hundred percent their own."

"Are you two open to suggestions?" John asks, and they both look over at him.

"Definitely." Nyx nods as Dean wraps his arms around her.

"I always liked the name Alexander." He says. "And it means defender of men, so it's fitting for a Winchester. Hunter or not."

"It's fitting for a Gilbert too." Jeremy adds.

"I like that." Dean says, and she nods.

"Me too." Nyx smiles.

"Oh my God, they agreed on a name." Sam says, and Jeremy starts laughing. "Now, we just have to hope that they have at least one boy."

She looks at him. "Shut up or I'm gonna start calling you Samantha." She says, and he narrows his eyes at her.

Dean starts laughing as he hugs his girlfriend and kisses the top of her head. She sticks her tongue out at Sam as she wraps her arms around Dean, and Jeremy starts laughing along with Dean because of Sam's expression. John smiles as he looks between the four of them.