This chapter is dedicated entirely to deangirl1 for many reasons, and not all named. The beginning because she asked for it. The end because she requested it as part of her prize in winning the "Dean tells Sasha" writing contest, and a certain other something at the end because it just seemed right and I know she has been waiting for it. Take your time, my dear.

Part 7: This Means War

The kisses were soft, light and tender as they pressed against Dean's arm and traveled up to his shoulder. Dean shivered when the kisses reached his collarbone, feathering across his neck before a wet tongue swiped over his Adam's apple. Dean hummed. He thought at first he might be dreaming—he had definitely been asleep when the kisses started—but as he came to, the sensations became more and more vivid.

Sasha was kissing Dean's jaw line and a soft-skinned hand had come up to rest on Dean's stomach, caressing up Dean's chest past his bandages, petting gently over his neck and then trailing down Dean's arm. When Sasha's kisses brought the incubus to Dean's ear, he slowly pulled the lobe into his mouth and sucked.

Dean hummed again. He was still half asleep and hadn't yet opened his eyes, but a hand moved unconsciously to Sasha's back and ran Dean's own callused fingers over the expanse of Sasha's shoulder blades.

Unfairly, Sasha pulled away at Dean's touch, lifting up just enough so that Dean's hand fell from his back. Dean responded with a whine that sounded much more like a groan and he still didn't open his eyes. But then Dean felt his hand being lifted, the same hand that had tried to seek out Sasha's skin, and before Dean could fall back into dozing, he felt unexpected wetness envelop one of his fingers.

This time Dean's hum fell into a moan and he shifted restlessly. God, that tongue and the hot, wonderful mouth that went with it. The feeling sent jolts of pleasure straight to Dean's groin. He had tossed his shrunken shorts aside before climbing into bed that night, sleeping in the buff because really what did it matter?

Dean was grateful for his bare skin now. He could feel Sasha's lean naked body all against his side, and while Dean's mind wasn't entirely awake yet, his lower half certainly was. Dean grinned to himself as he thought, so was Sasha's.

Pulling his lips slowly from Dean's finger, Sasha moved onto the next one, taking it into his mouth and sucking hard. Dean could practically feel his friend's smile even as the incubus teased him. Dean tried to will himself awake, but there was something strangely evocative about Sasha's ministrations while Dean was only half conscious, and finally Dean just decided to go with it.

Sasha's hand hadn't stopped moving, caressing down Dean's side and up again, brushing teasingly over a nipple at the edge of Dean's bandages. Unconsciously—because all of Dean's actions were unconscious still—Dean shifted his hips and felt Sasha's wet heat slide over his thigh. Dean tried to turn towards it, wanting Sasha closer, for all that wonderful skin to surround him. Sasha seemed to understand and released Dean's finger with a wet pop. Then the incubus was moving, pulling Dean onto his side so that they faced each other and there was no mistaking how awake both of their bodies were now.

A month ago Dean would have shied away from this kind of intimate contact—probably would have run to be honest—but now Dean sought it out, pressing his hips forward to feel the heat between them burn as they met tightly together.

It was the blissful sigh Sasha released that finally got Dean to open his eyes. Tiredness and Sasha's close proximity made it difficult for Dean to make out any more than the surreal blue glowing back at him, but that was enough. Sasha's breathing sounded deafeningly loud when the incubus slid his face against Dean's, brushing their cheeks together and shuddering as he too pressed his hips forward.

Dean found it impossible not to grind against Sasha's hip then as Sasha did the same against him, their erections teasing past each other. Sasha's hands were at Dean's sides now and he slid them around to Dean's back and lower down the rounded curve of Dean's rear. As Sasha jerked Dean against him with that new grip, Dean's hands sought out Sasha too.

There was space between their chests for Dean's sake, so Dean pressed the flat of his palms to Sasha's pecks, grinning sideways to himself about the missing flesh he was once so used to and very found of actually. Dean decided he liked the difference too, however, this firm muscle, this body that belonged to him.

Sliding his hands down Sasha's stomach, Dean reveled in the incubus' soft skin, soon moving his hands around to Sasha's backside as well, jerking their hips together once again. It was so easy after that, grinding mindlessly together.

Sasha turned his face towards Dean and kissed Dean's cheek, whispering sweet words and promises that lost their meaning on Dean's hazy, sleepy brain, but that were still somehow understood so that it made Dean smile.

It was pure need that brought Dean's mouth to Sasha's neck, sucking hard and biting just firmly enough to make Sasha gasp. Their hips retained a rhythm and Dean knew, dazed as he was, that he wouldn't last much longer.

Dean wondered if he murmured that aloud because Sasha said just beside his ear, "Do I make you lose control, Dean?" all teasing, breathy words.

"Hell yeah, baby," Dean breathed in reply, his own words slurred from sleep but audible, "I make you crazy too?"

Sasha growled out that low sexy purr in reply and Dean was done. Sasha moaned as Dean's heat struck him, making his own thrusts easier with the added wetness. Still, Sasha lasted a good while longer and Dean didn't mind at all since it kept Sasha close and allowed Dean full access to all that soft skin he loved so much.

Dean ran his hands everywhere he could reach, memorizing it all like this was the only chance they were ever going to get, because after all it always could be. Dean kissed everywhere too, up Sasha's neck, over his pretty face, and finally finding those lips, soft, pliant, and giving under Dean's pressure.

When Sasha came minutes later, he echoed the sensation back to Dean like a muted form of sharing the circuit the way they had the other night, and it made Dean tremble all over again. If it weren't for the mess between their bodies afterwards, Dean might have fallen back into blissful sleep right then.

"Good morning," Sasha purred.

Dean let out a throaty laugh. "If you call that good…then what the hell's a great morning?" he said. As his vision focused and he pulled back, Dean saw easily the answering smile on Sasha's face.

"Well…we gotta clean up somehow," Sasha said in his lower incubus-tinged voice.

Damn.

"Not as much fun with these, I know," Sasha clarified, touching a hand gently to Dean's bandages, where Dean ached a little since he hadn't been able to stop himself from pressing into Sasha entirely, "But that doesn't mean I wouldn't mind the view of your wet. Naked. Body. Hmm?" Sasha finished.

Well, fuck, that Dean could supply. He pulled further away to glance down Sasha's body as well. He could also definitely agree to the appeal of seeing all that bare skin wet in the shower. "I could use some help dressing these wounds again, I suppose," Dean said, feeling more awake now, "And hey, if it's early enough, I know just what we can do afterwards."

Sasha smirked.

Dean hated to disappoint the incubus, but what he had in mind was not what Sasha was thinking.

As it turned out, it was early enough, and Jo was still sleeping when they snuck into her room. It may seem like minor payback in some circles, but Dean couldn't resist the classic prank. He hoped they had managed to snag all of Jo's bras and that Ellen wouldn't be too upset if she found them in the freezer.

The evidence was pretty clear through Jo's tank top that the prank had been a success, and Dean grinned at her across the breakfast table. "Bit chilly today, huh?"

Jo's returning glare spoke of all kinds of homicidal thoughts. Then her expression fell to a sinister smile as she said, "Sitting a little uncomfortable there, Dean?"

Since Ellen had already excused herself to begin her day's work, Dean had absolutely no qualms about his reply. "Actually," he said, leaning back in his chair and shifting contentedly, "It's kinda refreshing. Going commando and all."

Sasha snickered.

Sam rolled his eyes.

Jo scowled murder again.

"Well, time to get to work, eh, kids?" Dean said with a wink. Sam and Sasha had to work on the rooms with the wall they had knocked down, Jo had her allotted errands, and Dean was supposed to help out Ellen again.

Dean stood up from the table and gave a whistle to Wally. She had been dozing under the table throughout breakfast, occasionally looking up at someone with her large, pleading eyes in hopes that they might drop her a scrap. Dean scooped her up and set her on his shoulder as he headed off to find Ellen, feeding Wally the jam-covered crust off his remaining toast. There was the smallest spring to his step as he walked.

It was going to be a good day.

And it was, until Jo asked Dean some time during the afternoon to check some of the windows in one of the rooms that had apparently been sticking. What Jo didn't mention was that they had also just been freshly painted. Dean exited the room with a firm scowl and white paint all up his arms and on his shirt.

Sam pleaded with Dean to leave things be. Two pranks each—they were even. But even had never been Dean's cue for calling it quits, and it certainly wouldn't be now. Sasha was also reluctant to get pulled into the pranking again, but he still gave Dean a helpful hint regarding a possible new prank on Jo.

Despite her strong tolerance for most things—being able to drink almost any male hunter under the table for instance—Jo could regrettably not handle spicy foods worth a damn. Dean had to grin when Sasha told him. That was an easy one.

It was too close to dinner time that night, but the next night Dean made himself particularly handy in the kitchen—dinner was chili, so it couldn't be more perfect—and he may or may not have made a few changes to the recipe in Jo's helping. She teared up so fast it was priceless, and her face went as red as Sasha's hair. She didn't even question what had happened; Jo glared right across the table at Dean.

Unfortunately for Sasha, he had a ready glass of milk for her, and since Jo knew that Sasha knew about her intolerance for all things spicy, she immediately turned that glare onto him. That led to what Dean considered to be the highlight of the current prank wars, if only because he found out a rather amusing secret of Sasha's.

It all began with a scream the following day that Dean could only describe as emasculating. He and Sam had finally been painting that last room, the upstairs lounge. Meanwhile, Sasha had gone to take a shower after cleaning out the attic of Wally's nest and scavenged items, to which the creature pouted but allowed because it was explained to her that if she wanted to keep her new nest of blankets in Ellen's room, and the free food, then she had to behave.

Hearing Sasha's scream from the bathroom sent Sam and Dean racing for Sasha and Dean's room, imagining all sorts of possible horrors considering their usual repertoire. They entered to find Sasha clutching a towel to himself that barely covered him, and looking strangely spooked.

"Dude, you just see a ghost or accidentally cut off a limb?" Dean asked, "You're sheet white." Which would be less spectacular were Sasha in his incubus form, but currently he wasn't.

Sasha turned to Sam and Dean, chewing his lip nervously. "Nothing," the incubus managed, "It's…nothing." He didn't sound very convincing.

"You scream bloody murder and it's nothing?" Dean questioned.

Sasha's expression shifted very quickly from nervous to embarrassed. "It didn't sound that bad, did it?"

"Sasha," Sam demanded with some impatience.

That did the trick, just as Sam's business voice always did, but when Sasha spoke again it was clearly reluctant. "There's…a spider in the shower," he said as quickly as possible, as if he hoped he wouldn't be understood and then the matter would be dropped.

Oh, but Sam and Dean had heard him alright, and Dean's entire expression cracked as laughter bubbled up within him. "There's. A spider. In the shower?" he repeated, barely managing to form the words, "Are—" Dean choked on a chuckle, "Are you serious?"

Sasha's face had become entirely distraught. "It's huge!" he defended, "And it's winter, for crying out loud, they should all be dead!"

By now Dean had turned to Sam, having to clutch his brother's arm to keep from falling to the floor. They laughed so long and hard that the sound joined together and became one loud, unified Winchester guffaw. When they finally stilled, Sasha was all and out pouting at them. He had also thankfully situated the towel better around himself to free his arms.

"I hate spiders," Sasha grumbled, like it justified everything.

Dean sensed the tension that had been created only too easily. "Come on, don't be pissed," he said, walking up to Sasha who immediately crossed his arms, "If it makes you feel any better Sammy here would near piss his pants if he came face to face with Bozo the clown."

"Hey!"

Sasha snorted despite himself but he still didn't uncurl from his defensive stance.

For a moment Dean felt like he was ten years old, sent to the front lines by little six year old Sammy to handle some unknown bug and be the kid's hero. It was just plain funny though that Sasha was a grown man. Well, actually…

"Dude, you're an incubus," Dean pointed out, "Couldn't you just go all claw foot and squish the thing?"

Sasha made a face. "Gross."

It took all of Dean's willpower not to start laughing again. In fact, he definitely heard a small chuckle escape Sam. "Look," Dean said, smiling as charmingly as he could, "Dean'll take care of the big bad spider." Dean then promptly turned into the bathroom, smirking to himself over Sasha's affronted huff, and went for the shower.

A minute later he returned from the bathroom grinning even wider and chucked the spider right at Sasha, to which the incubus all but shrieked, "Dean!"

"Relax, you big girl," Dean said, reaching down to pick the spider back up again from where it had dropped, "It's plastic. See?" he said, holding it out towards Sasha. It was also barely the size of a penny. "Sasha, you totally fell for one of the oldest pranks ever. Jo got you good."

At first Sasha just blinked at the plastic spider, something anyone could get their hands on come Halloween and certainly not anything worth screaming over.

"Guess she blamed you for the chili thing," Dean smirked.

Needless to say, Sam and Dean had to give Jo her due credit for the prank and retold the story in superfluous detail. Sasha scowled throughout of course, but he couldn't deny any of what happened.

At least at first.

"It was huge!" Sam called mockingly.

"It had antlers!" Dean joined in.

"And wings!"

"And breathed fire!"

"Oh come on!" Sasha protested then, since his manhood had been called into question a little too much since the incident, "Everyone has something stupid they're afraid of. Arachnophobia? Hello?"

A valid point, but that didn't mean they were going to let up. It was fun for Dean teaming up with Sam instead of always having Sam as the target. It reminded Dean of when they both pranked those idiots in West Texas who actually thought they were real ghost hunters.

Considering how things had turned out, Dean was more than willing to let this current incarnation of the prank wars end now. However, he should have known that an incubus scorned was far worse than any woman.

Jo was the first to receive Sasha's revenge, and in much the same way as she had gotten him. Apparently, Sasha had discovered all sorts of interesting things while cleaning out the attic, including a rubber snake that found its way into Jo's bed.

Dean got a good laugh over that, and even more of one over the next prank when the old circus poster Sasha found ended up on Sam's ceiling, just above his bed. Sam didn't notice until he woke up the next morning, but his scream, Dean decided, was far more emasculating than Sasha's had been.

So really, Dean should have expected that Sasha would at last turn on him, but the incubus had been acting so normal, smiling and flirting casually, stealing kisses in the hallways between chores, and almost always wanting to get friskier at night. So, to his discredit, Dean was rather surprised when he woke up in the middle of the night to the feel of cold wind.

"Jesus!" Dean cried, his entire body tensing as he opened his eyes and took stock of how he was not only outside but at least 200 feet in the air, "Sasha!" Dean cried then, realizing that he wasn't falling or dreaming but was still within all of his rights to freak out, "What the hell!"

Sasha was carrying Dean just as he had the night the incubus almost died, with a grip on Dean's biceps so that Dean hung wildly over the expanse of nothing below them—naked. "You know I won't drop you, Dean," Sasha said too sweetly even in his growly voice, "Just thought you could use a little…perspective."

"Perspective…got it! Definitely have perspective!" Dean called out, close to hysterics he was so shaken by being woken up this way.

It was close enough to dawn that the landscape was lightening and Dean could see that they weren't all that far from the Roadhouse really, but still far enough from town that they shouldn't be spotted. That didn't really make Dean feel any better though.

"I'll never make fun of you like that again, okay! Just land! Something! Anything!"

"Wow," Sasha said, so damn calm it made Dean grit his teeth, "If I'd have known it would be this easy to get you to do whatever I wanted I would have tried it sooner."

"Sasha!"

"I'm kidding. Dean," Sasha said as he swooped down, releasing Dean and catching him again almost simultaneously so that Dean ended up in Sasha's arms, bride-over-the-threshold style, "You're such a wuss sometimes. Maybe I just wanted an excuse to fly with you again, ever think of that?"

Dean scowled at being called a wuss, despite how he was now clinging to Sasha's neck for dear life. "Right. So this has nothing to do with the spider thing?" Dean said skeptically.

"Well…I wouldn't say that."

A scream choked out of Dean as Sasha suddenly dove, holding Dean close against his warm body, but not so much that Dean didn't want to claw at Sasha's shoulders and scrunch himself as small and tight as possible. "I hate you," Dean chanted, "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you…"

"No you don't," Sasha said, and Dean could hear the incubus' grin, "Open your eyes again, Dean," he said. Dean hadn't even realized his eyes were shut. "You couldn't be any safer than you are right now. I won't crash. I won't drop you. I won't let anything happen to you." Sasha's voice turned so tender at the end that Dean had no choice but to listen.

He opened his eyes to the sight of a marble-white chest at first, but slowly he turned to look out, past Sasha's hold on him at the landscape and sky around them. They were headed back to the Roadhouse. Dean could still see some stars in the sky above them, a sky so strangely close, and the fast movement of the ground passing beneath them wasn't quite as scary when Dean was as encompassed as he was.

"We should do this more often," Sasha said quietly, "I used to only go flying when I was…home."

To be honest, much as Dean minded the height less and less as they flew, he wasn't sure he would ever look forward to flying like this, but for Sasha's sake he said, "Yeah. Sure. Only…next time could you maybe give me a little warning? And some pants?"

Sasha laughed. "We'll see."

They touched down a few minutes later on the area of flat roof outside Sam's window. Dean was just glad the kid's curtains were closed.

"You really hate me?" Sasha asked with a crooked grin, setting Dean down on his feet carefully, his longer incubus hair even wilder than usual from the wind, "Coz you did kind of deserve it."

Dean huffed. Then shivered. "It's like thirty degrees out here. Maybe worse," he complained, "I don't hate ya yet, but you pull any of that shit again and I can't make any promises. Between you and Sam, and I am so due for some mutant powers," he added with a grumble, shivering again.

"Cold, huh?" Sasha said, rather than address anything else Dean had said, "I can help with that." The incubus walked closer to Dean and suddenly Dean was enveloped all over again, pulled in tight to Sasha's chest as those large black wings swooped down to wrap around them. "And we're even. No more incubus stuff. Well…nothing you haven't already given your approval of anyway," Sasha whispered within their embrace.

Dean wanted to be upset, he had every right to be upset, because dangling naked above the ground was so worse than being teased about spider fear. Still, Dean wasn't oblivious to how Sasha genuinely wanted Dean apart of all these aspects of the incubus in him. "How do you manage to stay so warm out here?" Dean asked against Sasha's pale chest, loving not only the way those strong arms had a hold on him, but how the wings created the most amazing protective blanket that made Dean feel unfairly safe.

"Incubus," Sasha shrugged, "Better at regulating temperature. Guess I'm still handy to have around then, huh?"

Dean looked up at Sasha's face, the incubus being so much taller like this, maybe an inch or two taller than Sam because of those raptor feet. "You're determined to break me of my fear of flying aren't you?" Dean said with a wary smirk.

"Yep. Have to. It would seem too wrong for you to hate flying when you're dating someone who flies naturally."

"Dating?" Dean repeated slyly.

"You come up with another term, you let me know," Sasha smiled, and then he was leaning down, red eyes and fangs and all, to capture Dean's lips.

Dean tried not to be too obvious at how his heart gave a little jump and his stomach flipped excitedly. Whatever it was about Sasha's monstrous incubus form that turned him on so much, Dean wasn't really sure, but he knew he liked pretty much every detail, even the claws that slid away from being wrapped around his back to harshly grip biceps instead.

Soft lips touched Dean's firmly and there were those fangs that Dean just had to tongue a little, loving the light tickle, the danger that was never really there. Dean lifted up onto his toes, feeling like a girl for it, sure, but not caring much about that when it was how he made it easier to wrap his arms around Sasha and reach up to touch where Sasha's wings sprouted out of his back.

There was no guide to incubus pressure points, at least as far as Dean knew, but Dean figured it was worth trying to find some, and he massaged over that spot where the wings started, feeling like skin and tightly knit tendons. The area was small considering how broad Sasha's wings were further out. As Dean pressed his fingers into the rough but still smooth skin, Sasha purred low and deep before releasing a moan that had a tinge of growl in it too.

At risk of the prank wars going too far, Dean decided that he did not have to get Sasha back for this. But he would definitely remind the incubus several times that it was just plain unfair to use any incubus things against him. Using incubus things for him, though…so entirely different.

Dean gave a great shiver within their kiss and Sasha suddenly pulled away. "We should get back inside. Don't want you getting sick," the incubus said.

"Sure, now you're worried about that," Dean grumbled, "You couldn't have thought that far ahead before dangling me naked over the Missouri landscape?"

Sasha just laughed. "Come on."

When they got back inside, using their own window which had a slanted roof below it but was easy enough for Sasha, the incubus immediately started shifting back into his human form.

Apparently, Dean must have been wearing a look of disappointment or something, because Sasha tilted his head at Dean and said, "You like me that way," not as a question, but as a very pleased and surprised statement.

"Haven't I said that before? Coz if not, man, fuck are you hot like that." Realization of what he had just said hit Dean hard, and he had to roll his eyes at himself, rubbing his hand across his face. "God, I am such a freak."

"I don't mind," Sasha said softly, suddenly very close to Dean again, right in his personal space, "Us freaks gotta stick together right?" Sasha grinned, reminding Dean of his own words way back when they allowed Sasha into the Impala from out of the rain, already knowing then that they wouldn't be splitting up again any time soon.

When Sasha pulled Dean into a kiss, Dean immediately felt that tickle of fangs again. He really couldn't help it as the naughty part of his brain started wondering what it would be like to…

Knock. Knock.

"Early day, boys!" called Jo's voice, though at least this time she didn't come inside, "Gotta get these chores finished before you leave tomorrow! Up, up, up!" Jo knocked again.

Dean grimaced. He was definitely up. "Enough already, you god damn harpy!" Dean yelled back to the door, "Ten minutes! Geez!" Dean would have preferred to ask for fifteen or twenty, but he knew that would sound too obvious.

Jo yelled some kind of agreement and then her voice dimmed as she went for Sam's door.

Dean turned back to Sasha and immediately saw those damnably beautiful red eyes, the fangs just barely visible since Sasha's mouth was slightly open. "Mmmm…yeah, I'm definitely a freak," Dean hummed.

"Ten minutes?" Sasha prompted, "What are we going to do with ten minutes?"

Neither of them really needed a shower right that morning, and throwing on clothes would take them all of two seconds at most. Dean grinned. "I'm sure we can think of something."

The prank wars should have ended. Really. But as it was, Jo and Sam decided they didn't get that memo and teamed up to get Sasha back one last time. That couldn't have been a bigger mistake. Not because of Sasha's retaliation, but because things didn't exactly go as planned.

Dean knew nothing about the prank until the aftermath, but it was more or less his fault that things went wrong. Sam had asked Sasha to carry the last of the paint buckets out to the shed, something Ellen was grateful for having since there were some things she just didn't want kept in the storage room. Sasha had all but agreed when Dean asked if the incubus would help him haul the last of the wood from one of the rooms first. When Sasha said, "Sure," Ellen volunteered to carry the paint instead.

After seeing the looks of sudden panic on Sam and Jo's faces, Dean knew immediately that something was up. Ellen's sudden shriek after disappearing outside the door was pretty good confirmation too.

Sam and Jo stood frozen as Dean and Sasha ran for the door. Ellen was stomping back inside before either of them could reach it though, covered head to toe in various colors of paint. Sam and Jo had not only slicked the sidewalk, but they had—naturally—set up a bucket of paint above the door.

"Which. One of you?" Ellen seethed, looking first to Dean.

"It was totally them," Dean defended, pointing at Sam and Jo.

The guilty pair immediately fell into apologies and explanations, but Ellen held up a hand to silence them. "I don't. Want to know. You four have been at this all week. I think we can agree that the fun is over. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am," they said in near unison.

"Good." Ellen wiped her face, flicking a glob of paint to the floor. "And somebody better clean up whatever mess I leave behind me." With that Ellen marched towards the stairs, leaving a substantial trail of paint in her wake.

Once they had finished several extra chores along with what they had planned for that day, the group was actually able to call it an early night. The Roadhouse was in fairly good shape, and Dean, Sam, and Sasha would be leaving for Texas the next day. Dean's wounds felt a lot better too, but he would still have to deal with them for a bit longer.

Figured.

"Ow!" Dean shook his hand and brought the back of it up to his lips to suck on a fresh cut, "Nails are so cheating."

"Says the sore loser," Jo smiled, scooping up the last of Dean's cards, "Another round?" she asked the others. The four younger hunters had been gathered on the floor of the main downstairs lounge playing Egyptian Rat Screw for at least an hour, and Jo had definitely been dominating.

"Gotta win back my pride somehow," Dean shrugged.

Sasha and Sam nodded. There were sometimes when acting half ones age was rewarding, especially since they couldn't prank each other anymore.

Jo had just started to ask the boys about their next hunt when they first heard the noise. All of them immediately froze. It was a soft howl maybe, like a wolf or a coyote. Dean turned to Wally, the only animal—kind of—that they knew about, but she was curled up on Sasha's crossed legs. Then there was a sound like a crack, loud enough to shake the walls, and the howling growing suddenly louder.

They all had the same thought at the same time. Shit! The Roadhouse was under attack! In seconds the group was in the other room, grabbing weapons from behind the bar, with Wally running upstairs to hide.

Jo grabbed the EMF meter from behind the bar too, and flicked it on. "Holy shit!" she called. The EMF readings were insane. Not surprisingly considering how the howling and ruckus outside was growing louder. EMF didn't only mean ghosts either.

"What is it?" Sam yelled over the increasing noise. Jo had set the EMF meter on the bar's countertop as the four armed hunters took flanking positions around the front door. The noise seemed to be coming from all around them, but especially from there.

"Mom!" Jo called suddenly, and despite her fighting disposition there was an edge of panic in her voice. They hadn't seen Ellen since dinner.

"What are we armed with!" Dean yelled to distract Jo's attention. They also really needed to know that information since none of the guns were theirs.

"Uh," Jo glanced at each of the weapons in turn quickly, "Iron," she said with a tilt of her own, "Rock salt for Sasha. Sam, silver. Dean…sanctified lead, I think."

"Sanctified lead?" Dean repeated, staring at his gun.

Jo shrugged. "Has crosses etched into the tips. Covers all basis," she said with a gesture at all of them.

True enough. "Sasha, take point," Dean ordered, "Let's hope ghosts first, or at least something that hates salt. We got your back." Dean positioned himself behind Sasha then with a nod at Jo to join him, leaving Sam to take up the rear.

The sounds continued to grow around them as they moved for the door, more rancorous and menacing than Dean could ever remember, at least not so suddenly like this. It made fear bubble up within. This couldn't be happening now. Not here. Not when they should have been safe with the Roadhouse as a sanctuary. It couldn't be demons already, could it? Had they found the Roadhouse again only to burn it down to the ground once more, forever lost?

Sasha reached the door and gripped the handle, ready with his shotgun of rock salt. Dean felt a sudden panic choke him and just as Sasha threw the door open, Dean reached out to pull the incubus back. Sasha stumbled into Dean, and Dean took aim at the darkness in his stead, his over-protectiveness having taken over. But it wasn't darkness or demons that found itself at the end of Dean's gun.

It was a grinning, satisfied Ellen Harvelle.

"Well done, children," she said, stepping inside with a remote control that she clicked towards the jukebox, shutting off all of that insane noise instantly. There was also an extra speaker behind her outside the entrance. "Rigged the EMF too. Had that been an actual attack," she continued, "I'm sure you would have lasted at least a few minutes longer. Dean, bring that in for me, will you?" she said then, plopping the remote in Dean's free hand before heading seemingly up to bed.

They all gaped for a few minutes before Dean finally barked out a short laugh and said, "Were we just out-pranked by a mom?"

Jo snorted.

Sam gave a great, relieved sigh and smiled.

Sasha turned to Dean and patted his shoulder. "Yep," the incubus said, "Doesn't get much lamer than that. We finished then? Honestly, guys?" Sasha asked of the others.

"I didn't want to start in the first place," Sam grumbled.

"Yeah," Jo said, "It wasn't really fun anymore anyway."

Sasha turned back to Dean. "Dean?"

Dean grinned. "Sure," then, "At least for the next hundred miles."

Another sigh escaped Sam as the younger Winchester said very exasperatingly, "I really hate it when he says that."

The next morning was it—time to say goodbye. They had stayed long enough to help and to at least get Dean used to his medication so that he wouldn't be a complete lump while he continued recovering. They couldn't waste any more time though. There were people out there who needed saving and demons to track down. Dean also had only about four and a half months left to live. Every second counted.

Before they left Sasha called everyone together into the bar area and had Wally stand where everyone could see her.

"I think we have this down, Ellen, if you'll give us a chance," Sasha said.

Ellen nodded. "Just so long as she isn't any trouble. Let's see it then."

"You gonna glamour her?" Dean asked before Sasha could continue.

The incubus shook his head. "I could, but it would wear off as soon as I got too far away. There are limitations. No, I had something else in mind. See, since I figured she had some tanuki in her, I thought maybe I could train her to shapeshift since they're known to do that. It wasn't easy, and I had to pick something that looks as close as possible to how she really is, but…ready, Wally?" he turned to the little ball of fluff.

A chirp responded and the chimera gave a little jump.

"Okay," Sasha said, "What do you do if you see anyone other than one of us?" he asked, indicating those gathered around her.

Wally chirped again. Then with another little jump she suddenly wasn't Wally anymore but was instead a very small, plump, and fluffy grey tabby cat.

"Ta da," Sasha smiled.

"That's awesome," Dean said, crouching down and calling Wally over to him, who bounded into his arms happily, "I wouldn't know the difference at all," Dean admitted, petting the purring cat in his arms.

"And she can change back when it's just the two of you," Sasha said to Ellen and Jo, "If she sees anyone but us she knows to be a cat. You can tell her to keep the transformation constant when someone's staying here longer too. So…you gonna keep her, Ellen?"

All eyes immediately turned from the new grey cat to the owner of the Roadhouse. Even under all that scrutiny, Ellen allowed a smile and stepped over to Dean to pat Wally on the head. "You know the rules?" she asked the chimera sternly, despite her retained smile.

Wally meowed in response so the others just had to laugh.

"Fine by me then," Ellen said, plucking Wally out of Dean's arms, "But if we have any trouble," she said to Sasha, "You're the first one I'm calling."

"Any time," Sasha smiled.

It wasn't long after that that the Impala was pretty much packed and goodbyes had been made, quick and painless since the boys promised to stop by every time they were passing through. Jo even pecked Dean on the cheek. They were one strange family, that was certain. Jo also promised that she might just have to drop in on them some time, regardless of any disapproving looks from her mother.

Sam was grabbing the last of his things from upstairs—and taking forever—while Dean and Sasha organized the trunk. Their things just weren't fitting as well for some reason.

"Here, I'll just make things simpler," Sasha said, grabbing the guitar case, "Been meaning to get some practice in anyway. Would you mind, or do you think Sam would mind at all if I plucked away in the backseat for awhile?"

That was an easy question to answer. "Go nuts, man. I'm sure Sammy will welcome any change to having to listen to my music for a while. Putz. Besides, you do know that I'm driving again, right? Been missing my baby." Dean pat the trunk lovingly, leaving it open for when Sam came finally to toss in his things. It was a clear, cold day, but cloudless, so no threat of snow.

Sasha laughed. "Like I'd ever come between you and your car." The incubus thought for a moment then. "Getting you to come in the car, however…"

"Down, tiger," Dean smirked, much as he liked that idea. They climbed into the Impala then, Dean up front and Sasha in the back—after Sasha had stolen quick kiss of course—and continued to wait for Sam.

It wasn't long before Dean heard experimental strumming from the backseat. It was soothing. Dean definitely wouldn't mind driving to the sounds of Sasha playing the guitar, especially when he started to recognize just what song Sasha was turning acoustic. It made Dean grin. A man after Dean's own heart, surely.

The whole thing was even better when Sasha started to sing.

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Metallica was meant to be played and sung in the Impala, like the music was apart of the car, just as both were so much apart of Dean. Dean smirked to think that Sasha fit in well with all that too. Part of Dean. Part of everything he…loved.

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say

Dean didn't mean to do it, but when Sasha sang the next line Dean found himself singing along, adding in familiar harmony to compliment Sasha's voice.

And nothing else matters

The incubus immediately faltered in his strumming and stopped.

Dean shifted in his seat. "Sorry."

But Sasha's voice wasn't at all chiding when he spoke. "You're a tenor," he said with some amazement.

Those unexpected words had Dean squirming again. "I guess. No big deal. Why?" Dean didn't like calling attention to his singing, which was why he usually only stuck to doing it comedically, or to annoy Sam.

"You're really good. Not that I didn't think so before," Sasha amended quickly, "You just always sing…well…you don't do your voice justice, Dean. Here, will you sing that again? I'll start a few lines before."

"Uhh…listen, man—"

"Please," Sasha said, staring at Dean with those damn vibrant blue eyes through the rearview mirror, "Don't over think. Just do the harmony with me. Okay? I know you know it."

Well, Dean couldn't deny that. "Don't expect anything great," he said by way of acceptance. Sasha just beamed at him from the backseat and started strumming again, back on the previous phrase of the song.

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say

Dean closed his eyes.

And nothing else matters

Sasha didn't falter this time or say anything to Dean, he just continued playing, charging on into the next phrase of the song, and Dean sang with him, continuing that harmony he knew so well.

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Sasha picked up, strumming harder, the way the song was meant to be at this spot, loud enough to fill the whole car. The harmony had the lower part now, but Dean still sang it, and with his eyes closed he didn't feel weird hearing his own voice rising with Sasha's. He actually kind of liked the sound, amazed at how they fit together so well.

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

Softer again, Sasha strummed, and Dean dropped out as Sasha returned to the words from the beginning.

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are

Then Dean found his harmony again.

And nothing else matters

The guitar faded away and only when it was completely silent, terribly still really, did Dean open his eyes. He didn't look up, but he could feel Sasha watching him through the rearview mirror, feel that damn smile, even before he heard it in Sasha's voice. "We'll have to do that more often."

"Like flying?" Dean snorted.

"And other things."

Dean had to grin. He felt the car jerk as the trunk was slammed shut suddenly, but he didn't think Sasha noticed, too wrapped up in his thoughts maybe.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you have a really nice voice."

Sammy was coming around to the passenger side door. Dean could see him. "You know what I think?" he said, glancing up into the mirror finally. He waited until Sasha's eyes were on him squarely and then he smiled. "I think I love you."

The expression on Sasha's face melted to pure shock and a moment later Sam was opening the door and climbing into the front seat. "What were you guys listening to?" Sam asked as he situated himself. He glanced back at Sasha then. "Were you playing? Serenading us to Texas, man?"

Dean kept watching Sasha in the mirror, and he had to grin at how the incubus was at a complete loss for words. "Sure is," Dean supplied, since Sasha couldn't find his tongue just now, "Any requests, Sammy?" Dean turned the car on and shifted into gear. "It's gonna be a long ride."

"Depends," Sam said, "You gonna veto any suggestions I make?"

"Only if they suck. Hey, Sasha," Dean said, glancing up at the rearview mirror one more time to find Sasha absolutely beaming, "Surprise us, huh?" and he winked, because really, he had to.

Sasha repositioned the guitar on his lap, smiling widely. "Whatever you want, Dean."

THE END...of Arc 4...tbc here yet again in ARC 5!

A/N: Yep, Metallica finally, woohoo! Opinions on Chase Crawford as an actor for Sasha, or other suggestions? Comments on this long chapter? Oh! And I have planned out all of the next two arcs and...well...there will at least be one after that, an Arc 7, because it just turned out that way. Your tease, my dears, is that the next Arc is called 'Children'. Please review!

Crim