The Hunter Chronicles- ...The Storm

"What are you doing here, Sebastian?" Dawn angled the blade against his throat, pressing it with a deadly force.

"Angel, this is not the welcome I expected." He forced the words from his lips, trying not to choke from the crushing strain against his neck. His enchanting Spanish accent resonated with a dynamic hum, even as he spoke around the pressure of her blade.

"Well, it's the welcome you deserve," her voice trembled with a fiery rage that she could feel burning hot underneath the shield of her skin.

"I guess so," Sebastian yielded her a deadpan answer.

"Dawn?" Dean clutched a firm hold onto his weapon. "You wanna tell me what's going on here?"

"New friend?" Sebastian asked, his tone positively arrogant. The direction of his gaze never left Dawn's face.

"Dawn?" Dean asked again, his voice was a bit louder this time. "How do you know him?"

"What am I, mi amor? Your dirty little secret?"

"Shut up!" She snarled and thrust the blade of the dagger against him with even more fortitude.

Dawn looked at Dean, whose face stared back at her in absolute bewilderment. She felt a sickness in her center when she looked into his eyes, they were like blades of green grass slicing into her. She knew her past would come back to bite her in ass, it always did.

"Sebastian, is-" she swallowed the hard lump in her throat. "He's my ex."

Dawn hated the way it sounded- hated that she had to admit to the truth- and that she had kept it from them. More than anything, she hated the look in Dean's eyes as he took a stunned step backwards.

"Ooh, the hunter looks hurt," Sebastian mocked, pouting his bottom lip dramatically.

"If you say one more word, I promise I will slit your throat," her voice was thick and viscous, and her eyes no different. Even though he was clearly self-assured, Sebastian fell silent at the sound of her threat- Dawn did not break her promises.

The look inside his black-flecked deep brown eyes was not that of fear, but rather enticement. There was a born fire inside him, and it was easy to sense. Sebastian Otero, was an almost artificially gorgeous man, from his slightly longer caramel-colored hair, to his physique that was comparable to Adonis. His top lip was equally as ample as his full bottom lip, and equally as kissable. His eyes which were deeply set, were consuming in their allure. The color was the dark-brown shade of a shiny coffee bean, but when he stared into the sun reflected like amber-honey. His entire face was the epitome of masculine, including his dramatic square jawline, and high cheekbones. He was nearly flawless in physical appearance, yet the exact opposite when it came to personality.

There were so many reasons why Dawn had refrained from telling Dean and Sam about him, but those reasons seemed trivial now. She had prided herself on being honest, and here she was, omitting an entire part of her life from the people she cared for.

"Now tell me," Dawn put her focus on the potential threat standing in front of her. "Why are you here? And you better give me a really good reason!"

"Mercy is missing-"

Instantly, her heart sank below her feet like the weight of an iceberg. Mercy had been her best friend, but she hadn't spoken to her since she joined the Winchesters. At that moment, she felt like she had abandoned her. The realization that Mercy was missing, overloaded Dawn with a sharp-biting guilt.

"I'm not sure who took her." Sebastian focused on Dawn now, a troubled look of concern in his features. "But, I think it might be Gweniss."

Dawn opened her mouth, and tried to breath but it felt like no air was entering her lungs. She instantly dropped the dagger, and it fell to the floor with a light thud. When the knife released, there was still an impression, in a barely noticeable line of blood on Sebastian's neck. Dawn's legs began to shake underneath her, she tried to remain standing with all the strength she possessed. Before she could fall to the ground, both Dean and Sebastian reached out to grab her. Being that Sebastian was the closest, he reached her first- but she shoved him away and quickly threw herself into Dean's arms. Her eyes grew heavy with tears, ones that she tried to force back. No matter how terrified or hurt she felt, Dawn hated crying.

Dean blanketed her with the cover of his arms, relieved by the fact that she had chosen him. This entire situation was extremely jarring, but when he saw her fall apart- no matter how angry he was- he wanted to find a way to comfort her.

Dean practically carried her across the room and set her gently onto the edge of the bed, still stabilizing her. He brushed her cheek with his hand, looking into her eyes for a sign that she was still with him. Inside her eyes, he saw swirls of white-blue clouds mixed with dark-crystal irises. The current mixed color of her eyes, looked similar to a raging storm. He had never imagined seeing such expression in a singular fleck of color within someones eyes.

"I have to find her," she expressed with an unreleased urgency.

"We will," Dean promised. "But Dawn-"

Before he could speak Dawn had already noticed the tone in his voice, and the expression on his face. She had realized what he was going to ask for, and she reacted before he could finish voicing it.

"Sebastian, I need to talk to Dean-"

"Don't let my presence stop you," his lips arced into an untamed smirk.

"Alone!" She demanded, the shrillness in her voice nearly rising to a shriek. The sound reminded her of when she had released over-dramatic screams many times as a teenager, usually at the expense of her older sister. Recently she had grown out of those obnoxious squeals, but something about Sebastian's prideful demeanor made her snap.

Her narrow jaw tensed, in an attempt to cage the fervent storm boiling inside of her. Sebastian recognized the look on her face, and with a seemingly permanent smile in his enigmatic, dark eyes, he headed for the exit. Dawn was not much concerned with where he went, or the fact that she knew he would be coming back. All she thought about right now, was that he was gone, and she had to explain herself to Dean.

Dean sat on the edge of the bed next to her and Dawn's eyes instantly darted to the floor. Her heart raced as she ran through everything she needed to say. She racked her brain for how far back this all went, instantly realizing that they were going to be here a while. It was painful to think she had kept so much a secret from the people she cared about. It made her feel like a stranger inside her own body; this wasn't who she was.

She attempted to slide the thickness of her hair behind her ear but it fought her, escaping and falling back around her face. She licked her lips, in an attempt to remove the dryness that had developed from her nervous breaths. Her chest felt heavy as she tilted her head, finally forcing herself to look at Dean. Uncertainty played it's game inside her owl-like eyes, as she looked up at him from underneath thick dark eyelashes.

"I'm sorry," were the first words she felt compelled to utter. "I should have told you everything-"

"Just tell me now," he declared with his usual bearish voice. His elbows were resting upon his legs, as he fumbled with his own hands.

"I don't even know where to start," she snorted.

Dawn drew another heavy and emphasized breath into her lungs, readying herself for the lengthy tale ahead. Her mind rattled through all the memories, reaching for the beginning, and dragging out the words she needed to say.

"You remember how I told you, I tried college for a little while?" The anxious brunette glanced towards Dean and he gave her an assured nod. "Well that's where I met Sebastian. I had a double-major in Language and Psychology. He was a teaching assistant for a human sexuality class that I was taking." Her eyes were drawn to Dean's every reaction, fearful that any moment he would give up on her. "He's always been really wrapped up in the supernatural, even more so than most non-humans. When he saw me he already knew who I was- being the slayers little sister and all- and of course being the Key. So he invited me to what he said was an advanced students group- where we could discuss psychology in-depth. Well when I got to the meeting, it was clearly not school related at all. Everyone there was...well let's just say they were less than human. That's actually where I first met Mercy." Dawn's lips instantly curved into an adoring smile when she recalled her friend, her eyes lit with pride. "She's an Empath, and was so open and honest with me right away. We quickly became best friends, we were basically inseparable. Then after Sebastian and I started dating, the three of us spent all our time together."

"What is Sebastian?" He asked, sensing the hesitation in her voice. Even before Dawn admitted to her ex-boyfriend being of the non-human nature- Dean could sense it immediately.

"He's-" For a few seconds her mouth fell open, unable to answer. "An Incubus."

"A what?!" Dean bellowed, sprinting from the bed and rising to his feet. His wide worry-rimmed eyes stared back at her in complete dismay. "Were talking about those things that spawn a Cambion right?"

"Technically yes, but-"

"Oh, good, just checking," Dean nodded sarcastically. "Wanted to make sure we were on the same page," he threw his hands up in the air.

"It's not like that Dean-" Dawn bit her bottom lip as he interrupted her train of thought.

"Oh really?" He tilted his head to the side slightly. "Because from where I'm standing it looks like you were dating an extremely dangerous demon. Let's not forget that just by being with this demon you risked the end of the world as we know it!"

In an instant his very reality shattered all around him. The woman he thought he know better than he knew himself- the woman who just moments go seemed so close to him- now seemed worlds away.

"I didn't know!" Her usually hypnotizing chromatic eyes, filled with translucent spates of tears. "He's not as dangerous as his potential offspring. Mostly he just breaks a whole lot of human laws, and spends very little time caring about others," she shrugged lifelessly. "I mean he treated me..good. Until I found out through Mercy, exactly what would happen if...you know," she looked away from him ashamed. "So I tried to break it off- I didn't want to risk the end of the world. But he wouldn't let me go, he used his power on me for a while."

Dean knew what she meant, he hadn't dealt with too many Incubus or Succubus before but he knew about their powers. An Incubus had many powers, one of which was the ability to seduce someone into doing anything they asked, by a simple touch.

"But, something happened. I'm not sure if it wore off, or if my own powers were getting stronger- but one day I realized what he was doing to me. Needless to say, I left- but not before beating the living shit out him, and leaving him chained to a bed-post," she didn't speak with a sense of pride. Taking her fists to someone who had tried to control her like that, was just second nature to Dawn.

"Who is Gweniss?" He asked, remembering her fear when Sebastian said this strangers name. Dean always had a talent for picking up on the little subtleties in peoples comments.

"Shes very dangerous, she's a mix between a Sorceress and some special kind of Phoenix. She's done the whole combustion and then rejuvenating from her ashes thing for centuries. Accept because of her being a Sorceress, she found a way to keep all her past memories each time she rises from her ashes. Making her more and more powerful and more dangerous, each time she rises."

"What does she have to do with you?" Dean's eyebrows tensed into a firm boundary, his face a picture of concern.

"After a while, Mercy, Sebastian and I noticed some...changes, in ourselves. It seemed like the more time we spent together, the more our abilities seemed to rub off on each other. We went looking for help to find out what was going on, and it ended up leading to the wrong person telling Gweniss about it. I still haven't found out who the traitor was, but if I get my hands on them they will regret it," she said, her upper lip curling in anger. "Gweniss was smart enough to find out what the key element in the mix was, that caused the three of us to essentially learn each others powers." Dawn bit her bottom lip, nervously chewing on the thin layer of skin.

"What was the key element?" Dean's lids lifted wider as he stared at her, engrossed in the dangerous truth she had kept from him.

"Me," she stared back at him with a pained, yet dove-like expression. "Without me, the powers can't be shared, and the only part of my power that anyone else can absorb is the rapid heeling, nothing else. But Gweniss thinks she can use me to completely absorb other powers."

"Did you spend a lot more time with them, than you have with me and Sam?"

"In a way, yes and in a way, no. I knew them for a few years, but we didn't spend literally every second of everyday together like you, me and Sam do."

"Then why-"

"Because your human," she interrupted before Dean could finish. "It only works if everyone involved is at-least slightly less than human, and it has to be more than two people. The point is that it has to be able to benefit me in some small way, and the only thing I would get from you guys is a head full of lore, and a hankering for pie and bacon cheeseburgers," her lips finally broke with the breath of a smile.

"And some serious ass-kicking abilities," Dean raised an eye-brow blithely.

"Of course there is that," her cheeks rose, pulling her lips upward into a gentle snicker.

"So do the abilities you pick up wear off after a while or are they permanent?" He felt like he was already asking too many questions, but he needed to know these answers.

"For me they've been permanent, but I only picked up a little bit. Like sometimes I can get a sense of others emotions, and on occasion my powers of persuasion are a bit stronger than most peoples," her lips inclined into a timid simper.

"What makes this Gwen-bitch think she can use you to completely take someone's powers, I mean if it only gives you a small amount?"

"She's a Sorceress, she thinks she can find a way to use me as a link to completely drain them. She plans on killing people to take everything inside them- hoping that all of their power will come with it," she shook her head in disgust.

Dawn had been running from her past, much like a mouse runs from a cat, with the feline only inches from the rodents tail. Over every hurdle she leaped, every hill she climbed, the treachery was never far behind her. Her thoughts drifted once again, to big sis- the girl who was a hero since she was 16 years old, and her title still reigned supreme. Buffy had been blessed with beauty and so many other amazing traits and talents, but she was cursed with the role of perpetual savior. She had to give up her life at every turn- give up her happiness- and nothing seemed to turn out right for her in the end. Dawn feared that maybe this screwing up your happiness thing was a family attribute.

"So she has this friend of yours because she knows you will come after her," Dean nodded, it was more of a comment than a question.

"Yeah," she exhaled with a weariness in her breathing. "I know you're probably really angry with me, but I am sorry," she declared sincere. "Besides, doesn't everyone have something from their past that they want to forget? It's not like I killed someone, I just-"

"Dawn," he gently cupped his hand over her mouth to silence her. "It's okay, I get it," he assured her, and then released his hand from her lips.

"Really?" Half of her mouth bowed into a crooked smile, her forehead wrinkling into lumps of sooth skin.

"Yeah- I'm not about to be pissed off at you for something I probably would have done myself." He went to say something else but then hesitated for a moment. "Uh- Never-mind-"

"Tell me," she squinted slightly, looking at him with a quizzical expression.

"Ah, Dammit! This mushy crap is not me at all," Dean explained with his always gruff voice. "You've got me acting like I'm in some damn chick flick!"

"I promise not to tell anyone." Dawn held back the snicker that was fighting against the inside of her lips.

Dean let out an exaggerated huff. "I was just gonna say, that I never really thought I would end up with anything much in my life, besides the whole hunting thing. I figured eventually Sammie would settle down, get married and have some kind of normal life. I've always known how much he wanted that, and I always hoped he would find it too. But I guess the only thing I saw in my own future was to protect Sam, and spend the rest of my life hunting." He was staring down at his lap, fumbling with his hands awkwardly. "It's just who I am, I'll always be a hunter," he reached his arm up to scratch the back of his neck. "Most women can't really get into the whole demon killing lifestyle, and even if they can get over it, they'll always be in danger with me. But with you, it's different. All I'm trying to say, is that I'm not about to let that all go because of a few things I don't know about your past."

"Thank you, Dean," her eyes were saturated with an adoring spark.

"But I have to tell you, Sebastian is a bit of an ass," he raised his brow sarcastically.

"I know," she let out a quiet laugh from her nose. "All Incubus are- part of it is because of how long he's lived, it makes them think they are God's gift."

"How long has he lived?" Dean asked the question, almost instantly wishing he hadn't. He was sick of talking about this- no matter how much he wanted to know everything- it was getting tiring.

"He was born in 16th century Spain," she had an awkward expression on her face.

"You know a lot about him then, huh?" There was an obvious sound of jealousy in his voice, even though he was trying to disguise it.

"I know a little, but not a lot," Dawn looked up at him thoughtfully. "Like for example, I don't know his actual birthday. I know your birthday is January, 24. I know all about your parents, I know you're named after your grandmother Deanna. I know everything about you Dean, even more than I knew about a 500 year old demon that I dated for three years." Her expression was serious, as she pulled his chin in the direction of her gaze, forcing him to look at her. "But those things, are just facts, and they don't mean anything compared to what I truly know about you. I know that you pretend to be all tough, but that you love so much. You put yourself down, but you're the bravest person I know. I know that the reason you put up all these walls- isn't because you're afraid of letting anyone in- it's because you keep everything bottled up inside. The reason I know all these things about you- that I didn't know about Sebastian- is because I cared to know."

Dean stared back at her with wide-eyes, and the pout of his lips pressed together. When it came to emotional conversations, Dawn was almost as diverting as he was- usually. Even though the both of them often used sarcasm and humor to fill the silence, Dean was relieved to hear her honesty. No matter how confident he pretended to be, nothing was more humbling than having the ex-boyfriend show up out of nowhere. Even worse when the ex happens to be an obnoxious sex-demon. So having Dawn reassure him, was most certainly welcomed.

"Alright- you get the point," she released a breath from her nose and closed her eyes. "All this stress is giving me a headache," she massaged her temple with the tips of her fingers. "I am telling Sebastian we will deal with this crap in the morning. I'll be right back," she promised.

Before she stood up from the bed, her eyes caught Dean's gaze. Instantly pulling her into the site of oversized, illuminating green-orbs, rimmed with lengthy dark-eyelashes. She inched herself closer and she drew her mouth to his, gently parting his lips with her own. For only a moment their lips met, hovering in an exquisite, weightless kiss. She hesitantly pulled away and fluttered her eyes open.

Pulling herself out of the moment, Dawn rose to her feet and started walking towards the hotel room door. She suspected Sebastian had not gone far, so she took the elevator down to the hotel lobby. Once she made her way downstairs, sure enough there he has, flirting mercilessly with a skinny-clearly rich- blond wearing a thick fur coat. Dawn wrinkled her nose at the site of the fur- no doubt it was real- and it made her nauseous. Rolling her weary blue eyes with a loud groan, she started stomping towards the Incubus. Each step she made was forced hard against the floor beneath her in frustration.

"Hey, darling," she shouted from a few feet away, catching their attention. "Where were you?" She grabbed his arm and painted an obnoxious fake smile on her face. "I was just about to put the baby down, but you know how he gets if you don't read him a bed time story." She quickly jetted her eyes to the pretty blond. "Oh hey! I'm Dawn-" she reached her hand out to offer it to the woman.

"I'm Charlotte," she responded and shook Dawns hand with a surprised look on her face. "Um- I really should be going. It was nice meeting you both." With those words, Charlotte spun around, bolting for the elevator.

"Nicely done," Sebastian nodded. "Baby huh? You do realize even though you got her to leave, that she could care less if I have a child or not?"

"Not if I tell her the child is a demon-spawn, and will bring about the end of life-as-we-know-it," her voice was coated thickly in arrogance.

"Are you jealous?"

"Absolutely not," she glowered at him. "I needed to get rid of miss-fur-coat, so that I could talk to you," Dawn explained clearly irritated at his suggestion. Although she did take a slight pleasure in ruining his night in any way possible, mostly because he had ruined hers.

"Alright, mi amor, what do you have to tell me?"

"First of all, stop calling me that," she ordered. "All I wanted to tell you was that we'll work on finding Mercy tomorrow morning."

"Okay, princesa!" The devious yet seemingly perm-a-smile was still glowing in his eyes.

Dawn shut her lids and released an annoyed breath as she shook her head. She quickly turned around and starting walking back towards the elevator. Before she had taken more than a few steps, she turned just enough to look at Sebastian over her shoulder.

"Oh, and Sebastian-" She spoke with a haughty, yet seemingly gentle tone. "If you ever do anything to hurt Sam or Dean, I will kill you," her eyes were roaring with the same dangerous storm that had been there earlier. "I promise."