A little vampire story for you with a twist.

Chapter One

The rain lashed into the three figures as they raced through the night desperately trying to out run the things behind them. The taller of the figures was out in front, he favoured his now broken right arm, machete hanging loosely from the other.

His brother and the other elder hunter struggled through the mud, the elder being supported and dragged towards the church in front of them, his leg was broken and the only thing that kept their momentum going was the adrenaline and sheer determination of the other to reach their goal and safety.

The lightning flash that lit the sky showed how exposed and vulnerable their position was. On either side the vampires were closing in, flanking them, and trying to get between them and sanctuary.

-o-

Dean watched his brother out in front of him as he struggled with Bobby's weight against him, the muddy ground slowing him down considerably allowing Sam to get too far in front for Dean's liking. Sam turned to check on his brother's progress, holding his bust arm close to him. Dean saw him hesitate as it registered how badly that Dean was struggling. He waved his brother on with his free hand and stopped to momentary adjust his grip on Bobby's arm, he knew the other hunter was failing, the cut to his chest causing blood to flow freely over Dean's hand.

They needed into the church and they needed in there now.

Dean had looked down while adjusting his hold on Bobby and on looking up realised that his brother was down having slipped, although he was now struggling to regain his feet. In that moment he was broadsided by a vampire and pushed face down back into the mud.

Cursing Dean dropped Bobby and ran to help his brother. Pulling the vampire up by the hair he rolled it off of Sam and straddled it. It struggled underneath him, trying to dislodge him. It reached up pushing at his face with its hands, desperately trying to break free from his weight. He pinned its arms with his knees and with one swift movement he pulled the machete round and leaned it across its neck, the mud gave slightly as Dean pushed down with all the strength he could muster and then the ground hardened and the blade sliced into and then through, decapitating the vampire cleanly, bloody spray covering Dean's face as it did.

Dean stood, holstered the machete and grabbed Sam, pulling him to his feet. He half carried; half dragged his brother to the church steps, painfully aware that the arm on which he had his hold was his brother's injured one. He dropped Sam on the steps and opened the door to the church, using his weight to block it open he reached for his brother's shoulders and dragged him up the last step and into the church's body, trying to ignore the scream of pain from him as he bounced Sam broken arm's off the step and then the door on the way through.

No time to check on him, he stepped over his brother and ran back out the door to fetch Bobby aware that the hunter now almost lay nearer the approaching vampires than him. He ran for all he was worth, sliding to a halt on his knees at Bobby's feet he grabbed them, stood and then just pulled him backwards through the mud towards the church again trying not to think of the pain that he was causing with his grip on Bobby's leg.

He realised too late that the approaching vampires had stopped, no longer following, they were merely blocking his escape. He backed into the solid form behind him and felt the pain as his head was twisted viciously to the left and the teeth sank into his neck. He had dropped Bobby's feet and raised his hands to try and dislodge the vampire when it hissed and then just let him go, almost causing him to lose his balance. He turned and saw the vampire raise its hand to its mouth, trying to wipe the taste of his blood away. He threw himself at it, flattening it to the ground. "Doesn't taste good, does it?" He screamed at the vampire over the noise of the storm. Pulling the machete he dispatched the vampire in the usual manner, his grin almost manic.

He could see the other vampires starting to close in on him, counted six, maybe seven of them. He needed to move, needed to get Bobby to safety, the church steps almost right behind him. Tossing the blade into the church, his brother's foot making a handy doorstop, he grabbed Bobby and dragged him through the half opened door until he had him all the way in. Pushing Sam's foot aside he slammed the door on the approaching crowd.

Leaning against the door he felt the familiar tingling start in his blood, and let his legs go out from under him and slid to the floor. The tingling intensified until it was a sharp pain that coursed through his veins and he shut his eyes willing his body to bring it under control. This pain he felt now every time he entered a church or any holy ground. It was growing inside him tonight, worse than usual, because tonight he was too tired to fight it off, so he let it burn through him, let it try to cleanse him, aware that soon he would have to fight it to tend to his wounded companions.

Dean had been out of hell exactly one year but the taint to his soul still lingered, it still ran through his blood, but tonight this however had been a good thing. Vampires definitely did not like the taste of it and it had saved his and Bobby's ass, big time.

.

-o-

He heard rather than saw the old priest approach. He watched as the priest knelt down first beside his brother and then Bobby, both lying still on the ground. Dean knew that he had to get up but for the moment he seemed unable to get his body to respond to him, the pain and the tiredness washing over him, pinning him to the door. The priest approached him, stopping just short of his feet, seemingly wary of going any nearer.

"It's okay, you know I don't bite." Dean struggled even to talk, his breath ragged and short.

"What is it that causes you to suffer, are you hurt?" The priest knelt to look Dean straight in the eye. He could feel the pain roll off Dean in waves and he somehow knew that it was being in the church that was somehow causing it.

"No, I'm just a lost soul, father." Dean tried to smile but the pain made it more of a grimace.

"No one's soul is lost to God. Not even one as troubled as yours. Here take my hand."

The hand that was extended to Dean was old and wrinkled, and he felt it might crumple under his touch. He grasped the priest's hand and felt the old man jerk slightly at his touch. Raising his other hand he enclosed Dean's and muttered a small prayer under his breath. The pain subsided, dulled to a more manageable level, and Dean closed his eyes for a moment, relishing the relief that the old man's touch had given him.

"I'm Father Thomas. I've met Sam and Bobby but I don't think I've had the pleasure of being introduced to you. You must be Dean. I've heard a lot about you." The smile on the priest face made Dean wonder just what he had heard about him and more worrying where.

"Yeah, I'm Dean. Can you help me up I need to tend to the others."

Father Thomas pulled him to his feet. "I'll tend to your brother, I believe the other may need more attention then I can manage."

With that he turned and walked towards Sam and gently examined him for cuts before turning his attention to his arm.

"Is my brother alright?"

"I think he's passed out."

"Yeah well getting pulled through mud and up steps by your broken arm would probably be enough to do that."

Dean checked the cut on Bobby's chest all the while he was talking, the older hunter had lost a lot of blood but he should be okay provided Dean could stop the bleeding. Bobby was tough, and Dean had seen him hurt a lot worse than this.

"Father, do you have such a thing as a first aid kit?" He knew that he'd have to stitch the wound, maybe take ten to twelve stitches to close it and he wanted to get it done while Bobby was still out.

"I'm sorry I've nothing more than a basic kit."

Damn. Dean held the curse inside.

"I need you to find something to clean this wound with, keep pressure on it and don't let him get up if he wakes, ok?"

"Yes, but what are you going to do about the bleeding? I have nothing to stop it with."

Dean bent down and picked up the machete he had tossed through the church door. The priest looked at him in surprise and Dean noted a little fear.

"What do you need that for?"

"I need the kit from my car, and my car……is out there." He pointed at the closed door.

"You can't, they'll kill you or worse." The priest stepped forward and gripped Dean's arm trying to stop him. Dean shrugged him off.

"Don't worry; I've dealt with a lot worse than what is out there. He'll bleed to death if I don't get that stitched. I need to go." With that Dean opened the door and stepped back out into the storm, the wind slamming the door behind him almost as if trying to keep him out too.