Craving

Sam pulled up to the extremely modern, very expensive looking large home up in the even more wooded areas right outside down, mostly hidden from view until you were right in front of it.
Parking the Impala, Sam turned off the car and slid from behind the wheel. Looking at the house, Sam had to wonder if Tom had been correct with his directions. This was definitely not the kind of place he and his father had ever found vampires in before. He wasn't sure what he’d been expecting. A barn. A Cave. An old, rotted house maybe... but not this.

Walking up to the door, Sam took a deep nervous breath before pressing the doorbell.
"Please be the right place," he muttered softly to himself.


Esme Cullen opened the door. Of course she and the others had heard the car long before it could be seen from the house, but in the interests of appearing semi-normal she'd waited for the bell. "Yes?" Giving a warm smile to the boy who'd made her son feel, she added, "what can I do for you?"


Sam shifted his weight nervously, smiling wide, dimples showing before he licked his lips, "I, uh, was, um, hoping to see Dean. Is he... here?" Sam asked her, glancing past the petite blonde to look inside.

"You must be Samuel. No, he's not here but I expect he will be shortly. Would you like to come in? Alice is here and Jasper..."

Sam smiled again, his eyes dropping shyly, before looking back up at her. Alice? Please let it be the brunette. Not the blonde, not the blonde.

"Just left," Alice said, coming to the door. "Hi Sam. Come on in." She wondered whether he noticed Esme sniffing his scent. He did smell very good, but unlike Dean, Edward and Emmett, neither of them had ever been faced with having to resist someone whose blood was literally addictive to them.

Seeing who Alice was, Sam visibly relaxed. He hadn't learned the names of all of Dean's brothers and sisters yet. He smiled at Alice, glancing at the other woman... he knew her to be a vampire as well, she had the same pale skin as Dean and his siblings, it only made sense.

Stepping inside, Sam's hunter eyes took in his surroundings, before he looked back at Alice again. "You," he glanced again at the other woman, "you have a very nice home here, ma'am." Manners, boy! his father's voice rang in his head, but somehow he was sure his Dad hadn't meant he needed to be polite to a nest of vampires. "Dean feeling better?"

Alice shrugged her slender shoulders. "We'll find out when he gets back." Taking Sam’s hand, she pulled him into the entertainment room and had him sit on the plush white sofa.

Esme hovered in the doorway. "Can I get you some... water?" Her eyes briefly met Alice's.

Sam looked over at the other woman, licked his lips nervously, before looking back at Alice. "Water?" he asked her softly, wanting to know if she was going to have any first.

Esme ran her hand through her long blond hair. "I'd offer you something else but I haven't been grocery shopping and..." she shrugged.

Sam tried to hide the smile that wanted to come to his lips as a vision of vampires shopping at the local grocery popped into his head. He looked back at the other woman and shook his head, smiling. "It's alright. You don't need to go to any trouble for me. I understand. I'm fine, thank you."

Feeling like he was stressing them out, Sam leaned over and spoke in Alice’s ear, whispering, "I know. It’s okay, Alice." Slowly, he pulled back, slightly slanted hazel eyes intently searching her face and waiting for her reaction.

"You know?!" Both women said the words at the same time, and saw confirmation in his eyes.

Alice concentrated and saw no negative ramifications in the future from his knowledge, and nodded at her mom. She knew Esme would want to immediately call Carlisle to give him the news and get his advice. Once she left, Alice turned back to Sam. "If you really know, this is... its brave of you. You must really want to get that project done," she teased, though her own eyes held a knowing look in their depths.

Sam smiled shyly, looking down at the floor, a small chuckle escaping him. "Yeah. The project," he muttered before looking back up at her, "What were we suppose to be working on again?" he joked, smiling wide before sobering and looking at her seriously. "I'm not all that brave, Alice. I just... I know you are good...um," he shrugged, "you won't hurt me. I believe that. I know that." He reached out, taking her hand in his, he brought it to his chest, laying it over his heart, his hand covering hers, holding it there. "In here," he told her, "Dean... he doesn't understand that."

Feeling the strong heart beat under her palm, Alice's eye went dark and she snatched her hand back. Taking a few breaths she answered tightly. "It's not that simple. We have to fight it every day. I'm fighting it right now." Moving away, she gave him a half smile. "You wear danger around you like a cloak."

Sam huffed and shook his head, "You have no idea." he muttered before licking his lips, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... to make you uncomfortable," he told her softly, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know what I was thinking, really. That I'd come here and profess to Dean that I know he’s a vampire. That I don't care. That I would never tell anyone," he pulled to his feet, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. "Maybe I should go," he suggested softly, head bowed.

"It's too late." Her eyes met Sam's. "He's here."

Sam lifted his head, eyes meeting Alice's before searching his surroundings, waiting for Dean to step into the room from somewhere. He's here? Shit. Looking back at Alice, Sam shook his head and turned, walking back the way he had come. "He hasn't seen me yet, he doesn't know. Just, tell him... hell, don't tell him anything."

"Too hard to lie to him. Don't... don't make any sudden moves," she warned, disappearing up the stairs just as Dean walked in.

His gaze was cool and unfriendly as he stared Sam down from just outside the entertainment room, arms crossed over his chest, and his demeanor definitely hostile. "I thought you had a brain in your head."

Sam looked at Dean, licked his lips, eyes fixed on Dean's face. "A brain..." Sam frowned, "What's that suppose to mean? You came to see me!" Sam shrugged, "What's the difference?"

"Don't play cute. You know the difference. Say it," he snarled, eyes darkening.

Sam smirked at him, crossing his own arms over his chest, "What do you want me to say, Dean? That I came over to see you? Or maybe that I came over to see the supernatural whatever that I go to school with? Oh, I know, how about that I came over to see the VAMPIRE that I can't fucking get out of my head? That better!?" Sam asked him, voice rising with each phrase until he was yelling at him.

Just like that, Dean was in Sam's face, grabbing a handful of his shirt. "You have a death wish I don't know about?" He took a few breaths, trying... trying like hell to keep a hold of his temper, trying to fight the voice in his head that said might as well take him now... do it... get it over with, because it was destiny... fate... his blood... his body... take what he needed and then get over it. "Shut up a moment."

Sam hadn't said a word, but Dean saw his mouth move and needed time... time to get a hold of himself. He stood there, like a movie on pause, neither of them moving, eyes still locked. He licked his lips. "You're telling me you walked, knowingly, into a household of vampires. You think that's the same as me walking into your house. HOW is that the same." He just barely managed to stop himself from shaking Sam by his shirt.

Sam's eyes searched Dean's face. Yeah, I fucking walked into a household of vampires. Not the first time, either, though they weren't like you and we called it a nest. Sam clenched his teeth, glaring at Dean. "Because I still know you won't hurt me. That's how."

"You don't know shit," he shouted. Pushing him lightly, Dean moved away. "You don't know anything or you'd be running out that door so fucking fast... you should be running. What are you waiting for?"

Sam had staggered back when Dean pushed him and now stood glaring at him as he ranted. He slowly shook his head. "I'm not going to run, Dean. I'm not afraid of you," he told him softly. "Maybe that's a foreign concept to you, but you're just gonna have to get used to the fact that, Sam Winchester, isn't afraid of the big bad vampire boy."

"Then Sam Winchester is a fucking idiot who wants to be dinner," Dean ground out, frustrated that he couldn't get through to him. "You do have a death wish, don't you?" Maybe that was it... maybe this was a suicide or some crazy challenge or... dammit this would be so much easier if he could just read him!

Sam narrowed his eyes. "No, Dean. No death wish. I have ways to protect myself," Sam smirked slightly, tilting his head, "I'm not stupid or naive. I know what you are and what you can do. I also know how to kill a vampire and how to become one." He straightened his head and quirked a brow, "Any other questions?"

"You watch a movie or two, and you think you're an expert." Dean forgot about all his other needs as fury filled his eyes at the thought of the risks that someone like Sam, someone who thought they knew it all, would take. "You know nothing. You don't know how to kill a vampire. You CAN'T kill a vampire. Crosses, garlic, fire, beheading, staking... it's all bullshit and adds up to twenty ways of killing yourself. Leave now." Very softly, very gently, he added, "please."

Sam took a deep breath, after letting Dean have his say, his say of bullshit, he tilted his head, glancing toward the door before looking back at Dean and speaking softly, "No, beheadings, huh?" Sam asked him, chuckling softly, "Well, I got a machete that says you're a goddamn liar."

"You're unarmed." There wasn't any place Sam could hide a machete, or anything else. Or maybe he thought something as silly as gun or a knife would protect him. Dean started to pat him down, snapping, "don't move," as his hands moved over Sam's chest and back, then down and up both legs. That was a mistake, because in his mind’s eye, he got a flash of Sam mostly naked in his bed and making those deliciously anguished sounds.

Pulling back suddenly, Dean met Sam's gaze in triumph, having proven his point.

Sam shook his head, "You don't get it do you?" Sam asked him softly. "I would never bring anything into your home. I would never harm you or your family," he huffed and turned, heading for the door, "You know, I was right. Like I told Alice, you don't understand and I shouldn't have come here." Stopping at the door, Sam looked back the way he had come. "And not for the reasons you think, Dean. Not because it's dangerous, or because I'm afraid. But because you just don't want to see anything, don't want to see what's right in front of your face," he muttered, knowing Dean could hear him anyway.

"Tomorrow." When Sam turned back, Dean continued. "Pay attention to your biology teacher."

Walking past Sam, he went to the front door and held it open. He wasn't answering either Alice or Esme’s mental thoughts, wasn't listening to them trying to coach him. They needed to mind their own fucking business in this. They knew he was right, that Sam's chances of surviving them was almost nil.

Sam huffed and shook his head as he walked out the door and to his car. He didn't look back, didn't feel he needed to. He was sure he wouldn't find Dean there anyway. He pulled out of the driveway and onto the road leading away from the Cullen home, still muttering under his breath angrily. Well, that certainly hadn't gone the way he had planned.

***

[Next day]
Clicking the button of the remote, Mr. Anderson flipped through the slides, showing the biology class pictures of brilliantly colored frogs, snakes, fish and birds. “There are hundreds of species of venomous creatures that come in a large array of beautiful colors. Many of them are deadly.

There are two theories about this phenomenon. Under the first theory, this is ‘warning coloration’... these creatures stand out so brilliantly against their backgrounds that they are practically advertising their presence. What does this say to other creatures? That they’re not afraid... that they have something to back it up with like big teeth, or poison, or bad stench. Under the second theory, their coloring is a lure. Look at me, I’m so pretty...”

There was laughter from the class as their decidedly unpretty teacher claimed otherwise.

“... my colors are interesting and bold, my scent is irresistible... then bam, I hit you with my venom and you’re dead.”

He hit the lights. “That’s all for now, see you all tomorrow.”

****

Entering third period English, Sam's eyes fell on Dean, who was already seated in his chair looking up at him smugly. "Oh yeah, real funny. You're a riot," Sam whispered, as he sat down and glanced over at Dean.

Sam shook his head and licked his lips, "Let me tell you a story about a guy I knew." He leaned over so he wouldn't be heard by anyone else. "His wife died. Young. They were," Sam shrugged, "in love. Well, this guy," he looked at Dean hard, his eyes meeting and holding Dean's as he threw his words back at him, "Saw a movie or two and thought he knew things, so he brought his wife back from the dead. Wanting to be with her, no matter how dangerous it was, because he knew she would never hurt him." Sam said, making it a point to leave out the fact that he and his father had hunted her down due to the fact that although she had never hurt Greg, her husband, she had feasted on innocent victims and it was their job to send her back to the dead. He and his dad had killed her...again. Salted and burned her remains. Yeah, Sam made sure to leave all that out.

He licked his lips, "So, you see... not everything that should be deadly has to be. Sometimes... we just know when they won't hurt us." Sam told him, before pulling back and straightening in his chair.

Dean's gaze narrowed. Sam still didn't get it... the magnitude of the danger he was placing himself in. This time it was Dean who leaned closer. "So you gonna put it on the internet? Whatever that guy did to bring his wife back? Because it worked once, for one person, you're so sure it would work for everyone else?" He didn't need an answer, he knew Sam would never do that. "Would you cut yourself up and swim through a tank of great whites on faith? No?" His fingers curled around the edge of his desk. "It's what you did yesterday. And surviving one swim... doesn't give you a clue as to what could happen the next time." The way he said it, it was clear he meant there wouldn't be a next time.

Sam huffed and shook his head, "You have no idea who you're talking to. I'm not afraid of you, Dean. Get over it," Sam told him just as Mrs. Appleby called Sam up to her desk.

Sliding out of his chair, Sam leaned over Dean's desk, "And I know how to and could handle every one of you if I had to," he added, before grinning at him, dimples showing as he straightened and turned walking up to the teachers desk.

Covering his face with his hands, Dean prayed for patience. Sam really believed what he said... that he could handle a vampire. He had to admit the guy had figured it out real fast, but if you believed in things like vamps and werewolves, then it wasn't too great a leap to peg the Cullens. When Sam came back and took his seat, Dean muttered under his breath, "you're gonna be the death of you."

Sam chuckled softly, nodding. "Been told that before too." Sam bent over to search through his backpack.

"Now I'm not original. Great." Opening his book, Dean proceeded to ignore Sam. It was clear talking wasn't getting through to him and right now Dean had no clue what else he could try. He just had to get through this project and keep his distance. If he could.

Sam kept his attention on his class work and mostly off Dean, though he did cast glances his way every so often when he paused in his writing.

Mike, walking past, paused by Sam's desk, dropping a folded piece of paper in the center, causing Sam to look up at him as he reached for the paper. "What's this?"

Mike glanced at Dean, then looked back at Sam grinning, "Directions."

Sam quirked a brow at him, "To?"

"La Push. We're gonna catch a wave, dude!" Mike told him, waggling his eyebrows.

Sam chuckled and shook his head, holding the paper up toward Mike, "I don't think -"

Mike cut him off, "You gotta go, man!" he glanced over his shoulder at Stacy then looked back at Sam, "I got Stacy to go cause I told her you were gonna go."

"Mike," Sam sighed, running a hand over his face.

"I'm gonna ask her to Homecoming while we're there. It's cool, man. I'll keep her away from you." Mike told him, then glanced at Dean again, before grinning at Sam, "Besides, if your boyfriend comes with you, she's not gonna go anywhere near you for sure," Mike said, before wondering off again.

Sam sighed, before tossing the folded paper into his backpack, shaking his head. Dammit

He looked over at Dean, "You wouldn't want to help a guy out and save him from the girl with eight hands, would ya?"

"Way I hear it, you don't need saving. From her." He didn't look over at Sam. He was still processing the boyfriend comment. He hadn't sensed sarcasm but then why would Mike think Sam... Turning his head, he looked at Mike, searching his mind... finding nothing helpful. Then Stacy's... nothing... nothing other than Sam and Stacy had kissed. It was going to drive him crazy. It was driving him godamned crazy.

Sam frowned at Dean, "What the hell..." he glanced over at Mrs. Appleby knowing he had been too loud. Lowering his voice, Sam started again, "What the hell have you 'heard'? Nothing happened. She likes me. Not my friggin fault. Not like I've encouraged it!" Sam huffed and shook his head looking back at his work. "Even for a... " he looked up, over at Dean, licked his lips, "Even for a Cullen, you're an asshole."

"Been told that before." Throwing Sam's words back at him, Dean scribbled in his notebook. A few minutes later, he muttered, "incoming, three o'clock." Why the hell should it bother him that Stacy was coming at Sam, again? He started to mentally count.

"... its going to be so much fun, you're going to love La Push," Stacy kept going as she came up to Sam and put her hand on his shoulder. "I didn't know you surf, but I'm sure you look real cute in a wetsuit."

Her gaze slid to Dean, who didn't look at her but felt her glance, as well as a strong dislike for her surfacing in reaction.

Feeling the teacher's eyes on her, Stacy dropped the pamphlet she was passing out onto Sam's table. "We'll talk at lunch."

The pamphlet she tossed at Dean's desk slid off it, but he caught it mid-air without hardly looking.

Sam watched Stacy walk off. "Damn it all. I am so gonna kill Mike!" Sam glanced at Dean, "I'd show up naked just to shock her into silence if I didn't think she'd just tackle me!" he shook his head, "Son of a-" Sam's fist slammed down on the top of his desk before he raised it, running his hand through his hair. Sam tilted his head back, closing his eyes as he counted to ten.

"You don't like her?" Surprise crept into Dean's voice as he looked at Sam. Yeah, he wasn't doing so well on the 'acting disinterested' front.

Sam turned his head toward Dean, eyes still closed. One eye popped open as he looked at Dean. "Am I that obvious?" Sam huffed as he pulled his head up, opening his eyes. He looked over at Dean, "Hell no, I don't like her. I told you that yesterday. Or were you too busy glaring at me to hear!?"

Dean shrugged, but didn't let it go. "It's a little hard to believe that you go around kissing people you don't like, and letting them rub your back." No, he never missed a thing, not when it came to Sam it seemed. "I'm afraid to ask what you do with someone you hate."

Sam glared at him. "She kissed ME!" he told Dean through clenched teeth, "And she was..." he waved a hand, "I dunno why the hell she was rubbing my back, I sure didn't tell her to! I was trying to get some sleep for once without dreams about--" Sam stopped, clamped his mouth closed and looked away.

After a minute he turned back toward Dean, frowning hard, "Why the hell do you care anyway? I thought you just wanted to eat me!" Sam huffed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest, no longer looking at Dean, but staring off angrily at not much of anything.

"Dreams?" That one word caught his attention like nothing else could. He searched Sam's profile and when he didn't clarify, probed. "Dreams about what?" Dammit, why had he chosen this moment to clam up. "Sam? About what? Her?"


Sam's face slowly crumbled into a look of utter and complete disgust before he turned his head to look at Dean, "Thank you," Sam nodded, "Thank you for that awkward moment of actually tasting throw up in my mouth. Really. What a pal!" Sam rolled his eyes and looked away once more, shuddering exaggeratedly as he made a face again. "Nothin' like ruining sex for me for the rest of my life." he muttered softly under his breath, slouching down in his seat as he glanced at the clock. God... was it time to go, yet!?

"You're not gonna tell me." He wasn't used to feelings of frustration, but they seemed to come with the territory when he was around Sam Winchester. Now he'd have to listen to the thoughts of all his friends and hope he said something to one of them. Another question struck him and erupted from his mouth before he had a chance to rethink it. "Are you gay?"

The bell rang, but he didn't move, waiting on Sam's answer.

Sam slowly turned in his chair to face Dean before leaning toward him, leaning very close, his lips near Dean's ear, voice soft. "And if I was? Would it really matter to you? Would you care?" Sam asked him, before pulling back and grabbing up his backpack. He slid from his seat then and walked out the door.

Dean gave an audible groan. He didn't give a crap about the looks he was getting, but he cared that he hadn't been able to get one straight answer out of Sam. What the hell was the matter with him? Did he care? Only in the academic sense... as in he was curious.

Yeah right. That's why he had no clue what fourth period had been about. That's why his mind was replaying every interaction he'd seen between Sam and females and males, trying to figure him out. Nothing. He came up with a big fat nothing. Not that he was blind to what Alice and practically the school had been whispering about, but that was different. That was probably just vampire allure... a lot of people were drawn in, wanted to be your best friend, or 'in the know'... which was probably where Sam, who thought he knew stuff about vampires, was coming from.

*

Dean stood in line, choosing food he wouldn't eat and dropping it onto his tray. He knew the exact moment Sam walked into the cafeteria. He was like a breath of fresh air, so sweet, with some underlying spiciness to him. It made his teeth ache so good.

Sam walked into the cafeteria and looked over toward the table he always sat at. The one with Tom and Mike... and her, only to find that the only empty seat was right next to her. Shit!

Sam stopped in his tracks and looked around the room, trying to find a way out of his mess for himself. He looked over at the Cullen's table... and then he did the unthinkable. Walking over to his table, he grabbed the unoccupied chair and walked away with it, ignoring Stacy as she called out to him, asking him where he was going. He reachedthe Cullen table and sat the chair down, then himself in it. Leaning his arms on the table, he smiled at Alice. "Hi."

She looked amused, the way her lips quirked when she answered him, but the others at the table were looking coolly at him. "You're not afraid of drama, I'll give you that," she said.

Sam shook his head, smiling. "Naw, I'm not. Not afraid of much of anything that I know of actually...clowns, but that's about it," he told her with a grin and a wink.

"Just like the crocodile hunter, and oops... look what happened to him," Dean said arriving silently. He appeared sure and steady now, but for someone who was never clumsy, there was a moment when he'd almost lost his tray when he saw where Sam was headed. "You're parked in the wrong place. Again."

Looking up, Sam sighed and turned back to Alice, "He always this uptight or is this new, just for me?" Sam asked her before looking back up at Dean again. "Yeah, well, like that parking space, I didn't see your name here, and I'm talking with your sister," Sam told him, before looking back at Alice, "Now, where were we? Oh right, clowns. Yeah," Sam shuddered, "freaky things. Hate them."

Dean set his tray down and lowed himself into a chair. His gaze went to Rosalyn who was voicing her complaints to him in silence. He gave her a nod, and a shrug, looking pointedly at Alice.

"I never thought of them as scary. Or anything else," Alice admitted. "That's why I have trouble picking out Halloween costumes."

Sam frowned, shook his head. "I'm not real big on Halloween." Knowing about all the things that went bump in the night made him not want to celebrate a holiday that seemed to welcome that stuff.

"So, what is it that you do for fun, Alice Cullen?" he asked her, casting Dean sidelong glances, but otherwise seeming to ignore him completely.

Jasper's eyes swung toward Sam. He started to get up...

"Jasper," Dean shook his head 'no.'

Putting his hand on Alice's, Jasper sat back down but gave Sam a warning look.

Dean was tense, ready for anything. So were Emmett and Rosalie. Of all of them, Jasper was the newest to this way of life and had the least control.

"Reading, and writing mostly," Alice threaded her fingers through Jaspers in reassurance. "And yours?"

"Thrillseeking," Dean answered for him, pushing his food around his plate.

Sam didn't miss the look that Jasper shot him, but he refused to be bullied by these people. He was doing nothing wrong, just talking to Alice, the only one of the lot of them that seemed nice enough to talk to most of the time. That thought earned Dean a glance, before he looked back at Alice.

Sam nodded to her answer, then frowned and rolled his eyes at Dean's muttered remark. "Mine?" Maybe he ought to go with thrill seeking. "Reading. I enjoy that a lot. Um," Sam shrugged, "We, my Dad and I, move around so much I don't really have a lot of time for fun other than fun you can make yourself. Reading, writing, " Sam glanced at Dean, "dreaming..." he looked back at Alice as he licked his lips. "My Dad and I do a lot of hunting."

What the hell... dreaming. Dean dropped his fork and tried to pretend he wasn't listening, but the instant he heard hunter, he knew the problem. Sam thought knowing how to shoot a gun could protect him.

"So do we," Emmett offered, before his mate kicked his shin under the table.

Sam looked from Alice to Emmett and smiled slightly. "Yeah, but I have a feeling it's for totally different prey." He looked down for a sec, then back at Alice. "A bunch of us are going to La Push, and as I understand it, I have to go too." Sam glanced at the others before looking back at Alice, "Why don't you and your brothers and sister join us? Could be fun," Sam shrugged, before turning to look at Dean's tray and sighing. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to play with your food," he asked him, snatching a carrot stick up and taking a bite.

Rosalie got up first. "He's trouble, Dean." That was all she said before she walked away with her tray. Emmett followed her and Jasper got up, touching Alice's shoulder.

"Thanks for the invitation. As I understand it, my brothers and sister don't want to go anywhere with you," she answered. Though her words were harsh, her tone was gentle as she told him the truth and got up. "See you later Sam."

Sam watched her walk away, his mouth hanging open slightly at her words. What the hell had he done now? He was just trying to be nice. Be friendly. Fuck. Sam scrubbed his face with his hands. Whatever. Sure, Alice was nice about it, but what she said left little to the imagination as to what Dean's family thought about him. Great.

They were left alone at the table, Dean glaring at Sam, and Sam seeming not to notice. "What are you playing at? What do you want," he asked eventually.

Sam looked over at Dean, "Huh? What do you mean, what do I want? Do I have to want something?"

"Stop playing dumb." Dean gritted his teeth. "Do you see any other humans at this table? Do you see anyone else talking to us? Joining us? Do you have any idea what your friends are thinking right now?" His hand closed around a bottle of water. "They're smart enough to know what your bio teacher said is true. Stop putting yourself in danger." Then softly, almost imperceptibly, he added, "stop putting us in danger."

Sam frowned at Dean. "People are ignorant and judgmental. Most see black and white. I know there are shades of grey. As for what they're thinking, I couldn't give a rat’s ass," he shrugged, "probably nothing worse than when I told them that I don't let a person's sex tell me who I am going to love. And that bio teacher hasn't got a fucking clue compared to me when it comes to this," Sam told him through gritted teeth, before pulling up from his chair, "so climb off your goddamn high horse, Dean Cullen. You wanna know how I know all about you and what you are? Go ask about John Winchester and then, THEN get back to me!" Sam spat before turning and walking out of the cafeteria.

He would have followed him out and made him see sense, except a warning bell sounded in his mind. Twilight, when he was at his calmest, that would be better. Right now, he felt like Sam Winchester had put him through an all day long godamned roller coaster ride and he didn't know whether he had it in him to keep it together.

John Winchester. Dean put a call in to Carlisle. By sixth period, he'd have everything there was to know about this John Winchester, everything.

* * *

The Cullens congregated near Alice's car for a few minutes, but dissipated the instant they saw Sam come out of the building and head their way.

"I'm fine," Dean answered Rosalie's unspoken question and waved her off. Not wanting to encourage Sam in the least, he headed to his own car and took the keys out.

Sam saw Dean head for the car and swore under his breath. He knew Dean had seen him walking over. "Hey, Cullen!" Sam called out to him. "Hold on a second!" He jogged over and leaned back against Dean’s car, "Well? Are you coming over or am I?"

Dean's blood shot straight to his temples. He gripped the key and flicked his gaze over to Sam. "My place is off limits, get that through your head. Besides, you have a date at the beach," he practically sneered as he opened his door. "Mind getting off the car? I just had it detailed."

Sam pulled away from Dean's car, but stood looking at him, watching him. "I wasn't going to go if you wanted to work on the project," Sam told him softly. He glanced away, looked back, and sighed. "Whatever, man. Whatever." Muttering, he turned and started to walk off toward his car. Fuck it, he was done. Maybe he was being like Stacy. If Dean wanted him around he'd show it, right? Yeah, he needed to just get a fuckin' hobby, something to get his mind off Dean Cullen.

"Wait."

Sam stopped walking with a sigh, head tilting back as he waited, but he didn't turn around.

"I know who you are. I know who your father is. I know he's your hero and you probably think there isn't a thing that's walked this earth that he can't kill, but I'm telling you Sam... he's never met one of us, or there is no way he'd be alive." It was just a matter of fact, and that was how Dean tried to tell it, but he needed Sam to understand.

Sam turned around slowly and walked back to Dean, raised an eyebrow. "Never met a vampire?" Sam chuckled, shook his head, "I helped him kill a nest two months before I got here, Dean, so sorry, you're wrong."

Dean shook his head, his eyes now inky black. "No one. Nothing walks away from a fight with one of us. Nothing, you got that?" There was one exception, but it took a whole pack of werewolves to do the job. "What you've met are knock-offs, not the real thing. You don't know crap about us, and there's a reason for it."

Sam shook his head, "Funny. You look like any other vampire I've ever seen, and you're even an ass like most of them, cept there was this one girl," Sam shrugged, "She was nice. I let her live." Sam's eyes narrowed, "I could take you on."

"Is that what you were doing at my place? Getting the lay of the land so you could... kill our nest? Trying to follow in your father's footsteps?" He had to ask.

A muscle twitched in Sam's jaw as he glared at Dean. "No. That was NOT what I was doing there. I went there to see YOU. I told you I would never hurt you or your family. And believe me, if I wanted to, I wouldn't need to get a 'lay of the land', my father has taught me better than that," he said through gritted teeth.

"Meet me at six thirty. Bring your machete, your guns, your rifles, bring a godamned bomb if you know how to make one. I'll be in the clearing behind in the forest, right behind the school baseball diamond." He opened his door, and turned again to look at Sam. "I show you that you're wrong, and you stop this... this suicidal behavior." It wasn’t a question, it was a demand.

Sam watched him get into his car, teeth clenched, one leg shaking as he held in nervous energy, the same energy that hit him before a hunt. "I won't hurt you, Dean," Sam told him softly, eyes narrowed. Sure, he'd show up, but he wasn't going to fight him. If Dean wanted to be an ass and rip his throat open, then more power to him. He'd already told Dean he'd never hurt him or his family and he meant it.

A vampire willingly going up against a hunter was not only suicide, it was just damn stupid.

"Bring your damned weapons, or don't show up," Dean snapped after rolling his windows down. He didn't wait for an answer, instead, throwing his car into reverse, and getting the hell out of the lot.

(A/N: Thank you for your comments, we really appreciate them!)