A Monster Contained

varkatzas.' character | Damien Alchos, 24.

The alleyway was silent, John looked down to the body and decapitated head of the vampire. The machete in his hand coated in blood felt a lot heavier than usual as his eyes shifted to Damien. He let out a exasperated laugh, shaking his head as he shoved past Damien, stopping just inside the mouth of the alley. He raised the machete toward Damien."All this time, you were one of them." He could feel the anger within him rising, maybe at Damien and maybe at himself that he couldn't even recognize a vampire that had been traveling along side of him for months now. He could of gotten himself killed and he wished he could knock Damien's head off but something inside of him wouldn't dare.

John quickly turned on his heel, swatting the brick of the alley with the blade, making an awful screeching sound as he walked the few blocks down to the seedy motel they had stopped at.

He had wanted to say something, do something as he watched his sire's head fall from his shoulders. Initially, Damien had been angry but all too quickly, that had fallen away as he made eye contact with John. Rooted to his spot, Damien felt like being sick. This, it wasn't right. He wanted to turn and run as far as he could, as quickly as his legs would carry him. Flinching at the accusation, Damien shook ihs head, "John..."

Damien felt sick to his stomach as he stared down at the body that separated him from the mouth of the alley. He could run, it would be so easy...

Cursing his feet, Damien drew in a sharp breathe before coming to a stop in front of the door that led to their motel room. Questions wouldn't be asked here, no matter what noises came from the room. Raising a hand, Damien hesitated before knocking on the door. He could have barged in but he knew John was angry right now. He just had to talk to John and show him that he wasn't bad. It had to work... right?

John had cleaned himself up and wiped down the machete, it sat on the little kitchenette table in its sheath. He popped open a beer when he heard the knock at the door, he paused with the bottle to his lips. He had a feeling it was Damien, he sat his beer down, pulled open the door just as far as he could with the chain lock on the door and Damien's face hovered in the crack.

Seeing Damien's face up close, reminded him that he was still the same Damien he knew an hour ago. The same guy who drove shot gun and helped navigate the map and who did his best to stay out of the way and let John do his work.

John had to wonder how much of that was just a lie, now. Knowing that this guy was not just some guy but a vampire. The same monsters he hunted and chopped heads. With a reluctant sigh, John raised his hand and slid the lock out of the slot and pulled open the door.

He grabbed his beer, taking a long swing. His hand not far from the machete.

Damien stared at John, rooted to his spot just outside of the door. Taking a step inside finally, Damien nudged the door shut with his foot. He was quiet, kicking off his shoes before returning his attention to John.

"John.." He took a step forward, only to freeze when John started to reach for the machete. Damien knew he had a good chance to take John but fuck, if he admitted it to himself, he loved the man. Damien would never dream of hurting John. "I've never hurt you. I've never hurt a human, I'm not the monster you think I am. I'm still the man you think I am. Please," he pressed, taking another small, hesitant step forward.

"I could have stopped you. But. I didn't. Doesn't that count for anything?"

John said nothing, thumbing at the label on the bottle, already peeling because of condensation. He hated seeing the look on Damien's face, knowing he was the cause for it. He could admit that Damien was right though, he could have stopped him, even could have killed him long ago but here he stood and he hated to think there was an ulterior motive for it.

"It really should count for something but you lied to me for months. You knew all along that I was a hunter, that I hunted vampires along with every fucking monster known to man." He ran his hand over his face."I can even accept that maybe you were scared of how I would react but I've never kept anything from you. How could you lie to me for months?"

And that was what really stung, he thought. The fact that Damien couldn't trust him enough to overlook the fact that he was a hunter. John had trusted Damien to the fullest, had too, in the line of being a hunter.

"Did you know he was here? Was he waiting on me? Or you?"

Damien's stomach twisted as he looked away from John. Anywhere but at John. The anger and the hurt were so raw on the hunter's face that it almost made Damien wonder if he really was a monster. But He wasn't... no. He wasn't.

"That is what it was though. I didn't want you to react badly. I didn't want you to hate me for something that I can't control, John. I can't control what I am but I can control how I act, how I react. I will never harm a human for so long as I live. Never," he stressed, giving a shake of his head. He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

Damien decided to take a seat on the edge of the bed, chewing on his lip. How did he even go about answering that question?

"I knew he was here. He didn't know I was with you. He wasn't waiting on anything, he was just... living," Damien answered, wincing as he finished speaking. Chance had been one helluva vampire, ready to bend the rules, always. Had taught Damien to be the type of man he was.

"I should leave," he muttered, more to himself than anything. John didn't want him here, that much was dead obvious to him. So he should take himself out of the equation. It was that simple. Damien made a move to stand, intent on packing what few things he had into his bag.

"If you leave right now, I will chop your head off." John's hand wrapped around the machete's handle, he would never use it on Damien but the threat was still there. He finished off his beer, so many thoughts and emotions coursed through him. He was still highly angry but he had to tell himself that this was still Damien sitting there.

John couldn't imagine all these months on the road without him, he had become a steeple in his life, he had never brought anyone into his hunting lifestyle until he found Damien in some roadside bar. And to think he was a vampire then too but despite that, he couldn't let Damien just up and leave knowing their were other hunters out there on the prowl looking for vampires and that Damien could end up being their next kill.

"You were afraid of how I would react? You're a vampire and you could have saved both of us a lot of time and heartache if you just had been up front about what you are. Or did you just hoped to God that I never found out? Do you know that makes me feel?" He scrubbed the tension from his face.

Damien was midway to standing when John spoke, sending a chill down his spine. He swallowed, staring at the floor, considering his options. He looked up, slowly until his eyes rested on John. He'd learned that when John was drinking, to just stay out of the man's way. Which was usually simple, but John's attention was solely focused on him. That wouldn't be so easy now.

"I did it because I know that your kind can't change. You just believe we're all monsters when that's not the case. I'm not a monster. Hell, John, I helped you hunt monsters. Do you really think that I would have said anything if I thought you were wrong? You weren't. Ever. Right up until tonight," his words were harsh, full of all the emotion that he was feeling.

"Tell me. Which one of us has killed an innocent person?" Damien pressed, eyes narrowed. He knew to keep away from John's anger but hell, his pride was getting in the way. John's anger was a monster all on its own.

"You're all not the same? That's what every werewolf and shapeshifter wants you to believe, they just do what they have to do to survive, they can't help what they are, blah, blah, blah. A monster is a monster." The words were much harder to push out now, knowing that Damien was a vampire but had also spent many months along side of him, John never the wiser to what he was sitting next too.

John's eyes flashed to the other at the accusation, quickly picking up the machete and aiming the end toward Damien."You watch your mouth. There is a big difference between me and a monster taking lives just to feed off of." John had never taken a life that was in vain.

@ varkatzas.

(AHHH! I'm sorry, I totally read this and thought I responded )

Damien let out a dry laugh, nodding as he stared at the machete. His stomach was in knots. The instinctual side of him wanted to run and never look back. He knew John, he knew the hunter's ways. He could elude him for a long time... but then, really looking at John, Damien didn't want to leave. He wanted to get on his knees and beg forgiveness for a sin that he hadn't committed.

He opened and closed his mouth, wanting to say something. Anything. But the words never came. He stood slowly, moving so he could actually lay on the bed. There was no sense in arguing because John was clear on his standpoint. He would just have to change his mind in the future.

"Why are you keeping me around if you believe everything you're saying, Winchester?" His words were quiet, harsh. He winced as he spoke, knowing full well his own anger was going to get in the way.