Episode: Season 8 - Man's Best Friend With Benefits Pt. 1

Things were still tense between me and Sam. And after the small, intimate wedding ceremony Dean and I had, that tension only intensified. I could tell Sam was hurt and I'd be lying if I said it didn't tear me apart inside to know that I was the cause of his pain. And I couldn't deny the lingering feelings I still had for him... But still - life went on and so did our cases. 

Including our latest one - helping a familiar named Portia. Her owner, a cop turned witch named James, had apparently been dreaming of murdering people. People who later did indeed wind up dead the next day. And that was how I found myself sitting across from Sam on the hotel bed I shared with Dean. To say things were awkward would have been an understatement. 

Dean had left to go get supplies for the case while Sam and I had been left to research. I didn't know what to say and neither did he. He glanced up at me then and I dreaded the words about to tumble from his plump lips - lips that I still remembered the taste of when suddenly, the hotel door swung open, leaving the words stuck in his throat.

"Got the last of it," Dean announced as he stepped into the room, holding a paper bag up to show us.

"Alright. Well, I have been looking at the crime-scene reports, and they are exactly the same as James told us - vics, dates, location. The most recent one was a blind man, just like he said," Sam told him after scrolling through the web-page on his laptop.

"That's not good," Dean muttered as he emptied the contents of the paper bag onto the small, wooden dining table.

Sam began to say something else case-related but I couldn't focus on his words when I caught sight of what had fallen out of the bag. Lying out on the table top was two Ziploc bags, one containing part of a crimson-stained baby-doll and the other a wad of dark hair, the tips bloodied as if it had been yanked straight from the victim's scalp. My stomach rolled then at the rank, rotting stench from the blood filling my nose. Wordlessly, I stood up from my perch on the bed and bolted for the bathroom. I barely managed to make it in time before I heaved up both my breakfast of a donut and hash-browns along with last night's supper into the pristine white toilet bowl. After I finished and my stomach felt completely hollowed out, I spit once more into the toilet before shakily getting to my feet. 

Apparently, diner food wasn't agreeing with me. With a quick brush of my teeth and rinse of my mouth, I stumbled out of the bathroom and into the tail end of Dean and Sam's conversation.

"Look, I like James as much as the next guy, but people are getting ganked here," Dean was telling his younger brother, "Besides, Benny, Kate, Parker - they were forced to be what they are. James chose this."

I cleared my throat to alert them of my presence and soon after, we all went our separate ways to take care of our case - Sam to do more research while Portia took Dean and I to a club for supernatural creatures. Having been a vampire before as well as half-witch, half-demon now, being here didn't bother me in the slightest. But I could tell Dean was uncomfortable. Gently, I grabbed his hand as we walked, intertwining our fingers to reassure him.

He sent me a small smile as he squeezed my hand once before turning to Portia, "So, how did James find you, anyway?"

"Not the way it works. The familiar finds the master, and they become inseparable," she explained, more to Dean than me though since I already knew this.

"Guess a lot of people feel that way about their pets," Dean commented nonchalantly.

Portia spun on him then, sending him a dark look and he shrugged, "What?"

She let out a humorless chuckle that was almost a scoff, "I'm not James's pet"

"Well, not all the time," Dean amended.

But that wasn't good enough for Portia as she got up in his face, "Not ever. The master and the familiar - there's an unbreakable bond, like a melding of souls. We would die for each other,"

I took that as my cue as I slid between the two of them, pushing Portia back a bit with my hand.

"Alright, that's enough! Down, girl! Or do I have to bring a water bottle with me next time to spritz you with?" I asked, arching an eyebrow dangerously.

Dean smirked at Portia over my shoulder, "Yeah!"

I whipped around so fast then, making Dean stumble back slightly as I pointed a finger at him, "That goes for you, too, Dean!"

Dean frowned as Portia gave out a short laugh. I was about to speak again when a very familiar voice cut me off, my name ringing out across the room. And when my eyes landed on the figure walking towards me, I couldn't help but feel a grin split my face, my heart swelling in my chest with love for my old friend.

"Philippe!"