Chapter 1

Tamara rolled to a stop in front of Bobby's house in her dark, emerald green 1969 Camaro. She stepped out of her car, but didn't close the door, and she leaned against it, her elbows resting on the roof and her head in her hands. Tamara's honey blonde hair fell around her face and hid her sea-greed eyes from view. It had been nearly six years since Tamara had seen or spoken to Bobby, and because of the way she had departed, she wasn't sure how welcome she would be.

Six years ago, two months after Tamara's seventeenth birthday, her father had left her with Bobby while he went on a hunt. Bobby had gotten word that her father was in danger, but he hadn't allowed Tamara to go, choosing to go by himself. The creature had been a werewolf, and her father had died in the hospital while Tamara held his hand. That night she had screamed and yelled at Bobby, telling him that all of it was his fault, and that she never wanted to see him again. For a year and a half, Bobby had tried calling her once or twice a month, then finally he left a voicemail telling her that he would stop calling her, but if she ever needed anything, don't hesitate to ask.

And here she was, standing in front of Bobby's house with too many thoughts running through her head. Tamara needed Bobby's help, she knew it, but she found herself torn between admitting she was wrong and thinking that she could handle this on her own. She was twenty-four for Christ's sake, she should be able to handle these things on her own. Tamara got back in her car, still leaving the door open, and gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were white.

***

Dean pulled back the curtain in Bobby's house, looking out at the girl for the third time. "Who is she Bobby?" he asked, letting the curtain fall back into place as he took the beer the older man handed him.

"Her name is Tamara Ospenya, and her father was a good friend of mine and your dad's," Bobby explained.

"Why hasn't she come inside yet?" Sam asked.

"The last time I saw Tamara, her father had just died and she left on less than agreeable terms. That was about six years ago."

Dean nodded and sat down, "so why is she here now?"

"How the hell would I know? She hasn't come inside and I can't read minds." Dean held up his hands and Bobby walked to the door, "I'll be right back."

***

Tamara was sitting in her car, her legs outside, and head hung, watching her as hands as she twiddled her thumbs. She heard the footsteps, but she didn't look up until the person was leaning against her car. "Don't scratch the paint," Tamara said weakly, not really sure what to say to the man who spent as much time taking care of her as her own father had.

"Tamara, what's-"

She stood, "I know you're probably not excited to see me because of what happened, but I need your help." Bobby pulled her into a hug, a rare action that not very many people saw, and Tamara broke down crying. It took a moment, but she stepped back and wiped her eyes with her denim jacket. "Michael went on a hunt in New Mexico while I finished up a job in Nevada. That was two weeks ago."

Michael was Tamara's older brother, and the only real family that she had left. "Come inside." She followed him in and looked at the two men sitting on the couch. "These are John Winchester's boys, Sam and Dean." Tamara nodded to them and sat down on the armchair, taking the beer handed to her, "so what, exactly, happened?"

Tamara flashed her eyes to Sam and Dean before telling her story. "Michael and I were in Rio, dealing with a ghost problem when he got a call from a friend who needed help in Winston, New Mexico. Michael left, and I finished up in Rio. He was calling me everyday after he got down there, but a week and a half ago the calls stopped. I gave him one more day, and then went down there and searched around for him." Tamara reached into an inside pocket and pulled out a small notebook. "This has all the hunters that either Michael and I know and one of them has family in Winston and he's usually visiting this time of year. I went to see his family, only to find out that he died three months ago."

"So are you thinking ghouls or are you thinking a trap?" Bobby asked.

"I'm thinking both. If the ghoul found out that his friend was a hunter, that means it now has the knowledge of plenty more hunters, and what better way to get rid of opponents than by becoming them?" Tamara asked.

Bobby sighed, "well you can't do this alone." He looked at Sam and Dean, "you two were complaining about not having anything to do, so here you go."

"Bobby, all I need is my dad's journal and a couple extra guns. Michael took most of them with him when he went down to Winston."

"Maybe I should re-phrase. I'm not going to let you do this alone. If something happens to you, your father is going haunt my ass until I die. You can have his journal though." Bobby motioned for Dean and Sam to follow him while Tamara slumped back in the chair.

***

Sam and Dean felt a little awkward as Bobby gave the girl a verbal smack-down and then followed him quickly before they could receive one as well. Bobby opened a wall closet and took down a shoe box, pulling out a journal that looked a little like their dad's, and then he turned towards them. "You watch out for her, you hear? She's tricky, and given the chance she'll go off alone and handle things her way. Once she walks over you, there's no stopping her."

"Bobby, we're not very good at babysitting," Dean said, and he regretted it seconds later.

"You won't be babysitting her. She's a damn good hunter, almost as good as you two, and she has more tricks and surprises up her sleeve than anyone I've ever met. But Michael is the only family she has left, and you both know what that's like. The only difference now is that her brother may be dead."

Bobby walked off and Sam gave his older brother a look. "What?"

"Can you be any more insensitive?"

"Probably."

There was a crash from outside and they shared a look before running out. Tamara was standing in front of her car, the hood open, and smoke billowing from it. One of the junk cars no longer had a passenger window and Bobby was rubbing the back of his neck. "It doesn't look like she'll be able to take her own car."

"What did you do to it?" Dean asked.

Bobby gave him a look, "and when, exactly, did I have the time to do anything to her car?"

Dean shrugged, "I've seen stranger things happen."

Tamara walked over to them, different emotions playing over her features, finally settling on a look that was a mix between someone giving up and anger. "Bobby…"

"I'll take a look, but you three need to go. You'll just have to ride with them."

She went back to her car and pulled a black duffel bad from the backseat and threw it into the backseat of the Impala, sliding inside with Sam and Dean.