A/N: I know its very short, but I'll have Chapter Two up asap. I plan to have a little torture in here somewhere, and we'll get to see more of Sage ( I just loved her too much to only have that wee bit back in From the Ashes). So as soon as I figure out the title this'll be up. A Sam or Dean, rag doll for anyone who reviews : )

Shifting

Chapter One

February 4th, 2007

"Tell me!" he barked at her. Sage stiffened, it wasn't her Rick, her hunter. She knew before the first blow. "You know where they are!"

"What do you want with them?" she asked. He slapped her, hard, across the cheek. She tumbled to the ground and refused to look up at him. She couldn't see his sharp brown eyes. If she did she might just tell where they were. Where her girls were.

"Fine, if you're not going to speak," he grabbed her up off the ground manhandling her back outside, around her two room shack and into the outhouse. "Don't talk, honey. I like it better when you need breaking." the man leaned in stealing a kiss from her lips before slamming the door shut.

He'd shown up the night before and taken her off guard. Sage had fought back when he forced himself into her home. He'd knocked her unconscious, and she was sure that was and accident. You don't want someone out if you're questioning them. But why the hell did he want her girls? She pushed herself into the wall of cubical easing her way to her feet. Tears were falling from her eyes in a way they hadn't done since her Rick had died. Since she had failed to save the only person in her life who truly meant something to her.

"That's a lie, Sagie." she told herself. "If the girls didn't mean anything you wouldn't be protecting them. Them and those damn Winchesters." Sage closed her eyes against the pain. No wonder hunters were so stubborn. You need to be to keep from showing how bad this shit hurts. Her ribs were bruised at least, nimble fingers worked over them probing for a break, her lip was busted pretty good too, might even require a couple of stitches. "God, John, where are you?" she let her head fall back against the wall. "Those kids are going to need you."

It was too much to fight for very long. The memory of her lover washing over her, drudging up everything from trying to piece him back together and failing. All the hurt and shame mixed and mingled with the pride she'd felt seeing Autumn heal so quickly and Athena hold herself together so well. Those girls had grown up a lot in the single year since she'd met them. Sage bit the inside of her mouth drawing blood, why had she let them in? People always hurt! They were never worth all their trouble.

February 10th, 2007 Raining Cloud's Hunter's Resort, Montana

Jen Raining heaved herself into her wheel chair cursing the dog scratching at the door. The large rottweiler had been going crazy for the last half hour, and she couldn't take it any more. Autumn had better get home soon or she'd just go ahead and shoot the dog. John was the Daemon Sisters' big bad protector. They didn't go anywhere with out the mutt. But now they had those Winchester boys, Jen grinned at the thought.

"Pup, if they're replacing you they sure know how to chose a replacement." the dog barked in response. "Yea, yea. I hear ya." she rolled her eyes and pushed her chair forward. Jen followed the dog through her cabin and ended up in the bar where John wasted no time busting through the door and out into the cold.

"They're back." Gus said from the bar. "Just got in half hour ago."

"I'm going back to bed, then." Jen said with a yawn. It was just after midnight and she'd had had a full day of chasing newbies around.

"Will the dog be okay?" the man asked.

"Yea, of course. Fire will still be up, she'll let him in."

"Think they took care of that thing in Vegas?" Gus pressed, wiping down the bar.

"If they didn't they wouldn't be back yet. I know John, he would never allow his kids to walk away from a job before it was done."

"That's who called earlier isn't it?" Jen nodded.

"Yea, he was checkin' in on them. Would never admit it to those kids, but he worries himself sick over them. Wouldn't surprise me at all if he died from worrying about them instead of some hunt." she shook her head numbly. "Hunting fathers are all the same."

"Night, Jenny." she held up a hand, a half hearted wave, in response before wheeling herself back to her room.