A/N: I don't own anyone but my OC's…though I wished I owned the guys…*sighs*

A/N: After watching "Fire in the Hole" episode of Justified I got this zany idea!!! It's already my new fav show! This will flashback between the present and three years previous to show the established relationship between Brooklyn and Raylan.

"Okay Brook we're going where?" Dean looked over at Brooklyn.

"Harlan County, Kentucky," she calmly responded. "Someone needs help, an old friend of mine."

"This friend gotta name?" Dean looked at her suspiciously.

"Raylan Givens," Brooklyn wasn't afraid to say the man's name. She watched the hunter wince at his name. Dean wasn't exactly spilling his heart out to her. She had been on the road with the Winchesters for almost a year and Dean wasn't making any attempt to indicate he wanted anything more with her. Sure they had fucked around and made a great team in hunting, but that was as far as it went. To be honest, Brooklyn felt dejected as she had made her feelings known on more than a couple of occasions. Sam watched as Dean shifted in his seat at the mention of another man, let alone one she knew. He had told Dean several times to tell Brooklyn how he felt but his brother didn't want to listen.

"So Brook, how do you know this guy?" Sam asked. Brooklyn turned around and looked at Sam.

"Before I met you guys, I hunted alone and I wound up in Harlan County as there was a string of vanishings and the police were baffled."

Three years earlier….

Brooklyn pulled into the front of the diner and killed the engine on her truck. She wasn't sure why she was here but there were the mysterious string of vanishings and no one could figure out why.

"Probably a damn werewolf," she huffed and finally got out.

The diner wasn't very busy when she entered and spied a corner booth. The hunter slipped in and faced the dining area before her. She studied the patrons, most were coal miners or laborers with a few others peppered in. The waitress appeared and Brooklyn ordered a coffee and light breakfast then left her alone once again. She didn't see anything unusual and picked up the paper nearby. The big story was the vanishings that were occurring and she read the article below the blaring headline. Even the coffee being placed in front of her didn't disturb the hunter as she finished up the last few sentences. The thoughtful stare took hold as she noticed what witnesses and family members had told authorities.

It wasn't a werewolf as bodies would be found and ripped to shreds. The red flag for Brooklyn was the hearts were still inside the bodies. No, this was something entirely different. She had to get out to the woods.

Armed with a shotgun and Molotov cocktail, Brooklyn hiked along the trail scanning for signs that would confirm her suspicions. The birds continued to chirp which was a comfort for the hunter. She kept a steady pace along the well worn trail, keeping a sharp ear to the air. It was only when the sound of deafening silence greeted her ears she would need to worry.

Brooklyn reached the clearing and looked at the rocks and trees surrounding the area. This was the spot where the first two had gone missing. The police had come and gone so she could wander freely and scout around. Brooklyn looked at the trees first and spotted the five scratches etched deeply in the wood and bark.

"This isn't good," she said to herself. Still she kept looking and spotted the rock ahead. She hurried over and ripped away the brush and leaves. The images carved in stone showed all Brooklyn needed to see.

"Shit," she jumped to her feet and spun around bumping into the man behind her. He was something from the Old West. Dressed in jeans, cowboy boots, Stetson hat but it was the suit jacket, button up shirt and tie that was modern. Something flashed from the corner of her eye and spied the US Marshal's badge.

Crap…..

"Can I ask what you're doing here?" He spoke with a soft Southern accent. His eyes were dark but held even with her grey ones.

"I was taking a hike," Brooklyn lied.

"Well these woods aren't safe," he spoke again. "We've had several people go missing around here."

"Oh, I didn't know," she feigned innocence but the man wasn't buying it. He tilted his head and continued to hold a disbelieving stare.

"I saw your truck at the diner and then over at several of the missing people's homes. I don't think you're telling me the truth. You mind telling me who you are? You do know your name right?"

Brooklyn had been routed by a damn throwback from the Old West! Sighing she sat down on a fallen log and decided to tell the truth or else she would be sitting in a cell so fast it would make her head spin.

"You're right, I'm not a tourist," she confessed. But before she could say anything further she stopped. She couldn't hear the birds or even the crickets. The sound of silence bordered on deafening.

"We need to go now," Brooklyn sat up and grabbed her bag. The man blocked her path but Brooklyn was determined to get around him.

"Look Marshal, if we don't leave now, we're both gonna be dead."

His face darkened at her words but Brooklyn was already reaching for the cocktail and prepared to light it up. The lawman grabbed for it but Brooklyn was too fast and darted out of the way. The growling grew loud until it was a few feet away from them. The vile odor of rotting flesh filled the air making Brooklyn nearly gag.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Our death if you don't let me throw this," she snapped then darted her eyes around the perimeter.

"Come on out you bastard," she shouted taunting the thing that stalked them. The lawman felt the gun on his hip ready to use if needed. He didn't use it unless he intended to kill someone and this may be one of those times.

"What is that?" He asked Brooklyn.

"A Wendigo," she answered. "If we get out of this alive I'll be more than happy to tell you."

"I think that would be an excellent idea," the lawman answered and inched closer to Brooklyn. The rustle of brush and trees alerted them to the Wendigo's presence as it remained close to its prey. Brooklyn knew these creatures well and taken out a few in her time. But this one was highly intelligent, more so than the other Wendigos she had encountered. Add the cunning speed and deadly claws and the two humans were outmatched and screwed.

"Start walking very slowly down the trail and towards my truck," Brooklyn whispered. The lawman listened and step by step they eased back on the trail and towards the Avalanche. She knew it continued to watch them as they edged closer towards the parking lot. The back of her truck came into view. The lawman kept his eyes trained ahead watching the foliage rustle though no wind blew.

"Okay now on the count of three make a break for it," Brooklyn said as she reached in her pocket and pulled the lighter out. The lawman didn't object when she lit the cloth and hurled it at the side of the trail.

"Three!" They took off in a dead sprint hoping the fire would hinder the creature. Brooklyn heard it chasing them through the trees and bushes. It routed the pair into a small clearing cornering them.

"So what now?" The lawman had his hand on his gun.

"I'm thinking," she snapped. Brooklyn dropped her bag and searched through the weapons she had packed and found nothing to help.

"Damn it," she muttered and looked around spying the branch by her foot. Quickly she started drawing Anasazi symbols on the ground until they formed a circle around them.

"What are those?"

"Anasazi protection symbols," Brooklyn answered. "It can't come after us."

The Wendigo circled around them letting the humans know it was still there. The symbols kept it at bay and it knew it was dealing with a worthy foe. Brooklyn sat on the ground as she knew neither she nor the lawman would be going anywhere fast.

"So now what do we do?"

"We wait," she sighed.

"In case you haven't noticed the sun's starting to set and it's gonna be dark soon," the lawman calmly noted.

"I'm well aware of that," Brooklyn looked up at the marshal. This one wasn't exactly beating around the bush with his choice of words. She had a bad feeling he wasn't going to be letting her out of his sight anytime soon. The Wendigo continued watching them until something caught its attention. Off in the distance the sound of laughter filled the air and it sensed easier prey to catch. Brooklyn's head shot up as the Wendigo raced off away from them.

"It's gone," she said leaping to her feet and grabbing her bag. Brooklyn took off but the lawman was right on her heels as they reached the parking lot and the hunter leapt in her truck. To her surprise the lawman slid in the passenger seat and merely looked at her. His rich brown eyes trying to read what her grey pools hid but she was good at keeping her feelings at arm's length. Nate's death had forced her to do so.

"What?" She asked wondering if he was going to arrest her or thank her.

"You said you would tell me what the thing was," the lawman reminded her in a matter of fact tone. Brooklyn absently nodded and started her truck anxious to get away from the woods. As she backed out, Brooklyn noticed the dark blue Towncar parked in the opposite end.

"So you're leaving your car?" The lawman kept silent and Brooklyn merely huffed and drove back to the hotel. She didn't notice the small smile creeping up on his lips as they drove in a tense silence.

"So you wanna know what a Wendigo is?" Brooklyn dropped the book on the table and opened its worn dog-eared pages. She flipped through it in an expert manner until she found what she was looking for. The lawman walked over as she started reading from the book.

"A Wendigo is a Native American legend in which an evil or malevolent cannibalistic being that humans can either be possessed by or turned into. If a human consumes human flesh he or she would become the dreaded creature and its appetite for flesh would never cease. The need to feed is so overpowering that the number of victims can become staggering. While descriptions vary from tribe to tribe, the Wendigo has the universal appearance of gaunt skin, claws where fingers once existed, tattered and ripped flesh where lips once stood and the overpowering odor of decay."

"How do you kill it?" The lawman asked.

"Fire," Brooklyn simply stated. "But the senses and physical attributes of the Wendigo give it superhuman speed and strength so killing it is a bit of a challenge."

"Well we can't let it roam free out there killing at will," the marshal argued.

"You didn't let me finish," she fired back. "I have killed Wendigos before and the best way to turn them into a smoldering pile of ash is a flaming arrow or flare gun up their ass."

The marshal laughed at her choice of words and sat down beside the hunter.

"So what are you?" He asked.

"Welcome to the conversation," she smiled. "I'm a hunter."

The lawman just looked strangely at her.

Okay update coming soon.....