.-.-.-. Primoris Filius.-.-.-.

Summary: Everything has a story - every scar, every tear, every weapon, every amulet... So when the boys come across a new hunt with a familar M.O. a valuable piece of jewellry might be needed to protect an innocent life once again. Takes place in both the present and the past... Deancentric (when aren't my stories?)

Disclaimer: You really want to upset me by making me remind myself YET AGAIN that I don't own them? 'Cause that's just cruel… that's gotta be the cruellest part about writing fanfictions – that we're constantly made to remind ourselves that the Winchester aren't ours and that we're only 'borrowing them'… doesn't mean I have to play nicely with them though – You'll get 'em back Kripke, can't say in how many pieces though.

Warnings: Typical bad language that you expect from the Winchesters, particularly Dean… Decided to set this after Season 2 but before Season 3… guess I wanted that extra angst factor!!!

Hello! I've got a new story in the works – yey! Can't say for certain when I'll update this one again but I thought I'd throw up the first chapter up seen as Death Markers is drawing to a close. I dunno, I think I'm torturing myself. I guess this chapter is really just a teaser for now.

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1. Back in the Picture

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August 1997

Ring... Ring... Ring…

"Hello?"

"Is this John Winchester?"

"That depends on who's asking."

"The names Patrick, Patrick Halloway."

"Well Patrick, that doesn't exactly tell me much."

"Please… I've been working a job and I believe you might be able to help me."

"What kind of job would that be?"

"The kind that requires your special expertise, the expertise of a demon hunter."

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Present Day

It had been a hell of a long month for the Winchester brothers. One hell of a long month that included several hell gate demons (that liked to torture, maim and kill and found extreme pleasure in taunting the Winchesters), two very pissed off poltergeists (who particularly liked throwing hunters into dangerous and hard objects) and one wacky old woman (who was completely and utterly mad about Sam, after he'd rescued her from a stray dog, and was just trying to figure out how to adopt the 23 year old before he and Dean quickly slipped out the back door and drove non stop to the next town's motel). There was also the little matter of Sam coming back from the dead and Dean selling his soul for him… but hey… why should that slow them down?

So after the one hell of a long month that they'd just been through, which they still had several scars and bruises from, they felt they deserved some downtime. A week's rest… half a week… a couple of days away from hunting and pain and hospital so they could be ready for the next fight, the next ghost or even the next hell gate demon that came along. But no rest for the wicked and man, did that Dean Winchester have a wicked tongue at times, wicked and particularly pleasing…

Dean yawned as he looked down at the cup of coffee he'd been nursing for the past half hour. It was murky but smelled like it was just what he needed, he could just make out his distorted reflection in the dark brown liquid and watched as the ripples swirled after he'd taken a quick sip – delicious.

He looked up and across the diner, eye's falling on the bathroom door that Sam had disappeared behind several minutes before. If he didn't hurry up then he'd miss his chance to order and Dean would make sure to order the greasiest, most salty breakfast that the place had to offer.

Dean managed another yawn and another sip of coffee before a waitress approached him with a sweet smile and a morning spring in her step, far too cheerful for that time of day. Even with her pretty shimmering brown hair, Dean couldn't help take an instant dislike to her, or maybe that was just because he felt like he'd been dragged across a hundred miles of woodland.

"Morning hun, you feel like ordering anything to eat yet?" She asked pleasantly, eyes lighting up as they looked Dean over a couple of times, liking what they saw.

"I should wait for my brother…" He started but after another glance at the unmoving bathroom door he shrugged and plastered a smile on his face, noting the blush that began to appear on her cheeks, "You know what, bring us both a full breakfast and I'll eat whatever he leaves."

"Coming right up." She jotted down the order and moved back towards the counter, swaying her hips as she went. Okay, maybe she wasn't that bad. So she was a morning person, big deal… she had one damn sexy ass.

From the corner of his eye, Dean saw the bathroom door open and tore his eyes away from the waitress to stare at his brother. With thunder in his eyes, Sam made his way across the diner and back to the table. He practically threw himself onto the seat, picking up his cup and taking a quick swig of coffee.

"What's up with you?" Dean immediately asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"You know this 'vacation'? This break from hunting while we get ourselves back together?" He asked heatedly and Dean hated where he was going with this.

"What about it?"

"We picked the wrong town to stop in. Seriously, are we cursed? Did Dad get on the wrong side of a witch and did she curse our family? No one has this much bad luck."

"It's all those mirrors you smashed." Dean joked, waiting for Sam to continue.

"Well whatever it is, it's amazing the things you can hear in a diner bathroom. One of the waitresses called in sick, too upset to come to work. Turns out her son was found dead yesterday, only he isn't the first death around here lately and I didn't hear any details but he didn't exactly die of natural causes."

Dean grunted and pushed his coffee away from him, "Oh, great. Come on then, what else did you hear? How many others?"

"Two more that I know of. What you think?"

"God knows. Guess we better check it out. Who knows, might turn out to be a serial killer and we can just leave it to the half assed local cops. But when does that ever happen? Looks like we're doing research."

"Research?" The waitress from before asked, placing a plate full of deliciously greasy and salty breakfast foods in front of each brother, "You guys don't look like scientists."

"Journalists." Sam answered automatically, smiling politely.

"Oh. So you're here about the murders?" She bit her lip as she spoke, nervous habit.

"Well not initially."

"I guess when a story like this crops up you just gotta take it though? I mean, the way those poor guys were killed."

"So you know what happened?"

"I've heard some rumours. Don't know how far true they are, I mean some people are saying that whoever killed them tore out both their hearts and eyes. But that's not possible right?" The way she asked the question was as if she was asking for reassurance that the rumours couldn't be true, how could it? Not for a small town waitress.

"Hearts and eyes?" Dean repeated, forcing the words around the sudden lump that had formed in his throat.

"Yep, clean out. Some people say the killer took 'em as souvenirs. How gross is that?" The waitress went on, "I mean it's the talk of the town at the moment. Nothing ever happens here… and now murders. You can understand the whispers."

"Yeah…" Dean nodded numbly, eyes falling onto the plate of food in front of him and he couldn't think of time he'd felt less like eating.

"Natalie! Leave the customers alone and get back to your job!" Came a bark like voice from behind the counting and the waitress jumped, spinning round and sending a grin towards her boss as she moved onto the next order.

"Dean?" Sam narrowed his eyes at his brother's behaviour, "You okay?"

"'Course I am Sam." Dean answered, plastering on a fake smile that didn't reach his eyes, and looked up at Sam.

"I'm guessing hearts and eyes ring a bell? You dealt with something like this before?"

"Probably isn't even the same thing I'm thinking of." Dean shrugged and picked up his fork, silently prodding at his food and signalling the end of the conversation.

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August 1997

"Alright, you got my attention. How about you give me some more details?"

"Okay, seven males turned up dead within the same fortnight. Choked on their own blood, but that's not the best part. Their hearts and eyes were removed."

"You any idea what it is?"

"Few things come to mind but I really could use some help 'cause far as I can tell, these things are deadly. Three man job my guess."

"Woah, three man? Who else you bringing in?"

"I err… I heard you got two boys and that you've trained them well."

"I really don't know who you've been talking to Halloway but my boys don't do gigs like this."

"I don't trust many people John but from what I've been told I can trust you and if you've trained your boys as good as I've been told then I can trust them as well. I understand how you feel but your eldest, gotta be about eighteen, right? He's practically an adult."

"He's my son and I don't want him getting hurt helping someone I know nothing about."

"Look, at least meet up with me. Look over some case notes that I've got; you don't even have to bring either of your sons. Think about it. I could really use the help 'cause for all I know I could end up like the rest of these guys."

"Where?"

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