Chapter 1: Case of the Strange

"Why are they always crazy bitches?" Dean questioned from behind the wheel of the Impala.

Sam had no response for his brother. Castiel had specific orders for them to find a woman under the name Jane Doe at St. Luke's Hospital, which was just north of Bobby's place.

"There is a war out there Sam. The angels aren't helping…God isn't there…we're on our own," he ranted on.

They had been to Heaven and back, literally. They talked to the angel who Castiel thought would have the answers as to God's whereabouts. As it turned out, Joshua told them that God knew what was going on, and he doesn't want to intervene anymore in the Apocalypse.

"Let's just do it and get her over to Bobby's place like Cas said, alright?" Sam hoped Dean would calm down.

"If Cas wants her so bad how come he doesn't pop in and get her?"

Sam hadn't thought about that… "I don't know…good question. There must be a reason. She must be someone important, maybe an empty vessel?"

The brothers were instantly reminded of Raphael's empty vessel at St. Pete's in Maine.

"Maybe," Dean replied, "But I hope not. I'm tired of this angels and demon crap, I really am. They just love to smack us right in the middle of it. If we can't stop the Devil then to Hell with the world."

Sam wasn't really paying attention as he looked at the map using the light of his cell phone. It seemed like he was the one with hope…that only he believed they could beat this.

"She's not an empty vessel," Castiel announced from the backseat of the Impala.

Dean swerved the car into the other lane of traffic as the angel's sudden appearance shocked him.

"Could you NOT do that while I'm driving! You could get us all killed."

"Then I'll just bring you back to life."

"Beside the point," Dean growled irritated. "Okay, so you gonna share with the class this time? Or are we being surprised."

The angel learned forward, "I pulled her out of Hell. It wasn't easy…and I lost track of her…"

Sam and Dean laughed.

"You lost her?" Dean clarified.

"Yes, it happens. You are to bring her straight to Bobby's. It's very important Dean. I've been given the power to restore her and the longer we wait the less likely it will work. I will meet you at Bobby's."

Castiel disappeared from the backseat before Dean could make a snide remark.

"Guess we have our answer," Sam noted closed his phone.

When they rolled into Aberdeen it didn't take long to find St. Luke's. The boys changed their clothes and posed as doctors to gain access and blend in with the staff.

Sam's instincts led him to check the computers. There were three Jane Doe's on the roster. One was in her late sixties, another was recently transferred. The third was a mid-twenties woman who was brought in just recently.

"Room 150," he said before closing out and walking away with Dean.

"Alright, now how are we going to get her out of here?" the older brother asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same. Her file…says she's being sedated. We are either going to have to wheel her out, or carry her."

They sighed at their dilemma. Dean picked up the chart on the door reading 150 and walked in as Sam was close behind.

"Hi there Ms. Doe," he said flipping through the pages of the chart as he pretended to be a real doctor. "Holy crap…"

"What?" he asked.

"Dude she's really messed up. Did you read that part? Says she attacked a nurse when they brought her in. Grabbed her by the hair and just pulled it out…her scalp along with it. It took ten people to get her down."

"It's a good thing she's knocked out."
"Yeah…" Dean agreed.

"It might be easier than I thought…We can just wheel her out…she's already restrained to the bed. I'll take her to the back exit and throw her in the car."

"I had no idea you liked your women tied up, Sam." Dean laughed at the straight look Sam gave him. "Just awesome. I'll go move the car…" he handed the file to Sam before he left.

He flipped through it and gave a confused look. Dean was pulled from Hell and he didn't have these issues…This woman sounded like a wild animal. Sam put the file next to her on the bed and started to wheel her out of the hospital. It was easy to do since it was so early in the morning…the sun wasn't even up yet.

Carefully he took off the restraints and placed her in the backseat quickly.

"Let's go," he said after getting back in the car.

Dean pounded the gas pedal and took off to Bobby's house. As he drove, he peaked to the backseat, "God I hope she doesn't wake up."

The boys really didn't think of that. If she was to wake up…what was stopping her from attacking them?

Luckily they never found out- she was out the entire time to Bobby's place. Sam carried her to the door and Bobby greeted them from his wheelchair…Cas wasn't there yet.

He placed her on the couch and once Bobby got a look at her it was like a switch had flipped in his head. Bobby quickly rolled backwards and grabbed a flask of holy water from a table.

"That's….that's not possible…That's not human…"

"Woah woah…" Dean began, "It's okay Bobby, chill out, Cas said he pulled her out of Hell. She's not a demon..."

"Not a demon my ass…It's not possible Dean, I watched her get pulled into Hell," his hands were noticeably shaking and as was his jaw as he spoke.

"Come again?" Sam raised his brows.

"You heard me boy," his voice was cracking up, but his eyes never left the woman lying on the couch.

When the woman started to stir on the couch the boys jumped back five feet.

"Where the Hell is Cas? What are we supposed to do when this thing wakes up and tries to kill us?" Dean complained.

"Watch your tongue!" Bobby raised his voice, "Even if she is a demon you have no god damned right to talk about her like that. SHE WAS A PERSON YOU IDGIT!"

Sam silently motioned to Dean and Bobby…. The woman kept her eyes closed as she touched her face. It wasn't the normal way a person touched their face, it was more like an examination of her face. She then opened her eyes and sat up in confusion. Untamed. That was the only word that came to mind.

"She's gotta be possessed…Even if your angel friend pulled Lorena out of Hell….SHE isn't…can't be…Lorena anymore. It's been too long," Bobby was becoming terrified at the thought of having to hurt her.

When the woman saw Sam and Bobby her eyes turned black and she leaped up from the couch with her fingers spread out as if they were claws. Dean suddenly jumped in front of the two to protect them from the crazy bitch.

Dean pulled out Ruby's knife and was ready to use it.

Bobby saw the knife and was yelling at Dean to step down as hard as he could.

But when the woman saw Dean she recoiled. She was stopped dead in her tracks and curled herself into a ball back on the couch in fear of Dean.

He lowered the knife and looked behind him for answers, "I've never seen a demon do that."

Sam stepped forward, "I think she's afraid of you Dean…She was ready to tear us apart, but when she saw you…her eyes…I think she was terrified."

He smiled, "don't I wish I had that effect on all demons?"

Neither Sam nor Bobby seemed thrilled about this discovery. This wasn't right…in fact nothing about this was right to Bobby.

"Think about it…Lorena just came from Hell, Dean….a LONG time in Hell. Maybe she recognizes you?" Bobby lifted his hat a little knowing this was a sensitive subject with him.

"I've never seen her before, I swear" Dean looked at Sam and Bobby.

"You sure about that?" Bobby didn't quite believe him.

Dean looked at her and sighed. The flashes returned as they sorted through the faces of the people in Hell. It made him feel empty and cold as he reflected deeply. Yes….he did remember her now.

"She was the first one…"

"First one what?" Sam tried to look into Dean's eyes for answers.

"The first one I ripped apart when Alastair took me off the rack. I enjoyed it…she cried and begged me not to do it, but I was hurting so much. I took out my revenge on her. I thought nothing of it at the time."

Cas had appeared close to Lorena and heard what Dean had said. "By the time we found her she had become a demon. The deed can be undone, but it is up to her."

The three men looked at Castiel in surprise. Sam and Dean weren't sure why the angels would be looking for this woman…who Bobby happened to know. All three were contemplating the big question: "Why now?"

The angel raised his fingers to the woman's head. He was doing something to her. After a minute or so Castiel stood back up and looked at them, "I've healed her mind…My orders from a loyal friend were clear: pull her from Hell and offer her a choice. Bobby can probably explain this better than I, but I must go now…"

Lorena seemed different as she slowly stood up once the angel was gone. Her olive skin looked golden brown in the early morning sun. Although it was a little matted, her dark brown hair went down to her midback. It wasn't until she looked right them then did they realize just how green her eyes were…since previously they were black.

"Bobby?" she spoke softly taking baby steps towards him…still wearing her hospital clothes.

"Is it really you?" he asked in disbelief as he wheeled closer to her. Tears were forming in the hunter's eyes.

"Yes…it is…I swear it." Lorena wrapped her arms around him and they embraced each other for a moment.

"Uh…Bobby, mind telling us something?" Dean pressed.

Bobby turned away and took a long nervous drink as he ignored Dean. None of this even seemed real…it had just been so long.

"You look…like you haven't aged a day. Your father…he would be so happy to see you," Bobby continued as he ignored Sam and Dean's demanding looks.

"I know. What happened…it was his worst fear. And that demon…I heard how it tortured him till he went crazy," She lowered her head, "he told me everything."

"Martin was a good man. Losing you crushed him….you were all he had Lorena. Without you…well he just lost it."

Dean scratched his cheek as a hunter named Martin sounded familiar.

"Martin?...you mean…Martin, Martin? Loony bin, ex-hunter Martin?"

Both Lorena and Bobby glared at Dean and Sam sighed at how careless his brother was sometimes with his words.

"Yeah you nitwit. Lorena was…is his daughter."

"Okay, okay…So…you going to tell us what happened?"

Bobby relaxed back in his chair and looked at the boys. "Albuquerque. We were down there chasing a lead. Me, your father, Martin and his daughter. We had no idea what we were up against. There were demonic omens and John was dead set on it. It was too dangerous for him to be going alone, so I followed and I called Martin for backup. They met us there. When we got there…well there were Demons….they were everywhere and we stuck out like sore thumbs. We were trapped and didn't stand a chance. They attacked us and we fought and beat them, but not without losing Lorena. We were able to track her to a building just outside of town. It was a massacre. There were bodies all over the place: women, children, babies…It was nasty. It wasn't until we reached the basement that we realized what they were doing. They were opening the gates to Hell."

Bobby paused a moment to look up, "Sound familiar to you two? There are gates all over this damned place and this was the one in Albuquerque. They were able to do it…It took the blood of a hundred innocent people, but they did it. Rufus came and saved all our asses…shooting them with salt rounds and making it rain holy water. We really thought we were winning, but at the same time all that bad stuff was making a break for it. John and Lorena were trying to get the doors closed when something grabbed her by the foot and pulled her right in. Martin tried to go after her but John, Rufus and I got the gates closed before he could throw himself in. We then made sure it wouldn't happen again and we all went our separate ways…John went back to you boys, Martin went home for a while, and Rufus I didn't hear from him until he told me about Bela."

Lorena was quietly walking around the room…looking at pictures and books as Bobby talked. It seemed like a lot had changed since she pulled into Hell. Sam and Dean looked different…older, and kinda charming. She glanced at a newspaper on Bobby's desk…the year struck her…it was 2010. She was only in Hell for ten years? No, that couldn't be right.

Sam and Dean felt bad for Bobby and Martin. Martin was a mess when they saw him and they never discovered the reason for it. Now they knew. They were unusually silent…especially Dean. He was still a little preoccupied with the images in his head of ripping her apart. It only hurt more to know she was a friend of the family…Did Alastair know this?

"It was horrible Bobby…I tried to tell them. They laughed at me...they ripped me apart like a doll. I lost count of the years…of the decades and centuries I spent being torn. Then there was Dean. I heard lots about Dean and about the day he left…cuz see that was the day I said yes...that was the day I gave in. Here I was in Hell for no damned reason, but the angel pulled him out?" Lorena spoke only in Bobby's direction.

Dean mumbled something and left the room. This caused Sam and Bobby to trade looks once he had left.

"He was given a second change! You have no idea how angry I was. Year after year…after year…after year of torture, and for what? I thought…maybe then they'd save me." Lorena shook as she started to cry. "So I carved…I bled…I ripped and I tore at them. I became an animal…worse than an animal. I even saw John there…He told me to hold on, that he would get us out one day. He made it out of the pit, but by then I was too weak."

Sam took a seat on the couch next to her, "You're safe now…Castiel is giving you a second chance. This is what you've been waiting for. Granted it could have come sooner, but they must see something in you."

"I'm tired Sam. Do you know what I've done to people? My father was a hunter and I know what demons are. I can't be trusted. This second chance business is a joke; the angels are toying with me," her eyes went black…making Sam jump in surprise, "there is no going back."

Bobby looked about ready to explode with anger and frustration, "Do you really believe the crap that's coming out of your mouth? You are a natural hunter young lady….crap like this is part of the job. You toughen up and you take every chance you've got, you hear me? If the angels are giving you a second chance you better damn well try because that's how your daddy raised you."

Lorena stood up with blackened eyes and glared at Bobby…her anger rose. The lights flickered and the walls shook…Dean came running back in to see what was happening.

When she saw Dean she reached out a hand and threw him against the wall and held him there. Her hand started to tighten into a fist…choking Dean.

"You have no idea Bobby. Don't even pretend you understand…." Lorena loosened her fist and Dean dropped to the floor.

With no one willing to stop her, Lorena left Bobby's house and stole one of his cars.

Dean rubbed the area around his neck and held a dry cough until he caught his breath.

"Let her go…if that's what she wants then fine," Dean said before he noticed the glares Sam and Bobby were giving him.

Bobby started wheeling towards the door, "No…it's not fine."

Sam jumped, "It's okay Bobby…you and Dean and stay here...I'll go find her."

"I'm coming with Sam," Dean pulled out his keys.

"Do you really think that's wise? You scare the crap out of her. Besides…I think I have an idea where she going."