A/N: OK here's Chapter 2. I'm starting my first college course tomorrow so how quickly I post the next chapter depends on how difficult the course is. I can't be any slower than I was for Bread Crumbs though. Hope you enjoy!....OH Italics is all in the alternate reality created by the dream catcher the normal text is all happening in the real world and the bold at the bottom is just Morgan's e-mail. Don't want anyone confused. R&R

Chapter Two

Jen swore under her breath. The family was on their way to the resort. Marc had already loaded Kendra into the back of his van and come in to tell her that the girl's heart rate had spiked and she was breathing fast. Morgan was gasping for air. He was panicked whatever was going on in these kids' heads it had just gotten deadly. "Get him in the van." She ordered, "There should be an O2 tank in the back with a mask. Put it on him." She really wanted to avoid taking them to the hospital. But at this rate that might not be possible.

The gunshot cut through the night. Everything froze for a moment. Jimmy was on top of Morgan his hands wrapped around his throat. Morgan was losing a battle to stay conscious. Kendra was standing horrified on the sidelines watching. Jimmy went ridged a look of pure shock took control of his face and he collapsed down on top of Morgan. The gun clattered to the ground and time started moving again.

"Oh God." Kendra gasped. Morgan laid trying to catch his breath before shoving Jimmy off of himself. "I shot him. I killed him. Oh God." She was starting to hyperventilate. Morgan checked for a pulse. He still had one, though barely. He pushed himself to his feet and took Kendra's face in his hands.

"Take a deep breath." He urged. "He's not dead yet. I'm going to call 911, we can stay and explain what happened, but I can't stay further than that. I can't get involved in a criminal case."

"You're going to leave me to hang?" She demanded pulling away from him.

"Not without giving you the option to come with me. What do you really have here?" She stared at him for a moment. He scanned her thoughts she was considering it. "Think on it while I call for him some help. He'll bleed out if we're not fast." He took off his t-shirt pressing it over the bullet wound and knelt on the wound to apply pressure. He dialed 911 on his cell phone reporting a shooting. He gave no details about what happened just that there was a man shot in the back require immediate medical attention. "Dra, we've got five minutes. Are you staying here or are you going with me?" She met his eyes and determination was set in them.

"Let's go." She said. He heard the confidence in her voice but he also heard the worried thoughts. Would she be safe with him? Would he take care of her? Would she be in more trouble fleeing the scene? Morgan knew of only one thing that would make her believe he'd protect her. He removed Jimmy's belt fastening it around the t-shirt keeping pressure on the wound and moved to her. Slowly, hesitantly, he took her face in his hands again. She leaned in toward him and he leaned toward her and he kissed her. It wasn't awkward like most first kisses. It was soft, gentle, but heated. Something awakened behind the kiss, a yearning that could only be so strong after years of being forbidden. Their minds melded together into one and suddenly all of her most private thoughts and memories were his and vise-versa. When he pulled away she smiled and added another kiss to his lips. "We really have to go now." She reminded him. Morgan turned to his bike and handed her Charity's helmet. They both strapped on their helmets before mounting the bike. They were just going over the hill, putting the scene behind them as the lights and sirens arrived.

"Physically they're fine." Kayla said joining the adults huddled off to the side of the twin beds in the cabin. "That may not be the case for long. There is nothing sustaining them. 24 hours and we need to get them to a hospital. I'm comfortable giving them an IV but long term they'll need feeding tubes too and that is...I won't kill them." Jen nodded seeming to be the only one taking this in. Every one else was staring at her and Kayla chewed her lip. "I could really hurt them. Even if I managed to do it right the infection that could develop...I can't do it." Dean wrapped an arm around the girl.

"We know Kay-Kay. We aren't asking you to. Why don't you go tell the others that they're OK?" She nodded pulling away and taking off to find the rest of the kids. "What the hell does that thing do, Jen?" he demanded as soon as his daughter was out of the room. Darcy and Autumn had barely said a word since they'd seen the kids. That was either a sign they were taking this all very well or that they were about to go stark raving mad. Sam was shuffling about trying his best not to pace. Athena and Will were getting things settled so that everyone had places to sleep. It was practical but no one would really sleep tonight.

"More importantly why were they on the case?" Luke asked. Jen looked up at him from her chair and Dean felt sorry for the boy. He might be Kendra's boyfriend, they might be living together, but he had no idea what this life was. She had told him everything, Dean knew his daughter had been completely open with the boy about this part of her life but still he didn't understand it.

"They were on the case, Lucas, because they wanted it. They were on this case because they're capable of handling it. This is a dangerous job and those two know it and still want to do it. The only pay we get is knowing someone isn't going to die tonight because of the son of a bitch we just wasted. There are no benefits, and if you can survive a single hunt without breaking a law you're not doing it right. Kendra and Morgan are in those beds because they didn't have all the information they needed. Its part of the job and until you've been out there and seen what we do first hand you don't get to judge, or even think about who should be on what hunt. Got it, kid?" Jen asked. Her voice was cool and level but completely terrifying. "Dean, we're not sure what the dream catcher does." She handed him a file from the saddle bag hanging from her chair. "That's everything I know. I've checked the kids journals they hadn't logged anything on it yet and the last hunter won't talk about what he experienced. From what I understand if you come in direct contact with the item you fall into a coma. Sometimes its just a few days you wake up and all is good. Other times you never wake up. I haven't found a victim yet that's lived over a year. They stay in great health then the last day they just start shutting down and its over. Its painless to them, though." She offered as some sort of condolence.

"We don't have any history on it? Have you been able to find a myth that fits?" Autumn asked. She'd moved closer to Dean hiding Luke behind her.

"No. I can't find anything. That's why I wanted it. I wanted to see it. Study it. Then maybe we'd have some understanding." The chair bound hunter said defeated.

"I'll just go in their heads and see what's going on." Darcy announced starting for the kids. Jen quickly had her hand pulled Darcy backward with impressive upper body strength.

"When I was on the phone with Morgan, Kendra touched the dream catcher. Instantly she was out. Morgan had moved the dream catcher across the room to a table. I found it in a plastic bag. Morgan wasn't with it. He was in bed with Kendra. He went into her head and look at him." Jen warned.

"So what are we supposed to do then? You want us to just sit here and wait?" Sam pressed. "We can't do that."

"Sam, I know. You aren't the only ones worried about them. You're not the only ones that want to protect them. For right now though, all we can do is be here. We have 24 hours, we'll decide what to do in 20." Jen coaxed.

"I'm going to research some. See if I can't figure out what is going on. Want to join me Sammy?" Autumn asked taking the file from Dean.

"Yeah," Sam nodded kissing the top of Darcy's head before following the red headed hunter to the library.

"Guess we're taking first watch." Darcy told Dean.

"Looks that way." He said slouching against the wall.

"I'm going to make a few calls see if I can't get the previous hunter to talk." Jen told them rolling out of the cabin.

Charity and Denny were less than happy about having to pack up and take off. Charity seemed to ask more questions that anyone Kendra had ever met. Denny stayed away from her as if she were carrying the Black Death. He literally dragged Morgan from the motel room, the girls could hear their arguing from inside. Charity smiled as she sat on one of the beds in the tiny motel room three hours west of Pinecrest.

"Denny's just worried. Morgan has... He likes girls a lot but he tends to want to get serious kinda fast ya know?"

"No, I don't know." Kendra shook her head playing with her fingers sitting across from Charity.

"Well...Hmm." her head tilted to the side making her resemble a curious puppy. "OK! Its like this: Morgan wants one girl. The one girl, you know like forever."

"Oh, he's one of those then." her face fell. Kendra wasn't big on the idea of those guys. They always came with white weddings, picket fences, a dog, two kids, and a minivan.

"Yeah, but he wouldn't give up hunting for anything. So the girl is going to have to know how to handle a gun and either enjoy these motel rooms or sleeping alone for weeks at a time." Charity shrugged. "Personally I think I'd rather be on the road. I'm not so great with trusting boys to be alone like that. Not that Morgan would ever do anything... So are you going to go after him?"

"Wow." Kendra's mouth fell open. The girl was bold.

"If you tell me no I can tell Denny and he'll stop worrying." She reasoned.

"I don't see where my plans have anything to do with you or Denny. I know Morgan said your family is tight but I'm not part of that."

"Get a shower, I'll bring you something to wear in a few minutes. You've got blood on your shirt and face." Charity dismissed her as the door opened.

"Cherry we're staying next door. Morgan is staying with his friend." Denny called sticking his head in the door after Morgan walked in.

"I'm 16 I KNOW more than you think." Charity protested.

"I'm very aware of how much you know, Cherry. But she is his friend and you're staying with me. Let's go." Denny gave Morgan one last warning look before leaving to the room next door. Charity opened her duffel on the bed and dug out a pair of sweatpants and an over-sized t-shirt that would never have fit the girl. She thrust them in Kendra's arms.

"I have to go now before Denny has a snit." She said swinging the open bag on her shoulder before taking off through the door.

"I take it they're both only children." Kendra muttered into the awkward silence that followed the girl's departure. Morgan shut the door and locked it before going to a duffel bag that had been left.

"Yeah, why?" He asked pulling out a large canister of salt and pouring lines of it in front of the doors and on the window sill.

"Salt? I've not seen that done in years." She admitted stepping closer to watch him.

"You know what this is for?" He was a little surprised with himself for having not explained it before he started. But it seemed natural to do this, even though he knew she should be unfamiliar with the practice.

"So that's what Charity meant when she said you're a hunter. I didn't really peg you for the killing Bambi type but it's a lot more common than this." Her mind was racing through a fog. He was even confused by it. There were things moving, memories in a thick fog he couldn't see through. It wasn't like when time clouds a memory this was different as if someone had tried to white it out.

"You know about hunting?"

"Vaguely. Dad's sisters were adopted and their bio-uncle was killed by a ghost or something. At least that's what they said. Everyone else assumed he'd been attacked by a big buck like their dad said. Hunters flocked out and started offing deer left and right then the problem ended. The girls' parents died a few years later and my grandparents adopted them the families were close or something. Dad got involved with the older girl. Her name was Autumn, like your aunt. I'm not sure what happened with them exactly. I haven't seen them since I was four." She was looking through him her brow knitted together trying to make something fit in place. Trying to pin down a memory. "When they would visit they salted everything. They claimed it kept the bad things away."

"Hmm," Morgan shook his head pulling away from her mind. "Not so much 'bad things' as ghosts and various other supernatural creatures can't cross over it."

"They were last out right after Nicky was born. I was little, ghosts were bad things." She pointed out, stepping back to sink onto the bed.

"Why didn't they come out any more after that?" He asked hoping to push through the fog, find the answers she was seeking and guide her to them.

"I don't know," she shook her head. "Dad said they were dead. But some social worker tried to get a hold of Autumn to take us after Mom died. From what I was told she didn't want us." Morgan finished salting and came to sit beside her. They both wanted her to lean her head over on his shoulder and him to put an arm around her but neither action took place. "Is there a way to find out how Jimmy is?" She asked suddenly her mind switching tracks.

"Yeah, do you know what hospital they'd have take him to?" Morgan asked reaching for his laptop case. He could look up the number and they could call. She nodded and typed it into the search for him when he brought is computer up. She sat beside him her mind buzzing as he found the number for the ER. "You want to do this now?" He pressed. She gave him a flat look. She HAD to know. She'd never get to sleep tonight, she'd never get past this if she didn't know. He took her hand lacing his fingers through hers in effort to comfort her and dialed the number on his cell. "Yes, Hello. I'm calling to check on a gunshot victim you received from Pinecrest." There was a moment of silence. "I'm a friend of his fiance's. She's distraught over the news. I just want to be able to tell her he's OK. Please, ma'am. I can't bring her down there in this state." Kendra was watching him and he wanted to send her out of the room. Questions and demands forced his way into his mind from the blonde beside him. The desk nurse went to fetch someone who was actually on Jimmy's case. He squeezed her hand while they waited. Finally a doctor came on the phone. She and Morgan argued a moment, he didn't want Kendra to actually have to get on the phone. He wasn't sure what she'd say or how she'd handle it.

"Hello?" Kendra sniffled as she took the phone. There were no signs of tears in her eyes, and she hadn't been crying seconds before. She looked up through her lashes at him and he realized she'd been studying their hands together. "His name is James Brooklyn." Her voice cracked. "Oh God who would do this?" he watched as she broke down. He squeezed her knee afraid she was really breaking down but she offered him a smile. She was playing the doctor. "Is he going to be OK?" She sobbed again. "I'll be down first thing in the morning. Of course. Just will he be OK?" After a few minutes she nodded and hung up his phone handing it back to him.

"You OK?"

"I will be I guess. He lost a lot of blood, they won't know how bad things are until tomorrow. He's in surgery right now." Morgan brushed her hair from her face.

"Why don't you go get cleaned up. You'll feel better after a shower." He promised. She didn't protest just getting up and shuffling into the bathroom. He pulled away from her mind as she undressed and brought up his email account. He knew even at this hour he'd be able to reach either Autumn or Izzy without waking the rest of the house by e-mail and could tack everyone else addresses on for good measure. Teenie might still be up she tended to get caught up in animal videos on youtube. He opened the email and quickly added his family members to the recipient list. He played with the idea for a subject finally typing in "Can I keep her?" It was a bit of a joke on Denny for having brought in nearly every animal he'd ever come across outside without human companionship and begging to keep it.

Hey guys

We were in Pinecrest, Ohio earlier today...or was it yesterday at this point? In any case we were low on dough and I stopped in at a bar to see about hustling some pool. I met this girl, she reminds me a lot of Aunt Autumn. She's had a really rough life. We got to talking and her boyfriend showed up. We weren't doing anything. I SWEAR! He beats her, I'd seen the bruises on her arms and neck, she told me, but when he grabbed her and shook her I barely managed not to do the same to him. We got in a bit of a fight. He managed to get the upper hand by strangling me. I tossed my gun to the side during the fight. I didn't want anyone shot. Kendra picked the gun up and in an attempt to get him off of me fired a shot. He is currently in surgery at one of their local hospitals. The doctors seem hopeful.

Autty if anyone understands needing to take your chance to escape that life when it presents itself its you. Had Grandpa John not come back for you and Teenie you could very well be her. Both of her sisters and her parents are dead. She has a little brother in foster care or jail somewhere she's not sure which or where. She scared and had no where to go. I'm bringing her home with us. If you don't like it and don't want her there that's fine. But I'm not leaving her until I'm sure she's safe. I got her into this one. You've raised me better than to think I could walk out on her.

We'll be home in a day or two.

Morgan