Chapter 2

"So, Jo," Sam decided to broach the subject of Jo's presence before they got into any further details. "I thought you had left the Roadhouse to go off hunting. When did you get back?"

Ellen stepped beside her daughter and threw her arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. "She showed up a couple a days ago, surprised the hell outta me. Not that I wasn't glad and relieved to see her. I just hadn't been expecting her."

Dean looked at Sam and then back at the Harvelle women. Shit! This is so not looking good. Dean smiled weakly and lifted his chin at Ellen. He looked back at his brother, who was nervously chewing on his fingernails. It would have been funny, except that this was a decidedly unfunny situation. Jo still had that smarmy grin on her face, like she knew about some fucking inside joke or something. Maybe there was, and he and Sam were the targets. Again, so not funny.

"Yeah, I had heard a little bit about what had gone down in Oregon, so I headed home to get the real story," Jo explained. "I figured you two would be by soon, and here you are."

"Here we are." Dean smiled ruefully, echoing Jo's perky inflection.

Ellen leaned on the bar intently. "So let's hear the details direct from you two. I have a feeling there's been some embellishment by some of these yahoos who've come through here. Either that, or you had one very wild experience."

Dean laughed nervously. "Probably a little of both, I would guess. I'll let Sam here tell it, since I don't really remember too much of it."

Sam bit the inside of his cheek, trying hard not to show his irritation at Dean. He would just leave out the part about Lilith possessing Jo, until and unless they found evidence to confirm it. So he told them the story, carefully watching Jo's face for any clue when he talked about Lilith. If she was possessed, she hid it well. Maybe he and Dean were wrong about her. Maybe it had been some kind of a shape shifter.

"Well, I tell you what, boys, that is amazing. What a relief to be rid of the demon."

"You've got quite a knack for understatement there, Ellen." Dean laughed, and the older woman smiled.

"Well, I'm kind speechless after that. I would have loved to have witnessed it."

Jo handed the boys another beer. "Yeah, Sam. You must be pretty stoked. I mean those demon powers of yours, they sound pretty intense. Can you control them?"

Sam stiffened at the question and Dean frowned. There was something oddly familiar in Jo's tone. Not in a good way, either. He cleared his throat. "I don't think Sam is interested in embracing anything that's connected to the demon, Jo." He looked at his brother. Sam was clearly pissed.

"That's a shame. There's still evil out there to be hunted. It could come in handy."

"I want no part of that bastard, or his family line!" Sam couldn't contain his growing anger. Dean placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

Ellen straightened, surprised by the outburst. "Whoa, Sam. No one's saying you do. I think Jo just meant that maybe, since you do have it, you could use it the right way, to hunt evil."

No one said anything for a moment, until Dean clapped Sam on the back. "Well, okay then, I think we're ready to turn in. It's been a long day. Thanks for dinner and drinks, Ellen, Jo." He nodded at the women and pointed Sam towards their room.

Once inside the small guest room, the brothers both let out a breath. Dean sat on the edge of one of the twin beds and pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to fend off a headache.

"Man, something is hinky about Jo, I can feel it."

Sam remained standing, still wound up from his burst of anger. "Yeah, I agree. And, if she makes another reference about my link to the demon, I may go dark side on her ass."

Dean allowed himself a small smile at that. It wasn't often that his brother allowed anger to get the better of him. That was more his gig. "So, we have a gut feeling. We're going to need more than that before we go popping a silver bullet into Jo's head."

"Well, I'm hoping that's where Bobby can help. He knows how to break a binding spell, remember?"

"Uh, how could I forget?" Dean said, remembering the painful time Sam had been possessed by Meg. "But this is Lilith we're talking about, not some demon offspring with second-rate powers."

A light knock on the door stopped further discussion. "Dean? Hey, are you two decent in there?" Sam and Dean exchanged surprised looks as they heard Jo's voice softly through the closed door. The older brother got up and opened the door, to reveal Jo standing there, looking hopeful.

"What is it Jo?"

"Uh, sorry I didn't ask you earlier, but I need to take care of some inventory in the back before we open tomorrow, and since Ash isn't here right now, I was hoping you could get a case of bourbon down from an upper shelf for me."

Sam visibly tensed as Dean nodded. "Sure, be happy to help." A memory from the warehouse hit Sam:

"Oh, Sam. I told you not to dishonor this family. Now you have no family. No family left on Earth and none in our realm. You have been cast out, disowned." Lilith sneered at her grandson and looked at Cain, who nodded. The knife that had fallen to the floor now quickly flew up and slashed the rope holding Dean. Sam gasped as he saw his brother fall to the floor in a boneless heap.

"Dean!" He felt the rage returning, full force. Just as quickly, the strange prickly heat that he had sensed earlier engulfed the rage. The amulet in his hand, Dean's amulet, was pulsating.

"I still have plans for your brother's body, Sam. He will serve me well."

Sam moved forward to grab Dean's arm, giving him a look that said dude, what the fuck do you think you're doing?, and quickly tried to intervene. "Uh, no, wait Dean, I'm taller, I can take care of it."

"Nonsense, that's what ladders are for. I'll just be a minute." Dean shook his head almost imperceptively at his brother, signaling him not to push it, and shrugged his arm away from Sam. He locked eyes with him, attempting to communicate that he would be fine, knowing all too well what his younger brother was thinking.