A/n: yay chapter two! Thank you so much for the follows/favorites/reviews so far! Y'all are the best! I feel like I should have said before that you need to read A Man Among Dogs first for this story to make sense. I am also posting this on my livejournal as well, the link for that can be found on my profile page. Anywho, enjoy chapter two :)

Eleven Years Later

Sam Winchester jerked awake just as his common law book slipped from his lap and landed with a thud on his toe.

"Son of a bitch!" he cursed, kicking the book away, only adding to his pain. "Fuck!"

"Whoa there sailor." Jess smirked from her perch on the recliner on the opposite side of the room, the soft mummer of the television acting as background noise. Her golden hair hung in loose curls around her face as her blue eyes fixed on Sam, sending a shiver of desire down his spine. "What did that poor book ever do to you?"

"Besides fall on my toe?" He asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Maybe if you were reading it instead of sleeping it wouldn't have fallen into a deep depression and jumped to its death off of your lap." She pointed out as her fingers ruffled the pages of her own book.

"Oh I see, take the book's side why don't you, you traitor." He teased.

"Well that's not very nice, who cooked you dinner tonight?" she asked with a pout. "A dinner might I add, that just so happened to be your favorite."

"Nope, too late. You can't bribe me with your exceptional culinary skills, the deed it done." he said solemnly with a shake of his head.

"Well then," Jess smiled wickedly setting her own book down on the floor and sauntering over to him. She straddled his lap and touched her forehead to his, her blue eyes smoldering. "I guess I'll just have to find another way to bribe you."

Sam's heart picked up speed as Jess's familiar weight settled, her warm breath ghosting across his cheek, the smell of cookie dough and lilies filling his nose.

"I think I can be swayed to forgive you, what did you have in mind?"

"this." She said right before placing a deep kiss on his lips. Sam leaned into it, his hands stroking up and down her sides, soft moans melding with the constant babble from the TV. Jess pulled back much to Sam's disappointment, her face flushed.

Jessica Moore was, by far, the best thing to ever happen to Sam. Wide eyed and drowning in a sea of unfamiliar territory, Jess was his life float sent from above. Her bright confident smile and exuberant personality won him over the second she said hello that fateful day in the library.

It had been a rainy September day. The skies were heavy with iron grey clouds and icy rain fell to the ground in sharp bullets. Sam had exiled himself to the library, determined to finish the twelve page paper his intro into Psych professor had assigned. It seemed at first, a simple task. After all, he was an expert researcher thanks to his dad. All those times his father banished him to the local library to look up lore certainly helped hone his researching abilities but, as the hours wore on and the headache began to build, Sam could feel his hope of finishing early falling. He just needed one book. One stupid book and he would be done. He ended up spending an hour looking for it, scouring almost every aisle in the massive library only to find out that some J. Moore had checked it out five minutes ago after it had been returned to the circulation desk. Sam's shoulders hunched as he walked dejectedly back to the little table where he had set up camp, completely oblivious to the pretty blonde tracking his movement.

"Hey, you're in Dr. Shapiro's Psych class right?" the pretty blonde piped up from behind the book she held in her hands.

"M-me?" Sam responded, taken aback by how loud her voice was in the quite space.

"No, the person behind you." she chuckled. Sam felt a blush creep up his neck as he ducked his head in embarrassment. "Yes you silly, I recognize you from lecture. You sit in the very back by the window."

"That's – that's very observant of you." Sam said shifting his weight from foot to foot. He was never good at being the center of attention, especially after his dad drilled the importance of anonymity into him for as long as he could remember.

"What can I say; I'm the queen of attention to deal." The blonde smiled, making Sam's stomach flip. She was beautiful with long curly blonde hair, and deep blue eyes. Sam could already feel himself falling for her. Hook, line and sinker huh Sammy? Dean's voice echoed in his head. Blinking rapidly, Sam shoved the thought of his brother to the back of his mind and out of sight. "So how's your paper going?"

"Uh ok I guess."

"Yeah I didn't think I'd ever finish it without that book he mentioned in class but, as luck would have it…" she said gesturing at the little green book that sat in front of her.

"That wouldn't happen to be Jean Piaget's book on Cognitive Theory would it?"

"Guess you've been looking for it too?"

"All freakin' day." He sighed.

"Well take a load off, you can share it with me." she smiled kicking the chair next to her out. Sam gave her a tentative smiled and sat down. "I'm Jessica Moore."

"Sam Winchester."

"Nice to meet you Sam Winchester."

And just like that, they had clicked. They went from study buddies, to friends, to more than friends in just a few short months. Before he knew it, three years had gone by and the thought of marriage had crossed Sam's mind more than once. He knew that he'd never find a girl like Jess anywhere else and he didn't want to. He wanted to grow old with her, start a family with her; he wanted it to be Sam and Jess forever.

Jess was busy peppering his neck with feather soft kisses as his thoughts wandered upstairs to the little black box hidden away in his underwear drawer. He had it all planned out. He was going to take her to the beach, spend the day relaxing in the sun, and then he'd take her dinner. After dinner they'd go for one last walk on the beach. That was when Sam planned on dropping down on one knee and asking Jessica Moore, the love of his life, to make him the happiest man alive. But at this moment, with Jess so close, he felt like throwing caution to the wind. Just a couple of little words and he could start the rest of his life tonight.

Sam was just about take the big step, his hands resting firmly on Jess's hips, his heart beating wildly against his rib cage, when a name fizzled out of the TV speakers making his racing heart freeze.

"A nationwide man – hunt has been issued for convicted killer, Gordon Walker, who escaped early this morning from Minnesota Correctional Facility after a violent riot broke out, killing twenty inmates as well as five police officers. Walker is convicted of the murders of eight people in 1994 and is suspected in over a dozen other crimes…"

The news anchors voice tapered off as the buzzing in Sam's head grew louder. Gordon had escaped. Gordon Walker, the man that nearly killed his brother. Oh god, Dean. Sam felt the bile rise in his throat as he jumped to his feet, dumping Jess unceremoniously on the ground.

"Sam, baby?" Jess questioned, watching him with wide eyes. "What's going on?"

"I-I need to make a call." He said breathlessly before darting out of the apartment, the door slamming shut behind him. Sam ran down the stairs not stopping until he feet touched the sun warmed pavement of the sidewalk. With shaking hands he grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the only number he could recite in his sleep.

"You've reached Dean's phone, leave your nightmare after the beep."

"Dean, its Sam. Call me man." Sam said quickly before hanging up and trying again. Sometime after his twentieth unanswered call, Sam switched tactics and dialed Bobby's number. Again he was met with a recording. Sam could feel his blood turn to ice in his veins. Thoughts flew through his mind, thoughts of blood, teeth, and death. He was vaguely aware of Jess watching him through the window but he couldn't bring himself to care. He knew she'd have questions, questions he couldn't answer.

Sam pulled at his shaggy hair when Bobby's recorded voice crackled through his phone's speakers for the millionth time. He needed to know. He needed to hear his brother's voice just to be sure. He needed to know that he was fine, safe, hold up with some girl or hustling some poor loser at pool just for fun. And goddamn Dean if he was ignoring him. Sam knew their dad was a stubborn son of a bitch but Dean was different. Dean was always there for Sam, he never ignored Sam when he called. The overwhelming need to see his brother, right the hell no, washed over him. Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Sam made his way inside, his mind made up on what he had to do.

"Sam, what's going on? Is everything ok?" Jess asked the second he walked through the door, her eyes full of concern and worry.

"I'm not really sure." He mumbled, stalking past her heading for the bedroom.

"Tell me what's going on." She demanded following close behind him. "You're scaring me Sam."

"I-I" he said rubbing his forehead. "I need to see my brother."

"Did something happen to him?"

"I don't know." Sam whispered softly, his voice cracking. He felt the warmth of Jess's hand come to rest on his back before she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked gently, her breath coasting across his cheek. Sam felt his heart constrict at her words. Jess hardly knew a thing about his family other than he had a brother and father and they weren't exactly on speaking turns. She knew family was a sensitive subject and gave Sam all the space he needed. But here she was, ready to drop everything and leave with Sam to check on a brother he never talked about. His love for her was starting to reach astronomical levels.

Despite how moved he was by her offer, he wasn't ready for Jess to be exposed to the nightmare he called his family. He didn't think he would ever be ready to share that part of his life with her. He didn't belong to that life anymore; that was his past, Jess was his future.

"I need to do this on my own."

"Are you sure baby?"

"Yeah," he breathed. "Just a couple of days, that's all. I'll be back before you know it."

"I love you." she said her eyes shining brightly in the dim light of their bedroom.

"I love you too." He spun her around so she was pressed up against his chest and kissed her deeply on the lips. Sam held on tightly, never wanting to let go. He breathed her in like this was the last time he'd ever see her again. He took in the softness of her hair, the scent of cookie dough, the warmth of skin on his. It's just a few days, maybe less. He reassured himself. He'd be back in no time and Jess would still be there, perfect as always.

"Let's get you packed up." She said breaking the kiss apart and turning her back on him. Sam nodded in agreement and began throwing socks into his duffle bag.

After a short argument where Jess had demanded that Sam take the car and a deep kiss later, Sam was pulling away from the apartment building, the headlights of the car cutting through the inky darkness of the night. Dean better have a good excuse for not answered his phone or there would be hell to pay.

TBC...