DISCLAIMER: Again, I don't own any of the characters, though I wish…
A/N: I'm back and here's chapter two. I hope you're enjoying it! Sorry if I make any mistakes with American spelling, I'm an Aussie. Supernatural rocks all the way! LOL! U know the drill. R&R please…
Don't Fear the Reaper
CHAPTER 2:
The rest of the night went without much incident, though Jo occasionally whimpered in her sleep, which in turn, would rouse Dean.
God only knew what nightmares were plaguing her unconsciousness, and Dean tried so hard to help her through it.
When she awoke, the first thing in her line of vision was Dean's face; his gaze appeared worried in the pre-dawn gloom.
"Good morning," he said, gripping her hand.
She shook her head. "Not really," she said groggily.
"Nightmares?" Dean asked.
"Horrible…" Jo replied, biting back bitter tears of panic.
"It's alright…you know I won't let the son-of-a-bitch get you. Sam won't either,"
"I know…but I'm terrified! When I see it, it's just…and when it touches me, it hurts so much!" She sobbed, burying her head in the crook of his neck.
He remembered the bruise. "Jo let me see your back…"
She rolled onto her side and allowed him to examine it.
The bruise had disappeared, leaving a symbol etched into her skin. Clotted blood dotted the surface of the wound, and dry blood crusted around it.
He brushed it gently and she cried out in pain. The touch sent bursts of intense agony through her back and chest, and quickly, Dean pulled away.
The wound began to bleed profusely, as if the cut had severed an artery.
"Jesus Christ," Dean muttered. He needed to stop the bleeding, but he knew any kind of contact with it would torture her.
Still, she could bleed out…
Dean made his decision.
"Jo, I have to stop the bleeding. This will probably hurt like hell, so I need you to bite down on something,"
Jo held a pillow to her face and allowed Dean to continue. He took his shirt and pressed onto the wound and she screamed.
The pain had been excruciating before, but this time it was killing her. Dean saw this and panicked. He took the pressure from the wound, and immediately, it stopped bleeding.
He rolled Jo over and checked her pulse. It was extremely weak and rapid.
Dean cursed.
Her eyes were half open and were bright with pain. Her nose had even started to bleed again.
"I'm sorry Jo…shit I could've killed you…" he whispered.
"It's okay Dean," she replied weakly, closing her eyes.
"Stay with me Jo dammit! Don't close your eyes,"
Jo forced them open and peered at Dean; his out line was blurry, even though the light in the room was steadily growing as the sun rose.
"I'm so sleepy Dean…" she sighed, feeling her eyelids droop.
He needed to get her out of the house.
Quickly, he dressed himself, packed a bag for her and wrapped her up, careful not to come in contact with the lesion.
He then picked her up with caution and carried her out into the chill morning air.
Once he had settled her into the Impala, he pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed Sam.
"Dean? What's going on?" Sam asked when Dean rushed into an explanation.
"Jo keeps seeing a jackal headed monster in a black robe. It touched her last night. It marked her." He clarified hastily as he put the car into gear. "I'm on my way now."
"I'm at the Silver falls Inn, room 30," Sam relayed.
He hung the phone up and sped down the road, occasionally glancing Jo's way or checking her pulse.
She had lost consciousness only minutes before.
He pulled up into the motel seconds later, and Sam was waiting, pale faced, by the door of the motel room.
"Is she okay?" he asked.
Dean looked at her as she slept in his arms. Her face was ashen.
He shook his head. "It's bad. She's lost some blood. I tried to stop it but the pain almost killed her…"
Dean was terrified, Sam noticed, and it scared him.
"She'll be okay," Sam assured his brother as he placed her on her stomach on the closest bed.
"Dammit Sammy! I almost killed her!" He cried, flumping down on the bed with his head in his hands.
Sam put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"You didn't know…look, she's waking up,"
Dean was at her side in seconds. "Hey Jo, just stay still, I need to give you a once over," he said softly.
He checked her pulse. It was steady and strong.
Good.
Her pupils were reacting to the light.
Even better.
Dean smiled. "You're gonna be okay, just as long as you don't let anyone or anything touch that cut, you'll be fine,"
"Uh-huh," she replied blearily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
She sat up slowly, with the help of her friends, and sighed.
"That was close," Dean said with a whoosh of relief. It had indeed been a close call.
"Yeah, but you saved me," she countered with a smile.
"After almost killing you…" Whispered he.
"Nah, it's cool. I'm not gonna hold it against you. Your intentions were good,"
Sam peered at the etched symbol on her back.
" I think I've seen this before…" he muttered, rushing to the computer and logging on.
"What? What is it?" Jo asked.
"That symbol on your back…I did some research last night. It's a mark left by the Jackal reaper. He's not your typical angel of death.
He goes after women who have fallen in love with nightmen, or hunters. Basically it fucks with your head and then wastes you. And it's not easy to get rid of." Sam explained.
"You mean we can stop it?" Jo asked.
"Yeah, but its hard…" Sam frowned. "Wait…it goes after women who have fallen in love with…"
He looked from Jo, to Dean, and then back again. Then it dawned on him.
"Oh…I see…"
Jo blushed. "That's not the point Sammy. The point is, we can stop it. But how?"
Sam looked at her worriedly. "You're not gonna like it…"
"Try me,"
"It involves letting the bastard get to you…and only you can kill it,"
She felt a strange feeling of déjà vu. She had done this before."You okay?" Dean asked her as he helped her out of the box she was in.
"I've been better," She replied, gripping his hand as she rolled onto her feet. "Now lets get outta here before that son-of-a-bitch comes back,"
"Actually…you're not going anywhere" Dean began. Jo gave him a confused look. "You know how I said you being bait was a bad idea? Now it's kinda the only one we got,"
It had turned out all right, but this time her life was in danger.
"Jo? Are you okay?" Dean asked, as she stared out into space, remembering.
"Huh? What?" she snapped back to attention.
"I asked if you were okay." Dean repeated.
"Yeah, I'm just peachy," she replied sarcastically.
"Jo, this is the only way to stop it, you have no choice," Sam said gently.
Jo swallowed a lump in her throat. "I know…I'm just scared…" She said the last part in a soft voice.
She was a hunter; hunters don't scare easy.
As if he read her mind, Dean settled next to her and put a comforting arm around her waist.
"It's okay to be scared, I get scared sometimes too, especially when gigantor over there gets himself into sticky situations that he can't get out of," he assured.
Jo let out a smirk. Trust him to make it seem better, or easier.
"So what do I have to do?" she asked.
"Well, it involves your being alone and vulnerable. There is a way though, which will make us see it just in case you get into a jam. We'll have your back," Sam explained.
"Don't I have to be alone?" she asked.
"We'll wire the place and watch from afar. If you get into trouble, we'll be close by," Dean said.
"Can I just have a sec to think about this? It's all happening a little too fast…"
"You don't have a sec, this bitch is going to kill you! We don't have time,"
"Dean…" Sam warned.
"This is just so…stupid!" Jo cried. "Why would this fucker want me for loving you?"
There was a silence. The cat was officially out of the bag. He had known…he just wasn't expecting her to admit it anytime soon.
"I dunno…" Dean said truthfully.
Sam and Dean exchanged glances.
It was going to be hard, especially for Jo. She would have to face it virtually on her own.
"Jo…We gonna have to do this…tonight. The sooner the better," Sam said.
"And how am I supposed to be vulnerable?" she asked.
"We'll figure something out," Dean said.
It had taken almost the whole day to rig her place up.
It made her feel nauseous to be there, but she knew she had to be.
It was now half past nine. Dean and Sam were walking out the door, ready to keep watch from Sam's laptop in the car.
Jo reached out, gripped Dean's jacket and pulled him into a hug.
"I'm scared," she whispered as his fingers played with the bottom of her shirt.
"I know you are. We'll be here don't worry,"
He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "You'll be fine. Just give it a while, and the drug will kick in,"
Dean was referring to the docinile succinate that he had injected her with earlier. It was a depressant, and shut her down to make her vulnerable.
As she heard the car doors slam several houses down the street, she stretched out on the couch, feeling her mind grow sluggish.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed as a dark shadow entered the room and came to form in front of her.
It was her little reaper friend.
"Hello Joanna," it said softly.
"Hey fuck face," she replied, halfway between brave and terrified.
It tutted. "Now, now, now. Such language from a lovely young lady such as yourself is very unbecoming,"
"Eat shit and die," she growled, sitting up.
The jackal smiled. "Oh, I won't be dying tonight, but you will…I hope you said your last goodbye's the boy's…especially that Dean…he feels the same way you know, I can tell. Too bad this will be your last night on earth…"
Well? What do you think? C'mon! Don't be slack with the reviews! I only got one for my last chapter!