Disclaimer: Nope…still don't own supernatural. Maybe someday when I rule the world but til then…whoops so just gave away my plans

Note: Lexington, NC is a real town but no I have never been there. I kind of just picked a place on the map. I know pretty much nothing about it. From research I have learned they call themselves the BBQ capital of the world. I fully plan on incorporating this fun fact, what can I say-Dean's a hungry guy

Chapter 2

The Impala swung into the Pine View Motel on the outskirts of Lexington. Fully equipped with RV hook-ups and a soda machine, the $29.99 a night was a steal. At least that's what the teenaged boy at the front desk kept saying. Two beds, basic cable and roach free. Shaking his head Dean grabbed the keys to room 17 while Sam took a Lexington map from the countertop. Walking back into the below freezing night, Dean said "Imagine all we have to do is pay 30 bucks a night to not worry about cockroaches crawling on our faces, lovely."

Laughing Sam replied, "Did you note he only said roach free? Spiders aren't included in this guarantee."

"Bwah" Dean shivered and unlocked their door. Truth be told it wasn't dirty at all, at least for the time being. Sam wrinkled his nose at the overly floral bedspread and dropped his duffle on the bed closest to the door. Dropping into the nearest chair, he pulled out his laptop. The rest of the room was equally as flowery. A Thomas Kincaide-esque painting hung on the wall behind the beds and the wall paper in the bathroom was roses. The finishing touch of fake flowers in a vase next to the TV still didn't quite pull you away from the thinning carpet or the yellowed ceiling, presumably from many smoke filled parties thrown by the local teens.

Dean already had the yellow pages in hand. "Pizza or Chinese?" Dean asked.

Sam groaned. "Neither. I'm so sick of pizza. That plate at Ellen's was the first real food we've eaten in weeks and now I've got the craving." He gave Dean a pitiful, puppy dog look.

"Well unless you want to raid the nearest 7-11, take-out is about the only choice we have. Small town, 10:30 pm on a Monday night, whose kitchen do you think will be open? Meaning Chinese it is."

Sam continued to grumble as Dean dialed. Accessing the hotel's Wifi (the main reason it was worth the $29.99) he decided it was time to start research. Late nights were part of the job. "Hey do you think we should call Jess? Let her know we're here?"

"Yeah sure…no not you. Oh throw in some egg rolls. Kay, thanks." Hanging up, Dean swiveled towards Sam. "Tell her to meet us tomorrow morning. I wanna get this done with. Oh and be sure she brings her research."

Sam pulled out the piece of paper Ellen had given them with Jess' phone number and dialed. He was actually a bit nervous about speaking with her. Ellen had said she was hysterical and hysterical women were never a comfortable situation. He had been lucky with his Jess, she was never out of control; but it was safe to say this job was full of women who were the exact opposite. As the line rang Sam readied himself for the worst.

"Hello?" A soft, hesitant voice answered.

"Hi, uh, is this Jess?"

"Yes, who is this?" The voice became defensive.

"Sam Winchester. Ellen sent me and my brother to help you. Said you had a demon problem"

There was a sigh of relief on Jess' end. "You don't know how much better you just made me feel."

Dean half watched his brother's conversation while flipping through channels. It didn't seem to be going as bad as he thought it would. Quite frankly, it seemed to be going very well. Count on Sam to charm a woman into a calm state. They all fell for the concerned, mild-mannered act whereas only half went for Dean's approach. It might have had something to do with the fact Sam's way wasn't an act. By the time Sam hung up he had a very satisfied look on his face. Confused and curious, Dean inquired about the call.

"Well she is just as eager to get this thing over with. We are meeting at her place at 6:30."

Dean choked "6:30! When I said morning I meant 10, maybe 9:30.Why the hell so early?"

"Like I said, she wants to get going on this thing. Plus she said she would cook." Sam grinned.

Shaking his head Dean replied, "She better be a damn good cook."

Chuckling Sam returned to his computer screen. After about 10 minutes of browsing, he hit on something. "Dean check this out!"

"Whatcha got?" He moved around the look over Sam's shoulder.

"Well in 1917 the Michigan Journal reported a series of robberies and murders at restaurants. 'Though never identified, the man and woman responsible were labeled as highly in love, displaying affection in the middle of robberies.' Also, just like Bonnie Parker, the woman was never reported firing a gun, the man did all the killing."

"Well if our demon was soft back then, she's not anymore. She's killed 4 times in the past couple of months and doesn't seem to have plans of stopping anytime soon. Tomorrow we need to figure out the next victim asap."

A knock on the door and the rest of the evening was spent researching and eating Chinese.

At 6:15 on a Tuesday morning in Lexington the only traffic on the road were those few business men heading to a bigger city. Dean followed the directions Jess had given Sam to a cottage a few blocks from the downtown area. The streetlight provided a general idea in regards to the look of the cottage. The front yard was simple and well kept, a single tree providing shade for the front windows. The home itself was painted white with a deep red trim and there was a small porch with two chairs and a small table. The boys could see a light on behind the front drapes.

Before Dean could pull aside the screen door to knock, the front door opened. Out stepped the woman Dean presumed was Jess. She was definitely good-looking: tall, wavy brown hair, blue eyes, pale skin and a fit figure. Yet all this was dimmed by her haggard appearance. She stood at the door in cloth pants and an oversized UNC sweatshirt, looking shy and scared. Her eyes were rimmed with shadow as though she hadn't slept well in several weeks.

"Sam, Dean, hi. Um, come on in. We can do real introductions inside." Stepping aside, Jess ushered the boys in. The heat was a welcome change from the cold morning as the house smelled of breakfast being cooked. "You two are younger than I expected."

Affronted Dean replied, "I'm sure I'm older than you. Besides you're what 20 at best?"

"Oh no, I mean, I uh just expected someone like my uncle walking through the door. He's the only hunter I've ever met so I suppose I threw you guys into a stereotype. And I'm 23. It's nice to know that even when I look like shit I don't look my age." She paused and stuck out her hand "I'm Jess."

Both men grunted their names in response shaking Jess' hand. Dean was looking miffed. After an awkward moment of standing in the entryway, Jess simply turned and walked toward the smell of food. Dean looked at Sam raising his eyebrows questioningly, who shrugged.

The inside of the cottage was very cozy with sturdy hardwood floors. The living room walls were nearly entirely covered by bookshelves. On the tan couch sat a calico cat who stared suspiciously at the 2 strange men entering her domicile. Dean and Sam followed Jess into the kitchen/dining area. There was an oak table set for 3. Bacon sizzled in a pan, coffee was brewed and a large stack of French toast sat on the counter. The air of coziness was intoxicating and it showed as both brothers relaxed, loosing some of the tense rigidness in their shoulders.

"Help yourselves"

Neither Winchester needed to be told those words twice. By the time Jess brought the bacon to the table nearly half of the stack had disappeared. "Jesus Christ…I would like some of my efforts as well."

Sheepishly Sam dropped the 2 pieces of toast he was grabbing back on the plate. Wiping his mouth he said "so tell us what is going on. From the beginning if you don't mind."

Sighing Jess set down her fork. "Ok. So as you know, Uncle Ken was a hunter."

"Yep, and a good one," Dean interrupted.

"Wait you knew him?" Jess looked puzzled.

"Yeah, he helped me and me dad out on a job in Vegas once."

"I remember him telling me about that…" Jess stopped mid-sentence. "Anyway, so my uncle caught wind of the Bonnie and Clyde demons about 10 years ago not to far from here. He became a little obsessed with it and discovered at least 10 other couples dating back to colonial times that had the same MO. Most were on a smaller scale so not widely known about and therefore never linked together. Well he did it and hunted them down. Took him 2 years to piece it all together and six months to trap one of them; Clyde to be specific. As he exorcised him Bonnie caught up to them and lost it. He said she was sobbing and wailing, displaying signs of emotion that demons never show. He told me that part of him even felt a bit sorry for her, but he still needed to exorcise her. When he began the ritual, she said to him that it wasn't over and those he loved would die shamefully just as her partner had. Then she left her host. The girl she possessed lived for a while but was completely messed up in the head. When the police caught up to her, since she was wanted for the crimes, she shot herself. Maybe the demon possessed her again, maybe not. Two months later Ken died. That was 5 years ago. Now people are dying. They are all people who were close to Ken and with every new killing it gets closer to my family. We have to stop it."

Jess drew a deep breath upon finishing her speech. Staring at the two men in her kitchen she wondered how her life had reached this point. She had just invited 2 strangers into her home and was discussing the murders of people she cared for over breakfast. The worst thing was that after the last 3 months, with all the late nights spent tracking and researching the murders, this didn't feel weird.

Dean leaned back in his char and said. "I agree completely. We ", gesturing himself and Sam, "have to stop it. We know what we are doing and considering your all-out lack of experience in this field I don't think it would be such a hot idea for you to tag along."

Sam nodded "It's not safe Jess. I understand you want to help, but we can't let you get hurt. Too risky."

Jess began laughing, slightly hysterically. "That's rich. I've been around hunting my entire life. I may never have gone on a hunt but I bet my life I know ten times as much factual info about demons as you do. My childhood was spent in my uncle's library learning everything about the supernatural. I can tell you every ingredient you would need for any common spell, enchantment, summons and banishment. Can either of you exorcise a demon by heart in Latin? Didn't think so. The last 5 years, I've been training to fight should I ever need to. I may not be a prize fighter I can damn sure hold my own and protect myself, so if you really think I'm going to sit back and put my family's life completely in the hands of two men I don't even know then you are completely fucked in the brain. I won't just abandon all the work I've done and simply hope you can finish it." She stormed out of the back kitchen door, slamming it unceremoniously behind her.

Dean looked shocked. "See, this is why I don't do relationships. Women like her. Go after her man."

"You go after her. Why do I have to help the hysterical women all the time?"

"Uh easy- I'm older. Besides you have that 'I'm sincere and caring' thing going for you. Dude, you're like half a foot taller than her, I doubt she'll do much damage."

Sam shook his head. Dean could be such an ass, but he knew he was right. Sending Dean out to take care of Jess would make things worse. He got up and followed through the same door Jess has raged through. The sun was slowly starting to emerge but Jess wasn't in site. Glancing around he noticed a cellar door with the lock pulled off. He opened it and descended down the steps. A soft light illuminated the space which was filled with antique books. There were also several strange boxes with foreign engravings and a desk littered with papers. There was a worn cork board on one wall covered with photos and notes. The resemblance it bore to Bobby Singers house was uncanny, except it was more organized. This was a hunter's lair. There was even a trunk in the corner standing open with various knives and guns visible. Having never had a true home since becoming hunter's, Sam and Dean never had the luxury of a place such as this. Hotel walls and desks serviced as libraries and the Impala was as close to weapons storage as they had ever come.

"Most of it was my uncles." Jess walked out from behind some shelving. "After he died it all went to me. I've added some of my own finds the past few years. And you see that wall?" She gestured to the wall covered in pictures and notes. "That's all the work I've put into this case the last 3 months. Any free time I have away from work and my family is spent either here putting things together or staking out potential victims. I'm 23 years old, I shouldn't be doing this, but I am and I'm not going to stop because some male chauvinists tell me to sit pretty because I will get hurt. You have to understand that."

Sam stared at her, unsure of what to say. The girl had some good points, great points in fact. He was torn between his own understanding of wanting to protect family and of keeping this girl away from harm. Jess' eyes were begging and pleading with him. So he made his decision

"She sticks with us." Sam marched back into the house and made his announcement to Dean who promptly stood up.

"Are you crazy? Why? What did she do to you out there?" he asked incredulously.

"Look, she's going after this demon regardless. There is no way she will 'sit pretty' while we try to handle this. At least his way we can keep an eye on her. And I'm pretty sure she knows her stuff."

"Yeah? And how would you know that?"

"Check out the cellar."

"Cellar? Damnit Sammy…" he broke off, threw his hands in the air and headed into the backyard. He was furious. This girl would only cause more problems and he wanted to know exactly what it was that made Sam change his mind. It wasn't like Sammy to cave over a pretty girl. In fact with the absence of the mountains of baggage, he himself would have gone after Jess. He could tell that underneath the baggy clothes and the black rimmed eyes was a hottie.

He swung open the cellar door and almost fell backwards as Jess came out arms laden with papers. Using her to steady himself he glared. "Ok, what did you do to Sam to turn him? Seriously, cos the boobs never work on him."

"God, you're an ass. I told him the truth and showed him everything I've done. Take a look for yourself" she gestured towards the cellar and walked away. "Lock it up when you are done. Sam and I will be going over research." With that she stalked back into the house. Dean stood there, completely bewildered. This chick was off.

He decided to check out what had changed Sam's mind and quickly understood as he entered the cellar. It was every hunters dream, a safe haven and this one was the penthouse of lairs. It couldn't even be called a lair, it was to cozy and organized for that. "Count on a woman to make it cozy" Dean thought to himself. He began going through the weapons trunk and scanning the shelving. He was surprised to find titles regarding creatures he had never heard. Coming across one entitled Baphomet: God to Templar's, he pulled it off the shelf, sat down in cushy armchair and began reading.

An hour later Dean strolled back into the house to find Sam and Jess discussing the case, mostly comparing potential victims. They both looked up at him questioningly. He simply said, "Did you know that Baphomet, the idol worshipped by the Templars is actually a symbol of the goddess Sophia?" With that he sat down and asked, looking at Jess, "So who is the bitch going after next?"

Sam just starred at him, completely confused but Jess smiled knowingly. "Well we have it narrowed down to three people: his old friend Pat, his ex-wife Linda, and Ellen."

"Whoa, Ellen? As in our Ellen, Roadhouse Ellen?"

"Yeah" Sam replied. "But not to worry, remember she has one of those charms from Bobby. We already called her."

Dean nodded. "So, I guess now we just stake them out. Is there a distinctive pattern, you know something like all the possessions take place at 9:12 pm?"

"Not really, it's been about 3 weeks between each death though. Debbie died about a week ago so we have 2 weeks in which to do this."

"Actually," Sam said, "We have 2 weeks before we can do this. Unless the demon spends the rest of the time possessing someone else the only chance we will get is when it possesses the next victim."

Jess looked dumbfounded, but knew Sam was right. "Maybe we can lure her into the open. Send signals that we are after her and maybe she will come after us. Then we trap her and send her to hell."

"Use ourselves as bait huh?" Dean grinned "Doesn't that just sound like a fun filled week." He leaned his chair back on two legs and added, "Guess we should figure out what ticks her off."