Only 1 review to the last chapter? I'm not a review whore but I'd appreciate it if you told me (even in a single word) how you liked the chapter. It shows me where I stand with this fanfic and if you are enjoying it.

So in this chapter we get a glimpse at Jo - or not...? Dean has his own way of finding an answer to that question.

By the way, what do you think of the new spoiler Jensen released when he talked about season 7? Are you excited? :)

Enjoy the chapter!


Chapter 04

The road so far..

"Killing spree. Targets probably hunters."

"She took my son!"

He was staring a perfect portrait of Joanna Beth Harvelle.

"I don't want anything to do with it!"

"But what if it really is Jo?"

"It's not Jo!"

Bobby reached behind him to pick something up from his desk and show it to the boys. They were looking at another portrait of Jo.

"Gerry – that's the hunter how saw her – said she went straight for the kid."

"We need to get ahead of her so we can meet her face-to-face. We need a list of hunters who live in the area and in the neighboring states," Sam decided. "You know any hunters who do?"

"Two," Bobby answered. "I'll give them a call," he added and reached for the phone.


Sioux Falls, SD

With mixed feelings Sam crossed the yard, walking toward the Impala. Music was still blaring from the radio. He found Dean lying all across the front seat with his eyes closed. It was not a gesture of relaxation as a deep frown was creeping on his forehead. Something was on his mind and Sam had a good guess what it was.

Sighing, he gently knocked on the car roof to get Dean's attention. The older Winchester brother opened his eyes and stared at him in bewilderment at first before he straightened up and turned off the radio while Sam walked around the Impala and got in.

"We're not going after that Wendigo," he informed him.

"I was afraid you might say that."

"Bobby already has someone on the case."

"That's what he told you."

"Yes, and I believe him. And you do that, too – or not, I don't care."

"So what are we gonna do?"

"We're going to Omaha," Sam told him. Dean was obviously confused by that. "We need to get ahead of that demon so Bobby looked through his contacts. He knows two hunters in the neighboring states. Nebraska and Iowa."

"So we basically wait for her to show up."

"That's the plan."

"Awesome." He didn't sound very excited. "And why Nebraska and not Iowa?"

"Lucky guess. Blame me if that turns out to be wrong," Sam answered shrugging.

"Oh, I will," Dean said and started the engine. "How'd you get that picture back anyway? I remember tossing it into the trash."

"I know. I removed it from there," explained Sam. "You were done with it but I wasn't." Dean simple nodded in acknowledgement. "Jo is family, Dean. And if there's the slightest chance that we might get a family member back I'm not gonna waste it. Neither is Bobby. And neither are you. You've been thinking about it."

"Yeah."

"Then why the cold act?"

"I don't know, man. It just sounds too good to be true, you know?" Dean replied and Sam knew that the conversation was over.

He couldn't force his brother to talk about his feelings. He needed to want to himself. And right now that moment was nowhere in sight.


Omaha, NE

They arrived in Omaha an hour after dusk. They got dinner at a takeaway downtown and then drove to the address Bobby had given them.

"That's it. 2605 Jefferson Road," Sam said when he spotted the house.

"What's the name of the guy?" Dean asked as he killed the engine and grabbed the plastic bag from Joe's to fish out his cheeseburger.

"Carl Hunter. No pun intended," Sam added grinning. "Lives together with his wife Clara and little Isabella."

Dean gave him a look. "Isabella, really?"

"It says so on Bobby's note," Sam replied and showed it to him.

"Hmph." Dean turned back to his cheeseburger. "Sounds like he married into the royal family. Why is he still hunting?"

"Why are we still hunting?" Sam shot back casually.

"Because there is no one else to do the job."

"Maybe that's his reason, too," Sam said and grabbed his chicken salad.


"This time you'll have to deal with sleeping in the car," Dean mumbled later when they had finished eating and he was on the first shift of observing the house through binoculars.

Carl knew they were there. Bobby had called him earlier to warn him so he had taken a close look at them. The expression on his face could have filled books. He clearly thought they were rookies.

"Ungrateful bastard. I'm looking forward to hear what he thinks after we saved his ass," Dean had muttered.

"I sort of expected that," Sam replied now. "So I borrowed a pillow from Bobby." Dean lowered the binoculars to stare at him. Sam chuckled. "No, I'm kidding. Come on, Dean. Laugh a little."

Dean faked a wide grin for a second he turned his attention back to the house. "I could never laugh about your lame jokes. What time is it?"

Sam checked his watch. "8:30. That's the time when the other attacks happened."

"You know that's actually one thing I like about demons. They always have a plan. Most of them totally mind-blowing bitch plans but plans."

"Your point?" Sam yawned.

"Never mind. Get some sleep. I got this."

"Nah, I'm good."


Five minutes later Sam was glad he didn't heed Dean's advice because that was when the show began. Suddenly they heard the high-pitched scream of a terrified woman and a moment later the lights went out in the Hunter household.

"Damn, she came in through the back!"

Sam immediately seized his gun, jumped out of the car and hurried around it, ready to hunt. When he realized that he was the only one to feel that way he froze and turned around.

Dean was still sitting in the car paralyzed apparently. He was staring at the house, his eyes and mouth wide open and his hands were gripping the binoculars tightly. So tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"Come on, Dean. What are you waiting for? Dean!"

The loud and urging voice of his brother made Dean snap out of his trance. He blinked a few times before he took a deep breath, grabbed his gun and got out of the car.

He felt Sam's worried gaze on him as they ran over to the house and put on a blank face to conceal the turmoil of emotions and spinning thoughts inside him.

He had seen something just before the lights had gone out. Someone had appeared at the window to draw the curtains. A woman. Blond, petite… Should their assumption be true? Should it really be…?

Sam pushed the front door open which the Hunters had left unlocked per agreement to make it easier for them to enter fast. They could still hear screams and a male voice. "Stay behind me! And you bitch, stay right where you are!"

They followed those voices through the dark, lighting their way with flashlights.

"Hey!" Dean shouted when his flashlight pointed at something moving. At that moment Sam's hand found the light switch.

The sudden brightness coming from the lights on the ceiling of the living room were similar to the bright glow of epiphany. At first none of them could see a thing but the more their eyes adjusted to the brightness the clearer the picture in front of them became.

There was the Hunter family backed against the wall. Little Isabella's blue eyes were wide open as she was clutching a stuffed bear to her chest with one hand. The other hand was gripping the hand of her mother tightly. Mrs. Hunter, a tall, brunette woman with olive skin was as terrified as her daughter. The only one remaining perfectly calm was Carl, a small but muscular, bald man in his forties. He was facing the enemy in front of him determinedly, and pointing his gun at her. The enemy herself had her back turned on the Winchesters but at the sound of Dean's voice she turned around and showed her face.

Sam's eyes widened. Dean's jaw dropped.

He couldn't believe it. He sent a silent prayer above that this was only a dream. That he would wake up any second from the massive shock he was in. Yet, he didn't because this wasn't a dream. A nightmare definitely but it was real. In front of them stood no one else but Jo Harvelle.

She looked almost the same as when they had last seen her. Long curly blond hair, rosy cheeks, delicate curves. But she was wearing different clothes, Dean noticed at once. Lower cut, black and leathery down to the boots.

When she recognized them a cruel smile spread on her face.

"Sam, Dean, long time no see."

Dean nodded. "Jo, it's a surprise to see you so… alive. Help me out here, my last image of you was being torn apart and burning in propane."

"Oh yeah, I called in a few favors," she told them with a hand on her hip. She spun around for them once. "Now my body's as good as new."

Dean eyed her from head to toe. He couldn't deny the fact that this was Jo on the outside. But on the inside? He refused to believe that. The way she looked at him, the way she talked, the way she acted… it wasn't her…

"Save the chat for later," Carl Hunter said now, pointing his gun straight at her heart. "You're not taking my daughter tonight, demon. Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged."

"No, wait!" Dean cut in with his hand outstretched, panicky. Maybe this was Jo, maybe not. They didn't know that. But as long as they didn't, they wouldn't risk her body getting injured – or worse. "I have a few questions."

"Dean," Sam hissed.

"Shh, Sammy. I got this," the older Winchester replied. Then he turned to the woman in front of him. "You're not Jo and I can prove it." The Jo copy sneered. "You don't want to believe it. There's a difference. But please." She folded her arms across her chest, challenging him with her cocky gaze. "If it makes you happy start your little query."

"That woman reminded Dean a lot of Ruby. His gaze met Sam's to find that his brother seemed to think the same. But it couldn't be Ruby. Ruby was dead.

"Lower your gun," Dean ordered Mr. Hunter.

"No way."

The woman who looked like Jo whirled around. "You heard him. Don't make me make you do it," she snarled at Mr. Hunter.

Dean winced at her tone. Not Jo, he kept telling himself. Not Jo…

Carl scowled at her, shared a glance with the Winchesters and then lowered his gun after Sam nodded urgently.

Dean let out a breath he didn't knew he was holding. Now that the tension in the room had decreased to a bearable level the query could begin.

"I'm waiting," the blonde told him, tapping her foot impatiently.

Dean's mind was racing. He had to think of a question only Jo could answer.

"What did I tell you in Duluth?" Sam opened his mouth before Dean could come up with a question himself.

The older Winchester smiled. That was a very good question. No one knew what had happened in Duluth except him, Sam and Jo.

"Duluth?" she repeated slowly. "Ah, right. You told me how my dad died. That my dad practically begged yours to kill him."

Dean stared at Sam, shocked. "You never told me that!"

Sam looked rather uncomfortable. "That was the demon talking. I don't even know if it's true."

"Oh, it is true," the Jo copy confirmed. "After you told me that I asked around."

Damn, right answer. He needed to think of another question fast.

"Aw, you're disappointed that my answer was right," the blonde mocked Dean. "Are we done? I'm actually working on a tight schedule here."

"No, not yet. That was just luck," he said. "What did I say to you just before you died?"

She rolled her eyes. "Pity party, really?"

"Just answer the question!"

"Okay, fine, chill." She paused. "See-you-on-the-other-side-probably-sooner-than-later blah blah blah," she rattle off in the same breath.

That one stung. It really did. It had cost him quite an effort to say these words back then. This moment had meant something to him. It was a part of his everlasting memory. It was causing him nightmares…

He just stared at the woman in front of him, unable to utter a single word. Was this it? Was the Jo he had known gone? Had she been erased and replaced by this demon version of her?

And again she mocked him. "Not what you expected, huh? Demon me? Yeah well, hell will do that to you. If you're nice and play along you'll get promoted and if you're really good at what you're doing you get a ticket back to Earth. But you know that of course. You've been where I've been. So, let's get down to business…"

On that note Carl Hunter raised his gun.

"Wait!" Dean intervened once again.

The demon let out an irritated sigh and turned back to him. "You're really starting to piss me off."

"I have one last question," Dean said. It was the perfect question. The ultimate proof to whether this was Jo or not. He could already hear Jo's answer in his head. It was something only Jo would answer that way. Any other answer would proof that the demon woman was not Jo.

"Then hurry up if you must."

"Why do we – why did you – why are hunting? What used to be your reason for hunting?" he finally settled for one version of his question.

She gave him a look. "That's your question?"

"See, I knew it! You have no proper answer for that!" said Dean.

"Have I answered the question yet? No. Let me think… Maybe because there is no one else to do the job? Because I had no idea what else to do with my life since I was raised in it? Fortunately, I got out – "

"Bzzzzzt! Wrong answer!" Dean exclaimed triumphantly. "I knew it! You bitch are not Jo!"


So apparently it's not Jo. Demon or not, Jo wouldn't answer the last question that way, or would she? :O

The answer to this particular question will be revealed in the next chapter.

But I'm curious, what do you think? Demon Jo? Or someone else? :)

P.S. I want to thank wrongplace-wrongtime & fuckyeahjondean on tumblr for suggesting Dean's last question. It's perfect, thank you! :)