Sam shifted his position, readying his body for the attack; if he was about to be taken out he would do so swinging. The male demon who was acting like the leader sprang forward first and just as Sam rolled his shoulder to dodge the punch, a gunshot rang through the night air.

Everyone froze, the so far silent demon looked down at his chest. "Sonofabitch!" he whined before he fell forward in a pile on the pavement, a pool of blood spreading around his fallen figure.

Did that gun just killed a demon? Sam mind whirled trying to think of what gun other than the Colt could do that. Dean still has the Colt, I'm sure or it.

Sam had to tear his eyes from the now dead body of the demon to look around in confusion. At the mouth of the alley stood a figure hefting a gun, which she now pointed at the other demons.

"You little bitch!" cried the female demon as she moved towards the girl who stepped under the streetlight. "I'm going to rip your head off for that."

"You demons, always so melodramatic," the girl answered the light of the lamp falling over her blond hair and familiar face. Sam choked for a moment; this girl was showing up way too much to be a coincidence.

The iron fist of the demon brought Sam back to the problem at hand. He suddenly realized that he had just gone down to one opponent, the female being distracted by the gun-totting stranger, and the other demon slowly bleeding on the pavement.

The loud mouth demon snarled like a rabid dog and lunged at him. He turned his body away from the blow; twisting Sam brought the knife up to slam it into its chest. The demon dodged away and Sam's years of training kicked in. The pair moved in a flurry of jabs and punches that only stopped when Sam saw an opening. Shooting his left arm out, Sam plunged the knife into the demon's chest with his right. The demon sputtered and its eyes flashed black before it fell to the ground.

Sam pulled his knife out and looked up to see the stranger collide with a dumpster with a sickening sound. Moving forward quickly Sam placed himself between the demon and the fallen girl. The demon paused long enough to decide that her odds have suddenly changed before black smoke began to deluge from the meat suit's mouth.

After checking to see if the possessed girl had a pulse and finding that she was long gone, Sam turned towards the girl, who is standing rather unsteadily.

"Damn it, I think I may have broken them this time," she gasped holding her left side.

"This time?"

"Yeah it's the same side I landed on when I pushed that kid out of the way this morning." The girl looked at Sam straight not attempting to hide the fact that she remembered him from that morning.

Sam felt a little thrown off by her steady gaze, there was something quite unnerving about it, which he could not place. "Who are you and why did you help me?"

"My name is Samantha Browning and it looked like you needed help."

He could tell that she was not about to give him any more information. He looked down at her fallen gun. "What is this thing? I've only ever heard of one gun that can kill demons and I know where that one is."

"I don't know what it is, my dad gave it to me and told me that it would kill any evil thing that I wanted."

"Every evil thing but one," Sam answered feeling guilt and fear wash over him at the very thought of the devil. Sometimes he just wished that he could forget, maybe without the memories he could feel whole enough to see his brother again.

Looking at Sam, she nodded lightly in understand and Sam wondered briefly how much she actually knew. She smiled at Sam, then winced as she jostles her ribs. Cursing under her breath as pain sparked up her side almost making the world go white for an instant.

Sam found himself moving forward to help her before he could question his actions. Perhaps the fact that they had just saved each other made him feel responsible for Samantha in some way. "Let me help you." He reached for her, but stopped as she pulled away from him.

Schooling her expression to hide the pain, Samantha looked at Sam confidently. "I'm fine, I'll just be on my way thanks."

Samantha turned away and started walking towards the mouth of the alley. Unable to quench the sensation that she is hiding some thing, Sam looked down at the gun still on the pavement at his feet. Sam picked it up and turned it over in his hands. It was amazing the gun was an exact replica of the Colt except it looked older then the original. Had the Colt been the only evil killing gun or had this one been the first?

You don't know who she is or what she wants Sammy. She seems to know who you are. Are you really just going to let her leave?

Sam nodded his head to the invisible voice. She had also infiltrated Dean's life as well, there was a lot of things that Sam was willing to ignore but she was not going to be able to mess with his older brother. With determination firmly guiding his actions Sam levelled the replica Colt on her reseeding back.

At the sound of Sam cocking the gun, Samantha stopped her retreat. "You're coming with me," Sam said in a voice that did not reveal any of the nerves he was feeling.

She slowly turned towards Sam, took in the gun pointed at her chest and Sam's stony stare. The subsequent look Samantha gave Sam could only be read as totally unimpressed. "Why would you want me to do that, because I don't go that way Sam?" The humour in her voice had disappeared being replaced by a coldness that crept under Sam's skin.

"You have gotten too close, showed up too many time for it to be a coincidence. So until I'm sure that you are not a threat you are coming with me." Sam answered in the same steely tone.

Moments passed before either one moved, each daring the other to break the stand still, to be the first to spring. Samantha relaxed her stance, and fixed Sam with an exasperated look. "Fine, we'll do this your way. Let's go," with that she moved towards the back of the building were Sam's car was hidden, not looking to see if he was following her.

Sam dropped his arm holding the gun and watched as she left. She moved with natural grace and strength despite her injury, he felt certain that she is someone who had been well trained. Feeling slightly overwhelm by the sudden change in his routine, Sam followed her to his car. After months of doing the same thing everyday with no change, he was thrown off; he had not been prepared for the demons. How can he expect himself to protect Dean if he cannot even fend off a demon attack?

The drive to his apartments was silent and uncomfortable. Sam held the gun in one hand and drove with the other, while Samantha slouched into the car seat and seemed unaware of the weapon. Sam glanced over at her, there was something so familiar about her presence, she seemed so at ease, yet the tension in the car was smouldering.

Sam could not help but wonder what the hell he had gotten himself into.

Entering his apartment Sam moved towards the kitchen cabinet, before Samantha was even able to step through the door he was placing a flask into her hand. Without a word, she uncapped the flask and downed a huge swig of the blessed water. She passed the flask back to Sam and put out her arm. She certainly knows the drill. Sam stared at her arm wondering if he must cut the girl. Raising her eyebrows at his hesitation, her eyes questioning, Samantha sighed and reached for the knife herself. Drawing it quickly over her skin Samantha brought a thin line of blood to the surface. Smiling she handed it back to Sam. "There now that we have taken care of the meet and greet, lets get down to business."

"Give me a sec, I'm going to grab the first aid kit." With that he left for the bathroom. His reflection in the mirror exposed the toll that this day had had on him, Sam looked tired and lines of worry sat deeper today. The hours of sitting in a bush frantic for his brother's safety have not treated him with kindness. Sam threw some water onto his face; the coolness on his skin refreshed him and allowed his mind to refocus.

Samantha was sitting on the couch when he entered the room; she had taken off her jacket, which was now slung over the back of a chair.

"Lift your shirt so I can see your side." She listened and pulling her shirt up just enough for the light to land on her side, Sam drew back at the dark bruises twisting along her middle. Careful not to upset the dark marks on her skin, Sam felt for a break. Years of taking care of his father and Dean made Sam's assessment quick and painless.

"I think you're fine, it just seems to be badly bruised. It might be cracked though, so try no to hit it again." Sam said as he pulled away from the girl.

Samantha fixed her shirt. "Yeah next time I'll tell the demon to throw me on my other side," she said with a smirk that made Sam laugh. It sounded strange to him, when had been the last time that Sam had heard himself laugh?

"Look Samantha, I need to know who you are and what are you doing here?" Sam asked, turning his pleading eyes on her. Puppy dog eyes were always the best method to get the information you wanted.

Samantha looked up at Sam and for an instant her eyes were pain filled. She has green eyes like Dean Sam thought absent-mindedly. Just as quick as her eyes had opened up to Sam, a barrier was slammed down and Sam was met with the amused expression that he was beginning to believe was her standard choice.

"I'm a hunter. I was following the three stooges from the alley for a while now and my lead brought me here to Cicero."

Sam nodded in understanding, that's usually how hunters work, finding a lead and following it until they get the chance to kill the evil thing. That was how Dean and him had lived for years, before Dean had been given a chance at happiness.

"How do you know who I am?" He asked slightly nervous, recalling her using his name in the alley.

She took in Sam guarded expression quietly for a few moments before continuing. "Every hunter knows about the Winchesters and since I met Dean this morning, you have to be Sam."

"Every hunter knows…" Sam trailed off shuddering at the idea of others knowing about his shame. Knowing about him saying yes to Lucifer.

"Hunters gossip like they're the golden girls, its kind of pathetic if you ask me. From what I've heard you and your brother are quite a team." Sam relaxed at this, perhaps she did not know the whole story then.

"Do you hunt alone?"

Samantha's gaze was steady, but the barrier did not allow Sam to glimpse any of the feelings held inside. "Those demons today are the ones who killed my family." Her voice did not reveal any emotion but Sam remembered the look of pure pain and he moved forward as if to comfort her in some way.

She pulled back from him, putting a hand up to stop him. "Look I appreciate it, but I'm dealing and no amount of shoulder patting is going to help right now."

Sam watched Samantha as she turned away from him, her shoulder set in defiance as if she was expecting him to call her on her lie. She said she was a hunter and he was willing to believe that because of the way she had handled herself in the alley. She had known what to do and had reacted to the spawn of hell without surprise or fear. Whether or not Sam could trust her was an entirely different matter. Part of him said that she was to be trusted while his logic told him that her action seemed planned.

Either way she had gotten close to Dean's family, closer then Sam could get without breaking his cover, so he only had one decision.

"I think we should work together, I mean it's probably easier to track down a demon with two people on it." Sam offered knowing full well that he would not be able to take no as an answer.

She studied him for a moment, searched his face, he got the distinct impression that she did not trust him either.

"That's probably a good idea, you did already kill one of the demons for me and I might need help taking out Monika."

"Monika?" Sam asked with a laugh. That definitely was not a name that could strike fear into people's heart.

"Yeah, she likes to use the name of her vessels. I guess the real Monika is the poor girl lying dead in the alley. Look, I should really be on my way. We should start work tomorrow pretty early because I have a commitment in the evening."

"What kind of commitment is that?"

"I'm babysitting Ben so that Dean and Lisa can go on a date." Samantha answered with a shrug as if it was no big deal.

Sam felt the air rush out of him. "You are going over there again?" he all but yelled at her.

"Yeah they asked me to babysit and I could use some extra cash, so that I can find a place to stay." She studied him for a moment, Sam was really getting tired of the way she looked at him, he could not shake the feeling that he wasn't fooling her, that she could see inside his head

"If you don't have a place, you can stay here. You can sleep on the couch it's a pull out. It will be easier for us to work together that way." I can also keep an eye on you that way, Sam thought as he plastered a smile on his face.

"That sounds great. Thanks a lot, but I'm still going over to watch Ben tomorrow." Samantha answered with a smile that seemed as fake as his had been. There it was again, that voice that challenged him to tell her no, testing to see how far she could push him.

"Why would you need too?" Panic was beginning to feel like a rock in his stomach, what if she told Dean that he was alive? She could ruin months of work with one spill up. At the same time he could not tell her the truth, the shame and pain were still too fresh to share with anyone. Well you would have shared them with Dean if you could talk to him.

"Ben's a cool kid and I'd like to get to know him. Calm down Sparky, I won't go telling anyone that you like to hide in the bushes, ok?" With that she turned and walked towards the door. "I'm going to go grab my stuff and some food. I'll pick you up some since you dropped yours in the alley. I'll be back in 30 minutes or so."

The door felt like it slammed behind her, sucking all the air out of the room with her. The quiet of the apartment seemed to close in on Sam, restraining him like a cage. He stood taking deep breaths to calm himself down, to not barrel after her and force the truth out with any means necessary.

Though he had called all the shots, he felt as if she had control. She seemed to know how to get what she wanted from him, he might as well have been playing into her hand. With a sigh he pulled out some of his books. He needed to research to see what he could find on the Browning family, the replica Colt or the demon who called herself Monika, before Samantha returned.

Dean's voice sounded clear in his mind and for once Sam could not argue with him at all.

You are in way over your head, Sammy.