7.

"You gonna eat all this pizza yourself? Or would you like some company?" the neck-bearded pizza delivery guy ogled at River. She grabbed the pizza boxes with one hand, balancing them on her hip and holding out a twenty for the guy.

"I have plans," she answered, trying to shut the door. The guy stuck his foot in the doorjamb, blocking it from closing. River opened the door back up and stared at the guy, incredulous that this oompa loompa fucker had so much guts.

"I can pay you," He held the twenty back towards River. She set the pizza boxes down on the table next to the door and was reaching for her gun when Dean grabbed neckbeard from behind by the trapezius and growled, "I think you should leave, unless you want to loose that foot." Sam came to stand next to River, the much taller man tensing. River smiled, these two guys had impeccable timing as usual.

"Hey man, I'll just watch, I don't even need to participate," Neckbeard was glancing between Dean, Sam and River. Sam and River's bitch face went into full force.

"The fuck is wrong with this town? I'm wearing Pokemon pajamas and no fucking makeup. You think these two would pay me…. wait, is that a compliment being compared to a whore," River looked up at Sam. Sam gave her a quizzical shrug of the shoulders. "Do I look like a whore? Do they look like they need to pay for sex?…You know what ? I'm gonna shoot him," River turned again towards her gun.

"I'd run, she's a good shot," Dean said to neckbeard, as Sam grabbed the gun out of River's hand. Neckbeard jogged clumsily down the hallway, "Well that was entertaining." Dean said, closing the door to River's room.

"You know I really hate this town, I hate everyone in it. I need to re-evaluate my life choices," River ranted as she slammed the pizza boxes down on the small dining table.

"Is that a ninja sword?" Dean picked up River's katana off the small dining table, he pulled the shiny black scabbard off to reveal the glinting steel sword.

"Dean, please don't play with that, it's very sharp and very old," Dean proceeded to swing the katana around while making ninja movie noises. She gave Sam an exasperated sigh, "He's the older one?"

River's phone vibrated next to the pizza boxes and she picked it up to check the caller ID. "Must be my lucky fucking night," she mumbled declining the call. "So, I obviously didn't get to dose Trotter with holy water what with the whole shooting and murder earlier but he gave me his office address and told me he had a 2 o'clock meeting tomorrow, which means his office should be empty," She said opening a beer. "Maybe one of you hooligans can break and enter?"

Her phone started ringing again, "Just silence it. There's a Chuck Norris marathon on." Dean said, turning on the tv and making himself comfy on the bed.

"I'll be back in a few," River said, picking up the phone and shutting herself in the bathroom, she turned on the sink trying to drown out her conversation. Dean and Sam exchanged looks before they both walked to the shut bathroom door, straining to hear River over the water.

"You're not Corey, you're a freak wearing a Corey meat suit…. I didn't kill any kids…I don't have any friends…I'm tired, I'm so tired of this game…you can find me, I'll leave my door unlocked," there were a few more exchanges that were all but indiscernible through the door. Dean's jaw clenched and Sam gave him a worried look. They heard River turn the water off and grab the door knob. She took a startled step back, looking up at the men crowding the tiny doorframe.

"Your crazy ex?" Dean asked, him and Sam standing shoulder to shoulder and blocking River from leaving the bathroom.

"I never said I had a crazy ex. I guess the whole shut door, private conversation was lost on you two, huh? " River asked, reflecting Sam's bitchface, "It's a long story and I don't really want you two involved."

"Consider us involved," Dean asnwered leaning into the doorjamb. River sighed and pushed her hair out of her face.

Sam and Dean exchanged another look, "Who's on the phone, River?" Sam asked, always the one to play good cop.

She wrapped her hands around her hips and looked up at them, "Are you going to interrogate me in the bathroom or can I at least drink my beer?" The brothers stepped away from the door frame and let her through, "thanks." She mumbled sarcastically going back to the table. "He's…it's a shifter, it's been stalking me , calls me, leaves messages, texts, if I don't answer he'll kill someone."

"Why is it stalking you?" Sam asked, Dean remained silent.

"I worked with a hunter named Corey for about six months. We met in San Francisco during a hunt for the same vamp. We became friends, decided to work together. Safety in numbers or some shit... Anyways eventually Corey and I headed north into Washington and started tracking three shifters, one adult and two juveniles, that had been murdering families and assuming their lives. "

"Kid shifters?" Dean finally spoke.

" Look, they were just as god damn evil as the father. I saw… you have no idea what they did to those families. They slaughtered six families before we caught them. I didn't kill any kids, I killed two monsters." River angrily wiped away tears that had rolled down her cheeks. "Corey went after the adult, the father. He told me got him, it was done. I didn't double check. I trusted him."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"A few weeks went by and nothing. Then one night Corey shows up at my motel room, he was supposed to be on some hot date with this hunky bar tender he met the night before. I let him in, thought he needed to vent about a bad date. I turned around and Corey grabbed me, started chocking me, before I blacked out I saw it's eyes. It was the shifter, it must've tracked us. It..um," she wiped away more tears, "I woke up the next morning alone. My journal and one of my phones were gone. I found Corey in the trunk of the car in pieces. The phone calls started a few days later."

"Did you try getting a new phone?" Dean piped up.

River took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Yes, Dean. I stopped answering the calls, got a new phone and he killed someone. Somehow he got my new number and sent me pictures. I can't risk it killing anyone else, my journal had names of hunters and civilians I've worked with."

"How long has this been going on?" Sam asked.

"Two years."

"Jesus Christ, River. Why didn't you ask other hunters for help?" Dean said sitting forward in his chair.

"I did. It didn't go well." She looked across the table at the the brothers, "Look, this isn't something you guys need to worry about. You already saved my life once, I don't need saving from this. It just is what it is. I figure one day he'll get tired of this game and we can end it. One way or another."

The conversation ended there, they sat at the table silently for a while. Dean eventually went back to the Chuck Norris marathon and River and Sam discussed the next steps for the case. River watched as Dean eventually fell asleep sitting up, head tilted back on the headboard.

"I'm gonna hit the hay. I'll take Trotter's office tomorrow, see if we can find any leads. Dean, you coming?" Sam stood up from the table closing his laptop, most of the pizza and beer gone. River was sitting on the bed watching tv next to Dean, who was still asleep.

Dean woke up from his nap,"Yeah, after this part's over." Sam shrugged his shoulders at River, who glanced at Dean then at the clock on the night stand. "Make yourself at home, Winchester." River said, getting up to brush her teeth. She came back to the bedroom a few minutes later and the credits were rolling. Dean had grabbed his flannel jacket and was waiting by the door. "Good night?" River asked, she didn't entirely like the look on Dean's face.

"What else happened?" he said simply.

"I told you enough. You need to stop trying to save everyone else. I've got my whole life to deal with that fucker. You have less than a year ," she opened the door of her room to let him out.

"Lock your door." Dean said planting himself in the hallway.

"Yes, sir," she smiled at him again before closing the door. He didn't move until he heard the deadbolt and chain slide into place. Dean walked past Richie's room, noting it was dark and quiet. Maybe he actually did have a date with that hot bar tender.