Shadow

A week later, and they end up in Chicago, Illinois. It truly was a new beginning. Adonia could feel it. Everything was different now. Whenever they decide to go back home, her current home was with Genna. She quit her job and didn't know what she wanted to do; except hunt, save lives. They had little luggage with them and two weapons each, plus the Book of Shadows filled with spells and knowledge of the supernatural world. As for Genna, she has managed to document some of the cases they've taken part in and turn them into her boss when they went back home; so she had a nice direct deposit coming her way soon. For now, things were okay.

Sam hands Genna and Adonia a newspaper.

Manhunt Continues for Stealth Killer: Second murder in 2 months. That was their next case. Sam and Dean were dressed as alarm system employees, Genna was the "insurance" worker to "document the alarm system issues", and Adonia was the photographer for "court purposes"; so, business attire.

"Thanks for letting us look around." Sam said to the landlady.

"Well, the police said they were done with the place, so..." She and Sam move further into the room. Dean shut the apartment door and noticed the chain on the door was broken. He followed Sam in the living room where spots of blood cover the ivory carpet.

"You all said you were with the alarm company?" Adonia looked up from her camera.

"Yes ma'am. That's right."

"Well, no offense, but your alarm's about as useful as boobs on a man." Sam and Dean exchanged a look and laughed quietly to themselves.

"Well, that's why we're here; to see what went wrong and make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Now, ma'am, you found the body?" Genna asked after taking down some notes in her binder. It was actually a binder she used often to keep better track of her own cases.

"Yeah." Sam and Dean walked by the windows and moved the curtains around to see any trace of a break and entry. Adonia took photos of the blood splatters.

"Right after it happened?"

"No. Few days later. Meredith's work called—she hadn't shown up. I knocked on the door. That's when I noticed the smell."

"Any windows open? Any sign of break-in?" Dean asked.

"No, windows were locked, front door was bolted. Chain was on the door, we had to cut it just to get in."

"And the alarm was still on?" Dean was getting quicker with his questions as his suspicions grew stronger of something supernatural going on.

"Like I said, bang-up job your company's doin'."

"Mhm. You see any overturned furniture, broken glass, signs of struggle?" The landlady shook her head.

"Everything was in perfect condition—except Meredith." Everyone looked up to listen.

"And what condition was Meredith in?" Genna asked, taking over questioning again.

"Meredith was all over. In pieces. The guy who killed her must have been some kind of a whack job. But I tell you, if I didn't know any better, I'd have said a wild animal did it." Everyone exchanged a look.

"Ma'am, do you mind if we take some time? Give this place a once-over?" Sam asked kindly.

"Oh, well, go right ahead. Knock yourselves out." The woman left and Dean took out his EMF reader.

"So, a killer walks in and out of the apartment—no weapons, no prints, nothin'." Dean said as he turned it on.

"I'm tellin' ya, the minute I found that article, I knew this was our kind of gig." Sam said as he knelt next to him. The EMF meter beeped frantically. The girls walked over to them.

"I think I agree with you." Adonia said as she watched the device go off.

"So, you talked to the cops?" Genna asked Dean who was now walking around the room to find more readings.

"Uh, yeah," he began to say with a smirk, "I spoke to Amy, a, uh, charming, perky officer of the law." Genna's face turned red and she glared heavily at him.

"Yeah? What'd you find out?" Sam asked from across the room.

"Well, she's a Sagittarius, She loves tequila, I mean—whoa. Oh, and she's got this little tattoo—"

"Dean!" Sam said trying to get him to focus.

"What? Yeah. Uh, nothin' we don't already know. Except for one thing they're keepin' out of the papers. Meredith's heart was missing."

"Her heart?" Adonia asked as she scrambled her brain to think of a specific demon that would do that kind of thing.

"Yeah, her heart." He mumbled as he got distracted.

"So, what do you think did it to her?" Genna asked in a rude tone. She tried to stay focused, but she was infused with rage at the moment. He was completely oblivious to the fact.

"Well, the landlady said it looked like an animal attack. Maybe it was—werewolf?" Genna shook her head.

"No, no werewolf, the lunar cycle's not right. Plus, if it was a creature, it would've left some kind of trace. It's probably a spirit." She said correcting him. She knew a great deal about werewolves. She was most fascinated by them. Adonia's interest was vampires, odd for hunters, but they were an exception. Adonia took more pictures of the blood and examined it.

"Hey. See if you can find some masking tape around." She asked openly to anyone. Dean found some black tape and Adonia used it to connect the blood spots together. Adonia stood when she was finished as everyone else stood around her. It turned out to be an oval with curved L's on both side; one upward, one downward.

"Ever see that symbol before?" Sam asked from behind her.

"Never."

"Me neither."

Genna, Adonia and Dean stopped by a bar to do some research. Meredith worked at the bar and they figured they could find out if there was any kind of unusual activity seen from her before she died. The girls sat at a somewhat large round table as Dean spoke, flirted, with a bartender.

"You okay? You've been scoffing and sighing all day, more than usual." Adonia asked with a laugh. Genna looked at Dean.

"I'm going to tell you something, but please promise you won't freak out." Adonia crossed her arms on the table and listened attentively.

"Dean and I kissed.:" Adonia looked at the blushing ginger with wide eyes.

"What? When?" She asked in a louder voice. Genna motioned for her to quiet down.

"While you were at the hospital. The three of us went to the grocery store, Sam left to go to a book store, Dean and I were arguing in the parking lot and...then it happened." Adonia sat back with her arms still crossed and laughed.

"Wow. You know, I should say I didn't see it coming, but I kind of did. It would be typical not to expect it since you hate each other, but that's not how things go anymore. Nice." Adonia looked over at Dean as he and the bartender laughed flirtatiously.

"Oh. I see. This isn't good at all then. What are you going to do?" Genna shrugged.

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it. He's definitely attractive, but he's also stubborn, arrogant, selfish unless Sam's in the picture, inconsiderate, childish, egocentric-"

"Okay, okay. I get it." Adonia said with a laugh.

"There's something there, but he obviously is overlooking it. I don't have time to mess with this anyways." Sam then walked in with John's journal and sat down with them.

"Anything yet?" He asked the girls. They shook their head and motioned towards Dean.

"I highly doubt he has either." Genna said as she held her water. Dean walked over with a smile and sat down next to Adonia.

"Did you get anything? Besides a phone number?" Sam said jokingly, but in a serious tone.

"Dude, I'm a professional. I'm offended that you would think that." They all gave Dean a knowing look. He laughed and held up a napkin.

"Alright, yeah."

"You mind doin' a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean?"

"Huh? Look, there's nothing to find out. I mean, Meredith worked here, she waited tables, everyone here was her friend. Everybody said she was normal. She didn't do or say anything weird before she died, so—what about that symbol, you find anything?" Dean could always get focused again quickly.

"Nope, nothing. It wasn't in Dad's journal or in any of the usual books. I just have to dig a little deeper, I guess." Sam said as he looked her the journal.

"Well, there was a first victim, right? Before Meredith?" Adonia chimed in.

"Right. Yeah." Sam pulled out a newspaper clipping concerning the first death, Genna looked at it as well.

"His name was, uh—his name was Ben Swardstrom." He handed the clipping to Dean, Adonia looked over his shoulder.

"Last month he was found mutilated in his town house. Same deal—the door was locked, the alarm was on." Sam had clearly looked over the article before.

"Is there any connection between the two of them?" Genna smiled to herself as Adonia was actually asking some questions for a change. She was learning. Even as they hunted on their own, Genna always took over the questioning and tried to encourage Adonia to ask her own questions, think about the situations. Adonia was more of one to find out something and act on it.

"Not that I can tell—I mean, not yet, at least. Ben was a banker, Meredith was a waitress. They never met, never knew anyone in common—they were practically from different worlds."

"So, the only successful intel we've scored so far is the bartender's phone number." Genna said as she shot a glare at Dean. He smirked without realizing it. Sam seemed to notice something at the other side of the room and Dean looked around the room.

"What?" Dean asked, but Sam got up and began walking away.

"Sam?" Adonia called when he ignored Dean. Sam continued to walk away. He reached another table, where a young woman with short blonde hair is seated with her back to him. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she turned around. It is Meg. When Sam had left after the argument with Dean. He had spent the whole day and night at a train station with another traveler, Meg. They got to know each other and she was upset when he decided to leave and find Dean and the girls.

Sam started talking to the woman and everyone became intrigued. Dean stood and walked over to Sam to be introduced, the girls followed.

"On the road and Sam can still manage to get a girlfriend." Genna joked and nudged Adonia. She laughed slightly to break the tension.

"I thought you were goin' to California." They overheard Sam say to her when they approached.

"Oh, I did. I came, I saw, I conquered. Oh, and I met what's-his-name, something Michael Murray at a bar."

"Who?" Sam asked with a laugh.

"Oh, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the whole scene got old, so I'm living here for a while." Dean cleared his throat for attention, but he was ignored.

"You're from Chicago?" Sam asked surprised.

"No, Massachusetts—Andover. Gosh, Sam, what are the odds we'd run into each other?" Meg gave an innocent smile that made Adonia ill to her stomach.

"Yeah, I know. I thought I'd never see you again."

"What a shame." Adonia mumbled under her breath. Genna nudged her and laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you were wrong." Dean cleared his throat even louder. Adonia wanted to do the same.

"Dude, cover your mouth." Meg snapped back at him.

"Yeah, um, I'm sorry, Meg. This is, uh—this is my brother, Dean. These are our friends, Adonia and Genna." Meg is surprised.

"This is Dean?" Dean smiled from flattery.

"So, you've heard of me?" The girls could feel his ego growing.

"Oh, yeah. I've heard of you. Nice—the way you treat your brother like luggage." Everyone was taken aback.

"Excuse me?" Genna said next to him. Meg ignored her.

"Why don't you let him do what he wants to do? Stop dragging him over God's green Earth."

"Meg, it's alright." Sam said breaking up her anger.

"Okay, awkward. I'm gonna get a drink now." Dean said, then walked away. Hesitantly, the girls walked back to the table.

"What the hell was that all about? Don't meet her for more than a minute and she already comes across as a rude bitch." Genna said to Adonia. She laughed slightly and turned back to Sam and Meg.

"I don't know." Sam walked back with a smile and his cell phone in his hand.

"Looks like he got her number." Genna noted. Adonia started fiddling with her straw in her water. They all left after a couple of minutes.

"Who the hell was she?" Dean asked when they got outside. It was night.

"I don't really know. I only met her once. Meeting up with her again? I don't know, man, it's weird." Adonia scoffed. She was walking behind them with Genna.

"And what was she saying? I treat you like luggage? What, were you bitchin' about me to some chick?"

"Look, I'm sorry, Dean. It was when we had that huge fight when I was in that bus stop in Indiana. But that's not important, just listen—"

"Well, is there any truth to what she's saying? I mean, am I keeping you against your will, Sam?" The girls grew concerned. They weren't used to fights between the brothers, but the last one they saw involved Sam leaving.

"No, of course not. Would you listen?"

"What?" Dean snapped.

"I think there's somethin' strange going on here."

"Yeah, tell me about it. She wasn't even that into me." Genna slapped Dean's shoulder. He flinched and looked back at her.

"No, man, I mean like our kind of strange. Like, maybe even a lead."

"Reverted to slapping now?" Dean asked her, ignoring Sam.

"I've been holding that in for a while now." She said in a wise tone.

"What's your problem?" Sam and Adonia stood off to the side, waiting impatiently.

"You know damn well what my problem is!" Dean grabbed her arm and took her off to the side.

"Oh. I'm sorry. When I'm told not to kiss someone again, that's pretty much a green light to move onto the next thing." Genna cocked her head back in surprise.

"Move onto the next thing? She's a sleazy bartender who gets hit on every night and only wants someone to sleep with and never talk to again. I apologize if I think you're being a egocentric dick who likes to kiss someone and make them think there's something there." Dean smirked.

"Oh, I never said there wasn't. All I'm saying is, you walked away and I did the same." He said stepping closer to her.

"Do I even want to know?" Sam said to Adonia.

"Things are getting so weird now." She said. Sam looked at her confused, but she continued to watch the scene.

"I didn't walk away, Dean." She said in a softer tone.

"Can we get going? I wasn't exactly done talking about this. It's pretty important." Sam yelled over to them. Genna and Dean walked back to them and continued walking the same way as before.

"So why do you think somethin' strange is going on?" Dean asked getting back on track.

You okay? Adonia asked Genna through her mind. Genna nodded yes.

"I met Meg weeks ago, literally on the side of the road. And now, I run into her in some random Chicago bar? I mean, the same bar where a waitress was slaughtered by something supernatural? You don't think that's a little weird?"

"I don't know, random coincidence. It happens." Dean said. He always seemed to think any case wasn't a supernatural one.

"Yeah, it happens, but not to us. Look, I could be wrong, I'm just sayin' that there's something about this girl that I can't quite put my finger on." Dean smirked.

"Well, I bet you'd like to. I mean, maybe she's not a suspect, maybe you've got a thing for her, huh?" Sam rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Maybe you're thinkin' a little too much with your upstairs brain, huh? Dean pointed to his head and grinned. Sam became serious again.

"Do me a favor. Check and see if there's really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts, and see if you can't dig anything up on that symbol on Meredith's floor."

"What are you gonna do?" Adonia asked from the back.

"I'm gonna watch Meg." She regretted asking. Dean laughed.

"Yeah, you are."

"I just wanna see what's what. Better safe than sorry." Sam said explaining himself.

"Alright, you little pervert." Dean found the situation beyond amusing.

"Dude." Sam didn't find it very funny.

"I'm goin', I'm goin'. Dean said as he crossed the street. The girls followed Dean since Sam was going to do this alone. Adonia wanted to go, but she didn't want to intrude.

Back at the hotel room, Dean is on the computer, researching Meg and the symbol. He picked up his cell phone and dialed a number, Sam picked up and was put on speaker phone. The girls were sitting in the room as well.

"Let me guess. You're lurkin' outside that poor girl's apartment, aren't you?" Dean looked over at them and laughed. They didn't find it amusing.

"No," Dean waited for a different response, "yes."

"You've got a funny way of showin' your affection."

"Did you find anything on her or what?" Sam didn't find it amusing either.

"Sorry, man, she checks out. There is a Meg Masters in the Andover phone book. I even pulled up her high school photo. Now, look, why don't you go knock on her door and, uh, invite her to a poetry reading, or whatever it is you do, huh?" Sam ignored his comment.

"What about the symbol? Any luck?" Dean motioned Adonia over. She grabbed the phone.

"Yeah, that I did have some luck with." She looked down at the Book of Shadows.

"It's, uh—turns out it's Zoroastrian. Very, very old, like two thousand years before Christ. It's a sigil for a Daeva."

"What's a Daeva?" He asked confused.

"It translates to "demon of darkness". Zoroastrian demons, and they're savage, animalistic, you know, nasty attitudes—kind of like, uh, demonic pit bulls." She said with a slight laugh.

"How'd you figure that out?"

"You use the library, I use our Book of Shadows. It's a lot easier to get to."

"Oh, yeah? Name the last time you used it instead of making me go to the library to do some research."

"Oh, well, you know, you love doing research. I couldn't take that away from you." They both laughed.

"Alright, alright." Dean said interrupting. She shot him a look.

"Anyway, here's the thing—these Daevas, they have to be summoned, conjured." She continued to read from the book.

"So, someone's controlling it?" Sam was the only one asking questions since Adonia already informed everyone else about the Daevas.

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. And, from what I gather, it's pretty risky too. These things tend to bite the hand that feeds them. And, uh, the arms, and torsos." She said with a disgusted face.

"So, what do they look like?" Normally, the Book of Shadows shows a picture of the demons, but this page only had words.

"Well, nobody knows, but nobody has seen them for a couple of millennia. I mean, summoning a demon that ancient? Someone really knows their stuff. I think we've got a real creep in town." Dean took the phone.

"Now, why don't you go give that girl a private strip-o-gram?" Adonia scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Bite me." Sam replied.

"No, bite her. Don't leave teeth marks, though—" Sam hung up.

"Sam? Are you—?" Dean hung up his own phone.

"Idiot." Genna scoffed from a chair on the other side of the room.

After about another two hours, Sam comes into the hotel room and looks for Dean. It was morning. They step in front of each other.

"Dude, I gotta talk to you." They said at the same time. Sam explained everything he saw. He had followed Meg to a warehouse where there was a ritual table set up. She spoke into a goblet of blood, even about the brothers. When she had left, Sam took a look at the alter and found the symbol written in blood, along with several human hearts.

"So, hot little Meg is summoning the Daeva?" Dean said as he walked around.

"Looks like she was using that black altar to control the thing."

"So, Sammy's got a thing for the bad girl." Dean chuckled and Sam rolled his eyes.

"And what's the deal with that bowl again?"

"Goblet." Genna said correcting him.

"She was talking into it. The way witches used to scry into crystal balls or animal entrails. She was communicating with someone."

"Excuse me. We don't scry with crystal balls or animal entrails. That's what fake psychics do. We use empathy, scry with a crystal, yes, but we use it to find people. You need to go back to the library and do your research." Adonia said with a smirk.

"So, communicating with who? The Daeva?

"No. You said those things were savages. This was someone different. Someone who's giving her orders. Someone who's comin' to that warehouse." Dean thought for a moment and glanced at some files on a nearby table. He sat down at the table and looked through them.

"Holy crap." Dean said as he looked at the pages.

"What?" Sam said walking over to him.

What I was gonna tell you earlier—I pulled a favor with my–" he cleared his throat and looked at Genna, "–friend, Amy, over at the police department. The complete records of the two victims—we missed something the first time."

"What?" Sam asked intrigued. He sat down at the table with Dean.

"The first victim, the old man—he spent his whole life in Chicago, but he wasn't born here. Look where he was born." He pointed to something on the page.

"Lawrence, Kansas." Sam said shocked. The girls got up and stood next to Dean.

"Meredith, second victim—turns out she was adopted. And guess where she's from." They looked at the paper and it read, "Lawrence, Kansas".

"Holy crap." Sam said in shock.

"Yeah."

"I mean, it is where the demon killed Mom. That's where everything started. So, you think Meg's tied up with the demon?"

"Seems that way." Adonia said in disbelief.

"But I don't understand. What's the significance of Lawrence? And how do these Daeva things fit in?" Sam said looking at all of them.

"Beats me. But I say we trash that black altar, grab Meg, and have ourselves a friendly little interrogation." Dean nudged Genna. He thought this was right up her alley.

"No, we can't. We shouldn't tip her off. We've gotta stake out that warehouse. We've gotta see who, or what, is showin' up to meet her."

"I'll tell you one thing. I don't think we should do this alone." The girls looked confused.

Later, Dean picked up his phone and called John. Sam and the girls walked in, Sam was carrying a duffle bag of weapons.

"We think we've got a serious lead on the thing that killed Mom. So, uh, this warehouse—it's 1435 West Erie. Dad, if you get this, get to Chicago as soon as you can." Dean then hung up the phone. He got the voicemail as always.

"Jesus. What'd you get?" Dean said with a laugh.

"We ransacked that trunk. Holy water, every weapon that I could think of, they have their own weapons, exorcism rituals from about a half dozen religions. I'm not sure what to expect, so I guess we should just expect everything. Dean nodded and they began loading their guns silently.

"Big night." Dean said to them, mainly directed at Sam.

"Yeah. You nervous?" Sam asked him.

"No. Why, are you?"

"No. No way." They are silent for a few seconds.

"God, could you imagine if we actually found that damn thing? That demon?" Sam said as he stopped preparing the guns.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, alright?"

"I know. I'm just sayin', what if we did? What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I'd sleep for a month. Go back to school—be a person again." Adonia put her gun in the back of her jeans.

"You wanna go back to school?" She asked, disappointed.

"Yeah, once we're done huntin' the thing."

"Huh." She said as she began sharpening her Kukri knife. It a 8" curved blade with Greek designs on the blade, a silver and black handle, and a black fitted cover with a golden sun, moon, shell, and Greek crescent aligned on it. She loved her knife, but she would give it to her children when they were old enough to hunt.

"Why, is there somethin' wrong with that?" Sam asked oblivious to any previous conversations on the matter.

"No. No, it's, uh, great. Good for you." She said with a smile.

"I mean, what are you gonna do when it's all over?" She laughed slightly at his question.

"It's never gonna be over. There's gonna be others. There's always gonna be something to hunt." She knew from experience.

"But there's got to be somethin' that you want for yourself—" Dean was on Adonia's side, but he didn't want to chime in. Genna helped him with the guns.

"Yeah, I don't want you to leave the second this thing's over, Sam. This isn't about me." She walked over to the dresser.

"What's your problem?" She stopped for a moment and turned back to him.

"Why do you think Dean drags you everywhere? Huh? I mean, why do you think I came back and stayed in the first place?"

"'Cause Dad was in trouble. 'Cause you wanted to help find the thing that killed Mom." She walked closer to him, but not too close.

"Yes, that, but it's more than that, Sam. You, me, Dean, Genna, and your dad—I mean, I want us….I want us to be together. I want all of us to be like a family." Dean looked surprised. He knew Adonia felt like she was alone, but he didn't know she saw them that way.

"Addie, we are a family. I'd do anything for you, we both would. But things will never be the way you want." She was heartbroken.

"Could be." She replied sadly.

"I don't want them to be. I'm not gonna live this life forever. Addie, when this is all over, you're gonna have to let me go my own way, you too, Dean." Sam and Dean share a look.

They all went back to the warehouse. They climbed up the elevator shaft and peeked through the bars that lead into the same room with the altar. Meg was standing there, talking to someone in an ancient language. Quietly, they climbed through the opening and hid behind some crates with their guns ready.

"Guys, hiding's a little childish, don' you think?" Everyone looked surprised.

"Well, that didn't work out like I planned." Meg turned to them.

"Why don't you come out?" Everyone came out from behind the crates.

"Sam, I have to say, this puts a real crimp in our relationship." She turned to Adonia and Genna.

"Oh, it's you two. Can't say I'm glad to see you here."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Genna snapped back.

"So, where's your little Daeva friend?" Dean asked her.

"Around. You know, that shotgun's not gonna do much good." She said with a sly smirk. Adonia hated hearing her voice.

"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. The shotgun's not for the demon." Dean with a smirk.

"So, who is it, Meg? Who's coming? Who are you waiting for?" Sam asked behind his shotgun.

"You." The shadow demon began to form on the wall. It knocked Sam to the ground and threw Dean and the girls into the crates. A claw-like scratch appeared on Sam's face.

Without knowing how long, the four hunters woke up tied to posts. Sam woke up and saw Meg sitting in front of him, smiling.

"Hey, Sam? Don't take this the wrong way, but your girlfriend...is a bitch." Dean said as he winced in pain.

"This, the whole thing, was a trap. Running into you at the bar, following you here, hearin' what you had to say. It was all a set-up, wasn't it? And that the victims were from Lawrence?" Meg laughed at Sam.

"It doesn't mean anything. It was just to draw you in, that's all."

"You killed those two people for nothin'." Sam said angrily.

"Baby, I've killed a lot more for a lot less."

"You trapped us. Good for you. It's Miller time. But why don't you kill us already?" Dean said to her seriously.

"Not very quick on the uptake, are we?" She leaned in closer.

"This trap isn't for you." Dean was puzzled. Sam thought for a second, then realized something.

"Dad. It's a trap for dad." Sam said in a panic.

"Oh, sweetheart—you're dumber than you look. 'Cause even if he was in town, which he is not, he wouldn't walk into something like this. He's too good." Adonia said tied to Dean's post, next to him.

"He is pretty good. I'll give you that." She walks over to Adonia and sits down.

"But you see, he has one weakness."

"What's that?" Dean asked. She stood and straddled his legs.

"You. He lets his guard down around his boys, lets his emotions cloud his judgment. I happen to know he isin town. And he'll come and try to save you. And then the Daevas will kill everybody—nice and slow and messy." She said turn to Adonia.

"Well, I've got news for ya. It's gonna take a lot more than some….shadow to kill him." Dean didn't show any fear, only smirks.

"Oh, the Daevas are in the room here—they're invisible. Their shadows are just the only part you can see."

"Why you doin' this, Meg? What kind of deal you got worked out here, huh? And with who?" Sam asked from the next post, tied next to Genna.

"I'm doing this for the same reasons you do what you do—loyalty. Love. Like the love you had for Mommy—and Jess."

"Go to hell." Sam snapped back at her.

"Baby, I'm already there." She smiled and slid over to Sam.

"Come on, Sam. There's no need to be nasty." She leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I think we both know how you really feel about me. You know, I saw you watching me—changing in my apartment. Turned you on, didn't it?" Adonia gave a look of disgust. Sam was embarrassed.

"Get a room, you two." Dean scoffed in disgust.

"I didn't mind. I liked that you were watching me. Come on, Sammy. You and I can still have a little dirty fun." She then started kissing her next. Adonia turned away.

"You wanna have fun? Go ahead then. I'm a little tied up right now." She smiled and continued to kiss him. A noise on Dean's side of the room made her stop. She got up and walked behind Dean's post. She saw he had a knife in his hand and took it away, then tossed it into a corner. She swung around to the other side of the post, and smiles at Dean, who chuckles guiltily. She slid back over to Sam.

"Now, were you just trying to distract me while your brother cuts free?" She said as she whispered against his face again.

"No. No. That's because I have a knife of my own. Meg was confused. Sam broke free from his ropes and grabbed Meg's shoulders, then knocked his head against hers. She fell to the floor while he groaned in pain.

"Sam! Get the altar!" Dean yelled to him. Sam walked over to the altar and overturned it. Suddenly, the shadow demon appeared and grabbed Meg. She is dragged across the floor and crashed through the window, falling down to the street below. Sam grabbed his knife and cut Dean and the girls free from their ropes. They walk over to the window and see Meg sprawled on the sidewalk, dead.

"So, I guess the Daevas didn't like being bossed around." Sam said as they looked at the scene.

"Yeah, I guess not. Hey, Sam?" Dean asked.

"Yeah?"

"Next time you wanna get laid, find a girl that isn't buckets-o'-crazy, huh?" Dean laughed and walked away. Adonia and Genna ignored them and helped each other out.

Everyone walked into the hotel room and saw a man standing by the window.

"Hey!" Dean shouted, getting ready to grab his weapon. Sam turns on the light. The man turned around, it was John.

"Hey, boys...and girls." Adonia had mixed emotions about seeing him. Dean and John shared a long, emotional hug.

"Hi, Sam." Sam drops the bag of weapons. John looks over at the girls.

"Adonia, Genavieve. It's good to see you." Genna smiled, but Adonia stayed the same. John looked at her with sad eyes.

"I'm so sorry." He said to Adonia.

"I know." She said sadly. She didn't have much to say to him. She didn't know if she was angry with him or happy to see him. He was like family to her, after all.

"Dad, it was a trap. I didn't know. I'm sorry." Dean said speaking up.

"It's alright. I thought it might've been."

"Were you there?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive. She was the bad guy, right?" The brothers spoke at the same time.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Well, it doesn't surprise me. It's tried to stop me before." They looked surprised.

"The demon has?" Sam asked before anyone else could.

"It knows I'm close. It knows I'm gonna kill it. Not just exorcise it or send it back to hell—actually kill it."

"How?" Genna asked, John smiled.

"I'm workin' on that."

"Let us come with you. We can help." Dean shot Sam a look.

"No, Sam. Not yet. Just try to understand. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in a crossfire. I don't want you hurt." He knew the girls were capable, but he didn't want to risk their life either.

"John, you don't have to worry about us." Adonia said across from him.

"Of course I do. I'm your family." He paused.

"Listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one hell of a fight." Sam agreed respectively.

"It's good to see you again. It's been a long time."

"Too long." Sam and John embraced each other, crying. A minute later, they pulled apart. The three of them, the Winchester's look around tearfully. Suddenly, the shadow demon attacks John. He was thrown into a set of cabinets and fell to the ground, Sam as well.

"No!" Dean yelled. He was then thrown to the floor as well. Outside, Meg was watching the apartment. She looked at the building while holding a pendant around her neck, which features the Zoroastrian symbol.

Everyone was still being attacked by the shadow demon. They groaned and screamed in pain as they were flung around the room. Fresh scratches appeared on their faces. Sam made his way to the bag of weapons on the floor. He removed a flare from the bag.

"Shut your eyes! These things are shadow demons, so let's light 'em up!" He lit the flare, and the room was instantly filled with smoke and a brilliant white light. The shadow demon vanished. All of them try to feel their way around the room, coughing and sputtering. They help each other up and follow out of the room with the bag of weapons.

They exit the building and walk down an alley to the car. Sam put the bag in the backseat of the car.

"All right, come on. We don't have much time. As soon as the flare's out, they'll be back." Sam said trying to hurry.

"Wait, wait. Sam, wait. Dad, you can't come with us." Dean said.

"What? What are you talkin' about?" Sam asked surprised.

"All of you- you're beat to hell." John pointed out as he noticed everyone was bloodied up and in pain.

"We'll be alright." Dean reassured him.

"Dean, we'll stick together. We'll go after those demons-" Sam began to say.

"Sam! Listen to me! We almost got Dad killed in there. Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop, they're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He's—he's stronger without us around."

"Dad, no." Sam put his hand on his father's shoulder. Everyone watched sadly.

"After everything, after all the time we spent lookin' for you—please. I gotta be a part of this fight."

"Sammy, this fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you've got to trust me, son. Okay, you've gotta let me go." Everyone was silent for a moment, close to tears. Finally, Sam patted his father's shoulder once, then lets go. John and Adonia share a look, then John walked to his truck. Once there, he looked back at them one more time.

"Be careful." He got in his truck and drove away.

"Come on. Everyone got into the car and watched as John's truck turned the corner. Dean and Sam looked at each other knowingly. Without a word, Dean started the car. He backed into the street, then sped down the road and around a corner. Meg came onto the street from a flight of stairs. She turned and watched the hunters leave.