"So, you made friends?" Sam asked. Jay scowled at him.

"Yes, I made friends. What, did you think I wouldn't?" Sam rolled his eyes.

"No, Jay. I thought you'd spend all your time in the library." Jay grinned at him.

"I think you're confusing me with you."

"Not possible, buddy." Jay smiled brighter at his uncle and continued eating. He was glad to be home. He hadn't been home for long, tomorrow was Christmas, but already he could tell that his dreams were stopping.

He wanted to know what they were about but it wasn't like he could ask Bobby or his dad or Sam about them. They would just get worried and possible pull him out of school. He didn't want that to happen, especially not with what was happening at school.

It wasn't that he had a death wish or something, but he didn't want whoever had it in for him to go for someone else if he was suddenly not there anymore. Besides, there was the very real possibility that it wasn't him they were after.

There was also the fear for his family. He wasn't sure what was going on at school but he didn't want it to start happening while he was home instead. He didn't think he could handle one of them getting hurt because of him.

If he went with the theory that someone or something had it in for him, there were so many possibilities for suspects that he didn't know where to start.

First, there was the wizarding world. According to what he had read, there were a lot of wizards who had followed Voldemort when he was in power. The reason for the indirect attacks could be explained away by the fact that they could just want to make it look like an accident. Since it was happening at Hogwarts, it was also more likely that it was someone from that world.

There was also the more scary thought that this wasn't someone from the wizarding world, but something from his dad and Sam's. Scarier because he could think of only one reason why a demon would want him dead: Revenge against his dad.

His dad had certainly pissed off more than his share of demons in the past. Jay knew how Dean thought too. It was always about family for him. He had heard Bobby and Sam say it before, that for Dad it had never been about revenge, only his family.

Jay had been at Bobby's when Sam had walked through the door, possessed by that bitch, Meg. Bobby had sent him out of the room, but he knew why she had done it. She had wanted to hurt Dean in the worst possible way, and she had known how he thought too. She had known that no matter what, Dean would never risk hurting Sam.

Of course, there was a major flaw in the theory that it was a demon. That was that, while a wizard that was supposedly reformed from the dark side would likely try and make it look like an accident; he couldn't see why a demon would care. He couldn't see why any demon wouldn't just go for the direct attack and be done with it.

He wasn't ruling anything out at this point, though, and while he was here, he might as well brush up on a few things, just in case it was a demon after all.


Of course, there was one person he could ask. The dreams Jay had been having gave him a great deal of insight on what his family had been doing while he was away at school. One of these insights into the fact that they were actually letting a demon help them.

That was one of the more disturbing things he had learned from the dreams. He didn't understand why they would let a demon get close like that, even if it had helped them.

What he had gotten from his dreams was that she called herself Ruby and that for some reason Sam was letting her stick around. He hadn't gotten the reason why Sam thought it was a good idea, but he didn't like the sense that something bad was happening here that he was missing.

He got a sense of desperation out of Sam that he didn't like. He had seen that before in his uncle, specifically after Jess died and the times when either Dean or John were injured. He knew that there was something. Something that they didn't want to tell him.

It was frustrating, and it wasn't like he could ask his dad or Sam about it. It wasn't like they would tell him if he just said that he knew they were hiding something. He also knew that they would freak out if he told them about the dreams.


"What I think is that Cedric could rule the world if he wanted too." Jay said, watching his dad as he worked on something on the Impala.

"Really? Why's that?"

"Please, he's as smart as Sam, and he's got your charm, except he's a lot nicer than you are." Dean looked up at him, scowling a little.

"What are you talkin' about? I'm nice." He paused for a moment. "Hold it here." He said absently, pointing out what Jay needed to do. Jay nodded, following his dad's instructions.

"You are nice. To pretty girls and witnesses when you have to be. Cedric's nice all the time." Jay pulled his hand back. "Did I get it?" Dean went around and started the car, and grinned at the sound.

"Sounds a lot better." He said, coming back around and closing the hood.

"Maybe you should go live with Cedric, then." Dean said as they started back to Bobby's house.

"Maybe." Jay nodded. "God knows I'll never learn manners from you and Bobby."

"Since when do you care about that?" Dean's voice turned incredulous. "Aren't you the one who started a food fight in the middle of the cafeteria at school last year?" Jay pouted at his dad. He had gotten into some serous trouble for that one.

"I told you, that wasn't my fault. That ass, Ryan, decided it would be funny to trip me into my tray."

"Don't say ass." Sam said from the table in the kitchen as they came inside.

"So, you thought it'd be funny to throw what was left on your tray at the lunch lady?" Dean asked. Jay rolled his eyes at his family.

"It wasn't my fault Ryan ducked. I didn't think he could even move that fast. And, why can't I say ass, you do." He turned his gaze on his father.

"Jay, how many times have I told you..."

"Yeah, yeah," Jay went to the sink to wash his hands, "'do as I say, not as I do'." Dean grinned at him and put a hand on his head. Jay scowled, ducking out of his fathers reach.

"Ugh, Dad! Grease!"

"Oh, come on, your hairs already a mess. I really don't think it's gonna matter." Jay backed away from his father, and then turned and ran from the room when Dean followed.


Christmas was great. Jay had gotten a few things for his dad, Sam and Bobby from an order form that Hermione had shown him that he thought maybe they would find interesting.

Hermione, Cedric and Hayden had gotten him a few things as well. Bobby had gotten him a leather jacket almost like the one Dean had that made Jay grin. Sam had gotten him a miniature version of the Impala. Jay wasn't sure how he pulled it off but there was a small button on the bottom of it that if you pushed, Back in Black would start playing.

His dad's gift was what really surprised him, though. His dad was probably the least sentimental person on the face of the planet, but the photo album that his dad handed over to him the moment that they were alone was probably one of the most sentimental things ever.

It was filled with pictures that Jay didn't even know his dad had. He had never seen his dad with a camera but there it was. Pictures of himself when he was younger. Some with Sam, some with John, some with Bobby, some with Dad.

There were several of Dean and Sam, and even one of Dean, Sam, Mary, and John from before the demon had killed Mary. He never thought that his dad would get him something like that. Maybe his dad really was missing him now that he was in another country most of the time.

This time, when he hugged Dean, he wasn't the only one with tears in his eyes, and that was slightly terrifying. He couldn't help but to think that something else was behind it. That same something that he had been feeling a lot lately, that his dad was hiding something major from him.


"So, you're headin' back soon." Jay nodded, watching Bobby from his seat at the table. Dean and Sam were both still asleep.

"What are you doing up so early anyways?" Jay shrugged, staring at the table and fiddling nervously with the cuffs on the new leather jacket. He looked up again when he heard Bobby sit down across from him.

"Alright, kid. What's going on with you?" Jay hesitated for a moment before leaning forward.

"I'm not stupid, Bobby."

"I know your not." Bobby frowned at him.

"Sam says everything's fine here. I believed him before. Or at least, I believed that whatever was wrong, he could fix. But, Dad and Sam have been acting strange since before I left. And then there's what Dad gave me..."

"Kid, I know your dad's not the most...open person out there. But he does care about you. Maybe he just didn't want you to feel so homesick." Jay shook his head.

"It's not just that. I know Dad loves me. But there was this look in his eyes when he gave it to me. There was that same look in his eyes when he saw me off at the first of the year. Something's going on here, I know it. Sam and Dad won't tell me what it is, and I figure you won't either. I'm not asking you to tell me, exactly."

"Then what are you asking for, exactly?" Jay let out a sigh.

"I need you to tell me that whatever it is, you guys can fix. I need you to tell me that Sam wasn't lying." Bobby sighed as well, and ran a hand across his face. He needed to know that his dad wouldn't break his promise.

"I promise, Jason, that I will not let anything happen to either of them." Jay nodded. He guessed that would be enough. Bobby had just basically confirmed that something was happening, not that he needed the confirmation. He tried to push the thought that there was no way that Bobby could really promise that away.


Bobby watched Jay go back upstairs with another sigh. This was a big mess. Then again, this was the Winchesters he was dealing with. This family had been a mess ever since Bobby had known them.

The yellow eyed demon was dead, but that damn thing was still screwing them over. That demon was the reason that Dean had come out of retirement. It was the reason that John and eventually Dean had made those stupid deals.

He knew why Dean had made his deal. He had been there when Sam died. He had seen what it had done to Dean. But there was something else, too. He still wasn't sure how Dean had found out about the other demon. The one who was apparently after Jay as well as Sam. Dean didn't even know what this called itself or what it could do, but he did know that it was coming after Jay.

Dean had made the deal for Jay as well as Sam and now everything was screwed to hell. Bobby had no idea how he was supposed to keep his promise to Jay.


Dean knew that Jay probably thought something was up. He had debated on whether or not to actually give Jay the album because of that, but he had wanted to, just in case.

He was well aware of the fact that there was probably no way out for him, even if Sam would never admit it. He wasn't willing to bet on Ruby saving him. He wanted Jay to know that he loved him before that happened. He hoped Jay already knew that, but it couldn't hurt to be a little bit sentimental, especially when he was facing hell.


Jay watched the darkness, feeling nervous but determined at the same time. He needed to do this before he left. He needed to know the facts. It was the middle of the night and he hoped that Sam slept through. He stood up when he finally saw her walking over. Ruby. He caught the look of disdain on her face when she saw him.

"Thought I was Sam?" He asked, watching her.

"What do you want, kid?" She asked, her voice cold.

"I need your help." She gave a small laugh.

"And why would I help you?"

"You want Sam and Dean to trust you for some reason. I don't know why. I've been having these dreams lately of what's been happening here." He paused. "I want to know why you gave them to me."

"What makes you think I gave them to you?" Jay shrugged.

"I just know. You had to know that would happen, right? I want to know why." Ruby considered him for a moment.

"Alright." She crossed her arms. "You're my backup plan. Just in case things fall through with Sam."

"Just in case what falls through?" She simply smiled at him and turned, starting off.

"Hey! Something's after me at Hogwarts. You know what it is." She turned for a moment, walking backwards with that smile still on her face.

"It's not a wizard." She said before disappearing into the night again. Jay sat down again on the steps, staring after her. It's not a wizard. And what the hell kind of plan did she have? Was she really trying to help Sam and Dean?

It wasn't truly surprising that she hadn't told him everything. He hadn't really been expecting her to tell him that much. In fact, he had been expecting her to take one look at him and walk away.

Now, he had a whole new bunch of worries. Whatever was going on with his dad and Sam, was that apart of what Ruby was talking about? What the hell could she need him for?

Jay made his way back to the kitchen after discarding the things he had used to call Ruby. At least he had learned one thing. Unfortunately it didn't make much sense to him. He was back to wondering if it was a demon after him, why it was trying to kill him in such roundabout ways.

"Hey." Jay jerked in surprise at Sam's voice and looked up at his uncle. "What are you doing up so late?" Jay just shrugged.

"Had to use the bathroom." He said, starting past Sam. He saw Sam frown, and wondered if he believed him but he guessed it didn't matter. There was no way he was telling that he stayed up so he cold summon a demon. Dad would kill him.