DISCLAIMER: I just don't get it. I got married to Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles was the best man, and Eric Kripke gave me Supernatural as a wedding present! But every time I tell the men in the white coats these facts, they just pat me on the head and lock me in that weird room with the cushiony walls…am I missing something?

SPOILERS: Anything from the Pilot through Hollywood Babylon is fair game, as this chapter will efficiently prove!

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My Strongest Weakness

PREVIOUSLY: Sam was relieved that Dean wasted no time in teasing him about Lulu; it meant that things were going to be okay – despite the fact that Odessa was still out there, Sam had the protective tattoo now, so things would be getting back to normal. Sam didn't think he'd ever be saying this to himself, but… thank God for Butch's Tattoo Parlor and Beer Joint!

Chapter 9

Dean – still in his jacket and work boots – lay on the bed channel surfing away as Sam did more research on the laptop, intent on learning everything he could about humanoid familiars, other than the major facts that Dean and their Dad's journal had already told him. As with most of the things they hunted, the majority of the websites he came across listed the creatures as only mythical, but he did come across a couple of good ones that considered the possibility that they could be real.

"Once lowly creatures…now highly evolved…powers of mind control…telekinesis…"Sam muttered to himself as he read. Huh. He was starting to think these things sounded like the all-powerful versions of the psychics like him. He had encountered two with mind control – Andy Gallagher and his corrupted brother, Ansem Weems – and one telekinetic-gone-bad, Max Miller. Hell, there was a possibility that Sam himself could be telekinetic! He went on to read that humanoid familiars could appear and disappear into thin air and even freeze time, among other things. Okay, maybe they're not so much like us psychics, after all…unless we just haven't yet met the psychics who can do that kinda thing. Sam highly doubted the latter thought, though.

He scrolled down to the end of the page, thinking it odd that nothing about the protective symbol he and Dean bore was mentioned. He also saw that the website didn't mention how they sacrificed a child every tenth spring solstice and showed no way to defeat the creatures. Well, these amateur, skeptic websites aren't our Dad… Sam smiled fondly and wistfully. His musings were interrupted by Dean loudly complaining.

"Man! There is like nothin' whatsoever on TV right now, it's freakin' ridiculous."

Sam shook his head and turned around to face his distraught sibling. "Dean, it's not that there's nothing on TV, it's just that that particular appliance you're watching only gets four channels."

"Yeah, and they're boring ones!" Dean huffed out, throwing down the remote in exasperation. "So how 'bout you, Sparky? Found anything exciting over there?"

"Knowing your definition of exciting websites, definitely not." Sam said before yawning and rising from the cramped table and chair.

"Hey, nothin' wrong with some busty Asian beauties every now and again, Sammy," Dean defended but quickly realized his error. "Um, I meant…I know nothing about that kinda thing."

"Uh huh. So the Trickster wasn't quite responsible for everything," Sam said knowingly, smiling as his brother gaped like a fish out of water. He sat down on the edge of his own bed and took off his socks, being careful with his newly inked right foot. The precautionary bandage that Butch had put over the tattoo had been allowed to come off by now and thankfully no infection had set in. 'Guess the needle was sterile, after all,' Sam reasoned. Taking another glance at the mark and finding all was well with it, he exhaled tiredly and sprawled himself across the mattress, wanting to properly stretch his long arms and legs before forcing himself back up again to change into his nightclothes.

Dean finally flicked the TV off in anger at the lack of channels to surf. What good was the manager having fixed the TV that morning when the number of channels it had could be counted on one hand? Shooting one last glare at the offending idiot box, he turned to look at his brother. "So…how's the tat doin'…hunnybear?"

Sam immediately forgot about the uncomfortable chill he had just experienced and, knowing that anything he said would probably be unheard over Dean's fit of laughter, flipped his older brother the bird.

It only made Dean laugh even more until, about a minute later, he finally reined in his hysterics and cleared his throat. "Seriously, Sammy, there's nothin' bad…afoot?" Yeah, just couldn't resist that one… And to his surprise, the bad pun actually made Sam crack a little smile.

"No…nothing's afoot…s'all good."

"Awesome. You and I are officially untouchable when it comes to that bitch." Dean watched Sam relax and stretch out even further at that comfort, then noted with amusement how all four of Sam's fully extended limbs hung off the edge of the bed. But no matter how big the kid got – and Dean didn't think he could get much bigger, or at least hoped not – he would always be Dean's little brother.

Dean looked on as said big little brother drew in his arms and legs and raised himself into a sitting position. "Bed too small for ya, there, Sasquatch?" he teased with a smirk. It dissipated into a concerned gaze as Sam still sat unmoving, un-answering. "Sammy?" A chill went through Dean as Sam turned a pair of wide, fearful eyes on him.

"Dean…I think Odessa's here."

"What? Where?!" Dean demanded. "I don't see her…"

"There!" Sam shouted, pointing frantically to the center of the room to the same floating dark orb he had remembered from the last night.

Dean's eyes followed Sam's indication and he cursed loudly, barely having enough time to leap off the bed and assume a protective stance in front of his younger brother before the orb transformed into an evilly grinning Odessa.

"Sammy always was the smart one, wasn't he, Dean?" she crooned and then began to casually approach the brothers. "Beauty and brains, plus he's a total sweetheart…what more could a girl like me want in her man…"

"You sick bitch, he's NOT yours and he never WILL be!" Dean shouted angrily, spreading out his arms to keep Sam safely behind him and slowly backing them both away from Odessa.

"Oh, Dean…" she scolded. "Unless you've gotten rid of that pesky protection tattoo and are no longer…how did you put it…untouchable…OUT OF MY WAY!" she yelled with a wave of her hand that sent Dean crashing into the wall, giving her complete access to her new favorite plaything. "Ah…my sweet Sammy. You know, I've been dreaming all day about what I would do to you tonight…and I can't wait any longer." A lecherous smile split her face as she reached out a hand toward Sam's face.

Go on, you bitch…touch away! Sam consciously wiggled the toes of his right foot as Odessa's hand neared his cheek.

As soon as her fingertips met Sam's skin, Odessa shrieked out in pain and backpedaled away from him, doubling over and staring up at him in shock. "You…you—"

"Got inked," Sam finished and then turned around to triumphantly display the symbol of Helios on the bottom of his right foot.

"NOOO!" Odessa wailed, backing further away and clutching at her fingers. She glanced behind her at the small table she had run into and flung the glass ashtray that lay on it to the floor in rage. It shattered upon impact. "This is NOT over, Dean Winchester! I will have what I desire, I will have your baby brother and you will suffer his loss!" she screamed at Dean and then turned and ran out of the motel door.

"Oh no you DON'T!" Dean barked, snatching the spear from its resting place and bolting out the door after her, not even bothering to shut it behind him. "Sammy, stay there!" Dean ordered over his shoulder.

"Dean, no!" Sam shouted after him, also moving to follow until his bare feet hit the broken glass and he yelped out in pain. He stumbled backwards onto Dean's bed and immediately checked his right foot to make sure the glass hadn't broken the skin where the tattoo was. None had. As he was picking out the tiny shards that had managed to stick into his feet, he heard a man clearing his throat from somewhere in front of him, followed by the door slamming shut.

Before Sam could even scream for help, a strong arm jerked his head back by his hair and he felt a sharp prick in his neck. The arm then roughly shoved him off the edge of the bed and as he lay face-up on the floor, Sam felt numbness invade his entire body. He squinted his eyes, trying to make out the three increasingly blurry figures hovering over his defenseless form before a cruel kick to the side of his face snapped his head to the side and sent him into blackness.

TBC…

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A/N: Oh man, (grovels), please go easy, so sorry for the cliffhanger, it had to be done, remember – EVERY OTHER DAY UPDATES!!! LOL. And another later-in-the-day post…it was a site glitch this time! (sighs) Anyways…so, yeah, if ya'll thought it was over and the boys were safe – think again! Still several more chapters and much more conflict to come, heehee! The utmost gratitude to all my readers, and to all my reviewers? You all make my every-other-day! LOL. And a great big hug and thanks to my LLS for the beta, and speaking of…

A/N 2: If you all go back to Chapter 8, there have been some minor changes made to it b/c it was betaed after all! A common-senseless mistake of mine caused me to accidentally overlook my freshly-betaed piece in my inbox and I posted before I finally discovered it waiting there, like it had been ALL DAY! LOL. But it's all fixed now with the proper credit paid in full to my LLS for all her awesome work. So, thanks for that one too, LLS, and allow me to replace those apologies from you with ones from me…'twas my error, not yours! It's all good now though :-D