Jo poured her coffee, black, in the largest mug she could find. She sipped on it every so often as she wondered around the living room studying all the photos framed hanging from the walls. Chuck's snores were almost methodical, the only sound in the still house.
When she finally made it over to his sleeping form hunched over coffee table, trying to decide if she should wake him. she spied the legal pad under his head. She placed her coffee down gently on a side table and gingerly tip-toed closer to Chuck.
Jo placed her hand under the base of his head and lifted, pulling the pad out slowly. Accomplished she plopped down in the arm chair next to the couch flipped to the first page.
Three pages where filled from top to bottom with imagery, anything he had seen was described to the letter. Notes, names or landmarks, were marked with stars and arrows, were scribbled in the margins. She squinted at the cramped illegible handwriting, ready to throw the pad back where she found it.
But one name compelled her to read on. Margo. Margo Sullivan.
Margo was involved. Margo was a witch. Jo could feel her chest tightening and her guts twist at the thought. She felt instantly betrayed by her old friend. But then again Jo was the one to introduce her to the paranormal. She told Margo it was real. That it was possible.
She threw the legal pad down on the floor, putting her head in her hands. The slap of the papers slamming together jarred Chuck from his sleep.
"Whoa," He looked at her startled, "How long was I out?" He attempted to roll his neck around his shoulders but just winced at the effort.
Jo shrugged, too involved in her own self pity to look up at him. "I don't know." She mumbled against her hands.
Chuck eyed the pad on the ground, "Did you read that?" He asked pushing himself onto the couch.
Jo shook her head letting her hands fall in her lap. "No, not all of it."
Chuck nodded sympathetically. "Margo's your friend, isn't she?"
Jo nodded sullenly, her eyes filled with regret as she looked at Chuck. "I'm the one that told her about all this shit." She waived her arm above her head, "I told her about my family, about hunting, about everything."
"I guess you missed the part about witches." Chuck mumbled sarcastically.
"No," Jo hissed, her glare filled with venom. "Definitely hit that topic." Her words were short and clipped as she tried to reign in her temper.
Chuck watched her wearily as she seethed in the arm chair, "Well," He shrugged awkwardly, "If it's worth anything, I'm sorry."
Jo's shoulder's slumped as some of her anger receded. "Thanks." She nodded.
"So what are we going to do about it?" Chuck asked nudging her knee reassuringly.
Jo sighed, "Well, Dean and Sam are on their way back with Lacey now. She got some weird mark on her back last night."
Chuck nodded, "Yeah, I know." At Jo's furrowed brows he tapped one of his temples with his finger, "I see all."
"Yeah," Jo snorted, "You just don't remember shit."
"Touche." Chuck ticked his finger at her, "Anyway, I drew it in there." He said glancing at the legal pad.
Jo reached down and picked up the discarded papers, balancing the pad on her knees.
Chuck reached over and flipped a couple pages before getting his hand swatted away, "What, I'm just trying to show you." He squawked with agitation.
"Fine," Jo relented throwing her hands up, just wanting this exchange between them to be over, "Show me."
Chuck reached over slowly, when he was sure it was okay, his eyes turned slits as he glared at her, angrily flipping another page. "There." He pointed at a strange symbol in the margin, that Jo couldn't help but feel she had seen before.
"Huh." She turned her head sideways trying to get a different look.
"Do you know it?" Chuck edged closer as if trying to see what she was seeing.
Jo turned her head the opposite way, "I'm not sure." She whispered, "It looks familiar, I think." Jo shook her head, "I could have seen it in a book at some point," She tried to shrug it off, but she couldn't rid herself of the feeling that it was closer than that. She had seen this more than once.
"Sounds like you don't remember shit either," Chuck teased.
Jo looked up and meet Chuck's gaze with a fierce glare, "I don't care if you're a prophet of God or not, I will still kick your ass."
Chuck nodded curtly, his confidence quickly fading, "Noted."
"Go away." Jo demanded as he flipped back to the first page of the legal pad.
"Yup." Chuck propelled himself off the couch and into the kitchen.
A shiver ran up Jo's spine as he left the room. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something about Chuck. Something big. She sighed staring down at the poor excuse for chicken scratch littering the page. Rolling her eyes she pushed the pad off her lap and slouched back into the chair. The heartbreak of Margo turning to the dark side still fresh in her mind.
Xxx
Margo's eyes widened in fear at the staccato sound of high heels hitting the pavement. The timing and the sound of heels was a noise that petrified her. Her heart began to race the closer they came.
They belonged to Ursila.
Long elegant fingers intertwined with hers as the woman that terrified Margo came into step beside her.
"Ursila," Margo's voice shook as she greeted the tall blond woman.
"I can feel your guilt a mile away." Ursila whispered as they continued to walk down the street. "It wouldn't be wise to back out now. The demon has already been summoned. He will come for her tonight."
Margo turned to the woman, fear and shame, pooling in her deep hazel eyes. "Jo's my friend, is all. I just don't want her to get hurt." She bowed her head in remorse.
Ursila patted her hand in an effort to be comforting. It only served to make Margo nauseous. "I understand. But the hunter's will just get in the way. The demon Corrupta will make short work of them."
Margo's breath hitched in her throat, the thought of her old friend being torn apart by a demon weighed heavily on her heart. "They'll try to save Lacey." Margo stated, the words stale in her mouth.
"Oh, I believe they will." Ursila concurred. "Corrupta has come across many hunters. I assume they will have the same fate."
xxx
"So, what do we know?" Dean asked leaning his elbows on his knees.
"Well Eleanor Dillan is Margo's great-aunt." Chuck noted, resting his head in his hand.
"That's where I've seen this symbol." Jo pointed to the scribble on the legal pad. "Margo had a necklace of hers." Jo pushed herself off the couch and rounded the coffee table. "Alright," Jo paced the living room, "So, Margo's a witch, in some coven, that summoned something to kill Lacey." She recited.
"Yeah, but it was Ursila that was doing the deed in Chuck's vision." Sam added, perched on the arm of the couch, he turned to look at Chuck in the arm chair. "Could she be possessed?" He asked.
Chuck rubbed his hand along his bearded jaw, "Possibly. She was pretty strong." He remembered how it felt as she threw him across the room.
Dean lifted his leg and dropped it on the coffee table, leaning back into his seat on the couch, "You get anywhere on those symbols?" He asked turning his gaze on his little brother.
Sam nodded, "Yeah, just a bit. It looks like they were summoning a demon called Corrupta." He picked up a book off the coffee table and handed it to Dean. "There wasn't much on the actual demon, but from what I could tell, it's brought forth to punish corrupt people. Or what the summoner considers corrupt."
"What?" Lacey squawked as she entered the room. "Who would think I am corrupt?" She pressed a hand to her heart, sincerely hurt by the accusation.
Jo snorted, "Oh yeah, who could ever think that," She mumbled to herself.
Lacey placed a manicured hand on her hip, "What was that Harvelle?"
Jo crossed her hands over her chest, "Are you kidding me?" She scoffed, "Do you not realize that you were a horrible person in high school?"
Lacey rolled her eyes, "Seriously? This is about high school shit? I was a kid and it was a long time ago. Why can't people just get over it?"
"You made four years a living Hell! I should know, I've been to Hell, and I would rather go through that again, then be anywhere near you for another second!" Jo seethed.
"Well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black." Lacey crossed her arms over her chest, mirroring Jo's stance.
"What are you talking about?" Jo sighed letting her arms hang at her sides. Her anger rolled it's way in her shoulder blades causing her back to tense.
"I thought only bad people went to Hell." Lacey smirked, satisfied, seeing the fire beginning to boil in Jo's eyes.
"You stupid mothe-" Dean leapt over the coffee table to hold Jo back from pouncing on Lacey, "Let me go!" Jo tried reaching around him to get at Lacey, "I'm going to kill her!"
"Yup," Dean heaved her over his shoulder, making his way to the front door, "figured that much." He tossed a glance at Sam before he opened the door. "Stay here, I'm going to take her back to the motel. Let me know if you need me." He called over Jo's shouts, slamming the door behind them.
"Some people are so sensitive." Lacey groaned turning back to her remaining guests.
Xxx
Dean jammed the keys into the ignition of the Impala, causing the engine to roar to life, "Well, that's the first time I've ever broken up a chick fight." He winked at Jo as he put the car into drive, "First time for everything, I guess."
Jo crossed her arms over her chest and slumped into the seat. "I hate her."
Dean chuckled, "She's not my favorite either, but she's paying us."
Jo glared at the road ahead of them, "Just doesn't seem worth it." She shook her head, "Maybe I should just sit this one out?" She suggested.
Dean scratched at the stubble on his jaw, he couldn't help feeling like it was a trick question. "Uhm, well, I think you should do what you think is right." He smiled at his own cleverness.
Jo's brows knitted as she turned to look at him. "That doesn't help me at all." She scoffed dropping her hands in her lap. Sighing, she picked at the dirt underneath her fingernails. "I'll just be on research duty." She resigned.
Dean reached over and patted her thigh, "If that's what you want."
Jo shoved his hand away with a laugh, "You're such a dweeb."
Dean laughed grabbing her hand and bringing it to his lips. "You love it." He said leaving a kiss on her knuckles.
Xxx
"How much time do we have Chuck?" Sam asked as he took his turn pacing the living room.
Chuck set the old ancient book he was studying on his lap, "Uh, half a day at least." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "It's going down tonight."
"Shit." Sam hissed as he ran a hand through his hair.
"My thoughts exactly," Chuck sighed picking the book up again.
Xxx
Jo pulled Sam's laptop onto the bed in front of her, opening it up and folding her legs under herself. "You should have at least let me hit her." Jo mused as she started her research.
Dean chuckled as he grabbed a beer from the mini fridge. "Sorry, sweetheart. Next time, I promise."
"I'm gonna hold you to that," Jo warned, not taking her eyes off of the computer screen.
Dean took a seat in one of the chairs at the small kitchenette table, content to just simply watch her. He sipped on his beer, drinking in the sight of the woman in front of him. He loved everything about her. From her golden locks flowing down to just barely touch her elbows, to the way she would worry on her bottom lip when she concentrated, even the way she would just reach for his beer, just assuming he would share, as she did in that moment.
Dean smiled, of course he would. He pushed himself from the table and sauntered over to where Jo was sitting on the bed.
She looked up at him through dark lashes, her fingers brushing over his as she took the beer from him. "Thanks cowboy." She tilted the bottle to her lips with out taking her eyes from his.
Dean brushed a stray hair behind her ear, "Of course." His hoarse voice whispered. The tone of the moment instantly morphing from flirty to something more intense. Something tangible, an eruption of warmth that flooded through Dean's body. And in that moment he was never more sure of anything else in his entire life. She was his missing piece.
This girl was here to save him, just as much as he was to save her. "I love you." The words were a poor substitute for what he really felt, but where the only thing that came close to conveying it.
Jo's brows knitted, sitting up so that she was eye level with him. She put both of her hands on either side of his face. "I love you."
Dean rested his forehead against hers, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her to his chest. He sighed contently as her closeness seemed to calm his very soul.
Jo instinctively pulled her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, more than happy enough to let Dean just hold her. The Roadhouse couldn't even touch the feeling of safety his arms provided.
Jo audibly groaned when a soft rapping came from the door, flopping herself back on the bed. The heat of the moment quickly fading.
Dean grabbed his gun off the table near the door, checked that it was loaded and the safety was off, and poised it behind his back, as he looked through the peep hole. His shoulder's slumped as he turned back to Jo. "I think this one's for you." He said as he pointed to the door.
Xxx
Sam tied a piece of twine around a tiny burlap sack. "Here," He said handing it to Lacey. "It will keep you safe." He explained.
She held it between two fingers her face twisted in disgust, "What is it?" She asked her brows knitting together.
"It's a hex bag. Keep it on you at all times," Sam instructed. "At least you'll be safe around witches."
"But what about demons?" Lacey questioned glancing back and forth between Sam and Chuck. "You said it was a demon." Her voice getting more shrill by the moment.
Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yeah, I did say that." He grumbled, regretting that decision.
"So, will it help against demons?" She pushed shaking the hex bag at him.
"No." Sam turned to her trying his best to calm her nerves, "That's what I'm here for." He smiled down at her.
"Oh god," Tears started to well in Lacey's eyes, "I'm going to die." She covered her mouth with her hand just as a sob made it's escape.
"You're not going to die," Sam rubbed soothing circles on her back, looking to Chuck for anything to help.
Chuck shrugged shaking his head, "Yeah, no, you're not going to die." He whispered, his voice wavering. Unfortunately his uncertain sentiment only caused her to cry harder.
Xxx
"Margo," Jo greeted as she pulled the motel door open, "What are you doing here?" She asked looking down the row of rooms making sure her old friend was alone.
"Can I come in?" Margo whispered, "Please," She urged when she saw Jo's trepidation. "I'm alone, I swear."
Jo nodded and moved out of the way so Margo could enter.
Dean took his seat at the table, laying the gun down, pointing in Margo's direction as she entered the room.
Jo turned to Margo as she finished locking the door, "What are you doing here, Margo?" Jo repeated herself.
Margo sighed as her hazel eyes began to swim with unshed tears, "I came to tell you I was sorry." She choked. Clearing her throat, she began again. "At first, it was just little pranks, making her life Hell, like she had made ours. Nothing to hurt her, just scare, or annoy her."
Jo took a seat with Dean at the table, ushering Margo to continue.
Margo looked down at her shoes, shame weighing down her shoulders. "Then Ursila came along. The coven wanted blood." She looked up at Jo meeting her strong gaze. "The demon Corrupta will possess Ursila, and she will kill Lacey."
"Then we kill Ursila." Dean stated absolutely.
Margo looked down sadly shaking her head ever so slightly.
Jo slowly pushed herself into a standing position, regarding her friend carefully. "Why are you telling us this?"
Silent tears trailed down Margo's face as she looked up at Jo. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't. And," She hiccuped a sob, "It's already too late."
The metal legs of Dean's chair scraped against the linoleum as he stood, "What do you mean it's too late?"
"Ursila has already been possessed," Margo cried, "She's on her way to Lacey's now."
Jo grabbed Margo by the shoulder's shaking her until their eyes met, "How do I kill it?"
Margo shook her head, "I don't know." She whispered, "I've only heard a rumor about a knife. A knife that can kill demons."
"Seriously? That's it?" Dean questioned disbelievingly, grabbing his gun and slipping it in his holster.
"Yeah," Margo's brows knitted together in confusion. "Not really an everyday item."
Dean took a final swig of his beer as he threw his jacket on. "Not really an everyday guy."
"Stay here." Jo warned giving Margo a final glare before she followed Dean out the door.
Xxx
Chuck pulled his body to lay on his back, groaning as shards of glass dug their way into his skin. He couldn't stop himself from musing that being thrown into a large picture frame was much better than the mirror.
His thoughts came to a halt as his vision cleared, zeroing in on an unconscious Sam slumped against the far wall.
The blonde woman from his dream stood in the doorway with a crooked smile on her face, her gaze fixated on Lacey, who was clawing her way into a corner to get away. Lacey's pleas for her life drifted to Chuck's muffled ears.
He tried to call out, to reach out to her, anything, but he couldn't find the strength to move his limbs. He was vaguely aware of Dean busting through the front door and shoving a knife in Ursila's back. The strange glow to her eyes as her body went limp was the last thing he remembered before his vision went black.
Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you are still enjoying the story so far! I want to take a minute and thank those who have continued to review every chapter and have stuck with me; BlueGem22, TimeyWimey11, broodoverthere, deanandjo4ever1, Clary Darling, and angeleyenc. You guys have reviewed almost if not every chapter of this story. Thank you so much, you are absolutely brilliant and I love each and every one of you.
Again thank you all for keeping up with my story, I'm so happy that all of you are enjoying it. So please, please, just scroll on down, let me know what you think. Please, please, please, I live on reviews, so just do it already! xoxox