Chapter 10

Dean didn't see the butt of the gun coming for his head until it was too late. He slumped to the floor unconscious with the two men standing over him. They each grabbed an arm and drug him out of the building and to the police car. It was decided he would be one of the sacrifices tonight since he scared away the chosen couple the night before. Dean remained unconscious as he was driven back to Burkitsville, Indiana. He started coming to as the car stopped and was taken by gun point to a root cellar and locked inside. He found Emily, the only one he found who wasn't originally from the town, locked down there too.

"What's going on? Why are they doing this to us?" she asked fear laced in her words.

"Looks like we're going to be sacrifices." Dean grumbled mad that they had gotten the drop on him. He stomped up the steps and tried the cellar doors but they were chained shut. He searched the cellar but couldn't find anything to help them. He plopped down beside Emily to wait hoping he could get the upper hand when they took them out.

"Are we going to die?" she asked quietly clutching her hands tightly in front of her.

"Not if I can help it." he told her laying a hand on her arm and squeezing it to assure her. At least he hoped not. Things were not going the way he had hoped and he had no way of contacting anyone for help. He checked his pockets one more time to be sure there wasn't anything useful in them. It looked like his pockets were emptied while he was unconscious. He put his arm around Emily's shoulder when she leaned closer and a soft sob escaped her lips. "It'll be ok." he whispered to her rubbing her arm as she shivered slightly.

spn

Dean and Emily looked up when they heard rattling and the door were pulled open. They stared up at people from the town and the guns trained on them.

"Come on, it's time." Emily's uncle said.

"Why are you doing this?" Emily cried as Dean helped her up the steps.

"We have to; it's for the good of all." Emily's aunt told her.

Dean growled at his captors as Emily and him were marched out into the orchard and tied to separate apple trees. He struggled and tried to fight until one of the men butted him in the stomach with his shot gun.

"I hope your freakin' pies are worth it!" he yelled at them as they hurried away leaving the two captives to the pagan god they worshiped. He had learned from the college that the pagan god was given two sacrifices once a year so the town would prosper and the apple crops would be abundant.

"Do you have a plan?" Emily asked him as she struggled with her bindings.

"I'm working on it." Dean shot back pulling on the ropes and looking around for something to help him. "Keep your eyes on the scarecrow." he told her trying to see over his shoulder.

"What scarecrow?" she asked looking where he was trying to see.

"Shit!" he muttered pulling harder on his bindings when he heard someone moving toward them.

"Dean?" John asked looking down at his son before pulling a knife and cutting the ropes holding him.

"Dad! How'd you know I needed help?" Dean asked getting up and going over to Emily to get her loose.

"I got your messages and decided you needed help on this one." John told him. "C'mon let's get out of here."

"You're not going anywhere." the sheriff said as men from the town surrounded them holding guns on them.

"We've got to have a sacrifice." Emily's aunt said standing beside her husband.

Before anyone could move, her husband was stabbed with a scythe by the scarecrow and she was jerked along with him. The scarecrow didn't care who he took and drug them away making the town's people scatter. John, Dean and Emily headed out of the orchard to wait for daylight so they could destroy the sacred tree and get rid of the pagan god. Emily led them to the center of the orchard to the oldest tree that had symbols carved into it. Dean poured the gas and John gave Emily the torch to burn it. Once that was done, they put Emily on a bus to Akron to stay with her aunt.

spn

"I got your message about Sam." John told Dean as they watched the bus drive away. "Have you found any leads?"

"Not really, but I think he's somewhere down in one of the southern states. I've got a search set up for any vans found abandoned hoping that will give me a lead."

"Any idea why he disappeared in the first place?" he asked walking toward his trunk.

"No, and why he took his girlfriend with him, no idea." Dean shrugged. "Where are we going next?"

"Dean, it's not safe us being together." John told him. "I'm getting close son, and it's too dangerous for you to be with me."

"No Dad, we need to stick together and find Sammy." Dean begged not wanting to be separated again.

"I'll look for him too and will contact you if I find anything." John replied stopping at his truck. "You take care of yourself Dean. Don't worry, Sam can take care of himself, I'm sure you'll find him soon. You watch out for yourself son, I know this is hard but you've got to be strong."

Dean stood by the Impala and watched his father disappear again from his life and felt the loss all over again like it was the first time. It had been months since he left Bobby's and started his investigations of the vans. One by one he was crossing them off his list. He had taken care of a vengeful spirit a half day's drive from one reported abandoned van. Dean had teamed up with Caleb and another hunter to take out a small vamp nest a state over a few weeks ago. Caleb offered to hang with him for a while, but Dean declined his offer. He wanted to be alone in his search for Sam; it just didn't seem right to involve anyone else. He got in the car and headed for the next location of an abandoned van hoping maybe this would be the one. He hoped his program will have found a lead for him on Sam. The longer it took for him to find him, the more worried he was that Sam might get hurt or worse get himself killed.

spn

The day was sunny and clear with low humidity as Jess made her way toward home from the bus stop. She knew Sam would have a cow if he knew she was walking, but she needed the exercise and wanted to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful weather. She grunted as a mild pain played across her swollen stomach. She was due this week and this was her last day of work. Sam had wanted her to quit sooner but she wanted to work as long as she could. They could use the money for one thing and she would go stir crazy being cooped up in their apartment. The pains had bothered her on and off most of the day but she thought it was just being on her feet and the position of the baby. Jess saw the driveway up ahead just as she felt wetness between her legs. She looked down and realized her water broke. She pulled her phone from her jacket as she continued on toward the driveway.

"Hi Hon." Jess said when Sam answered his cell.

"Hey Babe, everything ok?"

"You have to stay calm and don't freak out, but my water just broke."

"Where are you? I'm on my way!" he barked jumping from his seat to head out.

"Easy now Hon." Jess laughed. "I'm almost to the driveway. I'll have Grace call the midwife, but it'll be a while, the contractions just started."

"I'll be there as soon as I can Jess." Sam told her hanging up and running for his car.

Jess walked up the driveway and headed for the house. Grace had set up their spare bedroom for her to deliver her baby with the help of a midwife. Sam and Jess had taken classes and gone over everything with the doctor and midwife and both agreed that it would be safe for her to have a home delivery. The midwife had delivered over a hundred babies since she started doing it and the doctor knew her and her reputation.

"Grace!" Jess called knocking on the door as she opened it.

"Yes dear?" Grace answered stepping from the kitchen.

"You might wanna call Jackie and let her know my water broke." she said leaning against the wall as another contraction started.

"Well, come alone child. Let's get you settled in here and I'll make the call." Grace said happily. "Have you been timing the contractions?"

"They're still pretty far apart." Jess told her letting Grace lead her into the kitchen. "Have you called Sam?"

"Yes, he's on his way. I just hope he doesn't get a speeding ticket getting here." she chuckled as it turned into a soft moan.

Grace and Jasper were as excited about the baby as Sam and Jess. They had become very close to them over the past months San and Jess had lived in the garage apartment. Sam knew it was because they had lost their children and were using them as replacements, but it didn't matter to him or Jess. They were good people and had been so kind to them since they had moved in. Sam and Jess both considered them to be like family to them too.

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Sam parked the car out front and raced into the house looking for Jess.

"Jess!" he called.

"She's in here." Grace answered from the kitchen.

Sam ran into the kitchen to find Jess bent over leaning against the counter panting. She looked up at him and tried to smile around the pain of the contraction. He rushed to her side and put a hand around her waist and kissing her forehead.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." she groaned letting out a long breath as the contraction eased up.

"Have you called the midwife?" he asked her.

"Yes, don't worry, she'll be here shortly. Jackie said there's still plenty of time yet."

"Don't worry Sam, Jess is fine." Grace told him patting his arm.

"Where's Jasper?" Sam asked looking around.

"He's out with some of his friends."

"Walk with me." Jess told Sam as she put an arm around his waist. "Remember they said it would be good for me."

"Ok." Sam said letting Jess lead him toward the back door. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes, women have been having babies since the beginning of time. You know the doctor said I was healthy and the baby was healthy. She didn't see anything wrong with a home delivery. I wouldn't do it except we found Jackie and it will save us a lot of money."

"I'm not worried about the money Jess, you know that. I just want you and our little girl to be safe." Sam told her as they walked around the yard. He lay a hand on her stomach and felt how tight it was as another contraction started. Jess leaned into Sam letting him support her as she breathed through the pain. She squeezed his arm tightly when the contraction peaked causing Sam to wince in pain himself. He didn't know she had that much strength and let out the breath he was holding when she eased up on his arm. He looked down at it seeing the marks she left. He shook it to get circulation going again and gave her a weak smile not wanting to upset her, she had enough on her mind right now.

"Ok, its passed." she said breathing in a deep breath as she continued to walk again. "Sam."

"Yes."

"I can't help it, but I'm a little scared." she whispered leaning her head onto his chest. "What if I'm not a good mother?"

"It's ok Babe, I'm scared too, but we'll get through this. You're going to make a wonderful mother, never doubt that. We've got Jasper and Grace here to help." he told her kissing the top of her head and wrapping his arm around her. "You'll do just fine and remember, I'll be right there with you. I love you."

"I hope so." she told him feeling the shift of the baby and pressure now. "I love you too Sam Winchester, more than you'll ever know." she cried letting tears stream down her face.

"Don't cry." Sam whispered to her taking a finger and wiping her tears away.

"I can't help it." she sobbed with a half hearted giggle. "It's the hormones."

A/N: Hope you are enjoying the story and thank you for all who are reading it. Sam and Jess are going to be parents and all seems well, but for how long? Dean is closing in on his location but what will he find? Please review, your thoughts are welcome. NC