Sorry about how short this chapter is. The next one will be longer, I promise. Thanks for all the reviews, you guys are awesome :D

Dean wanted to check out the cops, follow them and find out just what they were up to, but Jimmy said it was safer to stay inside and out of sight. If there were some dangerous reason they wanted the boys, then it was obvious that Dean should stay out of their way. The kid had agreed, but reluctantly. He wanted to discover what was going on with the strange cops but his instinct to protect Sam was stronger, and Jimmy had used that instinct against the teenager.

Dean sat by the window for most of the day, watching in case the pair came back. He refused to speak to Niamh, too afraid that he'd say something he'd regret. And Jimmy wasn't on his favourite people list at the moment either. Despite the fact that man had covered for them, he was still someone Dean couldn't trust fully. There were few people that Dean had trusted with everything he had, and they had rapidly shrunk to one – Sam.

The car came back twice throughout the course of the afternoon. The first time it stopped across the street from the house. Dean dropped back away from view and watched surreptitiously as the blonde leaned her head out the window, blue eyes darting over the house and street. The second time they simply drove past, albeit slowly. Dean was sure there was something wrong with those two – they sure as hell weren't cops. And if they weren't, then he really didn't want to know what they really were. His mind only offered up supernatural suggestions, from shapeshifters to demons and everything in between. Each and every possibility scared him more than he'd care to admit. If they were some sort of monster, then he had to do whatever it took to protect Sam. That was his job, that was what he was supposed to do and that was what he was going to do.

He had the option of finding a way to salt the entire house and protect all its occupants. Or he could simply make a circle and keep him and Sam inside, in case anyone decided to enter. He mulled over it as the sun began to set on the horizon, the night falling quickly over the streets of Angel. If he didn't protect Niamh and Jimmy, then he wouldn't be doing his other job – saving people. If they died because he only looked after himself and Sam, then he would never be able to live with the guilt. So now he just had to find a way of salting the entire house without alerting the suspicions of the owners. He was thinking of a possible way when Sam came up and sat next to him. Dean flicked his brother a glance, their eyes meeting for a moment. Sam looked awful. His eyes were half-closed with sleep, and he was still coughing a little from his sickness. There were dark circles under his eyes and his bangs left half his face in shadows.

"I'm tired."

"Go to sleep then."

"What are you gonna do?"

Dean shot another quick look out the window. The streetlights lit the street and houses, but there was no sign of the police car. No indication of anyone watching them, and Dean only had the slightest sensation of danger. He'd felt it since he'd arrived at Jimmy's house, so he dismissed it and stood up. He ruffled Sam's hair and the kid poked his tongue out. Dean smiled.

"I'll just be a minute. Go to sleep, you look like you're about to fall over."

Sam just nodded and headed for the couch. Dean watched him go, then walked to the kitchen to find the salt. He wasn't going to go to sleep until the entire house was secure.

He knew Niamh and Jimmy had already gone upstairs so he was safe to rummage around the kitchen for the salt. When he found some, he was disappointed. There was hardly any, certainly not enough to take care of all the windows and doors. He sighed. He'd have to make do.

He checked on Sam before going to salt the front door. The kid was already asleep, breathing softly and curled up tightly on his side with Dino clutched tightly to his chest. Certain that Sam was alright, he walked to the front door and laid a thin line of salt along the bottom. It was barely noticeable, just as Dean hoped it would be.

One down, Dean thought grimly to how many windows and doors there were still to cover. He couldn't forget upstairs. He turned to head to the window by the couch, where he'd been sitting for most of the day. As he did, the small sound of shattering glass echoed. Dean froze, gripping the salt tightly in his hand. His training and instincts kicked in a second later and he raced for Sam, only one thought ripping through him.

Protect Sam.

He slid to a stop beside his brother, dropping to his knees and whipping out his pistol. He twisted, putting his back to the sleeping Sam and aiming the gun around at his surroundings. Nothing appeared, but a faint muffled shout drifted from upstairs.

Can't do anything now, have to protect Sam.

It tore at him to leave Niamh and Jimmy defenceless and alone, after they had done all they could to make sure he did not end up like that. They'd taken him in and protected him, and now he was leaving them to whatever monster lay in wait upstairs. Dean swallowed. He'd deal with his guilt later. Right now he just had to do his most important job and look after his brother.

Silence fell, except for Dean's tense breathing and Sam's soft, even breaths. And then, breaking the fragile quiet darkness, was the slow footsteps of someone descending the stairs. Dean's fingers tightened around the pistol as a shadowy figure appeared on the stairs. When they reached the bottom they turned to face Dean, moonlight from the window splashing over their face.

The blonde 'cop' walked over, a smug smile on her face. Dean snarled lowly as he saw the blood on her hands.

"What did you do to them?"

The woman shrugged, "You of all people should be able to figure that out, Dean."

As the woman's eyes flashed black, Dean knew he was so freaking screwed. Niamh and Jimmy were dead, and so were he and Sam if he didn't do something. But what could he do? The bullets would do nothing to the demon, and he'd dropped the salt on the floor. If he moved to pick it up, the demon would attack. Dean backed up as far as he could, shielding Sam with his body.

Scuffing boots sounded from the doorway, and Dean shot a glance at the demon's partner standing there. He was surrounded with no way of stopping the demons if they chose to come closer. Which they did. The blonde took a few steps forward, closing the gap between her and Dean. He fired a shot into her chest, knowing it would do little good. It was the only thing he could do. The blonde barely hesitated as blood seeped into her shirt. She grabbed Dean by the neck and tossed him aside like a ragdoll, the teenager slamming into a far wall. He scrambled to get up, get back to Sammy.

But the demon was already there, kneeling by the sleeping figure. She ran a gentle hand through the boy's hair, which had Dean hissing in fury. No one touched his Sammy. Especially not some blonde demon bitch. Strong arms held him back from ripping the woman's head off with his bare hands, and Dean struggled in the second demon's grip.

He swore viciously, "Don't fucking touch him, bitch. Don't you dare touch him."

The blonde turned her head, smiling for a moment. She brushed Sam's cheek, leaving smeared bloodstains across his face. Then she grabbed him, hauling the boy over her shoulder in one fluid movement. Finally, Sam woke up.

Dean was proud of the way his brother fought, kicking and slamming fists into the demon's back. Even though he had no chance, he wasn't trained for this, he was doing everything he could.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled.

"Dean!"

He saw Sam's face briefly from over the demon's shoulder. He was terrified. Dean called out to him once more. But that was all he managed to get out before everything suddenly swirled together, in and out, pain erupting in the back of his head. The world went black around him.

/\/\

"How long til we reach..."

"I already told you, John. Tomorrow."

John sighed. He couldn't help but ask when he knew that his boys were so close. He looked out of the window, watching the dark road fly past him, trees making fast, flitting shadows from the moonlight. His silence lasted only a few minutes before he couldn't resist speaking again.

"I have a really bad feeling about this."

Bobby nodded, keeping his eyes on the road, "Me too. There's something going on in Angel."

"Can't you go any faster?"

This time Bobby scowled at him, "I want to find them to, John. Don't start getting all whiny."

John wisely shut up. In the silence, he began thinking about his kids again. He wondered if they were doing okay. The foreboding feeling that tightened his chest, made his heart feel like it was going to jump out of his chest at any second, made his entire body tingle with dread, was telling him the opposite. That his boys were in serious danger.

But there was nothing he could do now. Only wait and see.

/\/\

Wake up Jimmy.