A/N: Yet again, I need to thank LovinJackson and Deb for pushing me, kicking my ass and generally telling me if each part sucks or not. And I'd like to thank everyone who is reading this for their lovely reviews and for simply reading in the first place. It's really nice to know I've created a world that you enjoy as much as me.

We're on the homeward stretch at last, so enjoy!!

xxxXXXxxx

"Bad man… Bad man 'tay away."

Dean clawed his way back to consciousness, his tired, battered body balking at the idea of waking up and returning to a world that hurt so much. For a moment, he slipped back under again, his eyes sliding shut without really opening fully, his body sagging back deeper into the mattress and the blissful peace of sleep again.

"Don't hurt my Mommy!"

That had Dean's eyes snapping open. He sat up without thinking, just instantly launching upright, before his body had time to alert his mind to the pain that would cause. With a sharp hiss of air, Dean toppled over to the side, clutching at the wound in his shoulder, his head pounding like a steel drum as well. " Okay…that was stupid. Real stupid."

Soft sobbing was coming from behind him as Dean forced himself to roll over, seeing Connor's tearful little face looking at him a moment later.

" You okay, little dude?"

Connor shook his head and wriggled closer to Dean. "Bad Man get me. Gonna eat me." A wet snuffling breath shuddered through the little boy.

Dean slowly pushed himself upright again, then stood up. His leg protested the move, Dean feeling the stitches pull, but holding. He opened his arms and nodded at Connor, giving the him a quiet smile. "Hey, come on. How about we let Mommy sleep, huh?"

Connor scrambled across the bed and climbed into Dean's arms, resting his head on Dean's good shoulder as he was lifted up. A contented little sigh slipped from Connor as he slipped his arms around Dean's neck and closed his eyes.

Dean rubbed his back and slowly limped across the room, humming Nothing Else Matters to push away the pain from his mind and lull Connor back to sleep. The song had a deeper meaning for Dean now, because he had sought and found trust in Skye. Something that meant a lot to him. Apparently enough for him to give his life.

But as he paced the room slowly, watching Skye sleep while he held Connor in his arms, Dean had no regret about making the deal, save what he was leaving behind. It was killing him to think he had gotten Skye back, that Connor had called him Daddy before…and that in one year, he would lose it all again.

But he would still do it again. Sell his soul for Skye. So that Connor would never have to grow up without his mother like Dean did. No one deserved to know to that pain. Ever.

And Connor would be alright. Dad and Sam would look out for him and Skye. Dean was sure of that and it gave him a small measure of assurance. They would step up in his absence.

"Dean? Is everything alright?" Skye sat up slightly, her voice soft and confused with sleep.

" It's fine, babe. Connor had a nightmare…I've got him. You go back to sleep." Dean assured her quietly, smiling as she laid down again, looking so relaxed. He paced the room for a few more verses of Metallica, before Dean was completely confident that Connor was fully asleep again.

Dean carefully laid Connor down beside Skye again, pulling the covers up and tucking them both in before he gave Skye a kiss on the temple. He needed to check on Sam before he could allow himself to rest again.

Slipping out of the room, careful not to wake Skye or Connor, Dean closed the door behind him and turned slowly to see if anyone else was awake. Dad was still lying on the bed and from the way he seemed tucked into himself, Dean could see the man was still in pain. Missouri was lying asleep on one of the mattresses, lightly snoring.

Dean choked back a snigger at the sound. He knew she would never admit to snoring and for the briefest moment, he wished he had his cellphone so he could take a short video of it to show Sam.

Elise was on the other spare bed and judging from the horrible wet rattling coming from the bathroom, Bobby was in there snoring himself. It was like listening to a pig gargle underwater, a sound that Dean could actually remember from his childhood when "Uncle" Bobby's had been a place to stay and not off the list due to shotgun threats.

No one quite had a knack of pissing people off better than John Winchester.

It wasn't as easy as usual for Dean to tip toe quietly across the room to check on his father. His leg was stiff and sore, even though it was healing. But as Dean watched the rise and fall of his father's chest, he couldn't help think of a time when there hadn't been any movement there, no heartbeat underneath either. Dean shuddered involuntarily and put the back of his hand against his father's forehead. There was a more warmth there than Dean was happy with, but a quiet check of John's pulse reassured Dean. It was strong and regular.

"Dean? That you, dude?" John's voice was dry and raspy as he spoke.

"Shhh, yeah, Dad. It's me. You're gonna wake everyone if you don't tone it down."

John rolled slightly and looked at up with glassy eyes at his son. "You okay? You look beat to hell."

"Well, I can see you're okay.." Dean quipped quietly, rolling his eyes and smiling. "I'm fine, Dad. Get some more rest. Okay?"

John's eyes closed again without argument and Dean breathed a sigh of relief. He gave his father a brief pat on the chest, then turned and headed for the bathroom.

xxxxXXXxxxx

Sam looked more flushed than the last time Dean had looked in on his brother. He was still sprawled in the bath, his head slowly turning from side to side as he groaned through gritted teeth, his jaw clenched so tight the muscles in his neck were standing out.

"Sammy?" Dean rushed forward, placing a hand to his brother's forehead and feeling it scorching hot. " Dammit!" He kicked out at the chair Bobby was sat in.

The older hunter was slouched, his head tipped back in sleep, snoring loudly…until Dean's foot slammed into the leg of the chair, startling Bobby as the chair threatened to tip. He was forced the throw his arms out, pin wheeling madly before he regained his balance and threw Dean a sour look. " What the hell crawled up your ass, boy?"

" You fell asleep!" Dean barked, no longer caring if he woke up the others. "Dammit, Bobby, you fell asleep and Sam's been heating up again!" The water surrounding his brother wasn't anywhere in the ballpark of being cold now. Dean leaned in and yanked out the plug, then slammed on the cold water, dousing himself and Sam in the cold spray from the shower.

Sam jerked awake with a shocked gasp, his arms flailing out to connect with Dean's already swollen eye.

The blow knocked Dean on his ass, everything framed in red for a moment as the pain washed out from the wound in tsunami waves. "Son of a bitch!"

Bobby was on his feet by now, helping to hold Sam down as the younger man began to shake and convulse. Pulling Sam against him to stop his head from cracking into the wall or the side of the tub, Bobby felt like he was trying to hold a damn earthquake. Sam was a lot stronger than he looked at the moment and it wasn't until Dean climbed back up and helped secure him, that they were able to hold Sam until the fit passed.

Dean took over from Bobby as Sam went limp in their arms. He kept Sam under the shower spray, ignoring the fact that he was getting soaked himself. " Easy, Sammy. I'm right here, dude. You're gonna be okay."

"Dean…"

His green eyes blazing with anger, Dean glared at Bobby. "How could you fall asleep, Bobby? You were supposed to be watching him!"

"I was watching him! Dammit, Dean, do have any idea how long I've been awake? I took a crack to the head from Gordon back in Valentine. You're damn lucky I got here at all, never mind dragging you and your Daddy's asses out of that house! So you watch who your throwing that temper at, boy!"

Bobby had seemed like a miracle, appearing at the house and helping Dean from the rubble, bringing them all home. Dean held the older hunter's furious gaze for a moment before he backed down. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Bobby shrugged it off, knowing that Dean meant nothing by his temper. It was fear and concern for Sam that was driving Dean to lash out. Bobby had known these boys for years, he knew how they ticked, how they would react to a situation. A storm like this? You simply had to let them ride it out and not take it personally. " You alright with him? I'm gonna have to take a look in town for more ice."

"Yeah, we're okay here."

Bobby headed for the door, already thinking of where in town he would find enough ice for that bathtub.

"Bobby?"

"Yeah?" He paused at the doorway.

"Watch your back. We don't know what's still out there."

Bobby nodded, knowing all too well how risky it was going to be, going out alone. But what choice did he have? That fever had to break…and soon.

xxxxXXXXxxxxx

Dean made sure Sam was as comfortable as he could be under the circumstances, keeping him under the cold water and ignoring the pain it brought him. He had to shake the water out of his eyes, feeling like a drowned rat, his hands still locked onto Sam's wet shirt. The heat radiating out from his brother had Dean scared. Really scared.

"Come on, Sammy. You can't do this to me. I can't lose you. Not like this…"

"But I can lose you?" Sam's voice was soft, almost lost in the sound of the shower.

"What?" Dean sat back a little, surprised. He couldn't have heard that right….

Sam's eyes opened as he shook his head like a huge wet dog, spraying droplets everywhere. His eyes were glassy and feverish as they looked at Dean, but the pain within them was unmistaken. "You sold your soul, Dean. You're going to die in a year."

Dean closed his eyes for a moment, cursing under his breath before he looked at Sam again. "I gotta do this now? Come on, Sam! This fever's got your brain cooking in it's own juices. I'm not having this conversation with you again."

"Yes you are!" Sam's hand locked weakly onto Dean's arm. He was flushed with heat, his whole body looking like it was ready to melt into the bath beneath him. But there was something in Sam's eyes that gave Dean pause and made him listen. "I know you saw her."

"Who?"

"Mom! You saw her, Dean."

"Dude, stay the fuck out of my head with that freaky psychic shit of yours." Dean pulled away from Sam's hand, his heart pounding. " I don't know what I saw."

"Yes you do, Dean. It was Mom. She was watching out for you."

Dean shook his head, unable to believe he was talking about this with his delirious brother. "That's crap, Sam. Mom's gone. We watched her burn up in Lawrence, dude! She sacrificed herself to save you. Don't you remember?"

"That was just her spirit, Dean. Who knows what really happened? Maybe she crossed over?"

"Crossed over? What, now you're Jennifer Love Hewitt all of a sudden? Helping ghosts into the fucking light? That's bullshit, Sam! Mom's gone." Dean was starting to wonder just what the fever was doing to Sam. He could see the toll this conversation was taking on his brother. How hard it was for Sam to be lucid, but the kid was determined to do this now. Looking around the floor, Dean found an empty glass and used the shower water to fill it before he gently pressed it to Sam's lips. "Here, easy…not too fast."

Sam took several small sips, before he coughed and pushed the glass away again. "What if she's not, Dean? What if she's an angel now? What if she's still looking out for us?"

Dean paused, considering that, his heart racing at the thought. Remembering the words his mom had always told him when she tucked him in at night. Dean wanted to believe that. He really did.

"No, Sam. There's no one looking out for us, but ourselves. You, me, Dad…we're all we've got. We keep each other safe. That's how it works, how it's always worked."

" I can't believe that." Sam argued, sagging even deeper into the bath again. Drawing in his legs and curling up under the spray on his side as much as the bath would allow.

"And why the hell not?"

"Because I need to believe….." Sam's eyes were closing again, his voice faltering and falling away.

"Believe what?"

"That there's a way to save you…" His voice broke, Sam forcing his eyes open to look at Dean with such pain, that for a moment, it felt like all the air had been sucked from the room.

Dean sat down heavily on the floor, grimacing at the pain that shot through his leg. He was so tired again, just so worn out by all this. "Sammy…"

"I know why you did it. I know." Sam's voice was shaking, the fever getting more of a grip on him again. "You couldn't lose Skye. I get that. I do. But I can't lose you either, Dean. I won't. They can't have you…they just can't."

"It'll be okay, Sam. We'll work this out." Dean told him, feeling sick to the stomach now. He didn't know if there was a way out of it? The demon had said that Skye would die, that she would suffer if he tried to welch his way out of the deal. Dean couldn't risk that, but he didn't want to die either.

Pressing his forehead against the cold porcelain of the bath tub, he closed his eyes, a tear slipping out and sliding down his nose. The deal had been pure gut reaction to the loss of Skye…and now?

Now Dean was looking down the barrel of a gun again…waiting for that trigger to be pulled.

xxxxXXXXxxxx

Medicine Bow was deathly quiet and every so often, Bobby was sure he caught the faint scent of death on the night air as he rolled through the town in Missouri's car. He had no doubts that while most of the town had fled, not everyone had been lucky enough to get out alive.

In the back of his mind, he thought about trying to find the bodies, giving them a burial. The hunter within him wanted to put the souls to rest before they had more damn spirits to contend with. The sooner he could get the hell out of this town and never look back? The better.

Of course, Bobby still had to take Jo's body back to Ellen. He had take Missouri out of here, get her to safety…had to make sure John and his boys were alright too.

There was so much on his shoulders right now, weighing him down. Bobby has spent years alone, forsaking family after Elizabeth's death…only to end up letting the Winchester's in his front door and into his damn life. Letting himself become "Uncle Bobby" to those boys…boys that had become kin to him.

The Winchesters were his family. It was that simple for Bobby. Blood wasn't a factor. Never had been for the older man. He'd seen the way blood treated blood. Had done some inquiries into Skye's family after he found out about her connection to the boys.

Because Bobby wanted to know about the woman who could capture Dean's heart so deeply, that the boy would refuse to let go, would even leave his beloved Impala with her. It had started out with Bobby being concerned that there was something more to it. Maybe some sort of hex?

It seemed downright stupid now, to think that way about Skye and little Connor, but Bobby always liked to err of the side of caution. He'd lost a close friend in John, a brother really. He hadn't wanted to lose Dean too.

But Skye's family had surprised him. They were a normal, loving family…who had turned their back on their daughter for making a mistake in who she married.

It only reinforced what Bobby believed. Blood didn't mean anything.

Continuing through town, there was a small gas station near the highway turnoff. Bobby knew there would be an ice machine there. He just hoped there was still power to it.

xxxxXXXXxxxx

Skye couldn't breathe. The hands were locked around her throat, choking off any air, the room beginning to darken as she looked into Gordon's cold face, his eyes shifting from brown…to yellow.

A chill ran down Skye's back as she awoke, goose bumps appearing on her arms, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Fear completely paralyzed her, her heart racing so fast in her chest that Skye thought it would explode. Was it just a dream? God, it had felt so real. She could still feel the hands around her throat, crushing it, choking off any chance of breathing.

"Mommy okay?"

Skye blinked and realised that Connor was lying next to her, his wide blue eyes watching her every move. "Hey, baby, what are you doing awake?"

Connor frowned. "Woke me up, Mommy. Bad man hurt you?"

Skye could see the threat of tears in Connor's eyes and it broke the paralysis she was feeling. She reached out and brushed Connor's fringe out of his eyes, smiling. "No, baby, I'm okay. The bad man's all gone now. Okay? He can't hurt us anymore."

"Pomise?"

"I promise. Everything's going to be okay." Skye assured him, keeping her voice light but firm. "You go back to sleep now. I'll be right here."

Connor closed his eyes again, relaxing as Skye gently laid a hand on his head, her thumb idly caressing his hair to soothe him. Within minutes, Skye knew he was asleep again. She quietly slipped out of the bed and walked over to the single window, resting her head against it and staring down at the ground outside. So much had happened. Things were so scary now, so very different than Skye could ever have imagined.

An army of demons had been unleashed on the world, adding to the number that had already been taking over coma patients, the ones that had slaughtered people everywhere in the lead up to what Azazel had wanted. Skye thought about opening the Devil's Gate, how the ground had shook. How she had been the one to unleash Hell itself.

Her legs turned to rubber, dumping Skye to her knees suddenly. She rolled forward, placing her hands on the floor before her as she fought the urge to throw up. In her mind's eye, she could see Ava as she beat the girl's head in, the way the blood had sprayed. The crack of bone was clear in her mind and again, Skye's stomach rolled.

Images were assaulting her in a blur. The Demon taunting her, Ava smiling as she spoke about Connor being dead, Skye being a prisoner in her own body as Andy forced her to open the Gate. Dean's arms around her again before there was that single shot…and then nothing.

No Heaven, no Hell, no bright light or voices singing to her to follow them…there had just been nothing. Skye had no memory at all of dying and it wasn't the great comfort to her it should have been. Because it felt like Dean was dying for nothing, had sold his soul for nothing. He was so full of life, so vibrant, a bright flame that had drawn Skye to him so quickly she had wanted nothing more than to burn within it's heat.

And now she was the reason that flame was going to be burn out. It was so unfair that Skye wanted to scream, wanted to hit something, wanted to make it all just go away.

Reaching up, she dug her fingertips into the window sill, feeling the salt line digging in under her nails as she pulled herself up on shaky legs and took a long, shuddering breath to try and calm herself again. Looking towards her son, Skye knew why Dean had made the deal. It strengthened her resolve to save Dean. He was needed. Not only by his own family…but by hers.

xxxxXXXxxxx

Dean shifted around to make himself more comfortable on the floor beside the bath. His left arm was over the edge of the tub, his hand gripping Sam's and letting his brother know he was there. Sam had fallen into an uneasy sleep, mumbling names of people and places. Some of them Dean knew, recalling all too well the hunts that were involved…others were unfamiliar. He wondered if Sam was dreaming of when they had been separated, when he thought Dean was dead?

How the hell would Sam cope when the deal came due? Dean didn't want to dwell on the idea. He had a year to fix things or make sure everyone would be alright when he went to the pit. It wasn't ideal…but it was practical. It was how Dean had to think now.

" I brought as much ice as I could fit in the trunk. " Bobby suddenly materialised in the doorway with a bag in each hand, dropping them at Dean's feet. "Get that shower turned off and fill the bath again."

Dean let go of Sam's hand and got to his feet with a groan, turning to lift Sam up more and make sure he wouldn't slip under the water as he shut off the shower. The plug was put into place, Dean turning the faucet on to fill the tub with cold water before be began to dump the two bags in.

Sam jumped slightly at the loud rattle of the ice hitting the porcelain. He tried to pull away from the cold, his eyes flickering open as Sam tried to climb out of the bath. "Hurts…"

"Whoa, whoa, no dude!" Dean rushed to Sam's side and forced him back into the water with a struggle. "Sam, you have to stay in there."

"No, it hurts. It hurts, Dean. Please…" Sam pleaded with his brother, making Dean's heart ache at the way he sounded like a little kid again, like the Sammy that Dean had looked after since the fire.

"I know, I know, Sam. But you have to. Okay? You have to break that fever, dude." Dean held Sam in place, fear building within him at the way Sam's strength seemed to be giving out. He wasn't fighting as hard…and then not at all, just lying in the tub looking exhausted.

Dean retrieved the glass he had used earlier and refilled it, then offered it to Sam again, gently cradling the back of his brother's head before he put the glass to his lips. "Come on, Sam, got to keep your fluids up."

Sam tried to refuse at first until the liquid actually hit his tongue, then he greedily gulped at the water until he choked. Dean almost dropped the glass as he hurried to put it down, clapping Sam gently on the back. "Dammit, Sam."

Bobby brought two more bags of ice into the bathroom and added them to the tub. He placed a hand on Dean's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "How is he?"

" I don't know.." Dean admitted honestly. "I've never seen him like this, Bobby. This bad…"

" I know, son. But your brother's tough. That crap Gordon gave him would have killed anyone else. It dries out the body, makes it impossible to sweat, to cry…until you overheat and the body shuts down. Nasty way to go. But Sam's doing okay as long as we keep him in this bath. He's got that same stubborn streak you and your Daddy have. Winchester through and through."

"Yeah." It came out more of a snort than a word, but Bobby could hear the fear hidden underneath.

"I kissed her…" It was a quiet admission from within the tub, breaking the tension in the air.

Bobby and Dean shared a puzzled look as Sam spoke, his eyes slowly sliding open. Dean leaned in closer, a smile starting to appear. "Who? The clown or the midget this time?"

Sam shook his head, the movement uncoordinated, almost drunken as his head lolled back a moment later. He fixed his brother with feverish eyes. "No, Dean…her. I kissed Elise."

"You kissed her? Sammy, you sly dog, you've been making moves while I was gone?"

Bobby rolled his eyes at Dean. "I'm going to get some sleep before the sun rises. You need anything, you call me. You got it?"

"Sure thing, Bobby." Dean waved the older hunter away, his attention not shifting from Sam for a moment. As soon as they were alone, Dean reached out to check Sam's temperature by placing the back of his hand to Sam's forehead. The heat seemed to be easing again and Dean found himself taking a deep calming breath.

"I shouldn't have kissed her."

"What the hell are you talking about, Sam? Dude, of course you should kiss her. I'm starting to think I didn't teach you enough about girls…"

"She deserves better than me."

Was Sam actually pouting now? Dean couldn't believe his brother sometimes and he sure as hell hoped that this was just the fever talking, cause otherwise he would have to kick Sam's ass for being so stupid. "Come on, Sammy, you're not so bad, dude. I mean, your not me--…"

"I could have got her killed…" Sam shifted in the bath, turning away from Dean.

"Sam, I hate to break it to you, man, but you're the one that came off second best. Elise is gonna be fine. She's been watching over your giant, lanky ass." Dean nudged his brother. "You ask me? That girl already has a serious crush on you, little brother. So stop worrying and just concentrate on getting better, will you?"

" I don't want to screw it up, Dean…I need her. I need to have that feeling again. I've missed it, man."

Dean could hear the hitch in his brother's voice and he felt uncomfortable. Was Sam about to cry? How the hell could he combat that? It had to be the fever, right? Because Sam knew that Dean hated these freaking chick flick moments. " You won't, Sam. You don't screw these things up…"

"I screwed up things with Madison. With Sarah."

"No, you didn't Sammy." Dean's voice took on a more forceful edge now. "Sarah was a sweet girl, but we had a job to do. Sarah understood that. And don't even get me started on Madison. I should have never let you get involved with her. I wasn't thinking and you got hurt because of it. I screwed up there, Sammy, not you."

"But Dean…"

"No, Sam. I don't want to hear it, okay? You're not going to screw anything up with Elise…unless you let her go. You do that? And I will kick your ass." Dean warned his brother with a smirk. He dragged the chair over that Bobby had been using earlier as sat down. "Try and get some sleep. I'll keep watch, okay?"

"Okay..." Sam let his eyes close, relaxing a little more into the water before he spoke again, softly. "Thanks, Dean."

"Don't mention it." Dean patted Sam on the shoulder, then leaned back in the chair, trying to get comfortable.

He only meant to close his eyes for a moment, to try and ease the heavy, sand paper feeling in them. But once they slid closed, they stayed closed. Dean's head dropped to his chest and he sank into sleep.

xxxxXXXXxxxxx

Sam awoke to find himself shivering violently, his teeth chattering so hard, he thought they would shatter. The scorching heat that had been consuming his body was gone and in it's place, Sam was bitterly cold, his head was throbbing with a massive headache that reminded Sam of the agonising pain he had suffered when he had first started to have visions.

Sitting up, Sam turned towards the doorway, noting that the other room seemed to be infused with warm morning sunlight. He could hear the soft sound of various snores, one of them instantly recognisable as his father's, another as Bobby.

Reaching out, he grabbed Dean by the arm, shaking his brother to wake him up. "D-D-Dean, h-hey…"

Dean's head snapped up from his chest, jerking awake and looking around in panicked confusion for a moment until his gaze settled on Sam. "Dude, what're you trying to do? You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!"

It took Dean another moment before it sank in that Sam's lips were tipped with blue, his whole body pale and shivering now that the fever had broken. " Oh shit, hang on, Sam."

Standing up, Dean dragged Sam to his feet and leaned forward to hold his brother steady while Sam shakily climbed out of the bath, grasping Dean for support. The last thing he wanted to do was slip and fall. Icy cold water rained down from his clothes, drenching the floor around them.

Dean pulled a towel off of the railing behind him and threw it around Sam's shoulders. "We need to get you out of those clothes, dude."

"T-that's n-not so-so-something I w-want to -h-hear fr-fr-from you, Dean."

The laugh that barked out of Dean was thick with relief and emotion, even as Dean threw his barriers up a moment later. "Dude, you know I don't swing that way. Save it for Elise."

"W-what's th-that sup-p-p-posed to m-mean?"

Dean looked at Sam as if he'd lost his mind. "You know…Elise? About yay high, thinks the world of your sasquatch ass? The girl you kissed?"

"I've n-n-never ki-ki-kissed her, Dean…" Sam stated, pulling the towel around himself tighter.

Dean wondered of the fever had done something to Sam's mind? "Dude, you told me yourself."

"W-what? L-like I'd t-t-tell y-you th-th-that. Wh-what d-did we d-do? H-h-have a sl-sl-slu...humber party?"

"Well yeah, but I had to draw the line at braiding your hair, Samantha." Dean fired back sarcastically with a smirk.

"B-bite me, j-j-jerk."

"Shouldn't you be asking Elise that?"

Through chattering teeth, Sam gave his own exhausted snigger, the two brothers grinning at each other, everything else that needed to be said between them, transpiring with a look. They'd gone down a long dark tunnel and come out into the light at the other side, not unscathed, but still standing.

xxxxXXXxxxx

Three days later….

"Bobby, are you sure about this?" Dean looked down at the set of keys in his house, a mixture of house, gate and padlock keys that carried a Singer Auto Yard keychain on them. He was leaning against Missouri's car, watching as Bobby packed a few supplies of canned food and bottles of water in to the back seat of the small sedan, along with a couple of bags of salt and whatever remaining ammunition they had found in the town. The trunk was already filled with the body of Jo Harvelle, something that Bobby hated. It just seemed wrong and he knew he'd break Ellen with the news he had.

"I need to take Jo back to Ellen and I sure as hell can't take you all to Phill's place. Not if there are other hunters there. Gordon's not the only damn fool that has the wrong idea about your Dad and brother, Dean." Bobby warned him as he slung another six pack of mineral water into the backseat, then slammed the door shut.

"Yeah, I know. It just feels weird heading to your place without you."

"I told you. I'll be there as soon as I've taken care of things. You and your family need to lay low for a while until things have cooled down." Bobby squinted as he glanced at the position of the sun. The morning was starting to get away from them already. He turned towards the motel room and yelled, "Missouri, you coming or what?"

"Of course I'm coming! I ain't letting you drive my car!" Missouri scowled as she appeared in the doorway.

Dean and Bobby shared a grin, before the younger hunter pushed himself off the car and headed for the Impala. "You've got a ham radio at your place?"

"Yup, I'll be in touch through it, so no messing with my stuff, you hear?"

John appeared behind Missouri then, making his was towards the Impala with slow movements that showed he was healing, but far from himself yet. The holy water, communion host and salt mixture had scarred the demon side of John, burning him down his darkened soul. But it hadn't stopped him. It would be weird, being back at Bobby's again after so long, but John was looking forward to the rest. "Keep your hat on, Singer, we'll treat the place like it's our own."

"That's what damn well worries me." Bobby retorted. He caught the look John threw him, both hunters in a stand off for a moment, before the tension eased and they grinned at each other.

Skye had already strapped Connor into his chair, pressing a soft kiss to the top of the little boy's head before she closed the door and climbed into the front of the Impala. It was going to be a squeeze with John needing to fit his wings in too, but Skye wasn't going to complain too much about wedged in beside Dean. She wasn't going to complain at all.

The last few night had been filled with nightmares that awoke Skye in a cold sweat, her heart hammering in her chest. Dean was oblivious for the most part, although he was beginning to suspect from the dark circles under Skye's eyes that she wasn't coping as well as she had been saying she was. He didn't push though and Skye was grateful for that. She didn't want to tell him how many times she had watched Gordon pull that trigger and take out the back of Dean's head, his lifeless eyes staring at her. How many times she had clawed through the rubble of the house with bloodied, torn hands to find both Dean, Connor and John dead.

A tremble set through her hands at the memory of it, a chill running down her spine.

"Hey, you guys okay in here?" Dean appeared at the driver's side window, concern in his eyes as he looked at Skye.

Skye met his concern with a bright smile, feigning surprise at his question. "Of course we are."

" You sure?"

"Absolutely. I'm just looking forward to getting away from here, that's all." Skye kept the smile on display, inwardly begging Dean not to press the issue. She just needed time to adjust to everything.

"Okay then." Dean tapped the roof of the Impala lightly as he stood back up.

John opened the passenger door and climbed in next to Skye, muttering an apology as he took up a good portion of the front seat with his wings. The broken wing was taking longer to heal thanks to Gordon's poisoning. "This is ridiculous. I can't sit like this." John growled sullenly.

"It's only until Bobby's, Dad." Sam assured him as he slid into the back seat with Elise. He was still looking a pale, drawn and exhausted, the past three days filled with hallucinations of everything from leprechauns, to the Impala singing ACDC with a freaky Disney-like cartoon face, to having a three hour conversation with Jess about how he had left her to die in Palo Alto.

Hallucinations that had not only freaked Sam out, but everyone around him. Bobby had assured them that they would pass as his brain slowly recovered from the effects of the Datura plant, but it was small comfort for Elise who had overheard every word said to "Jess", the heartfelt pleas for forgiveness Sam had made.

It hadn't slipped past Skye, that Elise was so far out of anything resembling a comfort zone right now. In fact, the concept of a comfort zone was well and truly buried in light of everything they had been through recently. Skye had hardly had the experiences of Sam or Dean, but dealing with Jason's spirit had at least prepared her in some way for the life she'd been drawn into with the Winchester Boys. Elise hadn't had anything like that…and on top of it all, was the death of Jo at her hands.

Self defence or not, it was still hard to deal with. Elise had been suffering her own nightmares about what had happened, what she had done, what she seen. The night turning it a mental download of images and memories that scared the hell out of Elise and had driven her to venture outside in an effort to clear her mind.

It was there that Skye had found her, whilst walking off her own nightmares. The girls had been guarded with each other at first, Skye still wary of this stranger that she'd found with her son.

But funnily enough, it was the boys that gave Elise and Skye a common ground. Because Elise found herself wondering about Sam and Jess, about why he blamed himself for the girl's death. Skye hadn't had all the answers for that. She wasn't sure Sam would ever open up to her or even Dean about it fully, but she was able to answer enough of Elise's questions and by the time the sun had risen, they were on the fast track to becoming friends.

Dean had burst out of the motel room, panicking at the girls being missing, only to find they were safely sat in the Impala.

"Safety in numbers, Dad." Sam's voice broke through Elise's thoughts and she smiled as he reached down to slip his hand over hers.

John threw Sam a glare via the rearview window. He could see by the look in his son's tired eyes, that Sam was just worried about his father. The group had been split up too much over the past week and the last few days of being together had given Sam a sense of ease, knowing he had John and Dean with him. Knowing they were safe. "I'll try to keep that in mind when my ass has gone numb."

The comment grew a chuckle from Sam as he quietly shook his head. John would never change.

Dean looked across the Impala's roof as Bobby and Missouri prepared to leave. "Keep in contact, Bobby." He received a wave in response as he climbed into the small sedan, Missouri already starting it up to warm up the engine. Dean watched the car pull out of the parking lot and disappear up the road. He didn't like the idea of them going in separate directions, especially with Bobby and Missouri heading back to a Hunter safe house…but what other option did they have? Jo had to be returned her Ellen. It was only right and Dean hoped someone would have done the same for him.

Sliding into the driver's seat, Dean put the key in the ignition, grinning widely as his baby roared into life, then began purring. Skye was crushed up against him and Dean found himself smiling about that too. Who the hell wouldn't want a hot chick pressed in like a second skin?

Skye reached out as the Impala rolled out of the parking lot, turning on the stereo. Guns n Roses filled the car, Dean drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and singing along badly.

Sam shifted a little as Elise leaned into him, making sure they were both comfortable. Looking out ahead of him, Sam blinked, seeing a small green coated man, all of six inches tall with a walking cane, standing on the hood of the Impala. " Hey, Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Open her up a little, dude…" Sam suggested innocently.

Dean gave his brother a quiet what the hell? look, then shrugged, putting his foot down harder. It wasn't as if Dean needed an excuse to let his baby have her head. The Impala surged forward, eating up the road with ease.

A hint of a wicked smile twitched up the corner of Sam's mouth. Out on the hood, he watched the Leprechaun leaning into the wind more, trying to keep his balance.

"Dude, plant it." Sam leaned forward a little as he spoke, eyes fixed on the tiny figure outside.

Dean was seriously starting to wonder what the hell had gotten into his brother as he pushed the accelerator down further, the muscle car responding with a roar, lunging forward to hungrily devour the road. Sam watched the leprechaun struggle to stay upright, before it lost it's footing and slid along the hood until it hit the windshield. It hung there for a moment, it's tiny walking cane looped around a wiper blade as it shook a fist at Sam, then vanished off up the windshield and out of sight with a cursing scream that only Sam heard.

Sam leaned back again, a contented smile on his face before he closed his eyes. It was going to be a long trip to Bobby's.