Sorry about the cliffhanger...no wait, I'm not really lol! A BIG thank you to everyone who has been reading...and those who have been so kind as to review. It means the world to us and we are seriously geeking out with every review we get. :D Hope you will all enjoy this chapter!

Thursday 0223
I-65
Somewhere North of Athens, AL

Dean fought the urge to slam on the breaks. The highway was deserted, but at the speed he was travelling, well, he decided a more gradual easing off of the gas would be advisable. He stared in complete shock in the rearview mirror. No trick of the imagination, the Impala was no longer behind them.

"Deano, what's going on?" Casey asked, apparently having snapped out of her own trance. "Why are you slowing down?"

"Call Sam." He ordered, pulling onto an emergency vehicle only turnaround. "Call him right now. They're not behind us."

Casey yanked her burner phone out as Dean floored it and took them flying in the opposite direction. She dialed Sam's number, praying he'd pick up. Dean had a terrifying stillness to him. He looked more dangerous now, completely motionless and quiet, than he had when she'd seen him in action. Her heart pounded in relief when she heard Sam's voice.

"Sam, hey where are you?" She asked, watching Dean relax ever so slightly as he realized she was talking to Sam. "What? Hang on."

Dean reached out a hand and took the phone, "Sammy, what the…"

"Dean, we've got a demon problem." Sam interrupted.

"Where are you?"

"I don't know, there was a road block, an accident maybe. Dude, I followed you off the exit ramp!"

Dean didn't like this at all. "No you didn't. I never got off the highway." The sick feeling hit him that there was no way to know how long they had actually been separated. The demons had made Sam think he was following Dean, and Dean had been watching the Impala's headlights in his rearview mirror all along until they'd disappeared only moments ago. "What exit?"

"27." Sam said, "East on Lynnville Highway."

Crap! They were a good twenty miles apart. Dean said, "You back on I-65?"

"No. Can't."

Dean could hear the roar of the Impala in the background. "Where are you?"

"Red Nix road. We've got demons on our tail and they're setting up roadblocks, Dean. Don't have a choice on my route."

"Alright, alright. I'm on my way back to you. Keep her out of the ditches, you hear me? I don't need to have to deal with any dents…"
"No dents, got it."

Dean heard the tension in Sam's voice. Not good, not good. He heard Sam curse, then heard a thud that sounded suspiciously like the phone had just been dropped. Dean cringed at the sound of squealing tires, terrified he was going to hear an awful crash afterwards. Thankfully, there was no crash. Not yet.

"Sam?" No answer. Dean glanced at Casey. She looked worried and like she was running a fever. Had she been that sweaty the entire trip? He couldn't remember. He flew past a lumbering semi and shouted louder into the phone, "Sam!"

Sam heard Dean's shout, but he needed both hands on the wheel and Bennett was hanging on for dear life so Dean was just going to have to hold on a second. The phone bounced on the seat between them as he watched one of the pick-up trucks pull up close enough on his bumper that he expected an impact. Dean would kill him if he got the Impala smashed. Again. He shook his head and gritted his teeth, looking for an escape route. He didn't have many options given that he had trucks driven by demons nipping at his bumper. One on each side.

"Sam, I can…"

"No." He interrupted her sharply. "Absolutely not."

Bennett grimaced as they bounced over yet another pothole. "We are going to get killed if you don't let me do something."

Sam swerved as the truck on his right inched closer. No dents. All one of the trucks had to do was give the bumper a strong tap and dents would be the least of their worries. He said, "You aren't strong enough, Bennett. Just sit tight."

He'd barely finished speaking when both of the trucks abruptly turned away from the road, bumping into the empty fields. Even as he watched, both trucks flew into the air, overturning and rolling. Sam frowned, glancing immediately at Bennett. She looked at him in confusion and shook her head.

"It wasn't me."

Sam slowed the car a bit, uncomfortable with the development. Not that he wasn't glad the demons were off his tail, he couldn't help but be nervous as to why exactly they had suddenly taken a spin in a field. He started looking for a place to turn around, a way back to the highway. Eyes focused on the rearview mirror, his hand fumbled for the phone. He could hear Dean shouting his name.

"Dean, hey, stop yelling."

"What took you so long?"

"A bit busy with that demon problem, remember?"

"Yeah, how's it going? We're almost to the exit."

Sam found a wide enough spot to turn around and said, "They're gone. Not sure what happened, but I'm not sticking around to ask questions."

Dean asked, "You heading back to the interstate?"

"Working on it."

"Good. Don't hang up."

"Wasn't planning on it."

Thursday 0330
Motel
Lewisburg, TN

Dean felt like his eyeballs were burning. Overheated marbles in his head. They felt hot and sticky and scratchy. He needed sleep. Needed it bad. They'd found a halfway decent looking motel in Lewisburg, Tennessee. Trying to get as far away from the demons was one thing, but when they both started weaving onto the shoulder of the highway, Dean had called Sam and told him it was time to get off the road.

He slammed the trunk and shouldered his bag, turning to the motel room. He'd come back out for the last of their supplies and left Sam inside with the girls. Halfway to the door, he heard a scream from inside their room and his heart dropped to his stomach. Casey didn't scream. And with Sam in there, there should have been no reason for her to be screaming.

Dean ran through the door, gun in hand, eyes darting wildly around the room in his haste to find out what was killing Casey. His jaw dropped. Casey was standing on one of the beds, hand pointing across the room.

She screamed, "Kill it! Just kill it!"

Dean stared at her, his sluggish brain having a difficult time with the image of seasoned hunter, huntress, Casey Economou standing on a bed screaming. He let his eyes wander past her to where Sam stood in the doorway of the bathroom, an exhausted and confused expression on his face, toothbrush in his mouth, hands holding his gun as he searched for the threat. Bennett was hovering over in the general area where Casey was pointing. She was looking intently at something on the wall.

"What is going on?" Dean finally found his voice; exhaustion and fear making him sound downright angry.

"Just kill it!" Casey shouted. "For the love of Pete, kill it!"

Dean stared back across the room and walked over to where Bennett was standing, one hand braced on the table to hold her up. She smiled and pointed. His overheated, tired eyes widened and he spun around to face Casey. He said, "A spider? Seriously? You hunt monsters and you're scared of a spider?"

Casey looked furious but she stood her ground. On the bed. "Would you just kill the thing already?"

"Spiders aren't bad." Bennett looked up from her analysis of the spider. "They actually…"

"Don't care." Casey said, hands outstretched, "Please, will you just get rid of it!"

Dean stood there, completely dumbfounded and shook his head at Sam. Sam shrugged, lowered his gun, grabbed a piece of paper and scooped the spider up; toothbrush still in his mouth. Bennett nodded and smiled at him, then sank into a chair as he dutifully carried the spider outside.

"Feel better?" Dean asked, finding it difficult not to laugh.

Casey shook her head. "I can't sleep in here now."

"What?" Dean was incredulous. He watched her climb off the bed and grab her bag. "You have got to be joking…"

"I'm sleeping in my car." She said and walked straight out the door, brushing by Sam as he came back in.

"What's that about?" Sam asked, looking every bit as exhausted as Dean felt.

"She doesn't want to sleep in here now."

"Because of the spider?" Sam laughed, running a hand over his face. "She knows I just put that spider outside, right?"

Dean shrugged.

"Is she ok?"

"I don't know, Sam." Dean sighed. He just wanted to sleep. Really wanted to sleep. But he couldn't sleep knowing Casey was outside alone. So he dropped their gear and pulled a blanket off one of the beds. "Go ahead and hit the sack. I'll check on her."

Heading outside, Dean carried the blanket with him. He was exhausted and knew everyone else was too. But he needed to talk to Casey.

Casey was sitting on the trunk of her car, staring off across the parking lot. She still looked feverish and wasn't wearing her jacket. But he could see her trembling in the cold night air.

"Hey," Dean called out as he approached her. "I brought you a blanket. Figured it gets chilly at night and you might need it." He opened the door of the Mustang and set the blanket inside before joining her on the trunk. He could see that she was still shivering so he slid out of his jacket and put it over her shoulders before sitting down next to her.

"Thanks," Casey said with a smile and she pulled the jacket tighter around her.

"Casey?" Dean said tentatively.

"Hmm?" she replied.

She seemed distracted, lost in her own thoughts but there was something that was bothering Dean so he asked "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?" Casey turned her attention to him.

"I couldn't help but notice at the hospital..." Dean started.

"That I had some freaky mojo going on? I noticed that too."

"No, actually," Dean hesitated before continuing. "Not that. After, when I was holding you for that few minutes before you really woke up."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"When you woke up you were really panicked. And not the kind of panic that would be brought on by crazy superpowers. Come to think of it, when we first met I grabbed your arm and you looked like a scared little girl." He could see the fear in her eyes again and said softly, "I guess I was curious as to what that was all about."

"Oh, that. Well... it's really personal." Casey tried to avoid answering.

"Casey, you can tell me."

Casey didn't know why she felt like she could trust her darkest secrets with Dean, but she did. "Remember how I told you I stole this bad boy from my ex-boyfriend?" Casey asked as she patted the car.

"Yeah," Dean answered. "You said he was a pretty mean guy."

"He was. Still is I suppose, I haven't seen or talked to him since." She said almost sadly. "I wasn't always like this. I wasn't always...afraid of being touched by a man."

Dean watched as she swallowed hard and tried to continue.

"I was a hunter, so it wasn't like I didn't know how to deal with bumps and bruises. But I was also just a teenager and I didn't really know any better." Casey paused, squeezing her hands together and looking away. You should have listened to Crowley...

"What happened Casey?" Dean prodded.

"I was a love struck idiot, that's what happened," she replied dryly. "I was 18 at the time and I had a thing for bad boys."

"Had?" Dean interrupted with a twinkle in his eye.

"Don't flatter yourself. And if you keep interrupting I am not gonna finish." Casey said rolling her eyes.

"Sorry."

"Anyway, Jake was about as bad as they come. I should have known better, I mean my uncle even tried to warn me but.."

"Uncle?" Dean asked, wondering why she hadn't said mom or dad.

Casey shot him a look and he shut up. "Jake liked cars so I learned to like cars too. He taught me all about them. Until one day I corrected him when he was working on an old pick-up and the back of his hand connected with my face."

She felt Dean tense beside her. Hitting women did not sit well with him. Ever. Casey

continued, "He apologized immediately. And I'd taken worse hits from hunting so I shrugged it off. He promised it would never happen again. Until it did." She hated thinking about what happened to her and she felt the familiar sting of tears in her eyes. She looked up, willing them not to fall.

"The second time was because I put too much mayo on his sandwich. And after that, he didn't really need a reason." She paused again to wipe that first tear that fell. Dr. Casey Economou did not cry. Not anymore and especially not in front of men. But she couldn't stop the silent tears that now streamed down her cheeks.

"The last time I saw him I had gotten to the shop later than he wanted…" She took a deep breath to steady herself before continuing. "I figured I'd get something for that but I wasn't expecting the… the wrench. He hit me with it out of nowhere and I fell. He climbed on top of me, pinning me to the floor and I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He was going to hit me again… I was so scared, Dean," she took another deep breath.

Dean reached over and took her hand in a gesture of support. Casey squeezed it and held onto the lifeline he had thrown her.

"I managed to move just enough to avoid the hit and when he tried to adjust I kept moving until I got free. After that I fought back. When I was done with him I took off in his car and I never looked back," Casey finally finished, the tears still falling. "That's why I panicked. I was in pain and I couldn't move. It felt like I was reliving it."

Dean cupped her face with his hand and brushed away a stray tear with his thumb. "I'll never hurt you like that Echo, I promise," he said softly.

"I know," she stated. "I don't know how I know, but I do." And with that he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers.

It was the most magical thing Casey had ever experienced, well except for actual magic. Her lips responded to Dean's as if every kiss she had had before was leading up to this one. And then, all too soon, it was over. Dean pulled away, breaking the kiss, and stared into Casey's warm brown eyes. He didn't say anything, just smiled at her.

"It's pretty late, we should probably get some sleep." Casey said with a smile, suddenly feeling like a silly school-girl again.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Dean opened the door of the Mustang. "You know, if you don't want to sleep in here, there's always room with me," he said with a smirk as Casey moved to get inside her car.

"Not a chance, Winchester."

"I didn't think so," Dean brushed his hand against Casey's cheek one last time and placed a soft kiss to her lips and then to her forehead. "Night, Echo," he said.

"Goodnight Dean."

Thursday 0825
Motel
Lewisburg, TN

Dean felt pretty good. It was amazing what four and a half hours sleep could do for someone. He smelled the complementary coffee that Sam had brewed and knew he'd feel completely human after some coffee and breakfast. He pulled on his shirts, and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Did you use all the hot water?"

Dean glanced over at Bennett. Sitting up on the bed, she was smiling at him through a mop of completely unruly hair, tugging at her bloodstained t-shirt. He shook his head, "No, I didn't. Sam did."

"Casey is gonna love that." Bennett said, then rolled off the bed, getting to her feet and only looking a little unsteady. She pulled her bag off the floor and headed for the bathroom.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Dean asked as she passed him. "I'm gonna go grab something."

"Hamburger."

"What?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, I'm hungry."

Dean tilted his head in amusement, "Ok."

"I really don't care. Just bring lots of whatever it is. I'm starving. And a coke. A big one. Or two." Bennett rubbed her eyes, leaning against the wall and looking up at him, "I'm really starving."

"It's because you haven't been eating much, and you lost a ton of blood." Dean said, grabbing his duffle bag and sifting around. He finally found a granola bar and tossed it over to her. "Nibble on that till I get back."

"Thanks." She pulled the wrapper off and ate half of the bar before she even made it into the bathroom.

Casey awoke with a sore neck and back. It had been a while since she had had to sleep in her car. Memories of a hospital and her hands wrapped around the neck of a monster had her panicking for a split second, but she was soon assaulted with the familiar, comforting scent that could only belong to Dean Winchester. She smiled to herself, pulling his jacket closer around her shoulders and relaxing into it for a moment. Panic abated, she sat up and stretched. From her spot in the car she saw Sam walking towards her with a cup of coffee.

Bless that man, she thought to herself. She hated mornings and hated them even more when her night was spent in her car.

"Hey Sam," she said, climbing out of the car.

"Morning," Sam replied, with a smile. "I figured you would want coffee after spending the night in that thing," he said handing her the cup.

"Thanks. And don't call him a 'thing' it hurts his feelings," She waved a finger at him, sipping her coffee, grateful for the warmth. And the caffeine. Casey asked, "How's Bennett?"

"Better, I think. Slept like a log."

"What's the story with her, anyway? I mean, I guess I know some of it, but I feel like I haven't really heard the whole thing." Casey said, leaning against the car. Some of it she knew, a lot of it she suspected.

Sam took a drink, then said, "She came back from hell."

"Excuse me?" Casey nearly spit out her coffee. Even though she and Crowley had discussed that being a possibility, to hear him say it so casually threw her.

"Yeah, it's been known to happen actually." Sam smiled ruefully. "We don't know how she got back. An angel has pulled other people out, but we don't know if that's what happened to her or not. We think she was brought back because she's supposed to be that plague maiden you mentioned."

Casey nodded and listened intently as Sam went on and explained how they'd come in contact with Bennett. She felt anger burn in her gut when he told her what Jody had told him the night before about Bennett's family history. She asked softly, "Did you tell her?"

"Not yet." Sam admitted. "I was going to, but then we were attacked by the demons last night and it kind of wasn't so important anymore."

She nodded, wondering once again if Crowley could have anything to do with the mysteriously disappearing demons. It wasn't past his abilities, of course, but if he was in the neighborhood, why wasn't he bugging her? Something felt off about the situation, and Casey, oddly enough, felt concerned by the lack of contact with her so-called uncle. For a moment, they just stood there, silently enjoying their coffee.

Casey looked over Sam's shoulder and smiled when she saw Dean coming towards them. When Dean reached the two standing by the Mustang he leaned down and gave Casey a quick peck on the lips. She blushed, not having expected that. Especially not in front of Sam.

Sam just chuckled and said, "Well, it's about time!"

"Shut up," Dean replied with a smile. He kept an arm around Casey's waist, and for the first time in her life, Casey felt totally secure. Dean asked, "What's everyone want for breakfast? So far I have an order for a hamburger and a very large soda."

"A hamburger?" Sam laughed. "Dean, can't you eat something normal for breakfast?"

Dean grinned. "It's not for me." Sam raised his eyebrows as Dean nodded. "And she wants it now. She's starving. So you two better pick quick or we're going to have an unhappy customer on our hands."

"You're going to find her a hamburger at this hour?" Sam asked.

"I'll grill her one myself if I have to." Dean proclaimed. "I aim to please."

"Yeah? Why don't you ever do what I want?"

"What are you talking about? I do what you want all the time."

"You didn't buy the coffee I asked for last week."

Dean held up a hand. "Five words, bro. Cake that was not pie."

Sam rolled his eyes. Dean was never going to let him live that down. He'd been a fool to have bought cake. Never made the mistake again. Sam said, "I'm going to choose not to mention that time you sent me in for pie…."

"Shut up." Dean cut him off, his expression deathly serious. "Do not ever bring that up to me."

Sam just laughed.

"I have not had enough coffee for this brotherly moment. I'm gonna go somewhere with a little less morning..." Casey stood up on tiptoes and pecked Dean on the lips one last time before shuffling off towards the spider infested motel room. Okay, so it was one spider last night, but hey, where there was one, there was bound to be more. Right now, though, she hated mornings more than she hated spiders. "Just bring me back something. Anything, as long as it comes with more coffee, will be great."

Dean watched her go and smiled, admiring the way she looked in his jacket.

"So…I'm assuming that you two had a good talk last night?" Sam asked with a smile.

"Uh yeah actually we did." Dean recapped their talk from the night before, pulling his keys out of his pocket.

"Wow, the guy sounds like a Class-A dirt bag." Sam said.

"Yeah, I swear if I ever meet the guy I'm gonna put bullet in him." Dean said seriously.

"And I'll put one more in him for good measure," Sam agreed, then remembered he hadn't told Dean about Jody's phone call.

Casey shuffled back to the motel room with one goal. Finding an actual bed. When she reached the door she saw Bennett step out of the bathroom, short hair dripping and messy. Casey wondered if the girl owned a brush or a comb. At least she was looking better than she had the last few days. An night of actual sleep seemed to have done her good.

"Morning!" Bennett chirped, pulling her black boots on with one hand, a cup of coffee in her other.

"Mehh..." Casey replied, "Mornings are stupid."

She set her coffee down on the table as she passed. She flopped down onto the closest bed and decided she wasn't going to move ever again. Taking a deep breath, she discovered the spot that she fell on smelled like musk, gunpowder, and leather. Dean. He must have slept here last night. She smiled for a moment before closing her eyes. Hearing the Impala start up, Casey knew Dean was going to get breakfast. She hoped to get a few more minutes of sleep while he was gone.

When Sam walked back into the room, he was greeted by a cheerful Bennett and an interesting view of Dean's new girlfriend. Casey was sprawled out, face down, on the bed closest to the door. She didn't look like she was planning on moving anytime soon and didn't acknowledge his presence. Sam grinned and opened his laptop.

"Can I help?" Bennett asked, crossing the room and pulling up the other chair to sit next to him. She peered at the laptop screen. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for where the plague has struck again."

"What does all of this have to do with me?" She asked, looking a little less cheerful.

Her eyes were uncertain and sad, but he had to admire her. Given all that she'd been put through, she was holding it together far better than most people would have. Sam said, "It looks like the plague demon, Pestis, needs a host. One that's immune."

"I'm immune?"

"Apparently."

"How?"

"We don't know."

Bennett said, "Can you tell me what your friend told you about me now, Sam? I trust you. I know you wouldn't lie to me. But I need to know. Ok?"

Sam smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I know you do. You and your mom were on vacation at Mackinac Island. Does that ring a bell?"

"Nope. But it's nice to know I have a mom." She smiled slightly, then added, "Or had a mom. I already know my story isn't a happy one."

"I'm sorry, Bennett."

"What's my real name? Did she say?"

"Jaina Prentiss. Your mom and dad were Thomas and Melinda." Sam said, watching her expression. No shock or surprise, just a slight nod.

"So my parents are both dead. I kind of figured. And I hate that name. Probably named after some hundred year old aunt." Bennett tapped her fingers on the table. "Don't call me that name. I hate it. What else did Jody say?"

Sam took a deep breath, then spilled the rest of the beans. She had been right, it wasn't a happy story. She took it exceptionally well, though. Not a hint of panic or distress. He wasn't sure if she was just too shocked and it wasn't absorbing, or if she really was that sanguine.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "Bennett?"

"I'm ok. Really. It doesn't mean much to me, you know? I don't remember it." She frowned, then said, "Or, actually, maybe I do. Maybe it's just been so long. I feel like I've lived another whole life since then."

"You have." Sam said softly.

Bennett nodded, "And now...now I'm living my third life." She smiled a bit wider this time. "I think it's going to be the best one yet."

Casey had listened to the entire exchange between Sam and Bennett while feigning sleep. Bennett had handled it all better than she'd expected; better than she might have if it had been her. They had gradually lowered their voices and when she peeked at them, their heads were bent close together as they stared at the laptop screen. Cute. She let their voices become background noise as she tried to rest. It wasn't long, though, before she heard the Impala. The door opened, letting in a cold breeze. Before she knew it, someone was shaking her leg.

"Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty," Dean teased.

"I don't want to," Casey whined. Since when did she whine? I really hate mornings.

"Tough luck. We have to get back on the road. I want to leave in the next half hour or so," Dean replied. He couldn't help but take in the sight, he had a great view of her yoga pants. "Sam found ground zero for the latest plague outbreak. Indianapolis."

"Fine. I'm gonna jump in the shower then. Give me like ten minutes," Casey said forcing herself into a sitting position. She got up off the bed and went to her bag. She pulled out a change of clothes and her bag of toiletries.

"What do you need that for?" Dean asked nodding towards her toiletries bag.

"Toiletries? Shampoo, conditioner, typical girly hygiene things." Casey replied. Clearly he hadn't spent a lot of time around women while traveling.

"The motels usually have that stuff don't they?" Dean asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Deano, have you seen how much hair I have?" Casey asked as she pointed to the very messy bun sitting on top of her head. "That little bottle of conditioner might cover half of it. I don't think it would be enough to cover even a third of Sam's hair."

Sam, Bennett, and Dean all snickered at her comment.

"Okay, but what is with all the cords and things?" Dean continued, eyes wide.

"Hair dryer, flat iron, curling iron. Great hair doesn't just happen, Deano." Casey grinned and called over her shoulder, "I'll be out in ten minutes."

Dean just shook his head and smiled. He hated to see her go, but boy, did he love to watch her leave.

Aww, Dean stop staring at Casey! heehee... ;) Hope you enjoyed getting to know Casey a bit better... I promise you there is MUCH more to come!