Ellen's two open rooms were in the back corner of the Roadhouse. Each had a single bed with scratchy military bedding and a nightstand with a lamp and a radio clock. Dean woke in the early hours of the morning and watched Jen sleep on his chest. She had fallen asleep with him wrapped around her, but with Dean's size and Jen's sprawling, he had slipped off the bed in the middle of the night. Dean crashing to the ground hadn't even broken her soft snores. After his initial surprise, Dean had finagled and pulled her over him; she being a much better blanket than the rough wool as her body radiated heat between them.

In the soft light of the clock and dawn breaking around the curtains he could see the bruises on her arms where he had grabbed her. Dean traced them with his fingertips, feeling a twinge of guilt. Sure Jen had been trying to kill him, but it wasn't actually Jen. She had had no control over what she had been doing.

Dean enjoyed her like this, peaceful. Because the second Jen woke up and saw his black eye and swollen jaw the self loathing would start again; should would shut him out. Dean felt her eyelashes flutter against his bare chest, he reached and interlaced his fingers with her's and she squeezed his hand in response. A smile flicked across her sleepy face as she glanced up but it was quickly replaced by a frown and a crinkled brow.

Dean sighed, cupping her chin. Jen immediately shifted her weight, going to get up. Dean grabbed her arms, stopping her.

"Dean…" She pleaded for forgiveness, even though he had already said a million times that he didn't care and it wasn't her fault.

"Jesus Jen…" He grabbed her thigh and forced Jen to straddle his waist. She refused to look him in the eyes, "Babe, its not like you shoved a knife through my head."

She relaxed a little and Dean no longer had to hold her in place, he tucked her loose curl behind her ear.

"That's not funny." Jen whispered. Dean chuckled, "It's kinda funny."

Jen rolled her eyes and then met his, trying to figure out how much she had hurt him. Dean ran his hands up and down her sides, his rough calloused fingers exploring her soft skin.

"Stay." Dean breathed. A soft smile played at her lips, the warmth almost reaching her eyes. She bit her bottom lip and nodded slowly. Dean smiled brightly and pulled her down into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"You're crushing me." Jen complained and Dean chuckled, lessening his grip, but pulling her up, his lips searching for hers. Dean nibbled softly before she parted her lips and he searched her mouth with his tongue. They kissed lazily and deeply for a long time. Jen held his face between her hands, tugging his hair intermittently. Dean slid his hands, touching every inch of her that he could reach.

"Jen." Dean moaned lowly. Jen took his bottom lip between her teeth and tugged as she pulled away, "Hmm?"

"God, you're gorgeous."

Jen blushed, "I don't know who the hell you are looking at."

Dean busted out laughing, shaking underneath her. It only made her blush more. He sat up quickly,pulling her legs around his back. Jen yelped in surprise. Dean ignored her and buried his lips against her neck, "Baby…"

Jen nuzzled his neck and placed kisses along Dean's jaw line. She tightened her legs around him, wrapping arms around his neck. Pulling Dean as close as she possibly could because this was the only way Jen knew how express how she felt about him. Dean pulled her face back, tracing her lower lips with his thumb, searching her eyes. Jen leaned into his hand and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Dean placed a kiss on her forehead and then leaned his against her's momentarily before continuing to kiss her; holding her as close as he could.

The doorknob turning made Dean simultaneously pull the blanket over Jen and reach for his gun on the nightstand. It was Sam, "Hey guys, Ellen and Jo are fighting...For Christ's sake, are you two incapable of keeping your hands off each other!?"

Jen buried her face in Dean's neck, trying to hide the embarrassment from being caught yet again. Dean was annoyed, he had just gotten Jen to open up a little, "Dammit Sam, have you ever heard of knocking?"

"I didn't think I needed to...Neither of you have slept in like three days!"

"Get out...We will be there in a minute." Dean growled. Sam shut the door and Dean glanced down, Jen's face still hidden in the crook of his neck. He slipped a finger under her chin, pulling her to look at him.

"Rain check?" He asked gently. Jen nodded but Dean could see he had missed his chance. She had already shut down; shut him out. Jen swung her legs, standing and dressing quickly in jeans and a hoodie. Dean watched momentarily but then put his t-shirt, jeans and jacket on. Sam was still waiting outside the door when they exited. Sure enough they could hear stuff being slammed and raised voices inside the main bar area.

"Catfight?" Dean asked, Sam shrugged.

When they came in the back door, Ellen was yelling, "I am your mother, I don't have to be reasonable!"

Jo slammed down a tray, "You can't keep me here!"

"Oh, don't you bet on that, sweetie."

"What are you going to do, are you going to chain me up in the basement?"

"You know what, you've had worse ideas than that recently. Hey, you don't wanna stay, don't stay. Go back to school."

Jo was hurt, almost in tears, "I didn't belong there! I was a freak with a knife collection."

"Yeah, and getting yourself killed on some dusty back road, that's where you belong?" Ellen turned and spotted them, "Guys, bad time."

Sam nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Dean chuckled uncomfortably ,"Yeah, we rarely drink before ten anyway."

Jen nodded, "We will get going."

"Wait." Jo insisted, " I wanna know what they think about this."

"I don't give a shit what they think!"

A family walked in the front door, clearly on a family vacation. The wore matching yellow t-shirts. The dad cleared his throat, "Are you guys open?"

Jo and Ellen yelled an opposing yes and no. The poor guy shifted uncomfortably, pushing his family out the door, "We'll just... check out the Arby's down the road."

Everyone stood still. Jo and Ellen staring each other down; a battle of wills. The phone on the wall rang, making everyone jump. Jo glared at it until Ellen huffed and answered, "Harvelle's…"

Jo snatched a folder off the bar, turning to the trio, "Three weeks ago a young girl disappears from a Philadelphia apartment."

She shoved the folder at Dean, who refused to grab it, "Take it, it won't bite."

Dean shook his head, "No...but your mom might."

Jo pressed her lips together. Jen grabbed the folder out of her hands and started flipping through the photos and the newspaper clippings. Jo continued to talk, "And this girl wasn't the first. Over the past eighty years six women have vanished. All from the same building, all young blondes. Only happens every decade or two so cops never eyeball the pattern. So we're either dealing with one very old serial killer, or something else."

"Did you put this together Jo?" Jen asked, impressed by the detail in the file. All the victim reports were in there, every detail that the police knew. There were also building schematics, a complete history of the property; all laid out neatly.

"Yeah...Of course I did."

Jen gave her a smile, "This is really good."

"Thanks." Jo was taken aback. Usually Jen was a little gruff, more hostile. Jen handed the folder to Sam, "I don't know what you two think but I think it looks like something."

"Good." Ellen was back in this, "You like the case so much, you can take it."

"Mom!"

"Joanna Beth, this family has lost enough. And I won't lose you too. I just won't."

Jo stomped out of the room, pissed. Ellen sighed, "Seriously, go ahead and take it. Jo will get over it. If something out there is killin' people, you might as well waste it."

I was curled up in the front seat as we hit the halfway point in Pennsylvania, "This file is crazy. I don't know how the hell she spotted this pattern."

Dean shrugged, "Way too much time on her hands. What are we looking at?"

I rubbed my face, "Victims being snatched are young blondes living alone...Running back awhile. Bodies are never recovered."

I tried to keep reading, but all I could think of was the how out of control I felt. Ever since Weber had mind controlled me I felt, well, helpless. For the first time I felt like I couldn't do the job. But hunting was everything; it had always given me purpose and direction. Now I was questioning if I read everything in this file right, had I missed anything? Was I putting either of the boys in danger? Was I a danger to Dean? Endless questions sprung through my head over and over.

When we arrived at the apartment building in downtown Philly there was no doorman, so we just made our way to the fourth floor, third door on the left. It was a corner apartment in an old brick building. Sam bent to pick the lock and we walked right in. It was an open space with large windows, hardwood floors. A hallway led off the main area to what I guessed would have to be the bathroom and bedrooms.

"Did someone already lease this?" Sam asked. I glanced down at the files, "No, the ad in the paper said it came fully furnished and no one has signed the lease papers yet."

I tossed the file on the counter and began to look around for anything out of the ordinary. Dean was pulling out his EMF meter when Sam spoke from by the windows, "I feel kinda bad, snaking Jo's case."

Dean flipped his EMF on, "Yeah, maybe she put together a good file. But could you see her out here working one of these things? I don't think so."

I keep studying the walls, a large crack ran up one of the corners, "The kid seems pretty tough."

He scoffed, "How? You said the same thing the other night. This isn't amature hour. This shit gets dangerous."

I shrugged, "Everything is dangerous, we just have a little different perspective...You wanna bring that EMF over here?"

"You got something?"

I stared at the outlet where the crack stopped, "I'm not sure."

I pulled my penlight out of my pocket, pulling off the wall protector. Dean put the EMF meter down near the outlet and it went nuts, flashing red and buzzing, "You definitely found something, Jen."

"Yeah...I'm no electrician but I'm pretty sure this isn't supposed to be in here." I stuck my finger inside the wall and as it came out it was covered in a black ooze, the consistency of thick pudding. I showed it to Sam and Dean.

Sam grabbed my wrist, inspecting it closer, "Holy shit."

"What?"

Dean touched it, rubbing it between his fingers, "That's ectoplasm... Well, I think I know what we're dealing with here. It's the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man."

I chuckled at his Ghostbusters reference. Sam rolled his eyes, "Dean, I've only seen this stuff, like, twice. I mean, to make this stuff you have to be one majorly pissed off spirit."

"Spirit?" I asked. Dean nodded, "Yeah, this bastards will ooze this shit and leave it behind if they are super, super pissy. We need to find this ass before he snags any more girls."

"Hmm." I smelt it real quick and made a face. It smelt like black licorice that had been lit on fire.

"Guys." Sam spoke quietly, "There is someone coming."

"Shit." I hissed and scrambled out of the apartment, just as the voices reached the far corner of the hallway. Hearing the woman's voice I glanced at Dean who was frowning and raised an eyebrow. Was that Jo?

Sure as shit Jo walks around the corner with a man who is probably the landlord, telling her about the place, "...Yeah, it's a great building, fixed it up real nice. All the apartments come furnished, too."

She nodded, "It is so spacious. You know, my friend told me I absolutely have to come check it out, and I have to admit, she was right. You did a really good job with this place."

They hadn't seen us yet. Dean cleared his throat, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"There you are, honey." She walked right up and grabbed Dean around the waist. What the fuck? I glared at her, but Jo never looked around to see my reaction, "This is my boyfriend Dean and his buddies Sam and Jen."

I don't know how she didn't hear my breath hiss past my clenched teeth. Sam was standing right there, why couldn't she have walked up to him? The landlord obviously ignored my reaction, "Good to meetcha. Quite a gal you've got here."

"Oh yeah, she's a pistol." Dean chuckled, glaring at Jo, never missing a beat.

"So, did you already check out that apartment? The one for rent." Jo asked.

"Yeah. Yes. Loved it. Heh. Great flow." Dean shifted uncomfortably, trying to get out of her grip. That made me relax a little bit.

"How'd you get in?" The landlord's brow creased.

"It was unlocked already." I replied with a small smile. Jo shot me a quick glance, "Now, Ed, um, when did the last tenant move out?"

He leaned against the wall, thinking, "Oh, about a month ago. Cut and run, too. Stuck me for the rent."

Jo smiled, "Well. Her loss, our gain! 'Cause if Dean-o loves it, it's good enough for me."

She pulled out a wad of cash and hands it to the guy. He looks surprised but hands her the keys, "I guess...I guess we can fill out the paperwork later."

As he walked back down the hall Jo releases Dean who shoots me an apologetic look before he turns on Jo, "In the damn apartment. Now!"

She stands defiantly, but Dean shoves her towards the door. Sam and me follow, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Jo just starts walking around the apartment, checking it out. I instinctively move partway across the room; between her and Dean in the open space, and I don't notice what I'm doing until I'm already there.

"Where does Ellen think you are?" I ask.

Jo shrugs, "Vegas."

Dean scoffs, "You really think she'll buy it?"

Jo sat down on a sofa, "I'm not an idiot. I got Ash to lay a credit card trail all the way to the casinos."

"You know, you shouldn't lie to your mom. Shouldn't be here either." Dean said.

"Well, I am. So untwist your boxers and deal with it."

I rolled my eyes, still stewing.

"Where'd you get all that money from, anyways?" Sam asks.

"Working, at the Roadhouse."

Dean laughs, "Hunters don't tip that well."

"Well, they aren't that good at poker, either." Jo is being confrontational. Obviously taking it personally that we aren't being inviting. Dean's phone breaks the silence. I watch him look at the caller ID, "Shit...Hi Ellen."

Jo flies across the room, "Don't you dare."

Dean covers the mouthpiece, "I'm telling her."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

He sighs, "I haven't seen her Ellen…Yeah, I'm sure… Absolutely…Jen? Yeah she is here."

Dean tosses the phone over to me, "Hey Ellen."

"Jen, hey...No offense to Dean, but I know you would tell me the truth. Is Jo there?"

I glance up smirking, fully intending to tell Ellen that Jo is right here. But I catch her eyes, she is begging me not to, knowing that she can't bully me into anything like she can with Dean. I chewed on the inside of my cheek and rolled my eyes, "No Ellen. I haven't seen her"

"Thanks sweetie. You let me know if she shows up."

"Will do." I snapped the phone shut and tossed it back to Dean, staring pointedly at Jo, "You owe me."

A few hours later the place was destroyed, papers littering the counter and surrounding walls. Jo was sitting at a table with the latest blueprints spread out in front of her, flipping a small knife between her fingers. Sam sat opposite of her, Dean was pacing around the room. Jen perched on the arm of a sofa where she could watch everyone. Jo's little knife flipping thing was making her nervous.

Jo was talking through the history of the building, "This place was built in 1924. It was originally a warehouse, converted into apartments a while ago."

Dean paused for a moment, "Yeah? What was here before 1924."

Jo shrugged, "Nothing. Empty field."

Sam nodded setting down the papers he was looking at, "So, most likely scenario, someone died bloody in the building, and now he's back and raising hell."

Jo shook her head, "I already checked. In the past eighty two years, zero violent deaths. Unless you count a janitor who slipped on a wet floor."

"Where did you check at?" Jen asked, skeptical.

"Everywhere. Police reports obituaries, mortuary reports and like a dozen other sources. I know what I'm doing…" She shot Dean a look, "...Would you sit down?"

Dean sat, "I think the jury is still out...Why don't you put the knife down?"

She sets it down. Jen walks over, resting her hands on the back of Dean's chair, "What about an object? That would be the next logical thing to check."

"Well, we've got to scan the whole building. Everywhere we can get to, right?" Jo asked excitedly. Jen rolled her eyes, done with this nonsense. This was a job, not a hobby.

Dean thought for a moment, "Right. So. Jo and me, we'll take the top two floors. Jen, you back up Sam…"

"What?!" Jen's voice was haughty. And before Dean could answer Jo spoke over him, "We'd move faster if we split up."

Dean shook his head, "Oh, this isn't negotiable...I lied to your mother so you are staying where I can keep an eye on you."

Sam and Jen were walking along the bottom floor hallways, scanning with their EMFs. The silence was awful and Jen was conveying how annoyed she was in every action. Regretting not sending Jo home when she had the chance. Sam broke it, "Dean is just making sure nothing happens to her. We don't know what she can do. You can handle yourself."

Jen didn't answer, just shrugged and kept scanning the walls. Sam shook his head, "Okay then... Why did you let her stay?"

Jen stopped short, "I wasn't going to."

"Why then?"

"John." Jen smiled and shook her head.

Sam was surprised, "My dad? Why?"

Jen turned to face him, "What if he would have sent me home when I busted down the door? Not given me the chance to hunt? I mean, hell, I was sixteen and reckless. I had no idea what I was getting into... Where would I be right now if he would have told me no?"

"Huh...I never thought you would be that sentimental."

Jen continued to walk, "I never would have hooked up with you guys in Dodgeville. Never would have ended up with Dean. Never would have saved all those people...Who am I to tell her she can't have a shot at hunting?"

"Guess I never have thought about it like that."

"Just because I'm not here biggest fan doesn't mean she couldn't be a half decent hunter...Jo did put together a hell of a file. Saved us a shitload of time."

Up a few floors Dean was trailing Jo in the hall, scanning the walls with the EMF. He kept adjusting his pace to hers and it was pissing her off, "You gonna buy me dinner?"

Dean raised his eyebrows, "Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about?"

She turned on him, "It's just if you're gonna ride me this close it's only decent you buy me dinner."

Dean shook his head and kept going, "Oh, that's hilarious. You know, it's bad enough I lied to your mom, but if you think I'm letting you out of my sight... I don't know if you've noticed, but you're kind of the spirit's type."

"Exactly."

"Hold up...You wanna be bait? What are you smoking?"

"Quickest way to draw it out and you know it." Jo stomped down the hall, still trying to get away from him.

Dean scoffed, "I'm so regretting this."

"You know, I've had it up to here with your crap!" Jo raised her voice, challenging him.

"What?"

"Your chauvinist crap. You think women can't do the job."

He bit his tongue, trying to maintain control, "Sweetheart, this ain't gender studies... Women can do the job fine. Hell, I work with one full time that I'm pretty sure is the scariest hunter I've ever seen… And you know what? Jen is right, amateurs can't do the job. You have no experience. What you do have is a bunch of half-baked romantic that some barflies put in your head."

Jo tried to walk away, "Now you sound like my mother."

"Oh, and that's a bad thing? Because let me tell you…"

"What?"

"Jo, you've got options. No one in their right mind chooses this life. My dad started me in this when I was so young... I wish I could do something else."

"You love the job."

"Yeah, but I'm a little twisted."

"Fine...What about Sam? Or even Jen? I don't see you riding her ass about not hunting."

Dean started laughing, "Sam is a grown-up and he chose this. And Jen? Yeah fucking right...You wanna know how well that would go?...I would have another black eye to match the one I already got. No one makes her do anything she doesn't want to."

"And you think I do?"

"Jo, you've got a mother that worries about you. Who wants something more for you. Those are good things. You don't throw things like that away... Might be hard to find later."

Dean walked past her, opening a janitor's closet and scanning with the EMF. A noise from the vent next to Jo made her jump, gasping. Dean came back around the corner, "What?"

"I'm not sure."

Dean sniffed, a chemical smell permeated the air, "You smell that?"

"What is that, a gas leak?"

Dean shook his head, racking his brain, "No. Something else... I know it. I just can't put my finger on it."

My phone vibrated in my pocket, "Sam, hold up a second."

I flipped it open, "What did you find?"

"Go back to the apartment and I will show you."

"Now?"

"No. In ten minutes…" Dean said sarcastically, "Yes right now."

"Testy much?"

"Its pretty nasty."

"Alright...On my way." I closed my phone.

"Did they find something?"

I nodded, "Yeah, Dean wants us back now."

We trotted up a flight of stairs and opened the apartment. Jo was sitting at the table, fiddling with that damn knife again. Dean leaned against the counter sipping on water.

"Okay? So what was so important that I had to run up the stairs?"

Dean hesitated, "You're going to love this one...Found some scalp with blonde hair."

"What?" Sam asked.

"In the air vents...bloody and everything. Also I smelt something really weird." Dean replied. I laughed, unamused, "That's just fantastic...So what? The ghost is keeping souvenirs now?"

"Looks like it." Jo said quietly.

I glanced down at my phone, it was going on midnight, "Oh well. It's getting late. We aren't going to get anything else done tonight anyways. Might as well get some shut-eye."

I walked towards the door, needing a walk, a break. This case was weird as shit.

"Thought you said we should get some shut-eye." Dean said quietly.

"I'm just going for a quick walk."

"I will come with you." Dean followed me out the door. I went to the stairwell and walked up, "Which floor did you find that hair on?"

"The next one." Dean responded.

"Man, this case is weird." I opened the door and Dean stepped in front of me, leading me to the vent where they found the hair.

"What do you mean Jen?"

"This strikes me as more Criminal Minds than Ghost Adventures."

"You're watching too much prime-time TV."

"I'm serious Dean...I mean all and only young blondes disappear. The thing is keeping souvenirs...I think it might be following Jo."

"You think?"

"It didn't grab her when you were here, but I bet you anything it was watching her."

"Did you and Sam find anything?"

"No." I looked at the wall, thinking, not talking for awhile.

"Jen?" I didn't answer and I felt arms wrap around my waist. Dean buried his lips in my neck, "Hey."

"Hmm?"

His arms pulled me tighter, "I miss you."

"I'm right here Dean."

"That's not what I mean Jen."

I sighed. I knew I had been shutting down, being bitchy and snappy, "What do you want Dean?"

"I want you to let me in again...Tell me what you're thinking."

I paused as his arms moved farther up, wrapping around my shoulders, squeezing slightly. I wrapped my fingers around his forearms, "I'm thinking this is one nasty mother fucker we are dealing with."

"And?"

"What do you want me to say? You already know."

Dean didn't answer, just waited. I finally broke down, the words tumbling, "I hate myself so freaking much. I hate how I let you down... I'm in such a shitty place right now and I don't know how to handle it."

Dean flipped me around to face him, cupping my face in his hands, "Listen to me Jen...In no way did you let me down. And I've been there baby, you just gotta let it go."

"Do you ever?" I whispered. His face was pained as he bent down and kissed me gently. Then he pulled back, thumb tracing my cheek, "No. I haven't figured that bit out yet."

Dean pulled me against his chest, lips buried in my hair. I wrapped my arms around his waist, gripping him as close as I could. He relaxed a bit, "You ready for bed?"

I nodded and Dean intertwined his fingers with mine, pulling me back to the apartment. Jo and Sam were not in the main room so they must had grabbed the two bedrooms. I chuckled, "Couch it is then."

Dean walked down the hallway and I heard a disgruntled Sam snapping at Dean. He came back down the hallway with a couple of pillows and a blanket, "I told him if he got the bed he had to give up some shit."

"Was he already asleep?"

"No. He is still up, working on the case." Dean kicked off his boots and jeans, dragging me with him towards the leather couch. I stripped to my boyshort underwear and t-shirt, crawling under the blanket with him, letting Dean wrap his arms around me. His one hand ran under my shirt and up and down my spine lazily. I leaned back into his touch and buried my lips on his throat. Working my way down his neck to his chest.

"Jen... Baby." He caught my chin in his hand and pressed his lips against mine, lightly pushing, slowly sinking against me. Dean ran his hands down my body, stopping at my hip, going to push my underwear down.

"Dean...They are in the other room." I groaned, frustrated.

"So?" Dean kissed my neck, running his nose along my jaw.

"So?...What if they hear? I'm kinda sick of getting walked in on."

"I guess it's not like you are the quietest person in the world either." Dean teased.

I shoved him playfully and he flipped me on my back, him remaining on his side. I raised an eyebrow and Dean grinned mischievously. He dipped to meet my lips . This time it was different, needier, deeper. His tongue brushed against my teeth then played against my tongue. While we were making out, Dean's hand traveled down the front of my stomach and slipped lower. I gasped into his mouth and he chuckled, biting my bottom lip.

His hand started moving slowly, "Holy shit!... Dean?"

"Shh Babe...Easy." Dean pressed his forehead against the side of my face as I stared up into the dark, already becoming overwhelmed, my body quivering against his touch. Dean's fingers slipped farther, rubbing evenly. I moaned, breath hitching in my throat and I whined, trying to keep quiet. Dean must have taken some pity on me because he covered my mouth with his free hand, stifling my voice.

Dean's fingers moved inside of me, changing pace and I had to grip his forearms to maintain some control. My hips moved uncontrollably and under his expert hands I turned into jelly; unable to think, unable to focus. I bucked, involuntarily, the moan that escaped was high pitched and needy.

"Shh Jen...Baby, Jesus Christ are you fucking gorgeous."

Dean pulled my face so that I was staring into his green eyes. His hand was still over my mouth, but all I wanted to do was kiss him. I pulled his hand off my mouth and pressed my lips against his. He was surprised, fingers pausing momentarily. Dean pushed farther into me, and I squeezed my thighs together. Dean responded, shoving his knee between mine, widening his access. I could feel the heat building in the pit of my stomach, my neck locked back and my muscles tightened. Dean covered my mouth again forcing me to look at him.

"Come on babe, I'm right here. You're okay...Come on." And I did, coming undone. My vision became white and my back arched. My fingers dug into his forearms. Dean helped me ride it out, holding me until my body ceased to spasm. When I was able to focus again I searched his eyes, he ran his finger over my bottom lip, "I love you so damn much Jen."

"I love you too Dean." He kissed me quickly, and pulled me closer. Our bodies flush and our foreheads touched, unable to pull our eyes from each other.

Jen woke the next morning as daylight was just starting to stream. Dean was wrapped around her. Jen wriggled out, Dean never budging. He slept like the dead when he slept with Jen. No one else was moving yet so she dressed quickly; slipping her jeans back on and pulling a flannel over her t-shirt. She left a note on the counter and slipped out to get coffee and breakfast.

Jo had woken right after she left, saw the note and went back to studying the files at the table. She flipped her knife through her fingers. Dean woke up after about a half-hour, looking around groggily, "Where's Jen and Sam?"

"Jen went to get coffee and food. Sam is still asleep."

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, stretching, "Ugh...How'd you sleep?"

"I didn't really. I've just been trying to wrap my head around this stuff. Going over everything again and again."

"That'll make you crazy...People need sleep."

Jen shoved the door open, startling both of them, "We gotta problem."

Dean raised an eyebrow, "It's not even seven-thirty."

"Yeah, well tell that to the ghost. It took another girl last night...Top floor."

"Son of a bitch." Dean groaned.

"I didn't get a good look at the room yet. The cops are crawling all over the place...But she fits the type, young and blonde."

"Great." Jo complained, "How the hell are we supposed to stop this thing?"

Jen shrugged, slinging the food and coffee on the table, "Patience and research."

"Sam!" Jen yelled down the short hallway, "Get your ass in gear!"

Sam stumbled down the hallway, running a hand through his hair, "Another one?"

Dean nodded, grabbing a stack of papers reaching for coffee, "Which one Jen?"

"Either one without sharpie on the cup." Dean sat, sipping the scalding black coffee.

I had hit a dead end with research. Me and Jo had stayed back while the boys headed to the county office, seeing if there was anything on the buildings that we missed. A book slamming on the table made me jump, Jo must have been fed up.

"What? Not as glamorous as you thought?"

She leaned back in her chair, "There is nothing here that we don't already know...We need to be out there…"

"Out there will get you killed."

"I can…"

I cut her off, "Listen Jo, I'm sure you can handle yourself...that's not what I meant. I meant that until we know who, we can't do anything about it."

She sighed and started flipping her small knife around. I had seen the initials engraved on it earlier when she set it down. I was curious, "Your dad's?

Jo paused, sadness seeping into her eyes, "Yeah...William Anthony Harvelle."

"I'm sorry Jo." One thing I knew from doing this job was that loss never go any easier.

She shrugged it off, "It was a long time ago...I still miss him though."

"Is that why you want to do the job so bad?"

"Sort of…"

I sighed, closing the book I was halfway through, "I'm telling you this right now Jo...Revenge doesn't fix anything and will more than likely end up with you dead. Or worse, losing yourself along the way."

She scoffed at me, "That isn't it...You're telling me that you've never done anything cause you're pissed?"

"No...I'm telling you that those are the worst jobs. When it gets personal...I don't know, it strips something away... Something that you can't get back."

She nodded and was silent for awhile, "Why then Jo?"

Jo thought for a moment before she replied, "I was still in pigtails when my dad died, but I remember him coming home from a hunt. He'd burst through that door like, like Steve McQueen or something. And he'd sweep me up in his arms, and I'd breathe in that old leather jacket of his. And my mom, who was sour and pissed from the minute he left, she started smiling again. And we were... we were a family. You wanna know why I want to do the job? For him. It's my way of being close to him."

"There is nothing wrong with wanting that…"

"Then why are you three and my mother pushing me not to? Huh?" Her voice trembled, angry.

I gave her a halfhearted smile, "Because once you are in, there is only one way out."

She raised her eyebrows, "How?"

"Bloody and dead."

Jo stared down at her knife and began playing with it again, flipping it slowly. Sam burst through the door with Dean right behind, "Well we know why the building has been clean."

I leaned back in my chair, "Alright Sam, amaze me."

He rolled his eyes, "The building next to us was the problem. It was prison...Took some digging and a call to Ash."

Dean tossed a file in front of me, "Stop beating around the bush Sam...It used to be this prison for the real hard cases...They executed them in the empty field..."

"Which happens to be right where we are standing." Sam cut him off.

I sighed, opening up the file, "Holy shit...How many names are in here?"

Dean sat across from me, "That's the bad news...A hundred and fifty-seven."

I groaned, laying my head against the table, "Let's split it up."

Dean pulled the papers out from under my face, handing me part of the stack. After about an hour my vision was blurring, fuck my life.

"Hold up…" Sam spoke, flipping through a couple of pages, "...Herman Webster Mudgett?"

"Who the hell is that?" Jo asked. It was kinda ringing a bell, "Why do I recognize that name?"

"Wasn't that H. H. Holmes' real name?" Sam said quietly.

Dean laughed, You've gotta be kiddin' me….Executed at the prison in May of 1896"

"Once again, who the hell is that?" Jo was annoyed.

Dean sat on the corner of the table, "The term "multi-murderer." They coined it to describe Holmes. He was America's first serial killer, before anybody knew what a serial killer was."

Sam chuckled, "Yeah, he confessed to twenty seven murders, but some put the death toll at over a hundred."

This was unreal, "Oh my god...He killed blondes didn't he?...Smoked 'em with...um…"

I couldn't think of it. Dean snapped his fingers, "Chloroform...That's what I smelled in the hallway and they only found locks of hair and scalp fragments...Damn Jo, you sure know how to pick 'em."

"Well, we just find the bones, salt 'em and burn 'em, right?" Jo looked between us.

Sam looked at the papers in front of him, "Not that easy...His body is buried in town but it is encased in a shit ton of concrete...He didn't want anyone mutilating his body."

I rolled my eyes, "Why? Why do they always have to be a pain in the ass?"

"Well Jen…" Sam flipped his laptop towards me, "Before you get too optimistic, here is the even better news...Holmes built an apartment building in Chicago. He called it the Murder Castle. The whole place was a death factory, they had, uh, trap doors, acid vats, quick line pits... he built these secret chambers inside the walls. He'd lock his victims in, keep them alive for days. Some he'd suffocate, others he'd let starve to death."

"Fuck me."

"So Teresa could still be alive. She could be inside these walls." Jo said urgently, standing up.

I considered it; could be possible. Dean nodded, "We need sledgehammers, crowbars. We've got to smash these walls, anywhere thick enough to hide a girl...Jen? You wanna go with Jo?"

"That'll work."

Jo was trailing me through the fifth story wall, on the phone with Sam, "Okay. Call us after you check the southeast wall."

She hung up, "They are almost done with the first floor. Haven't found jack squat either."

Great, "This is just fucking peachy."

"You afraid of some cobwebs Jen?"

Even though she wasn't my favorite person in the world, Jo's snarky repertoire was growing on me, "Ha ha...No, I just want to wrap this shit up...Dammit."

"What is it?"

"I can't fit…" My shoulders were way too wide to go through forward, and when I turned and tried to go sideways, there was no way I could squeeze my boobs through either. Goddammit.

"I can." Jo pulled me back, rushing past me. I grabbed her coat, "Dean will skin me if I let you go alone. We go around and break through the wall."

Jo shook me off and pushed herself through the narrow space, "So what? Now you're the whipped one?"

"Shut-up Jo...Seriously. You can't go anywhere without backup."

"You got a better idea?"

"Like I said…"

"There isn't enough time Jen...He could be killing her."

Son of a bitch. I watched her keep squeezing down the wall space. Fuck, was this a bad idea. My phone buzzed,

"Alright Jen, I'm on the North wall...There is an air duct in front of me. I'm gonna go down."

"Oh, hell no. You get your ass back here and we will go around...This is a bad fucking idea Jo."

"Look, we've gotta find this girl, don't we? I'm okay."

"Fuck…" I glanced behind me. I needed to get around, heading out and around, "Listen, you need to stay put. I'll be there in five."

"We don't have ti..."

"Jo? What is it? Are you okay?"

"There...there's…Oh god."

I hear her scream through the phone and through the corridor. Shit. I ran to about where I thought she would be and started slamming the sledge hammer through the wall. The plaster crumbled. I pushed my way in, scanning the interior with my flashlight. Fuck. Laying on the ground was Jo's open cell phone. I felt sick, dialing Dean's number.

"Hey babe...You got something?"

"Dean…" I couldn't believe that I had fucked up this bad. It had been my job to keep the situation under control.

"Holy shit...are you okay?"

"She's gone Dean."

"What?!"

"Jo...The bastard got her. She went somewhere I couldn't fit...Jesus Dean."

"Mother fucker...Where are you?"

"Fifth floor."

"Stay there...We are coming to you."

I paced back and forth. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I turned when I heard the boots running down the hallway, "I shouldn't have let her…"

Sam grabbed my arm, "We will find her."

Dean pushed his way into the wall, "Where Sam?"

"In the walls."

Dean was stressed, "We've been inside the walls all night. None of the other girls were there, she won't be either."

My phone rang, I flipped it open without looking, "Now I would expect Dean to lie to me Jen...But you?"

"Ellen...I can explain."

"No...I want to talk to Jo...Put my damn daughter on the phone."

"Listen, she just stepped out for a moment."

"The hell...Where is she?!"

I didn't know what to do, I couldn't tell this woman that I let her daughter get snatched by the ghost. That this was the second time in a row I had fucked up a case. Dean gently took the phone away from me, "Ellen...No...Look, we will get her back...She will be okay...I'm so sorry."

"Jen!..." Dean shook my shoulders, "Listen. You gotta snap it...We need to find Jo."

"Guys...I might have something. Come look at this." Sam had a couple of blueprints laid out in front of him, "Uh, maybe. Look. You look at the layout of the Holmes murder castle, there's all the torture chambers inside the walls, right?"

I nodded, "Okay so what? We have been inside all the damn walls."

"But there's one we haven't considered yet. The one in this basement."

Dean shook his head, "But this building doesn't have a basement."

Sam flipped to another print, "You're right, it doesn't. But I just noticed this. Beneath the foundation, it looks like part of an old sewer system that hasn't been used for…"

I pulled on Dean's arm, "Let's go...we gotta find her before that asshole kills her."

I ran down the stairs, feeling like I was going to puke the entire way. At the Impala, Dean tossed me the keys and I unlocked the trunk. Grabbing two shovels, shotguns and salt, "Sam? How do we get in?"

"Umm...There is an access hatch in an open lot, two...no three blocks away."

We made our way over quickly, not running as not to draw attention our way. The lot was dirt, covered in tall, yellowing grass and littered with garbage. Sam handed me the city schematic, "Should only be buried like six inches or so."

I walked forward, guessing the distance between the sidewalk and the hatch, pacing it out, " 'Bout here should be center?"

Dean pushed his shovel into the ground, "Let's find out."

A few minutes later he brushed the dirt off the hinges, "Damn close Jen...You were about a foot off."

I grabbed the hatch with him and we pulled the heavy lid open. There were metal pegs down the wall, leading to the bottom that was covered in gray water. I tried to angle my flashlight to see more, but there was no way without going down. I grabbed a shotgun out of the bag, but Dean beat me to it, scrambling down the ladder first. I followed, and Sam came down last, grabbing the rest of the stuff. Three different tunnels led off, each narrowing the farther they went. Sam pointed down the left one, "That one."

Dean took off ahead of me and pretty soon the tunnel narrowed enough that I was ducking, runoff sludge covering my boots. Another fifty feet and it was so small that we were gonna have to crawl.

"Do you want me to go first? I'll have an easier time than either of you."

Dean shook his head, "It's fine Jen…"

He crouched and started army crawling through the narrow space. I put my flashlight in my mouth and pushed myself behind him. My shoulders scraped the edges and within minutes my shirt and pants were soaked through.

"Dean…" Sam called from the back, "Keep to the left."

"Ugh...Okay...God this shit stinks."

After a while I pulled myself out into a corridor where I could stand up. I could hear muffled screaming, "Jesus Christ…"

I ran down before Sam was even out of the tunnel, scrambling around corners, trying to find the source. Shit. Damn. Fuck. The light was dim and my foot caught on a lip of stone, I fell, skidding across the floor. I could hear my gun clank away.

"Shit."

Dean's arms hauled me up to my feet as Sam rushed past, and I head shots fired, feeling the rush of cool air through the tunnels.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled.

"I'm fine! Jo and Teresa are here!" I jogged ahead of Dean into the open space. It was a hexagonal room, water dripped from the dark ceiling, and it smelled like rotten flesh. Sam was trying to pry open a metal hatch on the wall. The hinges snapped, and Jo crawled out. He handed the crowbar to Dean and I grabbed Jo's shoulders, "Are you alright?"

"I think so...Let's get Teresa out and then get the hell out of here."

I nodded, relieved, turning to see Sam and Dean help a small blonde woman out from the wall.

"Dean...We need a plan." He glances over at me, thinking. Then his eyes snap over to Jo, "Remember when I said you being bait was a bad plan?...I think it could actually work now."

"What?!"" Jo screeched.

I moved over in front of him, ignoring Jo's protest, "What are you thinking?"

Dean shrugged, shifting his weight, "Have Sam get Teresa out. We lure the creep out with Jo."

"Doesn't do us any good...We don't have any way to kill him."

"Salt works both ways, doesn't it?"

I nod slowly, beginning to understand, "Trap him. The grates are iron, we only need to block the doorway."

"Exactly."

After some scrambling, Dean and I had everything set up. Sam had gone with Teresa to the hospital, explaining that it probably wasn't the best idea to tell the cops exactly what happened. Jo was now sitting in the middle of the chamber, rocking back and forth. We were watching from the shadows. A half hour passed, then an hour, then two. I felt the cold creep up my spine, my breath fogged. It was time. Holmes began to appear behind Jo, slowly coming into form. He strolled towards Jo, reaching out to grab her hair.

"Now!" Dean yells, Jo dives towards us and we grab a rope that allows salt to fall. The white crystals seal the entrance. Holmes runs back and forth, yelling incoherently. Jo begins yelling, "Scream all you want, you dick, but there's no way you're stepping over that salt!"

She slams the final grate shut, the metal echoing through the tunnels. Then stares between us, "You guys ready to go or not?"

I nodded and take off down the one tunnel. My clothes picking up the stench again, soaking through. God, I couldn't wait to shower. Finally, I got to the ladder and hauled my ass up, beginning to realize I was tired. Sam reached down and helped me out. Sam smiled, "It took you guys long enough."

"I'm surprised you waited around."

"I didn't." He gestured behind him. There was a cement truck backed up almost to the hatch.

"We gonna seal it up?"

Sam nodded, and Jo and Dean were crawling up. Dean chuckled when he spotted the truck, "Nice choice Sam...I am so driving that."

Dean scrambled over to the door and began backing it up the rest of the way. It beeped loudly. Dean threw it in park and ran around, releasing the cement down into the sewers, "That should keep him down there until hell freezes over."

When the cement was almost gone my phone started buzzing.

"Hello?"

"You better get your asses to the airport and pick me up."

"Oh hey Ellen...Do you want to talk to Jo?"

"She...She's okay?"

"Yeah Ellen, she is right here."

"No...Get your asses to the airport. Now!" The line cut out. Dean was watching me, "We gotta go get Ellen. She actually flew in."

We were well into Ohio, the car was dark. I had gotten no sleep. I sat in the back between Sam and Jo, Dean and Ellen were in the front. It had been a silent nine hours. Dean eyes kept alternating between the road, glancing nervously at Ellen, and glancing into the rearview at me.

Dean chuckled uncomfortably. That was the first sound of the ride, "Boy, you, you really weren't kidding about flying out, were you?"

Ellen didn't respond, didn't even move. Dean wiggled in his seat, and flipped on the radio. Ellen promptly flipped it off. This was going to be a freaking awesome ride.

It was early afternoon when we pulled into the Roadhouse. Ellen had snatched Jo out of the car and was dragging her by her elbow. We trailed behind, stopping when Ellen slammed the door in our face. I sighed, "So do we go? Or what?"

Dean shrugged, "I don't know. I want to find a hotel and pass the fuck out."

Jo stormed out of the Roadhouse, right at us, pointing her finger at Dean, "Get the hell out!"

Dean back away, I got in between them, "Jo? What the hell?"

"Stay outta this Jen...Get the hell out of my way!"

Jo tried to snake around me but I grabbed her arm, shoving her back. Dean's hand squeezed my shoulder and I moved aside, watching warily.

"We will go Jo… What's wrong?"

Her face scrunched, fighting emotions, "It turns out my dad had a partner on his last hunt. Funny, he usually worked alone; this guy did too, but... I guess my father figured he could trust him. Mistake. Guy screwed up, got my dad killed."

Dean was confused, "What the hell does that have…"

"It was your father, Dean...Why do you think John never came back? Never told you about us? Because he couldn't look my mom in the eye after that, that's why."

Dean mouthed unspoken words. Jo turned away, "Just get the hell out."

She stormed back into the Roadhouse. I pushed Dean towards the car, "C'mon Dean...Let's go find a hotel."

"But…"

"We can talk about this later." I shoved him again, Sam was already in the front seat. Dean got behind the wheel and floored it, the back end fishtailing. Sam cleared his throat, "Do you really think…?"

At Dean's expression, he trailed off. Dean drove for hours before he jerked the car into a parking lot. He jumped out, slamming the door, stalking to the office. Sam glanced at me, I shook my head, not wanting to touch this with a ten foot pole. Dean came back out, tossing a set of keys to me. Apparently I had my own room. Shit, was this bad. Even though I was kinda pissed, I tried not to let it get to me. He was just in a shitty mood. When Dean got like this he acted like he was two. Sam raised his eyebrows, confused. I just shrugged it off, walking for my room.

Once in I settled, watched TV for awhile before finally dragging my smelly ass into the shower. The temperature of the water kept going from arctic to fucking Mordor, so it took me forever to wash away the stench from the sewers that had soaked into my hair. Finally, the water ran clear and the moldy, rotten smell was gone. I wrapped myself in a towel, opened the door and stopped dead. Dean was sitting on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. He looked over to where I was standing in the doorway, water from my hair dripping onto the floor.

"Dean? You okay?"

He nodded, watching me for a moment before he reached for my clothes that I had set on the bed, tossing them to me. I was still confused as I dressed quickly, then sat cross legged next to him. I waited, knowing that Dean wouldn't talk about anything until he was good and ready to. His hand moved to my knee, which he squeezed, "You know Jen, I realized the damnedest thing."

I didn't ask what, just remained silent, watching him. Dean sighed and met my eyes, "I'm fucking exhausted, and I'm in the other room and I can't fall asleep...I keep thinking to myself, son of a bitch, why can't I just fall asleep? Am I that pissed at Dad for something that happened years ago?..."

I rubbed his arm reassuringly, Dean bit his lip, smiling, "Then I realized it's because it's cold as shit and too damn quiet."

I laughed, and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face into his neck. He was surprised by my reaction at first, but his arms snaked around my waist, pulling me as close as possible. I pressed my lips against his jaw, then spoke low, "You know...I try to be mad at you, because you can be an ass...But then you say something like that."

Dean grabbed my shoulders and held me away, "I'm an ass?"

"Yep."

"You don't pull any punches do you?"

"I wouldn't be me if I did…" I winked, "...But your my ass."

Dean laughed, shaking his head, amused, "It's a good thing I like you or..."

"Or what? What are you gonna do about it?" I teased and he laughed harder. Dean moved quickly, pinning me between the mattress and him, kissing me playfully, until we were both out of breath.

"You're definitely something else Jen."

"You always say that Dean."

"Baby, I always mean it."