I don't own Supernatural or any of it's characters. I only own Isabeau and my own original characters.

Previously on Supernatural...

A phone rings throughout the motel room.

"Dean." Sam wakes up, hearing the phone.

Dean doesn't move, his arms tighten around an unconscious Isabeau's torso. Frowning, Sam untagles himself from Isabeau, causing her to groan at his movement. Sam gives her a quick kiss on her forehead, easing her back to sleep and leans over, grabs Dean's phone from the end table and checks the number, then flips it open.

"Hello."

"Sam, is that you?" John asks from the other line.

Sam sits straight up in bed, "Dad? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"We've been looking for you everywhere. We didn't know where you were, if you were okay." Sam says.

"Sammy, I'm all right. What about you, Dean and Isabeau?" John asks. Mentioning their names, Isabeau and Dean begin to wake up.

Sam glances at his brother and Isabeau, "We're fine. Dad, where are you?" Dean sits up in bed and Isabeau still lays in bed and rubs at her eyes, the temptation of falling back to sleep tugging at her mind.

"Sorry, kiddo, I can't tell you that." John says.

"What? Why not?" Sam asks.

"Is that Dad?" Dean asks Sam.

"Look, I know this is hard for you to understand. You're just gonna have to trust me on this." John says.

Sam pauses, "You're after it, aren't you? The thing that killed Mom."

"Yeah. It's a demon, Sam."

"A demon? You know for sure?" Sam asks him.

"A demon? What's he saying?" Dean starts putting on his shirt.

"I do. Bartholmieu is helping me and he's certain. Listen, Sammy, I, uh…I also know what happened to your girlfriend. I'm so sorry. I would've done anything to protect you from that." John tells him.

"Bartholmieu?...You know where it is?" Sam asks. Isabeau perks up at her father's name and sits up.

"Yeah, I think I'm finally closing in on it." John nods from the other line. He glances over at his car where Bartholmieu is leaning over the hood with a map. "We're close."

"Let us help."

"You can't. You can't be any part of it."

"Why not?" Sam asks, confused.

Dean puts out his hand, "Give me the phone."

"Listen, Sammy, that's why I'm calling. You, your brother and Isabeau, you gotta stop looking for me. Alright, now, I need you to write down these names." John tells him.

"Names? What names, Dad—talk to me, tell me what's going on." Sam says.

"Look, we don't have time for this. This is bigger than you think, they're everywhere. Even us talking right now, it's not safe." John says.

Sam licks his lips, "No. Alright? No way."

"Give me the phone." Dean commands again.

"I've given you an order. Now, you stop following me, and you do your job. You understand me? Now, take down these names." Dean grabs the phone from Sam, who clenches his fist. Isabeau places a hand on top of Sam's. The second she does, Sam holds onto it tightly.

"Dad, it's me. Where are you?… Yes, sir… Uh, yeah, I got a pen. What are their names?" Dean grabs a pen and paper from the nightstand and starts writing down names.

Dean stops writing down names and pauses. He nods giving the phone to Isabeau, "Dad wants to talk to you."

Isabeau furrows her eyebrows, she takes the phone and steps out of the bed, and starts to put her jeans on while talking. "John?"

"Isabeau, it's good to hear you."

"John, what's going on? Is my Dad with you?" Isabeau asks, throwing on her shirt.

John pauses, "Yeah. I asked him to help."

Isabeau sits down on one of the chairs and starts putting on her socks and shoes, "Old team back together, huh?"

John chuckles, "Wouldn't be the old team without your mother."

Isabeau huffs out a laugh, "Yeah, I guess not. So, a demon?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I need you to be careful. This demon… Bartholmieu believes that you're in it's line of sight."

Isabeau glances up at Sam and Dean, who are looking at her anxiously. She leans back in her chair, rubbing at her eyes, sleep is still trying to lure her back into it's sweet pit, "Why? I got nothing to do with it."

"Family, Isabeau."

Isabeau shakes her head in confusion, "John, what are you talking about? My family has nothing to do with this demon. What aren't you telling me?"

"Just watch your back, and don't tell Sam or Dean that the demon might be after you."

"John I can't do that. You know I can't."

John sighs, "Stay safe. Your father will call you soon. Take care."

"John!" Isabeau says, but John hangs up the phone before Isabeau could ask more.

Isabeau is sprawled out in the backseat, passed out. Both Sam and Dean noticed that she was still unbelievably tired and told her to fall back asleep. Isabeau refused at first, but after an hour of driving, her eyes closed and became but a whisper in the back seat.

"Alright, so, the names Dad gave us, they're all couples?" Sam asks while driving the impala.

Dean nods, "Three different couples. All went missing."

"And they're all from different towns? Different states?"

"That's right. You got Washington, New York, Colorado. Each couple took a road trip cross-country. None of them arrived at their destination, and none of them were ever heard from again." Dean explains.

"Well, it's a big country, Dean. They could've disappeared anywhere."

"Yeah, could've. But each one's route took 'em to the same part of Indiana. Always on the second week of April. One year after another after another." Dean says.

"This is the second week of April." Sam tells him.

"Yep."

Sam takes a breath, "So, Dad is sending us to Indiana to go hunting for something before another couple vanishes?"

Dean points at him, "Yahtzee. Can you imagine putting together a pattern like this? All the different obits Dad had to go through? The man's a master."

Sam is annoyed, he pulls over to the side of the road and turns off the car.

Dean looks at him confused, "What are you doing?"

Sam glances at Isabeau's unconscious form in the rear-view mirror before speaking to Dean, "We're not going to Indiana."

"We're not?" Dean asks.

"No. We're going to California. Dad called from a payphone. Sacramento area code." Sam tells him.

"Sam."

"Dean, if this demon killed Mom and Jess, and Dad and Bartholmieu are closing in, we've gotta be there. We've gotta help." Sam says.

"Dad doesn't want our help." Dean says.

"Well, I don't care."

"He's given us an order."

"I don't care." Sam says firmly, "We don't always have to do what he says."

"Sam, Dad is asking us to work jobs, to save lives, it's important." Dean says.

Sam nods, "Alright, I understand, believe me, I understand. But I'm talking one week here, man, to get answers. To get revenge."

Dean sighs, "Alright, look, I know how you feel."

"Do you?" Dean is shocked at Sam's tone. "How old were you when Mom died? Four? Jess died six months ago. How the hell would you know how I feel?"

Sam turns to Isabeau, who is somehow sleeping through their arguing. If she was awake, she would've probably dragged both of them out of the car by their ears and told them to knock it off.

"And Isabeau. She told us what Dad told her. She could be in danger because of this demon, Dean. It could kill her. I can't lose her on top of Jess. I can't lose her before I tell her that I love her."

Dean bites his lip, "Dad said it wasn't safe. For any of us. I mean, he obviously knows something that we don't, so if he says to stay away, we stay away.

Sam shakes his head, "I don't understand the blind faith you have in the man. I mean, it's like you don't even question him."

Dean yells at him, "Yeah, it's called being a good son!" Isabeau still doesn't wake up.

Sam, angry, gets out of the car. Dean also gets out and watches Sam unloading things from the trunk. "You're a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do whatever you want. Don't care what anybody thinks." Dean tells him.

"That's what you really think?" Sam asks him.

"Yes, it is." Dean answers immediately.

Sam scoffs, "Well, then this selfish bastard is going to California." He puts on his backpack and starts walking away.

"Come on, you're not serious."

"I am serious."

"It's the middle of the night! Hey, I'm taking off, I will leave your ass, you hear me?" Dean yells at him.

Sam stops walking and turns around, "That's what I want you to do."

"You're gonna leave, Beau? Without even talking to her?!" Dean exclaims. They stare at each other for a few seconds, waiting.

Sam clenches his jaw. He didn't want to leave Isabeau without telling her. He was at war with himself. He wanted Isabeau to come with him, but at the same time, wherever this demon was, she could be in danger being around his father or Bartholmieu. For right now, until he found his father, Isabeau was safer with Dean.

"Goodbye, Sam." Dean closes the trunk, gets in the car, and drives away. Sam watches him leave with Isabeau. Sam huffs, wrapping his hand around his cell phone in his pocket and then starts walking away.

He was getting ready to answer an angry phone call for Isabeau.

Dean pulls over to the side of the road and pulls out his cell phone. He selects the name "Sam Mobile" and thinks about calling Sam.

"You're gonna have to call him." Isabeau comments from the passenger seat. She woke up not too long after Dean left Sam. Isabeau was disappointed in the both of them. She herself didn't call Sam yet. She wanted to give both brothers time to cool off.

Dean sighs, "Beau, I-"

"Don't." Isabeau gives him a look, "He's your brother. And you are his. This fight about finding John or not finding him and follow his orders or don't follow his orders… I understand where you're coming from and where Sam is coming from."

Isabeau huffs, "Believe me. My Dad lied to me… to keep me safe. I want to yell at him for it, but I also appreciate it." She shakes her head, "But if you or Sam ask me to take a side, I can't do that. Not now, not ever."

Dean looks down at his phone, changes his mind and closes his cell phone, "Not yet."

Isabeau nods, "Fine."

"I'm sorry."

Isabeau stares at him and shakes her head, "You should be saying that to Sam. Not me." She steps out of the passenger seat and shuts the door.

Dean sighs, "Damn it." He shuts off the impala and gets out.

Isabeau and Dean walk up to Scotty's Café. A man is sitting in a chair on the porch, watching the two walk up to him.

Dean gestures to the sign, "Let me guess." He points to the man, "Scotty."

Scotty looks at the sign, "Yep."

Dean smiles, "Hi, my name's John Bonham. And this is Pat Phillips."

"Isn't that the drummer for Led Zeppelin and his wife?" Scotty asks.

Dean and Isabeau are taken aback. "Wow. Good. Classic rock fan." Dean chuckles as Isabeau rolls her eyes fondly.

"What can I do for you, John, Pat?"

Isabeau takes two pieces of paper out of her pocket. They are Missing Person flyers for Holly and Vince Parker, "We were wondering if, uh, you'd seen these people by chance."

Scotty looks at the flyers, "Nope. Who are they?"

Dean shoves his hands in his pockets, "Friends of ours. They went missing about a year ago. They passed through somewhere around here, and we've already asked around Scottsburg and Salem—"

"Sorry." Scotty hands the flyers back to Isabeau. "We don't get many strangers around here."

Dean nods, "Scotty, you've got a smile that lights up a room, anybody ever tell you that?" Scotty stares at him strangely. Even Isabeau slowly turns her head at Dean to do the same.

Dean chuckles, "Never mind. See you around." He grabs Isabeau's hand and walks away with her. Once they're out of ear shot, Isabeau wacks him on the back of the head, "That's the best you could come up with?"

"Didn't see you trying."

"I didn't want to embarrass myself."

Sam is standing on the side of the road. He turns around and sees a young girl with short blonde hair, sitting with her back to him. She is listening to music.

"Hey." Sam calls. She can't hear him. Sam walks over to her and puts his hand on her shoulder.

She jumps and takes off her headphones, "You scared the hell outta me."

Sam raises his hand in defense, "I'm sorry. I just thought you might need some help."

She nods, "No, I'm good, thanks."

"Uh, so where you headed?"

She shakes her head, "No offense, but no way I'm telling you."

"Why not?"

"You could be some kind of freak. I mean, you are hitchhiking." She says.

Sam chuckles, "Well, so are you."

She laughs. A van honks its horn and pulls over, "Need a ride?"

"Yeah." Sam and the girl say in unison.

"Just her. I ain't takin' you." The van driver tells Sam.

She gathers her things and gets in the van.

"You trust shady van guy and not me?" Sam asks her.

She smiles, "Definitely."

They drive away.

Isabeau and Dean headed to the Jorgeson General Store. "You sure they didn't stop for gas or something?" Dean asks. Harley shows the pictures to Stacy and she shakes her head.

"Nope, don't remember 'em. You said they were friends of yours?" Harley asks.

Dean nods, "That's right."

A girl comes downstairs carrying some boxes, "Did the guy have a tattoo?"

Isabeau nods, "Yes, he did." The girl puts the boxes on the counter and looks at the picture of Vince.

She looks at Stacy and Harley, "You remember? They were just married."

Harley looks at the picture again, suddenly remembering, "You're right. They did stop for gas. Weren't here more than ten minutes."

"You remember anything else?" Isabeau asks.

"Well, I told 'em how to get back to the Interstate. They left town." Harley tells them.

"Could you point us in that same direction?" Dean asks.

Harley nods, "Sure."

Isabeau and Dean are driving by the orchard when they hear a noise coming from the backseat. They share a look, "What the hell?"

Dean pulls over and reaches into his bag. He pulls out the EMF meter, which is beeping frantically. "Spooky scary orchard?" Isabeau jokes.

They get out of the impala and walk around the orchard. "Spooky is right." Dean says.

Isabeau shakes her head and when she turns around and she sees a scarecrow on its post. She nudges Dean and gestures towards the scarecrow. They walk over to it and look at it for a second.

"Dude, you're fugly." The scarecrow doesn't move.

Isabeau frowns, "I think you upset it." She notices a sickle in the scarecrow's hand and a design on its arm. Isabeau takes a ladder from a nearby tree and climbs to the top so that she is eye level with the scarecrow.

Isabeau moves its clothing and recognizes the design from Vince's tattoo. She pulls out Vince's flyer and compares the designs, which are exactly the same. She looks at the scarecrow again, "Nice tat."

Mother.

Isabeau furrows her brow and looks down at Dean, "Did you say something?"

Dean shakes his head, "No, why?"

Mother. Mother.

She looks back at the scarecrow, confused. Was it talking to her?

Dean and Isabeau pull up the impala and get out. The girl from before is standing by the gas pumps. "You're back." She says.

Dean smiles, "Never left."

"Still looking for your friends?"

Isabeau nods, noticing Emily's nameplate necklace, "You mind fillin' her up there, Emily?"

Emily grabs a pump and starts filling up the impalas tank. "So, you grew up here?" Dean asks.

"I came here when I was thirteen. I lost my parents. Car accident. My aunt and uncle took me in." Emily tells them.

"They're nice people." Isabeau says.

Emily shrugs, "Everybody's nice here."

"So, what, it's the, uh, perfect little town?" Dean asks.

"Well, you know, it's the boonies. But I love it. I mean, the towns around us, people are losing their homes, their farms. But here, it's almost like we're blessed." Emily says.

Dean nods, "Hey, you been out to the orchard? You seen that scarecrow?"

"Yeah, it creeps me out." Emily says.

Isabeau laughs, "Whose is it?"

Emily shakes her head, "I don't know. It's just always been there."

Dean nods towards a red van parked by the garage, "That your aunt and uncle's?"

"Customer. Had some car troubles."

"It's not a couple, is it? A guy and a girl?" Dean asks.

Emily nods, "Mmhmm."

Dean and Isabeau share a look of concern.

Sam is at a bus station and is talking to the clerk. "Sorry, the Sacramento bus doesn't run again till tomorrow." The clerk checks the schedule, "Uh, 5:05 PM."

"Tomorrow? There's got to be another way." Sam says.

"Well, there is. Buy a car." The clerk says deadpanned. Sam, annoyed, leaves the ticket window. He takes out his PalmPilot and selects Dean's phone number.

The girl that Sam met earlier on the road is sitting on the floor with her bags, "Hey."

Sam looks at her, confused, and turns off his PalmPilot without calling Dean, "Hey."

"You again."

"What happened to your ride?" Sam asks her.

"You were right. That guy was shady. He was all hands." She says. Sam raises his eyebrows. "I cut him loose." Sam looks around, disappointed. "What's the matter?" She asks him.

Sam sighs, "Just trying to get to California."

She looks at him surprised, "No way."

"Yeah."

"Me too." She stands up and walks toward Sam, "You know, the next bus isn't until tomorrow."

Sam laughs bitterly, "Yeah. Yeah, that's the problem."

"Why? What's in Cali that's so important?"

Sam shakes his head, "Just something I've been looking for. For a long time."

"Well, then I'm sure it can wait one more day, right?" She smiles. Sam laughs.

She extends her hand and Sam shakes it, "I'm Meg."

"Sam."

Isabeau and Dean walk into Scotty's Cafe. "Oh, hey, Scotty. Can I get a coffee, black?" Dean asks. Isabeau doesn't say anything when Scotty looks at her. She waves her hand with a polite smile.

Scotty walks away to get Dean's coffee. "Oh, and some of that pie, too, while you're at it." Isabeau gives Dean a look as they sit at a table next to a couple.

"How ya doin'?" Dean asks. The couple waves and smiles. "Just passing through?"

"Road trip." The girl says.

Dean nods his hand, reaching across to hold Isabeau's hand, "Hm. Yeah, us too." They nod as Scotty walks over to refill their cider.

"I'm sure these people want to eat in peace." Scotty says.

"Just a little friendly conversation." Dean says. Isabeau rolls her eyes and pulls her hand away. She reaches up and touches Scotty's arm lightly as he walks by. He stops to look at her. "Sorry about him, he's still learning manners."

Dean glares at her and she gives him a fake smile. She knew that they needed information, but didn't have to be a total tool to people to get it. Scotty looks down at her and his eyes land on a certain tattoo that was peeking out from her jacket. It was a tattoo of the 'Goddess Symbol'; a full moon with two crescent moons on either side.

He then notices that surrounding that one, there were many other small tattooed pagan symbols on her arm. All of them from different pagan practices.

Scotty smiles at her, his mood completely different from how he treated Dean. "It's alright. You deserve a medal for being with him." Scotty walks away, but not without throwing an agitated look at Dean.

Dean shakes his head and keeps talking to the couple, "So, what brings you to town?"

"We just stopped for gas. And, uh, the guy at the gas station saved our lives." The girl says.

"Is that right?" Dean smiles.

"Yeah, one of our brake lines was leaking. We had no idea. He was fixing it for us." The man says.

Isabeau plays with her rosary, "Nice people."

"Yeah."

"So, how long till you're up and runnin'?" Dean asks.

"Sundown."

Dean nods, "Really?" He thinks about it for a minute, "To fix a brake line?"

The man nods.

"I mean, you know, I know a thing or two about cars. I could probably have you up and running in about an hour. I wouldn't charge you anything." Dean offers.

The couple exchange a look, "You know, thanks a lot, but I think we'd rather have a mechanic do it." The girl says.

"Sure. I know." Dean pauses, "You know, it's just that these roads. They're not real safe at night."

The couple exchange another look, "I'm sorry?"

"I know it sounds strange, but, uh—you might be in danger." Dean says. Isabeau face palms. Moron.

The turns to him, annoyed, "Look, we're trying to eat. Okay?"

"Yeah." Isabeau gives Dean a look, begging him to shut up.

Dean looks disappointed and the couple seems worried by Dean. "You know, my brother could give you this puppy dog look, and you'd just buy right into it." He says.

The bell above the café door jingles and someone walks in. Scotty comes out from a back room.

"Thanks for coming, Sheriff." Dean looks nervous and frustrated. He turns to Isabeau who just gives him a look.

Scotty whispers something in the sheriff's ear, and they both look at Dean and Isabeau, who look away.

The sheriff walks over to them, "I'd like a word, please."

"Come on. We're having a bad day already." Dean says.

The sheriff leans over, "You know what would make it worse?" Dean nods slowly and Isabeau gives the sheriff a weak smile.

The sheriff's car is following Dean's impala to make sure Dean and Isabeau leave. When they are gone, the sheriff turns around and drives back to Burkittsville.