The rusty blue Pontiac station wagon was still sitting on the side of the road where her dad had parked it. The vehicle had been their home for as long as she could remember. Jorie nervously glanced over her shoulder to see that Sam and Dean were nowhere in sight. She was still inwardly shaking from what she'd seen Dean do. Seeing a beheading wasn't exactly something she'd signed up for. Jorie scrubbed at her eyes in an attempt to wipe away the image burned into her mind. She wouldn't be sleeping much tonight. That was for sure. She hadn't intended on snooping but her curiosity had gotten the best of her. The Alpha had been their first lead on her dad in a month! Shaking off the brutal memory, her shaky hand reached for the car door handle. Locked. The same way they'd left it a month ago. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered her dad's soft voice reminding her to lock it. She hadn't needed the reminder, but her dad was like that. Always reminding her of things she didn't necessarily need reminders for anymore. She was thinking it was an adult thing. Sam and Dean had fallen into the same trap.

Her eyes went to the back of the car and she found herself making sure the trunk hadn't been tampered with. Jorie was keenly aware of the dangerous weapons her dad kept hidden in the trunk. In the wrong hands, it could spell some pretty bad news. She dropped to her knees and crawled under the old rusty vehicle in search of the magnetic key holder. Her dad always kept an extra key hidden in case they were separated. It hadn't happened often but this wasn't her first rodeo either. Her dad had been arrested a time or two and once he'd been injured enough to require hospital care. But those times, she'd known where he was. This time she didn't. This time a month had gone by without a word from him. That had never happened before.

Jorie spotted the key holder and worked to pull it from its hiding spot. It was well hidden and kind of rusted in place. She reached for her pocket knife and used it to pry it from the undercarriage of the car. She opened it to find the shiny new key. Crawling out, she felt some hope. Now she could get her stuff. Everything Jorie needed to survive for the long haul was inside the car: extra money, extra food and clothes. Her dad had gone over the emergency protocol ad nauseam until she could recite it in her sleep. This was the first time she'd felt the need to use it. She felt it in her bones and that thought frightened her. Her gut screamed that this time was different. This time Mac Spencer was in danger.

Jorie's hands shook as she unlocked the car and crawled into the back. Familiar scents hit her, overwhelming her senses. The smell of her dad's aftershave enveloped her and she couldn't stop the sobs from strangling her. Through blurry eyes, she reached for Pepsi, her stuffed cat, wrapped her arms around him and lost herself in the heart-wrenching sobs overwhelming her.

Time escaped her as she cried out all her fears and worked to gain back her equilibrium once again. Sniffling, she reached for her butterfly backpack and fished around for some tissues. She had to get a hold of herself and stop being such a baby. Her dad had taught her better. She was ten years old, old enough to formulate a plan and follow it through. Peering inside her bag, she found her hard-covered notebook and found the envelope her father had sealed and glued to the inside cover. He made her promise not to open it unless it was an emergency. A month without a word from her dad was an emergency in her books. Gingerly, her hands trembled as she opened the envelope and began to read it.

Hey baby girl,

If you're reading this, we must have been separated for a while and you're worried enough to follow the emergency plans we practiced. Take a deep breath, and remember you're old dad is the best hunter in the good ole U.S. of A. Go ahead. Say it. I'll wait.

Her dad knew her. He knew she'd be afraid without him.

Jorie felt a smirk creep across her face. "You are the best hunter in the whole world, daddy."

I will be just fine. Don't waste a minute worrying about me.

Who was he kidding? How could she not worry about him?

"Daddy, you've been gone over a month now," Jorie said out loud to the stillness of the car. "I don't know what to do."

Call this number - 555-5432.

Wait, What? Jorie didn't recognize the number. Whose number was it?

A man named John should answer.

John? John who?

Read out these numbers. 563 732 8913. The responder must respond with ATARGUS and if you aren't sure how to pronounce that, you get him to spell it. If he doesn't use the code word, you hang up because it won't be John. Try again later.

ATARGUS? What was that? Who would she be calling?

Keep doing it until you get the code word. THAT person will be John and he will take care of you until I find you.

I love you.

Daddy

"I love you too, daddy," Jorie mumbled as tears dripped down her cheeks and onto the note.

A shiver ran down her spine forcing her to drop the letter and reach for her familiar pink unicorn blanket lying on the back seat. She wrapped it around herself, pulling her knees up to her chin. The last thing she wanted to do was call a stranger. It was supposed to be the last resort and something she still wasn't sure she should do. What if her dad made his way back? Maybe she should just wait here in the car. She reached into her backpack and retrieved her cell phone. It was an old flip phone her father had purchased for her. More times than not the battery was dead because she never thought to charge it but flipping it open and switching it on, she saw that it was fully charged. Her dad must have charged it the night before they went after the Jargeru and tossed it into her bag for safekeeping. How could a charge last that long? She supposed it could if the phone was turned off.

"Jorie! Jorie Spencer!"

Jorie felt herself stiffen when she heard someone shouting her name in the distance. Oh no. How long had she been gone? She leaned over and peeked out the window of the car to see Sam's back to her. He was scanning the surroundings and calling her name. Jorie's heart rate picked up. Her mind started to race as she remembered the Winchester rules. Would Sam and Dean think talking to that Alpha Vamp counted as a hunt because they'd killed it? They hadn't said it was a hunt. Did leaving the car count as running off? She felt her body begin to tremble.

"Jorie!" Sam's voice sounded drenched in worry.

"You find her?" Dean's gruffer voice made Jorie cringe. As usual, Dean's anger was in stark contrast to Sam's concern.

"No. There's no sign of her anywhere."

"Damn it. When I get my hands on her…"

"Dean, you need to stop threatening her."

"I told her to stay in the car." Dean snapped at his brother.

Jorie held her breath. She ducked down in the car when she saw the two men walk towards her dad's car. She hadn't closed the back door. Damn it!

"Dean, look. Was that car there before?"

"Not sure."

Jorie pulled the nearby dusty car blanket over her head and remained perfectly still as she heard the brothers approach. Perhaps they would simply close the door and keep walking. She prayed they would. Time seemed to crawl as she held her breath and listened. She heard the back door shut firmly and she released a slow quiet breath of relief. The car shifted a little and she envisioned the brothers leaning against it while they spoke.

"We should call Jody." Sam's voice sounded full of uncertainty.

"Why?"

"Because we have no idea how to take care of a kid, Dean, especially a little girl kid."

"It's not rocket science. Besides, Jody is in Sioux Falls and North Dakota is over two days away by car."

Sam groaned.

Jorie wriggled under the blanket feeling her nose begin to tickle. The old car blanket was dusty. It lay on the floor most of the time, her dad using it to cover junk in the backseat. She couldn't remember the last time it had been washed. She reached up to plug her nose just a second too late as a powerful sneeze overtook her. The expected result occurred rather quickly, and even before she recovered from her sneeze, she found herself looking up into Sam's surprised eyes and Dean's annoyed ones. Dean hauled her out of the car by her arm roughly.

Standing her on her feet, he glared at her. "Didn't I tell you to stay in the damned car?"

Jorie glared back at him still clutching to her stuffed cat. The sun was bright in the sky causing her to sneeze a few more times before she could lock eyes with him again.

Dean clutched her forearm still and gave her a little shake for good measure. "You can't run off on us like that."

"Dude, back off," Sam said, pulling his brother back. Sam smiled at Jorie in sympathy before stopping to get a good look at the car Dean had pulled her out of. "Is this your dad's car, Jorie?"

Jorie took a moment to glare at Dean before meeting Sam's gaze and nodding, jerking her arm away from Dean. Thankfully, the man took a step back to inspect the old Pontiac.

"Looks more lived-in than the impala and that's saying something," commented Dean, leaning in closer to peer into the backseat, complete with blankets, backpacks and other paraphernalia. He cocked an eye at her for a moment before reaching in and grabbing her jacket and butterfly backpack from the seat. "Where's the key?"

Jorie's hand went subconsciously to her pocket. "Why?"

"Cuz we need to lock her up to keep anyone from breaking into it while you're gone."

Jorie narrowed her eyes and sat down on the backseat of the car. "I'm not leaving. I'm waiting right here for my dad to come back."

Dean crossed his arms and stared at her incredulously but before he could say something, Sam crouched down and patted Jorie's leg gently. He looked up and smiled at her with kindness and sympathy in his eyes.

"Sweetie, we don't know when your dad is coming back."

Jorie crossed her arms. "I can take care of myself. It's not the first time my dad has gone missing for a couple of days. I know what to do."

From the corner of her eye, Jorie watched as Dean circled the car to open the driver's side door and slide inside. He seemed to inspect things for a moment and then leaned over to pop open the glove compartment.

"Jorie," Sam said stealing her attention back to him. "It's not just a couple of days now. You've been with us for a month. You'll feel safer with us until we can find your dad. Hiding out in a car for who knows how long is going to get old fast. What are you going to eat? "

The sound of the trunk popping open made Jorie startle and she glared in Dean's direction.

"Hey! You got no business snooping around my dad's car!" Jorie pushed her way past Sam and was on her feet before Dean could get to the trunk. Jorie slammed it shut and glared at Dean, daring him to try again.

Dean narrowed an eye at her. "Sammy, pop the trunk!"

Jorie pulled herself up onto the trunk to stop it from opening as Sam rounded the car to pop the trunk once more. Dean effortlessly lifted Jorie off the trunk and set her on her feet. The trunk popped open once again and Dean lifted the lid before Jorie could stop him.

In frustration, Jorie kicked Dean in the shin. "You've got no right! That's my dad's stuff!"

Dean ignored her and peered into the back of the trunk with an impressed whistle.

Sam came up behind Jorie and restrained her as she continued to kick and punch Dean. "Hey, Jorie. That's enough. Dean isn't going to take anything. It's a good idea for us to see what your dad has in there so we can gauge what kind of hunter he is."

Jorie struggled to free herself. "He's the best hunter! That's all you need to know, now let me go!"

Dean lifted a few large weapons out of the back of the trunk, all the while hemming and hawing at the different tools he saw neatly stored and organized in the trunk. Jorie felt angry tears burn in her eyes as she struggled to free herself from Sam's iron grip around her waist. After a minute or two, Dean replaced everything he'd touched and shut the lid. Sam let Jorie go and she rushed to sit on the trunk once again, glaring at both men.

"You got no right. Stay out!"

Dean smacked the dust from his hands and exchanged a glance with Sam before looking back at Jorie.

"Looks like your dad knows what he's doing."

"I told you. He's the best hunter in the world."

Dean sniffed. "That's still up for debate." He turned and began walking away. "Sammy, grab her stuff."

Jorie slid off the trunk and headed back to the passenger seat. "I'm not going with you. I'm waiting here until my dad gets back."

Dean stopped and smirked at her. "Yeah, nice try kid. Grab your stuff and let's go back to the hotel. We need to talk."

Sam picked up her butterfly backpack and reached for her jacket. "Is everything you need in here? Or do you need anything from the car?"

"And I want the key," Dean said holding out his hand.

"No." She quickly ducked into the car and pulled the door shut, hitting the door locks simultaneously.