Jorie curled up in the back seat of her father's car and tugged the blanket over her head. Dean was probably going to kill her. Hiding in the back of the car was her best bet right now, if she dared to take off, he'd only catch her and skin her alive. Weighing her options, being killed seemed less painful than being skinned alive.

She could hear the brother's voices outside of the car, deep and low, exasperated. Sam's voice was soft. Dean growled and barked. Jorie wasn't dumb; she knew they could pick a lock. It was just a matter of time. She just needed some time to figure out her options. Unfortunately, time wasn't her friend.

The squeaky sound of the passenger door opening sent shivers up her spine but peeking out from beneath the blanket and seeing Sam rather than Dean gave her some hope, allowing her a few more minutes to breathe.

"Come on out, Pipsqueak." Sam's soft voice filled the car as he pulled the blanket from her head. "You can't hide forever. Did you really think we'd just leave you?"

"Sam," she whined, dragging out his name, hoping he would understand.

Sam held up a finger to stop her. "You can't stay here by yourself. We have no idea where your dad is and when he'll be back. It wouldn't be safe."

Jorie huffed and crossed her arms. "I can take care of myself. I'm a hunter too, you know."

Sam grabbed her by the waist and hauled her out of the car, setting her on the roof of the vehicle so they were face to face. "You're 10 years old—"

"Almost eleven," she corrected with a hint of belligerence ringing in her voice. She could get away with that with Sam. Dean? Not so much.

"Enough of this crap," Dean said suddenly moving forward so that he was eye to eye with her as well. He shook a finger in her face. "Take off like that again and I'll..." His tone brooked no room for argument. She hadn't known the man for long but his tolerance level for her was at an all-time low about now. Of that much, she was certain and looking into Dean's angry green eyes only solidified things. Yep, her death was imminent in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

Sam raised a hand to forestall him. "Dude, calm down. Yelling and threatening her isn't helping."

Hoping to diffuse the situation, Sam pulled Jorie off the roof of the car and held her hand firmly in his, keeping her partially hidden behind him for safekeeping. Dean needed some time to cool off.

"Let's go get something to eat," Sam suggested.

Jorie pulled her hand free of Sam's and rounded on Dean, her eyes wide. "Did you find out anything about my dad? Did the Alpha know anything? I heard him say…"

A noticeable vein in Dean's forehead began to pulse making Jorie pause and take a step back.

Sam again stepped in front of her, hitting Dean with an intense look Jorie couldn't quite distinguish. The silent communication between the brothers ensued for several minutes before Sam stepped aside. Dean stooped to one knee and grasped Jorie by her forearms, shaking her several times before speaking. "What did you see?"

Jorie's lower lip quivered and she closed her eyes tight wanting to block out the images that were burned across her memories and would be for days. She shook her head as tears welled in her eyes. No matter how many times she saw her father kill something, it always haunted her. She knew they were monsters but it didn't change the fact that most looked human. She always seemed to suffer from some sort of PTSD for days if not weeks or months after. Her dad knew how it affected her and he managed to shelter her more times than not and she was forever grateful for that.

"Did you see me sever the head?" Dean shook her again.

Jorie nodded.

"Ever see that before?"

Jorie shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. She hadn't seen much bloodshed in her years. Her dad had made certain of that. Seeing Dean behead the vamp was a first for her and it hadn't been a pretty sight.

She'd been with the brothers for a little over a month now, and the more the Winchesters got to know her, the more they realized just how sheltered her father had managed to keep her. She talked a big talk. She acted tough but her dreams told a different story. Anytime Jorie saw the gore, her dreams plagued her and they didn't let her sleep. The baggage under her eyes told a story in itself and the baggage that baggage told was in HD. When Jorie didn't sleep, none of them did. She'd scream out in her sleep and cry for hours afterwards.

Dean stood to his feet and pulled her into his arms for a hug. Jorie wrapped her arms around his waist, thankful for the comfort he offered. Maybe Dean Winchester was a big ole softy after all. Maybe she'd managed to worm her way into his heart just as much as she had Sam's, and that definitely would work in her favour. Dean talked a big talk and scared the bejeebers out of her, most of the time threatening to skin her alive. But when it came to laying down the law, he was quick to give out as many reprieves as Sam. She felt him sigh several times before lifting her to the top of the car again so he could look her in the eye.

"That was strike 300, kid."

Jorie frowned.

"No one's getting any sleep tonight, are they?"

Jorie stared at him but didn't answer him.

"Your nightmares are getting worse and now after seeing this, well, it's not going to a fun night for any of us."

"I'm going to get something for us to eat, Dean," said Sam suddenly. Jorie twisted around to see Sam start walking down the sidewalk towards a fast food joint. She turned back around and faced Dean, swallowing hard.

"Strike 300?"

Dean nodded his head, looking a little sad but also stern. "Can you find your way to the hotel, Sammy?" He shouted after his little brother.

Sam waved acknowledging the question and kept walking.

"Get me two pieces of pie! Cherry and apple," he called after Sam's back.

Again, Sam waved without answering.

XXxxXXxxXX

Once back inside their hotel room, Dean tossed his keys onto the table. "Find a corner and put your nose in it."

Jorie lifted a brow and stared at him. Was he kidding? Dean jerked his chin towards her indicating that he wasn't so she dropped her backpack on the nearest chair and began to scan the room. Four obvious corners and a few others that made alcoves. The one to her immediate right had a large chair sitting it. The one to her left had a corner cabinet where the television sat. She pivoted to see the third one housed a large coat rack and the final one large enough with room to stand was behind the door to the room. She shrugged her shoulders and began to walk towards the door.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Dean asked, grabbing her by the hand as she walked past him.

"You said to find a corner." She pointed at the corner behind him. "That's the only one with nothing in it."

Dean made face when he realized she was right. He puffed out his cheeks and held fast to her hand, dwarfing it with his own. "Never mind. Standing in the corner is overrated anyway. Go sit on the bed. We need to talk."

Jorie shrugged and walked over to the bed, sitting down and crossing her legs. She stared at him with her big chocolate brown eyes wondering if adults knew what they were doing or if they just made it up as they went along. Dean removed his jacket and tossed it on the bed opposite her and proceeded to roll up his sleeves. He pulled a chair up and sat down in front of her, scrubbing a hand across his face. Jorie stared at the dark circles under his eyes and the permanent five o'clock shadow that covered his jaw. Over the time they'd spent together, she'd noticed that Dean didn't sleep much, not even on a good night. Often she would wake up to see him watching late-night television and drinking a beer. She'd heard him say a time or two that all he needed was four hours to feel good.

"Why didn't you stay in the car?" he finally said, his voice gravelly and low.

Jorie swallowed carefully considering his question. Ever since she'd come to stay with them, she stayed in the car when they told her. She never had a problem with following rules, but today was different. She'd found her father's car and that was her only focus. Of course, overhearing them talking about an Alpha vampire got her curiosity up as well. So, the minute the brothers had disappeared into the house, she followed them. She didn't regret it because it was very interesting to see a vampire up close. She was amazed at how human they appeared, outside of their pale skin Vampires were smooth talkers and seemed almost regal like they came from another place in time. Of course, an alpha vampire probably did. It almost seemed a shame to kill someone who was pretty much walking history. It felt like their knowledge of history could be helpful, if they weren't so hell-bent on sucking the lifeblood out of everyone they met.

Dean snapped his fingers in her face. "Hey, are you ignoring me?"

"No," she quickly said, noticing the irritated expression sweeping across his face. "I was thinking."

"About what?"

"That vampire was really old, wasn't he?"

Dean leaned back in the chair and crossed his feet together in from of him. "Yes, he was. I'd wager he was over 500 years old, maybe older."

"Don't you think it's a shame to kill someone with that much history?"

Dean's brows seemed to reach his hairline as he considered her for a long minute. "You do realize what a vampire is, don't you?"

Jorie nodded.

"He was a monster, kiddo. Old or not. Think of the hundreds if not thousands of people he killed over the years, not to mention how many nests he created. He ruined people's lives. We can do with a lot less history of that."

"I suppose," Jorie said, still thoughtful. "Did he know anything about my daddy or the Jargeru?"

Dean sighed. "You're something else, Jorie. Here I'm ready to bust your butt and you're asking questions about vampires and Jargerus."

Jorie's face reddened. "Bust my butt?"

Dean smirked. "What did you think I meant when I said I wanted to talk?"

"That you were going to talk to me about my dad."

Dean frowned in confusion. "You looked worried when I first came to the car."

"Of course. I just saw you cut off that vamp's head with a machete. I've kinda grown attached to mine."

"You're a brat, you know that?" Dean chuckled and sat forward to muss up her blond hair. "I'd never hurt you, goofball. Yes, I was mad but I'm not going to sever your head."

"Good to know," Jorie deadpanned.

"Jorie!"

She lifted her hands up in a show of surrender, a smirk crossing her face. "Okay, Okay."

"When I tell you to stay put, you stay put! I mean it. You could have knocked off my concentration and that vamp could have taken my head off instead.

"You never even saw me."

"That's not the point."

"He wouldn't have taken your head off." Jorie countered.

"How do you know?"

Jorie smirked. "He wouldn't have wanted to waste a good meal."

This time Dean reached out and lightly smacked her on the back of the head. "Not funny. I'm serious. Winchester rules. If we tell you to stay put, you stay put. I'm not playing around about this. You could get hurt or knock Sam and me off our game. I need to know you're safe. It's bad enough I have to balance the monsters. I don't need to worry about you popping up out of nowhere. You got me?"

Jorie shrugged and nodded. "Yes, Dean."

Dean looked sternly at her and reached out to tap her on the nose. "Are you just saying yes to appease me or are you going to stay put next time? Be honest."

"I'll stay put, Dean. Now, will you tell me what you found out about my daddy?"

Dean heaved a sigh and reached out to pull her onto his lap, wrapping his muscular arms around her. "He said he'd only seen a Jargeru a few times in his lifetime."

"How do they get out of dreams"

"He didn't know."

"Great, so we're no further ahead now than before..."

"Wait. I'm not finished. He did say they fed off the human soul."

"How's that work?"

"Vamps suck blood. Jargeru's suck souls. We've seen it before with other creatures. Supernatural creatures don't follow any kind of playbook, Jore. You should know that by now."

Jorie stiffened and slipped off Dean's knee, turning to face him. "Don't patronize me, Dean." She'd heard Sam say that to Dean and it seemed fitting in this context.

Dean lifted a brow. "Patronize. Good word. Where did you hear that?"

Jorie crossed her arms feeling irritated with Dean's condescending attitude towards her. "I'm not just some dumb kid, you know." She was 10 years old and a hunter's kid. She'd been around the block a few times and wasn't completely naive where the supernatural was concerned. She'd learned a lot from her dad. She'd also done a lot of research on her own when her dad left her alone in the hotel rooms with the laptop.

Dean frowned when she stood silently glaring back at him. "Jorie, that's just the point, you are a kid." He sighed and considered her stubborn demeanour for a moment. "Okay. Well, Sam's gonna be back any minute so let's finish this."

Jorie felt her heart lurch in her chest. "Finish what?"

"This," said Dean. He reached out and flipped the little girl over his knee.

Jorie kicked her legs up in protest but couldn't do anything about her predicament when Dean pinned them down with his leg. Dean landed several sharp smacks on her prone backside. She yelped indignantly with each one but Dean stopped when he reached 10. He set her back on her feet and pointed a finger at her nose. "Consider that a warning, Jorie. Next time, it will be a real spanking. Winchester rules are the law around here. Am I understood?"

Jorie was surprised at how angry she felt about Dean swatting her. Her bottom throbbed alongside her temper and she turned away from him, throwing herself onto the bed and dissolving into sobs.

About 10 minutes later, Jorie was still sniffling when she heard Sam enter the room. She heard his voice of concern when he asked about her and then the two brothers left the room to talk. They tended to do that a lot so she couldn't hear what they were saying. Jorie was getting used to their secrecy. She sat up and walked across the room to peer out the window at them. She rubbed at her backend and sniffled again. Dean sure knew how to pack a wallop. The smacks had stung and she didn't like the feeling at all. She hated that he pinned her down and wouldn't let her up. She hated how much getting smacked hurt. Most of all, it made her mad. How dare he think he could bully her? If he thought that was going to work, he had another thing coming. She'd get back at him. Somehow.

Jorie carefully rolled open the decaying casement window and tried to quiet her racing heart enough to hear bits and pieces of the brothers' conversation.

"…probably shouldn't have done that…" she heard Dean say. He looked as upset as she felt.

Sam's arms were crossed and a very large upside-down U lingered on his forehead as his jaw worked out his emotions. For some reason, Jorie could always see a variety of emotions swimming across Sam's face. He wasn't very good at hiding how he felt. His feelings hung on his face for all to see.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Dean. What's done is done. You told her the rules and we've both been letting her away with stuff."

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "Next time, it's your turn. That sucked."

Sam held his hands up. " What? No way. You're the heavy. I'm the nice guy."

"Says who?"

"Says me. Besides, I wasn't the one who said I was going to spank her. You did."

Dean made a face. "Yeah, well, I only said it to scare her. I didn't think I'd have to do it."

"You didn't seem to mind smacking me when I was a kid." Sam pointed out, indignant.

Dean scoffed. "That's different. You weren't a little girl."

Sam chuckled this time and shook his head. "Face it, Dean. You're wrapped."

Dean leaned against the Impala looking beaten.

"You don't have to be like him, you know?"

Dean's face darkened. "I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Just 'cause Dad smacked us doesn't mean you have to smack her. There are other ways."

"Okay, then the next time she takes off, you handle it." Dean countered hitting Sam with a scathing look.

"You spanked her, Dean, so there shouldn't be a next time."

"Shut up, Sammy."

Jorie dropped the curtain and wiped more tears from her eyes. Her anger had dissipated some but she wasn't going to forgive Dean anytime soon. He was going to be sorry that he'd smacked her. She could still hear the low rumble of their voices as she walked back across the room and gingerly sat on the end of the bed. There was no way she was going to stay with them if this was going to be her fate. As much as she appreciated their help, she was willing to go it on her own to find her dad. Who better to follow his trail than she? She knew his habits, haunts and hobbies. The other thing she knew was if her dad was alive, he wouldn't give up until he found her either. Two people searching endlessly for each other were bound to find each other eventually, right?

Her eyes found her backpack and she thought about what else she might need. She had the clothes Sam had found her in, her boots and coat and a handful of new outfits Sam and Dean had bought for her. She had her knife. Her hand went to her necklace with the anti-possession charm on it and the small vial of holy water. Sam had thoughtfully refilled it for her. It didn't hold but a few ounces but it was enough to tell her what she needed to know in a pinch. She'd be okay on her own.

Jorie's eyes flew to the door when it open and Sam walked inside. He smiled at her kindly and closed the door.

"Where's Dean?" she asked, her guard up.

"He went for a drive to clear his head."

Jorie released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "So, is it your turn to hit me?"

Sam smiled in sympathy but seemed to ignore her baiting him. "Are you hungry? I brought back some supper. Come to the table and we'll have something to eat."

"I'm not hungry," she said, stubbornly. Her stomach rumbled irritably in disagreement with her pronouncement.

Sam opened the bags that were sitting on the round beat-up table in the centre of the room. She could smell chicken and it made her mouth water in anticipation. She fisted her hand and pressed it against her stomach to quiet it. She wasn't going to give Sam the pleasure of seeing her eat. Maybe a hunger strike would pay Dean back for hitting her.

"Suit yourself." Sam sat down and opened the Styrofoam containers of food. Chicken, roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes soon filled Sam's plate. He pulled out a carton of chocolate milk from another bag and a few containers of juice. Lastly, he pulled out some fruit and what looked like a pie. Saliva pooled in Jorie's mouth forcing her to swallow several times until she turned and threw herself back onto the bed. She cried as quietly as she could.

After a few minutes, she felt the bed dip beside her and she turned over to see Sam staring down at her. He rubbed a hand up and down her back. Jorie blinked back some tears and some escaped down her cheeks again.

"Dean's pretty good at leaving a sting behind, huh?"

Jorie nodded.

"Believe it or not, he's just as upset with himself as you are. He didn't want to do that but he felt like he had to. There aren't a lot of second chances in a hunter's life. The wrong move or a poor choice could get you or another person killed. My dad came up with Winchester rules when we were kids. He added and subtracted to them as we grew but mostly they stayed the same. Those rules made sure we got to grow up."

Jorie sat up a little. "So, don't slice Sam and Dean was a rule your dad made up?"

Sam chuckled and winked at her. "Actually, yes." He shrugged. "Boys will be boys. It was kinda funny how Dean slipped that one in on you. But you did slice him."

Jorie surprised herself by smiling at Sam. It was hard to be mad at Sam. "Where is your dad?"

Sam's face fell, a small sadness entering his eyes. "He died several years back."

"How?"

"A demon."

Jorie sat up completely now and leaned into Sam to hug him. "I'm so sorry, Sam."

Sam pulled her into his lap and enveloped her into his large chest. His thunderous heartbeat seemed to cause a feeling of contentment to wash over her. Sam was just so incredibly big all over and she felt like she could disappear into him never to be found again. He made her feel safe. Sam would make it very hard for her to leave. "It's okay, darling. It was a long time ago and I've dealt with my grief."

Tears sprang to her eyes suddenly. "Do you think my dad is dead now too?" It was her worst fear. The thought of her dad being dead sucked the air from her lungs making it almost impossible to breathe. Why hadn't he found her yet? Where was he?

"I dunno, Jorie but I can give you a promise you can take to the bank. You're safe with me and Dean. We'll take care of you until we can get you back to your dad, okay. No need to worry, okay?"

Jorie nodded into his chest, sniffling. Her stomach growled loudly this time making Sam chuckle. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and stood to his feet lifting her with him. "Let's go feed that wild animal inside you."

XXxXXxXX

Jorie woke with a start when she heard the door to the hotel room open and close softly. She'd learned over the years to sleep on a dime. She very rarely stayed sound enough asleep to not hear the goings-on around her. Her dad would make her lock and bolt the door when he left and she'd always woke up when he knocked to let him in. Tonight was no different. She sat up and stared into the darkness of the room. She could see the shadow of Dean's body in the dimness. His back was to her as he used the light of his phone to quietly rummage in the bags on the table for leftovers. The man sat down and kicked off his boots with a soft groan. To her left in the other twin bed, Sam slept soundly, his soft deep breathing telling her he wasn't likely to wake up.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Dean's deep voice whispered into the blackness.

Jorie slipped from the bed and wandered across the room to sit on the chair across from him. There was no time like the present to get a few things straight between them. Sam's kindness had persuaded her to stay but if Dean was going to continue his way of thinking, she could just as easily change her mind.

"Where were you?" she demanded to know, kind of surprised at how angry her voice sounded.

Dean held his phone light up, shining it on her face. "Still mad at me I see."

She glared at him a little. As she sat in the chair, she realized the sting was all but gone. Just her memory of it was still ignited.

"Where's my dad?"

Dean flicked off the light on his phone and allowed both their eyes to adjust to the dimness of the streetlight shining in through the thin curtains of the large window behind them. Jorie blinked a few times and watched the broad-shouldered man reach for a piece of cold fried chicken and take a large bite. He chewed slowly but never took his eyes from her. He pointed the chicken leg in her direction.

"How about you tell me about your dad? Mac Spencer was quite the character from what I remember. His mom spent more time chasing him around with a broom and he always seemed to outrun her. That is until my dad caught him."

Jorie stifled a yawn and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know much about my grandmother, Marjorie. My dad never talked about her much or about any Winchesters."

"Well, I only remember him as an arrogant teenager, kinda like myself, I guess. But my dad managed to keep us both in line. Mac didn't have a father as far as I knew."

"My dad said his dad was a hunter too and he died when he was little." Jorie scoffed. "Seems like hunters don't live long." Her voice caught in her throat. Her dad had been gone too long without contacting her and she was scared.

Dean took another bite. "They don't which is why you got to be smart." He dropped the chicken bone onto the table and pointed at her. "That's why you gotta listen to me and Sam." Dean reached for a leather journal sitting open on the table. "This here is my dad's journal. He wrote about every single creature and supernatural thing he'd ever come across or heard of anyone else fighting. Jorie, there is nothing in there about a Jargeru. Not one thing."

Jorie swallowed, feeling tears prick the back of her eyes.

"I've talked to a bunch of hunters…some really old and knew my dad and none of them have come across one. They have heard of them but no one has fought one or knows how to kill it. Hell, none of them even know how it could have gotten from the dream world to our world."

"But, you saw it!"

"I know I did. I'm not denying it's real. I'm just saying no one knows how to kill it. If it's got your dad, I can't make any promises here. That's all."

Jorie blinked back tears. "Well, we'll just use what we have. Lots of things kill the same kind of supernatural monsters. We won't know unless we try." She stood to her feet and walked towards the door to grab her jacket. "The sooner we find it, the sooner we can find my dad. He's been studying Jargeru's for a long time. He can tell you how to kill it."

Dean was on his feet and took her gently by the arm, crouching to her level. His green eyes were earnest. "Jorie, we have no leads and it's still dark outside. We need to wait until morning, study the lore and get some help on this."

"Who's gonna help us? We have to find my dad now!" Jorie shouted back, not caring if she woke up Sam.

"And we will, kid. One way or another we will but we have to be smart about this. We can't go off half-cocked. The best armour we have is knowledge. If we don't know what we're dealing with, we can't fight it even if we knew where to look. You're going to need to be patient, Jorie."

Jorie shoved Dean away hard enough that he stumbled backward but regained his balance before falling on his butt. Her hand went to the door but Dean caught her.

"Where are you going?" Dean muttered as he picked her up.

"Let me go," Jorie dissolved into sobs once again. "I need to find my daddy!"

Dean tried to embrace her but Jorie began kicking and struggling to get free of his restraining arms.

"Dean, what's going on?" Sam's groggy voice could be heard from across the room.

"Daddy!" Her desperate shriek echoed throughout the room.

XXxxXXxxXX

Mac Spencer startled awake, shivering with perspiration covering his face, "Jorie?"