Note: It's been a long time since I've posted, so I'm going to give you two chapters at once.

Chapter 28

Johnny grimaced. "I told you my sister says she knows the surviving victim . . . did you say John Winchester?"

"Yes," said the voice on the telephone.

"The boy's father?"

"Dean's father, yes," Jim said. "I've known John for more than twenty years, and I've known his boys nearly as long. You say your sister knows Dean?"

"She says she saw him yesterday."

"She saw him yesterday?"

Johnny knew he was repeating his words for the benefit of the man in the car with him, but it was getting irritating. "Look, she's asking me for help protecting herself from demons. I don't know how much credence to put in her fears, but she's never asked for anything like this before. Mostly she rejects God and all His works, so I really don't want to put her off."

"Did she give you a reason why she thinks she needs protection?" He heard a deep voice in the background and Jim speaking more quietly, clearly to the other man. "From demons, John, hush."

"Well, she says, and she said your friend there confirmed it, that Dean was attacked by a demon."

There was silence for a moment, then Jim spoke to his companion. "You confirmed a demon attack over the phone?"

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" said the distant voice of John Winchester. "It's not like I hadn't already met the girl, and she claims to have her own angel . . . or, no, Cas confirmed it."

Johnny cleared his throat. "Did he just say that 'Cas' confirmed that Grace has her own angel?"

"Yes," Jim said. "So, your sister is Detective Grace Hanadarko?"

"She is," Johnny said, his heart sinking. So some portion of her crazy story was true. "Jim, what's going on here?"

"Some of what the church has always taught us is true, Johnny," Jim said reluctantly. "Look, I really don't like talking about this on cell phone, but your sister may very well be in danger."

"Demons? You've got to mean demons, because I don't remember the church teaching anything about angels in trench coats."

"The angel wears a trench coat?"

Before Johnny could formulate an answer, he heard John Winchester. "Yeah, but I don't think I told –"

"Johnny told me, John," Jim said, sounding irritated. "Johnny, yes, demons are real. They do possess people, and the church doesn't always notice quick enough. Tell your sister to keep holy water on her at all times and to draw a line of rock salt across all thresholds."

"I gave her holy water. Is that it?" John Winchester spoke loudly at the same time as Jim started to respond, obliterating the sense of both voices. "I didn't get that, Jim," Johnny said.

"That's the easiest passive protection you can get. There's more that can be done, but I can't show you over the phone. I'd have to come out."

"All she needs is passive protection," John said in the background. "Tell him his sister –"

"I'm not a translator, John."

There were some strange noises on the phone, and then the voice speaking directly to him changed. "This is John Winchester. I – um . . ."

"Father John Hanadarko," Johnny said. "Grace's older brother."

"Tell Princess Little-Feather to keep her butt out of this mess. She'll be safer, you'll be happier, and I won't have to worry about her."

Johnny ignored the foolish name. Grace had been playing that game for years, now. "My sister's not very good at staying out of things," Johnny observed.

"I can't be responsible for keeping her safe if she insists on getting involved," the other man said irritably. "And if she draws the attention of demons down on her, it could endanger you, her friend Rhetta, and any other members of your family there might be."

"I'll tell her, but she's a cop, so –"

"Exactly, she's a cop. She isn't equipped to handle demons, and she's got her own very important job to do. Someone's got to deal with purely human problems."

"Okay, I'll tell her. I don't know if she'll listen."

"Make her listen. You're a priest, you should have some authority."

"Have you met my sister?"

John could well imagine trying to assert authority over a sister like Grace Hanadarko. "How the hell did I get in the middle of this?" he demanded. "Look, Father, I've got enough problems with my own family. I can't fix yours." He hit the end button and tossed the phone into Jim's lap before starting the truck up again and pulling back out onto the road.

"Did you just hang up on him?" Jim asked.

"Yeah. Why, do you go to hell for hanging up on a priest?"

"Well, he is a Catholic priest, John. My opinion on that subject might be suspect."

John rolled his eyes. "Where was I?"

"The angel was about to smite Grace, I believe," Jim said without a trace of humor in his tone, but John just bet he was laughing inside.

"Do you ever get the feeling that someone's messing with us?"

"All the time."

Johnny walked into [name of bar] and saw Grace downing a beer. He walked up next to her and nodded towards the bartender. Accepting his own beer, he swallowed a good portion of it before speaking. "I spoke to my friend."

"Did you guys have a nice conversation?" Grace asked.

"It was interesting." Johnny swallowed another third of his beer. "He was in a car with John Winchester."

Her eyebrows rose and she leaned back. "No shit."

Johnny took in a breath, let it out slowly and said, "No shit."

"Why would he have been with John?"

"Apparently, they've been friends for years, and he's known the boys since they were little. I'd guess he came to see Dean."

"What did he say?"

"Well, among other things, they said, between them, that Castiel had confirmed that you have an angel of your own."

"Well, I do. And why does it take a total stranger telling you for you to believe it and not me?"

"Reverend Jim Murphy is not a total stranger, Grace," Johnny said. "And you've told me enough whoppers since you were old enough to talk that I think I can be excused for doubting your honesty."

Grace scowled at him. "That's just not fair."

"Life is supposed to be righteous, not fair," Johnny said.

"Can't it be both?" Grace asked.

"You're not ten," Johnny retorted. "Can we move on?"

"So, did they tell you how I can help?"

"Actually, John told me that you need to do your job because someone's got to deal with . . . how did he put it . . . purely human problems."

"I didn't say I was going to quit doing my job," Grace protested.

"He says you're not equipped."

"That's why I wanted to find out what to do, so I would be equipped."

"I don't know what to tell you, Grace. All they gave me was passive protections."

"Damn it. And Earl won't help me, he told me stay away from all of this."

"Your angel told you to stay away from this, and you didn't?"

"I'm not real good at following orders," Grace said. "I thought you knew that."

"Oh yeah, I know it," Johnny said. "Maybe that's part of the point, you have to learn how to follow orders?"

"Well, then I'm going to Hell."

"That's not funny, Grace," Johnny said in a throttled voice. "If demons and angels are both real, then so is Hell."

"No kidding," his sister replied. "But I'm still me. I'm still the girl who has to ask why and argue before I do what you tell me, if I even do it then. That's not going to change."

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I took a couple of personal days," Grace said carelessly, and Johnny stared at her in surprise. Grace never took time off. "Kate really wanted me to, and I couldn't come up with a good reason not to, so here I am." She raised her beer in a toast.

"What are you going to do?"

"I thought I'd drink for a while."

"Grace, that's not any kind of solution."

"Nope, but it passes the time."