Chapter 42

Jessie sat in her car waiting for the sun to go down. She was trying her best to keep her mind on her job, but it kept wandering to the life that was growing inside of her. She didn't know what she was going to do with it. But the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to keep it. She didn't know what was going to happen with the demons, or even what was going to happen with Sam. But at the moment it didn't matter. All she could think about was having a normal life with her child.

Since the days were beginning to get shorter, the darkness came much quicker than normal. If her mind hadn't been so preoccupied she might have remembered that, before it was almost too late. She hastily called Bobby to remind him what she was up to, then loaded her gun with silver bullets, once again placing it in the front of her pants and placing a flashlight into the pocket of her jacket. And when she was ready, she locked her car up and headed into the park.

The park was quiet as the darkness crept across it, devouring all light it touched. All except for the occasional lamp that was along the winding path that made its way from one end of the park to the other, and of course the nearly full moon which was steadily rising overhead. She was happy to find the park was nearly empty once the darkness had descended. She wasn't sure if it was always like this, or perhaps it was quiet due to the murders. Either way she was happy. She didn't need any witnesses around if she found the werewolf.

She scoured the entire park several times. Sometimes following the winding sidewalk, sometimes walking around the perimeter and sometimes just wandering around aimlessly. She didn't find any clues or even a sign of where a struggle may have taken place. She cursed this town's police force for being much more thorough than the last town's was.

She wandered close to the skate park that was in one of the far corners of the park. There were a few teenage boys performing skate tricks there earlier. But as she approached it this time, they seemed to be agitated, speaking in loud voices. She began to quicken her pace, trying to get closer to see what was going on. That was when she heard one of the boys scream in terror and the unmistakeable sound of a werewolf howl.

Jessie ran as fast as she could towards the boys, who seemed too stunned to move. Two of them had their backs to her, while the third was facing them. He was the werewolf.

"Run!" she said to the two boys as she ran up behind them.

They backed up slightly, but neither seemed too eager to take their eyes off of their friend.

"If you don't run, he will kill you," she explained matter-of-factly, while keeping her eyes on the werewolf.

One of the boys backed up a few more steps, but the other didn't move.

"I can't leave you here alone," the boy who didn't move replied.

She snorted. "Trust me. I can handle myself, boy."

"Come on, Randy," the other boy said shakily. "Let's get out of here."

The boy hesitated, obviously as much from fear as it was for chivalry.

Jessie couldn't wait any longer. The werewolf seemed to be waiting for something, but she wasn't sure how long he would continue to just watch. She reached for her gun at the same time the two teenage boys decided to bolt. She didn't even have a chance to completely pull it from her pants when the werewolf bolted as well, heading right after them. She ran after it, afraid to shoot at it while she couldn't get a clear shot. It took her a moment before she had an idea.

"Run in different directions!" she yelled at the boys, hoping they would listen.

It seemed to take a moment before her suggestion registered in their brains and they both began running in opposite directions. And as expected, it confused the werewolf just long enough for him to lose some ground, and for her to gain some. She aimed her gun as he seemed to be thinking about which boy he was going to run after, but he only stopped for a split second and she wasn't quick enough to get a clear shot.

The werewolf had decided to chase after the boy whom the other one had called Randy. She was happy about it first, since he seemed to be the quickest runner. That was until he tripped, sending him tumbling to the ground.

The werewolf was nearly on top of him in moments, so she did the only thing she could to stop him so she could catch up, she shot him twice in quick succession. The first shot he dodged, but the second hit him in the arm. He yelped in pain the moment it tore into his arm, however it didn't stop him, or even slow him down. He was much quicker than any werewolf she'd ever tangled with. Except perhaps the Alpha. Then again, she'd never seen a werewolf so young. She shot him again, but once again he barely flinched. She hadn't wanted to get closer to him, but he had left her no choice. With no clear shot of his heart, she was going to have to force him to open himself up.

She retrieved her silver knife from the sleeve of her jacket, deftly slicing his outstretched arm from the elbow to his shoulder. He screamed in agony, dropping the boy who he'd grabbed by the shirt, turned around quickly and backhanded her, making contact with her shoulder. The force of the blow sent her to the ground, landing on her hands and knees. She was momentarily stunned, but the stinging pain from her shoulder where his claws had managed to break skin kept her from losing it for more than a moment. She dodged out of his way by rolling to the side as he lunged at her, kicking him in the face, sending him stumbling backwards a few steps.

She got up on her hands and knees again in an attempt to grab her gun and knife, which she'd lost when she'd been knocked down. But as she reached out for for the knife, which was closer, the werewolf grabbed a hold of her leg and began pulling her towards him. She desperately tried to reach the knife, screaming in pain as his claws ripped through her jeans and into the flesh just above her ankles. She kicked at his face with her other leg as he dragged her closer. She reached out for her gun, which was lying not far from her, but her fingers weren't quite long enough to grasp it while she was struggling against the enraged beast. He reached out his other hand in an attempt to grab her flailing leg, when the boy bashed him across the back with a long branch, momentarily stunning him.

As the werewolf slackened his grip on her leg, she told the boy to run, pulled her leg free and dove for her gun. But as she finally managed to get a hold of her gun, she heard the boy release a blood curdling scream. She turned around quickly, noticing the werewolf had a hold of the boy by one arm, which was now bent at an odd angle. She aimed her gun carefully, shooting him through the back. The bullet ripped through his chest, piercing his heart. He fell to the ground in a heap, never to move again.

Jessie released her breath, which she hadn't realized she'd been holding before trying to get to her feet. She was unsteady on her feet, but she managed to hobble over to the boy, who was now sitting in the grass with a dumbfounded look etched on his face. She wasn't sure if it was because he was in extreme pain, he was shocked about the death of his friend, or perhaps a combination of both.

"Hey, let's get you outta here," she said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He glanced up at her with a mixture of pain, fear and sadness. "What about him? What was he?"

"You're hurt. You should be worrying about yourself."

He glanced at his broken arm quickly before turning back to her. "You didn't answer my question."

She sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

He snorted. "I think I'm ready to believe just about anything."

She smiled lightly in amusement. "He was a werewolf."

The boy looked at her strangely before glancing up in the sky. "The moon isn't full."

She chuckled lightly. "It doesn't work like that. But I don't have time to explain. I have to leave before the cops get here."

He looked at her with confusion. "Why?"

She stepped over to the now dead boy, lifting his head up so Randy could see his face. "Do you see this?" She asked before setting his head back down. "The cops won't believe us if we tell them he was a werewolf, because he looks normal now that he's dead."

"Oh."

"Yeah. And I'd be looking at murder one."

"But you're not a murderer. You're a hero," he replied with admiration in his eyes.

She tried not to smirk, but she couldn't help it. "I'm not a hero."

He began trying to stand up, but was finding it difficult with only one good arm. So she grabbed his good arm, helping him to his feet, wincing in pain slightly.

"Thank you," he said, before looking at her in concern. "Are you okay?"

The wounds on her shoulder and leg were aching painfully, but she was in more pain than the visible injuries. She wasn't sure, but she thought the struggle with the werewolf had pulled a muscle in her leg. She also felt some cramping in her stomach.

"I've been hurt worse," she replied nonchalantly. "I'll be fine."

He was about to say something else, when his friend came running back towards them.

"Now that your friend is here, I have to leave," she began to explain. "There is no possible way the cops will believe the truth."

"What do we tell them?"

"Tell them he attacked you and someone came to help you. You could always tell them you don't remember much after he broke your arm."

"But I don't want them to catch you. You saved my life."

If she hadn't been in so much pain she might have laughed. But she had a difficult time finding humor in the situation at this point.

"I'll be fine as long as you don't give them an accurate description."

"I won't do that."

She nodded her head and was about to walk away, when she gazed at him sadly. "I'm really sorry about your friend. If there was any other way—"

He nodded his head in acknowledgement with a sorrowful look.

She headed back to her car as quickly as she could, despite the pain becoming more and more intense with every step. It took much longer and seemed much farther away than she'd remembered. But she eventually stumbled inside, her shaky hands barely able to fish her keys from the pocket of her pants and start the car. Thankfully, the motel wasn't far from the park. She was finding it difficult to stay concious while she was driving.

When she finally made it back to the motel, she managed to drag herself into the room and sit down on the bed, rustling through her dufflebag for her medical kit. It was the last thing she remembered until much later, when she woke up on the floor in a pool of blood. She was confused as to why there was so much blood and had no idea where it could have come from. Then she recalled she was pregnant and assumed the worst. She tried to pick herself up from the floor so she could get to her phone, but she was too weak from loss of blood to move herself more than a few feet, not anywhere near her phone. As she continued to try and get to her phone she found herself slipping into unconsciousness again.

Jessie's eyes fluttered open, but she found it difficult to keep them that way. They felt incredibly heavy. But eventually she was able to keep them open, not fully open, but enough to see.

She had known by the sounds around her that she was in the hospital. But being able to open her eyes only confirmed what she'd already known. She had no idea how she'd gotten there, and she was afraid to find out. But as if he knew exactly what she was thinking at that moment, the man responsible for helping her stepped up beside her.

"Crowley?" she said with surprise.

He grinned at her looking very amused with himself.

"Hello, my dear."

She closed her eyes for a moment to think, since her brain was a little hazy. When she opened them again, he was standing closer to her.

"Don't bother speaking. You need to save your strength."

She glanced at him with confusion, opening her mouth to ask something, but he put his hand up to hush her.

"The baby is fine, for now," he said sternly. "We will speak about everything when you're a bit stronger."

"But—"

"End of discussion," he replied, cutting her off midsentence.

She relented, but she didn't like it. He had obviously saved herself and her child's life. She knew that meant she was indebted to him now, and she knew he would definitely collect what was owed him. She could only hope the price wasn't too high.

"Before I go," he said with a strange look. "Your cover story—you were attacked by a large dog."

She nodded her head in acknowledgement before closing her eyes, surrendering to her exhaustion.

She drifted in and out of consciousness for the next twenty four hours, prefering to sleep if she could. She didn't remember much about the moments she was awake, except for the nurses or doctors poking and prodding at her. It was sometime the next day that she finally woke enough to sit up and have something to eat. She had just finished eating her lunch when Crowley showed up again.

"Hello, darling," he greeted her with a slight smile.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Are you looking for a thank you, Crowley? Because that's not happening."

He smirked. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"I'm glad you understand," she said with narrowed eyes. "Now I need to get out of here."

He gazed at her curiously. "Have you spoke with a doctor?"

"Not yet. Why?"

"You're in no shape to leave."

She narrowed her eyes again. "I have to leave. Sam, Dean and Bobby are gonna wonder where the hell I am. And I can't very well tell them I'm in a hospital."

He gazed at her with annoyance. "I could care less what you tell them. They're the least of my worries right now."

"Well they're all I care about at the moment."

His eyes narrowed for a moment. "You should be worried about yourself. You're lucky I was the one who found you and not Meg."

She rolled her eyes. "She wants me alive."

He snorted. "Alive, yes. Comfortable, no."

"When are you gonna tell me what you want with me and my child?"

He gazed at her shrewdly with the tiniest hint of a grin. "I already told you. I don't want Meg to get her hands on you."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Why didn't you let me die then? Why save me and the baby?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"In due time, Jessie," he replied with finality. "My suggestion to you right now is to get away from the Winchesters."

"That's not gonna happen."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Your funeral."

She sighed loudly. "Maybe if you explained what the hell you're talking about..."

He gazed at her shrewdly again, pondering his answer. "I'll tell you soon enough."

She opened her mouth to ask another question, but he'd turned his back and left before she even had a chance.

Jessie shook her head in frustration, lying her bead back on the bed. She only wanted to run everything Crowley had said through her mind, trying to make sense of it all, when she dozed off. When she woke up next, it was from a nurse who was holding her cell phone out to her.

"This thing has been ringing every few minutes for the last hour," she said with irritation.

She smiled apologetically as she took the phone from her hand, waiting until the nurse had left before checking who had been calling. She wasn't surprised to find several missed calls from Bobby, Sam and Dean. But she was surprised to find one from Mike. She wondered if they'd actually tried calling him to see if he knew where she was, or if it was just a coincedence. While she didn't believe in coincedence, she really hoped that's all it was this time. Mike was the one person she'd always been able to trust with any secret, and she really needed someone like that right now.

She set her phone on the bed beside her and laid her head back again to try and rest, but she'd only just closed her eyes when it went off again. She picked it up quickly to see who it was, taking a moment to decide if she should answer it.

"Hey, Sam," she said, trying to keep her voice from sounding suspicious.

"Jessie," he said with exasperation. "You had me worried. Where've you been?"

She wished she'd had time to prepare a story. She was good, but she knew Sam was better. She swallowed hard, hoping she'd be able to pull this off.

"In the hospital."

"What?! Where?!"

"It's okay, Sam. I wasn't hurt that badly," she lied. "I was only there for a day, then I got back to my motel room and slept pretty much since then."

"What happened?"

"I thought the werewolf fractured my leg, but it was only a torn ligament."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments.

"Are you sure you're really okay, Jess?" he asked with concern.

"Are you calling me a liar, Sam?" she asked with fake irritation, although it broke her heart to snap at him.

"No, no, nothing like that. I, uh, just think you, uh, usually downplay how hurt you are," he stammered.

She closed her eyes for a moment trying to ease her guilt.

"Fine. I underestimated the werewolf and he roughed me up a little. All I need is a bit of rest and I'll be back to normal."

"Where are you right now?"

"Sam... I'll meet you at Bobby's in a couple of days. Okay?"

There was silence for a moment, then she heard some whispering and what sounded like a struggle over the phone, then a distinctive click. She knew she was now on speaker phone.

"That is most definitely not okay," Dean said. "Since Sam isn't going to put his foot down, I will."

She shook her head in mild disbelief, but she couldn't help but smirk slightly. If she hadn't been lying to both of them, she might have found the situation humorous. Or at the very least, sweet that they cared so much.

"Nice try, Dean."

"If you're not gonna listen to us, we'll just call Bobby."

She wanted to laugh, the whole situation should've been funny. Dean being a tattle tale, running to tell Bobby. But she felt so guilty she wanted to cry.

"It's nice that you care, Dean. But I'll be fine. I just need a couple of days to myself," she replied as evenly as possible. "Now take it off speaker and hand the phone back to Sam."

She heard a click and some shuffling then the familiar sound of Sam's breathing.

"He means well," he said, sounding apologetic.

The guilt hit her again, making her stomach lurch.

"I know, Sam. I'm not angry. I just wish you could trust me."

"I do. I just—I don't know, I just worry about you."

A silent tear fell from her eye. "I know," she replied breathlessly.

He was silent for a few moments, except for the sound of his breathing. She imagined he must have been running his fingers through his hair, like he usually does when he's frustrated.

"I love you, Jessie."

The way he said it made her think he was upset, maybe even sad. Another tear ran down her cheek.

"I love you, too, Sam," she replied, desperately trying to keep her voice from wavering.

"I'll see you soon."

"Bye."

She ended the call quickly before she broke down, then turned off the ringer. She knew the GPS had already been turned off or they would've already known where she was. But she double checked anyway, just to be safe, before putting it on the table beside her bed and laying down. She hadn't intended to sleep, but the next thing she knew a nurse was waking her up to eat dinner.

After dinner she did pretty much the same thing she'd done after lunch—sleep. She was tired, but it wasn't the only reason. She was upset and depressed about everything that had happened and she was unsure where to go from here. She didn't want to believe anything Crowley had told her, but somehow she believed he was looking out for her. She knew it was for a completely selfish reason, for which she was still confused about, but she knew he was trying to keep her safe. She only doubted his method. And most importantly, she didn't trust him one bit.

She woke up sporadically through the night, unable to sleep for more than an hour at a time. She was feeling antsy and desperately wanted out of the hospital. She'd promised the nurses that she would wait until she could speak to the doctor when he came by to see her in the morning, but after that, all bets were off. She hated being cooped up anywhere. But nowhere more than a hospital.

She was awake and out of bed by eight in the morning, despite the objections of the nurses. She was sick of being in the bed. All she wanted was out of the bed and out of the hospital. She'd never been a good patient and she wasn't about to start now.

The doctor finally showed up shortly after she'd had breakfast, not that she could call what she ate breakfast. If she'd hadn't been so hungry, she wouldn't have even touched it. He began to explain what had happened using a lot of medical terms, some she understood, some she didn't. The only information she was interested in was her limitations. He wanted her to stay off her feet for awhile and no heavy physical activity. She guessed that meant no hunting. She wasn't sure she liked that idea, but she knew it was imperative to follow his instructions if she didn't want to have a miscarriage. A week ago she might have thought it was for the best, but she'd begun to feel differently about the baby the more time that passed. And when she'd initially woke up in her motel room covered in blood, she was upset and scared that she'd lost the baby. She had been relieved when Crowley had told her it was fine.

Immediately after the doctor left, Jessie began looking through her dufflebag, which had been brought with her to the hospital. She knew it must have been Crowley's doing, which only made her realize how indebted she was to him. But since she felt she was already completely screwed, she hoped he'd also managed to bring her car as well.

She filled out numerous papers to check herself out against medical advice, ignoring the scornful looks from several nurses. They'd already voiced their concerns loud and clear, but there was no way she was staying in the hospital a minute longer than was necessary. She wasn't planning on doing anything strenous for awhile, so there was no reason for them to worry.

She was walking out of the hospital when her car pulled up in front of her. Normally, she might have thought it was a look-a-like, but she knew her car anywhere. She stopped where she was for a moment, when the driver's side door opened and a familiar figure climbed out.

"Hello, my dear," Crowley greeted her with a grin.

"What the hell are you doing driving my car?" she asked angrily.

"Should I have let you walk?" he asked sarcastically, then narrowed his eyes. "Just get in and let's go."

She shook her head furiously. "No way in hell. I'm driving."

He walked around the car, handing her the keys. "Fine."

She threw her dufflebag in the back of the car before she climbed into the driver's side, wondering if she'd suddenly gone insane. She didn't know why she was allowing Crowley to assist her, but losing her mind seemed to be the only answer that made any sense.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

"That's completely up to you," he replied tersely.

She glanced at him quickly before turning her eyes back on the road. "Things would go a lot easier if you would just tell me what the hell it is you want."

"I thought you would have figured that out by now," he once again replied tersely.

She shook her head in frustration. "I have, but I have no clue what it means."

"We'll discuss all of it very soon," he replied.

"Why not now?"

He was silent for a moment before he answered. "Because several things need to happen before you're even ready to know everything."

She snorted. "You're so full of shit, Crowley."

He chuckled lightly. "Am I?"

"Yeah."

He turned his gaze towards her. "How do you feel about the baby right now, Jessie?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked defensively.

"It has everything to do with it."

She wasn't exactly sure what he was getting at, but she was ready to throw him out of the car—while it was still moving.

"If that's all you're gonna say then you might as well get out of the car."

"Fine. But first I want you to think about something," he said, waiting until she responded by nodding her head. "What lengths are you willing to go through to protect this baby's life? The baby of the man you claim to love so much."

She inhaled once deeply to calm herself before pulling the car over to the side of the road. "Get out!"

"I guess I hit a nerve," he commented quietly before leaving the car.

The moment the door closed she floored the gas pedal, trying to put as much distance between herself and Crowley as she could. She had no idea where she was going to go, but her first thought was to head home. It had always been her sanctuary and always would be, married or not. She knew she'd be safe there from everyone.

It was a long drive home from where she was. And much of the time she found herself thinking about the last thing Crowley had said. She didn't know the answer to his question now, any more than she had when he had asked it. Even after running it through her head, she couldn't come up with a straight answer. She knew she'd been upset when she thought she'd lost the baby, but at the same time, she wasn't sure if she wanted it. It was all very confusing.

It was late by the time she drove her car up the familiar driveway to her house, and she was exhausted. She'd only stopped once during the whole trip to eat and use the bathroom, she'd wanted to get home so badly. Once she dragged her belongings in the house, she realized the ringer on her phone was still turned off. She was going to turn it on, but she was too tired to deal with anyone at the moment. All she wanted to do was climb into bed and enjoy the quiet bliss that sleep would bring. After setting her alarm system, she headed up to her bedroom, climbed into bed, falling asleep almost instantly, not waking until late the next morning.

After showering and eating, Jessie finally turned the ringer back on her phone. She had several messages, but she didn't bother listening to them, she was sure they all pretty much said the same thing. Instead, she just decided to call Sam and get it over with.

She kept the call as brief as she could, offering up very little information other than she was okay. She really hated lying to him, but she needed more time alone to figure out what she was going to do about the baby. If only she knew what Crowley wanted she might even consider telling Sam. But until she knew something concrete, she just couldn't.

It was much later in the day when there was a knock at her door. She checked the monitor on her security camera, very displeased by who it was. However, it hadn't been unexpected.

"What do you want, Crowley?" she asked as she opened the door.

He grinned. "Why don't we discuss this outside?"

"Why don't we discuss this inside?" she asked sarcastically.

He narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "You know I can't come in."

"That's right, I do," she replied with a grin. "I'm safe as long as I'm inside this door."

He shook his head just slightly. "I've never tried to hurt you."

"And you're not gonna start today."

He shook his head again in disbelief. "All I've ever done is try to help you, and this is the thanks I get?"

"Yeah, thanks," she replied sarcastically. "Do you want a cookie? Or an award?"

"Damn, Winchesters," he mumbled under his breath, making her smile.

"Why don't you tell me why you're here—again?" she asked.

He grinned slightly. "Did you think about the answer to my question?"

She wanted to tell him she hadn't. But the truth was she had, and she had an answer. She just wasn't sure it was the right one.

"I did."

"Are you willing to do whatever you need to to protect your child?"

"Yes," she replied hesitantly.

"Then we have some things to discuss," he replied ominously.

A/N: Another chapter so soon you say? Yup. Funny how losing your internet for 2 days can give you inspiration lol. Actually, it was almost completed before I lost it anyway. I also have another chapter written, but not proofread. I'm gonna give it a few days. You know, for suspense lol. So what do you think Crowley really wants? He seems to have taken a huge personal interest in Jessie's health and welfare, hasn't he?

Thanks for reading!