Chapter 2.

"I need to tell her everything, Dean, and she's coming along", Jess heard Sam say as she was coming about.

"No! Under no circumstances, you cannot jeopardize everything dad worked so hard for, for a chick", Dean replied.

They were arguing. Jess decided not to notify them of her consciousness just yet.

"She is not just a chick, she is my fiancée, Dean. She is part of the family, and I am telling her everything. Don't we always say family comes first? And if this thing came after her, then I am back in the family business 100%, and so is she.", Sam replied categorically.

"What if she doesn't want to be? Huh? What if this thing freaks her out so much and she bails? Then what, Sam? She goes around telling everything?", Dean countered.

"She won't", Sam replied, but Jess could hear some uncertainty in his voice, which saddened her. They'd said forever and for always just a few weeks back, and she meant it. "And even if she would, who would believe her Dean? Do you realise how crazy this whole thing is?"

Jess could hear Dean ready a reply, but she decided she'd heard enough. She wanted to know, she wanted to be by Sam and if facing the yellow-eyed man again was the price she'd have to pay, she was willing to pay it.

"I won't what?", she said, pretending to have just woken up. She turned around to see Sam sitting in a chair next to her and Dean in the door.

"Jess!", Sam explained and got up from his chair. He cupped her face in his hands and gave her a soft peck on the lips. As happy as she was to taste his sweet kiss, she pushed him back.

"I won't what?", she repeated the question.

"You won't be hungry when you wake up", Dean said, trying to change the topic.

"Cut the crap, Dean", Sam replied. "I'm telling her, you don't have veto rights on this."

Dean turned to leave but Jess called out.

"No, stay. I heard the whole conversation just before", she admitted. "I understand Dean has doubts", she said now turning towards him. "It's OK, you don't know me. But I am here to stay. Whatever Sam's gotten himself into, I be there, I wanna help.'

'He hasn't gotten himself into anything and we don't need your help", replied Dean stingily.

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but Jess, who was now sitting up on the bed holding his hand, squeezed it gently to signify she had this.

"No, you don't", Jess replied. "But I know Sam", Dean rolled his eyes. "No, Dean listen, I know he is your brother, I get that. I am not here to get in the way of that or to imply in any way that I know him better, but I know him in my own way, and I know he needs me. Not only because I make him stronger, and better, which I do, but also because if you leave now and if you take him with you, part of him will always stay behind with me. He will be unfocused and he will always yearn to come back to me. I know him like this, Dean."

"Listen, Jane"

"Jess", she corrected him instantly. She had a feeling the mistake was on purpose, to belittle her.

'Yea, Jess.. Chicks, they come and go, we can't afford that in our line of work. This is a permanent job, it's for life. And it's ugly. I am arguing about this for you, not against you. For your safety", he said.

"All right", Jess nodded. "Let's have it your way. Lay it on me, and let me decide if it's too much for me, and if not, I'll bail. As Sam said, who will believe me anyway? That shit was straight out of The Exorcism. I promise I'll be honest, and I'll consider my limits". She concluded.

Dean did not seem happy, but shrugged.

"You heard her, Sam, lay it on her."

"Right, thanks for your permission", Sam replied, sarcastically.

"So, Jess, let me start off by saying how truly, awfully, terribly sorry I am for getting you in this. I wanted out, I wanted a normal life, and I wanted all of that with you.", Sam began, turning towards Jess.

She opened her mouth to speak, to assure him, but he lifted a hand gently, indicating he will not be taking any confidence boosters, nor any brief self-assuring remarks at this time.

"I wanted all of that with you, and since I met you, I've been neglecting my old life, trying to forget it perhaps. And if I had ever known this was going to happen, I would have never, and you have to believe me, NEVER put you in this position. I love you so very dearly and fiercely, and I know you do too, but I am not sure any of that will matter once you step into this life."

"Sam.." Jess tried again, but again he stopped her.

"Your life is about to change at its very core, but I think you understand that now after what you've been through tonight. And I am afraid you will never be safe again, so, unlike my brother, I think to tell you everything is to protect you. The long story short, those monsters you see in horror movies, you hear about in bed-time stories? They are real. Well, at least some of them are. And my brother and I, we hunt them, like our dad taught us. What happened to you tonight is the reason why, in fact. Our mother died when I was a baby, in the same way that you almost did. My dad swore to get revenge, and in his quest for revenge, he became a monster hunter."

"You mean the yellow-eyed man?", Jess asked.

"What yellow-eyed man, Jess?", Sam asked.

"There was a man in the bedroom, he did this to me, somehow"

"A man?', Dean interfered. Jess could see the conversation sparked his interest. "You mean to say you've seen what did this to you? To our mom?"

"Yes, it was a man, about your height, older, maybe 50s, average looking but with yellow-eyes", Jess replied, trying to recollect and relate every single detail about the man. "I'm guessing you've never met him?"

"No, this is the closest we've had any sort of information on what killed our mom in 20 years", Dean replied. "We never got any closer, our dad now says he has a lead, he's gone off on his own for a while. We haven't heard back from him, that's what Sam and I have been doing, trying to get to him track him down."

"This changes everything, Dean. We need to stay here, keep looking around. He's here, and if he comes back, we'll be ready", Sam said.

"No", Dean replied. "We need to talk to dad, we need to know what he knows. We can't be prepared if we don't know what to prepare against. I think we need to get out of dodge, and fast."

Sam opened his mouth to protest, but Jess interfered quickly.

"I think your brother is right, Sam", she said, placing her hand gently on his forearm. "That man.. He was not human. He lifted me up with sheer will power, he set me on fire with his mind. Do you know a monster that does that?"

They both shook their heads.

"Then, I don't want us to be bait. I want to know how to fight, and I want to know what I have to fight against."

The brothers realized her demand was fair enough, and eventually agreed that all three were to leave right away. Dean argued vehemently against Jess coming with them, words like danger, liability, chicks and other such slurs, some more insulting, others a little less, were used in exchanges, but to no avail. Jess explained that she was going to be with her fiancé and that she wanted to be able to defend herself. She did not have much going on at Stanford. As opposed to Sam, who was studying to be a lawyer, Jess was practicing her writing skills. She did not care much about college, as much as she did about being alive. If things would take too long, she'd freeze a year, or two. The sooner they got this thing sorted, the faster Sam and her could go back to being normal. Dean laughed at that last bit, but Sam assured her that that's what he wants too. So, it was settled. Go find means to kill yellow-eyes, kill yellow-eyes and then make beautiful, curly haired babies with tall husband. Jess could see no flaws in this plan, not for the time being anyway.