A/N: Thank you to all who chose to read my story. I hope you are enjoying it and like the new character. I do like reviews/comments. NC

Chapter 2

Several days had passed since she had heard from the guys. It was almost time for Storm to go downstairs and open the bar. She frowned when her cell started ringing and answered it.

"Hello," Storm said wonder who would be calling her. She knew it wasn't Dean or her Dad or Sam.

"Girlfriend! It's been a while how are you?" a bubbly female voice greeted her.

"Breeze?" Storm questioned. "Is it really you?"

"The one and only. Are you still running the bar with your Dad?"

"More or less by myself really, but yes. Dad is away a lot helping veteran's groups around the country."

"That sounds like Gunny. I'm back in the states for good now and staying with Dad and Ledge. I mustered out and am kind of deciding what to do next. Are you around this weekend by chance?"

"I am, the bar is opened Saturday night, and then closed for the next three nights. It opens back up Wednesday."

"How about some company? That is, if you're free."

"I'd love it! I can't wait to see you, Bree. Come on by Saturday evening and enjoy a drink at the bar."

"You got it Sis. I look forward to it. See you Saturday."

"It's a date. Bye girlfriend." Storm smiled to herself as she pictured Breeze in her head. They had grown up living next to each other and both their Dads were in the military. They even got stationed at the same base a couple of times over the years and Storm and Breeze stayed in touch. Breeze was her extended family.

Breeze followed in her family's footsteps and joined the military right out of high school. She had worked in the communication/computer field and spend several years overseas in Germany and England before returning to the states. Breeze was a year older than Storm, but it didn't matter, they thought of each other as sisters from another mother. It had been years since they had seen each other, and both were excited about getting together.

Storm headed down to the bar to get it ready to open, humming to herself in a very good mood. She put the cash in the cash registers, checked the bathrooms, did a quick wipe down of the table tops and bar, and unlocked the front doors before turning on the open sign. She smiled when she saw Norm and Hank walking across the parking lot.

"Good afternoon gentlemen," Storm greeted them as he held the door open so they could enter.

"You're in a good mood," Hank surmised. "Your boyfriend coming to visit?"

"No, not yet, but a dear friend I haven't seen in several years is this weekend."

"That's nice," Norm offered.

"I'm hoping Dean and Sam might stop by too, so I can introduce them."

"And where are the brothers now?"

"They're on their way to Wisconsin. I'm sure Dean will be calling tonight or tomorrow to let me know."

"Those boys do get around. Guess it keeps the job from getting boring."

"That they do." Storm went behind the bar and tied her apron around her waist.

Norm and Hank didn't know exactly what Dean and Sam did hunting monsters, but they knew they traveled a lot and sometimes when they showed back up, they had injuries. Both were private people and didn't pry into other peoples' business. They didn't talk about anything seen or heard at the bar, knowing how to keep tight lips.

spn

"Do you know why Dad would send us to Fitchburg?" Sam asked cautiously, not wanting to rile his brother since he was in an ill mood but hoped he would tell him what was bothering him.

"He must have found something," Dean shrugged. "Or he wouldn't have sent us the coordinates to the town."

"How long before we get there?"

"By afternoon probably."

Sam bit his lower lip as he tried to think of another way to get Dean to talk. Maybe he'd take Storm up on her offer and let her try to get the information.

"Are we going to see Storm after this hunt?"

"I was thinking about it. I want to see how she's really doing after everything that happened to her."

"Yeah, I should call her and see myself how she's holding up," Sam said absently not wanting to give away he had already spoke with her.

"You and Stormy seemed to have a special relationship," Dean surmised. "I'm glad."

"Yes, we do. She seems to know what to say and doesn't judge me in any way. She's the sister I always wanted. Are you sure you got the coordinates, right? I've looked and can't find anything that sounds like our kind of thing."

"Yeah, it's Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Dad wouldn't be sending us if there weren't red flags about the area. I'm sure we'll find something to kill."

Sam frowned and looked at Dean not sure how to take his last statement. He still thought Dean was holding something back from him and wasn't sure why. Sam settled into the seat and ended the conversation for now. Dean didn't say anything else as he fiddled with the radio searching for a station. They stopped several times to gas up and eat before reaching Fitchburg in the afternoon.

Sam leaned against the Impala as he gazed at a playground near where they had parked. He was waiting on Dean to come out of the café with something to drink for them. He looked up when Dean strolled back toward him.

"Find out anything?" Sam asked accepting his drink.

"Well, the waitress thinks somethings up with the Masons, other than that, I've got jack squat."

"Do you have the time?"

"Yeah, it five after four, why?"

"What's wrong with that picture?" Sam asked nodding toward the playground that sat across the road.

Dean sipped his drink and looked the way Sam was looking seeing a mother and daughter at the playground but no one else. No other kids playing and being loud.

"Where's the kids? Isn't school out?"

"Yes, it should be full of kids having a good time."

Dean walked toward the bench where the mother was sitting and tried to be polite as he questioned her about the strange scene. When he got what he needed, he headed back to Sam and told him they needed to check out the local hospital. That's where some sick kids were, and other parents were keeping their kids home for fear of whatever was wrong with the sick kids was contagious.

spn

Storm saw Dean's name as her cell began to ring and smiled as she answered it.

"Hey there Babe, how's things going?" she asked.

"Hey Stormy," Dean grunted, his voice sounded strained. "How it's going with you?"

"I'm doing okay. What's the matter Dean? I can hear it in your voice. Are you on another hunt?" She didn't want to betray Sam's trust by telling Dean she had talked to him and knew they were taking another hunt.

"Yes, and this one's a bad one. It involves kids. There's like seven or eight in the hospital in a comatose state and the doctors have no idea what's happened to them. They are slowly dying and nothing the doctors do is stopping it."

"Oh no! That's awful, those poor kids and their parents must be worried out of their minds. Is there something else bothering you?" Storm inquired sensing Dean wasn't telling her everything.

"Dad sent us on this case, and I know why now. I had an uneasy feeling about it to begin with. It's unfinished business for me."

"What do you mean, unfinished business? You're not making any sense."

"I know what we're looking for. I just don't know who it is. Years ago, when I was probably nine or ten, Dad left me and Sammy in a ratty motel while he went on a hunt. I was going stir crazy and Sammy, he was being kind of demanding and when I got him in bed, I had to get out of that room. It was like the walls were closing in on me and I couldn't breathe. I went to the office and played an arcade game for a couple of hours until they closed. When I got back to the room…" Dean stopped talking like he didn't want to finish the sentence.

"Dean, what happened? Talk to me Babe; you know you can tell me anything," Storm encouraged him.

"There was something in Sammy's room and it was doing something to him. Dad taught me to shoot first and ask questions later, but I froze…I couldn't pull the trigger…If Dad hadn't busted in and started shooting…" Dean's voice trailed off not willing to say the rest. "He packed us up and took us to Pastor Jim. When he got back to the town the monster was gone, and kids died. This is the same thing or the same one, a shtriga, it's a type of Albanian witch that looks human during the day and transforms at night to its real form. The shtriga sucks the 'breath of life' from young kids until they die. I almost got Sam killed back then. Dad never said anything, but he never looked at me the same way and that was worse. I didn't follow orders. I didn't protect Sammy."

"Dean, you were a kid, well, you never got to be a kid. You had to grow up too quickly. You were thrust into the supernatural world so young and endured so much. You can't blame yourself for what happened to Sam back then. Your Dad should never have left you like that. It wasn't fair to you to put all that responsibility on you."

"Yeah, but there's been so many other kids that the shtriga killed over the years and that's my fault because I was too scared to shoot it when I had a chance. I almost got Sammy killed."

"You didn't know honey. I know you'll finish this and save those kids. You're smart and you have Sam there to help you this time. Have you told Sam what happened?"

"Yeah, he said the same thing as you. It's just hard not to think if I had only pulled the trigger…"

"Stop it. Stop this guilt trip and figure out what you need to do kill this sonovabitch and stop the killings. You're a great hunter and I believe in you."

"Thanks, Stormy, I needed to hear that," Dean sighed. "You always say the right thing and put things into perspective. What would I do without you?"

"You'd still be a great hunter, but you wouldn't have a woman who loves you with all her heart to come back to. You're my knight in shining armor and I'll always support and love you."

"Guess I better let you go and get in bed. I love you, Stormy. After this hunt is over, we'll be heading your way. I need some time with my girl."

"That's what I like to hear. I'm stock the fridge and will be counting the days until you get here. Give Sam my love, and Dean, don't shut Sam out, you know he only wants to help too."

"I know. Bye Stormy."

"Bye Babe," Storm said. She hung up her cell and lay there thinking about what Dean had told her. She felt bad for him because she knew he would carry this burden of the kids who had died in the past from the shtriga's attacks. That was who he was, trying to shoulder all the guilt.

Worried about Dean, Storm looked at her cell and pulled the message app up to text Sam. She wanted to be sure Sam was aware of Dean's guilty feelings and he had told Sam about what happened when they were young. She knew Dean could close himself off from those wanting to help him.

After five minutes when Sam didn't reply, Storm thought he might be asleep and laid her cell on the nightstand and turned off the lamp. She wiggled around getting comfortable and thought of Dean, hoping to have sweet dreams of him.

Storm was almost asleep when her cell pinged, she had a message. She grabbed for her cell barely opening her eyes and squinted as she brought up the text. It took her a minute to clear her vision enough to read it and saw it was a reply from Sam. He apologized for not getting back sooner, but Dean had been talking to him and yes, he told him about that time years ago. It was a time he didn't really remember or being attacked by the shtriga. He assured Storm that he tried to convince Dean this wasn't his fault too and he would keep an eye on him for her. She sighed with relief knowing that Sam would take care of his brother.

Deciding it was too late to text back, Storm put her cell away and settled onto her pillow. She cleared her mind and pictured Dean's smiling face and the twinkle in his eyes seeing the love he had for her. Soft lips seemed to kiss her cheek and 'I love you' was whispered in her ear.

"I love you too," Storm mumbled as she let herself drift deeper into the realms of sleep. Just before she was pulled into the dream world, an idea came to mind that she would delve into further in the following days.