Disclaimer: I don't own the Winchesters or Supernatural. They belong to the WB and far more talented people than me. But goddess I wish I did own them. The only thing that's mine is Lacey and believe me, she wishes she weren't.

Part 3: Call Me Crazy

Maybe I was a coward for running. Maybe I was impulsive. Or maybe I was just trying to keep them from being drawn into the Mary-Sue web.

I sighed as I stared at the ceiling of my car. I was lying in the backseat, doors locked, everything off and clutching a small penguin plushie that usually sat on my dashboard.

I was also in the parking lot. Where that figure was.

Well, fuck.

But I still didn't move. No, no. Stay put. If the plushie were alive, I'm pretty sure I would have snapped its neck.

I shrieked when I heard a familiar lullaby ringtone on my phone. Dear sweet mother, why did I choose a ringtone from a horror movie involving cell phones? Why? I grabbed my phone from the floor, where it sat next to my black tote bag. I stared at it and the listing made my jaw drop. My voice barely squeaked out a greeting into it. "Mom?"

"What in the world are you doing? I've been trying to call you all night. Your friend Rick went by your place to find the door broken down and you weren't there. Are you alright? What happened? Where are you?"

How was this possible? This.. It had to be a trick. Right? "I'm at a hospital-"

"WHAT? Are you hurt? Where? I told you, I hated that you lived in Jefferson City by yourself. You need to c-"

I let out an exasperated sigh. This was real. It was too much of a headache not be. "Mom. I'm. Fine. I was just checking on some people in a car accident that I passed by. I called the paramedics and I've been sticking around since."

"For God's sake, why?"

"I was working on getting a merit badge." I muttered dryly. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"What about your house? Someone broke in."

"Don't ask me. I wasn't there." Liar. I was going to hell for lying to my mother. "Just file a report or something. You know what I have. You helped me decorate it."

"Don't you take that attitude with me young lady." Mom was pissed and on a roll. Fuck. I rolled my eyes and there was a tapping on my window.

Sam was staring at me on the other side of the glass.

God damn it. "Look, mom, I have to go. No, I can't-" I opened the car door for Sam's sake. "I know! MOM. I'm not.. Will you breathe please? If you keep ranting at me, I'm not the one who's going to be in need of a hospital. I have to go. Really. Love you." I took a deep breath and tried to finish the conversation as quickly as possible. "Can you call in work for me? Because I'm not going to make it since I'm not in town. Kay? Thanks. Bye." I clicked the phone off before my mother could start a new tangent. I'd try to figure out why she could reach me here later. I had to deal with Sam first.

He was staring at me as if I were wacko. Psh. That was a stare I got on a regular basis. I slid over on the seat to allow him room. If I was going to explain anything, I'd do it on my turf.

He sighed and hopped into my car, shutting the door behind him. "Are you going to explain what that was about?"

"What? That?" I played dumb. "That was my mother. She worries."

"You know what I'm talking about." He watched me as if trying to gauge my reaction. Damn it. I hated it when people did that. I squirmed in my seat and a profound thought must have come to him. "You were next to the payphone when I got you. This happened to you before."

"You won't believe me."

"Try me."

I decided to be halfway honest. No need to scare him with Mary-Sue tales. I explained everything that happened to me after I got that first call back at my house. As I told my stupid little story, it occurred to me that if you took the Mary-Sue factor out, it might have made a decent, if confusing, episode of Supernatural.

Well, crap. That wasn't cool.

"So basically, I'm pretty sure I'm destined to die a really bloody death, but at least I did a good deed on the way." I faked a big grin and gave him two thumbs up.

"We won't let you die." Sam assured me. "We'll figure out how to stop whatever it is. It's what my brother and I do."

I rolled my eyes and reached under the seat I was in. I pulled out a packed pillowcase, don't ask why I had one in my car, and offered it to him. He gave me a questioning look and I dropped it in his lap. "The stuff I saved from your car."

His eyes widened and he looked inside. Out came the colt, then the journal, and finally that Key of Solomon. "Why did you take these?"

"They looked neat." I shrugged. "And…" Think fast. "With the funky stuff I could see on them, I was kind of hoping I could use them to help me. Desperation makes a girl do wacky things."

Sam was about to hide the colt on his person when I tapped him on the shoulder and pointed up. His eyes followed my unspoken command and on the ceiling was that Devil's Trap sigil he had put on the trunk of the Impala.

I'm not an idiot. I even used a permanent marker. I wonder if I got it engraved on my car and then covered it with paint if it would still work. If it worked at all. "Your stuff will be safe in here, right? Because of that?"

He thought about it. "In theory, it should be. You read the book?"

"A little." Lying came so easily for me, I'm doing it again now, yet I always, always, felt guilty. That's why I could never be a politician. I'd crack under the pressure of a million voters. "You were with Dean and it was either sit in a cramped armchair and wait, or come out here for some nice dead Missouri air."

"Right." You could tell he was trying his best to ignore my ramblings. "Are you planning on leaving?"

"I have no where to go." That much was true. "The thing was in my house. I'm not going to lead it back to my family. Hell, I don't even know what it is."

"Then you'll stick with us where we can keep an eye on you." Sam offered. "The bleeding phone was a new one."

I snorted and opened my car door to get out. "That was tacky and unoriginal."

Sam followed suit with a smirk. "It had you running fast enough."

"I didn't want it to ruin my boots." I said and shut the door.

"How are you doing this afternoon, handsome?"

Dean flashed the nurse a cocky grin. "Much better now that you're here."

I rolled my eyes and caught Sam doing the same. Why is it that he had to get one of stereotype 'hot' nurses? Seriously, I have never seen a hot nurse in my life. Certainly not one that looked like Cameron Diaz.

When the nurse finished checking Dean's vitals, she gave him a teasing smile. "You just might end up my favorite patient if you keep that up."

"That's not all I can keep up."

I nearly choked on my Skittles at that. My god, did women actually fall for these lines?

"I'll see you later, cutie." Nurse Goodlay promised and walked out of the room.

"Please tell me she's going to give me a sponge bath later." Dean pleaded.

Sam gave him a withering look. "Dean. Focus. We have a problem."

"Don't you think I know that?" Dean's mood went from up to serious in less than a second. "Dad's missing and we have no way of getting around to find him."

"Not that we could anyway, since you're in here." Sam pointed out. "I already called Bobby. He'll be here in a few hours. Just in case."

"So then what, we wait?" Dean looked tired. Drained. "We know that bastard has him."

"We'll figure something out."

Dean growled and finally turned toward me, who was sitting quietly in a chair and wondering how the world existed before orange soda and Skittles. "You've been quiet ever since Sam insisted you stay here."

I had to swallow a Skittle before I could reply. "I didn't want to interrupt. But.. Um.. I do have something you could use." Oh god, why was I thinking of offering this?

"What can you give us?" Dean asked me. I had his interest.

"A ride." Lordee, that didn't sound right, so I rushed on. "My car. I mean, I have the room. I need your help anyway, so.. Exchange of services."

"You are not driving us around the country." Dean said in disbelief. "No way."

"Well.. No.. but.. I could let you guys drive if you wanted?" I got wary looks from them. "Look, I'm not begging you. I'm just offering. I'm not planning on leaving till you guys are either gone or I've found a getting out of a horrendous death free card."

The look Dean gave Sam was a clear 'No way in hell'. But Sam gave him a dirty look before turning to me. "We'll think about it."