A/N: Happy Veteran's Day to those who served in the armed forces as I did. I hope you day is a good one. NC

Chapter 3

The next morning, Sam awoke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and rose up to see Meg sitting cups of coffee and wrapped sandwiches on the table.

"Good you're awake," she noted sensing him. "I took the liberty of getting food. If you want it hot, you better get up."

"Umm….Thanks," Sam offered shifting his body to get up. He stretched and rolled his shoulders before moving to the table and taking a seat. He accepted the food Meg pushed his way and unwrapped a breakfast sandwich and hashbrown patties. "How did you get this?"

"The usual way. I wished really, really hard and the breakfast fairy magically appeared and brought it to us," she stated with a shrug.

Sam rolled his eyes at her remark before replying.

"Look Meg, if we're going to work together you have to promise not to hurt or kill any humans," Sam told her.

"Really Sam, you should know me by now. I'm not that kind of demon anymore." She looked into his steely gaze and saw he was serious. "Fine, I promise," she pouted before picking up a pastry, taking a bite, and licking her sticky fingers.

"I figure we'll see what we can find of use in the storage room and take whatever else I can find before we leave."

"Oh, that sounds like so much fun," said Meg in a sarcastic voice arching an eyebrow.

"You don't have to help."

"I didn't say I wouldn't help. It just seems so boring, but the sooner we find what you need, the sooner we can rescue your brother and my angel."

Sam didn't say anything with her reference to Castiel as her angel. He thought from their previous contacts that Meg had feelings for Castiel. He wasn't sure about Castiel, but he did remember that hot kiss he gave her in that abandoned mental hospital when they were looking for Crowley. Maybe there was hope for Castiel yet.

When Sam finished his food and coffee, he got ready to start their search of the storage room. Meg followed him back to the office and watched as he opened a couple of windows for some fresh air. Sam found a couple of camping lanterns that he took into the other room since there were no windows for light. He lit both so they could see before starting on one side of the room opening the first box to see what was in it.

Meg sighed loudly for Sam's benefit as she moved to the shelves and began to search the books there. Anything that had any reference to Purgatory, she set aside to be looked at in more detail later. She sneezed when a cloud of dust filled the air around her and swore out loud.

Several hours later and numerous boxes, Sam called out to get Meg's attention.

"Wow! I found journals from Campbell hunters going back years," Sam told her as he pulled one out to look at it. "I bet Samuel's old journals are in here somewhere. We definitely have to take them with us." He sat that box aside and opened another to find more journals. On the third box he hit pay dirt, finding his grandfather's journals. There were two boxes of them that dated back it looked like to when he first started hunting. He was shocked to find a box with journals from his grandmother too, but not that many and almost cried when he looked at a couple that had his mother's name in them. It looked like everyone kept details of their lives as hunters. He couldn't take the time to really look at them now and sat the box aside to take with him. This was a treasure he did not want to lose.

"I'm sure it will give you some heavy reading Sam. At least you found something. I found a couple of books with references to Purgatory to check out, but not much else that we don't already know."

"I still want to keep the books and when all this is over, I'm coming back for them. They might come in handy some day and it doesn't hurt to have as much reference materials as I can."

"Suit yourself, but that job I am not helping with."

"Fine with me." Sam turned back to boxes and found a marker to write on the outside the them, so he'd know at a glance what was inside. He sat the two boxes of his grandfather's journals and the one with his grandmother and his mom's journals into the other room wanting to take them with him. He couldn't wait to read them and see what secrets he could find, like a cure for being bitten by a vampire, that Samuel shared after he let Dean get bitten by a vampire in order to find their nest. He still hadn't forgiven himself for doing that to Dean, but soulless Sam didn't care about his brother, only getting the job done, whatever it took.

They continued their search until Meg voiced her opinion.

"Enough," Meg announced several hours later. "I know I don't have to eat, but you have got to be getting hungry or at least thirsty. I've had my fill of dust for now and I'm going to get us some drinks and food. I need to hack up all the dust I've been breathing." Meg didn't wait for Sam to answer before strolling from the room and disappearing down the hall.

Sam stood there for a moment, alone in the room and decided it was a suitable time for a break. It was after lunchtime, and he was thirst, and his throat and eyes were scratchy from the dust they stirred up. He grabbed one of his grandfather's journals from the box by the desk and sat down to wait on Meg.

He carefully turned to the first page and started reading Samuel's bold, tight handwriting. This one started with a hunt and the steps he took to determine his prey and how to kill it. One thing he could conclude about Samuel, was he was detailed in his entries about his hunts.

Sam was absorbed in the journal and at first didn't hear Meg come back with several bags that she sat on the desk, breaking him from his reading and thoughts.

"Okay, I have waters, beers, chips, subs, and I think I remember you ate on the healthy side, so I got some fruit too." Meg pulled her purchases from the bags and lined them up on the desk for Sam to see.

"That's fine," Sam replied taking a water and opening it so he could gulp several long swallows to wet his dry throat. The coldness of the water seemed to revive him, and he sat up in the chair to look over the selections.

Meg got a beer and sub for herself and pushed a sub toward Sam. She pulled a chair to the desk and plopped down in it. The demon didn't bother talking to Sam as she unwrapped her sub and took a bite. She did watch Sam to be sure he ate since he was 'the man with the plan' and she needed him to pursue it.

Sam unwrapped his sub and opened the bread to peer inside deciding it didn't look half bad. He took a bite and chewed slowly at first not realizing how hungry he was. He took another bite, larger this time, and chewed faster, sipping water in between bites. Meg shook some chips out on his sub wrapper for him before helping herself to the rest. She munched loudly, ignoring Sam's frowning face at her table manners.

"Thank you," Sam told her when he finished his sub and threw away the trash. He knew if she hadn't brought the food, he would have continued his quest in the storeroom until he was exhausted.

"Can't have you keeling over from hunger, now, can I? Besides, you're the brains of this operation."

"Sure," Sam mumbled. "Guess I better get back at it. It may take us a few days to search through the storage room and the building, but I'll go as fast as I can."

"Whatever you think," Meg shrugged. She knew she was here as long as he was, so it didn't matter to her. She took her beer and wandered back into the storage room to continue her search.

Sam called a stop to their work when it became too dark for the meager light of the lanterns to have much effect. The only light they had was the camp lanterns that Sam took both with them to the dorm room. He thought another day, two at the most and they would be done here, for now at least. He was going to lock the place back up and after they got Dean and Castiel back, he was coming back to salvage everything he could from this place before it was ransacked by thieves. Some of the things here would be dangerous in the wrong hands and he didn't want that to happen. He thought storing what he could in the hidden room would keep it safe if anyone did decide to break in.

When food was needed, Meg would disappear and come back with it, never saying how or where she got it from, and Sam didn't question her. He needed the nourishment and was happy to let her provide it. It was one less thing for him to worry about. He knew getting into Purgatory was going to be hard if not impossible, but he had to try. He couldn't leave Dean and Castiel there to fight for their lives every single day not knowing if it would be their last.

Sam remembered how Castiel had opened a doorway to Purgatory and taken in all the souls there, but that wasn't an option. One, he needed a lunar eclipse and god knows how many years it would be before that happened and two, he just couldn't open a portal to let whatever creatures that happened to be around come through into his world. It took Death to do it a second time back then and he didn't think he would be obliged to do it again for him.

There had to be another way or someone who could help him, he just had to find it or that person.

spn

Sam carried the last of the boxes he was taking with him to the Impala and put them in the backseat. It was midmorning and he wanted to get on the road. They had been at the compound for four days and he knew he needed to move on with what they had. He was nasty and sweaty since they had no hot water and one cold shower was enough for him. He was going to head for Sioux Falls and find a motel somewhere along the way so they could shower and get a good night's sleep.

He scavenged what weapons he could and added them to the ones in the trunk. He locked the place back up as best he could and fixed the warding before climbing into the Impala with Meg and leaving. Sam hoped no one would ransack the place before he got back since he didn't know how long it would take to find a way into Purgatory and save Dean and Castiel.

"So, where to now?" she asked when he got on the main highway heading west.

"Going to visit an old friend's place," Sam replied being vague. He kept his eyes on the road as his mind drifted and an image of a cankerous, older man took shape. Neither Dean nor he had been back to the place since it was burned to the ground by the Leviathan. That was a huge loss for them and one that still was painful to think about.

"Whatever, just so you know, I can drive some to give you a break. It's not like Dean is going to care; if he's still around to care."

"Don't say that!" Sam barked at her fiercely. "He's not dead, he's not. And I'm going to save him and Cas."

"Hey, I'm just being realistic here. You are talking about Purgatory, you know. It may be worse than Hell for all we know."

"Don't remind me. Just quit talking, listen to the radio or something," he growled as he fought to keep his anger in check.

"Fine." Meg turned on the radio and started looking for a station. She finally stopped on one playing soft rock and let it stay as she slumped into the seat.

Sam clenched his jaw until it hurt as he gripped the steering wheel too tightly. He couldn't let her get to him. They would find a way to save them. He had to believe that because the alterative was not acceptable. He would not give up hope.

A/N: Sam has got what he can from the Campbell compound and is moving on to Sioux Falls in hopes of finding more information. He is not giving up, that's not an option. Thank you for taking this journey with me. I do like reviews/comments. NC