A/N: To answer Elliesamdeangirl ques6ion, Meg is looking out for Meg. She's staying with Sam because she sees that the guys defy the odds and seem to always come out on top and defeat the monsters or stops the end of the world. And she has a soft spot for Castiel. It's in her best interest to keep him fed and motivated to find a way to save Castiel and Dean as a bonus. I think she still remembers some of her human self and she wants to stay away from Crowley. NC

Chapter 4

Sam had calmed himself by the time he needed to stop for gas. He pulled into a truck stop and to the pumps before stopping and cutting the engine. He didn't say anything when Meg got out and wandered toward the front doors. He started filling the gas tank and gazed around being sure there was no current danger lurking nearby. Once a hunter, always a hunter. It wasn't something that you could turn off with the click of a button.

Once the Impala was full, he moved it to a parking spot and went inside to look for Meg who hadn't returned. He saw the sign for the restrooms and walked down the aisles to the back of the store. He looked around but didn't see Meg's dark hair anywhere. Sam went into the restroom and came out deciding to check the restaurant side for her.

Sam huffed when he spotted Meg sitting at a table by the windows and was motioning for him to come over. He walked to the table and stood there looking down at her with a frown on his face.

"Well, don't stand there like an idiot, sit down," Meg told him pointing to the chair. across from her.

"We should go," Sam stated firmly in a low voice.

"I just ordered a milk shake and fries. Relax, killing yourself getting to wherever we're going is not going to help your brother. You should eat, or at least get something to drink."

Sam pinched his lips together as he looked out the window trying to control his anger. He closed his eyes and took a few slow breaths before finally sitting down across from her. It wasn't long before a waitress came with a milk shake and fries for Meg and ask if Sam wanted anything. He glanced at the menu, ordered a chicken wrap, and iced tea. She took his order and hurried to the kitchen to leave it before going to wait on other tables.

"Want one?" Meg offered pushing the plate of fries toward him. She picked up the ketchup bottle and shook it before squirting out a big blob on the plate. She dipped a fry into it and popped it in her mouth, sighing as she enjoyed the salty, tomato taste. "Now this is a milk shake," she stated after drinking a few sips.

Sam rolled his eyes at her and looked out the window watching people coming and going as his mind wandered. His attention was drawn back to the present when the waitress brought his food. He thanked her and sipped on the tea before taking a bite of his wrap. It was good and he ate without talking, wanting to get back on the road again. He wanted to drive most of the afternoon before stopping for the night, thinking he could get maybe a little over halfway to Sioux Falls by then. That would leave him about four to five hours to finish the next day.

"Hurry up, I want to get going," Sam told Meg as he took the last bite of his wrap. He signaled the waitress over to get an iced tea to go and for the check.

"You are an impatient one Sam Winchester," Meg sighed drinking the last of her shake and making annoying noises trying to get the last sip. "I'm going to the restroom; I'll meet you at the car." Meg got up and headed back into the store part to the restrooms.

Sam paid the bill and took his tea to head outside to wait on her. He settled into the driver's seat and did feel better after eating, though he wouldn't admit that to her. She seemed to rub him the wrong way most of the time, even though she had ended up helping them in the end. He cranked the car when Meg came from the building carrying a bag.

"Alright, we can go now," she said.

"Glad you had time to do some souvenir shopping," Sam commented dryly.

"Can't help it I have a sweet tooth," Meg shrugged pulling a small bag of M&Ms from her bag and opened it shaking a few in her hand to eat. "I got some waters for later, since you didn't think of it," she noted in a snide voice.

"Whatever," Sam mumbled thinking he should have done that.

"Timmy!" a young woman screamed in fright running out the front doors of the truck stop. She looked around in panic and screamed again, "Timmy!"

"She needs help," Sam told Meg as he got out of Impala and walked toward the stressed woman. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find my son, Timmy," the woman cried as she looked around and started running into the parking lot.

"Wait, let me help," Sam told her catching her arm to stop her. "What does he look like?"

"He's six, blonde hair, green eyes. He's wearing jeans and a gray T-shirt and sneakers."

"Go inside and tell the manager what has happened, and my friend and I will look around out here for your son," Sam instructed her, pushing her toward the door and motioned for Meg to get out of the car.

"I heard her," Meg grunted climbing out of the car. "So, you want to take time to search for this missing kid," she told Sam rolling her eyes at him getting sidetracked.

"Go that way and look around the trucks," Sam told her ignoring her jab. He headed to the other side of the building and started looking where he thought a kid might go. He looked around the picnic tables and the dumpsters in the back, not finding Timmy.

Meg strolled away, letting out a long sigh, wondering why Sam was taking the time to do this when his brother and her angel were trapped in Purgatory. She walked over to where the large tracker trailers were parked, looking under them and stepped up on the running board to peer inside.

"What the hell are you doing?" an overweight, burly truck driver growled at her as she stepped to the ground.

"Looking for a kid, around six, blonde headed. You seen him?" Meg asked staring up the driver.

"No, now get away from my rig before I make you."

"You are a rude bastard," Meg sneered at him.

"Why you bitch…." he yelled raising his hand to slap her. Before he could make contact with Meg's face, she grabbed his arm and twisted it in an awkward position bringing him to his knees and breaking a few bones in his hand making him howl in pain.

"You should be more respectful of woman," she leaned down and whispered to him before letting him go. She had promised not to kill anyone, but Sam had not said anything about causing a little pain to dumbasses like this prick.

Meg walked away and saw a horse trailer parked to the side. She went around the side and saw a small sneaker sticking out. She leaned down and saw a small child curled up sitting on the ground. "Hey there, you Timmy?"

The child tried to shrink smaller as he gazed up at Meg as tears ran from his eyes. He shook his head yes, as his body trembled in fright.

"Wanna go find your momma?" she asked. Meg was surprised when the boy threw his arms around her body and hugged her tightly. "Nice little human," she said, patting his head and grimacing from the contact. "Come on, your Mom is waiting for you." Meg took the boy's hand and walked back toward the front of the truck stop. She saw Sam round the corner and pull up short when he saw she had found the lost boy.

"Momma," the boy cried out and ran into his mother's arms.

"Timmy! My baby," she cried out. "Thank you, thank you," she praised Meg before taking the boy inside.

"Nice going," Sam commented before heading to the Impala. "We should go now."

"I would have left earlier," she shrugged going to the passenger side of the Impala and getting in.

Sam pulled from the parking lot and got back onto the interstate heading west and merged in with the traffic, moving over two lanes until he was behind some fast-moving vehicles. He pressed harder on the gas and could feel the surge of the Impala's engine as it roared and then settled into a steady growl. He stayed with the traffic pressing on to Sioux Falls.

The next hours passed quickly and when Sam saw he was getting low on gas decided to stop for the night. He was on the far side of Cedar Rapids and figured they had covered enough distance for one day. When he saw signs for gas/food/lodging ahead that would suit his need, Sam changed lanes and slowed so he could exit. He was looking forward to a hot shower and sleeping in a real bed tonight. After exiting the interstate, Sam turned left and drove down to the motel to get a room.

"Wait in the car, I'll be back in a few minutes," Sam told Meg.

"Like I'm going anywhere," she replied with a hint of mockery in her voice. She watched Sam go into the office to get a room and wondered where their final destination was going to be. Meg thought about what she knew about the Winchesters and started putting some of the puzzle pieces together. She had a suspicion of where they were going but was going to keep it to herself for now and see how it played out.

It wasn't long before Sam came out and pulled the Impala around the office to the rows of rooms in the back. He pulled into a parking spot at an end room and shut the car off and getting out. He went to the trunk and got his bag before going to the door and unlocking it so they could enter.

Meg walked in behind him and gave the room a quick once over, seeing two beds against one wall. She started to sit down on the one closest to the door but was stopped by Sam's harsh words.

"Don't!" Sam barked at her when he saw Meg was going to take Dean's bed. "I'll take that bed."

"Fine with me," she shrugged going to the other bed to sit down watching Sam put his duffle on the bed. He pulled some sleep clothes and bathroom bag out, pausing for a moment by the bed as he looked at it with regret and longing, before heading into the bathroom for a much-needed shower.

After turning on the water, Sam leaned against the sink for a moment as he tried to calm his racing mind. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw how haggard his face looked and how haunted his eyes seemed to be. He quickly looked away, not wanting to see any more and began to strip out of his clothes. Once the water was to his liking, Sam stepped under the hot spray and let the water wash away all the dust and dirt that had accumulated over the last few days.

He placed his hands on the wall of the shower and leaned his head forward to let the water beat on it. His hair hung in thick strands around his face until he used his hand to wipe them from his face. He squirted shampoo into his palm and massaged it into his hair to clean it. After finishing his shower, Sam came out of the bathroom and found Meg laying on her bed watching something on the television.

"The bathroom's yours if you want a shower or something," Sam told her as he tossed his dirty clothes on his duffle and sat it in the floor. He pulled the covers back on his bed and sat down adjusting the pillows so he could lean back against the headboard. It felt wrong for him to be in this bed, but he wasn't comfortable with Meg using it and pushed the discomfort away.

Sam had brought a journal of his mother's in to start reading. He opened it and found her name written on the front cover and a date. He calculated in his head how old she would have been and was surprised that she knew about the supernatural at such an early age. He thought about Samuel and figured he had brought his Mom up in the life similar to how their father had raised them. The first entries in the journal were about how Samuel was training Mary and teaching her about hunting and how to protect herself. She wrote about learning spells, sigils, how to make salt rounds, holy water, and how to track your prey.

Sam didn't pay attention to Meg when she came back out of the bathroom wearing his T-shirt, she had snagged their first night together. He was engrossed in his reading and learning more about his mother. He sensed her getting into bed and turning off the television but didn't speak to her. He read for about an hour before calling it quits and laying the journal aside to go to bed himself.

Sam lay there listening to the foreign sounds that surrounded him before rolling to his side and slipping a hand under his pillow to grip the demon knife in his fist. He tried to push back the nightmares that plagued him since Dean and Castiel vanished and tried not to let his imagination run wild about them being trapped in Purgatory. He finally drifted into a light sleep knowing his body needed rest.

spn

Meg had been watching the signs as Sam continued his westward journey and was certain now, they were heading for Sioux Falls. She didn't comment on it guessing he had a reason for going there. She knew the hunter, Bobby Singer, had been killed by Dick Roman, the head of the Leviathan months ago.

Sam drove into Sioux Falls city limits but bypassed the town and headed for the salvage yard. The closer he got to his destination, the sadder he got. When they had lost Bobby, it took a toll on the brothers, and they still hadn't moved past it.

He turned through the gate and drove down the weedy driveway to where the burned shell of the house stood. Sam parked the Impala and got out slowly walking toward the charred remains, looking it over. He moved to the chimney and placed a hand on the bricks as he fought the raw emotions that rushed through him. Sam bowed his head as hot tears leaked from his eyes and he mourned all the ones he had lost.

"Are you okay?" a soft voice asked as he felt a hand on his arm trying to give him comfort.

Sam quickly blinked away his tears and wiped his eyes before turning to look at Meg. He thought he actually saw symphony in her eyes as she looked up at him. This made him wonder about her, but he didn't say anything.

"Bobby stored some ancient scrolls and books in one of the storage buildings that might have some information we can use," Sam told her before walking back to the car to move it around the side road to the buildings he wanted to check out.

Meg didn't say anything as she followed behind Sam, deciding it was best to remain quiet and let Sam do his thing. She knew this place brought back painful memories for him. She slid into the passenger seat and waited as he cranked the Impala and drove slowly by the house, past the garage and around the back to get on the other side of the rows of crushed vehicles. He pulled to a stop at one of the buildings and killed the engine.

"I don't think you can come in, Bobby has the placed warded pretty good," Sam told her once he got the door to the building open and let the sunlight shine inside.

"That's fine, I can wait here for you," Meg replied sensing the warding when she got close to the open door.

"I'll see what I can find and pass it out for you to check."

"I'll just wait in the car." Meg opened the car door and sat sideways watching Sam move around the large room.

"Fine."

Meg studied Sam as he pulled a couple of boxes into the light and opened them. He quickly went through each one pulling out several books from each box and stepping out to hand them to her before going back inside to continue his search. He had a look of determination on his face, and she knew he wasn't going to give until he found a way to save Dean and Castiel. She started thumbing through the books seeing if any should be kept.

"Mind telling me who you are?" an unfamiliar female voice questioned. "I recognize the car, where's the owner?"

Meg slowly turned her head to see a woman in a sheriff's uniform standing stiffly with her hand on her gun staring at her. She got up slowly and faced her before speaking.

"You might want to come out here," Meg called to Sam. "We have a visitor."

Sam stepped from the building to see what Meg was talking about and froze for a moment when he saw who it was.

"Jody," Sam smiled warmly at her and walked over to give her a hug.

"Sam, it's good to see you," Jody greeted him relaxing slightly. "I was sorry to hear about Bobby. How are you and Dean holding up?"

Sam dropped his head and didn't answer her.

"Sam, has something happened? Where's Dean?" she asked looking around but not seeing the older Winchester.

"We had a problem when we took out the leader of the Leviathan. Seems standing too close to an exploding Dick will take you straight to Purgatory."

"Wanna run that by me again?"

"Dean and Castiel got sucked into Purgatory and Sam is trying to solve the problem of getting them out," Meg offered and shrugging at Sam when he gave her a bitch face. "Meg by the way."

"Oh no! No! That can't be good." Jody looked at Meg and wondered who she was. She could tell by Sam's body language that she wasn't a girlfriend. Maybe she was another hunter they knew.

"I'm looking for any books Bobby might have that references to Purgatory. I'll find a way Jody. I can't leave them there."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, not really."

"Where are you staying? You can't stay here. This place looks like a war zone. Why don't you finish up here and come by my place this afternoon? I'll fix dinner and you can spend the night."

"We couldn't put you out like that…."

"Nonsense Sam. You're family and I bet you could use a homecooked meal."

"He accepts," Meg spoke up before Sam could reply.

"It's good to see you Sam. I'll see both of you at my house later."

"I can speak for myself," Sam scolded Meg when Jody was out of hearing distance.

"Hey, she offered free food and a bed. Why turn that down?" Meg insisted. "How much longer are you going to be?"

"A while," was all Sam said as he turned to head back into the dimly lit building.

Meg was getting bored and wandered down to another building to see if there was anything of interest in it. It was a paint shed and didn't bother going in. The next one had vehicle parts stacked on shelves and body parts of vehicles leaning against one wall. Nothing looked worth checking out and walked back to the building Sam was still searching.

"Do you want some water?" Meg asked Sam when he came back out with half a dozen books. She held up the bottle for him to take.

"Thanks," Sam grunted as he coughed and batted away a strand of cobweb that got stuck to his hair. He opened the water and guzzled half of it before stopping. "I'll be through in probably another hour," he commented without looking at Meg.

"These we keep, those you can take back," Meg instructed pointing to two different stacks of books.

"Put the ones we're keeping in back with the others. I'm going to finish up in there."

"Where are we going next?" she questioned as Sam finished his water.

"Montana," was all Sam would say before stepping back through the doorway.

Meg had lived in Montana at one time when she was human. She loved the place and wondered what was there for Sam. She could still remember some of the human memories from that time, though most had been tortured away to make her a demon. With a long huff, Meg picked up another book and started thumbing through it.

A/N: Sam is getting help from an old friend before heading to their final destination. Reviews/Comments would make my day. NC