After relieving his coffee-filled bladder and taking a moment to make sure he still looked somewhat presentable despite the hour, Sam left the restroom.

He slowly walked past the woman this time getting a better glance at what she was reading. He was intrigued to find it was Latin and it had to do with demons, a real mean one by the look of it.

"Can I help you with something?" The woman spoke without looking up, continued writing in the notebook.

"Uh…" Sam realized he had stopped at the side of her booth instead of strolling by at a slow pace. "Can I ask why you're studying demons?" So much for saying hi.

"Even though it's none of your business, Sam Winchester, I'm researching them for the pretty much the same reasons you are in that booth over there." She pointed a finger to where he had been sitting and where his stuff still sat.

Sam tried to hide the surprise on his face as she used his name. She knew who he was, and he wondered how. He'd have to play this cool, draw it out of her. He wished Dean was here. Dean had always known how to handle this type of element of surprise better than he did. "You're a hunter then?"

"Yes." She finally looked up at him. "So, Sam, maybe you should grab your stuff and join me for awhile. I have a feeling we can find lots to talk about." She smiled at him boldly.

"Sure." Sam headed back to his booth and collected his stuff. His guard was up the moment she had called him by his name, but his curiosity was peaked. It wasn't too often that he ran into someone he didn't know but seemed to know who he was and what his life was about.

As Sam sat across from her in the booth, she called out to the waitress and ordered more coffee for both of them.

"I bet you're wondering who I am and how I know who you are." The woman got straight to the two questions there were now burning a hole through Sam's head.

He nodded. "Yeah, about that…"

"Well, I recognized you. I heard about you before from a mutual friend, Bobby Singer. Plus you Winchester boys are quite well known throughout the hunting circles. I may done a little digging, come across your picture once I heard about you and your brother."

Sam made a mental note that he'd have to call Bobby and get some background info on this woman, once he learned her name that is.

"So you know Bobby?" he asked.

"Which hunter doesn't?" She returned his question with a question, smiled again. "We go back awhile, you can ask him. I know you'll call him later."

Sam now guessed she was a good hunter, she had just figured his move for either later tonight or tomorrow morning. "And the name I'll use?"

"Church. No, it's not my real name but that's the one I go by," she said, playing absently with her empty cup.

Sam thought about it for a moment, trying to remember if he had heard Bobby mention her. He didn't think so. The only hunters Bobby had ever seemed to mention by name were ones they already knew or ones who had known his father.

"Nice to meet you, Church." He felt a bit more at ease now that he knew her name.

"Likewise, Sam. I've always wanted to meet one or both of you gorgeous Winchester boys." Church grinned at him.

Sam noted she'd call them gorgeous. He was willing to bet he'd probably blushed at the compliment. After all, he thought she was quite gorgeous herself. Not that he was about to blurt it out in return.

"So, what brings you to this town?" He wanted to know what she was doing here, wondering if the same articles had drawn her to this place as it had him and Dean.

"Just following a few leads, how about you?"

"Same." Sam paused, looked her in the eyes. "Find anything?"

Church shook her head. "Sadly no, things have been too quiet lately."

Sam nodded in agreement. "It's weird isn't it? No traces of anything demonic or supernatural anywhere when there's always one job after another waiting."

"You get the feeling something is coming. Something really big?" Church asked him.

"Yeah, that's what I've been searching for." Sam had a theory brewing in his head after plenty of nights of research. He didn't want to give it away though. Maybe he was right and maybe he was wrong, but for now he kept it to himself.

"So, where's your other half? I don't see Dean." Church changed the subject now.

"Oh, he's uh, enjoying the local sights," a bit of laugh escaped from Sam.

Church laughed. "Sights, huh? What about you, Sam, no sights to enjoy?"

"No," he sighed.

"Well, it can be…," she paused for a moment, "be sort of difficult when you live the kind of life we do." Church sounded a bit pained as she spoke the words.

Sam nodded, "Yeah… it's difficult." He did find it that way since he wasn't like Dean. He wanted more than a one night stand, but this job and this life didn't exactly allow him to have that. The few connections Sam had made before hadn't lasted longer than a few days since he always had to leave. If he did stay in contact with them, it only seemed to get harder to keep in touch as time went on.

Silence hung between them as they both sat there thinking of how lonely life on the road and being wrapped up in hunting could be. As they looked at each other both of them could see a loneliness in the other's eyes that was similar but neither wanted to admit to having.

The waitress finally appeared with a fresh pot of coffee, apologizing for the delay as a fresh pot had to be made. She filled both of their cups and left them alone again.

"So, what's the story with the demon you were reading about?" asked Sam.

He noticed her knuckles turn white from the tight grip she suddenly took on handle of her cup before she took a sip.

"No story, just a bit of research." Church put her cup back down. "What about what you've been reading up on?"

Sam guessed she was lying by the way she had gripped the cup and then how she turned his question around back to him. He wasn't going to call her on it yet though.

"I'm just looking for anything that might shed some light on this sudden break of activity, but no luck so far." He didn't tell a complete lie, but he didn't tell the complete truth either.

They looked each other in the eye again, both of them knowing they were lying to the other.

"Well, if you want to spend the rest of the night talking and trading stories we can, but I think it's time I head back to my room for the night." Church started to pack her books into a large backpack. "Been a long day."

"Yeah, think I'll head out, too." Sam left some money on the table figuring it would cover both their bills. "Are you saying somewhere close to here?"

"Thanks, Sam, that's sweet of you, but I could have gotten it." Church got up, picked up her bag. "And yeah, the place across the street actually."

"No trouble." He smiled back at her as he stood up from the booth, picking up his things. "We're staying there, too. Mind if I walk you back?"

Church smiled softly. "Might as well since you're going there too."

They left the diner together and walked across the street to the motel in silence.

"Don't you get sick of all these drab looking places?" Church asked him as they got close to where her room was.

"Yes!" Sam exclaimed. "They all look the same to me now. I wish we could stay somewhere else but you know how it is."

"Exactly. After about ten of these places, you've seen them all."

They reached her door, both of them stopped.

"Well, this one's mine." Church unlocked her door, tossed her bag inside and on the floor. "Guess this is good-night, Sam. It was good to finally meet you." She held out a hand to him.

Sam shook her hand, taking into account that she was just a few doors down from his own room. "It was good meeting you too. Good-night, Church." He turned and started to walk away.

"Hey, Sam," Church called out to him.

"Yeah?" He stopped, turning around to look at her.

"I… uh… I'll probably stop by your room in the morning before I head out of town, meet Dean if he's around. Is that okay? "

Great, of course she wants to meet Dean… "Sure. If you need anything we're over in number eight."

Church nodded. "Thanks for the chat, Sam. Have a good night."

"You too. Night." He smiled and then watched as she went inside her room, locking the door behind her.

Sam walked over to the vending machine, bought a few things and then went to his and Dean's room.

Once he was inside, Sam flicked on the TV, lay back on his bed and thought about Church. They hadn't talked for very long but he was sure she was hiding something, and that it probably had to do with whatever demon she had been reading about. He figured Bobby might know and decided he'd call him in the morning since he was now tired. Even as Sam drifted off to sleep, he kept the mysterious and beautiful woman named Church that he'd just met on his mind.

[ - ]

Church was sprawled across the bed in her room reading over more books she had left behind while she had been at the diner. She was trying hard to concentrate on the words on the pages before her, but her mind was stuck on Sam Winchester. She hadn't expected to run into him in this town, and certainly not during this downtime. Maybe it was a sign, maybe he could help her. Or maybe things were about to turn into a chaos that couldn't be tamed.

Church didn't know what was going on, but she was glad to have finally met the man. It didn't hurt that he turned out to be even more attractive in person than the mug shot she'd come across of him online.

Turning her attention back to her books, Church thought for a moment about calling Bobby to ask him to keep her secret, but she knew he would keep it to himself. He could be trusted that way.

The Latin couldn't hold her focus any longer because she was caught up in thinking about Sam and why she'd met him tonight, but soon her heavy eyes took over and she was sound asleep.

[ - ]

Her eyes opened and she found herself staring into a pair of red ones, blood red to be exact.

"Hello Church." The voice that spoke was raspy, and one she had heard enough over the years.

"I'm dreaming, just like every other time. You're not really here."

Church shut her eyes again and reopened them to the glow of red eyes again bearing down into hers in the darkness of the room. She could tell he was sitting on the edge of the bed looking down at her.

"Maybe it is a dream and maybe it isn't. But either way, I'm here." The voice was calm, cold, taunting.

The bedside lamp turned on and Church could see the face of the man she hated to see. He always took the same form when he came to her and she despised it. She had to admit the face was handsome but the creature beneath it was not, and his real image wasn't either.

She started to reach for the weapon she kept under her pillow, but found her arms pinned to her sides when the demon raised his hand. Church struggled to move, but she couldn't do more than wiggle against the invisible force that had her stuck.

He grinned from ear to ear as he eyed her frozen in bed. "Aren't you a pretty sight. All defenseless and stuck in your bed. Think I'll keep you like this while we chat."

"You better kill me this time or I swear I'm going to send you back to Hell, you bastard," her voice was stone cold and serious.

"Promises, promises, didn't you say that the last time?" He laughed at her and stroked a finger across her cheek.

"I've found a way to do it. And this time I'll make sure to send you back somewhere your sorry ass can't ever climb out of, too." It was her turn to laugh.

"I doubt that, but you can try, darling. Just not tonight. You were right from the beginning, you're dreaming."

"And we're talking because?"

"I thought I might give you one more chance to reconsider my offer. Yet, maybe I was wrong, maybe I should just take what I want instead."

He lay down beside her on the bed. It made her skin want to crawl, this vile creature beside her.

"Never!" she spat out the word. "You can take your offer and…"

He cut her off. "You will, especially since you don't have a choice."

Another move of his hand and she was on her side facing him, still not able to move.

"A few more days, Church and you'll give me what I want." He grinned sadistically, his eyes shining a brighter red than before. "Run if you want to, even though you've always known you could never outrun me. I do so like the thrill of hunting you down."

His laughter filled the room and her ears.

"I'm going to enjoy sending your ass back down to the deepest pit of your home, you evil son of a bitch." Anger filled her voice, and every fibre of her being.

"My home? It'll be yours too soon enough." The demon smiled and his thunderous cackle filled the room again. "Sleep well, sweet Church, because it may be the last time you ever do… there's no sleeping where you'll be going."

Losing the appearance of the face he borrowed, the demon leaned in and kissed her forcefully as she lay there helpless unable to move or scream and worst of all, unable to stop him.

[ - ]

Church woke up screaming, sweaty, scared. She grabbed the salt gun under her pillow even though she knew it was useless. It still made her feel safer once she had it in her hands. She scanned the room nervously, but knew it had only been a dream, a horribly realistic dream. It had been almost a year since the last one, and even longer since Church had last met with the demon face-to-face.

He'd left her alone for awhile, but she knew it wouldn't last forever. And time had just run out. He had said he was coming for her in a few days, and he would get her. She had lied, she really didn't have a way to send him back to Hell for good.

Church wanted to scream, to curse and scream until she had no voice left, but knew it would do no good. She only had a few days to come up with a plan now.

Then she remembered Sam, wondering if it was a coincidence, but believing that it was more that that right now. They had met for a reason earlier that night. She knew the stories about him and his powers. Maybe he was the answer she'd been looking for. If Sam wasn't, then maybe at least he and Dean could help her find one that would work. They were known for it.

But she wondered if she could really let them in on her problem. It just didn't seem fair to drag them into her mess, though. But she could call Bobby later and ask him if he thought the Winchester brothers might be able to help her. She didn't have many choices left and time was running out.

Looking at the clock, Church sighed. The nightmare of a dream would keep her from sleeping and have her replaying it as she thought of ways to stop the demon after her.

She could still feel him beside her and his touch on her cheek. His voice and laughter rang in her head, and his scent clung to the insides of her nostrils. But the part that bugged her the most was that she could still taste him on her tongue.

Church ran to the bathroom and threw up a few times before taking a very long shower in an attempt to wash away the invisible traces the demon had left her with.

[ - ]

Sam awakened to the sound of light snoring coming from the other bed in the room. He remembered vaguely hearing Dean come back in the early hours of the morning. He was used to Dean coming in early after leaving his latest female conquest before the sun rose. Whenever his brother was out, Sam always heard the motel door open wherever they were and then Dean settling in to crash and catch a few hours of sleep before getting up again to start the day.

Around the time he'd heard the Impala roll into the parking lot, Sam had thought he heard a faint scream. Maybe he'd been dreaming, or maybe it was the TV in the room next door. He didn't know if it was even real.

No longer tired enough to go back to sleep, Sam got out of bed and made his way into the shower to start the day.

Notes: not sure I edited this right, but two chapters were merged from the original version to make this into one now.

Sam and Church have met, and she definitely has a problem she's hiding for now. Things will be getting interesting soon... more back story for Church will be coming, and Sam might have a bit of a crush. Dean will be reappearing too.

Hope anyone reading is enjoying it. Feedback is always welcome. And the next re-edited update will be posted soon. Just need to upload and replace everything. Bear with me if the chhapters don't quite add up as you're reading.

Thank you!