Surfing online for a trace of anything, Sam was killing time. He could always go grab breakfast by himself or bring something back, but figured he'd wait for Dean. Plus, he had to tell his brother about the female hunter he'd met last night. As the thought of Church crossed his mind, Sam figured it was time to call Bobby to get some background.

He headed outside of the door to make the call. He listened to the phone ring a few times before Bobby picked up.

"Hey, Bobby."

"Howdy, Sam. Everything alright?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah everything's fine. You?"

"All quiet here, still trying to figure out what the hell is going on right now."

"You haven't found anything?"

"Dean's stupidity rubbing off on you, Sam?" Bobby chuckled. "If there'd been anything I'd have called you boys, but there's never been anything like this that I can find. It's troublesome."

"I know," Sam said. "So, Bobby I need to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"I met another hunter last night. Woman named Church. She says she knows you."

"Church… yeah I know her. That it?"

"Well, I wondered if you knew her story. What can you tell me about her?"

Bobby sighed, was silent for a moment. "Church's a good hunter, nice girl too. But listen, Sam, um, well, trouble tends to follow that girl around, so you boys be careful around her."

Sam wondered what he meant, but he knew Bobby wasn't likely to elaborate any further. "Hmm… okay, thanks, Bobby."

"You boys need anything else, call," Bobby paused as Sam heard the shuffle of papers in the background. "I'll call you or Dean if I come across or hear anything on any wires."

"Alright, same goes for us. Thanks, Bobby."

"You got it. Bye, kid."

Sam disconnected the call, went back inside the room, and started to wonder about what Bobby had told him. He was willing to bet that whatever trouble Church might be in it had to do with the demon she'd been reading about.

Sam decided that if she stopped by their room like she said she might, then he'd ask her about it again. He would also offer to help her with whatever it was if he could since he now had a few new powers that helped in dealing with demons.

[ - ]

Church walked over to room number eight with the intent of inviting Sam to breakfast, but upon noticing the Impala parked a few feet away, she realized she'd have to extend the invitation to the older Winchester brother as well.

She had made up her mind after talking to Bobby a little while earlier. He'd told her that Sam and Dean would hear her out and help her if they could. But he'd also told her it was a long shot, because if he couldn't help her, he wasn't sure those boys could either with their demon killing knife or Sam's abilities.

She'd been willing to take the risk and confide in Sam, but if both brothers were available then maybe two heads would be better than one. Sam and Dean were well known for figuring out how to get out of difficult situations, and she was definitely in one that required their kind of help.

Knocking on the door, Church hoped her nerve would remain strong if they agreed to come to breakfast.

Sam opened the door and smiled warmly as he saw her. "Hey, Church."

"Mornin', Sam." Church smiled softly back at him.

"Do you need anything or are you taking off already?" He asked, hoping she needed something so she'd stick around a little longer.

"I, uh… I wondered if you and Dean maybe wanted to grab some breakfast before I go."

"Sure."

"Sammy, are you talking to yourself? 'Cuz if you are then you've gotta get out more." Dean's voiced trailed out from the bathroom before he did.

Sam rolled his eyes. "No, Dean, I'm talking to Church. The hunter I told you about from last night."

"Hello, Dean, nice to put a face to the name finally," Church said, peering in past Sam at a half-dressed Dean. Her eyes slightly widened at the sight of his naked chest a moment before he put on a shirt.

Dean was good looking, had a nice body too from she had just seen, but he just wasn't as attractive as Sam was to her as she looked at him.

Sam noticed the slight glint in Church's eyes and how her lips formed a weak at the sight of his brother, and he frowned a bit.

Dean came over to the door. "So this is Church." He looked at Sam with a weird expression, tapped him on the shoulder to move. "Hey, nice to meet you." A million dollar grin spread across his face as he looked at gave her a once over, finding her cute.

"So, Dean, I was just asking Sam if you guys wanted to get breakfast. It'll be my treat."

"Yeah, I just need a minute." Dean smiled at both Sam and Church before heading back into the room to put on his shoes and get his gun.

"Okay," Church said.

Sam laughed and stepped out of the room. "You might regret the offer once he's done ordering."

"We'll see." She laughed.

Dean came out of the room, closing the door behind him. "Where are we going?"

"Place across the street okay with you?"

"Sure, it's your treat." Dean directed a smug grin at Church.

Sam scoffed. "Figures," he muttered.

"What's that, Sammy?" The older Winchester looked at the younger one with one brow raised in question.

"Nothing," Sam said dully. You think she's hot... here we go yet again...

"Let's go, boys. There's something I wanted to talk to the two of you about while we eat." Church began to walk towards the diner.

The brothers looked at each other strangely, both of them wondering what was up.

"Huh," they said simultaneously, following her across the street.

[ - ]

Church sat opposite the brothers in a booth at the diner.

Sam had been right, Dean had ordered a full breakfast special plus a couple of sides. Sam had ordered a light breakfast with coffee, and so did she.

"So, Church, what did you want to talk to us about?" Dean asked with a mouthful of food.

"Nice, Dean." Sam looked at his brother in disbelief. Dean's behaviour didn't surprise him anymore, but sometimes he just couldn't believe the way his brother acted.

"What?" Dean looked at Sam, shrugged, and continued to chew. "She wanted to talk, so she might as well."

"It's okay, Sam. I was going to get to that... I just don't know how to start." Church poked at the food on her plate with the fork.

"Anywhere," it came out muffled from Dean as he continued to eat.

Sam smiled sarcastically at his brother, and then looked to Church. "Just start wherever you think you should."

Church nodded. "Okay… um, well what did Bobby have to say?"

Dean coughed, almost choked. "How'd she…"

Sam chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I told you the story, Dean." Then he eyed Church, "Bobby didn't say much, but did he warn us to be careful, told me trouble tends to follow you around."

She was silent for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.

"He's right, you should be careful. I shouldn't try to ask you guys to get involved. It's not exactly fair." Church looked at both of them.

Sam could see pain, sadness, and fear in her eyes for a moment before she tried to collect herself without falling apart before them.

"Well, we happen to be experts in the field of knowing a little about the kind of trouble that follows someone around." Dean smirked at her, trying to lighten the mood.

Church laughed weakly. "Yeah, that's true."

"Why don't you tell us about this trouble of yours and we'll decide if we need to be careful or not?" Dean gave her another award winning smile.

Sam nodded in agreement and remained quiet, waiting for her to begin.

"All right," Church took a deep breath, collected her thoughts on where to start.

"Obviously, Sam, you would have realized I was lying last night when I said there was no story and that it was only research I was doing." She pushed aside her plate and put her hands out in front of her on the table.

"Yeah." It had been sort of obvious for at least a minute.

"Well…" she inhaled sharply, wished she wasn't here in this moment. "The demon you caught a glimpse of in that book, he's…. well, he's after me."

"After you? Why?" Dean raised the question before Sam could.

"Dean!" It came from Sam and he sounded annoyed with his brother.

"Oh come on, Sammy, you were thinking it too." Dean protested.

"Let her tell her story." Sam glared at his brother for a moment then looked back at Church. "We'll be quiet until you're finished."

"He will." Dean smirked again.

Watching the brothers bicker and get a tad annoyed with each other, Church wanted to laugh, but she couldn't. Her story was on the tip of her tongue, and she wondered how much of it she would let them know. Should she come clean with the whole thing or should she just give them the need-to-know bits?

She chose her next words carefully.

"This demon has been keeping tabs on me my whole life, just as he has done with members of my family going back for years. Last night he came to me in a dream, talked about how he was coming in a few days to get what he wanted from me," her voice started to break but she held it together.

"He's destroyed a lot of my family and others, too. Spilled a lot of blood in his quest, and now he's come for me. I've tried to stop him, looked everywhere I could for a way to kill him, but there's nothing… and time is about to run out for me."

Sam and Dean stared at her, both of them wondering what else she had to say and why this demon wanted her.

She looked at them both, the vulnerability showing on her face. "Sam, Dean, I don't know what else to do anymore. I can't run anywhere. I can't send him back to Hell once he gets here and I don't want to die. I can't let him take me." Her eyes were already drowning in fear and now starting to well up with tears she was fighting.

Sam reached out across the table and put his hand over one of hers. "It's alright, Church. We'll help you."

"Sammy's right." Dean looked at how his brother had placed his hand over the female hunter's for comfort, or maybe something else. Kid's got a crush... oh, Sammy...

"Thanks, guys. I hope you can, because not even Bobby could help figure out a way for me to stop him."

"Wait a minute. You're saying Bobby has come up with no way to get rid of this evil sonuvabitch?" Dean asked her, curious that with all the knowledge and contacts Bobby had, he had failed to come up with anything. And that included them.

"That's right. He's looked everywhere he can think of, but…" she paused, "but every lead he had led to a dead end." Church got quiet, noticed Sam's hand was still on hers.

"Church, we'll find a way to help you, to end this. I promise." Sam squeezed her hand, tried to keep his expression neutral even though the questions were firing off in his head a million a second.

Sam knew that it must be bad if Bobby came up with nothing useful, but he felt he had to help her. Here she was, probably on the run from this demon for most of her life, while he and Dean had spent most of their lives chasing the demon that had destroyed their family. He understood, and was willing use whatever power he had in him to rid her of this fear and save her.

"If Bobby can't help you, what makes you think we can?" Dean posed the question to her.

Sam looked at Dean, wanting to smack him again. His brother could be such an ass sometimes. It was obvious she had nowhere else to turn, and she probably knew about his powers, most hunters did by now.

"I don't." Church removed her hand from under Sam's and looked at Dean. She felt a bit angered by the way he asked her the question. "But it can't be a coincidence that I ran into Sam, and then on the same night the demon tells me he's coming for me. I want to believe fate crossed all of paths for a reason."

"Dean, she's right. I might be able to do something that nobody else can. Bobby can't find a way to help her, but he never asked us, or me. I can ask Ruby about this demon and see what she knows. She'll help us out if we need her to. And maybe I can use my abilities against him."

Dean groaned. "I don't like it, Sam, but fine." He looked Church straight in the eyes, "This demon got a name?"

"Ronove," she barely spoke the name loud enough for them to hear. A moment later added, "And he just happens to be Yellow Eyes' brother."

"WHAT?" Sam was shocked.

Dean coughed, surprised at the revelation. "Ronove… what the hell is going on?" He hadn't seen that one coming, or that he would have recognized the name from his time in Hell.

"Did you…? Sam started to ask Dean.

"Yeah, I met him down there. He paid me a visit as a little payback for killing his brother." Dean's eyes went cold, filling with pain he tried stuffing down as he remembered the meeting.

Sam just looked at his brother, who was clearly trying to forget but unable to.

Church couldn't believe all the ways this was linked together. It was becoming clearer to her now that it was out in the open. If she ever had a chance to come out of this alive, it could possibly be down to Sam and Dean to help her now.

"I'm sorry, Dean. If I had known… I never would have come to both of you with this." Church truly was sorry, she had tried to imagine what Hell might be like, but Dean actually knew because he'd been there. That was no secret. She saw the way his eyes went empty when she said the demon's name and as the flashbacks of his time there had most likely started to flood his mind. She saw the way Dean's pain bled through, and the way Sam looked at him, helpless in this situation because there was nothing he could do to ease his brother's anguish.

"What does he want with you, Church? He's one of the most twisted bastards down there, and meaner than Yellow Eyes was." Dean didn't even want to explain the ways he knew it to be true.

Sam breathed hard and deep, he wanted to comfort Dean someway but he couldn't. Dean would only shrug it off anyway and make fun of Sam later for trying to have a chick moment with him. His brother kept so much of it to himself, and it had to hurt.

"What he wants…. he… he wants me… I could be…" she tried to say it but her words were jumbled.

"Church, take your time. It's all right." Sam didn't want to rush her. It was obvious she was having a hard time saying whatever it was she had to say.

"He's coming for me because I might be the key to…"

A man suddenly appeared at their table.

"Hello there, Church. Sam, Dean," the man's voice was friendly but cold.

The three of them looked up into the stranger's black eyes.

Demon, the word crossed their minds instantly.

Dean reached for his gun, Church grabbed an iron knife in her pocket, and Sam held out his hand as he tried to concentrate on what he was about to do.

"Now, now, behave, you silly hunters. I have to say you make quite the threesome sitting here out in the open." The man laughed as he slipped into the booth beside Church. "How about we make this foursome and have ourselves a good chat about the weather?"

Notes: Originally with the very first posting, the demon had a made up name until a reader on this site suggested using a real one to keep in line with the show's use of actual demon names. So I swapped it out back in 2009 for the one it still has now - Ronove. Of course the connection to the Yellow-Eyed demon is made up, but it felt like a nice twist to things.

Things will keep moving along... Time for a chat between hunters and a demon in the next one.

Hope anyone reading is liking it. I still find it cheesy despite editing it, but that's just me.

Thanks for reading!