A/N: Thank you so much to all who are reading! It is very appreciated! I hope you are enjoying this tale! And thank you so very much for the favorites and follows! They are always such a wonderful inspiration to keep writing! Please feel free to send me comments or suggestions for this tale!

Chapter Warnings: This chapter involves a human chef whose tastes venture towards the macabre.

I do not own Supernatural, Sherlock Holmes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or any other books / movies / TV shows / and/or songs that may be referenced in this story.

Chapter 19

For Sam

"Let's go in here to escape the rain."

They were standing on the stairs of a church, trying to keep the rain out of their eyes.

"Can't you just fly us home?"

"Let's just go in here."

Ezekiel opened the church door and ushered Victoria in.

Victoria felt conspicuous as she stood by the door sopping wet. Although this church was only fifteen minutes from home she had never gone inside.

She noted that their singing was beautiful, and contagious. She had never felt the urge to sing in her life, but that urge was consuming her right then.

A lady on the back pew noticed the two strangers and motioned them to stand behind her. As the lady was leaving the pew she whispered, "I'll get you two some towels, now stand right there and don't go anywhere."

Victoria looked over at Ezekiel. She had never seen him so at peace. He appeared to be so content in the house of his Father's followers. She smiled and committed his countenance to memory.

Victoria and Ezekiel took the towels from the lady, although Ezekiel was already dry. Victoria often wondered how those particular angel powers worked. They sat down next to the lady. Victoria noticed that she began singing along. Ezekiel looked over at her and smiled.

Victoria woke up and looked at the time on her phone. It was 4:00am. She had a message from a police department in Cooperstown, New York. Someone had been slowly eaten. Victoria responded that she would be there as soon as possible.

"Sam?" Sam immediately woke up. Victoria was surprised he didn't grab his gun from under the pillow.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. We have to go to New York, possible ghoul."

"Yeah, sure, okay. Just let me get dressed."

Victoria stood up. "You take out here, I'll take the bathroom."

Sam nodded.

Victoria was finding it easier to snap out of her dreams of him. Tears no longer streamed from her cheeks when she awoke. His memory was still prevalent, but the pain was lessened. She was learning to appreciate the moments she got to spend with him.

While she was brushing her hair Victoria noticed she was humming the song they sang in that church on that rainy day.

Sam stood outside the bathroom door listening to her hum for just a moment before he knocked.

"Tor?"

"Come in." Victoria put her brush down and looked towards the door.

"Hey, sorry. Cas is going to take us, I got coffee brewing. You have to go cups?"

"Yes, top shelf of the normal mug cabinet."

As Sam closed the door behind him, she wondered if she was the only one with an entire cabinet dedicated to mugs.

Victoria walked downstairs to hear Sam, Dean, and Cas having an abnormally loud discussion in the kitchen.

"Look Sam, all I'm saying is that Cas and I should take care of this one. Tor has to get ready to fight the Devil. That takes preparation."

"What better preparation than a hunt, Dean?"

"She has two broken ribs, and needs to rest. What she doesn't need to be doing is flying all over the country smiting things."

"Dean."

"What Cas?"

At that moment Sam and Dean noticed Victoria was standing in the doorway.

"Hey Tor."

Victoria took the mug Sam pointed in her direction and sat at her kitchen table.

"I think I know you three well enough by now to know something other than my job is causing discourse among you."

As she knew he would, Sam started talking first. "Dean is worried that something will happen and we won't be here."

Victoria took a drink of coffee and looked at Dean.

He looked at the floor and Victoria knew why he hesitated.

"I think you and Castiel should go."

Dean looked at her questioningly.

"Sam and I are probably needed more here. We need to get the farm house ready and we're contractually obligated to cook tonight. Besides, I wouldn't mind a bit more sleep. I'll text my contact you two are coming in my place."

"Tor, if you want to…"

Victoria interrupted him, "Dean, no part of me wants to hunt a ghoul right now. I'm tired, and frankly, worried. You're right, I do need rest. You and Castiel go and save some people. Get some pizza, then come home in time for dinner."

Without another word, Victoria went up to her room. She drifted off to sleep as she felt Sam get back into his side.

Victoria awoke to the sound of Sam's voice on the phone.

"It's not a ghoul?"

Victoria's interest was piqued. She turned over to look at Sam. He shrugged as his eyes met hers and handed her the phone.

"Dean?"

"Hey Tor. So, whatever this is is not a ghoul. The body isn't messed up enough, there's only certain pieces missing."

Victoria sat up on her bed and rested her back against the headboard.

"What pieces?"

"Liver, some muscles, I mean, whatever did this knew what it was doing."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just gross Tor. I think the body was preserved so the thing could keep eating."

Victoria felt her heart's pace speed. This manner of planning was not something supernatural's were typically known for. However, there were always exceptions.

"I suppose you want Sam and me to join you?"

At this point in their relationship Dean thought of Victoria as a little sister. She was family, and he needed her. Just like with any family, she annoyed him from time to time. Her comment made this one of those times.

"Look Tor, this son of a bitch is taking people, somehow preserving them in some sicko manner, and eating them piece by piece. I don't know what it is or who it is. So yeah, if you could come help with your special Buffy powers, that'd be great."

Sam heard that part of the conversation due to Dean's sudden loudness and decided that would be the perfect opportunity to make sure all his stuff was packed.

Victoria felt anger at that moment. That feeling annoyed her. She was becoming more accustomed to feelings in general. Annoyance was one she was most accustomed to living with the Winchesters, but anger was somewhat new. She didn't like it. Anger led to poor decisions.

Victoria decided to not let her anger win. She simply hung up.

"Dammit." Dean tossed the phone onto his bed. He looked to his best friend. "What?"

"I told you calling her Buffy would probably not be the best course of action."

"Shut up Cas."

Castiel shrugged and started watching TV again.

Dean sat next to his angel.

"I think it's a human. And that disturbs the hell outta me."

"Humans, as well as supernatural beings, are capable of great evil."

"I know, it just creeps me out when we find one."

"Do you want me to go get Sam and Victoria?"

"Please."

Victoria would not make eye contact with Dean when they were all in the hotel room. She couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for her anger, and that bothered her. She wanted an apology. She had never felt the need for an apology before, but she wanted one from Dean Winchester.

She walked over to the table where the case files were, sat down in a chair, and started to go through them. Sam sat across from her, laptop already searching whatever else he could find.

Dean was torn. He did and did not want to apologize at the same time. He knew he was wrong for being so hard on the girl, but then again, her response bugged him. How come he had to apologize?

Victoria's anger subsided as she became more intrigued with the case in front of her.

"Dean?"

Dean walked over and sat beside her, across from Sam. Castiel took the last chair.

"This was the victim you and Castiel examined in the morgue?"

"Yeah, that was him. See how he's all sewn back together? The pathologist didn't do that."

"I don't think a typical supernatural being would either."

Sam scooted his laptop on the table so the other three could see, "So, get this, the body was found at the feet of a statue."

Victoria looked at Sam's laptop. It posed a funny picture, the statue of a man in nice clothes with a dead body draped in burlap.

Burlap.

Like a sack of potatoes.

"Can you make the picture bigger?"

Sam zoomed in. It definitely looked like the bag from a sack of potatoes.

Victoria got up from her seat to begin pacing back and forth across the room. She thought more efficiently when she paced. Each time she changed directions her coat made a 'swoosh'.

The boys remained silent but kept watching her pace back and forth. Sam was waiting for a brilliant revelation, Cas was worried she would have a 'human moment', and Dean was waiting for her to throw up.

Victoria took her seat once her side began to ache.

"What's the deal, Tor?"

"I think you know Dean, which is why you were so, shall we say 'upset' on the phone earlier?"

Sam looked at his brother quizzically.

"It's a human."

"Yes, I believe so, not only based on the evidence, but because I can't hear anything, which must mean anything within a twenty-mile radius of here must be human, or an obscure, unknown creature which is highly unlikely."

"Only twenty miles?"

Victoria glared at the shorter brother, "I'm working on it."

Sam stared at his computer in order to hide his smirk.

"So we have to find and gank Hannibal Lecter."

"I thought those books were fictitious."

Dean rolled his eyes.

"They are Cas, Dean was just using a literary example."

Victoria smiled at her favorite Winchester.

"I've never solved a case involving a human. I've never been consulted on one." It wasn't like Victoria Doyle to experience self-doubt, and she didn't understand why such an emotion was rearing its head at such an inopportune moment.

Sam closed his laptop to focus on his friend. "Tor, you know people. You had me and Dean's personalities down pat after knowing us for two days. Dean and I have dealt with humans before. It's not pleasant, but I know we can do it."

Victoria looked at Sam. His eyes always displayed just the right amount of emotion at just the right time. Looking into those eyes made her realize she needed him. That thought scared her more than any Hannibal Lecter lurking around Cooperstown, New York. She only ever needed one other being, her Guardian. Sam was not her guardian, in many respects he wasn't even her equal. She didn't need him for protection, or to learn from. She needed him simply because he was Sam Winchester and she was Victoria Doyle. She wanted him safe, in the bunker or her apartment. She wanted him to never worry about another bump in the night. She wanted him happy, with a family. She wanted him to have the best life he would never be able to have.

Dean coughed, breaking their gaze.

It took Victoria a moment to focus on the problem at hand.

"I think we should start by interviewing employees at local restaurants."

Dean grimaced, "Eww."

There was only one restaurant left. All the others were full of annoyingly normal employees.

Dean Winchester enjoyed actually legitimately working with the local authorities. His questions were always answered without question, and his requests were usually granted. He was enjoying the last bites of a sub sandwich as they entered the last restaurant.

"Welcome!" An older lady opened the front door allowing the four to enter. The restaurant was only open for lunch and they were cleaning up the afternoon's mess.

"I'm Misses Johansen, the police called and said you four would be here. I'm the owner, well, with my husband."

Victoria began looking around as Sam started talking to Misses Johansen. "Thank you ma'am. I'm Sam, this is my brother Dean, Castiel, and the lady over there is Victoria." Victoria waved in their general direction when she heard Sam mention her name.

At the previous eateries, each employee came to a table where they could be questioned by Sam, Dean, and Victoria while Cas looked around for anything strange. This did not prove to be a good strategy however, because Cas thought a lot of things were 'strange'. Dean was chosen to be the searcher for this go around.

Victoria, Sam, and Cas were staring at a thirty something year old woman who was incredibly, strikingly, beautiful. Dean kept poking his head out of the kitchen to look at her. The woman was fair skinned, with dark hair and bright green eyes. She looked like a doll that had come to life.

"My Aunt tells me that you needed to speak with me." The woman looked at Sam as she spoke and smiled sweetly at him.

"Yes Miss Lightfoot, we were wanting to ask you a few questions."

"Of course. I would be glad to assist any way I can."

The lady seemed to shift uncomfortably under Cas's gaze. Victoria couldn't blame her though, he was studying her fairly intently. Victoria lightly placed her hand on top of his underneath the table so she could see what he saw. Castiel saw her soul. He felt her soul and it bothered him. The feeling was unsettling.

"Castiel, why don't you go help Dean?"

Cas nodded as he got up and went back towards the kitchen.

Because of Castiel, Victoria knew this woman was the one, she was the murderer. Now she had to somehow prove it.

"Are you in school, Miss Lightfoot?"

The lady took her eyes off Sam to look at Victoria, it was evident the change wasn't welcomed.

"Not anymore. I graduated from University a few years ago."

"Overseas?"

"No, here. Well, in the states I mean."

"But you went overseas recently?"

"What is your fascination with my travel, what is your name?"

"You may call me Miss Doyle. I am fascinated with your travel because your phrasing isn't exactly local."

"I read a great deal Miss Doyle, it reflects in my speech."

"I also read a great deal Miss Lightfoot, extensively, one might venture to say. It is a great hobby of mine. In fact my colleague and I were reading just this morning about how you are a local celebrity."

"Oh?" The lady was having to work twice as hard to feign disinterest as she was before.

"Yes, it seems you attended a rather prestigious culinary school in Europe. You came back here recently to help your Aunt's struggling restaurant with your new skills. A celebrity and a hero." Victoria smiled in the most insincere way she could muster.

Sam leaned back in his chair and decided to simply watch the show.

"What is your point Miss Doyle?"

"Why did you lie Miss Lightfoot?"

"I did not. I assumed you meant a University when you asked, not a culinary school."

"I see. Just out of curiosity Miss Lightfoot, what is your University degree in?"

"Biology." She was too proud of herself to lie.

This time Victoria's smile was genuine.

Victoria's mind was racing. She needed motive. But psychopaths do not need motives. But why? Why go from a small town girl with a lot of promise to a cannibal? Did something traumatic happen in Europe? What trauma could possibly turn someone into a cannibal? The victim, a native, loved by everyone. Charitable, town council, whole nine. Why eat him? Eat. Consume.

Consume.

He was missing for days before he was found. Days.

"Your Aunt was telling me about your dinner party before we started her interview. She told me you were a wonderful cook."

Miss Lightfoot's whole demeanor changed. "Oh my Aunt is very kind. It was just a few tricks I learned at school. I thought a nice little dinner party would brighten everyone's mood considering Mister Steed had been missing for two days by that point. He really was very loved by everyone here."

"Including you?"

"Oh, of course. He was like another father to me when I was little. When I grew up I wanted to be just like him."

"So you ate him?"

Sam almost fell out of his chair.

Dean choked on a piece of food still in his mouth while he was in the doorway. Cas slapped his back, causing Dean to swallow and have a very embarrassed look on his face.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't look so taken aback Miss Lightfoot. You and I both know we are both too intelligent for such games."

"Fair enough, Miss Doyle. This, of course, is not a confession, you are not even a real detective."

"No, and hunting beautiful, educated, psychopathic females is not my typical assignment."

"And your friends here?"

"I believe they are better versed in the fine art of psychopaths than I am."

The lady nodded and smiled coyly. "I'm very good with food Miss Doyle. It was a talent that was waiting for me to explore its limitations. My food is art. It is beautiful, it is consuming, it is less nourishment, more experience. When my food is consumed, it is an experience for those who are lucky enough to be able to place it on their tongue. I have experimented with all types of meat. I discovered that the more experience and life an animal had, the better the experience on the palate. I began to venture into the area of humans with my cooking professor. He was masterful in all aspects of his life. He took passion seriously and it showed in his cooking. We together noticed the minute flavor differences based on the animal's age and life. Our first human experience was a homeless man. We made a joke, saying he was free range. We became more and more daring. We noted the rich tasted best. Probably their upbringing, all those nutritious foods the poor cannot afford."

She paused to look down at her hands. Victoria took the opportunity to look at her companions, all of which were obviously horrified.

"We became too cocky, and he was caught. I fled, and came back here. I knew my particular style of cooking would be risky in a town such as this, but I had no other option. I had to continue my art. My art is my life. Mister Steed was the best man in town for the honor of my first dish. You see Miss Doyle, I simply had no other choice. In order to continue the lifestyle I was accustomed to I needed to consume Mister Steed. His particular lifestyle choices came out beautifully in a brown butter sauce."

Victoria dared to ask. "The dinner party?"

"Yes, they enjoyed him too."

Victoria would normally smite at this point, but this one was human. She got her phone out to text the local authorities to meet them there.

Victoria looked up to see Miss Lightfoot holding a knife to Sam's throat. She felt a moment of panic. She looked at Dean, he had his gun raised to the lady's head.

"I wouldn't hit 'send' Miss Doyle."

"You're annoying. And decidedly disgusting."

"You're more human than you let on to be. I could tell you care a great deal for this one." She pushed the knife into Sam's throat, releasing blood.

Victoria felt her eyes burn.

She didn't remember the next few seconds. When she was fully in control of herself again she had Miss Lightfoot on the ground with her hand on her chest. Victoria wanted to rip out her still beating heart. She could feel it under her hand pumping blood at a rate twice at what it should be. She wanted that evil things' heart in her hand. She wanted to watch her die.

The thought scared her and she got off the woman and brushed her coat off. Dean got the woman off the floor and sat her in a chair.

Victoria went over to Castiel, who was healing Sam's neck. They both looked at her in shock.

She didn't say anything and brushed by police on her way out the door.

Victoria Doyle stood outside the restaurant and took deep breaths that filled her lungs to full capacity. She felt every breath and allowed the oxygen to help calm her.

She felt Dean standing beside her.

"Tor…"

"I wanted to rip out her heart Dean. I wanted to feel it in my hand."

"Tor, look…"

"I can't, I can't ever do that again. I lost control. I don't even remember attacking her. I was quite literally in a blind rage. I don't think I can be around any of you any longer. I wasn't meant to do that, I'm not, I've got to, I can't."

Victoria started to walk away, Dean grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. For the first time in a while Victoria Doyle allowed herself to cry.