DISCLAIMER: I still don't own the characters or events

S1 EP8 BUGS

Bridget and Dean went outside wearing matching grins as they made their way to where Sam was leaning against the car reading a paper. They flashed him the money they had and he shook his head. "You know we could get day jobs."

"Hey, I already have a job and I'm just making up for what I don't get paid to do," Bridget said, leaning next to him and counting her money before stuffing it in her boot, her left one since her right leg was still sensitive from the gnarly scratch she got from hook boy three weeks ago. Her boots were lower now, stopping mid calf but she switched wearing a skirt to wearing a nice pair of blue jeans that clung to all the right places. She pulled her pant leg back over her boot and folded her arms over chest. It didn't stop her from wearing v-neck shirts though. Helped her win at pool when guys couldn't focus.

"I agree with Bridget. Our pay is crap with hunting," Dean said.

"Yeah, but hustling pool? Credit card scams? It's not the most honest living," Sam pointed out.

"Well, let's see honest," Dean held out his empty hand. "Fun and easy," he held out the hand with the cash and that hand rose up while the other sunk. "It's no contest, besides, we're good at it. It's what we were raised to do."

"Yeah, well, how we were raised was jacked."

"Says you. We got a new gig or what?"

"Maybe," Sam said. "Oasis Plains, Oklahoma – not far from here. A gas company employee, Dustin Burwash, supposedly died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob."

Bridget shook her head while Dean looked utterly confused. "And what does that have to do with us?"

"Could be worth checking out."

"Sounds more like a waste of our time if he died from that," she argued. "I mean, come on, Sam."

"I think it's worth looking into, Bridge."

"Why?"

"Wait!" Dean held up his hands. "What the hell is Cruzfield Jake?"

"Creutzfeldt-Jakob," they corrected him. Then Sam explained, "Human mad cow disease."

"Mad cow? Wasn't that on Oprah?"

Bridget blinked a few times and Sam smiled, "You watch Oprah?"

Dean looked embarrassed for a minute before clearing his throat. "So this guy ate a bad burger. Why is it our kind of thing like Bridge asked?"

"Mad cow disease causes massive brain degeneration. It takes months, even years, for the damage to appear. But this guy, Dustin? Sounds like his brain disintegrated in about an hour. Maybe less."

"Okay…now that's weird," Bridget said. "Why didn't you just say that?"

"I was trying to but you kept arguing."

"Oh," she shrugged.

"It could be a disease or it could be something nastier."

"All right. Oklahoma it is," he said and opened the driver's door. Bridget and Sam followed him into the car as he started it. "Man. Work, work, work. No time to spend my money."

A few hours later they were outside the Oklahoma Gas and Power company. They were approaching another man, "Travis Weaver?" Sam asked.

The man nodded, "Yeah that's right."

"Are you the Travis who worked with Uncle Dusty?" Dean asked.

"Dustin never mentioned nephews or a niece."

"Oh she's not his niece," Dean said and grabbed her arm pulling her closer to him. "She's my girl." Bridget licked her teeth to keep from saying anything.

"Really? He never mentioned any of you."

"Really?" Dean said. "He said you were the greatest."

"Yeah," Sam nodded.

"Oh, he did, huh?" Travis said smugly.

"Listen, we wanted to ask you…what exactly happened here?"

"I'm not sure," he shook his head. "He fell into the sinkhole, I went to the truck to get some rope and uh…by the time I got back…"

"What did you see?" Dean asked.

"Nothin'. Just Dustin."

"No wounds or anything?" Sam questioned.

"Well, he was bleeding from his eyes and ears, his nose. But that's it."

"So you think it could be the whole mad cow thing?" Bridget asked this time, shrugging out from Dean's shoulder.

"I don't know. That's what the doctors are sayin'."

"But if it was, he would've acted strange beforehand, like dementia. You ever notice anything like that?" Sam questioned.

"No. No way. But then again, if it wasn't some disease. What was it?"

"That's a good question," Dean said.

"You know, can you tell us where this happened?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'll point you to it," he nodded and walked them over about twenty yards out to where the sink hole was before going back to work. It was surrounded by police tape, futilely warning them out.

"Huh…what do you think?" Bridget asked, folding her arms over her chest and staring at the hole.

"I don't know. But if that guy, Travis, is right, it happened pretty damn fast." They moved under the police tape and stared down the hole with a flash light Dean had brought.

"So, what? Some sort of creature chewed on his brain?" Dean speculated.

"No, there would be an entry wound," said Sam. "Sounds like this thing worked from the inside."

"Looks like there's only room for one of us," Bridget said and stood up from her gaze down the hole. "And it won't be me."

"Wanna flip for it?" Dean asked.

"Dean, we have no idea what's down there?"

Dean picked up a coil of rope from nearby. "All right, if you're scared, I'll do it."

"Flip the damn coin," he said.

"All right," he fished a quarter from his pocket. "Call it in the air…chicken." He flipped it and Sam caught it mid air.

"I'm going."

"I said I'd go," Dean said.

"I'm going," Sam argued.

"All right," Dean sighed irritated and handed Sam the rope to tie around him. He began to do tie it around his waist. Bridget shook her head.

"That's not good enough," she moved to stand in front of him and undid it easily. "You gotta use the climbers knot or it'll cut off the circulation in your waist and come undone," she said and began tying it around Sam, looping it at different points. "And I really don't want to have to go down there and get you," she finished tying it at the front of his pants, fingers brushing across his shirt as she looked up and saw him looking at her in a way she couldn't afford. She smiled a bit and backed up a step. "Try to not get stuck down there."

Dean shook his head, taking the other end of the rope. "I knew I wanted to go down there."

"Don't drop me," he said and climbed down.

No problems were had and they had Sam out of the hole ten minutes later. Bridget untied the rope around his waist after he struggled with it, threatening to cut it off. She undid it in thirty seconds, warning Dean from any inappropriate words. All Sam had found in the hole were dead beetles

"So we found some beetles…that's exciting," Dean said less than thrilled.

"There were no tunnels, no tracks. No evidence of any kind of creatures down there. You know, some beetles do eat meat."

"How many did you find?" Bridget asked cutting him off before he could go on one of his tangents.

"Ten."

"It'd take a whole lot more than that to eat a dude's brain out," Dean said.

"Well, maybe there were more."

"I don't know, this seems like a stretch to me."

"Well, we need more information on the area, the neighborhood. Whether something like this has ever happened before," he said. Bridget looked out the window and saw the open house going on in the town, red balloons leading the way. "What?"

Bridget tapped Dean's shoulder and pointed. "I know a good place to start."

"I'm hungry for a little barbeque," Dean said with a grin and looked at Sam. "How 'bout you?" Sam gave him a look. "What, we can't mingle with the neighbors?"

"And the free food has nothing to do with it?"

"Of course not," Dean snorted. "I'm a professional."

"Uh huh," Bridget said.

They pulled over and parked, getting out and walking towards the open house.

Dean looked at the matching houses and well to do lawns, everything in its proper place and felt nauseated. "Growin' up in a place like this would freak me out."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Well manicured lawns, 'how was your day, honey' – I'd blow my brains out."

"There's nothing wrong with 'normal'," Sam said.

"There's always something wrong with normal," Bridget added as Dean knocked.

A man dressed in a collared shirt with a sweater vest that caused Bridget to take a step back answered the door with a grin, "Welcome."

"This the barbeque?" Dean asked.

She rolled her eyes as Larry answered, "Yeah, not the best weather but…I'm Larry Pike, the developer here. And you are…?"

"Dean, this is Sam and that's-."

She cut him off before her could introduce her as his girlfriend, "Bridget. I'm Bridget."

"Sam, Dean, Bridget," he nodded. "Good to meet you. Are you three interested in Oasis Plains?"

"Yes, sir," Dean nodded.

"Let me just say – we accept homeowners of any race, religion, color or…sexual orientation," he said and looked at the three.

Bridget cursed; they thought they were a kinky threesome.

Dean gestured at Sam, "We're brothers, nothing going on here."

"And leave me out of that," Bridget added.

"Our father is getting on in his years and we're just looking for a place for him," Sam said taking in a lie for once.

"Great, great. Well, seniors are welcome, too. Come on in," he led them to the backyard where people stood around chatting in their brightly colored close and well done nails. Bridget thought she'd be sick from the cheeriness, but at least she was wearing jeans today, well fitting and a helluva lot more stylish than the women there though.

"You said you were a developer?" Sam asked as they moved along with him.

"Eighteen months ago, I was walking this valley with a survey team. There was nothing here but scrub bush and squirrels. And you know what, we built such a nice place to live that I actually bought into it myself. This is our house. We're the first family in Oasis Plains," he brought a petite smiling woman over to meet them. "This is my wife, Joanie."

"Hi there," she smiled and waved, shaking their hands.

"This is Sam, Dean, and Bryce."

"Bridget," she corrected though doubted they heard.

"Tell them how much you love the place, honey, and lie if you have to so I can sell the house," he chuckled at his own joke and Bridge forced a smile.

"Will you excuse me," he said and walked off leaving them to Joanie.

"Don't let his salesmen routine scare you. This really is a great place to live." An even more energetic woman strolled over to them, her black hair pulled back in a tight bun.

"Hi! I'm Lynda Bloome, head of sales."

"And she's a very noisy neighbor," Joanie joked and Bridge was having a hard time forcing a smile on this stepford wives, they never seemed unhappy.

"So I take it you two are interested in becoming homeowners."

"Three," Bridget said from Sam's right, continuously invisible. She folded her arms over her chest, she never had this problem in her skirts.

"Well…" Dean trailed off.

"Yeah well…" Sam shrugged.

"Well, let me just say we accept home owners of any race, religion, color, or…sexual orientation."

Bridget had enough, she went on instinct and grabbed Sam's hand in her own, pulling him around to her and moving up on tip toe as she planted her lips on his, one arm going around his backside. She felt him tense up as she did it and relax as she kept kissing him slowly. She could almost hear the two women shift uncomfortably. Now they noticed her! She backed away from Sam with a smile and he looked just as surprised as Dean. "I'm going to go get a soda, I'll be right back, doll," she smacked his ass as she walked past him to the drink table, fully aware of everyone watching her. She grabbed two Sprites, noticing Dean was now talking to Larry and handed one to Sam as she reentered the conversation noticing the tarantula and the grinning teenager a few feet away. Bridget managed to scoop it up and they excused themselves so she could give it back to the kid.

"This yours?"

He took it from her. "Are you guys gonna tell my dad?"

"I don't know, who's your dad?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, Larry usually skips me in family introductions," he scoffed.

"Ouch, first name basis with the old man –sounds pretty grim," Sam winced.

"Well, I'm not exactly brochure material."

"Well, hang in there," Bridget said. "Besides…you're not as boring as the rest of these people…"

"Yeah," he grinned. "I think you kissing your boyfriend like that is the biggest shock they've ever had."

"Matthew!" they heard Larry call out and walk over to them. "Excuse us," he said and walked off with his son.

"Remind you of somebody?" Sam asked Dean, rejoining them as they watched Larry yell at Matt. "Dad?"

"Dad never treated us like that," Dean said.

"Dad never treated you like that," Sam corrected him and Bridget stayed quiet. "You were perfect. He was all over my case. You don't remember?"

"Well, maybe he raised his voice at you when you were out of line."

"Right," he scoffed. "Like when I said I'd rather play soccer than learn bowhunting."

"Bowhunting is an important skill…Bridget learned it in two day's."

"How was your tour?" she asked changing subject.

"Not as good as your make out scene."

"They were ignoring me and kept calling you guys gay, I merely corrected them."

"You could have used me," he pouted.

"You'd like it too much," she said. "What did you learn?"

"That Dustin wasn't the first death around here."

"What happened?" Sam asked, forgetting the before argument.

"About a year ago, before they broke ground, one of Larry's surveyors dropped dead while on the job. Get this – severe allergic reaction to bee stings."

"More bugs," Sam noted.

"Yup."

Bridget threw away her empty can, "Let's ditch this place. Find some info on this bug thing."

Bridget pouted in the backseat, staring out the window. Dean had let Sam drive the Impala instead of her while he sat in the front seat going through John's journal. She was pretty sure it had to do with kissing Sam at the BBQ and not him. Sam was two for two after only knowing him for four months while she knew Dean for three years, but Dean expected it. Still, it wasn't fair.

"You know, I've heard of killer bees, but killer beetles? What is it that could make different bugs attack?" Dean asked.

"Well haunting sometimes include bug manifestations," Sam said.

"I didn't see any ghost activity."

"Me neither," Sam said.

"Bridge, you have any dreams on this?"

"On killer bugs? No, I did have a nice one of Gerard Butler doing naughty things to me though…doubt that's a premonition, but it's nice to hope," she grinned.

"Okay, way more than I needed to know," Dean said turning back around. "Maybe they're being controlled by something or someone."

"You mean, like Willard," she said.

"Yeah, but bugs instead of rats."

"There are cases of psychic connections between people and animals – elemental, telepaths," this coming from Sam.

"Yeah, that whole Timmy-Lassie thing…Larry's kid, he's got bugs for pets."

"Matt?" Bridget asked.

"Yeah."

"He did try to scare the realtor with a tarantula."

"You think he's our Willard?"

Sam shrugged, "I don't know, anything is possible I guess."

Dean glanced out the window. "Oh hey, pull over!" he pointed at the empty house and Sam pulled into the driveway.

"What are we doing here?"

Dean was already out of the car, "It's too late to talk to anybody else."

Bridget rolled her eyes, following him with her shoulder bag. "We're gonna squat in an empty house?"

"I wanna try the steam shower," he pulled open the garage door. Sam stared at him. "Come on!"

Bridget shrugged looking back at the car, "We might as well."

Sam reluctantly pulled the car into the garage and Dean slid the door shut, popping the lock into the kitchen. Of course there were only two bedrooms and Dean claimed the one with the steam shower. She set her bag on the queen sized bed near Sam who was watching TV. "Looks like I'm bunking with you, Dean's too in love with the shower for me to stomach it. Do you mind?"

He shook his head, "Be my guest."

"Good, I was hoping you'd say that," she sat on the edge of the bed and removed her shoes, setting them next to the bed and tucking her money deeper into them. She grabbed some clothes from her bag and went out into the hall to change since Dean was in the shower still, she could hear the water running and him singing.

She came back in putting her dirty clothes in the bag and taking out her sketch book, getting back in the bed clad in shorts and a tank top and sat hunched over her sketch book. Sam noticed the scar on her leg was fainter now, a light pink against her skin."How's your leg?" He asked to mask the silence that still seemed to hang with the TV on.

"Its fine, doesn't hurt anymore," she said and continued to sketch.

"Looks like there'll be a scar."

"Yeah, not as bad as others."

"I don't see any scars."

She put her pencil down and lifted the back of her shirt, there were scratch marks just below her bra. "How did you do that?"

"Pissed off spirit got me. You're Dad got rid of it real fast."

She spun around and held her left leg out, on her ankle was another scar. "Razor slash from a demon, bastard got me from the ground. Dean killed that one. So I got my fair share of bumps and bruises."

"I see," he nodded and focused on the TV while she laid on her stomach towards the head of the bed, sketch book on her pillow for better light access.

"You do know your radiate tension, right?" she said to Sam.

"What?"

She put her pencil down, "You become awkward around me, if you have anything to say just say it because we already talked about my weird dream ability amongst other things I can do that Dean used to love teasing me about until he found the ground was harder than it looked."

"Like what?"

"You know, you saw me try to move the gun back when I first met you."

"Yeah, you also kissed me when you first met me," he countered.

She pursued her lips, "Is that what this is about? The kiss earlier. I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable and I'm sorry I kissed you again. If I knew you'd be upset I wouldn't have done it. Next time I'll just use Dean, he'd like that."

"No, I wasn't upset it's just…"

She nodded as he trailed off, putting her sketch book away and sitting up on the bed next to him. "I understand."

"I know you do…which is why I like talking to you, Bridge…you understand me where Dean doesn't. Not just because you lost your family but because you understand what it feels like to want to be normal…you didn't want to do this your whole life and you were put into it…like me."

She nodded, "Nothing we can do about that…not now at least…I'd like to think that someday though this will be done and I can try to have a normal life and a normal family...but right now, Sam, this is what we have and there's no point in trying to outrun it because no matter how hard or fast we run…we won't get them back…"

"I know…it gets easier as the days go by…easier than I thought."

"It does," she agreed and set her necklace on the nightstand. "So what are we watching?"

"Uhh…looks like Married with Children."

"Oo, I like this show," she sat back on the bed and found it awfully slippery, she kept sliding down and having to push herself back up. After it ended, Malcolm in the Middle came on. "Eh…I hate this show," she looked over Sam and saw the remote and reached for it, but he snagged it away. "Give me the remote, please."

"No," he shook his head.

"Sam, give me the remote."

"No," he grinned.

She tried to grab it but he put it under his back. "I will hurt you."

"Try me," he challenged

She launched for him, trying to get her hands under his back but he kept moving, pushing it away from her. "You are sooo gonna get it," she chuckled.

"Oh, yeah, you're real fierce," he said sarcastically.

She got on her knees, laughing, forgetting how slippery the bed was and slid. She put her hand out, bracing herself on one side of Sam, the other on his chest. One of his hands had gone around her waist to keep her from falling the other to her shoulder and their faces were only inches apart. She could feel his heart beating faster under her palm and was very aware of how close she was to him. She darted her eyes away, hoping the urge to kiss him would fade with the change in her vision. He brushed the hair from her eyes and she was drawn back and the look in his blue eyes, the desire became too much, she kissed him and this time he wasn't tense at all as his fingers tangled in her hair and his hand drew her closer, rolling her over beneath him, removing her shirt in one fluid movement as she pulled his shirt over his head, fingers moving down his bare chest to undo his pants. Bridget knew he might regret it later with Jess's death still so new…but she doubted she could regret something she'd been wanting for over a month. She knew and feared that she was falling in love with the youngest Winchester's which would cause a whole slew of problems on it's own if she didn't fix it.

Bridget awoke to the sun peaking at her face and brushed back her hair. She was lying on her stomach, the sheet draped only on her back, she pulled it up to her chest as she sat up, the night rushing back to her from the slight aches and pains that weren't unpleasant. She looked at her watch on the nightstand, 7am. She'd only been asleep four hours…it had been a long, but really good night. She put her necklace back on, briefly touching the ring before grabbing a clean set of clothes from her back and slipping her shorts and top on to sneak off into the other shower. She was out ten minutes later, feeling fresher but wishing for coffee.

A Starbucks cup appeared in front of her that Sam held out and she gratefully took it, "You read my mind."

"You were sleeping, I didn't want to wake you."

"Yeah, I'm not a happy morning person."

"I know, you threw a shoe at me last week, few days before that I think it was your book you decked me with."

She laughed, "Yeah, I've done worse…ask Dean…where is Dean?"

"Shower."

She rolled her eyes, "Again? Did he ever get out of it last night?"

"I wouldn't know," he said, looking away.

Oh right, they were busy last night, too distracted to notice. "Oh…yeah…about that…ummm…still friends…right?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course," he nodded quickly, putting a hand in his pocket the other holding his coffee cup.

"If…if it makes you feel any better…I don't do this sort of thing…" she bit her lower lip.

"You're kidding?" he asked genuinely surprised.

"Just because I wear skirts and tops doesn't mean I'm a slut," she growled.

"No, no, no, it's not that," he said though it partially was but not with the term slut. "It's just…three years is a long time."

"Four."

"What?"

"It's been four years now…it was four a week ago…"

He thought about it and remembered a night where she had lit four candles next to her bed and had sketched for awhile in her book, very quiet, not her usual self. Dean had let her have a bed to herself while he shared one with his brother. "I'm sorry…I didn't know."

"I don't really tell anyone," she said with a small smile. "I just never…I never wanted to be with anyone else, sex never meant much to me so…yeah, last night just sort of happened. I don't regret it, but I thought you should know you shouldn't feel guilty because it had been awhile for me too."

"Thanks," he nodded with a smile and gestured down the hall. "We should go get Dean out of that shower, I heard a call on the police scanner…we got work to do."

"Uh oh…what?"

"I'll tell you both," he pounded n the bathroom door. "You ever comin' out of there?"

"What?" Dean shouted over the water.

"Dean, a police call came in on the scanner."

"Hold on."

"Someone was found dead three blocks from here. Let's go," the bathroom door opened slightly and Dean stuck his head out that was wrapped in a towel.

"This shower is awesome…Bridget, care to join me."

"I just showered, you missed your chance, now put some clothes on and let's go." She walked away leaving Dean to dress.

"You think he knows?" she asked Sam once down the hall, picking her bag up off the floor.

He shook his head, "Doubt it."

"Good, don't tell him. I'll never hear the end of it."

"You think I want to hear it," he shook his head. "Umm…speaking of last night…"

"What about it? I didn't fake it, I swear," she promised.

He blushed slightly, "No, no, not that…it's just…we didn't use…a – uh – condom."

"Not the first time," she smiled sideways and enjoyed the blush that radiated off him. "Relax," she pulled out a small circular compact of birth control pills. "I'm covered."

He let out the breath that he'd been holding. "Just checking."

She snorted, "You think I want to get pregnant at a time like this…though my sex life has been pretty nonexistent until last night, still nice to be covered, just in case."

He nodded his head and Dean joined them at that point, she shoved her pills back in the purse and gestured. "Shall we be going then?"

"What? No breakfast?" Dean asked.

Sam handed him a coffee cup.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Better than nothin' I guess…I sure am gonna miss that shower."

"We know, you were in it half the night and morning."

"Least I'm squeaky clean," he said and got into the car.

"Ha, with this job, you'll be dirty in an hour."

"Long as you promise to dirty me," he teased.

She shook her head and read her book as they drove off to the house, hoping things never got awkward between her and Sam. After all, it was just sex, or at least she told herself that.

They got out of the car walking up to the front of the house where Larry stood outside looking grim as the paramedics loaded a gurney with a body bag into the ambulance.

"You're, uh, back early," Larry said as they approached.

Dean glanced at the ambulance, "Yeah, we just drove in, wanted to take another look at the neighborhood."

"Not the best advertisement," Bridget said and Sam nudged her.

"What's goin' on?" he asked.

"You guys met, uh…Lynda Bloome at the Barbeque?"

"The realtor," Bridget nodded.

"Well, she, uh…passed away last night."

Dean seemed shocked, "What happened?"

"I'm still trying to find out. Look, I'm sorry, right now is not a good time," he said. "Excuse me," he walked away towards the police cars looking upset.

"You know what we have to do, right?" Bridget said once he was gone.

"Yeah, get in that house," Sam nodded.

"See if we got a bug problem," Dean added.

"Good thing I wore jeans today," Bridget said as they hoped the fence to the backyard.

"Kinda wish you weren't. I was betting on blue panties," Dean whispered as they moved up the side of the house. She shoved him a bit and they came up to the window. Dean peeked in, "Looks clear." Bridget went in first, followed by Dean who grinned, "They're purple, saw them at the back of your jeans. Looked like a thong."

She hit his arm and he rubbed at the spot as Sam came in through the window next, "Ow."

The outline of a body on the carpet was a giveaway. "This looks like the place," Dean said and picked up a towel, dropping it and jumping back as dead spiders fell off it. "Spiders. From Spider Boy?"

"Matt," Sam corrected. "And maybe."

A noise from down the hall caused them to scramble back out the window, Bridget jumping down last and Sam half catching her. "Let's go."

"Where we going now?" she asked.

"Following Bug Boy," dean said.

"He'll be getting out of school now," Sam said and got in the car. It wasn't a long drive to the bus stop and Matt got off walking to the right, towards the woods.

"Isn't his house the other direction?" Bridget asked.

"Uh huh," Sam nodded.

"So where is he goin'?" Dean asked.

Bridget was already out of the car, "One way to find out." She heard the boys following behind her as she went into the woods and saw Matt studying a grasshopper. "Hey Matt, remember us?"

"What are you guys doin' here?" he said startled.

"Well, we wanna talk to you," Dean said.

Matt stood to his feet, scared a bit. "You're not here to buy a house are you?" Bridget shook her head. "W-wait…you're not serial killers?"

They laughed, "No, no," Sam said. "I think you're safe."

"So, Matt…you sure know a lot about insects."

"So?" he asked typical teenage attitude.

"Did you hear what happened to Lynda, the realtor?" Bridget questioned.

"I heard she died this morning."

"Mm, that's right. Spider bites," Dean filled him in.

"Matt, you tried to scare her with a spider," Sam explained.

"Wait," he held up a hand. "You think I did this?"

"You tell us," Dean said.

He shook his head, "That tarantula was a joke. Anyway, that wouldn't explain the bee attack on the gas guy."

"You know about those?"

"There's something going on here," Matt said. "I don't know what…but something's happening with the insects. Let me show you something." He began walking through the area and they followed him.

"So if you knew about all this bug stuff, why didn't you tell your dad?" Sam asked.

"Believe me, I've tried. But, uh, Larry doesn't listen to me."

"Why not?"

"Mostly? He's too disappointed in his freak son."

"I hear you," Sam scoffed.

"You do?" Dean asked him.

Sam gave him a pointed look. Bridget stayed out of this. She was not going to get in an argument over the Winchester's history. She happened to enjoy the company of all three of them in different ways.

"How old are you, Matt?" Sam asked.

"Sixteen."

"Don't sweat it. Because in two years something great is gonna happen."

Bridget braced herself, this was going to get ugly in soon…or at least set the fuse for ugly later.

"What?" Matt asked.

"College. You'll be able to get out of the house and away from your dad."

"What kind of advice is that? Kid should stick with his family," Dean said and Sam sighed while Dean glared. She wasn't looking forward to later on.

"How much further, Matt?" she asked to break some of the tension that filled the air.

"We're close."

"Good," she grabbed at Dean's arm and felt how tense he was, rubbing at his upper arm a bit to get him to relax.

A moment later they reached a large clearing and could hear hundreds of insects among the trees. "I've been keeping track of the insect populations. It's an AP science class."

"You two are like peas in a pod," Dean mumbled and Sam thankfully ignored it.

"What's been happening?" Sam asked.

"A lot, I mean, from bees to earthworms to beetles. It's like they're congregating here."

"Why?" Dean asked.

"I don't know."

"What's that?" Sam pointed to a dark patch of grass a few feet away. They approached it cautiously and found it to be a pile of earthworms. Dean nudged them with his foot and the ground sank. He picked a stick up off the ground and poked around in the hole. "Something's in there." He rolled up his sleeve and with a disgusted look reached in. He brought his hand back up and Bridget's eyes widened as she grabbed Sam's arm this time, his hand covered hers in his own surprise. Dean was holding a human skull.

Now they were outside the university, taking their box of bones out from the backseat where Bridget had sat as far away from them as possible. She let Dean carry them as she walked along side Dean.

"So, a bunch of skeletons in an unmarked grave," Sam said.

"Yeah, maybe it's a haunting," Bridget suggested, moving a strand of hair from her face.

"Pissed off spirits?" Dean added. "Some unfinished business?"

"Yeah, maybe. Question is, why bugs? And why now?"

"That's two questions," Dean pointed out. "Yeah…so with that kid back there…why'd you tell him to ditch his family like that?"

And here came part of the storm, Bridget thought and held her breath, staying out if this but knowing she'd intervene if she had to. She had to live with them after all and Dean was her best friend and Sam…well he was her friend too.

"Just, uh…I know what the kid is goin' through," Sam said.

"How 'bout tellin' him to respect his old man, how's that for advice?"

She rubbed at the bridge of her nose recognizing the anger in Dean's voice and Sam was not one to back down as he proved now. "I respected him. But no matter what I did, it was never good enough."

"So what are you sayin'? That dad was disappointed in you?"

"Was? Is. Always has been."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because I didn't wanna bowhunt or hustle pool – because I wanted to go to school and live my life, which, to our whacked out family, made me a freak."

"Yeah, you were kind of like the blonde chick in the Munsters."

"Dean, you know what most dads are when their kid scores a full ride? Proud. Most dads don't toss their kids out of the house."

"I remember that fight. In fact, I seem to recall a few choice phrases comin' out of your mouth."

"You know, truth is, when we finally do find dad…I don't even know if he's gonna want to see me."

"All right! ENOUGH!" Bridget yelled holding her hands out and stepping in between them. "I am sick of this argument. You argue about your family and it makes me want to smack you both! First off, Dean, quit bringing it up. Yeah, your dad was hard on Sam because Sam wasn't like you. He didn't care for hunting like you do which made it easier for your dad and not only that, but you were old enough to understand what happened to your mom, Sam wasn't. And Sam, your dad was never disappointed in you, I've told you that before. But you need to talk to him when we find him, and I mean talk not yell and argue…" she ran her fingers through her hair. "You two argue over your family, about how messed up it is or isn't…I'd do anything just to be able to talk about my family without having to say things in past tense or just to say when I find them…because I'll never find them no matter how hard I look…You have each other and you have your dad, that's blood, nothing can beat blood… just be happy you have a family to look for because you never know what you have until you can't get it back." She touched Sam's arm. "And he was never disappointed."

"She's right," Dean nodded. "Dad was scared."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked looking at both of them.

"He was afraid of what could've happened to you if he wasn't around. But even when you two weren't talkin'…he used to swing by Stanford whenever he could…keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe."

"What?"

Bridget nodded, "It's true…he sent me a couple times…I'd watch you in the library or the cafeteria and I'd call John if he was on a hunt to let him know you were still okay."

"He sent you?"

"Yeah…you wouldn't recognize me. I was never close enough for you to look at, just another face in the crowd.

"Why didn't any of you tell me?"

"Well it was a two way street, dude," Dean said. "You could've picked up the phone. Come on, we're gonna be late for our appointment."

They walked into the building without another word.

The Professor looked them over the top of his spectacles, "So you three are students?"

"Yeah, yeah. Uh, we're in your class – Anthro 101

"Oh yeah," he nodded as if remembered them.

"So, what about the bones, Professor?" Bridget questioned, getting back on subject.

"This is quite an interesting find you made. I'd say they're 170 years old, give or take. The timeframe and the geography heavily suggest Native American."

"Were there any tries or reservations on that land?" Sam asked.

"Not according to the historical records. But the, uh, relocation of native peoples was quite common at that time."

"Right," Sam nodded. "Are there any local legends? Oral histories about the area?"

"Well…you know, there's a Euchee tribe in Sapula. Someone might know the truth."

"All right."

Next thing they knew they were in a diner moving over to a man playing cards at a table. "Joe White Tree?" Sam asked and the man nodded, not moving from his cards. "We'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's all right?"

"We're students from the university," Dean added on.

"No, you're not. You're lying," he said and Dean seemed taken aback.

"Well, truth is -."

He cut Dean off, "You know who starts a sentence with 'truth is'. Liars."

"We're trying to find out what's going on. Have you heard of Oasis Plains? It's a housing development near Atoka Valley," Bridget said.

Joe pointed at her, "I like her. She's not a liar," she enjoyed the angry look on Dean's face. "Yes, I know the area."

"What can you tell us about the history?" Sam asked.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Something bad is happening in Oasis Plains. We think it might have something to do with some old bones we found down there – Native American bones," she explained.

"I'll tell you what my grandfather told me, what his grandfather told him. Two hundred years ago, a band of my ancestors lived in that valley. One day, the American cavalry came to relocate them. They were resistant, the cavalry impatient. As my grandfather put it, on the night the moon and the sun share the sky as equals, the cavalry first raided our village. They murdered, raped. The next day, the cavalry came again, and the next, and the next. And on the sixth night, the cavalry came one last time. And by the time the sun rose, every man, woman, and child still in the village was dead. They say on the sixth night, as the chief of the village lay dying, he whispered to the heavens that no white man would ever tarnish this land again. Nature would rise up and protect the valley. And it would bring as many days of misery and death to the white man as the cavalry had brought upon his people."

"Insects," Dean said. "Sounds like nature to me. Six days."

"And on the night of the sixth day, none would survive."

The three exchanged looks and thanked him for his time making a hasty retreat back to the car.

"When did the gas company man die?" Sam asked.

"Uh, let's see. We got here Tuesday, so Friday," Dean calculated.

"March 20th? That's spring equinox."

"The night the sun and the moon share the sky as equals," Bridget said.

"So, every year, about this time, anybody in Oasis Plains in danger. Larry built the neighborhood on cursed land."

"And the sixth night is tonight," Dean pointed out.

"If we don't do something, Larry's family will be dead by sunrise…so how do we break the curse?" Sam asked.

Bridget shook her head, "You don't break a curse. You get out of its way. We've gotta get these people out of there now."

It proved difficult. Dean tried calling Larry as a Gas Company representative saying there was a gas leak in the neighborhood but that didn't work. Larry caught the bluff. Sam took the phone then calling Matt to have Matt talk to his dad…of course when they arrived at the house the family was still there along with a very pissed off Larry.

"Get off my property before I call the cops," he threatened as they approached.

"Mr. Pike, listen," Bridget said.

"Dad, they're just trying to help," Matt stood up.

"Get in the house!" he yelled at his son.

"I told him the truth," he apologized.

"Look it's 12am. They're coming any minute now. You need to get your family and go before it's too late," Sam warned.

Larry rolled his eyes, "Yeah, the biblical storm."

"Larry, what do you think really happened to the realtor, huh? And the gas company guy? You don't think something weird is goin' on here?" Dean argued.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you're crazy. You come near my boy or my family again and we're gonna have a problem."

"Well, I hate to be a downer," Bridget said glancing in the direction of the woods. "But we've got a problem right now."

"Dad, they're right," Matt said.

"Get inside! Now!"

"No! Why won't you listen to me?" he yelled back at his father.

"Because this is crazy! It doesn't make any sense!"

"Look! This land is cursed. People have died here. Now, are you gonna risk your family?" Sam asked.

"Wait," Bridget held her hand out and they all went silent. "You hear it?" The buzzing sound was getting louder and growing by the second.

"What the hell?" Larry whispered as several bugs hit the bug light.

"All right, time to go, Larry get your wife," Dean said.

"Oh my God," Matt said eyes wide staring at the woods.

The sky was blanketed with bugs, millions covering the sky.

"We'll never make it," Sam said.

"Everybody in the house! Go!" Dean ordered and they rushed inside, slamming the door behind them, locking the door.

"Okay, is there anybody else in the neighborhood?" Sam asked.

"No, just us," Larry shook his head and his wife entered.

"Honey, what's going on? What's that noise?"

"Call 911, Joanie," he told her.

She nodded, picking up the phone.

"I need towels," Dean said.

Sam grabbed Matt, "Okay, we've gotta lock this place up, come on – doors, windows, fireplace, everything."

"The phones are dead," Joanie said.

"That's because they chewed through the phone line," Bridget said.

"I got my cell," Larry opened it. "No signal."

"You won't get one," Dean said. "They're blanketing the house." The five watch as the windows became covered.

"What do we do?" Larry asked.

"We try to outlast it. Hopefully, the curse will end at sunrise," Sam said.

"Hopefully?" Larry repeated.

Dean crossed into the kitchen and grabbed a can from under the sink.

"Bug spray?" Joanie questioned as the fireplace creaked.

"Trust me."

"What is that?" Matt asked.

"The flue in the fireplace," Sam answered.

"All right, I think we should be heading upstairs," Bridget said and as the words left her mouth hundreds of bugs came swarming into the living room. Dean took out his lighter and used the can, creating a fireball. "UPSTAIRS! NOW!"

They hurried into the attic and Sam slammed the door behind them.

A new sound filled the room and dust fell from the ceiling. "Oh God, what's that?" Joanie asked.

"Something's eating the wood," Dean told her.

"Termites," Matt said.

"Get back," Bridget warned as a hole fell through the ceiling. She tried to help San patch it up while Dean used his flame thrower bug spray, but another hole was created and they backed away into a corner, Sam holding onto Bridget. She gripped his arms, death by bugs was not what she had in mind. The sun peaked through the hole and the bugs seemed to retreat. Confused, the three of them walked forward watching as the bugs cleared away. Bridget released her grip on Sam and leaned her forehead on his arm. "That was fun…"

After a few minutes they all moved outside and the Pike's were packing up, ready to move.

"What? No goodbye?" Dean asked, shaking hands with Larry.

"We're getting ready to leave."

"For good?" Bridget asked.

"Yeah. The development's been put on hold for awhile while the government investigates the bones you found. But I'm gonna make damn sure no one lives here again."

"You don't seem upset by that," Sam noted.

"Well, this has been the biggest financial disaster of my career but…" he looked over at Matt who was carrying a box to the garbage. "Somehow, I really don't care."

Sam walked over to Matt and Bridget waited with Dean, shaking hands with Larry. "Sam, Dean, Barbra, thank you…"

The three walked back to the car and Bridget slammed the door a little harder than needed. "Bridget, what is so hard about Bridget?"

"I don't know, Barbie," Dean said.

She leaned over and smacked him upside the head.

Sam watched Matt and Larry getting along out the window. "I wanna find Dad."

"Yeah, me too," Dean nodded.

"Me, three," Bridget chimed.

"But I just…I want to apologize," Sam said.

"For what?" Bridget asked, leaning over the seat.

"All thing things I said to him. He was just doing the best he could."

"Well, don't worry," Dean said and started the car. "We'll find him and then you'll apologize and then within five minutes you guys will be back at each other's throats and me and Bridget will play referee."

Sam laughed, "Yeah, probably…let's hit the road."

"Let's," she nodded and they took off down the road, never knowing what case would hit them next… Bridget sat in the back seat, drawing a house from a dream she had the night before…wondering if it had anything to do with the next supernatural case. She was just glad there were no bugs in the picture.