Chapter 8

Shadow

Content Warning: language and violence

DISCLAIMER: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writers of Supernatural.

Chicago, Illinois. This wasn't the first time the Winchesters blew into town and Riley was no stranger to the city herself. She and Finn stayed back at the motel while the boys went to start working the case. Sometimes, false identities are easier bought when it was just two of them instead of three.

Up on the third floor, the motel was quiet in the middle of the late morning. The traffic horns and passing cars were to be expected though. Riley had taken Finn out for a walk and stretched their legs after another long drive. With everything that had been going on, she needed to attempt to clear her mind. Not to mention their last case left a mark on her. That one wasn't even about monsters. It was humans who behaved as though they were monsters. As Dean had said, "demons, I get. People are just crazy."

Coming back into the room, she put her keys on the small counter while the pup went and made himself at home. She poured herself a glass of water and chugged it down before kicking off her Converse.

Riley hated when Sam and Dean went on their own. Not because she worried as much as she just hated being on the sidelines. Waiting was never her strongest skill. She needed to be putting in the work.

She sat on the couch with a large exhale and gave herself permission to relax. Sleeping the night before was rough, to say the least. There wasn't anything for her to do, so it seemed like an opportune time for a nap. Riley laid back on the couch, crossed her ankles and her arms and closed her eyes. Hopefully, the boys would be back soon and they could move on the case.

Once again, Riley found herself in the familiar motel room with the tacky green wallpaper. This time was different though. It was as though she was more aware of her surroundings and herself. Almost as though she knew it wasn't real. She wasn't shocked watching her dad walk through the door with dinner this time. Her heart still skipped a beat though seeing his face and realizing how deeply she missed him.

As the scene played on, Jackson found Riley's body on the floor across the room. A single tear ran down her face as she watched the all too familiar moment. She didn't need to go over to him. She already knew what she would find.

Jackson sobbed at the loss of his daughter and cradled her in his arms. She tried not to be too engaged in the emotions the dream always brought about. Being more self-aware, she took a moment to look at the room more closely.

After a moment, she had a thought as her father's cries faded into the background…

The sound of a car alarm woke her. Riley sat up and gathered herself. For the first time, she wasn't a victim of the dream. This time, she realized something… "I've been in that motel room before."

—

Dean pulled Baby to the side of the main street. He and Sam got out of the car closing the doors behind them. They were dressed in blue uniform jumpsuits with a patch on the chest that read: "PF Alarm Systems".

"This is ridiculous, Sam. Why the hell do we need these stupid costumes? Dad and I never used any of this crap before."

"Dean, just for once, don't be a pain in the ass about something."

They went upstairs to the apartment of a young woman who had been murdered. She was the case. Sam and Dean had been let in by the superintendent. They claimed to be with the security company the victim had used.

"Well, no offense, but your company is about as useful as boobs on a man."

"Well, that's why we're here. We're gonna find out what went wrong and make sure it doesn't happen again." Dean walked further into the apartment seeing that the crime scene was in the living room. He moved the sheer curtains to look for anything the police could have missed as Sam circled around doing the same. "Were you the one that found the body, ma'am?"

The superintendent was small of stature but held herself together well. "Meredith's work called. They said she hadn't been in for a few days. So, I came up here to check on her. There was no answer when I knocked, but I did notice a terrible smell." She looked around at the bloodstained room and tried to remain professional. "Front door was locked, all the windows were bolted. Hell, we had to cut the chain on the door just to get in."

Meredith's apartment was modern and clean. Very fitting of a young woman. A white carpet sat in the center of the room but was covered in blood splatter. It tainted the sweet spirit of the home she had once lived in.

"And the alarm was still on?" Dean asked.

"Like I said," the superintendent started. "Bang-up job your company is doing." She took a pause before continuing. "There was no overturned furniture or anything out of place. The whole place was in perfect condition. Well, except for Meredith."

Sam turned to the woman with curious eyes. "And what condition was Meredith in?"

"Meredith was all over the place in pieces. Whoever did this to her was a total whack-job. If I didn't know any better, I'd say a wild animal did it." After feeling she didn't want to be there any more than she had to, she turned to leave. "I'll let you boys give the place a once over. Just let me know when you're done."

"No prints, the killer just walks in and out, no other evidence? I'm telling you, man," Sam knelt down to open his toolbox to pull out their equipment. "The minute I saw that article in the paper, I know this was our kinda thing."

Dean continued his inspection. "Talked to the cops, and they didn't give us anything else to go on but what the papers said. Well, except for one thing." Dean paused and turned to his brother, "Meredith's heart was missing. And you heard the lady, she said it looked like an animal attack. Maybe we're looking for a werewolf."

"No, I don't think so. Lunar cycles aren't right for that. Actually, if it was any kind of animal at all, it would have left something behind; some kind of trace. I'm thinking spirit."

The EMF detector in Dean's hand whirred wildly as he turned it on. "I think I'm gonna have to agree with you on that one." He walked around as the device continued to sound off.

Stopping, Dean took a closer look at the white rug. The blood splatter stood out to him for some reason and he went to grab some masking tape. He got on his knees and used the tape to connect the spots of blood. As he stood up to look at the whole picture, the brothers could see a clear symbol. It resembled a strange looking "Z" or backward "S" with a circle in the middle.

—

Later that night, Riley had joined Sam and Dean as they went to get more information on the dead woman. They had gone to her place of work, which just happened to be a pool bar. Sam sat at one of the high tables and went through clipped newspaper articles while Dean got them drinks and spoke to the bartender. The auburn-haired hunter made her way out from the restroom and headed towards the table.

"Well," Dean put the three glasses on the table. "Meredith was a pretty chill girl from what everyone's saying. She waited tables, never had any issues with anybody and everyone here was her friend." He scooted his barstool closer to Riley and pushed her drink in her direction.

"Okay, well what about the symbol you guys mentioned? Did you find anything on that?" Riley took a sip from her glass of whiskey and sighed after swallowing.

"I couldn't find a thing. Nothing in dad's journal or any of the books I read had anything on it." Sam looked around the room and then back at his partners. "Guess I just gotta dig a little deeper."

"There was a first victim before Meredith, right?" Dean ran his fingers across the skin on the small of Riley's back where her shirt didn't completely cover. His touch was soothing but always lit a fire in her.

"Yeah." The youngest Winchester handed the couple a newspaper article. "Ben Swardstrom. Last month he was found mutilated in his townhome. Same deal; the door was locked, alarm was on, nothing out of place."

Riley furrowed her brow as she studied the paper. "There doesn't seem to be any connection between the two of them."

"Nope. None. Meredith was a waitress and Ben was a banker. They never met or even knew anyone in common. They were practically from different worlds."

Dean threw back his shot glass and seethed. "Great. So we got jack squat."

Sam's face changed as he suddenly went to stand. He went past the table and kept on walking across the bar without a word to his partners.

Riley faked a gasp. "Rude," she said full of sarcasm.

The two turned to see Sam walk up to a girl with short platinum blonde hair that he tapped on the shoulder. They seemed to know each other and they hugged. Riley and Dean downed the last of their drinks as they went to follow him.

Dean leaned his head towards the woman on his arm and spoke out of the side of his mouth. "She's cute. 'Bout time Sammy got lucky." Riley playfully bat at his arm as they walked up to Sam and his friend.

"Gosh, Sam. What are the odds of us running into each other?"

"Yeah, I know. I never thought I'd see you again." Sam smiled at her and then realized his family just behind him. "Oh, Meg, this is my brother, Dean and his girlfriend, Riley."

"So, this is Dean." Meg's tone became harsh. "Real nice, the way you treat your brother like luggage." Dean stood dumbfounded by the strange woman that acted as though she knew him. "Why don't you just let him do what he wants to do?"

Riley felt something wrong. This feeling was new. It was emptiness. But more than that, it was unsettling. The woman she was just introduced to didn't give off any feelings, thoughts or emotions. She always picked up something from people. The thoughts were still only on occasion, and the same went for emotions. But she always could very obviously feel the presence and energy of others around her. It was like Meg was a shell of a person. A cold shiver ran up her spine and she suddenly felt nauseous.

Sam interrupted Meg and let out a breathy laugh, "Meg, it's okay. We're all good now."

There was a moment of silence and Dean whistled. "Wow. Awkward. Okay, well we're gonna go get another drink now." He took Riley's hand as he gave her a look of discomfort and they walked away. But she turned over her shoulder to get one last look at the strange woman.

Riley got on her tiptoes and went up to Dean's ear to talk over the music. "Something's not right with her, Dean."

"Pfft. Yeah, you're telling me."

—

Outside of the bar, the three headed down the street. Dean was clearly annoyed. "So who the hell was she?"

Sam's hands found his pockets as he shook his head. "I really don't know. I only met her once. But running into her again? I dunno. The whole thing just feels weird to me."

"And what was she saying about how I 'drag you around like luggage?' What? Were you bitching about me to some chick?"

"Dean, I'm sorry, okay? It was when I was hitch-hiking in Indiana after our huge fight. We ran into each other again at the bus station and just ended up talking."

"Well is there any truth to what she was saying? Huh? Am I just keeping you here against your will, Sam?" Dean's voice raised and his irritation grew.

"Guys," Riley gently tugged at him to turn her way and Sam stood beside them. She needed to stop the argument before it got out of hand. Every time the brothers fought, her empathic ability was just too much to deal with. "Look, regardless of what happened with you and this 'Meg girl', Sam, something's not right. I can feel it."

"Me too. It's just too weird. I think this might even be a lead." Sam shook his head. "I met this girl weeks ago on the side of the road and now I just happen to be in the same random bar in Chicago that she is? The same bar that the dead waitress worked at who was slaughtered by something supernatural?"

"I dunno, Sammy. Weird coincidences happen." Dean was trying to come down from his frustration.

"But to us, Dean?" Riley looked up at him. "Babe, there's something about this girl that I just can't put my finger on, but my gut is telling me Sam might be right."

Sam nodded in agreeance."Would you guys do me a favor? Can you check and see if there's really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts? And maybe see if you can find anything on that symbol?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna watch Meg."

Letting out a solid laugh, Dean took Riley's hand. "Alright, you little pervert." Riley tried not to laugh too as they headed in the direction opposite of Sam.

—

Finally, back at the motel, Riley sat in front of Sam's laptop and showed Dean what she had found. He picked up his phone and called his brother.

"Hey," Sam answered.

"Let me guess, you're lurking outside some girl's apartment aren't you?" Dean gave Riley a playful look as he teased his little brother.

"No. …yes."

"You got a funny way of showing your affection, kid."

Riley took the phone from her boyfriend and rolled her eyes with a laughing scoff. "Hey, Sam, it's me."

"Did you guys find anything?"

"Well, believe it or not, she checks out. There is a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts. I mean, we even pulled up her high school photo. It's her, Sam." Riley ran a hand through her hair frustrated that this was a dead end.

Dean spoke up loud enough to make sure Sam could hear him. "Why don't you go knock on her door? Go invite her to a poetry reading or something." He laughed to himself, proud of his taunt.

"The symbol." Sam tried to bring the conversation back to focus. "Anything on that?"

"Actually," Riley turned back to the computer, "we did have some luck on that. It's Zoroastrian. Super old school. We're talking like 2,000 years before Christ kind of old. It's a sigil for a Daeva."

"What's a Daeva?"

"So, the name translates to 'demon of darkness'. Zoroastrian demons. They're totally animalistic. Nasty attitudes, kind of like a demonic pitbull."

Sam scoffed. "See? This is why we need you. Dean never would have found that on his own."

From the background, Dean yelled, "you're on speakerphone, douchebag!" He walked back to the table after grabbing a beer. "Anyways, these Daevas have to be summoned. So someone is controlling it. And from what we found, it looks like it's pretty risky business too. These suckers tend to bite the hand that feeds them–and the arms…and the torsos."

"So what do they look like?" Sam wished he was there getting the information himself. He was too eager to delve into more research on the creature.

"No one knows, Sam," Riley said chiming back in. "Supposedly, no one's seen any for a couple millennia. This thing is ancient. To summon something like this? This person really knows their stuff."

Dean agreed. "I think we got a major player in town." He smiled as he came up with another clever joke for his brother. "Now why don't you go give that girl a private strip-o-gram?"

"Oh, bite me, Dean."

"No! Bite her! Just don't leave teeth marks!"

The line went dead as Sam hung up.

Shaking her head Riley laughed at Dean. "You just really can't help yourself can you?"

"It's a curse," he shrugged. "But now I'm wondering, how do youfeel about a little biting?" Dean's eyebrow went up and down in a suggestive manner as he clamped his teeth together. Riley squealed and hurried across the room as he came up behind her and picked her up by her waist. She laughed as he carried her towards the bed.

—

Sam flipped his phone shut. Dean's constant jokes about his sex life could definitely get on his nerves.

The street he sat on was quiet and the dark sky drizzled small drops of rain. He sat in the Impala, waiting for Meg to do something conspicuous. Sam knew he had to trust his instincts on this one.

Finally, he saw her come out of her building. She seemed to look around before she headed down the block. Sam got out of the car and tried to follow behind her without being seen.

After a minute or two, he watched her go into an abandoned building with a sign reading: do not enter. He gave her some time to head inside before he quietly went in after her. Sam followed a stairway that led to a door and turned the handle. It was locked and Meg was nowhere to be seen.

He turned to see an old metal caged elevator that no longer worked. Sam went inside and used the bars as leverage to climb up. Climbing up four levels, he finally reached one that had a flickering glow illuminating from it. Sam clung to the metal as he waited in position. He worked to slow his breathing after the climb while trying to remain as still and silent as possible.

There was an empty room with random strewn about items. A table, that appeared to be an altar, was in the middle of the room. Candles and what looked like dark magic objects covered the table top.

Meg finally made her entrance and walked towards the altar. She picked up an ancient-looking bowl and began to recite an incantation in Latin. Sam's squinted, desperate to get a closer look as he watched her perform some form of ritual. She was stirring the contents of the bowl with her finger as she stared into it.

She began to speak into the bowl in her hands. "I don't think you should come." Meg paused. "Because the brothers and the Munroe girl, they're in town. I didn't know–" she stopped as though someone had interrupted her. "Yes, sir. Yes, I'll be here…waiting for you."

Soft smoke surrounded her as she blew out the candles and returned the item to the table before turning to leave.

Sam had been hanging there the entire time. Once he knew the coast was clear, he worked to pull himself up onto the concrete level. Finally able to stand, Sam checked behind him as he walked to the altar. The table top was made of some form of reflective glass. There were bones, black candles, strange cards, and other things littered across it. In the center was the symbol they had found back at the crime scene. It had been drawn in blood and the bowl she had been stirring was filled with blood as well.

"What the hell?"

—

"So hot little Meg is summoning the Daeva." Dean walked across the room to sit on the bed.

Riley gave him a look. "Hot?" Dean shrugged. "Eh, fair enough," she replied as she picked at her guitar.

Sam was flustered and paced across the room as he spoke. "She was talking into this bowl almost like how a witch would talk into a crystal ball. She was definitely communicating with someone." His eyes looked down and shot back and forth as he thought. "Someone was giving her orders. Someone is coming to that warehouse."

Dean shot a look at Riley who's eyes had grown as she absorbed the information. Her sweet Finn was gnawing at a treat she had brought back for him. "Show him what else we found," she said nodding in the direction of the papers on the bed.

"Okay, so I was able to get into the police records. We missed something before." Sam went to sit on the bed as Dean showed him the hard copies they had gotten. "The old guy? The first victim? He spent his entire life in Chicago but look where he was born."

"Lawrence, Kansas."

"Mm-hmm. And Meredith? The second victim? She was adopted, and guess where she's from?"

Sam took a deep breath and scoffed. "Holy shit." There was a moment where no one knew what to say. The puzzle they had been trying to piece together was even bigger than they thought. "I mean, that's where the demon killed our moms. That's where it all started. Wait, so does that mean we think Meg is tied up with the demon?"

"I think it's definitely a possibility, Sam." Riley put down the guitar and stood to lean against the wall, her arms crossed. "I'm telling you, there's something even more than this going on with Meg. I felt it the moment we met her. This girl is bad news."

Neither Sam or Dean were giving off too many emotions at the moment besides confusion. Riley was also starting to think that she was learning how to manage feeling Sam and Dean's emotions. Maybe she was finding an on and off switch with the two of them.

"But I don't understand." Sam was clearly shaken. "What's the significance with Lawrence?"

Dean shook his head as he replied, "I dunno but I say we trash that black altar, grab Meg and have ourselves a friendly little interrogation."

"No, Dean. We can't do that. We can't tip her off." Getting up off the bed, Sam ran his hand down his face. "We have to get back there though and see who or what is gonna show up to meet her."

"Sammy, I think we gotta call dad."

—

"We think we got a serious lead on the thing that killed mom. So uh, this warehouse – it's 1435 West Erie. Dad, if you get this, get to Chicago as soon as you can." Dean flipped the phone shut and turned to see Sam drop full and heavy bags onto one of the beds. "Geez, what'd you get?"

A small laugh escaped the young Winchester. "I ransacked that whole trunk. Holy water, every weapon I could think of. Exorcism rituals from about half a dozen religions. I'm not sure what to expect, so I guess we should just expect everything huh?"

Riley walked in from the other room with Finn at her heels. She grabbed the shotgun from the bed and loaded it. The faces of all three hunters were stone cold serious as they readied themselves.

"Big night." Dean loaded his pistol without looking up.

"Yeah," Riley agreed. Her voice was soft spoken but full of certainty.

Sam looked at his family. "You guys, nervous?"

They all agreed they weren't but Riley could feel the tension and nervous energy that was bursting through the room. This was leading up to the moment they all were trained for since they were children. Yet none of them felt ready now that it was here. It was as though everything came down to this. Guns continued to click as they were checked and loaded.

A soft laugh came from Sam as he grinned. "What if we actually find the damn thing tonight? The demon."

"Don't get your hopes up too high, Sammy," Dean said giving his brother a look.

"No, I know, but–what if we did. What if this was it? It could all be over tonight." Another soft laugh escaped Sam as he envisioned a life free of that burden. "Man, I'd sleep for like a month. Go back to school, just be a person again."

Dean feigned a face of acceptance. "Yeah, that's great. Good for you." The tension rose and Riley tried to breathe through it.

"I mean, what are you both gonna do when this is all over?" Sam looked confused as to why Dean was so disconnected from all this and why Riley had so little to say.

"It's never gonna be over," Dean said sternly as he began to strap up. "There's always gonna be others. There's always gonna be something to hunt."

"Rye?"

"Sam…you guys, Finn; this is all I have." Riley tried to choke back the lump that grew in her throat as she laced her boots. "Even if we kill this thing tonight, this is my life. And Dean's right. I'll never be able to just stop knowing that there will always be evil waiting around the corner." She ran her hand through her hair and realized she had never allowed herself to think about those things. Riley had to accept that hunting was the only future she would ever have, even if she did want more.

"But there's gotta be something that you want for yourselves."

"Yeah, Sam. There is. We don't want you bailing on us the second this thing is over." Dean's voice was harsh but full of pain. The room fell silent.

"Dude, what the hell is your problem?"

Leaning against the dresser, Dean tried to steady himself before his emotions took over. Riley wanted to know where his head was and opened herself to what he was feeling. It was powerful. There was a glimmer of hope that was clouded by sadness and hopelessness. "Me, coming to get you at Stanford? It was more than dad just going missing or us finding the demon. It–" he stopped as he fought the tightness in his chest. "You, me, dad and now Riley? I want us to be a family again."

"Dean, we will always be a family. I'd do anything for you. For either of you. But things will never be the way they were before."

Fighting back his tears Dean replied with a forced smile, "…they could be."

"…I don't want them to be." Sam paused as Dean swallowed hard trying to contain his heartbreak. "I'm not gonna live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you're both gonna have to let me go my own way." It was anything but easy to say those words. Sam loved them both so much, but being a hunter was never the life he wanted. As soon as he made peace over the deaths of his mom and Jess, it was going to be time to move on.

Dean went back to work preparing for the night to come. He tried to control the grief that ripped through him. All Dean ever wanted was his family. Nothing else mattered, but he would always need Sam and Riley.

A tear fell from Riley's eye and she turned quickly to wipe it away. Not only was she hurting for the man she loved, but the idea of not having her best friend in her life cut her like a knife. Sam was her brother. She wasn't ready to let him go either.

She went to fill Finn's bowls before they left and knelt down to stroke his fur to seek comfort. It was always hard leaving him behind before a hunt they couldn't take him on. Riley was always scared that would be the last moment she saw her first real friend. She had a system in place though with another hunter. She would let them know when she was headed out. If she didn't check in the next day, they would come to take care of Finn.

Riley almost felt guilty for bringing him on the road with her, but he had nowhere else to go and she wasn't about to abandon her partner. He was a stray when they found each other and she was always going to make sure he had a home at the end of the day.

Overwhelmed by the guilt of leaving Finn that she knew all too well, along with the pain that had come with their family's conversation, Riley tried to hold herself together. She needed to be strong and ready. Not just for herself, but for mom, for dad, for Deb, and for Sam and Dean. This was bigger than she ever would be. It wasn't about her or what she was feeling. It was about being the woman her father raised her to be.

"I'm gonna make you proud, dad."

—

Sam led his partners to the warehouse and began his climb up the metal of the elevator. Dean followed behind him, while Riley looked up at them. She rolled her eyes and tried to contain her whine of discomfort as she began her ascent. She was never really a fan of heights.

They reached the level with the altar and held on tight to the bars as they peered in. All three worked to calm their breathing while remaining hidden. Meg had returned and was reciting yet another Latin incantation. Her back was turned towards the hunters and her face was lit by the black candles in front of her.

The Winchesters began to pull themselves out through the opening of the elevator shaft and onto the concrete floor. Riley was the last one to climb in and Dean grabbed her arms to help her up. Sam pulled out his gun and aimed. His heart beat so hard in his chest he could hear it in his ears. As Dean and Riley made their way to a place to hide, Sam covered their backs and joined them. Finding crates to set themselves up on, they readied their weapons and were prepared for battle.

"Guys. Hiding is a little bit childish, don't you think?" Meg still faced away but they could almost hear the malevolent smile that grew on her face.

Dean turned to the others. "Well, that didn't work out like I planned."

"Why don't you come out?" Meg's voice sent that same cold chill through Riley. The emptiness inside her was deafening.

The hunters stood from their hidden positions and slowly made their way towards their target. Their weapons were ready to fire.

"So," Riley started with sass in her voice. "Your Daeva friend around? We thought it might be fun for all of us to get to know each other."

"They're around. But I don't think your shotgun's gonna do much good, honey." The blonde woman returned Riley's attitude.

"Oh, don't you worry about that, Meg." A small grin grew as she responded. "The shotgun's not for the demon."

Sam tried to hide the nervousness that made him want to shake. "So who is it, Meg? Who's coming? …who are you waiting for?"

"You."

With that single word, Riley could hear a faint and distant echoing scream coming from Meg. Like a cry for help in an endless darkness.

Her eyes grew as she began to finally feel afraid and realized something else was coming. The hair on her arms stood on end as a dark shadow figure came up from the ground and flew up onto the wall. It seemed to have long fingers that were like claws and the creature looked almost cloaked. Its arms were stretched out and a dark feeling ran through the room.

Soaring across the walls, it charged at the hunters. Its hands struck powerful blows into the Winchesters that sent them through the air. They crashed hard into the ground and onto crates that had been long forgotten. The sound of the wood breaking seemed to echo out along with the rounds Riley fired in a desperate attempt to reach Meg. She missed and suddenly, she too was thrown.

A clawed scratch mark ripped through Sam's left cheek tearing at his flesh.

—

Beaten and bruised, Riley, Sam, and Dean were tied to pillars in the room. Blood dripped from their faces and heads after their merciless defeat.

"Hey, Sammy…" Riley looked over at her friend. "I really hope you don't take this personally, but your girlfriend?" Her face turned towards Meg. "Is a total bitch," she added with snark as she spit out blood.

Sam's face stung as blood still came from his torn skin. His anger grew as he looked at the monster that had taken them hostage. He felt like such a fool. "This. All of it. It was a trap." Sam scoffed. "Running into you at the bar, following you here, hearing what you had to say– it was all a setup wasn't it?" A small sinister chuckle came from Meg as she looked back at him and listened. "And the fact that all the victims were from Lawrence?"

"Oh, honey. That didn't mean shit. All of it was just to draw you in."

"You killed those two people, for nothing."

Meg stared him down. "Baby, I've killed a lot more for a lot less."

"You got us. You should be so proud of yourself." Even as a prisoner, Dean's sarcasm dripped from his mouth. "So, why haven't you killed us already?"

"Not very quick on the uptake, are we?" Meg's face was cocky and she found the whole situation slightly amusing. "This trap isn't for you."

The hunters took a moment before Sam spoke out, his voice soft and broken. "Dad." He had to fight the lump in his throat realizing John was in danger. "It's a trap for dad."

"Well, sweetheart, you're dumber than you look." Dean was trying to contain the rage he felt growing inside him, but Riley still felt it all. "'Cause even if he was in town, which he's not, he wouldn't walk into something like this. He's too good."

Standing up from her seat, Meg sauntered in his direction. "Well, you see, I happen to know he is in town. And John Winchester…has one weakness." The brave front they had been trying to put on quickly melted from their faces at her words. She crouched down in front of Dean and straightened his jacket. "…you guys. He lets his guard down when it comes to you boys. So, yeah…he'll come. He'll try to save you, and then all the Daevas will kill everybody–nice, and slow…and messy."

"You really think some shadow thing is gonna be enough to take him out?" The oldest Winchester knew the hunter his father was and didn't doubt his abilities for a moment.

"The Daevas, they're all around us right now. The shadows are just the part you can see."

Sam's anxiety grew and he was tired of her games. "Why are you doing this, Meg? Huh? What kind of deal did you make?"

"I'm doing this for the same reason you all do what you do. Loyalty, love." Turning to Riley, she continued, "Like the love you had for your mommy's…or Deb."

The blue-eyed hunter clenched her jaw. "You don't get to fuckingsay her name," Riley seethed fighting against her restraints. Controlling her wrath was no longer an option. Every bone in her body ached in need as she imagined all the ways she could kill Meg.

An evil and complete smile sat on her face as she saw the reaction she was getting from the Winchesters and Riley. She turned her attention to Sam and seductively went in his direction. Sitting in his lap Meg got in his ear and breathed as she spoke. "Come on, Sam. I know how you really feel about me. I've seen the way you've looked at me. You want me, Sam. Come on, we can still have a little dirty fun." Meg began to kiss at his neck and lick up to his ear trying to get him to give in. She bit at his shoulder and pulsing neck building the tension.

As she pulled away to look at him, Sam butted his head into hers sending her falling flat on her back. He had untied himself with a blade he had hidden in his sleeve. Sam groaned in pain from the blow.

"Sam! Get the altar." Riley threw a look in its direction and he fought through his headache towards it. Sam flipped the table sending the objects shattering. The collected blood spilled onto the ground.

A look of panic grew on Meg's face as she still laid on the concrete floor recovering from her head injury. The Daevas were free from her hold, and they were angry. She knew they were coming for her. Before she could fight to stand, shadows flashed through the room and attacked the injured woman. They grabbed Meg and drug her across the floor as she screamed and then threw her through the 4th story window. The sound of breaking glass surrounded the building and her screams fell silent as she hit the pavement below.

Sam ran to free Riley and Dean from the ropes and the three ran to the now broken window. They sighed in relief to see her dead body below them, surrounded by shards of glass.

"I'm guessing the Daevas didn't like being bossed around." Sam was finally able to catch his breath.

"Guess not." Dean turned to his brother. "Hey, Sam, next time you wanna get laid, try to find a girl that's not batshit crazy, huh?" Riley snickered at the comment before they turned to leave.

—

The hall of the rundown motel was barely lit by the cheap bulbs in the lights on the wall. Sam, Riley, and Dean were exhausted as they made their way towards their room. Sam still had the gear bag slung over his shoulder.

As they approached the door, Riley got an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She could hear Finn growling from inside. She turned to the boys and they noticed it as well. Dean grabbed the gun from his waistband and shoved open the door ready for a fight. Finn was across the room in a corner. His teeth were bared and his hair stood on end as he readied to charge at the dark figure that stood in the shadows.

With his gun raised and the others behind him, Dean yelled, "hey!"

Riley turned on the lights as the mysterious intruder turned in their direction. He stepped into the light with a smile. It was John Winchester.

All three stood in shock unsure of what to say. The only word Dean could utter softly came out, "dad?"

John had soft tears filling his eyes as he looked back at them. "Hey, boys."

Riley felt herself drowning in the emotions that flooded the room. But the one feeling that stood out amongst them all…was love.

Dean moved in the direction of his father and John did the same until they met in the middle of the room. They threw their arms around each other in a strong embrace. The oldest Winchester son had ached for his dad to come back to him for so long. He finally felt a sense of peace as he held him.

After a deep hug, they broke apart and John turned to his youngest son. "Hi, Sam."

"Hey, dad." There was no real moment of relief between the two. The last time they had been together, a fight broke out between them when Sam decided to go to college. Neither was sure of how to reconcile the tension between them. But both still longed for the connection they craved.

John looked over at Riley who had gone across the room to comfort a scared Finn. They locked eyes and there was some discomfort but genuine care between them. "Riley. Been a long time."

"Yeah." She paused as she stood back up. "It's good to see you, John."

"She's a tough one, like her old man. He'd be so proud of her."

Riley's heart swam at John's thoughts. But she quickly felt the familiar sting of guilt swimming through Dean as he looked at his father.

"Dad, it was a trap. I'm sorry. I didn't know." All he wanted was to be a good son. John meant the world to him and disappointing him was one of his greatest fears.

"It's alright. I thought it might have been." John Winchester stood tall just like his boys. His eyes were a chestnut brown and his hair was dark. The beard and mustache that wrapped around his mouth were peppered with gray hairs. He wasn't an old man, but the stress of the job had taken its toll on him through the years. "I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive." He smiled at Sam and Dean. "She was the bad guy, right?" John's voice was soft as he spoke to his kids.

"Yes, sir," both Winchester sons replied in unison.

Riley knew this was a big moment for the brothers and didn't want to meddle. She sat on a chair to the side and let them speak without her. The emotions hurling themselves around the room made her dizzy anyways.

"Doesn't surprise me, it's tried to stop me before."

"The demon?" Sam asked.

John nodded. "It knows I'm close. It knows I'm gonna kill it. Not just exorcize it or send it back to hell, actually kill it."

"How?" Dean's eyes glimmered with admiration as he studied the man he'd idolized his entire life.

"I'm working on that." Quiet filled the room. "I can't take you guys with me. Not yet. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you all caught in the crossfire. I don't want you hurt."

Sam wasn't about to give up without a fight. He needed to go after the demon. He had waited long enough since Jess' death to finally end it. "You don't have to worry about us."

"Of course I do." John smiled as his voice broke. "I'm your father."He turned to Sam before speaking again. "Sammy, last time we saw each other, we had one hell of a fight."

"Yes, sir."

"It's good to see you again. It's been a long time." All the Winchester men fought back the urge to cry at the reunion of their family. Riley's cheeks were wet from the emotions she carried for them.

"Too long."

A moment of love and understanding passed between Sam and his father. They wrapped their arms around each other and hugged for the first time in years. They clung on as Sam sniffled through his tears. As they stepped apart, John looked at his children with pride. Streams had flown from his eyes being with them again.

Before he could speak, a force grabbed John and thrust him through the air. He crashed into the small kitchen cabinets and groaned out at the impact. The Daevas had come for them.

Sam went to his father's aid but was beaten to the ground. Dean shouted as the moment he had waited for, was ruined by the presence of evil before he too was thrown like a ragdoll. Riley ran to help and was flung into the hard wall. At that moment, Finn crawled under the bed and whined in fear.

All four hunters were being viciously attacked by the creatures. John yelled out in pain as they clawed at his body and face as they pinned him down.

Riley was barely conscious when Finn found his courage and ran to lick her cheek. She became slightly more aware and grounded as he whimpered with every lick.

Seeing he was free at the moment, Sam hurried to the bag of gear and took out a flare. "Shut your eyes!" he shouted. He lit the flare and rolled it into the middle of the room. Smoke and a blinding light took over the space and the Daevas screeched in agony at the light. Within seconds, they dissipated.

The group was coughing from the smoke and tried to get their bearings. Sam ran to John's side and hooked his shoulder under his arm to get him off the ground and lead him out. Dean picked Riley up off the ground and cradled her in his arms as he ran out with her. He turned at the last moment and whistled loudly in Finn's direction. The dog barked and scurried to follow them.

Finally, outside, they ran to the Impala. As they got to the car, Sam opened the door and Dean put Riley down on the seat. Her head was spinning from the blow she suffered in the fray and she struggled to gain her senses. Finn hopped in the car and curled up beside her, still whining.

Dean reached out to cup her face in his hands and turned her to look at him. "Sweetheart, are you with me?"

Riley groaned. "I think so." Blood dripped down the side of her face and her eyes fought to focus.

"Keep your eyes open, Rye." Dean grabbed a shirt from a duffle bag and held it to her cut. "Sam, what the fuck just happened?"

"They're shadow creatures. I thought maybe the light would scare them off."

John was still catching his breath. "Good thinking, kid."

"We gotta go! Those things are gonna come back for us." Sam hurried to get in the car, breathing through his injuries.

"No." Dean turned to his father and fought the urge to be selfish. "Dad, you can't come with us."

"Dean! We should stick together," Sam pleaded.

"Sam, listen to me!" Dean's voice was stern and commanding. "We almost got dad killed in there. Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop. They're gonna use us to get to him. Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us." He stopped as his words cut him deep and he looked at his father. "He's stronger without us around."

Sam desperately turned to look at John and reached out for him. "Dad, no. Please. After all this time we spent looking for you. After everything between us…please. I gotta be a part of this fight."

"Sammy, this fight is just starting, and we are all gonna have a part to play." John's wounds hurt with every movement but his eyes stayed on his little boy. "For now, you gotta trust me, son." He sniffled. "You gotta let me go, okay?"

Riley was coming around but had trouble focusing as all the emotions hit her like a bag of bricks. The ringing in her ears made it hard to hear their conversation.

The Winchesters only just now found each other again. Grief and sadness overtook them as they realized it was already time to say goodbye again. With a final look, and tears streaming from their eyes, no more words were spoken. John soaked up that last moment with his sons and turned to walk away. As he got to his truck he looked back one more time. "Be careful, boys." John got into his truck as the door squeaked and then slammed shut. The truck quickly roared to life and he sped down the alleyway out of sight.

Dean handed the keys to Sam. "Come on." He then got in the back next to a still disoriented Riley. Putting his arm around her, he pulled her close so she rested on his shoulder. Dean held the shirt in place against her injury. He too had hit his head and struggled to keep everything from spinning around him. Kissing her hair, he held her tight just glad they had all survived it.

Sam turned the keys in the ignition and threw the car into reverse. The Impala backed out onto the main road in the opposite direction and whipped down the street. Their only goal was to get as far away from that warehouse as fast as they could.

As the brake lights of the Chevy turned down the next street, Meg crept out from the shadows. She watched as the hunters made their escape with hate in her eyes. That night changed nothing. She was still going to do whatever it took to stop them and to end John Winchester. Their time would come and Meg would be ready for them.

—

Riley's eyes fluttered as she began to come to. Her favorite beautiful green eyes stared down at her. His face was beaten to hell and a bandage covered a large cut on his forehead. Spots of blood had seeped through the clean cloth. Dean had a small smile on his face watching her wake up.

"Hey, beautiful. Good to see you again. How are you feeling?" Putting a hand on her head, Riley felt a bandage over a part of her scalp. Dean took her hand away gently. "Leave it be, Rye. We had to give you a couple stitches. It needs to heal."

"Stitches?" her voice was weak and tired. "Wait, where's Finn? I barely remember getting in the car. Was he with us?" She tried to sit up quickly to look around the room.

"Honey, he's fine, I promise. Sam actually took the mutt with him outside just a few minutes ago. Poor guy isn't handling everything too well."

Riley breathed a sigh of relief as she rested back onto the pillow on the bed. They had found yet another dingy motel to stay for the night and recoup. "Are you, okay? Sam? …your dad?"

A soft laugh came from Dean's throat. "You're always more worried about everyone else before yourself. One of the many things I love about you." He pushed her hair away from her face and looked into her piercing blue eyes. "God, I'm so glad you're okay."

Dean's love for Riley was so pure and it radiated from him like a beacon. But underneath that, there was a deep sadness. The night had been a complete failure and having to let his dad go was killing him inside. Dean was just trying to stay strong for her and Sam.

"Dean, you did the right thing. I may not remember most of it, but I can feel it in you." His eyes welled up and he ran a hand down his face fighting the urge to cry. "Look at me, babe." She squeezed the hand at her side. "You're an incredible son. I know your dad must be so proud of you."

Hearing those words fed his soul. How she always seemed to know what to say, would always be something he would never understand. Dean realized she was just special in that way. A tear betrayed him and ran down his cheek and she smiled up at him.

Riley scooted to the side and made room for her best friend as she opened the blankets up for him. Dean crawled inside and they faced each other as he laid down. He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same as they pulled each other close. Dean was safe there with her and she understood him. He didn't have to be anything but himself with Riley.

She gave him a soft kiss on his lips before he nuzzled into her neck. Riley could feel the wet drops that fell from his face and ran across her skin. "I'm here, Dean. I got you."

—-