Ch 29

"Guys, where's Jimmy?" Sam asked. River met Dean's eyes once more before she did an about face and stared at the giant man still standing within arms distance of the door.

"Where the hell were you, Sam?" she asked quietly.

"I told you I was gonna get a drink," he shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. His fingers clutched the flask containing the last few drops of demon blood and he felt calmer under his brother and Rivers stare.

"Oh thats right," River smiled.

"You went to the vending machines?" Sam nodded, quickly meeting her cold blue eyes before looking at a spot behind her. "You didn't see Jimmy sneak out?"

"I uh…I must've missed him."

River ran her fingers down her throat thoughtfully, "You've been gone three hours. You sure you just went to the vending machines?"

Sam's hazel eyes darted down to meet Rivers and then to his brothers. "I had a problem with the machine…it ate my quarters. So I had to go to the office and the manager had to call the repair-"

River held up her hand to stop him. "Enough. I'm tired. I am so very very tired. Jimmy's gone, he's going home. Probably taking a bus. Which means we have time for a few hours of sleep and then we can hit the road and try and intercept him or meet him at his house and make sure he and his family are safe. See you at dawn." She turned away from the brothers and flipped her hoodie over her head and laid down on the closest bed without another word.

The hunters woke before the sun had fully crested the eastern horizon. River ran a search of bus passengers and destinations from the backseat of the Impala when Dean stopped to gas up and Sam ran into the store for caffeine. "He signed in with his real name. Idiot. He's on his way to Pontiac. We should still be able to beat him home." She told the brothers when they climbed back into the car. Dean nodded and revved the engine away from the gas station.

The car was soon echoing with the music of Led Zeppelin as the miles and hours passed. River sat in the backseat quietly singing along and putting on makeup. Dean watched her in the rearview mirror as she checked her eyebrows. She had her small toiletry bag open on her crisscrossed legs and held a small mirror in one hand as she applied her mascara.

"Hey guys," Anna appeared suddenly in the seat next to River.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean cursed momentarily loosing control of the steering wheel and causing the car to swing wildly before he regained control.

The sudden jerky movement caused River to almost jab her eye with her mascara wand and dropped her small mirror on the floor where it shattered. "Fuck," she mumbled untangling her legs and reaching down to pick up the broken pieces. She sat back up and turned in her seat to face the crimson haired angel. If it was at all possible Ana looked more beautiful then she had the last time River had seen her. Her skin was bright and almost glowing. River could see the faint shimmer of her lilac colored wings tucked close to her back as they faded in and out of the space in the car.

"Smooth move, Dean." She said laughing lightly and sitting forward.

"You know you could call first. Instead of just dropping in," he grumbled. He looked back into the rearview mirror and watched as color slowly rose up River's chest and neck, finally reaching her cheeks in shades of pink.

"I like the element of surprise," Ana replied. "River you got mascara on your chin." The angel reached her hand toward River and she jumped back as if shocked.

"Don't fucking touch me," River said wiping the back of her hand along her chin. Ana nodded and slid herself a few inches away and turned back towards Dean.

"You let Jimmy get away?" she asked the hunters.

"We didn't let him." Dean told her glancing over his shoulder. "He locked River in the bathroom and took off."

"Where were you two?" Anna inquired.

"I was out and Gigantor here was taking his case to Capital hill over 75 cents." Dean answered. Sam rolled his eyes and turned in his seat to face Anna and defend himself.

"You look different Sam." Anna said before Sam had a chance to speak.

He snapped his mouth shut and looked back at his brother. "What? I don't know…I got a haircut."

The Angel shook her head and continued staring at him, "That's not what I mean." She sighed and turned back to River, "You let him lock you in the bathroom?"

"I didn't let him do anything. Why the fuck are you here anyways?"

"Cas is in trouble. He was sent back home. Actually more like dragged back," Anna answered. The hunter let out along breath through her nose and wiped her palms on her jeans.

"What? Dragged back to Heaven? Thats not a good thing?" Dean asked.

Anna shook her head, "It's a very bad thing. A very painful, very bad thing. He pissed off someone high up. This is not good."

"Cas said he had something to tell Dean. We were going to meet him when we found Jimmy," Sam told her.

"Did Jimmy tell you what Cas had to say?"

"No, said he didn't remember."

"This is important." Anna stressed gripping the back of the seat closest to Dean.

"You think we don't know this a big deal, Anna? Cas was set up. Someone already tried to get him killed. Did you know that?" River nearly shouted.

"I heard there was some trouble. Possibly a traitor or traitors…You have to find Jimmy and find out if he knows what Cas knew…he's probably already dead."

"Where do you think we're headed? We're going after Jimmy." River exclaimed. Dean and Sam glanced at the woman and Angel in the backseat. "Why are you still here?"

Anna's dark green eyes met Dean's briefly in the rearview mirror, "I had sex with Dean."

River scoffed and rolled her eyes, "No shit."

"And…and I want to apologize."

"You wanna apologize for fucking Dean right here on this seat?" River patted the smooth leather seat between herself and the Angel. Dean cleared his throat nervously in the front seat and Sam kept twitching as if he wasn't sure if he should turn around or not.

"I thought I was going to die. It was my last night on Earth." Anna said.

River smiled humorlessly, her eyes narrowing, "Funny thing. I thought the exact same thing. Except instead of having sex with Dean like I wanted to I spent the night crawling around in horse shit painting sigils in my own blood trying to protect your ass."

"Dean…" Anna began.

"Dean has no fucking excuse either. When comes right down to it. But you…you stayed behind. You knew what you were going to do and you were human long enough to know fucking some others chicks boyfriend is breaking Girl Code numero uno. So take your apology and shove it right up your flat, angelic ass." River had begun edging forward, voice dripping with venom, "Get the fuck out of our car." Anna blinked twice and then disappeared. She sat back against the seat turning to look at the raindrops pelting the glass.

"Riv," Dean started.

"We're good, Hot Stuff. Just drive. We need to find Jimmy before anyone else does," River told him quietly.

They drove for another few hours until Dean had to stop for gas. River and Sam went into the convenience store this time for snacks and coffee while Dean stayed outside stretching his stiff back. Sam was jittery and twitchy, alternating between rubbing his mouth and cracking his knuckles nervously. "You ok, Sammy? You're all pale and sweaty."

"How many times have I fucking told you to stop calling me Sammy?" He barked only other patron in the convenience store, an older woman in old-fashioned horn-rimmed glasses clucked her tongue disapprovingly at Sam's language.

River snatched the bag of trail mix out of his giant hand, "Sounds like you need some Midol you pissy bitch." She slammed their collection of road food onto the counter in front of the clerk and turned towards the simmering pots of coffee and angrily poured three huge to-go cups of the molten liquid.

"Is there a key for the toilet?" Sam grumbled to the nervous looking kid manning the cash register. He slid the key across the counter to Sam who swiped it up and stormed out. His stomach cramping with anxiety and the urge to scream nearly overwhelming. River flipped him off behind his back as he stalked out then grabbed her wallet and paid for their food and gas. He had used the last few drops of demon blood that morning and he already needed more. His skin was crawling, his mouth dry, even his damn hair felt on edge. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and immediately dropped it on the filthy restroom floor. "Fuck," he growled as he punched in Ruby's number. The phone rang and rang and rang then switched to the robotic voicemail message, "God damn it Ruby. This isn't funny anymore. I am completely out. I need it! Call me."

Sam still wasn't back from the toilet so River slid into the front seat across from Dean. She wordlessly dumped their stash of snacks onto the seat between them and handed him his steaming cup of coffee. "You ok?" he asked after his first sip.

"Your giant dick of a brother is PMS-ing or something. Guess you'll have to deal with both of us being bitchy the next couple of days; it happens when you get a bunch of girls together. Our cycles start to synch." River said biting into a chocolate nougat bar and groaning in delight. "Oh god that's better than sex." She said chewing loudly and holding the candy bar out for Dean to try.

"Fuck you," Dean laughed and took a bite and mimicked her groan, "Oh god that is good."

River laughed, "mmm-told you."

Dean snaked his hand gently around the side of her face and pulled her towards him. He gently kissed the corners of her lips and she sighed at his touch. "I'm sorry things have been so shitty lately," he murmured quietly kissing along her jaw but still avoiding kissing her full on the lips.

"Me too," she whispered back. His lips now trailed down her neck and she shivered.

"I won't fuck this up. I love you," he finally took her lips in his, pulling her closer as she tangled her hands into his jacket and slid across the seat, spilling their collection of chocolate bars and preservative laced treats onto the floor.

"Say it again," River murmured against his lips.

Dean sat back and raised his eyebrows, "I won't fuck this up."

"I love you," she corrected.

"I know," Dean said opening another candy bar.

She laughed and punched him in the shoulder, "You're such a jerk." River sat back and watched as he inhaled the chocolate and coffee. "Dean I need to tell you something."

"You're not pregnant again are you? I mean not that that would be terrible but…"

"God no. I told you I can't…it's umm," she wiped her hands nervously on her jeans, "It's about Loki…he's uh look he's not umm…he's a-" She felt like her throat was suddenly closing and she coughed anxiously. Dean gave her a worried pat on the back and she tried to begin again but was interrupted when Sam flung the door open.

"I've been gone five fucking minutes and you're just gonna take my seat? I'm not sitting in the back my legs get too stiff." Sam huffed. River sighed and rolled her eyes at Dean mouthing, "PMS" before she got out of the car.

"Sure thing, Sam. You got it. Sam. Wouldn't want your legs to get stiff, Sam." She pushed past him and climbed into the back seat. Dean threw them both a look and then started the car.

"You gonna tell me about Loki or what?" Dean said after moments of heavy silence.

River had been staring out the window as the rainclouds followed them down the highway. "What? Oh yeah…umm he wanted me to go to Sweden with him for a few days for some music festival I told him no but I just wanted you to know in case I disappear." Dean grunted and edged the car faster. She pulled nervously on the chain around her neck, "Maybe you could help me try and get this damn necklace off later…it's stuck."

They would've made to Pontiac with an hour to spare before Jimmy's bus arrived in the local depot. They would've made it if not for the god damn construction truck that spilled a bucket full of nails across two lanes of the 55. Dean tried to steer Baby away from the jagged pieces of metal but one of those nasty sons of bitches punctured the tread on the front drivers side wheel. "Oh Baby, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I tried. I didn't see that one," Dean groaned as he kneeled down in front of the sadly deflated tire. Sam paced back in forth along the side of the car as Dean changed the tire. River kneeled down beside him as he explained how to use the jack, loosen the lug nuts and finally put the spare on.

At just about the time Dean tightened the last lug nut Jimmy Novak sat down at his dining room table for a much delayed family dinner. "All we have is turkey and roast beef." Amelia Novak set a plate of sandwiches down in front of her newly returned husband and their young daughter Claire. Jimmy smiled widely, running his hands along the familiar wood grain of his dining room table.

"It's wonderful. It's perfect. Thank you, Ames." He looked between his wife and their beautiful young daughter and realized again just how blessed he was. He reached forward and chose a sandwich off the plate.

"Daddy, aren't you going to say grace?" Claire asked innocently.

He wiped at an errant tear that trailed down his cheek, "No, honey I don't think I am. Let's just eat and you can tell me how schools going." He grasped his daughters small warm hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Before she could tell her daddy about her science fair project the door bell rang. Jimmy's heart skipped a beat, his first thought being that the three sociopaths he had ditched had already caught up to him.

Instead he heard the familiar, loud voice of his best friend and neighbor Roger, "Am I losing my mind or did I see Jimmy walk in here about an hour ago?"

"Fuck the bus depot. Go to Jimmy's house," River said as Dean pulled the Impala back on the highway. The snow fell in gentle flurries, the landscape coated in the pristine powder. On any normal day it would have been considered beautiful. But right now the hunters felt the snow falling was symbolic of the sands of time slipping away, Jimmy and his family were in danger they could all feel it in their bones. Minutes ticked by as the Impala ate away the miles between them and the Novak's house.

"Shit, why's the front door open?" River said gripping that seat in front of her as Baby skidded to a stop on the front lawn of Jimmy's house. The hunters were out of the car as soon as the tires stopped spinning. Dean being the fastest runner entered the house first. Just as they feared they were too late. Jimmy was on the floor struggling with a snarling demon had him gripped around the throat. A tiny blonde woman was trying to wrestle the screaming demon off of him. Across the room a man clutched a young blonde girl in a chokehold and held a knife to her throat. Dean went for the man first, pulling his head back and slitting his throat with the demon knife. River swept down and scooped the young girl to her chest, covering her eyes. "You're ok sweetheart, everything's ok," she cooed into her ear, "Just keep your eyes closed."

The woman fighting with Jimmy let him go and sprang to her feet hurtling curses and promises of torture and death at the hunters. Jimmy stood on shaky legs and quickly pulled the blonde woman to his side. "Claire!" she screamed.

"I've got her!" River yelled back, holding the girl closer and dodging the possessed woman. Dean held the knife out and feinted toward the demon. The demon stoped her cursing and gagged. Dean and River turned towards Sam where he stood with his hand outstretched and eyes closed in concentration.

"Get…them…out of here!" he grunted, holding the demon with his psychic powers. Dean pushed River and the young girl towards Jimmy and his wife. River spared one more worried look over her shoulder at the brothers before herding the Novaks out of the house and back to the waiting Impala. Sam let out a shaky breath and grasped his head painfully.

"Can't get it up, Sam?" the demon laughed taking a menacing step towards the hunter.

"No but I can!" Dean yelled grabbing the woman by the shoulder and spinning her towards him. Before he could sink the blade into her heart the demon erupted from the woman's mouth in a plume of black smoke. Dean grabbed his younger brothers arm and pulled him out the front door, "Go, go, go!"

"Get in the car!" River urged holding the door open and waiving the Novaks into the backseat. She looked up and saw the Winchesters rushing across the lawn as she closed the rear door and slid into the front seat. The brothers joined her a heartbeat later and Dean threw the car into gear and sped away from the house. River sat stiffly between the two big hunters, her hand finding Deans in the dark. He gave her fingers a quick squeeze, his green eyes darted over her head towards his brother. 'You see that?' his silent gaze seemed to ask. She tilted her head and gave a quick nod.

Claire cried quietly in the backseat, her face pressed into her moms sweater. River turned around and looked over her shoulder at the young blonde girl. "Hey, Claire," the girl sniffed loudly and Amelia patted her hair softly, "Do you know how to do a handstand?"

Clair wiped her face and looked between River and her mom. "What? No-no I don't."

"How about at the next pitstop I show you how to do one? I've been trying to teach these two doofuses for months but they just keep landing on their pretty faces." The young girl laughed and nodded her head. Amelia smiled and kissed her daughters forehead; Jimmy put his arm around his wife's shoulder and pulled them both close. River turned back around and rested her head on Dean's shoulder quickly letting the movement of the car and the familiar, comforting scent of his jacket lull her to sleep.

"Hey, princess you promised the kiddo a handstand." It was pitch black outside still, either extremely late at night or early in the morning depending on which way you looked at the clock. Dean had stopped at a gas station to regroup and refuel. River woke with a start, wiping her face quickly and rolling her stiff shoulders; she ran her hand along the two day stubble on Dean's jaw and kissed him. "I need a shower and shave." He mumbled glancing behind her again, watching as his younger brother unfolded his long limbs and stepped out of the car.

"Shower, yes. Shave, no. I like the scruff. Now get out and get me some coffee," she pushed him towards the door and climbed out after him. Claire was bouncing on the balls of her feet and smiled broadly at River when she she walked up. Amelia excused herself to the restroom and River took the young girl to a patch of grass off to the side of the gas station to practice their handstands as promised.

"She's good with kids," Jimmy told Dean as they watched River flip herself onto her hands, her boots sticking straight up in the air then carefully lower her legs back down. She nodded encouragingly to Claire who stood unsure for a moment before mimicking Rivers steps. She made it half way up before she tumbled over and they both erupted into laughter.

"Yeah she taught herself how to do that when she was an underage stripper," Dean said scratching his chin. He quickly remembered the night River had told him more about her colorful past. She was five or six months pregnant at the time, her belly just starting to poke out and stretch her AC/DC shirt. They had been playing a stupid game of 'Never Have I Ever' during a long drive, sharing sips out of a water bottle instead of booze, Sam snoring in the backseat and oblivious to the laughter and secrets being shared in the front of the car. "What the hell were you thinkin' man? They were waiting for you. Just like we said they would be."

"I know. You were right…but I don't know anything." Jimmy said looking back over his shoulder as his wife joined River and Claire.

"I don't think they're gonna be inclined to believe you. Besides you're a vessel and we still don't know how that whole thing works. It's different with demons they can just shuck into any unprotected meat suit they want but Angels…they need something special. And the demons are gonna wanna know what makes you tick." Sam told him.

"And that means vivisection if they're feeling generous." Dean added. A triumphant 'whoop' went off behind them and they turned to see Claire balancing on her hands for a few seconds before she once again fell forward onto the grass.

"You are putting them in danger, Jimmy. We're gonna tell you again: you need to come with us." Sam said his jaw clenching.

Jimmy tore his eyes away from his laughing wife and daughter and looked back at the Winchesters. "How long?"

Sam sighed loudly, annoyed at Jimmy resistance. "Don't you get it!" he practically yelled, "Forever. You can never be with them again. You stay with them and they are dead. So either come with us now or save yourself some grief and just put a bullet in their heads and yours." Dean looked worriedly at his younger brother. "There's no getting out. There's no going home."

"Jeez, Sam, don't sugar coat it for the poor guy," Dean sighed.

"I'm just telling him the truth, Dean! Someone has to!" Sam retorted. "Look, we'll get them a car and we'll send them on their way. To somewhere safe, away from us, away from you," he added in a much softer tone.

Jimmy took a step back and ran his fingers through his hair digesting everything Sam had just shouted at him. "I need to go talk to Amelia," he finally said. Dean nodded and watched as he walked towards his family. River smiled at him, they exchanged a few quiet words and she led Claire back towards the car. Once she got the girl settled with a movie on her laptop River joined the Winchesters.

"So….?" she asked raising her eyebrows.

"So hopefully, Jimmy stops being a fucking idiot and comes with us." Sam grunted. River nodded her head looking back at Jimmy and his wife. Amelia was shaking her head and wiping tears off her face. "We need to get going. We're waisting time," Sam grumbled stalking back to the car.

"The fuck is his problem?" River muttered to Dean.

They piled back into the Impala and drove until they found a parking garage rife with cars to choose from. Sam disappeared into the rows of cars and returned a few moments later behind the wheel of a tan colored four door sedan. "Your car," he gave Amelia a snarky bow and climbed back into the Impala. The hunters sat in silence in their car, giving the Novaks a private moment to say their goodbyes. Jimmy silently entered the car after a few minutes, Dean turned the engine over and they left the mother and daughter standing alone in the garage.

"Mama, why's daddy leaving again?" Claire asked quietly as the shiny black car drove away. Amelia let out a long breath through her nose and closed her eyes. When she opened them her lite green eyes had been replaced by inky blackness. The young girl took a startled breath and opened her mouth to scream. Amelia, the gentle woman who greeted her daughter at the bus stop every day after school with a kiss, who had never raised her voice to the young girl let alone her hand, pulled her hand back and slapped Claire. The resounding 'smack' echoed in the abandoned garage. Claire was too shocked and terrified to cry out, instead she brought one shaking hand to her cheek as silent tears spilled from her wide eyes.

"It's just not my god damn day, is it?" the demon seethed, "Quit blubbering you little bitch." The demon wearing her mothers face grabbed her painfully around the arm and drug her back to the idling car, tossing her unceremoniously into the backseat.

"I'm sorry I locked you in the bathroom," Jimmy said after a few silent miles.

River, who had been reading a very creased and dog-eared paperback with the aid of her small backlight looked up, "Yeah, well I'm sorry I didn't just pee with the door open. I'm a lousy fucking babysitter." She turned her attention back to her book and the car once again fell into silence. Jimmy soon fell asleep, his head lolling against the cold window. River watched him over her book for a few minutes before pulling Cas's trench coat out of her bag. She folded it into a makeshift pillow, climbed across the seat towards Jimmy and carefully slid it under his head. Dean glanced over his shoulder at her and she raised her eyebrows and nodded towards Sam.

Dean cleared his throat and took a deep breath, "What the hell was that back there man? You almost fainted trying to put that demon in a chokehold."

"I didn't faint. I just got a little dizzy," Sam muttered.

"I thought you could kill them…you killed Alastair." River said quietly sitting forward, draping her arms over the seat between the brothers.

"I did."

"Then what the hells going on with your mojo, huh? It's yo-yoing all over the place," Dean said. "I'm not trying to pick a fight here….it's just you're scaring me, man."

"I'm scaring myself," Sam said honestly.

"You look like shit, Sam. Seriously, what the fuck is going on? Are you sick? You been cursed? What?" River asked him. Sam did indeed look like hell, he had dark bags under his eyes, his normal tanned complexion was pale and waxy.

"No…it's just…" He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because River's pocket started singing "Highway to the Danger Zone". Jimmy grunted and smacked his lips in his sleep as River pulled her phone out.

"Hello?….Who is this?" she sat back and tapped Jimmy on the shoulder until he woke up, "Dude, it's your wife."

He grabbed the phone with one hand and with the other tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, "Amelia? Baby, what's wrong-….oh my god." Dean didn't need to hear the rest of the conversation, he was already swinging Baby in a wide arch on the empty highway and heading back in the direction they had come. Jimmy ended the call with shaking hands and handed River her phone back, "They have my family."