Sorry I have kept you, but off we go back into the weird and wonderful world of my twisted mind.

Most of you picked up on what's going on. Sam and Dean had Bobby as their 'in case of emergency' and now Hope and Cole have Johnny as their surrogate Dad. They've decided to soldier on despite the news and Dean's going to try to find a new Sheriff.

A lot is going to happen soon so this is a set up chap which means the next one will rock out so be patient!

Get ready to fall harder for Cole, he's just tooooooooo hot…who hasn't dreamed of a guy with looks like Dean's but Sam's sensitivity?? He was always going to rock. Yay!

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"It should have been the first thing on the list, your Dad would shit bricks if he knew you didn't have them yet." Johnny whispered.

"We went this long without them." Hope grimaced as the tattooist's needle pierced the flesh on her shoulder blade.

"That's different he would be able to tell if one of you suddenly started acting out of character, you haven't honed that skill yet."

"I guess." Cole sighed as he leaned back in his seat flicking through the play book as he waited his turn.

They had already had practice and it was after eleven at night. He was shattered but Johnny had insisted they get the Winchester brand.

He took the time to try to memorize the plays but his head was swimming with fatigue. Hope had gotten a lead on who may be behind the deaths and injuries but they were unable to talk about it in the presence of a stranger.

She had been chatting to Max who had told her about a kid at another school who had been killed during a prank that had gone wrong the previous season. He didn't want to talk about it much. Cole had wanted to get stuck into the research but Johnny had told them that the kid would still be dead when they were done and it would have to wait.

The tattoo artist paused for more ink and Hope took the chance to stretch her ravaged muscles.

"Hey are you that new Quarterback from Dillon High?"

Cole was getting used to the newfound fame and word had obviously travelled as far as Houston. "Yeah, that's me."

"Brave guy."

Johnny frowned as Cole looked up. "Brave?"

He started to work again as the buzz of the machine filled the air. "It's just talk."

"What kind of talk?" Cole sat up and closed the book.

"Ya know kids kill themselves all the time right, but not the real popular ones."

"Sure they do."

He smirked. "This is like 'Heathers' man."

Hope frowned and Johnny spoke up. "Christian Slater…eighties classic, you have no culture."

"You think someone's driving them to do it?"

He smiled. "Maybe."

"What makes you say that?" Hope glanced over her shoulder at the gruff looking guy.

"Same thing that tells me this tattoo ain't just for decoration."

She stared at her brother who was suddenly wide awake. "What are you talking about?"

"You're into the occult right? If I had to guess, I'd say you're Hunters…pretty young though aintcha?"

"It's in their blood." Johnny answered.

"Pretty genius move, infiltrate the inner sanctum. You even play ball?"

Cole smiled. "Nope."

"You must be good." He paused again and removed his gloves as he stood up. "I'm Holden Yates." He held out his hand and Cole shook it. Hope and Johnny followed suit.

"Can you tell us what you know?" Cole asked.

He gestured for Cole to take his sister's vacated seat. "Where d'ya want it?"

Cole removed his shirt and pointed at his left pectoral. They had a template in their father's journal but Yates had taken the design directly from Johnny's own tat. He sat back as the man changed needles and prepared fresh ink.

As he began to ink Cole's chest he began to talk. "I'm not a Hunter but I know some, a lot come through here and hang out in the roadhouses nearby. I hear 'em talk about what's goin' on at the school but if most of 'em turned up sniffing around them kids they'd be locked up ya know? Not exactly the type to pass for teachers or even janitors."

"I guess we are unique." Hope said.

"Is it one of them deals like in 'Grease'?"

"Huh?" She shrugged.

"Ya know, thirty year olds passin' themselves off as high school kids?"

Cole laughed. "Nah, we're actually seventeen."

"Shit. I only ever heard of one guy startin' out that young…some dude called Winchester. Bit of a legend apparently, the guys talk about him like he's God."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "What a shocker. So, what are the hunters saying about what's happening?"

He glanced up. "Last season some kids from Arnett Mead went graffiti mad on the Panther's trucks, as you can imagine, it didn't go down too well so they went to get some revenge. I don't know how they did it but a few of the players and some of the cheer squad hotwired the other QB's car and drove it into their indoor pool."

Cole frowned sensing there was more to the story. "Someone got hurt?"

He stopped the needle. "Arnett's quarterback was a real asshole rich prick, thought he was the bomb."

"So?"

"So he'd been screwing some poor girl that night in the backseat. Apparently it wasn't too consensual. He beat her up and left her unconscious in the trunk to teach her a lesson."

Hope's mouth fell open. "You're kidding?"

"Yep, so the Dillon players killed her and they didn't even know it."

"Christ, what happened?" Johnny asked in shock.

"Everyone knew the score and it threatened to take down the two biggest teams in Texas high school football."

"So they covered it up?"

He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "You remember the hazing scandals that shut down the Frat houses in the nineties? They put it down to a terrible accident. The Arnett guy hung himself a couple of days later. They reckon it was guilt…"

"You think it was something else though?" Hope asked.

"I'd be pretty pissed off too if I was that girl, also not many people hang themselves with razor wire."

"Could be someone in her family?" Cole asked. "What was her name?"

"Amber Kennedy, nice kid from what they say."

"Thanks for the intel'." Cole told him.

He smiled. "Anythin' for a Winchester, you tell your Daddy to stop by some time, beers and free tats on me."

Hope stared at Cole who shook his head with a smile even if he wasn't totally surprised that the tattooist had caught on to who they really were. The more time that passed, the more they realized just how much of a tough act their Dad was to follow.

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Sam was still giving him the silent treatment as Dean sharpened his hunting knife.

"Are you gonna stop sulking any time soon?"

"You don't always have to kill everything Dean."

"I thought we were over this. It wasn't human…"

"He wasn't going around eating people either."

"After a long winter without any organic veggies, he woulda." Dean tested the blade with his thumb. "Hold him down."

Sam sighed and stroked Nitro's fur as he restrained him. Dean used the knife to shave away the hair around the wound before cleaning it up. They had buried the Sasquatch and brought Jo home with them, Sam wasn't happy about any of it but at least it kept his brothers mind off his problems. Jo hadn't resisted coming with them but she hadn't said a word either which was almost worse.

"What are we going to do with her?"

"I don't know…call Bobby I guess."

"We need to get out of here."

"I know." Dean refused to look at him as he prepared the needle and thread. "I reckon once we get a replacement, it's gonna take a couple of days of hard driving to get to Anchorage."

"That's if we get through the pass."

"One problem at a time Sammy." He told him softly as Nitro flinched and Sam rubbed his ears to soothe him.

"It never gets any easier does it?"

"Did you expect it to?"

"Nope but I didn't think I'd still be hunting at my age either."

Over the years they had been through this so many times that Dean had lost count. It wasn't what Sam wanted but his sense of duty had developed over time until it was almost on a par with Dean's. The fact they had kids made him want to give up more but also made it impossible as they became targets themselves.

The biggest shocker of all had been Brooke. She supported the cause with a vehemence that Dean admired, she didn't back down from a fight and had even been a welcome sidekick before Dylan had been born. She was Sam's equal but also supported Dean in a way that few did. She could act as referee during their arguments and sometimes Dean had even gone to her with an idea before Sam knowing that she could turn him on to it.

Even if Bonnie had been healthy she wasn't interested in getting involved in hunting. She may be Dean's number one fan but she had also created her own role over time. it was like both women had unconsciously adapted to the strengths and weaknesses of their husbands so that everything in their lives moved as smoothly as possible with each separate hunt and crisis that hit. Dean figured that if anything was stopping Sam from calling it quits it was more than likely his own wife and Dean loved her for it.

He concentrated on the sutures for another couple of minutes and Nitro took it well. They had given the dog some whiskey and by the time they were done he was a fully fledged member of the team.

Dean ruffled the fur on his flank. "Good job." The dog licked his face and Dean lifted him down from the table and set him in front of the fire to sleep it off.

"How's your back?"

"Fine." Sam answered collapsing onto the couch with a groan.

Dean went to the kitchen and grabbed them a couple of much needed beers and opened one for his brother before prodding the fire and sitting down next to him. "Lemme see."

"It's ok."

"And you call me a bad patient." He said grabbing his shoulders and turning him. He pulled at his shirt as Sam shifted awkwardly.

Bruises stood up against the stark white of his skin, Dean touched his fingers to the marks and frowned as Sam winced. There was a hard ridge in the middle of his spine that poked through the blackened skin. The location of the steel reinforcement meant that Sam wouldn't be able to reach it but it would hurt like hell when he lay down.

"How does it look?" Sam asked looking over his shoulder.

"It's just a bruise but that's it for you, you're resting until we can get you checked out." He let the shirt go and sat back with his beer. He couldn't believe that Sam had suffered so long in silence and cursed himself for not picking up on it. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his mind focused on the things that he could fix immediately.

Dean was going to give himself ten minutes off to chill with his brother and then he was hitting the phone and getting them the hell away from there. He knew that he was heading for yet another test of endurance as he wasn't letting Sam do any more than absolutely necessary, not even carry a bag or share the driving. It was the kick up the ass that Dean needed though because no matter how established his sense of duty towards hunting was, it now paled in comparison when he considered that it was no longer just Bonnie's health that was at stake.

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Outside of training Cole didn't see much of the other Panther's and it didn't bother him too much. He could get his information elsewhere from more reliable and talkative sources and that's what he had been doing.

He walked down the busy school hall with Richie at his side as he found out more about the fatal prank that had started all of this.

"Who was actually there that night then?" Cole asked him.

"Shaun and Gretchen obviously, Dessman, Wade, Burton and Tyler."

Cole nodded. "What about Lacey?"

"Nah she wasn't there but she knew about it. Most of the Panthers did."

"What did the coach do?"

"It all went on behind closed doors but I can imagine he went crazy. He's big on morals, a family man ya know? Riggins was a little more physical."

"How d'ya mean?"

"He spent a couple of days in jail for attempted assault on some of the kids. He has anger management issues."

"But no one was prosecuted?"

"The inquest said it was a tragic accident. The Principal was 'relocated' and the Mayor resigned, that's about it."

"What about the girls' family?"

"They left town."

"They did?" Cole paused with a frown.

"Yeah, she was their only child and her death gets covered up…who would want to stick around?"

Or who wouldn't want revenge, he thought to himself. He looked down the corridor at all the kids screwing around without a care in the world, oblivious to the dangers all around them. He no longer envied their 'normal' lives and loved the fact that his family would never let them turn into such hopeless assholes.

As if his thoughts had come to life, he saw some of the jocks wrestling one another banging into lockers and generally acting like dicks. A girl tried to skirt around them carrying books and was almost knocked off her feet. They crashed into her and she hit the opposite bank of lockers dropping everything she was carrying. Someone laughed but no one tried to help her which didn't seem to surprise her at all as she struggled to her feet.

Cole shot forwards and blocked one of the guys stopping him from trampling the girl who was now on the floor. "Hey!" He shouted. "Watch out."

They all paused and looked at him like he had two heads. Jackson was the ringleader as usual and looked at her on the ground. "She's ok, she has plenty of padding." They all chuckled and Cole suddenly felt really angry on her behalf. She was never going to be a beauty queen but they were treating her like dirt.

"Apologize." Cole said.

"Huh?"

Cole turned around to help her up. She stared at him in shock as he took her hand. "You ok?"

She nodded and blushed furiously.

"You owe her an apology." He said turning back to Jackson.

"Screw you."

"Were you raised in a barn? What the hell's wrong with you?"

Jackson got in his face. "This is our house and you're a guest here, watch your mouth."

Cole couldn't believe it. "No wonder the whole school thinks you're dicks."

"Say that again." Burton stepped forwards and glared at him even though he was only five ten at best.

"You deaf as well as dumb?" An image of his baby cousin crossed through his mind and he hated himself instantly. He shook off the anger and bent down to pick the girls' books up.

He could sense the boot coming at him and moved quickly leaving Jackson stumbling. Cole jumped to his feet with the books in hand and stared at them all. "A word of caution, don't challenge me unless you're sure you can win." He looked at the girl. "C'mon, I'll walk with you."

"You wanna be on this freakin' team you better start acting like it Osbourne!" Jackson shouted to his back.

He walked alongside the girl in silence for a while ignoring the confused stares all around them. He guessed people in school weren't used to seeing their star athlete going against the team for a geek. Cole had been brought up to protect those weaker than himself and that was pretty much everyone, no matter what they looked like.

He recognized the girl from a class and knew she was smart. He looked down at her as she stared at the ground. She was plain and a little overweight but she was cute in a shy way with petite features and nervous mannerisms. He pictured her life being an endless nightmare of confrontations she had to back down from, and it made him sad.

"I'm sorry about that." He said. "Not all football players are assholes. At least I'm pretty sure they're not."

She continued to watch her feet so he tried again. "I'm Cole."

She tucked her mousy brown hair behind her ear and that's when he saw it. He juggled the books in one arm and stopped her with a gentle touch of the hand. She looked up at him and he smiled. "Can you read lips?"

She looked surprised and paused before nodding. He had never heard her say anything in class but that was no indication. He tried to think of the signing he had learned but his hands were full. He took one of her hands in his and nodded at a classroom she looked alarmed but followed him anyway.

He set the books down on a desk and turned to her starting to sign. "Sorry, I'm still learning. I didn't realize."

She smiled and shrugged. "It's ok." She mouthed but didn't speak as her hands moved. "Thank you, for what you did."

"Not a problem. Can you speak?"

She nodded but looked at him warily.

"I'm Cole. I promise I won't make fun, I'm not a..." He wondered whether he could sign asshole without offending her.

She looked at him and curled the fingers of her right hand around an imaginary penis and shook her fist.

He laughed out loud. "I guess that's a universal sign."

"Audrey." She said after a minute. Her voice was nasal and slightly mechanical sounding and he figured she didn't speak at school for a reason.

"Hi." He smiled. "I was headed to the cafeteria. You wanna have some lunch with me?"

If he had asked her to take off all her clothes and run naked through the school she would have been less shocked.

"I don't know many people here and my sister's probably traumatizing the cheer team. You'd be doing me a favour."

"Ok." She shrugged.

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Hope stood with one hand on a perfectly formed hip. "How's this for a spirit finger?" She said as she glared at Max.

"Classy."

"That's me all over. C'mon jazz hands and all that crap went out with Britney."

"How can you be a cheerleader with such a bad attitude, what do you get out of this?"

"The endless joy of your company Maximus." She took a breath and calmed herself. "Look, I know how hard you're trying I just have an issue with my hormones, that's all."

"I have more fag hags than I know what to do with, I've heard it all. I could tell you right now where each girl on this team is with her monthlies, you however…"

"Permanent PMS right?"

"What the hell is it with you?" He sat on the floor and crossed his legs as she joined him. "I mean, don't you want to make friends?"

"With the zombie Barbie's from Hell?"

"They're not that bad."

"Really? Are you saying that cos you mean it or because you're just grateful you're not on the receiving end?"

He smiled. "A bit of both I guess. If you can't beat them join them right?"

"Let me guess. You got pounded on at Junior High so you figure the jocks'll leave you alone as long as you take the girls shopping and keep them occupied whilst they whore it up?"

"You're smart."

"No, I just know the type. Just cos I look the way I do, it doesn't mean I don't have issues."

"Don't we know it."

"I don't take it out on the less fortunate."

"Ya think? The whole world's on the receiving end of your tongue."

She smiled. "You have no idea."

"You're such a slut, and that's why I love you."

Her eyebrows shot up. "What would Tyler say?"

He grimaced. "She'd pitch a fit."

"Are we bonding?"

"I think so."

"Am I still a bitch?"

"Hell yeah, but you're funny and you don't bullshit, there's too much of that in this school."

She sniffed and waved a hand in front of her face. "I'm having a moment."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't you take anything seriously?"

She fiddled with her sneakers. "Yeah, I take it seriously when people say my brother could get hurt because of a curse."

"He won't."

"How come?"

"The only ones who'll get hurt are the ones who know the truth about that night."

"You know."

He shrugged and looked genuinely worried. "I also saw Shaun and Gretchen after they did it. It was horrible."

"What happened?"

"You don't want to know."

"Trust me, I do."

"We all heard Lacey scream and ran upstairs. There was so much blood…" He rubbed at his spiky hair.

"Did she say what she saw?"

"She was talking crazy." He said getting up.

Hope grabbed him and pulled him back to the gym floor. "Even so, I'd like to know."

"She said that it was like they had no control over what they were doing. They got the knives from the kitchen and just sliced open their stomachs." He had tears in his eyes. "They didn't scream but she said they looked scared. I mean who the hell does that?"

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Dean had been on the phone most of the previous evening. He made sure that Sam got plenty of rest but stayed at home as he slept. He didn't think Jo posed a risk any more but he couldn't be certain either.

Mid morning he walked into Sam's room with a coffee and sat on the bed. His brother was lying face down still sleeping. Dean pulled the sheet away a little and looked at his back. Something was definitely out of whack with it he thought. Even if it wasn't serious the fact that they were miles from anywhere meant worry for his brother plagued his mind.

"Sammy wake up." Dean said in a voice that was deeper than usual from all the talking he'd done the night before.

He stirred a little and Dean waved the coffee near his face. "It's another beautiful day at the beach!"

"Go away." He groaned.

"So you don't wanna leave here then? Ok, I'll go on my own."

That got a reaction. Sam squinted up at him. "We're leaving?"

"On a midnight train to….Anchorage."

He grimaced a little as he sat up and reached for the coffee. "You got a replacement?"

"I got a replacement." He smiled happily.

"Who, and don't tell me it's Bobby or I'll throw this at you."

"It's not Bobby."

"Dean…I'm not in the mood for twenty questions."

The bedroom door opened suddenly. "Anyone for breakfast?" Luc asked as he propped himself in the doorway.

Sam's eyebrows shot up. "When did you get here?"

"Ten minutes ago."

"I thought you were in Russia?"

He shrugged. "I ran out of people to kill and had some time on my hands."

"That's too bad. So you're the new Sheriff huh?"

"Looks like. Croissant or Croque Monsieur?"

"Huh?" Dean frowned.

"Cheese and ham on toast."

"Yeah, that." Dean nodded. "Good job."

Luc left them to it and Sam cocked an eyebrow. "You did all this while I was asleep?"

"I figured you need the beauty sleep more than me."

"You're amazing."

Dean jumped off the bed. "Dude! Don't say stuff like that, it makes me uncomfortable."

Sam laughed. "Get lost, I'll be out in five."

He sat back against the pillows and groaned as Dean closed the door behind him. Although the pain was lessened by the news he couldn't shake it entirely and he also couldn't wait to speak to his wife and tell her that he would be with her soon. Although two days in a car was the last thing he needed he thanked God for his brother who had moved heaven and earth for them yet again.

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So it was a set up chap…not too heavy on the excitement but it's my day off tomorrow so here's what you're getting:

Hurt Sam (you like?) protective Dean (is there any other kind?) Badass Hope and caring semi-clad Cole…..PEP RALLY!! YAY!!

Stay tuned xxxxxxxx