-1A/N: Sorry it took so long guys. But I ran into a few snags. I've got to run to the farm then when I get back I have homework to cover so I probably won't get a chance to write again until tomorrow evening. But all the same enjoy!

Chapter Six

Sam leaned into the oak to his left and tried to see what Bud was doing, he had a black and white dog at his feet. Riley, the dog, bound about with untamed energy, barking as his master carried on a conversation with himself. Sam couldn't catch the words but he did see the disconnected look in the boy's eyes. Possession was off the list, the boy wasn't possessed he was definitely being controlled though. Bud tripped, falling down, and ripping up his knees of his jeans. He stood up cursing and swung the shovel he was carrying over his shoulder, pushing himself back up. He growled at the dog, something to the effect of it was his fault. Sam managed to creep closer and catch what Bud was saying. "It won't hurt much, Ri. I promise, I'd never really hurt you boy."

They were reaching the crest of the hill they were hiking up. The higher up the thicker the trees became, and Sam was distinctly aware of the sound of water flowing. When they finally peaked Bud stopped, kneeling down he hugged his dog, kissing his fur before standing up and raising the shovel over his head. Sam flinched a moment too late, the thud of metal on dog mixed with the yelp and clung to the air. Again and again Bud hit his dog, but after that first hit the dog made no sound just fell to the ground. Even from this distance Sam saw the accusation in the dogs eyes. Bud dropped down next to the bloody mess that had once been his companion and friend and wept. As badly as Sam wanted to go to the kid he had to keep watching, he had to figure out what was going on.

"Why don't you just go to hell!?!" Bud screamed sitting up straight and glaring daggers at the tree to his right. "Yea yea! I hear you! I have to prove I'm loyal that I can go through with this!" the boy scoffed. "You just made me kill my dog! My best damn friend!… No! Damn it, J.R.! You don't get it! I'm sick of this… No, not just lately. Scottie and Rissy weren't hurting anything. Dude! Scottie had a full ride, and Rissy had a couple of scholarships they had and effing future!…No, not just careers together too! Isn't that what you wanted for us? The whole deal right? White picked fence, 2.5 kids, a dog, and a cat, couple thousand dollars in debt… The American dream, dude!" Bud paused as if listening to some serious scolding, he scowled and nodded. "Yes, I understand. I'll finish and go."

Bud rocked to his feet and started digging a hole, as he worked he shed his shirt, the bloody mess of it was attracting flies in the unreal heat mid May. Sam watched, he was too late to do anything else. He knew he should have expected the kid to go whacko and kill something but he hadn't thought about the dog.

"Bets! My girl, how you doing?" Dean smiled all charm when he swung out of the Impala after dinner. She settled the hay bale she was carrying to the ground shifting her weight to one hip and fixed him with red rimmed eyes.

"What the hell do you want, Dean?" she called at the same time a large brown goat flanked by a smaller black one with only one horn darted around the corner of the barn. Both Winchesters looked around for the ghost dog, ready with one of John's dog bones to get rid of it. "Gretz has been dealt with. Dudes, I'm kind of busy, Bud and Riley had it out today and the goats broke lose," she paused to glare at the two creatures picking at the bale. "I've got a lot to handle and only so much sunlight, you want to cut to the chase?"

"What happened with Bud and the dog?" Sam jumped onto this new line of conversation before Dean gave away everything they knew. Betsy sighed and nodded for them to follow.

"I'll talk to you, only because you're here to help, if you'll follow. I don't have time for a tea party."

"Ah well that's good, Sammy's not allowed to attend tea parties anymore." Dean quipped.

"Riiight," she plucked up the hay bale with a graceful ease honed from years of hauling bales across the barnyard, the goats followed her obedient without her verbal orders. "Okay, so he's telling everyone that Riley when nuts on him. That he attacked him, he's scratched himself up pretty good to support his tale. But I asked him about it and he told me the truth." she dropped the bale outside the fence retrieved a pocket knife from her pocket and slashed open the hay, in a quick angry motion. " J.R.," she spat his name flinging leafs of hay over the fencing. "Told him to do it. Said that he had to prove he could…" she choked on her words and shook her head. "To prove he could kill himself too. I'd like to say I think he's crazy but he isn't."

"How do you know that?" Dean pressed stooping down and taking the smaller goat by the collar when it tried to dart away, "she go in here?" he pointed at the gate.

"Yea," Betsy nodded. "I know he's not crazy because J.R. paid me a little visit this afternoon. Stupid bastard. Hasn't changed a bit ya know? Still looks like a ten year old, and he expects me to just believe this line he's feeding me."

"What line?" Sam asked tossing the rest of the bale over the fence as Betsy leaned into it. She dusted the dry grass off her shirt and folded her arms over her chest.

"Says you three are dangerous. That you want to hurt him, I told him he was damn right. That if he was killing folks you guys were gonna handle that. Where's your wife anyway?" she turned to look at Dean. He was fumbling with the lock on the gate and looked up sharply before redirecting his gaze.

"Aut had some family business to take care of, and we're not married."

"Then you've been together since the dawn of time at least."

"Five months," Dean answered without counting. "J.R. say he wanted you to sacrifice anything?"

"Nah, didn't mention it. That's what happened to the Millers' calf isn't it? He had Scottie and Iris kill it didn't he?"

"Yea, probably. Listen, can you keep an eye on Bud?" Dean asked the wheels in his mind obviously moving.

"Sure, tell my parents I want to spend the night with him, that I'm worried," she shrugged. "Bud and I've always been tight, no one will fuss."

"Good, keep an eye on him." He waved Sam to explain what he was thinking.

"Betsy, with out a body we're going to have to purify the whole farm." Sam told her gently.

"You mean you'll have to kill them all?" Betsy accused forcing herself off the fence and penning Sam with her glare. "You'll just kill them all heedless to what they mean or do!"

"No! Not at all, we'll put them all to rest, or you and Bud will die!" Sam shot back.

"Well, what if we don't listen to him what if we don't do what he says?"

"Betsy, there's a chance he'll kill you on his own if you don't do it yourself," Dean reasoned.

"This is not happening," she ground her fist in her eyes. "I'll watch Bud, but can't you find another way?"

"We're trying."

Dean dropped into his empty bed phone lying Autumn's pillow. It was riding on midnight, and she still hadn't called. Sam had finally gone back to his room, and as tempting as it was to join him Dean stayed. The two of them had been batting back and forth idea on how to do this thing with out purifying but just incase he rolled back out of bed going to the Impala and grabbing the supplies needed to purify and started prep. He was well into his preparing sitting Indian style on the bed, journal in his lap to keep checking, as he mixed the ingredients, when the phone finally rang at 1:30.

"Hey, Aut" he grinned.

"I didn't wake you did I?" he chuckled at her worry.

"No, babe, with out a body I'm pretty much positive we'll have to purify."

"Bet Betsy is thrilled," she sounded like she was ready to drop off any minute and Dean knew why she'd called.

"Jumping through hoops," there was a pause that followed and this mornings conversation replayed in his head. He wasn't sure what she wanted him to say, he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Five months wasn't really long in the big picture but for the two of them that was an eternity.

"You know I didn't call to listen to you breath," he heard the smile in her voice. "Okay, well maybe I did a little." He snorted.

"How far you got to go?"

"I'll pick Darcy up in about an hour, then she can take over driving we'll be in state lines tomorrow. Then just a few hours on to the cross roads."

"Darcy? You'll take her but not me?" he asked in mock hurt.

"Genius, I can't take you away from your job because my sister is a dolt. Darcy, isn't doing anything she can help without causing anyone to die."

"Alright, will you girls be okay though? No cat fights without me to watch?"

"I'll make sure to video tape all the catfights. I was thinking earlier though,"

"Sounds dangerous, didn't hurt yourself did you?"

"Haha. Look at some pictures of the farm from the sky, I can almost promise there will be a pattern."

"I've got some photos right her like that," he scrambled to grab his copies. He hadn't really looked them over earlier.

"Look at the trees or something natural that would have been standing a while," her voice was spiked with interest now and Dean pictured her eyes lighting up. As he looked the black and white image over.

"How about we have a stream flowing, in almost a perfect circle around the property, the pond would have been dead center."

"That's good, now look at the trees do they spider web?"

"Yeeea," he drawled.

"Baby, that's pretty much a spirit version of the dream catcher. Salt and burn the pond, then see if Betsy will loan you a chainsaw drop a couple of those threes you'll release the spirits."

"Good release or bad?"

"Same as putting them to rest, Dork."

"How'd you know that one?"

"Will and Jen's dad, he talked about a case he had like that once. I just didn't think of it until earlier." Dean found that they'd fallen into another silence and Autumn yawned.

"Aut?" he asked mischievously.

"Yes?" she answered back slowly.

"What are you wear?" With a laugh she launched into description of something he knew she wasn't wearing.