Chapter 6- Gender Swapping

Once the guys returned from the Roadhouse, Dean got straight back to work on the Impala, but Kerry noticed his mood had improved greatly, a fact that lifted Kerry's spirits more and more. She still kept out of the way, knowing he'd still prefer to be left alone while he worked. Instead, she focussed her attention on training Jackson, who turned out to be a fast and eager learner, taking barely any time at all to teach him the basic commands. She went to her dad for help one evening and found him sitting in front of the TV nursing a beer, Sam on the other chair, holding a bottle of his own. Even Dean had joined them for a rare moment's break from the car and was sitting on the other sofa, legs stretched across the seats.

"Hey dad?" she asked as she sat next to Dean, nudging his legs off the seat.

As he gave her a frown, she rolled her eyes and snorted in amusement when he returned to his former position, placing his legs across her own. Not bothered, she rested her arms on his leg. Bobby glanced over at her.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I want to train Jackson the same way you trained Rummy, to help on hunts."

Bobby spent a few seconds scratching at his beard as he thought of a response. Unconsciously, Kerry began playing with the seam running up the side of Dean's jean leg. Dean sank further in the chair, the lazy, gentle movements of her hand relaxing him as he enjoyed the moment.

"Okay kiddo, I can take over and train him." Bobby finally agreed.

"No. I want you to teach me how to train him. He is my dog so it's only right I'm the one to train him to work with me on any solo hunts. I can't have you with me all the time old man" she joked.

Sam snorted in amusement, attempting to disguise it as a cough at the look Bobby sent him. Kerry smirked, then suddenly realised what she was doing to Dean's leg and stopped, forcing her hands to stay still and forcing herself not to blush.

"I'll teach you, it shouldn't take too long to learn."

Kerry sent him a smile.

"Thanks pops."

Bobby simply grunted before returning to his beer and the TV.

…

Another two weeks past when Dean came into the house, a broad grin on his face.

"She is finished!" he cheered happily. "We can head back out tomorrow."

The smile dropped from Kerry's face and she turned back to Jackson before Dean could notice. She wasn't quick enough and Dean placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, what's with the sad look?" he asked.

Kerry turned back to face him.

"I've gotten used to having you guys around. It'll be weird without you here all the time."

Dean's hand squeezed and he gave her a reassuring smile.

"I promise we'll come back more often."

Kerry's eyes narrowed and she stood, shrugging his hand off her shoulder.

"You mean like your dad promised?" she asked, ignoring the flash of hurt in Dean's eyes.

"Kerry…"

"No Dean. Just go."

Not wanting to make things worse, Dean left the room. Kerry watched him go before whistling to Jackson and heading outside.

Less than an hour later, Dean reappeared, his bags and Sam in tow. Kerry watched them put their bags in the Impala and when Bobby came out and shook hands with them, she ran over.

"I thought you said you were leaving tomorrow?" she asked, looking at Dean.

Dean shrugged, looking away from her.

"We were, but like you said, it's best if I go, so we're heading out today."

Anger filled Kerry's entire being and she marched over, punching him squarely in the jaw.

"What the hell!?" he yelled, pulling back and clutching where she'd hit.

"When I said you should go, I meant out of the room, not away all together!" she yelled.

"Yeah, well, maybe I should never come back; at least then I'm just like my dad, aren't I?" he yelled back.

Kerry moved to punch him again but at the last minute, dropped her hand to her side, her fist tightly clenched.

"Whatever Dean, it's your choice." She muttered.

She gave Sam a quick wave ignoring the shock and confusion on his face and moved into the house, slamming the door so hard, they all winced.

"Boy, you messed up real bad this time" Bobby grunted to himself as the Impala vanished down the driveway.

The next couple of months passed slowly, Kerry spending every spare moment of her time training Jackson, who had become a valuable asset in hunts. On her first trial hunt with him, he sniffed out a ghost and alerted Kerry to it long before she herself would have spotted it. She hadn't spoken to Dean since he'd left, but her anger towards him had disappeared.

Kerry dropped onto her bed, exhausted from her latest hunt with Bobby but before she could sleep, her phone began to vibrate and she growled, not checking the caller display as she answered.

"This had better be good" she spat venomously.

"It's Dean; I need your help"

At his tone, Kerry sat upright, sleep forgotten.

"What's wrong?" she asked, automatically reaching for her bag and keys, grateful that she was still dressed.

"Sam's missing."

"What do you mean, missing?" she asked.

"He went to get some burgers and hasn't been back since. It's been a week and I'm running out of ideas!"

"Dean, calm down. I'm on my way, text me where you are. Call anyone you know for information on where he could be."

She could sense his relief as they ended the call, but was too worried about Sam to smile. As she moved to her door, Bobby all but staggered in, bleary with sleep.

"You off somewhere?" he asked, voice thick with exhaustion.

"Sam's missing and Dean needs help."

"Damn. You need me to come with you?" he asked.

"Nah, I'm good. I'll call if I need you."

Bobby nodded and slipped back out of the room. Kerry glanced down at her phone as it bleeped, stating Dean's location. Groaning at the four hour drive ahead, she threw her bag in the trunk and peeled away. She had been driving for three hours when the phone rang again.

"I'm an hour away." She answered.

"Sam called me, he's in Twin Lakes."

"Is he okay?" was Kerry's immediate reply.

"I don't know. I'm heading there now; you okay to come too?"

"Sure, but then I'm gonna need to sleep."

As she disconnected the call, she turned the car, grumbling at the fact that Twin Creeks was in the opposite direction and was going to take nine hours to get there. She drove through the night, stopping for coffee and food and to check the few texts from Dean, one explaining that Sam killed another hunter. Kerry stared blankly at the screen in disbelief, not believing that Sammy of all people would do something like that. Yet whatever had happened to him in the last week, he'd ended up killing a hunter in cold blood. It was enough to send a shiver up her spine.

By the time she arrived at the motel, it was nearing midday and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for the next week. Still, she pulled herself out of her car and after staggering a little, moved into the motel reception to find a frantic looking Dean moving behind the desk.

"What happened?" she asked, her senses on alert.

"He flipped out. Started talking about turning into a monster then begged me to kill him. I refused and he decided to knock me out; I woke up when the manager banged on the door, saying old guy and his Barbie hooker needed the room."

Kerry walked up to him and examined the bruise on his face, left there courtesy of Sam. Dean flinched slightly and she pulled away. As Dean called the phone company to track down Sam, he glanced at Kerry and frowned when he saw her appearance. Her eyes were bloodshot and bruised looking and though she was standing, he could see her sway ever so slightly occasionally and noticed that she was biting her lip hard to contain her yawns. As he put the phone down, she swayed and he moved to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded sleepily.

"You called literally as I got back from a hunt with dad and I'd just driven six hours. I'm a little tired"

Dean's eyes widened as he realised that she'd been driving for over fifteen hours with no sleep. Before he had chance to say anything, she moved towards her car.

"So, where's Sam?" she called over her shoulder.

"Duluth. Minnesota."

She almost fainted there and then; Minnesota was at least another six hour drive away. Dean watched as her knees buckled slightly in defeat and he smirked. Wordlessly, he walked up to her and as she pulled her keys out of her pocket, he took them off her.

"No way are you driving. We'll take the impala. That way you can sleep and be helpful backup."

Kerry nodded and Dean watched in bemusement as she moved to the impala with no arguments. He grabbed her bag and when he reached the impala, she was already sound asleep. He couldn't resist his smile and made a mental note to thank her properly afterwards.

Kerry woke when Dean shook her shoulder. She blinked blearily, trying to regain her senses and he gave her an apologetic smile.

"We're almost there, so I wanted to go through the plans with you."

Kerry nodded groggily and sat up, her neck popping from leaning against the window.

"Ouch. So, any idea why he's in Duluth?" She asked, rubbing her neck.

Dean nodded, a grim look on his face.

"I think he's going after hunters. Jo has moved and works in a bar here."

"You don't mean Jo Harvelle do you?" she asked.

Dean nodded.

"That's not all; I don't think that it is Sam. I mean it is his body but I'm not convinced it's him inside it."

Kerry nodded and reached for her bag. She pulled out a flask and held it out to Dean, who raised an eyebrow.

"Holy water. I had this left over from the hunt with my dad."

Dean nodded and put it in his jacket pocket. Kerry looked grimly at the bar in front of her as they neared, her jaw set. As they burst through the door of the bar, guns drawn, Sam quickly turned to them. Kerry watched as he threatened to kill Jo and the second Dean lowered his gun, unable to kill his brother, she slowly moved towards the other blonde. She traded glances with Dean and as she nodded, he threw the holy water over Sam, watching in horror as steam began to rise off him and his eyes turned black.

Kerry took the moment to run up to Jo and remove the gag round her mouth. As the material fell to the floor, Sam ran out of the bar.

"He was possessed!?" Jo asked.

Dean glanced at Kerry and she indicated to the door. Kerry turned back to Jo.

"Yeah, he is. Don't know why or who by, but whatever the hell he did to you, it wasn't Sammy okay?"

Jo nodded and Kerry took off after Dean. She spent a few minutes looking for Dean and 'Sam' and was about to give up when a loud gunshot filled the air. No longer caring about staying hidden, she ran out into the open.

"Sam! Dean!" she yelled.

Silence. A worried frown crossed her face and she began looking for them, hoping neither one was dead or seriously injured. Suddenly, she heard Jo call out Dean's name and arrived to see Jo helping him into the bar.

"Where did he get you?" she asked him, noticing the blood on his hands.

"Shoulder" he responded.

Kerry helped him sit down and when Jo pulled out a first aid kit and pulled out a set of tweezers, Kerry moved to grab a bottle of whiskey from behind the bar, handing it to Dean and glaring at Jo when the other woman opened her mouth to protest.

"Don't even think about it; we just saved your life, this is the least you can do to repay us." She growled before Jo was able to utter a word.

Jo's mouth snapped shut and she returned to pulling the bullet out of Dean's arm. Kerry noticed the look Dean gave her; a mixture of amused and curious at her attitude towards Jo but she chose to ignore it, instead wandering where 'Sam' had gone.

"So, any idea where he's headed to next?" Jo asked Dean as she finished patching him up.

Dean handed the whiskey to Kerry before answering.

"He's going after hunters and the nearest one to here that I know of…lives in South Dakota" he finished, his voice turning wary as he looked at Kerry.

Kerry froze, the bottle halfway to her lips. Immediately, she dropped the bottle and headed towards the door.

"We have to get there, now" she said to him, a wild look in her eyes that sent a shiver up his back.

Stopping only to shrug on his jacket, he followed her, finding himself stopped by Jo.

"I'm coming with you."

Dean had never seen Kerry move as fast as she did to round on the other female.

"Hell no you're not! That hunter he's gone after is my dad. You dare follow me and I will shoot you. After what happened last time, I'd love to get some payback."

Dean gave her a surprised look as she left the bar and he turned back to Jo.

"This is our fight. If you try to follow, I will tie you back up to that post."

Kerry was silent the whole way to Bobby's and when she tried to call and the phone disconnected, she shouted at Dean to drive faster. The moment they arrived, she ran in to find 'Sam' unconscious on the floor, Bobby dragging over a chair. She sank to the floor in relief and Dean passed her, helping Bobby put 'Sam' into the chair. Dean then punched him in the face to wake him and Kerry winced, knowing that when the real Sam was back, that was going to hurt like hell.

As Bobby failed to exorcise the demon, the fire behind Kerry flared and she yelped, jumping forward to avoid the flames. She landed next to 'Sam' and as the ceiling cracked, she felt a pair of hands grasp her, one hand closing tightly round her throat. She raised her hand to free herself, but the grip tightened and she let out a strangled scream. Dean rushed forward to help, only to be flung across the room; the same happening to Bobby as he too tried to help his daughter. Kerry's eyes began to water and black spots clouded her vision.

"Sam…please. Fight it" she managed to whisper and a tear slid down her cheek.

'Sam' chuckled from behind her and his head moved closer to her ear, his breath tickling her neck.

"Last time we spoke, I swore I'd rip your heart out of your chest and you laughed at me. Now I'm squeezing the life from you; not so funny now is it?" he mocked.

"Meg..." she choked, unable to do anything else.

Another chuckle, followed by a yell. The grip on her throat lessened and she was thrown, her head hitting the corner of the desk as she fell. She crashed to the floor and the last thing she saw before blacking out was Jackson clamped on Sam's arm.

A touch on her face woke her and she let out a groan at the pain she was in. she glanced up to see Bobby smiling at her.

"How is everyone?" she asked, her voice raspy.

Bobby nodded over his shoulder and Kerry looked to see Sam helping Dean off the floor. She closed her eyes in relief and when she re-opened them, she noticed Jackson sitting next to her. She reached and petted him, chuckling when he licked her hand.

"He saved me." She mumbled.

Bobby smiled, keeping his arm round her when she staggered. She looked back at Sam and Den and saw Sam looking back at her. As their eyes connected, he gave an apologetic look and she smiled at him, relieved he was back. They moved into the kitchen and Kerry sank into one of the chairs, Dean dropping into the chair opposite her. Bobby moved to the freezer and pulled out three ice packs, giving one each of the before turning to Sam to inspect the younger Winchester. Dean glanced at Kerry.

"You okay?" he asked.

Kerry nodded, wincing at the pain the movement caused. Dean smirked and in return she poked him softly in the shoulder, grinning when he groaned.

Without saying another word, she move to her room and opened the door. She barely stepped inside when there was a loud crash and she screamed, falling backwards as half of the floor collapsed.

"Kerry!" she heard three separate voices call.

Dean was the first to reach her and he knelt down, grasping her chin and forcing her to look at him.

"I'm okay" was her automatic response.

"Well, it's safe to say we need to remodel." Bobby commented as he looked in her room.

Kerry also looked and saw that half her room was now lying broken in the living room below. She glared darkly.

"That bitch! If she ever gets back out of hell, I'm gonna KILL her!" she screamed in anger.

All three men began laughing and after a few seconds, Kerry found herself following suit until she had to lean against Dean for support as she laughed herself to exhaustion.