She hunched over in pain as her bloodied left hand grabbed her stomach, and she crumpled over as her breaths came in gasps. Searing, hot pain flashed through her body as she lifted her head to look at the man that was standing on the porch. His amber eyes glowed in the inky blackness.

"W..who," She coughed against the strong, acidic mist that swirled around her like a fog. "Who are you?"

"Let's just say I'm a family friend," the man chuckled as he stepped off the stairs. "I can make the pain go away, Lily. All you have to do is give in."

"Never." She groaned against the pain zipping along her body. The ache in her head pounded in time with her heartbeat, and it felt as if it would explode at any minute.

"You are starting to crave it, Lily Rose. It feels like you are going to die if you don't have it, doesn't it?" By this point he was standing next to her, staring at her with those yellow, almost snake-like eyes. "Am I right?"

A damp sweat broke out along her body as she tried to remain upright. Lily felt her knees buckle and she collapsed to the dirt. She had no strength left to keep her head from bending to her chest, her dark hair fell around her face. She closed her eyes and as she let her mind open, the world swam around her as she felt her mind searching for him. Sam!

She sat up in bed, her chest heaving as her eyes frantically searched the room she was in, almost expecting to see the man with the yellow eyes standing above her, but her room was empty. The red glow of her alarm clock showed that it was past seven-thirty in the morning. She wasn't sure what woke her, if it was her dream, or something else, but the world seemed...different somehow.

She lay there in the quiet, hearing the voices down below her, letting her know that everyone but her was up at this hour. Maybe that's what had woken her. With a groan, she rolled over onto her side, gasping as pain shot through her side, all the way up to her shoulder. Yesterday had really taken its toll on her.

She slowly walked across the room where her study desk was located, and switched on the small lamp. With a grimace, she pulled up the ends of her tank top, looking at herself in the full length mirror. She sucked in a breath as she looked at the huge bruise that was on her right side. It started below her hip bone, across her ribs, to where her collar bone was located. She gingerly touched her ribs, wincing at the soreness, but they weren't broken, thank god for that.

She slid the top back down her body as she approached the window and yanked open the curtain, seeing for herself why everything seemed different. During the night, it had snowed at least a foot, the world transformed into a sparking white wonderland. Despite her crummy mood, a smile played across her lips. Maybe this Christmas wouldn't suck, unlike her other ones.

Holidays with Jack and Sally were non existent. There were no stockings hung up by the fireplace, no presents, no huge dinner. Instead, she and her foster brother, Chris, were left by their selves as their foster parents went to a local bar and drank until one or two in the morning. Chris was a few years older than her, so he would bring it on himself to scrounge up what little food they had and make a dinner for the two of them, which usually consisted of macaroni and cheese with hot dogs. Not by all means gourmet, but to Lily, it meant the world. With a sad sigh, she let the curtains fall back into place.

She opened her drawer, grabbed a hooded sweatshirt, slid it over her tank top and proceeded to walk downstairs. As she stood on the bottom step her hand resting on the banister, a deep husky laugh came from the kitchen.

"Dean Winchester! You better not be touching that turkey! You'll get worms!" Jody and Sam were sitting on the couch, wrapped presents on their laps and near the feet.

"You know I love me some turkey!" Dean slapped his hands, rubbing them together as he walked back into the living room. He was in mid step when he looked up to see Lily. His eyes did a quick sweep of her body, very disappointed that she had on a pair of baggy blue pajama bottoms and a red sweatshirt. "Well...Merry Christmas Lily."

Lily gave him a smile as her eyes flicked over to the couch to see that Sam was looking at her. Jody got up and she gestured to the spot next to Sam. "Here, sit here!"

Lily wanted to protest, because if she sat down, her ribs would scream with pain and then everyone would know her little secret. She felt a hand on her back to see that Dean was pushing her towards the couch. "Hurry! Sit!"

Lily hesitated for just a brief second before gingerly sitting on the couch, her back straight as an arrow. Sam and Jody were too busy passing out gifts, so they didn't really see the fleeting look of pain on Lily's face. But the person sitting in the black leather recliner did.

"You okay Banks?"

Lily looked over at the recliner to see Dean looking at her, his brows furrowed into confusion. "Yeah..I'm fine..just..uh..huge crick in my neck." She quickly looked down at her lap, trying to not see how Dean's green eyes studied her as if he was trying to see if she was lying or not.

She didn't look over in Dean's direction the rest of the morning, which they spent opening gifts. Jody had gone all out this year, pleased that, for once, she had a full house. Sam was pleased that he got several books from Jody, several shirts and jeans. When Sam looked over in the direction of Lily, she returned his gaze for a second, and then turned away, but not before she gave him a hint of a smile.

/**/

To say dinner was awkward, was an understatement. It was quiet in the dining room, the only sounds was the clinking of silverware against the ivory plates as the occupants scooped up mashed potatoes, gravy and ham. Jody slowly ate as she watched the looks Lily and Sam were giving each other, then noticed that Dean was watching as well, the muscles in his jaw ticked as he slowly ate his meal.

Lily could feel Dean's eyes on her, and it bothered her so much that she finally threw her fork on her plate, pushed back her chair and stood up from the table.

"Where are you going?" Jody cleared her throat as she took the cream colored napkin, wiping her mouth as she pointed a finger at Lily, then to her empty chair. "We aren't done here."

"Well I am." Lily fired back. She looked over at Sam, then Dean as she heard them both draw in a breath. "I'm going out."

Despite her anger, Jody kept the smile on her face, feeling her mouth trembling. "Lily, please sit down. You are not going out and that is that. You are grounded."

"You can't ground me!" Lily huffed as she crossed her arms across her chest, feeling her cheeks growing hot under Dean's constant stare. "If he gest to go out, then so can I!" She pointed a finger at Dean.

"The difference, is he's not 17 and he doesn't sneak around."

The room was quiet as Lily stood there, her arm crossed across her chest, her face clenching in anger as she stared Jody down. "You're not my mother, you can't tell me what to do."

Jody sucked in her breath as she held her gaze towards Lily. She slowly turned her head to both Dean and Sam who were starting at Jody. "Boys, why don't you clear the table."

Dean clenched his jaw as he stared at Lily, then slowly turned his head to look at Sam. "Come on Sam."

.

Sam shot a glance at Lily who's face was red with anger. He wasn't sure where all this fire had come from, but he could sense it was consuming her soul. He wasn't even sure how he knew this, but it was something he felt. He quickly grabbed a few plates as he hurried into the kitchen, the loud voices following him through the threshold. Dean quickly cleared the table and was right behind Sam who was at the sink placing the dishes into the hot soapy water. Both brothers were quiet as the argument could be heard coming from the living room. In all the years they had known Jody no matter how angry she was, Sam and Dean had never once heard her raise her voice. They could hear the waver in Jody's voice as she laid into Lily.

"You are not going out, do you hear me? You're grounded. Lying to me, sneaking out at all hours of the night and to top it off you're failing in school! No mam you are to march yourself up those stairs, do you hear me?"

"You're not my mother, you can't tell me what to do." Lily shouted back. "I'm almost 18 and as soon as I am, I'm out of here!"

Dean was at the sink, his back turned towards Sam, when that bomb was dropped. He let out a hoarse sonofabitch and slammed a plate into the sudsy water. He turned around to see Sam holding two glasses, grumbling something as he brushed past him. When Dean entered the living room, he was just in time to hear the front door slam and Jody was standing near the couch, her body turned away from him. When she turned around, her eyes were filling with tears. She looked at Dean and without saying a word, slowly walked up the stairs.

Sam placed an ivory plate into the drying rack, noticing it was way too quiet in the house. After the door had slammed and Dean stormed out of the kitchen, Sam wanted to let things cool off a bit before he confronted Lily. Her behavior was troubling him and he knew he had to do with more than just him leaving her. With a long sigh, he dried his large hands off on the blue dish towel and walked away from the sink full of dishes, those could wait another day.

"Dean?" The living room was empty as Sam walked into the room, wondering where everyone had gone to. A few seconds later, that question was answered when Sam heard the deep rumbles of the Impala. He walked to the window, pulled back the white curtain to see the red tail lights of the classic car as it disappeared down the road. "Some Christmas this turned out to be." With a frown, Sam let the curtains fall from his hands, walked to the couch and sat down in a huff. As he grabbed the remote, he racked his brain on how to confront Lily, and if he even should.

/****/

"If you're not ready for this, we can just leave."

Lily had been sitting in the passenger seat of the huge black truck for what seemed like hours. She could feel the heavy weight of the knife that was carefully placed in the inside pocket of her leather jacket, the handle rubbing up against her sore ribs. The heaviness was comforting to her, letting her know that she had some kind of defense. But was it enough? She had no idea what was waiting for her in that bar, all part of her training.

She turned her head to see the man that was sitting in the driver's seat, his hand propped up on the door, his finger impatiently drumming on the steering wheel.

By sheer chance, she had met Trenton just a year ago in this very bar. She was trying to get a drink from the bartender, trying to sweet talk a drink out of him, when he sat next to her. He saved the day when he vouched for her and the two of them bonded over several glasses of cheap whiskey. A few hours later, she found herself in his bed, having the worst sex of her life, but she did it because she needed answers. She knew he was a hunter, he reeked of one, the leather jacket a dead give away. She knew that tucked deep inside the inner pocket was a weapon of some sort. After going to bed with him several times, she asked him to train her, show her how to be a hunter, but it didn't come cheap. She became a pawn to him, a release for his sexual tension. Their was nothing romantic about their union, he was always rough with her. He would hit her into her submission if she didn't do what he wanted to her, and she always left in tears. This was not the life she wanted, but revenge was pulling her down a dark path.

"No...I..I want to do this."

"Hmmm, that's my good girl." Trenton moved across the seat, grabbed her head and forcefully kissed her, his hand painfully on her right breast, squeezing the tender flesh. He moved his mouth to her ear, and she almost gagged from the smell of his sour breath. "Do a good job, little girl, and I'll fuck you so good tonight." Lily almost laughed at that statement, but she knew if she did, a punch to the face would be her punishment.

Lily couldn't get out of the truck fast enough as she quickly opened the door and hopped out of the lifted truck. Her heart was beating fast in her chest as she slowly walked across the pavement, clearing her mind, getting into the hunters frame of mind.

She took a deep breath and placed her hand on the doorknob, hearing the loud music that was coming from within the bar. She stood there, looking at the neon sign as it flickered off and on, and she could hear the pounding of her heart. She could feel Trenton's eyes on her, knowing she had to do this, or there would be hell to pay.

She dipped her head down, summoning the courage to push open that door. She squared her shoulders, threw open the door and stepped inside the bar. Once she did, she immediately regretted her decision.

Every head turned as she walked inside the smoke filled room. If a per-verbal record had been playing, you would of heard the record scratch as she slowly made her way to the bar, feeling her courage waver.

How in the hell did the Winchesters make this look so easy?

She reached the bar and slowly sat down on the red, leather chair. "S..scotch please."

The bartender eyed her, his dark eyes locking on her face for a moment, than swept down to her figure. He took a moment to check out the low dip of her tank top and the cleavage it held underneath. "I'm gonna need to see some ID."

Lily sized him up, he was a man after all and all men had needs. She knew she was beautiful and had what they all craved: tits and ass. She smiled as she leaned up against the bar, making a point to show off one of those assets, seeing him take the bait. "Oh... this is the best compliment I've had all day, let me tell you." She laughed as she flipped her hair back, thrusting out her chest a little bit more. "I've had such a rotten day. My car broke down." Lily made it a point to set her wallet on the bar, rummaging through the compartments. "Oh...damn...I must have left my license at the mechanics. Shoot..and I need a drink...like really bad."

:

The bartender smiled at her as he swept her breasts again, running a tongue over his lips. The mans' pot belly, thinning hair, and tobacco stained teeth, made her shudder with disgust. She felt the bile rise in her throat as she saw the lust shine in his eyes. "Well..can't say no to a lady in need." He reached under the bar, producing a glass, and set it in front of her. "Want to keep a tab open?"

Lily slid a credit card across the scratched surface, keeping the smile on her face. Her insides where shaking, and she hoped the bartender didn't notice how truly nervous she was. She uttered a thank you as she took the sepia colored liquid between her fingers. As she took a sip, she looked up over the bar to see the opaque mirror that let her see the patrons behind her. She noticed two, very large men, had taken a seat just a few tables behind her and they were watching her. She let out a breath as she took a sip of the liquid, feeling the burn as it slid down her throat. As she felt the eyes on her, she silently wished that she had clued in on Dean about this.

She paused, the glass to her lips, as that though entered her mind. Why Dean? Why not Sam? She knew the reason as soon as she asked it, Dean was more skilled at this kind of thing. Sam was more into the books, the research, but Dean was the true hunter. Lily knew this about him when she watched him walk through the house. The way his muscles rippled under his shirt, the way his eyes always were scoping out the room, the instinct was bred into him. She closed her eyes and took a huge breath, and signaled the bartender for another glass.

She looked up into the mirror to see that one of the guys had gotten up from the table and walked over to the jukebox. His massive size intimated Lilly, he had a good 200lbs on her. She had to outsmart him some how, there was no way she could take him down on her own. This is where her sexuality kicked into full gear. The ones that were twice her size (being five foot two and 100lbs soaking yet made that very easy), she seduced them. That was one thing Trenton taught her. Men or women, it didn't matter, they all thrived on one thing; sex.

Instead of spending some time at the jukebox, the man walked out of the bar, his large hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. She felt the fear creep up inside of her as she slowly followed him out of the door. She stopped to see that the black truck was still in the same parking spot, just across from the bar, under a dim street light. It was too dark to make out if Trenton was in the vehicle or not, and she prayed he was. She was going to need some help on this one.

When she turned around, she was forced to the ground, the air whooshed out of her lungs as she painfully hit the cement, watching her attacker run into the dark alleyway. IT took a few seconds before Lily could get to her feet, her already injured ribs screamed out in pain, stealing the precious air from her lungs.. When she entered the darkened space behind the bar, the man was gone. She sighed and put a hand on her slim hips.

"Son of a bitch!"

She was about to walk way, tell Trenton that she had failed another one, prepared for his wrath. The punishments of her failures were always so severe. It would lead to her being tied to a bed, subjected to all kinds of l torture. Sometimes, just for the hell of it, he would bring in other hunters and let them take out their sexual frustrations on her.

She was prepared for all of this, when a strong hand clamped over her mouth, and another one around her waist, dragging her backwards into the alleyway. She kicked with her legs, trying to make contact with her attackers shins, her ribs screaming in pain at the movement. When the screaming didn't seem to help, she opened her mouth and bite down on the hand that was against her mouth.

"Son of a bitch!" A husky voice barked. The hand let go of her waist, giving her the edge. She spun around, placed her foot on her attacker's chest pushing him into the wall. There was a clatter of metal on the pavement as something heavy fell to the ground. "What the hell?"

Lily was in shock as she saw the man standing against the wall, holding his ribs. "Dean?" Her confusion quickly turned to anger as she realized the situation. "Are you following me?"

"Did..you know that was a demon you were trailing?"

Lily put her hands on her hips and glared up at Dean. "NO shit? I had no idea." She turned from Dean to walk away from him and hopefully find Trenton. She knew how he felt about the Winchesters.

Dean grabbed her arm and spun her around. "You could have been killed. Like your boyfriend."

Lily slowly turned around as she saw the look on Dean's face. "What did you do to him?"

"It's not what I did to him, sweetheart. It's what those black eyed sons of bitches did to him. The whole bar was crawling with them, or did he not tell you that."

"NO..." Lily felt her body become numb and she wrapped her arms around herself. "No..he...he..didn't."

Dean bent down and picked up the knife he had dropped when Lily attacked him. "There is a lot you don't know Sweetheart. Your boyfriend sent you into the lion's den." He turned his head and tilted to a bit, listening to see if someone was coming. "Come with me."

Lily yanked her hand back as Dean reached for her. "I am not going anywhere with you."

"Listen to me good, " Dean quickly walked up to her, making her take a step back. "There will be more of them coming and unless you want to be in the middle of it, then I suggest you listen to me."

All Lily could do was nod as Dean slowly led her to the Impala. She glanced a look at the truck, wondering if what Dean told her was the truth. But then again, Dean would never lie to her. She slowly slid into the passenger seat, wincing, feeling the pain zip along her spine. The car didn't start up right away and Lily turned her head to see that Dean was glaring at her.

"You owe me an explanation Sweetheart. And we ain't going home until you tell me everything."