Hey, quick update this time. I'm back into this story again, I spent the weekend scribbling down some ideas. I've neglected my lovely uni work in favour of writing this having had a crappy day. My car got clamped in the car park belonging to the building I live in. I was only dropping something off which they are normally okay with. In the end I had to pay £100, not impressed so I thought I'd make Alice suffer the same fate. There isn't much of Sam or Dean in this chapter but they are back next chapter. Thank you for the reviews!

As is always the case, I don't own Supernatural.

Chapter 8

After our run in with the Ghostfacers I separated from the Winchesters', Bobby put me onto a hunt in Sacramento, California. I didn't tell them that I was looking forward to the break. With Dean's deal edging ever nearer tempers were running high. The brothers would snap at each other's whenever there was a problem. A few days by myself in the sunshine sounded like heaven. Okay so I'd have a case to work but that was only a minor detail, for me it was all about the sunshine.

Sam wasn't too keen on the idea of me leaving them even if it was for a few days but he'd just have to accept my choice and get over it. Sure I made the usual promises to stay safe and not do anything too drastic and adventurous, oh and to call in at least once a day. Talk about over protective. Hopefully I'd only be in Sacramento for two days. It didn't seem like the kind of case to drag itself out.

Five miles from the California state line I pulled over into a dingy truck stop for a crappy cup of coffee. Having stared at the road for god knows how many hours I needed a pick me up. With my coffee in the cup holder I was about to start the engine when my phone rang.

"Hey," I answered my phone having already checked the caller id. Sam was calling, we'd been apart for less than a day and already he was checking in. I hid my annoyance and let him talk, could he not have called when I got there or waited for me to call as we'd agreed.

"Hi, look I haven't got long, Dean is grabbing a bite to eat," I could tell by Sam's tone of voice that they'd already had a slight disagreement.

"Okay, what did you two argue about this time," honestly they were like children maybe worse.

"I thought maybe we could summon Ruby who said she could help and see what she knows about Dean's deal and stop it," Sam explained.

"But," I prompted knowing there was more.

"But apparently he's already spoken to Ruby. A while ago. Seems it slipped his mind to share that with me," Sam ranted, I sighed. Why don't they ever learn?

"Can Ruby help?" I asked.

"No. Really Alice, why couldn't he just tell me in the first place?"

"Because he's your brother and he cares about you, maybe he didn't want you to give up hope," it was the only thing I could think of to say. I was not a peace keeping force. Sometimes I just wanted to bash their heads together. Hanging up the phone I started the engine and headed over the state line into California.

By the time I got to Sacramento it was mid-afternoon and I was too tired to do anything. Grabbing a room in a dingy hotel I grabbed a few hours' sleep. I was woken by the obnoxious ringing of my phone. Annoyed I flung my arm out and felt across the bed side table for it. Finally locating the buzzing chunk of plastic I hid the call answer button and put it to my ear, "Hello?"

"Alice, hi," Sam greeted, "are you alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I answered him.

"You just sound a bit off," Sam stated.

"I was asleep," I answered with a yawn.

"I woke you," he realised.

"Yeah so this better be good," I sighed, I'm never one for cheerfulness when I've been woken up, especially by annoying phones.

"Oh, errrrrm," Sam seemed to be thinking about something.

"I swear to god Sam if this is another argument I don't want to hear it," I realised that after this morning's phone call an argument was highly likely.

"It's not an argument. Well not entirely," he confessed. I sighed and sat up in the bed. This was supposed to be a break from the tense atmosphere that had been following us around like a shadow. It wasn't supposed to follow me to Sacramento. "Dean's been getting phone calls from Dad."

"But your Dad is, you know," I didn't want to say dead.

"Dead," Sam supplied.

"Yeah that, do you know why he's calling?" Maybe I should have stuck with them for this case. It certainly sounded interesting.

"Not yet. Dean seems to think it's him but I'm not so sure," Sam was clearly sceptical.

"Just don't do anything stupid and that includes arguing with Dean. I'm serious Sam, I'm sick of it. You two need to suck it up and accept what might happen. I'm not saying give up, I'm just saying you should be cooperating not fighting each other over every decision," I pinched the bridge of my nose now exasperated with them. If I got one more call from Sam about Dean then I'd phone Dean and give him exactly the same speech.

Sam remained silent for a few seconds, I didn't say anything else. He needed to let my words sink in and realise that they needed to cut each other some slack. For weeks they'd been going round in circles, they'd disagree on something then make-up over a beer and then disagree over something else.

"You're right," of course I was right.

"Right, well once this case is over grab a beer with Dean and make-up," bashing my own head against a wall sounded quite appealing. We ended the call and I climbed out of bed and stretched. Lumpy mattresses were not my friend. No longer able to sleep I grabbed my jacket and headed out to grab a bite to eat.

I walked out to my car swinging my keys. As I went to put them in the lock I glanced down, something bright yellow caught my eye. "Son of a bitch!" I kicked the offending yellow object. I'd been clamped.

I pulled out my phone and dialled the number on the paper put under my wiper. This was going to cost me. I tried to plead my case but it was no such luck. Instead I had to settle for whoever had put it on coming out and taking it off after I coughed up the money for it. Thankfully, I had eight dollars in cash in my purse. Having hung up the call it was now my turn to rant so I dialled Sam.

"Okay Sam, you think you've got problems. My car just got clamped," I didn't waste my words on a hello how are you.

"Your car got clamped?" he repeated.

"Yes," I clarified, "bastards are costing me eighty dollars and tell Dean to stop laughing." I could hear him over the line, apparently he found this funny, that figures.

"Dean quit it," Sam shouted across the room, "should you have been parking there?"

"there were no signs saying not to, I'm telling you Sam they had no right to clamp me, there aren't any signs saying do not park," saying I was pissed was an understatement.

"Alice just pay up, we have other things to worry about, think of the bigger picture," Sam reasoned. I watched as a van pulled up an man in his forties getting out, this must be the clamp man, "Alice? You still there/" Sam asked.

"Hmm yeah still here, bigger picture, I got it. Look Sam I've got to go, I'll call you in the morning once I've tackled the poltergeist," my frustration had shifted from Sam to the traffic warden.

"Alright, just don't shoot the guy," Sam joked.

"So long as you don't shoot Dean," I replied.

"I'll try," Sam laughed.

"Right well I'll speak to you in the morning, love you," I hung up and went to face the evil money grabbing traffic warden. Sam was right; I should just let this one slide. Reluctantly after at least trying to protest the fine I paid up and was on my way.

After dinner I headed out to the swimming pool complex where the poltergeist had been causing trouble. I sat in my car with the lights off and watched as the security guard locked up for the night and drove away. For a good hour I sat and watched the building but couldn't see any signs of anything strange. Maybe the poltergeist had seen the error of its ways and left but since when did nice things like that happen?

I silently got out of my car and managed to remember not to slam the door. The last thing I needed was to draw attention to myself. I kept to the shadows as I crossed over the road and into the car park. Throwing my bag over first I scaled the wire fence and landed with a thud on the other side. I dusted myself off and headed for the side door. As I past an air vent the strong whiff of chlorine nearly made me choke. I really wished I'd gone with Sam and Dean now.

With ease I picked the lock and slipped inside, the door closing behind me. A loud clatter filled the air, it sounded as if someone was hitting something metal. I took a breath to steady my nerves having had the realisation that I was alone hit me. There was no back-up. Sam and Dean weren't even in the same state as me. I shook the thoughts from my mind, I was strong and independent the last thing I needed was to rely on Sam or Dean. I dug out some extra salt rounds from my bag. Sam had provided me with all the information he had on Poltergeist. On my way into Sacramento I got stuck in traffic so I'd taken the time to read through the information. Over dinner I'd trawled the internet on my laptop for information on how to get rid of a poltergeist. Some sites were saying there was nothing that could be done, others said that burning sage, exorcisms and simply asking the poltergeist to leave worked. I highly doubted the poltergeist would willingly up sticks and leave. That never happened.

The building was cold and dark; my small torch didn't make things any easier to see. I passed through a set of heavy doors and out onto the pool side. The water cast a strange reflection on the pool roof, the only light source coming from outside lights casting a glow through the window. In an odd way it was fascinated, I was visit by the need to shed my shoes, roll up my jeans and sit but the side of the pool dangling my legs into the warm water but that wouldn't help me in my quest to get rid of a poltergeist. In fact it would probably push me in.

As the clatter of metal started up again, this time louder, I stepped forward and headed in the direction of the noise.

With great trepidation I walked the length of the pool without any trouble. I turned into the male changing rooms where the clatter grew louder. Hopefully this job would be quick and easy. It had been a good while since any of us had been on an easy case. By now the noise was deafening. This poltergeist certainly liked to cause a ruckus.

The floor was flooded with at least a good inch of water; it soaked through my converse and made my toes cold. At least it wasn't my boots; the water would have ruined them. A sharp pain in the back of legs bought me to the floor. One minute I'd been shining a torch down a row of lockers and the next I was on my hands and knees with a metal pipe rolling away. I should have been more vigilant. Now I'd have to suffer wet jeans as well as wet shoes. Apparently the poltergeist new I was here. "Dammit, this complicates things," I muttered to myself as I tried to gather my wits and scramble to my feet. I reached out for the torch only to have it roll away, "leave that alone!" I shouted. There was no one there but I knew the poltergeist could hear me not that it would listen. I reached out for the torch on the floor but it moved away again, I was desperate to get it out of the wet before it stopped working. "Dammit, get lost will you!" I reached out for the torch again, this time I managed to pick it up only for it to flicker out. I tapped it against my hands a few times but it didn't come back on. Brilliant, just brilliant. I was alone in the dark with a poltergeist.

Thankfully I'd managed to keep a hold of the shotgun; if the poltergeist picked that up I'd be doomed. Although I'm not sure what rock salt will do, according to Sam poltergeist were a form of spirit but without a physical form so what was I going to shoot, open air? Maybe I would just take a few shots if it tried something else, if only to make myself feel better. I checked my shotgun and carried on walking down the rows of lockers. For now everything had gone quiet. It unnerved me. I bet the bastard was waiting for me to step out before it got me with something else. It obviously didn't want to leave but I figured I may as well try asking it. If that didn't work then the only thing I'd achieved would be looking like a crazy person.

"Alright Mr Poltergeist," I shouted, "I get it you don't want to leave and would prefer that I left but I've got news for you buster one way or another you'll be out of here by the end of the night." A bang as several of the lockers doors opened made me spin round. The poltergeist wasn't impressed. I turned back around and walked to the end of the row before turning up another row, "So you aren't going to leave willingly, that's fine. I've got some bits in my bag that might make you change your mind." For effect I patted my bag. Inside my bag was a tin of rock salt, cuttings fresh from a sage plant, more salt rounds, a silver knife (not that it was going to be of any use, it was more of a just in case measure), pewter bowl, a lighter and an exorcism scribbled onto a bit of paper. I'd written it down earlier after speaking with Sam on the phone, he practically had to spell every word of it for me, my Latin was awful.

I took out the sage, pewter bowl and lighter before shrugging the bag back onto my back. Lighting the sage I walked around with the bowl. Sam had said to spread the smoke about a bit, so as to cleanse the building. I was just praying that it didn't trigger the fire alarms. How would I explain this to the fire department and police? They'd probably lock me up in a nice white padded cell.

Rounding the corner into shower I realised where the metal pipe had come from. Half of the showers had been pulled from the wall causing water to spray out everywhere. It also explained the flooding. Damn this poltergeist was troublesome. I didn't want to hang around in the showers so I walked back through the male changing room and into the female one. That would mean two rooms down; there were still many more to walk through and more than likely lots of lock picking.

For a while the poltergeist quietened down, occasionally there would be a loud bang echoing through the silence. Each time it would startle me. After picking the lock to an office I opened the door to find a lamp flying in my direction. I ducked just in time and watched as it flew over my head and smashed against the wall behind. It seems I'd found the poltergeist again. I held the bowl at arm's length and walked into the room, I felt a breeze as something invisible passed me. What do you know the sage worked.

With everywhere except for the pool cleansed I headed back the way I'd come and into the pool where the diving board was flexing up and down off its own accord. Damn poltergeist again. At least it wasn't throwing anything at me. Maybe it was finally admitting defeat. "Alright so I've asked nicely!" I called, "and your still here. I've burnt sage and your still here so how's about you do me a favour and get the hell out!" My shouting was met with the life guard seat toppling over into the pool sending water splashing everywhere. Up until know it was only my jeans and shoes that were wet but now I was soaked from pretty much head to toe. Oh this poltergeist was going down.

"Dammit, I'll count to five if you aren't gone I'll be reading out this snazzy little exorcism I know," and ultimatum maybe that would work. The poltergeist didn't take too kindly to that; its answer was to send tiles flying from the walls in my direction. I couldn't stop them so I ran in the opposite direction down the side of the pool. The poltergeist continued to hurl the offending white squares at me as I passed the halfway mark of the pool.

I couldn't stop myself as my feet slid from underneath me; the water from the life guard chair had made them slippery. My immediate reaction was to fling my arms out to take the brunt of the fall. The bowl had gone flying from hands and smashed on the floor. Shit. I rolled onto my back and groaned. That had hurt. I didn't have to rest though as another tile flew in my direction, I rolled to the side at the last minute causing it to smash on the floor. There was no time to sit around and deal with the bleeding grazes on my arms.

Forgetting about counting to five I reached into my back and pulled out the crumbled bit of paper with the exorcism. I began to shout it out, praying that I had the pronunciation right. Sam had listened as I read it out; it took four tries before I'd mastered it. In a last ditch attempt to stop me the poltergeist forced more tiles from the wall, I had to start running again as well as ducking as they flew overhead.

By the time I reached the doors at the end I was on the last line of the exorcism. With the final word the tiles stopped in mid-air and fell to the floor, smashing to pieces. I took that as a sign that it had gone, I didn't care where it had gone so long as it wasn't throwing objects at me then I was happy. Well okay maybe not happy but satisfied. Now I had to get the hell out of there before anyone turned up, but first I had to disable the security tapes. I didn't need my face to be out in the public.

I knew where the security room was having walked through it with the sage. I retraced my steps towards the office. With each step I took the grazes on my arms began to hurt more. The adrenalin was wearing off and in its place was a stinging pain. I would deal with it later once I was back in the hotel.

Technology baffled me so I ejected the tapes and took it with me with the plan to smash it to bits at a later date. Who said I needed to wipe them clean. This did the job just as well if not better.

Soaked through I left the swimming pool and headed out into the night. Having scrambled over the fence again I got back into my car, flinging the bag in the back and pulled away. By the time I arrived back at the hotel I was shivering from head to toe. I slipped past the man on reception and climbed the narrow staircases up to the fifth floor. It had to be my luck that the lift was out of order.

With the door closed behind me I shed my clothes and got into the hot shower. Before going to bed I sent Sam a text telling him that the poltergeist was gone and I was perfectly fine. Okay so that last bit was a lie so shoot me. I'd escaped unscathed, well for the most part. I knew I'd have an almighty bruise on the back of legs in the morning and as for the large grazes on my arms well they would heal. They were only grazes, nothing serious.

Sam text back almost immediately, I text him good night and said that I'd meet him at Bobby's when their case was finished. In the meantime I'd enjoy a day at the river front with my book and a decent cup of coffee.

The following morning I sat out on the river front with my book but I couldn't concentrate. My mind kept wondering to Sam. If their Dad was really calling then Dean then something was wrong. He couldn't just come back to life. It was no use; I couldn't relax knowing that something wasn't quite right. Having finished my coffee I started back to the hotel where I checked out and grabbed my bags. I called Sam as I got into my car, now parked on the next street, I'd like to see them try and clamp my car now. He updated me on their case. I did offer to meet up and help him but he refused and said they were fine so I headed for Bobby's to trawl through some more books in an attempt to save Dean.