JESS

Chapter 13

Spoilers: Season 1 up until "Shadow." I kind of flubbed the time line a little because technically in the U.S. the season finale had aired by the time Sam had his birthday, but in this story we're still before "Dead Man's Blood". But other than that, I hope I got things right.

A/N: First off, a thank you to those who have stuck with this story. Also, thank you to those who reviewed. It's always nice to hear what you guys think.

A/N2: Okay. To reduce confusion, when Sam is with Dean and John, Lillian is in control and I might refer to him as either Sam or Lillian. When he's with Jess, it's just Sam.

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"Hi, this is Sam. Leave me a message after the beep."

Dean growled low in his throat as the message played again and sighed in frustration as he continued to pace the motel room floor. "Sam, when you get this, call me…please?" He rubbed a hand through his hair and sat down on his bed. "Look, I know you're mad, but just…I'm sorry." After a moment, he finally shut his phone and threw it on the bed next to him.

God, he'd screwed up.

Not only had Sam taken off, but he wouldn't be surprised if his Dad didn't speak to him for a year. Not that they'd been on the best speaking terms to begin with, but after how he'd spoken to him…?

Dean just shook his head and then flopped back on the bed with a tired groan and closed his eyes.

"Real smart, Dean, now you've gotta figure out how to get your Dad and your brother back. While you're at it, why don't you just see if you can figure out a way to rid the world of everything supernatural," he grumbled to the ceiling. Man, his life just sucked some times.

After letting himself wallow in self-pity for a few seconds more, Dean decided that this wasn't going to help anybody and—if he was going to get his family back—he needed to stop the self-pity party that he was throwing for himself and get on with it. With a tired sigh he pushed himself up off the bed and started to pace knowing he always thought better when he was moving.

"Okay," he started to speak aloud. "I just got to think about this rationally. What are the facts?" He paced a couple more rounds mulling over what he knew. He knew that there had to be something going on with Sam, because even though he knew Sam had probably thought those things about him and his Dad a million times, he also knew that Sam would never have said them out loud unless he had been pushed to it.

And as far as Dean knew, that hadn't been a factor. True, there was some fighting, but they hadn't been as bad as before Sam had left for college; and even then he hadn't been so bitchy towards Dean himself.

And that was another thing. Sam had been so…moody lately. He knew that he called Sam a girl sometimes, but Dean didn't even think a moody, teenage girl could rival what Sam was putting out right now.

God, it grated on Dean's nerves even now how much of a jack-ass Sam had been lately. Always seeming to pick a fight with him or his Dad, as if he was trying to drive a wedge between them; but that wasn't Sam anymore. Was it? No, no he knew now that Sam was in the hunt to stay—at least until the Demon was dead. But it seemed like all Sam wanted now was out…again.

Dean shook his head as he rounded for another trip across the room. "Focus, Dean, what's wrong with Sam?" Was he even sure there was something wrong with his brother? He wasn't but…he just had this…feeling.

"Okay, so when did it begin?" Thinking back he tried to remember what might have started Sam's PMSing. "Was it seeing Dad again?" But that didn't explain why Sam was so mad with him. Something supernatural? "Maybe." God his neck hurt. He reached up to rub at the tight muscles as he continued to think. He wasn't sure, but something just kept nagging at him and he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Finger.

He flexed his sore hand and stared at it remembering the vice-like grip that Sam had had on it when he had freaked out in the hospital. Twisting it to the point of almost breaking the wrist, and making Dean go to his knees in pain. That was right before…

Funkytown, Christo, Spoonbender, Hiltz.

A couple of weeks later I got a call from Missouri. She had been hearing about different psychics around the Mid-West that she knew that had been turning up dead. They would get sick for unexplainable reasons and then…shortly after, their bodies would just…shut down."

Friends of the victims had said that a white haired woman had been to see each of them before they 'mysteriously' got sick."

"Old…woman? You dreamt about an old woman? Do you know what she wanted?"

"Lillian."

Dean went to his duffel and pulled out their father's journal. "Come on. Come on." He searched for the right dates finding where he and his dad had come up against the demon and then carefully read through the following pages.

"Damn it." He threw the book across the room. "Nothing!" He stood there seething as he watched it smack against the far wall and then fall open to the first page. Pictures and medals that were tucked inside the front cover lay open to the light, and something clicked in Dean's thoughts.

"I went to Missouri, and I learned the truth".

"…I wanted to know the truth and Missouri thought she could help."

It's my fault. She never would have known he existed if I hadn't tried to find her.

"Sonuva-"

Dean quickly scrambled to grab his phone and pulled up a number as he started to pack his gear. "Come on. Pick up," he grumbled as he shoved stuff in his duffel and looked around to make sure he'd gotten everything. "Come on, damn it!" he shouted as he then headed for the door.

"Now is that any way to speak to a lady?" Missouri shot back without even asking who she was talking to.

Dean's knees almost buckled with relief at the sound of the psychic's voice but he quickly pushed it aside as his possible idea ratcheted up his fear for the woman.

"What's wrong?" she asked and Dean knew she could sense what he was feeling.

"Have you seen, Sam?" He was striding towards the Impala, throwing his bags in the back as he tried to think how far he was from Missouri and calculating how many hours it might take him to get to her, or if there was anyone who might be closer. Maybe-

"Honey, you've got to slow down. I can't understand a thing you're saying."

Dean stopped as soon as he got in the car and mentally tried to calm his thoughts. "Have you seen, Sam?" he said more calmly before starting the engine and pealing out of the parking lot.

There was a slight pause and then more quietly, "Honey, did you two have a fight? Because whatever it is, it can't have been that bad. I know that you're both desperate to find your Daddy, but-"

"Missouri, please…have you seen, Sam?" He was quickly searching road signs trying to navigate the busy streets as he worked his way out of town.

Missouri huffed out a breath and Dean waited with baited breath. "He's here now," she finally said and Dean's heart dropped to his stomach as a million thoughts flew through his head.

After a few more tense moments—where Missouri was obviously reading his thoughts—all she could manage was a startled little, "Oh."

Dean swallowed hard knowing that she probably knew what he was thinking and knew that she might be in danger and wished again that he was closer.

"Well, I'll see what I can do." She said as if nothing was wrong and Dean couldn't help but worry even more. "Now don't worry, child. Everything will be okay. Just…be careful?" She tried to make it sound nonchalant, but even Dean could hear the slight tremble in her voice when she said the last.

"You too," he said in the same tone and then closed the phone. If he hadn't been driving, he might have taken time to break down.

He'd only met the psychic once, that he could remember, but she had won his trust with her frank attitude and her understanding of what Sam was going through with his psychic powers. And, even though they really didn't get along, he still considered her a part of his extended family. And the things he would do for family.

He pushed a little harder on the accelerator as he hit the open highway making the Impala's engine growl and rumbled as he dialed his Dad's number. He didn't care what it took; he was not going to lose another friend to this damn war if he could help it.

"Dean," John's low grumble came over the line.

"She's going after Missouri."

There was a pause on the line. "Who?"

"Lillian. She's going after Missouri. Do you know anybody in the area that can get to her quick?"

"Dean, slow down. What about Lillian?"

Dean forced himself to take a deep breath and calm his thoughts. "I think she's taken over, Sam. I'm not sure how because I tested him for possession, but I'm pretty sure that's what happened."

He could hear his dad curse through the phone and felt like doing the same. "So that's what Sam was trying to tell us before. Okay…um…I'll have to make some calls. Where are you?"

"I just left Lincoln; I won't be there for another three hours. Dad…Sam's already there." The silence on the line made Dean look to make sure the call hadn't been dropped. "Dad?"

"I'll make some calls. Call Bobby and see if he's got any ideas on how to fix this. I'll call you when I've got some news."

With that the line went dead and Dean could feel his gut twist in fear. What if they didn't make it in time and something happened to Missouri? Sam would never forgive himself.

Dean quickly dialed Bobby's number knowing that he hadn't spoken to the hunter in a while, but at the moment he couldn't worry about that.

"Hello." Came the gruff reply and Dean breathed a slight sigh.

"Bobby, its Dean."

"Dean?" the older hunter asked sounding surprised. "What the heck you been up too? I haven't heard from you in ages."

"Yeah, I know. Bobby, I got a problem. Where are you?"

"I'm at home."

Dean cursed slightly under his breath. "Do you know anybody near Kansas that could get to Lawrence like right now?"

"Not that I know of…why? What's the matter?" the older hunter asked immediately and Dean could hear the worry in his voice.

"I think Sam might be possessed?"

"What?! How the hell did that happen? I thought he was still at school."

Dean sighed tiredly. "Look, it's a long story. Short of it is: Dad killed a psycho psychic several years ago and now she's back and I think she might be using Sam to go after a psychic friend of ours."

The string of curses coming through the line even impressed Dean. "You said 'you think'. You not sure?"

"Holy water and Christo didn't work but…"

"You just know right?" Bobby said off-handedly knowing not to question Dean's feelings when it came to Sam. "Okay, I'll do some research. See what I can come up with. How did this all start?"

Dean sighed heavily and told Bobby the whole story from how Sam got sick to his Dad showing up and the whole 'miraculous' recovery.

"And you say this psychic's dead?"

Dean nodded then realized Bobby couldn't see it. "Yeah, evidently she had a hankering for other's psychic powers and would kill them to obtain them."

"But why would she go after, Sam?"

Dean bit his lip not sure how much he should tell the other hunter about Sam's powers but…this was Bobby. "He's a psychic too."

The silence on the other end made Dean wonder if he'd made the right choice. "Bobby?"

"Yeah, I'm here. When did you say your Daddy met up with her?"

"Back in 2005. It was right after that hunt for that demon back East where I got hurt and then Dad sent me on that hunt by myself."

"Right after you two stopped here," Bobby said knowing exactly when that had been. "Okay, let me do some research. I'll get back in touch with you."

"Okay. Hey, Bobby?" He waited a second making sure the other hunter was still on the line. "Thanks."

"You just haul ass and make sure you get to that brother of yours before he does something stupid."

With that, Bobby was gone.

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"Is everything okay?"

Missouri jumped slightly and put a hand to her chest trying to calm her speeding heart. "Goodness, child, make some noise when you move. You know I'm not as young as I used to be," she berated slightly as she turned to see Sam's large frame standing in the doorway behind her.

'Sam' smiled sheepishly and ducked his head in just that way, and Missouri could almost believe that this was her Sam. But now that she knew the truth, she could tell the subtle differences.

"Sorry, old habits I guess," Sam said before looking up at her again. "Bad news?"

Missouri frowned for a second and then realized he was talking about the phone call. "Oh! Just one of my customers, he's been having a lot of problems with his wife lately and he wanted to know if she was cheating on him." She shook her head slightly and gave a small smile before moving towards the other room. She had to brush past Sam in the process and she tried to repress the urge to stay as far away from him as possible.

"Was she?" Sam asked with a slight frown on his face as he turned to follow.

Lillian could tell that something was different with the woman, but wasn't sure what. She silently cursed the lack of her usual psychic powers knowing that she could have known in a second what the young psychic was thinking, and the fact that that Missouri possessed those same powers of intuition made her even more jealous at the moment.

Missouri turned back towards the young man and just chuckled. "Yes, but not in the way he was thinking." She sat down in one of the easy chairs and tried not to look too frightened.

Sam just nodded but didn't press the issue as he sat down.

"So what brings you back here to Lawrence?" Missouri asked and Sam just smiled.

"Not much, I just thought I'd come and visit Jenny and her kids. Make sure they're doing okay." He smiled again and Missouri applauded the dead psychic for making this believable.

"Uh, huh, and I just figured I'd try and loose forty pounds in the next two weeks." Sam's smile faltered a little and Missouri pressed on. "Sam, why didn't you just tell me that you were having problems with Dean?"

Sam's mouth fell open and he floundered for a moment before giving a snort of laughter and shaking his head. "I guess I should've known I couldn't fool you huh?" Was that Dean that she had been talking to? It might explain the change in her character.

"It shouldn't even have crossed your mind." She smiled slightly and then got up. "Why don't you wait here while I make us some tea and we can then…we'll try to figure this out." She started to head towards the kitchen but then Sam got up too.

"Why don't I come with you? Maybe I could help?" I'm not gonna let you out of my sight until this is done.

Missouri paused for a second cursing her luck but then nodded with a smile. "Alright. It's just through there." She motioned towards the other door and then followed Sam into the room letting her smile slip as she followed him into the room. Now what was she going to do? "So why don't you tell me what's going on with you and your brother?"

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A/N: Please press the little button and let me know what you think. I really do like to hear your thoughts. Until next time.