Lee and Dean were stuck. They'd found two suspects that had contact with the girls. Someone at the daycare center or someone at the school, they were betting school nurse or guidance counselor. At the daycare center, they were betting on a worker.

Lee and Dean used their fake badges to get into place and started with the questions. They showed all of the girls' pictures to the owner and she recognized them all. A good sign. They definitely had the place of contact, now who had the most contact with them?

"So, who had the most contact with the girls, all of them?" Dean asked feeling pissed off he even had to ask this question. No kid should be hurt that way, and this freak could be using this place as their hunting ground, it made him twitchy to consider that idea at all.

"Well, we all did really. But the one with the most would be Susan Platch. She had been their teacher and their playground monitor, too."

"Is she here today? Can we speak with her? She would have noticed someone paying too much attention to them or even lingering around the playground who shouldn't have been." Lee said sounding very official. He was not new to this act either.

"No, she called in sick today, sorry." Mrs. Parkhurst said looking uncertain, "I could get you her contact information if you need it."

"We'd need that, thank you." Lee said and smiled nicely, charming the woman. Such a nice guy type of charming, Dean was familiar with it, he used it enough. "Also, do you have any little girls that fit the profile of the victims? They could have been approached by the perp, we would like to speak to them and their folks, too."

The lady got them the information but the men noticed the drawn look of the girls they'd spotted. The Stryga had been at them, they could tell. Probably while they slept.

This called for a stakeout and several of them, too. So they called Bobby and Thom.

"Got a live one. She had contact with every one of the girls and she called in sick today. Also there are three little girls here that look like the bitch has been at them. How's yours going?" Dean asked worried.

"Nothing, no one had any contact with every one of them. Got nothing, no nurse visits, no principal office visits, no visits to the guidance counselor. Nada. Your lead sounds best." Bobby said softly and swore. "So just how many stakeouts are we looking at? And don't say I don't want to know."

"Four. One for this Susan person and on each of the little girls' houses. We're going to question this Susan person right now so we'll let you know how that works out. We're emailing you the girls' addresses right now, too." Dean said hitting send as they spoke. "Sent now. We'll be back at Cheryl's in an hour."

"Meet you there, gonna map out these places, bet the bitches place is in the middle. Got the addresses of the other victims, too. Gonna do the same for them." Bobby said and asked, "You called Sam yet?"

Sam had called him this morning but Dean had his phone off and so Sam had called Bobby asking Dean to call him when he could.

"No, going to once we get back. Just have to check this out first." Dean said and they said their goodbyes, hanging up.

"He's mapping out the locations and we'll divvy up the locations when we get there, we're all going to have to work this one, your brother and sister, too."

Soon they were at the worker's house and they immediately noticed the oddness of it.

Everything around the house was dead, plants and even the wood was rotting at a faster rate, too. Something was killing them and they were betting it was the creature inside.

They knocked on the door and she answered clutching a bathrobe, not looking sick at all, just doing a really bad faking job. Dean knew a good faking job when he saw one, he's done it enough when he was a kid, he threw Lonnie a look and he nodded, too. Yeah, they both knew she was faking it. The trick was not to let her know that they knew she was faking it.

"I'm Special Agent Dean Prentiss and this is Lee Piltzer, my partner. We need to speak with you about those girls that died recently." Dean said official sounding and cringing inside as he put on a friendly smile while wanting to kill the bitch right then but knowing they had to wait until she was feeding to kill her.

She invited them in and led them to the living room, both men's hands close to their guns and inching to shoot her already, feeding or not feeding.

"So how can I help you?" She said sounding so innocent. Lee was barely holding his temper in now. He excused himself to use the bathroom and took a moment to calm himself. Bitch killed his niece!

"Did you notice anyone paying too much attention to them? Maybe lingering too long or staring at them when they played outside? Any suspicious people that were acting odd around them?" Lee asked and they shared a thought. 'Besides you, you demonic bitch!'

"Not really, not beyond the usual lookers from the neighborhood and the parents of course, no one stood out. Wish I could help more." She said with a sincere look now. They both were thinking of how she could help more but dropping dead in next second or two wasn't happening so they were shit out of luck on that one.

"Well, that's okay." Dean said handing her a fake business card and smiling sincerely. "Call us if anything comes to you." The men stood and let her lead them to the door, not wanting the bitch at their backs. Hunter rule, never let the monster get behind you if you can help it, if not, they will kill you. Good rule. And this bitch was so not getting behind them ever!

They walked to car while keeping an eye on the space behind them, never letting the house out of their sight until they drove away.

"It's her." Lee said sounding pissed, "I want to watch this one tonight."

"We'll see. The others will be working out the teams. No one hunts alone tonight. Stryga's are tricky things, lone hunters don't last long with them." Dean said and Lee nodded, knowing he was right.

Dean pulled out his phone and called Sam, smiling at the sleepy voice of his Mate when he answered the phone.

"Hey, baby, sorry I didn't call sooner. This case is keeping me busy." Dean apologized and he could feel Sam smiling into the phone now.

"I got some information for you guys." Sam said worried. Dean hated that tone, really hated it.

"Okay, what did you find out?" Dean asked, pulling out his notepad and preparing to write it down, "Why didn't you tell Dad this earlier?" It wasn't like Sam to withhold information like that.

"I called this morning to say I love you." Sam said softly, "And that I missed you. I just found this out a few minutes ago, silly."

Dean blushed and chuckled, "I miss you, too, baby. Love you. Now what did you find out?"

"Bastard feeds every ten years, about 20 kids, girls between 2 and 10 years of age. Then vanishes. I got a referenced similar disappearances from the past and got a face, sending it to your phone now." Sam said and waited, Dean and Lee watched at the message appeared and sure enough, it was Susan Platch.

"Yep, that's her." Dean said growling, his worst fears confirmed now. "We just interviewed the bitch. Knew it had to be her, damn it!" He threw Lee a look and Lee drove faster now, hurrying to the house.

"Miss you, baby." Sam said sadly, "Bed feels empty without you." He touched Dean's side of the bed stroking it softly, missing the body that usually filled it. "The Astral thing is good, makes it better somewhat, but its not the same as having you here in person. I hate going to bed now, I know you aren't going to be there. Hate it."

"I feel the same. How's our babies?" Sam had a bump but not a big one. He was checking up on him, sue him.

"Fine, morning sickness is worse. Got the strangest cravings but we're dealing with it. It's most the mood swings and the overactive sex drive that's killing me right now. Could make love all night and into the next day to you, or you to me. Not picky. Better than Viagra really." Sam admitted, closing his eyes to listen to his lover's voice, the voice that soothed his soul to hear. "Talk to me until you get there, okay? So I can sleep, please?"

"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" Dean asked softly, closing his eyes picturing Sam laying in the bed, him holding him again, needing that so bad it hurt to know he couldn't right now.

"Tell me about you." Sam said softly and went silent.

Dean spent the next ten minutes telling Sam how he loved him and how Sam made him feel by just being in his life. Lee gave him a look and Dean shrugged, sure it was chicky but it was Sam and he would do chicky for Sam because that's the way Sam made him feel, all warm and gooey inside, so weak and strong, all at the same time.

He'd kill for Sam. In a heartbeat.

So chick flicky was not a problem compared to that.

Soon Sam was asleep and they said goodbye and they'd talk later. Dean hung up and looked at the phone sadly before looking up again, hiding the sadness he felt.

"There's no shame in missing Sam, Dean." Lee said sadly, "I miss my family all the time. You miss them because you love them."

"It wasn't safe for him to come. He needed rest and well, he needed a break from Hunting, so I got Dad to come with me. Would have been selfish to have Sam come in that state just because I couldn't bear to be apart from him. Which, truth be told, I can't." Dean admitted, letting his sadness peek out but then the anger took its place. "Want to kill this bitch! Then I can return home to him."

"I get that. Used to feel the same about my wife, too. Hated leaving her." He sighed softly as they pulled into the driveway and shut the car off. "Still see her in my sleep. Probably why I don't sleep much."

"It wasn't your fault, Lee. You couldn't have known they'd go after them." Dean said trying to ease him mind. "It's okay to miss them. But you can't keep blaming yourself for their deaths." He knew the signs, he'd felt the same about some of the innocents he lost and failed to save.

"I do miss them." Lee said getting out of the car and Dean followed behind him into the house, "But you're wrong, it was my fault." He said no more but looked so tragic it almost broke Dean's heart.

The man would not listen. Dean saw this. Losing his family was eating him alive and he hoped the man's family could help him through it. He was breaking, barely hanging on. Dean wished he could help more.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

They broke up into pairs.

Dean and Lee paired up again. Lee seemed to find comfort in working with Dean so Dean was happy to keep working with him, glad to offer what comfort he could. His presence seemed to help the man for some reason, probably how Dean could understand his pain so well gave him comfort, knowing someone shared your pain always made it better, in Dean's experience. They would take the bitch's house.

Bobby and Thom took a little girl's house.

Cheryl and Lonnie would take another.

That left Dan alone…until she showed up.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

There was a knock at the door and Dan opened it. They looked out and saw nothing.

"Down here." Came a laughing voice.

They looked down.

It was a little girl, sort of. Something about her seemed…off.

"Dora! I was hoping you would show up." Bobby said grinning.

"Dan?" Dora said in happy disbelief, "Dan, is that you?"

"Yep." Dan said kneeling to shake her hand, "Nice to see you again, Dora. What are you doing here?"

"Bobby called me in, said you might need my help. I live near here." Dora said and smiled as Dean realized what she was.

"She's a…fuck!" he swore softly, freaking a little but trying not to show it. "A living doll!" He looked for a knife and Bobby put out a hand to calm him.

"It's okay, son. She's a friend, not a demon. A traveler." Bobby explained and smiled as Dan picked up Dora giving her a hug and a kiss hello, like old friends they were.

"What the hell is a traveler?" Dean said eyes not leaving her but backing away slowly.

"A heavenly being of no definite form that possesses bodies to manifest, most stay invisible. Dora takes doll bodies and manifests. Don't worry, she's a hunter, too. For special cases, like this one." Bobby sighed in relief as Dean calmed down but still eyed her suspiciously.

"Nice to meet you…Dora." Dean managed, still unsettled by the whole doll thing but not wanting it to interfere with the case at hand. He could do this! He kept repeating this until he relaxed finally. "Sorry, had a run in with a psychotic living doll recently. Made it hard to trust them, sorry."

"So I heard, the mother right?" Dora shook her head as Dan stroked her skin on her arm in wonder. "Was too far to help you, or I would have helped."

"That's okay, we got it solved." Dean reassured her. But wouldn't go near her yet, still to freaked inside, gah!

"Heard that, too. What we got, Dan, monster or victim?" she knew they were headed out to stake out possible victims.

"Victim, well, possible victim." Dan said still marveling at her skin, "this that crap they use for the expensive sex dolls, the ones that feel real?"

"Yep, cost a pretty penny, too." She chuckled and admitted, "Got two small ones and three grown up ones at home. In case I need them. So, let's go do this stake out."

They headed out after that.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

The Stryga wasn't home, they checked and phoned it in.

Sally Miller wasn't so lucky. Bobby and Thom watched her bedroom window. They saw the thing creep in the open window and had time to wonder at the stupidity of some parents. They sprang into action and got the crap beat out of them for their troubles. Once they were knocked out. It slipped in and took the girl itself, not bothering to feed of her yet, there was no time to with the Hunters ready to come to at any time.

Once it had her stashed away, with the humans guarding her, it went for the others.

Cheryl and Lonnie tried to kill the bitch but she didn't feed so their bullets did nothing but piss it off. It took the screaming child out the window and left her hard candy lying on the floor she had been eating, a midnight treat she had filched from her mother's purse when she played with it before. The thing in the black robe scaring her so bad she wet herself as it carried her away. The Hunters chased it but since their guns did not work on it, they could only hope to catch it on the run but that hope was squashed when the thing climbed up a tree and moved through the treetops, eluding them in the end.

They ran to the car and called the others frantically calling for help. Their Dad and Bobby weren't answering their phones and that was bad. So the pair drove quickly to their aid. Sure they were in trouble. They weren't wrong.

Dan and Dora had even less luck. The Stryga grabbed the girl from her mother's back seat, knocking out the mom and stealing her, the poor child screaming. The Hunters pursuing it, Dora hanging onto Dan's neck as he ran. It took to the trees and eluded them, too.

They drove home quickly and found the others hurt.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Dad!" Came the multiple cried, both for Bobby and Thom. They sat up blearily as they were wrapped and bandaged, and given pain pills to ease their pain from their injuries.

"I'm fine." Was their fathers mutual replies and several painful grunts as they tried to get up.

None of their children believed a word. Their fathers were walking bruises and looked hurt.

Even Dora looked worried.

"Got them all, every last one! Damn it!" Lee swore, "Bitch got them."

Dean growled too as did everyone else in the room.

Dean pulled a shoe off and noticed the broken candy pieces sticking to it from when they had went back to look at the girl's room after the others had left, arriving too late to be of much help in the pursuit, so they settled for a quick look for clues. Broken dolls and now broken candy. So many broken things. So many already broken little girls, and now three more!

He took a nap in Sam's arms that night, in their mind room. Broken dolls still littered the floor but now it was different, worse.

There were broken pieces of candy covering the bedspread now.

Sam threw the covers away, and they covered some of the broken doll pieces, so resembling little girl parts still. He held Dean as he shook and cried, and they worried about what would become of the little girls. Would they save them and keep them from breaking like the dolls and the candy, or would they fail and these deaths stick to their souls and minds, like the candy to Dean's shoe but never able to remove it ever again.

Dean now fully realized how Lee felt and wanted to scream.

An hour or two later, he discreetly slipped out, and broke into the girls' houses and got something to catch their scent from. Then he transformed and followed the scents now, murder in his heart for the bitch. He didn't catch the other following him silently, worried about why he had slipped out, and when realizing what he was up, too, they also held murder in their hearts, too.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

The group watched the dog approach the building, hackles on edge. The Hellhounds joining him now, growling as well. He turned to see the others approach, just as pissed as he was. They then turned to the building again and Dean scented the place, not smelling sex but smelling the girls in there, all three of them. They smelled afraid. Dean hated the scent of them afraid, he hated children afraid especially.

"No arrests, they die tonight." Dean said not bothering to look away from the building. His eyes were cold and dead, killing eyes. He was going to kill them all for what they had done.

"No, no arrests." The others agreed, even Cheryl and Dan, both cops but knowing this wasn't a cop matter.

It was a Hunter matter and they were going to do what Hunters did. Kill the bitch. Save the girls.

All their eyes cold and dead now. They waited for Dean to scent its power it would give off when it fed.

Then they would finish the bitch off.

No more kids died at its hands, none.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Dean had a better idea. He waved for them to duck down and hid by the door ahead. A human came out, Dean had scented him near the door. He grabbed the man, downloaded him enough to transform believably, feeling all sorts of perverted thoughts flickering in his head. He quickly shut them off and became the man.

"I'll go in and be him. When I can get close enough, and it begins to feed, I'll kill it. You guys get the rest. There's three humans in there." He pointed to the unconscious man at his feet, hating the fact that they didn't have the right to kill humans. Of course if what he saw from absorbing the guy was right, the bastard was more monster than man. "Son of a bitch here is a monster. More than anything I've ever killed. Should waste him but won't. It's up to you what to do with him."

He went in and took his place, keeping close to the Stryga, waiting for it to feed.

Then he was going to kill the son of a bitch.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sally was in a cage and the hooded thing approached. It pulled her out and laid her on the ground pinning her, and pulling at its pants. Its face showed now and its mouth became a white lit hole, sucking over her face.

Her candy sticky fingers clawed broken candy pieces onto its robe as she struggled beneath it.

Then she did the only thing she could think to do.

She screamed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx