"They've got Dad," Dean said, hanging up the phone. "Meg?" Sam asked and Dean nodded. "What'd she say?" Dean snapped, "I just told you, Sammy." He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "Okay. Okay." He picked up the Colt, sticking it in the waistband of his jeans. "What are you doing, Dean?" Sam asked. Dean grabbed his duffel, setting it next to the bag of Mack's stuff. "We got to go," he said. "Why?" Dean put his jacket on, picking up Mack and swinging his duffel over his shoulder before grabbing her bag with his free hand.

"Because the demon knows we're in Salvation, alright? It knows we've got the Colt. It's got Dad- it's probably coming for us next."

"Good. We still got three bullets left," Sam said. "Let it come." Dean rounded angrily on his brother, keeping a firm grip on his daughter. "Listen, tough guy, we're not ready, okay? We don't know how many of them are out there. Now, we're no good to anybody dead. We're leaving… now!" He stormed out of the motel without another word, placing the bags in the trunk of the Impala before getting Mack strapped into her car seat. Sam came out with his own bag a minute later.

Frustration rolled off Sam in almost tangible waves as they cruised down the highway. "I'm telling you, Dean, we could have taken him," he said. "What we need is a plan," Dean snapped. "Now, they're probably keeping Dad alive, we just gotta figure out where. They're gonna wanna trade him for the gun." Sam shook his head and Dean glanced over at him. "What?"

"Dean, if that were true, why didn't Meg mention a trade?" he asked, getting more and more upset. "Dad, he might be…" Dean cut him off. "Don't!" As much as Dean hated the way his father treated him, he was still his father, and he didn't want to even consider the possibility that the demons had killed him. "Look, I don't want to believe it any more than you," Sam told him. "But if he is, all the more reason to kill this damn thing. We still have the Colt. We can still finish the job."

"Screw the job, Sam!"

Sam flinched and he opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by a small voice from the back seat. "You angy, Daddy?" Dean's shoulders slumped and he looked in the rearview mirror, making eye contact with his daughter. "No, I'm not angry, bug. Daddy's just a little upset right now." She nodded, maintaining eye contact with him in the mirror. "Why?" she asked. "'Cause John got taken by the bad guys," he told her. "Why?"

"Because Daddy and Uncle Sammy have something they want."

"What?" she asked. Dean took a deep breath, fighting to maintain his composure as he answered her questions. "Nothing, bug. Why don't you play with your doll you got for your birthday, okay?"

"Otay."

She grabbed the doll, and as she became distracted Sam decided to speak up again. "Dean, I'm just trying to do what he would want. He would want us to keep going." Dean clenched his jaw, unable to keep the anger out of his tone, but attempted to keep his voice low so Mack wouldn't start asking more questions. "Quit talking about him like he's dead already. Listen to me, everything stops until we get him back, you understand me? Everything." He glanced in the mirror again, but Mack was still distracted by her doll. Sam didn't respond right away, thinking.

"So how do we find him?" Dean frowned, unsure of how to answer that question. "Maybe we go to Lincoln," he suggested. "Start at the warehouse where he was taken." Sam gave him a look. "Come on, Dean, you really think these demons are going to leave a trail?" Dean's shoulders slumped even more. "You're right. We need help."

They ended up at Singer Salvage, an old junkyard that was home to Bobby Singer. Bobby had been like a surrogate father to the boys growing up. Like most hunters who associated with John Winchester, Bobby and their old man had had a falling out, so it had been years since they had last been to his house. When they arrived, Dean introduced him as Grandpa Bobby to Mack. She colored at the kitchen table while Sam sat at Bobby's cluttered desk in the equally cluttered study, reading a book.

Bobby picked up two silver flasks, carrying them over to Dean. "Here you go," he handed him one of them. "What is this- holy water?" Dean asked. "That one is," Bobby confirmed, then held up the other flask. "This is whiskey." He took a swig of the whiskey, then offered it to Dean, but he shook his head. "Been trying to limit my alcohol intake with the kid around," he offered as explanation when Bobby raised a questioning eyebrow. "Right," the older man nodded in understanding. "Bobby, thanks. Thanks for everything," Dean told him. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure we should come."

"Nonsense. Your daddy needs help," Bobby replied. "Well, yeah, but last time we saw you, I mean, you did threaten to blast him full of buckshot. Cocked the shotgun and everything." Mack looked up from her coloring book, staring over at them curiously. "Yeah, well, what can I say? John just has that effect on people," Bobby shrugged. "Yeah, I guess he does," Dean smiled a little. "None of that matters now. All that matters is that you get him back."

"Bobby, this book…" Sam called over. "I've never seen anything like it." Bobby walked over, sitting on the corner of the desk. "Key of Solomon? It's the real deal, alright," he said. "And these, uh, protective circles? They really work?" Sam pressed. "Hell, yeah. You get a demon in- they're trapped. Powerless. It's like a Satanic roach motel." Dean walked over to join them. "Man, knows his stuff," he praised Bobby, grinning. "I'll tell you something else, too," Bobby added. "This is some serious crap you boys stepped in."

"Oh yeah? How's that?"

"Normal year, I hear of, say, three demonic possessions. Maybe four, tops," Bobby explained. "Yeah?" Dean asked. "This year I hear of twenty-seven so far. You get what I'm saying? More and more demons are walking among us- a lot more." Dean glanced back at Mack, who'd thankfully gone back to coloring and wasn't paying attention to their conversation- that he could tell, anyway. "Do you know why?" Sam asked Bobby. "No, but I know it's something big. The storm's coming, and you boys, that little girl over there, your daddy- you are smack in the middle of it."

Outside, Bobby's dog started barking. "Doggy," Mack said, looking over at the window. "Rumsfeld," Bobby said, moving over to the window. Rumsfeld's bark cut off in a whine as he reached the window. "What is it?" Bobby muttered. "Doggy?" Mack asked, still staring at the window Bobby was peeking through. He could see the chain Rumsfeld had been attached to hanging broken, and no dog in sight. "Something's wrong," Bobby told them.

At the moment, Meg kicked the door in, sauntering inside. Dean slipped the holy water flask out of his pocket. "No more crap, okay?" she growled. Dean came at her, unscrewing the flask, but she hit him and sent him flying into a stack of books. "Daddy!" Mack cried, scrambling out of her chair. Both Sam and Bobby automatically moved to put themselves in between Meg and the young girl as she made her way over to her father. "I want the Colt, Sam- the real Colt- right now," Meg demanded.

Sam and Bobby were moving slowly across the room and Meg followed them, paying no attention to Dean and Mack. "We don't have it on us," Sam told her. "We buried it." Meg growled in frustration. "Didn't I say 'no more crap'? I swear- after everything I heard about you Winchesters, I got to tell you, I'm a little underwhelmed. First Johnny tries to pawn off a fake gun, and then he leaves the real gun with you two chuckleheads. Lackluster, men. I mean, did you really think I wouldn't find you?"

Dean had gotten up, and stepped into the doorway, Mack in his arms. "Actually, we were counting on it," he told her. Meg turned to look at him. He stared at her, then flicked his eyes up to the ceiling. She followed his gaze, finding the protection symbol from the Key of Solomon Sam had been reading from etched there. "Gotcha," Dean smirked. Sam and Bobby got Meg tied down in a chair in the center of the demon trap while Dean took Mack upstairs.

"Stay in this room, okay, bug?" he told her, putting her down on the old bed in one of the guest rooms. It was the same one that he used to stay in when he was younger and John had ditched him and Sam at Bobby's. "Why?" she asked. "Because Daddy, Grandpa Bobby, and Uncle Sammy have to work downstairs, and I don't want you to watch."

"Why?"

"Because it's dangerous."

"Dang-juss?" Mack echoed, brow furrowed in confusion. "Yeah, baby. It's dangerous." She frowned, brow still furrowed in concentration as she thought about his words. "Why it dang-juss?" He huffed a deep breath, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "Because Daddy's job is dangerous sometimes."

"Why?"

"Because Daddy fights bad guys with Uncle Sammy," he answered. He kissed her on the forehead, smiling at her. "Stay here, okay?" he told her again. "Otay, Daddy." He straightened up, leaving the room and heading back downstairs to join Sam and Meg. "You know, if you wanted to tie me up, all you had to do was ask," Meg purred, smirking at them. Bobby came back into the room carrying a large canister of salt. "I salted the door and windows," he informed them. "If there are any demons out there- they ain't getting in."

Dean nodded, moving around Bobby and Sam to stand in front of Meg. "Where's our father, Meg?" he asked. "You didn't ask very nice," she told him. "Where's our father, bitch?" he snarled. "Jeez. You kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh wait, I forgot, you don't." Dean lunged forward, putting his hands on chair arms. "You think this is a frigging game?" he yelled. "Where is he?! What did you do to him?"

"He died screaming. I killed him myself," the demoness grinned. He glared at her with pure hatred, backhanding her across the face. "That's kind of a turn on- you hitting a girl. You smack little baby Winchester around like that?" Dean was practically seeing red. "You're no girl." Bobby stood up, walking into the next room. "Dean," he barked. He followed Bobby, Sam moving up to him. "You okay?" Sam asked him quietly. "She's lying. He's not dead."

He refused to talk about her other comment. It had struck a nerve with him, having Meg ask him if he hit Mack. Mostly because he was trying so hard to not be like John when it came to parenting. "Dean, you got to be careful with her," Bobby said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Don't hurt her." Dean frowned. "Why?"

"Because she really is a girl, that's why."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked. "She's possessed," Bobby answered. "That's a human possessed by a demon. Can't you tell?" Dean blinked. "Are you trying to tell me there's an innocent girl trapped in there somewhere?" Bobby just nodded in confirmation. Dean looked over at Meg, who was staring back at him. "That's actually good news," he said.

They performed an exorcism, and Meg- the girl who the demon possessed- managed to tell them that what the demon had said about their father being alive in Jefferson City was true. "Where are they keeping our dad?" Dean asked her. "By the river. Sunrise," she said. "Sunrise? What does that mean? What does that mean?" She didn't respond, dead on the floor. They got their stuff together and Dean retrieved Mack from upstairs so they could go find John.

"You better hurry up and beat it. Before the paramedics arrive," Bobby told them. He nodded at the child in Dean's arms. "She can stay here, if you want." Dean shook his head. "No, I wanna keep her with me."

"You sure? She'd be safer here."

"I'm sure," Dean confirmed. "Thanks, Bobby. What are you gonna tell the medics?" Bobby snorted. "You think you guys invented lying to the cops? I'll figure something out." He handed the Key of Solomon book to Sam. "Here. Take this. You might need it."

"Thanks," Sam said. "Thanks… for everything," Dean told him again. "Be careful, alright?" Bobby smiled. "You just go find your dad. And when you do, you bring him around, would you? I won't even try to shoot him this time." The Winchesters left, making their way to Jefferson City, Missouri.

When they arrived, they found the Sunrise Apartments located near the river and figured that was what Meg had been talking about. "Son of a bitch," Dean muttered. "That's pretty smart. I mean, if these demons can possess people, they can possess almost anybody inside." Sam nodded. "Yeah, and they can make anybody attack us."

"And so we can't kill them- a building full of human shields."

"They probably know exactly what we look like, too. And they can look like anybody," Sam added. "Yeah, this sucks out loud," Dean grumbled. "Tell me about it. Alright, so, how the hell are we going to get in?" Dean stared at the building for a minute. "Pull the fire alarm, get all the civilians out."

"Okay, but the city responds in, what, seven minutes?" Dean nodded. "Seven minutes exactly." They put their plan in motion, nabbing a couple sets of fireman gear once the trucks arrived and using EMF inside to try and find the room John was in. "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up," Dean commented randomly. "You never told me that," Sam replied. The EMF meter in Dean's hand started going off frantically, and he banged on the door.

"This is the fire department! We need you to evacuate!" he shouted. They burst through the door, spraying water from their tanks on the two occupants inside. The man and woman hissed as their skin sizzled from the holy water- demons. Dean punched the man, shoving him into a closet. "Come on!" he yelled. Sam grabbed the woman, shoving her in as well. Dean leaned against the wall while Sam put a line of salt along the bottom of the door. As soon as he finished, the pounding against the door stopped.

The boys took off their gear, moving to the bedroom door. They slowly opened it, finding John tied to the bed. "Dad?" Dean asked, moving to his side. "He's still breathing." Sam looked relieved as Dean started shaking John. "Dad, wake up. Dad!" He took out his knife, moving to cut the restraints around John's wrists. "Wait. Wait," Sam stopped him. "What?"

"He could be possessed for all we know."

"What, are you nuts?"

"Dean, we got to be sure," Sam snapped. He took out a flask of holy water from their duffel bag, sprinkling it on John. It had no effect. John moaned, starting to come around. "Sam? Why are you splashing water on me?" he asked. "Dad, are you okay?" Dean asked him. "They've been drugging me. Where's the Colt?"

"Don't worry, Dad. It's safe," Sam assured him. Dean started cutting John free. "Good boys. Good boys," John muttered. Sam and Dean were working on carrying him out of the bedroom as a fireman and another man came in, their eyes demon black. "Go! Go!" Sam said. "Back! Back!" Dean chimed in. They made their way back into the bedroom and closed the door, locking it. An ax started breaking through the door. Sam hurried to make a salt line at the door while Dean helped John over to the fire escape. "Sam, let's go!"

Sam tossed him the duffel of weapons and climbed through the window, pausing to make another salt line along the sill. Dean helped John down to the street and Sam moved ahead of them. The younger Winchester was suddenly attacked by another demon- one that had been with Meg in Lincoln when John had been captured. Dean put down his father to go to his brother's aid. "Sam!"

He ran over to help, but was flung onto a parked car, shattering the windshield. As the demon went back to beating Sam, a gunshot suddenly rang out. The man fell off Sam, a bullet hole in his forehead. Dean tucked the Colt away, running over to help Sam to his feet. "Sam! Sam, come on! Come on!" They paused, staring at the dead man the demon had been possessing. "Come on. We gotta get out of here," Dean said.

They got John, helping him back to the Impala where Mack was waiting in the back seat.

They stopped at a cabin in the woods, lying low for a while. Night had fallen and Sam was working on pouring salt along a window sill. His face was bruised and bloody from getting beat up by the demon. Dean came in holding Mack after helping John lay down in the other room. "How is he?" Sam asked. "He just needed a little rest, that's all," Dean replied, voice low. "How are you?"

"I'll survive." Sam turned to face his brother and niece. She was asleep in his arms. "Hey, you don't think we were followed here, do you?" Dean frowned. "I don't know. I don't think so. I mean, we couldn't have found a more out-of-the-way place to hole up." Sam nodded. "Yeah. Hey, uh… Dean, you, um… you saved my life back there."

"So, I guess you're glad I brought the gun, huh?"

"Man, I'm trying to thank you, here."

"You're welcome."

Sam walked across the room and Dean bit his lip. "Hey, Sam?" he got his attention again. "Yeah?" Sam turned back to face him. "You know that guy I shot? There was a person in there." Dean's grip subconsciously tightened around his daughter, clutching her closer to his chest. "You didn't have a choice, Dean," Sam pointed out. "Yeah, I know, that's not what bothers me." Sam furrowed his brow in confusion. "Then what does?" he asked. "Killing that guy, killing Meg. I didn't hesitate, I didn't even flinch. For you or Mack or Dad, the things I'm willing to do or kill, it's just, uh… it scares me sometimes."

Sam just stared at him, not knowing what to say. John appeared in the doorway, leaning against the jamb. "It shouldn't," he said. "You did good." Dean blinked, frowning. "You're not mad?" he asked. "For what?" John queried. "Using a bullet." A smile tugged at the corners of John's mouth and Dean's stomach did a somersault. "Mad? I'm proud of you," John told him. "You know, Sam and I, we can get pretty obsessed. But you- you watch out for this family. You always have."

"Thanks," Dean replied hesitantly. The wind picked up and the lights flickered. Dean laid Mack's sleeping form down on the bed as they went to peek out the window. "It found us. It's here," John murmured. "The demon?" Sam asked. "Sam, lines of salt in front of every window, every door."

"I already did it."

"Well, check it, okay?"

"Okay." Sam exited the room, leaving Dean and his sleeping daughter alone with John. "Dean, you got the gun?" John asked. "Yeah," he confirmed. "Give it to me," John held out his hand. Dean reached back, pulling it out, but didn't hand it over right away. "Dad, Sam tried to shoot the demon in Salvation. It disappeared." John was still holding his hand out expectantly. "This is me. I won't miss. Now, the gun, hurry." Dean hesitated a moment longer, looking down at the gun in his hands. "Son, please," John said.

Feeling like his suspicions were confirmed, Dean took a few steps back toward the bed where his daughter laid. "Give me the gun. What are you doing, Dean?" John demanded. "He'd be furious," Dean muttered. "What?" John asked. "That I wasted a bullet. He wouldn't be proud of me, he'd tear me a new one." John just stared at him as he raised the gun, pointing it at his head and cocking it. "You're not my dad."

"Dean, it's me."

"I know my dad better than anyone. And you ain't him," Dean shook his head. "What the hell's gotten into you?" John snapped. "I could ask you the same thing," Dean countered as John took a step toward him. "Stay back." Sam came back into the room then, eyes widening as he took in the sight of Dean pointing the Colt at John. "Dean? What the hell's going on?" he asked. "Your brother's lost his mind," John told him. "He's not Dad," Dean said. "What?"

"I think he's possessed. I think he's been possessed since we rescued him," Dean continued, getting upset. "Don't listen to him, Sammy," John barked. "Dean, how do you know?" Sam questioned his brother. "He's… he's different," Dean choked out, fighting back tears. "You know, we don't have time for this," John growled. "Sam, you wanna kill this demon, you've gotta trust me." Sam looked back and forth between his father and brother. Dean glanced over at him, but didn't say anything else to convince him. "Sam?" John asked.

"No. No," Sam shook his head, moving to stand beside his older brother. "Fine. You're both so sure, go ahead. Kill me." John looked down at the floor and waited. Dean kept the gun trained on him, but couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. "I thought so," John smirked. When he looked up, his eyes had turned yellow. Sam lunged at him, but was pinned to the wall. Dean found himself pinned to the wall opposite Sam, dropping the Colt. The demon picked it up.

"What a pain in the ass this thing's been," he commented. "It's you, isn't it?" Sam asked. "We've been looking for you for a long time." The demon smirked over at him. "Well, you found me."

"But the holy water?"

"You think something like that works on something like me?" Sam tried to fight the force pinning him to the wall, but failed. "I'm gonna kill you!" he yelled. "Oh, that'd be a neat trick. In fact," the demon put the Colt down on a table, "here. Make the gun float to you there, psychic boy." Sam looked at the gun, but nothing happened. The demon turned, setting his sights on the young girl on the bed. She'd woken up when Sam yelled.

"No. Don't!" Dean cried out, fighting to get away from the wall, but had no luck just like Sam. The demon ignored him, moving toward Mack. She whimpered, scooting back further on the bed, trying to get away from him. "It's okay, sweetheart," he purred. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

"Don't!" Dean cried out again. "Don't listen to him, bug. He's dangerous." She looked away from the demon at him, the word registering in her brain. "Dang-juss?" she asked quietly. "Your daddy's lying," the demon said. "I'm not dangerous. Come here."

"Leave her alone," Dean growled, still struggling to get unpinned. "Leave her alone and let him go, or I swear to God-"

"What?" the demon asked, looking over at him, temporarily distracted from Mack. "What are you and God gonna do? You see, as far as I'm concerned, this is justice." He moved over to Dean. "You know that little exorcism of yours? That was my daughter." Dean furrowed his brow. "Who, Meg?" The demon continued, "The one in the alley? That was my boy. You understand." Dean groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"What? You're the only one who can have a family? You destroyed my children. How would you feel if I killed your family?" He grinned at Dean. "Oh, that's right. I forgot. I did. Still, two wrongs don't make a right."

"You son of a bitch."

"I wanna know why," Sam piped up, following Dean's example of keeping the demon distracted from Mack for as long as possible. "Why'd you do it?" The demon turned to face him. "You mean why did I kill Mommy and pretty, little Jess?" Sam nodded, "Yeah." The demon looked back at Dean. "You know, I never told you this, but Sam was gonna ask her to marry him. Been shopping for rings and everything." He moved over to Sam. "You want to know why? Because they got in the way."

"In the way of what?" Sam asked. "My plans for you, Sammy. You… and all the children like you." Dean piped up again, "Listen, you mind just getting this over with, huh? 'Cause I really can't stand the monologuing." The demon turned, walking back in his direction. "Funny, but that's all part of your M.O., isn't it? Masks all that nasty pain, masks the truth."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"You know, you fight and you fight for this family, but the truth is, they don't need you. Not like you need them. Sam- he's clearly John's favorite. Even when they fight, it's more concern than he's ever shown you. You wanna know why? The truth about why John can't stand your very existence? Why he refuses to acknowledge that that sweet little girl over there is his granddaughter?" The demon leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "It's because you aren't really his son. You're the product of a one-night stand that Mommy of yours had with the neighbor friend."

"You're lying," Dean snarled. "Oh, but I'm not. It's all up here," the demon tapped John's temple. "He's prouder of Sam and what he's accomplished than he's ever been of you."

"I bet you're real proud of your kids, too, huh?" Dean quipped. "Oh, wait, I forgot. I wasted 'em." He smiled at the demon, who stared back up at him coldly. He took a step back, putting his head down. When he looked back up, Dean cried out in pain. "Daddy!" Mack yelled. "Dean! No!" Sam chimed in as well. Dean started bleeding heavily from his chest. Sam was struggling against the force pinning him, and Mack stayed where she was on the bed, afraid to move.

"Dad! Dad, don't you let it kill me!" Dean yelled. The demon grinned at him and Dean continued to scream in pain. "Dean! No!" Sam yelled again. Blood was flowing freely from Dean's chest and mouth. "Dad, please," he begged weakly, just before he passed out from the blood loss. "Daddy," Mack whimpered. "Stop," John whispered, taking over his body and overriding the demon. Sam was released from the wall. "Stop it," John said a bit louder. Sam dove, grabbing the gun off the table. John turned toward him, eyes yellow once more, and Sam aimed the gun at him.

"You kill me, you kill Daddy," the demon taunted. "I know," Sam snarled. He lowered the gun, shooting the demon in the leg. He fell down, along with Dean. Sam got up, going over to his brother. "Dean? Dean, hey. Oh God, you've lost a lot of blood."

"Where's dad?" Dean asked weakly. "He's right here. He's right here, Dean," Sam told him. "Go check on him."

"Dean."

"Go check on him."

While Sam got up and headed over to John, Mack scrambled off the bed and rushed to her father's side. "Daddy," she whimpered. "Hey, bug," he told her. "It's okay. It's going to be okay." When Sam checked on John, he woke up, shouting about how the demon was still in him and that he needed to shoot him in the heart and kill it. Sam couldn't pull the trigger though, and the demon left John's body, escaping through the floorboards.

Sam got John into the passenger seat of the Impala, then returned and helped Dean into the back beside Mack's car seat. Once she was strapped in, he got behind the wheel and started driving toward the nearest hospital. Dean was slumped, nearly unconscious beside his daughter, holding her hand as Sam drove. "Look, just hold on, alright," Sam was telling his father. "The hospital's only ten minutes away."

"I'm surprised at you, Sammy," John said. "Why didn't you kill it? I thought we saw eye-to-eye on this? Killing this demon comes first- before me, before everything."

"No, sir. Not before everything," Sam replied, looking at his brother and niece in the rearview mirror. "Look, we've still got the Colt. We still have one bullet left. We just have to start over, alright? I mean, we already found the demon-" Sam was cut off mid sentence as an eighteen wheeler slammed into the passenger side of the Impala at full speed, driving it sideways in front of it.

Inside the car, all four passengers were unconscious and covered in blood.