Author's Note: Hello, dear readers. I hope you are all safe and well. Happy Labor Day to those of you in the US. Life has been crazy, but I finally found some time to write this chapter. If you like what I've written, please post a comment or send me a message. I love hearing from my readers!

CHAPTER 30

Dean studied her face for a moment before he laid the knife on the table and picked up his phone to send a quick text to his brother. "Have a seat," he instructed Krissy as he nodded to the chair across from him.

Sam appeared in the doorway a few minutes later. "What's up?"

"Krissy has something she needs to tell us," Dean stated as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Go on," he ordered. "Sam's here now, so say what you've got to say."

She nodded and swallowed hard. Her gaze briefly met those of both men before she focused on a spot on the opposite wall. "I … um … was reading about demons, and … well … I think Zoe may be possessed by a demon."

Both men stared at her for a moment, causing her to squirm in her seat.

"Go on," Dean directed impatiently, earning a glare from his brother.

"What makes you think Zoe is possessed," Sam asked. Although his voice lacked the impatience displayed by Dean, it was clear he wasn't taking Krissy's statement lightly.

"The other night at the football game . . . ," she paused, suddenly unsure how the Winchesters were going to accept what she had to say.

"Go on," Sam encouraged before Dean could say anything. He knew that patience was what was needed at the moment.

She sighed heavily. "When . . . um . . . we were smoking, I thought I saw Zoe's eyes go black. It was just for a split second," she added hurriedly, "and I thought maybe I had imagined it, or that it was a trick of the light and the weed."

Dean's expression had quickly shifted from mild curiosity to anger. "Little girl, you're lucky I already busted you for that. I ought to tan you again for hiding that from us."

Krissy shrank back in her chair, trying to put as much distance between herself and Dean as possible without getting up and walking out of the room. She'd known he wasn't going to be happy about what she had to say, but she hadn't expected it to be that bad. Truthfully, it was only her concern for her friend that had led her to tell them about it in the first place.

"Dean," Sam, sensing her discomfort, immediately stepped in. "That's not helping. I'm willing to give this one to Krissy since she didn't know demon sign then." He turned his gaze to the teenager and caught her sigh of relief. "But now that you know what to look for, you are to immediately report anything suspicious to us," he cautioned. "Understood?"

"Yes, sir," she answered quickly, grateful that Sam had come to her defense. "Um, what if that video wasn't sent to me by someone who hijacked Zoe's computer? What if Zoe is possessed, and the demon was the one who sent it to me?"

Sam nodded. The thought had already crossed his mind, and there was a real possibility that they were right. "I know you haven't known her for very long. But, looking back, did you notice a change in her behavior? Anything that struck you as odd?"

Krissy was silent for a few minutes as she thought about his question. "She hadn't attended classes for a few days, and when she was there, she didn't chat like she normally did. I think it started around the time she sent me that video. I asked the others about it when we were at the library, and Devin said she'd texted him that she had the flu. She was back in classes last week, but she still didn't chat much."

Sam nodded. "Did you notice anything that might have been off with her before that?"

Krissy shook her head. "No, not really, but I only met her when school started a couple of months ago. Nobody else said anything about her acting strange. But I don't know if they would mention anything to me since I'm the new kid in class." She suddenly stiffened and her eyes shot up to meet Sam's when a thought suddenly occurred to her. "You don't think the others are possessed, too, do you?"

Sam glanced over at Dean before meeting her gaze. "We don't know for sure yet that Zoe is possessed. It could all be a coincidence," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. "Looking back, have you seen anything in the others that makes you think there might be a problem?"

Krissy thought for a moment. "No, but hunters don't think anything's a coincidence."

"Yeah," Dean said, interrupting her. "Usually there's no such thing as a coincidence. But I've also learned there's always a possibility for everything." He still wasn't happy with Krissy's confession about the demon sign in Zoe, but he could tell she was well on her way to blaming herself for the whole damned mess. "Look, kiddo, despite what I said earlier, none of this is your fault. All you did was try to have a somewhat normal life."

"Then whose fault is it, Dean? If I hadn't been friends with Zoe, that demon would have left her alone."

Dean sighed. He hated this. It was the same mindset he'd had to jerk Sammy out of more than once. He leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. "The blame lies with the asshat of a demon who decided to start this whole shitshow. But, if that's not good enough for you, how about it being our mom's fault," he said as he gestured to himself and Sam. "She made a deal with Azazel and ended up being killed because of it. Or how about our dad, who became obsessed with killing him. Maybe it was Lillith or Ruby or Meg or any of the other demons we've fought. I know, it's my and Sammy's fault for killing all the demons we did when we stopped the apocalypse." His voice broke at the last statement, and he sighed heavily when he saw the effect his words had had on Krissy. He would never confess it to anyone, but he carried his own burden of guilt for everything that had happened. "The point is, there's a lot of blame to go around, but none of it lies on you. Got it?"

Krissy swallowed back tears and nodded. "Got it."

Sam had watched the interaction and decided it was time to change the topic of conversation. He shifted in his seat so he could pull his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans. "I think it might be a good idea to get Marissa Stockton involved," he said as he swiped his thumb across the device to activate it. "She's familiar with the supernatural, so she might be able to help us." He shared a look with Dean, not really wanting to voice what was on his mind. They had to find a way to get close to Zoe, and possibly to her parents, to determine whether their concern was valid.

Unfortunately, Krissy wasn't going to let him keep his thoughts to himself. "Help us with what?"

"First of all, there's no 'us'," Dean stated firmly before Sam could respond. "There's me and Sammy. You aren't going to be involved in this."

"Why not?" Krissy demanded, bristling at Dean's words.

"Because I said so," Dean said as he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. In his opinion, that was the only reason that needed to be given.

"Zoe is my friend. I have a right to be involved in this." Krissy's voice contained a note of anger at his words.

Sam sent a glare in his brother's direction before turning his gaze to Krissy. "You are right, she is your friend, and you should be involved in this," he conceded. He held up a hand to stop the explosion he knew was coming from Dean and Krissy's gloating response. "However, that being said, there should and will be strict limits to your involvement. You can help us with the planning, but you will not be involved in the execution. Is that understood?"

"Yeah, I got it," Krissy said sullenly.

Sam raised an eyebrow at her response. She squirmed slightly under the intense scrutiny of his direct gaze. "Wanna try that again?"

"Yes, sir," she responded, resisting the urge to salute the younger Winchester.

"Dean?" Sam questioned, turning his gaze to his brother.

"Yeah," he said as he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. He and Sam had agreed to present a united front where Krissy was concerned, so he wasn't going to contradict what Sam had said. But that didn't mean he had to be happy about it. "But, I want to make one thing perfectly clear, little girl," he said, pointing a finger at Krissy. "You mess around, you disobey a single order, I will take you to Jody's – after I wear your ass out with my belt. Capische?"

"Yes, sir," Krisy responded. She knew without question that Dean wouldn't hesitate to carry out his threat. If she were to be honest with herself, she was surprised that Sam had said she could be involved with the planning. She'd half expected to be sent to Jody's almost immediately once she'd told them of her concerns about Zoe.

"Okay," Sam commented as he glanced down at the cellphone in his hand. He sighed and scrolled through the contacts in his phone until he found the contact information for Marissa Stockton. He paused briefly before sending a carefully worded text: This is Sam Winchester. Please get in touch with me regarding our family business and one of your students."

He laid the phone face down on the table and scrubbed his hands over his face as he sat back in his chair. Why were they the ones who always had to deal with demons, he wondered as he shared a commiserating look with this brother.

XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX

"Go out and meet Mrs. Stockton at the clearing south of the bunker and bring her in through the main entrance. She should be here in about fifteen minutes," Sam said as he stood in the doorway of Krissy's room. He knew her class for the day should have ended, and he had approached her door just in time to hear her tell her classmates that she couldn't chat that day because she had an appointment. He grinned slightly in appreciation of her creativity as to why she was limiting her contact with them.

She closed her computer and turned to look at him. "Did she really have to come here?"

He walked into the room and gave her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. He got it. The last thing he would have wanted at sixteen was to have his high school principal show up at whatever rundown motel where they were living at the time. While the bunker wasn't a rundown motel, it wasn't exactly a typical home either – not to mention the fact that they wanted its existence and location kept as secret as possible.

"Yes, she does," he said as he sat at the foot of her bed, facing where she sat in her desk chair. "We want her involved because she has knowledge of the supernatural, and this involves one of her students. Her being a part of it will make things a bit easier for us to gather information to help us learn more about what might be going on with Zoe. However, she must be extremely cautious about how she approaches this. Given what we may have to do, even being seen talking with us could put her at risk. Coming to the bunker is the best way to eliminate some of that risk since it's remote and private. There's not much chance that someone is going to see her here."

Krissy thought about it for a moment, then reluctantly nodded her understanding. It made sense, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Sam slapped his hands down on his knees and rose to his feet. "Go on and head out," he ordered. "You need to be there when she arrives so you can lead her in on foot."

"But why do I have to do it? Can't you or Dean go meet her?" She pouted as she rose to her feet.

"Because I said so," Sam said with a slight grin. "Get going." He tilted his head in the vague direction of the bunker's front door.

A few minutes later, Krissy was sitting on a fallen log and browsing through her social media accounts when she heard a vehicle making its way slowly along the narrow path that led from the nearest road to the clearing. She stood and tucked her phone into her back pocket. She felt awkward standing there, but her sense of self-preservation told her she didn't want to be sitting when her principal pulled into the clearing. She didn't have long to wait before a large SUV came into view. Although she had seen her only a few time before, she recognized the woman behind the wheel of the vehicle.

"It's good to see you, Krissy," Marissa Stockton said as she climbed out of her vehicle. "How have you been doing?"

"Hi, Mrs. Stockton. I'm okay," Krissy responded hesitantly. She could tell Marissa was studying her, trying to see beneath the surface of her response. She had grown used to that kind of attention from Sam, but it was a bit unsettling for it to come from someone else.

"It's Marissa outside of school. Are you sure you're okay?" Marissa asked gently. "I'm not sure what exactly is happening and why the Winchesters asked me to come here. But if something supernatural was going on and involved my classmates, I think I'd be a bit of a mess."

Krissy gave a small smile to acknowledge Mrs. Stockton's words and shrugged. "Yeah, but I don't think I'm ready to talk about it. Sam and Dean will tell you what's going on."

Marissa nodded. She could understand the teenager's reluctance to talk. In fact, she probably would have been the same way under the circumstances. "Well, I'm certainly intrigued by all of this. And, as lovely as this spot is, I'm sure this isn't where we will be having that particular discussion."

Krissy grinned and gestured as she started toward a gap in the trees not far from where they stood. "Come on, it's this way." She couldn't wait to see the woman's reaction at her first sight of the bunker.

Marissa grabbed her purse from the SUV and quickly moved to follow the teenager, who was already disappearing into the woods. A few minutes later she stopped in her tracks as they exited the woods to face a large, abandoned-looking industrial building.

"This is where you live?" she asked as she watched Krissy approach a concrete stairwell that led to a lower-level entrance.

Krissy nodded. "It's actually pretty cool, but don't tell Sam or Dean I said that." She grinned at the idea of keeping her opinion secret from the Winchesters.

"Your secret is safe with me," Mrs. Stockton said as she studied the outside of the building before glancing over at Krissy. "I've lived in this area for over twenty years, and I've never even heard this place mentioned."

Krissy's grin widened at the thought of being able to share the secret of the origin of the bunker. "Yeah, some secret society built it back in the fifties as their secret base of operations or something. Apparently, Sam and Dean are the least surviving heirs of one of the members, so it came to them." She felt important to be able to share that bit of information. "Just wait until you see the inside," she said as she reached to push the heavy door open before stepping back to allow Marissa to enter first.

"Oh, wow!" Marissa exclaimed as she stopped dead in her tracks at her first sight of the interior of the bunker. She took in the main room, with its map table in the center and the antiquated computer console along one wall. Movement at the entrance of the library caught her attention, and she marveled at the dark wooden furnishings that were just visible from her vantage point even as she watched Sam make his way down the steps and into the main room.

"It's impressive, isn't it," Sam commented when she and Krissy had joined him at the bottom of the stairs.

"It certainly is," Marissa commented. "I told Krissy outside that I've lived in this area for more than twenty years, and I've never even heard this place mentioned."

"You wouldn't," Sam said as he gestured for her to accompany him to the library. "It's warded against detection and supernatural creatures. No one can find it unless we tell them it is here, and no supernatural creature can enter without our permission and an exception is made to the warding. We have a few," he paused, trying to find the appropriate word. "Associates," he said after a moment, "who fit into that category." He paused at the steps leading up to the library and turned to look at the woman beside him. "We would like it to remain secret. That's why I gave you the GPS coordinates for the clearing. There is an entrance off the county road, but it is hidden."

"And you don't know yet if you can trust me enough to share that information with me," Mrs. Stockton interrupted before Sam could say the same thing. "I understand completely. I would be leery about sharing that information with someone who is essentially a stranger as well, even if we do share a connection through hunting."

Sam grinned in acknowledgement and appreciation for her statement. "Thank you," he said. The words held more than simple gratitude for her comment. He knew she truly did understand their need to keep the bunker a secret. "Anyway," he continued, "I'd be happy to give you a tour of the bunker before you leave."

Marissa nodded her appreciation. "I'd like that. What I have seen so far is impressive."

Sam nodded, then turned to Krissy. "Go find Dean and let him know that Mrs. Stockton is here." He turned to the older woman. "Would you like something to drink? We have water, beer, and cola."

"Water would be great, thanks."

He nodded at Krissy, letting her know she needed to follow his order. "Grab a bottle of water for Mrs. Stockton on your way back."

"So, what is this all about?" Marissa asked a few minutes later. They were seated around a table in the library. A bottle of water sat in front of her. "You said in your message that it involved your family business and one of my students, and I can only assume you mean someone other than Krissy." She pinned the other three people sitting at the table with a hard look and watched as Krissy squirmed in her seat.

"We received word from a trusted source that Dean and I are targets of a demon who wants revenge for the deaths of their fellow demons," Sam began. He studied Mrs. Stockton's face as he spoke and was a little surprised when she didn't seem shocked at the mention of demons.

"And?" she questioned as she sat back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. "How does that involve one of my students, or me for that matter?" She studied the two men for a moment before continuing. "When I spoke with my father about the two of you, he mentioned that your father had been obsessed with some demon. He also said something about you being involved with starting the apocalypse."

"How did he know about that," Dean questioned. His eyes had taken on a hard look, and his voice betrayed his suspicion. That part of their lives wasn't exactly public knowledge.

"He still has contacts among the hunters, and they talk," Marissa stated in a serious voice. "Now, answer my question."

Sam glanced over at Dean before he sighed and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "We have reason to believe that one of your students and possible her family have been possessed by demons."

"Okay," Marissa stated in a long exhale. "That isn't exactly what I was expecting you to say." She studied the faces of the two men sitting across the table from her. She also didn't miss Krissy shifting in her seat. It was clear there was much more going on than she had anticipated. Several seconds passed while she regained her composure. "Tell me," she ordered, her voice once again carrying a no-nonsense tone.

Sam told her about the video Zoe had emailed to Krissy and how the tracker hidden it had been traced to a corporation owned by Eisheth.

"You're both intelligent men," Marissa stated drily, "I can't believe you brought me here or that you intend to act on that kind of circumstantial evidence. What else do you have?" She didn't miss the stern look that Dean gave Krissy, and she raised an eyebrow in query when the teenager shrank back in her seat. "Krissy?"

"Do I have to?" she asked plaintively.

"Yes, you have to," Dean ordered. "Or I will."

Krissy took a deep breath and sighed. At least if she told it, she could put her own spin on it. Dean would probably make it sound worse than it really was. "First, let me just say that Dean and Sam have both already punished me for it." Maybe if her principal knew that upfront, she would be less likely to impose school-related sanctions, too.

"Go on," Marissa urged. "I'm listening."

"We were … um … at the football game Friday night, and I thought I saw Zoe's eyes go black for a moment." Krissy paused for a moment before rushing on. "It was only for a split second, and I wasn't sure I hadn't imagined it. And, well, I didn't know about demon sign then." She held her breath while she awaited Marissa's reaction.

"Why would your uncles punish you for that?" Marissa asked. "What were you doing at the game that you don't want to tell me about?"

Krissy glanced at Dean, who nodded. His facial expression and body language told her clearly that he was ready to step in and rat her out if she didn't confess.

She met Marissa's steady gaze and took another deep breath. "We were smoking weed under the visitor's bleachers."

Marissa nodded and sighed. "Well, I can't say I'm happy about that or that I'm surprised. Since you weren't caught in the act, so to speak, there won't be any additional discipline from me. However," she continued, her voice taking on a stern note when she watched Krissy visibly relax, "I advise you to warn your friends that there will be stepped up patrols in that area. The football stadium is considered school property, and any drug use there will be met with serious consequences. Am I understood, young lady?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Krissy responded quickly. She had no intentions of getting involved in that again, but she would have to figure out a way to let the others know without revealing too much.

Marissa nodded, then turned her attention to the two men. "I will admit it does sound suspicious. But what exactly do you want from me?"

"We need to get closer to Zoe to determine whether she really is possessed," Sam stated matter of factly.

"And you need my assistance to do that?" Marrisa paused and sighed heavily. "If she is possessed, there's a good chance that her parents and her older brother are also either possessed or dead."

"That thought had occurred to us," Dean confessed.

"What?!" Krissy sat up from where she had been slumped in her chair. "What do you mean."

"Come on, Krissy, use that brain of yours," Dean said. "Do you really expect that if a demon has possessed Zoe that her family wouldn't know or that the demon wouldn't have taken precautions to prevent them from finding out or interfering?"

"Well, maybe if the demon was really careful," Krissy said in a soft voice that betrayed her increased fear for her friend.

Sam reached out to grasp one of Krissy's hands and give it a comforting squeeze. "We were hoping you would help us come up with a plan to get close enough to Zoe and her family to determine whether or not demons have gotten to them."

"And if they have?" Marissa asked.

"Then we do what is necessary." Dean's voice held a note of resigned determination. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had to take unpleasant action against essentially innocent victims of the supernatural, and he was sure it wouldn't be the last.

The ringing of his cellphone interrupted any further comments he had intended to make. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. He didn't know why, but his blood ran cold when he saw it was Jody calling. "I have to take this," he said as he rose from his feet. He gave a slight shake of his head at Sam's inquiring look.

A few moments later Dean returned to the room. "That was Jody. She and Alex are headed this way. They will be here in about four hours."

"Why are they coming here," Sam asked, confusion evident in his voice. "It's not like Jody to just take off work and leave like that."

Dean nodded. "Demons showed up at her house this morning. She got herself and Alex out, but she isn't taking any chances."

TBC