Dean was back to his normal activity after the wedding. Kim was different. He had been with numerous women that got attached quickly. It was an issue for him. Being with Kim was nice because she didn't have that expectation. The agreement was working well for him.
John spent some time with Pamela and knocked a few more hunts off his list. He was ready to take a short break at Bobby's house. He was actually looking forward to seeing the kids. They'd be missing Sam and Jess but he could give them a call. He had a hunt planned and wanted Dean by his side. He may have bragged about Dean's hunting abilities to another hunter. He was beyond proud of all of the kids but Dean deserved his own recognition. The conversation had set his mind to hunting with him more often. He turned onto Bobby's driveway and got out of the truck with a box in hand.
Kate opened the door and bounced excitedly. Weeks ago, she had a conversation with Pamela and Pamela told her that she would send something back with John. Kate didn't exactly know what it was but she had ideas. She hugged John and took the box from him. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife to open the box. She removed paper and tossed it to the side. She pulled out a smaller box and sat in a chair to study it. Kate had expressed an interest in changing the way that people look, for security reasons. She also was interested in prosthetic makeup. She and Taylor would need to fake wounds in certain situations. A laceration to the head that healed in a day would be hard to explain to outsiders. Make up wouldn't fool a demon but, if done well enough, it might fool a security camera. She needed a canvas to work with.
Dean paused the movie he was watching. "What?" Kate had a look on her face that worried him.
"I want to use this on you." Kate said, holding up one of the many boxes that she pulled from the package.
Dean squinted his eyes. "Not a chance."
Kate frowned. "I can just make you look like you have a cut on your head. I need to practice in case something happens to me or Taylor."
Dean only agreed because it didn't involve injuring herself or deep diving in lore books for ways to get rid of Abaddon.
Kate told him to lay back on the couch and relax. She was thrilled that he was cooperative. She read the instructions and pulled a kitchen chair into the living room to place her kit and tools on.
She shooed a curious John away. "You can see when I'm done." She knelt beside the couch and mapped out what she was going to do.
Dean fell asleep for a little while but woke up when Kate patted his arm. He started to touch his face but Kate smacked his hand away.
Kate moved to get a better look at his face. Her stomach flipped. It looked too real. "Go look."
Dean walked into the hallway to look at the mirror and froze. He touched his head gently. "I thought you were going to do a graze." He shivered slightly. She made it look like he had a deep laceration, complete with a flap of skin being pulled back and what could have been skull visible.
"You fell asleep and I got creative." Kate said.
Dean moved closer to the mirror. He couldn't place why he didn't quite recognize himself.
Kate stood beside him and reached up to touch his nose. She didn't add any putty to it but she did mess around with shading. "If you get caught on camera, face recognition software may not be able to recognize you."
Dean thought it was pretty cool. He went to Bobby's study to show John and Bobby.
Bobby startled. "What the hell did you do?"
Kate grinned. "He let me use make up on him. "
"Did you stab him with a brush?" Bobby asked. He walked around his desk to look at the wound.
"No. It is prop makeup. Pamela got it for me. They use it in movies. If Taylor or I get injured, we may have to do something like this so it doesn't "heal" too fast." Kate explained. "I also changed his features slightly."
Bobby touched Dean's head. "Well, you should have told me before scaring me."
John got a closer look as well. Up close, he could tell the wound wasn't real. He was a medic though. He had been up close and personal with far too many wounds to be fooled. "That looks good." He pointed to part of the 'wound'. "You might want to make that edge jagged. If it is too smooth, people can tell."
Kate tilted her head. "You are right. I didn't have a set cause of the wound. Wound edges differ based on injury."
Dean scrunched his forehead. "When can I take this off?"
"After I document it." Kate said. She grabbed a camera and took photos from different angles. "The kit came with stuff to take off the adhesive."
"You put glue on me?" Dean asked.
Kate shrugged. "Skin glue. Don't worry, it should come off."
(Caleb's house)
Ian found April in the bathroom. "Mama, baby Wen's hungry."
"She just ate. She isn't crying." April said. She started to correct Ian's pronunciation of Lauren's name but he and Andy had shortened it and the 'r' sound was still difficult for Ian. Maybe he'd figure it out before she got old enough to wonder what her name was.
Ian frowned. He took April's hand and insisted that she return to Lauren's side. "Her is hungry." He had begun to get upset if he found Lauren alone. It didn't matter if April was only a few feet away.
April touched the side of Lauren's face and smiled when she didn't turn her head. "See. She is full. She isn't trying to bite my hand."
Ian studied his own hand. "Her bites?"
"She doesn't have teeth. Little babies will turn their head toward touch if they are looking for milk." April explained. "You could pick a show to watch. Then, she could watch with you."
Ian ran to the living room to pick a show. He patted the couch beside him so that April would place Lauren there.
"She will be in her swing." April said. She saw the lip poking out that told her that Ian didn't like that idea. "She is so little she won't be able to see if she is next to you."
Ian nodded. That made sense.
April would be able to see both kids from the kitchen. She was honestly shocked with how gentle Ian was. He had matured a lot. He still had his moments but he never tried to hurt Lauren. He still tackled other kids. Ben enjoyed it but Andy got annoyed. That showed her that he knew when it was appropriate. Even Riot seemed to understand that Lauren was fragile.
Andy slipped his shoes on his feet. It was a Saturday so he was going to Owen's house. He alerted April that Jodi was at the door, ready to pick him up.
April opened the door and made small talk with Jodi. "Are you feeling okay?" She stepped back and asked Jodi and Owen to come inside.
Andy frowned.
"I'm sure you boys can find something to do while we chat." April said.
Andy shrugged and took Owen to his room.
Jodi was weighed down. She had a lot on her mind. "There is a case that we can't crack."
"What kind?" April asked.
Jodi shifted. "I really shouldn't share details."
April offered her something to drink. "You don't have to tell me. I can just tell it is bothering you."
"My team was handed a stack of cold cases. They span a few years. We only got the box because they were handed down and we are trying to get better about solving things instead of handing them off to someone else." Jodi said. "It looks like they might be connected. There is something there." She took a deep breath. "It could be a serial killer."
April gasped. "Here?"
"No. Well, maybe one or two. If we are right, and these are all the same suspect, he has been working his way across the US. The most recent one, that we know of, was in Nevada." Jodi explained.
"That is terrifying." April said. "Do you have anything to go off of?"
Jodi sighed. "Not a lot. We have put in a lot of hours over the last week. We have found patterns but we are stumped."
"Maybe we could help." April said. "Not me but the guys. They hunt monsters. They might have a unique view."
Jodi perked up. "You know that might work." She could trust them to keep things under wraps and not spread information. There was also a chance that it could be creature related.
Ian sprinted to April and took her hand. He looked panicked.
April was brought to Lauren. Lauren had a slight frown on her face. It was subtle but she was probably getting hungry. She loved the way that Caleb and the boys reacted to Lauren. Caleb's excitement about Lauren's smile had been mirrored by the boys. Each little expression had them scrambling.
(Bobby's house)
Bobby got the call from Jodi. He rubbed his chin. They could probably help but the human monsters sickened him far worse than any creature. He asked for details. "Send me the files. I'll get started on it."
John overhead the conversation and said he'd work on it too. He let Kate and Dean know what was happening too. Anything that would get Kate to stop looking for Abaddon was well received.
Kate pulled her phone out. "Sam needs to know."
Dean snorted. Sam would be deeply interested.
"You know, you could become a consultant and get paid to help the police." Kate said.
"None of us have the qualifications for that. They aren't going to let a random person come in and help." Dean said.
"Charlie could whip up a document." Kate said.
"Or we could just help Jodi." Dean countered. "Not everything has to be illegal, Kate."
"You have no moral high ground." Kate replied.
"Hey, I have done way less illegal things this year than I did before." Dean said.
"It is January." Kate said with an eye roll.
"The last 365 days smartass." Dean said. He ruffled her hair. "I already have enough fake IDs."
(Sam's house)
Sam, as expected, was invested in the case. The prospect of catching a modern serial killer was intriguing. He asked for the files to be sent to him too. He printed the important bits and spread the papers over the kitchen table.
Jess had to remove Milo from the table several times before placing him on Sam's shoulder.
Sam reached back to pet Milo. "If you see anything, just meow."
Milo was a fan of the view. He had always loved perching on Sam's shoulder. It gave him a bird's eye view of all the things he could pounce on.
Jess picked up a paper and read it. She cringed. She had a big heart. "Sam?"
"Yeah?" Sam asked.
"Are any of these kids?" Jess asked.
Sam looked up. "I'll ask Bobby."
"Thanks." Jess said. She was broken when adults were harmed but didn't think she could cope if any of the case files were of child victims.
Sam patted his leg. "Here, sit down." He put an arm around Jess and squeezed her. "We will catch him."
(Bobby's house)
Kate and Taylor were instrumental in finding patterns but John, Bobby and Dean were as well. This wasn't like tracing their nephilian timeline. John was an excellent profiler and could pick apart details that pointed to the type of person the suspect was.
Dean had gotten good at it too. He could see the guy being misogynistic. He slowed down and repeated that word in his head. Damn Charlie for ranting about all of that.
Kate cracked her knuckles. "I think we are all seeing the obvious."
Dean looked at her. "What is that?"
"What's the best way to catch a predator?" Kate asked.
"We are not using you as bate." Dean said.
"If he is really human, I am far more of a threat." Kate said.
John closed one of the files. "You aren't his type."
Kate chewed her cheek. "You didn't say no."
John didn't turn his head but moved her eyes to meet hers. "Do I need to tell you that you cannot be bait?"
Kate sighed. "No. You had a good point."
John shook his head. "You are not bait. Glad we cleared that up."
Karen made dinner. She didn't help directly with the case but she kept them fed and comfortable while they pieced it all together. She watched Bobby. The Bobby she knew before she died was different. He worked on cars and liked baseball. He was on the squeamish side and could burn water when he tried to cook. She loved that, Bobby. She also loved the new Bobby. He wasn't squeamish and had learned to cook a little. He was more sure of himself. He had developed skills that amazed her. She never tired of hearing him talk to hunters over the phone. He either knew enough about the creature to give that hunter advice or he quickly gathered enough information to call them back soon after. She handed him a cup of coffee and kissed his cheek. "Let me know if you need anything."
Bobby patted her hand. "Thank you, sweetie."
With the combined minds at work, they had already gotten farther along in the case than the police departments had. Hunting creatures gave them an edge. The detectives were thinking the way an evil human would. They just hadn't come across that level of evil so they couldn't really get into his head. Hunters could think on a deeper level. The freaks were hard to hunt because they attacked at random. They had no pattern. Other creatures, including this monster, were easier to look for. He had a pattern. He had a type.
Kate chewed the side of her thumb. "There are a whole lot of women in their 20s. How would we ever know who he will go after next?"
Dean snatched one of the files off the table and looked at the woman's photo. His eyebrows furrowed deeply and his jaw twitched. He looked at several other files and got up to leave the room.
John could see that Dean was furious. He followed him onto the porch and asked what he was thinking.
Dean leaned against the railing. "Coincidences are never really coincidences."
John stood beside Dean. "Rarely."
"Why did Jodi give us this case?" Dean asked.
"April suggested it." John said. He knew Dean was onto something but hadn't figured it out yet.
"No. Why did THIS case get sent to a police department in South Dakota. Why did THIS case get handed to Jodi. Why does she need help on this case and no other cases? Why today?" Dean asked. "Just like Taylor becoming friends with Kate because he was her friend's, brother's friend. Just like Bobby just so happens to be a legacy of the men of letters."
"You think this involves us?" John asked.
Dean gritted his teeth, trying to control the emotions that threatened to spill out. "What kind of woman does this guy go after?"
John rubbed his head. "Women in their 20s."
"A typical serial killer would go after vulnerable women. Those that are low income or wouldn't be missed. Not this guy. He goes after women from wealthy families." Dean said. He held up a small photo of a woman. She was posed next to a horse. She had a big smile on her face and was feeding the horse an apple. "Who does she look like?"
John squinted his eyes.
Dean handed John the photo. "Not her face. Her features."
John wanted Dean to finish his thought.
Dean leaned back against the railing and crossed his arms. He swallowed hard. "College aged, from a wealthy family, privileged. All of them. Blonde, blue eyes. All around the same height."
John felt as though his heart had fallen through his stomach. He felt tingling in his face and then he felt a fury build in place of where his heart had previously been. "Jess." He suddenly understood why Dean was struggling to hold himself back. "Call Sam."
Dean dialed Sam's number. He couldn't breathe until he heard Sam's voice on the other side. "Sam."
"Hey, I was going to call you." Sam said.
Dean painfully explained his theory to Sam. He wanted Sam on high alert but just the thought was gut-wrenching. He hated having to share information that he knew would cause Sam pain.
Sam knew details about the man. He knew the police had noticed things about him. "Dean, we have felt like someone was watching us for weeks. I thought it was demons. What if it is this guy?"
Dean winced; he was gritting his teeth hard enough that he heard part of his tooth crack. He didn't care though. "If this was anyone else, I'd say no way. It is us though."
Sam double checked every window and door in the apartment. He hung up with Dean so that he could talk to Jess.
Dean went inside. "He is going to tell Jess."
By that time, everyone else in the house had been caught up on Dean's findings.
"He strikes specific days of the year." Kate said. She picked up the paper that they had written dates on. "Probably the anniversary of something. Here, January 15." Her eyes drifted to the calendar that hung on the wall. "It is the 11th."
"I guess we still have someone on our side, feeding us info." Taylor said. He hoped it was something like that and not them finding out that something was working against them again.
Kate hugged Dean. "It's okay. You figured it out."
Dean was stiff.
"You know what this means, right?" Kate asked.
Dean looked down. "What?"
"You get to take down a serial killer." Kate said.
Dean was so focused on his fear that he hadn't thought about that. "We just catch him before he tries anything."
"Yep. I didn't even catch that. You did. You pieced together that it was Jess." Kate said.
Dean stood up a little straighter. "I did do that."
"You can also hold it over Sam's head." Kate reminded him.
Dean relaxed slightly. He did like being the one to make the breakthrough. He just hated to think about what would have happened had he not done so. He looked back down at Kate. "You know you can't be apart of this, right?"
Kate nodded. "I don't think police would understand if you brought me along. I'll stay back here while you go save the day."
Dean's mind shifted toward hunting mode. He had the upper hand. Jess was safe for the night. They had time to form a plan. He cracked his neck. "Damn straight I am going to hold this over his head."
John let Jodi know what they found. He and Dean packed bags and headed out that night. Sure, they could zap over but it would raise too many questions. They needed their vehicle. If things changed, Kate, or an angel could get them there more quickly. He had Dean drive since his truck needed fuel. They could run the Impala out and stop for something to eat once they put a few hours between them and Bobby's house. It did bother him that the case seemed to be handed to them deliberately. He may have put it all together but it could have been too late by then. "Good work."
Dean sighed. "Not until we gank this son of a bitch."
"As much as I want him dead, life in prison might be the best bet." John said. "Catch him and turn him in."
Dean snorted softly. "I make no promises."
John sat back. "I wouldn't expect you to."
Dean drove until John shook him.
"Pull over." John said.
Dean yawned. "I have to get to Sammy."
"I'll drive so you can rest." John said.
"Did you sleep?" Dean asked. He could have sworn they were just in South Dakota.
"I did for a few hours. Pull over." John said, tilting his head toward an exit.
Dean squinted his eyes. It was early morning and he could see the sun on the horizon. "I must have zoned out."
"That's okay." John said. He pointed to a gas station. "I will fill up. You go get something to eat."
Dean felt the pit return to his stomach. That was probably why he had zoned out, hiding from the fear. He grabbed some breakfast burritos and coffee. That would hold him over for a few hours.
John smirked as Dean returned to the car. He was nearly asleep before he shut the door behind him. He knew Dean wouldn't be able to truly rest until they were with Sam and Jess. John wouldn't be able to either. Sam had told John that he was glad that Dean broke in that one time. He had reinforced their windows and doors so that they couldn't be opened from the outside. He said not to tell Dean for fear of him gloating about it. John planned to tell him anyway. If there was one thing Dean was good at, it was watching out for Sam. He had a plan of how to track down the guy and how to apprehend him. He kept it to himself though. He wanted Dean to have his chance as lead. He trusted him enough that he'd take a step back.
(Later in the morning)
Kate woke up and checked in with John. Of course, she was worried. However, she felt the tiniest sliver of peace. If this guy truly was human, even if he was a poor excuse for one, he was in far more danger than anyone else. He had two hunters on his tail. If he didn't know about the supernatural, he was a sitting duck. He was dangerous and had killed several people but he had no idea what was about to hit him.
April was stunned by the news. She stopped by with Caleb to get updates on the case. She knew they were good but they had figured it out within hours. "Jodi is very grateful."
"She has helped us." Bobby said. "We will return the credit to her department."
"I guess it would look weird if they knew it was one of you who did it." Caleb said. "We have too much of a reputation for rescuing people."
"That beats your old reputation." Bobby said.
Lauren sneezed and coughed, causing Andy and Caleb to both whip their head around.
April patted her back. She didn't look sick and wasn't warm.
Caleb touched Lauren's head. "Kate, can you look at her?"
Kate touched her and didn't see anything wrong with her. "Are you going to be that dad that rushes to the ER for a papercut?"
Caleb lightly shoved her away. "No, because we have you."
Andy looked at his hands. "You always tell me to rub dirt on it."
Kate looked unamused. "That is the worst possible advice."
"If you or Ian bumps something, you are tough. That is what it means. Don't actually put dirt on it." Caleb said. He sighed. "Did you?"
"A few times but it worked." Andy said.
Caleb chuckled. "I had enough injuries as a kid to sympathize."
"He hit his head a lot." Taylor said.
Andy grinned. "I do too!"
"Good thing you are hard headed." Caleb said. "How is school going?"
Taylor sat in the floor to allow Ian to climb on him. "It is okay."
"He is at war with a teacher." Kate said.
"I am not at war with him. I just think he's shady." Taylor said.
Caleb asked what he meant.
"He is obsessed with the dress code to the point that it is creepy. He called a girl out in the middle of the hallway for her bra strap showing. She was carrying her backpack on one shoulder and her t shirt barely moved. Hailey hugged me and he acted like we were about to…" He looked toward Andy and remembered that he probably shouldn't speak so freely. "Kiss."
Caleb appreciated the caution. "Is it just Hailey?"
"I guess it is several of the girls." Taylor said. "He is petty. He will correct someone if they say something wrong. Like 'can I go to the bathroom?' he responds with 'No, you may not.' I think he is power crazed."
"I hate him already." Caleb said. He remembered a few teachers like that. "So, you just don't like him?"
Taylor's ears turned pink. "I kind of challenge him."
"Ah, there's the Winchester in you." Caleb said.
"I just don't look away if he stares. I don't shrink when he expects me to. It isn't like I outright defy him." Taylor said. "I just don't like how he treats the girls."
"That sucks. I'm sorry." Caleb said. "It sounds like he is all show."
"Yeah." Taylor said. "How about you, Andy?"
"I got another perfect score on my spelling test." Andy said.
Taylor high fived him. "You are a pro at those now."
Andy smiled. "Mom helps me." He held up his hand and signed a word with his fingers. "If you fingerspell words as you spell them in your head, they stick."
Taylor nodded. "Does Owen know how to do that?"
"A little." Andy said.
"Don't pass each other answers during class." Taylor said.
Andy gasped. "I didn't even think of that!"
Caleb picked up a thin book to lightly smack Taylor's head with. "Don't tell him to do bad things."
"I didn't. I told him not to." Taylor said. "Andy knows it is a bad idea."
Andy nodded. "Cheating isn't good but we could talk about people and they wouldn't know what we were saying."
Caleb rubbed his face. "This is going to come back around to bite us in the butt."
Taylor grinned. "You are welcome."
Ian tried to stand on Taylor's shoulders.
Taylor reached up to grab his legs. "If you fall, I think your mom will hurt me."
"I not gonna fall." Ian said.
Kate scooted over so that she was behind them incase Ian did fall. "He is reliving his cheer days."
Taylor winced as Ian's foot dug into the side of his neck. "No wonder he can climb. He hangs on with his toes." He got Ian down and rubbed his neck.
Kate asked Ian if he could still do his flips.
Ian put his head down and rolled forward. He sat up and smiled brightly.
Taylor had been with Hailey one time when she was teaching a few kids a tumbling trick. He told Ian to put his hands above his head and helped him flip over his hands instead of his head.
Ian couldn't get the hang of it and abandoned the idea because Karen said the word 'snack'.
Kate and Taylor stayed with the adults, discussing the case and other things.
Five minutes later, Ian shuffled back down the hallway with chocolate on his face.
They all heard a loud thunk.
Ian had flipped over his hands and landed hard on the floor. He immediately got up and tried to flip again but Caleb reached over the back of the couch and grabbed him by the foot.
Caleb shot Taylor a look.
Taylor gave him a sheepish grin. "I didn't think he'd go off and do that."
Caleb pulled Ian over the couch. "Have you met Ian?"
April looked unamused. "You started it. You had better teach him how to do that safely before we leave."
Taylor got up and pulled a mat from one of the closets. He knew neither of them were mad but they probably could have gone a few more years without Ian being a ninja. He spent a few minutes just teaching Ian the movement. He sat back and let Ian try it alone since they had the mat. He clapped when Ian finally got it.
Ian excitedly showed his parents. He was thrilled. That kept him busy for quite a while.
"Maybe Hailey could teach him some stuff." Taylor said.
"Maybe you should stop causing issues." Caleb said.
Taylor laughed. "Sam and Dean are both out of the house. Sorry, that leaves you to annoy."
"You know you have a sister, right?" Caleb said.
"He knows not to mess with me." Kate said.
"She's feral." Taylor whispered.
A half hour went by before Caleb's family announced that it was time to leave. Caleb picked Ian up and carried him to the truck. He buckled him in and shut his door. "Well, Taylor. I have to say that new trick has worn him out."
"That was my plan all along." Taylor said.
Caleb opened his door. He shook his head and waved Taylor off. "It's like Dean never left!"
Taylor took that as a compliment. He decided he needed to touch base with Dean anyway.
Bobby made that phone call. They were still on the road. Sam and Jess were at their apartment but were safe. It was dicey but at that point, everyone was okay.
(Sam and Jess)
Jess had accepted her situation. She wasn't scared. It did creep her out that the feeling of being watched could have been due to this evil person. She had moments of panic but Sam made her feel safe. No demon, vampire or human could get into the apartment. "Sam, how are we going to catch him?"
"Dean and dad are going to track him down." Sam said.
Jess chewed her lip. She was about to say something that she knew Sam would not like. "I think I know how to do this."
Sam was sitting across from her at the table so he motioned that he was listening.
Jess was hesitant. She mumbled her whole sentence into one long word and avoided Sam's eyes.
Sam was silent as he tried to pick apart what she said. He tensed. "No."
Jess got up to pace. "He doesn't know we know about him. He does the same thing every time. If I go about my day as normal, he will come out and try to lure me to him. This will give you the opportunity to identify him and grab him."
"You are not putting yourself out there for a serial killer." Sam said.
"He doesn't strike at first. He isn't going to hurt me." Jess said.
"Did you miss the word killer in his description?" Sam asked.
Jess was prickly. "If we do not get him, he will get away. He may change his routine and go on to kill more people."
Sam was dumbstruck. "We will figure out another way. I am not putting you in harms way."
Jess bristled. "I've been in harms way." She winced. That was uncalled for.
Sam swallowed hard. "I beat myself up over that. I want to keep you safe. I'm not going to let you use yourself as bait."
"You aren't going to LET me?" Jess asked. "Sam Winchester, let's get one thing straight. You do not LET me do things. I do things because I am an adult who can make decisions."
Sam felt his phone buzz and answered it without breaking eye contact with Jess.
Dean could hear the strain in Sam's voice. "Everything okay?" He didn't get much of an answer. "Everyone safe?"
Sam broke his gaze. "Yes."
"What has your panties in a twist?" Dean asked.
Sam flicked his eyes back to Jess. "She thinks she is going to be the bait and that is how we catch this guy."
"Absolutely not." Dean said, firmly.
Jess scoffed. "I am. I have already made up my mind and I don't need either of you coddling me. We know how this guy works. If you want a chance at grabbing him, I will have to lure him out of hiding."
Dean set his jaw. Had Kate possessed Jess's body? "That is way too dangerous."
John motioned for Dean to drop the argument. Jess was wound tight and Dean's demanding tone would only cause her to dig her heels in. He was not on board with her being bait either but that was a conversation to have when she wasn't likely to snap.
"We are still on our way." Dean said.
Sam nodded. "I have been reading. He is good at covering his tracks but has a ritual he follows."
"Which is why it is safe for me to be bait." Jess cut in.
"No!" Dean and Sam both said at the same time.
John took the phone from Dean. "Jess, I think it would be wise for you to let us make sure he always follows that ritual before you go out there. It is the 12th. We have time. There are still more case files to look over."
Jess narrowed her eyes. "Okay."
Sam threw his hands up in exasperation.
"Sam, you should call Bobby and talk to him. They've been researching too and might have more insight. Is everyone on board with not making decisions today?" John asked. He got confirmation from Sam and Jess and let out a breath of air. He handed Dean the phone again when the call was over. "He doesn't need you to back him up."
"She is crazy." Dean said.
"It doesn't matter. You can have his back on other things. She is going to do the polar opposite if she feels like you two are ganging up on her." John said.
Dean groaned. "She's like Kate."
John nodded. "She is head strong."
"At least she doesn't have abilities." Dean said.
"No, but she is an adult. She didn't learn about any of this until recently." John said.
Dean looked out the window. "How mad do you think she'd be if we locked her up, for her safety, until this blows over."
John sucked air through his teeth. "I think she'd follow through on her threat to hit you in the head with a frying pan."
"Damn Sam for going out and finding her. This would be easier if he had someone like April." Dean said.
John couldn't dispute that. April just went with the flow. "How are things with Kim?"
Dean chewed his cheek. "Hmm?"
"The girl you were with." John said.
"I don't remember having that conversation with you." Dean said. He narrowed his eyes. "Bobby."
"He might have said a thing or two." John said.
"She and I are casual." Dean said.
John just nodded. He had a similar, although not as casual, relationship with Pamela. Dean needed an outlet and to be able to step away from the world of monsters. "You went to a family wedding."
"She bribed me with food." Dean said. "By the way, as much as everyone gives me hell, I have to say, you all aren't nearly as bad as I thought."
John chuckled. "Continue."
"Her family is awful. They are judgmental and torment her. I don't know what happened in her past but it bothers her." Dean said.
"Do Kate and Taylor not torment you?" John asked.
Dean downed the last of his coffee. "They do but not that way. They've got my back. I am trying to compliment our family."
"I think we do alright." John said. He was proud of how his family had grown and adjusted.
"We put the FUN in dysfunctional according to Kate." Dean said. He moved his hand across his chest. "I'm going to put that on a t shirt."
The car grew quiet for a little while. They just sat in comfortable silence. The gas gauge on the car told them they'd need to stop soon. They also needed a good meal and some time to stretch their legs.
Dean took his seat at a table in the back corner of the small diner they had pulled up to. It was fashioned to look like an old train car. It was neat and he had a good view of the place. He ordered his food and sat back. "Do you think she is challenging him?"
John eyed Dean. "Jess?"
"Yeah." Dean said.
"She is putting her foot down." John said.
"I know but she knows he is not going to be okay with her going out there. Why would she be so adamant. Does she want to argue?" Dean asked. Sometimes Kate did that when she was stressed. "You know like Kate lashes out when she is antsy."
"I think Jess is an entirely different person and that is between your brother and Jess." John said.
Dean smirked. "You mean you don't want to get in the middle of it?"
"I know my boundaries." John said. "We will form a good plan and she won't feel as restricted." He took a long sip of his water. "She is just enough like your mom that I know when to keep my mouth shut."
"Really?" Dean asked with a chuckle. "The infamous John Winchester is bowing out?"
"You never pissed Mary off." John said.
"That sounds like a story I want to hear." Dean said.
John shook his head. "Being arrogant didn't get me far."
Dean was very amused. John didn't back down from anyone or anything. If his mind was set, he wouldn't budge. "What did you do?"
John slowly looked up to meet eyes with Dean. He had a hint of warning in his eyes. "Opened my mouth at a time that I had no business doing so."
Dean nodded in understanding. "This is why I keep things casual."
John thought of Mary. He had a slight smile on his face. She was the kindest soul but had a wicked temper when she needed to. He had seen her go toe to toe with her dad. She didn't even flinch. She was passionate. Those were the things he saw in Jess. He had no intention of letting her use herself as bait but he knew not to approach it head on. Pamela had insight on that as well. So, his point of view might have been skewed due to her. The kids had no idea how much he had gained from Pamela over the years.
Dean left John to his thoughts. He looked kind of happy.
(Monday, January 13, 2003)
Kate entered the school physically but her mind was elsewhere. She had been drifting in and out of her thoughts. She wanted Jess to be okay. Was this all a distraction? Abaddon had crept back into her thoughts. She found Hannah and pulled her to the side. "I can't focus."
Hannah took her hands and squeezed them. "What is one thing you can hear?"
"Lockers shutting." Kate said.
"What is one thing you can smell?" Hannah asked.
Kate tilted her head. "Chips?"
"What is one thing you can see?" Hannah asked.
Kate let go of Hannah's hands. "You have an aura around you. You are frustrated."
"Parents." Hannah said. She had been taught that grounding technique years ago and she often used it with Kate. "You know how parents are."
"Is this the start of rebellion I'm seeing?" Kate asked.
Hannah smiled. "Not yet. I'm just grounded."
"What for?" Kate asked.
"Being on my phone after bedtime." Hannah said.
Kate raised an eyebrow. "With who?"
Hannah blushed. "A boy."
"What? How did I not know about this?" Kate asked.
Hannah tapped Kate's forehead. "You have been busy."
"I am never too busy for you." Kate said.
"I just met him and haven't really told anyone." Hannah admitted.
Kate grumbled as they were told to take their seats. "I will finish my interrogation after class."
Taylor was a little out of it too but Hailey pulled his attention. He greeted her and chatted with her as they walked. They managed to avoid the creepy teacher. He started to say something but bit his tongue to stop himself. He was telling Hailey about her weekend and almost gave her too much information. She still didn't know about what his family did. That was the one downfall to dating her. He couldn't tell her half of what went on outside of school. It pained him but he didn't want to put that burden on her. She was too pure and fragile. "Ian would probably be a good gymnast if he had a good teacher."
Hailey batted her eyelashes. "Are you asking me to teach him?"
"You are the best teacher I know." Taylor said. "I showed him how to flip over his hands and he loves it."
"He is the cutest." Hailey said. "I can have him doing back handsprings in no time." She had to explain what that was to Taylor.
Taylor didn't know if Ian's arms and legs were long enough because he was only two. He was more agile than a typical toddler though. It would be funny to see someone so small tumbling around. Plus, if he volunteered his time, he could also spend more time with Hailey.
Hailey snuck a quick kiss before the bell sounded. She was in a separate class than Taylor and hurried off so she wasn't late.
(Stanford)
The school day for Sam and Jess was less peaceful. Neither could afford to miss classes but Sam couldn't let Jess out of his site. He also couldn't follow her around without looking suspicious. He couldn't focus either.
"Sam, I have to act like everything is normal." Jess said.
"Maybe he already knows things are different and will change things up." Sam said.
Jess couldn't disagree. "I guess email the professors and tell them we are sick." She was going to crawl out of her skin if she didn't get the chance to leave the house. While she still felt like being bait was a good idea, she wasn't going to put Sam through the mental torment that going to class would bring.
Sam wished he had Kate's ability to move cars and humans through space. He needed Dean and John with him.
Dean had the same feeling. He was so happy to start seeing signs for California. His hands were twitchy and he was jumpy.
"We will get some sleep and then go over the plan." John said.
Dean blinked. "Sleep?"
"Your eyes are blood shot. I'd rather you be rested than go after this asshole with impaired reaction times." John said. He also knew the four of them needed time to speak, civilly about the days ahead.
Sam got the call from Dean that he had been waiting for. He watched them park and walk up the steps to the apartment door. He cracked the door and made sure they were simply John and Dean. He had gotten paranoid that he was going to fall for some awful trick.
Dean hugged Sam tight. He clapped him on the back and waved to Jess. He felt better seeing them both in good health.
Sam was glad they had gotten twin beds for the extra room. It was perfect for short term company. Having two extra sets of ears in the house made him slightly less jumpy. He checked the lock on the door and checked it three more times before accepting that it was actually locked.
Jess was tired from lack of sleep so she talked Sam into napping too. Maybe she had been combative with him. Who, in their right mind, would be in their right mind, knowing that a serial killer was targeting them? She wasn't sure if it was any worse or any better than having demons target her. Oh, how life had changed.
It was closer to evening when everyone was up and functional. The conversation around the kitchen table was a rollercoaster. Four incredibly hard headed people in one room was exhausting.
"So, I can go out today. You can do surveillance. If you see someone watching me, you grab him." Jess said.
"If we don't see anyone, he has another chance to hurt you." Sam said.
Jess had been around and around in circles with Sam the entire conversation. She studied each of the men around her. "Tell me what the plan is if I do not lure him out."
The kitchen was quiet.
They couldn't have Kate scan the area without attracting demons. The same went for Cas and Tessa. They had to handle this the old fashion way.
Sam tensed. "We aren't using you as bait."
"Tell me what your plan is." Jess said.
"You could just be in the window. If he is watching the house, we will see him." Sam said.
"If he is watching us, he has to know you are home." Jess countered.
Dean had a plan in his head. He growled. "God dammit."
Jess and Sam snapped their heads toward Dean.
Dean took a deep breath. "We are assuming he is watching the house. You can't just leave by yourself. Just let me talk before shutting me down. If you two argue and Jess storms out, it will be loud enough to gain his attention and Sam can follow you. That way, he is with you but gives the guy a fake opportunity to persuade you to go with him."
Sam bristled.
John cleared his throat. "Sam, what are your thoughts?"
"I don't like it." Sam said.
Jess touched his hand. "It isn't just me in danger. Think about all of the women he may attack after this. You are fast. If you are out there, you will be able to protect me."
Sam very reluctantly agreed to the plan. He was sick to his stomach. His hands were tied.
At 6pm, Jess ripped the door open, yelling at Sam about a made-up transgression.
Sam yelled back. He felt so bad but he had a part to play. The argument was heated. "Don't you dare walk away."
Jess spun on her heel and stalked off down the sidewalk. It was good that she was pretending to be pissed off because it covered how scared she was.
Sam's eyes never stopped moving. He was ready to strike at any moment. Jess did walk a little faster than planned a few times and that spooked him.
The plan worked perfectly. Dean picked up the glint of a set of binoculars. Sam and Jess were out for a decent amount of time and Dean and John looked everywhere for a suspect. The glint made his rage build. He alerted John and Sam and silently made his way to the car the man was sitting in. A man, sitting alone in his dark car, watching the street did not have any good intentions. He caught John's movement in one of the shadows. He quickly approached the car and drew his gun, tapping the window with the end of the barrel. The man was in the driver's seat, looking through the passenger window. It put him in an uncomfortable position.
The man slowly rolled down his window. "What the hell do you want?"
Dean flipped the safety off. "Why are you watching people in the dark?" He didn't need an answer. He saw coil of rope in the backseat that matched some of the crime scene photos. He reached through the window and unlocked the door. The man was tied up and thrown into the back of his own car before he could fight.
John drove the man to a separate location while Dean drove his own car. The interrogation was short. They had all they needed.
Dean punched the man in the face. He couldn't resist. He got in his face and sneered. "You low life piece of shit." Of course, he chose his type because a pretty rich girl broke up with him as a teenager. He wanted to shred him. "I hope, no I know, you will rot in hell."
At that moment the man yelled and tried to scramble away from Dean. He spewed apologies and coward.
Dean moved away from him. He needed to move evidence around to pose him for the cops. He was confused by the sudden, extreme change in behavior. He was careful not to leave his own evidence as he staged the car. He found photos of Jess and stole them. He didn't look through any other folders as he knew what he would find. He was disgusted. He drove the impala away from the scene and ran back down the road.
John knocked the man out and placed him behind the wheel of his car. He buckled him and helped Dean roll the car so that it would crash over a small embankment. It would look like he just ran off the road. The crash would knock him out if John hadn't, but it wasn't enough of a drop to truly injure him. He placed a call to the police. He heard Dean and waved him over. They'd sit and watch until the police arrived. They didn't want to risk him waking up.
Dean relaxed when sirens sounded down the road. Normally, sirens put him on edge. Not this time. He started to crumble as the officers assessed the scene. All of his fear slipped away. Jess was safe. They caught the guy. He didn't know who lead them to that case but he was thankful they did.
John nudged Dean as he heard some of the officer's comments. It was clear they had found some of the evidence. He heard more police cars approaching and motioned for Dean to go. They could slip away before the entire area was bathed in police lights.
Jess jumped up and hugged Dean when he walked through the door. She let go of him and hugged John too. "Is it over?"
"The police have him and they found some of his stuff." Dean said. He pulled the photos from his pocket. "He had been watching you." He looked at some of the photos. He held up one where she was wearing shorts. It was now winter. "For months."
Jess felt dirty. "Get rid of them."
"Burn them?" Dean asked.
Jess looked up at the smoke detector.
"Okay, burn them outside tomorrow." Dean said.
Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. So much more needed to be discussed. It was late though and no one wanted to darken the mood again.
Dean went through the events of the night. "Why did he act like that when I said he'd rot in hell?"
John smirked. "Your eyes turned black."
Dean was shocked. "My eyes?" He thought about it. "Dammit Kate."
John nodded.
(Bobby's house)
Kate was rudely knocked out of her scrying session. She huffed and rolled over in her bed.
"He noticed you were in his head, didn't he?" Taylor asked.
Kate had been using John to keep an eye on things. "Of course, he knew. He is flipping psychic."