**Hey! I know it's been about two months since my last update, which might be the longest wait I've given for an update, but I hope you all really like this one. This was one of the harder ones to right (definitely among the top three hardest), but I think it came out well. Anyway, I'd love for you all to review and tell me what you think! Thanks so much for reading!**

The Kids Are Alright

Dallas, Texas - 2001

"So, we know that whatever this is, it kidnaps the kids before killing the parents," Dean recapped what we'd found out at the police station. "Why?"

"For revenge maybe?" I suggested. It wasn't that far fetched. Spirits killed for revenge all the time.

"Maybe we are looking for a vengeful spirit. Something that kidnaps the kids before killing the parents as revenge. All of the people that have died so far have been divorced. Maybe that's something,"

"Spirit killing the parents because they're divorced?" Dean questioned skeptically, but I could tell he was warming up to the idea. "The spirit thinks that they're bad parents for divorcing - kidnaps the kid to get them away from the bad family,"

"Right, but then where are the kids?" I asked the next logical question as we walked through the streets of Dallas, Texas. John, Dean, and I had only gotten in town a few days ago, but I already knew my way around pretty well. Perks of living on the road: you start to become very good at memorizing streets in a town quickly.

"They should be put back after the parents are dead, right? I mean, there's no reason to keep them if the danger is gone," Dean agreed, thinking about it for a moment. I was about to reply when something caught my eye. There was a woman across the street coming out of a store. She was holding a big bag in one hand while the other slung a purse over her shoulder. I stopped dead when I saw her face. "Mel?" I barely heard Dean's confusion; I was already crossing the street. "Mel!" I heard Dean's footsteps behind me, but my only reaction was to speed up to a full sprint. The woman saw me, her eyes widening.

"Mel?" I reached the sidewalk just as she recognized me.

"Jez!" She embraced me tightly, setting down the bag momentarily.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in town?" She questioned as she stepped back and picked up the bag again.

"I'm hunting. Didn't want to tell you until I was done," Her face shut down as she read between the lines.

"John's here," She and John were notorious for not getting along, and when dad died, she had no more reason to put up with him. She offered me a choice. I chose to stay. "And Dean," Her eyes slid past me, and her voice changed. I glanced back to see Dean had come up behind me and was staring at Jez in surprise.

"So this is why you wanted to take this case so badly," Dean deduced, and I realized too late that this may not have been the best plan. "I thought you were living in Los Angeles," Jez had only told me she moved, and that was a short time ago. I hadn't seen the point in telling Dean or John where she was anymore.

"That was temporary," Jez replied easily, glancing at me with a small smile. "So is this, actually. I'm going to medical school here,"

The waitress set down the coffee in front of me, and I shot her a grateful glance, barely mustering the energy to give her a smile with it. The smile I did manage felt strained and unnatural, probably looking more like a grimace. I pressed my hands against the mug, relishing the warmth it provided my shaking fingers. My gloves were still in my suitcase, but, in my defense, it was July. For some reason, it was an unusually cold day. I looked down at my black coffee for a moment before gingerly taking a sip. I set down the cup and squeezed my eyes shut tightly before snapping them open. It was a trick John had taught me. It helped keep you awake when you felt yourself grow tired, which had been happening more and more.

"What do you mean you don't think it will work, Bobby? It's a demon-dispelling ritual," Sam hissed into the phone I'd just realized he had out. Suddenly, a wave of guilt washed over me. I'd called Bobby earlier to tell him what Sam and I had found, and he'd told me then that it wouldn't work. I'd meant to tell Sam, and, by the look Sam was now shooting me, Bobby was telling him he'd told me. Suddenly, there was a tapping on our window. I jumped. Dean waved at me from outside with a wide grin on his face, waving a paper.

"Well, maybe we got the translation wrong," Sam suggested, looking as frustrated as I felt. I had already tried that. Bobby was sure we had the right translation. It just wasn't going to work. "Look, we can't just let Dean fry in hell while we-" He broke off abruptly as I stared fixedly at the coffee in front of me. After a brief pause, I took another sip, knowing I needed it to stay awake. "There's got to be something-" I glanced across the restaurant as I heard the door open. "Yeah-" Sam broke off as I lightly kicked him in the shin, giving him a pointed look. The demon said that if he tried to get out of the deal, I'd die. She didn't say anything about us getting him out of the deal. Sam and I had figured out the loophole almost simultaneously and had been working on breaking the deal for about a month now.

"Okay. Nevermind. Got to go," Sam snapped the phone shut just as Dean took a seat next to me.

"Hey," Dean greeted us, setting down the paper on the table. "Who was that?"

"I was just…" Sam sent me a panicked look, and I successfully suppressed the eye roll but couldn't stop the amused smile from twitching at my lips.

"Calling Bobby," I finished for him with a smile. "Wanted to see if he had any new cases,"

"And?" Dean prompted, raising his eyebrows as his eyes darted between the two of us. I caught a flicker of suspicion in them before they settled on me again.

"Nothing," Sam shrugged, shaking his head. "No news. It's all quiet on the demon…front," He added, getting stranger with every word until Dean and I were both staring at him with raised eyebrows. "So, what about you?" Sam gestured to the paper and breaking the uncomfortable pause.

"Yeah, I might have something. I'm not sure," Dean opened the paper and cleared his throat. "Okay, Austin Texas. Woman vanishes from her house," I gulped down some coffee before frowning at Dean.

"That's it?" I questioned when Dean didn't continue. I knew we were all itching for a hunt; hell, I would pretty much go for anything right now, but that was ridiculous.

"Well, …yeah," Dean nodded, throwing an arm around my shoulders as Sam took the newspaper.

"And you think that this is a case?" He inquired distractedly as his eyes scanned the article for anything that might scream supernatural. Apparently, he didn't find anything because when he looked back up, his eyes were skeptical.

"Well, I don't know. Could be," Dean answered just as my phone rang, making me jump again. I fished it out of my jacket pocket, checking the caller ID. My eyes widened slightly, and I flipped it open quickly, pressing the speaker to my ear.

"Hey," I was careful not to use her name as I spoke rapidly into the phone. "What's wrong?" For her to be calling me, there had to be something wrong.

I don't know, Mel. Something's happening here. It's bad. Greg's dead already, maybe more. I don't know. The words tangled together as Jez spoke breathlessly into the phone.

"Slow down," I tried to calm her and decipher what she was saying at the same time. "Take a breath and tell me what happened," I told her, and I could hear here taking a deep breath, her hunter training beginning to kick in.

I have a friend, Greg. Last night he was killed, fell on his own power saw. They're saying it was an accident. I could hear the skepticism as well as the worry in her voice.

"You don't think it was?" I deduced, ignoring the looks Sam and Dean were giving me.

I think you should come. Bring Sam and Dean. My heart dropped. For her to ask me to bring the brothers, especially Dean, she had to be really serious Something had to have scared her.

"We're on our way," I promised and snapped the phone shut as I heard the dial tone.

"Who was that?" Dean asked, but I ignored the question, already getting up from the table and leaving a ten dollar bill on the table by my coffee.

"We have to go," I told them. Sam frowned while Dean looked confused.

"We just got here. We haven't even ordered…" His protest died on his lips when he saw my worried expression.

"What? What happened?" Sam inquired, but I had already begun walking out of the restaurant. Sam and Dean met me at the car, and Dean surprised me by tossing me the keys. I slid into the driver's seat while he took the passenger's side, leaving Sam in the back. "Can you at least tell us where we're going?" Sam questioned as I gunned the engine and backed out quickly, causing Dean to brace himself against the dashboard and window.

"Cicero, Indiana," I told him, keeping my eyes on the road as I got back onto the highway.

"Cicero, Indiana," Dean repeated, waiting for me to elaborate. "That's…random," He added after a moment of silence, and I relaxed my grip on the wheel, realizing my white knuckles weren't helping the situation. "What's in Cicero, Indiana?"

"Jez is," I answered, forcing myself to stay calm. "And she's in trouble,"

""I'm just saying, next time give me a little warning about the family reunion. Don't just spring it on me," Dean complained as we held our guns pointed at the ground, silently moving through the house. It was a long shot, but we had decided to check out the lead anyway. John had gone around to the south side while Dean and I had taken the north.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think that you'd have such a problem with it," I replied, ducking as we passed a doorway. Dean held his gun ready, counting off 3…2…1. I swung the door open, and he aimed the gun into the room, ready for something to attack. Nothing did. The small room was clear. We continued down the hallway.

"You remember the last time we were in the same room," I did, in fact, remember the last time they were in the same room.

"I thought that after the hunt, I'd leave to go see her for the rest of the day, and then we could leave. I didn't plan on meeting her in the street," I defended myself quietly as we opened another door, prepared to fire. Nothing happened.

"Well, next time just give me a little warning. That's all I ask," Dean repeated, and I sighed, opening my mouth to reply. I never got the chance, however, for at that moment, there was a shout from the other side of the house. John.

"Wait!" But my yell came too late; Dean was already sprinting past me in the direction of the shout. I followed as quickly as I could, my gun ready. Dean and I burst into a room to see John lying on the ground, his back propped against the wall and his arms raised. In front of him was a man holding a gun to his head. A man. It was just a normal man. Well, maybe not normal, but it wasn't anything supernatural. A man had stolen those kids, and a man had killed their parents.

"Where are the kids?" I asked, ignoring the gun he aimed at us. Dean stepped slightly in front of me as the man cocked the gun aimed at John's head again.

"Take another step and I'll kill him," He threatened, but I ignored him, moving around Dean. The man glared at me, but I knew the second he moved the gun to me again, John could tackle him. I took another step forward cautiously, raising my hands in surrender and dropping my gun.

"You have us already. Where are the kids? They aren't a part of this. You can let them go," I tried to appeal to him, taking another step.

"The kids are everything!" He snapped at me, and I could see his hand shaking around the gun he was holding. He was loosing it. "You can't take them!" So they were here. I took another step. "Stop!" He snarled, pointing the gun at me.

"Mel!" I was roughly yanked back by Dean, who pulled me behind him, and John tackled the serial killer. The gun went off, causing both Dean and I to tense. Dean started towards the men, who were grappling for the gun. That's when I saw the killer extend his hand to keep the gun away from John. I saw the killer's eyes fix on Dean, saw the look in them, the anger, determination, hatred. Then I was running and everything blurred together. There was a loud bang just as I slammed into Dean's side. My shoulder jerked back with enough force to send me sprawling to the ground.

The sounds of struggling and shouting went on around me, and I tried to get up but fell back to the ground. I frowned. Nothing hurt and yet my left arm couldn't support any weight anymore. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I leaned on my right arm heavily. Suddenly, I was flipped over roughly, and I saw Dean's worried face above me.

"I'm fine," I muttered, but even as I said it my shoulder began to pulse with pain. Dean completely ignored my protest, his eyes on my shoulder, and he shrugged off his jacket, balling it up.

"Shit, Mel," He mumbled, and I looked down at my own shoulder, touching it tentatively. I was stunned to find my fingers came back bright red. When I looked, I found that my white shirt was now a sticky scarlet. He pressed his jacket tightly against it, and just like that, the shock dissipated. I tried to stifle my yelp of pain as I writhed against Dean's hold. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," He whispered the words over and over again, holding me firmly in place. "Dad!" He snapped, looking over at something in the corner of the room. I followed his gaze to see that John was tying the killer to one of the exposed pipes.

"The kids?" I asked, but the words came out strangely distorted. Dean looked down at me, worry filling his eyes.

"They're fine," He assured me, which made me relax slightly. I could feel the energy draining out of me, but I forced myself to stay focused on this hunt. "Dad!" Dean called again, and I saw John look up after tying the last knot. "She needs a hospital,"

"We can't go to the police." I protested, sitting up. I knew we couldn't go to the hospital. The police had caught us desecrating a grave earlier in the week when we still thought that it was a spirit. We couldn't go to the hospital; they would have to report the gunshot to the police. "I'm fine. I can make it to Bobby's," Bobby could stitch me up.

"No you won't," Dean's eyes looked doubtful. There must be a lot of blood for him to look so worried.

"I know where we can go," John announced after a brief moment. "Can you take her to the car?" Dean nodded quickly, lifting me effortlessly despite my protests.

"Keep the pressure on," My hands found balled up jacket that was covering my wound, and I pressed it as hard as I could, ignoring the pain that shot through my shoulder.

I was snapped out of my memory when we passed a sign for a motel. I finally slowed the car for the first time when we reached the Cicero Pines Motel. I parked on the side of the road, knowing that one of the boys would have to get a motel room and do research.

"I'll go," Sam reluctantly got out of the car, and my eyebrows raised fractionally in surprise.

"Are you sure?" As soon as I spoke the words, I knew I'd messed up. "Dean could…" I trailed off, gesturing halfheartedly to Dean.

"No, no, you guys go. I'll meet up with Jez later. Tell her I say hi, though," He shut the door behind him, shouldering his bag before I gunned the engine again and we sped off.

"So, what was that?" I glanced at Dean, not wanting to answer his question, but knowing I couldn't ignore it.

"What was what?" I decided to play dumb. One look at him told me that he wasn't buying the act at all. "Look, I know when Jez left, you two weren't exactly on the best of terms-" I began, carefully choosing my words.

"Her fault," Dean cut in, making me throw him a look, which he returned with a grin.

"Just play nice for once, okay? She thinks there's a job here. That's what we focus on,"

"Fine," Dean agreed with a shrug.

"Dean, I'm serious," I pressed, needing him to know how important this was. I didn't need Dean and Jez to pick up where they left off last time they were in the same room. The memory of walking into a room to see Jez throwing things and Dean yelling was still all too clear in my mind. The last time they were together… well, I didn't want to think about the last time they were together. That memory was also still clear, and also still painful.

"I know. I hear you. Play nice. Got it," I decided to let it go and slowed the car as we neared the suburban neighborhood where Jez lived. I remembered enough from my first visit to successfully find the house. It had balloons tied to the mailbox out front. It must be Jeremy's birthday. Or Macy's. My heart lurched with guilt when I realized I had forgotten when their birthdays were. I parked the car on the opposite side of the road, grabbing a CD from the glove compartment and shoving it in my purse next to the EMF. I then got out and crossed the street, silently praying it was Jeremy's birthday.

"Birthday?" Dean nodded to the balloons with raised eyebrows as we passed them.

"I think Jeremy's," I explained as we ascended the porch steps. I hesitated only a moment before knocking on the door. It swung open a moment later to reveal Jez.

"Mel!" Her dark eyes brightened as she recognized me and stepped forward to hug me tightly. I hugged her back briefly before stepping back and glancing into her house, where little kids were running around happily. "Dean." I focused my eyes on her again to see her eyes had hardened as they landed on Dean.

"Jez," The dislike in her voice was reflected in Dean's as he spoke her name with a forced smile.

"So," I broke the awkward silence. "Can we come in?"

"Of course," Her voice softened slightly as she held the door for us to enter her house. We followed her to her backyard where there were children all over running, chasing each other, throwing balls.

"So, uh, how old's Jeremy turning?" Surprised flashed in Jez's eyes as Dean asked her the question, and I mentally thanked god I'd told him that before we walked in.

"Eight," She responded just as the kid looked up. I grinned and waved, loving the way his eyes widened and lit up the way Jez's had. He ran over to jump on me excitedly while I let out an 'oof' of surprise.

"Auntie Mel!" I hugged him back, feeling a smile worm its way onto my face, the first genuine smile in what felt like a year.

"Hey, little man," I ruffled his hair as he stepped back and I knelt down to his level. "Happy birthday," He grinned widely, but it faltered for a moment as he glanced at his mom.

"My real birthday's tomorrow," I mock frowned at the news.

"Oh, well, see, I have your present, but if you want to wait till tomorrow…" I was interrupted by a stream of protest from him as his eyes lit up excitedly. "Okay, okay," I laughed, reaching into my bag and taking out the CD, handing it to him.

"Yes!" He snatched it excitedly. "AC/DC rules!" He made a rock sign with his free hand and stuck his tongue out like I taught him last time I'd visited. I straightened laughing as he ran off to show his friends. "Thanks, Auntie!" He called back to me, and I waved, still laughing slightly.

"Mel, don't encourage him," Jez complained, but her tone was light and teasing.

"He still remembers the…" I curled my hand into a rock symbol and stuck out my tongue briefly.

"Oh, he's been practicing," That made Dean chuckle, and Jez sent him a look, but it had a playful tinge to it.

"It's not funny," She shook her head while Dean and I continued to snigger. "Do you know he has all the words to Back in Black memorized? And Thunderstruck,"

"What about You Shook Me-" Dean began, making it harder for me to stifle my laughter.

"I will not let him listen to that song," Jez held up a hand to Dean to stop his questions she cut him off. "I refuse," Her eyes flicked behind us for a moment to the doorway where a woman was standing with a present in her arms. "I have to greet the other guests. You'll be okay? I'll find you later, so we can discuss…what's been happening," She finished with a meaningful look.

"Yeah, sure," Dean answered as I nodded in confirmation. She gave a relieved smile before hurrying back inside. "Auntie Mel?" Dean raised his eyebrows at me, and I rolled my eyes, nudging him. "I didn't know you came here that much,"

"I come whenever I can," I shrugged, still smiling. "Someone needs to teach the kids about hard rock and roll, right?" I was really only half joking.

"Yeah, he seemed pretty excited about that CD. By the way," Dean turned fully to me, walking backwards as he continued. "You owe me a new CD,"

"No, it was a joint gift," I protested, following him to the cake table.

"Joint gift my ass," He rolled his eyes. "'Auntie Mel' forgot Jeremy's birthday," I smacked him in the arm, and he turned, wrapping an arm around my waist as we made it to the cake.

-3rd Person-

The red headed mom watched the new man and woman approach the table in front of her. She narrowed her eyes at them; she was always suspicious of new people. These two were obviously together. She could tell even before he put an arm around her waist.

"Did you hear Lisa call her 'Mel'?" The woman next to her interrupted her thoughts.

"Yeah. Why?" She questioned, suddenly interested in what her friend had to say.

"You don't know about Melody?" The dark haired woman stared at her in surprise. Now that she mentioned it, the woman did look a little familiar, but she couldn't quite place her. "The Melody. The rebel little sister? That's her boyfriend," She gestured to the man next to the woman. "Apparently, Jez and him had some big fight, no one knows what it was about. She won't say. All she says is that Mel got hurt and it was his fault," The redhead gasped, her eyes widening with surprise and interest.

"You think he's abusive?" Her voice dropped at the end of her sentence.

"No one knows for sure, but, I mean, between you and me, what else could it be?" The other woman's voice also dropped to a whisper as she replied.

"But he looks so nice," The redhead mused, pursing her lips.

"They always do," The couple turned, efficiently silencing the mothers, both of whom just stared at them. Mel awkwardly gave a wave, clearly uncomfortable with their stares.

"Hi," Dean broke the silence, giving a small wave of his own as he and Mel stood shifted, both holding their slices of cake.

"Hello," The redhead gave Dean an icy look that made him swallow uncomfortably as Mel glanced between them, confused. His eyes flicked to Mel for a moment.

"Should we…um," He started one way just as she started the other. Then they switched, both laughing slightly and awkwardly, eager to get out of the view of the two mothers. Finally, Mel slipped her fingers through Dean's and pulled him in the direction she'd originally headed.

"Poor thing," The redhead muttered just before Mel was out of earshot.

"Was it just me, or were they talking about us?" Dean questioned as he and Mel walked under a wooden arch, eating the surprisingly good cake.

"They were definitely talking about us," She agreed, casting a suspicious glance back at the two women. Dean's attention was caught by the small figure leaning on the wooden fence that separated the bounce house from the rest of the party.

"What's up?" Jeremy greeted with a grin.

"Hey, where's your sister? I wanted to say hi," Mel questioned, and Jeremy pointed to the house.

"Upstairs in her room. Probably playing with her dolls," He made a face, and Mel rolled her eyes at him.

"Okay, I'll leave you two alone," She turned to Dean with a look in her eyes that he knew all too well. Don't do anything stupid. Or, in this case, don't break the eight year old's mind. He gave her a grin that did nothing to convince her. She just sighed and started walking towards the house.

"So, what's up with you?" A woman walked by holding her daughters hand, and Dean watched as Jeremy clearly checked her out before settling back against the wall. Dean raised his eyebrows with a small grin pulling at his lips. He was starting to like this kid. "So, it's your birthday,"

"Guilty," He responded, not tearing his eyes from the bounce house.

"It's a cool party," Dean tried to grab his attention again, this time with more luck.

"Dude, it's so freakin' sweet, and this moon bounce - it's epic," Dean glanced up at the bounce house before looking back at the kid. That was not what he thought Jez's kid would sound like.

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome," Dean agreed, eating some more cake.

"You know who else thinks they're awesome?" Dean turned to look at him, genuinely curious what the answer was gonna be. "Chicks. It's like hot-chick city out there," He hit Dean in the forearm as Dean just stared at him in surprise. He then ran off into the bounce house while Dean watched with raised eyebrows.

"Hi," A feminine voice to Dean's right caused Dean to tear his attention from the bounce house to the redhead from earlier standing there with her taller, brunette friend.

"Hey," Dean greeted, glancing around for an excuse to get out of the conversation.

"You're Dean, right?" He frowned at the woman, but nodded anyway. "You're dating Jez's sister,"

"Yeah, that's right," He confirmed, some of his discomfort easing.

"Well, I thought you should have this," The brunette held out a brochure to him, causing his discomfort to increase again. "My husband runs it," He looked down at the pamphlet for therapy. Therapy? He turned his confused gaze back up to the woman, who was still speaking. "He specializes in anger management,"

"What?" Was the only thing Dean could get out as his mind tried to process what they were saying to him.

"Melody seems like a wonderful woman. She doesn't deserve you're anger," The woman spoke gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. Their meaning hit Dean like a ton of bricks. They thought he was abusing her. They thought that he would… They thought…

"Excuse me," He pushed past them quickly, dumping the cake in the trash and clenching his hands into fists to stop them from shaking in anger. He found Jez in the kitchen as he stormed into the house.

"Dean, what…?" She began, looking distractedly worried about something outside the sliding glass door.

"Did you tell people that I was abusive?" He demanded, causing her to fix her gaze on Dean in surprise.

"What?" She seemed genuinely taken aback. "No, of course not,"

"Then why did one of the mothers just hand me this?" Dean tossed the brochure onto the counter, glaring at her accusingly as she studied it for a moment. Her eyes suddenly widened fractionally in realization before growing annoyed.

"Was it a tall, brunette woman?" Dean nodded confirmation, and Jez sighed exasperatedly. "I have a picture in my room of me, you, Mel, and Sam when we were kids. A friend asked who you were, so I said you were Mel's boyfriend and that we got into a fight,"

"And?" Dean prompted; he could see the reluctance on Jez's face, but he pressed on anyway.

"And I said that we were fighting because it was your fault she got injured," Dean clenched his teeth, his hands curling into fists again as he remembered that hunt.

"So you bitched about me to some housewife, and now they all think I'm abusive?" She studied him for a moment before answering calmly.

"Dean, I know you would never hurt Mel, and, believe me, I'm going to straighten it out. I'm sorry. I didn't know that's what they thought," Dean was taken aback by how calmly she spoke.

"Thanks," He nodded uncertainly; Jez had really changed in the four years since he'd last talked to her… or yelled at her. "You're getting patient in your old age, Jez," She rolled her eyes, throwing a gummy bear at him. A parent walked past Jez and Dean, and Dean didn't miss the way Jez's eyes followed them out the door with worry written all over them. "Something wrong with your friend?"

"Yeah, I think it might have something to do with the hunt," Just then, Mel came down the stairs, joining them with a strange look on her face. "I think I found something," Jez restated for her, glancing at the door as if to make sure her friend was gone. "The woman that just left was the ex of the man that died by falling on his own power saw. She has a daughter, Katie, and she said Katie wasn't acting like herself,"

"Well, that's normal. Are you sure she's not just grieving?" Mel questioned, but Jez shook her head adamantly.

"She said that her daughter was acting like a different person," Jez elaborated, giving the door another glance. "Then, just before you arrived there was another death. A guy, Martin, fell off his ladder. Cops are saying it was an accident. The only person home was his daughter,"

"Right," Mel mused, mulling over the information for a moment. "We should get going, see if Sammy found anything, but we'll keep you in the loop, and I think Macy wants you," Mel gestured up the stairs as her and Dean started for the door.

"Wait," Mel and Dean glanced at Jez as she stopped them from leaving. "There's more,"

Sam scribbled notes down on the small notebook he always kept with him. Mel had given it to him as a christmas present last year, and it had come in handy surprisingly. Usually, the three of them never celebrated christmas, but last year, apparently, she had thought that he could use some cheer, so, among other things, she'd gotten him a notepad. The jingle of the door opening sounded, and he ignored it until a young, blonde woman took the seat across from him. He straightened instantly. It was the woman from the seven deadly sins hunt.

"Hello, Sam," She greeted, clearly reveling in his shock.

"You been following me since Lincoln," He accused her as she shut his laptop and took a fry off of his plate.

"Not much gets by you, huh?" She replied sarcastically, biting into the fry indifferently. "These are amazing," She held up the fry, a content expression on her face. "It's like deep-fried crack. Try some," Sam scoffed and didn't touch his fries.

"That knife you had - you can kill demons with that thing?" He asked, getting to the point.

"Sure comes in handy when I have to swoop in and save a damsel in distress," She pursed her lips as his twitched into an unwilling smile.

"Where did you get it?" He fired another question at her.

"SkyMall," She dodged with sarcasm as she took the teacup out of the saucer and filled it with ketchup.

"Why are you following me?" Sam asked her, leaning back in his chair as he began to grow annoyed.

"I'm interested in you," She responded, smiling at her ketchup.

"Why?" He repeated the question, leaning forward.

"Because you're tall…" He rolled his eyes at her response. "And I love a tall man, and then there's the whole antichrist thing," She added casually, dipping a fry in ketchup and taking a bite.

"Excuse me?" She now had his full attention.

"Yeah, generations of psychic kids, yellow-eyed demon rounds you up, celebrity death match ensues. And you and Mel are the only survivors," She grabbed his water and began drinking it, waiting for a reaction.

"How do you know about that?" He demanded, but she didn't look the least bit concerned.

"I'm a good hunter," She responded as if that should have been obvious. "So, yellow eyes had some pretty big plans for you and Mels, huh?"

"'Had' being the key word," Sam emphasized, glancing away from her.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right. Ding-dong, the demon's dead. Good job with that," She praised, but Sam frowned at her flippancy. "It doesn't change the fact that you're special… and that Anthony Michael Hall E.S.P. visions come into play. And then, of course, there is Mel to think about. Mel with her super hearing," She scoffed as she said super hearing. "But she was getting pretty powerful towards the end there… until, well, you know…."

"No. None of that is happening anymore… not since yellow-eyes died," Sam told her firmly, glaring.

"Well, I'm thinking you're still a pretty big deal. I mean, after all that business with yours and Mel's moms," Sam's attention snapped back to her.

"What about our moms?" He questioned, but she shut down, her face going blank.

"You know, what happened to her friends," She read his face like a book, and her eyes widened slightly. "You… don't know. You've got a little bit of catching up to do, my friend," She grabbed the pen off the table and then Sam's hand, scribbling numbers onto it. "So, why don't you look into your mom's pals and then give me a call and we'll talk again?" She pressed the pen into his hand and stood, heading towards the door before stopping to turn. "And, by the way, you do know there's a job in this town, right?" She walked out the door, and Sam debated following her. Before he could, his phone rang. He snapped it open, pressing it to his ear.

"Hello?" He answered, still staring after the mysterious, blonde woman.

Dude, Jez was right, this is definitely a job. Dean's voice filtered through the phone.

"Really?" Sam questioned, though he already knew the answer.

Yeah. You know that one freak accident we found in the paper? The power saw guy? Turns out there's four more that never even made the paper. They're all in this Morning Hill gated community. Dean informed him shortly.

There's a man who fell off his ladder and another man who drowned in his jacuzzi. Mel's voice added. Dean must have him on speaker.

"That is weird," Sam agreed, his attention still half fixed on the door and the woman who just walked out of them.

Yeah, something's going on here. Something these gates can't keep out. Mel agreed, and Sam finally managed to focus on the phone conversation.

-1st Person-

"Hey," Sam greeted Dean and I as we sat down across from him in his booth at the diner. After I'd hung up, Dean and I had come straight here. Dean had driven, which was a mistake because the minutes of not doing anything had made me realize how exhausted I was. The fact that all I'd had to eat was a small bite of cake and a black coffee was not helpful. I wasn't hungry, though, just tired.

"Hi," I answered as he shut his laptop and placed it on top of his notebook. I felt a smile tug at my lips as I recognized the notepad I'd gotten him for christmas.

"Here. I got you a separate room," Sam handed us our room key before shoving his computer and notepad into his bag. "I'm going to turn in and get an early start tomorrow with the widow that lost her husband to the ladder accident," Dean and I nodded to him, and he exited the diner.

"He seem weird to you?" I questioned, frowning in the direction Sammy had walked away as Dean slid into the seat across from me. "It's Sammy. He always seems weird to me," I cracked a smile at that as the waiter came to take our order. Dean ordered a bacon cheeseburger, and I just ordered a coffee and a water.

"So, you come here a lot?" Dean asked, picking at the cold fries Sam had left on his plate.

"Not much. Maybe once a year. Whenever I can," I shrugged, not really wanting to talk about how often I came here.

"Is this where you were…" He hesitated, and I instantly realized where this conversation had been heading.

"Yes," I replied simply, but I quickly continued, seeing the anger start to build in his green eyes. "I was saying goodbye. I wasn't sure when I'd see them again… or if I'd see them again," There was a brief pause, in which I struggled how to phrase my next question. "Does she know…what happened?"

"No, I don't think so," The waiter set down the coffee and water in front of me before disappearing into the kitchen again. "You're drinking black coffee at eight thirty?" Dean questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah," I shrugged as if it were insignificant. "So, when are you going to admit it?" I changed the subject before he could read any further into why I was drinking coffee at eight thirty.

"Admit what?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"You like Jeremy. I saw you two talking from upstairs," He rolled his eyes but grinned and shrugged.

"He's a good kid. Great taste in music," I laughed as Dean made a rock and roll sign with his hand and stuck his tongue out. "You taught him well,"

"I try," I smiled fondly, thinking of the kid, but the smile melted into a frown as Macy came to mind. "Hey, whatever is going on in this town, do you think it's affecting the children? Jez's friend said that her daughter was acting weird,"

"That could just be the girl grieving. I mean, she did just loose her father," I bit my lip in thought for a moment, not sure how to explain what I'd seen when I talked to Macy. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Macy was acting strangely when I talked to her," I started hesitantly as Dean frowned.

"Well, her brother was having a party maybe she was jealous. Sibling rivalry?" I was already shaking my head before he finished.

"It wasn't that. She was different. She just kept saying 'I want my mommy' over and over again. I don't even think she knew who I was," I frowned as I remembered the weird conversation with her. She'd even stomped her foot on the ground and yelled. The Macy I remember never yelled, and she wasn't a brat who stomped her foot on the ground.

"Maybe. We won't know until we talk to more of the parents," Just then, the waiter came with Dean's order, and a comfortable silence fell on us as Dean began eating. I took a couple of his fries and ate them with ketchup, but I wasn't really hungry. The past month had been hell for me. All I could think about was Dean's deal. I hadn't been sleeping much, and when I did get some sleep, it was riddled with nightmares. I'd started to wait until Dean went to sleep, so I could sleep on the couch. At least that way I didn't wake him, and as soon as I started tossing, I'd fall off the couch, which would wake me up before I could begin screaming. Dean payed after he finished his cheeseburger, and we headed back to the motel room.

I took a quick shower before changing into comfortable shorts and a tank top I could sleep in. I brushed my teeth and shut the light off in the bathroom as I left. I picked up one of the books Sammy had left for us and tossed it onto the table, mentally preparing myself for a night of research. Dean went into the bathroom, and I immediately flipped open the book, searching through it for anything on demons. Sammy had bookmarked page thirty and seventy-nine, which meant that something had to have stuck out to him. Page thirty was a ritual of sorts. How to summon a demon to do your bidding. If we could summon the crossroads demon that Dean made the deal with, we could force her into letting him out of it. The only problem was as soon as she was released, the three of us would most likely die.

The water shut off in the bathroom, and I quickly flipped to page seventy-nine, scanning it as quickly as I could. It was an exorcism. I frowned. We already knew how to exorcise a demon. I read Sam's note on the side of the page as I heard the bathroom door begin to open. Thinking fast, I shoved the book into my bag and flipped open one on child monsters from greek mythology.

"Find anything?" I glanced at Dean, who was coming out of the bathroom drying his hair in just his boxers.

"No," I replied, shaking my head and turning back to the book. "But I'm going to keep looking," Dean walked over and shut it, ignoring my protests.

"You need some sleep, Mel," He spoke quietly as he moved the book to the other side of the table, and I met his eyes calmly.

"I'm fine, Dean," He glanced away with a half irritated half concerned expression. "I need to figure out what's going on in this town,"

"I'll do some research tonight," I glanced at Dean in surprise; he never volunteered to do research. "You need to sleep," I hesitated, trying to fight off the exhaustion.

"Okay," I finally caved, and Dean's eyes relaxed fractionally in relief. I took off the chain I wore around my neck that held the engagement ring, and I set it on the nightstand. Then I crawled under the covers, settling into the bed. Sleep came swiftly.

John rummaged around in the trunk as Dean ripped open the back door to the Impala, gingerly placing Mel inside before sliding in himself. Mel felt a moment of faint surprise. Dean never rode in the back willingly. She didn't have the energy to point that out to him, so she just leaned back against the seat, focusing on her breathing.

"Here," John handed a white towel and duct tape to Dean before shutting the door and sitting in the driver's seat. He sped away form the old abandoned house quickly.

"The kids?" Mel questioned softly, struggling to take deep breaths instead of shallow ones.

"Anonymous tip to 911. I found the kids in the basement, and I left the information we'd gathered on John Jacobs next to him," John explained, handing a jacket back to Dean. "You need to tape the towel over the wound and then put the jacket on,"

"What? Why?" Dean asked quickly, though he was already discarding his balled up jacket in favor of the towel.

"Just do it," John snapped, and Dean didn't ask any more questions. Mel let out a muffled whimper as Dean taped the towel around her shoulder.

"Sorry," Mel just shook her head at Dean's apology and ground her teeth together, determined not to make another sound. The car came to a stop just as Dean was slowly pulling the jacket over Mel's shoulders. He zipped it up for her before turning to his dad, who was already out of the car.

"Jez lives here," Mel realized as she stared at the number of the building. "We can't see Jez. We can't drag her back into this life," Her breath came shorter as she grew anxious.

"It's our only option," John opened Dean's door, and he climbed out, helping Mel out as well.

"You need to act normal at least until the elevator. Can you do that?" Mel nodded, her eyes determined, but Dean could see her pale face and the way she swayed slightly. She shoved her shaking hands into her pockets, and the three started for the apartment building. Dean watched as Mel's face grew paler, sweat starting to form on her forehead. He wrapped an arm around her waist securely, letting her lean on him slightly. John signed in as Dean and Mel stood behind him. Dean tried his best to look unconcerned, but he could barely tear his eyes away from the shaking woman by his side. She leaned more of her weight on him, and he heard her already shallow breaths coming faster and shorter. John finished signing in, and they made their way to the elevator.

"Just a little bit further," Dean murmured, feeling her shaking and hating how helpless he was. It should be him. She should never have pushed him out of the way. What had she been thinking? The elevator doors took an eternity to close, but as soon as they did, Dean slipped a hand under her knees and picked her up again. This time, she didn't protest, and, instead, rested her head against his shoulder.

"Stay with me, okay? We're gonna get you help," Dean promised her as the doors opened to the fifteenth floor. Dean thanked god that no one was in the floor hallway. He followed John to the right, checking the door numbers for the right one. 1509. John knocked harshly on the door, and, a moment later it opened to reveal Jez, looking guarded.

"It's Mel," Jez's expression immediately changed when she saw her pale sister, looking fragile and small in Dean's arms.

"Come in,"

I blinked awake groggily, my first thought one of surprise that for the first time in a long time I hadn't had any nightmares. My second thought was that it was already light out, and I undoubtedly overslept. The third was that my phone was ringing. I picked it off the nightstand and flipped it open, pressing it to my ear.

"Hello?" I answered without bothering to check the caller ID.

Mel, are you just now waking up? Jez's voice came through the phone, making me glance at the clock that red 11:15 in bold, red numbers.

"Um, no. What's up? Has something happened?" The case came back to me, and I was on high alert again.

No. No, I was just wondering if you'd like to pick up Jeremy from the camp. Dustin's out of town, and I have to work. He gets out at twelve today. She offered, and I sat up, glancing at the window with squinting eyes.

"Yeah, I'd love to just text me the address," I replied, my eyes falling on Dean, who was sitting in a chair by the window smirking at me. I threw a pillow at him as I hung up. "Why didn't you wake me? I've been sleeping for almost fourteen hours!"

"You looked like you could use it," My eyebrows rose, and he realized his mistake. "I brought you breakfast?" He offered, tossing me the white, paper bag with a grin on his lips. I opened the bag to see a croissant.

"Thanks," I replied, throwing off the covers and heading to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and changed before coming out and taking the bag. "I promised Jez that we'd pick up Jeremy from camp," Dean followed me to the car without protest.

-3rd Person-

Melody went inside the center to sign Jeremy out while Dean waited in the car. Only a minute or so past before he spotted Jeremy sitting on a bench a couple yards away, looking at the ground as his feet swung beneath him. After a moment of debate, Dean got out of the car and headed over, his hands shoved into his jacket.

"Hey, Jeremy," Jeremy looked up, surprised until his eyes fell on Dean.

"Hey. You were at my party," He remembered, and Dean noticed the troubled, sad look in his eyes. It reminded him of the look Sam used to have when he came home from middle school.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm Dean," He answered, not sure what to say to the kid. He glanced at the kids playing in the playground before going to sit besides Jeremy.

"Yeah, I know. Uncle Dean. My mom has a picture of you. You're dating Auntie Mel," He spoke in the same morose tone as he listed what Dean guessed was everything he knew about him. He felt a surge of warmth as the kid called him Uncle Dean.

"Yeah, that's right," He confirmed as he watched Jeremy gazed in front of him for a moment before looking down again. "Everything okay? Something wrong?" Jeremy just shrugged, keeping his gaze fixed at the black thing he was holding in his hands. Dean looked closely at it and saw it was a case of some kind. His eyes turned to the group of boys in front of them who were playing with a video game. "Is that your game they're playing with?"

"Ryan Humphrey borrowed it, and now he won't give it back," Jeremy explained, his gaze still fixed on his hands, but Dean felt a spark of anger at the sad note in his voice.

"Well, you want me to go-" He began, starting to get up.

"No!" Jeremy grabbed his sleeve to pull him back on the bench as he shouted the word. "Don't go over there! Only bitches send a grown-up," Dean leaned back slightly in surprise, feeling a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"You're not wrong," He agreed, with a grin and a head shake.

"And I'm not a bitch," He added, settling back down in the seat to stare at his hands again.

"Is that Humphrey?" Dean asked, noting the one that had the game in his hands. "The one that needs to lay off the burgers," Jeremy let out a small laugh and nodded. Then Dean told him what he should do to the bully. The same thing he used to tell Sam to do. Jeremy got up resolutely and walked over to the group of boys, who were huddled around the video game. He tried to get the kids attention, but it didn't work. He looked back at Dean, who gave him a thumbs up, looking forward to seeing the bully get some of his ass whooped. He said something that Dean was too far to hear, and the bigger kid turned to face him. He started to turn, but then jerked back, slamming his knee into every guy's weak spot.

Dean looked around to see if anyone had witnessed what had just gone down. He chuckled and felt a spark of pride as Jeremy grabbed his game from the fallen boy's hand. Dean let out a whistle as Jeremy ran back to the bench with a huge grin lighting up his face.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Dean held up his hand, and Jeremy high-fived it eagerly before sitting back down next to him.

"Jeremy Isaac Walker!" A feminine voice snapped, shock clear in it. A moment later Mel stormed in front of the bench, staring at the kid angrily.

"He stole my game!" Jeremy protested earnestly.

"So you kick him?! Violence isn't a solution-" She broke off abruptly as she noticed Dean sitting next to him. Dean quickly dropped his eyes, glancing away.

"Did you tell him to beat up that kid?" Dean didn't respond, but his silence was all the confirmation Mel needed. "Dean!" She ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"What?" He defended himself with a grin on his lips, still proud that Jeremy kicked the bully in the groin. "Somebody had to teach him how to kick the bully in the nads,"

"You can't tell him to kick people," She informed him, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Why not? Just relax," She grabbed his arm, pulling him a short distance away from the bench.

"Do you realize he could get kicked out of camp for this? That boy's parents could call the administration and have him suspended," Mel hissed at him, dropping her voice, so Jeremy wouldn't hear.

"At least he knows how to defend himself now," Dean argued back, surprising Mel. She hadn't expected him to be so adamant that kicking the bullies was the right thing.

"You can't tell him to beat up people who are upsetting him, Dean," She maintained, ignoring her surprise for the moment. "He needs to be able to talk through problems, not kick people,"

"You used to tell Sam to beat up the bullies all the time," Dean reminded her, and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"That was different. It didn't matter if Sam got kicked out, we would move schools anyway. Jeremy isn't moving anytime soon. He has to face the repercussions," Dean rolled his eyes, causing Mel to get angrier.

"So he gets a slap on the wrist? It's better than being bullied for the rest of his life!" She opened her mouth to reply when Jeremy pushed his way between them, hugging Dean tightly. His head only reached Dean's stomach, so he had to tilt his head all the way back to look up at Dean.

"Thanks," Dean looked down at him, smiling slightly and patted him on the back. He released Dean and turned to Mel. "Don't be mad," He told her innocently.

"Don't kick people anymore," She replied, raising her eyebrows at him and holding out her hand. He shook it with a big grin.

"Okay," He agreed, and she took his hand, leading him back to the car. Dean watched them go; an odd, warm feeling bloomed in his stomach until something else caught his attention. Three children were watching Mel and Jeremy. Their heads turned in perfect unison to look straight at him. His eyebrows quirked and he made a mental note to tell Mel about that before he followed her and Jeremy to the car, sliding into the driver's seat.

"On the table," Jez ordered, moving a plant from her dining room table, so Dean could lay Mel on it. He held her up, so Jez could slip off her jacket before lowering her back down. Jez disappeared for a moment before reappearing with scissors and cutting away the duct tape. "John, go into the bathroom. Second door on your left. Get the tweezers in the cabinet behind the mirror," She instructed brusquely, and Dean watched his dad hurry away. "I need your belt, Dean," Dean gave it to her without hesitation. She folded it up and shoved it between Mel's teeth.

"Here," John handed her the tweezers, which she accepted quickly.

"Dean, water. John, towels," Dean ran into her kitchen, searching through the cupboards hurriedly before finding a bowl that would work. He filled it with water and set it on a chair besides her. "I need rubbing alcohol, too. Bathroom," Dean was still in the bathroom when he heard Mel's muffled scream of pain. The scene kept playing and replaying in his mind. She pushed him out of the way. He heard her cry of pain. Then she was on the ground, holding her shoulder. There was so much blood… all over her shirt. He'd thought… for a moment… He grabbed the rubbing alcohol and handed it to Jez, who wasted no time in pouring it in Mel's wound.

"Stop," The word was muffled and distorted, but it's meaning was clear. Tears poured down her face as she let out a small sob of pain.

"Hold her down. I have to remove the bullet or it will get infected," Dean obediently grabbed her hand, his other arm bracing against her good shoulder. Jez began searching for the bullet, and Mel's back arched with pain. "Hold her," Jez snapped irately, and Dean put an arm across her stomach to keep her flat. There was a moment of this and then Jez pulled out the bullet, putting it in the bowl of water.

"Got it," She announced, beginning to dress the wound with the first aid kit she'd grabbed. "Would someone like to explain to me what the hell happened?" Her voice rose with anger, so the last words were a yell.

"It wasn't a spirit; it was just a man - a serial killer," John explained, rummaging through her cabinets in the kitchen.

"We don't have liquor," She called to him in an annoyed voice, and he returned to the table. "So, this serial killer…?" She prompted, and neither Dean nor John volunteered anymore information for a moment.

"She pushed me out of the way," Dean finally spoke the words that had been running through his mind since she'd been shot. "I ran into the room where the serial killer was holding a gun, there was a struggle, and she pushed me out of the way," Jez could feel the anger pulsing through her veins. Dean ran in, half cocked, as usual, and now Mel was seriously injured. The anger wasn't just directed at Dean, though. Mel should never have stayed with them. Jez wished to god Mel would've come with her when she had had the chance. She would be safe.

"She can stay here for the night. I'll call you when she wakes up," Jez finished dressing the wound, looking at her sister to see she'd passed out. She removed the belt from her mouth, tossing it on a chair.

"We're not going to just leave her here," Dean's protest was met with a harsh glare from Jez.

"You have no choice. You can't take her past security passed out," Jez pointed out, trying hard to remain calm. Dustin would be back any minute now, and she couldn't be standing in their apartment with Dean and John fixing up Mel's shoulder, especially not in front of her two kids.

"Then I'll stay, too," Jez glared at him again.

"You can't. I only have one bed," She made up the excuse, but it was a flimsy one.

"What's your problem?" Dean hissed at her, and she started towards him angrily, but was stopped by John's firm hand on her shoulder.

"My problem is that you ran into a room unprepared and got Melody shot," She could tell her words infuriated him, but she couldn't stop herself from spitting them out. She couldn't understand why Melody would choose that life. The hunter's life.

"Well, maybe if you weren't too busy running away, you would've been there to protect her," Jez's eyes flashed at Dean's accusation.

"Get out of my apartment," She snapped, throwing a glance at John before glowering at Dean again. "Now!" John grabbed Dean's shoulder, pulling the furious man towards the door.

"She's always going to choose this life!" Dean snarled back at her as John pulled him away.

"And you're going to get her killed for it!" Jez called to him, knowing that the words were true. Dean jerked towards her, but John was already hauling him out the door.

-1st Person-

"Something is horribly wrong with the children in this town," I announced as Dean and I walked into Sam's room. Sam didn't even acknowledge us with a glance.

"Yeah. Tell me about it," We'd all arrived at the same conclusion apparently. Dean shrugged off his jacket as I walked around the table to see what Sam was researching on his computer.

"Changelings?" I questioned, scanning the article he was looking at. It did make sense. The lore said that changelings could mimic the minds of children to feed off the mothers.

"The evil monster babies?" I couldn't help the small grin that pulled at my lips at Dean's response.

"No, not necessarily babies," Sam shook his head, switching to another tab he had open.

"They're kids… creepy, 'stare at you like you're lunch' kids," Dean's explanation pretty much summed up most of what I knew about changelings as well.

"Yeah. There's one at every victim's house," He handed Dean a photograph he'd printed off. "So, Changelings can perfectly mimic children," He went on as Dean pulled a makeshift flamethrower out of his bag. "According to lore, they climb in the window, snatch the kid. There were marks on the windowsill at one of the kid's houses. Looked to me like blood,"

"So, after the Changeling grabs the kid, they assume the kid's physical appearance to feed on the mom, right?" I checked with Sam, who nodded.

"Synovial fluid. The moms have these odd bruises on the back of their necks. Changelings can drain them for a few weeks before mom finally croaks," Sam explained, shutting the laptop and moving to sit on the bed.

"And then there's dad and the babysitter-" Dean uncapped the gasoline as he put two and two together.

"Yeah. Anyone who gets in their way of feeding dies," I concluded as Dean lifted up the makeshift flamethrower. "And fire's the only way to kill them,"

"Great. We'll just bust in, drag the kids out, torch them on the front lawn, that'll play great with the neighbors," Both Sam and I chuckled at his sarcasm. "What about the real ones? What happens to them?" My mind followed his train of thought. Jeremy and Macy were in danger.

"According to the lore, they stash them underground somewhere. Now, I don't know why, but if it's true, the real kids might be out there," Sam finished just as Dean stood, a bag ready.

"We should start looking, then," I had barely finished speaking before there was a sharp knock on the door. Sam pulled out a gun, cocking it while Dean took out the flamethrower.

"It's me," An irritated voice snapped from the other side of the door. Sam put down the gun and Dean put away the flamethrower as I opened the door. Jez stormed into the room.

"What's going on?" She demanded, folding her arms over her chest. "What did you find out?"

"Jez, calm down," I tried to reason with her, which only made her whirl on me.

"Don't tell me to calm down! I just locked my two children in the upstairs bathroom, and nearly ran over a child in my parking lot trying to get away from them,"

"They have Jeremy?" Dean asked, and I heard the worry clear in his voice.

"Who's 'they'?" Jez returned the question with an irritated question.

"Changelings," Sam answered, making Jez's eyes widen slightly.

"We'll explain in the car. Come on," I pulled her by the arm back out the door and to the Impala. Jez and I rode in the back while Dean drove and Sam had shotgun. "They're Changelings. Things that take a kid-" I began only to be cut off by Jez.

"I know what Changelings are. I haven't been out of the game for that long," She seemed to be thinking about something for a moment and then pulled out a plastic bag. "I found this outside Jeremy's windowsill. Changelings keep the real kids underground somewhere, right?"

"Yeah," Sam grabbed the bag from her to inspect the red substance inside it.

"Then, I think I know where they are. Go to my neighborhood. There's a house that's still being built," Dean followed her instructions obediently. he pulled into the half built driveway, and the four of us rushed out. Jez swept her hair into a ponytail, and, for the first time, I noticed that she was still wearing her scrubs and sneakers from the hospital. "There," She pointed to the mound in the lawn of the new house, grabbing the flashlight Sam offered her.

"Red dirt. That's what was on the window," Sam mused, grabbing a handful of the stuff and pinching some between his fingers.

"All right, Mel and I will take the back. You two take the front," Dean ordered, not wasting time for arguments. I reached into the Impala, tossing Sam a bag before taking mine and following Dean. I followed Dean, my flashlight sweeping over my surroundings as we entered the house. That's when I heard a small bang coming from one of the doorways. That doorway led to stairs, which descended into a basement looking room.

"It did say they keep them underground," I pointed out, descending the stairs quickly. There was another bang, and I followed the sound to a room to my left.

"Jeremy!" I whirled to see Dean was standing by a four foot tall cage with Jeremy inside. "Stay calm, okay? We're going to get you out of here,"

"Is Macy with you?" I questioned, kneeling down to tug on the lock to his cage. I reached into my jean pocket, pulling out the lock pick hurriedly.

"Yeah," He told me, moving to his right, so I could see Macy huddled in the back with her knees pressed against her chest. I picked the lock quickly, opening the cage to release the two children. Dean pulled Jeremy out of the cage, hugging him tightly before setting him down.

"Auntie Mel?" Macy looked confused and scared as I lifted her out of the cage. She didn't know I was in town. She'd been taken before then. I stood up with her still in my arms, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

"Yeah, I'm here. We're going to get you out of here, okay?" I promised her, wanting more than ever to kill the things that did this to her. i set her down next to Jeremy. "Stay with your sister," I told him, glancing back to see Dean had abandoned the effort to pick the locks and was now bashing them with a metal rod. I tightened my grip on my flashlight and walked quickly towards another cage, successfully opening it with the butt of my flashlight. I opened the next one as Dean went to the window.

"Cover your eyes!" He commanded before shattering the window with the bar he'd picked up. I walked towards them, using my flashlight to scrape away any glass that was left on the window frame.

"Here. Use this," Jeremy offered me his jacket, and I laid it on the glass, making it safer for the kids to get out.

"All right, Jeremy, come on," Dean gestured for Jeremy to come, but he pushed Macy in front of him.

"Mace first," He insisted, and I smiled at him briefly before Dean picked her up, handing me the rod.

"Open the others. I got this," I nodded tightly before returning to the cages.

"Hey! Dean!" Sam came into view, looking worried with Jez running in behind him. "There's a mother,"

"Mom?" Jez locked eyes with her son, relief clear in her dark orbs as she pulled him to her roughly, kissing his forehead before looking up at Dean and I. I jerked my chin at the window in answer before turning my attention to Sam.

"There's a mother changeling?" I questioned, knowing that spelled trouble. I slammed the rod into the lock a second time, and this time the lock gave a little. One more hit should do it.

"Yeah, we got to get these kids out quick," I slammed the rod into the lock again just as the second kid made it out through the window. The lock broke, and I pulled open the door for the woman to climb out.

"That must be why the Changelings are keeping the kids alive, so the mom can snack on them," Sam helped me lift the weak, exhausted woman out of the cage just as one of the kids screamed. Sam dropped the woman's arm and attacked the changeling. I dragged the woman to the far wall, safe from harm and propped her up. The Changeling sent Dean through one of the beams before kicking the lighter out of Sam's hand and punching him hard across the face. I snatched up the lighter from where it had fallen, searching for my bag. The Changeling sent Sam flying to the floor where he curled up with a disoriented groan. She took a step towards him, but Jez cut her off, standing in front of her and sending a punch at her face. The Changeling ducked the punch before delivering one of her own.

"Jeremy, get them out of here!" Dean snapped as the Changeling slammed her knee into Jez's stomach, kicking her to the floor. I found my bag and rummaged around in it for a moment until I found the flamethrower. The Changeling slammed Dean into a post but reared back with a cry of pain as Jez slammed a brick across its face. I flipped open the zippo as Jez's foot connected with the Changeling's stomach, disorienting it for a moment.

"Jez, duck!" I yelled, and she didn't hesitate to flatten herself against the ground. The Changeling screamed as she got a face full of fire. Then she was gone in a wave of black smoke.

"That was a little close," Jez felt her hair as she got to her knees.

"Don't worry. I had it handled," I told her, helping her stand with a small laugh. "Nice moves by the way G.I. Jane. Someone's been practicing,"

"Shut up," She snorted a laugh, hitting me in the shoulder.

The next few hours were a wave of confusion. Parents claimed their kids with tears and hugs. There was mass confusion as to what had just happened. The children's stories didn't make it any better, of course. Somehow, the four of us ended up back at Jez's house with her two kids. She made them sandwiches, and Jeremy immediately put on his headphones to listen to the new CD I got him. I smiled at the two kids.

"Well, I'm going to head back to the motel. It's was great seeing you again," Jez hugged Sam tightly, knowing it was the last time she'd see him for a while.

"Yeah, you too. Take care, Sammy," He rolled his eyes at the nickname as he headed out, but he stopped and turned for a moment.

"You too, Jezzy," Jez scowled, glancing back quickly at her kids to make sure they didn't hear that nickname. Then Sam was gone, and I heard the distant roar of the Impala fade away.

"I'm going to get Mace some juice. Either of you want anything?" She questioned, glancing between the two of them.

"No, thanks. I think we're good," Dean declined for both of us. Jez disappeared into the kitchen to get some juice.

"So, the normal apple pie life doesn't seem so bad, does it?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows at him with a smile playing at my lips. He chuckled, but there was a sad note in the sound.

"We could still do it, you know," He turned to me, and my eyes widened slightly. "Mel, I still have almost eleven months left. We could live it out like this. Buy a house, settle down," His hand rose to pull my necklace from beneath my shirt. He fingered the engagement ring. "Get married, have kids?"

"I can't," I shook my head, glancing at the floor. "I can't just stand by while your year slowly dries up, Dean,"

"Look, with everything that's happening, you start to think, you know. I'm gonna be gone one day, and what am I leaving behind besides a car?" He let out another chuckle, his eyes flicking away from me. I took a quick step towards and pressed my lips against his, feeling him stiffen in surprise before relaxing.

"You've saved my life more times than I can count, Dean," I looked into his eyes earnestly as I spoke. "You saved Sam's life and Jeremy's and Macy's and Jez's. Not one of us would be here if it wasn't for you. If you want to know what you leave behind, that's what you're leaving behind," He studied my eyes searchingly for a moment before crushing his lips to mine again, pulling me closer to him. I pulled away at the sound of someone clearing their throat. I stepped away from Dean as Jez set the juice down in front of Macy and came to join us.

"You know, if you two ever wanted a break from hunting, you could stay here. We have a guest bedroom, and I'm sure the kids would love to have you around," I smiled at her offer, glancing at Dean and knowing we were both thinking the same thing.

"Thanks, but we can't," She nodded in understanding. "It's not our life,"

"We should get going pretty soon," Dean told her, and I realized that it was getting pretty late.

"Don't be strangers," Jez glanced at me and then at Dean with a small smile that I returned.

"We won't be," Dean promised her, wrapping an arm around my waist as we walked out the door.

-3rd Person-

"They're dead… all of them," Sam told the mysterious, blonde woman. "All of my mom's friends, all of Mel's mom's friends. Their doctors, uncles, aunts - anyone who even knew them systematically wiped off the map one at a time. Someone went through a hell of a lot of trouble trying to cover their tracks,"

"Yep. The yellow-eyed demon," She agreed, sitting on the table, nodding. Sam grew frustrated with her apparent indifference and lack of surprise.

"So, what's your deal? You show up wherever I am. You know all about me and Mel. You know all about our moms," He listed, growing more and more agitated.

"I already told you. I'm-" She began, but Sam didn't let her finish.

"Oh, right, right. Yeah. Just a hunter. Just some hunter who happens to know more about my own family than I do," She didn't respond. "Just tell me who you are,"

"Sam, it-" She began again, and he could almost sense the bullshit she was about to throw at him.

"Just…tell me who you are," He told her again, drawing closer.

"It doesn't matter," She laughed, but he wasn't buying it.

"Just tell me who you are!" He shouted at her loudly, glaring.

"Fine," She caved, closing her eyes, and when she opened them, they were pitch black. Sam jerked back, scrambling towards his bag as the woman's eyes switched back to human ones. "Think twice before going for that holy water," She called to him, but he paid her no attention.

"Give me one reason why I should," He snapped, unzipping the bag.

"I'm here to help you, Sam," She promised, and he glared at her in annoyance.

"Is that some kind of joke?" She raised her right hand, smiling widely.

"God's honest truth… or whatever," She shrugged indifferently, not seeming worried when Sam pulled out the flask of holy water from his bag.

"You're a demon," He unscrewed the flask as he spoke.

"Don't be such a racist. I'm here because I want to help you, and I can if you trust me," She told him calmly, and Sam scoffed at her in disbelief.

"Trust you?" He echoed incredulously.

"Sam, calm down," She rolled her eyes as he brandished the holy water.

"Start talking. All those murders… what was the demon trying to cover up?" He prompted her, and she hoped off the table.

"I don't know," She shook her head earnestly.

"What happened to Mel's and my mothers?"

'"I honestly don't know. That's what I'm trying to find out. All I know is that it's about you and Mel," She told him, and he stared at her in surprise.

"What?" He questioned, taken aback.

"Don't you get it, Sam? It's all about you and Mel. What happened to your mom. What happened to Mel's mom. What happened to their friends. They're trying to cover up what he did to you and Mel. And I want to help you figure it out," She explained while Sam glared at her, frowning.

"Why would you want to help me?" He asked her, and she smiled humorlessly.

"I have my reasons. Not all demons are the same, Sam. Not all of us want the same thing. Me? I want to help you from time to time. That's all. And if you let me, there's something in it for you," She approached him, smiling genuinely.

"What could you possibly-" He started, his face twisting in disgust.

"I could help you and Mel save Dean,"

CaptainWilliamsN7: I'm excited to be making new chapters for you! I can't give anything away, so I guess you'll just have to read and find out what happens at the end of this season!

Cosmic Daeva: Thanks! I really love it when reviews compliment my writing! And that chapter went by quickly for me, too. I think it was the way the episode was set up.

grapejuice101: I will let you know if I need help with anything, but I want you to know that PMing you helped my writer's block a lot, so thank you so much!

Donna: I'm glad your excited and love this story! I'm sorry I made you wait so long for this update!

Ladysunshine6: I'm excited for that chapter, too, and thank you so much for your continued support. It really means a lot to me. I'm glad you liked the first chapter!

Boomer1125: I'm trying to update as quickly as I can (I know that may seem ridiculous because this chapter took me forever to get out but I promise I'm trying)!

sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

jacquiebrownjb: I will definitely let you know if I need a proofreader/beta, and I'm glad you love my stories! If you ever find anything in my writing that could use work, PM or review me the feedback. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Guest101: Sorry this chapter took a long time to get out, but I will be writing more often (hopefully) now. I am really excited to write the next chapter, and I'm hoping it'll be easier as well. I hope you still think my OCs came off as natural in this chapter (I was a little concerned about that writing it) because I made this chapter more of my own than the previous ones have been.

Asma20: I can't give anything away, so you'll have to keep reading to find out what happens at the end of the season.

Guest: I really love writing badass Mel, so there will definitely be more of her in the coming chapters.

Guest: I KNOW! I'm excited to be writing this story again, and I hope you like what I did with this chapter. I made it more of my own than I have in previous chapters!

Msnico: I'm glad you were excited! I love season three too (one of my favorites). Have fun in New Zealand! It's really cool that you're there!

Guest: Yeah, I'm sorry for the huge break, but I'm back now and I hope to get more chapters out quickly! Sorry for the long wait!