Oncidium Orchid (spn) NC-17

[Sanity]

Note: This is my first Supernatural fanfic and I've been posting it over at my livejournal for the past few months. If anyone is interested in giving me feedback or comments of any kind, feel free to head over to my journal and do so. I love comments. Thanks.


Title: Oncidium Orchid (Chapter 1/?)
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Jo/Dean, Sam
Summary: What if Born Under a Bad Sign ended differently? Jo and Dean hunt Sam.
Author's Note: Please bare with me! This is the first fic I've posted online. Ever. I'm so nervous right now. D:
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything except for the plot.
Warnings/Spoilers: Up to Born Under a Bad Sign

Chapter One: How could you, Jo?

Duluth, Minnesota
"I can't say it more plain than this. You try to follow me and I'll tie you right back to that post and leave you here. This is my fight. I'm not getting your blood on my hands. That's just how it's gonna be," Dean says to her. Straight out and simple. He was not going to be responsible for her.

"Wait," Jo says and Dean stops. "Here. Take these, they'll help with the pain," she explains, handing over a prescription bottle of pills. She smiles meekly at his look of surprise.

"Thanks." He takes the bottle. "I'll call you later, okay?" he says without any intention of doing so. With nothing more to say, he leaves. He doesn't expect to ever come across Jo Harvelle again.

After Dean is gone, Jo says to herself, "No you wont." She doesn't let even a tear fall. She's stronger than that.

South Dakota
The demon possessing Sam leaves Dean and Bobby in a bruised, bloodied, crumpled mess on the rough floor. He won't end them yet. He believes they may serve a further purpose that mortal death won't bring. He leaves a message on the unconscious Dean's arm. It reads: 'Illinois' in red, jagged lines.

An hour later, Dean wakes. Bobby is still out cold. Dean notices the word on the exposed flesh of his arm. He puzzles over it for a moment before pulling on his jacket, effectively covering all traces of the name. Bobby couldn't know. This was Dean's problem. And Sam's problem. He'd figure it out on his own and bring his family back together, like he's done countless times before.

Beside him, Bobby groans. "Sam's gone," Dean tells him gruffly and uses the wall to help himself stand up. His clothes are stiff and tacky with half-dry blood and his skin itches as red lazily oozes from multiple cuts and scratches. Nothing serious.

Bobby rubs his head. "You goin' after Sam right away?"

"As soon as I'm cleaned up," Dean replies, voice steady, insides not so steady.

"How you gonna find him?" Bobby asks and struggles to stand. Dean gives him a hand up.

Dean smiles through the gore. "I have an idea where he's headed."

He cleans himself up fast. He strips off his tainted clothes and showers, scrubbing hard at the blood caked to his body. He doesn't take long enough to wash off the blood thats more than skin deep. Doesn't have time for that. He changes into fresh clothes from his bag in the Impala. He's lucky Sam didn't take off with his baby. The 'Illinois' is already healing and is barely legible now that the red is washed away. He briefly considers jotting it down on a piece of paper or something, but quickly reconsiders. He won't forget. No way in hell he'd forget the name his little brother carved into his arm.

After a hasty goodbye to Bobby, Dean is on the road. He leaves Dakota in a cloud of dust.

Casper, Wyoming
Jo could almost laugh to herself. Dean was sometimes just so oblivious to the whole entire world. There was no way she was just sitting this one out. This is the big fight. Just what she's been waiting for. Dean should know she wouldn't back down that easily. Not that she cared what he thought anymore, of course. He didn't need or want her, so she definitely won't need or want his sorry ass any time soon.

She wasn't sure where to start exactly, and had headed to the place Dean mentioned was the home of the closet hunter. She didn't know the whole story, but she guessed Sam was going there to kill the man. She had reached South Dakota probably only an hour after Dean had. She had driven through, not finding anything to clue her in on either Sam or Dean's whereabouts. On her way out of the state however, she happened to overhear a man yelling about a tall man stealing his truck right under his nose. It had to have been Sam.

Now here she is, in her rusted crap pickup truck, nearing Casper. She's never been before, but the promise of inevitable chaos and destruction keeps her determined. She looks hard for clues- anything to prove she is heading in the right direction. She half expects to find mutilated people on the side of the road, because she is after all, tailing a demon. But Sam wasn't that stupid, and she guessed the demon riding him isn't that stupid either.

Night is quickly approaching and exhaustion is finally beginning to nag at Jo. It's been a couple of days since she's gotten any sleep. She pulls off the main road and gets a room at the nearest motel. It's a dump, but that's what she expects. The room smells of rubbing alcohol and air freshener. At least it's clean. She locks the door and puts the deadbolt into place, then lines the door and windows with salt before climbing between stiff sheets and drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

A scream wakes Jo. She rolls over to glance at the alarm clock. 2:35 AM. She thinks of Sam and the exhaustion leaks away, leaving the only quickening pulse of her heart. She digs a gun and knife out of the duffel bag holding all her weapons. The gun goes in the waistband of her jeans but the knife stays in her hand.

She creeps out of her room and into the parking lot. It's dark. The street lamps reveal only a couple of cars, a dumpster, and... a girl. Jo runs over to the girl and drops to her knees in front of the limp body. "What happened? Are you okay?" Jo asks the girl in a harsh whisper.

The girl doesn't answer. Jo pushes aside hair that's dark and wet and takes hold of the girl's chin to turn the face to her. The girl's face is streaked with thick cuts and blood seeps from everywhere; her dull blue eyes, her nose, her mouth. The girl is dead, no doubt about it. Jo backs away.

"Shit," she murmurs. Too late. She switches her knife for her gun.

"Jo," a voice says from the side of the motel.

She turns around, fast, to see Sam. He definitely wasn't there before. It must've been a trap. His face is lit up in the fluorescent colored lights radiating from the motel's 'vacancy' sign. The light catches his features at odd angles, making him look more like a monster than the sensitive man she's known.

"Sam- what have you done?" she asks, still unable to wrap her mind around the fact that something could be controlling him. She remembers, and raises her gun. Her hands shake as she positions a finger over the trigger. She has to be strong. She inhales deeply and her hands still.

Sam comes towards her, hands stuffed in his pockets. He looks so innocent. He'd never hurt her. The colored lights don't fall on his face anymore and he looks... normal. Good ol' Sam. But she knows he isn't. Theres speckles of blood across his jaw and on the collar of his shirt. "Don't you dare come any closer," she says, gun still steady.

"Jo," he says, "I swear I didn't do it. I just woke up here and I don't remember anything- help me. Please." He raises his hands over his head, showing that they're empty. "Please, Jo. I need help," he adds meekly and steps slowly closer.

"I know it's not really you," she says, pretty sure. "Don't move!" But it's too late, Sam's already there. He easily knocks the gun from her grasp. She tries to punch and kick but he's too close and she can't get a solid hit in. Sam grabs at her flailing limbs but she struggles and manages to get a little distance. But the demon's fast and sweeps her feet out from under her and she falls hard to the ground, back hitting the pavement. He lands on top, straddling her. He pins her arms above her head.

The demon grins Sam's boyish grin. Jo's stomach hurts; it twists and she feels like throwing up. "I bet you wish this was Dean, huh?" he teases and grinds his hips against hers playfully.

"You're a pig," she says through clenched teeth.

"Now, don't be like this. Come on, Jo. I just wanna ask you something important. That's all."

She glares up at him. "What?"

Sam leans down to whisper in her ear, "Why are you following me, girl?"

Jo stops struggling and he smiles. She looks over at the dead girl, and her heart hurts. "I don't know. Just feels so right," she says before spitting right in his face.

"You bitch!" Sam says and wipes at his face. Jo chooses just that moment to buck her hips and he loses his grip. She rolls to the side and grabs her gun. She then shoots once, twice, three times. She knows it won't kill him, but it'll hurt like a sonuvabitch. At least one of the bullets must have connected because Sam's body jerks with the impact. She hopes it doesn't injure Sam's body too bad.

"How could you, Jo?" he says in Sam's hurt voice before disappearing into the darkness.

How could you, Jo? Indeed.

Mason City, Iowa
Dean finds the road tough to focus on and doesn't get so far considering how long it feels like he's been driving. He's on the edge, every nerve jumping. He nearly drives into a ditch when he sees a tall guy with a brown mop of hair hitchhiking on the side of the highway. It's not Sam. Dean's disappointed, but since he's already stopped, he decides to give the guy a lift.

"Where you headed?" Dean asks once the Impala is in motion again.

"Anywheres good," he answers sullenly. "I'm Mark, by the way."

"I'm Dean." He doesn't really know what possessed him to give the kid his real name. "I'm on my way to Illinois." He pauses. "Let me know when you want out."

"Thanks," Mark says and gazes out the window, reminding Dean so much of Sam that it hurts.

Upon entering Mason City, Mark clears his throat. "Uh, Dean, could you let me out here, please?" Dean nods and pulls the car over at a gas station. He needs to fill up anyway. Mark gets out and shuts the door then looks in at Dean.

Dean looks up at Mark from where he's been rummaging through the glove compartment for a fake credit card. The kid's eyes are completely black. "Continue on to Illinois, it is your destined path," the demon tells him. "The yellow eyed demon waits."

"****," Dean says, scrambling out of the car, gun in hand. Mark's already long gone.

[Sanity]

Title: Oncidium Orchid (2/?)
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Jo/Dean, Sam
Summary: Jo and Dean hunt for Sam.
Warnings/Spoilers: Up to Born Under a Bad Sign
Author's Note: This is very much a... self discovery chapter for Dean and Jo.

Chapter Two: Murderer's Bull's Eye

Cheyenne, Wyoming
Jo doesn't care where she goes as long as she's gone. She wants Casper in her rear view mirror. She wants to stop seeing the dead girl in her mind and she wants Sam's voice out of her ears. She can't go back to sleep so she just leaves. It's almost 3:30AM and the road is dark and empty.

She focuses on the road curving into the distance. She wonders where Sam went and she's certain she's heading in the wrong direction. But she doesn't care. She just wants to get lost.

Hours pass in minutes. The sun rises and Jo feels sick. She needs to eat, sleep, talk. Anything. She can't go on like this. A large green sign with white lettering welcomes her to Cheyenne.

Her stomach growls so she decides its food first then sleep. An A&W is the first fast food joint she spots. The place is bustling with the lunch crowd and Jo orders a burger and fries then finds an empty booth near the back. She wants some time out of her car. The food is greasy and hot, just the way she likes it. Reminds her of home. She doesn't want to think of home so she pushes the tray away.

"Mind if I sit here?" Jo looks up. A tall guy with dark brown hair smiles down at her. "All the tables are full, plus you look just a little lonely," he says.

"Uh no, go ahead," Jo answers. She thinks this guy must be crazy because she's pretty sure she looks like hell right now. She hopes he wont hit on her.

He sits across from her. "I'm Mark, by the way." He smiles and she's reminded of Sam. She thinks it's almost eerie how much this Mark guy resembles Sam.

"I'm Jo," she says and forces a smile. "You know what? I really gotta get going." She hastily stands up. "Bye," she adds as an afterthought. There was no way she'd be able to have a normal conversation with a guy that looked like the guy she fought the night before.

Mark looks a little disappointed. "Maybe I'll see you around," he says glumly.

"Don't count on it," she comments under her breath.

Ames, Iowa
Dean drives only as far as the next main city before he stops at the cheapest motel to get a room. The girl at the front desk is red haired and green eyed. She's a pretty little thing. After paying for a room with one bed- not two, his head hurts. He misses Sam so damn much. He knows what may help with the pain.

"Hey, so... Lisa," he reads off her name tag. "You know where to go for some fun around here?"

She's instantly hit by Dean's charm. Lisa giggles like a school girl. Barely ten minutes later, they're in his room. He kisses her hard, pouring all his stress and hurt into the action. In his creaking bed he ****s her, but he's distant. She wants him to look at her while he pumps into her but he refuses. He's quickly finished and he doubts she was even close. She starts sobbing about some ex-boyfriend. Dean asks her to leave and she does as he says, wiping tears off her face as she closes the door behind her.

Dean feels just a little bad for the way he treated Lisa, but he doesn't really give a damn at the moment. He sleeps for only a few hours. He feels so useless, he should be out on the road, driving to Illinois. A slight itching in his head makes him think there's something here. In Ames. Something to hunt. Something to kill.

The sun sets as Dean patrols the secluded side streets. A distant wailing scream reaches his ears. He pulls out a gun from the back of his pants and turns the safety off. He heads in the direction of the scream.

He turns a corner and finds a rundown warehouse. It seems out of place among the little two-story houses. He approaches the building stealthily and peaks in through a dusty, cracked window. He can't see anything inside and considers leaving. A second scream comes from deep inside the warehouse. Dean kicks the heavy door open.

He still can't see anything. It's dark inside and he can't find a light switch. He wishes for his handy flashlight. Feet moving silently across the rotting floor, Dean's eyes roam the room. Nothing seems wrong. He briefly wonders if it was just some kids messing around.

He can suddenly hear a quiet weeping from inside a large metal crate against the far wall. Dean races forward and opens the top. Inside is a boy, no older than five. His mousy blond hair is dusty. The boy's tears create clean lines across his dirty face. He looks up at Dean and reaches up for him. Dean bites his lip and lifts the boy out. Holding the kid in his arms, he asks, "Now how did you get in there?"

The boy's eyes are wide and scared. "I was locked in," he says with a lisp.

"What did it?" Dean asks, trying to keep his voice calm, but his insides are all knotted up. He wonders what could have locked up a little boy. A little boy like his brother was and always will be. The boy doesn't answer. He cries more. Dean tries again. "Where'd it go?"

The kid starts shaking. "It didn't go anywhere."

"Shit," Dean says, forgetting about trying not to swear in front of kids. He closes the lid of the crate and sits the kid on top. "Don't move," he warns. He turns around and a ghostly white face is staring him down. It's a big, burly man-spirit wielding a baseball bat. He swings hard and fast and Dean ducks. The bat catches his shoulder and pain scorches.

Dean shoots at the thing, but the bullets go straight through, burying themselves in the wall behind. He wants Sam there. Sam is better at finding remains than he ever could be.

The ghost disappears and Dean rises to his feet and grabs the kid, who's wailing again. Dean almost wants to tell him to shut up, but he doesn't.

He carries the little boy outside and puts him in the backseat of the Impala. "Wait here, okay? I'll be right back," he tells the boy before opening up the trunk and taking out a jug of gasoline.

Dean sprints back into the warehouse looking for something, anything to burn. He wants to ignite the mother****er that would dare lock up a little boy. He goes back to the metal crate where he found the kid and opens it. He notices something he hadn't before. An old photo album. He sets the gasoline down and quickly scans the pages. Inside is pictures after pictures of little boys. Some naked, some bleeding, some both. Dean grits his teeth. This guy is sick scum.

The ghost chooses just that moment to show up again. He swings at Dean with the bat, but Dean is ready this time. He dodges to the side. The ghost vanishes. "Like I said, scum," he murmurs to himself. On a whim, he pours a little gasoline on the album then lights the damn thing on fire. He hopes these sick pictures are what trapped this guy's spirit. The ghost reappears, bat dropping from his transparent hand. Flames are suddenly engulfing the man's body.

Dean smiles. "Burn mother****er, burn."

Cheyenne, Wyoming
Jo wakes after sleeping all day. She feels refreshed and decides to take a stroll. She comes across a pub. The sign reads: Outlaw Saloon and Restaurant. Definitely for her.

The place is nearly empty and she takes a seat at the bar. She enjoys a beer in solitude before someone takes a seat beside her.

"Fancy seeing you again," says Mark happily.

Jo sighs. "I'm sorry, not interested, buddy."

Mark's smile evaporates. "No, you're not interested in me, but you will be interested in what I have to say." His eyes flash black and Jo gasps. "Let's take this outside, shall we?" he suggests.

"Fine," she says, thankful she has a gun. She follows Mark outside.

Mark doesn't look at her. He just stares out into the darkness, as if seeing things she can't. He finally turns around and regards her with black eyes. "You have to stop. Stop hunting. Stop chasing Sam. Go home, Jo. You're not a part of this," he tells her, voice neutral and reasonable.

"I can't do that," Jo replies cautiously, taking out her gun. "I have to do what I can."

Mark sighs. "Well, I tried." He lunges, fingers like claws. Jo shoots and the bullet buries itself right in his head. Murderer's bull's eye.

Mark's mouth opens wide and out comes a thick black smoke that tightens the air around her. The smoke rises high into the sky until Jo can't see it anymore. The demon is gone and leaves behind a dead man. A dead man that Jo killed with a bullet to the head. Jo's first human kill.

[Sanity]

Title: Oncidium Orchid (3/?)
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Jo/Dean, Sam
Summary: Jo and Dean hunt for Sam.
Warnings/Spoilers: Up to Born Under a Bad Sign
Author's Note: This is a short transition chapter. Thank you to bloggybugg for the awesome beta work.

Chapter Three: Dean's Blind Trust

Ames, Iowa
The yellow eyed demon watches Dean from behind Sam's eyes. Watches him save a little boy; watches him defeat the ghost that dared to touch the boy. The demon likes Dean's drive and determination. Dean can't be fighting on the humans' side when the time comes. He must be on their side. Sam's new side. A few changes need to be made before this Winchester reaches Illinois. Immediately. Dean needs to be there, Jo does not. She'll only complicate things and keep him on the mortals' side.

The demon gently touches the bullet wound on its shoulder. Sam's shoulder. That damn Jo's aim isn't as bad as everyone says it is. It doesn't hurt, but it still heals at the human rate. Sam enters the nearly empty hospital, limping and moaning in artificial pain.

"Help," he says in Sam's defeated voice to a nearby nurse. "I got shot... lost too much blood..."

Dean parks in front of the hospital no more than two hours later. Screw parking tickets. He carries the boy inside, who's been unconscious for most of the drive. The kid has seen too much, endured too much. Dean reckons the kid will need serious therapy. He goes to the woman at the front desk and tells her how he found the boy. The truth, minus the bit about the ghost. He leaves that part out.

Dean stays with the boy until his parents arrive. They thank him with weeping faces and hug him. He politely excuses himself. It's a miracle the police haven't been brought in yet and that he never even had to give out his real name.

As he walks down the hallway to the lobby, Dean peers into the passing rooms. Old man strapped to an IV. Middle-aged woman with a leg in a cast. Young man with a bandaged shoulder. Wait. "Sammy?" he murmurs. He enters the room.

It is Sam. His eyes are closed. Dean pulls a chair up and sits beside the bed. "****... Sammy," he says.

Half an hour later, Sam's eyes flicker open and focus on Dean. "...Dean?" he says weakly, reaching out.

"It's okay Sammy, I'm here. Everything is okay." Dean says softly and moves his brother's outstretched arms back to the bed. "Come on, man. Try not to move your shoulder. Looks like you got messed up pretty bad."

Sam's eyes are suddenly urgent. "I got shot," he says, as if realizing it for the first time.

"You were shot? Dude, do you know who or what did it?" Dean asks, ready to go out there and kill whatever it was that hurt his brother.

Sam won't look into Dean's eyes. He looks just left as he answers, "Jo did it."

"Jo did it? Jesus Christ!" Dean doesn't notice Sam flinch. "I told that girl to stay out of it, but here she is, shooting up my little brother!" He stands up and paces, just feeling the need to move.

Sam sighs. "I was possessed. Dean, I was hurting her. She had the right to do what she did. I could've killed her." He pauses. "She saved me. The demon let me go right after. I guess it didn't want to be riding a broken vessel."

Dean looks at Sam. "That's not the point. I gave her clear orders." He's shocked at how much he sounds like his father right now.

"Dean, really, it's not a big deal."

"No, I think it is, Sammy."

Sam huffs. "Maybe you should talk to her, then."

Dean doesn't answer Sam, but he pulls out his cell phone and dials her number.

Cheyenne, Wyoming
Jo's mouth is in a firm, tight line as she regards the dead body in front of her. Mark. She doesn't know what to do. The people in the bar must have heard the gun shot and have probably called the police. Her lips quiver. She gets in her car and drives.

Ten minutes later she pulls over and throws up. She's shaking and cold and so alone. Tears dribble down her face. It's been a long time since she's really cried. Her cell phone rings. She looks at the number displayed on the glowing screen. Dean.

"Dean, I need to tell you-" she starts before he cuts her off.

"Save it, Jo. You shot my brother. What the **** were you thinking? You could have killed him!" he's yelling into the phone. Jo's scared and knows it's not the time to tell him what she just did.

"He was possessed and just killed a girl! What was I supposed to do? Dean, he was gonna hurt me." She has to be strong.

"If you stayed out of this like I told you, this wouldn't have happened!" He's right in more ways than one.

"Dean... I'm sorry. Are you with Sam now?"

He takes a breath. "Yeah. I found him at the hospital. He says the demon left him after he was shot."

Jo nods. "Tell him I'm sorry. Where are you guys? I could come-"

Dean's voice over the phone is rough as he says, "Look, Jo. You've already hurt Sammy, and I don't want you hurting any more innocent people- accident or not." His comment hits her hard. It's too late. "Go home, Jo. Please."

She feels fresh tears falling and bile rising. "Okay," she says. It's time to give in. Dean hangs up.

Ames, Iowa
Sam smiles, listening to Dean's end of the conversation. The demon inside knows its manipulative plan is working. Dean loves Sam and Jo likes Dean. Now, Jo's too mad and guilty to face either Winchester brother ever again. Perfect. Jo is out of the picture.

"Sammy, lets get you outta here," Dean says once he's done with Jo. "You're coming with me to Illinois."

Back in the Impala, Sam smashes Dean's head into the dashboard, knocking him out. He shakes his head, loving Dean's blind trust. Dean will always do and believe anything to keep his family together. It's almost too easy. Sam leaves and hitches a ride to the airport. There's much to do before Dean reaches Illinois.

Hours later, Dean wakes up. His head hurts. He touches his forehead and his hand comes away with blood. He remembers what happened. "Shit. Sammy," he murmurs to himself. It's all too much. What if he can't save everyone this time?

He dials a number on his cell phone. "I messed up real bad," he says.

[Sanity]

Title: Oncidium Orchid (4/?)
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Jo/Dean, Sam
Summary: Jo and Dean hunt for Sam.
Warnings/Spoilers: Up to Born Under a Bad Sign
Author's Note: Sorry for taking such a long time with this chapter. It has totally been kicking my butt. I'm so excited for the next chapter though! It'll be a fun one, I promise.
Thank you to bloggybugg for being a great beta again! <3

Chapter Four: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Ames, Iowa
"I messed up real bad," Dean says to the answering machine. "Jo..." He sighs. "Call me as soon as you get this. Please."

Duluth, Minnesota
While Dean's unconscious in his car, Jo's on the run. She needs to escape the guilt as well as the authorities. The rational side of her brain tells her that cops are useless and she'll never be connected to the murder. No one knew who she was. That particular fact doesn't help the sinking feeling in her stomach. She ditches her truck but puts the license plate and registration papers into her bag. She doesn't want to be traced. Then she goes by plane back to Duluth. She's not ready to go to her real home. Not yet.

The plane ride isn't too long, but the flight attendant reminds her to turn off her cell phone. She complies. It's not as if there's anyone to call her anyways.

She orders drink after drink. She knows she's had more than enough, but that doesn't stop her. Jo's life isn't going as perfectly as she hoped. So far, she's a shitty hunter, she misses her mom, she hurt Sam, she killed that Mark guy, and now Dean hates her. The alcohol doesn't help her forget much, but it does soften the razor edges.

It's not long before a man plops down onto the bar stool beside her. For a second she thinks it's Dean. Of course it's not, though. She smiles at him. He looks a little like Dean. When she half closes her eyes and tries to focus on him through her alcohol controlled mind, he looks a lot like Dean.

"Wanna dance?" he finally asks her. She nods and he leads her to the dance floor. Some new pop song is blaring and she just knows Dean would hate it, but she doesn't care what he thinks right now. She dances with the guy, really getting into it. Her hips move against his and his hands lower. Soon he's leading her out of the bar.

His hotel room is more than what she's used to. In any case, he leads her to the bedroom just like he lead her out of the bar and to his car. He's gentle, but she still doesn't like him. They kiss sitting on the bed- she knows she can't stand anymore. The kiss is empty. No passion, no heat. But she wants this.

He lifts up her shirt while she undoes his. He watches as she slides clumsily out of her tight jeans. He's already out of his pants. She isn't really sure when he had time to do that, but she's suddenly laying on the bed and he's on top. There's no foreplay and Jo doesn't care. She just wants this done with. He thrusts into her. He's not that great of a lay, but his enthusiasm kind of makes up for it. Or maybe that's just the alcohol.

When they're done and he's asleep, Jo cries for a little bit. She's disgusted with herself. Dirty. Unclean. She showers. It doesn't help much. She gets dressed and feels like a whore, putting on these tainted clothes. She wants to forget. She'd burn these clothes if she had enough to spare.

She finally remembers her cell phone. Pulling it out of the back pocket of her jeans, she turns it on. One missed call. One new voice message. She listens to the message. It's Dean.

"I messed up real bad. Jo... Call me as soon as you get this. Please."

Her heart and head hurt. She leaves the hotel without waking the man up. She never even learned his name. She doesn't care.

Outside, she hesitates before calling Dean back. She's so ****ed up now. She calls him anyways.

He picks up on the first ring. "Jo?"

"I messed up too, Dean."

"God, Jo. Sam's gone. He played me. Again." Dean's voice is so broken. She hopes he can't hear how broken she feels.

Jo has to comfort him. "It's okay. That demon is a smart one."

"I'm heading to Illinois. You ready for a real hunt?"

Jo's heart stops. This is what she's always wanted, except it's always been the wrong place, wrong time. She's pretty sure it still is the wrong place, wrong time, but for different reasons now. "I don't know, Dean." Too much left unsaid.

"Come to Iowa. We'll talk."

Jo flies to Dean because Dean could never have the strength to fly to her. Jo's strong now.

[Sanity]

Title: Oncidium Orchid (5/?)
Rating: NC-17
Author: dustandluv
Characters: Jo/Dean, Sam
Summary: Jo and Dean hunt for Sam.
Warnings/Spoilers: Up to Born Under a Bad Sign
Author's Note: This chapter was a really fun one to write, and it ended up being so long! It's for sure my favourite chapter so far.
Thank you to bloggybugg for being a great beta again! <3

Chapter Five: Puddles of Blood

Ames, Iowa
Dean drives to the airport. He half wants to see Jo, half doesn't. He knows it'll be hard after what's happened; there'll be anger and silence. It'll probably be as awkward as having coffee with your date's parents. Fortunately, Dean's never really experienced anything close to that. But, he bets it'll be hard like that.

He waits for her at the baggage belt. He watches the luggage go round and round. He arrived too early. People come and go. He wants to leave and go after Sam, yet he waits. A security guard comes over and asks if he needs help with anything. Dean suspects he looks pretty suspicious right about now. He tells the man that he's just waiting for a friend. The security guard nods and wanders off. Dean knows he's still being watched.

"Dean?" says a voice behind him.

He turns and there's Jo. She looks sick. There are bags under her eyes and her skin doesn't have that nice glow he remembers it having. He can tell she's worn out. He doesn't blame her. He guesses he looks just as bad. "Hey Jo," he greets sheepishly.

She gives Dean a small smile. "Gotta get my bag," she says in a clipped, tired voice. She walks over to the baggage belt and hauls off a heavy duffel bag. "Still got the Impala, or did Sam run off with it?" she ventures a guess. She instantly wants to take it back. Shouldn't remind him of Sam.

Dean shakes his head. "Still got my baby. It's a miracle." He takes Jo's bag and slings it over his shoulder, ignoring her protests. He feels like he has to make something up to her. "Hungry?" he asks.

She replies, "No, I'm fine".

He can tell she's not fine at all. "Well I am," he lies. "You might as well have something. Come on Jo, I'll pay."

She reluctantly agrees and follows Dean to the airport food court. He orders some fries and burgers from a stand reeking of grease. At Jo's offer to pay for half, he just waves his credit card. "Nope. You can thank D. Hasselhoff for the meal."

The two sit in near silence. Dean already used up all his idle conversation starters to avoid actually talking about anything of significance. He stuffs his mouth full of fries. Jo puts down the burger she'd been nibbling at. "Dean." She sighs. "You're gonna have to tell me sooner or later what you know. About Sam. About the demon. If you want me here, you have to start sharing." Her eyes are intense.

Dean finishes chewing. He takes a sip of his water. "I know," he says, a bit defensively. "I just can't believe I actually asked you to come along-"

Jo interrupts. "If you don't want me here, I will ****ing leave." She's had enough. She stands and reaches for her duffel bag. Dean kicks the bag out of her reach. She glares from behind a curtain of curled blond hair.

"Sit down, Jo. I didn't mean it like that." He runs a hand through his short hair and continues, "I didn't wanna have to ask anyone for help. You might not get this, but its hard for me to do this. Ask for help, I mean." Jo finally sits again.

She crosses her arms on the table then leans forward and says quietly, "Never be afraid to ask for help."

Dean straightens in his seat. "I'm ready to share now," he says.

He tells Jo what happened, starting after he left her at the bar in Duluth. He only tells her the bare bones about the fight at Bobby's against Sam. It's too painful. He pulls up his sleeve and shows her the 'Illinois' carved into his arm. The word is pink and shiny with scar tissue. Jo wants to touch it, but doesn't. Dean even tells her about the ghost who abused young boys. It's not really necessary, but he has to tell someone. He pauses before continuing and telling Jo how he found Sam with a gun wound at the hospital. Jo looks away. He finishes with how he woke up and called her. Dean never mentions meeting Mark. It has slipped his mind.

"That's everything?" Jo asks and Dean nods. "Thank you," she says slowly.

Dean licks his lips subconsciously. "Tell me why you shot my brother. The whole story." The words are harsh but his voice is soft.

She tells him. She tells him everything. How Sam killed a girl before she arrived, how he'd teased and taunted her, hurt her, told her to stay out of the way and how she shot him. Dean's silent the whole time, nodding to himself once or twice. He gets why she had to do it.

"Let's get out of here," he says, his voice a little rough.

Des Moines, Iowa
Jo falls asleep during the drive. Dean doesn't blame her. It's just cornfields flicking by and he can see she needs the rest. He watches her out of the corner of his eye for a long time. Something is different about her. Something has changed. She's not the girl he knew anymore.

A woman suddenly runs out in front of the Impala. He slams on the brakes. She's yelling for help; tears are streaming down her face. Jo startles awake, eyes wide as she watches Dean get out of the car.

"What's wrong?" Dean asks the sobbing woman. His voice is stern. Jo is standing just behind him.

The woman wipes her face and begins in a shaky voice, "I- I was walking... along this field..." She points a quivering finger at the corn field. "...with my husband." She chokes up and wails. "Gone," she says. "Just... gone."

Dean looks across the wide expanse of corn. Nothing out of the ordinary. He looks back at the woman. He wishes his brother was here to comfort this lady. Dean was never good at the comforting strangers thing.

Jo's instantly there. She has an arm around the crying woman's shoulders and is telling her everything is gonna be alright. Except in most cases, it won't be. Dean frowns. Jo gives him a funny look.

He clears his throat. "Did uhh... your husband just disappear? Was he... grabbed?" He shrugs at Jo's look.

The woman regards him with fearful eyes. "I don't understand," she says between sobs.

Jo takes over. "He just means was your husband there one second and gone the next, or was he pulled away from you?" The woman focuses on Jo, eyes big and glistening like marbles. "Even if you can't believe what you saw, you gotta tell us."

The woman swallows. "Grabbed. He was definitely pulled away," she clarifies.

Jo meets Dean's eyes. He nods. "Come on, ma'am. We'll find your husband. Just wait in the car," he says and opens the door for her. "We'll be back soon." Dean slips the car keys into his pocket.

Dean, armed with a shotgun, and Jo, with a blade, push through the mass of corn. They are in way over their heads. Dean leads the way. He's responsible for her now. Gotta protect the girl.

Jo's alert and goosebumps cover her bare arms. She doesn't like this at all. "What do you think it is?" she asks Dean quietly.

"Don't know," he says. "Some kind of freak monster, I bet."

There's a loud rustle behind him, but Jo doesn't answer. He glances over his shoulder and she's gone, from right under his nose. "Shit!" he curses loudly. "****," he adds softly. He clenches his jaw and his grip tightens on the gun. He won't lose another. Not like Sam.

The corn is thick in every direction. He runs. Runs to save that woman's husband, runs to save Jo. It's dusk by now. The corn looks eerie and imposing. He doesn't stop.

Dean stumbles into a clearing. The corn has all been hacked down to form a rough circle. Puddles of blood are dark against the brown earth. A man and woman are tied up and gagged, lying face down in the dirt. The woman's blond hair surrounds a pretty face. "Jo," he whispers and kneels down beside her. Dean bites the inside of his lip. What kind of monster has to tie up its prey?

Jo mumbles something through the gag but he can't understand. He gently pulls out the gag and Jo urgently says, "Dean, it's a ****ing trap!" But it's too late. Corn shifts and suddenly there's a dark shadow standing at the edge of the clearing. It steps forward and Dean sees it's just a guy. Just a kid.

"Who are you?" the guy abruptly asks, crossing his arms over his chest. He doesn't come any closer.

Dean's a bit stunned at the question. He surprises himself by actually answering. "...Dean."

"Would you happen to be Dean Winchester?" the guy asks. Dean can now see the guy has short spiky black hair. "I'm Daniel," he says and smiles. He looks twisted. Dean raises his shotgun.

"Heard of me?" Dean asks Daniel with a quirk of an eyebrow. "Why don't you be a nice little boy and let these people go?" he requests in a belittling voice. Dean can already tell he doesn't like Daniel much.

Daniel moves his head from side to side, as if listening to music only he can hear. He ignores Dean's request. "I've heard a lot about you. In fact, your dear brother filled me in. He's quite the gossip, ain't he?"

"Where's Sam?" Dean asks, voice low and dangerous.

"Oh I haven't seen dear Sammy for a few days. We had good times here. Where do you think all the blood came from? Sammy really is quite a blood thirsty guy. Who would have thought?"

Dean's had enough. "No one gets to call him Sammy but me. Don't talk about him like that you ****ing son of a bitch!"

Jo's been quiet, listening. Watching it all play out. "Dean," she warns. She's still tied up, but she knows that isn't the problem right now. Dean's just going to make this freak mad and get himself killed.

As much as Dean hates this guy, he's desperate for any information. He takes a breath. "Tell me why Sam was with you."

Daniel is suddenly serious. "After our fun," he looks pointedly at the blood then continues, "He told me that I'd get to use my powers for a real good use. Something about fighting a war." He smiles. "He told me not to tell anyone. Guess I gotta kill you then, Dean. It really is too bad, you seem like a great guy." The smile widens. "Bye Dean."

Daniel is there in a flash. He's trained his psychic powers to the max. He doesn't even care about all he's lost in the process. He smashes Dean over the head with his bare hand and Dean crumples to the ground. Jo tries to scramble away, but there's rope trapping her arms and legs. Daniel is suddenly towering over her. He presses her face into the ground, grinding her cheek into blood and dirt. She's gasping for air. Daniel chooses this moment to draw a long blade out of nowhere. He grabs the husband, who's long unconscious, and starts by cutting open the man's shirt.

Dean comes to. The stink of blood is so strong. He can almost taste it. Daniel has his back to him and is bent over something. A body. Daniel senses Dean and turns. "I'm glad you're finally awake, Dean. Been waiting. You need to see this-" he moves out of the way and reveals the husband's bare body, covered in bloody slices that read: 'The Yellow-Eyed Demon made my do it'. Dean's reminded of his arm. Daniel laughs. "Clever, yeah?" The husband's chest slowly rises and falls. God. He's still alive.

"You see, I've had these dreams for so long. When the demon finally came to me in your brother's body..." Daniel says as he wipes the blood off the blade. "Felt so ****ing good. I knew I wasn't crazy."

Dean shudders. "I'm sorry, but dude... if this isn't crazy, I don't know what is." He has to joke. It's joke or throw up.

"You know what, Dean? I don't really care what you think." Daniel stands. "I'm moving on to much more important things. Now that you've seen my latest piece of art," he gestures to the husband, "I'm afraid to admit that I... need a new canvas now."

Dean prepares for a fight. His shotgun is gone, but he's ready. He wants this bastard dead. Instead of coming for him, Daniel and his ****ing blade go for Jo. Gotta protect the girl. Dean launches himself at Daniel, and is surprised that he actually connects. Daniel isn't as tough as he looks.

Dean fights clumsily but rough. Daniel doesn't seem to do so well under pressure. Dean gets a few solid punches in and manages to yank the blade out of Daniel's grasp. The two men fumble until the blade sinks into flesh. It's sharp and slides in effortlessly. Blood oozes from Daniel's stomach. Daniel's eyes are wide and shocked. He'd never expected it to go down like this.

Dean untangles himself from Daniel's quickly dying body. He feels weird and shaky. He glances over at Jo. She looks dead. She's covered with dirt and blood. It doesn't look like she's breathing.

"****, Jo," Dean gasps and takes her into his arms. He madly brushes off the muck on her face. She lays limp. "Come on, come on." He jiggles her and she eventually coughs. "Jo," he says.

"Dean?" She coughs again. "Untie me, please," she asks weakly. Her voice is raspy.

He laughs. Not because it's particularly funny, but because if he doesn't he might just cry. He quickly unties her.

"Uh, Dean... I'm okay... Can you put me down now?" she says. If Jo didn't know any better, she would think Dean was blushing.

Dean's light mood disappears when he glances at Daniel's body. There's too much blood for him to still be alive, but Dean checks for a pulse anyways. There's no pulse. "Jo, I killed him," he says.

"It's okay. He was a bad man," she replies. Mark. Mark wasn't a bad guy. It was just the demon inside. She has no excuse.

Dean rubs at the stubble on his jaw line. "Doesn't matter. He was still human. We aren't supposed to be killing humans." His eyes never leave the body.

Jo doesn't know what to say. "Come on Dean. The lady's husband is still alive. We gotta get back. Gotta take him to a hospital." Anything but have this conversation.

"I guess so," he says and lifts the husband up, carrying him fireman style. He heads in what he guesses is the right direction through the corn field, not waiting for Jo. Not even looking back. Jo feels sick and wishes she hadn't agreed to come along. She follows.

[Sanity]

Title: Oncidium Orchid (6/?)
Rating: NC-17
Author: dustandluv
Characters: Jo/Dean, Sam
Summary: Jo and Dean hunt for Sam.
Warnings/Spoilers: Up to Born Under a Bad Sign
Author's Note: Sorry for the long gap since the last chapter... I've been really busy. But here it is now! And I'm already half done the next chapter.
Thank you to bloggybugg for being a great beta again! <3

Chapter Six: Motel-Courtesy Cloth

Des Moines, Iowa
Dean and Jo leave the dead body in the cornfield and drop the woman and her husband off at the hospital. They drive into town in silence. Dean looks angry and Jo is scared and bleeding on the seat. Dean would have normally said something, but he's too out of it.

Dean pays for a room with two beds. Jo suggests they could save a little money and just get one bed and she'd sleep on the floor. He insists on two beds.

Jo's hurt pretty bad. There's blood and dirt caked in crumbly patches on her face. A deep cut caresses her hairline. She's pale. Lost a little blood; not fatal though.

He's not too bad. But then again, he didn't get his face crushed into the mud by a crazy person. "Sit down," he says to her, gesturing to the closest bed. Jo does as he says. There's a power in his face, real commanding. "I think you need stitches," he tells her with a thoughtful frown.

Jo smiles faintly. "Really, I'm fine." At Dean's raised eyebrows, she continues, "It's not a good idea to go to a hospital right now."

"I can do it," he replies distantly, already rummaging through his bag for the first aid kit.

She laughs in disbelief. "I said I'm fine. I'll just go wash up." She crosses the room to the bathroom, but Dean is already there, blocking her path. She sidesteps; he mirrors. She tries to shove past, but he grabs hold of her shoulders and spins her, pinning her against the wall. "What are you doing?" Jo asks, voice a little frantic from the sudden pain.

He looks down at her. "Gotta let me stitch you up, ma'am."

"Let me go, now."

"Come on, Jo. Please." He gives her a puppy-eyed look that could challenge Sam's. She just sighs.

"Listen, Dean. I am not going to let you, wielding a needle, anywhere near my face." She smiles a small, almost apologetic smile.

In a second, his whole face hardens. He couldn't be compared to a puppy or even Sam anymore. "I know what I'm doing," he says darkly. Jo just looks up at him. He continues, "I have ****ing sewed my dad and brother's faces back together when they're messes of blood and flesh more than once. I think I can fix your one little scratch."

Jo bites her lip. "Fine. Whatever. Just do it then." She pushes away from him and goes to sit on the bed. Dean doesn't say a word, just comes over and dabs a wet motel-courtesy cloth against her face then sews her back up with quick, neat stitches. Barely hurts.

When he's finished, Jo touches his arm. "I can do the same for you," she says softly. "Return the favour." She shrugs. Just saying 'thank you' would never be enough.

Dean shakes her hand off. "No. Let's just go to sleep." He turns off the light and climbs into the other bed. Doesn't even wash his own blood off. Jo is kind of hurt but complies. She pulls the sheets way up over her head, like she did when she was little, and hides from the monsters.

--

Dean wakes up. The sun is too bright and hurts his eyes. "Shit," he mutters under his breath, knowing he should have remembered to close the curtains the night before. He pulls the blankets aside and flinches as his stiff clothes rub against skin. They stink. He hadn't even taken off his jacket.

He looks over at the empty bed beside his. Sam. He runs a shaky hand through his messy hair. His brother was always running out early every morning for coffee. He suddenly remembers. Not Sam. Jo. Where's Jo? "****!" he says.

He stumbles over to the door to see her bags exactly where she left them last night. His groggy mind decides she'll be back soon. He goes back to sleep.

--

Hours later, Dean wakes again. The room is still as empty as it was before. He reckons she probably came by when he was sleeping and didn't want to wake him so left again. He'll wait up for her. Dean calls Jo's cell phone a few times. No answer. He flicks the dusty television set on and watches some music channel. He's not really paying attention to the show.

Jo should be back by now. Worry burns at the pit of Dean's stomach. Something could have happened to her. He should have kept a closer eye on the girl. This couldn't be happening again so soon. He leaves the room after arming himself with a couple daggers and a gun.

It's raining. Dean is surprised. Doesn't rain much here this time of the year. What if that means something? He stands outside the motel, not knowing where to start. Droplets splatter across his face and trail down his neck, soaking into his jacket. Dean doesn't like the rain.

He decides going on foot is the best idea. After all, Jo would be on foot as well. He jogs to the coffee shop down the street. No Jo. He tries the bar next. It's a little early for drinking, but you never know. Again, no Jo. Store after store, there's still no Jo. The worry in his stomach builds. It's like flames licking at his insides, the parts no one should ever see or even know they exist in a guy like him. He phones her again. No answer. He leaves an angry message, "Jo, I hope you get this soon. I don't care what you're doing or who you're with, just get your ass back to the motel or call me back." After hanging up he realizes he sounds just like a typical parent. So not cool.

He goes back to the room after another half hour of searching. Still no Jo.

[Sanity]

Title: Oncidium Orchid (7/?)
Rating: NC-17
Author: dustandluv
Characters: Jo/Dean, Sam
Summary: Jo and Dean hunt for Sam.
Warnings/Spoilers: Up to Born Under a Bad Sign
Author's Note: I'm going on holiday tomorrow for a week, so this is probably going to be my last update until I get back.
Thank you to bloggybugg for being a great beta again! <3

Chapter Seven: Recent Tragedies

Unknown, Illinois
The Night Before
The demon inside Sam is furious. He punches a hole straight through the wall. Bits of plaster penetrate his human fist and blood trickles down his fingers. "I couldn't have heard you right," he says with a growl into the telephone.

The man on the other line stutters, "Sir- I'm just tellin' ya what I saw. Dean Winchester and the girl are both here in the motel." A long pause. "What do you what me to do?"

Sam thinks for a moment. What does he want done about this little problem? "Don't do anything. I'm coming," he says before hanging up.

Des Moines, Iowa
Jo can't sleep. She rolls over and sees Dean already snoring. She doesn't want to wake him up so she tip toes out of the room and goes down to the lobby. It's empty this late and the man at the front desk gives her a weird look but doesn't say a word. She sits on one of the couches and picks up a newspaper. She scans it quickly for anything about a dead man found in a cornfield before realizing it wouldn't be in the paper so soon. She sighs and tucks her hair behind her ear just as someone plops down next to her.

"You couldn't sleep either?" she asks Dean awkwardly, not looking up from the paper.

Sam leans in. "What are you doing here, Jo?"

She jolts away by reflex, putting as much space between them on the small couch as possible. Looking up at the man at the desk, she sees he's focused on a book and hasn't noticed a thing. Sam puts a large hand on her knee. "I'm not gonna hurt you. Just wanna talk," he says in a soft voice.

Jo watches him closely for any sudden movements. "Fine then, talk," she says in the strongest voice she can.

Sam smiles wide enough to show dimples. He shakes his head, amused. He finally looks at her and asks, "How many times do you have to be told to just go home?" His words are harsh yet his voice remains good-humoured.

Jo scowls. "You and your flunkies sound like broken records. For the last time, I am not going home."

Sam scootches closer to her. He moves his hand on her knee further up her thigh. He whispers against her hair, "You are a dirty, murdering whore. Go home."

Tears spring to her eyes. "Dean needs me."

Sam laughs loudly, nothing like the real Sam's laugh. He doesn't move away. He takes a strand of her hair and twirls it around his index finger. "How could Dean possibly need you? I'm sure he spends more time saving your ass than actually accomplishing anything."

"If I'm such a burden, why do you care so much? In fact, you should want me dragging Dean down, right?" She almost smiles. She has him there.

"Wrong." He snaps and smashes her head into the coffee table. She's out like a light and he slings her over his shoulder with ease. Sam nods to the man at the front desk whose eyes flash demon black as he carries Jo out the door.

--

Present Time
Dean is soaked. The rain is coming down as hard as ever. He still hasn't found Jo. She hasn't called. No clues. He rubs his forehead in frustration. He wants to be angry with her, but he's just scared more than anything.

He accidentally bumps into a girl. "Sorry," he mumbles and continues on his way back to the motel, barely giving her a second look.

"Dean?" the girl asks in an unsure voice. She has dark brown hair and big glasses. He doesn't recognize her, but figures she's some chick he laid awhile back.

He doesn't have time for this. Why don't girls like this ever understand one night stands? "Uh... Maria? Julie? Kristen?" he fumbles for a name. Truth is, most of the time he never even cares enough to learn their names.

The girl looks confused for a minute then shakes her head. She lowers her voice, "I know about your brother. And Joanna Harvelle. Come with me, please." Dean doesn't ask any questions. He just follows.

Her apartment is small and scattered with papers covering every table, piled on the floor, even on the bed. There's no empty place to sit so Dean leans against the wall closest to the door, one hand inside his jacket, just a tiny reach to a knife.

"My name is Karen..." she says distractedly, already going through a stack of papers on the kitchen counter. She doesn't appear to be dangerous, but Dean knows even the most innocent child can be evil. "I know this is gonna sound kind of weird but... I think I've been uh... writing about you."

Dean raises an eyebrow. "What?"

Karen continues to flip through the pages. "You see... I've always wanted to be a writer." She pushes her glasses up before they slip off the tip of her nose. "For months I've been getting these really uh... vivid images. Like moments... parts of a story- or something..." She takes one of the papers from near the bottom of a pile before going to the table and going through those ones. "I've been jotting them all down. I wanted to write a novel with them..."

Dean clears his throat awkwardly and tries to humour her. "So what's this story about?" he asks gruffly.

She finally looks up at him and smiles faintly. "It's mostly about a family... the Winchesters. John, the recently deceased hunter; Mary, the long dead wife; Sam and Dean are their sons. They hunt just like their father did. Sammy has visions of the future and tries to help people. Dean... well you're Dean, aren't you?" She stops rummaging and waits for him to say something. Anything.

Dean doesn't know what to say. This girl- whoever or whatever she is- knows too much about his family. "Yeah, I'm Dean," he says.

She laughs. "I thought I just had a really great imagination, you know? Like I'd become a famous author." Karen laughs again then takes off her glasses and polishes them clean with the sleeve of her sweater. "Then I saw you out there... in the rain..." She pauses. "Looked exactly how I'd written Dean... my character. But you're not just a character, are you?"

Dean still doesn't really know what to make of all this. "No, I'm not a character." He walks over and looks at the notes. They're filled with scribbles of his past. Dean getting into fights at school... John taking them to practice shooting targets... Sam running away to college. "So you get visions?" he asks. This Karen girl must be like Sam.

"I guess so," she says. "It doesn't seem like such a crazy idea in your world... I mean... our world? You're here, so it must all be real. I had a fire in my nursery, like Sam did. Like Andy did. I thought I was just putting a little bit of myself into the story... but it actually did happen to these people... right?"

Dean nods. "You said you also knew about Jo?" Honestly, he is a little freaked out. This girl knows everything about him, but she could still know some things he didn't.

Karen smiles knowingly. "Ah yes, the heroine of our story. Despite the recent tragedies, she continues to help you on your journey."

"Tragedies? What tragedies?" he asks with a frown.

"Hang on," Karen replies before leafing through some notes on the couch. "Here we go..." she says, holding one out for Dean to take. "Killing that man is a huge burden she's had to carry... or so I've written."

Dean snatches the paper. This could be the future. He quickly reads and realizes just how wrong he is. It was before he'd even picked Jo up at the airport. She killed that demon. Mark. Dean feels his face reddening with rage. How could that little bitch not have told him all this?

A muscle jumps in his jaw and he resists the urge to crumple the paper into a ball and throw it at Karen. Instead, he carefully folds it and tucks it into his jacket pocket. "What happened after Jo and I killed Daniel in that cornfield?" he asks slowly.

Karen grins, seemingly oblivious to Dean's sudden anger. "Oooh I know," she says. "I just wrote that part this morning." She picks up a paper from the coffee table. She quickly scans the page before saying to Dean, "Okay, well, Dean... err... you and Jo go to a motel and you give her stitches. You fall asleep... Jo doesn't... She goes to the lobby then your brother, Sam, carries her away after knocking her out..."

Dean bites the inside of his lip. This story is not turning out so well. "Is that all? 'Sam carries her away'?"

Karen begins to look a little flustered. "You see, I don't really get many words or feelings or anything... just the plot, I think."

He shakes his head. "I mean, what happens next? Where does he take her? What does he want with her?"

She looks at him curiously. "That's all I've written... nothing past that. Do you... uh do you know what happens yet? I mean, did anything else happen to you?"

"No," he says harshly.

"Um, okay. Maybe I can only 'see' what's already happened? Like your brother sees the future and I see the past. That makes sense, right?" Karen responds thoughtfully.

"So you can't help me find Jo or Sammy, then," Dean replies darkly.

Karen smiles and gestures at her notes. "I never said that."

next chapter coming in about a week because I'm on vacation!