Death in the Mountains

The sun had barely risen over the mountains when Nora heard two SUVs rumbling up the road. Nora was knitting in her favorite rocker on the porch waiting. A young man in his mid-twenties, an older woman and a dog approached. The young man gave a smile that flashed dimples. "Morning Ms. Bonesteel, Dean asked me to look in on you. I’m Nathan St. James."

Nora nodded and then fixed him with a gimlet eye. "Tell Dean I'll be fine, and I won’t have any of your mind tricks young man. I know all about it. Tell Will I’ll be keeping an eye on you."

The young man nodded quickly, a rueful expression on his face as if he should have known he would get this type of reception. "I'll be staying at Half Moon Farm while your Guardians are in Hawaii. I've assigned Jordan," he indicated the willowy woman beside him, "to stay with you and help in any way."

Nora noted the family resemblance. "Your sister?"

Nathan’s smile reached his eyes.

"Yes," Jordan grinned, "I am a trained search and rescue worker. This is Dino," she indicated the Bloodhound beside her, "he is trained in both tracking/trailing and as a cadaver dog. Most search and rescue dogs aren’t as talented."

Nathan quickly outlined his plan for his sister to begin work on finding the bodies of the hikers in the hills, using Nora's cabin as a base for now.

Nora nodded, she appreciated having the company and she was missing Old Rattler something fierce. She would not have accepted another psychic. Nathan knew that, but Jordan was a ground, almost as strong as Dean. She also had the aura of earth magic about her.

After Nathan left, Nora set Jordan to work in the garden picking cucumbers and tomatoes while she went to fix some of her special lemonade. Nora hummed as she worked, relieved that the poor souls of the demons other victims would be found. They could be laid to rest and their friends and families would have at least some answers.

* * *

Joe found himself moved by the strange but satisfying ceremony held by Will and Emma. Although both were Pagan, they strived to make the memorial service as spiritual and inter-faith as possible. This simple ceremony acknowledged what had really happened to not only the victims of last night's demon but the victims of the other demons as well. Martha and Rattler’s official funerals were tomorrow. Although they would be honored as heroes in both ceremonies, there were no secrets here, no carefully edited and incomplete truths.

The early morning sun beat down on the still slightly muddy fields just beyond the gardens behind the house. Will and Emma had decided not to use the ritual circle on the back of the property out of respect for those here who were not Pagan. Still, there was a peaceful tranquility here as life abounded all around them. He could smell the drying straw, see the blaze of marigolds planted around the edges of the vegetable garden and hear the squirrels chattering in nearby trees. Cats, dogs and several of the horses appeared to be attending as well.

Sam and Dean stood next to him in silent support, each holding their cats. Vera and Jay were still in the house, Vera for obvious reasons and Jay with a concussion. Mike, the asshole doctor, looked grim. Joe wondered how he dealt with having the healing gift but was powerless to stop all death and bloodshed last night.

Zip was sobbing quietly, rubbing his upper arms and shoulders, unconsciously trying to wipe away the feeling of blood.

He turned his attention back to Will and Emma, who were now speaking about Martha. Joe felt cold tears unexpectedly running down his face. It had been three days and he still had a hard time believing she was gone. He kept expecting her to walk through the door at home, unhooking her belt and carefully putting away her sidearm. Now, whatever Will and Emma were doing made it painfully clear that he would never see her again.

His equilibrium was somewhat restored by the end of the ceremony when they were honoring Shade, Vera’s cat. Before the past few days Joe would have been offended by a memorial service for a cat being included, but after all Griffin had done the night of the storm he understood.

Sam’s little cat began squalling, her high pitched cries of distress seemed to be the breaking point for many people as several of the more stoic broke down themselves.

After the ceremony, there were embraces and shared tears among the Order members. Joe accepted their sympathies but stayed beside Sam and Dean, accepting their steadfast support. The two young men, moved to silent tears by the ceremony, held themselves with admirable dignity. As everyone was leaving, Dean clasped him on the shoulder with a firm squeeze that was both comforting and understanding.

He met Dean’s eyes; he knew the plan was still on for later today. Joe nodded slightly to show he understood. Joe went into the house to see Jane Arrowood and to wait for a chance to talk to Dean.

* * *

Sam signaled Dean he wanted to talk, so they wandered the edge of the fields out towards the hay barn. The farm was sprawling, so there were still sections of it the two of them did not know very well. The thoughts that kept running through Sam's mind during the ceremony were revenge and guilt. Why had they wasted so much time here when they could have been hunting down that evil hell spawn? How could he have let Jessica's killer get away last night?

"Dean, let's leave together."

"What? I can't do that. I promised Vera I'd look out for Jay," Dean said, his voice still raspy from being choked by the demon.

"Look," Sam grimaced doubting that either Vera or Jay would live if they stayed around much longer. "They'd be better off without us. That demon will never stop hunting me."

Dean scowled, "You want us to just abandon them. Who was it that insisted only last week that our future was here?" He narrowed his eyes, "Who are you?"

Sam was exasperated, "How many more people are going to die or get hurt because we’re targets? We’ve got work to do, I've never seen you turn down a job before and that demon is the biggest hunt of our lives. Damn it Dean, I'm not saying forever! It's just until we get the demon."

Dean shook his head stubbornly. "A month ago I'd have agreed with you but not now. We can't beat this thing by ourselves and certainly not right now. I'm not hunting with you until you get yourself under control."

Sam thrust out his jaw mulishly, "What do you mean, not hunting with me? I am in control."

Dean scoffed, "Since when? You're still tagged, how much of it is Ben's doing and how much is yours?"

Sam jerked back, totally offended, "I helped Mike with Vera last night and I did fine."

Dean stood absolutely still for a moment staring at him, as if he was taking his measure. "You were just hanging on, weren't you? Sam I can not afford to have you flipping out on me in the middle of the action."

"I'm trying to get a grasp on things here Dean. I have witches giving me lessons, psychics with a straw in my brain and a demon stalking me. I just want to leave before anyone else gets hurt."

"No one else is going to get hurt! Emma put up the protections. Nora is safe. What is the real problem Sammy?"

Sam winced at the name, how could he explain he did not want to be separated from his big brother without sounding like a baby. Not now, not with things so messed up. Not when he was realizing the strength and depth of the bond between them and how much he needed his brother.

Dean, for once, caught on, "It's only for a couple months Sam. We'll be together again." Dean put his hand on his neck, squeezing lightly. "With you going to the Priory all our bases are covered. If the Comacines make excuses and keep us in Hawaii, then you can make our application to the Conclave. They want to keep every strong psychic they find and we can’t hunt while they have you locked up. We’re not alone anymore Sammy. You know Vera and the coven here can help us."

Sam was desperate, Dean was making sense but he needed his brother more than the others did. He ramped up the empathy to overwhelm Dean and convince him to leave.

Dean pushed him away angrily. "Stop that crap! I can tell what you're doing and I won't put up with it. We have a good plan just stick to the plan!"

"Am I supposed to be your good little soldier and blindly follow orders the way you did for dad? We saw how well that worked out." Sam spat out bitterly. It was a cheap shot but he was pissed.

Dean threw a roundhouse punch that almost laid Sam out in the dirt. As Sam staggered to get his footing, Dean got in his face, furious.

"Sam, things can't go back the way they were. You think this psychic stuff is just going to go away by itself? You need training and I can't help you with that. The only job I've ever had was to look out for you. Right now that means making sure you get what you need and I can’t give that to you." After a few tense moments Dean spoke again, "Let's go see Nora. Maybe she can talk some sense into you. She’s made more sense than everyone combined since we got to the Twilight Zone."

Sam stormed off. He’d go see Nora because he wanted to say goodbye to her anyways.

* * *

Zip watched the Winchester brothers from an upstairs window as Dean threw a punch and Sam stormed off. Admiration shined in his eyes. Even though Dean was shorter than his brother he could more than hold his own, Dean Winchester was so cool. He saw the deputy-sheriff sneak out to see Dean. They disappeared into the carriage house where Dean had moved his classic car.

Something was going on and he wanted to be part of it. He easily gave his distracted keepers the slip and snuck out to find out what was going on. He overheard Dean and LeDonne talking about some kind of plan to get Sam and Maryanne to Asheville. That meant the Priory had to be involved somehow since that was where their headquarters was.

Dean never noticed him hiding in the kudzu, a thick ivy-like plant that was creeping up the side of the old brick building. The interesting thing about the psychic invisibility trick was that it made people less likely to notice you physically as well. It was the ultimate in stealth tactics.

This was his chance. Zip was more terrified of going back to Hawaii than of running away. When he first arrived in Hawaii, they tested him for psychic abilities and found none. He felt the disappointment like a razor's edge. It was unusual for a Comacine not to have any psychic ability. He was not even a ground and so the Comacines treated him as inferior when they noticed him at all. How could his Order possibly train him in an ability that was so rare they did not even recognize he had it?

Now, in less than a week, the whole community knew that he had one of the rarest psychic abilities in the world. His name was now number one on the kidnap list and he was determined to protect himself using any means necessary, even if it meant learning magic. Last night was all the proof he needed. He had used a combination of psychic ability and magic to make himself psychically invisible and it had protected him from the demon. Maybe if Billy Ray or Ginger had known... he shuddered away from the memory while scrubbing his shoulders and arms with his hands.

His Comacine family would never agree to him learning magic because of their deep entrenched suspicion of it and he could never understand that decision. They said you should stick to one or the other: psychic or magic and that it was dangerous to mix the two. By serving as translator at the Conclave for the past few years he had developed a healthy curiosity. Sneaking books from Vera's library and the brief session with Jay only reinforced it.

Running away to ask for sanctuary at the Priory with Sam was a huge risk. He knew other Orders and Lines were lurking out in the woods waiting to get their hands on him. They almost got the Stargills a few days ago. Zip refused to be punished by his Order for learning magic. He would never put his life in jeopardy by running away on his own, but with Sam, Dean and others involved, it was a calculated risk. Now he realized why Jay taught Sam the "invisible" trick. It would be the only way to move through the woods without a pack of bounty hunters on their trail or the rest of the Comacines trying to find him and drag him back.

Knowing the Priory had an energy booster who could show him the ropes was a big relief, even if it was Red Dog. The red head was almost as tall as Sam was and looked like the type that would kill for fun. He had seen both Red Dog and Will Woodfin at the Conclave but had never spoken to them. He had heard enough rumors about the two of them to know they could be very dangerous if they wanted to be.

He was sure it was no accident that a snake mysteriously bit Jennifer Greer, the Knight’s only booster, while she was hiking. Zip figured the Knights were planning to ambush the farm, kill Vera and kidnap Jay. Vera escaped death three times this week, once when they were shooting at her, once from the Knights and then again last night when the demon attacked. She must have a powerful guardian angel, Zip thought, remembering Pascal talk about the angel he saw in his visions. He did a quick prayer, hoping the angel would watch over him as well.

Zip would watch and wait for his chance.

* * *

After Joe left, Dean wandered back out to the ritual circle. He thought about all that had happened in the last month and mourned the loss of his old life. Maybe Sam was right. So much had happened and these people expected so much from him. Before, he was a hunter, a brother, a son. Now he was a brother, a deputy sheriff, a Hunt leader and trainer as well. In Wake County he had a whole community looking to him for protection. Only now was he beginning to understand his role and the pressure of being in charge.

A sudden glimmer of light on the ground near the altar drew his attention. Kneeling, he found things that send a shock through him.

His fingers found the cool, sharp angles of a quartz crystal, picking it up Dean realized that this was the crystal he had used to find Sam. The silver chain was still attached and as he pulled in out of the mud his ring popped free from the earth. Dean grasped both in his fist for a moment, remembering blood and darkness; lightning and rain; bullets singing and the rolling chant of Vera’s voice, strong and sure for the last time. Joe having his back, Griffin diving down a steep hill to bring him back the crystal and ring that Dean now held. Clayt Stargill’s instant and steady trust, Jane Arrowood’s kind words, Nora bringing hope to Dean for the first time since their father died. Despite his losing fights with cancer, Jude Rice coming to the sheriff’s office to vouch for him after his arrest.

Dean felt the blur of tears prickle his eyes when he noticed a strange texture in the mud. With searching hands, he pulled the cord Vera had worn around her waist the night of the storm, its colors now dimmed with mud, but Dean remembered the blood that stained the cord under the dirt. Vera’s blood, Sam’s blood, how Vera had used it in a ritual that somehow saved Sammy. He remembered she also wore a necklace that night. Thinking it must be important; he continued feeling around in the muck until his fingers found it.

In the quiet sounds of the beautiful summer morning, Dean allowed himself to cry. After all that had been taken from him over the past year, and all that was being offered to him now, he realized that he really had a choice for the first time in his life. Dad was no longer around to give orders, and John Winchester’s view of the world had been so screwed up that Dean felt like he was really seeing the world with his own eyes for the first time in his life.

"Damn you Dad." The low growl came as a surprise, he was not even aware he said it until he heard his own voice. With a fury, he began to pound the earth, in that instant hating his father with every fiber of his being. He was angry about his lost childhood, about Sam’s near insanity, about how alone they had been and now he was so fucked up he did not know how to have a real relationship with anyone besides Sam.

Gasping, Dean finally began to calm down. No, they were not going to leave, not the way Sammy wanted. Sam was afraid of drawing the demon back. They were not alone anymore; if anyone could help them kill the demon it was Nora and the coven here on this farm. The Winchesters had run their entire lives, away from the tragedy in Lawrence, after whatever evil they could find. Now it was time to make a stand. Getting up, Dean looked at the mountains around them, the crumbling farmhouse that Vera and her friends were valiantly trying to restore and the overgrown gardens.

This was it. He and Sammy would do what was needed. Sam and Maryanne needed to go to the Priory for training and get out of the Comacine's grasp. He had given his word to Vera to watch out for Jay, even if it meant getting on an airplane to go to Hawaii. The Winchesters paid their debts.

Then he was coming home and training his team to go after that yellow-eyed son of a bitch and any other hell spawn they could find.

* * *

Dean found Emma surveying all the damage to the garden. Griffin limped beside him, almost as if he was afraid to let Dean out of his sight for two seconds. "Hi Emma, I'm Dean Winchester," he paused, "we spoke on the phone."

Emma gave him a blank look and then remembered their conversation. "Oh, yes. Sorry, but in all the confusion, I'd forgotten about you." She watched as Griffin rubbed himself around Dean's legs. "So he picked you, huh? That tall man standing next to you at the service, is he your brother Sam?"

Dean nodded and held out his hand, offering Vera’s cord and necklace. "I found this out in the Circle. Maybe you should hang on to it until Vera gets better."

Emma's hands convulsed around the two items, "Her cord, there's blood on it! The necklace, the amber's melted and a lot of the jet has been broken." She slumped to the ground holding the two items; somehow this upset her even more than seeing Vera for the first time.

Dean wondered how she could tell the blood was there underneath the mud as he knelt next to her, concerned for the older woman. "It is blood, my brother's," he said slowly. "Vera was doing some sort of ritual to get rid of the demon that was leeching off him. She channeled lightning to destroy the thing."

"Why did Vera Initiate him?" Emma asked, looking up into Dean’s face. "While I was performing cleansing rituals last night to the house, he followed me around. He was drawn to the energy, like a moth to a flame."

"Lots of weird shit has been happening to him lately. Our dad died, his girlfriend was killed by that demon from last night, and then he turned into this super psychic."

Emma shook her head, "No, you don't turn into one. He was one all along. I saw him holding the white kitten; you know I spent weeks bottle-feeding her. It figures she'd choose someone else."

Dean smiled looking down at Griffin, "I can't figure cats any more than psychics and yet I seem to collect them."

"You and me both," Emma stood up, waiving off Dean’s offer of help. "I knew I shouldn't have left Vera alone, I knew it! She always needs someone to keep her head on straight."

Dean shrugged, "She's as stubborn as they come. I bet she never told you she was running the farm all by herself for the past month before we showed up."

By the look on Emma's face, it was obvious she was not aware. She looked furious. He told her about Jay's arrest, his parents throwing him out, the meeting with Nora, moving in, the Comacine invasion, all of it. By the end of it, Emma was fuming, "If she wasn't already on death's doorstep I'd put her there myself. Anything else she's been hiding?"

Dean laughed, a dry scratch out of his bruised throat. "You think she'd tell me? This is all stuff I found out while living here. She really didn't want to take on Sam as a student, I can understand why, with everything else that she was dealing with. But it was a matter of life and death. She saved my brother's life twice now. I owe her a lot and I'll protect Jay with my life I can promise you that."

"Good. I'll hold you to that." Emma's eyes narrowed. "I understand from Will that you and Sam want to make this your territory."

"Listen, according to Nora Bonesteel and these Orders, Vera and Jay are Guardians for this area. My brother and I are hunters. We weren't planning to stay but then everything started happening. Next thing I know, I get adopted by the Wylers, and Joe LeDonne, Maryanne and Ruby Wyler are now part of my team."

Emma regarded Dean thoughtfully and hummed.

Dean took a breath, if anyone had the right to object, she did, considering she was the manager of the farm. "So if you have any objections to us staying here and making Half Moon Farm our base of operations, then you better say so now."

For the first time since she arrived Emma smiled, "That Impala yours?" When Dean nodded, she made up her mind, "Either you or Sam has to be a mechanic to keep that thing going. We have tractors that need tune ups. We’ll settle you into the carriage house. You and Sam have to pay for the renovations and your utilities, but I think it could work out."

Dean grinned, relieved that everything was falling into place. "Engines, I understand. I think I can get Sam to guilt Mike into paying so that won't be a problem."

* * *

The sounds of "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'n Roses rocked the Impala as Dean and Sam made their way Nora's place. Dean did not want to argue any more so he kept the volume up. The Comacines were very reluctant to let Sam go with Dean, saying he was not stable enough yet. That set Sam off and made him even more determined to go see Nora.

Nora had lunch waiting for them when they arrived. She explained Jordan was off buying supplies in town so they were alone. They did not speak while they ate, Nora kept filling Dean's glass with that unique tasting lemonade, and he kept draining it. Sam steadily munched his way through a stack of chicken salad sandwiches.

They moved to the living room, Nora sat in a rocker while Dean and Sam settled on the couch. Dean fingered his ring, glad to have it back before he spoke, "I told you about my plan for Sam and Maryanne to go to the Priory, but he now doesn't want to go. He wants both of us to just leave."

Nora just looked at Sam expectantly.

Put on the spot, Sam mumbled, "I, I just think...." and his voice trailed off.

Nora looked back at Dean, who huffed at Sam.

"He wants things to be the same as they were before, us hunting together. He feels responsible for people getting killed and hurt. I tried to convince him but maybe he'll listen to you."

Nora gently chided, "Come on Sam."

"It's too dangerous for people to be around me. I just want to go back on the road again and kill that demon." Sam stood up and paced in front of the large glass window.

"Son, you'd be even more of a danger if you did that. Come along now."

"But I'm better now!"

Dean shook his head. Griffin and Starlight crawled into his lap demanding attention after having sniffed over the cabin during lunch.

"Sam, sit." Nora pointed to the chair in front of her weaving loom. Sam reluctantly obeyed, looking warily at Nora. "Now, you know how to use your hands, right?"

"I don't know how to weave, what do you want?"

Dean caught on to what Nora was up to and smirked.

"If you can use your hands you can weave, right?" She handed him the shuttle. On the loom was a half-finished bolt of cloth in muted green, gray and blue wool woven in a complex pattern. "Weave for me."

Sam shook his head, "Okay, I get it. I need training, more training." He looked frustrated, "Do you think the Priory can train me best? Maybe I can stay here instead?"

"Why, Asheville is only over a few ridges. But Sam, I want you to weave for me."

"You know I can't, I'll only mess up your cloth."

"Son, let me show you." Nora sat next to Sam and showed him how to weave.

Dean lulled by the purring from the two cats, fell asleep on the couch.

* * *

Two hours later, Sam looked over the scant inch he had woven with Nora’s help. The first few rows were lumpy and tangled, but they gradually evened out. While no where near the quality of Nora’s weaving, it wasn’t bad for his first try.

There was a gentle peace to weaving, watching the cloth growing beneath his hands. Glancing at his watch, he reluctantly turned to Nora. “I guess Dean and I need to get going.”

"Yes, son, you do."

"I hope you can pick out and reweave what I’ve done so your cloth isn’t ruined."

"No Samuel, when you come home we’ll finish it together."

* * *

Zip was alarmed when Dean and Sam took off to go see Nora. Although he was not part of their plan, he felt crushed, as if he had been left behind. Zip kept vigil in the upstairs of the house, going from room to room, and keeping watch out the windows for any sign of the escape attempt. LaShonda still distraught, was keeping watch over Jay and Pascal while the rest of his Order just thought he was restless, and let him be. No one expected him to run away. He was relieved when the Winchesters came back at first, but then he began to worry that they had changed their minds about Sam and Maryanne leaving.

The sooner he got some proper training for his ability the better; he had blown out the lights on the second floor this morning, causing more trouble. The Priory members just laughed, which was encouraging. His Order members looked like they wanted to reach for the hypodermic needles. How was his Order going to be able to train him at all? Ben had said something about getting Vera and Jay to train him, but they both were injured. It would take weeks or months for them to be healthy enough.

No, he was going to the Priory even if he had to go on his own. He was not going to spend the next few months of his life locked up and sedated waiting for Vera and Jay to heal.

Zip continued pacing the upstairs restlessly, trying to figure out how he would pull off running away, when he spotted Maryanne leading a riderless horse up the driveway. He sighed with relief as the escape was still on. This was his chance. Looking around carefully to make sure no one was too close by; Zip used his new abilities to become ‘invisible’ and snuck out of the old farmhouse.

* * *

Sam slipped into the altar room where Vera had been moved after the carnage of the previous night. The hall still smelled of blood despite the bleach used to clean it; Sam wondered if the stains on the floor and plaster would ever come out. His own bloody footprints still showed up clear and distinct.

He had come here to say goodbye. The Priory nurse on duty only nodded when he came in; all the altars had been removed but the room still held that feeling of sanctity.

Seeing Vera laying so still he understood Dean’s need to take care of Jay. He gently leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving.

Taking the stairs two at a time he entered Jay’s room, where he was resting quietly. With both the Priory medical team and LaShonda checking on him every half hour the door was propped open.

Jay was awake but looked miserable. Thunder lay across the bottom of his bed. Sam slid into bed with him for a moment and held him gently. Jay did not say anything; he knew Sam was there to say goodbye. Jay just gave him a gentle kiss before Sam got the feeling that Jay was uncomfortable and just wanted to be left alone. Sam grimaced, knowing it was not anything personal. He could feel Jay’s phantom aches and how tired he was. He slid out of the bed with a whispered promise to call. Sam could not quite shake a feeling of unease as he left Jay.

Entering his bedroom to pack a few things, he found someone who refused to accept his goodbyes. Sitting on top of his duffel, Starlight let out an angry squall and Sam jumped. How could something so small make that much noise. He hurried over and scooped her up trying to soothe her but she continued wailing at him. There was no doubt what she wanted.

“Star, there is no way I’m bringing you. Maybe I can get someone from the farm to..." He broke off as his familiar managed to let out an even louder squawk.

"Okay! How am I supposed to bring you along with me?" She just cheeped affectionately at him, as if she had not been screaming at the top of her tiny lungs just seconds ago. Sam just groaned; maybe Maryanne would have some ideas on how to bring a kitten along with them.

* * *

Maryanne hummed while she saddled the mare in the barn. She had brought Sissy without a saddle. The cover story was she was returning one of the farm's horses that had escaped earlier in the week. The only one who would know differently was Emma but Dean had let her in on the plan.

This was not how she imagined things would go when she and Ruby demanded to join Dean's team. She had hoped Dean himself would train them and they could start ghost busting right away. She was still so angry about nearly losing her sister to demons. It was a bitter pill to swallow when she learned there was an entire society of these hunters and they had these strange rules and customs. The worst was learning that at 20 years old she was considered underage.

However, her "brother" Dean had insisted that she go with Sam to the Priory in Asheville since she was psychic enough that she could be a target. He assured her they would give her some training and then after Christmas Dean would be able to take over. It was all so political. She would have preferred to stay on the farm and work while waiting for Dean, especially with her sister in hospital they were already short handed. Now with bounty hunters combing the area for psychics it was no longer an option. She had ridden here on the main county road followed by Deputy LeDonne in his car. Dean was not taking any chances of anything happening.

He assured her Sam had a psychic shielding trick that would allow them to go through the woods practically unseen. This all seemed so cloak and dagger to her, but as long as she was getting some training, it was all good. She would rather have been on the other team, Ruby and half the people in the county were planning a huge distraction to get most of the Priory and Comacines away from the farm. That sounded like loads more fun than leading a flatlander that did not know how to ride through the back woods.

A sound alerted her she was not alone and she spun around. Huddled against the wall was the young Comacine, she forgot his name. "What are you doing there?" she demanded.

He looked startled at being caught, but moved forward cautiously, keeping well out of range.

Sam picked that moment to walk in the door and stopped when he saw Maryanne and Zip watching each other warily. Star peeked out of Sam's duffle bag with interest.

"Zip, dude, what are you doing out here? Wow, you picked that up fast." Maryanne looked at Sam questioning. Sam explained that Zip was currently ‘invisible’ psychically. Maryanne rolled her eyes; if this was the shielding trick Dean was going on about, she was not impressed. She had her own way of getting through a forest undetected.

Zip was looking at Sam, "Take me with you. I want to go too."

Sam and Maryanne exchanged looks, "Go where?" Sam prevaricated.

Zip held up his cell phone. "I can stop the two of you with one call. But I won't. I want to ask sanctuary at the Priory too."

Maryanne stared. Blackmail? The midget had balls. Sam looked thunderstruck, "Why? They treat you like a little prince. Zip, we're going because we have to!"

Zip scoffed, "Yeah now they notice me. Listen, I have my own reasons and I’m hoping Red Dog will train me."

Maryanne shrugged, she just wanted to get the hell out of there before anyone else showed up. "He can ride double with me. I'll just throw a saddle blanket on Sunny Boy.” The kid was so tiny; riding double shouldn’t be a problem. She could ride bareback and keep him on the horse without much trouble.

Zip looked back at Sam, pleading with his eyes. "Let me come with you."

"Dude, this is so fucked up!" Sam complained. "Fine, it's not like I can stop you without the Coms busting us. We have to move. Turn off your cell phone and take out the batteries so they can’t track us with GPS."

"Sam, you'd better help him up," Maryanne said, indicating that Zip should sit in front of her. She smiled evilly, she would get her revenge on the twerp, an "accidental" caress here, a touch there and the kid would have blue balls by the end of the trip.

* * *

Zek Phillips stood beside his Range Rover on a dirt road with a couple of Ruby’s brothers. He checked his watch again worried; they were late. Finally, he heard the rustling of underbrush and was relieved to see two horses. Sam looked pretty beat up but the big surprise was the youngster sitting in front of Maryanne. The young woman was over a head taller than he was. "I was getting worried about the two of you." The elderly lawyer stared at the strange young man for a moment. "Is he coming too?"

"Yes sir." The youngster said quietly, looking away as Sam helped him off the back of the horse. Zek glanced at Sam who shrugged.

"Any trouble?" Zek asked, noticing Sam’s scrapes and bruises while Maryanne’s cousins watched the brush carefully, loaded shotguns in hand.

Sam glared at the horse as he fished a kitten out of a saddlebag. "I think he tried to run me into every blackberry patch and low hanging tree limb he could find."

Before Zek could reply, Maryanne spoke up with more heat and snap than he’d ever heard her use before.

"First of all, Sissy is a mare. Second, it’s not her fault you’re as tall as the Jolly Green Giant and don’t know how to ride." It was obvious in the dispute between Sissy and Sam she was firmly on the side of the horse. Sam stared at her for a moment in disbelief while her kinfolk laughed.

Zek shook his head; he could tell it was going to be a long drive to Asheville. Mitch and Leroy each took a horse and mounted up to ride them home, still laughing at Sam. "Well, let’s get going," he said sliding into the driver’s seat. He mumbled to himself, "I can't believe I'm involved in all this conspiracy at my age."

Sam and Zip sat in the back, ready to duck or hide if they needed to. Starlight was sprawled on the floor under Sam’s feet, sleeping hard only the way a kitten could. Maryanne sat up front with Zek. Sam turned to Zip, "Dude, I guess you're not too worried about bounty hunters if you're willing to just take off like that."

Zip looked nervous and swallowed. "I've never had to worry about that. No one thought I was psychic before. I lived on my own in Atlanta for the past year. At least I know the Priory members won't keep me against my will if I decide to leave."

"Dude, you're not serious."

Zip blinked, "About the Priory? Yes, they always return any Comacines they find, for a fee. But they are the only Order to do that. We aren't sure why that is."

"So this kidnapping thing really is a threat? And it's just not the Knights?"

Zip shuddered, "There are around 20 Orders and many Lines. Besides the Comacines there are five other Orders that don't kidnap."

"What?" Sam asked in disbelief, "most of the Orders kidnap kids? I thought it was just the Knights."

Zip shook his head vigorously. "That's not counting the freelance bounty hunters either. The more powerful a psychic the kid is, the greater the chance of them being targeted. Mike was the only known healer, before he turned 21 he was the top of the list. He was kidnapped twice."

"Twice, by who? What happened?" Sam looked fascinated in spite of himself.

Zip frowned trying to remember the details. "The Krypteans kidnapped him the first time, he was about 10. They didn't get too far with him before we got him back. The second time was much worse. When Mike was 15, the Order of the Peacock Angel kidnapped him and Ben. They threatened to kill Ben unless Mike healed their leader and father a child with the leader's daughter.

Sam looked disgusted and even Zek grunted in the front. "They forced him to..."

"It took months before we were able to find them, and by that time the daughter was pregnant."

"What happened to the mother and the baby?"

"The mother was held in custody until the child was born. It was a girl and she wasn't a Comacine. We released the mother but the baby was put into foster care. Mike didn't want to have anything to do with her. I think she was fostered out to distant relatives of Ben's in Scandinavia."

Sam was stunned, "Dude, does Mike have any more kids?"

"Oh yes. He's a healer. It's expected that powerful psychics reproduce." Zip's voice trails off as he realizes that now includes both him and Sam. Sam was obviously thinking the same thing. "Uh, he has three other daughters. He had a son but he died when he was young."

"Does he ever see any of his kids?" Sam asked sounding sick.

"Well I know he sees the two youngest a lot. A cousin of Ben's lives in Hawaii with her partner. They each had a girl with Mike. The other daughter, Ingrid, I don't know much about her. She's on the rogue rescue team, last year she worked with Pascal. I'm a bit surprised she wasn't sent on this mission since you were suspected of being here. We figured without training, you'd be rogue by now."

Sam frowned, "So, what usually happens with these kidnappings? What about you? How'd you become a Comacine?"

Zip got very quiet. "Well I was born a Comacine, you don't become one, you either are or you're not. As to what happens when you are kidnapped, a lot depends on your age. The goal of the kidnapping Order is to acquire new members, bribery works well on the younger kids. They are treated well and given everything. But older kids are tortured." He turned pale as he looked away.

Sam was compassionate, but steely in wanting to know, "What do they do to them? What would they do to you and Jay?"

Zip began to tremble. "In Jay's case, they'd kill Vera and his parents. So he has no one left to go back to. Then use drugs, empathy and other manipulation techniques to brainwash him."

Sam was horrified, "Kill his family?"

Zip nodded, looking out the window.

Sam wanted to know more but changed the subject for Zip's sake. "So what do all these Orders do? Your Order helps hunters and searches for rogue psychics; I'm not clear on what the Priory does.

Zip snorted, "I think we're about to find out what the Priory's priorities are," he sounded dubious. "Most Orders group themselves together for some cause or another. The Maccabeans are freedom fighters; their cause is more political, they fought the British in India, took part in the American Revolution, worked against Apartheid in South Africa and supported Lech Walesa in Poland. The Order of Arcadia fights industrialization, mega corporations and pollution. The Santiagans are religious fanatics that would love to burn Vera, Jay and all magic users at the stake. You'll see when we get to the Conclave."

Sam's thoughts turned to Dean. He wondered if he had much trouble in carrying out his part of the plan. Dean, Joe, Ruby and what seemed like about half the county was going to create a diversion during their escape.