THEN
One year ago

Jenny sat on a lounge chair outside her motel room, leg bouncing up and down in anticipation as she waited impatiently for that familiar Impala to roll up in front of her.

She kept checking her phone every two minutes before groaning in frustration and stood up, walking back into the motel. She pulled out a beer from the mini fridge, popping the cap off on the counter, catching it before it could fall to the ground.

She turned away from the window, taking a long sip of the beer and sighed in annoyance. She muttered something incoherent, looking down at her contacts.

Dean sat at the top, a message from forty-five minutes ago telling her they found another body. It had been silent since.

John was right under, the last text he had sent her being from two weeks ago about grabbing the three of them food. He never updated her on where he and Dean were.

Her phone buzzed, and Jenny set her beer down as Dean called her. "It's about fucking time." She answered, pacing back and forth. Dean let out a pained noise, Jenny's worries suddenly amping. "Dean?"

Silence. Then a yell of pain. "Dean?!"

The call fell silent.

✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

NOW

Jenny sat across from Dean at an outdoor café, Sam stood a few paces away from them, talking on a pay phone. A waitress walked over with three mugs, handing Jenny her cup of coffee, and set Dean and Sam's down before walking away.

"This pie... Wow." Dean looked down at the menu in front of him before turning it to Jenny, who leaned forward to get a better look.

"Eight bucks for a single slice? You'd be better off eating some out of the trash." Jenny frowned as Dean scoffed, shaking his head.

"Pie is pie, Jen. And I love all kinds." Dean smirked as she hummed, leaning back in the metal chair.

"Except for pumpkin." The two said in unison, though Jenny said it a little softer than Dean, who grimaced at the thought of pumpkin pie. Dean opened up Sam's computer, typing something in. Jenny sighed quietly, folding her menu and set it off to the side.

"Your, uh, half-caf, double vanilla latte is gettin' cold over here, Francis." Dean joked to Sam, who finally hung up the phone and walked over to the two.

"Bite me." Sam responded as Jenny chuckled, sipping her coffee.

"Don't tempt him." She giggled as Dean shot her a glare, and she winked. Dean paused for a moment before shaking his head, turning to Sam.

"So, anything?" He asked as Sam sighed defeatedly, shaking his head.

"I had them check the FBI's Missing Persons Data Bank. No John Doe's fitting Dad's description. I even ran his plates for traffic violation. Blank." Jenny set her coffee down and shook her head next, looking out to the road.

"This shit sucks. The least he could do is tell us he's okay." Jenny complained as Sam nodded in agreement.

"I'm telling you two... I don't think he wants to be found." Sam gave his brother a disappointed look as Jenny did her best to keep her expression the same. Even if they didn't know it, Jenny knew Dean's assumption was correct.

Dean cleared his throat, turning the computer to face Jenny and Sam. "Check this out. It's a news item out of Planes Courier. Ankeny, Iowa. It's only about a hundred miles from here."

Jenny leaned forward, squinting to try and read the small words on the laptop. "The mutilated body was found near the victim's car, parked on 9 Mile Road." Jenny read as Dean nodded, tilting his head up for a second. Jenny's eyes trailed back and forth on the screen as Sam continued.

"Authorities are unable to provide a realistic description of the killer. The sole eyewitness, whose name has been withheld, is quoted as saying the attacker was invisible." He read, leaning back with a sigh as Jenny hummed, shrugging.

"Sounds like our kinda thing." Jenny smiled softly, hoping that it would get her mind away from their previous case.

"Or maybe it's not. A freaked out witness that didn't see anything? Doesn't mean it's the Invisible Man." Sam frowned as Jenny crossed her arms while drinking her coffee.

"Well. Says that he was a frat brother. Why don't we check it out?" Jenny chugged the rest of her coffee, which was still hot and stood up, walking to the Impala.

When she got in the car, she immediately coughed, holding her burning throat. "Shit that was stupid." She fanned her eyes as tears rolled up, wiping them away with a laugh.

✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jenny shoved her hands in her pockets and looked up at the frat house in front of her, Dean and Sam, sighing quietly. "Last time I checked, I didn't have a dick... So I'm going to find frat boys lady." Dean did a double take as Jenny walked away, staring at her for a moment before Sam slapped his arm.

Jenny paused for a moment before realizing she had no idea where she was going, and turned back around to Sam and Dean, who were still waiting for her. "I don't know where I'm going."

"Obviously. Come on." Dean gestured to Jenny, who followed the two Winchester's. They walked down the sidewalk, Dean and Jenny stopping in front of a younger guy who was fixing his car.

"Nice wheels." Dean called out, grabbing the boy's attention. He frowned at him in confusion, and Dean gestured between him and Sam. "We're your new fraternity brothers. From Ohio. We're new in town. Transfers. Looking for a place to stay." He grinned as the boy looked at Jenny, who gave him an odd look.

"Whose she?" He asked in a slightly flirtatious tone, and Jenny raised a brow at him.

"A.... friend." Sam answered as Jenny frowned up at him, and the boy shrugged.

"So she's not with either of you?"

"She is a human with a name." Jenny spat as the boy's eyes widened. "I don't do frat boys... Or boys that look like they just hit puberty." Dean slowly turned to Jenny with wide eyes, laughing awkwardly.

"Right... Uh... Why don't you just show us to our new rooms?" Sam chuckled nervously as the guy in front of them tossed his wrench down. Jenny gave the boy a sarcastic smile as the trio followed him into the house.

The guy walked out after a few moments, Dean, Jenny and Sam walking up the stairs and knocked on the first door they saw, then walked in.

A shirtless boy stood in front of a mirror, painting himself yellow and purple. "Who are you?" He asked, looking between the three.

Jenny stared at him for a moment as Sam cleared his throat. "We're your new roommates." Dean answered as the boy outstretched the brush he was using to Jenny.

"Get my back, would you? Big game tonight." Jenny's eyes widened even more as she snapped her lips shut and shook her head.

"I'm going to wait out in the car." She waved goodbye before rushing out, diving into the backseat of the Impala.

After a good five minutes of playing Tetris passed, Sam and Dean got into the Impala, both turning to Jenny.

"So... Who painted frat boy?" Jenny asked with a mischievous grin, looking up to see Dean grab Sam's wrist and show his hand to Jenny, which had splotches of purple. Jenny giggled, shaking her head.

"Okay. Serious now. What did he tell you guys?"

✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jenny looked at the church doors in front of her, shaking her head. "Last time I was in a church... I was being baptized. The preacher literally tried to drown me." Jenny looked at Dean, who frowned at her.

"I don't think he—"

"It was in the paper." She interrupted, Dean clamping his mouth shut. "I have proof." She whispered as Dean gave his brother an odd look. Sam shrugged.

The three threw the doors open, which then slammed shut behind them, and caused everyone in the church to look at them in annoyance. Jenny waved an awkward apology before sitting down, cramming herself next to Dean.

"as a community, and as a family. The loss of a young person is particularly tragic. A life unlived is the saddest of passings." Jenny noticed a girl had been staring at Sam, and he smiled weakly at her before the two looked back at the reverend. "So, please, let us pray. For peace, for guidance, and for the power to protect our children."

Jenny and Sam lowered their heads, pausing when she realized Dean hadn't moved. The two elbowed him in the sides, to which he grunted loudly and caused a few heads to turn again. Dean glared at Jenny, before lowering his head.

✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"If I have to sit through another sermon, I'm taking away your pie privileges." Jenny threatened as Dean scoffed at her.

"You can't do that." Dean frowned as Jenny crossed her arms.

"Watch me." She argued as his eyes widened at her. Sam rolled his eyes at the two, walking up who they could only assume was Lori Sorensen.

"Excuse me... Are you Lori?" Sam asked as the girl turned around. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I'm Sam, this is my brother Dean and our friend Jennifer." Jenny and Dean waved at Lori, smiling. "We just transferred here to the university."

"Yeah, I saw you guys inside." Lori spoke in a soft tone, clasping her hands together.

"We don't wanna bother you. We just heard about what happened and..." Sam trailed off as Jenny cleared her throat, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"We're really sorry. It's tough going through that." She said, looking at Lori with a solemn smile.

"I kind of know what you're going through. I-I saw someone..get hurt once." Sam continued, shaking his head. "It's something you don't forget."

Lori's dad walked over with a soft smile. Lori looked at him before gesturing to the three Hunters. "Dad, um, this is Sam, Dean, and Jennifer. They're new students."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I must say, that was an inspiring sermon." Dean complimented as the reverend gave him a smile.

"Thank you very much. It's so nice to find young people who are open to the Lord's message." The man spoke as Jenny gave him a toothy smile.

"Oh, brother." She muttered through her clenched teeth, Dean jabbing her in the side. Jenny cleared her throat harshly, still forcing her smile. "I think I'm going to go to the bathroom." She walked off as Dean started talking to the Reverend and Sam talked to Lori, leaving her alone.

Jenny looked around before walking back into the church, humming to herself quietly. Walking down the aisle, picturing what it would be like if it were a wedding or a funeral.

She sat down in the second row, looking up at the large statue of Jesus pinned to the cross, shaking her head and chuckled quietly. "Reverend's daughter doing it with a frat boy." She mumbled, resting her arms on the chair in front of her. Jenny fumbled with her fingers as she thought, clicking her tongue. A cloudy memory flooded back into her head as she smiled solemnly.

She turned her head at the echo of a door opening behind her, seeing Dean walking down the aisle and towards her.

"How'd it go with Reverend? You two going out for a beer tomorrow?" Jenny joked as Dean sat down next to her, rolling his eyes.

"It would of been helpful if you butted into his speech. Guy talked about his church group the entire time." Jenny laughed quietly as Dean gave her a displeased look. "Did you find anything?"

"Other than the new urge to start praying to a guy that doesn't exist? No." Jenny pressed her lips together, eyeing the statue again. "It's kind of weird." She muttered, Dean turning to her.

"What is?"

"That people actually believe this guy will be their savior." Jenny gestured to the statue and Dean frowned.

"You don't believe in him?" He asked as if it was the shock of the century, and Jenny turned to him.

"I believe in the things I can see, what I can touch and smell. Or hear. Vampires, witches, shapeshifters, we—" Jenny paused, shaking her head. "Wendigos. I believe in those. What I don't believe in is a guy that can walk on water and proceed to turn it into wine."

Dean held his frown, and Jenny turned to him. "It's a ridiculous argument. People have claimed to see him, that he's the reason we will be saved... but when they pray to take their pain away... He doesn't." Jenny turned back to the statue again, and still, Dean kept his frown.

"Sounds like it's from experience." He spoke in a low voice as Jenny sucked in a breath, and she smiled softly.

"I used to believe God existed. And I prayed to him... Every night. Begged him to bring my parents back." Dean's confused frown turned sorrowful, his lips parting slightly as he understood where Jenny was going with her random rant. "And when I realized he wasn't listening... I stopped. I told Bobby I never wanted to see another cross again in his house. And that night... He burned all the crosses he had with me." Jenny looked at Dean, who then put a hand on her shoulder.

"Coming here just reminds me of that time where I used to think miracles existed. That one day I'd wake up back in my bedroom, and my dad would be sitting on my bed, reading me a book like he did everyday to wake me up." Jenny gave him a teary-eyed smile, to which he reciprocated.

"To Kill a Mockingbird." Dean whispered, and Jenny smiled again. "It was his favorite book."

"From what I've told you, at least. It was his favorite book to read to me." Dean brought Jenny closer to him, hugging her gently. "Sorry for just throwing that onto you."

"Don't apologize for that." Dean rubbed her arm as Jenny sighed quietly.

"I guess I just needed to let something off my chest."

And that was true, for the most part. But she wanted to say something completely different. She wanted to talk to Dean about what the shapeshifter had said. Tell him what she felt. But she was scared to tell him. Because what if Dean didn't actually feel those things? That it had all been a trick.

If he did feel that way, what if he wanted to just stay friends? In fear that she would die one day, Dean wouldn't want to get that close. He wouldn't want to have her only for her to be taken away moments later.

This moment they were having... Dean was so close to her. They don't go this long with physical contact. And he enjoyed it too much. Holding her like this, like she was the last thing in the world that would ever bring him comfort.

Holding her like this, like she was all he needed. He wanted to stay there forever, just holding her.

But they had a case to work on. And nothing good ever lasts for a Winchester.