Chapter Three, Pilot

The next morning Dean awoke in a hotel bed with his sleeping daughter beside him and Sam in the other bed. Sam hadn't wanted to stop at a motel but Dean had needed to sleep and had ignored his brother and stopped at one anyway. Smiling gently at his baby girl he brushed some blonde curls away from her face making her let out a small whine and bat his hand away. She looked so much like her mother that it made his heart ache but she was such a Daddy's girl and always put a smile on his face.
"I miss you baby, and I promise I won't let our little miracle hunt or let anything happen to her." Dean promised quietly, looking up at the ceiling as if he was talking to Simone, and unaware Sam was awake and watching him with a sad smile.
"Daddy." Amélie's sleep filled voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Morning baby." Dean said happily, putting on a happy smile for his daughter. "Did you sleep alright?" He asked, as she curled into him, he smiled softly at her while running a hand through her hair. Amélie nodded her head against his chest as she held on tight to his shirt rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"You still can't be tired, baby?" Dean exclaimed in fake shock, a smirk appearing on his face that his daughter knew all too well.
"No Daddy! Not tickle monstew!" Amélie exclaimed loudly, trying to squirm away as giggles already fell from her lips.
"Oh, I think it is, baby." Dean said, pouncing on her and tickling her stomach as shrieks of laughter fell from her lips causing Sam to laugh.

"Oh, heya Sammy. Did we wake you?" Dean asked, not even looking away from his daughter as they both laughed happily.
"No, but I think we should get started. I'll go take a shower." Sam said, climbing out of bed. "Morning bug." Sam said, smiling softly at his niece only to sigh as she hid her face in Dean's chest.
"What time is it?" Dean asked.
"Little after six." Sam said, before he headed to the bathroom.
"Daddy imma tired." Amélie yawned, once they stopped playing.
"I know sweetheart." Dean sighed, kissing her head and holding her close. "But you can sleep on the way." Huffing Amélie kissed her Dad's cheek and cuddled into him while they waited. As soon as Sam was finished Dean quickly had a shower, brushed his teeth and other necessities before he got dressed.

"C'mon, munchkin bath time." Dean said, throwing his clothes into the separate duffle bag they had for the dirty clothes, picked an outfit out for his daughter, and picked up his daughter. "Leave Coco on the bed, we don't want him to get wet." He instructed his daughter. After helping her use the toilet, and brushing her teeth, Dean gave her a quick bath as she was falling asleep, deciding they can play like always tomorrow. He got her out and dried her off with one hand as she leaned against him sleepily, whining when he had to move or move her.
"I know baby I'm sorry, but look I got you some Princess big girl pants." He coaxed, showing her the pink underwear with the faces of some of the Princesses inside a blue heart. But instead of becoming excited like normal Amélie just looked at them disinterested as she was too tired.

Dean realised and quickly got her dressed in a pink floral dress with a matching bow headband which he put on after he'd brushed her hair, weaving two small plaits in it to keep it out of her face; a green denim jacket, white tights and pink faux ugg boots.
"There we go baby." Dean said, picking her up, her small wash bag and her pyjamas. Entering the main room they saw most of the bags had been packed up and taken to the Impala as Sam paced around impatiently, giving his younger brother a look before he could start, Dean sat his daughter in the middle of the bed and handed her Coco, before he started packing her bag for the day making sure she had everything she could and would need.
"Take these to the car would ya, Sammy?" Dean asked, picking up his sleeping daughter. "We'll need to stop to get gas along the way, unless you want us to break down?" Dean asked, noticing his brother opening his mouth to argue as he strapped Amélie into her car seat.

***

Amélie had fallen asleep. Lulled to sleep by the purr of the engine and the music she knew meant her Daddy, but as soon as they were pulling into a gas station she woke up desperate for the toilet.
"Daddy, I need potty." Amélie exclaimed, squirming in her car seat and stopping Sam's conversation with Dean.
"Okay baby." Dean said, leaping out of the car and rushing around to his daughter. "Leave Coco with Sammy so he doesn't get covered in germs, baby." Dean told her, quickly unstrapping her as Sam reached back and held Coco. "Sammy, put the pump in." He asked.
"I'll look after him, Amie." Sam assured, before Dean practically ran into the gas station getting the key to the disabled toilet off the cashier.

"There we go, sweetheart. Good job." Dean praised, as he sat his daughter on the toilet. They'd made it. "Right, let's wash your hands." Dean said, helping her pull bottoms and tights back up, and picked her up so she could wash her hands as the sink was too high for her.
"All clean Daddy." Amélie smiled, showing Dean her wet hands that were now clear of soap.
"Well done baby. Who's my big girl? Using the big girls toilet." Dean praised, kissing her head as his daughter beamed at him, as he set her on the floor and grabbed some paper towels to dry her hands as she was scared of the dryer. "How about we get some breakfast now?" Dean asked, taking her tiny hand in his large one. It always made him feel like the slightest pressure could crush her hand.
"Yeah!" Amélie shouted, jumping up and down making Dean laugh.

Leaving the bathroom after making sure he had the key he switched off the light and handed the key to the cashier, as he grabbed a basket. Walking down the aisles he pulled some funny faces at his daughter, making her laugh as he picked up a small bag of sliced apple and grapes, an orange juice and a chocolate croissant after making sure there were no nuts of any kind in it for Amélie. For himself he also picked up a chocolate croissant but two of them, an energy drink and some chocolate. He got Sam a few bits and then some bits for lunch as he knew his brother wouldn't want to stop again. After checking everything had no nuts.
"These and a twenty on pump two please." Dean said, setting down the basket at the checkout.
"Daddy I'm hungwy." Amélie complained, her bottom lip sticking out.

"I know baby, I'm sorry I've just got to pay." Dean said softly, running his hand through her hair to calm her.
"Here." The cashier said, handing over the fruit bag. "Let her have it now. I've already scanned it." He said, holding it out to Dean.
"Thanks." Dean said gratefully. "Baby, what do we say to the nice man?" He asked.
"Tank you." Amélie beamed, accepting the delicious fruit from her Daddy.
"You're welcome sweetheart." The elder man smiled.
"Bye." Amélie said, waving her hand frantically as her Dad picked up the bag making her Dad and the man laugh.
"Hold my hand baby." Dean said firmly, as they were leaving the shop spotting Sam sitting sideways with his legs hanging out while rifling through the cassette box. "Hey! We got breakfast." Dean shouted to his brother.

"No thanks." Sam said, without even looking. But then looked up as Dean helped Amélie back into the car and strapped her in as she munched on an apple slice.
"You got her fruit?" Sam asked confused, he'd figured Dean wouldn't let her eat healthy things.
"Well yeah. She's three." Dean said, rolling his eyes as he poured the orange juice into her sippy cup and made sure the lid was on tight enough before placing it beside her along with her croissant. "If you need help, baby just ask, okay?" Dean asked, as he checked the straps.
"Otay." Amélie said, with a bright smile.
"Good girl." Dean praised, kissing her head and shutting the door as he went to take out the pump when his phone started to ring.

Looking at his phone he saw that it was Charles.
"Hi Charles. How're you and Claudette?" Dean asked, the phone held against his ear with his shoulder as he put the pump back. 
'Hi Dean. We're fine thanks. How're you and how's my little Princess?' Charles asked.
"I'm good and she's been as good as gold. But she's wary of Sam." Dean said, as he screwed the cap back on. 
'That's to be expected Dean. You know she's shy at first. I'm sure she'll come around.' Claudette explained gently.
"You're right. Hang on, I'll give her the phone." Dean said to his in-laws. "Princess," he said, as he opened her door. "Nana and Grandpa are wanting to talk to you." Dean told her, smiling as she squealed excitedly and reached out for the phone.

"Hi Nana. Hi Gwandpa." Amélie said excitedly. "I miss you."
"We miss you too, pumpkin. Have you been good for your Daddy!" They asked.
"Yep." Amélie stated, making everyone laugh. She was just too adorable. Sam and Dean just sat there listening to her talk to her grandparents about who knows what, but it put a smile on their faces anyway.
"Bye Wuv you." Amélie said, blowing a kiss to the phone before giving it to Sam who was closer and could take it without dropping it.
"You okay baby?" Dean asked worriedly, slipping his phone back into his coat pocket.
Amélie nodded, smiling brightly at her Dad as she went back to her breakfast.

"I swear man, you've gotta update your cassette tape collection." Sam said, changing the subject. He holds the box full of tapes on his lap.
"Why?" Dean asked, putting on his seat belt as he looked at Sam confused.
"Well for one, they're cassette tapes. And two." He holds up tapes and calls them by name. "Black Sabbath? Motorhead? Metallica? It's the greatest hits of Mullet rock."
"House rules Sammy." Dean says. "Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cake hole." Amélie giggles in the back.
"Where Coco?" She asked Sam, interrupting the small argument between her father and uncle.
"Sorry Princess." Sam apologised, picking up the cat that lay beside him on the seat when he noticed the inscription and felt his guilt increase, as he handed it to her and watched her hold it tightly to her chest.

"Sammy is a chubby Twelve year old. It's 'Sam' Okay?" He added to Dean to distract himself from his guilt.
"Sorry, can't hear ya." Dean shouted over the blaring speakers that played, Back In Black from AC DC, although he made sure it wasn't too loud for his little Princess. "The music's too loud." Dean shouted, as he started the car to head to Jericho to search for his wayward father. His thoughts drifted to his daughter in the backseat. He really didn't want to put her in danger and he didn't know if the sachets would work against everything, but he'd do anything to keep her safe. As a last resort if there's no groups she could go to for the day, he'd leave her in the hotel and stay with her while Sam completed it. Even with the sachets there was no way he was leaving a three year old alone in the hotel.

They were on the Highway and Sam was talking to the hospitals, and Amélie was watching Beauty and the Beast by the sound of it, and softly singing along which always made Dean smile.
"Thank you." Sam says, closing his phone with a sigh. "Well, there's no one matching Dad's description at the hospital or the morgue so that's a good sign." He whispers, so Amélie doesn't hear when Dean spots an abandoned car on the bridge in front of them with several police around it. Pulling over Dean opens the glove compartment with a box full of fake ID's with his and Simone's faces on them from when she used to come with him sometimes before they had Amélie.
"Baby." Dean called, rolling down her window a little and catching Amélie's attention as she paused the film. "Uncle Sammy and I are going to talk to the policeman but we will be back in a minute. I want you to stay here and finish watching Beauty and the Beast, okay?" Dean asked sternly.

"Otay Daddy." Amélie agreed, smiling brightly at Dean before she went back to her film.
"All right, let's go." Dean said to Sam, giving him one of the fake IDs. The police officers were standing in front of a parked, abandoned car that sat in the middle of the bridge. As they came closer to the crime scene Sam and Dean caught the last part of the conversation. 
"It's clean. In fact it's almost too clean." An officer observed, with his head in the car.
"You fellas had one just like this just last month, didn't you?" Dean interrogated, as if they belonged there.
"And who are you?" Deputy Jaffe asks. They flash their badges, but Dean's eyes make a quick flick back to the car spotting Amélie talking to Coco then pointing at the iPad, which made him smile. Looking back at the police officer, Dean put his "badge" away.
"Federal Marshals." Dean explains.
"Aren't you a little young to be a marshal?" He asked suspiciously. "And who's the kid?" He asked, spotting where Dean's eyes had gone.

Dean laughs politely and in fake flattery. "Thanks, that's awfully kind of you. And she's my daughter. The babysitter cancelled at the last minute, and as we didn't know the state of the car. So, we figured it was safer for her to wait in mine." Dean continued, as he walked around the car looking at the officer. "You did have another one just like this, correct?" He pressed.
"Yeah, that's right." Jaffe replies, even though he looks reluctant to. "About a mile up the road. There've been others before that."  
"So, this victim, you knew him?" Sam asks, as Dean looks over the car.

Jaffe nods. "A town like this, everybody knows everybody." Dean circles the car some more, looking in from a different direction trying to spot something, anything.
"Any connections to the victims besides the fact they're all men?" Dean asks, standing back up.
"Not as far as we can tell." A second police officer sighed, frustration clear in his tone.
"So what's the theory?" Sam asks, coming to stand next to Dean.
"Honestly." Jaffe sighs. "We don't know. Serial killer? Kidnapping ring?"
"Well that is exactly the kind of crack police work I'd expect out of you guys." Dean said sarcastically. Suddenly Sam steps on his foot causing Dean to suppress a yelp as he glared at his younger brother.
"Thank you for your time, gentleman." Sam says kindly, as they start to walk away. Only for Dean to smack Sam around the back of the head.

"Ow!" He complains. "What was that for?"
"Why'd you have to step on my foot?" Dean hissed.
"Why do you have to talk to police like that?" Sam counters.  
"Come on! They don't really know what's going on here. We're all alone in this. We don't know what we're facing, so we don't know what to protect my daughter from, and if we're gonna find Dad, we've gotta get to the bottom of this ourselves."
"So you do--" Sam suddenly stops and clears his throat as he looks past Dean with a pointed look. Dean spins around to see Sheriff Pierce and two FBI agents.  
"Can I help you boys?" Pierce snaps. 
"No sir, we were just leaving." Dean replies quickly. "Agent Mulder, Agent Sculley." Dean names the two officers as they walk to the car acting as if they know them.

As soon as Dean opens the car door a sweet little voice greets him.
"Hi Daddy." Amélie said happily, glad he was back. "Sammy."
"Hi baby, were you okay?" Dean asks, turning to look at his daughter as Sam says.
"Hi honey."
"Hmm." Amélie hums in agreement, as she holds out two sweets, one for Dean and the other for Sam.
"Thanks baby." Dean said, taking the sweet and popping it into his mouth. "Did you have one? What about lunch?" Dean asks, she shook her head no to both questions. "How about after we've spoken to someone we go get some at a diner?"
"Yeah." Amélie cheered, she liked going to those places as she got to do some drawing.

"Where'd you get the sweet from, honey?" Sam asks, still holding it in his hand.
"Cat girl." Amélie said, pointing to herself and confusing Sam more. He looked towards Dean.
"We went trick or treating before we came and got you. She was dressed as a child version of catwoman or cat girl and I was Batman." Dean said with a wide grin, showing his brother his screensaver before he started the engine.
"Thanks honey." Sam said, thanking her for the sweet and getting a shy smile in return, as he popped it in his mouth. All the while, feeling guilty on how much he'd missed out on because he'd stubbornly ignored his brother, Simone and now his niece because of a fight he had years ago with his father.

They drive two more miles up the road, before Sam spots a woman putting signs up. Parking and switching off the engine Dean smiled as he saw Amélie bouncing in her car seat excitedly, Coco held tightly in her hands, her eyes going a deep indigo as things started to float in the car. This often happened and Dean wasn't the least bit shocked by it unlike Sam. But Dean knew as she grew she'd get a hang of her magic, but right now she's only three, a toddler and her magic reacted to her emotions.
"Hold on Princess." Dean laughed, quickly getting out of the car and making his way round to her. He switched off her iPad and put it in the rucksack, noticing none of the food had been touched, and slipped it over his shoulder. "Come here my Princess." Dean said, unstrapping her and picking her up quickly before throwing her in the air and catching her. Laughing along with her.

Once Dean had finished playing with his daughter, he hurried to catch up with Sam, Amélie perched on his hip.
"You must be Amy," Dean asks, as they approach the young woman. Amélie hides her face in Dean's neck shyly; Amy smiles softly at her.  
"Yeah." She answers. 
"Troy told us about you." Dean lies smoothly. "We're his uncles. I'm Dean, this is my brother Sam, and this is my daughter Amélie." Amy looks at Amélie, as she smiles slightly and begins to walk away as the brothers walk behind her.
"He never mentioned you to me."
"Well that's Troy, I guess." Dean chuckles.  "We're not around much, we're up in Modesto."

"So, we're looking for him too, and we're kinda asking around." Sam says gently. Another young woman joins Amy's side placing a hand on her arm, obviously concerned for her friend.
"Hey, are you doing okay?" She asks, concerned. Amy nods in response and Sam takes over.
"Do you mind if we ask you a few questions? In the diner, Amélie needs to have some lunch." He asks.
"Okay." She agrees, leading the way to the diner with her friend. Amy and her friend sat on one side of a booth and Sam and Dean on the other with Amélie on Dean's lap playing with his fingers and Coco making everyone smile at her.

"What can I get ya?" A waitress asked, bringing over a colouring and crayons for Amélie.
"Thanks." Dean said, not even looking at her as she tries to flirt but instead interacting with his daughter. A few minutes later everyone had their orders. Dean had ordered a kids chocolate milkshake with a ham and cheese sandwich, and a coffee for him and Sam and the two girls had a coke. With Amélie distracted with her drawing, Dean quietly asked Amy what had happened.
"I was on the phone with Troy," Amy explained. "He was driving home. He said he would call me right back, and he never did."
"He didn't say anything strange or out of the ordinary?" Sam asks. Amy shakes her head.

"No, nothing that I can remember."
"Here's the deal, ladies. The way Troy disappeared something's not right. So if you've heard anything...." The girls look at each other with worry on their faces, immediately letting Sam and Dean know they're not telling them something.
"What is it?" Sam and Dean ask at the same time, making Amélie giggle.
"Continue your drawing baby, I bet it's going to be amazing, huh?" Dean asks, successfully distracting her.
"Can Daddy and I see it?" Sam asks, cottoning on to what Dean is doing and wanting to bond with his niece.
"Not yet." Amélie said sternly, glaring at them as she tried to cover it with her small arms.

"Okay, baby we won't look. But you have to eat your sandwich too." Dean promised, smiling as she gave him a look similar to what her mother did before she went back to colouring.
"Well it's just... with all these guys going missing, people talk." Amy's friend said softly, so only Sam and Dean would hear.
"What do they talk about?" Sammy and Dean asked at the same time.
"It's kind of this local legend. This one girl? She got murdered out on Centennial, like decades ago. Well supposedly she's still out there." Sam nods, getting them to continue. "She hitchhikes, and whoever picks her up? Well they disappear forever."         
"Thank you." Sam said, placing down a few bills for everyone's food and drink as the two girls left. "I guess we'll have to hit the library." Sam said, as Amélie took the last bite of her sandwich as she finished drawing.

"Finished!" Amélie exclaimed, holding up the drawing that was of her family, which was really good. There was Dean, Simone, and Amélie with Coco, her grandparents Claudette and Charles, Bobby and Cassie, and finally Sam and Jessica. "I don't know Grandpa. I sorry Daddy." Amélie apologised, explaining as best she could about why there was no John.
"That's okay baby he can be added when you meet him." Dean assured, kissing her head. "But this is so good, Amie. It's amazing! You definitely take after Mummy." He praised, getting a beaming smile in return.
"For Sammy." Amélie said, holding out the picture.
"Thanks honey. It's so good and I know Jessica will love it too." Sam smiled, as he carefully folded it up and slipped it in the inside pocket of his jacket.

After taking Amélie to the bathroom Dean joined Sam outside who had been looking up where the library was, which turned out it was only two streets away so they decided to walk. Once they get to the library they find out there's a children's reading group going on in the children's section so Dean immediately signs her up for it.
"We'll just be over there okay, Princess?" Dean asks, kneeling down in front of her as he pointed to the computers. Amélie shyly nodded her head holding tightly onto Dean and Coco. "You're going to be okay, baby, you'll have fun and I can see you at all times but I want you to stay here till I or Uncle Sammy come get you."
"She's going to be fine, Sir." The woman running the reading session said reassuringly, as she smiled at them. "We're going to have a lot of fun." Dean smiled tightly at her but kissed Amélie on the head and made sure she still had on her bracelet, before joining Sam.

"What'cha got?" Sam asked, after a while spotting the look of frustration on his brother's face.
"Nothing.... yet." Dean said frustrated.
"Let me try." Sam said.
"I got it." Dean assured, as he typed in: 'female murder hitch hike.' Only to come up with no results found. Sam, having had enough, pushed Dean out of the way and wheeled his chair in Dean's place.
"You're such a control freak." Dean complained, punching Sam's shoulder.
"Evil spirits are born with some type of tragedy right?" Sam said, looking at Dean and ignoring his earlier comment.
"I guess so, yeah." Dean said unsurely.
"Maybe it isn't murder." Sam says, as he begins to type: 'Centennial Highway Suicide.' Which comes up with one result.

"'In 1981, Twenty-Four year old Constance Welch drowned after she had jumped off of Centennial Highway bridge in Jericho California. An hour earlier she called 9-1-1, to report that her children had drowned in the bathtub. She turned around for one minute and she found her kids face down in the bathtub. Both of them aren't breathing. Then authorities conducted an Interview with her husband, Joseph Welch. He says 'our babies were gone and Constance couldn't bear it.' " 

"I feel sorry for them. If that happened to Amélie I wouldn't be able to bear it either. Does it say where she's buried?" Dean asks. Sam scrolls down further to see nothing.
"No." He said.
"I guess for now we will take Amélie to the park, and check out the bridge tonight."  Dean concluded. Sam logs out of the computer, while Dean went to the children section to pick up his daughter. "C'mon Princess we're going to the park." Dean said, holding out his hand.
"Yay!" Amélie cried, jumping up, putting the book back, and grabbing Coco as she took his hand.
"SHH!" The librarian hissed at Amélie, causing Dean to glare at her. No one messes with his daughter.

"Daddy." Amélie complained, pulling Dean from his staring contest with the librarian as she tugged on his hand eager to get to the park.
"Coming baby." Dean said, swooping down and picking her up. Making aeroplane noises as he ran to the park with Amélie in his arms, Sam shook his head at them but he had a smile on his face as he heard them laugh. Once they got to the park Sam sat on the bench as he watched Dean run around the playground with his daughter with a smile on his face. He watched them make up games as Amélie climbs the climbing frame with Dean's help, catching her at the bottom of the slide and tickling her, and pushing her on the swings. After a while, when they were both hot and sweaty but had large smiles on their faces they came back over to Sam and had a picnic for dinner with the food Dean had brought earlier that day. Sam was amazed how normal his brother could make it for his niece despite being on a case, and he had to admit his brother was an amazing father, and he was reluctant to leave them.

***

Later that night Dean was parking the Impala back at the bridge, a smile lighting up his face when he spotted his sleeping daughter in the backseat. Turning off the engine, Dean rolled down her window a little but covered her with her Princess blanket so she didn't get cold.
"I'll be back in a minute baby." He promised, kissing her forehead before getting up and quietly closing her door.
"So, this is where Constance took the swan dive." Dean said, looking over the bridge to see rushing waters. No way anyone could survive that. Sam looks around and stands next to him looking over with him. They haven't found anything on the bridge so far, but they didn't really expect to. But they had to check, however, as sometimes you had to go back to the source while on a hunt.

"Do you think Dad would've been here?" Sam asked.
"Well, he's chasing the same story, and we're chasing him." Dean replied, as he walked back to the car, to stay with Amélie.
"Okay so now what?" Sam asks.
"Now, we keep digging until we find him. It might take a while." Dean replied, hinting that he wanted Sam to stay when they find their Dad.
"Dean, I've told you I gotta get back by--" Sam starts.
"Monday." Dean interrupted. "Right. The interview." He adds with a sigh, talking about his law school interview.
"Yeah." Sam replies.

"I forgot. You're really serious about this aren't you? You think you're gonna become some lawyer, marry your girl?" Dean asks with an eyebrow raised.
"Maybe. Why not? You got half out!" Sam asks, not grasping the concept.
"Does Jessica know the truth about you? I mean, does she know the things you've done?" Dean asked, although he knew his brother hadn't told her which he didn't get. He could never lie to Simone which was why he told her the truth after only a few weeks of dating. And he would always be incredibly thankful that she believed him and didn't think he was some stark raving lunatic.

Sam steps closer towards his brother, hinting that he was angry and that he was trying to show dominance.
"No, and she's not ever going to know." Sam replied, annoyed.
"Well that's healthy." Dean scoffed. "You can pretend all you want, Sammy, but soon you're gonna have to face up to who you really are." Dean said sarcastically, turning around to keep a closer eye on his precious Princess as something was starting not to feel right. And he would never risk her, not ever.
Sam followed him.
"Yeah, and who's that?!" Sam demanded.
"One of us." Dean replied.

"No. I'm nothing like you. This is not going to be my life." Sam said angrily, getting in front of Dean, blocking his view of Amélie sleeping in the back.
"Look, you have a responsibility to Am-" Dean starts but is interrupted.
"To Dad? And his crusade?!" Sam demands, completely ignoring the start of his niece's name in his anger. "If it weren't for pictures, I wouldn't even know what Mum looks like. And what difference would it make? Even if we do find that thing that killed her, Mum's gone, and she isn't coming back. And what about Simone? Do you really think she'd want you to raise your daughter like this!?" Sam added hurtfully.

As soon as Sam mentioned Simone and basically questioned his love for both his fiancée and his daughter, Dean felt this unimaginable rage course through him as he grabbed Sam by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the railing. Sam looked at his brother stunned as Dean stared angrily into his eyes, his green eyes darkening with his anger.
"Don't talk about Mum like that. And don't you dare question how I feel about Simone and my daughter. They were my world and you weren't there when I needed you. And as I told you when I picked you up I'm not raising my Princess into this!" Dean spat. He let Sam go, and looked at the car checking on a sleeping Amélie. As he was turning back to Sam, Dean spots what appears to be Constance standing on the bridge railing.

"Sam." Dean says shocked. As Sam came to stand beside his brother, obviously having spotted Constance as well, said woman looks over at the two brothers, and then ever so calmly and slowly steps over the railing. Sam and Dean run over to look and see where Constance was.
"Where'd she go?" Dean asked, when all they can see is the rushing water; the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach increasing.
"I don't know." Sam replies worriedly. When they suddenly hear the engine of the Impala start, and the headlights come on.  
"Amie!" Dean shouted, darting forward to get his daughter out of the ghost controlled car. Before Dean could run more than a few steps forward the car roars into action heading straight for them; Amélie's crying face is clear as a bell through the windscreen.

"Dean! GO! GO! GO!" Sam shouted, as he grabbed his brother back so they could take off running. The car was gaining on them as Amélie's crying face etched into their minds as they had one option open to them. They had to jump. Sam managed to hold onto the railing on the bridge. Dean however, was not so lucky, and he plummeted right into the muddy water. Sam pulled himself back up with effort and looked around for Dean but he couldn't find him. Knowing Dean would want him to check on his daughter first spurred him into action as he ran to the back door and pulled it open. What he saw broke his heart. Amélie was in her car seat bawling her eyes out as she hugged Coco tightly to her chest, with a terrified look on her face.
"Hey. Shhh. It's okay, it's okay." Sam soothed, as he got his beautiful niece out of her car seat and held her close to his chest, bouncing her up and down to try and calm her down.

"Honey, are you okay?" Sam asked concerned, checking her over as best he could with the dim lighting as she buried her head into his chest. "Dean? Dean? DEAN!" Sam shouted, concerned once he'd calmed her down a little bit she kept asking for Dean. Not that he blamed her; she was terrified and wanted her Daddy, he was essentially a stranger to her. And he had no one to blame but himself, he thought bitterly.
"What?" Dean asked, as he crawled out of the murky water and on to the muddy riverbank. "Amélie? Is she alright?" He asked, concerned.
"I've got her. She's terrified but not hurt." Sam assured him. "Are you alright?"
"I'm supper." Dean said sarcastically, heaving himself back up. He wanted to check on his daughter with his own eyes.

When Dean finally made it back on to the bridge the first thing he did was check on his daughter.
"My Witchy Princess, are you alright?" Dean asked concerned, his eyes flicking over her rapidly, assessing her.
"Daddy." Amélie sniffled, reaching her arms out for him and Dean felt his heart break that he had to turn her down.
"I'm sorry baby I would love to cuddle you but Daddy is all yucky." Dean said, pointing to himself. Amélie pouted but then she got the whiff of the smell coming from her Dad and her nose wrinkled up cutely.
"Daddy smell like a potty." Amélie complained.
"I do, don't I baby." Dean conceded, wrinkling his nose making her giggle. "Sam, pour some water over my hands so I can check baby out." He ordered holding his hands out. Sam strapped Amélie back into her car seat making sure she had Coco before grabbing a water bottle and doing as asked.

"Your car all right?" Sam asked, as Dean closed the bonnet.
"Yeah. Whatever she did to it, it seems okay now. That Constance chick, what a BITCH!" And then he turns to Amélie who is looking at her Dad with wide eyes, "bad word don't say that." Dean said sternly.
"Well she doesn't want us digging around that's for sure." Sam stated the obvious. "Where do we go from here, genius?" Sam asked Dean. Dean just shrugged his shoulders in irritation.
"You really do stink." Sam said. Dean just gives his brother a deadpanned state before getting in the car. Once Sam is in he takes off for the nearest hotel, Sam holding his breath for the journey or sticking his head out the window making Dean roll his eyes.

It was nearly morning when they finally arrived at the hotel. Amélie was fast asleep on Sam's shoulders while he and Dean went to check in.
"One room please." Dean asks, throwing down his card that says, 'Hector Aframian' and ignoring the look he got from the clerk.
"Are you guys having a reunion or something?" He asks, as he examines the card.
"What do you mean?" Sam asks, confused.
"One guy; Bert Aframian, brought a room for the whole month." The clerk informs them.
"Ahh that's our Dad. He likes to be early to everything." Dean muses, stopping the man's suspicious stares as he just smiles and nods.

After paying for a room to avoid suspicion and getting their father's room, making up a story that he forgot to tell them and isn't answering his phone, the brothers thanked the clerk and headed out to where the rooms were located. As Amélie was still asleep Dean picked the lock to John's room while Sam kept watch. The door swings open and a whole assortment of items greet the two brothers. There's salt under the door, windows and around the bed, cat's eye shells, and papers and newspaper clippings of all sorts of lore, and the missing guys taped to the walls.
"Whoa." Sam and Dean mutter together.
"Place her on the bed Sam and put one of the sachets beside her on the bedside table, as well as a pillow on either side of her." Dean ordered, as he picks up a half eaten burger and sniffs it, only to quickly pull his face away in disgust.

"I don't think he's been here for a couple of days at least." Dean whispers. Sam moves away from the bed after placing a few pillows around Amélie so she doesn't fall off and examines the salt on the floor.
"Salt, cats eye shells, he was worried. Trying to keep something from coming in." Sam says, rolling the salt in between his fingers before getting up. "What have you got?" He asks Dean, when he looks at the wall with the news articles on them.
"Centennial Highway victims." Dean replies. "I don't get it. I mean, different men. Jobs, ethnicities, ages. There's always a connection right?" Dean rants, as Sam looks at a different wall.
"Dad figured it out." Sam exclaims.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, turning to where Sam was but making sure to keep his voice down when Amélie murmured in her sleep.
"Constance Welch. She's a  woman in white." Sam replied. Dean looked back over at the news clippings of the missing men. It made sense why all the victims were men. They were men that had been unfaithful. Dean used to be in that category, but since meeting Simone he had changed his ways and he was never unfaithful to Simone. She was the love of his life. It was why he never got with anyone else or went back to his old ways. All he cared about now was loving and raising his daughter. No one could ever compare to his beloved Simone.

"Alright." Dean starts, pulling himself from his thoughts. "So if we are dealing with a woman in white, Dad would have found the corpse and destroyed it." Dean said, looking over the news article critically.
"Maybe she has another weakness." Sam pointed out.
"Well, Dad would make sure." Dean argued, "He'd dig her up, does it say where she's buried Sam?"
"No, not that I could tell. If I were Dad though, I'd go talk to the husband." Sam replied, as he tapped on the article. "The caption says he's thirty, it dates back to 1981. He'd be sixty four, if he's still alive." He finished.

"Watch Amie for me will you? I'm going to go get cleaned up, see if you can find an address." Dean said.
"Dean." Sam starts, as Dean stops by the doorway of the bathroom. "About what I said about Mum and Simone, I'm sorry." Dean stops Sam from speaking with his hand up.
"No chick flick moments." He said seriously. Sam let out a sound that was half a laugh and half a sigh as he looked at his older brother exasperated.
"Alright, Jerk."
"Bitch." Dean replied, casting a glance at his daughter nervously, only to sigh in relief when he noticed she was still asleep. Dean had only been in the bathroom for five minutes when Amélie woke up.
"Daddy?" She asked sleepily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"He's having a shower, pumpkin." Sam said, noticing a picture stuck to the mirror opposite them.
"Who dat?" Amélie asked, crawling to the end of the bed where Sam now sat. Sam smiled, wrapping his arm around her, pulling her onto his lap.
"That is your Grandpa John." Sam says softly, pointing to a man with black hair and brown eyes and wearing a baseball hat. Sam then points to the boy on his right with blonde hair and green eyes. "That was your Daddy when he was a little boy," he then moves to the little boy sitting on the man's lap who had light brown hair and hazel eyes. "And that's me when I was a little older than you."
"Oooh." Amélie cooed interestedly, taking the photo from her uncle as she stared at it.

Sam chuckled as his niece, kissing her head as he took out his phone realising he's got several missed calls from Jess and she had left him some voicemails.
"Hey, it's me. It's about ten twenty on a Saturday night...." Jess starts over the phone.  
A moment later Dean came out of the bathroom slipping on his jacket; clean once more. It was like a switch had been set within Amélie, as soon as she saw Dean she lit up, a wide smile on her face as soon as she saw him.
"Daddy!" Amélie cried, her arms reaching towards her father, the photo now lay forgotten on the bed.
"Hey baby." Dean said happily, picking up his daughter and kissing all over her face making her giggle.

"Hey Sam, I'm starving, I'm gonna go grab something to eat for Amie and I. Want anything?" He asked. Sam who was still listening to his voicemails from Jessica shook his head.
"You sure? Aframian's buying." Dean said coaxingly.
"No." Sam repeated. Dean shrugged and lifted Amélie up higher on his hip as she was slipping a bit, and walked outside. However, as soon as they stepped outside Dean noticed the clerk talking to Deputy Jaffee and another police officer. Dean shifts Amélie on his hip and quickly takes out his phone to call Sam.

"Dude, Five-o take off." Dean said quickly, as he squeezed his daughter tighter to him. "They kinda spotted us. Go find Dad." Dean closes his phone, and turns to Amélie just before the police approach them. "Baby, I don't want you to talk to them okay?" He asked quickly.
"Otay Daddy." Amélie whispered nervously, hiding her face in Dean's neck.
"Problem officers?" Dean asks, spotting them standing besides him in his peripheral vision.
"Where's your partner and who's this?" Deputy Jaffee asks.
"Partner? What partner?" Dean asks. "And this is my daughter. We were about to get some breakfast." Deputy Jaffee asks the other police officer to go look in the room. The officer nods and watches the other officer come back.

"Ahh, the kid from the car. So, fake U.S. marshals, fake credit cards, you got anything that's real?" Jaffee asks.
"My boobs." Dean replied, grinning sarcastically at them. Jaffee takes Amélie away from Dean causing Amélie to scream for him and Dean to shout at them to give her back before trying to soothe his distraught and scared daughter.
"It's going to be okay, Princess." Dean said soothingly, noticing the indigo blue starting to appear in her blue-green eyes. Just before he was slammed on the hood of the Impala.
"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be held against you in the Court of Law." Jaffee reads him his rights. "Do you understand your rights?!" They asked him, before they took him into the car.
"Yes, sir." Dean replied tersely. "Where are you taking my daughter?" He demanded, but he received no answer.

***

Amélie was sitting in a room in the police station clutching Coco tightly, tears trailed down her face as Sesame Street played but she wasn't interested in that. All she wanted was her Daddy.
A kind lady with light brown hair and grey eyes came and sat next to Amélie, she felt sorry for the toddler beside her.
"Hi, I'm Lindsey Smith, can you tell me your name?" Lindsey asked, but Amélie remained silent and only clutched her cat cuddly toy tighter and moved away from the woman.
"Did you come with your Daddy?" Lindsey tried, Amélie just nodded her head. "Where's Mummy?"
"In Heaven." Amélie whispered.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to be scared you're safe here and with good people." Lindsey tried again.
"I want Daddy." Amélie cried, tears pouring down her cheeks. The woman just sighs and tries a few more times but Amélie just repeats the same phrase, 'she wants her Daddy.' She left a few minutes later when she was called out by another police officer. A few minutes after she leaves the door opens again but Amélie pays it no mind thinking the lady had come back until she hears her Daddy's voice.
"Sweetheart." Dean whispered, causing Amélie to whip around with a muffled cry as she darted into his arms sobbing.
"Oh baby," Dean sighed, picking her up and holding her close with a hand in her hair. "I'm sorry. Everything is okay, I'm never leaving you again. Let's go find your Uncle Sammy, he's a genius."

After they made it out of the police station, Dean walked a few streets until he came across a payphone booth, and dialled Sam's number off by heart. He didn't have time to snatch his phone back, all he cared about was getting his daughter and getting out of there.
"Fake 9-1-1 call? I don't know Sammy, that's pretty illegal." Dean said, as soon as Sam had picked up the phone.  
".... "
"Yeah, I've got her. She's upset which is understandable but she's okay." Dean assured, holding his daughter closer to him as she was drifting off to sleep and sliding off his hip. "Listen, we gotta talk."  
"...."

"Sammy, would you shut up for a second!?" 
"...."
"Well that's what I've been trying to tell you. Dad's gone. Dad left Jericho."  
"...."
"I've got his journal." Dean continues the conversation, as he places the journal on top of the phone and flips through a brown leather bound book that seems to be falling apart.  
"...."
"Yeah,well he did this time."
"....."
"Ah, you know all that ex-marine crap, when he wants to let us know where he's going."

"....."
"I'm not sure yet."
"....."
"Sam? Sam?!" Dean suddenly slammed the phone back to where it was, scooped the book back up, slipped it into his pocket and held Amélie tighter as he began to run. About twenty minutes later, they arrive at an abandoned house with the abandoned Impala sitting outside .
Dean puts Amélie down.
"Cover your ears and close your eyes, Amie!" Dean said sternly.  

Amélie sat down on the ground and covered her ears but she still heard the muffled gunshots. Amélie was tempted to look up but she listened to her Daddy and kept her eyes closed with her ears covered but that didn't stop the muffled cries of her Dad reaching her as he screamed for the uncle she was just starting to know.

"Sam?!" Dean screams, as the Impala drives through the house taking out half the wall along with it. "Baby, I want you to stay here and hum our song as loud as you can, while I rescue Sammy, okay? I don't want you to get hurt." Dean said worriedly, placing two of the protective sachets in front of her, then two behind her and two on either side of her. That'll stop Constance and anything else coming to get his daughter.
"Otay Daddy." Amélie whispered, terrified.
"Don't be scared, baby. Everything is going to be alright." Dean promised, kissing her forehead before running into the house.
"Sam are you alright?" Dean shouts, running into the house.
"Yeah. Help me?" Sam asks. "Where's Amie?" He asked concerned, as he could finally be free from being trapped in the car.

"Outside in a protective circle." Dean replied, just as the dresser slammed into him and Sam, trapping them against the car courtesy of Constance. She gave them a dirty, anger filled look as she threw down a family picture and was about to come over to Sam and Dean to attack when water started trickling down the stairs. Forgetting about the Winchesters she had pinned to the car, Constance flitted over to the bottom of the stairs as two children appeared at the top. A little girl the same age as Amie, holding hands with a boy who was a little holder then her.
"You've come home to us, Mummy." They said at the same time, a terrified look appeared on Constance's face. As she turned to leave the children appeared behind her and hugged her causing her to let out agonising screams as the three dissolved into a puddle of water.

"This is where she drowned her kids." Dean said in disgust, he couldn't understand why anyone would do that.
"This is why she couldn't go home. She was too scared to face them." Sam replied.
"You've found her weak spot. Nice work, Sammy." Dean said, as he slapped Sam on the chest. Sam laughs through the pain.
"Yeah I wish I could say the same to you, what were you thinking about shooting Casper in the face, you freak?" Sam said with a laugh.
"Hey, saved your ass. I'll tell you one thing man, if you've screwed up my car I'll kill you." Dean said, as he quickly checked over the car to make sure it was safe for his daughter. "Get the car out while I go see my Princess." He added, leaving the broken down house before Sam could argue.

***

The three Winchesters were back in the Impala on the way back to Stanford, Amélie was fast asleep in the back worn out from the events of the day, Dean was humming along to 'Highway to Hell' by AC DC while Sam was looking over a map.
"Here's where Dad went." Sam said, looking at the map. "It's called Black Water Ridge in Colorado." He finished.
"Sounds charming, how far?" Dean asked.
"About six hundred miles." Sam guessed.
"Hey, if we shag ass we can make it halfway by tomorrow." Dean replied.
"Dean.. I... um." Sam hesitated.
"You're not coming?" Dean asked, slightly annoyed Sam was leaving for a normal life when that's all he wanted for his daughter.

"Look, I'm sorry. But the interview is in like ten hours, I gotta be there." Sam replied hesitantly, knowing he was forcing his brother and niece to give up their life in New Orleans.
"Yeah. Yeah, whatever. I'll take you home." Dean said disappointed and annoyed. Sam turned off the flashlight that he was using to look at the map, leaving them in the dark. About an hour later they finally stopped in front of Sam's apartment building.
"Hey, you know we made a hell of a team back there." Dean tells Sam.
"Yeah we were." Sam agreed with a smile. "Tell her I love her and I'll call. I promise. Maybe when you find Dad I can meet up with you. Or even before, to see you and Amélie, I have three years and a lot to make up for." Sam suggested hopefully.

"Yeah. Yeah." Dean agreed, but not daring to get his hopes up. After Sam walked away Dean took off. He had only made it around five miles when his watch froze and static came over the radio and he knew what that meant. A demon and a powerful one to affect this far out. Immediately Dean did a U-turn and sped back towards Sam's apartment. When he got there he could see the window was lit up with orange flames, panicking he looked in the rear view mirror at his slumbering daughter. He didn't want to leave her in the car alone, but she was safer here than in a building that was on fire.
"I'll be quick." He said to both himself and his sleeping daughter, and took off after locking the car, he sprinted up the fire escape as it was the quickest way and burst into Sam's apartment where he could hear his brother screaming for his girlfriend. 

"Sam!" He shouted, as he picked his brother up off of the floor while trying not to look at the burning figure of Jess on the ceiling. He pushed a fighting and screaming Sam out of the apartment all the way to the car. Once he got there he immediately unlocked the car and held his daughter in his arms just breathing in her strawberry scent from her bubble bath and shampoo which always had the calming effect on him. He was so glad his daughter was safe and nothing had happened to her while he was rescuing his brother, he couldn't bear to think of the alternative; it killed something inside of him to even contemplate it. A fireman, Dean's dream job, came and checked the three of them over for smoke and burns despite Dean stating Amélie wasn't in the building they said it was precaution which he appreciated.

Once the fireman had treated Sam's small wounds and apologised for his loss, he left them to it and Sam quickly opened the trunk and started loading guns with all sorts of bullets.
"We've got work to do." Sam said, slamming the lid to the secret compartment and the trunk shut. Dean sighed and let Sam drive them to the nearest decent hotel for a change which shocked his brother out of his anger filled grief but Dean didn't want to let his daughter go just yet. He knew their life as they knew it had changed and not for the better.