12. Pontiac, Illinois

"And Cas didn't say what it was? He just said he had an emergency and wanted us there for backup?" asks Dean.

"You think I can read his mind or something?" I retort from the Impala backseat. Dean, like always, is the driver. "I didn't get time to ask, he hung up on me."

"Did you think to call him back?"

"We'll find out, anyway." I stick my tongue out.

"You're not worried?"

"Oh, I'm totally worried," I admit. "I'm just holding it inside."

My brothers and I had just finished a case in Hibbing, Minnesota, involving a sheriff's retreat and vampires. I finally got to meet Jody Mills, who the boys have known for years. I also got to be acquainted with Sheriff Donna Hanscum, who seemed overfriendly and had a dick of an ex-husband whose head I wanted to rip off from the moment he breathed in my vicinity. Unfortunately, for me, for society, and even Donna, her ex-husband's pathetic life got spared.

Granted, if I had gotten the chance, I would've made his death look like an accident.

We didn't get to rest long in the bunker, because that's when Cas reached out with his "emergency". We're now in Pontiac, Illinois. This reason has to be legitimate. Cas wouldn't reach out if it was something he could easily handle.

Dean pulls the Impala over once we see Cas outside of a restaurant.

"All right, what's so important that it was a necessary ride out to Pontiac?" I ask as we climb out.

"It's Claire," says Cas.

"Um, Claire?" I'm not sure whether to be worried or annoyed right now. This name is a new one to me.

"Wait, hold on," says Dean. "Claire as in Claire Novak? As in the daughter of your vessel you took?"

Cas looks annoyed. "Yes, Dean, that Claire."

Okay, makes sense. I guess if I remove Cas out of this body, this man could easily be a man with a wife and a daughter. I relax the anger, there's no need for it.

"Okay," I say slowly. "So, what about her?"

"She's run off, and I have no idea where she went."

"Well..." I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Okay, so, how'd you find her in the first place?"

"She was at a group home. I tried the normal, human way of getting her out, but that didn't work. So, I had to resort to other measures."

"Meaning you did a jailbreak."

Cas nods. "You could word it like that."

I lick my lips. Dean scoffs. "This is why you called us?" he asks, a bit exasperated. "This is your emergency?"

"Yes!" Cas says.

"No, Cas! Emergency is a dead body, okay? Or—or a wigged-out angel, or the Apocalypse, take three. Some chick bolting on you is not an emergency. That's...that's every Friday night for Sam."

"Dude," says Sam.

"Well..." I kind of agree with Dean. Sam looks at me in surprise, like his eyes are saying, How are you agreeing with that?

"This isn't just 'some chick,'" Cas says irritably. "I'm responsible for her."

"Since when?" asks Dean. "You met her once, how many years ago?"

"Look, Cas," says Sam. "Even if we do find Claire...Then what?"

"She rolled you, and then she ran, okay? It's pretty clear that she doesn't want to play house."

"I understand," says Cas. "But I need to know that Claire is safe. And I need your help."

"All right," I say slowly. "Uh...Why don't we go ask around at the group home?"

"Uh, you know what?" says Dean. "You and Sam go ahead and do that. Cas and I, we're going to stick here in case she circles back. You two go ahead."

"Thank you," says Cas.

I look at Sam. "Fed getup?"

He nods. "Suit up, Jo."

"Oh, can I drive this time?" I look at Dean expectantly.

Dean tosses me the keys. "Don't wreck her now, okay?"

"Dude, I haven't ruined my truck. I won't scratch our mobile home." I twirl the keys around my finger. "She'll come back in mint condition, promise."

"I'm holding you to that."

I nod towards the Impala. "Come on, Sammy. Time to get to work."

* * *

Sam and I are at the detention center. We meet with the home superintendent, whose name is Sandy. She gladly lets us into her office so we can talk about Claire.

"Claire's a good kid, detectives," Sandy says. "She's smart, and underneath it all, she has a big heart." I take the folder that she holds out. "You know, there used to be a boy here. Dustin Tate. He was older, but Claire really took him under her wing."

"Is he around?" I ask.

"He works at The Weiner Hut." It takes a lot of strength for me to not laugh. "We tried to place Claire, but she always ran away. Sometimes for a couple of days...One time for six months."

"Wow." I clear my throat. "Where does she hide out?"

"I wish I knew."

"Would you happen to know if Dustin is working at The Hut tonight?" asks Sam.

"It's a possibility."

I rise, handing back Claire's folder. "Thank you so much for all the help." I offer Sandy a firm handshake. "If we need any more information, we'll be in contact."

Once we leave the detention center, Sam dials Dean's phone and puts us on speaker. We sit in the Impala, I haven't started the car yet.

"So, what'd you find?" asks Dean.

"Turns out Claire got to know a Dustin Tate during her stay," I say. "He works at The Weiner Hut. Meet us there. We can shake him down, see if he'll squeal."

"All right, we'll meet you there."

Sam puts in our destination in his phone, and I make the drive to The Weiner Hut. Apparently, it's not that far of a walk, because we meet Dean and Cas there. I park Baby, and Sam and I climb out.

"How should we approach this?" asks Cas.

"Really?" I say, looking at him. "We corner him and make him sing. We get what we want, we let the kid go."

"And if he's stubborn?"

"Oh, I'll make sure he talks. Leave that to me."

"Let me do that with you, since—"

"Yeah, Claire is your top priority right now."

So while Sam and Dean disappear, Cas and I remain outside of The Weiner Hut, waiting for Dustin Tate to come for his shift.

"So, uh, how are you doing, Josette?" Cas starts conversationally.

I blow out a breath. "I'm fine. Been in control. I see you lost Hannah."

There's a little mournful look in his eyes. "She left her vessel, figured it was time that the original owner went back to her old life without Hannah inhabiting her body."

I nod, scuffing my shoes on the sidewalk. "Hey, Cas?"

"Yes?"

"How do you just assume that I'm who you think I am?" I regard him softly. "I mean...I'm not human. I'm a demon, and I know you can see that." I swallow. "How do you trust me?"

"The Josette I know has never lied to me."

"Ah-ah. Wrong. I gave you a fake name the night we met." I smile teasingly.

He chuckles. "Okay, aside from that one time, you haven't lied to me since. You always sound genuine whenever you talk, and that's something you had when we met."

"But can't demons trick you?"

"It takes a lot for them to deceive me."

"I don't know..."

"Look, I know who you are, and you know who you are." He looks intensely into my eyes. "I know you're not a random demon trying to pose as a Winchester. Besides, that'd be one idiotic demon."

I laugh. "Yeah, they'd be the biggest dumbass." I turn towards Cas, looking around before kissing him lightly on the mouth. "I forgot how much I missed that."

"When I learned what happened to you...I thought I was never going to have this again," Cas whispers.

"Well, you do now. And I'm not going anywhere ever again, I promise." My eyes scan past Cas to see a young man coming our way. This has to be our victim. "Hey." I nudge Cas so he can turn. The kid looks to be a good description of Dustin. "Dustin Tate?" I ask the kid.

"Nah, man."

"Oh, really?" I get in front of Dustin, stopping him with a hand to his chest. Cas comes from behind the kid, grabbing the back of his jacket. "And by the way, I'm a woman."

Cas shoves Dustin into the brick wall, and we stand as a blockade to keep him from escaping.

"You're going to tell me where Claire Novak is," Cas says threateningly. "Now."

A shudder ripples through me. How is it that his threatening growl is really sexy and a turn-on right now? Keep it in check, Josette. We're on a case. You can cuddle up with Cas later.

As Dustin looks at Cas in fear, from the corner of my eye, my brothers walk up. Dean's eating something, and I focus as Cas has Dustin's neck and is lifting him up off the ground.

"Yeah," I say nonchalantly as I inspect my nails, "I'd do what he says." I look at the boy, giving him a flash of my black beauty demon eyes to scare him further. He doesn't say a word, probably because he thinks I'll kill him if he speaks a word.

"Okay, okay," Dustin squeaks. "She's going to rob a convenience store."

"Which one?"

"The only one around here!"

"Why is she doing it?"

Dustin hesitates.

"Answer the question," I say coldly.

Dustin looks afraid of me. "Randy. He...He owes someone a lot of money. We're trying to get it back so nothing bad comes out of it. Please don't hurt me."

"Oh, what, you don't want your pretty face bruised and battered?" I pout.

"Josette, the commentary isn't needed here," Cas tells me in that sexy growl. God damn, he's making me get some serious dirty thoughts going right now. "When?" He addresses Dustin.

"Tonight."

**[sighs] God, I love Jo sometimes.**