needYouNow♥Chey,Jess&Tess&Bastian&Ben

[Jessica Coulter]

Jessie:

Ok, so for the first time in her life, Jessie decided that she was going to play it on the safe side. When Jericho stepped in front of her, she actually took in his look and did exactly what he was requesting she do. In fact, she even moved a bit closer and peeked over his shoulder. She might have let him be the man but that didn't mean she was going to let him get hurt either.... Never mind that it allowed her to place a hand on his back and be reminded of all the reasons she shouldn't even be in the same ROOM with him.

However, now was NOT the time to dwell on it. They had bigger fish to fry and Bastian was going to need someone to keep him sane.

"Uh.. guys?? Can I make a suggestion? I was thinking..." she said, biting her bottom lip apprehensively and then looking at the others. "I think Simi mentioned that Gregg graduated last spring.. So we are probably looking at covering more than one area.... We girls could actually help ...."

[Jessica Coulter]

Karlieann:

Once Chey had headed back down the hallway, Karlie just seemed to stare in through the partially open door at the little bundle under the covers and the strands of blond hair that flowed across the bed. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her head. She did that sometimes, watched Simi sleep because she didn't know if she was thinking about it, dreaming about it, if she'd wake up and need someone there. Karlie was so lost in all this. She'd just wanted to look out for her cousin. That was all she'd wanted!

She'd heard a guys voice, so she'd known that someone else was in the house. The voice was Bastian's, she'd known that voice so long that it was basically unmistakable to her now. She couldn't make out what was being said only that no one sounded particularly happy. Why would they? But what Karlie hadn't expected was the loud crash that came next. She suddenly heard both her daughters crying from different directions and pulled Simi's bedroom door shut. Karlie suddenly began to ignore everything else that was going on in the house. She figured Simi was stressed, the girls and apparently Bastian had everything covered down there, her kids however weren't capable of sorting themselves out. She'd got them sort of calm but the continuing screams and the sound of the wall being punched through and something shattering didn't help. In the end Karlie had to settle them down with Damon. Kayla was being her big strong girl and even told her mommy that if it was just Bastian then he was only playing. Her 6 week old tot however wasn't capable of understanding who Bastian even was and so required Daddy's services to keep her calm. It was not easy having all hell break loose in your house when you have two young children. This was exactly why she gave up hunting in the first place.. Well that and the fact she'd much rather be at home with her girls than off looking for demons to kill. It wasn't worth hurting her family over.


Once she knew her girls were settled, Karlie headed back to Simi's room. This time the petite blond snuck inside the room, reaching out to stroke her cousin's soft curls when the hair on the pillow came away in her hand. Karlie held what was obviously a wig up in horror as she flipped back the covers.

Underneath the covers were flowers and hundreds of maggots, crawling around over the pink cotton of Simi's sheets. there was a 'card' the same as you would get if you'd recieved a bunch of flowers nestled up in amongst the disgusting creatures and nearly dead foliage. Karlie dropped the wig to the floor and forced her hand to reach in and grab the note, peeling the envelope open and pulling the card out. As she read what was written inside her stomach lurched and she had to run towards the bathroom. She'd felt physically sick to her stomach a few times tonight but this was the first time she actually was physically sick. The poor little thing shook like a leaf as she began to sob on the bathroom floor. This couldn't be happening. How did that bastard get into her house and take her cousin??? Karlie had never felt so awful in her life because she'd ALWAYS promise Simi she was safe!!! How, with the amount of hunters in this house right now, was this even possible?


As soon as she was cabale of doing so, Karlie pulled herself up off the floor and washed her face. She was stressed to the eyeballs but the girl became really freakin' good at hiding her emotions over the years. She took the note back into her hand and headed back down the hall way to where people still seemed to be going on with raised voices. Swallowing thickly, Karlie stepped into the room, watching everyone else for a moment until she heard Jessie say about the girls being able to help. "Actually I was thinking that myself. The other guys are still at the college, you could probably track them down there." It was as good a way as any to make herself known to the room yet again. She stepped slowly forward as she spoke, clearly stepping towards her eldest cousin. "I know Bastian wants to make the guys who did this suffer. I know the guy all too well after all." He might as well have not been in the room for despite the fact she stepped towards him her eyes and words never acknowledged him being there. "But Bastian's about to be real busy. Too busy to deal with everyone." She finally looked up into her cousins eyes. They looked darker than usual and kind of lost. Karlies eyes probably would have told him all she was, was terrified and more than likely that she was exhausted by all this. By the tears, by the stress, by the fact when Simi hadn't rocked up the night before she hadn't slept a wink in case her cousin called here needing her right away. Simone might as well have been Karlie's sister. They were closer than cousins in every way but Karlie knew she didn't have anything near as special as the bond her and Bastian did. Thats why she knew her next words to him would crack him completely.

"She's gone! And HE's been in my house!! Her bed was filled with flowers and..." She stopped, struggling to say the words. "...maggots. And in amongst them was this." She placed the note into his hand, the words 'start planning the funeral' staring up at him, clear as day.

Jericho:

Whoever these douchebags were, Jericho was going to personally help Bastian and the others rip the mother to shreds. With a grim look on his face, he nodded to Bastian, knowing that any further comment on his state of mind would end up in blows. The poor guy was probably ready to explode with the need to hit something, and while he wouldn't have minded being his friend's outlet, he wasn't exactly a fan of getting his jaw cracked in two. Standing in front of Jessie with his arms crossed over his chest, he listened to what Karlie said and watched the others, jaw clenched so hard, it was a wonder that it didn't explode.

And then Karlie just HAD to go and drop the biggest damn bomb of them all. His mouth falling open in shock, he stared at the small woman across the room. "She's GONE? How the hell could she be gone...dammit, none of you were playing sentry outside of her door?" The words left his mouth before he could stop them, and he started cursing. Warily, he watched Bastian as he was handed the note, and took a step toward his friend, ready to stop him if necessary. God, he had no idea what the guy had to be going through right now...but either way, the psychopath who took Simi would PAY.

"Where would he have taken her?" He turned to ask Karlie, while keeping a wary eye on the other man. "We need to gear up and roll out before he gets too far off. Dammit...he got in here, under all of our noses! Was her boyfriend human, do any of you know?"


Bastian:

Bastian's heart dropped clear down to his feet when he heard Karlie's words. Simi was gone? How could she be gone? She was just in the next room! That son of a bitch and had somehow gotten into Karlie's house and taken his sister! He didn't speak, knowing if he opened his mouth that he would wind up screaming in heated fury. Instead with a shaking hand he reached out and took the card from Karlie, reading the words over and over again as they sank into his already tailspinning mind.

Looking up, Bastian met Karlie's gaze letting her see just how much he hated her right now. He did hate her. Karlie was his family and she had kept this from him. Bastian hadn't been able to be there for her and in Bastian's mind that was Karlie's fault. All of this could have been avoided if someone had just fucking told him!

The anger Bastian had been feeling before was nothing compared to what was flooding his system now. It was as if someone was draining the blood from his veins and replacing it with liquid rage. His entire body began to shake as something that was beyond him began to take over. The remote for the TV zipped off the table, crashing into the wall in a million little pieces. Bastian didn't even blink as a trinket flew off the shelf behind him and flew into the couch. For a moment it was as if everything good in him had been ripped from his body. He would have no compassion for this man. He would not show mercy. He would find Gregg and he would show that man what pain truly was.

When the first hint of a headache started, Bastian closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Screaming at Karlie wasn't going to help things. Losing himself to the raw fury pumping through him was not going to help things. Bastian needed information and he needed it now. "Do we have any idea where he would take her?" His voice was low, words controlled as he looked around the room. "Or what he's driving?"

Bastian would find Simi. He knew that much. Once she was safe and out of harms way, then he would let every dark and evil instinct he had come out to destroy the man who had hurt his baby sister.

Jessie:

Well, hell... This just kept getting better and better. Now, not only were they all faced with the knowledge of what had happened to one of their own... They'd had that same someone snatched right out from under all their noses. Jess looked from one face to the next before Bastians question registered and her first thought was for Simi's beloved challenger.

Leaning forward, she whispered to Jericho that she'd be right back and then darted out of the room to run for the foyer. Throwing open the door, the pretty brunette stepped outside to look towards the driveway and swallowed hard at what she found. Oh god.. This was SO not going to be good. Shit, shit, SHIT. Turning on her heel, she raced back through the hallway and into the volitle hell the meeting room had become.

"I believe I can answer one question!" she said in a choked voice. "Sim's car is gone.... It was there when I pull up so sometime in the last few hours... its gone missing. I'm betting thats what the asshole has her in...."


Casting a glance from one person to the next, Jessie finally moved to Karlie who looked as if she were going to drop where she stood. Putting an arm around her waist, she guided her over to a chair and practically pushed her down into it. The poor woman was no doubt going through hell with this all and Bastian was in no frame of mind to listen to anything she said. NO doubt, anything said between them would only make bigger wounds so she wanted to get Karlie out of the line of fire as much as possible. Moving to the small bar, she picked up the whiskey bottle and poured everyone a healthy shot. They all needed it to steady their nerves and come to grips with a sane plan.

Taking a couple of the tumblers up, she moved to Bastian and pressed one in his hand with a level look.

"Drink this, Blair, and lets make a plan. Whatever we are dealing with here.. Going off like Rambo is only going to get Simi hurt worse, right? You know that cause your a smart guy.... So lets think this through, all right?"
Then, moving back towards Jericho, she handed him the other tumbler and closed her eyes for a moment before continuing.

"Something about this has been bugging me... Tessa mentioned it earlier too...." she said, glancing at the other woman along with Chey. "Simi was with this guy two whole years.. Then suddenly, after he tells her about herself, he flips out and leaves..... Only then, he calls her up and sets her up for a brutal gang rape.... I'm sorry but it doesn't compute.. Not even a freaked out guy like that would turn on his girlfriend of two years and set her up like that.... We are missing something here...."

Without realizing it, she found herself moving closer to Jericho for reassurance even as her mind whirled.

"So.... my question is this... Are we dealing with a mere man gone psychotic... Or something more??"


Chey:

Chey couldn't take all this in. She'd certainly never seen Bastian like this before. It was the sort of behavior Chey'd seen a few times from the male of the Winchesters though. Rage and irrational thinking seemed to run in the family. Chey was waiting for him to snap at her when Jericho stepped in. Really she was glad of the relief but she knew she could have handled what ever Bastian would have shot her way. She then watched as Karlie walked in from her lurking spot in the door way. She frowned heavily at her boss as she approached Bastian, annoucing that Simi was gone. Chey's heart sunk so badly that she felt like she could feel it beating in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know what the note said but she could more than assume that it was bad.


She couldn't drag her eyes away from Bastian, watching the way he shook with sheer anger. And then she watched as things flew across the room. The remote shattering was the first thing that forced her eyes to move off Bastian. Did he do that? Wait could he do that??? Did he even KNOW he could do that?? Ho-ly crap! Chey was even more amazed by the fact he managed to pull himself into a sense of calm. Jess was doing well rallying the troups. She mentioned that Simi's car was missing and that was one thing at least.


Then Jess went back to the earlier conversation point, about him, about Simi's ex, about the fact this didn't make sense. She asked if they were dealing with a mereman or something more. Chey swallowed, forcing it and trying to remove the dry lump stuck in her throat. "Please... Is anyone thinking mere man anymore? We've been doin' this crap our entire lives. There's always something... I mean, humans are capable of this sort of behavior but... Simi's perfect man we all heard about? How many times did we sit through the gush sessions? Even Simi doesn't get a guy that wrong. I'm thinkin' creature feature." Chey was trying to work out if there was anyway to work it out quickly but honestly they should probably just go prepared for every scenario.

Then suddenly something hit her.

Something that she didn't know if anyone would know besides Bastian. Her body snapped instantly towards him and her hands clapped together. She was still worried as all hell but she had that glimmer of hope in her eye for the first time all evening. "Bas.. Does Simi have a tracker on her car? We don't know how long she's been gone or what direction she went in... But if I can track her car then you can head straight to her right?" It could be a long shot but it was the ONLY shot she had right now.

Jericho:

Was it wrong that, even in the face of this horrific situation, the first thing in Jericho's mind when Jessie took charge of the scene and tried to calm both Karlie and Bastian was 'she's hot when she's bossy?' It so was...it SO was. Gah, now he had the drives of his freakishly insane twin, which was wonderful. The next thing he knew, he'd be raising dead animals to do nasty things to everyone's feet in the next five seconds. But, if anything, those assinine thoughts had his mind screeching to a halt, when he got into rage-territory. Poor Bastian, on the other hand, didn't seem to lucky. Every muscle in his body tensed when the remote was thrown across the room, and the ex-soldier braced himself to stop his friend from running for the door. He just managed to bite back a growl when Jessie approached the obviously enraged Blair, with the very unwelcome knoweldge that, if the guy hit her, angry or no, he was a dead man.


God, the urge to start banging his head against a wall was amost too much to bear. 'Hello, brain!' He practically screamed inside. 'We've got bigger problems here, than our obviously eternal desire to make Jessie scream our name! SO SHUT THE FUCK UP WITH THE LUST ALREADY.' God, it was days like these that really made him want to check himself into the looney bin.


Thank God for booze, he thought with a small nod of thanks at Jessie. He downed the drink in one gulp and eyed the others. Absently, Jericho rubbed at his scar, closing his eyes against the impending headache looming there. "That's a great question, Chey; does Simi have some kind of lojack on her car? We could even track her if she's got any kind of computer GPS on there; I know a guy in the FBI who owes my family some favors. But we need some kind of battle plan, before we run out and try to find her," He interjected, when Chey pointed out that Karlie's car might be trackable. "If her kidnapper isn't human, who knows what's waiting for us? We have to go in smart, as well as quick." He added in the last part with a glance at Bastian. Dropping his hands, he moved over to his childhood friend, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to find her, man...and when we do, the schmuck who took her is gonna die slow and die bloody. I swear it."



Bastian:

The world was so surreal. It was like everything that was happening, everything people were saying was some far off dream that he couldn't touch. This wasn't happening. He didn't want it to be happening. That bastard had ra...he couldn't even think it. It was too horrible. Now that son of a bitch had Simi in his grips again. Idly he began pacing, not even realizing he took the whiskey from Jessie and knocked back the shot. His hand gripped tightly over that little piece of glass as he tried to push everything else away and concentrate on getting his sister back.


"Honestly, I don't care if he's human, demon, vamp, or an angel doing God's will. He will be meeting his maker after I get my hands on him." Another bout of anger washed over him and he threw the shot glass against the wall. It was then he felt Jericho's hand on his shoulder, his words slowly registering in Bastian's brain. His first instinct would have been to strike, but he wasn't mad at Jericho. Hell he may have been the only person to find out AFTER Bastian.


Sighing Bastion rolled his neck and tried to ease the tension in his shoulders. Focus, that's what he needed. Focus. "Chey see if you can hack it and get Simi's Lo Jack activated. Did anyone check to see if there was any sulfur residue in the room? If he is possessed I want to know." Feeling like he was gaining more control Bastian went on. "Jericho and I will go after Simi. He couldn't have come that long ago right? Which means they couldn't have gone that far. If we can get a handle on this we may be able to catch up to them in an hour or two, especially if Gregg doesn't know we're on their tail." That's it, focus Bastian. Save the rage for when you've got Gregg chained up in a devils trap and are teaching him the true meaning of fear and pain.




Jessie:

Glad that everyone was talking sense and that a plan was starting to come together, Jessie relaxed a bit and then got focused. HEr own green gaze went sharp and she began to mental go over everything they would need to track the other men responsible for the hurt Simi'd been through.

"Chey, Tess, Karlie and I can all take care of the light work down at the campus. I think we've all got a good enough look at some of the faces in those pictures to do some checking into and and make them rue the day they were born. We can also check up on those other girls while you guys go after Simi."
Casting a look at her posse, Jess waited for acknowledgement and then continued. "I think the lojack idea is good.. We've all got our phones on us so we can keep up with each other that way. Chey? Do you have a wireless modem that can be used in the car?? If not, I do... And i've got a full tank of gas and weapons to spare..."

Glancing at Jericho, she frowned and then looked at Bastian.
"You too better be damned careful out there... We don't need anything happening to you either." she said, hoping that she didn't seem to odd with a statement like that.

Chey:

Chey had just been doing what she did best, doing her best to come up with a good solution to help them all out. When she realized they could track the car it actually made her feel a little less useless than she had for most of the night. Jericho supported the idea and said something about a friend in the FBI. Inside her head scoffed at that and was about to say something when Jericho went in to calm Bastian. And it actually worked, Bastian came out with a level head. He told Chey to see if she could hack it and activate the Lo Jack. She laced her fingers together, throwing her hands outwards, stretching her knuckles with a nod. "I certainly can." She then looked at Jericho. "And probably much quicker than the FBI" Yeahhhhh he surely couldn't completely forget Chey's little super power. She'd pulled Simi's laptop into her lap, it was the nearest thing but it meant having to look at those pictures again before having the chance to minimise the screen. Her skin was crawling but she was a woman on a mission. Chey's fingers tapped insanely at he keys before her, moving a mile a minute as she half listened to what was going on around her. She'd heard Jess say that they could go after the college guys and they should know she would be up for that one. Then Jess asked if she had a wireless modem for the car. Chey's eyes looked up from the computer momentarily. "I do but all of us in my bug is gonna be one hell of a squeeze. We need a bigger car or two if you ask me." She loved her car, but it was beautiful not practical for this kind of thing. All of a sudden, Chey pulled out her phone clicking buttons between that and the computer before turning to Bastian. "I'm sending something through to your phone. Accept it." She said, waiting for him to do so before clicking enter and placing the computer down. "Once thats gone through just give it a minute, then it should lead you straight to her." Normally something like this would make Chey go all achievement giddy but right now she was just worried about what would happen after Bastian found the guy. Or more accurately, what Bastian and Jericho might find.

[Jessica Coulter]

Bastian:

Focus, focus, focus, focus. That was Bastian's new mantra for the moment. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill would be his mantra when he had Gregg within his grasp. Oh and he would. There was no doubt in Bastian's mind he would. Gah he was getting off track.

Focus, focus on finding Simi. Focus on finding Simi. That was the priority right now. Carnage could come later. Simi first, carnage later. Yeah, that worked. It made sense.
Everyone was talking, trying to come up with a plan, making Bastian's head swim. He just wanted to be in his car, flooring the gas and shifting gears in pursuit of Simi. Unfortunately that meant having a plan and knowing which direction in which to drive.

Chey sent the whatever to his phone. Technology and Bastian didn't mix. Well unless it was a gaming system. Then all bets were off, but Chey was the hacker and the computer smart one. He trusted her word. If what was showing on his phone was correct, they were heading northbound on the highway. And then his little blipper blipped out.

Bastian shook his phone as if that would make it work again. For a second he thought it would when the tiny blip came on his screen again, but then it quickly disappeared. "Ummmm." Trying hard to contain his anger, Bastian looked up at Chey. "It's not a steady signal."

Jericho:

Jericho just managed to hold back a sympathetic wince as he watched the emotion play across Bastian's face. He had to give the guy some credit; he was doing pretty damn well, under the circumstances. Lord knew that if their roles were reversed, and it was YaYa that was taken by a lunatic from hell...well, he probably would have found something heavier than a remote control to throw.

When Chey spoke, he managed to duck his head in an 'oh yeah' manner, as he'd forgotten that the younger Winchester sister had backgrounds in computer hacking. Damn, he'd been away from the families for so long, that he was starting to forget some valuable things. Guess that was a point against being a hermit, he thought with an inner sigh. At Jessie's little demand, he shot a heated look her way, before moving over to where Bastian and Chey stood glaring at the poor phone between them.

Not a clear signal? That was strange...


"Maybe they're in a dead spot?" He said, then shook his head. "All this crap works by satellite, so that's not it. Guess that's another point in favor of the schmuck not being all human. We can still track it, as off the wall as it is, though, Bas, and Chey can keep working on keeping up the signal." To the Winchester, he continued. "Maybe if you piggy back on a government sat, it'll give us a clearer picture of where they're headed."

Jessie:

Feeling as if things were pretty well on a roll, Jess listened waited as the talk flew around and then glanced at Tessa. The other girl was frowning at her computer and tapping buttons and Jess knew she was no doubt after names, numbers and addresses of the assholes they'd seen in the photos.. That or tracking down any missing girls in the area and trying to figure out just what they were dealing with. Smart girl, Tess was. Not one to waste time on talk, she was down to business.


Deciding her presence in the room was not needed, Jess slipped away and went out to her car. Popping the thrunk, she stood staring down blankly into the open cavern even as all the true horror she felt raged across her features. Without thinking, she picked up a wrench and hurled it as hard as she could into the bushes nearby. Then, and only then, did she allow a few tears to trickle down her face for the hurt her friend had endured. Their little ray of sunshine who had always seemed so out of place among the hard edged hunters had been hurt by something.. someone that should never have had a chance. Was it any wonder she'd been so distant? Jessie want to kill someone.. something... even as she wanted to weep for the pain she had an awful feeling was yet to come for her friend. "GOD...PLEASE! If your out there... Bring her back safe..." she whispered, tilting her head to the sky and brushing at the tears she couldn't show those inside.

Chey:

Chey knew what Bastian was like with technology. It was cute really in its own little way. Not that right now she was admitting that in anyway, especially right now. No matter how she was feeling for him, right now it wasn't even relevant. She'd made it as easy as possible for him, it was a case of clicking accept and waiting for a picture to load. But then as he shook the phone she couldn't help but frown. She was told it wasn't a steady signal. She didn't even have time to think of a response to that before Jericho had spoken, saying something about a dead spot. Jericho seemed to be correcting himself though and then said that they could still track it and that she'd work on improving the signal, suggesting to use a government satallite. Chey simply nodded at Jericho and started to think. This had never happened before and it was completely stupid. "The signal's enough to give you a way to head, I'll work on getting it to stop cutting even though I have no idea why that's happening." Her eyes were on Jericho, but she was speaking to both him and Bastian. Jess had already begged them to be careful but Chey had a feeling no amount of begging would help that situation. "If anything crops up, I'll do my best to sort it and I'll call you." Chey knew Jessie had snuck out of the room but she knew her girl too well and she knew Jessie needed a couple of minutes to herself. Chey had moved towards Karlie, her fingers stroking through her hair. This whole thing wasn't easy on any of them but she knew Karlie blamed herself, you could see it on her face. "Do you guys need anything before you go?" Chey wasn't quite sure what to ask. She wasn't sure what they could even need, but she had to ask.

Bastian:

Bastian was still looking at his phone, the signal bouncing in and out. For whatever reason the signal wasn't solid. He couldn't stick around to find out why. North on the highway, right now that was going to have to be good enough. Pulling out his keys Bastian heard Jessie's prayers. He didn't know if God would help, but he sent his own silent plea, praying for someone to watch out for his sister.

Chey seemed nervous, hell they were all on edge. He was miffed with her too, but they could argue later. Bastian was hurt that Simi couldn't tell him and that apparently none of the others trusted to tell him either. If they knew for five minutes, or five hours, or five months it didn't matter. As soon as they found out they should have called him. The fact that they didn't, well, his faith was shaken a bit on the solid system of friends and family he thought he had. Maybe that wasn't fair, but if they couldn't trust him enough to tell him something like this, did they even really trust him at all?

"No, Chey, we're good."

He said in response to her question.

Pulling his keys from his pockets, Bastian looked around the room. If you hear anything you call me. As SOON as you hear it got that? His voice was hard, stern. He wasn't playing game. If he had been told sooner, maybe just maybe this could have been avoided. Without another word Bastian headed for his car, not waiting to see if Jericho followed him or not. If he wasn't in the car by the time Bastian's door shut and he started up the Stang, well Jericho would just be taking his own car.


Jericho:

Jericho offered a little smile as he shook his head at Chey's offer. He was definitely ready to go and beat in some psychotic ex-boyfriend's head, until there was nothing left but a pulp, that was for damn sure. Simi Blair was probably one of the nicest girls he'd ever had the pleasure of meeting as a kid, and from what YaYa was always telling him in her calls out to him, she'd turned into a loving, carefree woman. To have this kind of...savageness touch such a brightly burning light...the hunter clenched his teeth and shook his head, face darkening as he glanced sideways at Bastian. He'd gone to war to protect his friends and family from enemies overseas. The knowledge that there were even worse ones right on his own soil was always a smack in the face.


Gravel crunched under his boots as he followed Bastian outside, picking up the backpack he'd discarded at the front door on his way. All of his bigger weapons were in storage in the next state over, but he doubted that his friend would want to take a detour. Thank God he'd been taught to keep a handgun on him at all times, and the various knives and blessed objects hidden under his clothes would probably come in handy. Fiddling with his straps, he descended the front stairs, eyes on his fellow hunter's back...and, as if an invisible force had slammed him right in the face, he slowed and finally stopped, once he made it to where Jessie stood behind her car.

He didn't say anything as he turned his head to look at her, a myriad of emotions flickering across his face. Anger, pain, guilt, confusion and...God, was that still love? He clenched his teeth against the urge to drag her up against him and kiss the hell out of her, his fingers itching for the feel of her hips beneath them. He wanted to yell at her, to beg her for forgiveness, to say SOMETHING, dammit...but he didn't. Wordlessly, he turned to move toward Bastian's Mustang and ducked in.

"Let's go find your sister, man," He said, nodding to his childhood friend.

Jessie:

The sound of the door and footsteps heading down the sidewalk made Jess wiped madly at her tears and square her shoulders. She knew the moment Jericho paused beside her but held her breath as his footsteps continued on without a word. Whirling around, she stared after him in confusion, worry and a bit of hurt although she'd never have admitted that to anyone else. As he climbed in the mustang, she suddenly knew she couldn't let him go off like this without at least some sort of good-bye.

Suddenly, she was moving and before Bastian could throw the car in drive she was at the window. Leaning in, she grabbed Jericho by the shirt collar and pulled him to her for a hard kiss and then let go to step back. Her voice was hard as she eyed them both.

"You to be careful out there... We don't need to bury either of you either. Bastian, keep yourself safe so that Simi doesn't have anything else to mourn." Then, her eyes softened just a bit as they landed on the passenger. "And you... You better remain in one piece until we get things sorted out... I don't want to be a widow before I even figure out if I'm a wife."
Turning on her heel, she walked away praying to god it wasnt the last tiem she was ever going to see them alive.

[jericho]

MEANWHILE, ON THE ROAD...[/u][/b]

Jericho:

Jericho looked aimlessly out of the Mustang's window, eyes watching as the world whirred by. The scenery was a bit on the fuzzy side, and darkness was tinting the edges of his vision, but he could just make out some stars in the distance...if those fuzzy white things could be considered stars. Please, for all that's holy, say that he wasn't staring at plane lights, and he'd be a happy boy. His friend, on the other hand...yeah, probably not so much.

He stretched his legs out in front of him and turned from the window, glancing at Bastian out of the corner of his eye. He had no idea how the guy was still functioning, nevermind being alright enough to drive. If it was his twin that had been taken, or one of his friends...yes, he did pride himself on having a cool head under fire, but blood was blood. He had a lot of respect for Bastian, and his ability to see through the mission without breaking down. Idly, he glanced at the beeping cell phone still grasped in the hunter's hands. He'd tried to take it away about a half hour ago, and had earned himself a really nice glare'n' growl.

Who knew that the normally easy going Blair had some laser eyeballs? His brows still felt singed.

"Hey, why don't you let me take over driving," He said, shifting a bit in his seat. They'd been going most of the night, and he knew that Bas needed some rest. He wouldn't sleep, that was for damn sure...but staring at the scenery should be enough to get his mind to attempt to relax. Or plot some demon's horrible death; anything but staying behind the wheel while pissed off.


Bastian:
Bastian had no idea how he managed to keep the car on the road. Granted it was the stang, and he treasured it. If anyone put a scratch on it he'd feed them their liver for dinner. Something else was driving the stang this time though. Sheer determination, mixed with rage, fear, and the need to find Simi. It was a volatile mix and it was brewing deep inside of him. No one had told him, but damn it he knew now. He would get to his sister and then would make all of them pay.

He should have kept a closer eye on Simi like he promised his father, but when she went away to college....There were no excuses. Bastian hadn't been doing his job. He hadn't been taking care of his family. He hadn't been taking care of his sister. If he had been, Simi wouldn't be in this situation. Bastian could scream at everyone else. He could blame them for not telling him, but in the end Bastian knew there was only one person responsible. All he had to do was look in the mirror to remember that.
Bastian: When Jericho spoke, Bastian threw a glare his way. "I'm fine." To prove his point he pressed harder on the gass. They knew where they were headed. Even though the tracker was blipping off and on they were still on track, catching up to the blip each time it flashed. He was not trusting anyone else to drive the Stang and he sure as hell wasn't trusting anyone to get to Simi sooner than he could. Bastian had a lot of sins to attone for. He was tired and beyond furious, feeling every heart beat in his chest, every breath he took, and knowing that for the rest of his life, he was going to make sure that nothing and no one hurt his baby sister again.

Taking a breath to steady himself Bastian sighed and tightened his grip on the wheel. "How close are we?"


Jericho:
God, there were a lot of things that Jericho wanted to say to his friend. Out of all of the other families that he and YaYa were aquainted with when they were kids, Bastian was one of the guys he felt closer to. Sure, he hadn't really seen or spoken to him in all of...what was it now? Five, six years? But damn, if he didn't want to do the touchy-feely crap and man-hug the poor guy's pain away.

He wanted to say that they would find Simi, that she was fine and everything would go back to the way they'd been before...but he couldn't. He'd seen too damn much to say it with any truth, and he knew that Bastian had seen too much to believe it. So, when the Mustang proceeded to speed up and the hunter's knuckles tighten so much around the wheel that the plastic seemed to crack, the soldier just nodded and stayed silent.

He didn't have to fucking use any of that shrink wrapped crap about feelings and hope. When they caught the demon, he was going to help his friend carve out its black and smokey heart. End of discussion.

Taking the tracker from him, Jericho squinted at the blinking lights. Thank God that it came with sound and Chey equipped it with some kind of bright ass light, or he wouldn't have been able to answer that question. "We're close," He said, body tightening with anticipation. "Maybe...twenty miles out. They've stopped in the middle of nowhere."

Confusion tainted his voice and he traded a grim look with Bastian. There was really only reason why they'd be sitting steady; either the demon was setting a trap...or he was hiding a body. Putting the tracker down between them, he took out a pistol from beneath his jacket and checked the cartridges.

The beeping phone in the consol was going nuts now; beeping and flashing its little lights like a traffic director gone mad. The sleek car was cutting up a hill, sliding through the cool wind like butter, and the soldier prepared himself for a trap, a surprise...anything but the burnt out husk of a car. God...anything but that.

"Jesus Christ..." He breathed, jaw going slack. Quickly, he cut a glance to Bastian, knowing that the other guy had to be mirroring the sympathy, pain and anger currently burning a hole in his chest.


Bastian:
When Jericho said that they'd stopped Bastian's heart skipped a beat. They were miles out from the nearest town. Why in all hell had they stopped. Bastian's mind couldn't wrap around the main scenario. He refused to believe it. It's not what they thought. Simi had caused a ruckus and they had to stop. That's what it was.

It's what he hoped and prayed for. Not that he was one to put his fate in God, but right now, he'd take any help he could get.

When they pulled up tot he scene, Jericho's words were on deaf ears. The car was smoldering, still hot from the flames that had destroyed it. Bastian's breath hitched as a dark fear crept into him. This wasn't...it wasn't right. This wasn't happening.

"Simi!" Before Bastian even processed what he was doing he was out of the car, running through the freezing snow and ripping the door open on the car. Nothing...that's what he wanted to find...nothing. There would be nothing. It's what he kept telling himself. Except there was something.

There was a body. Slender, sleek, and completely unrecognizable from being charred by flames. Bastian swallowed thickly, his breath coming quicker. It couldn't be her....He'd know if she were dead. He reached out to touch the black substance that had once been flesh and pulled away. "NO!"

He pulled himself from the car and started pacing in the snow. "No! It's not her!" He looked at Jericho, already knowing what his friend was thinking. "It's NOT her." The protest came quick from his lips. It was true though. That charred, black body in the car was not his sister. It couldn't be. Nausea filled his gut and he fell to his knees in the snow puking up everything that had been in his gut. "It's not her!" He still protested.


Jericho:
"FUCK!" The curse blew through Jericho's lips as his friend leapt from the car. Thank God that the hunter had been in the right mind to put the damn thing in park. Shock and utter grief surged through him as he threw open his door, following after his friend at a slower pace. He could smell smoke and that underlying scent of death. A chill went through him as he recognized it; the meaty taint of fire-eaten flesh, left over from a car bomb or rocket launcher. He'd been on the up close and personal end of such brutality, and with another curse, he picked up speed, hoping to get to Bastian before he could see what Jericho knew was waiting for him at the car...

He closed his eyes at Bastian's exclamation, stopping a few feet away. He watched, wary, as the other man began to pace and deny what his eyes had just saw. Keeping one eye on Bastian, he moved over to the side of the car and looked in. His mind instinctively turned back the clock, and for a split second, the heat coming off of the car became as dry and scalding as the desert in which he'd served. He blanked, suppressing all emotion as he squinted at the body, taking in the build and stature...

Jesus, it was a good match for Simi. The demon had killed her.

"Bastian...God, I'm so sorry," He was immediately kneeling on the ground beside his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder. He had to think, had to concentrate again, and latched onto that feeling of separation. "We need to leave, man. The explosion...the smoke is gonna bring cops. We can't be around when they come. There will be too many questions that we can't answer...we can claim her later. C'mon...we have to go."

Gently, he grasped Bastian's arm, tugging him upward when it looked like the hunter's stomach was empty. "I'm so fucking sorry...c'mon, man. Let's go back to Chey. Alright? C'mon..."


Bastian:
Bastian's mind was swirling and in full denial. This was not happening. He didn't care what Jer said. It was not Simi. It couldn't be. Not his beautiful, smart, sweet, baby sister. Not the girl he swore to protect no matter what. It wasn't her.

His chest tightened squeezing his lungs, making his breath ragged. The imaged of the charred body and blackened bones seared through his mind. He couldn't get rid of it and he couldn't compare that to Simi. It wasn't her.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard Jericho talking to him. Saying things, apologizing. He didn't understand. It wasn't her. It wasn't Simi. There was no reason to be sorry.

Claim her later? What the hell was Jericho talking about. Anger flooded his stomach at the thought of someone talking about his sister that way. She wasn't a body to be claimed. She was a living breathing person still out there somewhere. Bastian knew it.

When he felt Jericho grab his arm something snapped inside Bastian and he came up swinging, feeling his fist connect with flesh. He blindly swung again, not caring that it was Jericho, not caring that it was one of his close friends. Not caring about anything. "It's not her!"


Jericho:

Jericho saw the hit coming a mile away; hell, if their positions were reversed, he'd probably have done the same thing. He could have moved; could have ducked or caught his friend's fist as he'd been taught to do. But for some reason- was it his masochistic side coming out to play? God forbid- he didn't move a muscle. Bastian's fist connected with his cheek, sending a wave of pain coursing through his skull.

For a minute there, he could swear that his sight blacked out entirely, and a wave of panic ran through him. A few more blows to the head, or so his doctors told him, and he could run the risk of that eventual blindness taking resident inside his skull. He blinked, jerking upright and shaking his head sharply, audibly sighing in relief when he once again blinked over at his friend.

Like a puppy who really wanted to get its furry butt kicked, he was immediately beside Bastian again and grabbing his friend's arm, pulling him up while he prepared himself to be hit again. The sounds of police sirens were continuously getting louder, and whether they liked it or not, they couldn't be found near the burnt out husk of a body-carrying car.

It was so much fun; wrestling his grief racked childhood friend to the car. He was pretty sure that he'd be showing back up at Karlie's with half his face covered in bruises- damn, but the life of a Hunter gave a guy one helluva right hook- but he managed to shove him into the front seat. Jericho practically dove over the front hood and threw himself into the Mustang, catching Bastian by the back of his shirt, as the man tried to leap back out. Another scuffle ensued; he grunted when an elbow met his cheekbone, and a fist connected with his chest. He really didn't want to hurt Bastian; he had no clue what kind of pain the guy must be in...but the sounds of police sirens were becoming continuously closer, the flashing lights just evident through the trees.

So, using a move that an old Marine friend taught him during one boring afternoon in the desert, he knocked his friend out. One punch to the face to daze, and one smart jab to the ball of nerves at the sternum, and lights out. With a squeel of tires, he managed to get them away from the scene, before the cops could catch them, and he turned the car back toward the road they'd come from.

There was bad news to deliver, and as much as he didn't want to deliver it...they both needed some comfortable arms to fall into.

[Jessica Coulter]

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH....

Jessie:

Time seemed to drag on.

Jessie was forced to watch the tail lights of the Mustang fade down the street and finally turn out of sight while she experienced the ugly sense of helplessness that invaded her soul. It put her in a very uncomfortable position caught between raw fury and bewildered shock. Had it only been mere hours ago that she'd thought her only problem was getting hitched to a very attractive man while not understanding the how or whys of it? God, what she wouldn't give to have THAT problem back.

Turning on her heel, the lithe huntress slowly trudged back to the house and the dropped on to the front steps. The foreign feel of the large rock on her left hand made her stare down at it and rub it absently. She tried and tried to get the son of a bitch off for the last couple days but it had been stuck like glue.

The darn thing seemed to wink merrily at her and it was all she could do to fight the fear that invaded her heart at the thought of anything happening to Jericho. The damned man. He'd someone wiggled his way into a part of her soul that she'd vowed no man would ever inhabit.

With a sigh, the huntress dropped her hand and then ran the other through her long dark locks. Her thoughts circled around the events of the night and her stomach clenched with the desire to do more than just sit here and wait for news. Simi was all their friend and ... more than that... she was family. Blood didn't much matter in their little world. They'd all grown up together and there wasn't a one of them who wouldn't lay down their life if another needed it. She felt as if she should be doing something to help the bubbly little blonde but going off on her own wasn't the answer this time. The boys would call whenever they could and keep them updated

Which left her right back at square one.
God, she hated this helpless feeling

Dropping her face into her hands, Jessie was taking a big sigh when she heard the sound of the door open behind her. Not bothering to glance behind her, she sighed and asked.

"Hows Tammy holding up? Bastian was pretty rough on her in there."

Chey:

Chey was having a mess trying to work out her priorities right now. She had the signal going for Bastian and Jericho, she had everyone else in the room as calm as they could be and then her thoughts turned to not only Jess who seemed to have snuck outside. Though she could claim she headed out the front to check on Jess, and though that was slightly true, honestly? Chey needed cuddles!!! Big times!!!

She opened the door to see the back off Jess who was sat on the steps. Her best friend, her might-as-well-be-sister, had takn a deep sigh and spoke, not even looking at Chey as she did so. The mini-hunter's feet stepped forward and her knee's bent, her bum planting itself next to Jess on the steps.

"She's not so great. You know Tams, she puts on a big front but she's hurt and she's terrified." Tammy was so much like her mother it was unreal, and she loved the absolute bones off Simi! "I think the bars coming in very handy in there!" She continued as she head moved to Jess' shoulder like it was a magnetic force pulling her head down, her dark brown locks tumbling into her face gently.

"What about you Jessie Bear? How you holding up?" Call it a stupid question because honestly it was, but it was something she had to ask. It was a horrible situation. Finding out what happened to Simi was hard enough, but to find out she was gone? To have to be scared for her life? It was horrible. More so when she'd had to watch that look in Bastian's eyes before he left. Chey was the little sister, she couldn't be in the head of a big brother but she knew how hard it had been just knowing one brother was missing in action and the other was more than simply 'off' with her was bad, every time they'd gone off on a hunt when she was younger she would wait constantly for them to come home staring out the window. She knew fear and worry for a siblings life, but she couldn't even begin to imagine this.

Chey simply tried to swallow away the lump in her throat that made her want to throw up or cry! That and the ache in her stomach were driving her insane. So she just closed her eyes and bit her lip and waited for Jess to speak.

Jessie:

Taking a deep breath, Jess felt Chey drop down beside her and she raised her face out of her hands. Casting the younger woman a rueful look, she tucked an arm around her shoulders. Leaning her own cheek on top of the dark head, she gazed sightlessly across the yard. God, this had to be some sort of nightmare. Maybe she was still in Vegas and all this was just some twisted dream.

Unfortunately, she didn't believe that any more than she believed that the Golden Gate was free.

"Eh... You know me.... I'm superwoman! Bring on the enemy. If it moves, I can kick its ass.... The asshole has no idea what hive of trouble hes' kicked open this time.... We'll find Simi, Destroy the demon and bring her home... He doesn't stand a chance!" she said, trying to stay upbeat.

Raising her hand, she stroked Chey's hair knowing that her lil "sis" was probably battling her own demons. "How about you? You hanging in there?"

Pulling away a bit, she was droppign her hand when the rock on her finger snaggedin Chey's hair. Cursing, she froze and then swallowed hard. Son of a bitch... THe thing was becoming a real pain.

"Uh..... Sorry... Hold on..." she growled a bit before dis entangling the ring gently.

Chey:

If there was one thing Chey didn't believe, it was the strength in Jessie's words. While she didn't doubt THEM for a moment she knew that Jessie was in the same state the rest of them were. Jessie's hand stroked through Chey's hair and the feeling simply made the littlest Winchester feel so much better and so much safer. "You know me... Worrying.... About everyone... It's my thing right?" As she said that she could practically hear Bastian's voice in her head, 'You worry too much, Winchester' had sorta become his catch phrase.


She was about to speak again when she felt the slight tug on her hair, wincing and closing one eye without even thinking about it. Jess has told her to hang on and she tried to help Jess free herself from her hair. Once she did, Chey's hand worked on removing the knots from her hair and her eyes wandered straight over Jessica's hand.

Momentarily forgetting everything else the young huntress gasped. "What in god's name is THAT Miss Coulter!?" Her hand grabbed Jessica's and her eyes moved closer towards the ring.

Jessie:

Well, Hell. The cat was out of the bag now.
Grimacing, Jess moved to sheild the diamond but was too late as Chey caught it.

"Ummm... Its a wedding ring?" she said, lamely.
Wondering how the hell she was going to explain this all, she finally just shrugged.

"Jericho and I somehow got hitched.... We aren't sure how it happened but one moment.. We are fighting like cats and dogs and the next... We are waking up in Vegas with a marriage license, a ring and a few days spent in scary romantic bliss.... Hell, we can't even blame it on alcohol because neither one of us was drinking when it all happened."
Looking down at the rock, she tilted her hand to and fro. "Have to give it to the man though... This thing is nice! Never been one for flash myself but I bet this thing is worth its weight in gold!"

Chey:

Well HELL didn't begin to cover it! Chey simply just blinked at her best friend as she told her it was a weddng band. "A... huh?" She didn't expect wedding band to come out of Jessie's mouth but she definitely didn't expect what came next. Chey's mouth literally hung open. Jessie had continued to talk and Chey just continued to look at her like she'd just said the most shocking thing in the world. HELL she HAD!!! "You... Jer.... You... Married... Vegas....." Chey shook her head, her eyes closing and clearly furrowing her brows. "Wait i have to work this one out."

Miss Winchester wasn't sure if it was shock or confusion but oh my lord. "Is this why Jericho showed up here? I mean I thought you always said you wouldn't get married... You were the last person I expected would get married... And to Jericho DeVoux!!!" Then she suddenly let out a gasp. "WAIT YOU GOT MARRIED WITHOUT ME?" There was this totally over the top pout on Chey's lips that was so clearly put on. Right this second, Chey had completely forgotten the drama that was still going on less than a meter behind her, behind the closed front door.

Jessie

Shifting uncomfortably, Jess could only shrug helplessly. She heard the astonishment and disbelief in her best friends voice but she couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Uh.... Yeah..... To tell you the truth.. I'm not actually sure how it happened. It wasn't planned or anything and... Well, I actually took off like a bat out of hell once reality hit home and left him stranded at the hotel. You could say he wasn't the happiest camper on the face of the earth. How he managed to get here so quickly I have no idea. "
SIghing, she sat back and ran her ringless hand through her hair.

"Would it make you feel better to know we got married in front of the King and Elvis kept trying to drop his bible so he could lean over and get a good look up my dress?? Not really the sort of memory a girl wants to have of her wedding. All I really remember about it is a punch drunk sort of haze and Jerichos face...."

That thought brought her up short and she sighed.

"Damn it... And now I'm worried about the idiot and Bastian... Exactly WHY i was never going to get married."

(This post to be continued!!)

[Jessica Coulter]

Jericho:

Damn, but Bastian's Mustang handled turns well. Almost in a daze, Jericho had to acknowledge that fact, as he pushed the speed limit on the winding backwater road. He'd been driving for about twenty minutes now, his eyes flickering back and forth from the road to the rearview mirror, as if waiting for a chase to start. God, poor Simi...poor Bastian. Grief struck him and he clenched his teeth against the aching thud. He'd known the Blair family since he was a kid, and the loss of that bubbling little girl was a blow. It had him a bit guilty; his never getting to know her, or keeping in contact with his friends from the Academy. He'd picked up and cut all ties when he'd joined the army...and he didn't know why.

Hell if this made him realize that he needed all the contact that he could get. God...Simi was dead. She was really, seriously dead.

The soft leather of the steering wheel cracked under his clenched fists, as he urged the car faster, ignoring the little whisps of dirt and dust that flew in through the windows. Bastian was still unconscious in the passenger seat, and the soldier sighed, knowing that hell was going to break loose once he awoke.

Lord knew that if someone had dragged him away from his twin, he'd go for their throat. He clenched his teeth when he thought of YaYa; of the way he kept on pushing her away. Damn, talk about a death in the family to really make a guy open his eyes and take a look at what he had.

...It was a thought that had him almost flooring it, when a certain brunette's face popped up in his mind's eye.

In record time, he had them pulling up to the Rhys-Damara home, and after putting the muscle car in park, he just sat behind the wheel, staring at his hands. Bastian had lost a sister, and he had lost a childhood friend. As much as the realization hurt him, he knew what it was going to do to the others, and he squeezed his eyes shut at what was to follow. He'd done this when he'd gotten back home from the war; he'd gone to the families of his fallen comrades and delivered the news himself. He'd seen the grief, the angruish and the blame on their faces...and he'd wished he'd died instead. In the sand and the heat, alongside his brothers.

The memory made his hands shake, when he finally pushed open the door and climbed out. He stared at the house for a moment, eyes flickering to the fuzzy shapes of faces in the window, and he schooled his face to neutrality. He rounded the front of the car and pulled his friend into a fireman's hold, carrying the flopping body to the front door.

One knock was all it took, and Jericho braced himself for the onslaught of grief. Looking at the curious faces beyond, he clenched his jaw and tightened his hold on Bastian, as if wanting to shield his friend from awakening.

"Simi's gone," He said, voice low; a husky rasp. He pushed passed them, setting his fellow Hunter down on a couch in the living room. He kept his eyes on the floor. "We found her car, burned up on the I-40...and a body inside."


Jessie:

It seemed like an enternity later. Seconds had turned to minutes... Minutes to hours... and hours to what seemed like days. In reality, it had been less than twenty four hours since the nightmare had started. Slamming her own laptop shut for the final time, Jess looked around at the others and then turned her stare to the phone that hadn't rang in hours. Chey had tried to call Bastian but no answer. It had set them all even more on edge but she'd resisted the urge to call Jerichos. If something was going on, they would let them know as soon as possible.... Right?

Unable to hold herself still any longer, the huntress jumped to her feet and practically tossed the computer on the coffee table before moving to the bottle of Jack that sat on the bar and poured herself a double. Tossing it back, she allowed the burn to settle into her stomach before her feet began to pace up and down the carpet. No words were spoken as everyone was lost in their own little silent dramas but Jess knew that they all had the same thoughts and fears. A bad feeling cramped her stomach as she thought of all the things that could happen to their friend and the hell she'd already been through. Of all of them, why had it been Simi that the demon had targeted?

She was the softest, most trusting among them. She wouldn't have harmed a fly, much less drawn any attention that should have made a demon graviate to her. Of course, being a Blair might have been the only thing needed. The gods knew they all seemed to draw them like bees to honey solely because of WHO they were so why would it have been any different with Simi?

Just then, the sound of a car pulling up outside had her freezing. They all stared at each other silently before Jess whirled towards the door and had it open before the man on the other side barely got one tap out. What she saw made the breath catch in her lungs and she followed them numbly into the living room, already knowing it forboded nothing good.
The words, though, when they came almost dropped her in her tracks.

She could see the same emotions in the others eyes as she leaned heavily on the door frame and tried to process the words Jericho spoke. Simi? Dead? No, it couldn't be.... Not Ms. Bubbles.... Not the vivacious little blond that always seemed to be in the middle of every practical joke known to man kind.... Not their friend who always remembered their birthdays and managed to sneek a present to them where ever they were. One look at Jericho though assured her it was true.

Numbly, Jess stood there for a long moment, shifting her gaze from Jericho to Bastian and back. In a detached voice, she asked. "And the Demon? Did you get the son of a bitch responsible?"

Then, shaking her head, she held up a hand. "Never mind.. time for that later..... For now.... We need to take care of Bastian and someone is going to have to get ahold of Aunt Lexi....."

As much as Jess wanted to break down and cry, she couldn't do that here.. not now....Her actions had to be strong for the family and someone was going to have to see to things. God, how she didn't want to be that person.

Tameryn:

As of right now, Tammy wasn't sure how many more times she could beat herself up for not telling anyone sooner. Better judgement had never been Tameryn's strong point, she was her mother's daughter in that aspect. The young mom wasn't one for drinking and a cigarette was something that rarely crossed her lips but tonight she just hadn't cared. She'd spent the time Bastian and Jericho had been gone switching between Jack, tobacco and trips upstairs to check on her little one. Eden seemed to be giving her Daddy fits. The little thing didn't know what the hell was going on but Tam didn't want her involved in the drama. As soon as the sun had come up and the clock reached a seemingly reasonable hour, Tammy had made Kellen take Eden over to his moms. She'd done her best to get her house back in order; clearing up shards of vase, the remains of dry wall that sat on the floor and the table had had been lunged across the room. THe house was sorta back in order, it was just filled with clicking laptops and bottles of open alcohol.

Tammy was no good at this whole 'hunter' stuff and it was times like this that made her wish she'd followed her siblings in persuing it more but she hadn't and she was useless. She'd heard the car pull up and simply hoped for the best, it was all she could do. If she didn't at least hope for the best she was going to go crazy. Jess had ran to the door and as Jericho walked in with Bastian drapped over his shoulder, Tammy's heart sank. But it was what Jericho said next that forced the girls legs to buckle beneath her. She would have hit the ground if it wasn't for Chey's arms wrapping themselves around her and pulling her over to the couch. Tammy didn't have the strength Jess had. Instead of being strong she burst into tears. Her entire body shook as her eyes begged Jericho to take the words back. Beside her Chey took a grip of her, seemingly pouring all her efforts into ensuring that she was okay as she broke down before them. That was her cousin. Someone she was so close to it was ridiculous and someone who had so much to live for even if Tammy wasn't sure she'd seen it lately. She was sure Simi was okay. She thought if it was bad she'd have known but apparently she didn't.
: Her hands clutched her hair, tugging at it like it would make her brain stop whirring round and round. Chey had finally left her side to clear the spare couch and encourage Jericho to place Bastian down. Tammy knew the basics of what was going on there and she knew Chey would have been worried about Bastian, she also it was the Chey move to throw all her emotions into worrying about him, whether he liked it or not. Every word that hit her ears seemed to echo like she was underwater and the words weren't really in the room but one thing caused her still streaming eyes to look up at Jessica. "Aunt Lexi's in europe.." Her voice notably struggled to come out. "I'm not even currently sure where." This was her fault. She should have taken care of her and she didn't.

Jericho:

Jericho clenched his jaw so hard, it was liable to explode. He'd started when Tammy fell to her knees, instinctively wanting to move toward her, but when Chey took the lead, he held himself back. He'd placed Bastian gently on the couch, taking a step away when the hunter twitched and moaned. Soon, another grieving face would be added to the rest.


He met Tammy's eyes briefly, seeing the desperate need for someone to start yelling 'GOTCHYA' and tell her that everything was alright. His gut clenched when he looked away, flexing his hands before shoving them into his pockets. God, he wished that he could take it back; that they hadn't found that goddamn car, or that goddamn body. He'd been so sure that he and Bas could find Simi and bring her home safely. He'd been so damn confident...but pride goeth before the fall, and all that shit. God, poor Bas...poor Lexi.

And God help the demon who'd taken the little Blair.

He couldn't take the crying and the sadness in the room, he thought absently, backpeddling toward the door. The sadness and grief...he couldn't deal with it.

When Jessie spoke, he latched onto her words like a dying man, striving to concentrate on anything but the crying woman in the room.

"We didn't get the demon," He said, despite her demands that they contact the elder Blair first. God...first her husband, and now her daughter. Lexi was going to be devastated. Once again, he found himself backing up a few steps. Clearing his throat, he nodded at Jessie's orders, then listened to what his conscience was screaming for him to do.

He left the house.

Rubbing at his eyes, Jericho plopped down onto the last few steps of the front stoop, resting his elbows on his knees. He'd lost so many friends in war, that he should be used to this, he thought with a weary sigh. His head was thumping, that familiar pain behind his eyes returning, and he leaned sideways against the stair railing.


Jessie:

Well Hell. That about summoned it all up in a hand basket.
Letting her gaze travel over everyone and hearing them all trying to deal with it in their own ways, Jess closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Tameryn's words rang in her ears and then she heard Chey moved to Bastian to comfort him. Man, they were all a mixed up mess. When her eyes opened again, she caught sight of Jerichos retreating back and she knew he wasn't having an easy time of any of this either.

Damn that demon to hell and back.

Glancing at Tessa, Jess hoped the huntress could understand her plea and then her own feet were moving. Something inside her demanded that she go after Jericho and ...do what? Comfort him? Console him? What good was she at that?

Especially when her own heart felt as if it had been ripped out and shattered. Simi hadn't been just a friend.. She'd been like a sister to them all. Poor Bastian.... She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain he was in when she felt as if her heart was breaking and she hadn't even been blood.

Easing the door open, the slender hunter slipped out and saw Jericho sitting on the front steps. Closing the door behind her but unsure what to really do, she decided to simply sit down beside him and lean her head on his shoulder. The tension radiating off him told her he'd taken about all he could take for the night so she wrapped an arm through his and stayed silent as they stared across the empty lawn.

Jericho:

Damn his goddamn eyes, he thought a bit sullenly, digging the heels of his palms into the red rimmed sockets. He wanted to scream, to hit something, to KILL that sonuvabitch demon that had taken his friend from them all, and the pent up emotion seemed to swell inside his brain. Damn, but that old head shrinker at the vet hospital had gotten one thing right; being the calm one was enough to drive any guy insane.

He heard the door open behind him, but he didn't turn around. He knew who was there; he could smell that sweet scent of the floral shampoo that she used.

His wife...goddamn, his WIFE.

As if his life didn't already have enough problems! His mind was a jumbled mess, but one thing seemed to surface through the haze of sorrow; when they went to war against the demon that had killed Simi, his wife would be at risk. Oh, if every single male bone in his body didn't make him want to lock her away in a safe room somewhere.

Jericho:

But every single SANE bone told him that to do so would result in his future castration. He couldn't help but relax at the thought...as strange as it was.

When Jessie's head fell onto his shoulder, Jericho held himself still under her, wondering at the sudden feeling of peace that surged through him. It was as if, when she were near, he could breathe again...as sappy as it sounded. It was probably that succubus mojo, but after a day like his, he could give a crap. He sat there, still and silent, his hands slowly falling from his eyes. Then, with a little shuddered sigh that shook his body, he rested his cheek against her head, giving the crown a chaste kiss.

They still had to figure out what was going on between them, but that was for later. Without thinking, one hand slid carefully to where hers lay. He slid her fingers through his, lips twitching a bit when they bumped against the wedding band.

"Are you alright?" He finally asked, eyes flickering down. He couldn't see her face, shielded as it was by shadow and dirty blond bangs, but he knew that she was far from her normally bubbly self. Once again without thinking, he looped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to his side.

Jessie:

Was she all right? If it hadn't been so tragic, Jessie might have been able to come back with her typical snarky attitude but the truth was... She didn't feel so snarky at the moment. In fact, she felt about as far from snarky as a girl could get and still be breathing. Part of her wanted to break down into tears for the first time in a long time while the other tried to remain the strong one for her friends and family. In all honesty, she didn't have any idea how to deal with this all so she simply sat there and let herself

OK, so maybe this wasn't at all like her but for once... She didn't really care. Their worlds had all been rocked on its foundations and it wasn't over yet. There was so much more to come and Jessie felt tired. Beyond tired, actually. She honestly just wanted to find a bed, bury her head in a pillow and cling to the man beside her. That wasn't going to be happening any time soon though.

"Well, I'm not going to lie to you, babe.. I've been better.. We've all been better....." she muttered, tipping her face up to look at him. "How are YOU holding up though? Your the one I'm worried about right now... "

Searching his face, the huntress saw the horror and exhaustion that was written there and reached up to touch his face. Tears sprang to her eyes but she pushed them back.

"I can't even imagine...... What happened happened out there?"

Jericho:

For a moment, Jericho was silent, looking down at their entwined hands. He reveled in the feel of her pressed against his side; clung to it like a drowning man amid a roiling sea. She was his calm, his center, he thought with a little twinge of surprise. The thought disturbed him, as he couldn't decide if it stemmed from the demon, or from himself. But, either way, he felt calmer when she was around, and at that moment, he needed the calm. Ached for it.

With a knowing nod, he leaned forward to kiss her forehead when she looked up at him. He couldn't meet her eyes for long, growing a bit uncomfortable when her eyes seemed to peer into his soul. How was she able to read him so clearly? He'd always been good at closing off his emotions, his thoughts; his father had been the same way. And, thanks to the army, he'd become even more apt at hiding what he was feeling. But, somehow, Jessie was able to see through all of those shields.

It was as disturbing as it was comforting. God, they had to figure things out soon, before his head exploded.

At her questions, he looked back at their hands, then out at the Mustang in the drive. "I'm fine," He replied shortly, giving her hand a little squeeze. "Or, as fine as I can be after losing a friend. I haven't seen the Blairs in years, but losing Simi...it feels as if I've lost a sister."

He paused, swallowing a ball of emotion. He shifted slightly, curling and uncurling his fingers around hers. He'd seen so much loss in war, that he should be used to it, dammit. He had to be clear headed and strong, for when the real fight went down. But, God, how he wished that he could fall into some quiet life, away from death, destruction and pain. He didn't want to know anyone else that would have to die so horribly, so unnecessarily...

Shaking his head, he forced himself to continue. "We were following the signal Chey hooked up for us. We were driving down the I-40, then...we found her car. It was still smoldering; looked like the engine blew before we got there. Inside, there was a body...a woman. I've seen enough burnt corpses in the war to know that it was. And..." He paused, rubbing a hand across his eyes. "There was still some hair left...around the seat. Blond hair. It had to be Simi."


Jessie:

As the story unfolded, Jess made no attempt to stop the flow of words or to ask any questions. Her minds eyes was putting the pieces she knew into place and coming to the same conclusions that he had. In all honesty, she was surprised that the house phone wasn't ringing off the hook all ready with police and people searching for the little blonds next of kin. It was only a matter of time before the cops matched the vin numbers of Simi's car to her and they started tracing them back to the Blair family and then the Damara's.

Then the real hell would start.

Right now, they were all just operating out of shock and Bastian would be coming too at any moment. Jessie inwardly wanted to cry for the suffering the young man was going to go through because as much as it hurt the rest of them.. It was going to be doubly hard on the eldest Blair. For the last ten years since their fathers death, Bastian had taken his duty as the protector very seriously and he and his sister had had a very special bond. They also were the only children of Lexi's so he was going to be forced to give the news to his mother. That was definitely a duty that Jessie wouldn't wish on her worst enemy.

Laying her head back on Jerichos' shoulder, the huntress sqeezed his hand tightly and then tried to give him what comfort she could. No glib words would come to mind so she simply lent what strength she could and shouldered as much of the burden as he'd allow her.

"This is going to change things for us all...... Simi was one of us..... Bastian is going to be on warpath when he comes out of the shock.... Its going to be a miracle if we can keep him from doing something stupid..." she said softly, almost absently. "He's going to go after the demon and we're going to have to make sure he comes out of it alive or Aunt Lexi is going to kill the rest of us...."

[Jessica Coulter]

Jericho:

God, it was really amazing how Jessie's mere presence soothed him. Usually, he'd be hunting for a bottle of something strong and foul smelling to ease the throbbing behind his eyes, but when his wife was nearby, he really didn't need anything but her. Was that fear that was shooting through his belly...or something else? Jericho bit back a little growl of frustration, as he did his best to make heads or tails of what he was feeling.

Gah, who was he kidding? He didn't do this touchy-feely crap. He had no freaking idea what was going on in that gut of his, other than the insane urge to haul her into his lap and remind the both of them that they were alive. It was probably wrong, but he didn't give a crap.

"I wouldn't blame him for wanting blood," He replied, giving the Mustang across the drive a hard look. "If that were YaYa in the car...my sister drives me insane, but she's my SISTER. Simi wasn't any different; she wasn't blood, but she was family. Once we regroup, we're gonna find whatever hurt her, and I'm gonna make sure that it begs us to send it back to Hell."

He was a bit surprised at the vehemence in his voice, but it was all true. If there was one thing that he'd inherited from his parents, it was the steel-strong loyalty that he felt for his childhood friends. Simi had been hurt by some psychopath, or some demon...and God help him or her, because their days were numbered.

With a sigh, he gave her hand an answering squeeze. He didn't notice how he brought their entwined fingers up to his lips, so he could tap her knuckles against them, or how he leaned into her slightly while he thought. His mind was too busy thinking of old contacts he could get in touch with, and how much ammo he could fit in a rental car.

"We need to come up with a plan," He said quietly, frowning against her knuckles. "Bastian's gonna want to run out of here and start hunting, but we need to know what we're up against. Chey's gonna be the only one who could console him in the end...we can use that, while we think of something."





Jessie:

Jess heard the words he was speaking and she knew he was right. However, her brain seemed numb and beyond capable thought process at the moment. Before, she'd been so focused on damage control that she hadn't been able to let in the full reality of the situation. Now though... The truth felt as if it were about to bowl her over. Damn, she had forgotten what it felt like to lose someone you cared deeply about. This was the whole reason she had sworn never to let anyone close again. She couldn't deal with the pain of it. It made her crazy. It made her want to rip something apart or at least dent in a face or two. But at the moment, there was nothing to sink her fury into. There was only a gut wrenching helplessness and grief that felt as if it were tearing her insides apart.

God, she HATED this feeling.

Suddenly needing to do something.. anything... Jess scooted to her knees in front of Jericho and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling his face to hers, she kissed him hard and tugged on his slightly curled hair. Desperation made her actions rough even as she put all her emotions into that single embrace. Life was to damned short to maintain the distance that had been between them ever since she waken up in that Las Vegas bed with a wedding band on her left hand. She didn't know how or why the stupid thing had gotten there.. ok, maybe she knew the how... but the last few hours of worry had brought home to her that Jericho wasn't just another one night stand that she could walk away from. Sometime over the last couple weeks... He had evidently become something she didn't think she could live WITHOUT. Damn it all to hell.

The reality of Simi's death brought home all the fear and terror she harbored for losing those close to her and very soon.. She knew he'd be heading out again and there was every chance it might be the LAST time for any of them. Suddenly, she couldn't let him believe that he meant nothing to her and that the week with him had been merely some sort of trick. WEll, it had been a trick but not one that was exactly false.... The one thing she'd never admitted to anyone was that Jericho DeVoux had always had a way of raising her blood pressure... in more ways that one. She's just never let herself believe that anything could come of it for the very reason she'd had a feeling he could steal her heart away and leave her broken.

Whatever had happened to cause their little escapade in Vegas had moved them past the point of no return.. at least for her.

"Jericho......" she muttered against his lips. "A lot of shit has happened between us.... but I need you to know something.... If you get hurt out there or end up dead?? I'm going to have Yaya bring you back just so I can kill you myself.... I might be the worlds biggest bitch but even I can eat crow when the need arises and... Damn it.... You just better not get yourself buried before we get this sorted out between us......I.... I... Damn it, I think I really care about you and don't want to lose you."

By the time she finished, she was kissing him so fast that he didn't have a chance to reply and it took her a long moment to realize that tears were falling down her face. OH yeah.. this was just one big fuck up.