Anna wasn't exactly in the best mood ever. The exorcism she had performed about two hours earlier hadn't exactly gone according to plan and she had a nice sized cut along her cheek to prove that. Sure it had ended successfully and Anna was more then aware that's what should matter, it didn't help her mood any. She should have gone to a motel afterwards, but she had chosen to head to the new Roadhouse instead. She wanted something familiar and figured that after about three weeks of no contact, she probably should check in. And since she was only a couple of hours away, she just drove instead of calling. It was always more effective when attempting to convince people she was really okay and not saying so. A couple cuts and bruises here and there was still okay. It was normal for the line of work.

Pulling her SUV up in front of the Roadhouse, she paused and looked at the newly rebuild building. When she had caught wind that it had burned down, she tried her hardest to head out to Nebraska and make sure Ellen and Ash were okay but she was stuck in the middle of a job. Then she heard Ash had died in the fire but Ellen had survived from Bobby and that put her mind at ease a little. Hopping out of her car, she winced when a bruise on her stomach twisted the wrong way but she ignored the pain and headed inside. Her eyes sought out the other faces, looking for anyone familiar.

Even though he and Dean had only recently discovered the roadhouse, he could hardly believe that it and it's homey atmosphere were gone. The new one looked vaguely similar, it had the same decor, the same faces, but there was a lingering air of sadness that hadn't been at the original.

It was probably because of Ash. Harvelle's definitely wouldn't be the same without him. Everyone was dying these days. Ash, John, even him and Dean.

Not that he'd let him.

He sighed, pushing his drink aside and letting his hazel eyes scan the room as he heard the door creak open. He recognized her right away, even through the crowd and the cloud of smoke that had formed around him thanks to an older hunter with a nicotine addiction.

"Anna!" he called.

Keeping a disgusted look from covering over her features, Anna sent a table of hunters a look that said 'forget about it' before freezing when she heard a familiar voice call her name. Sam Winchester. That was a face she hadn't seen for a long time, it had to of been months since the last time they had run into each other. And while she had heard rumblings that him and Dean were okay, it was never as good as seeing or hearing from them directly. She couldn't stop the smile as she made her way over to where he sat.

"Sam," she said, stopping next to him. She hesitated only for a second before wrapping her arms around his neck in a brief hug. "I'm so glad to see you're okay," she told him as she released him. She took a seat next to him. Words couldn't describe how happy she was to see him well and sitting there. Her imagination tended to get a little carried away when communication all but died. "How are you?"

Her hug was a bit of a surprise, but Sam could honestly say he was grateful for it. Hunters were generally not a very touchy feely bunch, but after all he had been through these past few months, an old friend was a welcome sight, especially one he cared for as much as he did Anna.

"Glad to see you to," he said honestly as he pulled away. "And I... well, things are complicated, as usual. Come on, I'll buy you a drink or something. I haven't seen you in ages. We have a lot to talk about."

Anna crossed her legs and nodded at his offer for a drink. She needed one after the job she had just pulled. Her interest was peaked when he said things were complicated. Sure she knew things with the Winchesters were never easy, but she had the feeling that there was more to it then the normal round of complications. She wanted to ask him about it, but didn't. She knew Sam well enough not to press and that if he wanted her to know he would tell her when he was ready to. "Yeah we do have a lot to talk about. It's insane out there," she said referring to the huge jump in demon activity.

She sighed tapped her fingernail on the counter as she pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket with the other hand. "I haven't been this busy since...well, I've never been this busy. There was a time where I was surprised to receive more then one call a week about something. I'm averaging three or four a day. I have at least ten voice-mails waiting to be returned and about five that I haven't even listened to," she told him, raising an eyebrow. "What's going on out there Sam? Something tells me that if anyone knows it's you and Dean." She knew it wasn't fair to assume that, but she couldn't help it. They were pretty much the center of information. If something was happening they knew.

After he ordered a round of drinks for the two of them, Sam settled back, eager to hear how things were going with Anna. He nodded as she explained things out there were grim, knowing that after the door had opened and the YED was defeated, their troubles were just beginning, and all of them would have to work double time to be rid of them. There really was no time to rest, and too much to do.

"Things are about to get pretty bad, Anna," he told her, deciding not to sugarcoat things and knowing she would appreciate that. "Dean and I... we were there when something went down, something big. Basically the short of it is, a bunch of demons were let loose. We all have our work cut out for us."

Listening to him intently, Anna frowned. She didn't understand how something like that could happen with Sam and Dean involved. She didn't question their abilities, never would. But she could be confused how they could fail to stop these things from getting out. She knew there was more to what he was saying and she wanted to know what it was. She deserved to know why she was wearing herself to the bone saving people.

"How about you tell me the whole story?" She said straight out. "How did they get out? Where did they get out from? Because I would think it to be hard to just climb out of Hell." She watched him closely, knowing that he was never good at hiding his emotions. "Does this have to do with what happened to the original Roadhouse? And Ash? Bobby said that it was demon related, not that I hadn't already put that together, but he said that it was connected to something bigger."

He knew Anna would probably want an explaination, deserved one even, but there was just so much to explain and so much of it was unexplainable. He knew Anna had seen a lot, any number of things that normal people thought were just fairytales, but somehow he thought that him coming back from the dead was going to freak her out in more ways than one.

After taking a deep breath and a good look at her, he nodded. "You're right, Anna. Okay, I guess I'll just start from the beginning." Looking around, Sam leaned in and lowered his voice. "The demon... he gathered up most of us. You know, the other psychic. It was like this alternate reality or something. It was insane, Anna." Sam swallowed. "It was a test. To see who would run his twisted little army."

Anna got the feeling that he didn't really want to tell her, not that he didn't want her to be involved, there was something more to it. Something she was sure he would eventually get to explaining. She already knew it was serious, but when he glanced around and leaned in while he spoke she knew it was bigger then she could possibly imagine. "Wait," she started, keeping her voice down just like him. "When you say gathered you mean..." She didn't quite no how to say it without having a dead feeling fill the pit of her stomach.

"Test how?" She wanted to make sure that she got everything. Even though if a demon was involved she knew she wouldn't understand any of the reasoning behind it. There had been rumors of some kind of coming war, demons had been spouting off about for the past couple of months apparently. It was all circulating through the hunting community.

Glad that Anna was being discret about the whole thing as well, he answered her questions as best as he could. "I don't know if it was all of them," Sam admitted. "There were a few I hadn't seen before, and some I had," Sam bit his lip, thinking about Ava and Andy. "But I think some of them were...gone before I got there. He pitted us against each other, Anna. I guess he wanted to see who would come out on top. Who was the strongest or something."

He knew the Yellow Eyed demon had a bit of a soft spot for him, and that would never stop freaking him out. It made him wonder what kind of person he was deep down inside, and what the blood he had been fed had done to him. Then again, maybe something had been there from the start. After all, he had to have been chosen for a reason.

It was a puzzle Sam was still unraveling, even though the Yellow Eyed demon was history.

As her frown deepened, Anna thought about what he was saying. What all it meant exactly, not really liking the conclusions she was coming up with in her head. She knew by the word gone he meant dead, but when he said it was meant to see who would come out on top. "So you were supposed to kill each other? And whoever was left standing was who was the leader?" She asked making sure she was getting this. And then something hit her.

"And you're here alive," she whispered. "Sam, you didn't..." She couldn't bring herself to say 'kill them'. She didn't think he could do that, but he was alive and only one of them was supposed to be from what she was getting from him. She looked at him, hoping he would tell her differently. Tell her that she got the information messed up and that it wasn't like that. She hoped that was it, she almost prayed for it.

When she trailed off, Sam bit his lip knowing that he would have to tell her the worst part of the story next. She seemed shaken when she realized that he and the other psychics had been put in a kill or be killed situation Sam couldn't help but wonder if Anna assumed the worst of him, even though he had never really given her any reason two. He often wondered if people could sense the potiental for destruction he knew was in there somewhere.

"No, I could never..." Sam took a deep breath, knowing what had to come next. If Dean's life weren't at stake, and if he didn't need help anywhere he could get it, he would have never told her, but time was running out, and Anna was definitely someone he trusted with both of their lives. "Anna, I don't quite know how to say this but... I'm just gonna put it out there. I died."

Relief didn't begin to touch what she felt when he told her he couldn't have killed them. Anna released the breath she hadn't known she was holding and closed her eyes. "Oh thank god," she whispered, taking a deep breath and letting it out before looking back to him. She never thought he could, but survival made people do things they never would have dreamed of doing before. It was all instinct and you couldn't fight that, especially when someone was coming after you with a weapon of sorts.

I died. Anna felt all the color drain from her face as she shook her head. "No, you couldn't have Sam. That's not funny. You're right here in front of me, I touched you," she rambled but she could see it in his eyes that he wasn't joking in the least. Her chest tightened at the thought and her breathing became harder. "But there's only one...one way you can bring someone back," she whispered, trying to sort it all out in her mind. "I need some air," she said, standing on shaky legs and heading to the door. She felt like she was going to pass out. She just couldn't wrap her mind around it. Sam and dead. They didn't belong together.

As soon as he saw Anna's color start to fade, he knew his worst fears were about to be confirmed. Accepting that people come back from the dead was a little too much to take, even for professionals, especially since they knew the steep prices to be paid. When she rose from her chair, Sam jumped up and followed her, feeling the eyes of the bar's patrons on the both of them but not really caring until he reached her, grabbing her shoulder and turning her around.

"Anna, it's okay!" he exclaimed, trying to calm her down, even though he knew he'd have to fess up about the price later. "You're right, I am here and I'm touchable and I'm fine. Nothing went wrong, I promise. I won't eat your brains or anything," he joked weakly.

Anna knew he would come after her, it was just like him to do so, but she needed to be outside or she was going to pass out on him. There was no easy way to face this, death was never easy. Everyone knew that. And coming back from it? That was even harder to deal with. She looked at him when he turned her around and shook her head slowly as he spoke. "Sam..." She could feel tears building up and she just wanted to get outside, away from the people watching them stand there. Away from the hunters trying to figure out what exactly Sam had said to upset her, a fellow hunter who had proven to be stronger then most of the men in that room.

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him outside with her. She released him as soon as she felt the cool night air hit her. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down but her mind was racing as was her heartbeat. "Who made the deal?" She asked, keeping her back to him. It was the only way she knew to bring someone back from the dead. Wrapping her arms around herself to keep out a chill, she waited for him to answer her.

He could hear the emotion in her voice, and that cut through him so much more than the cold night air that hit them as the door shut behind him. Sam knew that he and Anna were close, but the fact that she was so shaken proved something: that she genuinely cared about him, which would normally be something he'd be happy about, but in that moment it made him feel even worse.

He hated to have anyone worry over him, mostly because Sam figured he could look after himself, but deep down he knew, now more than ever that his family and friends were often what kept him safe, and in some cases alive.

"Dean," he said softly, not quite meeting her eyes. "Dean made the deal while I was.. out of it."

Sighing, Anna rubbed her arm subconsciously to try and keep herself warm even though she was failing miserably. But she would much rather be out her with him then in there with him. She took in a shaky breath and looked over at him when he said it was Dean. One of her tears fell when she thought about the emotional turmoil that he must have been going through just to get to that point and then to make the deal. If she had known when her family had died, she might have considered it.

"How long did he get?" She asked softly, keeping her eyes on him and trying to wipe away the tears. Usually people got ten years, from what she had gathered, but when dealing with the dead it had to be different. Or at least she assumed it was. Things with demons were never black and white. There was always shades of gray and hopefully loopholes.

"He got screwed," Sam said honestly. "Bobby said he only got a year, and that most people get at least five or ten." He balled up his fists under his jacket, hoping she didn't notice.

Dean always been so damn stubborn and hardheaded. If he had to make the deal, he should have shopped around, weighed the options and thought it through, but somehow deep down Sam Sam he would have done the same for his brother if the situations were reversed. He had saved his life once already, after all, and that gave him hope that he could do it again.

Looking back up at Anna, he bit his lip, awkwardly touching her cheek before his brain could talk himself out of it. "Hey, don't cry. We're gonna find a way to get him out of this." Sam's voice softened a little. "We have to."

Anna chewed the inside of her cheek as she listened to how much time Dean had gotten, it was worse then she had thought. A year wasn't a very long time and she knew that some time had passed since the deal had been made. How long she couldn't be sure without asking since she hadn't seen them in at least three months. Her mind was starting to go into problem solving mode, at least a little bit. The majority of her mind was stuck the the phrase I died. She still couldn't grasp him being dead when he seemed so alive standing right in front of her, touching her.

"Sam, you died. You were gone and I..." She didn't know what she wanted to say, didn't know how to say it. She wanted to tell him how much it made her heart ache to think about that fact and that she didn't know what she would have done if she had found out that that nothing could have been done to save him. She didn't even want to consider that. "I'm really glad you're alive." That was the best she could come up with and she just hoped he could see how much she meant it.

He could tell Anna's words were sincere, and he bit his lip knowing just how much of a shock this must all be to her. Sam definitely knew that this was a shock for him, and in the two months that he'd known he'd been desperately trying to grasp the situation at had while simultaneously trying to find a way to sort the whole thing out.

He figured he would have time to think later. After he knew Dean was safe, and that the demons that escaped were dealt with. For now, Sam had a job to do.

"I'm really glad to see you, Anna," he told her sincerely. "You're the first person I've really talked to about this since Bobby."

"I'm always here for you Sam," Anna told him, hoping he believed her. "You can talk to me about anything." She couldn't promise not to freak out like she wanted to, because she had already proven that she would at some point. But she just wanted him to know that she was there and that no matter how big or strange or bad the problem, she was there.

"I want to help. There has to be a loophole or something to get him out. I want to help you find it," she said. She was already thinking about resources she could tap into in order to find some way to save his brother. Sam was alive and that was important to her, but keeping his brother alive was just as important at the moment. She wasn't about to willingly sit back and let Sam go through the pain of being the only surviving member of his family. She couldn't let him feel that.

Sam knew he sometimes wasn't the most open of guys. Growing up a Winchester meant he knew how to keep his mouth shut, his emotions secret, and plans well hidden, but it meant a lot to know that Anna was there for him, and always would be. He knew she had gone through a tragedy as bad as his and Dean's own. One that was possibly even worse because she had lost her family all at once.

"Thanks Anna," he said, though he wasn't sure if he was thanking her for her friendship or her help. "I have a feeling I can use all the help I can get. I mean, I went to law school, but demon laws? They're bound to be tricky. I just hope I can talk my way out of this one."

Somehow Sam doubted it.

Nodding, Anna smiled as big as she could which wasn't very big under the circumstances but just enough to show him she acknowledged his gratitude. She could slip in that the two brothers had saved her butt enough times that it was only fair that she could return the favor, but she didn't. It was nice just for him to know that she was there and more then willing to help him find the solution to this problem.

Rubbing her arms, she glanced back at the door. "I'm freezing and I don't feel like I'm going to faint on you anymore so how about we go back in?" She suggested with a nod toward the door. They could easily talk about demons and deals in there without anyone getting suspicious or thinking strangely of them. Plus it was a whole hell of a lot warmer in there and Anna knew that if she looked at her hands her fingers would be turning a nice shade of purple.

The smile Anna offered him wasn't much, but it was something. He had a feeling that once the inital shock wore off, Anna would be invaluable. She was usually so calm and levelheaded. She wasn't one of those hunters ready to jump in and get themselves killed at any moment, and that was exactly what he needed.

God knows he couldn't think rationally about this whole thing with Dean involved.

When she mentioned how cold she was, Sam's own body temperature started to register. He honestly had forgotten the cold. His heart had been pounding so fast from the fear of losing Dean, and worry for how Anna was going to react that he was practically roasting.

"Sure, let's go."

He slowly made his way back into the bar, and though he could still sense that he and Anna were being watched, it didn't seem to be as bad as before. Sam slowly sank down in his chair, teasing in a hushed tone: "Best we can hope for is everyone thinks we had a bad break up or something."

Nodding, Anna followed him inside and ignored the people watching them. She put on a good act that everything was fine and that there was nothing wrong between them. She knew the kinds of things that they could easily be thinking at the moment. From someone dying to them dating and everything in between. Talking was one thing all good hunters would good at. Rumors and such always circulated. Everyone had to know everything about everyone and Anna always felt like it was being back in high school with all the gossip.

She laughed at his comment and shook her head. "Knowing some of the people in here like I do, it will be all over the community within the next day or two. And then it will fizzle out a couple days after that. Right around the time people remember how hard it is to actually have a relationship with this life," she said, taking the beer that he had gotten her earlier but she had yet to touch. She took a sip before putting it back down.

"Have you figured anything out yet? With Bobby?" She asked, wanting to know how far they had gotten and where she could step in to help. She had a couple books that were really old and made some references to Demon deals that she could use as a start.

Sam took a sip of his own beer before putting it back down and laughing softly. "Well, at least Dean would have something to celebrate," he joked.

Dean was usually shoving girls on Sam like he was a roadie and Sam was the lead singer for Poison or something, but things had died down and after the incident with Madison happened, he seemed to have finally backed off. He knew that Dean just wanted him to be happy, and to move on after Jess' death had made him such a mess, but he couldn't help but wonder why Dean didn't try to make himself happy for once.

There was no shortage of girls interested in his brother, and despite the awful encounter he had with her a few months before, he was kind of rooting for Jo.

She was exactly the kind of girl his brother needed to keep him in line. Not that Sam had ever told him that.

But if they didn't get him out of this deal, none of it would matter, and when Anna asked about Bobby, Sam shook his head.

"Bobby promised to keep looking, and I know he will, but, we haven't found anything yet. I sort of don't even want to think about what we have to give them to settle this."

"Oh?" Anna asked, raising her eyebrows with a smile. "Is a rumor about you and me something to celebrate about?" She asked curiously. She didn't think it was all that amazing, but then again it was Dean and he didn't think like a normal person. Ever. But then again, she would rather have a rumor like this be about her and Sam then her and some other random hunter. At least she knew what was truth and what wasn't when it came to Sam. Anyone else and she wouldn't know if there was something underneath the surface that she didn't know about.

She nodded when he talked about Bobby and what they might have to give up just to save his brother. "I have a couple books that go into detail about deals so I'll check them out and see what I can come up with. I also have a few sources I can exhaust. They aren't the cleanest sources, but they're good and efficient." She left out how she had a couple unsavory resources she could tap into, but she wouldn't touch those unless it came down to it.

"You didn't tell me how it happened," she said, referring to him dying. Not that she really wanted to know but any and all details would help her help them. "And how exactly how all those things got out of hell." She wanted to know that one the most. She didn't like not knowing how why she was having to fight so hard just to survive.

"Dean sort of has this idea in his head that he has to marry me off or something," Sam said, slightly embarassed for admitting it, especially to Anna. She was one of the last people he wanted to assume he was some sort of freak who couldn't get his own dates or something.

In all honesty, a rumor about the two of them going out really wouldn't have bothered Sam that much. Sure, it was a total lie, but if Sam was in the market for someone, she would be a hell of a lot like Anna. His friend was beautiful, and he wasn't gonna deny that, but she was just that, a friend, and relationships between friends always got sticky. Not to mention the fact that they technically worked together, and that could definitely make hunts way more difficult than they already were.

When she asked about how he had died, and the demons got out, he knew that he would have to be the bearer of bad news for the second time that night. Jake was dead, and he had killed him, but he supposed that even Anna could understand his actions if he needed to explain them.

"There was this, guy, Jake. The demon wanted me to finish him off, but, I wouldn't do it and I sort of got stabbed in the back, literally." Sam took a sip of his beer. "Talk about dramatic irony."

He knew it was a lot to take in at once, so he sat back in his chair, watching Anna intently to make sure she absorbed it all, waiting until he thought she was ready to hear the rest of the story.

Smiling, Anna thought about Dean playing match maker for his little brother. "That's so cute," she gushed. It really was one of the most adorable things that she had ever heard of a brother doing for another. "Aw, he cares about your happiness so much that he's looking around for you. Too cute." It kind of made her wish she had someone like that in her life. But she didn't and she had grown to be okay with that thought.

Her smile turned to a frown when he explained how he had died. Jake. He had been human and so twisted by a demon's words that he had killed Sam. She couldn't imagine how someone would pick a demon's word over Sam's, but then again she knew what she was dealing with most of the time. Her gut told her this Jake guy had never seen a demon before this.

"Is he still out there?" She asked, glad to hear that Sam hadn't been able to 'finish him off' as he had put it. If they came face to face now, Anna would think it to be hard not to kill the guy. In fact she couldn't even say she wouldn't take him down. Not after what he had done to Sam. Sure murder was never right in any way shape or form, but she was a believer in an eye for an eye. Don't kill someone if you don't want to be killed yourself.

"It is not!" Sam protested with a laugh. "It makes me feel like a twelve year old girl, Anna. And come on, it's Dean. If he had his way I'd be leaving with a topless dancer named Trixie."

It felt good to think about him as just good old Dean, the one constant in his life who constantly annoyed him but never let him down. Sam knew he had made mistakes. Leaving for California had hurt Dean, and sometimes he still felt like his brother hadn't quite forgiven him, but deep down Sammy knew that his brother loved him, would do anything for him, and that would never change.

And he was ready to return the favor.

Remembering the conversation at hand, he turned his attention back to Anna and smiled. "I know he means well, but sometimes I think my brother is a little too selfless. I mean, look where it got him."

As the conversation drifted back to Jake, Sam's stomach started to knot. He still felt guilt, but not for the reason he would have thought. He was guilty for not feeling guilty. He had killed Jake in an instant, an eye for an eye. In that moment he had felt something so raw and primal that made him question just how true his dad's warning to Dean had been.

He could very easily be a killer, and he had been, twice.

"No, he's taken care of," Sam said softly, not quite meeting Anna's eyes. "The demon too, actually, and I guess I should be happy about that but, during the fight... it turns out there's literally a door to hell. That's how the demons got out."

Anna laughed at his comments and shook her head. She still thought it was cute that his brother cared enough. "Oh come on, he would have you going home with Trixie for the night. But I think that when it comes down to the final decision, he would pick someone a little more stable and not infected with a STD," she told him with her eyebrows raised. She firmly believed that too, it was so Dean.

"I think that you're brother had proven enough times that he has your best interest at heart and he's not happy unless you're okay," she said. Sure Dean was selfless when it came to his brother, but it was just who he was. There was plenty of history that made them both the way they were. "Did it ever occur to you that it might be exactly the way he wants to die. I'm not saying it's his time to die, but saving you is probably the most honorable way for him to die."

She didn't want him to think that she thought Dean wanted to die when the year was up, just that one day when he did die it would make sense that it would be while saving his brother. He had been keeping him alive for so long, and making that ultimate sacrifice would mean more then dying during some random hunt. At least that's how she would feel if she were in Dean's place.

Anna's smile faded into a frown when he wouldn't make eye contact while he told her that Jake was taken care of. She knew there was more to it. Touching his arm, she tilted her head to catch his eyes. "Hey, what happened? You're not telling me something," she prompted him. It was nice to hear the demon was dead, a demon who had caused so much trouble for so long. But at what price? There were so many demons crawling the earth at that moment, it made her head spin just to think about it.

He had never really considered that this whole mess would be the way Dean wanted to go out. Sure, his brother was definitely the type to live on the edge, reckless was practically Dean's middle name, but Sam honestly believed his brother didn't have a death wish. He wouldn't throw away his life lightly, and Sam supposed family was as good a reason as any.

God knows Sam would do the same if the roles were reversed. But there was still one thing that was bothering him, and it caused Sam to sigh out loud.

"It's just... Dean should know better than anyone how awful it feels to know that someone died to save you. I mean after my dad-" Sam swallowed, at slowly let his eyes meet Anna's. "That's what I'm not telling you. When we were fighting the demons, my dad he... came back, I saw him. Dean, Bobby and Ellen too, and he helped us, but he... he's gone. I don't think it was as bad as we thought. I think he's okay. You know, at rest."

Anna knew about their father's deal with the demon that had saved Dean's life after an accident they had been in. Sam had told her how torn up Dean had been once he had figured it out and how long it took him to really be able to deal with it. She hadn't considered that fact until Sam mentioned it. He had a point, Dean had to know what it was like to know that someone was going to hell because of them. It made her wonder how exactly Sam felt about the whole ordeal, besides the initial 'I have to save my brother'.

A look of amazement crossed her features as he talked about his dad and the role he had played in the fight. She opened her mouth to say something, but she was so dumbfounded that it took her a minute to actually get words to form. "You're telling me that your dad climbed out of hell and actually got to play a role in killing the thing that killed his wife?" To her that sounded like the most amazing thing ever. For John to be able to do the one thing he had fought so long to do. "And now he's not in hell?" She asked, wondering if there really was a heaven. She didn't know what she believed in given all that she had seen but hope was a nice thing.

There was a certain awe in Anna's voice, and even Sam had to admit the story was pretty incredible. With so much going on, he hadn't really had a chance to process what it was like to see John again. All he knew was that he missed him now more than ever. Their job was done, at least the one they had set out to do in the first place, and Sam had always thought that his father would be there to share in the victory with them.

Deep down Sam knew that this was how John would have wanted it. To go down protecting his family (again) and finally taking out the thing that had killed his wife. Sam had never really been much for hope, while he tried to have it, he often realized just how awful the world was, but he hoped that whevever his dad was, he was with his mom.

"It was pretty amazing," Sam said, starting to admit his thoughts out loud. "If anyone could climb his way out of hell, it's my dad." He laughed softly. "It's a relief to have the job done but, it seems like as soon as we solve one thing, another five pop up, you know?"

"That's so cool!" Anna said smiling at the picture in her head. She liked that their father had gotten that chance and that Dean and Sam had been able to witness it. It was one of the happiest thoughts she had gotten in a long time. The idea of there being a heaven and his parents being together now was one she would gladly carry around.

"So where are you two off to next?" She asked curiously. She knew that just like her, the two of them wouldn't stay in one place for long. There was too much work to do on a normal basis, but now? There was even more then there ever had been. It wasn't bad that they were keeping busy like this, just dangerous, and it meant people were getting in harms way. Stupid demons and their need to kill.

((Sorry it's so short and kinda crappy...LONG couple of days at work and my brain is dead))

(It's totally fine, I know the feeling. Besides, was very not crappy)

Sam could help but laugh at Anna's reaction to the whole thing. His father coming back to help in the fight that had taken his life was like something out of Lord of the Rings, though he would never admit that out loud for fear of being labeled as a dork. It was nice to know that Anna was rooting for them, though deep down Sam had always known that.

"Good question, actually," Sam said with a lopsided smile as he mussed up his hair. "Dean said something about California, but it's pretty much a wait and see deal. We've got much more than we can handle, that's for sure. Dean's kinda... antsy. I guess he's trying to get as many as he can before..."

Sam couldn't finish that sentence, but he had a feeling he wouldn't have to. Anna would probably be able to understand why he couldn't. Saying the words would give them power, make them real.

"How about you?"

Anna knew that feeling all too well. There was more then enough work to go around for anyone in this room twenty times over. It was hard to keep up with the demands. Whenever she had been in this situation before she would just call another hunter to take a job off her hands but now they were all too busy. Too many demons and not enough hunters to deal with them. A lot of good men had died when the original Roadhouse had burned down.

She could understand why Dean was feeling that way. She would if she were in his place. It only made sense. Send as many of those suckers back to hell where they belong before they come up to collect your soul. She smiled and nodded when he trailed off, knowing what he meant but couldn't say. She wouldn't force it out of him and she would never say it to his face so she just let that die.

"I haven't really decided yet," she told him with a shrug. "The exorcism I just did went not according to plan and I might need a day to rest before I head out again. It would give me some time to sort through all my waiting voice mails asking me to head out to various places. Too many jobs and not enough me to go around," she joked.

Sam knew that he and Dean weren't the only ones who were up to their ears in demons, and he couldn't help but feel a bit responsible, even though the door had needed to be opened. It was a bit of a double edged sword, but he was glad that the Yellow Eyed Demon was gone. He and the other psykids (if there were any left) would be glad that he couldn't hold sway over them any more.

When she mentioned her job not going according to plan, the cuts and scrapes marking her face suddenly seemed more apparent. Sam had been so caught up in worrying about Dean that he had barely noticed.

"Oh god, Anna are you okay!? I can't believe I- What happened?"

Anna smiled and shook her head at his sudden recognition of the markings on her face. She had actually been hoping he just wouldn't notice them at all. It was nice to have them go unnoticed. She knew it was nothing big and none of them would leave scars, but they made her a little self conscious. "It's nothing Sam, really," she told him, shaking her head some more.

She raised a hand to touch one that graced her hair line and that was one of the worst she had received. "The sucker just didn't want to come out of the girl. He was mean one. Shattered the window and the glass and wood was not my friend," she explained to him. "Then it threw me into the dresser so I have a nice bruise on my stomach, but it's nothing that won't heal perfectly well. And they're nothing that will leave marks." Two things she was extremely grateful for.

While it was true that none of her marks looked that deep, he was still worried about her. Anna was a friend, after all, and one he cared about. Exorcisms could be tricky business, especially without any extra help. There were times when Sam thought that even he and Dean needed an extra set of hands. He knew that Anna wouldn't do anything, rash though. If he knew anything about her, he knew she wasn't stupid.

"Do they seem to be getting... you know, worse? I mean, I know there's more but, they seem to be tougher. I guess it's because they're straight from the source."