Dean smiled at Jessie as she buckled herself into her booster seat. It had been about a year since Jessie had joined them on the road and Sam and Dean couldn't picture traveling without this 6 year old girl in their lives. She was always so bright and happy and curious about everything. She always wanted to know where they were going next and what they would be hunting and just wanting to know everything that she could about, well, everything.
"Where are we going to now, Daddy?" And there she was, asking questions again. Dean glanced in the rear view mirror and began to pullout of the motel parking lot as he answered her.
"Uncle Sammy thinks that he might have found a case in Montana. So, we're going to check it out." Dean said.
"Oh. What do you think that you're hunting for Uncle Sammy?" Jessie asked and Sam grinned as he turned around to face his niece.
"Well, now, I think that what we're investing is need to know information kid. And you are not on the need to know list." She pouted as he finished.
"Why won't you tell me? I want to help!" She said and the brothers gave each other a look as they began to laugh.
"I don't think so Jessie. Maybe someday when you're older but as of right now," Dean looked at his brother and glanced at Jessie, all humor in his voice gone. "As of right now, you are not going to get within 15 ft of anything that Uncle Sammy and I could possibly be investigating." Jessie groaned.
"Oh, but Daddy, I wanna-"
"No 'but Daddy'. You are not working on this case or any case we get until you are at least... 21. When you are old enough to drink, then you can hunt." Dean said, with a tone that said 'And nothing will change my mind'. And Jessie heard it too. When she heard her dad use that tone she just sighed unhappily but this arguement was forgotten after about a half hour and Jessie went back to being her happy little self. It was a long trip, but she spent most of it awake. Dean tried to keep on a normal sleeping schedule as he possibly could. She spent most of the ride doodling with some crayons from a diner on a pad of paper, playing with toys that she got in kids meals, speaking to Sam and Dean about random stuff, and or playing with Zebra. She had been quite happy when they discovered that Zebra had made through the tornado. Dean was now convinced that it was indestructible. That stupid stuffed Zebra had made it through a hurricane, that time Dean accidentally backed over it in the impala, the other time it got caught in a mouse trap in a motel room and Jessie thought it would be a good idea to pull it out herself instead of getting help from one of the adults. Anyway, Dean was happy that it survived because it kept Jessie entertained and happy and that was good enough for him.
They arrived in Montana, and it started to go like a normal case. The brothers would go investigate while Jessie stayed behind and hung out at the motel all day doing her thing. It only took a day or two of investigating for Dean to decide that this case was a bust, but Sam wanted to take one last crack at it, so while Sam did that Dean decided that he would get Jessie ready to leave at any moment.
"Alright, you get everything all packed up Pie Thief?" He asked Jessie as he opened her duffel bag to make sure. She nodded, yawning, as she rubbed at one eye with a small fist. Dean glanced at the clock on the wall, seeing want time it was. "Alright, time for all little girls to be in bed. Come on, here's your pajamas." He said pulling them out of her duffel and Jessie accepted them quietly. Her pajamas weren't much, just an old tee-shirt and some sweats. As soon as she was changed and in bed Dean pulled the blanket up around her.
"Good night Daddy." She said softly, clutching Zebra tightly to her.
"Night, Pie Thief." Dean whispered as her eyes slowly closed. He sighed and glanced at his cell phone, which was sitting on the corner. Sam had said that he would call Dean to come and get him when he was done but he hadn't called yet, so Dean just shrugged and turned on the Tv. He didn't really care about what he was watching, he was just looking fir something to do. He turned on some sports game and let his mind wander. He was pulled out of it, however, when his phone started to go off. He picked it up and saw it was Sam calling.
"So, find anything?" Sam sighed on the other end.
"No, you're right man. This one's a bust. You coming to pick me up?" Dean thought about it a moment looking over at where Jessie lay asleep.
"Yeah, where are you?" Dean said. When Sam told him where he was, Dean thought for a moment. It would only take him like 10, 15 minutes Max. Jessie would be fine for that long on her own. Dean hung up, telling Sam that he would be there in a few and he locked every possible entrance or exit in the motel room before driving off to get his brother.
"Hey. Where's Jessie?" Sam asked as he climbed in the impala.
"She's asleep at the motel room. She's fine." Sam nodded and the brothers drove back to the motel in silence. As they pulled into the parking lot, it seemed to Dean that it was emptier that when he left. He shrugged off the thought as he turned off the engine, got out and walked up to the door, pulling out his room key but he froze when he got to the door. It was open. Dean swore as he pushed open the door and the first thing that he noticed was the empty covers and the duffel bag missing. Jessie was gone.......
