SACRIFICE ³ - DEAN WINCHESTER

Five

"Something's wrong with the kids in this town." Dean stated as he and Jenny walked into the motel. Sam looked over to them with an obvious look, turning his computer to them.

"Yeah. Tell me about it." Jenny leaned down to read the website, glaring at the screen.

"Changelings? God I hate those things." Jenny grimaced as Sam and Dean frowned at her.

"You've hunted evil monster babies?" Dean asked as she stood up, nodding.

"yeah, Bobby and I went on a case together back in '99. There was practically a changeling outbreak in Little Rock. Fire is the only thing that kills them."

"They're kids. Creepy, "stare at you like you're lunch" kids? Like the ones we just saw at the park?" Dean asked Jenny, who nodded in confirmation. "When you asked about their faces—"

"I was actually seeing the monster and not the kid they were pretending to be." Jenny finished his sentence. Sam frowned in confusion.

"I don't see you guys for most of a day and suddenly Jenny isn't just an EMF but she's got monster X-Ray vision now?" He asked as Jenny sat down, nodding.

"I guess we should all start sleeping with the same woman." Jenny joked as Dean and Sam deadpanned at her. "Look I'm not comfortable with the fact I have freak genes in me, alright? If I knew how the hell to get rid of this, I would."

"We can worry about your monster gene thing later. Right now, we need to save these kids."

✦✦✦

"So, changelings can perfectly mimic children. According to lore, they climb in the window, snatch the kid. Y'know, there were marks on the windowsill at one of the kid's houses. Looked to me like blood." Sam explained as Dean was preparing a kerosine torch.

"The changeling grabs a kid, assumes its form, joins the happy fam just for kicks?" He asked, Jenny shaking her head as she searched through her duffel bag.

"No, definitely not. Changelings feed on the moms synovial fluid."

"Syno-what?" Dean frowned in confusion as Jenny pulled out a knife.

"Synovial fluid. It's like an egg white consistency. Basically it's a cushion for your bones. Reduces friction between your joints." Jenny explained as she cut away at her torch, making it more of a fiery stake. Sam gave her a surprised look, shocked that she knew what something like that was. "The moms have these odd bruises on the back of their necks. Changelings can drain them for a few weeks before mom dies."

"And then there's dad and the babysitter." Dean pointed out, Sam nodding.

"Yeah. Seems like anyone who gets between the changeling and its food source ends up dead."

"And you're sure fire's the only way to waste them, Jen?" The woman nodded in confirmation as she held up her torch, fixing her grip on it. "Great. We'll just bust in, drag the kids out, torch them on the front lawn. That'll play great with the neighbors. What about the real ones? What happens to them?"

"From what I read, they stash them underground somewhere. I don't know why, but if it's true, the real kids might be out there." Sam shrugged and looked to Jenny, who nodded.

"That's true. Changlings like keeping their food in the ground."

"We better start looking." Dean stated, standing up. "So, any kid in the neighborhood is vulnerable?" Sam and Jenny nodded. "We gotta make a stop. I want to check on someone."

"Well Dean, if the real kids are still alive, we don't have time. We—"

"We have to." Dean interrupted his brother, who huffed quietly.