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Chapter Four

Sam pulled the file that they had taken from the library from the back seat and leaned against the hood. Bella perched next to him and Dean leaned on her other side.

Sam finally found what he was looking for and held up the article about Jacob Carnes which had a picture of the hook he had instead of a right hand. "It's the same symbol," Sam said pointing to the hook and there on the side of it was the engraving that had been scratched into Lori's bedroom wall.

"Seems like it is the spirit of Jacob Carnes," Bella said not taking her eyes off the image.

"Well, let's find the dude's grave, salt and burn the bones, and put him down," Dean suggested.

Sam frowned and began reading from the paper in his hand. "After execution, Jacob Carnes was laid to rest in Old North Cemetery in an unmarked grave."

"Super," Dean dead-panned and stood up walking around to the driver's side of the car.

"Okay," Sam said copying him and walking to the passenger side. Bella stood too turning to watch them, she didn't trust herself to not to stare at Dean and looked at Sam instead, it was easier to keep her gaze impassive that way. "So we know it's Jacob Carnes but we still don't know where he'll manifest next or way." Dean picked up the flyer that had been put underneath his windscreen wiper.

"I'll take a wild guess about why," Dean said as he opened his door. "I think your little friend Lori has something to do with this." Bella frowned at him. Sam and Dean climbed in the car and Bella rushed round the side and slid in behind Dean.

Bella stood awkwardly beside Sam as they observed the college kids partying. Dean had barely spoken two words to her since she stepped out of the bathroom earlier dressed in her tank top and jeans after her shower. "Man, you've been holding out on me. This college thing is awesome," Dean declared appearing from nowhere seemingly oblivious to the glares Sam and Bella were giving him.

"This wasn't really my experience," Sam mumbled.

"Oh let me guess," Dean said turning around. "Library, studying, straight A's. What a geek." Dean shook his head glancing around the room again. "All right, did you do your homework?"

"Yeah," Sam said with enthusiasm and jumped into action. Dean smirked at Bella over Sam's shoulder and she bit back a laugh despite the fact she was kinda pissed at him. "It was bugging me, right? How is the Hook Man tied up with Lori?" Sam led us away from the main room into a quiet corridor. "So I think I found something."

He unrolled a piece of paper and handed it to Dean. "1932, Clergyman Arrested for Murder," Dean read out loud, he flipped to the second page. "1967, Seminarian Held in Hippie Rampage."

Sam pointed to the page as Dean set off walking again leading us into a pool room and passed the pool table into a another hall that was completely empty. "There's a pattern here. In both cases, the suspect was a man of religion who openly preached against immorality and then found himself wanted for killings he claimed were the work of an invisible force." Dean didn't look at Bella the whole time and for some reason it was starting to bug her, she got the feeling he was doing on purpose. "Killing carried out, get this, with a sharp instrument."

"What's the connection to Lori?" Dean asked.

"A man of religion who openly preaches against immorality?" Dean closed his eyes nodding in understanding. "Except maybe this time instead of saving the whole town he's just trying to save his only daughter."

"Reverend Sorenson," Dean said.

"You think he's summoning the spirit?" Bella asked playing Dean at his own game she fixed her eyes on Sam.

"Maybe," Sam answered and Bella could feel Dean looking at her but refused to meet his gaze. "Or you know how a poltergeist can haunt a person instead of a place?"

"Yeah, the spirit latches on to the Reverend's repressed emotions, feeds off them," Dean said with a nod. "Yeah, okay."

"Without the Reverend even knowing it," Bella whispered.

"Either way, you should keep an eye on Lori tonight," Dean told Sam. Bella knew that meant she would have to go with Dean, she looked down at the floor trying her hardest to keep her face neutral. Sam looked at her knowingly when she glanced back up but Bella pasted a smile on her face and tilted her head at him as if she was confused.

"What about you guys?" Sam asked. A blonde woman who had been eyeing Dean up since they had stopped there walked around the pool table and looked at him suggestively. Dean surprised Bella by throwing his arm around her shoulder and grinning at Sam.

"Me and Bells are gonna spend some quality time together. We're gonna go see if we can find that unmarked grave," Dean announced. Sam glanced up at the blonde, both Dean and Bella followed his gaze. She didn't look happy that Dean had his arm around Bella. Dean moved his arm from Bella's shoulder placing his hand on her lower back, leading her past the blonde without a second look. She glared at Bella jealously and Bella smirked enjoying winding her up she moved closer into Deans embrace. Dean looked at her surprised and Bella cast a look over her shoulder at the girl, she noticed Sam stood behind her still in the hall smiling at them. Dean followed Bella's gaze and threw his head back laughing before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He led Bella out of the party without a backward glance back at Sam or the blonde.

Bella stomped behind Dean through the graveyard with her coat pulled tightly around her in an attempt to keep warm. "Remind me why we're doing this while Sam gets to cosy up to Little Miss Sorority?"

Dean chuckled quietly at her. "Are you telling me you're not enjoying this?" he asked searching the headstones with his flashlight.

"Not really," she said focusing on the headstones trying to sound distracted. "But if we ever get a case where a hot guy needs protection I'm gonna let you two do all dirty work while I play bodyguard."

Dean smirked at her to mask the way her comment stung his emotions as they moved on further into the cemetery. "So no boyfriend waiting back home then?"

"No," she said, sadness seeping into her voice as she searched the graves not meeting his gaze. "My boyfriend was killed when I was 17."

"Oh?" Dean made a surprised noise. "Something supernatural?"

"Yeah, Vampires."

"Oh," he said sounding more resigned. She heard something move behind her and spun round searching with the flashlight. They walked a little further keeping quiet and something to her right caught her eye.

"Dean," she said and nodded to the grave. "Think I found it." The stone had no name but it did have the symbol from Carnes hook on it. Dean smiled dropping his rucksack off to the side he handed her one of the shovels he had been carrying. She sighed and took it stabbing it into the ground and using her foot to push it down further.

Bella had given up about twenty minutes ago but Dean was stood up to his shoulders in the grave of Jacob Carnes. He paused a minute panting and looked over the edge at her. "That's it," Dean panted. Next time I get to watch the cute girl's house." Bella chuckled quietly at Deans words.

Dean went to dig again but hit the coffin. He looked at her and smiled before smashing the top of the coffin in. Bella grabbed the salt and matches from her pack and put them at the edge of the grave. "Hello, preacher," Dean said and she laughed, holding out her hand helping him from the grave.

Bella poured the salt over the body and Dean came back with some lighter fluid. She handed Dean the matches and he lit one dropping it into the grave. "Good bye, preacher." Dean put his arm around her shoulders as they watched the bones burn.

Bella and Dean walked down the corridor in the hospital only to be stopped by two cops. "Its all right, we're with him. That's my brother. And she's -" he was cut off when Bella elbowed him in the ribs. "Hey, brother," Dean waved at Sam and the cop who were both watching them now.

"Let em through," the cop stood by Sam said and the two who had stopped them stepped aside letting them pass.

"Thanks," Dean said sounding anything but and followed Bella down towards Sam who had set off to meet them.

"You okay?" Bella asked.

"Yeah."

"What the hell happened?" Dean asked him.

"Hook Man," Sam whispered.

"You saw him?"

"Damn right." Sam looked at the cops warily. "Why didn't you burn the bones?"

"What? We did!" Bella defended.

"You sure it's the spirit of Jacob Carnes?" Dean asked.

"Sure as hell looked like him. That's not all. I don't think he's latching onto the Reverend."

"Well, yeah. The guy wouldn't send the Hook Man after himself."

"I think it's latching on to Lori," Sam said. "Last night she found out that her father is having an affair with a married woman."

"So what?" Dean asked and Bella hit his arm. He rubbed it and pulled a face at her.

"So? She'll be upset about it," Bella told him.

"She's upset about the immorality of it. She told me she was raised to believe if you do something wrong, you get punished."

"Okay, so she's conflicted. The spirit of Carnes is latching on her repressed emotions and maybe he's doing the punishing for her?" Dean half-asked, half-stated.

"Right," Sam replied.

"So her boyfriend comes on too strong, Taylor tries to make her into a party girl, Dad has an affair," Bella summarized. It made sense.

"Remind me not to piss this girl off," Dean commented smirking. "But we burned those bones. Bells buried them in salt. Why didn't that stop him?"

"You must have missed something," Sam said.

"No, we burned everything in that coffin."

"What if what we missed wasn't in the coffin?" Bella asked. Both Sam and Dean looked at her with confused expressions. "His Hook wasn't in that coffin."

"His Hook?" Sam asked.

"It was the murder weapon, and in a way it was part of him."

"So like the bones, the hook is a source of his power." Dean nodded smiling down at her.

"So if we find the hook..." Bella trailed off.

"...we stop the Hook Man." Dean cuddled her to him grinning.

That is how Bella found herself back in the library. She was sat beside Dean at one of the tables while Sam was sat across from them. "This is useless!" she groaned and dropped her head onto her arms. Sam didn't comment but Dean chuckled lightly at her.

"Here's something, I think," Dean said about ten minutes later. Bella lifted her head from her arm and Sam looked over at Dean. "Logbook, Iowa State Penitentiary. 'Carnes, Jacob. Personal effects disposition thereof'."

"Does it mention the hook?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, maybe," Dean whispered as he read. "Upon execution, all earthy items shall be remanded to prisons house of worship, St. Barnabus Church."

"Isn't that where Lori's father preaches?" Bella asked.

"Yeah," Sam said smiling slightly at her.

"Where Lori lives?" Bella asked incredulous.

"Maybe that's why he's been haunting reverends and reverend's daughters for the past 200 years," Dean suggested looking between Sam and Bella.

"If the hook were there, don't you think someone might have seen it?" Sam asked. "I mean, a blood stained, silver-handled hook?"

"I'll check the church records," Bella said getting up and practically running from the table.

Dean was sat to her left across the table chewing on his pen lid and Sam was sat beside him straight across from her. She could feel Dean watching her but every time she looked up he quickly glanced away as if he was trying to hide it. Bella struggled to make herself focus on what she was doing. She didn't think she could take much more of Dean's staring when she found what she was looking for. "Here we go," Bella said getting Sam and Dean's attention. "St. Barnabus, donation, 1862. Received: silver-handled hook from state penitentiary. Reforged." She shook her head in disbelief. "They melted it down. Made it into something else."

"So it could be anything?" Dean asked and she nodded. He stood grabbing his jacket and headed for the exit. "You two clowns coming?" He turned back to Bella and Sam who were just staring after him, Bella quickly stood following him with Sam behind her.

Dean pulled the Impala up close to the church and turned off the engine. Bella climbed out quickly and headed straight for the church not waiting. "Where the fire, Singer?" Dean asked her and she could hear the smile in his voice. Bella turned to him and glared but slowed her pace. Sam and Dean caught up with her and she moved so Sam was between her and Dean. Sam looked at her weird but then shook his head. "All right, we can't take any chances. Anything silver goes into the fire."

"I agree," Sam said.

"Lori's still in the hospital. We'll have to break in," Bella said shoving her hands in her pockets.

"All right, take your pick," Dean told Sam.

"I'll take the house."

"Okay." Sam nodded and then looked down at Bella. "You with me Bella?" Sam asked and she nodded, they both turned and began walking away.

"Hey," Dean yelled out, Sam and Bella turned back to look at him. "Stay out of her underwear drawer." Sam frowned and they watched Dean walk away.

"He's such a pig sometimes," Bella stated heading for the house as she shoved her hands deeper into her pockets.

"He's harmless, he just thinks he's funny. Besides he always makes jokes to try and relieve tension."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bella hissed at him.

"It means, Bella Singer, that whenever you two step with three feet of each other there's so much sexual tension it makes me horny," Sam replied as he knelt down and attempted to pick the lock on the back door.

"Okay, I did not need to know that and I don't feel that way about Dean," Bella blatantly lied easing open the window next to the door. She braced herself on the window ledge and pulled herself in.

"You don't actually feel that way or just don't wanna admit you do?" Bella heard Sam's muffled voice through the door. Bella stepped up to it and unlocked it surprising him.

"Shut up," she said glaring down at him and he smirked right back.

"Okay, I think I got everything," Bella told Sam when they met back up at the bottom of the stairs. They made their way quickly across to the church and into the basement where Dean was. He was currently throwing every piece of silver he could lay his hands on into the fire. Bella descended the stairs behind Sam and Dean turned grinning up at them.

Bella blushed remembering Sam's comments earlier and Dean smirked at her. "We got everything that even looked silver," Sam said throwing the bag down on a chair. "Better safe than sorry."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Bella teased him, tilting her head to the side innocently. Sam looked shocked and Dean roared with laughter. Bella's eyes flew to Dean and the honest to god smile on his face. It did things to her body she couldn't explain, he had a gorgeous smile and his eyes lit up when he was amused. Bella pulled her gaze away back to Sam when he spoke.

"Wouldn't you like to know!" The smirk on his face said he'd caught Bella ogling his brother.

"You're right I wanna know so bad," Bella said sarcastically before turning away and throwing the silver things that they had collected into the fire.

A floorboard creaked above their heads and they all froze. Bella straightened up slowly and the floor creaked again.

"Move, move," Dean ordered dashing up behind Bella. He handed her a gun and grabbed his own. Bella followed Dean and Sam up the stairs. Dean stopped at the top and opened the door slowly. They both stepped out guns raised and Sam stepped in between them. Bella lowered her gun when she spotted Lori sat in the church up front. Dean did the same and then looked at Sam nodding for him to go. Bella watched Sam head towards Lori before she followed Dean back down to the basement closing the door behind them.

Bella dropped the last piece of silver in the fire and stood up. She was watching it burn when she felt as if something was behind her. She spun round and Dean looked at her weird. Bella's eyes searched the small room and landed on the candle holder on the wall behind them. That candle had been lit when they came down and now it had gone out. Her logical mind was telling her it was probably wind but she wasn't sure. "Dean, some thing's wrong," she whispered.

"What -?" Deans question was cut off by Lori's scream from above. Bella grabbed her gun and ran up the stairs all her thoughts on helping Sam. She threw herself through the door at the top of the stairs. Bella couldn't see Sam or Lori anywhere. Glass smashed at the front of the church and Lori screamed again. Bella ran for the front of the church and she heard Sam grunt in pain.

"Sam," she screamed running full pelt. Bella stopped dead when Lori came flying out of nowhere and was laid on the rug in front of her. Sam came running down the corridor from the left holding his arm to his chest.

"Your arm," Bella breathed.

"It's nothing." He half-smiled at her before holding a hand out for Lori. "Come on," he said pulling her up. "You okay?" The Hook Man materialized behind him but before Bella could warn Sam he had hit him under his chest and sent him flying backwards into some bookshelves smashing them. Sam slumped forward and the shelves landed on him. Bella raised her gun to shoot but the Hook Man vanished. She spun round looking for him but he wasn't in the room anywhere. Bella took a step towards Sam and Lori screamed.

Before Bella could respond something hit her head from the left, flinging her into the wall with a surprising amount of force and her gun slid from her hands.

"Ugh," she groaned in pain as she hit the floor.

"Sam, drop," Dean ordered. Bella just managed to register his words and Sam dropped to the floor beside her as Dean shot rock salt bullets at the ghost.

Bella rolled over onto her back and raised her hand to her head hesitantly. She pulled away her hand to see it was covered in blood. "I thought we got all the silver!" Sam yelled.

"So did I," Dean responded.

"Then why is he still here?"

"Well, maybe we missed something."

Bella sat up slowly, her vision swimming and Deans gaze fixed on her. "You're bleeding," he said, kneeling next to her.

"I'll be okay," Bella assured him.

"Lori, where did you get that chain?" Sam asked and they all looked at the chain holding a cross hanging from her neck.

"My father gave it to me."

"Where'd your dad get it?" Dean asked.

"He said it was a church heirloom."

"Is it silver?!" Sam demanded.

"Yes!" Sam grabbed it and ripped it off. They all froze when scratching sounded from the hall. Turning slowly Bella could see the mark coming closer. Dean was glaring over his shoulder and Bella ignored the throbbing in her head to look around him.

"Sam," Dean said his voice as a command as he disappeared from beside Bella. He threw his gun to Sam who caught it and stood up still holding his left arm to his chest. He handed Lori's necklace to Dean who darted off down the corridor and out of sight. Sam crouched down and reloaded the gun but before he could even point it at the Hook Man it was knocked from his hand.

Bella struggled to keep hold of her consciousness until she knew they were safe. Sam and Lori scrambled back until they were beside her. The Hook Man raised his hook but it started to melt mid-air as he slowly burned up. Bella breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back on her elbows. Dean appeared at the end of the hall way suddenly and grinned at them.

Bella smiled at him gently before the blackness took over and she slumped to the floor again. "Bella!" Dean and Sam yelled simultaneously before she went under.

Bella blinked slowly as she came to. "Bells," Sam whispered and she looked up to see him sat in a chair to her left. She vaguely became aware of a beeping noise and looked around realizing she was in hospital.

"What happened?" Bella croaked and her hand instantly went to her throat. Sam poured her some water and handed it to her. Bella took a sip and looked up at him expectantly.

"You hit your head when he knocked you aside. You split it open and it needed 5 stitches, you've also got a concussion," he explained.

"Where's Dean?" Bella asked.

"He's gone to sort out your discharge papers. He'll be right in." As soon as the words were out of Sam's mouth the door swung open to reveal Dean.

"Bella, you're awake," he smiled and stepped into the room. Bella grinned back at him, happy that they had made it through this alive.

"I'll go call us a cab and meet you guys out front," Sam said rising from his seat, Dean quickly filled his chair.

He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. Bella looked up from their joined hands into his face, blushing. "I'm glad you're okay," he breathed and Bella flushed an even deeper shade of red. He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.

"And you saw him too?" the cop questioning Bella asked. They were stood outside the church where it had all happened. They'd had to come back here to retrieve the car and this cop pinned Bella down to question her because she was the only one who they hadn't spoken with. "The man with the hook?"

"Yes, I told you," Bella snapped her head throbbing with pain. "We all saw him. We fought him off, and then he ran." Bella repeated the story Dean and Sam drilled into her on the cab ride over.

"And that's all?"

"Yeah, that's all." Dean put his hand on her shoulder and sent the cop a look that clearly said 'that's enough'.

He nodded and looked at Dean. "Listen, you two and your brother..." he pointed at Dean.

"Oh, don't worry we're leaving town." Dean placed his hand on Bella's back and led her towards the Impala. She saw Sam talking to Lori and sympathy for her flared up in Bella's chest yet again. She smiled weakly at her before sliding into the back of the car, laying down. Bella watched Dean look over at them before he climbed in as well. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the throbbing in her head.

The passenger side door opened and Sam flopped himself down into the front seat. Bella opened her eyes enough to see Dean looking at Sam for a long moment before he started the car and pulled away. "You know Lori's lucky," Bella said.

"How do you figure that, Bella?" Sam asked.

"She still has her dad," Bella told them not opening her eyes this time. "He had someone there to protect him when something supernatural attacked, not all of us are that lucky." Bella could feel all the questions they wanted to ask hanging heavy in the air, but she didn't speak again and finally fell asleep.

A/N: Posted on 04/05/2016. All outfits are on my profile. Violet x.