Danielle Palmer sat at a table in the library of the bunker with Sam, doing research on a topic she would rather had never come up. While searching through a few days worth of different local newspapers, Dean found several stories about missing babies. Eight in all, every one under six months old, with the last one disappearing just the day before. Each of the disappearances were within a hundred miles of the bunker, so they jumped on the case. Dean suspected the worst, and Sam and Danielle started researching, looking for creatures that feed on babies. Dean kept at the newspaper, looking for details in the stories that could give them a clue as to what the monster was.

"Dean," Sam said, "we'll have to talk to the parents and take a look around. We need more information."

"Yeah," Danielle said as she tucked a piece of her shoulder-length, brunette hair behind her ear, "Sam and I came up with a couple of possibilities here, but we don't even know if these creatures really exist."

Dean stood and walked over to her. He leaned over her shoulder, one hand on the back of her chair and the other on the table, to look at her laptop screen.

"What did you find?"

Danielle and Sam threw out the likely possibilities while Dean scrolled down the list she put together. Each creature, their features, their powers, the legends, any details that could help them pinpoint what was taking the babies.

"Sam's right," Danielle said. "You two need to talk to the families."

"You okay alone for a few days," Dean asked as he stood straight.

"Aren't I always?"

Dean shrugged. "What the crap do you do here alone that long?"

"Mostly research for whatever you two left me to go hunt. That's why you leave me, remember?"

"Yeah, but not the whole time."

"No. I just enjoy the peace and quiet. I enjoy the time alone. Because, Lord knows, I haven't gotten much of it hanging around you two for the past year and a half."

Sam chuckled, but Dean pretended to be offended.

"Hey, I'm a joy to be around."

"On your good days. On your bad days you're a major asshat."

Sam laughed, but Danielle turned to him.

"You, too, Sasquatch."

"Hey," Sam said, "what did I do?"

"You know," Dean said, "you're not always such a pleasure to be around, either."

"Oh, I know." She stood and walked toward the kitchen. "I'll fix you guys something for the road."

Danielle put a couple of sandwiches together as her mind drifted back to the day she met the Winchesters. It was a day she often thought about. The experience haunted her.

She was tracking a djinn, and finally found its lair, but it somehow got behind her and attacked her. She lived for several days in a dream. Her parents were alive again. Her young brother, alive and growing, getting taller than she was, and rubbing it in her face. When she finally woke up from the djinn's trance, she was in the back of the Impala, her head in Sam's lap.

"Hey, hey," he said, "keep still. You're okay."

"My parents..."

Dean glanced into the review mirror.

"Your parents aren't here," Sam said. "What's your name?"

"Danielle."

"Danielle, do you know what happened to you?"

Danielle hesitated. "Yeah," she said. "Do you?"

Sam glanced at Dean in the review mirror, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah," Sam said, "we do."

Danielle sat up with her hand to her head, still feeling a dizzy from the blood loss. Sam held onto her shoulders and leaned her back against the seat.

"You two are hunters?"

"Yeah," Sam said. "You?"

"Yeah. Did you kill the djinn?"

"We got him," Dean said.

Danielle glanced into the front seat for the first time.

"Thank you."

"No problem. We're gonna get you to a hospital. You're probably running a couple pints short."

"Certainly feels like it."

They got her checked into the hospital since she could barely stand, let alone walk on her own. They made up a story about finding her on the side of the road, and she faked memory loss.

She was surprised when Dean walked into her room the next day.

"Hey," he said. "You're looking better."

"Feeling better. What are you doing here? I thought you'd be long gone."

"You're the only other hunter I know who survived a djinn," he said as he pulled a chair closer to her bed and sat.

"You went through that, too?"

Dean nodded. "A few years ago. You asked about your parents when you woke up."

"Yeah."

"They were with you?"

"Yeah. My brother, too."

"What happened to them?"

Danielle hesitated, but the look on Dean's face told her she could trust him, and he might understand.

"A fire wraith burned our house down. I wasn't home. None of them made it out."

"Sorry. Was that your first experience with the supernatural?"

"Yeah. I got there in time to see it burning... and I saw the thing. No one else did, they sent me to a therapist for a while, but I was seventeen. As soon as I turned eighteen I was out of there, and I figured out what it was, and I realized all the things that are real that are just awful... and I thought, maybe I could stop bad things from happening to other people."

"So, the djinn brought them back for you. Your family, I mean."

Danielle nodded. "It was wonderful... and devastating and scary, all at the same time.

"I know that feeling. It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

"Me either."

"So, you're hunting alone?"

"Pretty much. I know a couple of guys in the life. They help me out sometimes, but they're usually busy with their own stuff."

"You travel a lot?"

"Practically live on the road."

"Been there. Spent almost my whole life on the road."

They grew quiet and Dean stood.

"I guess I'll go. I just wanted to check on you and ask you about the djinn."

"It's nice to know someone understands."

"Yeah... It is. I'll let you rest."

They said goodbye, but Dean was back with Sam later that day.

"Sam and I were talking," Dean said, "and we were wondering if you wanted to hang with us for a while."

"Guys, I appreciate the offer, but-"

"We have a place in Kansas," Sam interrupted. "Lots of space. You'd have your own bedroom."

"You wouldn't be on the road constantly," Dean added. "You'd have a place to hang between cases."

"And maybe we can work together sometimes," Sam said.

"Are you guys sure about this?"

"We're sure," Sam said.

Danielle was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Dean's voice.

"We're ready to head out," he said.

Danielle put the sandwiches into a bag and handed it to Dean.

"Call me if you need anything," she said.

"Will do."

Three days passed before she got a phone call from Sam.

"We're on our way back," Sam said.

"You got it?"

"No, not by a long shot. We talked to all the families, but we still need to do some poking around. We got it narrowed down to a few of the possibilities on the list you put together, but we need more info. We're coming to get you so you can help. Pack a bag."

Danielle went around her room taking anything she might need for a few days. She was just zipping her bag when she heard Dean.

"Dani, where are you?"

"My room."

The door opened a moment later and Dean leaned against the frame with his arms folded.

"You ready," he asked.

"Yep."

"You know, that list you put together was helpful."

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "Nice to be appreciated."

Dean stepped aside to let Danielle pass, then he followed her down the hallway back toward the library where Sam was waiting.

"Don't stare at my ass, Winchester," Danielle said with a grin, staring straight ahead.

"I- I wasn't."

"Uh huh," she said with a laugh.

"Get over yourself," Dean grumbled.

He stared at the ground as he took a few more steps, then his eyes slowly travelled up Danielle's legs and settled on her rear. He shook his head with a sigh as they continued down the hall.