Title: Eyes Without a Face

Author: Neuroticris

Fandom/Pairing: Supernatural, Dean/Jo

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of its characters.

Summary: In tandem with All Hell Breaks Loose – Part 1. Sam has been kidnapped by the Demon and Dean is forced to search for him before it's too late.

Author's Note: Not everything from the episode has happened. Things are out of sequence. The title is from Billy Idol's song of the same name.

Chapter 1: An eye on the road and a hand on the wheel

Jo's eyes felt heavy, like lead weights were pulling them down. She felt the car slowly drifting to the side of the road and she jerked herself awake. She had been driving for the past four hours and fatigue was starting to settle in, making her sluggish and drowsy. Shaking herself awake, she opened up the car window hoping that the cold blast of air would keep her from drifting off. She turned the volume up on her tape deck and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. As Stephen Tyler sang about sweet emotion, Jo's eyes drifted to the seat beside her where her cell phone currently sat. She picked it up and checked the screen. There were no missed calls.

She took a deep breath as her mind thought back to the last eight calls she made, all of it to the same two numbers.

Unable to help herself, she picked up her phone again and hit speed dial. She heard the call connect and the line began to ring.

"Damn it!" She cursed as her call went unanswered. She gave up after the tenth ring, flipping the phone shut. "Where are you?" She muttered.

Jo had been waiting tables at a diner just outside of Boulder, Colorado. On a whim, she decided to call Ash to check on her mother. She hadn't spoken to either one of them since the incident in Duluth, deciding that moving would be her best option but she had refused to go back to the Roadhouse, choosing instead to stay on her own. She wasn't ready to face her mother yet. She didn't think she could do it without breaking down.

Her call went unanswered, which wasn't surprising since it had been nine in the morning and Ash typically slept until one in the afternoon. She wouldn't have thought anything of it until she got off her shift and checked her messages. She had only one and it was from Ash. He said that he needed to talk to her and that it was important. Jo wasn't sure what to think. Ash was never one to exaggerate. Jo returned his call, but it went unanswered. She tried calling the Roadhouse as well but all she got was a busy signal. The same went for the next six times she called.

That was how she found herself driving through the interstate highway on her way back to Nebraska. It wasn't like Ash not to answer his phone.

Jo didn't want to worry but as it stood, things just weren't adding up and she couldn't get rid of the feeling in her gut that something was wrong.

She glanced at her phone again thinking that there might be two other people she should call, but she dismissed that thought as soon as it popped into her mind. This was her problem and she'll be damned if she involved either Winchester in it.

After Dean had left her in Duluth, Jo decided that she needed a fresh start. So, she quit her job, changed her cell number, packed up her things, and high-tailed it out of there. For a couple of months, she drifted, moving from state to state, staying in motel rooms until she finally ran out of money. She ended up in Colorado, where she luckily found a want ad in a diner window for a waitress. She thought that putting as much distance between her and the Winchesters would be for the best. She knew that Dean was never going to call her and she wasn't sure that she really wanted to hear from Sam. She accepted the fact that he had been possessed when he had attacked her, but she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with him yet.

She checked the time on her watch and noted that it was getting pretty late. She was sure that she wasn't going to make it back to work for the following morning but she couldn't be bothered to call her boss. She had bigger things to worry about other than being fired from her job.

Jo blinked and tried to concentrate on the road. By the time she turned onto the familiar country road that feeling of anxiety had turned into all out panic.

She gripped the steering wheel hard, making her knuckles turn white. Her eyes scanned the dark road ahead of her, noting the missing lights. She knew that by this time of night, the Roadhouse should be busy, packed with weary hunters and passing truckers. She slowed the car as she approached the lot where the Roadhouse should be. She gasped when her headlights shone over what remained of her childhood home and her mother's livelihood. Jo grabbed her gun and Maglite out of the glove compartment and was out of the truck before she had even put it into park. She approached the charred remains of the Roadhouse, shining her flashlight over the rubble. She swallowed the fear and panic down choosing instead to concentrate on looking for her mother and Ash.

Her hands shook as she stepped over the burnt out pieces of her childhood memories. The acrid smell of smoke and soot stung her nose, making her sick to her stomach. Her mind flashed to her mother and it almost knocked her down to her knees. With grim determination, she held her flashlight steady as she turned over planks of wood looking for her loved ones. Tears coursed down her cheeks unexpectedly and Jo was too angry to control them. She didn't understand why anyone would do this. Did it have anything to do with what Ash wanted to tell her?

Alone in the dark, Jo continued to sort through the rubble, until the light from her Maglite caught something in the dim light. She approached it carefully, holding her gun in one hand while the other held the light. As she got closer she could see that it was a watch, and that watch was attached to a blackened arm. Jo paused because she knew that watch and who that watch belonged to. She kicked off the plank of wood that was blocking the person who owned the arm and she dropped to her knees when she saw the charred remains of her good friend.

"Ash, you stupid son of a bitch," she swore, wiping the tears off her cheeks, leaving trails of soot and ash on her face. She shook her head and said a silent prayer before replacing the plank of wood back over him.

She stumbled out of the ruins towards her car, where she broke down into heaving sobs.

She blindly fumbled for her phone and called the only other person she knew who could help.

Dean watched the road grimly. His lips pressed into a straight line. He and Bobby had just come from the Roadhouse, or what was left of the Roadhouse, seeing as it was only burnt wood and rubble. They'd found Ash but Ellen was nowhere to be seen. Sam was still missing and he had no clue where to look for his little brother.

"I think we should speak to Duke," Bobby advised, breaking the tense silence in the car.

"What?" Dean asked, his mind too busy worrying over his brother.

"I said, we should go speak to Duke," Bobby repeated. "He's a psychic who lives not too far from here. He might be able to provide some help."

"Sure, Bobby," Dean said, dismissively. He didn't care what they did or who they talked to as long as it led him to Sam.

"Is that your phone?" Bobby asked, distracting Dean out of his thoughts.

Dean shook his head and finally became aware of the distinct tone of an old AC/DC tune. He dug his phone out of his shirt pocket and flipped it open, pressing it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Dean?" He heard a tinny, female voice ask on the other end.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"It's Jo."

Only two words and Dean felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

"Jo," he whispered, his mind flashing to the burnt out Roadhouse.

"Where are you?" She asked and he could hear a slight warble in her voice.

"I'm on highway 83, just outside of Thedford," he replied.

"Meet me at the diner just outside exit 55." Before he could ask why, Jo had hung up.

Bobby looked over at him. "Why didn't you tell her about the Roadhouse and her momma?"

"Because," Dean ran a tired hand down his face. "I think she already knows."

Dean sat at the chipped Formica table clutching his second mug of coffee. His eyes stared at the murky surface of his drink as his mind worried about his brother…and now Jo. He knew that they were wasting precious time sitting there waiting but he felt like he owed her. For the third time in her young life, Jo had been screwed by a Winchester. He didn't understand what it was about his family and the Harvelles that just left both families' lives in the shitter. For better of for worse they were interconnected, something that neither Dean, nor Sam, nor Jo would ever understand.

Bobby sauntered over and sat down in front of Dean.

"What'd he say?" Dean asked, his eyes boring into Bobby's.

"Duke said that he'll try," Bobby replied. "He said that he's been feeling all sorts of creepy lately and he knew that something big was happening." Bobby paused and took a sip of his coffee.

"But he can help us right?" Dean asked, hoping the answer would be yes.

Bobby nodded. "I'm pretty sure. I mean either that or we drive all the way to Kansas to see Missouri."

Dean pressed his lips together until they were thin white lines. He'd almost forgotten about Missouri, his dad's psychic friend. He knew that she was a lot closer to their fight than anyone else. She also knew more about their history, thanks to his dad. Perhaps his dad had also told her about Sam.

A flash of headlights caught Dean's eye, causing him to look out into the parking lot. An old grey pickup truck pulled into the lot but it was too dark to see the driver. Dean looked down to check his watch and wondered what could be taking Jo so long. The bell above the door dinged, catching Dean's attention. He looked up and saw Jo walking towards them, looking like the victim of a war. Her clothes were covered in soot and dirt, her long, blonde hair hung limply around her shoulders. Her face was covered in grime and two distinct tear tracks stained her cheeks.

Dean stood up to help her into the booth but she shrugged it off. He looked over at Bobby who was looking at Jo with pity and sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jo," Dean apologized, but before he could go on any further their waitress came along and interrupted.

"Would you like a cup of coffee, hon?" She asked, looking directly at Jo.

"Yes, thank you," Jo replied her voice hushed.

Dean waited until the waitress left their table before looking carefully at Jo. He noted that she kept her gaze fixated on the chipped surface of their table..

"Who could have done this?" She asked, her expression hardened.

Dean took a deep breath. "I'm not sure, but I think I have a pretty good idea who it was."

Jo blinked as if she was coming out of a trance and looked around. "Where's Sam?"

Dean looked like he wanted to cry. "I don't know. One minute he was getting food for us, the next he was gone and everyone was dead."

Dean saw the flash of fear in Jo's eyes and he understood what it meant. "Sam's not possessed," he assured her. "When he didn't come out of the diner, I went in after him only to find that everyone's throat had been slashed and traces of sulphur were left behind on the door."

"Sulphur?" Jo asked, her forehead wrinkling. "Are you talking about a demon?"

Dean nodded.

"Does this have anything to do with my mom, Ash, and the Roadhouse?" Jo asked, her fingers picking at the chipped table.

"I don't know," Dean replied honestly. "Maybe. About your mom –"

Jo held up a hand to interrupt him. "I know okay," Jo's breath hitched and her eyes became glassy. "I was there. I know she's dead."

Dean shook his head. "You're wrong, Jo. Bobby and I were there. We looked through the wreckage. We never found your mom. She could still be alive."