A/N: First I want to apologize for the extremely long wait, and thank you for not giving up on me! (I did have a few messages recently asking me to continue).

I have been extremely busy with school and work these past couple of months – between homework and group meetings, and actually going to classes, not to mention spending time at work, and trying to have a social life, it's been hectic. I did have the story on my mind though! However, it's officially summer for me (although not weather wise)! I should be back to updating more regularly.

Apologies if my OCs are OOC in this chapter – I'm trying to get the feel of them all over again. If you notice anything, please point it out!

Disclaimer: Nope, nada, nothing is mine :(

Theta Sorority, Eastern Iowa University:

A woman is reading on her bed. Another walks in, dressed in a jean skirt and a striped dress shirt. "Okay," the one who just walked in starts, "what do you think?"

"Definitely a no-go," Lizzie grimaced.

Jess nodded in agreement, "too Martha Stewart."

The woman on the bed stares at her clothing, "Umm…"

"Oh gawd. Too Martha Stewart?"

"Okay, that was weird," David shot Jess a look.

"Just a coincidence, you dork," Jess harassed him.

The woman jumps up from the bed, gesturing for the other woman to wait. She rushes to her dresser and pulls out a dressy red top. "Here. Wear this," she passes the top.

"That's pretty!" Lizzie exclaimed.

"I like the colour," Jess chimed in.

The second woman takes it hesitantly. "Um, I don't know if this is really…" she holds it up in front of her, looking in the mirror, "…me."

"Lori, there's a hot chick buried somewhere in there."

"Okay, okay," Lori gives up and tries it on. Done, she turns back to her friend. "So?"

"That's better!" David jeered; Brady wolf whistled.

Cassandra sighed while Jess and Lizzie rolled their eyes.

Mary just shook her head.

"Damn girl, he's not gonna know what hit him!"

Lori looks in the mirror again. "Okay, I think he's probably downstairs." She grabs her items from the second bed in the room. "I'll see you later."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," her friend sings.

"There's nothing you wouldn't do," Lori teases, leaving.

"True."

A car pulls up under a bridge and shuts off. "I thought we were going to the movies," Lori's voice breaks the silence.

"Did she really?" David asked in disbelief.

"Instead of being randomly taken to some make-out spot? And she doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would go to a make-out spot on a first date, which that obviously is," Lizzie stated matter-of-factly.

"Obviously…?" Brady encouraged.

"She was dressed conservatively because she didn't know what to expect," Cassandra answered.

"Well we can't arrive on time," another voice defends. An arm with a hook on the end can be seen between what seems to be the camera and the car.

"Oooo kay… That's creepy," David furrowed his brows.

"A mass murderer maybe?" Jess wondered.

"They hunt the supernatural, not people though. We wouldn't see a hunt for people," Brady reckoned.

"We'll have to keep watching," Mary suggested. She was excited for their reactions during the time Sam and Dean spent with those bent people. Repressing a shudder, she plastered a smile on her face, content in the knowledge that her boys made it out alive and together – and that that particular case was a little while yet.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you brought me here on purpose," Lori accuses the boy in the driver's seat.

"What? I'm offended," he mocks.

"As representatives of our gender, I would like to say that we would never do something like that," David said seriously. Brady nodded with him.

"We would never stoop so low."

Mary raised an eyebrow. "Never? Even though it happened while I was growing up?"

The girls grinned, while David and Brady tried, and failed, to come up with an excuse.

"I'm sure," Lori is smiling. She leans forward and they kiss. A phone goes off.

"Saved by the phone!" Lizzie cheered.

Lori's, and it's her dad calling.

"You want to get that?"

Lori looks up at him for a second. "Definitely not."

"Ooh, friction," Cassandra grimaced. "And if we saw it, then it'll play out later.

"Hopefully not her doing though," Jess spoke softly. "That would be the worst feeling."

They continue kissing. He reaches up and puts a hand under the strap of her shirt. She pulls it away. "No," she says firmly.

"It's okay," the boy defends.

"No, it's not okay!" Lizzie said angrily. "If he does anything…" She let the threat hang. The other females glared at the television threateningly.

"He'd better not," Brady agreed, and David also nodded. While they knew that most girls could stick up for themselves, they didn't believe that they should have to. "Only a scumbag would keep going."

Outside the car, the hook man is walking closer.

"Wait. If this is what I think it is…" Cassandra's eyes grew wide.

"What do you think it is?" Brady questioned. It would take the fun out of guessing if Cassandra already knew.

"If I'm right, they'll say it later on…" Cassandra didn't want to elaborate. "But it would be so cool!"

The boy kisses Lori's neck, and puts his hand back under her shirt strap. She pushes him away again. "Hey, I mean it."

The man drags his hook along a "Dead End" sign, causing a terrible screeching noise.

"I'm kinda hoping the hook man scares him off," Jess continued to glare.

"He'll kill him," Cassandra said firmly. Everyone paused to look at her. "Everyone knows that people who engage in sexual activities are the ones who die first."

Mary grimaced. "Two things though. One: this isn't a horror movie. This is real life. He's a real person, who, two, may or may not deserve what may or may not happen." She didn't really want to be the logical one here, feeling that Rich deserved at least a scare for not stopping immediately and not continuing. He had backed off of Lori, but they couldn't know if he would have done so if not for the Hook Man. She just really wanted the world to understand what 'no' actually means.

"Oh, he deserves it," Lizzie spat. Her eyes widened. "But if she's in it, then she'll die too! And only because he brought her out there for no reason! That bastard!"

Everyone, excluding Mary, glared at the screen once again.

Mary thought that Rich could've been convinced to stop treating girls like crap – it really was a terrible way to die (although quick) and Lori would live with that guilt. If he had gone further though… She let her thoughts trail off. What's done was done.

"What was that?" Lori and the boy look around.

"I don't know."

The sound gets louder – the hook is being dragged along a second sign, "9 Mile Road."

"What is that?" the boys asks, his brow furrowed. He gets out of the car, ignoring Lori's protests.

Jess frowned. "Did he stop because of the noise, or would he have stopped anyway?"

"I… don't know," Lizzie furrowed her brows. "He should've stopped in the first place though."

"Damn right he should have," Cassandra snarled.

"No, Rich, no!"

"Just wait here." He shuts the door, leaving her alone. He stands in front of the car, and everything seems normal. After a moment, another screeching noise is heard, and Rich can see a scratch appearing on the car. There's nothing there.

Lori looks terrified. "What the hell?" Rich wonders.

"Rich, let's go!" One of the tires pops. Lori screams. The back window breaks and when Lori turns back around, Rich is gone. "Rich?!" She looks around. "Rich?!" she calls again. Panicked, she tries to open the doors – they lock. She manages to roll up the driver's side window. "Rich, where are you?" There is a noise on top of the car. Lori screams and moves to the floor. After a moment, there is only the noise of something swinging. Reassuring herself, she opens the car door and begins walking away, suddenly stopping to turn around.

Rich is hanging by his ankles from a tree, blood dripping down his body. Lori screams again.

"On the bright side, Lori is still alive," David piped up.

"She had to see that though," Jess made a face. "Poor girl."

Somewhere Else:

"All right, thank you for your time," Sam speaks into a phone, hanging up and turning to join his brother at a table outside a café.

"Thank gawd we're back with the boys," Cassandra blew out a breath.

"That's for sure," Jess agreed, a smile growing once she saw Sam. Mary smiled as well, loving that way that Sam could still affect Jess even now, even in death.

"Awwww," the boys cooed mockingly.

"Shut up," Lizzie, Jess, and Cassandra said in unison.

"It's better than that creep," Lizzie continued.

"The jerk in the car or the one with the hook?" David asked.

Lizzie shrugged and didn't answer.

"You're uh, half-caf double vanilla latte is getting' cold over here, Francis," Dean mocks Sam from his table at a coffee shop. "So, anything?" he asks, ignoring Sam's "bite me".

The boys sniggered while the girls giggled. Sam and Dean were just… brothers. It was easy to forget, watching them, that bad things happened and that they hunted the paranormal.

Sam shakes his head. "I had 'em check the FBI's 'Missing Persons' data bank. No John Doe's meeting that description. I even ran his plates for traffic violations."

"Sam, I'm telling you. I don't think Dad wants to be found." Sam looks away.

"Damn," Jess' mouth twisted sadly. "It's been awhile since he's gone missing, hasn't it?"

"Quite," Mary answered quietly. The group sobered, not daring to ask. Besides assuming that Mary wouldn't tell them, they weren't sure they wanted to know.

Brady felt sick. He really hoped that the yellow-eyed demon hadn't gotten to him – he didn't know anything really after the hunt for the wendigo, but he still felt guilty for starting everything despite assurances that he wasn't to blame.

"Check this out," Dean turns the laptop he was studying towards Sam. "It's a news item out of Planes Courier. Ankeny, Iowa. It's only about a hundred miles from here."

Sam reads the article, "Mutilated body was found near the victim's car, parked on 9 Mile Road."

"Keep reading."

"Authorities are unable to provide a realistic description of the killer. The sole eyewitness whose name has been withheld is quoted as saying the attacker was "invisible"".

"Definitely sounds like their kind of gig," David's face began to light up. "So the creepy hook man might not actually be a man. All right!"

"Or it could be a guy who's out for justice for girls who moves really quickly and has a fascination for pirates and the macabre?" suggested Cassandra.

Brady and David looked at each other. "Nah!" they decided in unison.

"Could be something interesting."

"It could be nothing at all. One freaked out witness who didn't see anything doesn't mean it's the invisible man."

"But what if it is?" A pause. "Dad would check it out."

"Aaaaand the magic words," Cassandra said. "I hope they find him soon though."

The Impala is rolling down the road – Sam agreed to check it out.

The boys get out of the car, which is receiving stares.

"Oooohh, frat house!" Lizzie grinned and the boys grinned.

"Sam never did like being around a lot of people – especially in residence," Jess chuckled. "It made him nervous. I guess now we know why…"

"One more time – why are we here?"

"Victim lived here," Dean replies, walking towards some guys working on a car. "Nice wheels." He gets no reaction. "We're your fraternity brothers from Ohio. We're new in town – transfers. Lookin' for a place to stay."

Inside the frat house, they come across one man painting himself purple. "Who are you?" he asks.

"Game day!" David shouted.

"We're your new roommates," Dean steps forward.

"Do me a favour? Get my back? Big game today."

"He's the artist," Dean points at Sam, who glares at him. "Things he can do with a brush."

The group laughed at Sam's predicament.

"Ahhh, the perks of being the older brother," David laughed.

"Not so much fun being the younger sibling though," Lizzie sighed. Maybe that's where all the friction in her family started, she wondered.

Sam takes the paint bucket and brush from the Purple Man. "So, Murph," he starts, having looked at the name on a magazine he picked up, "is it true?"

"What?"

"We heard one of the guys around here got killed last week."

"Yeah," Murph says quietly.

"What happened?" Sam asks, still painting.

"They're saying some psycho with a knife, maybe a drifter passing through. Rich was a good guy."

Someone snorted.

"Rich was with somebody?" Sam presses.

"Not just somebody. Lori Sorensen."

"Who's Lori Sorensen?" Dean asks. He suddenly perks up, and pointing to a spot on Murph's lower back, he tells Sam he missed a spot. Sam, annoyed, stares at Dean, who turns back to Murph.

David grinned again and Lizzie shook her head.

Lori's a freshman. She's a local. Super hot. And get this: she's a reverend's daughter."

"That would explain the poor fashion sense," Lizzie joked.

"Hey! I'm religious and I have great fashion sense! Also – have you seen some girls in church?"

Jess and Mary rolled their eyes.

"It also explains why she was so nervous. Maybe the hook man was trying to protect her virtue then?" Cassandra suggested.

"Possibly," Brady agreed. "It would explain why it didn't go after her too, just him."

Dean leans forward, interested. "You wouldn't happen to know which church, would ya?"

Sam and Dean enter the church, during a mass for Rich. The priest is praising Rich, and thanking him for protecting his daughter. Lori, sitting with her roommate, looks a little uncomfortable. Sam lets the door slam shut behind him, and Dean gives him a 'what the hell' gesture as people turn to look at them.

"Awkward," David sang out.

The priest ends the mass with a prayer "for peace, for guidance, and for the power to protect our children." The congregation bows their heads, Sam included. When he notices that Dean hasn't, he elbows Dean who then bows his head as well.

After the mass, Lori and her roommate are outside discussing a party.

"I can't, it's Sunday night," Lori is saying.

"It's just us girls," her friend argues. "We're going to do tequila shots and watch Reality Bites."

"Someone just died and they're talking about a party?" Jess asked, confused.

"Seems a little strange," Cassandra agreed. "Maybe in his honour or something?"

"Or maybe they didn't like him at all anyway?" Lizzie put in.

"My dad makes dinner every Sunday night."

"Come on Lori. I know this has been hard, but you are allowed to have fun."

"I'll try," Lori concedes.

"Okay," her roommate allows, hugging Lori.

Seeing Lori alone, Sam and Dean approach. "Are you Lori?" She responds positively, and Sam continues, "I'm Sam, this is my brother, Dean."

"Hi," Dean gives a little wave.

"We just transferred here, uh, to the university."

"I saw you inside," Lori replies.

"Everyone saw them inside," Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"We don't want to bother you, we just heard about what happened."

"We wanted to say how sorry we were," Dean picks up. Lori is nodding slowly.

"I kind of know what you're going through. I saw someone get hurt once. Something you don't forget." Lori looks thoughtful.

Her dad – the priest – approaches and Lori turns to him. "Dad, this Sam and Dean. They're new students."

Dean holds out his hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." The Father takes his hand. "I must say that was an inspiring sermon."

"Thank you very much. It's so nice to find young people who are so open to the Lord's message." There is an awkward moment of silence.

"Double awkward…" David said again. "Maybe they should just stay away from religious situations…"

"Listen, uh, we're new in town actually, and uh," Dean is leading him away so Sam can talk to Lori, "we're looking for a church group…"

"Tell me Lori, what did the police say?" Sam and Lori start walking a little.

"Well, they don't have a lot to go on. I think they blame me for that."

"What do you mean?"

"My story. I was so scared, I guess I was seeing things."

"That doesn't mean it wasn't real."

Lori gives him a small smile, unsure of how to take it.

"So you believe her?" Dean asks Sam as they walk through the school's library.

"I do."

"It just sucks for people who come into contact with the supernatural and don't realize it, and then are told off for it. They're just as confused as everyone else!" Cassandra said sympathetically, the others nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I think she's hot too."

The girls rolled their eyes. Trust Dean to think with that part of his body rather than the upper half.

"I agree!" David said seriously.

"She's not my type," Brady shrugged.

"No, man, there's something in her eyes. And listen to this – she heard scratching on the roof, found the bloody body suspended upside down over the car."

Dean stops. "Body suspended? That sounds like –"

"Yeah, I know, the Hook Man legend."

"I was right!" Cassandra exclaimed. "The Hook Man legend!"

"Damn," Brady groaned. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"You would think that a Hook Man was cool," Lizzie sighed to Cassandra.

"These legends are amazing! And really, they had to start somewhere. This one, the whole premise is that he attacks people making out, and eventually kills them."

"Creepy," Jess shuddered.

"That's one of the most famous urban legends ever. You don't think that we're dealing with the Hook Man?"

"Every urban legend has a source. A place where it all began."

"Yeah, what about the phantom scratches and the tire punctures, the invisible killer?"

"Maybe the Hook Man isn't a man at all? What if it's some kind of spirit?"

"That would explain the long history," Cassandra murmured.

"Here you go," a librarian drops a heavy box onto a table Sam and Dean are sitting at. "Arrest records going back to 1851." She drops another heavy box onto the table. Dust flies up. She smiles.

"Best part of the gig," Lizzie joked.

"At least today computers can be used," Mary sighed. "When I was growing up, we had to wait for letters, and do everything on paper. Actual work."

"At least it was harder to figure out if you were genuine or not," Brady pointed out. "You could pull off the undercover more easily than today."

"True," Mary admitted. "But I think I would rather hunt today. Advancements in technology really make it all a lot easier."

"If you hadn't died that night, if you had figured out what was going to happen, would you have gone back to hunting?" Jess asked.

Mary had had a lot of time to think on it, but her answer had never really changed – especially not after seeing everything that happened with Sam and Dean. "Knowing what I do now, no. I wouldn't have. When I first died though, when I knew what had happened… I would have gone after the demon who killed me, yes. But I would've stopped there. I was done. That part of my life was over. I wanted normalcy. I had a family. And I know how children of hunters end up. Look at Sam and Dean now. There is no way that I wanted this for them."

"Thanks," Dean smiles at her, coughing slightly. Sam swipes a hand along the top of one box. "So this is how you spent four good years of your life, huh?" Dean blows more dust off a box.

"Welcome to higher education." They dig in.

What must be hours later due to the files on the table, and Sam browsing other reference books, Sam speaks up, "Hey, check this out." Dean gets up and moves closer to him. "Eighteen sixty two, a preacher named Jacob Karns was arrested for murder. Looks like he was so angry over the red light district in town, one night he killed thirteen prostitutes. Uh, right here, "some of the deceased were found in their beds, sheets soaked with blood. Others suspended upside down from the limbs of trees as a warning against sins of the flesh.""

"I dunno," Brady frowned. "It doesn't entirely fit with the legend…"

"Maybe it's just one version of it?" Cassandra offered. "After all, there are so many variations of things. The one about couples can only be one of many."

"Get this," Dean has found something else, "the murder weapon. Looks like the preacher lost his hand in an accident. Had it replaced with a silver hook."

"Look where all this happened."

"9 Mile Road."

"Same place where the frat boy was killed."

"Nice job, Doctor Venkman. Let's check it out." They leave.

"I love Ghostbusters," Cassandra took a moment to reminisce watching the movies.

Reverend Sorensen pulls up to Lori's frat house.

"I know this is your first time really living alone since Mom died."

"That's not it. I worry about you."

"There are twenty-two girls in there," Lori argues, "and perfectly safe."

"If it is the Hook Man, then she's definitely not safe. She's next," Cassandra began to bite her nails.

"What about the other girls?" Jess asked worriedly.

"I think they're safe," Cassandra answered cautiously. "He only goes after his target."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about! You don't think I know what goes on in there?"

"Dad, do we have to have this argument again? I'm over eighteen, I can live my own life."

"Which means drinking, partying, with that roommate of yours."

"He definitely needs to trust her," Cassandra shook her head. "Otherwise she'll want to rebel more."

"I'm an adult. I can take care of myself. Good night." She gets out of the car, ignoring her father who's calling her name.

Lori stops at a girl's room, on the way to her own. There is a scratch along the wall outside of it.

"There," Cassandra gestured. "It left that girl – she probably didn't even hear it – to go after her target. In this case, Lori because she got away."

The girl is simply working at her computer. Lori walks away to her own room, and moves to turn on the light, before seeing that her roommate is asleep. Instead, she leaves the light off.

"Taylor, are you awake?" No answer. She gets changed in the bathroom.

Sam and Dean pull onto 9 Mile Road and move to the trunk. Dean pulls out a gun and gives it to Sam.

"If it is a spirit, buckshot won't do much good."

"Yeah. Rock salt." Dean holds out some rounds. Sam takes a few.

"Hm. Salt being a spirit deterrent."

"Yeah. It won't kill 'em," Dean shuts the trunk, "but it'll show 'em down." He slings his own gun over his shoulder and they start walking.

"That's pretty good. You and Dad think of this?"

"I told 'ya. You don't have to be a college graduate to be a genius." Dean grins. They stop and the grin falls off of Dean's face. Sam raises his gun and Dean's hand drifts towards his own. "Over there," Dean directs. They pause, waiting.

Something comes out from the trees, screaming, "Put the gun down! Now! Put your hands behind your head!" It's the sheriff.

"Oh damn!" David shouted.

"How are they going to get out of this one?" Lizzie asked. "That's a crime scene and they're holding guns."

"I'm sure Dean will think of something creative," Brady noted.

"Not Sam?" asked Jess.

"Dean seems to be the calmer one when dealing with the law," Brady turned thoughtful. "Funny when you consider that Sam was going to be a lawyer and really involved with law enforcement."

"Wait, wait, wait! Okay, okay!" Sam and Dean quickly put down their guns.

"Now get down on your knees! Come on! Do it!" The brothers comply, hands behind their heads. "Now get down on your bellies! Come on, do it!"

"He had the gun!" Dean protests.

Snorts and groans filled the room.

Lori comes out of the bathroom, changed into pyjamas. She turns off the bathroom light and gets into bed, her back towards the door. The Hook Man is waiting behind the bathroom and main doors.

Morning, and Lori rolls over, slowly opening her eyes.

"Wait, what?" Cassandra frowned at the screen.

"Shouldn't she be… dead?" Lizzie asked uncertainly.

"Yes…" Brady watched, confused.

After a second, her brows furrow. There is a puddle of what looks like blood on the floor, and something is still dripping. Her eyes travel up to reveal blood dripping down the bed from her roommate. Taylor is laying there, her eyes wide open – dead. Lori starts screaming.

"What the hell?!" Jess gasped. "Why her?"

On the wall is a message scratched into the wall with what could have been the bloody hook, Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light?, with several crosses etched underneath. Lori reads it in horror and screams again.

"Okay, that is just really, really creepy," David noted.

"That doesn't make sense," Cassandra shook her head. "That note is part of the legend, but why Taylor? We would've seen her with some guy if it was important to the case, right?"

"Let's think about this for a second. What do Rich and Taylor have in common?" Brady questioned.

The group thought about it for a moment.

"Well, there's Lori, obviously," Jess started, "and – wait a minute. They both wanted something from her! Something that she didn't really want to do!"

"Right!" Lizzie picked up, "Rich wanted to do more than just kiss in that car, which she was uncomfortable with, and Taylor wanted her to go out that night to that party!"

"So it's being controlled by Lori?" David asked.

"How else would it work?" Brady asked.

"What if it's a combination? Because she seemed really freaked out both times. And she didn't have to act like that – there was no one there to see her," Cassandra added.

"So it's just a spirit that goes after people who use peer pressure?" David asked. "That's a pretty weird ghost."

Dean and Sam exit the Sheriff's Department.

"I saved your ass," Dean tells Sam. "Talked the sheriff down to a fine, dude. I'm Matlock."

"But how?" Sam questions.

"I told him you were a dumbass pledge, and we were hazing you," Dean laughs.

"That… wasn't a bad idea," Lizzie conceded.

"What about the gun though?" Jess asked.

"What about the shotgun?"

"Oh… you two are still doing that thing," Lizzie stared at Jess, who just shrugged.

"I said that you were hunting ghosts, and spirits were repelled by rock salt. You know, typical Hell week prank."

"He told them the truth?!" David exclaimed in shock.

Sam looks bemused. "He believed you?"

"Well you look like a dumbass pledge." Sam frowns.

"No, that was a good excuse," Brady nodded. "No need to frown."

Sheriffs suddenly burst out of the station and drive off in a hurry. Sam and Dean watch, before following.

"And they're off to the frat house."

At the frat house, Lori is sitting in an ambulance with a blanket around her shoulders. Sam and Dean drive by slowly, and Lori watches.

"I just want to take her home," Reverend Sorensen is saying to a sheriff.

"I understand that, Reverend. But Lori's now connected to two murders and I can't ignore that."

"Has he even looked at her?" Cassandra asked in outrage. "She looks way too upset to have anything to do with those murders!"

"Multiple personalities?" Lizzie suggested.

"Nah…" although Cassandra did pause thoughtfully.

"Listen to me. Arrest her now, or let me take her home."

After sighing, the sheriff relents. "Make sure she's available for questioning."

"Thank you." Reverend Sorensen rushes to his daughter. "Sweetheart, are you ready to go home? Okay? Here we go." He leads her away.

The brothers pull up around the block and shut the doors as quietly as possible, sneaking back around to the fat house.

"Why would the Hook Man come here?" Sam questions. "This is a long way from 9 Mile Road."

"Maybe he's not haunting the scene of his crime," Dean suggests. "Maybe it's about something else." A couple of girls come out of a side door and the boys pulls back, Dean poking his head around to see. "Dude, sorority girls. Think we'll see a naked pillow fight?" He turns to find Sam already climbing the side of the house, and gives him a hand up.

"All work and no play makes Sam a dull boy," David sang.

"He's not dull!" Jess defended. "He's just worried about Lori and the victims."

"Sure."

Sam, reaching the second level, climbs onto a balcony and through an unlocked window, joined by Dean who grunts as he goes through. This is quickly followed by a "you be quiet" back and forth.

The group laughed at their antics.

Sam and Dean sneak into Lori's bedroom just as a sheriff leaves. They stare at the writing on the wall.

""Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light?" That's right out of the legend," Sam comments.

"Yeah, that's classic Hook Man all right. It's definitely a spirit," Dean taps his nose.

"What?"

"Yeah, I've never smelled ozone this strong before."

"Oh."

Dean looks out the window.

"Hey, come here," Sam calls softly. Dean turns from the window and moves to Sam. "Does that look familiar to you?" He's pointing at the drawing of the crosses below the message.

Sitting on the hood of the Impala, Sam and Dean are looking at one of the records they pulled from the library. The symbol is on the page. "It's the same symbol," Sam notes. "Seems like it is the spirit of Jacob Karns."

"All right, let's find the dude's grave, salt and burn the bones, and put him down."

"After execution, Jacob Karns was laid to rest in an old North Cemetary." Sam flicks the paper. "In an unmarked grave." The Winchesters sigh, frustrated.

"Mostly what I've gotten out of this so far, is to make sure everyone is buried with their name," Lizzie said.

"Super." They get up from the Impala and move to their respective doors."

"Doesn't he ever let Sam drive?" David asked.

"He did after the wendigo hunt," Mary answered. She grinned. "The Impala's his baby. I remember watching him learn how to drive her. And him teaching Sam how to drive." She laughed a little.

"That sounds adorable," Jess said, a smile blossoming.

"It was. I'll tell you about it after the hunt," Mary promised.

"Okay, so. We know it's Jacob Karns," Sam says. Dean stops to pull a ticket from his windshield. "But we still don't know where he'll manifest next, or why."

Dean looks up from the ticket. "I'll take a wild guess about why. I think your little friend Lori has something to do with this." They get into the car, Sam looking confused.

"I feel like it's taking forever for them to get there," Lizzie complained.

"It would be so much easier if they were omnipotent, wouldn't it?" David joked.

"Yes, actually!"

"Man, you've been holding out on me," Dean says, approaching Sam. They're at a party. "This college thing is awesome!" Dean winks at someone.

"I miss parties!" Lizzie almost whined.

"Me too," David agreed.

"Same. The whole possessed thing was kind of a downer," Brady joined in.

"Ahh, how fun would it be to go back to one of those?" Jess had a faraway look in her eyes.

"This wasn't really my experience."

Brady snorted. "Guy spent all his time in the library."

"He was one hell of a pool player though," David commented.

"True, very true."

"Why are they at a party?" Jess asked, confused.

"Dean probably wanted to check it out? Or it's the frat house they're staying at," Brady said.

"Oh, let me guess. Libraries, studying, straight A's." Sam nods, his facial expression says 'yeah, pretty much'. "What a geek. All right, you do your homework?"

"Did he really have to ask?" Cassandra chuckled.

"Yeah," Sam points to the rolled up paper he's holding. "It was bugging me, right? So how is the Hook Man tied up with Lori? So I think I came up with something." He unrolls the paper, and hands it to Dean.

""Nineteen thirty-two, clergyman arrested for murder. Nineteen sixty-seven, seminarian held in hippie rampage."" Dean reads.

"There's a pattern here. In both cases, the suspect was a man of religion who openly preached against immorality. And then he found himself wanted for killings he claimed were the work of an invisible force. Killings carried out – get this – with a sharp instrument."

"What's the connection to Lori?"

"A man of religion who openly preaches against immorality?" Dean nods in understanding. "Except maybe this time instead of saving a whole town, he's just trying to save his own daughter."

"Reverend Sorensen. You think he's summoning the spirit?"

"No way! How did we not think of that?" Brady exclaimed.

"That's a really good point," Lizzie muttered.

"Damn," David added in.

"And we were so sure!" Cassandra moaned.

"Maybe." Sam pauses, thinking. "Or, you know how a poltergeist can haunt a person instead of a place?"

"Yeah, the spirit latches onto the Reverend's repressed emotions, and feeds off them, yeah. Okay."

"Without the Reverend even knowing it."

"Either way, you should keep an eye on Lori tonight."

"What about you?"

Dean looks around at the party, and a young blond in particular. He sighs. "I'm going to see if I can find that unmarked grave." With a pained look on his face, he glances back into the party before turning away.

"Look at him making the sacrifice," Jess laughed. "Poor guy."

Dean is walking through the cemetery, glancing his flashlight off of stones.

He hears a noise, and pauses. Nothing happens so he keeps walking.

His light hits something. "Here we go." He walks to it.

The stone is marked with the same set of crosses on the research paper and the wall.

"Handy," David said.

Sam looks into a window at the Sorensens'. Lori seems to be fighting with her father.

Dean is digging. Tired, he pauses and tells himself that he gets to watch the "cute girl's house" next time. Finally hitting the coffin, he breaks it. "Hello preacher."

Lori approaches Sam who is sitting outside.

"I saw you from upstairs. What are you doing here?"

"Uh," Sam decides to go for the truth. "Keeping an eye on the place." She doesn't speak. "I was worried."

"About me?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

Lori moves to sit with Sam. "No, it's cool. I already called the cops." She can't hold her poker face and breaks out in a small laugh. Sam does as well. "No, seriously. I think you're sweet. Which is probably why you should run away from me as fast as you can."

"Before she finished that, I thought she meant she was serious about calling the cops," David said, sighing.

"I think that was the point of the joke," Brady pointed out.

"Shut up."

"Why would you say that?"

"It's like I'm cursed or something. People around me keep dying."

"I think I know how you feel."

"I hope Sam doesn't get involved with her," Jess said.

"Jealous?" David smirked cautiously.

"No," Jess glared at him. "Whatever is going on is connected to her in some way. He's in danger." She refused to think about being jealous.

"Ah."

Dean digs through his bag and pulls out items to do the salt and burn. He covers the skeleton in salt and lighter fluid, and lights a match. "Goodbye, preacher." He throws the match down and the skeleton burns.

"And another one down, another one gone, another one bites the dust," Cassandra sang. "What?" She asked in response to the looks she was getting. "It's fitting."

"Nobody will talk to me anymore," Lori is saying, "except you. And the sheriff thinks I'm a suspect. And you know what my dad'll say? Pray. Have faith. What does he know about faith?" Her tone is harsh and cynical.

"I heard you guys fighting before."

"He's seeing a woman. A married woman. I just found out. She comes to our church with her husband. I know her kids. And he talks to me about religion? About morality? It's like on one hand, you know, just do what you want and be happy. But he taught me, raised me to believe that if you do something wrong, you will get punished." Sam continues to listen to her. "I just don't know what to think anymore."

"Okay, so it's definitely not her father," Cassandra said.

"No way," Brady agreed. "He'd have to set the spirit on himself."

Sam doesn't say anything, and Lori leans forward hugging him. He hugs her back gently and they start kissing.

Jess blinked and bit her nail. She knew he was going to move on at some point, and she knew it was going to hurt, but she thought she would be prepared. Now she was beginning to understand – she would never be prepared to see Sam move on and be with other women.

Mary watched her cautiously, knowing it was going to be hard, despite the front that Jess put up. However she didn't want to push. Her friends would be there for her as well when it actually happened.

"Are you okay?" Lizzie asked quietly.

"Yeah," Jess smiled weakly. "Or, no. But I will be."

Sam pulls away.

Jess blinked back tears now. He couldn't do it. And that part of her that didn't want him to move on swelled with happiness. The rest of her felt sick and selfish.

"Hey," Lizzie snapped suddenly. Everyone jumped and stared at her.

"What?" Jess asked.

"I know that look. And there is no reason for you to feel guilty for not wanting him to move on." Jess bit her lip, ready to argue. "No," Lizzie continued sternly. "What you two had was something really special. You have every right to want to keep that between you two. But we know that he will move on. But Mary said it earlier – he won't forget about you. He won't rest until he knows he has revenge for what happened to you. He loves you. And nothing will compare to that. We're going to be here for you when he does move on. But it's not right now," Lizzie smiled softly. "He's not ready yet either."

"Thanks," Jess couldn't quiet bring herself to smile, but the group understood.

"Sam?"

"Lori, I can't."

"That someone you lost? I'm sorry."

Her dad opens their door. "Lori? Come inside, please."

"I'll come in when I'm ready," she shoots back.

The Hook Man appears behind the Reverend, and drags its hook through his shoulder, pulling him back inside.

The group gasped, but no one felt quite up to saying anything yet.

Lori and Sam look on in horror. Acting quickly, Sam reaches into the bag at his feet and pulls out a shotgun. He rushes inside.

"Wait. Dean just did the salt and burn," Brady suddenly remembered. "Shouldn't it be over?"

Looks of confusion and horror passed over everyone's faces.

"Please! No!" The Reverend calls out. Sam runs up the stairs to see a door at the end of the hall close. Bursting in, Sam finds the Hook Man about to strike, and fires at it. The rock salt does the trick and the spirit disappears. Lori is calling for her dad as she rushes up the stairs, finding him on the floor. She goes to comfort him, crying hysterically.

"So, it couldn't be either of them…" Cassandra ventured to point out. Jess looked at her, grateful that she was trying to distract the group. "I mean, she wouldn't attack her own father, no matter how mad she was, and he wouldn't attack himself."

"But remember what Sam and Dean said about the Reverend not even knowing it?" Lizzie reminded the group.

"The spirit wouldn't latch onto him though, if he was already doing something morally wrong, would it?" Brady added. "The only clean person here is Lori…"

"She's not so hot anymore," David said grumpily, receiving eye rolls in response.

Outside the Reverend's room at the hospital, Sam is answering questions. "We were just talking, and her dad came out. And then he appeared."

"A big man? Carrying a weapon, some kind of hook?"

"Yes, sir."

"You ever seen him before?"

"No, sir."

"It just sounds crazy. Who is going to walk around with a hook?" Cassandra sighed. It seemed like the police were really incompetent in these situations when the reality was that they didn't want to listen. Who would, anyway? It really was a crazy thought. No police were ever going to believe it.

"Son, it seems every time I turn around, I'm seeing you. I suggest you try to stay out of trouble."

"Yes, sir."

Dean is stopped down the hall by two sheriffs. "Oh, it's all right, I'm with him," he gestures to Sam. "That's my brother," he tells them. "Hey! Brother!" he calls. Sam and the sheriff he's speaking with turn to see Dean, who grins.

The group chuckled. Dean was a whole other character.

"Let him through," the sheriff allows. The two sheriffs let him pass. "Go ahead," the sheriff tells Sam. Sam quickly walks to his brother.

"You okay?" Dean asks immediately.

"Yeah."

"What the hell happened?"

"Hook Man."

"You saw him?" Dean is a mixture of worried and concerned.

"Damn right," Sam snaps back. "Why didn't you torch the bones?"

"What are you talking about? I did. Are you sure it's the spirit of Jacob Karns?"

"Sure as hell looked like him. And that's not all. I don't think the spirit is latching onto the Reverend."

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

"I'm glad we're all on the same page," Lizzie nodded.

"I think it's latching onto Lori. Last night she found out that her father was having an affair with a married woman."

"So what?"

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

"Okay, so she's conflicted. And the spirit of Jacob Karns is latching on to her repressed emotions, and maybe he's doing the punishing for her?"

"Right. Rich comes on too strong, Taylor tries to make her into a party girl, dad has an affair."

"We figured this out ages ago!" David whined.

"They don't have all the information that we have," Cassandra sighed back.

"Remind me not to piss this girl off." They go quiet as someone passes. "But I burned those bones. I buried them in salt. Why didn't that stop him?"

"You must have missed something."

Dean thinks for a moment, then shakes his head. "No. I burned everything in that coffin."

"Did you get the hook?"

Dean stares at Sam. "The hook?"

"Of course," Brady face palmed. "The hook is the weakness, like the house of the woman in white in the first hunt we saw. And it's a part of him, his hand."

"So now they just have to find a piece of silver that could be anywhere," Lizzie finished.

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

"So like the bones, the hook was the source of his power."

"So if we find the hook –"

" – we stop the Hook Man."

They smile at each other.

"Why do they look so happy? There's gotta be a ton of research with that to find it. And maybe not even complete records," Cassandra frowned.

Back at the library, Sam and Dean are going through records again.

Dean pauses. "Here's something, I think. Logbook, Iowa State Penitentiary. "Karns, Jacob. Personal affects: disposition thereof."

"Does it mention the hook?" Sam questions.

"Maybe. "On execution, all earthly items shall be remanded to the prisoner's house of worship, St. Barnabas Church.""

"Isn't that where Lori's father preaches?"

"Yeah."

"Where Lori lives?"

"Maybe that's why the Hook Man has been haunting Reverends and Reverend's daughters for the past two hundred years."

"Yeah, but if the hook were at the church or Lori's house, don't you think someone might've seen it? I mean, a bloodstained, silver handled hook?"

"Check the church records."

""St. Barnabas donations, eighteen sixty-two. Received silver handled hook from state penitentiary. Reforged."" Sam sighs. "They melted it down. Made it into something else." Dean shuts the book he's looking through.

Brady whistled, "Imagine how much silver they're going to have to go through."

"I do not envy them," Lizzie shook her head. "That would be the case where I'd say I was done because it was too impossible."

Mary laughed. "You do what you have to. Think of the people who are going to suffer if it's not finished."

"Yeah, but all the silver!"

The boys arrive at the church and decide to burn everything silver. Since the Sorensen's are still at the hospital, they are going to have to break in.

"Take your pick."

"I'll take the house," Sam volunteers.

"Okay." They go their separate ways. "Hey," Dean calls back, "stay out of her underwear drawer."

In the church, Dean has a fire going, and is throwing silver into it.

Sam walks in and down the stairs, carrying a bag. "I got everything that even looks silver."

"Better safe than sorry." Sam drops the bag, and Dean continues grabbing stuff.

A sudden noise from upstairs has both of them pause, and then rushing up. They find Lori crying in a pew. Dean motions for Sam to go see her while he goes back to burning silver.

Sam cautiously approaches the pew until he's standing beside her. "Lori?"

She looks up startled. "What are you doing here?"

"What is it?"

"I've been trying to understand what's been happening. Why. Now I know, so I'm praying for forgiveness."

"Forgiveness for what?"

"Don't you see? I'm to blame for all this. I read in the Bible about avenging angels."

Sam shakes his head. "Trust me. This guy, he's no angel."

"I was so angry at my father," Lori continues, ignoring Sam. "Part of me wanted him punished. And then he came and he punished him."

"It's not your fault."

"It is. I don't know how, but it is."

"Wait. If the spirit is going after who she think is in the wrong, and she thinks that she is in the wrong, won't it go after her next?" Cassandra pointed out, paling.

"Oh my gawd," Jess gasped, hand flying to her mouth. "She has to get out of there. Sam too. He doesn't even have a weapon!"

"I killed Rich. Taylor too. And I nearly killed my father." The spirit of the Hook Man starts to form, unnoticed by either of the church's occupants.

"There he is!" Lizzie pointed out unnecessarily – the group was tense and watching mesmerized, despite the certainty that Dean would burn the silver and Sam would come out of this just fine.

"Lori."

"I can see it now. They didn't deserve to be punished. I do."

"She needs to stop thinking like that – it's going to get her killed and Sam in trouble," Cassandra started biting her nails.

"What exactly is Dean doing down there?!" Jess bit out.

A noise startles them both. The candles go out.

"Come on," Sam pulls Lori away. "We gotta go."

They start walking out, but when Sam opens the door, the Hook Man is standing behind it. Sam closes it and the hook smashes through the door. "Go!" He runs back down the aisle with Lori holding his hand close behind. He pulls open a door to an office, and the hook smashes the glass before it closes.

The group was extremely tense – the hook hadn't missed by much.

Sam stands between Lori and the Hook Man, dodging as it slashes at him. Sam moves Lori across the room and the Hook Man appears behind her. "No!" Sam darts forward and the Hook Man slashes his arm. Sam yells in pain.

"Damn!" Brady exclaimed.

Jess worried her bottom lip and Cassandra continued to bite her nails.

David and Mary watched raptly.

The end, where Sam and Dean faced the monster, was always the most terrifying for them.

The Hook Man disappears and Lori is suddenly dragged down the hall. Sam rushes to her and crouches down. "Are you okay?" She nods, but Hook Man appears. Sam looks up, but before he can do anything, Hook Man brings up his arm and Sam is thrown back into a bookcase. Hook Man approaches Lori who stares up, terrified.

"Move!" Lizzie yelled. "Get your ass up and do something!"

Sam pulls himself up behind Hook Man when Dean runs up with his gun, "Sam! Drop!"

"Oh, thank gawd!" several people sighed in relief.

Sam falls immediately and Dean fires, Hook Man disappearing. The three look around for the next attack.

"I thought we got all the silver!" Sam exclaims.

"So did I!"

"Then why is he still here?!"

"Well, maybe we missed somethin'!"

"The necklace!" Brady shouted. "That's gotta be it!"

Sam turns to Lori and sees her necklace. "Lori, where did you get that chain?"

"My father gave it to me."

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

"He said it was a church heirloom. He gave it to me when I started school –"

"Is it silver?" Sam asks urgently.

"Yes!"

Sam reaches and yanks the chain from Lori's neck. He turns to Dean. Before anyone can move, a scratching sound is heard – Hook Man has returned.

"Sam," Dean gets his attention. The two switch objects – Sam throwing the necklace to Dean and Dean tossing the gun and salt rounds to Sam.

"It's so cool how in sync they are!" David interjected.

Sam gets up and shoots around the scratching on the wall with one hand.

"That was pretty impressive," Brady raised his eyebrows.

Sam gets back down to reload.

Dean, meanwhile has made it to the basement and throws the necklace in the flame.

Upstairs, Sam turns to find the Hook Man who is standing right behind him. Hook Man knocks the gun from Sam's hands. Sam and Lori move back as far as they can as Hook Man advances, raising his hook.

The necklace hasn't melted yet.

Hook Man raises his arm higher and is about to strike.

The group held their breath.

The cross falls from the chain and begins to melt, Dean looking upstairs anxiously.

The hook begins to melt. Hook Man burns and disappears. Sam leans forward, relieved, and Lori looks shocked and still frightened. Dean runs up the stairs and stops, looking at Sam. He gives him a slightly cocky grin.

Everyone relaxed now that the danger had passed.

"Thank goodness that's over," Jess breathed in relief.

"I know. It's always so intense," Cassandra agreed, taking her hand from her mouth.

"And you saw him too?" a sheriff asks Dean. "The man with the hook?"

"Yes, I told you," Dean sounds exasperated. "We all saw him. We fought him off, and then he ran."

"How does he get away with lying? He's so bad at it," Lizzie joked.

"I know! It's terrible!" Jess agreed. She had no real idea how they had managed to get this far.

"And that's all?"

"Yeah, that's all."

"Listen. You and your brother –"

"Oh, don't worry. We're leaving town."

Everyone chuckled.

Dean walks away.

Lori approaches Sam, who just had his arm bandaged.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah."

Dean gets into the Impala and watches Sam and Lori in the side mirror.

"I still don't know what happened," Lori says, "but I do know you saved my life. My father's too. Thank you."

Sam looks down, but doesn't say anything. Dean just watches.

Jess quietly sighed in relief.

"We could stay," Dean suggests once Sam is in the car.

David snorted. "Dean would volunteer to stay after telling the sheriff they were leaving – especially after the sheriff was probably going to ask them to."

"I think it's sweet." Jess had a bittersweet smile on her face.

Sam just shakes his head, and with one last glance at Lori, Dean pulls away.

"That was a good hunt," David grinned. "It almost makes me miss school. Not the classes and homework, but…"

"I know what you mean," Lizzie agreed. "Seeing everyone, meeting new people…"

Jess nodded with them. It had been a great experience.

Unlike the others, Cassandra had missed her classes as well. She had found them so interesting, more so than the people sometimes.

Brady shook his head, "Moving on from more depressing topics like school and what we don't have," he turned to Mary, "tell us about Dean's driving!"

"Yes! That's gotta be a good story!" David agreed.

"Anything to see little Dean and Sammy," Lizzie added.

"It must've been quite an experience," Jess said to Mary.

Mary nodded. "It definitely was." And she told them how Dean and Sam had learned how to drive.

A/N: I didn't want to place the story of learning to drive here, but if someone wants to write it, be my guest! Otherwise, it'll be left to your very creative imaginations :).