They're at an outdoor cafe. Dean is sitting down with Evie on his lap while Sam is at a payphone. He hangs up, starting to walk over to the table.
"Your, uh, half-caf, double vanilla latte is gettin' cold over here, Francis." Dean says.
"Bite me." Sam glares, sitting next to his brother.
"So, anything?" Dean asks.
"I had 'em check the FBI's missing persons data bank. No John Doe's fitting dad's description. I even ran his plates for traffic violations." Sam says.
"Sam, I'm tellin' ya, I don't think dad wants to be found." Dean says. "Check this out." Dean turns the laptop towards Sam. "It's a news item out of Planes Courier. Ankeny, Iowa. It's only about a hundred miles from here."
""The mutilated body was found near the victim's car, parked on 9 Mile Road."" Sam reads.
"Keep reading." Dean says.
""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."" Sam reads.
"Could be something interesting." Dean shrugs.
"Or it could be nothing at all. One freaked out witness who didn't see anything? Doesn't mean it's the Invisible Man." Sam says.
"But what if it is? Dad would check it out." Dean says.
+++
Dean is driving to the fraternity house where the victim lived.
"Okay, I'm gonna tell you now, Evie's gotta stay in the car." Dean says.
"What?" Sam asks.
"Well, we can't exactly take her into a fraternity house." Dean says.
"I am not leaving my 2 year old in the car. Es-Especially in front of a fraternity house." Sam says. "Are you nuts?!"
"Sammy, I don't think fraternities really accept babies." Dean says.
"Well, any decent human doesn't accept leaving a baby in a car." Sam argues. "She's coming with us."
"Fine." Dean sighs.
Dean parks in front of the fraternity house and gets out. Sam gets out, unbuckling Evie and picking her up.
"One more time, why are we here?" Sam quietly asks.
"Victim lived here." Dean mumbles. "Nice wheels." He calls to the guys fixing up a car. "We're your fraternity brothers. From Ohio. We're new in town. Transfers. Looking for a place to stay."
"What's with the kid?" One of the guys ask.
"Babysitting." Sam lies. "She'll be picked up by mom later."
The guys tell them where they can stay and they go upstairs and go into a bedroom where a guy is wearing shorts, painting his upper half purple. Dean knocks on the open door.
"WHo are you?" The guy asks.
"We're your new roommates. Little girl is just a visitor." Dean says, pointing to Evie. They walk closer, the guy holding the paint brush and can of paint out to them.
"Do me a favor. Get my back. Big game today." The guy says.
"He's the artist. Things he can do with a brush." Dean says, pointing at Sam. He grabs Evie, sitting on the armchair in the corner of the room. Sam gives his brother a look, reluctantly taking the paintbrush and can of paint. Dean picks up a magazine.
"Murph. Is it true?" Dean asks, seeing the name on the magazine.
"What?" Murph asks.
"We heard one of the guys around here got killed last week." Dean says, wrapping his arm around Evie when she almost falls off his lap. Sam gives him a panicked look, but Dean signals it's all okay.
"Yeah." Murph sadly says.
"What happened?" Sam asks.
"They're saying some psycho with a knife. Maybe a drifter passing through. Rich was a good guy." Murph says.
"Rich, he was with somebody?" Sam asks.
"Not just somebody. Lori Sorensen." Murph states.
"Who's Lori Sorensen?" Dean asks. "You missed a spot." He tells his brother. "Just down there, on the back." Sam gives his brother an annoyed death glare while Dean grins a little, trying to keep it small.
"Lori's a freshman. She's a local. Super hot. And get this -- she's a reverend's daughter." Murph says.
"You wouldn't happen to know which church, would ya?" Dean asks.
+++
They get to the church and Sam is holding Evie. They walk in, letting the door slam shut, gaining everybody's attention. Sam winces, Dean giving his brother a done look. They sit down as the reverend continues talking.
"So, please, let us pray. For peace, for guidance, and for the power to protect our children." The reverend says. Everybody lowers their heads, including Sam. He elbows Dean who does the same.
"Daddy." Evie mumbles.
"Shh. In a minute, baby." Sam whispers, letting her play with his hand so she stays occupied for a bit.
~ ~ ~
They leave the church after the service is over and walk up to Lori after her friend walks off.
"Are you Lori?" Sam asks.
"Yeah." Lori nods.
"My name is Sam. This is my brother, Dean. And my sister, Evie." Sam says, keeping up with the lie. Evie looks confused, having not heard the word "daughter" before her name.
"Hi." Dean smiles, but Evie just cuddles into Sam's shoulder.
"We just transferred here to the university." Sam says.
"I saw you inside." Lori says.
"We don't wanna bother you. We just heard about what happened and..."
"We wanted to say how sorry we were." Dean says.
"I kind of know what you're going through. I-I saw someone... get hurt once. It's something you don't forget." Sam says and Lori nods before her dad walks up.
"Dad, um, this is Sam, Dean, and Evie. They're new students. She's Sam's sister." Lori says.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I must say, that was an inspiring sermon." Dean says.
"Thank you very much. It's so nice to find young people who are open to the Lord's message." The reverend says.
"Listen, uh, we're new in town, actually." Dean says, him and the reverend walking away.
"Tell me, Lori. What are the police saying?" Sam asks.
"Well, they don't have a lot to go on. I think they blame me for that." Lori says.
"What do you mean?" Sam asks.
"My story. I was so scared, I guess I was "seeing things"." Lori says.
"That doesn't mean it wasn't real." Sam says.
+++
They're at the library and walking through it.
"So you believe her?" Dean asks after Sam tells him what Lori said.
"I do." Sam nods.
"Yeah, I think she's hot, too." Dean says.
"NO, man, there's something in her eyes. And listen to this, she heard scratching on the roof. She found--" Sam stops, covering Evie's ears. "Found the bloody body suspended upside down over the car."
"Wait, the body suspended? That sounds like the--"
"Yeah, I know, the Hook Man legend." Sam says.
"That's one of the most famous urban legends ever. You don't think that we're dealing with the Hook Man." Dean says.
"Every urban legend has a source. A place where it all began." Sam says.
"Yeah, but what about the phantom scratches and the tire punctures and the invisible killer?"
"Well, maybe the hook man isn't a man at all. WHat if it's some kind of spirit?"
~ ~ ~
They're at a table in the library and Evie is on Sam's lap. The librarian places a few big boxes in front of them.
"Here you go. Arrest records going back to 1851." The librarian says. Dean blows some of the dust off one of the boxes and quietly coughs.
"Thanks." Dean says.
"Okay." The librarian leaves.
"So, this is how you spent four good years of your life, huh?" Dean asks.
"Welcome to higher education." Sam says, opening the box in front of him.
"God, I wish I was Evie right now." Dean mutters.
"Why?" Sam asks.
"Cause she can't read." Dean states. Sam quietly laughs.
+++
It's the next day and Sam spent the night in jail since the brothers got caught in the woods, Sam with a rifle in his hand. Dean is holding Evie as he walks out of the police station, Sam following.
"Saved your ass! Talked the sheriff down to a fine. Dude, I am Matlock." Dean says.
"But how?" Sam asks.
"I told him you were a dumbass pledge and that we were hazing you." Dean says.
"What about the shotgun?" Sam asks.
"I said that you were hunting ghosts and the spirits were repelled by rock salt. You know, typical Hell Week prank." Dean says.
"And he believed you?" Sam asks as they get to the Impala. He takes Evie from Dean, going to put her in her car seat.
"Well, you look like a dumbass pledge." Dean says.
They turn to the police station and multiple cops are running in their direction. Evie hugs her dad, watching the cops get in their cruisers, blaring the sirens, and racing off.
+++
They followed the police and the crime scene is at Lori's sorority house. They park away from the building before sneaking in from the back of the building.
"Why would the Hook Man come here? This is a long way from 9 Mile Road." Sam says quietly.
"Maybe he's not haunting the scene of his crime. Maybe it's about something else." Dean mumbles. Two sorority girls come out making them hide behind a small part of the wall. Sam puts Evie down and takes his jacket off. Sam squats with his back to her.
"Get on my back, baby." Sam mumbles and Evie wraps her arms around his neck. Sam throws his jacket around his back, making sure it'll support Evie. He ties the sleeves around himself twice, making sure she'll be secure.
"Okay, just hang on, baby doll." Sam whispers to her.
"Dude, sorority girls! Think we'll see a naked pillow fight?" Dean asks, turning to find Sam climbing the building with Evie on his back. Dean helps him up and Sam gets on top and Dean gets up.
They sneak over to Lori's window and Sam opens the window. Dean gets Evie off of Sam's back and gives her to Sam who puts her in the window on the ground. Sam goes through the window, Dean immediately following.
"Oh, sorry." Dean says.
"Hey, be quiet." Sam tells him.
"Me be quiet? You be quiet." Dean tells him, the two getting up. Sam puts his jacket back on before picking Evie up while Dean shuts the window.
Sam sees the closet door is open slightly and sees a sheriff in the room. He gently places his hand over Evie's mouth, watching the sheriff leave. He waits until he's going downstairs to push the door open. It squeaks making him stop, but the sheriff didn't seem to hear and keeps going downstairs.
The two walk into the bedroom, Sam hiding Evie's face in his shoulder so she doesn't have to see all the blood.
""Are you glad you didn't turn on the light?"" Sam reads the message written in blood on the wall. "That's right out of the legend."
"Yeah, that's classic Hook Man all right." Dean mutters. "It's definitely a spirit." He says, tapping his nose.
"Yeah, I've never smelled ozone this strong before." Sam says. "Hey, come here." Dean walks back over to him. Sam points to the cross symbol beneath the message. "Does that look familiar to you?"
+++
They walk into a college party, Sam holding Evie. The girl is hugging her stuffed dog closely, curling into Sam as much as possible.
"Man, you've been holding out on me. This college thing is awesome!" Dean exclaims.
"This wasn't really my experience." Sam says.
"Let me guess. Libraries, studying, straight A's?" Dean asks and Sam nods. "What a geek."
"I mean, I started having bedtime routine the last 2ish years." Sam says, motioning to Evie.
"Yeah, whatever. Guess you did have some fun. Alright, you do your homework?" Dean asks.
"Yeah. It was bugging me, right? So how is the Hook Man tied up with Lori? So I think I came up with something." Sam says, unraveling a piece of paper.
"1931. Clergyman arrested for murder. 1967. Seminarian held in hippie rampage." Dean says.
"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. Killings carried out -- get this -- with a sharp instrument." Sam says.
"What's the connection to Lori?" Dean asks.
"A man of religion? Who openly preaches against immorality? Except maybe this time, instead of saving the whole town, he's just trying to save his only daughter."
"Reverend Sorensen. You think he's summoning the spirit?"
"Maybe. Or, you know how a poltergeist can haunt a person instead of a place?"
"Yeah, the spirit latches onto the reverend's repressed emotions, feeds of them, yeah, okay."
"Without the reverend ever even knowing it."
"Either way you should keep an eye on Lori tonight." Dean states and Sam nods.
"What about you?" Sam asks. Dean looks at an attractive blonde girl who is smiling at him.
"I'm gonna go see if I can find that unmarked grave." Dean says, reluctantly. He looks at the blonde, shaking his head in disappointment.
"Here, take her." Sam says, handing Evie off to Dean.
"Why?" Dean asks.
"Cause all her stuff is in the car. And she'll fall asleep while you're driving." Sam says.
"Fine." Dean mutters, walking away. "Digging up bodies and babysitting? Perfect combo."
+++
Dean gets to the graveyard and is holding Evie. She didn't fall asleep in the car and refused to be left in the car. Dean searches the tombstones, until he finds Jacob Karn's.
"Here we go." Dean puts his stuff down before putting Evie down. "Okay, kiddo, just stay right here and you got your snacks, your juice, and your dog. Good?" He asks and she nods. "Good."
~ ~ ~
Dean has been digging for a while and is in the whole now, covered in sweat and dirt.
"That's it. NExt time, I get to watch the cute girl's house." Dean says, panting for air. Evie giggles at his tiredness. Dean fake laughs before starting to dig again. He hits something, and realizes it's the coffin. He opens it, finding the remains of Jacob. "Hello, preacher."
~ ~ ~
Dean gets out of the hole and gets some stuff from his bag. He pours salt and lighter fluid into the hole before lighting a match.
"Goodbye, preacher." Dean says, throwing the match, watching the remains catch fire and the flames start to raise. Once Evie looks up from her snack because of seeing light, she looks and see it's fire.
Evie's not sure what happens, but she feels panic consume her and she bursts out into tears. Dean looks over in shock, not sure what caused the sudden meltdown.
"Hey. Hey, hey, hey." Dean softly calls, walking over to her. He gets on his knees, rubbing the small girl's back. "What's up, shortcake?"
"Fi-fi-fire." Evie sobs, pointing towards the hole. She doesn't care that she just knocked over her juice or that the remains of her snack are all over the ground.
"What's wrong with the fire, sweetheart?" Dean asks, still not understanding why she's freaking out.
"Fi-fire." She sobs out again. "M-m-m-mo-mommy." Evie manages to gasp out, more sobs escaping her. Dean realizes why she's panicking now and grabs her, making her face away from the hole.
"Hey, hey." Dean gently calls. He cups Evie's face, managing to get her to look at him. "Hey, it's okay. Nobody's getting hurt. The fire isn't hurting anybody, sweetie, I promise." He softly tells her. "We're both okay. You're okay."
"Mommy!" Evie cries.
"I know, shorty. I know." Dean mumbles, bringing her into a hug, letting her sob into his shoulder, it now a little muffled. "I'm sorry. It'll be gone soon, I promise. It'll be over soon."
Dean continues to tightly hold Evie, rubbing her back and whispering reassurances to her. After about 20 minutes, Dean hears the crying and sniffling stop. He moves his head back, finding Evie's eyes shut. Her breathing is mostly even, but still a little jagged from falling asleep by crying.
Dean quietly sighs, pushing some of her now wet hair out of her face.
"I'm sorry, kiddo. I know it sucks." Dean whispers.
+++
After the fire died out and Dean got everything packed up, he put the bag in the trunk before putting Evie in her car seat. Evie woke up after about 10 minutes, the coldness from not being held waking her up.
She whines a little, looking around, finding Dean.
"Hey, shortcake. How ya doin'?" Dean asks.
"I wan' daddy." Evie states, holding onto her dog.
"I know, kiddo. But he's a little busy right now, so we're just gonna see him later. Hey, you hungry?" Dean asks. Evie seems to think of her answer before slightly nodding. "Okay." Dean mumbles, heading to the diner.
+++
Dean carries Evie into the diner and sits in a booth, putting Evie on his lap.
"Hi. What can I get you?" The waitress asks.
"Um, one coffee, one chocolate milk, and two slices of apple pie." Dean says.
"Coming right up." The waitress smiles, walking off.
"See? When you're with Uncle Dean, you get pie. Not any of that nasty green stuff your dad feeds you." Dean says.
After a bit, their order gets there, Dean thanking the waitress.
"Can you use a fork yet?" Dean asks. He looks at Evie, seeing her confused look. "Here." Dean picks up a fork, holding it out to her and she takes it. "You know what to do with that? You use it for the pie."
Evie attempts to use the fork, but fails. She looks at Dean, the most puppy dog look on her face he's ever seen in the past few months.
"Okay, you aren't fork savvy yet." Dean says. He grabs the fork from her, and gets a small piece of the dessert. "Pie always cheers me up." He holds the fork up to her mouth and Evie takes a bite of the delicious food. "See? Good, right?" He asks and Evie nods.
Dean gets his fork, eating some of his own pie. He hums at the delicious taste of his favorite dessert.
"Now, that is some good pie." Dean says, his mouth full of pie as he takes another bite. Evie giggles at his actions and he looks at her, his mouth full so he looks like a chipmunk with his cheeks puffed out. "What, am I funny to you?" He asks, his mouth still full which only causes Evie to giggle more.
"Great. Not even able to form full sentences and she's already making fun of me." Dean mutters to himself.
+++
It's the next day and Dean is walking with two sheriffs in the hospital, going to where Sam is outside of Reverend Sorensen's room. He's holding Evie who is half asleep due to not getting much sleep last night thanks to the sugar rush and then nightmares revolving Jessica and fire.
"No, it's alright, I'm with him. He's my brother." Dean tells him, getting Sam and the sheriff's attention. "Hey! Brother!" Dean grins and waves.
"Let him through." The sheriff tells the other two who let Dean walk through.
"Thanks." Dean mutters, walking closer, Sam meeting him halfway. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Sam nods before looking at Evie. "She okay?"
"Um... more or less." Dean admits and Sam looks at him, both worried and confused. "Yeah, let's not let her around, uh, F-I-R-E anytime soon."
"Wha-- why?" Sam asks.
"Cause she had a full on meltdown." Dean says. "Kept calling out for M-O-M-M-Y." Dean says and he can see the sadness enter Sam's eyes. "She's okay now, just... just kind of tired. She didn't sleep much last night, kept having nightmares."
"Oh, baby." Sam whispers, looking at Evie sadly.
"Here, you want her?" Dean asks and Sam nods. They carefully transport the mostly asleep toddler into Sam's arms. Evie says a few incoherent words, but doesn't really wake up anymore, only snuggling into her dad, gripping his jacket in her tiny fist, her other hand occupied by her dog.
Sam gently kisses Evie on the head, holding her closer than usual.
"Okay, what the hell happened?" Dean asks.
"Hook Man." Sam states.
"You saw him?" Dean asks.
"Damn right. Why didn't you torch the bones?" Sam asks.
"What are you talking about, I did. We just had the conversation of why your kid is like this right now. You sure it's the spirit of Jacob Karns?" Dean asks.
"It sure as hell looked like him. And that's not all. I don't think the spirit is latching on to the reverend." Sam says.
"Well, yeah, the guy wouldn't send the Hook Man after himself." Dean says.
"I think it's latching onto Lori. Last night she found out her father is having an affair with a married woman." Sam says.
"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 Preacher Karns is latching on to repress the emotions and maybe he's doing the punishing for her, huh?"
"Right. Rich comes on too strong, Taylor tries to make her into a party girl, dad has an affair." Sam lifts.
"Remind me not to piss this girl off. But I burned those bones, I buried them in salt, why didn't that stop him?" Dean asks.
"You must have missed something." Sam says.
"No. I burned everything in that coffin." Dean says.
"Did you get the hook?"
"The hook?"
"Well, it was the murder weapon, and in a way, it was part of him." Sam says.
"So, like the bones, the hook is a source of his power." Dean says.
"So if we find the hook.."
"We stop the hook man." The two speak in unison.
+++
They're at the library and researching. Evie is asleep on a chair with Sam's jacket over her to keep her warm, but she wakes up after a bit. She lets out a small whine which gains Sam's attention and he turns to her, seeing her rubbing her eye.
"Hey, baby girl." Sam quietly greets, squatting in front of her. "How you feeling?" He asks and Evie nods. "Uncle Dean told me you had a rough night."
"Pie." Evie mumbles.
"You had some pie?" Sam asks and Evie nods. He looks at Dean who innocently smiles. "Did you like it?" He asks Evie who nods. "What kinda pie?"
"Apple." Evie answers.
"You wanna sit on my lap while I keep reading?" Sam asks and Evie nods, holding her arms out to him. Sam picks her up before sitting in the chair she was occupying, placing her on his lap, letting her cuddle into him.
"I sweep more?" Evie asks.
"If you want to." Sam mumbles, kissing the top of her head. Evie rests her head on his chest, holding onto his shirt. He puts his jacket back over her to make sure she stays warm before he continues with the research.
+++
They're at the church and Sam is getting silver items from inside Lori's dad's house. Dean gets to the basement and goes to the corner.
"Okay, Evie, I'm gonna need you to face this wall and do not turn around no matter what, okay?" Dean says.
"Otay." Evie mumbles.
"Okay." Dean nods. He ruffles her hair before going across the room and starting the fire. He starts throwing silver stuff into the fire when Sam comes rushing in.
"I got everything that even looked silver." Sam says.
"Better safe than sorry." Dean says, both throwing the stuff into the fire. They hear footsteps above them making them freeze.
"Move, move." Dean whispers. Sam grabs Evie, making sure she doesn't see the fire, and both walk upstairs. They open the door and see Lori is sitting in a pew alone, crying.
Dean lowers his gun and him and Sam share a look. Dean takes Evie, going back downstairs, while Sam goes to comfort Lori.
Dean makes Evie's face stay buried in his shoulder while he continues to throw the rest of the objects into the fire.
After a bit, Dean hears commotion upstairs which makes Evie whimper. Dean closes the door to the fire and quickly puts Evie down.
"Okay, shortcake, I need you to stay here. Be as quiet as you can and don't touch that door." Dean orders, pointing at the door leading to the fire. Evie nods, an uncertain look on her face, not fully sure what all is happening. Dean kisses her on the forehead as a form of reassurance before racing upstairs.
Dean finds the Hook Man trying to get to Lori and Sam behind him.
"Sam, drop!" Dean yells. Sam falls to the floor and Dean shoots the Hook Man once making him disappear into dust.
"Where's Evie?" Sam asks.
"Downstairs." Dean answers.
"What?! What the hell, Dean?!" Sam exclaims, worry clear in his voice.
"I figured she's safe cause he's probably targeting us." Dean argues.
"Are you insane?! She's 2, she can't defend herself!" Sam yells.
"Which is why I left her down there!" Dean once again argues. "But he shouldn't even be here anyway." He says, referring to Hook Man.
"I thought we got all the silver." Sam says.
"So did I." Dean says.
"Then why is he still here?" Sam asks.
"Well, maybe we missed something!" Dean exclaims. They look around, Sam stopping at the cross necklace Lori is wearing.
"Lori, where did you get that chain?" Sam asks.
"My father gave it to me." Lori says.
"Where'd your dad get it?" Dean asks.
"He said it was a church heirloom, he gave it to me when I started school." Lori says.
"Is it silver?!" Sam asks.
"Yes!" Lori answers. Sam rips the chain off.
They hear a scratching noise and Dean turns to see that the Hook Man is invisible, but making scratches on the wall with the hook.
"Sam!" Dean yells. He throws Sam the rifle and rock salt. Sam tosses Dean the necklace.
"Don't leave Evie alone again!" Sam yells after his retreating brother.
Dean runs downstairs, seeing Evie perfectly unharmed.
"De?" Evie asks.
"Close your eyes." He tells her and she does so as he opens the door, tossing the necklace into the fire. Dean watches as the necklace soon begins to melt. After he sees it's completely melted, Dean shuts the door again.
"Okay, come on, sweetie." Dean picks Evie up, rushing upstairs and into the church. He finds Sam and Lori, seeing them both alive making him let out a breath of relief.
"Daddy!" Evie exclaims, squirming in Dean's hold until he puts her down. She runs as fast she's able to over to Sam and crashes into him, hugging him. Sam groans in pain a little since the Hook Man did manage to injure him, plus being thrown around a bit wasn't fun.
"Hey, baby. It's okay, I'm okay." Sam promises, hugging her back.