Phoenix [Supernatural Season 1]

Route 666

"Okay, I think I found a way we can bypass that construction just east of here," Sam reported as the trio of hunters stopped outside a gas station.

Dean was on his phone and Phoenix was leaning out of the open Impala window.

"We might even make Pennsylvania faster than we thought," Sam reasoned.

"Yeah," Dean said as he hung up his phone. "The problem is we're not going to Pennsylvania,"

Phoenix scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. "Wait...what?"

"I just got a call from an old friend. Her father was killed last night. She thinks it might be our kind of thing,"

"Oh, your friend's a she," Phoenix smirked.

"She never would have called, never, if she didn't need us," Dean glanced at Sam "Come on. You coming or what?"

***

"By Old Friend," Sam spoke up as they drove through a town "You mean..."

"A friend that's not new," Dean replied.

"And her name's Cassie?" Phoenix wondered.

"You never mentioned her," Sam argued.

"Didn't I?" Dean asked.

"No,"

"Yeah, we went out," Dean shrugged.

"You mean you dated someone? For more than one night?"

Phoenix slammed Sam's arm. "Be nice,"

"Dad and I were working a job in Athens, Ohio. She was finishing up college. We went out for a couple of weeks,"

"And?" Phoenix asked; she rolled her eyes as Dean's response was a mere shrug of the shoulders.

"Look, it's terrible about her dad," Sam said. "But it kind of sounds like a standard car accident. I'm not seeing how it fits with what we do,"

"How does she know what we do?" Phoenix questioned. She went wide-eyed at Dean's silence. "Holy shit, you told her the secret,"

"Our big family rule number one...we do what we do, and we shut up about it," Sam argued. "For a year and a half, I do nothing but lie to Jessica, and you go out with this chick in Ohio a couple of times, and you tell her everything? Dean!"

"Yeah, looks like," Dean replied calmly.

"Oh, now I really gotta meet her," Phoenix laughed.

***

Sam, Dean, and Phoenix entered the office.

A woman turned around and saw the trio. "Dean,"

"Hey, Cassie,"

"Oh, it was love, love," Phoenix whispered to Sam, earning an elbow from the man.

Dean cleared his throat. "This is my brother, Sam, and my girlfriend, Phoenix,"

Phoenix opened her mouth, but Sam quickly covered it.

"I'm sorry about your dad," Dean said.

"Yeah, me, too,"

***

"My mother's in pretty bad shape," Cassie explained as she carried a tea tray. "I've been staying with her. I wish she wouldn't go off by herself. She's been so nervous and frightened. She was worried about Dad,"

"Why?" Dean asked.

"He was scared. He was seeing things,"

"Like what?" Phoenix voiced.

"He swore he saw an awful-looking black truck following him,"

"A truck?" Sam questioned. "Who was the driver?"

"He didn't talk about a driver, just the truck. He said it would appear and disappear. And in the accident, Dad's truck was dented like it had been slammed into by something big,"

"Thanks," Phoenix said as Cassie handed her a cup of tea.

"Now, you're sure this dent wasn't there before?" Sam wondered.

"He sold cars, always drove a new one. There wasn't a scratch on that thing. It had rained hard that night. There was mud everywhere. There was a distinct set of muddy tracks from Dad's car leading right...to the edge where he went over." Cassie's voice cracked with emotion. "One set of tracks...his,"

"And the first person killed was a friend of your father's?" Dean questioned.

"Best friend..." Cassie corrected, "Clayton Solmes. They owned a car dealership together. Same thing...dent, no tracks. And the cops said exactly what they said about Dad...He lost control of his car,"

"Can you think of why your father and partner might be targets?" Phoenix asked.

"No,"

"You think this vanishing truck ran him off the road?"

Cassie scoffed. "When you say it aloud like that...listen, I'm a little skeptical about this ghost stuff or whatever it is you guys are into,"

Dean chuckled. "Skeptical. If I remember, I think you said I was nuts,"

"That was then,"

"Hmm," Dean hummed.

"I just know that I can't explain what happened up there, so I called you." Cassie looked towards the door when it opened. "Mom. Where have you been?"

"I had no idea you'd invited friends over." Cassie's mom said. "Mom, this is Dean, a friend of mind from...college,"

Phoenix laughed at the fib.

"And his brother, Sam, and Dean's girlfriend, Phoenix,"

"Well, I-I-I-I won't interrupt you," Cassie's mom stammered.

"Mrs. Robinson?" Phoenix called out.

"Hmm?"

"We're sorry for your loss. We'd like to talk to you for a minute if you don't mind,"