Faith got out of the car and stretched, the weather and Dean having won in the end in regards to her wardrobe.
She checked the time and yawned.
"Tru's in class, but she should be out in a few," she said to the boys.
Sam & Dean
"No problem," Sam nodded, closing the door after her.
"Hey," Dean smiled in greeting to a couple of girls as he got out of the car.
"On the other hand," Sam rolled his eyes.
Faith
Faith grinned, and slid her arms around Sam's waist.
"Well, that was pretty unavoidable."
Dean & Sam
"Oh yeah? What time are you gonna be there? Should I get your number?"
Sam loudly cleared his throat.
"My brother," Dean pulled a face, "see you tonight!"
He waved as the skinny brunettes continued to their classes, then turned back to lean on the car with a chuckle.
Faith and Tru
Faith pulled away from Sam, face brightening as she sensed someone coming.
"How shady are you guys?" Tru called, laden with a book bag and a laptop bag.
Dean & Sam
"What?!" Dean called back.
"Hey Tru," Sam waved in greeting.
Tru and Faith
"Hey," Tru greeted, handing Faith one of her bags, before giving her a half hug.
"You done for the day?" Faith asked.
Tru nodded. "Yeah, just need to drop this stuff off at home, then I can fill you in."
Dean & Sam
"Should we hangback or wait til dark?" Dean looked at Sam.
"We'll come back later," Sam said, opening the back door and getting in so the girls could take front.
Dean nodded and also got in.
Tru and Faith
"Liam bought pie," Tru said, grinning as she got into the car.
"He learns quicky," Faith nodded.
Dean & Sam
"Ooh he does," Dean grinned, starting the car.
He waited until they were all in and drove toward Tru and Liam's.
Tru and Faith
"Oh," Tru said, as they pulled up out the front of her place. "Um... so... someone may have overheard you were coming, Dean."
Faith snickered. "Please say it is Crazy McCrazyson!"
Dean & Sam
Dean turned the car off and turned to look at her.
"You purposely waited until I got you home safely to tell me, didn't you?"
Sam chuckled in the backseat.
Tru and Faith
Tru smiled sweetly at him. "She just sorta... walked into the conversation."
Faith suppressed her laugh and opened the door, getting out of the car.
Dean & Sam
Dean sighed, staring ahead, as Sam got out of the car.
"You coming?" Sam leaned in his window.
"I think I might go drive off a cliff actually," Dean smiled sarcastically, "because I'm taking the car with me this time."
"Come on," Sam patted the doorframe.
Dean rolled his eyes and got out, following Sam up the path.
Tru, Faith and Liam
Tru lead the way up to the apartment, Faith right beside her.
"Has she been bad?" Faith asked, glancing across at her daughter.
"Um, kinda," Tru said. "She only heard that you were coming, but she assumed that meant Dean would be here too."
She unlocked her apartment, and put her books down on the hall table.
"Hey babe," Tru called out. "Mom, Sam and Dean are here."
Liam appeared from one of the rooms, glasses on the end of his nose. He and Tru met halfway and they kissed hello briefly.
"Hey," Liam greeted, turning to the others.
"Hey kiddo," Faith said, moving forward to see him.
"We've mastered coffee, and we have a stocked fridge," Tru said to Sam and Dean. "Come on through."
Dean & Sam
"And pie?" Dean's eyebrows rose.
Sam patted his brother on the back and walked through.
"Hey Liam, good to see you again," he nodded.
Liam, Tru and Faith
"And pie," Liam confirmed. "Hey, Sam."
"What kind?" Tru asked, following them into the kitchen.
"He doesn't care," Faith answered before Dean could.
Dean & Sam
Dean had opened his mouth to repond, and closed it again once Faith answered for him.
"We should probably get down to business," Sam insisted.
Faith, Tru and Liam
Faith sat down on Sam's lap, so there would be enough chairs for everyone.
Tru put her laptop onto the table and opened it to the email that had been sent around, while Liam got the food ready.
"So," Faith said, looking across at her daughter. "What's going on, exactly?"
"Exactly?" Tru asked. "I can't say. You're going to need to talk to Dodger and her friends about it. They're the ones who started the rumour."
Dean & Sam
"But if that's the rumour, and we already know two kids have gone mssing under suspicious circumstances, what else can you tell us?" Dean shrugged.
"Yeah, we should know whatever you do. And do you have some phone numbers and addresses we can use for Dodger's friends?" Sam asked.
Tru, Faith and Liam
"The rumour is that the first girl," Tru said, glancing at Liam. "Was screwing the wrong guy, and that's how she wound up dead."
"Phew," Faith breathed. "Stanford is just full of scandal."
"Evidently," Tru replied dryly. "I have contacts and stuff for you guys."
Liam set a plate of pie down in front of Dean.
Sam & Dean
"Yeah we heard that already," Sam nodded, eyeing Dean as his brother's eyes lit up.
He dug into the pie straight away.
Tru, Liam and Faith
"I don't think they meant for it to get so out of hand," Tru said, glancing at Liam. "He got the email too."
"A couple of kids at the school I'm working at got a hold of it," Liam explained, boiling the kettle. "It got sent around pretty quickly."
"Alright," Faith nodded. "So... what are we dealing with here, Sam?"
Sam & Dean
"I still think it's a Tulpa, yeah?" he looked at Dean, who just nodded.
"A Tulpa is a Tibetan thought form. Basically what we use as a background story is the legend of these monks, and there were less than ten of them, who meditated on a goblin. They meditated so hard on it that they brought the thing to life. We had a similar thing a few years ago where these kids spread a rumour about a haunted house, and that spirit came to life..."
"It was to do with a symbol some kid had painted on the house wall though," Dean glanced up between mouthfuls.
"Yeah, there's gotta be some kind of symbolic influence, you can't just imagine something and have it come alive," Sam nodded, "but a few monks versus thousands of people... it puts things in perspective."
Tru and Faith
"Dodger would probably be the one to talk to," Tru said thoughtfully. "She's sorta the ringleader of that little group."
Faith nodded. "Where's she located?"
"She lives on campus," Tru replied. "Oh..."
Tru tried to hide her smile.
"She um... lives in the same dorm as Chantelle."
Dean & Sam
Dean almost choked, and Sam jumped a little before realising he was alright.
"I might just stay here and eat pie," Dean nodded.
Faith, Liam and Tru
"No, you need to come along," Faith said, acting innocent. "Because we're going to need your help."
Liam bent slightly to kiss Tru's forehead. "I'm going to run out and get something for dinner."
"Ok," Tru said, smiling at him. "Do you guys want anything in particular?"
Dean & Sam
"Tacos with everything," Dean put his hand up.
"Whatever you're getting," Sam smiled, "thanks."
Liam, Tru and Faith
Liam nodded. "Alright. I'll be back in a few."
Tru watched her husband leave, before returning her attention to the other three at the table.
"You guys ok with staying here? I'd feel mean kicking you out to a motel."
Faith nodded. "Mmhmm, comfortable bed. I'm not turning that down."
Sam
"Dean and I can motel it if you like," Sam offered.
Tru and Faith
Tru shook her head. "No way, there's two spare rooms, it's not a hassle. Besides, no school tomorrow, it's Saturday. So it's not like I'm going to need... anything, really."
"And I think I spied campus bar not far from here," Faith nodded.
Tru laughed. "Yeah, it's like a ten minute walk."
Dean & Sam
"I'm in," Dean put his hand up, "actually I promised someone I'd be there anyway."
"Of course you did," Sam rolled his eyes.
Faith and Tru
"Oh man, I hope Chantelle is there," Faith said, crossing her fingers.
Tru laughed. "It is a Friday night. And she considers herself a party animal."
"Ah yes, the smoking of pot," Faith nodded.
Dean & Sam
"Oh too bad, I'm seeing someone else," Dean snapped his fingers sarcastically.
"I doubt she'll be seeing anyone but you," Sam teased.
"Keep going smartass."
Faith and Tru
"You're her soulmate," Faith said, nodding seriously.
Tru grinned. "You've been keeping up with her journal? She's been asking me questions about Dean in class."
Dean & Sam
"Ha, that's funny. Because neither of you know anything about me."
"Dean," Sam kept his voice firm.
"No, seriously. This is getting to the point where she needs psychological help."
Tru and Faith
"Hey, no argument from me," Tru said, shrugging. "Only I have to put up with her just about every day."
Faith smiled faintly. "Hopefully our trip will be relatively Chantelle free."
"It might be, actually," Tru replied. "She thinks her fibro is acting up."
Dean
"What a shame," Dean rolled his eyes.
"I should pull my medic ID and demand full time bed rest."
Faith and Tru
"She's still on about this disease that no one has diagnosed her with?" Faith asked.
Tru nodded. "Yeah. She read one of our textbooks and is now convinced she has it. There is nothing worse than a self-diagnoser."
Dean
"Oh yes there is," Dean assured.
Tru and Faith
"In Med School," Tru amended. "Honestly, I'm expecting her to drop out."
Faith grinned.
Dean
"Please let it happen tomorrow," Dean faked praying.
Tru and Faith
"Either that or she'll get kicked out," Tru told them. "There's no way she's even getting to intern stage. I'll be surprised if she gets her MD. She's so unbalanced. Although, I guess we all are at the moment, with school being so hardcore."
"Hey," Faith said, shrugging. "I'm still kinda impressed that you've turned out to be so well balanced, considering your upbringing. Also, how you seem to be more of an adult than me. That's awesome."
"That's Angel's hand in raising me," Tru said, smiling at her mother charmingly.
Dean & Sam
"Angel had a hand in it?" Dean pulled a face.
"I thought your father had more of a say," Sam added.
Tru and Faith
Tru shrugged. "We spent more time in LA, rather than in Tulsa. I saw Dad a lot, but I stayed with Angel more."
Faith nodded. "Yeah... and then with your life being in danger a lot of the time, it was a lot easier to keep you with Angel."
Dean
"Makes sense," Dean wiped his hands before setting is empty plate aside.
Liam, Tru and Faith
Liam's footsteps sounded in the hall and he appeared moments later with a few bags of food.
"Mmm, food," Tru hummed.
Faith nodded her approval.
Dean
"Awesome," Dean grinned, "you are my favorite people for the week."