~X~ – Samhain

I take note that the pain suddenly stops, the burning dies off. Sam and Dean are done writhing in pain as well. We're all lying still on the floor. I want to pull us out of here, I want to get out of here—but then I remember how much I'm in this, like the Winchesters are. I need them to trust me.

Samhain goes to Tracy, whose back is to him and not the altar. She turns, smiling at him. I hold in the gag in my throat as the two kiss.

"My love," Tracy croons.

"You've aged," says Samhain.

"This face...I can't fool you."

"Your beauty is beyond time."

In a sudden turn of events, Samhain snaps the neck of his "love".

"Whore."

I mimic Sam and Dean and lie still, eyes shut. My heart is running. He walks past us, and I feel it's safe to move when he disappears upstairs and shuts the door. I slowly sit up and take note of Tracy's dead corpse. Love hurts, even if I don't know what that feels like.

"What the hell was that?" Dean asks his brother in a whisper.

"Halloween lore," Sam breathes. "People used to wear masks to hide from him, so I gave it a shot."

"You gave it a shot?!"

"It was this or death by Samhain," I side with Sam. "Be thankful."

"It was a hunch, Vera!"

"One that paid off." I get to my feet. "Come on."

The three of us leave the basement, carnage included, and step out into the brisk Halloween night. We head towards the car, trying our best to get the blood off our faces.

"Where the hell are we gonna find this mook?" asks Dean.

"Where would you go to raise other dark forces of the night?" asks Sam.

"The cemetery," I blurt out. The Winchesters look at me. "What? I'm not completely clueless as to how the Earth works. I've seen them before. It's where the dead are laid to rest. Give me some credit."

Dean speeds the car off, thankfully not hitting costumed children. I don't beat the Winchesters to Samhain. I'd rather not go charging in and end up getting myself killed. Safety in numbers. Besides, odds are, his strength might surpass mine. I'm taking no chances.

"So, this demon's pretty powerful," Sam starts the conversation in a quiet car ride.

"Yeah," Dean agrees.

"Might take more than the usual weapons."

"We already know she's gonna lend us a hand." Dean looks at me in the mirror up front. "Unless you got cold feet and are about to scram on us."

I shake my head. "If you wouldn't leave me, I won't leave you."

"I wasn't talking about Vera, Dean," Sam tells his brother.

My mouth parts, and Dean looks mad. He's clearly figure out, like I have, what Sam is suggesting. He's suggesting he uses his powers of his own.

"Sam, no, you're not using your psychic whatever. Don't even think about it. Ruby's knife is enough."

"Why?"

"Well because the angels said so for one—"

"I thought you said they were a bunch of fanatics."

"Is that a compliment?" I ask curiously.

"No, it's not. But you're not like Castiel and Uriel, Vera."

"Is that one?"

"Well, they happen to be right about this one," Dean ignores Sam's conversation with me.

"I don't know, Dean," Sam says uneasily, "it doesn't seem like they're right about much."

"Well then forget the angels, okay? You said yourself, these powers, it's like playing with fire."

If only Dean understood how useful they are. It's a startling sight, but one that intrigues me.

Dean hands Sam Ruby's knife. (I'd given it back to them the next time I met with them after Dean found out about Sam's antics with the demon.) "Please."

Sam takes the knife silently.

"Look, if it eases you both, you have me on your side," I interject quietly. "Any power we can get, right?"

I get no response.

* * *

By the time we reach the mausoleum, I can feel Samhain's presence. I can also pick up on the frightened air, and hear the frantic cries of the young people inside. I lunge out of the car, and Sam and Dean stumble out after me. I transport myself in the mausoleum, and the teenagers look even more frightened than before, even with the threat of zombie-like hands reaching for them. Even with the threat of fresh blood coating the floor.

"About time you got yourselves in here," I say to the Winchesters as I examine the gate.

"Help them," I hear Sam say.

"Dude, you're not going off alone," is Dean's protest.

"Do it!" Vera, I'll call if I need you.

Don't do it when you're at death's door, Samuel.

Duly noted.

"Stand back!" I shout to the teenagers. I grip the lock on the gates and yank it apart. Dean and I usher the teenagers out, urging them to get out as fast as possible. Just as the last one disappears, a door to a grave hits the ground and breaks. The mummified creatures crawls out. More grave doors begin to do the same thing, with their occupants slithering out.

Dean pulls out a silver stake, and I pull out my blade.

"Bring it on, stinky," Dean challenges the monsters. "Vera, go get Sam."

"What about you?"

"This is my job. Go make sure my little brother doesn't do something stupid."

"I believe he already has, Dean."

I hone in on Sam's location and transport myself there. Sam jumps and nearly makes a sound. He glowers at me, and we exchange looks. He silently points down to the room at the end of the hall. I nod just as mutely, reassuring my grip on my blade. Together, the two of us close in on Samhain.

But, naturally, Samhain picks up on our presence. The first thing I notice is how white his eyes are, how milky and disturbing they look. He turns to the both of us, producing a bright white light out of his palm. All I do is cover my eyes, but still advance, just as Sam does.

"Yeah, that demon ray gun stuff? It doesn't work on us."

As Samhain runs for us, I beat Sam to Samhain. I swing my blade at him, which he nimbly avoids. And knocks out of my hand. With my training kicking in, I block Samhain's punches, but I'm sent flying into the closest wall. This is where Sam takes over, sending an uppercut to Samhain's face.

Just as I'm on wobbly feet, Samhain has Sam by his neck against a wall. I try to shove Samhain away using my powers, but the damn demon doesn't budge. I bristle, getting angry now. I call my blade to my hand, and I stalk towards Samhain. Just as I'm about ready to get a strike in, Samhain cries out, and I hear his skin sizzle. Ruby's knife goes out of Sam's hand, and Samhain throws Sam into me, which causes us to collide.

Just as Sam and I get to our feet, Samhain looks ready to attack. But I feel the magic flow through the room as Sam tries to exorcise the demon of Halloween. I watch in awe as Samhain initially fights it, he makes tiny steps towards the two of us. I brandish my weapon, daring him to come closer. But whatever power Sam is using against Samhain, it's working, preventing the demon from making too much progress.

At the other end of the room, it's a relief to me to see Dean Winchester, alive. He looks in horror at what's going on. From the corner of my eye, I see Sam lose focus for a fraction of a second, quickly regaining it to focus on Samhain.

"Sam!" I whisper in a panic as I see his nose start to bleed. He grips his head with his other hand. I'm seeing his knees beginning to tremble. I steady him, holding him upright. Black smoke emerges from Samhain, and as it disappears through the floor, the body drops. Sam nearly caves into me.

I see the look on Dean's face. It's one of heartbreak. But there's also something else.

Fear.

* * *

"Nothing's keeping you here, Vera," Sam tells me. We're back in the motel, except for Dean. He hasn't wanted much to do with Sam since he saw his brother using his psychic powers. I feel the disconnect between them. How fearful Dean is of his brother, how it's hurting the two of them because of their opposing views.

Sam is packing up his clothes, I'm sitting on one of the beds, watching. It's November 1st, the start of a new month.

"I'm not sure I want to go back," I tell him. What is there to really go back to? Alona? She's on rocky friendship with me. My other brothers and sisters don't see me in a friendly way. I have no one, except you and Dean.

And that's the first time I've admitted it to myself. Sam and Dean Winchester feel friendlier to me than any of my brothers and sisters have in a long time.

"You really should. We keep using you for things we can clearly take care of. It's not fair to you."

I tilt my head. "We share a common goal: to protect the world. I'm happy to fight alongside you and your brother."

Sam twinges at the mention of his older brother. "Why are you not like them, Vera?"

"I've always seen things differently than my brethren. I don't share their ideals and morals...if angels even have such things." I shrug. "In fact, I feel like I relate more to you and Dean than them."

Sam chuckles bitterly. "Don't insult me, Vera, please. You can't relate to us. There's no comparison."

I tense when Uriel pops into the room. Sam is unaware, he's resumed packing his things.

"Tomorrow," Uriel says, scaring Sam. I want to move out of here, away from Uriel, but I stay in case he tries to threaten Sam. "November second, it's an anniversary for you."

"What are you doing here?" Sam growls.

"It's the day Azazel killed your mother, and twenty-two years later your girlfriend too. It must be difficult to bear, yet you so brazenly use the power he gave you. His profane blood is pumping through your veins."

"Excuse me?"

"You were told not to use your abilities."

"And what was I supposed to do? That demon would have killed me, and my brother, and Vera, and everyone."

I'm surprised to hear my name in the lineup. It's a bit insulting, though. To hear my name come out of his mouth like that, he's suggesting I wasn't capable of handling my own against Samhain. Granted, my success rate would prove Sam's statement correct, but I wasn't about to admit or accept that.

"You were told not to," Uriel repeats.

"If Samhain had gotten loosen in this town—"

"You've been warned, twice now."

"You know? My brother was right about you, you are dicks."

"Does that include Vera as well? It seems like she is an exception to your rule. Then again," my brother glares at me with dark eyes, "she always has been...different. The only reason you're still alive, Sam Winchester, is because you've been useful. It's not because of Vera's sudden...obsession with you. But the moment that ceases to be true, the second you become more trouble than you're worth, one word. One, and I will turn you to dust."

"As long as I'm here, you won't," I speak boldly.

Uriel regards me in amusement. "Dear sister, you're delusional. You are an amateur. You can brag about your strength when you are truly as powerful as me, and when you are the angel that you really should be." He steps away from Sam. "As for your brother, tell him that maybe he should climb off that high horse of his. Ask Dean what he remembers from Hell."

With that chilling note, Uriel disappears, and the weight is lifted off my chest. So far, I've evaded being pulled away from the Winchesters.

"Is he always like that?" Sam asks me.

"Irritating and brooding? Yes, but, in your eyes, most of my brethren would come off that way."

"You gonna take a hiatus from us?"

"If I get any leads on anything end of the world related, you and Dean will be the first humans I tell, provided neither of you die or get separated before then."

"Gee, thanks. Kinda wish you trusted us like we trust you."

"Oh, please, your brother trusts me as much as he trusts you, which currently, isn't very much," I say cautiously.

"And me?"

"Well, you're different than Dean," I say plainly. "You're more...open-minded, but I guess that has to be a requirement for the job. Until next time, Sam Winchester."

I feel a little twinge inside of me as I part from the young hunter. 

**As you can see, Vera seems to like the Winchesters more than her own kind.

Ship?**