THEN

From 6.05 "Live Free or Twihard", in Kirsten's room, Catty, Dean and Sam walked in, seeing the walls were painted red, covered with Vampire posters. Vampire and Gothic accessories were everywhere, Vampire sheets, blankets, and sheets on the bed.

Sam scoffed. "Vampires?"

From 1.20 "Dead Man's Blood", in the motel, Dean had just woke up. "Gets funnier every time I hear it."

From 5.03 "Free to Be You and Me", Dean and Ness killed a Nest of Vampires, From 1.20 "Dead Man's Blood", Sam, Dean, Catty and John were killing Vampires, 3.07 "Fresh Blood", Dean killed Lucy the Vampire, 6.05 "Live Free or Twihard", Dean and Catty were killing a lot of Vampires, From season 8 in Purgatory, Dean, Ness, Castiel and Benny killed a lot of Vampires, 8.05 "Blood Brothers", Dean, Ness and Benny killed Vampires, 8.18 "Freaks and Geeks" Young Sabrina killed Seth the Vampire, 9.16 "Blade Runners", Sam, Dean, Catty, Ness and Young Sabrina killed Vampires, 9.19 "Alex Annie Alexis Ann" Sam, Dean, Ness and Jody killed many Vampires, 10.08 "Hibbing 911" Sam, Dean, Catty, Ness, Jody and Donna killed Vampires, 10.19 "The Werther Project" Sabrina and Castiel smote a pack of Vampires, 11.12 "Don't You Forget About Me", Sam, Dean, Catty, Ness, Castiel, Sabrina and Amara each killed a Vampire. 12.09 "First Blood", Ness, Castiel, Octavia, Sabrina, Amara, Ariel and Faith killed many Vampires.

Ness: (voice over from 5.03 Free to Be You and Me) "Most Vampires nowadays feed on the same bodies, like sharing snacks, because the sons of bitches don't want to be found by hunters. Or if they are, the hunters are thinking it's only a couple of Vamps. So that if a lone wolf comes, the nest can easily take care of them."

From 12.08 "LOTUS", outside the Bunker, Brandon was talking to the Winchesters and Levi. "We don't always decapitate Vampires." He pulled a weapon out of the trunk. "We irradiate them."

"Cool," Amara told him, impressed, curious.

Brandon looked at Amara, impressed with her curiosity, nodding in agreement. "Mm. The toys are the fun part, hmm?"

From 12.08 "LOTUS", outside the Bunker, Brandon shot the grenade launcher at the SUV. Everyone ducked or ran for cover, except for Sabrina and Levi, who just stood there and watched the explosion quizzically, curiously and in amusement, watching the flames.

From 12.01 and 12.02, there were flashes of Toni, Barclay and Watt torturing Ness, Octavia and Amara.

Sabrina: (voice over from 12.13 Family Feud) "For obvious reasons, like Aunt Ness and Aunt Ava's broken ribs, getting shot, burnt feet, while Aunt Ava was Human without her Grace, and Amara being kidnapped with them and taken away from Ariel, Faith and Aiden while the Brits left them alone here in the Bunker, while Ariel and Faith were still babies..."

As the drug started to take affect, Ness, Octavia and Amara all heard high-pitched ringing in their heads, holding their heads, seeing visions, hallucinations, appear in fog clouds ahead of them.

Faith: (voice over from 12.13 Family Feud) "After the Brits nearly made Amara kill herself because they drugged her into hallucinating her entire family telling her that what happened while she was possessed by the Darkness was her fault."

Amara punched the mirror, making it shatter, picking up a piece of glass, turning to face Ness and Octavia, putting the piece of glass up to her throat, tears in her eyes. Ness and Octavia talked her into living. Amara slowly dropped the glass to the ground, starting to cry. Ness walked closer instantly, pulling Amara into her arms, holding her tightly in the embrace. Amara returned the embrace just as tightly, crying silently.

Catty: (voice over from 12.13 Family Feud) "Amara hearing her entire family telling her that she should die... we don't trust the Brits."

From 12.01 "Keep Calm and Carry On", on the road, Catty and Sabrina were fighting with Watt and Barclay.

Sam: (voice over from 12.02 Mamma Mia) "What the hell? Aren't we supposed to be on the same team?"

From 1.20 "Dead Man's Blood", John shot Luther the Vampire with the Colt, 2.22 "All Hell Breaks Loose: Part 2", Catty shot Azazel with the Colt, 3.04 "Sin City", Sam shot Evan and Father Gills with the Colt, 3.05 "Bedtime Stories", Dean shot Catty's Crossroads Demon with the Colt, 5.10 "Abandon All Hope...", Ness shot Lucifer with the Colt.

Ketch: (voice over from 12.12 Stuck in the Middle (With You)) "I know all about the Colt."

Mary: (voice over from 12.12 Stuck in the Middle (With You)) "You know there's only five things in all creation that it can't kill?"

From 12.13 "Family Feud", outside the building, Mary looked at Ketch. "Nothing comes before my family, not with me."

"Really?" Ketch asked. "Or is that just what you want to believe?"

From 12.13 "Family Feud", in the garage, Mary looked at Ketch. "The only reason I'm working with you is because I want my children and grandchildren to live in a world where they won't have to fight anymore monsters. So that they have the chance to live a normal life if they want to after all of this. So that Aiden doesn't have to become a hunter."

From 12.13 "Family Feud", in the Bunker, Mary was explaining to the family. "I have sort of been working with the British Men of Letters."

"So where does that leave us?" Ariel asked.

The family just looked at each other for a long moment, not knowing what to say or what to do.

NOW

§ 

Same Night - Same Scene

Night - The Bunker - Library

Mary was explaining to the family. "Just... hear me out. Please."

Amara finally recovered her voice, unable to look at anyone. "Wow. Just wow." She stood, turning away so she didn't look at them, hiding the emotions on her face. "I..."

Ness stood, walking toward her daughter worriedly. "Amara..." Amara turned to Ness. Ness pulled her into her arms. Dean walked closer in concern. "Cas, can you take Aiden to his room?"

Castiel nodded, standing, picking Aiden up. "Of course."

"Thanks," Ness told him.

Castiel left the room with Aiden.

The others looked at each other.

Mary hesitated for a moment. "What the British Men of Letters are doing, what we're doing, it's a better way." The family was all reacting in anger and betrayal. "Look, I'm not blind to who they are or what they've done, but--"

"When?" Catty asked. "When? When did you start working with them?"

Mary hesitated, knowing they wouldn't like the answer. "Since before the lake house. It wasn't Wally. They brought me that case."

"You were running an errand for the Brits," Sabrina told her. "You kept it from us. From all of us."

"Uncle Cas and Levi almost died," Ariel told her. "Wally was almost killed. He would have if Sabrina didn't send him home."

"Think I don't know all of this, Ariel?" Mary asked.

"Do you remember what they did to Ava, Ness, Amara?" Sam asked. "The fact that Amara almost killed herself because of them? That Ava, Ness and Amara were all tortured by them? That Aiden, Ariel and Faith were left here alone in the Bunker for hours after they kidnapped them, when Ariel and Faith were still babies?"

"Yes," Mary answered. "I have to live with that every day. Every night."

Octavia looked away. "Good. That's all I have to say. Good."

§ Worlds Colliding (Supernatural) §

Three Days Later

Night - Men of Letters Temporary Base - Outside

Mary drove up to the compound. A Brit scanned his hand to unlock the gate, allowing Mary to drive in. Ketch was also in the car. They got out of the car.

"Nice work today," Ketch told her. "I must say, this little beauty certainly worked as advertised." He took out a device. "We barely had to lift a finger. Ah, the AVD. I do love a new toy." There was a brief flashback of Ketch and Mary using the AVD to irradiate a pack of Vampires to kill them without beheading them. Mary was gazing off. Ketch noticed. "Mary? Everything all right?"

"I'm fine," Mary lied.

They walked inside.

§ 

Inside

Ketch walked down the hallway.

A woman walked past. "Ketch."

Ketch sighed. "Serena." He held his bag toward her. "Oh, you're headed past the Armory. If you wouldn't mind. Unpack, reshelve, and my Sig Sauer could use a good scrubbing."

Serena took the bag in annoyance. "I have three PhDs."

Ketch turned to walk away. "And we're all very proud of you, love."

§ 

Room

Mary was sitting on a cot bed in her room on the compound, texting her family multiple texts but got no response. Texts saying:

I'm sorry you found out like this.

I can explain.

Can we table about what happened?

I'm Sorry.

Please talk to me.

And more.

Mary: (voice over) "I'm doing this for you. I'm playing three decades of catch up here."

§ 

Flashback

Night - The Bunker - Library

Mary was explaining to the family three days before.

"And we're not?" Faith asked. "How do you think this has been for us? We're your family, and you've been gone."

"Our whole lives, you've been gone," Sam told her. "You said that you needed time. No, you said you need space. So we gave you your space."

"But you didn't need just space," Catty told her. "No, you needed space from us."

"That's not true," Mary told her. "Catty, I'm trying--"

"How about for once, you just try to be a mom and a grandmother?" Dean asked.

Mary looked at Sam, Dean and Catty. "I am your mother." She looked at Sabrina, Ariel, Faith and Amara. "I am your grandmother. But I am not just a mom or grandma." She looked at Dean for what he had said. "And you are not a child."

Dean shook his head. "I never was."

"Sam, Dean and Catty didn't get to have a normal childhood," Octavia told her. "Neither did Ness. Sabrina, Amara, Ariel and Faith lost their childhood. And by the way things are going, Aiden's not gonna be able to get a regular childhood like we're trying to give him."

"So between us and them..." Ariel trailed off.

"What would you choose if it was between us and them?" Sabrina asked.

"It's not like that," Mary told them.

"Yeah, Mary, it is," Dean told her. "And you made your choice when you started working with the guys that nearly made Amara, my daughter, kill herself, tortured not only Amara, but almost killed and tortured Ness and Ava. My wife and Sam's wife. While Ava was Human. And left Ariel, Faith and Aiden here defenseless after they kidnapped them for hours because Ariel and Faith were still babies then. My son and Sam's daughters. So there's the door."

Amara was near tears because of all of this, starting to leave the room.

Faith stood in concern. "Amara..."

Amara looked at Mary. "You should go."

Amara sighed, walking out of the room quickly.

Everyone watched her go worriedly.

§ 

Now

Men of Letters Temporary Base - Mary's Room

Mary still hadn't received any replies from her family. She stood, walking toward the window, looking outside.

§ 

Mick's Office

Mick and Brandon were sitting at the desk, across from each other.

Ketch walked in. "Another nest terminated. No complications. Bit boring, really."

"Good," Mick told him. "Well, boring's good."

Brandon smirked, scoffing softly in amusement, looking at Ketch. "And how're the Winchesters?"

Ketch shrugged. "Excellent. As always."

"Mary say anything about her family?" Brandon asked.

Ketch closed his eyes in annoyance. "As I've said many, many, so many times, we don't need them. We already have one Winchester."

"Not the best Winchester," Mick told him. "And either way, that's not your call, is it? Or mine. Or Brandon's."

Brandon pulled out a piece of paper. "The old men want them on board. As far as London's concerned, where Sam, Dean, Catty and Amara Winchester, Ness Singer-Winchester go, the rest of the American hunters will follow. And it wouldn't hurt to have Sabrina, Ariel and Faith Winchester, Castiel, Octavia and Levi on our side, would it?"

"That won't be easy, considering that they've proven difficult, after Ness, Octavia and Amara's near death experience with Lady Bevell," Ketch told them. "Amara's near suicide."

Brandon raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Amara's what?"

"Oh, Lady Bevell and company didn't tell you that, did they, Brandon?" Ketch asked. "Yes, Toni, Watt and Barclay drugged Amara Winchester, bombarding her with post traumatic stress after being possessed by the Darkness, and nearly drove her to suicide. So, as you can see, the Winchesters won't be likely to agree to sign on, after what nearly happened to their precious Amara."

Ketch walked away.

Brandon considered what he said seriously, looking at Mick.

§ 

Day Three

Morning - The Bunker - Library

Amara was sitting numbly in her chair, gazing off.

Ness sat next to her, on her computer, looking at her in concern, but Amara seemed to be better than she had than three days ago, where the family had given her the space that she needed, but also reassured her and comforted her. "Amara?"

Amara nodded. "I'm good."

Sam, Dean and Catty walked in.

"Cas, Ava, Sow, Ariel and Faith went off to help Levi look for Kelly again," Catty told them. "Tell me we got something."

"Dead guy in Akron," Ness answered. "Body found two days ago. Throat ripped out, ear to ear."

"Well, good morning to you two, too," Sam told them.

"You guys said that you don't want to think because you want to hunt, and I am helping with that," Ness told them.

Dean chuckled. "Good, because I need to hit something. Now. Amara? You wanna talk now?"

"Not really," Amara answered. They waited for a moment, making it clear to Amara that they wouldn't let it go until she started to talk to them. Amara sighed, giving in. "What was she thinking?"

"I don't know," Catty told them. "Maybe we should ask her."

"What?" Sam asked.

"Look, I am pissed and frustrated and confused too," Catty told them. "But we've frozen her out for days."

"She lied to us, Catty," Sam told her. "For months. After what happened to Ava, Ness, Amara... Even Ariel, Faith and Aiden..."

"I know," Catty told them. "But she is still our mom. I mean, whatever she was doing, she must've had a good reason."

"A good reason?" Dean repeated. "A good reason for working with those ass clowns?"

"Look, I hear you, all right?" Catty asked. "But at the end of the day, she's family. And we just got her back. You know, maybe she's doing this to get rid of monsters so that we don't have to deal with them. So Aiden won't have to if he doesn't want to when he grows up."

"What are you saying?" Ness asked.

"I'm saying that I don't trust those guys after what happened, but they're killing monsters just like we are," Catty answered. "All right, we have worked with people that have done worse things. Lucifer, Crowley, Rowena. I'm not saying that we put our faith in them, or even trust them, and we sure as hell don't forgive them for what they did to Ness, Ava and Amara, Ariel, Faith or Aiden. I just don't want to lose Mom after just getting her back over these guys." Ness, Amara, Sam and Dean looked conflicted, but they somewhat agreed with Catty. "Only if you want us to, Amara. What they did to you was worse than what they did to Ness and Ava, or Ariel, Faith and Aiden. And if you say screw them, well, screw them. I hate them, too. But I don't want to lose Mom."

Amara looked between them, sighing, hesitating. "I don't wanna lose her, either."

They looked at her sadly in sympathy and understanding.

  §   

Men of Letters Temporary Base - Outside

Sam, Dean and Catty pulled up to the compound, getting out of the car, walking toward where Mary was waiting.

Mary walked toward them nervously. "Thanks for coming."

"Thank Catty," Dean told her. "The peacemaker of a sister that doesn't want to see the family ripped apart no matter how pissed she is."

"Let me guess," Mary told them. "Cas, Ava, Sabrina, Ariel and Faith are with Levi looking for Kelly Kline, and Ness, Amara and Aiden are still at the Bunker. How's Amara?"

"Better," Dean answered.

"What's so urgent?" Sam asked.

"I messed up, Sam," Mary told him. "I know I messed up. But what the British Men of Letters are doing..." Dean scoffed softly. Mary looked at him sadly. "This is bigger than us, Dean. We've got a real shot here."

"Shot at what?" Catty asked.

Mary managed a small smile. "A world without monsters, Catty. A world where Sabrina, Ariel and Faith don't have to be pawns in some creature's game, thirst for power. A world where the three of you, Ness, Amara and Aiden don't have to hunt, where you all, including Cas and Ava, can have normal lives."

"This life chose us," Catty told her.

"I know," Mary told them. "Sam, you were going to school, to college. And I get why you gave it up. I get why Dean, Ness and Catty had to give up normal lives after what happened with Crowley and Brett Blake." Catty looked away. "I know that Cas and Ava are Angels and are probably never going to be normal, but they've both been Human, and if they wanted to, they could return that way once there were no more monsters or Demons coming for your family. You told me that there's this legend where Sabrina has to stop something huge but you don't know what it is, because it's written into Tablets only a Prophet like Sage Sanders can read, but you don't know where that Tablet is. But what if Sabrina, Amara, Ariel and Faith, and Aiden, can have normal lives? Where you can have your perfect life with Ness, Cas and Ava? A perfect life with Sabrina, Amara, Aiden, Ariel and Faith? What if there was a different future for you, for us? That's why I'm doing this. That is what I'm fighting for. I am not trying to recruit you, but you need to know." Mary backed away toward the base. "Things are changing. Please, just let me show you."

Mary used her hand scan to open the gate. Sam, Dean and Catty exchanged a look, not knowing what to do at first, but hesitantly walked inside.

§ 

Conference Room

Mary led her kids down the hall into the conference room. "It's, uh, just in here."

Sam, Dean and Catty looked around at the advanced tech and computers, set up.

"Wow," Sam told them.

"Believe it or not, this is just their temporary base," Mary told them. "The Brits talk like they're roughing it."

Mick walked toward them. "Sam, Dean and Catty Winchester. Can't assume that Ness Singer-Winchester and Amara Winchester are with you?"

"Do yourself a favor and don't ask about Ness and Amara after what your people did to them," Dean told him. "And Ava. While leaving Ariel, Faith and Aiden in the Bunker alone for hours defenseless. While Ariel and Faith were still babies."

Mick nodded. "Understood. My deepest and sincerest regards." He looked at Mary. "You didn't tell me your children were stopping by."

"Didn't know I had to," Mary replied.

Mick smiled a little, offering a hand to the siblings. "Anyway, welcome."

They looked at his hand but ignored it, looking around.

"Yeah, um, you know, I really dig the whole low budget Mission Impossible vibe, but I think we're gonna head back," Catty told them.

"You sure?" Mick asked. "You're just in time for the briefing."

"Mick," Mary told him.

"I mean, that is, if you wanna hear how we're gonna exterminate every last Vampire in America," Mick told them.

Sam, Dean and Catty looked at him skeptically.

§ 

The Bunker - War Room

Ness put Aiden in a highchair to feed him.

Amara stood, putting out food in front of Aiden on the little tray in front of him. "Well, Aiden gets to make a mess while eating again. This should be fun to watch."

Ness chuckled in amusement. "Aiden is two. That's what they do."

Aiden reached up to Amara. "Mar. Mar!"

Amara smiled, laughing at how cute he was being. "What?" Ness smiled in relief when she saw Amara smile and laugh again. "Mar's here."

Aiden saw a mirror behind Amara, seeing his reflection, confused. "Who that?"

"That's you," Ness answered. "That's you, Aiden."

"That me?" Aiden asked in a high voice.

Amara and Ness couldn't help but laugh.

"You know that once Aiden's done eating and you put him back in his crib, you know he's not gonna stay in bed when he can almost get out by himself now, right?" Amara asked.

"Yeah, but Aiden still can't do it alone, yet," Ness told her. "Luckily for  us."

Amara chuckled. There was a knock on the door, surprising them.

§ 

Men of Letters Temporary Base - Conference Room

Mick walked in to join everyone else, looking around in confusion. "Where's Brandon?"

"I don't know, Mick," Ketch told him. "Brandon's your son. You should learn how to keep better track of Brandon."

"He wasn't in his room and he isn't answering his mobile," Serena told them. "Should we wait?"

"No," Mick answered. "Brandon will be here shortly, I'm sure."

They looked around.

§ 

The Bunker - War Room

Amara walked upstairs to open the door, seeing Brandon on the other side of the door, surprised.

"Hello, Amara Winchester," Brandon told her.

"Brandon Davies," Amara replied. "What, Aunt Catty, Uncle Sam and my dad need help with Grandma Mary over at your place?"

"No, actually, I came to talk to you and Ness," Brandon answered. "And Octavia, if she's here."

"Well, Aunt Ava's not here," Amara told him. "She's with Sabrina, Levi, Uncle Cas, Ariel and Faith looking for something big." She nodded sarcastically. "Too bad they're not here, though, because they would hate to have missed you coming over, Brandon. Good talk."

Amara started to close the door.

Brandon put out a hand to stop the door from closing. "And while I understand that you're not feeling warmly disposed of me, I wonder, what's your disposition to this incredibly rare, unspeakably expensive, bottle of barrel proof Scotch? I hear your family is fond of drinks such as this. I didn't know everything that Toni Bevell had done to you, Ness, or your 'Aunt Ava'. Or that they left Ariel, Faith and Aiden unattended while Ariel and Faith were still infants. I didn't know what happened to you specifically, Amara."

"As you can assume, it's not something that I wanna talk about," Amara told him.

Brandon nodded. "But I wanted to apologize myself."

"Who told you?" Amara asked.

"Arthur Ketch," Brandon answered.

"Yeah, well, that Ketch guy sounds like a bit of a dick," Amara told him bluntly.

Brandon chuckled in amusement, nodding in agreement. "That would be an understatement. Amara, could I at least be allowed in to apologize for the things Toni Bevell did to you, Ness and Octavia? Aiden, Ariel and Faith?"

Amara hesitated, considering, sighing. "Since you and your dad helped me and my family and Levi find and save Aunt Catty, Uncle Sam and my dad from prison... you get ten minutes, Brandon."

Brandon nodded in agreement, walking inside. Amara sighed, closing the door.

§ 

Men of Letters Temporary Base - Conference Room

Mick was leading the conference for everyone. "Before we get started, we've got a few new faces." He pointed to a hunter. "This is Pierce Moncrieff, a hunter out of Baton Rouge. Pierce, meet Alton Morehead, our head of R&D, weapons development, spell work, that sort of thing. And Serena Colman, our Head of Security and Surveillance. And of course, you know Mary Winchester and her children, Sam, Dean and Catty." While everyone else were sitting down around the table, Sam, Dean and Catty remained standing. "Sam, Dean, Catty, please. Plenty of seats."

Sam shook his head. "We're fine."

"All right, then," Mick told them. "Let's begin."

"As most of you know, Phase One of Project V is nearly complete," Ketch told them. "Over the past months, we've focused our efforts on the NWR."

Mary looked at Sam, Dean and Catty to explain. "Midwest region."

"When we started our operation, there were 241 Vampires active across 12 states," Ketch explained. "While Sam, Dean and Catty Winchester were in prison, their family, Ness Singer-Winchester, Amara, Sabrina, Ariel and Faith Winchester, Castiel, Octavia and Levi had killed a lot of Vampires on their own, while either Mary or Levi were watching little Aiden Winchester. With that accounted for, and the Vampires that we ourselves have killed, there are only 11."

"Wait, what?" Catty asked. "Seriously? How?"

"You American hunters tend to see Vampires as criminals, rogues," Ketch told them. "One gets out of line, you show up, lop off its head, and leave town. We treat them more like terrorists."

Alton cleared his throat. "Uh, Vampires may typically hunt alone, or in small nests."

"Uh, not always true," Dean told them. "Ness informed me that some form large nests to kill man people, hunters and innocents, and that was proven of more than one nest that we've taken down. In and out of Purgatory."

"Your Ness knows what she's talking about," Ketch told him. "Scratch the surface, they're all connected, from the lowest drone, all the way up the chain to the top."

"To the Alpha," Sam told them.

Alton nodded. "Mm-hmm."

Mick leaned forward in his seat. "When we find a nest, we don't just charge in a la John Wayne, guns a-blazing." Dean scoffed. "We wait, we watch."

"We determine the size of the nest, its relationships to other Vampire groups," Ketch told them. "They tend to trade amongst themselves, information, victims."

Dean nodded in agreement, thinking about Ness, what she had told him, and what had happened to her.

"We're constantly expanding and refining our intelligence," Serena told them. "And when we've learned all we can, we go, we assemble a team--"

"And wipe them out," Mary finished.

"Now all the remaining NWR Vampires have bunkered up in an abandoned building near Wichita," Ketch told them, showing a map on the TV. "The Morest Hotel. They think they're safe."

"We've got the AVD locked and loaded," Mary told them.

"AVD: Anti-Vamp Device," Alton explained.

"Tomorrow, we ship out, raid the compound, terminate the colony, and, uh, complete Phase One," Mick told them.

"And then we move on to the rest of the country," Mary told them. "By the time we're done, there won't be a single bloodsucker left in America."

Catty sighed. "Well, can't say that Ness won't be happy about that. 'Cause she'll be very happy to hear about that."

Sam, Dean and Catty exchanged a look, still skeptic and cautious about the Brits, not wanting to fall for anything, but wanting to rid the monsters from the country as well, so that maybe their family could have a chance to have normal lives, like Mary said.

§ 

Morest Hotel - Room

A female Vampire was horrified. "They're dead. They're all dead. My whole nest."

A male Vampire sat next to her. "I know, dear. They got them." He handed a cup of blood to the female Vampire. "Drink. Get your strength back. It's Human and fresh." He took a whiff of the smell of blood. The female Vampire took the cup, drinking. "You're safe, you and all the others. See, I didn't choose this place for its ambiance, obviously. This? It's a fortress. No one gets in here without me knowing about it. No one."

The Alpha Vampire walked in. "Is that so? Hello, my children."

§ 

The Bunker - War Room

Aiden was sitting in his highchair. Ness, Amara and Brandon were sitting at the map table. Ness was drinking the Scotch that Brandon had brought, while Amara and Brandon were drinking water.

Brandon looked around. "Mm. Nice place. Quaint. Cozy. And that adorable kid must be Aiden Winchester. Nice to meet all of the Winchesters now." He looked at Amara. "Not much for small talk, are we?"

"Nope," Amara answered, taking a drink.

"Well, surely you have some questions," Brandon told them. "Why I'm here, for instance. Sam, Dean and Catty have gone to our temporary base to speak to Mary, and to see how we run things. My father and Mr. Ketch are with them."

"And you're here with us, why?" Ness asked. "Your father sent you here to try to talk to us? Try to talk us into joining you guys? Well, maybe they shouldn't have sent some chick to try to kill me and Ava, and nearly make Amara kill herself, Brandon. Leaving Aiden, Ariel and Faith here alone for God knows how long, when Ariel and Faith were still babies."

"I deeply apologize for Lady Bevell and her colleges," Brandon told them sincerely. "No one thought they would go rogue. My father doesn't know I'm here. I came here to apologize to you in person for things that shouldn't have happened."

"You think?" Amara asked, looking at her glass of water.

"I am sorry, Amara," Brandon told her. "To you, Ness, Octavia. Aiden, Ariel and Faith."

Amara looked at him critically, seeing that he was being sincere, sighing. "Your apology includes bringing a fancy bottle of rich people booze? So far, that is the only thing I am impressed of, Brandon. Besides you using a grenade launcher to blow up the Feds' SUV the first time we met."

Ness chuckled in amusement, taking a drink.

Brandon smiled a little. "Well, I'm glad that something has won you over, Amara."

"Not won over," Amara told him. "Just curious."

Brandon leaned forward to look from Amara to Ness. "Should I pique your interest, then? Let me just say that the Men of Letters is an excellent fit for someone with our inclinations."

"'Our'?" Amara asked. "As in you and me, and my mom?"

Brandon nodded. "Both of you are brilliant beyond compare, even if it is for very different reasons. Ness spending most of her life researching and hunting the supernatural because of what happened to her family." Ness looked down at her drink. "Amara being taken over by the Darkness and learning everything both of you could learn from the souls of thousands of people, the things that she learned while you were possessed by her... you remember everything that she remembers."

"Did Mary tell you all of this?" Ness asked.

"We put most of it together ourselves," Brandon answered. "Both of you learned so much more by what surrounds you now." He gestured around the library and bunker to prove his point. "We can teach you even more. You can hunt with Sam, Dean and Catty while Castiel, Octavia, Sabrina, Ariel and Faith are doing their thing with Levi, to make sure that they don't have to be in danger from anything else, to make sure that all of you return home safely, while your little Aiden is given the care that he needs, even when you are gone."

"Your people would look after Aiden while Amara and I hunt?" Ness asked skeptically. "No thanks. We might be willing to hear you guys out, but we are not willing to let you watch Aiden."

"Understood, and smart of you to be cautious," Brandon told them. "But both of you have had ugly pasts that you would rather avoid thinking about, taking up hunting to keep you busy. Am I wrong?"  Ness and Amara didn't answer, sighing. "The Men of Letters keep me busy. They point me in a direction, and bang. Off to the races. It's not a bad life. Speaking of..." Brandon took a drink of water. "Mm. Now that you've heard what I have to say... places to be, Vampires to behead."

"You got a line on Vamps?" Amara asked.

"I do," Brandon answered. "Interested? After we make sure that Aiden is put in proper care, of course. Could be with the others at the temporary base, or of a daycare of your choosing. If you want to come with me. Your choice."

Ness and Amara exchanged a look, more tempted than they wanted to admit, but still cautious and skeptic.

Amara turned to Ness. "Mom."

Ness knew she was going to ask to go, sighing. "Amara..."

"Come on," Amara told her. "After the last few hellish days, I could use a release, with hunting. And so could you. We could take Aiden someplace to be safe."

Ness sighed, looking at Amara. Brandon seemed impressed that Amara wanted to hunt so bad, but concerned by what was going on with their family, especially Amara after what he had learned that Toni and the others had done to her.

§ 

Men of Letters Temporary Base - Conference Room

Pierce walked up to the Winchesters. "Damn. Sam, Dean and Catty Winchester. Ness Singer-Winchester told me about you a long while ago. See, we worked a case together down the Atchafalaya."

"I heard," Dean told him.

"I tell ya, sure do miss hunting with Ness," Pierce told them. "But damn happy that you got a family of your own."

"Pierce?" Ketch asked. "Mary? A question."

Pierce and Mary walked toward Ketch.

Mick walked toward Sam, Dean and Catty. "So? Thoughts on our little operations?" They didn't answer. Mick looked at them knowingly, knowing they were still cautious and skeptic and suspicious, understanding why. "Mm-hmm. And our team?"

"Serena and Alton seem smart," Sam told him.

"Ketch seems like a bit of a dick," Dean told them, without realizing that Amara had said the same thing about Ketch to Brandon in the Bunker.

Catty scoffed. "Pierce. You know he calls himself 'The Hunter King of Baton Rouge'?"

"Brandon and I do, unfortunately," Mick answered.

"Ness knew him," Sam told him. "They worked together. Once."

Mick sighed. "Right, you see, truth is, your mother excepted, we've struggled to attract the, uh, top shelf of American hunters. Like you and your family. I understand your hesitation after what happened with Ness, Octavia and Amara. Aiden, Ariel and Faith. Especially Amara. We're just aiming for a way to rid the world of monsters so that hopefully, everyone gets to have the nice happy life. Including Sabrina, Amara, Aiden, Ariel and Faith."

Sam, Dean and Catty didn't want to fall for the line, but they were tempted by the thought of their children not having to worry about another monster ever again, to live normal lives if they wanted to.

§ 

Morest Hotel - Outside

Ness and Amara pulled up in Ness' Car, getting out. Brandon pulled over behind them on his motorcycle, getting off, walking toward them. He looked at a text from Mick, his father, on his phone.

Where the hell are you?

Brandon didn't answer the text, putting his phone away, walking toward Ness and Amara.

"Good recommendation for dropping Aiden off at somewhere safe, Brandon," Amara told him.

"A mark of approval from Amara Winchester?" Brandon asked.

"Don't get used to it," Amara told him. Brandon chuckled. "So what do we got?"

Brandon checked his phone. "10 bloodsuckers, give or take."

"Three against 10," Ness told them. "I like those odds."

"Yeah, the sun will be down in an hour, so we should move fast," Brandon told them. "Keep the rats from fleeing the ship."

Ness took out two machetes for herself and Amara. Brandon took out an AVD.

Amara seemed impressed with the weapon. "Fancy."

"You're right," Brandon told her. "This is too easy." He looked at Ness, gesturing to the machetes. "Got another of those?"

Amara and Ness were surprised but a little impressed. Amara took out another machete, tossing it to Brandon. Brandon caught it with ease, holstering the AVD flipping the machete in his hand, catching it by the hilt in his hand, smirking.

"Ready?" Amara asked.

Brandon nodded. "Always."

§ 

Inside

Ness, Amara and Brandon walked in, looking around.

"Place seems empty," Ness told them.

Brandon was confused as to where the Vampires were. "Yes. Curious."

§ 

Night - Men of Letters Temporary Base - Conference Room

Sam, Dean, Catty and Mary were watching the Brits and Pierce get ready for a hunt.

"This is why I asked you to come," Mary told them. "Even if you want no part of it, which I completely understand if you don't, you needed to know."

"So it wasn't a sales pitch?" Catty asked sarcastically.

Sam scoffed. "'Cause it was a good one."

"I hate this," Dean told them. "I hate them. But if Aiden and Amara get to have a normal life... If Sabrina, Ariel and Faith do, too..."

Catty sighed. "Yeah, I know."

They looked at each other, conflicted.

§ 

Outside

A man was standing guard for the base, hearing something, looking around. He turned around just as he was attacked from behind.

§ 

Morest Hotel - Lobby

After splitting up to check the place, Amara and Ness met back up with Brandon.

"We checked the area upstairs," Amara told him. "This place is a Ghost town. You got anything?"

"Yes," Brandon answered, pulling out the female Vampire. "I found her hiding in the basement with the corpses."

The Vampire seemed weakened and not in the best shape. "Let me go."

The Vampire lunged toward Brandon, but Brandon held her off with ease, holding the machete to her neck to make her stop from attacking him, though he didn't hurt her.

"Where are your friends?" Brandon asked.

"I don't know," the Vampire told them.

"Where are they?" Brandon asked. "You're gonna need to tell us where your friends are."

"And you'll let me go?" the Vampire asked.

"I'll make it quick," Brandon answered, not seeming to like the idea of killing, but knowing that some creatures had to be put down otherwise they would not stop.

Ness and Amara looked at Brandon in surprise.

"Hunting," the Vampire told them. "They went hunting."

"Hunting who?" Ness asked.

The Vampire took a deep breath. "The hunters."

Ness, Amara and Brandon exchanged a look. Brandon pulled back his machete to swing through the neck of the Vampire, beheading her quickly and cleanly without pain, keeping his promise.

§ 

Men of Letters Temporary Base - Conference Room

Serena sat at her computer to check on the surveillance footage of outside, seeing that the guard outside was missing. "Where's McGillicuddy?"

Everyone else walked closer to check, to see what was wrong.

McGillicuddy's body was put into view of the camera from below, clearly someone holding the body up in warning.

"What's happening?" Mick asked.

They watched the footage of several bloodthirsty Vampires trying to bust their way inside.

"It's the Morest Vampires," Mary told them. "They're here."

§ 

The Vampires used McGillicuddy's hand to use the hand scan to unlock the gate and get in.

"We gotta lock this place down, ASAP," Sam told them.

Mary spoke through a radio. "Fall back."

"Lock this place down now," Dean told them.

Everyone went to do something about the breach.

Catty tried praying. "Sabrina? Ariel? Faith? We're about to be ambushed by Vampires here."

"Praying to Sabrina, Ariel and Faith won't work while in the base," Mick explained. "Or Castiel, Octavia or Levi for that matter. There's warding all around the base for protection."

"Great," Catty told them sarcastically. "So we're on our own here."

Mary spoke through radio to the guards outside to warn them. "Fall back. Secure all exits. Do not engage. Fall back now."

§ 

Outside

A guard tried to get inside without being followed, but Vampires tore down the fence wall around the door to follow him inside, pushing him down, walking closer to kill him.

§ 

Hallways

Sam, Dean, Catty and Mary ran down one hallway to secure exits, holding machetes ready.

Serena, Alton, Mick and Ketch ran down another hallway to secure exits.

Sam, Dean, Catty and Mary found the four Vampires feeding on the guard they had killed.

Vampire 1 lunged toward Catty. Catty backed away enough to make him miss, punching him in the face, stabbing him in the stomach with her machete, making him double over, taking the blade out to decapitate him, letting him fall dead.

Sam kneed Vampire 2 in crotch, making him double over to kick him in the face, making him fall to the floor.

Mary and Dean decapitated the other two Vampires.

Sam, Dean, Catty and Mary nodded to each other. "Nice."

They continued on, securing the outside exit before more Vampires could get in.

Mary went to decapitate the Vampire that Sam knocked down.

Sam grabbed her arm. "Wait, wait."

§ 

Conference Room

Sam, Dean, Catty and Mary took the Vampire to the others, making him sit down.

"Doors locked?" Pierce asked.

"For now," Mary answered.

Ketch watched the footage. "The rest, they're spreading out, surrounding the building."

"How'd they find us?" Mick asked. "How'd they even know who we are?"

The Vampire laughed. "He told us. He's back to save us all. Our father."

"Your father?" Catty repeated skeptically. "The--The Alpha?"

"That's impossible," Serena told them. "Our intel has him in--in Morocco. He's been there for at least a decade."

"Wrong," Dean told them. "Ness, Sam, Catty and I saw him five years ago in Hoople, North Dakota."

"You're dead," the Vampire told them. "You're all dead."

The Vampire started to laugh, lunging for Sam. Sam swung his machete through his neck, killing him.

They all looked at each other anxiously.

"Your, uh, extermination plan, did it have any contingencies for this?" Sam asked.

"No," Mick answered.

Sam, Dean and Catty scoffed, nodding.

"Well, if this place wasn't warded up to the gills, I could call Sabrina, Ariel and Faith, they bring Cas, Ava and Levi, and they take out all the Vamps without breaking a sweat," Catty told them.

"Yeah, but it looks like this one is just on us," Dean told them.

"Comm's still out," Serena told them. "What about a scrying spell? If we can get a message to England..."

"No, we can't wait for backup," Sam told them.

"No, he's right," Mary told them. "This place was not built for defense, and those doors will not hold long."

"Okay," Catty told them. "Who here has ever killed... anything?" No one answered for a long moment. Pierce raised his hand. Catty sighed in annoyance, rolling her eyes. "Great."

They could hear the Vampires trying to break in.

"All right, we gotta arm up," Dean told them. "Everybody, weapons on the table. Blades, guns, spells."

Sam, Dean, Catty, Mary and Pierce put machetes on the table.

"Is this it?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Mick answered.

"That's not enough," Sam told them.

"Most of our weapons are in the Armory, including the AVD," Ketch explained.

"We could set it off in the vents," Mary suggested. "Maximize coverage, use the gas like the bug bomb."

"Will that kill the Alpha?" Mick asked.

Catty scoffed. "Kill? Doubt it. Hurt? Maybe. You got anything stronger?"

Mary and Ketch exchanged a knowing look.

"Where is it?" Mary asked.

Ketch sighed, walking out of the room to bring a box back to the room, opening it to reveal the Colt inside.

Sam, Dean and Catty looked at the Colt in shock, sighing.

Dean slowly picked the Colt up. "Where'd you get this?"

"I stole it," Mary answered. "From Ramiel."

"Yeah, but it doesn't work," Mick told them. "We've no bullets."

Sam scoffed. "Right." Sam, Dean and Catty were giving Mary a look for yet another lie that nearly got Castiel and Levi killed. Mary looked down in regret. "You're right. Right, um, okay. We make some, then." Sam grabbed a piece of paper and pen. "Got the recipe from Ness and her dad."

"Bobby Singer?" Mary asked.

"Yep," Catty answered. "All right, Mick, Ketch, you're gonna need Holy Oil, sage, and myrrh. Do you have that here?"

"Yeah," Ketch answered.

"Okay, uh, make a tincture, coat a silver bullet," Dean told them. "Use the spell. It'll mimic the original etchings."

Mick took the paper from Sam. "And that'll work?"

Catty scoffed. "It better. Otherwise, you got another one of those devices that you and Brandon used to power down the warding at the prison site so we can pray to Sabrina, Ariel and Faith, so they could bring Cas, Ava and Levi?"

Mick shook his head. "No. Afraid not. Brandon has it, and in case you haven't noticed, Brandon's not here."

"Then get to work," Sam told them. "Where's the Armory?"

"I'll take you," Mary told them.

"I got your back," Pierce told them, picking up a machete.

"Get to work," Dean told them. "Keep that door locked."

§ 

Hallway

Mary, Sam, Dean, Catty and Pierce ran down the hallway with machetes in hand.

Mary led the way. "This way. The Armory's out there."

They reached a door, nodding to each other, preparing themselves for when Sam opened the door, revealing a Vampire on the other side. Sam kicked him in the chest, making him fall. Another Vampire tried to push their way inside. Sam, Dean and Catty tried to close the door to keep them out.

Pierce grabbed Mary's arm. "Is there another way? Is there another way?!"

"Back there," Mary answered.

"Go," Catty told them. "We got them."

Pierce pulled Mary down the hall. "Come on, come on, come on!"

Three Vampires pushed the doors open. Sam, Dean and Catty turned to face them, holding their machetes ready.

§ 

Conference Room

Mick and Ketch were making the bullets for the Colt.

"All right," Ketch told them. "Let's get this spell going."

§ 

Armory

Mary and Pierce walked in.

Mary saw the AVD, walking toward it. "Got it."

§ 

On the Road

Brandon was driving his motorcycle down the road in a fast but safe speed toward the base. Ness and Amara followed in Ness' car.

"Mom, Brandon said that the base is heavily warded, even True Hybrid Warding," Amara told her. "Even if we called to Sabrina, Ariel and Faith, they wouldn't be able to get into the base, not until Brandon uses that device to knock out all the warding so that they could get in, with Levi, Aunt Ava and Uncle Cas to help save Dad, Aunt Catty, Uncle Sam, Grandma Mary, and Brandon's dad."

Ness sighed worriedly. "I know, Amara. So we just have to get there fast enough."

§ 

Men of Letters Bunker Temporary Base - Conference Room

Mick started to spell to create the Colt bullets. "Signum est im--imitandum. Signum est imitandum."

Pierce banged on the door. "It's me! Open the damn door."

Ketch opened the door for Pierce, letting him in. "What happened?"

"It's bad out there," Pierce told them. Alton was standing in front of the door, impaled in the back with the Alpha's claws, before the Alpha took out his claws and let Alton's body fall to the floor. Pierce smirked. "Pretty bad in here, too, huh?"

The others realized that Pierce sold them out.

Serena tried to run. "No."

The Alpha grabbed Serena, biting into her neck, feeding until she died. Ketch and Mick grabbed the Colt and the bullets. The Alpha let Serena's body fall, looking at them smugly.

§ 

Hallway

Sam, Dean and Catty decapitated four Vampires one by one, breathing heavily, looking at each other, nodding, walking along.

§ 

Conference Room

The Alpha and Pierce were with Mick and Ketch.

"Pierce, you're a hunter," Ketch told him.

"Yes," the Alpha agreed. "My hunter. Pierce and I have an arrangement. He keeps me off the radar, and I pay him very, very well."

"Alimony's a bitch," Pierce told them.

"I'm old," the Alpha told them. "I like living quietly. You've been making my life awfully noisy lately. You've killed so many of my children. I've seen your work. In England, I didn't get involved, because, well, it's England. But America, yes. America is my home. And it's time that you... get... off... my... lawn."

§ 

Armory

Sam, Dean and Catty walked into the armory to see Mary unconscious on the floor, running toward her. "Mom? Mom."

"Mom, hey," Catty told her. "Are you all right?"

They helped her sit up.

"Catty?" Mary asked.

"Yeah," Catty answered.

"What happened?" Dean asked.

Mary flashed back to when she had gotten the AVD, right before Pierce had knocked her out and destroyed the AVD. "We have to go."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, right, all right. We got you."

They helped Mary stand.

§ 

Outside

Brandon was kneeling on the ground, placing the device on the ground that would wipe out the warding in the building. Ness, Amara, Sabrina, Levi, Ariel, Faith, Octavia and Castiel were standing next to them.

"We're lucky you heard us when we were on the way," Ness told them.

"The warding's strong, but Brandon can put it down like he did for us when we were saving Dad, Uncle Sam and Aunt Catty," Amara told them.

The others nodded.

"Let's just get this over with," Levi told them.

Brandon activated the device. "All set. You first."

Brandon stood. They walked into the base, coming across stray Vampires. Ness, Brandon and Amara decapitated them with machetes, while Sabrina, Levi, Ariel, Faith and Castiel smote them dead, and Octavia beheaded them with her Angel Sword.

§ 

Conference Room

The Alpha looked at Mick and Ketch. "Here's what you're going to do. We will bring your communications back online. You will make a call to your superiors in London. You'll admit defeat. You will tell them to cancel this American incursion." Mick saw that Sam, Dean, Catty and Mary made their way into the room. "And then they will watch as I devour you, live, onscreen. Yes, it's a bit messy, but sometimes one does have to make a point."

Sam reached the Colt to take it out.

Catty hit Pierce over the head, knocking him out.

Sam aimed the Colt at the Alpha. "Don't!"

The Alpha chuckled, turning to face them. "Ah, my, my. Sam. Dean. Catty. Wonderful to see you again. Kind of disappointed not to see Ness with you this time. I heard about you finding your daughter Sabrina, Catty. Congratulations. The Colt. Powerful weapon. You are aware that there are five creatures on this Earth that gun cannot kill. I'm one of them."

"If that were true, we'd be dead already," Dean told him.

The Alpha glared. "That gun can't save all of you. And we all know that gun isn't loaded, otherwise you would have taken the shot." They heard fighting from outside of the room when Brandon, Amara, Ness, Castiel, Sabrina, Levi, Ariel, Faith and Octavia made their way inside. "Ah, there Ness is. With your family."

"Maybe the gun can't save everyone, but we can," Castiel told them. "Your children are all dead out there."

Faith appeared in front of the Alpha. "Just like you're about to be."

Faith put her hand on the Alpha's head, smiting him with a bright flash of light, burning him as he died. The body fell to the floor.

Everyone looked at each other in relief.

§ 

Brandon walked into the room where Mick was looking at the bodies. "Dad. Dad." Mick looked at him. "Castiel, Octavia, Levi, Sabrina, Ariel and Faith offered to bring them back."

Mick shook his head. "The Code states what dies should stay dead." Brandon rolled his eyes. "I saw that."

Brandon smirked. "All clear out there. The Winchesters and Levi helped save the day."

"And so did you, Brandon," Mick told him. "Where were you?"

"Apologizing to Ness Singer-Winchester and Amara Winchester on the behalf of everyone for what happened to them and Octavia," Brandon answered. "Took Ness and Amara out a hunt for Vampires when the Vamp we found sent us here. I took the warding down so that we could take out the army of Vampires out for our heads. They're all dead. It won't bother me if the Winchesters and Levi don't sign on after what happened between us and them. But it'll be great if they do. For the good of this country. Maybe we finally stop the wars. That was your goal, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Mick answered. "My goal. I'm not sure about the old men's goals."

"Well, the old men are always up to something," Brandon told him. "Something way out there that we can't control or can't know because they won't allow us to know. But be sure that if the Winchesters and Levi sign on, it's credited to me."

Mick nodded. "Credit is where credit is due. Thank you, Brandon."

Brandon turned to leave, but stopped, turning back. "Did you know everything they did to Ness, Octavia and Amara? Aiden, Ariel and Faith? Amara Winchester in particular?"

"I was made aware after the fact," Mick answered.

"Is something like that going to happen to all the American hunters?" Brandon asked.

Mick shook his head. "I don't know why you would think that."

"I hope not," Brandon told him. "No matter where they're from, no matter how they operate, they're Human. Maybe more so than the old men themselves."

Brandon walked out of the room, leaving Mick in stunned silence.

§ 

Garage

The Winchesters and Levi were getting ready to leave. Ketch brought Pierce, in chains, to a vehicle.

"Where you taking him?" Levi asked.

"We have ways of dealing with hunters who go rogue," Ketch told them. "They aren't pleasant."

The family spoke together. "Good."

They looked at each other in amusement, smirking a little, chuckling.

Sam wrapped an arm around Octavia, looking at Ariel and Faith, smiling. "Thank you for coming to the rescue." He looked at Ness, Amara, Castiel, Sabrina and Levi. "Like always."

"Well, we're getting used to it," Levi told them.

They chuckled.

"So, I see you're all made up," Castiel told them. "I'm glad."

Catty smiled, wrapping an arm around Castiel and Sabrina on either side of her, who both smiled small smiles. Sabrina reached out to hold Levi's hand, as the two looked at each other and smiled.

"I am, too," Ariel told them. "Because, I gotta say, I'm not really comfortable with all the family fighting."

"It's getting really awkward," Faith agreed.

They all chuckled.

"Yeah, we're good." Ness answered.

Octavia sighed. "Mary, I said some things that I--"

"No," Mary told her. "No, you were right to say those things, Ava. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier. Any of you. But I hope you understand why I'm doing what I'm doing."

"Trying to give us all a happy, normal life after all the hell we've all been through?" Sabrina asked. "I wish I could see the end, but I can't."

"Maybe the end is with them," Mary told them. "By working with them. And Ava apologized for the things she's said, but I haven't yet apologized for what I said..."

"No, Mom, you were..." Dean trailed off, sighing. "It's not your job to make my lunch and kiss me good night. It's... Sam, Catty and I are adults. Sabrina, Amara, Aiden, Ariel and Faith are our kids. You're gonna make your own choices, even if we don't like them. Even if we really, really don't like them. That's just something I'm gonna have to get used to. Okay, Mom?"

Mary smiled at the fact he called her Mom again. "Yeah. Amara..."

Amara sighed, nodding. "I'm okay. Really." She looked toward where Brandon was standing, sighing, looking at the others. "I'll be back." They nodded. Amara walked away toward Brandon, nodding. "Brandon."

"Amara," Brandon replied. "If you and your family, and Levi hadn't been here tonight, everyone in this base would have died. Including my father. So thank you."

"Yeah, I was about to thank you, too," Amara told him. "By letting me and my family, which we include Levi in, by the way, inside, we were able to save our family. We got the kills. We killed all the Vampires that came to attack. No one got away. That's what matters."

"Hardly an advertisement for the British Men of Letters, though," Brandon told her. "Caught unawares with our proverbial pants down." Amara chuckled in amusement. Brandon smiled a little. "Believe it or not, Amara, we're not--"

"My grandmother's gonna be working with you," Amara told him. "And the line Ketch and your dad sold to my dad, aunt and uncle... about making the states free of monsters and villains, so that me and my cousins and Aiden can live in a world without threat... so that we might have a normal life... that's all they've ever wanted, Brandon." Brandon nodded in understanding. "Which is why they're probably in. So that they can save us from our doomed lives."

"I told you before, Amara," Brandon told her. "We all want the same thing."

"I don't know if I believe that," Amara told him. "But I know that I believe you. I have a pretty good sense of when someone is lying, Brandon, and I know you're not lying. But just because you're not lying doesn't mean that you're not being lied to."

"Meaning?" Brandon asked.

"Meaning that I don't trust the people that you work for," Amara answered. "Not after what they did." Brandon nodded in understanding. "But if it means that my brother Aiden gets to grow up without having to become a broken shell of a person like the rest of my family..."

Amara didn't finish, sighing.

"We're not the bad guys, Amara," Brandon told her.

"I'm sure that you're not a bad guy, Brandon," Amara told him. "I'm not sure about the rest of the people involved. Tonight was bad, no doubt. But the Alpha Vampire is dead. You're changing the world, and my family wants to be a part of a change that can help save me and my cousins and Aiden. But if one more thing goes wrong, if any of us are hurt by this organization again, you know that we will burn it to the ground and anyone who tried to harm us or other, innocent people."

Brandon nodded. "I know. You won't have to worry about me crossing any of you."

Amara looked at him, sighing. "I know. Other people? I'm not so sure. But as long as you understand what will happen if any one of you tries to hurt my family or other people again..."

"I understand," Brandon answered. "Can't say that I blame you, either. If I was in your shoes... I would probably say the same."

"You're not like the others," Amara told him. "You're better."

Amara walked away toward her family, including Levi. The family smiled as they embraced in pairs in relief, getting ready to leave. Brandon watched them thoughtfully, knowing that Amara was serious about her promise, and not blaming her for saying it after what happened to her, Ness and Ava.