-1Dean sped down the road, his dark eyes on the emptiness in front of them. The silence between him and Sam thickening. Finally the car screeched to a stop, sending the taller of the two jerking forward.

Sam cursed under his breath. "What is your problem?"

"My problem is that you kept this phone call a secret from me for a week," Dean fought to keep his calm. "We weren't ones to have many friends when we were kids. We were barely allowed to leave where ever it was we were staying that week. But the only family Dad let us keep in contact with when we were that young were the Troys. Hell the only person I remember being around that was our age was Ann."

Sam let out a sigh. "Look, it's not like we've had a big enough break lately that I could have told you. But I did and we're about to go to her parents funeral. So don't blame me for being just as upset as you are."

"They were hunters like Dad, death happens, Sam." Dean kept his eyes out the window.

"And like Dad, they were like family," Sam pointed out.

Silence fell between the brothers. Finally Dean gave a growl and slammed both fists against the car horn. "Why didn't they keep in touch? We've tried to keep in touch with them."

"Ann didn't say, but then again she didn't seem like she was really in the mood to talk." Sam leaned back in the car seat. "She was more trying not to cry."

Dean sighed and stared the car back up. "How far away from California are we?"

Sam studied their bare desert surrounding before down at the map in his lap. "We're about five hours away."

The silence between them grew thick again as they sped down the road again.

-----

The brother sat in the car outside a large house with the cliché white picket fence for what felt to be hours. Both were dressed in black suits and had watched the last five guests enter the house. They would have walked inside but when the first caught sight of Ann neither of them felt like they were awake. They had images of the little girl with blonde hair in pigtails. She had been dressed in jeans and pink t-shirt, her sneakers were pink to match the shirt. The woman they saw greet the guests wasn't that girl. Her hair was jet black and down her back with blue tips. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that accented her pale skin. Her jeans were now black, as was her shirt and her shoes. Of course the occasion called for such a look but it was obvious that her whole wardrobe was of a similar fashion. The only thing that let them truly know it was the old Ann was her eyes. At a distance you could still see the bright blue eyes shining.

Dean finally got out of the car and Sam followed. "Dean I'm worried. I haven't seen one person that I recognize walk into that house."

"Sammy, look at where we are. In a quaint little neighborhood where everyone has a picket fence and two point five kids and a dog." Dean fidgeted with his tie as if it were choking him. "You're worried about the people going into the house? I'm more worried to know what killed Ann's parents because by the looks of it, they stopped hunting years ago."

Reality hit Sam as he looked around the very suburban neighborhood. He swallowed hard before his eyes fell back on his brother. "Well it seems that we've got a case to work on after the funeral."

Dean sighed. "One that we can't leave to do because if they went after Ann's parents, how do we know she's not next on their list."

Sam laughed in disbelief. "And what if her parents died of something natural and not supernatural."

"Only one way to find out." Dean turned on his heels and walled up the cobblestone path to the front door. He raised his hand to knock before it fell to his side. "I can't do it. I can't knock."

Sam rolled his eyes as he elbowed his brother out of the way. He lifted his hand and gave the door two firm knocks. Before his hand lowered, the door opened and Ann's blue eyes were staring back at them.

"Sam? Dean?" Ann arched a black eyebrow up at the two brother. She gave a soft sound of happiness before she threw her arms around Sam. Her happiness soon faded. "I'm so glad you guys could make it." Her arms untwined from the tall frame and she moved to hug Dean. "I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch. When mom and dad gave up on their past, I was suppose to get rid of any connections I had." She moved aside so that they could walk inside before she closed the door behind them.

"I'm rather surprised you're having the viewing at your house at not at the church near the cemetery," Dean pointed out as his eyes caught sight of a variety of family photos. His eyes scanned over them. Ann's parents never seeming to change, but Ann herself got darker and more distant in each photo until the most recent one where there was no hint of a smile anywhere but her eyes. He finally turned his attention back to the big question on my mind. How did your parents die?"

Ann averted her eyes to the floor and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I told everyone else they died of a heart attack but the obvious truth is they were drained of their blood. I wasn't sure what had done it because it didn't look anything like a vampire attack. But to be sure I had to stake them." She started to cry as she lifted her gaze back up to the brothers. "I had to stake my own parents"

Sam moved closer so as to keep his voice down. "How long ago did this happen?"

"You two were the first people I called when I found them." Ann looked down the hall at the two caskets in the living room. "That's why I didn't talk much. It was getting dark and I had to take care of things just in case."

The brothers followed her gaze down the hall. A group of people were gathered around the closed caskets. One of them had started singing a hymn and the other's had joined in.

"No one has questioned why the caskets are closed?" Dean questioned.

Ann shook her head. "No. But I had to have closed caskets. People would get suspicious if they were open and empty."

Sam sighed. "We should join them huh?"

Ann gave a nod and slowly walked towards the group. Her voice joining into the song.