AN: Okay, so I've been playing around with this idea for a while now, and decided that I will finally put it into effect. So, as stated in the main summary, this series of (mostly) one-shots will encompass the Supernatural world and anything that pertains to the supernatural. That being said, I may or may not strictly follow the lore surrounding what I draw inspiration from, and I might make up my own stories from scratch. I will mostly be doing one-shots, though I may be inspired to expand some ideas. Updates will be sporadic. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated, and if you have any ideas or prompts you want me to run, PM me (or just review if you're a guest, I guess). Pairings are up for discussion, but I'm pretty hardcore into Poker Pair (Laven's good too) and I don't particularly like Yullen or Allena (sorry). Hope you enjoy!


Summary: As a young skinwalker Allen is quick to learn what he is and what he needs to do to survive. But when a young human takes him in off the street, he starts to realise there's more to life than just surviving. He lives happily with the two brothers, until one realises what Allen is and deems him a threat. Will Allen live happily ever after with his newfound family, or will he die at the hands of the ones he loves most? GEN, AU, Inspired by the Supernatural season 6 ep All Dogs Go To Heaven

Genre: Family, Supernatural, Drama - Rating: M for violent themes - Characters: Allen, Mana, Neah, Katerina

WARNINGS: there is a pretty damn gory bit, minor character deaths, possible OOC, light swearing


Allen stretched his paws out languidly, or paw really, since the other was trapped rather tightly underneath his human. He let out a wide yawn, stretching further over the man sleeping soundly beside him. He cracked a single eye open, eyeing the man before flicking his attention towards the window. It was nearly daybreak, they'd have to get up soon. He let out a huff, tucking his head over Mana's neck and closing his eye to wait for the alarm. Minutes passed before his ears picked up a sharp click, and soft, melodic music begun to play. Allen had always loved the music box Neah made for his brother. He cracked his eye open again to see Mana ignoring it. As usual. Allen stretched again, forcing himself away from the comfort of his sleeping human. He pressed his nose to the man's cheek, licking after a moment of inactivity. Mana giggled happily, but still refused to move.

"Come one Mana, get up." Allen huffed, not that the human could understand him. He was just a dog, after all. Well, sort of. There was the tidbit that he could turn into a human, and had to eat hearts to survive, but he preferred his life as Mana's canine friend. Having a loving family was far preferable to living on the streets. He pushed the thought aside, for now, and went back to trying to wake his human.

He let out a low woof, nudging Mana's cheek, but the man simply groaned and rolled over. Allen rolled his eyes. How could his human be so lazy? Sleep was nice, yes, but going on walks through the forest trail were far more appealing in his opinion. Then again, he didn't have to work, so there was that… He huffed again when Mana continued to snooze, and decided desperate times called for desperate measures. He stuck his head as far under Mana's body as he could, the man grumbling all the while, and promptly flipped him off the bed. Mana landed with a yelp and a thud. He reached up for purchase, almost pulling the blanket down on top of him as he dragged himself into a seated position and perched his chin on the bed.

"Allen~ That was mean~" Mana whined, scrunching up his face when Allen licked him. "Alright, alright, I'm up." He complained, scrubbing his face as he stood slowly. His eyes were still closed and he let out a wide yawn, stretching on the tips of his toes. Allen heard a loud pop sound from the man's back and Mana sighed, slumping back down and shuffling towards the bathroom. After washing his face the man finally looked somewhat awake, his hair a relative birds nest as he trailed downstairs for breakfast. He made a beeline for the kitchen, but stopped to pout at the door on his way through. Neah hadn't been home in over a month, and Mana was missing him terribly. Honestly, Allen didn't know how the man could stand to leave Mana alone for such extended periods, he was far too lonely by himself. Then again, he wasn't really by himself, he had Allen. But as far as they knew, Allen was just a dog, and dogs were not humans, no matter how they tried.

He brushed the thought aside, following Mana into the kitchen. He watched the man rifle through the cupboard for a moment before pulling out a bowel and heading to the fridge. Allen trotted towards the pantry, carefully grabbed a box of oatmeal in his jaw and brought it out, easily shoving it onto the bench. Mana laughed lightly, petting him with a quiet 'thank you'. Allen followed him around the kitchen, watching as he pulled out another bowl and poured some for both of them. He heated them up until they were gooey mush, added some honey and plopped onto the couch, putting Allen's on the cushion beside him. Allen carefully hopped up beside him and they ate their breakfast together. Neah didn't like it when they ate on the couch, since it was hard to clean if they made a mess. Though Allen was fairly sure Mana only did it in silent protest to his brother's escapades.

After breakfast they went on a run through the fields, chasing each other and playing until Mana's watch beeped, signalling that he needed to get ready for work. The man left Allen some lunch out, a nice helping of chicken and a cored apple, and went on his way. The Skinwalker waited until he was sure Mana was gone before shifting into his human form. He put his lunch back in the fridge for later, and went outside to hunt. It was always best to eat a heart first, and then have lunch, otherwise he would still feel hungry afterwards. Damn humans and their getting him addicted to three meals a day… not that he really minded. Besides, eating later also helped with hiding the smell from his hunt. Allen smiled fondly at the simple thought of Mana, and set off at a run. Hunting was always an easy routine to settle into, go into the forest, take a deep breath to catch the smell of an animal and then run. Sometimes it was quick, other times it took hours and he worried Mana might get home before him, but it never happened.

Today was one of the quick days. He picked up a scent easily and began the chase. A deer. Allen crept closer, and pounced. A leap, a bite, a quick snap and the deer was dead. The teen often wondered if he should bring his kills back to save the twins money, but as quick as the idea came he threw it away. God knows how his humans would react if they found out he'd been out hunting when they were gone. After he'd finished eating, he ran down to the stream, cleaned up and ran home. Allen flopped onto the couch and stretched languidly, slowly eating the food Mana had left for him. He settled comfortably after he was done, shifted back into a dog and closed his eyes. Allen woke to hearing the door swing open and Mana's cheerful greeting. He yawned widely before letting off a small bark of greeting back. Mana giggled when he came in to see Allen sprawled on the couch on his back.

"You're such a weirdo…" He laughed, rubbing Allen's belly. The Skinwalker yipped happily and aimed a lick at the man's face as Mana chortled happily. The man pressed a kiss to his muzzle and cuddled up to him. Allen let the man roll them so he was on the couch and Allen was settled on top of him. The teen stretched with a yawn and snuggled up, tucking his snout under Mana's chin. The man giggled again, arms wrapped around Allen in an approximation of a hug and running his fingers through his fur.

"Hey, Allen, let's go for a walk." Mana suggested, his tone bordering on a whine. Allen perked up immediately, nodding his head in agreement and jumped up from his position. Mana grinned, and headed straight to the door. They had ditched the leash years ago, when Allen proved that he wasn't about to run off if they let him go, and if he did, he always came back.

It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set behind the trees, casting a deep, golden glow on everything the light touched. They started off at a jog, veering towards the forest trail they always used. Allen always had to take care not to hunt too close to the trail, he didn't need his precious humans freaking out over nothing. They jogged and ran intermittently, only walking for brief breaks. They were about three quarters through the trail when Allen stopped suddenly, ears flattening as he growled low in his throat. That smell… He knew that smell. That wasn't a good smell! He let out a guttural snarl as he saw the shadow of a person in the woods. Mana tensed beside him, but Allen didn't look up. There was only one, Allen could deal with it. The shadow prowled closer, just enough so that the Skinwalker could make them out. The teen looked to be only a few years older than him, and his single eye was glued on Mana. Allen gave a harsh bark, snapping the vampire's attention to him.

"Back off!" He snarled, gnashing his jaw threateningly. "You touch him and I'll rip your head off!" The vampire sized him up, chewed on his lip, nodded, and slowly backed away. Allen waited until he could no longer hear footsteps before he tugged on Mana's pant leg, quickly leading his human away. The Skinwalker paused every now and then, listening and sniffing the air to make sure they weren't being followed, and soon made it out of the forest unhindered. He huffed. Should've known it was a bad idea to go for a walk this late…

Allen circled Mana's legs once in comfort before walking through the familiar fields to get home. Mana was jumpy for the rest of the night, eyes darting to every shadow and flinching at every small sound, not relaxing until they were both inside and his back was pressed firmly against the locked door. Mana sighed in relief and slumped down next to Allen, who immediately crawled into his lap. As much as he could anyway. He wasn't a puppy anymore, and was far too large to curl up in the man's lap now. Mana gave him a soft smile, running his fingers through Allen's fur to calm himself down. Eventually, they made their way upstairs to get ready for bed. When he was done, Mana peered out his window, closed the curtains once satisfied and climbed into bed. Allen let himself stretch languidly before jumping up and taking his place next to his wonderful human. The Skinwalker settled right against the man, stretching his paw over his chest and propping his head over Mana's neck. Only once Mana's breathing had evened out did Allen let his eyes slip closed, and drifted into dreams of a different time.


Allen, or Red as he had been back then, had learnt quickly what he was and what he had to do to survive. He was a Skinwalker, a monster with the ability to transform from a human into an animal (a dog in his case), and he had to eat hearts to survive. Which was a bitch, really. Honestly, it was hard enough to survive on the streets as it was, but the extra burden of needing to eat hearts? It was seriously a pain. Lucky for him though, he seemed to be different than others of his kind. While they needed human hearts specifically, Allen could survive perfectly well off animal hearts, which were far easier to obtain. Though he also learnt quickly that people didn't appreciate it when he killed their pets, so most cats and dogs were off the table. Rats were small and kinda gross, but it got him through the day, and that was what mattered. You couldn't afford to be picky with your food on the street, after all. He was around six when everything changed.

Red had been in his human form that day, sitting in a damp side-street to escape the worst of the rain. A human only a few years older than himself had passed by, then turned back. Red had thought he was lost. But the boy stared at him in worry, even when his brother tugged at him to hurry up because they were getting wet. The boy stared for a moment more, before doing something that shattered Red's world. He took off his raincoat and wrapped it around Red's shoulders. The red-head was so shocked that for a moment he couldn't move, and only stared as the boy gave him a brilliant smile and waved as he ran off with his brother. After a moment, Red was finally able to move, drawing the coat around himself tighter and scowling into the night. All he could think was why? Why had that human given him his coat for nothing? Humans were cruel creatures, and Red didn't care what happened to them. Why was that one different? Was he different? The child pushed the thought aside, and huddled in on himself against the cold. A single act of kindness didn't make up for years of abuse.

It was barely a week later when he saw the boy again. It was sunny today, so Red could see him far better. Dark, curly hair and pretty golden eyes, his brother was the same. He smiled at Red so warmly that the boy faltered in shooing him away. It wouldn't do either of them any good to be seen together, after all. People were not fond of him. He could already see a few dirty looks aimed at them. Red almost sneered. Surely, he wasn't worth the trouble. Surely, this boy was trouble. The older boy seemed to sense his apprehension and turned to see them. Several adults were glaring at him with unhidden disdain. Red was different, even as a human. He couldn't control his transformation properly, and his arm always got stuck. Half-human, half-dog. The shape was relatively normal, but his whole arm was covered in short, soft fur the colour of his hair. Rust-red. It stood out. He swallowed back a sneer and turned to leave. He didn't need another beating… A small hand stopped him. He turned to snarl when something was shoved in his mouth. Something warm and soft and delicious.

Red couldn't stop himself from eating the burger, though he scowled heavily while doing so. He gave the older boy a suspicious look, much to his apparent humour. He giggled happily, pulling the wrapper back when Red got too close to it, feeding him with a brilliant smile. The brother never strayed too far, though he was currently sneering at the adults who were giving his twin filthy looks. This continued with startling frequency for almost a month before Red broke the streak. It was raining again, and the human adults had attacked him. They beat him and called him horrible things, freak, scum, monster. Nothing new, and it was technically true, but it still hurt. He would heal quickly, but he couldn't defend himself properly with broken bones. So he shifted. Not as many humans were cruel enough to attack a defenceless puppy. But that was when the boy came. Red was using his coat as a blanket, but the boy wouldn't recognise him as a dog. No. But this was when Red's life changed forever. When he became Allen.

Mana, as Red had learned was his name, came into the alley with an umbrella and a smile. The smile quickly dropped when he saw no sign of human-Red. He looked around in confusion, coming to a stop in front of Red in his animal form. He dropped to his knees and ran his hand over his coat with a frown, looking around again. He recognised the coat, but not the usual wearer. Which was fair enough, Red thought, since most people didn't just turn into dogs. The boy looked him over and began patting him gently. It felt surprisingly nice, the soft touches on his bruised skin. He wondered if getting pet always felt like this, but the nicety didn't last. Red couldn't help the small whine of pain when the boy brushed his broken leg. The boy gasped, flinching away as if he'd been burned. The worry in the little boys face was enough to make Red want to cry in frustration. Why was this boy so different? Why was he so good without needing anything in return? Red didn't understand… Mana quickly bundled Red up in the coat and gently cradled him in his arms, not caring if he got himself wet or dirty. The boy searched the side-street and surrounding alleyways for human-Red, before his brother finally forced him to go home. With Red still clutched in his arms.

Red thought it was fair to call their home a mansion, the large building far bigger than any house the Skinwalker had ever seen. The house was painted in warm colours of earthy reds and creams, fitting in quite well with its surroundings. It was strange though, how far out of town it was. The building was surrounded by a large field of wheat, a solitary tree the only other obstruction for at least a mile. The boys tore through the field easily though, barely stopping for the unlocked door to open. Neah took off his coat, and both twins waited patiently just inside the door. Red poked his head out of his bundle of coat to see why. It didn't take long. Only a few moments had passed when a beautiful woman came into the entryway with a stack of towels and fresh clothes. She had the same dark curls, with warm brown eyes and a look of fond exasperation on her face as she looked the boys over. Her eyes stopped on Red with a hint of surprise.

"Welcome home my little loves." She said warmly, coming to a stop before the two boys and kneeling in front of them. "What have you got there, Mana?"

"Hi mum!" Mana greeted enthusiastically, puffing up to show her his little bundle of glory. "It's a puppy, I found him in the street where I usually feed the little boy, but he wasn't there and I couldn't find him anywhere, but the puppy was hurt so I had to bring him home cos –" The woman laughed as Mana stumbled over his words in an effort to tell his story, the words coming out in a jumbled rush. Mana pouted lightly, but held Red out gently.

"Can we keep him?" He pleaded, pouting adorably at his mother and giving her his best puppy eyes. The woman giggled again, running her hand through his hair. Red frowned, as much as he could do anyway. He wasn't just some puppy this kid could kidnap! Well… technically he was, but he wasn't! He was a Skinwalker dammit, not some run of the mill dog. He was a person too, no matter what anyone else said. But the woman simply smiled.

"Of course you can, but you have to take good care of him okay?" She answered firmly. Mana beamed as he nodded eagerly. "What are you gonna call him?"

"Allen!" Mana chirped immediately, and the woman laughed lightly.

"Alright, strip off and straight to the bath with you." Red had never had a bath before, not like this. The water was warm, and he shivered as his body was carefully submerged so that just his head was above the surface. The best Red could do on the street was wash with puddles, and that was only if he didn't need to drink it. The warm water soaked his fur, and the warmth seeped into his skin. He sighed in content letting himself relax in the older boys arms against his better judgement. He still didn't know if he could trust these humans, no matter how nice they seemed. He'd seen too much unpleasantness disguised as nicety to trust this. Too many children kidnapped or worse when people gave them pretty words. He shivered, tensing up, then Neah was gently patting him.

The motion was soothing, a gentle motion on top of his head and slowly moving down his back. Once Red was suitably relaxed again, the two started soaping him up. The Skinwalker had never used soap before and made the mistake of opening his eyes, only to close them against the stinging burn. He yelped, struggling to get away from his captors and flinching when pain erupted from his still-broken bones. He heard a shushing noise and water was poured over his eyes, washing away the soap. Red carefully blinked his eyes open. It was still sore, but the stinging had faded. He shook his head, that was nasty. He glared up at them, but let them off with a warning growl. The boys continued washing him gently, massaging the dirt from his fur and skin until he was clean. Red didn't even remember the last time he was properly clean. After the boys finished washing up, they hopped out and dried him with a machine that blew hot air. He was fairly sure he heard the woman calling it a "hair drier". Made sense really.

After that was done, he was carried back downstairs and gently placed on the couch. He stretched on the soft cushion, wincing as his injuries protested. Red sighed. It felt like he was lying on a cloud. He heard Mana giggle and cracked an eye open to glare at the older child. His response was to give the Skinwalker even more pets. After dinner (Red got a full plate of chicken all to himself!) and another hour or two of watching the twins read, Mana brought him upstairs and laid him on a large bed. Red huffed as the two got changed, went to the bathroom and settled in on either side of him. They were practically trapping him in! Red ruffed and tried to move, but then they were gently petting him again. The animal scowled, but it still felt really nice so he let them go. Their mother checked in on them once, before closing the door and walking away. Finally, the boys stilled completely, their breathing evening out as they fell into the land of dreams.

Red took a moment to simply breath, and gathered his bearings. He was in a strange house with humans who had been feeding him almost every day for weeks. He shouldn't be questioning this, or should he? Red didn't know what to do… So he shifted, letting his form melt back into human and flinching when his healing bones protested the extra weight. He lightly crawled over the body closest to the door, slipped off the bed and snuck over to the exit. The child quietly opened the door and crept out, sneaking downstairs and heading for the door. He stopped abruptly when he heard movement, hurriedly shifting back into his puppy form. The boys' mother came in from another room, a stern look on her face that soon melted into shock when she saw him.

"Allen? What are you doing out here?" She asked quietly, looking around and behind him. She scooped him up gently and took him back upstairs. Red huffed. He was hungry. While the human food was good for helping fill his belly, it did nothing for the gnawing hunger that came with being a Skinwalker. He needed a heart. The woman snuck into the twins room and carefully placed Red on the bed between them. She fussed over the children for a moment, brushing their hair away from their eyes and pulling the blanket up a bit further before once again leaving. Red sat up. He was hungry and he needed a heart. But he couldn't sneak out with their mother downstairs. He couldn't wait for her to sleep either. Red shrugged, he didn't care. Humans were cruel, and it was their fault for kidnapping him in the first place. He shifted back into his human form and knelt over the boy, watching him as he slept. He reached down, hand brushing the child's throat. Mana shifted in his sleep, murmuring quietly. Red paused, staring down at him.

"Allen…" Mana sighed, smiling happily. Red stared, and his face softened just slightly. He brushed back the stray lock of hair that had fallen back into the older child's face, and got off the bed. He went for the window this time, sliding it open quietly, climbing out and using the drainpipe as a makeshift ladder. It hurt, and he cursed Mana for making him soft, but he continued anyway. Once he made it down, he shifted back into a dog and listened carefully, sniffing the air. There! He crept through the field and pounced. The rabbit shrieked in fear, but Red swiftly snapped its neck. He ate quickly, stripping the rabbit down to its bones, and headed back. He shifted into his human form, climbed the drainpipe once more and stuck his head through the window. He paused for a moment to check his surroundings and listen. The twins were still asleep and their mother was still downstairs. Good. He climbed back inside and snuck into the bathroom, washing his face before shifting back into his other form and settling in the corner of the room.

He woke again when he heard the rustling of sheets. He opened an eye to see Mana sitting up with a groggy expression. It was still dark, the sun probably wasn't going to come up for at least another few hours. Why was the boy awake? Mana peered around the room sleepily until he spotted Red in the corner, then practically fell out of bed and stumbled towards the animal. He scooped the Skinwalker up and carried him back to their bed, dumping him (gently) on the bed between the two. Red huffed and settled, knowing the boy wasn't going to let him go again. Mana gave a pleased hum and curled around him. Red closed his eyes, for once comfortable and warm. It was in that sleepy state of mine that Allen made a decision. As long as the humans weren't cruel and he was welcome, he would stay.

Over the years, Allen's fur gradually lightened into a snowy white, which Mana seemed to adore. He fawned over the dog and was consistently running his fingers through his soft coat. The Skinwalker hadn't cared either way, but if it pleased his human then he decided it was a good thing. He lived with his humans peacefully, growing much larger and expanding his hunting grounds into the nearby forest. There was a stream nearby, which was good for cleaning up afterwards. Katerina tended to check on the boys if he used the tap too much. He played with the twins every day, running through the fields and going on walks through a forest trail they discovered. He was always well fed, and the twins showered him with affection (well, Mana did anyway, Neah mellowed out fairly quickly and took to simply petting him absentmindedly). Overall… The Skinwalker was happy. Something he had never thought possible. It was only natural that things had to go wrong…


Katerina died when the boys were twenty and Allen was fifteen. They had come home like any other day, only to find horror waiting for them inside. Allen smelt it before they had even opened the door. Blood. He growled low in his throat, ears pressed flat against his skull, warning his humans that something was wrong. They both paused, looked at each other and rushed inside as quickly and carefully as possible. They barely made it past the door when they both froze, paling dramatically as their faces fell in horror. Mana's scream tore through the silence and Allen pushed past them, hackles raised in defence. He forced himself to focus on the man standing above his mother-figure, instead of at her bloody body on the floor. He snarled, but the man merely grinned widely.

"Welcome home~" He sung, sweeping his arms wide as he looked at the boys. "I was waiting for you~" It was then that Allen noticed his teeth, far too sharp for a human.

"Vampire." He snarled. The man blinked, his attention finally coming to focus on Allen. He looked slightly bemused, but otherwise unconcerned. His eyes trailed lazily back up to the boys.

"Don't worry about your lovely mother~" He crooned, a mad grin slipping onto his face and his voice turned to a snarl. "You'll be joining her soon enough!"

Allen didn't wait for further invitation, he lunged forward, aiming high to knock the creature down. He didn't know much about vampires, only that you couldn't kill them by conventional means. He figured tearing its head off would be a good start. He hit hard and the man stumbled from shock, but he recovered quickly. Snarling, he raked sharp nails through Allen's skin, leaving long gashes behind. Allen yelped in pain, but ignored it and went for the vampire's throat. The vampire jerked back, gripping the dog tightly to stop his attack. He didn't waste any time in throwing Allen across the room. Allen hit the wall with a sickening crunch.

"Allen!" He heard Mana scream, and forced himself to stand through the haze of pain. He snarled, in both hurt and warning. He wasn't going to let this stop him. The man sneered, and focused yet again on the twins. Neah immediately stepped in front of his brother. Mana was a mess, switching between fury and grief and fear. There was too much to lose. Allen focused his healing on the most important parts, things he needed, and moved. The vampire spun around in annoyance as he heard Allen's snarling approach, but wasn't prepared for the speed he was moving. Evidently he didn't understand how easy it was to ignore pain when you're family was in danger. Allen lunged forwards, knocking the man down and latching onto his throat. He tore at the flesh, hearing a gurgled scream before the vampire managed to tear him away again. He barely managed to get him a foot away before Allen was on top of him again, tearing at his already mangled throat.

He felt nails tearing at his skin but didn't stop, couldn't stop, not when his precious family was in danger. He heard Mana screaming and begging him to get away, but he ignored him. The vampire was still alive and dangerous. He took hold and shook hard, crunching down and tearing at the muscle and bone holding the vampire's head on. The creature's attacks were lessoning, but had yet to stop so neither did Allen. He didn't stop until the vampire's head separated from its body with a sickening pop. Allen panted harshly, shuddering in disgust, pain and sudden cold. He limped away, his body aching furiously, and hobbled over to Katerina. He lay down next to her, nosing her cheek and whining as he stared at her lifeless eyes. Tears wet his already matted fur, even as his humans collapsed next to him crying and calling for their mother and him. Allen closed his eyes, willing his body to heal quickly. He couldn't protect his family like this…

When he woke up, he was in a cage, bandaged and muzzled. He crawled to the gate and tried to look around. It didn't look like the pound, far too clean and white. Mana and Neah were sitting in chairs not too far away, gripping each other's hands tightly. They looked miserable, and angry, which was a strange combination. Their eyes were red-rimmed, their lips drawn in tight lines. Allen let out a whine and their heads snapped up. They were outside his cage in an instant.

"Allen…" Mana whimpered, fingering his muzzle through the cage. His face was suddenly marred by rage and he yanked at the padlock keeping the cage closed. He yelled in frustration and Neah had to grab him to stop him from punching the lock. Allen whined again, hoping to comfort his hurting human as best he could. Mana calmed almost instantly, his face falling into grief once more. He laced his fingers through the bars and leant his forehead against them, tears pricking his eyes as Neah rubbed his back comfortingly.

After a long stretch of silence Mana started talking, mumbling and ranting about nothing and everything. Katerina was dead, and the police were running tests to figure out who did it. Apparently, they weren't convinced that the "psychotic dog that tore a man's head off" was usually friendly. They were keen to keep him for observation and were running a million and one tests on the blood samples that had been taken when Allen was unconscious, even though the boys had already explained what happened. Allen was fully healed in a few days, but wasn't let out for another week until an intern girl let him out for exercise, without realising he was supposedly "dangerous". They managed to keep up that routine until she got caught and scolded, and Allen got locked up again. Mana and Neah visited every day, and Mana always talked the whole time. Allen was sure it was a coping mechanism. His precious human was so stressed and he couldn't do anything. It was another week after that that he was finally released.

"The blood on the dog matches the second "victim"," The short girl used quotation marks and a snide voice as she said the word, clearly not believing it. The blond man frowned, but she continued before he could comment. "Not to mention, there were no bite marks on her, only lacerations that matched the bloody knife we picked up. Furthermore, our second "victim" was also covered in the first victim's blood, so I think we can safely say he was the perp and the dog really did save the kids." She concluded, giving the man a nasty look. He deflated slightly, but nodded nonetheless.

"Alright, Fou, if you're sure. I'm still not comfortable giving the dog back to the family though…" Mana bristled, but Fou rolled her eyes.

"He's been an absolute sweetheart the whole time he's been here. Let's Lou Fa fawn over him and play with his fur and all kinds of grief. The only reason that dog attacked the guy was to defend his boys, he ain't gonna hurt anybody unless they ask for it." She said, giving him a pointed look. He wrinkled his nose but nodded.

"He'll still have to be taken to Animal Care and Control for testing, but if that's the case he should pass and be returned."

Allen did pass. With flying colours too. The people testing him could hardly believe he had been "vicious enough to kill". Then again, they didn't think a dog could act. Allen didn't need to, for the most part, but it was a strange environment with people he didn't know nor trust. It was hard to be nice when you're wary… Allen snorted at the mere thought of them trying to euthanize him. They would need silver for that. But that didn't matter. He needed to get back to his humans, and that was what he was going to do. So he passed all the tests, and the twins took him home. It was then that Allen met Cross. The man was a private investigator who was working with the police on their case. The man who killed their mother was tied to several other vicious murders (which helped their case immensely). He had contacted them for "assistance" and apparently got along quite well with Neah, according to Mana anyway. Allen knew that Mana didn't agree with Neah hanging out with Cross. It was the start of his random departures after all. Any time he left for an extended period, it was always because of Cross…

Click. Neah's soft melody played through the room. Allen whined as he woke up, old memories still playing through his hazy mind. He felt Mana's hand flop onto his head, running through his fur comfortingly. Allen had half a mind to let him sleep in, just for the comforting warmth and pets. However, while Mana didn't have to work that day, Allen was not in the habit of letting his human sleep in. Take naps, yes. Sleep in, no. He didn't really know why, though Neah had once theorised that it had to do with his days on the streets. Allen pushed himself into a seated position, ignoring Mana's whine of protest, and set to getting the man up. As usual, it took an unreasonable amount of time, and Allen almost had to resort to pushing him off the bed again. However, Mana realised what he was doing and sprung up.

"I'm up, I'm up." He whined loudly, voice tinged with panic. He did not want to be unceremoniously shoved onto the floor again, thank you very much. They trailed downstairs slowly, Mana choosing to make bacon and eggs for breakfast this time. The Skinwalker trotted into the living room, jumping up onto the couch and waiting eagerly for his human to finish cooking, tail wagging uncontrollably. Allen perked up when he heard footsteps, and let out a happy woof when he heard the click of the lock. He hopped off the couch as Mana came bolting in from the kitchen to greet Neah. The man looked far from happy as he entered the house though, ignoring his brother and staring at Allen. His face was cold and distant, eyes slightly glazed, and he was holding a gun. Allen froze at the hostility he could feel aimed at him. Neah had never looked at him like that. He thought quickly. A Shifter? No, Allen could smell the difference. Possession? Again no, he would be able to smell it. He slunk forward, but stopped when Neah tensed.

"Neah?" Mana's voice was uncertain as he tugged on his brother's sleeve, eyes flicking between them. After getting no reaction, he trailed back towards Allen. Without warning, Neah snatched his wrist and yanked him back.

"Stay away from him." He snapped. Mana flinched, both from the harshness of his brother's voice and the strength of his grip. Allen couldn't help the low growl of anxiety. Neah had never hurt Mana before! Surely this wasn't the same man that had left them? Neah narrowed his eyes and flicked the safety of the gun off. Allen froze. Was that…? Yes, he could smell silver. He swallowed harshly, eyes flicking back up to Neah as his ears flattened against his skull. It wasn't possible... Neah couldn't know what Allen was! But… That cold disposition, the distrust and hostility, the way he kept Mana away… Speaking of, Mana was struggling in Neah's grip. He looked angry. Finally, he managed to tear his arm away and jump back.

"Mana –"

"No!" Mana interrupted with a shout, backing straight towards Allen. "What the hell is going on with you?" He yelled, eyeing the gun in his brother's hand. He took a step to the left, putting himself between Allen and Neah. Neah didn't like that at all.

"Get away from him Mana." He warned, taking a step forward, but Mana took a step back, careful not to hit Allen.

"No," he said firmly. "Not until you tell me what's going on."

"He's dangerous, Mana. He's not what you think he is!" He raised his voice when he saw Mana about to argue, taking another step forward.

"He's a dog, Neah. Has Cross driven you that crazy that you can't even recognise your own pet?" Mana snapped.

"He's not a dog!" Neah yelled, voice loud and verging on manic. Mana froze, fear flicking in his eyes as Allen's blood ran cold. Neah knew. He knew and he hated him. This was like one of his worst nightmares coming true. Neah took deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

"He's a Skinwalker." He continued coldly, glaring at Allen distrustfully.

"What?" Mana blurted, confused disbelief lacing his tone. Neah scowled.

"A Skinwalker. A monster Mana." Allen flinched. He had hoped he would never hear his beloved family calling him that. Mana screwed up his face.

"Cross really did drive you crazy…"

"I'm not crazy!" Neah snapped, pulling something out of his pocket and stalking forwards. "He's a monster and I can prove it." Allen whined but didn't move. Mana straightened, pulling himself as high as he could. Neah stood right in front of him, tense and agitated.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Mana, but I can't let that monster live." He said softly. Allen flinched again, and Mana grit his teeth.

"He's not –" He started, confusion lacing his tone as Neah got down and grabbed Allen by the scruff. "What are you doing?" Allen let him, tears in his eyes as Mana tried in vain to loosen his grip.

"Stop it, you're hurting him!" He demanded, but his brother wouldn't listen. Instead, he tightened his grip and showed them both what he was holding. A small, blocky piece of silver. Allen closed his eyes and soon felt it burn against the back of his paw. He couldn't help but whimper in pain, and heard Mana gasp.

"Stop it!" He shrieked, shoving Neah away. "What the hell did you do?"

"It's silver." Neah snapped, holding it out again. "It's poison to Skinwalkers." It's poison to a lot of things, Allen thought bitterly. The teen opened his eyes. Neah's face was stony calm and Mana was confused and distressed. The man stared down at Allen coldly.

"I know what you are, you can't hide it anymore. Let's get this over with." He said thinly, cocking the gun in his hand. Allen had half a mind not to, misery clouding his better judgement. But if this was what Mana and Neah wanted… he wouldn't deny them. He should never have stayed in the first place. He whined in apology, nudging Mana's cheek and backing up. Mana looked confused and hurt, but let him go. And he shifted. It was simple and easy, like breathing. His dog form melted and elongated, bones and muscles shifting back into human form. He didn't look up, choosing a spot on the floor and staring at it as his eyes burned.

"What…?" Was the strangled sound that came from next to him. His Mana, his Neah, his best friends and his precious family. He was losing it all. Allen couldn't stop the tears from spilling. He had known it was stupid to try, stupid to trust, stupid to love. But he couldn't help it, and now his world was crumbling around him. At least he wouldn't have to live with the knowledge that they hated him.

"I told you. He's a Skinwalker. He can change from human to animal, and needs to feast on hearts to survive. A monster." Neah said calmly. Allen almost sobbed. Monster, monster, monster. The word ran through his head over and over.

"Monster…?" Allen flinched, his body trembled and tears streamed down his face. "What are talking about, Neah…? Look at him." Allen blinked, confused, and raised his head to see Mana crying and glaring at Neah.

"What?" Neah blurted, confused. His eyes gained a bit of light back, not as cloudy and distant as before.

"Look at him!" Mana screamed, gesturing to Allen. The teen jolted, unsure of what Mana was doing. "He's crying Neah. Look at what you did to him." Allen curled slightly when Neah flicked disbelieving eyes between him and Mana, confusion and guilt flooding his features.

"Allen is part of this family Neah." Mana said, his voice soft and shaking with emotion. Hurt, anger, confusion, sadness, love. "He's been with us since we were kids, and he grew up right beside us. We took him in, we named him and gave him a home. He protected us when we were in danger, saved us from the monster that killed mum, and comforted us when we were upset. Look at him. He's not a monster… He's our Allen." The sheer resolution in his voice floored Allen. How could he look at Allen, watch him shift and then call him family? How could he not think Allen was a monster? Tears trickled down his face as he stared at the man in front of him. His Mana. His Mana. Yes, Mana was family, and so was Neah. Always. Neah was looking away, uncertain and ashamed.

"He's a Skinwalker..." He muttered guiltily. His eyes were much clearer now, emotion strong and raw, and Allen had the sudden feeling he had been repressing some part of himself, detached himself so that he wouldn't feel. And Mana was breaking his walls.

"And you're stupid, but I still call you my brother." Mana returned snippily. Neah choked, Allen snorted and Mana grinned triumphantly. The man flushed and shot his brother a dirty look, but Mana simply gave him an innocent smile. Neah's face fell once more, uncertainty reigning. He bit his lip and looked at Allen, flinching when he saw the burn on his hand. He slowly dropped to his knees, unsure what to do.

Mana brushed Allen's hair behind his ear and kissed him on the cheek. Allen beamed. Neah's face softened, a small smile creeping up the corners of his mouth, before flickering into a frown. He reached out, hesitated, and put his hand on Allen's head. He rubbed gently and Allen closed his eyes, sighing in content, Neah had always been good at petting. He had half a mind to shift back to his dog form, but he didn't want the man to freak out again… Mana cuddled him close and rested his chin on Allen's shoulder, Allen leaning against him happily. Neah sighed heavily, breathing deeply. Allen spotted tears in the corners of his eyes and slowly, gently brushed them away. Neah balked at first, but steadily relaxed.

"Idiot…" Mana huffed, Neah flushed again. "So, what have you been doing this whole time that you come back and call our baby a monster?" Neah opened his mouth, closed it, tried again and then stopped, frowning. He worked his jaw, trying to think of a way to explain. Finally, he sighed and begun to speak.

"Cross is a Hunter. Or, that's what they call themselves anyway… They hunt things, monsters that attack and kill people. I've been helping him. We just recently took care of a Skinwalker that was blending in with the strays at a local shelter. It wasn't hard to connect the dots with the relevant information…" He muttered. Mana frowned.

"And you just thought 'oh, our dog's a Skinwalker, that must automatically make him a murderous lunatic who's going to kill us in our sleep, even though we've been living with him for almost 12 years'." He said dryly, giving his brother a look. Neah twitched, a flush beginning to make its way across his cheeks.

"I… may have overreacted…" He allowed, working his jaw again. Mana rolled his eyes.

"You're such a drama queen." He muttered. Neah choked and Allen couldn't help but laugh. Neah huffed and gave him a pointed look.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" He asked snippily. Allen rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yes, that would've been a pleasant conversation." He drawled, ignoring the way Neah jolted in surprise. "'Hey, you remember me? I'm that random kid you used to feed back when you were young. By the way, I'm your dog.' You would've thrown me in an asylum, or freaked out just the same if I'd have proved it." Neah made an indignant noise, but didn't push further. Allen blinked, sniffing the air.

"Mana, the eggs are burning…"

"What?!" The man screeched, bolting into the kitchen to save their breakfast. He had turned the stove right down hoping that they'd be okay. Allen bit his lip. He wanted to get up, but he was currently naked and didn't know how Neah would feel about that. He also wanted to say something, reassure the man that he would never hurt them. His precious family… Neah solved the problem quickly though, taking his coat off and wrapping it around him with a sheepish smile. Allen muttered a quiet 'thanks' and slipped his arms into the sleeves, closing the garment around himself. He stood up with Neah and they made their way into the kitchen behind Mana, who was humming happily as he cooked. He saw them come in and pointed his spatula at his twin with an angry pout.

"Neah doesn't get breakfast until he apologises properly." He said petulantly, puffing his cheeks in defiance. Neah slumped, turning guilty eyes on Allen.

"I'm sorry, Allen. I shouldn't have attacked you…" He said miserably, hardly able to look the teen in the eye. Allen smiled softly.

"You thought you were protecting Mana." He said soothingly, voice turning self-deprecating a moment later. "Besides, I don't blame you for thinking I'm a monster."

"You're not a monster…" Mana immediately mumbled unhappily, a frown marring his features. Neah was frowning also, but he didn't comment. Allen smiled sadly, and made a happy noise in the back of his throat when Mana came up and pressed a kiss to his forehead, just like he always did.

"You're our Allen, and you always will be." He said firmly, squeezing Allen's hand. Neah smiled next to them, shaking his head ruefully.

"Don't know how I ever doubted it." He murmured, mirroring his twins move and giving Allen's other hand a squeeze. Allen smiled brilliantly. He had his family back again, and this time, they would be together forever.

~ END ~


AN: If you want a visual of what Allen looks like in dog form, look up a White Alaskan Malamute or a Samoyed. They're pretty and fluffy and amazing. And yes, in case anybody's wondering, dogs can eat both oatmeal and honey, but not on a regular basis. Apples are also fine as long as they're cored, no nasty seeds. This fic totally ran away from me, it was not supposed to be this long… Also, I'm honestly not too sure what would've happened to Allen in real life pertaining the whole dead vampire situation. I tried looking some stuff up and just made a decision on what I thought sounded logical. Allen was defending his owners (and himself), and was deemed safe by the proper figures, therefore he was allowed back with his owners. It helped that there was no one to call for any negative action. Anyway… Sorry for the long AN, hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to more!

Omake: Unusual Shopping?

Mana stared at the meat behind the glass, biting his lip as he considered his options. Allen was a good hunter, and he enjoyed running around. But did he really enjoy ripping hearts out of animals? Mana shook his head, then nodded firmly. He ordered a random assortment of hearts (the butcher didn't even blink) along with everything else he needed and finally went home. Allen was sprawled across the couch, in his human form, snoozing contently. Mana smiled. Allen had been shifting a lot more freely lately, generally only using his animal form if he wanted cuddles, or when they slept at night. Apparently, it was more comfortable (and also very much a habit). Neah came out of his study and huffed.

"And you call Mana lazy." He snorted, wandering over to help his brother with the groceries. They got through a good lot before Neah made a noise.

"What is this?" He said, shock and distaste lacing his tone. Mana rolled his eyes.

"It's a heart, Neah. I didn't think your biology was that rusty…" He said teasingly, Neah made an insulted noise and gave him a playful whack. Mana giggled. Allen was by their side before they even realised he was moving.

"Heart?" He parroted perkily. Mana grinned.

"Yup, I thought you could have these instead of going hunting all the time. Apparently, it's not actually that strange to feed cats and dogs animal hearts." He explained happily, Allen beamed.

"Thanks!"