Summary: (Early season 8 - goes AU) A shocking discovery while following a lead from the demon tablet throws the Winchesters' secluded hunter lifestyle into chaos and raises the stakes of their quest to shut down Hell. Can they rise to the challenge once more or is the cost this time simply too high? Sequel to Someone to Save You (and also for Band of Misfits).

Set-up: This fic is set in season 8 but will be partially AU. The brothers still have the demon tablet and have completed the first trial of killing a Hellhound same as cannon but the rest of the trials will be completely different in this story. Cas hasn't made it back from Purgatory yet (but don't worry, he will) but there will be no Naomi in this story pulling Cas's strings and no angel tablet.

This fic is a sequel to my season 2 fic Someone to Save You but also brings in a character (Nia) from my Purgatory fic Band of Misfits, so it can be considered a sequel to that too. For those of you who haven't read Band of Misfits, Nia was a human Cas found in Purgatory who had been there a long time and was a bit wild. She and Cas developed a close relationship but she went to stay with Benny when Cas didn't make it out of Purgatory. Dean hasn't mentioned her but Sam did find out about Benny (the episode Blood Brothers happened as in cannon), though he only met him the once.

If you haven't read Someone to Save You, don't worry, I will have the characters explain the events as needed to follow along, though it is definitely better to have read it.

This fic has OC's throughout but is told entirely from Sam, Dean, & Cas pov. There is definitely some romance but nothing goes very smoothly for any of our three heroes and I never let them get too cozy.

~X~X~X~X~

CHAPTER 1 – Serendipity

"Okay, run it by me again," Dean said to his brother as they neared the address Kevin had given them.

Sam didn't complain even though he had already told Dean everything he had found in the Men of Letters archives twice. He was actually glad for the little glimpse of their old routine. Dean used to always ask his 'geek brother' to repeat the facts of the case right before they got started but the routine had faded in recent times. Things had been strained between the brothers since Dean had returned from Purgatory to find out Sam hadn't searched for him. Sam's discovery of the vampire that Dean had apparently brought back with him hadn't helped matters any so a brief return to the way it used to be between them was more than welcomed by the younger of the two.

"Alright, it's a weapon that's supposed to come in handy for the second trial."

"Course we don't even know what the trial is yet," Dean interrupted.

"Right, but better to have our hands on this weapon by the time Kevin figures that out."

"It's been weeks already," Dean pointed out, tension evident in the way his fingers were curled around the top of the steering wheel. "Weeks. And so far, secret agent Double-O-Kevin has only deciphered the first trial."

"It's closing the Gates of Hell forever, Dean. Locking every demon away for good. It's not supposed to be easy."

Sam didn't miss the familiar sideways glance his big brother gave him, that subtle scrutiny searching for signs of the toll the first trial had taken on Sam's health. He knew Dean was still pissed that he had stepped in and killed the Hell Hound and therefore taken on the challenge of the trials, but he couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for it. No way was he letting Dean be a martyr and go down in a bloody blaze of glory, even if that was what Dean wanted, or at least expected. They were both getting out of this alive.

"I'm fine," Sam answered to the unspoken question posed by the worried frown on Dean's face. "I told you, it's just a little cough."

Dean mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "Little cough my ass," but returned his gaze to the road. "Okay, back to the weapon."

Sam nodded, eager to turn the focus back on the current quest. "The Bow of Bargaest. It's supposed to be an extremely powerful weapon of demonic origin only we're not sure why. I'm guessing it's special in the way the Colt was special. Since it's mentioned on the tablet, I think it's safe we can assume its arrows kill whatever thing the next trial has me going up against."

Dean tensed all over again. "Yeah 'coz a Hell Hound wasn't friggin' bad enough."

Sam ignored the remark. "The Men of Letters archives didn't have much on it but they did know it links itself to its owner and you have to kill the previous owner to take possession of it and get its magic to work for you."

"So we get to gank the demon bastard who owns the thing. Bonus."

"Yeah, as long as it's a demon who owns it," Sam pointed out the obvious. "And Dean, I have to kill it, okay? I mean, it won't do me any good in the next trial if the bow only works for you."

Dean's face darkened. "I got it."

Sam decided to keep going with his recap in an effort to ease the rising tension in the car. "The Men of Letters had been looking for the bow for a long time and had figured out that little tracking spell we did…"

"Which pointed us to Pawhuska, Oklahoma," Dean drawled sarcastically as they passed a couple of girls sitting side by side on a bench and giggling at a teenage boy who was showing off on a skateboard in front of them. "The epicenter of all that's evil."

"What better place to hide this thing?" Sam shrugged.

"Yeah, about that. Howcome the Men of Letters got nothin' when they did the little spell trying to dig this thing up and first time we try it… there it is, one state and barely five hours away. That doesn't seem fishy to you?"

"Of course it does, Dean, but that's not exactly going to stop us, is it? Kevin thinks we need it for the second trial so we can't afford not to check this address out."

"What's the number again?" was Dean's only reply.

"House number 867. It's right at the very end of this street."

They were there two minutes later and Dean slowed the Impala to a halt on the shoulder of the road behind a beat-up Tercel and a grey van. The bungalow was a good distance past the last in the row of neat but modest townhouses, out of eyesight and even more out of place. It looked significantly older and more run-down than its neighbors, although its lawn was recently mowed and a kid's bike was propped up against the porch railing.

Both brothers studied the house for half a minute from the confines of the car before Dean opened his door to make his way round to the trunk. Sam joined him and soon they were heading up the cracked stones of the long walk, Ruby's dagger among the small arsenal they had hidden beneath their jackets.

They were only halfway to the house when they heard a shout from inside. A few loud bangs and knocks followed then the sound of shattering glass. Weapons were drawn and they ran the last few steps. Dean shouldered open the front door without slowing and stepped inside, Sam right behind him.

The foyer opened up into a sparse but homey living room with a bright kitchen beyond. There was a lot of noise coming from the back of the house somewhere and the brothers instinctively moved in that direction. They had barely reached the kitchen when a young boy came running towards them from down the hallway, wide-eyed and clearly terrified. He froze in his tracks when he saw them.

Dean instantly hid his gun behind his back and dropped to one knee in front of the child. "Kid, you live here?"

The dark-haired boy, who couldn't have been more than five or six, just nodded.

"Is your Mommy or Daddy home?"

He nodded again. "Mommy."

Dean was up and ushering the kid towards his brother before the boy had even finished speaking. "Get him outside," he said tersely. "I got this."

Sam knew he was being given the safe task because Dean didn't think he was at a hundred percent but with a child in danger, he didn't have time to argue. Instead he thrust Ruby's knife hilt-first towards his brother. "Take this." There was a demon weapon somewhere at this address so it stood to reason there would be demons involved in the commotion at the end of the hallway, whether they were hiding the bow or whether they were looking for it same as the Winchesters. This might be a case of an innocent family getting in the way or demons posing as a family to keep a low profile, who knew? He wouldn't be surprised by anything at this point.

Dean nodded and snatched the knife before charging down the hallway, glancing backwards just once to see Sam picking up the little boy. The noise seemed to be coming from the room at the very end and he wasted no time in throwing open the last door, knife held ready.

He wasn't expecting the sight that greeted him and it took him a few heartbeats to assess the situation. There were four bodies strewn across the floor, lying still and looking very dead and shards of the broken dresser mirror littered the carpet. Three other occupants were still on their feet in the crowded bedroom. There was a man standing on the bed aiming a gun in the direction of the window where another man and a woman were grappling violently with one another. The man in the struggle definitely had the upper hand and his eyes flashed black when his head turned briefly towards Dean.

That was enough for Dean to make his decision. Demons didn't generally point guns at people so he was betting the man at the window was the only demon and he lunged for it. He gave its shoulder a hard yank and pulled it off the woman far enough to clear the way for him to thrust Ruby's knife deep into its belly.

The demon made a chortled sound and clawed at the hunter as the lights flashed beneath its skin. Dean gave it a hard shove towards the floor and turned to the woman, who was breathing heavily and clutching the windowsill to regain her balance.

"You okay?" he questioned hastily.

She started brushing the blonde hair out of her eyes to get a better look at him but then suddenly gasped and looked down. Her fingers grabbed at a flash of silver and orange that had just appeared above her right breast. She pulled the small object out and dropped it to the floor but began to sway immediately. Startled, Dean swung his head around to see the man on the bed grinning. His eyes were now black and he was moving the aim of the gun he held from the woman to Dean.

The hunter launched himself immediately sideways and doubled back, avoiding the dart fired at him and leaping up onto the bed in an impressive display of athleticism. He had been good before, but a year in Purgatory had sharpened all of his fighting and survival skills to a point where he didn't have to even think, he just reacted. He swung Ruby's knife in a smooth downward arc that ended in the middle of the demon's back. The man roared in pain and dismay and dropped his gun onto the floral bedspread before toppling off the side of the bed to land sprawled over one of the bodies littering the floor.

Dean snatched up the demon's dropped gun as he jumped back down, his brow furrowed in confusion as he got a closer look at it. A tranquilizer gun? How had he not noticed that? And why would demons be trying to tranquilize a lady and her kid?

He turned his attention back to the now-unconscious woman on the floor and stepped forward to press two fingers to her neck in search of a pulse. It was fast and wildly erratic, but it was strong. He slid one arm under her knees and was about to slide the other one under her shoulders to scoop her up and carry her out to the car but he stopped short when her head lolled towards him and he got his first good look at her face.

"Jenna?" he stammered in shock, dropping her the few inches back down to the well-worn carpet. "Jen?" Not surprisingly, he got no response.

It was her, of that he had no doubts. Jenna Harrison. One of Azazel's psychic kids. She looked older but it had been six years since he had last laid eyes on her so that was to be expected. She had only been twenty-three at the time. He had given up on finding her alive years ago after she had disappeared without a trace despite promising to keep in touch. Her and Tyler and Quinn…

"Oh crap," he breathed, standing up immediately to survey the other bodies in the room. He turned the two over that were face-down to get a good look at them but didn't recognize any of them.

Tyler and Quinn weren't here. Thank God. It didn't mean they were still alive but at least they weren't any of these dead bodies.

He moved quickly back to Jenna and scooped her up. There could be demon reinforcements coming and he needed to get her and her son to safety… wait, her son? When the Hell did that happen? His thoughts were interrupted when his eyes fell on a wooden bow with intricate carvings up the full length of its limb. It was lying on the floor near where Jenna had fallen with a woven quiver containing three arrows at its side.

The Bow of Bargaest. It had to be.

His arms already full, he snatched them up awkwardly and made his way back down the hallway only to run into Sam on his way back in. He voiced his first thought.

"Dude, where's the kid?"

"In the car." Sam's eyes fell to the blonde then down to the ancient weapon in Dean's hand. "Dean, I was supposed to kill the bow's owner!"

"Too late; everyone's dead. Let's go." Dean kept walking right past Sam and out the front door.

"Is that the kid's mom?"

"It's Jenna Harrison."

"Jenna? As in Jenna and Quinn?" Sam had turned and started to follow him out the door but he stopped suddenly and looked back into the house.

"Quinn and Tyler aren't here," Dean called out, knowing immediately why his brother was hesitating. "But we gotta get these two out of here in case more demons show up. Come on!"

Dean laid Jenna down in the back seat next to the scared-looking little boy before handing Sam the bow and quiver and running around to the driver's side. The Impala was back out on the road within seconds, an endless stream of questions pouring out of Sam's mouth. Dean raised a hand to stop the bombardment and glanced over his shoulder at the boy.

"Hey kid, you doin' okay?"

He got a nod in response.

"Is that your mommy?" Dean pressed.

The boy nodded again. "The bad men came in and she fighted them," he said quietly. "She got hurt."

Sam twisted in his seat. "Hey, she's gonna be fine, little guy." He gave Dean a glance that questioned the truth of his words but Dean nodded in confirmation. "What the Hell happened in there, Dean?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"Demons shot her with a tranquilizer dart," Dean explained, keeping his voice low also.

"What?" Sam's face registered surprise and confusion at the completely unexpected statement so Dean relayed the rest of what had happened inside. When they were a few minutes away from the house, he pulled over and stepped out of the car, opening the back door to pull the seat belt around the little boy.

"Your mom's gonna be fine," Dean said in a comforting voice. "She's just sleeping right now. What's your name?"

"Lucas."

"Well, Lucas, I'm Dean and that," he pointed to Sam in the front seat, "is my little brother Sam. I'm just gonna buckle you up here and then we're gonna take you and your mom somewhere safe, okay?"

"Okay."

"You were really brave back there, buddy. How old are you anyhow?"

"Five."

"Five, huh?" Dean grinned as he finished buckling the boy in and backed up. "You're practically a man already. Have you had your supper yet?"

"No."

"We'll have to fix that, won't we? You like burgers and fries, right?"

"No."

"Huh?"

Sam stifled a laugh at the look of utter shock on Dean's face while at the same time feeling touched by watching his brother interact with the kid so easily. Unlike Sam, Dean had always been good with kids. He had such a natural fatherly instinct, probably stemming from the fact that he had been both brother and parent to Sam from the tender age of five. His domestic year with Ben had certainly helped and in light of the disturbing eagerness to dive headfirst into violent hunts that had blossomed since his stint in Purgatory, Sam was pleased to see Dean slip back into his old self. He even managed to get the kid to drink a sip of holy water from his flask. Luckily, there was no reaction.

Sam turned his attention to the bow as Dean climbed back in the driver's seat. It was an impressive work of art with intricate etchings adorning even the string. If it was indeed as ancient as the Men of Letters believed it to be, then there was definitely some supernatural power to it because it was made of wood yet showed no signs of rot or age. Not even a scratch other than the etchings on it and the three arrows.

"We're going to have to find a way to conceal this," he thought out loud. "If we tracked it down, someone else will surely know that spell too. I'm thinking we could put it in one of the Men of Letters big lockboxes, keep the demons from finding it until we kill the one who's the current owner and we're ready to use it."

"Good idea." Dean didn't point out that he had just killed two demons and may in fact be the current owner.

"What about them?" Sam gestured over his shoulder at the pair in the back seat.

"We take 'em to the bunker."

"What? Really?" Sam was surprised. "I thought it was supposed to be a secret bunker, Dean. We haven't even told Garth about it yet and you want to bring a girl we haven't seen in years there?" Sam wasn't sure it was a good idea. They had no idea where Jenna had been for the past six years. She had been one of Azazel's 'special children', just like him – and just like Jake and Ava and Max and Ansen Weems, all of whom had turned deadly. "I mean, we don't know her anymore, Dean. What she's been through, what the demons wanted with her, where her loyalties lie…"

"Her loyalties lie with her son."

"Then what is she doing with dangerous weapons and demons in her house instead of taking him to playdates and swimming lessons?"

"Maybe she doesn't have a choice! Like Dad didn't. You said it yourself, we don't know what's being going on with her."

Sam sighed, not liking how he was coming off as the insensitive one here. He should have known Dean's protective instincts would be at full tilt the moment a child became involved. He was also aware Jenna and Tyler had been a source of worry and self-blame for Dean since the brothers had lost track of them six years ago. "I'm just saying let's be careful."

Dean's jaw was set in a tight line. "Look, whether or not she meets your parenting standards, she just stirred up a hornet's nest with the demons. Since when do demons use tranquilizer guns? They're obviously after her for something and she needs to go someplace safe. The bunker's demon-proof and it's the only safe place we've got now that Bobby's panic room's gone. You saw the state Kevin's in; we can't exactly stash them on Garth's boat with him."

"You're right," Sam conceded, raising a hand in a gesture of peace. "Let's hit a Subway drive-thru for the kid and head back to Kansas."

"Now there's something you should be worried about," Dean snorted.

"What is?"

"What kind of kid doesn't like burgers and fries?"

Two hours later found them cruising along the 135 towards Lebanon, Kansas and the safety of the Men of Letters bunker. It was dark outside and Lucas had fallen asleep with his head cranked ninety degrees sideways and resting on Jenna's shoulder, half-eaten sandwich lying forgotten on his lap. They drove in silence for a while before Dean turned to find Sam staring right at him with an expectant expression and a smirk.

It always worried Dean when Sam smirked. "What?" he challenged defensively.

"You telling me it hasn't occurred to you at all?" was the accusing reply.

"What hasn't occurred to me?" Dean looked genuinely confused.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Do the math, Dean. The kid's five. I mean, even you have to agree it does suggest…"

"Suggest what? What are you… oh, I see what you're thinking." Dean snorted indignantly. "The kid ain't mine, Sam."

"You sure? Because you have to admit the timing…"

"The kid ain't mine coz I never slept with her."

Sam raised a skeptical eyebrow. He remembered Dean and Jenna together; the affection between them had been obvious. They had been prisoners in a small room together at the hands of demons for days, then on the run in the woods together before Sam and Jenna's hunter friend, Quinn, had found them. The next few days had been spent hiding out in a motel room with Sam, Quinn, and the teenager Tyler, also one of Azazel's 'special children', while Quinn recuperated from a gunshot wound. Dean and Jenna barely left each other's sides the entire time and Sam had always assumed his brother had slept with the pretty blonde at some point. Twenty-seven year old Dean hadn't exactly been known for his restraint.

"Even the three days we spent holed up in that motel room?" he pressed.

Dean shook his head. "Dude, you and Quinn and Tyler were right there the whole time. I don't mind a little kink but I'm not a freaking exhibitionist."

"But you two were like this." Sam held up a hand, his index and his middle finger twisted around each other, unable to hide his surprise. "Anytime you went for food or gas, she went with you and you guys always took longer than you should have." Sam had been sure Dean had simply been, for once, refraining from bragging about his sexual exploits. Just like Sam had never divulged to his brother that he had in fact slept with Quinn while Dean and Jenna had been missing.

"I don't sleep with every girl I meet, you know," Dean said, sounding defensive.

"You certainly try. Or at least you used to, back then."

Dean shrugged. "Jenna wasn't that type of girl, okay?"

Sam still didn't look convinced.

Dean glanced in his rear view mirror. "Seriously, Sam, look at the kid. See how dark he is? Jenna's fair. His father's gotta be Hispanic or Asian or something. I'm telling you, he ain't mine."

Another glance over his shoulder told Sam his brother had a valid point so he dropped the issue. He let his mind once more wander back to how Jenna had managed to avoid the Psychic-kids round-up that Yellow-Eyes had orchestrated at Cold Oaks.

And where the Hell were Quinn and Tyler?

~X~X~X~X~

Two months ago…

Cas felt a bone-deep weariness throughout his vessel as he sank to his knees after chopping the head off the third Leviathan in a row. He had never regained his full powers after an angel banishing spell had almost killed him and although this had made it harder for the Leviathan to find him, his weakened state certainly made it harder to fight them when they did.

Two months he had been alone. Two months since Dean and Nia and Benny had made it back home. Two months since God had decided Cas hadn't earned the right to go with his friends and had closed the gate on him, leaving him stranded in Purgatory all alone. He had thought about giving up countless times, of slowing his reactions down just enough that some Leviathan managed to get its lethal hand into his chest and rip out what remained of his Grace. Of letting any of the hundreds of other monsters he encountered get in a lucky strike with their blade. He could repair his vessel from almost any extent of damage but perhaps full decapitation would bring him a welcome oblivion.

Yet he still lived. He still fought. He still persevered. He still remembered and he still loved. He would never see Dean and Nia again, nor Benny or Sam, but his affection for them had not lessened. He found his thoughts drifting to them in times of solitude and found comfort in imagining them happy and at peace.

Perhaps the four of them were together, rebuilding Bobby's house and finding solace and comfort in each other's company.

Perhaps Dean had found a woman with which he could start a family. Cas had seen the desire for love and children deep within Dean the very day he had first met the hunter and although the sentiment had been clouded by fear and self-loathing at times, it had never wavered in its intensity.

Perhaps Sam had found an escape from hunting, an escape from the tainted being he always thought himself to be. Perhaps he had been able to refocus on school or on learning in some other capacity. The younger Winchester had always held a great thirst for knowledge and had always strived to carve a better path in life than he had been offered by the Fates. Cas had taken Sam's Hell memories from him, including all the thoughts, insecurities, and desires the young man had felt during his nearly two centuries of torture. It had given the angel new insight into the admirable man Sam was and increased respect for his strength and determination.

Perhaps Benny would find that peace and escape from violence he had often spoke of. Cas knew it was not likely since the blood lust that did not control vampire souls in Purgatory would most certainly have returned to torment him back home. Still, love of a woman had given the endearing vampire's humanity power over his vampire nature and Cas believed in Benny enough to trust he could hang on to that.

Perhaps Nia was happy. Perhaps she had readjusted to human life and was at peace, her years of torment and horror in Purgatory put behind her. Perhaps she would once again embrace the gentle, sweet, innocent part of her Cas knew was hiding deep inside and perhaps she would find happiness in simple, non-violent things like knitting or gardening.

An image flashed through his mind of Nia stabbing a Rugaru in the face with a knitting needle then ramming a garden hoe into the chest of a Selkie and he released a sigh of resignation. That last imagined piece of comfort was always the hardest to swallow. Cas was no fool. Nia had loved him with everything she had and he had returned the sentiment wholeheartedly. He had sworn to himself he would look out for her until the end of her days and had not been able to keep that oath. He knew Dean and Benny would do their best but Cas was never able to convince himself it would be enough. They did not have as strong a bond nor the deep understanding that Cas had of the strange, wild girl Nia was. He couldn't erase the constant nagging worry about her that ate at him day in and day out as he wandered the never-ending forests of Purgatory. This was no-doubt why he kept finding himself subconsciously returning to the valley where he had last seen them… where the gaping hole in the sky had swallowed them up.

~X~X~X~X~

A/N: Okay, so that chapter set-up the characters, timeframe, and the story. Those of you who read Someone to Save You know a little more than the boys right now because of the reveal at the end but don't worry - we're just getting started :)