I don't recall how long I had been sat outside after he'd left, but I know for a fact I couldn't bring myself to go back inside, no matter how cold it was. I couldn't face the questions, or having to offer some pitiful excuse for the tears just so no one found out how messed up things really had gotten. I sat on the steps of the porch, the swaying grass touching my leg every so often as it danced in the furious wind. I was holding it in my hands. His ring. That was what stung the most, what had made my chest tighten up so much. The fact that he had taken his ring and thrown it to the ground like it didn't matter, it was only a ring, but, it was what the ring meant that he'd thrown away with it. The metal had become warm in my hands I'd been holding it so tightly and for so long. I glanced down into my palms, touching the smooth band of gold and quietly dwelling upon what had happened. How furious he'd looked. Dean had never gotten that angry before, not to me anyway, it was a little scary to witness. He had a ferocity, an intensity like fire that cropped up in his eyes every so often and as heated as it was, it sent a terrifying chill down my spine and I felt like something he hunted.

At last, I'd resigned myself to the knowledge that he wasn't coming back tonight and I figured I should just go inside. He was probably out driving on a stretch of road to no where with his music on. He'd sing along, badly, and usually that made me laugh but the notion of him doing it alone, without me, because he was angry, filled me with an unrelenting sadness. I paused at the front door to Bobby's house, looking just once in a final vain hope that I might see the Impala creep back up the drive way. Nothing. The wind howled by my ears and with that I just opened the door and headed back inside.

I didn't get very far, because as I looked into the darkened hallway I saw Nisha standing by the stares with her arms folded. She looked at me knowingly, although, she didn't have to be particularly omnipotent to guess something was wrong. Dean had shouted like a bitch and I was pretty surprised it hadn't woken up Sam and Bobby too.

"What the hell is going on, Misha?" she asked bluntly.

I shrugged pitifully, trying to act like I wasn't quite as upset as I really was. Unfortunately, I was as transparent as a greenhouse to her and she could see straight away that I was pretty shaken up. Walking towards me, Nisha's expression softened and she looked at me intently again.

"Misha?"

I sighed, this was like facing the Borg from Star Trek. Resistance was futile.

"We had an argument, he threw his ring at me and took off in the Impala…he was mad because I had the absolute audacity to question what happened to him whilst he was in hell. I mean, is that unreasonable of me? Is it a big freaking deal that I want to know what happened to him in hell? What messed him up so badly?"

I didn't go on. Or rather, I couldn't, because I choked on my own words as I lifted a finger to wipe a tear from cheek. Nisha just hugged me at that point and for a little bit I broke down. I didn't usually like talking about stuff like that, I'd just go numb and clam up completely but this was about Dean. If there was anyone that could make me spill everything and ball my eyes out it was him, because I loved that son of a bitch so much.

"Shhhh, it's alright" Nisha replied softly. "It was just a lover's spat, you'll both come through it, everyone argues…it's gonna be alright Misha."

I was clutching his ring to my chest for dear life, like it was the only little piece of him I would ever have left. Although part of me knew he would come back and he'd do a half assed apology and we'd get over it, the other half of me wondered how we would really get over this. He'd already said to me, flat out, that he wasn't going to tell me about hell and I wondered how much that was going to play a part in things from now on.

At that moment Sam's figure descended the stair case, his hair was fluffed up a little like a hay stack and he rubbed one eye sleepily before arriving upon us both at the bottom of the stairs. He frowned, confused by the spectacle. Still, Sam was Dean's brother and it didn't take him long to piece together what had happened. He slid one arm around Nisha's shoulders, and I watched her look back to him. For a second I envied them, it was like they were meant to be. They had no problems, they had the occasional trivial argument but generally they were perfect to each other. Romance at it's finest. For a second I wanted that from Dean. Just for a split second before it faded, I'd accepted a long time ago that he wasn't that man and that I was okay with it. If it wasn't I wouldn't have gone through with that crazy wedding.

Sam leaned down, kissing Nisha's temple, and for a second he just leaned his head against the side of hers, closing his eyes and inhaling the scent of her hair like it calmed him. He looked back at me at that point, with sympathy. He knew how difficult Dean could be, how explosive he was, and how desperate he was to make sure people couldn't see his weaknesses.

"You alright?" he asked gently, patting my shoulder fraternally.

I nodded and smiled gratefully, I was calmer now. The tears had stopped flowing and I was thinking a little more clearly than I had been before.

"I will be I guess, just had an argument with Dean" I replied, rolling my eyes. "We kind of have them a lot."

Sam just smiled a little and nodded, still holding Nisha to him. At that moment our conversation was interrupted by the sound of shuffling upstairs and an elongated shadow was cast down the stair case as a rounded figure came sluggishly down the stair case. Placing a hat back on his head Bobby was dressed and apparently ready…for something. I didn't know what but he reached the bottom of the stair case and stared across at the rest of us quizzically. I guess he didn't sleep a lot, hunters usually didn't. Sleep came less easy when you knew what was waiting for you in the dark.

"What the hell are you people doing in my hallway? Conducting a dance? Get your asses back to bed."

Nisha rolled her eyes at that, and I just chuckled a little. Bobby was always so blunt.

"Actually Bobby? We're trying to comfort Misha. Dean had his toddler time and threw he rattle out of his pram, he took off somewhere and we're waiting for him to get back" Nisha replied to Bobby, folding her arms across her chest defiantly.

Bobby just waved one hand dismissively, and headed off into the kitchen. I followed him, and so did Sam and Nisha. The four of us sat around the worn oak table in the kitchen, with steaming mugs of coffee in our hands. It was weird to be sitting in the kitchen like that drinking coffee and eating cereal when it was only about four in the morning. It was still dark outside, and the storm wasn't letting up. The others talked amongst themselves but my mind was preoccupied. That storm was ferocious, worse than I'd seen for a long time and something about it felt just…wrong. I wanted Dean to come back and I wanted him to come back now, that storm was ominous and he was out in the dark by himself. Damn him.

An hour or so passed by when the front door burst open, smacking the neighbouring wall like a window flap. I nearly jumped out of my skin, instantly reaching for a knife that I had tucked firmly by my waist. The three of us raced into the hallway expecting to find a spook, or a vampire or something but instead we found Dean. He breathing was racing, and he was sweaty and bruised around the eye, holding one of the gleaming swords in his hand that he usually had stashed in the back of the Impala. He'd been in a fight with something, that was evident from the fact the sword dripped with rich, dark, treacle-like blood. The last few hours melted from my mind and I was overcome with a sense of relief, I was just so elated that he had come back that I completely forgot that we'd had an argument just a couple or so hours before. I jolted towards him, one arm encircling his shoulders as the other gripped his shirt in my fingers. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pressed me close, I could feel his cheek against my head and feel his heart thud rapidly against my hand. It was just for a second but it felt like a while, a silent apology on both our parts as he held me tighter than he'd ever done so before. Like he thought he'd never see me again either. Nothing needed to be said, just that one gesture made everything okay…for now.

"We gotta' get the hell out of here" he finally spoke, his words quick and interrupted by his heavy breathing.

"Wait, why?" Nisha asked, frowning.

"What's going on Dean?" Sam asked, concern growing in his eyes.

"The whole town" Dean went on. "Everyone, they're all dead…but they're not still, they're up and walking and they're headed this way. We've got ourselves a zombie infestation."

"Do you think it could be Judas?" I asked.

Dean looked down at me, that intense look in his eyes, one of many he had. This one didn't make me feel about two inches tall and awaiting my own doom.

"I don't know and I don't care, we just gotta get the hell out of here" he replied firmly.

Bobby sighed. We could all tell, we knew this was Judas' doing. Something about it was just twisted and disturbing enough to be him. That must have been what happened when he claimed the souls of his victims, they died but they came back as undead minions, seeking out any living flesh they could and either eating it as all zombies did or transforming it into more minions for Judas. In the pit of my stomach I felt a chill, I felt silently sick. Something in me told me that this town wasn't the first or the last to suffer the fate Judas had dealt and I wondered just how many other towns he'd claimed, had we really been right about his rising? Sure we'd only just found the signs of his rising, but, how recent were those signs? Had he been back for some time and gone undetected until now? It plagued my thoughts, I didn't want to be right, but somehow I knew I was.

"Get in the damn car, I'll follow" Bobby yelled at us. "Go! I'll follow you, just get out of here before the undead army turn up on my door step."

I fumbled in my pocket for my car keys, but I was stopped. Dean grabbed my wrist, and looked at me fiercely, I stared back at him blankly. What the hell did I do now?

"No way, you're getting your asses in the Impala…both of you" Dean added, looking over at Nisha who was about to protest. I was just stunned by the notion of leaving my beautiful car behind. "Don't even dare, get in the car now, or so help me I will drag you there myself."

I gaped.

"Misha, you can get another freaking car…we need to get out of here."

He was right but that didn't make me any happier. Reluctantly I ran outside after Dean. I completely blanked the Mustang that was parked just a little way away from the Impala. I couldn't bare to look at it sitting there, left behind. Sam and Nisha followed behind us. Nisha and I both climbed into the back seat as Dean climbed into the driver's seat and Sam into the passenger seat beside him. The Impala's engine roared loudly and took off into the night. A rusty old Corvette followed behind us, Bobby was closely behind us just like he'd said he would be. I felt relief wash over me, glancing out of the rear window to see that god awful car following us.

We drove off into the night. What we saw, it'd stay with me forever. I'd never seen anything like it. It was like hell on earth. Walking, rotting corpses plodded here and there, devouring any poor bastard that was unlucky enough to cross their path. Buildings seemed half crumbled, and little fires seemed to burn all over the place. I felt like I had just been thrust into the centre of some terrible Sam Ramay film, but, to my horror it was all very real. The country was invested with zombies. Some of them tried to chase us but they weren't fast enough to keep up with the Impala, and any that did get a hold on the car didn't last long as Dean pushed the gas to the floor and excelled away before any of them could get close. We seemed to travel for days, what seemed miles. Crossing state line after state line, every single one was the same. Infested with zombies. How the hell had we missed this? Judas had been quietly going about destroying the country, the world for all we knew, and he'd not cropped up on our radars. What kind of demon didn't emit omens? Apparently Judas.

*************************************************************************************

Late in the evening we arrived upon Texas. It was the same as the other states, in ruins, burning to the ground but it seemed quiet. There weren't any zombies on this particular stretch of road we found ourselves on. I found myself feeling relieved, I knew they were around somewhere but I was just glad to get a moment away from staring at the carnage through the window. The Impala began to slow, I could see Dean looking in the wing mirror and that made me look behind us to the Corvette that had pulled to a stand still at the side of the road. Dean stopped the car, lifting the pistol from the dashboard as he climbed out of the car. I followed, and so did Sam and Nisha as we approached the rusted Corvette. Bobby got out of the car, taking off his head and staring dismally at the hood of his car that had plumes of smoke rising from it. I didn't need to be a mechanic to know that wasn't a good sign.

"The radiators shot, this baby has had it" Bobby explained with another heavy sigh.

Dean looked to him, frowning. Sam stood beside Nisha, he frowned, he didn't want to surrender yet either. We'd come so far to just lay down now.

"Get in the Impala Bobby, we'll make room" Dean interrupted sharply. Bobby just shook his head, smiling sadly.

"Nah, one more passenger in her and she'll quit on you too Dean, you need to take your girls and keep going until you find people. I ain't quitting on humanity yet, there's gotta' be people out here somewhere. You need to find them and get somewhere safe."

"Bobby!" Sam cried, not able to believe what Bobby was suggesting. We couldn't just leave him behind.

"No, Sam. I'm telling you, take your girls and go whilst you still can."

Before we could all continue with the argument. Nisha looked up, down the road where something sounded. I looked up too, and so did the boys. Rounding the corner was an old truck. It wailed a strange siren noise, we all immediately lifted our pistols, watching the vehicle warily as it approached us. It ground to a halt and from it two men emerged. One was a tall guy, beefy and around thirty with a shock of red hair in a sort of short Mohawk that hadn't had the sides shaved off. The other was shorter, around five nine, in his late twenties and had black hair with a slight wave to it. They didn't look like zombies, mind you, when I thought about it, zombies probably couldn't drive trucks. I lowered my weapon as the two men approached us, they looked at us warily too, before coming to the same conclusion that we weren't zombies either.

"What're you folks doing out here?" the red headed guy asked, he had a rifle slung against one shoulder, as the smaller guy stood by him quietly. He looked kind of shy around us.

"Having a beauty pageant, what the damn hell does it look like?" Dean spat angrily.

The red head just grinned, apparently liking Dean's smart-assed nature. The two of them stepped forwards, and the red head extended a hand to Sam, since he seemed less hostile, shaking his hand.

"My names Gibson, Thomas Gibson" he went on, then gestured to his small friend. "That's Charlie."

Dean snorted.

"He looks like Chaplin."

Gibson just grinned.

"Yeah, s'why we call him Charlie. Anyway, you folks better come with us before you're lunch meat. We're two of a crowd of around seventy people that survived whatever the hell kinda' judgement day this is. We found an old military bunker underground. It's a big ass place, around a mile or two out of here. We're holding out there until this blows over, you're all welcome to join us."

Dean was about to butt in with another smart alec remark but a glare from Nisha silenced him. She looked at the grinning Gibson, studying him critically for a moment before deeming him relatively harmless.

"My names Nisha, this is Dean and Sam and my sister in law Misha. Can you give our friend Bobby a ride in your truck?" she asked. "His car crapped out on him, we're gonna' follow in the Impala, since Dean may just cry like a baby if we leave it behind."

Gibson nodded, giving a mild salute. Bobby followed Charlie and Gibson into their truck as Nisha and I climbed back into the Impala with the Winchester boys. We pulled out, following the beaten old truck through the remnants of a small Texan town and out into an old corn field. Pulling up to what seemed to be a large steel door half submerged in the earth, Gibson hopped out of the truck, pressing buttons on a device on the steel door. It was huge, like a concrete elephant couldn't bust it open. As Gibson finished with the button pressing, the doors slowly opened and we followed the truck into an underground road. The steel doors shut behind us and our only light source was a million rectangular lamps that stretched the length of the dark road.

Soon enough we happened upon what seemed a whole underground civilisation. Gibson hadn't been kidding when he said the place was huge. A lot of people were milling around, it was like a mini steel city. I stared at it through the window of the Impala as we drove slowly through. Finally though we pulled to a stop, parking our car and climbing out as the people all stared at us. Gibson approached us, hopping down from the truck and walking back towards us with Bobby and Charlie following him.

"I'll leave you with Charlie" Gibson informed us, flicking a salute again before wandering off to some other people nearby.

Charlie approached us. Dean was staring at him harshly. I knew that man well, and I could see that Dean had decided instantly he didn't like this guy. I blinked, he seemed nice enough to me.

"I'll have to take you all to see Carter" he finally said. He had a raspy London accent, weird to hear, well…the whole day was weird but hearing a London accent in America had always been odd to me.

"Carter?" Sam asked.

Charlie nodded.

"He runs the place, I'll take you to meet him so he can register you all and then assign you rooms. See, we don't have houses here obviously, I guess your room will be like your home…I hope you're…." he paused, looking at me for a second, oddly. "Comfortable here."

"Just peachy" Dean snorted and I nudged him, holding his arm as he sighed, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Sam held Nisha's hand tightly in his own, looking around warily as Bobby followed us all. As happy as I was to be in this place, something about it wasn't right. At least we seemed safe for now.