37 hours later

Nicole was so sick of people walking up to her in tears, wanting to hug it out and say they were sorry. What could they all be sorry for? That she had been just yards from her brother when he was murdered? That she had gotten herself captured and then locked up in a freaking cage instead of finding Thomas? No, none of them knew about that. None of them how sorry they really could be. So instead she forced on something resembling a smile, and thanked them, hugged them back. She drifted around the room, avoiding just one area - the area with the dark box -, and then winced when her father found her and told her they had to start soon.

"I don't have to do anything, do I Dad?" She asked desperately.

He shook his head. "No, you don't. But it would mean a lot to some of us if you said something about your brother."

"There's nothing to say."

"There's always something to say, you of all people know that." He smiled gently, trying to tease and keep her spirits up.

"I just..I can't, Dad. Not to all these people."

"Okay, okay. But please try to show your face a bit more? You can't hide out at your brother's funeral."

"You know how I am with crowds, Dad. Especially family gatherings."

"I know but Nicole, this isn't a normal family gathering. Just please cooperate?"

She sighed and nodded as he walked away. "I'm trying." She flashed a strained smile at one of her uncles, and then picked up a cup of some punch off a table. She took a sip and winced - food and drink was even less tasteful at this point. She put down the cup and rubbed her temple, closing her eyes for a moment, then glanced up at the person that had appeared in front of her. Nicole gasped and actually smiled - a real smile - and wrapped her arms up around the man's neck without hesitation. "Sam. It's great to see you." She let him go and stepped back, smiling nervously as she realized how eager she'd just been.

"Hey. How are you holding up?" He smiled gently and his grey-brown eyes were soft, concerned.

"I'm holding." She replied and he laughed softly, bright smile a relief to see. She was tired of tear-streaked faces and depressed gazes.

"That's good. I can't imagine how hard this is." He touched her arm gently and she just nodded.

"Yeah, it's something. So, uh, where's your brother?"

"Parking the car. You know he doesn't trust anyone else too."

Nicole smiled slightly. "Right. So, services are about to start I guess. Wanna get a seat?"

"You're not saying anything?"

"Uh, no I don't think so."

"Why?" Sam asked gently, as they settled into two empty chairs, amist the crowd of relatives and friends.

"What can I say, Sam? I hated the kid when he was alive, and wasn't exactly the best sister. Then I'm the one that sends him outside, gets him caught, gets myself caught, and still doesn't manage to stop anything? No." She shook her head, and watched people begin to sit down. "I'm not going up there."

Sam nodded understandingly, and nudged her gently, a faint smile on his lips. "I think you did great, and did all that could have been done. It's okay."

"Thanks, Sam." She smiled slightly and then looked up when a figure stepped into her vision. "Took you long enough."

"What, no 'Hi, how are you' for me?" The older Winchester grinned and sat on the other side of her.

"Apparently not."

"That's rude."

"You deserve it."

"Guys, please." Sam cut in, already appearing tired. "Just not here?"

"Whatever, dude." Dean grinned again and glanced around the room. "So this is the family, huh?"

"Mostly. Friends too."

"Uh huh. Service about to start?"

"Yep." Nicole nodded towards her father, who was walking up to the stand in front of the room.

Her father cleared his throat and glanced around the room, pale green eyes tired and worn. He was in front of a small microphone and his gaze locked with Nicole's for a moment, before he began to speak. "We all knew Thomaas in different ways, he was a different person to all of us. But we all shared one thing in how we saw him and that was..." Nicole let his familiar voice fade to the back of her mind as she fought to hold herself together, to remind herself that none of it was her fault. Or so they said. If it wasn't her fault, why the nightmares? She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath, then jumped when something gently touched her arm. She glanced up and saw Sam's soft hazel eyes, made sympathetic by his drawn-down eyebrows and puppy-like features. She smiled slightly to signal she was fine, and turned away - to be met with an even green gaze, serious and faintly uncomfortable. Nicole tried to stare back for a moment, to show him she could be strong enough for this, but before long she had to tear away; it was like he could see straight through her.

Nicole stayed fairly mellow and unemotional throughout all the speeches given by any friend or family member that felt the need. She caught several glances and whispers, all surely wondering why she wasn't up there herself. None of them would be able to understand if they wanted to. Or maybe it was her lack of emotion that stunned them? She should be crying right? Like her mother was - okay, scratch that, that was kind of obnoxious. Her father even had a fair amount of tears though. Hell, Sam looked pained as well. Then again, he'd seen Thomas kil- no. So Sam had reason. Dean though...she wasn't sure what he was. His stare was firm and solid, but something was tainting his features, something she didn't know. He glanced at her for a moment, feeling her watchful eyes, and she knew it - sympathy. Of all people, Dean was sympathetic? Towards whom - her, Thomas, or her family? Her family was more like it.

People began to stand up and move around, and Nicole was snapped back to all that was happening. She glanced around, and then felt a strong hand under her elbow, urging and helping her to her feet. She was surprised enough by it to let it help her up, and stared at Dean. "Thanks." She mumbled quietly and he just nodded firmly. "So what do we do now?" Nicole looked behind her at Sam, in question.

He opened his mouth for a second, and shrugged. "It's your funeral. Sort of."

"Well I can't say I've been to many of these things."

"You and your family just hug and share some tears, maybe swap memories. Then we eat to feel better, and it's over." Dean interruppted, voice tinged with taunting. Nicole stared and he continued, shit-eating-smug-grin on his face. "Maybe you can even get Sammy here to cry with ya, we all know he's good at that. Then again, you seem to be lacking in the emotional department at the moment, so maybe we're gonna have to have a contest to make you cry for your little brother."

She stared a moment more, and then fury flicked into her dark blue eyes. "Is this amusing to you, Winchester? You find this scene fucking entertaining?" She took a step closer to him, not even bothering to be surprised by her own flash of anger. "Maybe we'll bring out the cake and make it a fucking party!"

"Nicole," Sam gently pulled her back, shooting at glance at his brother. "Easy. He didn't mean anything."

"Fuck this." Nicole muttered, pulling away from Sam and stomping off towards her father and mother.

Sam stared at his older, and sometimes it seemed stupider, brother. Dean pressed his lips together in slight aggravation, and then noticed Sam watching him. "What?" He snapped and Sam shook his head.

"What the hell Dean? Honestly."

"Oh come on Sammy, what did I do? She was fine!"

"Yeah and you don't think that maybe she was "fine" to keep from falling apart?" Dean didn't answer, glancing away. "Huh, Dean?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Yes, you did, Dean. Didn't you see her looking at you during the service?"

"Well...yeah. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"I don't know, Sammy. I saw her looking, but who's to say she just wasn't checkin' me out?" He grinned, but it faded quickly when he saw his younger brother's exasperated expression. "What's stuck up your ass, man?"

"Oh I don't know, Dean, just maybe the fact that you can't seem to understand when the hell a person is depending on you?!" Sam shifted, normally gentle eyes hard and aggravated.

"That doesn't make sense, dude." Dean replied simply, and strode easily towards the tables of food. He picked up a mini-sandwich and lifted it up to take a bite, only to have it knocked away by Sam. "What the hell?"

"Dean, seriously."

"Yeah, seriously that was my food!" Dean reached for another sandwich, but his brother grabbed ahold of his jacket and pulled him away from the table.

"Dean, just for once, listen to me. Now Nicole - she was relying on you to stay unemotional like always so she could be unemotional, and be okay. She needed you to be stable and stoic so that she wasn't the only one lacking emotion in the room. You changed, even the slightest, and she snapped."

"That I noticed.."

"This isn't funny, Dean. You made a mockery of her trouble with emotion, when you've got the same damn problem!" Sam stopped to take a breath, and stared in confusion at his brother's laid-back expression. "What hell has gotten into you all the sudden?"

"Nothing, Sam." Dean replied easily and started to walk away, only to have Sam grab his shoulder and make him turn around.

"No, it's something." The hazel eyes were confused, and Dean could practically see the gears churning in his brother's mind. "You just get uncomfortable seeing her emotional, don't you? You get nervous when she's sad or in pain or-"

"That's ridiculous, Sam." He tried to interrupt, but that didn't stop the onslaught.

"It's true, though. I just want to know why. I mean, I understand you were with her when she found out about Thomas, so you had to be there to witness all of that, but that doesn't make any sense for you to act like- ah!" The taller Winchester gasped and stumbled, his eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"Sam?" Dean grabbed his younger brother's arm, holding him stable. "Are you alright?"

Night time..asphalt..parked, dark cars... Sam gasped again, pressing his palm to his temple. The outside of a hotel..a gate...street lights...

"Sam!"

A dark house...1142...faded Halloween decorations....stray cat...

"Sammy! Come on, man!"

A figure was walking out of a hotel room, careful to be quiet, and then down the sidewalk...past cars and a building surrounded by iron fence....towards a house...the figure jumped as a cat hissed and swallowed nervously...the figure glanced around, looking for something...walked slowly up to the house...hand turning the doorknob..and the door opened easily. The figure paused..then stepped into the dark threshold....inside was dark, quiet and cold...no one was living here...a thud of movement, and the figure whirled around, eyes wide. Blue eyes wide. It was Nicole.

Sam was thrown back into reality with another gasp and he sagged against his brother, before controlling himself and standing on his own. He swallowed, and his eyes darted around swiftly, looking for Nicole.

"Sam, what'd you see?" He ignored his brother's voice, pushing away from him to look around more.

"Young man, are you alright?" Sam glanced down in confusion at an elderly lady, who was forced to look up almost a complete ninety-degrees to see him. "You looked like you were about to faint."

"Uh, no, I'm fine thank you." He flashed a strained smile and tried to move away.

"Well be careful, son." The little lady smiled and shuffled off, under Dean's raised eyebrows.

Sam just rolled his eyes and began to slip through the crowded room, frantic to find Nicole imediately.

"Dude, what the hell was that?" Dean snapped, following closely. "What are you looking for?"

"Nicole."

"Why? D'you see something with her?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Not now, Dean? Just find Nicole."

"Alright, whatever." And then a heartbeat later, "Here."

Sam screeched a halt and turned around, honestly surprised to see his brother holding tightly to the arm of a rather shocked Nicole. "Uh, thanks. Nicole, listen, we have to go."

"What? Sam there's still another hour at least-"

"Then cut it short."

"I can't do that, this is my brother's funeral, in case you haven't noticed. I have to stay." Nicole glanced at the man still holding onto her, and jerked her arm free with a glare.

"No, you have to come with us."

"Why? What's so urgent?"

That threw him off for a second. "Uh, well-..uhm,"

"Sam, I like you and all, but if you don't even have a reason for me to leave, I'm not coming."

Sam sighed, exasperated and glanced at his brother for help. Dean just shrugged, smirking the slightest. Sam sighed again, defeat in is soft eyes. "I'll explain it when we get to a hotel, okay? It's-"

"I can't even go back to my dad's house?"

"No, you need to stay with us."

She glanced at Dean, then back to Sam. "Are you kidding?"

"Nicole, please. I don't know if there's time for a fucking argument right now okay?" His voice got harsh and she shut up, surprised by the swear he'd just spat out. "If you just listen and come along, I'll explain I swear."

Nicole hesitated, and instinctively glanced at Dean again. He glanced at Sam for a moment, then back to her, green gaze serious and baritone voice quiet. "It's about the nightmare thing." Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but he shook his head. "You gotta come with us to hear it."

She paused for just a moment, then nodded. "Alright, let me tell my parents." She turned and disappeared, and the Winchesters stood idly, both on edge.

Dean felt his brother tense, and glanced up. "What?" Sam just reached towards a stack of papers on the table nearby and held one up. Dean scanned it quickly, realizing it was the summary for Thomas and the funeral, then saw what had caught Sam's attention. He looked back up, eyes wide and expressive brows raised in disbelief. "You're not thinking that-"

"Yeah." Sam answered softly, nodding and looking for Nicole again. "It explains my visions. Thomas was born in 1983."