A Trickster's Daughter

by roseofmyheart

Gabriel was screwed. Royally. He thought staying in a female vessel would be fun. No harm, no foul right? I mean, what's the worse that could happen? He really should know better than to tempt fate like that. He knows next to nothing when comes to raising a nephilim. Fledgling? Sure, done it before. Human? Eh -hand waver-. Father/daughterOC, maybe OC/Cas, slow start

38. Chapter 38- Fun-sized and Super-sized!

October 31st 2008, Gloversville, New York, United States

Gloversville High School

Dean

Dean scrubbed his face in frustration after talking to the last of Tracy's friends, getting absolutely nothing of value from any of them. The bell rang again, another period ending, releasing students from their classrooms.

He walked the halls rigidly as he headed to a one Eli Pepperjack's next class to talk with the kid he vaguely remembered from the Halloween party. Dean might've been a bit too distracted by the blonde cheerleader witch. Disgust curled in his gut as the cheerleading fantasy was ruined again with his brother's words echoing in his ears.

He was sooooo putting Nair in Sam's shampoo again.

Dean was almost to the kid's math class when he saw a couple of what looked like football players or the stereotypical jocks pick up this scrawny nerdy bespectacled boy and practically fold him into an open locker.

"G-guys! C'mon! I n-need t-to g-get to cl-class!" the kid stuttered pitifully as he was shoved into the top half-locker.

"Well, guess you're gonna have to miss it then, huh Penis Jacker?" one of them sneered.

"And that dyke bitch ain't here to fight for ya!" the other chuckled cruelly.

Dean rolled his eyes. High school never really changed did it? Unfortunately, he didn't have time for—

"I-It's Pepperjack, y-you ass-assholes!" the kid squeaked valiantly, albeit stupidly, in protest.

Okay, maybe he did.

"Hey!" Dean boomed over the throngs of hormonal adolescents, authority laced in his tone and body language. "What's going on here?!" he demanded loudly as he marched over purposefully, students scrambling to get out of his way.

The bullies eyed Dean up curiously with hints of defiance and tension in their shoulders.

"Wh-what'd'you care? You ain't a teacher!" the other jock tried to sound confident, but the slight waiver and stutter in his voice bellied the nervousness he was feeling.

Dean glared at the young men, making them shift nervously on their feet, well the one anyway. The other was trying and failing to intimidate him. He internally smirked at that, knowing what he would do next would almost have them pissing their pants as they gave the always comical 'oh shit' faces.

"FBI, boys," Dean flipped his badge at them like the professional con man he was. "I think I trump your high school teachers by, like, a lot. Now is there a reason you're stuffing Urkel here inside a locker?" Cue expectantly quirked eyebrow.

The 'oh shit' faces were firmly in place on the two boys' faces and Dean could hear some students milling around them whispering as they watched the spectacle from afar.

"They th-think I'm gay 'cause I have t-two Dads," Eli piped up with a smirk, his nervous stutter abating a little seeing the two bullies in a tight bind with the 'government official'.

Dean looked from Eli to the boys as they seemed even more nervous, knowing full well the shit they were in.

"Ah, so this is a hate crime, is it?" Dean stated, more than asked, casually. "Me and my partner have been thinking that the two deaths in town might've been 'hate crime' related. Maybe you both should come down to the precinct—"

They both started stuttering and shaking their heads fearfully, denying any part in what happened to Luke Wallace or their year mate Jenny.

"Then I suggest you apologize to the kid and help him out of this locker then, hm?" Dean crossed his arms, standing straighter, looking down his nose at them, adding to the intimidation factor. He looked around at their little audience and barked, "Don't you have classes to get to?!"

Students scattered as the two bullies helped Eli out of the locker and mumbled apologies, and then turned to look back at Dean.

"Beat it!" Dean growled and they did so, hastily.

"Th-thanks," Eli muttered, adjusting his glasses, looking at the taller imposing man as his shoulders and stance relaxed.

"No problem, but, uh, I actually needed to talk to you," Dean admitted, watching as the last of the stragglers entered classrooms or turned the corner.

Eli immediately started fidgeting nervously, realizing he was alone in an empty hallway with a large fit man that could probably break him like a twig.

"A-am I in-in tr-trouble?" his stutter coming back with a vengeance.

"Relax, kid. You're not in trouble," Dean said with a shake his head. "I wanted to ask about your friend, Maya Godson."

Eli furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head curiously, "W-what about her?"

Dean shrugged, "Just if she's been acting weird lately. Acting a little dodgy maybe? Like she was up to something?"

Eli gave him an unsure look; "My-Maya is al-always up-up t-to something—" an alarmed panicked look came over his face and he added quickly with a bad stutter, "—b-b-but like in a p-p-plotting p-p-prankster k-k-kind of w-way!"

"Tone it down kid," Dean gestured. "We think someone might be using her as a scape goat for the deaths in town, forcing her to show up at the Wallace's and the party you were at. So if you can tell me anything. Anything at all, no matter how weird, we can use it to find out who's killing people and get her away from them."

Eli openly scrutinized Dean with a confidence he rarely felt. He wasn't sure if this FBI agent was telling him the truth or trying to find a way to pin the deaths on his friend. Eli couldn't see how Maya could've made Jenny be the one to get stuck in the water and boiled alive, and not him. He had playfully challenged Jenny when she was still reluctant to try after Tracy did. She hadn't wanted to be showed up by the school reject, especially in front of her crush that everyone but said crush knew about.

Dean felt some respect for the scrawny pipsqueak staring/glaring at him. This kid was probably a true friend to his little sister if he was willing to practically challenge him with the scrutinizing stare he had going on.

Dean seemed to pass whatever test Eli was looking for when the scrutiny ended and he sported a ponderous, but worried face.

"I g-guess sh-she s-started acting w-weird w-when her d-dog, P-Puck, ran-ran away a f-few days ago," Eli started slowly. "Sh-she seemed r-really upset, b-but didn't put m-much effort into lo-looking for him. An-and she l-loves that dog."

Red flags pinged Dean's brain.

"Anything else?" Dean probed.

A look of uncertainty crossed Eli's face, it was a look Dean knew enough to know that the person was thinking of a crucial clue but wasn't entirely sure of its relevance or validity.

Or they didn't want to say because it sounded insane. A bit of a toss up between the two really.

Good thing that's what Dean looked for during a case.

"I d-don't know, really," Eli said slowly, unsure. "It's-it's some-something random I n-noticed at Jason's before sh-she left…"

"Yeah? What was that?" Dean prodded starring intently at the kid making him a little more nervous.

"Well-well she did the us-usual, 'if-people-were-mean-to-me-let-her-know' f-for some pra-prankster payback b-but wh-when she smiled…it-it was big li-like it usually w-was when she st-starts plotting pra-pranks, but it d-didn't reach her eyes," Eli bit his lip, still unsure of how important it was what he was describing. "Th-they we-were unfocused, like-like almost like sh-she w-was st-starring off into space an-and not at me. An-and her-her eyes w-were m-more b-bloodshot th-than when-when we got there…" he trailed off in thought.

Dean frowned. It wasn't much but it was something. He knew exactly what Eli was talking about when saying how her smile usually reached her eyes, but that wasn't much, same for the bloodshot eyes comment. There were many reasons for eyes all of a sudden becoming red, most of them not being supernaturally related. Her being unfocused was a little concerning but could easily have been her mind was on something else.

"…I d-don't e-even kn-know why we-we w-were even th-there," Eli said after trailing off.

Dean brought himself out of his musings at that, "Why do you say that?"

Eli actually rolled his eyes then froze a little at his brazenness, before answering, "Wh-when I-I a-asked her w-why we were g-going in-instead o-of doing a monst-ster movie m-marathon sh-she said she d-didn't re-remember. J-just that sh-she ha-had to go. M-Maya s-said I d-didn't h-have to c-come if I-I didn't want t-to."

"She had to?" Dean questioned curiously, wondering what he meant. From what he gathered about Maya's social life here was that it pretty much just included only Eli. No one else. No reason to go to a party with people she didn't know, or get along with in Tracy and Jenny's case. Dean would've thought she'd tell the guy who threw the party she wasn't interested.

The inability to remember why was also concerning. Something must've forced her to go to that party. Dean's jaw clenched and started walking away after curtly thanking Eli. He made a few steps before he paused and looked back at the kid.

"Hey, why'd you go if it was just her that had to?" Dean queried.

Eli shrugged and answered with minimal stuttering, "She's m-my best friend. S-someone had t-to watch her b-back."

Dean nodded a strained smile and headed out to the impala. He sat down and started the engine; he patted his FBI jacket and realized his phone was not in his pocket. He looked around and saw it lying forgotten on the passenger seat beside him.

The small screen telling him he had one new voicemail.

---

Tracy's Apartment

Sam

Sam had found Tracy's apartment, but no one was home. Looking around he crouched and began picking at the lock on the door. After so many years of practice it wasn't long before he was pushing the door open and began nosing around the unlit dwelling.

It was small and sparse, nothing that someone would expect from a teenager living by themselves. There was nothing really personal in the main room or her bedroom that showed the type of person Tracy was.

He searched every nook and cranny he could think of but couldn't find anything that screamed Sabrina-the-600-year-old-teenage-witch lived here.

Sam harshly shut the drawer to Tracy's desk in her bedroom as he sighed in aggravation, but when the drawer slammed it made an odd sound. He frowned and emptied the drawer of papers and writing utensils, feeling around the inside, knocking on the bottom and the sides. He knocked the back of the drawer wall and heard a slightly hallowed sound, then wood scrapping on wood.

He nudge the back a little harder till the wooden panel gave way allowing him to reach in and pull out a small plastic bag. Bringing it into the dim light from the window Sam saw a large lock of dark curly brown hair.

A pit formed in his stomach as he pocketed the bag in his tan jacket. The brown hair, the presence of a witch, and Maya being placed at the two crime scenes made his stomach twist into knots.

Maya was most likely under a spell.

Sam pulled out his phone and began dialing his brother's number, cursing when it went straight to voicemail.

"Dean we need to meet up and come up with a plan. I've found something," Sam swallowed thickly as he walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind him. "Listen, if you see Maya you need to…as much as I hate to say this…knock her lights out…it's…Dean, it's not good. I'm gonna head back to the motel. Meet me there."

Sam was about to turn into the motel parking lot when he saw a familiar figure with shortened hair like his brother described walking on the sidewalk, about to turn around the corner of the motel to head into the same parking lot. He quickly pulled up beside her, parking the rental car and called her name in surprise as he got out, forgetting momentarily that she was probably not her self at the moment.

Sam ran around the car, happy to see she wasn't hurt but that quickly changed as she stopped walking and turned to look at him. Gold eyes eerily blank, stiff and robotic movements, and, the most concerning thing, the blood dripping down her face from her red-rimmed eyes stopped Sam cold a few feet away.

Maya's head tilted to the side in a small sharp movement in some form of demented curiosity. Her eyes lit up in some form of recognition and she reached into her jacket and unhooked a familiar bolo machete.

Sam took a step back, cursing himself. "Maya?" he called cautiously, eyeing the machete that him and Dean had gotten her for her birthday.

Her breath seemed to stutter almost like she tried to keep her self from vomiting as blood began to trickle down from one nostril. Maya's eyes began coming into focus, reminiscent of the amber eyes Sam was familiar with, but more scared and in pain.

"S-S-S-Sam…" she choked out through clenched teeth her eyes starting to become blank once more, "…run."

Maya surged forward, swinging the machete.

Sam had heeded the warning Maya struggled to get out and was prepared for the clumsy attack. She swung in broad clumsy arcs, stumbling over her feet slightly from over balancing. The next time she tried to slash the blade across Sam's chest, sending it wide he rushed in close to her and grabbed her wrist. Her free hand instinctively grabbing the front of his jacket to keep balanced.

He held her arm above her head and grunted, "Maya! Stop! Drop the machete!" Sam caught her eyes again and saw the war waging inside as her eyes and nose dripped more blood down her face. Droplets of the crimson liquid flew when she huffed harshly as she strained against Sam's strength.

"B-b-bag…" Maya stuttered out before her eyes blanked once more and she kicked out one of his knees, and pushed getting Sam's larger frame off balance and sending them both to the cracked concrete. Maya quickly climbed on top of him and tried to cleave his head off.

Sam's grip on her wrist hadn't waiver as he held it up and away from coming down on his head, but it felt like he was gripping a metal pipe instead of soft flesh. Maya used both hands to try and push the blade closer, but despite the better leverage Sam still had the muscle on her and more importantly, experience.

He threw her wrist to the side and bucked, sending her off of him and causing her to lose her grip on the machete. Both of them quickly scrambled to their feet.

Maya hesitated once she was upright as she raged against the spell trying to get her to kill her pseudo big brother. Her conflicted gold eyes met his worried brown ones.

"Where's the hex bag, Maya?" Sam demanded hurriedly, knowing the spell could pull her under any second and they'd be having round two.

"Ba-back po-" her strained voice cut off as her eyes became glazed over and she turned to dive for the machete.

"Shit!" Sam cursed as he made to restrain her again, but had to quickly back up when she swung the reacquired weapon back at him. "Damn it!" he shouted as they began the dance again.

At that moment he regretted the present Dean and him had gotten her.

---

Moonlight Motel Parking Lot

Dean

Dean was about to turn into the motel parking lot when a haphazardly parked car, shouting and movement caught his attention. He pulled up beside the rental car to see what was going on and quickly threw the impala in park.

Maya was trying to chop Sam's head off with a bolo machete.

Good thing he changed back into his civilian clothes so he wouldn't have to worry about messing up his FBI suit. It looked like things were about to get a little dicey.

He rushed out of the car and ran around the front of both and yelled, "Maya! Stop!"

She had been about to try and stab Sam when she heard Dean shout at her. Maya sharply turned her head and her blank red-rimmed gold eyes cleared momentarily as she looked at Dean.

"D-D-Dee?" she whined, her voice pitching high as she forced it through her clenched teeth. Accumulated blood from her face dripped from her chin onto the dull concrete below. Gold eyes looked at him in surprise, rage, and pain.

Dean's eyes narrowed at his little sister's bloodied face and the bloodshot eyes that were leaking the stuff.

"Yeah, it's me Goldy," Dean said calmly as he approached her their eyes locked.

"Dean," Sam called as he eyed the frozen little Trickster and the blade pointed towards him.

"Yeah Sammy?" he answered back as he stilled when Maya turned the bolo towards him with shaky hands.

"She's under a spell. There's a hex bag in one of her back pockets," Sam informed him as he tried to inch closer to her while her attention was focused on his brother.

"Then why the hell is she still pointing that machete at us?!" Dean barked sarcastically. Seriously, could his brother not handle a slight 5'-7" teenage girl?

"I haven't gotten it yet! She's fighting it though, Dean. Look how she's shaking and the blood running down her face, she's fighting it," Maya swung back at him when she heard how close he was, losing a foothold briefly on the mental battle waging inside her skull. Sam skittered backwards, sucking in his gut to avoid the swing. "Her eyes focus more when she's mostly in control and talking. When they go blank is when you need to—"

Dean had tried his luck inching his way past Maya to get behind her while Sam distracted her with his jabbering, but she saw him. Her eyes zoned out and she lunged at him.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean cursed as he dodged clumsy swing after clumsy swing, along with the odd punctuated lunge at his mid-section.

Sam saw his opportunity and rushed up behind her, bringing his arms under her armpits and locking his hands behind her head. He had to duck his head a little when Maya tried twisting her twist to get him with the 14" blade still in her hand.

Dean was quick to rip the weapon from her hand and toss it under the rental car. He figured they'd get it later. Even weaponless Maya was still a handful and fighting back against the two of them.

Sam grunted and groaned with every foot stomp and stray hand trying to reach back and pull his hair out. Dean wasn't doing much better as he tried to get close to her in order to grab the hex bag without getting kicked/kneed in the gut or kicked/kneed in the Winchester family jewels.

"Hurry it up, Dean!" Sam grunted as Maya stomped his left foot for the nth time, making sure to dig in her heel.

"I'm trying!" he bit back as he took a step back to figure out a way to approach the struggling teen.

Maya had other plans and let her legs fall out from under her, slipping out of Sam's hold for the most part. Sam was able to grab her wrists but now, she could move. She quickly twisted her arms over her head till hers and Sam's were crisscrossed and she was facing him.

Then she kicked him in the balls, hard. Successfully bringing the towering man to his knees.

Sam let go of her and doubled over in pain, clutching at his crotch as he fell to his knees. He looked up in time to see Dean rush her from behind only to have Maya drop to her knees in the last second causing his brother to tumble over her with an undignified and surprised yelp. The kind that Dean will later vehemently deny when Sam tried to tease him about it. His brother, in retaliation, will point out how he got sacked by their little sister who was like half his size.

Sam shouted at his brother when he saw Maya retrieve another weapon from beneath her black jacket. This time an ornate silver dagger.

Struggling through the pain coursing through his nether regions, Sam watched as Maya made to stab at Dean, but was stopped by Dean grabbing her severely shaking wrist. He watched as Maya's eyes cleared once more and as her entire body quaked.

By now it seemed everything below her eyes was covered in a thin film of her own blood and as Dean kept the dagger from entering his chest, more began trickling out of her ears. Inside Maya raged against the stonewall that told her to kill the Hunters, to kill her brothers. She didn't back down to rest for a moment here and there like she had been doing before.

This time she pushed and she mentally shoved the crumbling mind wall and forced her self to remain still, and let go of the silver dagger.

Sam had recovered enough to grab the dagger and toss it a ways away from them before grabbing Maya and hauling her off of Dean.

Maya didn't relent against the mental blockade; unfortunately her body wasn't as appreciative. She could feel her airway close and she started choking and coughing.

Sam cursed as he watched his sister begin to shake even more and even started to choke, "Dean! Get the bag!"

Dean didn't say anything back as he reached behind Maya and dug into her back pockets, his hand closing around the cloth pouch.

The minute it was removed from her person, Maya stopped shaking and took a giant gasp of air before going limp in Sam's arms with a heaving chest and a pounding headache.

Both brothers gave a sigh of relief, but scrunched their noses as the scent of burnt hair permeated the air. Dean was the first to notice it was coming from the hex bag in his hand, opening it he found ingredients for whatever spell Maya had been under.

And a lock of burnt hair that was still smoldering.

Bleary and tired honey eyes opened and looked up at the person holding her up on her unsteady feet. "Hey asshole," she croaked with a tired smile.

Sam gave her a relieved and affectionate smile, "Hey twerp." He then pointedly looked over at Dean.

Her eyes followed Sam's gaze to the familiar man standing in front of them wearing his trademark smirk.

"Just couldn't keep outta trouble, could ya Goldy?" Dean joked as he held up the dismantled hex bag.

Her smile dropped as she stared wide-eyed at the supposed dead man in front of her. Maya then looked back up at Sam, "Do you have a silver knife on you?"

Sam looked at her confused, "Uh, um, n—why do you need one?"

" 'Cause this fucking shifter has the fucking nerve to—" her anger was beginning to peak.

Dean rolled his eyes and gave an annoyed groan, "I'm not a shifter!"

Hard gold eyes blazed with righteous fury, "Then you're a revenant! Or a demon! Exorcizamus spiritus-"

"Not a demon!" Dean shouted as he crossed his arms angrily. "Did you and Bobby meet up and plan out your reactions or something?"

Maya was about to spit and hiss at him in her fury when Sam cut in, "It's him, Maya. It's really him. Bobby did all the tests. It's really Dean."

Maya looked between the two gobs smacked as she tried to process this new bit of information.

Dean wasn't dead. He wasn't in Hell anymore. Her big brother was alive!

Tears started falling from her eyes, creating clear paths through her blood covered face, "Deeeeeeeeeeee!"

She struggled out of Sam's arms that hovered as she got her footing on wobbly legs, and stumbled over to Dean who walked over to meet her…

That was, meet her fist to his face!

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! YOU GO AND INSINUATE I'M LIKE YOUR SISTER BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE CAHONAS TO LEAVE ME BEHIND?!" Maya shouted in rage while tears streamed down her face.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean cursed as he grabbed the now tender cheek that had a personal encounter of the fist-kind. "It's because you're like our sister that we couldn't bring you—" his rant was cut short when he all of a sudden had an arm full of clingy and bloodied baby sister crying into his chest, smearing blood, tears, and possibly snot all over his shirt.

"Aww, Goldy. C'mon. Do you know how hard it is to get blood out of clothes?" Dean complained, but hugged the quivering girl back tightly.

"JUST SHUT UP AND ACCEPT MY AFFECTION, WINCHESTER!" his chest muffled Maya's tearful shout as she breathed in his familiar warmth and scent.

The last time Maya was made to let go of her big brother…he'd left her with her Dad and went and died on her.

So distracted by their little scuffle and reunion that none of them noticed a certain art teacher sneak past them and out of the motel parking lot.

---

Maya did her best to wipe most of the blood off her face with a towel Dean threw at her head from the impala, while the boys properly parked their cars. She leaned against the lime brick wall as she tried to wrack her brain over on who the witch was that had hexed her. The inner battle against the hex bag had taken a lot out of her mentally and she just couldn't access the memories she needed.

She'd gotten flashes of her time being cursed, but most was just following or fighting against an order she was given…or was it a compulsion? Maya grimaced in pain as her head throbbed unhelpfully. Her heart also ached for Puck. She had no clue where her little guardian was or what had happened to him, no doubt the witch's doing.

The rumble of the impala stirred her from her thoughts as Dean pulled the impala up into the parking spot in front of her, Sam not far behind.

"How you doing Goldy? Remember anything?" Dean asked as he closed the door and walked over to her.

Maya winced and shook her head grimly, "Sorry, but no. Not really. I think this last mental tango has botched my memory of what happened while I was under the influence of bitchcraft I get flashes of the Wallace's and Jason's house…and I think I even broke it once…I got thrown into a wall…I cursed…and then everything goes out of focus again."

Sam gave her a reassuring smile and pat on the shoulder, "It's fine. We think we know who the witch is anyway."

"Tracy Davis," Dean nodded.

Maya groaned, "That bipolar twat?"

Sam furrowed his eyebrows, "Bipolar?"

Dean raised an amused eyebrow as he watched Maya's face turn red and refused to look them in the eyes.

"She's been either trying rip my face off or get in my pants," she muttered as she crossed her arms. "Talk about literal embodiment of you're hot then you're cold."

Sam's eyebrows shot into his hairline. Dean sent her a disapproving and incredulous face, "Did you just quote that Katy Perry chick?"

"…it's all over the damn radio! And it fit! Okay?!" Maya said defensively with tense shoulders.

"Where did I go wrong with you?" Dean sighed sadly, shaking his head and trying to hide his teasing smirk.

"Anyway, how, uh, strongly did she…come on to you?" Sam asked awkwardly. It might explain how Tracy collected so much of Maya's hair if her haircut was anything to go by.

Maya shifted uncomfortably, not looking at them, "She uh…liked to press up against me or uh stroke my arm…and, um, try and tempt me away from my friend or to go over to her apartment."

"Damn," Dean snorted. "If it was me when I was your age I'd've tapped that after the first sexy wink sent my way."

He received double disgusted bitch faces for that.

"Yeah, well, obviously my standards are a bit higher than yours," Maya scoffed with an eye roll. "And like I told her last time she pulled that stunt, bros before hoes."

Both brothers sent her surprised and in Dean's case, also amused looks.

"You said that…to a 600-year-old witch?" Dean chuckled. Sam couldn't hold back his own smile, even if it was tempered with worry.

If Maya had been having some on and off conflict with Tracy it could explain why Tracy decided to use her. Tracy might not have known she was a half-Trickster at all and Maya's luck was just as bad as theirs.

Maya's eyes bugged-out at Tracy's true age, "She's 600? Damn. She's aged really well, if she' still that hot."

"Wait a minute," Dean said motioning his hand in the universal slow down gesture. "You think she's hot? You're attracted to a witch?" he tried suppressing the smile as he watched his little sister get all flustered and embarrassed.

He failed.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother, but had his own impish glint in his eyes, "Stop being a jerk, Dean. It's not Maya's fault that her raging teenage hormones got the better of her sense for detecting black magic. She's just at that angst ridden age." Sam patted her shoulder in pretend sympathy.

Maya glared at him, "Hey! They did not get the better of—"

Dean caught on to the game and donned his own mocking smirk as he interrupted with, "You're right, bitch. It's okay Goldy. It's completely natural, and don't worry. Sammy and I don't care if you're attracted to women. Just no being attracted to demon whores. Who knows what kind of demonic STD's and STI's you could—"

Maya threw her hands up in the air and pushed past Dean to stalk down the motel boardwalk.

Dean didn't even bother turning around, "Room's other way Goldy." Both his and Sam's grin grew as Maya stomped back and harshly brushed past Dean…and right past their room.

"Walked right by it that time," Dean called after her, grinning as he and Sam followed behind. She huffily turned on her heel and walked back towards them and stopped at the right door this time.

The guys were stopped when a small if slightly chubby kid in a homemade astronaut costume went up to them and said, "Trick or treat."

"This is a motel," Dean pointed at the building.

"So?" the kid's voice echoed slightly in his clear helmet.

"So, we don't have any candy," Dean explained. Maya leaned against the wall and watched with a fist to her mouth to hide her smile. She knew who exactly this kid was.

When she went to the park to give Puck some room to really run around in she didn't always watch just the toddlers. Puck and her playful energy made her popular with some of the 1st-3rd grade demographic.

Maya may or may not have taught them some harmless pranks. Parents foolishly smiled when she'd greet them as her minions, thinking she was just kidding around. When teaching the art of pranking one does not simply kid around.

Well, not completely anyways.

"No, we have ton in the, uh—" Sam tried to say, pointing over at the impala, but Dean interrupted him.

"We did, but it's gone," Dean said turning to meet Sam's gaze that quickly morphed into the all popular 'seriously?'-bitch face when he realized what Dean did.

Astronaut raised his eyebrows in disbelief, while Dean shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry, kid, we can't help you."

"I want candy," the kid complained making himself sound sad as he looked up at the towering adults.

Dean leaned down enough and said, "Well, I think you've had enough." Sam rolled his eyes at his brother and walked over to stand beside Maya, not seeing the kid give Dean the stink eye or harshly bump into Dean with his shoulder.

Maya bit her lip then called the kid's nickname she had for him, "Minion Alex!"

The mini astronaut turned around at the sound of his name and his eyes lit up and jogged over to her with a bright smile, "Maya!"

Maya cracked a smirk as she ignored Sam and Dean's curious eyes, "Hey Major Tom. How about I give you the chocolate bar in my pocket and you give me that carton of eggs you're hiding in your pail." She dug in her jacket pocket pulling out a full sized Aero bar.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Alex said a little too innocently to actually be innocent.

"Kid, I enlightened you on the little Halloween exchange clause. You get a treat, and you don't egg Steve McQueen's car," Maya thumbed at Dean who had a look of dawning horror while Sam was sucking his lips into his mouth to stop from laughing at his brother's expression.

Alex the astronaut regarded Maya then shrugged, "Okay." He dug the half filled egg carton out from under his collection of assorted Halloween candy and exchanged it for the candy bar before going on his merry way.

Maya smiled fondly after him then turned to look back at her two brothers whop stared at her expectantly, "What?"

"You taught him to egg people's cars if he didn't get candy?!" Dean demanded.

"Noooo, I pointed out the choice everyone is presented with at Halloween. Give the person candy or get tricked," Maya shrugged. "Besides, I thought you'd be happy I saved your car from being egged," she raised an eyebrow at him.

Sam licked his lips a little nervously, "Maya…have you been teaching little kids how to prank people?"

"Uh, yeah," Maya scoffed with a smile. "Silly parents smile when I greet them as my minions. Why'd you think I greeted him as Minion Alex?"

The brothers were silent as they digested the implications.

"You…have a-a mini-prankster child army?" Dean asked incredulous and a little nervously.

"I prefer mini-Trickster army, but yeah. Pretty much," she shrugged with a brilliant and slightly terrifying smile. "Don't worry. I only teach them age appropriate pranks."

"Oh my god," Sam laughed a little breathlessly as he ran a hand through his hair, while Dean looked at her with trepidation.

"Maya…you're kind of terrifying. You know that?" Dean told her disquietly.

She just beamed at them with a large toothy smile, "Thank yooooou." That didn't help at all and she chuckled at Dean's unimpressed glare.

Sam shook his head with a smile and opened the door to their motel room asking, "Anyway, Maya, do you know how Tracy might've gotten some of your hair for the spell?"

Maya followed after Sam, "Her and her friends were putting gum in my hair after my epic rebuff of her advances for most of the day, so I chopped it off and threw it in her face."

"Looks like the witch-bitch got the last laugh huh?" Dean said sarcastically behind her as they filed into the darkened room. "By the way, where the hell is Loki when all this shit was going down?"

Sam sighed, ears primed to hear the answer to that question when he stared into the room and saw two strange men in their room; one looking out the window and one sitting on the far bed with his back to them. He quickly went on alert, raising his gun and sticking his arm out to keep Maya behind him, "Maya, stay behind me! Who are you?!"

"Sam, Sam, wait!" Dean shouted as he saw the trench coat cladded angel beyond his younger siblings. He rushed by Maya to stand beside Sam, putting a hand on the gun to lower it, "It's Castiel…the angel."

Neither brother noticed Maya freeze up behind them, her eyes wide and her face paling in terror.

Dean looked into the room and saw the smartly dressed black man staring out the window through the curtains, "Him, I don't know."

During the exchange Castiel had stood up and walked over to them, "Hello Sam."

Sam had a look of wonder and excitement on his face as he put his gun away. Which would account the normally more articulate brother to fall all over himself, "Oh my god. Er, uh, I didn't mean to—sorry. It's an honor. Really, I-I've heard a lot about you." Sam took a step closer to the blue-eyed angel and held out his hand, leaving Maya behind him feeling exposed to the ultimate monsters from her nightmares.

She wanted to bolt out of the room, but her brothers were there and she just got them back. So she did what little kids tended to do when they're scared of someone new. She side stepped behind Dean and tucked her self behind his back and grabbed the back of his jacket with her free hand, while fearfully eyeing the angel only feet away from her.

Dean looked over his shoulder at her in concern and saw her pallor complexion and big round fearful eyes. He could feel her begin to shake and heard her take in shuddering breaths, no doubt trying to calm her racing heart.

It then clicked in his mind—the old sketchbook.

Maya was terrified of angels.

Dean turned around, letting her try and hide behind his bulk as he walked over to the still open door. Once there he murmured down to the shaking little Trickster trying to bury herself into his chest, "If you want to leave it's okay. I know you're scared of our…angelic guests. So, if you want to go, now's your chance."

Maya looked up at him with big scared eyes, looking between him the open door and around him at the angels in the room. She closed the door and thumped against his chest, the stupid half-filled egg carton clutched between them and shook her head silently. Maya had just been reunited with them…she wasn't ready to leave them. Despite the dicks with wings in the room.

"And I, you," they heard Castiel's gravelly voice say to Sam. Dean looked his head over at the exchange. "Sam Winchester—the boy with the demon blood. Glad to hear you've ceased your…extracurricular activities."

Dean turned back to Maya and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Stay behind me and Sam. We're not going to let these guys do anything to you, okay?"

She looked up at him scared and nervous, but nodded silently. Wasn't exactly sold on their ability to protect her, but again, not ready to leave them either.

Even if every instinct told her to run.

When Dean started walking away she latched onto the back of his jacket again, following instep behind him.

Castiel released Sam's hand and flicked his eyes over to Dean as he walked up beside Sam. He narrowed them slightly at seeing another person peaking with fearful gold eyes from behind Dean.

Dean noticed the angel's stare and turned his body to hide her, glaring as intense blue eyes met his own green ones.

His glare was diverted when the other angel in the room spoke up in a deep voice, "Let's keep it that way."

"Yeah, okay, chuckles," Dean eyed the strange angel, not liking the way he said that. He looked back at Castiel, "Who's your friend?"

Castiel didn't answer and asked, "The raising of Samhain—have you stopped it?"

"Why?" Dean asked as he felt Maya tense behind him at the mention of the demon being summoned.

She knew all too well the actual origin of All Hallows Eve. Samhain was one bad mother.

"Dean, have you located the witch?" Castiel asked.

"Yes, we've located the witch," Dean answered with slight annoyance.

"And is the witch dead?" Castiel probed.

"No but—" Sam started but Dean beat him to it.

"We know who it is."

"Apparently the witch knows who you are, too," Castiel walked to the nightstand between the beds and grabbed a leather pouch off of it, holding it up for the Winchesters to see. "This was found in the wall of your room. If we hadn't found it, surely one or…all of you would be dead," Castiel said a little pointedly, once more eyeing the small figure huddled behind Dean's back. "Do you know where the witch is now?"

Dean looked back at Sam who shrugged at him, "We're working on it."

Sam was about to point out Maya's ability to sense black magic but had finally noticed how squished up she was against Dean's back. He frowned and nudged her, making her jump as she whipped her head around to look at him terrified. He sent her a worried look and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

He then saw her nervously eyeing the angels in the room. Ah.

Sam adjusted his position so if the other angel turned around he wouldn't see her, while Dean kept her from being seen completely by Castiel.

"That's…unfortunate," Castiel sighed as he turned to look at the other angel in the room.

"What do you care?" Dean questioned belligerently.

Castiel looked back at Dean, "The raising of Samhain is one of the 66 seals needed to break the cage."

"So this is about your buddy Lucifer," Dean intoned, as he felt Maya tense behind him. He felt her turn to Sam, no doubt silently asking him what was going on.

"Lucifer is no friend of ours," the dark angel by the window informed them.

Sam and Dean eyed the other angel.

"It was just an expression," Dean told him sarcastically.

"Lucifer cannot rise," Castiel walked to stand in front of Dean, both brothers adjusting their positions again to keep Maya from the angels' direct line of sight. Castiel frowned momentarily at the movement but continued, "The breaking of the seal must be prevented at all costs."

"Okay, great. Well, now that you're here, why don't you tell us where the witch is?" Dean asked expectantly. "We'll gank her, and everybody goes home."

Castiel shook his head, "We are not omniscient. This witch is very powerful. She's cloaked, even to our methods."

Dean sent a look to Sam at that. That'd explain why Loki didn't realize he had a witch in his backyard. If their witch could hide from Heaven she'd probably be more than powerful enough to hide from the Trickster god.

"Okay, well, we already know who she is. So if we work together with Maya—"

"Sam!" Maya hissed fearfully and panicky behind Dean's back, interrupting Sam.

"Maya you could—" Sam tried to argue, but Maya didn't let him finish.

"If my Dad can't then I sure as hell can't, even if I wasn't—" she whispered harshly through tightly clenched teeth, but the other angel at the far end of the room interrupted her.

"Enough of this," the dark angel intoned blandly as he turned around calmly.

"Who are you and why should I care?!" Dean demanded angrily from feeling Maya shake against his back when Sam had acknowledged her in front of the angels.

"This…is Uriel," Castiel introduced with a sigh. "He's what you might call…a specialist," he turned his head and watched as his fellow angel approached, his sensitive hearing picking up a whimper from the girl hiding behind the brothers.

Castiel knew there was something odd about the girl, but he couldn't quite place it yet. Who ever she was the Winchesters knew her and were protective of her.

"What kind of a specialist?" Dean questioned uneasily as the two angels shared a meaningful stare. Dean glanced at Sam who had his unsettled face on as well, and he could guess Maya did too as he felt her shift to peak out from behind him. "What are you gonna do?"

"You—all of you, you need to leave this town immediately," Castiel told them as he looked back at them, his blue eyes briefly flickering to Maya's own gold ones, causing her to duck back behind Dean once more.

"Why?" Dean asked, dreading the answer.

"Because we're about to destroy it," Castiel answered honestly, showing no signs of remorse or regret that either brother could pick-up from his blank facial expression.

Maya sucked in a terrified breath and in a moment of courage she stepped out from behind Dean into the full view of both the angels, "You can't do that! There are innocent people here! Kids!"

Castiel's eyes widened fractionally at the young girl as he finally saw what made her strange, she was a demi-god of the Trickster variety, a pagan half-breed. The, albeit minimal, Trickster taint swirled like oil along her bright human soul obscuring it slightly.

It was an abomination.

"A little baby Trickster abomination," Uriel droned with a hint of amusement then looked Dean and Sam in the eyes. "And you haven't killed it yet?"

Realizing how exposed she was, Maya meeped and darted behind Sam. She shook as she pressed her self against Sam's large back and tried to keep from hyperventilating from her stupid outburst.

Talk about living out one of your own personal nightmares.

"Why do you have that…thing with you?" Castiel questioned as he tore narrowed eyes from where Maya had huddled behind Sam, and looked into Dean's furious ones.

"Goldy's our friend asshat, and if either you or chuckles here tries anything I won't hesitate with putting a bullet through your freakin' heads!" Dean growled as he moved to stand more in front of Sam and glare down at the blue-eyed angel.

The man didn't intimidate Castiel, but his eyes squinted at what Dean had called the appalling half-breed, Goldy. His perfect recall remembered their conversation after the witnesses were laid to rest, how Dean had claimed this…Goldy as his family.

Blue eyes flickered to Sam's hard brown ones as he held him self tensely, ready to fight either of them should they try and go for the thing huddled behind his back. It would seem that the familial sentiment for the atrocity was shared between both brothers.

This could prove to be…problematic.

Uriel chuckled sarcastically, disregarding the humans' aggressive posturing, "Please. Like mortal weapons can harm an angel of the Lord."

Furious emerald eyes shifted from Castiel to Uriel, "Try me bitch. You want my help with the seals after this one? Then you leave her the hell alone. She's a good kid and doesn't deserve to get smote by some self-righteous pricks."

"Watch your tone with us you disgusting mud monkey!" Uriel snapped then opened his mouth to say more but Castiel interrupted him.

"Enough!" Castiel sent a reproving and impatient look to Uriel, they had other concerns more pressing than some random Trickster half-breed. "The abomination is not important right now. We're out of time, the witch has to die, and the seal must be saved."

Sam and Dean glared at the angel's choice of words in addressing their little sister, who, if Sam guessed right from how she moved against his back might be crying.

"There are a thousand people here," Sam pointed out as he briefly looked over his shoulder at the down turned heaving mop of short curly brown hair pressed against his back. He looked back at the angels in front of him with a frown and felt Maya clutch at the back of his jacket trying to ground her self.

"1,214…1,213, plus one abomination," Uriel droned, glaring in Sam's direction pointedly.

Sam glared right back as he straightened his shoulders, "And you're willing to kill them all?"

Uriel shook his head and told them unemotionally, "This isn't the first time I've…purified a city."

From behind Sam's back Maya grimaced at the angel's bland disregard for human life, as her heart calmed down as much as it could. It still beat rapidly in the presence of the winged racist dicks.

"Look, I understand this is regrettable," Castiel turned to look back at Dean.

"Regrettable?" Dean scoffed.

"We have to hold the line. Too many seals have broken already," Castiel's voice firm and clinical.

Dean shook his head, "So you screw the pooch on some seals and now this town has to pay the price?"

"It's the lives of 1,000 against the lives of 6 billion. There's a bigger picture here."

Maya couldn't help but think grimly, 'But where will you draw the line? 100,000? A million? Half the population on Earth?' She doesn't voice her thought, terrified of being the center of the two angels' focus once more.

"Right…'cause, uh, you're bigger picture kind of guys," Dean demeaned with a nod.

Castiel seemed to have had enough of Dean's shit and stepped into his personal space and told him severely, "Lucifer cannot rise. He does and Hell rises with him."

Maya peaked her head out nervously, again, as she watched the angel get into her brother's personal space. And the raising of Lucifer didn't sound too good either.

"Is that something you're willing to risk?" he asked Dean, never breaking eye contact.

Maya looked at Dean as he shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Hell. She knew he had died and gone to Hell, but neither of them had told her how he got out, or if he remembered anything.

"We'll stop this witch before she summons anyone," Sam told Castiel with certainty, looking at Castiel and Dean having some kind of starring contest. It was kind of awkward. "Your seal won't be broken and no one has to die."

"We're wasting time with these mud monkeys and their pet abomination," Uriel's lips curled in distaste when he mentioned Maya.

Castiel turned and stepped away from Dean, actually looking somewhat regretful, even if it was only minuscule, "I'm sorry, but we have our orders."

"No, you can't do this. You—you're angels," Sam protested, slightly pleadingly as his faith, his belief was slowly becoming undone by the angels in front of him. "I mean, aren't you supposed to—you're supposed to show mercy."

Uriel chuckled like Sam had told him some funny joke and smiled, "Says who? Although, I suppose I could show mercy on that half-breed abomination cowering behind your back. The pagan taint hasn't seeped into its soul too much, yet. I'm sure if I…purify it now it'll most likely still be able to enter Heaven."

Both brothers glared at the dark skinned angel.

Castiel sent Uriel another warning look. "We have no choice," he told them flatly, referring to the town smiting.

"Of course you have a choice. I mean, come on, what, you've never—never questioned a crap order, huh? What are you both, just a couple of hammers?" Dean drilled at Castiel, tarring his eyes away from the other angel that so casually mentioned offing one of his younger siblings.

"Look, even if you can't understand it, have faith," the blue eyed angel turned back around to look back at Dean. "The plan is just."

"How can you even say that?" Sam questioned wanting to know how angels thought that smiting a town was a just plan.

Castiel turned his steely gaze on Sam, "Because it comes from Heaven. That makes it just."

Maya had to bite her lip to keep the retort, 'So says every mindless obedient soldier throughout history. Every sociopathic religious zealot who started a war in God's name, killed in His name.'

Dean jeered, "It must be so nice to be so sure of yourselves."

"Tell me something, Dean," Castiel queried, "When your father gave you an order, didn't you obey?"

That struck a nerve, but instead of backing down, Dean got annoyed, which then morphed into the trademark Winchester stubbornness.

"Sorry, boys, it looks like plans have changed," Dean told the trench coat angel. Castiel tilted his head a little curiously as he starred at him.

"You think you can stop us?" Uriel asked amused. The same way the arrogant were amused by those they considered beneath them.

"No," Dean started walking over to Uriel. "But if you're going to smite this whole town…then you're gonna have to smite us with it because we're not leaving." Dean looked over his shoulder at Castiel, addressing him, "See you went to the trouble of busting me out of Hell. I figure I'm worth something to the man upstairs." He looked back at Uriel, starring confidently at the smug bastard's face, "You want to waste me? Go ahead. See how he digs that."

Maya's eyebrows shot to her hairline in surprise. The angels dragged Dean out? She wasn't sure whether to feel grateful or worried.

She leaned more to being worried. If they saved Dean then they had plans for him, and with Heaven involved that didn't bode well for them.

"I will drag you out of here myself," Uriel growled lowly with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, but you'll have to kill me. Then we're back to the same problem. I mean, come on. You're gonna wipe out a whole town for one little witch? Sounds to me like you're compensating for something," Dean sassed and turned around and walked back to Castiel.

"We can do this," Dean told Castiel with certainty. "We will find that witch. And we will stop the summoning."

Castiel held Dean's gaze, starring intently into his face, gauging his resolve.

"Castiel, I will not let these—" Uriel started angrily pointing at them, only to be stopped when Castiel held out a silencing hand to him and interrupted his rant.

"Enough," Castiel ordered, his stare-off with Dean never wavering. "I suggest you move quickly."

Dean gave the angel a curt nod and turned towards Sam and Maya, "Let's go guys."

Castiel and Uriel watched as Dean gave a reassuring smile to the female abomination, draping a comforting arm around its shoulders and leading it out the door. It eyed the egg carton in its grasp, its eyes shifting to Castiel and Uriel contemplatively, albeit nervously. Dean noticed and lightly wacked it upside the head, making it flinch and scowl childishly up at him.

"Don't throw eggs at the smite-happy angels!" Dean hissed quietly in the golden-eyed half-Trickster's ear. "Even if they deserve it."

Sam followed closely behind, keeping his body between the angels and the half-breed. Sam would give the angels a final uncertain and saddened disillusioned glance before shutting the door behind them.

In the quiet Uriel spoke up first, "We should've smote that disgusting perversion of our Father's creation."

Castiel sighed heavily through his vessel's nose, "It would've caused more friction between the Righteous Man and Heaven. We need him to cooperate in saving the seals. We can let it live for now."

Uriel rumbled in his displeasure.

---

"…angels?!" Maya squeaked nervously as they closed the door behind them, her heart still pounding. "Seals? Lucifer? What…guys, what's going on?" she looked up into Dean's green eyes beseechingly and scared. "And…and, and angels?!"

"You said that one already, Goldy," Dean smirked at the small glare Maya gave him.

"What the hell is going on?!" she demanded loudly as they walked to the impala.

Dean sighed as he released her and went to the driver's side of the impala, "The seals to Lucifer's Cage are being broken. They all break and Lucifer walks free."

Maya was silent as she stared at the two brothers and said very empathetically, "Fuck."

Dean snorted, "Exactly." He plopped down in the driver's seat and Sam and Maya followed suit.

Sam pulled out the hex bag they'd found at the Halloween party, thinking about the angels he finally got to meet.

Dean saw his troubled look and asked, "What?"

Sam shook his head, "Nothing." Then he chuckled sadly, "I thought they'd be different."

"Who, the angels?" Dean asked.

"I didn't," Maya grumbled from the back seat as she tried to figure out what to do with the half filled egg carton now.

"Yeah," Sam sighed, fiddling with the hex bag.

"Well, I tried to tell you," Dean shrugged. He had tried to get Sam to see that they weren't what everyone pictured them as.

"I just…I mean, I thought they'd be righteous."

Maya snorted, "That's kind of the problem, Sam. They are."

Dean nodded his head at Maya, " She's right. There's nothing more dangerous than some asshole that thinks he's on a Holy mission. I mean they took one look at Maya declared her an-an-an abomination and were ready to kill her."

Sam nodded in concession to that point then asked, "But I mean, this is God and Heaven? This is what I've been praying to?"

Maya sent Sam a sad and sympathetic look. She could only imagine what this was doing to him. To have something he believed in and have it turned on its head. To find out the reality was not what he believed it to be.

It had to suck big time. (Author looks at the readers with an evil and plotting smile)

"Look, man, I know you're into the whole God thing and Jesus on a tortilla and stuff like that," Dean looked at Sam supportively. "But just because there's a couple of bad apples doesn't mean the whole barrels rotten. I mean, for all we know God hates these jerks." He looked away and gripped his keys, "Babe Ruth was a dick, but baseball's still a beautiful game."

Sam gave him a wane smile.

Maya disagreed, "Mmm-no I'm pretty sure all angels are a bunch of flying dicks."

Both brothers turned to look at her, brows raised.

"What?" she asked at their stare.

"Wha'd'ya do to get into such a beef with the angels, huh?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow. It was odd how the angels were ready to kill her on sight. So what did Maya do to get on Heaven's bad side?

"I was born," Maya sighed blandly, looking between the two of them. "When my powers first came in my Dad taught me to be afraid of Hunters, although Bobby, and now you two, kind of put a stop to that for the most part," she chuckled earning a small smile from the guys. "Then my Dad taught me to be afraid of angels, that if they ever came down from their heavenly pedestals I should run as fast and as far away from them as I can. I mean, you saw them in there, right? One look at me and they were ready to end me then and there."

"So, what? I shouldn't have faith in Heaven, in-in Christianity, in what it teaches?" Sam asked with kicked puppy eyes trained on Maya.

Maya tightened her lips and stopped the answer that wanted to blurt out that yes he shouldn't. She knew however that the religion wasn't at fault, just how it was executed or represented by dicks. People always tried to use religion as a reason or explanation for their actions, benign, positive, and malicious alike. That's never changed.

So, as far as Maya was concerned, angels were like religious zealots that took it way too far.

"Just angels, Sam. They're only part of Christian lore, not the main part," Maya said carefully. "Christianity isn't run by angels, it comes from people like you who believe in kindness to others, tolerance, charity and all those good things. Hell, even I can get behind that stuff and I'm half-pagan. It's the angels and their self-righteous methods I can't get behind," she rolled her eyes and put the egg carton under Dean's seat missing the thankful smile Sam sent her. "I personally have faith in people to change, to get past whatever darkness they have in them and try to do better."

"After a well taught lesson courtesy of our resident mini-Trickster?" Sam queried with a grin, that Maya returned, cheeky and prideful.

Maya became more serious as she turned her eyes from Sam and looked into Dean's green ones, "Just, don't trust the angels on blind faith, okay? I mean, who knows how far is too far for them. They're ready to smite a town of 1,200 to save a seal. When does the number they're willing to sacrifice become too high for them?"

Dean had picked up Maya's reference to blind faith to a talk they had all those months ago during the Crocotta case.

"We'll be careful, Goldy," Dean nodded at her in reassurance. He was already suspicious of the angels, but at least now he didn't feel unnecessarily paranoid about. He wasn't the only one!

"So, Maya," Sam garnered her attention again to ask something he noticed during the intense conversation in the motel room; "Are you sure you won't be able to sense where the witch is hiding? Or has any memory of Tracy cursing you jog loose yet?"

Maya sighed heavily, "Nope, nothing. I know I was cursed a few days ago, maybe a couple before Luke Wallace bit it, but every time the hex bag was in full swing everything was like it was just out of focus. And, like I said, if my Dad didn't suss her out when he first got here then I wouldn't be able to either, even if I wasn't grounded."

Sam and Dean pinched their eyebrows at that. What did being grounded have to do with her abilities?

"What does your grounding have to do with anything?" Dean asked in confusion, he was completely lost now.

Maya shifted uncomfortably then leaned forward stuck a 'naked' wrist out between them, "Feel my wrist."

Sam and Dean did that whole wordless conversation again that Maya was able to see had strong overtones of confusion. A shrug from Sam, and Sam touched her wrist, his eyebrows pinching then shooting to his hairline as he gripped it more firmly.

Or, more specifically, the metal manacle spelled to remain hidden from view.

"Maya, what the hell is that? It feels like a metal wrist guard," Sam asked in concern and alarm.

"What?!" Dean exclaimed before pulling the proffered appendage and felt the hard metal; feeling where it ended and normal skin began, and the etches in the band.

"Power suppressing wristbands," Maya informed them with a shrug. "Haven't been this powerless or close to full human since I was like 7."

"Great," Dean grunted as he released her. "We've got a 600-year-old witch cheerleader and a powerless half-Trickster that said witch has issues with. Now mind telling us where the hell Loki is during all this crap?! Why would he leave you alone like this with a witch on the loose?!" he demanded getting more and more pissed.

"To be fair, he didn't know about the witch either and I have…had Puck…" Maya added that last part sadly. She didn't have a clue where her little friend and guardian was or if he was still alive.

"Maya," Sam asked cautiously, reaching over to put a hand on her shoulder, as he eyed Dean's tight grip on the impala's steering wheel, his brother's knuckles turning white. "Where's your Dad?"

"Um…at a week long gathering of the Norse pantheon to celebrate All Hallow's Eve?"

There was tense silence in the black classic car.

Then Dean exploded with a shout, "HE'S FREAKIN' WHERE?!"

Maya groaned as Dean went into an over protective tirade and ranted what he wanted to do to Loki, mainly kill him.

"It's not like he could've taken me along!" Maya interrupted exasperatedly. "It was either stay here or go and risk getting raped, eaten, or raped and then eaten. Demi-god or not, daughter of Loki or not, there are some gods out there that wouldn't mind taking a bite outta me."

"Like he'd let anything happen to you—" Dean snarled with gritted teeth as he plotted how he was going to gut the asshole and then relocate Maya over to Bobby's.

"He wouldn't have been able to watch me 24/7, even with Uncle Thor helping, and most of the Norse pantheon aren't exactly a big fan of my Dad's. I'm like a neon sign saying 'Loki's Kryptonite! Come and Get It!'" Maya pointed out impatiently as she rubbed a hand down her face. "And, do we seriously have time for this? I was under the impression that we're under a time crunch."

"Fine," Dean bit out with a scowl. "But you're not leaving our sight till all this shit is sorted out!" he said, turning in his seat to point at her aggressively.

"Believe me. I have no intentions of leaving your guys' side," Maya sighed once more and looked over at Sam who was looking intently at something in his hand out of her line of sight.

Dean followed Maya's gaze and watched Sam turn over the charred baby bone in his hand. "Well, are you gonna figure out a way to find this witch, or are you just going to sit there fingering your bone?" he asked as he turned over the impala's engine.

Maya snorted from the back seat at the subtle innuendo.

"You know how much heat it would take to char a bone like this, Dean?" Sam asked rhetorically, not really expecting Dean to know.

"No."

"A lot. I mean, more than a fire or some kitchen oven," Sam informed them.

Maya leaned forward to look over the bench seat at the tiny black shiny bone in Sam's hand. She hadn't a clue of what could do that either.

"A furnace, maybe?" Maya suggested with a shrug as she sat back down.

Sam shook his head, "No. Too cumbersome and they could risk something going wrong if they messed with the one in their house."

"Okay, Betty Crocker, what does that mean?" Dean asked.

"It means we make a stop," Sam said with a self-assured smile. "We're going back to high school."

Cue twin groans of agony.

---

Early Evening

Gloversville High School

Art Room

They entered the now empty school and had made their way to the art room, filled with sculptures, some carved pumpkins, masks, painting and drawings.

Maya stuck to Dean's side as he walked over to the kilns to inspect them. If Dean noticed Maya being a little clingy or trying to act like his shadow, he didn't say anything. Although he did send Sam the occasional glare when Sam would smirk at them knowingly.

Sam went to Don Harding's desk and began inspecting it, looking for anything suspicious.

"So, Tracy used a kiln to char the bone?" Dean asked as he walked over to Sam, Maya following with a distracted frown. "What's the big deal?"

Maya could feel something coming back but it was just out of reach.

"Dean, that hex bag and Maya turned up at our motel, not after we talked to Tracy…" Sam trailed off as he saw a bottom drawer with a serious pad lock on it.

"But after we talked to the teacher," Dean finished and looked over at Maya's frowning face. "How you doing, Goldy? Anything coming back?"

"Something's trying to," Maya mumbled and shook her head. "But it's…it's just not…"

Dean patted her back comfortingly, "It's alright. We got it figured out now. All this crap will be over with soon."

Sam looked around for something to break it open and saw the hammer on the shelf behind him. He grabbed it and began hitting the lock till the wood splintered and he could open the drawer.

Sam stood up as all three of them looked into the drawer in mixed degrees of disgust and horror at the small bones in a bowl.

"Oh my god. Those are all from children," Sam stated breathlessly.

"I'm guessing he's not saving them for the dog," Dean quipped, but then caught Maya's saddened flinch. He grimaced at the reminder of the little rat that was nowhere to be seen.

Him and Sam might not have said it out loud but both knew that the chance Puck was still alive was slim. Why would Don keep the dog alive when he had had what he wanted?

"If it's Don," Maya pondered, moving past the ache in her heart for her little friend. "Then why did Tracy have all my hair?"

Sam shrugged, but then went tense with a bit of a realization. "Maybe Don had her under the same spell he had you under and used her to plant the hex bag on you and frame her as the town witch."

Dean tightened his lips doubtfully and started motioning with his hands, "I don't know, man. You think? I mean it's kind of complicated for your regular witch-bitch. Making an obvious scapegoat, then have a less obvious one possibly responsible for the first one, all to hide his actions?"

Maya nodded at Dean with a tight smile that agreed with Dean's assessment. Something was off. She just knew it, but it just wouldn't come to her.

"Guys," Sam sighed in exasperation. "He's over 600 years old. I think he's had enough time to plan this all out."

All Sam got from Maya and Dean were almost identical looks of skepticism. Maya's shortened hair and mirror expression of Dean's made her look more like his brother's mini-me than ever before.

It was a little odd how similar they looked and he could see why people would buy the ruse of Maya being their little sister so easily. She actually possessed some similar features between them.

But the comparisons would have to wait; they were running out of time.

"Let's—let's just go, okay?" Sam shook his head and led the way to the impala, his brother and sister trailing after him. "Chances are we didn't find Tracy because Don has her still under his spell. She's probably going to be the final sacrifice, so we've gotta move."

"Yeah, alright," Dean chimed in behind him. Sam didn't need to look to know Dean was giving Maya a reprimanding look as he said, "That means we don't have time to slow the impala down so can throw eggs at people like you did at…who? Oh, right, that Tracy chick's friends on the way here."

Sam could just picture Maya's put out pout as she responded with, "…fine. Ruin all my Halloween fun why don't you. Not like a good decade was shaved off my life from being in the same room as a couple of flying winged dicks earlier."

Sam mentally rolled his eyes when he heard Dean snort at Maya's chosen name when referring to angels. It was hardly respectful for such powerful and heavenly beings trying to stop the Apocalypse and Lucifer's rise from happening.

Even if it was completely accurate.

---

Gloversville Park

Castiel

Castiel turned to Uriel as he suggested they just drag Dean Winchester out of Gloversville and destroy the town regardless of the Hunter's desire to remain. He'd always known of Uriel's…distaste for their Father's creation, only ever seeing their flaws and not their potential.

He had faith Dean would succeed in preventing the seal from being broken.

Castiel starred deeply into his Brother's eyes, "You know our true orders. Are you prepared to disobey?"

Uriel tightened his lips, his shoulders tensing before relaxing in acceptance of the situation.

Castiel turned away and looked out on the park of frolicking human children. He observed the luminous souls that shown bright and pure, most shining with innocence and happiness. They were quite beautiful that way, even the ones that held wounds that oozed hidden pain and ones scared from tragedy and betrayal.

As his bright eyes looked out onto the field he picked up on something curious. Castiel stretched his grace out in a radius around him and Uriel.

Uriel glanced at Castiel curiously, having felt the brush of the other angel's grace against his own, "Castiel, what are you doing?"

He didn't respond right away as his head swiveled behind them and looked at something unseen in the wooded area. Castiel stood up quickly as he used his grace to hone in on a piece of old magic emanating from the woods.

Castiel walked around the bench and past the tree line intently, "I'm sensing old magic. It could be another of the witch's spells. I intend to investigate." He didn't need to turn around to know Uriel had heard him and had been following closely behind. Castiel felt as Uriel extended his own grace and found the same bit of magic he did.

"This is curious," Uriel pondered as they both came upon a random smattering of trees, nothing that stood out to the naked eye. "It doesn't feel like the witch's magic though. There's a distinct lack of a demonic stench. Whatever it is, it's not black magic."

Castiel nodded as they approached an unremarkable tree. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at it before walking towards the bush that grew beside it and pushed away the branches.

Old symbols were carved and burnt into the base of the tree, a steady stream of powerful magic flowing from it and going into different directions.

Uriel was the first to finally recognize the magic and scowled in disgust, "Ugh. Pagan magic. No doubt that abomination's doing. Shall I destroy it?"

"Let's see where it's branching off to first," Castiel suggested with narrowed eyes. "Destroying this may trigger something…unpleasant."

Uriel hummed in acceptance and disappeared, Castiel did the same.

In the next instant Castiel was back. It would be another few minutes before Uriel reappeared, adjusting his suit and brushing off some invisible specks of dirt.

"It's demon warding. It's keeping demons from entering the town," Castiel said in observation as he regarded Uriel.

"I concur. I just smote one of the Hell spawn I stumbled across near one of the outer points," Uriel reported.

Castiel's eyes snapped to Uriel, "Demons are circling? Do you suppose they await the rise of Samhain?"

"Perhaps. But before I destroyed it, it did mention that it was looking for something being protected within the warding's confines," Uriel revealed.

Castiel tilted his head speculatively, "The same thing that Lilith's demons have been searching for all over the country?"

Uriel shrugged, "Maybe. Or they were curious. Didn't that spike in magic that sent the Witnesses back to rest come from around here?"

Castiel nodded, "It did. Dean had confirmed that it was a male pagan god. It is close to the abomination the Winchester's are fond of, most likely its progenitor. It is likely this…Trickster erected the warding to conceal and protect its spawn. Tricksters are notorious when it comes to protecting their young."

"Yes, yes, and very unlike the rest of those paganistic heathens that call themselves gods." Uriel rolled his eyes sarcastically, not that Castiel could pick up on the hidden emotional undertone. "But it does raise the question of why a Trickster would need to protect its offspring from demons, specifically."

Castiel pondered this new piece of information and said carefully, "It's possible…that what Lilith is searching all over the country for is the Trickster's half-breed atrocity. But as you said, it is weak and is of little value." Castiel let out a slow sigh, "We'll report our findings, but otherwise stay the course."

"Very well. Although we could save ourselves the headache and just kill the thing now," Uriel pointed out, another attempt to get permission to smite the Trickster-ling. But an expressionless look from Castiel forced a sigh from his lips. "Fine. I'll report this to our superiors."

Castiel nodded and watched as Uriel left.

All he could do now was wait and pray that Dean will stop the raising of Samhain. Castiel eyed the innocuous tree once more before departing with a final thought.

Where was the Trickster when the witch had made her presence known?

---

Nighttime

Near Don Harding's House

"Why not?" Maya demanded with a glare at Sam and Dean. "If Don is as powerful as you two think then you'll need all the help you can get!" she argued when the brothers had told her in no uncertain terms that she was going to wait for them in the impala. Obviously, Maya did not agree.

Dean parked the impala a block away and leaned over the bench seat to send her a glare of his own. "Gee, I wonder why," he said sarcastically. "Let me list the reasons, one: you're inexperienced and can't shoot a gun. I'd like to not accidentally get shot in the ass, thanks. Two: you can't do any of your normal tricks to protect yourself, three…three…" Dean trailed off trying to find a third reason as Maya looked at him expectantly, "THREE: because I freakin' said so!"

"Then I won't follow you into the fight! I'll stay up front and be look out!" Maya shot back a little desperately. "I don't think gun shots being fired on Halloween in a crowded neighborhood with kids all over the place would go down all too well with the police."

Dean narrowed his eyes and was about to argue again, not wanting Maya anywhere near the house when Sam interrupted him, "Dean."

Dean looked over at Sam who had been watching them and had picked up something from Maya he hadn't. Sam's eyes glanced in Maya's direction, Dean's following in a discreet side-glance.

Maya was looking at him with kicked abandoned puppy eyes that were scared, but not of the battle they were walking into…but of being left behind. They begged not to be left behind again.

Dean winced internally.

Crap. They gave the kid abandonment issues.

Dean pointed at the big eyed baby Trickster in his back seat and told her sternly, "You stay by the entrance. Window, backdoor, whatever. You stay there. Police come you shout then haul ass, got it? No matter what you hear, you don't follow."

Maya nodded quickly like a bobble head.

They gathered their stuff and made their way to Don's house, sneaking into the backyard and through an unlocked window. None of them said a word. Dean looked at Maya and gave her a pointed look as he pointed at the floor.

Stay here.

Maya rolled her eyes and nodded, watching as they disappeared into the house and followed the faint chanting that floated in the air like the smell of hot garbage.

---

Puck

He'd been down in this dingy basement for days, still bound by roots with those old symbols on them. Puck's muscles ached; he was hungry, thirsty, dirty, and in pain. The second witch, the male had been trying to put him under a spell to control him, but nothing had worked.

All the attempts instead had burned in his veins as the old power Gabriel had awoken him burned the demonic black magic forced on him. He remembered Gabriel telling him that all dogs had this power hidden deep inside them and just needed a little help bringing it out. The power had been lost to the canines millennia ago as punishment, for choosing humans over the angels.

Amusement suffused Puck's weary mind when Gabriel had told him how he so called his angelic ancestors fucking off to stay with the humans. Who wouldn't want a loving family over being treated like some tool? Even then the angels had been becoming less and less of what they were supposed to be. Emotional contradictory humans or emotionless breathing statues?

Puck kept the whine that wanted to escape his entrapped muzzle as he thought of his Mistress, his friend, his family. He missed Maya and was worried for her.

When Don had dragged an unconscious Tracy into his basement lair Puck had been relieved it wasn't Maya. That he wouldn't have to see her killed and be completely helpless to stop it.

But being handed over to said demon might as well be a death sentence.

Don had cut him and used his blood to contact the old demon to update his and his sister's progress. Informing him of the little Trickster they had snared for the final sacrifice and the demon's new meat suit.

Puck didn't understand the gurgling from the bowl of blood, but knew it wasn't good.

With the call over Don had looked at him and kicked his bound body in annoyance, forcing a muffled yelp. Don had muttered about finding a last minute replacement and taking over control of the half-breed from his sister so he could present her to Samhain.

Puck didn't know for sure why Samhain wanted her alive, but had feeling it was about handing Maya over to Lilith. If not the demon might just want to relish in killed Maya himself.

Puck watched as Don began chanting for the final sacrifice, using his own bitch-witch of a sister.

Talk about justice.

Don chanted and approached with a knife as Tracy struggled against her gag and the ropes suspending her wrists from the ceiling.

Puck's ears, however, perked up as he heard the faintest of footsteps coming from upstairs. He turned his head the best he could and looked at the stairwell to see Sam…and Dean? Wasn't he supposed to be in Hell?

Don had his back turned to them and had raised the knife above his head to kill Tracy, but a couple of loud bangs later and he fell over as blood seeped through the front of his shirt.

Puck watched and waited for the Winchesters to fire on Tracy, but they didn't and instead made to let her down.

Puck struggled against his bindings with what remained of his depleted strength and whined as loudly as he could.

Sam had turned at his whining, his eyes widening at the little dog bound by ropes of roots in the corner. "Dean, look! It's Puck!" he walked over to the frantically whining and growling dog that stared intently over at Tracy as Dean began cutting her down. "Easy, boy. Stay still so I can cut these off of you. Maya's going to be so happy to see you," Sam said soothingly as he produced a pocketknife. "Maya! Puck's down here!" Sam shouted over his shoulder, smiling at the excited shout Maya gave from upstairs and her frantic footsteps.

Puck struggled even more and hoped Sam hurried up in freeing him.

There was still one more witch to take care of, and Dean just released her.

---

Maya

Maya's face was beaming with excitement as she ran from her post to the basement steps and thundered down them.

"I mean, did you see what he was doing? Did you hear him…" Tracy's voice muffled Maya's happiness a little bit. Victim or not, Maya was still pretty sure she was a bitch.

She had reached the bottom of the steps and looked over at Dean, who had probably just untied the blonde teenager.

Maya and Tracy's eyes connected for a split moment and memories came rushing back to her head, making her eyes go wide. "Dean-!" she tried to shout out in warning but soon found herself flying to the side with a quick spell and swipe of Tracy's hand.

Maya wasn't the only one affected as she looked around to see Sam and Dean on the floor with her.

"How sloppy his incantation was? My brother was always a little dim," Tracy finished in a smug tone, casting another spell on them before they could get up or draw their guns, in Sam and Dean's case.

Maya gasped and groaned as agonizing pain ripped through her body, forcing her face to scrunch and her hands to grasp at her abdomen. She could hear Sam and Dean beside her grunting and cringing in pain too, obviously suffering the same fate as her.

A familiar whine caught her attention. Maya turned her head, teethed grinding in agony to see Puck only a couple feet away, bound in roots with symbols etched into them. She sent him a relieved, albeit pained smile.

"He was going to make me the final sacrifice," Tracy said lightly. "His idea. We had planned to use little Maya here, but our Master wanted her alive. So now, that honor goes to him." Tracy gave Maya a little wave when she turned her head back to glare at the blonde witch.

"Our Master's return. This spellwork's a two-man job, you understand? So for 600 years I had to deal with that pompous son of a bitch," Tracy said with a scowl as she walked over and kneeled by her dead brother, picking up the dropped knife and ornate silver chalice. "Planning, preparing—unbearable," she pressed the knife against one of the bullet wounds, drawing more blood. "The whole time I wanted to rip his face off. And…" she chuckles as she looked over at them, "…you get him with a gun. Oh, I love that."

She stood up and kept up the monolog as she went to the alter on the far end of the basement, "You know, back in the day this was the one night you kept your children inside. Well, tonight, you'll all see what Halloween really is."

Tracy began chanting in Latin.

A whine from Puck had her looking back at her dog. She watched as the symbols glowed on the roots as he strained against them, cracking slight from where Sam had begun cutting them. They shared a look of understanding.

Maybe if Maya could make her way over to Puck and release him then whatever stuff her Dad did to him in a fit of justly protective paranoid parental instincts might just give them a chance.

She inched her way agonizingly towards Puck, ignoring Sam's whispered yell to cover her face in blood.

Okay, maybe not ignore completely because she paused a moment as her mind stalled then restarted as she remembered the lore about Samhain and masks.

Unfortunately Maya wasn't near any convenient wet puddles of blood, being the furthest away from Don's body. So back to her plan of releasing Puck, and now ignoring the loud harsh whisperings of her brothers demanding to know what she was doing.

Her progress was too slow and Tracy was getting to the end of her chant, so Maya did the only thing she could think of.

Insult the very in control of the situation 600 year old witch.

"Back in your day? Man you really are a fucking old hag, ain't ya?" Maya rasped and everything fell silent. Maya rolled on her side to smirk painfully at the glaring blonde.

Although she was pretty sure Sam and Dean were glaring at her too for drawing attention to herself like this.

Tracy glanced at her watch then smirked cruelly at Maya, sauntering over with a sway in her hips. The smile widening as Maya used her legs and one elbow to move away from the approaching witch.

Neither of them paid any mind to Sam and Dean as they shouted at Tracy to leave Maya alone, they were incapacitated and couldn't do anything.

"You know, when you left mine and my brother's control I thought your Daddy would've shown up by now," Tracy purred before thrusting a hand out with a muttered spell, sending Maya skidding across the concrete floor and pinned sitting against the retaining wall, beside Puck who was growling fiercely.

"Maybe he just realized how pathetic you are," Tracy crouched so she was eye level with Maya, relishing in the pain that flickered through her honey gold eyes.

"Says the witch who needed help from her doofus brother for some measly little spell. Having some performance issues?" Maya drawled with a strained voice.

Tracy scowled and drove the aged dagger into the wall beside Maya's head making her flinch, then smiled as she straddled the young Trickster's hips.

"My Master wants you alive, for whatever reason," Tracy shrugged indifferently, "But he never specified your condition. I can only imagine what he has planned for you. I wanted you to be his new body. Would've loved playing with him in it," she removed the dagger from the concrete and pressed herself against Maya. Tracy turned her head to whisper seductively in her ear, "Maybe he'll let me play with you first…before he does himself."

Maya's face was stony as she withstood the uncomfortable assault, briefly seeing Sam and Dean's what-the-hell expressions morph into ones of protective rage. Puck snarled angrily to her right, straining against his bindings some more.

"Sorry, not into cradle robbing cougars," Maya snarked back with a pained grunt as Tracy angrily shoved herself off Maya and back onto her feet.

Tracy shook her head, and then snorted thinking she figured out what Maya was up to, "Nice try. Trying to distract me from the summoning. Always with the tricks. Sorry half-breed, not this time." Tracy turned around and went back to the alter, releasing Maya from the force pinning her to the wall, but still left her very much in crippling pain.

"Maya, what-/Goldy, what the hell?!" were among the pained words from Sam and Dean as they sent her disbelieving looks.

Maya reached into her coat and grabbed the small silver dagger she had tried to stab Dean with earlier that day and turned to Puck and the root bindings, continuing where Sam left off.

She ignored further comments of disbelief from the Winchester peanut gallery.

Maya was almost there as gritted her teeth and grunted in pain the sawing movement sent through her already agonized body, but unfortunately…

She wasn't quick enough.

Tracy had finished her chanting and the earth shook as the concrete foundation cracked ominously. Maya heard Sam shout to cover her face and play possum, but she kept cutting at the roots jaggedly.

So close.

Black smoke rose from the cracks and slithered into Don's empty body, the once blue eyes clouded over in near blindness. Samhain and Tracy greeted each other with a disgusting kiss because, hello! Brother sister! No!

Then Samhain twisted her head around a full 180 degrees and called her a whore.

Maya breathed a silent sigh of relief as the pain stopped and redoubled her efforts. She just knew Puck would be able to take the demon that had looked over her possum playing, blood covered faces of her brothers and was making his way over towards her.

No pressure, right? Fuck!

"You must be the half-Trickster I've heard about," Samhain drawled as he stalked slowly towards her. Maya glanced fearfully at him but kept cutting the tough root, she was almost through.

"I will be rewarded greatly when I hand you over to—" Samhain was interrupted as his body jarred slightly from being shot from behind. He turned around to stare unimpressed at the Winchesters standing behind him with their pitiful guns raised.

"Dean," Sam said as he stared down the ancient demon in front of them. "I don't think our usual weapons are gonna work on this guy."

Dean glanced at Sam, "Sam, no. I've got the knife, it'll be enough."

Samhain smiled creepily at them with those milky eyes.

"Dean, I can—"

"No! Hell, the angels said no!"

"You and Maya said they're a bunch of fanatics and aren't right about much!"

"They're right about this though and even you said it was like playing with fire!" Dean countered back as he brought out the demon-killing knife.

Samhain eyed the knife with a scowl, knowing exactly what it was. Before Dean could do anything with it Samhain lunged at Dean. The brothers fought Samhain, punching, kicking, and trying to drive the knife into the demon, but at one point the knife got knocked from Dean's hand and away from both the brothers.

Samhain smirked at them and advanced.

Sam in his desperation raised his hand, ready to use his powers when a terrifying growl ripped through the air.

The demon spun around to find Puck glaring at him. But not the Puck that everyone knew and loved. No. This Puck was much larger and much more fierce.

The little dog was now 4' at shoulder height with long powerful legs and claws that clacked on the concrete. The hair on his back stood on ends, his hackles raised, as he snarled at the demon menacingly.

Sam and Dean stared at the once small dog in astonishment then looked at Maya who was still seated on the ground with her dagger and had her own look of surprise on her face.

"Holy shit…" Maya whispered. Puck turned his head to look back at her with a familiar doggy grin. "Um…sic 'em?"

Dangerous brown eyes rounded on the demon and gave a flash of his impressive teeth once more in a terrifying snarl.

"It's not possible! Your kind is—" Samhain spluttered but was cut off as Puck lunged at the demon. The demon moved, but not quick enough to avoid large jaws clamping down on his leg forcing the demon to shout in pain.

A glow entered the enlarged dog's eyes and Samhain immediately smoked out of the meat suit he was summoned in. He could always find another. He just needed to ritual to break his bindings in Hell.

"No!" Sam shouted as he watched the black smoke try to escape. He shot out a hand to try and send the demon back to Hell, but Puck beat him to the punch line.

The blue glow in Puck's eyes didn't leave but his teeth and claws started to emanate a faint light as he jumped in the air and actually latched on to the smoke, bringing back down to the ground.

Where he proceeded to absolutely destroy it.

Maya got up and walked over to Sam and Dean as they watched in dumbfounded as the large dog essentially tore the demon to itty-bitty shreds. Chunks torn by claws dissipated, pieces caught in the powerful jaw lit up with orange light, similar to a demon being stabbed by the demon-killing knife. When Puck latched on to the final big chunk that they all guessed what the center of the black mass it gave a final death throe as it lit up and dispersed completely.

Puck gave a satisfied snort at a job well done and trotted over to Maya to nuzzle her and whine pitifully.

Maya petted his large head and Puck's tail began wagging in happiness the fierceness leaving his body and left an overgrown puppy in its wake.

"Holy shit," Sam whispered as he eyed the enlarged dog and tentatively scratched behind an ear. Puck turned to eye Sam and gave him a dispassionate huff, still ticked with the man, but not about to deny ear scratches.

"Maya," Dean asked, his voice a little higher than normal. "What the hell?"

She gave Dean a breathless laugh, "I don't know."

"Seriously, what the hell?!" Dean asked, a little panic entering his voice. The size Puck was now and the impressive row of teeth and claws were bringing up some unpleasant memories of Hellhounds. The only thing keeping him from shooting or stabbing the mutt was that that's where the similarities ended.

That and Maya would probably kill him if he tried.

Maya sent him a sympathetic glance, "I don't know, Dean. My Dad must've done something. Those roots had symbols on them, probably to keep him from tearing Tracy a new one." She bent over and gave the overgrown dog a hug around his head rubbing his sides affectionately.

She then sprung up with realization and excitement, "I have a demon-killing dog! I have the most badass dog in history!" Then proceed to cue at Puck while rubbing his face. Puck, the suck, absorbed the praise and adoration like a sponge, tongue lolling and tail wagging happily.

"Well, uh, can he shrink back down?" Dean asked as he scratched his head. "Don't think folks'll be too happy seeing a dog his size, with teeth that big running around."

Puck huffed and pulled away from Maya's attentions and shrunk down to his normal little self.

Maya picked the little dog up not minding the licks he gave her and beamed at Sam and Dean, "He's fun-sized and super-sized!"

---

While Samhain was being destroyed the seal was still broken and the warding around the town that had kept the demons out fell. A couple entered the town in the meat suits they already wore and a couple others decided to possess a couple of the townsfolk.

One of these demons liked to target a certain demographic for possession.

Children with same-sex parents. It loved the way the child would scream inside while it verbally and physically tore the parents the child loved so much to pieces. Taunt the child saying it was just helping them do what they knew was right, cleansing the world of homosexuals. Saving them from being corrupted.

The child's self-doubt and guilt was always so delicious.

---

AN: Dun-dun-duhhhhhhhhhhh! Here is another! And phew! I didn't expect it to get this long and was going to stop earlier after angels discovered the warding, but I'm like, I want to finish most of this episode! So lucky you guys get extra long chapter!

And no complaining about why Gabriel hasn't shown up yet! I will explain! It will be explained! Either next chapter or the one after! I've also came up with a better idea of why he might not be showing up during the whole trying to save the seals fiasco.

Because why? Most angels are dicks with wings and Zachariah is the dick-iest.

Also I hope you enjoyed that little cliffhanger and foreshadowing at the end there.

Last thing, I realized that my last chapter was posted almost a year to the date when I first started this story! Holy crap guys! Thanks so much for all of your reviews and support! It gives me life and strength to keep going.

Reviews:

Surprised I didn't hear from some of my usual panel of reviewers, but I'm assuming it's life getting in the way.

srosegarden: Glad you do! Thank you!

Guest 1: Yes, yes she did. But she's gone now, thankfully. Paws off the precious OC! Lol.

YaoiLovinKitsune: No problem. Sadly the pairing won't happen for a long time and I hope I can stick with the story till then. I plan to but you know, life. And so far we've only got Dean getting sucker punched. Don't worry, I didn't forget about Sam, but I think Maya's been a little distracted sooo…And yes Cas is the best, but as this chapter shows it's…going to be a long road for them.

lolxxx: Welcome to the Trickster side we have all manner of fine desserts, both sugar and justice filled.

Guest 2: Here you goooo! An update! Lol. Hope you like more cliffhangers!

Kara Sue Hubbard: As we see, no they did not like her being pagan, but said pagan-ness hides that itty-bitty little bit of grace peaking out of her soul where it was stuffed. Angels won't figure it out and yeah she'll find out the hard way in season 5. The witches were old and knew enough to tell another magical entity (Gabriel/Loki) moved in…with the cutest most vulnerable little demi-Trickster following soon after. They didn't know squat of the angel stuff. Puck was still alive because they were in crunch time for the ritual that they had wanted her to be a part of…and you're right she does get into trouble when Gabriel isn't around. Honestly didn't realize it before, huh.

Kcheslock: I applaud your binge reading efforts. I have been there myself and hope you enjoy this awaited chapter!.