"No so far nothing I've found can pull a person from Hell." Von was staring at her computer screen with her phone pressed to her ear. Between the two of them they hadn't found much, and Von was still set on going after Luka, the powerful witch that currently had an item that could be the key to solving the puzzle.

"How 'bout getting your end of things sorted out then?" Bobby's voice came from the other end.

"That's going to have to wait till this hunt is taken care of, I re-read it, performing a ritual like that and if it's successful is going to take a lot out of me, I'll be useless for a couple weeks at least, well hunter useless, I can help around the house though, fix that gun case, make a new dummy like I said I would..." Von clicked through several pages she had been reading, her green eyes catching fragments of sentences and pictures that she had looked over a dozen times.

"Have you told the others about what you're gonna be doin'?" There was a long enough silence for Bobby to speak up again, knowing full well that Von hadn't even so much as mentioned any of it to the other three.

"Now that yer all together again, ain't no way they're jus' gonna let you go off and hunt some big wig witch on your own, and getting rid of mister Sandman is going to leave you with some time to recover, the other three are gonna wanna keep on huntin' and they'll be pissed at ya for keeping this from them...maybe Sam won't so much," the elder hunted added and Von made a confused face into the phone that Bobby could practically see.

"What d'you mean?" Von asked completely stumped.

Bobby rolled his eyes, shaking his head and huffed, "Are you blind?"

"Uh, no?" Von hazarded.

"Von, it ain't exactly a secret that Sam's had some feelings for you in the past, seems that those feelings despite everything are still there," Bobby explained, unbelieving that Von couldn't see that the boy still liked her and now that he had matured was willing to pursue those feelings.

"I guess so," Von shrugged, she was afraid to admit that there might be something between them even though the evidence was glaringly obvious.

She heard Bobby groan in frustration on the other end. "Well he didn't get that mark on his face for nothin', unless he walked into one angry tree, somethin' is going on between the two of you-"

"Bobby," Von interrupted with a tone that was meant to lightly warn.

"Yeah, I know none of my damn business, but if anythin' more goes on with you, I don't wanna be woken in the middle of the night from anythin' you two might be doing, got it?"

"Loud and clear," Von's voice came out in an annoyed and embarrassed huff.

Bobby muttered 'idjit' under his breath and the line went dead. Von clapped her phone closed and set it on the desk, dragging in a deep breath and huffing it out.

888

Dean sat his headdress on the main desk of the library and leaned on the counter to look over at Sam. "Hey, me and Alex were going to check around some now that everyone's in class," he looked around sensing a strange set of eyes on them and flashed a charming smile at the brunette who was now eyeing them both like they were a prize catch.

"She's kinda cute," Dean bobbed his head subtly over to the girl knowing she couldn't hear the comment he made then gave his brother the 'you should totally go for it' look. "Unless you still have a thing for Von," he raised his eyebrow in question, knowing damn well that Sam was thoroughly infatuated with the red head but having to tease him none the less. Sam was the kind of guy that wouldn't wanna say he liked someone that way for fear he would jinx something.

"I mean she has grown into those legs of hers, not to mention she's one tough chick now, could probably kick your ass," Dean smiled down at Sam and chuckled, shifting his weight on the desk as he looked around again to find the brunette had moved closer."Seriously Sam, consider it," he left the sentence open on purpose, in the midst of giving his brother a serious look until his attention was drawn to Alex entering the library.

Dean's face brightened as he saw her even though she looked like her usual bitchy self. "Alex, so good of you to join us," the hunter greeted, "I was just telling Sam how I think a red head, perhaps one in particular, would do him some good," a smile quirked at Dean's lips from the double entendre, "what do you think, are red heads all they're cracked up to be or is brunette the way to go?"

"I don't know, are sandy blond haired males all they are said to be or are they just assholes with a dick and two balls?" she retorted, stopping in front of him and turning her head to look at Sam while she smiled.

"What happened to your-," Sam began.

"Long story short, Dean."

"Really? He managed to get you out of-."

"Sam." The warning was evident in her tone, enough to shut him up when he realized he was about to cross the line into the attitude he had gained from being around Dean for so many years.

"Her name is Amanda, Dean and she is a TA. I am not going to go for her just because she is available," Sam corrected his brother.

"Yeah, unlike some people he has a brain that isn't downstairs."

Sam groaned, bookmarking the page he was on to get back to it later. "So anyways, you came all the way down here to the library, the place that one Dean Winchester dare not venture in his lifetime or any lifetime, just to inform me of you and Alex having a Rendezvous around the school? Scared she'll murder you, so you have to tell someone where you are and what you are doing in case she commits the act?"

The female brunette came over to the desk with a little laugh under her breath, shaking her head as she set down some papers at another chair behind Sam's, showing that was her station. Amanda wondered how these teachers could be so laid back and cool compared to all the others. A double take brought a light blush to her cheeks when she realized that the other brunette was wearing barely anything, and from hearing just a detail of the man beside her being the cause of it, not to mention wetness of hair she could guess.

Alex's eyes narrowed on Amanda and rolled her eyes, turning around and exiting the library. Sam smiled up at Dean. "Might want to go and get your brunette," Sam pointed out, going back to his work.

"Damn it," Dean groaned watching Alex's back again, she had a habit of walking off that was making Dean tempted to fasten a leash on her to prevent her from wandering away. The hunter winked at the other brunette and headed out of the library, his long legs taking no time to match Alex's stride.

"It would hurt me to ask you lighten up wouldn't it?" Dean looked down at the fiery brunette and his expression softened, "I'm sure we can find you a sweater or something to cover you up some more," he offered while he turned his head away and stared down the rows or lockers while they walked.

888

Flashback:

Bobby checked his watch, the frying pan full of eggs and bacon while toast was being made. Where were they? It was the first day and they were going to be late if they didn't hurry their asses up. Just as soon as he was about to leave his spot and hunt them down he heard footsteps come down the stairs and bound lightly on the floor of the kitchen. One glance told him that it was Alex and another said that Von had entered in silence.

"Those boys are slower than you in the morning," he commented.

Alex laughed, opening the fridge and taking out a bottle of orange juice, before she went to make her breakfast sandwich on the go.

"Nervous?" he asked, bringing the pan over and sliding the stuff from it onto a big plate so then everyone could take what they wanted, his question directed more at Von than at Alex. He knew that Alex would be fine, even though he worried about her still, but Von was more a concern to him.

School. Von wanted nothing to do with it. She wanted to be left alone. It was kind of Bobby to take her in. After the werewolf John and Bobby had left, making sure she was left at the hospital. They would take care of things for her there. She had no other family and was now an orphan, old enough to take care of herself but having little means to do so. And little will to bother with it as well.

Von even tried to go back to school a few times from home, or what people said was her new home. It never worked. She didn't care. What was the point? All she wanted was to be left alone, no one could see that. She didn't want to hear their words, how sorry they were for her loss, how one day she'd be able to move on, how everything would be taken care of. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

She had an outburst one of the last days she bothered to go to school. Hands at the sides of her head, red hair disheveled, yelling at everyone to shut up, just...shut up, while tears pricked her eyes and everyone stared. Stared and stared. At the freak whose parents had been murdered by a monster. The only monster that they could see was the one screaming in front of them.

Bobby somehow found her again, Von figured he had been checking in on her. He showed up one day while she was sitting on the curb by a gas station, staring out into nothing but an open road, the dust sticking to her thick eyelashes dewy with old tears.

They stopped by where she was staying and piled her belongings into Bobby's pick-up. Von never looked back, didn't mean she could move forward. While the hot summer days stretched on she came to know Alex and the brothers Sam and Dean. She had first seen them at Pastor Jim's while she was there for some training. John had come by to have some words with the priest.

Von would sit on the porch and watch as the other three had some fun out in the sun. They'd invite her to join and she would shake her head, sometimes moving back inside to be away from them if they got too friendly. Von was better off by herself, no one could see that though. Bobby wanted her to try and go to school, so she would try, only because he was so nice to her.

Von nodded her head, averting her gaze to the food. Food was another thing that she had stopped having much interest in and would barely eat. Bobby would try to get her to eat, afraid she was going to waste away, but she would only shut down more. Being as stubborn as he was though he would sit with her while the others excused themselves. Sometimes she'd eat a little more after that.

The shy red head reached out for some bacon, picking up two slices and some toast, then quietly moved over to the fridge to get some of her apple juice. She actually smiled when she found out Bobby started buying apple juice just for her; she was the only one that liked it.

888

Dean groaned and rolled around in the bed, efficiently wrapping himself in the single sheet he had kept on the bed. The summers were hotter than hell but sometimes he still liked to have at least one sheet covering him. He stretched and groaned some more, yawning into his pillow and accidentally biting into it when he closed his mouth. He grunted and spat it out, fed up with the bed and how sticky he felt from sleeping in the heat he managed to fall out of it and shamble to his feet wearing nothing but his boxer briefs. Stretching again he scratched the side of his leg and shuffled along the floor towards the bathroom where a shower was calling his name.

888

"You don't have to be nervous Von, we'll all be sharing the same Hell. Besides, I'll be there, Sam...Dean..." Alex paused, saying the last boys name like it was some kind of disease. "If you need anything we'll be there that is basically what I am saying."

Biting into her breakfast sandwich she moved to the door, picking up her combat boot, and hopping while she slid her foot into it, trying to lace it with the meal in one hand. The other shoe came next and she gave a triumphant grunt and smile into another bite, heading for her side bag in her worn jeans, white tank top and an open plaid button down that Bobby had given her. He owned a lot of plaid.

She noticed Von's discomfort though when in the kitchen, and since meeting her Alex really wanted to try and make friends. Alex hadn't had any friends growing up, and now that she was away from that lifestyle she actually wanted to have one especially since she was living with Von and going to school with her.

Sam and Alex had become instant friends, scaring Bobby whenever they would say the same thing, do the same thing, Hell laugh at the same time. It was damn creepy to her a bit but she got used to it and so did Sam. He was the little brother she never had. One years difference but none the less.

Her long brown hair was lifted as to not catch under the strap when placed on her shoulder, the bag hanging off to the side with just the basic essentials...notebook, pencils. As for weapons, she had those on her body. Gun in back waistband. A switchblade that Bobby had given her in the front middle part of her bra, a bra clip she had made one day when dealing with the welder out back. Worked like a charm.

Going back into the kitchen for her orange juice she left on the counter, she finished the rest of her sandwich and took a nice gulp, choking when she felt a hand slap her butt. Morning routine, wake up, shower, eat, drink, slap. She glared at Dean as he passed her. "And the plague hath arrived in our presence."

888

His hair was remarkable, sticking out at different angles no matter how many times he had combed it through, giving up he looked like he had just gotten out of bed. Sam sighed; his taller brother walking past him in his jeans to get his shirt on...when was he ever going to hit his growth spurt? Not to mention his voice sounded still like the kid he appeared. Long lanky legs, brown mop of hair, innocence and tiredness played on his facial features.

School. Another school. This time they would be here longer, but school was something he never looked forward to anymore. Leaving the room with Dean, he followed behind, taking slow leisurely steps and giving an apologetic glance to Alex when they entered the kitchen. The morning routine already set into action.

Looking at the food, he wasn't hungry; instead he opened the fridge and grabbed an orange juice. Giving a shy smile and tired laugh when he heard what Alex said and then saw her raise her leg, bending it and side kicking Dean on the ass. Made him think of when she did it to him but with the trick words.

'You know what happened to me last year when I went horse back riding?' Arm around shoulder, leg swinging to the side in a bent formation, effectively hitting its mark lightly.

Von smiled briefly at their antics and nipped at her bacon, it was all she could manage. Aside from not being hungry in general her stomach couldn't handle much food in the morning. Sipping her apple juice she stared down at her socked feet in contemplation, watching the faint rays of morning light pass over the floor, the dust glittering in the golden light.

She felt a little sick; it was a combination of things, anxiety, early morning and pain meds. They always made her sick but the doctor said she had to keep on taking them for at least several more weeks to make sure everything was okay. The werewolf wound had healed up well, quicker it seemed than was natural; the doctors were relieved but dumbfounded. An infection had set in though and pain killers with antibiotics were recommended.

She was tougher than most took her for and even when she was in pain she never told anyone about it. Bobby had written her up a note for gym class, saying she couldn't participate for a few weeks, doctor's orders. Von finished her bacon and started to take small hesitant bites out of her toast.

Dean grunted passively when Alex's kick nudged his hip into the counter. He poured himself some coffee and took a long sip, savoring the taste. He had gotten used to Von's quietness. It was a part of who she was and made her endearing, cute. Alex on the other hand was a sassy little thing whom he loved to tease. Didn't mind feeling that nice ass of hers either, even if it got him a boot in the ass it was worth it.

Shoving some bacon in his mouth he grabbed two pieces of bread and layered up a sandwich with eggs and more bacon, taking large bites between gulps of coffee.

The elder shook his head and placed the pan into the sink. "I don't know how or why I put up with you two..." he joked, another look at his watch and he added, "Better get going or you'll all be late."

Gaining a smirk from Alex, she turned and left the house, Sam following after. His eyes landed on Dean eating and Von still sitting at the table. One simple message mentally sent through to the teenage kid and he knew that he understood to take real good care of everyone including Von. Receiving a nod from him, he turned to the sink, hearing the chair scrape against the floor and the front door shutting moments later.

"Idjits..." he smiled.