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The skies were turning dark blue as early evening set in. Vera descended upon her hometown, turning herself invisible as she went flying through the streets and getting her first real look at the town, possibly for the first time since her death.

She grinned widely as she zigzagged her way down the street, flying right through passing trucks and cars without a care as she took in the comfortable life in the center of the small town.

Families were leaving restaurants. Couples were holding hands as they made their way through the town's sizable park area. Teenagers chatted as they made their way home. Solitary people walked down the sidewalks with headphones in their ears.

Vera noticed a large number of people were headed in the same direction somewhere, and she followed their path to eventually arrive at some kind of town fair in a large plaza area near the edge of the park. Several small scale rollercoaster rides had been set up alongside the food and game stands, as well as decorative walls that had been setup with information about the town's founding and history.

She flew closer to the information boards and scanned the writing, looking for anything that might possibly trigger a memory for her. Despite getting all the answers she needed from William about her existence as a ghost, there was still a lot that she didn't remember from her previous life, or more specifically, life in this town so long ago. Unfortunately, nothing was jumping out at her. It was all very general information.

She shrugged and turned her attention to the more active areas of the fair, casually passing through the crowds and smirking every time someone complained about the sudden breeze. It wasn't long before she was surprised by some familiar faces.

Amy and Jennie were waiting as the boys were on one of the rides. Vera silently floated close to keep an eye out for Dean, but their words quickly got her attention.

"Tonight?"

"Why wait?" Jennie asked. "He's obviously got a thing for you, girl. Just go for it."

"I don't know..."

"Oh, god, don't do that anime fingers thing. It's gross."

"I was being ironic." Amy laughed.

"Well, anyway, just get him alone for a bit and talk things out with him. Take him aside for a bit. Look." She pointed to a park trail leading into the wooded area surrounding the fair. It went all the way around the park. A good place for people to come to exercise, as they often did. "Nice and romantic nightly stroll."

The two girls giggled as the ride ended and they watched as their friends got off.

"Never again," Dylan groaned, rubbing at his eyes. "Tilt-A-Whirls are officially cancelled."

"Agreed," Dean muttered, a hand on his stomach. "To be fair, we probably shouldn't have bought snacks before that."

"Man, I didn't even eat anything and I still feel awful," Dylan muttered. "That thing is just a crime against humanity."

"I feel great," Rory chirped, practically skipping and earning sour looks from the other boys and laughs from the girls. "I don't know what you're all complaining about."

"That would be the sugary treats talking," Dean said, smirking at his bouncy friend. "You're gonna feel so sick when the high wears off."

As the group walked around for a bit longer, Amy leaned over to Jennie, whispering something to her. Jennie smiled and nodded and then spoke up. "Well, I'm gonna take a quick break from the rides for now," Jennie said, taking Dylan's arm. "We'll meet up by the carousel in, say... ten to fifteen minutes? Okay? Okay. Come on, babe. Let me win you a stuffed animal."

"Isn't that my line?" Dylan muttered as he was dragged away.

The remaining friends laughed as Rory ran to stand in line for another ride. "See you guys in a bit!" He called over his shoulder.

Now alone, Dean and Amy looked at each other. "Wanna get some air?" Amy asked.

"Actually, I really do. It would do me some good."

"Come on, let's take a quick walk in the park." Amy led Dean away from the bustling activity towards the park trail. They walked silently down the quiet acorn-covered path surrounded by trees. Lamps had turned on for the night, illuminating the path.

"I love being around nature," Amy said, looking up at the trees.

"Yeah, I've walked through the woods near the house a few times," Dean replied. "I love the calm of the forests."

"Same! Although I've kind of ruined them for myself listening to scary storytime videos on YouTube about how freaky forests can be. One day, I'm gonna be brave enough to go for a night run out here with one of those stories going through my headphones."

Dean laughed. "Why would you wanna do that?"

"Because I'm a dumbass." They laughed together as Amy stopped as they came across a small wooden bridge crossing over a natural stream of water. She leaned forward against the wooden railing, looking out into the night. "But also, it's just kind of fun. A sort of test of my fears and all that. Granted, it's hard for me to listen to ghost stories now without imagining Vera or her sisters doing it all and it kind of makes it funnier than scary."

Dean nodded, standing beside her and watching the running water. "I totally get what you mean."

As a wind picked up, Amy looked around herself at the dark trees a bit nervously. "But then again... now that I know friendly ghosts exist, I can't help but wonder if... not so friendly ghosts are also floating around. So that can be a little creepy, too."

"Yeah, I never really thought about it," Dean admitted. "I mean, Vera's sisters weren't exactly friendly the first time we met. But they're mostly pretty harmless, just pranksters. I haven't really talked to Vera about more... vengeful ghosts. If they even remain here in this life, which she probably wouldn't know anyway."

"Personally, I hope not." Amy shivered. "I don't wanna run into the Grudge one day or something."

"Somehow, I doubt those exist," Dean said with a laugh.

"But you never know."

He shrugged with a nod. "But I never know."

Amy shivered again, looking around at the surrounding area and inched closer to Dean with a smile. "I'm glad you're here, though. You can protect me from the bad ghosts."

Dean chuckled nervously. "Well... my track record for fighting ghosts isn't all that impressive. Not much of a hero."

Amy giggled, placing her hand over his. "Still. You can be my hero."

Dean looked down at her face as she looked up at his with a shy smile. Without a word, Amy started to inch closer. Dean's lips curled up into a smile as she neared.

"Hey, Dean!"

The two nearly jumped out of their skins as they separated. "Vera?! Whoa!"

Vera whirled Dean around as she hugged him tightly. "Hey! Look! I'm out of the house!"

"Wow," Dean said, amazed. "Wait, have you been here with me the whole time?" His voice held a gentle laugh at the idea, making something in Vera's chest do flip-flops.

"No! Check it out!" She released him and flew up high into the sky. She did a few loops in the air before coming back down, grinning at the surprised expression on his face. "I'm not bound to the house anymore, and I don't have to be bound to anyone to leave!"

"What?!" he exclaimed again excitedly. "What did you do? I mean, how did you figure it out?!"

"Well," she stopped herself. "Actually, I'll explain everything when we get back home. Trust me, it'll be easier. But let's just say there's been some huge changes tonight! Anyway, sorry for just showing up, I was just at the fair and followed you guys. I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

They looked at each other. "N-no," Amy said quickly with a smile that Vera could tell was a bit strained. "No, it's fine. You're good."

"Great," Vera said, immediately feeling guilty. "I mean, uh... I'm glad I didn't."

"Still, this is crazy, Vera," Dean said happily. "This is such a huge step! Come on, let's start heading back!" He looked at Amy. "Um, if you don't mind, Amy."

"No, of course not," she said with a smile, much more genuine. "Go ahead. I wanna hear all about it tomorrow. You know, if you're allowed, or whatever."

Dean turned to Vera, who shrugged with a smile. "We'll definitely keep you in the loop," she said.

"Good. I'll hold you to that!"

With one more smile, Vera turned herself invisible again and began to float besides Dean. She turned back to look at Amy as Dean chatted excitedly about whatever awaited him at the manor. Amy let out a small sigh, leaning against the railing and looking up at the stars. Vera winced at the sight.

I'm sorry, Amy. But... I've been given a chance now... a second chance. And I'm going to take it.

They entered the double doors of their home as Dean looked around at the empty grand hall, as if expecting a surprise party. "So..."

Before he could say more, the doors to the study opened up, and Katherine came out. "Dean," she exclaimed, hurrying over and giving him a hug.

"Um, hey, mom. What's the occasion?" He joked.

"Well, for one thing, it turns out we'll be making our stay around here a permanent one. Officially, that is."

"Really?!" Dean said with a smile. "What happened?"

"Penny and I worked things out with Ms. Kress. We won't have to worry about her, even if she tries to sue."

"Sue? Mom... what did you do?"

Katherine giggled and winked at her son, and Dean realized that she had definitely told him that part just to keep him guessing. "I'll tell you about it later. We have much more important things to talk about." Her face suddenly turned serious as she looked at Vera. "We, uh... might have a problem."

The smile on Vera's face faded. "A problem?"

Katherine beckoned them into the study, where William was floating back and forth as if pacing in deep thought. Stella and Bertha were also there, though Lena was nowhere to be found.

"There's only one possibility, but I do not want to believe it..." William was chattering almost to himself as his daughters watched. He hissed and slammed a fist into the wall, making everyone jump. "What kind of nonsense is this? Someone like him is allowed to avoid the inferno and cling to existence? Is petty vengeance truly reason enough to remain?"

Dean stared at William in utter shock. He looked at Vera and his mother. "Um... who and how?"

"My father, William Eckland," Vera said with a small smile at Dean's expression. "We'll explain in a moment." She turned her attention to her father, still lost in thought. "Um, Dad... what's going on?"

William seemed to snap out of it and turned to her, rushing over to hold her close. "Vera... thank goodness you're back. I was worried."

"Worried... about what?"

"Love... the potion is gone."

"What?!"

"Someone, or... something took it and escaped the house with it. We couldn't stop them, or it, or... I don't know. But there's no chance it was just some thief. They left in a hurry, and it was all they took." He looked in the direction of the library, and then back at Vera with a haunted look in his eyes. "I can't fully explain what happened here. But if I had to guess... I would guess it was Desmond."

Vera felt a cold shiver run through her. "Desmond? Desmond Kress?! How?"

"Who the hell is Desmond Kress?" Dean asked, utterly baffled.

William ignored him as he continued to ramble at Vera. "Obviously, his spirit must have never found rest either. It seems he was bound in place in the secret chamber where I condemned him to death, unable to escape. His thirst for revenge must have kept him tied to this world all this time. When we opened the secret door, we must have awakened him from his limbo and let him out. And if he's loose..." He shook his head as if pushing away frightening thoughts. "It could be a problem."

"Could he want to be resurrected?" Katherine asked.

"Resurrected?" Dean asked. "What is going on?!"

"It's possible, but he knows the dangers of the machine. More importantly, he must know the dangers of us as well. He won't make a move to be revived just yet. Especially if all that's waiting for him afterwards is a house full of angry ghosts."

"Damn right," Bertha hissed, cracking her knuckles, although they did not actually crack.

"For now, the rest of you just have to wait, and be on your guard. Katherine and Dean are the ones at risk here. Girls, you need to keep an eye on them, okay?"

"Yes, father," Bertha nodded.

"Watch Dean at all times, gotcha," Stella said, giving Dean a wicked wink.

"Stella," William warned.

"I'm joking, father... sheesh."

He looked at Vera. "I'll have to make or find another potion, but our agreement doesn't change. One way or another, I will get the machine working perfectly, and make good on my promise. Desmond won't ruin that for you."

Vera smiled, a few tears dropping from her cheeks and vanishing into the floor as her worst fear was cast aside by her father. "Thank you, father."

"HEY, GHOSTS AND MOM!" Dean yelled, finally getting everyone's attention. "Is anyone planning to fill me in on anything, or should I just go to bed?"

Katherine and Vera giggled as William smirked, floating over to take Dean's hand in a handshake. "My apologies, Dean Robison. Yes, you deserve to know everything. Go ahead and sit down. We have a lot to talk about."

Dean was sitting up in his bed, deep in thought, having just finished showering and getting ready for bed. His knees were up to his chin as he stared into space.

"Still taking it all in?" He looked up to see Vera floating over to him with a smile. "It's crazy, isn't it?

"Yeah, it is," he said softly.

Vera waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "But... it's good to know that all this time, we were definitely accomplishing something. For a while there, I admit... I was starting to lose a bit of hope."

"Yeah... I know what you mean," Dean said softly.

"Dean?" Vera asked concernedly. "What's going on?"

"I'm just..." He looked up at her. "You're really gonna give it a try? The machine?"

Vera gave him a confused look. "Well, yeah. why wouldn't I?"

"Vera... it's... it destroyed a ghost."

"I know that. But my father will make sure it's in proper working order."

"What makes you think it's even possible?"

Anxiety started to fill Vera's chest. She'd always known that was a possibility, but she'd pushed it out of her mind.

"It was different when he first discovered it," Dean continued. "I thought it was an amazing idea. But... now that we know what happened last time he used it... it just doesn't seem worth the risk."

"It is," Vera said.

"It could kill you, Vera."

"I... I believe in my father."

Dean nodded, but said nothing, looking away.

"What, you don't?" Vera asked, starting to get a bit annoyed.

He held up his hands. "Hey, I'm just going by what we know. And what we know is that it's extremely dangerous, and it has literally never had a successful run. That's cause for concern, and it seems like I'm the only one who's noticed that."

"Literally all of us have noticed it, Dean. That's why I'm not jumping into it right away. That's why my dad is going to tinker with it all week."

"And how long did he tinker with it before he sent Jacob in there?"

"Dean!" Vera said, shocked.

"I'm sorry, I..." Dean cut himself off. "That came out harsher than I intended. Vera, I'm just scared for you. I'm worried that maybe this machine... I don't know... maybe it just doesn't work. Like, at all. Bringing someone back from the dead... maybe I didn't appreciate what that meant before, but now I do."

Vera shook her head. "It will work, Dean."

"How do you know?"

"I trust my father to make it work."

"Do you understand the schematics? Or how he made those potions? Has your dad taught you any of that in the last couple of hours? Or are you just going to let him handle everything?"

"What are you doing?!" Vera asked, getting more annoyed by the minute.

"I'm looking out for you," Dean replied testily. "I just feel like this is something you should be far more worried about than you seem to be. Vera... this could KILL you. Literally kill you... a ghost. And you're just gonna throw yourself into it."

"My father... will make... it work," Vera hissed at him.

"You can keep saying that all you want, but you don't know if it will work."

"What do you want from me, Dean?" Vera asked desperately.

Dean was silent for a moment. "I think you should just let him destroy the machine like he planned. Don't go through with it. It's not safe."

"No," Vera said simply.

"Why not?"

"Dean... I want to be alive. I don't want to be dead anymore. I want to experience life again. Don't you care about any of that?"

"Of course I do, but... maybe that's just not something we should be messing with. Maybe what happened to Jacob is a sign that we shouldn't be ignoring."

"We aren't ignoring what happened to him."

"Sure seems like you are."

"I just want a second chance at life, Dean. Is that so wrong?"

Dean shrugged. "Maybe we're not supposed to get second chances at life. Maybe it goes against some grand plan."

"So I should... what? Just be happy that I died so young?! Learn to love being a ghost?!"

"No... not be happy about it. Just... accept it."

"Accept it?!" Vera spoke through a disbelieving gasp, feeling very hurt. "You know how long I've been stuck here, and how long I had to face being here all alone. How could you just ask me to accept it?"

"Because you're not alone anymore! You don't have..." He trailed off.

"No, go ahead, Dean. What? I don't have a reason to be sad? Don't have any reason to complain anymore?"

"That wasn't what I was gonna say..."

"I think it was. Tell it to me straight, Dean. Do I not deserve a second chance at life?"

Dean didn't respond immediately. As he opened his mouth, Vera cut him off.

"Don't even bother, that silence spoke volumes. Okay, so I don't deserve to live again." Vera threw her hands up in disbelief, angry, frustrated tears running down her cheeks and dropping to the floor where they vanished. "Fine. And why?"

"That wasn't what I-"

"Answer the question, Dean."

"I'm not going to..."

"Answer. The. Question. Why should I stay a ghost?"

"Vera... just stop it."

"Why shouldn't I get another chance?!"

Silence.

"Why?!"

"Because my dad didn't get another chance!"

Silence again. Vera stared at Dean in shock as he looked at the floor, tears starting to form in his eyes.

"I see," Vera said, her voice shaky with pent up anger. "So if I go through with it anyway, and it works, you'll... what? Hate me forever? Blame me for getting what your father didn't?"

"No, I... I didn't..."

Vera suddenly flew up close to him, making him back up against the headboard in fear. She poked at his chest as she spoke. "You know what, Dean? Maybe you're right. Maybe it's selfish of me to do this when others lost their chance at life. But you know what else? I've had nothing to do for a hundred years but just stay in one spot, be lonely, cry myself to sleep, and just wish I was somewhere else. And you know what? Nobody was ever there for me, not even my sisters. Nobody! So forgive me if I'm not in a big fucking rush to start thinking about every other poor soul out there, because I've had a hundred years to think about myself, so why the hell should I stop now?!"

She turned and flew away quickly, phasing through the wall.

Dean let out the breath he'd been holding, hugging himself and shaking violently.