"I think we need to talk."

Zoe didn't speak, just kept looking from the manacles, to Castiel, to the door and back again.

"I would advise against trying to run Zoe" Castiel warned and Zoe gulped as Castiel said "Show me."

The girl didn't move.

"Show. Me." Castiel commanded, his voice dropping lower than it already was as he strode forwards. At the sudden movement, Zoe backed up so fast that she tripped and fell to the ground, but she didn't stop moving. Instead she scuttled backwards on the floor, until she was cowering against the wall between the two beds in the room. Cas was not threatening her. He hadn't raised his voice or so much as even suggested he was going to raise a hand to her, but it didn't matter. Zoe was back in her state of blind terror, just like she had been when they found her.

Suddenly there was a bang as the door was kicked in so hard that it bounced off the wall.

The door, it transpired, had been kicked in (and almost off it's hinges) by Dean, who was the first one through the door followed straight away by Sam.

"Cas what the hell is going on?!" Sam demanded, getting into the angel's face as Dean went to Zoe. She was a little more hesitant with Dean, but eventually she accepted the hand that he offered to her. The older Winchester didn't really know what to do, Sammy had always been better at being kind and supportive than him. So he just gave her the most genuine smile he could offer as he pulled her to her, carefully put an arm around her back and led her over towards Sam, who was still nose to nose with Castiel.

It took Zoe putting a tentative hand on his arm that got Sam to back away at least a little, as he looked down at her.

Castiel looked from brother to brother before beginning to explain

"These aren't just normal human restraints" Castiel said gesturing to where the manacles lay on the floor "I sensed that before but now I know. They are imbued with ancient magic. Spells designed never to be broken from within. Spells designed to contain something of great power."

And Castiel's eyes now fell on Zoe, who looked at the ground.

"Cas c'mon!" Dean said a little incredulously "She can barely stand on her own two feet and you wanna tell us she's some great power?"

"It's easy enough to prove" Castiel said a little wearied and he reach towards Zoe. At once she shrunk away from him, Sam stepped so he was slightly in front of her and even Dean tensed protectively.

"I do not intend her any harm. For now. If I may..." Castiel said, extending his hand once again, palm up the way you hold your hand when you're waiting for someone to put something in it.

No one moved.

Castiel sighed and took a step back, saying

"Then one of you look. If I am right, which I am, there is a reason she keeps her hands balled up, her fists clenched."

That got Sam's attention more than Dean's, because something began to nag at his mind. Cas had made a point, since they had rescued her Zoe had kept her hands balled up for almost the entire time she had been with them. He thought it had been because she was so tense around them, but now he thought about it, now he thought back to when he had been tending to her injuries the previous evening she had been very careful not have her palms towards him.

Slowly, Sam turned to look down at Zoe who blinked up at him, before staring back at a point on the ground.

"Zoe?" he asked "Will you show me? Please?"

A pause.

A moment of tremulous silence.

Then she bolted.

Zoe made a dash for the door, adrenaline seeming to make her frail body and legs come alive with energy as she tried to escape.

Tried being the important word.

Because although adrenaline made Zoe fast... Dean was faster.

He caught her by the left arm and pulled her backwards, catching hold of her other arm and pining her arms upper arms to her sides so that she could only bend her elbows, while holding her so that she had her back against his chest and was facing Sam and Castiel. He wasn't rough, or aggressive about it, but there was no way in her weakened state that Zoe was going to get away. The realisation of this was evident in her eyes though it didn't stop her struggling against the older Winchester.

"Hey, hey! Take it easy! You're gonna hurt yourself! Take it easy and breath!" Dean said, before changing to a tactic that surprised both his brother, Castiel and even himself.

Dean adjusted his grip so that instead of holding her by her arms, he wrapped his arms all the way around her, almost like a bear hug. It was effective in that it kept her arms pinned to her sides, but also in that it brought her closer to his body and that was what he was aiming for. Holding her close he lowered his head so that he could speak right next to her ear

"Breath. Just breath. Ain't gonna hurt ya. Breath Zo-bird." and as he spoke he slowed down and over exaggerated his own breathing so that she would stop hyperventilating and begin to breath in time with him.

Slowly it began to work.

Zoe's breathing began to slow down and even out, though Dean did not let her go.

Sam stepped forwards and carefully reached down and lifted Zoe's clenched fists.

"It's okay" He said softly "Show me."

And all the fight went out of Zoe as she was resigned to the fact that she wasn't going to win in this situation. Slowly, reluctantly she relaxed her clenched hands and allowed Sam to carefully open her hands.

Sam and Dean looked down with wide eyes and huge frowns at what was revealed to them on Zoe's hands, while Castiel looked on without surprise until Sam said

"Kid why the hell do you got Hex brands on you?"

And Dean followed up with

"And what witch do I have to kill to get them off?"

And so the truth begins to be revealed...

Zoe has the unmistakable marks of a witches curse on her hands and our Winchester boys are not happy about it.

I know it's kind of short but the action will start to build more in the next couple chapters I promise!

Still want to know what you want to see happen shipping wise lol.

Let me know what you liked, what could be better and what you want to see come up, I love to hear from you!

More soon.

Geronimo xx