"I was ten"

Zoe was sat on the couch, curled up, her knees pulled up to her chest and refusing to make eye contact with any of them.

After the spell brands had been revealed, Cas had backed off and Zoe had calmed down ever so slightly, Dean released her from his hold. Now, after much coxing and promising, Zoe was ready to talk. While she sat huddled in on herself on the couch, Sam sat in the armchair, Dean leant against the wall and Cas hovered in the corner.

"I was ten and my dad was dying. Mom went to the wrong witch for help. She let this witch live like ten years ago, I guess she thought she owed her-"

"Wait" Dean interrupted with a frown "Was your mom- was your mom a hunter?"

Zoe nodded.

"Until she met my dad and got pregnant with me."

Dean had an odd look on his face, but nodded once, an indication for Zoe to continue.

"Mom shouldn't have done it. She always said young, old, dead or alive witches are a pain in the ass. But... she loved my dad." Zoe sniffed as the memories played out in her head "Witch wouldn't help. Only for a price. Me. She wanted me - I-I don't know why, but that's what she wanted. Mom said yes. The witch saved my dad and mom immediately tried to back out of the deal. She tried renegotiating and when that didn't work she killed the witch. Problem solved right?"

Zoe rubbed her hands over her face and let out a tired half sigh, half chuckle that had no humour behind it, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Except this witch wasn't alone. And her coven came after us. Hard."

A single tear slid down her face.

"They killed our friends. Family. Grandparents went. They even killed my fucking puppy. Drowned him and then strung him up from my front door. Found him when I came home from school."

Zoe's hands were clenched so tightly that her knuckles looked like they were at risk of splitting through her skin and a small trickle of blood ran down her wrist from where her nails had cut into her branded palms.

"Then they came for us. Kept us locked in the house for four days. Tortured my dad then killed him" Her tears were falling in earnest now thick and fast down her cheeks but they fell silently "Right in front of us."

And she could no longer keep her cries silent and Zoe's body was now wracked with sobs. Dean came away from the wall and moved towards her and even Cas took a step forwards but Sam got there first. Moving from the chair he sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her. He wondered if he should have reconsidered this move when he felt her flinch at his initial touch. After a few moments of tension gripping her body however she relaxed into his side, until her sobs subsided into deep breathing which then subsided into silent tears once more.

Once she had regained enough of her composure, Zoe sat up again and Sam let his arm fall from her body to lie across the back of the couch behind her.

"Zoe" Dean's voice was softer than Sam and Castiel had ever heard it before "How'd you get outta there?"

Zoe sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

"My mom. She was begging them, begging them not to kill me. So they said 'Okay. We wont kill her. But you will.' And-and-and they cursed me. And then they disappeared." Zoe said, biting her lip.

There was silence in the room for a long while until Sam asked slowly

"They left you and your mom alive? Zoe... I don't understand, you said there was no one we could call for you. Where's your mom?"

Zoe didn't answer just put her head in her hands and then stood up sharply from the sofa. Everyone could see the way her legs trembled as she walked away from the couch, arms hugging her own torso and head bowed, not looking at anyone.

"Zoe?"

"Her mother is dead." Castiel gravelly voice spoke up "Zoe killed her."

Sam looked horrified, Dean looked taken a back and Zoe span round eyes wide clearly afraid and shocked at Castiel's words.

"H-how-how did you- how could you kn-know that?! How-"

"He erm, he can read minds. Probably should have mentioned that earlier." Dean said ruefully as Sam got to his feet saying

"Zoe what happened?"

But Zoe had regressed back to her mute state and shook her head violently as she stumbled away from Sam and Dean. She looked around her wildly and seeing that Castiel stood between her and the only exit she dived into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

As Sam looked at the locked door, Dean turned to Cas and said

"Okay she wont talk. You tell us. What the hell happened that made that girl - who I don't think has a vicious bone in her body - tell us why she killed her own mom."

Inside the small motel bathroom, Zoe was sat huddled on the floor, her back to the door and her head in her hands.

They would kill her.

If the angel knew the truth they would kill her.

She could hear the sound of their voices speaking in the motel room.

Twisting her head so that one ear was against the door she could now hear what they were saying.

So she sat.

And she listened.

"It's called the tenebris viventem sanguis curse. Literally translated as the dark creature blood curse." Castiel began to explain to the brothers.

"When she is triggered, Zoe turns into some kind of beast, designed to hunt and kill. All traces of who she is disappear and she becomes a creature of pure instinct."

"Cas what happened to her mom?"

Castiel sighed.

"After the coven inflicted the curse upon Zoe her mother attacked her. Zoe remembers it being because her mother couldn't bare to see her daughter become like the things she used to hunt. There was a struggle and blood was spilt. This triggered the curse and Zoe transformed for the first time. She tore her mother apart." Cas said grimly and the brothers faces took on almost identical expression of grave understanding.

"What do we do?" It was Sam who asked the question and Dean looked at his brother questioningly so Sam said "We can't just let her leave, if she attacks someone else that would be on us so-"

"I'm not killin' the girl!" Dean growled and Sam looked almost hurt at his brothers words.

"You think I want that? No so I'm asking what do we do?"

"Please don't kill me."

All both men and the angel looked up to see Zoe standing in the doorway to the bathroom.

"I-I've lived through too much to die now. Just-just-just let me go. I-I have better control of it now, I'll just disappear and you wont- you wont have to worry about me - I don't - I mean I hadn't hurt someone in years before-before G-Gasrette got me! Please I-"

"Zoe, Zoe!" Dean interrupted "No one is gonna kill you. No one is even gonna hurt you, didn't Sammy promise you that?"

Zoe nodded and Dean turned to Sam and Castiel.

"She was gonna stay with us anyway. She stays, we can keep an eye on her, keep Zoe and everyone else safe."

So it was agreed.

Zoe now had to stay.

Dean grinned clapped his hands and turned back to Zoe.

"Looks like you're stuck with us Zo-bird. Now I want pie. Wanna come with?"

Next chapter done :)

So I swear either next chapter or possibly the chapter after the action will start again, I know this chapter probably sucked so i'm sorry.

BTW - anyone notice the originals reference? Let me know if you do lol.

Let me know what you think, likes, dislikes, ideas etc. More reviews = faster updates.

More soon.

Geronimo xx