The sky was darkening with the approaching evening as Sam followed the steady line of traffic across the bridge and kept taking quick glances across at the brightly lit city. He smiled in wonder, keeping one eye on the heavy lines of cars and another on the familiar silhouettes of the buildings off to the right.

"Wow." Mina sat forward and peered out of the window in awe.

"Pretty, huh?" Sarah smiled, watching their reactions in understanding.

"Awesome." Sam agreed. "It looks just like I had imagined it would."

Sarah frowned and sat forward, resting her elbows on the back of the front seat. "You've never been to New York?"

Sam shook his head and glanced back at her. "I've wanted to but …" He shrugged and pressed on the brakes as the traffic slowed around them. "Dad was always too busy." Sam caught the look his brother shot him and smiled fondly, "With good reason."

Dean nodded and looked down at his arm, picking at the bandage idly. "I came here to see a friend once."

"Oh yeah?" Mina enthused merrily.

Dean smiled and turned to her. "A hunter friend."

Mina nodded and patted his shoulder gently. "Only kidding."

"No, you weren't." Dean laughed suddenly, "But that's okay. Jealousy looks good on a woman."

Sam sighed and shot his brother a disapproving frown. Seeing Dean shrug an innocent protest, he chuckled to himself and then looked up at the road signs ahead of them. "Where am I headed, guys?"

Mina took the folded piece of paper from her pocket and read out the address.

"Just keep to this lane." Sarah advised, looking out through the front and nodding an affirmative as Sam glanced at her. "It's okay, I've been here loads with Dad." She rested back against the seat and turned to Mina. "Spending my inheritance."

"Shit …" Mina sighed, "I had no right to say those things. I'm sorry."

Sarah shrugged, "Don't worry about it." She placed her hand on Mina's arm and nodded towards the city. "I'm just glad I could help."

"Help?" Dean echoed, chuckling as he turned to her, "I'm actually kinda worried about the hidden sadistic streak in my brother's latest pull."

"Dean!" Sam gasped in amusement.

"Oh, hush, you." Dean smirked, "Just keep your eyes on the road." He looked back at Sarah and his smile grew, "So where the hell did you get the idea to steal stiffs from the morgue?"

Sarah laughed and shook her head slowly. "That kind of information comes at a price."

"Really?" Dean enthused, turning further round to face her. "What's your going rate?"

"Dude!"

"Quiet, Sammy. I'm making a deal with your girlfriend." Dean waved dismissively.

"Exactly!" Sam grinned, "My girlfriend."

Sarah watched him looking at her in the rearview mirror and smiled back happily.

Mina watched the exchange in quiet amusement and then grinned at Dean. "So … Sammy …? You're not one to share, huh?"

"No!" Sam replied quickly. "And please don't encourage him."

"Oh, I'm not." Mina retorted and leaned against Sarah, resting her head on her shoulder. She laughed as Sarah played along and wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh holy hell …" Dean's smile fell from his face and he turned back round to sink down in the seat with a sigh. "I'm so turned on right now."

"Dude!" Sam exclaimed in exasperation and glanced behind him. "All of you! Enough!" He then gasped and braked hard as a yellow cab swerved in front of him, almost clipping the front of the Impala. "Shit!" Sam breathed a sigh of relief and glanced warily at his brother.

"Okay. That's cured me." Dean laughed breathlessly and sat back upright. "Man, I can't believe we're actually going to take my baby into Manhattan." He patted the dashboard and groaned softly. "Close your eyes, baby. This could get scary."

Sam glanced in the mirror and saw the two women watching Dean in amused pity.

"Looks like our foursome has gained an extra member." Mina offered merrily, giggling as Sam glared a pretend warning at her and Dean gave a frustrated groan.

The quiet residential street on the Upper West Side was a stark contrast to the chaotic noise of the city and Sam sighed in relief as he parked up the Impala and switched off the engine. He shook his head in disbelief and turned to his brother. "Okay … never doing that again!"

Dean nodded in agreement and sighed emphatically. "Give me werewolves or shape-shifters any day. Rush hour in the Big Apple? No way, dude!"

"You big wimps." Sarah teased and climbed from the car.

"I got her through unscathed, though." Sam pointed out as he stepped onto the pavement. He watched in amusement as his brother made a quick check of the bodywork and nodded in agreement. "Remind me to buy you a beer." He smiled, "I couldn't have done that."

"What? Why?" Sam frowned.

Dean covered his eyes with one hand and drove an imaginary steering wheel with the other. Hearing his brother laugh in delight, he grinned and then looked around at the quiet street. "Wo." He remarked, "What did you say your uncle does?"

Mina smiled and read the address on the note she held. "Accountant."

"Ah," Dean nodded and turned to his brother, tapping his nose. "Few dollars here, few dollars there … clients don't notice …"

"Ha ha." Mina sighed and then pointed across the street. "Number 68."

The four of them headed for the large silver-grey townhouse and ascended the front steps up to the ornately stained-glass front door. Mina was aware of Dean placing a hand on her waist and smiled gratefully as she reached up and rang the doorbell.

It was a few moments before they noticed any response and then they could see a figure hurry through the hall towards them. The door opened and they were greeted by the warm but wary smile of a man in his late forties. Smartly dressed and apparently normal, the only tell-tale feature in his otherwise neatly trimmed figure was his dark eyes. Eyes very much like Mina's and which took in the four visitors and then lit up as they fell on Mina.

"Nonoma'e?" He gasped in wonder, "Nonoma'e Ka'eskone?"

Mina nodded and smiled in greeting. "Ya'at'eeh, Taa'eveameohtse …" She sighed and stepped forward, laughing as they hugged each other with enthusiasm.

Dean listened to the two of them chattering excitedly and frowned as he listened to the unusual language. "What are they speaking?" He whispered to his brother, "Ewok?"

Sam hid his grin and punched his brother's shoulder in warning.

Mina stepped back from her uncle and smiled happily through the sudden tears that had gathered. She then remembered her companions waiting on the doorstep and turned back to them. "Sorry, guys." She bid them step inside, "This is my uncle. Jay."

The friendly man hurried forward to greet each of Mina's friends and then ushered them into the immense lounge.

"Where is Rachel?" Mina asked in interest as she sat down on one of the three large leather couches.

Jay laughed softly, "I convinced her to call a friend and make herself scarce for a few hours." He looked around at the four of them and his smile faltered a little. "My girlfriend knows nothing of my true ancestry."

"That's probably wise." Sam agreed quietly.

Jay nodded and then sat forward to pour them each of a coffee from the large pot that sat on the centre of the table. He bid them help themselves from the array of muffins beside the coffee and then settled back against the sofa, regarding Mina in interest.

"You look well." Mina smiled.

Jay shrugged and frowned in thought. "One perk of staying well away from our family." He then indicated her bruised face and his frown deepened. "But I can see you're still caught up in it all."

Dean watched him in interest and then glanced at Mina's sorrowful face. He automatically slid closer to her and smiled as she placed her hand on his knee.

"So," Jay took a deep breath and looked round at the new faces. "Hunters, huh?"

"Not me." Sarah shook her head and smiled thinly, "I just kinda got swept along."

"That happens," Jay agreed, regarding her in concern, "Which is why I gave it up a long time ago." He turned to Mina and frowned slightly, "Far too many people were getting caught in the crossfire."

Dean watched him in interest and set his mug down on the table. "Was it easy? Walking away."

"No." Jay replied easily, "And it angered our family but …" He glanced around them and his even smile returned, "I haven't looked back since."

Sam watched his brother frowning in thought and could read what was going through his mind. Taking a deep breath, he looked over at Jay and caught his attention. "So … have you heard of the 'black arrow'?"

Jay's smile grew and he regarded Sam in interest. "Straight in for the kill, huh?"

Sam shrugged an apology.

"Indeed," Jay nodded and sipped at his coffee.

"Yeah?" Sam urged.

"Yeah," Jay echoed, sitting forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "The sacred black arrow is something of a family heirloom, you could say. Passed down through the generations to the strongest warrior." He took another mouthful of coffee and watched the four of them regarding him in awe. "I killed my first vampire when I was eleven." Jay explained quietly, "Something to be proud of back then."

"So." Sam edged forward in interest, "You have the arrow?"

Jay shook his head slowly, "I found that the damned thing attracted far too much attention." He laughed softly, "And one hell of a bad luck curse."

"Then where is it?" Mina urged.

"I put it in the safest place I could think of." Jay grinned and finished his drink. "A place where no one seeking it would ever think to look."

Dean watched the man smiling merrily and frowned impatiently. "Where?"

"The Smithsonian."

"What?" Mina gasped, "It's in a museum?"

Jay nodded in amusement, "Safely on display to the public for the past sixteen years."

"Shit, dude!" Sam laughed gently, "That's brilliant!"

Jay chuckled and turned to Mina in delight, pointing at Sam. "I like him!"

Mina smiled in agreement and then regarded her uncle in concern. "Is it as powerful as the legends say?"

"And then some," Jay enthused, "It was created by a powerful shaman back before even the first settlers came to America. It's made of this black wood that is like nothing anyone has ever seen and it's completely unbreakable." He laughed suddenly and relaxed back against the sofa. "And there was many a frustrated moment when I tried." Jay saw the confusion on their faces and shrugged his shoulders, "Man, there were creatures from all sorts of nasty places hunting for that thing."

"Because of it's power." Mina nodded.

"Precisely. It became so infamous that it was a complete nightmare to try and keep secure." Jay shook his head in dismay, "The legend seemed to grow after the communication revolution of the nineties and it seemed every unsavory character knew about the damned thing." He smiled at Mina and shrugged his shoulders. "Much like shicheii's knife."

Mina closed her eyes and hung her head.

Jay watched Dean placing a reassuring arm around her and he frowned in concern. "What's wrong, Mina?"

"The knife," Mina pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed loudly, "It was stolen."

Jay stared at her in horror, "But … I thought you took it?"

"I did." Mina sighed, looking back up at him in dismay.

And Jay then seemed to really see the bruising to her face and groaned softly. "Mina …" he shook his head and stood to move closer to her. Crouching beside her, he took her hands in his and looked up into her sad eyes. "This is exactly why you were sent away …" Reaching up, he stroked her hair back from her face and smiled thinly, "But you were always so damned stubborn."

Mina leaned forward and moaned gratefully as he knelt beside her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

Jay held his niece close to him and looked up at her three friends. "So … why do you want the black arrow?"

"To kill a demon." Sam answered evenly.

Jay regarded him in interest and took a deep breath. "That will not be easy."

Dean gave a small laugh and put down his empty mug. "We'd still like to give it a damned good try."

Jay nodded, "And by 'kill' you mean - "

"No exorcism or banishment," Sam agreed quietly. "We want to destroy it."

"Not the simplest of tasks," Jay smiled thinly and leaned back from Mina, lifting her head and nodding in reassurance. "But it can be done."

Dean glanced at his brother and saw the same glimmer of hope in Sam's tired eyes.

Jay got to his feet and dragged his hands through his neatly cropped dark hair. "I'll need to get some supplies and call in a few favors." He hung his head and picked at his lower lip thoughtfully. "But … it shouldn't be too difficult to get what we'll need."

"No?" Sam enthused.

"Dude, it's New York." Jay laughed, "You can get anything you need 24/7, whether it's a Starbucks or blood candles."

"Great." Dean sighed and nudged Mina's arm gently. "More voodoo shit."

Mina laughed gently and turned to him. "Dude, you've seen just how good that stuff is." She glanced up at her uncle and gave a small shrug. "I've been keeping up with my studies in secret and created some stuff."

"Yeah," Dean nodded eagerly, "Magic stinky healing cream that can drop a rhinoceros from fifty yards."

Mina grinned and gave him a playful thump. She looked back at her uncle and saw the concern in his eyes.

"You made Nahookos Bika'ii paste?" Jay urged quietly.

"Yeah," Mina nodded warily, "Why?"

"Nothing," Jay smiled briefly, "It's just … Shicheii only ever used that on serious wounds." He sighed sadly, "I don't like the idea that my niece needed some."

Mina shrugged slightly, "I had some bad scrapes."

"That last one was particularly nasty." Dean commented, "But I have to agree that the stinky-shit does work."

Jay regarded them both in interest and stepped closer to Mina. "Can I see?"

"Sure." Mina pulled the neck of her jumper aside and revealed the angry red gash on her shoulder that was already closing.

"That only happened yesterday." Dean enthused.

"Really?" Sam gasped, leaning across to have a closer look.

Jay raised his eyebrows and nodded in agreement. "Impressive."

Mina gave a modest shrug and re-covered the wound. "I managed to salvage most of Shicheii's trinkets and herbs." She offered, "They're in the trunk of the car." Seeing the confusion on her uncle's face, she smiled sheepishly. "We sort of trashed the RV."

"Good!" Jay laughed, "I hated that damned thing!" He turned towards the large bookcase at the other end of the room and searched for a couple of old, worn books. "If some of you could go into the city and get what we'll need …" Jay returned to the sofa, grabbing a small notepad as he did. "And I'll get hold of my friend at the museum." Glancing up, he shrugged and smiled thinly, "What? I had to have a guy on the inside just in case."

Sam interlaced his fingers with Sarah's and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He smiled in wonder as they strode along through the crowds of Fifth Avenue and he sighed happily as he looked up at the enormous, brightly lit buildings.

Sarah looked up at his merry face and laughed softly, hugging his arm gently. "I don't think I've ever seen you like this." She offered, dodging yet another collision with the people hurrying at them from the opposite direction.

"Well, this is awesome!" Sam enthused, shaking his head in wonder. "I mean, not just the city but you and me … walking along like any other couple shopping together."

"Feels good, doesn't it."

"Hell, yeah!"

Sarah laughed and peered past him to look in the large window of one of the department stores. She caught sight of their reflection and smiled happily.

"I keep thinking about what Mina's uncle said." Sam offered after a moment, glancing down at her. "And … I wonder what it would be like …"

"What?" Sarah frowned, "Giving it all up and having a normal life?"

Sam nodded.

"Well … maybe once this demon is toast you can - "

"No," Sam shook his head and let go of her hand to put his arm around her shoulders. "I mean, I've been thinking that I can't do that."

"Oh?" Sarah inquired, trying not to sound too disappointed.

"How can I?" Sam continued and looked around at the people walking along the street with them. "How can I live a so-called 'normal' life when I know what's out there?" He frowned and looked up at the dark sky above the city. "I couldn't do what Jay did and just ignore the fact that there really are monsters."

Sarah pondered his words for a moment and then nodded slowly.

"I guess that's partly why I don't want you involved in any of it."

Looking up at his troubled face, Sarah slipped her arm around his waist and hugged him against her.

"When I'm with you …" Sam smiled down at her, "It's like I can forget it all for a time."

"I know …" Sarah returned his smile and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I think … well … I've always known that this was how you felt."

"Is it a bad thing?" Sam asked quietly as they halted at the corner of a street and waited for the crossing lights to change.

Sarah turned to face him and shook her head slowly. "I've seen what you do, Sam and … I'm amazed and proud and … god ..." She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek, "If my part in all this is to give you just what you need so you can keep going then …" She shrugged slightly, "Just say the word."

Sam smiled and gazed down at her for a moment. "You're amazing."

"I know."

Laughing at her cheek, Sam placed a kiss on her forehead and his lips lingered there for a moment as his throat tightened. He then leaned his head down and sought her mouth, kissing her lips and pulling his body close to hers.

Sarah returned the kiss eagerly, stroking her hand up to the back of his neck and pulling his head closer to deepen the kiss. And there they stayed for a few blissful minutes, unaware of the lights changing and the crowds that veered round them and the people that either frowned in annoyance or smiled in amusement at the young couple lost in each other's embrace.

Leaning forward and resting her elbows on the kitchen table, Mina watched her uncle look through the varied contents of the worn suede bag and she smiled as she saw his happy curiosity.

"I'd forgotten about all this crazy shit." Jay muttered, picking up a collection of bleached bones and frowning in interest.

"Oh, yeah! They're particularly pleasant." Dean nodded merrily, placing their used mugs next to the sink and sitting down beside Mina.

Jay smiled and threw the bones across the table at him.

Dean automatically caught the odd collection and then instantly dropped them on the table top, grimacing and wiping his hands on his trousers.

Mina laughed in delight and then saw Jay pull a small leather bound hip flask from the bag. She watched him in interest as he carefully opened it.

"Isn't that your fancy stuff for clearing up left-over vampire?" Dean remarked in interest.

"Yeah," Mina nodded, smiling as her uncle took a sniff and winced in revulsion.

"Is this what I think it is?" Jay asked in disgust.

Dean watched Mina nod an affirmative and frowned in curiosity. "What exactly is it?"

"A mixture of things," Mina shrugged, "Herbs and stuff."

"And the blood of a dead person." Jay added, trying to peer into the small flask.

Dean gasped and then smiled in understanding. "Ah. Clever." He then turned to Mina and paused as he regarded her in interest. "But … just how does one collect that?"

"From a vampire." Mina replied easily and chuckled as she watched him grin at what he now saw as an obvious answer. She then yelped in shock as her uncle flicked some of the tea-colored liquid at her.

"Hey!" Dean gasped and glared in horror at Jay. "What the hell - ?"

"Ow …"

Dean's heart slammed into his chest as he turned back and saw Mina touching the small burns on her face and wincing in pain. He stared at her in horror and shook his head slowly. "No …"

"What - ?" Mina looked down at her hand and saw the skin on her fingers smoking from where she had touched the potion. "Oh my god …" She looked up at her uncle in fright and searched his stern face for an answer.

Jay carefully got to his feet, still holding the flask and watching Mina in concern.

"I don't understand." Mina husked, a sob catching in her throat.

"It's not the healing cream." Jay explained quietly, his face full of sorrow. "You've been bitten."

"What?" Mina gasped.

Dean stood slowly and backed away from her.

"But … no …" Mina turned to see Dean glaring at her warily and tears filled her eyes. "I'm not - " She choked on a sob and closed her eyes. "I've not been bitten." Looking back up at her uncle, she saw him nod in dismay and he pointed to her shoulder.

"Shit!" Dean groaned and fell heavily against the wall. "What - ?" He cleared his throat and looked across at Jay. "What the fuck do we do?"

Jay regarded Dean in silence and then lowered his eyes back to his quietly crying niece. "Mina … have you - ?"

"No!" Mina shouted suddenly, getting to her feet and instantly regretting the move as her uncle flicked more of the potion at her. She shrieked in pain and pressed her hand to her face, her legs buckling and she fell back down into the chair.

"Jay!" Dean urged worriedly.

Hearing a small click behind her, Mina turned and gasped as she saw the gun Dean was aiming at her. She closed her eyes and tears flooded down her cheeks, stinging the scalded skin. "Please!" She whimpered, hanging her head, "Please … I'm not one of them."

"Not yet." Jay agreed sternly.

Mina slowly turned and looked up at him. "What …?"

Jay shrugged slightly, "I'm not sure how it works but … if you were a va - " He closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed back tears. "You would be different somehow."

"Meaning?" Dean demanded.

"I don't know!" Jay shouted in frustration, "I'm not the expert on these things, okay?"

"Then who is?" Dean barked back in equal anger.

"Shicheii ..." Mina replied in a whisper.

Dean watched Jay nodding sadly and his heart sank. "Great."

"They left him there so I would find him …" Mina continued quietly, hanging her head and letting the tears fall. "He was barely alive … and there was so much blood …" She squeezed her eyes tightly shut at the memory and groaned softly. "I had no way of knowing which was his blood and which - "

"Oh good god, no!" Jay gasped in horror.

Mina nodded and lifted her head to look up at him through her tears. "I found the knife and knew what I had to do."

"Shit …" Dean lowered his gun slightly and watched Mina crying softly.

"And now … you … you must do the same ... for me." Mina managed between weary sobs.

"No." Dean shook his head defiantly and cocked the safety back on his gun. He tucked the weapon back into the waist of his trousers and hurried over to her. Crouching before her, he took hold of her arms and looked up into her face. "There must be a reason why you haven't turned. And we can stop it from ever happening." He turned to Jay and frowned slightly, "Right?"

Jay paused in thought for a second and then nodded slowly, screwing the cap back on the flask and sitting back down opposite Mina.

Mina closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "I can't believe this …"

"I know." Dean moved closer and pulled her against him. He held her tightly, his heart racing as she nuzzled her face into his neck and cried softly. Glancing at Jay, Dean saw a familiar fear and uncertainty. He closed his eyes and squeezed Mina even closer against him.