"Dean?" Ben choked out the words while staring at the figure in front of him.

Dean stood there in utter shock staring at three teenagers in front of him. He nudged Sam with his arm and Sam looked at him with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"Do you know who those three are?" Dean's whisper of a voice asked.

Sam looked at his brother to the distraught teenagers. "Uhhmm… Three teenagers who shouldn't be here and who are scared to death?" He whispered so only Dean would hear him.

"Yeah, I know they shouldn't be here, Sam. I'm not stupid." Dean glanced towards the teenagers but didn't move towards them. "That's Ben Braeden!" Dean whispered in a hiss.

"Ben Braeden?" Sam looked a second time at the young man staring intently at Dean. "As in Lisa's son Ben Braeden?" Sam asked raising his brow.

Dean lost himself in those large, brown eyes. The young man looking at him now was not the child he remembered leaving behind all those years ago. "Yeah…" It was a boy growing up to be a strong, young man.

He felt his brother shift in discomfort. "Why the hell is he here?"

Dean's annoyance flared. "I don't know, why don't you ask him yourself?"

Sam took a second to glare at his big brother. "Fine," He said through clenched teeth. He approached the three distraught teens with caution. Dean barely managed to stop him before he was already crouching beside Ben and Katie. "Hey…" He said tentatively.

"S-Sam?" The boy stuttered.

"Hey. Ben?" The young man nodded and Sam continued, trying to contain his discomfort and shock. "Um, what are you doing here?"

"We uhh…" Ben glanced insecurely at his two friends.

"Who are they?" Dean interrupted pointing to Keo and a still shivering Kate.

"This is Kate," He lowered his head onto hers in a gesture of acknowledgement and comfort. "And this is Keo." He nodded towards the boy beside him.

"Back to my question, Dean" Sam said, not surprised that his brother would change the subject, "Ben, what are you guys doing here?"

"Um, we….were….uh….checking something out." Sam noticed Ben glanced at Keo in discomfort.

"Well, it would help if you told us what exactly" Sam urged softly.

"We were checking out a trickster!" Keola piped up. Sam suddenly noticed that the young man didn't seem as calm as his two friends. He seemed angry and scared…. And something else.

"Keo!" Ben whispered harshly glaring at his friend.

"What? I was just trying to help" Keola said innocently. His protective anger instantly dwindled. For a second Sam saw Dean's face in the face of the young guy apparently named Keo.

"Dude! Just shut the hell up!" Ben said staring at his friend in disbelief.

"Geez, sorry, chill out." Keo shrugged and frowned.

Dean was following the exchange very carefully and noticed that this seemed to be escalating. "Alright, alright, we had our nice little reunion. now I think it's time we take you three home." Dean said in his general-voice.

"But-" The two boys said together.

"No but's! You may not give a shit about your own safety, but I for one think Katie could really use a cup of tea right now." Dean huffed and allowed his anger to stew. He glared squarely at Ben. The tension thickened the air until he was sure no one was questioning who was in charge.

Dean then leaned down, grabbed Kate off the ground completely and carried her away into the darkness.

Sam remained only to give the two reckless boys a hard stare. Ben and Keo looked at each other in shock of what just happened. Keo reached down and pulled Ben up from the muddy dirt which, Ben noticed with a sour frown, had decided to take up residence in his clothes, hair and every crease in his skin. Keo gave him a saddened and slightly angry look and said, "Some freakin hunt this turned out to be"

"Tell me about it" Ben replied, following Sam and Dean to the sleek, black car. It still sparkled somehow. Even in the bleak light of dawn. Ben saw Keo readying to open his mouth and argue about leaving his Honda, but thought better of it when Dean gave him a harsh stare.

"Don't say one word. Get in the car." Dean's voice was deceptively calm and worried Ben more than he imagined out right anger would. He hurried in beside Kate who was still shivering. He was tempted to reach his arm around her, but didn't know how she would react. After all this was all his fault. To his surprise her soft hand reached down and grabbed onto his filthy one. Their fingers intertwined and he didn't let go until they arrived at her house.

"Are you sure you'll be alright alone?" Dean asked with worry as she headed back to the blackened house.

"I'll call someone to stay with me if I start to feel worried." She suddenly noticed Dean and Ben wearing the exact same frown, and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll know if something's up." She saw Dean's frown change to one of outright worry to annoyed acceptance. Ben's didn't change, which worried her more.

After Dean had dropped off Kate and Keola, he headed off to Ben's house. Ben wished the drive had taken longer because be wasn't ready for his mom.

As they pulled up the gravel driveway, Ben felt his pulse rise. He turned just as he was outside the door and faced Sam and Dean. He took a deep breath and crossed his fingers. "You think that maybe one of you guys could come with me?.... just in case?" Dean and Sam shared a look and both exited the car. Ben relaxed into a frown a little less fearful looking than the one he'd had a second ago.

"Sure thing Ben" Sam said smiling. Dean didn't say anything, but just smiled and nodded. He still seemed annoyed.

Ben saw the light in the living room was still on. Damn, he thought. He had hoped the confrontation could at least have waited till tomorrow. His mom thought he was sleeping over. Why was she still up?

"She's still up," He said with terror in his voice.

Dean looked at Sam behind Ben's back, who shrugged softly and answered the young man. "Let's go." He gave Ben an encouraging, but forceful shove towards the house.

As Ben opened the door to his two-story home, he saw his mother standing there with an angered expression on her face. He barely got to say anything when she rushed forward. He had never seen her so angry. "Benjamin Isaac Braeden! What the hell happened?! I called Roy and Kathy and asked if you guys were alright and they tell me that you and Keola are here! What the hell were you!-"

Lisa stopped dead when she saw the two men who walked in with Ben. It was none other than Dean and Sam Winchester.

"Hey Lisa" Dean said quietly smiling a bit. He seemed annoyed.

"Dean, Sam, what are you guys doing here? And why is Ben with you?" She felt like her head had been knocked off and sewn back on. Just not good enough. She felt flabbergasted.

Sam nudged Dean and gave him a look only Dean would understand. Should we tell her? Dean nodded almost invisibly.

"Okay Lisa," Sam started, "Uhh... Me and Dean did what you asked us to do. We went to the cemetery because we thought it might be a spirit. So we thought we would salt and burn and it would be done. But before we could find the grave we heard a scream and rushed over to see what it was… and there was Ben, some kid named Keo, and Kate-"

"Wait a minute," Lisa raised a hand and cut him off. "You and Keola went to a cemetery? And you brought Kate with you?!" Lisa said, anger raising her voice.

Ben silently pleaded his mom with his eyes. "Mom-"

"Don't mom me young man, you are in so much trouble! You're grounded for a month. And that means no hanging out with Keola!"

"Lisa, come on," Dean interrupted and she fell silent, but Ben saw the dormant volcano that was his mother's feelings. "Give the poor kid a break, he helped out a lot-"

"Oh really? How?" Lisa advanced and Dean actually shifted away. He didn't step back, but the nervousness was clearly there.

These were his heroes, Ben thought dryly at the ridiculous sight of the brothers' identical frowns.

"He did a really good job on research. It definitely wasn't a spirit like we thought-"

"Are you hearing yourself?!" She stepped forward again and the two, rather large men, back away almost in sync.

"Uhh-" Dean tried. Sam had already surrendered.

Wussies! Ben rolled his eyes behind his mother's back, but damn if he wasn't caught anyway!

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Benjamin Isaac." She didn't even turn around. She just pointed an accusing finger. "Go to your room!"

"But mom-"

"Not "buts", no "moms"." Her voice had settled too. It only did that when she was seriously pissed off.

Ben gulped and stood still as he awaited the slaughter. Oh, he was never seeing the sun for the rest of his life if she had anything to say. Lisa stood in a prone pose, ready to strike.

Dean noticed her tense posture and took a step forward. "C'mon, Lisa. The kid did good out there-"

"This is SO not about how good he was at desecrating tombs. The fact is that he lied to me!"

"I'm sorry mom."

Lisa glared at her son like he had been the one to plunge a knife in her back.

"Uhh… Lisa? I'm so sorry to cut our little reunion short, but me and Dean still need to finish the hunt." Lisa completely ignored Sam and Dean as she continued to stare at her son.

"Thanks for helping out guys." Ben said a little discouraged.

"And thank you Ben, for helping us." Dean finished before he offered a little wave and left the room with Sam close behind.

Ben stood there for a second and watched the leave his house. Leave his life for a second time without so much as a goodbye. As his pulse rose he figured now was the perfect chance to ask before they left. If they said yes, his mother would be mad, but she was already mad. And if they said no then no biggie. Ben kept trying to convince himself of that until he suddenly blurted out.

"Uh, Dean? Sam?" He was fidgeting under his mother's intense stare. His breathing was speeding up as his stress levels rose.

"Yes?" Both brothers said at the same time.

"Can I uh, go with you to help kill the thing?" He asked, not daring to hope.

For a second he thought he saw Dean's face lift in pride, but he never heard the older hunter's answer.

"No!" Sam and Lisa said at the same time.

"Aw come on guys, why not?" Dean asked.

Sam frowned at his brother's light heartedness with the whole warped situation. "Because it's too dangerous Dean" Sam argued.

"And he's grounded" Lisa added in a voice that sounded beyond angry.

Dean sighed and looked at Ben with a sorry expression on his face. "Sorry kiddo. I guess you can't come."

"You're damn right he can't!" Lisa almost yelled. "Since when did you have anything to say about my son?!"

Dean blanched and frowned at the infuriated woman. "Excuse me?"

"It's none of your damn business how I raise my son, Dean!"

"Mom."

"No!" She waved him off. "You don't get to stumble into my house and pretend like you have something to say."

Dean was bout to interrupt, but was cur off by Lisa again.

"You are not his father." She almost believed it this time.

"I know I'm not! You're the one who constantly seems to forget it!" Dean yelled back.

"Guys." Sam tried softly.

"Back off, Sam." Dean said softly and stepped right into Lisa's face. "You're the one who called us, remember?!"

"I-I know that-"

"Oh really?"

"Mom? Dean. It's not-"

"Quiet, Ben!" They both said at the same time. Dean continued. "You're the one who wanted us to come here and help fix your problem!" Dean turned in an angry circle whilst running his hands through his hair. "I mean Jesus! You're acting like we invited him to come along."

"Guys i'm the one-"

"Ben I'm gonna say this one last time. Stay out of this." Lisa demanded. Ben felt his anger suddenly spike.

"No!" Everyone settled. "I am not the same kid I was seven years ago, mom." This time Lisa turned to face him and only him.

"I know that-"

"Bullshit!" Ben almost slapped himself with the amount of disrespect he was showing his mother. "You still think I'm some toddler who needs protection. I'm not defenceless mom!"

"I never said that!-" He could see her eyes tearing up.

His were too. "You didn't have to! Everything you do says it for you!" Lisa stopped whilst Ben found himself getting more and more agitated. "This is not the first time I've gone hunting." His mother's face fell and he would have slapped himself if he hadn't been so angry with her. If the anger he had felt deep down all his life hadn't suddenly decided to impose on him. "Me and Kao have been doing this for months! I beat the shit out of five football players tonight, mom!" Ben felt his face redden and knew he should stop before he said something he couldn't take back. "I'm more than capable of defending myself!"

Lisa was speechless. All she could do was stare at the angry, young man that was her son. For once Dean came to her rescue and defended her.

"Don't talk to your mother like that, Ben. She doesn't deserve it." His voice was suddenly calm again.

Ben felt fury scratching in his skull. "Stop telling me what I can and can not do! You are NOT my father and I wish you weren't my mother!" He pointed angrily at his mom and knew he had broken everything right then and there. She went deathly pale.

Her face first broke then hardened. It happened in under a second. Her open palm shot out and caught him across the cheek. He flinched when the slap connected with his face. He felt the burn there a hundred times worse than any beating he had ever had. Supernatural monsters and bullies counted.

"Go to your room." Her voice was toneless and left no room for argument. His eyes misted and a tear dripped over the edge and down his cheek. He turned on his heel and ran for the safety of his room. He felt like he was suffocating. He couldn't catch his breath and needed space.

He left Dean, Sam and Lisa speechless downstairs and never saw his mother's heartbroken sobs. She hurried and sent Sam and Dean packing before she broke down completely. But break, she did.