A/N: To all of you out there who have been waiting for updates, I'm so sorry that It has taken me this long to write anything. At the moment, year 10 at school is loading me full of homework and I've had no time what so ever to write anything I've really wanted. So thank god for the holidays! With any luck, I'll get the rest done in the next week. I originally had this chapter done.. but I was a stupid idiot and left my USB in a computer at school and someone stole it, which left me devistated for ages because it had all the updates of my other stories on it to. So I hope this is okay.. anyway, enjoy! And again, I'm sorry for the well overdue update. Please be aware I had no beta for this chapter, so there's no doubt in my mind that you'll find gramatical errors everywhere.

Hope

In a world full of fear and darkness we must learn to hold on to those we love and trust most. Because if we let go just for one moment, we could lose everything we've ever loved. But one thing always remains even in the most doubtful of situations, a little glint of hope.

"Dammit Dean! Why didn't you call me sooner?" Bobby had arrived early the next morning soaking wet. The storm that brewed overhead hadn't let up throughout the night; it seemed to be getting worse.

With a collapsed sigh of exhaustion, Dean laid his head back on the pillows looking out into the void ignoring Bobby's outburst.

"I was going too, okay? But things just seemed to get out of hand..."

"Out of hand? Out of hand! This is more than just "Out of hand" Dean. We're family Dean, and at any sign of trouble, you're supposed to call me. You're not some kind of Superhero in tights as much as you seem to think you are. You're a human being, and you can't keep going gallivanting around like this anymore. Because of stupidity, you're blind," Bobby opened his mouth to continue, but slowly closed it again.

Deep down, Dean knew he was right. After all these years it always came down to the same thing, that he believed that he could save everyone, even though he knew he couldn't.

After a few seconds of silence, Dean finally managed to whisper through the tears he was trying to hold back. "Is there any way to reverse this?"

"Maybe..." Bobby sighed as he sat down on the chair that rested next to the bed. "You said the creature you're dealing with is a Mara?"

"That's what Sam said. Speaking of which, have you seen him?"

Bobby shook his head, "Sorry, I haven't. I thought he would've been with you."

Dean cursed under his breath. "..We got into a fight the other night. I haven't seen him since." Even now he regretted his actions of what happened.

"You two girls are always fighting. If you keep it up, one of you will leave and never come back."

Trying to move the subject away, Dean diverted back to the topic that had ended him up in his current predicament. "The Mara?"

Bobby rolled his eyes at Dean's pathetic attempt to change the topic. Grabbing his duffel bag that he'd managed to sneak past the hospital staff with, he pulled out an old black leathered book.

"The Mara are ancient beings, no one really knows where they came from. But everywhere they're mentioned, one thing still remains constant, children. Over the past two hundred years of history, there have been about two sightings of Mara. The last one being 1912."

"There was one about ten years ago..." Dean reluctantly said.

Bobby gave Dean one of his many strange looks. "How do you know?"

"I was there... I lost a good friend..." he stopped thinking about trying to push the memories back into the furthest corner of his mind. "Anyway, continue."

"Would you like to talk about it?" Bobby asked hesitantly not sure how Dean would react.

Dean did nothing but shake his head in effort for Bobby to continue.

Clearing his throat, Bobby continued. "They're a physical manifestation, but can disappear in a blink of an eye, as if they were never there like a spirit. They're known as being called the Nightmare Children because that's exactly what they live to do, to use your nightmares against you, but in search for children called 'The Chosen Ones.' From what I can make out, these children are special to them and will do anything to protect them."

Bobby closed the book and put it back in his bag and waited for a response from Dean.

"How do you kill them?"

This was the one thing Bobby hadn't managed to come to an answer, mostly, because as far as he knew no one had ever managed to kill a Mara.

"No Idea."

Dean stared up at the ceiling, or what he knew was the ceiling and began to think. What they'd pieced together didn't make any sense. What did he know so far? The deaths were always done in a different way, and always during the night. But there was something else, he knew it. And it was right there in front of him staring at him in the face since the start. It was the children.

- - - - -

Across the room, Joshua had been eavesdropping throughout the entire time Bobby had arrived. Something wasn't right, and he could feel it. Even the fierce storm outside didn't feel right anymore, each passing hour it grew in unimaginable power as the rain and wind roared against the windows of the hospital.

"Joshua," a voice called from across the room. Joshua looked across to see Dean sitting back up on his bed.

"Yes?" he replied turning back to the window.

"Do you mind if you come over here? There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Joshua carefully got out of the hospital bed and slowly made his way across the room making sure none of the nurses saw him out of bed.

"Bobby, I'd like you to meet Joshua." Dean introduced them once Joshua made his way to Dean's bedside.

Bobby shook his hand and shook it. "So you're the one that called me?

Joshua just nodded, not sure what to say.

An awkward silence followed by a crack of lightning outside.

"Something about that storm doesn't feel right to me..." Joshua admitted.

"That's because it isn't a storm." Bobby said out of the blue, who was also looking out the window.

Dean went to scratch his head, but forgot that he was still handcuffed to the bloody bed. "What?"

"Well," Bobby begun, "Before I got here, I did some research into the local area for any signs of demonic activity. This storm didn't just come in. It appeared out of nowhere and its growing."

"But what for?" a hint of fear lingered in Joshua's voice.

"I don't know, but whatever the Mara happens to be up too, it's up to us to stop it. These things can destroy towns with one thought, and we can't let that happen."

Dean slammed his free fist onto the bed frame. "Well a lot of good I'll be, I'm blind Bobby. And on top of that, I'm handcuffed to this fucken bed because some bloody little girl shot me. Who might I add is probably the one the Mara are after."

Mustering all the strength he could, Dean pulled at the handcuffs until they started t cut into his wrist.

"Stop it now! The world isn't about to come crashing down Dean, and I think I know a way to get your sight back." Bobby snapped.

At that, Dean stopped. Quickly, Bobby grabbed a small pocket knife from his pocket and began picking the lock on the cuffs. A few seconds later a small but distinctive click filled the room. Dean pulled his hand away from the unlocked handcuffs and rubbed his wrist.

"What do you mean you know of a way to get my sight back?" Dean asked. If Joshua didn't know Dean was blind, he could have sworn that he'd seen a sparkle of life fill Dean's eyes for a moment.

"As you know, the Mara can create nightmares. But they also have the ability heal."

"Then let's get out of here and find them!" Dean yelped with excitement as he felt his way out of the bed, then stopped as his feet touched the floor. "What's the catch?"

"I figured you might ask," Dean could hear Bobby's face fill with doubt. "In order to get the Mara to heal you, it has to do it willingly. And that's not going to be easy seeing that it probably knows we're going to kill it."

That glint of hope that Joshua had seen before in Dean's eyes was now gone. An idea suddenly struck him. "Umm... I know I'm not an expert or anything about this sort of stuff, but you said before that these Mara are using the children to create the nightmares in search for this Chosen One. Right?"

"Yeah, that's the general idea." Bobby said curiously. "Go on."

Joshua continued his train of thought. "Well, if Dean's right and think this girl is the Chosen One why not use that to your advantage? I mean, you could use her as a bargaining chip or something." After a few seconds, Joshua realised how stupid that must seem. "Don't worry about it, it's a stupid idea."

"Actually," Dean slowly sat on the corner of the bed. "It's not a bad idea."

"It isn't?" replied Joshua stunned at his revelation.

"No as a matter of fact, it may just work. But first I need to find a way out of here," Dean smiled. "Got any more great idea's in that head of yours?"

Now it was Joshua's turn to smile.

- - - - -

One of the nurses on duty ran down the hall after hearing a sudden smash of glass. Turning around the corner, the glass door to the suicide patient that had arrived not long ago had been smashed down with one of the chairs.

Quickly open up the door, the female nurse got into the room to see Joshua shaking in the corner closest to the window. The bed where the suicide patient had been though was empty. The handcuffs dangling off the bed frame.

"There, there. It's okay, there's nothing to be afraid of." The nurse tried to comfort Joshua who was in some form of shock, he was shaking badly. "What happened?"

Joshua lifted his head from his knees and tried to speak. "He asked me to p-pick his pillow up for him so I did, next thing I knew he grabbed me. He'd managed to get his handcuffs off with the IV Drip... It was horrible! I-I..." Joshua started to rock backwards and forwards nervously as more of the nurses arrived to see what had happened.

The nurse held him tightly to her breasts. "It's okay, he's gone now. He won't hurt you again. Now, did he say where he was going?"

Joshua nodded his head slowly. "He said something about the roof, that he couldn't bare his life anymore."

"I need you to stay here while we go find him. Can you do that for me?" her voice was so calm.

"I-I think so..." he answered silently.

"That's a good boy," she helped him off the floor and ordered the other nurses to the roof. "I'll be back soon." And with that, she and all the other nurses rushed to the end of the hall towards the stairs.

Once all the nurses had left the floor, Joshua quickly knocked on the small toilet and shower block door that each room on the floor had built into it. "They're gone," he whispered as Dean and Bobby opened the door.

Bobby grabbed Dean by the arm and quickly pulled him out. "Thanks kid. You've done a lot to help."

"It's nothing really, just help Dean get better okay?" Joshua smiled slightly.

"I will, don't you worry about it." Bobby replied giving Joshua a nudge in his side.

Dean quickly knelt down and gave Joshua a hug, "Thanks for everything. Call me if you ever need anything okay?"

"I will," Joshua broke the hug and gave Dean a friendly punch in the arm. "Now get out of here."

And with that, Bobby lead Dean down the corridor finally disappearing down the emergency stairs, leaving Joshua alone the sound of fluttering wings somewhere close nearby.