It had been three long months since Signum and the others had appeared. And it had been rather hectic for Hayate Winchester.

Mostly because with the purging of whatever had possessed the 'Book of Darkness', she had been happily surprised to find she could feel her legs again.

When she could get around with crutches, Ellen had her started on physical therapy. The doctors said she might be able to walk without them in another two months.

Vita still had to keep the wheelchair handy though.

Hayate however had been having some rather odd dreams of a woman with silver hair and reddish brown eyes.

So during a nap on the bench outside the bar while the grown-ups were talking, Hayate decided to try talking to her.

Who are you?

The woman looked surprised Hayate could see her.

I have no name. It was lost, along with any chance I had to keep that demon out.

Are you the unison spirit inside the book?

Yes. I am sorry for all the pain I put you through before your family figured out what was wrong with the book.

It's alright. You weren't the one doing it after all. You were just as much a victim as I was.

Hayate gently touched the woman's face, and felt warmth envelop her. The woman felt like a gentle hug, safe and kind. She had been through as much hardship as the Wolkenritter because of that nasty spirit, but she had been unable to speak out. She had even lost her name because of that thing.

How about I give you a new name? Something that sounds better than Book of Darkness?

I would like that.

From now on, you're not a curse. You are a strong wind of blessing, a song that rouses even the most weary soul. From now on, your name will be... Reinforce.

Reinforce smiled. It was as if Hayate had touched upon her true nature to find the perfect name for something like her. It sounded much better than what her true master had once called her at any rate.

New name registered. Call me Reinforce from now on, Master.

The voice sounded exactly like the one Dean and Sam had heard months ago when the book woke up so abruptly in response to the demon's removal. Reinforce had accepted her new master, and before the book was even filled.

Hayate was woken up before Reinforce could tell her about the Trickster and how nabbing his linker core could keep the demon that had attached itself to the book from coming back.

Most of the hunters inside the bar honored Dean's request to keep their mouth shut about work, because none of them wanted to be responsible for giving an innocent girl nightmares about the monsters that existed out there.

The few who didn't care about that were quickly taken out by Signum before Hayate overheard them and told not to come back until they learned to keep their trap shut by Ellen.

Hayate was rolling her wheelchair out of the library when she heard a voice call out to her. The only reason she turned was because she recognized it as one of the twin sisters that worked as secretaries for her mystery 'uncle' Graham.

"Hayate-chan! There you are! We were so worried when we heard you hadn't been heading to the hospital!" said Aria.

Aria and Lotte had gone to observe how Hayate was doing, seeing as how the Book of Darkness was going to wake up from it's slumber soon. They had been alarmed to find she hadn't been seen in quite some time, and a quick inquiry from their master revealed Hayate hadn't been to the doctor in several months.

"Aria-san? What are you doing in America?" asked Hayate, turning her wheelchair to face the woman.

Signum and Shamal were close nearby, so Vita had gone ahead to meet up with Jo. Zafira was waiting back at the Roadhouse.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were when we found out you weren't in your home? Why are you in America anyway?" scolded Aria.

Hayate realized that this didn't exactly look good, but in her defense they had left her for two months without telling her when they were coming back, if at all. She wasn't expecting them to return so soon.

She had already explained to her doctor that she might have found her biological father in America, so the hospital had cleared her for travel, provided she call once she had proof they were related. She had sent a copy of the DNA test to her primary physician in Uminari and they had considered the matter closed.

Hayate still kept in contact with the woman, even telling her that they had found the source of her paralysis and that she was now on physical therapy. She had sounded relieved that Hayate would regain the ability to walk.

Lotte appeared behind her sister and suggested they go out for ice cream, for old times sake. Hayate didn't see a problem with that, but quickly realized her mistake when she blacked out in her chair as soon as Lotte touched the metal.

She woke up an hour later...back in her home in Uminari city, with the twins downstairs talking to someone in English.

Hayate slowly made her way along the wall to see if she could catch what they were saying. From the way they were acting she was betting that the twins had no idea she could speak English now.

"That's right father, she was in America of all places. No, it doesn't look like the book is awake."

There was a pause, but Hayate just barely caught the sound of Aria saying something else to her 'father'.

"We have no idea how she got to America. And the doctors won't tell us anything, saying that we don't have any authority to see her records. All they said was that her primary guardian had changed and that the one paying the bills had been notified already. They were about to call security on us!"

Hayate had heard enough. It was clear that Aria and Lotte were working for someone, and that they likely wanted Reinforce. Which meant they needed her, seeing as how Reinforce had fully bonded to her core once the bad spirit had been exorcised.

As quickly as she could without drawing attention, she got back onto the bed and covered up. Lotte came in to see if she was still sleeping, and when she was satisfied that Hayate was still out cold from whatever they had done to knock her out, left. But she left the door open.

"It was nothing. I must have been hearing things," said Lotte.

"Either way she'll be waking up soon. Are you sure she won't remember anything?"

"The spell I hit her with knocks out short term memory. As far as she knows she never left Uminari," said Lotte irritably.

The two left, and Hayate stayed in that bed until she was sure they were gone. Reinforce spoke up.

I don't like this. Why are they after you?

I have no idea. But I'm more curious as to why they grabbed me like that. Oh no, what about Signum and Shamal?

Reinforce tested the area around them.

There are spells against telepathic messages outside the house. However there are things that can't be blocked. Like praying for example.

Hayate blinked.

Praying?

There are certain creatures in the world that respond to prayer. One of which I know for a fact is very partial to young children. If we can call them here, we might be able to get back home.

Who?

Knowing that idiot, he's probably going by Loki now. It would explain why there are certain spells in the book that weren't added by me that have appeared over the centuries, said Reinforce sourly.

She had always wondered why there were distinct references to a pantheon she had never gone near. The Belkans had taken it in stride, but she suspected it had something to do with her link to a certain prankster she knew.

So... I should pray to Loki?

First let's throw these blasted cats off our scent by letting them believe you don't know they kidnapped you. Once we know they're gone we can try calling Loki to us.

It was weird being in Japan again. But Hayate was nothing if not adaptable. She decided to use the opportunity to really make her so-called uncle suffer financially by going on a miniature shopping spree.

Her 'uncle' was still paying the bills, which was why the house remained empty even after she left. That also meant she had plenty of money in her account to finally get a few things she normally wouldn't be able to in America, not without a hefty fee anyway.

After the third day, Reinforce felt someone going off world from nearby. Hayate immediately went clothes shopping and even picked up a bunny doll for Vita, who loved rabbits. Once she had everything in a suitcase she did as Reinforce suggested.

She started praying...mostly to Gabriel but every once in a while she tried Loki, the pagan god.

Her uncle, Sam, was a follower of Gabriel ever since he was a kid and one of the rare churches dedicated to the arch angel had protected him from a particularly vicious ghost that had followed Dean home from a hunt. He had prayed to the arch angel and his brother managed to kill the ghost before it broke through.

So Sam had told Hayate stories of the angel whenever they stayed at Bobby's before bed. Even Vita liked listening to those. Sam had even gotten Hayate something to go along with the anti-possession amulet Bobby had given her the minute that spirit was out of the book. It was a talisman that had the symbols commonly associated with the patron Saint of messengers (and also known as the angel of mercy) Gabriel.

After the second day of trying to reach the arch angel, she finally got a response. Probably because the last prayer had been accompanied by Reinforce's annoyed voice.

Gabriel (currently hiding as the pagan Loki) was curious. Someone had been trying to reach him for two days straight, calling him by both of his names and it was from Japan of all places. The last prayer had come with a spike of Grace that felt far too familiar for him to continue ignoring.

So he flew over to find out who was trying to contact him.

It was a kid.

He carefully avoided the strange wards almost layered over the house. From the sound of her prayers (and he had listened to them) someone had grabbed her and then put her in this house. They clearly didn't want her leaving.

The girl spotted him and the first thing she said was in English. Accented English but still English.

"Are you Loki, the pagan god?"

"I am," he said, popping a sucker into existence. He noticed she had an odd pair of amulets around her neck...one of them belonging to his angel name.

He tried sensing for the other voice he had heard along the kid's but couldn't find it.

"Look kid, why'd you pray to me? I'm not exactly one of the better know pagans out there."

"Reinforce said that you were one of the few things that could slip past whatever is blocking me from calling my dad and uncle in America. The phone was disconnected right before I woke up the morning after I was taken."

"Again, why me? Why not, I don't know, Micheal the arch angel?"

"Because Reinforce mentioned he wasn't exactly nice, and that while Gabriel was a prankster he went missing a long time ago."

"Who is Reinforce?"

I am, you cowardly idiot. Your brothers are morons, said a voice without warning.

Gabriel wouldn't normally reacted except that voice was accompanied by the same Grace that had brought him here to begin with.

How...

Long story short, some little idiot knocked me out of heaven by accident, where I was picked up and reforged into a new shape before having an AI shoved down my throat. I absorbed it and now I'm stuck like this. Fortunately Hayate here is a much better master than the last lot were and her family managed to get rid of a demon I somehow picked up.

Gabriel winced. Great, his 'horn' could now talk. He could just tell she was never going to let him live down the fact he had left her behind. Still, at least now he knew why he had sensed that power in the kid's prayer.

"So who told you about Gabriel?" he asked.

"My uncle Sammy. He said he always believe Gabriel was watching him after he ran into a church dedicated to the angel when a ghost followed dad home. They're our favorite bedtime stories when we visit grandpa."

Gabriel came inside and Hayate told him exactly what happened. He was not happy she had been grabbed from her family just because some idiot was trying to get his horn for some reason.

"I'll take you home. But first we might have to make a pit stop so we know those cat people aren't going to find you once we leave," said Gabriel.

Reinforce absorbed a good portion of Gabriel's core and nearly filled the book up in the process. As a result, it would take a few days before he could take Hayate back to Bobby's house.

Because of this, Gabriel had an indirect connection to Hayate through Reinforce. He even blessed her talisman from Sam as an after thought to keep track of her.

There were less than a hundred pages left to fill in the book now.

Loki (he was Loki now) was carrying Hayate in his arms, since they had left the wheelchair behind at the house. He had even shrunk her suitcase to make it easier to carry.

Bobby wasn't at the house, mostly because they were all out looking for Hayate. But Zafira had agreed to stay behind in case she showed up.

Said wolf took one look at the unknown person carrying his master and growled.

"Zafira it's okay!" said Hayate quickly, "Is grandpa home?"

"Bobby went out with your dad and uncle trying to find you. What happened?"

"It's a long story. It's just lucky I managed to get Loki's attention or I would still be stuck in Japan," said Hayate tiredly.

The wolf shifted to his humanoid form, to Loki's amusement.

"Are you the Trickster Loki?" he asked.

"I am. I happen to have a soft spot for kids, and her prayers alone caught my attention."

"You have our thanks for returning Master Hayate. We have been very worried since she went missing while Shamal and Signum were on watch," said Zafira.

"Well you should be on the look out. The ones that took her are a pair of weird cat spirits that can travel large distances in a short period of time. There were these strange wards over the house she was stashed at."

Zafira produced an orb of pure magic.

"It felt like that! Only the wavelength was a bit different."

"Mages. Just what we didn't need."

"Um, Zafira? Could you take me down to the panic room in the basement? That way grandpa won't freak out when he finds out I'm back and I can avoid most of the tests he'll likely put me through."

"Tests?" said Loki sharply.

"Grandpa, dad and uncle Sam are all Omnyouji. But I think they don't want me to know about that just yet."

"They're hunters. Paranoia is their bread and butter," snorted Zafira.

"That explains the amulet next to the talisman..." muttered Loki.

Zafira accepted Hayate (and the suitcase was left next to the front door) and put her securely in the panic room below. Once the door was closed, he went to talk to this Loki.

"So who are you really?"

"Me? I'm the original owner of the true form of that book she has. The spirit that inhabits it made sure I heard her call for help. I happen to like the deviant and evil, yet highly huggable runt. She's funny."

"What am I going to tell Dean and the others? A Trickster saved her?"

Loki looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Tell them that her uncle's bedtime stories aren't entirely full of crock and that the talisman he gave her helped," said Loki. Then he vanished. Zafira couldn't sense him anywhere.

So he decided to tell Signum what happened.

Call off the search. Someone brought Hayate back. She's locked in the panic room until we get the full story.

Are you sure it's her? Signum asked. She was with Sam and Dean.

Her scent matches and she has the book. You know that the book wouldn't leave it's master after bonding, said Zafira irritably.

I'll tell the others.