Author's Note: I've had this idea brewing for a while, but I didn't want to take time away from my other story to write this one. Today I had some free time and decided to run with it. This is a trial run, if anyone is interested in this story continuing then PLEASE review and let me know. I have a lot of ideas I'd like to play out with Sara, and some possible pairings down the road. This story would be mostly original content and not follow the show story lines. But I would like there to be a following to this before I invest much time into it. I WILL continue to dedicate my time to Emily Anne and will do my best not to let this story interfere with that one, I love you all and I'd love to hear your opinion!

"Hang another unit of blood!"

"Got it!" Sara yelled as she ran across the ER to meet the lab assistant in the hallway, she ran back with the blood in hand and barely skidded to a stop before she spiked the bag and started the bolus.

"Second unit of O-neg going!" She yelled back to the doctor. He continued to work at trying to clamp the arteries that had been severed on the man lying on the stretcher.

"What's our pressure doing?" Dr. Mathers asked.

"Dropping, 80/40." Sara reported back.

"Dammit kid, don't die on me now." Dr. Mathers mumbled as he fought to find the last leaking artery.

"We're losing him!" Another nurse yelled from the back of the room, watching as his heart rate began to decrease.

Sara gripped the poor kid by the arm and closed her eyes, praying, hoping, begging. She wanted to save him so bad she felt as if it drained her to want it so badly. He was just a kid, a dumb kid who made a dumb mistake and ended up full of bullet holes. He deserves another chance.

"Got it!" The doctor yelled. Sara opened her eyes and breathed in relief as his heart rate began to climb again and his pressure leveled out. They continued to stabilize him until he was safe enough to travel down to the OR. Sara left the trauma room and checked on her other two patients before sitting down at her computer.

She pressed her hands against her temples.

She always gets migraines after a big save like that, she couldn't explain how or why, but it always happened. And she wasn't the only one who noticed their pattern.

"Another migraine Sara?" Dr. Mathers asked coming to sit on the desk beside her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She half smiled.

"Did you start those meds I gave you?"

"They're at the house. I'll take one when I get home, promise."

"Why don't you head out early tonight? You can't do anyone much good when this thing picks up again."

"There's only a couple of hours left on the shift, I'll make it home before it gets bad."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm good doc."

"Alright, well take tomorrow off. Get some rest. You did good today, that kid is lucky as hell."

"Only because you were his doctor." She winked at him as he walked away and went to tend to his other patient. She finished out her shift seeing another 4 patients before the day was over, all minor injuries and upset stomachs, but still enough to keep her busy.

A nurse's job is never done, especially in the ER. There's always another patient, always another emergency, always another person having what might be one of the worst days of their lives. But for Sara her shift for the day was over and someone else was coming in to take her place. So she gave her report and passed on her responsibilities.

"Bye Sara!"

"Bye Anna, I'll see you Friday right?"

"Hell yeah girl! Ladies night out at Big Dee's!"

"Don't bring that guy, Anna."

"Girl, let the matchmaker do her thing." Anna, Sara's best friend and fellow nurse, said as she winked and walked to her car. Sara rolled her eyes and laughed as she finally made it to the safety of her truck, she stopped for a minute and pressed her hands against her head. Her migraine was moving into phase two, the blurry vision and sharp pains phase. So she quickly started the old motor and drove to her small apartment about ten minutes down the road.

Once inside she only turned on the small lamp in the corner, bright lights would only amplify the growing migraine. She popped her frozen dinner into the microwave and turned on the soft hums of the radio. Lasagna from a plastic tray was not the most appetizing thing she could think of, but she knows if she doesn't eat the migraine will be worse. So she finishes her two-star dinner and showers, preparing to sleep for as long as her body will allow.

Her dark damp hair hung around her face, she put on her black boy short panties and a slouchy knit gray sweater, crawling into her bed and taking some of the medication Dr. Mather's gave her. Slowly drifting off to sleep.

…..

…..

…..

The sound of rustling and glass breaking woke Sara up with a wave of adrenaline. Her head was pounding, but she could just feel the presence of another person in her apartment. She quickly but quietly rolled off the side of the bed, away from the locked bedroom door. She pulled the loaded gun out of its hiding spot below the mattress and fought through her blurry vision to make sure the safety was off.

She then reached up onto her bed and began to search for her cell phone, but she realized she had left it in the living room so that no phone calls would wake her before her migraine got the chance to wear off. So instead she sat against the side of the bed, in the dark, taking deep breaths. She knew that her vision would put off her aim, and she hadn't practiced at the range in over a year, but hopefully if she let the guy gets close enough then she could aim well enough to put him down. She listened as footsteps grew closer and closer to the bedroom. The door knob jiggled, but whoever was on the other side wasn't able to open it. She let out the breath she'd been holding. Until the footsteps were suddenly in her bedroom, moving towards her.

Panic filled her body, how the hell did they get in here without opening the door?! What the hell is happening right now. She felt the tears on her face as she heard each and every footstep grow closer, then the lamp on the other side of the bed was turned on. She held her breath.

The man walked around the side of the bed and just as he almost turned past the foot she pointed the gun directly in front of her, the blurry form of a man in a trench coat stood before, silent.

"Leave now or I'll shoot!" She yelled, the panic obvious in her tone.

The man ignored her and took one step forward, she fired six times, emptying the mag from her pistol. She began to tremble as the gun stopped firing, because the man in front of her still stood. Still walked forward.

She screamed, but everything went black.

…..

…..

…..

Sam and Dean, pulled into the parking lot of their motel. Burritos in a paper bag between them. Dean placed the impala in park and turned off the engine.

"All I'm saying is we could use a good few weeks off Dean." Sam suggested as he climbed out of the car.

"And what would we do? We'd be bored as hell."

"Somehow I doubt you would be bored, you'd find enough women to keep your time occupied."

Dean chuckled to himself.

"Well that's probably true, but I still think it's a bad idea."

"Why Dean?"

"Because something crazy always starts up when we try and take some time off. It's like asking for trouble."

"Whatever." Sam sighed as he put the key into the door and opened it, he paused, seeing Cas standing in the room, and a woman lying on the floor at his feet. Dean not paying attention, walked straight into the back of Sam.

"Whoa, what's with the traffic jam?" Dean asked stepping to Sam's side, also pausing when he saw the predicament laid out before him.

"Uh Cas, what the hell is this?"

"This is Sara Atkins. She's a healer, and she could be very valuable to us."

Sam shook his head and quickly moved forward to check for the young woman's pulse.

"Geez you'd think you could put on the bed instead of the ground?" Sam asked as he lifted her up off the floor and laid her on the bed. She began to shuffle, but didn't wake.

"What the hell Cas you just go around kidnapping girls now?" Dean asked as he shut the door behind him and dropped the food on the table.

"I told you Dean. She's useful to us. And had I not taken her then the demons would have found her first, they would have killed her just to keep her from getting to the two of you."

"How is she useful again?"

"She's a healer. She can bring you back from the brink of death with simply a touch of her hand. Since my powers are intermittently cut off from heaven and I cannot be there with you at all times we can use her, to keep the two of you alive."

Sam and Dean both listened intently, trying to comprehend what this could mean for them. Taking this girl on the road, dragging her along on hunts, but always having a plan B? Would it be worth it?

"So uh, let me ask you a question." Dean spoke. "Did she come here with you willingly?"

"No. She shot me a total of six times."

"Oh my god." Sam sighed, hiding his face behind his hand. "Cas you can't just kidnap people like that!"

"There were demons in her home, I had no choice but to take her immediately. I killed two but there were more coming. They want her just as badly as we do."

"Why?"

"Because they know she can be of value to us, they want to kill her and keep her from being used by the two of you."

Sara heard voices, at first they sounded like they were in a tunnel, but then they grew clearer and clearer. She detected 3 distinct male voices, all strong and dominant. They argued, but it all made no sense to her, her heart began to race as she realized the bed she was laying in was not her own, she slowly opened her eyes, finding herself in some strange dingy motel room. She looked up and saw the three men, briefly recognizing the one in the trench coat, but he had no wounds in his body, no blood, no holes in his clothing.

She quietly moved to the side of the bed, opening the drawer and pulling out a small old letter opener, but it was the only weapon she could find. Once it was in her hands she moved to get off the bed, but it squeaked and all three men turned to look at her. She froze, then the fight or flight kicked in and she ran for the door. Dean and Sam both jumped, Sam making it to the door before her due to his long legs. She reared back prepared to stab him with the letter opener, but someone grabbed her arm from behind.

"Let me go!" She struggled against the man.

"Whoa whoa whoa, take it easy! We're not here to hurt you!" Sam said trying to calm the girl.

"Who are you! Where the hell am I?!" She asked as Dean released her and she backed herself into the corner.

"I'm Sam. We're in a motel, right outside of Denver. Okay?"

Sara looked between the three men frantically, trying to understand how she was suddenly 4 hours away from home. Who the hell these people were, or what the hell they were.

"You-you, I shot you…" She mumbled looking at Cas.

"Yes. Six times to be exact." He said with a flat one and a straight face.

"Wh-where are your wounds?"

"Angels don't exactly get bullet wounds." Dean explained.

"I'm sorry, did you say Angel?" Sara asked.

"Yes, I am Castiel, an Angel of the Lord." Cas stepped forward.

"Oh god… I've been kidnapped by crazy people." She mumbled to herself, she ran her hand through her dark wavy hair, just enough to let the light catch her blonde lowlights. Dean and Sam both watched her spin in small circles, her arm raised in the air showed the black underwear she wore underneath the sweater. She was short, her body curved in ways only a woman's could, and the way her dark hair framed her face flattered the ice blue shade of her eyes.

"Let us have a minute to explain. Please?" Sam bargained. Sara nodded shortly.

Sam pulled the sheet off the bed and handed it to her, pointing with his eyes to her exposed lower half of her body, she quickly realized she was flashing all three men her underwear and snatched the sheet, wrapping herself in it, but not leaving the safety of the corner.

"I'm Sam Winchester. This is my brother Dean, and as hard as this is for you to believe we're not crazy, and neither are you. This is Castiel, or Cas. He's a friend of ours, and he is an Angel."

"Prove it." She said cutting him off.

"Sure." Dean shrugged. He sliced his arm with a knife and Sara instantly moved to help him, but he turned from her and moved towards the 'angel', with one touch of his two fingers to Dean's forehead the cut healed, and no scar remained. She gasped slightly. Then looked back up to the man in front of her.

"S-so, this. This is all real?"

"Yes, It's real. And we're not here to hurt you. Please. Sit down, we can explain everything."

Sara looked between them all and felt her feet begin to weaken.

"I-I think I'm. I'm gonna…"

Before she could finish her sentence her eyes rolled back and she went limp, Sam caught her mere inches before she fell to the floor. He picked her up bridal style and carried her over to the bed.

"Great. This is great." Dean said sitting down at the table.

"Cas, could you wake her up please?" Sam asked as he laid the sheet over her, keeping her covered.

Cas nodded and walked over, touching her and she rose up quickly, almost smacking her face against Sam's.

"You're okay, you're okay… You fainted, but you're fine." He assured her. "What's your name?"

"Sara."

"Okay, Sara. Do you remember what we just talked about?"

"You mean that the guy dressed like a business grad student is an angel? Yeah. Got it."

"Okay, good." Sam nodded.

"Why am I here? How did I get here."

"Cas? Care to shine some light?" Dean said turning to him.

"Sara, you are a very special person. Hand picked by the heavens to be a healer."

"Yeah. I'm a nurse. So what?"

"You are much more than a nurse. You have the ability to heal people in ways that science cannot explain. An ability that is a gift. I encourage you to sit with Sam, allow him to research the subject and explain it to you."

"Okay, so even if I was a… whatever? Healer? WHY am I HERE? Why the hell did you come into my home and scare the living shit out of me?!"

"I'm sorry for that. It was urgent I find you and deliver you to the Winchester's. They are in great need of your services, and I believe it is your responsibility to help them."

"I'm sorry? I don't even know you people. How is it my responsibility to help you?"

"We don't know all the details on that ourselves yet." Dean admitted.

"Look. I took an oath, okay? If your hurt, if you need my help, then wander into my ER and I will bend over backwards to help you, but this is bullshit. You kidnap me?! You tell me that it's my responsibility to help you?!"

"I know. This isn't exactly and ideal situation but Cas wasn't the only one out there looking for you… There are other things in this world besides angels. Evil things." Sam explained.

"Oh like what?! Demons?" The two brothers looked to each other then back to Sara. "Oh you've got to be kidding me."

"Demons. Monsters. Ghosts. You name it… its real." Dean said standing and walking towards her. "I know this is a lot to take in, but we don't have a lot of time to spend on all this. So whatever you want to know ask now, cause we have things to get done."

"Dean!" Sam scolded him for being rude.

"Can I have some water please?" She mumbled. "And maybe a pair of pants?" "

"Yeah sure, Dean." Sam looked over to his brother, who got her a water bottle and dug a pair of sweatpants out of his bag, smelling them briefly to make sure they were mostly clean. Then he handed them to her. She took a sip of water and stood, putting on the sweat pants. Then she turned to face the brothers.

"Okay, well. This has been fun. But uh, I'm gonna catch a cab. I. I have a life, and a job. And. And I can't just leave my job, so I have to go. Thanks for the pants."

"Wait, Sara. Please. It's not safe for you to leave right now." Sam pleaded.

"No. No you see I don't. I don't need this. I just wanna go home, and I-I wanna get up and go to work, and help people, and maybe get a dog! I've always wanted a dog. But you know when you work sixty hours a week a dog is sorta gonna get the punishment for that so I, don't have a dog but I-"

"Okay! Stop… just stop." Dean said standing in front of her and cutting off her ramble. "You can't leave right now."

"I just wanna go home! Please just let me go home!" She begged him quietly hiding her face in her hands and she bent down, her elbows resting on her knees. Dean squatted down beside her.

"I'm sorry, but it's not safe right now. Just. Give us 24 hours okay? Let us do a little research, explain things a little more thoroughly, and get a game plan together. Please?"

Sara pulled her hands away from her face and her eyes truly met Dean's for the first time. His were stark green, with a shimmer of yellow in the mix. They were hard, they held pain, but they also held honesty. And something in her gut told her she could trust him.

"Fine. 24 hours."

…..

…..

…..

"Vampires?" Sara aksed.

"Yes." Dean sighed.

Sara nodded briefly. They had gone on like this for the last few hours. Sara sitting at the table with the brothers. Sam researching, and Dean drinking. Sara occasionally asking what kind of monsters were out there in the world, then taking the time to silently process the information before asking about another one.

"So how do the two of you fit into this world of monsters and demons that the rest of us are so oblivious to?"

"We're hunters. We kill the things that go bump in the night. We uh, protect the oblivious." Dean answered.

"How long have you been doing that?"

"Our whole lives."

"Why?"

"Something supernatural killed our mother. So our father raised us to be hunters, and we tracked down the demon that killed her."

"… A demon killed your mom?" She asked, an empathetic tone to her voice.

"It was a long time ago." Dean said before taking another drink.

Sara went silent again for a few minutes.

"… What about the boogey man?"

"Uh, there's not really a specific boogey man. It's kind of a summary of monsters."

"Oh. Okay."

"Okay here we go…" Sam said catching their attention. "It says here that among the angels are certain types of lower level angelic like people. Um, some are humans with angelic abilities, some are halflings. Looks like a healer is classified as a human with extraordinary abilities."

"Well." Sara scoffed. "I didn't know we were questioning what species I belonged to, but I guess it's nice to know I'm human."

"Sorry." Sam said sincerely. "Umm, it also says here that healers are gifted with grace, sorta like what Cas has. Only yours is directly related to healing."

"I. I don't understand? How could I have had this ability my whole life and not ever noticed it?"

"Well, you said you're a nurse in an ER right?" Dean asked.

"Yes."

"Ever had a crazy save? A person that didn't stand a chance in hell at surviving, but they did?"

"Yeah…"

"Did you ever consider that was because of you?"

"No." She said staring at the full beer in front of her, suddenly piecing together what happened with the kid in the ER last night. How he was crashing, how she grabbed him, and then how a miracle happened. She had always attributed it to the amazing group of doctors and nurses she works with. But… what if it was her all along?

"Does it talk about what happens afterwards?" She asked.

"Uh, so get this. Looks like after a healer uses their grace to save someone they have to have a period of self-healing. Time for their grace to regenerate before they can use it again. It also says that healers are not able to heal themselves. Their grace is designed for others only, and that they can also die by using all of their grace. Or in other words, you have to give yourself time to regenerate because if you use all of your grace, it can kill you."

Sara sat in silence. Trying to wrap her head around the idea that she was… different. She mostly felt like a freak. She mostly felt scared, what does this mean for her? For the rest of her life?

"Sara, you okay?" Sam asked reaching out to touch her arm.

"I don't know…"

"Do you wanna get some rest, maybe re-tackle this in the morning?"

"Sure." She mumbled.

"Okay, well uh. You can have one of the beds, and Dean will take the floor."

"What?!" Dean said whipping around to face Sam.

"Its fine. I'll take the floor." Sara interrupted.

"No, no way you're sleeping on the floor." Sam told her shooting a look at Dean.

"I'll take the floor." Dean said standing and kicking off his boots. Sara and Sam followed, getting ready to go to bed, even though it was almost four in the morning. Sara pulled back the sheets on the bed and reached for the pillow on the other side, she turned and handed it to Dean, along with the comforter on the top of the bed.

"Here." She half smiled to him.

"Oh I'm good." He told her nonchalantly.

"Please, I'd really feel better if you took them, I only sleep with one pillow anyways, and I get hot at night. The sheet and your pants will keep me warm enough."

"Thanks." He mumbled back accepting them and making himself comfortable on the floor between the two beds. Sara returned to the bed and reached over, turning off the lamp, Sam did the same on the opposite side of the room.

Once it was pitch black, and she could hear the two boys snoring, she let a muffled sob escape her body. She wasn't prepared for this. She didn't want this. She only wanted to go home, and live the life she worked so hard to earn. She wanted to pretend none of this ever happened and just go back to her life.

20 more hours. That's all she had to do was stick with these guys for one more day. Then she would be free to go. Besides the company could have been worse, Sara was thankful that both of the brothers, especially Sam, were kind. They were both patient with her, and she hoped that at the end of the next day they would stick to their word and let her go home.

…..

…..

…..

Sara dozed in and out of sleep for the next few hours. The boys pretended not to notice, but they did. All three of them slept restlessly. So by the time the sun started to come up Sam was awake and making coffee. Dean took over Sam's bed and Sara continued to doze.

Sam was at the computer reading more about healers when Cas appeared in the room, tapping on Sam's shoulder.

"Dammit Cas!" Sam jumped. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Did you do your research on Sara?"

"Yes. We did."

"Do you understand now how valuable she is to us and our cause? Winchesters are on the top of everyone's to kill list. This is an excellent option to keep the two of you alive, and it would make me more available to handle other things."

"Yeah Cas I know, but. I don't think she's on board with this."

"Well then you must make her understand. We need her."

"Cas you kidnapped her out of nowhere. Uprooted her from her life. You can't expect her to just want to follow us around form now on."

"She won't be safe if she goes back. They found her just like I did. The more people she saves the more out in the world she puts herself. It was only a matter of time."

"I know." Sam sighed.

"So make her understand this, make her see that we need her."

"I wish it was that easy, but it's not. She doesn't know us, she doesn't feel that she owes us anything. And to be honest, she doesn't."

"Perhaps some convincing from Dean. Women seem to respond to him."

Sam rolled his eyes, and Cas was gone as quickly as he arrived, leaving the youngest Winchester to continue his research. Dean was awake next, sipping on coffee and reading the paper. The last one awake was Sara. She sat up and brushed through her hair with her fingers. Trying to tame the mane without a hair brush. Her eyes wandered and landed on the two men at the table.

"More research?" She asked, her voice slightly hoarse from sleep.

"Yeah. Its kinda his thing." Dean said not bothering to look up from his newspaper.

"So what else do we know?" Sara asked as she stood, pouring herself a cup of coffee and sitting down the with brothers.

"Healers were made to accompany warriors. To heal the men who fought in the holy armies. They were common back in the biblical age, but now they're extremely rare. Pretty much unheard of. You're a very special person Sara."

"Lucky me." She mumbled as she sipped at the hot liquid.

"Are you always this peachy in the mornings?" Dean asked.

"Only when I wake up in a dirty motel room with strangers." She threw back.

"Touché." Dean nodded.

"When can I go home?"

"We need to talk about that. Sara, when Cas came to get you there were demons in your home. They know where you live, they probably know where you work, who your friends are. It's not safe to go home."

"How long until they leave me alone?"

"They won't." Dean told her with a level of finality in his voice.

"So what, I'm just supposed to ditch my life? Disappear and end up on unsolved mysteries?" She asked with a tone of sarcasm, and slight panic.

"I know how scary this must all sound. I promise you I do. But the truth is, if you go back, you're most likely going to die." Sam told her sympathetically.

"So then where would I go?" Sara asked, not looking either of them in the eyes as she contemplated the thought of losing everything in her life. Everything she'd worked so hard for. Everyone she'd ever loved. Anna. Her best friend in the entire world.

"Cas seems to think that you should stay with us." Dean cut in.

"Is that what you want?"

"Well, we're not against it. But it does present its own set of hurdles."

"Not against it. In other words you don't want to be stuck with me."

"That's not what he meant." Sam quickly corrected. "He just means that we don't want to force you to stay, but we do think it's your best shot at survival. You've had quite a few miracle saves lately haven't you?" Sara looked up at Sam and nodded. "Cas said that the more you use your grace, the more detectable you are. To angels and demons. It's how they found you."

"So you're telling me even if I don't stay with you. I can't save people anymore? You're telling me the one and only thing in my life I've ever been good at…. I can't do it anymore?"

"Not like you were, no. It's like a beacon. It'll draw them to you."

"Wow, this day just gets better and better." Sara scoffed slightly. Feeling her eyes sting, she fought to hold back her emotions, not to cry in front of these men. She'd learned early in life that crying got you nothing. So she trained herself to reign in her emotions long ago, and she would continue to do so.

Sam however quickly noticed the pained expression on her face and reached out to her, rubbing her arm gently.

"Sara, I know this isn't fair. And I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But the bottom line is… it's the truth. We can protect you, and we would be happy to have you stay with us."

"You mean you would be happy to have me and 'my grace' at your disposal. I get it… you don't have to lie."

Sam quickly realized that it would take time to earn her trust, that she was smart. Smart people don't trust strangers, no matter what truths they tell. So he closed his laptop and a plan sprouted in his mind.

"How about this, we take you back… stay the night at your place, let you think this over. And this way if you decide to stay, we can show you how to protect yourself, if you decide to go with us then you can pack some of your things."

"How soon can we leave?"

"Ten minutes." Dean answered still reading the paper.

"Okay. Lets do it."

It didn't take Sam or Dean ten minutes to pack their belongings and put them into the car, Sara walked out to meet them.

"This is your ride?" She asked with a surprised tone.

"This is Baby, she's the only woman worth keeping." Dean smiled as he looked down at her in pride. Sara rolled her eyes, and got in the backseat.

"What?" Dean asked in a harmless tone.

"She's nice." Sara added before closing the door.

"Damn right she's nice." Dean mumbled.

…..

…..

…..

Sara and the boys spent the next four hours driving in mostly silence, her contemplating the world she'd grown up in. All the questionable stories she'd heard. Things she convinced herself weren't real… but now they are? The world was a much darker place. Not just because of the thick clouds hiding the sun from view, but because of the horrors she now knew were real.

Once they arrived in Sara's town she gave them very brief directions to get to her apartment building. Once they were standing outside of it, Sara rushed to get inside, but Dean grabbed her by the arm and subtly positioned himself in front of her, Sam behind.

"Let me go first, just in case." He whispered to her. Sara nodded and they climbed the stairs to the third floor. Next to last door on the left. Once they arrived at her door, she noticed the broken locks, where the door had been broken in.

"Is this from the night Cas got you?" Dean asked her.

"I don't know."

"Stay behind me."

Sara did as she was told, and watched as Dean pulled out a very old and unique knife. Sam behind her, pulled his gun. Dean gently pushed open her apartment door, there were signs of a struggle, but no bodies left in the living room or kitchen. Sam shut the door behind them, and Sara quickly wandered over to a broken picture frame in the corner. Inside of it was a picture of a man and a woman, Sam didn't ask, but assumed it must be her parents. She took the picture out of the now shattered frame and held it closely.

She then bypassed the two men and walked into her bedroom, where her gun laid on the floor, and six bullet casings surrounded it.

"So this is where you shot up Cas huh?" Dean asked with a chuckle. "Not a bad piece you got down there."

"It was a gift from an ex-boyfriend… turned out I needed it to protect myself from him more than robbers."

"Yikes." Dean mumbled to Sam behind her back.

"I'll clean up, one of you can have the guest bed, the other the couch. I know it doesn't sound like much but it's a really comfortable couch, I've spent plenty of nights crashing on it myself."

"We can help you." Sam offered.

"Thanks." She half smiled.

Sam proceeded to pick up broken glass, Dean picked up the tossed furniture and Sara tried to place her belongings back to their rightful place. It took them only about an hour to have the place looking good as new. Sara showered, then offered to make the boys dinner, and had it in the oven when she finally came across the cell phone she had left lying in the kitchen the night she was taken. She lifted it and found six missed calls from Anna.

She wanted so desperately to talk to her, to tell her about the men who had taken her, and the horrors that had become real in her life. But really, she just had a terrible feeling and wanted to prove to herself that it was only paranoia. That Anna would answer the phone and be as giddy as she always is.

"Uh, I'm gonna run across the street, get a loaf of garlic bread to go with dinner. I'll be back in about 10 minutes."

"Okay, one of us should go with you." Dean said standing.

"I'm not going to run off." She told him slightly offended.

"It's not that, it's just that there could be people watching right now." Sam explained.

"Really it's just down stairs and across the street to the corner market. I'll be fine. I promise."

Sam and Dean swapped looks with each other, communicating without words.

"Okay." Dean shrugged as he sat back down. Sara nodded and left quickly. Dean waited a solid ten seconds before standing again and following her path down the stairs.

Sara dialed Anna's number, but she didn't answer the first time, or the second, and she begged that on her third try she'd hear Anna's voice perk up through the phone. But no such luck. Sara sighed, worry heavy on her mind. She walked out into the chilly night air. Pressing the button for the crosswalk and waiting for the traffic to come to a stop. She skipped across the road and carefully picked out a small loaf of bread smothered in garlic butter. Once she had her pick she walked to the counter to pay, as she left she pulled out her phone to dial the number one last time. As it rang the light changed and she moved to cross the street, but suddenly she was yanked backwards. A hand thrown over her mouth, and then dragged into the alley.

As the man who grabbed her pushed her against the wall she realized she recognized his green eyes. Dean. He put his finger to his lips, motioning for her to stay quiet. She nodded, and he moved his hand away from her mouth. He grabbed her by the arm and held her close to him as he moved them to the edge of the alley. He peaked around the side and spotted the two demons he first noticed following Sara into the market. He waited for them to walk towards him, then pushed Sara against the wall again. Motioning for her to stay quiet.

As the demons walked past the alley, Dean grabbed one of them and thrust the knife into his chest, he struggled for a moment with the second one before also killing him.

Sara watched as their bodies filled with lightning before they went limp. Her heart raced, and she moved quickly to stop the bleeding on one of the men, but Dean yanked her upwards and pulled her away. He hurried them across the street and back inside of her building.

"What the hell was that!"

"I was trying to stop him from bleeding."

"Why?! He's a demon. And now he's a dead demon!"

"I. I didn't know… I just reacted. It's kinda what I'm programmed to do."

"C'mon. Let's get upstairs."

Sara quickly ran the stairs, Dean kept up with her. Once inside she set the bread on the counter and went to her bedroom. Shutting the door behind her.

Sam turned to Dean with a confused expression.

"Dude. What the hell did you do?"

"Don't ask." Dean sighed opening another beer.

Sara grabbed her phone and dialed Anna over and over again, feeling fear creep up her spine as her calls continued to go unanswered. She pulled herself together and went back into the kitchen. Pulling out the lasagna and toasting the bread.

She sat picking at her plate as the boys ate as if they hadn't eaten in days. She waited till they finished to ask them what she knew would be a difficult question.

"I… I need to go somewhere tonight."

"Where?"

"I can't get ahold of Anna. She's not answering."

"Who is Anna?" Dean asked with a mouthful of food.

"The only real friend I have. Please… I just. I have this horrible feeling in my gut and I just have to know she's okay."

"How far is she?"

"Not far at all, just on the other side of the hospital."

"And what happens if we get there and she wants an explanation?"

"Then I'll lie."

"And if she's dead."

Her stomach rolled and her face cringed.

"If she's dead… then I'll leave with you. I'll go wherever you want me to."

Sam and Dean exchanged glances. They both knew that chances were the girl was dead, and it would be torture to expose Sara to her friend's unpleasant death. But they also knew that Sara was not going to take no for an answer.

When dinner was finished the boys and Sara climbed back into the impala and drove to the houses on the other side of the hospital. Once outside of Anna's home Sara bolted from the car and ran to the door.

"Sara wait!" Dean called out to her but she didn't. She pulled out her key that Anna had given her months ago and ripped open the door.

"Anna! Anna!"

Sara searched the familiar home frantically, her panic growing as she found no signs of Anna. Sam and Dean tried to clear the home and simultaneously protect Sara, but her quick movements didn't make this task easy.

"Anna!" Sara cried out once more as she reached the bedroom. It was empty, but in the master bath she could hear the tub running, and under the door a stream of water soaking into the bedroom carpet.

"Oh god…" She shuddered as she approached the door.

"Sara, don't do this." Sam called out from behind her, but she ignored him and pushed open the door. Her screams echoed throughout the house as she found Anna laying in the floor. Blood splattered form the ceilings to the tiles, the tub still running from where she was preparing a bath. Her screams turned into hollow sobs as she sank down into the floor. Her worst fear spread out before her.

"Sara, come on we gotta go." Sam called to her, but she couldn't move. Wouldn't move.

"Sara please." Sam pleaded, but she was paralyzed with grief. Dean came into the room and picked her up without warning, she fought to be released and go to her friend, but Dean's strength held her at bay as they fled the home. She clung to him and buried her face in his shoulder as he placed them both in the backseat.

"Sara. Look at me!" Dean called to her. "Hey, we gotta pull it together right now. We gotta get outta here."

"I can't leave her there!"

"It's too late for her, I'm sorry but we have to get you out of here."

Sam punched the gas against Sara's cries and the house grew smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. Once back to Sara's apartment the three didn't exit the vehicle. Sara had pushed herself off of Dean and was now facing away from him, her knees drawn to her chest as she rocked back and forth, looking out the window.

Sam tried to wait patiently, give her the chance to speak first, but he was realizing that it was him that needed to make the first move.

"Sara. I'm sorry about your friend. But we need to get your things, and we need to go."

This only caused more sobs to shake her body.

"If you can just tell me what you want I can go in and get it for you." Sam offered. She shook her head, took a trembling deep breath, and got out of the car. The boys followed her back into the apartment and waited patiently as she packed what she could into a duffle and suitcase. Dean carried her things to the car and Sam stood with her as she took a moment to gather herself.

Dean had made it back up to the apartment and Sara still stood in the same place, looking out her living room window, out onto the city, with the mountains shadowing behind it.

"I picked this place because of this view… I always thought the mountains were beautiful."

"Sara, we really need to go." Sam encouraged her softly.

"Yeah. I know." She said weakly.

She turned and picked up a stack of pictures she pulled out and set aside. Pictures of her friends, her coworkers. Pieces of her life that demons could use against her. She wanted to protect them all. She wished she had protected Anna. She dumped them in the metal waste basket, and lit a match. Dropping it into the basket and watching her life burn. Then she looked up to Sam and Dean. She knew that she would be stuck spending a lot of time with the two of them, that they would be in close quarters, and that would have to learn to be part of a pack instead of the lone wolf she had always loved being.

But what other choice did she have? So she sucked up her tears and rolled her shoulders, stepping away from the small fire.

"We can go now."