Preface:

Takes off from the very last chapter of Book 31: A Sacrifice From The Heart.

********

Dean takes Sonja by the arm after she had to give the guardians a glance first before her eyes went back to the middle brother; Eloise immediately steps in and removes his kid brother's hold on Sonja; he even stands in between them to keep Dean from grabbing her again.

"Squirt, take it easy alright?" Eloise tells him, "What do you got grabbing her like that for anyways? She is just trying to tell us something here, okay? She is not the enemy."

"I know that look on her, Ted." Dean explains his actions,"Every time she has that on or she gives that look to people---it's always got something to do with magic and trouble." he says petulantly. "Am I right or am I right? Deny it, lady?" he says to Sonja who grimaces at the brothers in response. "See that face--" he turns to Eloise, "---that's even worse!" he groans.

"What do you want to talk to us about, guys?" Eloise deadpans Dean this time and turns to the male guardians when Sonja tugs on Harry to take on the reigns. She finds a spot next to Kel and wraps an arm around the boy's. Dean is following her every move like he is her baby sitter; making her sign exasperatedly before shaking her head at Dean. Eloise noticed this and had to slap Dean on the chest with the back of his hand. "Would you cut it out and leave her alone!" he turns to the guardians again. "What is it?"

"Well, it's like this..." Harry starts, but then turns to his little brother first, "...do you want me or are you gonna want to tell them this? Being head guardian and all."

"No, it's okay. Go ahead." Trip says with a nod.

"It's like this, guys----the moment the deal took, we knew this was gonna happen. And we told you about it, did we not?" Harry says. "The baddies that you've all had the misfortune of facing up to before coming back again, remember?"

"Yeah, that part we do remember?" Dean says, "And you also told us---gave us your word that Hannah wasn't going to be one of them." he says, "She's still not coming back, right?"

"This has nothing to do with any of the entities that had anything to do with the supernatural, Dean." Trip says.

"Okay, what is it about then?" Dean says, "Get to the good part."

"Dean!" Eloise glares at the boy, he glares back at Eloise but obliges to the scolding. He mimics zipping the lip and inserting the invisible key to Kel's ear. The older boy wanted to smirk so bad at the 6 year old antics his 19 year old brother just did, but at the given situation, he decided to instead do the smirking JUST inside his head. He turns to Harry, "Go on. Which baddies are we expecting again soon?"

"Apart from Dr. Katherine, you mean?" Kel says quietly.

"Yeah, apart from her." Eloise says, meeting his kid brother's eyes before averting them back to Harry.

"Well, there's her and then there's----" Harry would have started detailing the list, only Eloise's phone ringing interrupted them. Eloise didn't even find the need to take the call in private anymore since he is practically amongst family already; after reading 'Ace' on the screen -- he immediately flips the phone open to take the call.

"Yeah?" Eloise began, "You back yet?"

"Ted, zhey're back." Ace says grimly.

"Who is?"

"Petershon." Ace says on the other end of the call. Eloise's eyes met Dean's after hearing Ace mention the name.

"We ran into them--"

"Wa-wait! Ran into them? Are you alright?" Eloise asks in concern all of a sudden. "You are, right? And Hugh? Hugh was with you--you're both alright, aren't you?"

"What's going on?" Dean asks. But Eloise sushes him while he was trying to get more from Ace.

"Ted, dude--we're alright." Ace says,"The thing is---the kid didn't recognize us man. Neither did Kyle and thoshe little bitches o' theirs. We practically zhust ran into them at the mini mart and it wash like---there was no shpark dude. Nothing. Nada! THAT and they are freakin' alive again, Ted. After Dean shupposedly plugged Adam and after we ended that bashtard Kyle." he says, "Are the guardians with you, man? I really need some anshwers, dude."

"Where are you?" Eloise asks. "And you sound drunk. Are you drunk?"

"We're at a bar so, most probably yeeeahh." Ace replies.

"You were getting us food, Nixon. What would you be doing at a bar?" Eloise says with scrunched up brows.

"Hey! I jusht ran into a kid who is shupposedly dead here Winchester! Actually it's not jusht one kid but---four five of them! It ish not something I come across with everyday you know?" Ace defended while waiting for his whiskey behind the bar with Hugh already downing his third;even clinking his glass to Ace's first before he downed it. "Sho why don't cut us shome shlack here, dude? I think we are entitled to down a shot or... five. Right?" he added.

"Stay there. I'm picking you up." Eloise says, "You're not driving, you hear?"

"Nonono, it's alright man. Joe ish coming over. My brother's name is Joe, right?" Ace says and then he smirks, "Anyways, he's gonna be driving us back to your place, man." Ace slurs.

"Damn it, Ace!" Eloise says agitatedly, "No, I AM picking you up myself. Call Joe off." he says, "That's an order, you hear?"

"Aye aye, Winchester!" Ace says before he cut the call on Eloise.

"What was that all about?" Dean asks. "And your guys are at a bar?"

"Guess what happened before they routed to the bar to get drunk?" Eloise asks his brother Dean.

"I'll be going on a limb here by guessing this---" Dean starts, "---run into baddies?"

Eloise snaps his fingers at the response.

"Of course! And at the same day the Dorians did too!" Dean scoffs before they both turn to the guardians. "Who else? My ex-girlfriend from hell, Maureen Smithers? Is she coming back from the dead too?"

"Well actually--" Harry began but was cut in when Dean snorts and walks out on them and out of the room altogether. Kel immediately followed him with SOnja; leaving the guardians and Eloise in there. "---aren't you gonna walk out too?" he asks the boy.

"I'm a grown-up, actually." Eloise replies, "Ignore him." he says of Dean's 'walking-out' on them.

"Ted, these people that have somehow gotten a new lease on life too like you guys did--WE all did, after the deal took, they haven't done any of the things they were gonna be killed for yet." Harry says, "Well except for Dr. Katherine and Nick Peterson."

"Nick---" Eloise swipes his face nervously and agitatedly to that. "---sure. His boy's back so obviously he is too. What I wouldn't do to that son of a bitch for what he did to my brother." he says while turning his face away.

"Ted, his boy...Adam..." Trip says; Eloise looks at him. "...he hasn't done anything yet here. He doesn't even have any idea that his old man's cheating on his mom. And Kyle, and those buddies of their's...they're just rowdy teenagers man. Not those kids who resorted to violence when they joined up in standing up for their friend Peterson. It will not be right if we get them involved again this time---especially when they don't know you." he goes on.

"Ace said they weren't recognized by those kids." Eloise says.

"Even if you or Dean ran into them yourselves in broad daylight---they aren't gonna recognize you either, Ted." Harry says. "We've sort of wiped their memories clean of anything related to you Winchesters. The very same thing we did to Todd's little sister and Allison Teranno---only it's only the knowledge about everything involving all the violence and not about you Winchesters altogether."

"And Maureen Smithers?" Eloise asks grimly and with a lump in his throat. "What of her?"

"Actually, since she has died long before we have knowledge of her and when she was present in your lives back then--of her we have no idea about." Harry says. "We don't have her under our radar either, so you guys should be safe from her. I think."

"That is just wonderful." Eloise scowls, "And I thought you guys know everything?"

"We are not at our best right now, you know? We're half and half." Harry defended which got him a tug on the back by Trip for.

"Sorry." Eloise says after a second.

"I'm sorry too, man." Harry says apologetically.

"Forget about it." Eloise says. "So what do you say we go back to the house and discuss more on this there?" He gets a nod from both guardians. "Afterwards I'm gonna have to round up my boys from that bar."

"We can do that for you, man." Trip offers. "I mean, I can do that for you. Like right now."

"Owkhay." Eloise says, "I'd appreciate that, man."

Just as Trip was about to port out of there, he gets a grab on the collar courtesy of Harry.

"Don't think for one second you are going anywhere without either one of your big brothers again, your lordship." Harry says, using a mocking tone on the title he gave to his baby brother. Eloise could just smirk to this while he was headed for the door.

"Harry, I'm not planning on dying again, you know? Or pretend..." Trip reasons. Harry only ignores him.

"I'll wait for you guys outside." he says to the guardians who both nod at him before they started to argue incoherently amongst themselves. When Eloise got outside the door, at the porch, he saw Kel and Sonja standing there. The eldest brother swivels his head around before he turns to them, "Where's Dean?"

"He went off to see Micheal Dorian." Kel says, "He called again." he says in reference to Micheal.

"We need to get that kid a leash." Eloise says to Sonja of his kid brother Dean. "One he can't chew out of."

"I know of such leash." Sonja says. "Sam. We can have the kid call him or something? That would get him to drive back home." she added, "Do I ask Sam to do that?"

"No, no...it's alright. I think that Dorian boy needs him there." Eloise replies.

"Ted, we are gonna do something about her, aren't we?" Kel says quietly referring to Dr. Katherine.

Eloise doesn't say anything, but he does manage to cradle his kid brother's nape in his hand.

------------------

Ace just got up from his bar stool.

"I'll zhust hit the john, dude." he slurs to Hugh, "Shhave my sheat."

"Shure---I'll shave your sheat, man. NO Problem." Hugh says to mock, "Shave his sheat. Idiot." he laughs to himself.

As the Nixon boy was on his way to the restroom he suddenly had to halt halfway since standing in his way, was Trip--with Harry behind him. The backer boy's eyes went from Trip to Hugh over his shoulders, still sitting on his stool--also looking at Trip. And then both backer boys eyes met each other's before they both fell into heaps on the carpeted bar floor.

"Look what you did." Harry says to tease his brother while looking around to make sure nobody was watching them.

"I already said I was sorry I had to keep it a secret, okay?" Trip says while crouching next to Ace's body. Harry goes over to Hugh's.

"I wonder how Chuck and Ike are gonna take seeing your ugly face again after you've resurrected." Harry says.

"Hey, they can't beat me up! I'm head-guardian!"Trip says confidently, "Guardians first, brothers second."

"Yeah, whatever, Trispy boy!" Hugh says dismissively.

And then they both ported out of there with the backer boys; when the bartender came up from picking something up from the floor, her customers weren't there anymore; her eyes only caught a lonely fifty on the bar counter courtesy of Harry, which she immediately slips into her top and then she goes about to clearing the counter of Ace and Hugh's spent drinks.

------------------

Dean was a few corners from the hospital when he remembered to call Sam; his call was picked up almost immediately. It made him snicker at how Sam immediately started talking upon pick up and has not stopped for air until after 2 minutes.

"You on your way home now, Dean?" Sam asks.

"Not yet, Sam. But in a few I will be, alright?" Dean says, "Ted and the rest though are gonna be there sooner than I am gonna---"

"You're by yourself? Where's Harry?" Sam asks with a scrunched up brow; "Dean, he's supposed to watch your backs." he groans, "Somebody has to be your wing man, Deanie. Wait---I'll get you a wing man."

"Wing man." he says, "Sam, what are you----" Dean began to question, only he doesn't even get to finish it since pop riding shotgun Sam came.

"1st Lt. Sammy Winchester reporting as your wing man, Captain Deanie!" Sam announces happily, even mocking a salute to which Dean would have started scolding the kid for--for just popping up there; but after seeing the sparkle in the kid's eyes and the smile--it just made all the need to scold him go out the window for Dean.

"Did you at least tell somebody that you were leaving the house?" Dean asks Sam, ruffling the kid's hair affectionately. "By the way, I'm glad to see you, baby!"

"You too, Dean!" Sam says, "And yeah, Jake was there when you called. "He knows I left." he added. "So Dean, why'd you take off on your own? Anything going on?" after he sees the hospital ahead--he started to breath fast. "Are you feeling alright? Dean are you? Are you here to see Luie?"

"Sam, I'm fine kiddo. I am. " Dean says reassuringly; giving the kid a light pat on the knee, "Relax."

"Dea---"

"Are you relaxed?"

"Yeah...yeah. I am."

"Are you lying?" Dean asks while placing his hand onto the kid's chest, next to Sam's heart.

"No."

"Feels like a racehorse is trying to give birth in there, baby." he says in reference to Sam's heart beat.

"Just give me a minute, Dean. I'm trying to...calm down." Sam says."But are you okay though? Really?" he asks in concern, even feeling Dean's forehead. "You don't have a temperature or anything."

"I'm here to see Mikey, baby." Dean replies, "I'm good. REALLY." he says, he checks on Sam's heart beat again.

"And?" Sam was sport enough to ask.

"The racehorse has delivered." Dean says which made Sam laugh.

"Anyways, Dorian, Dean?" Sam asks. "Mikey Dorian?"

"Mmhm."

"You know each other?"

"Going to. In a minute." Dean replies. "So is my wing man ready?"

"Dean, if you don't mind my asking---what's going on?" Sam asks, "It's so out of the blues you wanting to meet Mikey like this. Is something happening? You don't--don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's fine." he added.

"Baby, well both find out what's going on when we meet the guy, okay?" Dean says.

"Really?" Sam asks.

"Of course." Dean replies.

When the brothers came in the glass door to the cafeteria, Micheal immediately took them both aside; out of Greg's and Luie's line of sight.

"Where is she?" Dean asks.

"Back at the hospital. Doing rounds." Micheals says. "Look man, this is a chance I was waiting for since after I almost lost my little brother to that bitch..." he says, "...by the way, Micheal Dorian. Friends call me Mikey." he says randomly while offering his hand to Dean which the Winchester boy took.

"Dean." Dean says, "Friends calls me god."

They both smirk to that. Sam could just roll his eyes while chuckling on the side.

"Dean. Call me Dean." Dean says.

"Great to have finally met the guy my brother has been telling me so much about. Next to Britney Spears of course!" Micheal says while shaking Dean's hand.

"All good things, I believe?" Dean asks. "Or Gwegowy is dead."

"Of course!" Mike says, "ALL good things, man!"

"And Britney Spears?" Dean had to ask with a grimace, "Him too?"

"What's with the 'too'? Big Britney fan?" Mike asks of Dean to which the Winchester boy immediate spat vehemently to.

"Oh god no!" he says. Sam busts out chuckling again. Several minutes later into the serious conversation, with Sam listening intently beside his big brother,

"So what are we gonna do about this, man?" the Dorian boy asks.

"We're not gonna be rash about this. But whatever it is we need to go, WE are gonna do it together, man." Dean replies.

Micheal Dorian gives him a nod. "Together, dude. Nobody gets away after almost taking away the only brother I got, man."