"Mystical Inez's Tarot Readings," Viv read off the sign above the entrance of the tent. "This is the place!"

"I'll wait outside,” Dean nodded, grimacing slightly as Viv began to adamantly shake her head, "What? No! I've got enough dough left over for two readings, I want to know both our futures."

Dean sighed resignedly and let himself be pulled into the tent, coughing slightly at the blanket of aromas that hit him.

"I've been burning incense," came a smooth voice. "I can put them out if it affects you?"

"We're fine, thank you," Viv smiled at the now visible woman who had stepped out from behind a Chinese screen. She had dark skin and hair, and large honeyed brown eyes.

"I am Inez Bhenki, what may I do for you?"

"We were hoping to find out our fortunes," Viv laughed, gesturing to herself and Dean whilst stepping forwards.

"Is that why you haven't stopped running?" The woman asked with a slight French accent.

Viv looked impressed while Dean snorted. It wasn't exactly hard to guess that they were migrant workers.

Inez's eyes caught with his for a moment, flashing in something other than anger, interest perhaps?

"Please sit," she instructed, gesturing to a couple of wooden chairs beside a small round table.

"Would you hold these for me my dear?" she passed a stack of, what Dean guessed were tarot cards, to Viv's eager hands. A moment later, Inez took them back, explaining something about instilled energy, before she began laying them on the table in an intricate design that looked like a cross with a line next to it.

One by one the cards were revealed until three were left.

"These cards represent your past, present and future," Inez announced flipping over the first card to reveal a large red heart, speared with three swords.

"I sense sorrow and separation in your past."

Viv gave a muted gasp beside Dean and he found himself reaching out instinctively to hold her hand.

The next card depicted what looked like to Dean, a load of sticks.

"There are problems and upheaval in your present," Inez breathed slowly, her eyes tracing over the lines of the card before clicking her tongue and moving onto the next one.

The final card showed a detailed illustration drawing of a man on some kind of elevated seat with strange sphinx-like animals either side.

"The Chariot," Inez concluded with a smile. "I see travel in your future, also the strength to overcome the challenges you may face."

"Is that good?" Viv asked in a rushed whisper.

Inez chuckled and swept up the cards, "The deck is never clearly good or bad, it is merely a pattern of signs pointing towards the truths of time."

Dean clenched down on the urge to roll his eyes, it was a wise choice as a moment later Inez was staring hard at him.

"Are you going to read my brother's cards?" Viv asked, hesitating slightly.

"You don't believe in the cards do you?" Inez looked at Dean questioningly, before fanning the deck out in her hands. "Pick one," she instructed, her eyes not leaving Dean's.

Dean sighed and plucked one of the cards at random, turning it over to see...

"This...this is an admission ticket to the circus?" Dean murmured.

Inez smiled satisfied at Dean and Viv's astonished faces.

"You'll be needing it more than a fortune reading," she explained before standing up and wrapping her shawls tightly around her, "Now if you'll excuse me."

Dean and Viv exited the tent in silence but Dean could feel his sister staring at him.

"What?" he demanded, looking back at her as they walked along and inadvertently colliding with a solid wall of muscle.

Dean stepped back in surprise as Viv groaned. He found himself staring into the frowning faces of the circus' two twins.

"I don't remember you," one of the twins who was wearing a flat cap stated menacingly, jabbing an accusing finger at Dean and Viv.

"And we remember everyone who comes through those gates," the other added, a worryingly sinister smile creeping over his features.

"You must have just forgotten us," Dean muttered, grabbing Viv's hand and moving to slide past the twins.

"Don't think so," The first twin said, clamping his hand down on Dean's shoulder, "We never forget a face."

"Especially not one like that," the other grinned, pointing to Viv, who pouted.

"C'mon boys," Viv drawled. "What's eating you? This how you treat all your paying customers?"

"Paying huh? We'll see about that," the first twin growled, moving his grip down Dean's arm and dragging him across the grass. Dean could have easily attempted to break free but the other twin had grabbed hold of Viv and both of them looked like they meant business.

Viv gave him a quick shake of her head, they would try to get out of this another way. Only a sap would pick a fight with circus folk.

They were led through a labyrinth of canvas sheeting and pegged guy ropes round the backs of the marquees until they reached a smaller, silver tent with an intricate design painted on the door.

"Sneaks here to see Salvatore," one of the twins announced to a butch looking man stood at the entrance to the tent. He gave Dean and Viv a nasty smile before gesturing for them to go on ahead.

"Pull a stunt like that again and I'll crack my whip a little bit harder next time," came a snarling voice from behind a set of embroidered screens as they entered the tent.

"I didn't mean to slip!" came an angry voice that sounded like it belonged to a young man, "Maybe if you actually let someone do some maintenance on those platforms it would help!"

"Okay," there was a deep breath as the first man sighed, Dean recognized the voice as belonging to the ringmaster, Salvatore. "I understand, you slipped - of course! How foolish of me. Of course, you'll understand when my hand slips next time I'm holding the whip during Lola's performance."

"You could have killed her!" The other voice was louder now, cracking slightly with emotion. "I made a mistake, punish me! Don't take it out on Lola."

"Oh I intend to punish you as well," The man growled, low and threateningly. Dean felt the hairs on the back of his nape stand up.

"Next time you writhe that tight little body of yours into a wooden chest - perhaps I'll misplace the key for a while hmm?"

"Sounds swell," the younger voice replied drily. "Maybe then you can explain to the audience why I'm too cramped up to do the trapeze routine?"

"Juan can do it solo I suppose," the ringmaster mused. "But of course, there would be no one there to catch him."

There was a slight shuffle from behind the screens. "Stop threatening my friends," came the younger voice, low and deliberate.

"I think you need a new lesson in manners," the ringmaster hissed.

"Boss?" one of the twins suddenly called out, interrupting the argument. "Brought you something."

The screens pulled back to reveal the ringmaster, his top hat and red jacket hooked over a chair, his white shirt creased and loose.

Dean's eyes immediately fell on the person he had been speaking to - it was the brown haired acrobat - Billie.

Billie was still wearing his green leotard but the makeup down his face was smudged and partially smeared across his lips which parted in surprise upon noticing Dean.

"You are dismissed Billie," Salvatore waved absently at the boy, receiving a vicious glare as Billie stalked past and out of the tent.

"So what have we here? Sneaks?" the ringmaster enquired with a bemused look on his face as he sat down in a large armchair, two mangy looking mongrel dogs by his feet.

"We're no sneaks," Dean growled, fishing in his pocket for the ticket Inez had given him. "See?" Dean waved the slip in the twins' faces. "Told you you'd just forgotten us."

The cap-wearing twin frowned and snatched the ticket off of him, walking over and handing it to Salvatore. The ringmaster studied the slip before looking up and raising his eyebrows,

"But unless you are even more practised at illusions than my performers - there appears to be two of you? And yet..." he flicked the rectangle of card at them, "Only one ticket."

Dean swallowed as Viv stepped forwards, "We lost the other one you see," she explained, "I think I must have dropped it when I fainted."

"You fainted?" Salvatore enquired with a smirk.

"Oh yes sir, you see I am of a fragile disposition and the feats those acrobats were attempting earlier - so dangerous, so daring..."

Dean bit his lip so as not to grin, Viv was simply parroting the ringmaster's opening speech back at him. He had a nasty feeling it wasn't going to work though as Salvatore narrowed his eyes in recognition before standing up and walking towards them.

Dean couldn't help but feel like prey being stalked by some large carnivorous predator.

"Are you runaways?" Salvatore asked, calculatingly.

Viv shrugged, "We travel here and there, picking up odd jobs."

"How odd?" Salvatore enquired, with twinkle in his eye.

"Anything that pays," Viv replied, unabashed.

"Really..." Salvatore mused, stroking his chin, "Do you have any special talents? Other than sneaking into circuses that is and perhaps...pick pocketing?"

"We didn't steal that ticket," Dean snapped furiously.

Salvatore turned his assessing gaze on him, "You look like a strong lad - you're used to manual labour?"

"He's super strong!" Viv chimed in enthusiastically. "And he never complains - whatever work you through at him - he'll work dawn till dusk!"

Salvatore threw his head back and laughed, "My my, your squeeze really thinks the bees knees of you boy."

"She's my sister," Dean grumbled.

"Ah, I see, yes I suppose I should have guessed - you do look awfully similar," Salvatore made a clicking sound with his tongue. "Well I should really demand some sort of recompense for the free shows you've enjoyed tonight - normally I'd suggest you spend some quality time with my employees Willard, Arnold and Jack here..." He paused as Dean tensed, the men stood behind them started cracking their knuckles menacingly, obviously fully on board with the idea.

"But seeing as there's a lady involved," Salvatore drawled. "How about this - I'm in need of some extra hands around the circus. We travel to Nampa the day after tomorrow - how's about you come with us and we'll see how you do?"

Dean frowned at Viv's excited gasp.