Sam entered the motel room with a sigh and tossed his computer case onto the bed all the while tugging at his tie as though it were a hangman's noose. "This is getting us no where." He grumbled. "Short of walking up to him and saying 'Christo' with a big come kill me grin on my face I have no way of proving this guy is possessed."

"Aww...bad day at work sweetie?" Dean said as he tossed a pretzel at Sam. "No better on my front. The guys at the bars just love the guy. He's the best thing that every happened to Lawrence, you'd think he'd invented beer or something."

"I know. For a bad guy he's involved in a lot of good works." Sam said getting a beer to go with the pretzel. "He's too good to be true. One of those people destined to be assassinated and martyred"
"I thought that was me. Oh sorry. Executed and martyred. I always screw those two up." Dean said. "Dude, Hitler stabilized Germany's economy during the Depression. Doesn't make him a good guy." He pointed out. He'd gotten that little tid bit off the History Channel when Sam thought he was fast asleep.

"I didn't say he was necessarily good. Seriously too good. But it makes it harder to find the dirt necessary. " He tossed back a long drink of beer. "But they say the anti-christ starts out as a hero."

"Sure, we'll go with that." Dean said. "Course, we should also take out Captain America while we're at it." He shook his head. "Playing intern was your idea. I say we break into his house."

"Easier said than done. I'll see what I can do to make that easier. Trust me, presidential candidates do not go unprotected"
"True. So you get me his schedule, and you knock him off it. I can get into the house." Dean said. He had no doubt on that. Sometimes getting out was harder, but getting in, no problem.

"We go in." Sam said. "We can't afford to go in someplace alone like that. If you get caught..." He shook his head. "No."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Fine. But you worry too much." Dean said. "We'll go in, see if we can find some sort of blood altar or something. Maybe child porn. We could bring down the campaign with that at least. Buy time."

"Maybe." Sam said with a nod. "One of us has to" He said with a smile he didn't feel. If Dean weren't involved in this mess, he would go about things differently, but he didn't trust Quillon to live up to his end of things.

"Look, maybe we can use the FBI guys to our advantage. Tell 'em we can't get close enough to see what's on the up and up with all that security around them." Dean suggested. He wasn't fond of the idea, but he also wasn't fond of his neck on the chopping block. Which was how it felt, waiting for the ax to drop at any moment. He wanted this job over, one way or another.

"It's an idea. Wish I could say the worst they could do is say no." Sam said and sighed. "But it's the best chance we've got. If nothing else maybe they can provide a cover job for you or something"
"We'll see." He said as he took Sam's phone. And dialed the contact number to Quillon. "Hey, we on a secure line or whatever?"

"Secure enough. You two gotten enough information to satisfy your consciences yet?"

"Not even close." Dean said. "The guy seems like a stand up guy so far. Course, we can't get close to anything other than sound bites for his campaign. You want us to do this without you? It'll take a while to crack the Secret Service they've got around him. And his own security. Not to mention whatever demonic security he has. By then he could be president."

"I wouldn't advise that." He said. "Wait too long and I'll have to inform the senator that he has an escaped mental patient in his employ." Quillon was amused and it crept into his tone. "What are you asking for? Me to open the door for you? I thought you were on the most wanted list for a reason, Winchester."

"I thought it was my stunning good looks." Dean said. "Exactly. I'm on the federal most wanted list. And he's surrounded by federal security. How do you expect me to get around that? You think you feds don't have my face memorized, along with all my other teammates on the Most wanted team?"

"That's not my problem. I would suggest you not be seen." He was told. "Unless you think your brother isn't up to the job."

Fed up, Dean simply hung up on Quillon. "That guy's an asshole." Dean said with a scowl. "Okay,, we're back to square one. Yea us." He scrubbed his face with his hands for a moment. "Any traces of sulfur around him at all"
"No, but I was thinking about something. This guy is government, and possessed... what are the chances he doesn't recognize the name Winchester?" Sam asked. "Maybe I should just... start playing the part"
"Which part? The part of a Winchester or the part of one of the special children? Because if it's the latter...gotta say...bad idea." Dean said. "I mean, hello? Either way the Winchester sent the yellow eyed demon and his freaky green eyed boyfriend back to hell. Either the Winchester normal guy or the special Winchester kid. Either way, you kinda lose."

"He knows my name, couldn't get in without using my real name. It's probably sitting there, waiting on me to make a move, and if we don't make a move soon, you wind up in a federal prison and they have me again anyway. Maybe it's time to choose my battles."

"And you haven't been so far?" Dean asked. Though he knew they hadn't. They'd let the battles choose them, fighting whatever they came across. "Okay, you play the big bad special Winchester, and I get to be the criminal Winchester. Keep him away from his house, I'll take out whoever's there"
Sam scowled. "And if they aren't demonic henchmen, or even evil dupes, that could be a problem." He told his brother. "No... you get inside and get hidden somewhere and wait until I need you... cause one way or another I will need you. He will either think that I am a nut job or show his demon side and try and recruit, control or kill me"
"Oh yeah. Sounds like a good time to be had by all." Dean said, shaking his head. "Fine. I'll go armed for bear, and see what we turn up. Liked my plan better though." Gave him something to other than...waiting.

"I know, but I can't help feeling that Quillon has his own agenda. There is something lurking under the surface with him and I don't know what it is. It's part of the reason I don't want to just go in spewing Latin now and asking questions later. I don't know. It's the whole pawn thing I suppose. Makes me paranoid."

"I'm not enjoying it either." Dean pointed out. "Dude, we mess up, I get to go to prison and you get to go to a nice padded room. But if we're wrong...wow...I can't even think about that. Think we can just go to ground and forget about this?"

"We gotta get the others to ground first. Get a message to them somehow. Once they are safe we can... do what we have to do." Sam couldn't risk the others like him any more than he could risk his brother. They were counting on him to lead them... to something... right now he figured that something was safety.

"And somehow find that sword you keep dreaming about. You sure you're not just reenacting a scene from some girlie movie you saw? Or maybe you went macho and are dreaming of Braveheart." Dean said with a chuckle.

"Don't remember too many faceless angels in that one...beside... didn't care for the ending." Not exactly how he wanted to go. It was theatrically spectacular, and almost historically accurate. Still not what he wanted his destiny to be. Especially since it would mean that Dean had died first in order for anything like that to actually happen.

Dean laughed. "Dude, I've had a couple of dreams with some faceless women...and let me tell you, they were NO angels. Though I really did like the ending of those dreams..." He said with a grin. "Relax, we'll do one thing at a time. Can't do too many, else we're liable to make a mistake and get caught."

Sam nodded. "Yeah... I'll see what I can do about letting him know I know and don't care." Sam said with a laugh. "Without jumping up and down and begging for death. after that... we'll just have to see how it goes. Right now... I want pizza."

Dean laughed. "You're in luck. I ordered some. Should be here in a few. Picked up beer while you were working hard, or hardly working, whichever." Dean said as he closed the book he was researching.

"It's work. Not physically taxing but it's work. It's okay. Makes me glad I changed my mind about the whole politics thing." There had been a teacher at Stanford who had been pushing Sam that direction, hard.
"Dude, you never would have made it in politics." Dean said, shaking his head. "The dirty linen in the closet, namely me and Dad, well some reporter would have discovered us and there goes your career." He pointed out. "Beside, you're too good for politics. Can't lie to save your ass." Maybe Dean's but not his own.

"That's the thing though... I can... if it's for something I believe in. Carter and Clinton survived their whacked out siblings... usually it's not so much lying as being confident about the wrong things, or too blind to see what's going on around you in higher level politics. Grass roots level... things are a lot simpler, cleaner cut boundaries."

"I can see it now, Sammy." Dean said as he got up to pay for the pizza, laying it on one of the small tables and opening the box, giving the steaming pizza an appreciative whiff first. "Samuel Winchester, town board president. There's a difference between being a politician and being a leader. Politicians try to please everyone while doing nothing. Leaders, they, well, lead."

"The ones that do both... those are the ones you have to watch out for." There had been precious few of those in the world. And Sam suspected that they were only worshiped in retrospect, probably hated while in office.

"Yeah, especially if they might be demons." Dean said, eating the gooey cheese off his pizza first. "Then that's a bad bad thing"
"A very bad thing... and McKendrick seems to be keeping everyone happy while he is doing his thing and getting things done. To be honest I think at the very least he is dirty... probably is possessed but I don't want to risk it. " He took a piece of pizza. "So I will start getting a little more obvious tomorrow and get this dog and pony show on the road."

"I'm gonna see what I can find out about Quillon while I'm at it. The guy just rankles my nerves." Dean said. "He said we knew him, or met him at least. Might be something in the journal or one of Dad's friends knows something..."

"The name sounds familiar but he is just a couple of years older than you. I don't know... I guess we can ask Bobby or Uncle Josh." He said. The last time he had spoken to Joshua York had been to tell him how the faith healer he had turned them on to had worked out. York was the only man that John Winchester had ever willingly given his respect to. Had to admire a man like that.

"I'll ring him up while you're playing good little intern." Dean said with a chuckle. "It'll keep me out of trouble. Or at least major trouble. But if we could take the both of them down, I'd be all smiles for, like, a week."

"Yeah I know...was thinking about that myself. Get Quillon out of the picture and then exorcise the Senator." Sam said with a grin.

"Great minds think alike. I just thought of it first because, well, my brain isn't being suffocated by fluffy hair." Dean said with a smirk.

"Dude, get over the hair." Sam said as he opened his second beer. "You're just jealous cause you never got away with growing yours long."

"After I turned fourteen, I didn't WANT it long. There is a difference." Dean said. Though it was true, Dean towed the line their father drew a lot more than Sam ever had. Then again, that was pretty much the only line that Dean towed, while Sam tended to toe every line BUT that one.

"That's because you had a girly face at 14." Sam pointed out. "Me... I have too many angles for short hair. Makes me look like a 12 year old hawk."

"Now, now." Dean said. "Don't hate me because I just happen to be beautiful." He said with a chuckle. "Fine. But if some old lady tries to braid it, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Dude, it's not that long." He said with a laugh. "And isn't beautiful one of those ... girl things? Dude, did you just admit you're girly?"

"Nope." Dean said with a smirk. "Quoting classic pop culture. You should watch more TV and less porn."

"Dean, I watched it once and you are fixated on it... get over it, or I'll cut off your quarter supplier."

"Once that I know of." Dean pointed out. "And you really don't want to give me free time. You know, to do laundry. Buy shampoo. Things like that."

"I sniff the shampoo and conditioner now. And I look at my clothes before I put them on. I still haven't forgiven you for either of those." Sam said. He had, but he hadn't forgotten or let down his guard. You never knew when Dean would get bored again.

"Dude, you're paranoid." Dean said with a smirk as he ate his pizza. "I'll call Andy from my phone," the unbugged one, "and see where they all stand." The one he had thrown a major tantrum over to Quillon, stating that while they were making sure it wasn't a bomb, they'd fried it. He'd accepted a replacement (and bugged one) in return that he ordered pizza on and pranked their guards.

"It's not paranoia if someone really does put Nair in your shampoo and itching powder in your underwear." Sam pointed out.

"Sam, I did it once, and you are fixated on it. Get over it." Dean said, saying Sam's previous words right back to him. "All right, fine. No Nair and no itching powder. I promise."

Sam laughed. "Yeah... right." He said. "I'm gonna get a shower and hit the sack. Busy day taunting demons who want to rule the free world tomorrow."

"Ambition is a great thing." Dean said as he finished his pizza while Sam showered.

Dean woke up the next morning and went for coffee. Sam ran a little late, so he had time to change, grab the coffee and leave for his job. Dean sat on the bed and called Joshua York.

"Joshua? It's Dean." He said. He hadn't spoken to Joshua since Nebraska. Not because of any animosity or falling out, but because Joshua and Dean weren't big talkers. They talked when they needed to.

"Dean... I heard about your father... both times I suppose. " The sympathy was in his tone, but there was no need to say the words. They were just words and Dean would know what he meant anyway.

"Yeah, that pretty much sucked. Both times." Dean said. "We're in Kansas, actually. Wow, I swore once I'd never come back here, now I'm here at least once every few months. Funny how the word turns. Anyway, there's this fed from homeland security that has me pretty much over a barrel. His name is Thomas Quillon, he says he met us as kids. Ring a bell?"

"Thomas Quillon...Must be Junior, cause the Thomas Quillon I know passed away not too long ago. A serious case of old age. He was our Colonel when your Dad and I were in the service." He hmmed. "You know, I think he did have a son. You remember when you were young and that shifter took Sam? Right after that we headed back toward your minister friend's place and took care of a poltergeist in the next town over. We took you boys with us when we were in the research stage. Tommy was about 14 at the time, I think"
"Yeah I do remember him." Dean said, though he tried hard to never think about that time in his life. "Well, he's got us blackmailed but good now. Seems there's a problem he can't handle, so he called us up. And threatened me with federal prison and Sam with the looney bin."

"I saw your face on a few posters, the prison thing I get. Low , but it's a Quillon thing to do. But a looney bin? What the hell does he have over Sam? And how much trouble are you in, son"
How much to tell Joshua without getting Sam and the others like him put on a hunt list? "Well, they did get footage of us destroying New Orleans. Never looks good." Dean said. "And I kinda sorta broke into a government facility to kinda break Sam out after he got himself caught...blew it to kingdom come too. Bobby was in on that one."

"Caught... as in arrested? Or caught as in kidnapped?" This was tricky. He knew the government had their covert think tanks. He just couldn't understand what they would want with Sam Winchester.
Dean sighed. He needed help. And Joshua was a man who demanded answers. And not half ass answers either. "Um...Joshua...how much have you heard about children who are special? Have you heard of a nutcase named Gordon Walker?"

"Nutcase is a kind word." He had met Walker, and damned near handed him his ass, but he was good at what he did, so he had let him walk away. York didn't put up with much from the hunters he worked with. Usually he was in charge, and you towed the line like a good marine no matter who you were or thought you were.

"Yeah, well, I'm in a kind mood." Dean said and finished his coffee. Then he spilled the whole story of New Orleans. And his father's last words the first time he had died. The kidnapping and experimentation (torture) by the government. "And if you dare get anyone to hunt my brother, I swear to God I will kill anyone that crosses the threshold."

"Why in hell would I have Sam hunted? That boy's less likely to turn evil than I am." Josh said. "How's he holding up?" Josh had been through Vietnam. He had seen the effects torture had on a man, even the strongest of men, it scarred them for life.

"He doesn't remember most of it. They kept him pretty well drugged." Dean said. "Nothing in his nightmares that I can tell. Except a really weird sword thing. But he's a really weird kid. So that's what Quillon has on us. He's got us checking out a presidential candidate here, to exorcise him, because Quillon says he's possessed. Like I said, over a barrel."

"Is the guy possessed?" Josh asked, first things first, after all. "If he is finish the job and go to ground. If not get the hell out of there. If Quillon is anything like his old man he's a lying snake waiting to bite you in the back"
"We don't know." Dean said. "Sam's going to throw all the cards on the table today apparently. It's not just us we have to worry about anymore, Sam's got a whole mini society he's leading, of the other kids like him. How did this get so hard and complicated all of a sudden? I just want to hunt and destroy evil. Drink and get laid. Is that too much to ask?"

Joshua laughed. "If that was what you wanted out of life, you should have been a Marine. But even then life is never that simple." He was having a hard time processing all of this. "I'm gonna head that way. You boys get things resolved before I get there, let me know."

"Will do." Dean said as he hung up the phone. Took a shower. Then packed some weapons on himself and headed to the good senator's house, getting himself (after some subterfuge and distraction), hidden in one of the closets.

Sam entered the man's home office, several files in hand, closing the door behind him. Dean was hidden safely away, and it was show time. "I have those files you wanted." He said and set them down on the desk. Now or never Sam, just do it. As the Senator looked up at him he took a breath. "Christo"
Senator McKendrick flinched, his eyes turning inky black for just a moment before he recovered and took the files, clearing his throat. "Thank you." He said, opening one of the files. "So," he said conversationally. "Now you know."

"Yeah... I know. You've got others sniffing around too." He said as he pulled up a chair. "Johnson is sending over a file on the Hardwick commission. We may have a little trouble with them following through on their contribution promises"
"Others should know to leave well enough alone." Allen said. "I'm not worried about Hardwick. They'll come around, they always do. So, is this where you try to exorcise me?" He asked, almost amused.

"No." Sam said with a faint laugh and sighed. "This is where I ask for your help... or perhaps to find a way for us to help each other. It's not Hardwick who is a problem. It's a man named Quillon from homeland security. "
Allen put his papers down and sat back in the chair, looking at his young intern. "Homeland Security doesn't know what to do with me. I expect that's why you're here. Is your brother hiding somewhere in the house as well?"

"Yeah... making sure I don't get hurt." Sam said. If the demon suspected, then he would find Dean easily enough. Better to play it off casually, than have it blow up in their faces. "He doesn't trust me in here alone. He's a bit over protective after what I went through not too long ago. We didn't want to act until we knew for certain what was actually going on. Now I don't know that I want to act at all. Had about all I want to take from the government and their plans for me. "
"Everyone's got plans for you, Sam." Allen said. "It's hard to accept, I know, all these people coming in and trying to position you in certain ways, but everyone is. Including your brother I would suspect. But wow, you and your brother have certainly made things hard for everyone involved, haven't you? So what does Quillon have on you that has you all fed up?"

"The government abducted me a few months back and put me in a... lab... that was masquerading as a mental hospital. Dean came to rescue me... so they have charges of domestic terrorism against him and threats of locking me up in a mental hospital. Then there is a matter of the tracking device he has implanted next to my brain stem. " Sam was angry just thinking about it all. Remembering what Dean thought that he didn't. Not all of it, not the memories of his future self, but he clearly remembered everything else.
"That sounds like a government thing to do." Allen said. "There were other children taken also if I recall." He shrugged. "I'm from a different generation." Obviously, he was nearing forty. "They don't even know to look for me. These normal people, fighting what they don't understand."

"There were... most of them were lost in the explosion." A lie. but he wasn't going to admit to anything in front of a demon. "I guess it would make sense that there were generations before mine, since I know there are infants being chosen still. So... where does this leave us?" Sam asked bluntly. "I don't want to sign up to be your pawn either, but this situation... Rock and hard place doesn't even begin to cover it"
"I don't need a pawn. I have a whole staff of pawns." Allen said. "Protege would be nice. Groom you for what you were meant for anyway. Do you really think it was a coincidence that you chose law? Political science would have been good also, but law is a close second."

"I dropped Poli-sci." Sam said eying the demon. This was a slippery slope at best. "Okay... then we have Quillon to deal with, my brother to clear and a gps chip to get out of my neck with out turning me into a vegetable... But first... before this goes any further... what exactly is it I was meant for... in the eyes of the demonic community. Why me?"

"I don't know why you any more than I know why me." Allen said comfortably. "It just is. But we were meant to be leaders. Not sheep following the crowd. People who make a difference, one way or another. Who shape the future and what is to come."

"Sounds like a recruitment speech in the societies." Sam said shaking his head. "I'll admit to not being sheep, but I don't know about being a leader." He said, and that was truth. It was the one thing he was uncomfortable with as far as the order was concerned. That he was the one they followed. His own life was such a mess, how could he lead anyone else?
"You need to step up to the plate, or get off the field." Allen said. "How's that?"

"I tried getting off the field. " Sam said honestly. "Doesn't work with everything yanking me in all manner of directions." He shook his head. "I can't believe I am having this conversation... with someone I was sent to exorcise. Okay... I'll step up to the plate, be the protege...so long as you help me take care a couple problems. I'll tell Dean it's a bust, and you thought I was a nut case spouting Latin out of nowhere"
"Or tell him the truth." Allen suggested. "That you've come up with a better plan, and that's to pit me and Quillon against each other." He gave Sam an amused look as he picked up the file again. "I've been in politics too long to not be able to read through someone."

Sam laughed. "There is that. You have to admit it's a better plan than taking on a demon, then hoping that Quillon keeps his word."

"Besides, it keeps everyone in one piece. You didn't think it would be so easy to exorcise me, did you?" Allen said. "So report back to them that I'm possessed, and it's taking longer than expected because I'm a nasty son of a bitch. That will buy time for your brother."

"If I had thought it was easy, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Sam pointed out. "Fine... I'm going to go find Dean and explain things to him. " Dean is going to kill me, he thought as he got up. "Thanks by the way... half expected that whole pinned to the wall, bounced around like a rag doll treatment." Of course Sam could dish out a little of that himself now.
"Why would I do that? Whether you realize it or not, admit it or not, we're on the same side here, Sam." Allen said.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to think about that too much." Sam said as he headed toward the door. "But right now... I'll stay where the choices are mine, not something rammed down my throat, not where my brother is being threatened." He was being honest there, but he hoped that place wound up being far from anything demonic. "No one touches my brother." He almost shuddered remembering the last time he had said that phrase, when he had crushed the would be assassin with nothing more than an angry thought.

"Noted." Allen said with a nod. Yes, this one could go far with just the right amount of pushing and guidance.

Sam left the room feeling dirty. Like he had just prostituted himself. This was dangerous. Possibly even more dangerous than Quillon's threats and coercion. But it was the only out he could see. It took a little while to find Dean, but he finally opened the right door. "Let's take a walk." He said.

Now Dean was confused. "A walk?" He said as he stepped out of the closet. "What do you mean a walk? Dude, come on, we got a job to do. Let's go do it."

Sam didn't say anything else, just lead the way over to the doors outside. He didn't want to be over heard by anyone or anything. He walked out into the middle of the lawn and waited for his brother. "He's possessed alright... but we aren't going to exorcise him right now... we need him to get rid of our Quillon situation first. "
"Oh yeah, not doing what the bastard wants is a real way to get rid of it." Dean said, shaking his head. "So the big plan is to pit those two against each other and hope hometown boy comes out on top?"

"Yeah... the demon likes the idea." Sam said, shaking his head. "Saw right through it. In the mean time I get to play intern and we'll sort it out as we go. Gonna try to have him get this thing out of my neck. One more savage head ache and I swear I am going to take it out on the keystone cops they have watching us"
Dean sighed. They'd been backed into another corner. All he wanted to do was fight his way out of that. But right now, he couldn't. Not without endangering Sam and all the others. "All right. Guess that means I don't have to be the well kept secret anymore then"
"Yeah... I'm going to try and milk this for all it's worth, Dean." He explained the conversation with McKendrick. "So he is a demon possessing another of of the kids like me. An older generation. Although it kinda seemed like they had merged or something. He was talking about himself like he was one of us... but his eyes flashed black so I know he is possessed. " Sam shook his head. "Not a fun thought. Makes me want to get that anti-possession sigil tattooed some where"
"I think that's a good idea. Or at least with black magic marker. Worked for me." Dean pointed out. Of course, that's how his brother had ended up possessed in the first place, because it worked a little too well. "Okay, we'll do it this way. See how it goes. Joshua's coming into town. He's a little concerned we're in over our heads on this one." And in some moments, it certainly felt that way.

"Joshua... well that will be interesting." Sam said. "We'll see how it turns out. Let's go inside. No point in hiding that you are here, and lunch is usually pretty good around this place. Who knows? Maybe we can get you a paycheck while we are sorting all this out. " Sam was hoping that McKendrick would eat Quillon for breakfast, but he figured it wasn't likely to happen any time soon, not until Quillon became an actual threat.

"Food? Now there's an idea." Dean said. He rarely turned down food, if he ever did, that was a sign that something was seriously wrong. Either with the situation or with him. Not that the situation wasn't messed up, it definitely was. "Okay, so McKendrick knows. And hasn't killed us. Undecided if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Quillon is going to be pissed, I hope he pops a vein in his forehead."

"Yeah... he isn't killing us... he wants... wants me to become his protege for lack of a better word. I told him I would stick around so long as my choices were my own.. and no one messes with you." Of course that was just until they found a way out of the mess they were in. He had no intention of being an apprentice to a demon politician.
"Dude, I don't know what bothers me more. That you're a little protege for a demon, or a protege for a politician." Dean said as they made their way into the kitchen to find some food. "We're really up shit's creek, aren't we? I half expect Joshua to smack some sense into us."

"We didn't create this situation. Not much his smacking us around would do other than make my head hurt again. " Sam said as he took another muscle relaxer. He was living on the things. It was the only thing that made the headaches stop. The tracking device was deep in the muscle of his neck near the brain stem and it made his neck stiffen up like a board.

Dean watched Sam pop another pill. "Dude, you need to find yourself a hot chick to massage that out. Even if it doesn't work, you get a massage out of it." Dean said.

Sam laughed. "Yeah cause massaging the muscle around the foreign object is gonna help. What I need is a damned neurosurgeon"
"Yeah. Except I doubt any neurosurgeon that would know about these things is NOT working for them." Dean pointed out. "Andy's got a couple of the strong telekinetics working on it." He offered hopefully.

"I know. I'm holding on." Sam said as he found food for the two of them and heated it up in the microwave. Although he was still afraid to let any one even try and touch the thing. He could end up dead or worse'
"Good." Dean said with a nod as Sam got their food. "Can't wait until this is over. I mean, come on, working for the feds? even if its under duress and we're working against them at the same time? do you know how lucky I am that I'm not broken out in hives?"

Sam laughed. "Yeah, and I'm working for ... well... you know... Dad is probably rolling in his grave." He didn't think his life could get any crazier. "Guess this proves that the dead really don't know anything about the future. "
"I think Dad was just having an episode of wishful thinking." Dean said with a sigh. "We should have known better. They had the perfect time to grab you when I was laid up in traction though, that's what I don't get. I was out of commission and you were suffering from some serious sleep deprivation."

"I don't think ole yellow eyes had crawled out of hell yet." Sam said. "And we moved around so much I don't think the government knew I was what they were looking for until he turned up"
"Oh I'm sure Jo helped in that regard too." Dean grumbled. That girl, he'd probably never forgive. And if he never saw her again, it would be too soon. "Okay, so we'll play good boys for bit." Bide their time. Hope like hell this turned out right.

"Yeah. I will see what we can do to keep you legitimately in the building. Just in case it goes south. Or, you can pretend to be doing research and go back to hunting for the sword. We still have to find that thing. "

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Dean said. Hunting for a mystical sword that his brother saw in a vision while under the influence of some heavy psych drugs. Sure, sounded reasonable. "I'll get on it." Because Sammy said it existed, and as far as his visions went, he hadn't been wrong yet.

Sam nodded. "Good." He told him as he finished his lunch. "In that case, I will walk you out and then get back to work. Although on the bright side, I get a paycheck today. We can have steak tonight." A rare treat for the boys to go to a real restaurant instead of take out.

"Ooh, something to look forward to." Dean said as they walked to the front door. "Be careful Sammy. And if things get hinky, call. I mean it."

"I will." Sam said. "Give Quillon a call. Tell him we found proof.. but McKendrick isn't going to go down easy. It was Allen's suggestion. I figure, why not"
"Sounds good." Dean said. Though a plan organized by a demon would never go down good. But right now, that was all they could do. He walked around the block to his car and dialed up Quillon.
"What the hell kind of demon are you sending us after?" He demanded when Quillon picked up. "Do you even know what he is? Or are you just talking out of your ass?"

"Are you having difficulty doing your job, Winchester? I thought you grew up fighting demons." Quillon said, an amused undercurrent to his tone. "I suppose I could call in another team to do the job. Of course that would put you and your brother in dire straits. " He knew this wasn't going to be an easy job. That was why he had cornered the Winchesters.

That and... personal satisfaction.

Dean laughed. "If you had another team better than us, you wouldn't have blackmailed us." He said. "Get over yourself. You're the one who wanted status reports. That's the status report. We've got it in hand, but it's tricky. So you need to just back off. Oh and those guards following us, they're in the way. Pull them off. You've got a chip in Sam's neck, that's all you need."

"And how is little Sammy doing?"Quillon asked. He remembered the spoiled child he had met so many years ago. It seemed he was still pampered and spoiled. "Has he stopped whining about that yet"
"I haven't stopped whining about it. That's all you should be worried about." Dean said in a perfectly conversational tone. Which, if anyone knew him, knew that wasn't a good sign, given the circumstances. "Get your guards off us. Cause when this goes down, it's gonna be messy. And I don't need your idiot fed men shooting us before we're done. Because if they do, well, that's really bad for you, isn't it?"

"Which leaves me wondering why you want to be free of them so badly. They aren't going to shoot you in the process of an exorcism. What is it you want to go do?" Quillon didn't think there was anything in the works but he had to give Winchester a hard time. The man's attitude demanded it. Arrogant to the core just like his father.
"I don't know them. And they work for you. Both meaning I don't trust them not to do something stupid at a very bad time. Besides, it's incredibly hard to get laid when they're skulking about like parents ready to catch me for breaking curfew." Dean said. "If they knew half of what was going on, you wouldn't have needed us. Which means they're ignorant federal employees you're keeping in the dark. It's bad for business, got it?"

"I'll tell them to back off. For now. You screw up or pull anything and you won't be able to wipe your ass without one of them watching you"
"See? Now was that so hard?" Dean asked with a laugh. "Hey, think the government will fund a trip to the strip club. All work and no play makes Dean a bored guy." He said with a smirk, even if Quillon couldn't see it. He couldn't help it. He was going to keep going until Quillon hung up on him. He could drive and talk, and later read and talk at the same time.

"No. Definitely not on the expense account. ALthough I'm sure your brother could loan you a little money. I understand McKendrick pays his interns well."

"Man, your job sucks." Dean said. "You should put in an acquisition form in triplicate for that addition, I'm telling you. Fine, well our expense account sucks. So I'm going to be using one of our cards for the luxuries. You know, like gas, rock salt, chalk. Your guys ruined our sanctified Bible when you went through our stuff, so I have to find another one. That delay is ALL on you"
Quillon growled. "We'll add a little more to the account." He said. And then hung up. Pleased, Dean went back to the motel to start his research.
S&S&S&S&S&S&S&S&S&S

Sam went back to his desk and settled in to the thick pile of paper work that had become his daily existence and found that he liked it. It was the strangest situation he had been in. Enjoying his work, while caught between the scylla and charibdis. He didn't know which evil was more evil, and didn't want to be trapped by either of them, and playing both ends against the middle was a dangerous game since he and Dean were in the middle.

He printed out a few things and headed back to the senator's office with the latest items needing his attention and signatures.

McKendrick was going over a paper and held out his hand for the ones Sam was bringing him. He looked them over and nodded. "This is good." He said. "Politics is easy once you get used to the ropes. A lot of it is just subterfuge and misdirection, something you're good at anyway."

"Yeah, that's why I dropped Poli-sci in college. Back then I wanted away from all the misdirection and subterfuge in life. " He laughed. "So I took up law... yeah that worked real well." More misdirection, subterfuge and creative interpretation.

"It's in you, Sam. Can't deny it. You just get to decide what you do with it." McKendrick said. And that's where the Winchesters were having some moral dilemnas. There was no denying that Allen was doing good work. Increased farm aid, school aid, money for social services. Managed to get more disaster relief funds headed toward Kansas than originally anticipated. Sure, he was demonic. But he was...well...beneficial.

Sam took a seat. "Do I?" he asked. He didn't want to sound whiny, as Dean would perceive it. "Doesn't feel like a whole lot of control in my life right now." He took a seat and looked at the man. A demon... possessing someone like him. "I don't have alot of control over the abilities either. It's pure luck I haven't killed Quillon's men so far." The amount of pain he was in alone would be enough to set him off, the threats to take him back to that nightmare... threats to have his brother tried and executed... he had already killed to protect Dean once.
"And I'm the demonic one." Allen said with a soft laugh. "Amazing, isn't it, what people will do in the name of god and country? Amazes me every day. Look, it's all about control and focus. You either have it, or you don't."

"Then I guess I'm screwed because I don't." Not that he recognized anyway. He didn't think about all of the times he could have let loose and hadn't. He simply remembered the one time he had lost his temper and turned a man into so much jelly in his own skin.

"If that was true, everyone but you and me would be dead in this building." Allen pointed out. "Now you just have to focus. You have it in you, you're one of the favorites after all, right? It's not for no reason."

Sam nodded. "I haven't figured out the reason yet. Last time I saw ole yellow eyes I was being tortured and he was gloating so we didn't really communicate well." Sam sighed. "Guess that means I have to try and use the damned powers, doesn't it?"

"You sent him to hell, Sam. That's not a nice place, even for demons." Allen pointed out. "You really can't blame him for being upset. But you should try them, see what you're capable of. It's a rush. But that in itself is a test. The ones that go overboard burn out."

"Go mad from it." He had seen that with Andy's brother and Max. "And for the record... I'll send him back to hell again if I get the chance. He killed my parents... possessed my brother... I'm glad hell is an unpleasant place for demons"
"From what I understand, possessing your brother was more torture." Allen said with a chuckle. "And it was just to keep you safe and whole, in a weird way. He's not exactly warm and cuddly. But you know what they say about the road paved with good intentions."

"Yeah...well that's where he wound up... and I can't help but feeling that's where the world is headed too... when demon's are running things... and lobbying for heath care reform... " He chuckled softly. "I'm not going to forgive him. The only reason he wanted me safe and whole is because he wants to use me. Then again you want to use me too, don't you? You're just more personable about it than everyone else"
Allen gave him a stern look. "You're using me too, aren't you? In your own way? Distract Quillon off your brother. Give you tips so you don't decimate a city when you get in a fender bender. Don't start acting self righteous with me. You lost that right the minute you failed to exorcise me and involved me in your little plot."

Sam locked gazes with him then, not backing down one iota under that gaze. He had stared down John Winchester after all, faced demons intent on tearing him limb from limb. "You asked for a 'protoge'. These little tips you say I am using you to get go along with that whole apprentice situation. And let's be honest, I might be keeping Dean safe, which is the single most important thing to me... but in the grand scheme of things... you'll be getting a lot more in the long term. Self righteous? No. Just calling it as I see it. It's my choice... but it doesn't change things much now, does it"
"Now let's not confuse the situation. You infiltrated my staff. Your brother was hiding with weapons in my house. You two came to me. To me. I've never bothered you, never raised a blip on your radar. You're here because someone else backed you into a corner. Not me." Allen pointed out.

"And yet, I waited to make sure you were a danger before acting, backed into a corner or not. I chose to come to you as an option instead of simply following orders. Chose to tell you there was a bastard out for your hide instead of finding a huge magnet and frying this thing in my head and going to ground." It would stop the thing from tracking him... but would do nothing about the pain he was in.

"He's always been after me." McKendrick said with a chuckle as he went through files. "I'm surprised he got so inventive this time. Sending someone like us to eliminate me because he can't do it himself. Jealousy is such a petty emotion."

"Wait... someone like us... but... I'm not ... " Sam eased back in his chair and thought about it. "Son of a bitch. You're not a demon... you're one of the previous generation..Quillon too?" Sam asked.
"Every generation has a handful." Allen said. "And some are more handfuls than others. Feeling slighted. Many are gifted, Sam. But few are chosen. The rest are...spares. Just in case. After all, illnesses, homicide and accidents can't be prevented. Quillon is spare parts. He thinks he's more important than he is. And he knows about you. If he succeeds in coming after me, he'll go after you next. And the next one. He hopes to be the last one standing."

"Won't let that happen." Sam said, he would make sure that HIS generation survived and that they could find and bring in future generations. There were no spare parts where Sam was concerned. But then, Sam didn't want to tow the demonic line. Didn't want to become the next in a long list of anti-christs. "He'll make a mistake along the way... "
"I'm counting on it." Allen said with a small smile. "He's already starting, sending you in after me. You're not a cold blooded killer. You're not a reckless hunter. He should have known that."

"Maybe it was me he was trying to kill first..." Sam said with a frown. That made him worry about Dean. What would Quillon do when things stopped going how he wanted?

"Never know with him." Allen said. "I'm not the one you need to worry about." He had an agenda, and he planned to follow it no matter who got in his way. But Sam had his own path. He'd hate to interrupt it.

"I know... why do your eyes change?" Sam asked. "It's why I thought you were a demon"
"I'm not a demon." Allen said. "Not really. Just comes with the territory. You wouldn't have been able to exorcise me anyway. But there's enough that God's name is a little irritating. Besides, I was waiting for you to do that."

"You had to have recognized the name all things considered... why did you hire me? Surely not just because another Bonesman asked"
"Nothing to do with them. It was because of the name. Wanted to see if it was really Sam Winchester that would have the audacity to come strolling into my campaign. You didn't disappoint." Allen said with a chuckle. "Which is good."

"I needed to find out if you were possessed or not. Seemed the best way, and just happened to have the right connections. This keeps up I might just have to see about getting an apartment instead of a hotel room. " He said as he got to his feet, preparing to go back to work.

"A lot of the interns stay over on Crossing Street." Allen said as he picked up another file to read. "It's reasonable, and away from the police station."

"I'll look into it, thanks." Sam said and went back to his desk to finish out the day before picking up his paycheck. He waited out front for Dean.
The Impala came rumbling up to the curb right when Dean said it would. "Didn't find squat." Dean said, about the sword. "But I got dipshit Fedman to pull his guys off us. That's progress, right?"

"Yeah it is" Sam said getting in and closing the door. "New development. McKendrick isn't possessed... but somewhere along the way he developed that whole aversion to anything holy. And just to make matters worse, it turns out that according to him, Quillon is one as well... and is trying to get rid of me and McKendrick because we're special and he's spare parts" Sam shook his head. "You know there are days when I really wish I didn't know things"
"Okay." Dean said a bit wide eyed. That was an unexpected development to say the least! "Think I might want to join you on the know nothing train, actually. Great, so he's human. And so is Quillon. Limits our options."

"And it doesn't limit theirs. I don't know... Allen is one of ... well us... and he is doing good things... It makes it hard to want to take him down. Quillon I have no trouble with but McKendrick... this is gonna make me nuts before it's over with. Let's hit the bank and go get dinner. " Sam said with a sigh.

"He's a politician, Sam. His key to the White House, and leader of the Free World, is to have that record of nice good guy stuff. That's why we don't have a mob boss in Washington." Dean said as they drove to the bank.

"But Dean... I mean... I know he isn't exactly all good, but.. that could have been me... I mean.. I was on that path. Not the White House, but law and politics. Taking him out now would be like saying Gordon was right about me"
"You say he's already got an aversion to things holy?" Dean reminded him. "That makes you two hardly equitable. This guy's got a choice, or at least he did. So...what are you saying? We wait until he's in the White House and see if he turns all bad? Course, maybe Quillon's not what McKendrick says he is, either. That's the other problem. We can't trust either of them."

"I know... but... I don't know if I trust him or not, but right now I trust him more than I trust Quillon. What I worry about... is .. what if by the time I'm pushing 40 I start having an aversion to holy items"
"I don't trust either of them. And I'm still planning on shutting them both down." Dean said, even if destroying them literally was now off the table.

"That's going to be harder than it sounds." He said as Dean parked the car. "Stay here." Sam said, not letting him go inside the bank where they might have most wanted lists regularly viewed by employees. He came out 5 minutes later. "So... red meat, real liquor, and I don't know... we'll come up with something else to do tonight."

"Found a steakhouse that looks good." Dean suggested. "We can pick up some liquor on the way home." Because nothing went better with steak than a nice cold beer. At least if you asked Dean. "And Sam...you're not going to turn out like McKendrick. We've already agreed that I won't let that happen."

"If we have a choice." Sam said, looking out the window. It was something he didn't like to think about, but it was always present in the back of his mind. What if they didn't have a choice, the kids like him? What if they were doomed to become monsters in the end? "Steak house sounds good." He said.

"Sam. You've got a choice. Right now." Dean said. "Either you believe in me or you think I'm going to fuck up and let you down. Which one is it?"

"Of course I believe in you." Sam said, glaring at his brother. "But you aren't God. Some things you might not be able to change or stop. Not to mention you keep throwing yourself in harm's way... you might not be here to stop it"
"Dad told me to look out for you." Dean said as he stared at the road ahead. "That's the end of that. So I look out for you. Look, you're not going to become evil. You're going to be able to keep praying every day or whatever it is you do. Max and Andy's brother were already nuts by now. You're not. That's a good sign."

"I hope so." Sam said. "I really do. But sometimes... what I did to that man...what I came very close to doing to our not so friendly shadows...it scares me Dean, it scares the hell out of me like nothing else ever has"
"Then you just gotta learn to control it is all." Dean said. Frankly, what his brother could do scared the crap out of him too. But he wasn't allowed to let on. Because he was the big brother. "So you're saying that it beats clowns?"

"I turned a man to jelly inside his own skin... yeah... it beats clowns. The only thing that beats clowns... but yeah. I mean... it was nothing but anger, he had hurt you and I just... wanted him dead and he was"
"Sam, the only difference between me and you is that you have Jedi mind powers. I wasn't going to let him live probably either. Killed the shapeshifter over you after all. Just...just get off that train of thought right now." Dean said.

"Sure Dean, I'll do that right away." He said "So how far to that steak house?" He wanted to change the subject. Dean didn't understand. How could he? The only one that did he really couldn't confide in too much because he refused to play Anakin to his Palpatine. God Dean was contagious.

"You're such a bad liar." Dean said with a chuckle. "Here we are. So, the government will chip in a few extra bucks for supplies, but they said no go on strippers. So we're counting on the senator for that. Being a politician and all, he might even get us a discount."

"He's walking that good guy tight rope, remember? No strippers. Besides, I am sure you can scope out the strippers on your own easily enough"
"True." Dean said with a grin as they walked into the steakhouse and got a booth in the corner. In case they talked about...things. "Can't be all work, that'll drive us crazy."

"I know." Sam said as he took out the ever present flexeril bottle and took another one with the water they had brought to the table. "Maybe this weekend we can take a day and just do ... absolutely nothing anyone else wants us to"
"Hooters." Dean said. "Come on, man. We never got to go because you got all tranqed by the government. We really need to go. I like their ribs. And one just opened in town..."

Sam began to laugh. "Fine you can go ogle breasts and pretend it's for the ribs and wings. " He teased.
"Thank you!" Dean said with a laugh. "Seriously man, it's not like you don't look. You do, I know you do. You're a freaking Winchester. And my brother to boot. So you definitely look. Just because you don't have my inventive mind when it comes to follow through doesn't mean you don't look."

Sam laughed and blushed a little. "Never said I don't look. And I don't know... I like a different sort of woman than you do... well... mostly. I liked Cassie"
"Yeah, that got me far." Dean said with a sigh. "Probably for the best anyway. Those mosquitoes in Missouri, I swore they were a lesser form of demon." He joked. He'd probably never be completely over Cassie, but he was better.

"They have nothing on the ones in Louisiana." Sam pointed out. "One of the reasons I was glad to get you out of that hospital. As tempting as Tulane was... I didn't like the idea of being carried off by the mosquitos"
"Not to mention Mardi Gras. Fine for someone like me. You? Gotta seem like an endless parade of clowns. Naked clowns. But clowns." Dean said as their beers arrived.

"Don't remind me." Sam said as he took a drink of his beer, then placed his order with the waitress. "But it's fun to remind you." Dean said. "You know, I learned the word for it too. Coulrophobia."

"It's not a phobia if they really are evil and dangerous. I mean... Look at John Wayne Gacy"
"Dude! Statistical anomaly." Dean said. "That's like saying all hot chicks are killers waiting to happen. Because from what I read, Bonnie Parker, you know Clyde's girlfriend, was hot."

"Killer clowns... I'm tellin' you Dean... clowns in general are evil. There might be a specific clown or two that isn't but chances are they aren't full time clowns"
"Dude, you're completely messed up." Dean said, laughing. With all the evil and death they faced every single minute of every single day, teasing his brother about a fear of killer clowns was oddly lightening. "There's more of a chance of a plane crashing to the ground than there is one of the clowns from Barnum and Bailey going around killing"
"Yeah, but you gotta admit the way life seems to work around us, if there is a killer clown out there, it will come walking around the corner and stare us flat in the face"
"Uh...dude? It already did. So you had your once in a billion thing." Dean said with a laugh as their food was brought. "Now this is food. We should change location now that I got the G men off our ass"
"Yeah. was thinking about an actual apartment." Sam said, not sure what Dean would think about that. "Huh." Dean said. "Actual apartment. We're planning on settling here?" He asked. Sure, he'd already broken the promise he'd made to himself to never come back to Lawrence, kept breaking it and breaking it, but that didn't mean he wanted to come back here to live.

"Nope, planning to give the illusion of settling down. After all he wants me to...be his student, and staying in a hotel doesn't give the appearance of stability, ya know. I mean... it could be fun... you could have your own room until this is done. How long has it been since you could say that"
"Oh a couple of years." Dean said with a laugh. He'd had his own room, of course, whenever he was operating solo while Sam was at college. "You're right, it will be fun. And at least this way you don't have to think of something to do when I decide I need a little action"
Sam rolled his eyes. "There is that. Just pounding on the walls telling you to keep it down I have to work in the morning." Sam said with a laugh. "So... can you cook? I mean other than spaghettios and mac and cheese?" He asked.
"Dude, you ate more than that in your childhood, give me a little credit." Dean said with a laugh. "I can barbeque. Some pasta...hey, what makes you think I'm going to be doing the cooking"
"At least half of it...that is if you don't want to eat a lot of salad and sandwiches." Sam pointed out. "I'm a little limited in the cooking department. I can make meatloaf and spaghetti, and frozen ready made lasagne is my friend."

"Nice. We're going to starve." Dean said with a laugh. "Guess we'll just have to find some pretty girls that know how to cook. Seen any yet?"

"I've seen a couple. But I don't know that I want to bring home someone I work with... especially where I am working." Sam pointed out. "No starving involved... just ... lots of frozen chow I guess." He said with a laugh.

"Dude, I don't work there. Means I can bring them home." Dean said. "I don't care how much he likes you, he ain't gonna hire me for jack. And I wouldn't work for him anyway. It's too...legit looking. Gives me hives."

"What, so now I'm your pimp?" Sam asked with a laugh. "Nice, Dad would be so proud." He looked up at the waitress and smiled as she brought over their refills.

"I prefer the term wingman." Dean said with a laugh as he gave the waitress a smile as well. "Come on, all work and no play makes Sam a dull boy. And Dean a bored boy."

"A bored Dean is likely to wind up super glued to his steering wheel if he isn't careful." Sam pointed out, because a bored Dean was usually the one to start the practical joke wars.

"You're such a killjoy." Dean said with a laugh. "Wonder how those two idiots made out in Hollywood." He mused, remembering the last big prank war. "That was a good one, you get points for that one"
Sam laughed a little at that. "Yeah... no prank wars until I get rid of this headache. Control is at a minimum right now." He admitted. He hated that.

"We'll figure it out. Maybe your boss can do something about it. Having it removed will sure piss Quillon off, that's for sure." Dean pointed out.
"Yeah... not sure how many favors I want to ask him about.. Or how much I want to piss off Quillon before we have him taken care of." He didn't want Dean to wind up in prison.
"Dude, I can take care of myself." Dean reminded him. "I've stayed out of prison this long, right? I'm good. We just need to get your brain stem taken care of"
"You didn't have homeland security dogging your ass before." Sam pointed out. "And my brain stem is fine right now, it's just the muscles around it that are giving me absolute hell." He explained as he dug into his steak.
"Still..." Dean said. It was his job to take care of Sam, watch out for the kid. He wasn't doing a top shelf job lately. At least if you asked Dean.

"Still nothing. I am not going to let them haul you off to jail, because of me. I can deal with a little headache. Gotta learn self control sometime right? So relax and enjoy your steak"
"I am enjoying my steak." Dean said, a note of petulance creeping into his voice, though he tried to hide it. "I'll figure something out." He mumbled.
"Dean... don't worry about it. I can handle it until we're done here, then we'll see who Ash and Andy have found to get it out of me." He sighed. "To be honest. getting it out almost scares me more than leaving it in." One wrong move could leave him paralysed from the neck down for life. It wasn't something he was willing to risk just yet. "So for now, let's... leave it alone"
"Fine." Dean said. "Really, okay. Not like we can do anything about it right now anyway." He said with a sigh. "Besides, can I pick steak houses or not? This is some good steak." Another worry for another day.

"Yeah it is, I had forgotten how much I liked steak." Sam admitted. The last one he had eaten had been with Jessica. "So what are you gonna be doing with your days? Any leads or anything on where to look next for the sword"
"I'm getting a list together of curiousity shops and old side shows that somewhat match what you described." Dean said with a shrug. "When this is over, we'll at least have a direction to go to. There are a lot in the Mid West, gotta tell you man"
"I don't doubt it. People had to have something to entertain themselves when this was a wasteland." He said, knowing that there was a lot of carnivals and side shows that had traveled through this part of the country on a regular basis. "Maybe we can hit a couple this weekend"
"Sounds good to me!" Dean said, an edge of excitement creeping into his voice. "I could use a normal weekend." Then he laughed at how that sounded. That checking out curiosity shops for a mythical sword was a normal weekend for him.
"So could I. Not that the job I have bothers me, I love it, but the real job is making me crazy. I need out from under for a couple days. " Sam admitted.
"Yeah, I can understand that. So we'll do a local road trip." Dean said. "It'll be fun"
"Cool, we can go over the plans and the list of curiosity shops at... Hooter's." He said, rolling his eyes. He still couldn't believe that he was going to actually go to Hooter's.
"Thatta boy." Dean said with a grin. "Knew I'd get you around to my plan of thinking sooner or later. Then we can argue over who the hottest Hooter's girl is"
"You have the weirdest fantasies, I swear." Sam teased as he finished up. "Allen gave me a lead on a place to live. Says a lot of the interns live there and that it's away from the police station."

"A few fantasies would do you some good." Dean said with a laugh. "Yeah, we'll check it out. Or find another place. I don't know, if he recommended it, could be because he wants to watch you"
"Yeah I know... I thought of that. Trying to find the balance point between all of our problem children." Sam said with a sigh. "I can't find it"
"Then I'll find it." Dean said. This was his brother's show, but he was a more than willing back up. "Relax right now, okay? We got enough worries and problems tomorrow. Right now, I want to plan our trip to Hooter's and eat some steak"
"Plan the trip to Hooter's? Dude, it's a bar, what do we need to plan?" He asked. "I heard they have even gone all family oriented over the years. You know... waitresses have to wear shirts and everything"
"That's what I'm talking about. We might have to scam a little, or sabotage a little to get them back to their old ways. I told you we should have gone years ago, but do you listen to me? Hardly ever"
"That change happened when we were kids, dude. You know back when Dad couldn't even get us in the door. Now you have to deal with large breasts in tight shirts"
Dean gave a dramatic sigh. "All right." He said. "I guess I'll make do somehow with these circumstances beyond my control. First I'm possessed, then the Hooter's girls wear tshirts. What is the world coming to"
"Hell in a hand basket." Sam said. "I'm sorry your dream is tainted by tee shirts." He teased.

"Fine. Mock me." Dean said. "That's fine. But I'm still getting you into a Hooter's, so I still win"
Sam laughed. "Dude ... you're fixated." He told his brother. "Gotta wonder if you were bottle fed."

"I have no idea." Dean said, he'd never thought to ask. "I know you were though. Even before Mom died. So why aren't you more fixated Mr Know It All"
"Who says I'm not... I just have the good taste not to announce it all over the place." Sam said with a laugh.
"What can I say? I'm looking for the impatient women. The ones I don't have to wine and dine and flatter out of their clothes over a few months." Dean said with a chuckle. "Works out great, because the type of women I'm interested in don't have the patience to finangle me out of my clothes"
"Dude, please tell me you are careful." Sam said, because that kind of impatience would up getting people dead in scary ways.

"I've got thin, lubricated, ridged, colored, glow in the dark, flavored..." Dean said with a smirk. "Why, you want some"
"No.. no... just making sure I didn't have to worry about getting you tested or something." Although he probably should. "So, we can at least drive by the place Allen recommended but I am thinking something a little cheaper...maybe some garage apartment over some old lady's garage.. or a basement appartment. Something where we only sort of have neighbors and it's hard to see into the place"
"Yeah, we should pick up a newspaper too, see what's around here apartment wise." Dean said. "But we'll drive by. This way I can check out the female interns, since you completely neglected that part of your job"
"Pervert." Sam teased with a grin, then took a long drink of his beer.

An hour later they were more than stuffed, and driving by apartment complex that McKendrick had recommended.
"Doesn't look too bad." Dean said as he slowed down. "Except, of course, for your demon influenced boss recommending it. Does have a pool though. How do the want ads look?" He asked, since he was driving, Sam got the newspaper.

"Not too bad in the grand scheme of things... hoping for cheap so that we can put back some of the money I am getting to run later." He admitted, and living in a motel wasn't as cheap long term as it might sound. "We could always look up Missouri"
"Thought you said she was visiting her sister or something?" Dean said. "Or you just want to see me knocked around with a spoon? Dude, you got weird fantasies."

"That's not a fantasy, that's standard operational proceedure. you know like Dad and me fighting. " Sam said with a grin as they parked in the parking lot outside the apartment complex.
"Yeah, yeah. More great memories for me." Dean teased back. "Go on, see if they've got a two bedroom, cause I ain't couching it. I'll see what the girls are like here"
Sam rolled his eyes and went to speak with the manager, who was apparently expecting them.
"Of course Mr. Winchester, right this way. We have two units that would be acceptable for yourself and your brother. It depends on if you want accessability to the pool or the view. It may not be much in the day time but the view is quite lovely at night from the balcony."

"I'll take a look at both, my brother is looking around the grounds. I ahm... take the senator called you then"
"Oh yes, you come highly recommended from Senator McKendrick. He assures me there is no need to run any sort of credit or back ground check on either of you. I must say that is quite the impressive reference"
"Thank you... I'll be certain to thank the Senator when I see him tomorrow"
Dean had managed to strike up a conversation with a group of girls relaxing at the poolside as they went over a few documents for the senator, charming them all with his easy smile and quick comments and nodded toward Sam. Okay, maybe this place would work out for right now.
"Up stairs or down?" Sam asked figuring he would explain the benefits of no back ground check when they were in private.

"Upstairs." Dean said. Preferably over an unoccupied unit was unsaid. But upstairs less chance of people walking by.
"Come on, let's go take a look at it then." Sam said and walked away from his coworkers with Dean. "McKendrick already called over here to tell them we'd be by and arranged for no credit or background checks on us." He told his brother. "That was something I had forgotten about when thinking about places to stay"
"That's because we hardly ever use our real names." Dean said with a chuckle as he was led away from the girls he was talking to. "Hey, did you know Sabrina likes to read to the blind? That's so...Penthouse Pet answer."

"Currently using my real name... I think he was trying to protect us from all those lovely outstanding arrest warrants. But anyway... it's small but it's bigger than the hotel rooms we have been living in the last few years." Sam said as he let them into the upstairs apartment.
Dean looked around when they got in there. It was small, compact, fairly easy to defend if need be. "Okay, looks good." He said as he opened the fridge. Plenty of room for beer. "Better than nothing, at least it doesn't look like a discarded set from a 70s porn film."

Sam laughed at that. "It's furnished, and all we need is to stock the kitchen. Can do a little shopping on the way back from... " he sighed, "Hooter's." He shook his head. "The best part is we don't have alot to move in." And he probably wouldn't unpack anyway. Easier that way.
"Yup. Ideal. Works for me." Dean said as he claimed a room before Sam could. Because being the older brother had to have some perks, right? "So I'm actually going to get you into a Hooter's. Is that a sign of the Apocalypse or something"
"I will let you know once I actually make it through the door. " Sam said with a laugh. "Don't want to jinx it." God knows every other time Dean had convinced him to go something came up ... like a tranq dart in the neck.
"Don't want to jinx it...admit it, you want to go." Dean said with a laugh. "All this talk about me dragging you there and it's misogynist and all that...you want to go. Well, let's go"
"I don't want to jinx it because every time I get near one of those places, something bad happens... usually to me." Sam said with a laugh. "Let's get the paperwork taken care of and head back to the hotel first to get our gear then we'll go to Hooter's"
"You take care of the paperwork, since you're Mr Responsible, I'll pack up the hotel. By the time I get back and we unpack, we might be in time for happy hour." Dean said with a grin.
"Works for me... don't forget to scour everything. I know they can keep track of us through me but I wouldn't put it past them to bug something. Quillon is a control freak"
"Dude, I know the drill. Hell, I taught you the drill." Dean said with a laugh as he made sure he had his keys. "I'll be back in a while. Be sure to tell the girls at the pool that I'm an incredibly nice guy"
"You're going to ruin my reputation at work, you know that, don't you?" Sam said shaking his head as he followed his brother out the door, so that he could see the manager.
"Absolutely. It's part of the fun." Dean said with a grin. "I'll see you in a bit." He said as he headed back to the hotel to pack up, and leave no trace they were ever there.
Sam was waiting down stairs when Dean pulled up. "So, let's get going so that what ever is going to fall on me, can fall." He said with a laugh, even if it wasn't a humorous memory from the last time he had said yes, he supposed he could laugh about it... it was either laugh or scream.
"Once we get you through the doors, it'll be all right." Dean said with a laugh as Sam got into the car. Dean pulled out of the parking lot and down onto the street, headed for his favorite restaurant. "So the manager is all set, right? No surprises there"
"No surprises. Apparently getting a recommendation from a senator holds alot of weight when apartment hunting." Sam said with a laugh. "And I checked the place over, it's clean"
"I'm not surprised. You always were a teacher's pet." Dean said as he pulled into the parking lot. "Not too crowded, we should have some undivided attention. Hey, after the last few...years...we deserve it"
Sam smiled over at his brother. Dean definitely did deserve it. He had been through so much since Sam had reunited with him. Things he was convinced Dean wrote off for some unknown reason as his due when it wasn't. He deserved a night of unlimited attention from attractive waitresses or anything else he wanted.

Of course, ask Sam that question again on a different day he would call his brother a pervert and refuse to go. It was a brother thing.
They made it into the restaurant unimpeded. Even if Sam was constantly checking over his shoulder for...something. Dean was in his element. A game was blaring from the TVs, the beer was on tap, and some of the girls, well, eye candy didn't cover it.
Sam couldn't help but smile, Dean was like a kid in a candy shop. Then again, their life didn't allow them too many simple pleasures. Didn't allow too many pleasures at all really. Always running, always hunting or fighting to survive. No time for relationships or friendships.
"Man, the food is good." Dean said as their wings came. The waitresses were hot too, so no complaints there. "See? There's nothing wrong with this place"
Sam laughed. "No, I suppose not." He said nibbling at the wings. He wasn't hungry really. Especially not with his head hurting. "So where do we start on our trek through curiosity shops"
"Sam, eat. Or the meds you're taking for the pain will chew right through your stomach." Dean said casually. "Um...there's one outside of Topeka, not too far from here. We can start there and see how sick of it we are when we're done"
"Works for me." Sam said and forced himself to eat, occasionally rubbing at the back of his neck. "I can get off work early tomorrow and we can take off." He suggested.
Dean watched his brother carefully. The back of his neck was red...but that could be from him rubbing it all the time, right? And it wasn't like Sam would let him take a look at it anyway. But he ate his wings and drank his beer, flirted and smiled with the waitresses and paid the tab with cash instead of an invalid credit card. "Okay, we'll do that. Let's go, Sasquatch. Past your bedtime"
"Yeah you're probably right." Sam said as he rubbed his hands together, his fingers were tingling, but he was sure it would pass, he had been having that problem off and on all day.

Dean got Sam into bed, and waited until he was asleep. Then with a flashlight and a pen to lift his hair, examined the back of his neck. It was fire red. He slowly, gently placed the back of his hand against his brother's neck and pulled it back abruptly. It was burning hot.

"Dammit, Sam." Dean said as he shook his head. Quillon was going to pay for this. But first he called McKendrick. Sure, it was two in the morning, but the man was campaigning, Sam said he pulled ungodly (what a word) hours at the office.
"McKendrick here." Allen answered. It was late enough that he didn't need anyone there to answer his phone.
Dean didn't bother with pleasantries or even introducing himself. "Listen to me, you son of a bitch." He said,
stepping outside so he wouldn't wake up Sam. "While you and your boyfriend have been sparring over who's the favorite special kid, my brother got pulled in the middle of it. Now he has a freaking infection because of what Quillon did. So he's not coming to work today." It was past midnight, it counted as 'today'.

"This must be Dean." McKendrick said calmly. "Back up and tell me what exactly is wrong with Sam?" He had a feeling he knew what it was but he wanted to be certain before giving Dean instructions. In his current state, Sam could be very dangerous if not treated the right way.

"Well, I'm tickled with happiness that you knew who I was talking about, that you two don't have more people you're treating like ping pong pawns." Dean growled. "His neck is red, and hot. He's in pain. He dropped his fork tonight and tripped over a flat surface. It's the implant in his neck."

"I'll be over there shortly. Is the fever just in the wound or does he have a temperature? Trust me on this, you do not want Sam to be delirious right now."

"Believe me, I know I don't want him to be delirious." Dean said, raking a hand through his hair. "No, just his neck. So far. What am I supposed to do? It's by his freaking brain stem! If it were anywhere else, I could cut it out. But I am not going to risk leaving my brother a vegetable at best."

"Unfortunately I can't pull it out safely with out seeing it either, which complicates matters." Allen stated. "If we take him to a hospital it will get back to Quillon, believe me. Do you have antibiotics?"

"I've got penicillin, which he's been taking. Clindamycin. Which he's been taking. Some Keflex, Bactrim, Rocephin intramuscular." Dean reeled off. He knew, he'd done the inventory just a few hours ago.

"Give him the bactrim for now. I will arrange for a doctor to be out there first thing in the morning. I'm on my way. I want to see this wound for myself. He mentioned it but didn't say that it was a problem other than discomfort "
"Son of a bitch." Dean said and hung up the phone. He went back into the apartment and slammed the door to make Sam stir, then shook his foot. "Come on, dude, wake up. Gotta give you some Bactrim because a certain overgrown puppy has a big ouchie"
Sam groaned. "Dean, let me sleep will ya" He muttered "Head hurts" He didnt want to wake up. When he woke up he had to deal with his head, had to deal with hiding how bad it was.

"I never want to hear another lecture out of you next time I get shot and decide to keep going. Come on, get up." Dean said, turning on the lights as he found a bottle of water and tapped out the pills. "Seriously, Sam. You gotta take this. Didn't escape my attention that you've got a nice infection going there."

Sam sat up reluctantly. "Nothing we can do about the neck... gun shot wounds we can deal with." He managed. "I'll be alright."

"Yeah right." Dean said as he handed Sam the pills. "You're bad. So I called in reinforcements. Hated to do it, but Sam, you're not all right. You know that. Dude, there's something up with your hands, you're tripping over your feet, you've got a migraine that won't quit...I'm not stupid."

"There's nothing we can do about it, Dean." He said having to concentrate on holding onto the pills and then getting them where he wanted them, or rather needed them to be. "Just let me sleep, okay..." He said as he eased slowly back down on the pillow. "Wait... what reinforcements?"

"Yeah, your boss is coming." Dean said. "I called him to call you in sick. So you're going to have two people who love to boss you around in the same room. All that's missing now is Dad, I guess." Dean said with chuckle. "Come on, stay awake."

"Dean, I don't have a concussion." Sam said. "It's okay if I sleep." He said, closing his eyes. "Can you get me the flexeril please?" He asked just as the door bell sounded.

"Get up and get it yourself." Dean said as he answered the door. And came face to face with the reason he was in this situation in the first place. If Quillon and McKendrick hadn't decided in a prick waving contest, Sam would have been fine. "He's in his room." He said, opening the door with no further comment.

McKendrick nodded, and headed quickly toward the room where he had heard the sound of furniture crashing.

Sam forced himself out of the bed and across the room to his pants where he had the bottle in his pocket, but wound up knocking the chair over as he stumbled forward.

McKendrick came in time to catch Sam before he did a face plant on the floor, Dean looming in the door way, watching warily. The senator touched the back of Sam's neck and frowned.

"More than a headache." He said with a grimace as he rightened the chair and sat Sam in it. "Okay, I have a doctor coming in a few hours."

"What's he gonna do? Give me a shot?" Sam asked as he eased slowly back into the chair. "There isn't any way to get it out without turning me into a vegetable."

"There might be, but its going to take an incision into your neck and alot of slow and careful manipulation. "

"And it still could wind up with me in a wheel chair if I am lucky... and then Quillon moves in and puts Dean in prison. No"

"The last one Quillon put one of these things in..he ended up a quadriplegic on a vent anyway. It's still in him too. But it became infected. Swelled at the spinal cord, until his spinal nerves finally died." McKendrick said.

"Fine." He said. "But you get my brother out of his reach once it's out of me." Sam insisted. He wasn't going to risk his brother's freedom or his life for his own again.

"Sam, once it's out he has no way of tracking us." Dean said.

"I think we should get it out now." McKendrick said, grabbing a knife that was by Sam's bed. Dean pulled his gun on the senator.

"Put the knife down." Dean said.

"Dean..." Sam said. "Don't shoot him... Allen... give the knife to Dean, he can make the incision." Sam said as he eased his way over to the bed. "And the son of a bitch found us the first time didn't he? I mean it... get him out of here when it's done."

Dean reluctantly lowered the gun and took the knife McKendrick held out to him. "Sam, we've been through this. We're not separating." He said. "Go lie down on the bed, on your front." He said quietly. He could not believe he was going to slice into his brother's neck. "Besides, I wouldn't leave you with him anyway."

McKendrick raised an eyebrow. "I'm not the enemy."

"That's still debatable." Dean said.

"I wouldn't kill Sam. Our end agendas might be different, at this point, but...he's like me. I have a dream, a plan, to gather all the ones like me. And build something."

"Or destroy something." Dean said.

"Can we deal with my neck then Quillon, please?" Sam asked as he got settled onto his stomach. "And could someone knock me out before you do surgery? Not sure I can keep still if you mess with that thing."

Nothing they had would work fast enough. "Sorry, Sam." Dean said as he knelt on the bed and put his brother in a sleeper hold. Named that for a reason. Easing his brother back onto the bed, he held the blade of the knife up to the flame from his lighter and let it cool for a few seconds and nodded to McKendrick. "Here we go." He said and put one hand on the base of his brother's neck, and cut Sam's skin with his other.

McKendrick told Dean to hold the wound as open as he could. He cleaned out the pus that had begun to form, by moving it with his mind. "There it is." He said spotting the tip of the small electronic device. "Tagged like a damned dog... " he growled as he slowly moved the device, pausing periodically to relax and breathe and re-examine the thing's position. It took nearly 15 minutes to work the device gently past Sam's spine and out of his body. "Okay let's get that cleaned out and closed." He said shaking a little.

"I got it from here." Dean said, ever protective and vigilant. He cleaned out the wound, irrigated it with an antibiotic (he'd seen them do that when he was in traction, same principle, right?) and stitched his brother's neck up with careful, tight stitches. Small stitches, so his eyes were burning when he was done. "You two, Quillon and McKendrick, your little war is pulling everyone into it." He took the tracking device and set it on the endtable. He wouldn't destroy it yet, it could still buy them some time.

"I'm not the one asking for this war. I'm not the one sending in assassins with time bombs in their necks." McKendrick said. "I can provide security for you and Sam. He's meant for great things, Dean. Amazing things. Sam is special. Quillon is nothing but spare parts and he knows it. Sam ... Sam is different."

"Sam is my brother. I'll take care of him." Dean said, covering him up with a blanket. "And you have no idea what he's meant for. You're nothing but a pawn for whatever demon you sold your soul to."

"Yeah, you've done such a bang up job of it on your own, haven't you? Not that it's your fault. This isn't something you have ever been prepared for. Quillon tried to kill Sam and I both in one shot. Probably plans to put you in prison after the fact anyway. How do you plan to get out of that on your own?"

"He's not the first person to want me in prison. Or the first fed for that matter." Dean said, grinding his teeth. Because that was like a sucker punch in the gut. His ultimate job, and his ultimate failure. Protect Sam. "But you still know nothing about him"
"Maybe...but you don't have to, to know that he is meant for more than this. Let me help you... if it makes you feel better, I have a vested interest in finishing this off anyway. Not merely Sam. I'm tired of gifted young men being sent to me to die. Tired of Quillon's machinations. "

"Oh, so you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart." Dean said. "Quite a humanitarian. So when you're in the White House, how soon until you end the world as we know it? Paint yourself as a good guy all you want, you and Quillon, two sides of the same coin. We just know what Quillon's motivations are."

"Right now... does any of that really matter?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Right now you have to protect Sam from Quillon, and I want Quillon dealt with not merely because I have a vested interest in your brother, but because he is a pain in my ass. Now can you work with me on this, or do you want me to back off and let you handle this all on your own?"

"I have to go out." Dean said with a moment's pause. "Watch him. Just sit down in that chair and watch him. Don't move him, don't talk to him about his destiny or his purpose or anything like that. No demonic propoganda"
"Sam and I have an agreement. It's all on his terms. you don't have anything to worry about." Allen said as he took a seat in a chair. He would watch over Sam. He wanted the boy to recover.
"Good." Dean said as he left the hotel room and drove to the federal building in a rage. He pushed his way in, he knew Quillon wasn't sleeping, and that he would be close. "You son of a bitch. You happy?" He said, throwing Quillon against a table before he was restrained by feds.
Quillon was on his feet quickly striding over to Dean and punching him dead in the face. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" He demanded. "You had better have one hell of a good reason for doing this or our arrangement might just come to an abrupt end"
"Good reason?" Dean said, spitting out blood as he shook the men off. "My brother is in an coma. Infection from your little implant." Well, unconscious at least. But Dean could lie with the best of them. And better than them too. "The mark you sent us after, he's a human. Special. But you know all about that, don't you, Quillon? So why is your little bitch fight so important that my brother might not wake up? Or was that part of your plan too"
"An unfortunate side effect." Quillon said calmly. "I'll see to Sam's medical care. But surely you aren't buying into McKendricks sweetness and light routine, are you? The man is a danger to this country and you know it"
"Stay away from my brother." Dean said. "You've done enough damage. And I trust him about as much as I trust you. But he's human! I can't do shit to him, I won't. I'm not a killer, no matter what your fucked up files say. I'm not a murderer. You want him so bad, you take him out"
"You have 12 hours to reconsider that position." Quillon said. "Or you're setting things in motion you don't want. Now get out and see to your brother. Let me know if you change your mind about his medical care. I know a great nursing home"
"I think you're setting things in motion that you don't want." Dean said. "You want me to cross that line? If I do, you're next on the list. And if I can take out McKendrick, you don't stand a chance. Sleep on that you son of a bitch." Dean said as he slammed back out of the federal building.
Sam was still sleeping when Dean got back to the apartment. McKendrick still seated in the chair, keeping an eye on him, drinking a cup of coffee. "I take it that didn't go well." He said looking up at dean, and the darkening bruise on his face.

"Went fine." Dean said as he sat on his brother's bed and watched him. "Quillon wants you dead, he's a thorn in your side, why don't you two act like men and go at it yourselves? Why all this stupid cloak and dagger and misdirection bullshit"
"You make it sound like I have been egging this on or something, Dean. I said I was willing to help you. I didn't say I wanted him dead." McKendrick pointed out. "And direct frontal attack is going to wind up with someone dead"
"Someone's going to wind up dead anyway, and right now, I have the fear it is going to be my brother." Dean said, adjusting Sam's blanket a bit. The one person he could not lose was Sam. He'd lost his mother, he'd lost his father...twice. But if he lost Sam, he'd go on a serious rage and probably follow him soon after. And Dean didn't want to die.

"I don't want Sam to die." Allen said. "The doctor will be here soon. If Sam requires medical attention, I will see that he gets it in a private hospital under an assumed name." He offered. "Look... you don't have to trust me, but you have the choice of letting me help you or doing it on your own"
"Quillon said I have twelve hours, then shit hits the fan. How it can hit more than it already has, I don't know. I'm supposed to kill you. Problem is, you may be tight with the demon, but you're human. So I can't. Because even I have standards and morals." Dean said, getting up and pacing. He was formulating a plan, slowly. Once Sam was out of danger, Sam would go to ground with the others. Deep. Dean...he'd turn himself in. Go to prison to keep his brother safe. Seemed like a fair exchange.

"Then we do what Sam wanted. We get you the hell out of Dodge and we get Sam the medical attention he deserves." McKendrick said. "The doctor will be here soon and we'll see what he needs before we move him"
"Nice try. No." Dean said. "I'm not going anywhere until I know Sam is safe. And I'm disregarding everything he's said in between when that was injected and when it was taken out. Obviously he had a nice infection brewing, and the pain, he wasn't thinking. I'll figure this out. This is my job, not yours. But thanks for being helpful so far"
"Really... what's your plan, hot shot?" He challenged. "Tell me what you can do for your brother?" He didn't believe for one minute that Dean could keep Sam safe in his current condition. Or from Quillon.

"You got any siblings?" Dean asked instead as he left the room briefly to grab a six pack out of the fridge. He took a beer and set the pack on a small table in Sam's room.

"A sister." He said and took one of the beers. "She's in Europe." Allen kept his family safe. Even if it meant they only talked by email and phone.

"Then you should know. I'll protect this kid, you can count on that." Dean said. To anyone outside, it might look like he was doing a bang up job on it. But he was alive. And he was on the side of good.

"So what hospital you gonna take him to?" He asked, he knew Dean had limited resources. "Look, it's okay to have help. Doesn't mean you aren't taking care of him"
"St Luke's." Dean said. And he planned to call some people in. Either Bobby or Ellen. He sighed and shook his head. "But you don't know him. Or me. And don't fool yourself into thinking you do."

"What does that have to do with anything?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "I know what it's like to go through the whole... discovery process. Figuring out how to control it... maybe I can identify a little with that part of him. That and the stubborness." He added with a grin.
"Believe me, you have nothing on Sam when it comes to stubborness." Dean said with a chuckle. "I don't care how stubborn you think you are, Sam outdoes you. Easy." He'd come up against that stubborn part of Sam before. Actually, a lot. So he knew.

"Well, let's hope we never have to find out." He said."I'll take care of the medical bills at least. I am sure they are going to want to set him up on IV antibiotics for a couple of days. What did you tell Quillon"
"That Sam was in a coma and I was mad. And that you're human, and even I have my limits. That's one line I can't cross." Dean said. He'd come close before, with that virus, and those people. But that was different, he told himself. The facility was an unfortunate accident. It wasn't murder, it couldn't be. Because if Dean believed it was, that he was a murderer, he'd be more lost than Sam could ever have a nightmare of being.

He nodded. "We'll keep him under that assumption." It would be easy enough. "St Luke's won't give out information on him, we'll need security at the door just in case"
"I'll handle security." Dean said. "But after this is over, you might be short an intern. Might want to put the ad in the help wanted papers again."

"So should I cancel the doctor too, since you have this all under control on your own?" He asked in frustration as he rose from his chair.

Dean looked at him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was I supposed to just hand my brother over to you, say thanks, I'll write? Do you think I'm that stupid and careless?"

"Not going to make you leave if you don't want to. But damn it, you couldn't hide from him before what makes you think you can do it now ?"

"Stop fighting over me, s'embarassing. Not a girl"
"We weren't trying to hide as hard as we could have." Dean said defensively and breathed a sigh of relief when Sam spoke up. "Hey." He said with a relieved smile. "Glad to see you're back with us. How do you feel?"

"About the same ... I guess." He said not even bothering to try and push himself up right. "Guess it will take time..."

"You need the swelling to come down before there will be much in the way of change." Allen said. "They will probably put you on IV antibiotics."

"No hospital." Sam said.
"Fine." Dean said. "Have your doctor friend put an IV in him, and I'll do the antibiotics here." Wouldn't be the first time either.

"This is your spine we are talking about Sam... you need to be where a neurologist can examine you."

"No... they'll find us too easy in a hospital. Find us here too. Gotta... go"
"We're good here for a few days." Dean assured his brother. "But he's right, no hospital. He's an escaped mental patient remember. Too risky."

"This is insane. you could wind up paralyzed for life if this is botched. Not that your brother isn't a wonderful caregiver but he isn't exactly a doctor."

"They'll find him.. no." Sam said.
"Sam." Dean said, squatting by the bed so he was eye level with his brother. "Don't make this decision based on me. They won't find me. Or catch me. I'm good. I'm that good. Do you want to go to a hospital?"

"If we were that good, we wouldn't be in this mess." Sam mumbled, and groaned. "Right now I want to go back to sleep and not hurt." He tried to smile.

"Dean... this isn't about what Sam wants. It's about what Sam needs" McKendrick pointed out.
"Like I said, you don't know anything about my brother." Dean said. "We take him to a hospital, and he's not convinced that we're safe there, he'll get worse. Because he'll try to break out. He's a worrier and big on angst. Let me see if I can handle it here, okay?"

"Fine, we'll try it this way for now, but if he gets worse, or doesn't improve. we'll have to reconsider." McKendrick said firmly. "Or what we've done here won't amount to a hill of beans"
"My brother will be fine." Dean said as the doctor arrived. He argued with the doctor about where Sam should be, but finally the IV was in, and Dean was left with a fridge full of antibiotics and flushes.

After the third antibiotic, Dean ordered take out. "Hey, ordered Chinese. Want some?" He asked his brother. Well, at least his color was better.

"Yeah okay. No chopsticks though." Sam said, he was still in pain but at least he knew there was an end in sight. He could deal with anything so long as he knew it would eventually get better.
"Okay." Dean said as he dished out some Chinese and handed his brother a glass of milk. "How are you feeling?" He was under pressure to take Sam to a hospital, he knew that.

"Dean, I'll be alright." He said as he held on to the milk with both hands to take a drink. "Just gonna take time for the swelling to go down is all." He didn't want to go anywhere near a hospital. Too easy to be traced. Not that he really thought there was a chance for Dean if they waited for him to get better.
"And you know what Sam? I'll be all right too. If you need to go to a freaking hospital, I can stay out of sight. It's not hard. We were careless last time, it won't happen again." Dean said. "But if you need to be in a hospital, and you're not going because of me, I swear I'll kill you myself."

"We need to get out of here." Sam said, slowly eating. The stiffness in the muscles was spreading down to his shoulders, but that was normal enough all things considered. "It's too dangerous to stay"
"Yeah, the last time we went on a road trip when you were sick, I ended up having to go by the call sign of Rubber freaking Duck, remember?" Dean said. "We're fine until you're healed. Really healed, dude. Cause I can't drive and force meds on you at the same time."

A picture frame shattered on the near by wall. "Dean, he isn't going to give up." Sam said. "If you won't move me, then you need to go. We can meet up at the safe house when the dust has settled"
Dean's jaw clenched. "Fine." Dean said. "Start packing. Because I am, and I repeat for the millionth time, am NOT leaving you. You want to leave, fine. Let's pack."

Sam slowly swung his feet over the edge of the bed, and shifted into position to get up. He moved slowly, attempting to stave off the pain he expected. But it wasn't pain that brought him abruptly back down on the bed, and into a near fetal position. It was the dizziness. World tilting on its axis, vision fading to white dizziness. He groaned, hoping he could hold down the chinese food because retching would seriously hurt right then.

"Wow. Looks like I win again." Dean said, but not unkindly, as his brow furrowed watching his brother sway then lay back down and curl up. "Look, just give it a couple more days, okay? Because if you think I'm leaving you like this, you're dumb."

"And what if he shows up? Time has almost run out, hasnt it?" He said with a frown, not even trying to sit up again just yet. "I don't know that even Andy could sweet talk your way out of prison"
"Dude, stop worrying. Especially about me." Dean said. "That's my job, watch out for my pain in the ass little brother. Your job is to stand in absolute awe of me, remember?" Time was almost up. And he was concerned about that. But he didn't want Sam to be. He had enough on his plate. "You just get better by this weekend so we can go check out some freaky shops."

"Someone has to worry about you... you won't. " Sam said as he slowly made his way to a sitting position once more, ignoring the head rush that came with it.
"I'm fine." Dean said. "But once you're ready to travel, I mean really ready, then we'll go. Sam, you're not there yet"
Sam sighed. "I know." He admitted reluctantly. Sitting in the passenger seat of the Impala made him hurt even just thinking about it.
"Get some rest. I'm gonna grab some food." Dean said as he headed out of the apartment and to the corner store. Stocking up on junk food and some actual food. "Sam!" Dean called out as he laid the bags on the kitchen table (they had a kitchen table, imagine that!). "I got some of those fruit snacks you like." No answer. Dean started looking around, surveying his surroundings. Something was off. "Sam?" He said as he went into his brother's room. "Sam!" He yelled. Sam wasn't there. But there was a note where Sam should have been.
'Finish the job. Or go to jail'
Dean balled it up and threw it against the wall in frustration, and stormed out of the apartment. Back to the federal building.
He was met by security at the doors as he came in. "Agent Quillon isn't interested in speaking with you at this time." He was told. "Unless you are turning yourself in"
"Fuck you." Dean said as he punched the first one hard enough to knock over the second one, and dashed into the elevator, getting off at the second floor, but sending it up to the proper floor anyway. And headed up the stairs until he got to the floor and strolled right into Quillon's office (as everyone else was waiting at the elevator) and shoved him back against the desk. "Where's my brother, prick? You got two seconds"
Dean was thrown off of Quillon by an invisible force. "Not my problem that you can't keep track of a comatose man. You should be out there taking care of business, Winchester"
"Shut the hell up." Dean said and sprang back toward Quillon and punched him. He was thrown off again, but at least he got that punch in. He didn't lose Sam. Sam was taken. There was a difference, and he was pretty sick of it too.

Quillon pressed a button on his desk and an alarm sounded in the hall. "Building is being locked down, Winchester. Game and match." He said as slammed the younger man into the wall. "You should have just done what I told you to do. "

"Haven't you figured it out?" Dean said as he kicked Quillon off him. "I'm the belligerent one. Unpredictable, wildly handsome. And fast." Dean said as he darted out out of the room. He wasn't staying in this building. He'd head to the roof, and hope for another way down. Or a close by building or something.

Quillon was up and after him seconds later, following him up the stairs. He didn't want to kill him, he needed him alive to finish the job and take the fall. That limited what he was able to do to contain the son of a bitch, which only served to make him angrier.
Dean ran fast and hard. Up stairs. Onto another floor. Up another stairwell. Finally taking an access vent. He made it to the roof, without having to open the door. So no one was notified that he was there. He squeezed out of the vent and caught his breath on the asphalt on top the roof. He looked over the edge. It wasn't obnoxiously high, maybe seven stories. Another building close by, he could make that jump. Sure, if he prayed really really hard and grew wings in the mean time.
Quillon paused outside the door to the roof to catch his breath. Winchester was going no where now. Once he had regained his composure he opened the door and strode confidently onto the roof.

"There's nowhere to run, Dean." He said as he closed the door behind him.

Dean didn't know it, but the building wasn't on lock down anymore. Quillon had cleared it. He didn't want to be seen as the last person to see Dean Winchester alive, so he told his agents that Winchester was back out on the job. Police brutality could come back and bite him in the ass, after all.

"Well, good. That was tiring." Dean quipped and was punched for that. Hard, sending him staggering. It started a whole brawl, up there on the roof. Loose asphalt flying around them, and soon Dean was seriously hurting. He couldn't get the upper hand, because Quillon would employ his telekinesis and such at inopportune time (inopportune for Dean at any rate.
He couldn't do it anymore. He was tired, wrung out, he had nothing left to give.
Well, maybe one thing.
He was counting on Quillon's lack of control over his freaky powers, lack of control he'd already demonstrated.

"No wonder you're not the favorite." Dean said with a smirk as he gave all he had one last time. A full break run toward the edge of the roof, flying in the air. The landing was messy, and seriously hurt. He even got road rash from the other roof as he landed and rolled.

But somehow...he'd made it. An impossible jump. Lifted by a stray breeze from the near wind tunnel the space between the two buildings created.
Quillon swore, and took off at a run. If Winchester could make it, so could he. Only he didn't. One moment, the momentum was carrying him across the divide, the next it was as though all the energy was sucked out of his flight, and he dropped like a stone seven stories down, landing in a heap on the pavement below.
Dean saw Quillon heading toward him. And saw him fall.
And like someone driving by a horrific car accident, he looked. Though he knew he shouldn't have, as his stomach quickly betrayed him and he retched on the roof. Quillon's body was crumbled on the ground, even seven stories up he could see the unnatural angle of it all. He swore he could see the blood pool beneath the man. And he had to sit down and lean against the short retaining wall as he sat in shock.

Quillon was dead. He hadn't made the jump. He'd tried to get to Dean. Did that make it his fault? Had he just killed a man? No! He hadn't killed him. It was an accident, brought on by Quillon himself. He'd never touched the man.

And Dean just kept repeating that, until he almost believed it (though it was true).