Held UP

AN: POV change, so keep an eye out for section titles! Enjoy and tell me what you think...please?! I beg of you!

Ashley had become withdrawn once she found the note back in the trashed motel room and Dean couldn't help but half blame himself for that. He was the one, after all, to suggest Ben stay in the motel alone with no protection. Ashley on the other hand took it the worst and blamed everything on herself- she kept mumbling how she should have stayed with Ben and let Dean ask the survivor the questions on his own, and should they have really left Portland? But the note had stuck in everyone's head too clearly, no one could shake the words out of their head.

Go back to your perfect life in California and go back to how things used to be. Only then will your "new son" be returned to you. Only then! Ben isn't here anymore; you have no reason to stay. Go home!

Ashley hadn't moved from the bedroom in days unless she needed to use the bathroom or take a (rare) bath. Dean spent most of his time with Ashley and Justin, while Sam worked with Castiel to track down Ben. Justin knew something was wrong with Ashley but he still spent time with her and played on the floor in her room while his older guardian stayed right by his youngest guardian's side.

Ashley was curled up on the bed when Dean came in with her dinner of clam chowder a couple days after getting back from Portland, where Ben was taken from. "Thanks De, just put it on the dresser" she whispered as she settled deeper under the blankets and closer to the mattress.

"Ash come on, you haven't eaten much since…well in a month" Dean retorted. Seeing Ashley wasn't going to budge, Dean sat down next to his sister and let her use his legs as a pillow, as he ran a hand through her knotty blond hair. God, can't believe I am letting my sister lay all over me. She really has turned me into some sort of softy he thought as his hand reflectively aimed to comfort his distraught baby sister.

Ashley

Ben was left alone in that room for an hour, and in an hour he was found and taken out from under me., right out from under my nose I should have known better then to leave him alone on only his second hunt! He was too vulnerable. My bet is on demon, so Cas and Sam are working on tracking the ones that were in Oregon to where they went and where they might be now. It was a couple hours after he came with my dinner that I finaly spoke up. I was listening to the sound of his fingers rubbing on my skull when I felt my mouth open up and sounds come out from it. "Dean, did I fail Ben?"

"No" he said almost too quickly "this was equally our faults."

I agreed with him, but I wasn't able to say anything back to him. Instead I felt him scoot down from a sitting position and lay down next to me. Within a couple seconds, I could feel his chest vibrate slightly and heard his deep voice try and be soft and light. Who would have thought tough guy Dean Winchester would let a woman lay her head on his chest a sing to her while she bawled like a stupid little baby? I'm not supposed to act like a girl, I'm supposed to be strong and tough-like Dad taught us to be! "Winchester's don't cry! you especially don't cry, got it?" If Dad saw us now, I'm sure he would have a fit and yell us into next year.

Dean was off key by the time he started "Hey Jude, don't make it bad", but I still fell asleep to his off tune rendition to his old lullaby Mom used to sing to him and his soft heartbeat, not caring one bit that this was not how we were supposed to act. Hell, Ben wasn't supposed to get kidnapped!

Sam barged in to his sibling's shared room with news, but stopped when he saw Ashley asleep on Dean, who was still humming "Hey Jude" but with his eyes closed and head titled back. "Hey, I got something on Ben" Sam whispered into the silent room Justin had even curled up on the floor by his toys and was now taking his nighttime rest on the hardwood floor. Dean hadn't stopped humming but had opened his eyes and cocked his head to the side like a curious puppy. Sam smiled at his big brother and continued on. "It wasn't Crowley, but he knows who took Ben. He's in San Fran, with the kid."

Dean finally stopped humming, but did not move from where he was. "Should we tell Ash?" he whispered, barely loud enough for Sam to hear what his brother had asked.

"No, she'll only want to come and someone needs to stay with Justin. Castiel will watch over her and tell her where we went."

"Yeah, okay. We'll leave in 5" Dean agreed as he slipped out from under his sleeping sister and carried the now sleeping Justin out of the room.

Ashley

Sam and Dean left me to go track down a lead. I couldn't be upset at that, I would be too distracted and motivated by rage to be of any help. I would probably get myself or even worse someone else in trouble just cause a mess. Castiel agreed to watch Justin for a few minutes while I took a shower and got ready to face the world again.

"Yay, you're better" Justin celebrated as he threw himself at me once I started down the stairs.

"Yeah, almost better. You hungry Tiger?"

"Yeah, can I have Mac-n-cheese?" Justin asked sweetly.

"What do you say?" I egged him on, hoping to teach him some manners if it was the last thing I do.

"Pwease?" he struggled to correctly pronounce the word.

"Sure bud, go watch some TV while I talk to Uncle Castiel."

The angel popped up next to me almost as soon as I said his name, startling me a little. "I'm sorry, no news yet. Sam and Dean will be pulling up to the building soon."

I nodded and set off to make Justin's dinner while Castiel continued to peer over my shoulder, interested in what I was doing with the hard noodles and orange powdered cheese. I added some leftover chicken to the cooked pasta for protein and added carrots to his plate. As I poured him a glass of milk, Castiel began to make noise again right from behind me. "What is it, Cas?" I asked, walking out of the kitchen carrying Justin's food on a tray and placing it on the table.

"The warehouse was empty, but the demon got sloppy. He left a clue showing he's slowly coming back down to San Diego."

"Where is he now?" I asked as I pulled a salad Sam fixed for me out of the fridge and started to pour Italian dressing on my dinner.

"San Jose."