Ruby pursed her lips in annoyance. Merlion had found her, as promised. And he was even stupider than she and Lilith had supposed, because he'd filled the gun with regular bullets and shot her with it.

"That hurt, dammit," she swore. Merlion was possessing some plumpish kid with bad skin and too much hair. It was a perfect meatsuit for such a pathetic demon.

"I… uh. I'm sorry. It just went off," he gabbled and she cast him a jaundiced look.

"Bullshit," she snapped. "You thought you could kill me and then take my place at Lilith's side. Like she'd ever trust a demon as moronic as you."

"She trusted me to bring the gun to you," Merlion stammered. Ruby rolled her eyes. "How was I to know regular bullets wouldn't work?"

"So you were trying to kill me? I ought to rip off your head." She'd given her knife back to Sam alas, so she couldn't kill the little turd. But she could threaten. "I'll be making my report to Lilith."

The pathetic worm began to blubber. "No, please. She'll crucify me."

"If you're lucky," Ruby agreed. "Now get out of my sight." Merlion fled as quickly as his legs could carry him.

"A prize specimen, that one," Crowley observed from the shadows. Ruby spun around to face him. "One of Lilith's loyal henchmen?"

"Yes," she sighed. "And he's totally brainless. I have no idea what she sees in him."

"True devotion should not be overrated," Crowley told her. "Having people you can trust is important if you ever want to scale the ranks." Ugh, was he going to start monologuing at her again? She held out the Colt to forestall him and his eyes lit up.

"Ah," he said with satisfaction. He examined the gun carefully and his mouth turned downwards. "Well.I don't know who's stupider. That chubby moron, you or Lilith."

"I don't know what you mean," Ruby said loftily. Crowley tossed the gun back to her.

"It's a fake."

"What!" She looked closely at the revolver in horror. "It looks authentic."

"Oh it's a good fake," Crowley agreed. "But it's not the real Colt."

"Merlion's not smart enough to pull something like this off," Ruby said narrowing her eyes. "Remember, I've seen the real thing before and I was fooled."

"So, did Lilith double cross you or did someone double cross Lilith?" Crowley pressed.

"I don't know," Ruby said tightly. "But I intend to find out."

Sam observed the dejected magician at the bar as he and Dean approached. There was never going to be good outcome to this case, and his heart ached for the man. He'd lost everything, and it wasn't because of anything he'd done.

"Hey, Jay. We wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday." Dean said. Jay glared at him. Sam knew this was a mistake.

"I killed my best friend yesterday, and you want to thank me?" Jay said incredulously.

"Where's Vernon?" Sam asked, looking around.

"Oh, he's gone," Jay said despondently. "He said he didn't want to speak to me again after what I did to Charlie."

"Listen, Jay...you know Charlie was never gonna give up what he was doing. Ever. You did the right thing." Dean told him.

Jay gave him a dubious look. "Are you sure about that? You know, Charlie was like my brother. And now he's dead... because I did 'the right thing.' He offered me a gift, and I just threw it back in his face. So now I have to spend the rest of my life old and alone. What's so right about that?" He got up to leave and the bartender spotted his cards on the bar.

"Jay...your cards."

"Throw them away," Jay said and left.

"Well, I don't know about you, but...I could go for a beer," Dean said. Sam looked at his brother in something very close to disgust. He loved Dean, but he could be a cold son-of-a-bitch sometimes.

"I'm gonna take a walk," he announced and headed outside. In the alley behind the bar, Ruby was waiting in her car. He opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat.

"OK," he said. "I'm in."

Ruby gave him a wary look. "What changed your mind?" she asked.

"I don't want to be doing this when I'm an old man," Sam grimaced.

"Good news, Sam," Ruby said brightly. "One way or another, you won't."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked suspiciously.

"Look," Ruby said seriously. "It's not complicated. You kill Lilith. Or she kills you."

"Don't soften the blow, willya?" Sam snarked.

"I'm not here to babysit you," Ruby told him. "We have a job to do."

"Dean thinks we shouldn't kill her," Sam admitted and Ruby's stomach lurched with alarm. Dammit, Sam was so mercurial!

"Why?" she said as neutrally as she could. "Why wouldn't you want the bitch dead?"

"He says killing Lilith is the last seal. The one that opens Lucifer's Cage."

"Bullshit," Ruby declared. "Why would she be working on breaking seals if she herself was one? Don't you think she would be running away, not working to bring this about? I'm telling you, Lilith has no desire to die."

"Maybe she doesn't know," Sam pointed out.

"Really, Sam? You think she wouldn't know something like that? I don't know what your angel buddies have told you, but I'm telling you it's crap."

"OK," Sam said slowly. "But why would Dean lie about it? I mean, why try to stop me from killing Lilith unless he believes it to be true." He hadn't told Ruby about Dean's claim to have come from the future, because frankly he wasn't sure he believed him. That hurt, not to have full faith in Dean. But frankly, his brother seemed different since he came back from Hell. Like the experience had broken him, permanently.

"Because Castiel told him and he believes everything that come out of that feathered asshole's mouth," Ruby said viciously.

"Come off it, Ruby," Sam said. "He doesn't trust the angels any more than I do. They've more than proved they can't be trusted."

"Hmm. Have you seen the way Dean looks at Castiel? Or how the angel looks at him? I have eyes, Sam."

"You're imagining things," Sam said firmly. "Never mind anything else, Dean's straight."

"Really," Ruby drawled. "Dean Winchester. Straight arrow."

"Yes," Sam insisted. "Not that it would be a problem if he was gay. Or bi. But he isn't."

"You keep telling yourself that," Ruby said, amused. "I know what I saw."

Dean watched as Sam and Dr. Roberts flirted idly with each other, trying not to get too irritated. Sam was more than entitled to hook up if he wanted to, and maybe if he was it meant Ruby was out of the picture. But there was something about this Dr. Roberts that set his teeth slightly on edge. Maybe it was just the way she'd only had eyes for Sam ever since the beginning. He grimaced. Self-awareness was a bitch.

"Actually, uh, we're here on business," Sam was saying. "About the blood samples. The ones with the high...you know...oxytocin?"

"You still have them?" Dean added.

"Mm-hmm," Dr. Roberts said with a smile.

"Good, we need them," Dean said shortly and her smile dropped.

"What for?" she demanded. Dean opened his mouth to give her an explanation when another man, smartly dressed and screaming G-man, came over.

"Excuse me, Dr. Roberts?" he said. He was good-looking, if a little baby-faced, and with a slightly uncertain air of authority that suggested he was almost as young as he looked.

"Yeah?" Dr Roberts responded.

Dean sighed and pulled out his FBI credentials. "Excuse me, uh, we're a little busy here, buddy." he said dismissively. When the man pulled out his own badge, he cursed silently.

"Yeah, so am I, pal." the man said a little more aggressively.

"Doc, can you give us a sec, please?" Sam interjected diplomatically and Dr. Roberts nodded and backed away.

"What's your name?" Dean said, fixing the newcomer with a stern look.

"Nick Munroe. What's yours?"

"I'm Special Agent Sam Stiles, this is my partner Dean Murdoch. What office are you from?" Sam said smoothly before Dean could answer.

"Omaha, Violent Crimes Unit. My SAC sent me down here to see about the murders." Munroe glared at Sam.

"Hmm," Sam said.

When he didn't say anything more, Munroe challenged, "You?"

"D.C." Dean said. "Our Assistant Director assigned us." Hah! Take that baby feebie.

"Oh, which AD?" There was a skeptical note in his voice Sam noted with concern.

"Mike Kaiser."

"What are your badge numbers?" Munroe asked.

"You're kidding, right?" Dean said, rolling his eyes. Sam elbowed him surreptitiously.

"I'm just following protocol," Munroe said easily but there was a tension in his eyes.

Sam pulled out a business card and handed it to him. "Look man, whatever. Just call our AD, he'll sort things out." Munroe looked at the card, back at Sam and then pulled out his phone. While he was on the phone, Sam looked at Dean.

"You sure you don't remember this case?" he asked. "Now the real Feds are here, we're going to be tripping over him everywhere we turn."

Dean shook his head. "Sorry, Sam. I think this one's new. We have changed a few things from last time." Sam seemed to be looking at him skeptically. "I swear, dude, I don't remember this case!"

Munroe was heading back towards them. "I'm sorry, guys," he said contritely.

"Just don't let it happen again," Dean said gruffly.

"Where are you at with this?" Munroe asked.

"Where are you at with this?" Dean retorted.

"Well, I was just about to run the, uh, perps' bloodwork." Munroe said uncertainly. He kept his attention on Dean, even though it was Sam who answered.

"I already checked, dead end," Sam told him.

"Oh yeah?" Munroe said, slightly disbelieving.

"Yeah."

Munroe flicked a glance at Dean before returning to Sam. "But get this. I feel like I found something that, uh, connects all the murderers," he said, his gaze landing back on Dean again.

"Really?" Sam said politely. What was this guy up to?

Munroe nodded. "They were all banging strippers...from the same club."

"You don't say!" Dean said, and Sam knew only he could hear the false sincerity in his brother's voice.

"What do you say we, uh, go down there and check it out?" Munroe suggested.

Dean exchanged a look with Sam. "Well, here's the thing, Nick. See, we're kinda lone wolves…" Sam elbowed him discreetly.

"You know what, that sounds like an excellent idea. Just... just give me a second with my partner and we'll, uh...one sec." He looked at Dean, "Come here." He dragged Dean away, Munroe watching them as they retreated. "Dude, you gotta stay with him."

"What?" Dean blinked.

"Keep him outta the way," Sam said urgently.

"Why me?" Dean complained. Sam leveled a look at him. Seriously? Dean hadn't noticed how this guy was checking him out?

"'Cause I gotta get the blood samples," Sam said patiently.

Dean's shoulders slumped. "What the hell am I supposed to do with him?" Sam tried not to grin.

"Just take him to the strip club...keep an eye out for the siren. Come on, Dean, just... just focus on the naked girls. You'll forget he's even there! "

"I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it for the girls," Dean sulked. Sam snorted in amusement and went off to find Dr. Roberts.

"All right," Dean announced. "We're taking my ride, no complaining about the tunes." Munroe stopped and gaped at the car.

"No way," he breathed. "You drive an Impala?"

"Yeah," Dean said, glancing sidelong at the agent.

"It's a '67, right? It's a 327 four barrel." Munroe continued in that same breathless tone.

Dean preened at the obvious awe in the other man's voice. "Yeah, actually."

"It's a thing of beauty," Munroe said, his eyes alight.

"Thanks."

"How the hell did you talk the Bureau into letting you drive your own wheels?" Munroe asked. Dean grinned at him.

The strip club was dark and the music pounded as various women in various states of undress danced against poles, sashayed through the club with trays of drinks and led some men off for private dances. What a case! And this FBI agent, Nick, wasn't a total douchebag, as it turned out. They'd drunk a couple of shots and challenged each other on their recall of various details of Led Zeppelin's back catalog.

But now he was eyeing Dean as if weighing something up. His gaze would flick out to the dancers and then return to Dean, especially if he thought Dean wasn't looking. It was beginning to weird him out.

"Hey," he said suddenly. "Can I level with you?

"Mmm," Dean said non-committally.

"I found something kinda weird," the agent confessed. Dean blinked and turned his attention back to Nick.

"Well. You have bought your weird to the right spot. Lay it on me," he said easily. A strange look passed across Nick's face for a moment, before returning to his usual, open expression.

"I went to the crime scene this morning. Saw them bagging this up," Nick said. He pulled an evidence bag out of his pocket and handed it to Dean. Inside were some purple flower petals. "So I went back, uh, through all the files. It turns out a flower just like that was found at every crime scene."

"Like it was left on purpose?" said Dean in surprise.

Nick nodded. "You know, sometimes a serial killer will leave an object behind, like a calling card. But with this case? Tell you the truth, I got no idea what's going on." Something tickled at the edge of Dean's memory.

"I think I might. I've seen a flower like this before."

Heading back to the car, Dean pulled out his phone and called Sam. The phone rang twice and then went to voicemail. Dammit, Sammy. Answer your phone! He got in the car and started the engine before trying Sam's number again. This time it rang four times before bouncing to voicemail once more.

There was no help for it, he'd have to go back to the hotel and see if his brother was there. He turned the car out of the lot. He was no more than a few minutes away when his phone rang. He glanced at it and answered when he saw it was Sam.

One he'd hung up the phone, Dean thumped the steering wheel in frustration. He should never have left Sam alone with that doctor, Dean thought. He should have seen it from the start, how she'd been reeling his brother in. He called Bobby and cursed as it went to voicemail.

"Sam's in trouble, Bobby. I think the siren's worked her mojo on him. Give me a call as soon as you get this."

He tossed his phone into the passenger seat and grimaced, thinking hard. Sam was out of the picture, and even if Bobby had answered the phone, he was still several hours away. He needed backup. His thoughts almost immediately landed on Nick. He'd been helpful and seemed pretty trustworthy. He punched the agent's number into his phone.

It wasn't hard to find Nick's car in the lot. Standard government issue, Dean thought. He opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat. Nick gave him a warm smile of welcome. It was nice to be appreciated.

"She went in just a second ago," the agent told him.

"Nice work," Dean said.

"Should we follow her in?" Nick asked, sounding uncertain.

Dean shook his head. "No, no, no, I don't wanna tip her off. Let's just wait and see who she comes out with."

"So you think... what? She's drugging these guys?" Nick winced.

"Pretty much."

"Uh-huh," Nick said a little skeptically. Dean flicked a glance at him.

"I know how it sounds," he admitted.

Nick grinned at him. "You sure about that? 'Cause it sounds like crazy on toast. All these different strippers, they're magically the same girl? But then they're not strippers at all, it's Dr Quinn."

"It's kinda hard to explain, but I have my reasons and they're good ones, so you're just gonna have to trust me on 'em," Dean said. There was a moment of silence.

"Yeah. OK. I guess."

"Thank you," Dean said in surprise. "That's actually nice to hear." And it was. Not having to worry that someone's got your back? He'd missed that feeling. And dammit it, it should be Sam, but there was nothing he could do about that now. He pulled out a hip flask and took a swig, before offering it to Nick. The agent accepted it, took a mouthful and then handed it back. Dean took one more slug before recapping the flask.

"So let's say she is drugging her vics. How's she pulling that off?" Nick asked. Dean looked at him. The man really was quite attractive. And he seemed to be gazing at Dean in a way that was not entirely professional.

"She could be injecting them, you know, or passing the toxin through, uh," Dean broke off and swallowed. "Uh, physical contact." Nick was staring steadily at him. And Dean didn't want to stop looking back. Nick shifted closer, and slid one hand behind Dean's head. His fingers were trembling slightly and Dean swallowed again. Nick's face was really close now, his lips pink and soft-looking. Dean edged ever so slightly closer and Nick did not retreat. His eyes dropped to Dean's mouth and then his tongue poked out to moisten his lips. Dean's control snapped and he grabbed Nick and tugged him forward, crushing their mouths together. Nick groaned and opened his lips to Dean's tongue, hot and eager. Their tongues tangled and then with another groan of desire, Nick broke the kiss and leaned back.

"Or it could be her saliva…" he grinned at Dean. Dean gaped at him in consternation. "I should be your partner in this, Dean. You know you can't trust Sam. Not like you can trust me. In fact, I really feel like you should get him outta the way, so we can be together. Forever."

"Yeah," Dean said slowly. "Yeah, you're right." Nick swept a look down Dean's body and Dean shivered.

"Come on," Nick said. "Let's head back to the hotel."

Sam opened the hotel room door and stopped when he saw Munroe sat on Dean's bed. The covers were mostly piled on the floor and the room smelled unmistakably of sex and sweat. Sam's eyes widened in shock.

"Munroe? What are you doing here?" he said uncomfortably. He heard the sound of someone sneaking up behind him too late and he wasn't fast enough to stop the knife coming up to his throat.

"Dean?" he said in confusion. And then understanding dawned. "I gotta tell ya," Sam said to Munroe sarcastically, "You're one butt ugly stripper."

"Well, maybe," Munroe shrugged. "But I got exactly what I wanted. I got Dean."

"Dean, come on man, this isn't you. You can fight this. Let me go." Sam said urgently. Dean growled in his ear.

"Why don't you cut him? Just a little, on his neck right there." Munroe ordered. Dean sliced into the skin of Sam's neck without hesitation. Oh, God. "Dean's all mine."

"You poisoned him!" Sam yelled.

Munroe shook his head. "No. I gave him what he needed. And it wasn't some bitch in a G-string. It was someone he could trust. And now he loves me. He'd do anything for me. And I gotta tell you, Sam, that kind of devotion? I mean, watching someone kill for you? It's the best feeling in the world."

"Is that why you're slutting all over town?" Sam snarled.

"Ahh. I get bored, like we all do," Munroe said easily. "And I wanna fall in love again. And again...and again."

"I'll tell you what," Sam snarled. "I have fought some nasty sons of bitches, but you are one needy pathetic loser." Munroe got up and sauntered over to him, a lazy smile on his face.

"You won't feel that way in a minute," he said in a sultry tone. He grabbed Sam's face and kissed him savagely. Sam tried to resist for a moment, but then desire swept through him and before he knew it, he was gasping and shivering. Nick leaned back, delighted.

"So I know you two have a lot you wanna get off your chests. So why don't you discuss it? And whoever survives can be with me forever." He backed away from the brothers. Sam turned to face Dean.

"Well, I don't know when it happened. Maybe when I was in Hell. Maybe when I was staring right at you. But the Sam I knew, he's gone." Dean said.

It was like an ice pick in his gut. How could Dean say such a thing to him? "That so?" Sam said defiantly.

"And it's not the demon blood or the psychic crap. It's the little stuff. The lies. The secrets," Dean continued. A red haze began to descend over Sam's eyes.

"Oh, yeah?" he snapped. "What secrets?"

"The phone calls to Ruby for one."