SPN

They gathered around the kitchen table, where Bobby dished out some leftovers from breakfast—eggs, bacon, and a fruit salad. It wasn't the most appetizing meal… with Sam in danger, Dean didn't have a stomach for food, but at least they had fresh coffee. He grabbed a mug and eagerly drank it hot.

Then, they sat in awkward silence, waiting for the Syndicate's young runaway (who looked so much like Dean's brother) to brace himself for a difficult conversation. After all, if they were going up against Eve, for the sake of the whole world, they had to trust each other. They had to be honest with each other. No secrets.

Unfortunately, Sam didn't seem to grasp the importance of the 'no secrets' rule. "I… I don't even know where to begin."

"Why'd you leave home?" Dean asked in genuine concern. They might not technically be brothers, but it still bothered him to see traces of lingering fear in Sam's expression. Frankly, if someone threatened the kid, Dean would probably act on instinct. They might be in a different reality, but the only difference he could discern between his Sam and their Sam was the way their Sam looked at him. With fear in his eyes. Oh, hell no. That was not something Dean could tolerate.

Fidgeting nervously, the kid stared down at his plate. "I wasn't welcome anymore…" He trailed off, like there was nothing else to say. Dean clenched his jaw. He knew his brother. The kid was definitely hiding something.

"You weren't welcome?" He tried to keep his voice soft. Maybe he could coax out the truth. "So you just walked out? No goodbyes? Not even to Gwen?"

Sam shook his head, obviously miserable. "I couldn't risk it. She's one of my best friends. She's probably the first person my dad questioned after I left, and if he thought even for a second that she might be covering for me, it could ruin her career. The less she knew, the safer she'd be."

"Safer?" Dean leaned forward, heart pounding. "Sam, did someone hurt you?" The kid flinched, refusing to look up from his plate. When he didn't answer, Dean peered over at Bobby. The old man offered him a barely-perceptible shrug. No wonder he suspected abuse. Dean tried again. "Sam, who was it?"

Was it me?

On rare occasions, Dean was known to take a swing at his brother, but the thought of reducing him to a scared, skittish victim was more than he could bear. The guilt was overwhelming. How could anyone hurt his brother? "Sammy, please… Talk to me."

The poor kid shook his head. "It's not something you can fix, Dean. And it's not your problem." Dean felt the assertion like a slap to the face. Before he could think of a response, Sam continued. "The point is, the day I left, I stole my dad's gun. The Colt. I figured I could use the extra protection, especially with Eve on the loose."

Dean grimaced. How was it possible that Sam felt safer on the road than with his own family? Especially with Eve involved?

"I told myself I could still make a difference. My life could still have purpose and meaning. So I began hunting for people, free of charge, no questions asked." He shuddered. "Do you realize how much trouble I'm in? I'm technically AWOL. I've stolen the chief's personal property, and I'm helping people who can't pay. If my dad finds me, I'm pretty much grounded for life. Literally."

Knowing John, Sam wasn't exaggerating.

"So one day, a couple months ago, I'm on a case out east. A shapeshifter was on a murder spree, killing homeless women. Not something that would ever catch the attention of the Syndicate—they're only concerned with paying customers."

Dean noticed Bobby scowling.

"But this time," Sam went on, "I didn't realize the city mayor had such a heart for public service. He used his own money to hire a Syndicate squad. PHS-03. Ellen Harvelle, Rufus Turner… their team. It didn't take long for us to bump into each other, and then… well, you can imagine how everyone reacted. I ran. As fast as I could. Ellen pursued. Rufus took a different route, trying to cut me off. I was just so desperate to escape, I didn't watch where I was going. I got reckless. The next thing I know, I'm barreling straight into a horde of monsters, and if that's not bad enough, Eve herself was there."

Sam took a deep, shaky breath. "Ellen and half her squad was captured along with me. Our weapons were confiscated and thrown into a nearby ditch. Then, naturally, Eve recognized me. Just my luck. She knew I was the chief's son, and she decided to infect me. To use me against my dad. But…" Sam shrugged. "It didn't work. Turns out I'm inexplicably immune. And you know what's even more frightening? Eve wasn't upset. Surprised, but not upset. She said that makes me her responsibility, and she wants to take me under her wing."

Dean groaned. "Awesome."

"Thankfully, Rufus and the rest of their squad managed to sneak up on us. They secured our weapons from the ditch, including the Colt, which Rufus used to shoot Eve through the heart. It didn't kill her, but it packed a mean punch, and she went down for a good minute. Her minions panicked, and we fought our way out. In all the confusion, I managed to escape. I ran, and I didn't look back."

"Can't blame you for that," Dean muttered.

Sam sighed, brushing his hair out of his face. "So now, I'm screwed. My dad wants me. The compound wants me. And Eve wants me. I don't know what to do anymore." He peered over at Castiel. "If you're really an angel, you're an answered prayer."

Cas shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Full disclosure… Angels aren't exactly what they're cracked up to be, myself least of all."

"Shut up, Cas." Considering the endless crap they had to deal with, Dean couldn't add Sam's disappointment to the list. He somehow caught the kid's gaze. "Look, no one's perfect, but I promise you, if you help us, we'll return the favor."

Bobby grunted. "And how do we know you're not just telling us what we want to hear? Maybe, to save your brother, you'd say anything to make us play along."

"Fair point," Dean acknowledged. "But think about it. My brother's trapped with Eve, and I'm anxious to save him. I don't like wasting time, and when I have an angel on my team, manipulation's a waste of time. I could just have Cas knock you out and take Sam by force, but I'm not doing that. I'm sitting here, asking nicely. Please. Help us."

Bobby and Sam exchanged reluctant looks. If they agreed, there was no going back. True, they could always leave Bobby behind and keep Sam's safe house a secret, but Dean recognized the old man's expression. "Family don't end with blood, boy!" If Sam agreed to risk his life, his freedom, to combat Eve, then Bobby wasn't gonna let him go alone.

Sam sighed… "Okay, so what's the plan?"

Dean let out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Well, we need a weapon with the juice to kill Eve."

"Phoenix ash," Bobby said. "But no one's been able to find any."

Yeah, no kidding.

"I've been thinking about that," Cas interjected. "We know the ashes of a phoenix can burn the mother thanks to a book we found in the Campbells' library." (Actually, Bobby found the book, and Cas wasn't there at the time, but Dean didn't bother to correct him.) "We're operating under the intelligence of men. We should be operating under the intelligence of God."

Dean rolled his eyes. "What are you on about, Cas?"

"The Word of God," he replied. "The weapons of God. Eve might be called the mother of all monsters, but she wasn't the first, or even the most formidable. 'Long before God created angel and man, he made the first beasts.'"

Dean shuddered, hearing Death's voice in his mind. "You're saying Dick Roman trumps Eve?"

"No, not Dick Roman. The Leviathan who stole Dick Roman's identity." Cas glared at Dean for the rookie mistake. "I carried those creatures inside me. I know how they felt about Eve, and it was certainly not filial affection. More like contempt. She proceeded from them, but was not one of them. They deemed her a perversion, a pathetic mutt."

Dean blinked. "So they're related?"

"Yes. I believe the bone of a righteous mortal washed in the three bloods of the fallen will be sufficient to kill Eve. Now, the compound has several alphas in custody. With the Syndicate's help, we can acquire most of the ingredients with relative ease."

Dean felt the others staring at him in bewilderment. Leviathans? Weapons of God? They were so confused, and Dean was piqued. "You want to use the weapon that slammed us into Purgatory?" He was so focused on Cas, he barely noticed Sam and Bobby's mounting alarm.

"It's our best option," the angel maintained. "And now that we know about the blast wave, we can prepare for it."

"That's a terrible plan!"

Cas smiled grimly. "Aren't they all?"

SPN

Dean Winchester, heir of the Syndicate, was not in a good mood. The chief's private jet was on its way to Montana, where they would investigate both a kidnapping and a potential conspiracy. Could Uncle Will actually be undermining the chief's authority, like his dad believed? But why? Dean knew his uncle. The man was practically his second father, perhaps a little stern, but never disdainful. He wouldn't betray the chief, especially now, in the middle of a war, would he? How could they fight Eve if they were busy fighting each other?

To make matters worse, his counterpart and the unknown subject were both still at large, undoubtedly stirring up trouble. Dean couldn't necessarily blame them. If he was in their position, he would do the same, but seriously, did they have to knock him out and handcuff him to his father? That was uncomfortable.

Cas… Castiel… At least they had a name, but what the hell was he? If not a witch, then what? A demon? No. Dean couldn't imagine his counterpart working with a demon, much less calling him a friend, so what exactly did that leave? Dean was drawing a blank, and he didn't like it.

Frustrated, he climbed from his lounge chair and stalked from the cabin into the private master suite, where no one else but the chief and his personal staff dared to go. As he went, he felt his father, Gwen, and the other hunters in their company staring after him, but he offered no explanation for his retreat. He owed them nothing, and couldn't stand the tense silence any longer.

Sliding the door shut behind him, he surveyed the extravagant bedroom—only his father could afford such luxury on a friggin' jet. Finding himself alone, Dean fished his cell out from his pocket and called the only person he could really talk to in situations like these.

Thankfully, Ethan was available to answer. "Dean? This really isn't a good time."

"What the hell, man!? Did you idiots actually kidnap an alternate version of my brother from some other reality!?"

"Hey, it wasn't my idea! I was just following orders, but I had a plan to help him. I convinced your uncle to grant me custody of the kid after they finished their research, so I could get him out. I swear, I tried. I had no idea Campbell would take off with him. That came out of nowhere."

"Yeah, well, he was followed. So now, we've got another Dean Winchester running around, along with a powerful unsub, and they are pissed."

"Yeah, I heard," Ethan said with a hint of concern. "How's Gwen?"

Dean sighed. Oh, Gwen… "How do you think? The chief's about to arrest her dad, and this whole disaster's opening up old wounds. She misses Sam…" He trailed off, heart heavy with thoughts of his wayward brother. "I don't get it, Ethan. He's not safe out there. Why won't he come home?"

"I wish I knew, but that's something only he can answer. You know he loves you, right? Nothing's ever going to change that."

"If anything happens to him…"

"Nothing's gonna happen to him. You've gotta hold onto that until we find him. And believe me, we're gonna find him. I promise."

SPN

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