"Suzette?" Sam called softly. He climbed from the car and shut the door. The street was deserted, the night quiet, no passing cars, no pedestrians, not even a dog barking in the distance. Not much of a surprise, since it was now after three in the morning. He'd stopped a block away from the street corner where the girl who had left him a message from his brother's phone had instructed him to meet her and approached the intersection with gun drawn.

This was Sam's life, so he hadn't expected the message to have been from Dean. Had no reason to hope that the voicemail would have revealed his brother's happy alcohol-slurred voice telling him to pop on over to wherever and pick him up. That his search on the longest night of his life would finally be over and not only would he have his brother back, but he'd be able to lay hands on that stupid car whose disappearance was giving him an ulcer.

"Sam." she appeared out of the shadows and gloom. "bout time."

"Where is he?" he was in no mood for an attitude from anyone and he wasn't about to play games. All she had left on the voicemail had been a phone number and when he'd called it, she'd answered with instructions to meet her.

"I'm here to take you to him."

"Just tell me where the hell he is." it crossed his mind to ask her how she recognized him but the thought was fleeting as anger and disappointment overcame his logic. "I'm so tired of this fucking game."

"Aaah, what game?" she questioned. "Sam, look, we don't have time for this." she said impatiently. "I didn't spring him from the Sheriff's car….I don't know who did…..but I assume they are looking for him."

"Do you know where he is or not?" he held his hand out. "Give me his phone." he needed some kind of proof that she had seen Dean

She handed it over. "I do."

"Then why are you here and he isn't?"

"I couldn't very well carry him." she shot back.

"Why would….." his brow wrinkled in confusion. "Wait, are you saying he's hurt?!"

"I didn't have a lot of choices Sam." she explained. "I don't know who took him and I couldn't just trust that you were you and not them and lead you if you weren't you and were them to where he was."

He shook his head, not sure he'd followed what she'd said. "And now? You know who I am? How?"

"I'll take you to him."

He couldn't speak, he tried, but his tongue was tied in a knot. He held one hand up, silently asking her to give him a moment. He couldn't do this, the events of the past several hours had already ripped his fragile hold on reality beyond his ability to reclaim. He could not handle having his brother dangled in front of him yet again only to be yanked away.

"You really have him?" he finally got out. "Because if you don't, you're wasting my time. I have a car to go see, another one to find, an accident site to investigate and an idiot in Somersville to beat the truth out of."

"Mooch didn't cause the accident." she started walking. "I can take you to your brother, come on, where's your car?"

"I was talking about Doris." he stopped. "You know about all that? About Somersville?" he continued to walk with her, his mind racing to catch up and sort out everything he was hearing. "How?"

She nodded. "I was on my way to stop Dobbin from taking him to county. I came upon the accident, Dobbin was slumped over the wheel. Dean was gone."

"Who took him?"

"I don't know."

"Who are you?"

"Drive." she opened the passenger door and got in. "Sam, come on, it's been over three hours since he was taken from Dobbin. I don't know if he got away from whoever got him out of the car or if they let him go, but we need to get back to him."

"How did you find him?" he pulled out. He knew he should insist on having all his questions answered, but he could only focus on one thing at a time, and unanswered past questions were forgotten.

"The cuffs were cut from the chain that told me someone had taken him from the car…."

"How long ago did you find him?"

"Maybe thirty minutes. I was able to convince him to get into the car with me but he didn't want anything to do with me. He wouldn't confide in me or answer any of my questions. Once we got to the house, he wouldn't let me near him to see how badly he was hurt. I took the cuffs off and he passed out so I took his phone and called you, left you a message…"

Had Sam been thinking clearly, had he not been so angry, had he been able to pay attention, he might have realized she never actually answered any of his questions. He might have thought to demand actual answers: Why had she followed the Sheriff to stop him from taking Dean to county? How did she plan to do that? Why didn't she want Dean in county lock up? How did she know what had happened in Somersville? How did she know who Dean was? She had taken his phone and called Sam but had said he'd been unconscious, so how had she known to call Sam? And why was he unconscious? How badly was he hurt?

None of those questions entered his mind as he focused on who had taken Dean from the police car and why. Where had Dean been for three hours until Suzie found him? Whoever it was had made a serious mistake. It wasn't easy to piss Sam Winchester off, but once you did, you'd better pray he didn't find you, because when he did and if his brother hadn't been able to talk him down, your life was forfeit.

"So, you don't know where his car is?" was what came out of his mouth.

"No, sorry. Turn left." she directed.

"You had better not be lying to me." Sam said calmly. "And he had better be where you say he is or lady, you will regret ever calling me."

"I know you don't know me and you have no reason to trust me, but I would never do anything to hurt either of you."

"Because?" Sam prodded. "Can I assume you know who we are?"

"Slow down, there's a dirt driveway just ahead on the left….there…."

Dirt path was more like it, certainly wouldn't be mistaken for a driveway by any normal Joe just driving down the road. Sam pulled to a stop at the rear of a small house. It was isolated, set back from the road with no near neighbors.

"He's inside?" he questioned doubtfully. "Girl, I swear, if you're playing me…."

"I'm not, you'll see…..come on. I left him in the bedroom." she unlocked the back door and led the way into the kitchen where she turned the lights on and pointed down a hallway. "Second door on the left."

Sam took the time to survey the layout of the house: one story rancher, two entry doors, two bedrooms, bathroom and a cellar. Not many places to hide, easy to defend and safe enough for now. It was warm and comfortable and represented safety.

"I'll make some coffee." she said. "Are you hungry?"

Sam didn't answer, walking down the hallway and opening the door to the room where he'd finally lay eyes on his wayward brother.

Suzie heard and sensed nothing. One minute, she was measuring scoops of coffee and the next she was flat on her back on the floor with a gun held between her eyes.

"You've got two seconds to tell me what kind of game you're playing." he cocked the gun and she didn't doubt for one minute he would shoot her. She'd never seen the look in his eyes on any other person in her life. "Where is my brother?"

"I left him on the bed!" she croaked. "Honest Sam, I swear to you, he was in that room on the bed when I left here."

"You're lying to me!"

"No!" she shook her head. "I'm not! I'm not lying Sam, he was here. I called you from his phone; I wouldn't bring you here for any other reason."

"I don't believe you."

"Sam, I'm telling you the truth! I thought he'd be safe here! No one knows who I am or that I was coming after him. Whoever took him from the Sheriff's car can't know he's with me! There's no way they could know he was here!"

"THEN WHERE HE IS?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Sam pulled the gun from her forehead and pulled her to her feet. He kept a bruising grip on her arm and dragged her down the hallway where he threw her into the empty bedroom.

"Do you see him?" he demanded shaking her. "DO YOU SEE HIM?"

"He was here!" she yelled. "Look! Look at the bed! Do you see?! That right there is proof, proof that he was here!"

The bed was still made but the comforter was mussed, streaked with blood and dirt but all that proved to Sam was someone had been on the bed who had been bleeding from injuries. There was no proof it had been Dean.

"I was gone twenty minutes Sam, long enough to meet you….he can't have gone far."

Sam ran from the room, down the hall, through the kitchen and out the back door. Had Dean gained consciousness, failed to remember where he was and with who and why and left in search of safety? What kind of condition had he been in? He'd be on foot, how far would he be able to get?

Fact was Sam didn't know any answers to the many questions racing through his head. Dean was hurt and alone and unarmed and vulnerable and once again, Sam was one step behind.

Dean wouldn't come to Suzie, he would hide from anyone he didn't know, just as he would run from a situation he found himself in that he didn't understand.

"DEAN!" he ran out the door, around the car, around the house, down the driveway and across the yard, bellowing his brother's name. "DEAN! Hey! Can you hear me?! DEAN!" he stopped his frantic running to listen, his ears strained for any sound that someone was moving through the grass. "DEAN!" desperation cracked his voice. "DEAN! Where the fuck are you?"

"SAM!" Suzie's voice sounded far away to Sam, he couldn't see her nor did he stop to try to find her. He whirled around to see the figure staggering towards him, knowing who it was despite the darkness.

"DEAN!" he ran forward, arms outstretched as his brother allowed himself to be enveloped into a bear hug. Sam hugged him hard, holding him tight as Dean's knees buckled and took them both to the ground.