The drive took a couple of hours – a couple of hours of mullet rock, bad singing and even worse cheeseburger gas. As always Sam questioned why he put up with as much as he did with Dean… before, of course, remembering that he jump started the Apocalypse and freed Lucifer from the Pit. Dean put up with a lot too. Sam stiffened up as recalled the past year and everything that he did and regretted and Dean couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable his little brother had become in the passenger seat. Sam's lips had pursed together and he looked decidedly out the window at the passing streetlights so Dean turned up the music a little and focused on the road ahead, ignoring Sammy's mood.

They drove into Arizona and then into Phoenix, the engine of the Impala ticking over as it had for over forty years. It stopped once the Winchester brothers parked her in the car park of the nearest motel. Sam bought a room under the name 'Jeremy Page' and got the keys while Dean packed a few things from the back of the Impala into the old canvas bag. The room smelled of cleaning fluids with an undertone of alcohol, just like the motel rooms they had been staying in all their lives. The old familiar smell. The bag went on the table and the boys went in the beds. They were both so tired these days. Just tired.

In the morning, they each donned their only suits and went to make a house call. A young man in glasses stuck his head around the side of the door when it finally opened.

'Alex Freeman?'

'Who wants to know?'

Sam and Dean were well practised at this routine. 'Agents Plant and Page' Dean supplied, flashing an FBI badge. 'We're here about your, ah, abduction'

'I knew it, I knew I wasn't crazy! So you believe me?' Alex cried, swinging the door open.

'Well, we would like to know the whole story' Sam said.

They followed Alex into his house and placed themselves on the couch in his lounge room.

They left the house a couple of hours later after listening to Alex regale his story of aliens. Giant Rhino Aliens to be exact. And after he finally stopped talking, they questioned him. Did he have any enemies? Anyone who would want to hurt him? Had he pissed anyone off lately?

'He doesn't really seem the kind of guy the Trickster would go after, Dean' Sam said once they got back into the Impala

'Dude wouldn't hurt a fly'

'So, what now?'

'Dunno man, but I still reckon it's the Trickster. That SOB didn't really need a reason before, why start now?'

'Yeah, maybe' Sam replied. He started to think they were dealing with something else this time. 'Police Station?'

Dean nodded and turned around to head in that direction.

When they arrived at the station and declared themselves as Feds, the Police Chief was a bit lost, 'What does the FBI want to know?'

'We've heard that you have a number of missing persons' open at the moment, bit above the average for this part of town, no?' Dean asked.

'Yeah, but my department is onto it. Didn't know the Bureau was interested…'

'Of course they are, we're just chipping in our bit' he replied, with a smile. The department can try all they like; they won't be able to crack these cases. They didn't know what the Winchesters knew; they were lucky like that, but also very thick.

'Well,' said the Chief, not finding a reason to doubt the two young agents in front of him, 'I've got the files here, nothing all that special really except the obvious.' He found the files in the cabinets and passed them to Sam. He opened the manila folders and flicked through.

'Thank-you very much Chief for your understanding. Have your guys found any links yet between the cases?'

'Not yet. We have only checked out the obvious links… family, work, friends, that kind of thing'

'Of course' Dean said, 'anything common with the disappearances?'

'All taken from the same general area. No trace of where they could have gone or signs of who took them, no DNA or physical evidence, it's weird.'

'Yeah, I'll bet it is…'