It's in the Genes

Author: Cheryl W.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or any rights to Dark Angel or Supernatural, nor am I making any profit from this story.

Summary: Crossover with DA and Supernatural -AU– It's the Winchesters who break Alec from jail in Hello/Goodbye and then they start road tripping together. No slash.

Author's Notes: I am truly blessed by the support for this story! It's really bowled me over and made me smile!! Thanks for everyone for reading and reviewing! I really hope you continue to like the little scenes I've put together.

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Chapter 3

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Sleeping on the floor hadn't done even Alec's transgenic back any favors, so he greeted the cell phone wake up call that ended his misery almost with gladness. Sitting up, he saw Sam hurriedly snatch the phone from the nightstand and knew that Sam hadn't been asleep, had spent the night doing what he had been doing when Alec sacked out: watching over his brother.

Sam gave a quiet greeting of "Yeah," started to walk from the room but halted as he gave a backwards worried glance to Dean. Alec was surprised when Sam's eyes alighted on him, were asking him something even as Sam spoke into the cell phone. "Yeah we handled it."

Realizing that Sam expected him to watch out for his brother, Alec nodded and Sam left the room almost instantly at his agreement. Climbing to his feet, he stood at the end of Dean's bed, watched the man's chest rise and fall in steady healthy rhyme and felt this own breathing fall back into normal pacing. Running a hand through his hair, he wondered if this was what life out here was, always worrying about the fragile ordinaries he dared to care about.. knowing that he wasn't going to be fast enough, strong enough or smart enough to always protect them…like he hadn't protected Rachel. That sometimes they got hurt, got killed because of him, because of what he was.

His words to Max about them associating with Ordinaries replayed in his head, "I'm trying to do the right thing. We don't belong with them, OK. We're a danger to them. When are you finally going to see that." His head snapped left as Sam reentered the room, gave him a look he couldn't interpret before he spoke.

"You're a hotter collar than we thought. There were government agents investigating the break out. Thought Manticore didn't exist anymore, that there were no more Feds to track you down," Sam probed, a hint of accusation in his eyes as they met the so familiar green ones.

Turning to face Sam, Alec admitted, "Seems we traded up. Manticore wanted to use us but this new agency, headed by this guy White… he just wants to kill us." 'Or let heartless bastards like me go and kill some of our own just to survive.' "I'll lead him away from you guys," he stated matter of factly, beginning to head for the door, unable to bear even the thought of bringing a merciless killer like White to Dean and Sam's door.

Unprepared for Alec's reaction, or his own at the thought of watching the younger man walk out the door, Sam stepped into Alec's path, held up his hands. "Whoa. We're not asking you to leave."

"It's too dangerous for Dean with White on my trail. If White thinks for an instant that Dean's me…that he's a transgenic…" Alec's breath caught in his throat at the horrific thought. "If he thinks Dean has my strength, my speed…he'll kill him without even meaning to, Sam." Knocking Sam's shoulder in his haste to slip past the taller man, Alec headed for the door. Dean's voice stopped him, hand on the doorknob.

"I don't scare so easily," Dean drawled, sitting up, hand bracing his bandaged wound as his eyes rested on Alec's back. "Didn't think you did either," and there was a challenge in his words that had Alec swiveling around, fire in his eyes.

"This isn't about me, this is about you, both of you. People die around me…"Alec began, needing them to understand that their connection had to end now.

"Trust me when I say we both understand that," Sam cut in and Alec's eyes met his, saw a layer of anguish he hadn't been privy to before. "I've tried to cut myself off, to go it alone to protect myself, to protect Dean but, being apart from the people you care about, it just hurts worse, man.'

Dean stared at Sam a moment, taken back by this brother's admission, felt his chest tighten in affection, knew Sam was speaking the truth. As Dean pushed himself to his feet, Sam flew across the room and slipped his arm around his waist before Dean could even register how dizzy he was. Stubbornly Dean faced Alec. "I didn't take a bullet to save you so you could make yourself bait for some task force."

"Dean.." Alec began in entreaty.

"I'm on the Fed's most wanted list," Dean blurted out. He gave Sam's chest a pat, "Even this baby faced boy is topping their list. And we have some heavy duty foes that make the Feds and your White guy look like Saturday afternoon cartoon characters. If anyone is putting anyone else in danger, it's us putting you in danger. But I figure we should stay together right now until we're out from under the Seattle cops' radar and your White guy's net. You know, watch each other's backs."

Alec stood there, overwhelmed by Dean's invitation to stay with them. No one had ever asked him to stay, had always asked him to go and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Taking the younger man's silence as indecision, Sam added, "Thing is, you're just as likely to get picked up for Dean's murder charges as you are for your Manticore twin's."

"Murder charges?" Alec repeated, eyebrow raised, not believing for a minute that Dean was a cold blooded murder.

"Creature that can change his looks decided it would be fun to look like me when he went on a killing spree," Dean grunted out.

Alec stilled, putting the pieces together lightening fast. "That's why you helped me break out, wasn't it? You didn't want the same thing happening to me."

Dean managed a shrug, "I don't know about you but I got enough things I'm not proud of, I don't need to take on the punishment of crimes I didn't commit."

"Yeah, it's not high on my to-do list either," Alec drawled, felt the kinship he felt to Dean grow stronger, felt a little scared at how much he was letting these people, these strangers slip through his guard. Retreating back to his standard defense mechanic, he smiled, rubbed his hands together and pulled on his smart alec persona. "So, does this mean I get to take my turn driving the car?"

"No!" came sharply from the Winchester brothers.

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"Hold still," Dean growled, trying to wipe the blood off of Alec's temple.

"You didn't tell me ghosts could move faster than I could," Alec grumbled, wincing as the cut on his temple was treated.

Dean smirked to Sam, who taunted affectionately, "So much for your super sonic speed being an asset to our team."

"Shut up," Alec returned, having easily picked up Dean's habits in the two weeks they had been together.

"Dude, you should have seen the look on your face when the ghost got to the door before you did!" Dean laughed.

"Hey I saved you from getting tossed off the third story scaffolding. You weren't mocking my speed then," Alec countered, remembered the close call, the way he had barely gotten there in time to latch onto the collar of Dean's leather jacket as the older Winchester got heave hoed off the scaffolding.

"Well, you owed me one," Dean grumbled.

"Yeah, more than one," Alec solemnly said, eyes on Dean then shifting to Sam. He knew his gratitude and his debt had more to do with the two men's acceptance of him, of letting him be part of their world, their partnership than the fact that they had broken him out of jail, were helping him elude White. Way more.

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The glass slipped from Alec's grasp and shattered on the tile floor, had Sam exiting the bathroom, a worried look in his eyes as they landed on the younger man.

Alec gave Sam a smile, "Sorry, I zigged when I should have zagged," but the tremor jerked his body a moment later, dispelling his charade.

Instantly Sam crossed over to Alec. "What's wrong?!" Sam worriedly demanded as he gripped the transgenic's shoulders as another wave of seizures coursed through him. When Alec started to slump to the ground, he called out in fear "Alec!" as he stepped forward, took the younger man's weight into his hold.

Falling against Sam's chest, his body threatening to jerk apart, Alec moaned as pain lanced up from the base of his neck, made him remember White's time bomb that had once been there, felt like it was there now. He registered Sam's arms coming around him, holding him even as he was gently lowered to the ground until he and Sam were both on their knees. Felt Sam's hand at the base of his neck, the light pressure easing his pain instead of increasing it.

"Alec, what's wrong? What can I do?" Sam breathed, feeling useless as he held the younger man against his chest even as Alec nearly thrashed in his arms.

"Milk.." Alec choked out, wondering if his words had even reached Sam.

Having dealt with too many weird occurrences in his life, Sam didn't even question it. "Ok, just hold on," he urgently bade, hated to put Alec down but knew he had to in order to cross the distance to the small refrigerator. Gently he eased Alec's quaking body to the ground, reluctantly slid his hands away but not before he cupped the younger man's cheek, gained eye contact. "It's going to be alright." Seeing the trust in the pained green eyes, it spurred him on even as it terrified him. He wasn't used to this responsibility, of being the big brother.

Standing up, he ran to the refrigerator, pulled out the milk, quickly sloshed it into a glass before he ran back to kneel beside Alec. Sliding a hand under Alec's back, he shifted the man up until he rested half on his knees and half on his chest and tipped the glass to his mouth, felt fear and frustration when Alec's jerks only allowed some of the milk to slide down the genetically enhanced young man's throat. When the glass was empty, Sam offered, "I can get more.." and he made only the slightest move to shift Alec again to the floor when Alec's trembling hand latched onto his.

"Stay.." Alec croaked out, desperate for Sam's presence even as he was humiliated by his weakness. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't see the disgust in the older man's eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, Alec. I'm staying right here," Sam soothed, squeezed the hand in his grip, felt so protective of the younger man in that moment that his chest hurt. In a small measure he understood, for the first time, what drove Dean all those years to protect him, to risk everything he was just to ensure his little brother was safe…was happy. "You're not alone, man."

Alone. It was how Alec had felt his whole life, even surrounded 24/7 by a barracks of other transgenics. Had told himself that he preferred to be in the outside of the tight knit groups looking in, that it didn't matter that Max resented when he hung out with her friends. But Sam's words suddenly eased a searing hole in him that he never had acknowledged before. Knew that, out of all the people in the world, even those from Manticore, Sam and Dean were the only ones who had ever just accepted him for who he was, what he was, didn't try to change him.

And they hadn't even looked at him in disgust when he told them about being captured by White and the deal he had made to try and save his own life. Instead a look passed between the brothers, not condemnation but sympathy, understanding, sorrow where he expected condemnation. Dean had looked him straight in the eye and said, "Deals, that's something I know about." But at Dean's words, Sam had jerked out of his chair, stalked out of the room and Dean had quietly said, "Sam's mad at me, not you, Alec."

That had been the first real sign of true dissention between the brothers and Alec was surprised to feel …unnerved, even scared by it. As if he were a kid, hearing his parents arguing, threatening the happy, secure world he knew. "He can't stay mad at you," he had stated to Dean, unable to conceive of anything capable of separating the bond between the two men. But as Dean clenched his jaw and looked away, Alec had protested, "Dean..he wouldn't. Come on man, Sam loves you too much to stay mad at you."

Dean's head had swiveled around to him so quickly that Alec had worried that he had said the wrong thing. Somehow he never caught onto the fact that the word "love", it just wasn't said in the Winchester world. It was so obviously shown every day, he didn't think it was a secret, was something that was never verbalized. "I'm sorry. This is none of my business.." he had stammered, felt stupid for crossing the line, for thinking he had a right to talk about the relationship the brothers shared, had a right to witness their pain, to sit there and think he belonged with them. He stood up to leave then, to maybe not return but Dean spoke first.

"What I did….he doesn't agree with it," Dean had quietly confessed, eyes on Alec as the younger man stood looking at him, a concerned look in his eyes that he didn't have enough experience to conceal. "Probably won't ever agree with it but he knows I wouldn't undo it." Dean smiled but it was bitter sweet. "Heck, he can be as mad as he likes as long as he doesn't do something to undo what I did. As long as he doesn't go anywhere," and his voice cracked on the last two words, had Alec wanting to do whatever he could to ease the older man's obvious hurt.

"He's not going anywhere, Dean. Not without you," Alec had reassured, knew it was the truth, could see it in Sam's expression as he watched his brother like his presence was a gift…a gift he was afraid would be taken away from him.

Dean had only nodded though. But a moment later, he stood up, caught Alec in a headlock, gave him a duck rub and said, "I'm starving, Dude. It's time for you to use your super nose and sniff out a place to eat supper when Sammy returns."

Now, sitting on the floor, leaning against the cupboards with Sam at his side, Alec felt the tremors begin to taper off but he could still feel the worried gaze of the younger Winchester on him. Rolling his head tiredly, he met Sam's gaze, couldn't find the strength or the desire to be "always alright". Instead he drew in a breath and told Sam about the glitch in the X series, about their need for Tryptophan to keep them running smoothly. It didn't really come as a surprise to Alec when there was no condemnation in Sam's eyes or even pity, just worry. He was starting to finally understand the depths of these men he had come to call friends.

"And Tryptophan is in milk, I got that. But can't you take it straight, get pills of just that?" Sam gently asked, sensing the vulnerability in the usually seemingly invincible younger man.

"Yeah, but they aren't cheap," Alec replied, running a hand through his hair as he bowed his head, determined to not be a liability to the partnership he had been allowed to breach. He knew he wasn't pulling his financial weight. As it stood, he was already draining Dean's meager cashflow, being another mouth to feed, costing them more for the rollaway bed in the motels, needing clothing when blood and hunting decimated his. It was frustrating, after all the money that had passed so easily in his hands to suddenly be unable to raise some cash. But, since they were always on the go, his usual cash making scams didn't work and keeping a low profile AND trying to make quick money wasn't an easy task, was nearly impossible. And the rest of his previous tactics for making money…they weren't options, not anymore, not when he felt sick at the thought of what Dean or Sam's reactions would be. The Winchesters didn't hurt people for their advantage, would never stoop to stealing or selling steroids or medicine on the black market for their personal gain. They were better men than he could ever dream to be, were better men than Manticore led him to believe existed in the world.

"Alec.." Sam began in a gentle, frustrated sigh at Alec's selflessness.

Dean chose that moment to walk into the room, causing both men to looked up at him, startled.

Dean stopped as he noted his two younger partners on the floor, milk and shattered glass littering the tile. He was used to Sam's visions but instantly knew by the color of his brother's face compared to Alec's, which sibling had initiated the whole, down-on-the-filthy-floor-of-a-motel action. "What happened?" he worriedly demanded, coming to crouch in front of Alec, eyes boring into the younger man's.

"Nothing, I'm alright," Alec tried, smile in place but knew by Dean's set look that his lie wasn't even making it out of the gate.

"Un huh," Dean muttered, his breath quickening as he saw Alec suddenly shudder. "Whoa, what's wrong?" he urgently demanded, sliding closer as he reached his hand out to cup the side of Alec's neck, left it there as Alec rode out a serious of small tremors. Dean's eyes flew to Sam's in question before they returned to Alec.

"He gets seizures sometimes. Needs Tryptophan to keep them at bay," Sam explained, watched Dean's expression as he looked to Alec in worry. "It's in milk and you can also buy it on its own, probably at a nutrition store."

"Explains the milk fetish," Dean said, eyes flickering to Sam's before landing back on Alec as the transgenic slumped more firmly back against the cupboards as the tremors finally left him. "Doesn't explain why I haven't seen you popping pills on a daily basis," and there was condemnation there, reprimand.

"He says the pills are expensive," Sam tattle tailed, a smirk turning up his lips as he knew what was coming Alec's way, especially when Dean raised his eyebrows at his statement.

"Too expensive? Let me get this straight, you're suffering through seizures to save us money?!" Dean's voice was incredulous and his tone hard, inflexible when it came to people he cared about hurting themselves.

Alec cringed under the glare, the censure. "I haven't exactly been pulling my weight in the finance area…" his regret and shame at his failing evident in his words.

"Yeah, 'cause you making money is the only reason we're keeping you around?!" Dean scoffed, gave Alec's cheek a light slap before he leaned back in his crouch. For a moment he leveled his look at Alec and then he stood, headed for the door, said "I'll be back," before he was gone.

"I screwed up. Huh?" Alec exhaled but Sam had a tender look on his face when he turned to look at him.

"No but Dean thinks he did," Sam said, had easily read Dean's self chastisement at not taking care of the people he deemed himself responsible for. And Sam loved his brother more for it than he could ever verbalize. At Alec's narrowed eyes and confusion, he clarified, "Dean takes his responsibilities very seriously."

Alec's throat suddenly felt thick as he returned, "That applies to you…not me."

Sam smiled and shook his head, "And Dean accuses me of being slow on the uptake." Standing, he held out a hand to Alec, saw that the younger man was still processing his words, trying to barricade himself off from what they truly implied.

Accepting Sam's help, Alec came to his feet, let Sam supported him as he made his way to the beds. But he was about to protest when he wasn't lead to the rollaway bed that his coin toss the night before earned him, until he saw the set look on Sam's face. Being a enough of a soldier to recognize a battle he couldn't win, he mutely laid down on Sam's bed.

When he woke up two hours later, the first sight he saw was Dean sitting in the other bed, concerned eyes drawn to him. His second sight was the pill bottle of Tryptophan on the night stand. It was crazy but Alec felt like bursting into tears at the simple bottle, felt that same desire when he opened the first aid kit on the next hunt to find two bottles of Tryptophan among the bandages and suture kits.

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TBC ?

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Ah..did I mention I'm kind of a sap. Should have put that as a warning.

Thanks so much for reading and I really do value your support!

I do have a plot line worked out but since it's simply been snap shot of scenes so far, my updating at this point is really dependent upon people wanting more of the story.

Have a wonderful evening!

Cheryl W.