A/N: Hello my dear readers and welcome back to another case fic with the brothers and a new character I have developed. I hope you will enjoy the story as the brothers run into some issues and end up being separated. This was an interesting one to research. Thank you to all who have been a continued support to me, and I will keep writing as long as I can come up with ideas. I do like reviews/comments. Enough from me. Enjoy…NC

Note: Seems FF is going to disable my email alerts again, so I won't get alerts if you have a new story posted. If you know I read your stories pm me and let me know you have a new one posted.

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of SPN, and this is my own creation. Any errors are my own.


Chapter 1

"Tell me again why we're checking out these animal attacks?" Dean grumbled as he steered the Impala off the interstate to take the exit for Hot Springs, South Dakota. "I mean really animal attacks aren't usually our kind of thing."

"Because" Sam replied as he looked at the articles he had printed out about the attacks.

"Because why…" Dean prompted waving his hand for him to continue and give him more details.

"I don't think it was just some wild animal doing the attacks. From the description of the animal bodies, they were torn apart, but they weren't eaten. Most wild animals kill to consume their prey or to protect their terrority. I thought it was worth checking out. Besides, it wasn't that much out of the way. We're heading to Bobby's anyway."

"Whatever…" Dean huffed as he entered the town limits of Hot Springs. "Guess we should be from Wildlife, Fish, and Game for this gig then."

"And we won't have to wear suits, which should make you happy," Sam added looking around at the businesses they started passing. "Think we can maybe check out a couple of thrift stores while we're here? I could use another pair of jeans and shirt since I had to trash my last ones after that other hunt."

"Sure, why not. I could use a couple of shirts myself. Let's notify the sheriff's department we're here and will be checking out the animal attacks. Don't wanna get on the wrong side of the local cops."

"I'll look up the address," Sam noted pulling out his cell to do that. After a minute he continued, "It's on the other side of town near the courthouse."

"Do you want to grab a motel room and some food afterwards so we can go over what we find?"

"Mmmm…Yeah…" Sam replied in a mumbled voice. He continued to tap the keys on his cell, not bothering to look up and pay attention to Dean.

"Ignoring me, are you?" Dean snipped when he saw Sam wasn't listening. "It's fine," he grunted in anger. "I can talk to myself, no problem."

There had been tension between the brothers for a while, and Dean thought they had gotten past it, but he guessed he was wrong. He started looking for signs for the courthouse or sheriff's department so he wouldn't have to ask Sam for directions. He finally spotted a sign and followed it to the sheriff's department.

Sam looked up when the car stopped and saw Dean had parked in a visitor's space in front of a large, brick, building with large letters stating Fall River County Sheriff Department across the front. He glanced over to Dean to see he had already gotten out of the car and was moving to the back of the Impala. Sam frowned but got out of the car and stretched his back before joining Dean.

"Here," said Dean holding out a fake id for him.

"Thanks," Sam mumbled slipping it into his pocket as he looked toward the front doors of the building. He watched a deputy walk around the building and enter the doors without looking their way.

"Let's do this," Dean stated, shaking his body and squaring his shoulders before walking with long strides toward the front glass doors.

Sam didn't say anything as he trailed along after him. He knew Dean would take the lead like he always did and felt a little resentful of it. He was as good a hunter as his brother and would like to take the lead once and a while. He had made mistakes, hell, even Dean made mistakes, but they had pushed past all that, he thought.

He turned on his hunter mode when they stepped through the doors and into the sheriff's department. Their differences could wait. When they were on a case, they needed to focus all their efforts on it. After entering the building, an older deputy looked up from his work to stare at them for a moment, waiting for them to approach.

"May I help you?" he asked giving the brothers a once over trying to decide who they were.

"Yes, you may," Dean started. "We're with Wildlife, Fish, and Game Department and were sent here to check out the wild animal attacks you've been having around here." Dean pulled out his id and held it out for a moment for him to see. He glanced at Sam to be sure he was doing the same before pocketing it. "We wanted to stop by and let you know we were in town in case you received any calls about us lurking around."

"I'll be sure to pass that along to the sheriff." The deputy wrote a note on a pad for the sheriff.

"Has anyone seen the wild animal?" Sam asked.

"No, the attacks have been happening at night and it's gone by the time anyone gets out to see what is going on."

"Where are the bodies of the animals that were attacked?"

"They've been disposed of, but the vet's office, out on Willow Branch Road, Hot Springs Animal Clinic, performed necropsy on the animals. They have photos and reports you can get. It's about ten miles from here."

"Can we get a list of the people and addresses of those who have reported the animal attacks? We'd like to talk to them."

"It'll take me a moment to compile," the deputy told them. He turned to the computer sitting on the counter and began to type. It wasn't long before the printer behind him started and spit out a piece of paper. The deputy reached for it and handed it to Dean. "There you go."

"Thanks for the help," said Dean accepting the paper and giving it a quick glance before folding it and stuffing it in his pocket. "Here's my number if anything else is reported, give us a call. Let's go partner," he told Sam, slapping him on the shoulder and guiding him back toward the door.

Sam stiffened and gave Dean a bitch face but allowed him to push him out the door. He stepped away and headed for the Impala at a fast pace. He got in on the passenger side and slammed the door shut, waiting for Dean to get in.

"Easy on my Baby," Dean grumbled as he dropped into the driver's seat and glared at his brother. "Who pissed in your Cheerio's?"

"Just drive," Sam stated staring out the side window not wanting to get into it with him.

"Wanna look up where the vet's office is?" Dean requested.

"Fine," Sam replied taking his cell and looking it up. "Head right for about eight miles and turn left on Willow Branch Road. It's about four miles on the right."

Dean didn't say anything, only followed the directions and twenty minutes later pulled into the parking lot of the animal clinic. He stopped, killed the engine, and got out. Dean didn't wait on Sam as he headed for the entrance and went inside. There were several patrons with their animals waiting to be seen by the vet that eyed them for a moment wondering where their pet was and if they were cutting ahead of them.

"Good day Ella," Dean greeted the receptionist, reading her name badge. "We're with Wildlife, Fish, and Game and need to get copies of the reports and photos of the animals that have been attacked recently. The sheriff department send us over."

"Oh," Ella replied. "Umm…The vet is busy and has other patients waiting."

"That's fine, if we have any questions we can contact the vet later, we'll take it from here."

"I'm not sure…"

"Ella, there's no need to take up the vet's time. We just need copies to do our job," Dean told her giving her his best winning smile.

"I guess it'll be alright," she finally gave in and motioned them to a door by the desk. "If you'll come back here, I'll get the files and you can make copies of them."

She led them down a short hall with doors on one side and into a small work room that had filing cabinets, table, chair, copier, bookcase, and cabinets. She opened a filing cabinet drawer and began to pull out several files and laid them on the table.

"Here you go," she told them. "I should get back to the front."

Dean picked up one file and started looking through it and Sam picked up another. He stepped to the copier and took the pages loose from the clasp so he could run them through the top and copy. He checked to be sure the photos were clear before assembling it back and taking the next file. He did the same and looked at one photo in particular checking out the wounds and thinking they looked familiar.

"Let's finish this up so we can get out of here," Dean told Sam, handing him another file that he had taken apart. "I'm starved and the smell in here is off and it's killing my appetite."

"Almost done," Sam told him, taking paper clips to hold the pages of each file together so they wouldn't get mixed up. He took the last couple of files and finished the copying and put the files back together. "Alright, done." Sam gathered the papers into a stack and left the files on the table. They made their way to the front and thanked Ella before heading out into the fresh air.

Dean breathed in the clean air before getting into the Impala and cranking her. He waited until Sam settled and pulled back onto the road to head back to town.

Sam flipped through the copied pages, studying the photos. The farm animals had long, vicious gashes over their bodies all in the same way, making him think it was the same attacker. He compared them, noting the three circular wounds on the chest or sides of the animals. It bugged him that he couldn't remember the significance of the wound. He went from one photo to the other as his brain worked on the problem.

"What's wrong? You see something?" Dean asked him.

"These wounds, I've seen them somewhere before, but I can't place them…" he mumbled. "I need to look at Dad's journal when we stop."

"Okay, food and a motel room then," Dean said.

"I need a map of the town and surrounding area."

"Baby could use some gas anyway. I'll stop at a gas station, and you can see if they have one."

"Okay." Sam gathered the pages back into a stack and stared aimlessly out the windshield, not really seeing the scenery. He was still hung up on the wound patterns knowing they were familiar and couldn't let it go. That was how he was, even as a kid. Dean teased him about it being his OCD showing. He couldn't let a problem go unsolved and had to stay on it until it was solved to his satisfaction, no matter how long it took.