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Chapter 9

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Deacon took his leave shortly after their conversation finished and Sam lost his battle with sleep. He was eager to not bring any attention to the boys but thankful he had been able to see them once again and confirm with his own eyes that they were going to be ok. It took another couple days of healing before Sam became more active and now that he was clearly on the mend Bobby finally felt comfortable leaving. Both brothers had hugged him and thanked him, even as he gruffly pretended to rebuff the thanks. Their mutual affection was conveyed without words, and the crusty man who had become a father-figure to them took himself off with a wave and a command to stay out of trouble and not be strangers.

Mara had left the day before, having been walked to her car by a smiling Hoyt, who did not return to the cabin for some time after. When he did, he promptly ignored the smirks directed his way and pulled his Dad and the boys into a game of poker where he won a great deal of pretzels before his cheating was discovered. The wrestling match that ensued between him and Dean left both Vic and Sam limp with laughter, and when Hoyt and Dean finally called truce they were both grinning happily themselves.

A call came in that next afternoon about a hunt a couple states over, and Vic and Hoyt finally reluctantly got ready to take their leave. Sam and Dean both walked them out to their car, expressing their thanks. Dean leaned over to Hoyt as he was putting his bag in the trunk and said, "So, that Mara lady, eh…?" Hoyt grinned back at the teasing but said nothing. Dean nodded. He knew how unlikely a long-term relationship was for a hunter, but he still wished the best for his friend. Sam came up at that point and put his good arm around Hoyt.

"Thank you brother. If you ever need us…"

"I know. Same."

It was getting dangerously into chick-flick territory, so Dean punched Hoyt's arm lightly and then gently drew Sam away from the car so the Rawlings could get on to their next hunt. Turning back to the cabin, the boys strode in to begin their own packing and preparation for hitting the road.

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Epilogue

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"Sam. This is, without a doubt, the dumbest, craziest thing we've ever done. And that's in a long, storied career of dumb and crazy." Sam ignored his brother's mimicry of his earlier statement, striding confidently into the hospital and making a beeline for the elevators. Dean trailed behind, rolling his eyes then turned his back to the elevator to view their surroundings, keeping an eye out for traps and danger. Sam stepped into the elevator and tugged Dean backward, pushing the button for the floor they needed.

"Sam - "

"Dean, we're here. Please." He looked steadily at Dean, continuing, "I already agreed to leave the moment you think we're in danger. Just trust me." Dean looked back, conveying his trust in his gaze, and then led the way out of the elevator and down the hall. He paused midway down the hall outside a room, but Sam pushed past, knocked briefly. and then entered when bid to do so.

The man in the bed looked up, expecting to see another in a long line of nurses, but froze in shock when he saw his visitor was in fact none other than Sam Winchester. His eyes raked over the homemade sling keeping his shoulder immobile, the bandages on his wrists peeking out from his jacket sleeves, and the fading bruises on his face. He swallowed, not sure what the man was here for exactly, but fearing retaliation or revenge - he was a criminal after all…even as he thought this, however, Reidy shifted uncomfortably. Henriksen had been so sure the man was evil, but out from under his influence, Reidy wasn't quite so certain. The loyalty he clearly had in the people he surrounded himself with, that had surprised him. Not to mention while the interactions with his brother had always been smart-alecky and cocky responses, Sam had always struck him as calm, serious, and a bit geeky. He waited to see what Sam had planned.

"Reidy." Sam started, then paused. "Sorry, I never learned your first name…"

"Calvin." he responded, caught off guard by the question.

"Calvin, how are you doing? I heard you were shot." Reidy just stared at him, wondering what confusing plan this man had. When he didn't answer Sam continued, "I'm sorry you ended up in Henriksen's cross-hairs, but thank you for trying to help Mara - Ms. Daniels." Reidy continued to study Sam, and he quietly let him, seeing that he was processing something and hoping he would land on the right conclusion. Finally it seemed that he had come to a resolution, and started to speak.

"Sam, I'm sorry for the way you were treated by Henriksen…by me." He looked down, ashamed that he'd allowed a man under his protection, whatever he'd done, to be so mistreated. He looked up abruptly at Sam's next words.

"It's ok. I'm ok."

"Seriously?" he blurted, "How can anyone be okay after that? Henriksen was crazy, and he crossed so many lines, and I just followed blindly - "

"Not in the end." Sam said firmly. "Can I be honest with you?" They eyed one another for a minute, and then Reidy nodded to a chair by the bed and Sam sat down, careful not to jar his arm.

"We are not the monsters Henriksen thought we were." Sam paused, then took a deep breath and plunged in. "In fact, whether you believe me or not, we are actually the good guys. We are hunters. We hunt things that others insist don't exist. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves…monsters. In the process of doing so, we are often in the same place as where people have been injured or killed, but we are not the perpetrators. Look back at the case files with an objective eye, and you'll see we most often arrive after the initial incident happens, and whatever it is stops by the time we leave. If there is a body we've killed, it wasn't human." Reidy stared at him, knowing Sam believed himself to be telling the truth, but how could something so fantastical be the truth? Even as he processed, he remembered an earlier conversation he witnessed between Ms. Daniels and Henriksen:

"I've been going through the Winchester charges. And I gotta say, there are some weird inconsistencies." Ms. Daniels had begun.

"Welcome to my world." Henriksen responded dryly.

"I talked to a cop in Baltimore who swears up and down these boys saved her life and helped her catch a killer." Mara paused. "And there's a witness to your bank robbery in Milwaukee. She swears Sam and Dean saved her life."

"Saved her from what?"

"She was a little unclear on that."

Henriksen had scoffed. "That's because she's nuts. Look, I was in Milwaukee. I spoke to her, I spoke to all the witnesses."

"And?"

"And, all I know is, wherever these guys go, people die. It's that simple."

Ms. Daniels pushed back. "I don't know that it is. They just don't seem cut-and-dry guilty to me. I think there's more to this."

"Like what?" Henriksen was not going to budge.

"I don't know. Can't put my finger on it. It's just... strange."

Sam sat, waiting, hoping he could convince Reidy of the truth. He had argued long and hard with Dean about this decision to come clean to the Agent, saying that having an ally in the FBI would be of great benefit. Dean finally caved, probably only because Reidy was still in the hospital and so slightly less of a threat. He wondered in the lengthening silence if maybe he should have listened to Dean, if he had made their situation worse.

"Dude." Dean startled both men as he slipped into the room. "Time's about up." Sam nodded and looked back to the bed, but Reidy was staring at Dean with a calculating look.

"Milwaukee?"

"Shapeshifter." Dean replied immediately.

"St. Louis?"

"Same."

"San Francisco?"

"Werewolf."

"Baltimore?"

"Death omen and a crooked cop." The last answer startled Reidy back into silence. He looked from one to the other, struggling to decide if he could believe this crazy story or not. He watched as Sam and Dean had a whole conversation with their eyes, and then Sam spoke.

"You don't have to decide anything right now. I realize you may call the cops the minute we walk out of here, and that's your choice of course. I knew we were taking a chance coming here, talking to you. But you seem like a decent guy with a good head on his shoulders, and so I hope you will at least consider what we've said before you restart the manhunt." With that, both men turned to slip out the door and disappear. Feeling a sudden urgent need to speak, Reidy called out quickly, "Sam!" He paused at the door and looked back, sensing Dean tense in front of him. There was a minute when their eyes met and held, then Reidy said, "I'm really glad you're ok." Sam nodded, and then they were gone. Reidy leaned back, physically and mentally exhausted, and made no move to call anyone to pursuit.

—-

"That was risky"

"No risk, no reward." quipped Sam, ducking the hand that swung at his head then wincing as his shoulder reminded him he shouldn't move like that yet. The brothers made their way to the Impala, sinking into the leather seats with a quiet sigh. Dean started her up and pointed them to the highway out of town.

"I don't see any flashing lights. I think I made the right call. Even if Calvin - "

"Calvin?"

"Yes, Calvin. What's wrong with that?" Sam grinned at the face Dean made and then continued, feeling more lighthearted than he had in quite some time. "I think if he doesn't end up an active ally, he will at least not pursue us like Henriksen did."

"Dude was several fries short of a happy meal."

"Yeah." Sam grew pensive as he thought of his time under Henriksen's 'care'. Dean glanced over, sorry he had ruined the mood.

"I'm sorry Sam."

"For what?" Sam looked over at Dean, surprised.

"Sorry I got us into this mess. Sorry you were captured by a psycho. Sorry it took so long to get you out."

Sam just stared. "Are you sorry for locking me up in chains? For stabbing me with a knife?"

Dean was startled and confused. "What?!"

"Exactly! You didn't do this, Dean, so stop carrying guilt that isn't yours. This was all Henriksen."

"I put us in prison in the first place - "

"I followed you, idiot." Sam retorted, interrupting. "Maybe you've missed it, but I actually have a mind and will of my own. I could have refused." Dean snorted, but acknowledged Sam's words with a nod.

"Seriously, Dean, I'm ok, and this isn't on you. Let it go." Sam finished softly. He watched the emotions that Dean strove so hard to hide from the world play over his face, obvious only to someone who knew him as well as he knew himself. He knew Dean couldn't just forgive himself and move on, it wasn't in his nature, but he would keep chipping away at the heavy burden of guilt that always surrounded his larger than life brother, doing what he could to lighten the load.

Dean finally settled, and putting on his sunglasses said, "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses."

Sam laughed loudly, donning his own sunglasses. "Hit it." he responded, but couldn't resist adding, "More like 650 miles, half a tank of gas, no cigarettes, and the sun is just now setting…but whatever."

"Bitch" Dean laughed over at him, reaching for the radio and cranking up the rocking sounds of AC/DC.

"Jerk." Sam smiled fondly over at him, then settled back to rest as they drove off into a beautiful sunset and their next adventure.

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A/N: Text in bold borrowed from the awesome movie Blues Brothers. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!