Undertow

Part 17

Crossover: Supernatural and White Collar

AN: Shameless Sam and Dean whumpage, just because it makes me a happy, happy girl. Please remember each of these stories in this series are independent of one another. You will see why I say that when you read the story.

Sam is MIA and Dean needs help to find him.

Sam was gone and Dean was beside himself with worry. They had last done a job in New Jersey. And Sam had seemed fine. But now…Dean had no idea where his brother was. Dean had woken up in the motel room and…no Sam. His clothes were gone, his computer…. It was like Sam had taken a case and had not told him. Dean had been on the phone to Bobby seconds after searching the room and the parking lot, and realizing that his baby, his Impala was gone. He was even more disturbed when he noticed that the safe was open and that the object that they had acquired was also missing.

The object was something neither of the boys had ran across before. It looked kind of like somebody had rammed a stone tablet into a rock. The rock was about the size of a football and the tablet about the size of a 5X7 photograph. Sam had wanted to do a little research to find out what they had, and Dean had agreed to it. They really had no clue what it was or what it meant. And since it didn't seem to glow or hiss or do anything else equally as weird, they decided to keep it in their room, in the safe. They would get a start on it in the morning, after they had eaten, showered and slept. And they did just that. They went to the restaurant around the corner. Dean ordered his usual bacon-cheese burger, make it a double. And Sam had whatever salad that was on the menu. They then returned to their room, took their respective showers and retired for the night.

Dean now paced floor of the small motel room as he talked to Bobby. Bobby grilled him on their last case. And Dean told him the story of how they had come across this particular artifact.

The boys had been in Lisbon, New Jersey. The newspaper article had been appropriately vague, meaning the paper had had to report something, even if they had no idea what the something was. They had to report the story, but make it benign enough not to set off a panic. But some religious zealot killing off fellow believers in a small, god-fearing town had been enough to set off a panic. Attendance to the regular church services had gone up a whole 20% and attendance at Wednesday night prayer meetings had nearly doubled. But the killer, it was later reported, was smashing religious artifacts in its victim's houses. Every house would have remnants of the broken plastic artifact on the floor beside the bodies of the victims. What the person was looking for, in or on the artifact, was unclear. The artifacts were objects that the victims paid very little for, and the 'artifacts' had been in great supply. And, in fact, the object in their possession had been one of many, purchased from a local bible book store. They had slipped it out of the victim's house. And this one had been, surprisingly, still intact. The brothers just figured that the killer had been scared off before he could get his hands on the artifact and smash it. The item had been featured in the store window weeks earlier and had been sold down to the last remaining five, which were still in inventory. Sam and Dean had planned on visiting the store and doing a careful inspection of the remaining items.

But now, the only thing Dean could think about was finding his brother. Dean threw the phone across the room. He then hurriedly packed his things. He checked the room before leaving, and came across the research Sam had gathered. It had been rammed under the mattress, as if it was being hid from someone or something. And Sam had had not reason to hide his findings from Dean.

That was it then. Something happened while Dean was asleep. And Sam had felt the need to hide the research from somebody…something. Had Sam met the killer? More importantly, had Sam become a victim…all for that damn, whatever it was?

Dean phone rang and he snatched it up. "Bobby!" He said anxiously. He had described things he called hieroglyphs to Bobby. It was the writing he and Sam had seen on the tablet, most of which was obscured by the rock.

"…ancient Egyptian text, from the few symbols you told me about." Bobby was saying. Dean had to calm himself to even hear the rest. "…the commandments."

"You mean like Charlton Heston up on the mountain?" Dean asked, astounded.

"No, I mean like Moses, Aaron and the golden calf…Idjit." Bobby replied.

"…in with Christian bookstore chochskyes? Dean asked.

Bobby shrugged. "Maybe whoever did it was hiding it in plain sight and playing the odds?" He offered.

"Wow, this guy would really suck at poker." Dean observed.

"If it's the real…honest-to-God thing…." Bobby started.

"It's one hell of a knick-knack." Dean replied.

"You ain't kiddin'." Bobby agreed. "We're talking serious power…like leader of the whole human race power."

"How?"

"God handed those commandments down as rules for people to live by. Those 10 rules were…." Bobby didn't even have the words to finish his own sentence.

Dean was completely speechless, just thinking of the ramifications. Both he and Bobby were now wondering about the demon blood thing.

"So, what? Whoever had this thing…this tablet could change all the rules, make up new ones? "

"It…I guess it's possible." Bobby said. "After, of course, you get it out of the stone." Bobby knew his adopted nephew well enough to know what he was thinking. He added. "No, Sir Dean. This will not involve a white horse, nor a brave knight."

Dean pouted a little. "Seriously? Where would I even get a horse in Queens?"

Bobby sighed. "Back to the matter at hand…. You said Sam had done some research."

Dean nodded even though Bobby couldn't see him. "Right, and he left if here, stuffed under the mattress."

"Well, obviously he didn't want somebody or something to find it." Bobby surmised.

"How could I have slept through the whole freakin' thing? Whatever it was…how could I just be 5 feet away and sleep through the whole damned thing?" Dean asked.

It was Bobby's turn to shake his head. "Maybe you weren't supposed to wake up." He paused. "This was just…something with Sam."

"What does that mean?" Dean asked.

"Hell, I don't know. I'm just grasping at straws here, Son." Bobby admitted.

"This was just…I have a good friend here. He's…he works for the FBI." Dean stated, and he could already hear Bobby's objections.

"Neal's a criminal consultant, a confidential informant. That's the official title." Dean explained. "Anyway, he's got criminal connections that I can't imagine. Plus, he's got legitimate connections that could be of a lot of use here."

"So you are just going to have your friend ask a federal agent to look for Sam Winchester. Who…just happens to be on the FBI's Most Wanted list?" Bobby asked, unable to keep his thoughts on Dean's plan out of his voice.

"We're…we've dealt with this agent before. He's a…."

"You are a world-class idjit for this, Dean. But I also know I can't stop you. Just be careful. I can't break into max security to get your sorry ass out." Bobby stated.

"You won't have to…. Neal will help me, no problem. And Agent Burke…his wife likes me."

Bobby sighed. "I'm not sure what that has to do with anything…but okay. Just don't do anything stupid…well, stupider than necessary."

Bobby hung up the phone and pulled a book down off the shelf. He opened the book and started reading the story of the 10 Commandments. And he wondered what Sam and his demon blood had to do with all this.

Dean tried to wrap his mind around it. If this thing was a tablet of the 10 commandments, the rules for humans, then what did all this have to do with Sam? Of course, from what he understood, demons hated humans. They thought them unnecessary and worthless; of course, most angels didn't like humans either. So, it could be the angels were keeping the rock, artifact…whatever, out of demon hands, or the demons were trying to get their hands on it. Which with Sam being involved, his…humanness, it would just make more sense. Maybe it was this combination that would allow them to what…rewrite human laws and behavior? Dean shook his head and downed another shot of Jim Beam.

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Sam opened his one good eye. So far he had refused, and they had broken his ribs and bloodied his face. The demons had kept Dean asleep and had taken Sam, along with his computer and clothes. They wanted to make Dean think that Sam had gone off on his own. And they took the Impala just to piss Dean off. They knew how much the elder Winchester loved that car.

"Winchester, this was never meant to be a persuasion. We could easily just kill you. There are other meat suits that would love the deal." The demon said, almost hissing, definitely angry.

"Good." Sam said, through his pain. "Ask one of them." He wasn't surprised when nobody made any move to leave the room. He watched them as they looked at one another, unsure of what to do next. "HA! I knew you needed me. What I don't know is why."

"Demon's blood, Sam…you're one of us. You have the one main ingredient we need to open the tablet. Since the law was made for humans it can be…unleashed by a human. The demon blood you possess can give us power to change the rules. We have the power to change that, we can change human behavior. We're able to change human behavior…" The demon chuckled. "…we can wipe you annoying little worms off the face of the Earth."

Sam swallowed involuntarily. He looked at the demon. "Destroy all mankind."

The demon nodded.

"You…you need us." Sam stated, scared of what the demon was implying.

"While it is fun to ride around in your meat suits, we don't…need you guys. We just need you to appear in human form, that's all." One of the other demons in the room admitted. "But once there are no human's to appear to…."

"The angels will…." Sam started.

The demon shook his head. "They won't have any power over us. Heaven won't be in control, we will be."

"God created humans in his image. He won't let it happen." Sam stated.

The demon looked amused. "God set the world in motion and stepped out." The creature smiled. "He saw what he had made, was offended and is waiting to see you flesh covered mongrels self-destruct.

"That's not true." Sam countered through his pain.

"Think what you want, mongrel." One of the other demons replied. "Even the angels don't like you. Where do you think that attitude came from?"

Sam recognized that. The few angels he had met, most of them were total asses. That is, all except Castiel, and well…he had his moments.

"Well, enough of this." One of the demons said, holding a long sharp knife. "We wanted your support, your help in this. But all we really need is your blood to open the stone. And I'll just take that." The demon said as he started to draw the knife across Sam's arm.

Sam had managed to work his bonds loose. He took that moment to spring out of the chair. He knocked the one with the knife to the floor. Sam then grabbed the knife. He fought his way out of the room and out of the building. He ran as far and as fast as he could until he nearly collapsed. He was bleeding heavily from his wounds, and his chest was burning from the pain of his broken ribs. But he knew where he was, and he knew his friend's house was not too far away. He just hoped he could make it there.

TBC

Chapter 2

Neal didn't know Sam was in town, so when June called, very distressed to him to come down, he had no idea who or what was waiting for him. Neal hurried the rest of the way down the stairs as soon as he realized who it was. He sat down beside Sam on the couch. Sam had managed to collapse onto just moments before.

"Sam!?" The conman said, giving the young Winchester a visual inspection. Neal took his bruised face in his hands, inspecting his cuts and bruises.

Sam was in too much pain to say much. He winced each time he was touched.

"What happened? Where's Dean?" Neal asked.

Sam could only shake his head.

"We've got to get you cleaned up, Sam." June said. She had instructed Carlotta to prepare the back bedroom for company. She had also told her to get warm water and bandages ready to dress Sam's wounds.

"Do you think you can stand?" Neal asked as he stood and prepared to help Sam stand.

Sam nodded. He managed to push himself up off the couch. He did, however, have to lean on Neal to make it to the back bedroom. He sat down on the bed and managed to get his jacket off before he passed out.

June had called a doctor friend of hers in to check Sam out. He was late in coming, having had to make a last minute emergency house call. But he was able to give Sam a thorough examination, which Sam slept through. The doctor found many superficial and deep bruises. He found the young man had 3 broken ribs and 2 bruised ones. He also found evidence of a slight concussion, judging from the small lump the doctor found on the back of Sam's head. He left care instructions for Sam's bruises, his head, and his ribs.

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Dean called Neal as soon as he got off the phone with Bobby. He didn't even get to say hello before Neal started in on him.

"Where were you, Dean? How could you leave him like this?" Neal asked. He couldn't get anything out of Sam. But he knew something was going on for the two of them not to be together.

"Sam! You're talking about Sam right? Where is he? Is he with you?" Dean asked, rapid-fire.

Neal realized, almost immediately, that he had been wrong. Dean had not abandoned his brother. He could hear the concern in the elder Winchester's voice.

"Dean…." Neal said, starting to apologize.

"I'm on my way, Neal." Dean said as he grabbed his coat and ran out of the door. He then remembered he had no vehicle. He hurried to the nearest car. He used a slim-jim to unlock the door and then he hot-wired the car. He was on his way in moments.

Dean arrived at the Wellington mansion about an hour later. He impatiently pushed the doorbell and rushed in the house as soon as Carlotta opened the door. Neal's tone and his questions had Dean very concerned. He had to know what was wrong with his brother.

Carlotta led Dean to the back bedroom where Neal and June were sitting with an unconscious Sam.

"June. Neal." Dean said, in way of greetings. "How is he? How did he get here?"

Neal and June both shook their heads. "He walked in here." June said. "But he was hurting so bad. He just, he couldn't talk. All he could do was nod or shake his head. He passed out on us when we finally got him in here. I got him cleaned up. He had blood all over him. But it couldn't have been all his. He…his wounds were mostly on his face and his chest."

Dean nodded. He heard June talking, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Sam. He was too still, too quiet. And the elder Winchester didn't like the looks of the bruising on his little brother's face and chest. Dean went over and sat down on the bed. He put his hand on Sam's forearm.

Dean felt his muscles contract as Sam tried to pull his arm away. But he was too weak. "Don't…touch…me!" The younger Winchester hissed out through the pain, though he didn't open his eyes.

"Sam, Sam, it's okay. It's Dean." Dean said as he squeezed his little brother's arm. "I'm right here, Sam."

Sam didn't seem to recognize his brother's voice. He again tried to pull his arm away. And again, he was unsuccessful.

"It's okay, Sam." Dean patted his brother's arm and then stood up. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Dean swayed a little on his feet. Neal rushed over to steady him as he sat down again on the bed.

"When was the last time you ate, Darlin?" June asked.

Dean thought for a moment. "It's been…a couple days. I don't know." He suddenly felt the tiredness and the hunger, and he didn't try to get up again. He was afraid he might pass out.

"Don't go anywhere. Don't get up." June replied. "I'm going to go get you something to eat."

Dean nodded. He was even starting to get a headache. He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. He then closed his eyes.

"Dean?" Neal asked, unsure if the elder Winchester was going to pass out or not.

"I'm okay." Dean said as he raised his head to look at Neal. But when he did the room spun just a little. He closed his eyes again.

Neal watched his friend, very concerned. "Lie down, Dean. It's a king size bed, plenty of room. I'll tell June to hold off on the food for a while."

Dean nodded as he pulled off his jacket. He then lay back on top of the covers beside his brother. He was asleep in moments.

Neal went into the kitchen to tell June to hold off on the food. He then went back into the room and sat down on the chaise lounge chair in the room. He had almost fallen asleep when he heard movement. He sat up and looked towards the bed. Watching Sam and Dean's interaction and seeing Dean's concern just made Neal feel even worse. He felt he knew the brothers very well, but seeing Sam hurt that badly had made him angry, and he had lashed out at Dean.

Dean was still asleep. But Sam had woken up. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and he was very surprised and happy to see his brother.

"Sam." Neal got up from his chair and went around to Sam's side of the bed.

"Neal…thanks…you and June…."

"You are very welcome, from the both of us." The conman stated.

Sam nodded, and then looked over at his brother. "Dean…okay?"

"He's just tired, not eating or sleeping, looking for you." Neal explained.

Sam nodded, again. "…so tired." He said as his eyes slid closed.

Neal went back to his chair. He got comfortable and soon fell asleep. He woke up when Carlotta brought a tray of coffee and sandwiches in. The smell of the coffee woke Dean also. He felt much better and he was starving. He carefully got out of bed so that he would not wake Sam. He took one of the other chairs in the room beside the big fireplace. He poured himself a cup of coffee and helped himself to a sandwich.

"Dean, I'm…I'm sorry." Neal said.

Dean looked at him as he ate. "For what?"

Neal stared for a moment. "What I said to you on the phone. I was way out of line."

Dean shook his head. "I was just glad he was with you."

"Still, I…."

Dean shook his head, again. "It's alright, Neal. I get it. He was hurt, and I wasn't with him. He left about two days ago. I woke up, and he was gone. His clothes, my baby, and an object we had…acquired. They were all gone. And I had no clues as to where."

TBC

Chapter 3

"What was this object?" Neal asked.

"We weren't sure, at first." Dean admitted. "Sam was working on it the night he went missing. He had found a lot on it. He had figured it out. But when I woke up the research had been stuffed under the mattress of his bed, like he didn't want whoever took him to get it."

"What do you mean took him?" Neal asked. "Whoever took him had to have a car. Why take yours?"

"…to slow me down? …to piss me off?" Dean offered. "I don't know. But it did both."

"How did you know Sam had been taken? You said you woke up and he was just gone."

Dean sighed as he finished his cup of coffee and poured himself another. "Sam wouldn't have hidden that research from me. He…somebody came into that motel room and did something to get him to go with them, probably threaten to kill me."

"And you were asleep? You slept through that?" Neal couldn't believe his ears. "I know Sam would not have gone quietly. I'm sure…."

Dean nodded. "Exactly, I don't get it. Bobby said, though maybe whatever it was, whoever it was…. It had nothing to do with me. They only wanted Sam."

"Why is that?" Neal asked.

It was more of a loaded question than Neal knew. The conman knew nothing of his friend's demon blood. He knew little of the things the Winchesters did. And that was for the best, for Neal's own health and safety, and for everyone around him.

Dean skirted the question, answering the question but giving Neal very little information. "Something happened back when he was 6 months old, when Mom died."

Dean had added the last part intentionally. He rarely talked about his mother, and Neal knew it. So that subject was immediately dropped.

"You never really told me what this object was." Neal grinned. "…or how much it's worth."

"It's a stone tablet suck into a stone." Dean said.

"You mean made, carved to look like it's stuck in a stone." Neal tried to get clarification.

"No, I mean like somebody took it and rammed it into a stone."

"How is that possible?" Neal shook his head. "And what would be the point?"

"I do have an idea on that. If the object is actually what we think it is, it's priceless."

"But you don't have it?" Neal asked.

"No, but…did Sam bring anything with him?" Dean asked.

Neal shook his head. "No, I…."

"I left it." Sam replied. He had woken up while they were talking and had stayed quiet, listening.

Both Dean and Neal looked at Sam, surprised he was awake.

"What?" Dean asked.

"The de…." Sam stopped himself. He had been about to say 'demon.' "The people who had me, they wanted it. They knew how to use me to…make it work." It was really exhausting for him to speak. But he had to get it all out. "They were ready to do their…ritual. I broke free. And I…I had to fight my way out." Sam then told Dean and Neal what he remembered about the location.

Dean nodded. He could read between the lines. Demons had had Sam and he had had to kill them all to get free. But, he had not been able to grab the artifact on the way out.

"You were not talking about regular people, were you?" Neal asked. "And what do you mean, use you?"

Sam shook his head. "Trust me…it's better, safer for you not to know. It's safer for you, for June, for everyone you've met or ever will meet." He paused. "I know that sounds melodramatic, Neal. But these…things, they're no joke."

Neal looked at Dean.

"Sam's right, Neal, the less you know, the better off you are." Dean stated.

"How can I help if I don't know what's going on?" Neal asked.

Both Sam and Dean just looked at him.

"You said you need this tablet thing. I know people who can get it for you." Neal replied. "Some people will do anything for the right price."

"That would be a problem, Neal." Dean said. "We have no money. Our line of work doesn't pay well. Actually, it doesn't play at all."

"I'll take care of the money. I'll just have to liquidate some assets." Neal got up from his chair. He walked around the room, thinking out loud. "I'll use Randy. He has a buyer for that Degas. He's been after me to sell it for months. It should be worth a couple million."

"What? A couple million, Neal, that's…." Dean replied. He couldn't believe Neal would help them like that.

"It's only money, Dean. I can always get more. And what do I need it for?" Neal asked. "I mean, really? I live in one of the best houses in the city. And if you can't use what you have to help your friends, then what good is it?"

Sam and Dean were both speechless. They knew of Neal's generosity. He and June were very generous with them, but never with this much money.

"Don't worry, Guys. Peter will have no idea of what's going on. The painting is not in New York. I have no access to it. The whole transaction will be conducted by people who know how to cover their tracks. And the bank account the money is going into is completely untraceable." Neal reassured them.

"Who is going to do all this?" Dean inquired.

"Like you told me, it's really better you don't know, less liability that way." Neal explained.

"So, how long is this going to take?" Dean asked. No one would ever accuse Dean Winchester of being a patient man.

"It get everything lined up will take a day or two. The money will then be wired into the account. It could take a few hours before I could have access, because it's such a large amount. So, I would say about two days." Neal estimated.

Dean was up and pacing now. "I'm not sure we have that long."

Sam spoke up. "I don't know, Dean. The place I was in, it looked abandoned. I knew it was in the warehouse district. But I, it might be okay. Homeless people can't get in there." He paused. "Plus, I really don't see where we have a choice."

Dean looked at his brother. "You know how well networked these…people are. They will find out you fought your way out and more will come."

"I can't be the only one out there, Dean." Sam replied. "There have to be more."

"Why is that?" Dean wanted to know.

"Because, what if your first one fails? What if it malfunctions in some way?" Sam offered.

"First of all, Sam, you're a person, not a freakin' machine." Dean retorted. "And second of all, how are you going to malfunction?" He had sat down, but he got up to pace again. "Look, I'll just go get it. It's close by, obviously, or you wouldn't have made it here in the condition you were in. I'll get it and be back here in no time." Dean then turned to Neal. "I got caught up there for a minute, Neal. We appreciate your offer. But these people, whoever you have in mind to do this. They truly have no idea what they are getting into. And the fact is they may not make it out alive. I couldn't…we couldn't live with that."

"Dean's right…stupid and suicidal. But he's right, Neal." Sam sighed. "I'm not in any condition to go back. And Dean, well at least he knows what he's going to be up against."

Dean glared at Sam. "Who am I gonna take with me, Sammy? Show me where the line's formed, and I'll take the volunteers." He paused as if waiting for an answer. "Well, alright then. I'll see you two in about an hour."

"Dean!" Sam pleaded with his brother.

"This…thing, we…it can't get into the wrong hands." Dean said.

Both Sam and Neal were silent as they watched Dean leave the room.

TBC

Chapter 4

AN: This chapter will have major Dean whumpage. Do I really need to explain the reasons why? Enjoy! And, as always, thank you for your reviews and alerts. You guys are awesome!

Dean had no trouble finding the right warehouse. Despite the condition Sam had been in he had managed to pay attention to where he was. Dean was surprised at the lack of carnage, but he just assumed Hell had reclaimed its own. Maybe Hell had its very own maid service. Dean chuckled at the thought. He continued to look around and found the artifact. He put it into the bag he had brought with him. He then turned to leave. But he was not alone. He was surrounded by demons. They had baited their trap, hoping to catch a Winchester. It wasn't the right one. But he would do, for now.

"Where's Sam?" One of them demanded.

"Bite me!" Dean spat out.

Two of the demons held Dean while another used him as a punching bag. Two others were present. One standing by in case Dean got away and tried to run, and the other was watching the door.

Dean spat out the blood from the beating he had just received. "I'm not telling you a damn thing!" He declared.

"We know, Dean. You're…loyal to Sam. And that's…adorable. But, given what your brother is, how long do you think it will be before he turns on you?"

Dean practically growled as he struggled against his captors. He had thought about that more than once, if he was honest with himself. But he dismissed it. Sam would never turn on him, would he?

Sirens pierced the air. The cops who normally patrolled the area sometimes turned on their sirens if they saw signs of people, usually the homeless. It managed to scare the most of them away, at least for a little while. The group scattered, one did manage to grab the bag with the artifact in it, but dropped it in the rush to leave. Cops were no match for demons. But these demons were on another mission. Killing cops just was not on their agenda for the day. They would just find Sam on their own. He couldn't be too far away. Dean would never stray too far from his brother, especially knowing the younger Winchester was injured.

They left the elder Winchester, unconscious and bleeding, on the filthy warehouse floor.

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It had been two hours, and Dean was still not back. Sam had tried to get out of the bed a couple of times to go find his brother. But he was in no shape to fight anyone. He and Neal had to just resort to waiting for the elder Winchester to return.

More time passed. And Sam got up again, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Sam, you're in no shape…."

Sam shook his head. "I can't just lay there, Neal. Something's happened; Dean said he would be back by now…one hour, he said. It's been two. If he's hurt, or worse, I need to know. I need to find him."

Neal kept running their limited options through his mind. But his mind kept returning to one, and he was very sure Sam would not like it.

"Sam, I'll call Peter and…." Neal started.

"We cannot have the FBI involved in this!" Sam said.

"Not the division, just one agent." Neal stated.

"And what if it gets out Peter's helped Dean?" Sam shook his head again. "We can't be responsible for him losing his job, going to prison. And Dean would go to prison, too…. It's just, no…."

"What else are we going to do, Sam. I can't go get him. You can't go get him. We can't send just anybody in there. And what if he's…what if he's injured and he needs help?"

Sam knew Neal was right, if Dean was injured badly he would need help. And the young Winchester knew something was very wrong, or his brother would have called. He looked at the conman and nodded.

Neal then placed the call. He told Peter all he knew about what was going on. And, to the conman's surprise, Peter didn't object. He grabbed his coat and hurried out of his office. He recruited Diana and Jones all while Neal was giving him the location of where Dean had gone.

"I'll call you, Neal. Tell Sam that we'll find him." Agent Burke said, and then he hung up.

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Peter hurried to the warehouse district. But even with light traffic, it took 20 minutes. Peter parked the car between buildings. It was easier to hide it that way. And he had no idea what shape they might find the young man in, so it would be better to have the car close. He, Diana and Jones exited the car and began a methodical search of the area. They started with the warehouse Neal had told them about. But they could not find the elder Winchester.

They figured Dean had either wandered off or was hiding. And, judging from the amount of blood and the ropes and knives left at the scene, Dean had been tortured and had to be severely injured. Given this new, disturbing evidence, they had to risk calling out to him. They didn't feel like he would last much longer in his condition.

Dean knew he was delirious now. He was hearing people calling his name. He pulled himself back further into the shadows. He could not go a 'Round 2' with the demons. He had positioned himself behind a bunch of large crates. He planned to stay there until this danger had passed. Then he would get to the car and get out of the area. He just hoped he could make it before the demons came back and decided to finish him off.

The voices sounded familiar to the elder Winchester. And they were getting closer Dean kept hidden until he finally saw who it was calling his name.

"Diana?" Dean said, confused. He then tried to call out to the woman, though he really didn't have the strength. He managed to get himself up off the floor and step out of the shadows.

Diana saw movement out of the corner of her eyes. She swung around and just stood there for a moment as a tall bloody man started towards her. She didn't recognize him at first. Blood covered the left side of his face, and he was walking stooped over, holding the right side of his chest.

Dean stopped and fell to his knees. "Agent…Agent Barrigon." He said, just before he passed out.

TBC

Chapter 5

Diana holstered her gun and ran to Dean. She knelt down beside him and turned him over. She moved the bag he had with him out of the way. She would deal with that later. She immediately pressed her fingers against the right side of his neck, searching for a pulse. It was there, but it was weak. She breathed a sigh of relief. She then called to Peter and Jones that she had found Dean. She pulled off her jacket and rolled it into a ball. She pressed it to the side of his head to stop the bleeding as she waited for the agents to find her.

Jones and Peter showed up moments later. They hurried to see what condition Dean was in. Peter knew what he should do. But he also knew what would happen to Dean if he was put into the hospital. Chances are he would be recognized and he would go into the system. The lead agent didn't like it. But he knew his only option was to take the elder Winchester to June's, to Sam. Peter knew that June had a doctor friend who would make house calls for her. She would just have to call in a favor.

Peter issued his orders and moments later they and the bag were all in the car. Diana was in the back seat with Dean's head in her lap.

"How is he?" Peter said, daring to sneak a peek at their unconscious passenger.

Diana looked down at Dean. She had absently started running her fingers through his hair and it seemed to calm him a little, making him relax.

"…still out of it." Diana answered.

"How are we supposed to get him into the house?" Jones asked. He knew it the best option for Dean. But he was not at all sure about the logistics of the whole thing.

Peter had the same question. "Not sure, but I need to call Neal and update him." He paused. "Call him, Jones. He'll know how we can get Dean in."

They rode on in silence for a few more moments, until Diana felt a hand grip hers.

Diana looked down at him. "Well, hello Dean Winchester." She said squeezing his hand.

"So, I didn't imagine you." Dean replied.

Diana shook her head. "We came looking for you."

"Did you get it?" Dean asked, trying to look around. He tried to sit up when he realized where his head was. But he hurt too much. He laid back and closed his eyes, hoping to ride out the pain.

"Get what?" She could hear the panic in the elder Winchester's voice and it scared her a little. "Oh yeah, you had a bag with you. We did get that. It's on the floor board. It's fine."

Dean didn't open his eyes. But he seemed to hear her because he visibly relaxed.

Ten minutes later they were at the mansion. Dean opened his eyes when the car slowed. He tried to sit up again. He made it, this time, with Diana's help. Dean thanked Peter and the other agents for bringing him to June's place. Neal had told Peter to come in the back way. He said the agent could park in the alley and bring the elder Winchester in through the kitchen at the back of the house.

Neal was waiting at the door. He let the group in. Dean was walking, but barely. He was leaning heavily on Peter and Jones. But the time they got him to the back bedroom, he was exhausted and in a lot of pain. He looked at his brother as he entered the room.

"I got it, Sammy." Dean said as he collapsed on the bed beside the younger Winchester. "I go it."

Sam wasn't sure what to say. Diana had tried to clean Dean's face off in the car. But a lot of the blood was still there. And, to make matters worse, the bruises were now starting to show. The young Winchester was very concerned for his brother.

"I'm okay, Sam. I'll be okay." Dean stated, seeing his brother's concern.

As if on que, Diana walked in behind the three men. She deposited the bag on the floor. "I hope whatever's in there was worth it, Dean."

Dean nodded. "…most definitely. …surprised…didn't look."

"The less I know about…some things, the better." Diana admitted. Both Peter and Jones nodded. They wanted no part of what landed both Sam and Dean in the conditions they were in.

Dean smiled and nodded again.

"June's has already called her doctor friend. He'll be here in about 10 minutes. She's getting what we need to clean Dean's wounds." Neal informed the group.

"I can…." Dean started. He was going to say 'clean his wounds.' But the pain in his chest stopped him, and he lay down again.

"I know you can, Dean." June said. She had heard what he said and saw him try to sit up. "I know you can take care of yourself. You've had to all your life. But you're here among friends. People who want to and can help you." She paused and in an almost threatening tone said. "And you are going to let us."

Dean grinned and nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."

June patted Dean's forearm. "I'm just going to wipe the blood off so the doctor can see what he's dealing with."

Dean nodded. He closed his eyes and by the time June finished he was out. He had been exhausted and in a lot of pain. June's touch had been so gentle and soothing that the elder Winchester had gone to sleep.

The doctor arrived about 5 minutes later. The examination woke Dean up. He groaned and tried to pull away several times as the doctor felt for broken and bruised ribs. He also squirmed when the doctor bandaged the wounds on his face and chest. He settled down again only after the doctor gave him a dose of pain medicine.

The doctor started out of the room. Then realized that Sam could not follow, he turned back around. "Sorry Sam, I forgot there for a second." He sighed. "Dean's got a couple broken ribs, 4 bruised ribs. He was beaten pretty badly. He doesn't have a concussion. I didn't feel any lumps on the back of his head. But they could come up later. If he has bleared vision or gets dizzy, at all, call me."

June nodded. "Thank you, Carlton. I will call you tomorrow and let you know how he's doing."

The doctor nodded, and June showed him out.

June re-entered the room where the agents and Neal where talking to Sam.

"I just wanted to…thank you for what you did." Sam said to the 3 agents.

The agents nodded.

"I know…you didn't have to drop everything to come help us." Sam replied.

"You've dropped everything to help us…and Neal." Peter replied. "You two have been very good friends to El and I."

Sam smiled. He looked over at his brother, who was still out, resting with the help of pain medication.

"I just want to let you know how much we appreciate it." Sam replied.

"Why is the thing in the bag so important?" Diana asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "I mean, from the looks of you two…."

"If we can destroy it, we can prevent something very bad from happening." Sam stated, giving as little information as possible.

Jones smiled. "…appropriately vague, saying everything, but revealing nothing. You missed your calling, Sam. You should have been a politician."

Sam laughed. "At one point I was going to Stanford to be a lawyer." He revealed.

After the look of shock wore off the agent's faces Diana replied, "Close enough."

Sam laughed again, even though it hurt his ribs.

TBC

Chapter 5

A few days later both Winchesters were ready to leave the mansion. They both were feeling better, though they were still sore. Neither June nor Neal had asked what was in the bag Dean had brought with them. After what Neal had been told, he had been a little scared to look. And June, well, she knew enough about what they did to know that it was something she didn't want to mess with. She and Neal just hugged them both and wished them safe journeys when they left.

The boys retrieved the Impala. Baby had found her way into an impound yard. Dean got her out, but he let Sam have it for the next ten miles of their trip. They stopped in an isolated field just across state lines in Pennsylvania.

Sam and Dean carried the object, a shovel and a sledge hammer out into the middle of the field. They were going to smash the object and then bury it.

"You want to do the honors?" Sam asked, handing the sledge hammer to his brother.

Dean shook his head. "No, I think you should…the demon blood thing and all. It'll help you get all that pent up rage out."

"Oh really…Dr. Phil?" Sam asked, as he took the tool from his brother.

"Never took a psychology class, College Boy?" Dean asked as he stepped back to give Sam room.

Sam picked the hammer up and swung it, but was surprised when the motion was stopped. He looked to see Castiel holding his swinging arm.

"You cannot destroy that." Castiel explained, as he left Sam's arm go and Sam brought down the hammer.

"You do know demons want it?" Dean asked after he got of the surprise of the angels sudden appearance. "We can't let them get their hands on it again."

"They won't." Castiel assured them. "It's going back to its rightful owner."

"God wants his tablet back?" Sam asked. "How did he lose it in the first place?"

"He didn't, Moses did." Castiel explained. "And he's been upset with the man for centuries."

"What?" Dean asked, completely confused.

"Moses used to drag it out and brag on it, being the first human to see God's face." Castiel went on. "Some of the other disciples got upset with Moses, jealous really, so they stole it from him and hid it. Well, then it got stolen from that hiding place. Then it found its way out of heaven."

"I thought it was in the Ark of the Covenant somewhere on Mount Ararat." Sam replied. "And why was it shoved into a rock?"

"It is. Moses made a copy. But, it's still pretty powerful. His copy, since it was only a copy, the commands could be rewritten. So, Moses shoved the copy into a stone, with an angel's help, of course The commands cannot be rewritten on the original. Just to touch it would mean death, to anyone."

"So, we got our asses kicked for a knockoff! Awesome!" Dean said.

"It's still powerful, Dean, which is why it's coming home." Cas said, getting ready to leave.

"Cas, wait…." Dean hesitated for a moment. "Does Moses look anything like Charlton Heston?"

"I do not know what a Charlton Heston is, so I will say no." Cas replied. He then disappeared.

Dean and Sam stood and just looked at the spot where Castiel had been, for a moment.

"Okay Sammy, enough weirdness for a while." Dean sighed as they walked back to the car. "I need pie."

The End

More Neal, Sam and Dean Adventures To Come!