A/N: It's the usual suspects; my beta Audrey, stelesandwands on FFNet, and Em, the greatest, awesomest, coolest, etc.

"Listen, brother, three days at the lake house and you'll feel like new."

"Yeah, remind me how you have a lake house on our salary?"

It was a blazing hot day, even for Kansas standards, and yet it still didn't stop the streets from being so goddamn busy. A flurry of tank tops, shorts and sandals scurried up and down the pavement while cars sped by in flashes. Several noises drowned one another out, creating a cacophony chaotic enough to give any man a headache. Of course the city was flooded. Today of all days. Where did all these people come from? It was the start of July, summer break was at its highest peak. People were meant to be at the beach, or abroad.

Dean squinted at his friend sitting across him. The damned parasol they were under barely offered any shelter from the glaring sun.

"Besides, where would I find the time to go down there?" he finally continued.

Benny gave a dejected sigh. "True."

"When was the last time you went up there?" Dean asked.

" 'Bout three weeks ago," the other admitted.

The Winchester let out a low whistle. "We seriously need a vacation." Dean chuckled.

"Well, after all this, I'm planning on asking for one," Benny assured him. "How's your fishing?"

He was answered with a shrug. "Not too bad. Used to do loads of it when Sammy and me were kids," Dean replied.

"Good, 'cause when you come and visit, we're goin' fishing," his friend said. "It'll calm you right down."

"You got that right." Dean laughed as the waitress arrived with their orders.

She slid the beer and cappuccino over to them without a word, but offered a sweet smile in Benny's direction. He thanked her in his charming, southern drawl as Dean smirked into his glass. Neither spoke until she was out of earshot.

"So," Dean started nonchalantly, "you gonna ask her out?"

Benny chuckled. "What?"

"Dude, she was checking you out. And I'm pretty sure that's her number she left there," Dean informed him, nodding at the napkin tucked underneath Benny's coffee.

The other fiddled with its corner, then took a sip of his coffee, seemingly unmoved.

Dean raised his eyebrows expectantly. "You're not gonna ask her out?"

"Sorry, I'm not interested," Benny supplied.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I know Andrea's your one and only," Dean quipped with a grin. "Another girl you've failed to ask out, by the way."

Benny returned a smile, the usual, weird quirk of his mouth which made him look all calm and wise. Dean had no idea how he pulled the look off. Maybe it was the beard.

"What about you?" His friend interrupted his thoughts.

Dean answered with a puzzled, "Hmm?"

"Have you been seeing anyone lately?" Benny clarified.

He cracked a smile, but Dean knew it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Nah, man. Not really."

"Dean, it's been three months since-"

"Look, I got it, Benny. Don't worry about it."

Benny looked as if he was about to make a reply, but something across the street caught his eye (which really relieved Dean). The Winchester followed the other's gaze, and found a young man leaving the nearby Chinese restaurant. The guy looked tentatively both ways before he carried on down the street, tucking something small and flat into his pocket.

"That's him," Dean announced.

Benny hastily left some cash on their table. "I'm gonna get the car, you follow him."

Dean wanted to point out that Benny always drove, but didn't argue as the other man disappeared in the opposite direction. He carefully jogged over the road, eyes set on the nervous man and hand hovering over his gun. It seemed that every person in town was heading right at Dean. He pushed past them, grumbling half-sincere apologies, trying hard to stay focused on the target in front of him. Dude was graceful as a cat. Meandering around the crowd like it was no problem, he kept his head low and hands deep in his pockets. A skill probably developed during his work as a food delivery boy. Or moonlighting as a messenger for the local Chinese mafia. Either worked for Dean.

The Winchester was just about to grab him, when he felt a sharp jab in his shoulder, followed by a loud protest in his ear.

"Watch where you're going, man!" the guy in the suit demanded, but Dean payed no attention to him.

Fortunately, delivery boy was still in sight. Unfortunately, he'd spotted Dean.

The kid burst into a sprint as Dean muttered a brief, "Shit."

He started after him, no longer caring for the complaints that followed him. His legs blindly lead him forward for a short while, since the guy had disappeared, but Dean soon caught up to him as the crowd melted away. After checking over his shoulder, his target looked quite surprised when he saw the other right at his heels. He set into a faster pace, zipping into a narrow alley. Trash cans tumbled to the floor as the dude toppled them over in attempt to stop Dean. The Winchester avoided them easily, because God knew how many times that had been used on him. There was a sudden stop, and the delivery boy started up one of the fire escapes. Dean briefly thought of taking out his gun, but realised it would do him no good as the guy was protected by the steel cage. So instead, he headed up after him.

They ran all the way up to the roof, and gravel squeaked beneath their shoes as they raced towards the ledge. Dean expected the dude to stop, but instead-

"Son of a bitch."

Guy leapt over the gap like it was no big deal.

Knowing Benny would kick his ass if he lost their suspect, Dean sucked in a sharp breath before following the other's lead. His heels all but wavered over the edge when he landed, but the chase pressed onward.

Dean really hated it when he had to chase down the suspects. Benny had always insisted Dean was more fit for the job, but it was easy for him to say when he wasn't the one coming home with a sprained ankle or bruised shin. The Winchester promised himself to force Benny onto a treadmill this summer.

Luckily, the next ledge was much further away from its neighbour. Dean stopped about five feet in front of the delivery boy, before pulling out his gun.

"All right, buddy, game over," he puffed as he aimed. "Now get your hands up-"

The other didn't seem interested in what Dean had to say, because he suddenly hopped over the edge and plummeted downwards. Dean rushed over, and for a moment, considered not looking down. He seriously hated heights. But he bit the bullet and did anyway.

"Oh, come on!" he groaned.

His target was clambering out of the garbage container and trying to stabilize his feet. Dean pocketed his gun, grit his teeth and jumped.

It was possibly the worst thing he'd ever experience. People might expect it to feel like flying, but honestly, all Dean felt was as if he was falling to his death. He landed with a soft thud, sending a few papers, a banana peel and a Coke can soaring over his head. Knowing he had very little time, he rolled over the edge and looked around for that damn asshole. Of course, he was already halfway down the alley.

Dean forced himself into a full-blown sprint, desperate to catch the guy. There was no way he was letting him get away. Not after two weeks of nothing. The delivery boy was too fast, however. Dean barely crossed half of the alley when the other reached the exit. Dean was positive he was going to lose him, going to have to spend another week tracking him down again-

Tires squeaked against the ground, followed by a dull thud. Dean grinned. He had never been so happy to see his partner.

Benny stepped out of the car and towered over the delivery boy, who was doubling over in pain on the ground, having just crashed and soared over the car's hood.

"Eddie Tan," Benny announced. "You're under arrest for the murder of your brother. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to a lawyer, if you do not have one, the state will provide you with one." He got the cuffs on without any trouble, then grinned at Dean as he shoved Eddie into the back of car.

"Next time," Dean wheezed. "You're jumping into the damn trash."

The trip back to the station was quiet, Dean still heaving for breath and Benny focusing on the road. When they got back, the latter offered to give Eddie his one phone call before escorting him to the holding cells, while Dean rested at his desk. The Winchester saw no problem in this, and gladly settled in his chair, thanking his lucky stars they'd finally caught the guy before he'd fled out of the country to avoid prosecution. He groaned as he leaned back, his spine popping comfortably. After this whole affair, he was ready to dedicate a whole day to napping.

"Winchester, I see you're back," the sound of Chief Henriksen's voice interrupted. "I presume you've caught your suspect?"

Dean gave an affirmative nod. "He's calling his lawyer now. Benny's gonna take him down to the cells."

The Chief huffed in amusement. "I doubt the guy's case'll stick, but hey, the law is the law."

"Guy kills his own brother for some rite of passage," Dean spat. "What an asshole."

"He'll have plenty of time in prison to learn to live with that," Henriksen agreed, his voice somber.

They shared a comfortable silence as Dean struggled to get his desk into a somewhat presentable working space.

Henriksen waved a hand at him. "Leave it alone. I'll get someone to put the files away," he said. "You go home and rest now, you smell like garbage."

Dean's head dropped into the back of the chair.