Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Castiel shivers visibly, but he doesn't look away. "Tomorrow then. It’ll be a new beginning. Just the two of us."

Dean’s eyes darken further, the smile on his lips wicked and full of intent. “Damn right, babe. Can’t wait to see you..." His voice dips, heavy with the promise of their dark work. "Up close.”

The room fades away as a bright and sunny day bursts forth on the screen.

“Alright,” Dean claps his hands, briefly rubbing them together and blowing on them for warmth. “Heater decided to crap out on me, I can’t get it working again but where I’m going its all Florida sun and warm weather. Hope you’re ready for me, babe.”

Green eyes wink at the camera in front of him before he pulls out of the gas station and back onto the road. 

“Halfway there,” he murmurs to himself, radio turned up just loud enough to hear but not to overpower his voice.

Castiel feels a pair of strong arms come up from behind, wrapping around his shoulders as he relaxes back into his mate’s hold. 

“Mornin’ babe, up early today, I see,” Dean notes, kissing the alpha on the temple as he plops himself right on his lap, personal space be damned. “Watching another oldie but goodie?”

Castiel chuckles, “You could say that, I’m at the part where the heater in Baby goes out. You’re cold, tired, hungry, and ready to be here already.”

“That was a long ass drive to take with no heat and it snowing half the damn time,” Dean gripes, as if the trip just happened yesterday.

In truth they’ve been mated for a, mostly harmonious, three years now, four and half if you count the time before Dean came down to visit in person. It's been heaven for them, absolute hell for anyone who catches their eye for…other activities. 

“I know, my love,” Castiel soothes, placing small kisses along the curve of his mates shoulder. “I’d like to think it was worth it…” he mumbles against the slightly raised scar over his omega’s mating gland.

Dean’s mood flips almost immediately, pout transforming into a genuine smile, “Definitely.”

The alpha lets their video keep playing, this time on mute, watching as Dean finally arrives on his doorstep. 

“You weren’t what I expected in person,” Dean admits, a shock to the alpha after all these years.

“What does that mean?” Castiel asks, trepidation filtering into his scent. 

Dean shakes his head, “It’s not a bad thing just…you treat me the same in person as you did all that time online. A part of me expected you to be a complete liar like everyone else, I guess.” Dean’s smirk grows, adding, “It woulda sucked having to kill you, though…”

Castiel barks a laugh at the omega’s teasing, “I’m glad I proved you wrong but we both know you could never kill me. Not because you love me, because I’d never let you, sweetie.”

“Hey!” Dean gripes, unhappy with the tables being turned so efficiently. “I could take you if I wanted and you know it.”

“Dean, love, play to your strengths,” Castiel jokes, watching as his omegas pout deepens deliciously. 

“We’ll talk when you pass me on the leaderboard for the week, assbutt,” Dean snarks, climbing off of Castiel’s lap with a huff. 

“I’m not talking individual kills, Dean. One. On. One. You can’t take me, just admit it,” Castiel taunts, loving how easy it is to get his omega riled up. 

Dean stalks back his way, getting right into Castiel’s face, arresting his breath with the sudden flip but he’s loving every second of it. His golden greens pull the alpha in, gone dark and intense with blatant bloodlust as he growls, “Don’t tempt me, Castiel…”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Castiel smirks, playing innocent as he leans in to peck a sweet kiss on his mates cheek. The alpha knows he could push, turn this electrified energy they’ve created into something more enjoyable for the both of them, but there’s work to be done. Instead, he asks, “What’s next for our FBI friends?”

*****

Victor hands Ellen a steaming hot mug of coffee from the Keurig he keeps in his office. Perfect for late nights poring over all the evidence they’ve compiled for this investigation. 

“So no leads on the email and no clue what they’re planning,” Ellen counts off on her free hand, pausing to take a careful sip of the coffee. 

The alpha stills, poised to open up yet another disturbing video of their fugitives when a notification pops up on his personal phone. Pulling it up quickly to make sure it isn’t important does nothing to soothe his worries about the investigation. 

“Looks like you’re not as special as we thought,” Victor mutters grimly, showing Ellen the email he just received.

Same address as the one Harvelle was sent less than 48 hours ago from Winchester and Novak. 

Victor forwards the email to himself, CC’ing the director and anyone else of importance. Just like Ellen’s the address probably isn’t traceable, the subject is one word, ‘Surprise’. The alpha can’t think of any surprise he’d ever want from these two sociopaths. Just like Harvelle’s, the video begins to autoplay despite the alpha avoiding clicking play as protocol dictates.

Surprise.mp4 Loading…

The screen fills with the faces of Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak. Once again, the mates sit in a dark room in front of the glow of whatever source of light they have behind the camera. 

Dean speaks first, practically bouncing in his seat from excitement, “Hi, guys!”

Castiel chimes in from his side, smiling broadly as he greets them, “Hello, agents.”

“Sorry we were so vague last time, but we had to be. To protect ourselves and your awesome surprise,” the omega explains. “It would’ve ruined everything.”

Castiel nods in agreement, “But now, we’re ready to begin. At the end of this video there will be a set of clues for you to follow. If done properly and in a timely fashion, you’ll find us and the final part of your surprise. The best part, in my opinion.”

“If you can work it out, you get us,” Dean says, tone smug as though the agents could never crack their code. “If not, the lovely couple we’re meeting for dinner tonight won’t be making it past dessert.”

A cold chill runs down Victor’s spine. He was right, if they don’t stop Winchester and Novak an innocent will die. More than one if the mates can be believed, which he’s learned isn’t often the case. Dean has a tendency to twist the truth for his own benefit and Castiel’s cut from the same cloth. 

The perfect fucking match.  

But, much like Ellen’s video, something in his gut tells him they aren’t lying. Not this time. 

“We won’t leave you in suspense, see you soon if you’re lucky,” Castiel says, waving goodbye as Dean leans in to shut off the camera. 

“Don’t give them false hope, babe,” Dean whispers right before the screen goes black.

A list appears seconds after that, just as promised. Victor pauses so they can read it over together. 

The land I sit on used to belong to Mexico before it was taken by the US, now I’m a well known tourist attraction.

“That could be any state in the deep south,” Ellen points out, jotting down notes on her pad of paper. “Well, let’s stick to states actually connected to Mexico via land. We can work backwards if that doesn’t pan out. So, Texas…” the beta begins writing down each state.

"I’m technically a ‘quadripoint’ but I go by another name, what is it?” Victor reads aloud. “What the fuck is a quadripoint?” 

Ellen picks up her phone, pulling up a browser window to check Google, reciting, “A quadripoint is a point on Earth where four distinct political territories meet. Huh.”

“Political territories?” Victor asks, making sure he heard Harvelle correctly. A thought occurs to him, “There’s no chance they’ve left the country, we should have and would have caught that…”

If only the alpha sounded as convincing as he wishes he did. 

“It’s a valid concern but you’re right, there’s no way they got out of the country with everyone on alert,” Ellen determines, soothing his poorly hidden worries. “Isn’t there a spot here in the U.S. where four states meet? I think my parents took us there on a road trip when I was a kid…”

The beta mumbles to herself as she completes another search, whooping when she finds her answer, “Yes! Four Corners Monument. It marks where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona meet. Technically, it was briefly a political territory when Mexico and the U.S. fought over it in 1848 during the Mexican-American war.”

“Huh, learn something new everyday,” Victor hums, already pulling up a browser on the computer to search for the answer to the final clue. 

There’s only one large city within me, surrounded by desert. If you can figure out these clues, you’ll find us where ocean meets land tonight at 8pm. See you, never…

“Something tells me Dean wrote that last part,” Ellen mutters, scrolling to make sure she didn’t miss anything important about the area. “We’ll need to send someone right away once you’ve got the location. Even with the city they’re in, we still have to find them…”

All four states are land locked, the ocean is more than likely another clue, for what he has no idea. It’ll be like trying to find a fucking needle in a haystack, the game is rigged but they have to try anyway. It doesn’t take Victor long after that, relaying, “Farmington, New Mexico. I’ll call the director and get everyone mobilized. We leave within the hour.”

*****

Dean pats his stomach, leaning back in his chair, “I don’t think I could eat another bite.”

Cas smirks, asking, “What if I told you, there’s pie waiting for you in the kitchen?”

“Pie?” The omega asks, maple syrup and vanilla bean deepens making the alpha’s ocean eyes go slightly red ringed, with a hint of arousal weaving into his juicy citrus and honey. Dean groans, “It’ll have to wait, I really overdid it.”

“Shaun’s the same way,” their guest chimes in from the other side of the table. “Guess the saying is right, the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

The brunette omega beams, turning that smile on her soon to be mate, Shaun. The couple met the alpha and his girlfriend, Jenny, at the grocery store last week. Thank the gods for Cas’ charm, otherwise Dean’s not sure he could have managed to get both of them here of their own free will. All it took was an offer of a free home cooked meal and wine, the rest is history. 

Or it will be, once Dean’s digested a bit. 

The omega’s mind wanders as his mate dominates the conversation, eyes glazing over the little touches they made to this temporary home to make it appear as though it’s truly theirs. There’s no way they’d bring these people to their real house, not after what happened all those years ago. Dean’s just glad Cas had the bright idea to squat in an empty airbnb instead of finding an old warehouse like last time. 

Fewer rats and better food.

“So how long have you two been mated,” Jenny asks, fork swirling through her Spinach Alfredo.

The question brings a smile to both their faces, turning to one another as Cas answers, “Three years next month. We were together long distance for a year and a half before that.”

“Ohhhh, how was that?” Shaun asks, curiosity written across his face. “I can’t imagine it.”

Jenny laughs melodically, “This guy acts tough, but he can’t stand more than a day without me. It’s sweet.”

Ocean eyes meet rolling hills, in total agreement, more than the other couple will ever understand. Where Dean goes, Cas follows and vice versa. 

“And from our new beginning,” Cas begins to whisper, knowing Dean will finish his sentence.

“Our love will flourish and grow, until the end of time,” Dean whispers, almost breathless with the intensity of his mate’s sapphires. 

The room’s gone silent as twin pairs of eyes bounce between the two, utterly confused. 

It’s okay, dinners over now anyway. 

With those words, that promise echoing in his mind, the couple turns to their guests in unison.

“My apologies for bringing you here under false pretenses,” the alpha says, manic gleam in his cobalt eyes contradicting the softness of his tone. “I’m a sucker for young love, what can I say.”

“Babe, you’re not that old,” Dean admonishes, watching as the paralytic they slipped into their new friends drinks begins to kick in. 

Cas grunts, disagreeing with the statement entirely, “I’m ten years older than you, Dean.”

Dean snorts, “Almost ten years and that didn’t seem to be a problem when we met…”

The omega stands, going around the table to pick Jenny up and carry her to the room they prepared upstairs. 

“When we met, I didn’t have grey hairs popping up in…strange places,” Cas grimaces, probably hit with the memory of the latest find. A single grey pube, the alpha wasn’t happy to say the least. He continues the complaint, “It’s untenable.”

“You and your big words,” Dean jokes, huffing as he adjusts Jenny’s weight on his shoulder. It wouldn’t do to drop her down the stairs before the fun can begin. “Come on, get Shaun.”

The alpha groans, rolling his eyes as he follows behind Dean carrying Shaun’s limp form. 

“You think they figured it out yet,” He asks, body practically vibrating with excitement the further they get down the hall. 

Cas barks a laugh, almost dropping Shaun in the process, “Absolutely not, Dean. We may have given them the name of the city, but we’ll be long gone by the time they get anywhere close to a location. Don’t worry, love. We have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves.”

“Good, there’s something new I wanted to try,” Dean says, turning to pull his alpha into a deep, soul burning kiss. “Gods, I love you.” 

Once they reach the room, the omega has to release Cas so they can enter but he hesitates enjoying the closeness of his mate. 

“You make me crazier than I already am, Dean,” the alpha murmurs, reluctantly pulling away from Dean’s lips and tossing Shaun onto the nearest surface. Thankfully the plastic covered table the omega set up in the center of the room. Dean carefully lays Jenny down next to her unconscious boyfriend. Cas growls, “Let’s get this over with, I want you allll to myself.”

Chapter Text

"The first officers on scene had to be sent back outside,” the local police captain explains as he leads Henricksen and Harvelle up the stairs of the unassuming townhouse. “Didn’t want them contaminating the scene with…well more than it already was contaminated…” the man’s words trail off, his own countenance turning a little green under the low light on the stairs. 

From the moment they stepped off of the plane the local police have been assailing them with warning after warning about the horrific state of this particular crime scene. Vic’s not putting much stock in it, it’s a typical reaction from police departments that aren’t used to dealing with serial killers. Harvelle on the other hand has a shade of concern cross her face though her steps remain steady. 

Captain Morris stops just short of walking into the last bedroom on the left, grey eyes boring into them as he cautions them one last time, “…it’s a mess in there so just…if you have a weak stomach it’s probably best you stay out here.”

Vic looks to Agent Harvelle giving her the option to stay with the captain. His own stomach might as well be made of steel after seeing the worst evil a person can do to another living being case after case over the last twenty years of his career. It'll take more than a little gore to make him lose his lunch. Harvelle pulls herself up, spine straightening as she declines the offer, leading the way into the room to the captain’s clear astonishment. 

Victor’s quickly learning not to make any assumptions about Ellen Harvelle. Praise for his new partner ceases the moment his eyes land on the grisly scene before him. 

“It’s just gotten worse as they continue to melt but we aren’t quite sure of how to transport the…pieces…of the deceased,” Morris explains, standing just outside the door. 

Shattered chunks of meat would be more accurate. 

Harvelle stands near the table where most of the victims bodies lay broken like glass, slowly thawing into lumps of flesh and pools of blood. 

The room is a horrifying mockery of a pups seek and find book, painting a haunting picture as his eyes survey the scene. It tells a story of pain and sadistic pleasure, even though the crime scene techs haven’t yet begun processing a single piece of evidence. 

Several empty canisters marked LN2 discarded in the far left corner, a crushed bottle of warming lube peppered with bloody prints on the plastic covered hardwood. Various limb, hand, and foot prints concentrated near the lube revealing a tale Vic would rather not be privy to, he’s seen enough on camera to last him a lifetime. Hammers and crudely fashioned clubs leaning unassumingly up against the wall by the closet.

Shards of a face twisted in pain lying frozen solid not two inches from his right shoe.

Harvelle comes to the same blood chilling conclusion, voicing her thoughts, “I…I think they froze these people…but…”

Vic picks up her thought easily, asking the question before she can, “With what?” The alpha pauses, surveying the scene once again before it hits him like a bolt of lightning. Theorizing as he points to the canisters, “There wasn’t enough time or equipment to freeze the bodies any way other than liquid nitrogen, LN2.” The two years the alpha thought he wanted to be a chem major seem to be coming in handy today. “Of course we won’t know for sure until they’re examined properly…if they can be examined properly,” he says with a grimace, considering the current state of the ‘bodies’. “It’s likely they tortured them by breaking off bits of the victims while they were still alive. It would fit their profile.”

Captain Morris proves himself correct in his earlier assessment as the distinct sound of the omega’s vomit hitting hardwood rings through the air behind Victor. 

Vic sighs, resigning himself to a long day on scene dealing with delicate stomachs, while trying to lick their wounds after once again losing their fugitives. They’ve had more contact with Novak and Winchester this week than they have in years, so why does it feel like the criminals are gaining the upper hand? It’s a niggling thought Henricksen doesn’t like, one he’d never admit to having out loud. 

Brushing away his discordant pondering, the alpha turns to begin delegating tasks.

“…and someone please clean this up,” Vic commands, pointing to the puddle of sick out in the hall where Captain Morris stood only moments before.

It may look like they’re losing but he hasn’t given up hope completely and neither has Ellen.

“There’s something here, Henricksen. Has to be,” Harvelle insists, eyes scanning around the defrosting mess in the bedroom. There’s a tinge of doubt in her tone as she swears, “There’s no way they did all this without leaving some clue…”

The fact is they both know the two are perfectly capable of doing all this, not to mention clearly pausing to have sex before fleeing the scene, without leaving one bit of evidence. Dean and Castiel are too practiced, too careful at this point to be caught that easily. Though Vic won’t stop himself from praying to the gods this will be the start of a losing streak for the couple. 

Henricksen says a quick prayer as well for the yet to be identified victims, asking for forgiveness for not getting here on time even if that was more than likely by design. Vowing to get justice for them, and all the others, one way or another.

*****

The flight home is somber, leaving New Mexico with nothing more than two more names to add to the list of victims. 

Sean Brenner and Jenny Gonzalez.

The couple had been together since high school and planned to mate later in the year, now they’ve been collected into bags to be stored at the coroners office until the family can be contacted. Vic doesn’t envy the coroner’s difficult task of trying to separate the remains, something the alpha’s not even sure they’ll be able to fully accomplish. 

But, they need to try for the families. 

The alpha’s relaxed just enough to attempt sleep when an alert pings from his phone, mirrored on Ellens moments later. Looking to each other confusedly, the tired partners open up the messages at the same time, breathing a mutual sigh of relief when it isn’t from Novak and Winchester. 

“Surviving HBM, premiering tomorrow on Tubi. Watch for a sneak peek into exclusive interviews with victims, former colleagues, neighbors, and friends of Castiel Novak and Dean Winchester,” the beta reads as Vic follows along from his phone. 

Each word raises his hackles, usually the bureaus aware when something like this gets produced, especially since it usually comes with requests for interviews. Then again, considering the platform, he’s not surprised in the least.

“Who made this and how is it they spoke to Meg Masters before we did?” Ellen asks incredulously, watching the sneak peek clip of a teary eyed Meg detailing her encounter with Castiel. 

“I’d been there from the beginning when he barely had 1,000 followers and I ended up running his fan club by the end, so yeah, I was a diehard HoneyBee,” Meg shrugs, eyes red rimmed and watery as her voice shakes. “When he Dm’d asking to hookup, no strings attached, I was all in. It’s not everyday a girl gets an offer like that from an alpha that looks like Castiel Novak.”

Chuck Shurley leans forward, agreeing in an attempt at a joke, “That’s understandable, I can probably think of four or five celebrities I may have had that same reaction to…uhm before I met my lovely partner, Rowena, that is.” Chuck saves himself, winking at the camera over exaggeratedly. Turning back to Meg, he asks earnestly, “But, your decision didn’t quite pan out the way you hoped, did it?”

Meg shakes her head no vehemently, “No, I knew something wasn’t right as soon as I saw the guy. He was nothing like in his videos and yeah most people assume probably 25% of what you see on social media is fake and the rest is real but he…I didn’t know the man I met that night…”

Chuck tilts his head confusedly, “Well…no, you didn’t.” The interviewer barely tries to hide the duh in his tone. 

Meg sighs frustratedly, attempting to hide the subtle roll to her eyes, “No, what I mean is his entire persona was off. Sure, he was still hot as hell and that’s what got me into bed eventually, but…”

Chuck nods encouragingly, “But?”

Meg shrinks in on herself, voice gone down to a whisper, “Afterwards, he thought I was asleep but I wasn’t. I never let myself fully fall asleep in a strangers home I’m not a complete idiot. I was resting my eyes,” she explains. “Anyway, I could feel him leaning over me just watching me then he…he started scenting me and that went on for a few minutes. At first I thought it was funny, almost started laughing but I held it in I didn’t want him to feel stupid or anything. That’s when it got weird,” Meg says, chuckling weakly at Shurley’s response.

“That wasn’t the weird part?” Chuck asks, leaning back in his seat in faux astonishment. “You have a man, an alpha, that asked you to come to his home to hookup. He thinks you’re asleep, starts scenting you for several minutes and that wasn’t the weird part?”

Meg shakes her head no, continuing her story, “The scenting stopped abruptly and he started whispering to himself. He said my scent wasn’t right, that he could tell I didn’t eat well and all this other self righteous bullshit. At the time I was pissed, I didn’t come over to be lectured about diet and hygiene, conscious or unconscious. If I wanted that I’d visit my mom,” The omega snorts darkly, visible anger returning to her face. The brunette’s bravado falters as she admits, “Now…now I wonder if he was saying those things because he meant to kill me that night…and he thought I’d be bad for his garden so he changed his mind…”

The last comes out in an ugly sob. 

Shurley looks on in bewilderment, unsure of what to do or say. Vic’s thankful he isn’t the only one unclear on whether Ms. Masters is more upset at being insulted or at the fact she was rejected as low grade plant food. Shurley takes the route of politely handing her a few tissues, a look of unabashed yet confused intrigue locked onto his face.

The clip quickly shifts to Gabriel Novak giving a succinct sound bite.

Staring directly into the camera, “Cassie’s my brother and I’ll always love him but I condemn every single thing he’s done to harm another human being. Sure, we had a tough life but I didn’t raise him to…to be like this.” Gabriel explains tearfully.

Shurley cuts in, bluntly asking, “But, it was under your care that your brother had to be admitted to in patient rehab, along with yourself following an overdose on heroin. That’s not even mentioning the hefty rap sheet you both have for petty theft and assault as minors and young adults. I think it’s fair to say he was raised with a skewed view of right and wrong, wouldn’t you agree?”

Gabriel turns a hard glare on Shurley, refusing to answer his question and speaking directly to the camera again, “Cassie…do the right thing, turn yourself in. I love you and Dean, you know that. But you both need to answer for what you’ve done.”

“Catch the rest of this explosive interview tomorrow on Tubi!”

“Do you have Meg Master’s number on you?” Vic asks, watching as Ellen pulls it up on her phone. “If she has time to speak with a bottom feeder tabloid reporter like Chuck Shurley she can damn well bring her ass into our office for an interview.”

“Bet she’d show up if we offered her money to ‘tell her side of the story’,” Ellen snipes, dialing the omega’s number for him before passing the phone over. 

Vic snorts a humorless laugh, “On our budget? Not likely…”

*****

Silent agreement has the pair heading back to the office instead of home for the night when their plane lands. Ellen shoots off a quick text to Jo letting her know she’s arrived back in town safe but she won’t be home until morning. Jo won’t be happy but, sometimes the greater good has to come before movies and ice cream. Vowing to make it up to her daughter once the dust settles, Ellen settles into her usual seat on the other side of Vic’s desk as he makes quick work of turning his computer back on.

Victor explains as he pulls up the video files, “These clips are from around the time Sam brought up during his interview, when he first met Castiel. I wanna look back and see if there’s anything we missed…”

Within seconds another video is loading.

Estranged.mp4 Loading…

Dean paces the backyard, walking down the neatly planted rows of vegetables under the bright Florida sun.

The omega rounds the corner near Castiel’s happy patch of cheery yellow sunflowers, somber frown fixed to his freckled face, when the alpha himself makes an appearance in the garden.

“There you are,” Castiel says, walking out onto the back deck as his azure eyes land on Dean. “I was thinking we could make eggplant parmesan together for dinner, what do you think?”

Dean shrugs listlessly, poking at one of the taller flowers before retreating back to the deck where his mate stands. Castiel immediately envelops him in his arms, face snuggled in the crook of the omega’s neck, breathing in his scent as he asks, “Bad day?”

Dean doesn’t answer right away, burrowing deeper into Castiel’s embrace but finally a meek, “Yeah…” can be heard from the omega. Finally, through a tortured sob, “I just…I miss him…”

Castiel sighs heavily, pulling Dean in that much tighter as he reasons, “You raised Samuel from a very young age, he’s as much your child as if we’d had our own…”

Both men lock up, noticeable though neither comment further.

Ellen can’t even imagine these two with a couple of impressionable pups running around. The very thought makes her shudder.

Redirecting, Castiel says, “He’s not just your brother, Dean. He’s your best friend, your whole world…”

Dean shakes his head no, dislodging himself from Castiel’s arms, “No brother of mine would say what he said about you, Cas. Not knowing how much I love you, how much you mean to me.” Dean scoffs angrily, “That’s always been the problem with Sammy, he doesn’t know how to share. And after all I did…we did for him…” the words trail off without further explanation, lost to time.

Castiel pulls Dean back into him, chest to chest, promising, “I don’t regret one second of it, Dean. Samuel loves you. He’ll come to appreciate it one day and if he doesn’t…”

This time, Dean pushes Castiel away forcefully, emerald eyes squinting in suspicion as he asks, “If he doesn’t what, Cas? I don’t care how pissed I get, Sammy’s off limits. Just like Gabriel and Cassie…” the omega begins to rattle off their ‘no kill’ list by rote.

“What about Kali?” Castiel asks teasingly, ignoring the threat in Dean’s tone as he advances back into his space, trailing a few chaste kisses over the omega’s fresh mating mark. “You’d really kill our sister in law?”

“She put mashed up peas in the burgers, Cas. That’s unfuckingforgivable, if Gabe ever dissolves their mating she’s fair fucking game, babe.” Dean promises, only a hint of a joke in his tone.

“He’s killed for less,” Vic reasons to Ellen’s audible grunt in agreement. “That waiter in Missoula, for one, the ‘cold pie’ incident.”

“To be clear, it was in Cassie’s burgers. She won’t eat her veggies which is embarrassing when you think about it…” he pauses to consider the irony, vowing to do a better job as an uncle before continuing on, “It’s not her fault you greedily ate your portion then moved on to our nieces, sounds like a self created issue my love,” Castiel reasons, carefully distracting Dean from his dangerous mood. 

“‘Sounds like a self created issue’,” Dean mocks in a high pitched voice before breaking out into chuckles as Castiel tickles his sides mercilessly. 

The oddly soft moment between the two murderous mates ends peacefully, looping back to resolve their original disagreement.

“I promise I will never lay a hand on Samuel,” Castiel swears, hand over heart. “Though, that wasn’t what I was going to say in the first place. You should really learn to listen before reacting, Dean.”

“Two words, Mr. Crenshaw,” Dean taunts, ignoring the alpha’s wandering hands as he sinks into the banter flying back and forth between them. 

Henricksen tosses Ellen a file from the other side of the desk. She catches it, reading Crenshaw at the top.

“Look that over later and you’ll see what he means,” Vic says, turning his attention back to the video. “Hate to agree with either of them, but Dean’s not exactly wrong…”

Castiel tilts his head, brow furrowed in question, “Mr. is an honorific I don’t think it counts as a word by itself when it’s in that format, Dean.”

Dean pauses in thought, coming up with an unintelligent, “huh,” as his only answer.

In the silence that follows, Castiel leads Dean over to sit on one of the deck chairs, getting comfortable as the omega nestles between his legs back to chest. 

“’S not gonna be easy, but I’ll be okay,” Dean murmurs in the quiet of the backyard. “I refuse to live with his judgement of us…of you. If that’s all Sammy can offer me, the person who sacrificed my own everything so Sam could go to that fancy ass school in the first place, then he can stay the fuck away from us.”

Castiel hums, admitting, “While I didn’t exactly enjoy Samuel’s scrutiny I can understand it. I mean…he’s not entirely wrong, Dean. We just can't have him running and telling the authorities how right he really is…” the alpha reasons, rubbing a soothing hand up and down the omega’s arms. 

The action seems to be putting Dean to sleep but he mumbles a response anyway, “What we do on our time is our business, babe. Sam’s been a nosy little shit practically since birth but he won’t go to the police just because he finds you ‘creepy’ or ‘possibly dangerous’ and thinks we’re ‘codependent’.”

“Translation, Dean had Sam too scared to talk to the police. So much so it took damn near four years to get him in this office,” Vic growls, anger bubbling to the surface as they watch Dean tell his version of events. 

“True, I just hate to see how upset you are about it all,” Castiel admits placing a kiss atop Dean’s messy bedhead. “But…I think I might have something to cheer you up…”

Dean pops up off of Castiel’s chest prairie dog style, asking, “What? Did you buy me a present?”

Castiel squints his cerulean eyes, answering, “Yes, I guess you could say that. It’s tied up in the basement. I planned on a solo kill but I’ll let you have this one, you need it more than I do…”

Dean’s eyes go dinner plate wide with excitement as he scrambles off of the alpha’s lap, murmuring between kisses before he departs, “Thank you thank you thank you…”

The words echo behind him as the omega takes off like a shot inside the house. 

“Works every time,” Castiel whispers into the wind as a monarch flutters by. 

The clip fades to black, ending abruptly.

“So this was after the incident at Sam’s graduation party?” Ellen asks, just to be clear she has her timeline straight.

Victor nods, explaining, “Right after the event that caused them to cut off all contact for good.”

Chapter Text

It’s been a week and all they have to show for it is another crime scene, this time in Lehi, Utah, with little to no answers as to where their murderously inclined fugitives have run off to next. 

Of course the boys were long gone by the time the bodies of Eric Miller and Diya Patel were discovered at Eric’s home. The mates to be were found strangled and beaten prior to being stabbed to death and expertly dismembered. The pieces were left in the shower of the main bedroom, waiting to be stumbled upon, unfortunately by Eric’s younger brother. It’s not the killers usual MO, murdering and dismembering the victim in their own home. After Winchester’s fiasco with the sick victim and his mom, they switched up, only killing in the privacy of their own home or in empty warehouses after kidnapping the victims from another location. 

And, apparently, now airbnb’s have been added to the list. 

They have a witness this time, a neighbor reported hearing what she thought was a man screaming on someones television. She turned the volume up on her own, an attempt to block out the noise. The agents they sent in their stead reported how heartbroken the beta is knowing she could have possibly saved the couple if she’d just called 911 or gone over to help. Harvelle can’t even imagine the guilt the woman’s feeling, but it’s unwarranted. There’s no guarantee she would have survived an encounter with Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak. 

Luckily, or unluckily depending, a single scrap of evidence tying the crime to their fugitives was found under the bodies reading, ‘Missed you in New Mexico.’, with no clue as to where they're headed next. Harvelle guesses the clues were a one time thing. The taunt didn’t go over too well with Henricksen. The alpha went home to put some space between himself and the case for at least the next twenty four hours. There’s nothing else for them at the scene in Utah and the man’s been practically glued to his desk since the second video Winchester and Novak sent them last week. 

That leaves Ellen on her own for the few hours left before she heads home to make dinner with Jo. 

Tonight’s homemade pizza night. 

Wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Picking up the folder Vic tossed to her last week, Ellen settles into her seat to look over what could possibly make the agent think Dean Winchester was right. 

*****

Case ID# 245-DC-1836489 

Crenshaw, Rolland

Victim Description: 86 y old white male, alpha

Case Status - Unsolved (Suspect on the run)

Suspect - Castiel Novak (A), Fugitive (Top Ten Most Wanted see Case ID# 245-DC-1836285 for further information.)

Case Details - On the evening of July 1st 2022 suspect, Castiel Novak, entered the home of his elderly neighbor, Rolland Crenshaw, unbeknownst to the victim. Novak found Crenshaw upstairs asleep in bed, accosted the victim, knocking him unconscious, and proceeded to restrain the man with rope. Novak carried an incapacitated Mr. Crenshaw down to the victims basement. The suspect had already set up to murder his neighbor, prior to tying him up, in the same fashion he’d dispatched all of his victims. Novak tortured Mr. Crenshaw for the next four hours with various implements, ultimately stabbing the older alpha to death until he expired, dismembering the corpse for disposal. Phone records show an increasing number of missed calls and texts during that four hour window from the suspects mate, Dean Winchester, inquiring on his whereabouts. Suspect is still at large but phone records and video evidence (NeverAgain.mp4), along with Crenshaw’s partially decomposed remains recovered from suspects basement and backyard, prove his sole involvement in the crime. Case to be updated once suspect has been apprehended. 

*****

Ellen logs onto Henricksen’s computer, searching for the video file mentioned, NeverAgain.mp4. The beta locates it easily, clicking to play the video moments later.

NeverAgain.mp4 Loading…

Winchester and Novak stand in their living room glaring at one another from opposite sides. 

Every inch of the omega’s body screams with unleashed rage, arms held rigid across his chest, body tight as a spring ready to snap as he demands, “Where have you been, Cas? I’m not gonna ask again…”

Castiel bristles, responding tersely through clenched teeth, “Last I checked we had freedom and trust in this relationship. I can go for a run if I want to.”

Dean huffs an unamused laugh, sniping, “I don’t give a flying fuck what you do when you’re not blatantly lying to me. No one goes for a run in the middle of the night, Castiel. Wanna try that again?”

Castiel’s taken aback, visibly deflating as he stutters indignantly, “I…he…I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Dean…”

“What? Who…are you talkin’ about old man Crenshaw again? He’s like eighty fucking years old, we’ve been over this, Cas. The guy’s just being sweet, that’s all. Please tell me you didn’t…” the omega’s words trail off, already fully aware of the answer.

Castiel doubles down, insisting, “I did what needed to be done, Dean. You should be thanking me for protecting you. You’re mine…”

Dean groans frustratedly, scrubbing a hand through his bedhead as he responds, “Cut it with the jealous alpha bullshit, Cas. Gods, if I’da known mating you would turn you into a stereotypical knothead I woulda killed you instead.” Turning intense green eyes on his mate, he puts his foot down, “This can’t happen again, not with…”

Castiel sighs heavily, plopping down on the couch behind him now that the tension in the room is ebbing away, “I know…I know…it’s just…my self control has been going a little haywire ever since…”

Dean shakes his head, taking the seat next to his alpha, “That’s not an excuse, babe. I don’t need you getting caught, you know they’d separate us and I…” the words are broken up by an ugly sob. 

Ellen tries to recall if she’s ever seen Dean in such a state in the hours upon hours of videos she and Vic have reviewed by now. 

Not one.

It’s both shocking and revealing at the same time.

The alpha tries to soothe his mate, wrapping him in his arms as he rocks them back and forth, “It’s okay, Dean. I’m sorry, I swear it won’t happen again, I don’t know what I…” The alpha sighs, admitting, “I wasn’t thinking. No one’s going to take me away from you. There’s no sign I was even in the house, no one to report him missing, by the time they really start looking his body will be long gone. I’m so sorry, love.”

Dean mumbles into the meager space between them, “I mean it, Cas. Never again, or I’ll…I’ll leave.”

The mood switches on a dime. Repentant Castiel disappears as a playfully dangerous Novak takes his place.

The alpha chuckles darkly, “It’s cute that you think that’s an option, Dean.”

Dean mocks him, still weepy but rising to the occasion, “‘It’s cute that you think…’, shut it. You’re still in trouble, assbutt.”

Castiel scoffs, blue eyes squinting in annoyance, “I apologized, Dean. I don’t know what else you could possibly want from me…”

“Everything,” Dean murmurs, cutting off his mate’s words with a kiss.

Harvelle moves to the mouse, preparing to turn off the video as the omega devours his mate’s lips in the dirtiest kiss Ellen’s ever witnessed.

Harvelle cuts off the clip with full understanding of what Henricksen was getting at. Novak murdered an elderly man out of misguided jealousy. According to the background information in the case file, Mr. Crenshaw was a pillar of the community. A long time volunteer at the hospital, numerous donations on record to local charities, and he ran a monthly book club for other seniors in the neighborhood. 

Cut down in the middle of the night by a crazed alpha, just for being friendly to his mate. 

It’s far from okay.

The twisted picture of the mated couple becomes clearer to her everyday, the revelation is stomach turning.

*****

After recuperating from his minor meltdown the other day, Victor’s back in the saddle just in time to receive the latest unexpected message from their fugitives. Another untraceable email, though this one reveals exactly where their fugitives have been headed all along. Henricksen curses himself for not seeing it sooner. The title of the video file makes his blood run cold as it begins to play.

HeyaSammy.mp4 Loading…

Onscreen, Dean and Castiel can be seen sitting in a vehicle alone. 

“Hey guys! We keep missing each other so this time, I wanted to make sure to give you a huge clue. Maybe you’ll catch us this time,” Winchester says, turning the camera to Castiel as he chimes in.

“Unlikely,” the alpha singsongs, gummy grin taking over his face as Dean breaks out in boisterous laughter. “At this rate we could kill the whole block, cook an excellent four course meal, share a climax or three, and still have time to get away before you land.”

Considering they’re probably receiving this hours after the fact, the asshole’s more than likely right. Still, Vic sends out a message to get everyone ready to move and another checking in with the agents they left to surveil Sam Winchester. If Novak and Winchester were able to gain access to the home, that doesn’t spell anything good for his agents. The video continues to play despite the alpha’s mounting concerns.

“Time for a little family reunion,” Winchester mumbles absentmindedly to himself as he fixes his hair in the rearview mirror. 

The vantage point changes as Castiel explains, “Button cameras, less work and much easier when we may need a hand free for…”

The omega turns sharp green eyes on his mate, asking, “Do you need to wait in the car? The plan is to have a friendly conversation, Cas. Keep your shit together.”

Novak agrees, nodding sheepishly, “You’re right. New beginnings, out with the old. I get it.”

Winchester’s furrowed brow eases slightly, tone still jagged enough to cut as he warns, “Good, because if we go in there and you kill my brother…”

Novak finishes the sentence, “All bets are off, I know.”

“Awesome, love you,” Dean murmurs, leaning in for a quick peck on the lips like he didn’t just subtly threaten his mate. 

“These two threaten to kill each other just as often as they say ‘I love you’,” Ellen points out, tone dripping with disgust and confusion with a dash of wonder.

“It’s their love language,” Vic barks a genuine laugh at that one, Ellen joining in moments later.

Castiel leans into the kiss, fully on board as he deepens it, dragging a filthy moan from his mate. Putting a smidge of distance between them, the alpha returns the sentiment, “I love you so much, Dean.”

The words cause Winchester’s eyes to brighten, cheeks flush as he pulls further back. The omega rubs his hands together nervously, voice wavering slightly as he says, “Alright, let’s do this.”

Without another word the mates climb out of their car, being mindful not to show enough to identify the rust bucket they appear to be driving currently. 

Vic can’t help but smile, reminded of one of their biggest wins at the beginning of the investigation. Dean’s precious baby, locked up in ‘car jail’ as evidence. The Impala’s been there since the day the couple fled Florida, she’s bait at this point, Henricksen’s sure they’ll come for her eventually. And on that day, he’ll be waiting for them, gun at the ready and handcuffs on standby with every agent available at his back.

As the fugitives climb the steps of the porch, the house number of the unassuming yellow ranch comes into view. It’s confirmation, they’re on the front porch of Sam and Ruby Winchester in Palo Alto, California. It drags a strong reaction out of both agents, not wanting to admit what’s now crystal clear. 

Harvelle gasps, “Do you think…?”

“…if he told Novak no, then…” Vic tries to reason, but there’s no telling once Winchester gets angry enough. 

Sam’s usually his exception, as evidenced by him halting Novak more than once from killing him. But, they haven’t seen each other in years and both men have grown to be very different than they were when they spoke last. It’s a coin toss at this point and that doesn’t lend any comfort to the agents troubled mind.

Checking his watch, Henricksen notes it’s been at least fifteen minutes since he called it in. Almost long enough to have heard something by now, but his phone remains silent with Sam and his family’s lives hanging in the balance.  

Onscreen, Sam’s front door swings open to reveal a petite brunette holding a book.

Ruby Winchester.

The omega squints, words halfway out of her mouth, “Can I help y…” before her eyes widen in fear, recognition creeping in suddenly. She scrambles to shut the door, attempting to deny them entry but Novak’s faster, wedging his boot in the way allowing Dean space to barge past Ruby into the house. 

“Don’t worry lady, we’re not here to hurt you,” Dean promises, actively contradicting his words as he grabs her roughly, holding a hand firmly over her mouth.

Muffled pleas go unanswered as Novak secures the door and they wander further into the otherwise empty house. 

“Grab that chair for me,” Winchester asks, pointing to one of the dining room chairs with his free hand. “Actually, line them up over here,” he gestures to an empty space against a wall in the living room. “We can tie her to one while we wait for our other guest to arrive.”

“This is their house, love. We’re the guests,” Novak responds, easily lifting the chair and bringing it over to where Dean’s waiting with a terrified Ruby. “More than likely, unwelcome…” he mutters to himself.

Winchester sits the other omega down in the provided chair, waiting as Castiel ties her to it securely.

Once done, Dean bends down to ask, “If I take my hand away, are you gonna scream?”

Ruby vigorously nods her head yes, defiant even in her fear. 

Dean pauses, almost nose to nose with the woman as he peers searchingly into her eyes. Eventually, he wheezes through chuckles, “…I like you.”

“Quit fooling around and gag her,” Novak tersely chimes in from behind Dean, not nearly as amused by Ruby’s display. “We’re not here for her anyway.”

“No, but that doesn’t mean it ain’t nice to know Sammy chose right this time,” Winchester insists, taking the offered wad of fabric and using it to silence his sister in law. The omega cracks up laughing when Ruby attempts to bite him in the process. “Yeah, this one’s way feistier than Jess. She gets my stamp of approval, not that he cares…”

Novak shushes him, grabbing Dean around the waist so they’re face to face as he murmurs, “You don’t know that. You haven’t spoken to each other in years, that’s why we’re here. I may find Samuel to be slightly intolerable, but you never know…he may have missed you just as much, love.”

Winchester rolls his eyes, “Even if we do, I’ll probably wind up killing you both if you keep this shit up. If I can get along with Gabriel you can make more of an effort with Sammy.”

“If Samuel even gives me a chance,” Novak mutters, walking away with his hands in his pockets. 

Dean lets him go, choosing to explore the living room instead, camera roaming over all the photos of smiling faces and happy memories. 

“…not one photo of me in the bunch,” Dean observes, tone gone slightly acidic. “Cute kids, gorgeous mate, plenty of friends apparently but not even one photo of me. After all I…” the omega stops himself, taking in one forceful breath after another as he turns away from the offending photos. 

Ruby stares at him from across the room, still trembling slightly but her eyes have gone decidedly calculating. 

“Cas is an expert at a good knotting,” Winchester pauses for comedic effect. “There’s no way you’re gettin’ free so you may as well stop plotting your ‘grand escape’ or whatever. When do the kids usually wake up from their nap?” He segues smoothly, the subject change does its job rendering Ruby motionless, eyes gone fearfully wide as she’s reminded of her defenseless children right upstairs.

The camera pans over to the clock in the corner as Winchester’s body turns, “Judging by the time, I bet dollars to donuts they’ll be waking up annyyy minute now…”

Slight hint that they’ve been watching woven through the words.

Novak walks back in carrying a box, far less sullen than when he left.

“Look what I found hidden in the back of their closet,” he says, gummy grin on display as he hands the cardboard container over. 

Dean’s focus shifts almost immediately, digging through the contents as Novak looks on.

“Well, they may not be on the wall but this’ll do,” Winchester jokes, unable to keep the smile off his face as he sifts through various articles written about he and Cas over the years. “Sam’s been keepin' up with us after all.”

Hidden amongst all the articles down near the bottom, the omega uncovers a few older photos of himself as a child. Dean pauses, taking extra time to look them over before pocketing them and closing the box back up. 

“Awww, little Dean,” Castiel teases, nudging the omega in the side as he slides the box over on the coffee table, making room to sit back and put his feet up. “Speaking of children, when should we expect the smallest Winchesters to wake up?”

Dean protests, “Technically…”

Novak shushes him, “You said not until everyone’s here.”

Winchester nods, sighing heavily, “You’re right, I’m just excited I guess. Honestly, it may be better if they stay asleep for now.”

Castiel nods in agreement, “They seemed fairly peaceful when I checked on them.”

The admission causes a renewed bout of wiggling from Ruby, pulling at her binds fruitlessly and cursing an unintelligible blue streak through her gag. 

“Why on earth would we harm our own nieces, Ruby?” Castiel asks, tone edged with hurt. “This is exactly the issue with people like you and Samuel…”

“We have a code, ya know,” Dean adds indignantly, mouth poised to go further when the distinct sound of keys in the lock stops him in his tracks. Whispering frantically to Novak, “He’s here, come on.”

Leaving Ruby, the pair make their way to the door just as it opens revealing Samuel Winchester neatly dressed in a suit and tie, more than likely coming straight from court. Sam doesn’t have a chance to react, stunned by the sudden appearance of Castiel and his estranged brother in his doorway. Dean takes advantage of the momentary distraction, dragging his brother further inside and incapacitating him with a swift punch to the head and gut. The blows do their job as the alpha crumples to the ground, out for the count. 

Castiel carries the unconscious man over to the seat next to Ruby, tying him up as they wait for him to come to.

It doesn’t take long for Sam to show signs of life, head bobbing, long hair swaying before he manages to fully drag his head up. The alpha’s hazel eyes are bleary as he tries to make sense of the scene in front of them. Sharply coming into focus once they land on Dean and Castiel nonchalantly standing in front of him.

“What…what do you want, Dean? Just untie me so we can talk this through,” Sam begins to beg on autopilot. His pleas grow frantic once he realizes Ruby’s tied up and gagged at his side. “Come on, Dean. Don’t do this, untie us. Where are the girls? Did you…?”

“Oh my gods, what kind of monster do you think I am?!” Dean shouts, head dropping into his hands in exasperation. “We don’t kill kids, Sammy. Especially not family. What the fuck, man?”

“Keep your voice down, love. You’ll wake them and we just agreed not to do that,” Novak sternly admonishes the omega, raised eyebrow seemingly rendering Winchester speechless.

Sam seems confused, eyes darting between Dean and Castiel as he witnesses the bizarre display, cautiously he asks, “Okay…so if you’re not here to hurt us, then what do you want?”

Winchester’s faculties seem to return, answering, “I…I wanna be in your life again, Sammy. I wanna know my nieces and Ruby. But…” the omega hesitates, only able to continue with a gentle push from Novak by way of caressing his arm soothingly. “most importantly, I want you to know our pups, Claire and Jack.” Awkward silence fills the space as the light extinguishes from Sam’s hazel eyes. Dean doesn’t seem to notice, finishing with an odd, “Surprise, you’re an uncle!”

“Show him the pictures,” Castiel says, beaming with pride. 

“Holy shit,” Ellen mutters from his side. All the color has drained from her face, eyes unfocused as she processes the horrifying news.

Victor can’t find the words, he can barely catch his breath from the shock. These two can barely keep from killing each other let alone caring for innocent pups. 

Finally, he spits out, “We…we have to find them.”

Harvelle nods dazedly, eyes glued to the drama unfolding before them.

Winchester scrolls through photos on a phone he pulled from his pocket, unfortunately some of the explicit variety, before turning the device over to show Sam a photo of two almost identical smiling faces. 

“That gives us a description at least,” Victor points out as Ellen nods along. “If it’s a recent photo…”

“They’ll be two and a half next week. Sorta the reason why we slowed down for awhile,” Dean explains through a broad smile of his own, completely oblivious to the abject horror growing on his brother and Ruby’s faces. “It’s not that we planned on pups this soon, or even at all, but…well, I love the man but this is all Cas’ fault.”

Castiel growls playfully, “Not this again, Dean. You heard what the doctor…”

Sam cuts in, “Please, turn yourselves in. This can’t go on, and now you have pups involved? You have to do the right thing, Dean.”

Winchester reels back as though slapped, quickly moving away from Sam and back to Novak’s side. 

“There’s no way I could ever do that, Sammy. Think of what would happen to Claire and Jack. Do you want them growin’ up in the system like we did?” Dean demands, features stormy as he waits for his brother to answer. “It’s not like you’d take them.”

Sam and Ruby’s silence is telling all on its own. 

“Exactly,” Dean spits out, attempting to temper his chaotic emotions. Mellowing, he adds, “Look, all I want is for our kids to know each other. For Claire and Jack to know their Winchester family, too.”

Henricksen doesn’t say it out loud, but the wording spurs a thought. Do the pups already know their Novak side? The agent makes a mental note to make sure Gabriel’s not getting around the surveillance they have set up to track his calls and movements. 

Sam softens slightly in his delivery, but remains adamant, “Dean, you’ve broken the law several times. You’ve killed innocent people, I’m sure you can understand why someone who’s supposed to fight to uphold the law can’t be associated with a fugitive. I…I can’t promise anything but…” The alpha hesitates, tipping his head up to the ceiling as he mutters, “if you turn yourself in and start some kind of therapy…”

“I said no, Sam,” Dean growls, tone shaky with barely restrained anger. “I’m not abandoning my kids.”

Sam pivots, trying a new angle, haltingly revealing, “Sometimes…sometimes I wonder if you’d be different if mom and dad hadn’t died.”

The admission puts a pause on the omega’s pacing as he comes stuttering to a stop, turning to his brother with curiosity. 

“…Me…me too…but I can’t change who I am, Sammy. What’s done is done,” Dean whispers into the tightly wound silence of the room. 

“I happen to love you just as you are,” Novak murmurs at his back, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder as his mate melts under his touch.

The words cause Sam to bristle, shoulders rising with anger as he rages, “You’re not making things better by refusing to see how this…this psychopath has changed you, Dean. How he’s made you worse.”

Dean rushes into Sam’s space causing his brother to pull back abruptly with a gasp, banging the back of his head on the wall in the process. Recovering quickly, the alpha grows deadly silent as he returns his brothers intense glare. 

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” Dean grinds out, standing menacingly before Sam’s rigid form. 

Sam sharply retorts, “I’ll give you a head start, but once I’m loose I’m calling the FBI, Dean. You won’t get far.”

Dean sighs heavily, tension leaving his body inch by inch as he puts space between them.

“I’d never wanna put your career at risk, Sam.” Dean says, revealing, “Honestly, I’m proud of what you’ve made of yourself. Proud of how you’ve managed to become something despite…what I am. Must’ve been hard getting where you are with my crimes hanging over your head the whole time…”

The omega trails off, awareness dawning behind his green eyes as he speaks. 

“Look, I…I know I fucked up, but I promise I just wanted to see you happy,” Dean swears, earnest tone capturing Sam’s attention, eyes pinned to his brother as he speaks. 

Ruby’s gone mostly silent at his side allowing them this moment. Castiel looks on cautiously, ready to swoop in if needed. Luckily the fugitives seem to have gotten their wish, the children are either very quiet or still asleep and unaware of the drama on the first floor. 

“I was there, I saw first hand how Jess hurt you. Cheating with your best friend was lower than low, but to tell you at your graduation party? That wasn’t something I could just let slide, Sammy. It was unforgivable and I knew you wouldn’t handle it the right way, so I did it for you.” He explains, insisting, “But, you’ve really got a good one this time around. I…I can tell.” 

Ruby shudders, visibly uncomfortable with having any of Dean’s attention on her, even if it could be viewed as a compliment. 

Dean snorts derisively, “We all know Jess woulda come back around with some lame ass apology, after Brady got boring of course, and you would’ve eaten it up.” Sam scoffs but Dean won’t have it, “Don’t deny it now, you were a fucking pushover back then and you know it. The only permanent way to solve the problem was my way, even if it made you hate me.” Dean puffs up, unable to keep a hint of ‘told you so’ from his tone as he adds, “Look at the silver lining, if I hadn’t you would’ve never met Ruby. She’s ten times hotter than Jess ever was and way outta your league so really you should be thanking me…”

Sam’s features go rigid and cold like stone as he growls, “If you aren’t gone by the time I get free, you and Cas won’t be the only ones wanted for murder.” The sudden spark of the alpha’s bravado flickers and fails as he begins to weep, “She broke my fucking heart, Dean. But you, you ripped it wide open. I never would’ve asked you to kill anyone, let alone Jess. She didn’t deserve that. No one does.” Sam’s tears intensify, sputtering, “Gods, I must be about as fucked up as you in the end because I still love you, despite what you’ve become. Despite what you probably always were, deep down. Castiel just unlocked it.” Sam blows out a whoosh of air, blinking away tears as fast as they fall, “I wish…I wish to the gods I didn’t have to know everything you’ve done, what you’re capable of. Because…now I…I just want you gone…” Sam looks up, red rimmed hazel eyes glowing with pure rage, “Go! Never come back. Enjoy your family while you have them because I’m gonna make sure you both rot in prison when, not if, you’re arrested.” Sam’s eyes narrow, his next words leaving no room for misunderstanding, “Leave. Now.”

Winchester shrinks further into himself with every hate filled word spilling from his younger brothers lips, by the end he’s barely able to hold himself up as Novak takes most of his weight into his arms. 

Sneering at the younger alpha, Novak threatens, “To be extremely fucking clear, you’re only still here on this earth because I made a promise to your brother. Otherwise I would’ve broken your ribs and pulled your lungs out of your chest cavity, watching them flutter like a butterfly as you breathe your last.” The alpha sighs dreamily, asking, “Supposedly it was a common torture practice of the Vikings, did you know that? It can be your fun fact for the day…” Novak catches himself mid spiel with a roll of his eyes, flushing embarrassedly, "Sorry, sometimes I still fall into TikTok mode, sharing useless information for likes and shares. Lucky for you, assbutt, your brother’s still got a soft spot for you. I’d be careful…you’ll only get so many chances, Samuel.”

The clip cuts off to a black screen.

Silence fills the room, broken seconds later by the ringing of Victor’s phone.

“Henriksen,” he answers immediately without missing a beat.

“Donaldson here. We were parked just down the street all day long and all night sir, I swear,” the agent damn near blubbers over the line. “I knocked as soon as I heard. Mr. Winchester and his family were sitting down for breakfast like nothing was wrong.”

Victor looks to Ellen confused, could the footage have been doctored in some way?

“What’s Winchester's story?” He asks curiously. 

Donaldson snorts, “According to him, Winchester the elder and Novak have been gone for over 24 hours. He claims his life was threatened and he planned to come out and tell us today.”

Henricksen knows the look of utter disbelief on Ellen’s face must be mirrored on his own. Sam gave Dean much more than a head start. They're probably thousands of miles away by now. 

“Looks like we’ll be having a long talk with Sam Winchester about obstruction of justice,” Harvelle mutters as Vic ends the call. 

Sighing heavily, Henricksen wonders aloud, “He was so adamant in that video and here in the office about not helping Dean. Maybe he was in shock or scared…”

Harvelle glares at him until he shows signs of coming to his senses. 

“Okay, so we have our fugitives still on the loose,” he begins to rattle off all the chips stacked against them. “No idea where they’re going, where they live, where these pups are or how to save them. Gabriel’s lying to us, that much is clear…”

“I think Dean knew Sam wouldn’t call, especially after that little speech he gave,” Ellen surmises, taking notes as they discuss. “There’s just enough brotherly love left between them for Sam to at least give him that much.”

Vic makes a split second decision he hopes he doesn’t come to regret. Much like Dean, he can’t stand the idea of Sam losing his career over this. The revised tale is easily spun, “The report will read Sam was in shock and afraid for his and his families lives. It’s probably not far off from the truth anyway. Anyone watching that video could see how uncomfortable he was at times and Ruby was downright terrified before Sam showed up. Add to that the fear for their pups and there’s good motivation for him to have waited on alerting the authorities.” Turning to his partner, he asks, “You good with that?”

Henricksen adds falsifying a report to his list of career related sins as Ellen nods yes. 

“That still doesn’t help us much in the end. How are they getting around without being seen and how the hell are we going to find these pups?” Harvelle asks the hard hitting questions he’d been avoiding. 

Henricksen rolls the questions around in his mind, eventually deciding, “I can have someone start checking hospital records now that we have ages to look for and the fact they’re twins. But I doubt he had these pups in a hospital, it’d be too risky, even under an alias. We can try taking a screenshot of the photo Dean showed Sam, that should help as well. If we can narrow down an area, we can circulate that photo around, people will remember pups that cute.”

Ellen nods as she continues taking notes.

Jumping to the most pressing concern, Vic lays it all out, “Now, for the second issue. We have solid surveillance on that house and they still slipped through. About the only way that could happen is if they knew when a shift change was occurring  and disabled our cameras in some way or one of our agents on scene dropped the ball. I trust Donaldson and Garrett, they can’t be bought and they wouldn’t leave their post.”

“That doesn’t exclude someone else in the bureau passing information on to Winchester and Novak on the sly,” Ellen points out, coming to the conclusion just as Victor does. “We have a mole.”