In which Alec faces the NYPD (Part 2)
[Part 1 is HERE. Dean = jstliketherifle, Sam = likely_evil.]
Sam put his cell phone down in his lap, looking at Dean. "He's not answering, Dean. Alec always answers his phone. Something's wrong."
"Only problem is we don't know what kind of something wrong it is. Or where he is, for that matter." Dean was starting to get a little worried too. Alec usually wasn't one to be late either. Which definitely meant something not good, as far as Dean was concerned.
"I can find him. Demon, remember. I can find him if you let me go." Sam stood up. "He can't be far."
Dean hesitated slightly, before sitting up slightly. "I don't know, Sammy -- especially when we don't know what kind of trouble it is."
"Between you and me, we can do anything and take on anything." Sam reached for his jacket. "We can take a drive. I can see what is around. See if I can feel him." He might be trying not to bounce between two feet.
"Alright," Dean nodded after hesitating again. "But don't go running off without me, alright?"
"I won't. Stay in the car. Can I drive?" His eyes lightened up a bit.
Dean chuckled. "No, Sammy. I barely let you drive when you were human."
He pouted and sighed. "No fair." But he followed Dean to the car and sat in the passenger seat obediently.
Dean just smirked slightly as he pulled out of the parking spot and started driving, making his way cautiously into the New York City streets.
Sam rolled the window down and leaned his head back towards it, taking a deep breath. It was nice air. Cold and crisp. It was going to snow soon. He closed his eyes and just thought about Alec. Trying to see if he could find him. Then he felt a bit of bad magic and his eyes opened. "Stop the car."
Dean did as Sam asked, pulling the car to a stop and looking around. "You got something?"
Sam nodded. "Something bad happened there." He pointed at the alley.
Dean nodded slowly, before looking around. There was crime scene tape everywhere, and cops posted on the corners. "Looks like a murder."
Sam closed his eyes. Trying to feel what had happened. "Alec was here. Then he was gone. I can smell blood but it's not his. And gunpowder."
"Alright. With all the cops around, I'm thinking that he might have gotten picked up for this," Dean said with a heavy sigh. "The only question is which cops."
Sam sat down and pulled out his cell phone. He connected to the internet and looked up their location, then tried to find the precinct that would cover the area. "He should be here," he stated, showing the display to Dean. "Let's get him."
"Okay," Dean said with a nod, before following Sam's lead and heading in the direction of the precinct. It wasn't far, and he just pulled into a parking spot across the street, looking over the police cars and wondering how exactly they were going to get Alec out of this.
"I can go in?" Sam looked at Dean. "I can be his lawyer!"
Dean frowned slightly at that. Walking into a police station was the last thing he needed to do, and definitely the last thing he wanted his brother doing. "Sammy, that might not be such a great idea. We're -- " Still wanted by the FBI? " -- aren't exactly favorites of the police department."
Sam closed his eyes, not sure he understood. He thought for a bit, trying to see if he could piece it together. "Because of the hunting... right?"
"Kind of," Dean said with a frown. "I'm -- there was a shape-shifter, and -- they think I killed the people it did."
"So they know me before I..." Sam's eyes lit up. "But Dean, I don't look like that now. I have a different face! You show me what they might know of us, and I can go in there and be someone else and get Alec. I know the law. I started to read old books again and I remember a lot of it. We can get him and get out."
Dean frowned slightly, but Sam was right -- he was their best bet. He nodded slowly, before turning back to his brother. He was getting a bit more used to the whole sharing memories thing, but these were ones he'd planned on keeping for a while.
Good thing that Sam still respected his brother's instinct and only took the things that Dean showed him. Sam didn't know he had the power to rip them all out - or he did and just didn't use it. He touched Dean's cheek, closing his eyes and opening his mind to see what Dean showed him.
Dean sighed slightly as he conjured up the memories of the different events that have brought them into contact with the police -- the original event with the shape-shifter, then the death omen that put them back on the map again, the bank in Milwaukee with the original phone call from Hendrickson, the interrogation room in Folsom -- that was all he had at the moment, as he hadn't seen Hendrickson in a while, so after he was finished he pulled back, looking to Sam for his reaction.
Sam took it all in, and let his own pieces start to fit together to get a better picture. He was now more aware of the legal trouble they were in, and then he licked his lips. "Ok, worse case is that they think he's you." Sam always sounded more adult after he got memories. He would slip back into a younger style eventually, but the adult voice would help them a lot more at the moment. "Fingerprints will disprove that. So they can only hold him for 24 hours. But if he has done bad stuff himself, that could get him in longer. I think I can get him out. I need a suit and a case or something."
Dean nodded slowly, before starting to get out. "I think there might be something in the trunk."
Sam got out as well, going for the trunk and looking at the clothing there. He found his old suit and tried it on. It was actually a little too big on him. Sam was still tall, but he had lost maybe an inch or two from where the suit had been tailored for him. Looking around, he grabbed a roll of duck tape and started to hem the fabric on the inside quickly.
He looked around and saw a dumpster and went to change quickly behind it, then walked back out and looked for his tie. "If I have to post bail, what money do we have?"
"Not a lot," Dean replied, shaking his head. "But I don't think he's been around long enough to be indicted. At least not for something that would result in them holding him like this." Alec wasn't the type to get picked up for a drunk and disorderly. That just wasn't his style.
"You find a place to park that no one can see. I will call you." He slipped his phone into his jacket pocket and grabbed the briefcase. There was a blank pad, some pens, and a small legal handbook. That would help a lot.
"Okay," he said with a nod. "Be careful, Sam."
"I will." Sam gave Dean a big grin, then looked at the police station. He took a deep breath and focused on his adult memories, making himself act like he had in law school. Remembering the fake court debates with the real legal issues. He made his way up the stairs and inside.
In the bullpen, there were many detectives and uniforms milling about. Angell was collecting some take-out menus out of her desk, but generally minding her own business with regards to the other cops around her.
Sam walked up to the counter and leaned over to see who was on duty and if there was any paperwork on Alec sitting around. He also closed his eyes and just felt the tension in the room. Except for a bit of calm. So his eyes were drawn to Angell from that. "Excuse me, Ma'am, I was wondering if I can get a bit of help?"
Angell looked up at the man in the suit for a moment, slightly wary, before nodding slowly. "Sure -- what can I do for you?"
"I've been trying to call my roommate for about an hour, and he hasn't called back so I traced his GPS here. Did you by chance find a cell phone? Belongs to an Alec McDowell?" Sam gave a bright, concerned smile. Alec hadn't made a call, so he wouldn't be booked yet. So no one would know he was there except for a few cops - none of which he knew. So, better to trace the phone and not the person and let the cops tell him Alec was there. Then he can act surprised and get more information.
Concerned roommate who comes down to the precinct in a suit and tie. That was enough to get some eyebrows raised. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and straightened slightly, cop on the defensive. "He's being held on suspicion of murder. We're still waiting for some of the evidence to come in, but your roommate was found at the scene of a crime, leaning over a dead body."
"Well, then i guess he's lucky I'm a worrier." Sam held a hand out. "Sam Bishop, esquire." Oh look, fancy lawyer title. "I'm assuming you've run the prints and done all the fun CSI investigations already. I haven't gotten a call yet, so can I assume he hasn't been offered an attorney yet? That or he thought I was still in my conference. I know things like that sometimes just get overlooked, so it's not a problem." He didn't want her to get upset. If she got upset, then she might not want to help Alec. And Sam needed her to want to help Alec.
Oh, Angell wanted to help Alec. But given as she hadn't given Sam the whole story, and she was planning on keeping it that way, and least until she made sure he checked out. She hated lawyers, but she shook his hand anyway. Bitching at his lawyer wasn't going to get her anywhere. "Prints and DNA have been collected regarding the matter and we're waiting on the results."
"Awesome. Hopefully that will clear everything up. Can I talk to him?"
Angell hesitated for a moment, only long enough for her to realize that that was the last thing Hendrickson would want, and she wanted to piss him off just as much as Alec did. "Of course you can. He's right back here." She turned on her heel and lead her way back to the interrogation room, not bothering to see if Sam was still behind her.
Oh, Sam followed her all right. And was very good to keep his eyes from not looking at the view, and instead taking in the room and learning where all the possible escape routes were.
Angell stopped in front of the interrogation room where Alec and Hendrickson were talking, Marlin in the corner, and she paused for a moment, before knocking on the window lightly, looking to get the agent's attention. She noticed that Alec did not look pleased, and she knew that something had gone sideways in a bad way. Hendrickson looked over at the window with a slight glare, before pushing himself to his feet and grabbing his suit jacket.
"Stay with him," he ordered, before opening the door and heading down the hallway. He spotted Angell and Sam, and cleared his throat slightly. "What seems to be the problem?"
"This is Sam Bishop," Angell replied. "He's Mr. McDowell's attorney."
Sam did the dramatic looking in to see Alec and how "upset" he was looking before looking at Hendrickson. Sam knew this man, and the memories from Dean were very good to have so Sam knew what he had just walked into. And he really had to work to keep the small smirk off his face because in the body he was even safe from the FBI. out of courtesy, Sam held his hand out to Hendrickson. He also opened his senses up to see if he could read anything off the feel in the air. Tension. Alec was worried about something. Hendrickson was smug. He knew something.
"Hello. The detective here has told me a little bit about what Mr. McDowell is being held for, and before you speak with him any further, I'm invoking his right to counsel since I'm getting the idea it hasn't been offered to him yet."
Alec looked over and masked his surprise perfectly. Sam, his brother, was here. Sam who looked nothing like his mug shot, and was carrying himself like an actual adult. He grinned.
Hendrickson frowned slightly. He knew that Alec didn't necessarily have a right to counsel -- or, at least, it could be skewed that way -- but he didn't want to make waves, and he knew that protesting, especially in front of Angell, would make waves. "Agent Hendrickson. And of course -- go ahead in."
Oh, denying the man his rights because of his feline DNA? Bad FBI agent. Read an X-Men comic and see how horrible the world will turn if you think like that.
Sam nodded and went into the room, smiling at Alec and doing his best to keep it adult like. "Hey Alec. I've been trying to call you for awhile, and got worried. I thought you were going to stay at the Starbucks until I finished with the conference today." Quickly filling Alec in on his story. "The detective told me you ran across something nasty. And while I'm very sure Agent Hendrickson does his job right down to the button, did he advise you of your rights - the whole remaining silent and getting the attorney stuff?"
Alec looked sheepish. "Got bored and went for a walk. If I hadn't gotten kinda lost and then nearly tripped over a body I would have been back." Stories exchanged. Everyone on the same page. He shook his head. "No one said anything about rights. They were gonna let me go until it turned out I looked like some dude they've been after. Then Agent Hendrickson got all. . .whatever." earnest, ass hole-ish. No good word.
Angell moved mover and flipped the switch on the speakers, and gesturing for Marlin to get out of the room. Hendrickson shot her a glare, and she just rolled her eyes. "Attorney-client privilege. You have issues with it, take it up with the Constitution."
Sam smiled at Angell in thanks, sitting across from Alec while waiting for the others to leave. Once they were, Sam looked at him. "What do you mean they were about to let you go? The detective said they were waiting on evidence to come back still."
"They've already proven I'm not Dean. Nothing else will stick." He didn't want to tell Sam about the other news. Not here. "They really weren't out to get me until Hendrickson."
"What's he doing? And Dean is this dude that they think you look like?" Sam leaned back a moment, looking confused. Just because the speaker was off didn't mean they weren't watching. Sam could feel attention aimed at them. "What did you stumble across?"
"He thinks I should know all about this Dean guy and I guess plans to hold me and try to scare me into talking. I've told Detective Angell that I don't want to be in a room alone with Hendrickson any more." Sam was right. "I found a body. I was going for his wallet. I dunno, so I could tell the cops who he was or something? It was stupid. I should have just called 911. And then the cops found me doing that because they were after someone else I guess."
"Would have been a better choice." Sam nodded. "If you have evidence that they have proven you are not this guy, and the Agent has no proof that you've ever been in the same room, then from now on you tell him he can talk to me. Badgering is illegal, and that includes threats and psychological games. He can lose his job for that, and I think we have a few cops who will be on your side to help." Sam made sure he talked a bit slower and pronounced his words so any lip readers would see that.
Sam opened his briefcase and pulled a pad out. "Write down everything you have been told by him so far. You were upset, so he had to be doing something bad. I will talk to him." Sam made to stand up.
Alec nodded and looked up making eye contact and thinks very clearly 'He knows what I am.' He'd seen Sam sometimes pick up on details that could only be thoughts so he took a chance.
Sam stopped, feeling the thought. Hendrickson knew something bad. Something very bad that he should not know. He gave Alec a nod in return, then went out to speak with the Detective... Angell... and the bad agent. "Agent Hendrickson, can I have a moment?"
"Of course," Hendrickson said with a sigh. "What can I do for you?"
Sam put a hand on Hendrickson's back as he moved the Agent away. Sam needed the contact to be able to see what Hendrickson knew. He started to filter through what Hendrickson had talked to Alec about. "My client has been cleared of being this Dean Winchester, correct? And has already told you that he does not know then man. Do you have any evidence that supports your feelings that they have known each other?"
He found the memory of Hendricks finding the DNA results and imagined a big eraser going to them and wiping them away.
"Yes," Hendrickson said with a sigh, before crossing his arms in front of his chest. There -- there was something other than the initial DNA results that Doctor Hawkes had given him, and he straightened before replying. "Alec McDowell and Dean Winchester are brothers. They share the same biological father."
Brother? He had to keep a straight face, but when this was over, Sam was going to hug Alec. Another big brother! He wasn't like Dean safe but he would be a good brother.
Sam nodded. "An unfortunate set of circumstances. But Alec was adopted and has never had any contact with his biological family, nor intended to. And your continued insistence is only going to worsen matters. If you give me your card, I will have Alec contact you if he ever runs into this brother. But seeing that his ancestry is not a part of this murder case, I'm advising you to stop on this line of questioning. He has stumbled onto a murder and being wrongfully accused, and you want to add this to the fire? That is borderline mental cruelty." He spoke softly, and when Sam felt he had all of the stuff Alec didn't want Hendrickson knowing, he took a step away and reached into a pocket for a business card.
"Here is my card. I am in the process of changing offices, but you can reach me by e-mail." The card linked to a dummy website that Sam had created a long time ago on angelfire. No way to trace origins or webmasters easily (he had not updated the site in over a year, and the e-mail dumped into a hotmail account that he had not bothered to check in the same amount of time now.
Hendrickson took the card and glanced over at Angell, looking for some kind of help in this department. Angell just held up her hands as in he wasn't getting any help from her, and Hendrickson just pursed his lips slightly, before nodding. "Fine. I'm very sure we'll be in touch."
"I look forward to it." Sam looked back at Detective Angell. "It's been a long day, and I am sure you all want to go home. Is there anything I can do to help speed up having Alec released?."
Sam thought very, very hard at his words. He remembered a boy who could talk a certain way and people would listen and his words would become their ideas.
Angell blinked for a moment, before moving to go do so without even thinking twice. "We'll get on that right away."
He smiled. "Thank you," he told her, then went back into the room with Alec. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes. Detective Angell is working on it, and Agent Hendrickson will now contact me with any questions he might have on your biological family that you've never met. You need anything else?"
"Detective Angell has my stuff. They made me empty my pockets. She was holding it so Hendrickson couldn't go through it with out permission. She'll give me the envelope if I ask." Alec's basic respect for any service member, police, rescue or military made him want Sam to understand that Angell and the other officers really were the good guys here. That, given the circumstances, they had all treated him well and fairly. "And uh. . .I'd like to ask Hawkes for a copy of his report. He'll be okay with it."
Sam knew that. He liked Angell. She had a nice feel to her. He just did not trust Hendrickson. "Ok, we can ask him for that when they come back in."
Alec nodded. "Thanks for coming to get me."
"What are," brothers? "friends for?" Sam grinned, waiting for the detectives to come back in.
Angell returned a few minutes later with the bag, placing it down in front of him. "Your personal effects. You're basically free to go."
He smiled at her. "Thanks. And for helping. Uhm. . if it's not a lot of trouble can I get a copy of that report from Hawkes?"
"Go ahead and ask him on your way out," Angell replied with a nod. "He's right around the corner."
He nodded and rose, grabbing his pill bottle off the table where it had been left earlier. "Will do. And I like you better without the wig." he gave her a flirty but clearly playful grin.
Sam grabbed his case and followed Alec. "Thank you, Detective. I really appreciate all this."
She returned the grin to Alec, before nodding to Sam. "Not a problem. Just doing my job."
Alec headed out the door more than glad to be out of there. He was uneasy about Hendrickson knowing what he was, but he trusted Sam to have it managed. Even if he wasn't used to how adult Sam was acting. He paused when he saw Hawkes. "Hey. I was wondering if I could ask a favor?"
Hawkes turned around and gave him a small smile, before nodding. "What can I do for you?"
"Can I get a copy of that report? The interesting part."
Hawkes nodded. "Definitely. Just give me a minute and I'll photocopy it." With that, he disappeared around the corner, towards the office.
Alec waits having no idea how to fill the silence with Sam so he lets it rest. For the first time with him he really was feeling younger. Much younger.
Hawkes returned a few minutes later with the copy of the report, before handing it over to him with a smile. "There ya go."
Alec took it with more care than a piece of paper actually deserved and then folded it just as carefully to side in his pocket withe the other, more crumpled piece. "Thanks. For everything." Including not spilling his secrets.
"No problem," Hawkes replied. "Good luck."
Sam put a hand on Alec's shoulder and led him outside. "I'm going to text those girls we were meeting for dinner and let them know we are going to be late." Which really meant texting Dean a location to meet them. "You want to flag a cab?"
Alec was so telling Dean that his cover was being called a girl. "Sure. No problem." He stepped to the curb and waited.
for a cab to show and then stuck his hand out.
The text was sent as the cab pulled over. Sam held the door open for Alec to get in, then followed and told the cab to take them to a motel in Brooklyn, far from the jurisdiction of the cops that had been holding Alec. Sam then smiled at Alec. "I told him I could do it. I'm a good lawyer."
That was a little more like the Sam Alec knew. "I am impressed. Seriously." He smiled back, proud and grateful.
"Dean gave me memories to help. Hendrickson is a bad bad man. But he won't know who I am now so I knew I could get you safe. You can tell him I did good." it was easier to talk and not have to hunt for the big words that didn't come easy. He could talk like this with Alec.
Alec put and arm around Sam's shoulder in a half hug. "You did really good. And you were right. They don't know what you look like now."
"And I made sure Hendrickson doesn't remember the things you don't want him too." Sam snuggles in a bit.
Alec felt his eyebrows climb at that one. "You can do that?"
"I think so. I can see memories. I should be able to make others not see them." There was confusion as to if he actually had done it that way, but no remorse.
"Huh. Learn some thing new every day." No remorse from Alec either. Normally he didn't like screwing with people's heads, but his safety and the safety of his family, his brothers, came first.
If Alec knew what Sam had unconsciously done to the detectives as well, he might have said something a bit different. but Sam didn't know what he did, and he wasn't going to tell Alec either. He just watched the city drive by until they were in Brooklyn and stopping at an intersection where Dean was waiting in the parking lot for them. Sam gave the driver some money and pointed at the car for Alec to see.
Alec slipped out behind Sam holding his envelope of belongings and the DNA reports burning heavy holes in his pocket.
Dean had climbed out of the car after a while, sitting on the hood of the Impala and waiting for them to show up. He didn't know what was happening, and he didn't like that feeling -- that much was written on his face. When he saw them both get out of the cab, however, he breathed a sigh of relief, and waited for them to join him before speaking. "What happened?"
"They thought he was you." Sam took off his tie and jacket and put it carefully back in the trunk in the suit bag there.
"And, reasonably, they found me over the body. He was so verydead."
"Yeah, well -- that would do it," Dean sighed with a heavy sigh. "Hendrickson show up?"
"With bells on. That man is a fucking asshole." Some of the tension was starting to bleed out of him. But not all. That report. . . if he thought about it to hard he felt a little sick with worry. What if Dean didn't want another brother. His world revolved around Sam. Alec didn't think there was room for another sibling.
"He will leave Alec alone now." Sam closed the trunk and then sat on it. "Can I have dinner now? I'm hungry."
Dean chuckled slightly before nodding. "Sure, Sammy. Whatever you want."
"Where do you want to go? You've sure earned it."
Sam thought for a moment. "Dave and Busters. We can play games afterward."
"Dave and Busters it is," Dean nodded, before climbing off the hood and getting ready to head around to the driver's side, before looking over at Alec more closely than he had before. "You okay, dude?"
"I. . .yeah. Yeah I'm fine." He pulled up a grin but he didn't think Dean would buy it for long. His fingers curled tight around the papers in his pocket. "Just don't like feds."
"He will not remember. I did good." Sam smiled at Alec.
"Good," Dean said with a nod, before sliding into the driver's seat. "Let's go get somethin' to eat."
"You did." Alec smiled at Sam. "You really did. Come on. Food." And he slid into the back seat leaving the passenger seat open for Sam.
Sam climbed into the Impala and just sat so proudly in his seat. He knew he could do it and he did and he was just awesome.
Dean drove them to the nearest Dave and Busters he could find, before herding them in to the restaurant. They managed to get served relatively quickly and after Dean was finished he leaned back in the seat with a small sigh. As far as days are concerned, it could have been much worse.
Alec managed to push aside the nervous lead weight feeling enough to talk to Sam and Dean during dinner, more Sam than Dean though. And he spent a lot of time being fascinated by his bendy straw.
Meanwhile Sam was having fun with the different ticket games. He might have been unconsciously using his TK powers to hustle the games because he really had way more tickets than he should for the amount of credits that Dean had put on a game card for him. But he was GOOD at skeeball and those little coin pusher things because the coins just kept FALLING into his bucket.
And the mini hamburgers and fries were awesome. Especially the french fries. They just tasted like the best things that Sam had ever eaten. Better than the diner and better than McDonald's and that was saying a lot. And he didn't even have to dip them in his vanilla shake.
As he won another jackpot he made his way back to the table and sat down. "I think I can get a good prize with this."
"Think so, Sammy?" Dean said with an amused smirk, leaning back to watch his brother a bit more. He knew that something was up with Alec, he just wasn't sure how to ask him. And he wasn't sure if Sam should be around then either -- not that Sam shouldn't know. It just -- seemed like maybe Sam already knew, and Dean was the only one out of the loop, here -- and he hated being out of the loop.
"What are you going to try and get?" Alec was picking through the end of his fries.
"They have an X-Box and it comes with Guitar Hero and it looks really cool and we can hook it up to the hotel TV's. Or there is a PSP. Or maybe we can get a lava lamp." Sam was serious too.
Dean laughed. "I think you might want to pass on the lava lamp, Sammy. But all the other stuff sounds pretty cool."
"I'd head for the PSP or the X-box. Lava lamps don't travel well." In all reality he had no idea what a lava lamp was. But most lamps really didn't
travel well. And he didn't want to be near anything that had the word lava involved. It just seemed like a bad idea.
"But it has sparkles in it." Seriously in love with the lava lamp guys. They should be worried.
"But you'll have way more fun with the PSP," Dean said with a nod. "Trust me. All you can do with a lava lamp is stare at it."
Alec suddenly had a brilliant idea. "Who don't you get on of the game things first and then see what you have left over and how many more you would need to get a lamp?"
Sam thought for a moment. "Ok. I can go figure that out." And he slipped back out of the booth and headed for the redemption area to figure out how many tickets he actually had and if he could get anything.
Dean watched Sam go for a minute, smirking slightly as his brother looked like a kid in a candy store, before turning back to Alec. "You sure everything's alright?" There was probably an easier way to go about this, but Dean just wasn't finding it at the moment -- besides, he was always more of a blunt kind of guy anyway.
Alec turned back to look at Dean. "Yeah." Then down at his plate. "No. I don't know."
Dean took that, digested it for a moment, before responding. "Look, if it's about those things they said I did -- it really wasn't me. Well, okay, the credit card fraud and the grave desecration -- that was me. But the murder and the assaults? Skin walker. The guy just happened to look like me."
"No, no. I know it wasn't you." Ye knew about getting nailed with someone else's crimes. "That;s just. . .not you. That not it at all." He was babbling so he snapped his mouth shut.
Now Dean was confused. "So -- what was it? Was it something Hendrickson said? Because something's bothering you, dude. I can tell that much."
"Maybe because I'm stuttering like a moron?" He bit his lip and before he could think better of the idea he yanked the report out and slapped it down, still folded, in front of Dean.
Dean raised an eyebrow slightly, before unfolding the paper and reading it over for a moment. Then reading it again because he wasn't sure he got it the first time. And then again to make sure he read it correctly. There was a long pause before he looked up at Alec again. "So this means we're -- " He didn't finish the sentence, just stared at him for a minute.
If it was true, some things suddenly made a lot more sense.
Alec nodded. "Same father." He bit his lip hard. And then with more babbling. "And I know it's most likely not something you want to deal with, that there really isn't room for that. And Sam's you actual brother. And I'm just like. . . stolen DNA for an experiment that didn't fail so. . . yeah. I'll just. . . what ever you want, man. Just thought you had a right to know." Dean most likely knew that Alec was a little screwed up anyway.
"Family's family, dude." Dean didn't care so much how Alec became family, but the fact that he was meant something. As far as Dean was concerned the more he had of it, the better. "Sam's clearly not my only brother here. Whether there's room for it or not, I'll take it."
Alec sagged with relief. "Thanks." The relief was almost profound. He'd always been a little worried that once Sam was totally back on his feet that their would be no room for Alec. that he was just a place holder for now. And it had never been that Alec thought Dean would do that to him on purpose, but still the worry had been there. Now it easier a little.
"No problem," Dean said with a grin. Because this was good news. He had another brother. One that was actually living as oppose a demon -- not that demon Sam was bad but before, when he was alone, and he thought he didn't have anyone else, he actually did. That was profoundly comforting -- Dean wasn't sure why, but it was. "Should have figured it out sooner."
"Given that your Dad was a Marine? But come on, who thinks of the cat boy being your honest to god brother?" He struggled. "We were told that none of us were related unless we were twinned or our basic pattern was duplicated in another series. And even then. . ." He spread his hands in a 'what are you gonna do' expression.
"Yeah, no, it makes sense," Dean nodded. "But still -- people don't just look alike. I should have figured there was something more to it than simple coincidence."
"They say everyone has a double. I just kinda figured it was for a reason?" He shrugged. "Maybe I'm just so used to complicated I ignored Occum's Razor?"
"Maybe," Dean said with a shrug. "Well, however it happened -- I don't really care. Family is family, and having more of it is never a bad thing."
Never ever telling Dean about 493. Ever. He smiled and this time it wasn't forced. "I can live with that."
"Good," Dean said, returning the smile, before glancing over at his brother, who was still at the prize counter. "Does Sam know?"
"Yes and no. He knows factually. I honestly don't know if what it really means has been understood yet. Maybe it has and it's still all smooth sailing for him?" He followed Dean's gaze. It looked like there was a heated discussion going on about a lava lamp.
"We'll have to see, I guess," Dean said with a nod as Sam started to head back towards them, leaning back in the booth a little more.
"I need 20,435 more tickets for the PSP. But I got the lamp." He put the box with the lamp on the table. It was in the shape of a space ship, and it had sparkly blue lava in it.
Alec shook his head a little and chuckled. Clearly they were just going to have to pack it up with them every time they moved. " We can plug it in when we get back to the room." He peered at the box. "I've never actually seen one before."
Dean just sighed, before leaning back in the booth. "Just make sure you wrap it well, alright? I don't want the lamp breaking and getting glitter all over my car."
"I'll take good care of it," Sam nodded solemnly. "Can we go back now so we can plug it in?"
Alec shrugged. The childish part of him was with Sam, wanting to see it now that it was available.
"Sure," Dean said with a nod. "Let's go. Probably better than sticking around here anyway."
Sam just grinned, grabbing his prize and getting up all while avoiding a waiter as he walked by with a tray filled with food. Amazing in how he can do it without tripping over his own long legs.
Alec waited for the waiter to pass before standing himself and stretching. At this point after the day he'd had staring at a lava lamp sounded divine.
Dean followed their lead, before starting to head out to the car behind them. "You two really all that excited over a lava lamp?"
"It's a lot better than your magic fingers," Sam stated. Two women walking by turned at that, looked at the three men, then giggled and walked away talking to themselves.
Alec's eyes followed the women, but then after hearing them he gave it up as a lost cause. His attention focused back on the lamp and his brothers. That was weird. His brothers. "Well, it does seem pretty neat really."
Dean just shook his head before unlocking the car and starting to climb in. "Whatever you say."
Sam put his cell phone down in his lap, looking at Dean. "He's not answering, Dean. Alec always answers his phone. Something's wrong."
"Only problem is we don't know what kind of something wrong it is. Or where he is, for that matter." Dean was starting to get a little worried too. Alec usually wasn't one to be late either. Which definitely meant something not good, as far as Dean was concerned.
"I can find him. Demon, remember. I can find him if you let me go." Sam stood up. "He can't be far."
Dean hesitated slightly, before sitting up slightly. "I don't know, Sammy -- especially when we don't know what kind of trouble it is."
"Between you and me, we can do anything and take on anything." Sam reached for his jacket. "We can take a drive. I can see what is around. See if I can feel him." He might be trying not to bounce between two feet.
"Alright," Dean nodded after hesitating again. "But don't go running off without me, alright?"
"I won't. Stay in the car. Can I drive?" His eyes lightened up a bit.
Dean chuckled. "No, Sammy. I barely let you drive when you were human."
He pouted and sighed. "No fair." But he followed Dean to the car and sat in the passenger seat obediently.
Dean just smirked slightly as he pulled out of the parking spot and started driving, making his way cautiously into the New York City streets.
Sam rolled the window down and leaned his head back towards it, taking a deep breath. It was nice air. Cold and crisp. It was going to snow soon. He closed his eyes and just thought about Alec. Trying to see if he could find him. Then he felt a bit of bad magic and his eyes opened. "Stop the car."
Dean did as Sam asked, pulling the car to a stop and looking around. "You got something?"
Sam nodded. "Something bad happened there." He pointed at the alley.
Dean nodded slowly, before looking around. There was crime scene tape everywhere, and cops posted on the corners. "Looks like a murder."
Sam closed his eyes. Trying to feel what had happened. "Alec was here. Then he was gone. I can smell blood but it's not his. And gunpowder."
"Alright. With all the cops around, I'm thinking that he might have gotten picked up for this," Dean said with a heavy sigh. "The only question is which cops."
Sam sat down and pulled out his cell phone. He connected to the internet and looked up their location, then tried to find the precinct that would cover the area. "He should be here," he stated, showing the display to Dean. "Let's get him."
"Okay," Dean said with a nod, before following Sam's lead and heading in the direction of the precinct. It wasn't far, and he just pulled into a parking spot across the street, looking over the police cars and wondering how exactly they were going to get Alec out of this.
"I can go in?" Sam looked at Dean. "I can be his lawyer!"
Dean frowned slightly at that. Walking into a police station was the last thing he needed to do, and definitely the last thing he wanted his brother doing. "Sammy, that might not be such a great idea. We're -- " Still wanted by the FBI? " -- aren't exactly favorites of the police department."
Sam closed his eyes, not sure he understood. He thought for a bit, trying to see if he could piece it together. "Because of the hunting... right?"
"Kind of," Dean said with a frown. "I'm -- there was a shape-shifter, and -- they think I killed the people it did."
"So they know me before I..." Sam's eyes lit up. "But Dean, I don't look like that now. I have a different face! You show me what they might know of us, and I can go in there and be someone else and get Alec. I know the law. I started to read old books again and I remember a lot of it. We can get him and get out."
Dean frowned slightly, but Sam was right -- he was their best bet. He nodded slowly, before turning back to his brother. He was getting a bit more used to the whole sharing memories thing, but these were ones he'd planned on keeping for a while.
Good thing that Sam still respected his brother's instinct and only took the things that Dean showed him. Sam didn't know he had the power to rip them all out - or he did and just didn't use it. He touched Dean's cheek, closing his eyes and opening his mind to see what Dean showed him.
Dean sighed slightly as he conjured up the memories of the different events that have brought them into contact with the police -- the original event with the shape-shifter, then the death omen that put them back on the map again, the bank in Milwaukee with the original phone call from Hendrickson, the interrogation room in Folsom -- that was all he had at the moment, as he hadn't seen Hendrickson in a while, so after he was finished he pulled back, looking to Sam for his reaction.
Sam took it all in, and let his own pieces start to fit together to get a better picture. He was now more aware of the legal trouble they were in, and then he licked his lips. "Ok, worse case is that they think he's you." Sam always sounded more adult after he got memories. He would slip back into a younger style eventually, but the adult voice would help them a lot more at the moment. "Fingerprints will disprove that. So they can only hold him for 24 hours. But if he has done bad stuff himself, that could get him in longer. I think I can get him out. I need a suit and a case or something."
Dean nodded slowly, before starting to get out. "I think there might be something in the trunk."
Sam got out as well, going for the trunk and looking at the clothing there. He found his old suit and tried it on. It was actually a little too big on him. Sam was still tall, but he had lost maybe an inch or two from where the suit had been tailored for him. Looking around, he grabbed a roll of duck tape and started to hem the fabric on the inside quickly.
He looked around and saw a dumpster and went to change quickly behind it, then walked back out and looked for his tie. "If I have to post bail, what money do we have?"
"Not a lot," Dean replied, shaking his head. "But I don't think he's been around long enough to be indicted. At least not for something that would result in them holding him like this." Alec wasn't the type to get picked up for a drunk and disorderly. That just wasn't his style.
"You find a place to park that no one can see. I will call you." He slipped his phone into his jacket pocket and grabbed the briefcase. There was a blank pad, some pens, and a small legal handbook. That would help a lot.
"Okay," he said with a nod. "Be careful, Sam."
"I will." Sam gave Dean a big grin, then looked at the police station. He took a deep breath and focused on his adult memories, making himself act like he had in law school. Remembering the fake court debates with the real legal issues. He made his way up the stairs and inside.
In the bullpen, there were many detectives and uniforms milling about. Angell was collecting some take-out menus out of her desk, but generally minding her own business with regards to the other cops around her.
Sam walked up to the counter and leaned over to see who was on duty and if there was any paperwork on Alec sitting around. He also closed his eyes and just felt the tension in the room. Except for a bit of calm. So his eyes were drawn to Angell from that. "Excuse me, Ma'am, I was wondering if I can get a bit of help?"
Angell looked up at the man in the suit for a moment, slightly wary, before nodding slowly. "Sure -- what can I do for you?"
"I've been trying to call my roommate for about an hour, and he hasn't called back so I traced his GPS here. Did you by chance find a cell phone? Belongs to an Alec McDowell?" Sam gave a bright, concerned smile. Alec hadn't made a call, so he wouldn't be booked yet. So no one would know he was there except for a few cops - none of which he knew. So, better to trace the phone and not the person and let the cops tell him Alec was there. Then he can act surprised and get more information.
Concerned roommate who comes down to the precinct in a suit and tie. That was enough to get some eyebrows raised. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and straightened slightly, cop on the defensive. "He's being held on suspicion of murder. We're still waiting for some of the evidence to come in, but your roommate was found at the scene of a crime, leaning over a dead body."
"Well, then i guess he's lucky I'm a worrier." Sam held a hand out. "Sam Bishop, esquire." Oh look, fancy lawyer title. "I'm assuming you've run the prints and done all the fun CSI investigations already. I haven't gotten a call yet, so can I assume he hasn't been offered an attorney yet? That or he thought I was still in my conference. I know things like that sometimes just get overlooked, so it's not a problem." He didn't want her to get upset. If she got upset, then she might not want to help Alec. And Sam needed her to want to help Alec.
Oh, Angell wanted to help Alec. But given as she hadn't given Sam the whole story, and she was planning on keeping it that way, and least until she made sure he checked out. She hated lawyers, but she shook his hand anyway. Bitching at his lawyer wasn't going to get her anywhere. "Prints and DNA have been collected regarding the matter and we're waiting on the results."
"Awesome. Hopefully that will clear everything up. Can I talk to him?"
Angell hesitated for a moment, only long enough for her to realize that that was the last thing Hendrickson would want, and she wanted to piss him off just as much as Alec did. "Of course you can. He's right back here." She turned on her heel and lead her way back to the interrogation room, not bothering to see if Sam was still behind her.
Oh, Sam followed her all right. And was very good to keep his eyes from not looking at the view, and instead taking in the room and learning where all the possible escape routes were.
Angell stopped in front of the interrogation room where Alec and Hendrickson were talking, Marlin in the corner, and she paused for a moment, before knocking on the window lightly, looking to get the agent's attention. She noticed that Alec did not look pleased, and she knew that something had gone sideways in a bad way. Hendrickson looked over at the window with a slight glare, before pushing himself to his feet and grabbing his suit jacket.
"Stay with him," he ordered, before opening the door and heading down the hallway. He spotted Angell and Sam, and cleared his throat slightly. "What seems to be the problem?"
"This is Sam Bishop," Angell replied. "He's Mr. McDowell's attorney."
Sam did the dramatic looking in to see Alec and how "upset" he was looking before looking at Hendrickson. Sam knew this man, and the memories from Dean were very good to have so Sam knew what he had just walked into. And he really had to work to keep the small smirk off his face because in the body he was even safe from the FBI. out of courtesy, Sam held his hand out to Hendrickson. He also opened his senses up to see if he could read anything off the feel in the air. Tension. Alec was worried about something. Hendrickson was smug. He knew something.
"Hello. The detective here has told me a little bit about what Mr. McDowell is being held for, and before you speak with him any further, I'm invoking his right to counsel since I'm getting the idea it hasn't been offered to him yet."
Alec looked over and masked his surprise perfectly. Sam, his brother, was here. Sam who looked nothing like his mug shot, and was carrying himself like an actual adult. He grinned.
Hendrickson frowned slightly. He knew that Alec didn't necessarily have a right to counsel -- or, at least, it could be skewed that way -- but he didn't want to make waves, and he knew that protesting, especially in front of Angell, would make waves. "Agent Hendrickson. And of course -- go ahead in."
Oh, denying the man his rights because of his feline DNA? Bad FBI agent. Read an X-Men comic and see how horrible the world will turn if you think like that.
Sam nodded and went into the room, smiling at Alec and doing his best to keep it adult like. "Hey Alec. I've been trying to call you for awhile, and got worried. I thought you were going to stay at the Starbucks until I finished with the conference today." Quickly filling Alec in on his story. "The detective told me you ran across something nasty. And while I'm very sure Agent Hendrickson does his job right down to the button, did he advise you of your rights - the whole remaining silent and getting the attorney stuff?"
Alec looked sheepish. "Got bored and went for a walk. If I hadn't gotten kinda lost and then nearly tripped over a body I would have been back." Stories exchanged. Everyone on the same page. He shook his head. "No one said anything about rights. They were gonna let me go until it turned out I looked like some dude they've been after. Then Agent Hendrickson got all. . .whatever." earnest, ass hole-ish. No good word.
Angell moved mover and flipped the switch on the speakers, and gesturing for Marlin to get out of the room. Hendrickson shot her a glare, and she just rolled her eyes. "Attorney-client privilege. You have issues with it, take it up with the Constitution."
Sam smiled at Angell in thanks, sitting across from Alec while waiting for the others to leave. Once they were, Sam looked at him. "What do you mean they were about to let you go? The detective said they were waiting on evidence to come back still."
"They've already proven I'm not Dean. Nothing else will stick." He didn't want to tell Sam about the other news. Not here. "They really weren't out to get me until Hendrickson."
"What's he doing? And Dean is this dude that they think you look like?" Sam leaned back a moment, looking confused. Just because the speaker was off didn't mean they weren't watching. Sam could feel attention aimed at them. "What did you stumble across?"
"He thinks I should know all about this Dean guy and I guess plans to hold me and try to scare me into talking. I've told Detective Angell that I don't want to be in a room alone with Hendrickson any more." Sam was right. "I found a body. I was going for his wallet. I dunno, so I could tell the cops who he was or something? It was stupid. I should have just called 911. And then the cops found me doing that because they were after someone else I guess."
"Would have been a better choice." Sam nodded. "If you have evidence that they have proven you are not this guy, and the Agent has no proof that you've ever been in the same room, then from now on you tell him he can talk to me. Badgering is illegal, and that includes threats and psychological games. He can lose his job for that, and I think we have a few cops who will be on your side to help." Sam made sure he talked a bit slower and pronounced his words so any lip readers would see that.
Sam opened his briefcase and pulled a pad out. "Write down everything you have been told by him so far. You were upset, so he had to be doing something bad. I will talk to him." Sam made to stand up.
Alec nodded and looked up making eye contact and thinks very clearly 'He knows what I am.' He'd seen Sam sometimes pick up on details that could only be thoughts so he took a chance.
Sam stopped, feeling the thought. Hendrickson knew something bad. Something very bad that he should not know. He gave Alec a nod in return, then went out to speak with the Detective... Angell... and the bad agent. "Agent Hendrickson, can I have a moment?"
"Of course," Hendrickson said with a sigh. "What can I do for you?"
Sam put a hand on Hendrickson's back as he moved the Agent away. Sam needed the contact to be able to see what Hendrickson knew. He started to filter through what Hendrickson had talked to Alec about. "My client has been cleared of being this Dean Winchester, correct? And has already told you that he does not know then man. Do you have any evidence that supports your feelings that they have known each other?"
He found the memory of Hendricks finding the DNA results and imagined a big eraser going to them and wiping them away.
"Yes," Hendrickson said with a sigh, before crossing his arms in front of his chest. There -- there was something other than the initial DNA results that Doctor Hawkes had given him, and he straightened before replying. "Alec McDowell and Dean Winchester are brothers. They share the same biological father."
Brother? He had to keep a straight face, but when this was over, Sam was going to hug Alec. Another big brother! He wasn't like Dean safe but he would be a good brother.
Sam nodded. "An unfortunate set of circumstances. But Alec was adopted and has never had any contact with his biological family, nor intended to. And your continued insistence is only going to worsen matters. If you give me your card, I will have Alec contact you if he ever runs into this brother. But seeing that his ancestry is not a part of this murder case, I'm advising you to stop on this line of questioning. He has stumbled onto a murder and being wrongfully accused, and you want to add this to the fire? That is borderline mental cruelty." He spoke softly, and when Sam felt he had all of the stuff Alec didn't want Hendrickson knowing, he took a step away and reached into a pocket for a business card.
"Here is my card. I am in the process of changing offices, but you can reach me by e-mail." The card linked to a dummy website that Sam had created a long time ago on angelfire. No way to trace origins or webmasters easily (he had not updated the site in over a year, and the e-mail dumped into a hotmail account that he had not bothered to check in the same amount of time now.
Hendrickson took the card and glanced over at Angell, looking for some kind of help in this department. Angell just held up her hands as in he wasn't getting any help from her, and Hendrickson just pursed his lips slightly, before nodding. "Fine. I'm very sure we'll be in touch."
"I look forward to it." Sam looked back at Detective Angell. "It's been a long day, and I am sure you all want to go home. Is there anything I can do to help speed up having Alec released?."
Sam thought very, very hard at his words. He remembered a boy who could talk a certain way and people would listen and his words would become their ideas.
Angell blinked for a moment, before moving to go do so without even thinking twice. "We'll get on that right away."
He smiled. "Thank you," he told her, then went back into the room with Alec. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes. Detective Angell is working on it, and Agent Hendrickson will now contact me with any questions he might have on your biological family that you've never met. You need anything else?"
"Detective Angell has my stuff. They made me empty my pockets. She was holding it so Hendrickson couldn't go through it with out permission. She'll give me the envelope if I ask." Alec's basic respect for any service member, police, rescue or military made him want Sam to understand that Angell and the other officers really were the good guys here. That, given the circumstances, they had all treated him well and fairly. "And uh. . .I'd like to ask Hawkes for a copy of his report. He'll be okay with it."
Sam knew that. He liked Angell. She had a nice feel to her. He just did not trust Hendrickson. "Ok, we can ask him for that when they come back in."
Alec nodded. "Thanks for coming to get me."
"What are," brothers? "friends for?" Sam grinned, waiting for the detectives to come back in.
Angell returned a few minutes later with the bag, placing it down in front of him. "Your personal effects. You're basically free to go."
He smiled at her. "Thanks. And for helping. Uhm. . if it's not a lot of trouble can I get a copy of that report from Hawkes?"
"Go ahead and ask him on your way out," Angell replied with a nod. "He's right around the corner."
He nodded and rose, grabbing his pill bottle off the table where it had been left earlier. "Will do. And I like you better without the wig." he gave her a flirty but clearly playful grin.
Sam grabbed his case and followed Alec. "Thank you, Detective. I really appreciate all this."
She returned the grin to Alec, before nodding to Sam. "Not a problem. Just doing my job."
Alec headed out the door more than glad to be out of there. He was uneasy about Hendrickson knowing what he was, but he trusted Sam to have it managed. Even if he wasn't used to how adult Sam was acting. He paused when he saw Hawkes. "Hey. I was wondering if I could ask a favor?"
Hawkes turned around and gave him a small smile, before nodding. "What can I do for you?"
"Can I get a copy of that report? The interesting part."
Hawkes nodded. "Definitely. Just give me a minute and I'll photocopy it." With that, he disappeared around the corner, towards the office.
Alec waits having no idea how to fill the silence with Sam so he lets it rest. For the first time with him he really was feeling younger. Much younger.
Hawkes returned a few minutes later with the copy of the report, before handing it over to him with a smile. "There ya go."
Alec took it with more care than a piece of paper actually deserved and then folded it just as carefully to side in his pocket withe the other, more crumpled piece. "Thanks. For everything." Including not spilling his secrets.
"No problem," Hawkes replied. "Good luck."
Sam put a hand on Alec's shoulder and led him outside. "I'm going to text those girls we were meeting for dinner and let them know we are going to be late." Which really meant texting Dean a location to meet them. "You want to flag a cab?"
Alec was so telling Dean that his cover was being called a girl. "Sure. No problem." He stepped to the curb and waited.
for a cab to show and then stuck his hand out.
The text was sent as the cab pulled over. Sam held the door open for Alec to get in, then followed and told the cab to take them to a motel in Brooklyn, far from the jurisdiction of the cops that had been holding Alec. Sam then smiled at Alec. "I told him I could do it. I'm a good lawyer."
That was a little more like the Sam Alec knew. "I am impressed. Seriously." He smiled back, proud and grateful.
"Dean gave me memories to help. Hendrickson is a bad bad man. But he won't know who I am now so I knew I could get you safe. You can tell him I did good." it was easier to talk and not have to hunt for the big words that didn't come easy. He could talk like this with Alec.
Alec put and arm around Sam's shoulder in a half hug. "You did really good. And you were right. They don't know what you look like now."
"And I made sure Hendrickson doesn't remember the things you don't want him too." Sam snuggles in a bit.
Alec felt his eyebrows climb at that one. "You can do that?"
"I think so. I can see memories. I should be able to make others not see them." There was confusion as to if he actually had done it that way, but no remorse.
"Huh. Learn some thing new every day." No remorse from Alec either. Normally he didn't like screwing with people's heads, but his safety and the safety of his family, his brothers, came first.
If Alec knew what Sam had unconsciously done to the detectives as well, he might have said something a bit different. but Sam didn't know what he did, and he wasn't going to tell Alec either. He just watched the city drive by until they were in Brooklyn and stopping at an intersection where Dean was waiting in the parking lot for them. Sam gave the driver some money and pointed at the car for Alec to see.
Alec slipped out behind Sam holding his envelope of belongings and the DNA reports burning heavy holes in his pocket.
Dean had climbed out of the car after a while, sitting on the hood of the Impala and waiting for them to show up. He didn't know what was happening, and he didn't like that feeling -- that much was written on his face. When he saw them both get out of the cab, however, he breathed a sigh of relief, and waited for them to join him before speaking. "What happened?"
"They thought he was you." Sam took off his tie and jacket and put it carefully back in the trunk in the suit bag there.
"And, reasonably, they found me over the body. He was so verydead."
"Yeah, well -- that would do it," Dean sighed with a heavy sigh. "Hendrickson show up?"
"With bells on. That man is a fucking asshole." Some of the tension was starting to bleed out of him. But not all. That report. . . if he thought about it to hard he felt a little sick with worry. What if Dean didn't want another brother. His world revolved around Sam. Alec didn't think there was room for another sibling.
"He will leave Alec alone now." Sam closed the trunk and then sat on it. "Can I have dinner now? I'm hungry."
Dean chuckled slightly before nodding. "Sure, Sammy. Whatever you want."
"Where do you want to go? You've sure earned it."
Sam thought for a moment. "Dave and Busters. We can play games afterward."
"Dave and Busters it is," Dean nodded, before climbing off the hood and getting ready to head around to the driver's side, before looking over at Alec more closely than he had before. "You okay, dude?"
"I. . .yeah. Yeah I'm fine." He pulled up a grin but he didn't think Dean would buy it for long. His fingers curled tight around the papers in his pocket. "Just don't like feds."
"He will not remember. I did good." Sam smiled at Alec.
"Good," Dean said with a nod, before sliding into the driver's seat. "Let's go get somethin' to eat."
"You did." Alec smiled at Sam. "You really did. Come on. Food." And he slid into the back seat leaving the passenger seat open for Sam.
Sam climbed into the Impala and just sat so proudly in his seat. He knew he could do it and he did and he was just awesome.
Dean drove them to the nearest Dave and Busters he could find, before herding them in to the restaurant. They managed to get served relatively quickly and after Dean was finished he leaned back in the seat with a small sigh. As far as days are concerned, it could have been much worse.
Alec managed to push aside the nervous lead weight feeling enough to talk to Sam and Dean during dinner, more Sam than Dean though. And he spent a lot of time being fascinated by his bendy straw.
Meanwhile Sam was having fun with the different ticket games. He might have been unconsciously using his TK powers to hustle the games because he really had way more tickets than he should for the amount of credits that Dean had put on a game card for him. But he was GOOD at skeeball and those little coin pusher things because the coins just kept FALLING into his bucket.
And the mini hamburgers and fries were awesome. Especially the french fries. They just tasted like the best things that Sam had ever eaten. Better than the diner and better than McDonald's and that was saying a lot. And he didn't even have to dip them in his vanilla shake.
As he won another jackpot he made his way back to the table and sat down. "I think I can get a good prize with this."
"Think so, Sammy?" Dean said with an amused smirk, leaning back to watch his brother a bit more. He knew that something was up with Alec, he just wasn't sure how to ask him. And he wasn't sure if Sam should be around then either -- not that Sam shouldn't know. It just -- seemed like maybe Sam already knew, and Dean was the only one out of the loop, here -- and he hated being out of the loop.
"What are you going to try and get?" Alec was picking through the end of his fries.
"They have an X-Box and it comes with Guitar Hero and it looks really cool and we can hook it up to the hotel TV's. Or there is a PSP. Or maybe we can get a lava lamp." Sam was serious too.
Dean laughed. "I think you might want to pass on the lava lamp, Sammy. But all the other stuff sounds pretty cool."
"I'd head for the PSP or the X-box. Lava lamps don't travel well." In all reality he had no idea what a lava lamp was. But most lamps really didn't
travel well. And he didn't want to be near anything that had the word lava involved. It just seemed like a bad idea.
"But it has sparkles in it." Seriously in love with the lava lamp guys. They should be worried.
"But you'll have way more fun with the PSP," Dean said with a nod. "Trust me. All you can do with a lava lamp is stare at it."
Alec suddenly had a brilliant idea. "Who don't you get on of the game things first and then see what you have left over and how many more you would need to get a lamp?"
Sam thought for a moment. "Ok. I can go figure that out." And he slipped back out of the booth and headed for the redemption area to figure out how many tickets he actually had and if he could get anything.
Dean watched Sam go for a minute, smirking slightly as his brother looked like a kid in a candy store, before turning back to Alec. "You sure everything's alright?" There was probably an easier way to go about this, but Dean just wasn't finding it at the moment -- besides, he was always more of a blunt kind of guy anyway.
Alec turned back to look at Dean. "Yeah." Then down at his plate. "No. I don't know."
Dean took that, digested it for a moment, before responding. "Look, if it's about those things they said I did -- it really wasn't me. Well, okay, the credit card fraud and the grave desecration -- that was me. But the murder and the assaults? Skin walker. The guy just happened to look like me."
"No, no. I know it wasn't you." Ye knew about getting nailed with someone else's crimes. "That;s just. . .not you. That not it at all." He was babbling so he snapped his mouth shut.
Now Dean was confused. "So -- what was it? Was it something Hendrickson said? Because something's bothering you, dude. I can tell that much."
"Maybe because I'm stuttering like a moron?" He bit his lip and before he could think better of the idea he yanked the report out and slapped it down, still folded, in front of Dean.
Dean raised an eyebrow slightly, before unfolding the paper and reading it over for a moment. Then reading it again because he wasn't sure he got it the first time. And then again to make sure he read it correctly. There was a long pause before he looked up at Alec again. "So this means we're -- " He didn't finish the sentence, just stared at him for a minute.
If it was true, some things suddenly made a lot more sense.
Alec nodded. "Same father." He bit his lip hard. And then with more babbling. "And I know it's most likely not something you want to deal with, that there really isn't room for that. And Sam's you actual brother. And I'm just like. . . stolen DNA for an experiment that didn't fail so. . . yeah. I'll just. . . what ever you want, man. Just thought you had a right to know." Dean most likely knew that Alec was a little screwed up anyway.
"Family's family, dude." Dean didn't care so much how Alec became family, but the fact that he was meant something. As far as Dean was concerned the more he had of it, the better. "Sam's clearly not my only brother here. Whether there's room for it or not, I'll take it."
Alec sagged with relief. "Thanks." The relief was almost profound. He'd always been a little worried that once Sam was totally back on his feet that their would be no room for Alec. that he was just a place holder for now. And it had never been that Alec thought Dean would do that to him on purpose, but still the worry had been there. Now it easier a little.
"No problem," Dean said with a grin. Because this was good news. He had another brother. One that was actually living as oppose a demon -- not that demon Sam was bad but before, when he was alone, and he thought he didn't have anyone else, he actually did. That was profoundly comforting -- Dean wasn't sure why, but it was. "Should have figured it out sooner."
"Given that your Dad was a Marine? But come on, who thinks of the cat boy being your honest to god brother?" He struggled. "We were told that none of us were related unless we were twinned or our basic pattern was duplicated in another series. And even then. . ." He spread his hands in a 'what are you gonna do' expression.
"Yeah, no, it makes sense," Dean nodded. "But still -- people don't just look alike. I should have figured there was something more to it than simple coincidence."
"They say everyone has a double. I just kinda figured it was for a reason?" He shrugged. "Maybe I'm just so used to complicated I ignored Occum's Razor?"
"Maybe," Dean said with a shrug. "Well, however it happened -- I don't really care. Family is family, and having more of it is never a bad thing."
Never ever telling Dean about 493. Ever. He smiled and this time it wasn't forced. "I can live with that."
"Good," Dean said, returning the smile, before glancing over at his brother, who was still at the prize counter. "Does Sam know?"
"Yes and no. He knows factually. I honestly don't know if what it really means has been understood yet. Maybe it has and it's still all smooth sailing for him?" He followed Dean's gaze. It looked like there was a heated discussion going on about a lava lamp.
"We'll have to see, I guess," Dean said with a nod as Sam started to head back towards them, leaning back in the booth a little more.
"I need 20,435 more tickets for the PSP. But I got the lamp." He put the box with the lamp on the table. It was in the shape of a space ship, and it had sparkly blue lava in it.
Alec shook his head a little and chuckled. Clearly they were just going to have to pack it up with them every time they moved. " We can plug it in when we get back to the room." He peered at the box. "I've never actually seen one before."
Dean just sighed, before leaning back in the booth. "Just make sure you wrap it well, alright? I don't want the lamp breaking and getting glitter all over my car."
"I'll take good care of it," Sam nodded solemnly. "Can we go back now so we can plug it in?"
Alec shrugged. The childish part of him was with Sam, wanting to see it now that it was available.
"Sure," Dean said with a nod. "Let's go. Probably better than sticking around here anyway."
Sam just grinned, grabbing his prize and getting up all while avoiding a waiter as he walked by with a tray filled with food. Amazing in how he can do it without tripping over his own long legs.
Alec waited for the waiter to pass before standing himself and stretching. At this point after the day he'd had staring at a lava lamp sounded divine.
Dean followed their lead, before starting to head out to the car behind them. "You two really all that excited over a lava lamp?"
"It's a lot better than your magic fingers," Sam stated. Two women walking by turned at that, looked at the three men, then giggled and walked away talking to themselves.
Alec's eyes followed the women, but then after hearing them he gave it up as a lost cause. His attention focused back on the lamp and his brothers. That was weird. His brothers. "Well, it does seem pretty neat really."
Dean just shook his head before unlocking the car and starting to climb in. "Whatever you say."