Epilogue—The Road to Winchester—Part II

Tony opened his eyes. He was not sure where he was but he was glad nothing around him looked like an alley anymore. Though, he realized looking around, that this broken down motel room was probably about as clean as it had been.

His companions were talking to one another in whispered tones. They had not realized he was full awake now and listening. But he was still in denial, and he obviously had lapses in memory. He remembered being helped out of the alley and into a car that was not his. He had wanted to protest it all. But being nearly choked to death takes it out of you. He must have been really out of it because he hadn't even remembered entering the motel room.

"She knows him now, Dean. We can't just leave him to…fend for himself. He…Lilith thinks he's helping us. He's in danger."

Dean paced the small room and ran his fingers through his hair. "What do we do, Sam? Kidnap a member of the Baltimore PD. What…how do we do that, Sam? What do we tell him?"

Both Sam and Dean looked when they heard movement on the other side of the room.

"For your information," Tony said, slowly standing. "…this is kidnapping, consider yourself kidnappers. I have a feeling too, that that is not the only…thing I could charge you with, Sam and Dean Winchester." Tony paused. "Am I right? I mean, only criminals need so many fake ID's."

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but Tony continued, stopping him.

"Look, I don't really know what you guys are into. And I don't care. I had just a little too much to drink…on top of the oxygen deprivation…. That's what…." Tony looked at the two of them and shook his head. "I'm out of here!"

"You didn't have any alcohol on your breath. But I don't doubt the oxygen deprivation." Dean replied.

"You can't leave." Sam replied.

Tony looked at him in disbelief. "And why is that?"

Sam hesitated for just a moment. Something about Tony was intimidating, besides his height. Tony had a very demanding presence and a 'take charge' personality, no doubt a big plus in his line of work. "You need our help." He finally stated.

Tony looked at both brothers before he spoke. "You…help me?" His hand moved to his weapon.

"Look Detective DiNozzo, I'm sure you're good at your job. But we're good at ours, too. And, in this case, you truly have no idea what you're dealing with." Dean said.

"Huh, some guy in bad Halloween make-up with a high voice…." Tony shook his head. "You've never been in Baltimore on a Halloween night, have you?"

Sam shook his head. "You need…."

"No! No, I don't! Whatever that was…. Whatever it is you're doing, here, in my precinct..." Tony paused. "…I suggest you conclude your business…and leave!" He said, making it plain he meant what he said.

Dean realizing Sam was right this guy needed their help, plus some heavy-duty convincing. "The black eyes, the superhuman strength…?"

"I had too much to drink." Tony contested.

Sam shook his head. The dead man walking….?"

"Way too much to drink…" Tony replied. "…plus oxygen deprivation."

Dean pointed to the motel bathroom. "Take a look in the mirror."

Tony looked at Dean, very confused. But he headed into the bathroom anyway. He had to grab onto the counter to keep from passing out. There was a distinct, very distinct, hand print around his neck. He could make out five fingers. Tony stood and stared for a moment as he gingerly touched the bruise.

Tony came out of the bathroom and dropped, heavily, onto one of the beds in the room. After a moment he looked up at Dean. "What are we looking at here?"

"Her name is Lilith. And she's a demon." Sam replied.

"One of the worst we've ever come across." Dean added.

"Demon…as in Hell's actual angels…that type of demon?" Tony asked.

Sam nodded.

"We need to teach you how to deal with her, sort of a training session." Dean explained.

"Training…what?" Why?" Tony stood and began to pace. "Look, I know how to fight. I work the mean streets of Baltimore. I've taken karate classes, I…."

Dean shook his head. "That's not the type of training I'm talking about. It'll definitely help. But that is not what I mean."

"She knows you now. She thinks you are hooked up with us. That means you're an enemy also." Sam added. "She could come after you, anytime."

"But, I…I have nothing to do with you, with this!" Tony stated.

"We know that, you know that. But…but you can't tell anything to demons. They think humans lie more than they do." Dean explained. "You need to know the rituals you need to perform when she crosses your path again. That is what we need to teach you."

Tony was still having a lot of trouble with all this. But the mark on his neck confirmed his fears. It was all too real. He nodded. His gut was telling him he needed to trust these two. They might be crazy. But, right now, what choice did he have?

Sam handed Tony two vials. "…rock salt and Holy Water."

Tony looked at the vials. "What?! What am I supposed to do with these?" He expected an arsenal. He had expected knives and guns, not water and salt. "Seriously guys, water and salt?"

"They're very effective." Sam replied. "You can word off demons, ghosts and even the occasional witch."

"Okay…okay…" Tony said standing up. "Now I know you're nuts. I mean what I saw was bad enough." He kept seeing the image of the handprints in his mind, and he shuttered. "I supposed to stop this…" Tony indicated his neck. "…with salt and water? I understand the Holy Water, okay, I get that. But salt…?"

Dean was getting very irritated. "Look, we deal with this stuff every day, you don't! But when Lilith visits you, and I mean when, not if, she visits you, I hope you can handle it!"

Tony looked at Dean, considering his words. Dean had to be right about one thing. Sam and Dean had to have something on Lilith. They had to have something, or she wouldn't have bothered to bargain with them. Maybe there was something to this after all.

"Okay, I'm not totally convinced." Tony admitted. "But you must have something on her, and I'm not talking about this Colt. I don't think you even have that in your possession. It's…it's something else." Tony paused. "I'm willing to learn whatever it is you have to teach me." He involuntarily touched his neck again.

Their friendship began slowly. Sam and Dean taught Tony the basics of protection spells. Dean and Tony bonded over pizza, beer and women. While Sam and Tony bonded over talk of college and Sam's few 'normal' years. And Tony also understood the situation of the 'working' father. The situations, of course, were vastly different. But the feelings it left were the same.

Tony met up with the two again. It was another bar and this time Tony bought them drinks. Tony and Lilith had not crossed paths, but he after thinking about the incident. He knew it had been real. And it had jarred him a little when Dean had told him he had had no alcohol on his breath. Tony had only taken his first sips of his beer before he had noticed the Winchesters. He had been nowhere near drunk.

Then there had been the fact of the body. The man had been missing the back of his head. He had had a small hole clearly in the front. The man had clearly been dead. He, in fact, had probably died before his body hit the ground. The image of this poor soul, animated, though clearly dead, had had Tony sitting straight up in bed in a cold sweat many, many nights.

Tony led the brothers to a booth away from the others. They all sit for a few moments, just drinking and watching the action in the bar.

"Have you seen her?" Sam asked, knowing Dean wanted to know the answer as badly as he did.

Tony shook his head. "No demons or walking corpses lately."

Dean looked at Tony. He looked tired. "But I am guessing some hellacious nightmares."

Tony nodded. "Don't you two ever…I mean…?"

Dean took a long swallow. "Lilith didn't lie about one thing. We had only known them to possess live people." Dean paused. "The dead-guy thing was actually a big surprise for us, too."

"I mean nightmares…the nightmares. Don't you two dream?" Tony asked.

Sam shook his head. "Unfortunately our nightmares walk around in broad daylight with the backs of their heads missing." Sam paused and took a swallow of his beer.

Tony shook his head. After hearing about some of the cases, some of the people they had helped or had tried to help. Tony realized how much he had in common with the Winchesters. They both saw people at what was probably the worst times in their lives. They both 'tried' to help said people. It was just that sometimes the help came too little, too late.

The three men clinked their beers together and drank to what promised to be a long and…interesting friendship.

THE END