'We are but as the instrument of Heaven. Our work is not design, but destiny."

Lord Edward Robert Bulwer Lytton

Dean had not planned on seeing Castiel again so soon. The angel had made their farewells after defeating Lucifer seem like a long goodbye, maybe even a final one. Sam must have assumed the same if the look of surprise on his brother's face as he came along side Dean was any indication.

"I didn't mean to startle you."Castiel took a step closer to them, his countenance as stoic and unrepentant as usual. "I took the fact you haven't shielded the farm from angels as what you call an open door policy."

"I wouldn't go that far." Dean grinned. In all fairness Dean hadn't taken the time to consider adding more protection to the farm in light of the lengths they had gone to during the past year. "I didn't exactly expect you or your brothers to be paying us a visit, Cas."

"Perhaps you should reconsider that line of thinking." Castiel glanced around the room. "It may not be safe for The Guardian to be so lax."

"Why does that sound like you're not here to sound your trumpet of joyous news?" Caleb entered the room from the hallway. He kept his eyes focused on Castiel as he made his way to Dean's other side.

Dean gauged his friend's pallor, recognizing the forced confident smirk The Knight flashed Castiel as he came along to stand slightly in front of Dean. The protective move was so typical and completely irritating that Dean would have sent a sharp elbow to his best friend's side when he reclaimed his spot if not for the fact he was afraid the idiot might fall over. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Damien. Since Cas dropped in for an unexpected social visit, he might as well make himself useful."

"This isn't a social visit, Dean. I need your help-I need the Triad's help."

"Okay, we could use your help, too- at least Damien could." Dean folded his arms over his chest. "Sounds like a little quid pro quo."

"I'm fine." Caleb growled.

"He looks fine,"Castiel agreed without so much a glance in Caleb's direction.

"His head is screwed up." Dean understood Castiel's feelings about The Knight, but that didn't mean he had to accept it, especially in his home. "I've seen you fix much worse."

Castiel inclined his head. "I believed that to be a permanent condition of his personality and unfortunate genetics. It's not in my power to change the nature of a beast."

"Very funny." Caleb glared at the angel.

"I wasn't trying to be funny." Castiel stared back.

Dean caught Caleb's sleeve to keep him in place, gesturing a hand towards the stark white bandage on Caleb's head. "As you can see, Damien had a little trouble getting out of his bed this morning. In all likelihood he has a concussion. You work your angel mojo to take care of it and The Triad will be glad to hear out your most recent request."

"Very well." Castiel gave an impatient sigh, but stepped forward with a flap of his trench coat. He lifted a hand to Caleb's head. The Knight dodged his touch.

"Deuce, this is ridiculous." Caleb sent a glance in Sam's direction. Dean didn't even need to look at his brother for Sam to raise his hand in surrender.

"This sounds like a Knight and Guardian impasse, Roomie. Mac says it's best to let you two work those out on your own or else get used as an emotional pull toy."

"Coward."

Dean smirked as Damien echoed his earlier insult to their professing neutral Scholar. "Castiel uses his magic touch to fix you the quick and easy way, Damien or we load up, go to the clinic and sit in their ER for the better part of the night for them to give you the usual round of scans." Dean let him go. It was good to be The Guardian. "Your choice."

"That's blackmail."

Dean gave Sam a knowing grin. "I prefer Guardian Mandate"

"Its bullshit is what it is," Caleb grumbled, but stepped toward Castiel. "The last time I let Wings touch me I ended up time travelling to a not so pleasant past."

"I promise I have no desire to repeat that trip."Castiel lifted his hand and placed it on Caleb's head with a grimace. "It's not a pleasant experience for an angel to be in the same room with your kind, let alone touch one of you."

Caleb gave Dean a glower that promised retribution but held firm as the angel proceeded. The effect was usually instantaneous so Dean found himself frowning along with Castiel as the angel tilted his head to the right slightly, going so far as to reposition his hand along Caleb's temple.

"Is something wrong?"

"No." Castiel met his gaze after a moment's hesitation. He lifted his hand from Caleb, taking a step back. "I'm not used to healing someone like him, but the concussion should be taken care of."

"Damien?" Dean looked up at his friend, who despite obviously being pissed at the insult had lost the gray-greenish quality to his skin. The bruises to his cheek and swelling around his eye had disappeared also.

"The headache's gone and I no longer feel like my stomach is trying to turn itself inside out." He tugged the bandage off, running a finger over the smooth unmarred skin beneath before glancing to Castiel. "I suppose I owe you a thank you for the saving me yet another scar."

"You can return the favor by filling the request I have for your services."

"What exactly does an angel need with us now?" Sam moved to the closest chair dropping into it with a wide yawn. "Lucifer is back where he belongs. We curtailed the apocalypse. You should be well…in Heaven."

Dean snorted at his brother's turn of a phrase. Maybe college was improving Sam's sense of humor. He took the edge of the chair Sam was sitting in; Boo leaning lazily against him as Dill suspiciously sniffed a circle around the angel. "He's right, Cas. Not that I'm not glad to see you, but why are you here?"

"Heaven hasn't exactly fared well since Lucifer and Michael's demise."

"What do you mean?" Caleb knelt to scoop up the pup when Dill retreated to his side after her taste test of Castiel's shoes resulted in an obviously unpleasant result. Dean wondered briefly how animals seemed to sense no trace of evil from Caleb that Castiel claimed emanated like a demonic aura.

"It would seem that God has taken leave."

"Taken leave?" Dean's mind quickly shifted gears, his ponderings about his best friend instantly forgotten in lieu of Castiel's revelation. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that anarchy has arisen."

"You're saying there's no sheriff in town. God's missing?" Caleb took a seat on the coffee table, Dill curling on his lap.

"It would appear that way and there are several vying to take His place." Castiel paced to the fireplace, his gaze lingering on the pictures held there. "Raphael for one. Our brothers are divided. There's a war taking shape."

"Great. Another war." Dean rubbed a hand through his hair, feeling as if their current streak of luck was about to change. He'd been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and here it was-falling directly from above them. "That's all we need."

"Earth's demise was nothing compared to what will come to pass if Heaven is taken by Raphael and his followers. We will all be at this mercy, and trust me when I say he knows nothing of forgiveness. Your part in thwarting the apocalypse will not be forgotten, nor will mine."

Dean felt a pang of empathy for Castiel. He might not have understood everything about angels, but he understood brotherhood and family, the pitfalls those unbreakable bonds could bring. "You're not going to let that happen."

"I have been holding my own, but I'm afraid Raphael is up to his old tricks. He's looking for an advantage. One that could sway the battle in his favor."

"What would that be?" Sam asked, leaning forward. For the first time since returning to the farm Dean witnessed a spark in his brother's eye, a familiar gleam he hadn't seen often since the months leading up to their showdown with Lucifer.

"Weapons."

"And what type of weapons would an angel want to get his hands on?" Dean didn't like the fact Castiel was once again needing their help to thwart an impending war. It was far too similar to the epic battle they had narrowly avoided only months before. Dean wanted their normal life back, the typical supernatural baddies they had fought for years without the interference of ethereal beings. "I thought the angel blade thingy was the only thing that worked on you guys?"

"There are other ways of gaining power over ones enemies other than killing them." Castiel lifted his gaze to the ceiling a look of irritation coloring his typically placid features. "I haven't got much time to explain. I need to get back before my location is tracked."

"Okay." Dean was willing to oblige. "What are you talking about here, Cas?"

"I'm talking about a weapon that allows its owner absolute sovereignty, supremacy over their foe-a Biblical artifact."

"Like the Staff of Moses?" Sam leaned forward further, his elbows resting on his knees.

Dean stared at his brother. "Seriously, Sam? Why not throw the Holy Grail out there, too."

Castiel didn't share Dean's incredulity. "The Grail and Staff are also unaccounted for, but it's the Lance of Longinus that I'm most concerned with at the moment. Raphael is intent on finding it for himself."

"Wait." Dean made a slashing motion with his hand. "There really is a Staff? The stick Moses used to part the sea?"

"It has other abilities besides ruling over water, but it is the Lance I'm hoping you will help me retrieve."

"Are you talking about The Holy Lance?" Caleb returned Dill to the floor, pushing her towards Boo as he stood. "The spear used to pierce the side of Jesus after he was crucified?"

"Yes," Castiel nodded. "They are one in the same."

"Like in the movie Constantine?" Dean didn't particularly care for the film, considering it had far too many parallels to their lives. Unlike Caleb who liked to identify with the psychically tormented John Constantine, Dean didn't want to dwell on the fact he shared similarities with Keanu Reeves character -such as going to and returning from Hell, although after the past year he could relate with the film's dark portrayals of angels.

Castiel frowned. "I have no idea."

"I forget the only movies you've cared to watch in your lowly station as a human involved love triangles with mooneye teens, vampires and werewolves." Dean made a rolling motion with his hand. "So how does one go about losing something like The Spear of Destiny?"

"The Spear has never resided in Heaven. Like most objects of power it has been stored on earth, hidden in obscurity, watched over by appointed groups throughout history."

"Groups like The Knights of The Round Table?" Caleb asked.

Dean was quite certain his best friend would never outgrow his infatuation for chivalrous tales. "You'd love that wouldn't you, Damien. You and every other Indiana Jones fan."

"It's not a far reach, Dean," Sam spoke up, Scholar mode in full effect. "Look at the items The Brotherhood has had in their possession over the years."

"A few magical talismans and some supernatural blades aren't exactly in the same league as The Arc of the Covenant, Sammy."

"Sam's right." Castiel took a closer step to Dean. "Guardians of past have been charged with the keeping of sacred artifacts-the Spear included. It's why I need you for this mission. It's also why you should take precautions that Raphael doesn't find you."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, Cas, but I can promise you there's no Holy Lance in The Hunter's Tomb." Dean was working his way through all the past Guardian's journals, but had not come across any mention of such objects.

"Wait," Caleb held up his hand. "Are you saying Dean's in danger?"

Castiel ignored Caleb's question, continuing to address Dean. "I know it's not currently in your care, but as The Guardian of The Brotherhood you are one of the few that can rightfully claim it without repercussions."

"Come again?" Dean folded his arms over his chest. He was still trying to get used to all the responsibilities that being The Guardian brought. He did not need this new element. "What do you mean I can claim it? You're honestly telling me The Brotherhood was charged with the care of The Holy Lance?"

"The Lance has been exchanged by many over the centuries, stolen and possessed by both evil and good. People with a thirst for domination are able to benefit from its power to some degree, but only a select few can wield it to its potential-those given sovereignty over its care, such as The Guardian. When it is in a rightful protector's care it is either static or it can be at its most powerful."

"So it's not just The Lance of Longinus that you need, but Dean to make it work the way it's supposed to?" Sam stood, coming alongside Dean.

"That doesn't sound like a safe position to be placed." Caleb's voice took on a harsher tone, his patience for Castiel fading. "This is shaping up to be too much like the whole Sword of Michael gig for my liking."

"Dean would not be directly involved in battle, but his allegiance to our side would be necessary. I cannot rightfully claim the artifact or benefit from it unless it is entrusted to me by one of its caretakers." Castiel cut his gaze to Caleb for only a moment before returning them to Dean. "I assumed that after all we have been through he would have my back."

Dean shook his head at the angel's atypical phrasing, though the sentiment was nice. After Damien, Castiel was the closest thing to a normal friend Dean had experienced. "That goes without saying, Cas. Damien just needs clarification that this gig isn't going to call for some kind of major sacrifice. I'm not up for being a pawn again in another holy family throw down. I have other responsibilities now-people who depend on me."

"I can't promise you that things will not become perilous, especially if Raphael also discovers where The Lance is, but the alternative outcome is far worse. If he is able to claim The Lance and shift things to his favor, the end result will be disastrous for everyone on earth and in Heaven."

"Wait." Sam held up his hand. "You know where the Spear is?"

"I have a general area, yes."

"Then why can't you just 'angel' on over there and get it yourself?" Caleb asked. "Bring it here, and let Deuce give you his blessing on the thing, and be done with it?"

"I'm being closely watched. I took a risk in coming here. If I go searching for Longinus's Lance then I am bound to draw attention to its location. You three cannot be tracked by angels."

"Thanks to you bestowing your angel cloak of invisibility?" Dean subconsciously placed a hand on his chest, remembering the markings that Castiel had magically carved into their ribs. The protection had likely saved their lives on many occasions they weren't even aware. It was just yet another facet that made them an unusual Triad. "You calling in markers, Cas?"

"I'm only reminding you that you have an advantage that I do not. I'm not asking you to join in my war, Dean, only to secure The Lance." Castiel took a step towards Dean, his eyes holding a hint of desperation Dean hadn't recalled even in their darkest moments with the impending apocalypse. "Please, do this for me. Help me hold the ranks until my Father returns."

"Are you sure God's coming back?" Caleb asked.

"Yes." Castiel's answer was unwavering.

Dean shared a quick look with his brother and then The Knight, who's frown told him just what Caleb thought concerning what The Guardian was about to do. He returned his gaze to Castiel. "Where do you need us to go?"

RcJ*SnsnsnsN*RcJ

"Tennison, Georgia." Sam used his iPad to pull up the map he'd studied last night until the wee hours of the morning.

Joshua lifted a brow, leaning over to consider the territory. "I don't mean to call your apt research skills into question, but since when has Big Foot expanded his roaming grounds to include small college towns and suburbs in the South?"

"I told you on the phone we weren't going after Big Foot, Josh." Caleb spoke up from the front seat of the Impala, where in Sam's opinion he'd unfairly claimed shotgun by pulling the carsick card. Dean had pretended to be concerned for the Impala, but Sam knew it was just more evidence that The Guardian and The Knight were in collusion. "We're going after The Holy Lance."

"And I thought I was once again being assaulted by your ill humor or even worse in jeopardy of falling victim to one of your and Dean's bizarre practical jokes?" Joshua met Sam's gaze, a flicker of mutual annoyance flashing in his blue eyes. Sam was beginning to understand how a common enemy in this case his brother and his best friend could bring about very strange bedfellows.

"He wasn't joking." Sam ran his finger over the screen of his tablet, pulling up one of the many images he'd found on The Holy Lance.

"So we're exchanging one ludicrous endeavor for another. Splendid." Joshua took the computer and sighed. "Both are preposterous legends, I suppose it doesn't matter what I think, as The Guardian rarely tends to take my advisement under serious consideration despite that being the primary purpose of my functionality in this indentured relationship."

"Look Deuce, he's only been married a few months and he's already transformed into a whiny little bitch."

"What are you talking about, Damien? The Momma's Boy was always a whiny little bitch."

Sam shook his head, taking the computer back from Joshua. "As you can see, they've missed you terribly. Caleb couldn't wait to call you and that was before we actually had a legitimate hunt."

"If that's the case I suppose you're also glad I'm here to deflect some of your brother's smothering attention? Carolyn tells me he still hasn't come to grips with you living in New York and behaves like a heartsick puppy when you're out of his sight. He's out of sorts for days after your visits."

Sam shifted his gaze to the front seat, catching his brother's glare in the rearview mirror.

"Mine and Carolyn's conversations run the scope of Brotherhood business," Dean growled. "Business she is not supposed to share with anyone, including her nosy, big mouth, not-so-better half."

"My wife is quite good at reading subtext, and quite terrible at keeping her intuitive empathetic concerns to herself when it comes to those she cares about." Joshua shifted, flashing Sam what could only be a satisfied smirk. "She would never break a Brotherhood confidence, but her personal worries are quite another story. Believe me when I say I look forward to her laments about your pining for Sam and her speculations about your budding feelings for the veterinarian you are currently courting as I do a visit to the dentist or say a road trip with the three of you."

"Courting?" Caleb laughed. "You're courting now, Deuce?"

"Shut up, Damien." Dean turned on The Knight. "At least Carolyn isn't worried that I'm going to end up an eccentric bachelor that her and Josh's kids will have to introduce as crazy old 'Uncle Caleb' with all the cats."

"What the hell? Carolyn didn't say that. I don't even like cats."

Sam ignored the growing argument in the front as Joshua leaned closer to him, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "I've discovered over the years that divide and conquer works every time with those two."

"Sneaky."Sam nodded his approval, seeing yet another reason why aligning himself with The Advisor might be advantageous.

"Now tell me more about this preposterous hunt I've been dragged into. The only thing I took away from my airport phone call with Caleb was a bunch of ridiculous ramblings about Knights of the Round Table. Do they honestly believe the legendary Spear of Destiny is in this town called Tennison?"

"They have good reason." Sam returned his attention to the tablet pulling up the research he'd compiled after Castiel's visit. "Tennison, Georgia went from seedy cesspool on the outskirts of Atlanta to one of the top ten suburbs to raise a family within a two year span. It seems their mayor has ambitions of riding the wave of good publicity all the way to the senate floor."

"You believe this miraculous transformation has more to do with The Holy Lance than with the mayor's superior leadership and the city's top notch Neighborhood Watch Patrol?"

"It fits with what Castiel said about the spear and with the general location he gave us." With phone calls to Bobby and Riley, Sam was able to cross reference Castiel's information with Brotherhood history and lore. He'd come across some revelations of his own in The Tomb, and didn't mind one bit that he'd been too busy to think about school and the paper for Conflict Resolution that he should have been outlining instead. "As you can imagine there are about a hundred different legends and speculations surrounding The Lance and its true powers."

Joshua nodded. "I did some preliminary search on my cell. It has the reputation to grant the holder with the ability to conquer their enemy, as well as promising an ill fate to those who lose possession. Many great military leaders supposedly used the lance through the years and met suspicious ends, including the likes of Charlemagne, Constantine the Great, and Frederick Barbarossa."

"Don't forget Adolf Hitler." Sam handed the tablet to Joshua once more. "He committed suicide on the very day that the US forces found the spear."

"Ah yes, the part where history blurs the lines of a Stephen Spielberg movie script." Joshua's gaze briefly went to Caleb who was still arguing with Dean before scanning the notes before him. "Caleb made a point of emphasizing the part where Hitler took the spear from a museum in Vienna after his rise to power, supposedly because he'd been bewitched by its power years earlier during his time in the city as a young painter. I in turn pointed out how many strange and twisted individuals throughout history have been artists."

Sam snorted. "Interestingly enough Hitler seems to have been the catalyst for the last time The Brotherhood might have intersected with The Spear of Destiny."

"Really?" Joshua raised a brow. "You've found proof that The Brotherhood actually possessed this artifact at one time?"

"Castiel told us that the person who took the lance during World War II was a hunter."

"You don't expect me to believe that General George S. Patton was a hunter? I know Pastor Jim liked to spin many tales about our famous peers, the likes of which he would have us believe included not only two past presidents but a few nefarious scoundrels such as Billy the Kid and Jessie James if I'm not mistaken." Joshua favored Sam with a patented disappointed look. "After outgrowing the whole dragon nonsense you have proven to be the more logical of the pastor's protégé's."

"Dean swears Lincoln's journal was in the ones he inherited from Jim." Sam was unwilling to yet again bring up the fact that both Billy the Kid and Jesse James's journals would have been a part of the ones lost in Wyoming if they were in fact true hunters, and their actions misconstrued by history as Jim explained. He and Joshua had had this particular debate before but now was not the time to rehash Brotherhood trivia. "But I'm not saying that Patton was one of us."

"That's good to know," Joshua sighed. "I'm having a hard enough time processing the fact we are going after an artifact used to pierce the side of Jesus, as if dealing with angels and Lucifer last year were not enough. I find myself longing for the days when we only came face to face with things found in children's fairytales and the occasional demonic force."

"Patton wasn't the person who found the spear." Sam reclaimed his iPad, pulling up the database Riley had sent him last night. The fledgling hunter and Bradley had taken it upon themselves to put together a family tree of past Triads. Bradley was actually tying it into his Master's thesis in anthropology. Unlike Riley's new line of Brotherhood graphic novels and trading cards, it was proving to be useful. "It was Walter William Horn, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army under Patton's command."

"Wait, William Horn? Why does that name sound familiar?" Joshua asked.

"Because Will Horn was a Knight in The Brotherhood, your grandfather's predecessor." Sam showed Joshua the picture of Horn and his Triad. "Maxim Sawyer succeeded Will Horn in 1963, when Julian Smith's Triad officially took over after Seacor died unexpectedly from a stroke and his Knight and Scholar conceded."

"So Lt. Horn was the one who discovered the spear, which gives credence to the theories many have held over the years that Patton did not deliver the true lance back to the Hofburg Museum in Vienna, but a clever fake."

"We're guessing that Horn recognized the spear for what it was and delivered it to his captain who was no other than Henry Seacor." Sam tapped the picture of the grinning man standing next to Horn in the scanned black and white photo of the three uniformed soldiers. "The former Guardian, Henry Seacor."

"And I suppose this third gentleman is no other than their Scholar?"

"You guessed it, Corporal Felix Clemmings." Sam slid a finger over the screen, showing a page of Seacor's journal that Dean had reluctantly let him scan from his collection of past Guardian's journals. "It's no coincidence that Seacor and his Triad were in Germany during the raid that fateful day."

Joshua rubbed his face. "Did Seacor actually write about switching the spear, about what he might have done with it once they returned stateside?"

"Not specifically." Sam enlarged the section he'd highlighted, letting Joshua read the account for himself. "He wrote in generalities, saying his Triad had helped secure the most important artifact of his time, and helped herald the destruction of a great evil the likes of which The Brotherhood had never seen."

"If Seacor did indeed have the spear, shouldn't The Brotherhood have become more successful in its endeavors to conquer the enemy? If prophecy held true, Seacor's Triad should have been much more successful than it was. They should have had a much longer run than the typical twenty or so years."

"From what Castiel said The Spear remains neutral when possessed by someone ordained to protect it, unless that person willfully acts to use its power. Then The Spear is at its most powerful."

"So we are to accept that Seacor refrained from using it to serve his purposes?"

"The lance that pierced the side of Jesus during his crucifixion doesn't exactly give off the warm and fuzzy vibe. It makes Echnon's blade and Azazeal's amulet look like pixie dust." Dean rejoined the conversation his eyes briefly meeting Sam's in the rearview before going to Joshua's. "No Guardian worth his salt would risk using something that powerful, no matter what the gains."

"Isn't that exactly what Castiel is asking you to do?" Joshua questioned.

"Listen to the wise words coming out of your extremely intelligent Advisor's mouth, Deuce."

"Five minutes ago you were calling my Advisor a whiny little bitch, Damien."

"So, I'm fickle, doesn't make my point any less valid." Caleb turned to Sam, then Joshua. "For the record, I hate this plan."

"Assuming the former Guardian took the higher moral road," Joshua interrupted the response Sam could see brewing in his brother's green gaze. "I still don't understand how an artifact of such magnitude ended up in Tennison, Georgia. Should it not have been passed to the care of the next Triad?"

"Seacor probably thought he had more time. Julian hadn't been studying with him very long when Seacor died from a stroke. "

"Still, it seems his Triad would have made provisions to take care of his estate, especially considering the magnitude of what it held."

"Past Triads haven't always proved to have the greatest of foresight, especially if they have just acquired a great victory. Seacor's Triad helped bring about the end of World War II. There was probably a great shift in the balance of good and evil, and all seemed perfect in their regime."

"We know that never works out well in the end," Dean added. "Look what a great job Julian, Maxim and Victor did preparing their successors."

"It's not like Guardians keep a running list of all the items in their respective care, even Pastor Jim was remiss in acknowledging what he had," Sam added. Jim Murphy was a great man, an incredible Guardian, but his Triad was far from the standard The Brotherhood demanded. Their atypical coming together had carried over to the next generation. Dean had little or no preparation from Jim. Sam often wondered how differently their lives might have turned out if Meg hadn't murdered the pastor in her crusade to destroy the Winchesters.

"Although Sammy is trying hard to change that," Dean spoke up, meeting Sam's gaze in the rearview once more with a half-hearted smile that hinted he knew exactly what Sam was thinking. "He wants to inventory The Tomb, make up wills for us all and go as far as to name our successors in writing."

"That's a waste of time," Caleb huffed. "We're going to be the longest running Triad in Brotherhood history. We've got decades to worry about the next generation."

"Case in point." Sam rolled his eyes. "Spoken like a true egomaniac who wrongly believes himself invincible, the curse of many past Triad members I'm sure."

Caleb ignored him. "Even if Seacor's Knight and Scholar had known the whereabouts of The Lance, it would have been the last thing on their minds after Seacor was gone. An inventory of artifacts and an instruction manual for the new Guardian wouldn't have helped them one damn bit."

Sam didn't need to see Caleb's face to feel the surge of shared grief. They both understood too well what it was like to lose a Guardian, even if they hadn't formally been the Triad when Dean had been killed by the hell hounds.

"I believe Sam was trying to answer my question as to why we're going to Tennison." Joshua shifted, making the fact he sharply kicked the back of Caleb's seat seem like an accident. "Unless you want to enlighten us with more fantastical tales about Knights of the Round Table?"

"Suck me," Caleb growled.

"I think that's your cue to continue, Sam." Joshua gave him another satisfied smirk and Sam couldn't help to think Joshua was settling into his role as a big brother quite nicely.

"Dean scoured Julian's journal for any mention of The Lance but found only brief details of his transition to Guardian. He did note that Seacor's wife and daughter remained in Seacor's childhood home, which was on the outskirts of Atlanta. I think it's possible the spear might have been hidden there and possibly kept among his personal estate. His daughter never married and went to an assisted living facility a few years ago. The home was auctioned off by the state for taxes."

"Seeing as Seacor heralded from Atlanta and Julian's ties to the man, did anyone think to contact Griffin Porter about the matter? He was close with Julian and his family has been hunters for generations, so I imagine he would have crossed paths with Seacor, in fact Griffin more than likely received his ring from him."

"Bobby had that same stroke of genius, but we thought we'd let you do those honors since Griffin likes you best." Caleb turned in his seat to look at Joshua. "Maybe he'll even offer up his nice mansion as a place for us to crash while we're so close by."

Sam rolled his eyes, knowing The Knight would sleep in the car before accepting hospitality from Griffin Porter. The man had a hand in saving both their lives when the vampires had kidnapped them for a spectacular lynching, but Caleb was not the forgiving type especially when a loyalty to The Brotherhood had been breached. "I think giving him a call couldn't hurt."

Joshua pulled his phone from his pocket. "I haven't spoken with him since the wedding but considering his interest in Brotherhood lore, I don't doubt he would be willing to accommodate us with any information he might possess. The man loves to spin a tale almost as much as Jim Murphy did."

"Let's not forget his fondness for anything with prospective power or his propensity to kiss Guardian ass and hold court any chance he gets." Caleb returned his gaze to the front of the car. "Griffin would give his right arm if he thought it would win him favor with Deuce, or wheedle his way back into Ethan and Eli's good graces."

"You got a better idea, Damien?"Dean took his eyes off the road long enough to send a challenging glare to his best friend.

"We could start with what I dug up on Tennison's Mayor Jameson. I don't think his taking office about the same time that the city made its miraculous turnaround is a coincidence."

"We'll get to that, man. I just think finding out a little more about Seacor could pay off in the end,"

Sam leaned into the space between the two front seats to give Joshua a modicum of privacy for the call. "Especially if Griffin can shed some more light on The Lance."

"It's a holy relic that warring factions of angels want to get their hands on. What else is there to know?" Caleb folded his arms over his chest, resting against the seat and staring out the passenger window. "The sooner we find it and turn it over to Castiel, effectively taking Deuce off Heaven's most wanted list yet again, the better I'll feel."

"Is that what you're going to do with it?" Sam studied his brother's profile, picked up on his sudden spike in emotion followed by the tensing of his hands on the steering wheel. "Let Castiel take it?"

"I seriously doubt if I can destroy the thing. If that were the case, Seacor would have probably done the deed."

"Sam and I got rid of Seaver's amulet." Caleb shifted. "There could be some sort of Triad spell to strip its power if that's what you want to do."

Dean sighed. "How about we actually find it before we debate on what we should do with it."

Sam didn't have time to point out that having a plan beforehand would be nice because Joshua interrupted his train of thought.

"Griffin is expecting us at his home for dinner at six. He hopes the Guardian likes aged bacon wrapped filets as he just got an early Christmas package from Eli and wants to share."

"The Guardian likes almost anything wrapped in bacon," Dean replied.

"Did you explain we were on a tight schedule, Josh?" Caleb grunted.

"Speak for yourself, Damien." Dean rapped his hands happily on the steering wheel. "I could eat."

"You'd eat with Death himself, Deuce if he was serving two hundred dollar beef."

"Damn straight."

"You can always drop us there and search out those nefarious golden arches that seem to have a siren call for your peasant pallet." Joshua returned his phone to his jacket and settled in for the five hour ride that Sam estimated should have them to Atlanta. "Considering Griffin's thoughts about The Knight, and certain Knights in particular, I'm sure our gracious host would not miss your company in the least."

"Which is exactly why I'm going to choke down the bastard's grain fed beef and fifty year old scotch with a fucking grin on my face." Caleb shot Sam a glance. "But you're switching plates with me, Runt. I can't afford to be laid up with food poisoning during this trip."

Sam slumped back into his seat with a sigh. Writing a paper was starting to look a whole hell of lot better than it had only yesterday. "Just call me the royal taster."

"I believe the appropriate title now is most auspicious sensory panelist."

Sam flicked his gaze to Joshua, not missing the hint of amusement in The Advisor's blue eyes or his half smirk. "Thanks for the clarification."

"Informative advisement-that's what I'm here for."

"And Caleb and Dean said you were hoping to get out of the house to escape Carolyn because the honeymoon was over." Sam might have found himself liking Joshua, but old habits were hard to break. It was nice to see Josh falter, his mask of confident arrogance slip slightly before quickly recovering.

"We both know Caleb and Dean are ill-refined baboons with the emotional range of cavemen." Joshua tugged at the collar of his dress shirt. "They know nothing about relationships, despite their self-proclaimed prowess with women. I happen to love my wife and I adore our new life. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that I want to run away from."

Sam held his gaze, not needing to use his abilities to read the underlying untruths in that statement. After all, he had been telling the same kind of lies for months. I love school. It's just like I remember. Classes are great…people are awesome. It seemed he and Joshua had more in common than merely besting Knight and Guardian. "I hear you man. Life is perfect."

Joshua nodded. "Of course it is."

Sam broke away, returning his focus to the blur of scenery outside his window. "Just fucking perfect."

Next part. . .