Lost and Found

08. Stalemate

PART ONE: FAMILY VALUES

CHAPTER EIGHT: STALEMATE

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SAM, STARLING CITY, USA

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Oliver didn't agree with Sam, in fact Oliver had even gone so far as to tell him to leave the city. Sam just moved to another motel, under another name and parked the car in an underground parking garage where the prying eyes of Mr. Queen couldn't find it. It took all of about two hours before there was a knock on his door. 

Sam brushed the curtain aside and peered out to see Oliver staring back with a rather unpleasant expression on his face flanked by Felicity and Diggle and two other characters he did not recognize. He let out a frustrated sigh and undid the latches on the door before letting it swing open as he walked away. "What do you want Oliver? I'm not leaving," Sam said matter of factly, leaning back on the opposite wall to watch them file in. 

Oliver didn't respond though, his lips were pressed in a thin line but Sam could see the muscles in his jaw twitching. He wasn't here by choice and he wasn't here doing what he'd rather be doing, which meant Felicity had won again. Sam took in the new guests and straightened immediately, recognizing one of the two faces.

"Detective Reid?," Sam recognised the face but couldn't put a name to it for a moment. 'Reid, Reid, Reid,' he wondered 'where was I Detective Reid?'  He forced a smile while his mind ran a thousand miles a minute to place him. Despite his best efforts, the man could tell he was struggling to place him as they shook hands, the rest of the group looking on rather confusedly.  "Detective West, Central City P.D."

"Murder right, drained of blood if I remember correctly?" the man nodded and Sam noted the momentary dimming in his eyes. Vampire, Central City five years ago.

"Solving that many murders you don't remember? We need more guys like you!" he laughed and Sam looked down awkwardly for a moment and tried to play humble while he waited for someone to give him away.

"Well, I'm glad I could help," Sam forced a smile again, as he tried to think his way out of this mess.

"Five years though, I don't believe you would have met our new forensic analyst - Barry Allen. The other man stepped forward, a wide smile on his face - the polar opposite of the dark and menacing feeling that radiated from the rest of the group. Sam sifted through his mind to the vampire case and working with Detective West, the detective at the time had asked him what had made him become a detective. He told the truth, as he did sometimes, the murder of his mother Barry Allen had been mentioned.

They shook hands and he couldn't help but find himself warming up to the newest two of the group more than any of the others. Formalities were put aside quickly as both Barry and Felicity cleared the table and began setting up computers, one that popped up with the 'Central City Police Department' crest and the other a mecca of customized software and advanced programming. His own computer looked childish in comparison, but his books, nothing could beat the books the were shoving aside.

There was a smacking sound that resounded through the room and the two at the table stopped abruptly and looked about their feet. Faster that seemed possible Barry picked it up, John Winchester's journal, it's contents now half splayed across the floor. But the room was frozen, taking in the pages that stared up at them. Diagrams and definitions, symbols and Latin, scratched out lines and John Winchester's frantic handwriting. Felicity bent to pick them up and Sam dove at them, but she already had numerous pages in her hands.

"Vampire, Skin Walker, Woman in White, Werewolf, Demons..." she trailed off and they all turned to look at Sam. He could sense that things might turn south and he watched them all cautiously, waiting for the first move towards him to happen. Sam firmly pulled the pages from Felicity's hands and the displaced journal, now open and being examined by the newest stranger, forcefully from his hands.