A/N:
**Please see Chapter 1 for all warnings, and check the tags!**
Thank you stargazer100 and Christine for the great reviews! Good luck everyone! It only gets deeper from here on out.
While waiting for Sam and Dean to arrive, Jacob had plenty to explore just in Bowman's home. Everything was so different from human houses. The cozy little dwelling was nestled on the branch of a pine tree, and not a single doorway was perfectly symmetrical. There were no real corners to be found; only completely organic curves as the structure of the house seemed to follow the flow of the tree itself. It was amazing and Jacob wandered the little house in utter fascination. One doorway even leaned slightly as it accommodated a knot in the wood it was grown from.
He never thought he'd have the opportunity to see something like this. He'd been friends with Bowman for a long time, ever since they'd worked together with Dean and Sam to fight off a lich. That undead bastard had brought a bunch of wolves to life with the aim of finding the sprite village so it could steal their life magic for its own twisted needs. Bowman had nearly succumbed to the life-sick monster before Dean saved the little guy. They'd all saved each other's lives at some point during that case, so it was little wonder that the snarky sprite had become such a good friend. He was a part of their team.
Bowman's young cousin, Rischa, was both confused and delighted to meet him at a closer scale. The tiny girl was talented with the magic the sprites used. She had some kind of gift called the Voice, and it made her very perceptive indeed. When Jacob first entered the house she'd smiled and assured him that he didn't need to be afraid or worried. She'd known immediately it was on his mind. She'd told him once that the feelings and emotions (even the physical pain) of others danced around them and affected her the same way. If that was true, Rischa had felt Jacob's unnerved attitude as he approached the house and recognized it for what it was immediately.
Of course, being able to look out on the village through a window, from inside one of the homes that dotted the trees ... it was a once-in-a-lifetime shot. Jacob didn't waste any of his complete awe. Wood sprites going about their business or simply enjoying the day flew through the air in lazy spirals or darted around higher branches, chasing each other and seeing whose wings were the fastest. It was an idyllic and beautiful little place that the sprites had made for themselves. It had a feeling of safety and contentment hovering over it, and Jacob found himself forgetting a lot of his initial nerves.
He'd barely had a few bites of his lunch before getting dizzy. He thought he'd just passed out and would wake up fine with Bowman buzzing around his head with concern. It wasn't far off, except that Bowman had been flying high above Jacob, at the same scale and in a clear tizzy over what had happened to the huge human. Jacob's initial reaction had been shock, which gave way to nerves.
Bowman's family took some of that tension away with how welcoming they were. Bowman's aunt, Candara, even gave him some sprite food- a small pastry with berries and mint and sap. It was one of the strangest and most delicious things he'd ever had, and normally it would be smaller than his fingertip.
At one point, sitting casually in the living room, the sprites all seemed to simultaneously notice the shiny metal zipper keeping his black hoodie (an article of clothing that seemed to provide endless entertainment to the nestlings when he was the right size, always hiding leaves and seeds in the hood or pockets) closed. Bowman had seemed so unduly fascinated by the simple workings of it, but then again Jacob always reminded himself that the sprites were so isolated from humans that Bowman didn't even know what they were when he met them.
He'd thought Dean and Jacob were going to eat him. Now that Jacob was the same size, he definitely understood that worry a little better. He knew a human probably wouldn't do that, but to someone who had no idea and who grew up in a forest where the other wildlife did want to eat him ... it'd be scary.
They'd all wanted to try the zipper, just to see it in action on their scale. Jacob grinned faintly as Rischa zipped up his hoodie while he crouched for her. Her golden eyes were full of wonder at the "human magic."
Three hours later, the Impala whizzed past the quickee mart in town.
Dean glanced to the side. "Y'know, we should pick up some drinks on our way back to the motel," he mused out loud. "I'm pretty sure if we don't get Jacob back to size he's going to need one."
Sam winced at the thought. "Probably," he agreed. It had taken him over a year to get adjusted to his new size as a child, and Jacob had lived human-sized far longer. If it was the same thing that had cursed Sam, he might not be able to get back to normal the way they were all hoping.
With any luck, it wasn't the same as Sam's curse. That way they could get their hunting buddy back to normal and go on with their lives. At least Sam could accept the way he was. He had a reliable brother to count on at all times, friends and family who cared about him no matter how big he was, and he had a purpose- saving people from the monsters that tried to harm or kill them. In his heart, he knew that was all he needed. He barely remembered what it was like to be a human, so he didn't really know what he was missing. This was his life.
Jacob though... his life was all built around being a human. His friends, his family... it would all change if he got stuck that way. Sam felt determination fill him. They'd find a way.
They had to.
In no time at all, Dean was pulling off the road and parking next to a reliable Mercury Cougar. The yellow Iowa Hawkeyes sticker on the back window gave it away as Jacob's. It only took a moment before Dean had his supplies in hand, glancing up at the canopy for Bowman. With any luck, he was close by. Neither of them would be much good navigating to the village on their own. Usually Jacob was in charge of that after his years of camping experience.
Bowman had left early to meet the brothers. It had been almost fun to see his normally-giant friend wandering his house at a sprite-like scale. Definitely weird, but fun. He was just so used to Jacob being beyond enormous, with just a single finger outmatching Bowman's size.
Bowman might gripe about that size advantage all the time, but... he didn't really want his friend to be downsized. Jacob looked so out of place at just over four inches high- still blasted tall, but tiny by comparison all the same.
When Bowman finally heard the unmistakable growl of that Impala, he shifted on the branch he'd hidden on. Ever since Dean and Jacob had, well, kidnapped him almost a year back, Bowman had made a point of memorizing more of his forest than he'd known before. He was the only patrolsprite that knew anything of the areas beyond the fence. Finding the place where the humans put their 'cars' was easy, and he'd be able to lead Dean right back to the village with no issue.
As the human swaggered his way into the treeline, Bowman finally revealed himself with a greeting. "You made it," he called, inching out from behind the leaves he'd hidden himself in. It never hurt to be safe when giants were about, after all.
"Trust me, we wouldn't miss it," Dean reassured the sprite. And for more than just one reason. He and Sam would never leave Jacob hanging, and he had to admit, it would be interesting to see such a big guy downsized to Sam's level. It was one thing to know that Sam was taller than him. It had been an entire other experience actually seeing his little brother towering over him.
He hefted his bag, ready to move out. Sam was on his shoulder like normal, eager to get the show on the road. "Don't worry 'bout a thing," Dean told the sprite as he started to head into the trees towards Bowman's hiding spot. "We do this all the time. We'll have him back to towering over all of us in no time, guaranteed."
Bowman nodded, unconcerned. They'd done some amazing things before. "The gossip has probably reached everyone back home now. I think Rischa took Jacob to see the village. She's been helping him avoid freaking out."
Sam had to smirk. "Jacob always wanted to see the inside of your home," he pointed out. "Maybe he should be careful what he wishes for next time. He definitely got it."
Bowman grinned, his amusement with the whole situation shining through. It was weird and concerning, but it was also kind of funny. Jacob was huge normally. Even taller than Dean, in the recent months. He'd actually grown so much since Bowman first met him that Bowman could have stood on his head back then and still not reached his later prodigious size. Sam and Dean together weren't as tall as the younger human.
"Yeah, he seems to be enjoying himself for the moment," Bowman agreed, fluttering off the branch once Dean reached him. He'd lead them straight there. Jacob had almost learned the route to the village just by visiting a few times. The human was fascinated with the village of Wellwood, and the sprites didn't mind his company.
We'll see how he deals with seeing a giant for the first time, Bowman mused. It could be very entertaining to see the guy react. Jacob may think he'd mentally prepared himself to see a full-sized human, but there was no practice for the real thing.
Bowman led the way unerringly on what was growing into a familiar journey for the brothers. They'd returned to the village a few times to check up on the people they'd saved a year ago, making sure that it remained hidden. Sam enjoyed spending a bit of time around the people his own size as well, and Jacob and Bowman had become best friends despite the height difference and despite (or maybe because of) the sprite's tendency to argue with everything he could. Dean had to smile at the memory of Jacob telling him he'd need the practice with a four inch person because of Sam. Now they both had a best friend that fit in the palm of their hand.
It took some time, but Dean passed through the metal gate that kept hikers and campers out of the heart of the forest, erected there by the family of one of Jacob's friends. He'd never asked Jacob if he'd ever let his friend know what was out there.
Somehow, Dean doubted it. More humans knowing the secret of the sprites meant more danger.
Sam was quiet during most of the hike, content to just watch the passing scenery. Occasionally he'd call a question out to Bowman, continuing to build up his knowledge of the sprites and the Spirits that had created them. It was a fascinating history to hear, so different than humans. People like Sam didn't even know where they were from, the details lost in time when most of their lives had been spent running from humans. One day he hoped to discover their past and find out what event in the world had resulted in an entire group disappearing under the floorboards and into the walls of human homes.
The trickle of a stream alerted Dean to how close they were to the village. He shucked off his duffel during the last few steps. The small homes were visible in the trees from where they were and he started to pay careful attention to where he was walking. There was no way to know if there would be any sprite children nearby, and many of the smaller ones wouldn't have learned to fly on their little leafy wings yet. The duffel was dropped at the edge of the village before Dean entered. The last thing anyone needed was a huge-ass bag just lying around like that, possibly blocking off the small stairwells that spiraled up in the trees.
Dean's arrival at the village wasn't a particular surprise to anybody. Word had traveled quickly that Jacob, the other giant human that had saved the village once, was somehow sprite-sized. No one knew how it happened, not even the only "expert" on humans that the sprites really had. Bowman Leafwing was as clueless as the rest of them (if also a bit entertained by his friend's predicament).
With something that strange going on, it was assumed that the still-human-sized human would be coming to the village to investigate. Even so, when the duffel clattered loudly to the ground, the noise did cause a few sprites to falter in surprise, sending Dean stern looks before going about their business again. It was doubtful anyone missed his walking up, but giant steps were easier to ignore knowing the giants were safe.
But really, that had been loud.
Definitely loud enough that Jacob, who was back in Bowman's house after Rischa took him on a walk through the village, had no doubts that his friends had arrived. Rischa led him by the hand to the window, and indeed there was Dean, sauntering among the home trees with casual steps that Jacob knew were actually watched carefully. When visiting a village of people who considered four inches pretty tall, one had to be cautious.
And Jacob was understanding why. Perspective might as well have slapped him in the face. Even off the ground, seeing Dean at this scale was intimidating at first. Jacob knew he could trust the guy with his life without question, but there was a small spark in him that said big was danger. He understood keenly why Bowman had been so terrified the first time he saw the two of them. A simple glance at Dean was enough to see the power a human could hold over sprite-sized folk.
With a few easy flaps, Bowman alighted on the porch of the house, drawing Dean's attention right to it. Jacob couldn't help himself. He backed off from the window as Bowman called the now enormous hunter over.
Dean paused briefly, taking a second to scan the ground for any sprites nearby before strolling on over. Sam was climbing down his arm as soon as he put a hand on the porch while Bowman went inside. Neither of them wanted to waste any time, and Sam was probably drowning in curiosity to see Jacob.
Once he was certain Sam wouldn't be tossed off if he moved, Dean leaned in to peer into the sprite home through one of the windows. He instantly caught sight of Jacob, standing just barely taller than Bowman. The kid had backed away from the window, giving Dean the chance to see him from head to toe. It was unreal. Jacob was so small that he could barely catch sight of the tiny metallic zipper on the hoodie.
"Didn't your parents tell you to take your vitamins?" Dean asked, joking to try and push through the complete weird of the situation. "Hey Jacob."
The fact that the window was only big enough to see one of Dean's eyes was bizarre. Jacob truly kept expecting to wake up so he could throw out whatever rotten food he'd mistakenly packed for lunch. But, he was definitely there, with Bowman standing just barely shorter than him rather than palm-sized, and Sam wasn't far behind. And instead of absolutely tiny, Rischa was standing next to him looking like a completely average-sized child.
It was Dean's comment that did it, though. This was definitely real. Jacob rolled his eyes, breaking out of the shocked reverie that came over him when a shadow had eclipsed the window. With a 'what can you do?' shrug, he replied, "Well, you know I skipped my wheaties just for today and this is what I'm dealing with. How's it going, guys? Bowman lead you back okay?"
Bowman almost looked offended in his glare. "Hey! I lead you just fine! I lead everyone just fine!" he griped.
Dean laughed. "Yeah, Bowman didn't get distracted once, or even earn himself pocket time today. I'd say he's pretty worried about you there. He wants his sasquatch buddy back."
Jacob smirked. It was still easy to get a rise out of the sprite, miniaturized or not. That was a good thing, at least. He knew the brothers were staring at him, though; how could they not? Normally he was even bigger than Dean, which he was finding hard to believe now that he'd seen the sheer size of the hunter from this new scale. He shrugged again, a sense of exasperation in the motion. "So. Yeah. This is how my day's been going so far. Told you I had a case for ya."
Sam walked over to the newly-miniaturized hunter and did a circle around him. "I'd say," he said, trying to shake the thought that they were just asleep again during the Spirit dream when he'd first seen Jacob and Dean on the same level. Dean's eye shattered that illusion for the three inside the house; if the Spirit had wanted to contact them, She would have them all standing the same size.
Sam crossed his arms. "So you finally passed me and Bowman in height," he laughed, though concern was in his eyes. "I mean, even downsized you're still taller than us, so at least you have that."
"You're gonna have to tell us everything that happened," commented Dean from outside, the customarily deep voice rumbling around them. "And show us where you were when you shrank. We can work it just like any other case. You just need to keep focused on that, okay?" He pulled away from the window for a moment to give them some space, but stood where he could still just see the figures inside. With them in Bowman's house he was slightly left out of the conversation.
Jacob nodded, still amazed at the volume of Dean's voice. Just talking casually, and probably at a lower volume than usual, Dean was loud enough that Jacob could almost feel the floor vibrate under his shoes. It was amazing, but a little overwhelming. He knew he'd have to get over that, and soon, but damn. There wasn't an instruction manual for being small.
"I was just hanging around with the sprites, babysitting some nestlings, you know the usual. Went to the other side of the stream to sit and have some lunch."
"And then he just blasted disappeared," Bowman interjected. He remembered barely having time to ask Jacob if he was okay, seeing the dizzy look on his face. And then his friend had shrunk so fast that he might as well have never been giant in the first place. Bowman didn't even see him right away.
Jacob rolled his eyes. "Yes, I 'blasted disappeared' because, well, this," he gestured to himself with yet another shrug.
He knew he'd have to go out there and face his friend head on. He was glad it was just Dean. This was freaky enough without having to deal with some gigantic stranger. Jacob took a terse breath and headed out onto the porch, getting it over with quickly, like tearing off a bandaid. He couldn't help but glance up at the giant that Dean was to him now, powering through the awe to point vaguely towards the stream. "I was over there. I actually called from there, and left my phone and wallet so you'll know pretty much exactly where I was."
He rubbed the back of his neck, very self-conscious after his explanation. There truly wasn't anything more to the story that he knew of so far. He was glad that the others followed him outside, making it easier to remain chill in the presence of someone whose fingers were as big as his whole body. They were calm and casual around Dean and he should be too. This was one of his best friends, not a danger.
Dean straightened as everyone filed out onto the porch, Sam and Bowman hovering uncertainly near their friend. It was weird seeing Jacob standing on a porch and still coming nowhere near Dean's eye level.
He frowned as he mulled over Jacob's explanation, knowing Sam would be memorizing every word as they went. He was damn good at putting details together and figuring out what was going on, faster than Dean some days.
A quick glance to the side showed him that Jacob's phone and wallet were still there. No one had disturbed the spot and there weren't many animals that would show an interest in items that weren't associated with tasty snacks.
Remembering how timid Sam had been around him in the beginning, Dean reached forward carefully. He didn't want to startle Jacob right back into the house after the guy had decided to trust him. Just take it slow. We've handled stranger things before.
The fact that none of these 'stranger things' rose to mind disturbed him slightly.
He bridged his fingers against the porch, giving Jacob the option of getting on. "We can take this as slow as you want, kid," Dean reassured the smaller hunter. A strange urge struck Dean to poke him to see if he was real, but he pushed it aside. That could be saved for when Jacob was more comfortable around him. Anyone could read the nervousness in the normally chill guy.
"You know I've got steady hands."
A/N:
*Ends every chapter on a part that shouldn't be ominous in any way*
Next: September 17th 2017 at 9pm.
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