Wendigo:

"Who are these guys anyway?" Roy scowled at Sam, Dean, and Chris as the three 'Rangers' walked on over with nothing more than a duffle bag. Chris scowled back, itching to grab her knife and show him just what she could do with it.

"Apparently this is all the search and rescue could pull up for us." Haley explained, hands on her hips.

"You're Rangers?" Roy scoffed, looking them up and down. Even Chris had to admit they looked nothing like Rangers in their boots, jeans, and leather jackets.

"Course we are." Chris said, wishing she hasn't put her pistol in the duffle. It felt odd without the heavy weight against her spine under her shirt. And her pants felt a little looser without it being tight over the gun.

"And you're hiking out in biker boots and jeans?" Haley said skeptical.

Dean looked down at himself as if realizing why they were being doubted but when had he care? "Oh sweetheart, I don't do shorts."

Chris looked at Sam curiously, "Does he even own a pair of shorts." All she'd ever seen was him in jeans or boxers when he was sleeping.

Sam looked like he was seriously thinking for a moment. "You know, I don't think he does."

Roy glared at Dean, "What, do you think this is funny? There is dangerous backcountry out there. Her brother may be hurt." Chris almost wanted to laugh, he wanted to give them a lecture about how dangerous the world is? They could tell him things that would make his worst nightmares seem like cute little puppies.

Dean looked at him innocently. "Oh, I know how dangerous it is. We just want to help her find her brother."

As they started into the woods, their group had no idea only a few miles away, a camper and Tommy's friend was currently screaming as he was eating alive. Tommy, still alive and hanging tied from the ceiling, turned his back to the scene trying not to cry or scream to attract the beast's attention.

Heading into the woods, Dean ever the talking started up a conversation with their resident guide. "So Roy, you do a little hunting?" Chris was behind him scowling and having to grab onto Sam's constantly since she kept tripping over stray roots everyone else seemed to miss.

"Yeah, more than a little." Roy said, holding his shotgun tightly and staring into the tree branches as they walked. Chris scowled since nobody else was even stumbling.

"What kind of furry creatures do you hunt?"

"I really hate the forest." Chris sighed, having a death grip on Sam's sleeve now with her first.

"Ah, it isn't so bad." Sam muttered. At least he wasn't pulling away from her.

"Say that when you trip ever few steps." Chris glared, pulling a stray leaf from her nest of blonde waves.

"Mostly buck, sometimes bear." Roy answered, looking as if he expected a bear they couldn't hear coming at them.

Dean couldn't help but antagonize the guide. "Tell me, uh, Bambi or yogi ever hunt you back." Roy suddenly grabbed the back of Dean's jacket. Sam stopped and Chris was all to aware of the hunting knife in her boot. "Whatcha doing, Roy?" Dean asked with barely a hint of warning in his voice. Roy bent down and picked up a long stick which he stabbed into the ground. Where Dean had been about to step moments before was a bear trap that clamped close over the stick instead of Dean's ankle. Chris swallowed hard feeing sick, thinking about that cold metal slicing deep into her unprotected foot.

"You should watch where you're stepping, Ranger." Roy clearly no longer believed their lie, or just thought they were idiots. He dropped the stick and continued on ahead as if nothing had happened.

"It's a bear trap." Dean chuckled as if he hadn't nearly had his foot caught in an iron death trap. The hike went on but Haley soon made her suspicions known by her shouting at Dean.

"You didn't pack any provisions. You guys are carrying a duffle bag. You're not rangers." She grabbed onto him to stop. "So who the hell are you?" Sam and Chris stopped, eyes focused on what Dean wanted. Dean nodded at them and his little siblings passed by cautiously.

"Sam and I are brothers. Chris is our sister and we're looking for our father. He might be here, we don't know." That was all Chris heard before they were too far from the quiet conversation.

Not soon after Dean caught up, now eating out of a large bag of peanut m and m's. "Can I have some?" Chris asked hopeful, they were her favorite snack.

Dean snorted, "Sure, sweetheart." He said sarcastic and clearly keeping the candy away from her.

"Nice try, Dean doesn't let anyone have his candy." Sam commented, remembering all the times they had to get more before Dean found out when they were little and he would eat them. So Chris puckered her lips and made her eyes wide and watery looking up at him. She did that for a solid five minutes without problem, making the eldest of the trio extremely uncomfortable.

Finally he couldn't take it anymore. "Here." He groaned, handing over the rest of his bag. Sam looked in disbelief. Chris let out a squeal she would forever deny as she took

It.

The only sound for several minutes was Dean pretending not to whimper and the crunch as Chris bit into the peanuts covered in chocolate. The group finally stopped in a large clearing. Sam stepped forward now that Chris was in no immediate danger of falling over. "What coordinates are we at?" He asked quietly.

Roy pulled out a fancy new looking GPS system. "Thirty five and minus one eleven." Chris handed Dean the rest of the candy in her distraction. It was the same coordinates that dad had left behind.

"You hear that?" Dean whispered to his siblings as if not to alert the others.

"Yeah, not even crickets." Sam whispered back.

"That can't be good." Chris muttered, glancing into the trees cautiously.

"I'm gonna go take a look around." Roy decided.

"You shouldn't go off by yourself." Sam warned, still looking into the woods.

"That's sweet." Roy said like it was ridiculous. "Don't worry about me." He pushed further ahead heading into the woods.

"Who wants to bet he'd be the first to die?" Chris muttered.

"Nobody's going to die." Sam said firmly.

"Let's go! Remember everybody, stick together." Dean said firmly and they started trailing after Roy. They walked for several minutes before Roy called for them. Haley took off running towards his voice but was quickly followed closely by all the others. Chris paled just a little while Haley's face etched into horror. The tents were in shreds with blood splatters and supplies scattered around the field.

"Looks like a grizzly." Roy said. Well let's hope so, Chris thought.

"Tommy!" Haley called. She dropped her bag as if expecting Tommy to come walking from the woods with a wide grin. She screamed again and Chris winched, thinking what if someone had actually heard her. Sam quickly drop their bag and shushed her, staring into the woods cautiously.

"Why?" Haley asked seriously confused.

"Think about. What if whatever did this is still out there." Chris said quietly, nudging over a small cooler.

"Sam! Chris!" Dean called from the tree line of the clearing, kneeling down in the dirt. The two quickly joined him, seeing drag marks in the dirt. "The bodies were dragged from the campsite but here, the tracks just vanish." Dean said as they straightened up.

Chris shook her head, "I don't think that's a skinwalker or a black dog." The Winchester siblings waked back to the group where Haley was crying, holding a broken cell phone in hand. Chris looked away, it was always a sad thing to see the family of the victim. There was suddenly a scream, a cry for help in the distance. The next few seconds consisted of Chris being surprised when she didn't trip. They're group ran as quick as they could towards the screams.

They only stopped when the sounds for help stopped. "It seemed like it was coming from around here, didn't it?" Haley asked in a panic. They listened in complete silence...but it was to quiet.

Quietly, Sam swallowed hard and said, "Everybody back to camp." When they got there, it was clear that the bags they've left behind were missing.

"Our packs!" Haley exclaimed.

"Definitely not good." Chris said trying not to panic. Dean and Sam had they're guns and she had a silver knife in her boot but that was it. All their other weapons...gone.

"So much for my GPS and my satellite phone." Roy said.

"I think that'll be the least of our problems." Chris said, glaring into the tree line. Her nerves were electrifying, searching our every sound or shadow she saw even though nothing was really there...at the moment.

"What the hell is going on?" Haley complained loudly.

"It's smart. It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help." Sam said. Chris was frustrated with what this creature can be.

"You mean someone, some nut job out there just stole all our gear." Roy said, glaring into the woods.

Sam walking behind Chris, "I need to speak to you and Dean. In private." Sam said quietly, taking her elbow and leading her to Dean and then just inside the tree line.

"What is this about, Sammy." Chris asked, glancing back at the Collins nearby.

"I need to see Dad's journal." Sam said. Dean pulled it from the inside pocket of his leather jacket and handed it over. Sam picked through several pages before finally stopping on one and showing them the book.

"Wendigo." Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on." Dean laughed. "Wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or northern Michigan. I've never even heard of one this far west."

"Not entirely true." Chris but in. "I once met a hunter who ran into one that made camp in the San Francisco park woods."

The boys looked at her in disbelief, "Seriously? A park in the middle of a city?"

Chris shrugged, "It was a big park."

"Well this is the only thing that makes sense. The claws, the way it mimics a human voice." Sam said.

Dean scowled realizing he couldn't go against the obvious truth. "Great." He twirled his pistol around. "Well this is useless."

Sam's jaw tightened, "We gotta get these people to safety." He turned to the group of people milling around in front of them. "Alright, listen up. It's time to go. Things have gotten more complicated." Chris couldn't argue with him there although they obviously could.

Roy said, "Kid, don't worry. Whatever's out there, I think I can handle it." Chris snorted, he would be dead before his finger hit the trigger button of his fancy gun.

"It's not me I'm worried about. If you shoot this thing, you're just gonna make it mad. We have to leave. Now." Sam said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

But Roy clearly wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He got up close and personal to Sam who didn't back down. "One, you're talking nonsense. Two, you're in no position to give anybody orders."

"Oh, and you think we should listen to you." Chris scoffed, ready to throw something at him. "You'll just get us all killed."

"Relax." Dean tried to calm us all down, playing mediator.

Sam kept on, "We never should have let you come out here in the first place, alright? In trying to protect you."

Roy scoffed like it was ridiculous. "You protect me? I was hunting these woods when your mommy was still kissing you good night."

"Excuse you!" Chris shouted. One thing she hated most was people talking about her birth family. Dean had to grab her round her waist before she socked the guy.

Sam said firmly with a tightened jaw and hard eyes, "Its a damn near perfect hunter. It's smarter than you and it's gonna hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid sorry ass out of here."

Roy laughed once again. "You know you're crazy, right?"

"You're lucky I don't show you crazy." Chris huffed, knowing he'd never survive a day living their life.

"Stop it!" Haley finally screamed, glaring at everyone as they sunk into silence. "Look, Tommy might still be alive and I'm not leaving here without him." There was a long moment of silence.

Dean finally said, "It's getting late. This thing is a good hunter in the day but an unbelievable hunter at night. We'll never beat it, not in the dark. We need to settle in and protect ourselves." He looked at everyone in the group.

Haley was the only one brave enough to ask, "How?" The three Winchester siblings looked at one another and unknowingly decided the same thing. This was going to be a long night.

Chris swallowed, fist clenching and unclenching in a nervous twitch, "We're going to need protection symbols."

Night had fallen and Chris was holding the flashlight over her shoulder while Dean drew an Anasazi symbol in the dirt with a stick. A campfire Sam and the Collins sat by burned.

Haley glanced over curiously, "One more time, that's...?"

"They're for protection." Chris said, watching the symbols being etched into the dirt. The symbols that would disappear next time it rained or a while animal ran through.

"They're called Anasazi symbols. The wendigo can't cross over them." Roy was sitting on his ass laughing, his gun over his shoulder. "Nobody likes a skeptic. Roy." Dean called. Chris flicked the flashlight off when they joined Sam who had walked a little away from the campsite. "You wanna tell us what's going on in the freaky head of yours."

Sam shook his head, "No..."

"What is wrong with you?" Chris asked firmly, eyes like a puppy dog. "Remember, we can help if you let us in." Dean raised an eyebrow, 'Damn,' it looked like Chris had the puppy dog look Sam usually had going on.

Sam hesitated for only a moment under the look of his sister before he broke under the pressure. "Dad's not here. I mean, that much we know for sure, right? He would have left us a message, a sign, right?"

"Well to be honest," Chris looked away, "I wouldn't know since I've never actually remember meeting the man." She had been too little to remember him.

"I don't even think Dad has ever been to Lost Creek." Dean said.

Sam tried to talk his family into doing it, "Then let's get these people back to town and let's hit the road. Go find dad."

"And just leave this creature to kill more people now and again twenty three years later?" Chris asked, shaking her head. She couldn't just leave knowing if she did, more innocent people would die.

Sam shook his head helplessly, "It's only one monster out of hundreds in the world. I mean, why are we still even here?"

"This is why." Dean cut in, pulling the journal from his jacket. "Think book is dad's single most valuable possession- everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he's passed it on to the three of us. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business."

Sam shook his head, running a frustrated hand through his hair, "That makes no sense. Why doesn't he just...call us? Why doesn't he just tell us what he wants, tell us where he is?"

Chris shook her head, "Some answers we just don't have."

"Well you know, the way I see it, dad's giving us a job to do and I intend to do it." Dean said.

Sam protested, "Dean, no. I gotta find Dad. I gotta find Jessica's killer. It's the only thing I can think about."

"Well there's no reason we can't take out all we can while looking for them." Chris pulled a iron pocket knife from her bra and started flipping it in her hand. She looked up when the boys stated at her. "What? Some girls keep money in there, I keep a knife."

"...Anyway." Dean said slowly. "This search could take a while. And all that anger Sammy, you can't keep it burning over the long haul. It's gonna kill you. You gotta have patience, man?"

Sam shook his head again, "How do you do it? Chris? Dad?" Chris honestly didn't know how she does it. She just wakes up in the morning and takes whatever life throws at her fighting.

"Well for one, them." Dean glanced over his shoulder at the Collin family surrounding the campfire. "I mean, I figure our family is so screwed to hell, maybe we can help some others. Makes things a little bit more bearable. I'll tell you what else helps. Killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly can." Sam smiled, Chris cocked her lips into a side smirk. But everybody went silence as a stick just past the tree line snapped sharply.

"Help me, please!" Someone, a man shouted from the forest. It was probably a trick. A wendigo could mimic a human voice. While the victims would go look for someone in need...they'd actually unknowingly be along right into a trap. The Winchester's stood with he Collins. Dean prepared to use his gun although it wouldn't so much against a creature like a Wendigo. "Help!" The wendigo cried again, trying to use human sympathy and confusion to draw them from the symbols which was their only protection. Sam shined the flashlight into the woods, waiting and expecting something not entirely human to walk out. Chris carefully slid the blade of her pocket knife from the handle, it glittered from the nearby light of the campfire.

"He's trying to draw us out. Just stay cool, stay put!" Dean warned. If all went well and they listened, nobody would have to die tonight.

"Inside the magic circle." Roy said with slight laughter in his voice. The wendigo kept crying for help but nobody moved, to scared to take a step in what could be their death. "Okay, that's no grizzly." Roy went pale. He refused to believe the Winchester's were right about this being a mystical creature that shouldn't exist. Haley tried to comfort her little brother best she could despite both were terrified. Chris slowly pulled out the hunting knife from her boot. It was much bigger then the measly pocket knife that worked best on perverts and ghosts. Something with the speed that seemed faster then sound rushed passed, hidden by the tree line. Chris was starting to feet sweat with nerves on the back of her neck. Haley shrieked in fear, tightening her grip on her brother who held just as strong. Chris adjusted her grip on the hunting knife.

"It's here." Sam warned, tightening his firm grip on the pistol that would do nothing but piss off the wendigo. Roy didn't seem to realize his shotgun wouldn't work and shot in the woods. There was a roar of anger somewhere.

"I hit it!" Roy shouted with excitement. Roy rushed after it believing he had killed it.

"Roy, you idiot!" Chris screamed, rushing after him in the trees. She might still think he would be the first to die but that didn't mean she couldn't try to prevent it. She could hear Dean and Sam following her, trailing just behind but catching up only due to their slightly longer limbs. Roy was screaming something but the adrenaline pumping through her veins made it difficult for her ears to understand. But she did understand when everything went silence.

The Winchester family stopped in a small clearing. As Sam shined his flashlight around, it was clear to see that Roy was gone.

Nobody was able to get any real sleep that night. They sat around the campfire at a safe distance, flinching at every sound. It was only when daybreak came and the rest of them were still alive did they relax. And only just. Chris sat herself down beside Sam who was leaning against a nearby tree. The group didn't know what their next step should be exactly. "Whatcha doin?" Chris asked like a small child.

"Just...looking at this." Sam flipped through a few pages of dad's journal. "Here," it was the page dad had made on wendigo's.

Chris shook her head confused, her hair fell around her shoulders, "Dude, I already know about wendigo's."

"Yeah I know." Sam said quickly. "But I'm not sure if you know everything. I just want to make sure you know fully about a wendigo before we go up against one."

Chris couldn't help but smile, "Are we sure I'm older because I feel some big brother vibes going on." She nudged him, glancing down to read the wendigo page.

Sam chuckled, "Well I am bigger than you." Chris huffed, making her cheeks stick out some. Sam stood, getting everyone's attention easily enough. "So we've got half a chance in the daylight. And I for one-want to kill this evil son of a bitch."

Dean smirked, "Well hell, you know I'm in."

"I hope you two don't think you're leaving me before." Chris said proudly, climbing to her feet and flipping her hair over her shoulder:

"Let me see the wendigo page." Sam said and Chris handed over the book. He started explaining to the Collins exactly what they were dealing with. "Wendigo is a cree Indian word. It means evil that devours."

Dean took off here, "They're hundreds of years old. Each one was once a man. Sometimes an Indian or other time a frontiersman or a minor or hunter."

"How's a man turn into one of those things?" Haley asked, needing to know what exactly had taken her brother away from them.

"It's not pretty, but it's always the same reason." Chris said. "It happens in winter and a guy will find him starving with no supplies or any help. To survive, he'll become a cannibal to survive, eating people from his camp."

"Like the Donner party." Ben said, looking sick.

"Exactly like the Donner party." Chris stated.

"Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities. Speed, strength, immortality." Sam explained.

"If you eat enough of it over the years, you become this less that human thing." Dean said.

"You're never fully satisfied, it's always hungry." Chris said.

"So if that's true, how can Tommy still be alive?" Haley asked, full on panic starting to set in.

The Winchester's looked at the other. "You're not gonna like it." Dean warned.

But her brother had been forced to live it. She couldn't just not hear what happened. "Tell me." She said firmly without hesitation.

So Dean told her. "More than anything, a wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time but when it's awake, it keeps its victims alive. It, uh, stores them so it can feed whenever it wants. If your brother's alive, it's keeping him someone dark, hidden, and safe."

"Our job now is to track that down." Chris clarified.

"And how do we stop it?" Haley asked the difficult question.

"Well the weapons we brought compared to the weapons we still have are completely useless since we didn't know this was a wendigo we were dealing with." Chris said, shifting awkwardly on her feet.

"Basically, we've gotta torch the sucker." Dean announced, holding up a beer bottle, lighter fluid, and a white cloth that he'd found while scavenging throughout the destroyed campsite.

The morning was spent looking for breakfast. It turned out being bags of chips, candy bars, and a few beers stored away and mainly untouched. Afterwards, they started on their hike to find Tommy Collins. Chris looked worriedly at the trees the wendigo had marked with its claws and blood she doubted was its own. She'd met a hunter or two that fought with a wendigo and she'd studied before on it incase she ever met one. But this would be the first time she actually had.

"Come on." Chris didn't question why as her little brother led her to the front of the group where Dean was leading them. "These claws marks...they're almost to easy to follow." Sam said. Which was true, they were out in plain view for anyone passing by to see. There was a growing nearby and everyone froze. Chris nearly had a panic attack when Haley behind her suddenly screamed, falling to the side. Roy's corpse had been hung in the tree and now fell heavily where her body had been seconds before.

Chris checked Roy for a pulse but there was none. "He's dead."

"Death by broken neck." Dean realized, seeing the out of bent and how misshapen Roy's neck seemed to be. Sam pulled Haley from the ground where she has fallen. Chris felt herself freeze up when a growl came far to close for comfort. "Run." Dean said and the group sprinted away as fast as they could. Looking behind him suddenly caused Ben to trip which in turn, made Chris trip since she was right in front of him and he body slammed into her legs. Sam stopped to pull them up but as he did so, they all froze at hearing a girl's scream.

"Haley?" Ben paled. The threesome only stopped running when Sam found the broken bottle Dean had been going to use to set this son of a bitch on fire.

Chris felt her hands shake a little in fear. She couldn't lose her big brother, not so soon after finding him. They were just starting to become a family again. "Dean!" Sam and Chris screamed as loud as they could, not caring at the moment that the wendigo could come back at any second to finish off the rest of them.

It took several minutes to calm down and this what their next plan of action would be. "If it keeps its victims alive, why would it kill Roy?" Was Ben's question. As in. Would Haley become the next meal.

"Honestly?" Sam asked, trying to figure out where exactly Dean and Haley could be. "I think because Roy shot at it, pissed it off."

"I'd be pissed off to if someone shot at me." Chris said, pacing from one side of the clearing to the next in a fast pace. Ben wondered near the tree line for several moments before plucking something from the ground. "They went this way!" Ben called, holding up what he found. Between his fingers was a dirt covered m and m from the bag Dean had in his leather jacket pocket. And a few feet away was another one waiting for someone, them, to stumble upon it.

Chris couldn't help but grin at the sight. "What'd you know, Dean's smarter then most people give him credit for."

Sam laughed, "It's better than breadcrumbs." The group of three followed the trail of snacks until it stopped at an old mine entrance that looked like no one had stepped foot in it for at least fifty years.

"How much you wanna bet they're in there." Chris smirked before the threesome climbed under the DO NOT ENTER-DANGER sign and continued on into the darkness.

Sam used the flashlight he had ahead of them. It wasn't much light but much better than just pure darkness. There was the growling of a wendigo to close for comfort. At the sound, Sam turned off the light while Chris pushed Ben up against the wall. The wendigo appeared from a tunnel just down the hall. Sam pressed up against them, trying to keep out of sight. Chris quickly covered Ben's mouth before he could scream and alert it to their presence. Luckily, the wendigo went down another side tunnel and didn't realize they were there.

Chris loosened her grip on Ben making sure he wouldn't scream. "Alright, let's go." She was getting anxious about finding Dean and Haley alive. But it didn't matter that try tried to stay quiet. Only taking a few steps with all their combined weight was to much for the floorboards beneath them. Chris felt the air leave her before the three slammed into the hard floor beneath them as the floor collapsed and they fell through. Chris bit her lip hard enough to bleed when she get a bone in her arm break from landing her whole body plus half of Sam's on a pile of skulls. Chris tried to sit up and gasped in pain, holding tightly into her arm.

"Are you okay?" Sam climbed off her worriedly. He gently prodded her arm and Chris hissed. "I think it's broken."

"Well don't touch it." Chris swallowed hard. "Shit, that means I'll have to see a doctor, won't I?"

"Um...guys." Ben said, looking at something behind them but the siblings didn't seem to hear.

"You'll probably need a cast." Sam noted. Chris groaned loudly. She really hated hospitals. Well she guessed it was better then being stuck someplace with her high claustrophobia, inclosed spaces and being locked inside was her worst fear.

"Guys!" Ben said louder, pointing behind them. Chris' eyes widened at seeing Dean and Haley hung from their wrists with rope from the ceiling. Chris felt her heart pounding as she started to panic, each sibling rushing to their respective older sibling. Dean's eyes fluttered open at their cries to wake up.

"Hey, you okay?"' Sam was the first to ask. Dean winched, trying to flex his arms but nodded dazed.

"Let's get him down." Chris said, passing over her hunting knife to Sam. He was tall enough to reach Dean without accidentally cutting off a finger or two like she probably would have done. Chris had to use al her weight and one arm not to collapse as Dean fell into her. Ben was handed the knife and he quickly cut at Haley's rope.

"What happened to your arm?" Dean grunted as she helped him down to rest.

"Don't worry about it right now." Chris said firmly. Her arm was the least of their problems at the moment.

"Where is he?" Dean grunted, massaging the blood circulation back into his bruised wrists.

"He's gone for now." Sam said, now holding onto the other side of Dean. Haley startled everyone wig her short cry out. Nearby and also hanging from the ceiling by his wrists, tied with a rope, she had found Tommy. Haley gently but shakily reached to touch Tommy's cheek. Chris hung her head feeling sorrowful, she always felt horrible knowing someone died on a case she was on. But that was before Tommy's head shot up, eyes wide in panic at the gentle touch of Haley's. Chris' head shot up while Haley jumped back and shrieked in surprise.

"Cut him down!" Haley begged, one hand firmly on Tommy's chest where his heart was beating rapidly, processing what was happening. Sam quickly did so, catching him so he wouldn't collapse with how weak he was. He had been strung up for days. "We're gonna get you home." Haley said comforting.

"We're gonna get everyone out." Chris thought, firm hand over her broken arm. She was trying not to move it to much till she got a cast or such on it.

"Check it out." Dean called, holding up flare guns he pulled from their bag. All their stolen bags were piled up against the wall where he found them.

Sam, Dean, and Chris shared an identical smirk. "Flare guns. Those'll work." Sam said, smirk turning into a grin. Dean laughed and twirled the guns around in his hands. "At least we have a chance." Chris said, full on smiling. Their group headed down the tunnel; the Winchester's were leading. Dean and Sam slightly in front of Chris due to her arm, each one holding a flare gun. Haley and Ben were limping behind her helping the weakened Tommy between them. The group of now six froze as they heard the growling of the wendigo. "Looks like someone's home for supper." Dean commented tightly. "We'll never outrun it." Haley warned, remembering that fact. The Winchester's looked at each other with resignation.

"You know what I'm thinking?" Dean asked. Chris swallowed hard, feeling her arm throb in pain. She knew exactly what Dean was planning to do and she didn't like it one bit.

"Yeah, I think so." Sam answered.

Although only knowing her brothers for a few weeks, Chris knew they were as stubborn as she was. Which meant no arguing would change their mind. "Just so you know, if you die, I'm bringing you back so I can kill you myself." Was all Chris said.

Dean smirked before addressing the Collins. "Alright, listen to me. Stay with Sam and Chris. They'll get you all out of here."

Haley didn't seem to get it like a Winchester would as she readjusted her grip on Tommy's arm over her shoulder, "What are you gonna do?"

Dean's sole answer was the wink of an eye. Then he was running down the hall of the tunnel. "Chow time, you freaky bastard! Yeah, that's right, bring it on baby, I taste good!" He disappeared around the corner, antagonizing the monster the way only a Winchester could. Several seconds seemed to pass before the now group of five continuing forward towards he exit. There was more growling as it came back to their group. Chris was forced by Sam to go with the Collins due to her arm. They only made it around the corner before Sam came back with an empty flare gun shouting to go.

"Get behind me!" Sam warned when they were trapped. "Sam, here!" Chris shoved her flare gun into his hands. He quickly moved it in front of him as the wendigo roared. His finger flickered over the trigger. Sam didn't get the chance to hit the trigger before it went up in flames. The wendigo roared in pain as it went to dust, revealing Dean standing behind him.

"Not bad, huh?" Dean grinned cockily. Chris couldn't help but laugh despite the pain in her arm.

It was dark at night and several hours later when they made it out of the woods. An ambulance was loading Tommy in the back. He has been severely dehydrated and half starved to death. That happens when you've been...stranded, in the woods after a bear attack that killed his friends for days later, or so they told he police. "You sure you don't want to come to the hospital?" The paramedic asked again.

"I think I'll be fine without it." Chris said. Her arm was sprained, borderline on breaking. She just had to wear the brace they fitted around her arm for the next few weeks till she could move it without pain. Sam was standing behind Ben talking to a police officer nearby. He was making sure Ben was telling their story straight, about a huge nine hundred bear that kept trying to attack them. Dean was near the car with Haley. He was, as always, cheapening a moment with a girl.

Chris hopped off the back of the ambulance as Haley and Ben wondered on over. They were planning on riding to the hospital with Tommy. They had a lot of catching up and healing to do in the next few days. "Thanks Chris," Haley said passing.

"Anytime." Chris said. She wondered over to the impala where her brothers sat on the hood before pushing herself between them. Dean, Christina, and Samuel Winchester, three siblings who just survived another supernatural hunt and saved their victims.

Dean finally huffed, "Man, I hate camping." As the doors to the ambulance closed.

"Me to." Sam said quietly, staring at the ambulances drove off with sirens blaring.

Chris sighed, "I hope it'll be a long time before another wendigo case pops up." As they stared into the darkness, now just the three of them sitting on the hood of their car.

"You know we're gonna find dad, right?" Dean asked cautiously.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't." Chris lied. She honestly didn't care if they ever found him. Why should she, he had a choice and gave her up years ago. The picture she had found of her in his motel seem to burn in her wallet against her side. But at least she could be on an endless road trip, killing monsters and taking names while saving others, with her brothers beside her every step of the way. Chris leaned back so she was lying down on the hood.

"In the meantime though, I'm driving." Sam smirked. Dean looked down at the keys in his hand before tossing them to Sam over Chris.

"No fair!" Chris whined, ignoring her brother's smirks as they climbed in the car. All three dammed their doors. Dean's music blared the whole time as they drove off onto the highway, leaving Blackwater Ridge behind. Chris leaned against her car door, arms wrapped around her middle, watching as the sun started to rise.

Miles away, there was another small town that was call Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. It was named after a large lake that seemed to dominate the town. On the shore of this Great Lake was a large two story green house with a red roof. In this house lived a family of three, an older man with his adult daughter and son that still lived with him. They were known by many as the Carlton family and although they didn't know it yet, this day was going to mark the worst for their small family of three. The eldest sibling, the brother named Will Carlton, was sitting I the counter. He was doing what normal people did in their mornings, sitting on the counter and eating cereal for breakfast. Will was about twenty three with short brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a t-shirt and basketball shorts. The man of he house, Bill Carlton, was sitting at the kitchen table and reading their local newspaper delivered that morning. He looked like a forty year older version of his son. The door suddenly swung open to reveal the third member of their family arriving from sleep that morning. This was the sole female of the family named Sophie Carlton. Sophie was a beautiful young woman around eighteen years old. She had kind brown eyes and shoulder length dirty blonde hair, while wearing a blue track suit. She bent over and kissed her father's cheek as she passed. "Morning daddy," Sophie said sweetly.

"Morning sweetheart." Bill smiled, as per their morning ritual. Sophie passed her brother on the counter to reach the refrigerator for her heathy breakfast.

Will looked up from his extremely surgery cereal with a smirk, "All these workouts, Soph, I don't know. Guys don't like buff girls."

Sophie being a girl and little sister couldn't couldn't let him get away with that comment so with a smirk of her own did she give her own. "Yeah? Well girls don't like guys who still live at home." Will rolled his eyes as he hid a smile, drinking the rest from his bowl.

Sophie opened the front door to leave. "Be careful." Bill called after his only daughter.

"I will." Sophie grinned before hurrying off to the lake for her morning training session. Once at the dock did Sophie strip to her bathing suit underneath her clothes. She stared out at the lake, taking in the sight of the water and trees on the other side. She didn't realize Will was watching her from the window of their house as she would dive in. Sophie swum for several minutes, continuing to go under for as long as she can. Sophie started to glance around worriedly, she felt like someone was watching her. It was an odd feeing because nobody was around from what she could see. Sophie tried to pay attention to her swimming but stopped as she get something brush against her ankle in the water. She glared into the water, trying to figure out what was touching her, probably just something some kid had let get washed up into the water from the shore. That's when something that felt like a child sized hand gripped her ankle in a death grip. She didn't even have time to scream before her lungs were filling with water.

Sophie Carlton was dragged beneath the surface of the water where she would never see the light of day again.

A few dozen towns over, a Chris was sitting in a small town diner finishing off her plate of apple pie. Dean had pushed his own pie aside and currently looking over the obituary reports. Chris hummed around her last mouthful of pie as Dean circled the picture of a teenager named Sophie Carlton. The siblings were interrupted as a waitress with her chest nearly popping out her shirt showed up grinning. "Can I get you anything else?" The name tag saying Wendy, asked with a seductive looking grin. Dean glanced up and then grinned when he saw the woman addressing them. Chris showed rolling her eyes, what a bimbo, she thought.

Luckily, Sam showed up after using the bathroom, sitting down at the counter on the other side of Dean. "Just the check please." Sam said, interrupting their eyeing each other fun.

"Okay." Wendy didn't look as please to leave as she did coming.

"Bout time, her perfume alone was about to kill me." Chris commented, pushing her empty plate away. It was far too strong and way to much, the desperate attempt of a girl trying to hard.

"You guys do know we are allow d to have fun in a while." Dean pointed at Wendy and her swaying hips. "That's fun."

"And if I want to find someone to have fun with?" Chris smirked, already knowing the response.

"Over my dead body." Dean's answer was quick and scowling. Sam had his bitch face scowl on at the thought as well. Chris his a grinning smirk behind her hand, it was kinda nice to have overprotective brothers.

Dean pushed at the newspaper he had been looking at. "Look at this. Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week Sophie Carlton, eighteen, walks into the lake, doesn't walk out. Authorities dragged the water. Nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found either. They had a funeral two days ago."

"What do you mean a funeral?" Chris asked. What was the point without a body.

"It's weird, they buried an empty coffin for closure or whatever."

Sam was still in pain from the death of his girlfriend. "Closure? What closure? People don't just disappear. Other people just stop looking for them." Chris scowled, Sam had been more snappish and often irritated in the passed few weeks.

But Dean was never one to just let things go. "Something you want to say to me?"

So Sam did, "The trail for dad. It's getting colder everyday."

"Exactly. So what are we supposed to do?" Dean said.

"I don't know, anything." Sam said.

"I don't see how we can find him unless he contacts is first at this point." Chris sighed, leaning her chin in her palm.

Dean scowled in that way that he does. "I am so sick of this. I want to find dad as much as anyone. I'm the one that's been with him every single day for the past two years while you've been off at college going to pep rallies and you've been hustling money."

Chris shrugged with no offense, "Had to pay the bills somehow."

"We will find dad but until then, we're gonna kill everything bad between here and there, okay?" Dean said.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Why not? Not like I have anywhere to be." Chris said, sipping the rest of her coke hurriedly.

"How far?" Sam asked.

It was nearly a hundred miles before they passed the sign that said Welcome to Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Chris climbed out the back seat of the impala, seeing the green house with the red roof. She pushed her hair off her shoulder as she looked up at the house. Dean joined her and Sam on this side of the car.

The Winchester's looked at each other before making their way up the Carlton drive. As usual, Dean was the first one to the door. Chris stood slightly behind him, just able to see over his shoulder while Sam walked up behind her, easily towering them both. Dean knocked on the door and a young man opened the door.

"Will Carlton?" Dean guessed. They had done their research on the victim's family and unless Mr. Carlton had found he fountain of youth since his daughter's death, this has to be the son.

Will looked in confusion as the three people on his doorstep. "Yeah, that's right." He nodded.

Dean explained, "I'm Agent Ford. This is Agent Hamill and our intern Cassandra." It was decided for Chris to be the intern since the brother's had always been a pair. Also with the fact federal agents usually came in a pair of two. Three would be to much and draw more suspicion against the local police. So two agents and their intern was more believable. "We're with the U.S. wildlife Service." He held up his fake ID with practiced ease.

After explaining, Will led Dean, Chris, and Sam to he back where the lake was. They stood on the shore while the father, Bill Carlton, sat on the dock. It looked like he hadn't moved in ages, just staring out at sea.

"She was about a hundred yards out. That's where she got dragged down." Will explained.

"And you're sure she didn't just drown?" Dean made sure.

"Yeah." Will said without a doubt. "She was a varsity swimmer. She practically grew up in that lake. She was as safe out there as in her own bathtub."

"So you didn't hear her...scream, no splashing for help?" Chris asked.

"No, that's what I'm telling you." Will said firmly.

"But did you see any shadows in the water? Maybe some dark shape breach the surface?" Sam asked.

Will thought for a moment. "No. Again, she was really far out."

"You ever see any strange tracks by the shoreline?" Dean asked.

"Maybe from something that looked odd and you thought wasn't right?" Chris tried.

"No, never. Why?" Will turned worried as he got the picture. "What do you think is out there?" He looked on at the lake worriedly.

Dean glanced away before looking back. "We'll let you know as soon as we do." Dean was stopped from going t he car when Sam asked another question.

"What about your father? Can we talk to him?"

Will looked at his father sitting all alone and staring on the dock before shaking his head. "Look, if you don't mind. I mean...he didn't see anything and he's kind of been through a lot." Chris nodded. She could understand that. She didn't want anyone questioning her when Brooke died. She was so distraught over it till she brought her killer to justice. Brooke may not have been her daughter but they practically grew up together, they were considered sisters at one point despite no blood actually flowing between them.

"We understand." Sam said quietly before the Winchester siblings walked back to their shiny '67 Chevy Impala.

Their next stop was the police station. "Thank you." Chris told the guy that worked behind the counter. He brought in a third chair for her from he lobby since the sheriff's office only had the standard two.

Jake Devins, the local sheriff in town said confused. "Now I'm sorry but why does the Wildlife Service care about an accidental drowning?"

Sam started them off. "You sure it's accidental? Will Carlton saw something grab his sister."

Jake clearly didn't believe foreplay could have been involved. "Like what? There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake. There's nothing even big enough to pull down a person. Unless it was the Loch Ness Monster."

Chris chewed on her bottom lip. "Well I'm pretty sure it's not Nessie." After all, her and Brooke went to Scotland on their high school senior trip. Let's just say they learned the legend of the Loch Ness monster wasn't exactly a legend...it was now.

"Will Carlton was traumatized and sometimes the mind plays tricks. Still-" Jake paused. "We dragged that entire lake. We even ran a sonar sweep, just to be sure,/!; there was nothing down there." Well clearly something was connected to that lake.

"That's weird though. I mean, that's the third missing body this year." Dean commented casually.

Jake nodded looking sad. "I know. These are people from my town. These are people I care about."

"Of course, we understand." Chris said, pulling the sympathy card.

Jake continued, "Anyway, all these won't be a problem much longer." Chris' face scrunched together in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Dean voiced their equal confusion.

Jake looked at them like it was obvious. "Well, the dam, of course."

Dean quickly agreed. "Of course, the dam! It uh, sprung a leak." But that just seemed to make Jake suspicious and Dean looking like an idiot.

"It's falling apart and he Feds won't give us the grant to drake it so they've opened the spillway." Jake corrected. "In another six months, there won't be much of lake. There won't be much of a town either. But as federal wildlife, you already know that."

"Exactly." Dean quickly agreed. Chris felt a great need to bury her face in her hands and groan at how stupid this mistake made them look. But she restrained herself.

There was a tap on the opened door. Turning revealed it to be a young woman in her mid twenties with long dark brown hair and a sheepish smile. "Sorry, am I interrupting?" Sam, Chris, and Dean stood as Jake did. "I can come back later."

"Gentlemen, miss, this is my daughter." Jake introduced.

Dean being the man he was, quickly piled on the charm. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dean."

The woman smiled shaking his offered hand. "Andrea Barr, hi." It never fails. Wherever Dean goes, he is sure to find a pretty woman to start flirting with.

"They're from the Wildlife Service. About the lake." Officer Jake explained.

"Oh." Andrea said after several seconds. Chris couldn't help but notice that her smile had dimmed and no longer as wide as it had been. That was when a little boy about seven walked in so quietly, it was odd to see a small child that quiet. He looked no older then seven with brown hair. He clutched at the side of Andrea's skirt.

Dean's smile went from flirtatious to kind. "Oh, hey. What's your name." The boy didn't even look up before he walked out again. Andrea frowned worriedly and followed after her son. Chris watched on. It would usually be funny if watching a kid just walked away like that. But something about that kid sent her vibes of concern.

"His name is Lucas." Jake explained. Andrea and Lucas were just outside looking at one of Lucas' coloring books.

"Is he okay?" Sam frowned just as worried.

"My grandson's been through a lot. We all have." Jake said, leading them to the office door. "If there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know."

"We will." Chris said, fooling with he sleeve of her leather jacket.

"Actually." Dean interrupted. "Now that you mentioned it, could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced motel."

Andrea cracked into a small smile despite the frowning sullen of her young son. "Lakefront Motel. Go around the corner. It's about two blocks south."

Chris nodded and went to leave but Dean stopped her as he started talking again. "Two...would you mind showing us?" Chris shared a look with Sam. Was their anything Dean wouldn't do to see a pretty face.

Andrea laughed, "You want me to walk you two blocks?"

Dean must have realized that he sounded stupid. "Not if it's any trouble." Dean said quickly.

Andrea smirked. "I'm heading that way anyway." She looked at her father Jake. "I'll be back to pick up Lucas at three." She turned to Lucas who glanced up from his coloring book. "We'll go to park, okay sweetie?" Andrea kissed Lucas goodbye. Chris thought it made a cute picture. But hopefully Dean and Andrea wouldn't be flirting if Lucas' father was around.

"Thanks again." Sam said to Jake before their group of four left for the motel around the corner and two blocks away. Andrea led them towards the Mote. She occasionally would stop and wave at people they passed, not surprising since it was such a small town.

"So cute kid." Dean started a conversation. Chris bit her lip to try not to laugh. Their group may be nearing the two month mark of being together but even Chris knew she'd never seen Dean interact with a kid under seventeen. That happened to be Ben from the Wendigo case last week.

"Thanks." Andrea smiled as any mother would when their kid was complicated. They started across the streets.

"Kids are the best, huh?" Dean tried again. Chris couldn't help but think he was lying it on a thick.