A/N:

Thanks to goldacharmed, Kathy, ANerdWhoWrites, Blondie 20000, Kajensen07 and Christine for the great reviews!

Dean stiffened at the sight of Jacob's temporary home, his eyes trained on the bonfire pit. "So long as the other white meat's not on the menu," he joked with a nervous laugh, doing his best to push away the memory of being trapped in a hand and lifting into the air. For all their skills, both brothers had been captured and could have become lunch instead of being brought back for help.

Sam jabbed Dean with an elbow, giving him a scathing bitchface. "That's not helping anyone," he hissed. For himself, he couldn't keep from glancing over at the worn canvas backpack. It could hold an entire house. Not to mention the uprooted trees and torn ground where the roots once were. Jacob had more power than any other monster they'd ever run into, and they were sitting right in his hands.

"It's not bad," Sam said, pushing himself to his feet so he could survey the area. "But there's not much protection from the elements out here."

Jacob didn't answer right away. He watched the pair in his hands with a gloom in his expression that he simply couldn't hide. Dean may have laughed his comment off, but Jacob was smart. He knew where the joke had really come from.

He understood, but that didn't make the assumption hurt any less.

Forcing out a chuckle, Jacob stepped into his clearing to slowly crouch down. "The cliff helps a little with the wind, but the rain still gets me. At least it just kinda feels like a drizzle most of the time, now." He lowered his hands to the ground to let them step off.

Dean practically stumbled off, hitting the ground with his knees and just sitting there for a second to enjoy solid land that didn't have a pulse, or come with the threat of closing in on him. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath, trying to erase the swaying sensation that was all too close to being trapped in an airplane up in the sky.

Sam was far more graceful as he stepped down. "Dude, still with the heights?" he asked, torn between being worried and being entertained. "We weren't even on an airplane this time."

Dean's eyes slitted open and a green glare was sent in Sam's direction. "Close enough," he grumbled. "Who asked you."

Sam twisted around, choosing to ignore Dean's griping. It would wear off on its own in no time at all, once the novelty of their situation sank in. They were in a giant'scampsite. The ground was tramped down on all sides to flatten out the area. There was a firepit big enough for the Impala to park in. Without the sight of the broken trees on the sides, Sam would almost be able to envision Jacob as just a normal camper, minding his own business.

Which brought Sam back to what needed to be done next. "Why don't you tell us everything that happened," he offered with an encouraging smile for Jacob. "That's our best place to start."

"Okay," Jacob answered, uncertain. He glanced once more at Dean, concerned for the way he hunched over. The small man looked extra fragile there, and for a moment Jacob caught himself thinking in a mindset that he was normal-sized. That these two were really tiny and vulnerable.

They weren't, of course. They were fully grown men, normal people. They could fit the world around them with much more ease than Jacob, and there was no guarantee that he'd be able to join them back on that scale again.

He shifted his legs to cross them and sat down before the two brothers. He heard rattling in the nearby trees as his actions shook the ground, and he cast his gaze downward sheepishly before looking back at Sam.

"It's Sam, right? How did you guys ... are there really that many rumors in town? I don't remember a lot but I never thought the news would draw in ... whatever you guys are for a living."

Sam winced. They were so busy worrying about the giant they'd forgotten to introduce themselves, even after discovering it was Jacob and not just a reclusive giant come down from the mountains.

Hopefully Jacob wouldn't mind. Dean was shifting himself in his place on the ground so he could see Jacob as they talked while Sam answered. "My name's Sam Winchester, and that's my brother Dean. We're hunters, but not the kind you'll find in the forest this time of year."

"We hunt the supernatural," Dean interrupted. "Anything out there that the police or authorities won't acknowledge. We do the dirty work so they can go on livin' their lives none the wiser. Which is why we're here."

Sam frowned. "You couldn't sugarcoat it?" he grumbled, rolling his eyes at Dean's blunt nature. He turned his face up to Jacob. "We save people," he said honestly. "We have sources that no other people would ever credit, and if there's a way to reverse this… whatever it is, we'll find it. I promise. But we're gonna need your help. There's a park ranger that's on extended leave right now that told a story about the giant that almost ate him to anyone that sits down at the local bar. Word is out there about you."

Jacob sighed tersely. "I didn't 'almost eat' him," he insisted. It brought a worried frown to his face that the skinny little ranger (it could only be one guy that he remembered) was telling everyone a story like that. At this rate, the town would gather torches and pitchforks themselves.

"I don't eat people, I haven't eaten anyone, I swear," he continued. Even though they stood in his shadow, Jacob looked at Sam and Dean like they had all the answers. He didn't know what he could do to prove this claim, so he had to hope they believed him. "Whenever I catch people in my traps I just let them out. The ranger guy ran away, I watched him go. He was more likely to bang into a tree than get any trouble from me."

"We wouldn't be here now if we didn't believe you," Sam pointed out. All the people who'd seen Jacob had come back alive, and so far there were no hikers or hunters reported missing. Aside from Jacob himself, of course, and now they knew why.

"Problem is, rumors like that might draw other hunters in," Dean stated gruffly, getting to the meat of the problem before them. "They might not listen if we try and explain what's happenin.' "

"Which is why you have to tell us everything you remember from that night," Sam said, meeting Jacob steadily in the eyes and not balking at the fact that those eyes were as big as his head. "We can only help you if you let us."

Jacob nodded emphatically. He clasped his hands nervously, thinking about other guys like Sam and Dean showing up. Guys who would rush at him without a second thought and try to take him down, all in the name of killing some supernatural monster. His large heart pounded uneasily, remembering the gunshots from before.

"I was just kinda exploring the forest close to the campgrounds," he began. "My buddies and I all pitched in to rent the spot for a few days, and we'd already set up camp and everything. We didn't even stay for one night before ... whatever this is," he gestured vaguely to himself, and his size.

"So I was hiking around, checking it all out. Then, outta nowhere-" Jacob's explanation cut off in sharp surprise when a low, pining noise of hunger erupted from his stomach. He shut his mouth abruptly and his cheeks turned red, and he looked down at his stomach in shock. Of all the times for it to remind him he hadn't eaten since the day before, and was in fact searching for food when Sam and Dean showed up.

Thinking of the two small hunters again, Jacob's cheeks warmed even more. His gaze hesitantly shifted to them, knowing they heard it, too. He already dreaded what he'd find on their faces.

Dean drew himself back to his feet, the slight nausea from being carried over fifty feet up in the air suddenly the furthest thing from his mind. The rumbling growl sounded closer to an earthquake, reminding the brothers that as normal as Jacob was acting, they weren't dealing with just a normal teenager.

They were dealing with a giant, and a hungry one that had them in his camp, miles from anyone. The sound of his stomach growling alone could drown out their voices.

"Jacob," Sam said slowly, his eyebrows pinching in worry. "Is everything okay?" He took a wary step back, and Dean had a hand in his jacket, ready to pull a knife in case a hand lunged at them. The trust with Jacob was still new, and with someone so huge Dean wasn't about to take any chances.

Jacob glanced between the two brothers and a growing worry ignited in his eyes. Already he could see his meager progress with Sam and Dean crashing down. His stomach grumbled again and he finally remembered to take a breath, but it was more of a startled gasp.

They're ... they think I'll... Barely coherent thoughts made it through his concern. He had to fix the problem before they got scared and ran from him or shot at him again. He wouldn't get another chance.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, and his stomach whined yet again. Not the time for this, he thought vehemently at it, before scooting backwards. One of his massive hands planted in the dirt as Jacob pushed himself back to his feet hastily.

"I'll be right back, okay?" he held up his hands placatingly, and then winced when even that didn't help. They were too skittish, and he was too big. He turned to hurry out of the clearing, determined to find something quickly before they decided he wasn't worth listening to.

"No, Jake, wait-" Dean's shout cut off as the giant clearly wasn't paying attention to them and vanished into the trees. He switched over to strangled cursing.

Dean whipped around to Sam. "We can't let him out of sight," he said hastily, a plan falling together in his mind. "No matter what, we need to know what he's doing at all times. That means one of us should follow him. I'll see if I can get him back here before he goes stumbling into any other hikers. Think you can take a look at his campsite? See what you can find out about this giant."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, but what if something happens? We don't have reception-"

Dean cut him off. "I'll be fine, trust me. We just need to know everything we can. This might be your only chance to be alone here. Got it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Dean turned to follow the crashing footsteps that were drawing away from them every second. He vanished into the trees, trying to follow Jacob's trail.

Sam frowned after Dean, hating the way they were splitting up around a partial unknown, but Dean was right. They needed to know what they could about Jacob.

With that in mind, Sam let his bag drop to the ground in the center of the clearing. First, he'd survey Jacob's belongings, resting by the edge of the cliff. Kept out of the way so Jacob had more space in such a relatively small clearing. Sam had to wonder how big the kid was compared to the brothers if he was normal sized. He certainly seemed like he'd be tall, by how long his legs were to the rest of his body, but there was no way to know for sure.

The canvas bag offered many handholds, but Sam only made it up a few feet in the air before something caught his eyes next to it.

Is that… a saddle?

Confused, he jumped down next to the bag and walked over. The saddle of a pony, clearly branded with the logo of the State Park.

Dean cursed. He could hear Jacob's crashing footsteps up ahead, but he'd lost any sense of direction in the thick forest. The day was growing dark, and that was best demonstrated down amongst the underbrush where Dean had to walk. Jacob might see the light of day with his head up in the clouds, but Dean had left his brother and the compass they'd brought behind, a mistake he was swiftly beginning to regret.

He held up his phone, briefly hoping to get a stray signal on it. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him. He'd lost a giant in the woods.

Who does that?

Jacob should be easy for an experienced tracker to find. Dean might not be a woodsman, but he could follow a trail with the best of them. He just had issues spotting other things, like hidden bear traps.

The memory of their last case with a wendigo smarted. If it wasn't for the smart ass hunter that lead the way, Dean might have lost a foot. The foolish man had gone on to ignore their warnings, believing that the brothers had no real experience with hunting, and had paid with his life.

All of these thoughts crowded Dean's mind and he was absently shoving his phone back in his pocket when it happened.

Behind him, a massive spring responded to his presence. A steel door thicker than a wall slammed shut behind him, and Dean was surrounded by metal bars as thick as his arms.

Trapped, with a hungry giant missing in the forest. No way to reach Sam by cell, and no way to get out of the cage.

To be sure, Dean pulled on the thick bars that comprised the sides of the cage. They didn't budge. The massive metal door of the cage could be used for warehouses, and no matter how he pushed, nothing happened. The damn thing must weigh a ton.

Dean slumped down with a frustrated sigh.

Seconds later, a sound came to him through the woods. The crashing sound of footsteps, like he'd been chasing only moments before. The leaves around him shook, and Dean knew that Jacob was coming.

And he was caught in a trap.

A trickle of sweat dripped down Dean's neck. They only knew a little about the teenager. There was no way of knowing how Jacob would react to them after his dash from the cliff. Why had he run away? Was he afraid of what would happen if he was around two bite-sized people while he was so hungry?

The footsteps were hurried, rushed. Dean hesitantly got out his machete, prepared to fight for his life if it came down to it. Sam was on his own by the cliff, investigating Jacob's belongings and campsite. If there was a fight, and Dean lost, Sam would have no warning that Jacob was dangerous. No way of even knowing that Jacob and Dean had run into each other out in the forest. For all Sam would know, Dean was still combing the trees in search of the giant.

Leaves rustled, and a huge hand came into view as a maple tree was pushed out of the way with a lingering creak. Hungry brown eyes fell onto Dean's small form, and deep shadows covered Jacob's face as another echoing growl came from his stomach.

Dean took a step back from Jacob, and felt his back press up against the thick metal wires of the cage. He was cornered. Holding the large knife defensively in front of his chest, he was prepared to go down fighting.

It was hard to forget that every single bit of lore they'd found on giants specifically called out the fact that they ate people. Jacob might be reasonable enough, but this hex or curse or whatever it was might change him when he was hungry, a lot like what a werewolf went through during the full moon. Without fresh hearts, werewolves would die, so their instincts compelled them to hunt humans, even people that they knew and respected in their normal life. Jacob had only met them that day, and most of their time had been spent tracking him down.

If he was operating by instinct, he might see them as a threat. Dean had emptied his clip into Jacob's palm in an attempt to escape a grab just hours before.

Dean hadn't missed the hunger that shone in Jacob's eyes when he pushed aside that tree.

"Jacob," Dean greeted, a strain in his voice. "We're all friends here, right?"

A/N

Jacob freaks, Dean follows, and an accident finds them

Next: July 29th, 2018 at 9pm est

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