Beware Of The

Sam nodded. "Bats and rats for sure," he confirmed also sniffing the air, his fingers digging further into Dean's arm. "That's…that's…that's…"

The two locked eyes with each other, and then slowly they glanced up at the old piping above their heads. "Gas," they said in unison.

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Sam staggered, his knees dipping. "We have to get Teddy out of here."

"Stay up, buddy," Dean held onto Sam and moved him forward. "We have to get ourselves out of here."

"Dean, this place is a ticking time bomb." Sam coughed heavily, his feet dragging.

"No crap, Sam," Dean pulled his brother along as fast as he could; which was not fast at all.

Sam looked back over his shoulder. "Dean, he's back there. He uses candles for lighting. Lots of them," Sam added unnecessarily.

"I get it, Sammy."

"It'll be like pulling the pin on a half-dozen hand grenades." Sam's muscles bunched up as he dragged his feet, trying to get Dean to slow down.

"Put a lid on it, bitch, and put a move on it or I'll throw you over my shoulder." Dean easily gained control of his injured brother, tugging him along.

"I won't leave him to die," Sam continued to protest and wiggle.

"You'd risk us blowing sky high for Mushroom head?" Dean croaked in agitation.

"Teddy," Sam insisted. "He has a name, Dean."

"Bro, you've been in this underground system too long," Dean explained rationally. "Slowly absorbing all this raw gas has made you dazed and confused. This is no spa vacation, man."

"I'm not confused, Dean. He's a human being."

"Same old song and dance. Up ahead," Dean announced, largely ignoring Sam's feeble protests as they approached the wooden staircase that would lead them out of the underground shelter. "Stairway to Heaven, Sammy. Just about twenty more feet and –"

Dean's words were interrupted as a large, lone form detached itself from the shadows, the hulking body blocking their way out.

"He's good at camouflage. I'll give him that. Stay behind me." Dean let go of Sam and shoved him behind him, gun aimed at the large man's chest.

The giant two-year-old stood with his pink, floppy bunny cradled to his chest. He stared past Dean at Sam, looking much like a deer frozen in the middle of a busy highway.

"Dean, don't shoot."

"No kidding, boy genius. One spark and it's…bang, zoom straight to the moon!"

"Let me talk to him." Sam tried to step forward around Dean.

"I said stay behind me!" Dean shoved Sam back a little too roughly.

"Umph!" Sam ground out. "Damn it, Dean."

Teddy's frozen deer look turned wild, his gaze now directed at Dean as he showed off his rotted teeth, growling like a dog and frothing at the mouth.

"Lassie has rabies, hope to hell he didn't bite you." Dean gripped his gun tighter using everything within him not to let his jerking finger pull the trigger.

Sam stated sternly, "He doesn't…and he didn't."

"How's it we haven't blown to bits yet with that candlelight ceremony going on back there?" Dean asked quietly, thinking just maybe he could get away with taking a kill shot.

"Didn't smell gas back there," Sam panted.

"Of course not," Dean snarled impatiently at the giant man blocking their path. "Teddy. You are one big pain in my ass and I so want to hur-"

Sam slapped a hand over Dean's mouth keeping the word muffled. He leaned in and whispered into his brother's ear, "You so do not want to say that word. You understand me? Some sort of trigger for him," he explained.

Dean nodded his understanding.

Sam slowly removed his hand.

Teddy continued with his crazed growl, eyes never leaving Sam. It made Sam's hair stand on end. He'd never seen Teddy like this. Even when Teddy had his huge hands wrapped around his neck his eyes never shown with real hate like they did now.

Dean's attention split, eyes darting between Sam and the disfigured hulk before him. "Who's the Beauty and who's the Beast?" he questioned sarcastically, still being sure to stand tall – The Great Wall Of China - protecting Sam.

Teddy seemed to be coming more and more agitated by the minute. Shifting restlessly, a large fist struck out to punch a nearby wall, breaking branches and crumbling rocks.

"Teddy, be nice," Sam breathed in lungful's of air. "He's my brother." He tried to sound reassuring, but Teddy was having none of that.

"Listen up, Myth Buster," Dean inched a few steps forward, grabbing Sam by the arm and bringing him along, yet restraining Sam enough that he remained behind him. "Your houseguest is leaving."

Teddy grunted, staring wide-eyed, his forehead ridged with concentration, hands in front of him, fingers nervously fumbling – a scared, lost, angry child not knowing what to do next.

"You're scaring him," Sam noted. "He doesn't like you."

"Good," Dean muttered proudly, and then waved his gun about in a shooing fashion. "Get out of the way, Lerch."

Teddy stopped fumbling with his fingers and moved backward toward the steps still blocking their escape path.

"You stupid son – "

"Dean, please, just give me a minute with him," Sam panted, eyes never leaving Teddy's.

Dean glanced back impatiently at his brother. "Now, Sam. We're leaving now," he ordered firmly. "First person to break wind down here," Dean paused for dramatic effect, "We'll all be joining the circus…for good," he sniffled, his nose tingling from the fumes.

"I know you're scared and confused, Teddy," Sam directed at the man-child, ignoring Dean. "I hate when that happens. But we're friends, right?"

"The hell you are," Dean raged under his breath.

"Dean," Sam gave a warning whisper. "We had fun, didn't we Teddy. Fun." Sam slowly lifted his hand and made the shape of a rabbit and started to hum.

Teddy's face contorted into a weird smile, and he clapped his hands together excitedly, his floppy bunny flinging about as he clapped. "Fun," he roared and pointed even more excitedly toward a wall.

"What the hell," Dean murmured.

Sam continued to ignore Dean. "We can do shadow puppets later, okay," Sam said sweetly.

"Fun." Teddy demanded, clapping his hands louder and faster, the slapping sound echoing off the walls.

"You played puppeteer with IQ negative?" Dean quirked a curious eyebrow at Sam.

"Shut up," Sam growled under his breath, side glancing over at Dean. "It makes him happy."

"Only because he has no idea what's going on. Now follow my lead. I'm going to rush him and get you the hell out of here. On three…we go."

"No go." Teddy shook his head no, his distorted face going steely.

"Sure we can go." Sam stepped out from behind Dean.

"Sammy," Dean cautioned, but allowed it.

"It's okay, Dean," Sam stayed calm and slow and soft, shoulders hunched, making himself look small. "Isn't it okay, Teddy? We can play outside. Come on now." Sam took in a few deep breaths speaking ever so tenderly. "Outside," Sam repeated, rocking off his feet a little, his vision swimming.

Reaching into his overall's pocket, Teddy produced a silver lighter, automatically flipping open the lid.

"Whoa!" Dean shouted out in shock. "What are you doing?" He took a rushed step past Sam, free hand outstretched. "Give me that!"

Teddy staggered back looking a bit ashamed, but did no such thing, only gripping the lighter tighter in one giant, trembling hand, his floppy bunny dangling in the other.

"Dean, no." Sam took a wobbly step to stand beside his brother, gripping Dean's shoulder and holding them both in place.

"Dude! You gave him your lighter?"

"He swiped it," Sam deadpanned, eyes never leaving Teddy's.

"You dumb –"Dean bit into his lip, frustration running high.

"We can't beat him…he has the upper hand." Sam hissed hunching in further on himself.

"Literally," Dean groused, his gun finger itching to pull the trigger.

After a brief stare down with Dean, Teddy turned to stare straight at Sam. "Mine," Teddy gurgled happily his big thumb pressing up and down on the flint wheel, not striking a flame.

"Oh, come on," Dean snapped, locking eyes with Sam.

Teddy began to roll his thumb back and forth over the wheel, this time producing a small white spark, yet still no flame.

"No, no, no," Sam gulped, holding up a placated hand to Teddy. "Listen. Please." Sam's voice was strained with pain and fear. "Put it down. Please. Teddy. Just put it down," he cleared his throat trying to make his voice sound firmer. "Just…it's not a toy."

"Toy," Teddy repeated after Sam, bouncing up and down on his feet and laughing with excitement as he flipped the lid open and shut, then stared at the wall obviously searching for a shadow puppet to magically appear.

"Happy-puppy does not understand English, Sammy." Dean drug Sam over to the side, bracing them up against the wall.

"He understands more than you think," Sam protested, his vision going spotty.

"Sammy, he who has the best toys wins. We are getting off this ride. Now," Dean ordered, inching them forward slowly, eyes focused past Teddy to the stairs that would lead them up and out. "Just hold on to me and don't let your Sasquatch ass pass out."

Sam met Dean's gaze. His face an open book; he knew Dean's plan and he wasn't going for that idea. "No," Sam cried. "I'm not leaving him."

Teddy continued to fiddle with the lighter completely fascinated.

"On my mark." Dean took in a deep breath, and wrapped an arm around Sam's waist tugging him close.

"We can't."

"No choice, little brother. The minute that thing lights we'll all be wearing wings. Get ready…" Dean easily manhandled Sam, advancing them to within a couple of inches of Teddy.

Teddy didn't seem to notice still busy fiddling with the lighter.

"Get set…"

"Dean."

"Go!" Dean leapt forward, latching onto Sam and hauling him along with him just as a whoosh of hot air blew past them.

The explosion was deafening and Teddy vanished from sight in a bright-hot flash of orange.

"Uhhh," Dean groaned, his chin landing with a hard thunk on the first step from the force of the blast, Sam dropping right beside him, his brother coughing heavily.

"Move, move, move." Dean winced, his ears ringing as he immediately tugged Sam to his feet and headed them up the rickety wooden staircase, thick ghostly-gray smoke filling the air and blasts of flames shooting up past them.

"Awww." Sam straggled along, his feet going out from under him and slamming back down to his knees.

"Up, Sam. Stay up," Dean gagged as smoke trailed down his throat and flames ate up the wooden steps chasing after them as if it were a living entity.

"D'n," Sam choked and shuddered. "Can't," he mumbled his eyes rolling up as he sprawled face down onto the steps.

"Hey, hey, hey." Dean dropped to his side, cupping Sam's chin and lifting his face up so he could peer into it.

Sam's eyes were closed, his face paper-white and smooth.

"Sam!"

Sam did not respond.

"Sammy!" Dean tapped the side of his cheek in panic.

"Wha'?" Sam's eyes peeled open for just a split second then rolled as he lost consciousness again.

"Damn it, Sam," Dean called urgently.

Blocking out the sound of crackling fire, Dean moved up a step above Sam. He bent down and gathered his out-cold brother up under the armpits, careful of his cut-to-hell wrists, he began dragging the kid's dead weight up step by step. Dean's legs wobbled fiercely, and for a second Dean thought about a fireman's carry, but was too afraid that would send one of Sam's broken ribs into a lung. The manhandling was bad enough. He winced; envisioning all the more bruises Sam would have after this and it sure wouldn't do his apple sauce for brains any good either. But he had no choice. Was this or wait to be roasted like pigs.

Blood dripped from Dean's chin and down the side of his neck, his eyes burned so badly he couldn't see and his gasping breaths threatened to drag him down into Never, Never Land right along with Sam. It took every energy source he had left to drive himself to keep going, backing up the rickety steps, Sam in tow. His brother's body limp and flopping and thumping all the way up.

The fire was eating everything in sight. Dean could feel the heat, so hot it was chilling. Just when he thought he'd run out of strength and air, he somehow found himself flat on his back, dazedly staring up at the black sky and drawing in raspy, harsh lungful's of night air.

The cool, squishy ground felt good beneath his back, and Dean watched in a daze as black smoke trailed up out of the rusted car's windows and doors. For a brief moment Dean felt a pang of sadness for Teddy.

"Poor, dumb bastard," he mumbled, knowing there would be nothing left of the guy. "You tried, Sammy," he said turning his head and looking over at Sam.

The kid lay next to him spread out flat on his back, his head turned away from Dean. "D'n," Sam choked and retched. "Dean," he called more clearly rolling onto his side and trying to claw his way toward the Duster still billowing black smoke.

"Hey!" Dean clambered up to his knees next to Sam. "I'm right over here." He gently turned Sam back toward him. "Over here."

The kid continued to buck, hacking and spitting and trying to get to his feet.

"I have to get…Dean." Sam's struggles got him nowhere as strings of saliva dripped out his mouth. "Dean."

"No, no. It's okay." Dean gently scooted around and pulled Sam's upper body into his lap, wrapping firm arms around him to hold him in place.

Sam could barely keep his head up eyes tracking anxiously around him.

"Sam. It's okay. I'm right here." Dean laid a gentle hand on the center of Sam's chest.

Sam exchanged a relieved look with Dean then focused on the smoke welling up out of the Duster. "Teddy?" he heaved in gulps of air, hard tears welling in his eyes as he peered back up at Dean.

Dean pressed his lips together, but said nothing.

Sam shut his eyes tight.

"Can't save everyone, Sammy," Dean deadpanned.

"Sick and tired of hearing that…" Sam breathed Dean's name on a sigh, his head slowly rolling off to one side, passing out again.

Dan stared at Sam a long time nodding his head. "Me too, Sammy." He glanced at the smoke pouring out of the rusted Duster, the fire burning itself out, destroying everything left below. "Me too."

TBC...

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