A/N More angst, a little nudity, but in a hurt Dean way, and mild lanuage warning...
Sam could feel he was in a state of near panic. It'd been too long since that creature had taken Dean, and he knew he had to keep it together, or he'd be
no hope to anybody if he lost it. But for fuck's sake, why were these little turds of creatures taking so long to get to Dean? And could they be trusted?
"I don't trust them" whispered Pete in his ear as if he'd been reading Sam's mind.
"I know, but dude, what choice do we have?" Sam gripped the dagger tighter. "Just be ready for anything. We gotta get my brother, and we gotta get
him soon, I don't think he can last much longer…"
They had passed a massive pile of stench, Urass leading them around and through another tunnel. Finally they came to another opening, this one
accessed over a wide stream of rushing water, a small bridge that would only accommodate the urchins built over it. Sam's long legs allowed him to step
over, and the other two hunters jumped it easily.
The rushing water came from a hole near the top of the chamber, and in the phosphorescent roof showed the odd plastic bottle, rubbish that had
washed down though the cave, as they bobbed and clattered on the other side where the water disappeared, making a soft, irregular drumming sound.
Urass pulled Sam's pant leg to get his attention, and pointed ahead. "There" he simply offered, and Sam looked up to see a smaller pile of stench, barely
illuminated in the back of the chamber.
It was darker there, and at first he couldn't quite make out anything other than a pile.
"There?" he breathed back to Urass, looking down at him. The urchin nodded, and Sam tucked the dagger into his pants as he ran over to the stinking
heap of putrescence.
He couldn't at first see anything, then he realized that there, a tuft of hair, a curve of chin, a sweated brow…"Oh, God, Dean" he gasped, and started
digging his brother out, pulling globs of stink and bone and entrails away from the unconscious hunter.
The urchins joined him, climbing up the pile and quickly moving to free the comatose man, Bobby and Pete joining them, pulling the rotting mess away
from Dean.
It seemed to take forever to free the trapped hunter, but finally Sam was able to grab his brother's shoulders and pull him free, the stench pile making a
sucking sound as it released it's captive.
Dean was naked, his body covered in rot and blood and things that Sam didn't want to recognize, and he was out cold. Sam couldn't see any open
wounds, and he looked up at Bobby, his eyes filled with tears.
"Bring him over to the water. We gotta get some of that crap off him" Bobby instructed
"That water will be freezing" Sam near sobbed.
"Feel his head, boy" Bobby replied "He's burning up. It'll be good for him, getting this stuff of him, and maybe we can get his fever down a bit."
"Whatever your doing, I'd hurry. We don't know how long this Bagool is gonna be" Pete reminded them, and Sam and Bobby carried Dean, Sam lifting his
arms, Bobby at his feet, and they lowered him into the shallow stream.
The cold shocked Dean awake, his eyes springing open, his breath sharply drawn.
"Hey, hey" soothed Sam. "It's ok. I'm here, I got you" he could feel his tears start to roll down his cheeks, but didn't care. "I got you Dean, it's okay."
Dean's gaze was wild, and he feebly struggled to get out of the frigid water. Sam held him down, one hand on his chest all that he needed, Dean to
weak and disoriented to do anything about it.
Bobby started to rub the mess off the injured hunter, rubbing his naked fevered body with no shame or self consciousness, only concern written over his
features, his brow drawn tight with worry.
"Hey, Dean, hey" Sam continued to soothe, and Dean seemed to hear him, his head turning to take in his brother's face.
"Sammy?" he croaked, and reached up, trying to touch his brother, but too weak to make the contact. "I called for you, but you didn't come…"
Sam shook his head, the despair in Deans words tearing his heart in two. "I'm here now, Dean. I came. I came to save you"
Dean looked him in the eye, this time his hand made it all the way to Sam's face. "You came. You came for me…" and his head fell back, his fight to stay
conscious lost.
"Allright, let's get him outta the water" Bobby instructed, and he and Sam heaved the heavy body up.
Urass tapped Bobby's leg, and pointed to Dean's clothes, neatly folded in the corner of the cave.
"I dunno how successful we're gonna be in getting him dressed, just let's see how much we can get on him" Bobby told Sam, and Pete retrieved the
items.
They got his boxers on, and Sam was trying to get Sean's arms into a shirt when the urchins started to squeak and squeal in alarm. Vadar ran over to
Sam, nearly toppling him from his kneeled position and started barking wildly.
"I'd say our time's just run out" Pete said, and cocked his shotgun.
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Bagool carried his latest victim's entails high on his shoulders. He liked the way they slapped against his back as walked. Well, more like loped.
He reached the sinkwell he used to access his cave home, and slithered through the brambles that hid the opening. Pulling the viscera along behind him,
he made his way down into the bowls of the earth, the cool and damp surrounds pleasing him. While he enjoyed being allowed up to the surface after so
long, there was nothing like coming home.
No lights, bar the soft glowing in the caves, no noise, no sweet and sharp smells of civilization.
He found his entrance to the lake chamber, and dropped from his tunnel to the floor, and loped three legged to the railing surrounding the water. His
other appendage still clutched the entrails of the hapless woman he'd found earlier, a gift for his faithful little excrement he called his followers. Dirty little
creatures, but they served a purpose.
He stopped, and sniffed the air, the gaping holes he used for nostrils quivering. Man smell. The one he'd pushed aside before, and new man smells.
They were surrounded by the scent of urchins, so Bagool knew he's have at least one, perhaps two more souls to eat tonight. This was a good night.
Tonight he was also going to shred that soul of the hunter he'd caught.
Big soul. Tasty. Mother would be pleased
He dragged the remains of his latest victim to the first stench pile, and threw them on the top. He was concerned that there were no urchins there to
greet him, but figured they were busy distracting the men, keeping them from the hunter, and leading them around to a blind tunnel, where he could trap
and kill them.
Yes, a good night.
He made his way to the large cavern, following the men's scent, and then sniffed their trail to the tunnel he had hoped they'd be. It was narrow, a dead
end, no hope of escape for the men, and a delicious anticipation of the carnage ahead for Bagool. He loped off, at times traversing the roof, or the walls
of the tunnel.
He came to the end, and grunted in confusion. Maybe the men had figured it out. There was no one here, and he could clearly smell urchin.
He made his way back to the large room, and this time sniffed out the men's scent leading down another passage. The smell of urchins was strong, here,
and he marveled at his little servants hunting down the men to contain them for him. He would let them have all of the men's carcasses for their pile as
a reward, and let them play with the broken soul of the tall man. Maybe let them eat him alive. That would make them very happy.
He drew closer, and slowed, listening. He wanted to know the full situation before he barreled in, though he knew they couldn't kill him, those bullets
through his eyes had hurt. He didn't want them trying anything like that again.
He heard the men, talking, desperate….what was he hearing?
They had found the hunter, and were going to take him out of the caves. His urchins didn't seem to be doing anything about it. Strange, but as he didn't
quite know what had transpired, he was going to give them the benefit of the doubt. If they had been remiss in their duties, well, he might just squash a
few little gnarled heads. Just for fun.
He climbed to the ceiling, slowly, so he could peer into the chamber without anyone knowing he was there.
He listened, and did not like what he was hearing. The urchins were doing nothing to control the situation, and as he peered closer, he could see them all
standing around, watching what the men were doing.
A low growl involuntarily escaped him, signaling the urchins, and the man-pet they had with them of his presence.
He let his growl grow in intensity, knowing it would place fear in the hearts of the men. He heard his urchins squeal, and the man pet barked. Good. They
were frightened.
He dropped into the cavern, expecting to see the men cowering, terrified of his visage, quaking at the very sight of him. It's how it's always been, since
the start of time. He was fearsome. Men feared him.
He roared, and then stopped, quirking his head to one side. These men were ready for him!
A blast of shotgun hit him square in the face, knocking him back a little.
He roared again, in pain and anger, and felt more bullets rip through his lean body. Annoying yes, and painful, but they could not kill him.
He let his gash of a mouth form into a hideous smile. "I am here for you" he breathed, all he malice he could gather wreathed into his voice.
"Well, douche bag, turns out we're here for you" Sam snarked, at threw the dagger, freshly coated in urchin potion, straight into the orc's chest.
Bagool stopped.
He felt strange.
There was pain, sharp, cutting, as usual when a knife cleaved your body.
But something….something else….
A burning, static-like feeling started to spread from his chest where the knife protruded, and reached up through his neck, down through his belly and
loins, his skin starting to sizzle and crackle with the spread of this strange sensation.
He drew a breath, and looked down at his urchins.
They cowered back from him, faces twisted in fear and terror.
Two urchins stood at the front, also looking frightened, but triumph seemed to be there as well.
He held out his hand, palm up, long, gnarled fingers spread, as if begging for help, or approval.
He fell forward, all eight feet of him, crashing to the ground in a whump of dust.
He groaned, a long breath escaping him, and the fearsome Bagool knew no more.
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Dean opened his eyes, and was glad, this time, that there was no stink. His throat still hurt, and he felt way too hot. The sheets were uncomfortable
against his skin, like sandpaper. He coughed weakly, and he felt his stomach heave.
Suddenly strong hands lifted him, and turned his head so he could throw up into a bowl, then gently wiped is face with a cool soft, damp cloth.
He felt hot tears well in his eyes, and his chest hitched, a little.
"Sammy?" he croaked.
"Yes Dean. I got you" his brother's soothing reply gently calmed him."I got you, big brother. You're safe now. I got you"
Dean let a low moan, but it was more relief than pain, and tried to pull himself up so he could see his baby brother.
He felt the strong, large arms lift his shoulders, then encircle his chest, holding him tight, reassuring, with such love and comfort that he had not felt since
he was a tiny child, with a mother's grasp to soothe and protect him.
He looked up, trying to meet the eyes of his beloved sibling, but he couldn't focus, there was just a large shape.
The shape leaned in, and kissed him on the forehead, softly, but with so much love and tenderness that Dean felt himself once again reduce to sobbing
like a baby.
His brother held him, held him tight, until he softly cried himself to sleep.
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A/N Only one more chapter to go...then I'm back to Angie, for those that have requested her return. Please, (I beg you) please review...