A/N:
Thanks to Blondie 20000, Kathy, sylvia37, Kajensen07 and Christine for the great reviews!
The forest around them chittered and sang with the sounds of the night animals making their rounds. The light of the dying fire reflected in more than one set of curious fox or opossum eyes checking the clearing out. Since Jacob had buried the remains of the cows, nothing drew them any further into the clearing and the Winchesters went unbothered.
Bats fluttered in the sky throughout the night and owls hooted ominously, but Jacob slept on. His breaths were slow, steady gales that kicked up dust under the cliff that he claimed as his shelter. The night wore on while he got much needed rest from a more exciting day than his usual.
By the time the sky began to change colors, Jacob was already drifting back to awareness. His placid face twisted into a faint frown as he felt a crick in his neck, and he rolled slowly onto his back. A huge hand lifted to sluggishly drag down his face and cover a yawn.
Then, he remembered that Sam and Dean had stayed, and his eyes shot open. He looked aside and sat up, finding Dean still awake on watch duty. Tiny arms were crossed over an equally small chest while the hunter watched the giant awaken.
"Um. Morning," Jacob greeted, fascinated all over again by the sight of someone so small.
Dean relaxed after the mellow greeting. "Mornin,' " he quipped right back with a ready chuckle. "Good to see someone else is finally ready to join me in the land of the living." He jerked his head pointedly at the pillow, where Sam lay with his arms and legs splayed in all directions, slumbering on. "Sleeping Beauty over there hasn't budged in hours."
Standing up, Dean stretched his arms over his head, ignoring the fascination in Jacob's eyes. On the second day of hanging around a giant, it was getting easier to see Jacob as a normal guy. It was even becoming normal to hear a voice that boomed over theirs without any effort, even when Jacob lowered it down for their sake.
After he felt the bones in his back stretch with an audible pop! Dean let his arms drop back down by his sides. Jacob wasn't the only one fascinated, and Dean found himself remembering just how large the quarter alone was compared to him, and here he was talking to the giant whose pocket that quarter came from.
"So what do you do around here for fun?" Dean asked casually as his mind was laying out his plans for that day. Once Sam came around, they'd need to get started if he wanted to make it all the way to and from town.
A bemused look crossed Jacob's face, before a sheepish embarrassment replaced it. He glanced around the clearing, his small patch of temporary home out in the wilderness. Aside from the clear evidence of him pacing around and pulling up trees, there was little to it.
It wasn't like he had room to go jogging.
"I just ... I guess I look around," he answered haltingly. "Finding food and water sources mostly. So I know. At least I got a pretty good view of everything out of all this."
Dean nodded thoughtfully. "You'll have one of us stickin' around today, but I think a trip to town is in order to stock up. We could use some extra supplies if we're stayin' in the forest with you while we find a way to fix this. And you will keep your head down and out of trouble so no one else finds us here." He didn't like the idea of a hunter like Gordon finding them all in the forest. That man already had a chip on his shoulder when it came to the brothers. There was no way he'd consider a word they said when it came to Jacob after the way he'd reacted to the vampires.
Jacob might be big, but he wasn't invulnerable, and if he needed to defend himself, people could die. They needed to keep that from happening at all costs.
"No wandering off on us again," Dean said sternly, remembering how fast Jacob could vanish if he wanted to.
At first, the attitude from Dean surprised Jacob. Not many people would up and scold a giant like that.
Then, he realized he preferred it over the wary cowering he'd seen through the bars of his traps so many times in the last few weeks. If this was just how Dean acted with people, Jacob would gladly accept it. It meant he could feel normal, at least in a way.
"I definitely don't try to be noticed," he replied with a shrug. "Today I was going to go and get the rest of my traps ... get rid of those so I don't catch anyone else."
After catching even Dean, Jacob didn't think the others would be successful. He had no idea how else he should go about catching things like deer or the other game in the forest, but he'd do it without endangering people if he could.
"Sam will help you," Dean said. "He can keep watch while you're out there. Right, Sammy?"
The last part was hollered when Dean saw Sam starting to rouse. Sam blinked blearily up at Jacob and then turned towards Dean. "Whah?" he asked sleepily, running a hand through his messy hair.
"You'll help Jacob out when he goes searching for any other traps he's got in the forest," Dean clarified. "Keep him out of trouble."
"Sure, whatever," Sam mumbled, brushing a hand over his face.
Jacob smirked at the sight of Sam's slow waking. The sluggish movements and lack of much concern was a huge contrast to what Jacob had grown used to in the last few weeks. No one else sat still when he was so close, so he never really had much chance to see their various actions in miniature. Delicate little hands and arms (that he had to remind himself were actually just normal) moved about with so much dexterity that he'd miss it if he didn't pay attention.
Then, he glanced back to Dean. One hand reached down and gently nudged at the quarter sticking out of Dean's bag again. "You've got a lot to carry back and it's a bit of a hike," he pointed out. "You want me to get you there?"
Dean put his hand protectively over his duffel bag and gave the huge hand that hovered nearby a mistrustful look, wondering if Jacob was going to pluck the coin away. "It's not as heavy as it looks…" he countered slowly.
As the world around him started to become clear, Sam joined in the conversation as he slid forward on the pillow to reach the side. "It wouldn't hurt," he pointed out as he jumped back down to solid ground. "You want to be back by nightfall, right? We're not close to the car anymore."
Dean shook his head. "I'm not planning on taking the car," he explained. "I'll leave it just in case you need to get anywhere in a hurry. My ride back's all planned out. I just need to find a road to hike back to town."
Sam gave him an odd look, but Dean didn't explain. Leaving the Impala wasn't like Dean, that was for sure. Sam could count on one hand the number of times his brother had let anyone else use the car… willingly.
What are you planning? Sam thought as he met the green eyes that were so used to hiding secrets behind them.
"That means you'll definitely need a hand getting back, otherwise you'll still be in the forest when night falls," Sam said at last.
Jacob nodded, though he was far less in tune with Dean's ways than Sam. He suspected nothing out of the ordinary. "Definitely too far to walk by yourself out here," he agreed.
The prospect of getting more help with his strange case of giant-ness put Jacob in a brighter mood than he'd been for some time. There was a hopeful gleam in his eyes after the restful night. He shifted so he was propped on his knees before lowering his hands to the ground for Sam and Dean.
"I'll getcha to a road and then we'll make sure to get those traps," he announced, pleased with the plan for the day.
Dean eyed the offered hands. "Don't go getting used to this," he griped as he stepped onto the fingers that led to the broad palm. "And make sure to watch your step! There's no telling when we might run into more people."
Sam was still trying to put more order to his hair as he followed Dean. "Chill," he yawned, working his way to full wakefulness without any coffee. Easier said than done. "Jacob's made it on his own this long, right? I'm sure a few days with us while we figure things out won't be a problem."
"Easy for you to say," Dean grumbled.
Jacob didn't let Dean's griping bring his attitude down. In the back of his mind, he knew it was foolish to get his hopes up. He could very well spend the rest of his days at this size, and if resources thinned out or someone else found him, those days could be limited. At least he wasn't alone.
He waited an extra second to lift his hands from the ground. "I'll be careful. I don't go near the camping and hiking areas since this happened," he assured them. Then, he stood, once again taking the Winchesters on a speedy ride up into the air, and they were off. "I kinda learned my lesson the first time. Me and crowds, we just don't mix."
"Crowds are overrated," Dean muttered, edging his way towards the center of Jacob's palm and away from the sight of how far down the ground was from where they were held. Being in a hand was never going to be high on his list of preferred ways to travel. He had too little control, and it was too close to flying on an airplane.
Only without any walls, or seats, or seatbelts.
"I don't mind a good bar or a dance club, but I'll take a pass on city life. Too many people trying to stick their noses into your business," he continued, clinging to an inane subject to avoid thinking about the heights.
Sam ignored Dean, putting a hand on one of Jacob's fingers to hold his balance while he peered around the forest. At the height they were with Jacob standing, he could closely watch the treetops. Birds fluttered in the morning sun, darting in and out of the upper branches. A distant hawk could be seen soaring on a warm thermal, its shadow keeping the other birds down within the trees to avoid its notice.
"Do you know where the closest road to town is?" Sam called curiously over his shoulder.
Jacob smiled sheepishly. "I have a general idea."
It took no more than fifteen minutes for them to find their way towards one of the roads skirting around the park lands and through the thick trees. The further down the slope Jacob went, the more cautious he became, stooping as he walked to keep below the tree line.
His strides were so long that it hardly mattered. He had some help from Sam with the compass, and finally stopped while the road was just out of sight of him. It wasn't often used, but he could cause a wreck if someone happened to see him while driving by.
"Careful walking back, dude," Jacob whispered as he knelt to lower his hands once more. "Some of those corners are sharp, make sure no crazy asshole swerves into you."
Dean waved him off. "Got it all under control. This won't be the first time I've hitchhiked." He turned to Sam, holding out the keys to the Impala. "In case something comes up, hang onto these."
Sam took them. "You sure this is a good plan? Separating like this?"
"We can't exactly take Jake into town with us, and we sure as hell can't leave him out here on his own." Dean slapped Sam on the arm. "Just trust me, okay? Meet me where we parked the Impala around 7 at night."
They checked their watches to make sure they were synced up, and Dean stepped off of Jacob's hand. "Make sure to watch out for the big bad wolf out there, Sammy," he smirked, then turned towards the road.
"Somehow I doubt we'll have trouble with any wolves!"
Dean gave a jaunty wave as he headed down the road, intent on his destination. It certainly wasn't the first time getting around without the Impala, but at least this time he wasn't leaving the mom-van behind. Dean would take hitchhiking down the road over driving like a soccer mom.
Jacob leaned forward just enough to watch Dean disappear behind a curve in the winding road. Then, he sat back and lifted his hands so he wouldn't loom over Sam so completely. "Okay ... there's three traps left out there somewhere. I really did hope I'd catch more animals in those than I have, I guess they're better at avoiding it than I thought."
With the task ahead of them, Jacob shifted back away from the road and crept away with his hands still cupped safely under Sam. His "creeping" steps crushed underbrush and foliage under his car-sized boots, and more than one brave squirrel scolded him as he went.
"You said you guys hunt monsters," he began uncertainly. "Does stuff like this happen a lot? Not this specifically, but just ... something happens to someone and they might have to be killed?"
Sam's lips thinned. He bought himself a second to consider his answer by kneeling down on Jacob's hand, cutting down the chances of him being jarred off by a stray movement.
The subject was a sore spot for him, considering his recent relationship with Madison. Killing her was the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life, and Dean didn't leave the house dry-eyed either. The woman had done nothing to earn her punishment, and hadn't even known she was a werewolf up until the very end.
"It happens," Sam confirmed reluctantly. "Not many people know about it, because there are hunters like me an' my brother who do our damndest to keep monsters like that from claiming any victims."
He glanced away from Jacob, distaste for the subject clear, though he knew they couldn't hide it from the teenager. Jacob might have to face his own death in the future, and he deserved to know why.
"Out there," Sam waved an arm towards the rest of the world, "monsters live. Some in the dark corners, but a bunch right next door. Werewolves, vampires, vengeful spirits… a thousand things that are supposed to be 'only legends.' Our mom… when Dean was little and I was just a baby, a demon attacked our house and killed our mom. So we got introduced to it from the start. Our dad taught us how to hunt, and that's why we're here. It's possible that we might have to kill you, but it's just as likely that you can resist it. Jacob, we found vampires that don't drink human blood! There's a way for them, and we'll find a way for you, whether we get you back to normal or not."
Sam looked away, realizing he'd gone further than he'd meant. "Just… don't ever give up hope, okay? Whatever it is that did this to you, we'll track it down. The legends about giants say one thing, but legends aren't always right."
"Yeah," Jacob replied quietly, though his voice still startled several birds into the air. Sam's story sobered him, and he couldn't help but linger on the gruesome details. Sam and Dean were only children when they got into the life that Jacob couldn't understand yet. Monsters weren't supposed to exist.
And yet here I am, he thought before he could stop himself. After so many weeks of his isolation, broken only by people caught in traps screaming and crying for their lives, it was hard. Jacob was more optimistic with the brothers' promise of help than he'd been since he grew, but the gloom still hung over his head.
He sincerely hoped it never came to it. If he was decided to be a threat, he'd rather lay down and accept their verdict. He didn't want to hurt someone else just because he had been hurt.
Jacob had only been at this giant thing for a few weeks, but so far he hadn't even come close to wanting to hurt anyone. He could make it. He had someone that believed that he could.
At length, his heavy footfalls carried him to a house-sized dip in the ground. Worn away by some river ages ago, it was a good place to hide one of his traps, and he nudged at the pile of branches and foliage concealing it. "Here's one of 'em," he announced. "Didn't catch anything." He sat down with a heavy sigh and lowered his hands for Sam. "I'll need both hands to take it apart."
Sam stepped off without argument, sizing up the trap with a knowing eye. When Dean and Jacob had returned, he hadn't had a chance to ask what had happened in the forest, but he'd heard the trap go off in the distance. It didn't take a large stretch of the imagination to realize exactly why Jacob was newly determined to take all the traps down after weeks of using them.
Seeing the trap set up the way it was supposed to be gave Sam a new respect for the fact that Jacob didn't have any intention of harming anyone. It would be so easy. A trap like that was bigger than an RV. Sam or Dean couldn't break the bars, and it took brute force to open it up, a level of strength that no one could match but Jacob.
"We'll find something else," Sam said quietly. "You won't go hungry." He gave a halting smile at the memory of the night before. "Even if it means rustling up some more cattle."
Jacob paused in mid reach towards the trap to glance over at Sam. A smile grew on his face and by the time he grabbed the trap and dragged it closer, he was grinning. "Yeah? I'm honestly a little surprised that you guys are so chill about the stealing. It's not exactly the best option but I doubt the guy would accept a really big quarter."
Sam had to laugh at that. "Yeah, well, our definition of 'normal' might be a little skewed," he warned. "We don't mix well with the authorities, so you're not the only one that'll stand out if we need to talk to the police. Dean'll antagonize them the second he starts talking, and usually he has to find a way out of cuffs ten minutes later. Stealing is the least we have to worry about."
Jacob's hands strained for only a second before the right spring came loose in the trap and the tension left the entire thing. Sam took a step back, making sure to stay out of his way. Jacob dismantled the pieces until he had a pile of flat metal grids sitting on his leg, and the whole process barely took a couple minutes.
"You guys have been chill about a lot, actually," Jacob mused, and this time the gratitude in his voice couldn't be ignored. "All things considered. Nice to know not everyone will run and scream."
A few of their past escapades flashed past Sam's vision. "We do what we have to," he said as he remembered calling the police on a shapeshifter wearing Dean's face. "Even if it's against the law. There's no one else who can do what we do."
"I'll take your word for it," Jacob replied. A part of him was still starstruck that people like Sam and Dean were out there, fighting to keep people safe. They were badasses.
He offered Sam a hand to continue on their way, surprised that the action was becoming his normal.
A/N
Next: August 15th, 2018 at 9pm est
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