Dragon Dean is still scared of heights

by wolfie180g

The boys are after a monster taking women from the woods but it turns out to be a massive dragon! They split up to take on a nest full of twitching eggs and a huge fire breathing mother that decides to turn Dean into her next kid! How can they get Dean back to normal and who else is after him as a pet, for study, or a trophy kill? Who can they trust? Human angel/dem AU. sequel!

37. Carry On, My Wayward Son

Chapter 37

Carry On, My Wayward Son

Dean stopped humming his song when the helicopters came into view again. 'Shit, you guys are gonna have to hold on.' and gripped the truck with just his hands on either side to be able to fly easier. Pulling it closer to his chest to reduce the wind drag it's causing. He could hear the pings of bullets hitting the truck and actually felt a few slip through the bed of the truck and hit his belly. Realizing that the truck is nowhere near as bullet proof as his skin. His fingers splayed along the bottom of the truck's cab where Cas and Balth are, thumbs hooking straight into the hood and just behind the cab to help block the windows and get a firm grip on it. There was some weird box like thing in the rear of the truck he'll have to ask about later. Or sooner. He just now hears a missile flying by his body, narrowly avoiding him and speeding away, the plume of jet fuel trailing after it as its turning back around and wavering in the air. Seeing out and locking into the heat signatures from the truck and its human occupants. Since the Drauglin's cold blooded, that's the only thing it could be. Lucky to be him, not so much for the two in the hot truck.

'Shit! Hold on!' he said and dove down, followed quickly by the heat seeking missile. Flying hard and fast towards the earth. Vertigo threatening to rip apart his sanity. He pulled up at the last second and the missile landed into the ground, exploding on impact. He could hear the shouts of panic in the humans on the ground and the shifting inside the crumpling truck. It feels like the damned truck is made of aluminum foil skin with how easy he's bending the metal on accident.

He launched himself back into the air, hearing yet another missile launch. He growled and banked left, trying to get some speed but the truck was actually weighing him down just enough to throw off balance. He turned around in a wide swoop, headed back towards the three pursuing helicopters and pulled in his wings between the two of them that hadn't fired off a missile yet, he saw the lone pilot jump for his life as the hurtling missile struck that one he was closest to while the missile was trying to veer past and continue its pursuit. Dean turned again and was glad that the pilot had a parachute but that incident pissed off the two remaining ones. He quickly searched for a place to put the truck down but knew that they'd be a target just as much as he is. And not only that, he accidentally made the truck undriveable, they'd be sitting ducks for one of the two remaining missiles. More gunshots from above and below. Pelting his skin, a few making it to flesh and he winced. The hot truck is definitely not helping.

'Ok, everybody out.' he ordered and gently turned the truck onto its driver's side, his left hand opening up enough to fit both humans in it. If anything, they clung tighter to the truck so they wouldn't fall out. He sighed and righted the truck again with his left hand, gripping with both because he had to spin in a tight circle downwards to distract his constant pursuers. He leveled out and it would take the choppers a hot minute to get back into the chase, swirling around in the air currents he shoved at them. His right hand disappeared from the truck and he signed the word instead of saying it. Apparently he couldn't be understood by Sam or Cas when he's stressed which makes this fuckin' great! Just perfect. His fingers managed two letters before gripping the truck again and repeating the drastic tilt. Like trying to coax out coins from a piggy bank.

Cas held onto the wheel tightly, watching the clawed fingers the width of a phone booth form the word, 'in' before the metal crunched again on Balthazar's side, a firm one handed grip to keep the truck from falling. Dean's right hand couldn't help but crunch down the metal around Balthazar's seat to practically nothing, he had to unbuckle fast and slid into Castiel's side or risk being pinned down by the truck's frame. The huge left hand on his driver's side opened up as invitation. Cas soon realized that Dean was going to get rid of the truck and needed them to stay with him in his hand. He struggled with the bent metal of the door before quickly giving up and exiting the window.

"Balth! Get out now!" he waved his open hand for his friend's attention who followed suit after a second of heart stopping terror at seeing yet another missile being launched. He gripped Castiel's hand who helped pull him out through the thankfully wide open window. Both landed in the fleshy grip of Dean's immense hand. Tumbling together in the confines of his fingers, Dean tried to hold them steady. But also holding the truck with just his other hand, while dodging away from bullets, missiles and helicopters. Forget about his fear of heights, this was far scarier. Dean breathed through it all, focusing first and foremost on his Mate and friend. 'Hold them, don't crush.'

Clawed fingers fumbling to angle them both in a better way to form a tight secure and above all, bullet proof fist. They felt like scared mice tickling his hand with grasping fingers. Cas pulled Balth towards himself, Balth's back to his chest and they curled inward together. Dean's fist closing around them just as several impacts hit the outsides. Muffled thumps along the scales. A hiss of pain from somewhere outside of the fist. Castiel couldn't help but see all the damage to Dean's skin up close and personal. His heart hurt for his Mate. Trying so hard to protect everyone. Getting so beat up in the process but still fighting on. His small hand grazing a clear space of skin on Dean's ring finger. Dean gripped tighter for a second or two, just a few inches for them but a twitch for Dean. Proving he felt that movement, as small as it was.

They heard the truck in Dean's other hand crunch a little and Cas just barely made out Dean saying, 'I sure hope this package isn't anything we need.' Before using the truck as a club and beating the missile out of its course. It spiraled on downward and blew up in the woods. Dean's flying was disrupted by the bash and he pulled his left fist closer to his chest to better stabilize the humans from all of the rocking movements. 'Oh God, don't look down.' Dean panted. 'Stop looking down, Idiot.' the chastising growl vibrated the chest next to the fist.

The truck was tossed into the air for a second and hauled into a better position. Balling up the cab like a baseball now instead using the truck as the bat. Dean upended the truck and let the large box package in the rear come loose from it's tow-ropes. It slid out of the hold and fell towards the earth just as Dean launched himself into the sky again. Flapping hard to fly nearly straight up. He kept on going. Muscles straining against gravity. The clouds feeling damp on the human's skin as they risked a peek through the tiny crack in the fingers at their surroundings. The air was actually thinning out. He was nowhere near space, but all the same, Dean panting hard and fast. Hyperventilating. As far up as a mountain. The landscaped resembled a map more then actual land, helping Dean cope with the frigged altitude. Too high to look real.

Cas held his breath and put his hand over Balthazar's mouth and nose as well. Dean leveled out, hovering and sinking downwards. His hand loosing its grip on the truck in the thin atmosphere. Head swimming. The helicopters giving up the chase when the engines struggled. They retreated and Dean grinned a little light headedly. He dropped another hundred feet. Wings weakening. One of the helicopters shot off their last missile and it headed straight for Dean. Him holding the only thing up here that sported any heat.

Dean smirked. He dropped down just enough to be able to set fire to the cab of the truck and dropped it. His other hand cupping the one Cas and Balth were in, his hind legs and feet also curling inward for protection. Hiding them and the heat from their bodies from sight. The missile immediately honed in on the fire and the plummeting truck exploded into a thousand pieces that all rained down on the remaining choppers. One was hit bad and Dean blearily watched the pilot jump before that one exploded as well. The last one flying retreating from the fireball. Dean couldn't flap his wings anymore, too tired and dizzy, so he glided on down again. Getting some serious speed behind him, he turned it into a curl so he wouldn't end up the next county over.

Inside the fist, Cas and Balth were experiencing some serious G-forces and grit their teeth against it. Not even strong enough to pound on Dean to signal their distress. Dean angled his wings and came out of the curl, putting as much surface area towards the fall so that he slowed down safely. He struggled to flap his wings to push air down as well, anything to slow his descent. He thought the third and last helicopter gave up but heard it just below and a little behind him. Chasing him towards the ground. Waiting for him to crash. It wouldn't have to wait long.

Dean thought, 'Hell with it.' and pushed himself backwards entirely, chest first then belly aiming towards the sky and his head kicked back as if he were falling backwards. Both legs curled in, all covering his fist. His wings tucked around his body next. Like a python that ate a large meal. Then his tail straightened out alongside his spine and neck. He let his body weight drop. The force of the fall aiming straight for the tail end of the chopper. All of Dean's sharp black spikes along his entire spine now acted like a massive saw blade that sheered off the tail from the helicopter, sending it into a downward spiral. Dean bumped into it on his way down, watching it spin out, hitting several trees. His head tilted back even further, seeing the world upside down before doing a back flip in the air, away from the sounds of trees falling. He passively saw the third parachute open and stuck his tongue out at the pilot. Dean 4, choppers 0.

Dean couldn't stay up much longer, everything hurt. His ears rang painfully from all of the explosions. Nose clogged with smoke and the overpowering scent of burning helicopter bits. He forced his wings to glide them to safety, landing in a field where he collapsed onto his side. Hands pulled upwards, closer to his face before he passed out. He was just about to open up his hands when he realized he hadn't felt movement from within for at least a few minutes.

'Oh no... no...' he breathed, eyes trying so hard to focus on his hands. First uncovering his right and revealing how tight his left hand had gotten during all that. His fingers were jerky as he loosened up the tense grip and saw the forms of the two humans. His hand opened up further and the bodies were limp. Legs and arms falling out and what should be uncomfortable angles. Dean closed his fist ever so slightly again, hating how they didn't respond at all. He gently moved his index finger aside and let the one closest to the edge of his palm drop agonizingly slowly to the ground beneath it. A foot drop. Cas didn't move. Balthazar was also let loose onto the ground next to him. Dean pulled his hands away. Afraid of doing even more damage. 'No. No please God no. Please God...' he turned onto his belly, shifting away from them as if just being near them would crush them even more.

Dean used one trembling clawed finger to pull Castiel's right arm a bit straighter, out from under his hips. Dean's eyes felt hot, blurring with tears. Biting his tongue and holding his breath between sobs, he gently moved Balthazar next, rolling the unresponsive body to lie down on his back. A traitorous thought of arranging them like one would inside a casket. 'No... please... no. I didn't mean to... I didn't. Please tell me I didn't...' he leaned his head forward, resting it on the ground. Too devastated to lift it up anymore. He knew what happened. What he did. How they died...

Tears falling into the grasses, a hitched sob escaping him. His hand coming in softly to cup the two figures on the ground. The other hand protecting them from the other side. Dean nuzzled his nose into the middle of the two men. Breaths hitching and sniffling. Still no response. His nose still clogged with the stench of burning plastic, foam and fuel. He couldn't even tell what their last feeling was from the lingering scents. Probably panic. Pain. Betrayal. Fear. Despair...

'He was my Mate... he was my friend... how could I have... What am I supposed to do? It was my job to protect them, keep them safe. I had one job, one job, and I screwed it up. I blew it. And for that, I'm sorry.' Dean sniffed and wiped away a few of the tears with the side of his hand. 'I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. Let Sammy down, countless times, Bobby, and Dad... dying. And I guess I'm supposed to let both of you down too? How can I? How am I supposed to live with that?... Cas, Balth.' Dean broke down, breaths coming in unevenly. Nose to the dirt and torn up grasses and weeds. He firmed his jaw. Teeth gnashing. 'What am I supposed to do now?' Dean sat up abruptly, claws digging into the ground, and roared, 'WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DOO!?'

Dean's tearful eyes looked skyward. Pleading to a God he didn't believe in to somehow save them. He noticed the lines of smoke from the missiles, still hanging in the air, dissipating. His nose sniffed in, tears jerking free at the movement. A snarl shaking his throat. 'Their fault. It's all their fault.' his eyes narrowed in on the trees, the discarded parachutes. The sounds of the three pilots calling for help not far enough away for their sake's. 'All their fault. Why couldn't those bastards just leave them alone? What did they do to deserve - ?' He sniffed and looked down again. Both human bodies now askew from his positioning of them. His breaths hitched again, eyes burning, waves of anger and hatred crashing through his very soul. 'I'll do it. I'll get 'em for you.' He growled low, carefully pulling away, a large clawed finger pushing them back into the peaceful resting position they deserved to be in. As if they were merely sleeping.

Dean trembled as he got to his feet, backing up and gave them one last look before turning all of his attention to the three pilots on the ground. He stalked closer to them. Let them see their death approaching. Not needing to run, or jump, or fly. Just walk.

The pilots felt the vibrations in the ground and all jolted to the blank faced monster that was calmly approaching. Knowing that their deaths were imminent. It was a foregone conclusion and he was just wrapping it up. Heartless and cold. Decisive. The look someone would make when about to swat an insect that bit them.

It was useless but they couldn't help running on injured legs away from him. Falling from great heights, even with a parachute, shattered kneecaps. At least two of them were hobbling away. The last one acting as a crutch for both. Dean's blank expression slowly cracked. Another tear slid down his mask of a face that screwed up into one full of wrath. He spit venomously at them, 'You bastards took them from me.' Reveling in the scents of how appropriately terrified they were of him. 'You want to fight a monster? You fucking got one.'

Dean roared at them and quickened his pace. At this rate, he'll be able to stomp them into the ground in twenty seconds. Or bite their heads off. Or eat them whole. Maybe Walker was right all along. They don't deserve his mercy.

A memory hit him. What better way to disorient them then to howl and make them deaf? His gaze shot to the base. He'll have to save up his fire for that fight ahead. But these guys? They'll need to suffer. They killed Balth, they murdered Cas. Two good people died because of them. All this... He would never have resorted to flying that recklessly if he had a choice. Never have had to pin them so close to himself, to keep them away from the fucking missiles, bullets, helicopter blades and explosions. He would deal with his own guilt once he gets rid of this vermin.

He howled at them, knowing full well what that can do to a human's hearing. It wasn't even words, he just let out all of his anger and sadness as he howled. The three immediately fell to the ground, clutching desperately at their heads and screaming. He just barely heard it over his own wails. He felt a soft tap on his leg. Then five more in rapid succession once he stuttered in his next outcry. It would have been expected, but it wasn't from the front. He was watching those three pilots and their hands and arms were desperately clutching their heads. Moaning with pain too great to ignore and go for a gun. They were within stomping distance now. Just one hand needed to lift into the air and lean forward to end these pathetic murderers. But. The those taps came from his hind leg, away from the pilots. Nothing else followed. No sounds of more helicopters, no machine guns, no trucks, no soldiers calls or commands.

He turned his head and looked behind himself. The only ones out here at all in the vast fields were the three pilots, and the bodies of Castiel and Balthazar. His eyes were far from focused but he could just barely tell from this distance that one of the bodies was angled in his direction. Laying on its side with an arm pointed at him.

'No. Couldn't be.' he murmured. He turned towards the bodies more fully and the one on its side flopped to its back again. 'No... what?' he turned his attention away and the pilots all struggled to get moving, only managing a slow crawl away. His attention was now split between them. He knew he could catch up to his prey in a heartbeat if he went and checked out the other two. They were his top priority out here. His legs stumbled as he walked, forcing them into a jog to get there sooner. The trampled area marking out where he landed and laid down. The two bodies lay nearly in the same positions he put them in, but Balthazar's was angled differently. He nosed at the body and smelled gunpowder. Eyes darting to the hand that held a recently fired gun. It was under Balth's hand, half covered in grass. He inhaled the air around the two bodies and felt a nudge come from under his chin. Ducking back instantly to see Balthazar's eyes squint open for a second before he coughed raggedly.

Dean's heart stopped and he nudged right back. Helping Balth onto his side as it looked like the Brit was two seconds from throwing up. Which he did. Balth's hands crooked, trying hard to find the strength to keep himself upright enough to not fall in the pile of sick. Dean couldn't get his hand close fast enough so his tongue snaked out and tugged Balthazar back a couple of feet. Letting him down onto his side and sucking his tongue back inside his mouth. Willing himself to not think about how the human tasted. Thankfully it was just clothes that he made contact with.

Balth breathed heavily and looked up at the looming car sized head over him. Shading them from the sunlight. He tried to speak but ended up coughing again even more haggardly. A hand shot out to Cas and he smacked the shoulder closest. Cas didn't respond. Balth's eyes widened a little bit and he hit Cas again with more intent behind it.

"Ca - Cassie?" Balth managed, gripping part of the coat and shaking it. "Cassie? You with us?" he felt around the neck, mouth. Silence in the stillness. "He was breathing just a minute ago... I, I, I know it, I saw it!" he adjusted his position and knelt on the ground beside Castiel's body, hands going immediately to the sternum, lining up his hands between his collar bones and bottom tip of the sternum, and starting CPR. Dean hovered overhead. Unable to do anything at all but watch and hope. Five compression's and then a breath. Five more compression's and a breath. "Come on, Castiel. Come on buddy." He muttered as he pushed down again. Dean got too close, Balth stopped just long enough to push him away. "Trying to work!" he snapped and went back into it with more fervor. "Cassie! Don't you fucking quit!"

Dean backed up all the way, sunlight streaming over the two humans. He leaned one side to the other, looking around desperately for a way to help. To do anything. 'Tell me what to do!' he trilled at Balthazar. 'Does he need water? or... or or what? Shot of Adrenalin? Uh... what can I do?!'

"Dean. Just give us some room." Balth never tore his gaze off of his friend. He could hear the massive being pace now. Whimpering. Saying something with his whines and mewls. Sounding so distressed and weak. He had to put it out of his mind. At least he was able to get the dragon away from the pilots. He woke up with that howl and had to act fast. Dean would never have come back to them if he murdered those people. Castiel would never have forgiven him. "Dean. Just..."

he stopped to give breath to Castiel's body. Mind racing of all the different methods he's heard of to give CPR. Compression's only, three pushes for every two breaths. Five count for five count. Different eras, different methods. He felt tears falling onto the tan coat. Three compression's... fourth. He sat back on his heels. Wiping off his face, his own breath hitching into a sob. He'd been going at it for five minutes. Odds of survival running through his head now. Balthazar gripped the coat and lifted the body a few inches from the ground and slammed it down. "You asshole! Fight!" and slammed it again. "You can't leave us here!" Slam. "Fight!" slam. "Breath God Dammit!" and slapped his face.

A huge gasping breath was sucked in and stuttered for just a second before blue eyes shot open and he coughed it all out. Another gasp and eyes squinting shut at the white light. Wet coughs hacking into Balthazar's side as he was hugged into his best friend. Weakly shoving at Balthazar to loosen his grip. Dean's muzzle bullied its way in and Castiel was pushed back by the sheer exuberance.

'You're alive! You're alive!' Dean chirped, kissing Castiel's side and nudging him carefully back into a sitting position, knocking Balthazar over in the same move. He ducked back just long enough to curl his whole body around the two tiny humans. Protecting them from the world. Dean lowered his head in next to Castiel who used the bridge of his trembling nose to come to a stand. Coughing the whole while. His arms snaked around his chest and he slid back down to the ground. A cry of pain shooting out of him. Cas felt around his right arm and cried out again when he felt the break. Balthazar hovered his hands over the area and he looked up at Dean.

"His arm's broken, maybe ribs too. I'll need to splint the arm and bind the ribs." Balthazar could see the warring emotions on the dragons face. "I need strong saplings to splint his arm." he said slower, getting through to Dean.

Dean's eyes shone with delight at the fact that they were both alive, but now hardened for the task at hand. He would have simply take them to a place to get it done, but just moving Castiel before fixing him up would do more damage. He could only manage a jog towards the woods. Finding the right saplings was difficult because everything looked like toothpicks to him. Screw it. He plucked up numerous saplings, roots an all and brought a bundle with him on back. Only giving the other three humans a withering glare. Not worth his time and attention now. Ignoring them literally made them go away. The blood lust nearly gone away as he left the enemy, and approached his family.

He felt an internal shutter just then. Forgetting about Dane completely during the attack. He had a few seconds to talk. 'Dane? You ok?'

Dane curled tightly into himself. Still shivering and tense.

Dean pressed on. 'It's ok, they're gonna be fine. Just got to get these back to them.' he said and lifted up his handful of saplings. Not willing to carry them in his mouth and get his toxic saliva all over them.

Dane was still quiet but gave Dean the impression of hearing him. If nothing else.

'So... ok, we'll get this done then go get Mother.'

Dane only peeked one eye out of his cocoon. Choosing to display all of the wounds of the fight so far on his hide. Bloodshot and swollen eyes. Bruises on the tender parts of his skin. The bullets still lodged firmly into the scales that didn't make it all the way through, but still hurt. And all of the scratches on his hands, inside and out. He opened up his left and stared at it. Dean must not have been aware that the two humans were clawing at his palm for him to release them. Loosen the grip. To stop crushing them.

Balth had his gun tucked into his pants pocket but couldn't reach it, struggling to use it to alert Dean to their plight.

Dane felt every emotion Dean had, including some of the senses that Dean wasn't fully aware of during the fight. No filter. The anger towards the flying bipeds. The body being weakened, injured. The extreme sadness from loosing his family. Shifting directly into desire to torture the ones Dean held responsible, before ending their lives. The thoughts of smashing the enemy's tiny bodies into the ground. And maybe even eating them, because Walker said they tasted so good. And why not eat them? Dean thought they killed his family.

Dane winced and curled up tight again. Silent.

Dean looked inward once more and spared his Drauglin self a second to give an encouraging mental nudge. Ducking back out again because apparently Dane needed some more space.

'Got the saplings.' he chirped and laid down the twenty or so small trees. Balth quickly sifted through them and had Dean snap the ones he liked into smaller manageable sections. He instructed Dean to lower his head and with some precision, used one of his sharp jaw spikes to help cut the fabric into strips. Carefully wrapping four small sticks around Cas's forearm and binding them up tightly. Cas reaching out and grasping air before Dean gave him his wing thumb to grip. Cas could only grab a hold of the end of that claw. The wing thumb itself as thick as a human leg. It helped though, and Cas panted his way through the pain and tears.

Balthazar carefully inspected his work and tightened it one last time before tying it together. Cas then lifted his arms hesitantly and with no small amount of pain, Balthazar tied the longest strip of shirt around his broken ribs, tightening it up and then wrapping Cas's hand in with it. Making sure the arm wouldn't go anywhere.

Castiel hunched over a little, breathing hard and whimpering. He looked up and managed a grin that looked more like a grimace at Dean. But the blue eyes said it before his mouth caught up. "Thank you, Dean. For saving us." and pulled Balthazar in for a one armed hug. "Thank you my old friend." he whispered into his ear. Kissing his cheek and waving for Dean to get closer to kiss him on the side of his lip. "Thank you." he sighed before nearly collapsing. Balth's hands were there first and Dean's right hand behind them both. Swooping in a palm as big as a king sized bed as their feet left the ground. Dean holding them up in a soft hand to help transport them. Balth looked like he wanted to protest but there was nothing for it. They had to get out of there and there was no way they could hold onto any other part of the Drauglin for the trip unless they wanted to be folded up in his wings and risk sliding out.

Balth looked up to Dean who was suddenly very nervous about holding them. "You don't have to fly us. Can we just walk?" after all the excitement, Balth did not want to fly ever again. The memories of trying to get Dean's attention long enough for him to loosen his grip. The changing of pressure and altitude and speed making it difficult to figure out which way was up and what was going on. Struggling inside that massive grip did nothing at all. He blacked out right after Cas when Dean was dive bombing somewhere and made a sharp turn. Then, that loud howling sound woke him up and his first thought was, 'Get him to stop,' so he did. The gun in his hands felt foreign to him but necessary. He aimed it at his friend and shot his leg.

Originally aiming for his butt, it likely having the most padding and were Dean human, the safest place to shoot someone from behind because of the lack of major arteries and organs. But he missed. Next time he'll shoot off the rounds when he's upright and without a possible concussion. The first round was to get him to stop howling, and thankfully, it worked. Then Balth could just about tell that his friend was looming over some people, hackles raised. It looked as though Dean wasn't quite putting two and two together. That they were alive and needed immediate help behind him. To leave those soldiers alone. So there goes their remainder of the bullets into the same spot of Dean's leg. Probably never made it past scale one. Feeling more like a lover's butterfly kiss then anything.

Coming back to the present, he felt the flesh of Dean's hand under their bodies and felt sick to his stomach. Too recent memories of how fast the fingers could snap shut on them for another round of crushing. They were helpless then, and even more so now. Barely strong enough to stand unassisted. They had nearly died in these hands. Balth didn't want to be in them for any longer then needed. If he could make the trek he would but he also had Cassie to worry about. At least Dean didn't look like he wanted to tightly close the fist on them again. Holding his hand like a loose bowl with them in the middle of his palm, legs half dangling from the side near his pinky finger. So fuckin' small and fragile compared to him. Balthazar wondered if Dean could even feel them at all past the thick skin and scales. It was softer on the underside of his hand, but also better padded for walking on and grabbing things.

Dean too was staring at them like he held half broken robin's eggs in his hand and one wrong move could kill. But, they simply couldn't make it on their own. This field is far from safe. He wouldn't fly right now, but knew he would have to later. Probably with passengers again. And having them ride anywhere else would be suicide. He was not built to be safe to be around. Nearly everything about him was geared towards destruction.

Besides that, Dean was also in very rough shape. It was easy to misdiagnose because when humans look at something so large, they don't think of it ever being able to feel pain like a human would if all that happened to them. Monsters in horror movies can withstand bombs going off on them and never show a single scar. But real life? This was different. Dean looked tired and half dead. Only holding on for so long before collapsing to the floor and never moving again. "Are you ok to walk, Dean?" Balthazar held an arm around Castiel to keep him steady on the hand. "We can probably walk to safety ourselves. You don't have to-"

Dean snorted out of his nostrils and curled in his thumb as a seat belt for the two of them. Pulling them close to his chest and using his wing thumbs instead of his hand to walk to give them the smoothest ride he could. He made it to the edge of the woods, seeing the weird package that was in the back of the truck. It had burst open on impact and a heady scent filled the air. His mind started to swim and calm. Holy crap. That was kinda nice.

"Dean?" Balth was about to ask when he got a whiff of the dragon herb too. "That's that herb that helps with your pain. You can take some of it now if you want, but it will knock you out if you get too much."

Dean didn't give a shit what it was, he was gonna eat it. Maybe even roll around in it. Bathe in the stuff like a cat with nip. 'How sweet it is of you to give me some nip guys.' he purred and inhaled the herb deeply. His tongue snaked out and he took a taste. Eyes rolling in delight but he felt his tongue go numb. 'Oh. Knocks you out. Painkiller.' he assessed and sat down in front of the busted package. He pinched some using just his claws and applied it to the newest cuts. Smearing it into his scales and humming at the soothing sensation. 'I know Cas is my Mate an all, but, Balth. I wanna marry you.' Dean dry kissed Balth's chest before going back to administering his aching muscles and cuts. 'Screw it.' he mumbled and gently dropped Cas and Balthazar off next to the nearest tree as he did in fact, roll in it. Smashing the herb into the grasses and saplings. The leaves turning to a pulpy mush under his weight and he sighed happily. 'Fucking stars. I'm seeing stars right now. How beautiful.' he waved a few fingers in the air like trying to touch sunlight.

Balthazar frowned at the mess the Drauglin was making. At least he'd be able to salvage some of it for later use. He looked around the area. This place was good for a hideout for he and Cas. Cassie was already hunkering down against a tree and breathing hard, trying to compartmentalize the pain like Sam was teaching him. Neither one of them could fight anymore. Dean should leave them here for the others to fetch after the battle. At least when he and Cas smoke the herb they too wont feel any pain from their injuries. Balth was grateful for his Bic lighter surviving the fall.

Dean rolled to his side sluggishly. 'I jus wanna fall asleep.' he purred. 'No pain. None at all. Can't even feel my skin.' he said and waved his fingers in front of his face. 'These moving or am I high?' and waved them at the humans.

Now that Dean was totally calm Castiel could tell what he was saying and was concerned. "Dean. Do you trust me?"

Dean huffed a chirping giggle and turned around lazily to look at his mate. 'Of course, Pumpkin.'

"You have to get out of that now and wash it off."

Dean pouted. 'But it feels amazing. Not to feel.' Yawning. His limbs falling dramatically to the ground. All loose and akimbo.

"Did you forget about the others? Rufus, Sam, Bobby? Your Mother? They all need your help now, my Love." Castiel winced as he got back to his feet and walked closer to lay a hand on Dean's slack face. "They need you now. We are fine, Balthazar and I are just fine. You saved us, now it's time to help out the others."

Dean felt guilty for even thinking about wanting to sleep. Bringing the importance of his mission to the fore and he rocked himself back into a sit, then a stand when he got the energy for it.

"You're already benefiting from the herb, but if you don't wash it off now, you'll fall asleep. Get captured again and there wont be any way we can help you."

Dean nodded and looked wistfully to the smashed greenery and sighed. 'Ok.' and twitched his side fan ears to hear the spot where the river exited the base again. Making for that in a slow walk. A few minutes pass an he finds the current, not as strong as before since the river is wider and deeper here. More like a lake. He walked in without further preamble and drank deeply from it just before bathing as instructed. A plume of red and green coming from him. He rested in the water for two minutes before deciding to follow it upstream towards the sluice gates that belong to the base. From there, it was a simple matter of stepping over the fence. Not even needing to jump or climb. He was just inside the base in four steps. Only a handful of men and women were left outside and it was clear that they weren't going to suddenly attack. News of his skills and brutality probably spread everywhere. Now, they parted from his path like scared mice seeking shelter. He lifted his gaze and spotted the Impala's black shine on a hill nearby but outside of the base.

There's a large cliff and some woods between them and the gate, so he assesses his wings for another flight. He can't start the party without everybody there. He took to the air again, circling wide so the guys on the ground wouldn't know where the Impala was, and nearly drops from the sky when he sees a large flat cover with clamps of shining silver on the ground. Honing into its specific shine nearly on instinct because it is dangerous to him. It looked so large that he knew it had to be the area over his mother's cage. Meg mentioned the steel cover with a silver net directly underneath it, over the hole they kept Cricket in. It would drop onto her if she tried to escape. It wasn't just one net though, it was several that were woven tightly over the area. A series of clamps holding it to the four walls slides so when it fell, it would fall straight down onto her. She'd be unable to wiggle out from under it. Dean knew this would take some help from people that can touch silver and not burn their skin off. He hoped three people were strong enough to tug it away.

The smell of the silver made him sneer. Cricket had lived with it for months. The constant threat of pain literally hanging overhead. Dean flew faster towards the Impala. He landed close by, seeing Sam and Rufus reaching him first, Bobby lagging behind due to his injury. Dean rolled onto his belly again, trying to catch his breath. He didn't bother talking, just signing, 'Found moms cage. Theres a cover over top of the silver net. I'll melt metal clamps.' and resting his hand from all of those letters.

"Ok, did Cas and Balthazar get out safely?" Sam asked first.

Dean bobbled his head. 'Alive. Cas broke arm and ribs.' and frowned, pointing to the area that he left them in. pinpointing it long enough for Bobby to mark it on their map. He then noticed how far they were already getting on the circle. Too bad he had to kidnap them now. He didn't even wait for permission or to get his strength back, that could take too long and there were sirens going on down there.

'Bend your legs.' was the only warning they got. He reached forward with his right hand and gathered them all up, plucking them where they stood and had a little difficulty keeping them from squirming out of his grip. His claws at the ends of his fingers curled inward to help keep them inside his splayed hand. That stilled their protests for a hot minute. He dipped his head down and grabbed the bag of guns that was on the hood of the Impala and turned around. Stretching out his wings, he glided down the cliff side in a different route to take them directly to Cricket's cage.

Dean landed more gracefully this time. Thankful for the herb numbing his aches and pains till later. He let them off of his hand gently and they immediately cursed him out as they went for their handguns. Dean just didn't have time to listen to the proper procedures for hauling humans. He already learned his lesson with Cas and Balth. Daylights wasting.

He assessed what flame spray he had left and with Rufus's help, located the main locks for the cover. At least the cover wasn't silver so he dug his claws in as far as they'll go and pulled hard. It came loose without a fuss but the steel lid thing was heavy as hell. He dragged it at an angle so it wouldn't fall onto the silver net, causing a chain reaction that would make it fall onto his mother. He pulled it away and now assessed the silver net's clamps. Dean set fire to them and waited as they melted. He wished he could just grab it in his jaws and pull hard and fast like the cover, but it was locked down and made to withstand a dragon. Sounds below signaled the female Drauglin's distress, no doubt curling up in the center to avoid the dripping silver metal. He could hear Meg's voice calling for her to be calm.

Dean was about to say something but heard metal on metal back at the storage garage and some clipped orders given to fire at will. He sighed theatrically, 'Poor Will, what did he do?' He dashed away, wings spread again and hissing at them. If he was at full strength, he would have decimated the building but could only manage to stomp the entrance flat so they'd have to dig their way out. His tail was like a club, whipping all of the entrances into rubble. He wishes like hell he could do more. This base is filled with fire ants. They just keep popping up out of nowhere to ruin his day.

The entrances unusable now, he scouts the area listening to his guys pulling on the silver netting. Struggling with the sheer weight of it. Dean goes looking for a machine of some sort they could use to attach to the net to drag it away. But it seems as though all of the trucks and tanks strong enough were sent to handle him when he was back at that highway. He kinda screwed up on that one. The employee parking lot was another option but it was just too far away for him to get to in time. He wanted to be within eyesight of his family at all times.

The netting over Cricket's cage was pulled only halfway by the struggling humans. Dean pacing anxiously nearby, wanting to help beyond just setting the small fires that weakened the metal joints on the roofs cover. He dared not touch the silver because his injuries could mean all the difference between success and failure right now. Still, he hated himself for being this weak against a simple metal. Another reminder that he's monster enough to be burned by the pure element. He spun around and made sure that the others could work unhindered as some of the remaining soldiers were finally able to make it past the concrete boulders.

He still hadn't gotten a clear look at his mother, not wanting to crowd his family and the others as they worked. One corner of the net slipped down into the cage on accident and he could hear a sharp cry of pain from his mother, whirling around to see what caused it. He saw the net slowly slip further into the cage, threatening to cover her up completely as the humans were trying like mad to keep it from slipping down further, and loosing. He bit down on the nearest side to him and backed up quickly. The teeth were not effected by the silver but his gums would brush against it and he yelped through his teeth. Instead of letting go, he used it like an incentive to move faster. He scampered backwards without looking, Bobby ducking between the retreating form to end up underneath Dean when he drops it as soon as he was free of the cage. He snapped his jaws several times as the sting of the silver still felt like it was burning his mouth. Bobby high tailed it from under his thrashing tail as Dean swayed a little before he kept on backing up, forgetting he's moving on instinct to get away from the thing that caused him such searing pain.

Thankfully it wasn't too permanent, and he couldn't stop salivating to soothe the hurt gums, some drool falling out of the side of his mouth against his will. Sam was there, trying to get his attention by patting his arm as the human ran to keep pace with Dean. Dean finally felt small feet on the top of his hand as Sam just jumped onto his fingers. He looked down and a large dollop of drool narrowly missed Sam's body as he hugged Dean's forearm to stay on top.

'You ok?' Dean asked, licking his lips of the drool but making it worse. 'Reckless. I could have stepped on you.' Dean shook his head a little and then looked over to the opening in the ground. Not realizing till now just how far he backed up from it and the silver net. 'You riding or walking?' he asked as Sam steadied himself on the hand. Before his little brother could answer, several soldiers opened fire on Dean. 'Shit!' he exclaimed and curled his hand forward and then downward so that Sam would fall off his hand and onto his back before the clawed hand moved completely away again. Sam got the breath knocked out of him but got up quickly in time to see Dean charge at the soldiers who continued to shoot at him. They were hiding behind a car and Dean lowered his head to skewer the car with his horns, lifting it up quickly and away, sending the soldiers in a panic. The car landed not far away but the show of brute force made them retreat for now. Dean let out a small puff of his accelerant at the two remaining soldiers and they retreated faster then the others, in fear of being set on fire.

Dean got the idea to do that to every one of the bad guys. Make them think twice about firing off any guns because the sparks would ignite the spray on their cloths. That way, he could make them harmless and not be responsible for their deaths. If they chose to fire, they themselves would be set on fire in the process. Thankfully, every single person at the base knew about the dragons spray so he didn't have to warn them about its deadly effects. Even if he ran out, he could pretend hiss it at them and have the same effect.

If nothing else, the fumes from it were toxic for humans, so they'd need to run to a place where the air was clearer. He also had to make sure that his family didn't accidentally come in contact with it for the same reasons.

Sam was already back with the others, shouting down to Meg who was still at his mother's side. Dean could hear her down there and forced himself not to go to her because he was really all that they had between them and the military. He strode angrily around the grounds, daring someone to make a move but thankfully there wasn't anyone else out now, willing to test their luck. It was silent, but the cease fire wouldn't last long.

Sam leaned over the square hole in the ground and Meg waved at him while dusting herself off of the falling debris. When the roof had been removed, they couldn't get it all in once piece and concrete dust kept on falling like snow. The pitch black sleek female dragon was half curled around Meg and shook herself to get rid of the thick layer of dust and small rocks. Cricket's gaze clearly checked over Meg and Sam's heart beat a little harder, worried for the woman's sake but she was saying something to Cricket that he couldn't make out.

"Meg? You ladies alright?" Sam called down and saw Meg and Cricket look up at the same time. Something in the dragon's gaze shifted and he knew the exact moment she realized there was a way out of her cage. Sam's heart nearly stopped when he saw the massive dragon consider her small human friend before wrapping her up in one large hand and passing her up to that sides wing. Meg was folded into it against her will and Cricket tucked it into her side, keeping her safe. Sam remembered Dean doing that very same move and knew Meg would be safe, the only thing keeping him from freaking out about her disappearing from view.

Sam was about to call out again but the sight of the fifty-five foot tall dragon leaping upwards scared the shit out of him with how fast she moved. Slender but clawed hands reached up and snagged on the edge of the deep hole, feet swinging forward and scrabbling at the bars and walls, anything to get some leverage to help her climb up. Sam fell on his ass as Cricket's neck swung forward and knocked him over. He scooted back a few feet before flipping over and half crouching, half running away from the massive dragon. He stumbled to his knees and then scrambled a bit further, hissing in pain as the gravel bit into his knees and legs. Cuts heal, but there's no way to survive being squished.

Cricket's other wing was free to lurch up and out and was used to help pull herself up, the other wing coming up, still folded with Meg inside, swung forward and unfolded, letting Meg out as gently as she could so that the girl was free and away from the hole. Cricket paused just long enough for Meg to get the hint and move far enough away from her to continue climbing up on her own. The ground shook with every kick she made with her huge legs, trying to dig into the inside of the cage walls for a foot hold. Front claws sinking into the gravel but sliding backwards. Her strength waning the longer it took her to get up. Her mouth thinned to a hard line, eyes squeezed shut and a huge inhale of breath before her wings slammed down on either side of her and push-pulled against the ground. Giving her the extra boost she needed to get first one then the other clawed foot into the edge of the hole. Kicking off again to land on the ground with an earth shaking thud. Her legs splayed out and weakly clawed at the ground as she tried to catch her breath again. Eyes now squinting in pain from the exertion.

Meg hovered nearby, everyone watching the mother's body as it writhed on the ground for a solid minute. Worn out already from the strain, and lingering burns from the melted silver puddles along the edge of the cage. She had been caged up for too long.

Dean was frozen still, only able to see the rear left side of his dragon mother. She hadn't seen him yet, too busy whimpering and breathing hard into the ground. Trying to get over the pain. He could relate. Suddenly, all these humans looked so small in comparison to Dean. He finally sees something his size, something that looks like him. Like he did when he was first freed. His heart lurched at the sight of her. She had been starved thin at one point, showing signs of improvement, but from his own experience, it would take awhile to get back to being healthy again. That hollow look she once shown would have had him setting fire to the world for how horribly they treated her. The bond between mother and son is growing stronger by the second and Dean felt his Drauglin counterpart screaming to let him in control. He had to swallow back the feelings. This isn't over yet and Dane would be too impartial for the plan to finish. His concern was clearly solely for his mother right now, humans be damned. He struggled to contain Dane, the internal conflict taking its toll.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bobby and Rufus booking it back up to where their stuff was, where Dean basically kidnapped them from to help with the net. The old hunters had to get back there asap and make quick work in the dirt at the circular track not far away. Getting it set up.

The other humans and seasoned hunters alike, were oblivious to his internal conflict with his own trembling body. His little brother noticed, though, and started to march on over to his struggling big brother. Bypassing the mother dragon who he was supposed to be watching and keeping out of trouble till they could get her out. How he was expected to do that was never clear, so he left to check on Dean. He couldn't help her out anyhow, he's just one small human here. Meg could handle her. Dean needs help, and Sam can give it to him.

The wind shifted and Cricket lifted her eyelids at a passing scent. Her nostrils flared again, head slowly bobbing about, trying to triangulate its source. It was familiar to her. A scent she had put aside in her memory. Old feelings of betrayal and hatred attached to it. Revenge all boiling to the surface as she heard soft taps on the ground moving away from her. A human grunting from pain, cloth shifting as it was pressed against skin and rubbed around as it walked. Her ears confirming the sound of a male voice as it called out to something behind her.

"Dean? Dean! What's wrong?" Sam cupped his hands around his mouth to be heard at the distance. His brother was practically vibrating where he sat, head cocked to one side and teeth bared at nothing in front of him.

Dean looked up just as his mother did. There they were, facing each other, his brother in between, limped on over with blood showing on his jeans and shirt. Dean was torn, did his mother do that to his Sammy? Even Dane was quietly watching. His struggles for control halted by the sight of their mother looking at them. Her eyes went to slits as she inhaled and exhaled with more force then necessary, getting pissed about something and the murderous glint in her eye stunned Dean for a moment.

Dean let out a shocked gasp and his mother's eyes darted up to him. He finally realized that the hatred she had was all for Sam who was still making his way over, crossing the distance as fast as his small human legs could. Sam had no idea the danger behind him.

Cricket knew that scent. Knew that voice. Knew that biped. It's all his fault! None of this would have happened if it wasn't for that bastard! Her muscles tensed up again, rage fueling her body into action, air filling her lungs almost as fast as it was pushed out again. She focused in on him, he was already bleeding and trying to escape. How foolish it was to think he could outrun her. She readied herself to stand just as another sound was caught in the wind. Her gaze shot up from her prey and locked onto another Drauglin. Her focus and intent faltered for a second.

The other Drauglin was male, tall, strong and hunched over himself. Obviously injured from battle. Bleeding from cuts and burns all over. Barely standing but still a potential threat. It lifted up its head and stared right back at her. A mix of emotions behind that look. She could relate. It wasn't often she could see one of her own kind. No doubt this male was the source of that howl and roars she heard earlier. Something kept tickling the back of her mind as she stared at him. She wondered what he was doing here. The last she'd seen of another living adult male was caged up with her up until a little while ago. That was her second son, all black and deep brown, similar to her, but filled with hatred and loathing. Anger that was stronger then any other living thing she'd encountered in a thing that wasn't biped.

This male Drauglin, however, looked lost, alone, and just now seeing another one of them, alive, real. The poor thing might never have found another Drauglin and somehow found her. Her eyes warmed at the sight of him. One that was starved for companionship that can only come from one of their own kind. If he turns out to be safe and wants to, she would travel with him to the island.

Movement caught her eye again in between the two of them, the bastard biped fell to his knees, tripping on something in the ground. It was headed towards the male dragon with purpose, the male didn't seem to know the danger he was in as he just sat there staring back at her, mouth opening and shutting. Like he wanted to say something. The male's eyes went to the biped in that second as well and he got to his feet, but still wavered side to side like it was dizzy. He was obviously beat. No doubt a great warrior but even fighters can loose when the enemy is cunning and vast. He helped get her free, the least she could do is this.

She looked over to the male Drauglin and chuffed at him to get his attention. He looked up and she winked at him. He cocked his head, mouth snapping shut.

Cricket quietly got to her feet, coiling around herself until she fully faced the biped as it got back to his unsteady feet and kept on staggering over to the male. That got a reaction from the male as its eyes looked more alert, and shock painted across his face. She would eliminate the threat that's before him, this biped, once and for all. For the betterment of all Drauglin's! She leapt to her feet, closing the distance swiftly.

Sam was about halfway to Dean when he looked up and saw shock on his brother's face, looking at something over his head. He whipped around just as he felt the ground quake from something massive landing on it. The tremors knocked him off of his feet and he narrowly missed a gaping maw of sharp teeth that darted over him. The force of the move rolled him over and over as the long neck behind the head pushed him along. The huge head lifted over top of him and growled openly at him. Covering him in a cloud of poisonous vapor and choking him instantly.

Unlike the other times with Dean, this was on purpose and meant to suffocate and incinerate. He threw up his arms to cover his head as he felt budding intense heat over top of him. This was it. This is how he dies. A ball of flames that once resembled a human. At least it would be quick.

A nearly crushing blow slammed into his body as he was sent flying through the air. An explosion of sound and light and death just on his heels as he flipped through the air, free of the fireball. He landed harshly on something that was at an angle and rolled down to the ground. Dirt kicked up around his body and stuck to his wet clothes and skin. Coughing it out of his mouth and lungs. He heard a seismic crash overhead and the dirt ceased raining over him. He jerked his head up and saw Dean and Cricket tumbling over each other, tangled limbs and claws, moving away from him.

Cricket squawked indignantly and bit into Dean's arm and he let go of her to whirl around for a better attack position. She kicked him in his side and he was left sprawling. She must not want him dead because Sam was able to see her pause in the attack to his neck. She shook her head at Dean and shoved him aside again, gaze darting around the area and landing square on Sam.

"Fuck." Sam breathed and scrambled to his feet. He ran as fast as he could away from her, belatedly hearing Bobby calling his name. He felt the ground tremble underneath him again, bucking under his pounding feet, and ducked down as her body soared overhead. Unable to stop the momentum of all that weight, she clawed into the ground to stop her skid. Sam was already up and running towards Bobby and Rufus on the ridge. Long legs eating up the ground but not fast enough. He could just barely see Bobby at the ready, holding the clay bowl. Too far. Too fucking far. His feet pounded the ground but not nearly as impressive as the female Drauglin that was once again on his heels. Teeth snapping at the air behind him.

"Dean!" he cried out desperately. No chance in hell of survival on his own. "De-!" he felt pressure on his body again, wet and crushing for just a second as his feet were swept up from underneath him. His stomach dropped to his feet. Something huge and slimy wet was coiling itself around his body and pulling him into a cavernous red and black hole. He swiped his hand across his face to clear the slick wet substance and the dirt mixed in to see solid white curved cones closing in around him. A mouth! The tongue coiled tighter and he gagged on the fumes and saliva. He was turned around harshly by the force of the tongue flipping him effortlessly around into better position, and he caught a sight of his intended destination down the gaping black hole of her undulating throat. A gurgling growl coming from deep within the body reached his ears and he froze for just a moment to comprehend just how hopeless his situation really was.

One hand was pinned down next to his side and the other started to push with all his might at the tongue that was still curled around him. He pleaded with her to stop, hoping that she'd somehow understand him. She's done this so many times its now a skilled art form. She knew just how to maneuver him, however she liked.

The roof of the mouth was flexible and ribbed and he was forced against it, rolling over and around being pushed and pulled by the tongue. He realized he was being cleaned of dirt as he saw the muddy mixture pool at the front of the mouth and all of the space he one had was gone, pinned down on all sides, he couldn't breath for a second until he felt the mouth move sharply forward and back, the slick spit was expelled out with force and the jaw loosened a little. The pool of mud gone and being replaced with clearer saliva. Drenching his form as a deep rumbling sound vibrated his very bones. The tongue moving lazily now, moving him side to side and dragged all along her mouth, all of his protests and cries went ignored. She was tasting him. A cross between hatred and desire in those growls. She wanted to savor him as much as kill.

Sam punched all around himself and suddenly was forced underneath the tongue into the squishy mounds. The tongue weighed heavy on his body. Only his upturned face was left above the rising level of saliva. His head was at the front of the mouth, just behind her lower teeth. Long hair getting caught between the gums and fangs. A rumbling growl shook his whole world and nearly made him deaf. He could see the throat move in different ways, causing different growls to be heard. A pulse of air and a sharp high pitched shock wave caused him to cry out in pain. The pressure from all around him was intense as the growls were formed and forced the rest of the way out of the mouth and into the world beyond his wet fleshy tomb before it sealed shut in pitch blackness. Nearly silent, only the sounds of her heartbeat and labored breathing was heard. After a moment, the jaw loosened just a little and air seeped in. He took greedy lungfuls of it while he still could. He didn't dare question why she hadn't swallowed yet. Thinking about it might make it happen sooner.

Dean aborted his next attack as he saw the Drauglin's mouth close around Sam's whole body. She side stepped away from him, growling and warning him, 'You come any closer, dare threaten me again, and I'll bite down on his flesh. I'll make it hurt.'

Dean ducked down and back from her. He could hear his little brother being pushed around inside of the mouth and the small pleas for her to stop.

'Don't... please don't hurt him.' Dean bowed down, lowering to his belly and looking up at her with pleading eyes. Begging. 'Please? I'll do anything you want.' he saw her move her mouth some more and spat out some muddy saliva and then close her mouth again. No movement. His horror at the thought that his brother was swallowed whole, just like he had been. 'Don't hurt my brother, please. Don't eat him. If you've already swallowed him, at least turn him into one of us? Don't kill him, please.' Dean groveled at her feet, creeping forward and whimpering. 'He's my brother.'

Cricket lowered her jaw a little and inhaled some air, letting the male Drauglin see inside just enough to make out the tuft of brown hair that made it out between two fangs. She heard his relieved exhale and his posture change ever so slightly. 'Who are you?' She demanded, feeling the biped underneath her tongue tremble at her growls.

'You don't recognize me?' Dean asked back, the feelings of Dane wanting control again coming back again. Not forcefully this time, more like nudging, asking.

Cricket narrowed her eyes and growled out, 'Who are you?' again. The damned biped under her tongue pushing against it annoyingly. She slid the body to the side of her mouth towards the top and slammed him into the roof of her mouth several times to knock him out. The small body went limp and she was only slightly concerned she overdid it and killed the thing. She wanted him to suffer for what he did to her, her unborn offspring, and her first infant son. She had lonely ages to think about what she'd do to him once she found him again, and none of it was going her way right now thanks to this strange male in front of her. The male kept on calling the bastard his brother. Which didn't seem right. She took a moment to let in more air to revive the biped just a little, she nudged him around with her tongue and noticed herself salivating too much at the amazing taste. It may be a bastard, but he was still biped and they are undeniably delectable. She lifted up her head a little and swallowed the flavored spit before narrowing her glare at the male again.

Dean's eyes went wide at that movement, the lump going down her throat but saw her play with something inside her mouth. Sam was still there. He didn't have to imagine what that was like himself and shivered for his little brother's sake. One of those times would be for real. Dean lifted his head a little more to get a clearer look at her. 'I'm... I'm your son.' he said quietly, hardly loud enough for her to hear him.

She snapped loudly, 'Speak up!' and felt the biped in her mouth bounce a little at those words and curl into his side. She tucked him into the space between her cheek and fangs so she could speak easier and not wonder if he was drowning in her spit again.

Dean winced on behalf of his brother and spoke up louder but still with respect and humility, Sam would die if he pushed her too much. 'I am your son. My brother took me from your nest when I was young.' he said haltingly. When it looked like he was getting through to her he said, 'He helped me remember who I was before you turned me into this.' he lifted his wings a little to indicate his body.

Cricket's jaw dropped a little and Sam's body flopped back onto the tongue. She shoved it back roughly underneath, not yet willing to let him go. She swallowed spit again and saw the pained look in the male Drauglin's eyes as they went wide in terror. She felt his feelings so sharply as the wind shifted her way, bringing all of those scents at her in full force like claws to the face. The familial bond between him and her, as well as him and the biped in her mouth. It really was her offspring. Her son, her little boy. And she was terrifying him right now. The last thing in the world that she wanted was for her baby boy to be scared of her. She thought he had died, thought that the other bipeds killed him long ago, almost wished for it. She thought that if he were alive, he was being tortured like she had been and a merciful death would have been preferable to the life she had at the hands of the bipeds. She never thought she'd escape their cage lair. But she had, with the help of these other bipeds. The one staring down her throat right now was here... her mind caught up to the events, the bastard one was probably trying to free her. All she felt was vengeance towards him for what he did in the past, blind to what he had done today. She's topside again thanks to him and this is how she's repaying him?

Sam felt movement all around him again as the head dipped back and a gush of cloudy saliva washed down her throat. This is it. This is how he dies. No more then a small snack for a dragon. She's just slicking up the pathway towards her stomach for his body. He was too weak to fight it from those crushing blows to the roof of her mouth. He could barely stay awake even with all of those deafening sounds coming from her thundering vocal chords just a few feet underneath him. He knew that it would be useless to try and fight against those strong muscles so he just went limp. Accepting this fate. So tired of fighting. Praying she would just end it quickly.

Cricket dipped her head forward and felt the small lump move away from her throat and down her tongue. She curled it around the limp body and guided it carefully the rest of the way out making sure her teeth didn't cut him up along the way. She lifted up her waiting hand for the fragile being. She cautiously lowered her body to the ground and splayed her fingers outward to provide as much cushioned space as possible for it. Unraveling her tongue from the body, she slipped it back into her mouth. Daring to lick the small thing of the excess saliva after a few seconds, and she thought that it will also help revive him.

He was so still...

Dean saw his mother let Sam out and into her hand, creeping forward slowly so as not to anger her further or cause her to take it out on little Sammy. He hesitated before saying anything, heart still thumping like mad and whole body shaking badly. He was too big to help, and if his mother continued to see him as a threat, he could be the indirect cause of Sammy's death. Her eyes darted to him for a second at the sound of gravel crunching under his belly scales and he stopped abruptly, eyes going wide again and an apology already on his lips but she just frowned slightly at him and went back to inspecting the human in her hand.

Dean could sense humans all around the two Drauglin's, willing them to stay back and not make any sudden movements. His mother could just be wanting to set fire to his brother instead of swallowing him whole. The fire wouldn't burn her hand at all, but it would be like holding a fireball for as much liquid flame is on his little brother. Dean suspected that even though his mother's sparker teeth were removed along with his own, her's most likely grew back just like his did. One spark and he will witness his brother burning to death, unable to stop it at all. 'Please... is he?' Dean whimpered as his brother was still laying still and silent.

Cricket rumbled a quiet purr for a few seconds. Trying to soothe her long lost son and calm her own nerves down. It was obvious that her boy held his old brother in higher esteem then her. She couldn't really blame him for that. After all, he was kidnapped from her when he was very young and impressionable. Rejoining his original litter mate for so long... of course her boy would see her as the enemy. She looked him in the eyes for a short moment and gave a half barely there grin. She decided not to keep them apart. She was no longer needed in his life, this little thing took care of her boy when he was away, he was bigger than she imagined he'd be, undeniably strong and alive. A fighter, going by the old and very new scars and burns on his body. He was still here so he had to be the victor in those battles. Probably fighting for family, but right now he was too weak to battle her, or unwilling since she was his mother. Either way, she didn't know the whole story, but could feel that these two were meant to be together and said, 'He's alive. Just, asleep.'

Cricket sighed and lowered her hand to the ground, tilting it and with her nose, nudging him off to lay down on his back in the dirt. She put her hand down next to the thing and nudged the body a little, it curled into itself and she exhaled in relief to know she hadn't broken anything. Some slight moans in his sleep, that's all. The blood from before was seeping through again and she wished she could have fixed the wound by cauterizing it but since bipeds can't withstand fire, that was simply not an option.

Her eyes lit up for a second. Meg. She would know what to do.

Dean watched his mother move Sam around, sniff at the human and then suddenly stand up and turn towards him. He cowered even lower, wings flattening out in submission. He could see the slight disappointment his display was in her eyes. Not good enough. He turned his head to the side, exposing the underside of his already injured jaw to her. Whatever it took to show that he wasn't a threat and neither was Sam. He wouldn't make a move while she was so close to his little fragile brother. Dean wasn't even sure if he could attack his mother. Dane was in the head-space, metaphysically pacing around, waiting anxiously for what happens next. He was surprised to see her 'tisk' at him and walk closer. He winced as she bent her head down to his head, expecting a blow, or bite, or claw gouge, but only got a soft whisper in his ear.

'You turned out to be big and strong.' she smiled sadly, 'So don't cower before anybody. You should keep going on, my son. All I want for you is to be satisfied and live a simple life.' Cricket grinned at him with a sense of pride. He was literally willing to die for family. She just wished he was happy with them. That all of these troubles he had seen were going to be over soon. Fighting for family did not make him weak. She just hated that he had to fight his own mother to get her to see that. A mother is supportive and loving and kind, and she nearly drove him away with her blind rage. She vowed to herself to do better by him, by them. Those people are very dear to her boy, and so she would treat them with respect as well.

She nodded at him, then kept on walking past, straight back towards the gaping hole in the ground over the cage, and approached Meg. She needed a favor.

'Mom?' Dean asked with a wavering voice, lifting his head and getting his feet underneath himself. He looked over to Sam and quickly closed the distance. 'Sammy? Sammy, oh God, Sammy. You ok? What hurts?' Dean nudged him with the end of his nose, smelling all of the flammable spray covering his body. 'Gotta get you cleaned of that stuff before anything happens.' He said and wondered how in the hell he could move him if he's injured. 'You with me?'

Sam was vaguely aware of being pushed again, cringing away from it after he found a bit of strength. Everything hurt. Every. Thing. "D'n?"

'Yeah, right here, can you move?' Dean hunched over Sam, protecting him from even the sunlight. His hand came in and he tried to angle it just right for Sam to be rolled right up onto it but the width of his fingers were far wider than Sam's body. 'Hang on, I'm sorry, so sorry I gotta do this...' he mumbled as he then used his tongue to lift up the body with more care then he could with claws as big as Sam's torso.

Sam just had to choose that moment to crack his eyes open and see the rows of teeth and freak out all over again, shoving at the the tongue, hand, lips, anything to get away. "No! Stop! Please don't -" Sam started coughing raggedly, turning to his side and heaving into the dirt. Dean ducked back in with his nose and nudged him the rest of the way onto his hand that curled gently around his brother. Sam pushed feebly against the restraint which broke Dean's heart.

'I gotcha, I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe Sammy, just try and relax. Ok?' he lifted his fragile brother in hand towards his chest and kept him there as he used that side's wing to help him walk towards Bobby. 'Bobby's gonna check you over, ok? You're gonna be fine. Just fine.' Dean took a glance to the side and saw movement in the woods. 'Fuck.'

Sam was just starting to relax in the careful grip when he heard Dean curse and stiffen up. "Is she coming back?"

Dean held Sam closer and said, 'Others. In the woods.' A rumbling growl emanating from deep within. 'Fuck, we're surrounded.'

"Put me down and take them out." Sam pushed at the fingers again, as weak as a newborn kitten. All his hunter training and he's being carried around like this, unable to fight, or even stand and run.

'Not a chance, Sammy. Almost lost you twice today. Three times... shit, I lost count. All the more reason to shut your mouth and let me take care of you.' Dean quickened his pace towards Bobby and Rufus. Neither one of the hunters could move from their spot now that the spell was about to start. Dean jerked his head to the side to see his mother walking closer, Meg jogging to keep up at her side. Dean was just now seeing that he's almost as tall as his mother. Huh. Guess all that good food while he was shrunk helped him grow relatively taller and healthier then he thought. He was upset that his mother didn't get the same treatment until Meg stepped up and helped her out.

When Cricket got closer, she chirped somewhat nervously. 'I know you don't trust me. So, I'm going to try and earn it. This is Meg, she's safe, friendly. She can help your biped, er, brother.'

Dean looked down to Meg who was looking up at Sam next to his chest. He answered, 'We're fine. Got my own people for that.' and kindly shook his head down at Meg for her sake. Knowing she doesn't understand their speech, just tones and expressions. 'Hi Meg.' he gave a half grin, somewhat remembering his time with her back at the zoo as well as the other places. Even if she was his Mate's Ex-wife, she was an alright chick.

Cricket looked down at Meg, somewhat aghast, 'You never told me you knew my boy!'

Dean could see the anger starting to rise and growled at his mother, self-confident now that he's got Sammy safely in his hand. Now he's got to help out Meg. 'I told her not to tell you! That was me. Not her. She's got nothing to do with this.'

Cricket tried to control herself. The feelings of betrayal threatening to make her loose her temper again. She was never this hot headed before, but so many things are happening all at once, it's hard to sort through who is an ally and who is the enemy. Things she knew as fact are being put on their head. All within an hour's time. She'd been freed, her boy is alive, the tall bastard biped is actually a good guy, and her only ally in the pit knew her boy was alive and didn't tell her. And the biggest kick in the teeth is that her boy hates her, but still helped get her out of the cage.

Dean could scent her feelings and rushed to correct her, 'Meg had helped us get you out. She's a friend that had been with my Mate before I met them.' He nearly bit his lip when he admitted that.

Cricket stopped cold and stared at him. 'You... what?' No hate, just pure confusion. She turned to Meg, even though she knew the biped couldn't understand her she still blurted out, 'Meg, you were with another female Drauglin? How? Why? Where is she? There's more of us? Who's her mother? Or was it before she became Drauglin?' she looked around herself, hope in her eyes at finding another of their kind. She knew none of her own female offspring made it, so there must be others out there. Then then her mind came to circle back around to the puzzling notion of her Meg wanting to be with with a female Drauglin. A different kind of relationship. Mates? The way her boy said that his Mate and her were together implied something closer then friends, a profound bond. What if their own friendship was something more in Meg's eyes. Whoa.

Dean scented the air. His mother was feeling some interesting stuff. He wondered if he should correct her now or later. Seeing how she would take the idea of a same sexed couple if her known friend was in one. Start simple, build up the the part with inter-species same sexed couples like his and Cas's. 'Meg didn't Mate with one of us, I mated with one of them.' He could feel Sam squirm in his grasp and rasped out, "D'n. Shut t' fuck up. La'er. You can c'nfuse your m'ther lat'r." before breathing heavily and going limp again. Using up some more energy to cuss him out and bring him back to their present predicament.

'Yeah, ok, Sammy.' he murmured, petting his brother's back with the side of his thumb in long soothing strokes.

Cricket looked down to the soft sounds of her boy's brother in his grip. 'You understand them?' she got a nod and asked, 'What did it say?'

Dean had to bite his tongue from correcting her about calling Sam an 'it'. Baby steps. At least she was willing to listen. He then gave another glance around the area and said, 'My brother said we have to get out of here, we are surrounded.' he lied about what Sam said and she could tell instantly, but still clearly heard the words themselves, looking around herself.

'So what do we do?' she asked. She'd been locked up for so long that her fighting skills were rusty, her body didn't want to move as fluidly and deadly as she had been able to do in her prime.

This was too easy. Dean was fully expecting his larger mother to fight him on this, or just fight him in general. He decided to push his luck just a little more. 'Do you trust me?'

She countered with, 'Do I have a choice?'

Dean nodded, 'We all have a choice, but if you trust me, we can get out of here and to safety without the soldiers finding us.'

Cricket nodded and said, 'All this time... You were alive?' she started following her son towards a large circle where two other bipeds were standing as if they were waiting for them. 'You were living with bipeds?'

Dean nodded, hobbling forward and said, 'Yeah, and I admit, it wasn't always fun. After a little while, I was kidnapped from my family when I was still growing, this bastard, Azazel had me in this fucking zoo, tortured me into being his pet.' Dean shivered involuntarily and hugged Sam a little tighter without cutting off his breathing. 'After him, I was taken here, but they didn't let me see you, they wanted me to be like them, a soldier, but I set fire to the building and they sold me to yet another asshole, Michael. But you don't have to worry about him, my family and friends took his group out. But uh, while I was there, I met my Mate. Castiel.' his eyes went soft a little, remembering the love shared between them. The things he would do for him.

Cricket cooed a little, 'Cas-ti-el, she sounds lovely. Was she kept in a cage too?'

Dean bit his tongue again. Trying to figure out what to say as they got closer to the circle. Just a few dozen more feet. In the woods, the two Drauglin's could hear gunshots and fighting. The cavalry had finally arrived. The hunters Bobby and Rufus called up for clean up. Most likely led by Jo and Ellen. 'Don't worry about them, there's a lot of guys on our side. Sorry, you keep calling them bipeds, I just think of them like regular people.' He motioned with his free wing towards Meg who was jogging to keep up with the two that towered overhead. 'Not all people are bad. They just don't understand that not all of us are bad either.' and shrugged a little. 'Cas, my Castiel, is amazing. And... I hope you like uh.. my Mate.' he omitted the gender and specie. One revelation at a time. 'Soon as we do this thing and get out of here you'll meet Cas. I promise.'

Cricket could sense that her son wasn't telling her the whole truth but couldn't spot the lie. The bangs and sounds in the woods were getting closer and she wanted to help Meg along since it was quite the trek for the little thing. As if reading her mind, her boy said, 'I got her, go on ahead. Stand in the circle and, uh, please don't eat my little family!' he gave a small grin for the bad joke, hoping to ease the tension that was between them. He then dipped the hand down that was holding Sam and scooped up Meg in it as well.

She flailed for just a second before his thumb brushed down her arms to lay as flat as Sam who was only mildly aware of what was going on now. Meg oriented herself again and marveled for a moment about the fact that she was actually being carried around in a hand big enough for two people, maybe even three.

'Sammy? How ya doing? Tell Meg what hurts.'

Dean half paid attention to what was going on below, the rest was split between the woods behind them that were getting increasingly rowdy and his mother eyeballing Bobby and Rufus pretty hard. 'Sam, gonna need you to translate for me since Cas isn't here. So ya gotta wake up for me, ok? Sammy?'

He made it to the circle and gently lowered Sam and Meg down in front of Bobby who helped them out of the hand. Rufus was in front of his mother, looking like he was trying to give directions through body language. 'Hey Mom? He wants you to stand in the circle and don't move at all, ok? I'll join you in a minute.' he chirped reassuringly. 'Don't worry, we wouldn't have broken you out to hurt you. Everyone here risked their lives for us, you can trust them.'

She warily got into the circle with strange markings everywhere inside of it and stood still, looking over at her boy. She could see him mumble something to his brother and held back all questions but one, 'What are you going to do?'

'Take out as many of these evil sons-of-bitches as I can.' he smirked and turned to march into the woods nearest them. They heard screams and shouts and gunshots from one end to the other. Sometimes a wing would be raised above the treeline before slamming back down and the sounds of more men's screams were heard and cut off with groans. A fire was started in the woods that Dean brought over to the hole in the ground. A massive dead oak was ablaze and dragged over to the hole that was Cricket's cage for nearly all of Dean's Drauglin lifetime. The dry wood of the burning oak was setting the grasses ablaze all along the way, making a line that no one could cross without being engulfed in flames. Most of the tree disintegrated as he dragged it along to the other end of the clearing. Another blast of fire was seen taking out yet another dead tree which he grabbed and drug back to the hole again and kicking it in. Panting heavily he headed back to the circle when someone else fired at him. He sighed heavily and lurched back into the woods and set fire to that area. He was completely dry, spent, as he exited the woods, giving a glare all around at anyone else that wants to mess with him. They were all just lucky that the place the circle was drawn is inaccessible for vehicles coming from the base – but available for the normal, non-military controlled highway beyond, that remained out of sight. Otherwise they'd get unwanted company really quick.

Dean's side fan quirked to the side, eyes squinting into the woods, detecting movement but seeing as how it wasn't shooting at them, ignored it again. Probably a friendly that ran into them, or an animal. Either way, if it wasn't going to mess with him, he'll just leave it be.

Dean climbed up the short rise to the area, coming at it from the different way to throw off the trackers, and drank a little from a very, very small trickle of water that left the main river in the woods. Sucking the thin stream dry and swallowing hard. He lapped at the remaining puddles and formed a thin stream of saliva, mustered up the remaining of his flammable spray to do a very wide circle around their group, making sure that they wont be interrupted. He had to resort to biting his tongue to throw up some of the liquid as well towards the end of the circle. His stomach ached from the voluntary vomit. Wondering if he would ever have his flammable spray again. Dry from the inside out. The only place he didn't get to was the road leading to the Impala. Dean nearly collapsed when he got to the circle, taking a deep breath and holding it as he entered the circle and stood just long enough to get close to his mother. He laid down, half asleep from sheer exhaustion and feeling like the bug that hit the windshield.

He found himself mumbling, 'Man I don't want to do this again.' before catching himself and giving his mother a innocent but tired smile. 'Everything's gonna be fine. Just don't leave this circle.'

She was about to ask why when a feeling of warm fire lit inside her body, instead of it being painful, it was actually very nice and could see a similar look of pleasure on his face. She found herself feeling like she was dizzy, falling down and sliding forward backwards, to the left and right at the same time. Collapsing in on herself and could see her boy slowly getting farther and farther away from her, head lolling. Strange words were being spoken by one of the old bipeds and it felt as if it was embedded into her very soul. As they slid away from each other and everything around them, she was worried and fearful. She just realized that she might not make it and didn't even know what to call out to her son. His name. Surely he received a name by now, or if nothing else, what his original name was. She felt another wave hit the two of them and the world was getting bigger all around them. He had to breath fast or else her lungs felt like they were going to explode inside her. She tried to focus on something. Names. Her boy kept on calling her Mother, not once by her name, the others from the bad place called her Eve, besides Meg. She might as well introduce herself properly now, since they might not get another chance. 'My name isn't Eve, it's Cricket.' she shouted over. She could see her boy strain to lift his head and he grinned peacefully.

'My name's D- ' and then blackness hit. Dragging them down into nothingness as the world slid away.