Castiel had to place Dean in a deep sleep twice that night, and the thought filled him with dread. Never before had his nightmares ever managed to claw past the angelic rest. Cas frowned, still curled around the hunter, trying to lend any small scrap of comfort he could.

Dean woke quietly that morning, blinking sluggishly in the sunlight pushing through the threadbare curtains. He felt the warmth against his back and he turned towards it.

Cas shifted, laying flat to give Dean the room to move. He was surprised when Dean chose to pull himself to lay almost completely on top of him, tucking face up under the angel's chin and resting his hand alongside his face. Cas paused before he wrapped his arms up and around the hunter's back, feeling a strong stir of emotions. He let his eyes close, tilting his head forward to rest against Dean's forehead. This wasn't what he was expecting. This calm intimacy was new to him, new to both of them. He pulled Dean just a little closer.

They held like that in silence for a few minutes before Dean shifted, his face still set in an expression that was tinted with the scars of the past week's events. He pushed upwards, meeting Cas' lips briefly before pulling away and wordlessly walking to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Cas sat up, watching him leave, and hearing the shower switch on a moment later. He couldn't help a gentle smile in spite of the overwhelming nature of recent events. He felt a warmth settle in his chest, and he held onto the comforting feeling. The angel switched into his own clothes before heading out of the motel room to pick up breakfast and a coffee for Dean.

When he returned with the food, Dean was just pulling a shirt over his shoulders. He put the sandwich and coffee cup on the table, taking the opposite seat and waiting for Dean to join him. He watched curiously as the hunter booted up his laptop.

"I was thinking…" Dean finally broke the silence, talking with his mouth full. "We're out here… we might as well take a case."

Cas regarded him carefully, trying to read him. He could tell Dean was feeling somewhat caged and directionless. While he wasn't sure it was a good idea, he knew Dean felt he needed it. So he nodded slowly. "Alright."

Dean could sense his reluctance but appreciated his agreement in spite of this. He finished up half of the sandwich, wrapping up the rest and pushing it aside. He pulled his laptop in front of him and began to search.

.

Back on the road, Cas watched the tension leave the hunter's shoulders, the clear destination and the promise of a hunt doing good to focus his mind. He couldn't completely dismiss the quiet worry in the back of his mind, but he couldn't ignore the clear benefit to Dean right now either. He let himself relax slightly and think on the case ahead of them.

The case Dean had found had them pulling into the town of Payson, Arizona a little more than six hours later. The four teens to go missing represented the second group to go disappear from the same area in two weeks. The police had written off the first couple as likely to have skipped town, no signs of struggle. This time three were missing and one was left, mangled and gnawed on.

The police dismissed them quickly. "Sorry you wasted the trip for a cougar attack. You boys are welcome to take a look, but there's nothing out there."

Dean had insisted they look at the body before they left. He found himself in the small police morgue, looking over the grizzly remains of one Tom Gray. He frowned, poking the tip of a pen into the wounds, taking vague measurements and making note of the flesh that was missing.

"What are you thinking?" Cas prompted.

"Definitely not a cougar." Dean snorted. "Size of these wounds? I'd put my money on black dog."

"How do you kill a black dog?"

"Well the trick is finding it first. Your blade should work but silver tipped bullets are going to be a hell of a lot easier."

Cas nodded, zipping up the body bag and pushing the drawer back into the wall.

They were just entering the lobby when they heard the officer assuring a woman that it was unlikely her family members were actually missing. She started towards the door, her expression crushed. Dean quickened his step, gently touching her on the shoulder, already pulling his badge out to show her. "Sorry Ma'am, What's wrong?"

She turned, tears reflecting in her eyes. "My brother took my son out… they were supposed to be back hours ago."

"Do you know where they went?"

"There's a small lake at the edge of town. Liam likes to sail his toy boats there. Bill takes him out there some mornings, but they only stay for an hour or two."

"And when did they leave?"

"Right after breakfast, maybe 8:30?"

Dean nodded. "That lake, is it anywhere near the old shipping warehouse?"

"Yeah… pretty close. Why?"

"No reason. Can you give me a description of the both of them?"

When she finished he gave her his card and a promise they'd look into it. He and Cas headed back out towards the black muscle car, Dean shedding his coat as they went.

"Do you think her family is still alive?"

Dean frowned as they climbed into the Impala, starting towards the motel he had booked a room at on the way to the station. "I don't know. Black dogs like to play with their food for a while, so it's possible. But we have to find it's den soon." They got back to their room and Dean quickly changed into more practical clothing for a hunt. He double checked his ammo and handed Cas a silver loaded gun of his own. He tucked his into his waistband and headed back outside.

.

The angel and hunter walked through the taped off bit of woods right off the edge of the warehouse grounds, across from the lake. Dean stooped to inspect the blood and claw marks in the fallen trees and logs surrounding where Tom had been found. "It's hard to tell for sure, but I'm sticking with Black dog." Dean sighed. "Most of the victims have been teenagers. The first couple came out here to fool around, this group trying to find somewhere to smoke." He shook his head. "Now these two. That's a lot for a Black dog. Gotta be a nasty son of a bitch."

"How do we track it?"

"It would have dragged them off into the woods. Towards wherever it's holed up. Ground is too hard to leave tracks to follow, but basically we look for it's den."

"Any ideas?"

"Yeah, but I don't like them."

Cas waited for Dean to continue.

"Snagged this map from the sheriff's office. It puts a series of caves a few miles northwest from here." He looked up at the angel. "We'll be reaching them pretty close to sunset." Hunting in the dark was less than strategic.

"We could wait until morning."

Dean pulled a face. "No. The faster we look the more likely we find them alive." He swung his lightly packed canvas bag over his shoulder. "We should go now."

Castiel trusted the hunter's judgement, following Dean's lead as he folded the map, double checked the direction on his watch and headed into the increasingly dense forest.

.

True to Dean's prediction the shadows were stretched long across the ground by the time they reached the cavern entrance. He knelt on the ground just outside, inspecting the freshly dried blood on the rocky ground. He nodded his head towards the cave and pulled his gun and flashlight out.

Cas pulled his own gun out, feeling strange holding the new weapon. He had fired a shotgun a handful of times, usually when his grace was on its last legs, but never a handgun, and never when he was at full power. Still, Dean was right. The advantage of a ranged weapon was clear.

The pair pressed into the caves.

Dean was careful to keep his footfalls silent, moving along with as much speed as he could manage stealthily, clearing around every corner before moving forward. Cas meanwhile walked sideways, making sure to keep careful watch behind them to avoid any unwanted surprises.

Dean rounded a corner, freezing for a moment before his posture deflated. Cas peered past him to the body laid across the ground, clearly recently deceased. "Well, Uncle Bill didn't make it." He muttered softly to Cas. He looked around, noticing a pile of remains that looked like they dated back years. The freshest ones still were painted with gore, but the flesh had been stripped clean from the bone. "I'm guessing that's the rest of them." He stated, pulling up his gun, moving quickly past the idea of a rescue mission and turning towards the task of hunting down the dog.

He was so focused on the mission he almost missed the small sniffling sound echoing from around the bend. He froze, glancing at Cas before gesturing and moving forward with him. He rounded the corner with his gun up and found the source of the sound. He immediately lowered his gun before dropping his flashlight slightly, allowing it to illuminate the space indirectly.

Dean looked down at the small figure huddled against the rock. He looked at Cas, communicating wordlessly and the angel backed up to him, keeping his weapon ready, allowing Dean to approach the kid with cover. The hunter knelt down next to the terrified child. "Liam?" He prompted gently.

The five year old boy looked up, eyes overflowing with tears as he nodded.

Dean tried to put on a friendlier face, attempting to soothe him. "Your mom sent us. We're going to get you out of here, alright?" He looked over the kid a little closer, noticing the blood soaking down the side of his head from a fairly large gash that hadn't quite closed up yet. He looked Liam in the eye. "Do you know where it went?"

Liam shook his head vigorously, the tears picking up a bit in speed.

"Alright that's alright. You're doing good." He soothed. He started laying the seeds to gain the kid's trust, knowing they'd need it to keep him calm in the inevitable fight. "My name is Dean, and that's Cas." He introduced. "We're here to rescue you." He let his hand extend and watched the boy tentatively move forward and grasp it with his tiny hand. "Liam is a pretty cool name. Cas and I have a friend named Liam." He continued to talk quietly, his words alone bringing comfort to the child. "Do you think you'd let me take a look at that head?"

Liam froze, thinking over the request in his traumatized mind. He finally gave another small nod, and Dean inched forward, bringing the flashlight up, careful to keep it out of the kid's eyes.

Dean nodded. "Okay. We're going to get this patched up. Cas is going to heal you." He smiled at the kid, his hand coming to rest gently on his shoulder. He leaned in conspiratorially. "Cas has super powers."

Liam widened his eyes, looking up from the hunter at the angel, who glanced back at him.

Cas moved, switching places with Dean without words, kneeling to help the child, letting Dean take over a defensive position.

The hunter surveyed the larger cavern they found themselves in. He scanned his flashlight around, sweeping over the ground, making sure there were no surprises. He frowned, the light resting on something bright red. Glancing to make sure the two passageways were clear he moved forward to get a closer look. He stooped down, reaching out to what he could see now was a pile of backpacks. He pushed them each open, taking brief note of their contents. He stood back up, his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of this new discovery.

He whipped his flashlight around towards the far passageway as he heard the distant snarl. The hunter froze, and he felt his heart drop. "Fuck."

Cas looked up, making eye contact with Dean as his face morphed into some cross between fear and dread.

"Dean?" He asked quietly.

"Fuck fuck fuck." He backed closer to Cas. "It's not a black dog." Dean whispered, dropping his voice and trying to stop his breath from catching in his throat. He looked back at the pile of hiking equipment and paled further. "It's impossible." He muttered to himself. But even so, he heard the growling echoing through the cavern and he knew as impossible as it was, it was happening. "We have to move, now." He hissed.

Castiel nodded, standing immediately.

Dean shoved his gun back in his waistband. "These are useless." He pulled the angel blade out of the canvas bag.

The angel frowned, following suit, trading his gun for his own blade.

Dean stooped down. "Liam, we're going to go okay? We've gotta keep real quiet." He held out an arm and Liam put his arms up, wrapping them around Dean's neck, allowing him to hold the kid with one hand, pulling him close while holding the blade in his other hand. He started back down the passageway they came from, moving as quickly as he could silently. He kept himself carefully between the kid and seeing any of the bodies in the next corridor, trying to spare him at least one spec of trauma today. Though he knew that his ability to shelter him further was limited.

"What is it?" Cas whispered, careful to keep his voice even lower than before.

Dean glanced up, making eye contact with him. "Wendigo."

Cas' eyes widened. "You're sure?"

"Yeah." Dean said simply. He silently cursed the universe for it's sense of irony. His mind ran through the situation as they neared the exit to the cave. He had hoped for a bit of time before it noticed it's food had run off, but he heard the blood curdling snarls behind them, and he knew it was on their trail. He made eye contact with Cas and they both broke into a sprint.

.

It was almost a mile before he felt more than saw it push past them. It almost knocked them off balance as it disappeared into the brush and turned to swipe through again. Castiel slashed out with his blade and he caught flesh, the Wendigo screeching in pain as it pulled another retreat.

Liam screamed at the noise, clinging harder to Dean, hiding his face from the horrors stalking them.

Dean felt the slightest touch of relief that the blade at least seemed to injure it, but it was short lived when he could see the trees move, and hear the snarls continue around them. It wasn't slowing it down.

He and Cas picked up the pace, now running through the darkening woods at a full dead run.

The hunter heard the cracking through the woods on their left, then their right, and he knew it was toying with them. They crashed into a clearing, Cas and Dean stopping for a second back to back, knives up, keeping their eyes on the tree line surrounding them in the rapidly dimming light.

Dean cursed again under his breath, trying to think of a plan. He shifted the kid's weight up against his shoulder. Liam still had a death grip around his neck, his face buried deep in Dean's shoulder, his cries shaking his entire body.

The hunter looked around them making a rushed plan. He brushed his arm against Cas', getting his attention. He pushed Liam up from his shoulder. "Cas has got you." He apologized as he re-positioned the kid into the angel's outstretched arm.

Dean turned and dove for a moderately sized branch throwing his bag to the ground, pulling things out as fast as he could. He quickly wrapped it in an old grease-rag t-shirt and tied it off. He soaked the end in lighter fluid, reaching into his pocket for his lighter. He didn't see the approach, but before he could flick the lighter he felt the tear through his flesh from the claws of the creature that was suddenly upon him. At the last second he managed to set the makeshift torch alight and he heard the creature shriek and withdraw. "Run!"

Cas and the hunter took off, crashing back into the forest, their instincts perfectly in tune with each other. For a moment they were back in purgatory, fighting alongside each other against the wild animals in the night. They both began scanning the area for a defensible position as they ran as fast as they could.

Dean could hear the creature breaking through the woods, easily keeping pace, kept at bay only by the burning branch in his hand. He knew that his makeshift torch was not going to last long before it burnt through. He just hoped they found what they needed fast enough.

The angel had his hand over Liam's head, protecting him from the branches as they continued to crash through the woods. He was the one who spotted the shed on the horizon. A small hunter's cabin, barely a small room, just 4 walls and a roof for shelter, but it was the best they had.

Dean kept the torch up behind them as he shifted course to follow the angel veering off to the right. He kept his focus around them, listening to the sounds get closer as the torch began to show signs of burning out. He kept his bloodied arm out, grasping the blade, the pain of the shredded flesh not even registering over the adrenaline.

As soon as they were to the door of the shed, Cas put Liam down as fast as he could, prying small arms off of him and all but shoving him inside, watching him run all the way in and crouch against the back wall. Dean thrust the dying torch into Cas' now free hand and began rapidly scratching the symbols he'd need to stop the wendigo from reaching them.

Dean put down the first set before the torch faded, and in the dying light he struggled to continue. He stumbled, falling against the outside of the shelter, the bloodloss starting to catch up. Cas took his shoulder and roughly thrust him through the door as well before turning and finishing carving the protective runes into their surroundings.

Dean staggered inside and collapsed back against the wall of the shed, hissing with pain, still clutching the angel blade in his torn arm. He braced himself for a moment before turning to look at the kid. The boy was curled against the wall, head buried in his arms and shaking but physically unhurt. Dean grunted, letting himself finally react to the pain now that they were tentatively safe.

He closed his eyes, looking at the ceiling for a moment, his head spinning with the effects of losing that much blood and the subsequent run. He heard Cas slowly back away from the door, the sigils finally entirely in place.

Dean finally breathed through the vertigo, and looked down, eyes resting on his arm. For a second he saw his injury before his vision flashed in front of his eyes violently and completely. He was no longer kneeling on the battered wooden floor of the shed, but rather the soft sands of a stormy beach, his hand now curled around the first blade which he dropped as if it had burnt him. It only lasted for a second, but the flashback had him gasping for air on top of his prior distress.

Cas heard the angel blade clatter to the ground and he turned to see Dean recoiling from the sight of his arm. He could guess where the hunter's mind had gone. He fell to his knees in front of him, his hand grasping Dean's firmly, his grace effortlessly sealing the wound. He used his other hand to reach into the pocket he knew Dean kept a bandana, pulling it out and immediately beginning to wipe away the remaining blood. He kept a solid hold of Dean's hand, feeling as his pulse slowly began to return to normal. He felt some of the rigid tension start to release.

Dean finally got a tentative control of his emotions, forcing them back down into a box and catching his breath. His mind snapped back to the present, back to the situation at hand, and more importantly, Liam. He felt Cas release his grip.

Dean turned again, looking over the kid a little more closely, using the distraction of taking care of someone to focus his attention. He kept his voice soft, careful not to touch him, knowing it'd only startle him. "Hey Liam." He started softly. "I know that was scary, but I want you to know we're safe right now." He assured.

Liam didn't remove his head from his arms, but he did move them to peer through up at Dean, his eyes still wet with tears, and his own breath coming out in hiccuping gasps. He gave a slight nod, keeping his eyes on Dean.

"Cas and I… we fight monsters all the time. Sometimes it gets a little scary, but we always win in the end, okay?" Whether it was true or not, Dean needed Liam to believe it, and as he watched the kid start to breathe a little easier, he knew he had. Dean softened his features. "Besides… you already know Cas has super powers, so you know you're going to be okay, right?"

Liam finally pulled his arms down to wrap around his knees. He nodded again, shifting his eyes up to look at Cas who gave a small awkward smile.

Dean watched in silence for a few minutes as the boy's tremors of fear morphed into the shiver of cold. He slipped his jacket off, kneeling next to the kid and holding it up. "I'm just going to put this on you, okay?" He waited for permission before he made any move closer to him.

Liam nodded again, slowly uncurling his arms so Dean could pull the coat over his shoulders. The green army jacket looked ridiculously large on him, but Liam just pulled it closer, clearly comforted by it's warmth.

Dean smiled gently, coming to sit against the wall next to him. He crossed his arms, leaning back.

Castiel watched the kid relax slightly under the coat's weight, and saw him start to really believe Dean's words in the new quiet. He looked over the hunter, noticing Dean seemed completely in his element, even through the inherent danger, and the close calls. Dean didn't like to be cornered, but he felt perfectly in control in a defensible position with his back to a wall. They'd be safe here until morning, and he was doing alright.

It also didn't escape Cas' notice how comfortable and confident Dean was with Liam. He thought back, realizing that Dean had raised his brother from infant-hood. Dean knew how to handle the frightened child. He himself felt completely lost on the subject. He looked to the hunter for guidance on what he should do.

Dean nodded his head, quietly suggesting Cas come to sit on the other side of Liam, to help give him some sense of security. The angel walked slowly to the right side of the kid, sliding down to sit a little bit away as Dean was.

Liam watched him sit down, and without hesitation shuffled sideways and curled up against Cas' lap.

Cas froze, looking up at Dean with wide eyes.

The hunter had to restrain a laugh watching the alarm written across the angel's face, but he managed to keep it locked in. He carefully schooled his face into less of a grin and tried to give a bit of reassurance to Cas. He knew Liam felt safest with Cas because he had powers.

Liam finally found his words again, turning to talk to Dean, his voice still small. "Are you his sidekick?" he asked.

Dean furrowed his brows, snapping his head up. He was surprised to hear Liam's voice and was more than a little thrown by the question. "Am I his what?"

Liam innocently looked up at the hunter. "If he is a superhero, are you his sidekick?"

Dean opened and then shut his mouth, staring at the kid and feeling his face grow warm. "Uh-"

"Yes." Cas answered simply and confidently.

Liam's eyes widened as he stared at the hunter in awe.

Dean bit back a scowl at Cas, seeing Liam clearly comforted by the fictionalized version of his saviors. "Yeah." He forced out. "I sure am."

"Wow." the kid whispered.

Cas didn't try to bite back the grin as he watched Dean sink more grumpily back against the wall. Liam didn't say anything more and the three of them fell into silence, listening to the stillness beyond the walls.

It took about an hour before Liam slowly drifted off, his breathing evening out completely in sleep.

Dean let his facade drop once he knew there was no risk of alarming the kid. He pulled himself up to his feet, walking over to the other side of Cas, sinking down to sit shoulder to shoulder with him. He let out his breath, giving a weaker and somewhat grim smile. "So… careful what you wish for, huh?"

Cas nodded in agreement. He turned to fully look at the hunter.

"I didn't even think for a second this could be a wendigo." He hissed, his expression falling completely. "It was absurd to find one in Colorado, there was no chance of finding one in Tonto." He shook his head. "And getting this close to town? There is no way it should be here."

Both of them looked up, hearing the shout in the distance. Cas looked to Dean, but the hunter had just settled to stare at the wall. "It's just taunting us." Dean glanced down, thankful Liam was still fast asleep.

Cas looked back to Dean, ignoring the subsequent yells in the distance. They were protected. "What is the plan?"

"We're only maybe two miles from the car. Flair guns. It's our only way."

The angel sighed. "That will not be easy."

"It'll let us get most of the way. Let us think we're about to make it." Dean guessed.

"Another torch?"

"Yeah, we're going to have to." Dean shook his head. "God, that's like a cup of water on a forest fire."

"It'll work." Cas said firmly, though he wasn't sure he believed it. "Besides, it can't kill me. And the angel blade at least hurt it. I can distract it."

"Yeah." Dean said absently. "At least in the daylight we'll have half a chance."

Cas let the silence fall back in place. The two settled in for the long wait through the night, mentally preparing themselves for the battle they faced at dawn.