Endless Road to Rediscover

Part 2: Wendigo

Chapter 6: Just As Much

There was a piercing scream, the sound of a man. Dean was awake immediately and alert seconds later. Sam roused slower. Hailey and Ben however were awake.

"Tommy!"

Dean watched as a moment passed and then another scream tore through the air. Hailey sprinted away, still screaming her brother's name. Dean dashed after, because he knew that the wendigo was hunting again, and this time it wasn't to take out a threat like Roy but to gather fresh prey.

Sam watched as Hailey first ran and then Dean left him. He was still groggy with sleep but fear ran through him as he watched Dean disappear through the foliage of the forest. Jumping up, he ran after, the kid Ben following with him. They ran through the forest, hearts pounding wildly. All Sam could think about was the blood at the campsite and Roy and the monster wendigo and the fact that Dean was in danger.

Sam stopped when he came to the cracked screen of Dean's phone on the forest floor. Panic filled him, pure fear and worry coursing through him and making him want to cry. Dean was dead, Dean was dead, oh God, Dean was dead. Tears threatened to fall but a voice inside him sounded out, his inner Dean telling him to calm down, to think about what he'd taught him about monsters, about the wendigo.

Clutching the phone Sam tried to think, mind furiously working. The boy Ben was watching him with equal amounts of fear. Ben was really his age, maybe older. Sam couldn't remember but he was sure the kid was sixteen, two years his senior. But Sam was a hunter, he had to be strong and calm and keep his head like Dean did. What had Dean said the night before about wendigoes?

Cannibals, used to be men, hibernated for years, had lairs. Lairs, that was important, somewhere close by, dark and good for storing their food. Sam ran back to the camp, Dean's back pack still sitting against the tree where he'd left it. There was a map inside which Sam pulled out and placed on the ground. Eyes searching frantically he tried to find what he was looking for.

A mine, that's where the wendigo would be, Sam was sure of it.

Sam headed toward the mine, not sure what he was supposed to do to fight a trained killing machine that was faster, stronger and smarter. The only thing he was sure of was that he was keeping his promise to Dean, he was going to make sure Dean was alright.

"Wait, where-where are we going?"

Sam turned to Ben, nearly forgetting that the kid was with him.

"I'm going to save my brother."

"And my sister?"

Sam gave a tiny nod.

"Then I'm coming with you."

They set out for the mine, minutes passing painfully. Stopping in front of the mine entrance, Sam hesitated. It was dark and the monster in there was something he knew he couldn't stop. Everything indicated that he should leave, run to safety. Besides, hadn't Dean told him that if something dangerous happened he should call the contact on his phone and not try to help him? Sam shook his head and walked into the mine.

It was dark and as they continued further a foul smell became noticeable and then grew until it was a putrid stench hanging in the air. It wasn't until they had came upon human bones that Sam realized it was the smell of rotting flesh. They walked a few steps when a creaking groan sounded out followed by the very floor falling out from under them.

Sam groaned as he sat up, blinking dirt from his eyes. When his vision cleared he saw two figures strung up with rope. Fear lanced through him and he was scrambling to his feet. Horror overcame him as he realized that it was Dean and Hailey.

"Dean?" Sam cried, tears forming and falling.

"Dean?!" Sam was patting at Dean, begging silently that Dean was okay. He barely noticed Ben approaching Hailey from where she was strung up.

When Dean stirred, Sam let out a sob and hugged Dean from where he was still hanging from the ceiling.

"Kid?" Dean's voice was hoarse.

"Wht're you?" Dean slurred, eyes blinking open. Sam was trembling but he pulled back, rubbing his sleeve across his face to brush away the tears and snot.

Sam pulled out the small butterfly knife that Dean had given him. Standing on tiptoe he awkwardly sawed away at the rope until is snapped and Dean came down, Sam trying to catch him but getting squashed in the effort.

"Are you okay?" Sam said, terrified eyes staring into Dean's.

Honestly Dean felt like crap, the Wendigo having hit him hard and then putting him back out when he'd started to wake up halfway through the journey. He blinked when he realized that Sam was crying, blinked again when he realized that Sam was here.

"What the Hell are you doing here?"

Sam rocked back on his heels and guilt tinged his face.

"I know you told me to-I just-" Sam faltered, looking up in fear at Dean, tears starting fresh again.

"I didn't want you to die." He mumbled quietly before hanging his head.

Dean felt his heart swell a little, any anger he had been feeling leaving. He'd only been angry anyway because Sam could get hurt. Glancing over at where Hailey and Ben were taking down their still living brother he realized that Sam could still get hurt.

Pushing himself into a sitting position with a grunt, Dean awkwardly patted Sam on the shoulder.

"I'm not dead." He tried to reassure.

It didn't seem to work because Sam was still huddled in on himself. Dean felt guilty, however they still had a flesh eating monster on the loose. Looking at their surroundings he was surprised to see their packs off to the side. Flare guns.

Dean set a hand on Sam's shoulder again. "Sam, we gotta go."

Sam looked up and saw the flare gun in Dean's hand, the other being offered out to him. Grabbing it, Sam smiled hesitantly. Dean would fix this.

Standing up, Dean called to the others and had them gather round and start heading for the exit when a growl made them all stop.

"Someone's home for dinner." Dean muttered darkly.

He looked at the scared group of innocent and inexperienced people behind him. This was Sam's second hunt and they had nearly died on multiple occasions. Somehow Sam was looking up at him with dewy eyed hero worship and all the trust in the world.

"We're not going to make it past that thing." Hailey said from where she was helping to support her brother Tommy.

Dean couldn't agree more. Time for plan B. Turning to Sam he gently grabbed his shoulders.

"I need you to take them out of here, got that Sam?"

Sam nodded furiously but his eyes were already filling with confusion.

"What about you?"

Dean smiled. "Don't you worry about me. You get these people out and you keep them safe."

Dean grabbed Sam's hand, the one with the flare gun in it. He pressed it to Sam's chest and gave him an encouraging smile.

"You got this, Sammy."

Sam grinned, smile hesitant and still afraid but hopes bolstered. Standing, Dean turned around, not meeting the gazes of the people counting on him.

"Come and get me you freak!" He screamed, beginning to head off down the tunnel.

"Yeah, that's right! Bring it on, baby! I taste good! Get some white meat, bitch!"

Sam watched him go before heading off in the other direction with the others following. He could hear Dean's yells in the background. It was dark and there was little light to see by, Sam couldn't help his hands shaking as he held the flare gun like how Dean had taught him. They came to an intersection and Sam could hear the tell tale shift of rocks that wasn't his brother.

"Go! Go!" He said, terror overtaking as he raised the flare gun.

They scrambled away down the tunnel and Sam followed behind, glancing back to see if the monster was there. It appeared, out of nowhere, and Sam started, firing the gun. The shot missed and he was sprinting away as the wendigo let out a petrifying scream.

They turned a corner and came to face a dead end. Sam paled as the creature approached. They were all going to die.

"Get behind me." He said, trying to spread his arms out wide enough to protect the people with him.

Dean had made him promise, he was going to keep these people safe. And then Dean appeared, dark figure raising the flare gun and sending the monster to it's death. Once it had melted to the floor Dean came forward, eyes evaluating Sam for injuries. Sam launched himself at Dean, tears coming once again, harder and faster now that the danger was gone.

"I tho-thought, you were dead." Sam hiccuped.

Dean patted his back and Sam tightened his hold.

"Not yet, kiddo."

The ambulance and police were dizzying in the after, Sam stayed glued to Dean's side, a hand fisted in the side of Dean's jacket as if he would up and disappear. Finally Dean managed to get Sam into the Impala where he passed out in the passenger seat.

"You two were really brave."

Dean smiled, giving a small nod. Hailey looked at him, gratitude strong in her features but also interest and consideration.

"Really young too." She continued.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, he's just a kid."

Hailey frowned. "I meant you too."

Dean froze at that. He hadn't felt young since he was eight. Responsibility and age were handed to him from the time he was old enough to carry it. Quite literally too, he'd been passing as being 21 since he had turned fifteen and could pull it off. Sometimes he forgot that he was barely old enough to be drinking.

He was surprised when Hailey leaned in and gave him a hug alongside a chaste but genuine kiss on the cheek. She gave him a long look.

"You take care of him, and you take care of yourself too."

Dean watched her walk away, stepping up and into the ambulance to be with her brother. Dean turned and looked at Sam who was now fast asleep inside the Impala, all scrunched up against the passenger door. An image of Sam's face when he'd found him strung up flitted through his mind. He smiled, for once there was someone waiting for him who really cared, someone that needed him, and apparently someone that he needed just as much.

Thank you for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting! It's like getting a rainbow in my coffee in the morning (a very useful thing). Anyone who knows this episode will notice that I have some plot discrepancies, not only in location but also in events (no m&m trail, etc.) part is to not compromise the premise of my AU and the other is for personal reasons. If there are any questions feel free to PM me.

I will try to make it so there is an *episode* each week, so to keep in the spirit of the show.