The 12 Saves of Christmas
Save 8 The Little Donkey
December 23rd 11.45am
They had resumed their slow trudge through the thickening snow, each a little lost in their thoughts of Christmases' past. Their pace was slow and as the snow began to tumble again from the pregnant clouds, they became quickly dusted with a frosting of icing sugar whiteness.
The snowball came out of nowhere, breaking Dean's thoughtful reverie to hit him squarely on the side of his head. It puffed in a mini detonation before disintegrating into cold tickles of ice that slithered under the collar of his T-shirt to continue their troublesome journey down his taut abdomen before dipping below the waistband of his jeans. The sudden cold made him gasp like a girl.
"Hey, no fair! Disabled here, remember?"
Dean snarked as he wobbled to a stop, scowling at Sam who was a few feet ahead of him doubled over with the mirth of his direct hit.
"Hey Dean. Who's Frosty the snowman now. Har-de-har!"
Sam laughed as he looked back at Dean, smiling at the look of mock outrage from his big brother. He strode back and rolled his eyes theatrically as he swept off the thick layer of powdery snow that diademed Dean's head, marvelling that his trade mark, dark blond spikes remained intact. So much for Dean's constant entreaties that hair gel was unknown to him!
"Leave it out, Sam!"
Dean squirmed out from under his brother's huge hands.
"Don't mess with the hair! Will you never learn? Ladies love the hair."
Snorting ensued as the younger Winchester surveyed the silent, abandoned landscape.
"And you're seeing lots of ladies out here are ya, bro?"
"Well, it always pays to be prepared, Sammy."
Dean retorted smugly, knocking Sam's hand away as he made another grab for his hair. The movement shifted his weight onto his unprepared, injured knee and torn thigh and they protested vigorously, reminding him that someone had replaced the usual joint surfaces with blazing hot coals. He tried to contain the agonised groan but it slipped from his slightly blued lips, stripping the grin instantly from his face. He rocked back quickly onto his other foot trying to decompress the explosion of pain in the swollen limb, only to find that suddenly loading his broken toes was equally as uncomfortable. His similarly sore foot failed to find anything more of a stable base and Sam watched in horror as, cart-wheeling his arms looking for the balance that eluded him, Dean fell gracelessly, yet again, onto his ass in the deep snow.
"Crap!"
Dean gasped with feeling as his hands encircled the patently incompetent knee and he rocked gently back and forwards as Sam knelt beside him, the easy smile of moments earlier replaced with sudden, serious concern as he rubbed at Dean's back trying to ease some of the all too apparent pain.
wWw
The spirit of the Christmas Hiker looked on as the elder Winchester recounted his memories. He watched the brothers' impromptu snow-ball bonding session with sympathy but mounting impatience. He needed them to be on their way and he found their lack of progress was eating away at him. He had waited so long and his tolerance was just about at an end.
Still, he could see that trying to terrorise them into increasing their pace was going to have no real effect, beaten up as they were, so a change of approach was called for.
The ghost gathered his loose ethereal tendrils and drifted away swiftly and silently, a plan forming in his moribund mind.
wWw
"S...Stop...gotta ...stop!"
Dean gasped and rolled his head breathlessly so he could look up, through the driving snow, into Sam's worried face. The older man literally hung in his brother's embrace, utterly dependent on his tenuous hold on Sam's shoulder and the supporting arm around his waist. His knee had finally given out entirely about another half a mile down the path and their progress was now dependant entirely on how fast Sam could essentially drag Dean through the deeply drifting snow.
"Lemme...down, S...Sammy."
Dean's words came out with little pants of fogging breath and Sam nodded, gently lowering him to the ground so he lay on his back in the snow. He knelt beside his stricken sibling and allowed his own breathing to slowly steady. After a minute or so Dean found the puff to speak again.
"Sam, you gotta leave me here and go find help."
He had managed to prop himself up on one elbow and was looking with earnest eyes at Sam's worried face.
"Like hell, Dean!"
Sam barked out in a disbelieving laugh.
"You seriously think I'm gonna leave you here in this blizzard and hike off into the distance whistling 'Let It Snow'?"
Sam's face was flushed with both exertion and irritation at Dean's inability to put his own needs first. Most of all though, his colour came from his fear, fear because he really didn't know how he was gonna get them out of the situation he had walked them into by agreeing to leave the safety of the tree.
"You were all for leaving on your own when we were under the tree!"
Dean's pale face was all righteous indignation and Sam couldn't help but smile at the petulance of the pout. Suddenly, the situation seemed funny and Sam had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop him from laughing out loud.
"Well let's just examine that statement shall we, Dean?"
Dean humpfed and went to speak, but was halted when Sam held up a silencing hand.
"So, I think the key phrase we should concentrate on was 'when we were safe under the tree'. See, the tree had 'saved' us, Dean. It's a definite theme going on here. Can't you see it? The spirit of Christmas is on our side and determined to..."
Sam paused as Dean sat abruptly up in the drift, his green eyes blazing, to poke his finger firmly into Sam's chest.
"I didn't say 'safe under the tree', smart-ass. I said 'under the tree'. And how ridiculous can you possibly get? 'Saved by Christmas'! You are losing your mind, Sammy."
Sam sat back on his heels to escape the accusatory digit and continued on with his irritating line of questioning.
"So, the tree didn't save us? And Cupid didn't appear to float me outta the river? And a robin red-breast didn't save us from the bear trap? And..?"
"Enough, for heaven's sake!"
Dean yelled and Sam deployed his ultimate argument winning weapon.
"So, you're saying we weren't safe under the tree?
Sam made sure his eyes brimmed just enough with tears at his next line.
"I tried real hard to make it comfortable under that tree, Dean."
Dean had lost and he knew it. The moment Sam's eyes had sparkled with tears had always heralded the downfall of his resolve to press his point and now, even though Sam had carried him the last half mile, it was no different. 'Big brother Dean' emerged with a vengeance.
"No, Sam, I didn't say it wasn't comfortable. You did a great job with the tree, and the fire and everything."
Sam stepped the lip quivering down to a five on the Richter scale.
"And breakfast..?"
Dean nodded urgently and patted Sam's arm.
"Yeah, Sammy. Breakfast was cool too. You did a great job."
Dean smiled, reassured that he had fended off Sam's sulk and Sam went in for the kill.
"So, no more talk of leaving you here in the snow and going off into the sunset. Okay, Dean? Deal?"
The older brother's face creased into a frown. How the hell had he stampeded into a fast shuffle? Goddamn, Sam was good!
"Now, wait up there, Sasquatch..."
Dean shuffled forward on his bum a little, tugging the front of Sam's jacket for emphasis.
"All I was saying was, I really can't keep up...
Dean gestured to his swollen leg and throbbing toes.
"And I'm holding you back, so if you were to..."
"Stop it, Dean!"
Sam dragged his jacket from his brother's frozen fingers and pushed him none too gently back into the 'snow pillow' behind him as he rose to his full height to tower over Dean.
Sam's good natured cajoling had disappeared, replaced by a heartfelt anger born of his lingering fear. The impact with the snow found and re-awakened the myriad small wounds on Dean's back and he sucked in the frigid air as the pain flared.
"Why do you always do this?"
Sam asked, his cheeks flushed and he stood, hands on hips, over Dean as he spoke so that the recumbent man was forced to lean back submissively to be able to see his face.
"Sam..."
Dean tried to speak but his brother was in no mood to hear it.
"Shut up for a god-damned minute, Dean! I'm talking and you need to hear this."
Dean thought of a dozen wise-ass remarks. A dozen reasons to save himself from what Sammy was going to say. And then he looked into Sam's frightened face and knew he had to shut up, suck it up and hear his brother out. He owed him that.
"Okay. I'm listening. Shoot, Sammy."
Dean's voice was soft and scared and Sam's anger dissipated with the swirling snow. Scared was something Dean never allowed to colour his words. But there it was, so softly said, but somehow so loud that it quieted the wind storm around them and hummed as the only sound in Sam's ears.
It was like the younger man was a marionette and someone had suddenly scythed his strings. He folded, all long arms and legs, till he sat in the snow beside Dean.
"It's just..."
He started to say but stopped as he looked into his brother's deep green eyes. The same eyes he had seen for all his life but for a moment, in the gleam of the snow, there was Dean's mortal soul on display for him to see.
It took the words from Sam's lips with the intensity of feeling he saw there. Those eyes resonated with loss and grief and terror. They were darkened with the knowledge of too many horrors seen and wearied by responsibility beyond their years. They longed for their Mom; the Mom that Dean could actually remember as a person not just a concept. They yearned for something beyond this, beyond hunting with its death and destruction. Yet they didn't think they deserved it.
The sadness overwhelmed Sam and he shifted to lower his gaze, but Dean caught his chin and forced him to hold the moment, and Sam saw the rest. He saw beneath the loss, and fear and grief and there was love. For their Mom and Dad and the countless people they had helped by hunting the creatures of darkness that were their daily companions. But, most of all, he saw Dean's unconditional love for him. Throughout everything this man had been forced to witness, endure, bear, there was love.
It humbled and amazed Sam and he found himself speechless in the snow as the tears froze on his cheeks.
"Come on, bro. That ridiculous hair of yours'll freeze to your head if we don't get going."
Dean smiled as he spoke and held his cold-numbed hands out to Sam, indicating he needed assistance to get back to his less than fully-functional feet. Sam wiped his nose on his sleeve and got to his own feet, as gently as possible pulling Dean with him. The brothers resumed their conjoined posture and, amidst a flurry of grunts of pain and exertion, they continued down the snow covered path towards the Impala.
wWw
The ghost of the Christmas Hiker found his quarry and released his most malevolent shriek to terrorise the creature to his bidding. The howl resonated through the forest and the beast reared and fled in terror in the direction of the unsuspecting Winchesters, as the tattered phantom smiled its deaths-head grimace into the wind.
wWw
"What the crap was that?"
Dean was suddenly alert, his aching body flooding with 'fight or flight' adrenaline as the unearthly sound reverberated through the idyllic snow covered scene that surrounded them. He stood away from Sam, throwing down his crutch and groaning as he placed full weight on his damaged leg and toes. The sudden pressure stimulated Dean's circulation and blood seeped from the sodden bandage to stain the leg of his jeans.
"Jeeze, Dean why didn't you tell me you were bleeding through the bandage?"
Sam's eyes flickered to the growing stain on the tattered denim that wrapped Dean's tense thigh.
"There's no time for that now, Sammy. Get the guns out."
The elder Winchester tugged at the shabby pack on his brother's back as he spoke and the look of urgency on Dean's face, and the memory of the inhuman scream resounding in his ears, gave Sam's frozen hands the necessary speed.
"Hurry, Sam. It's coming!"
Sam grabbed one of the sawn-off's and pumped it as he handed it to his brother. He snatched the second and moved to stand, shoulder to shoulder with Dean, as they faced the sound of their approaching assailant.
The thundering noise got louder and louder, and the trees on its approach route shuddered and divested themselves of snow as the beast careened closer and closer to the ill-prepared hunters.
"What do you think it is, Dean?"
Sam whispered.
"Oh, well let's see? Could it be a velociraptor, Sam?"
Dean glanced incredulously at his brother, tension making his words unnecessarily harsh.
"How the fuck do I know?"
Sam looked hurt.
"I was only asking..."
"And why are you whispering?"
Dean demanded irritably, as before them the crashing and demonic wailing increased.
"Don't want to give away our position..."
Sam reasoned in embarrassment, his cheeks red as a Christmas elf's.
"I think it's got our position, Sammy. Brace for impact, here it comes!"
Dean glanced again as the ravening beast broke through the cover of the trees and skidded to a halt before them as they aimed the shotguns at its hideous form.
wWw
The little grey donkey trembled in terror as it observed the bristling hunters before it; and turned tail to try and flee back into the woods from whence it came. However, the ghost of the Christmas Hiker had distinct plans for the sure footed quadruped and he howled a reminder of his intended destination for the quaking beast of burden.
It ee-ored pathetically, its dilemma solved as it decided that the men before it were at least of this earth and it staggered, stiff legged with fear, towards the hunters as they lowered their shotguns.
"Velociraptor, huh?"
Sam raised an eyebrow at his grinning brother.
"Okay, so not a velociraptor...maybe a T-Rex, you think?"
Dean questioned innocently.
"Ass!"
Sam snorted.
"Sam, I thought a college boy like you would be able to tell the difference. Anyone can see it's a donkey."
"I can tell the difference, Dean."
Sam deadpanned.
"I was referring to you, not it!"
The animal approached the brothers, braying softly in distress and Dean gently petted its long, soft ears as it nuzzled into him.
"I think it likes me, Sammy."
He smiled as the little creature butted against him, seeking comfort in his warmth.
"Yeah, well no doubt it's a she, then, Dean. Didn't you just say you were irresistible to females?"
Sam laughed at Dean's hurt look.
"And let's face it, she's a lot prettier than some of the dates you've had."
Dean scratched behind the donkey's ears, making soothing chucking noises deep in his throat.
"She is real purdy..."
He mused, as he ran his strong hands over her withers. The donkey pushed against him relishing the attention after her scare and Dean found his wobbly legs unable to find a stable base. He leaned forward over her back to stop himself falling flat on his face, and before he knew what was happening Sam had legged him up and he found himself astride the beast as she brayed her surprise.
"Oh, no way, Sammy!"
Dean moved to try and dismount the patient donkey but his endeavour was blocked, both by Sam's restraining hand and the tremendous pain in his leg as he flexed his knee. The sensation of warmth and wetness from the fresh blood spread further down his leg.
"What's the problem, Dean?"
Sam asked innocently, as his brother wriggled on the donkey's surprisingly warm back.
"Sam, no, this is just too freaky for words."
Sam was busy tying a short length of rope that he had retrieved from the bottom of his pack around the donkey's neck to act as a halter.
"Why? What's freaky?"
Sam finished the task and turned to look at his mounted sibling as he continued.
"You need a ride, 'cause let's face it, what with your ruined knee and broken toes you're not going anywhere in a hurry."
Dean nodded his head in acquiescence on that point but still squirmed in marked discomfort.
"And then this wild Bethlehem donkey wanders conveniently out of the woods..."
To his credit Sam's lip didn't even quiver as he said the line, Dean's eyebrows, however, hovered somewhere at hairline level.
"Wild Bethlehem donkey? Sam...donkey's are not indigenous to ..."
"Indigenous? Big word! Where d'you learn that, Dean?"
Sam snarked, a wry little smile curving his mouth as Dean blushed slightly.
"Told ya, Sammy. I watch Discovery channel!"
"Humm, yeah!"
Sam tutted as he continued.
"Anyway so you need a ride and we get one. Rack it up as another much appreciated Christmas save in my opinion."
Dean still wriggled, his face a picture of distress.
"What now?"
Sam demanded and Dean puffed out a breath before he blurted out.
"But Sammy... It was okay before, it was just, like Christmassy icons, nothing, well, religious…"
Sam acted dumb, forcing Dean to say the actual words.
"Weary traveller riding on a donkey, into Bethlehem...it's all getting a bit too bit biblical for my taste."
Dean couldn't disguise his distress as he spoke.
"Dean."
Sam made sure he betrayed not a hint of a smile.
"So, you think that would maybe make you the Vir…?"
The rest was cut off by Dean's flustered denial.
"No, no, Sam. That's not what I meant at all. I just meant, it's maybe kinda getting beyond a joke now! Before, with the holly, the robin, the Christmas tree, all that stuff was just winter stuff. This is now getting to really be Christmas."
Dean mumbled, his face red as the berries on the holly bushes dotting the snowy scene they sat in.
"Well, maybe that's okay too, Dean. All I know, dude, is that it seems like there's something out there, determined to keep our ghost-busting tails in the game. I don't know who, or what, or even why, but I ain't going to knock it, just 'cause it's starting to turn a little too biblical for your liking. Anyway, the similarity stops there, 'cause knowing what I know about your dirty mind, I have to say there is just no way I could see you as a virgin."
Sam's mouth quirked into a smile at his brother's indignation.
"So, shut you pie-hole and settle your butt 'cause this fine ass is gonna save both of ours!
ends