Wow. I can't believe the response I got to the first chapter. Thanks guys! :)

Had a chance before class to update this, so first update is at a reasonable time. Enjoy!

Ch. 2

The fall itself seems to last forever. Maybe it's just because of the darkness. The unknown at the bottom. Regardless, Dean manages to grab Sam as they fall and tuck him into his body as much as he can before they hit the bottom. When they do, ice-cold water welcomes them. It wraps them in its icy arms, soaking them both to the bone almost instantly.

When they resurface, it's to the echo of their names.

Dean recovers enough to answer first. "We're okay!" He laughs, holding Sam tightly to him where his brother still clings.

Above, John lets out a relieved sigh, head falling into his hands before said hands scrub over his face and through his hair with leftover frustration. He doesn't know what he would have done if his boys hadn't survived.

Dean gently pries Sam off of him, wiping his brother's wet hair from where it's plastered to his forehead and tilts his head up to him. "You alright?"

Sam nods, then looks up. Way above them, the small circle of light silhouettes their father. He chokes back a shocked whine. "We could have died."

"Hey, no. No doing that. Okay? We're alright."

Sam looks to the vague shape of his brother. It's almost pitch black down here. "For now. How are we going to get out? We can't stay here. It took us two days to get this far up into the mountain."

Dean looks up. "Dad!"

"Already ahead of you!" he calls back, flashlight shining down to them. "I put it in one of the plastic bags with our sandwiches so water can't get into it. See if you can find a way out of there." He drops the flashlight, light bulb down so Dean can see it as it falls.

Dean catches it, double checking the zip lock on the plastic bag before shining it around them. Nothing above water. He turns to Sam. "I'm going down to look. Alright? I'll be right back."

Sam nods, trying not to show his panic now that they have light to see each other by. The thought of his brother not being here with him terrifies him though.

Dean squeezes his arm before taking a deep breath and diving under.

Sam watches the light scope out the area under water, letting out a sigh of relief when he sees the beam go through the walls somewhere below instead of stop at it. When Dean comes up he grabs him again. "Did you find a way out?"

Dean nods, wiping water from his face. "There's a tunnel!" he calls up. "It's clear as far as I can see."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah!"

John lets out a sigh. "Okay! I won't be able to get someone up here fast enough to get you! You need to start making your way down the mountain! This is most likely the highest place! A search team will start from the bottom and work their way up! I'll tell them you're working your way down!" He turns to his bag, digging out a few things before zipping it.

Being water proof, at least advertised that way anyway, this bag should help the supplies in it to survive. He's already taken out one of the flair guns in case he runs into the wendigo in the area, one of their sandwiches, a few of his weapons, and his journal in case the bag isn't as waterproof as it's supposed to be. The rest he left for his sons. "I'm sending down my bag! It hopefully will have anything useful you might need!" He pulls the zipper as tight to the end as he can, and holds it over the hole. "You ready?"

"Yeah!" Dean answers from below.

"When I drop it, you need to grab it and immediately start through the underwater tunnel! The bag should be water proof, but you need to keep the supplies as dry as possible! Swim fast, you hear? There has to be dry land somewhere on the other side!"

Dean looks to Sam. "You go, I'll be right behind. Ready?"

Sam nods, taking a deep breath as Dean hands him the flashlight.

"One, two, three." He looks up as Sam disappears under water. "Now!"

"I'll see you soon!" His dad calls.

When Dean catches the bag, he throws the strap over his head and dives under. He follows the light ahead, Sam leading the way. He's glad for his brother's fast swimming as he starts to catch up and already feel his lungs starting to protest. Ahead, Sam starts to look like he's trying to go faster.

It seems like forever, but eventually, Sam starts to angle up. Dean swims faster, lungs starting to burn. He feels himself start to lose his control. He keeps following the light, reaching it just as the urge to breathe becomes too strong. When he breaks the surface, his breath is half water, half air. He chokes, floundering for something to grab. Something grabs him.

Sam yanks him up onto the ground, slamming his hand onto his older brother's back to make him choke up as much of the water as possible. He slides the strap of the bag over Dean's head and shoulders, throwing it behind him as he starts laughing breathlessly. "You okay?"

Dean holds up a hand, spitting a few more times and coughing a few just to finish up. Then he looks to Sam. "You can really hold your breath, kiddo."

Sam grins. "You need to work on that."

"Shut up. I just figured you can be allowed to be better at one thing than me."

Sam chuckles. "Sure you did." He starts pulling off his jacket, leaning over to do the same to Dean after. "We need to get some of these wet clothes off. Who knows how long we'll be stuck down here. Pneumonia is not something we need."

Dean nods, moving to his over shirt after Sam pulls his jacket off. "We'll sling them over the bag. Hopefully they'll air dry."

Sam nods, pulling his t-shirt over his head.

Dean follows his lead, laying them over the duffel spread out enough for them to hopefully dry. As long as they can stay on dry land, anyway. "How much water do you think is down here?"

Sam shrugs, standing to look around the dark world they've found themselves in, lit only by the flashlight still laying on the ground. "Who knows. We got to this town at the end of a nasty storm."

Dean chuckles. "Yeah. Dad hated driving in that." He stands, slinging the duffel over his shoulder. "So, boy scout. Where to?"

Sam glares at him over his shoulder. "You're Mr. Man Vs. Wild. Why don't you know?"

Dean snorts. "Whatever." He picks up the flashlight, shining it down the tunnel in front of them. "Only way to go right now is through. And hopefully it will all be going downhill and we won't have too many choices to make."

"And no collapses."

Dean frowns. "Why do you think this place is abandoned?"

"Besides the flooding problem? Who knows?"

Dean shoulders the duffel, nudging Sam's shoulder as he passes and starts down the tunnel. "Let's go, Sammy. We have a lot of ground to cover."

Sam sighs. "It's Sam."

"Whatever, Sammy."

Sam doesn't push it, just following his brother into the dark pit ahead. It seems less daunting than it would if he were alone though. So he's grateful he's with Dean, even if his brother does get on his nerves. He frowns when he notices his brother leaning over a little to the side. "What's wrong?"

Dean looks over his shoulder, trying for innocent. "What?"

Sam huffs. "I'm not blind. Are you okay? You held on to me for a long time back there." He hesitates only a little before reaching forward and touching Dean's arm in worry. "Is your shoulder hurt?"

"Nah." He grins. "You're not quite that heavy yet."

Sam narrows his eyes, then suddenly reaches out to poke his brother in the side.

"Ow! Geeze! What-?"

"I knew it. Your side hurts from the stretch. Are your muscles sore? Do they feel ripped? Do you need me to carry the bag?"

Dean sighs, stopping to look down at his brother. "I'm alright, Sam. Okay? Sure, I'm a little sore, but I'll be fine. Alright?"

Sam sighs, glaring. "Fine. But if it gets worse, let me carry the bag. Okay?"

Dean starts off again, rolling his eyes. "Yes, Dad."

The going is slow for a while. Well… not so much slow as it is just boringly steady. Dean turns the flashlight on every once in a while to make sure they aren't going to walk off a sudden cliff or something, but he tries to save battery as much as possible. Who knows how long they'll be down here.

Eventually, during one of the dark periods, Sam speaks up. "Dean?" He curses the timid sound of his voice.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for not letting me fall."

Dean stops walking then, not turning the flashlight on, and Sam almost regrets talking. Then, his brother does something that shocks him into freezing. He voluntarily pulls him into his arms. "Of course."

Sam hugs him back just as tight then, burying his face in his brother's bare chest for a few seconds. Skin to skin, it's extra reassurance that Dean is still alive. Warm and breathing. "I'm glad I'm not alone."

Dean chuckles above him. "Well you're never getting rid of me, kiddo. So you'll never be alone." They stand there for a few more seconds before Dean puts his hands, one still holding the flashlight, on Sam's shoulders and pushes him back. Turning on the flashlight, he shines it ahead of them before looking down at Sam and giving him one of his patented smirks. "Now, enough of the chick-flicks. Let's get going."

Sam nods, following his brother and the light. Which are pretty much the same thing if he stops to think about it. He doesn't. Never really wants to focus on how much he needs his brother. He knows it's unhealthy. But… when have they ever matched everyone else's 'healthy', 'normal', and 'sane'?

"So… this is fun."

Sam laughs at his brother's attempt to lighten the mood.

Dean grins to himself, glad he got a real laugh out of his brother. "I'm sure this isn't what Dad pictured when he said we'd be roughing it while hunting the wendigo."

Sam chuckles. "I'm sure. But hey, we are learning. We've learned I can hold my breath longer, you have amazing stretching abilities, and if I'm ever in danger of falling off a cliff I can always make sure you're there with me."

Dean huffs.

Sam can almost see him rolling his eyes. "So how much food do we have?"

Dean groans. "Don't bring up food yet."

Sam grins. "Well with the way you eat…"

"We should be fine to make it last two days. It shouldn't take longer than that to make it out of here or someone to find us."

Sam bites his lip at that. Two days of being in the dark. Thank God he's not alone. "Two days, huh? Man. What I wouldn't give for a map of this place."

"Yeah, me too. But we'll make do. Alright? Put that geekboy mind of yours to use."

"Jerk."

Dean chuckles. "Bitch. Now..." he wiggles the flashlight to get Sam's attention, "it's time to problem solve problem number one."

Sam gapes at the hole in the ground of the tunnel in front of them. "Aren't there supposed to be railway lines in old coal mines?"

Dean sighs. "I guess we haven't made it to those yet. In the meantime… we have this."

'This' happens to be a hole in the tunnel they're in, all the way through to the one below which most likely connects to the one they swam through before climbing out, seeing as how it's filled with black, shiny water.

Dean looks around, eying the support beams that line the tunnel in areas. He takes off John's bag. "Let's see what's in Dad's magic bag."

Sam kneels next to him, moving the clothes before rifling through the mostly dry contents as his brother holds the light. He notes the two flare guns left inside. The bags of food. A couple handguns and a sawed off. Some knives. A few medical supplies. A short roll if string that wouldn't have helped them earlier but might help later. A metal container with matches, an extra lighter, lighter fluid, and even a little thing of salt. Gloves their dad usually uses in case he has to touch something and not leave evidence. One extra jacket that was wrapped around most of it to protect it from any water that got in. And a few extra pairs of socks. It's an army thing.

Sam sighs. "We were hunting a wendigo. Not setting out to live in the woods."

Dean hums in agreement. "Well now let's see what's down there."

Sam stares. "What?"

"You heard me." He goes over to the hole in the ground, taking the flashlight out of the plastic bag with the sandwich for maximum distance and kneels at the edge. Then, seems to think for a minute before turning. "Do you trust me?"

Sam is still staring in shock. "You want to dangle me over the edge there?"

Dean looks almost guilty. "Not so much that I 'want' to. I just think we need to see what's the best way to go. Before we start trying to get across here anyway."

Sam sighs. His brother is right of course. He trudges over. "Don't drop me."

Dean looks hurt. "I didn't before, did I?"

Sam winces, feeling guilty this time. "Sorry. You're right. And what kind of question was that? Of course I trust you."

Dean snorts. "Whatever. Either way, I'm not going to drop you."

"I know." He kneels down at the edge of the hole, waiting until his brother has a hand around his belt again and the other around his wrist. He twists his arm back until he can lean over the hole with Dean holding him up by his wrist and belt. He has the flashlight in his free arm. "Go ahead. Slowly."

"I've gotchya, Sammy. Just look down there and see if you can see land. If not, our best bet is to stay up here and find a way down later." He carefully lets his arms straighten as his brother leans headfirst down into the hole.

Shining the flashlight down into the dark abyss, Sam keeps himself from doubting his brother. Dean's never let him fall before. He's not going to now. His brother has always been strong enough to hold him. He focuses on the task at hand, looking for any sign of land in the tunnel below them. Nothing. It's all water, reflecting the light enough to see even farther back when he tilts the flashlight more. Still nothing. "Pull me up." He winces as his brother pulls him back up, shoulder being pulled in a weird angle.

"Sorry," Dean murmurs, absently massaging the muscles for a few seconds. "Anything?"

Sam shakes his head. "We'd be better off to see if we can get across and stay on dry land. Even though we need to go down the mountain, now is not the best time to get to the lower tunnels."

Dean nods. "Alright. Then let's see how we're going to do that."

"Exactly. You have any ideas?"

Dean scoffs. "Of course I do." Reaching in and pulling out the longer knives and the gloves, he gives Sam a wry grin. "We'll have to make do with what we have." He pulls on the gloves, flexing his fingers and picking up the two knives before testing the grip on them.

Sam tilts his head. "What are you doing?"

"Well… there's only one option here." He looks over at Sam. "And I'm going to test it first. If it holds me, you'll do just fine."

"Dean…"

"It'll be fine."

"But…"

"Sam." Dean glares down at him.

Sam pulls on the full force of the puppy eyes now, taking a shaky breath now that he has his brother's attention. "We can't afford to make mistakes down here," he murmurs. "We don't have anyone to help us. No hospitals. No Dad. Nothing. And… you can't leave me alone down here."

A sharp intake of breath, then Dean walks back to Sam. He drops the knives on the ground to grip his brother's shoulders. "I'm not going to leave you alone. You hear me? I can be smart about this. And I'm going to."

"What are you going to do?" Sam asks warily.

Dean pats his shoulder and leans down to pick up the knives again before walking over to the wall to test them. "I'm going to see how well we do pretending to be ninjas." He winks over his shoulder. He stays on safe land, jumping up to sink the knife into the wall. He grunts from the new pull on his shoulder, but the wall holds him. With the knife sunk in flat-ways, it doesn't slide down. He sinks the other knife in. Does a pull up. They hold. He yanks one out, reaching out to the side to sink it back in again. Still good.

Sam watches, biting his lip. "That's your plan?"

Dean yanks both knives back at the same time, dropping back to the floor and turns to him. "It's all I've got. And it should hold us. Just make sure you test each hold before you let it hold your weight. Okay?"

Sam resigns to the fact that there's no other way around this. And his brother is a genius. "Okay." He holds out his hands.

Dean scowls. "I told you I'm going first. To make sure it's safe." He packs up the rest of the bag, slinging it over his head and shoulder and going to the wall. He looks down into the black water beneath them. "Well at least I won't die if I fall."

Sam glares at him, picking up the flashlight and shining it ahead of his brother. "Just be careful. We don't have any way of fishing you out. And I don't even want to think of what would happen if that were a dead end down there."

Dean rolls his eyes, turning back to the wall. "Relax. It'll be fine." He sinks his first knife into the wall.