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The storm raged and swirled around them but didn't let loose. Sam knew that wouldn't last, his spell was weakening and the storm was gaining in both strength and fury. They fought against lightning strikes and gale-forced winds with gusts that actually pushed them backwards, sending one or the other of them to their knees more than once. Falling tree branches and rolling boulders that shook the ground, causing it to heave and split beneath their feet, were their greatest impediments as they continued on course to the cabin Sam had found earlier via a local, hand-drawn map he'd obtained from the casino. Hell, a time or two, the ground cracked open so wide, a gully large enough to swallow a man was revealed and bridged by not-so-sure-footed leaps and bounds.

He expected further argument from Nate, but other than an occasional grunt to voice his displeasure over Sam's unchecked charge down the mountain, Sam didn't hear a peep out of him. And that was good, for Sam was in no mood for another argument. Time was running out, and despite the thunder and wind, he swore he heard the snarls and roars of whatever wildlife had been unleashed to nip at their heels.

And it was getting cold. Very cold.

"The car's that way." Nate finally balked when Sam took the path in the opposite direction of where they'd all parked. "Hey! You hear me?"

"We're not going to the car." Sam informed him. He was tired and his shoulder was numb from the added weight of Dean's backpack. "Dean? Still with me?"

"Mm-hmm."

"We're going to the car." Nate announced. "You can go wherever the hell you want to, but we ain't following you. We're nearly off this mountain and I don't believe….."

Frustrated, Sam drew to a halt, pulling Dean up beside him. "You'll never make it." Sam shouted. "YOU HEAR THAT?! Huh? That's not thunder!"

"I hear it. What is it?" Luke asked nervously. "Nate, what's he talking about? What's going on? WHAT THE HELL's that NOISE!?"

"Oh, we're going. We can outrun this storm. We need to leave and go get help to find Craig!" Nate shouted angrily, annoyed at having his authority once again questioned. "Ain't no way you can make us go with you."

"Unless you leave Billy behind, you aren't outrunning anything." Sam replied. "Feel that cold? Huh? The storm's stronger and growing worse….you try and carry Billy to your car, you'll never make it."

"Then where are you going?" Luke asked, not sure if he should side with Nate or follow Sam. "How do you know that?" oh yeah, he felt the cold. Seeped right through his coat and chilled his bones. "Why's it so cold?"

"There's a cabin." Sam replied. "We don't have time to get off this mountain. Not yet. The cabin's closer and should have what I need to help Dean."

"And Billy." Ronnie added. Sam nodded. "Okay, but how much further? Dean here ain't too light."

"Don't I know it." Sam muttered. "Dean? Hey, step it up man, we're running out of time."

"Stop….nagg…ing." Dean slurred, resisting the strong urge to sink to his knees. His breathing labored, his chest tight, he wasn't shy about accepting Sam's comforting embrace. "Doin' 'est I can."

"Yeah, I know, sorry." Sam gave him a squeeze. "Not much further, I promise." he lied. "Honest Dean, warmth and food and you can lie down in front of a fire, come on."

"Yuh-huh."

***000***

The cabin, much to Sam's surprise and delight, was a sturdy, well-made structure with a full if small kitchen and while it lacked indoor plumbing, it had a compost toilet and a 5-gallon camp shower in the bathroom, a hand well-pump fed the kitchen sink.

Sam dumped Dean on the sofa and got busy issuing orders. A fire was built, firewood to see them through the next twenty-four hours was carried in from a well-stocked pile, symbols were drawn on every wall, floor and ceiling, a pot was found and water was set to boil. Billy was left on the floor near the fire. And on threat of dismemberment, no one went anywhere near Dean.

Ronnie didn't hesitate to obey and while Luke was reluctant at first, he didn't argue when Ronnie smacked him upside the head and told him to hop to it. Nate stood against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and simply glared as Sam hung an amulet and chanted another spell from the same book he'd used before.

"What are you doing now?" Luke asked. "Where'd you get that book? Why do you carry it with you? Where's that amulet from? How'd you get it? What's it do?"

"It keeps everything within these walls safe from the forces released by the violated wards." Nate answered. "Ain't that right, hot-shot?"

Sam didn't answer, busy digging in his backpack, eventually pulling out bottles and vials along with a first aid kit.

"What about Billy?" Luke asked. "How do we help him?"

"Check his head." Sam replied, his attention elsewhere. "He knocked himself out, he's fine."

Left on his own, Dean slowly shrugged out of his coat and pulled one foot across his knee to untie his laces and kick his boot off before repeating the process with his other foot. That was the last thing he remembered and that position was the way Sam found him some moments later; slumped in the corner of the sofa, one boot on, one boot off.

"Yeah, sorry dude. Can't sleep yet." Sam removed the last boot then finagled and wrestled Dean out of his coat, long-sleeved over shirts, and finally, his t-shirt. "Stay with me a minute, okay?"

"Go 'way." Dean feebly batted at Sam's hands. "You said...I could...sleep."

"In a minute. Hey…stop…..stop it. I said stop that. Dean, cut it out….man, come on." Sam sighed, capturing Dean's fist in his hands. "Who you think you're gonna hit? Me? Why does everything have to be a fight with you? Just once, make it easy for me."

"Don't…bitch." Dean mumbled, finally allowing his t-shirt to come over his head. "Dude, don't leave me naked."

"Lay down. Other way." Sam poked at him until Dean turned onto his left side and faced the back of the sofa. Sam found what he was looking for and cursed. Of course, the claw marks would be on the back of Dean's left shoulder. Now, he'd have to make Dean move. "Other side Dean. Come on, sit up….no, sit up….up…right, yeah, move your legs, no, move them….this way, not that way, no…..good grief! It's not that hard Dean. Sit up, put your legs on the floor and lay down the other way!"

"I'm….tired." he let Sam man-handle him and was soon lying on his right side. "Hap-py?"

"Give me a moment." Sam said. "Just lie still. This might sting a bit."

"What'r'y'doin?" Dean growled. "OW!" he jerked, muscles bunching as he tensed, shoulder arching into his ear. "LEAVE THE SKIN!" he howled. "YOW! Cut it OUT!"

What am I doing? Taking care of you, making sure you don't die, making you feel better, helping you - Sam thought as he thoroughly cleaned the claw marks from the phantom eagle that had attacked when Dean had tackled Billy – like I always do, and have and will.

"Be still and shut up, you big baby." Sam ordered. "Sit up a minute."

"Whatever." he eased up to rest his weight on his left elbow "You just told me said to lay down." he muttered grumpily, tolerating Sam taping a bandage over whatever he'd been tending. Dean was too tired to ask or care. "Done now?"

"Yeah." Sam stood up. He was so relieved Dean was still conscious and mostly coherent, that he didn't even mind Dean being so cranky. "Go to sleep." while you can, Sam sighed, for soon Dean wouldn't be so calm and content. Ice would most certainly help but they didn't have any and the instant icepacks were good for roughly an hour. Luckily, they had well water and it would be cold.

It was going to be a very long eighteen hours.

Sam gathered his supplies and packed them away then turned to Billy who was finally awake and sitting in a chair at the kitchen table. He was pale and shaky, holding an instant icepack to the back of his head which, Sam saw, after knocking his hand away, sported an egg-sized lump.

"Let me see." Sam held a pen-sized flashlight. "Getting Craig back isn't going to…" he began but Nate shouldered him away from Billy. "You mind?"

"Don't go pretending you're all concerned about him." Nate spat. "You couldn't give him two seconds of your time up on the mountain, no need to bother with him now."

"Yeah, we'll take care of him." Luke added. "We don't need anything from you."

"You don't?" childish, sure, but Sam couldn't help himself. "Then go. Go out there and find Craig. Go save him."

"It's your fault Craig's gone missing." Luke was up in Sam's face. "Your fault we gotta go all the way back up there and look for him. Ain't that right?"

Sam placed two fingers on Luke's shoulder and shoved him back. "Back off." he easily adopted a defensive stance. "No one made you follow me here. No one made you leave that mountain. No one is making you stay."

"You left him up there!" Luke shouted. "You know what happened to him and you didn't say anything! You left him out there!"

"I wasn't about to let my brother die in a futile attempt to rescue anyone." Sam said heatedly. "I told you I would help you find Craig when my brother was safe."

"And Dean's safe here? And Billy?" Luke sneered. "Really? Says who? You? Yeah, like I'm gonna trust the word of the man who let this happen in the first place."

"Let's get one thing straight." Sam stalked Luke until his back was against the wall. "Cause if you bring it up again, I'm gonna crack skulls. If anyone's responsible for what happened to Billy and Craig, it's on Nate. Not us. He sent them off without sharing everything he knew about this hunt. You got that?"

"Is it safe for us to go out there?" Ronnie asked quietly, stepping between Luke and Sam and hoping it was enough to make Sam back off. He in no way wanted to attempt to shove Sam back. "I mean, after what we went through coming here….and yeah, I think your spell has worn off. Can you say it again?"

"They aren't after us." Sam retreated, stoked the fire and added another log. "Since Dean and Billy will be staying here, we'll be safe enough until we reach Craig."

"We?" Nate said scornfully. "You? You're gonna leave your lily-white hero all by his little ole lonesome and go back out there and help us find Craig?" he snorted with uncontained contempt. "What makes you think we want or need your help?"

"Nate, not helping." Ronnie heaved, exasperated. "Is Craig alive?"

"I don't know." Sam checked the pot of water on the propane fed stove. It was at a full boil, so he opened a draw-string sachet and dumped the entire contents into the pan. "Maybe." he stirred the pot with a wooden spoon he'd found in a drawer. "Probably." now, to wait for it to boil again.

"When do we go?" Ronnie asked. "How long do we have? I mean, the storm….will it stay here at the cabin? Or will it follow us? What about Craig? Is there a storm after him too? Or a phantom animal?"

"We?" Sam repeated, using Nate's tone, eyebrow raised. "I was just told my place. Ask Nate."

"Can we not fight?" Ronnie pleaded. "Please?"

Sam hesitated. Ronnie wasn't so bad and Sam had nothing against any of the hunters other than the fact they had taken an instant dislike to him upon sight.

"Nate, own up." Ronnie turned on the older man. "I've hunted on and off with you for years and I've never seen you act like this. Okay fine, you don't like the Winchesters, no one is asking you to, but please, work with Sam to get Craig back."

Nate said nothing, didn't move, staring Sam down for several seconds before finally turning away and tossing his own duffel bag onto the table. "Here's what I got."

"Aren't we going now?" Luke asked, dancing in agitation. "We should go now. We need to go now!"

"We need a plan." Nate sighed, face screwed up in distaste. "And we need to hear what hot-shot here knows." he admitted grudgingly. "We'll get him Luke."

Did they really need a plan? Sam didn't. They could pack up and leave now. Hike back up the mountain and search the cliffs where they were likely to find Craig trussed up in something similar to a huge birds nest, where left to the elements, and no possible chance of escape, he would die of exposure or wild animal attack within a matter of…..hours. For as time passed, edging closer to the end of the eighteen hour curse span and access to Dean and Billy continued to be denied, the spirits would remember they'd tucked Craig away on some cliff precipice and turn their attention to him.

Sam sighed and went to the window. The storm raged on but other than an occasional gust of wind buffeting the cabin and rattling the windows, no other threats loomed. As long as Dean and Billy remained inside the cabin, they would be safe.

"Billy, I need you to stay awake. As long as you both remain inside this cabin, you'll be safe." Sam turned back to the table. "How do you feel? Seeing double? Nauseous?"

"Head hurts, but I'm okay." thoroughly chastised over the trouble and commotion his actions had caused, Billy was subdued. "I'm sorry, we saw the grave marker and thought….."

"Billy's not up to wrestling with your brother." Nate argued. "Tell him to behave and do as he's told."

"I will." Sam seethed, teeth gritted so tight his jaw ached. "But it's not that easy."

"Then you stay here and babysit him." Luke snapped. "We'll go get Craig. We don't want or need your help. We don't need you."

"So I keep hearing." and Sam was sick of hearing it. "You know where to look for him? How to rescue him? How to get back here safely? Billy can't leave this cabin until….." Sam looked at his watch. "Well, morning. I mean it Billy, I don't care what you hear or think you see, do not even open the door. If you or Dean opens a window or a door, you'll break the protection spell."

"What about us?" Ronnie asked. "Won't we break it when we leave?"

Sam shook his head. "I have a spell that will let us out. And no, neither Dean nor Billy can say it because Billy broke the wards and Dean crossed the line once they were broken."

"How do you know where to look for him?"

Sam thumbed his furrowed space between his eyebrows. "We look for a storm just like this one." stupidity, naivety, lack of interest, ill-placed trust. What else could he label this inept group of hunters with?

"We don't need you! Nate can make you tell us what we need to know." Luke threatened, pushing between Ronnie and Sam. "We'll help him. Good as you claim to be, it's 4 to 1 and not even you can beat those odds." he jammed a finger against Sam's shoulder to emphasize his words. "Let's see your big brother help you then!"

"ENOUGH!" Sam exploded. "I COULD have left you UP on the mountain! I COULD have let you go to your CAR! But I DIDN'T and hey, guess what? You're ALIVE!"

"YOU WANT A THANK YOU?" Luke exclaimed, astonished. "You really have balls, you know that? We're in this mess because YOU screwed up!"

Sam gaped, momentarily stunned into silence. But oh, anger was mounting.

"You aren't wanted here. We didn't want you or your dickhead brother on this job. If the two of you hadn't shown up and demanded to be involved with this hunt, Nate never would have sent Billy and Craig up here. This is on you! Craig being missing, Billy getting hurt, whatever the HELL happened to your brother, ALL of it's on YOU!"

"You done?" Sam asked, deceptively calm for he was ready to blow every gasket he had. His earlier threat of cracking skulls was not an idle one.

"Sam!" came a muffled warning from the depths of the sofa across the room. "What's with….all the….yelling?"

"No! No, I'm not done." Luke had lost control of his common sense. "What the fuck are you even doing here? You claim you knew hiking up here with Billy and Craig was bogus, yet you willingly did it anyway. Why? Huh? WHY? Why is that? What the hell are you after?"

"Luke, that's enough." Ronnie cut in, shooting Nate a look. "Nate, little help here."

"I'm mighty curious to hear the answer to that question myself." Nate said smugly. Smug he may be, but he also sized up Sam should he make good on cracking skulls. "So, Winchester? What do you have to say?"

"You let your brother get hurt. You did, you, that's on you." Luke raged. "Did you get what you were after? Was it worth it?"

"You THINK I did THIS to HIM?" a lamp on a nearby table crashed to the floor as Sam swept his arms wide. A dish was flung across the room, followed by a vase. "Do YOU have any idea how hard it is for me to walk out that door and leave him here? Leave him here hurt and cursed and vulnerable?"

"And whose FAULT is that?" Luke didn't back down. "Huh? For all your research and knowledge about this hunt, he was with you when he got hurt or poisoned or cursed or whatever the fuck happened to him!"

"Sam." Dean warned from the sofa. "What're you doing?" he stirred slightly, forehead but not his eyes, visible over the back of the sofa. "Don't make me get up." he muffled around the sofa cushion with a groan. "Can't….you…behave?"

"You sure you want to mess with me?" Sam asked, voice suddenly deceptively calm and quiet. "See Dean, yeah, he shoots first and never asks questions. He's got no problem putting a bullet through your head. But me, I don't shoot to kill." he began to stalk what could only be described as his 'prey' and Luke's brain decided to start working and he wisely retreated. "I'll shoot you in the knee and beat you with my own two hands until you wish you were dead." he paused for dramatic effect. Good, it worked. "Anything happens to him while I'm gone…..he gets hurt in anyway or gets worse…you'll live and you'll live to regret it."

Luke gulped. "Then don't leave him."

I DON'T WANT TO! Sam silently screamed.

"Hey!" Nate stepped forward. "That's enough Winchester."

"Sammy." Dean's voice was stronger, held a warning. "Back off."

"FINE!" Sam said raggedly, emotions high over the fear he felt for his brother. "You don't need me, you go out there and find your buddy and bring him back. I don't even want to go. I want to stay here with Dean and make sure he's alright."

"Sam." Ronnie said hesitantly. "No one wishes your brother further harm. We just want Craig back and we'll take any help you'll give us. Please."

Sam stalked over to the stove and checked the concoction steaming in the pan. Come on, already, boil!

"Where do we look?" Ronnie pushed gently. "Is he buried?"

"No." Sam took a seat at the table, penlight in his hand. "Look at me Billy." he checked for signs of concussion. "You have to keep the fire going Billy." Sam sat back. "You can't let it die down or burn out. Fire is what gives the amulet its power, it's its source and without it, the spell protecting this cabin will fail and those pissed off spirits will get in. You hearing me?"

"Yes." Billy nodded and returned the icepack to his head. "Bad move."

"In four hours, boil more water then add the contents of this sachet." Sam said to Billy. "It has to boil a second time, roiling boil, got it? You drink a mug and make sure Dean does too. Okay?"

"Four hours, boil, add, boil, drink." Billy repeated. "Okay."

"When do we leave Sam?" Ronnie asked. "What do we need?"

"Rope." Sam said. "Any of you got any?" four heads shook negatively. Sam rolled his eyes, who went on a hunt on the side of a mountain without rope? "Check the cabin, what Dean and I have in our packs won't be enough. Once that pot boils and they each drink a mug, we can go."

Though still pissed and reluctant, Sam sat down with Nate and explained everything he knew.

"Okay, rounding up and ball-parking it, it took us an hour to reach the cabin, by the time we head out, we'll have been here another hour. I figure it'll be a thirty minute hike back up the mountain, because that trip won't be as hard as coming down was because we won't be carrying Billy and Dean, and nothing will be chasing us." Sam tapped a spot on the map spread out on the table. "Here are the cliffs where we should look for Craig. Maybe a thirty minute hike from the burial grounds. So, say three hours from when the wards were broken and Craig disappeared."

"It was fucking cold out there by the time we got here. Is it cold wherever Craig is?" Ronnie reasoned. Sam nodded. "It might take us a couple of hours to find him, depending how big those cliffs are." Ronnie paled, holding Sam's gaze and ignoring Nate's throat-clearing noises. "Could he freeze to death?"

Sam nodded again, then after a moment, added. "Or fall off the cliff or suffer an animal attack or succumb to the poison."

"Why the accounting of time?" Billy asked. "And why cliffs?"

"Eagles nest high." Sam replied. He swallowed hard, the knot in his stomach burning a hole through his gut as he mentally reviewed the time line. Eighteen hours. And come hell or high water or Craig abandoned to the abilities of Nate and crew, Sam would be by his brother's side for the last eight of those hours. "Maybe a tree, but it's doubtful."

"You said the spell lasts eighteen hours." Ronnie said slowly. "But…."

"Once the spirits admit defeat getting at Dean and Billy, they'll turn their attention and rage, full force on Craig." Sam pushed up from the table, rubbing his temples where a headache had taken up permanent residence; time for some Excedrin Migraine aspirin. Digging for the bottle, he sorted through both his bags and Dean's, packing items from both into one to take with him.

"No rope." Luke announced. "We'll have to go back to the cars and get it if you think we really need it."

Add another hour, Sam sighed. "We do." if only he could wait at the cabin while they retrieved rope from their cars but for him to join them, they'd be doubling back. He could meet them at the burial site, but traveling alone was not a good idea. He didn't want to go at all, reluctant to leave Dean in Billy's care. "Only way down the side of a cliff."

"When are we leaving?" Luke spoke up. "We have a plan, why are we still here?"

"Go." Sam swallowed the aspirin and went over to the stove. "I'm not going anywhere until this boils and Dean has had a mug. Deal with it or go without me."

Nate weighed his choices. Oh, he'd love to go rescue Craig without the cocky self-assured Winchester bitch, but…..he was not a stupid man. He'd made a mistake and endangered other hunters under his leadership by letting his ego rule his emotions. And like it or not – and he didn't – the younger Winchester had a head for knowledge – not that Nate would ever admit it out loud.

"You said time was important. Billy's here." Luke scoffed, annoyed by yet another delay. "He's capable of pouring liquid into a mug and handing it to his highness."

"Dean won't take anything from him." Sam replied. Which is why he intended to be back in time to convince Dean to drink another mug of what he was sure Dean would label, 'the vilest shit ever'. "Gear up."

Dean stirred when he felt a shadow loom over him, easing onto his back and throwing an arm up to shield his eyes.

"Now what?" his tongue was thick. "Yuck." he made a face, wetting his lips. "You heading out?"

"Yeah, some water." Sam offered a bottle. "Need your attention. Dean, hey?"

Dean eased up and slumped into the corner of the sofa. "You know what you're doing? You trust them?"

"Yes, and hell, no." Sam snorted. "Listen up, you gotta do what I say, okay? Hey, I said listen…don't shake your head…..you can't leave this cabin Dean. It's warded and protected. You leave it and a big ole nasty ass bird is gonna carry you away. You got me? Don't smirk. I'm serious."

"Still wanna be that mentor?"

"I ever get another bright idea, you have my permission to knock me the fuck out." Sam smiled ruefully. "Don't open the door or a window. No matter what you hear or see, Do. Not. Open. The. Door. Or. Window."

"Right, don't leave the cabin, don't open the window, don't open the door."

"Keep Billy in here with you. I don't care how, you gotta tie him up..." Sam waved zip-ties and a roll of duct tape then set them on the table that no longer contained a lamp. "He needs the protection of this cabin too." Sam swallowed. "Still with me? Keep the fire going, do not let it burn out. Fire feeds the power of the amulet. It's freezing outside and if you let the fire die down, and the cabin falls below 65 degrees, the cold will get in here. Hey….." he snapped his fingers. "Listen Dean."

"Right, yeah, sure." Dean handed the water bottle back. "Stay in the cabin, tie Billy up."

"I'll leave the thermometer on the kitchen window."

"I don't have a fever Sammy."

"Not that kind of thermometer, dumbass." Sam grinned. "Your shoulder's gonna ache. Soak a towel in the water from the kitchen sink. Ice would be best but we don't have access to any. Cold water will have to do, okay?"

"Right, got it. Fire, 65 degrees, wet towels. I'm good."

Yeah well, good for you, I'm not, Sam thought.

"I go back to sleep now?" Dean yawned.

"Not yet. Need you to drink something for me before I leave." Sam patted his shoulder and went off.

Dean let his head rest against the couch cushion. He well knew what Sam was actually saying: there'd be little sleep for him because he didn't trust Billy to be competent and capable any more than Sam did. If anyone was going to keep the cabin safe, warded and its occupants protected, it'd be him.

"Ain't gonna tell you to be careful." Dean said when Sam returned, carrying a mug. "What's that smell?"

"Antidote." Sam said. "Whole mug."

"Suppose you want me to drink it."

"Yup."

"Guess I gotta?"

"Yup."

"Now?" Dean made a face, eyes watering.

"Yup." Sam nodded. "And again in four hours. You listening? Boil water, add the contents of this sachet and bring to a roiling boil. Drink. Got it? Four hours Dean. I told Billy." he grabbed Dean's hand and set the alarm on his watch. "I set your alarm."

Dean sighed, plugged his nose and gulped. Sam watched his brother pale, turn green, then grey. Saw the sweat bead on his forehead and cheeks, saw his tongue lick at his lips and his throat work as he swallowed convulsively and struggled not to upchuck.

"Dean…..?"

"That...is...that's...vile." he coughed hoarsely. "Oh. My. God."

"Gotta keep it down. I'm not leaving you until you do."

"Go. I'm good." he shuddered, breaking out in goose bumps as chills attacked. "I'm...okay." his grimace belied his declaration. "Fuck."

Sam pushed away, leaving Dean making faces.

"Let's go." Sam rasped, shouldering his backpack. One more green-eyed flicker of wet eyelashes and he would be kicking off his own boots and taking a seat on the sofa with Dean's socked feet in his lap.

Dean heard the door open, felt the icy air rush in, and heard the door close. He was well and truly on his own.