Once outside Sam went to the Sunfire parked next to the Impala and quickly hotwired it. The engine roared to life and Sam went around to help Dean get into the car, careful not to touch him in his extremely high temperature state. The seat sizzled when Dean sat down and blood soaked the cloth interior. Sam got into the driver's seat and made good time to where they had last seen the Phoenix. Sam pulled closer to the area where Dean had been scratched in order to make it easier on Dean to walk over to the tree.

Together, the brothers approached the Phoenix nest with caution. They could see the red and gold plumage of the bird and the flames shooting out from the nest; a wonderful smell emanated from it, myrrh, frankincense, and cinnamon. Sam gaped in awe at the sight while Dean shuffled his clawed feet.

Suddenly the beautiful, ancient creature floated out of its nest and hovered in front of the Winchesters, a gentle look upon its face as it gazed at Dean in particular.

"Ummm…Dean?" Sam could still make out Dean's words, even if they were now all slurred.

"Yeah?"

"I think you have something that you should say to it!"

Dean swallowed hard as he looked into the eyes of the creature he had attempted to murder the other day. "I'm, uh, sorry for trying to gank you."

"Dean, this thing could save your ass! Start freakin' groveling," Sam whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Dean pulled his gaze away from the Phoenix momentarily to give Sam an icy glare, then focused back on the Phoenix. "Well, um, what I mean to say is, well, that, uh, I am so, uh, used to killing evil sons of bitches. And you didn't look none too friendly the other night."

The Phoenix's plumage seemed to rise up and burn hotter.

"Damn, I mean, well, I was expecting the worst. I was wrong. I was not thinking. I just shot without considering you might not be evil or something."

It blinked back at Dean a few times and approached him. Dean took a step back, fear evident in his wide eyes, the only thing left on his face that was still "Dean."

"Dean, hold still," Sam pleaded with him, looking at both the creature and the misshapen form of his brother.

Dean stopped his retreat from the bird-like being and stood still. It finally came to right up to his face and seemed to hang in midair. Then its head shot into Dean's mouth and its powerful beak gently forced Dean's tongue out. The Phoenix released Dean's tongue and then proceeded to sing a mournful tune while flaming tears dripped out of its eyes and onto the protruding tongue. When the Phoenix moved away back to its nest Dean finally swallowed the tongues of fire that rested on his own tongue. Sam watched wide-eyed, praying that by some miracle Dean would be saved and return to his old self. An ear piercing scream filled the night air and then Dean dropped to the ground, writhing in agony. The winged section of his arms burst into flame, as did the claws on his feet. The rest of his body began to fill out, as flesh rapidly grew back where once there were only strings of sinew and bone. Dean's ears regenerated and his lips and nose reformed, bubbling forth in a fleshy mass, then taking shape. Even his hair re-grew. It was like watching a time-lapsed video as all this occurred in a matter of minutes. Last of all, Dean's arms and legs finished burning away and began re-growing amid Dean's screams. Sam paced off to the side as all this happened, unable to look, unable to look away.

Finally, the screams stopped. Sam slowly approached his brother, who was lying on the ground naked and covered in sweat and ash. Sam offered his hand and helped Dean up.

"You ok?" Sam asked, worry clearly written all over his face.

Dean opened his mouth to speak and a puff of ash came out. He grinned, cleared his throat, and tried again, "Yeah, now that I'm not," he broke into a fit of coughing, "flipping big bird."

Dean tried to take a step forward on his own and nearly fell over. Sam quickly grabbed his arm and supported him until he reached the Sunfire, then, lowering him into the passenger seat, Sam went to the trunk, found a blanket for Dean and tossed it over him. Sam was grinning like a fool now that he knew Dean was going to be ok. He quickly got behind the wheel of the car and floored it all the way back to the hotel. Painfully, Dean slowly got out of the vehicle with Sam's help. The made it into the hotel and then the bathroom, where Sam turned on the water and left so Dean could clean away all the sweat and ash. Several minutes later Dean emerged in a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt, clean but weak. He moved to sit down on his bed but stopped as he saw the fleshy mass that remained on the quilt.

"Ummm…dude. I think we should skip out on this one, I've had enough of this falling apart and being put back together shit." Dean surveyed the mess that was their hotel room then looked at Sam.

"Best idea ever Dean. I'm calling Bobby, let him know you're ok. I think we should go there for a day or two, rest up." Sam reached into his back pocket and got his cell phone, hitting the speed dial button and waiting for Bobby to answer; it only took one ring.

"What's up Sammy? How's Dean? He ok?" All the concern of a parent was in the words Bobby uttered.

"He's good Bobby. All better. No more…issues. Um, do you mind if we maybe come up by your place, sorta relax for a bit?" Sam looked over at Dean, who was making quick work of packing up both his and Sam's bags so that they could leave right away.

"Hell yeah! I gotta tear into you boys for being such stupid idjits. You ain't learned nothin' from your daddy and me, have you? Well, I guess the fact that you survived says something for shear dumb luck. When can I expect you two boneheads?"

"Well, we're just about done packing and still in Detroit. I'd say we've got about 14 hours worth of driving, maybe more. Not sure if we'll have to take rest breaks along the way, with Dean still…"

"I'm healthy as a horse, damn it! Shut up and move out!" Dean growled at Sam, still uncomfortable with talking about the past few days' events even by proxy with Bobby. He grabbed the bags and walked out the door to the Impala, resting a bit once he got to the car before placing the bags in the trunk.

"Gotta go Bobby; see you in a day or so in Sioux Falls." Sam hung up the phone and hurried out the door after Dean.

As Sam drove off Dean switched the music to AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and leaned back in the seat. Before long he was sleeping fitfully as Sam drove relentlessly to Bobby's, eating away at the miles that separated them from the only home the Winchesters had ever known. Until the next hunt, that is where they would be. The red taillights continued on down the dark stretch of blacktop, the Impala heading to its one home and place of rest as well.

The End