Author's Note: Hey, it only took a FREAKIN' YEAR to figure out what I was going to have encounter Dean and Sam in the woods outside the compound! Could've been worse, right? :) Thanks for those who have read this up till now and have come back for more and welcome to the newcomers! I promise to try very hard not to get stuck again!

Chapter Eight – Never Easy

Sam and Dean reached the perimeter of the woods with no incident or interference. Making their way in a few feet at a time, they paused frequently to survey the area and listen for anyone – or anything approaching.

"This is way too easy man," Sam said.

"Shut up, you'll jinx us," Dean retorted back.

Sure enough, something sounded off ahead of them.

"Just had to open your big mouth!" Dean snapped.

"Sorry," Sam replied with a sheepish grin. "Don't see anything."

"Me neither."

They both stilled, listening. Suddenly, they could hear…

"Is that…"

"Couldn't be…."

They listened again. Sure enough …

"Dude, it's laughing," Dean said, unbelievably.

"Not it. Them," Sam said, listening as a cluster of what sure sounded like high-pitched, maniacal laughter came from directly in front of them. And to the side of them. And to the rear.

"Crap, they're surrounding us!" Dean exclaimed, suddenly on his feet edging next to Sam and looking all around them.

"Yeah, but what are they?"

Suddenly one of the somethings leapt out at them and latched onto the sleeve of Dean's shirt. He yelped out and grabbed at it, pulling it off and throwing it away from him, catching only a glimpse in the moonlit night.

"You gotta be freakin kidding me!" he cried out.

"Gremlins??" Sam asked incredulously.

"Sonofabitch," Dean said flatly. His life was never boring.

SNSNSN

Sera had insisted stopping at her quarters to get a few things before trying to make their way to Victor's office, which John had deduced would be their best course of action. With the binding spell in tact, Sera wouldn't be able to short out the cameras or take out any guards they encountered on the way, so they'd have to improvise.

Fortunately, her room was quite close to infirmary with only one camera, but it had a small blind spot that they were able to use and get past.

Sera's room was more comfortable than the prisoner cells, but not by much. No sense giving her a sense that she was much more special than the others, John figured. From a cabinet she grabbed several hypodermic needles, then moved onto a chest which seemed to contain a variety of herbs and vials.

"How did you get this stuff in here?" John asked.

"Well, I'm kinda like Red in the Shawshank Redemption. Just made some friends with the outside world who help me smuggle some things in."

'What do they get in return?"

"Don't ask."

John raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, get your head out of the gutter, Winchester! Tapes of the fights, vampire blood, that kind of stuff, okay?"

"Hey, I didn't…"

"Yes you did, though I know it wasn't on purpose. Guess men's minds just go right to that on instinct."

"Thought you could control the mind-reading thing."

"I can, except I kinda have a lot going on in my head right now so I lapsed, okay? Sue me."

John said nothing, just put up his hands in surrender and backed up as Sera continued gathering items, lastly a long metal staff.

"Now how did you get that without them knowing?" John said about the all-too-familiar cattle prong.

"Don't. Ask." Sera said, eyes piercing.

She made her way to the door, John once again following.

SNSNSN

"Dean…"

They were surrounded now, the gremlins no longer keeping stealthily hidden but overtly and completely surrounding them.

"Dean."

Sam watched as the wicked little monsters grinned with fangs full of slobber, evil giggles growing louder.

"Dean!"

"Gimme a minute, will ya! Trying to think here!"

"Well could you think faster!" Sam cried desperately, watching as one section looked poised to make their move.

"That's it!" Dean cried out, suddenly dropping to his knees and scrambling through his duffle."

"That's what??"

Dean arose with …his flashlight. Not a gun, no salt or machete. The flashlight.

Before Sam could comment, Dean switched on the torch and shined it at the gremlins.

"Take that, you little bastards!" Dean exclaimed with a hardy laugh.

Sam couldn't believe it when the gremlins within the beam backed off from the light.

"How did you…"

"Bright light, Sam! Remember?" Then, in a munchkin-like voice, "Bright light! Bright light!"

Then it hit Sam. Dean, and his penchant for bad sci-fi films.

"A movie, Dean? You're relying on the movie???"

"It's working, isn't it?" Dean said, continuing to swing the beam around to the horde. "Whatever you do, don't throw any holy water at them!"

"I suppose I shouldn't fed them, either!"

"Oh, you're hilarious. Why don't you shut your yap and help me out here!"

Sam wanted to retort but thought the timing not the best, so he knelt down and sought out his own flashlight. Looking up to gauge the situation, he noticed a long branch lying close by. He grabbed it and took out his handkerchief, wrapping it around one end. He then took out the small bottle of rubbing alcohol from the med kit and poured it on the rag and reached for his lighter.

Dean wondered what the hell was taking his brother so long but smiled when he saw Sam's plan.

Sam lit the torch and began waving it at the gremlins, making them back up even further.

"So?" he asked, turning back briefly to Dean.

"So what?" Dean answered, trying to figure out their next move.

"How did the movie end?"

"Um…" Dean thought, not remembering at the moment.

"Dean!"

"I'm thinking! I think they trapped the suckers in a store fountain and electrocuted them."

"Well that's no help!"

"I know!!"

"So what do we do??"

"I don't know!!!"

Sam looked beyond the horde and suddenly had an idea. Hell, an idea at this point was better than none."

"I do." Reaching down, he grabbed the duffle and swung it over his shoulder, then grabbed Dean's and handed it to him."

"RUN!" And with that, they opened up a whole in the crowd with the torch and took off deeper into the woods.