Chapter Two : Playing It Cool

God... fuck that was a hell of a fight... sonuva bitch got the best of me... that hasn't happened in a while... It definitely wasn't a situation I ever wanted to repeat, especially not anytime soon. Shit, as soon as I had a cup of coffee, I'd have to fix up the entry in my database... Warning: Do not approach alone! You will get your ass handed to you.

Ugh.. Wait.. I don't... I don't remember... what the hell happened after that?.. How'd I even get away? I guess it didn't really matter, I mean- I was alive! And y'know, not in any danger of dying... or at least I hoped not. Other than my head throbbing like all hell, I actually felt pretty good. Hungry, maybe... but good.

Deciding that I should probably get up, I let out a yawn, my mouth opening wide as I stretched out like a cat, a content shiver running down my spine. I should have some frozen waffles left... maybe peanut butter too... ain't been shoppin' since I got here.. Shopping for groceries was usually reserved for after the hunt, before I booked it. Get what I'd need and get the hell out of town before something jumped on my ass looking for revenge. I mean, I tried to always clean up after myself, but seein' as I got the shit knocked outta me, didn't really have time to do that, and I wasn't going back to the warehouse, not without Star.

Wait... what the.. I had passed out. I had hit the ground... and what I was on sure as fuck didn't feel like that concrete floor... Doesn't feel like the bed at the motel either... Shit. Where am I?

Okay, just breathe, focus. You have to stay focused, EJ. Just stay still, stay quiet. Listen. Okay, okay... I don't hear beeping.. no monitors, no machines... so that rules out the hospital. Thankfully. Last time I woke up in the hospital, I was surrounded by cops... I don't hear anything though, not even footsteps.. Oh hell, maybe I actually was dead.

No, wait, can't feel pain when you're dead, and my head was definitely hurtin'. Maybe someone saved my sorry ass and brought me to their place? Made sense enough. Gotta say, though, wherever I was, it smelled a hell of a lot better than my motel did.

With a light shrug, I pushed myself up into a sitting position, blanket falling into my lap. As I yawned again, I scratched my chee- Smooth. Weird. Hadn't shaved for quite a few days now... damn well shouldn't be smooth. Hell, I couldn't remember the last time my face was smooth. Pre-puberty?

...Bars. My eyes opened and I saw... bars. Am I in jail? No... no there's no reason why I'd be in jail. Not as far as I knew anyway. That and, well, the bars were a light brown colour, obviously wood, and smooth... There was no top to my 'prison', though above me, a few feet hung a- what the hell was that? A.. what was it called... a... y'know, those animals on a string? They hang in a circle and play music for babies? A mobile! Yeah, that thing, was above me, with little dinosaurs on it.

Hold up.

It's a crib. I'm in a crib.

For the love of all that is good, I am in. A. Fucking. Crib.

I'm dreaming. That's it. I'm dreaming. There is absolutely no other way that this is possible. Maybe- maybe that creature-monster whatever was a djinn? Dream like comatose state, based off- whatever the hell they based their worlds off of. Which meant that I could escape! All I had to do was- well, shit, I don't actually fucking know. Not that it was a djinn. I don't know what the hell those things are.

Don't go in alone, he said. You don't know what they are, he said. Wait for Star, he said. You're gonna get yourself killed! Stupid old bastard just hadda be right.

Doesn't matter. Moving on. Can't dwell, right? Gotta push forward. First step to this was gettin' outta my wooden prison because I couldn't do anything from where I was. Second step was to find a mirror because I had a really bad feeling and I needed to figure out exactly what I was dealing with before making any solid plans. Just gotta stay calm. Take a deep breath and focus. How do I get out of here...

These things had a latch, right? Somewhere... though I didn't know where it would be and if it's a real crib, there's no way in hell I'd be able to reach it. They were designed so kids couldn't bust out whenever they wanted.

Taking a quick look around, I huffed angrily at the lack of possible tools. The only things in the prison with me were a pillow and a... fleece? Blanket. Something soft, I don't know.

Blanket... huh. Idea! I grabbed the bars of the prison to pull myself to my feet, first off, my new... height throwing me off. My entire body was throwing me off, honestly. I didn't have the muscle that I'd built up over the years, and just standing took far more energy than it ever should have... Continuing on, I grabbed the blanket, careful to keep myself steady –one hand on the bars-.

From what I could see, there wasn't anything on the floor in front of, or directly around me, and a quick glance to the left showed that the door wasn't completely shut –a sliver of light shining into the otherwise dark room. If I could get down and out, I'd be free, but before then, I'd have to be careful. The prison was pretty high up, and a fall could do some serious damage.

Taking another deep breath, I twisted the blanket together, making it thin out, sort of like a rope, which was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be because the damn thing was really, really soft and smooth, the material wanting to slide around and not work with me. I managed though, and tied one end in a loop, as tight as I could get it. Good. Should work.

Second step? Toss the loop up and over the edge, and pull it back underneath the top railing, between two of the bars. It was a short blanket, barely long enough, but it worked, and I slipped the other end through the loop and pulled tightening it over the rail. Got it.

I gave it a nice hard tug, smirking as I determined it to be safe. Grabbing hold with both hands, I started pulling myself up, feet against the bars to give me leverage. It was a slow climb as I inched my way up, difficult. My movements were shaky and I felt heavy... Closer.. just.. a bit... I reached for the top rail, holding onto my makeshift rope with one hand, my body visibly shaking. Al—most- FUCK-!

Terror ran through my body as the loop undid itself, releasing from the railing and sending me back down. I landed hard on my butt, tumbling back, which caused my already aching head to slam into the back bars with a loud thunk.

I flinched hard, wrapping my hands as best I could over the newly forming bump. Tears formed in the corners of my eyes and before I could even think to stop myself, I was crying and not the silent with tears running down my face crying. I'm talking full on wailing becauase goddamnit that HURTS and my emotions were explosive, out of my control and I hated myself for every second that passed that I couldn't fucking stop, couldn't shut the hell up because someone was definitely going to hear me and I'd be screwed.

So worried about trying to quiet down, sobbing loudly as I rubbed my head which was throbbing worse, stinging, I didn't hear them. Didn't notice them coming. Footsteps, thudding across hardwood. The door opened and the lights flipped on and I knew then that my plan was foiled (because, y'know, railing my head against wood sure didn't stop me). I was discovered and now I was going to die. I was small, weak, balling my eyes out over a knock to the head- pathetic. I was pathetic.

My screams intensified to the point where it was just painful –both for my throat and my ears- as someone's hands wrapped around me, lifting me into the air. I'm a hunter, goddammit! I sure as hell ain't goin' out without a fight! And fight I did, squirming and flailing- doing everything within my power to get whoever had me to let the fuck go, but it didn't work.

If I'm going to be honest, I hadn't really expected it to.

So I waited. Waited for the inevitable agonizing pain as I was ripped to pieces, eviscerated, decapitated, eaten, or something... but it didn't come. No... Instead, I came in contact with something solid, something... warm. It still made my heart jump into my throat, panic rising, bringing along gut-wrenching fear... but nothing happened. Nothing I was expecting anyway.

"Shh..." A voice, not one I knew, had ever heard before... deep.. calm.. "Shh, baby boy. You're alright." Soothing.. it was... soothing.. but it shouldn't be! I didn't know this voice- I was being held by a man, and not any man that I knew. (Not that it being someone I knew would have made this situation any better.)

The warmth of his arms and chest, along with the soft, gentle tone of his voice and his large hand rubbing my back... it was calming me, and while against my better judgment, I didn't fight it. It.. it felt nice.. and I needed to be calm, to have my wits about me so I could properly assess the situation and figure out where I was going to go from.. wherever it is that I was. "That's my boy."

Sniffling, my screeches reduced to soft hiccups, I wiped off my face with my arm –gross, but whatever-, I took the chance to look around the room, over his shoulder. Now that it was lit up, I could make out exactly what it was and while I should have been expecting it -having woken up in a crib-, it still surprised me when I took it all in.

A nursery. An actual nursery, decorated in soft blues, yellows, and grays... a very mellow, calm selection. There was -from what I could see- a changing table, a four drawer dresser... the crib, obviously, and a box, large and rectangular with no label or sign on it. Weapon's chest? No, probably not, seeing as, y'know, nursery.

I let out a soft noise of surprise as I was moved, more into the arms of my captor, allowing me to see him in full. The first thing I noticed was a pair of bright, almost glowing green eyes –beautiful-.. they were atop a soft, happy smile, directed.. at me? "Did you have a bad dream, little guy?" Bad dream? No- I..

My hand went to the back of my head and I winced as I grazed the bump. It was small, but it still hurt. "Hit your head?" I nodded. "Least I know what that thump was." The man followed my hand, though just barely passed a finger over it so it wouldn't hurt. "Let's get you changed and get that checked out." I.. didn't know what he meant by changed, but I'd like confirmation that I didn't have a concussion, that's for sure.

He reached over onto the dresser, grabbing something I hadn't noticed before –a sort of white walkie talkie looking thing. Baby monitor? "Hey, babe. Can you bring me a small ice pack?" Babe? His girlfriend or something probably. Guy looks like that? No way in hell's he single.

Also, changed, in this case... meant a diaper change, which I didn't actually notice until he tugged off the pair of pants I was wearing. Not gonna lie, either, I flipped my shit. Didn't actually start screaming again, but I fought tooth and nail, kicking and actually trying to bite him. (Thankfully, I still had teeth.) "You really don't want to be changed." And he laughed. He. Fucking. Laughed. "You don't want to get sick, do you?" Sick? What's he mean 'sick'? How am I gonna get sick?

"Feisty this morning, huh?" 'Babe' has arrive- oh, you've gotta be kidding me. It's a GUY?! Great. Just... just great. I'm being held captive by a couple of fruitcakes. Icing on the damn cake that is.

"Yeah, managed to smack his head on the crib, too."

The new guys face contorted into something akin to... concern? I guess, and fear as he rushed to my side, carefully lifting my head to examine my injury. "Oh, baby.." I felt his fingers graze the bump softly before he leaned down, planting a soft kiss on it before lying me back down.

"He's alright, Cas. Just sore. Kid's got a hard head." Green-eyes grinned. No shit, sherlock. The new guy—Cas, placed something cool, not cold, just... cool, and kinda soft on the back of my head, over the bump. It was uncomfortable at first... but damn it helped, and it would keep the swelling down, so the bump may not even stay! It still throbbed, though it was dulling fast, and the sting? Gone. "Seein' as he fought like hell to get out of being changed, I think he's alright."

"I'll keep a close eye on him just in case.." Man, I've been slammed head first into solid steel, concrete, glass, and numerous other things. Bit of a fall into some crappy wood isn't going to kill me. "Poor EJ.." EJ, huh? No one called me that... It was always Elliot or Ell. "How do you think he managed to hit his head?"

"Probably tripped over the blanket." Something like that... ahem. "You wanna take him to the kitchen? I gotta get ready for work."

"Of course." They shared a kiss -blegh- (not gonna lie, I made a face at them), and Cas lifted me up, h- That sneaky bastard distracted me while green-eyes changed me! I attempted an angry growl, but it came out more of a weird gurgle, so far from intimidating that it couldn't even be considered pathetic. "Let's get you some breakfast." Cas smiled down at me, "How does oatmeal sound?" I didn't return his smile, choosing to direct a glare -that was probably about as intimidating as my growl- up at him. "No? Hm... fruit? Maybe... bananas?" I didn't want food, damnit! I wanted freedom!

Which wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Bastard strapped me into a high chair. The buckles were secure, hard plastic, and not a mechanism that my tiny hands could properly grip, so when I tried to undo them and slip out? Didn't happen. A small plate in the shape of a dinosaur was put on the tray in front of me, and not long after, little chopped up bits of fruit -grapes and bananas, I think- was slid onto that. A sippy cup was placed beside the plate, though it was green so I couldn't tell what was inside.

Yeah, not falling for that. Definitely poisoned. Cas took a seat in front of me and I never took my eyes off of him. He didn't look evil, and definitely didn't look like a monster, but he could be any number of things! Demon, vampire, werewolf, skinwalker, shapeshifter- the list went on and on. "Don't you want to eat? You love fruit."

That's true.. I do love fruit, but... I briefly glanced down at it, then shook my head. Not going for it. "No? Are you sure?" His tone was playful and I stared at him curiously. "If you don't hurry up, Daddy's gonna come down here and eat up all your fruits." Daddy? Yeah, okay, what the fuck is wrong with these people? "Won't you eat just one little bite? He stabbed a banana piece onto a little blue form and held it up to me. "Aaah-" Not happening, looney tunes. "Please?" He poked his bottom lip out, pouting, and I held back a snort of laughter. A grown man? Pouting? "One bite, baby? For me?" Man, he wasn't going to let up...

Fine. One bite. One and that's it. Piece that small won't be able to kill me. Reluctantly, and only really because my stomach was starting to gurgle, I opened my mouth, taking the banana piece off of the form. It didn't taste off... nothing weird that I could discern... huh. Just a regular, perfectly ripe banana.

"That's Papa's good boy!" Papa? Daddy and Papa. Okay, that does it. He's nuts. One hundred percent bat-shit nuts, livin' his life on the crazy train to looneyville. "How about we eat a grape now?" Dude, no way. You said one bite. One. That's what you got, so you can just back the h-

Cue stomach betraying me with a growl that almost seemed to echo in the otherwise quiet kitchen. Fucking shit damnit to hell! Fine. I'll eat the fruit. I'll eat the stupid banana and the stupid grapes and I'll drink what's in the damn cup. But that's it!

I'd be out of here before nightfall or so help me...

ooOoo

So, that 'escape' idea? Not anywhere near as easy as I desperately hoped it would be. Dean – as Cas had called him- left for work right as I was finishing up breakfast, after a kiss on the forehead -ugh- and a hell of a hug, leaving me alone with Cas. So, Dean and Cas. Not much information, but it was still something. At least now I had a very, very general idea of the type of people I'm dealing with (plus, names? Can look 'em up later and see who they really are.)

Now, it's been a few hours since breakfast, so it was... sometime around... ten? Maybe eleven? I really didn't know. (These guys don't seem to own any fucking clocks.) Anyway, it was later in the morning and I was not in a different type of... cage. Well, sort of cage. It was a playpen, in the corner of the room. The door to it was left open and I was actually on the floor. Cas was seated on the sofa not ten feet from me, and though he was concentrating on a book, he would periodically glance over to me, especially if I made some kind of noise... so there was no way I was making it past him.

So, for now, I was stuck, though it wasn't too bad... I was sitting atop a pillow, so I was comfortable, and though I had no real interest in playing with the multitude of toys that were spread around me, they did provide some amusement as I thoroughly examined each and every one of them to see if any would be of use in my plan. "Papa's going to be right back, okay, EJ?" With curious eyes, I looked over to Cas. "You stay put." He gave me a smile which I happily returned. This is just the opportunity I was waiting for!

I watched closely as he stood, walking off down the hall. I got up and followed, just to where I could see down the hall. He was in the bathroom- I didn't have much time.

I knew from a glance that I wouldn't be able to reach the front doorknob, and from my earlier observation, all of the cabinets in the kitchen had plastic 'kid proof' locks on them... so I took off down the hall as well, though turned off in the room I had woken up in- the nursery. Holding my breath, I pushed up the lid on the chest that was in the corner- toys. Of course it was fucking toys!

With a growl of annoyance, I went for the closet next- it wasn't shut. Clothes. That was it. Clothes and folded up blankets. Even when I stepped back to look up at the shelves, it was still more cloth items—not even a box. Damnit.

The dresser then? More clothes, as well as diapers and baby powder.. (Though.. I uh.. couldn't reach more than the bottom two drawers..) and there wasn't anything under the crib or within reach on the changing table that could be useful. Didn't stop me from shoving things around, emptying the drawers and toy chest, and clearing off the shelf that I could reach. The room looked like a damn tornado had run through it.

Frustrated, I snatched up the closest thing to me—an article of clothing that had been tossed about, and threw it angrily at the wall. Didn't even make a light thump. Stupid, useless room, useless body! Which, I hadn't been able to look into a mirror yet either because there wasn't one at my height!

"There you are, baby." Cas sounded... exasperated, though I looked up at him, anger clearly written on my face. I was fucking pissed. "You scared me half to death. I thought you were going to stay in the playpen.." Uh.. er... Okay, anger kinda fading because he was not a happy camper. "Look at the mess you've mad.." Though, instead of getting mad and yelling, he just sighed, shaking his head. "Did you find what you were looking for at least?" I shook my head. "How aboooout... you help Papa pick up the mess and he'll help you look?"

That... that could actually work. He didn't have to know what I was looking for, but he'd be able to reach and open doors and cabinets that I couldn't! With a nod, I started grabbing at the clothes that I'd tossed around. I couldn't hold everything, and trust me, I tried, but it did take only a few trips, my arms full of things, to get them picked up. Cas waited by the dresser, and would take the items, fold them up, and put them back in the drawer, along with the diapers. The toys were a lot easier, as Cas only had to hold open the chest so I could drop them back in.

"That's my good boy." Cas scooped me up into his arms and kissed my forehead, causing me to squirm. "Now, what is it you're looking for?" I had a feeling he wasn't actually asking me, so I just looked up at him, waiting. "Since it's not in here, maybe it's in... the living room?" No! I shook my head. There wasn't anything there, I knew that much. The room was open and there wasn't anywhere they could be hiding anything. "Maybe in Papa and Daddy's room?" Yeah! It made sense, thinking about it. Where else to hide my stuff, or any possible weapons.

"Ooo, I think I know what you want." He smiled. Shit. No. Wait. Wait up. There's no way he could know what I was looking for. I look like a kid, so he probably thinks I'm looking for a toy or something. Either way, I let him carry me down the hall to his own bedroom. This could still prove useful...

He sat me down on the bed... which was ridiculously huge, and I stood up so I could look around. Their room was simple, decorated with basic furniture (bed, dressers, night stands..), but their were a few paintings on the walls. The artwork was... strange, not a style I had ever seen before, and as I stared, I could swear I saw the characters in the image move. What the fu-

"Here we go~!" Blinking, I turned my attention back to Cas, staring up at him with confusion. With a wide smile he held up a stuffed dog. It was baby blue with brown ears and built like a teddy bear, floppy with long arms and legs. "You fell asleep with us last night and poor Kippy got lost in the sheets." Kippy? Last night? This guy is off his ro...cke..r..

Something in my mind, a switch, flipped. It was a sudden, almost unnoticeable action, but it was there and... as I stared at the dog.. I wanted it. I wanted the stupid little stuffed dog. I wanted to hug it and take it back with me to the living room and play with it.. "Ippy!" It came out before I could even think to stop it and I was holding my arms out, a pout on my face as I grabbed for the stuffed animal.

"That's right! Kippy missed you bunches and bunches, too." Cas held onto the dog, but lifted me up once more. "Can Kippy have a big hug? He really needs one."

"Ye!" Snatching the dog from him, I squeezed it to myself, a strange warmth flowing through me as I rubbed my face against it's soft fur, breathing in it's scent. It was made out of a similar material to the blanket in the crib... so soft... so.. familiar..

"Papa's sorry he forgot about Kippy." Cas looked sad, worried maybe?

Was I supposed to be mad at him or something? It's not like it was his fault that Kippy had gotten lost in the sheets. It was a big bed! "Is okee." I reached up and patted his cheek, and he kissed my hand. "Nah mahd." And I really wasn't. No reason for me to bed. He hadn't taken Kippy away. Hell, he'd actually given him back and he wasn't dirty or hurt or anything!

"That makes me happy. I love you so much, EJ. I don't know what I would do if you were mad at me." He planted a kiss on my head, which then started to throb once more. L-Love..? aghh..! Everything was foggy, swirling around in my head- I couldn't think, couldn't focus- and then it stopped and everything snapped back into place. Shaking my head, I blinked, looking up at Cas, then around us –we were in the hallway now- and then down at the weird little stuffed dog. What the hell was that?

As we got back to the living room, I was placed into the playpen again. "Hm.. you getting hungry, baby boy?" Was it lunch time already? Man, time really flew when you were playi- no, not playing. Definitely not playing. Planning, plotting, searching.

I looked up at Cas and... nodded. While I didn't really feel hungry, I kinda wanted food. May as well take advantage of the free meals while I could, after all. After I got back to work, it'd be gas station food for the foreseeable future. "I know just what to make!" Not wanting me to wander off and make a mess again, he closed the door to the playpen, locking me in. "Don't need you getting into more trouble while I'm gone." He winked at me with a smile, heading off into the kitchen.

Alone, annoyed, I tossed the stuffed dog off against the side of the pen, huffing. How dare he trap me here! I stared at the playpen bars.. y'know.. they weren't quite as tall as the crib bars, being about even with my head... maybe...

I grinned. I couldn't help it, I grinned, shuffling around to gather up everything that was in the pen with me. I stacked the pillow and blanket first, then began piling toys on top of that – blocks, big plastic trucks, dinosaurs-. It wasn't the most secure tower, but so long as I hurried up and over, I should be able to escape without smacking my head into something again. Worth a shot, right?

I'm counting it as the 'miracle of the week' that I did not actually fall and hit my head again. With great fucking trouble, I managed to get over the top of the bars, landing with a soft thump as my butt hit the floor. Sweet, sweet freedom. First, I'd be going back into Cas's room. Maybe he'd left the door open...

Why was I hesitating? Cas wouldn't be in the kitchen forever- I needed to get moving!

Kippy... my eyes drifted to the damnnable dog, it's solid black eyes staring back at me. Damnit. Reaching through the bars, I snatched it up and pulled it through, keeping one hand wrapped around it's paw as I headed to the hallway. A quick glance into the kitchen showed Cas was still there, humming as he worked on whatever the hell he was intending to cook, meaning he'd be easy enough to sneak by. Good.

Unfortunately for me, their bedroom door was shut now, as well as the one leading to my- the nursery. The. Nursery. That left another door that was shut, leading to hell knows what, and the bathroom, which, one look told me it wouldn't be of use. The only cabinets were high up, above the toilet and sink.

They really, really weren't making this easy for me.

"How in the world did you get out of there." Busted. Cas was shaking his head, smiling still as he looked down at me, now standing confused and frustrated in the living room. With a glance over at the playpen, he saw the pile of objects, only halfway standing now, and laughed. "Dean's going to love this. His little dinosaur is turning out to be a monkey."

Dinosaur, huh? 'Daddy's little dinosaur'... Hah.

"How about some cartoons then, huh?" Something to keep my attention of course, not that it would work, but hey, if it made him feel better... "Let's see... we've got... Dora." Uh, no. Definitely no. The art style is creepy and I didn't care for spanish. "Spongebob." That would be another no. His voice was irritating. "My Little Pony." And a hell no. That's a show for little girls! "Here we go. Scooby Doo." Scooby Doo? Damn, talk about old. I remember seein' that when I was actually a kid! Neat.

Okay, so... maybe it worked. Just a little.

Or maybe a lot, because the next thing I knew, there was a plate of dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets in front go me and a sippy cup full of something that turned out to be sweet and cherry flavoured. I blinked, shaking my head as I looked down at the food, then up at Cas. Somehow, I wasn't surprised by what he'd chosen... and hey, free food, like I'd said.

As I picked one up, he watched me, which was kinda weird, but whatever. The guy was weird. Figured that one out already. With one bite, I took off a dinosaur's head, and Cas ruffled my hear.

My eyes kept drifting to the television, even as I ate, though I did manage to pry my attention away from it long enough to pat the floor next to me while looking up at my 'babysitter'. With a huge grin –he really likes to smile..-, he sat down next to me, then pulled me into his lap.

"Roar roar." Cas growled playfully as he picked up a nugget, making it walk across the plate. "Grrr!" A giggle escaped me as he did that and I took another bite of the one in my hand. "Roar!" More giggles came as he grabbed another nugget and they began fighting over the territory that was my plate. "Grrr, nom nom nom!" The right nugget took down the left in one swift tackle and I clapped as it danced in victory.

Cut it out, man! You're twenty-six, not two!

There is nothing wrong with playing the part though, at least until you escape... what's the worst than can happen...?

The now-dead loser nugget was held up for me to take, and I did... but then I leaned my head back to look up at Cas, offering it to him. "For me?" I nodded, earning myself another kiss on the head. "That's your lunch, sweetheart. Papa had his already." My brow creased in confusion. When'd he have time to eat? I wasn't into the television for that long... was I? Still, I waved it at him, silently telling him to take it anyway. "Alright, alright. Just one bite though." I smiled as he bit off the nugget's bottom half, though didn't take the rest, which I continued to hold out. "Elliot..."

"Pease?" Hey, if I'm tiny and adorable –which, I'm I'm tiny, I know I'm adorable-, might as well use it to my advantage.

With a sigh, he shook his head, smiling softly. "Okay, okay, you win." He took the rest of the nugget, eating it while I watched. Hah, win for me. "You're too cute for your own good, mister." Haha! Damn right. "You have to eat all the others though." There were only three left. I could do that. "Then it'll be nap time." Nap? I didn't need a nap! I wasn't tired at all-... yeah, okay, shut up. Just a little tired. But hey, all that running around and digging about sucked me dry! It's this stupid tiny body. "I know you don't like nap time, but if you're good for me, we can go play outside when you wake up."

Outside? Yes! Definitely yes! New plan in action! I could go along with this. A nap would recharge my batteries, after all, meaning I'd be ready for 'Elliot's Escape Attempts Round 2' when I got up.

ooOoo

Mmnn.. that was a weird dream... must've smacked my head pretty hard on that concrete.. My hand went to the back of my head, feeling for any sign of injury. Yep, there was a bump. It didn't hurt though, which was... unexpected, but awesome. Didn't even have a headache!

The hell's in my mouth? The first thing I noticed, of course. It was... rubbery? Kinda squishy, pliable, and it tasted like... latex? Was that latex? Why the hell would there be- Shit. My eyes opened and I came face to face with that goddamn stuffed dog. Figures. Angrily, I pushed myself up into a sitting position and spat out whatever the hell was in my mouth, glaring down at it as it plopped on the mattress. It was a pacifier, of course.

"Did you have a good nap, sweetheart." Cas had entered and was looking down at me. My anger immediately faded and I nodded, smiling. "Are you ready to go play outside?"

"Ye!" I stood and stuck my arms out to him, making grabby hands. I wanted out of the crib now and I wasn't about to risk my head trying to get out myself again. "Ouside!" Wait, wait, gotta work this. Can't be a little bastard about it or he could change his mind. "Pease ouside?" There we go, Elliot. Play nice and cute and he'll be falling over himself to give you what you want.

As expected, he lifted me with a grin. "Let's get you changed and into some play clothes, hm?" Probably a good idea. The uh... snap shirt, onesie, I was in probably wouldn't work too well. I needed something more durable to at least protect my legs. Jeans, preferably, but I'd take what I could get.

Diaper change? Took all of my self control to stay as still as possible and let him do what needed to be done. It was embarrassing and I hated that fact that I needed to be changed at all, but hey, kid body, kid problems, right? It's just one more small bump in the road. Kinda worth it to, because I was put into a little pair of overalls and tennis shoes after and though I looked ridiculous (couldn't remember the last time I wore either, and the onesie being light blue with "daddy's little monster' written on it really didn't help, it would work. I'd have to be careful of my arms, but other than that I was good to go.

Outside, though! We were outside! There weren't any clouds in the sky and it was warm, but not hot. It was a really nice day, relaxing. "Ooo." The yard was large, very... very large, though I guess it was only like that due to my size, and there was a small playground sitting in the middle, just off the edge of the patio, which was built along the side of the house. It was brightly coloured with blue, red, and yellow, and there was a swingset and slide, stuff to climb on and a little 'treehouse'. Wow.. Yeah, I was pretty amazed, but hey, could you blame me?

As the initial 'awe' wore off though, I noticed, unfortunately that the entire yard was fenced in, and not a metal chicken wire fence that you could climb and hop over. No, it was a solid wooden fence, as tall as Cas, if not a little taller, and there wasn't a gate anywhere. The only way to get out of the yard was to go back into the house. Just freaking wonderful.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I looked back to the house... Maybe I can convince him to bring me back in. I can try and... I.. I have no idea... I was stuck. That was it. I was stuck. I couldn't reach the doorknobs, and even if I managed to reach the one at the front door, it was unlikely that I could actually open it, the back yard was sealed tight and there was no way in hell I could go out of a window. I had no idea what to do.

It's only been a few hours, Ell. You've got plenty of time to figure this out. Just take a deep breath and focus. "What's wrong, baby?" Concern was clear on Cas's face, but I couldn't exactly tell him what's wrong. Other than my butchered speech, I don't think 'I'm disappointed because I'm trapped here with you when I could be hunting down demons' would go over well. "Is it because Daddy's not here?" Confused (that seems to be happening a lot), I tilted my head, not sure why Dean's absence would be a problem.

That disorienting, foggy feeling hit me once again, though this time I was bombarded with – memories? No, not memories. They couldn't be... but scenes. Scenes of Dean and... was it me? It was hard to tell- I could only see him, see our surroundings... We, they.. were playing here, right where we were. They were splashing in a small blow up pool on a bright day, hopping into mud puddles, playing in piles of raked leaves..

The images flashed by so quickly that I couldn't make out exact details, couldn't tell when they were happening, or what exactl- Aghh! I couldn't take it. It started to hurt- I couldn't see, couldn't think.

I shook my head and started squirming in Cas's arms. Those weren't my memories so they sure as hell didn't belong in my head! "Nnng!" With a soft laugh, Cas let me down and I scrambled away from him, dropping Kippy on the ground as I did, wanting to put as much distance between myself and him as possible. Being around this guy is screwing with my head.

Whap!

Just my luck that the second my feet touch the grass, I hit the ground. Uggh.. ow. I heard a loud gasp from Cas, and glanced back at him as I pushed myself back up. It was clear that he was trying his hardest to stay calm, though was on the verge of a major freak out. Man, I just fell. I'm not going to die or something. I'm so damn little though. Poor guy probably thinks I will die if I keep smacking my head into things.

Holding back tears that I had only just noticed were forming, I kept on towards the playground. It didn't even really hurt that bad... just surprised me is all. Being closer to the ground had it's benefits, apparently. Maybe when Da- I cut myself off, shaking my head. Dean gets back, this guy'll calm the hell down. Doesn't he know just how resilient kids are?

I had time to kill now, and hey, I'd never really gotten the chance to explore a playground before (I know it's not really a playground, but it's got stuff like one, so I'll call it what I want) and I'd never get the chance to do so again...

So I walked around the entire thing, examining it. From what I could tell, it was very well put together, made of solid wood and carefully painted. It was worn slightly, from the weather and general use, but still in great condition overall. The more I think about this... the less sense it makes...

Cas and Dean... both of them were acting like everything was perfectly normal. Like today was just another day in their lives, which from what I could tell, it was. There was a nursery set up and well stocked. A playpen and toys, plates and cups, a freaking playground. There was also that weird familiarity I felt when I held Kip- that stupid stuffed dog... Something was really wrong here... "EJ?" I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up to see Cas kneeling by me. "You feeling okay, EJ?"

Huh? Why wouldn't I be feeling oka- Ahh, I spaced out. Probably scared him a little. "Ye." I offered a grin in the hopes of calming him, and it must have worked because he grinned back and picked me up. "Uh?" I was placed onto, or rather, into one of the swings, which was smaller and actually designed for babies- so that someone my size wouldn't fall off or out. What was the point of this though? I didn't unders- WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING!?

I was moving, swinging, and I about flipped the fuck out because that was not something I had intended to do. One hand clenched the rope tightly, the other wrapped around Kippy's arm, and I let out a yell of surprise, earning laughter from Cas. "You're flying~!" F-flying?! I'm not- w-well... I guess.. it kinda was like flying, in a weird way.

My feet weren't on the ground and the wind was brushing against my face and tousling my hair as I went back and forth- never too high though, for my own safety I guess. It was... fun.. It was really fun! Though I kept my hand wrapped tightly around the rope -last thing I needed was to actually go flying-, I let myself smile and laugh and for that short lived bit of time, I let myself be the kid that I appeared to be.

It also made Cas like.. really, REALLY happy, so... if me being silly can do that, it wasn't a bad thing, and it's not like anyone else, except maybe Dean, would ever find out.

Suddenly, or well, not suddenly really, but suddenly to me, the swinging came to a stop and I was lifted into the air, still giggling. "Behold, Simba!" Simba? Though I didn't understand the reference he was making, I still laughed. "Are you my little lion?" 'Daddy's dinosaur' and 'Papa's lion'? Man, these guys can't get any more weird... but, what the hell, why not? I can be a lion.

"Raaawwr!" My little, pathetic roar earned me snuggles and a mess of kisses all over my face as Cas laughed, though I wiped them off with an 'ick!'.

"You don't like Papa's kisses?" It was feigned hurt, accompanied by a pout, so I just smiled wider, shaking my head. "Are Papa's kisses icky?"

"Ye! Icky!" I placed a hand over his mouth. "Ick."

"Muah!" A big kiss on my palm, causing me to retract my hand, making a face at him. "Well Papa thinks certain little boys are icky." Hey! I am not icky, thank you very much! "Buuut, he loves them anyway." With a huff, I stuck my tongue out at him and started squirming again. "Okay, okay."

Cas put me back down and I made my way to the slide, looking it up and down before turning back to the man, standing there with a hand on one hip, watching me... Holding back another huff, I walked back over to him and tugged on his pants leg as I headed once more to the slide, urging him to follow me. If I was going to.. play on this stuff, I'd need help, and thankfully, he was more than willing to give it.

ooOoo

We spent a long time outside, and I mean that. When Cas finally decided it was time to go in, the sun was just starting to set and I was an absolute mess. Covered in dirty, dust, and sweat, and I knew for a fact that I'd given Cas a run for his money, making him chase after me all around the yard. It was a duel game -look for holes and see how long I can go without being caught. He never seemed to get upset or irritated though. In fact, he actually looked to be enjoying it, like it was just a normal game.. which in his eyes, I guess it was.

All in all... not a bad day.

"Having fun without me, huh?" Cas's eyes lit up at the sound of that voice and he turned his head just in time to be met with a kiss. Dean was home and was way dirtier than I was- covered in dirt, rust, and oil. He was in a pair of dark coveralls, splotched with black and rust coloured grime. "C'mere you." Cas handed me over to Dean and he hugged my right, kissing my cheek. "Have you been a good boy for Papa today?"

Cas answered for me and I grinned at his response, "He's figured out how to climb out of the playpen." Dean looked surprised, though it quickly turned to amusement, pride, as he shook his head, chuckling.

"Little troublemaker you are." He ruffled my hair and it made me glad that I already needed a bath because whatever was on his hand was wiped off, onto my head.

"Other than his little escape act, he was wonderful." Not counting my making a mess of the nursery, haha. I was too busy to be a little bastard though, so of course I was wonderful. "Did you pick up dinner?"

Dean grinned. "Sure did. It's in the kitchen. Me and EJ are gonna get cleaned up first though. I missed my little dinosaur." Huh, so it really was a thing. I thought Cas was just being silly.

With a smile and another kiss, Cas spoke again, "He missed you too. Now, I'll go get things ready so don't take too long." We followed Cas back into the house, though as Dean had said, we headed down the hall and through their bedroom, into the 'master bathroom', which was pretty damn impressive. Bathtub big enough for two people, a separate shower, two sinks, and a door into their closet! Geez.

"How's a bath with Daddy sound? Papa'll throw a fit if we take too long... and the food'll get cold." He laughed, and I snickered. "Bubbles sound good?"

My eyes widened a little a the prospect of a bubble bath. I couldn't remember ever having taken one. Ever since I was little, it always had to be a quick in and out or a shower. (especially in motels, uuggh) "Ye!" That was all the encouragement Dean needed, and with a grin, he turned on the faucet.

With amazement clearly seen on my face, I watched as he poured a blue liquid into the clear water. It smelled like fruit and quickly turned into mountains of bubbles as the faucet churned the water. I reached for them, swatting at the pile I managed to reach with a giggle. Excited, I worked on getting myself undressed, which wasn't working out too bad, until I slipped on the overalls and landed on my butt.

It didn't really hurt, thanks to the poofy and -unfortunately, wet- diaper, but it still sucked, and I pouted. Dean had to help me get them the rest of the way off and they, along with my onesie, were tossed into a basket in the corner. When he reached for the diaper though... I was hesitant and he knew it, even before I stepped away from him. "C'mon, baby boy. You can't bathe in that. Remember what happened with the puddle?" Puddle? What puddle? What was he-

Just like with Cas when we were outside, I was hit with flashes of images in my head. It didn't hurt this time, and I managed to shake it off faster... but I did at least know what Dean was talking about now. Apparently diapers are super absorbent... so when I- well... not me, but... you know, went puddle hopping, it swelled up and caused.. a bit of a duck walk, before it fell off. Cute from an outsider's perspective, I guess, but not so much fun for me.

So, I let him take it off and toss it into a bin near the sinks. "Nekky!" It came out, followed by a string of giggles, which caused Dean to start laughing as well, who was on his way to joining me of the land of no-pants. No reason to be ashamed, right? Kids bathe with their parents sometimes, and this was something like that, so it wasn't a problem, so long as I didn't think too much about it.

"Woosh!" Into the air I went, only to be lowered into the very warm, though not unpleasantly so, water. It was up to my chest, if I sat down, but the bubbles were up to my head! The first thought to pop into my head was to, guess what? Splash Dean. I did so with a grin, which he returned, pouring a handful of water onto my head. "Let me get you cleaned up and you can play with the bubbles, okay?"

Aaah, the bubbles were meant to be a distraction while he washed up, to keep me outta trouble. "Ye." I grinned once more and plopped into the water. I could handle that.

ooOoo

"I was wondering when you two would come down. The food's getting cold." Dean smiled innocently as he set me down in the high chair, clad in only a diaper, but before he could say anything back to Cas, I did, and though I spoke fast and most of the words I tried to say wound up butchered to hell, I'm sure he at least managed to catch some of them (probably nekky and bubbles, if nothing else) because as I continued, he smiled wider and wider, until finally he laughed aloud and pressed a kiss to my head.

Dinner turned out to be take-out Chinese, which I won't lie, was a little disappointing (What? So I hoped for a home cooked meal... woulda been a great ending to the day), but, it was pretty damn good. Definitely higher-end stuff. I was fed from various boxes, noodles and rice and bits of chicken. It didn't take long for me to get full, so I was given Kippy (Cas had taken him when I went with Dean) to play with while they finished their food.

After everything was picked up and I was put into a green onesie and a pair of pants with dinosaur feet, we went into the living room. Dean and Cas snuggled together on the soda, which consisted of Dean propped up, Cas lying aganst him, allowing me to be sprawled over his lap, Kippy in my arms.

The television was turned on, with another cartoon playing on the screen, though I didn't recognize this one. "You two have a good day?" Dean asked, though a quick glance up told me he was talking to Cas. Not feeling particularly needed, I tuned into what was on the television. Whatever it was, we'd started off in the middle of it, so I had no idea what was going on. Something about a spaceship and dogs...

I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, cuddled together on the sofa, but the next thing I know, I'm being carried and everything around me is quiet. "Nn.." A soft groan of displeasure escaped me and I noticed that Kippy's ear was in my mouth, soaked from my having gnawed on it in my sleep. "Waah.."

"Shh, baby. I'm just putting you in your crib." It was Dean's voice... soft and deep.. and I felt myself reaching out with the hand not wrapped around Kippy, not wanting him to let me go. "Goodnight, little guy. I love you." A kiss was pressed to my forehead and a hand lightly touched my hair, before a blanket was pulled over me. Something was prodding my lips, and I let it in without complaint, sleep overcoming me once more.