A/N: Thanks again, y'all =)

to aka T.R who didn't sign in, LOL, thanks! Aren't cliffies exciting? I know you all just pretend not to like them, y'all eat 'em up! XD


Chapter 7

Dean's head was pounding as he swam through the fog towards consciousness once again. By this point in his life, it hardly even phased him to realize that his limbs were too heavy to move; he'd been captured so many times that this usually came with exasperation more than fear, but this time was different. He didn't feel like he was actually bound, but his hands didn't feel like hands, and there was so much noise.

Slowly, carefully, the hunter pried his eyelids open, waiting for the bright light to dim to a hazy shade, and then for the shade to clear into an actual picture. The first thing he could focus on was a pair of brilliant eyes staring at him from the other side of what seemed to be a chain link fence. Eyes that looked so much like Cas's, except it was a- oh… right.

Dean blinked, dropping his head back down onto the cold, unforgiving surface of the ground. Damn it. He wasn't tied up; his limbs felt heavy because they were covered in fur, because he was a dog. When he caught up with Circe, he was going to rip her a new one.

"Dean? Dean. Are you alright?"

Through the sound of a dozen other dogs barking, the hunter heard a scratching noise, the faint jingle of the metal fence rattling as Cas tried to reach a paw through it towards him. Dean managed to push himself up halfway to a sitting position, looking around while fighting a wave of nausea.

So this was what the inside of a pound looked like.

They were inside a long room, one walkway down the middle. On either side, the chain link fences separated each cage, keeping Cas away from him. Even if Dean had the strength to try jumping or climbing the fence, it was enclosed at the top with another layer of the metal, keeping them locked in. As far as Dean could see, every single cage was occupied all the way down the room. He wasn't sure which would make him lose his mind first: the noise, or the smell.

"Damn it," Dean grumbled, sitting up the rest of the way and shaking himself out, wishing he could shake off the chill this place gave him. Beneath all this ridiculous fur, his skin was crawling. The pound stunk like death and hopelessness, and it sounded like almost every dog in there was calling out for whoever had dumped them there.

"They shot you with something," Cas explained, watching Dean carefully with a haunted look. "For a moment, I thought they might have killed you, but I suppose they just knocked you out in retaliation for attacking that demon."

"The demon!" Dean was on his feet in a flash, rushing to the door of his cage and pressing up against it in the hopes of catching a glimpse, flooded with the innate desire to kill the monster. "Where did he go? Any sign of Sam? We need to get out of here! Sam! Hey, SAM! Sammy?"

It was no use; his call was instantly lost in the muddle of other names being yelled in fear, so many dogs crying for their humans. Dean shuddered.

"He's not here," Cas replied over the other voices. "The demon came in once to look at us, though. I can't be sure if he recognized your soul in that body. Demons can get a sense of things, but they can't see true forms the way angels can. But if he hasn't figured it out yet, he will soon."

Yeah, and that was horrible and all, but Dean's mind could only focus on the fact that his brother wasn't even here. Every second that Sam was alone out there increased his odds of being spotted by Circe—or worse, what if a demon recognized him, and called Lucifer? Anxiety bubbled in Dean's gut, and he bounded over to the fence that separated him from Cas.

"Cas, you can still fly a little way, right?" he demanded, eyes narrowing on his best friend.

Cas looked down. "I- I might be able to get as far as the door, but… Dean, this body isn't compatible with my true form, it dampens my power. And since I'm already cut off, I'm not… strong enough like this. My wings won't support us both. I'm afraid we're stuck in here-"

"No, I'M stuck in here," Dean corrected him. He jerked his muzzle towards the far door, imploring, "Cas, you've got to escape. Get out, FIND SAM! You said if something went wrong, you could make it out of here-"

"Yes, if it was just me!" the angel snarled with a fierce shake of his head. "I won't leave you here."

"Yes, you will, damn it! Sammy's still out there. Finding him before Circe or one of those demons is the only thing that matters! I'll be fine."

It looked like Cas was clearly about to argue some more with him, but another voice joined the conversation, low and despondent.

"You've only got three days."

With a frown, Dean turned to the speaker, a dog in the pen across the aisle from himself and Cas. The hunter moved up to the door of his cage, eyeing the older looking boxer that was watching him. Unlike the rest of the animals in the pound, this one wasn't calling out for anyone, merely lying there with a grim sense of resignation and pride.

"What do you mean?" Dean demanded. "What do you know?"

"Nothing about a 'Sam'," he said. "Name's Captain, by the way. I know plenty. I know you're not really a dog, and you…" He turned to Cas, dipping his head. "…I know you're an angel. I'd give you a better greeting, but…" The boxer jerked his muzzle around to indicate the pen he was being kept in, then dropped it back down to rest on his paws. Dean and Cas traded a look, not sure what to make of this.

"Why does he only have three days?" Cas asked with a frown.

"And how do you know Cas?" Dean added. The boxer sighed softly.

"I can smell angel. The others would, too, but most of these poor schmucks don't know their own names anymore. Our minds go pretty fast in here. And you, human… you came in here causing all kinds of problems. Look around. This place is full, so as soon as they need to rent out another room, one of us will have to go. The humans have to keep you for at least three days, but after that? You bit someone. You'll be the first one they kill."

Well, that wasn't good. But surely three days would be enough time; Dean hated the idea of spending even three more hours in this miserable place where dogs came to die, the air itself so oppressive that he wanted to join the others in simply howling in insanity. On the other hand, they'd had much worse time frames before. Three days was practically luxurious.

"Cas, go," he tried again, glaring when the angel shook his head. "I'm serious, go get Sam, then come back for me."

"And if I can't find him in three days? I saved you from Hell, I won't let you die like THIS now."

Dean let out a bark of laughter, hoping Cas couldn't tell it was just bravado. "I'll be fine. Just hurry, before-"

The evil sensation was overpowering him before the hunter could even finish his sentence. It had to be the demon again, and from the panicked, frenzied swell of barking, all the other dogs in the pound could sense it, too. Even Captain had picked his head back up, one ear cocked as he stared intently at the door into the front.

And then came the screams. The human screams… the sound of flesh being ripped from bone, the odor of fresh blood…

"No!" the hunter gasped, as Cas closed his eyes. "Leave them alone!" Dean bayed, attacking the door of his cage with all the strength he could muster, accomplishing nothing. His heart sank as he realized there was no way of helping the human workers who were being slaughtered out there. Even if he could get out, he couldn't take down a demon with only his teeth and claws.

Just as quickly as it had started, the screaming stopped, though the terrified barking from the score of dogs lining the pound only intensified. Dean and Cas exchanged a swift look, as the hunter realized that his three days had just expired.

"They wouldn't have killed the humans if they weren't prepared to make a move," Cas murmured, barely audible over the other dogs.

Nodding agreement, Dean steeled himself for whatever was about to happen. Even still, he couldn't help but jump slightly as the locked door burst open hard enough to crack the plaster on the wall it crashed into, or keep the horror from his furry face as not one but five demons swaggered through the door.

At the head of the pack…

"YOU!" Dean boomed as he recognized Meg, his vision tunneling in on her and her alone. He would rip the evil bitch's throat out, given the chance! "Hey! Open this door, Meg, and I'll-"

"All of you, shut up!" The demon possessing the pound worker pushed his way forward, glaring around at the instantly silent row of cages. All the dogs huddled back away from the evil presence, either whimpering softly or burying their heads down in their paws. Dean felt the same surge of fear, but his fight or flight instinct was hardwired to 'fight'. Since he couldn't physically attack, the hunter went for the next best option.

"Why don't you come in HERE and say that, pal?" he snarled, leaping at the cage door again so that the chain link fence rattled all the way down the row. "You're so big and bad, killing humans who can't fight back? Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

"Dean!" Cas hissed from the adjoining cage, not shrinking back but not raising an argument either. "Don't call attention to yourself! They're looking for a dog who isn't really a dog, remember?"

"Well, well, what's got you so riled, Cujo?" Meg asked as she walked calmly over to Dean's cage and squatted in front of it with the cool, cocky smirk that the hunter hated so much. "Hmm… you're right," she called over her shoulder to the first demon without looking away. "This isn't Sam Winchester, but he is… familiar."

"How about I throw your bitchy ass out a window again, would that help you remember me?" he couldn't help but snarl in reply, hackles fully raised and teeth bared in preparation to lunge.

"Dean!" Cas snapped again, bringing the demon's attention to him next.

"And you," Meg murmured, squinting as she tilted her head to examine the Husky closer. "Your eyes… you almost look like…" She trailed off, studying the defiant angel much too intently for Dean's comfort. The demon's eyes flicked to black, and a wide smile stretched across her face. "Clarence? Is that you in there?"

She laughed, long and loud, as Cas started to growl, a low rumble in his chest. Meg paid no mind, shifting back to Dean as she pulled a phone out of her pocket. "It is Clarence. Which means you can only be Deano," she concluded, dialing a number and holding up the phone. There was a pause, and then she said, "It's me. You're not going to believe this…"


When Sam and Zorro finally passed the sign welcoming them back to Eureka, the hunter was nearly ready to pass out with relief. He was grateful to Zorro, of course, but the little dog's jabbering was starting to make Sam's teeth rattle. Besides, he was getting a worse and worse feeling about Dean and Cas; the sooner he found them, the happier he'd be.

"Okay, here we are, man," Zorro yipped as he scampered along. "Eureka. Told you I'd get you here, no?"

"Yeah," Sam replied, distracted by a squirrel chittering on the opposite street corner. He cocked his head, staring at the infuriating creature and calculating whether or not he could catch the thing before it bolted. Besides, he thought he could smell a rabbit in that direction, which was highly tempting, and he hadn't eaten all day…

The hunter gave himself a shake, frowning as he forced his gaze away, turning his back on the rodent. "Right," he said. "So… where is Dean?"

"You don't know?"

Sam's frown deepened. He sat down, reaching a back leg up to scratch at his ear while he thought, considering the various options. He wished he knew why he'd ended up two towns over, alone. That would be a big clue as to what had happened to Cas, and where he was now, and Dean was most likely with him. At least, Sam hoped.

"Either Circe caught them when Cas tried to fly away," Sam said, thinking out loud, "Or they escaped and they're looking for me right now."

Zorro sniffed a nearby fire hydrant, then raised his leg to it. The hunter tried to ignore him, looking back to the squirrel and wondering again how hard it would be to catch. Giving it a try sounded like fun, and that worried him. The Chihuahua noticed none of this, simply flopped down onto the ground once he was done marking his new territory, waiting for Sam to make a decision.

"The motel," Sam finally said. "He'd expect me to go there. If Circe doesn't have them, they'd head to the motel first."

"Your call, man," Zorro agreed, hopping back up again in a flurry. "Then what?"

"We'll figure it out." Which meant basically that there was no plan whatsoever, but they'd gotten out of worse messes than this without any actual planning. At least the motel was close to the outskirts, not far of a walk from there at all. Sam led the way, hope building with every step, right up until the parking lot behind the motel came into view.

No Impala.

Breaking into a run, Sam raced for the door of their room, heart thudding with disappointment. There was no way Dean would have left the Impala at Circe's place but… but there was always a chance that he and Cas had split up to look for him, and maybe the angel had stayed at the motel. Sam stopped when he reached the room, scratching on the door and whining.

"Dean! Cas? Anyone? Guys, are you here?"

There was no answer, just the click-click-clicking of Zorro's nails on the pavement as he scurried over to join Sam. The hunter sat back on his haunches with a huff. He'd been so focused on just getting back to town, but hadn't given much thought to the next step. Now that he was here, how was he supposed to find his brother and best friend?

A breeze drifted by, just enough to ruffle the dog's long fur, but Sam tensed up and cocked his head. That smell… it was Dean. The hunter had no idea how he would even know that, had no idea how he could identify his brother, but he knew without the slightest doubt that the older Winchester had been there. In fact, it smelled like he'd-

"Oh, GROSS!" Sam yelped, jumping backwards from the door and staring at it in bewilderment. "Why the HELL would he-"

"Hey, man, did your brother mark this door?" Zorro interrupted, looking even more puzzled than Sam felt.

"Yeah! That's just-"

"I thought your hermano was human."

Sam paused, eyeing the Chihuahua, who was sniffing at the door. "My brother IS human." Cocking his head, he added, "Why?"

Zorro looked up at Sam, tail wagging high in the air as he replied, "This isn't human, muchacho. It's weird, sorta like you… it's not dog, but… it is. You feel me?"

The hunter gaped at the smaller dog, eyes narrowing. "Circe changed him into a dog, too?" That would explain everything. Cas wouldn't have been able to hold on to him if the goddess had transformed him, and Dean certainly wouldn't have "marked" anything if he was still his human self. And if his brother had definitely been here—and this smelled pretty damn fresh—then Circe didn't have them at least, because Sam and Zorro had seen her in the last town, going the other way.

Which still left the question of where Dean and Cas were, if no longer here at the motel.

"Something else, too," Zorro added, tiny forehead wrinkled. "Something even more loco. Man, this one doesn't smell human at ALL, but… but not really dog, but… this doesn't make sense."

"That must be Cas," Sam decided. "He's an angel, so if Circe-"

"An ANGEL?!" Zorro barked, eyes lighting up like Christmas morning. He ran in a circle, tail wagging so hard that Sam was amazed he didn't knock himself over. "An angel! You holding out on me, eh? A real angel? Oh man, I gotta see 'im! We're gonna find an angel?"

The hunter blinked, watching the unexpected show of abundant enthusiasm. "Uh… yeah."

"Oh boy! Oh boy, that's just…" Zorro broke into a long string of Spanish, too rapid for Sam to follow with only one year of the language under his belt. The Chihuahua ran in a few more circles, quivered for a moment, and then promptly peed on the motel wall in uncontrollable excitement.

"Um…" Sam cleared his throat and looked away, not sure if this was more amusing or awkward. "Just one thing… they're not here, so I don't know-"

"Oh man, you still don't get this whole dog thing," Zorro laughed in high spirits, kicking some dust over the spot he'd just marked and then sniffing at the door frame. "Your brother, he left you everything you need to find him."

Sam's ears shifted up, hope rising in his chest. "You mean- of course!" The hunter inhaled deeply, but could only smell Dean right there on the door. There were too many other odors and aromas tangling together, and Sam didn't have the experience to separate them all out. Turning back to the Chihuahua, he asked, "Zorro, do you think you can track his scent?"

The little dog gave him a toothy grin as he puffed his chest out with pride. "You forget who you're talking to? I'm Zorro el Poderoso, and I'm a mighty hunter. I'll find your brother and the angel, just follow me."