Chapter 8

"So, what's the plan?" Dean asked Ice after they excused themselves and went outside to tend the horses. He made Sam stay inside to comfort Tisha who was doing her best to stary positive but it was hard.

"We'll have to go in and try to find them. I'm hoping Titus is smart enough to lead them off the trail. He knows I'm searching for him."

"We'll head out in the morning then. How far are we from the Forbidden Forest?" Dean asked as he led two horses into the corral where he started unsaddling them and brushing them down. Once they were fed and watered, he joined Ice by the fence and started working out a plan in his head on how to get Titus back. "What if we go back to where you were attacked and start tracking them from there. I'm one of the best trackers in my world and maybe we'll be able to catch up with them."

"I was thinking along the same lines," Ice agreed. "What about your brother?"

"I can't stop him from coming no matter how dangerous it might be," Dean sighed. "He would never forgive me if I left him out."

"I understand. Guess we better go tell him our plan and see if he has any suggestions."

"Thanks for accepting him. Sammy is smart and as good a hunter as I am. He's a great planner and can see the big picture on things."

"Of course, Dean. I'm trying to gain his trust and friendship."

They walked back to the house with their packs to give Tisha the fresh vegetables to use in their meal. They found Sam on the floor playing with little Dean and Tisha was in the kitchen fixing a meal. She was smiling at them but there was sadness and worry in her eyes.

"We have some vegetables to add to the meal," Ice offered pulling them from his pack.

"Thank you, I will add them to the stew," she replied. "I mixed up some dough for biscuits and have a fruit pie. It's not much."

"Did you say pie?" Dean butted in.

"It is fine Tisha. We're not picky."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Dean asked glancing around the room.

"You could get a fire started for me outside."

"Sure, no problem." Dean stepped through a door and onto a small deck. He saw a stone oven on one side and a fire pit for cooking right beside it that would heat it too. After gathering some wood and kindling, Dean got a fire going so Tisha could cook the stew and biscuits. "Sammy can you come out here for a minute?" he called.

"Coming," Sam answered back, grunting with his aches and pains as he pushed himself from the floor. He stepped outside and over to Dean. "What is it?"

"We're heading out in the morning to where Ice was ambushed and try to pick up the kidnapper's trail. I'm hoping Titus will try and slow them down as much as he can to give us time to find them. Maybe he was able to leave a trail for us to follow. Sammy, I know it won't do any good to ask you to stay here with Tisha…"

"You're damn right," Sam snarled in anger. "No way I'm letting you two do this alone." Sam was breathing hard and glaring daggers at Dean.

"Shit Sammy, don't get your panties in a bunch bro. You know I had to ask, even though I already knew the answer, but I wanted to give you the choice. You've haven't been given that very much in your life."

"Thanks," Sam mumbled as his anger drained away realizing Dean was only letting him make the choice instead of assuming he would go.

"I know you're as good a hunter as me, but where we're going is going to be alien for us. There are dangerous creatures living in the forest and we will need to be extremely careful. No reckless actions or chances, you hear me. This is going to be the hardest hunt we've ever done."

"I understand now and thank you for letting me have the choice. One thing is in our favor, we have better weapons than when you had to do the tasks in the Dark Hunt."

"That is true dude. We'll be able to kick some monster ass."

"Damn straight we will."

Dean slapped Sam on the back and smiled at him. He knew this was nothing he needed to fight over but still wanted to let Sam make the decision himself. He knew he still treated Sam like a kid and not the adult that he had become. Sam was his own man and had a good head on his shoulders.

"Why don't we chop Tisha some more wood to be sure she doesn't run out," Dean suggested when he saw the stack of wood was low.

"Yeah, I'll bring some more up here while you start chopping," Sam agreed. He walked to the wood pile and loaded his arms to carry it back to the porch. He did this several times, stacking it neatly.

Ice came out when he heard the noises outside and pitched in too. When that chore was done, they headed to the chicken coop to patch some holes and Sam gathered eggs. They strengthened one side of the fence and fixed a hole in the roof. Once it had been cleaned and fresh hay put in the boxes, they walked around the corral and checked the barn for anything that might need repaired. They headed back to the house when Tisha called them that the meal was almost ready.

When the food was ready, Tisha set the small table off the kitchen for them. The food was placed on a counter so they could serve themselves and then take a seat. Tisha took little Dean and fed him while they ate. Dean offered to take him when he finished so she could eat easier. With a full stomach, it wasn't long before he curled up on Dean's lap and went to sleep. Sam snuck and took photos of Dean and little Dean knowing he would want them. Everyone enjoyed the food and Dean raved over the pie making Tisha blush and shyly thank him.

Sam helped with the dishes while Ice and Dean fixed beds for them in the living room. Little Dean had been put in a crib in his room and Tisha retired to her bedroom leaving the others alone in the living room to settle down for the night.

Spn

"Ice, just how bad are these kidnappers?" Dean asked quietly, not wanting the words to be heard by Tisha.

"From what I could find out, they are a rouge band of elves who have been robbing and killing people for a while. Their leader is a ruthless bastard who leaves no one alive and enjoys torturing his victims. The only reason Titus is still alive is he's of use to them. I know this is probably not what you want to hear."

"It was pretty much what I expected to hear," Dean said letting out a long sigh. "Let's hope he doesn't change his mind. I don't want to bring a body back to his wife and son."

Sam didn't say anything as the others talked between them. He knew how much Dean cared for Titus and prayed they would find him in time. He was going to do all he could to make this happen and would follow Dean and Ice wherever the journey took them. He would fight by their side no matter what.

Quietness filled the room as talking ceased and the companions drifted to sleep. They knew this might be the last restful sleep for them since they were starting their rescue mission the following day. They would take the horses as far as they could and leave them with someone to be picked up on their way back.

Spn

Morning came too soon for the travelers as they were roused from sleep. Dean stretched his muscles trying to get the stiffness from them. He grunted and whooshed the air from his lungs when little Dean wobbled into the room and decided he was a good pillow to sit on.

"Son of a…" Dean gasped loudly as he looked into the face of his namesake who was giggling and clapping.

"You okay over there," Sam snickered when he saw what happened. He sat up and tightened and loosened his muscles thinking he had aches where there had never been before. "Oh, hey there," he spoke to little Dean who grabbed him around the neck to keep from falling. "Wish I knew what you were trying to say," he said when the child babbled to him.

"We'd make a million if we could invent a device that would translate baby," Dean commented as he rolled up his sleeping bag.

"We have that," Sam replied.

"We do? What?"

"Castiel, you know angel translator."

"Funny," Dean snorted.

"Good morning everyone. I'll get some breakfast started so you can eat before you leave," Tisha announced looking around at her new friends.

"Don't go to no trouble Tisha," Ice told her.

"Nonsense, it's the least I can do to repay you for your help."

"We don't want payment," Dean told her. "Titus is a good friend and without him I couldn't have completed the Dark Hunt and got back home."

Tisha smiled sadly as she stepped into the kitchen to start a meal. She blinked back the tears when she heard little Dean saying Da-Da-Da. She prayed they would be able to find and save her husband.

"I'll get a fire going outside," Ice offered as he sat his sleeping bag aside and strolled toward the back door.

"Let me help with that," Dean added following him out the door.

"Can I help?" Sam asked Tisha as he carried little Dean with him.

"No, I'm fine. You can entertain Dean for me."

"Okay," Sam replied tickling the child and making him laugh.

"You are good with children, Sam," Tisha noted.

"Thanks. It's usually Dean who's better at it. He raised me after our mother died."

"I'm sorry to learn about your mother. That must have been hard on both of you. What about your father?"

"He's gone too. It's just me and Dean now, but we do have a surrogate father, Bobby Singer."

"At least you have someone. Ice has been a blessing to us. He was the one who encouraged Titus to court me, and it wasn't long before he asked me to marry him. It was love at first sight for me. He was the only one." Tisha sighed sadly as she remembered the good times.

"Don't worry Tisha; we'll find Titus and bring him home to you."

"The fire is going, and the oven is heating," Ice told Tisha.

"I'll have the bread ready in a moment if you want to take the eggs and water out."

"No problem."

Once the food was ready. they sat down and ate their meal. Ice and Dean went to get the horses ready while Sam helped Tisha clean up and keep little Dean occupied. It wasn't long before Dean and Ice came back in to let Sam know they were ready to leave.

"Goodbye Tisha. Don't worry, we'll find him," Ice said to her, kissing her on the forehead.

"Goodbye," Sam said, giving them a wave.

"You be good little man," Dean spoke to the child. "Take care Tisha. We'll bring Titus back to you."

"Safe travels," Tisha replied as she hugged little Dean to her.

The travelers nudged their mounts and rode away from the farm to begin their quest.

A/N: The hunt is beginning. What dangers will the travelers come up against? There will be some twists and turns along the way. I just read a good story by inkandpaperqwerty if you would like to check some of the writer's stories out. I do like reviews/comments. NC