"But I don't wanna go over to the fire. I wanna stay with you or Sammy. It's scary out there!" Abby whined. Her grip on the hem of his jacket tightened. The child's grasp getting tighter with each movement of Dean's arm as he drew protective symbols in the dirt.

"There's warmth by the fire, Kid. And it's safer for you to be there," Dean replied, feeling the fabric tug below his sleeve. "Now, go warm up. You're cold."

"But I don't know them, DD."

"Uhuh… and they don't know you… I'm not asking you to make friends, Abs. Just telling you to go warm up because you're shivering, and those clothes you're wearing aren't heavy enough."

Seeing that she wasn't going to make a move on her own, Dean continued digging the symbols until four had been made. Once every symbol was placed, he pried his sister's hand from the hem of his jacket and placed it in his own.

Abby dragged her feet as Dean led her to the fire. As they approached the fire, Hailey sat stoking it, and Ben was placing sticks in to keep the low, open flame going.

"One more time, that's-" Hailey started, only to get interrupted.

"Anasazi symbols. It's for protection. The wendigo can't cross over them," Dean answered.

"What's a to-bed-we-go?" Abby slurred, completely butchering the name. She was better at getting the terms right during the day, but when it was past time for her to be in bed, it was like a dyslexic persona took over. She was beyond tired, refusing to let sleep take over.

"Something babies shouldn't be hearing about after bedtime," Dean replied, not bothering to correct her like he would someone else. "Nobody likes a skeptic, Roy," he said to the chuckle that came from behind them. "Don't," he then ordered to the little girl. She looked as though she was about to kick him again for calling her a baby, but she was far too tired to follow through.

Dean told Abby to stay by the fire while he went to speak with Sam who had gone off to his own little corner. The kid took after her brothers in that way. Tell a Winchester to do one thing and they do the exact opposite.

Their brother was once again reading the page about the wendigo. He only looked up when he heard a twig snap under someone's foot.

"You wanna tell me what's going on in that freaky head of yours?" The question came out as Dean sat down beside Sam. He tugged on Abby's hand, making her stand between his legs. "And don't say you're fine when you're not. You're like a powder keg, man, it's not like you. I'm supposed to be the belligerent one, remember?"

Abby leaned back against him, fighting sleep all the way. She looked back at the fire, wondering if she she made the right choice.

"I wondered where Abs got it from," Sam joked. Dean didn't find that funny.

"That's not… shut up." Maybe Sam was right. While he liked everything about himself, or had convinced himself of that, he had been his sister's example for most of her life like he was Sam's. "Look, whatever questions we have, Dad-"

"Dean… We need answers, now and Dad's not here." The hurt on Abby's face was unmistakable. Like the week before, he was supposed to be there. This was another the part of the hunt she'd never experienced.

"Dude," Dean said, covering her ears, knowing it was too late. "Not in front of the kid."

"Dean, you said you would kill me if I even tried to talk to you about Mom when I was her age. Take the gloves off."

"I did no… I did do that, didn't I…" He got a scrunched up nod as an answer, but he still didn't remove his hands from Abby's ears. "Yeah, you're probably right. Tell you the truth, I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek."

Abby pushed Dean's hands away from her ears. Well, she tried anyway. His hands weren't budging. "I can still hear you, DD."

Dean removed his hands from her ears, staring at her in shock. This worked when they were kids. It should have worked now.

Their brother's voice continued. Had Dean heard what Sam was saying, he would have shared the opinion. Get everyone out of here and back to town.

"Let's hit the road. Go find Dad. I mean, why are we still even here if he's not?"

He heard that part. Dean swiftly switched positions, keeping Abby between them. She was now sitting on the ground, still trying to stay awake. The forest still quiet. Not even an owl to let out the occasional hoot.

"This," he said, resting his hand on the journal. "This is why… They are why… Getting answers about," he looked down at the child between them. A way of keeping Abby's attention away from them. "And how her mom died."

Sam's eyes shot up. Much like John's latest disappearance, this was the first he was hearing about it.

"And I thought she'd be safer with her mother than with us…"

"Yeah," Dean scoffed. "I think a lot of people thought that way over the years."

"How'd she die?"

"Nothing we've ever seen before. Diamond shaped stab wounds, crystal and winged shadow burns on the floor and wall… all from the same person. And the way we find answers, not just for ourselves, but for her… is this book. This is Dad's single most valuable possession-everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he's passed it on to us. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business."

The reasoning didn't make sense. Sam just wished John would just call and tell them where he was or what he wanted them to do and know. It was a waiting game, and Sam wasn't that kind of person. That didn't change the way Dean saw things, and if Sam wanted any answers, he would have to follow his brother's lead. There was a job to do, and they had to do it.

"I gotta find Jessica's killer. It's the only thing I can think about."

"Okay, all right, Sam, we'll find them, I promise. Listen to me. You've gotta prepare yourself. I mean, this search could take a while, and all that anger, you can't keep it burning over the long haul. It's gonna kill you. You gotta have patience, man."

Sam looked down at his sister. Wondering how Dean did it for so many years between himself and Abby. Wondering how he'd managed it himself. How John had done if until Dean was old enough.

Dean turned his eyes toward their latest clients. "Well for one, them… I mean, I figure our family's so screwed to hell, maybe we can help some others. Makes things a little bit more bearable. For another… the little one," he said, knowing she didn't like to be called that, "who will have her ass handed to her if she kicks me again… I'll tell you what else helps. Killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly can."

Abby appeared to think over Dean's phrasing. He said she couldn't kick him without consequences. So… she put two fingers against his shin and squeezed them together. He'd walked right into the retaliation. But so did Abby, because that got the desired change of expression Dean wanted from Sam until a twig snapped. Cries for help erupted from nearby, outside the circle and the brothers were on their feet, ready to meet this thing.

Those with weapons took up aim. The cries continued. Sam and Dean kept Abby between them until they were closer to the fire pit. Dean kept his weapon at the ready while Sam used a flashlight to illuminate the surrounding forest.

"He's trying to draw us out. Just stay cool, stay put. That goes for you, too, Abs," Dean ordered, hoping Abby would do as he said for once. Usually, she was pretty good. Then again, their dad was there to manage her if things ever got out of hand.

"Inside the magic circle?" Roy mocked. The cries for help continued, along with growling. He pointed his gun at the sound. "Okay, that's no grizzly."

"Probably too much to hope that was Abby's stomach," Dean thought aloud. It was certainly reasonable considering the only food they'd brought was that bag of M&M's, and Abby had turned them down each time he'd offered.

Hailey tried to be encouraging to her brother and to Abby who clearly needed it. Promising that everything was going to be alright. Shrieking herself as something rushed by. The Wendigo was there.

The look on Abby's face was akin to sheer terror. Unlike her brothers and the other adults in the party, she could see its face as it slipped through the barrier. The nightmarish look of skin so tight that it appeared to be decomposing and transparent. So tight she could see its bone structure, along with every muscle and tendon in its jaws.

The brothers could only wonder why she looked so frightened while everyone else seemed nervous in comparison.

The sound of Roy's gun firing only added to the nerves. Typical hunter that he was, he was so excited that he left the group to see what he'd hit.

Dean called after him, hoping that would be enough to bring him back. When that proved it wasn't enough, he turned toward the group, nearly shoving Abby toward Hailey and Ben. Telling them to stay.

In response, Hailey lifted a flaming stick as a weapon. She passed Abby on to her brother while the kid's brothers took off after Roy.

Everyone was leaving her. First, it was her mother who was killed right in front of her. Then John essentially walked away. Until Sam came back, all she had left was Dean. And Abby wasn't about to let them leave her behind without a fight. Brother and sister had to hold her flush against their own bodies to keep from going after her brothers.

Just as the eerie voice cried, "It's over here! It's in the tree!" Ben and Hailey's grasp on the child had loosened, allowing Abby to break free. It happened so fast. One second, there were arms around her. The next, she was centimeters away from faceplanting in the open flame when she caught herself on the stones.

"Roy!" Dean could be heard in the distance. Sam's flashlight was seen through the brush separating the brothers from the rest of the group.

When they returned to camp, it was without Roy. Relief filled Abby's face. They'd come back. They hadn't left her like everyone else did. Of course, that didn't mean she was going to let them get away with it. They were greeted with tears, punches to their arms, and kicks to their shins.

Morning came to find Dean talking to Hailey and Ben among the tents. Sam was sitting against a hollow tree with a sleeping Abby using his chest as a pillow. The cuff of his sleeve was scrunched up in her relatively tiny hand.

He read John's journal, only stopping when the child's warm, even breaths would momentarily turn to whimpers of fear. And whatever nails she had would dig into his wrist. One of those whimpers came out just because Sam shifted positions.

"I don't...I mean, these types of things, they aren't supposed to be real," Hailey said, still trying to clear up whatever confusion they still had.

"Not your typical Grimm or Disney fairy tale. I wish I could tell you different," Dean replied.

"How do we know it's not out there watching us?"

"We don't. But we're safe for now."

"How do you know about this stuff?"

Dean wasn't entirely sure he wanted them to know his family grew up in that world, but it did answer the question for the time being. "It, uh… Kind of runs in the family."

Their conversation was only temporarily interrupted by a slumbering child's whimper as Sam came over to them. Hailey stood, hoping for some better news than what she was learning from Dean.

"So, we've got half a chance in the daylight. And I for one want to kill this evil son of a bitch," Sam said. He handed the journal to Dean before readjusting Abby's head which was sliding off his shoulder.

"Well, hell, you know I'm in."

He took the journal back from his brother so he could show the wendigo page to Hailey and Ben. "Wendigo is a Cree Indian word. It means evil that devours."

Wendigos were hundreds of years old. Each one was once a man. Sometimes an Indian, or other times a frontiersman or a miner or hunter.

"How's a man turn into one of those things?" Hailey asked as Dean picked a couple things up from the ground.

"Well, it's always the Same. During some harsh winter a guy finds himself starving, cut off from supplies or help. Becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp."

"Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities: speed, strength, immortality." Sam started to explain.

"If you eat enough of it, over the years you become this less than human thing. You're always hungry."

These brothers were far too casual about their current topic of conversation for her comfort, especially with a little kid right in the middle.

"So if that's true, how can Tommy still be alive?"

"You're not gonna like it," Dean answered. He looked to his brother, silently telling him to cover the kid's ears as best he could with one arm supporting her. Even still, he wasn't sure he wanted to explain. "More than anything, a wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time, but when it's awake it keeps its victims alive. It, uh, it stores them, so it can feed whenever it wants. If your brother's alive, it's keeping him somewhere dark, hidden, and safe. We gotta track it back there… Guns are useless, so are knives. Basically," he continued, holding up a can of lighter fluid, a beer bottle, and a white cloth. "We gotta torch the sucker."

The group had left camp with Dean leading the way. It wasn't until they'd come across a clearing that Sam had taken the lead. Abby's hand in his now that she was awake. Her eyes on the law marks that were much higher than her line of sight. Some even higher than Sam's.

Dean had subtly been stepping back from his role. So subtle that Sam hadn't realized just how often he was the one comforting or disciplining the child. Or any form of parental care for that matter. That or he just wanted to get started.

"Dean," Sam said when he reached the edge of the clearing.

"What is it?"

They looked up. Bloody claw marks and broken branches were everywhere. Abby, who had gone abnormally silent the previous day, wondered how long it had taken either of them to notice what led them there.

"I was thinking, those claw prints, so clear and distinct. They were almost too easy to follow."

More growling. Sam and Dean whipped around. Sam switched his right hand to his left and kept holding his sister's. Trees rustled. For a moment, everyone was frozen in place. Hailey was the only one moving. Ever-so-slowly until she backed into a tree. A tree that was dripping something wet, sticky, and smelly.

Hailey felt the weight of the drops as they made contact with her shoulder. She looked up, wishing she hadn't been where she stood. She pushed herself away from the tree just before Roy's body came crashing down.

Dean went to examine Roy while Sam and Abby went over to Hailey. Ben was quick to follow.

Abby wasn't listening anymore. Only responding to the tugs on her arm. Her eyes were on the second dead body she'd seen in as many months.

The next thing she knew, Dean had lifted her into the air. They were running away from a growl she hadn't heard. Sam had gone back for Ben who tripped and fell.

"Hailey!"

"Dean! Abby!"

She slowly came to. The sun came through the branches overhead. Abby was laying on the ground, twigs and leaves sticking to her. Some were even poking her, causing the skin to itch. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Sam! She's over here," Ben yelled.

"Abby!"

"Sammy!" Abby choked out. She wasn't as loud as she could have been. Any louder and her head would have hurt from the dying ache at the back of her skull. She sat up and leaned against the nearest tree. One of her arms was pressed across her chest. The same claw marks that were given to the only surviving victim and the surrounding trees were now on her as well. And it hurt. "DD!"

"Abs!" Sam said, panicking as he came closer to her. "You okay?" He cupped her face. She wasn't gone long, but the amount of time that had passed for eyes on her was longer than at the ranger's station. The wounds were much deeper, taking more time to heal than minor scrapes or paper cuts.

"I want Daddy," she started up again.

For some reason, that brought a smile to Sam's face. "You'll be fine." He checked her over for more injuries. The ones she had were already scabbed over, but it would be a while for them to disappear.

It was awkward at first, trying to lift her off the ground with her injuries. Under normal circumstances, he never would have tried moving her.

"Help her get on my back. It'll keep pressure on those wounds," he told Ben.

He did as he was asked, holding the child while Sam turned around on his knee. "If it keeps its victims alive, why would it kill Roy?"

"Honestly? I think because Roy shot at it, pissed it off."

"Okay, but why take Dean and Hailey, but leave the kid behind?"

"I don't know… Our Dad's research never got that far… This has only happened once before."

The sound of air being sniffed caught Sam's ear. It came from his back, so the sound was a little hard to ignore.

"If you farted on me…"

"Hershey Park, Sammy! I can smell it," she said, pointing ahead. All that meant was she could smell the chocolate that was only beginning to melt off the peanut M&M's Ben now held between his fingers. He passed it on to Sam who gave a short laugh at Dean's quick thinking.

A trail of M&M's. It was better than breadcrumbs. He tossed the candy aside and followed his brother's lead.

Pained whimpers escaped Abby's lungs. Sam's weight pressed her up against the cave's wall. His flashlight turned off and he pulled Ben back against the wall, too. The wendigo was coming close, the usual growl emanating from it.

Sam covered Ben's mouth before he could scream. There was concern of Abby doing the same thing, but her eyes were closed. It seemed like the best way to block out both the pain and the fear.

It took a tunnel that made it so the Wendigo's back was toward them. Sam quietly let Abby to her feet. He gave her the sign to keep quiet, and she did. She stayed quiet until a grouping of floorboards collapsed beneath them. She shrieked. Sam could only hope it wasn't heard, but that was a wish upon a star. Between her shriek and the floorboards snapping underneath them, they had seconds… maybe minutes to escape before it returned.

A pile of bones was at the bottom of the slope. If Abby was scared the week before, he could only imagine what putting her to bed was going to be like now.

"DD!" Abby said, running to her brother who was beside Hailey. Both were hanging by their wrists. "It's DD, Kimo-Sammy!"

Their eyes were closed as if asleep. It made sense considering how long they'd been missing from what was left of their search party. Having their arms tied above their heads was certainly a contributing factor.

Dean's eyes opened. He felt himself being shaken awake. But who was doing the shaking? He didn't question it for long because Sam was right there in front of him. Grabbing hold of his jacket, tapping his face.

Once he was laid down on the ground, he was immediately wrapped in two small arms. His own rested protectively on top of the child's. Ben was cutting his sister down while Sam checked his brother.

"You sure you're alright?" Sam asked, knowing Dean was in pain, but he wasn't going to know how much unless Dean gave in and told him.

"Yeah. Yep. Where is he?" Dean grimaced.

"Gone for now. Not sure how long though. Floorboards were pretty loud snapping under us. Kid's shriek didn't help," Sam explained, ignoring Hailey and Ben who had spotted their own brother. Hanging from the ceiling just like they had been. Though it was painfully clear he'd been like this since before she'd reported him as missing.

"Tommy..." Sam heard Hailey say, followed by a shriek.

"Stay with Dean." He went over to cut Tommy down. He listened to promises from Hailey about getting Tommy home.

Dean had gotten up after noticing their gear stowed away in a corner. Abby had let go of him long enough to let him stand before grabbing his arm. He led her to the stolen packs, searching through them one-handed until he found something even better than the bottle bomb.

"Dude, check it out."

Sam grinned as Dean laughed, twirling the gun with his fingers. "Flare guns. Those'll work."

Hailey and Ben supported their brother as they followed the hunters to the exit.

More growling. It was nice to know where this thing was, but did it make any. other. sound? Someone was home for supper. And they were not going to outrun it.

Dean looked back at everyone. Sam recognized the expression. And even with her limited experience, Abby knew that look, too. It was the same look John would give whenever he was about to sacrifice himself for a civilian.

"No, DD! Don't do it!"

"She's thinking what I am. Are you?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"All right, listen to me," Dean said to everyone, giving Abby a pointed look. "Stay with Sam. He's gonna get you out of here."

He didn't exactly answer Hailey's question. Not directly anyway. He simply winked at her, then walked away, yelling: "Chow time, you freaky bastard! Yeah, that's right, bring it on, baby, I'm feeling good."

Abby didn't remember what happened. Or maybe she didn't want to. Either way, the rest of the day was a blur for the kid. What she did remember was an EMT checking her out. Looking, first at the deep nail marks across her torso, then her eyes for a concussion. Dean had mentioned her ankle so that was on their list of things to look at.

"Wounds are healing, just fine for having received them today. I don't see any sign of concussion, but I'd still keep an eye on her if I were you. You should get that ankle checked out, though. Preliminary exam tells me it's a sprain, but an x-ray will give you a better answer," Abby's EMT told Dean.

"Thank you," he said, picking her up. He carried her over to the car, listening to Sam and Ben lie to the rangers about the wendigo being a grizzly. Abby lay her head on her brother's shoulder, closing her eyes now that she had been cleared.

As he opened the back seat to the Impala, Hailey walked up to them. She waited for him to put the tired child in the car before speaking.

"So, I don't know how to thank you." The look on Dean's face told her he had a few ideas. None of which could be spoken aloud in front of a little kid. "Must you cheapen the moment?"

"Yeah," he answered. It was how he handled any situation that involved near death and a woman he found attractive.

His eyes filled with longing as Hailey walked away with a paramedic. Her brother was ready for transport and she was going with him.

Sam came up from behind, sitting on the trunk. The car shook as Dean closed the door. It was just for tonight that she had crashed, but he was going to take it. However long it took them to get to their next destination or job was going to be how many nights one of them would wake to find her arms wrapped around them and her head buried somewhere between their own arm and torso.

"Man, I hate camping," Dean said, jumping up to sit beside his brother. After tonight, Sam agreed. "Sam, you know we're gonna find Dad, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But in the meantime? I'm driving."

With a grin, Dean tossed Sam the keys. They stepped into the car, and closed the doors in sync.