Riley sticks to Dean's side like glue. Her breathing is uneven. She's scared. A wendigo is bigger than their normal shin-dig. Big hunts like these Riley is usually stuck in the hotel room left to wait. Now she understands why her dad did it. He was protecting her and she wishes her could take back all the times she said he was sheltering her.

      "Dean," Sam says as he looks at the claw marts in the trees above them. Riley looks around at them and grabs Dean's sleeve. The claw marks are perfect and easy to follow. Too perfect. "You know, I was thinking that those claw prints, so clear and distinct..." Sam chuckles and shakes his head looking around. "They were almost too easy to follow."

      Riley gasps and jumps as the wendigo growls near them. Dean grabs Riley and shoves her behind him, looking around wide eyed. Something hits the top of Riley's head. She flinches and looks up, only for it to drip in her face. She touches her face and looks at the blood on her fingers. She pales and Hailey screams, running away.

      She falls to the ground right as Roy's body hits the ground. Riley stares at it wide eyed. "His neck is broken." The wendigo growls. Dean stands and grabs Riley's hand. "Run, run! Go, go, go, go, go!!!!" Riley runs, but her father is faster than her so he drags her along a bit. Ben trips and Sam goes back to help him

      Dean suddenly throws his hand out and Riley freezes on the spot. Hailey screams then the Wendigo charges at them.

△

      Riley groans in pain as her eyes open. She blinks for a moment then remembers what happened. Her head whips around and she realizes she is upside down. "Dad..." She says weakly as she spots him hanging by his hands next to Hailey. Riley tries to reach for her face, but her hands are tied together.

      Riley growls in annoyance. "Why's he hate me so much?" Riley looks up, or rather, down. "Maybe he had a crazy blonde ex. Yeah that's it." She looked around the room and cringed. "He could seriously use some interior design. I'm not feeling the whole 'I'm going to murder you' vibe."

      Riley hears pounding footsteps and the wendigo steps into the room and snarls at Riley. She gags. "Oh, you are one fugly bitch." It bounds at her and Riley yelps in pain as it slices her shoulder with its claws. She groans in pain and glares at the monster as it stalks out of the room.

      She looks at her shoulder and the blood dripping from it. "Note to self: Don't insult the insecure monster." Riley lets her head hang and her vision starts to become splotchy. She's losing too much blood and with being hung upside down, it makes it worse. She's getting dizzy.

      "Riley." Riley struggles to lift her eyes. "Don't eat me." She mutters. Riley hears a laugh and prys her eyes open. Sam looks back at her and she smiles. "Sammy. Heyyyy." Sam looks at Riley's shoulder. "Where is your knife?" He asks as he glances over at Dean. "Left pocket." Sam takes it out. "Ben. Help me with her."

      Ben grabs Riley's upper body and Sam cuts the ropes keeping her hung upside down. Riley's legs begin to fall but Sam catches them and Riley smiles at him, patting his cheek. "Good Sammy." Sam stands and rushes over to Dean. "Dean. Dean, wake up."

      Ben leaves Riley and runs to his sister. Riley stares up at the ceiling. "Yeah, sure, leave the bleeding girl." Dean wakes up hearing Riley's voice. "Riley?" He asks. Riley is unable to move her arms. One is bleeding, and the other is still recovering from being dislocated.

      "Why's it always me?" She asks. Sam helps Dean out of his ropes. Sam tries to help Dean against the wall, but he wriggles out of Sam's hold and rushes to Riley's side. "Dad, I see the light. It's incredible. A never ending supply of raspberry pie." Dean grunts out a laugh.

      "You alright kid?" He asks, helping her up into a sitting positions. Riley nods and leans into his chest. "Please kill the bastard." Dean chuckles and nods, kissing the top of Riley's head. Hailey and Ben stand and walk over to Tommy where he hangs. "Tommy." Hailey reaches for Tommy's face and he jerks awake. Hailey yelps in surprise. She rushes back to her brother. "Cut him down."

      With a swipe of Riley's knife, Tommy falls to the ground and into his sister's arms. Dean reaches into one of the bags near him and pulls out two flare guns. Riley begins to seep to unconsciousness. Dean notices and shakes her awake. "C'mon kid. No going to pie heaven yet." Riley's eyes open and she nods vaguely. Dean helps her to her feet, but she still leans against him for support.

      "Check it out," Dean says, catching Hailey and Sam's attention. "Flare guns." Sam chuckles "Those will work."

△

      Dean and Sam help Riley walk as they search for the exit. She lost enough blood to make her feel unable to walk and her vision is constantly spilling. The caves fill with a rumbling growl and Sam and Dean raise their flare guns. Riley grabs her arm in pain and winces.

      She stands on her own and spreads her legs apart to keep herself steady. Dean looks at her and she nods. "You shoot. I'll be fine." Dean looks around the cave. "Looks like someone's home for supper." Riley glances at her shoulder. "Well, I ain't on the menu. I'd rather watch the first season of The Office on loop." A truly terrible thought. The show doesn't get good until season three.

      "We'll never outrun it." Dean glances at Sam. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Sam nods. "Yeah, I think so." Riley looks between the two of them. "No." Dean glances at her. "No!" She says louder, causing a pulsing headache. The growling grows closer and Dean walks in front of everyone.

      "All right, listen to me." He turns to Riley. "Stay with Sam." Riley opens her mouth to argue, but Dean raises a finger. "I mean it. I'll be fine. Just get them out of here." He says looking at the Collins behind Riley. Riley looks at him with worried eyes. She nods at him and Dean winks back.

      He walks down the tunnel. "It's chow time, you freakin' bastard!" The wendigo growls. "Yeah, that's right! Bring it on, baby! I taste good!" The growling grows closer and Dean swipes his arm telling them to hide and get out. Sam looks down the other tunnel and nods. "All right, c'mon."

      Riley staggers behind them, bringing up the near. Her arm is hurting terribly and tears are falling down her cheeks, but she doesn't say a word. They reach a crossroad in the tunnels and Sam turns to Riley. "Get them out of here." Riley groans. "Sam, no! I'm not leaving without you."

      Sam puts a hand on Riley's shoulder (her bad shoulder) making Riley wince in pain. "Sorry." Sam mutters. "Riley, this is important. You need to get them out of here." More tears fall down Riley's cheeks. "Go!" She hesitates then takes out her gun and nods. The Collins follow behind her as she staggers through the tunnel.

      Riley hears a shout followed by the sound of the flare going off. Riley whips around. "Sammy!" He appears through the dust and helps Riley run. "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Go!" Sam glances back and sees the wendigo approaching them. Hailey screams when it growls. "Should I shoot it?" Riley shouts, her eyes wide.

      "No! Just run!" They reach a smaller tunnel, but it leads to a dead end. Sam looks around before shover Riley and the Collins behind him. "Behind me." Riley holds her gun in her hand, ready to take stupid measures if need be.

      The wendigo approaches them and roars. Riley sees a figure standing behind it. "Hey!" Dean shouts. The wendigo turns around and Dean fires the flare. It hits the wendigo in the gut and begins burning it from the inside out. Once it's down Riley runs over to Dean and hugs him tightly as she cries.

      Dean hugs her back and smiles at everyone. "Not bad, huh?"

△

      Riley watches from the second ambulance as Hailey kisses Dean on the cheek. "You're all set." The paramedic tells her. Riley nods in thanks and walks over to her father and uncle, pulling her jacket over her wrapped arm. "Just the cheek, huh?" Riley smirks at Dean as he puts an arm around her. "You gotta step up your game old man. You're slackin'."

      Dean gives her a look then sighs. "Man, I hate camping." Sam nods. "Me too." Riley rests her head against her father. "Me three." Riley glances over at the rangers station with a smirk. Wilkinson must be feeling real stupid right now.

      "Sam, you know we're going to find dad right?" Sam sighs and Riley purses her lips as she looks away. "Yeah, I know. But in the meantime..." Sam smirks and looks at Dean. "I'm driving." Dean takes out the keys and tosses them to Sam. He takes them and the three of them get into the car.

      Riley pulls out her phone and texts John, careful that neither of the people in the front seat see.

Riley:
It was a wendigo

Sergeant:
You three okay?

Riley:
Yeah.
Remind me again why monsters hate me the most?

Sergeant:
You're special Riley

Riley:
I think you mean sarcastic
And stubborn
Annoying
A bit rash
Can't forget the pie addiction

Sergeant:
Just like your father

      Riley smiles as she looks at the messages. She tucks her phone away and gets comfortable in the back seat. She lays down and the rumble of the Impala's engine lulls her to sleep.

- author's notes -

episode two is done!