Note: Hey, my lovelies <3 Would've had this up for you a couple hours ago but the site crashed- Sorry! 

Anyways imma take a nap. But first! Enjoy this nice, long update that I really hope makes up for the fact that I missed yet another Saturday update last week. I'm sorry to keep doing that. I really am trying

Thank you so much for all the comments and votes <3 You guys/gals/cool kids truly are the greatest!

Anna is seven years old/This is set in season one.

Next

It was cold. The earth was packed hard beneath their small legs, layers of dirt coating their skin. There was very little light to see by. But their eyes had adjusted.

Anna knew her fellow prisoners by the outlines of their faces. She didn't know the colors of their eyes, or the shapes of their noses. She only knew their small voices and their silhouettes.

Kelly was six years old, crushed against Anna's side. Her voice was high and mouse-like. She was smaller than Anna. Their hands fit easily together and stayed there.

There were others.

Two little girls on Kelly's other side.

Two siblings, a boy and a girl on the other end of the cage.

They all shivered. Occasionally somebody would burst into helpless tears.

Anna stared at the metal bars across from her and waited for a hero to appear. She knew Sam and Dean would come. Her family had saved plenty of kids before, after all. They worked fast and smart. They were good at their jobs.

But Anna had never been trapped in a monster's lair before. Not without her brothers.

They couldn't come soon enough.

The ground shook as something approached the bars.

"It's coming," Kelly whispered, her mouth close to Anna's ear. "It's gonna eat us."

Anna blinked as a dim light turned the corner and found them. The monster was huge, just like Sam and Dean had talked about. Its eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as it surged forward and unlocked the gate.

"No, no, no," the little boy beside Kelly whimpered, plastering his hands over his ears.

He'd been here longer than Anna or Kelly. He'd probably seen this more than once now.

The monster lumbered through the open doorway and cast its eyes across each child. Anna shivered with fear when its gaze landed on her for a moment. But she stared right back at it with interest. This was the monster the boys were hunting. It looked like an animal, driven by instinctual fear and hunger. But she didn't feel any pity or compassion for it.

Especially not when it turned on the siblings and released a wild roar.

Anna's fingers dug into Kelly's palm. She didn't say a word. She barely dared to breathe.

"No," the little boy started to wail when the monster took the girl by the arm. "No! Sissy! Sissy!"

Anna's eyes went wide as the boy scrambled after the monster. His sister was screaming wordlessly, the most terrified, primal sound Anna had ever heard. She closed her eyes and wrapped both her arms around Kelly, who was sobbing.

"It's gonna eat us," Kelly hiccupped. "It's gonna eat her."

The metal gate banged shut, and the lock clicked back into place.

"No!" the little boy yelled, his voice raspy and worn thin. "Sissy! Lexie! No!"

Anna swallowed and felt nauseous, listening to another girl scream from her core. "Don't listen," she told Kelly. But she committed every sound to memory as the monster tore Lexie apart outside the cage.

When the squelching and the tearing and the horrible, horrible screams finally died down, there was nothing for a while. The girl's little brother lay quietly on his side in the dirt, his face damp and still.

Anna finally opened her own eyes and looked over at him. She should have said something to make him feel better, she knew. That's what Sam or Dean would have done. But she couldn't. She would throw up if her mouth ever opened. Instead, she just stared at the tiny form a couple yards from her and tried to imagine how he must feel.

Like she did, probably, but a million times worse. That was his sister who'd just died in agony.

And he was probably going to be next.

()()()

Anna danced Halloween along the edge of the mattress and then suddenly had him dive toward the floor. But– oh no!– the floor was lava!

She and Halloween leapt onto the bed on their stomachs and looked around the room for an escape route. The zombies were still after them! They had to move fast!

"Go, Halloween!" she shouted and threw him toward the table where Sam was typing on his laptop. Halloween bounced off the back of Sam's neck and landed dangerously in the middle of the floor. "I'll save you!" Anna vowed and dove bravely into the lava. "I got my special lava suit," she explained to her stuffed frog as she rescued him from the floor. She climbed rapidly onto the chair adjacent to Sam's. "Oh no, they're still coming," she said loudly, causing her brother to flinch.

"Anna, inside voice," Sam requested. He had a sour face on as he scrolled through something on his computer.

"But there's zombies," Anna pouted. "How'm I 'posed to play zombies quietly?"

"You'll figure it out," Sam encouraged. "I believe in you."

"Can I play outside? Please?"

"No," Sam said urgently. His eyes moved sharply from his laptop to Anna's pouting face. "You're staying inside today."

"But, Sam, come on!"

"No, Anna. You're not going outside. You heard what Dean said when he left."

"But how come? It's so boring in here. I can't even run from zombies!"

"You can run from all the zombies you want, Anna. I just asked you to quiet down a little. That's not so hard to do."

"Says you," Anna whined. She sat dejectedly down on the chair she'd stood on and swung Halloween down at her side. "How come I can't go outside?" she asked again.

Sam looked at her and then back at his screen. Then he sighed and closed his laptop. "You can't tell Dean I told you."

"I'm not 'posed to keep secrets from Dean," Anna replied.

Sam pursed his lips thoughtfully. But he came to a decision quickly enough. "Alright, I'll tell you anyway." He swiveled in his chair so their knees almost touched and they were facing each other. "This thing we're hunting, Ladybug, it's taking kids."

Anna's eyes widened fearfully. Halloween flew from her side up to her stomach in no time at all. "It is?"

"Yes, it is," Sam said patiently. His voice was about as calm and gentle as she ever heard it. But his eyes betrayed a lot more. Fear. Maybe some anger. "That's why you have to stay inside. So we can protect you."

"Oh," Anna said softly. "That's why you took me with you earlier?"

"Yeah," Sam admitted. "But I don't want you to worry," he told her with a faint, encouraging smile. "Dean and I are gonna get rid of this thing as soon as we find out what it is. Nothing's gonna happen to you."

Anna nodded, her heart full of trust. "Okay," she said bravely. "You pinky promise?"

Sam's pinky hooked with hers. "Pinky promise," he said, and his eyes betrayed him again.

Dean got back ten minutes later, and nearly tripped over Anna, who was army crawling across the floor with Halloween in her hand.

"Look out for the bombs!" she cried and crawled between Dean's legs before standing up behind him. She grabbed the back of his flannel shirt and peeked around him. "It's the emeny!" she hollered and pointed across the room at empty space.

"I didn't realize I was entering a warzone," Dean said and walked toward the table with Anna attached to his shirt. He spun around and picked her up by the armpits. "Are you winning?"

"Of course I am," Anna said and planted a kiss on her brother's cheek.

"That's my girl," he replied and set her back down with a pat on the head. "Take no prisoners."

"I won't," Anna assured him and marched over toward the beds with Halloween.

"Come eat dinner," Sam instructed and waved her back over. He closed his laptop and pushed it away from himself to accept a bag of takeout.

Anna scurried up to Dean and tilted her head way back to watch him pull a couple sandwiches out of a paper sack. "Didja get some for Halloween?" she asked. "He's super hungry."

Dean looked down at her and tweaked the end of her nose. "Sorry, kiddo, you're gonna have to share with him."

"It's okay," Anna shrugged and clambered up onto a chair. She settled on her knees so she could reach the table better. "Halloween doesn't eat that much." She set the aforementioned frog on the table beside her food and began unwrapping her sandwich. It was grilled cheese like usual. But it smelled delicious.

"Hear anything out there?" Sam asked before taking a bite of his sandwich.

Dean sat down with a groan like he was eighty years old or something. Then started peeling the foil off his food as he answered Sam. "No, it's all pretty quiet for now. What about you? Any luck?"

"To be honest, I don't really know what I'm looking for," Sam admitted. "I mean, as horrible as it sounds, unless they find a body, I don't know how we're supposed to narrow this thing down."

"Well, we gotta work with what we got, so..."

"Right. I was looking back through the lore while you were gone. There are only a handful of creatures interested in children."

Dean gave him a dark look over his burger, and Sam stopped talking.

"It's okay," Anna said. "I already know that."

"You do?" Dean asked, looking anything but relieved at that information. He glared at Sam and waited for an answer.

"She asked," Sam excused. "Don't make a big deal of it, man. She was bound to find out sooner or later."

Dean's angry stare fell away after a moment, and he sighed. "Alright, so what do we got?"

"Could be a Changeling."

"M.O. is wrong," Dean replied. "They replace their vics and feed on the parents."

"Right. So, spirit?"

Dean made a doubtful expression. "It's weird, man. I've never seen a vengeful spirit nab a bunch of kids."

"Dean, if it's not a Changeling and it's not a spirit... It's gotta be a-"

Dean's eyes were cold as they met Sam's. "A lamia," he finished.

"You think?" Sam asked, glancing nervously between Anna and Dean.

"Shapeshifting," Dean said. "That's how it's gettin' 'em in public places. And- And considering what it does to its victims..."

"That's why no bodies have turned up."

Anna didn't know exactly what that was supposed to mean. But she felt the tension and fear in the air. She didn't feel hungry anymore, and neither did her brothers. They all set their food down.

"I can't believe Dad sent us here," Sam said suddenly.

"Sam, don't start," Dean snapped. "For all we know, Dad had no idea what he was sending us after."

"Yeah, since when, Dean? Since when does the great John Winchester send his kids after something without doing his homework? Every single case he's sent us on so far, he had a reason."

"Sam, shut up. This is not about Dad."

"No?" Sam challenged. "Sending you and me out here to face this thing is one thing, Dean. But this is Anna."

The little girl in question sat hugging her stuffed frog tightly against her stomach, her head tilted down but her eyes daring to look up at her brothers. Her heart was beating fast against her ribs. Dad had sent them here? He'd put her in danger? Knowingly?

Both Sam and Dean were suddenly looking down at her. Sam was breathing heavily, his eyes brimming with protective rage. Dean looked lost. Panicked.

Anna squeezed Halloween and clung to Sam's pinky promise from earlier.

Nothing bad would happen to her.

()()()

Anna's life usually followed a schedule. It was vague, and it shifted frequently. But there were patterns.

Dean woke her up early, usually by six or seven. Sometimes in the car, sometimes in a motel room, sometimes in a cramped little apartment. But she was almost always up in time to catch the last hints of pink loitering in the sky before they vanished for the day.

They got breakfast early, too. Usually in a diner. Sometimes from a gas station. If they had an apartment, Dean would even get groceries and make breakfast himself. Those were the best days.

Lunch was usually had by one, unless a case demanded they wait longer.

Sam usually made her do her schoolwork in the afternoon. He would sign her into her online program and tell her how much she needed to do before she could quit for the day.

Dinner was by five. If they were on the road, it was whenever they found a diner or drive-thru to stop at.

If there was a bath tub available, Anna took a bath after dinner. In motels, it was usually a shower instead. Regardless, it was always after dinner.

Bed by eight, Dean always said. Her bedtime was pretty flexible, but it didn't change by that much from night to night. Even in the car, Anna was asleep by nine.

She didn't know what time she'd fallen asleep last night. She didn't even know if it had been night.

And she didn't know what time it was now. She just knew it was still dark. It was always dark.

Anna blinked her sore eyes and shifted. Her skeleton ached, every bone cold and stiff. She tried to stretch, but it was hard to move more than an inch.

Kelly's hand tensed in hers.

"What time is it?" Kelly murmured sleepily.

Anna's chin trembled. "It's not."

Thunder moved through the packed dirt beneath them, and Kelly scrambled to sit up straighter. "It's coming."

Anna nodded and bit the inside of her lip. She wanted something warm to hold onto. Halloween's soft body would have been a welcome comfort. But all she had was the cold hand of another scared little girl. So she held onto Kelly's hand hard.

"It's okay," she said and felt nauseous. It wasn't their turn yet.

"I'm scared," Kelly whimpered anyway.

"You gotta hide," Anna called to the little boy who was still laying on his side in the dirt. "It's gonna take you."

The little boy didn't move. It was like he was already dead.

"Please," Anna yelled at him. "You gotta hide!" She started to shake her hand out of Kelly's, but the little girl had a strong grip.

The darkness shifted outside the cage.

"No," Kelly whimpered.

Anna bit her lip to keep any sound from coming out of her mouth.

There was a dim light that made her eyes burn for a moment before they adjusted. Then she could see.

It wasn't the monster from before. It was a big man with biceps the size of Anna's head. And he was carrying a small boy over one shoulder.

The gate was unlocked, and Kelly's hands moved up Anna's arm and grabbed painfully.

Anna looked away as the gate swung open. But the little boy was crying as he was dropped carelessly on the ground. She looked back at him and then watched cautiously as the man who'd brought him backed out of the cage and closed the gate again.

"What's your name?" she asked, trying to shake of Kelly's grip on her.

The little boy was shaking, and he didn't look at her.

"I'm Anna," she said. "I'm seven."

"I'm Jacob," the little boy told her. "I'm seven too."

"You're safe, Jacob," Anna encouraged. "You're gonna be last."

It was quiet, her words hanging ominously in the air.

Jacob looked at her with wide eyes, but she could barely make out the expression in the darkness. "What do you mean?"

Anna didn't answer him. "Don't worry," she said instead. "My family's gonna come save us. They're strong, like superheroes. They kill monsters all the time. They're gonna save us."

"They didn't save my sister," came a strained, small voice from Anna's right.

She looked over and bit her lip. "I know," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

But she wasn't just sorry about his sister. She was sorry because she was getting really, really scared that maybe her family wouldn't be here in time to save this little boy either.

()()()

"Shut up and type in the name," Dean grunted at his brother.

Sam was getting on his nerves, even more so than usual. He wished the kid would just keep his opinions to himself for once. But Sam had spent the whole morning making scathing remarks about Dad and brooding about the shitty circumstances of this case.

Dean understood his frustration. He was frustrated too. Hell, he was scared. And maybe next time their dad showed up, they could hash things out.

But for now, they had bigger fish to fry.

Like the goddamn lamia that was killing innocent children.

"Anna," he said suddenly, realizing he'd been looking away from her for a minute.

"I'm right here," Anna said softly and tucked her hand into his.

Dean winked at her and squeezed her hand. But his tension was obvious, as was Sam's. Anna didn't look like there was anything he could have done that would have put her at ease.

"I can't find him," Sam sighed. "I don't think he lives here anymore, Dean."

"Well, he's our last witness, Sam. We kinda need to talk to the guy."

"Well, I'm sorry, Dean. But, you know what, something killed his kid here. I'm not surprised he skipped town."

Dean tossed his head back in frustration. There was always an added pressure when they knew there were living victims out there somewhere. Make those victims children, and the weight on their shoulders was crushing both of them.

"Look," Sam said in his obnoxiously reasonable voice. "Why don't we find a map of the area and start marking places where the lamia could hole up."

Dean had been ready to bicker, but that was actually about as good a plan as any. "Alright," he said. "Where are we supposed to get a map of town, though?"

"Here," Sam said and looked around them at the shelves of books and references.

Dean nodded, feeling like a moron. Of course the frickin' library would be the first play they'd check. "Right," he said. "Well, the librarian's your type, so..."

Sam's answering bitchface was predictable. "Will you get your head out of the gutter, Dean? This is serious."

He hadn't been contesting that. Not for a second. And he didn't like being high-roaded. But Dean kept his mouth shut and marched alongside his siblings over to the front desk.

"Hi," Sam said sweetly and with a charming smile. "We're students at the University. We're working on a paper about the history of the area. We've been looking for a map of the area that we could study before drawing one up ourselves. You don't happen to have one here, do you?"

The librarian didn't seem to be in a great mood. She adjusted the papers in front of her and looked dully at Sam. "We do," she said. "However, it can't leave the library. You'll have to use it over there where I can keep an eye on you."

Dean didn't bother to hide his irritation, so it was a good thing the lady wasn't looking at him. What were they, preschoolers playing with an expensive toy?

"Yes, ma'am," Sam answered contritely. "Just point us in the right direction."

The woman seemed to be warming up to Sam. She tucked her long gray hair behind her ears and nodded. "I'll go fetch it for you."

As soon as she turned away, Dean watched Sam's face melt back into tired anger. Then suddenly fear?

"What?" he asked urgently.

Sam answered him with a question. "Where's Anna?"

Dean's eyebrows pulled in, then shot up in fear as his eyes widened. His head whipped to the side and he looked down. "Anna?!" he called.

She wasn't there. She had just been there. But she wasn't there.

"Anna!" he shouted.

People were looking at them now. He didn't care.

He looked at the nearest one. "Have you seen a little girl?" he demanded. "Curly hair, green eyes?" He put his hand to his hip. "That tall?"

The teenager shook her head at him, intimidated.

"Fuck," Dean snapped. "Fuck!" He looked around, his fear growing.

Beside him, Sam shouted, "Anna, where are you?"

Dean raced down a short staircase toward the library entrance. "Anna!" he shouted again.

"Is something wrong?" a stranger asked. She was probably well-meaning.

But Dean glared at her. "Yeah, something's wrong. My kid is missing!" he snapped in her face. "Did you see a little girl dragging a stuffed frog?" he demanded.

The woman's face smoothed out, but she looked sad. "I- There's a- a stuffed frog by the front doors," she stammered.

The world stopped turning. It was just for a second. Like the universe was hiccupping.

Dean didn't breathe. Not until Sam's shoulder brushed his as his little brother ran for the library doors. Dean clenched his jaw so tightly it was a miracle his teeth didn't shatter. He dared to watch Sam turn around, dared to look at the object in his hands.

Those yellow spots on a soft green body, the limp neck from years of love, the beady eyes that had quite literally been in Dean's nightmares before.

It was Halloween.

"No way would she leave this behind," Sam said.

No way would Anna have taken off by herself either. She was scared right now. She knew they were hunting something dangerous, she knew she fit its victimology, and she was just a little girl. She was scared. But she'd trusted them to protect her. She'd trusted them, and...

"It got her."

()()()

"Anna."

The voice was tiny, and Anna rolled her head tiredly toward it. She didn't know how long it had been. But she was hungry, thirsty, and exhausted.

"When's your family gonna come?"

She wished she knew. But in truth, Anna had been wondering the same thing herself.

"Soon," she whispered. But it was a word that haunted her and had for years now.

"When's Daddy coming home?"

"Soon, Anna."

Kelly's body hitched against Anna's, and she started to weep quietly. "I wanna go home," she whimpered. "I want my mommy."

Anna understood. In fact, Kelly's tears were infectious and made her eyes water. But she didn't have a mommy to long for. Instead, she wanted Dean.

She wanted him to pick her up and kiss her forehead and wipe the dirt off her cheeks. She wanted him to make her mac n cheese and find a channel that played cartoons on their latest crappy TV. She wanted him to wink at her so she'd smile and to wrap her in a blanket. She wanted him just to be there.

But it was cold and dark. Her stomach was empty, her mouth was dry, and her hand stiffly clutched another small one.

"I want my brother," she said mournfully.

Kelly sniffled beside her, and it seemed like she would stop crying. But then she hiccupped and started again.

Anna bit her lip and stared straight ahead. This was a bad time to cry. It was like when Dad was home. Sometimes you had to keep your own feelings in until there was room for them to come out.

Dad had bigger feelings than Anna, so she had to keep hers private until he was gone again, which never took long. If she got upset, Daddy would probably get angry.

Here, the feelings weren't safe. The monster could hear them. It could get angry. It could eat them.

The ground didn't rattle out a warning this time when the lamia walked up to the bars. It appeared human, at least as far as Anna could make out from its silhouette.

But the figure changed right there outside the cage while she watched. It grew and cracked and writhed until it was a monster again.

Kelly screamed, and Anna said, "Don't take him."

The other children were silent.

()()()

It had been months since they'd seen their father.

But when John showed up outside their motel room, there was no warm reunion.

"This is your fault," Sam said loudly and without apology. "She's seven years old, and she might be dying right now."

"The hell it is," John argued and slammed the door behind himself. "You got one job- Look out for your sister."

"You put my sister in immediate danger!" Sam shouted. "How about look out for your daughter, Dad!"

"I sent you out here to save children's lives, Sam. Instead you might have gotten your sister killed."

Sam looked hurt as his chest heaved. But mostly he looked angry. He opened his mouth.

Dean had déjà vu as he stepped between the two of them and shoved them apart. "Both of you, shut up!" he hollered. "You're not doing this right now," he said with an eerie, angry calm to his voice. "Not with Anna on the hook. You get your heads outta your asses until we find her, or so help me God, I'm gonna shoot both of you."

John pulled a flask out of his jacket pocket. "What do we know?" he demanded.

"Nothing," Sam said hopelessly. "We've searched three places now, and there's no sign any of them have ever been used as a lamia's hideout."

"Lamias like it dark as well as secluded," John said and leaned over the table. Sam had a picture of the town's map blown up on his computer. "They won't use a building with windows, or they'll board them up. They're more likely to use a basement, a cellar, a cave. Something dark."

"There's nothing on the map," Sam argued.

Dean blew out a breath and ran a hand over his head. If there was nothing on the map, they were going to have to find out through word of mouth. Which would undoubtedly take longer.

"We're gonna have to ask around," John suggested. It was like he'd read Dean's mind.

"We don't have time for that. Anna doesn't have time for that."

"It's our only option, Sam," Dean interrupted before another yelling match could begin.

Sam pursed his lips but got out of his chair. "Let's go then."

Dean nodded and rubbed his eyes. They were red and burning just like Sam's and John's. Anna had only been missing for twenty-four hours. But there had been no sleep, no rest of any kind since she'd disappeared. And there wouldn't be any until she was found.

John and Sam were out the door first. Dean stopped to grab Halloween off the table.

Anna would want her frog when they found her.

()()()

The bartender had directed them here. According to him, some lunatic back in the day had built a bomb shelter, convinced the year 2000 would actually bring on the apocalypse.

Dean opened the trunk with Sam and John on either side of him. He passed out guns loaded with silver rounds. They wouldn't kill the lamia, but they could injure it. The thing was a sort of shapeshifter, after all.

The lethal weapons were the flamethrowers.

"When we get in there, you boys keep your heads on straight," John commanded. "Your sister's life is at stake."

Not that they needed him to keep reminding them.

"Probably a lot of other kids too," Sam said seriously. "So let's go."

"Sam, I want you to hang back in case it gets away from us."

Dean clenched his jaw and waited for the storm of anger.

"Are you kidding me, Dad? I'm not twelve years old anymore. I'm a grown man, and I know this case better than you do. I'm going in there, and we're gonna save those kids."

John was quick to get in Sam's personal space. "Put the arrogance away," he ordered. "There's more important things to deal with right now than your ego. Your brother and I have been hunting things like this for years while you were at school pretending life was sunshine and rainbows. Wait outside, and don't let your guard down."

Dean knew anger could be blinding, he really did. Hell, right now he was tempted to deck both his brother and father if they didn't shut up.

But it was still astounding to him how Sam and John could argue with each other about their own bullshit while there were a bunch of little kids in danger.

"Well, Dean and I have been protecting your daughter for the last six months while you've been off doing God knows what, hiding from your family!" Sam poked John in the chest, a dangerous move that could have easily turned into a fistfight, especially given the height of everyone's emotions at the moment. "This is just the same stupid bullshit as always. You're trying to control us!"

"Sam, shut up!" Dean ordered. Before John could open his mouth, he turned on him. "You too, Dad... Respectfully," he added at the dangerous look in his father's eyes.

Clearly the planning stage of this hunt was fucked. So he didn't bother doing anymore talking before he threw open the doors to the bunker and climbed down the iron ladder into the darkness.

He heard footsteps behind him and trusted his family. Those two were stubborn. Hell, Dean was stubborn. But they would come through for Anna. They had to.

Dean couldn't be the only one anymore. Not now.

()()()

There were only five of them again.

Kelly was silent beside Anna. The other three children had moved to her other side.

"We have to fight it," Anna said into the stillness. "Before it kills someone else."

"What?" Kelly said like Anna was batshit crazy.

"How?" said one of the other children.

"I know what it is," Anna replied. "My brothers are hunters. They kill monsters. This one is called a llama."

"I thought llamas are like goats or something," Kelly said, confused.

Anna shrugged. Maybe this thing was a distant relative to goats. Or maybe there were different kinds of llamas. She didn't know. There were bigger issues at hand, though.

"Llamas can only be killed with fire," she said. "Does anyone has matches or a lighter?"

But there were no pyromaniacs in the group. They all said 'no.'

"I got a flint and steel," one girl said. "My dad lets me use it when we're camping."

The other girl made an 'ooh' sound, like that was super cool.

"That's perfect," Anna said. "We need tinder," she explained. "That's what my brother calls the stuff you catch on fire. Does someone has rope or cotton or something?"

No such luck.

Anna frowned deeply and tried to come up with an alternative. There were no trees or anything, since they weren't in the woods. She would have to use her flannel and hope for the best.

"Can I see your flint and steel?" she requested of the little girl. "When it comes in, I'll light a fire."

"It takes a long time for my dad to do it," the girl said. "What if we start it now so it's ready in time?"

It wasn't a bad idea, but Anna had some concerns. "I gotta use my flannel to start it," she explained. "We don't have wood or nothin'. It'll go out."

"Maybe this isn't a good idea," Jacob said. "How is one little fire gonna hurt a big monster?"

"Yeah," Kelly chimed in. "It's so big. The fire will just go out."

Anna swallowed. They were right. This was a shitty plan. But it was all they had. Sam and Dean made do all the time. And they always won.

"We have to try," she said seriously. "Or else we're all gonna get eaten."

"But your family-" Kelly started.

But sometimes her family was too late. Anna didn't want to wait anymore. She didn't want to watch another little girl get eaten, even in the dark.

"They'll come," she said anyway.

Nobody spoke for a long minute.

"Can I have your flint and steel?" Anna requested of one of the little girls on her right.

There was the soft sound of a hand rummaging in a pocket.

"Um..." the girl said. "I think it's in my other jacket."

"Oh," Jacob muttered.

They were totally screwed.

"What else can we do?" Kelly asked. "Think we can run away? It can't catch all of us."

"But it can catch some of us," Anna said.

Yeah, they were screwed. They were definitely screwed.

()()()

One empty bunker later, the Winchesters sped toward the local police station.

Dean slammed his hands down on an officer's desk. "The missing kids," he said darkly. "Where would someone keep them?"

The rail-thin cop with a blonde mustache looked startled. He shuffled his files nervously and wriggled in his seat. "I'm not working that case," he said.

"I. Don't. Care," Dean growled. "Where would someone keep a bunch of missing kids? Somewhere dark. Secluded. Is there a place like that near here?" He was nearly shouting, and his anger was downright scary. Which was exactly what he needed in order to find Anna.

The cop was practically shaking. "I- I don't-"

"Those are babies out there," Dean said in a near lethal whisper. He leaned over the desk, his face inches from the stranger's. He pointed toward the door. "There are children dying. Brutally. Think. A dark, secluded place outside of town."

"I don't- I-" The cop's face colored with fear and realization.

He knew. Dean slammed his hands down on the desk, drawing the attention of several other officers. "My kid is missing!" he shouted.

"I- I think there's a cave. Northeast of town."

"It's not on the map," Dean said suspiciously. "If you're lyin' to get me outta here, you'll regret it."

Threatening cops was usually a last resort, but this guy didn't seem interested in claiming any sort of authority. "I ain't lyin'," he assured Dean, raising his hands in surrender. "It's there. I- I played near there when I was a littl'un. If somebody's hidin' a bunch of kids nearby, that's where they'll be."

Dean turned on his heel.

"Mister, we can put a team together," the scared man called after him.

"No time," Dean said without looking back.

I'm comin', Rugrat.

"They're in a cave," he announced as he got in the Impala's driver's seat. "Northeast of town."

"Drive," John ordered from the backseat.

()()()

She'd been trying for at least an hour to get a spark. But she was working with a pair of glasses and no source of light. She'd tried creating friction, but there were no sticks, which was how she'd learned to make fires. She'd tried striking the batteries from one girl's watch against the metal of the glasses and against the metal bars keeping them trapped.

Nothing was working.

Anna moved away from the center of their cage and back toward the other kids. "I can't do it," she admitted and passed the glasses back to the girl they belonged to. "It's gonna come back soon."

"I'm hungry," Kelly said. "I miss my mommy."

Anna missed her brothers, but she didn't say that. It wouldn't help. They all wanted to go home.

But they needed a different plan if they were ever going to get out.

The ground filled with thunder.

"No," Kelly cried and started screaming frantically.

Anna tried to shush her. If they stayed quiet, they would be better off. A dim glow emanated from just around the corner, and a lightbulb went off in Anna's head. That was how she was going to start a fire.

"Everyone, gimme your jackets," she demanded.

Nobody argued with her, just pulled their arms out of their sleeves and passed their jackets to Anna. She shoved all the coats to the center of the cage and put her flannel on top, knowing that material would light the easiest.

The lamia's form was even more terrifying when it was just a few feet in front of her. But Anna stood her ground, standing up straight behind the pile of clothes.

The monster lumbered right up to the door.

"It's gonna get her," Jacob murmured behind her.

Anna could see the lamia's face. Its eyes. She shivered with the fear that crawled up her spine. Her instincts were telling her to run. But Anna didn't.

The door swung open with a metal creak.

Anna's chest spasmed with fear, but she kept her eyes on the lantern in the monster's hand. It set the lantern down as it usually did before snatching a kid. But instead of passing by Anna to get to its next victim, the lamia seemed transfixed by Anna's face.

She had to lunge for the lantern, Anna knew that. But she was scared. And she couldn't tear her eyes away from the lamia's.

When suddenly it leaned forward and roared viciously in her face, Anna's shoulders came up, and her mouth opened in terror. But no sound came out of her throat as the damp heat of the monster's breath coated her face and body. She shivered.

And she dove. She threw the lantern at the pile of clothes. But it didn't smash as she'd hoped.

The lamia roared again and reached for her in a fast, powerful sweeping gesture.

Anna screamed and lunged for the pile of jackets, narrowly avoiding the monster's arm. She smashed the lantern over the clothes, and a tiny flame licked at the fabric. It wasn't catching fast enough.

The fire wouldn't be big enough to kill the lamia. It wouldn't be enough to save them.

The monster roared again and looked at her. The other children were screaming.

Anna had definitely moved up in line, and the fear made her stomach hurt and her whole body shake. She was going to be the next one to die.

She clamped her small arms over her ears and shrilly screamed one final hope, "Deeeeeaaaan!"

()()()

"This is it," Dean said darkly, staring into the dark entrance of the cave. "I can feel it. She's in there."

"Yeah," Sam agreed quietly. He put his hand on Dean's shoulder, and there was a silent solidarity there.

"You two boys get those kids outta there," John told them. "I'll take care of the lamia."

Dean clenched his jaw and looked numbly at their father. He wanted the thing's head. But he wasn't going to waste time arguing about it. Anna was within reach now. "I'm killin' it," he said, his tone brooking no argument.

"Dean-"

"Dad, it's mine," he repeated firmly, calmly.

John looked ready to start a fight, but they were all interrupted by a shrill scream from inside the cave.

The hair on the back of Dean's neck stood up. His feet moved before his brain.

That was Anna.

That was definitely Anna.

His feet pounded the uneven, packed earth of the cave floor as Dean ran toward that scream. He readied his flamethrower as he turned corners and the cave got darker. He couldn't see even a foot in front of his face anymore. He growled out his frustration as he fumbled for his flashlight and heard a roar that had to have been the lamia.

Anna needed him.

And if there was one thing he'd always trusted his instincts about, it was Anna. So he listened to those instincts now. She wasn't far.

He flicked on his flashlight, and the beam showed two routes.

His instincts said move forward. So he did.

Anna shouted his name up ahead. He could hear her terror. Hell, he could feel it. It moved like electricity through his body, starting in his ears until it reached his toes.

Dean followed the feeling.

()()()

Anna fell on her butt in her hurry to back away from the lamia. Her bones were stiff from spending so many hours in the cold, and the impact against the ground hurt more than it should have.

Her feet were suddenly warm with the heat of the flame as it finally began to eat up Anna's flannel. But the fire was still far too small to make a dent in the lamia.

As it stepped on the fire, Anna heard the other kids screaming and sobbing behind her.

The lamia roared one more time, but it sounded different than it had before. It sounded like a wounded animal enraged at its own pain.

Anna looked up, terrified, preparing to see a claw swipe at her or a mouth open up to swallow her whole.

Instead, she saw orange.

The monster was engulfed in flames, and it was yipping lowly in agony. It started to fall toward her, and Anna scrambled backwards, screaming in terror.

But the lamia suddenly flaked apart until it was nothing but a pile of ash. The children's tiny fire was dead. And so was the monster.

Anna's green eyes moved hopefully from the ashes up. A new silhouette was standing in the open doorway.

But Anna would have known this one anywhere.

There was a flashlight on the ground, shining over a pair of worn-in boots that confirmed her theory.

The figure crouched and lifted the beam, then turned it on himself.

"It's me," he said gently, staying crouched down at her level.

Anna screamed again, but this time it was from relief. This time she was safe.

"Dean!" she shouted and ran to him.

It was the strength of his arms around her that really made the tension leave Anna's small body. "I gotcha," he promised over and over again. "I gotcha, Rugrat."

"Anna," two soft voices said together from above her.

She squeezed his middle tightly. He shifted so he was on one knee and lifted her up to sit on the other one.

"I brought you something," he told her quietly.

Anna frowned and sniffled, feeling the presence of the other children at her back as they inched closer. She watched Dean reach into his pocket and come out with a familiar green frog. "Halloween!" she cried excitedly. "I thought you was gone forever," she said and hugged the frog against her stomach.

Dean gave her a kiss on the temple and pressed his forehead against the side of her head. "You're okay, right?" he asked her. "You're not hurt?"

Anna shook her head. "I'm okay," she promised.

"You found her," Sam panted, his flashlight beam mingling with Dean's.

"Sammy!" Anna exclaimed. Then she saw the other figure. But she couldn't believe it until the light shone over John's face. "Daddy!" She threw herself at John's stomach, and he lifted her right up to his hip.

"God, Anna, don't you ever go missin' like that again," he told her gruffly. He hugged her tightly and then set her down. But Anna could have used some more hugs.

She reached for Sam, knowing he'd give her one, and he did.

"Is everyone okay?" John asked, shining his light at the feet of the other children so as not to blind them.

All the light made Anna's eyes hurt after spending so much time in the dark. "We're okay," she said and gestured at the other kids behind her. "But it- it got Lexie and her brother," she confessed quietly. "It... ate them."

Kelly started to hiccup and cry again at the reminder. Jacob patted her back. "It's okay," he said. "It's gone."

But so were those two kids.

The adults all looked sick at the information. Anna thought she might throw up to try to expel the memory from her body.

"I want my mommy," Kelly sobbed, distracting them all from their grief.

"We'll take you home," Sam said gently and picked Kelly up. She tucked herself into his shoulder and kept crying.

"That's Kelly," Anna said quietly and backed up until she was against Dean's chest again.

She wanted to go home too. She wanted a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of orange juice. She wanted to sleep in her own bed. She wanted to be safe.

"Come on," John said and held his hand out gently to the other children. "We're gonna get all of you back to your parents. How's that sound, huh?"

Anna felt the fear fading away with the darkness. They were safe now. They were all safe.

()()()

"She's malnourished and dehydrated," the nurse said. "But that isn't a surprise, given how long she was held without food or water. Most of the other children showed the same problems."

"She'll be okay, though," John concluded.

"She'll be okay," the nurse assured him and smiled. She tucked her blood pressure cuff away in a drawer and picked up her clipboard. "The doctor will be in soon, okay?"

Anna clutched tightly to John's hand (and Halloween's) as they sat on black chairs in the sterile pediatrician's office. She stared at a colorful painting on the wall and listened to the door click shut behind the nurse.

"I don't like the doctor," Anna said softly.

"Just be good, and we'll get outta here in no time," John encouraged.

"Yes, sir," Anna replied. She didn't want to be stuck in here, though. It felt like being stuck in a whole different kind of cage. This one was even smaller than the last one, though it had brighter walls, and she could see two feet in front of her face now.

Anna wanted to go home. She wanted to sit in Dean's lap and eat something and watch cartoons. She didn't understand why she had to see a stupid doctor. She'd waited long enough to go home.

Fortunately, though, the doctor didn't take long to appear with a gentle knock at the door.

"Good afternoon," he said with a friendly smile. "Anna, right?" he asked boisterously.

Anna nodded shyly.

"It's nice to meet you," the doctor said, then looked at John. "You're dad?"

"That's me," John replied and shared a handshake with the man.

"I'm Dr. Burr," the man said. "I'm gonna just do a quick examination, if that's okay. Then we'll get you outta here, so you can go get something to eat," he told Anna playfully.

She nodded, eager to get this over with and to be good, like John had told her to.

"Alright."

The physical exam didn't take very long. But the questions he asked her after were a lot harder to answer.

She went to all the check-ups most kids did. She was used to telling half-truths in answer to certain questions. But this was different.

She didn't know what to tell the doctor about what had happened to them. Dad hadn't told her to lie. But he hadn't told her to tell the truth.

So, Anna didn't answer at all.

"This is quite normal," the doctor said. "Some of the other children told stories about a monster. Some of them described a man. Everybody's mind tries to protect them in different ways. Your daughter might not be willing to talk about what happened for some time. Just make sure you make yourself available for those hard conversations."

"Sure thing, doc."

Anna looked at her dad and felt her heart ache. She didn't want to have any hard conversations with anybody. But she knew for a fact that she would never have them with John. It hurt listening to him make promises that would never be kept.

"It's a good idea to consider therapy, as well. Traumatizing experiences have all kinds of impacts on a child if they don't talk about what happened."

"I'll consider it," John said.

"Alright. Let's send you two on your way, then," Dr. Burr said and scribbled something down on a piece of paper. Anna hugged Halloween to her stomach with one arm and tugged John more quickly out of the office and down the hallway.

She wanted to go home. She wanted Dean.

()()()

Her curly hair had gotten so frizzy and messy in the cave. But after a warm bubble bath, it was finally tame again. And Anna smelled better, too.

She brought her hairbrush over to Sam and climbed up in his lap.

He was gentle as he ran the brush over her damp hair. It sprang back up into curls immediately.

"I'm glad you're safe," Sam told her as he set the brush aside. "You know we'll always come and find you, right?"

Anna nodded and turned sideways in his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder, soaking his shirt with her damp hair.

But he didn't complain. He hugged her.

"You warm enough?" Dean asked her, coming over with a blanket.

She hadn't been able to stop shivering before. But now Anna was cozy and warm in her Spongebob pajamas. She still let Dean cover her with a blanket and scoop her out of Sam's lap.

"It's time for bed," he told her.

Usually, Anna kicked up a fuss about bedtime. Tonight, she sighed tiredly and cuddled into Dean's side in bed. It was the opposite of everything in the lamia's lair. She was warm, her stomach was full, and she could see clearly the people in the room with her. Dean let her keep a lamp on as he sang her to sleep.

When you're weary, feeling small,

When tears are in your eyes, I'll dry 'em all

I'm on your side

Oh, when times get rough

And friends just can't be found

Like a bridge over troubled water,

I will lay me down

()()()

There was a ghost of a kiss on her forehead.

A soft, "Bye, Peanut," in her ear.

Her brain wouldn't register what had happened until she woke up. But by then, John would be gone.

She would have to cling to the fact that he'd cared enough to come save her. She would have to cling to her brothers.

La Fin