Dean woke up to the feeling of rough calloused hands grabbing his shoulders - hands that he knew definitely did not belong to Billie.

"What the hell?" Dean cried out as a light was switched on above them.

"Dean?" Billie mumbled in a confused voice next to him. Dean's eyes focussed on the grim set face of Jack.

Salvatore was stood behind him, leant up against the doorway. There was lipstick smeared down the ringmaster's neck and a half empty bottle of moonshine in his hand.

"The other one's not here," Jack grunted, gesturing to the bottom bunk.

"Doesn't matter," Salvatore replied, his voice cold and measured. "Juan will be punished in due course, although I'm not particularly surprised to find you here White."

Dean groaned as he was unceremoniously pulled out of the bed by Jack, his knees dropping hard against the floor of the cabin. Thankfully, both he and Billie had awoken earlier to clean themselves up and pull on underwear for sleep.

"Dean!" Billie exclaimed above him, the younger boy quickly following him to the floor, toppling from the bunk and into Dean's arms.

"What the hell are you doing Salvatore?" Dean barked, glaring up at the older man before startling at the sound of laughter behind him. Turning around, he saw Billie gaping at Salvatore with an amused and incredulous expression.

"Only you would be drunk enough to try to red light us from a stationary train Salvatore!" Billie exclaimed, waving his hand at the ringmaster. "Why don't you give it a few days then come back?"

"I don't need the train to be moving to rid you from my circus," Salvatore drawled, his speech slurred from alcohol but his eyes still hard and focussed.

Billie's smile faltered slightly as he took a step back, "Someone will stop you."

Salvatore smiled then, a horrible creeping expression. "Who?" he asked, pretending to look around, "As far as I can tell everyone's asleep."

"I'll scream," Billie whispered, his fingers edging forwards to wrap around Dean's, Dean squeezed reassuringly back.

"Make a sound and I'll have Jack gut your lover here," Salvatore snapped as Jack drew a blade from inside his jacket. Dean swallowed hard, one false move and it could get Billie hurt or worse.

"I didn't think so," Salvatore remarked after the ensuing silence. "Now you'll both follow me or I'll kill the other one in front of you. And as for your sister..." Salvatore paused, staring hard at Dean, "You really won't like what would happen to her if you try anything stupid."

The twins were waiting for them outside the acrobats' bunk, disillusioning Dean of any ideas he might have had of overpowering Jack.

Salvatore led them out of the train and into the eerie quiet of the night. It was as if all the insects and birds had decided to fall silent for that very moment as they walked down the length of the carriages.

Dean held tightly to Billie's hand, his eyes scanning for any route of escape, any possible means of protecting Billie.

"I'm so sorry," Billie whispered to Dean as he drew closer to him, their arms pressed against one another's. "This is all my fault, dragging you into this mess with Salvatore - if you'd never become involved with me.."

"It was my choice," Dean interrupted firmly. "And you have nothing to be sorry for."

Much to Dean's confusion, Salvatore stopped outside the carriage with the animals in, ushering them up the steps and into the train again. Dean could see that the wolves were sleeping, but Dolores lazily opened her eyes as she heard them enter the room.

Arnold moved forwards and proceeded to unlock the cage door, turning back to jerk Dean roughly inside.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked. "Locking us in with the wolves?"

He was rejoicing inside because this was the best possible scenario. No matter what Salvatore did he wouldn't be able to get the wolves to turn on Dean, Dean was sure of it.

He was also convinced that he could protect Billie in there. Dolores, James and Anna had already pretty much accepted the younger boy as pack.

"No," Salvatore replied. "Just you."

Dean let out a panicked shout as he whipped round to see the gate closed and locked behind him. The wolves all stood up, yapping and pawing in confusion.

"I just wanted to make sure you couldn't prevent me from exacting my punishment from Billie." Salvatore snarled, stalking towards the younger boy and unhooking a whip from the wall.

"I see you've left a mark on him already White?" Salvatore remarked with a cold smile, reaching out to trace his fingers down Billie's throat where there were a number of bruises sucked into the skin.

Billie yelped and drew backwards but Willard was there to cage him in with his muscled arms.

"Don't you fucking touch him!" Dean snarled, slamming his fist against the bars as the wolves began to bark with increased agitation.

"You forget Dean," Salvatore drawled, uncurling and extending his whip. "That you are not the boss here." Salvatore nodded to Jack and the twins, "Get out."

"But Boss..." Arnold began, before faltering at the look Salvatore was sending his way. Willard released Billie last, leaving after Jack and Arnold and locking the door to the cabin behind them.

"Alone at last," Salvatore remarked to Billie, who was now pressed up against the far wall, looking at Dean with widened eyes.

"Now, Mr. White - I'm going to perform an extra show just for you - no special charge, just like the first performance you watched."

Salvatore took a menacing step towards Billie, the whip taut between his hands.

"What do you want Salvatore?" Dean cried out. "Whatever it is - just take it from me. Punish me!"

"Oh, I think I am," Salvatore replied nastily, moving to suddenly hook his whip around Billie's throat.

"No!" Dean shouted out, his distress echoed by the howls of the wolves.

Billie struggled violently against Salvatore's grip but it was clear that the older man was stronger and the whip was tightening around Billie's jugular with every frantic jerking movement.

"Fuck - no!" Dean shouted in horror, throwing himself against the bars of the cage again and again as he listened to the rasping strangled breaths of Billie.

"Salvatore, please!" Dean screamed. The ringmaster's face was set grim and hard, the whites of his knuckles visible as he twisted the noose of the whip.

Billie's face was fading from purple to blue as he choked in vain for air, his fingers coming up to desperately pry at the unyielding black cable.

Dean yelled as loudly as he could, praying that someone, anyone would hear them now, but his shouts were muffled by the distressed howls of the wolves.

Suddenly, Dolores let out a vicious snarl, throwing the giant mass of her body against the cage door and tipping the carriage. Salvatore let out a surprised shout as pots and pan fell off the shelves beside him.

The momentary distraction allowed just enough time for Billie to lash his fist out, catching the ringmaster in the crotch and leaving him doubled over in pain as Billie fell forwards, free of the whip's stranglehold.

"Billie!" Dean yelled, reaching his arm as far as it would go towards the other boy, who was now crawling along the floor towards him. "Billie! Can you get through the bars?" Dean asked desperately, his stretching fingers grabbing at Billie's bare shoulder and tugging him towards the cage.

The bars of the cage were narrowly set but Dean had seen the contortionist fit into much smaller spaces during his acts, if there was a chance...

Billie heaved himself up, the colour somewhat returned to his face but still gasping in lungfuls of air in choked, rattling breaths. Dean swore as he noticed Salvatore recovering in the background, the ringmaster reaching out to stabilise himself against the wall of the cabin.

"Billie," Dean pleaded as Billie turned to twist his body, slotting himself against the bars of the cage. There were a couple of loud cracking sounds, as if something was being dislocated, but a moment later Billie fell through the bars and collapsed against Dean's heaving chest.

"I've got you," Dean whispered, his voice hoarse from screaming, running his hand through Billie's hair as the other boy breathed shallow rasps.

"You think you're safe in there?" Salvatore snarled, racing up to the cage a moment later, his booming voice serving only to unsettle the wolves further, who were pacing and snarling in a circle around Dean and Billie.

"I'm the boss remember?" Salvatore snapped, drawing out a silver key from his waistcoat and reaching to unlock the cage door.

"Don't!" Dean cried out, but it was too late, the door swung open with a violent clang of vibrating metal. Dean turned and crouched as quickly as he could, shielding Billie with his body from what he knew was about to happen.

There was a cacophony of murderous angry howls, followed by the sounds of snarling and a flurry of movement. Dean felt masses of muscled fur push past him, the vibrations of claws scratching on the floor before the dull thuds of predators leaping to assail their target.

A single pitiful scream rose up from the fray as Dean moved to cover Billie's ears and shield his eyes. Dean could feel Billie trembling violently beneath him. The sounds of snarls and tearing of flesh rang around the room, bouncing between the bars of the cage until a deadly silence finally fell.

Dean breathed deeply before turning round. The three wolves were lying on the ground, their muzzles red, eyeing him as if waiting for further instruction.

"Is it over?" came a hoarse voice, as Billie pressed back against Dean’s chest.

"Yes," Dean whispered back, his eyes not leaving Dolores'. "It's over."

***

Walter had woken to the sound of howling, he threw his arm down to Dean's bunk. "Your wolves, your problem," he muttered sleepily, rousing himself five minutes later when the howls showed no signs of stopping and he realised that the other boy was not in his bed.

He had woken up Henry, stating there was no way Walter was dealing with the animals alone and the two of them had made their way grumbling towards the wolves' carriage. That was where they found Jack and the twins, waiting outside with grim looks.

When Walter got inside the cabin itself, the first thing he saw was the sticky remains of his former boss. Dean was stood on the other side of the cage, his arms wrapped tightly around Billie, whispering something in the smaller boy's ear. Walter noticed the thick swelling lines around Billie's throat and guessed what had happened.

He approached his friends tentatively, wary of the blood stained predators lying at his feet, but the wolves made no sign of moving. Instead, they licked their hackles languidly.

"Okay?" Walter nodded as he caught Dean's eye.

"Okay," Dean replied quietly, guiding Billie around the mangled mess and out of the carriage to where Henry was waiting. Walter had dispatched of Jack, and the twins had pretty much given it all up when they realised what had happened.

Walter stayed in the cabin a few moments longer, eyeing the seeping red of the ringmaster's last violent action.

"Had it coming," Walter grunted before nodding tersely to the wolves.