Chapter One: He is Back.
The door sounded. Sam was tired and irritated. He had been out with ruby again, but Leah had come over yesterday, half drunk and now was staying with him. So he had to sneak out and back in, and he had gotten no sleep.
And she proceeded to get even more drunk and pass out on his bed. Sam glanced at the figure beside him in the bed. She was cried out and she looked ghastly, pallid. He didn't want let her out of his sight, knowing what she had tried to pull the last time she was this drunk. He had arrived just in time or else she wouldn't have survived.
Dean had been her everything, even when she denied it. She hadn't got a chance to tell Dean, even when Sam had asked her to, before.
Sam got up groggily and opened the door, expecting it to be either hotel staff or ruby. But instead, what he saw took his breath.
"Heya, Sammy."
Sam took a few steps back. This was a dream- it had to be. It couldn't be dean who just waltzed in the fucking room. Sam instinctively went to his knife- this must be something supernatural. "It's alright, Sam, I checked him, it's really him." Sam noticed Bobby entering the room behind Dean.
Without a word, Sam hugged dean hard. Dean- it was Dean.
Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Leah walked out, holding her head in her hands. "Where are you Sam?" She looked up, and went mute. In fraction of a minute she had a knife in her hands, god knows where from.
"What's going on?" she asked, sounding still a little slurred from her last night's drinking. "Hey, hey, it's alright," Sam came over to her. She swayed a little as she dropped the knife away. Sam put his arms around her, steadying her, as she looked breathlessly at the spectacle in front of her, in form of Dean Winchester.
He looked at her; hungrily, as if he would never ever stop. He had almost forgotten what it felt to stand near her. He looked at her, dressed in a pair of shorts and Sammy's shirt. He felt a weird, unexplainable pang of sadness when he realized that may be she and Sam- He watched Sam hold her protectively, as they looked at each other.
She looked Sam and then at Bobby. "Is it- is it- "Yes child, its him. I checked. It is Dean."
She stared at him, and then rushed over, half limping, half walking. She put her arms around his head, just as his arms went around her waist, picking her up. Whatever was going on aside, Dean felt calm, with Leah in his arms. She held him, tightly, and knew that she would never let go. Never.
Chapter Two: Dream Come True.
Leah couldn't stop staring at him. She thought if he went out of her vision even for a second, he would just vanish.
Sam too was chocked up, although he didn't show it at all. "So what did you guys do Sammy? How the hell did you get me out of hell?" Dean spoke.
Leah and Sam looked at each other. Leah had just met up with Sam yesterday, after figuring out where he had taken off on them. "Leah was with me till two days ago, and then she got a lead on Sam's location, just like you did, Dean. So she went to get him back to us."
"I met him yesterday," Leah spoke. "I was at a dead end with a way to bring you back Dean- Leah paused to blink away a tear. "So I decided that enough was enough and Sam had to stop running from bobby and me. I couldn't deal with both you not there, and so couldn't Bobby. So I tracked his ass and followed him here."
"So Sam, what now I'm off the hook and you're on is that it? You're some demon's bitch boy?" Dean raised his voice a bit. "You think I made a deal?" Sam asked. "That's exactly what we think," said bobby.
"I wish I had done it, alright. I tried everything. I tried opening the devil's gates, hell I even tried to bargain, but no demon would deal, alright!" Sam was standing up, speaking loudly and furiously. Leah fidgeted a bit, not liking where this was going. "Don't get me wrong, I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact. But it raises a sticky question." Bobby spoke.
"If he didn't pull me out then what did?"
Bobby suggested that they all visit a psychic, Pamela barns, to see if she could help. Dean was nearly ecstatic at the sight of his precious baby. Leah got in the back, her head throbbing even more, a result of hangover and all the shock and excitement. She lay down on the back seat, her eyes fixed on back of Dean's head. She didn't even notice when she fell asleep.
It was a little over an hour, when they stopped to refuel at a joint. Sam got out to talk to bobby. Dean got out, refueled, and went inside the store to look for something to eat.
Leah opened her eyes, slowly. She looked out, to see Sam walking away from the Impala, and the open driver seat door. She remembered having passed out at his room last night, and day.
She suddenly looked around for dean. "Where is Dean? He was back. He was- the thought stuck inside her as she realized it could have been a dream. This was the last straw. She had a blinding pain in her head and a large pit in her stomach. A loud "no" escaped her, and she didn't even notice, that she had begun to sob loudly, curled up in a ball.
Sam heard her voice, and ran back towards the Car. He got in beside her, and wrapped his hands around her.
She turned around, and saw Dean's face, looking at her through the window. It was like looking at light after years of darkness. All weights lifted, and her sobs dried out. She just walked out and buried her face in his chest, hugging him back, feeling him, and reassuring to herself that he was really back.
Dean held her trembling form until she stabilized. "What happened, Lee?"
"I thought- I thought I dreamt-
"What?"
"I thought that I had dreamt whatever happened since the moment you entered that motel room." Leah confessed sheepishly. "I thought it was a dream you had come back, and I cried because I woke up." she said the words in a rush.
Dean was shocked speechless. All the feeling of being missed so much filled up inside him, and he just tugged Leah back into a hug. He knew, at that moment, that Leah was the one thing that he couldn't bear losing, just like Sammy.
Chapter three: Wanting different things.
The visit to Pamela turned out to be quite the grim visit. The psychic lost her eyes, and they didn't get any info either. Bobby took her to the hospital, and the rest of them went back to the motel. All they knew is that some 'Castiel' pulled Dean out.
Sam and Dean argued. Dean wanted to summon this thing. Sam wanted to question the demons in town. That turned out pretty well when they met the demons at the diner and realized even they didn't have a clue.
Leah wanted to wait. She felt like whoever brought dean back would want to meet dean. Until then they should lay low and keep their noses clean. But like that was going to be heard by the either brother, so she stayed mum.
They stayed up reading late into the night. Soon exhaustion caught up and Leah and Dean fell asleep. Just then, the motel room went haywire. All gadgets began to give out static. In a moment she and Dean were awake and standing with guns pointing at the door. The room filled with a high-pitch, shrill noise, and they both sank to ground, clutching their heads. That how bobby found them in the room.
"Where are you Sammy?" "I'm out to get a burger. What are you doing?"
"Me and Leah, we're out with Bobby, gettin' a beer. We'll catch you later okay?"
"Why did you lie to him?" Bobby asked. Leah had an idea where this was going. "We're going to summon this thing."
Dean managed to convince Bobby and they went to an old warehouse that he knew. Soon it was covered with sigils and symbols on every surface available. Leah tried to argue, saying Sam was right; the thing was too powerful but to no avail. Suddenly Dean spoke to Leah, "why don't you go look up castiel? I mean we haven't searched the lore, so I think we should know what we're getting into, if it's at all possible."
"But Dean, I'm not leaving." "Yes you are." "You think I can't handle this?" Leah looked at him threateningly. "We don't even know what this is. And you're definitely not in your best shape. So yeah, I think you shouldn't be here."
"Well, I don't care what you think; I'm not letting you out of my sight. Sam's right, you shouldn't be doing this. But you need all hands on deck, alright," Leah countered.
"I think I'll be okay without you, you know," Dean spoke heatedly. Leah looked at him, the hurt screaming out of her eyes. "Hey I didn't me-
"Fine. Have it your way jerk. Don't call me. Why would you? You'll be fine without me." Leah stormed out, muttering loudly, before Bobby had chance to get a word in edgewise.
She walked out, and caught a ride back in the city. No matter how much angry she felt, she couldn't shake of the feeling that she would find something online. So she began looking and reading.
Meanwhile dean was furiously assembling all possible weapons. "You are the biggest fool, you know that Dean?" Bobby told him. "Yeah, I know I'm an asshole. And I didn't mean it. But it's better off that she's not here." "Even if it's true, you ever stop to consider why she wouldn't go?"
Dean had no words. Again. Just like when she had begun crying. There was no answer here. "I don't know, bobby. Why would she care so much about a mess like me? I mean she's had her own trouble in the past, but she's whole person compared to a broken guy like me, or even Sam. I mean, I half expected her to have quit hunting, gone to therapy and tried to start a normal life, maybe get back with her family, although they're a bunch of stupid douchbags. But she was here, with Sammy, helping him."
He remembered them at the motel. "Hey bobby, do you- do you think maybe- that somehow- Leah and Sammy are a thing?"
"What makes you say that?" bobby asked cautiously. He knew very well, only too well how much Leah liked Dean.
"I mean, she didn't give up on Sam. She cared enough to keep him together, or at least track him when he went off on you. And that day in the motel- I mean I don't know for sure, but she- and Sammy sure looked torn when she was crying, you know. He ran like he couldn't get there fast enough."
"Well, maybe you should talk to her about this. I think we're ready now, dean."
"Okay then, lets summon the damn thing."
Chapter four: Meeting an Angel.
Dean and bobby sat, waiting. Nothing had yet showed up. "Are you sure you did the ritual right?" Dean asked and then held up his hands at bobby's annoyed face, "touchy touchy,"
The wind suddenly began to rattle loudly against the warehouse. The tin sheets began to flap, the door was shaking. The light bulbs burst, sending them all into darkness. The door opened, and a man walked in. they shot at him, and it didn't affect him in the slightest. Dean plunged the knife in him, and he just took it out without even looking hurt. As bobby tried to hit him, he put two fingers to bobby's head and bobby went out.
"What did you do to him?" Dean shouted. "Your friend is alive. We need to talk, alone." "Who are you?" "I'm Castiel." "Yeah, I mean what are you?" "I'm an angel of the lord."
"Get the hell out of here. There's no such thing."
"This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith." Castiel looked into his eyes, as the lightning appeared, and a shadow of wings appeared on the wall in the bright light.
Back at the café, Leah couldn't believe what she was reading. This was way out of their earlier gigs, and considering Lilith that was saying something. She tried calling dean, but the connection seemed to fail. She knew she couldn't stay away. She just jacked a car out of the parking lot a nearby motel, and drove back.
As she approached the warehouse, everything seemed quiet. Just as she quietly slipped in, she saw, a man, wearing a trench coat, standing in front of Dean. "Look pal, I'm not buying what you're selling. What are you really?"
"He's an Angel, Dean." Leah spoke quietly.
Both turned to look at her. "You're castiel, aren't you?" She asked him, a little intimidated by his direct gaze. "Yes, and as you said correctly I have been trying to convince dean, that I am indeed an angel of the lord."
"And why would an angel, rescue me from hell?" Dean interrupted.
"Good things do happen, dean." Castiel moved to look at dean directly.
"Not in my experience." "What's the matter? You don't think you deserve to be saved." Castiel stared at Dean's eyes, trying to read him.
"Why d'you do it?"
"Because god commanded it. Because we have work for you." Castiel announced, to a shell-shocked Dean and Leah.
Chapter five: Frigging Apocalypse
Dean was extremely silent all night, and so was I. I'm Leah, by the way. Nice to tell my own story. Up until now a friend of mine has been writing this as a favor to me, but I guess I want the story to come directly from me. So yeah, I'm talking.
The whole 'Angel' thing had our fight looking like child-squabble. Bobby confirmed the little snippets that I'd found on some books mentioned on which of course bobby had in his library.
Dean was having a hard time believing in the whole, "angels exist" Scenario. He kept arguing but he met dead walls. I actually believed in the angel, somehow, without a doubt. I didn't trust him, but I knew he was not lying about being an angel.
Sam felt buoyant. I could feel it. he felt like something good was finally going to come to them, after years of, as he said, "Demon Crap", and he had always wanted to believe that there was some good force in the supernatural out there, just as there was evil.
Dean felt a little awkward in explaining this but I knew that this faith problem wasn't about good and evil. It was dean's deep rooted inferior complex. He felt like he didn't deserve to be singled out for such an honor.
When it finally came out of his mouth, I guess Sam was a little shocked and Bobby more, but I wasn't, because I knew how and why he felt so. I had felt like that at some point of my life. It wasn't a big deal, as compared to the people I had seen come to the psych clinic I had worked in, but to me, it was something I had deal with every day, until I became a hunter.
That day turned out to be one of most exhausting ghost days. I mean, we deal with ghosts all the time, sometimes two or three at the same time. But when they come in large groups, all at the same time and in shape of the worst nightmares of your life, your training is bound to give way somewhere.
I hadn't hunted for long, at least not as long as boys or bobby. Just for about three years. But I had had my fair share of failures. They weren't many, but they were too close to home.
The first one I saw was my little brother's friend, Dave. He was the reason I became a hunter, and the first victim in my first hunt. My brother was the first ghost I hunted. And Dave died following him. My brother, I knew I couldn't have saved. But the other kid I could have saved coz I knew by then. And I had known little Dave ever since he was born. I loved him just as much as I loved Keith, my brother.
Just as I ran away from Dave's screaming figure, I ran into my other catastrophic mishap. A young girl called Hayley. I had been looking for dean, and the crossroads demon had come wearing Hayley. I had panicked, out of fear for my life, and so I'd shot her before the exorcism was over, in the heart. Had it not been for Sam, I would have died.
"You thought only you knew how to love. To feel pain. Did you think about me, screaming inside, while you tried to deal your life away? You didn't think!" Hayley shouted, knocking the gun out of my hand. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I deserve this."
"Yes, yes you do. I'm sad that the demon didn't get you, when it broke the trap. You were supposed to be brave! A Hunter who's scared. You're a pitiful terrible hunter. You only end up killing. That all you can do. You cannot save lives." Hayley advanced on me, and the training kicked in. I rolled on the floor until I found the shotgun, and took a shot at her. In the brief moment, I ran, to the library where the rest of them were.
We followed bobby, down into the panic room. For some time I couldn't even look at them. I felt like I should be out there dying. All over again. I wasn't really suicidal, not anymore. That was just one time. And for a very good goddamn reason, at least for me.
"This thing, it's called the rising of the witnesses. Somebody did some serious spell work, and raised these spirits, on purpose and against their wishes. No wonder they're pissed." Bobby was reading a book, which showed a complicated spell that created a brand on these souls. "This is a marker, a sign." "Of what?" Sam and Dean said together.
"Of the Apocalypse." Bobby answered.
Dean immediately launched into last days on earth scenario of frolicking. "First things first, let's survive our friends out there." Bobby interjected. "How? Besides staying here until judgment day?"
"There is a spell to put them at rest that should work. If I've translated correctly." Bobby said. "Luckily all the supplies we need are in the house. "Are they by any chance in this room?" Dean looked hopeful. "You thought our luck was going to start now, all of a sudden?" bobby shot back at him.
When we came out of the panic chamber, I got out last. Dean put a hand on my shoulder, and whispered in my ear. "I heard the girl. Were you trying to make a deal?" "I know how it sounds dean, but it was just a hunt," I lied. I had to. I couldn't tell him of all people what I was really trying to do. "I panicked and the girl died. Okay? So back off."
We went up, and fought like hell. I tracked down my own and other's ghosts while they collected the ingredients and set the spell in motion. After the horrible ghost fight, which nearly got Bobby and dean's hearts ripped out, nobody was in much mood to talk, except for dean.
Chapter six: To tell the Truth.
"Look dean, she was just another crossroads demon I had pulled up for questioning, and when I was exorcising, somehow, call it phenomenally bad luck, the trap failed. The demon came at me. I shot her in the heart. But the girl died. I got scared and I acted without thinking, okay? I feel bad enough about it. Had Sam not come, the guilt alone could have gotten me distracted and killed."
"Right. Sam, the savior. Good for you he was there to save your ass." "Don't drag Sam in this. And anyway, I think I'm taking off. You are better off without me anyway." I turned, and tried to walk out, bumping into Sam.
"What's going on?" He looked at both of us. "Nothing, Sam." Dean answered. "I'm going to go to my place and stay there for a while, okay Sammy?" I told him. "No. you can't go now. It's the frigging apocalypse. We need to stay close." I really wanted to stay. But I couldn't. Not at least for a day or two. I couldn't face dean, with what I had tried to do, or with how I felt. But more importantly, with how he felt. "I just need a day or two, Sammy, okay?" I told him. "In that case I'm coming with you." He said.
"Wow. Man, I thought wouldn't see the day." Dean spoke, chuckling bitterly. What now?
"What day, Dean?" Sam asked patiently. "You in love! I mean, you both are obviously all over each other, caring and sharing, and I guess I'm not needed around. Maybe I should take off. You can stay here, nice and cozy."
"Why would we be in love? What gave you the idea?" I almost screamed it.
"Well, when you cried the other day, he came running, - "so did you and Bobby" I interrupted. "And then you tracked Sam's ass to take care of him, and the motel the other night- "what motel?" me and Sam asked together.
"You know- Dean was visibly uncomfortable now, and a little sad, maybe? "You know the day I came back, you were sleeping together, and there were these clothes on the floor," he said, not looking at either of us.
"I passed out into the bed, after Sammy went to sleep. I was highly drunk, inordinately pissed at the world, and very hazy. I didn't realize that we were sleeping in the same bed until we woke up." my voice was quite loud now. I was angry and I just was beginning to see red.
"I didn't sleep with her like that Dean. Before she came I had brought up a girl I met at the bar. Those were probably hers. I was highly drunk too." Sam explained the rather embarrassing bra that had been lying on the floor that day.
"So you two- you aren't-"
"No dean. Why do care anyway? It's not like I matter to you. What difference does it make if I'm with Sam or not?"
"What are you arguing about, Lee?" Sam was completely confused by now. "He wanted to know about the time you saved my life, because he thinks I'm a piss-poor hunter and also that I'm a weak link in the team." "Leah, listen, I'm sorry, okay, about that. I just wanted you to be safe. I didn't mean to say it like that."
"Yeah, right, you didn't. Doesn't really matter anymore. You can do just as you please anyway." I retorted back. Just then we all heard Bobby chuckle. "Something funny Bobby?"
"Yeah. You guys." "What?" dean asked. "Do you know why she was with that demon that night?" Bobby asked. I froze. Sam had told Bobby the reason why I was with that demon.
"I mean, I'm tired of seeing Leah beat down. She is a good person, and I care about her, more than most people, and she doesn't deserve this. So yeah you are going to hear something you should have heard about from her ages ago."
Bobby started telling. I was numb. I didn't know what to feel, so I blanked out.
"She and Sam tracked a few demons, trying to make a deal. It was three months since we had buried you. Sam tried to ditch her, but she kept following him. But one day, they had a fight, and she left him, to do something stupid."
Sam interrupted. "I just wanted to be left alone. I know now that what she did was probably best, but then I was just mad, and I told her to go. She felt so alone that she couldn't bear not being with either of us so she stubbornly kept following me and I insulted her."
"So she took off on me. I was fighting a demon by myself a few days later when it told me what Leah was trying to do, and it took off to help the demon Leah was with. All demons were told not to bargain you out to us. But what they could do was take someone in with you."
"What do you mean, with me? In hell?" Dean asked.
"Yes." Bobby answered. "She tried to make a deal with a demon, that in return of her soul going to hell she should get to pick where she went in hell and what she did. And she wanted to be with YOUR soul, if she couldn't get you out. And she was so drunk that she wanted to "bust you out" from the inside." Bobby looked skeptically at me.
"To be fair, she was extremely drunk when she did call that demon. That's why she couldn't fight so well when the trap broke. I mean it was goddamn suicidal, and Bobby grounded her for a month here." Sam told Dean.
"When I heard that she tried to make that deal, I followed the demon that was going there to kill Leah. The demon I was following reached before me and managed to break the Trap, but I got them both before they got her." Sam ended the narrative.
Dean asked Sam and Bobby, "why dint you tell me before?"
"It was her story to tell, not ours, but seeing as she was going to let you push her away, I couldn't stay shut. There kiddo, all you gotta do is tell him you love him. God knows you screamed in your dreams so many times," Bobby said, patting me on the back.
Chapter seven: Deeply bound and Steadily up
I was looking down, trying not to think. The tension and the silence became too much for me, and I turned and ran out of the room, out of the house, in the front yard.
And suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder. I jumped, and turned, to see dean standing in front of me. I tried, but I couldn't look at his strong gaze, so I just looked everywhere else. He stood there for a minute, one hand on my shoulder, looking at me. then he held my chin in his palm, and raised my face to look at him.
"Dean," was all I could say.
"you would do that. You would follow me. into Hell."
I couldn't nod; my chin was too tightly in his grasp now. I couldn't look anywhere else either. "this is exactly why I tried to keep you safe. You go and do these stupid things, and then how can I trust you ever not to get yourself killed?"
This was too much. Dean had practically heard to a narrative that told him I loved him, and all he can say is that I'm a reckless hunter?
"I'm sorry, alright, that you may have to clean up my messes. But I make my choices and I'm not sorry for them. So stick that in you pipe." Angry tears were streaming down my face now, and I brushed his hands away.
"Hey, you don't get to be reckless. Not when- "when what?
"When there is nothing more I want than you being safe and happy." He answered, trying to placate me, putting his hand on either of my shoulders.
"I don't want to be safe. I want to be with you. However, and whatever way. But seeing as you probably don't want to, I can't stay here a minute more." His grip on me tightened. "Let me go, Dean, before I turn into even more pathetic mess." I begged. "Why would I want you anywhere away from me?" Dean simply asked.
"Why? Why not?" I was confused. "Don't you get what I'm trying to say?" I shook my head.
"I can't have you hurt because every single one on you feels like thousand times on me. I hated that I was the reason you would want to go to Hell. I've been there. I don't want you there, for me or otherwise.
When they told me, all I thought was that if I hadn't gone to hell you wouldn't have been trying to. And I couldn't believe this. People dying for each other, I get it. But going to hell for each other? That is the kind of love I have never seen, and when it was directed at me, all I could think about is how I don't deserve it.
Your love for me almost took you to Hell, it's dangerous, and can't you see? I don't deserve you. I will get you killed. And I don't want to even think about you being dead, alright?"
"Then don't go to Hell or get yourself killed. Okay?" I shot at him.
He looked at me, incredulous. His eyes widened. He looked at me, trying to figure out something to say. It came to me then that maybe he just cares that nobody should die for him; but he doesn't really love me like I love him. I dropped my eyes, fast tears slipping out, drenching my face. My knees went weak, all my strength seeping away. The fight in me died, and all I wanted was to get away, forget.
But then, I felt his palms cupping my head in them, lifting my face and suddenly my lips were connected to his. He crashed on my mouth, urgently, but gentle and soft. I opened my mouth to let him in, blissfully. There was nothing better that had ever happened to me.
After a few minutes, which felt like several days, but still not enough, we looked up at each other. I smiled, and then his lips curved up into the brightest smile I have, or anybody has ever seen.
"I love you, Leah, I do. I was wrecked when I thought you were going, and goddamn jealous when I thought you were with Sam. I just didn't want to be the reason you would be hurt. I am so sorry. For everything. All that I said, all the stupid things. Do you seriously love me? I mean I'm a mess of a guy."
"That's true. But in the bargain you have the sexiest face ever, so, fair deal, I think," I told him. "That's the reason, is it? You like me for my face?" He asked me, a mischievous hint in his eyes. "Hmm, not just that. There's more." "Like?" "Like those strong arms, and that hell of an ass, too." Dean laughed, burying his face in my neck. I hugged him tightly, never wanting to let go. "I love you, Dean Winchester. Remember that."
We went back in, to see Sam sprawled on the sofa. "Man, I wanted the sofa." Dean said, looking at the huge figure on it. "There is a spare bedroom in this place, that bobby lets me use." I looked at dean, running circles with my thumb over the back of his palm. Dean just nodded, and followed me in to my bed.
We both got in the covers, snug and nice. We were too tired, even for speaking now. I turned to look at dean, and found him looking at me. We lay there looking at each other, till we fell asleep, me buried in his front, with my back to him, cuddling.
The morning of the next day, and each day after that was going to find us blissfully wrapped around each other, and more and more in love every day, I was sure. And I am, and so is he, deeply bound and steadily up, in love for the rest of our days.