A/N Just a little chapter to get this moving, sorry for the delay, I have a few more chapters ready to post but there is a plot point that has decided not to play and I am having trouble finding the time to kick it into shape! Aaargh. Mary xx

Day Seven

Dean peeled opened his eyes and let out a heartfelt groan as his body woke with him, protesting loudly to him at its too long period of inactivity. He tried to placate it, stretching a little, easing out the kinks but it still wanted the last word and it had him biting his lip as his injured leg woke too and reminded him of its presence. Reaching over and snagging the bottle of pain pills, he spilt out two and swallowed them down with some of the water from one of the bottles then took the antibiotics and repeated the process.

Dean decided to take advantage of the fact that Pauline was nowhere around to take care of his most pressing need, thanking God that he had the empty bottle and hoping that he'd be found before things got really messy. Having taken care of business he slowly raised himself up on one arm and assessed his situation. The leg was his main concern, it hurt like hell, worse than he could ever remember a broken leg should and he'd had more than one point of reference for that. Problem was that he'd never lain for so long without seeking out attention for it so he figured perhaps that was the reason for its continual bitching at him. He ignored it as best he could and carried on with his self-assessment. Despite the antibiotics he could feel the spike in his temperature and although that worried him he tried to push it to the back of his mind knowing that he couldn't do anything about it except keep up his regime until the pills ran out and hope for the best. Dean figured that he'd been under here somewhere between three to four days now so the search and rescue should still be just that, searching for him and hopefully rescuing his ass. That he knew though wouldn't be the case forever, maybe only a few more days if that. Really, really not something he wanted to dwell on he decided.

An idea flashed into his mind as he lay back but it left him debating with himself for a little while whether it was a good one or not, the need to know finally winning him over despite his concerns about his ghostly companion. Still he took the shotgun from the duffle, checked it was loaded and slide it down against him.

Just in case.

He needed to know what was going on topside so he did the easy thing first. Checking his phone he sighed and resisted the urge to hurl it across the space he was trapped in as it stubbornly refused to find a signal for him. Closing it he laid it down carefully in front of him and tried to hold back the tears of self-pity that he could feel beginning to prick the back of his eyes. "Winchester's don't cry asshat, suck it up," he chided himself. "You're still breathing and Bobby is out there somewhere trying to dig you outta this mess. Ok?" He nodded to himself and wiped what he decided was just sweat from his fever off of his face.

Pauline was his only shot at this, but she was also he feared part of his problem down here. He hoped that he could change that to make her part of the solution instead. He called her name quietly, noticing her arrival by the drop in the temperature long before she materialised in front of him.

"Hey." He smiled his best, and what he prayed was his most winning smile at her. "Where have you been?"

"Around," she answered cryptically. "What's up? You need my help with something?" She paused. "Is it your leg? Are you ok?" There was genuine concern in her voice as she spoke which made him feel bad for all the negative thoughts that were swirling round his head.

"No. Leg's fine," he lied. Here goes nothing. "Pauline, can you get topside? I'd like to know if my family are here, if they're looking for me."

The concern was instantly replaced with something darker. "Why?"

Dean's doubts returned but he continued to smile, poker face firmly in place. "I just wanted to know that they cared, that's all. That if I don't make it out, they were here for me anyway, you know? If you don't want to, it doesn't matter. I understand." Dean laid on the guilt and saw her emotions waver.

He reached into his wallet and pulled out the photo that he kept there. It was about six years old and Sam had changed a lot, but his father hadn't and Dean knew that if Bobby had called his father he would have called his brother too. If John was here then so was Sam. He held the photo out for her to look at. "Dad hasn't changed much but Sam's a lot taller now."

He watched her study the picture and then her eyes flicked up to stare into his. "You're going to leave me here. They're going to find you and you're going to leave me." There was a sadness in her voice that cut him deeply, mainly because he knew that she was right.

Locking eyes with her he spoke softly. "I am not going to leave you. Even if I get out of here, I promise that I'll help you and that we'll find the people that did this. You have to trust me."His free hand drifted down and he tightened his fingers on the trigger of the shotgun.

Pauline smiled, but it was a fractured expression. "I'll think about it."

Then she vanished.

Dean let his head fall back releasing the shotgun and holding the picture over his head, almost laughing at the expression of discontent that was clear on his brother's face, remembering the argument that had preceded the photo being taken. At the moment he'd give anything to hear his father and his brother arguing and he had to fight the tears again as an immense feeling of weariness hit him.

He closed his eyes and was drifting back to sleep when he felt her beside him.

"They're here," she stated and hope bubbled in him. "….but I'm sorry, they're digging in the wrong place."

She was gone when he opened his eyes and he let the tears finally fall.

Sam stopped, something making his skin crawl. The distinct impression that he was being watched. Looking up, he stopped in mid turn and scanned the site for the reason for his unease. A little flash of grey caught his attention over from where they were digging. The fleeting image of a woman.

"Sam!" His father's voice cut into his reverie. "Pass that down the line and take this!" Sam passed off the lump of concrete in his arms but didn't take the one that his father was now holding out to him.

"Sam!" John thrust the heavy load at his son and went to turn back to work, realising as he did that his son was still staring off to his right, frozen in the moment. "What is it? D'you see something?" The older man swivelled to follow his son's line of vision, frowning when he saw nothing untoward.

"I think I saw her."

Sam stepped from the line and started down across the rubble only for John to catch his arm and spin him to face him. "What the hell do you think you are doing? You don't even know if the ground under this pile is safe." John looked across again at the spot that was holding Sam's attention. "It was her?"

Nodding Sam pulled his arm free but John stopped him again.

"Just because she's over there, doesn't mean that he is. Bobby thinks Dean is round this area somewhere. He knows the layout of the building, I trust his judgement."

Turning to talk to his father Sam caught sight of her again. "There dad." He pointed a finger in the direction he wanted John to look, trying not to attract the attention of the others that had taken advantage of the two men stopping to rest. "D'you see her?"

"Yeah. I see her. She doesn't look happy."

"No. She's moved as well. She was further over the last time."

"She might not be with Dean at all."

"She's female, dead or not, she'll probably still be getting hit on by my brother," Sam joked lightly.

John snorted. "He does have a way with the ladies, usually though the dead ones just want to knock him on his ass rather than jump on it. Ok. Let's get this bit cleared and then we'll see if they'll let us move further over, nearer to where she is."

"Ok." Sam watched as the figure phased into view for the last time and then disappeared before he turned back to work, hoping that they were one step closer to getting his brother out.

Pauline knew that they had see her. In fact she was counting on them seeing her. Where they were digging was only feet from where Dean laid trapped but she wanted them to follow her, to move further away from him. She could feel him weakening when he was with her and although part of her wanted to help him, a little part wanted him to stay with her. To not leave her alone here. Dead and unloved.

Dean would love her, all she had to do was keep him with her until they stopped searching. After that he'd be with her. Always.