Chapter 49
Realizing it was already well after five, Leah hurried to clear her desk of the files she'd been working on. She'd been behind after missing work on Friday and was trying like hell to play catch up the past two days. Staying late wasn't very appealing and with good reason. The last time she'd done it, she'd had an unwelcome visit from a man possessed by a demon.
That was a unique thought. How many people could say that in their lifetime, she mused?
After shredding some papers and locking her file cabinet, she gathered a few personal belongings and turned to leave the office. David Manning was standing in her doorway. The blond haired man stepped inside and took a seat near her desk, much as he had the last time he'd been there. Leah was hit with an instant flash of deja vu.
Her skin crawled, but she beat down her fear and revulsion, determined not to let her previous experience with the man get the best of her. He was not the demon, she reminded herself. He wasn't evil, he was just a man.
"I'm glad you're still here, Leah. I need to speak with you. I know it's after hours, but can you spare a few minutes?"
"Sure, I suppose." She looked at the door and decided to position herself closer to it. Just in case. Walking over to it, she tried to lean casually against the nearby wall, but her body felt rigid and she knew she must look awkward. Still, the possibility of needing a quick escape lingered at the back of her mind and it was unlikely she'd be able to make herself appear relaxed. She clutched her car keys in her hand and reminded herself there was a small can of pepper spray in her purse if the need arose.
David watched her take a place near the door and it cemented the truth in his mind. He'd spent the afternoon thinking about Dean's story and was now convinced things had gone down in just that way. He'd started piecing together the short bits of memory he'd been able to retain over the past several weeks and went to visit each of the women he had envisioned. They'd all reacted in this same manner; cautious, anxious to get away from him, even a little frightened. As strange as it was to imagine he'd done all those wicked things to them, he couldn't deny deep down there was a part of him that had actually enjoyed it.
And the memories of the one who stood stiffly before him, seemed especially pleasant. She was trying hard not to let her uneasiness show, but it was obvious. Even if he couldn't see it, though, he'd have felt it. That's how thick the tension was. And oddly, he felt empowered by her timidness. "I know this might sound strange, but I was talking with Ariel Mason and your name came up. She said you have a boyfriend, Dean. He's about my height, short brown hair, and athletic build. It sounds like he's the guy I'm looking for."
That definitely threw Leah off. She'd hoped he was just there for business reasons. Why would he mention Dean? The demon had been in control when they'd met. Had he finally remembered being punched after the exorcism? Or was he recalling more than that? Just how much of this nightmare had he retained?
"I doubt you're looking for my boyfriend, David. You two have never even met. I mean, it's not like you and I even know each other well. We haven't exactly worked together much since you've been here. I think you're mistaken."
"After talking to several women this afternoon, I'm pretty sure about this. Look, I told you this might sound strange. Please, can you stay and talk?" He gestured toward her chair, but Leah was hesitant. "Please. I believe it's your boyfriend I'm having problems with and you'll want to hear what I have to say."
Problems he's currently having. Wonderful! What the hell had Dean gone and done now? With no choice left to her, Leah sat down at her desk. Dropping her purse and keys on top of it, she prepared herself for the worst.
"Okay, David. You have my full attention. What sort of problems are you having and what makes you think it's Dean?"
"First of all, I want you to know I'm not crazy. What I'm going to tell you might make you want to run out of here and have someone come and lock me away in a mental hospital, but this is the story your boyfriend has put out there. These are his words, not mine. If anyone is in need of help, it's him. That's why I've come to you."
Leah nodded and listened carefully as David began to lay out the events of the past few days for her. As he talked about his loss of memory and Dean breaking into his home and threatening him, a burning sensation began to build in the pit of her stomach. What was Dean thinking? Damn that hardheaded man! Left on his own, David may never have connected the two of them to the past events. But thanks to Dean's driven need to force the guy out of town, he'd stirred things up and led David straight to them.
When David finished, they sat in silence for several minutes. The burning sensation Leah felt had faded to a bleak numbness as she gave in to the realization there was only one way out of this.
"So, Leah, you must understand the seriousness of the situation. He's trying to force me out of town. Out of my home, my job. Because of demonic possession? This is a police situation, at the very least. I'm almost certain we could have your boyfriend committed. He's insane. Between the threats, breaking into my home and harassment, I could have him locked up for a very, very long time."
David sat back and gave her time to absorb everything. The truth was, even though he could go to the police he wasn't about to. Such an action would only lead to them contacting some of the women he'd been with, including her and that in turn could lead to a change of heart, have them pointing the finger at him. Accusing him of rape. It wasn't a chance he was willing to take. But Leah didn't need to know that. Better to have her fear for her own boyfriend's future, than consider what she could do to his!
Leah swallowed hard before speaking, struggling to keep her voice steady, controlled. David calling the police on Dean was the last thing that could happen. "David, I'm sure there's something we can work out here. Something that doesn't involve anything as drastic as the police. Dean hasn't hurt you and he won't."
David's confidence continued to build as he mulled over Leah's words. She was willing to make some sort of deal. Well, he was certainly willing to hear her out. It looked as though things were coming together, just as he'd hoped. Her boyfriend was the only one making noise. With him, and maybe even her, out of the picture, he probably wouldn't have to give up a good job in a town he liked. After all, nobody else was talking. And if any of the other women decided to step forward later on, he'd deal with them when it happened, though it wasn't likely. As Dean had said, the others all thought it was nothing more than bad dreams.
"I'm not so sure that he wouldn't try to hurt me, Leah. I mean, Dean has threatened me. A few times. Look, you're obviously going to defend him and I understand that. But I can't just let this go. I'm in fear for my life."
"He won't hurt you. I can promise you that." she reiterated.
"No you can't."
Leah got up and walked around the desk, stopping beside David's chair. She squatted down, her hands resting on the arm of the seat, her eyes wide as she stared at the man who once again threatened to destroy her world.
"There is something I can do to end this. If you're willing to hear me out, I think we can both walk out of here knowing there won't be any more problems."
David bit back a smile. "I'm willing. What do you have in mind?"
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Sam and Dean sat in the kitchen, guns laid out across the large table as they went through the process of thoroughly cleaning each one. It was usually an enjoyable time for Dean, but the meeting he'd had with David earlier that day was weighing heavily on his mind. He'd left there with a bad feeling and he still hadn't been able to shake it.
"Why you still so quiet? Ready to tell me what's up?" Sam asked. He'd known something was wrong, but as hard as he'd tried he couldn't get Dean to open up. At this point, he was hoping to just wear his brother down with persistent, if not annoying, questioning.
"Okay, that makes what, ten times now you've asked me that?" He finished putting the gun back together and glared at Sam beneath lowered brows. "Ask me again and I'm gonna shoot you."
Sam laughed. "No you won't."
"Try me."
"Dude, if you shoot me you'll dirty that gun and you've just spent all this time cleaning it! That would just piss you off."
"Shut up and finish, idiot." Dean grunted. "I want to get these guns put away before your girlfriend gets back from shopping. I would be tempted to use one on her."
Sam gave an exaggerated sigh. "You really need to be nicer to her, Dean."
"No I don't. You really need to get your eyes checked, though." He reached over and flicked Sam's hair off his forehead. "Or maybe keep that crap out of your eyes. It'd help you see better and then you'd realize you should be running FROM Amy."
It was going to take a lot of work to get his brother to change his opinion of the girl. "Amy's sweet and a lot of fun. If you'd quit being such a jerk you'd probably end up liking her."
"Yeah, the way I'd like a rash. And since we're speaking of the little rash, what's the deal with you..."
They were interrupted by a loud bang that shook the walls. Both men turned in the direction it came from then jumped up, grabbing for guns and ammo as they prepared to face whatever had burst into the house.
"DEAN!" Leah's loud bark stopped them in their tracks.
Sam pointed at Dean. "Sounds like you're in BIG trouble, dude! I'll clean this up. You better get out there and see what's wrong."
"DEAN! Where the hell are you?" She was getting closer and Dean just knew her anger had to be connected to that bastard Manning. He'd felt something bad coming all day.
"Okay, she's cussing. I'll go out the back door. Just tell her you don't know where I'm at." Dean started to leave but Sam grabbed his arm and swung him around just as Leah entered the kitchen.
They came up face to face; Leah's a mask of anger as she grabbed the front of his shirt. "Winchester! You...you...I could just..."
"Something wrong, babe?" He forced a grin, but her other hand gripped his cheeks and squeezed.
"Don't give me is something wrong, babe! You damn well know something's wrong!" She released him and stepped back, her hands balling into fists.
She saw Sam tossing the guns into a small duffel bag. "Not so fast with those, Sam. I may need one."
The younger Winchester tried not to smile at Leah's comment. As he tucked the last gun away, he glanced up and caught the look on her face. It was pure rage, something he could honestly say he'd never seen on her before and it was pretty frightening. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure if she was teasing about the gun.
"You wouldn't miss your brother much if I killed him, would you?" she asked.
He couldn't help himself. "Nah, not much. Shot gun would be better though. I can grab it if you want." He received an ominous glare from Dean. Sam lifted his eyebrows in return, silently questioning his brother, wondering just what the hell he'd done to get the woman so riled. Dean tried to play it off, shrugging his shoulders, but Sam knew it was something big this time.
"I might take you up on that. But for now, these will do." Leah held up her fists and edged toward Dean.
"Now Leah, you don't really want ..." His head snapped back, leaving his sentence hanging. "Fuck!" he swore, grabbing at his nose. "Damn it! That hurt!"
Leah's hand throbbed, but she wasn't done. Not yet. Hell, no reason she couldn't use her feet! Dean still had a little something more coming to him. "Good! How about this?"
She kicked out hard, catching him in the shin. Dean bent over, clutching at his aching leg. He groaned, one hand still holding his nose, the other rubbing at his sore limb. "Okay! Okay! Jesus! Wasn't the black eye enough?"
"The black eye was an accident. This isn't."
Sam laughed; thoroughly enjoying the beating Leah was giving his brother. He'd felt like doing the very same thing to him quite often lately, at least someone was able to vent their frustration. "This is great! Can I stay and watch?"
Both Leah and Dean hollered at him. "NO!"
"Fine!" Sam gave Leah's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Don't let up on him. Dean's been asking for a good beating." He headed upstairs, glad to have viewed at least part of the fun.
"Thanks, Sammy!" Dean called to his brother's back as he watched him leave. His eyes fell on Leah and he was certain she wanted to hurt him some more. He released his grip on his nose, which had a thin trickle of blood running from it, and held his hand up in a gesture of peace. "Look, I know you wanna rip me a new one, but I think you've hit me enough. At least until you tell me what it is I'm getting my ass kicked for." He swiped at his nose again. "Awesome right, by the way. We gotta work on your left hook now. Well, not now, now. I mean later. When you're not actually trying to kill me."
"Just shut up, Dean. This is NOT the time to make jokes, all right? What the hell were you thinking, going after David?"
Hauling himself over to a chair, Dean sat down and grabbed a napkin off the table and held it to his nose. "David! I knew it. The prick deserves a hell of a lot more than I gave him. All I did was tell him to leave town. What did he tell you I did?"
"He told me you threatened him, you broke into his house, you've basically been stalking him." Leah paced before Dean, her hands still in tight fists. "He told me you did more than enough to have him call the cops on you, Dean and you know that can't happen!" She stopped before him, wishing she could hit him just once more, but instead asked the million dollar question. "Why would you do something so dumb?"
"Leah, he's not gonna call the cops. Otherwise, he already would have. He can't. He thinks I'd tell them about the women and it would all come back on him. He doesn't know about my record, so it's not like he's planning to use that against me." Dean tossed the bloody tissue down and grabbed a clean one. A quick wipe showed the bleeding had nearly stopped. "He's scared. Think about it. I saw him this afternoon and he already figured out you're the one I'm trying to protect. And what does he do - runs straight to you about my threats, hoping to turn it all around on me. With enough pressure, I can get him to pack up and run. Let me stay after him."
"You won't need to." Leah sat down at the table, propped her elbows on it and pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes. She used her thumbs to stroke her temples, feeling the blood pounding through the veins as her head throbbed painfully. Had she read that all wrong? If Dean was right and David was more aware of what went on than he led her to believe, could she have found another way to deal with him?
"What does that mean? What did you do?"
"I quit my job, Dean." She let her hands fall to the table, expecting to see the usual smirk of satisfaction on his face, but surprisingly, it wasn't there. He seemed more upset by her revelation than pleased.
Dean reached over and held her hand. "I'm sorry, babe. I know that's not what you wanted."
His comforting words were nice, but Leah still had to question his sincerity. Hadn't Dean been on her for the past few days to quit? Her quitting or David leaving, it was his ultimate goal and he'd achieved it. "No, but it's what you wanted, isn't it? And now you've got it."
Honestly, of all the things that could have come out of this, Leah quitting was the last thing Dean had expected. She'd been too set against it, determined to prove that David wasn't a problem anymore and when Leah had her mind set on something, she seldom backed down. Hell, he wasn't gonna complain, but he was pretty damn curious as to why she'd done it.
"What I wanted was you safe, Leah. There's still something about Manning that I don't trust and I don't think it's smart for you to be around him. Why did you quit? What the hell did he say to make you do that?" Another thought struck him. "He didn't do anything to you did he? Or make some threat? Cause if he did I swear I'll kill him!"
"No. He didn't do anything like that." She gently squeezed his hand. "It's just, well, after he told me what you were doing, I was afraid he'd go to the police. I never thought it might be a bluff, that he was actually more afraid of you calling them on him. I just thought that if I distanced myself from him he'd let it go and you wouldn't have to worry about getting caught. The last thing that can happen is you going to jail."
She hadn't been willing to do it for her own safety, but she'd done it for his. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to such a gesture. All he could think to say was, "We make one hell of a team, huh?" He pulled her onto his lap. "Come on, you hated that job anyway. Admit it."
Leah shook her head. "Hate it? Dean, I LOVED it." She made a dramatic clutch at her heart. "Okay, so just because it doesn't exactly crush me to leave it, it doesn't let you off the hook. You went behind my back - again - and did something you shouldn't have done. If you'd been wrong and had ended up in jail, Sam and I would have had to break you out just so I could turn around and kill you! Don't think I'm over this. I may have stopped hitting you, but I'm still really mad, Winchester!"
He nuzzled her neck, letting his lips glide softly over her skin. "I'll just have to do something to make you forget how mad you are."
"You're gonna have to do a lot." She felt his hand under her blouse, making its way to her breast and she shivered. "An awful lot." His fingers pinched her nipple, rolling it between them and Leah's breath caught. "Well, you're off to a good start." she whispered before his lips were on hers, pushing the reason for her anger to the far recesses of her mind. At least for the moment.
TBC
