Typical Disclaimer: This story has the typical violence you'll see in the show along with all the angst. I try not to get too off character or too violent, but I'm giving it a mature rating just to be on the safe side.
I of course own nothing and get nothing but the satisfaction of writing the story and hopefully making it enjoyable for others as well. Comments are always welcome, good or bad. Thank you to everyone and I hope you enjoy it.
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The look-out was quiet. The weather was perfect and the view was beautiful, but that's not why he was there. "Leigh?" Sam called out as he stood near the barrier blocking the cliff that dropped down hundreds of feet to rocks, brush, trees, and eventually a river. "Leigh, are you here?"
"I'm here Sam." Leigh was standing near the end of the railing looking down at the rocks below. She glanced up and smiled lightly as Sam walked over to her. She was barely visible; he could see the railing and the ground through her. "What happened to you?" Sam whispered as he stood by her. Her eyes and smile were sad, "I had to give that boy everything Paul and I had. Though Paul has gotten old and can't give that much," she chuckled lightly.
Sam shook his head, "I don't understand. How and why do you do this?"
Leigh looked up at him, studying him, "because it seems like the right thing to do." She shrugged a little, "I learned that I could take the energy or life force from people. It was accidental the first time. A young woman came up here crying. She definitely wanted to jump. But I stopped her. I was trying to grab her and make her step away. Instead I pulled some of her life force from her. I didn't mean to, but I learned that my emotions determined what I could do. I wanted to stop her, to pull her away from the edge, and I was upset, almost angry, that she wanted to die."
Leigh turned her gaze away from Sam and looked out over the valley for a moment. Sam waited anxiously as her thoughts drifted back to that time, "I felt stronger and energized afterwards. She got weak and fell to the ground near the edge. Luckily, she wasn't close enough to fall over. She later woke up and decided it was a sign and left I guess. Afterwards, when anyone would come up here to drink or see the view, I'd take a little bit from them. I didn't want to hurt anyone, so I never took a lot. Eventually I was strong enough to leave this place. Of course the only places I seem to be able to go besides here is the church and Paul's house. But I don't mind. I've loved him since high school and can't think of any place I'd rather be than by his side."
Sam wanted to feel her touch, but he had to know what was going on. "So why do you heal people? Why do you use Paul to heal people?"
She smiled lightly, "because I feel so alive and happy when I do. Just seeing the joy that I bring to the ones I heal and the ones that love them. I've been blessed with a gift I could never have imagined. Even though it comes with the price of being dead, unseen, and unheard." She smirked playfully.
Her smile waved slightly, but then brightened, "I can't talk to anyone else. I'm surprised that you can see me, no one else can. Not that I'm complaining of course," she lightly touched his arm but it wasn't quite the same as before. The tingling was there, but no where close to the intensity as their previous contacts.
Sam was sorry for that but tried to focus on their conversation, "So how do you pick them? The people you heal, I mean." She turned back to the railing and looked out at the valley, "someone tells me. I hear a voice far away asking me to. Different voices for different people. Like for you, I hear a woman's voice. She told me you needed peace of mind to stop the nightmares." Sam's heart caught in his throat and he couldn't think of anything to say. Leigh continued as she turned back towards Sam, "for the boy today, there was a man's voice that gave me his name and asked me to heal his illness." She shrugged. "I wish I could help you again Sam, but today I have nothing to give. It will take me a little while before I can on my own. Perhaps if visitors come, I'll be able to sooner." She smiled playfully, "I really like you."
Sam shook his head and smiled back at her, "I'm ok." Then he frowned a little, a question burning in his head but not sure if now was the right time to ask, but he needed to know, "Why … uh … why did you jump?" he nodded is head indicating the cliff they were looking over.
"Jump?" Leigh looked at him in confusion, "I didn't jump. I … I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I didn't jump." Sam looked at her, realizing that the longer they stood here the more her features became solid and less transparent.
"I don't understand. Most people believe you jumped. You family believes that you fell accidentally. Did you slip maybe? Got too close to the edge?" Sam watched her features as she frowned in concentration. "What do you remember about the day you died?" He spoke softly as she stepped closer to her.
She looked up into his eyes and turned as he stepped closer. She knew if he stepped any closer they'd merge in the same space and she almost wanted him to, but she didn't have the strength to do what she wanted. She enjoyed the touch and giving to Sam as much as he did, but it would take her a little while before she could. Sam's body movements belied his desire to have her touch him, and she could tell even if Sam was trying to hide it.
"Well," she began as she thought about that last day that she knew she was alive, "I remember talking to Paul. He was telling me about this school his father was sending him to, so he could become a minister and all." She hadn't thought about that day in so long, she'd forgotten how painful it had been.
"The day started out wonderfully …" she paused again, this time her brows furrowed and her eyes lowered and became distant as if she were looking through Sam's chest. "I took a test, I was pregnant." She looked back up to Sam, "I met Paul here to tell him that." She stepped back away from Sam suddenly, several steps as if she were afraid of something, "but he was leaving … he … he didn't want me to keep it because of what his father would say … oh God … maybe I did jump." She turned and looked over the cliff, "I can't remember though … I don't remember jumping."
Sam stepped closer to her, reaching a hand out and placed it gently on her shoulder. It actually surprised him that when he did, he could feel her under his hand as if she were corporeal. He relaxed his arm a little and it remained, it didn't move through her as he expected it to. She looked up at him with sad eyes, "we argued. He left and I stayed here looking out over the valley thinking. I told him I wasn't going to give it up, that I would keep it. I believed our love could win out over his father." She looked back out in front of her thinking for a moment, "I don't remember anything for a while after that. I just remember being here and not being able to leave."
Sam frowned, "Did anyone come for you? Did you see any kind of light or doorway? Something to indicate that you were suppose to move on?"
Leigh thought for a long while before she finally looked up and answered, "I do remember someone. An older lady came by. I was so happy that she could see me and talk to me. She told me I had to follow her and leave Paul behind. I didn't want to go, so I told her no." Leigh shrugged her shoulders, "she didn't say anything else; she just disappeared."
Sam could feel the familiar tingle starting in his fingers, then into the hand he had resting on her shoulder, and as it began to move into his wrist, he removed his hand and reluctantly let it drop to his side. "I should go back to the motel. Dean will be furious and worried if he gets back there and finds me missing."
Leigh looked at him with her head tilted slightly and a confused look on her face, "why would he worry about you? You seem like a quite capable adult to me." She smiled lightly.
Sam smiled, lowering and shaking his head lightly before looking up to her, still smiling. "I am, usually, there's just," he hesitated, no exactly sure how to put it into words. "I'm, I mean I think," he just could believe he could have such a need to be around someone other than Jessica and a ghost at that! He was running thoughts about chemical reactions in his brain when she stepped forward and touched his face lightly.
"I'm sorry if I've done something wrong, I enjoying making you feel … well … feel good for a change. Rest and sleep without nightmares. I'm just sorry I wont be able to do it all the time. You're not from around here and if you're staying in a motel then you're not planning on staying either. But, for as long as you're here and I have strength, I will happily give you everything I can."
Sam's phone rang suddenly, interrupting them as Sam took a step back. Leigh didn't move forward, she just let her hand drop to her side as she watched him talk. "Hey," Sam stuttered, "yeah, Dean, I'm fine." Leigh could hear the voice loudly talking in the phone and she smiled. "I'm sorry Dean, I just had to …" Sam cringed as Dean interrupted him. "I'm at the look-out." Another pause as he listened, "yeah she's here with me, but it's alright, I'm fine." He cringed again as he listened into the phone.
Leigh turned away and walked around the look-out, Sam watching her every move with a worried expression on his face. She smiled at him and whispered, "I'm not going anywhere," as she walked a large circle. Sam visibly relaxed even as he cringed every now and again as he mumbled "yeah" and "ok" and "fine" into the phone. He finally took a deep breath and hung up the phone. Leigh looked at him with a smile still on her face. "I take it you have to go meet your brother now?" she asked lightly as she completed her circle back to where Sam was standing.
Sam nodded, "yeah he's pretty worried about me. Seems what ever you do to me knocks me out and he can't wake me. He's really protective of me. So," Sam coughed lightly, "I promised I head back to the motel now. If I don't, he's liable to come up here and just start shooting rock salt all over the place to get at you," he couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the imagined sight of Dean shooting randomly all over the look-out with Leigh probably standing behind him watching curiously.
"Well then, I will not delay you." Leigh stepped back and leaned against the railing. "I hope you come back to see me soon," she smiled.
"Yeah," Sam smiled back as he turned and headed for the parking area, "I hope to see you again soon."
---
Sam ditched the stolen car and made sure all his prints were wiped clean before walking back to the motel. Dean had called him three different times to check on his location and make sure he had left the look-out safely. He was fully expecting Dean to begin yelling at him as soon as he walked in the door, so he hesitated outside with his hand near the door knob without actually touching it. He listened to the silence coming from inside. He'd come up to the door from the side of the wall that didn't have the window into the room to keep Dean from realizing when he'd arrived. He listed for the TV, but everything was quiet and that made him a little more nervous than Dean yelling at him for going to the look-out. Sam pulled out the key and opened the door, walking into the dimly lit room.
Dean was sitting at the table in front of the laptop glaring at him when he walked into the room, but said nothing.
Sam coughed lightly, "I'm sorry Dean. I meant to be back before you so you wouldn't get upset."
That only made Dean madder, he stood up so fast and angrily that the chair flipped over. "Are you crazy? How many times do I have to pick you up off the ground before you get it into your head to stay away?" His voice so fierce that Sam thought he felt the vibrations from his anger through his skin.
"She didn't hurt me Dean. She was trying to help me." Sam spoke in his soft soothing voice with just a tinge of desperation
"Help you? She was knocking you out cold? You were unresponsive each time! How is that helping you?" Dean's voice had dropped in volume, but the anger with a touch of fear was still there.
"She told me she heard a woman's voice that told her to help me, to give me peace of mind. Any time she does this I sleep without nightmares; I sleep deeply and peacefully and get a better rest than any time I can remember since Jessica."
Sam's excitement was creeping into his voice and Dean could tell that Sam was trying desperately to convince him that she was not trying to hurt him. Dean wasn't convinced though. Anything that could take the life force from another being like the Shtriga was not a good being even if they could give it back to heal someone. This wasn't normal, this was definitely supernatural and it was his job to destroy it. Apparently he needed to do it quickly because it looked like his baby brother needed to be saved again, even if Sam didn't realize it.
Dean picked up his chair and let his shoulders slump. He sat back down and looked at the laptop, refusing to meet Sam's eyes. He knew Sam would have that puppy look that always convinced him to give his baby brother anything asked for. He just couldn't do it this time. Leigh had to have gotten into his head somehow, Sam wouldn't act this way otherwise; he just knew it.
"She says she didn't jump, by the way."
Dean glanced up, "really?"
"Yeah, she said she was too happy. She was pregnant with Paul's baby. They'd had an argument the day she died about giving it up, but she wouldn't."
Dean's eyebrows raised, "what?" Something clicked in his head, "Paul said that she was mad that he left for the ministry. He said they were just friends and that she died after he'd left. He's hiding something." He grabbed his keys, "maybe we need to have another talk with him."
---
They went up to Paul's room at the hospital. He was resting and watching TV. When the boys walked in, he frowned and took a deep breath, "boys, I'm tired. Please don't tell me you have more questions for your paper."
Dean walked slowly along the wall with his head tilted, looking knowingly at Paul, "actually we're not here for the paper, we want to know what really happened to Leigh."
Paul frowned, "I already told you what I know."
"Did you?" Dean snapped. "What about the parts where you had a fight the day she died, that you hadn't already gone to the school."
Paul's eyebrows raised and he looked a little surprised.
"How about the fact that she was pregnant and carrying your child?" Dean snapped again.
Paul grabbed the control and buzzed the nurses' station, "You need to go. I'm tired and I need my rest. Please leave."
Dean gave him a knowing smile as he and Sam walked out.
They got into the car before Dean finally said anything to Sam's confused look, "he did something I bet."
"What do you mean? He did something to Leigh?"
"I bet he did." Dean took a deep breath. He didn't want to, but they needed more information, "we need to go to the look-out and talk to Leigh."
Sam looked at him in surprise. "You're kidding me? You actually want me to go there now?"
"No, I don't!" Dean snapped in frustration, "but we need to. Mr. Goodie-goodie up there isn't going to give us anything more. You just gotta promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise me you wont let her touch you or do that mojo crap on you." Dean glanced from the steering wheel to Sam anxiously.
"Ok, I promise." Sam nodded, seeing the worry in Dean's eyes actually comforted him.
Dean nodded, started the engine, and headed for the look-out.
---
The sun was starting to set when they arrived. It was a beautiful view from the look-out. There were a few people milling about and taking pictures. Sam looked around but didn't see Leigh anywhere. "I don't see her," he whispered over to Dean as they walked towards the railing.
"Maybe she's at the church instead?"
"She said she could go here, the church, or Paul's house." Sam remembered said over his shoulder as he continued to glance around.
"Ok, we'll go check…" Dean started to say before he was interrupted by Sam's hand grabbing his forearm.
"There she is …" he was looking towards the far side of the clearing towards the trees, "she standing over there by that big tree, near the woman with her baby … I think she's talking to her … or maybe talking to the baby?" Sam looked a little confused as he watched her.
Dean looked over and saw the woman holding the baby, pointing towards the colorful skyline where the sun had dropped below the hills and was painting the sky and clouds purple, red, and orange. The baby was gurgling and smiling, but it was definitely looking at the tree. The mother didn't seem to notice and though the baby was enjoying the view too.
"Is Leigh touching the baby?" Dean suddenly asked.
Sam shook his head, "no, just talking it looks like." Sam smiled.
They waited a while longer and watched as the people stopped taking pictures and left once the sun had set. Leigh was still standing against the tree watching Sam and Dean. While Dean watched the people leave, Sam watched Leigh.
Finally, it was just the three of them. It was getting dark and the look-out didn't have any kind of lighting. Dean pulled out a flashlight and scanned over the area, but they were alone. "Ok, where is she now?"
"Still over by the tree."
Dean shined the light to the tree where he'd seen the woman and baby earlier, but he still couldn't see her. This bothered him more than anything. If she decided to attack Sam again, he wouldn't be able to see to stop her. Not to mention the fact that if she attacked him he wouldn't be able to see her in order to defend himself.
Sam walked towards her with Dean close beside him shining the flashlight out in front of them.
Leigh looked solid and beautiful to Sam as they approached. She smiled at Dean, even though she knew he couldn't see her, and then turned to Sam. "Hello again. Brought your bodyguard with you?"
Sam let out a little laugh as he looked at the ground and then his brother sidelong before looking back up to her, "yeah, I guess so."
"What?" Dean frowned.
"Don't worry, Sam. I can tell how nervous your brother is. I'm not going to come anywhere near you unless you ask me to." She had a mischievous grin on her face.
"I'm sure he'll appreciate that."
"What?" Dean snapped as he continued to frown.
Sam laughed, "She just said that she's not going to come near me because she knows you're nervous about her."
Dean shifted and moved his shoulders like he was stretching, "well, yeah … what do you expect when there's a spook around that I can't see but keeps putting my brother into a coma or deep sleep or whatever it is."
"So … what brings you two out here to my little spot in the world?"
"Well," Sam cleared his throat, "we need to ask you about the night you died again." Leigh nodded and waited for him to continue. "You said you had a fight with Paul."
"Right," Leigh nodded again.
"Well, Paul tells us that you were upset and died after he'd left for the school." Dean watched as Sam talked to the air and felt left out, but stood quietly beside Sam looking for any indication that she might be doing something. He saw only Sam looking towards the tree and talking to the air.
Leigh frowned and shook her head, "no … we were standing over here," she left the tree and walked towards the railing near the center of the area. The cliff was only a foot or two on the other side.
When Sam started to follow her, Dean grabbed his arm, "dude, what's going on?" Sam blinked, a little confused at first, and then remembered that Dean didn't know what she'd said or what she was doing. "Oh, she's showing me the spot she was standing when she was talking to Paul." Sam pointed to where Leigh was now standing.
Dean walked over to where he was pointing and Leigh stepped back as he reached her and looked over the edge.
Leigh looked into his hazel eyes and smiled, even though he couldn't see her didn't mean she couldn't check him out. She noticed Sam smile, shaking his head as he looked down to the ground. "What?" she asked playfully.
Sam just chuckled, "doesn't matter where we go or what we're doing, Dean can always get the chicks to check him out."
Dean looked up sharply and turned in a few circles looking around, "what? What's going on?"
Sam laughed, "she's checking you out."
Dean raised an eyebrow and gave Sam a smirk, "I've even got it with the dead chicks, eh?"
"Yeah, remember Kim?" Sam couldn't help but laugh at the scrunched up face Dean made at the mention of the vampire.
"Yeah, whatever … come on, we're getting off topic here. Ask her about Paul and the fight."
Sam looked over to Leigh, who just shrugged. "I told you what I remember. We were here; I was happy and told him about the baby. He got mad because he was going to go to school and follow in his dad's footsteps. He could get married but not until after we came back from school. He didn't want me to keep the baby because it would ruin his reputation," Leigh spat the word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.
"Ok, so you argued about the baby … then what?" Sam asked softly, knowing this was a little upsetting to her.
"He told me that he wasn't going to let me ruin his reputation, that he was leaving for school, and didn't want to hear anything more about the baby. That he'd deny it was his if I didn't get rid of it." Leigh's eyes stared over the cliff. Sam wanted to press for more information, but didn't want her to be hurt by the memories. He wanted to comfort her, but knew he couldn't.
"But you didn't jump after that big fight?" Sam asked carefully.
Leigh shook her head, "No. I was crying … I remember that I was crying and looking at the beautiful valley …" Her eyes became unfocused as she looked out remembering, "I remember the colors of the sky when I looked up, praying for guidance … then …" a sudden frown crossed her face as she turned back towards Sam. He could see the pain in her expression. She took a shuddering breath and Sam thought it was kinda funny that a ghost was acting as if breathing was necessary. She looked down as another thought came to her, "I remember a pain now … a sharp pain, white light, and then darkness."
She looked up to Sam, "then I remember standing up there in the darkness of night, confused, and the older woman standing there telling me I had to follow her and leave this place."
"Oh my God," Sam suddenly whispered as the facts fell in line for him, "someone killed you. Someone hit you on the head and knocked or pushed you off the cliff." He looked at Dean and they simultaneously said, "Paul?"
"Paul? But Paul loved me as much as I loved him?" Leigh frowned, "He wouldn't, he was good man and he was going to be and did become a minister of the church!" Leigh's voice was rising in pitch as she denied but believed it at the same time.
Sam tried to soothe her, "calm down Leigh, Dean and I will go talk to him and ask him about it in the morning. You're probably right, if he loved you, he would never do something like that. Maybe a drifter passing by?" Sam didn't believe that but he was a little concerned about what she might do if she was angry enough.
Dean started walking towards the path to the car, "come on Sam, we've got some checking to do." Then he called out over his shoulder to the air, "Leigh, don't worry, we're going to find out what really happened."
Sam nodded at Leigh as he turned and followed his brother. As they started down the path, Sam looked back one more time. Leigh was no longer standing near the railing. A twinge of nervous energy ran up Sam's spine but he just shrugged it off and followed Dean. Paul was in the hospital so if Leigh was angry, she couldn't get to him … could she?