Note: Here's the next chapter of Dean and Leah's story. Sorry it's taken so long to get to it. Thanks to everyone who has been following along with the story. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

Chapter 37

"Looks like it's just you and me, Casper." Dean said as he watched the angry specter move toward him. His head was pounding like crazy, but he knew it was just a matter of holding Manning off until Leah showed up with the gun. Besides, the sick bastard would probably only toy with him for awhile. It was Leah he wanted; Dean knew he was merely a fringe benefit.

Leaning his shoulder against the wall of the narrow hallway, he braced himself for the upcoming confrontation. Only instead of coming after him, Manning simply vanished.

"Shit!" Dean pushed off the wall and rubbed at the knot on the back of his head. He wasn't in the mood for ghostly games. But then, he really didn't have to play them, did he? Leah was outside by the car, all he had to do was join her. They could get the hell out of there, find evil boy's bones and finish him off once and for all.

Dean turned and had taken a few steps toward the front of the house when he heard the distinct sound of a door handle rattling behind him. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see a door on the right side of the hall fly open, the force of it implanting the handle deep into the drywall. A tall blond haired man stepped out, dried blood caked along the side of his head and face. His dark gaze shifted to Dean and a low irascible growl tore from his lips.

"Son of a ..." Dean's eyes rolled upward and he shook his head, then he wrenched around so that he faced his opponent square on. He assumed the poor slob was the owner of the house who had gotten the surprise of his life when he'd had his ass kicked by a ghost. Well, he was about to get it kicked again. By him.

Dean held his hand out palm up and waved the possessed man forward with a 'come and get me' gesture. Why Manning wanted to use the guy to attack him was a little weird, because it seemed like the advantage was in being in spiritual form, but then when did ghosts ever do anything rational? As two hundred pounds of enraged ghost charged towards him, Dean quickly decided it wasn't his place to figure out the logic behind a dead guy's actions, just how to stop them. The plan, he supposed, was to sidestep right as Manning reached him, then grab him from behind and try to subdue him.

The plan didn't work.

He lunged left a little too soon and Manning adjusted, ramming into him and driving him up against the wall. With David's forearm pressed tightly to his throat, Dean quickly felt his air supply running out. Okay. So that wasn't exactly the brightest plan he'd ever had. He tried to shift his body so he could drive his knee up into his attacker's groin, but the guy had his full weight leaning into him and there was no room to maneuver. All he could do was use one hand to try and keep Manning's arm from crushing his larynx while with the other he tried to reach the gun that was tucked behind his back. He'd hate to kill an innocent man, but it wasn't looking like he had much choice. In a kill or be killed situation, there was only one option.

Manning's eyes were radiant as he offered up a smug, taunting smile. Pulling back just enough to ease some of the pressure, he asked, "What's the matter, Dean? Trouble breathing?"

Though it was difficult to speak, Dean forced the words out. ""A little... Maybe you oughta... try... shedding a few pounds." He felt his fingertips brush the cool metal of his gun. His palm curled around the handle, causing a rush of adrenaline to flare within him.

David laughed harshly. "Funny. But you always were a real smart ass. You know, Dean, even though my cousin's body is beat to hell, I like the feel of hurting you too much so I'm gonna stay in here while I break you down. Besides, the boy really does want Leah. He's just too damned weak to take her on his own. So, looks like beating and screwing your little girlfriend in every way imaginable will be a 'family affair'." Putting a little more pressure on Dean's neck, he grinned. "Mmmm, screwing Leah…I can't wait. And I wonder, will you still be making jokes then?"

Rage consumed Dean, his face a mask of fury as he managed to get a tight grip on the arm Manning had shoved against his throat. "You're making it real easy, dickhead."

Manning was finding pure enjoyment in the hunter's unconcealed rage. "Making what easy?"

Dean's eyes narrowed as he forced the words out of his constricted throat. "For me to put a bullet in your cousin."

Sensing a change in energy, Manning let out a grating wail and threw all his weight forward, ramming his forearm forcefully against Dean. Darkness rapidly started closing in as Dean's fingers locked around the handle of his gun. In one swift motion he yanked it from behind his back and put it to Nigel's side, then he looked into the man's light blue eyes and squeezed the trigger. No hesitation. No regrets.

The young man's body jerked, causing his hold on Dean to slacken. It was enough to put the advantage back on the hunter's side and he didn't hesitate to use it. He started to lunge forward, planning to take his attacker down to the ground, when one of the sweetest sounds he'd ever heard caught his attention.

"Hey Manning! Got something for you, asshole!"

His eyes darted toward the front door where Leah was making her way toward them, shotgun leveled and aimed at the blond. Even from a distance, he could see the hard set to her jaw and the hatred in her eyes; then the blast of the gun filled the room and his attacker was falling away.

Drawing in some much appreciated deep breaths; Dean reached for his throat and began to rub the afflicted area as he studied the now placid form lying at his feet. He knew it wasn't over yet. The shot had taken down the host's body - not its intruder.

Leah moved closer to Dean, her eyes never leaving Nigel. As expected, Manning's translucent image materialized before them and Leah fired once more, smiling as the troublesome entity was temporarily scattered. With a confident nod, she turned to face Dean.

The corner of his mouth slanted up into an iniquitous smirk. Damn if she didn't look hot standing there holding that shotgun! He was tempted to say as much, but decided to hold off for a more auspicious moment. Instead, he settled for, "Took you long enough."

Leah cocked her head to the side and flashed him a brilliant smile. "You're welcome."

She levered the gun against her shoulder and went to stand before him. Her eyes softened as she scanned his face, her concern for him clear in their chocolate depths. "It took a few seconds to grab some extra shells. Just in case. Are you okay?"

Her voice was soothing, washing over him and doing more to calm him than he would have thought possible. Here she was, worrying over him when he was the one who'd let her down. If he'd been with her instead of with Sam watching Blake ...if he'd known Manning was dead...if he hadn't gotten his ass knocked unconscious.

In his head, all those mistakes he'd made, and all the possible horrific endings that could have derived from them played out like a bad "B" movie. He tried to push them aside and that's when the silence hit him and he realized she was waiting for something. Remembering her question, he gave a quick nod. "I'm good. Let's get the hell out of here."

Dean pushed off the wall, wondering which hurt worse - his head or his throat. Determining it was the latter, he continued to rub it, but there was only one thing that would make him feel better at this point - a trip to the cemetery and the knowledge that David Manning was burning in hell where he belonged. Anxious to make that happen, he reached for Leah, but she drew away.

"Wait," She walked toward the unconscious body of her former captor and squatted down beside him.

"What the hell are you doing, Leah? Let's go track down asshat's grave so we can put an end to him and all this crap."

She shook her head as she set the gun down and slipped her hands beneath Nigel's shoulders. "We can't leave him here."

"Like hell. He tried to kill me!" Dean growled as he walked toward them, then winced at the ache in his throat.

Leah stared up at him. "No. David tried to kill you, not Nigel."

"Nigel?" Dean's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You're on a first name basis with the guy who tried to kill me?" And wants to screw you in all ways imaginable. "Nice." he quipped.

"Shut up and help me, Dean."

With a snort of indignation, he helped Leah lift the heavy man, the dead weight more of a burden than Dean wanted to deal with at the moment. He took the brunt of the load as Leah quickly scooped up the gun, then they hauled Nigel out to the Impala and laid him in the backseat.

"Let's hurry." Dean said in a low voice as he glanced around. "We don't know if anyone heard the shots and we damn sure don't need an audience."

Leah yanked open the passenger door and slid in beside him as he started the engine. Once they'd pulled away, she glanced behind her, concerned about Nigel's health. "Looks like your shot went clean through his side. I don't know, Dean. I'm really not sure he'll pull through this. What do you think?"

Dean's jaw clenched. Why the hell was she so worried about the guy? Why did she care if the weak, pathetic loser cousin of the weak, pathetic loser Manning lived or died? He snuck a peak at Leah and was immediately disgusted at his trivial thoughts. She had no clue that the kid had secretly wanted her and for all he knew, David had lied about it.

In any case, Leah was just being herself, a woman who despite all she'd seen in the past year, was still deeply concerned for other people. He wished he could feel that way more often, but most times he got so caught up with what they hunted, it was easier to forget about the innocent lives being used along the way. He angled the rearview mirror so he could see the object of her attention and tried to assess the damage.

"Hard to say, but he's a pretty solid guy." he offered. "I was lucky to hit him at all so I don't think I did any major damage. He'll probably be fine."

"Maybe, yeah." She paused, then worry crept into her voice. "Still, between Manning smashing Nigel's head against the wall while he was possessing him and then being shot...I'm gonna check him real quick."

There was a flash of movement beside him, then in the mirror he saw Leah's backside as she stretched over the seat. As always, Dean's body reacted to the sight of her perfectly rounded ass. Unable to resist, he teased, "That view's too damned tempting. Are you purposely trying to distract me?"

She remained there a little longer, than slipped back into her seat, but this time she settled in right beside Dean. Her hand brushed through his short locks, then gently sought and caressed the slightly raised area at the back of his head.

"Always." She pressed a kiss to his stubbled cheek. "How's your head and throat?"

The question brought to mind his harsh actions against her earlier, when he'd woken to find himself sharing his body with Manning. Ew. Now that didn't even sound right, he thought. His right hand dropped down to rub lightly along Leah's thigh. "How's your cheek?"

Covering his hand with her own, she gently squeezed it, then lifted it to her face and brushed her lips across his knuckles. "It's fine. It'd take a lot more than a little slap from David to hurt me."

David. Yeah, right. He knew what she was trying to say, but it would never change the fact that it was his hand that had swept out to strike her. Deciding it was an argument she was determined at the moment not to let him win, he changed the subject. "Gotta call Sammy. He obviously didn't hear any of what I'd said before my phone cut out so he must be going crazy. Where'd you toss my jacket? My cell phone's in the pocket."

"It's in the back." She once again flopped over the seat. This time Dean didn't fight temptation and let his palm glide over her curves until she was once again sitting beside him. "Are you purposely trying to distract me?" she asked as she handed him his phone.

"Always." Dean flipped it open and hit Sammy's number, hoping he wouldn't have a problem getting through to his brother like he had earlier.

TBC