Author's Note: Well, this one didn't take as long as the last one thankfully! Hope you all enjoy it and again, thanks for reading along.

Chapter 38

Sam stared out the passenger window of Blake's truck, his forehead a pattern of creases as he worried endlessly about his brother and Leah. He'd placed numerous calls to Dean's cell phone, but still hadn't been able to get through and it was tearing him up not knowing where they were or what was happening to them. Even though he had complete faith in both Dean and Leah's skills, the two could be in serious trouble and there he was, unable to do a damned thing other than sit and wait until it was dark enough to dig up a grave. A grave that might very well have nothing to do with their disappearance.

As he restlessly tapped his fingers on the glass, Sam heard Blake cough and shift positions in the seat beside him. In spite of the tension between the other hunter and his brother, he found himself liking the guy. Sure Blake was a bit cocky, bullheaded and arrogant - much like Dean - but the two had other traits in common as well. Both were also tough, determined and willing to put themselves out there for the people they cared about. Truth was, Sam was extremely grateful for Blake's help. Digging up that grave alone would take one hell of a long time and not knowing how bad Dean and Leah's predicament was, time was the one thing he didn't have enough of.

Without taking his eyes off the grave that most likely housed the cause of their recent problems, Sam said, "I really appreciate this, Blake."

Blake glanced over at the young man beside him. He liked Sam. Admired his intelligence, ability to stay centered, his laid back personality. And his patience. Hell, he knew how difficult the sitting and waiting was, and more so the not knowing, but Sam was handling it like a pro. Then again, considering how long the boy'd been hunting, he was a pro. Leah had told him the brother's tale; being raised by a dad who was obsessed and cold, teaching the children to hunt practically straight from the crib. After knowing what this life did to a man's spirit, he didn't even want to imagine what it could do to a child's.

It was almost enough to make him feel sympathy for the older Winchester. Almost. But not quite. He did have to give respect where it was due, however, and the brothers deserved all the respect a man could give them.

Blake surveyed the area once more and decided it was time. The cemetery was empty and it was nearly dark and nearly was close enough. Though they still couldn't be certain that Manning's spirit was the culprit, Dean's mentioning the name was too strong to overlook. Besides, it wasn't like they had anything else to go on so they might as well get started.

He tried offering up some encouraging words to get Sam fired up. "You know what? Nobody's around and the sun's setting. Screw it. I think we should start digging. Somebody comes along, I'll just use my power of persuasion to keep them quiet."

That got Sam's attention. He shot the other hunter a questioning look, and then grudgingly had to ask. "Power of persuasion?"

With a confident nod, Blake reached inside his jacket and proudly displayed his double-action .45 Smith & Wesson. He stroked the gun affectionately before placing a kiss on the barrel. "This, my friend, is Persuasion and she can be very, very powerful!"

For a minute, Sam couldn't believe it wasn't his brother he was watching. The way Blake moved, talked, acted - right down to the eyebrow waggle - it was just so... "Jesus, that is so Dean." he blurted out.

The comment drew a quick frown from the hunter. He holstered the weapon and grumbled. "Do not compare me to your damn brother!"

Sam couldn't help it, he laughed. "Yeah, well, like it or not, you two have a lot more in common than caring about Leah."

"You're lucky I don't use Persuasion on you." Blake snorted as he grabbed the handle and popped the door open. "I need something pleasant to get my mind off your brother. Let's go dig up that rotting corpse."

Sam smiled as he climbed out of the truck and walked around to the back. Blake was already digging around, grabbing the necessary items and dropping them to the ground. Spotting Sam, he quickly bent and scooped up a shovel and flashlight, which he pushed into the younger man's hands.

"Go ahead and get started. I'll be right there." he said. As Sam turned and headed toward the grave, Blake found his shotgun and made sure it was loaded. He dug out some extra shells and pocketed them before gathering the other items and joining the younger Winchester.

Tossing his jacket aside despite the cold October temperature, he barked out a harsh laugh as his shovel bit into the hard ground. "If this works, Sam, your brother so owes me one."

As he waited for Sam to answer the phone, Dean noticed that darkness had settled in around the Impala. Perfect. They needed the cover of night for what they had to do next. He knew Leah wanted to find an emergency room and drop blondie off, but he didn't think that was the right move. The guy's injuries didn't appear to be life threatening at this point, and more importantly, he had a feeling the boy was the link to David's spirit. Better to have him with them in case Manning decided to make a return visit. "Keep you friends close and your enemies closer." was never more true.

What he needed to do now was get in touch with Sammy and have him find out where David was buried. Then they could meet up at the cemetery and while he and Sam dug the bastard up, Leah could keep an eye on the cousin. After Manning was ashes, they could focus on the kid.

Dean listened to the familiar ring tone for several seconds, but it felt like a lot longer. Just as he started to grow impatient he heard his brother's voice saying his name. "Yeah it's me Sammy." he answered. "'Bout damn time! You hearin' me okay?"

"Yeah, Dean. You two all right? You said Manning. It's Manning, right?" Sam asked. His voice was slightly elevated and he sounded out of breath.

"We're fine and yes, it's Manning. He's dead and I need you to find out where the son of a bitch is buried, then..."

Sam interrupted. "We're here and already digging him up. Sunset Memorial Park - 2301 E. Indian Hills Road. Got that? His plots at the back corner, drive to the end, turn right and keep going till you see Blake's truck."

Dean was so busy trying to grasp the address his brother had rattled off, he barely caught the name at the end. "2301?" he repeated. Then the mention of Blake's name seemed to register and what was left of his self-control snapped. "Wait! God damn it, did you say Kendall's there? What the hell for?"

He felt Leah wrap her hand around his arm in an attempt to calm him, but he really didn't want to be calm at the moment. In the course of the past several hours he'd been knocked unconscious, possessed, choked, hit Leah and had not one, but two freaks wanting to do her. In front of him. No, he didn't want calm.

Sam's voice took on an annoyed edge. "To help me dig, Dean, so we can stop this bastard from hurting you and Leah anymore. It'd take twice as long alone. You got the address, just get here as fast as you can and keep watching for Manning. I'll call and let you know when it's done."

"Fine." Through gritted teeth, Dean repeated the address to make sure he had it right. "We're on our way. Hurry and get him salted and burned, Sam."

"You got it. See you soon."

Dean stuffed the phone into his pocket and checked his passenger in the rearview mirror. Still unconscious, thankfully. He glanced over to see that Leah was watching him. No doubt upset by his comments about Blake. Though he hated the idea of the guy being involved in all of this, he had to admit that the extra pair of hands would get the job done a lot faster and that would mean getting both Manning and his whacko cousin out of their lives for good. He also hated the idea of owing the asshole anything, but it was well worth the cost to have Leah safe.

"So Blake is helping?" Leah asked quietly.

Dean shot her an irritated look. So much for trying to come to terms with it. As soon as the jerk's name left that hot little mouth of hers he was pissed again. "He's there. Probably not doing much. You know how worthless the guy is."

Leah thought about defending her friend, but she knew it wouldn't make a difference. Dean wouldn't want to hear anything she had to say on the subject. Though she understood why, it was sad because he and Blake, under other circumstances, might have actually been somewhat friendly toward each other. The two men were alike in so many ways it was a bit frightening. As it was now, they were never going to be anything more than bitter rivals.

Knowing Dean's day had been as amazingly miserable as her own, Leah wanted to ease his mind where the other hunter was concerned so she opted to agree with him for a change. "You're right. He sure as hell is no Dean Winchester."

Dean's head snapped around and he stared at her until she pointed out that he'd better get his eyes back on the road. "You're agreeing with me about Blake? Wait, you're being a smart ass, right?" he griped.

Leah laid her head on his shoulder and rubbed her hand along the length of his thigh. "No, Dean. I'm being honest. We've just been through a lot, you know? And I think that it's important that you know how I feel." She paused for a moment, wondering how Dean would react to her next words. It didn't matter. She needed to say them. "There's never been anyone but you, Dean. It's you that I want. You that I need. It's you that I love."

Dean swallowed hard, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. He knew why Leah was telling him this now; because so many things could have gone wrong and left one, or both, of them dead. He'd felt that same way the year before when he'd almost lost her to that damn chupacabra. It had been enough to shake him up and help him see that he wanted to be more than just her friend. Only once things had gotten a lot more serious than he'd ever intended, he got scared and stupid and threw it all away under the pretext that he was doing what was best for her.

Well, he sure as hell couldn't claim that he'd never made any mistakes, but he damn sure could say that he did learn from them.

"Leah, I...well, I..." he stuttered a bit, trying to figure out the best way to tell her how he felt.

"It's okay, Dean. I didn't say that expecting anything in return. I just needed to let you know how I feel, that's all." The last thing she'd wanted was for him to feel obligated now to say something he didn't mean. Not that she thought he would. He was still Dean Winchester, after all. But it was only fair that she let him off the hook.

"Oh. Okay." He grew silent for a minute, then blurted out. "But what if I want to say something?"

Leah lifted her head so she could see his face. "If you want to say something, I'm listening."

With a nod, Dean chewed on his lower lip as he contemplated his next words. "Okay. Here's the thing, Leah. I'm not good at this crap and you know that. You know me. You and Sammy, you're the only two people who have ever really understood me." He glanced over at her before continuing. "I love you, Leah. I might not say it much. Hell, I'll never say it much, but that doesn't mean I don't feel it. But you know that. Don't you?"

"Yeah," she whispered, wishing desperately that she could keep back the tears that would only embarrass Dean. Stubbornly, they filled her eyes anyway, then pushed their way down her cheeks. "I know that, Dean."

"How fucking sweet!"

Startled by the gruff voice, Leah shifted and came face-to-face with Nigel. She quickly turned her back to him, reaching for the shotgun that was lying near her feet, but his arm shot out to wrap securely around her neck. He yanked her back until she was pinned tightly against the seat while his left fist shot out, catching Dean on the jaw and snapping the hunters head sideways. Dean lost his grip on the steering wheel and the car lurched across the white line, headed straight into oncoming traffic. Reacting fast, he jerked on the wheel, sending the car back onto the right side of the road just as several cars rushed past with their horns blasting.

With the car under control, Dean started to hit the brakes but Manning shoved hard against his shoulder, forcing him up against the door. And then he felt the son of a bitch's hand at his back.

David had his gun.

As Leah gasped for breath and struggled against David's steel grip, the maniac's hollow laughter rang out. "You told Leah you love her, Dean. Now tell her goodbye."

Dean slammed down on the brakes, sending the car into a violent spin. As the Impala careened off the road, Dean flew sideways, his head slamming up hard against the window. The last thing he heard before darkness took over was the sound of the gun going off beside him.

TBC