Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable in the following story. The characters that you don't recognize are figments of my imagination and still I claim no ownership. Supernatural belongs to the WB, the CW and all. I haven't made a profit on this story so please don't sue. I don't own anything anyway so there's nothing to gain from it.

Chapter 8

Matt slowly entered the tent that stood for a church and sat in the back row. This was his fourth service and it would be his fourth time investigating the so called healed person. Since Dennis McQuaid he'd followed another people that had been miraculously healed back to their motels and interrogated them. He was amazed that each of them truly believed that they had been healed. After the frustrating interviews he'd returned to his motel and researched them on line.

Every last one of them had checked out. Each person was trying to live their lives despite crippling birth defects or terminal illnesses. Each wanting just a taste of normal living or a chance at a little bit longer life. Not one of them were there to act out the part so LeGrange could make a profit.

He leaned forward slightly and rested his forehead in his hands. He was exhausted because he'd only allowed himself cat naps over the time that he'd been here. Taking a deep breath he straightened in his seat and looked around the room. He was familiar now with some of the faces. He knew the ones who came for the service and nothing else. He knew the ones that were here for every service hoping and praying to be cured. And he knew the new faces in the crowd always hopeful that they'd be healed first time around.

No matter how he looked at it Reverend LeGrange seemed to be on the level and it chafed at him something awful because healers just weren't real. Something was always behind their powers. They were usually some kind of demon preying off sick humans or they were sick humans preying off the weak. But in this case he couldn't find the angle the reverend was working. There was not a lot of money collected at the end of the service and there were no tell tale signs of him being something other than human.

A clearing of a throat pulled Matt out of his musings. He looked up to see a friendly face.

"Hello Matt. Fancy meeting you here," Joshua drawled.

"Hey Joshua," Matt said surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Well you have your granddaughter worried sick and I was going crazy waiting for some kind of word," Joshua said.

Matt moved over one seat so Joshua could sit beside him.

"I should've called," Matt mumbled.

"Damn straight," Joshua said sternly.

"I should've called Serena," Matt clarified. "I'll never hear the end of it."

Joshua chucked. "I haven't heard the end of it yet."

"I'm sure," Matt agreed. "Why are you here? I told you I'd report back when I had something firm."

"It's been almost two months since we spoke last and you have nothing firm?" Joshua said incredulously and shook his head. "No way. I know you have something. What is it?"

Matt shrugged as he watched the reverend led up to the stage. "Look the service is about to start. As far as I can tell what you are about to witness is real. There are forces here that are unexplainable. We'll talk about it after the service is over, ok? It might be too hard to explain without you seeing for yourself."

Joshua looked at his friend for a moment sizing him up. His words were true and he could tell that Matt was at a bit of a loss. "Ok buddy. But we will talk about it."

Matt smiled slightly. "Of that I have no doubt."

"Good afternoon friends. Thank you for joining us on this fine day," Reverend LeGrange said as he started the service.

An hour later the two men filed out of the service along with the other people that had sat through the service.

Joshua walked towards his truck his gaze focused on something other that what was in front of him. Matt walked quietly beside him until they reached his friends truck. Josh turned and leaned up against his truck with a confused and mystified expression on his face.

"Yeah. I know how you're feeling. Been there the entire time," Matt said softly as he leaned up against the truck beside Joshua and watched the people mingle or head for their cars.

"You," Joshua said and then shook his head.

"Take your time. It's a lot to digest," Matt said.

"But," Josh said then stopped again.

Matt sighed. "Look it's real. That's the one thing I'm certain of. You're probably asking yourself how is he doing it? I can't answer that. Josh I can't see how he's doing it all I know is that he is doing it. If we were to follow Sheila Beck back to her motel and ask her questions about her and her life we would find out that she heard about the good reverend by word of mouth. She will have suffered from some illness or another and came here to be healed. LeGrange is the answer to her prayers. She'll go home and attend her church for the rest of her life. On top of that the man is human although I can't figure out how. There's nothing supernatural happening here, at least none that I can find."

Joshua looked up from the ground to his friend. "That's it?"

"Yup. This was to be my last service before reporting back to you. He's the real deal Josh. I don't know how he's doing it all I know is that he's doing it. End of story," Matt said. "Look I even had tea with his wife. Told her that I knew someone in need but was unsure about all of this so called faith healing. She told me that several good people had been healed since Roy had been healed himself. Aside from that she referenced a few names and I looked them up. They are still healthy and living great lives with their families."

"You're sure about this?" Joshua asked.

"As sure as I'm ever going to get. Is there something happening here that isn't quite right? Hell yeah. Can I figure it out," Matt said and then shook his head. "No. But the people are actually healed. So your patient friend is well and truly healed."

Joshua smiled at that and felt the weeks of tension fall away from his shoulders. "That's the best news I've heard in a while. I don't care how he's doing it. As long as he's healed Abby for good then I'm satisfied."

"Good. Now follow me back to my motel. I have to call Serena and check in. When she's done tearing me a new one for not checking in then you can buy me a beer," Matt said as he clapped his hand on Joshua's shoulder.

"Deal," Joshua said around a laugh.

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The next morning after having breakfast together the men stood outside the diner.

"So has your hearing returned to that ear yet?" Joshua teased.

"Yeah a little. How's yours?" Matt asked.

Joshua winced slightly as he remembered the ear bashing he'd received from the feisty teenager when she'd heard he'd met up with her grandfather without letting her in on his plan. "Yeah a little."

Matt chuckled quietly. His granddaughter was a pistol and he wouldn't have it any other way. He sighed heavily as his cell phone rang in his pocket.

"Please tell me you checked in this morning," Joshua said.

"Um no," Matt said grimacing as he pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "Yeah."

"Hey Granddaddy," Serena said quietly.

"Hey Darlin'. I'm just about to head out on the road. Should be home soon," he said softly knowing that there was something wrong by the girl's tone.

"OK. When?" she asked.

"Depends. Why did something happen?" he asked and saw Joshua take a step forward as if to hear what was wrong.

"It's nothing. Just get home soon?" she asked

"Serena I'm a long way from being home. So you'd best tell me what's wrong," he said softly.

"I found a salt and burn and I did it," she admitted with a slight tremor in her voice.

"On your own?" he asked.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"Let me guess. The spirit didn't take too kindly to being put down, huh?" he said.

"No," she said.

"Well they never do. Listen they do get better over time and I wish you had just waited for me to get home. Serena darlin' here's what you're going to do. I want you in my apartment with the doors barricaded and salted. Check the charms and tuck yourself into the couch with some girly movie and some ice cream. I'll be home as soon as I can get there, ok?" Matt said sternly but with a softness in his voice that Joshua had not heard from the man before. "Ok?"

"Yeah Granddaddy," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry just do as I ask and we'll talk about it when I get home. There's a tub of your favourite ice cream in my freezer. Now get down there," he said.

"Yes sir," she said softly.

Matt heard the click of the call being disconnected and he pulled the phone away from his ear.

"She ok?" Joshua asked.

"Just did her first job on her own. A so called simple salt and burn," he said as he shook his head but there was an unmistakable look of pride on his face and in his voice. "Sounds like the spirit did a number on her but she got the job done."

"But she's ok?" Joshua asked again.

"Of course she's ok," Matt said sharply then his voice lowered. "Gave her quite a scare though. So I'd best get back to her."

"Yeah. I need to get back as well. Thanks for your help," Joshua said as he held out his hand.

Matt took his hand giving it a good shake. "Anytime. Tell Anna I said hello."

"Make sure you call me to check in when you get home, ok?" Joshua teased.

"Sure honey," Matt drawled and then cuffed him up the side of his head. "Smart ass."

The men got into their cars and drove away.

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