Fourteen

The night was still young, but everyone felt as though they'd lived a thousand centuries in a few small hours. Deacon felt the pressure of the fighting he'd done in his muscles and he rolled his shoulder as he sat on the couch in the front room of LeSalle's house. Loretta sat nearby in one of the armchairs hemming some pants of Delilah's. Deacon tried not to appear uncomfortable, but he knew he wasn't entirely welcome in the house and it physically showed.

"I remember when ya were a young one," Loretta barely looked up from her work, but Deacon stared at her. "Ya were the boy next door. Dorky looking kid ya were."

"Yeah well that was a long time ago." Deacon said in a quiet and gentle voice. His hostility was gone and he was worn thin by the recent events.

"Exactly," Loretta commented. "So I don't know why you're acting like you're in some sort of museum."

"He'll kick my ass for sure," Deacon replied. "I mean not if I kick his first of course."

"Boys and their testosterone," Loretta rolled her eyes and stood up to go to the nearby kitchen. "And by 'he' I assume you mean Salle? He's harmless dearie, unless ya rub him the wrong way. Although that's a talent ya seem to be quite good at performing."

"I just—"

"Can't let go of the past?"

Deacon was shocked. He swallowed a lump forming in the back of his throat. He wasn't afraid of the woman before him, but there was something about her that was intimidating.

"It wasn't just my boy Salle ya daddy drove from his house that night," Loretta explained. "I carried that boy in my arms as I ran. I held him back when he tried to run back in to save his parents. I held him every night after every time he cried and through every bad dream. I raised that boy into the fine young man he is today. And whether or not you share ya daddy's ideals on him or ya Christian ideals on his lifestyle he saved ya life tonight and that has to count for something right?"

"I mean—"

"Every day ya go on hating that boy for what he was born into all because ya daddy did," Loretta continued her rant. Deacon straightened his posture and sat like he was being scolded by the President of the United States. "If ya could open ya eyes and think for yourself for once you'd see you're making a mistake by hating a brave man and I'd hate to see that for another day of my life."

Loretta left the front room and went into the kitchen just as LeSalle was descending the stairwell and he looked over at her. He had a small bloodstain under his nose, but mostly he just looked tired.

"Ya look terrible." Deacon spoke up. Loretta had to commend him for trying.

"Gee thanks," LeSalle replied. Loretta shot him a look he tried to ignore, but it was near impossible to ignore her. "Everyone loves hearing that."

"I mean ya should be in bed with your boyfriend," Deacon slightly choked on his words, but it wasn't noticeable. "Not down here still awake."

"Bet you'd like that," LeSalle shot back and Deacon stopped talking. "More ammo ta use against me."

"Take it outside if you're gonna do that." Loretta warned them both and LeSalle stomped off in the direction of the back door. Deacon hesitated a moment before following after Loretta gave him a look too. LeSalle was leaning up against the post holding up the back porch roof. He let out a sigh and Deacon quietly moved up next to him.

"Look," he said. "I know ya hate me and I'm pretty sure I've hated ya for as long as I can remember and to be honest I don't even remember why exactly, but just hear me out ok?"

LeSalle gave a sideways glance in his direction.

"I may not agree with what ya doing," Deacon explained. "But seeing ya out there tonight when Drew went down like that. I saw nothing, but love pouring outta ya eyes and I gotta say I ain't seen nothing like it. Not even from my parents when they were alive. Ya love him and I don't have any right ta get in the way of that. I was wrong."

"Ya were doing what you've been taught," LeSalle replied. "Can't expect a dog to do anything it hasn't been trained ta do."

"Thanks," Deacon scoffed. "Anyway what I'm saying in I don't wanna be your friend."

"Well I don't wanna be yours either." LeSalle chuckled.

"But," Deacon sighed. "I think we have a mutual understanding now ya and I. I don't see any need ta cross over that line anymore. I mean ya did kinda save all of our lives tonight. I do owe ya."

"Ya don't owe me anything," LeSalle said. "And I mean it this time, not a snide remark or anything. Just don't blab about any shit ya saw or I won't hesitate to cross that line."

"Trust me I don't wanna get blasted like those ghosts did," Deacon gulped. "Trust me on that one."

"Dare I say it I trust ya Deacon Barnes." LeSalle replied and paused a moment before saying anything else. "What are ya going ta do now that Hus and Tyler are dead what is ya little gang gonna do now?"

"The same thing we always do," Deacon gave him a determined look. "Hunt monsters."

"That's what I like ta hear," LeSalle smirked. "Cuz that's what I'll be doing too, with my A-team."

"Just don't steal my cases and we'll be good."

"No promises." LeSalle's smirk grew bigger.

"Ya sly bastard."

"It's a gift."

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Delilah was coming out of the front door and onto the porch where she made a beeline for the top front step and sat down. She looked over at Dean, who emerged from the nearby outdoor couch with two beers and a smirk on his face.

"Don't think this is one of those things where we achieved victory so I sleep with ya and then ya hit the road and never see me again." She warned him as Dean sat down.

"Can't blame a guy for trying," Dean held one of the bottles her way. "Beer?"

"Sure," she took it, popping off the lid and shooting it with her thumb across the yard. "Shouldn't ya be asleep?"

"I'll get my five hours don't you worry," Dean chuckled as he stared up at the starry night sky. LeSalle's house had the best view of the sky. "What about you? Shock factor worn off yet?"

"No," Delilah sighed. "I just can't believe he'd keep something like that from us. I mean we're his family Dean. Shouldn't that mean something?"

"Trust me based on what I saw tonight," Dean replied. "It means everything. I don't think he'd have used those powers otherwise. Now normally what my dad taught me was to shoot first and ask questions later and every fiber in the hunter part of my body is itching to put a bullet through him because yeah he's a monster, but every fiber in the human part of me sees a good and honest man and hunter who's trying everything he can to keep his family together."

"Why would he hide this?" Delilah asked.

"I don't have all the answers," Dean said. "He was scared. I've seen fear in a man's eyes way too many times for him to hide it. He probably figured the hunter part of you and Drew would take over and kill him."

"He's our friend," Delilah explained. "And he's Drew's partner. We'd never hurt him, not like he's some kind of animal."

"Why are you telling me this then?" Dean asked. "You should be telling him."

Dean got up after knocking his glass on hers with a satisfying clink and made his way for the door.

"Cheers to being alive." Dean announced before disappearing through the front door and leaving Delilah sitting in the warm New Orleans night air. All of Delilah's life had been spent moving from town to town and city to city and never once until New Orleans had she ever dreamed of settling down. When she had been approached by LeSalle that night in the bar she knew things would be different that time. She'd felt something in him which was sincere and honest and she'd never once doubted anything she'd felt that night. LeSalle was like a brother to her in place of her absent one and she knew she needed to talk to him, but another time when Drew wasn't hurting and once Sam and Dean had left and she'd had time to sort through her thoughts. In the mean time she peeled back the wet wrapper on her cold beer bottle, taking sip after sip, and stared up at the sky she'd grown quite so fond of over the years.

Reviews are appreciated!

So? Deacon and LeSalle came to an understanding of sorts? Eh it's a start. Good job boys. And Delilah has a better understanding of it all I think.

Epilogue is next and I hate to say I have to let this story go at some point. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and you enjoy the last one.