hope everyone is still enjoying...thanks for reading and for all the really great reviews... bambers;)

Chapter Forty

Cold sweat prickled at the nape of Dean's neck as he sat inside his father's truck, staring out at the forest of trees that hid Pastor Jim's cabin from view. Stomach churning violently at the thought of facing Dominic again, he tightened his hold on the steering wheel in a pathetic attempt to regain his courage and to stop his hands from trembling so badly.

Dean chanced a glance in the rearview mirror, and almost didn't recognize the dull, lifeless green eyes that reflected back at him. Dark smudges rimmed his eyes, attesting to the severe lack of sleep he had suffered over the past several weeks.

"That jus' can't be me," he mumbled as he stared at the gaunt and haggard man in the mirror. His tongue darted out of his mouth and flicked across his dried, crack lips, and he watched as the man in the mirror did the same. He pressed the tips of his fingers against his cheekbones then trailed them downward to the deep hollows in his face caused by lack of food. I can't do this. Dean lowered his head in shame, not wanting to see his reflection any longer.

How can you ever hope to beat me? Even you can see how pathetically weak you truly are. He heard Dominic's cruel and taunting voice in his head, his maniacal laughter sending a shiver of dread racing down Dean's spine. You're a sad, pathetic little child. You couldn't even protect yourself from me, how can even begin to think you can save your brother from me?

"I won't let you hurt Sammy again," Dean hissed with more strength behind the words than he actually felt he had to offer. "I'll kill you before I allow you to hurt my brother again."

An' yet you sit there in your daddy's truck, terrified to move. So, tell me, child, why would I ever be afraid of you?

Although Dean knew it wasn't really Dominic speaking to him, the truth behind the taunts still struck home with such force that he actually started to turn the key in the ignition, wanting nothing more than to drive back to hospital where his father and Sam were waiting for him. Yet, the thought of what Dominic would do to Bobby if he didn't confront him stopped Dean dead in his tracks.

I didn't raise you to be afraid of anything, Dean. His father's voice now overshadowed Dominic's; giving Dean the strength he needed to get out of the vehicle to do what had to be done. You're my son, an' I trained you to never quit or back down no matter what you were up against. You're too strong and determined to let that sonuvabitch take everything away from you.

He'll pay for what he did to Sammy, Dad . . . I swear he will.

Dean made quick work of gathering together his weapons, and almost as if it were an afterthought, he grabbed the EVP recorder and put a new tape inside of it. Slipping the recorder inside his jacket pocket, he headed toward the cabin.

As he strode through the thick brush, his mind wandered back to the last time he was at Pastor Jim's cabin. He breathed in deeply and could vividly recall the scent of Shannon's flesh burning as he set her body on fire. I'm so sorry, Shannon. I swore I would protect you from him, an' I just let him get away with murdering you. If I hadn't left you, you'd still be alive, an' Sammy would've never gotten hurt because of me.

"Dean . . . ." Shannon's soft voice whispered through the trees. "Avenge me, Dean . . . ."

"I swear I will," Dean vowed as he skirted his way around the outer edges of the forest, working his way toward the back of the property. At the far back corner of Pastor Jim's land, Dean exited the woods, and stopped short when he saw the charred remains of the mattress he had burned after he had found Shannon dead inside the cabin.

A few feet away from there, he spotted the area where he had built another fire to burn Shannon's body. A hard lump formed in his throat as tears sprung to his eyes. "I should've protected you from him. I knew you were afraid, an' I just left you alone."

Ash kicked up from the ground and swirled through the air, circling and widening as the shape of a woman slowly took form. Hovering above the ground, she floated toward Dean and lightly caressed his cheek. Blood spilled from her mouth as she whispered, "Avenge me, Dean." Then just as quickly as she had appeared, she vanished in a cloud of ash and dust.

Dean turned away from the two fire pits, and headed toward the backside of the cabin. Silently, he sidled up alongside one of the windows and peered inside. Tremors of fear coursed through his body as he saw Bobby tied to a chair. The older man's head was lolling to the side, as he slumped in his seat. For the briefest of moments, Dean had thought Bobby might be dead, but then noticed a subtle movement of his arm, and breathed a thankful sigh of relief.

I'm gonna get you outta here, Bobby, an' everything's gonna be okay.

Cautiously, Dean made his way around to the front of the cabin, and stopped short, a slow smile spreading across his features as he noticed a familiar and welcoming sight. Only about ten feet away from Jim's cabin, he saw the front end of his Impala sticking out from behind a large hedge.

The sight of his car, gave him more strength and courage than he'd felt in what seemed the longest time. Every little piece of his life that mattered had happened while he was inside his Impala with Sam at his side. Inside of her, they had talked and laughed, and had even cried when they were so broken they thought they couldn't go on any further. She had been the one solid force that had never left Dean behind, and had protected his weary soul as he protected the lives of others. Her sturdy metal frame was the fortress he had hid behind when he was beaten and torn apart inside. She was his home.

"I was wonderin' what had happened to you, baby," he softly purred.

Standing just a little bit taller, Dean made his way to the front window, and looked inside again, searching for any signs of Dominic, but didn't see anyone else inside the small cabin. Dean yanked his .45 out of his waistband as he stealthy made his way toward the door, and eased it open.

The slightest squeak of the hinges announced his arrival, but luckily no one seemed to hear it. As silently as he possibly could, Dean crept across the wooden floorboards, and inwardly cringed as he heard them creak and moan under his feet. He knelt beside Bobby and quickly untied his feet, then moved behind the chair to take care of the ropes that were bound around the older man's wrists.

"Bobby," he called out in a whisper as he gently nudged his friend, "I'm gonna get you outta here."

"Dea . . ." Bobby's eyelids fluttered as he tried to pry his eyes open, but they were so bruised and swollen he could only manage a slight squint.

"How many of them are there?" he asked as he quickly accessed Bobby's injuries.

"Th-three or f-four."

"You think you can walk, Bobby?" Dean helped the older man to his feet, and hitched an arm around his waist to help keep him upright. A worried frown creased Dean's brow as he listened to Bobby's ragged breathing, and felt the older man's body trembling as he tried to stay on his feet. "The Impala's parked right outside."

Drawing in a staggered breath, Bobby uttered, "It's a tr-trap, Dean . . . h-he knew y-you'd come for me."

"Don't worry I've got a plan," Dean lied. Silently praying that Bobby wouldn't notice that he was now shaking uncontrollably, Dean led the older hunter out of the house.

"Wh-where's your Dad an' Deacon?"

"They're checking the perimeter," Dean lied again as he helped Bobby into the backseat of the Impala.

"Stay here, I'm gonna go an' find Dominic."

Without waiting for Bobby to argue, Dean eased the car door closed, and headed back inside the cabin. A cool breeze wafted into the room from the open back window, that Dean was certain had been closed earlier. Raising his gun, Dean slowly took a backward step toward the door, but it slammed shut, barring him from leaving the room.

"Welcome home, Dominic," came the father's cruel voice from directly behind Dean. "I was really beginning to wonder if you were smart enough to figure out where I was. But, then I realized that you would know I just couldn't resist coming back here." Dominic pressed the barrel of his gun into Dean's back as he further taunted, "You are truly my child. Like father, like son, we both returned to the scene of our crimes."