My apologies for taking so long to get this one up! There were a few spots where I just couldn't work out the right dialogue, or find a flow to work with. Hopefully the wait has been worth it!
Now, I won't keep you waiting much longer... just be ready for some typical Dean/Manda moments and banter!
I'll send this one out to all of you who like these two together!
Enjoy :)


On the cot's mattress that he'd ended up tossing on the floor, Dean held Manda close to him under tangled sheets as he stared up at the large ventilation fan that slowly spun overhead.
Sleep wasn't coming as easily as it should have with how tired he now was, but at least he was feeling more relaxed than he had in months. That feeling was rare these days, so he was content to just lay with Manda after giving her a birthday to remember, and to once again let the one woman who would always understand him have what little was left of his heart for the night.

And so far he knew it had been the kind of night they both seemed to need.

Fuelled by an incredibly strong and mutual need to just be with each other, the love that still existed between them was undeniable in the way they had lost themselves together.

Their foreplay had been slow, sensual teasing, and once neither had been able to hold off any longer, the real passion had come out to play as they merged out of love. Everything else had ceased to exist then as they seemed to only know the other.

Down in shelter of Bobby's basement, there weren't any angels and demons using the world as their battleground. The devastating tragic and traumatic pasts and current lives of the two hunters had been forgotten, and it was as though they hadn't been spent their lives chasing down the kind of things most sane and normal people would run and hide from. Within the salt-coated iron walls that made up the panic room, it became just the two of them, lost together and within one another as the night wore on around them.

Now, spent, and seemingly asleep, Manda was pressed against his right side, head resting upon his chest with her right hand splayed flat over his heart. Dean just held her as close as he could, trying to retain the feeling of how together they were right now as he laid there wide awake.

Somewhat wishing the night wasn't over with already, running his hand gently up her back from her waist, he used the four long scars that adorned the right side of it as a guide. Tracing the marks with a lover's delicate touch, he heard her moan sweet and sleepily, and then felt her smile against him. He knew then that while she hadn't talked or moved in some time, she wasn't asleep yet either. "Still awake?"

"Yeah… why?" Manda lifted her head to look at him, wondering if there was something wrong. "You okay?"

"Yeah… just thought you drifted off on me by now."

"No," she softly yawned. "Well, maybe just for a few minutes." She had been completely exhausted but was now catching a second wind after shutting her eyes for a little upon feeling completely at ease for the first time in months as she rested in Dean's arms. Wrapped in his protective embrace, the female hunter felt two things she couldn't seem to find anywhere else – safe and loved. Having missed this, it was damned hard for her not to enjoy it while she could.

Seeing a satisfied smile that reached deep in her eyes, and knowing he put it there, Dean found himself smirking as he watched her. "Take it by that look, you had a good birthday?"

Manda barely nodded, grinning sheepishly. "The best," she whispered, stretching up a bit to meet his slightly open lips for a lingering kiss to thank him.

His hand grazed along her back as she gave his face a light caress. "Mission accomplished. Told you I'd make sure it was one to remember."

Studying him for a moment, she found him to be as relaxed as he could probably get these days. "Looks like all that rolling around did the trick… you've mellowed out some."

Dean smirked, chortling at the comment. "Always does, Chambers. You know me."

Manda laughed softly, resting her head on his chest again. "True that."

"So, uh… thanks for, ya know… coming out here," he said genuinely but also somewhat casually, downplaying what he was really trying to say. She'd know he meant being here for him. It wasn't just the round of great sex that had now stripped away most of his tension. Just being around her was what he had needed most.

"Anytime, Dean, you know that," Manda softly replied, now settled back into the position she'd been in earlier. "All you gotta do is call."

Knowing it was true, he enveloped her securely in his arms again and swiftly kissed the top of her head. "Yeah… so do you."

After a minute's silence, Manda slid her hand up to his shoulder, curling her fingers over it. "I miss this… us," she quietly spoke then with the complete vulnerability of feeling so close to him still. "Always do."

Dean heard how weary, alone, and empty she sounded then. He knew they were too alike in that regard sometimes. From the lives they led, it was bound to be that way, and it was no wonder why they shared the connection they did. Because lying here, finding it so easy to just be together in spite of everything else right now, he knew why she was bringing it up.

They were always going to be good for one another. It was why he missed them too, more than he'd thought and more than she knew. And in this soft-hearted moment they were sharing, it seemed worth telling her so. "Me too," he admitted after a lengthy pause.

The confession was nice to hear, but it also hurt. This wouldn't last. It couldn't. And knowing so caused tears to rise in Manda's eyes as she kissed his chest with utter tenderness. "I hate that we can't seem to be together for very long," she declared, a weak breaking in her voice.

"I know… but that's how it is, and you're better off for it, Manda." Wetness threatened to gather in his eyes as he thought about it, and then he felt it fall on his chest instead of down his face.

Manda was crying, allowing her soundless tears to escape on him. He'd had his breakdown earlier, and now she was having hers. All he could do was tighten his hold on her then, because he knew how much she wished they could be with each other if there was way to be, even though they both knew it was better they weren't.

Dean didn't want to be her downfall, and being with him was only likely to get her killed faster than not being with him would. It was part of what kept them apart no matter of what either truthfully wanted deep down in those things called dreams.

"It's not fair… we'll never get to either. We'll both be… d-dead… or at least one of us will be by the time everything ends… if it ends," Manda's voice quavered with the words and the thought through hushed tears. The odds were never stacked in either of their favours. One of them wasn't bound to make it out of this war alive and she hated thinking about it, wondering when and if it was going to be him or her who would die first, but was hard not to think about it more and more these days.

"Probably…" Unwilling to lie to her, that was all he could say as his eyes misted now from knowing how true it was. Chances were Manda was going to die hunting alone somewhere out there down the line, and he already knew where he was heading. Dean was sure he'd be dead one way or another, whether he said yes to Michael or not. It was just a matter of time. Time that might as well have been a war raged in emptying hour glass at this point, and they were sinking in the sand as it fell.

They were both quiet as the harsh truth of it all sank in.

How many more chances would they get to be together before time ran out? Would this be the last one? This very night was looking more and more likely at being it for them with how things kept playing out lately. Both felt and knew it as they lied there entwined.

Starting out slow and soft, Manda kissed her way up from his chest, intensifying the kisses as she reached his neck, his chin, and lastly, his mouth. Without breaking her mouth from his, she quickly found her way over him.

Digging his short nails into her waist through the sheet, Dean's moan was low and eager as she slowly withdrew her tongue from his mouth. She left him wanting a whole lot more and short of breath after the deeply impassioned kiss.

With her tear-streaked face an inch over his, Manda gazed at him with hungry yet sad eyes. "Make love to me again," she whispered with gentle pleading instead of demand. "If this is the only time we get to have, I wanna know we spent it wisely." She smiled, trying not to be so utterly emotional, but it was a broken, clumsy and somewhat heartbreaking smile, and her eyes glistened once again with fresh tears.

Pensively looking at her, he brushed his thumb over her cheek as a lone tear fell down. It was clear Manda was appealing to him by pulling his kind of line in an attempt to appear less in need of him than they both knew she was right then. But to deny her of what she wanted most right now – him – wouldn't work for either of them when he wanted her just as much in return.

"Know you're having one of your moments here… but, think you're about done with the waterworks so we can enjoy it again, sweetheart?" He gave her his trademark grin, knowing it was a bit insensitive, but she would know that if she wasn't, he'd wait until she was.

With a single nod, she regained some of her tougher self and said, "Tears are done, but the moment's not. Deal with it, Winchester."

Dean's smirk widened as he brushed some of her hair behind her ear. "That's my girl," he whispered, meeting her lips for a passionately slow kiss. Lost in it, he rolled them over with ease, and then just peered down at her under him for a moment.

Not that he ever would have been able to anyway, but there'd be absolutely no refusing Manda for him. Not now. Not with the way she just looked at him, all her feelings for him written all over her.

There was such an unmistakable heat in Dean's eyes then that Manda knew he wasn't fooling himself let alone her with how much he also needed to just be with her again tonight.

"And you're lucky you're damn hard to say no to… especially when you're pulling my kinda line on me," Dean muttered with a playful grin just before their mouths hungrily collided with desire.

It wasn't long until he was carelessly saying the words he hadn't told her out loud earlier and yanking on the twisted sheet between them so they could get on with what they both wanted to happen again. Because Dean needed to feel they were together just as much as Manda did, even if it was only for what was left of the night.

{ } { } { }

Waking to find herself right at the edge of the cot's mattress on her side, Manda shivered, suddenly aware of the cold floor under the half of her uncovered leg that was hanging over.

The arm over her instantly constricted in response while the outstretched one under her cheek shifted a little more forward as the body behind her moved closer.

Dean was now right against her back, offering warmth and spooning her tighter than he had been. Feeling their entwined hands lightly pressed more into her stomach then, she knew he had probably kept her from ending up on the floor more than once.

Hoping she hadn't woken him if he was still asleep, Manda slowly slid her leg back under the mess of blankets over them, and then just closed her eyes again, not wanting to get up yet.

She ached to stay right here with Dean, hiding in the lie that they were and would be safe and sound as long as they stayed here, but it couldn't happen. Like always – he would go one way and she would go another when this short time together was over.

If they were lucky and time was on their side, they would meet up again sometime soon. But fortune never really seemed to smile on their odd relationship, and in the event they never saw each other after this, at least they'd gotten to spend one more night together.

One incredible night Manda couldn't help but smile about now.

Keeping his word, Dean had made sure her birthday was memorable by letting her know he was still her man. And while they were sharing their wounded hearts with each other again, comforting sorrows and fears, there was no doubting they had delved deep into the one emotion that lay behind it – love. Treading dangerous waters once stripped down of their guards, they allowed themselves to fall a little harder for each other, and it had gone down as a night Manda wouldn't trade for anything now.

A few minutes later, she was still grinning with her eyes closed when Dean's arm started moving upwards, taking hers with it. Their hands stopped near her chest, his fingers unlocked from hers, and then his hold loosened a bit.

"Hey, gorgeous… rise and shine," Dean crooned with a flirty and soft tone in her ear. Having been awake for some time already, once knowing she'd stirred, he had given her a few minutes to fully wake up.

"Mmm," she moaned pleasantly in response, brushing her lips on his arm still under her cheek with a light kiss. "Do I have to?"

"Don't want to get up?"

"Do you?"

Smirking, he should have known she'd quickly throw the question back at him. "Not when I can think of a few good reasons to stay right here," he answered with a suggestive ring to his voice, kissing her bare, unscarred left shoulder. Actually, there was only one good reason at the forefront of his mind, and his morning couldn't start out better if he got his way.

Chuckling, Manda twisted more on her back to look at him. Dishevelled looking, even with his short hair, it was obvious Dean had barely slept. He didn't seem to care either. There was a deeply satisfied look about him as he yawned. But the grin that reached his eyes as he caught her gaze was hard to miss, and he seemed more upbeat than he had been yesterday. Spending the night with her had done him some good. At least we'll both be wearing the been-screwed-senseless look to breakfast. "Exactly, handsome… all this ends the moment we do."

Dean withdrew his arm from under her head, moved back an inch, and then propped himself up on his elbow. He grinned at seeing there was no way Manda could hide the look that said she'd gotten seriously laid last night. Her wavy hair was a wild mess and her tired but content eyes matched the ear-to-ear smile she was now trying to keep under wraps. Hell of a night, beautiful. Think we could both do with a repeat, he thought as he searched her eyes, silently hoping she would stay for another day he wasn't even sure he could afford to spend here. There was only one way to find out."Does that mean you're heading out to that case in a few hours?" he asked.

Neither had brought up how much time they could spend together, but seeing the way he looked at her right then, she knew she wasn't going anywhere. The job would still be there tomorrow, but she pretended to consider it for a moment in order to tease him. "It'll hold for one more day… if that's you asking me to stay here?"

He half-nodded, looking a tad sheepish. He hadn't exactly asked her outright again, but she had known anyway. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, my lead's already a week and a half old… but are you sure you can stick around?" Curiously looking at Dean, Manda knew that while he wanted to be here, it still didn't mean another day spent holing up with her was feasible for him.

Realizing he really didn't care that he should get back on the road today, Dean guffawed in slight amusement. "I can if you can…"

"Well, I do need to do laundry, and I'd kill for a few more hours of sleep instead of a day's worth of driving." She held back on a wide smile then.

Smirking at what were valid points but still excuses, Dean knew the issue was settled – they were staying. "And I could give the Impala a tune up. Guess I better let Sam know."

Chuckling at how he met her excuses with his own, Manda rolled onto her side to face him. "He's not gonna be a happy camper, and Bobby will be less than thrilled with us too."

"You leave Sammy to me," he commanded with a light kiss. "But the honour of breaking the news that we're shacking up here again tonight to Bobby is all yours."

Tossing him an "oh really?" look, Manda propped herself up on her elbow. "Hey, he made that offer to hitch us last night. I'll just tell him we skipped to the honeymoon and thank him for the use of this fabulous suite."

Not sure she was kidding, but thinking she was, Dean just shook his head. "Don't even think about it," he chuckled.

"Guess we better make an appearance upstairs then, get that over with," she smirked.

"Nobody's missing us just yet." His hand found her hip, and his fingers swept back and forth on the sheet covering her. "But maybe I should let Sam know before he ends up down here."

Yawning softly, Manda pulled over the pillow that Dean had hogged and then laid her head on it. "Go ahead, and then you might wanna grab a shower. You stink of sex, Winchester."

Dean chortled. "Hate to give ya the newsflash here, but so do you."

"I know, and it's your fault," she laughed teasingly.

"Oh, it's my fault?" He lifted a brow, considerably entertained now. "Wasn't me all emo, crying, flashing around the doe eyes and asking for round two, Chambers."

"No, that was just you before round one. And it wasn't like you objected to the second," she shot back.

"Now why would I do that?" Leaning in closer to her, Dean smirked as his fingers grabbed hold of the sheet and he slowly pulled it up, exposing more of her legs.

Manda pushed him back with a flat palm as he went to kiss her. "And now you're the one looking for another go."

"Guilty as charged. Thought we were spending this time wisely?" Dean twisted her words from the night before as he quickly grabbed her by the wrist and then managed to pin her down by both as he climbed over her.

Shaking her head 'no', she tried not to grin. "You're such a…"

Cutting her off with a bruising kiss so she couldn't say it, Dean knew how the sentence ended – pain in the ass. He also knew she wouldn't stop him now. So, when she clearly wanted more, he broke away. "Don't hear you objecting," he teased, starting to trail light kisses down from her ear.

Smiling, eyes still closed, Manda moaned lightly, digging her nails into his shoulders. "Now why would I do that?" she countered, tossing his words back at him now.

Chuckling against the hollow of her neck, Dean felt one of her legs wrap over one of his. "And here I was ready to do a little more persuading…"

Manda opened her eyes to see Dean's staring into hers as she felt a wisp of cool air as his hand slipped underneath the sheet, and then his warm hand was curving low on her hip. "Take your best shot." She smirked, pulling him into a hungry kiss.

Making out hard and heavy, a few minutes later they had rolled onto the floor amid tangled blankets they had dragged with them. They forcefully got themselves back onto the mattress with intent. The heat of the moment was threatening to take over and it was almost time to play it safe.

"Dean, Manda," Bobby's gruff and unimpressed voice seemed to amplify down the basement stairs and into the panic room.

Breaking a heated kiss and freezing for a split second upon hearing Bobby, both their heads whipped towards the doorway as if they were a couple of guilty teenagers that had been caught instead of adults.

Stopped in front of the doorway to the basement in his wheelchair, Bobby wasn't sure Dean and Manda were even awake yet, especially when it was likely they'd been up most of the night. But whether they were or they weren't, he didn't care. "This ain't a love shack. So if you've gotten the copulating out of your systems, get your sorry asses upstairs. And clean up whatever mess you've made, including your leftover… evidence." He shuddered with a distasteful look, not wanting to think about it, but unable to help it when he didn't have to guess what they had done in his panic room. "Nobody wants to get stuck down there with it."

Bobby wheeled away then, knowing he'd piss off the two younger hunters in his basement if they were up. "Not what I built that damn room for," he muttered, seeing Sam's sympathetic look and hearing his hearty chuckle as the younger Winchester came out from the kitchen with a mug of coffee. "Unless you've got a sterilizing spell on hand, knock it off, Sam," he said, wheeling past Sam to get his own coffee.

Looking back at each other after Bobby's snarky remarks were done, their eyes sharing an annoyed mental groan at having been interrupted, Dean and Manda broke out into laughter.

They exchanged apologetic looks through the snickering, and then Dean got off of Manda and sat up.

"Copulating?" he scoffed. "Not out of my system yet, but he sure knows how to kill the mood."

"Tell me about it," Manda agreed, fixing the sheet to be tightly around her again. "Uncle Bobby seems grouchier than usual… gonna be fun telling him we're staying."

"I'll do it," he sighed heavily, rubbing his hand over his face."Sounds like he's figured it out anyway. Not much gets by him."

Sitting up a bit behind him, Manda circled her arms around his waist, and then kissed his shoulder. "Sorry, Dean. You okay?"

"Yeah," Dean assured her, patting her hands with one of his. "Was just kinda hoping we'd get to start today out right, ya know?" And they would have, if Bobby had only waited another minute or two, they wouldn't have paid him any attention at all.

She kissed his shoulder again, knowing exactly what he meant. "We'll pick it up later. You know they're waiting on us to do the walk of shame now."

Chortling, Dean turned his head to look at her. "Then they're outta luck. No shame here, Chambers." His lips met hers for a delicate kiss, and then she let him go as he turned more into it. Sliding an arm behind her, he pulled her closer as they let the kiss naturally deepen, because while it wouldn't make up for the moment they'd lost, it was needed now.

"None at all," Manda grinned, giving him another small kiss. "But maybe you should head upstairs now. I'll straighten up the mess down here."

Letting go of her, Dean sat up straight again and looked around to see what kind of a mess they had made.

The desk had swept bare thanks to him and the surrounding area of the floor was covered in what had been on top. The cot had been pushed aside and robbed of its mattress, and there were a few more things that would be, as Bobby had put it, "left over evidence" from their night together. "That'll definitely give you a few minutes to get your poker face on."

"That bad?"

He chuckled warmly. "Not that I mind… but there's one serious case of "my world got rocked last night" written all over you."

Laughing, she knew it was true and couldn't think of a retort. "Well… that was a helluva night, handsome."

With a cocky grin, Dean's expression said he agreed. "It always is."

Rolling her eyes, Manda knew a small grin betrayed her. "Too bad the morning's shot… it really didn't sound too urgent that we get up there."

He questionably raised his brow at her, pondering the implied suggestions of staying right here. It was tempting. "Got a point. Bobby did say if…" he paused, smirking.

They stared at one another for a moment, waiting for the other to make the first move to get up. While they knew their appearances had to be put in upstairs sooner rather than later, neither was in much of a hurry to do so.

"Few more minutes can't hurt then." She gave him a subtle nod to suggest lying down again. "We're already on his naughty list."

She was right, and that was all the arm twisting Dean needed then. He lied back down and put an arm behind his head. "Not ready to face the music yet?" he joked as she joined him and rested her head on his chest.

"Got a poker face to work on first thanks to you," Manda muttered, putting her arm over him.

A smug smirk spread over his face as he wrapped his arm around her. "Uh huh. So Bobby killed the mood and now you still want a few minutes of cuddling?"

She lifted her head and looked at him comically for a second. "Need to get it out of my system as much as you do yours, so just enjoy it, Dean," she rebutted with a devilish grin, and then laid her head back down on his chest. "Your secret's safe with me."

Starting to say something, Dean stopped, knowing he couldn't argue much when he really didn't mind this and she knew it. "Don't get too comfy there, Manda… we're getting up soon."

Manda didn't say anything. But she began to lightly graze her fingers over his chest as they both stayed silent for a little. "Think we'll be able to swing a mostly typical day of us holing up?" she asked.

Pressing his lips together, he thought it over for a second. A typical day of holing up together was spent a lot like this, but being at Bobby's house, they couldn't spend it in bed without catching more grief then they already had. "Long as we lay off our normal routine, it shouldn't be a problem… this ain't a love shack, remember?"

With a chuckle, she propped herself a bit on him, and then just looked at him a little sadly. The fairy-tale night and morning was coming to an end, and it was time to do what they'd already tried to extend. "Time to get up or we'll never hear the end of it, right?"

Seeing she didn't want to leave here anymore than he did, but knowing it was time to face reality again, Dean nodded regretfully. He gave her face a gentle caress, feeling disappointed they couldn't just spend the day here, and then pulled her in for a loving kiss. "C'mon, Chambers… let's go find your big girl panties and get you back into them… least for a few hours anyway," he mischievously grinned, hoping nothing else went wrong for the rest of the day.

So, hopefully all this worked out well!
It was only fair to give Manda her moment, (of course she had to have one on him!) and while it was a little cheesy - it's done.
I know Dean's a little more himself (or at least the way I write him) in this one, but it was time to start pulling him out of his down mood. Hopefully it works.
The bantering/teasing is always fun to write for these two. And then having Bobby jump in there for a moment - I just couldn't refuse that! hehehe. Maybe they should have jumped a little quicker to his yell, but the delay at getting out of bed seemed right, along with giving them one more day. I know it's probably a bit of a stretch to let them have 2 days in a row in the middle of the Apocalypse, and just one night might be a bit more realistic, but oh well. They get one more day if nothing wrecks it... hehehe
Now, I promise to try to get the next one up when I can. If I don't end up changing my mind - it's half written as it is. Here's hoping it doesn't take me ages again.
Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading! :)