Big thanks to everyone follow this! This is the last chapter of ML, and it's been fun. BIG thanks to hotshow my intrepid editor, without whom there would not have been a Lil' Sammy or Murphy's Law, and charis-kalos for her continual 'positive reinforcement'. (I'm not allowed to say 'swift kick'.) And yes, there are more irons in the fire. A new chapter of L&D will post soon and I have some brand new stories getting ready to make an appearance.

Chapter Thirty-two

Dean held the dark wig up next to Sam's head, measuring the length. Sam scowled. He hated the pleased look on Dean's face right now.

"Another inch?" Dean asked, eyes darting between him and the wig.

"Probably," Mike said from over Dean's shoulder. Although Sam liked seeing that Dean had an actual friend, he couldn't help the pang of jealousy. Mike and Dean even moved alike, as if Dad had raised them both. They sat at Bobby's kitchen table, Mike holding the wig as Dean trimmed the ends.

"This would be easier if you wore it," Dean said, snipping away.

"Nice try," Mike replied. "Just because you have to dress in drag doesn't mean I do."

Dean shot Mike a glare. "I'll just be wearing a wig. That doesn't count as being in drag."

Mike grinned, eyes glittering with humor. "Sure it does. Aren't you the one always calling Sam a girl?"

"Hey!" Sam had just about enough of this. "I volunteered to sit out there, you know."

Mike and Dean both ignored him.

"What if it smells you?" Mike asked. "It probably has Sam's scent."

Dean shrugged. "I'm going to wear some of Sam's clothes."

"You are?" Sam and Mike asked together.

Mike chuckled. "Now this I have to see."

Dean paused in his wig trimming. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Let's face it Dean, you're going to look like a kid playing dress-up in Sam's clothes." Mike laughed at Dean's obvious discomfort. "Let's hope this thing is as stupid as you think it is."

"Oh, it is," Bobby said, the door swinging closed behind him. "But these will help." Bobby held out two plastic items in camo green and tan.

Curious, Sam picked one up. "The Natural Way? Mask your scent while hunting, works for most wildlife." Sam looked hard at Bobby. "To use against the gremlin?"

Bobby nodded, beaming. "I ran across an ad a few months back and ordered a few. Nearly forgot about the damn things until this morning. I've talked to a few hunters, our kind of hunters, who've used them. Not worth a damn against vampires, but works pretty well against most other things."

Dean turned the other one over in his hands. "You know, this might've been useful in the hospital."

"I know, damn it." Bobby blew out a sigh. "That's why hindsight is twenty-twenty."

Dean shrugged, setting it down on the table to return his attentions to the wig. Sam marveled over the fact Dean did not chew Bobby out for forgetting something like that. Then he remembered that Dean was first on Bobby's priority list. Maybe that accounted for the added leniency? Dean understood that Bobby honestly forgot?

"Hey," Mike spoke up, "now you don't have to play dress-up." Dean raised an eyebrow but concentrated on the task at hand. "You won't have to wear Sam's clothes."

"Oh, speaking of which." Bobby slammed a bottle of shampoo on the table. It had a picture of a woman with long, luxurious hair on the front. "You can thank Mike for bringing that."

Startled, Sam checked the faces around him. They all looked at him, expectantly. If it were anyone but Mike, Sam would probably be pissed. Who was he to alienate the one real friend Dean had? Okay, fine, he could deal."Well," he said slowly, "I guess I should be grateful it wasn't baby shampoo."

Dean beamed at him. "Now why didn't I think of that? Hey, Bobby, you still have those fingerpaints?"

"Hell no," Bobby snapped. "Does this look like a daycare to you?"

Dean chuckled, checking the wig over again. "I think this thing is about ready. What do you think, Bobby?"

Bobby picked it up, held it next to Sam's head. He shrugged. "Works for me. The real question is, will it work for the gremlin?"

Dean's face shifted into something serious, the way his brother always looked right before they had to face something down. "Let's go find out."

-

Mike rubbed his sweaty palm off on his pants. He found himself wishing he had one of those things that covered your scent. The last thing he wanted was for this gremlin to get fixated on him. Stalkers were bad enough, he couldn't imagine what Dean and Sam had been through in all their years of hunting.

He shifted the shotgun to his other hand in order to rub that palm off too. This was his biggest weakness in law enforcement, and he knew it. Mike hated stakeouts. He hated the waiting. Much more at home kicking in doors or high speed chases, the waiting game got to him every time. Nothing ever seemed to phase Reid, though. So why didn't he tell his partner about this? Just because Dean didn't specifically ask for Reid? No, that wasn't it. Mike had a pretty good feeling Reid would have been welcomed on this one. He shifted in his hiding place, one eye on Dean.

Dean wore the wig and he really did look like a shorter version of Sam. Mike smiled at the comparison. How much of Sam's innocent looks were actually just because of the way he chose to wear his hair and clothes? Dean always looked ready to rumble, while Sam appeared to be a college student on break. Neither was really accurate. Which brought him back to Reid.

Reid didn't want him doing this. That was the real reason Mike didn't call his mentor and partner. He wanted to do this, to learn what he could from Dean before the brothers left. He knew Dean couldn't stay in one place too long, had seen the signs from the guys' last visit to their uncle. Before they finished restoring that car, Dean got so antsy he was going on long drives in the Impala just to feel the road under him.

Mike wondered what it would take for the gremlin to come out of hiding. At least then he would have something to do and he could watch Dean in action. Was there a way to coax it out? Maybe they could scatter some of Sam's clothes around to really tempt it? Mike tried to get a glimpse of Bobby in the hiding place off Dean's left, but that guy could really hide. Damn.

As he considered using his cell to call Bobby or Dean with his idea, Mike heard an odd sound. His eyes scoured the automotive heaps surrounding them. Nothing appeared out of order, but Mike hadn't dealt with anything like this before. What did he know? Trusting his instincts, Mike crept slowly from his post to investigate the sound. It seemed to come from near where they had Sam tucked away. Sam had insisted on being in direct line of sight of Dean, to keep an eye on his brother.

He tried to walk like Reid. His partner was almost silent when he wanted to be. Unfortunately Mike had not mastered that yet, but he tried. As he crept closer to Sam's spot he heard wind blowing. Looking around, Mike could not see signs of even a breeze. All the hair stood up on his arms as all the muscles in his body tensed. Yeah, this couldn't be good. Two careful steps closer to Sam's position did not reveal anything new, but Mike couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched and he still heard wind.

Now the feeling of being watched was heavy, crushing. Mike turned slowly, looking right into yellow jagged teeth heavy with black plaque. He froze. They stood watching each other for what felt like hours. It was big. Really big. Huge. And it stank. Too terrified to think, Mike stood there like an idiot trying really hard not to move, not to set it off.

"Get down!" Sam's voice rang out through the salvage yard. Mike dropped, rolling away from the creature. He hit his knees as gunshots rang out over his head. Lifting his shotgun, Mike tried to take aim but there was nothing to aim at. Dazed, he looked around for the gremlin.

"Sam!" Dean shouted as he slid over the car closest to Mike, heading for Sam's spot. Just behind him Bobby raced around the empty car husks. Mike followed Bobby as he ran past, heart drumming in his chest.

"Sam!" Dean shouted again, upping Mike's anxiety level. Mike rounded the next stack of cars to see Dean dive shoulder first into a nasty, shaggy mess. His and Bobby's shotguns snapped into position together.

Mike circled around, trying to get a clear shot. The gremlin shrugged off Dean, as if someone hit it with a sack of flour. It took Dean a long moment and a grimace to get up again. The gremlin went after Sam again, slashing out with its claws. Sam jumped backward but not far enough. One of the claws snagged on Sam's jacket. Dean looked ready to charge it again, but Mike finally had a clear shot. He gave it both barrels, right in the stomach. Assuming gremlins had stomachs.

The gremlin staggered back as Dean glanced his way with a quick nod. Thin wisps of smoke came up from where the rocksalt rounds hit. Dean backed away, signaling to both Bobby and Sam. Bobby fired into the body of the gremlin as Sam leveled his handgun at it. The gremlin looked pretty miserable before Sam started firing. It seemed to be searching for a way out, but Mike knew that once Bobby determined that the gremlin was within the symbol, Bobby had moved the last piece in place to close it in. It was all or nothing now.

Each round Sam fired caused the gremlin to jerk unnaturally, if that word could be applied to something like it. Another gun appeared in Dean's hand and the brothers advanced on the creature together, taking turns firing at it. Sam's shots seemed to cause more damage, but Dean's certainly weren't doing it any good. Both guns were empty by the time it slumped to the ground and Bobby was beaming triumphantly, like he was personally responsible for killing it. Weird.

"I'll get the kerosene!" Bobby shouted, running for the shed near the house.

"What's that for?" Mike asked, not really caring who answered.

"We need to burn it," Sam replied, eyes pinned to the fallen creature. "That's the only way to be sure."

Mike filed that information away for future reference. He wondered if Reid knew about burning stuff.

Bobby was breathing pretty hard when he came back carrying a large can.

"Damn, Bobby," Dean snapped. "One of us could've gotten that." Dean took it from the older man to pour over the prone form of the gremlin. When the kerosene met the dark, matted fur it started to smoke. Dean exchanged a look with Sam, who jumped back a few steps. From a distance, Dean threw more kerosene on the creature while Sam lit a match. The lit match arched through the air, kerosene igniting before the match could touch the body.

All of the men moved backward as the gremlin's body caught fire. It twitched as flames engulfed it, sparks flying outward to land harmlessly on rusting steel. Mike tore his eyes from the sight to check on the others. Bobby looked pretty much the way he always did, but perhaps a little reluctant. Sam appeared triumphant, the battle over evil won. Dean looked, well, intense. Deep hazel-green eyes stared into the flames, daring the nasty to get back up, come after his brother again. In that moment Mike figured he had a glimpse of what Sam's brother was really like, and was grateful to be on the man's good side.

"Well, now we know the bullets work," Dean muttered as they watched it burn. Mike figured he could ask about that later.

-

Bobby had to admit that Mike had been a help. He had wondered about the boy, even though he was handpicked by Reid. After the fiasco with his last partner, Reid had waited a long time before hiring another. Or perhaps Reid had just been searching for the right person, which he finally found in Mike. Either way, Bobby approved. The kid was good in a pinch. He could stand a little more patience, but he was definitely reliable when you needed it.

Before he left, Mike took Dean aside for a good ten minutes or so. Bobby couldn't resist eavesdropping.

"How's the side?"

Dean snorted. "No problem."

"Yeah, right." Mike did not sound convinced. "You are planning to hang out for a little while, until those ribs have a real chance to heal?"

Now Dean chuckled. "Dude, that was the whole point in coming here in the first place. You saw how well that worked out."

"You can't blame Bobby for that," Mike argued. Bless that boy. Bobby always liked him. "Besides, you still owe me a rematch."

"Been practicing?" Dean asked.

"You know it. So? Staying?" Mike pressed.

Dean cleared his throat. "Well, I should probably check with Sam."

Mike snorted. "That brother of yours is still beat to hell. You could both use at least a few weeks."

"If I agree, will you quit nagging me?" Dean asked, not sounding irritated at all.

"Only if you promise me that rematch. Next weekend? I can probably arrange for George to join us, too."

Dean laughed. "Yeah, sure. Now get the hell out of here."

Mike laughed too. "Great. See you two later."

Bobby ducked back down the hall until the front door closed. He sauntered out, doing his best to appear innocent. "Mike leave?"

Dean turned, one eyebrow lifted. "You know he did. You were hiding around the corner."

Bobby did not even try to fight the grin that creased his face. "Damn, boy. Can't cut me any slack, can you?"

Dean grinned. "What's the fun in that?"

"Fun in what?" Sam appeared from the den. "Are you two just going to hang out by the door?"

Dean motioned back to the den. "Get your butt back on that couch, Sam. You're supposed to be resting."

Sam's arms crossed over his chest as he glared at his brother. "That goes for you, too, Dean."

"Sam…"

"Actually, Sam's right," Bobby said, interrupting a potential argument. His gaze slid over to Sam's triumphant face. "And so is Dean. Both of you," he jabbed a thumb at the stairs, "go take a nap."

Twin sets of amazed eyes locked on his. "Now," he snapped, trying to sound more irritated than anxious. What if he made them leave even after Dean had already decided to stay for a while.

Dean blew out a breath. "You heard him, Sammy. Nap time." Dean spun his brother around before Sam had time to register a protest. Shocked, Bobby watched them head upstairs without a word. He considered following them up to eavesdrop outside their door, but he figured Dean would know. So Bobby headed to the kitchen, wondering if the boys would enjoy more of his chili.

-

Sam waited until Dean closed the door to their shared room. "Dean? What the hell was that?"

His big brother grinned as he stretched out on his bed. "What? Bobby?" Dean chuckled. "I think he just likes us."

"I meant that whole ordering us to take a nap thing," Sam insisted. "I've never heard anyone tell you to take a nap other than Dad." What the hell was wrong with his brother?

Dean's eyes closed. "Maybe I'm tired, Sam."

He waited until Dean's breathing evened out, indicating that his brother really did just fall asleep. Sam copied his brother, not really wanting to go back downstairs by himself. As he stared up at the ceiling, he wondered about his brother and Bobby. Dean never followed orders like that from anyone but Dad. Well, okay, Dean listened to him like that when his brother thought Sam might disappear. So what was Dean's excuse with Bobby? Being thrown out? No, they could just take off in the Impala. No big deal, it was where they spent nearly all their lives anyway.

Sam turned his head to stare at his brother's sleeping form. Why did Dean listen to Bobby like that? Like Dad? His eyes widened as he stared harder. No. No way. Could it be?

Sam returned his eyes to his ceiling vigil, not wanting to wake Dean. It seemed silly, to worry that just looking at a person would wake him, but this was Dean. Sam having a nightmare was enough to wake Dean. Sam being in silent pain was enough to wake Dean. Sam growling in frustration would definitely wake Dean, so he clamped his jaw shut.

This is where they stayed after Dad died. Sometimes Sam caught Dean on the phone, hanging up with Bobby. He had always assumed Dean was calling to see if Bobby had a hunt, but now that he thought about it Bobby never gave them one. Not once. And he never questioned it. Bobby was always ready and willing to help them out when they were stuck and Sam had called many times for hunts. Not once just to talk, though.

He rolled his head to the side to check on his brother. Dean called Bobby just to talk. Sam smiled to himself as he closed his eyes. He could share a little of Dean with Bobby. That seemed fair. After everything he put Dean through this year, that certainly seemed fair. Dean had Bobby and he had Dean. Of course, Dean had him, too, but Sam realized that he hadn't been enough lately. He was so focused on himself, he had totally neglected what Dean had been going through. After their nap, Sam planned to ask Bobby what he thought Sam could do about that. Bobby would probably have a few words of advice. Actually, Bobby would probably have a lot of advice if Sam opened that door. He decided as his body started to drift off to sleep that he would wait until they were ready to leave before asking. That way he could get the Cliff Notes' version.

The End. Thanks again!