Still Alive But Barely Breathing Chapter 2A
Okie dokies, glad you liked the first bit peoples. Sorry it's take a little while longer, I decided to re-write some of the stuff in this chapter and rearranged a whole loada stuff. So there's stuff missing from this chapter that was in the original draft, but I hopes you like it anyway.
Same deal,
Rating: PG
Pairing: Dean/Jo
Warnings: AU for the end of season 3 everything but the last eppy has happened in my fic. And this is a deal fic, so nothing from season 4!
Summary: When Dean had told Jo he would go back to bed and take his med's it'd been the truth, only he'd gotten into the room and the hellhounds had started baying and howling like they were only next door.
When Dean had told Jo he would go back to bed and take his med’s it’d been the truth, only he’d gotten into the room and the hell hounds had started baying and howling as if they were only next door. So he’d closed the door and turned his attention to the corridor before him. Jo most certainly was still in the bar and he didn’t fancy coming into contact with her again, not while he was jumpy from the growling. Dean couldn’t afford to let anyone else know about his deal, the more people who knew, the more likely it was that someone would find a way to stop this deal and Sam would be dead again. He hadn’t even told Sam about hearing the hell hounds yet, because that would almost certainly lead to some kind of chick flick moment and Sam’s guilty little puppy dog eyes would come out in full force along with the wobbly lip. And oh God he could see it all now, ‘Dean why didn’t you tell me, I can help, Dean, just let me hold you and we’ll cry and all will be well in the world!’ Okay, so maybe that wasn’t exactly what Sam would say, but it was near enough.
Plus his face was still burning with the fever and Dean thought a cool glass of water would go down mighty nice right now. So with that in mind, he turned his attention to the back corridor, and soon found himself in a respectably sized kitchen. With a sigh he padded over to the sink - pulling out a glass from one of the cupboards on his way - and turned the tap on. Cupping his hands underneath the cool, flowing water Dean waited until his fingers were tingling from the chill and then brought his damp hands out and rubbed them over his face and neck. Dean had just been about to take a sip of the water when he heard a cough sound from behind him. He swivelled on his heels, cringing, hoping, praying it wasn’t Jo again.
It wasn’t.
It was worse.
“Er, hey Ellen.” He said with a sheepish grin, “Nice night ain’t it?”
“Boy, you’re supposed to be in bed resting! What in the hell are you doing up?”
With a grin that could only be described as being inherently Dean he replied: “Not resting?”
Rolling her eyes Ellen stepped into the kitchen, then, hands on her hips she squinted at Dean, “Dean, hon, you’re still ill. Go back to bed and rest that fever off.”
“I ain’t got no fever,” Dean pouted, looking up at her through his eyelashes.
“Don’t even try that with me Dean Winchester, it didn’t work when your Daddy tried it and it won’t work with you -”
“So Dad did try something with you then? I figured. But what did he try huh, Ellen?” Dean asked cutting her off, his mouth twisting into a wide smile, teeth shining in the gloom and leaning forwards towards her.
She squinted her eyes in return, “Get your skinny ass back to bed and get some rest.” She said, hands on her hips trying to look authoritative.
“My ass ain’t skinny, that’s Sam!” He replied giving her a lavish grin. “And why do you care about my ass?”
She squinted again, pursing her lips as if it would protect her from the charms of Dean Winchester. It failed and he rolled her eyes as her heart gave a soft flutter. She blushed and said, ‘I don’t care whether your ass is skinny or not, it’s still going back to bed -”
“Why Ellen I didn’t know you wanted to get me into bed!”
“ -and get some rest!” She continued talking, ignoring Dean’s little quip and jerked her head in the direction of the door.
“Yes, ma’am,” Dean said coyly, pouting his lips some more. He lifted the cool glass to his mouth and took a long draught from it, licking the moisture from his lips all the while a twinkle in his eyes. And Ellen rolled her eyes, watching him flutter his eyelashes at her and grin. She laughed in return, motioning for him to hightail it.
He turned to place the glass down on the counter when he heard them again, just outside the window, growling and snarling. “Shit,” He swore, they were so close and loud and near that Dean flinched and dropped the glass, which landed, shattering on impact on the wooded floor.
“Dean?!” Ellen said shock evident on her face. She stepped forwards, hand outstretched but Dean flinched away from her. Ellen tried to ignore the stab of pain that shot through her as she watched the elder Winchester stumble away to the other side of the room, towards the door leading outside. She tried to ignore the bloody footprints as he stepped in the glass and the way his hands shook as he fumbled with the lock, “Dean, what’s the matter?”
Dean ignored her, instead opened the backdoor and stepped outside, wanting to scream all the while. The hell hounds had gone he was sure, after all the first hints of the sun were bleeding into the night sky, painting the horizon an ironic, bloody red. He squinted into the darkness, taking another step forwards, sure he could see a shadow, low to the ground. Was it a hell hound? Was he wrong, had they not left? They couldn’t take him, not yet, surely? What were they doing here then? If not to torment him with their constant howling?
“Dean, answer me, hun, what’s wrong?” Ellen stepped forwards, reaching for him again, practically sighing with relief when he didn’t flinch away. He looked as if he was searching for something out on the horizon, something dangerous, but what, she didn’t know. As her hand met his shoulder, he turned back to her, as if realising she was still there. “Dean?” She queried again.
“Nothing. ‘S the fever,” He muttered, hunching his bare shoulders. “S’nothing Ellen, imma go back to bed.” Before Ellen had even had a chance to reply he spoke again, “Sorry ‘bout the glass,” and then disappeared entirely.
Somewhat stunned, and a little scared at the whole outburst, Ellen stepped back into the kitchen, locking the backdoor behind her. She didn’t know what had spooked Dean enough to drop a glass, walk through the shattered remains and then practically sprint outside, but it obviously wasn’t good. Maybe Sam would know what was going on, after all Bobby had said to talk to the boy alone, maybe she could get something out of him if she told him about tonight. She shook her head, reaching for a broom to sweep up the shattered remains of the glass. She would find out what was going on with those boys, whether they wanted her to know or not.
SPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNL
“Hey Mom, what’re you doing up so late?” Jo had heard a smash just as she had been bedding down and proceeded to investigate, which was how she found herself in the kitchen at who-knows-what-time in the morning where her mom was currently sweeping up pieces of a broken glass. “Is that glass? Wait, is that blood? What happened?”
“Me and Dean had a little run in.” She said sighing. Her eyebrows were crooked down betraying her worry -something must have happened.
“Was Dean alright with you?” Jo asked remembering the sudden change in Dean’s demeanour back in the bar.
“At first,” Ellen said, leaving the glass for the moment, “He was being his usual self; cocky, arrogant, charming and idiotic all in one and then...I don’t know it was like somebody flicked a switch and he, I swear to God Jo he jumped outta his skin and ran at the door.”
“Through the glass?” Jo said stunned.
“Apparently whatever was outside was important enough to walk through some glass for.” Ellen sighed, resuming her previous task. She was quiet for a moment, then she spoke quietly, “What are you doing up?”
Jo cringed. “I was kinda in the bar...with Dean. Telling him to go to bed and take his med of course Mom, God!” She said when her mother gave her a look. “What?! I’m being honest here Mom,”
Despite her almost-glare Ellen smiled at her daughter, “You know what I think about you and Dean hun,” She said depositing the glass into the nearest bin.
“Yes mom,” Jo sighed, rolling her eyes theatrically, “He’s a womaniser, will never settle down, look elsewhere, yadda, yadda, yadda.”
“He’s a fine man, an even better hunter but-”
“Mom, if I have to listen to you lecture me about my non-existent love life with bad boy Dean Winchester one more time I may just spontaneously combust on the spot.” Jo said deadpanned.
“Alright, alright. And it’s not that I don’t think Dean’s a good man, it’s just...you’ll get your heart broken sweetie. Dean’s one of those men who can’t stop doing what they do simply for love, and one day he might not come home and you-”
Jo waved her arms about in an attempt to stop her mother from talking anymore, and when that didn’t work she spoke, loudly cutting her off mid-tirade, “Mom, cut it out!” She didn’t like to think of anyone dying. Hell if she was truthful with herself, she just didn’t want to think about Dean dying.
“Alright, okay. Sorry.” Ellen chuckled, ruffling Jo’s hair. “I think it’s time we went to bed hun.”
SPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNL
Sam awoke to an empty bed and was about to have a heart attack and start tearing the place up to find his brother, when Dean walked through the door, towelling his hair dry. Dean took one look at Sam and rolled his eyes,
“Calm down, Francis,” He said thudding down onto his bed, “I was only in the shower,”
Sam scratched his head and managed to look sheepish as he said, “Sorry dude just, you know.”
Dean sighed shortly, “Yeah,”
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between the brothers before Dean opened his mouth to speak again, “I’m gonna work on the car today, seeing as we’re staying here for a few days and anyway she needs a touch up, some more oil, a bit of TLC, you know,”
“Dean, you’re ribs-” Sam began, his forehead creasing with worry.
“Sam,” Dean said, elbows on his knees, looking at his brother through his eyelashes, “I’m not exactly rebuilding her again, it’s not that much hard work. I’ll be-“
“I swear to God if you say fine I’m gonna strangle you.” Sam cut him off, squinting at him from underneath his fringe. His lips twisted into a pout when Dean seemed to start laughing at him.
“I was going to say I’ll be out back, just giving her some attention, no major work. Dude,” Dean’s lips were curved up in the corners, a hint of a smile at Sam’s concern and threat of bodily harm playing about his lips.
Sam rubbed at his eyes, across his forehead, sighing harshly before looking down at his feet. He was acting like an idiot, he was an idiot-
“Hey,” Dean murmured coming over to sit alongside his brother. He knocked their shoulders together, giving Sam a little shove. “What’s up with you little brother,”
And Dean’s tone was so soft and worried that Sam wanted to burst into tears. He turned to look at Dean, whose eyebrows were furrowed and wanted to scream, it shouldn’t be me you’re worried about, hell it shouldn’t even be me who’s worried, you shouldn’t even be in this situation in the first place, it’s all my fault you’re-
Dean, with that innate ability to fix any of Sam’s problems, managed to cut off Sam’s interior tirade with a soft smile and a crinkling of his eyes. “Sammy,” He said, nudging him again, “You know this isn’t your fault.”
And then Sam got angry, pushing up away from the warm heat of his brother’s side, “How can you say that?” He asked loudly, furiously. “How can you possibly say that Dean, of course it’s my fault. I was the one who got caught; I was the one who got ki-”
“Stop it Sam.” Dean stood up to face his brother, grabbing him by the shoulders. He shook him slightly trying to stop his brother from saying the words, “I...can we not talk about this today? Please? I just...” Sam watched as Dean’s face close up and he titled it away, sighing. “I just want a break from it all Sam, even if it’s just a day of not thinking about this mess I got us in...That okay?”
Sam blinked rapidly and nodded, saying, “Of course Dean. You should have said something man, course you can take a break-” Dean cut him off with a gloomy look.
“You too Sammy. Can’t I just have my goofy, little brother back for a day? I just want a day of not watching you worry...Sam?”
Sam sniffed and subtly tried to dispel the tears that were welling in his eyes and said, “Yeah, yeah, sure man, what did you have planned?”
“Nothing much, just you know, laze around, clean my baby, the usual. Go read a geeky book or something man, just no deal stuff, kay?” Dean said, his eyes lighting up at the fact that he was getting his way. He looked younger Sam thought, when he smiled like that, with his whole face.
“No deal stuff. Got it. Sure man.”
Dean clapped him on the shoulder and left the room leaving Sam somewhat bewildered at what he could possibly do today now that his demon deal research had been prohibited. Running his fingers though his unruly hair; he stood up, reaching for his jeans and wondering if Ellen had any other books he could read all the while trying to smother that little voice that screamed, too little time, too little time, inside him.
SPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNL
So far the day had been fairly uneventful if Dean was to say so himself. The hell hounds had made no appearances - yet his mind added snidely - and Dean had been left mostly alone so far throughout the day, so he got a chance to look after his car a little more than usual. Twice Sam came out to see him, once with a drink of water because, holy hell it’s hot out here, and the second time to call him in for some lunch.
This prospect. This prospect of sitting down at a table with Jo and Ellen and Sam - especially after his little show last night - all together did not sound pleasant. So somewhat embarrassedly he opted out, telling Sam he wasn’t hungry and when Sam’s eyes got all puppy doggy and worried because Dean, you’re still injured, you need your strength to get better, he had told him to save a plate for when he was feeling a little more hungry. Sam had reluctantly agreed and slouched back inside somewhat dejectedly and Dean bit his cheek feeling guilty. Shaking his head, Dean continued working on the impala, pulling himself down and under to get a proper look at what needed fixing. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t hear it when Jo sat down beside his hip, resting her back against the impala’s door. She tapped his leg, startling him and he pulled out.
“Jesus Jo, scared the frickin’ hell outta me,” He said, before resting back against the impala. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back and soaked in the pleasant warmth of the sun. After a while he opened his eyes again and noticed the fact that Jo had a plate of grilled cheese and ham sandwiches and a glass of lemonade. “Please tell me that’s for me,” He groaned as his stomach grumbled loudly and Jo laughed.
“Weeeell,” she said, drawing the word out and Dean pouted, trying to ignore the way her skin glowed in the sunlight, trying to ignore the way her t-shirt pulled over the swell of her breasts, trying to ignore the feeling that was stirring deep in his gut. The feeling that could only mean one thing. He shoved it down and spoke again,
“Please Jojo?” He wheedled and laughed boyishly when she relented with a chuckle.
SPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNL
Sam was hovering by the backdoor.
“Sam! Don’t make me tell you again!” Jo threatened pointing her pencil at him, he’d been alternating between reading in the lounge and hovering by the backdoor to check on Dean...every ten minutes, and quite frankly it was distracting her from the crossword that she very nearly had finished.
“Sorry, sorry, it’s just he hasn’t had lunch yet and I don’t want to seem to be harassing him if I go out there again to tell him to...” He trailed off. He looked at Jo suddenly, and hell no, she did not like the look on his face.
“Don’t even think about it,” She warned.
“Please Jo? He won’t kill you with a wrench if you go out to him, please?” And oh God, Dean had warned her about the puppy dog eyes and she hadn’t believed him, but there they were, in full force and she was melting...goddamit!!!
“Fine,” She muttered shoving the crossword away from her and getting up to go to the fridge. She was intercepted by a giant bear hug from Sam.
“Saaam,” She wheezed. “Can’t...can’t breathe!”
Sam let go immediately and with a rue grin rubbed the back of his neck - obviously he’d gotten over the whole I-nearly-killed-you-when-I-was-possessed thing. Good. “Thanks Jo,” He said dimples deep in his cheeks and fled the room before she could say anything else.
So grabbing the sandwiches she turned the cooker on and proceeded to toast them until warm and melty. Then she grabbed the lemonade and headed out into the sun to find one Dean Winchester. Barefoot, she padded along the dusty, red path until she found the impala. It took a while for her to realise that Dean wasn’t there and then she noticed two legs poking out from underneath. With a smile she thudded down next to him and rested her back against the warm heat of the car door. When it was obvious that Dean hadn’t noticed her sit down next to him, she prodded him, grinning as he jumped.
Dean pulled himself out from underneath the car with some difficulty and said, “Jesus Jo, scared the frickin’ hell outta me,” but Jo didn’t hear him, her heart thudded loudly in her chest at the sight of him. Oil was smudged across his right cheek, high on the cheekbone and across his freckles that usually stood out in stark contrast to his skin. Another line was along his neck, disappearing behind his ear and into his hair. His hair was ruffled and mussed from being shoved underneath the car and looked soft to touch, making him look young and roguish. She swallowed thickly as her eyes noted the pink, lushness of his lips that looked plump and swollen from being bitten in concentration and she watched Dean lean against the impala, tilting his head back, revealing the long line of his throat. She followed the curve, noting how the sun gave a warm sheen to his skin where he was sweating lightly, until it disappeared underneath his grey t-shirt that was damp from the heat. His eyes were closed and Jo nearly whined in frustration at having the evergreen eyes being hidden from her gaze until she saw his eyelashes, thick and dark and long where they rested against his cheek as he soaked in the sun.
He turned to look at her then, as if he knew he was being watched and said somewhat excitedly, “Please tell me that’s for me,” He groaned looking at the plate of sandwiches she held and Jo heard his stomach rumble and laughed.
“Weeeell,” she pulled the word out, pretending to think about it and then Dean pouted and all the breath got stuck in her throat at the sight.
“Please Jojo?” He wheedled apparently ignorant of the affect he had upon her. Then he laughed, loud and boyishly when she relented with a forced chuckle and handed the plate and glass over to him.
He groaned again as he bit into the sandwich, head thudding back to rest against the impala and Jo bit her lip. “Good?” She asked mainly to distract herself.
“Very,” He mumbled around bites. In the space of a minute the plate of sandwiches was gone and Dean was tilting his head back to drink the lemonade in three long gulps. Jo watched his throat work, watched the bead of sweat that trickled down his neck to soak into his t-shirt, watched him put the glass down and lick the moisture from his lips with the tip of his tongue. And then she nearly died as he put an ice-cube to his lips. She turned away quickly, but not before the image of too pink lips wrapped around the ice-cube was imprinted in her mind. She groaned mentally and swallowed hard, wanting to cry at the fact that she couldn’t have him.
He turned to grin at her again, offering her another ice-cube but she shook her head, watching as he shuddered at the coldness in his mouth. “How’ve you been Jo? I mean after -” His voice was wary as if he didn’t really want to know the answer.
“You mean after we had that little run in with that Demon?” When Dean nodded somewhat stoically she replied truthfully. “I was okay. A little shaken up of course, anyone would be after all. But I got through it. I’m okay now. I got through it.” She watched as Dean seemed to wince at her words.
“I didn’t call.” He said not looking at her.
“I didn’t expect you to.” She replied, biting her lip when Dean winced again. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just knew that you had Sam to worry about. I knew that if you called me it would be bad news. Dean, I would have been worried if you had called.”
Dean nodded once and then again slowly, still not looking at Jo but she smiled at him anyway. “Come into contact with anymore creepy people eating clowns lately?” Her comment had the desired effect - Dean laughed.
“No. No people eating clowns, but me and Sam nearly got eaten by Pagan Gods acting as Santa Clause and pulling people up chimneys.”
“No way!” She exclaimed shoving at him, “I don’t believe you!”
“It’s true, Sam got his fingernail ripped off and the son-of-a-bitch nearly took one of my teeth before they got interrupted. And see here,” He lifted his arm, pointing to a thin but long scar near the crook of his elbow, “I got that one from them taking my blood for the ritual as I was tied up in a chair in their kitchen.”
Jo glanced closer at the silvery skin and ran a finger along the line of it. “You got anymore stories to tell me? Anything top that one?” She asked pulling her hand back.
“Well, there was the time when we had the run in with the Trickster we thought we killed a while back.”
“Oh yeah? Aren’t they some kind of God too?”
“Yeah, something like that,”
“Well what happened?” Jo twisted to face Dean properly trying to ignore the way the sunlight glinted off his eyes.
“Groundhog day is what happened.”
“Groundhog day?” She said confusedly, “What like the film? You kept reliving the same day over and over?”
“Yup, that’s about right, except it was only Sam who remembers it. Cos apparently the Trickster got too much joy outta killing me over a hundred times.” He spoke so plainly and matter-of-factly that Jo had to think about his statement for while before it really sunk in.
“Wait what?” She said quietly, hoping she had heard wrong.
Dean looked at her, one eyebrow quirked in amusement, “I knew this was the wrong story to bring up. It killed me. Over a hundred times, just to teach Sam a lesson but damned if I know what it is.”
Jo was silent, her face must have betrayed her horror because Dean said hurriedly, “I don’t remember any of it, don’t worry. And Sam said some of it was actually pretty funny.”
“How can you dying over a hundred times be funny in the slightest?!” Jo said heatedly.
“Well, there was the time I slipped in the shower and broke my neck.” Jo said nothing, it was suddenly beginning to dawn upon her that Dean was being serious. “Not funny?” Dean asked.
Jo shook her head once in disagreement and Dean pursed his lips making Jo flush hot all over.
“How about the time when I got ravaged by a dog?” He asked looking back down at Jo.
She shook her head again and he did that thing with his lips, pouting them out and rolling his eyes to the sky in thought.
“Spontaneous combustion?”
“Still not funny.”
“Erm...there was the incident with the hookers...”
“You died from having too much sex?!” She squawked indignantly and Dean smiled, eyes crinkling and said, “Gotcha,”
“You bastard,” She said shoving him away from her.
“You actually thought that -” Dean watched her face scrunch up in embarrassment and almost face planted into the ground wheezing with laughter. “S...sstop...ssstop it...hurrrts...ribsss,” He got out between loud guffaws. Dean was lying on his back when he finally stopped laughing at her and Jo said,
“Alright smart ass, what really happened?”
“Sam got me once actually,” Dean said tone nonchalant.
“Sam killed you?!” She screeched.
“Yeah, got me with an axe,” He laughed at her expression when she realised he wasn’t lying this time and she pouted in response, “It was an accident don’t worry,”
“I should hope it was an accident.” She mumbled folding her arms and Dean chuckled again, nudging her in the side.
“Meteor from space?” Dean asked dead-panned and Jo’s lips twitched. “Oh and then was my all time favourite...death by chicken.”
“Seriously?” Jo said eyebrows near her hairline. Her lips twitched again as she threatened to burst into hysterical laughter.
“Seriously.”
They were silent for a while then and Jo thought it was peaceful, just sitting beside Dean doing nothing but staring out across the field on the other side of the road.
“I take it Sam talked you into coming out here then,” Dean said quietly sighing.
“Yup, over-protective little munchkin,”
“Not so little actually,”
“I suppose,”
“He gave you the puppy dog eyes didn’t he?” He said grinning, “I know them well.”
“That’s not all,” She replied smiling back. Dean Winchester’s grin was contagious.
“Did he give you the dimples?” He asked eyes alight with amusement, “Aw, he totally did, didn’t he? The little bastard, I told you he could get you to do anything he wanted. I’ve resorted to not looking at him when he tries to pull ‘em on me.”
“Hugged me too,” Jo said grinning up at him.
“Dude this is like major. It took puppy eyes, dimples and a hug to get you? Jesus,”
“Got all up in my space and proper lifted me off the ground.”
“That isn’t too hard seeing as Sam’s a giant sasquatch and you’re only teeny tiny!” Dean sniggered and Jo turned a fake glare on him, squinting one of her eyes at him. She pursed her lips and said brandishing a finger at him, “You couldn’t take me when we first met Dean Winchester and you can’t take me now!”
End of chapter 2A and goddammit I hate lj for making me cut up my chapters like this, clicky click for the next bit!
Close Kitchen
Same deal,
Rating: PG
Pairing: Dean/Jo
Warnings: AU for the end of season 3 everything but the last eppy has happened in my fic. And this is a deal fic, so nothing from season 4!
Summary: When Dean had told Jo he would go back to bed and take his med's it'd been the truth, only he'd gotten into the room and the hellhounds had started baying and howling like they were only next door.
When Dean had told Jo he would go back to bed and take his med’s it’d been the truth, only he’d gotten into the room and the hell hounds had started baying and howling as if they were only next door. So he’d closed the door and turned his attention to the corridor before him. Jo most certainly was still in the bar and he didn’t fancy coming into contact with her again, not while he was jumpy from the growling. Dean couldn’t afford to let anyone else know about his deal, the more people who knew, the more likely it was that someone would find a way to stop this deal and Sam would be dead again. He hadn’t even told Sam about hearing the hell hounds yet, because that would almost certainly lead to some kind of chick flick moment and Sam’s guilty little puppy dog eyes would come out in full force along with the wobbly lip. And oh God he could see it all now, ‘Dean why didn’t you tell me, I can help, Dean, just let me hold you and we’ll cry and all will be well in the world!’ Okay, so maybe that wasn’t exactly what Sam would say, but it was near enough.
Plus his face was still burning with the fever and Dean thought a cool glass of water would go down mighty nice right now. So with that in mind, he turned his attention to the back corridor, and soon found himself in a respectably sized kitchen. With a sigh he padded over to the sink - pulling out a glass from one of the cupboards on his way - and turned the tap on. Cupping his hands underneath the cool, flowing water Dean waited until his fingers were tingling from the chill and then brought his damp hands out and rubbed them over his face and neck. Dean had just been about to take a sip of the water when he heard a cough sound from behind him. He swivelled on his heels, cringing, hoping, praying it wasn’t Jo again.
It wasn’t.
It was worse.
“Er, hey Ellen.” He said with a sheepish grin, “Nice night ain’t it?”
“Boy, you’re supposed to be in bed resting! What in the hell are you doing up?”
With a grin that could only be described as being inherently Dean he replied: “Not resting?”
Rolling her eyes Ellen stepped into the kitchen, then, hands on her hips she squinted at Dean, “Dean, hon, you’re still ill. Go back to bed and rest that fever off.”
“I ain’t got no fever,” Dean pouted, looking up at her through his eyelashes.
“Don’t even try that with me Dean Winchester, it didn’t work when your Daddy tried it and it won’t work with you -”
“So Dad did try something with you then? I figured. But what did he try huh, Ellen?” Dean asked cutting her off, his mouth twisting into a wide smile, teeth shining in the gloom and leaning forwards towards her.
She squinted her eyes in return, “Get your skinny ass back to bed and get some rest.” She said, hands on her hips trying to look authoritative.
“My ass ain’t skinny, that’s Sam!” He replied giving her a lavish grin. “And why do you care about my ass?”
She squinted again, pursing her lips as if it would protect her from the charms of Dean Winchester. It failed and he rolled her eyes as her heart gave a soft flutter. She blushed and said, ‘I don’t care whether your ass is skinny or not, it’s still going back to bed -”
“Why Ellen I didn’t know you wanted to get me into bed!”
“ -and get some rest!” She continued talking, ignoring Dean’s little quip and jerked her head in the direction of the door.
“Yes, ma’am,” Dean said coyly, pouting his lips some more. He lifted the cool glass to his mouth and took a long draught from it, licking the moisture from his lips all the while a twinkle in his eyes. And Ellen rolled her eyes, watching him flutter his eyelashes at her and grin. She laughed in return, motioning for him to hightail it.
He turned to place the glass down on the counter when he heard them again, just outside the window, growling and snarling. “Shit,” He swore, they were so close and loud and near that Dean flinched and dropped the glass, which landed, shattering on impact on the wooded floor.
“Dean?!” Ellen said shock evident on her face. She stepped forwards, hand outstretched but Dean flinched away from her. Ellen tried to ignore the stab of pain that shot through her as she watched the elder Winchester stumble away to the other side of the room, towards the door leading outside. She tried to ignore the bloody footprints as he stepped in the glass and the way his hands shook as he fumbled with the lock, “Dean, what’s the matter?”
Dean ignored her, instead opened the backdoor and stepped outside, wanting to scream all the while. The hell hounds had gone he was sure, after all the first hints of the sun were bleeding into the night sky, painting the horizon an ironic, bloody red. He squinted into the darkness, taking another step forwards, sure he could see a shadow, low to the ground. Was it a hell hound? Was he wrong, had they not left? They couldn’t take him, not yet, surely? What were they doing here then? If not to torment him with their constant howling?
“Dean, answer me, hun, what’s wrong?” Ellen stepped forwards, reaching for him again, practically sighing with relief when he didn’t flinch away. He looked as if he was searching for something out on the horizon, something dangerous, but what, she didn’t know. As her hand met his shoulder, he turned back to her, as if realising she was still there. “Dean?” She queried again.
“Nothing. ‘S the fever,” He muttered, hunching his bare shoulders. “S’nothing Ellen, imma go back to bed.” Before Ellen had even had a chance to reply he spoke again, “Sorry ‘bout the glass,” and then disappeared entirely.
Somewhat stunned, and a little scared at the whole outburst, Ellen stepped back into the kitchen, locking the backdoor behind her. She didn’t know what had spooked Dean enough to drop a glass, walk through the shattered remains and then practically sprint outside, but it obviously wasn’t good. Maybe Sam would know what was going on, after all Bobby had said to talk to the boy alone, maybe she could get something out of him if she told him about tonight. She shook her head, reaching for a broom to sweep up the shattered remains of the glass. She would find out what was going on with those boys, whether they wanted her to know or not.
SPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNL
“Hey Mom, what’re you doing up so late?” Jo had heard a smash just as she had been bedding down and proceeded to investigate, which was how she found herself in the kitchen at who-knows-what-time in the morning where her mom was currently sweeping up pieces of a broken glass. “Is that glass? Wait, is that blood? What happened?”
“Me and Dean had a little run in.” She said sighing. Her eyebrows were crooked down betraying her worry -something must have happened.
“Was Dean alright with you?” Jo asked remembering the sudden change in Dean’s demeanour back in the bar.
“At first,” Ellen said, leaving the glass for the moment, “He was being his usual self; cocky, arrogant, charming and idiotic all in one and then...I don’t know it was like somebody flicked a switch and he, I swear to God Jo he jumped outta his skin and ran at the door.”
“Through the glass?” Jo said stunned.
“Apparently whatever was outside was important enough to walk through some glass for.” Ellen sighed, resuming her previous task. She was quiet for a moment, then she spoke quietly, “What are you doing up?”
Jo cringed. “I was kinda in the bar...with Dean. Telling him to go to bed and take his med of course Mom, God!” She said when her mother gave her a look. “What?! I’m being honest here Mom,”
Despite her almost-glare Ellen smiled at her daughter, “You know what I think about you and Dean hun,” She said depositing the glass into the nearest bin.
“Yes mom,” Jo sighed, rolling her eyes theatrically, “He’s a womaniser, will never settle down, look elsewhere, yadda, yadda, yadda.”
“He’s a fine man, an even better hunter but-”
“Mom, if I have to listen to you lecture me about my non-existent love life with bad boy Dean Winchester one more time I may just spontaneously combust on the spot.” Jo said deadpanned.
“Alright, alright. And it’s not that I don’t think Dean’s a good man, it’s just...you’ll get your heart broken sweetie. Dean’s one of those men who can’t stop doing what they do simply for love, and one day he might not come home and you-”
Jo waved her arms about in an attempt to stop her mother from talking anymore, and when that didn’t work she spoke, loudly cutting her off mid-tirade, “Mom, cut it out!” She didn’t like to think of anyone dying. Hell if she was truthful with herself, she just didn’t want to think about Dean dying.
“Alright, okay. Sorry.” Ellen chuckled, ruffling Jo’s hair. “I think it’s time we went to bed hun.”
SPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNL
Sam awoke to an empty bed and was about to have a heart attack and start tearing the place up to find his brother, when Dean walked through the door, towelling his hair dry. Dean took one look at Sam and rolled his eyes,
“Calm down, Francis,” He said thudding down onto his bed, “I was only in the shower,”
Sam scratched his head and managed to look sheepish as he said, “Sorry dude just, you know.”
Dean sighed shortly, “Yeah,”
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between the brothers before Dean opened his mouth to speak again, “I’m gonna work on the car today, seeing as we’re staying here for a few days and anyway she needs a touch up, some more oil, a bit of TLC, you know,”
“Dean, you’re ribs-” Sam began, his forehead creasing with worry.
“Sam,” Dean said, elbows on his knees, looking at his brother through his eyelashes, “I’m not exactly rebuilding her again, it’s not that much hard work. I’ll be-“
“I swear to God if you say fine I’m gonna strangle you.” Sam cut him off, squinting at him from underneath his fringe. His lips twisted into a pout when Dean seemed to start laughing at him.
“I was going to say I’ll be out back, just giving her some attention, no major work. Dude,” Dean’s lips were curved up in the corners, a hint of a smile at Sam’s concern and threat of bodily harm playing about his lips.
Sam rubbed at his eyes, across his forehead, sighing harshly before looking down at his feet. He was acting like an idiot, he was an idiot-
“Hey,” Dean murmured coming over to sit alongside his brother. He knocked their shoulders together, giving Sam a little shove. “What’s up with you little brother,”
And Dean’s tone was so soft and worried that Sam wanted to burst into tears. He turned to look at Dean, whose eyebrows were furrowed and wanted to scream, it shouldn’t be me you’re worried about, hell it shouldn’t even be me who’s worried, you shouldn’t even be in this situation in the first place, it’s all my fault you’re-
Dean, with that innate ability to fix any of Sam’s problems, managed to cut off Sam’s interior tirade with a soft smile and a crinkling of his eyes. “Sammy,” He said, nudging him again, “You know this isn’t your fault.”
And then Sam got angry, pushing up away from the warm heat of his brother’s side, “How can you say that?” He asked loudly, furiously. “How can you possibly say that Dean, of course it’s my fault. I was the one who got caught; I was the one who got ki-”
“Stop it Sam.” Dean stood up to face his brother, grabbing him by the shoulders. He shook him slightly trying to stop his brother from saying the words, “I...can we not talk about this today? Please? I just...” Sam watched as Dean’s face close up and he titled it away, sighing. “I just want a break from it all Sam, even if it’s just a day of not thinking about this mess I got us in...That okay?”
Sam blinked rapidly and nodded, saying, “Of course Dean. You should have said something man, course you can take a break-” Dean cut him off with a gloomy look.
“You too Sammy. Can’t I just have my goofy, little brother back for a day? I just want a day of not watching you worry...Sam?”
Sam sniffed and subtly tried to dispel the tears that were welling in his eyes and said, “Yeah, yeah, sure man, what did you have planned?”
“Nothing much, just you know, laze around, clean my baby, the usual. Go read a geeky book or something man, just no deal stuff, kay?” Dean said, his eyes lighting up at the fact that he was getting his way. He looked younger Sam thought, when he smiled like that, with his whole face.
“No deal stuff. Got it. Sure man.”
Dean clapped him on the shoulder and left the room leaving Sam somewhat bewildered at what he could possibly do today now that his demon deal research had been prohibited. Running his fingers though his unruly hair; he stood up, reaching for his jeans and wondering if Ellen had any other books he could read all the while trying to smother that little voice that screamed, too little time, too little time, inside him.
SPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNL
So far the day had been fairly uneventful if Dean was to say so himself. The hell hounds had made no appearances - yet his mind added snidely - and Dean had been left mostly alone so far throughout the day, so he got a chance to look after his car a little more than usual. Twice Sam came out to see him, once with a drink of water because, holy hell it’s hot out here, and the second time to call him in for some lunch.
This prospect. This prospect of sitting down at a table with Jo and Ellen and Sam - especially after his little show last night - all together did not sound pleasant. So somewhat embarrassedly he opted out, telling Sam he wasn’t hungry and when Sam’s eyes got all puppy doggy and worried because Dean, you’re still injured, you need your strength to get better, he had told him to save a plate for when he was feeling a little more hungry. Sam had reluctantly agreed and slouched back inside somewhat dejectedly and Dean bit his cheek feeling guilty. Shaking his head, Dean continued working on the impala, pulling himself down and under to get a proper look at what needed fixing. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t hear it when Jo sat down beside his hip, resting her back against the impala’s door. She tapped his leg, startling him and he pulled out.
“Jesus Jo, scared the frickin’ hell outta me,” He said, before resting back against the impala. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back and soaked in the pleasant warmth of the sun. After a while he opened his eyes again and noticed the fact that Jo had a plate of grilled cheese and ham sandwiches and a glass of lemonade. “Please tell me that’s for me,” He groaned as his stomach grumbled loudly and Jo laughed.
“Weeeell,” she said, drawing the word out and Dean pouted, trying to ignore the way her skin glowed in the sunlight, trying to ignore the way her t-shirt pulled over the swell of her breasts, trying to ignore the feeling that was stirring deep in his gut. The feeling that could only mean one thing. He shoved it down and spoke again,
“Please Jojo?” He wheedled and laughed boyishly when she relented with a chuckle.
SPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNLSPNL
Sam was hovering by the backdoor.
“Sam! Don’t make me tell you again!” Jo threatened pointing her pencil at him, he’d been alternating between reading in the lounge and hovering by the backdoor to check on Dean...every ten minutes, and quite frankly it was distracting her from the crossword that she very nearly had finished.
“Sorry, sorry, it’s just he hasn’t had lunch yet and I don’t want to seem to be harassing him if I go out there again to tell him to...” He trailed off. He looked at Jo suddenly, and hell no, she did not like the look on his face.
“Don’t even think about it,” She warned.
“Please Jo? He won’t kill you with a wrench if you go out to him, please?” And oh God, Dean had warned her about the puppy dog eyes and she hadn’t believed him, but there they were, in full force and she was melting...goddamit!!!
“Fine,” She muttered shoving the crossword away from her and getting up to go to the fridge. She was intercepted by a giant bear hug from Sam.
“Saaam,” She wheezed. “Can’t...can’t breathe!”
Sam let go immediately and with a rue grin rubbed the back of his neck - obviously he’d gotten over the whole I-nearly-killed-you-when-I-was-possessed thing. Good. “Thanks Jo,” He said dimples deep in his cheeks and fled the room before she could say anything else.
So grabbing the sandwiches she turned the cooker on and proceeded to toast them until warm and melty. Then she grabbed the lemonade and headed out into the sun to find one Dean Winchester. Barefoot, she padded along the dusty, red path until she found the impala. It took a while for her to realise that Dean wasn’t there and then she noticed two legs poking out from underneath. With a smile she thudded down next to him and rested her back against the warm heat of the car door. When it was obvious that Dean hadn’t noticed her sit down next to him, she prodded him, grinning as he jumped.
Dean pulled himself out from underneath the car with some difficulty and said, “Jesus Jo, scared the frickin’ hell outta me,” but Jo didn’t hear him, her heart thudded loudly in her chest at the sight of him. Oil was smudged across his right cheek, high on the cheekbone and across his freckles that usually stood out in stark contrast to his skin. Another line was along his neck, disappearing behind his ear and into his hair. His hair was ruffled and mussed from being shoved underneath the car and looked soft to touch, making him look young and roguish. She swallowed thickly as her eyes noted the pink, lushness of his lips that looked plump and swollen from being bitten in concentration and she watched Dean lean against the impala, tilting his head back, revealing the long line of his throat. She followed the curve, noting how the sun gave a warm sheen to his skin where he was sweating lightly, until it disappeared underneath his grey t-shirt that was damp from the heat. His eyes were closed and Jo nearly whined in frustration at having the evergreen eyes being hidden from her gaze until she saw his eyelashes, thick and dark and long where they rested against his cheek as he soaked in the sun.
He turned to look at her then, as if he knew he was being watched and said somewhat excitedly, “Please tell me that’s for me,” He groaned looking at the plate of sandwiches she held and Jo heard his stomach rumble and laughed.
“Weeeell,” she pulled the word out, pretending to think about it and then Dean pouted and all the breath got stuck in her throat at the sight.
“Please Jojo?” He wheedled apparently ignorant of the affect he had upon her. Then he laughed, loud and boyishly when she relented with a forced chuckle and handed the plate and glass over to him.
He groaned again as he bit into the sandwich, head thudding back to rest against the impala and Jo bit her lip. “Good?” She asked mainly to distract herself.
“Very,” He mumbled around bites. In the space of a minute the plate of sandwiches was gone and Dean was tilting his head back to drink the lemonade in three long gulps. Jo watched his throat work, watched the bead of sweat that trickled down his neck to soak into his t-shirt, watched him put the glass down and lick the moisture from his lips with the tip of his tongue. And then she nearly died as he put an ice-cube to his lips. She turned away quickly, but not before the image of too pink lips wrapped around the ice-cube was imprinted in her mind. She groaned mentally and swallowed hard, wanting to cry at the fact that she couldn’t have him.
He turned to grin at her again, offering her another ice-cube but she shook her head, watching as he shuddered at the coldness in his mouth. “How’ve you been Jo? I mean after -” His voice was wary as if he didn’t really want to know the answer.
“You mean after we had that little run in with that Demon?” When Dean nodded somewhat stoically she replied truthfully. “I was okay. A little shaken up of course, anyone would be after all. But I got through it. I’m okay now. I got through it.” She watched as Dean seemed to wince at her words.
“I didn’t call.” He said not looking at her.
“I didn’t expect you to.” She replied, biting her lip when Dean winced again. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just knew that you had Sam to worry about. I knew that if you called me it would be bad news. Dean, I would have been worried if you had called.”
Dean nodded once and then again slowly, still not looking at Jo but she smiled at him anyway. “Come into contact with anymore creepy people eating clowns lately?” Her comment had the desired effect - Dean laughed.
“No. No people eating clowns, but me and Sam nearly got eaten by Pagan Gods acting as Santa Clause and pulling people up chimneys.”
“No way!” She exclaimed shoving at him, “I don’t believe you!”
“It’s true, Sam got his fingernail ripped off and the son-of-a-bitch nearly took one of my teeth before they got interrupted. And see here,” He lifted his arm, pointing to a thin but long scar near the crook of his elbow, “I got that one from them taking my blood for the ritual as I was tied up in a chair in their kitchen.”
Jo glanced closer at the silvery skin and ran a finger along the line of it. “You got anymore stories to tell me? Anything top that one?” She asked pulling her hand back.
“Well, there was the time when we had the run in with the Trickster we thought we killed a while back.”
“Oh yeah? Aren’t they some kind of God too?”
“Yeah, something like that,”
“Well what happened?” Jo twisted to face Dean properly trying to ignore the way the sunlight glinted off his eyes.
“Groundhog day is what happened.”
“Groundhog day?” She said confusedly, “What like the film? You kept reliving the same day over and over?”
“Yup, that’s about right, except it was only Sam who remembers it. Cos apparently the Trickster got too much joy outta killing me over a hundred times.” He spoke so plainly and matter-of-factly that Jo had to think about his statement for while before it really sunk in.
“Wait what?” She said quietly, hoping she had heard wrong.
Dean looked at her, one eyebrow quirked in amusement, “I knew this was the wrong story to bring up. It killed me. Over a hundred times, just to teach Sam a lesson but damned if I know what it is.”
Jo was silent, her face must have betrayed her horror because Dean said hurriedly, “I don’t remember any of it, don’t worry. And Sam said some of it was actually pretty funny.”
“How can you dying over a hundred times be funny in the slightest?!” Jo said heatedly.
“Well, there was the time I slipped in the shower and broke my neck.” Jo said nothing, it was suddenly beginning to dawn upon her that Dean was being serious. “Not funny?” Dean asked.
Jo shook her head once in disagreement and Dean pursed his lips making Jo flush hot all over.
“How about the time when I got ravaged by a dog?” He asked looking back down at Jo.
She shook her head again and he did that thing with his lips, pouting them out and rolling his eyes to the sky in thought.
“Spontaneous combustion?”
“Still not funny.”
“Erm...there was the incident with the hookers...”
“You died from having too much sex?!” She squawked indignantly and Dean smiled, eyes crinkling and said, “Gotcha,”
“You bastard,” She said shoving him away from her.
“You actually thought that -” Dean watched her face scrunch up in embarrassment and almost face planted into the ground wheezing with laughter. “S...sstop...ssstop it...hurrrts...ribsss,” He got out between loud guffaws. Dean was lying on his back when he finally stopped laughing at her and Jo said,
“Alright smart ass, what really happened?”
“Sam got me once actually,” Dean said tone nonchalant.
“Sam killed you?!” She screeched.
“Yeah, got me with an axe,” He laughed at her expression when she realised he wasn’t lying this time and she pouted in response, “It was an accident don’t worry,”
“I should hope it was an accident.” She mumbled folding her arms and Dean chuckled again, nudging her in the side.
“Meteor from space?” Dean asked dead-panned and Jo’s lips twitched. “Oh and then was my all time favourite...death by chicken.”
“Seriously?” Jo said eyebrows near her hairline. Her lips twitched again as she threatened to burst into hysterical laughter.
“Seriously.”
They were silent for a while then and Jo thought it was peaceful, just sitting beside Dean doing nothing but staring out across the field on the other side of the road.
“I take it Sam talked you into coming out here then,” Dean said quietly sighing.
“Yup, over-protective little munchkin,”
“Not so little actually,”
“I suppose,”
“He gave you the puppy dog eyes didn’t he?” He said grinning, “I know them well.”
“That’s not all,” She replied smiling back. Dean Winchester’s grin was contagious.
“Did he give you the dimples?” He asked eyes alight with amusement, “Aw, he totally did, didn’t he? The little bastard, I told you he could get you to do anything he wanted. I’ve resorted to not looking at him when he tries to pull ‘em on me.”
“Hugged me too,” Jo said grinning up at him.
“Dude this is like major. It took puppy eyes, dimples and a hug to get you? Jesus,”
“Got all up in my space and proper lifted me off the ground.”
“That isn’t too hard seeing as Sam’s a giant sasquatch and you’re only teeny tiny!” Dean sniggered and Jo turned a fake glare on him, squinting one of her eyes at him. She pursed her lips and said brandishing a finger at him, “You couldn’t take me when we first met Dean Winchester and you can’t take me now!”
End of chapter 2A and goddammit I hate lj for making me cut up my chapters like this, clicky click for the next bit!
Close Kitchen