Days Behind - Epilogue
Five years later
“JENSEN!” Jared bellowed in the direction of the house. “Come on! We’re running late!” He shoved the last bag into the hatchback and turned to show Jensen his handiwork.
“Very nice. You got the kitchen sink in there?” Jensen tossed another duffel in the back before shutting it.
“You know how much you have to take with you when kids are involved. You’ll thank me for this later.”
“I didn’t want to drive in the first place.”
“No, you wanted to fly. And I explained to you that if we were to fly that you would end up with a very large bruise on your thigh that you would have to figure out how to explain to your mother.”
“Okay, first - when is my mother looking at my naked thigh and two - why is my mother looking at my naked thigh, Jared?”
“I don’t know. She’s a mother. They do those things.”
“Good point. Besides, this way we can make it a mini vacation. Two days on the road won’t kill you.”
“Are the seats heated?”
“Are you serious?”
“Listen, Jared, my ass gets cold. I need heated seats.”
“Jensen.”
“And I get to drive first shift.”
“Fine, ya big baby.”
“Jared, if my ass is going to be cold, I should get to choose when I drive.”
“I said fine.” Jared looked around one last time to be sure he had everything from the lawn loaded into the car.
“Are you mad?”
“Are you starting this before we even get in the car?”
“Nope.”
“Didn’t think so.”
Jensen smiled over at Jared who returned it. “How did I do?”
“Pretty good - that gets the argument bit out of the way then.”
“Good, now can we get to the fun?”
“Sure, let me go get the girls and tell them to get loaded.”
“You realize the sun isn’t even up yet, right?”
“Again, you act like you have never traveled with kids.”
“This is going to be an adventure.”
“You have no idea.”
They were on the road exactly one hour when Jensen pulled into a gas station. “What? I need coffee.”
“Nothing. I needed to stretch and was worried you were reading my mind.”
“That would be useful, but no.” Jensen swung the door open. “You want anything?”
“How about some of those tiny chocolate donuts?”
“Oh, yeah, those are good with coffee.” Jensen took a few steps more before turning back. “Anything for the girls?”
Jared looked in the backseat before answering. “Nah, we can hit a drive-thru when they wake up.”
Jensen stepped through the door and stretched, trying to pull the knot out of his back. A magazine on the rack caught his eye. He frowned and shook his head, thinking he had read it wrong, but when he actually picked it up, his fears were confirmed. Misha’s popularity had finally gotten him in People magazine. Jensen honestly never thought he would see the day.
“Jesus balls,” Jensen grabbed the magazine, a couple of packs of the donuts and the biggest cup of drip coffee they had to add to his purchase and plunked down the money with a smile to the woman behind the counter.
Jared had the hatch open and was rooting around for something when Jensen got outside. “I think I forgot that bag that was on the couch.”
“What was in it?”
“My hoodie.”
“Hang on.” Jensen handed everything he was holding to Jared and reached into his own suitcase. “Here. It’s my favorite though.”
Jared traded armloads and held the hoodie in front of him for size comparison. He smiled when he noticed the picture on the front. It was a cartoon of Jensen as Chip the Monkey.
“What?” Jensen asked. “Can you blame me?”
“No, I think it’s kinda cute. You saved it all these years.”
“Last week, Addison asked me if she could wear it. I almost let her.”
“You never would have gotten it back.”
“True. It would have been the tee-shirt incident all over again.”
“How was I supposed to know that ratty old thing was your favorite?”
“Maybe because I remember telling you ‘Jared, this is my favorite shirt’?”
“I just don’t understand why it’s your favorite shirt, that’s all.”
Jensen sighed, watching Jared pull on the hoodie. “Jared, I do love you, but sometimes I wonder about you.”
“Huh?” Jared frowned deeply.
“It was the shirt I was wearing the night we met. And then again when I got my job back. And when I got you back. So, it’s not only my favorite shirt, it’s my lucky shirt.”
Jared smiled his widest smile to date. “And you packed it didn’t you?”
Jensen wasn’t blushing. “Yeah, I just might have.”
“You old softy.”
“Quit calling me old. We should get back on the road. Mama and Mac are expecting us.”
The girls woke up as they were pulling into the driveway.
“Perfect timing,” Jared laughed as he cut the engine. “Remind me. The plan is that they stay with Mama and Daddy tonight and they have a day with Kenzie tomorrow?”
Jensen nodded. “Yeah, that’s the plan. Are you still okay with it?”
“Gonna hafta be,” Jared slung his foot out the opened door. “Jen, they have to get to know their mother and understand the reasons why she did what she did. They say they understand, but I just don’t want to leave anything to chance.”
“You know you’re a good guy, right Jared?” Jensen joined him outside the SUV.
Jared opened the door to nudge Addison. “Are you kidding me? I’m the fucking best.”
Addison opened one eye. “Daddy, don’t cuss. It’s ugly.”
“Yeah, Jared, you can’t cuss.” Jensen laughed thought the door he had opened for Eleanor. “Even if it’s true.”
“Okay, Mama,” Jared laughed. “I’ll make sure he stays outta trouble…”
“Hey!” Jensen barked even as he was being pushed out the door.
“Well, be fair, they are your friends and this is a big reunion show.”
“No, it’s a Kane show. And I don’t think they were expecting us a day early.”
Eleanor poked her head out the door. “Dad, can we stay up later at Granmama’s?”
Jared looked to Jensen for an answer.
Jensen nodded. “Tell you what - you get her to teach you and Adds how to make her secret recipe chocolate chip cookies and you can stay up until next Tuesday if you want.”
Eleanor smiled wide. “Have you met me? I can get her to teach us that and the one for banana bread.”
“You do that, Ellie, and I’ll up your allowance,” Jared promised.
“ADDISON!” The girl bellowed through the door, “Daddy and Jen said we could stay up!”
“Should we be afraid?” Jensen asked.
“Very.” Jared answered. “But right now, we’ve got a Kane show to get to.”
“Are you sure this is the bar?” Jensen asked, looking around with a frown.
“The sign outside says ‘Kane tonight’ - but I’m just as confused as you are.”
“Isn’t this…” Jensen couldn’t get the rest of the question out before he was being greeted by someone from the past.
“J-rad! Jenny! You guys showed up!”
“Chad?” Jared carefully asked as he was shaking the man’s hand. “I don’t think I quite understand.”
“Well,” Chad grinned. “Turns out titty bars aren’t the way to go now. So I shut the old girl down. Reopened here as a country dive and knew just who to get in here to amuse the masses. Figured I owed them. And they really pull in the customers.”
“I’ll be damned.” Jensen marveled. “What made you move this far out?”
“Well, I was doing some research on good areas and it just so happened that this place was available. Managed to go through a great real estate agent, says you know him, Jen - Mike Rosenbaum.”
“Fuckin’ Rosey,” Jensen half muttered, half-laughed.
“Did I hear my name?” Mike patted Jensen and Jared on the back as he joined the group. “How’s it going?”
“Doing good,” Jared smiled. “Came out to see the headliners.”
“They really know how to bring a house down, I can tell you that much.”
“I hope they don’t literally bring the house down,” another familiar voice from the past came from behind them. “Victoria and I came to have a good time, not to be rushed off to an Emergency Room.”
“Misha,” Jensen smiled. “Good to see you two.”
“Good to see you too, Jensen.” Misha looked down at the hand Jensen was offering, but chose to draw both Jared and Jensen into a hug instead. “Do you think Christian and Steven will be surprised to see us?”
Jensen laughed at how his friend had not changed. “I sure hope so. How’s the job going?”
“Can you believe they gave me my own show?” Misha gushed with happiness.
Jensen nodded. “I really can. You’ve always been good with kids.”
“OH!” Misha yelped in memory. “I have to show you this!” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up a picture of a smiling child. “This is West! Isn’t he adorable?”
Jared leaned forward. “He’s yours?”
“Yes - and he’s also the president of the ‘Mini-ons’ - the official fanclub for Uncle Misha!” Misha was barely containing his excitement.
“That’s great, man,” Jensen patted Misha on the back. “We should get a good seat and order up a round.”
“Here, I can show you to the best seat in the house,” Chad offered. “First round on the house.”
“Thanks,” Jared hugged his friend.
“I owe you all. Shit, I never meant to hurt anyone.”
“I know, Chad. You can’t help being the loveable douchebag you are.”
“That’s what they call it,” Mike smacked himself on the forehead. “I was wondering if they had named the malady yet.”
“Asshole,” Chad muttered.
Mike laughed. “And half-partner in this bar - let’s go make sure the band is ready to go on.”
“I’ll go get Victoria and meet you at the table,” Misha talked even as he walked away, leaving Jensen and Jared to claim the table.
“Things are changing,” Jared observed with a happy tone.
Jensen nodded. “For the best.”
“Welcome to Sassafras Junction!” A voice called from backstage. “We’re proud to welcome, yet again, our favorite house band Kane! Let’s give up a big round of applause for them!”
The stage darkeed and a hush settled over the crowd before the searchlights began to roam the audience. Four figures stood in their places on the stage, as the smoke machine filled the air with glorified condensation.
Christian Kane, his ever-present bottle of Jack Daniels by his side, strutted out on stage and stood at the microphone set up for him. “House band, House rules. Let’s do this,” he growled into the mic, causing a flurry of whistles and hoots.
Once the intro played, Christian nodded with a smile to Steve before continuing to the audience. “So you’re tired and you’re beat and you’ve worked all week and you need a place you can let it go…”
Jensen clapped along with the rest of the crowd, proud that his friend had finally gotten to the place he wanted to be again.
“We’re going to slow this down for a bit and let my buddy Steve here do one of his songs,” Christian said after taking a slug from the now half-empty bottle.
“Sing the one about the garbage truck!” A yell came from the audience.
Christian covered his eyes to see who it was and then shook his head with a fond grin. “How about we do ‘Wipe Your Ass, Son’?”
Steve laughed as another round of hoots when up. “How about I sing a song that I wrote about the same time?”
Applause confirmed that the audience was wholly in agreement.
“Good.” Steve took the front of the stage while Christian disappeared to go find the owner of the voice that made the suggestion.
Steve and his guitar began, “Making my way through the radio, trying to find a song I know to take me back to where I've been…”
Christian spotted the table of familiar faces. “I’ll be damned! Why didn’t ya’ll let us know ya’ll were comin’?”
“We wanted it to be a surprise, Christian.”
“Well, I’m surprised.” He pulled a chair around and sat. “Ya’ll free after this?”
Misha was the first to answer. “Victoria and I have to hurry back to the sitter. How does tomorrow look?”
“Tomorrow looks better for us too,” Jensen answered and Jared nodded in agreement. “We left the twins with my mama and they’re going to be waiting up for us. Tomorrow they have plans with Mac and Amelia.”
“How is that, by the way?”Christian drank. “Nobody’s hurt?”
“It was confusing for the girls at first, but they understand where she was and why she did it.” Jared looked at the stage. “And sometimes they use it against us. But what can you do? They’re almost ten now.”
Christian whistled low. “Man, Ackles, never thought I’d see the day. Respectable family man.”
“Not that respectable.”
“Bullshit. If I saw you out and about, I’d think you were some kind of accountant.”
“Fuck you. I don’t work behind a desk.”
“Um, Jensen,” Jared’s voice nudged in, “You kinda do.”
“Newsdesk isn’t the same. I’m on television, not faceless.”
“Someone has hurt feelings.”
“Shut up, Misha,” Jensen said, even as he smiled. “We can’t all be top-rated newscaster ten years in a row, Jared.”
Steve continued to sing, his eyes finding the place where his band mate had wandered off to. “I traveled ‘round the world in my beat up suit. I tried to be cool and I tried to be cute and I found my charm but I almost lost my mind…But I gotta keep on moving and leave those days behind…”
Christian thought as Steve’s words kept on, reminding him of so many days they had worked to get here and how without the men in front of him, none of it would have happened. “Tomorrow is good. We can all meet up at the house and get to know each other again. It’s been way too long.”
The table fell quiet as they listened to the rest of the song. “Can't remember what it was I heard, a simple combination of some sync-o-pat-ed words - just enough to make a grown man nearly cry. No matter what it takes to keep rolling on and leave a legacy behind me when I'm gone, so I'm obliged to say goodbye…”
“I gotta get back up there,” Christian yanked his thumb behind him as he stood. “But meet us after for directions, okay? Don’t run off.”
Misha and Victoria nodded and Misha stood to hug Christian. He only slightly jumped back before allowing himself to be embraced. “We’ll be here, Christian.”
“Yeah, we’ll hang around too,” Jensen said. “Though I might need a couple more beers.”
“Shit, it’s not that bad. Would you rather hear about good manners?”
“Good manners would be buying your friends a round,” Jared observed.
Christian smiled and motioned for a waitress. “Can my boys here get another round?” She nodded. “And put it on my tab.”
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