Be it ever so humble..

[roadhouse_mama]

Who : Ellen Harvelle and others (open to anyone who'd like to come through)
What : Celebrating the Roadhouse (version II)
When : The evening of March 20th
Rating : pg-ish, probably some language
Status : Ongoing

Comments

[i_shot_a_dick]

Dean ran, kind of like a kid on christmas morning towards that road house after he spoke to Ellen over the network. All he could think was a good burger and plate of fries with a beer, topped off by a whole pie, forget a slice.

The hunter hadn't had a slice of pie since he got here and he damn well was wanting some. As he came through the door noisy as always there was a large grin on his face "Ellen! Tell me you have pie."

He walked over to the bar and hitched self up on a stool with a grin "And can I get a job?" Yes, the things that this place liked to play kept him busy, but a paying job in between might not be such a bad idea and Ellen was a boss who could keep him in line, so he figured it was worth a shot.

[roadhouse_mama]

Ellen looked up from behind the bar and smiled. It was already starting to feel like home as more of her family kept pouring through that door. The voices, the laughter, it was comfortable and nice and she didn't realize just how much she had missed all of it.

"I got four of 'em Dean, just promise to save a little for everyone else," she said with a grin, sliding a beer over to him.

Her eyebrows shot up at the offer and she chuckled. "A job? Hm. Never had a Winchester workin for me, but so long as you think you can take orders." Well, if he didn't, she could always threaten to shoot him in the ass with a shotgun loaded with rocksalt. It worked on his father well enough.

[i_shot_a_dick]

Dean gave a snort of amusement "They can have one." He caught the beer and lifted it up taking a long drink, when he sat it down it was easy to watch some of that tension the hunter carried in his shoulders fade from them. "Ah, that's good."

"Hey! I can take an order." Just how well he followed it was another thing, truth be told Dean was good at grunt work so to speak and being on hand at the road house served another purpose, he could keep an eye on Ellen and the people coming and going, be there if there was trouble.

[roadhouse_mama]

She smiled easily, "Leave more than one, I can always make more."

"I'm sure I'll find somethin to keep you occupied and out of trouble around here, Dean. Think you can manage to pour a decent drink? I don't expect much trouble, so I don't see much cause for a bouncer around here." It was better to give Dean a job and at least let him feel useful rather than having him lurk around the bar looking fidgety.

Besides, she could never deny the boys, not really. They were family.

[i_shot_a_dick]

And that hang dog Winchester expression she had been trying to avoid showed up on Dean's face. He was joking of course, he'd be happy with a slice, but he intended to take at least a whole pie. "Alright, alright, but only if I get a burger with it." He was hungry, the food here was decent, but what Dean wanted was that taste of home. He took a long draw off his beer before that grin flashed again.

"Few things I know, monsters, killin' and booze." Women too, but that was a part of Dean that was different, Ellen might not notice but that drive to get out there and get in, it had waned a good deal in him. Too much was going wrong, too many people had died. Or maybe, surprisingly Dean Winchester had just grown up a little and learned that there was more to it than just the right then and now. That or he doubted he was going to live, so what was the sense. It was any one's guess, only he knew and he wasn't telling.

[roadhouse_mama]

She chuckled. If Dean wanted a whole pie, then by God he'd wind up with one. It was simply the way of things. "Burger and fries as requested Dean."

A few minutes later, a plate slid across the bar with a fresh burger and still hissing fries. "Eat up, we'll discuss job descriptions later, kid. Tonight, we just celebrate the opening of the place." All she wanted was to christen the place properly in the company of friends and family - everything else could wait until later. Everyone was safe, whole and alive and that was all that mattered.

[i_shot_a_dick]

Dean had the burger in one hand and a fry in another, the latter shoved in his mouth as he sunk his teeth down in to the burger with a groan of happiness. He flashed Ellen a smile before he began to talk around the bite of food.

"Oh man, this is the best." He felt that worry fade at least for a few moments, the reminiscent atmosphere of the original Road House was putting Dean at ease, the added food was a major plus.

"That mean the booze is free?" He wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt and reached over to pick up his beer and drain the last of it.

[roadhouse_mama]

Ellen was happy to see that Dean was relaxed and tearing into the food with gusto. She tossed a napkin at him and snatched the empty glass out of his hands and gave him a half annoyed look, one Dean should be quite familiar with. "It's free until I say you've had enough, how's that? I'm not having your brother or Cas have to haul your drunk ass outta here by the end of the night."

[i_shot_a_dick]

Dean swallowed his bite and flashed Ellen a wide grin "Now what's the fun in that, speakin' of Dumb and Dumber, where the hell are Sammy and Cas? Bobby too. You hear from them?"

This was as close to heaven as Dean Winchester ever thought he was going to get and the only thing missing was the rest of the crew. It was nice, even if he was just waiting for this place to drop the next bomb.

[roadhouse_mama]

"There's no fun in watchin you drag yourself in here first thing in the morning fumbling for coffee and looking like something the cat dragged in," she said with an amused look. "I talked to your brother, he's on his way. I imagine Cas is too, give him a little time to get over here."

Like everyone else, she was worried about Castiel, but had steadfastly refused to hover. If she was needed, someone would let her know.

"Bobby? He's in the back takin care of a few things." She half turned and yelled over her shoulder, "Bobby! Leave that be for now and get your ass out here!"

There was some distinct and very familiar grumbling coming from the back as the hunter resolutely made his way into the bar, cleaning his hands off with a rag as he did.

[i_shot_a_dick]

"Eh, wouldn't be the first time I had to 'work' with a hangover, can't be too hard." He was tucking in to that pie by now and about as happy as Dean Winchester could get. He finished off his beer and held it up to show it was empty, he'd only had one so far so it couldn't be cut off time yet.

Dean hadn't so much hovered over Cas as just been around, in case his friend needed him. He had hid that guilt that he felt at what had happened, he could be told over and over it wasn't his fault but it came down to he hadn't even been able to find Cas once he was taken. He had been useless, no matter the number of citizens he most likely saved while taking out the sharktopi.

When the old hunter walked out Dean beamed, it was good to see him, he had missed Bobby and hadn't had much time to catch up with him since he showed up in Underworld.

"What you grumblin' about old man, she makin' you do dishes?"

[roadhouse_mama]

“Mm hm,” she hummed doubtfully and refilled his beer. “So long as you don’t try that here. Show up for work with a hangover and I’ll shoot you right in the ass, Dean Winchester.”

Bobby chuckled at the threat as he took a seat and accepted the beer that Ellen slid his direction a moment later. Underworld or not, this felt pretty damn close to heaven. Ellen was alive (relatively speaking), running a bar and threatening patrons with her shotgun full of rocksalt, and Sam, Dean and Castiel were all alive and in one piece. He tilted his glass back and took a moment to soak in the feeling.

“No, idjit,” he grumbled. “I had to jimmy a couple of the lines in the back for the taps. It’s a temporary patch, but I’ll get in first thing and fix it proper for you, Ellen.”

“You’re still the best damn handyman I know, Bobby Singer.” A fresh slab of pie was slid in his direction.

He leaned towards Dean with a devilish smirk, "The boss is kinda mean, but she pays pretty good."

[i_shot_a_dick]

Dean's eyebrows raised up and despite the cocky grin, he believed her and he nodded his head "Yes Ma'am."

When Bobby slid in to the seat he flashed that grin even wider, he looked good, honestly at that moment Bobby looked happy and that made the hunter himself feel a lot better. "I'll help."

Dean spoke around the piece of pie he'd just shoved in to his mouth. He figured if he was going to be working here might as well pitch in right off the bat, plus putzing around, working with Bobby would feel good, they hadn't had much time since the older hunter had arrived in Underworld.

"Long as she keeps the pie comin', she can be as mean as she wants. This crap hole ain't got a damn good slice of pie any where in it." He chuckled at Bobby's joke.

[junkyard_hunter]

Ellen flapped her hand at both of them with a grin and moved down the bar to take care of other arriving customers. The boys needed a chance to talk, and she could always harass them later.

While Bobby didn't really need the help, he nodded at Dean. It had been a long time since the two of them had worked on a project that didn't involve some kind of earth-shattering crisis. The thought of just talking, sharing a beer and fiddling around with the equipment in the Roadhouse was a damned pleasant one.

"Beer, fresh pie and the Roadhouse back in operation. You'd almost think this was heaven," he said and raised his beer in Dean's direction.

"And I believe you've got somethin of mine you need to hand over, don't you?" He wasn't going to give Dean hell for not getting around to giving him his soul back. Too much had happened in a terribly short amount of time since his arrival. Besides, he trusted that it was in good hands until he could find the time to reclaim it.

[i_shot_a_dick]

Dean smiled at Ellen as she moved off, then he finished off his second beer and the tension seemed to seep some from his shoulders. All the weight he carried, Bobby was one of the few where Dean could just let it all go and some one held him up for a moment. He was the father Dean had never had, he loved John Winchester, he knew the man did the best he could by them and that John loved them. But, Bobby had been and become a constant source of support for him and Sam both

[junkyard_hunter]

Bobby had always regretted that he and Karen had never had kids of their own. She had wanted girls. But the two Winchesters, the brothers had become as close to his own sons as he’d ever imagined. He loved those two boys as fiercely as a father could, and would go to any lengths to protect them. Yes, they were in the Underworld and they faced dangers that were unlike anything they had ever seen back home, but it didn’t matter. He was with his family and for the moment, that was all that mattered.

His cocky grin warranted the Bobby Singer equivalent of The Look. “Hand it over, idjit or I’ll have Ellen cut off your pie supply for a month. And she just got her hands on a whole basket of fresh apples,” he threatened, setting his beer down with a soft thunk.