The Best Surprises Are the Ones Close to the Heart
Dean winced as he put his hand on the kitchen door, listening to Jo. They'd grown close over the years while his Dad had left him and Sammy here to hunt with Uncle Bill and he knew that she missed him as much as he missed her when he was away. But he hated how upset she sounded just now.
"Joanna Beth, you stop this right now. You donno if they're not comin' or not. And you knew that when you invited them." Ellen's words were stern but you could tell by her tone that she felt for her daughter at the same time. She'd tried to keep them fairly apart so Jo wouldn't be hurt like this, but nothing had worked. They'd found away to just be that close.
"No! He promised he'd be here! I don't care about the stupid party!" Jo's voice held raw hurt at the thought of him not coming today and it broke Dean's heart a little.
He almost hadn't made it. He'd had to beg his Dad to take another car and loan him the Impala for this one trip. The only reason John had agreed was because it wasn't for a hunt, it was for a birthday. And it was for the Harvelle's. While John wasn't quite welcome anymore after Bill's death, Ellen didn't have the heart to tell the boys they weren't welcome. They'd been damn near like her own sons when staying here, it wasn't just Jo that was close to them. He pushed the kitchen door open and took a couple quiet steps out into the main room, still hidden from view.
"I've told you before you can't always count on them. And we ain't canceling your party on account of a Winchester not showin' up." Ellen crossed her arms as she watched her daughter.
"I don't think I've let her down enough to not be trusted, Aunt Ellen," Dean answered quietly before Jo had time to yell something back at her mother. He smiled at the way her eyes lit up and she bolted for him.
"Dean!" Jo snuggled into his hug, looking her age so much more against the height that he'd gained. "Only present I want," she murmured softly against his chest.
Dean smiled more as he hugged her back, kissing her hair. "Well too bad because there will be a lot of people bringin' you stuff. Even me."
She looked up at him with a blink, "You mean you aren't my present?" Her head tilted a little, eyes a little old for the almost nine-year-old girl.
He grins at her and shakes his head. "Only part of your present. The rest is in the Impala."
Jo brightened more, suddenly looking her age as she shifted to head that way. The hand that slid to take his making sure that he's close with her. "Well then come on!"
Dean laughed softly, grinning at Ellen. "You can always count on me, Aunt Ellen." He turned to let Jo drag him away, missing the slightly unreadable expression that crossed her face at his words.
The rest of the day went well, though. It was wonderful to see Jo so happy now that Dean was here, though it still worried her just how attached her daughter was to him. She remembered the joking conversation where John had said them gettin' married would be cute. She'd figured the age difference would drop that idea right out of their heads, but it never had. They were still as close as ever and it worried her as well as made her happy that Jo had someone she loved that much and that loved her back.
"Joanna Beth, you stop this right now. You donno if they're not comin' or not. And you knew that when you invited them." Ellen's words were stern but you could tell by her tone that she felt for her daughter at the same time. She'd tried to keep them fairly apart so Jo wouldn't be hurt like this, but nothing had worked. They'd found away to just be that close.
"No! He promised he'd be here! I don't care about the stupid party!" Jo's voice held raw hurt at the thought of him not coming today and it broke Dean's heart a little.
He almost hadn't made it. He'd had to beg his Dad to take another car and loan him the Impala for this one trip. The only reason John had agreed was because it wasn't for a hunt, it was for a birthday. And it was for the Harvelle's. While John wasn't quite welcome anymore after Bill's death, Ellen didn't have the heart to tell the boys they weren't welcome. They'd been damn near like her own sons when staying here, it wasn't just Jo that was close to them. He pushed the kitchen door open and took a couple quiet steps out into the main room, still hidden from view.
"I've told you before you can't always count on them. And we ain't canceling your party on account of a Winchester not showin' up." Ellen crossed her arms as she watched her daughter.
"I don't think I've let her down enough to not be trusted, Aunt Ellen," Dean answered quietly before Jo had time to yell something back at her mother. He smiled at the way her eyes lit up and she bolted for him.
"Dean!" Jo snuggled into his hug, looking her age so much more against the height that he'd gained. "Only present I want," she murmured softly against his chest.
Dean smiled more as he hugged her back, kissing her hair. "Well too bad because there will be a lot of people bringin' you stuff. Even me."
She looked up at him with a blink, "You mean you aren't my present?" Her head tilted a little, eyes a little old for the almost nine-year-old girl.
He grins at her and shakes his head. "Only part of your present. The rest is in the Impala."
Jo brightened more, suddenly looking her age as she shifted to head that way. The hand that slid to take his making sure that he's close with her. "Well then come on!"
Dean laughed softly, grinning at Ellen. "You can always count on me, Aunt Ellen." He turned to let Jo drag him away, missing the slightly unreadable expression that crossed her face at his words.
The rest of the day went well, though. It was wonderful to see Jo so happy now that Dean was here, though it still worried her just how attached her daughter was to him. She remembered the joking conversation where John had said them gettin' married would be cute. She'd figured the age difference would drop that idea right out of their heads, but it never had. They were still as close as ever and it worried her as well as made her happy that Jo had someone she loved that much and that loved her back.