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Sam and Dean were disappointed at not finding the remaining bullets for the colt. They had made the trip to check lut bullets they heard could be the extras they could use in the colt, the same one that had retrieved on a hunt after their father died. Unfortunately,the mission was “a bust”. They had hoped to kill the hellhounds with the colt by summoning the demon associated with the transaction made by Ari’s father. However, since their plans had fallen through they decided to go ahead and check out the vampire situation. Sam and Dean entered the wooded area where they had heard the last attack had taken place. They quietly and methodically searched but came up empty.
“Looks like a wasted trip no matter how we slice it,” Dean said as they turned to go back to the car.
Sam nodded as he followed his brother; neither was prepared to have something fall out of the tree to land on top of them. Once they righted themselves, they saw a dead animal whose heart had been savagely removed. Sam looked up but couldn’t understand why anyone what put a carcass in a tree. A second later, as a large gorilla plowed into him. It knocked the breath out of Sam before Dean shot it in the chest with a two silver bullets from his gun. Dean helped Sam up and they looked at the animal that seemed to still be alive but lie prone on the ground.
“Where did that come from?” Dean asked Sam brushed himself off.
“Let’s get out of here before someone reports the shots,.. that was probably the gorilla that escaped from the zoo, yesterday.”
Dean shook his head as they sprinted toward the car.
They went straight back to the hotel but both were restless to get back home. Home, Dean thought. Sam saw the look in his older brother’s eyes and began to pack before Dean told him too. Dean could only laugh. It’s nice to have a place to go back to. Initially the plan had been to leave the following day but the distance from where they now resided and the Upper Peninsula was not that great. Why pay for another night when they could be in their own beds soon?
It was five hours later, that they arrived in their drive. They unpacked their things and headed to the back door to find Jo stood on the other side with a shotgun pointed in their directions.
“What’s your business here?” she teased them though she didn’t laugh.
Dean rolled his eyes.
“It’s late and I’m tired, Jo, move your ass,” Dean said as he pushed her aside on the way in.
“Hey Jo, nice to see you,” Sam said as Jo hugged him as they walked in together.
The house was quiet so Dean knew Ari and Amber had already gone to bed. He quietly slid the door open to the room he shared with Ari. She wore a short lightweight white gown and she was only half covered by the sheet. For a few moments, he only watched her sleep. Then he undressed quickly before he went into the shower to get rid of the dirt and grime from their failed mission.
Nothing like a shower in your own bathroom, he sighed. All of his adult life and the majority of his youth had been spent in motels. The simple things like freshly laundered sheets, soft cotton towels that only had been used by you or someone in your family, beds that didn’t need to be checked for bugs, windows that actually opened, clean floors, and of course a soft woman in the bed just for him. Those were the things he had dared to dream about all his life, he had them now, though there was a catch. There is always a catch. He had not funded the house and the woman was in fear for her life; just a few minor glitches.
Ari smiled up at him when he came in the room.
“Hey,” she said with a lazy smile as she moved over to make room for him.
“Hey yourself, didn’t mean to wake you.”
He slid in beside her wearing only a smile.
“Any nightmares while I was away?”
“Once but Jo came to my rescue.”
“What?”
“She insisted, I probably deserved what I got.”
“Tell me you slapped her,” Dean said as he pulled her into his arms.
“No, I slammed the door in her face but she apologized this morning.”
“Well that makes things better,” he deadpanned as he rubbed his chin against her hair.
They were quiet a few moments as their breathing synchronized.
“I’m sorry about the whole Jo thing.”
“Don’t be I think its just her personality. She taught me how to use a machete as well as knives and assorted small weapons, while you were away.”
“Really?”
“She said I was a fast learner,” Ari said as she leaned up to face him.
“Oh I already knew that,” Dean said as he kissed her.
Sam and Jo sat in the kitchen with a cup of coffee between them. Both needed to sleep but also wanted to talk.
“So why does Dean hate me so much?”
“He doesn’t,” Sam said as he sipped the coffee knowing it was a bad idea if he wanted to go to bed soon.
“Oh.”
“He just doesn’t like you as a girlfriend, that’s all. You should get over him and get on the ‘I want to be your friend train’ before you end up with nothing,” Sam insisted.
“I see, but when we first met he considered something else.”
“He may have considered sex for a nanosecond, but he was grieving Dad. Jo, he has Ari now and he is serious. The more you don’t get it the more chance he may start to hate you. I really have to get some rest.”
“Okay, well good night,” Jo said to Sam’s retreating back.
He slept on the sofa so Jo could continue to use his room.
Jo tossed and turned in her sleep that night. A few hours later, she woke up in a cold sweat. For a moment, she did not realize where she was. She leaned up to toss back the covers before she went to the window. It hit here that the puppy was still outside. They had forgotten to bring him into the kennel. She sighed as she put on her shoes and a jacket over her pajamas. She tried to make as little noise as possible, but did not see Sam before he crashed into her.
“Jo?”
“Sorry I didn’t see you.”
“Where are you going?”
“I just noticed no one brought in the puppy, I was going to get him,” she said with a smile at the younger Winchester.
“Okay, well carry on,” he smiled as he headed back to the sofa after his jaunt to the restroom.
Jo smiled to herself as she picked up the cold dog. He licked her face and seemed grateful that someone had remembered him.
“Poor puppy.”
She decided to put the kennel in her room that night, she needed the company.
The next morning Jo was at the stove cooking breakfast when Sam entered the kitchen. He wore jeans and a t-shirt though his hair didn’t look tended to. The longish brown locks had certainly been hand racked through , Jo thought. She had already made toast, bacon, pancakes and had the eggs in the skillet.
“Morning,” Sam said as he headed for the coffee maker.
“Good morning,” Jo said airily.
Sam sat down at the walnut table with his mug just before Amber came in the room.
“Sammy you are back,” she said excited to see him.
“Yep, munchkin, I made it. Have a seat while I get you some orange juice.”
She smiled as she sat in the chair beside his. Dean was next to come in the room sniffing the welcome aroma of a home cooked breakfast, he also wore jeans with a t-shirt. It seemed the dress for the day.
“Morning,” he said to no one in particular.
“Good morning,” Jo said again this time more subdued.
He also went straight for the coffee before being seated at the head of table. Ari was the last one in the kitchen. She strolled in wearing a wrapped jean skort, with a t-shirt.
“Good morning everyone,” she said with a dimpled grin.
There was a chorus of mornings as everyone including Amber replied.
“Okay, who wants scrambled?” Jo asked.
Everyone but Dean raised his hand. She served the scrambled eggs then made his special over easy eggs with little effort before spooning them into his plate.
“Thank you,” he said with a slight smile.
“You are welcome,” she replied as she wiped her hands on the dishtowel then took her seat beside Amber at the table.
There was little talking while they all filled their plates with the food that was already on the table. Just when they would have begun to stuff their faces, Amber cleared her throat.
“Grace, Mommy,” she said innocently as she looked at Ari.
Ari smiled as she reached for Dean’s hand and the other two took the hint. After the hands were taken they waited for someone to pray.
Sam took the lead.
“Thank you, God…”
Dean sighed loudly.
“For the food we are about to receive for the nourishment of our body…”
Dean sighed again, Ari pushed him with her thigh on his, though she grinned to herself.
“Also..”Sam added to irritate his irritating brother.
“Bless the hands that prepared the food and the orphans in India…”
“Amen,” Amber said effectively ending the prayer.
Amber smiled at Sam, they had created their own little unspoken language. Somehow, she knew he was making the prayer longer on purpose.
Before the meal was done, Ari gave the boys the news.
“We got our first call from someone that Ellen had told about our place. He thinks he may want to stop in tomorrow or the next day,” she said with a grin.
“That soon?” Sam asked.
“Are we ready for that?” Dean asked as he chased his last piece of egg around his plate with the toast.
“Well we have your dad’s journal, Sam’s notes, various folklore reference books, the internet connection if he has a laptop.”
Jo nodded.
“Maybe buy some bottle water, frozen pizzas, cokes, just minor things from what I could see.”
Dean nodded in her direction.
“So you think we are doing something that could be a service to hunters?” Dean asked.
“Absolutely,” Jo said as she got up with her plate in her hand then reached for Amber’s to take to the sink.
“Also this guy’s name is Chester George, he says he has been hunting in Wisconsin for years though he goes all over. He said the state is a hotbed of activity.”
“Oh that is a good contact, someone from the state,” Sam said with excitement in his eyes.
“He was glad to hear we existed,” Ari finished as she took her and Dean’s plate to the sink before she rinsed the dishes to go in the dishwasher.
“Well, we have been here several times ourselves we already knew what we were dealing with,” Dean said as he got up to pace the room.
“What’s wrong?” Ari asked curious to what she believed was apprehension.
“It just seems to soon,” he shrugged.
It hit Ari that Dean was concerned for her and Amber. The more hunters who knew of the place the more likely that the demons would also find out. Another catch twenty-two situation. She dried her hands before taking his in her own. She led him into the living room. Sam watched them leave the room. He believed that Ari was the stable person that Dean needed in his life. He hoped they could make it work despite the danger that faced her.
“Hey, we will be okay,” she said.
He pulled into his arms, something he did frequently when they were together at the house. Ari appreciate his gentleness, she enjoyed his closeness whenever it happened. She looked into his eyes.
“I know I will make sure of that,” he said with a determined voice.
After breakfast, Sam, Ari and Amber went antique shopping in Ari’s car. Dean had been nominated to take Jo to town for more supplies. They were both silent as they drove along the small back roads that led to the highway that would take them into Fond du Lac. Of course, neither could be heard over the sound of Metallica that Dean had cranked in the Impala. Jo seethed for the first twenty or so miles then she took a nose dive and turned off the radio.
“What the?” Dean asked.
“We need to talk.”
Dean turned the radio back on as he faced the road again.
Jo turned it off.
“Keep your hands off my car or you will be walking back,” Dean shouted above the sound of the music.
“Fine, but you are being childish,” she yelled back.
Dean stopped the car and pulled over to the side of the road. Neither cared that cars were passing them at fifty-five to sixty miles an hour. Jo pouted. Dean was livid.
“What the hell do we need to discuss, Jo?”
“Why you did a Three sixty on me. First you seemed interested…..”
“It’s ancient history, so I had a brief sexual attraction, believe me honey, its long gone. Anything else?”
Jo held back her tears. Brief? Sexual? Attraction? She felt insulted, confused, stupid, used, and a myriad of things that she would never share with Dean Winchester. Dean started the car up again and eased into the traffic. He could tell when she tensed up. He was not happy with himself. Maybe he had given her a bit of false hope at one time, but she needed to get it settled in her head that things had changed. He was in love with someone else. Someone he wanted at his side in the new venture they had undertaken.
That night Ari laughed as Dean told her what had happened with Jo. She did feel a bit sorry for him.
“Poor Sweetie, to have young women throwing themselves at you. What a tough life,” she teased.
“You don’t know the half of it,” he grinned as he pulled her on top of him.
He ran his hands up and down her spine evoking moans of pleasure, the kind of moans he loved. She made a trail of kisses that began at his hairline and proceeded down his muscled chest. She leaned up so he could take her left nipple in his mouth to suckle while she straddled his chest. Once he was done with the right side, she slide back down his body so he could enter her. He grinned at her boldness as she closed her eyes. He sat up so they could cuddle for a moment.
“I missed you can we just sit her a moment?” she asked.
He nodded before he kissed her while he roamed his hands over her smooth butt. Her hands were in his hair as their hearts raced. She pushed down while he thrusted upward. She began to pant lightly as a light sheen of sweat covered them.
“A little faster please,” she whispered.
Dean smiled while he picked up the pace. What she wants she gets.
She moaned again before Dean put her on her back. Ari giggled.
“You like control don’t you” she teased as he continued to push inside her.
He answered against her neck? “You don’t mind the view from there, do you?” .
She bit her lip, “Not at all, I’ll take it any way you give it.”
He never took his eyes away from hers as he came inside her.
“Oh I did miss you so much,” she said with a sigh.
Ari woke up with a scream of terror, two hours later. Dean reached for her.
“Hey, you are fine. Here look at me, Ari, please…”
Her heart raced, as she looked wildly around her.
“Dean, something is wrong, very wrong.”
“What?”
“The dream has changed now there is a man after me, though I could still hear the dogs.”
***
Chester, Chet, George was a hunter but not a good one. He had been summoned to Chicago to rid the blonde executive of the demon. During the exorcism the demon, the same one who was on Ari’s trail, overtook the man. He should have known better than to try the technique alone. Afterward he had used his connections as a hunter to locate the Winchesters. He never had to visit the roadhouse, the hunters seemed to be a gossipy bunch, which was not a good thing in their business. He got into his black F150, and headed north on Interstate 94 toward Wisconsin.
TBC