What if, in Abandon All Hope, Jo had been too slow? What if she hesitated when she shot the Hellhound that went after Dean?
"Your call," Meg said. "You can make this easy, or you can make it really, really hard."
"When have you ever known us to make anything easy?" Dean replied.
BANG! He shot the Hellhound standing next to Meg. In an instant, rock salt was flying everywhere. The hunters followed the sounds of the Hellhounds to shoot them while trying to run backwards. Suddenly, Dean was on the pavement, knocked into by one of the hounds.
"DEAN!"
"Jo, stay back!"
She hesitated, but only for a moment. Then she took off running towards Dean and away from her mother and Sam, shooting at anything that could possibly be a hound. But she was too late.
She watched it happen. Sort of. Since she couldn't see the Hellhound, all she saw was a sudden and deep gash appear on the side of Dean's abdomen that began to pour blood profusely and fill her with dread.
"NO!"
Shots of rage were fired at where the animal must have been. Sam ran over and picked Dean up. She didn't think she'd ever forget how tiny and scared Dean looked when Sam carried him away. She covered his back as he took Dean into the nearest building; a hardware store. Ellen quickly opened the door and rushed Sam inside. Jo was the last one in, and she and her mother quickly salted all the doors and windows while Sam placed Dean against the counter. She found a rag hanging on one of the shelves and used it to put pressure on Dean's wound. Shit, she thought grimly. This is way too much blood.
She thought she might puke. But she had to hold herself together, for Dean at least.
"I say we scrap the plan to shoot Lucifer and get Dean to a hospital," she whispered to Sam.
"But Jo, even if we somehow get out of this place alive, all while carrying Dean and getting to a car, those bastards have our scent. They'll find us."
Sam was pale. He was staring at the wound like it was Lucifer himself manifested on Dean's side.
She felt stupid. Of course those sons of bitches would never stop chasing them. Jo looked around. They were in a hardware store. Rock salt, iron nails, batteries and wires, everything they'd need...
"We can build a bomb," she suggested. They all looked at her like she was crazy. "What? We have what we need. Salt, iron, and batteries to make it explosive. We somehow manage to put a timer on it, and we're home free."
Dean laughed, which turned into a hacking cough, but nodded his head. "This is why we let Jo do the planning and not you, Sammy. I say we give it a shot."
Of course given that Dean couldn't move, the others set about right away to assemble the bomb. They filled buckets with salt and nails, and put car batteries in the center. Then they connected all of the buckets with wire that attached to battery trigger.
"Okay, but how are we supposed to get it to go off?"
Nobody could think of a solution. Dean's breathing was getting shallower.
"Well, seeing as to how I can't move and can't feel my legs, I say you give me the trigger. Someone opens the door and then you guys can escape through the roof onto the next building. Then I'll blow the sons of bitches sky high."
They sat in silence. "Not gonna happen," Sam said.
"Sam, why do you have to make this so freaking difficult? I'm older so you have to do what I say." He groaned as he pushed his back against the counter. "Besides, its the best chance y'all got. Isn't it better if I die than all of us?"
"No! It's not Dean!" Sam slammed his fist on the counter and walked to the other side of the store. Ellen kneeled down beside Dean.
"You sure you wanna do this, sweetheart?"
He sighed. "I'm not getting yours or Sam's or Jo's blood on my hands. Not on my watch. So if I gotta take one for the team, so be it."
She kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair with her hand. She stood up. "I'm gonna go talk to Sam."
Jo sat there, tears on the verge of spilling out of her eyes. But she'll be damned if she's going to cry in front of Dean Winchester. So she distracts herself by pushing harder on his side.
"Oww!" Dean yelped. had they been in a very different situation, she would've laughed.
"Stop squirming," she said.
Geez Jo. Didn't know you were such a butcher. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to kill me faster." He attempted a smile.
She drew in a sharp breath. Don't joke like that, you moron! Her thoughts were screaming.
"It-it was a joke, okay? I'm sorry. I just-I don't know what to do. I'm scared. I gotta be brave for Sammy though, you know?"
No. She didn't know. She thought if she were in Dean's situation right now, she'd be cursing with every single profanity in the book. She'd be scared. But maybe she'd keep her cool for her mom. She cringed. She never wanted her mom to see her like this.
"Dean, I just don't think this is the right thing. Sam's never gonna agree. And what about me and Mom? And Bobby?"
Before he could answer, Ellen walked over with a very forlorn Sam. He had circles under his eyes and tear stains on his shirt and face. His hair was a mess.
"Dean, Sam decided that he'll let you stay." Jo was dumbfounded, and turned to look at Sam. He shied away. She saw more tears hit his shirt.
Dean broke the silence yet again. "So next order of business; who's gonna open the damn door?"
Before she knew what she was doing, Jo heard herself volunteer. "I'll do it," she said strongly.
"No way," Dean and Ellen said at the same time.
"Why not? Out of us, I'm the fastest. I'll open the doors and be out in time. It just makes sense."
"No babygirl. Too much risk. You could-"
"What Mom? Die? Like Dean? It's a possibility. But it's also the best chance some of us make it out of here." She looked around. "Then it's settled. Y'all get going, and I'll wait long enough to open the doors."
Sam knelt down to Dean. "Dean, I-" He gulped. Dean pressed the keys to the Impala into Sam's hands.
"I know, Sammy. Me too. Take care of my car. And maybe don't douche her up this time?" He hugged his brother as best as he could, then Ellen pulled him away. Dean handed her the Colt. "Don't let Sam have this," He whispered. She began to walk away. "Ellen? Kick it in the ass."
She smiled grimly then nodded at Jo. She had to pull Sam up the stairs because he was an emotional wreck.
As soon as they were gone, Jo slumped down on the floor beside Dean. They sat in silence for a minute.
"Can I tell you somethin', Jo?"
"Mhmm."
"I'm kinda glad that it's you. That stayed. I'm mad at you for it, but also glad."
"Why Dean?"
"Because. Sammy can't handle this, I know he can't. And Ellen? She'd scare all the hounds away if she opened the door." He chuckled, which turned into a coughing fit.
"You know, last night, that was real," he whispered.
"What?"
"I-I really like you, Jo. I don't think I realized it until after that whole thing with War, but I do. It's just always been-"
"Wrong place, wrong time," she laughed grimly as she threw her hands in the air.
"Exactly."
His breathing was really shallow and labored now; she knew she had to go soon. But all she wanted was to spend as much time possible here with Dean.
He pulled the amulet over his head and placed it in her hands. "I'm not one for sentimental crap, but, I want you to have this." She pulled it over her head and looked down at it. "Thanks Dean." She placed his hand in hers.
They sat there, fingers barely intertwined until finally she pulled away. "I have to go now, Dean." There were tears forming in her eyes again. She kissed his cheek and began to stand up. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back down into a kiss. It was sloppy, and feverish, but it was passionate. It said all the words they wanted to say. It tasted of whiskey and blood and death. But it also tasted of home. She began to cry. She no longer cared if Dean saw her cry, or if her mother or Sam or, hell, even Satan himself saw. She was damn tired of the sacrifice, the pain. Dean looked at her. He looked so sad, and she was abandoning him in his time of need. How easy it would be to stay, to let herself be blown to bits with the bastards that caused this nightmare. But Jo Harvelle was a fighter. And she knew Dean wanted her to fight. So she broke free of him and unlocked the door. She whispered goodbye and ran to the stairs, but stopped and looked back. Dean was alone, scared, dying. But he greeted the hounds wholeheartedly.
"All right, you sons of bitches! Come get a piece!" He looked back at her and winked. Startled, she ran up the stairs and onto the fire escape. Sam was waiting to pull her onto the next building. They were down the next fire escape and on the street in no time. BOOM! They turned around just in time to see the hardware store burst into flames. clouds of smoke billowed out from what used to be the windows and the door. Jo felt her heart drop and then shatter into a million pieces. Ellen felt hopeless. Sam, at that moment, lost all desire to keep fighting. But they turned around and continued on.
I'm gonna put that bullet in his head my damn self, Jo mused. All she could think about was the satisfying click of the gun as the bullet burrowed its way into the brain of Satan's vessel.
I'm gonna kill the Devil. No matter what I have to do.
Should I continue? It was originally supposed to be a Oneshot, but I just loved exploring this possibility and kind of want to go deeper into Abandon All Hope and maybe even after. What do y'all think? Please let me know!