A Home in the Storm
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Ellen could hear them coming miles away. One look at the boys…she knew that she couldn't let them leave.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Ellen heard them coming from miles away. She heard the rocks flying off to the side of the road. The familiar sounds of the engine coming up the road. She set aside her rag and walked toward the door.
She wondered what the boys got into themselves this time.
She cracked open the door as they pulled up to the Roadhouse.
She watched as Dean opened the driver's side and slammed the door. He scrambled over to the other side of the car to open the passenger's side. He opened the door and scrambled to get out his brother.
Her heart dropped into stomach when she saw Sam. The poor boy looked like hell and pale as a sheet. His eyes were glazed over. She pushed open the door all the way and almost ran toward them. Dean almost looked surprise to see her here.
"Ellen…I know that we aren't welcome but there wasn't any place closer…"
"One more word, boy…and I smack you. Bring him in."
Sam blinked at her and stared like he was surprised to see her there.
"Ellen…"
"Not a word. Now get in there before I drag your ass in there myself."
Sam's eyes widen slightly. If the boy wasn't so sick, she would have laughed.
She finally pushed Dean's shoulder to get him moving. It took them a few minutes to get Sam through the door. The poor boy kept tripping over his own feet.
"Three door, right side of the hallway," She said.
"…Isn't that Jo's room?"
"I am going to pretend that you didn't know that."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Don't ma'am…get moving before your brother falls on his face. I going to get some medicine and wash clothes."
IF Dean didn't have Sam in his arms, she almost said that he was running to get down the hall. She shook her head and headed off toward the kitchen.
They were such stubborn boys.
She grabbed some cold medicine from the cabinets and a spoon from the drawer. Mentally, she made a note of things that she had on hands or she will needed.
She wasn't just taken care of one boy…she was taking care of both.
She exited the kitchen and headed toward Jo's room. She opened the door to find Dean forcing Sam into a bed slightly too small for him. Maybe, she should have kicked Ash out of his bed.
She waited for a few moments until Dean got Sam settled.
Slowly, she opened the door to see Dean mother henning over his baby brother. She watched as he removed Sam's clothes. She watched as Sam flailed like a fish out of water in stopping his brother. Even in her worry, it made her smile. Once Dean forced his brother down to his boxers, he covered him with blankets.
Finally, she stepped away from the door and turned away.
She had worked to do.
-SPNSPN-
About an hour later, Dean showed up at her bar. She eyed the boy to make sure there were no injuries.
At least, physical ones that she could see. No telling about the mental ones.
"Dean, how is Sam?" She asked as she set a plate of burger and fries on the bar. She knew once he was done with Sam. He would need his own energy and a bed. She snorted to herself. She would probably have work on that part.
"Fine…Fine…finally asleep," Dean said with a sigh.
"What happened to you boys?"
"It was some type of Lake Monster with a strange name. Well, it dumped Sammy in water then we had to drag ourselves five miles to the Impala."
She nodded her head.
"Orange juice and Powerade is in the fridge. I have some cans of chicken noodle or tomato ready when he wakes up. You eat then get some rest before then. You look like hell froze over,"
"Ellen…you don't have to do…" He said uncomfortably.
"One more time…and you will be sleeping on the table."
The boy had enough sense to shut his mouth after that and start eating. She wished that Jo would listen that easily.
-SPNSPN-
For the next few days, she watched.
Of course, she did more than that. She made the soup…sometimes, homemade if she had the chance. She made sure that there were cold drinks ready when Dean needed it. But Dean insisted that he did all of the work. Of course, Sam had something to say about it when he wasn't weak as a newborn colt. He wanted her to make sure Dean was taken care as well since he couldn't.
Those boys….
Those boys sure weren't their daddy.
Sure, she had to chance to watch them when they were younger. They were children there. She remembered them curled up and sleeping in the back of their daddy's car. They were innocent in appearance and not in the life. God, she wished that she go back and protect them.
Not that it did them or Jo any good.
They are adults now.
She knew that. She saw it the first time that she met them. This was different.
She had the chance to watch John's boys.
She watched as Dean pressed cold wash clothes against Sam's skin. She watched Dean force another glass of powerade down Sam's throat and rubbed his back when he threw it back up. She watched as Sam wrapped himself into a million blanks then kicked them off.
She watched the quiet moments of soft conversations and loud ones which consisted of Sam telling Dean that he needed to get into bed before he got sick. Then Dean insisted that he wouldn't get sick because he was awesome like that.
Probably, she and Sam rolled their eyes at the same time because of that comment.
She watched them watch bad television and Dean's running comments about various movies or tv shows. Sometimes, Sam would response and others times, he would be asleep. To see them so comfortable with each other made her heart ache.
It made her miss her daughter so damn much. It made her fingers itch toward the phone.
She didn't because Jo wasn't ready either. Hell, she wasn't ready to talk either.
But now, she knew what Bobby saw in those boys.
They were definitely John's boys but they weren't definite by their daddy.
They were strong young men.
When the boys left two weeks later, she hugged them both. She insisted that both boys came to visit and they always had a place to stay when they needed it.
End