You groan, squirming in Baby's back seat as the ride drags on.
"How much longer?!" you ask, rubbing your face.
"Hang on, bug. Just about ten or so more minutes," Sam assures as Dean chuckles at you, glancing at your distressed figure in the mirror.
"Longest ten minutes ever!" you comment. "Wait…why are we going there, anyway? I thought there was a case somewhere else that we needed to work on?"
"Nope. Sammy and I'll take care of it while you stay here," Dean answers.
"What?! Come on, please don't pull this crap again, guys!" you whine, throwing your hands up in the air.
"That's not why we're doing this," Sam explains, turning to face you.
"Then please, enlighten me!" you groan.
Dean sighs, then glances at you in the mirror. "We know it can't be easy, living with two men, baby girl. We think you need to spend a little bit of time with grown women."
You blink. "Why? I think I'm doing just fine!"
Sam answers, "Maybe, but since Mom's not here we know you've got to have questions about…uh, whatever girls talk about."
Yeah, you liked Ellen and Jo, but you hated not being with your brothers. "Do you guys have to leave, though?"
"We'll spend the night here, then leave in the morning. We'll take care of the case, then come back and go from there," Sammy informs, glancing at you again.
"I hate it when I'm not close to you guys," you mumble, looking out the window.
"We don't like it either, but you'll be safer here than at the hunt," Dean comments.
With that, Dean pulls the Impala up in the parking lot of Harvelle's Roadhouse. Thankfully, you rip off your seatbelt and fly out of the car, grateful to be standing again.
"Finally!" you all but yell, exaggerating your stretching a little bit. You hear your brothers chuckle at you before your trio heads inside.
The saloon is devoid of customers, but Ellen and Jo are sitting at the bar, chatting. Their heads swivel towards you and your brothers when they hear you come in.
"There y'all are," Ellen comments, smiling as she looks over the three of you.
"Hey, Ellen, Jo," Sam greets, grinning. Dean waves at the two women seated at the bar.
The four of them start chatting, leaving you to start unloading stuff from the trunk of the Impala. The three of you don't have many belongings other than your respective wardrobes, so you won't have much to bring in. Normally, your brothers would take care of this, but you're not all that great when it comes to socializing with people. You think it's because you move around so much, so you never really get the chance to have long term friendships. Now, you seize opportunities like these to avoid awkward social interactions.
Popping open the trunk, you grab one of the handles on the bags, yanking it out and slinging it over your shoulder. You jump when another hand reaches into the truck.
Jo chuckles from beside you. "We're not going to bite," she states, taking out another bag.
"Oh…um…" you chuckle nervously, unsure of what to say. Jo shoots you a sympathetic glance.
"Your brothers were right," Jo comments as you two turn to walk inside. "You need some serious girl talk."
…
That night, after everything has been unloaded and good nights have been said, the three of you go to sleep for the night.
"Please don't leave me to get stuck in a socially awkward situation," you plead, running a hand through your hair.
Dean sighs, sitting down next to you. "I know it's hard, baby, but we really think that if you stay here with Ellen and Jo for a few nights, then it'll be good for you."
"Sometimes the best way to learn is to go through it yourself," Sammy adds, walking into the room you three are sharing for the night.
Dean climbs onto a bed, and Sammy clambers onto the other. The brothers normally take turns sharing beds with you, and tonight is Dean's turn. Sliding onto the mattress next to him, you smile tiredly as he gently loops his arms around you. You sink your head into his chest, inhaling his scent.
"Night guys," you murmur, sleep coming faster than you expected.
…
Sam throws the last bag in the back of the Impala before moving to stand with Dean. You run up to both of them, hugging them.
"Please don't take too long," you mutter, feeling them hug back.
"We won't, baby girl. We love you," Dean whispers.
"We love you so much, bug," Sam adds, holding you tightly.
"I love you guys too. Be careful out there. Call whenever you can," you say, stepping back and trying to keep your tears in.
"We will," Dean states with a nod, looking back up at Ellen. "Thanks again for keeping her. Just kick her out when she gets to be too much," he teases, winking at you.
Ellen shakes her head. "Take care."
Jo waves at the pair before you take a step back, watching Baby drive out into the distance.
You take a deep breath, squeezing the railing. Ellen chuckles, patting your back before she and Jo usher you into the saloon.
Ellen walks behind the bar, motioning for you and Jo to take a seat.
"What do you usually eat for breakfast?" Ellen asks, leaning her palms on the counter.
"Oh…I typically just go for some coffee," you answer.
Ellen frowns. "Alright. Lesson number one." She narrows her eyes. "You need to eat breakfast."
"Sam says the same thing," you admit.
The brunette nods. "Yeah, and you should listen to him. When you wake up, your body's pretty much running on backup energy. You need to give yourself a little bit of energy to push you 'till later on. So, I'll ask again." She smiles. "What do you like to eat for breakfast?"
You sigh, then cave in to her expectant glare, telling her what you like. Ellen nods, smiling. "That's better. Now, before I get started on cooking," she smiles. "I know it can't be easy living with those two, as much as they love you. A girl needs a woman in her life. So, if you have any questions about anything…be it periods, sex, relationships, boys, self-worth, let us know."
"Seriously," Jo adds, leaning her elbow on the table.
"I'm going to make you ask a least five questions before you leave; keep that in mind throughout your stay," Ellen states suddenly.
"Okay," you say, giving them a small smile.
Ellen nods again. "Now that that's out of the way, you two come help me cook."
…
Cooking with Ellen and Jo actually turned out to be better and less awkward than you expected. Despite them sneaking glances at each other when they asked you certain questions, of course. You have a sneaking suspicion that they're evaluating the extent of your social skills, which makes you extremely nervous, wondering what they'll try to do.
On the other hand, Ellen gives you a lot of helpful tips on how to improve your cooking, which you keep in mind. You weren't always the best cook, even when you tried your best, so you had tended to shy away from it whenever you could.
The result of the hour or so of cooking looks and smells absolutely delectable. You help move everything to the bar before sitting next to Jo with Ellen on the other side of the blonde. The food ranges from homemade biscuits, crispy bacon, mouthwatering sausages, cheesy eggs, and freshly brewed coffee.
"Alright!" Ellen announces, taking a sip of her coffee, "Ask us something!"
You tense up for a moment. "Um…"
Jo picks up on your tension. "Hm…do you even bother to make friends while you're at school?"
You shake your head. "My brothers encourage me to, but…it feels so pointless when we just move to the next school not even a month later," you admit.
Ellen starts piling food onto her plate. "I understand. It's hard for you to make long lasting friendships with people your age because of hunting."
"Do you keep in touch with any of your older friends?" Jo questions.
"I used to, but most of the times they start ignoring my texts. Or something along those lines," you answer, tentatively grabbing a biscuit.
"That sucks," Jo opines, biting into a forkful of eggs.
"Yeah," you mumble.
"That explains why you're so hesitant around people you don't know very well," Ellen muses.
"Yeah," you agree. At this point, you have several different questions buzzing through your head, most of which are off topic. You decide to bring them up when the time comes.
"What are you thinking about?" Ellen questions.
"Oh…well, I was wondering…" you trail off, thinking about how, exactly, you should phrase this. "Do you think it's worth it to make friends?"
"Hell yeah," Ellen answers, "as much as your brothers love you, you need to have experiences with other people, too, especially teenagers of your age. I know having a life as a hunter doesn't exactly blend in with everyone else, but when you find the right crowd of people, you'll have a lot of fun experiences."
"Okay," you breathe, taking a sip of your coffee.
"One question down. And, remember," Ellen reminds, "five is the minimum, not the limit."
…
A few hours later, you found yourself staring at your reflection in the mirror. Should you start wearing makeup? Would you look prettier with it on? Would people accept you faster if you did?
Sighing, you walk out of your temporary room and make your way back to the main room, where Ellen is busy tending to the few customers scattered across the room. You spot Jo behind the counter, rubbing a glass with a cloth. Hesitantly, you make your way over there.
"Uh…hey," you begin, sitting across from her. You pay attention to how much makeup she appears to be wearing.
"What's up?" Jo asks.
"So…you look like you wear makeup," you observe, bringing your hands together. "Should I start wearing it too?"
Jo frowns. "I think it's kind of a personal decision. For me, I like it because it…" she trails off, thinking for a minute. "It kind of gives me a boost in self-confidence, y'know? Plus, it's kind of artsy. And, you know we don't get a chance to do much artsy stuff with this kinda lifestyle."
You nod, understanding.
"Now, it's alright if you don't want to wear makeup. I know a few other women who don't wear it for a lot of reasons. Sometimes people just prefer the way their natural face looks, others don't like the way it feels on their face." Jo pauses for a moment. "If you want, I could teach you how to apply it, so you can try it out for yourself. We could experiment a little bit," she offers with a sly grin.
"I'd…um…if you don't mind, that'd be awesome," you murmur shyly.
"It's really no problem at all. Here." She glances at the clock for a moment. "Let's wait until the crowd dies down."
…
When Jo finishes with the makeup, you have to say you're pretty surprised. You think you definitely look a little better, but at the same time it feels kind of weird with the way it all settles onto your skin.
"What do you think? Like I said earlier, it's perfectly fine if you don't like it. It's a personal choice, remember?"
"It's…weird. Like, when I see how it looks, it makes me feel a little prettier, but at the same time it feels weird on my face."
"Understandable."
You think for a moment. "I think wearing makeup will be an occasional thing for me."
"Cool!" Jo states, taking a step back. "That's fine!"
…
That night, you're laying on your bed with your brothers on speaker phone.
"Heya, baby girl! How's it going?" Dean's voice asks.
"Better than I expected," you admit. "How about the hunt?"
"We're getting ready to question a witness and take a look at the remains tomorrow after we grab some breakfast," Sammy interjects.
"Cool," you reply.
"You doing alright, bug?" Sammy asks.
"Yeah, I just miss you guys," you confess, slamming your head onto the pillow with a sigh.
"We miss you too, babe," Dean responds.
"You guys have any idea of what you're dealing with?" you ask.
"Not really. At this point, the options are too varied to come up with a single monster. We'll probably get a better idea after tomorrow," Sammy sighs. You think you hear your eldest brother yawn in the background.
"Alright. Get some sleep. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow."
"Okay. We love you, sweet pea," Sammy coos.
"Yep! We love you!" Dean reiterates.
"Love you guys too. Talk to you tomorrow?"
"Of course."
…
The next day, your mind races to string together a sentence that won't sound all flustered when you finally manage to spit it out. Your tendency to overthink simple questions skyrockets whenever your anxiety kicks in. It's over the stupidest things, too.
"Ellen?" you ask. Better just to get it out of the way.
"Yeah, hun?" she replies, turning to face you.
"So…when I'm. Uh. On my period, I stain my clothes a lot, and it's really embarrassing when Sam and Dean find out about it. Is there any way to get stains out, or at least lessen it?"
Ellen chuckles. "Cold water. Let it soak for about ten or so minutes, then rub it to remove as much of it as possible. Then, wring it out, lay it out somewhere with the stain facing up."
"O-okay. Thanks. And…um…" you bite your lip as Ellen patiently waits to hear your next question. "Since we travel a lot, it's kind of hard to get ahold of a pack of pads or tampons when I need them. I get too embarrassed to ask my brothers sometimes-"
"Dean," Jo interrupts, walking into the room. "Ask him. I know he seems like the type to get all flustered and awkward, but he's mature like that. He's been with enough women to know that it's natural and it happens to all women. Hell, he even bought me a pack of pads once because he overheard that I needed some, and was going out for shopping anyway," she states with a laugh.
You frown, even though that does make sense. "Alright. Thanks."
"Anything else for today?" Ellen asks with a smile gracing her lips.
…
The three of you are sitting at a table, eating a dinner consisting of pizza Ash had ordered for all of you. Said man is nowhere to be found, but Ellen and Jo simply wave it off when you ask, causing you to shrug the matter off.
"So," Jo states your name. "Have you gone out on a date before?"
You shake your head. "No. I've never been asked to one before. Not only that, but…Dean wouldn't like it."
Ellen chuckles. "Heh. Dean would definitely be the overprotective one. Sam, on the other hand…"
You smile fondly at the thought of your idjit brothers. "I don't think Sammy would mind. I think he'd be happy for me."
"I think so too," Ellen agrees.
"Do you even want to date?" Jo asks.
You think about the question for a second. "If I found the right person, yeah. Even if it wasn't anything serious."
"Yeah," Ellen pipes up, "you should give yourself a break. Hang out with some friends at your next school, see if there are any cute and sweet guys there while you're at it."
"I guess so," you muse, wondering what it'd be like to go out on a date with a normal guy.
Light conversation fills the atmosphere as you all continue chatting for a while. Ellen decides that you all need some sleep when the majority of the pizza has been consumed and you fail to conceal your tired yawns. After bidding everyone goodnight, you pad into the room you're staying in and pass out on the bed.
…
The week goes by a lot faster than you realize when you hear the familiar purr of Baby pulling up outside. Eyes widening, you run outside, seeing your brothers getting out of the Impala.
"Ay, baby girl!" Dean cries, opening his arms to catch you as you collide into him.
"I missed you idjits!" you squeal, giggling when you feel Sammy pick you up from behind and hug your waist with your feet dangling a few inches or so off of the ground.
"We missed you too, bug," Sammy replies, smiling at you when he sets you down.
"Um…you guys were right. About this. I learned a lot. Now I won't have to rely on Google as often!" you admit, smiling.
"See, I told you, babe! Since when have I been wrong?!"
Sam only shakes his head. "Dude, I've lost count."
You hear the door to the saloon open as Ellen and Jo walk out, seeing what all the commotion's about.
"Did y'all have a good hunt?" Ellen shouts over their bickering.
"Oh yeah!" Dean answers. "Did this little pipsqueak behave for you?"
"Shut up!" you groan.
"Yes, she was great," Ellen informs, smiling at you.
"Thank you guys for everything, seriously…" you say, appreciation evident in your tone.
"No problem. If you ever need us, for anything at all, you have our numbers," Ellen points out.
Jo nods. "Call us anytime."
"Thank you so much!" you say, walking up to the porch to give the both of them a quick hug.
"Don't mention it," Ellen voices in a low tone, patting your back.
"Now go. Save the world with your brothers," Jo adds, handing you your bag.
"Thanks. Talk to you two later!" you yell, waving when you look over your shoulder. Throwing your bag into the back, you climb into the back seat of Baby, grinning and waving as the Impala turns onto the all-too-familiar road.
thank you for reading :D
