This is a Dean/Jo fic. If you don't like, don't read. Part one.

Jo hears that Dean only has a year left to live and races to find him to tell him something important, almost killing herself in the process.

Don't own the song: Set fire to the third bar-Snow Patrol.

Fragile Spirits

"Mom, tell me!" Joanna Harvelle demanded, her hands resting stubbornly on her hips.

Tears sparkled in Ellen's eyes.

"I can't Jo. I promised them…I gave them my word,"

"Mom! I deserve to know! They were my friends too! Please!"

Ellen sighed and sat down. Jo did deserve to know. They were her friends too.

"Sam died…

Jo didn't even let her continue before gasping and covering her mouth. Tears sprung forth instantly as she lowered herself to a chair.

"You didn't let me finish! Calm down Joanna! Sam's fine!"

The young hunter looked up, a look of confusion etched on her face.

"I thought you said…"

"Dean brought him back."

Jo continued to stare at her mother, bewildered.

"But…how?"

Ellen got to her feet and turned away, biting her lip as tears splashed forth.

"Dean…sold his soul," she replied in a low whisper.

For moments there was silence, before the sound of smashing glass.

Ellen whipped around suddenly to see her only daughter, hands bleeding and chest heaving, at her feet.

She couldn't read her emotions.

Jo kicked the table with a yell.

"How long does he have left?" she asked.

Ellen took a deep breath. "Less than a year,"


I find the map and draw a straight line

Over rivers, farms, and state lines

The distance from here to where you'd be

It's only finger-lengths that I see

I touch the place where I'd find your face

My finger in creases of distant dark places...

The words still rang clearly in her head as she pressed her foot harder on the gas.

Tears slid slowly down her cheek as music played softly in the background.

It was late, and she was tired, but she no longer cared. All she cared about was reaching Dean. He needed to know.

She sniffed, and pulled a tissue from the dash, and wiping her eyes.

At least her mother had been able to reach them and find out their location.

And Jo had to get there before they left.

Still three hours at least before she got to Texas. She had driven flat out from Nebraska without a break, and she was surprised that she hadn't crashed the car.

She couldn't afford to stop. She didn't have the time. She wanted Dean.

She wanted to see him alive and well. Hell, she wanted to give Sam a hug. Even though the memories of their last meeting still plagued her.

And dragging Dean from the water…

Jo bit her lip and concentrated on the road ahead of her, ignoring the tiredness that was making her whole body ache.

She drove and drove, stopping only twice for petrol and something to eat. Much else would be a luxury. And at the moment, luxury wasn't an option.


I hang my coat up in the first bar

There is no peace that I've found so far

The laughter penetrates my silence

As drunken men find flaws in science

Their words mostly noises

Ghosts with just voices

Your words in my memory

Are like music to me…

Jo glanced at her phone for the fifth time. She was debating with herself.

Call him?

The first four times she said no, and turned back to the endless road before her, ignoring the nauseas feeling in her stomach.

She was going to lose him.

Forever.

"Fuck it," she muttered, picking up the phone, lying lonely on the passenger seat.

She flipped it open and speed dialed the number.

It rang seven times before:

"This better be good,"

Jo almost laughed. It was Dean. A very tired and no doubt grumpy Dean, but Dean nonetheless.

The happiness lasted only several seconds, before the pain set in and the tears sprang forth once more.

"How could you not tell me?" She demanded, slapping the steering wheel angrily.

"Jo? Aw shit," was his reply. "Can't this wait?"

"I don't want it to wait! You promised you'd call me!" Jo cried.

"I've been a little busy, you know, trying to save the world, and all that,"

"I could've helped you…"

"You're too young to fight," Dean said.

"What! Don't you dare start that age thing! First it was because I was a chick and now this! Screw you Dean!"

"I know you're angry and upset, but please try to calm down. You're not driving are you?"

Jo laughed mirthlessly. "Like you care. Yeah I am, and I haven't stopped since I left Nebraska four days ago. I'll be there in two hours,"

"Jesus Christ woman! What are you tryin to do? Kill yourself?"

"No! I'm trying to get to you before its too late!"

"Where are you?"

"Route 33, two hours outside Dallas," Jo snapped.

"Pull over right now. We're coming to get you,"

Jo turned her eyes back to the road and shrieked as a deer loomed before her, frozen in fear in the golden beam of her headlights.

She dropped her phone and jerked the wheel violently to avoid crashing into the animal.

The seconds seemed to melt by so slowly as the car was airborne.

It hit the bitumen with a metallic crunch and rolled several times before slamming into a tree.

Jo felt nothing but burning agony as warm blood fell everywhere.

With a grunt of pain, she wrestled with her seatbelt, trying to free herself from its stranglehold.

After several seconds, she was free and fumbling for the door handle, not quite hearing Dean's frantic calls over the phone.

Jo pushed the door open slowly and slowly slid from the car, groaning as she hit the glass littered ground beneath.

The pain was too great.

She just closed her eyes and let the darkness claim her…

I'm miles from where you are;

I lay down on the cold ground

I, I pray that something picks me up

and sets me down in your warm arms…


"Crap!" Dean growled, throwing his phone across the room.

Sam, who had been sleeping soundly, jumped awake.

"Huh? Whasgoinon?" he slurred, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Get dressed Sammy," Dean ordered, kicking his blankets aside.

Nausea was creeping into his stomach as he remembered her scream…that came seconds before the sounds of breaking glass and crunching metal.

He remembered that sound only vaguely.

It was the sound of a car accident.

Jo was in big trouble.

"What happened?" Sam asked, getting up quickly and pulling a pair of jeans on.

"That was Jo. Ellen told her…she's been driving flat out since Nebraska…and she's just had an accident," Dean rushed.

"How do you know?" Sam inquired.

"I heard, that's how, now hurry up. She's on route 33,"

"Hell! No one is ever on route 33,"

"Exactly! That is why we move! NOW!"


After I have traveled so far

We'd set the fire to the third bar

We'd share each other like an island

Until exhausted, close our eyelids

And dreaming, pick up from

The last place we left off

Your soft skin is weeping

A joy you can't keep in…

Dean had been driving so fast, he shaved an hour off the trip. The car was silent…no mullet rock played and nothing was said.

Both the Winchester men were worried…beyond that.

But Dean…Dean felt something more. He wasn't just worried or scared.

He was terrified.

He found himself actually praying that she would be okay and that she wasn't too badly hurt.

Dean Winchester never prayed…

The exceptions included when he lost Sammy, and his father.

Family.

But he was praying fervently and as he rounded the next corner, his stomach dropped to the floor.

He heard Sam gasp next to him and almost screamed out in anger.

"Holy crap," Dean breathed at the wreckage before them.

Jo's car had been completely totaled, and it had rolled about three times, by the looks of things.

Glass completely littered the road and crunched as Dean slammed on the breaks and reefed the door open before even pulling the keys out.

He could see her, lying by the car, unmoving.

Her usually golden curls were dirty and bloody and her clothes were ripped.

Dean ran towards her and skidded to a stop beside her, grazing his knees in the process.

He ignored the burning pain and lifted her slightly, brushing her hair from her face.

"Jesus Christ girl, what the hell have you done?" he muttered, gently picking the glass from her limp form.

In the dark, he could see the wetness on her face.

She was crying.

Dean pulled her to his chest and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, kissing the top of her head.

"D-dean…" came a whispered response.

Dean pulled away from her and watched her as she opened her eyes.

"Thank Christ. Jo, where does it hurt?" Dean asked, holding her cheek.

"E-everywhere," she replied, coughing.

Blood splattered Dean's shirt and he swore.

"Hang in there sweetheart, you'll be okay," he assured, picking her up.

"But you wont," she whispered, before going limp in his arms.

Dean approached the car.

"You mind driving Sammy?" he asked.

"The youngest shook his head. "How is she?"

Dean shook his head. "Its bad…she needs a hospital and fast!"

I'm miles from where you are,

I lay down on the cold ground

And I, I pray that something picks me up

And sets me down in your warm arms

And miles from where you are,

I lay down on the cold ground

And I, I pray that something picks me up

And sets me down in your warm arms...


That was just part one! hope you enjoyed and review if you want number two!