Chapter Four

A Reunion

I don't own anything Supernatural.

Before I was halfway to the door of the Roadhouse, where I was happily looking forward to sitting down and getting some chow, a car skid its way into the parking lot and rapidly shut off. An all-too-familiar Impala with an-all-too-familiar man coming out of the passenger door.

"Clara! I've spent all day looking for you! How did you end up here?!" Sam easily approached me in a few strides with his manners and voice betraying how worried he was.

"I thought you didn't want to see me anymore, Sam! How did you find me?" I swallowed and took a step back, really feeling how Sam towered over me for a hot second. It was incredibly intimidating, this man knew himself very well and could be as dangerous as he'd like.

"Clara, of course I don't want you to go away. Look, Dean had a moment but … I didn't say a word when you were leaving even though I should have. I know you're still coming to terms with whatever form of amnesia you have but that's when you need support the most, not a fight. Especially not from us, and not from me. Look, I … I know you don't remember, but you and I, Clara … we were really close and I owe it to myself and more importantly to you to be there when it matters. Not just owe it, I want to be there for you. Memories or no. And hey, maybe we get a chance to meet all over again," Sam finished his words breathlessly, approaching me once more and putting his hands on my arms, the arms that I had crossed in front of me. I wanted to try and pull away, but I looked up into Sam's hazel eyes and realized I didn't want to move. If I was going to make-up for the fight I started, now was the moment.

"Sam … I … I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said those things, it wasn't just you, it was me, too. And … and … I don't want to forget anything anymore. I want to stay with you … I can't remember everything but something inside me has been telling me since the beginning that we … belong together," I stopped, wondering if those were the words that I wanted to say, that they came out right, but I found them to be true. Every word. So I took a breath and continued: "Dean too, of course. I just. It's weird, it's like I've been trying to put together a mental puzzle without all the pieces. But I'm not going to finish the puzzle shunning away the only people close to me."

Sam smiled, and if I wasn't a religious person before I sure was now. God bless. His smile overshadowed the sunset behind us, he was his own sun. Without hesitating, I took my arms and hugged him like I'd never hugged anyone before and was touch-deprived. Sam hugged back, and that was the moment Dean came out of the Impala.

"I see Sam got through … He knew you'd need to go one at a time," Dean muttered, coming over to where Sam and I were. "My turn, kiddo. It wasn't okay for me to say what I said earlier and I'm sorry. Please don't go anywhere when you have a home here with us."

"That's okay Dean, I forgive you. I wasn't being fair with you and also said some things I didn't mean." I smiled and hugged Dean, whose embrace was short but incredibly meaningful.

"Now, tell us how you ended up here?" Sam asked.

"Oh, right," I looked over to the roadhouse. "I found a gravel road-" the mention of a gravel road caused Dean to blow a raspberry and Sam to roll his eyes "-and just followed it until I ended up here. Actually, that's it, that's the story. If you guys were looking for me then how did you not find me sooner?" I asked, laughing now.

Sam and Dean shared a look … someone lost a bet.

"Uh … we were looking in the wrong direction at first," Dean mumbled. "But! Little did you know, Clara, that we actually know the owner of this place and can get you VIP access," Dean added with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Sure, sounds good," I responded automatically, knowing my eyes would show how skeptical I was. I looked back to Sam, who was shaking his head at Dean. Dean had already started towards the building.

"Right," Sam said, chuckling. "After you, Clara," he finished.

"Don't mind if I do," I replied with a smile.

Harvelle's was a clean establishment but definitely not 100% family friendly. That was my first thought as we came in to the bar/restaurant, which was a healthy amount of full: not empty, but not at capacity. Looking around, it looked like most of the guys around here (and it was mostly guys) all had some sort of personal problem or faces bearing scars. Or both.

But no matter, I obviously had a story of my own.

"Ellen! Your favorite person has walked through the door!" Dean hollered at the counter as he picked what must be his favorite barstool. Sam and I joined him on his left, so I was in between the two men.

"Could you not make a ruckus for once in your life, Winchester?" A womanly, motherly voice responded as 'Ellen' came around the corner. She gasped when she saw me.

"Clara! I see you're still alive and kicking! Why-ever you'd want to stay with these two rapscallions is still a mystery, though," Ellen came around the counter, coming over to … oh, goodness, this woman wanted a hug. I complied stiffly. "Well, what's wrong? You look like you've never seen me before in your life," Ellen joked.

"Oh, actually, um. You've pretty much hit the nail on the head, there, Ellen. I was in an accident not long ago and I lost a chunk of my memories along the way. Sometimes I remember things, sometimes I don't."

Ellen's eyes grew wide as she heard my story, making her way back behind the counter. She looked at me, then the boys. Grabbing a newspaper off the counter, she rolled it up and smacked the boys on the head with the periodical.

"You boys broke her! How dare you-" She smacked Dean again.

"Ellen! Ellen, it's not like we meant to," Sam defended to no avail because Ellen took his words and used it as ammo to whack him again.

"Aha! And then you wonder why I never let Jo leave," she finished, putting the paper down and promptly grabbing a couple glasses, filling them with beer from the tap.

"Jo can handle herself!" Dean continued fruitlessly.

"That's what you said about Clara! But once again, you were wrong and she's the one who paid the price for it. Headstrong chickens," Ellen huffed. She turned to give the three of us glasses. I cautiously tasted it … it was good, cold beer. Ellen had the works in my book.

"Enough talk. Clara, do you want a burger? My cook has nothing going on right now but can make his best just for you," Ellen offered.

"That would be great, Ellen," I accepted.

"What? No burgers for us," Dean asked, mock offended.

"Y'all know how to piss a woman off," Ellen grunted, heading into the kitchen.

I giggled.

"Oh, oh you think this is funny," Dean asked, again mock offended.

"I think it's hilarious. Ellen's great, in my opinion," I replied, full on laughing now. "You broke me!"

"Oh, c'mon Clara," Sam responded this time. "We didn't … we didn't break you. We're just missing a piece …"

"That's called broken!" I kept laughing, swallowing my drink so it didn't spew out my nose.

"How is it that it's only loud in here when the three musketeers arrive?" Another voice approached us, except this time it came from a woman a bit younger than myself.

"Hey, Jo," the boys greeted.

"Jo?" I asked

Flash. Jo and I, stealing Dean's keys and taking the Impala out for a test drive. The scene changed. I was in the kitchen, helping Ellen cook on a particularly busy night. End flash.

"Clara!" Jo cheered.

I hugged her, except this time I knew why I was embracing the person. Jo and I are friends.

"Jo! I know you!" I joined her enthusiasm.

"Well, yeah," Jo said, slightly confused that I would say something so obvious.

"No, no, no. You don't understand," I said, catching my breath from my laughter. "I'm suffering from amnesia, but I remember you! And I also remember Ellen! We're pretty tight," I answered fully, my manners becoming less stiff. I relaxed back into my seat. Of course the joint was full of sketchy people, they were hunters like Sam and Dean. Like me.

"Oh, you're kidding," Jo replied, her eyebrows going up as her look went to the boys. Dean put his hands up.

"You got us," Dean responded.

"Well. I'm glad you remember us, at the least," Jo segued from the topic. "Is my mom getting you guys some food?"

"Yeah, she's in the kitchen," Sam replied.

"Good, good," Jo said as she went behind the counter to refill our drinks.

Ellen came back out with a tray of burgers, fries, and onion rings.

"Bon a petit, idiots," Ellen said, putting the tray down.

"Thanks." "Thank you!" "Ellen, you're the best." Sam, Dean, and I said at the same time. We dug in.