A/N Set during right after "Road Trip" and during "Firstborn.
"You have got to be the most stubborn human being I have ever met!" Jo fumed at Dean.
He just clenched his jaw and kept driving, a brief glance out of the corner of his eye the only acknowledgment that he heard Jo.
"He can't forgive you if you are not there," she continued in frustration.
"It is more than just Sam being angry- I bring pain and death to everyone I know," Dean sighed.
Jo rolled her eyes.
"That is bullshit. Any hunter could say the same thing; it's just the nature of the game. You two have actually stuck around longer than most hunters because you work as a team. Going it alone when you don't have to is stupid."
Dean stopped the car and turned to stare at Jo.
"I didn't see Sam begging me to stay," he grumbled.
Jo laughed.
"Because he is mad! He is going to be Sam and over react and pout awhile. He will cool off eventually and see you were only trying to help him. He always does," she finished gently. "Just give it a chance. I would feel a lot better about you working with Sam and Cas than working with Crowley. You can't trust him, he has to have an ulterior motive for helping you," she changed the subject to something a little safer than Sam.
"I know. So far he is really my only option to take out Abaddon. Right now, she is the big bad," Dean replied, also letting the topic of Sam drop for a moment. "You mind watching my back while he is around, warn me if you notice anything?" he asked. Why he was trying to humor the figment of his imagination, he wasn't sure.
"I always do, you just don't listen very well."
Several hours later Jo stood silently next to Dean as Cain told his side of the story. She never thought she would feel sorry for Cain, but hearing how is wife had loved him, even with his past, and helped him change just to be murdered was heart wrenching. Cain's wife was his redemption she thought. Her love helped him be human. She was pulled out of her thoughts by Cain warning Dean that there was a terrible cost with the Mark and Dean disregarding him.
"Dean, I really think you should listen," she whispered.
Just as she suspected, he ignored her. Stepping towards him, she reached out her hand. Dean glanced towards her. He felt the burning pain of the Mark searing into his forearm. He saw Jo open her mouth to say something before disappearing.