Sorry guys for taking so long. I've been uber busy lately and totally incapable of reaching the computer. Hope this chapter makes up for it.

Chapter 14- Something Changed

Jo fell asleep, lying across the backseat, not long after they hit the freeway using a sweater as her pillow and Dean's jacket as a blanket. As soon as they had pulled out of Valentine, Dean had thought it best to get the worst over with and had explained to her what they had found at the Roadhouse when they arrived there, about the dead bodies and its current state, and about her mother being in the hospital.

For the most part she kept quiet, nodding or shaking her head when asked a question but otherwise remaining silent. Dean could not blame her. He had no idea what she had gone through and, being so close with Ellen as she was, it must be hard for her to hear that her mother was so sick. It was no wonder she could not speak, he thought, although he had never seen her speechless before. In fact, she did not seem like herself at all.

A couple of hours into the drive, somewhere between Fremont and the boondocks, the melodious rhythm of rock broke the nightly silence as Dean's cell phone went off. Taking a hand off the wheel, Dean reached his hand into his jean's pocket and pulled out the phone, flipped it open, and raised it to his ear with a worried glance at Sam.

"Hello?... He's speaking... What?... You're sure?... Yeah, alright. Thanks," Dean shut the phone, his face unreadable, "That was the hospital."

"Oh my God! Ellen, is she..."

"She's awake," relief washed over Dean's face and a wide grin spread up to his eyes, "She's awake," he repeated, "Her heart rate's down, she's gonna be alright."

"That's great," Sam smiled, too, and glanced at the backseat, "Should we tell Jo?"

Dean took a look back at her and shook his head, "Nah, let her sleep. It's another four hours 'til Fremont. Let her sleep."

"Yeah," Sam looked out the side window and back at Dean still smiling, "I'm just glad theat Ellen's okay."

"I'm glad they're both okay," Dean added with another glance back at Jo's sleeping figure and eased off the gas a little as he finally relaxed.

--

"Would ya get off me? I can do it myself."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Harvelle, I was just trying to help."

The attending nurse backed away from the bed while her patient squirmed around trying to sit up and propped herself up on a backrest of pillows. Her efforts to get or do anything for the woman had been stubbornly refused and so she retreated to the task of checking the monitors. The lines on the screen reflected the woman's harsh mood.

A soft rap came to the opened door and the nurse turned to see a young man standing in the doorway. She nodded to him that it was all right to enter and doing one last check on her clipboard, she scanned her patient quickly and left. Dean walked over to the bed and stood at the foot.

"Good morning."

"Dean, Hun, what are you doing her?"

"They called me to tell me you were up."

"They... they said that I was in a coma..."

"Yeah."

"How'd I wake up? The last thing I remember is that girl. It was a gypsy," Ellen said, looking around the room.

"Looks like you woke up right after we killed it."

Something seemed to have triggered in Ellen's mind and she looked up at Dean with wide, pitiful eyes, "I- I couldn't do anything. She just took her and..."

"Shhh, Ellen calm down."

"She had Jo and I tried to stop her but I couldn't..."

"Ellen..."

"What?"

"I've got her. She's right here."

"Hi, Mom."

Ellen's eyes flew toward the door and landed on her unharmed daughter standing next to Bobby and Sam. Letting out a sigh of relief, Ellen tried to get out of bed but Dean bolted over to her and stopped her. Instead, Jo walked slowly in and over to the bed where she embraced her mother in a tight hug before standing at her side. Ellen stared up at her strangely.

"I'm glad you're okay, Mom."

"Sweety, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Dean and Sam saved me."

"Hun, is something wrong?"

"No. Why would there be something wrong? I'm fine, seriously. I just need to get some more sleep, that's all."

"Yeah," Ellen compromised, "Um, Joanna, do you remember anything about what happened when you were taken?"

"No, not really. I just remember the gypsy standing over me."

"Humph... well I guess you were pretty out of it. But you're all right now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just really tired. Can we leave now?"

"Huh?" Dean had not realized that she had turned to him, " Oh, yeah, no problem."

"See you, Ellen," Sam called from the door as he turned and left.

"Good to see you up again," Bobby added, doing the same.

"Goodbye, Mom," Jo said following the men out the door.

"Bye," Dean waved a hand and walked away.

"Dean..."

"Yeah..." he turned on his heel just as he had reached the door.

"Be careful, would ya?"

Dean's expression was confused, "Be careful of what?"

"Keep an eye on her, alright. Something's not right."

"Will do. Bye," Dean turned again and left.

--

Since the Roadhouse had been recently turned into the latest crime scene of yet another unsolved mystery, the group headed in the direction of the best looking motel they could find and rented three rooms; Bobby and Sam each got their own rooms while Dean and Jo shared a bed. It was possibly a first for him, but Dean was thinking of no other motive than to just keep Jo as close to him as possible. It was already early in the morning when they arrived but what everyone craved for was some well needed sleep.

Sitting on the edge of the queen-sized mattress, Dean pulled off his boots and socks while he listened to the shower running in the adjoined bathroom and smiled to himself. It was comforting to hear the evidence of Jo so very close by, that she was safe and sound and within his grasp. It was hard to believe that not even twenty-four hours ago he had almost believed that he would never see her again.

"Hey, Dean."

He had not noticed the shower shut off but looked around to see Jo standing in the bathroom entrance and he twisted his entire body around to better face her. She was leaning seductively against the doorframe wearing nothing but one of his flannel shirts that almost fell down to her knees, releasing the smallest look of her thigh from beneath. Beads of water were still descending over her smooth legs and her damp blonde hair hung around her shoulders in waves.

"Hey, Jo," Dean returned, his voice husky, "What're you doin'"

Jo crossed the room gracefully and Dean automatically rose from the bed to stand in front of her. Lifting herself up on her tip-toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

Dean pulled back slightly but not apart, cradling her hips in his hands, "Don't you need some sleep?"

"I can sleep anytime," she whispered in his ear sweetly, "What I need is you."

Their lips met again and Dean was swept away, every thought of sleep gone without a trace from his mind. Hunger washed over them as they kissed with wild abandonment and Dean lifted her from the floor, his hands holding her bare thighs before sitting back down on the bed with Jo perched on his lap, legs around his waist.

Their mouths parted as Jo pulled the end of his tee-shirt and he raised his arms to allow it to be pulled off over his head revealing the wall of rock hard muscles. Shirt discarded onto the floor, Jo began to kiss his neck up to his ear and down to his chest, all the while his temperature heightened. Still, somehow, she seemed different. Something had changed in the way that she touched him and the way that she felt in his arms, as though the woman in his arms was an identical twin.

No, he told himself, it was Jo and any difference was only the result of almost losing her and the intense pleasure of having her back.

Dean's hands caressed her back, pushing the shirt up so that more of her velvety flesh was revealed, his fingers teasing the edge of her panties. Dean closed his eyes and leaned into her neck, kissing whatever skin he could find, pulling her closer to him, embracing her warmth.

It was not until he opened his eyes again that he saw it; the emerald tattoo imprinted on the base of her back. He pushed her back from him and looked into her shining green eyes, shock setting into his own.

The next few minutes were little more than a blur. Before he had been able to say anything she had placed a hand on his naked chest and the green sparks flew. He knew he was screaming and that his body had gone rigid, unable to do anything to stop the surge flowing through his body. The next thing there was a loud bang as the door burst open and the gypsy was being ripped off of him as he slumped onto the bed. Dean looked up at Sam standing over him and down at the gypsy; Jo's body lying unconscious on the floor.

--

There you go. Hope you liked it. Please review. Next Chapter will be: "I'm Sorry."