When he leaves, I count the steps he takes. Chapter 28

Dean and Jade walked to the Impala. Jade got in and Dean started the engine. She took off her boots. She had a buzz from all the shots she took to try to keep from beating Jo's ass. Dean raised his eyebrow as she took off her shoes and propped her feet on the dash. She looked at him, "What? My feet are killing me. Just drive." He put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot. "Are you still mad at me?" he asked. She looked at him, "No, but I am not gonna do this back and forth with you. First we are just friends, then we are more, then back to just friends and you can't call or come back, all of this you decide without talking to me. So, just friends is what I am deciding." He looked at her, she was serious, no uncertainty in her face. "Is that what you want?" he asked. She wanted to grab him and hold him and tell him no. What she wanted was him to be hers and all hers. For him to tell her he loved her, needed her. Promise her he would never leave her again. She took a deep breath, "Yeah, that's what I want." He looked out the windshield, "I don't know what you want from me. It is mine and Sam's job to keep you safe. We do what we think is best to make sure you are safe, and now you hate me." She popped her chin on her hand, propped on the door. "I don't hate you. I want you to stop trying to protect me. I don't want to be just one of your many jobs or obligations." He looked at her, "That is not what I meant. I just.." She stopped him and looked at him, "Look, we are friends, that is not gonna change. So, lets just let it go." She looked back out the window, he looked back out the windshield. Neither speaking the rest of the ride home.

Back at the house, Bobby and Ellen were stitching Jo's face up. "Why did you have to start more shit?" Ellen asked. "Why do you assume it was me?" Jo asked. Both Ellen and Bobby looked at her. Jo rolled her eyes, "Fine, I'm not going to say anything else to her." Ellen wiped Jo's face, "Thank you." Lexie walked in to the kitchen, Sam was sitting on the counter drinking a beer. "Can I talk to you?" she asked. Sam hopped off the counter and walked toward her, "Yeah, sure." He followed her to her room. She shut the door as he sat on the bed. He watched as she paced back and forth in front of the side of the bed. "What is wrong? Just tell me." he said. She ran her hand through her hair, "I am so nervous. Just so you know, I didn't do this on purpose. Never even crossed my mind." He grabbed her hand and she stood in front of him. She looked at him, "I am gonna have a baby." He let go of her hand and stared at her. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to gather his thoughts. Then after a few minutes of nothing but him staring at her with his eyes as wide as golf balls, she sat next to him on the bed. "Say something." He looked at her, "Your telling me it is mine, right?" She stood, "If you are really asking me if this baby is yours, I am going to beat the hell out of you." He shook his head, "No, I just making sure this is not your way of telling me you've been cheating on me. I just thought you were on the pill." She sat back on the bed, "I have been for about 15 years. Never missed one. The doctor said it happens. It is rare, but it happens." He ran his hand through his hair and looked back at her, "Wow. A baby. I don't know what to say." "I don't want you to say anything. I am having this baby. I want you to take sometime to think about it. Decide if this is what you want. If you don't, that is fine. Either way I am having this baby. Jade is going to help me. She is more excited than I am." He looked at her and grabbed her hand, "I want to be a daddy. I want to do this with you." She shook her head, "No, I want you to make sure you want this. Decide if the next time you and Dean decide to go on one of your kamikaze missions, you can put the needs of this baby first. Your decisions won't just effect just you, but also this baby." He leaned in and kissed her, "I want this, with you. Please, let me." She smiled, "I hoped you would say that." He cupped her face and kissed her again. She moaned as he pulled back, "I am going to be a daddy."

Jade and Dean walked into the kitchen as Ellen finished patching up Jo. Jade smiled and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, Dean reached over her and grabbed a beer. "Where is Sam and Lexie?" Dean asked. Bobby sat at the counter, "Lexie said she needed to talk to him and they went into her room." Dean raised his eyebrows and looked at Jade, "About what?" he asked. Jade smiled, "Why are you asking me?" Then she walked to her room to change. Dean looked at Jo, "Stitches?" Jo's lips tightened, "Just a few." Ellen looked at Dean and raised her eyebrows. She wasn't happy with what Jo had done. Dean looked at Bobby, "Has Jade said anything about having vision's about what happened?" Bobby asked. Dean shook his head, "Didn't make it that far. We are just friends. That is all we got worked out." Ellen patted him on the back, "She will come around." Dean smirked as he saw Jade walk back in the kitchen. She had on a white tank top, thin pink pajama pants and socks. Her hair was pulled up in a claw clip with a few strands hanging around her face, and her glasses. Then Lexie and Sam came out of the room smiling. Dean looked at them as he sipped his beer. "You two sure are happy. Grab a quickie?" Lexie rolled her eyes, "No, pervert." Sam looked at Lexie and smiled, "But we do have an announcement." Jade hopped on the counter and smiled, she knew what the news was. From the look on Sam's face, he was happy. Sam cleared his throat and looked at everyone. "Me and Lexie are going to have a baby." Everyone was silent for a minute. Then Ellen smiled and hugged Lexie, "Congratulations, that is awesome news." Bobby shook Sam's hand and pulled him in to a hug. "I am happy for you, son." Then hugged Lexie. As everyone hugged and congratulated them Jade smiled. Jo walked upstairs and went to bed. She already knew Dean didn't want her, but this would bring him closer to Jade. When Ellen and Bobby was through with the hugs, Sam looked at Dean. Dean stood and smiled, "I am going to be an uncle." Dean shook Sam's hand, "Looks like it." Dean pulled him in for a hug. Lexie leaned on the counter in front of Jade, and Jade wrapped her arms around her shoulders. They both watched the brothers. Jade leaned to Lexie's ear, "What were you so nervous about?" Lexie wiped a tear from her cheek, "I don't know." Dean and Sam turned to the girls, Dean wrapped his arms around Lexie's waist and picked her up into a hug. Sam walked to the counter in front of Jade. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. She whispered in his ear, "I knew you would step up." He whispered back, "And I knew you would if I didn't" They both smiled.

They all chit chatted for a few minutes before Bobby broke the mood. "I hate to be the jerk, but we are here for a reason." Everyone sat at the counter except Jade she stayed on the counter. Dean cleared his throat, "Well, we meet a prophet, Chuck, he can see what is going to happen to me and Sam. Unfortunally, Zachariah is watching him. He doesn't want him to warn us. Cas sent us to find the lost sword of Michael. Turns out, I am the sword, Michael's vessel. Sam is Lucifer's vessel and I am Michael's vessel. They are both willing to do what it takes to make us sat yes." They all look at the girls, who do not look at all surprised. Dean looked at Lexie then at Jade, "Well?" "Your done?" Jade asked. Dean smirked, "Yeah." "I thought you had something new." Dean shook his head and Bobby spoke, "I guess you both already knew." Lexie smiled, "Yeah, Jade saw it last night." Dean looked at her and raised his eyebrows, "You didn't call me?' Jade hopped off the counter, "I called you for a week. No answer. So, I stopped. Why would I tell you, you already know." Dean ran his hand over his face. Bobby cleared his throat, "Well, now we have to hide from two angels. One of which is an archangel. Everything just got twice has dangerous." Jade folded her arms over her chest, "Is that why ya'll came." Everyone looked at her except Dean. He hung his head he knew where this was going. Jade walked to the entry closet and slid on her Nike's and Hoodie. "You wasted your time. Me and Lexie are fine. This house is demon proof, and Bobby made it angel proof. Our ribs are carved up. So I think we are good. But ya'll can stay as long as ya'll need to. There is plenty of room." They all watched as she walked out back. "Where is she going?" Ellen asked. Dean stood, "Behind the barn, I will talk to her." Ellen grabbed his arm, "Let me. Sometimes, you can make it worse." Dean gritted his teeth as he watched Ellen walk out the door. "She is going to be the death of me. Not Lucifer, Lilth, or even Michael. That 5'2 stick of dynamite is going to kill me." Lexie wrapped her arm around his waist, "You love it, that's why. You can't stay away." Dean looked down at Lexie, "I need to but I don't know if I can."

Ellen walked around the barn and saw Jade sitting on a bench in front of an old pasture. "Can I join you?" Ellen asked. Jade looked up at her and smiled, "Sure. I'm sorry I lost it with Jo." Ellen pulled out a pack of cigarettes, "Do you mind?" Jade shook her head, "No, go ahead." Ellen lit her cigarette, "Jo is my daughter and I love her. But sometimes I would love to kick her ass. She will learn one day. Men will drive you crazy if you let them, hun. Trust me, I married one of the most stubborn men God put on the face of the earth." Jade took a deep breath and pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Dean is another." Ellen laughed, "You are right. But when he does things, he honestly believes it is the best thing at the time." Jade smirked, "That is the problem, what he thinks is best. He doesn't ask me nothing. He just does it. Like I am some dumb little girl who needs him to protect me, make decisions for me. He said it is his job." She stopped and shook her head. "He doesn't think you are just another job. Him and Sam have lost everyone they love. They hold on tight to what they have. And now, that is you and Lexie. So if he thinks staying away from you, keeps you safe. That is what he is going to do." Jade ran her hand through her hair. Ellen looked at her, "I'm not saying it is the right thing to do, because I don't. But I can understand it." Jade smirked, "I wish he had half the faith in me that I have in him." Ellen smiled, "Tell me about it. He is the man, he feels it is his job to keep the evil away, whatever it takes." Jade looked at Ellen, "I can't keep doing this. I have never felt like this before. I never use to miss him, hell, I couldn't wait for him to leave. Now, when he leaves, I count the steps he takes. Can't wait for him to call or come home. I hate that feeling. Missing somebody, only feeling safe when I am with him. That is not me. I can't do this back and forth anymore. We are always gonna be friends, but I can't fall in love with him. I can't lose him over and over. My heart can't take it." Ellen wrapped her arm around her shoulder, "Do what is best for you. Do what makes you happy. The rest will fall into place. But saying you are just friends, doesn't mean you won't fall in love with him. It may be to late." They both stared at the sky. Ellen smiled, "Man, you can actually see stars out here." Jade pulled her legs tighter to her chest, "Yeah, I don't think I could call anywhere else home. This is peaceful." Jade smiled as Ellen stood and walked back to the house. Everyone was in bed when she made her way upstairs.

Jade walked in and locked and salted all the doors before making her way to her room. She opened her door and could hear Dean in the shower. She took of her shoes and Hoodie, climbed in bed under the covers. On her side facing his side of the bed. Dean walked out of the bathroom in his underwear. "Can I at least lay next to you?" he asked as he stood next to the bed. "Yeah." she whispered. He climbed in bed and pulled the cover to cover his waist. Left hand behind his head, the other on his chest. After a few minutes of listening to each other take breaths, Dean looked at her. She looked up at him. "I didn't mean you were just a job. I care about you, I want to keep you safe. Right now, the further away me and Sam are, the safer you two are. You three now. It is more important now." Tears slowly ran down her cheeks, "If that is what you want, that is fine. But I can't go back and forth with you. Maybe if we go back to just being friends, maybe it won't hurt so bad when your gone." He looked at the ceiling, hearing her say that made a sharp pain rise in his chest. She turned over, her back to him. He could tell by her short breaths, she was crying. He turned to her, wrapped his arm around her and laid his head to hers, "I'm sorry, Jade." She took a deep breath and pulled his hand to her chest. He could feel her heartbeat on the back of his hand. He made sure he memorized every beat. He didn't know if he would ever feel it again.