I just want to thank everyone again who has favored this story and supporting me throughout this journey with feedback and PMs. Thank you
Angels-heart1, Leann Nickerson, Blondie 20000 and carmengmtr for all you feedback. carmengmtr, I just wanted to say thank you so much and I do google translate all your feedback and it just makes my day when I read it. So thank you...thank you...thank you everyone!
I feel like I need to explain, this story started out completely different, I started writing it before Season 15 aired. Originally Jo really was from another dimension and Gabriel was from that dimension too (have there was our Michael and AW Michael so why not :D). Gabriel didn't just bring Jo through the rip, he brought her and Dean's three daughters.
Oh the drama those first chapters were filled with originally. Dean having an 18 month old child calling him Dada because she didn't understand. Him dealing with a four year and nine year old who was grieving their real father but still drawn to our Dean. Rowena...oh Rowena became Auntie Rowena in record time as she took it upon herself to watch out for the 'Wee Ones'.
Then the damn season started and they killed Rowena off and suddenly I found myself re-reading what I had wrote and scraped 90% of it and sadly that is why sometimes I know I've jumped around with certain storylines. So apologize if thing have been choppy but I do try and bring the storylines together.
I just needed to explain and apologize...this story twist sometimes take me by surprised (don't laugh) but I am trying in this chapter to tie up a few loose ends. There is a lot happening here and yes this is my take on "Galaxy Brain" but like the last chapter the 'storyline' we saw on the show happens 'off camera' here. I decided to just insert Jo into a small portion from that episode. This is more of Jo's story here so I hope people enjoy. Author Notes at the bottom too :D.
Thank you again everyone and enjoy!
Val
Chapter 34
Dean and Sam grinned as they finished going through the property with Jo. Mrs. Gavin had included the furniture in the deal when Jo offered to pay the closing cost.
"This place is amazing," Dean said as he leaned against the bar.
"Definitely need to change some of the décor," she told him as she wrinkled her nose at the dear head over the bar.
"I don't know…I like it." Dean argued as he went over and lifted Ami out of her car seat, "what about you Sweetpea…do you like it?"
Jo snorted as she rolled her eyes at Dean. "I tried for years to get my Mom to take the one down at Harvelle's…no way am I keeping it in this place."
"Fine…we can move it to the game room in the bunk house," he conceded before adding. "the new Harvelle's Roadhouse will be dear head free."
Jo looked up from the notebook she had been keeping her punch list for what needs to be done. "Excuse me?"
"What?" Dean asked in confusion.
"You think we should call it Harvelle's?" She asked.
"What else would you call your place?"
Jo looked at Dean, "ours." She corrected him.
Dean smiled, "Jo you don't have to say that…"
"I'm not just saying that. This is ours Dean…yours, Sammy and mine. All three of our names are on the deed…you two just have to sign the paperwork."
"Jo…you don't have to do that," Sam told her clearly surprised by the gesture.
"Stop," Jo said as she held her hand up. "Are we a family?" She asked both brothers bluntly.
"Of course but," Dean started to argue only to be cut off by Jo.
"But nothing…the three of us deserve to build our lives beyond what is coming down the pike and this is a good jumping off point." She told them.
Dean and Sam shared a look that Jo knew was a silent conversation between them. Finally Dean nodded his head. "So what are we going to call this then if not Harvelle's?"
"I was thinking Winchester's. I…umm…I had Ash hacked into the state and federal data bases and updated my name to Winchester and I had Meghan filed all paperwork as Joanna Beth Winchester too," Jo told them, blushing at her confession.
Sam smirked at his brother as he said, "Winchester huh. So did Ash file a marriage certificate then to make it official?"
Jo ducked her head as she said, "he created a marriage certificate issued in Vegas in 2006." She looked at Dean and saw the way he was staring at her looking gob smacked. "I'm sorry I should have discussed this with you before I had Ash do it."
Dean swallowed as he turned to Sam and handed Ami to him. "Why don't you take Ami to go pick out her future bedroom."
Sam gave Jo a reassuring smile as he patted her shoulder when he passed by.
"Dean…I'm sorry… I can have Ash delete it and…." Jo rambling stopped when Dean stood in front of her, cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. Jo sighed contently when he pulled back and mated his forehead to hers.
Dean gazed into her eyes, "We should have done it back then. I should have gone back to Duluth…told you how I felt…and convinced you to go to Vegas with me and got married."
"And we would have been divorced in six months. We were too immature then," she murmured as she reached down and entwined her hand with his.
"But now it's legal…it's on the books?" He asked.
"As legal as anything else that we do," she said with a chuckle.
Dean returned her smile as he said softly, "marry me?"
"What?" She asked in confusion.
"Marry me'" he said again. "I want us to exchange vows…I want to put a ring on your finger. Even if it's just for us and our family." He told her, a faint blush tinting his cheeks at how corny he sounded but he didn't care. It was exactly what he wanted…to pledge himself to Jo…to her and to their daughter.
Jo blinked as she felt her tears threatening to spill as she quickly nodded her head. "Of course I'll marry you."
Dean let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he laughed and pulled Jo into a bone crushing hug. They pulled apart when Sam knocked on the window and gave them a thumbs up.
Jo shook her head in amusement as Dean settled her next to him before calling out to his brother to get his sorry ass back into the lodge.
SPNSPNSPN
"So we're going to call our new place 'Winchester's'?" Jo asked as they sat at one of the tables."
"Don't think we should advertise our name on the place…we're still technically on the Feds most wanted list." Dean said.
"We could go with your cover name Campbell," she reasoned.
Sam looked around the placed, it was going to make a great roadhouse…just a tad more upscale than the old one. He grinned as he looked at the other two. "Jo, did Dean ever tell you about the books Chuck wrote while pretending to be a prophet?"
"Yeah," she said as she looked over at Dean who shrugged his shoulders equally confused.
"Well some of the fans of the books shipped you two."
"Ship…what Hell are you talking about Sam." Dean asked.
"That's what they call it when fans of a books or shows want to see two characters together. Anyway these fans had a shipper name for you both…it's a combination of your last name…they referred to you guys as Chestervelle."
Dean and Jo shared a look before they both burst out laughing at the younger Winchester. Dean took a few cleansing breaths before turning to Jo and saying with that twinkle in his eyes that always made her heart skip a beat, "why not. A fresh start for our family."
Jo smiled as she repeated the name, testing how it sounded, "Chestervelle….Chestervelle's Roadhouse. What do you think Ms. Ami?" Jo asked and was rewarded with a drooling grin.
"I think that's a yes," Sam said as he reached over and tickled his niece's chin.
"Guess it's unanimous decision," Dean said as he wrapped his free arm around Jo.
"Guess it is," she agreed as she lifted her water bottle up and said, "to Chestervelle's!"
Sam lift his bottle of water as him and Dean laughed and exclaimed together. "To Chestervelle's!"
SPNSPNSPN
Dean and Sam walked into the kitchen as Jo was getting off the phone. She looked up and gave Dean a tentative smile. "So you'll never guess who that was."
"Ellen, "he said as he went over and grabbed three beers, passing one to Jo and one to Sam.
"Lorna," she told him.
"Lorna…Texas Lorna?" Sam asked. Jo and Dean had told him about their time in Texas.
"Uh huh," she said as she nodded her head.
"How's she doing?" Dean asked. He didn't realize Jo had been in contact with the other woman.
"Well she's had a bit of a career move," she said as she took a sip of the beer Dean had handed her.
Dean smirked, "well if finding out your boss was feeding innocent people to a marid for money and success isn't a wakeup call to find another line of work I don't know what is."
Sam snorted at his brother before turning to Jo, "so what's she up to?"
Jo chewed on her lower lip, "well believe it or not she's been hunting…she a natural."
Dean looked at Jo for a heartbeat before he began laughing, "you know you almost had me there."
Sam's smiled faltered as he saw the way Jo ducked her head, "I don't think she's joking."
"I gave her Jody and Donna numbers," she admitted before continuing. "She been training and working cases with them and Claire. Actually that's why she called; seems Claire was supposed to be her backup on a case she caught but she bailed when she got a lead on that Kaia girl."
Dean gaped at Jo in shock as he finally said, "you sent some random civilian you met once to Jody and Donna to train as a hunter?"
"I gotta agree with Dean here Jo. Hunting isn't just something you jump into, especially somebody who has no experience."
Jo smiled at both of them, "seems we didn't know Lorna's full story. She was actually a trained Texas Ranger. She was hurt during a shootout with some coyotes who were trafficking a truck full of women over the border a couple of years ago. She caught a bullet in her back, close to her spinal cord. She was basically forced to take early retirement when she wasn't cleared for active duty due to her injuries."
"Explains why even though she was shaken up by what she saw she didn't actually freak out like most people do." Dean said.
"Look she's pretty damn tough, she's gone through three spinal surgeries and over a year of PT. She told me she's actually stronger now than she was when she was in the Rangers."
"Ranger…their training is pretty intense." Sam said as he cleared his throat.
Dean looked at Jo and asked, "so when did this all start?"
"She called me a while Ami and I were we staying in that cabin." She explained as she saw the way Dean was staring at her. "She had lots of questions and finally I realized the questions were due to her researching a hunt. I tried to talk her out of it but when I realized that wasn't going to happen, I helped her researched the case and then got her in contact with Jody and Donna to set up a schedule rotating cases with them and Claire."
Dean crossed his arms across his chest, "so what…now you're the local den mother setting up play dates for all the wayward hunters?"
"Haha, look she's good…real good. She's already amassed a fairly decent resume in a short period of time and you know as well as I do that there has been an uptick in supernatural activity. We can use all the help we can get." She argued.
"Okay, I'll give you that." Dean conceded. "But I'm still not sure why she called you," he said.
"She needs back up on salt and burn case looks like two ghosts. Donna's working a case with Ash and Jody thinks she may have a case brewing in her backyard so I told her I would come and work the case with her."
Dean shook his head as he looked at her, "I don't know what is more unbelievable…that you want to go on a hunt with some newbie or that you think I'm going to let you." He ground out.
Jo narrowed her eyes as Sam winced at his brother's words. "Let me…as in giving me your permission to work a case," she said heatedly.
"Oh no," Dean argued. "This isn't me trying to control you. I'm all for you working cases."
"Why don't we all calm down," Sam reasoned as Cas and Jack joined them.
"No this is ridiculous. She knows I'm not talking about permission. This is a matter of knowing if you can count on your partner to have your back!" Dean snapped.
"You mean like Castiel," Jo said.
"Exactly," Dean said smugly thinking he had obviously made Jo see reason.
Jo pursed her lips together as she imitated Dean's stance as she said coolly, "because he would never leave his partners hanging out to dry…unless he disappears because he sees a bunch of reapers and decides to abandoned the plan everyone else agreed upon. It's not like that could ever end up getting somebody killed right."
Dean swallowed as he realized what Jo was saying and watched as she turned and stormed out of the room. He caught Sam shaking his head at him. He winced when he saw Cas duck his head before mumbling an 'excuse me' as he left the room.
SPNSPNSPN
"Your Daddy knows how to push my buttons," Jo said to her daughter that was currently lying on their bed, with several pillows around her to prevent her from rolling off the bed while Jo was packing her duffel bags. She didn't bother to look up when she heard a knock on the door and she called out, "go away Dean. I'm still cooling off."
She sighed when she heard the door open behind her and she grabbed a pair of socks from her bag before turning and stopping in mid throw when she saw Cas standing in the doorway. "Oh…um…sorry, I thought you were Dean." She said as she looked down at the socks in her hand before quickly tossing them on the bed behind her.
"May I come in?" the angel asked.
"Of course," Jo murmured as she held her hand out towards one of the chairs her and Dean had set up in the corner of the room. "I owe you an apology. You didn't deserve that…I was angry at Dean but I was just a complete bitch to bring up Carthage and that wasn't fair to you….it wasn't your fault." She said as they both sat down.
The angel cocked his head to the side slightly as he study Jo. "You don't have to say that…I know you don't really mean it."
"Of course I mean it," Jo told him as she looked down at her hands.
"But you don't. You blame me for your death and for Ellen's death." He said softly.
Jo forced a smile as she stood up, "water under the bridge. I think Ami needs a diaper change."
Cas reached out and took Jo's hand in his as she started to walk pass. "Your death and Ellen's death was never 'water under the bridge' for any of us."
Jo's lower lip quivered as she sat back down across from Castiel. "Cas…were fine. There's nothing to talk about…"
"I think we do," he argued. "I think it's time Jo."
Jo closed her eyes as she as a single tear slid down her cheek. "You left us…you went off book…you didn't follow the plan and we paid the price."
Cas swallowed as he nodded his head in understanding. "I was foolish and walked into the trap Lucifer set up for me. I let him lure me away you and Ellen. I wasn't there too help you when you needed me."
Jo signed, "it probable wouldn't have made a difference."
"I could have healed you enough that we could have gotten you out of there," he admitted sadly.
Jo closed her eyes at his confession, she opened then when she heard her daughter giggling as she found the pair of socks Jo had tossed on the bed and was currently happily playing with them and she smiled wistfully.
Slowly she turned her attention back to the angel. "Every time I see you…for a heartbeat I feel an uncontrollable hatred towards you." She confessed as she wiped at her tears. "I think…if you had just stuck to the plan…my Mom would be here…my real Mom."
"I understand," Castiel murmured.
Jo shook her head, "no you don't. Because as quickly as that thought comes into my mind it's replaced with gratefulness that you weren't there because selfishly I know that if we had survived I wouldn't have Amelia. That Dean and I never would have found 'the right place, right time' to be together. A part of me is grateful for my own mother's death. What kinda of monster does that make me?" She cried miserably.
"It makes you human Joanna." Castiel told her as he reached over and took her hand in his.
"I need you to understand," she said as she squeezed his hand. "I'm trying so hard not let these feeling control me. I trust you Cas…I trusted you to take me over to the other dimension with Ami…I trusted you when I went with you to find Jack. I don't want you to think that I don't trust you or that I don't care about you because I do. You're part of this family. I just can't help those thoughts coming into my mind but I'm trying." She told him earnestly before adding. "And I really am sorry for about earlier."
"Dean expects you to trust the people he trust…why should you not expect the same from him," he told her.
"She should expect it," Dean said as he stood in the doorway watching them.
Castiel stood up, "I am going to check on Jack." He announced as he walked past Dean.
Dean step aside to let the other man pass before coming into the room. His eyes drifted to the half packed duffel on the bed. "When are you leaving?"
"I told her I was leaving within the hour. She's six hours from here." She told him.
Dean crossed over to their bed and smiled down at his daughter. "Guess I'm on Ami duty."
"I can ask Ellen and Bill to watch her," she offered as she got up and went over to the closet and grabbed a few pairs of jeans, and several t-shirts.
"Jo I'm sorry," Dean said as she came and stood next to her. "It's not that I don't trust your judgement. It's just…" he flounder for the words to explain.
"It's what Dean? You say you're okay with me hunting and in the next breath you're undermining me." She said as she looked over at him.
Deann blushed knowing Jo was right. "I am good with you hunting," he argued.
"As long as it's with somebody you pre-approve," she huffed.
"Why can't you partner with me and Sam?" He finally said.
Jo tucked the jeans and tops into her bag. "Because I love you and I don't want to kill you when you sideline me to keep me safe at every turn."
Dean snorted in amusement, "you know me too well."
"Dean, I need to figure out how to fit hunting into my life again and that includes finding a partner." She told him.
"What about Ellen or Bill? Ash?"
Jo sighed, "I know I call them Mom and Dad…but I can't bring myself to hunt with either of them, especially Ellen. Ash…well we would probably get each other killed fighting over something stupid."
"Okay but you have Jody…"
"Dean…please I know this is going to sound weird but I think Lorna and I are meant to be partners… I feel like she was brought into our lives for a reason." She told him honestly.
"Jo it's not that I don't trust you. I wish I knew her better." He told her.
"Fair enough…look this is a pretty straight forward case…she's gonna need help digging to get to the bodies more than anything. How about she comes back and we all get to know each other." She offered as an olive branch.
He smiled as he reached over and took Jo's socks from their daughter. "I can live with that." He said as he passed her the socks. "These have Ami slobber on them."
"They'll dry," she said with a shrug of her shoulders as she dropped them in her bag to Dean's amusement. When she finished she turned and looked up into Dean's eyes. "I can't leave if you're really not okay with this."
He laughed softly as he leaned down and kissed her. "I'm okay…really. I trust your instinct…you were the one who knew Eileen wasn't on the up and up."
Jo reached up and wrapped her arms around Dean's neck before pulling him down for a kiss. "Are you and Sam going to be alright with Ami?"
"Yes Mommy," Dean teased as he dipped his head and kissed her again.
Jo smirked as she slapped him on his arm. "Asshat," she said with a chuckle.
"Look if this ends up being something more, you call." He told her seriously.
"I will," Jo promise as she kissed him again.
Dean sighed as they pull apart before stepping aside and leaning down and picked Ami up. "Come on Sweetpea, let's walk Mommy out."
Jo smiled as she leaned towards the infant and kissed her nose. "You be a good girl for Daddy," she cooed to the little girl.
"Always is...as long as that P-R-I-C-K Chuck isn't messing with us," Dean said.
Jo snorted as she grabbed her bags, "I don't think we're at the needing to spell things out stage yet."
"Genius...remember," he reminded Jo.
"Sorry I forgot," she said with a chuckle as she slung her bags over her shoulders and followed Dean towards the kitchen where the rest of their family was. "Oh Bill and Ellen were heading up this morning to the property. Bill's gonna start working on the punch list and they're going to stay in the house until we're ready to actually move in."
"Maybe Sam and I could head over and give him a hand," Dean said as they made their way down the hall.
"You could take Jack, he could probable use some fresh air," Jo suggested.
"We have to make sure he doesn't use his powers," he reminded her.
"I don't think he needs to tape into any angel grace to use a paint brush," she said as she stopped and pulled on Dean's sleeve to get him to stop. "He needs to feel normal Dean...it'd be good for him."
Dean sighed as he nodded his head, "maybe some manual labor would be good for him. I'll talk to Sam and Cas."
"Good," Jo said as she as they continued on towards the kitchen. Soon she would be in her car and heading out to meet up with Lorna to begin a new chapter of her life.
SPNSPNSPN
Jo and Lorna laughed as they sat across from each other, "okay I'm gonna say it. We kicked ass!" Lorna crowed as she held her beer up.
"I have to agree," Jo said as she raised her beer and cheered the other woman.
Lorna looked down at the phone in her hand and began going through the pictures again. "I have to say this place looks pretty sweet. I had no idea you grew up working at your parent's Roadhouse."
Jo chewed on her lower lip, "so what about my offer? Hunting partner...co-manager?"
The brunette slipped the phone across the table back to Jo. "You mean you and me becoming partners if I pass the audition?"
Jo leveled her gaze at the other woman, "look I know that you feel like your being asked to prove yourself but you're still new to hunting. Dean, Sam, me and more than a few of our friends have been screwed over by other hunters. Of course Dean is going to be cautious, especially since we have our daughter to consider. If you can't understand where we're coming from then maybe this isn't a good idea after all."
Lorna studied Jo for several seconds, "fine. I can understand that but this is a two way street. I'm not a fool. You haven't told me everything either. If we do work together then I expect you to tell me everything. I've been screwed by a partner before too and I don't plan to let it happen again."
Jo nodded as she held her beer up and said, "agreed. We can't trust each other as partners if we're keeping secrets. If we do end up working together, I'll tell you my story."
Lorna smiled as she raised her beer and clank log neck with the other woman. "We could celebrate another way," she said as she let her fingers caress Jo's hand.
Jo barked out a laugh, "man you never give up."
"And you should try new things. Trust me Dean would be more than alright with it," she purred.
"Yeah only if he could watch," she said as she rolled her eyes as the other woman snickered.
"Kinky...I'm open to that." She teased.
Jo gaped at the other woman and giggled when Lorna wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. She went to tell her she was terrible when her phone began to ring. "I got to get this," she said as she picked it. "Hi Honey, how's everything?"
"Hi Honey," Lorna mocked as she ducked the peanuts Jo tossed at her. She sat up straight when she saw the way the color drained from Jo's face and she listened to the one side conversation.
"I'm leaving now and can be at the bunker by morning...dammit Dean you and Sam can't just...where's Ami…then she's safe….Merle...who's Merle...a what...great just what we need...no Dean I'm not hiding…well fuck Billie…I belong at the bunker…I can handle it…they know I'm back anyway…just be careful…I love you too." She said as she clicked on her phone and reached into her pocket and tossed a couple of twenties on the table. "I gotta go," she told Lorna as she slip out of the booth.
"I'm going with you," the other woman said as she got up and followed Jo out of the bar. She didn't give the other woman a chance to argue as she hopped into Jo's 62' Skylark before she speed off.
SPNSPNSPN
Jo rushed into the map room with Lorna hot on her heels and stopped short when she saw Jody hugging a young woman she could only assume was Kaia.
She looked over Castiel's shoulder and saw Dean. She let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding as she rushed over and threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. "You need to stop going off world!" She huffed when they pulled apart.
"I don't know. I kinda like how you welcome me home," he teased as he let her go so that she could hug Sam.
"Um Jo, did you bring Lorna back with you?" Sam asked as he eyed the brunette standing in awe in the doorway.
"Oh yeah," Jo said as she winced slightly. "She kinda insisted on coming with me in case I needed help."
"Great," Dean said as he pulled Jo to the side as Sam joined them. "Look, I'm not too happy with you being here with a damn reaper. I don't think we should have the newbie here too."
"I can't just tell her to leave," Jo said as she looked over her shoulder to see Jody giving the newcomer a hug.
"Well I guess she's staying," Sam said as he eyed the brunette and shyly returned her smile when she turned her attention towards him.
SPNSPNSPN
Dean had almost forgot how much he liked the woman from Texas and he had to admit she was a pretty fast learner from everything Jody had told him.
He was sitting with Jo, Sam and Cas watching how Lorna was interacting with the others. Finally he turned to Jo. "I know you trust her and she seems to be able to handle herself but I'm not sure we should bring her in."
Jo sighed, "Dean I can't explain it but we can trust her. She's one of the good ones."
Dean opened his mouth to argue but stopped when Gabriel came up behind him and announced, "because you can see her aura," he said casually causing Castiel to frown at his brother before looking at Jo again.
Jo gazed at Gabriel and laughed, "oh course I can," she said with an eye roll.
Gabriel looked over at Dean who was considering what he was saying before turning to Castiel. "You can feel her right…you can feel his grace growing stronger in her?"
Sam sat up straighter as Cas took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He saw his big brother swallowed as he watched their friend taping into his angel mojo to see if he could feel some kind of change in Jo.
Slowly he opened his eyes, "how did I not feel this before?" He asked his brother.
"Because you've been assuming the power you felt was coming from me and not from Jo or Ami," Jack said as he joined them.
"I'm sorry what?" Jo said in disbelief.
Dean looked up saw Jody, Kaia and Lorna heading over to join them. "Let's finish this when we're alone." He said quietly as he stood up.
"We're going to head out and we'll drop Lorna at her car." Jody said she accepted Dean's hug.
Lorna smiled as she stood next to Jo, draping her arm across the other woman's shoulder as she asked Dean, "so did I pass?"
Dean looked over at Jo who smiled reassuringly and the older hunter cocked his head slightly before saying, "Jo and I were thinking we might do that phone basket thing at Chestervelle's."
Lorna chuckled, "well it's ain't a party if everyone's on their phone."
"No it's not," Jo agreed with a grin.
"Sounds like your relocating," Jody said.
"Guess I am," she agreed as she grinned up at Sam and added, "and I'm thinking I'm going to enjoy it too."
Jo saw the way Lorna was eying Sam like he was a hot fudge sundae she couldn't wait to devour and huffed playfully, "and I thought I was special."
"Oh Baby...you're more than special," Lorna purred as she turned and kissed Jo's neck, causing the blonde to blush.
Sam coughed at the blatant flirtation and didn't miss the mischievous look in his brother's eyes. He quickly went over and gave Jody a hug. "Drive safely," Sam told her.
"Will do and thank you again Sam," she said before adding so only he could hear her. "She likes to tease...but she's a good at the job."
"Right," he said as he stepped back and gave a little wave to the three women as the started out. He smiled when he saw Gabriel jog up to Jody and give her a hug. Who knew the archangel that tormented him and Dean could be so gently like he was with their friend. Jody was definitely a good influence for him.
As soon as the others were gone Jo turned to the angels and Nephilim and said, "so somebody want explain what the Hell is going on?"
SPNSPNSPN
"So are you saying I'm turning into some kind of half ass angel?" Jo cried as Dean placed his hand on her shoulder.
"No Joanna, you are not turning into an angel." Castiel reassured her.
"Well then what are we talking about. You said his power is growing stronger in her." Dean demanded.
Gabriel sighed, "you've both have been healed by angel grace and that does change you slightly. It leaves a marker basically but Jo was actually given Michael's grace. That grace is now running through her veins."
"What the Hell does that mean?" Jo asked anxiously.
"That your senses and other abilities are heightened. Like your 'feelings' about Lorna and Eileen. You weren't aware of it but you were seeing their auras and it was how you could see their true nature." Castiel explained.
"Is that it...I can see auras? What about Amelia?"
Gabriel shook his head, "no, that probable isn't it and we won't know how this will effect Amelia until she develops more."
Sam looked at the archangel as Dean and Jo sank down in the chairs behind them. "What are we talking about here?"
"ESP, telekinesis, healing powers...we won't know for sure until Joanna begins to focus and tap into her abilities." Castiel reasoned.
Jo turned at glared at Gabriel, "why didn't you tell me this before?"
"I didn't know," he told her honestly. "I could see your aura shining brighter but I never felt power coming off of you like I do now." He explained.
"It's true Joanna, I never felt the power from the grace inside of you until now either," the other angel said.
Dean frowned as he looked over at Jack, "it's because of you, because you're back. Isn't it?"
Jack nodded his head sadly, "Jo didn't even realize it when it happened but when her and Cas found me I could feel his grace power up within her." He said before turning to Jo and explaining, "I could feel it begin to course through you. I saw it when your eyes flashed blue."
Jo shook her head slightly in disbelief and argued, "that can't be right. I was around Michael...nothing happened then."
"That was this dimension's Michael. He could feel the grace of the other Michael gave you but technically it wasn't his grace so your connection wasn't too him." Gabriel said.
"But Jack took his grace when he killed him and now that he's back it kick started this connection to Jo and our daughter," Dean said.
"I did tell you we were connected Jo through Michael's grace. That it was why the prophecy was stopped," Jack said as he knelt before Jo. "Jo…does this mean you hate me now?" He asked tentatively.
Jo smiled as she reached out and caressed the young man's cheek, "you listen to me that is never going to happen. I might be terrified at not knowing what all this means but I do not hate you. Understand."
"Oh how very touching," a voice said as suddenly Merle appeared before them before adding. "Great more power that we have to worry about." She said snidely as she looked at Jo.
Sam looked around the room and asked, "do you think the warding worked? Are we still off Chuck's radar?"
The reaper rolled her eyes, "If it hadn't, we would all be dead, so I'd say, yeah, it worked."
Jo gasped when suddenly a reaper's scythe sliced through the woman standing before them and a pile of ash now laid at their feet. She swallowed when she saw a tall woman appeared in front of them and said, "hello, boys."
SPNSPNSPN
Dean glare at the newcomer, "what the hell Billie?"
Death barely gave Dean a passing look as she walked over to Jack and Jo. She smirked slightly at he way the woman instinctively put herself between the Nephilim and her.
"Bending the rules already, Jack?" She said, deciding not to interact with the abomination in front of her.
Jack looked at Death and tried to explain. "Billie… I tried to call you.
She held her hand up as she spoke, "I know. I was busy. Can't say I'm not disappointed, though."
Dean snorted, "Disappointed? You just iced one of your own reapers."
Billie looked down at the pile of ash on the floor in disgust. "Merle had one job… keep you in line. She failed. We're playing a big game here, and we're only as strong as our weakest players. She had to go. That's the difference between you and me. I see the big picture. I understand that one life means nothing in the grand scheme. That girl you saved from a dying world; you think hers was the only one? They're all dying. All the worlds… each and every world… but this one."
Jo gasped at that revaluation as her thoughts went immediately to the other dimension Dean, Sam and John.
Castiel stepped forward and stated, "It's Chuck."
Billie rolled her eyes at the angel stating the obvious. "Mm-hmm. He's been a busy boy… extinguishing galaxies. Wiping the slate clean… for the end."
Sam shared a look with his brother before saying, "yeah, and what's your endgame, Billie? I mean, you lecture us about how important all this is, but we don't even know what you're doing. Jack's gonna kill God, right? Yeah? Great. Okay. How? What's your plan?
"When I was a reaper, I believed in the rules. But then you killed me." She said before shooting a look at Castiel. "When I became Death, I inherited Death's knowledge…and Death's library. And in Death's library, everyone has a book. Even God."
Dean's eyes widened at that tidbit of information, "your saying God can die?"
Billie looked over at Jo and smirked as she said, "everyone and everything dies. Just some don't stay dead do they."
Jo swallowed as she eyed Billie and memories of Carthage flooded her mind and she gasped, "you were there...at the warehouse. You and…and….Tessa…her name was Tessa. She helped me and you stay with my Mom."
"I was," she told her coolly.
Jo frowned as images of being brought back as a ghost by Osiris, being dragged away from Dean, the feeling of flying through space. Of standing nude in front of two beings in the building site that was the hardware store she died in.
She was confused and shaking on wobbly legs as she caught snippets of their conversation.
"This is wrong…he's punishing her for their sins." Tessa said.
Billie looked at the woman in question, "it's his decision. Now finish it."
"No…she doesn't deserve this. She was a good person and she helped others. I won't be party to this." Tessa refused.
"Dean…Mom…Sam…somebody help me, please!" Jo choked out as her knees buckled and she fell to the ground.
"Fine," the other woman said as she went over to Jo herself and placed her hand on the quivering woman.
"Please help me," she cried. "My Mom…my friends…please help me find them," she begged as she reached out towards the woman desperately.
"It's alright sweetheart, soon you'll be free of these thoughts. You'll just think they're fantasies you dreamt of." The woman cooed as she reached down and placed her palm on Jo's forehead.
The last image she remembered was that of Tessa standing behind the other woman tears sliding down her cheeks as she called out to Jo, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Jo. You don't deserve to be forsaken."
"You," Jo hissed. "You were the one who screwed with my mind when I was dumped back in that damn warehouse!"
Dean looked at Jo before turning his attention back to Billie. "Is that true?" He hissed
"I was following orders," she said dismissively.
"Yeah because you didn't have the balls to disagree with your boss…Tessa did. She refused to do it." Jo said as she felt her anger building inside of her.
"Tessa always had a soft spot for the souls she helped cross over," she admitted in barely hidden contempt.
"Not you…you barely cared…it's why you became Death after your boss died." Jo said in disgust.
Sam looked up when the lights began to flicker wildly, "Jack?"
"It's not me…it's Jo," the young man told him.
Dean heard Jack and quickly reached out and took Jo's hand. "Sweetheart calm down, breath." He instructed softly.
Billie narrowed her eye at the other woman. "Control her before Chuck senses her power," she commanded Dean.
"Jo," Dean tried again. He stared in shock when the woman he love eyes flashed blue as one by one the light bulbs above them began to shatter and rain down upon them.
"Jo," Jack call out as he stepped before her and cupped her face with his hands. "Breath with me," he murmured as he gazed into her eyes, forcing her to focus on him.
The other watched as Jo focused on Jack, allowing her breathing to slow down. Finally the remaining lights stopped flickering Jo was able to get her emotions under control.
Sam went and grabbed Billie. "Stop playing with her and tell us what you plan is!"
"I told you everyone and everything dies," she repeated.
Dean watched as Jack slowly let his hands drop as Jo murmured, 'I'm okay' to the younger man before turning his attention back to Billie as a memory of a conversation he had with Death years ago came back to him and he said, "you can reap him…you can reap Chuck."
Castiel frowned as he said, "I don't understand. Why would God write the blueprint to his own death?"
Billie huffed in annoyance, "he didn't. The books write themselves." She explained. "After God made the world, he couldn't stop. He wanted more. But he needed to create a perfect harmony… a Swiss watch, so this world could keep tick, tick, ticking in his absence. He had no choice but to build himself into the framework. It's his only weakness."
"So, Chuck doesn't know what's inside his book?" Dean asked.
"No one can read their book unless I let them. No he believes the prophecy he had Metatron scribe is the only thing that could stop him but his arrogance is going to be his downfall." She told them.
"What about Jack? He's in God's book?" Sam asked as he saw Dean reach over and grabbed Jo's hand.
"And so are you," she said as she eyed the way the older Winchester held Jo's hand. "I told you, Dean. You and your brother have work to do. This is your destiny. You are the messengers of God's destruction."
They all blinked when as quickly she appeared she vanished. Gabriel stepped over to where Billie formerly stood. "Well that's what I call an exit."
"Yeah but what exactly does that mean…how are they the messengers of God's destruction." Jo asked as she pulled out a chair and sat down as she felt her legs begin to buckle.
"I don't know but now we know he has his weakness like everybody else." Gabriel admitted.
Dean snorted, "well it would help if we knew what it was."
"Other than Jack," Sam said as he looked at the younger man in concern as the others sat down around the table as they discussed their next steps to take down Chuck.
TBC
A/N 1: Okay I told you a lot happened here. First off heh I couldn't resist them calling the new Roadhouse Chestervelle and liked the idea of Sam being geek boy and knowing fans of the so call books gave Dean and Jo that shipper name. Jo had Ash setting up her back story and faking a marriage certificate. In her mind she still thinks of her and Dean being married, even if it was a fantasy so I went with it.
A/N 2: I needed to address finally that Jo would have some kind of feelings towards Castiel about her and Ellen's death. If he had stay with them...would they have died? I don't want to make her wishy-washy but it's really only been about 6 months since she came back and about 4 since Cas dropped the veil in her mind and her memories came back. I would think she's still processing them.
A/N 3: Oh yeah...Lorna is back and I gave her a bit of a back story (thank you Jared for inspiring me to make her a former Texas Ranger). Jo needs somebody in her life that isn't part of her old life or isn't somebody from Dean's life that she can bond with. So I hope people like that I'm bringing Lorna in for the rest of this story as Jo's hunting partner and co-manager of the Roadhouse. I think they would just make a great team.
A/N 4: Okay...Jo and Ami will be getting powers and we saw a tad here. I also decided to give Jo a bit of history with Billie and had her 'remember' that it was Tessa and Billie who reaped her and Ellen. Then I stepped it up a notch but making Billie be the one who hide Jo's memories originally when she was forsaken and left in the warehouse where she died.
A/N 5: Jo and Michaal/Adam not feeling that connection. I completely am winging this but technically she has A/W Michael's grace in her not that Michael. So I just went that he could sense it but she wasn't connected to him. Not sure if that would be the case but I needed it for this story.
Okay well I hope people enjoyed and will stick with me...we really only have 8 chapters left and a epilog for this story.
Thanks again!
Val