Thank you C1B12 and Blondie 20000 for your feedback. You guys rock!

Author's Note: Okay I definitely liked the idea of bringing a woman into John, Bobby and the kids lives. This story started out so completely different in my head.

John originally was going to be the typical bastard he usually is in most story and he didn't like Jo or wanted Dean to have anything to do with her...because Jo made Dean weak in his mind but the minute I actually started writing it. The second I wrote Sammy calling John Daddy, I did a 180 and somewhere along the lines this kinda turned into John's story more than Dean and Jo which I'm glad it did. This seems to be more of a healing story for John both solo and with another woman entering his life.

Not to mention is relationship with Dean too...he needs to mend his son and I think it would be important to him. I would prefer he realize while Dean's still a child what he did to him verses when Dean was on his death bed and he made the deal.

Author's Note 2: Completely making this werewolf stuff up, especially the branding stuff. So I'm sorry if it doesn't really fit in with the lore but hey creative license is a writer's best friend *grin*.

Thank you again and I hope people enjoy this next part.

Thanks

Val

Chapter 13

John looked at the woman across from him. It had been two days since he met Gemma and they had agreed to meet for drinks at a bar in downtown Sioux Falls.

"Never would have pegged you for a traditional Irish pub regular." He said after the 4th person stop by and said hello to Gemma.

"Are you kidding me…you haven't lived until you've had an Irish egg roll." She explained as she took a sip of her iced tea.

They had been there for over an hour and John had listened to Gemma and begrudgery admitted to himself there was more to the woman than he originally thought. One drink turned into several and the next thing he knew she announced that she decided she would allow him to buy her dinner.

As if the waitress was waiting for her to mention the dish, she appeared at their table depositing their appetizer. "Mmmm," she moaned happily as she sniffed the dish appreciatively.

John couldn't help but chuckle. "Do you love these more than your root beer floats?"

Gemma looked up aghast at John. "How could you ask me that…would you like it if I asked you which of your sons you love more?"

John stared at her in shock but rolled his eyes good naturedly when he saw her fighting not to laugh. "Okay I have some questions for you."

"Of course you do," Gemma said as she piled two egg roll halves onto a plate and added a generous dollop of sour cream on the side and placed it in front of John before plopping one on her own plate.

"So the rumors are that Charlie and his wife have taken in a few 'orphans'. Are you all…?"

"Werewolves," she whispered as she leaned forward.

"Are you?"

"My cousin Bonnie is but Luke is half kitsune." She explained.

John's eyes opened wide. "Bonnie, the same Bonnie from the first aid station?"

Gemma closed her eyes and took a deep breather, "her Mom was one of my aunts that was killed when that pack broke into my house."

John looked up at her, clearly surprised. "Was she there too?"

Gemma shook her head. "No, she was with her Dad when it happened. He died a little over a year later…he never really dealt with my aunt's death…he killed himself."

John was shocked by this, he remember the mind-numbing grief after Mary died and wanting to die himself but one look at his boys and he knew they needed him and he pushed forward, maybe not in a traditional way but it was forward none the less. "So how did she end up with Charlie and his wife?" He asked.

Gemma picked up and then put down her egg roll. Looking down at her hands she took a shaky breath before she looked up at John. "I know you and other hunters don't understand why my Mom and Dad took us in, choose to love us. They did though and they tried to give us as much of a normal life as possible. Bonnie was spending the weekend with us when her Dad killed himself. He left instructions that he wanted Bonnie and me to be kept together and our remaining pack agreed, they felt it would be good for both of us to be together."

He nodded his head in understanding before saying. "And Luke?"

Gemma smiled sadly, "he's the baby of the family. A hunter named Bucky Sims brought Luke to my Mom and Dad…he was practically a newborn. He had been working a hunt with a guy named Creedy who killed Luke's mother. They didn't realize that she had recently given birth until they heard Luke crying in the other room. Creedy…he wanted to kill Luke but Bucky convinced him to let him bring the baby to my parents. He turned eleven last month."

John jaw clenched, "he was going to kill an infant." He hissed, he meet Creedy once and he wasn't too impressed with the hunter.

"Well some hunters don't see us as nothing more than monsters that just need to be exterminated." She told him as she looked John straight in the eyes, challenging him to deny that he's first instinct is to shot first and ask questions later when he was on a hunt.

"I guess some hunters need to be educated." He told her as he ducked his head.

Gemma smiled as she reached across and placed her hand over his before saying. "And I guess some hunters are more willing to be opened minded than others."

John looked up in shock, not expecting the gentle touch. He licked his suddenly dry lips as looked at the woman across from him. He sighed in relief when the waitress came over and ask if they needed refills. "Yeah, whiskey neat," he said deciding he need something a little stronger than beer.

"I'll have another ice tea," Gemma said as she pulled her hand away and fiddled with her napkin.

John waited until the waitress left before asking, "you don't drink?"

Gemma shook her head. "No, alcohol impairs our balance."

"Balance?"

"Yes, it's our decision to live the way we do but it's not easy. There is more to it than just what we eat, we need to control our abilities. I don't drink, I run 10 miles a day and do yoga too to help keep me centered."

John nodded his head before asking the question that had been on the tip of his tongue all night. "Okay, I know you eat animal hearts but what about during full moon lunar cycle?" He asked as he lowered his voice.

"Why do you think we work at the zoo," she explained.

"The zoo?"

Gemma chewed on her lower lip. "Can I trust you with this…really trust you?"

John nodded his head. The both looked up when the waitress came over with the drinks and dinners. The both smiled in appreciation and waited until the server left before he said. "I'm not going to use anything you say to me against you or anyone you love."

"Several of the pack work at the zoo, including my uncle who is the head of security for the zoo. When we're in a lunar cycle, we lock ourselves into one of the empty enclosures." She explained.

John processed what she said and laughed at the simplicity of it. "It's so simple, it's ingenious," he told her honestly before asking. "What about Luke?"

"Our pack has welcome him and we are trying to introduce him into joining us during the lunar cycle but we have to be very careful. We can't control ourselves completely when we change and nobody wants Luke to be hurt. Unfortunately he has to stay in a cage and he doesn't like it. He prefers to say in the cell in my parent's basement." She explained.

John shook his head, "can't be easy for him."

"It's not, it's isn't easy for any of us." She said softly. She opened her mouth to continue but stopped when she heard cheering as the band took to the stage and began playing 'Donald Where's Your Trouser'. Laughing Gemma shouted over the now rowdy crowd. "Would you mind if we got out of here."

"Good idea," John shouted back as he signal for the waitress to get the bill.

"I need to go to the ladies room. Don't forget to get takeout containers," she said as she stood up. She saw the look he gave her and rolled her eyes. "Trust me…this is the best shepherd's pie this side of Dublin…oh and can you get an order of bread pudding to go too?"

"Sure no problem, anything else I can get you?" He asked sarcastically.

"I wouldn't say no to a decaf tea to go too." She told him with a smirk. "Be back in a few minutes."

John snorted in amusement as he watched her walk away. He looked up when the waitress walked up to the table. "What can I do for you?"

"You may regret asking that," he said as he pulled out his wallet.

SPNSPNSPNSPN

"Okay you were right, that was the best shepherd's pie I ever had." John said as he closed the takeout container.

"I know, right." Gemma said happily as she tossed her container onto her coffee table and opened her container of bread pudding next.

John stared as he shook his head. "You got one Hell of an appetite Sweetheart."

"High metabolism…plus I told you my daily workout routine. " She said as she took a large bite of the dessert. "Yummm!" She said as she held the box out towards John who shook his head. "You're loss is my gain." She said.

John looked around Gemma's apartment. "So I take it you wanted to come somewhere more private to discuss somethings you didn't want to shout over the music."

"You think," she said as she took another bite of pudding. "Sure you don't want some…it's amazing."

"I'm sure. So what did you want to say to me."

"You said it yourself, it can't be easy and it's not. Do you have any idea what I've done to control this disease…what I do every single day to control it. I didn't ask for this John any more than Bonnie, Luke or anyone else in my pack."

John look down at his coffee and nodded his head. "Disease…I've never thought of it like that before." He admitted.

"Why would you. We're nothing more than monsters…animals in most Hunters books." Gemma said sadly as she tossed the half-eaten container of pudding onto the table, her appetite gone.

"Look Gemma, I get where you're coming from and I can only imagine what you must do daily to keep it together…"

"Daily," she said heatedly. "John when I was 16, I beg my parents to find a doctor…a hunter doctor…one who would…well for lack of a better term…fix me…spayed me. Sixteen and I made the decision never to have a child of my own because I swore to myself that I would never bring another child into this life. You're father…can you imagine your life without you boys?"

John stared at her in shock. "I don't…why…" He stuttered.

"Why…because when I was four years old, I was branded by a pack leader…he may be dead but it didn't change what he did to me. I'm Alpha John, my family lineage goes back over four hundred years. Our abilities are stronger than werewolves that are sired."

"And another pack leader would want to…" he said he realized what she was telling him.

Gemma took a shaky breath as she wiped away the tears she had been fight so desperately to control. "Some pack would have come for me eventually and they would have killed my family to get to me and most likely Bonnie too. Do you have any idea what my life would have been like if that happened. They would have forced me to…they would have bred me like I'm animal…I'm not an animal John." She said in a hoarse whisper.

John swallowed as he did something he never thought he would do. He slid across the couch and gathered Gemma into his arms, holding her as she cried. When her tears subsided he pulled back and looked down into her tear streak face as their eyes locked onto each other. If he never imagine holding a werewolf while she cried, he sure the Hell never thought he would find himself kissing said werewolf.

SPNSPNSPNSPN

"Well that was a first," John panted as he rolled off of Gemma and collapsed on the bed next to her.

"Me too," Gemma said.

"Damn Gemma, I'm a hunter and no matter what you are werewolf."

"A hunter and a werewolf…is it me or does this sound like a bad Cinamax after Dark soft porn flick." She quipped. She smiled when she heard him laugh.

"Sweetheart this is wrong on so many levels, I don't know where to begin." He said as his laughter began to stop.

Gemma turned her face slight and kissed John's chest before she sat up. "If you are looking for me to say I regret this…I don't. I'm sorry you do though." She said as she reached down to grab the rob at the foot of the bed and stood up.

He watched as she walked into the bathroom and sighed when he heard her turning on the shower. "Aww screw it," he mumbled as he got out of the bed and followed her into the bathroom.

"What the Hell," Gemma said as the shower curtain was pulled back and John stepped into the shower.

"Woman, I never said I regretted it." He told her gruffly as he pushed her up against the wall and kissed her.

SPNSPNSPNSPN

John shook his head in amusement while watching Gemma making herself a turkey club sandwich. "You can really pack it away."

"High metabolism remember," she told him as she grabbed a jar of pickles and put two on the plate.

"Right," he said as he looked down at his watch. "I need to get going."

Gemma grabbed the plate and came around the counter and stood on her tippy toes to steal a kiss from the hunter. "So…?"

"So?" He repeated as placed his hands on her hips, tugging her closer.

"Bite?" She offered as she held the plate up.

"Thanks but I'm good," he told her as he lowered his head to steal a kiss. "I got to go, my boys…" he said.

"I know," she told him she put her plate on the counter so that she could wrap her arms around his neck. "So was this a one-time thing or…?" She asked, hating the uncertainty in her voice.

John sighed. "I'll call you," he said as went to kiss her only to be surprised when Gemma leaned back and pushed him away slightly.

"Don't say that if you don't mean it John." She said. "I'm a big girl. If this was a one-time hook up…fine just tell me but don't insult me and say you'll call if you have no intention of calling."

John blushed at her candor, no woman had called him on his shit…not since Mary and that scared the crap out of him and he heard himself saying. "I'm sorry…I…this…Gemma we can't do this again." He stuttered.

Gemma nodded her head sadly. "Right, it wouldn't work. We're too different."

"I'm sorry, really I am." He told her as he cupped her cheek.

"You should go," She told him as she backed further away from him.

"Right…goodbye Gemma." He said softly.

"Goodbye John." She said as she watched him walk towards her front door and leave.

SPNSPNSPNSPN

Gemma sighed as she looked down at her sandwich, her appetite completely gone. She walked around the counter, picking the plate up and putting it in her fridge before she began to tidy up the kitchen to keep herself occupied.

She had just finished putting away the last dish out of the dishwasher away when she heard her phone ring. Gemma quickly reached over and picked up her cordless phone and clicked the talk button. "Hey Bonnie, I really don't feel like talking." She said.

"It's not Bonnie," came a gruff voice.

"John," Gemma whispered. "I don't understand…why are you calling?"

She could hear him breathing on the other end and was getting ready to say his name again when he finally cleared his throat. "This can't work."

"You called to say that to me…look John you made yourself perfectly clear. I get it okay…don't feel you have to try and make me feel better…I'm a big girl….and…"

"And can you shut up for two second Woman so that I can tell you that I want to see you again." John said in a huff.

Gemma's mouth dropped opened. "What?"

"Tomorrow night, I'll meet you at your place." He told her.

"What…huh…what?" She stammered.

She smiled when she heard him chuckle. "Managed to make you speechless, why do I got a feeling that's a first for you. Tomorrow night, 8:00 PM."

"I have plans for tomorrow night." She teased; she could imagine the grin on his as she heard him say.

"No you don't…tomorrow 8:00 PM."

Sighing happily she said, "fine. Bring pizza, I like everything but anchovies."

"Tomorrow," He said.

"Tomorrow," She replied as they both clicked off. Gemma leaned back and grinned as she rubbed her stomach. "God, I'm starving." She murmured to herself as went over to the fridge and pulled out the sandwich she made earlier.

TBC