Thank you everyone for all the wonderful feedback on this story and the continued support! You all are amazing! I know it's a while between updates but between real life, work and silly me thinking I can write 3 stories at once it's a little slow going but I'm still working on all 3.
Thank you again and enjoy!
Val
Chapter 26
Dean helped Jo sit back up as the doctor finished her exam. "Well everything looks good Jo. Seems Maggie has turned completely and has started to drop." Dr. Lewis told the young couple as he went over and washed his hands.
"My mom said I looked like I had started to drop," Jo said as Dean helped her put her shoes on while she fixed her top.
Dr. Lewis chuckled, "mom knows best."
"So Doc, should Jo be on bed rest. Her feet have been swelling lately?" Dean asked as he straightened up.
"No I don't think that's necessary but maybe try and elevate your feet when you're sitting down," the older man said as he smiled at the expectant father.
"Told you so," Jo teased as she slapped her husband's arm playfully.
"But I don't want you to over do it Jo. I mean it about putting your feet up. You should relax as much as possible. Trust me, get it while you can because in around three to four weeks you'll be busy with a newborn baby." The doctor told her.
"See," Dean huffed. "Rest…doctors orders."
"Yes Dear," Jo said sweetly as she leaned up and kissed Dean's cheek.
"Okay, Jo we're at the weekly visit stage. I'll have the receptionist set your upcoming visits." He told them as he walked them back to the outer office and said to the woman sitting at the desk. "Jannie, please set weekly appointments for Jo."
"Of course," the perky receptionist said as she grinned at the expectant couple. "Thursdays okay? The Thursdays at 10:30 slot is available if that will work for you both?"
"It does," Dean said as he rubbed Jo's back as the woman wrote out the appointment cards and handed them to Jo.
Jo slipped the cards into her pocket as she and Dean headed out of the doctor's office. "How would you like to treat your gorgeous wife to lunch?" She asked as she looked up and batted her eyes at him comically.
"Gee are you trying to send Morse code," Dean laughed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said, "and I would love to take my gorgeous wife to lunch."
"Good cuz I'm starving," she said as they walked over to the Impala while talking about what still needs to be done before the baby comes.
SPNSPNSPN
Jo looked up from her spot on the couch as Ellen and Tammi walked into the living room. Holding up the book she was reading she shot both women a dirty look. "Were either of you going to tell me there's a good chance I'll poop myself when I have Maggie?"
Ellen and Tammi exchanged a look between them before both saying at the same time, "nope."
"Traitors," Jo huffed as the older women chuckled and headed into the kitchen.
SPNSPNSPN
"So I reached out to Missouri and she was able to get the last of the herbs that you said you needed to make the potions for the ritual," Bobby told Tammi as the others sat down at the kitchen table.
"Good," Tammi said as she accepted the bowl of lamb stew Ellen handed her.
"So when do we start putting this thing together for the ritual?" Sam asked as he slathered butter on the biscuit he took from the plate in the center of the table.
"We don't," Tammi corrected the younger Winchester as she took a bite of her stew before continuing, "you and your brother are both compromised. You by demon blood and Dean by his time in Hell. No…Rufus and Bobby will assist me. I already found the location we'll use."
The six hunters stared at the witch in shock. Dean slowly put his spoon down as he shot a look over at Bobby and Rufus. "This is my fight…my family I ain't sitting on the damn sideline while you Witchiepoo this ritual."
Tammi took a slow deep breath knowing this was going to be Dean's reaction. "This ritual, the potions I have to create will use the darkest magic imaginable. I need to be tethered to the others to keep my humanity and yes I still am human and to keep me from crossing over completely. You and your brother would put me and the plan in danger of failing. You two could be pulled into the darkness too easily."
Dean opened his mouth to argue, but he stopped when he felt Sam's hand on his shoulder. "She's right Dean. I fight every minute of the day not to backslide and we don't know how corrupted your soul is from your time in the pit. She needs backup that can help keep her on the right path."
Jo reached over and placed her hand over Dean's hand. "Bobby and Rufus can do this Dean."
"Bobby, Rufus, and I can do this," Ellen clarified as she looked at her daughter and quickly added, "Maggie is depending on this and I'll be damned if my grandbaby lives in a world run by demons or angels. The damn politicians are bad enough."
Jo licked her lips as she slowly nodded her head in agreement and squeezed Dean's hand and said softly, "Bobby, Rufus, and Mom can do this Dean."
"We got this son. We know what's at stake. You and Sammy will be needed for the next part of our plan." Bobby told him firmly.
Dean swallowed as he slowly nodded his head and said, "fine."
SPNSPNSPN
Jo stood in the doorway as she watched Dean sitting in one of the rockers on the front porch, drinking a beer. Opening the screen door she stepped outside.
"Feel like some company?" She asked as she made her way over and sat down next to her husband.
"I don't like this plan," he told her as he began peeling the label off his beer bottle.
"You don't like being on the sidelines," she countered.
Dean snorted softly, "you know it."
"It's the right call," Jo reassured him.
Dean stared down at the bottle in his hand. "Do you think my soul is corrupted?"
Jo shook her head, "Dean I think anyone who went to the pit that their soul would be somehow damaged but do I think you're evil? Never! You're a good man. A selfless man. And I can't imagine a better father for the child I'm carrying."
Dean gave Jo a sad smile, "a selfless man never would have made a deal with a crossroad demon. That was a selfish act. I couldn't handle being alone without Sam so I sold my soul to bring him back and that act started this whole damn thing."
"Bullshit!" Jo argued. "You and I were there Dean. This started back in 1973 with your mother and her father. You and Sam were screwed from the get-go and that was because your mother made that deal with yellow eyes."
"And I turned around and did the same," he countered.
Jo scoffed, "Dean if there was one thing I figured out after our little back to the future trip is that you and Sam were put into this situation before you were born. One where they made sure you two only had each other for pretty much your whole life. One that the only option you would have believed you had was to make that damn deal and that Sam would turn to a demon. Well they screwed up because you both have more people who love you both and will do everything they can to save you both and stop this damn plan of theirs'."
"Jo…" Dean whispered.
"Don't Jo me. Maybe yours and Sam's souls are tarnish because of these assholes but I guarantee you that mine, Mom, Bobby, and Rufus souls aren't exactly squeaky clean. It's just different levels and I'm not going to listen to you beat yourself and Sam up over something that was put into motion before you were born. So suck it up Winchester you may not be part of this battle but you're still in the war." She told him firmly.
Dean looked at his wife in shock for a few seconds before he began to chuckle. "You know you really are your mother's daughter."
Jo grinned as she shrugged her shoulders, "I'll take that as a compliment."
Dean lifted his bottle and saluted the blonde next to him, "oh it's definitely a compliment."
"Good, so I'm thinking that while the others are working on the potions for the ritual that we do a deeper dive into the staff and students at the high school. Maybe we can narrow it down to suspects."
"Woohoo research my favorite activity," he quipped before draining his beer.
Jo grinned at her husband and teased, "I figured that would get you juices flowing."
SPNSPNSPN
Jo stretched as she attempted to ease the tension in her shoulders while Sam clicked away on his laptop. She looked up when Dean walked into the living room.
"Snack," he offered as he held out a plate with crackers slathered in peanut butter and strawberry jam.
Jo grinned, "Ritz with peanut butter and jam." She cooed as she rubbed her baby bump. "Your Daddy is such a good provider."
"Hmm looks good," Sam said as he reached for a cracker.
Dean slapped his brother's hand. "Are you pregnant?"
Sam rolled his eyes, "what only Maggie gets snacks?"
Dean huffed, "fine you can have one."
"Gee thanks, you sure you can spare a whole one," Sam teased.
Jo snorted as she picked up a cracker, "Maggie said her Uncle Sammy can have two crackers."
Sam rolled his eyes, "forget it. I wouldn't want to take food from my niece. I'll go make my own snack."
"Oh Sam, I wouldn't say no to a glass of milk." Jo said around a mouthful of cracker, peanut butter, and jam goodness.
Sam raised his hand and gave her a thumbs-up as he walked out of the room. Dean chuckled as he sat down next to his wife. "So how's it going?"
"Sam thinks he found something; a teacher named Don Harding. Seems the social security number he's using was for a Donald Harding that was born in 1963 and died in 1966 in Allentown, Pennsylvania."
Dean snorted, "good to see the school district doing such a great job vetting it's teachers."
"Well in all fairness it took me and Sam about three hours to backtrack through a number of false background checks using the hacking tricks Ash had showed me."
"What about the second witch?" He asked as he picked up the printouts and flipped through them.
"Probably hiding out as a student," Sam said as he walked back in, placing a glass of milk in front of Jo before taking a bite out of the turkey sandwich he had decided on.
"I would like it if we had a name for both witches. Bobby said that Tammi was pretty much done with the last potion for the ritual and will be heading back in a few hours after they're sure everything is all set for traveling." Dean told them as he tossed the printouts on the table and sat down next to Jo.
Sam swallowed as he put his plate down. "That took her longer than she thought."
Jo nodded her head in agreement. Tammi had estimated it would take two weeks to complete the potions needed for the ritual but ended up taking almost three instead and now Halloween was only a week away.
Her mom had told her how draining it was for Tammi to harness the power and that she had finally agreed to rest for a few days before doing the last potion. They all knew realistically it was necessary but the extra time took away from getting everything else into motion.
"This Don guy teaches art and ceramics. Might be a little easier to figure out who his pet pupil aka partner is." Jo suggested.
"Jo has a point; those classes are elective and most likely the other witch is in the one of his classes to stay close." Sam reasoned.
Dean frowned as he looked over Jo's shoulder at the screen on her laptop where she was reviewing Don Harding's personal file. "Incidents?" He asked as he pointed to a link toward the bottom of the page.
"Hadn't gotten there yet," Jo admitted as she moved her mouse and clicked on the link.
"Hmm," Jo said as she scrolled through the items. "Seems Don can be a bit of a stick in the mud. Reported numerous students for breaking school policies."
"Narc," Dean quipped as he sat back while Jo clicked on each item to read the summary.
Sam snorted in amusement, "a warlock who enforces school rules…what is the world coming to."
Jo giggled as she clicked on the last item. "it does make you wonder," she teased as she began reading the report.
Suddenly she sat up a little straighter catching Dean's attention, "Jo."
"This one isn't a report he filed on a student. It's a report the principal filed for an incident he witnessed. A female student who attacked him."
A slow grin spread over the trio's faces as Dean clapped his hands together, "YARTZEE…in fighting between the bad guys. Cliché but nobody ever accused these bastards of being original. There a name listed for this student?"
Jo closed her laptop as she sat back and Dean wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said, "Tracy Davis…her name is Tracy Davis."
Sam quickly typed the name into his laptop and after a few clicks he spun the computer around to show Dean and Jo two photos "say hello to Don Harding and Tracy Davis."
Dean stared at the screen for a few seconds. Before looking down at Jo and sliding his hand over her swollen belly. "We do this and we do this right. We call a few of Bobby's buddies. The ones he trusts to start surveillance on them both. We find something to distract that bitch Ruby. We only have one shot at this and we will do it."
Sam nodded his head in agreement as he gazed down where his brother's hand rested and swore. "We're ending this."
Jo looked over at Sam and then Dean before placing her hand over his. "Okay then, let's do this."
TBC