Author's Note: I enjoyed writing this one. I feel like Ember and Jo were overdue for some interaction. A little happiness for Dean. :) Leave a review!

***Ember POV***

April 5, Noon

ONE MONTH LATER

The group had found Blood of a Most Holy Man and fruit from the Tree of Life, but they lacked both the Key of Solomon and archangel grace.

A month after they had successfully returned from inside the television, they were no closer to finding either of these last two ingredients, despite looking everywhere they could think of. Sam and Dean, Ember knew, had spent the last few weeks scouring both the library and the bunker for new information, with no results. Dean in particular whined constantly about how he was tired of reading, tired of the lore, and needed to kill something.

Castiel had focused more on demonic and Enochian lore, as he was the only one of the four of them able to completely translate the old languages. He was slowly teaching Krissy, who seemed to have a knack for them. Even a mention of the Key of Solomon in the lore was rare, however, and the group was feeling increasingly defeated.

Finally, on April 5th, Ember's phone rang.

"Hey, Cas isn't answering his phone," came Dean's voice into the receiver.

Ember rolled her eyes, though Dean couldn't see her. "He's airborn I think, searching for Lucifer again. Give it a minute."

"Okay," said Dean. "Anyway, when he gets back, you should know, we've got it!"

"Got it? What do you mean you've got it?" Ember asked excitedly.

"Well, yesterday Sam and I chased a lead in Rhode Island, and we found it! We've got the Key of Solomon! You don't need to come. We still don't have archangel grace. But, I figured I'd let you know."

"We'll be over in a few," Ember said.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

Twenty minutes later, Ember, Castiel, Dean, Sam, Eileen, and Jo, who had just come to visit, were spread around the table in the bunker's situation room. Sam and Dean were excitedly recalling the story of how they had obtained the Key of Solomon.

Dean explained that it included tentacle monsters, but Ember wasn't sure if she entirely believed him. "A giant tentacle monster named Yokoth possessing a beautiful woman?" she scoffed. "Seriously Dean? For the millionth time, this is real life, not porn!"

Jo laughed, eyeing Ember warily. Ember thought that there was something going on between Jo and Dean, but she had the impression that neither of them was quite sure yet what it was. It occurred to Ember that perhaps Jo still thought of her as a romantic rival.

"I swear!" Dean complained. "There were two of them, Yokoth and-…"

Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door.

"Let me in!" yelled Arthur Ketch's voice.

As one, Ember, Sam, Dean, Eileen, and Jo ran upstairs to the entrance, and Castiel met them there. All of them wielded a weapon of some sort.

"Let me in!" said Ketch. "Please. I come in peace."

"Yeah, right," said Sam, and Eileen scoffed.

"And I brought a gift," Ketch added. He ducked behind him and pulled out someone that Ember never thought she would see again.

***Castiel POV***

April 5, Noon

"Gabriel?" Castiel said, looking shocked. His brother, though immediately recognizable, looked horrible. He was dirty, and bloody, and his face was devoid of the jovial light Castiel had always known. His mouth was sewn shut.

Still, Castiel's eyes feasted on his brother. His favorite brother. He remembered so many jokes on calm afternoons with his garrison. He remembered Domiel. He thought of things he hadn't thought of in years.

He rushed toward his brother, but Gabriel reeled back. Castiel wasn't even sure that his older brother recognized him. "Come inside!" Castiel said hurriedly, as Gabriel showed signs of running away.

"Thank you," said Ketch, tugging Gabriel along.

"No, no, that's impossible," Sam was saying. "He…he's dead. We - we saw him die."

"What'd you do to him?" snapped Castiel at Ketch, taking his shell-shocked brother from the other man.

"Not me," said Ketch. "Asmodeus. The Prince was holding him prisoner until I liberated the poor man."

Of course! The angel Castiel had passed in the jail… had been Gabriel? But his brother was so weak…

"And I understand you may need an archangel for a spell, perhaps," said Ketch. "Well, what luck."

"We need his grace," said Sam.

Suddenly Gabriel began to make such a racket in protest that Castiel almost lost his grip on the older angels' tattered clothes. "Brother!" Castiel cried. "Brother, it's okay!" With a significant effort, he finally managed to maneuver Gabriel into a chair in the living room.

Ketch reached into his jacket and pulled out a vial of grace. "Asmodeus has been storing these and injecting them," he explained. "Take this one. And…" Ketch put a long blade on the table. "The archangel blade."

Castiel looked up from Gabriel in shock. "Are you sure… I didn't even know that really existed," he said in wonder.

Ketch shrugged. "Asmodeus seems to think it's the real thing," he said.

Ketch went on to explain that in return for his help rescuing Gabriel, he was hoping to remain at the bunker so that its warding could help protect him from Asmodeus. There was some argument between the brothers, Eileen, and Ember about whether or not this was wise, but ultimately they allowed Ketch to stay.

Meanwhile, Castiel attempted to heal Gabriel to the best of his ability, but the damage had been too severe over too long a time for him to do much good.

"Gabriel… Man, what happened to you?" Sam asked as he cut the strings on Gabriel's mouth.

Before the angel could answer, however, Dean came into the room carrying a bowl and a handful of spell ingredients. Ember was at his heels, looking determined and ready. Castiel realized that in the shock of his favorite brothers' return (and injuries), he had almost forgotten that now they had all the ingredients to open the rift.

"All right, let's do this," said Dean.

"Well, shouldn't we wait?" Sam asked, shooting a surprised look at Eileen and then at Castiel.

"Wait? Why?" Dean asked. "We got everything we need. Everything else is just burning daylight. Come on. Let's open this door."

"But… Gabriel," protested Castiel. "Someone needs to be here to keep an eye on him."

"Okay," Sam agreed. "You'll need to stay, then, Cas. And you too, Eileen."

Dean shook his head. "I'm heading in alone," he said.

"What?" said Sam, looking shocked.

"The hell you are!" Ember added.

"If Asmodeus comes to call, we'll need more than just Cas," said Dean. "You all need to stay here."

Sam, Eileen, and Ember both opened their mouths to speak, but Jo chimed in instead. "Hell no! I'm going with you, Dean. I didn't come here to be left behind."

Jo's eyes were narrowed, and Castiel could tell that the woman would follow Dean whether he liked it or not.

Ketch walked into the room then, dressed for combat and carrying his bag. "And I'm coming with you, too," he said. "As I said, Asmodeus will be hunting to the ends of the earth, so it's better if I'm not on this Earth."

Ember looked at Castiel, and the angel knew what she was planning even before she said it. "I'm going with you too, Dean," she said. "I… I'm sorry," she added, looking at Dean and Jo. "But I'm going to find my son."

Dean looked livid, and Jo also looked a bit put out. Perhaps Ember was right, and they had a "thing on the side."

"I'm sorry," Ember repeated, more quietly. "But I'll be more valuable there than here, anyway. Low-level angels still can't see me. I'm good for the mission, for scouting."

It was decided, then. Castiel didn't like it, but he knew Ember was right: they needed her with them, and he needed to stay with his brother.

A few minutes later, the spell was ready. Castiel abandoned a statuesque Gabriel long enough to pull Ember into the other room and kiss her thoroughly.

"I'll be back," Cas, she said, but her face told him she was afraid.

"You'd better be," he told her.

It was time to go. "Koth munto notox," said Sam, holding the Key of Solomon over the bowl containing the rest of the ingredients. "Koth. Munto. Notox."

Before their eyes, the air seemed to split, and a rift formed in the middle of the living room. Ember smiled grimly.

Dean checked his watch, grabbed his bag, then put his hand on Sam's shoulder, giving his brother a significant look. "Okay," he said, and walked through the rift. Jo went after him, then Ketch, and finally Ember. She blew Castiel a kiss as she walked through, and the rift flashed as they entered.

***Jo Harvelle POV***

April 6, Early Morning

Jo hadn't seen Ember in nearly a decade. They'd only met a few times during the Apocalypse, when the older woman had been dating Dean, before Jo's time in Greece. The vision cemented into Jo's head had been of a strong and powerful woman fighting hellhounds outside an abandoned hardware store. That woman had seemed both too powerful for Dean and also somehow not strong enough. Her powers had been overwhelming and the fact that she was half-demon had been a lot for Jo to swallow. At the same time, she had also seemed somehow too breakable, as though the life of a hunter didn't entirely fit her.

It was like when the popular boy at school goes out with the head cheerleader. Jo had always envied the attention that the head cheerleader got from the popular boys, but also relished in the fact that if she'd wanted to, she could've beat them to a pulp.

When Ember had entered the bunker, however, it occurred to Jo for the first time that perhaps her impression of this woman, or at least this woman's place in Dean's life, was entirely wrong. Ember was softer, now – older, more tired-looking, and her hair was longer. She moved around the angel Castiel as though he was her world, and vice versa, Jo realized. Though they never actually touched, they seemed glued together at the hip, and there was a chemistry between them that was both obvious and unbreakable. Jo had heard from other hunters, though never directly from Dean, that Ember had left Dean for the angel. At the time Jo had been angry on Dean's behalf, but now, watching them, she couldn't find anything malicious or treasonous about their relationship.

The biggest surprise was Dean. After Dean's comment the previous November ("Well, would've been nice to have Cas and Ember"), Jo had assumed that he was still in love with the half-demon woman. She had learned later that Ember had been permanently asleep at the time and Castiel had been rushing to save her. Still, Jo hadn't doubted that Dean was still in love with the half-demon woman. Now, for the first time, Jo began to wonder whether she had read too much into Dean's comment.

Dean seemed completely independent from the chemistry that was the Ember-and-Castiel coupling. Perhaps there had been a time when Dean had been jealous of his ex-girlfriend and his best friend, but this no longer seemed to be the case. He looked at Ember the same way he looked at Castiel or Sam – like family. He looked at Jo differently. Like… like a girlfriend.

Jo had seen Dean only twice since they'd first slept together – once over Christmas, and once in late February when she'd happened to be nearby. Both times they had spent a night or two together and had had truly fantastic sex, but that had been it. They hadn't talked to each other in between, except for the occasional rare text. Still, Dean occupied Jo's mind far more than she was willing to admit.

The previous day, she had wondered nearby again en route to a case in California. Instead of the night of sex she had expected, however, she had been pulled into a case with far higher stakes in another universe.

Dean, Arthur Ketch, Ember, and Jo took care traversing the Apocalypse World. The terrain was rough and snowy, and there were dangers around every corner. There was mostly silence, and the only sound was Dean and Ketch's occasional arguing. Dean also seemed overly fond of assisting Jo through the rough terrain, holding out his hand and asking if she was okay. Each time he would do so, Jo would catch a small smile on Ember's face. The only thing that surprised Jo more than Dean's single-minded attention on her was Ember's obvious approval, acceptance, and encouragement of this new development.

As the day wore on, Jo began to suspect that Ember would eventually confront her about the obvious chemistry between her and Dean. Finally, a few hours in to the journey, when Ketch and Dean were busy arguing about hunting methodology (again), Ember approached Jo with obvious intent.

"So, you and Dean, huh?" Ember asked quietly.

"There's nothing going on," Jo said. It was the answer she had rehearsed in her mind for this moment.

"Bullshit," Ember said. "I may not know you very well, but I know Dean. There's something going on."

Jo sighed. On the one hand she didn't want to discuss this with Dean's ex-girlfriend, but on the other hand she found herself suddenly morbidly curious. "It's… nothing," she said finally. "We've just been… talking."

"Is that what the kids call it these days?" Ember asked, her eyes twinkling.

Jo at first assumed that Dean had said something to Sam (or even Ember herself), but then she remembered that both of Ember's children had been at the small party from which she and Dean had left early.

"It's not serious," she said.

"But he'd like it to be," Ember said.

Jo looked up suddenly. "What?"

"He likes you. He's serious about you. I know that look," Ember said simply, gesturing to Dean. Sure enough, Dean had looked backward and smiled at Jo. When he saw that Jo and Ember were talking, he frowned in concentration, then turned back around to talk to Ketch.

"Case in point," Ember added, gesturing at Dean's back. "If he wasn't serious, he'd have come back here right away and made a joke about how we were probably talking about him. Instead, he's going to wait a few seconds and then come back here and strike up an unrelated conversation. It's because he cares quite a lot what we're talking about and what you think, but for some reason he doesn't want you to know it."

Jo was shocked. Could she have misinterpreted everything? She thought on their "morning after" conversation.

"Sorry," she said. "I didn't want to wake you."

"Leaving?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Gotta get to Georgia. You know how it is."

"'m I gonna see you soon? 'Should do this again sometime," he'd said.

"I mean, I didn't think you wanted us to be, like, a thing, or anything," she'd said.

"No, no," he'd said, shaking his head. "We're both way too busy. 'Just figured, you know…" he shrugged. "We made a good team, last night."

At the time, she'd thought she had been protecting herself. She'd thought he wanted a girl like Ember, and would never be happy with a girl like her. She'd thought he had been in bed with thousands of girls and only settled down with the one powerful one, and that she would be just another notch on his bedpost.

But now she realized that Dean was getting older, too. His younger brother was in a serious relationship – engaged, even. Ember and Castiel were in a serious relationship, and whatever had once occurred between Ember and Dean now seemed to have fizzled and died, leaving only friendship. And she had blown it, because she had been so convinced that he wasn't the "settling down" type.

Before she could think about it any farther, however, Dean slowed down so that that could catch up. "Told ya," whispered Ember with a small smile.

"I think I'll walk with you ladies for awhile," Dean said sarcastically and loudly. "Since Ketch seems to have stuffed too many burrs up his ass." He said it loudly, but Ketch only turned around briefly and shot the three of them his signature taciturn look. Jo looked up at Dean, who gave her a lopsided grin.

***Dean POV***

April 6, Afternoon

It had been an interesting day. He'd managed to save the Charlie Bradbury in this universe from being killed by angels. They'd manage to kill a few angels themselves. Dean had been shot and poisoned, but Ketch had saved him.

The most odd thing about the day, however, was that Jo seemed to have started looking at him differently. He had always caught her staring, but ever since that morning Dean had caught her doing it more.

What troubled him was that he couldn't pinpoint exactly when this new pattern had started. Had it started when she'd had that conversation with Ember? Surely they had been talking about him…?

Or, had her new level of attention started when he had been poisoned, and she had thought he was dying? In the end, Dean judged from the intensity of her staring that it was a good thing.

They had finally returned to the rift. They hadn't found Dean's mother or Jack, but the 24 hours they were given had almost elapsed. Ketch had decided to stay behind with the Apocalypse Universe Charlie, but Dean, Ember, and Jo were anxious to get back. They could make a return trip once they figured out how to heal Gabriel, or at least use more of his grace.

Jo returned first, then Ember, then Dean, who winced as he steadied himself using his injured shoulder.

"Dean!" shouted Sam. "Dean! Hey! Hey. Hey. You're hurt."

Jo had rushed to help him too, her cool hands grasping his. Ember had flown into Castiel's arms, and it didn't look like either was letting go any time soon.

"No, no. I'm fine. I'm fine," he insisted.

"Hey, the - the - the rift, it's..." But Dean didn't need Sam's warning to know that the rift had closed behind him.

"Where's Mom?" asked Sam desperately. "Where's Jack?"

"Long story," Dean answered. "So Mom and the kid, they're not with Michael anymore. Ketch and Charlie are staying back to try to find them. There's a Charlie over there. She kicks ass."

"Uh, Charlie...Bradbury?"

"Yeah," Dean answered. He looked around behind Sam, and noticed that there was a large mess in the bunker. There was a small bloodstain as well that he was sure hadn't been there earlier. "What's this? What - what... What'd I miss?"

At his words, Ember and Jo began to look around as well, Ember extricating herself from Castiel.

"There was a demon incursion, led by Asmodeus," answered Castiel.

"Oh my God," Ember answered. "Are you guys okay?"

"Sorry, Asmodeus got in here?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Yeah, and - and - and Gabriel killed him," added Sam.

"Gabriel?" asked Dean, hope flaring within him. "That's great. So, he's back. Where is he?"

"He just left," said Castiel.

"What do you mean, he left?" asked Ember and Dean at the same time.

Castiel looked down at Ember, and Dean recognized fear in the angel's eyes. His heart sank. "We asked Gabriel to help us, and then... then he said 'no'."

Ember let out a groan, and Jo shot Dean a reassuring look. "He doesn't get to say 'no'!" Dean exclaimed. "We still have his grace, though, right? Sam?"

"Uh, we - we used his grace to - to heal him," said Sam, and Ember let out a wail of despair. "So, it - it's gone. It's all gone."

"So, if it's gone, then that means that we can't open that door again!" Dean yelled. "If we can't open the door, then I should've never come back!"

Castiel sent an apologetic look to Dean and disappeared with Ember, most likely flying them back to their home.

Jo grabbed Dean's hand, but he let it go. Instead, he threw his hand across the table, scattering things to the floor. "Son of a bitch!" he yelled to no one in particular. "Every time!"

He put his hands on his head and turned away from Sam, Eileen, and Jo, who were both looking at him in shock. He felt embarrassed for his outburst, but the shame didn't hold a candle to the pit of despair rising in his mind. "Every time we get close, it always falls apart," he complained. "Every freakin' time."

"Dean... we'll find Gabriel," said Jo. "I'll… I'll help. If you like, I can stay for a little while and help with whatever you need."

Dean looked at her strangely, her remark catching him off guard. He thought quickly. Logistically speaking, they'd found a new Men of Letters bunker in Rhode Island that had to be gone through, in addition to looking back through their own collection of lore. Recently they had focused mainly on searching for mentions of the Key of Solomon, and they needed to do more research on summoning angels specifically. Castiel focused mainly on Enochian texts and Krissy was busy with school, which meant that the lore needed to be split between himself, Ember, Sam, and Eileen. Another hand would certainly be helpful…

From a personal standpoint, Dean wanted her around even more. She had been so adamant about not wanting a serious relationship, but now she was offering to move in to help him for an unspecified amount of time. Moreover, she was refusing to look at him, and her face was turning red…

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, for a bit," she said, finally meeting his eyes. "I mean, this definitely takes precedence over ganking vamps," she added.

Dean paused, unsure what to say.

"Good," Eileen said, walking over to give Jo a hug. "It's settled, then. It'll be nice to have another girl around for a little while. Sam and I are gonna hit the hay early and start tomorrow.

Dean chanced another quick look at Jo. She was looking back, and he tossed her his signature grin. She looked away, but she was smiling shyly.