So… I finally managed to tame this bitch of a chapter. A plot bunny derailed my original plan for this portion of the fic, so I had to rework the whole thing. And then, it turned into a behemoth, so I had to split it. Good news is: I now have two chapters, instead of one. I'm currently working on typing up the rest of it and will post it—hopefully—sometime next week.
For those who might need a warning, I'm attaching an endnote. Love you guys lots!
Jo and Eileen depart for Montana on Saturday morning. They take turns driving so the other can take a nap in the meantime, as neither had had a restful sleep the night before. The only reason Jo had even managed to get any shut-eye at all is because Dean had succeeded in making her feel safe enough to do so. Eileen seems to have fared better. Jo feels like a train had run her over.
It's well past midnight when they find the other hunter's base of operations. His car is parked in front of a small cabin a few miles north of Whitefish. It's close enough that they can retreat to Rufus' own old cabin, if shit hits the fan and they need to move to familiar ground.
The place is dark and quiet. No lights on in the cabin, which means that the guy is either asleep or not there. Considering he hadn't answered neither theirs, nor Jody's calls, the latter possibility is more likely. Jo follows Eileen to the front door and knocks.
"Somehow," Eileen signs. "I don't think he went anywhere on foot."
"Yeah, he would have taken his car."
Jo is sure to sign as well, not wanting to alert anyone or anything to their presence by the sound of their voice. It's enough that their own car had announced their arrival.
"Unless," she continues, "he did go to scout out the area and was ambushed by whatever he was hunting."
When a second knock doesn't get her an answer, Jo tries the door. It's locked. No wonder. From what she remembers of Russell Edmundson, he'd always been extremely paranoid. If he is inside, he's probably waiting for them to break in. Eileen pulls out a lock-picking kit and Jo covers her as she works. The headlights of their car give them just enough illumination to do that.
The lock clicks and Eileen carefully pushes the door open using one hand, while with the other one she grabs a flashlight from her pocket. Jo continues covering her until they've made it inside. Once she's shut the door, she finds the light switch. She flips it and the lone bulb in the middle of the ceiling comes on.
The air is stale. There is no one inside, but the place has the distinct feel of a hunter having been there. On the table and bed, there are several open books. Scattered papers litter every other surface. One of the walls is covered in newspaper clippings. At the foot of the bed, there's a duffel bag full of weapons. Beside that, right on top of the covers, lies a rather big black dog. Both she and Eileen freeze in their tracks.
The dog watches them cautiously, its yellow eyes observing every move. Jo is very careful not to startle it, but it doesn't seem like the animal considers them a threat. It's just watching them, pointy ears perked up to listen. Eileen turns to her, eyes wide.
"It's not growling, is it?" she asks, using her voice instead of risking the sudden movements required to sign.
"No," Jo says, shaking her head to make sure Eileen can understand.
She turns back to the dog.
"Hey, buddy. You all alone here?"
She's careful to keep her voice friendly sounding and with no hint of fear. While she doesn't put her gun away, she lowers it nonetheless, taking a chance. She'd hate to have to shoot the poor thing.
At her gesture and calm tone, the dog starts wagging its tail. It lets out what sounds like a happy whine and jumps off the bed, moving towards her.
Though her heart is beating like mad, Jo keeps still and lets it sniff her. So does Eileen, a moment later. After finishing its inspection of them, it turns back to Jo and she notices that it's a male. When he nudges her hand, apparently wanting her to pet him, she lets out a relieved sigh. So does Eileen.
"Well, looks like you're a good boy," she says to the dog, who pants at her, expression looking content.
"I'm gonna give him some water," Eileen says, bending down to grab a metal bowl from the floor. "I saw some bottles by the cupboard in the kitchen area."
Coming back with the filled bowl, Eileen sets it down by his front paws and scratches behind his ears. They let him drink. By the looks of it, he hasn't had any water for at least most of the day.
Jo moves to look at the papers on the table. There's a lot of research on each particular case, notes made on the various possibilities. From what seems the most recent scribble, as it's on top of a stack of files, the conclusion Russell had come to is ghouls. He'd suspected a whole pack. Big group. Done some tracking and found that they'd actively hunted their victims.
"Weird," Eileen says, also having read the note. "It's unusual for ghouls to go after the living. They don't do that often."
"They're either desperate or very daring." Jo digs around through the papers and finds what looks like Russell's journal. "Or very dumb. They've gotta know that, sooner or later, some hunter is gonna figure it out and come for them."
That explains why Russell had been willing to ask—not only accept, but seek out—for help. He'd been a friendly guy when passing by the Roadhouse, but a staunch loner. Time and circumstances seem to have changed him.
As she rifles through the journal, Jo finds some information on Russell's dog. His name is Brutus. According to the other hunter, Brutus is a Calupoh, a mix between dog and Mexican gray wolf. The latter's hunting instinct coupled with the former's protective streak towards its human, made the breed perfect for training it to track supernatural beings. He'd even taught Brutus how to detect the sulfur demons leave behind. He's a little over a year old.
"Training a dog for this sort of thing," Eileen says, once she's finished reading too, "is actually a pretty good idea. But why'd he leave him here and go searching on his own? Seems like he hasn't been here in at least two days, judging by the lack of water for his dog and the shit in the corner next to the door."
Jo turns to look in the direction Eileen had indicated with her remark. Yeah, Brutus definitely hasn't been let out for a couple of days. Lucky they'd missed stepping in it when entering the cabin earlier.
"You're right, it doesn't make sense." Jo returns her attention to her partner. "If he went out to get something from the car and didn't make it back, on the other hand…"
"The door was locked."
"I wouldn't put it past Russell to take absurd levels of precaution. He's one of the most paranoid hunters I've ever met."
"Could be," Eileen says, looking thoughtful, "that he went to get something from his car, locked the door to keep anything from getting in while his back is turned, and then never made it back inside."
"He must have been waylaid somewhere close to the cabin," Jo says. She points to one of Russell's stake-out reports. "He wrote here that he found a nearby camp, a few miles away from here. Some people living in a bunch of trailers. Quite a few of them look like some of the victims that were identified."
"Pretty solid case for ghouls." Eileen pauses and adjusts her hand on Brutus' withers, giving a few light scratches the dog seems to love. He'd snuck up on her while they'd been talking. "I think we should check Russell's car, see if we can find any clues."
"Would be a good idea."
Jo spots a leash hanging from one of the chairs, with a harness attached to it. She grabs it and puts it on Brutus, so they can take him along to have a look outside. And they're right to do so. Because, as soon as she opens the door, Brutus heads straight for Russell's car. The driver's side door is ajar and the keys are on the ground.
They'd missed it because it hadn't been visible from the path leading to the cabin. There are also several other sets of footprints in the dirt leading to the treeline. Signs of a scuffle, too. It's obvious that the ghouls had ambushed Russell as he'd been in the process of getting something from his car.
Brutus shifts around and attempts to follow the prints towards the woods, but Jo stops him. It's too dark. If they go looking for the monsters now, they won't stand a chance. Ghouls can see better at night. They'd have to rely on sound alone, which would be a disadvantage for Eileen. So they'll have to wait until morning. Jo hopes that Russell is still alive, at this point. She nudges Eileen's elbow to get her attention.
"I think we should get our gear and barricade ourselves in the cabin," she signs, not trusting that there won't be anything out there listening. "It's too dangerous to do anything more tonight."
Eileen nods. Before she has a chance to turn away, her eyes are drawn to Brutus. A weird sound reaches Jo's ears right then, and she also turns to look at the dog. He has his head thrown back, his jaws snapping twice then pausing, and doing it again. He looks at them, wags his tail, then repeats the gesture a few times. It looks funny and freaky at the same time.
"You think he's trying to tell us something?" Jo asks.
She's never seen a dog do that before. Considering that Russell had practically trained him to hunt, it's entirely possible that this is Brutus' way of trying to alert them to something. They just have no idea what it is. Eileen shrugs, at a loss.
"Only thing I can think of," she signs, "is having another look at Russell's journal to see if we can figure it out."
"Yeah, we can do that."
Jo takes Brutus inside, then helps Eileen bring their stuff into the cabin. The previous night's incident still makes her feel paranoid, so she spray-paints a few protection symbols on the walls. Just in case. They may be hunting monsters right now, but why make it easier for the demons to find them. They clean up the crap by the doorway and air the place off. Jo finds a stash of canned dog food, as well as some treats. So she feeds Brutus, and both she and Eileen give him some of the snacks.
Eileen does end up finding the significance of Brutus' gesture in Russell's journal. The hunter had taught his dog not only how to recognize the scents of supernatural beings, but also how to let him know what particular nasty he'd picked up on. The head thrown back and snapping the jaws twice in quick succession apparently means ghoul. There are other actions he'd been taught to perform, to signal each individual monster. That's nifty.
Once they're done with everything, and the place is as secure as they can make it, they call Sam. Both of their sat phones have video capabilities, to make it easier for Eileen to use. Of course, upon finding out about the target being ghouls, Dean is immediately suspicious. Jo isn't surprized. He'd been burned by ghouls pretending to be someone else in the past, so she doesn't blame him. Once bitten, twice shy, the saying goes. With good reason.
The guys are a little antsy, but they do a good job of holding it together, especially Sam. Dean is a bit more visibly affected, but still hides it well. Jo can tell by the way he keeps playing with his cane, rolling it between his palms and twisting the looped string around his fingers. Sam—on the other hand—doesn't fidget, doesn't so much as twitch. He seems cool as a cucumber. The look in his eyes, though, tells a different story. If Eileen picks up on it, Jo doesn't know, because the other woman doesn't comment on it.
When it's established that they'll call in the morning, before they start the hunt, and again when they're finished—or if they need help—they conclude the call. They bid Sam and Dean a good night and Jo reassures them not to worry too much.
"I expected Sam to freak out," Eileen says, as they are both getting ready for bed. "I'm surprized he hasn't."
"Well, I'm glad none of them started saying we should drop the case," Jo says. "Though I have to admit that Dean's gotten good at hiding the overprotective crap. It's still there in the background, but he's actively pushing it down."
"He's respecting our agency."
"A decade ago, we would have had to fight him on it." Jo scrunches her nose at the memory. "Trust me, he's grown. So has Sam."
"Sam still has the urge," Eileen points out. "I hope the talk I had with him last night sticks with him and he won't show up on our doorstep in the morning."
Just imagining how pissed off that'd make Eileen has Jo snorting a laugh. It'd be funny to witness her having a go at him. Compared to Sam and Dean, the other woman is tiny. Jo isn't much taller than her, but still.
They both joke around a bit more, before turning off the light and squeezing into the barely big enough bed for a few hours of shut-eye. Jo doubts either of them will be really able to properly sleep.
The dawn is colder than it usually is this time of year. It's not so surprizing though, as it is the last week of August. With fall fast approaching, Eileen had had the forethought to bring a thicker jacket along. She notices Jo'd done the same.
They arm themselves with what they need, and give Sam a call to let him know that they're heading out. Eileen promises him that they'll call again when they're done. The panic she'd seen in his eyes the night before is still there. She doesn't like seeing him so worried on her behalf, but she's determined to see this through. It's something she and Jo need to do without his, or Dean's, assistance.
When Dean himself walks into the frame to wish them good luck, Eileen almost drops her coffee thermos. She's never seen him awake this early, especially not since he'd gotten injured. Judging by the bags under his eyes, it seems like he'd had a rough night. Come to think of it, both brothers look tired. Eileen wonders if either of them had gotten any sleep.
All said and done, they get ready to leave. With only an estimate available to them concerning the number of ghouls, they pack as much ammo as they can carry. Eileen had also retrieved two machetes from the car, just in case their small arsenal won't be enough. No matter the monster, decapitating usually does the trick. If they're lucky though, they won't need to use the extra weapons.
Jo certainly intends to use the gun Dean had given her back, it looks like. Eileen doesn't comment on the wistful smile she sees on her friend's face as she loads the weapon. It's good to see her happy.
"Okay," Jo says when she's ready, grinning ear to ear, "let's go do some head-shots."
Eileen mirrors the expression with a grin of her own. As Jo takes hold of Brutus' leash and leads them out of the cabin, Eileen can't help but think that this passion of Jo's is what'd drawn Dean to her in the first place. She follows Jo out of the cabin and into the woods.
Before starting the preparations in the morning, both she and Jo had read through Russell's notes on Brutus again. The dog seems inclined to listen to them, so they'd decided to memorize the commands he'd been taught for certain actions, along with all the gestures for alerting the presence of different monsters. Some of the hunter's notes indicate that this isn't the first dog he'd trained to hunt. But, so far, he seems to have been the most successful.
Brutus leads them through the forest, following the scent he'd picked up at the car. There's no path to walk on, so they have to be careful not to make too much noise. Eileen relies on Jo to let her know if she can hear anything, while she keeps her eyes peeled for any sign of movement. There's no telling if the ghouls have any scouts that could have noticed their arrival at the cabin the night before.
It takes them almost an hour to reach the clearing Russell had marked on the map, the place where he'd found the camp. They stick to the bushes when they get there. Brutus stays calm, and Eileen runs a hand along his back to show her appreciation.
Peeking through a gap in the bush right in front of her, Eileen can see the trailers and tents in the clearing. She counts at least a dozen ghouls, some of whom are, like Russell had also observed, wearing the faces of some of the victims that'd been identified. She recognizes a few from the photos in the case files. The others, she can't place. Those must be the people the authorities had labeled as unknown.
"Any ideas on how to attack?" Jo uses Morse code, tapping against the back of Eileen's hand to get her question across. "Cover's good enough here, so we can just start shooting."
"That'll work," Eileen says, using the same method of communication. "We'll be able to take out quite a few of them, before they figure out what's happening."
With one knee on the ground, she shoulders her rifle, takes aim and fires. Jo follows suit, only from a standing position. Eileen takes out the ghouls farthest from the edge of the clearing, as her weapon is better suited for long range. Jo picks out the ones closer, that are easier to hit using a shotgun. They manage to eliminate almost half the group, before the ghouls start taking cover. Brutus flushes out the ones that are hiding.
When the chaos settles down, there's only one of the monsters left standing. Figuratively speaking, seeing as there's a bullet in its kneecap. Once it's clear that there aren't any others, Eileen and Jo leave their cover behind and approach the survivor.
"Any more of your pack around somewhere?" Eileen asks the cowering ghoul.
It sports the likeness of a young woman who'd gone missing while camping with her family. She'd only been nineteen, a college freshman, the eldest of four children. Her parents had been devastated when her remains had been found.
"You killed my entire family, you bitches!" it spits out. "I'll fucking rip your heads off!"
"Not likely to be successful, since you can barely stand," Eileen says.
"Guess now you know how your victims' families felt, when all that was left of their loved ones were pieces," Jo adds.
Eileen is aware of Jo's retort, only because she can see her friend's face in her peripheral vision and turns in time to catch what's said. The other woman's expression is—frankly—scary. Eileen almost pities the ghoul. Almost. She knows none of them deserve her pity.
"Where's the hunter you took hostage a couple of days ago?" Eileen asks, turning back to watch the ghoul's face so she can read its lip movements.
"We killed him the very night we caught him." It grins, the gesture distorting the pretty features it wears, making them seem almost grotesque. "None of us wanted to eat him. Not smart to walk around looking like the enemy."
"That means we have no further use of you," Jo says, her expression cold.
She aims and fires, in quick succession, before the ghoul has time to say anything more. Its brains splatter on the side of the trailer it'd been leaning on. When Jo lowers her gun, Eileen approaches her slowly and grasps her shoulder, squeezing gently. Jo's stance relaxes—somewhat—at the contact.
"Are you okay?" Eileen asks.
"I am now," is Jo's answer.
All things considered, Eileen thinks that Jo is holding up pretty well. She hasn't lost her touch when it comes to hunting, despite being out of the game for a very long time. Out of their ragtag group, Jo'd spent the most time in the Pit. A decade topside must have felt like an eternity in Hell. Jo is truly formidable, both as a person and as a hunter.
"Cleaning this mess up is gonna take us a while." Jo's nose scrunches in obvious disgust at the thought. "We'll have to burn the whole place to the ground."
"Yeah," Eileen says. "We can use the gasoline from their vehicles to light some of it on fire."
They get to work on rounding all the ghouls' bodies in one place. Brutus is the one who finds Russell, tied to a wooden post in an improvised tent. It looks like he'd been tortured prior to his death, possibly in an attempt to find out if anyone else had known about what the man had been up to. Or if he'd had any partners. Considering the ghouls hadn't expected them, it's clear that Russell hadn't revealed anything. Neither that he'd spoken to Jody, nor that other hunters might come looking for him.
It takes them several hours to get everything ready. By the time they're done—including with building a funeral pyre for Russell—it's already early afternoon. They don't have much daylight left.
After consulting the other hunter's map again, they find that there's a service road that leads to the clearing from the main road into the area. So Eileen suggests they go back to the cabin and grab the fuel for the generator, to add to what they already have.
They make the trek together, Brutus following along without even needing the leash. Jo'd taken it off before they'd started shooting the ghouls earlier. But the dog seems to have taken a liking to them—Jo especially—and hadn't run off.
They're blessed with a stroke of luck, as they find several canisters of gasoline in the trunk of Russell's car as well. Along with the fuel for the cabin's generator, it's just what's needed to set that entire camp ablaze. Eileen also grabs a bag of salt for the funeral pyre. Driving back there takes less time, even if the road is longer. They set about finishing the job.
First, they give Russell a hunter's funeral. Jo tosses the salt, while Eileen pours the fuel and lights the match. They watch the fire burn for a while.
"Rest in peace, Russell," Eileen says.
Jo just nods, staying silent. Brutus gives a low whine and hangs his head. Eileen is glad that they'd been able to give the man a proper send-off.
The other fire they light takes a lot longer to burn out. They stay there until there's no longer a danger of the forest igniting. The flames are quite a sight. It's midnight, by the time it's all over. Eileen feels bone tired. And, by the weary look on Jo's face, so does she.
When they get into the car to head back to the cabin, it starts pouring. Another stroke of luck, Eileen thinks. There will be no worry about causing a disaster in the area. Add to that the fact that they're far away from any towns—so there's been no one to notice them burning a bunch of bodies—this hunt has been quite a success. Except for not being able to save Russell. It's a shame he hadn't asked for help earlier.
"You want us to head out now and sleep in the nearest motel?" Eileen asks Jo when they're back at the cabin.
"Nah, I'm too beat for that," is the other woman's answer. "I'm liable to fall asleep at the wheel. You shouldn't be driving either. It's better if we stay here and take off early in the morning."
"Yeah, you're right. Let's just call the boys and hit the sack."
Sam answers the phone almost instantly.
"Hey, how'd it go?" He signs along, so Eileen can also understand him. "Everything okay?"
"More or less," Eileen says. "Ghouls are dead, but so is Jody's friend. They killed him a couple of days before we got here."
"Damn it."
"Yeah," Jo says. Eileen turns her head so she can see them both better. "Wish he'd called for backup sooner. I learned that the hard way, when I almost got sliced open by a shapeshifter."
That's a story Eileen wants to be told some day. She'll have to get Jo talking about her solo hunting days, when they stop for food tomorrow. Seems like there are some interesting adventures on her resume.
"Hunting alone sucks ass," Sam says.
"And it's lonely," Eileen adds.
The image wobbles a bit. Sam rolls his eyes before turning the phone slightly, so that Dean can see the screen. When he takes them both in, the look of worry seems to melt from his face. It's replaced by a wide, goofy grin immediately, as he tries to tamp down on his relief. Jo seems to notice that too, because she smiles fondly.
"Hi Dean," she says. "We did it."
"Good, I'm happy to hear that," he says.
Eileen has to read his lip movements, because he forgets to sign. She finds herself wondering if this is how she and Sam had behaved, before they'd gotten together. It's very possible that they had.
"Oh, hey Eileen," he says when he notices her, remembering to use his hands this time. "It's good to see you're both okay. You are, right?"
"Yeah," Eileen responds, suppressing a snort, "we're fine. Tired though, so we're going to bed. We'll leave in the morning. Call you tomorrow, when we're somewhere with cell reception."
"Right, you're probably dead on your feet." He elbows Sam in the ribs, when the latter looks inclined to argue. "Rest up and we'll talk more tomorrow."
"Right." Sam throws him a withering look. "Tomorrow. Good night."
After they hang up, Jo promptly bursts into laughter. Eileen finds it difficult not to do the same. It takes them a few minutes to calm down.
"I'm still surprised they didn't take off after us the moment they found out that Russell was missing," Jo says, wiping tears off her cheeks.
"Me too." She'd been half expecting the brothers to show up throughout the whole day. "Which one of them do you think talked the other out of it?"
"My money's on Dean. He was hiding his concern a lot better. And, like I said earlier, he seems to have changed."
"You might be right. But there might be something else. The night before we left, I had to convince Sam not to come with us. He only relented when I pointed out that Dean would be alone and vulnerable, if he took off."
"That was underhanded, but effective." Jo looks impressed.
"I'm proud of my achievement."
That makes Jo laugh again. The fact that they can so easily make light of things after a hunt… it answers Eileen's question of whether the two of them would be good partners in the long run. It's exhilarating to have another woman among her friends, who isn't only a competent hunter, but also her own age and with a wicked sense of humor. They'll do well on future hunts.
"Okay," Jo says, after a while, "I think we should follow Dean's advice and grab some shut-eye. We can figure everything else out tomorrow."
"Yeah, let's do that."
Eileen locks up and checks all their precautions, while Jo feeds Brutus. They don't bother getting cleaned up properly, only making sure there's no monster gunk in their hair—or anywhere else—and changing into different clothes. There's no shower in this cabin, only a small toilet that's seen better days. They'll wash up when they get back to Jody's place.
Once her head touches down on the pillow, Eileen is out like a light. All the trekking, shooting, and then dragging bodies and other stuff had really taken it out of her. Her last conscious thought is hoping that she won't dream.
At dawn, Jo and Eileen pack up all of Russell's stuff into his car. Jo will drive it, while Eileen will follow in her own vehicle. Once they're satisfied that there's nothing left that can be used to trace back to them, they head out. She leads the way, because she is more familiar with the area than Eileen is, having been to Rufus' cabin several times with her mother. And alone too, before that.
She glances in the rearview mirror at Brutus, who is stretched out on the back seat, dozing. With Russell dead, there's no one to take the dog in. The man hadn't had a family, to her knowledge, nor many friends.
She wants to keep him. A dog trained to help a hunter track down monsters, that's also big enough to attack them, is quite an advantage. But she wants to see if he gets along with Miracle first. She's sure that Dean will love him the moment he sets eyes on him. Sam will, too.
The first time they pull into a rest stop, Jo calls Dean on his cell. The fact that he answers after the first ring makes her think he's been waiting with the phone in his hand since he'd woken up. If he'd even slept in the first place.
"Hey, we're on our way back," she says. "If all goes well, we should be there sometime tonight."
"Good. I can't wait, 'cause Sam's been driving me up the wall with how antsy he's been."
Jo snorts. When she looks out the passenger side window, she spies Eileen—who's parked parallel to her—talking on her own phone via video call. More than likely to Sam.
"Well, he's about to get a lot less antsy, since I'm pretty sure he's talking to Eileen right now."
"You're not in the car with her?"
"No, she's in her own car. I'm driving Russell's. I didn't think it'd be a good idea to leave it there. We took all his stuff too."
"And the dog I saw sitting on the floor yesterday?"
If Jo's not mistaken, he sounds slightly hopeful.
"He's with me," she says. "He's napping in the back seat, at the moment."
"So you're bringing home strays now?"
This time, he sounds amused.
"He's not a stray, he's just homeless." She ignores his chuckle. "If he gets along with Miracle, I'm gonna keep him."
"Miracle's good with a lot of other dogs," he says. "I'm sure they'll be fine. Boy or girl?"
"Boy. His name's Brutus."
"Fitting."
"I know, right?" Jo glances at the time, to see how long she'd been there, when she notices how early it is. "Did you get any sleep last night? 'Cause you're up early. Yesterday too. You never get up at the ass crack of dawn."
"I did sleep, but with one eye open," he says. "Was a bit worried Sam might take off the night before the hunt." He pauses, then clears his throat. "I didn't think you'd appreciate that, so I made sure he didn't give you a reason to kick his ass."
"I did tell Eileen that you've changed. I could've bet money on you being the one to talk some sense into Sam, and not the other way around."
"Oh, I'm flattered that you think so highly of me." He laughs again. "Though I can't blame Sam. I've been fighting the urge to get in the car and head over there myself."
"Progress, indeed."
Jo is touched by his gesture. That he'd considered giving her and Eileen the chance to test the waters as a team of such importance, that it should take priority over his own feelings in the matter… It means the world to her. She likes this new Dean, who—as Eileen had pointed out—puts her agency above his ego and fear. She likes this new development quite a lot. And, before she has a chance to think things through, she decides to tell him just that. Only she notices, right then, that Eileen is no longer on the phone.
"Hey Dean, we'll call again when we make the next pit stop. Okay?"
"Sure. Drive carefully."
"Will do. Bye."
Jo exchanges a few signs with Eileen, and they come to the agreement to stop at the nearest place that looks decent. They can have breakfast and some fresh coffee. It's time they've had something to eat that hasn't come out of a plastic bag. She restarts the engine and pulls out of the parking space. Eileen follows, perfectly in sync. They stop at a no-name dive on the side of the road.
The food is not only edible, but also quite delicious. It's a diner she'd been to with Rufus, way back when she'd first started out hunting under his guidance. That'd been before the Roadhouse had burned down and her mom had joined her. She's glad the place hasn't changed much over the years. It's like a blast from the past. Only, for her, the past is something that feels like it's both a very long time ago and no time at all. Some days, it's the former. An eternity from then to now. On others, it's the latter, when it's like only a few months behind her. Today, it's a combination of both.
"You want to keep him, don't you?" Eileen's voice filters through her thoughts, bringing them to a halt. "Brutus, I mean."
"Yeah," Jo says, "if he gets along well with Miracle, then I will."
She looks out the window towards the car. Brutus is sitting up on the back seat, his eerie yellow eyes trained on them. He seems to be keeping a lookout.
God, she hopes things work out because she really wants that dog to be hers. Her dad had promised her one, on the condition that she'd care for it herself. Her mom had insisted on not doing that until after, at least, her fifteenth birthday. They hadn't gotten around to doing that, for different reasons.
"I'm sure it's gonna be fine," Eileen says.
Jo's thoughts return to the present. The only thing she can do now is wait and see. She pulls her phone out to see the time, and remembers she'd promised to call Dean again when they stop to eat. Having finished their meal a while ago, she does just that. She scoots closer to Eileen, so they can make a video call together.
There's a visible difference in the demeanor of both brothers. Now that the hunt is over and done with, they seem calmer. Their expressions look relieved. Neither of the men is subtle about it, nor do they try to hide it this time.
They chat for a while, after which Jo and Eileen continue their journey. There's no need to hurry, now that the sense of urgency is gone. Both of them drive at a leisurely pace. Several times, they stop to have a bite to eat or a coffee, or for a bathroom break. Jo also remembers a few more convenient shortcuts, so she turns onto those—signaling Eileen to follow—and they save some time. It's just before midnight, when they arrive at Jody's cabin.
As soon as she's parked the car and stopped the engine, the front door opens. Light spills out into the night, along with Miracle, who's wagging his tail and barking excitedly. Sam follows the dog out. By the time Eileen's car pulls up beside Jo, Dean has also joined his brother onto the porch.
Jo smiles as she watches Sam hug Eileen tightly, practically lifting her off her feet. She looks so tiny, next to the behemoth that is Sam Winchester. When he lets her go, Eileen is also smiling brightly. Raising on her tiptoes, she gives him a chaste kiss on the lips.
Dean, on the other hand, doesn't move from his spot on the porch. He waves to Eileen and signs something Jo can't see in the dim light. Then he turns to face Jo.
With some slight trepidation, she opens the car door and gets out. Carefully opening the back passenger door, she fastens the leash onto Brutus' harness and lets him out. Here goes nothing, she thinks. This will make or break how she'll continue with her plans. It all hinges on how the two dogs will react to each other. Because she doesn't want Dean to feel guilty, if she can't keep Brutus, should things go badly.
Miracle instantly perks up when he sees the other dog and comes to investigate. Brutus stays still. They give each other a sniff. Both of their tails start wagging and Miracle starts whining excitedly. Brutus nuzzles him affectionately, relaxing his cautious stance. Jo sighs, relieved.
Moving along, Brutus goes up to Sam first. He seems a bit shy, but after a good sniff and a pat on the head, he deems the massive human looming over him as not being a threat. Next is Dean, who walks up to meet them halfway.
"Wow, you are a big boy," he says. He grins like a kid at Christmas, leaning on his cane as he crouches to be eye level with Brutus. "Come on, buddy. Don't be scared. Come here."
The dog gets closer, taking in Dean's scent. Dean seems to not move a muscle, as he lets Brutus assess him. All shyness is gone, a few moments later, when he nuzzles the side of Dean's face and lets himself be hugged.
"There's a good boy," Dean murmurs into the dog's fur, stroking a hand along his back. "Welcome to the family."
"How about we continue this inside?" Sam asks.
He's carrying both Eileen's and Jo's duffel bags. Jo hadn't even noticed him go to the cars. She'd been too focused on Brutus' reaction to Dean. The latter is still scratching the back of the dog's head.
"Yeah, you're right." Jo gives the leash a light tug and Brutus immediately turns to her. "Come on, pal. Let's go."
With his free hand, Sam helps Dean up. Once they're all inside, Brutus explores his surroundings curiously. Jo unclips the leash from the harness so he can move freely, and he sniffs around all the way to the kitchen. Letting him familiarize himself with his new living space, Jo tosses the leash onto the small table by the door and takes off her jacket.
"We're gonna have to get another dog bed," Dean says. "Maybe tomorrow, on the way back from therapy."
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Jo turns to him and studies his face for a few seconds. "You been behavin' while I've been away?"
"Yes ma'am," he says, grinning. "Ate all my veggies and took all my vitamins. You can ask Sam."
"Oh, I will."
Her answering quip makes him laugh and Jo suddenly finds that she's missed that sound. She's missed him. So she takes a step closer and spreads her arms wide, offering a hug. Dean doesn't hesitate. He embraces her gently, his big hands splayed over her shoulder blades and his cane—which is hanging by the string looped around his right wrist—bumps into the back of her leg. The smell of his deodorant makes her feel at home.
Before she has time to process that last thought, a nudge to her hip breaks her out of her reverie. Jo pulls back at the same time Dean does, only to see Brutus staring at her. He's panting, tongue hanging out the side of his snout, but he looks slightly confused. A moment later, he nudges her again with the tip of his nose.
"You want something to eat, buddy?" Jo says, scratching the top of his head.
"Eileen already did that," Sam calls out from the kitchen. "He's had some water too."
"Jo, I think Brutus here is a little jealous of the attention I was getting from you." Dean seems to find that very amusing. "He likes us all well enough, but it looks like you're his favorite. The whole time he was sniffing around, he kept checking on you to make sure you're still here."
"Huh," Jo says, "maybe you're right." A thought occurs to her, then. "Or, maybe he's never seen Russell hug anyone and is only confused. The man was a loner. I've actually seen him threaten to shoot people for trying to hug him at the Roadhouse."
"Sounds like the kind of thing I'd do if a complete stranger tried that with me. So I can't blame him."
"Yeah, the few who made an attempt were drunk off their ass." She snorts at one of the more vivid memories. "Ash was also high when he tried it. Had a few drinks and a whole joint, and got very… tactile. Russell wasn't the only one who threatened to shoot him that time. Mom had to intervene on his behalf."
"Sounds like Ash was quite a handful when alcohol was involved," Dean says. He extends the hand not holding the cane and scratches under Brutus' chin, so the dog is now getting affection from the both of them. "But I think Brutus here is a ladies' man. He likes you. We'll get along just fine, right buddy?"
Brutus closes his eyes and leans into Dean's hand, seeming content. Jo is on cloud nine that everything's turned out well. With the exception of not being able to help Russell, nothing had gone wrong. This has been her first successful hunt since her resurrection. And her first team-up with Eileen. She feels like celebrating.
"I'm thrilled I'm his number one, but he seems to like you too."
"You're my favorite lady too, you know?"
Dean's smile seems both a little cheeky and shy at the same time. Jo's heart skips a beat. She plays along though, giving him the same wide grin she'd put on all those years ago in Philadelphia. When they'd pretended to be a couple in front of the landlord.
"Oh, I know I am," is her answer.
Along with a small laugh, Dean's smile becomes more relaxed. Jo doesn't know where this is going, but there's time to find out. Now, they can afford to dance around each other and see where that takes them. Because she's sure that Dean, too, is in the same position. He's drawn to her, just like she is to him.
"So," Jo continues, deciding to change the subject so she can have a breather from these complicated thoughts, "how about we have a drink for a job well done?"
That gets the desired reaction from Dean.
"Now you're talkin'!"
So Jo breaks out the whiskey and glasses, while Dean calls for Sam and Eileen to join them. They seat themselves in front of the fireplace, drinks in hand. Dean's in his recliner, with both dogs laying at his feet. Jo drags her chair closer to his, so that Brutus ends up being between them. Sam and Eileen take the couch.
"First, a toast in Russell's memory," Jo says, raising her glass. "May he rest in peace."
There's a chorus of rest in peace from the other three. They hold a moment of silence in honor of the departed hunter. Even though none of them had known the man besides Jo, the hunter's death is a loss for the entire community.
"And now, in celebration of a hunt gone well and a great partner," she continues, tilting her glass in Eileen's direction. "I'm sure that, after a few rotations, we'll be working together like a well oiled machine."
"I'll drink to that," Dean says, then grumbles the next part under his breath. "I hope Sam goes next, 'cause if I'm stuck here with him again, I just might smack him with my cane."
Sam, of course, pulls a face and Eileen looks confused. Due to Dean muttering those last words while glancing away from his brother, Eileen hadn't managed to see his lips moving. Jo relays the words to her using signs.
"Come on, I wasn't that bad," Sam says, signing along and making sure to face his girlfriend. "Dean's exaggerating and being an ass about it."
Eileen narrows her eyes at him. Instantly, Sam's expression turns from indignant to sheepish.
"Okay, maybe a little," he concedes.
Everyone else starts laughing at that. They squabble good-naturedly some more, in between sips of booze. Jo enjoys the back and forth between the brothers tremendously. It's like watching a sitcom. Perfect entertainment.
After a few hours, everyone's eyes inevitably start drooping. Jo is sure that Dean even nods off a couple of times. When he startles awake from his latest snooze, Jo gently nudges his elbow.
"How about we all hit the sack?" She speaks the words loud enough for Sam to hear, at the same time signing for Eileen's benefit. "It's late and we've all been up since stupid o'clock."
"You're right," Sam says, stifling a yawn. "Old man Dean here, especially, since he has therapy in the morning."
"Bite me, bitch."
Dean sounds half asleep.
"Sam has a point," Jo says. She runs her hand along his forearm, before she's aware of what she's doing. "I also need some rest, if you don't want me to drive your car into a ditch."
"I can take him there, Jo," Sam cuts across whatever reply his brother had been about to let loose. "You drove through most of the day, after taking out a bunch of ghouls. You deserve some time off."
"It's fine Sam, I can manage." She nudges Dean's foot with one of her own. "Besides, I need to get Brutus a new dog bed. Looks like Russell never used one. He was sleeping on top of his master's bed when we found him."
"Okay, if you're sure."
In between more yawns and good night wishes, the four of them stagger towards their rooms. While Dean is busy putting the whiskey away, Jo warms up two heat packs in the microwave. She'd gotten them from a store in one of the towns they'd stopped in. If they work in warming her up, she'll get some more. Taking advantage of Dean's absence, she stuffs them under her duvet.
"You still having trouble keeping warm?"
Dean's voice coming from the doorway makes her jump. Busted. She'd hoped she'd be able to hide them from him, not wanting him to worry about her even more.
"Yeah, but I'm thinking this might help. I'll also go have a shower as soon as Eileen's done in there."
"How'd you even sleep last night?"
"Back to back with Eileen. It helped, somewhat."
Jo tries to keep her body from shivering at the thought of being cold again. The adrenaline of the last three days had kept that feeling at bay. It'd distracted her from the demon and her time in the Pit. But now that she's sort of safe and there's no apparent danger anymore, it seems to have returned with a vengeance. Getting possible monster brains out of her hair isn't the only reason she wants to shower. Dean studies her intently, but says nothing else.
When Brutus comes into the room, sniffing out the place, Jo grabs her sleep clothes from where she'd set them out a little earlier. The door to the bathroom opens and Eileen signals to her that it's free, then mutters a good night and heads to her room. Jo gives Dean a small smile and rushes out the door.
She washes herself off thoroughly. The water is set to really hot, but, while her skin turns red, she can barely feel the scalding temperature. She shivers under the spray.
Seems that Dean's right. The distraction of human contact seems to be the only thing to keep this feeling of ice cold numbness under wraps. The only times she'd truly been warm had been that night at the motel, the night before leaving for the hunt, and the two nights spent with Eileen in Russell's cabin. The first two more so than the last, she realizes. Every other time, there'd been at least a chill in her bones. And it always seems to happen at night. During the day, it's not so extreme. Now, it's almost unbearable.
Shutting off the water, Jo rushes to dry herself off and get dressed. She shivers uncontrollably all through it. Hopefully, those heated pads help at least a bit.
Her bedside lamp is off when she returns to their room. She frowns, pushing the door part-way closed, but leaving it ajar. It'd been on earlier. Dean's lamp, on the other hand, is on. He's lying on his side and Brutus is stretched out across the foot of the bed. Not such a ladies' man after all, it seems. The moment she's out of sight, the dog gravitates toward Dean. As she stands there, staring, Miracle also jumps up onto the bed. She wonders if they should even bother buying another dog bed.
Dean opens his eyes then, and pulls back the covers, revealing the two hot pads close to his feet. He beckons her to join him. By instinct, she takes a step closer, and then another. She only stops when she's a foot, or so, away from the bed.
"I promise to behave," Dean says. There's no trace of playfulness in his demeanor. He's serious. "Come on. This bed is big enough to fit us both. And those things," he gestures to the heat pads, "won't even take the edge off of what you're going through right now. So let me help. Please."
The way he says that last word almost moves her to tears. If she hadn't already fallen in love with him years ago, she's sure she would have this very instant. And that hits her like a ton of bricks. Because it's true. She loves Dean. She's known that, on some level, ever since she'd fought tooth and nail to break Osiris' control over her spirit, and almost failed. It's only recently that she'd begun to process that. But, with every passing day, Jo finds herself falling even more.
"Okay," she says. She nods for emphasis. "But you better not kick me off the bed."
"Cross my heart."
That little exchange lightens the mood. Rubbing her arms, Jo takes one last step and climbs into bed. The change in temperature she feels is instantaneous. Her shivering stops the moment Dean pulls the covers over her, and she sighs in relief.
"I warmed those things up again, while you were drying off," Dean says.
"Thank you," Jo whispers.
With a light shove, he urges her to turn on her side and puts his left arm around her waist. In this new position, he's practically spooning her. She manages to hold the tears at bay by the skin of her teeth.
For so long, she's kept this struggle of hers hidden, that it feels like Heaven to not have to any more. It feels so good, that she doesn't think that she'll ever be able to sleep any other way. Jo drifts off, Dean's warmth cocooning her and seeping into her entire body. It seems like it envelopes her very soul, chasing away the cold.
CW: Typical Supernatural style violence, not very graphic. But, if you want to avoid a description of one of the characters shooting a monster, which is described in minimal detail, skip the paragraph right after ["That means we have no further use of you," Jo says, her expression cold.] in Eileen's perspective. Let me know if I've missed anything else warranting a warning. Thanks.