Thank you so much Angels-heart1, Leann Nickerson and Blondie 20000 for your feedback for this story. OMG I can't believe I haven't updated this since January. I swear I'm not abandoning this story! I just seem to be writing for Shattered World and Daddy's Little Buddy lately.

I know there's not a lot happening in this chapter but I needed Jo and Dean to get back out with the rest of the team.

Thanks again and enjoy!

Val

Chapter 22

Dean and Jo pulled up in front of the house. Jo gasped when she saw how many trucks and cars were parked all around. "Dean?"

The elder Winchester shrugged his shoulders, "you're guess is as good as mine."

They both turned when they heard a car pulling up behind them. They watched as Ellen cut the engine and got out of the car. "Hey you two, what are you doing here?" She asked as she walked over and kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"Our three day honeymoon is over," Jo reminded her Mom.

"Ellen, what's going on here?" Dean asked.

"Rufus and Sam went and picked up the cabinets the first day of your honeymoon so Bobby called in reinforcements and the updated plumbing is already done and they finished hanging the new cabinets yesterday. The new appliances should be here soon and Roger Simpson is here to hook everything up since he just finished a hunt few days ago and said he could swing by and handle hooking everything up for Bobby."

"So the kitchen will be done today?" Jo asked in shock.

"Tomorrow probable. They still have to do the floor once the appliances are hooked up." Her mother explained.

"Hey you guys," Sam called out as he stepped out onto the front porch.

Dean took a few moments to take in his brother and felt the relief run through him. He could see Sam wasn't 100% but he definitely was better than the last time he saw him. "I see Bobby was right, some hard labor did you a world of good," he called out.

"Yeah well it's about time you showed up to help," Sam called back with a smile.

"Had a wife that needed my undivided attention," he said with a smirk as waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Oww," he cried when Ellen slapped him upside his head.

"Still my daughter," his mother in law huffed.

"Yes Ma'am," Dean said as he rubbed the back of his head while his brother snickered at him.

"I can't wait to go in and see," Jo said excitedly.

"I don't think so. There's too many things you could trip over and hurt my grandbaby," Ellen told her as she pulled out her car keys. "Besides, we're going shopping for a kitchen table today."

"Fine," Jo huffed as she leaned up and gave Dean a kiss.

"I'll see you when you get back," Dean said as he gave her another quick kiss before pointing up towards the house. "Come on Sammy, we've got work to do."

SPNSPNSPN

Jo and Ellen sat at the counter at the busy diner. "A hot fudge sundae at ten o'clock in the morning." Ellen said with a shake of her head.

"Maggie has her Daddy's sweet tooth," Jo explained.

Ellen snorted in amusement, "right…it's all Dean's fault. Not like I use to catch you sneaking cookies before dinner or anything."

"Don't you dare tell Dean…I'm trying to convince him that any bad habits the baby may have will be his fault."

"Mmhmm," Ellen murmured as she took a sip of coffee. "So when's your next doctor appointment?"

"Day after tomorrow and Dean is so excited. Things have been so insane since he came back that I missed my last ultrasound so the doctor said they would be doing it at this appointment. He can't wait to see Maggie." Jo said, smiling serenely.

Ellen smiled, after her initial shock at finding out Dean Winchester was her grandbaby's father she was actually happy because no matter what she knew the elder Winchester would be a good Daddy.

Sure the boy tried to be like his father by dressing like him…listening to the same music…but he had a gently streak in him that he unsuccessfully tried to hide and that she knew John Winchester didn't have and if he ever did it must have died the same night his wife died.

"So any hits with that algorithm you set up?" Ellen asked.

"A few that seem like good possibilities and all around the same location," Jo said around a mouthful of ice cream.

"What does Dean say?"

"He wants to get more data and then he's thinking of sending Bobby and Rufus to check out one of the cases to get a better feeling. He also told Bobby to pull this Garth guy. No point keeping him on Ruby now."

"She called Sam last night," Ellen told her daughter.

Jo sighed, "yeah…Sam called Dean this morning to tell him. He's convinced that she still think she's calling the shots."

"He tell Dean that bitch sent him a care package?"

Jo rolled her eyes, "yeah nice to know she was considerate enough to send some demon blood for Sam to pollute his body with."

"Dean should be proud of Sam. I saw the way his hands shook as he dumped the blood down the drain and wash the bottle and sink until all drops of blood was gone."

Jo put her spoon down, "he is Mom. He knows how hard this is for Sam…trust me."

Ellen smiled as she reached over and patted Jo's hand. "How about Dean? How's he handling what we found out?"

"You mean finding out that he broke the first seal…oh you know just another day in our humdrum lives." Jo quipped as she shot her mother a sad look.

"Honey, I know this is hard for him…for both of them but we have a solid plan."

Jo looked over at her mother, "you don't think we're putting all our eggs into one basket?"

Ellen sighed, "we don't have much of a choice but Jo but between your research, our plan and this team we are going to win. Do you want to know why."

"Why?"

The older woman smiled at her daughter, "because my grandbaby isn't going to live in a world where Lucifer runs the show, that's why."

Jo smiled as she nodded head, "yes ma'am."

Ellen patted Jo's hand, "good. Now finish your sundae. We have some shopping to do."

SPNSPNSPN

Dean nodded his head at the pictures Jo was showing him of the table and chairs they had picked out. "It looks great Jo."

"You really liked the set?" She asked as they sat on the couch of the cabin, her feet propped on his lap.

"Yup," he reassured her as he massaged her feet.

"Mom said we should start thinking about the nursery. She wants to throw me a baby shower." Jo told him.

Dean smiled, "I wonder what that will be like. A baby shower for hunters."

Jo snorted in amusement, "I'm sure everything will be demon proof. Oh and Mom told me not to put a mobile on the list. Seems Rufus is making one for us."

Dean laughed, "that I can't wait to see. Do you think he'll use shotgun casing?"

"Don't you dare give him any ideas," Jo laughed as she leaned forward and slapped his shoulder.

Dean snickered as he finished rubbing Jo's feet. "I'm all for starting to pick things out though."

Jo couldn't help smiling at the joy in Dean's eyes. "Well I guess the first thing we need to decide is a theme. Mom said we should decide that first."

"Theme?" Dean asked.

"You know…Winnie the Pooh, Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse…you know what I mean." Jo said as she reached over and pick up her laptop. "I'll pull up the baby registry site and we can see if anything catches our eyes." Jo told him.

He watched as she sat up so that he could move over and sit next to her. For the next two hours they were a couple of normal expecting parents.

Dean still was wrestling with the knowledge that he was the first seal that began everything but the more him and Jo continue to plan their future and making plans for their baby the more confident and determined he was to win this battle and end Lucifer's uprising.

TBC