Title: Taking My Life In My Own Hands

Author: Valleygirl285

Rating: Teen for language

Summary: My contribution to the Jo's Joyous Birthday challenge on Tumblr.

What happened after Dean left Jo saying he would call her and she whispered, "no you won't".

Part 1 of 1

Jo zipped her duffel and wrote a quick note to her boss. Leaving the cost for the bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label that she took from his personal stash.

Looking around the back room with a cot in the corner that she called home for the past two months she sighed as she flipped off the lights and locked the door, dropping her set of keys through the mail slot and climbed into her '74 Chevy Nova.

Soon she was turning onto MN 194 W and heading towards Montana and the beginning of her new life…her new life as a hunter with a real mentor.

SPNSPNSPN

Rufus Turner eyed the blonde standing at his front door with a bottle of his favorite whiskey. "Your Mama will have my hide," was all he said as he reached out and snatched the bottle before he went to close the door.

He was taken aback when the blonde stuck her foot in the door, preventing him from slamming it shut. "I'm going to start hunting whether my Mom likes it or not. I'm not stupid…I know I need to be train properly and you're going to help me."

Rufus narrowed his eyes at the young woman before him and asked snidely, "really? And why would I go out of my way to help you?"

Jo smiled sweetly as she cocked an eyebrow, "for two reasons. One you still owe my Dad for saving your life in New Orleans."

"How do you know about New Orleans?" The older man asked in shock.

Jo shrugged her shoulders, "found my Dad's journal a few years ago and he wrote about a hunt in New Orleans. He mentioned how he found you paralyzed thanks to a hex bag that witch you were tracking had hid in your car. That he carried you out of a burning house before finding and destroying the bag. Wrote that you said you owed him one too."

"Son of a bitch," he huffed.

"The next hunt my Dad went on was with John Winchester and you know it was his last hunt...so I'm calling in his marker."

The hunter shook his head in disbelief before finally sighing and opening the door in silent invitation for her to come in. Jo studied him for a brief second to make sure it wasn't a trick before licking her lips and slowly stepping inside.

She turned when she heard the door shut behind her and looked up at Rufus. Nodding her head towards the bottle in his hand she said, "I wouldn't say no to a shot."

He looked down at the bottle in his hand, "oh what the Hell...why not."

Jo followed him into the kitchen area and sat down at the table in the corner as Rufus pulled down a couple of glasses before joining her. Taking a deep breath she accepted the shot he poured for her and gave him a tentative smile as she raised her glass and said, "L'chayim."

Rufus sighed before he finally lifted his glass. "L'chayim," he said, downing his shot and pouring himself another. "You said there were two reasons, what's the second one?"

Jo grinned as she said, "number two...I heard you telling my Mom after I went with Gordon on that Rawhead hunt that she was a fool if she thought she could keep me away from the job. I heard you tell her that I had it in my blood and the best way she could keep me safe was for me to be trained properly. You never would have said it if you didn't believe it," she told him as she lifted her glass and quickly downed her own shot.

"You always were nosy," he huffed. "Okay if we do this then you listen to everything I say. No back talk. I tell you to jump the only words I want to hear come out of your mouth is 'how high'. Understand."

"Understood," Jo said as she slid her glass across the table.

Rufus eyed the glass before getting up and going over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle and placing it in front of Jo. "Rule number one the good stuff is for me. You get beer."

Jo cocked her head slightly as she lifted the bottle and grimaced, "Busch...could you find a cheaper beer?"

Rufus reached over and snatched the bottle out of her hand. "Not even five minutes in and you're back talking. Hope you have a good pair of running shoes in that bag because that little comment won you a five mile run carrying a twenty pound pack on your back. You can change in the John."

Jo's mouth dropped open, "five miles…I haven't eaten since this morning and…"

"And you think a wendigo would give a rats ass if you were hungry Baby Girl. Now get a move on or it's gonna be a ten mile run." Rufus told her as he put the top back on the bottle and stood up.

Jo eyed the older man before getting up and grabbing her duffel. Mumbling under her breath about bossy old men as she stomped towards the bathroom.

Rufus chuckled as Jo slammed the door and he put the bottle on the top shelf over the sink. He did owe his old friend and he couldn't think of a better way to pay back that debt than to train his daughter to be the best damn hunter she could be.

The End