Chapter 7

People would never know to look at Ash that he was a computer genius and could do anything with them. He wore ratty, thrift store clothes and had a stoned look on his face, even if he wasn't. His hair was cut short in the front and sides and long in the back, giving him a hippie look. He followed Jo from his room to the bar to find out who wanted to see him. Ash spotted him right off talking to Ellen and knew he was a hunter. He could always spot the breed and was cautious around them.

"Name's Ash, you wanted to see me?" he asked as he took a seat at the bar and looked to Ellen for a beer.

"Go ahead, I'm buying," John told Ellen as he pulled several bills from his pocket. "John Winchester."

"I think I've heard of you before but haven't seen you in these parts," Ash commented before taking a swing of the cold beer.

"It's been awhile," John agreed. "I need your computer skills."

"On what?"

"Tracking demons," John whispered as he let his eyes roam the room. Some were hunters and others were townsfolk or people just pass through, but he still didn't want to announce his reason for being here.

"Can't be done," Ash stated.

"It can, I've been doing it," John replied picking up the folder he had sitting beside him and pushing it toward Ash. "My research, think you can do something with it? Maybe create a program to get it done faster?"

Ash took the folder and opened it up so he could flip through it. His eyes widened as he looked at all the data John had gathered and how he was using it. "Damn…This is some crazy stuff. Give me…" Ash started and stopped as he worked it out in his head. "Sixty-one hours and I'll have something for you."

"Thanks, I'll come back," John said. He got up from the bar stool to leave when Ellen stopped him.

"Might as well hang around, he may be done before that," she told him. "I still have a room in the back you can use."

"I don't want to be any trouble…"

"Nonsense, no one's using it right now. You can help out behind the bar here, give Jo a break."

"Thanks Ellen, I appreciate it."

"How are your boys?" she asked. She watched John's expression change and the wall go up before he spoke.

"They are okay," he said dully.

Ellen knew something was wrong but didn't press the issue with him. If he wanted to talk, he would, and she would not butt in. "Jo honey, you have the night off."

"Thanks Mom, I'm going to see if anyone's free to go to the movies," she said quickly before scurry away not wanting to lose her chance to go out with some friends.

"You be home at a decent hour young lady," Ellen called after her. "They grow up too fast."

"That they do," John mumbled as he walked around the bar to start bartending. He didn't mind, it would give him something to do while he waited. He wouldn't look at Ellen as he served a customer and wiped down the bar. John could feel her eyes on him, but she didn't say anything to him which he was glad. He continued to work the bar until closing and went out to get his bag before heading for the bedroom in the back.

spn

John came out the next morning to find Jo had sat the chairs on the tables and was sweeping and mopping the floors. He helped himself to a cup of coffee and watched as Jo flopped the mop onto the floor and started mopping. He didn't see Ellen and wasn't sure where she was.

"Hi Jo, where's your mom?" John asked when she got closer.

"Supply run, she said foods in the fridge if you want breakfast help yourself," Jo said not looking up from her mopping.

"Thanks, need any help?"

"You could take the trash out for me. Dumpster's in the back out the backdoor."

"I'll be happy to."

"Oh, the recycled is separated so don't mix them or Mom will have a cow."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," he chuckled as he headed back into the kitchen to hunt something for breakfast. He found a yogurt and an apple, deciding it would do for now. Before he started eating, John grabbed one of the trashcans sitting by the backdoor and carried it outside to dump and came back for the other. He picked up the container of empty beer bottles and took them to the one marked recycle on the side and sat them inside. Once that was done, John sat down at the table with his food and coffee to wait for Ellen to get back. He was thinking of searching for a hunt in the area and coming back by to see what Ash had found. His thoughts were interrupted by voices in the other room and Ellen stepped into the kitchen with bags in her hands. "Let me help you with those."

"Thanks, I see you found something to eat," Ellen commented as she sat the bags on the counter.

"Yeah, Jo told me it was okay with you."

"You wait on yourself around here, I'm not anyone's maid or mother, but my daughters and I'm trying to break her of that too."

"She seems like a good kid."

"Yeah, if I can just keep her head out of the game. She wants to hunt like her father, and I want her to go to college," Ellen said without thinking and saw John stiffen with her words.

"You know how sorry I am that I screwed up. I beat myself up every day over it," he said looking down at his cup of coffee.

"It's in the past now John. I was angry and wanted to kill you, but it happens to the best of us. Hunting is a deadly way of life and you never know from one hunt to the next if it will be your last. I finally forgave you a long time ago and I think you need to forgive yourself."

John looked up into her eyes to see she was telling the truth and nodded slightly since he couldn't get any words out as his throat constricted and he blinked away the tears. He cleared his throat before being able to speak. "I thought I might look for a hunt nearby while Ash is working and come back once I'm done."

"You sure you don't want to rest a few days?"

"It's better if I keep busy. I'll get my laptop and see if I can find anything." John got up and threw away his trash before going to the bedroom for his laptop. He set up at the kitchen table and began to search the websites he had bookmarked to see if anything might be a case. He wanted to stay fairly close so when Ash was finished, he wouldn't be that far away and could see what he came up with. John was not a man that could stay inactive for very long and liked to keep busy. He hoped coming here and getting this help would help him to protect his sons and finish his mission to kill the demon who killed his wife.

A/N: John is seeking help in his quest to protect his sons. Thank you for taking this journey with me and I hope you enjoy the ride. I do like reviews. NC