Part 28

Two weeks flew by; then three, four, five, six. It was June now. Noone had seen Dean and Sam since April. Liz had to talk to Park Rangers and send them out on a wild goose chase. It would be suspicious if she did nothing when her husband was "missing." Of course she talked to Dean most days. He'd call to update her, but for some reason neither of the boys had called in a week. Sarah was flipping out. Liz remained calm although she was worried.

Liz threw herself into her work. She owned a coffee shop called Winchester. Dean wasn't ready to let go of his name. It felt almost like abandoning John's Legacy. Liz knew how he felt so she named the coffee shop for him.

Liz saw the looks her customers gave her. They all felt so sorry for her. She overheard Elaine, a mother from Katie's school, talking to Tammy and Susan, two other PTA mothers. "She still thinks he's coming back," Elaine said.

"Is that even a possibility?" Tammy asked.

"Those boys hunt bears. They've been gone nearly two months. Of course it isn't a possibility." Susan said.

"I heard that the park rangers want to declare them dead but Liz won't let them. The brother's wife thinks they're coming back too," Tammy said.

"Cal tried to give Liz Dean's pension. She wouldn't take it," Susan, Cal's wife, said.

"How's Cal been taking it?" Elaine asked.

"He…He thinks Dean was planning something."

"Planning what?" Tammy asked.

"Last night he told me that Dean was finalizing his will before he left. He said he'd been acting strange, as if he was saying goodbye."

"Maybe he was planning to abandon Liz and Katie," said Elaine.

"Maybe he was planning suicide. I heard he had a rough childhood," Tammy suggested.

"Maybe," an unknown voice said, "You shouldn't be gossiping about a woman in her own establishment."

Liz spun around behind the counter to see the woman although she knew the voice. "Ellen," she smiled.

"How you doing sweetheart?" Ellen embraced her in a hug.

"Been better. Is Jo with you?"

"No, she's at home with Rick."

"Look you almost didn't flinch when you said his name! That's progress," Liz teased.

Ellen helped Liz with the shop the rest of the day. She explained to Ellen that nothing would stop those gossipy school moms so she just ignores them. Ellen claimed that she would've tossed them out of her bar on their asses. Liz laughed.

At 9 Ellen turned over the closed sign. She took a bag of salt and lined the doors and windows. "I have to make sure we're safe."

"Ellen, this really isn't a demon hot-spot."

"I mean so they can't hear. When was the last time Dean called?"

"A week ago."

"Has he said anything about the hunt?"

"Just that it's going nowhere."

"Well they got somewhere last Sunday."

"What?"

"The boys sent me to get you. They didn't want to call because they thought something might listen in."

"What do they want me to do?" Liz asked.

"I don't know. They just gave me this address." Ellen handed Liz a piece of paper.

"Kansas? The boys are in Lawrence?" Liz was wide-eyed.

"Yeah, they looked, well Dean more than Sam, pretty freaked out. I take it they don't head home much."

"Try never."

"I can handle the shop and Katie."

"I'll leave tonight."

A/N: Yeah, I'm gonna finish this. I can't not finish a story. It just took me a while to actually be motivated to do it. Let me know what you think.