After pulling up outside the Roadhouse, Sam parks and climbs out of the big black Chevy, shaking a little from the tension of driving so far on his own. He didn't even have anyone to follow once his dad took off, and it took an hour to get here, worrying the whole time he'd miss a turn-off and get lost. The teen stretches and pulls his sweaty shirt away from his back while he eyes the place.

Not seeing anything that distinguishes a living space from the bar, Sam worries his lower lip because the sign says closed. He wonders if he should drive around back and check to see if Bobby's truck is out there. He's still standing by the car indecisively when a blonde girl near his age comes charging around the side of the building and skids to a halt when she sees him.

"Hey! You must be Sam." The girl calls out. "What're you waiting on? Your brother's in there." She points toward the door. "Wait – I'll come with you. Even if mom says I've been seeing too much of your brother." She giggles. "I'm Jo."

Sam smiles at her shyly, ducking his head and peering at her from the safety of his bangs. "Thanks. I'd appreciate it if you took me to him, and maybe if you'd let Uncle Bobby know I'm here."

Jo opens the door and waves him past. Sam wanders past her, looking all around and not realizing the big yellow cat sidles in through the open door too. The younger Winchester brother blinks a few times letting his eyes adjust to the light in the room after the bright glare of summer sun. The first thing he notices is a brunette woman hurrying into the room.

"Jo! What did I tell you about leaving that…Oh, wait? Who are you?" Ellen asks as she comes up to the pair of teenagers. "No, wait. Don't tell me. I can tell from those eyes. You're little Sammy Winchester!"

Sam stammers out a greeting, and she tells him to just call her Ellen. Their introductions are abruptly interrupted by a yowling cat. The three spin towards the bar. Ellen yells, "Damnit – who let the cat in." While Jo yells "Lester," and all three hurry towards the bar where a bleeding Dean, wearing a washcloth toga, is fending off the big tabby cat with a fork.

Jo makes a swipe at the cat, who tries to run under her hands right at Dean. Dean leaps from the bar counter onto his brother, scrambling up his arm to rest on his shoulder, using Sam's hair to steady himself with one hand and struggling to hold onto his toga with the other. Sam can hear his brother panting and feel his heart pattering.

Ellen and Jo wrangle the cat, and send it back outside right as Bobby walks into the room carrying Dean's clean dried clothes. "What in Hell?" The confused older Hunter asks Sam, who isn't sure he knows what's wrong. "Wait. Sam, why is your brother sitting on your shoulder bleeding – and where's your dad?"

"Dad's not coming." Sam states it bluntly. Under his hat, no one notices that Dean goes as still as stone. "He sent me. Told me to have you call him if you need his help, but we saw the witch. She says the spell on Dean is temporary. So all we can do is wait." The boy is spewing it all out as fast as he can. "I hope…I mean, I'm sorry to just drop in like this. I hope…"

Ellen is looking over the blushing boy, and she has sharp enough eyes to see the dark smudges of bruised cheek. She comes closer and pulls Sam toward her. "You boys are always welcome here. But right now, let's see what damage the cat did to Dean. You can come back with me if you want, Sam, but maybe you and Bobby want to talk. Jo, mind the store."

The lady scoops Dean and his washcloth off Sam's shoulder, cradling him against her, and she grabs the small stack of clothes Bobby set on the counter as she heads back to her room. Dean is flushed when she sets him down near the magnifying glass again. He's still struggling to stay decently covered, and he's bleeding from where the cat's claw scraped his shoulder.

"We need to take better care of you," Ellen clucks as she uses an edge of the washcloth to wipe away the blood. She takes out an iodine swipe and wipes across the cut. "But it looks like you ducked quick enough that this isn't bad." Ellen opens a band aid and attaches it over the wound."

"Nothing a band aid won't fix." Dean quips. "A scratch, just a scratch."

The older woman snorts. "Well – that's a size thing. Speaking of which – or maybe that's a bad transition – I want to apologize for earlier."

Dean looks at her blankly for a minute, then he remembers and she watches as a red blush spreads across his face and neck. She shakes her head. Ellen had never met his mother, but John had told her that's where Dean got his coloring. Sam is swarthier, like his father. All three of the Winchesters have too much sex appeal and good looks, but this one – he has an unfair amount. Ellen vows she's going to do her best to keep him away from her daughter. She doesn't want Jo tangled up with a hunter.

Which reminds Ellen – she better go make sure Sam and Jo aren't getting too friendly. She decides one more thing too, and decides it's only fair to let this one know first. "Dean, kiddo. Nothing here that's happened now and nothing in the past is your fault. And I'm not mad at any one. But I'm going out there to talk to Bobby about packing you all up. I think it's time he went home – and I think he should take you both with him."

Dean struggles to stand and hang onto his washcloth. His face is solemn. "I appreciate everything you've done, Ellen. And I'm sorry…"

"None of that. Not your fault." She cuts him off. "He doesn't have a cat." She offers as explanation. "You hurry and get dressed. I'll keep Jo out and send the guys back." Ellen studies him for a moment. "You take care and call us to let us know how you're doing, alright?" She leaves as soon as Dean agrees.

Bobby figures out what Ellen is going to say before she says anything. As soon as the woman comes back into the bar where Sam is finishing up explaining how the witch had found them, and what the witch said, Bobby asks her if she'd be okay with them taking off soon. It's a four hour drive to Sioux Falls and he's got a business to check on. "So, if Dean's okay to travel, I'll just get the three of us out of your hair. I'll leave my truck here and get it later. We'll drive home in the Impala."

Ellen looks Bobby in the eye. "I think you and I both know the cat scratch was the least of the hurts he just took."

It's Sam's turn to flush. "I tried to get Dad to come. To check on Dean, but he wouldn't."

Ellen pats him on the shoulder kindly. "No one is blaming you, Sam. But your brother has been fretting and worrying about you both. So head down that way, second door on the left, and see him. Make sure you close the door behind you too. Damn cat's sneaky."

The two adults watch as Sam lopes off. When the door closes again, Ellen lifts a questioning eyebrow at Bobby.

"Yeah, John Winchester is a stubborn prick." Bobby grunts out. "But his boys, well, they're pretty special to me." Ellen nods, she's known Bobby a long time, and if she hadn't already guessed by how much he talks about them, the last three days were enough to show her that Bobby had adopted the Winchester boys in his heart.

"Go get your stuff, Old Man." Ellen gives him a little push, and then pulls him in for a big hug. "I'm going to go fix some take out for your dinner tonight. Bet you've got nothing left at home to eat worth keeping."

Bobby gives her a lop-sided grin. "I ain't got much in my life worth keeping, but you and your little girl, and those two boys."

In the bedroom, Sam had entered to see his brother twisting around trying to get his shirt over his head, but having trouble with his new bandage. Sam sets to work helping. "Thanks, Dude." Dean says when he finishes, winded from the struggle. He sits down to pull his boots on. Dean glances up at his brother, "So tell me word for word what the witch said."

Dean listens and nods his head. "Well, then, Dad's right. You and me'll go with Bobby, and Dad can go back to saving people. I'll be okay soon enough and we can hook back up with him." Dean watches Sam's face, seeing the storm clouds gathering. "Or we could see if Bobby'll let us stay a little longer. When I get full sized again, I can do some work for him to make up for it."

"Dean, why do you make excuses for him?" Sam huffs out in exasperation.

"For Dad?" Dean asks, and Sam is astounded to see that Dean means it.

"Yeah, for Dad. We shouldn't have dumped you on Bobby. We should have been here sooner. Dad should be here now." Sam starts a litany of complaints.

"You really want him here?" Dean jibes.

Sam snorts again. "No. But that doesn't mean he shouldn't be here."

Dean smiles at his little brother. "It's okay, Sammy. Dad's right. We've got each other, and …" He shrugs. "Well, I'm kind of a liability at the moment. Shit, I just almost lost a fight to a housecat. Best thing I can do to help Dad is stay out of his way until the spell wears off."

Sam shakes his head. It's hard to put it into words, especially when he doesn't want to hurt his brother, but it really does not seem like normal behavior for a father to him. He shrugs finally.

"Umm, little brother, do you see the carrier around? If you could help me get my stuff in it, we could get going. Probably the sooner the better."

The younger brother looks around the room, and gets distracted by the enclosure. He starts laughing so hard tears leak from his eyes and he has to sit down on the chair next to his brother. "Pink furniture?" He gasps.

"Shuttup."

"Should we borrow it?"

"Let's not." Dean huffs out and whacks his brother on the earlobe.

Sam jumps, startled. "Oww, Jerk"

"Bitch."