Whatever John was expecting to see when he returned, it sure wasn't Dean leaping away from Ellis and trying to put his jeans back together.
He set his stuff down, tired and none too pleased with either of them at the moment. He shrugged off his coat. "Ellie, when you get a chance, I need your help on this one."
"Sure." Ellis stood up, she looked ruffled, but not in the flustered shamed way he would have expected. John's eyes went to Dean. He didn't look right either. He furrowed his brow, turned to the kitchen. Put some water in the coffee maker.
Ellis sat at the table. "Make enough for me. "
John sat beside her, unsure whether or not to broach the subject. He decided on business, set down a hex bag he'd found.
She opened it and picked through the contents. He could see a fine tremble run through her hand.
"This is a bit weird. Like the combination of... ingredients." She brushed her hair back, distracted. "It's not Celtic. This is older..." She paused, taking a breath. "... more gypsy."
He raised an eyebrow. "Gypsy? Like caravan traveling gyspy?"
"Yes. More like Italy."
John leaned closer to her to peer at the various bones, stones, pieces of hair. The smell of Dean's aftershave tickled his nose. Oh my god. Couldn't the kid keep it in his pants for two fucking minutes?
He looked at Ellis, she had a far away stare even though she was looking at the hex bag.
John was very close to her, he turned his head to lock eyes with her. "You okay?"
She nodded, the lines around her mouth deepening. "Fine." She reached up and carded her fingers through the back of his hair fondly. "I'm fine."
She certainly didn't seem okay. This didn't fall under post coital bliss by any means.
"Okay." He left it.
If she didn't want to tell him what was wrong there was a reason. Ellie was very open with her feelings. She had a way of making John open up to her that pissed him off sometimes.
"Look, I found this in a child's room. I have got to move fast. Can you give me anything else so I can at least narrow down a suspect?"
She touched the silk bag and closed her eyes. John watched her jerk slightly. "You're looking for someone dark haired, olive skinned. Someone trusted by the family."
She opened them again. "Does that help? "
Pieces clicked into place. He'd met someone by that description just that morning. "The neighbor who used to watch the kids. She followed me over to the truck today to talk about the missing teen. So yeah. Yeah that does. "
"Good." Ellis nodded and looked like she was about to cry.
"Ellie?" John's eyebrows shot up. "What's wrong? "
"Nothing. I... " He gathered her in for a hug and she leaned against his denim shirt. "I've gotta go lay down. I don't think coffee is going to help this headache."
She moved away from him and went up stairs.
John stood up. Boy was he going to have a talk with his eldest.
Dean let out a startled cry as John grabbed his plaid collar and physically hauled him out of his seat on the couch.
"Get over here." John pushed him out onto the back porch. "We are having a talk. "
They were barely outside before he was in his son's face. Almost nose to nose, but Dean was the smaller man. He'd never have his Dad's bulk or height. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing!" Dean tried to step back and averted his gaze. "Nothing."
John grabbed his son's chin in his hand and made him look at him. "Stop lying to me! I can smell your aftershave on her, Dean. I saw you trying to get your belt back on..." He paused, almost afraid to vocalize his next thought. His voice was husky. "Did you hurt her? If you hurt a woman, god help me Dean, I will..." he left the threat unfinished.
Dean's green eyes widened in horror and affront as he registered what John was implying.
"No, Dad!" He broke away. "God," he ran a hand down his face, frowning, his nose wrinkled. "No!" He rounded on his father, shoulders tight, fists clenched. "How could you even think something like that of me?"
"I don't know what to think. You're lying to me about being with her, I come in and you're trying to shove your manhood back into your pants, I can smell you on her and Ellie is acting like a trauma victim and won't tell me what's wrong. So you tell ME what conclusion I'm supposed to draw here?" He put his hands on his hips, widening his stance.
The vehement anger went out of Dean and he shrank a little, turning his head and body sideways, offering his dad his shoulder
"We were making out."
His dad raised an eyebrow that said: more than making out.
"Okay, it was kinda getting hot and heavy. It was consensual, I swear! And I dunno, she like flipped out all of the sudden. Told me it was a vision."
John kept his gaze level.
"I didn't do anything wrong, Dad!"
God his son's libido was going to land him in deep shit someday. "You didn't do anything wrong?" John asked. "You mean besides seduce my colleague while we're under the hospitality of her roof and risk my business relationship with her because I can't trust you to keep it in your pants for two fucking days?"
At least Dean had enough shame to look abashed, which he usually didn't. "Sorry, sir. I didn't think of it that way."
"That's the thing, Dean, you never think. You never bother to ponder what repercussions your actions will have. Well every choice you make has repercussions, whether it's driving too fast, going into a hunt unprepared or fucking your colleague, who by the way is almost old enough to be your mother."
Dean grew smaller under his father's disapproval. He tried for humorous bluster. "I was having a Mrs. Robinson moment."
John wasn't having any of it. Dean needed to understand this. He needed to get that he didn't live inside a vacuum and his reckless behavior had consequences. It had been on the rise since Sam had left from Stanford. This only punctuated the point. "She seduced you?"
"Not exactly."
"Yeah, didn't think so, so quit pretending this is The Graduate."
"Yes, sir."
"You don't think I don't find Ellie attractive? I do. You know why I haven't slept with her?"
"No, sir."
"Because you don't crap where you eat. She helps me save lives and I'm not going to muddy the waters with her... But I guess I have my son to do that."
Dean bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Dad."
He looked so young. Was he himself ever that fucking young? He guessed so. Hard to believe at this point.
"I'm really disappointed in you. "
Dean said nothing but looked like he wanted to shrink through the floor boards. His cheeks were flushed.
"Now you want to tell me what vision threw her off so bad she's still shaking?"
"I don't know, she didn't tell me."
"Was it about you?" John looked at him with a measuring gaze.
Dean shrugged.
Deep inside John knew it had to be. Ellie's senses worked through touch. What the hell was so horrible in Dean's future that it threw her off so badly? John sighed. "Okay, Dean. I'm through talking to you here. I expect better from you in the future." He paused. "So do better."
"Yes, sir," Dean answered like his good little soldier.
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