Chapter 8; Apologies

"Are you guys ready yet?" Dean asked, knocking on Jo's door gently. He was doing his best to try and heal the broken relationships between the three of them. They were all pretty tense around each other and he didn't want to break the ice even more than it already was. He was skating on incredibly thin ice. One wrong word and he was gone.

And if that happened... Who knew what would happen to Jo.

"Five more minutes!" Jo called out, giggling and hushing quietly. Dean had promised that he would take Jo and Ellen to dinner. They deserved it- and what better way to spend his money than to spend it on his new family?
"You said that about ten minutes ago! Hurry up!" He shouted through the door, rolling his eyes. He never understood why it took girls so long to get ready. Shove on some clothes, fix your hair. How hard was it to do that? Then again, he couldn't really say anything- he was known for taking quite a long time too. Maybe that's why he got ready before them. After what felt like a century, the door finally opened.
Jo stepped out in a sophisticated black dress, looking gorgeous as ever. Her hair was curled delicately and pinned back into a tight pony tail, two loose curls left hanging free from the tied up hair.
Ellen stepped out and she looked just as wonderful. It was strange seeing Ellen dressed up in a red dress. He had never really expected seeing Ellen in something so extravagant. Especially because she spent most of her time in jeans and a t-shirt with biker boots.

He was lost for words, in all honesty. They were both beautiful, and he felt so incredibly lucky to be joining this family.

"You both look absolutely stunning." He finally blurted, a small blush on his cheeks. Jo smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "Can I take a picture? I think it'd look great in a photo album." He asked gently, already pulling out his phone before they could even answer. They looked at one another and they shrugged and stood against a wall, arm around one another as they smiled. He took the picture and looked at it and smiled. He'd have to get it framed at one point. It was something that he would really want to take back to the army with him so that it could be something he would know that he could go home to. He didn't like to admit it, but he did get quite homesick when he was out there. Not knowing that he could see his family and the home where he belonged was difficult. However, knowing that he was supposed to be there actually made him work harder out there, and filled him with determination and willpower to get himself home. As much as he wished that the determination would get him home earlier, it never did. That didn't stop him trying though. He just hoped for Jo's sake, that she would be able to cope when he left once again.

He pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind, and gestured for them to walk down the stairs first, before they made it out to his Impala. He was using his gentlemanly ways and opened the car doors for them. He drove with one hand on the wheel, his free hand holding Jo's as he drove. He felt reassured then; reassured that it was all going to return to some form of normality eventually. Hopefully some time soon. He didn't know how much longer he could handle the tension that was able to be cut through with a knife. Sitting in that car though, he felt some form of normality, and it actually felt like every one who was in the car was actually calm and composed for once. It was a nice change and he was relieved that he was able to change it. He was getting sick of the tension and angst between the three.

Glancing up at the mirror, he saw Ellen gazing upon the couple and smiling. He knew that she was relieved that everything was fixed. Honestly, he was too. He knew that they had the capability to fix everything, he just didn't think that the wounds would be healed that quickly.

After an eternity of silence, they had finally arrived at the restaurant. He opened the door and let them out of the car, Jo on his arm, and Ellen beside her. He didn't want to give off a bad impression, and look like some form of a Pimp. He was just trying to do the right thing and earn Ellen's trust and respect once again, the same way he was trying to earn Jo's. And what better way than to spoil the two main ladies in his life with dinner and no doubt some form of expensive gifts along the line? They deserved it. They didn't have much- having been struck by poverty themselves, and unfortunate events made it more difficult. He understood completely, and that's why he wanted to be able to provide for them. Not just for Jo, but for the family they were going to have one day and he also wanted to be able to look after Ellen in her growing age and when she began to get weak and frail. He just wanted to be able to look after them, provide for them, and give them all the best chance at life that they could possibly get. Maybe then go chasing their dreams.

He ticked off their reservation and they had a small little table all to themselves, with a tea light candle in a jam jar in the middle of the table. He would definitely take Jo back there again for a date of sorts. This was a good place for romantic gestures. He hoped that Jo saw it as one, despite Ellen being there.

"Order whatever you want. Go wild. Maybe not too wild," He teased. "You can eat whatever, I'm payin'. None of you are allowed input on paying." He told them, with the widest grin, proud of the fact he was paying for dinner and that he was finally having some form of independence and starting to spoil Jo before he went back to the Military. He was dreading going back, especially because he wasn't going to be able to have this opportunity to do that again for quite a while. When he went back, he was going to be serving the full sentence out there. No matter what happened, he needed to do this. He was already losing money due the fact he had to take sudden time off and he hadn't given much warning. Or not enough. Dean wasn't prepared to just come back with no money and not be able to even pay the rent for living there. He didn't want to be forced into poverty, or come back to no home. That was what was terrifying about going away for so long. They could easily decide to just move away, or just abandon him there.

He shook his head and was brought back to reality when he noticed that the waitress was there. He was questioning himself a lot, and why he was even asking himself these questions and why he was thinking about such dark topics at a dinner date when he should be happier and relieved about how blessed he was for being forgiven so easily by his fiancée and her mother.

He allowed the two women to order their food first before he got told the waitress his. He had previously ordered champagne so that he could have something for them before they had their food. That way they could start off the dinner with a good start. Another person came by and placed the expensive twisted, intricate champagne bottle on the table, setting out three glasses that had an intricate gold pattern around the rim of the glass. Jo seemed the most surprised by the fact that he had gone through such an expensive effort for this. After the champagne was poured, Ellen stood up, glass in hand.

"I'd like to make a toast- even if there is only three of us," She grinned, holding up her glass to the two.
"I can easily say that I've never been so proud of someone like this in my life. Dean, you're wonderful man, and I'm so proud of how well you did in the military. You have made me open my eyes and realise how right you are for Jo, and how much you care for her and want to give her the best in life. And I thank you so much for that. Especially because she never really had a male figure in her life... Thank you. To you and Jo!" She cheered, smiling brightly before sitting back down. She laughed and they all clinked their glasses, sat with a smile on their face.

Dean realised that life was going to be okay and in all honesty, they had it good. They had a good life, and he was going to be able to fix everything back together eventually.