Disclaimer 1: I do not own Supernatural and am not making money by writing this story
Disclaimer 2: The title is from the song, Chasing Cars and I am not making money by using it as the title of my fanfic.
Chapter twenty-six
Late November (The dance, part 2)
Dean couldn't wait to get out of the car. While they drove to the dance, Ellen made sure to tell him how she still kept her deceased husband's also didn't mid mentioning how many different ways she knew how to kill a man.
So it can be said that once they got close to the school, Dean was relieved.
Once they pulled up to the building, Ellen however did not allow them to get out of the car and decided to give another speech.
Jo rolled her eyes and said, "We get it, mom but if you don't remember, I can take care of myself, as I do have a black belt."
Ellen nodded and said, "Okay, you kids have fun. "You kids be safe and remember, Dean-" Ellen gave a pause but then continued, "there are just so many ways to kill a man."
"You better not do anything to hurt her." Ash said while Jo went to give their coats in.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Dean said.
"Just remember, if you ever do anything to hurt her-" Ash didn't get to finish because Jo walked up to them.
"You know, I've had it up to here with your chauvinist crap." She exclaimed.*
"What?" Ash said in a hoarse voice.
Jo scoffed and folded her arms. "You both think a woman isn't capable of defending herself."
Ash opened his mouth to say something but before he could say anything, Jo interrupted and said, "I was expecting this speech from mom but from you? Thanks for making sure I know what kind of brother I have." Then she angrily walked away.
"I better go talk to her." Dean said before running after Jo.
"Hey." Dean said as he approached Jo in front of the snacks table.
"What do you want?" Dean tried to comfortingly place a hand on her shoulder but she pushed him away and said, "Don't touch me."
"I'm sorry about what we said."
"Really are you sure you aren't just sorry that I heard it?" Jo asked arching an eyebrow.
Dean sighed. "Alright, maybe that too but c'mon you have to know that Ash is just trying to look out for you." He gave her a warm smile and Jo's eyes softened.
"I know. It's just-" Jo sighed, "Sometimes, I wish he could stop feeling the need to always protect me. I mean-technically, he's not even my brother."
"Jo, I can be wrong about a lot of things but one thing I can tell you is that older siblings never stop caring for their younger siblings." Dean gave a small smile. "Trust me, I know."
Jo laughed. "I bet you do."
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Jo got up, extended her hand and said, "Hey want to go dance?
"Sure." Jo put her plate down on the nearest table. Dean then got up and followed her onto the dance floor.
The first few songs were fine and Dean could admit that he was finally having fun. But then he had to look up. Of course, he just he had to look up and see Cas and Meg and whatever they were doing. He didn't think it could even pass it off as dancing. He wondered where the chaperones were but then as he took note of the adults with their cups of 'punch', he realized that they probably didn't even care themselves.
Jo stopped dancing and said, "Dean, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." Dean said in a strained voice then cleared his throat. "Let's get out of here."
"I though you were having fun?"
"I was. I just-" Dean sighed, avoiding eye contact. "-really want to leave."
Jo's eyes softened, she seemed to understand that now was not the time for questions. "Okay, let me go get my purse and we can get out of here."
Ten minutes later, they were standing outside of the school building. Letting out a breath, the visibility of air reminded them it was near winter.
"So.. what was that about?" Jo asked as they stood on the curb. She was trying not to look at him directly but Dean could tell that she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
"I.. don't know." He looked up from his gaze on the curb and said, "Do you want to go somewhere?"
Jo looked up at him and raised her eyebrows. "Like where?"
"We could go to the nearby Denny's. I heard they have great pancakes there."
"Well I'm no expert on pancakes but I can trust you with that field." It was a known fact that Dean liked food.
Dean laughed and Jo grinned, glad that things weren't as awkward anymore.
Dean thanked whatever gods there were that they lived in a neighborhood where everything was fairly close.
Ten minutes after they decided to go eat, they were already seated in the diner.
Jo twirled the saltshaker in her hand, swaying it from one side to another, making sure it did not fall. "So.. you want to tell me what that whole thing was about?"
Apparently it was Dean's night of luck because at that moment, the waitress decided to come by to take their orders.
But once the waitress was gone, Jo was yet again determined to find out. "So what was that about?"
Den sighed. He really didn't want to discuss this, especially not with Jo.
"Dean, you and I both know that I won't stop asking." Jo stopped fiddling with the sugar packets. "You can just tell me."
"I-" But Dean was thankfully interrupted yet again. This time it was by the announcement of their waitress with their food.
"That looks delicious, thank you." Jo smiled at the waitress as she placed their plates down on the table.
"Sure thing, sweetheart." The waitress winked and Jo's ears reddened a bit.
"What was that about?" Dean said once the waitress was out of earshot.
"Dunno." Jo said before pouring syrup over her pancakes right before she stabbed one with her fork.
She took a bite and her eyes widened at the sweetness. Once she swallowed a bite and took a sip of her tea, she said, "You were right, these are exceptional pancakes."
Dean smiled. "Told you."
"But don't think I forgot about the dance." Jo said as she took another bite.
"I-" Dean didn't even know where to begin. How was he going to explain this to Jo?
"It's Cas, isn't it?" Jo asked the question so quietly that Dean almost hadn't heard her.
Dean looked down at the table and gave a small nod.
"Oh, sweetie." Her features softened into a kind smile. "I'm so sorry."
Dean waved it off. "It's fine, not like there's much I can do about it."
"If it makes you feel any better, I never really liked Meg."
Dean was surprised at that admission.
"Really?"
Jo nodded. "Yeah, the only reason I'm friends with her is because Ash likes her." Jo cut into another pancake and said, "Dunno why he likes her though" right before taking another bite.
"The things we do for our siblings." Dean commented eliciting a laugh from Jo.
"Hey, now that we're sharing, I might as well spill." Jo said once she was done with her meal.
"Yeah, what kind of deep dark secrets does the Jo Harvelle have?" Dean asked teasingly.
"Actually, it's similar to yours." Jo said as she played with her napkin, almost causing it to fall to the ground.
"Similar how?" Dean asked tentatively.
"I'm bi." Jo blurted out quiet loudly that she was positive the only two other customers who were sitting on the other side of the diner heard her. She could feel her face getting red. However, Dean didn't mention it at all.
"Oh, cool." Dean said simply.
"That's it?" Jo asked. "That's your only response?"
"Well I don't really know what you want me to say." Dean shrugged. "I'm not very surprised."
They sat for a few seconds in silence yet again before Jo smirked and said, "Hey guess what I just realized?"
"What?" Dean looked up from stirring the sugar into his tea.
"We can be each other's gay best friends."
"We're both bi, Jo." Dean retorted.
"Fine, we can be co-bi friends." Jo corrected.
Dean laughed. "That's sounds like some kind of STD."
Jo snickered. She raised her small teacup and said, "To us, co-bi friends and to spending many future nights at diners eating pancakes at twelve in the morning, though hopefully not only when things don't get right."
Dean laughed and then clinked his cup with hers.
After making sure that Jo got home safely, Dean walked back home and decided that as dances went, this one didn't turn out to be so terrible.
A/N: Please review.
Thank you,
* You might recognize this. That is because Jo says a similar line in the episode, 2.06 No Exit.