Title: At A Crossroad

Author: Valleygirl

Summary: Takes place after 'What Is and What Never Should Be' and before 'All Hell Breaks Loose (Part 1). I'm also playing a little fast and loose with the amount of time that would have passed. This is a what if...what did Jo do after taking off after No Exit and when she's reunited with the boys in Born Under a Bad Sign

Disclaimer: Nope do owe any of the characters, just taking them out for a little spin.

Author's Note: Ok I decided to start post this story that I've been working on for over a year now. Please see Author's note at the end.

I hope people enjoy this one.

Thank you,
Val

Prologue

Dean and Sam walked into The Roadhouse. It was still early and there was a small crowd of hunters. They hadn't been around since Duluth and both Winchesters wasn't sure what kinda reception they would receive after what happened six months ago.

"Hey Ellen," Sam called out as they sat down at the bar.

The older Harvelle turned and saw both Winchesters and sighed. "You have some nerve showing up here after what happened in Duluth."

Dean looked at the older woman. "Jo told you?"

Ellen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, she told me. She finally told me everything from when she left after that hunt in Philadelphia. About hooking up with that bastard Gordon Walker and hunting with him as well as doing some other things with him and how she ended up in Duluth after she left him. What happened with Sam and you. All of it."

Dean and Sam squirmed slightly knowing that Jo had told her about Duluth. Not to mention that both men blushed slightly at what the obvious 'other thing' was that Jo was doing with the other hunter. Both looked up when the door behind the bar opened and the blonde in question walked in.

"Holy crap," Dean murmured as Jo stopped and looked at the brothers and both men took in her very large baby bump.

Chapter 1

"I'm going to see Ash," Sam said as he slipped off his stool. "Jo," he murmured as she made her way over to the three of them.

"Sam," she replied curtly. The younger Winchester had called a couple of days after their confrontation to apologize, and she had accepted the apology but that didn't mean she was happy to have him or his brother sitting in her mom's bar.

Ellen placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Dr. Brown said you should be relaxing."

"I was bored sitting at home by myself, so I went shopping and thought you would like to see what I got."

"Alright, go sit down while I get you a glass of orange juice." She said as she kissed her daughter's cheek and pushed her gently towards a table across from the bar.

Dean looked up when Ellen placed a beer and the glass of juice in front of him. She nodded her head towards Jo and sighed as he picked up the drinks and made his way over to the expectant mother.

"Here you go," he said as he sat down. He smiled when he looked down into the bag at her feet. "So, what did you get?"

Jo looked down at the bag. "Do you really want to see?" She asked feeling a little shy. She knew Gordon wasn't the Winchesters favorite person and she wonder if those feelings would extend towards the child she was carrying.

"Yeah, I do." He replied.

Jo reached down and pulled out several items. His fingers tentatively reached out as he touch a powder blue bib that had a teddy bear on it. Under the teddy it said, 'Mommy's Favorite Boy'.

"It's a boy," he said with a smile.

"Yeah," Jo said as she sat back and took a sip of her juice while Dean went through the onesies, bibs, and outfits she had picked up. She watched the smile on the man's face as he chuckle at the sayings on the clothes.

Finally after he put everything back in the bag did he return his attention back to Jo. "Does he know?"

Jo took a deep breath. "Yeah. I told him as soon as I found out and he said I had two options. Get rid of it and continue to hunt with him or keep it and lose his number. Pretty obvious what my decision was."

Dean's face grew darker and darker as Jo spoke. "Prick!" He hissed through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, well...not like I didn't know who he was when I hooked up with him."

"Then why work with him and why the Hell take him to your bed?" He asked, feeling a little bit more hurt than he knew he had a right to.

"Because he's an amazing hunter. The sex...well you know how much an adrenaline rush the job can be and sex is a good way to blow off the excess steam." She told him.

Dean cleared his throat as he ducked his head. "Why didn't you say something in Duluth? Jo you could have been hurt...the baby."

"What was I going to say, 'Oh by the way I heard you got my baby daddy tossed in prison'. Besides, I still hadn't decided what I was gonna do at that point."

"You said he gave you an ultimatum."

"Yeah and I knew I wasn't letting him force me to do anything. No man is ever going to tell me what to do with my body."

"But you should have told me." He argued.

"Oh please! What? You would have actually been a real man and called me instead of lying." She snapped. "Look you made it perfectly clear... you don't want me in your life."

Dean felt like a knife was being stuck in his gut and was being twisted with every word. "I never said I didn't want you in my life. I was trying to protect you."

"Yeah you keep saying that to yourself." She snorted as she got up and went over to the bar. "Mom do you mind if I go in the back and make something to eat...Tony's hungry."

Ellen eyed her daughter and Dean. "Of course," she said as Jo scooted pass and headed into the kitchen. She turned her attention back to the elder Winchester. "So that went well."

"Hey she expects me to grovel." He said.

Ellen shook her head. "My daughter wouldn't make anyone grovel but she knows you owe her an apology and won't accept anything less. So are you going to man up or walk away again?"

Dean eyed the older woman as he nodded his head and placed his beer bottle on the bar before crossing over and heading into the kitchen.

He saw Jo sitting at the prep table sniffling. "I'm sorry. You're right, I lied to you because it was the easy way out and you deserved better."

He frowned when Jo kept her back to him as she continued to cry. "Please Jo, I really am sorry. Please stop crying."

Jo sniffled, "I'm not crying because of you," she said as she held up the reason for her tears.

Dean snorted a laugh. "An onion," he said as he walked over to Jo. "What are you making?"

"Western omelet," she said as he slipped the onion from her hand.

"Relax, I've got you covered." He told her as he sat across from her and grabbed the cutting board.

Jo watched as Dean diced the onion, pepper, and ham. "Skillet?"

"Above the stove," she said as he grabbed the board and the butter off the table.

Dean pulled down a pan, turning the flame on beneath it. He put a good size pad of butter in the pan, letting it heat up before adding the other ingredients.

Jo got up and grab a bowl before going to the fridge and taking out the eggs and milk.

Dean caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. "Told you to relax," he murmured as he took the items from her.

Jo sighed as Dean cracked several eggs and whisked them together. She went and sat back down, watching as he continued to cook.

"I didn't tell you I was pregnant because I was embarrassed that I let it happen." She confessed as she looked down at her hands. "It's such a cliche."

Dean took a deep breath as he weighed her words. "Why Walker? I mean he was pretty much a loose cannon when we met him the first time. Can't believe you didn't see how dangerous he was."

"Oh, I saw it. I was just so angry that I didn't care. It felt amazing to let loose." She explained. "He knew I always wanted to hunt, and he offered me a chance to hunt with him. For the first time I was in complete control of my life, and it was like a drug that I couldn't get enough of. Throw in incredible sex and it was a dangerous combination. Took one pregnancy test for me to realize how out of control I was."

"incredible sex?" He repeated as he flipped the omelet onto a plate before grabbing two forks and sitting the plate between them.

Jo rolled her eyes, "Seriously, that's your takeaway?"

Dean blushed slightly as they both dug into the omelet and said, "sorry, you're right…not important."

Jo shook her head as she scooped some eggs up and munched happily. "Mm Tony approves."

"Tony?"

"I wanted to call him William after my dad, but Mom suggested his middle name Anthony instead and I fell in love with it. Anthony after my dad and Joseph after my mom's dad." She explained.

Dean grinned, "Anthony Joseph Harvelle, I like it."

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Jo looked over at Dean and confessed her worst fear. "I don't know what I'll do if Gordon gets out." She whispered.

Dean frowned and asked, "you think Walker would come after you and the baby?"

Jo looked out to make sure her mother wasn't listening. "He called me from prison after you guys got him busted. He thinks I was part of it...insisted that you sent me to spy on him. He's convinced I'm having sex with you and Sam. He even claims he's not the baby's father, that it's probable yours or Sam's."

"Did he threaten you?" Dean asked through clenched teeth.

"Not directly. But Dean he has a lot of friends...friends who don't like you or your brother...that don't like that Ash is helping you...that my mom welcomes you both here."

"Jo has anyone bothered you?"

She ducked her head embarrassed at how helpless she felt…she was a hunter…but after Duluth she realized that she had a life inside of her and her greatest need was to protect her child. Suddenly both looked out towards the bar when they heard a fight break out.

"Stay here!" Dean shouted as he rushed out into the bar to see his brother and Ash fighting six other hunters. He was just getting ready to jump in when he heard the shot and saw Ellen with her shotgun.

"Next one will be in your gut asshole." She hissed as she lowered her gun and pointed it at the ring leader. "Now get out of my bar and take your boys with you."

Dean had his hand on the gun tucked into the back of his jeans as he watched the group of hunters leaving while looking at the rest of the patrons.

He saw some nodding their heads which didn't go unseen by Ellen who cocked the shotgun and announced the bar was closed and ordered everyone out.

Dean, Sam, and Ash watched the rough and tumble crowd slowly get up and leave. The hunter smiled when Ash's hand shot up and caught the keys Ellen tossed his way without looking before hustling over and locking the door.

"Mom," Jo called softly as she joined them. "Back is locked up too."

"Are you okay Baby?" Ellen asked her daughter.

"Mom I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Jo said as she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her.

"Oh Jo," Ellen whispered while rubbing her daughter's back trying to soothe her.

Dean grabbed his brother and dragged him out of earshot of the women. "What the Hell happened?"

Sam had to take a few deep breaths to get himself under control. "They were making comments about Jo and well I tried to ignore them but when they suggested that Jo would be the pig in a Winchester 'spit roast' tonight... I couldn't help it…I lost it."

"We lost it." Ash corrected.

"Is that happening a lot?" Dean asked Ash as he watch Ellen helping Jo to sit down before getting her a glass of water. He had to relax his hands that were balled up into tight fists. He might not be the most enlightened guy in the room but what he just heard his brother tell him that those jerks were saying…he had an uncontrollable urge to go hunt them down and beat the shit out of them.

"Gordon's buddies... yeah if there's only one or two they tend to keep quiet but lately they've been coming in groups and like to taunt Jo...usually they do it when she's alone but I guess you fellas being here they decided to up the anti."

"Cowards," Sam hissed.

The three men joined the Harvelle women. Dean really looked at Jo and could see how pale she was and the dark circles under her eyes.

"Joanna Beth, you need to stop blaming yourself and you are not leaving." Her mother said.

"You know they're Gordon's friends." She argued. "They're pissed he's in prison. He told them it was Dean and Sam who narc on him. He's convinced I help them...that I betrayed him...that's what he's telling them. If I stay here, it's only gonna to cause trouble for you."

"Ellen, Jo's right. His friends are after blood." Dean said as he sat down next to Jo and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Well I just got you back, I'm not going to lose you again." Ellen said as she reached out and placed her hand over her daughter's.

"I think her getting away from here for a while is a smart move." Dean argued.

"Then I'll go with you."

Jo shook her head. "What about the bar?"

"Look why doesn't Jo come with us. We get her settled. Let things calm down here and then you join her." Sam suggested.

"Hey Ellen, I don't like this either but with Jo and the guys not here then Gordon's douche-bag buddies will lose interest." Ash said.

"Mom, you know it's the right move." Jo said as she turned her hand and entwined her fingers with her mom's.

"Where?" The older woman asked.

"Bobby's?" Sam suggested.

"No, it's pretty well known how close we are with Bobby." Dean said as he tapped his fingers on the tabletop. His fingers stopped suddenly and he looked over at the women. "Do you trust me?"

Jo and Ellen shared a look before Ellen nodded her head. "Yes. Who?"

Dean shot a glance at his brother. "Might be better if we don't say. We can bring you to her when the dirt settles."

"Jo," Ellen whispered.

"I think they're right." She admitted sadly.

"Okay," the older woman agreed.

"I just need to make a call," the elder Winchester said as he stood up. "Sammy can follow in your car. Why don't you head upstairs to pack a bag and then we can head out."

"Alright," Jo agreed as she and Ellen got up.

Dean watched the women head out through the door that led upstairs as he pulled out his cell phone.

"Who are you calling?" Sam asked.

"The one person nobody would connect us to. Go up and tell Jo to make sure she's weapon up too. We leave as quickly as she can get ready." He told his brother as he headed into the kitchen to make his call.

TBC

A/N: There is no surprise twist here. The baby is really Gordon's.