Back And Forth
"I need a ride to town."
This all still felt surreal. Jane set down a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast down in front of Dean before going to make Bobby up a plate. She was just sipping on the coffee, pretty sure if she tried eating anything, she'd throw it up. Her stomach had mostly settled, but… it was still nerve-wracking, having her supposedly dead husband at the table. They had talked yesterday, and she had dozed off in his arms, unsure when she woke if the whole thing had been a dream. He had been laying on his side, watching her, and it really hit home. This wasn't a hallucination, it wasn't a dream, it was real. Dean was back.
So even though it was the asscrack of dawn, they had gotten up and out of bed, and she had come down to make an early morning breakfast. The scent of food had lured Bobby in, bless his heart. It was just… oddly weird, and oddly normal, to be throwing Dean back into this routine when even with the four months she hadn't even gotten over missing him being in it.
"For what?" Bobby asked, waiting until Jane seated herself at the table with her fresh mug before helping himself to the contents of his plate.
"Track Sammy's cell, gotta find him." Dean said through a mouthful of bacon and eggs.
"I can do that." Jane volunteered, watching him with both amusement and disgust. "Dean… you eat like you-"
"Haven't eaten in months?" He finished, swallowing it all down with a gulp of the bitter coffee and a wry grin. "Something like that, sweetheart. How can you find Sam?"
"Uh, I can call him?"
"And you think he'll tell you where you are?"
Bobby snorted. "She's the only one he'll talk to around here."
Jane reached out and picked up a slice of bacon from Bobby's plate. "Untwist your britches old man, it's only because I'm not parental."
"That's not what he says," Bobby shot back, with less snark than usual. "Mom."
She popped the bacon in her mouth before standing up, wiping the tips of her fingers off on her jeans. "I'm going to go call him now, jackass."
Dean watched her walk away and then looked across the table at the older man. "You two seem to be getting on fine."
"I was all she had, simple as that."
"Huh…" If he didn't know any better, he'd say Bobby had adopted Jane as his kid or something, the old man sure was protective of her. The way they bantered back and forth came easy to them, and he smiled wistfully, remembering how he and Jane could do that. Or had, before he had been dragged off to hell. The smile faded as fork tines scraped across the now empty plate. "What's the deal with her and Sam? She said he was a mean drunk, know anything about that?"
"You'll have to take that up with her and him."
"You're a crank, Bobby, you know that?"
"He's not answering, and why is Bobby a crank?"
Dean just shook his head, pushing away from the table and standing up, looping his arm around Jane's waist to pull her into him. "Still driving that piece of shit Ford?"
"Yep. What are you- Oh wait, you're not driving. Sam has the Impala."
"Drive me to town, wench."
Sam had a woman in the room with him, and had done the whole 'you're not Dean' spiel in front of her. Jane had stood back and watched it all unfold, letting Bobby do the 'we tested him' bit, while she watched the young woman grab her clothes and get dressed. Her Knowing had kicked in and it was aimed at the chick. Her gray eyes narrowed when said chick looked directly at her and smiled. She returned it, hers just as fake as the other woman's had been.
"So, are you two, like, together?" The woman asked, turning to face Sam and Dean.
"What? No, he's my brother." Sam sounded more annoyed than flustered, and Jane felt a tiny spike pierce her temple but shoved it aside. She had gotten better at dealing with the headaches.
"Oh… well, I guess I should go then."
"Right. Yeah. Sorry Kathy."
"It's Kristy."
"Right."
That was no Kristy or Kathy, and Jane idly wondered what the hell she was missing.
"So what were you doing here if not digging me out of my grave?" Dean asked later in the night, accepting the beer Sam handed him. He had gone after Sam as soon as that woman had left, thinking his brother had cut a deal. Hell, he would've, again, so he knew Sam would've too. In the end, Sam had convinced him otherwise and Dean wasn't sure if that a relief or not. At least he would have known it was Sam, now he knew squat and that didn't sit too well.
"Hunting down Lilith, trying to get some payback." Sam handed Bobby a beer then turned to Jane, his eyes searching hers intently before holding hers out. When she took it, he tested the waters by flashing her a small, tight smile. One she didn't return. Instead, she arched an eyebrow, head tilting quizzically to the side and his smile vanished. She was using that damn feeling thing of hers on him.
"All by yourself?" Bobby demanded gruffly, a hint of accusation in his tone that made Sam inwardly flinch. "Who do you think you are, your old man?"
Sam knew Bobby wasn't overly pleased about being left in the dark for the past four months, and he had probably added insult to injury by having a messed up relationship with Jane while ignoring everyone else. He had begun burning bridges. He ignored Dean's sudden movement, focusing on the older hunter. "I'm sorry Bobby, I should've called. I was, uh, pretty messed up."
"Uh huh."
There was an implied 'and Jane' in there, they all knew it.
"Bobby!"
Jane watched from behind Sam and Dean as the psychic –who was a very attractive older woman- lifted Bobby up into a hug, and she meant lifted, his feet left ground. Jane was very impressed. Not so impressed when the woman eyeballed the boys with a very appreciate smile. For Sam, fine, that was cool. Dean on the other hand… Jane just realized she was a bit possessive.
"And you, you are Jane."
Jane blinked, realizing the woman had come to her and hesitated.
"Psychic too huh? I'm Pamela." She held out her hand, shaking firmly when Jane took it. "Nice ring." She kept hold of Jane's hand, eyeing the silver ring on her 'wedding' finger, the one that had been Mary's. "Which one is yours?"
"Dean."
Pamela sighed dramatically, turning to look over her shoulder. "Shame, he has a nice ass."
Jane found herself giggling in spite of herself. "Yes he does." She found her first opinion of Pamela to be hasty and revised it. She could grow to like this woman.
They were surrounded by demons. Jane felt sick, mostly because nothing had alerted her. Maybe the very botched experience at Pamela's house –which had left her blind and had been terrifying- had caused her ability to go on the fritz.
"…what makes you so special?"
That would be the demon waitress who was definitely not receiving anymore of Jane's business.
"I like to think it's because of my perky nipples."
Jane mentally face palmmed herself. She just sat there and listened to the back and forth, finally feeling that tingling, that knowing and glanced at Sam. He was the cause. He didn't look panicked at all about seeing their waitress was a demon, if anything, he looked annoyed. Then, when the demon threatened Dean, he shifted, ready to attack.
But Dean stopped him, and he settled back, watching the exchange.
What was going on with Sam?
