While Sam and Dean worked on getting Jo and Teresa out of their prisons, I stood at alert, waiting to shoot Holmes when he showed back up.

"You alright?" Dean asked Jo.

"Been better. Let's get the hell out of here before he comes back."

"Actually, I don't think you're leaving here just yet."

"What?"

"Remember when I said you being bait was a bad plan? Now it's the only one we got."

⁘

Jo sat alone in the middle of the chamber, her arms wrapped around her knees as she trembled. However, she was keeping her breath even. Holmes appeared behind her, walking forward. When he had nearly reached her, Dean gave the okay.

"Now!"

Jo dove forward as Sam, Dean and I fired at the walls. Several bags unrolled and spilled salt in a perfect circle around Holmes, effectively trapping him in place. Dean pulled Jo to safety while Holmes circled, gibbering and screaming in terror.

"Scream all you want, you dick, there's no way you're stepping over that salt!" Jo yelled.

The grate slammed closed, sealing off the room.

⁘

Jo, Sam and I stood over the entrance to the sewers, looking down.

"So? This job as glamorous as you thought it would be?" I asked her.

"Well, except for the pee-your-pants terror, yeah. Sure. But that Teresa girl's going to live a life because of us. It's worth it, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah it is," Sam nodded.

"Hey, what if someone finds the sewer down there, or a storm washes the salt away?"

"Both very fine points," I smirked. "Which is why we're waiting here."

"For what?" Jo asked, confused.

The loud beeping of a truck backing up was heard and I grinned, looking over my shoulder. A cement mixer was backing into the field, stopping just over the sewer entrance. Dean was sitting behind the wheel.

"For that," Sam waved for Dean to stop the truck. "Whoa!"

Dean climbed out of the cab, and he and Sam set up the cement mixer directly over the entrance.

"You ripped off a cement truck?" Jo asked incredulously.

"I'll give it back," Dean winked at her, watching cement pour down. "Well, that oughta keep him down there till Hell freezes over."

⁘

The Impala zoomed quietly down a dark road. Inside, Dean was driving with Ellen in the passenger seat. Jo, Sam and I were all squished into the back seat. To say the atmosphere was uncomfortable inside the car was an understatement.

"Boy, you, you really weren't kidding about flying out, were you?" Dean tried to joke.

Ellen gave no reaction whatsoever, eyes staying glued straight ahead, jaw set. Jo, Sam and I exchanged a look in the back.

"How about we listen to some music," Dean suggested.

He flipped on the radio.

"You're as cold as ice..."

Ellen reached forward, flipping the radio back off. We exchanged another look in the backseat and Dean locked eyes with me in the rearview mirror, silently pleading for help that I wasn't willing to give him at the moment. He sighed.

"This is going to be a long drive."

⁘

When we reached the Roadhouse, Ellen dragged Jo inside by the elbow while the Winchesters and I trailed after them.

"Ellen?" Dean tried. "This is my fault. Okay? I lied to you and I'm sorry. But Jo did good out there, and I think her dad would have been proud."

"Don't you dare say that," Ellen snapped. "Not you. I need a moment with my daughter. Alone."

We headed back out the door, giving the pair some privacy.

"I'm just gonna..." Sam trailed off, walking away and giving Dean and I some space.

It was tense between us, both of us staring each other down, and I knew we were both silently undressing the other person with our eyes. And then, suddenly, Dean lunged forward, pinning my back against the Impala as he attacked my mouth with his own. It was just like I remembered from the last two times. Rough, passionate, and leaving my mind totally blank. After what felt like an eternity, he finally pulled back a bit, but stayed close enough that I remained pinned against the car.

"Ellie, I-" Dean began.

"Would you just shut up and kiss me?" I breathed.

He smirked, green eyes darkening as he leaned back in to kiss me again. This time was gentler than our first three kisses, and I smiled into it. We were forced apart as the Roadhouse door slammed and Jo came storming out. She glared at us and we followed her.

"That bad, huh?" Dean joked.

"Not right now," Jo growled.

"What happened?" he asked, but she turned away. "Hey, talk to me."

He grabbed at her elbow, but she threw him off.

"Get off me!"

"Sorry. See you around."

Dean turned to begin walking off, but I held out a hand to stop him.

"Jo?" I asked gently.

"It turns out, my dad had two partners on his last hunt. Funny, he usually worked alone. The other two did, too... I guess my father figured he could trust them. Mistake. One of the other guys screwed up, got my dad killed."

"What does this have to do with-" Dean started.

"It was your father, Dean. The one who screwed up. And Ellie's tried to help, tried to save him. But it was too late."

"What?"

Dean and I stared at Jo with wide eyes as she glared at us.

"Why do you think John never came back? Never told you about us? Because he could never look my mom in the eye, after that, that's why. James was the same way."

"Jo," Dean tried.

"Just... just get out of here. Please leave."

Dean and I were silent as we turned, heading back toward Sam and the Impala. It was tense as we pulled away and drove off. I could still make out Jo's form in the mirror growing smaller and smaller as we got further and further away.

"So, what-" Sam began.

"Don't, Sam," Dean barked.

His eyes found mine in the rearview mirror. There were so many unspoken things between us. Between our feelings for each other to the kisses against the Impala to the information Jo had given us... And of course, I still was keeping John's secret from both him and Sam... It was going to be another long drive.