Giving Thanks (1/3)

Title: Giving Thanks
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Dean/Jo Ellen/Bobby
Spoilers: Everything up to and including 3x7 ‘Fresh Blood’
Disclaimer: I own nothing; Kripke is the keeper of all…although if I were him I would have taken better care of Jo and Ellen. *Sigh*
Summary: This is just a bit of Thanksgiving fluff. I thought us Dean/Jo shippers could use a little light fluffing
Category: Family, Fluff, Romance



Chapter 1

South Dakota
November 22, 2007
Thursday 4 p.m.

It was getting late and Dean was restless. They’d been driving for the past six hours straight and they still had about another thirty minutes to go. It had been less than 24 hours since they’d killed Gordon Walker or more specifically since Sam ripped his head off with barely any help.

And now, they were on their way to Bobby’s. Sam said Bobby called in some kind of panic about something, but neglected to get the actual details about the problem, which was just like Sammy. Dean sighed, reached out and switched the radio station until he found some decent music.

He glanced at Sam out of the corner of his eye. His brother was stretched out on the seat, eyes closed, and breathing steadily. Dean grinned, lifted his hand, and was about to pinch Sam’s nose closed when he spoke.

“Don’t.”

Dean jumped slightly and Sam smirked.

“Didn’t know I was awake huh?”

Dean glared at Sam before focusing his attention back on the road.

“If you’ve been awake all this time, why are you so damn quiet? I’ve been bored off my ass for hours.

Sam shrugged.

“Sorry.”

“Mmm you don’t sound too sorry Sammy…so tell me again what Bobby said over the phone.”

Sam sighed.

“Just that he needed our help and we should get to his place as soon as we could.”

Dean nodded and took the next exit off the highway. Fifteen minutes later he pulled the Impala up to Bobby’s house. Dean could see the lights on inside and he frowned. He killed the engine and looked at Sam who busied himself with grabbing his duffle bag from the back seat.

“Things seem pretty calm…”

Sam opened the car door and shut it behind him before leaning down to the window.

“Things aren’t always what they seem.”

Dean knew that much was true, but he had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn’t right here. He followed Sam’s lead and grabbed his bag before jogging up the steps to catch up with his brother. Dean tried the knob, but it was locked.

He banged on the door a couple times.

“Bobby it’s us…you here?”

They heard rustling, a sharp click, and then the door slid open. Sam gave Dean a sideways glance as his brother stood stock still with a slight look of surprise on his face.

“Well hey there boys…nice a you to finally join us.”

Ellen opened the door wider and Sam smiled. He leaned in and gave her a tight hug.

“Hey Ellen, how are you?”

“I’m doin’ good sweetie.”

When Dean didn’t follow Sam inside Ellen raised an eyebrow at him.

“You gonna stay out there all day? Cause it’s gonna start gettin’ dark…”

Her voice snapped Dean out of his stupor as he moved across the threshold. She closed the door behind him and Dean gave her an awkward hug. His voice was gruff.

“Hey Ellen.”

She smiled and He returned it with a hesitant one before glancing around confused. Bobby’s place not only looked clean, but it smelled good and it felt…for lack of a better word, warm.

Bobby walked into the room not two minutes later wiping his hands on a towel. He grinned at Sam and Dean.

“Heya boys. Took ya long enough to get here. Damned if it had been a real emergency.”

Sam laughed and walked over to Bobby giving him a hug.

“Well we were a while away and…”

Dean cut Sam off, brows furrowed, a mixture of confusion and irritation in his voice.

“Stop…wait just a minute…what the hell is goin’ on here?”

Bobby, Ellen, and Sam looked over at Dean and then at each other. Bobby shrugged and turned to Sam.

“You might as well just tell him…”

“Tell me what?”

Sam turned to Dean and gave him a sheepish look.

“I knew you wouldn’t have come if you knew.”

Dean gave Sam a ‘what the hell are you talking about’ look and Sam rolled his eyes.

“It’s November 22 Dean…”

“That’s great Sammy…I’m so proud that you’ve learned how to read a calendar.”

Sam glared at Dean and opened his mouth to say something, but before he could a soft voice echoed through the room.

“It’s Thanksgiving…”

Dean swallowed hard, looked away from Sam and the others before turning his attention to the familiar voice. Leaning against the doorframe in Jeans and an ACDC shirt was Jo. She smirked.

“Hey there Deano…”

Dean’s eyes raked over her body before he cleared his throat and adjusted his stance.

“Hey Jo…”

She pushed herself away from the doorframe and walked towards him.

“Mom and Bobby thought it might be nice to do the whole traditional Thanksgiving thing…dunno why…it’s not like we’re traditional people…”

She shrugged and Ellen frowned at her.

“Joanna Beth…”

The warning in her mother’s voice put a look of amusement on Jo’s face as she put her hands palms up in a mock surrender gesture. Dean turned back to Sam and gave his brother a look of disapproval before raising an eyebrow at Bobby and Ellen.

“No offense to you two, but this is ridiculous. We got about a million and one things to do…Thanksgiving…Sammy what were you thinkin’?”

Sam frowned at Dean.

“I was thinking we needed a little break…and that this…it might be something nice to do. Just have a normal dinner with friends…it’s one Thanksgiving Dean…is it really gonna kill you?”

Dean looked around at the other three people in the room waiting for his response. He shook his head and clenched his jaw.

“Why’s this so important to you Sammy?”

He saw pain cross his brother’s face and his body tensed. Don’t do it…don’t bring it up, just leave it alone Sam…The tone in Sam’s voice broke Dean’s heart.

“You know why Dean…”

Dean glanced at Ellen and Bobby’s sober faces before letting out a humorless chuckle.

“So what…I’m dying so now holidays are important?”

Sam winced and Dean turned toward the door. He could hear his brother’s voice telling him to wait. Asking him to please stay, but he was pissed that Sam hadn’t just asked him to come. Yeah, Dean probably would have said no, but in the end he would have came because it was important to Sam.

Bobby was telling Sam to just let him go, and Ellen was telling Bobby that Dean was family and there was no way she was letting him spend Thanksgiving in a car. Dean ignored everyone and as his hand closed around the doorknob Jo’s light voice drifted to his ears.

“We got pie.”

Bobby, Sam and Ellen stopped arguing with each other and gave Jo a strange look. Dean’s body froze and he weighed his options. He could be an ass and go sit in the Impala until it was time to leave or he could stay in the warm house and eat some pie…with Jo…

Hot girl and pie…cold car and no pie…It wasn’t rocket science. He turned in Jo’s direction and pursed his lips together.

“What kinda pie?”

She smirked. She knew Dean didn’t want to walk out on everyone…he just needed a reason to stay. One that wasn’t emotional or morbid.

“Pumpkin, Apple, and Coconut Crème.”

Dean grinned at her and touched his heart in a mock gesture.

“You had me at Apple pie…”

She rolled her eyes at him and headed towards Bobby’s kitchen. Dean looked at Sam whose face held a baffled expression. Dean shrugged and patted Sam on the chest.

“It’s pie Sammy…”

He pointed at the two adults and shook his head before following Jo into the kitchen.

“You guys suck…but I’m never too mad for pie…”

Chapter 2