My Own Hero

The Ackles Family

-SCARLETT'S POV-

I held Jensen while he cried into my hair. I felt awful about the situation with JJ, because I knew it was mostly my fault. Danneel had had it out for me ever since she learned about Jensen and my relationship, and when we went public, she became even more protective of her daughter. After a few minutes, Jensen pulled away with a shaky sigh.

"We should wash up so we're ready for supper. Mama will hound us down if we aren't at the table on time."

I nodded, and we took turns in the bathroom that was attached to the room we were staying in before heading downstairs. A blonde woman was standing in the living room talking to Alan and she turned when she heard our footsteps.

"Jay!"

"Hey, Kenzie," Jensen greeted her.

The siblings hugged, and then Jensen was introducing me to his sister.

"Scarlett, Mackenzie. Mackenzie, Scarlett."

"Nice to finally meet you. Jensen hasn't stopped talking about you for months," Mackenzie smiled.

"Oh, really?" I smiled back, glancing over at my boyfriend, who was blushing slightly.

"Supper's ready!" Mama announced, coming into the living room.

We all migrated to the dining room, Jensen pulling out a chair for me before taking a seat to my left. Mama sat to my right at one end of the table while Mackenzie sat across from me and Alan took the other head of the table. There was quite the spread, the meal resembling a small Thanksgiving feast.

"You realize there's only five of us, right, Mama?" Mackenzie teased.

"Oh, hush up and eat," Mama waved off her daughter.

Everyone loaded up their plates, and the room fell silent but for the scraping of forks against plates for a few minutes.

"So, Scarlett," Alan spoke, breaking the silence. "Why don't you tell us about yourself?"

"What would you like to know?" I asked.

"What are some of your hobbies?"

"Well, I like to bake," I began.

"What do you bake?" Mama perked up.

"She makes the best apple pie," Jensen piped up, loading his plate up with a second helping. "She might be better than you, Mama."

"I'm sure that's not true," I shook my head.

"Well, as someone who has had both yours and Mama's apple pie, I think it's a fair assessment," he insisted.

"I suppose we'll have to test that theory while you're here, won't we?" Mama smiled.

I didn't reply, feeling my cheeks flush.

"What else do you like to do, dear?"

"I read a little and I love to watch TV."

"Watch anything good?" Mackenzie smirked across the table at me.

"Actually, there's this show I've been obsessed with for a while now. I think they're wrapping up their eleventh season right now."

"Criminal Minds?"

"How'd you guess?"

Everyone except Jensen laughed, him just rolling his eyes at me and his sister.

"Who's your favorite character?"

"You know, it's hard because I love the whole team and I'm pretty sure I've shed more tears over them than with any other show, but if I had to pick a favorite, it's definitely Morgan."

"Mm, can't argue with you there," Mackenzie grinned.

"Cheating on your own show," I heard Jensen mumble under his breath.

"Yeah, but no, I've watched Supernatural since the pilot aired in 2005," I continued.

"Living every fangirl's dream right now, aren't you?" Alan teased from the head of the table.

"And all because my friend convinced me to go to the audition," I nodded.

"What? You weren't going to go?" Mama asked, surprised.

"No, when my agent called about the audition I had turned down everything she'd found for nearly a year. I had an unpleasant experience with my last job, and didn't want it to happen again. But when I realized what show the audition was for, I said I'd think about it."

"Code for 'most likely going to turn it down again'?" Mackenzie smirked.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," I nodded. "I mean, it was a fun idea, but I didn't think I'd stand a chance."

"But then Tom came over," Jensen jumped in, already knowing the story.

"But then Tom came over," I repeated, smiling at him. "And of course, he's known about my obsession for years, so when I told him what show the audition was for, he didn't stop pestering me to take it until I finally gave in."

"You know, it occurred to me that we could have met a lot faster if Tom had introduced us before that," Jensen looked over at me.

"Funny you should mention that. I think he teased me about introducing us nearly every day for years. Ever since he learned I was Team Dean."

"Why didn't you take him up on it?"

"Because it was a joke!"

"You've been holding out on me, Lightweight."

"Yeah, whatever, Douchebag."

The conversation moved on after that, and I got to listen to Alan and Mama recount all kinds of family stories that left Jensen and Mackenzie blushing in their seats. I stopped eating pretty fast along with Mama and Mackenzie, but we watched as both Alan and Jensen put away third and even fourth helpings of food. I had never seen Jensen put away as much food as he did that night, but in the words of Alan:

"You can say what you want about us, but when it comes to Mama's cooking, Ackles men know how to eat."

After dinner, we migrated the conversation back to the living room for drinks, but of course Jensen made sure I stuck with soda instead.

"You really aren't even going to have one?" Mackenzie asked me.

"Oh trust me," Jensen said, taking a seat next to me on the couch and putting his arm around my shoulders, "I don't call her Lightweight for nothing. She's keeping the Sprite."

"What's the story there?" Alan inquired.

So then Jensen was talking about the first time he took me to a bar and how I turned into this Chatty Cathy after two drinks, and how even though he cut me off halfway through the third, the damage had been done. I was a blushing mess the entire time he talked, but allowed him to tell the story because I loved the way his eyes lit up and his smile got bigger when he told it. It reminded me that even though he was getting grief from Danneel about it, he still loved and chose me and I wouldn't have it any other way.