Love Heals All Wounds, A Supernatural FanFic

Chapter 5: Fighting More Than One Battle

        Bert sneered as he grabbed the tray out of Jo’s hands. “Just in case you get any ideas,” he slurred. Her eyes narrowed, but she remained motionless in his arms.

        “That’s a good girl,” Hal breathed into her ear. It took every ounce of will power that she had not to make a disgusted groan, it would only provoke the drunken hunters further and make matters worse for herself.

        “Just let me go Hal,” Jo said in an even voice. “Let me go, and no one will get hurt.” Both Hal and Bert let out icy laughs that sent a string of shivers down her spine.

        “And what exactly are you going to do?” Hal asked, with a sneer. Jo kept her eyes fixed on Dean as she watched him push away his empty glass and turn in his chair to face the drunkards. His green eyes were playful and mischievous, and for a brief second she thought that she had seen them shaded with concern and anger.

        “You know,” Dean said in an almost mocking tone. “I would really let her go if I were you. She’s a pistol that one.” He locked eyes with Jo and she smiled slightly. She was a little surprised that he hadn’t jumped out of his chair and beat the living daylights out of these two creeps, but instead he returned her smile. And in that moment she knew that he trusted that she would take care of business. Hal and Bert continued to laugh which only made Jo even more annoyed. “Well,” Dean said, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair. “Don’t say that I didn’t warn ya.” He shot a grin and a quick wink at her.

        Before either Hal or Bert could say anything in response, Jo was already in motion. She head-butted Hal, making him grunt in pain and raised her leg, kicking him hard in the groin. Stunned by the blow, his grip on her loosened which gave Jo the opportunity to break free from his viper-like grip. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and brought his head down and met his face halfway with her knee. As soon as he dropped to the floor, unconscious, Bert charged at her from the side. Moving back quickly, Bert stumbled past her and ran straight into the bar. She grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him back until she could grab a fistful of his hair. Using only half of her strength, she slammed his head into the bar and watched as his unconscious body fell to the floor next to his buddy.

        Dean stood up and rushed to Jo’s side. “Are you okay?” he asked, locking his gaze with hers. Jo nodded and after a moment, she pulled her gaze away from those hypnotizing green eyes of his and down to the knocked out hunters on the floor.

        “Yeah,” she said. “I’m fine.” Slowly, she pulled her eyes back up to his and gave him a reassuring smile. For once, he trusted her to get the job done, an accomplishment that she thought was almost impossible. “You know,” she said, her smile turning into a playful grin. “I thought you weren’t going to let me handle things on my own, that you would step in and save the damsel in distress.” She chuckled playfully, shoving his him. Dean smiled a bit as he glanced at the creeps.

        “Actually, it was better that you handled the situation and not me,” he said.

        “Oh really? And why is that?”

        “Because I would have killed them.” His eyes pierced hers and the sincerity in his voice sent another set of shivers down her spine. All of the good feelings that she had earlier disappeared in an instant. Her eyes searched his, looking for the words that she so badly wanted to say to him, but before she had the chance to open her mouth, Ellen walked out from behind the bar.

        “What the hell happened here?” She asked, her eyes automatically scrutinizing Dean. Jo shook her head at her mother and was about to say something when Dean cut her off.

        “It was my fault Ellen,” he said, taking a step towards the disapproving woman. Ellen’s eyes narrowed even further at him.

        “I don’t want to hear any of your excuses, Dean Winchester. Just clean up your damn mess.” And with that, Ellen turned away and made her way to the back of the Roadhouse. However, just before she went through the door, she turned back around, her eyes locked on Jo. “As for you Joanna Beth,” she said in a cold tone. “I suggest you finish your work and then get ready for bed.” And with a swish of honey brunette hair, Ellen Harvelle disappeared into the back of the bar.

        Jo rolled her eyes as her mother left the room and turned back to Dean, her eyes narrowing, a striking resemblance to her mother. One that made even Dean Winchester take a step back. “Why did you take the blame?” she asked, matching his step back with a step forward. He slowly raised his arms in defense, worried that she might hit him like the first time that they met. To be honest, Jo was thinking about hitting him.

        “I was only trying to help. Your mom-”

        “I can handle my mother,” she said, pushing past him and making her way behind the bar. Jo grabbed a dish rag aggressively wiped down the counter. While she did this, she kept her eyes down and on the wood that she was cleaning, furious that Dean was once again trying to “protect” her. Jo could take care of herself. She didn’t need Dean Winchester, or anyone else for that matter, to save her from the monsters that lurked in the shadows. Or even more terrifying; her mother. No. She was no longer a child that needed protecting. Jo was a hunter, even against her mother’s wishes, it was in her blood. A part of her that could never be erased, no matter how many chores Ellen gave her to keep her busy. She was going to show them. She was going to show them all that Joanna Beth Harvelle could handle her own on a hunt, and she was going to do it her way.