Never Stop Hoping

Sam and Dean were driving along, yet another deserted highway; the windows were down, letting the hot air seep through into the 67 muscle car. Dean had one arm hung lazily out the window and driving with one hand. Sam had his laptop open and was researching on anything that could lead to a hunt.

“You got anything yet?” Dean asked, shooting Sam a quick look before turning back to the highway.

“Nope.” Sam sighed, as he scrolled down what felt like the thousandth web page result in the last hour. “I hate to say it, Dean, but we may have a break right now. We might as well enjoy it.”

“Well, keep looking. I’m calling someone who might actually know something Mister College doesn’t.” Dean dug his phone out of his pocket, still keeping one hand on the wheel and flipped it open and started dialing.

“Who?” Said Sam confused.

“Ellen.” He replied as he pressed the phone to his ear and listened to the ring.

“Oh. You sure this has nothing to do with Jo being home now that her hunts are low too?” Sam said smirking at him as he abandoned scanning through the whole load of nothing he’s found so far.

Dean gave him a weary side-glance and muttered, “No.”

“Dean. Are you actually blushing?” Sam asked incredulously.

Dean glared at him as the phone continued to ring. “I don’t blush.”

“Sure.” Sam said, before shutting his laptop and shoving it into his bag.

“Dammit.” Dean hissed as he snapped his phone shut, shoving it back into his pocket and pushed the gas pedal a little harder.

Sam shot him a surprised look. “What?”

“No answer.”

“Maybe they’re just busy.” Sam suggested, trying to calm down his brother who didn’t look like he wasn’t going to calm down any time soon.

Dean snorted and gunned the engine, causing it to roar loudly as they shot further down the scorching pavement.

And he says I was the drama queen of the family.


AT ELLEN’S


“What can I do for you boys?” Ellen asked them as they walked in and met up with her at the bar.

“Got any cases?” Dean asked her before ordering a beer.

“No. Why?” She gave him a curious look and handed him the beer while leaning against the counter. “You need one?”

“Yeah, jobs have been on the ‘low’ side.” Sam replied.

“Not really. Jo was supposed to be back two weeks ago. She was working on this ghost that could-what could it do, Ash?” Ellen asked Ash, turning to mullet-toting genius who was playing pool with another hunter.

“What could what do?” Ash asked, not looking at her, just focusing on his shot.

“Jo’s ghost.”

“Oh. It could control bodies and it killed people by making it look like suicide.” He said as he scored, yet again, winning the game and Sam watched as the hunter he was playing against throw down a thick stack of money and storm away. Ash took the money and counted it, a smirk playing across his lips.

“And Jo went after this thing? With no help?” Dean asked his eyebrows rose as he regarded Ellen with shock.

“Yeah. She told me that she could handle it and I needed to let her ‘grow-up’ so I did.”

“And she was supposed to be back a while ago? You don’t find that a little odd?” Sam said.

“Oh my god. You don’t think-something could have happened, do you?” Ellen gasped.

“I hope not. But we’re about to find out. Where did she say she last was?” Dean pressed. Sam noticed he had let go of the beer bottle and was leaning forward towards Ellen urgently.

“Uhhh, she called me three weeks ago saying she should be home in two weeks. She said she was somewhere outside Washington boundaries.”

“Ok. Sammy, lets go.” Dean said as he launched himself out of his stool and toward the door, Sam following close behind.

“Dean!” Ellen called.

Dean turned to her, causing Sam to almost run into him.

“Be careful. And find my little girl, bring her back safe.” Dean nodded and swept out the door.

Sam could’ve sworn he heard Dean mutter, “She’d better be safe.”


“Dammit! She won’t pick up!”

Dean and Sam were riding in Dean’s car for a while, trying to get to Washington, state and not get pulled over to slow them down at the same time.

Dean kept on trying Jo’s phone but she never picked up.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He looked at it and saw Jo’s name. He quickly snapped it open. “Where the hell are you?!” He shouted into it, Sam thought his ear-drum would burst.

“Hello, Dean,” Said a creepy voice on the other line. “Jo can’t come to the phone right now. At least not until you listen to me.”

“What the hell have you done to her?!” Dean exclaimed.

Sam looked at him weird and mouthed ‘who is it?’ Dean put one finger up, causing Sam to pout like a kid.

“Nothing.” It said. “Yet. So how about we make a deal? You come here and offer yourself up and Jo here can roam free.”

“Don’t you touch her!” Dean yelled into the phone. Sam was practically having a heart attack hearing the voice through the phone and Dean screaming. He had no idea what that ghost was doing to Jo but it couldn’t be good.

“If you want me to stop, then do as I say.”

“I don’t make deals with monsters.” He spat at it.

“Dean! Tell me who the hell that is!” Sam yelled at him.

They both heard Jo’s screaming before the click that came followed by a dial tone.

Sam could hear Dean’s teeth grinding before he slammed the phone shut and threw it on the floor.

“What?” Sam asked concerned.

“That damned thing got Jo.” He said, as the car lurched forward. Sam couldn’t move his head for a bit before adjusting to Dean’s new speed that would probably get them pulled over and sent to jail as it was about forty over the speed limit on a deserted road.

“It could kill her.” Sam murmured to himself.

“I know!” Dean exclaimed, shocking Sam that he heard him.

“Damn that thing. It’s acting more like a demon than a ghost. Screwin’ with my head.” Dean muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me, Dean.” He could tell it was bothering his brother, and he wanted to know what it was. Maybe, if he could get Dean to talk, it could help a bit, because Sam had a feeling that it wouldn’t be pretty if things didn’t turn out right with Jo.

“It was just something that ghost said.”

“What did it say?” Sam asked, looking at him.

“That Jo loved me.” He said staring determinedly at the road ahead, his hands tightening against the wheel.

Sam had no idea how to respond to that. The few times Jo called she had told him all about how she felt about Dean, but she also told him she knew it was impossible, that Dean would never go for it. And she swore him to secrecy… But at this point, he thought Dean should know, since his brother obviously cared about her, even if it wasn’t as obvious to Jo or even Dean himself.

“Is it true?”

Sam’s hesitation wasn’t long. “Yeah.”

“Dammit.” Dean hissed again.

A long silence filled the car.

“Did Ellen say where Jo was exactly?” Dean asked Sam.

“No. Let me text her.” He said, pulling out his phone and sending the message quickly. About a couple minutes later his phone vibrated, apparently Ash sent the reply because Ellen didn’t know how to even open it according the MIT graduate.

Sam read off the address and asked Dean how long he think it would take them, hoping not too long, as the odds for Jo surviving this were getting lower and lower the longer they took to find her.

“Well, normally half an hour but my baby will make it ten.”

Jo, please be alive....For Dean’s sake.


They both burst into the room with Dean in front, despite Sam’s attempt at convincing him.

“JO!!” Dean shouted as soon as he stepped foot into the last room they inspected.

Sam looked at her in shock. Her body was battered badly, almost beyond recognition but the ghost had left her neck and up alone oddly. She had gashes all over and bruises where there weren’t any gashes. Her clothes were shredded barely covering her.

“No, Jo!” Dean yelled as he picked her up, her head hanging limply over his arms. Sam could feel the sting of tears as they collected fast as he watched his brother hold the only person he’s ever been known to really be serious about.

“Jo! Jo, wake up! Wake up, dammit!” Dean pleaded, his eyes searching her face for some kind of sign of life. Tears welled up as he looked at her.

“Jo...c’mon! Don’t do this to me...Not after...Jo...” Dean whispered to her.

“Dean...” Sam choked out. “Dean, c’mon. She’s dead.”

“Don’t say that! She’s not dead! She’s not!”

“She is, Dean, she is....” Sam didn’t want to believe it anymore than Dean did. But they had to face the facts. Jo was dead. And she wasn’t coming back.

Dean tried to hold back the sobs that threatened to break loose, but Sam saw his body shake just barely as he clung onto her, rocking them both back and forth slightly.

Sam couldn’t do anything as he watched his brother break down for the first time since their father died. He couldn’t help but let loose a few tears himself, knowing his brother’s chance at some smidgen of happiness was just taken away. Forever.


They were at Jo’s funeral. Well...kind of. Jo’s mother didn’t want them there. She viewed it as Dean’s fault. As he probably thought it was, Sam could tell just by the look on his face as they watched everybody bid their 'sorry's' to Ellen and left. They were in the Impala so they could still go but not disturb anything or anybody, mostly Ellen. They felt the woman deserved that much.

As everybody was gone Dean started the car, but didn’t touch the gas pedal.

“Sam?”

“Yeah, Dean?” He could tell Dean was dying to say something, he just couldn’t tell what it was.

“I think I loved her.”

Sam concealed his shock well at Dean’s admittance to his own feelings. He knew his older brother, and Dean always kept things in, never really let anyone know how he really felt about anything. So, Sam replied in the only way he could think of to not make anything awkward. “Yeah, I think you did too.” He sighed.

Without another word Dean punched the gas pedal and took off again.

As they were on the road Sam asked, “I guess we need another case.”

“No. We already have one.” Dean replied.

Sam raised an eyebrow at him. “And that would be?”

“To find the bastard that killed Jo.” He said coldly.

Sam instantly sobered and stared straight ahead. He should’ve known. “Right.”



A/N: Sorry it was a long one-shot but I didn’t think it was long enough for a two-shot. I’m sorry about Jo’s death. I seem to have a knack for killing or trying to kill my characters.

So, now all you must do to make me all happy and excited to write something else is REVIEW! :D

~AR13