Forged In The Fire

02. Everybody Loves a Clown

Bobby thought for a moment. "Towards the back, there's an old minivan. Here. Keys."

She took the keys. "Thanks."

Lucie picked up Cadence who let out a tiny sigh, but didn't wake. Harriet had woken up and was all smiles.

She rejoined the brothers and held up the keys. "Old minivan."

Dean frowned. "Seriously, Luce?"

"Only car he's got. Take it or leave it."

Dean took the keys from his wife and muttered, "Fine."

---

They drove off and pulled up to the Roadhouse Saloon in the beat-up, poorly maintained minivan.

"This is humiliating," Dean said. "I feel like a friggin' soccer mom!"

Sam glanced at his brother. "It's the only car Bobby had running, as Lucie said."

They looked around and Sam called, "Hello? Anybody here?"

"Hey," Dean called. "You bring the, uh-"

"Of course." Sam tossed something to Dean, who caught it.

"Daddy, it's scary quiet," Harriet said quietly.

"Stay with Mommy," Dean told her. "Uncle Sammy and I'll keep you, Cady and Mommy safe, okay?"

"Okay."

They opened the door and went inside. The saloon was quiet except for a fly buzzing. A lightbulb blew out. They went to the back and saw a man passed out on the bar.

"Hey, buddy?" Sam called. "I'm guessing that isn't Ellen."

"Yeah," Dean and Lucie, holding Cadence and Harriet's hand, agreed.

Sam went into a back room, looking around. Dean, Harriet and Lucie went down the steps, and Dean paused as he felt the point of a gun touch his back. Lucie, who'd noticed the gun, darted behind a wall with her daughters.

"Oh, God, please let that be a rifle," Dean said.

The gun cocked and the blonde girl replied, "No, I'm just real happy to see you. Don't move."

"Not moving, copy that. You know, you should know something, miss. When you put a rifle on someone, you don't want to put it right against their back. Because it makes it real easy to do..." He turned fluidly, grabbed the rifle and cocked it. "That."

Jo punched him in the face and took back the rifle.

Dean doubled over, clutching his nose. "Sam! Need some help in here." He began muttering, "I can't see, I can't even see."

Lucie set Cadence down and motioned for Harriet to stay back and snuck up from behind, knocked the rifle from Jo's hands, and put her in a headlock. Jo struggled against the huntress, but Lucie held on.

The back door opened to reveal Sam, both hands on his head and entered slowly.

"Sorry, Dean, I can't right now. I'm a... little tied up," Sam said.

Sam nodded, indicating Ellen, who was behind him, handgun pointed at his head.

Ellen looked between them. "Sam? Dean? Lucie? Winchester?"

"Yeah," the three replied.

"Son of a bitch."

"Mom, you know these guys and girl?" Jo asked.

"Yeah, I think these are John Winchester's boys and Dean's wife. Which means his and Lucie's daughters are probably around." She lowered the gun and laughed. "Hey, I'm Ellen. This is my daughter Jo. Lucie, you can release her. Hattie, Cady, wherever you are, you can come out."