Larissa walks around the Roadhouse, wiping the tables down. She smiles in amusement as she passes Ash who is passed out on one of the pool tables.
"It's your turn to take the trash out." Jo tells her.
"What? No, it isn't." Larissa argues.
"Yeah. It is." Jo nods.
"Nuh-unh. You lost that bet, remember? You do it for two weeks." Larissa reminds with a smirk.
"Ugh." Jo groans, rolling her eyes. "Whatever, Lari."
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?" Larissa asks, stomping her foot on the ground like a toddler.
"Until we die." Jo smirks, grabbing the trash bag and tying it before walking out.
""Until we die."" Larissa quietly mocks before huffing. "Annoying."
"You two fight like cats. Or worse -- sisters." Ellen comments.
"Well, you're the one who took me in. Kinda on you, don't you think?" Larissa quips.
"Go wash the dishes." Ellen orders, using her stern mom face.
"Will do." Larissa retreats to the kitchen to do as told.
Larissa is finishing the dishes as she hears the door swing open. She turns around, seeing a tall man she doesn't recognize. He's taller than the average guy and has shaggy brown hair. Given he's facing away from her, that's all Larissa is able to really see.
Larissa grabs the pistol from under the sink, quietly walking up behind him. She cocks the gun, aiming it at his head.
"I wouldn't try anything." Larissa warns. "Hands on your head." The man slowly places his hands on the back of his head.
"Look, I-I'm sorry, I was just--"
"Don't wanna hear it. Who are you?" Larissa asks, cutting him off.
"I... I'm S--"
"Sam!" Larissa hears another guy yell out. "Need some help in here."
"Go." Larissa demands.
"Okay." Sam slowly walks out of the kitchen, Larissa following him as she keeps the gun aimed at his head. They walk out, Jo aiming a rifle at a man, both shorter in height and hair length.
"Sorry, Dean, I can't right now. I'm a... little tied up." Sam says.
"Sam? Dean? Winchester?" Ellen asks from where she walked in a few moments ago to find her daughter punching Dean with the rifle and snaking it back.
"Yeah." Sam and Dean answer in unison.
"Son of a bitch." Ellen smiles.
"Mom, you know these guys?" Jo asks.
"Yeah, I think these are John Winchester's boys." Ellen says, laughing. "Hey, I'm Ellen. This is my daughter Jo. That's Larissa."
The two young women lower their weapons. Dean smiles at Jo.
"Hey." Jo greets.
"You're not gonna hit me again, are you?" Dean asks.
Sam lowers his hands and turns to look at Larissa. She's finally able to see his hazel eyes that hold a soft look in them, though she can see a bit of sadness hidden in them. He has a bruise on his right eye and a few scratches on his face, his lips pulling into an awkward smile.
"Hi." Sam mutters.
"Hi." Larissa says back, hiding her amused smile at his awkward fidgeting.
~ ~ ~
"Here you go." Ellen hands Dean a towel filled with ice.
"Thanks. You called our dad, said you could help. Help with what?" Dean asks.
"Well, the demon, of course. I heard he was closing in on it." Ellen says.
"What, was there an article in the Demon Hunters Quarterly that I missed?" Dean asks. "I mean, who-who are you? How do you know about all this?"
"Hey, I just run a saloon. But hunters have been known to pass through now and again. Including your dad a long time ago. John was like family once." Ellen says.
"Oh, yeah? How come he never mentioned you before?" Dean asks.
"You'd have to ask him that." Ellen says.
"So why exactly do we need your help?" Dean asks.
"Hey, don't do me any favors. Look, if you don't want my help, fine. Don't let the door smack your ass on the way out. But John wouldn't have sent you if..." Ellen trails off in realization. "He didn't send you. He's all right, isn't he?"
"No. No, he isn't. It was the demon, we think. It, um, it just got him before he got it, I guess." Sam informs, Larissa now understanding the sad look in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry." Ellen says.
"It's okay. We're all right." Dean says.
"Really? I know how close you and your dad were." Ellen says.
"Really, lady, I'm fine." Dean says.
"So look, if you can help, we could use all the help we can get." Sam says.
"Well, we can't. But Ash will." Ellen says.
"Who's Ash?" Sam asks.
"Ash!" Ellen calls, the man jerking awake, flailing about. Larissa presses her lips together in an amused smile.
"What? It closin' time?" Ash asks.
"That's Ash?" Sam asks.
"Mm-hmm." Jo nods. "He's a genius."
~ ~ ~
Sam and Ash are sitting at the bar and Dean is standing behind them. Jo and Larissa are standing on the other side of the bar, pouring water for them.
"You've gotta be kidding me, this guy's no genius. He's a Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie." Dean says.
"I like you." Ash tells him.
"Thanks." Dean mutters.
"You ever hear the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover"?" Larissa asks, raising an eyebrow at the older Winchester.
"Yeah. Doesn't mean you can't." Dean says making the dark haired girl roll her eyes.
"Just give him a chance." Jo says. Dean sits down, opening the folder on the bar.
"All right. This stuff's about a year's worth of our dad's work, so, uh, let's see what you make of it." Dean says. Ash goes through the folder.
"Come on. This crap ain't real. There ain't nobody can track a demon like this." Ash says.
"Our dad could." Sam says.
"There are non-parametrics, statistical overviews, prospects and correlations. I mean... damn! They're signs. Omens. Uh, if you can track 'em, you can track this demon. You know, like crop failures, electrical storms... you ever been struck by lightening? It ain't fun."
"Can you track it or not?" Sam asks.
"Yeah, with this, I think so. But it's gonna take time, uh, give me... fifty-one hours." Ash says, getting up.
"Hey, man?" Dean calls.
"Yeah?" Ash turns to him.
"I, uh, I dig the haircut." Dean says.
"All business up front, party in the back." Ash leaves. Jo walks away, Dean following her.
"Hey, what is that?" Sam asks Ellen and Larissa, pointing to something behind the bar.
"It's a police scanner. We keep tabs on things, we--"
"No, no, no, no, the, um, the folder." Sam says, cutting Ellen off.
"Uh, I was gonna give this to a friend of mine. But take a look, if you want. Rissa." Ellen motions for the girl to grab the folder.
Larissa grabs the folder and walks back over, holding it out to Sam with a small, kind smile. Sam returns the smile as he takes the folder.
~ ~ ~
The brothers went on the case that was in the folder, leaving the four at the roadhouse.
"So... little flirty with Dean, are we?" Larissa asks Jo.
"Oh, shut up." Jo rolls her eyes as Larissa laughs. "Besides don't think I didn't see you giving Sam those puppy love eyes."
"I wasn't giving him any eyes. It's called being polite." Larissa retorts.
"Well, you were really polite." Jo remarks.
"Shut up." Larissa tells her and Jo laughs.
+++
Sam and Dean get back from the case, the two sitting at the bar and Ellen gives them beers.
"You boys did a hell of a job. Your dad'd be proud." Ellen says.
"Thanks." Sam says.
Jo sits down on Dean's free side and gives Sam a pointed look.
"Oh, yeah, um, I've gotta... uh, uh, I've gotta go. Over there. Right now." Sam gets up, leaving the two. He looks around and sees Larissa at one of the pool tables and walks over to her.
"Hi." Sam greets.
"Hi." Larissa greets, a small smile on her face.
"I should say other words, huh?" Sam asks.
"Maybe." Larissa nods and shrugs. "That's usually how a conversation works out."
"Well, uh... thanks for not actually shooting me the other day." Sam says.
"You are welcome." Larissa says, chuckling. "I'm, uh... I'm sorry about your dad. Meant to say that earlier, just... you guys dipped quickly, so..."
"Thanks." Sam mutters, weakly smiling and Larissa smiles back.
"So, um... how was the case?" Larissa asks.
"It was... it was, you know... a case." Sam shrugs, taking a sip of his beer.
"Okay." Larissa mutters. "Why do you seem nervous?"
"I, uh... I'm not the biggest fan of the case." Sam says with another shrug.
"What? Rakshasas?" Larissa asks.
"Mmm... kind of other stuff." Sam says.
"The circus?" Larissa asks and Sam shrugs. "Clowns?" She asks, seeing the brief flash of fear in Sam's eyes. "You're scared of clowns?"
"It... it's a childhood rooted fear. I... don't laugh." Sam orders.
"I'm-- I'm not." Larissa says, though a small laugh escapes her.
"You're literally laughing." Sam says, not able to fight the small chuckle that escapes.
"Sorry. Sorry. My bad." Larissa presses her lips together to stop from laughing.
"You have any irrational fears?" Sam asks.
"I don't know if I'd label clowns under irrational. I mean, have you seen It?" She asks.
"Unfortunately." Sam says.
"Ronald McDonald is pretty creepy, too. I'll give you that." Larissa says, Sam nodding.
"So...?" Sam asks her, waiting for an answer to his question.
"You can't laugh." Larissa tells him.
"You laughed at me, I'll laugh at you." Sam says.
"Fair point." Larissa says, Sam nodding in agreement. "Birds." She mumbles quietly so he can't hear her.
"Wh-- wait, what?" Sam asks.
"Birds." Larissa says, a little louder, but still quiet enough only he can hear.
"Bir--" Sam starts laughing and Larissa rolls her eyes. "Birds?" He asks.
"Don't tell everybody." Larissa hisses, smacking his arm.
"Sorry. Sorry." Sam quietly laughs. "Birds?"
"Have you seen The Birds? Yes. Birds." Larissa confirms.
"How do you get through the day?" Sam asks.
"Well, it's not like they're always around." Larissa says.
"True." Sam mumbles. "I'm sorry, I... I shouldn't laugh." He says, yet he still does. He leans against the pool table for support.
"Mm-hmm. Sure." Larissa says.
"Where you guys been?" They turn to see Ash walk in. "Been waitin' for ya."
"We were working a job, Ash. Clowns?" Sam reminds.
"Clowns?" Ash asks.
"We all float down here." Larissa creepily whispers in Sam's ear, the man reeling away from her with an annoyed look. Larissa grins in amusement, biting her lower lip to keep her smile from getting too wide.
"You got something for us, Ash?" Dean asks.
Jo moves away from Dean and Ash puts his computer where she just was, Sam sitting on the other side of his brother as Larissa stands next to Jo.
"Did you find the demon?" Sam asks.
"It's nowhere around. At least, nowhere I can find. But if this fugly bastard raises his head, I'll know. I mean, I'm on it like Divine on Dog Dookie." Ash says.
"What do you mean?" Sam asks.
"I mean, any of those signs or omens appear, anywhere in the world, my rig'll go off. Like a fire alarm." Ash says.
"Do you mind..." Dean hovers his hand over the computer, stopping as Ash gives him a look. Dean smiles, pulling his hand away from the keyboard.
"What's up, man?" Ash asks.
"Ash, where did you learn to do all this?" Sam asks.
"M.I.T. Before I got bounced for fighting." Ash says.
"M.I.T.?" Sam questions.
"It's a school in Boston." Ash says.
"Told you. Don't judge a book by its cover." Larissa tells the brothers, patting them on the backs.
"Okay. Give us a call as soon as you know something?" Dean asks.
"Si, si, compadre." Ash says.
Dean takes a sip of his beer, smiling a little, before he sets it down. Him and Sam get up, going for the door. Ash grabs Dean's beer, taking a gulp.
"You just drink another dude's beer?" Larissa asks.
"Can't waste beer." Ash says.
Larissa lightly shakes her head and rolls her eyes.
"Hey, listen." Ellen calls, the brothers at the door. "If you boys need a place to stay, I've got a couple beds out back."
"Thanks, but no. There's something I gotta finish." Dean says.
"Okay." Ellen nods and Dean walks out.
Sam gives Larissa a half wave, the woman returning it as he walks out.