Dad was gone. That was all I could think about as I watched the burning body before me. "Before he.. before, did he say anything to you? About anything?" Sam asked, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Judging by the bright blue nails, it was Blue. "No. Nothing," Dean answered after a few moments. I swallowed thickly as I stared at the fire, watching it burn the body of my father. I turned away from the fire, taking a step towards Dean before wrapping my arms around his legs. Dean stooped a bit and picked me up, I moved my arms to cling to his neck before I let it go and started to cry.
We went back to Bobby's after the fire burned out. We stayed there for a week too, Dean had been working on the car nonstop, Sam had been teaching me school stuff. Sam was talking to Dean outside at the moment while I sat in the window with Blue. Bobby was doing research for another hunter in the kitchen. "Hey Christina?" I heard Bobby call from the kitchen. I slid off of the window, "Yes?" I asked as I entered the room, he was standing by the counter. "Did you want something to eat?" he asked, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the cabinets. I gave a slow nod and walked over to him as he dug in the cabinet and showed me a can of ravioli's, "You want these?" I nodded again, "Please," I requested, having a few more manners than Dean did. Even if he was the one who taught me them. I pulled back a chair and sat on it, Blue sat on the chair to my right. I watched Bobby dump the ravioli into a bowl and shove it into the microwave. "What all have you done today?" Bobby asked, leaning against the counter to look at me. "I was reading my book and looking at all the cars," I told him, bringing my legs up onto the chair to sit criss-cross. "You like cars?" he asked as I opened my book on the table. I nodded my head, "Dean likes cars," I told him, but he probably already knew that. Bobby nodded his head and opened his mouth to say something else, but Sam walked in, "Hey Bobby, do you have an extra car?"
It didn't take long for the three of us to be on the road again. It also didn't take long for us to arrive at our destination. Dean had been complaining about the car since we'd gotten in it though, "This is humiliating. I feel like a friggin' soccer mom!" he complained as he parked the car. "It's the only car Bobby had running," Sam compromised as he got out of the car. I followed after, "Hello? Anybody here?" Dean called, standing just outside the doors. "Hey. You bring the, uh," Sam cut Dean's question off, "Of course," tossing something to Dean before he picked me up. Dean opened the door and wandered inside, Sam followed not far behind. I flinched as a light bulb exploded to my left. Sam reached out, "Hey, buddy?" Sam asked, I turned my head to see someone passed out on the bar, "I'm guessing that isn't Ellen," Sam observed. Dean agreed with a small, "Yeah," before we moved on from that guy. The place looked old, a bit rundown to me. I watched Blue trail behind Sam and I, looking around with interest. We left Dean in that room in favor of going to a room in the back, it looked like a storage room. "Stay close," Sam told me, setting me on the ground. I nodded my hand and grabbed the flap of his jacket as he started investigating what was in the room. "Hands where I can see them," a woman ordered. A pistol cocked not long after, Sam slowly turned to stare at her. She was a middle-aged, stern looking blonde who had a pistol aimed at Sam. "Sam! Need some help in here," Dean called from the other room. The woman waved the pistol in the direction of the doorway, so Blue and I followed Sam out. "Sorry, Dean, I can't right now. I'm a... little tied up," Sam announced as the four of us entered the room. Blue had his hands on my shoulders, looking ready to bolt at a moments notice. "Sam? Dean? Winchester?" The woman who was holding Sam hostage questioned. Sam and Dean stared at each other for giving a slow, "Yeah." A grin spread across her face, "Son of a bitch," was all she said as she lowered her gun. Blue relaxed, "Mom, you know these guys?" The blonde who has a rifle aimed at Dean asked. "Yeah, I think these are John Winchester's boys and his little girl," she lowered the gun with a laugh, "Hey, I'm Ellen. This is my daughter Jo," she introduced. Jo lowered the rifle, "Hey," she greeted Dean. "You're not gonna hit me again, are you?" He asked, Jo only laughed at him.
Ellen handed Dean a make-shift ice pack as he sat at the bar. "Here you go," she muttered as Sam picked me up and set me on a stool, "You want anything to drink hon'?" Ellen asked me. I nodded my head with a small, "Please." As Ellen walked behind the counter, Dean asked, "Thanks. You called our dad, said you could help. Help with what?" Ellen took a cup from under the counter and filled it with water, "Well, the demon, of course. I heard he was closing in on it," Ellen informed as she set the cup in front of me. I started to sip at it, "What, was there an article in the Demon Hunters Quarterly that I missed? I mean, who, who are you? How do you know about all this?" Dean snapped a little, Ellen raised an eyebrow at him, "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." I set my cup back on the counter and glanced at Blue, who was looking at the guy passed out on the pool table. "Oh yeah? How come he never mentioned you before?" Dean asked, Sam pulled up a chair to sit a bit behind Dean. "You'd have to ask him that," Ellen told him, walking around to lean on the other side of the bar. "So why exactly do we need your help?" Dean snapped, I wondered if he was mad about the bloody nose from Jo... "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..." she trailed off as I looked to the floor, she seemed to realize, "He didn't send you," Dean looked down at the floor, "He's all right, isn't he?" Ellen asked, concerned. "No. No, he isn't. It was the demon, we think. It, um, it just got him before he got it, I guess," Sam answered, Ellen seemed taken aback, reaching a hand over to rub my back, "I'm so sorry." Dean lowered the make-shift icepack a bit, "It's okay. We're all right," before raising it back. "Really? I know how close you and your dad were," Ellen pressed. Dean snapped again, "Really, lady, I'm fine." Dean and Ellen stared at each other for a bit before Sam spoke up, "So look, if you can help, we could use all the help we can get." Ellen and Jo looked at each other, "Well, we can't. But Ash will," she informed us matter-of-factly. "Who's Ash?" Sam asked as Blue wandered back over, "He's very asleep," Blue informed me just as Ellen yelled, "Ash!" The guy Blue had just been looking at shot up with a flail. "What? It closin' time?" he asked as he rolled over to see us. "That's Ash?" Sam asked incredulously. Jo hummed her agreement, "He's a genius," she assured us as Ash rolled off the pool table. I slid off of the stool to let them talk while Blue and I looked around. "This looks comfy," Blue commented as we went into a littlle cubby area with a few chairs. "Yep," I agreed as I hopped onto the chair, digging through the pile of magazines on the table. I eventually found one on hunting, but it was deer hunting. I picked it up and started flipping through it, looking at the pictures with Blue. "That's a big one," Blue pointed at a mount of a moose. "Whatcha reading?" I heard a voice ask from the doorway. It was Ash, "I forgot my book in the car," I told him, tossing the magazine onto the table. "Well, the boys aren't doing anything until I get my program set up," he hinted before continuing down the hallway. "Uh, I was gonna give this to a friend of mine. But take a look, if you want," I heard Ellen say as I walked into the room. Sam was sitting at the bar while Jo and Dean were off to the side. Ellen walked over to where the glasses were and picked the folder from where it was pinned against the wall, handing it to Sam. "Sammy?" I asked, tugging at his jacket. He jumped a little before looking down at me, "Do you have the keys?" Sam dug into his pocket, "What do you need them for?" he asked as he handed them to me. "I forgot something in the car," I answered as I took the keys and headed to the door. Blue had his hand on my shoulder as we walked to the car. I put the key in the driver's side door and unlocked the car while Blue grabbed my bag, handing it to me before he handed me my book. "I wonder how long we'll be here," I wondered as I put my bag on the ground to put Sylvester in it. "I hope we stay here for a while, Ash, Ellen, and Jo seem nice," Blue commented as I zipped the bag closed. "Yeah," I agreed with a nod as I slung my bag over my shoulder. Blue put his hand back on my shoulder as we headed back inside.
Dean was looking over Sam's shoulder as he looked over the file with Ellen while Jo was leaning against a table. Sam and Dean turned around when the door slammed a little behind me. "Hey Chris," Dean started before his eyes landed on my bag, "How do you feel about Ellen and Jo?" he asked, walking towards me. "They seem nice?" I told him, a little confused. He crouched in front of me, "Ellen has a case for us, and I want you to stay here." I felt my shoulders loosen, "I want you to stay here with them so you can stay safe okay? You're still not a hundred percent from..." he trailed off before clearing his throat, "Anyway, Sam and I are going to be on this case for a couple days before we come back okay?" I nodded my head a little, Dean patted my shoulder, "C'mon, give Sammy and I a hug before we go." I dropped my bag and wrapped my arms around his neck, "You'll come back?" I asked him, he nodded as he picked me up. "We don't leave anyone behind, not in this family," Dean assured me as he handed me to Sam, who gave me a small squeeze before he set me on the ground. "We'll be back before you know it Chris," Sam promised before standing back to his full height to head out the door. Dean ruffled my hair before he followed after him.
I stared at the door for a bit before I felt someone's hand on my shoulder, "You okay hon'?" Ellen asked me, I nodded my head slightly before I picked up my bag and headed back to the room where Blue and I had been. Blue flopped himself onto the couch, "Well at least we don't have to go on a scary case." He wasn't wrong there, but I missed Sam and Dean already... I read my book with Blue for about half an hour before I heard someone knocking on the frame of the entryway. It was Jo, "Hey," she greeted as she slowly made her way over to a chair and sat. I gave a small, "Hi," in return. She pulled a deck of cards out of the pocket on her apron, "Do you know any card games?" I shook my head, slowly closing my book. "Well, I can teach you how to play Poker?"
Jo and I played Poker for almost two hours before I got the hang of it. The only reason we stopped was because Ellen yelled, "Girls, lunch!" Jo put down her hand, not revealing her cards, "C'mon, mom made grilled cheese," Jo told me as she got up. "I love grilled cheese!" Blue enthused as he followed us off to the bar. Ellen plopped down two plates with grilled cheese on them as we walked into the room. "What were you girls doing?" She asked as I climbed onto a stool. I watched Blue round the bar and steal a grilled cheese from a plate of four. "I was teaching Chris how to play Poker," Jo answered before taking a bite of her grilled cheese. Ellen turned to grab the plate with the grilled cheese on it, but stopped, "I could've sworn I had four on here," she muttered suspiciously. "Ash!" Ellen yelled a moment later, Ash seemed to have already been heading here because he'd just rounded the corner. "What?" He asked as he walked around the bar and snatched a grilled cheese, "Did you steal my sandwich?" Ellen questioned as Ash shoved a huge bite in his mouth. "Yup," was all Ash said as he disappeared back the way he'd come. Ellen rolled her eyes as she looked back at us, "So what were you two doin' again?"
After lunch, Jo and I had gone back to Poker. Ellen had made me go in the back at five though, Jo had set up the TV so I could watch a movie with Blue. She picked through a shelf and put several movies on the table, "Uhm, I'm going to assume you know how to work a DVD player?" I nodded my head, one motel we'd stayed at had one. "Okay, I have to get to work and you have to stay back here okay? Mom's gonna come check on you in a bit with dinner," Jo told me before she darted out the door. Blue was already looking through the movies, "Oh! I haven't seen this one," Blue held up the Lion King to show to me. I shrugged, I'd never seen it either. "Let's watch it then," Blue suggested as he popped open the case and put the disc in the player. Several minutes later we were watching the movie.
Ellen came back around seven with a plate holding chicken wings and French fries. "Are you play hon'?" Ellen asked after she set the plate down on the table. Blue and I were still staring at the title screen for the Lion King. I only pointed at the screen. "Oh god damnit," Ellen muttered as she quickly took the disc out and put the case back on the shelf. "I figured Jo would've known better," she told us as she looked over the movies, "How about Homeward Bound?" Ellen suggested as she showed us the case. Blue and I both nodded our heads. She put the disc in and turned back, "I'm gonna go back and help Jo, I'll be back here at eight to put you to bed alright?" I grabbed the blanket that was over the back of the couch and curled up in it. Ellen pet my hair as she left the room.
I woke up to someone picking me up, judging by the smell it was Ash. It didn't take me long to fall back asleep.
I woke up the next morning to silence. It was so quiet that my ears were ringing, Blue was still asleep too. I sat up and looked around, it couldn't be that early, there was light outside. I slid off of the bed and walked into the bar area, Ash wasn't passed out on the pool table this time. He was under it this time. The clock said it was eight thirty. I walked around the bar and opened the mini fridge, there was Sprite and Dr. Pepper. I grabbed a Dr. Pepper, Sprite was disgusting. I put the can on the other side of the bar before crawling onto the seat to drink it. It wasn't long after that, Ellen walked into the room wearing pajama pants and a T-shirt. "You hungry hon'?" She asked before she yawned. I nodded my head and sipped the Dr. Pepper, which she promptly swiped. "Sodas aren't for breakfast," she informed before she disappeared into the kitchen area and came back out with a glass of orange juice. "This is better for you," Ellen told me as she put the glass in front of me. I picked it up and took a sip; it wasn't bad. "What do you want for breakfast?" I glanced at Ash before answering with a questioning, "Cereal?" Ellen followed my gaze and rolled her eyes, "What kind? We have Frosted Flakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Lucky Charms," she offered. "Frosted Flakes?" I requested before taking another sip of orange juice. "You got it hon'," Ellen told me as she plucked the box off of the shelf and started pouring it into a bowl. After she set the bowl in front of me, she filled a glass with water and headed over to Ash. I heard a loud screech after I took my first bite.
Jo was up not long after, she brought out the cards again and this time Ellen joined in, giving me tips on how to win (AKA cheat). We did that in the back room with the TV playing movie after movie while we played. Ash was in the bar area doing his thing for Sam and Dean. I was a little upset that they hadn't called, but they were probably just rushing the case. Blue sat on the arm of my chair and kept making funny comments and noises as he studied our cards. Ellen left the room around noon to make us ham and cheese sandwiches, Jo had snuck a look at her cards while she was gone. "You looked at my cards didn't you?" Ellen had asked her as soon as she walked back in the room with the sandwiches. "No mom, why would I need to do that? I could beat you any day at this," had been her response. There was a repeat of yesterday when five came around though, Ellen and Jo went to the front to open up while Blue and I stayed in the back to rewatch the movies I hadn't paid attention to throughout the day. Ellen brought me a burger for lunch this time though, it was pretty good.
Just like the day before, I'd fallen asleep on the couch. "C'mon short stack," I heard someone say as my shoulder was being lightly shoved. I only gave a complaining groan and rolled over, "Dean leave her alone," another voice said. Dean? That had my attention. "Dean?" I sat up and stared at the two figures that were heading out the door. Dean turned back around, "Well good morning sunshine," he greeted as he picked me up off the bed. I cling to his neck as he grabbed Sylvester off of the bed and walked into the bar area. Ash was already in there working on his laptop, Jo and Ellen were at the bar. "Where you guys been? Been waitin' for ya," Ash joked with a grin. "We were working a job, Ash. Clowns?" Sam reminded him, Dean told me Sam didn't like clowns. "Clowns? What the-" Dean cut Ash off, "You got something for us, Ash?" he asked as he put me on a bar stool, Ellen slid me a plate of buttered toast as the boys went over to the edge of the bar to talk. "Did you find the demon?" Sam asked as I took my first bite. "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 informed confidently. 'Like a Divine on dog dookie'? What was that supposed to mean? Ellen must've noticed my confusion, "Sometimes it's better not to ask," she told me. "What do you mean?" Sam proceeded to ask. "I mean, any of those signs or omens appear, anywhere in the world, my rig'll go off. Like a fire alarm," he elaborated as Dean reached for the keyboard, "Do you mind..." Dean started. Ash sent him a look, causing Dean to retract his hand, "What's up, man?" Ash redirected to Sam. "Ash, where did you learn to do all this?" Sam asked as he glanced up from the laptop. "M.I.T. Before I got bounced for... fighting," Ash answered, taking a moment to come up with an answer. "M.I.T.?" Sam questioned as Ellen slid me a glass of apple juice. "It's a school in Boston," Ash clarified before Dean butted in, "Okay. Give us a call as soon as you know something?" Ash waved him off, not looking up from his computer, "Si, si, compadre." Dean rolled his eyes and walked back over to me, swiping his beer off the counter to take a sip. "Get your stuff Chris, we're gonna head back to Bobby's," Dean told me as he set me on the floor. I started heading in the direction of the back room I'd been staying in, Blue was already waiting there with my bag packed. "I already got us all packed up and ready to hit the road!" He exclaimed proudly, he loosened a bit when he noticed my expression. "Why so blue?" He asked, giving a little grin at his own pun. "I miss Dad," was all I had to say. Blue's posture dropped as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders, "You'll see him again one day Chrissy," Blue promised, that was just before Sam walked in the door, "Chris? Are you okay?" He asked as he kneeled down, Blue moved behind me so Sam didn't touch him. "Hey, what's wrong?" Sam switched to the voice he used for witnesses. "I miss Dad..." Sam's expression dropped. He sighed, "I know," he told me quietly before he picked me up, grabbing my bag with his other arm. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he walked back into the main room, "We're gonna wait in the car Dean," Sam called as he walked out the door. I heard Jo and Ellen call out a good-bye as Sam left. It didn't take long for Dean to follow and Blue was already in the car by the time we got there.
We went from Jo and Ellen's, straight back to Bobby's. Dean complained about the car the whole way there and got straight to work with the Impala when we got there. "You're quiet," Bobby commented from his table, I was back at my place in window. "I'm just tired," I told him, not looking away from the window. I could see Dean in the distance. I heard Bobby push his chair back, "Do you want to take a nap? I got a room cleared out for ya'." I watched Dean for a moment, he and Sam were talking, before I slid off of the window sill. Bobby took my hand and led me up the stairs, to a bedroom in the far corner. It had a window with a sill you could sit in like down stairs and a twin bed in the corner beside it. Overall, the room was nice. I let my hand slide out of Bobby's to go look out the window, I could the driveway. "You sure you don't want to sleep in the bed?" Bobby asked from the doorway, motioning to the bed. "I was just looking," I answered, that was just as Blue peered over his shoulder, "Oh! This is nice!" He enthused as I sat on the edge of the bed. "If you aren't up by dinner I'll come wake you up," Bobby told me as he grabbed the door knob, "Goodnight," was the last thing Bobby said before he closed the door. Blue walked over to the window and closed the curtains that were in front of it, "There! Now you can sleep," Blue informed as he pulled the blanket up to my shoulders. It didn't take long for sleep to take hold.