This is all I have written of the story, but it is by no means finished. Please give me some ideas on how you see this ending and where it goes from here :) Thanks so much and sorry it took so long to update!

The days go on with an ease Dean and Sam have never had before. They hunt, of course, but never go more than a day away, and there are times when Jo goes with them. She's perfectly qualified to go on her own, but one thing she and Dean can agree on is the safety in numbers.

It's quite odd, really, because while Dean and Sam will talk and Sam and Jo will talk, still Dean and Jo stay silent around each other. They have the necessary conversations about the job and slightly bicker about whose turn it is to set the table or do the dishes, but they don't talk about anything real. They don't even say "How are you?" to each other anymore. Sam privately makes the comment to Ellen that they are both equally stubborn and bets a week of bartending that the two will be together before July, four months from now. Ellen takes that bet. She doesn't think they'll be together before October.

"If I didn't know my brother so well, I would have thought he'd have cracked by now," Sam remarks as he takes another pull on his beer.

"The way I look at it, Jo already cracked. He just wasn't around to see it – he only got to see its results. How long before he finally gives in, do you think?" Ellen's genuinely curious, because if there's one thing she's learned from Bill's death it's that wasting time and being angry only makes one regretful later.

"I think they'll be together by July. My brother's a selfish prick, but he's not an idiot. He knows a good thing when it comes his way."

"True, but she might be so pissed and sour that she might not take him back until he learns how to grovel. And I don't think he'll learn how to do that by then. It'll take a couple months for him to crack, but even more for him to start sucking up." Sam laughs at Ellen's remarks and thinks it's possible. If Dean waits too long, Jo's just going to be more fed up. She's not like those women in those chick flicks who will do anything to have a man want them. She demands as much respect as she dishes out and Sam is secretly proud of her for not being the dependent, self-conscious woman that most of Dean's conquests are. She'll make him work for it.

He tells this to Ellen as he finishes off his third beer. Sam's more than wasted by now, but his inhibitions are gone and he tells Ellen the one thing he's been afraid of telling her.

"Ellen, this might sound weird and I promise I'm not just saying it because I'm drunk. I just don't know how to tell you otherwise."

Ellen wants to be worried, but it's Sam and she knows that he's been relatively worry-free lately, so she'll try to be the same. "What's on your mind, Sam?"

"I had a mom and she died. I never even knew her, but if I did know her, I think I'd like her to be like you."

Ellen doesn't know what to say, so she hugs him and then holds his hair behind his head as he pukes into the trash bin. She gets him into bed with the promise that she's not letting him skive off tomorrow because of some hangover that was his own doing.

One morning in May, Ellen sends Dean out for some groceries, saying that feeding two grown men requires more food than she'd thought. He makes the comment that he can get out of her hair if she wants, but she tells him that she wouldn't dream of it. After all, who would fix up the Roadhouse if not for him? He chuckles at that and asks her for her list.

He's halfway down the driveway when he realizes that Ellen just gave him the perfect opportunity to get some sort of relationship with Jo. He goes back into the house and asks Ellen where she is. She gives him that secretive smile that only mothers can and points to the storeroom.

Jo's organizing cans on a shelf when Dean walks in.

"Your mom's sending me to the store. Do you want to come?" The words are out before he can think of another way to word them – another way to say I want to talk to you.

She seems to get the message anyway and nods her assent before taking off her apron and following him out to the Impala.

The first few minutes of the ride are awkward, to say the least. Dean doesn't touch the stereo and neither does Jo, following the rule of Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole that she heard from Sam so long ago. Finally, he speaks.

"I'm sorry I've been such a prick to you lately." She looks at him with those wide brown eyes, stunned that he of all people has apologized. She says nothing, and he continues.

"I'm not much of an emotional talker – that's Sam – but here's the thing. I don't know how to do this. Cassie was the last person I dated and she knew nothing about this life. It was easy to pretend. You know everything. I couldn't lie to you, even if I wanted to. And I don't want to. I don't need to. I'm used to hiding everything. Not with you. That thought scares the shit out of me, Jo. You know everything and yet still you love me."

By now, they have arrived at the grocery store and as Dean goes to get out of the car, Jo puts a hand on his arm, asking him to wait.

"I'm not asking for sunshine and romance, Dean. I know you're scared about this, but so am I. I finally have more family than just my mom and I don't want to fuck that up anymore than you do. I just want you." She worries she's spoken too much, but then he looks at her and those emerald eyes are on fire and boring back into her.

"We can't just jump into this, Jo. I haven't ever said this to a woman, but I want to go slow. I want to try instead of just automatically jumping into bed with you. It's not just our lives and emotions at stake here." Dean smiles inwardly, knowing that Sam would be proud of what he's saying. That thought scares him, but right now it doesn't matter, because Jo's brown eyes are looking at him in such a way that Dean would jump around in a ballerina costume if it meant that she'd continue looking at him that way. Dean cups her face in his hands and his mouth slides over hers in a kiss that speaks nothing of lust. He pulls away to see Jo smiling at him and he imagines he has the same lovesick grin on his face.

Jo kisses him on the cheek and steps out of the car. After all, they have groceries to get. On the way inside, Dean grabs her hand and she's sure that they look a sight, all smiles and hand squeezes. They're so wrapped up in this crazy love sickness that they only buy milk and salt so Ellen sends them back again, this time with Sam to supervise the shopping.

Instead of supervising, Sam does the shopping by himself, leaving Dean and Jo in the car talking. He's so happy that they're not avoiding each other that he thinks nothing of it. He comes back to find them making out like a couple of shy teenagers in the back of the Impala and doesn't say a word until they're home. He steps on the brakes as hard as he can and Jo's oomf as she falls off of Dean is worth facing Dean's wrath the rest of the day.

When they get inside, Ellen is awakened from her reverie by Sam telling her that she'd better get ready to bartend the rest of the week.

Things at the Roadhouse go into a normalcy that Ellen has never seen before. Dean and Sam spend their days fixing up the Roadhouse, while Jo and Ellen spend them fixing meals for the hunters that will pass through. At night, Sam and Ellen work the bar while Jo waits tables and Dean stands solemnly in the corner, just begging a hunter to hit on Jo in front of him. The first time one does, all Dean has to do is step forward menacing and the hunter begs off with an "I'm sorry, man." Dean smirks.

The romantic inside of Jo finds it sweet but her independent streak finds it insulting and one night she calmly asks Dean why he stands in the corner, intimidating as can be. His response is now that he's got her, he'll be damned if he's going to let her go. She takes the words at face value and decides it's okay if her romantic side wins once in awhile.

And that's it so far :) Let me know what you think and where you see this going!