Sometimes the Job’s Worth It - Chapter Eleven
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Next: Chapter Twelve
Summary: Jane gets in a bit of trouble with the boys and of course Dean’s a softie, but not for the reasons you think.
(Meant to have this out way sooner! It’s been done for three days now I’ve just had no time to edit but thank you for the patience!!)
“Well that was pointless.” Dean said as he climbed down the steps of the Whittaker household, Sam by his side.
“Tell me about it.” Sam said as he scrolled through his phone, searching for Jane’s number. He pressed call as he slid into the passenger seat. It rang and rang but there was no response. He called again but got the same results.
“She’s not picking up.”
Instead of responding, Dean pulled out his phone and started dialing.
“Cas?” Dean growled into his phone.
“You don’t need to worry, Dean. I’m with Jane.” He replied in his usual monotone voice, anticipating Dean’s anger.
“Do you want to explain why?”
“She called me.” Cas stated.
“You didn’t think to question that. Cas you can’t just- We have no idea where she is right now, great that she’s safe with you, but you can’t just let her disappear on us like that.”
“She’s perfectly safe here with me in the Bunker, there’s no need to worry.”
“Cas- just don’t pull that shit again, alright? Jane doesn’t go anywhere unless we know and approve. She doesn’t know what she’s doing; you can’t just listen to her.”
“She said I could trust her, Dean. I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, buddy. We’re on our way home now.”
Dean hung up, tossing his phone into a cup holder as he sped off towards the Bunker.
The boys made it home in record time.
They slammed their car doors in unison and stormed down the halls until they came to the war room. They burst through the doors to find Jane with her back turned to them, leaning over the table.
Dean opened his mouth, ready to scold Jane for the stunt she just pulled but she cut him off, spinning around to face the boys.
“Woman in white.” Jane said as she presented them with a book, opened to a page with a ghostly woman standing beside a tree.
“Excuse me?” Sam asked.
“A woman in white, that’s what’s causing all the disappearances.” Jane said proudly as she handed over the book, returning to the table which the boys now noticed was covered in different books and papers.
Dean took the book from Sam’s hands and read for himself. He didn’t even remember that women in white existed. They hadn’t faced one since- it was the very first case the brothers went on together, back when Sam went to college, back when his life was normal, back when-
Dean’s train of thought derailed when Jane spoke, “I’ve been doing a little research of my own-”
“A little?” Dean said with a chuckle that Sam didn’t appreciate.
“You’ve done a lot of research, behind our backs.” Sam added in his stern voice. The Winchesters agreed Jane would have no part in hunting, yet here Dean was, joking with Jane when he should be helping Sam discipline.
“Don’t scold me, I might have cracked this case for you.” Jane said to Sam, grabbing some of her materials off the table. “At the Whittaker’s house, I overheard a conversation those women were having in the kitchen. Howard Whittaker,” Jane said, taking out the little profile the boys made on him, “was cheating on his wife. A woman in white ‘targets those that are unfaithful to their wives as the women in white were rejected or deceived by men in their life’.” Jane finished, quoting the book in Dean’s hands from memory.
“That might just be a coincidence, besides, not all the men were cheating. One was single.” Dean said, joining Jane’s side as he looked over the work she’d done.
“Dean.” Sam scolded. “Shouldn’t we deal with the whole sneaking-out-and-disrupting-an-investigation-and-then-disappearing-thing and the getting-involved-with-the-paranormal-even-though-we-said-not-to-thing first?”
Dean looked at his brother them Jane. Jane looked at Dean with her pleading green eyes. She wasn’t doing this to be rebellious, she was doing this because she genuinely wanted to help and Dean could understand and respect that.
“She might have something here, Sam.” Dean defended.
Jane’s pleading eyes softened as her face beamed with the most grateful smile Dean had ever seen. He couldn’t help but copy it.
“I’m sure that I do. I thought about all the factors too. Women in white ‘will also prey upon those she influences and seduces into committing adultery’. And the single guy could have cheated in the past.” She explained. “Also, the last known location of three victims was this pub.” Jane said pointing to a map. “Coincidence? I think not.”
“We’ll go check it out.” Dean said, taking the map.
“Shouldn’t we talk about this more? I mean this is just a theory right now.” Sam interjected, taking the map away.
“Do you have anything better?” Jane asked.
They didn’t. Sam couldn’t deny it.
“I guess we’ll go check it out.” He said, feeling his anger subside when he saw the proud smile on Jane’s face. “You’re not coming with us, though.” He added.
“On one condition.” She wagered. “You let me help with research.”
“Jane-”
“I get you want to protect me, but there’s no harm in this. Besides, what else am I going to do in here? Maybe I’ll stop trying to leave if I’m not so bored out of my mind.” She said. “Also, not to mention that I’m pretty damn good at this.”
“Don’t get cocky.” Dean said. “But I think you make a good point.”
“Dean-” Sam let out a sigh “Can I talk to you alone for a second?”
The brothers wandered over out of earshot of Jane. “It may sound harmless now, Dean, but we can’t keep giving in. First, we let her start researching, then she starts helping on investigations, then she’s begging to come hunting.”
“You’re overthinking again, Sammy.”
“I’m not. It might get to that point, Dean, and I don’t think you have the willpower to keep saying no to her.”
“Look, we took Jane with us to protect her. If we say no, she’s gonna keep trying to get the hell out of here to have something to do. This will tide her over for a while.”
“A while? And then when she gets bored again?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
“Dean-”
“Sammy look, just trust me right now, okay?” Dean said in a whisper before looking away. Sam knew something was going on but he stayed quiet. He knew Dean wasn’t ready to explain himself just yet, so Sam would just have to trust him.
“Alright, I do.” Sam said with a nod.
“Good.” Dean then whirled around, instantly putting on a bright face. “We’ve reached a verdict.” He announced.
“Don’t keep a girl in suspense.” Jane said, leaning against the table.
“Welcome to Team Free Will.”
Jane launched herself at the boys, throwing her arms around their necks as she pulled them in for a family hug. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!” She exclaimed. “I won’t let you down.” She promised, as she pulled away.
“Alright, team. What’s the plan?” Dean asked as they all took a seat around the table.
“Next left.” Sam said.
The boys took off in the Impala in search of the pub where the latest victims were last seen. Jane promised to stay home this time, though that didn’t stop the boys from checking the backseat before they left.
They were driving down a long quiet road with sparse streetlights, the radio playing softly as the brothers drove, neither speaking unless it was about directions.
There was a weird energy in the car, it was uncomfortable. Dean shifted in his seat, turning up the raido a little louder to drown out the silence. Why wasn’t Sam talking to him? Was he mad about letting Jane help still? Dean told Sam to trust him, was that not enough?
“It’s coming up on your right,’ Sam said before tossing the directions Jane gave him to the side.
Dean pulled into the parking lot, finding a spot right up front. He threw the car in park before turning to his brother.
“Alright, what’s up with you?” He asked.
“Nothing, lets go.” Sam said, moving to get out of the car but Dean quickly pressed the button that locked all the doors. “Dean, c’mon just-” Sam said, fiddling with the door handle.
“Something’s going on.” Dean pressed.
“It’s nothing,” Sam said with a sigh.
“What, are you still mad about letting Jane help?”
“It’s not that.” Sam said. ‘I’ve just been thinking about the last time we had a woman in white case.”
“Yeah, it was our first hunt together.” Dean recalled.
“A lot changed that day. I gave up on college, I started hunting again, Jess-” Sam stopped for a moment. “I just don’t want that to happen to Jane.”
Now it was Dean’s turn to sigh. “It’s not going to.”
“How do you know? I mean she’s going to get wrapped up in this world and she’s gonna turn out just like us. Is that really what you want? I know you told me to just trust you and I’m trying to but I don’t think you’re really thinking about this.”
“You’re the one not thinking about this shit, Sam.” Dean growled, looking down at his hands.
“No, I really think you believe this is all gonna be fine, you’re ignoring the danger this is gonna put her in, why? Because you want her to be happy? I know you love that kid, I do too, but we don’t always get what we want, she’ll get over it.”
“Damn it, Sam.” Dean said, slamming his fist into his door. The car was silent except for Dean’s deep breaths. “Don’t you get it?” He sounded broken.
“Dean-”
“We both know she’s not gonna make it very long.” He said. “I mean Lucifer and Michael are after her. Look how that turned out for us, you think Jane’s gonna be able to make it through all that?” Sam stayed quiet, unable to look at his brother. “I just- I don’t want whatever’s left of her life to be miserable. She doesn’t deserve that.”
“Alright, I get it.” Sam said.
They sat in silence for another minute.
“Let’s go.” Dean said, finally unlocking the doors. He got out and slammed his shut, walking towards the pub before Sam was even out of the car.