Title: The Curse of Bittersweet Kisses
Chapter 23

~~~~~~~~~~

Jo saw the fear in Dean’s eyes as he voiced his question and hurried to allay it. “In the back. Broken leg and high fever. She needs penicillin or some sort of antibiotic, but those are hard to come by. We don’t have any.”

“Open it up,” he ordered.

Morgan opened the back doors of the van. Dean moved close, touched Ellen’s brow with a hand, assessed the makeshift cast, and stepped back.

“Get these people to camp now,” he yelled, then motioned to Jo. “You’re with me.”

“Not without me.” Morgan shut the doors and moved to stand in front of Jo. “She’s due any time and doesn’t go anywhere without me.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m her doctor.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed and jaw tightened. “Fine. Marlowe, Beckwith, you two ride in the van where they were, lead the rest in. Marlowe, sit back with Ellen.”

Once they were in Dean’s vehicle and moving down the road again, Jo relaxed a tiny fraction. He’d taken the initial news better than she’d thought he would. She watched him, drinking in the sight of him there with her. Jo wanted to grab him and kiss him senseless, but it wasn’t the time or place for that. Hopefully, she’d have the opportunity later and hopefully, he’d be amenable.

His jaw was tight and Jo recognized that he was upset and trying to hide it. “Where’ve you been, Jo? Why’d it take months for you to get here?”

“It wasn’t by choice,” she told him. “Believe me. We got the first coordinates just fine right after I found out I was pregnant and we headed out. We were going to use a doctor there before we left, to make sure everything was okay so I could tell you that, but the first one had all this CoC literature in his office.”

That moment, a day after Constance had made her announcement about them, had been a nightmare. They’d entered the office to see posters, flyers, and brochures everywhere. All the people in the waiting room had turned to look at them and Jo had seen recognition in the eyes of the receptionist and two other people before she and Ellen had turned and hurried away. The two people had followed them out into the parking lot, but not fast enough. She and Ellen were good at fast getaways. Or they had been before Jo’s belly had gotten big and she’d had to slow down by necessity.

“Between the PD’s and the CoC….” She shook her head. “We drove a couple days, then stopped at Morgan’s so I could have an initial check-up with her. She sometimes took care of hunters and a friend of mom’s sent us to her.”

Jo thought back, remembering the moments where she’d thought they were going to be captured and hadn’t been. She’d hated hiding and running, but the alternative was far worse. She didn’t want to know what the church wanted with them and her speculations had all been grim.

Morgan reached forward and touched her shoulder with a comforting hand. “I can tell it if you want.”

“No, I can do it.” It was her story to tell, not Morgan’s. “The CoC showed up at her office and her office manager, Debbie, snuck us out to Morgan’s house while Morgan dealt with them, but no sooner had Morgan gotten home to talk to us, than the PD’s came to town followed by the military.”

“Common sequence of events.” Dean slowed and turned down a lane barely wide enough for the vehicle.

“It was a mess. People were panicking like crazy. Town got quarantined for over four months with us hiding in it, trapped there. The military searched houses for victims and the CoC tried to search for us. They knew we were there somewhere. We ended up going between Morgan and Debbie’s houses trying to dodge them.” Jo turned a little in the seat. “We did discover that one of the obscure symbols used for general protection against evil seemed to keep the PD’s away from the house. Salt works with them, just like hell demons. Mom also observed something about one building with gargoyles all along the top, but I don’t remember all the details.”

Morgan cleared her throat. “I sent a message to your box number for them, but I’m not sure if any of the mail going out actually got out. It was pretty iffy. I suspect that anything that wasn’t obviously a bill payment was kept back.”

Dean sighed and glanced in the rearview mirror at Morgan. “Wouldn’t have reached us. We had to change towns and boxes because of quarantine. Place is a military encampment now. Only authorized personnel in or out.”

Jo shifted a little in the seat. After hours in the van, she was antsy and ready to get out and stretch her legs for more than a minute. “We’ve seen that a lot. Getting to the cabin took some doing. It was a long trip by itself. Roadblocks, military checkpoints, roads gone, bridges washed out…. GPS maps really need updating because they totally suck these days.” Jo smoothed her hands across her stomach, trying to soothe both the baby and herself. He was kicking up a storm and she was beginning to feel hungry and thirsty. “We ran into a huge CoC revival meeting and ended up hiding until they left the area.”

“That took up three very tense weeks with some of their own hiding us.”

“Some of them hid you,” Dean asked, glancing first at Jo, then Morgan.

Jo nodded. The hiding had been some of the worst times of her life, especially with her anxiety to reach Dean. “They were leaving the church, found the focus on us a little disturbing. They hid us, fed us, kept us safe. Not long after that we ended up in a little town of nut bags who didn’t want to let me leave because I was pregnant.”

“We had to shoot our way out of that one.” Morgan was proud of that and that none of them had gotten hurt, but Jo figured the people had been too afraid of hitting her to shoot back. “They had this thing about the end of the world and pregnant women were to be worshipped as goddesses who were going to repopulate the earth after the cleansing fire.”

“Cleansing fire,” Dean asked with a raised brow.

Jo nodded. “Yup. They claimed that we’re going to have a cleansing fire that’ll scorch the earth, leaving only their little corner as refuge. New Eden, they called it. Something about the archangel Michael sweeping across the globe with an army of angels and a vision one of them claimed to have had. Complete nut jobs. When we finally got to the cabin, I think I cried for days when you weren’t there. I’m a little emotional what with the hormones and all.”

“We stayed a month.” Morgan leaned forward. “I made her rest while the rest of us planned our route here around road closures, announced quarantines, and changed physical landmarks from the disasters.”

“That’s a long time to rest,” he observed. “Something wrong with the baby? Or Jo?”

Over and over, Dean’s glance slid to her stomach and Jo heard concern in his voice. “I’m fine,” she assured him. She was fine. She’d had no complications at all, an easy pregnancy according to Morgan and Ellen.

“Precaution,” Morgan told him in a soothing tone. “I make her lie down with her feet up as much as possible just in case, but blood pressure and blood sugar is all normal. Without access to the usual machines, I’m inclined to err on the side of caution.”

“Good to know.”

“I almost made her wait to drive here until after giving birth, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Neither would Ellen. They wanted to get here.”

While Jo had been grateful for Morgan’s concern, she hated having to slow down as much as she’d had to. Her condition was another reason they’d moved so slowly across the country. Morgan would only let them travel so long before making them stop out of concern for Jo. “It was hard. We had to let the jobs we saw go by and keep moving as much as possible while still keeping me and mom out of sight. Do you know how hard it is as a pregnant woman to take a pee break when you have to go behind a bush? The only rest stops we chanced were late at night.”

“Can’t say that I do, Jo. Guys don’t have that problem.”

“It sucks and we now know every damn back road and dirt path across the country. I was sure we’d get here, find more coordinates waiting, and I’d give birth in a field.” She looked at him. “I don’t have to give birth in a field, do I?”

“Not unless you want to. We’ve got buildings and beds. Running water and electricity most of the time.” His tongue slipped out, wetting his lips before he added, “An ambulance.”

“An ambulance?” She shot an amused glance his way. “You stole an ambulance?”

“It was just sitting there….” His lips twitched, a small grin forming. “No one was looking.”

Jo smiled. “I’ll bet.”

“It’s not a bad set-up. We’ve worked hard to get it all running. We’re pretty well stocked on all fronts.” He cleared his throat. “About Ellen. What does she need, Morgan?”

“A place to recuperate and antibiotics. If you have both, she’ll be fine.”

“We have both,” he confirmed.

They pulled up to the closed gates. He honked twice, waited until the gates were opened and drove in. They turned right and went down a dirt path for a few minutes before he stopped.

“Your people can make camp here until we can get living quarters worked out. There are male and female restrooms a short ways further down this road and both have showers. This is where we usually have people wait.”

“Where you can have a team keep an eye on them. Are those fence posts iron,” Jo asked, squinting towards the fence.

“Go with what works, right? It was a lot of rotting wood and wire when we found the place. We redid the fence starting the day we moved in here. Sam had some great ideas, too, and Jimmy built on them. I’ll show you around later.”

“She can have short walks only,” Morgan told him, sitting back and sliding towards the door.

He didn’t turn his head, flicking his glance back at her. “I gathered that, Morgan. You think I’d drag Jo around camp for hours in her condition?”

“I don’t know you personally, Dean. I don’t know what you’d do.”

Jo ignored their snippy tones and opened her door as the rest of the vehicles approached. “Okay. We should calm everyone down, Morgan. Come on.”

“I suppose.” She nodded and reached for her own door handle.

They explained about the living quarters and as soon as they mentioned the restrooms with showers, people began gathering their shower supplies. It was decided that they’d rest here for a day or two and when they were refreshed from traveling, they’d be brought in to the rest of the camp. Jo knew it was actually a precaution. Dean’s men would be watching them the entire time from both hidden and open areas. At least, Jo assumed that was the plan. It was how she’d do it if she were him.

Dean drew Jo aside slightly, his head bending down so his mouth was near her ear. “Come rest in my cabin while I get Ellen set up?” The request was soft and even coaxing.

“I’d like that.” It’d give her a feel of how he’d been living, a look into his life at present.

They started walking, Morgan a few paces behind, far enough to give them privacy to speak should they wish to and close enough to be there if Jo needed her. A short ways from a path into the woods, a figure emerged and Jo stopped walking.

It was Castiel.

Several emotions, all negative, welled up and she blurted out the first thing that came to mind, a question on why he was there. Dean called him Jimmy and claimed it wasn’t Castiel, but Jo had that sensation, the one she’d always gotten around Castiel after he’d raised her. She suggested she and ‘Jimmy’ chat later and made a mental note to make sure there were plenty of other people around at the time.

Dean appeared to trust him however, and since she trusted Dean, she didn’t let her alarm show at Dean’s request. He had a handle on whatever the situation was here with ‘Jimmy’. She’d find out what that situation was as soon as she’d rested.

Jo let Dean lead her away from the line of vehicles and prayed her mother would be safe.

~~~~~~~~~~

He ran through the woods, keeping a steady pace along the well-worn path. Castiel had learned to enjoy the occasional run and the sensation of elation when he ran a long while without stopping and when he beat his own time over that distance. A runner’s high, he’d heard it called. Whatever it was, it did give him some pleasure in this human state. He also like the path through the woods. It was quiet and dark even in the day. Private. He could be alone with only nature as his companion, a thing he did still enjoy despite no longer being an angel.

Most of the men and women rode back to camp along the access road, but he preferred to run when the weather was nice. He could let his mind go blank and concentrate only on his rhythm of movement.

At the fence, he opened the lock on the small gate, went through, and locked it behind him. The rest of the way he walked, knowing he’d be getting there probably about the time Dean had the new people at the clearing. He was curious about them. He could see a blond and brunette with Dean on the path towards the cabins. The blond appeared to be pregnant and as he moved closer, he recognized that blond woman. It was Jo.

Castiel stopped walking. He felt like he might throw-up. Jo was pregnant and he’d bet she’d had no idea about her state when she and Ellen had left Bobby Singer’s house that day. If she’d known and told Dean, it was likely Dean never would have let her leave at all. The past months of separation between them were on him as well as all the other things he felt guilt for. Dean had missed being there during the formation months of their child because of the threat Castiel had presented to them. He’d not gotten to experience the wonder of those months and Jo had missed having Dean there to experience it all with her. She’d missed being held and loved during what may have been a frightening yet exciting time.

A fresh wave of shame crashed over him and he almost turned and ran back into the woods.

“Jimmy,” Dean called, waving a hand for him to join them.

Swallowing hard, he slowly crossed the distance, remembering everything he’d done to Jo. The hurt and humiliation of why he’d raised her. The arrogant threats. He had a lot to make up to her and Ellen.

Her features hardened as he approached and she took a step back to stand partially behind Dean. “What’s he doing here?” Her voice was cool and as unwelcoming as he’d expected upon seeing her.

“It’s not Castiel. Believe me, it’s not him. He had a vessel, Jimmy Novak. This is Jimmy.”

Castiel could see Dean was quickly falling back into the intimate way he’d treated Jo months earlier, standing close and in that personal space place that had baffled Castiel until he’d become human himself.

Jo rested her hands on her stomach in a protective gesture and pursed her lips. “Jimmy. He’s the Jimmy you mentioned earlier.”

“Yeah. Jimmy, this is Jo. Sam and I mentioned her and her mom Ellen a few times.”

“A few is an understatement.” Castiel held out his hand. “Hi, Jo. I’ve heard a lot about you and your mother both. They talked about you rather frequently.”

There was suspicion and something deeper that he couldn’t identify in her eyes, but she took his hand. She blinked, glanced down him and back up and released his hand. “We’ll have to chat later. Get to know each other.” The words were careful and he didn’t blame her.

“I look forward to it.” He was probably going to have to avoid her, only it wouldn’t be an easy thing to accomplish. Not in this small camp. “We should have tea later.” He lowered his attention to her pregnant belly, still a little surprised to see her in that condition. “Herbal, obviously.”

“Sure. Maybe tomorrow afternoon.” Her gaze slid along him once more and he had the feeling she was seeing far more than he was offering.

A panicky sensation fluttered through his stomach, mingling with the mild nausea. He quickly ran through what had been said and how he’d behaved and didn’t see anything odd in his behavior that would cause her scrutiny.

Dean clapped him on the shoulder with one hand. “You mind sitting with Ellen and keeping her calm while I get Jo settled down for a bit and have a cabin cleaned up so we can get Ellen comfortable while she recovers?”

“Recovers?”

“She’s got a broken leg and fever and Morgan,” he gestured to the dark haired woman, “this is Morgan, she’s a doctor, she says Ellen’s a little delirious. If Ellen calls you Cas, just nod and go with it. Can’t explain while she’s out of it, so just keep her company and keep her calm.”

“Of course I will. Where --”

“In the back of that van over there.”

He needed time to process Ellen and Jo both here and how he was going to deal with it. Dean was too distracted by everything and Sam too drugged to realize he’d been lying to them. Jo might be too concerned with the baby in the end, though. Ellen, however…. Ellen had studied him. As soon as she was better, she’d see though him quickly. He could see he had two choices. Stay away from her or confide in her and he didn’t really want to run from Ellen.

In minutes, he was sitting in the van with her, holding her hand and wishing he could take away her pain. He could see a few strands of gray hair beginning to show in her hair and she looked older to him. These months out in the world had aged her. He found he was glad to see her alive, a few strands of gray or not.

She stirred, eyes opening. Ellen stared at him, confusion in her eyes. “Cas?”

“Hi Ellen.” He slid his thumb across the back of her hand. She was thinner than he remembered, as though she’d been going without food to make sure Jo and the baby had enough. Castiel decided that was likely.

“Are you gonna heal me?” Her voice was raspy.

“Would if I could, but that ability has been gone for months. I’m powerless now.”

“Why’re you here?” She licked her lips and moaned.

“Penance.”

“Oh.” Her eyes slipped shut again and she began to move restlessly, her head turning as she slipped back into an uneasy sleep.

Releasing her hand, he moved to the end of the van and peered out, catching Beckwith’s eye. “Hey, Alan, can you have someone bring me some cold water and a cloth?”

“Sure, Jimmy.”

“Thanks.”

While he waited for the cloth and water, he studied the people that had come in with them. There were about fifteen people total, including Jo, Morgan, and Ellen, roughly divided in half equally men and women. One of the men crouched down at the fire kept watching him with a curiously intent stare. Perhaps he’d been one of Castiel’s followers. Finally, the man turned away.

The people split into groups. One would stay and start setting up camp while the rest would shower. When the first group returned, the second would go and the first would finish setting up camp. He tuned out their relieved chatter and concentrated on Ellen. He remained with her, bathing her brow with the cloth until Dean returned with two men and a stretcher, plus the anxious doctor Morgan.

Castiel saw Ellen to her cabin, a small one not far from his own. Once she was settled, he went to his cabin. With the door closed firmly behind him, he sat and contemplated the future.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dean took Jo to rest for awhile in his cabin, thinking she’d appreciate real furniture again. He was glad the walk wasn’t far, but if she’d even looked like she’d needed it, he would have carried her. He led them up the steps and into the building.

At their entrance, Sam looked up. “Hey, Jo.” His greeting held no surprise at all, like he’d expected her even and had been waiting to see her. It always made Dean uneasy when there were moments like that. He suspected Sam was having visions now too and was keeping it from him.

Sam was on the couch, a book in hand. He’d taken to reading any fiction or even non-fiction they had in the camp, slowly going through the pages. Jimmy added to that collection every time he went outside the camp if he could. Sam had read everything from novels to books on folk remedies and engineering.

Jo raised a hand in hello. “Hi, Sam. Long time.”

“It has. Glad you and Ellen are okay.”

“Sam?” Dean cleared his throat. “Who told you we found them and they’re okay?”

He seemed confused a moment, glancing back towards the table and chairs. “I…extrapolated from Jo coming through the door and you not being upset that Ellen must be okay, too. Was I wrong?”

“Not really,” Jo said. “Mom’s got a broken leg and fever, but she’s alive. We think she’ll be okay once she gets some medicine.”

“Okay.” He marked his place in the book with a finger, studied her a long moment, then gestured at her stomach. “Congratulations on the baby. You look great.”

“Thanks.”

There was no way to miss how she seemed genuinely pleased by the congratulations and it pleased Dean that she was happy by it. He stepped a little closer to her, touching her back with one hand, so light a touch that he doubted she felt it.

Sam set the book aside and stood. “Who’s this with you?”

Dean made a belated introduction. “Uh, this is Morgan, Jo’s doctor and friend.”

“A doctor. Good. We need a doctor.” He waved a hand at her. “Hi. I’m Sam, Dean’s brother.” He slid his hands in his jeans pockets, nodded twice and added, “I’m crazy.”

Dean closed his eyes for two seconds at the inappropriateness of that addition. “Geez, Sam, just lay it all out there.”

“No reason not to, Dean. It’s the truth.”

Morgan didn’t appear disturbed however, quirking a brow. Amusement danced in her dark eyes. “Who isn’t crazy these days?”

Sam frowned. “I’m serious. I’m really crazy.”

“Crazy doesn’t scare me, Sam,” she assured him with a small smile. “Not in this world. You’ve got to do better than that I’m afraid.”

“Oh.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Jo’s told me all about you and Dean both. I sort of feel like I know you already.”

Her tone was flirtatious and Dean tried not to roll his eyes.

Sam took a step forward. “Then you have me at a disadvantage.”

“We’ll have to remedy that.”

Dean took Jo’s hand and led her into his bedroom and away from the open door. He hadn’t seen a woman so obviously flirt with Sam in a long time. His crazy put off a lot of the women in the camp. “If you want to lie down at all while you wait, you can use my bed.” He turned to face her.

Jo was watching him, a hungry, yet confused and even scared expression on her face and in her eyes. It occurred to him that she was afraid he didn’t want her anymore. He did want her -- God, did he still want her! But he needed time to think about the baby. Still, he could show her in some way that he wanted her.

Reaching out, he drew her close and kissed her with all of the relief he felt to have her safe with him again. When he pulled back a fraction, the fear was gone and he smoothed his fingers across her cheek. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

Her belly was a firm press against him and he looked down at it. A baby. What the hell did he feel about that? Was he happy? He honestly wasn’t sure what he was feeling right now. A little bit of fear, uncertainty. A tiny sliver of possessiveness. This baby was his. He knew it was true. Jo wouldn’t say it was when it wasn’t and the timing was right. “I have to get Ellen set up and comfortable. You be okay with Sam?”

“Of course.”

“He’s different,” he warned.

“We all are. Separation has a way of doing that to people.”

She had a point and he followed her back into the main room. Sam was looking at Morgan like he wasn’t sure how to act. It reminded Dean of how he’d been years earlier and he almost smiled at that. It wasn’t often anymore that a woman disconcerted Sam so much. “You two playing nice?”

“I’m always nice to play with,” Morgan replied with a slightly wicked grin.

Dean crossed his arms. “You two want us to leave you alone for awhile?”

“No, that’s okay. We’ll talk later. About Ellen. You’re going to get a cabin ready for her? I need access to your infirmary and I want to oversee the preparations.”

“That can be arranged.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Thought Jo didn’t go anywhere without you and she’s resting here.”

“Sam will come find me if she needs me.”

That was a fast understanding the two had come to. “Okay with you, Sam?”

Jo moved to the couch and eased down onto it.

“I’ll catch up with Jo.”

“Okay then. After you, Morgan.” What he was sure of was that he didn’t like Morgan too well. She was confident, take-charge, and had no fear of being a pushy bitch to get things done. They’d barely gotten away from the cabin before Morgan was touching his arm in an effort to get him to stop walking. “What?”

“Before you get all over her ass about being pregnant in this world, you need to see something and understand a few things.” Morgan held out the pouch that had been attached at the waist of her jeans with a clip. It looked like a small digital camera case.

“What makes you think I’m going to get all over her ass about it?” He took it, glanced down at it. “What’s this?”

“Something for your eyes only and make sure I get it back as soon as you’re done. Jo trusted me to keep it safe and charged in case we ever ran into you. No time like the present to give it to you, before you say or do something to upset her.”

He clipped it to his own belt, wondering why Morgan thought he’d say or do something to upset Jo. Was she just being protective and cautious as a doctor, friend, or both? “I’ll look at it later.”

“Do that.”

She was all business as they looked at the cabin he proposed for Ellen. It was small, but easy to clean and it didn’t take long at all before they were moving back towards the vehicles.