Carry On

2006

Jo Harvelle hadn't been much the type to talk about her crushes. Whether it was because she was afraid of Frankie's disapproval or because she knew Frankie wasn't really the touchy feely type was unclear, but ever since the Winchesters had shown up, something had changed.

Frankie's first clue had been the day Sam had called asking for help on what it could have been they were hunting--which just so happened to be a Rakshasa. Frankie had been behind the bar, drying glasses with Jo and no sooner had the call ended, Jo was asking how they were doing, if they were gonna be stopping back by, questions Jo Harvelle never cared to ask about any other hunter apart from Frankie.

It had now been almost three days since the boys had left. Frankie supposed if they weren't dead already, she'd probably have to go looking for them soon enough. In reality, it would have been a relief--going to look for them--because the few days she'd stayed put at the Roadhouse reminded her why she'd been so eager to stay out on the road. Staying put, serving drinks, dealing with drunken hunters, it was uncomfortably boring and too safe for her taste. At least Ash had been busy tracking the yellow-eyed demon for the boys, he'd even offered to let her help for a kiss that Frankie not-so-politely refused.

"Hey, Frankie, you mind?" Frankie looked up from the dull counter top she'd been ineffectively polishing to find Ellen with her head poking out from the kitchen, a large bag of trash in her hand. She probably would have asked Jo, had she not been drying off glasses behind the bar.

"Yeah, sure." She responded, walking over to retrieve the bag. Being outdoors for a few minutes would probably do her some good. As much as she'd wanted to stay put and spend some quality time with Ellen and Jo, the lack of excitement was driving her crazy.

The dumpster lid fell shut with a loud bang as Frankie had quickly tossed the bag. She'd barely turned back for the bar, wiping the stench from her hands onto the back of her jeans, when an old pickup pulled to a stop in front of the saloon.

Sam and Dean Winchester had returned and had, thankfully, dumped the soccer mom van. Frankie couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that she wouldn't have to go searching for them now, at least that would have given her good reason to get away for a while. She was feeling even less enthused about how she'd treated them during their first encounter, or rather how she'd treated Dean during their first encounter.

Taking a breath and fighting through her arrogance, she'd decided she'd rather apologize outside rather than in front of Ellen and Jo. Dean cut the engine as Frankie approached from the drivers side, placing her hands nervously in her back pockets. Dean climbed out of the truck, rolling his eyes as he noticed Frankie approaching. She wasn't exactly the first person he'd been hoping to see when they'd gotten back and he was sure she wasn't too thrilled to see him either.

Sam gave Frankie a look from across the truck, clearly noting how uncomfortable she was feeling and what that must have meant, because he simply said to Dean, "I'll see ya inside." Before hurrying off into the bar.

"Look," Dean began, tossing his hands up defensively. "I didn't come here to further piss you off, we just came to talk to Ash and-"

"I just wanted to apologize." Frankie interrupted, folding her arms across her chest. Dean's face fell in confusion, clearly taken off guard by Frankie's apology. He hadn't known her very well, but it wasn't difficult to peg her as the none-apologetic type. Tilting his head slightly, Dean stood for a moment with his mouth hung in confusion.

"Uh--sorry, what?"

"Look, I don't handle bad news well and I may have overreacted."

"You held a gun to my head. Yeah, I'd say you overreacted." Frankie took a deep breath, clenching her teeth and reminding herself that she was trying to make amends. Almost immediately, Dean wished he'd taken it back. He wasn't handling his father's death well either, and though he knew John was his dad, he also knew that even he didn't know for sure just how many lives John had touched.

"Hey, I don't normally apologize to people I barely know so you can accept it or not, but I'm making an effort." Dean moistened his lips, crossing his arms as he tried to loosen up a bit.

The girl was trying to apologize, but he was finding it a little difficult to just forgive her for threatening his life, even if she was pretty easy on the eyes. The girl, Frankie, had a country girl look about her with her lightly freckled cheeks, her wide, chocolate, brown eyes, and her equally brown curls she kept pulled back in a messy bun. Even Dean couldn't deny the whole 'bad girl' act was working for her and had the circumstances been different he'd probably thought it a turn on, though he was doubting she felt the same way.

"Alright, fair enough." Dean let out a nervous cough, trying desperately to avert his thoughts as they'd began to wander about Frankie's build. He was almost certain she wouldn't be as okay with him openly checking her out as Jo had been.

"Now do me a favor, and stay away from Jo."

"Whoa, hey, I didn't--"

"She's got a thing for you, I can read that girl like a book." As much as he didn't want to, Dean couldn't help feeling pride at the knowledge that the younger woman had a 'thing' for him. Even if it had been a bit obvious, it was one thing to assume and another to have someone actually say it aloud. "I've been looking out for her since she was twelve, now correct me if I'm wrong, but have you ever been in a relationship? Or even with the same girl for more than a week?" He had opened his mouth to defend himself when Frankie tossed a hand up to silence him. "You're sex life is none of my business, but if you break that girl's heart I promise you I will become your worst nightmare. There's no half-in's with Jo, she deserves better than a one-night-stand, okay?"

She wasn't wrong and Dean knew that, though he'd never actually thought of the situation from an outside perspective. It wasn't that he was a bad guy, he was a hunter and he got action where he could and Frankie understood this, hell she'd had her fair share of one nighters, but she didn't want that for Jo. Jo was a good girl, she was smart, funny, beautiful, she could do a lot better than some hunter hookup and Frankie wanted better than that for her. Dean could sense this and a part of him admired Frankie for it, because it was exactly how he would have acted if he and Sammy'd had a little sister.

Frankie stood motionless, awaiting Dean's response, and was a little surprised when he cracked a smile.

"Shouldn't Jo's dad be giving me this talk?"

"Yeah, he should, but he isn't here."

"You're one hell of a big sister, you know that?" Frankie scoffed, awkwardly looking down at her black boots.

"I'm not her sister." Looking back up at Dean, she could tell he'd taken her broken eye-contact the wrong way as he stared down at her with those green orbs creased with a smirk. Frankie pinched her lips together in agitation, taking a step away from the man she wiped any show of humor from her face. "Someone's gotta look out for her." She informed Dean before turning her back on him and heading into the saloon.

Dean Winchester was probably the last person Frankie wanted to get mixed up with. She wouldn't deny he was a looker, hell both the Winchester boys were, but they were John's boys and there was a part of her that she feared wouldn't be able to face herself if she did anything with either of them. Besides, Jo had a thing for Dean and Frankie'd never hurt Jo over something as petty as a man.

Inside, Sam was already sitting at the bar. Frankie made her way over to the pool table, grabbing her polishing rag from the counter on her way. She wasn't in the mood to hear about their stolen hunt. She'd read about Rakshasa's, though she'd never hunted one personally and she was a little jealous, to be honest.

Ellen, however, was all for congratulations as she opened two beers for the boys, on the house.

"You boys did a hell of a job. Your dad would be proud." Frankie's hand slipped, sending the billiard balls crashing to the floor in different directions. Her cheeks flamed as she felt everyone's eyes turn to her as she dropped to the floor, chasing after them. A few of the hunters in the corner laughed out loud, which she probably would have challenged had she not been currently desperate not to draw any more attention to herself while the Winchesters were there.

"Oh, yeah, I've got to uh... I've got to go." Jo had walked up beside Dean, giving Sam the look to make himself scarce. "Over there. Right now." Frankie looked up just as Sam had crawled down next to her, helping her collect the remaining billiard balls.

"Smooth." Frankie couldn't resist smiling at Sam's awkwardness, though she'd really hoped he would have stayed. She had literally spoken to Dean about Jo's little crush not moments prior and she wasn't entirely sure he'd take in to consideration what she'd said.

"So, uh, Frankie?"

"Sam." Standing up, Frankie placed the billiard balls on the pool table. "Hey, thanks for not making that any harder on me. I don't do well with apologies." She confessed, picking her rag back up and pretending to polish the wooden frame of the pool table.

"Yeah, I kinda got the feeling." Sam picked his beer back up, shoving his free hand awkwardly into his pocket. He was so much taller than Frankie and she couldn't help but to find his shyness adorable, he was so different from his brother. "I don't mean to pry, but you knew our dad?" The smile fell from Frankie's face. "I just noticed how touchy you got when we..." Sam noticed her change in attitude and fell silent. John had talked about Sam and Dean with Frankie and though she wasn't exactly ready to go confessing all of her emotions about the old man, she figured it wouldn't hurt to at least talk about him.

"You could say that." Sam looked up, surprised that Frankie had actually responded considering her hostile demeanor towards the subject. "The man taught me everything I know. Was a real hard ass most of the time." Frankie didn't look up at Sam, but continued to focus on the spot she'd been aimlessly polishing.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Sam probably knew better than anyone how difficult his father could be at times, but that didn't mean he missed him any less. He would have given anything to have his dad back, even if he was just scolding him on another of his drastic life choices, like college.

"John may have had his moments, but he was a good man." Frankie paused, looking up at Sam, her brown eyes full of sorrow. "Whatever happened to him, he didn't deserve it. I'm really sorry, Sam."

"Thanks." Sam managed, fidgeting awkwardly with his beer bottle.

"Where you guys been? I've been waiting for ya." All eyes turned to Ash as he came strolling into the parlor with his makeshift laptop in hand. She'd never admit it to him, but Frankie was thankful he'd chosen to interrupt when he had. She'd had enough touchy feely crap for one day.

"We were working a job, Ash. Clowns?" Sam spoke up, fighting back a smile. It was difficult to take Ash seriously, even if he was technically a genius. Ash's face twisted into a confused, disgusted look.

"Clowns? What the--"

"You got something for us, Ash?" Dean interrupted, turning to face him in his seat. Frankie didn't care much for the details, she wanted a break. Making her way around Ash, she tossed her polish rag across the bar before making her way outside.

Maybe Sam and Dean weren't so bad. They were, after all, John's boys so Frankie figured she could get along with them if she tried.

Taking a seat on the front porch, Frankie tucked her hands between her thighs. She watched as a few more hunters pulled up and decided that she'd collect a case tomorrow. She needed a good distraction from all the emotions the Winchester boys had arisen in her since their arrival and a hunt would do just that, or at the very least she could probably scrounge up another race. The door opened up behind her and Frankie turned to see Sam and Dean as they'd begun to make their way out. Dean managed to give her a smirk before Ellen's voice sounded from inside, calling his attention back inside for a moment.

"Hey, listen. If you boys need a place to stay I got a couple beds out back." Frankie couldn't help but to smile to herself. She knew what Ellen was talking about, it had been her old room before she began primarily living in hotels and in the backseat of her Chevelle.

"Thanks, but no." He motioned back towards the door. "There's something I gotta finish." Again, there was some unheard thought shared between the two brothers before they both turned to leave. Sam shot Frankie a half smile before following Dean back to their pickup.

"Okay." Frankie heard, just as the front door of the saloon had swung closed.

Looking up, Frankie watched the boys as they pulled away, giving them a short wave. She wouldn't have minded if they'd stayed, but hopefully they understood that they were welcome back whenever and honestly, Frankie wouldn't have hated seeing them both again. Even if she'd never admit it.