Keeping up with the Joneses

Part Fifteen

It had been about a week since they arrived back at Bobby's, and Dean was now hyper fixated on fixing the Impala. Sara was spending as much time as she could with Joey, taking him out or playing games or watching television with him. Joey cried when he heard that John died, running to both Sam and Dean and hugging them. Sara watched this with pride flushing her soul; knowing that she had a part in him becoming the emotionally intelligent, empathetic boy that he was.

It was getting later in the day when Sam walked into the house, looking put out about something.

"Sammy?" She got up from her game of go fish she was playing with Joey and looked up at the taller man with concern.

"I'm fine. I just-- Dean isn't talking about anything. Has he said anything to you?"

Sara shook her head. "No, but I think he just needs time? I want him to feel better, like you do. I really do. It kills me to see both of you in this amount of pain. But you both handle things very differently. I've told him that he can come to me whenever he's ready, and he seemed to agree. I guess that's as good as either of us are gonna get right now."

Sam nodded, huffing after giving her a half-assed smile. "Have you told him yet?"

"Told him what?"

"About your feelings."

Sara sputtered, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the table Joey sat at. "What the hell do you mean, my feelings?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sara, I know you. And I know those feelings you told me about when we were seventeen didn't just magically disappear."

She blinked, thinking back to the time that she called Sam crying after seeing Dean kissing a girl outside of a school. "I-- You-- I don't know what you're talking about."

He raised his hands defensively. "All I'm saying is, maybe what you and Dean need right now is a whole lotta love." She cringed at his reference to the Zeppelin song, furrowing her brow.

"We both know that he only sees me as a kid."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Well-- well, then why doesn't he make the first move?"

"Because he's Dean."

"But that's exactly what I mean! He's Dean, he's good at this stuff."

"Yeah, so are you."

"I'm-- No I'm not, not with Dean."

"Exactly." He looked smug, walking to the stairs and leaving Sara flustered and confused. For a moment, she envisioned going out and talking to him. Stepping closer to him as they spoke, and wrapping her hands behind his neck and kissing him when the conversation broke. Her heart throbbed, wondering whether he would return the kiss or pull back. She was mortified for her future self, picturing the look on his face when he pulled away from the kiss and looked at her with blindsided shock.

But she was envious of her future self when she pictured him returning the kiss, placing his own hands on her jawline and deepening it.

Sara took a deep breath and went back to her game with Joey, finishing just after dark. She eyed the door, torn between talking to Dean and letting him be. She and Joey retired to the couch for a while, watching television until Sara told him to get some sleep. He went after a moment of arguing, walking glumly up the steps.

Sara grabbed a couple beers from the fridge, making her way to the door and walking toward where Dean was working on the Impala.

"Still workin', huh?"