vampire. Councilwomen into erotic cosplay...I didn't know what cosplay was before that — super embarrassing for the whole force" Jovi did laugh covering it with a cough sinking in her seat slightly to avoid the attention while Dean turned to Claire with a irritated look "wow. You've been busy" Claire stared back at him "I've been hunting"

"A. K. A. Menacing innocent people, Claire has a whole string of assaults racked up. The only reason she's not sitting in jail right now is that I'm the sheriff" Jody said looking pointedly at Claire "fine. I've been wrong but this time I know there's a monster"

Jovi just glared at the girl "give it a rest, Claire"

Alex clenched her jaw in annoyance "can we stop talking about monsters and hunting? What about real life?" Claire turned mockingly to look at the raven haired girl "real life? Okay. Yeah, sure. Let's get real...you and Henry settle on a weekend yet?"

Jovi's eyes widened, oh shit. She was really going there...now Jovi's heart raced hoping to god that Claire didn't drag her into the line of fire too.

"What?"

"When you're sneaking out to Jody's cabin to screw yourselves silly" Jovi almost chocked on the chicken she was eating, her dad and uncle shifting uncomfortably, even Ares glanced up from his seat muttering a small "oh shit"

"Whoa"

"Here we go"

Jody just stared in shock while Alex turned red faster than a thermometer in hell. "ohh, we're not. You're completely insane. Jovi tell them it isn't true" Jovi's mouth parted to answer as her eyes widened rushing out with a scoff "no, no, Claires full of shit"

"Hey" her dad's stern tone cut her off him sending her a warning look, Jovi looked down remembering the no swearing rule even if she thought it was totally bullshit. "You should totally clear your g-chats before committing to that" Claire responded to Alex.

"Uh, this seems like a family matter" Sam muttered beginning to stand up when Jody hit the table "sit! Stay!" Both Sam and Dean's heads shot up as their eyes widened sitting back down, Jovi could've cackled at the looks on their faces "um, Alex, anything you want to say?" Jody asked looked at Alex expectingly while also putting her cutlery down "nope"

"Okay, uh, well, um, I-I may have — I've definitely seen birth control pills in your backpack" Alex and Jovi's eyes widened, no one other than those two knew. Jovi had gone with Alex to get them for moral support...and maybe future reference.

"Oh, we're going there"

"Okay" Sam and Dean muttered uncomfortably watching the scene unfold, Ares looked down at his phone still deciding to stay out of this battle.

"Oh my god" Alex muttered in complete horror. "hey, if we can't talk about it, we shouldn't be doing it, right?" Jody looked at Sam and Dean for help, Dean leaning forwards muttering a 'what' and Sam looking too horrified to answer. Jody gave up turning back to Alex "okay, I'm not gonna tell you that you are too young to be having sex, or you three" Jody said pointing between the three girls and Ares, Jovi stared wide eyed now suddenly feeling the embarrassment falling onto her especially when her fathers eyes met her horrified expression. "well, hold on..." Dean went to argue, Jovi couldn't even bring herself to look at her dad — this moment was traumatic enough!

"Dean" Jody spoke in a motherly 'be serious' tone which silenced his protective dad speech that was about to follow which made Sam smirk in amusement eyes locked onto his plate.

"Who's she gonna have sex with? She doesn't talk to anybody" Alex spat glaring at Claire "hey, um, what I will tell you is that birth control pills are useless against STDs. Whoever you are with needs to suit up every time. Always. No pulling up the drawbridge early-"

"Oh I get it!" Alex cut Jody's rambling off making Claire laugh yet Jovi wanted the ground to open up and swallow her, this whole conversation was enough to send anyone to an early grave and Jovi was going to have this memory scarred in her mind forever and even better Jody wasn't even done yet "and don't expect the guy, as much as I love Henry to always show up packing, am I right?" She looked at Sam and Dean again for an answer, Sam put more food in his mouth and Dean once again muttered a "what?"

Jody tilted her head "seriously?"

"Stop! We haven't done anything yet. I'm just...trying to be prepared"

Jody's mouth fell open, Dean awkwardly nodded at Claire in thanks sipping the wine the women had supplied. Jovi grabbed her water sipping it "great, um, we need some more mashed potatoes, right? Mashed pota—I'm just gonna..." Jody downed the rest of her wine standing up "po-ta -toes" the women disappeared into the kitchen, Dean smiled sarcastically. "this is fun"

Claire's faked a laugh nodding before an evil smirk fell onto her face as she slowly turned to look at Jovi "hey Jovs? How was the janitors closet?" Jovi's whole stomach dropped as her eyes widened and her face paled. Oh fuck, fuck! Claire did not just do this to her! Jovi's never going to forgive Claire for this, she'll never live it down! And even worse bets are that her dad will make her break up with Blake now! Shit!

Dean's head slowly turned to look at his daughter with a raised eyebrow a stern look on his face. "what?"

Ares gulped from his seat on the couch, okay, yes, he'd told Claire but he thought she'd keep it a secret! Not tell Dean of all people! Jovi glared daggers at the other blonde leaning forward in her seat "she's a pathological liar who's just mad because I refuse to go hunting with her again" Dean looked between the two of them "again? The whole point of this was to get you away from hunting"

Jovi laughed but there was no humour behind it "oh I know, and I thought that too until someone started pulling me out of bed for her stupid delusions" the Winchester girl snapped Claire scoffed ready to try and put the girl back in her place. "they're not delusions. The only delusional one here is you if you seriously think making out with your boyfriend in a closet is cool"

"Oh? And watching teenagers making out down by a river is? Please, you're a stones throw away from being a stalker" Jovi responded with just as much annoyance in her tone. "At least I'm actually going on hunts, instead of playing house with some high school jock."

Jovi almost laughed "hunts? Please! Let's relive some of your greatest hits shall we? There was that one where you mistook a regular old raccoon for a wendigo and almost shot Ares? Oh, and let's not forget," Jovi continued, leaning forward with a grin that was pure Dean Winchester, "there was that vampire hunt literally the other day! You remember, right? The vampire who was really just a boy trying to get laid?"

"Hey—" Claire started, her eyes narrowing, but Jovi was on a roll.

"Oh, and my personal favorite? The time you got stuck in a bear trap on that 'werewolf' hunt. Yeah, real smooth, Claire. Everyone knows you don't step directly into the obvious metal teeth of death." Jovi sat back, crossing her arms with a smug smile. "But hey, who's keeping track? I'm just the girl making out with her boyfriend, while you're out there trying to survive your own personal blooper reel."

Alex chuckled under her breath, and even Sam cracked a grin. Dean, meanwhile, took a slow sip of his beer, clearly amused but trying to keep a straight face.

"Yeah, well, at least I'm actually living in the real world instead of playing make believe with some guy that'll dump you the minute he loses interest" Claire's smirk had long since vanished, and now she looked both embarrassed and furious.

Jovi shrugged, completely unfazed. "Yeah, well, at least I'm not trying to prove myself by running around with a crossbow I can barely use. But hey, it's cute how you try."

"Alright, enough! Both of you" Deans stern voice cut through their bitching gaining both girls attention "Claire" he said, staring directly at the older blonde "if you're gonna stir the pot, at least make sure you're not sitting in the same room, alright?"

Claire rolled her eyes looking away from the man muttering out "whatever"

Dean then turned to his daughter "closets really?"

Jovi buried her face in her hands. "Dad, seriously... this is so not a big deal."

Dean, however, didn't look convinced. "Not a big—you're making out in closets now? What, are there no hallways at this school? No... normal places for that kinda thing?" Sam sent his brother a look as if to say 'rich coming from you' but Dean ignored him instead adding "scratch that you shouldn't be making out or sneaking around with Blake at all!"

"Dad, seriously?" Jovi groaned, throwing her hands up. "It's not like we're doing anything bad. We just kissed. It's not a big deal!"

"Not a big deal?" Dean echoed, incredulous. "You're sixteen, Jo. Everything is a big deal."

Jovi's face scrunched up in frustration, her mouth opening to argue back, but Dean gave her the look — the one that ended every argument before it even began.

Jovi stood out of annoyance and frustration "I need to get ready for the game"

"Go get ready, Jov" Jody said walking back into the room "thank you" Jovi said walking away and up the stairs leaving an awkward dinner table.

☆

𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 intense dinner, Dean entered the kitchen putting his and Jovi's plates on the counter where Jody was cleaning up "nice ambush in there" Dean stated eyeing Jody who shrugged "hey, you guys crashed my pad first"

"Well, you know, thought we were gonna be helping you with monsters not birth control" he spoke with a grin making Jody laugh "welcome to my world. I mean, don't get me wrong I love those girls and even Ares but, man, I am hanging on by my fingertips." Jody said leaning against the counter facing Dean who looked at her understandingly "the last guy Claire pegged as a monster, she held a sword to his throat. He is hell bent on pressing charges"

"You know, I got to be honest. I thought it was gonna be Alex with the uh, adjustment issues" Dean told her drying a plate "oh, yeah, it was rough going there for a bit too but this year everything clicked. She's dating the most popular guy in school for gosh sake" Jody said with a proud smile "yeah, I know. I barely recognised her" Dean told the women, he knew some of the high school gossip from Jovi's daily phone calls but he knew she withheld some incriminating information.

"But even there, I feel like I should be teaching her about boyfriends and relationships. You know, stuff a mom would teach her"

Dean scoffed "eh, Sammy and I could have benefitted from a little of that" he didn't include Jovi in that because he quite honestly believed she was better off without her mother, not that the women deserved any sort of time or relationship with his daughter but he also believed that Jody had become that sort of figure for Jovi since Jo passed. She was the women in their lives that had stayed and she'd been there for his daughter whenever she needed it and that was something Jennifer would never have been able to do.

"Yeah, but I'm not Alex's mom. I'm not Claire's mom or Ares mom and I'm not Jovi's mom. I didn't raise them. I don't have that kind of history with them" Jody said with a small smile, Dean nodded giving her a sympathetic smile "well, we can talk to Claire, and we'll get her to settle down"

"It's not just Claire busting heads"

Dean raised a brow in concern "There's more?"

"Yeah, she started college but she hasn't been to classes for weeks. She doesn't have any friends, she spends all her time trolling for cases and reading lore" Jody informed him "sounds kind of creepy when you put it like that" Dean replied wincing.

"You know, I've got nothing against hunting. But if she's hiding in it because she doesn't have anything else I'm just — I'm worried about her being so alone"

Dean nodded thinking to himself before replying "well, I'll put Sammy on it. He's better with the whole talky thing anyway" Jody smiled before tapping Dean's arm "thanks. You know Jovi's on cloud 9 right now? She's stopped landing herself in the principles office, her grades have gone up, her and Blake are in their own high school movie, her and Kat are excelling in the cheer squad and her friends all love her. I think she's really liking it here"

Dean couldn't help the sad smile that fell onto his face, it wasn't that he's disappointed or anything, it's just he knows she'll want to stay which is away from him. He also knows it's not fair to keep dragging her away from a normal life when realistically that's all he wants for her, he's also aware he quite literally dropped her into this life and forced her to try and embrace it but now that she has, she's less likely to want to leave. Not that he wants her to but if he stays away too long he feels like he's missing out on key parts of her life and that made his heart hurt.

"I never doubted that she'd fit in perfectly, it's who she is." he said, voice quieter than usual. He stared at the plate he was drying as if it held the answers to all the questions running through his mind. "It's what I always wanted for her, you know? A real shot at something better. But hearing it, knowing she's out there doing all this... stuff, without me..." He trailed off, his jaw clenching.

Jody studied him for a long moment before walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Dean, she's doing well because you gave her that chance. You made this decision so she could have a shot at something more than what we've been stuck in all these years. But that doesn't mean she's forgotten about you. She talks about you all the time, and you're still her dad, no matter how far away you are."

Dean sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. "Yeah, but I feel like I'm missing everything. Her football games, her boyfriend, her friends, hell—even her grades. I'm out there hunting monsters, and she's here... being a teenager. And I'm not around for any of it. You know my dad used to drop me and Sammy at motels, send us to school and then disappear for weeks...feels like history's repeating itself."

Jody's expression softened. "You are not your father, Dean. You're a better man and father than he ever was. And I get it. I do. And I know it's hard. But you're giving her a life that's more than just survival. And as much as you want to be here for every game and every milestone, you can't be two places at once. Jovi understands that."

"I guess I just always thought we'd have more time," Dean muttered, his voice thick with unspoken regret. "When she was little, I was her world. Now... now it feels like I'm just a visitor in hers."

Jody nodded. "It's part of watching them grow up. She's building her own life, and you're a big part of why she's able to. But that doesn't mean she doesn't need you. She's still your little girl, Dean."

Dean looked at Jody, and for a moment, the weight in his chest felt a little lighter. "I know. I just... I don't want her to ever think I'm not there for her. I want to be part of it, not just hearing about it after the fact."

Jody smiled warmly. "Then be part of it. Come to the game tonight. Cheer her on. Give Blake an overprotective dad stare. Be there for the moments you can. And when you're not here, trust that she knows you're doing everything for her."

Dean nodded, his chest tightening with that familiar mix of pride and sorrow. Jovi was thriving, and that's all he ever wanted for her. But the distance between them, both physical and emotional, weighed heavier than he liked to admit.

"Yeah," he said quietly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Maybe I'll stick around tonight."

☆

𝑱𝒐𝒗𝒊 𝒔𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 — a magical altar shared with Alex —applying what had to be the last layer of red lipstick. Any more and she'd officially be auditioning for a clown gig. Her makeup was subtle, her hair styled in a perfect half-up, half-down look with a red ribbon tied neatly around her hair tie. Basically, she was ready to take on the world — or at least the football field sidelines.

Meanwhile, her phone propped up on the vanity was buzzing with a FaceTime call from Kat, who was tying her own ribbon while they engaged in the age-old teen tradition of gossip-slash-bitching. Tonight's lucky subject? Claire.

Just as Jovi perfected her "I'm a cheerleader, but don't mess with me" vibe, a knock came at the door. She spun her chair toward the sound, spotting her dad leaning against the doorframe with a subtle smile. She waved at Kat through the phone.

"Hey, Kat. Gotta go—Dad's here."

On the other end, Kat's eyes lit up with mischief. "Wait, dad? Like the famous Dean Winchester?" She smirked like she'd just cracked open the hottest tabloid.

Jovi's face immediately scrunched into Ew, stop it mode. "Oh my God, gross. No. Bye." She ended the call before Kat could embarrass her further and turned to her dad. "Hey."

Dean smirked and stepped into the room. "Hey. That your friend?"

"Yeah, Kat. And no, not Blake, so you can stop sharpening your weapons now."

Dean gave her the Dad Raised Eyebrow of Doom, the one that screamed, I know things. "Good. Otherwise, we'd need to have a little chat about how he pulls my daughter into closets."

"Ugh, Dad!" Jovi groaned, her face heating up to the color of her lipstick. "Can we not? Please? I already told him to keep his hands to himself during school hours, okay?"

"Damn right he will." Dean folded his arms, clearly ready to draft a Winchester's Rules for Dating manual if the moment called for it. He took a couple of steps into the room as Jovi started tossing random essentials into her bag.

"So," Dean began, his voice softening as his tough dad mask slipped just a little, "besides Blake's extracurricular activities and arguing with Claire—" he paused, meeting her gaze with a hint of sadness—"you happy here?"

Jovi paused mid-toss, her lip curling into a small, thoughtful smile. She knew what he was really asking, even if he wasn't saying it outright. She loved it here, yeah. The friends, the normalcy, the teenage girl things — it was like stepping into someone else's life. But, man, did she miss home. She missed her dad and Uncle Sam and their weird, wonderful flannel-scented chaos. (Though seriously, both of them needed a wardrobe intervention.)

"Yeah," she said finally, sitting beside him on the bed. "Despite my first thoughts, I really do love it here. It's nice having friends and, you know, not worrying about demons jumping out of my closet. But..." She hesitated, glancing at him. "I miss you and Uncle Sam."

Dean nodded, his smile sad but proud. "Yeah, I get it. But you're living a normal life. That's all we ever wanted for you. And you're happy—that's what matters."

She smiled, her heart tugging in a hundred directions. She was happy, but there was a part of her that wished he was here too. If he were, everything would be perfect. And because she was Jovi Winchester, she wasn't about to let a chance to change that slip by.

"Hey," she said, a grin breaking across her face like she'd just thought of the greatest plan ever. "Why don't you come to the game? I mean, Claire dragged you here for, like, no reason, so you might as well. Jody's going, and so is Alex."

Dean's face softened, his grin matching hers. "I'd like that. You need a ride?"

Jovi's smile widened to megawatt teenager with a plan levels. "Absolutely."

And just like that, she felt a little more whole. Tonight wasn't just about cheer routines and school spirit — it was about having her