☆

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒐𝒕 was packed. Parents milled about like confused cattle, students were either pretending to be too cool or not cool enough, and somewhere off in the distance, coach Steele screamed at a kid for daring to breathe wrong. The cheerleaders were gathered near the field entrance, exuding confidence and glitter like they were the Avengers of school spirit. Dean pulled the Impala into the lot with all the grace of someone about to deliver the dad energy.

Inside the car, Jovi, seated in the sacred shotgun seat, adjusted her cheer uniform like a pro. Sam, relegated to the backseat — because shotgun rules are eternal and unforgiving — peeked over the front with a mix of curiosity and amusement. Meanwhile, Jody had taken her truck with Ares and Alex, presumably to spare herself from the Winchester family banter. Smart woman.

Dean turned to his daughter, eyebrows raised in that classic Dad Concern Level 3 look. "You nervous?"

Jovi scoffed, her expression practically saying, Oh, sweet summer child. "God, no. This isn't my first rodeo." Her confidence radiated like she'd just dropped a mic on some existential life lesson.

Dean nodded, smirking. "Well, okay. Break a leg out there."

Sam, always ready to ruin the vibe with logic, leaned forward. "I don't think 'break a leg' is what you want to say to a cheerleader."

Jovi shot her dad a smug look that could've powered a small town. "He's got a point."

Dean rolled his eyes so hard you could practically hear them creak. "It's a figure of speech, dude."

Jovi and Sam stifled their laughter, tag-teaming Dean like it was some sort of sport. She leaned back with a grin. "A simple 'good luck' will do, Dad."

Dean let out an exaggerated exhale, clearly pained by the idea of being sentimental, and smiled. "Fine. Good luck."

"See? That wasn't so hard." She kissed his cheek before hopping out of the car with all the grace of someone who knew she owned the moment. "Good luck, Jovi!" Sam called after her, earning himself a cheerful wave.

Jovi leaned back into the car, her smile bright enough to blind someone. "Thanks, Uncle Sammy. At least you got it right the first time." Her teasing glance at Dean was the kind of thing that would've made lesser dads crumble. Dean, however, glared back with the precision of a man who had raised her.

"All right, go," he muttered, waving her off like a man who definitely wasn't fighting back a grin.

Jovi laughed, shutting the door and running toward her friends. She was all smiles and energy, seamlessly blending into the crowd of teenagers who greeted her with cheers and hugs. Meanwhile, her family sat in the Impala, watching her like proud spectators at the world's weirdest talent show.

"She looks happy," Sam said, his voice softer now, like he was afraid to break the moment.

Dean stared after her, his smile still there but tinged with that familiar Winchester melancholy. "She is."

And damn, wasn't that both the best and worst feeling in the world? Dean could see it so clearly — Jovi growing up, finding her place, thriving in ways he never thought possible. It filled him with pride, sure, but also this gnawing ache he couldn't quite shake.

"She's growing up," Sam added, as if Dean needed the reminder.

"Yeah," Dean muttered, eyes glued to her as she disappeared into the crowd. "But at least tonight, I get to be here for it."

And for just a moment, Dean let himself enjoy it. No monsters. No death. Just his daughter, living her life.

☆

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 on the field as Jovi Winchester, decked out in her school's maroon and gold cheer uniform, stood beside Aria leading the squad in a perfectly synchronized routine. Her long, blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her green eyes — so much like her dad's — sparkled with excitement. From the bleachers, watched with a mix of pride and astonishment, she'd improved greatly since the last time he saw her cheer. Beside him, Sam sat, a small grin tugging at his lips, while Jody and Alex clapped and cheered along with the rest of the crowd.

Jovi flew into a final tumbling pass, landing with a flourish just as the whistle blew, signaling the end of the game. The scoreboard blinked in their favour — 27-21. The home team had won.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and Jovi's smile widened. She gave her squad a high five, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her eyes darted to the field, where Blake, was being hoisted up by his teammates in celebration. Without a second thought, Jovi dashed off the sidelines, running straight toward him.

Blake, tall and grinning from ear to ear, immediately picked Jovi up the moment she reached him. He spun her around effortlessly, her laughter ringing out through the noise of the crowd. Jovi's arms wrapped around his neck as he twirled her, both of them caught up in the pure joy of their team's victory. Her cheer uniform fluttered in the cool night breeze, and her ponytail whipped around as they spun together.

Dean watched the scene, his heart tightening at the sight of his daughter's joy. It was hard to ignore the way Blake looked at her, like she was the only person in the world. And as much as Dean had his reservations about the kid, he had to admit Blake's enthusiasm matched Jovi's perfectly. They looked... happy. Really happy.

But despite seeing Jovi so happy he couldn't help but grumble "You seein' this?" He nudging Sam, who couldn't help but chuckle at his brother's dislike for Blake. "Yeah, she's a teenager, Dean. Relax," Sam replied, not bothering to hide his amusement.

Blake finally set Jovi down, but kept his arms loosely around her waist as they talked excitedly, clearly still riding the high of the win. Jovi was gesturing animatedly, and Blake laughed, leaning down to say something that made her smile even wider.

On the field, Kat ran up to Ares "dude, you did it!" She laughed her own excitement taking over, Ares hummed his eyes finding Jovi and Blake who were still all wrapped up in each other looking so euphoric it made him feel sick. Kat noticed his look, she turned her own eyes finding the couple, she then looked back at Ares noticing how his gaze was filled with annoyance, jealousy and something she couldn't quite place. "It's so cute" she said focusing on his facial expressions, Ares rolled his eyes scoffing "more like revolting" Kat eyed him suspiciously.

Dean's eyes narrowed as Blake set Jovi back on her feet but kept his arm around her waist. Jovi leaned in, her face glowing with happiness as she congratulated him. Blake gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and Dean's eye-roll was so exaggerated, Sam thought it might actually get stuck that way.

"Teenagers or not, I do not approve of this," Dean muttered, shaking his head.

Jody snickered beside him, nudging Dean with her elbow. "Let the girl have her moment, Dean. She just helped her team win. Besides, Blake's a good kid."

Dean grumbled something unintelligible, eyes locked on Jovi as she basked in the afterglow of the win. She was his kid — too smart, too strong for her own good — and she deserved better than some high school quarterback. Even if he was a decent kid but he didn't trust jocks, he knew how they operated from his own high school experiences.

"She'll be fine," Sam reassured him, his voice full of amusement. "Besides, you did raise her, you know."

Dean finally let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, but I didn't sign up for the whole dating thing. That's on you."

Sam laughed, clapping Dean on the shoulder, while Jody just shook her head with a grin. Jovi, oblivious to the drama unfolding in the stands, was still wrapped up in the joy of the night, Blake's arm around her as they joined their friends in celebrating their hard-fought win.

☆

𝑻𝒉 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒔
echoed faintly as Jovi, Kat, Ares, and Blake made their way out, gym bags slung over shoulders and post-game chatter filling the space. Blake's arm rested protectively around Jovi's shoulders, and while she didn't mind the gesture, she couldn't help but notice the flicker of oh crap cross his face when she casually mentioned her dad was back in town. She wanted to roll her eyes right out of their sockets. Dean Winchester was intimidating —that was his thing — but seriously, Blake needed to stop looking like a baby deer in the headlights. Pro tip: Don't show fear. Dad can smell it.

"Yeah, he and my uncle just surprised me out of nowhere," Jovi said with a shrug, adding an expertly casual tone to the very NOT casual situation. "Said they were just passing through on their way to the next case." Lies, all lies. No need to share the Claire's a psycho backstory.

"How long's he staying?" Blake asked, his voice dipping just slightly, as if afraid Dean might appear in a puff of smoke and deliver a patented Winchester glare.

"Couple days, maybe less. Depends on the case." Another shrug. Jovi was basically a pro at this whole deflect and distract game.

"Don't worry, Blake," Ares chimed in, his grin devious. "I'm sure he won't shoot you..."

Blake froze mid-step, his face draining of color. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Oh, nothing," Ares replied, his smirk widening like a Cheshire Cat with a loaded secret.

Jovi, sensing Blake's increasing panic, sighed. "Relax. Dad does know about the closet thing, though..."

Blake visibly paled, his British accent momentarily lost in his panic. "Wait, what?! You told him?!"

"Nope," Jovi said with a wicked smile, "but I did blame you."

Kat burst into laughter, and Ares clapped Blake on the back. "Don't worry, mate. I'll make sure they play One Direction at your funeral."

Blake glared at Ares. "Just because I'm British doesn't mean I love One Direction."

"Dude, everyone loves One Direction," Ares replied, scandalized.

Jovi and Kat exchanged amused glances, their silent girl code screaming OMG, Ares likes 1D? Ares immediately noticed. "Okay, okay, guilty pleasure. Don't make it a thing."

Laughter erupted from the group as they pushed open the doors and stepped outside into the cool night air. The parking lot was half-empty, but Jovi's eyes locked immediately on the Impala and the three figures beside it: Dean, Sam, and Jody, all chatting casually. Well, casually for people who regularly hunted monsters.

Blake gulped audibly. His clammy hands gripped his bag as if it were a lifeline. "This is it. I'm done for. Dean Winchester's gonna kill me."

"Deep breaths, Blake," Jovi teased, tapping his arm. "If you faint, you're just giving him an easier target."

Before Blake could muster a response, Dean's voice boomed across the lot. "Jove!"

Her face lit up as she broke into a run, leaving Blake to his impending doom. Ares clapped him on the back one last time. "It's been nice knowing you, man."

Kat rolled her eyes, dragging Ares away. "Stop being a drama queen. Come on."

Dean caught Jovi in a hug, his grin full of pride. "You were amazing out there," he said, pulling back slightly to look at her. "No wonder you were up front."

"Guess hunting skills make for good cheer skills," she replied with a knowing look.

"That's my girl," Dean said, grinning.

Jovi turned just as Blake and the others approached, her boyfriend looking like he'd just walked into a lion's den. "Mr. Winchester, sir," Blake stammered, his nerves painfully obvious.

"Oh, look at him," Ares quipped, barely containing his laughter. "He's shaking."

Dean smirked, his voice dropping into intimidating dad mode. "He should be."

"Dad!" Jovi nudged him with her elbow. "He's joking." She shot Blake a reassuring smile, though it was hard to ignore the way Dean's smirk said, Am I?

"God, this is awkward," Kat muttered under her breath before flashing Sam and Dean a polite smile. "Nice to see you both again."

Deans expression softened as he turned to his daughter's best friend, they'd both spoken to Kat a few times over the phone when she'd been hanging out with Jovi. They'd both grown fond of the girl, she was like a different variant of Jovi which was dangerous but also meant the two girls were inseparable."How you been, kid?"

"Good! My dad's still asking about that BBQ," she replied referring to her father's suggestion of a family bbq so he could meet Jovi's dad, especially since he saw Jovi all the time but had never met her family. But since they'd been dealing with The Darkness and cases Dean hadn't had the time to stop by.

Dean nodded, a little sheepish. "Yeah, sorry about that. We've been... busy. But since I'm in town, maybe we grab a beer or something?"

Jovi smiled, appreciating the effort her dad was making with her friends.

"I'll let him know," Kat said, her grin wide.

Jody glanced at the teens. "You kids got rides home?"

Kat nodded. "My mom's picking me up."

Blake added, "Yeah, I'm catching a ride with one of the guys."

As the group began to part ways, Jovi turned to Blake with a soft smile. "You did good out there tonight."

"So did you," Blake replied, his voice warm as his hands found her waist. "You looked amazing."

Jovi smirked, leaning closer. "Not too much of a distraction, I hope?"

"Just the right amount," he teased.

They leaned in for a kiss, quick but heartfelt — until the sound of a car door slamming made them jump apart. Jovi shot a glare at her dad, who was leaning against the Impala, arms crossed and smirking like a villain.

"See you later, Blake," Jovi said, her tone dripping with forced calm.

"Bye, Jove," Blake replied, practically sweating bullets as he walked away.

Jovi climbed into the backseat of the Impala, leaning forward to glare at Dean. "You are such a bitch."

Dean smirked, starting the engine. "You're lucky I didn't go for my gun after that closet stunt."

Jovi groaned, throwing herself back against the seat dramatically. "I'm never gonna live that down."

"Nope," Dean replied with a chuckle. "And neither is he."

Sam laughed quietly in the passenger seat as the Impala roared to life, the parking lot — and Blake Winslow —fading in the rearview mirror.

☆

𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈. The sacred time of burnt toast, teenage angst, and apparently... dead math teachers hanging from lampposts.

Jovi sat shotgun in the Impala, quietly dreading another day of high school when BAM! — plot twist. They pulled into the school parking lot, and there it was: Mr. "Pop Quiz Every Friday" dangling like a piñata that had failed math too many times.

"Holy shit," she blurted out, eyes wide like she'd just seen a ghost.

"Holy shit," Dean echoed, looking like someone had just keyed Baby. Normally, he'd give her a half-hearted dad scolding for the language, but this wasn't exactly your run-of-the-mill PTA drama. Nope. This was full-blown horror movie meets daytime soap opera.

Dean's hunter instincts were already firing on all cylinders. This wasn't a prank; it was way too twisted, even for hormone-fueled high school kids. His gut told him that the "normal" life he'd fought so hard to give Jovi was unraveling faster than a cheap sweater in a washing machine.

Students swarmed the scene, their gasps and murmurs filling the air like some kind of macabre symphony. Jovi scanned the crowd and locked eyes with Alex. One shared glance was enough to confirm it: Something wicked was coming their way. Her gaze shifted to Kat and Ares, who were standing on the school steps, their expressions a mix of shock and unease.

Dean broke the silence. "Looks like Claire might've been onto something."

Jovi's stomach twisted, but she shook her head, jaw tightening. "No. No way." She unbuckled her seatbelt, already steeling herself for whatever came next.

Dean's voice softened, but his worry was as loud as a shotgun blast. "Jovi..."

"I gotta go," she said firmly, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "Love you."

"Jovi!" he called after her, his voice tinged with the kind of desperation reserved for dads who knew trouble when they saw it.

She paused, turning back to meet his eyes.

"Be safe, okay?"

"I will," she lied through a too-bright smile, the kind that didn't reach her eyes. She shut the door, already feeling the weight of normalcy slipping through her fingers like sand in an hourglass.

As she approached her friends, the scene grew more surreal. Kat was the first to speak, gesturing dramatically at their dangling math teacher. "Can you believe this shit?"

"Yeah, it's horrible," Jovi replied, her tone clipped as her eyes darted back to the Impala. Dean was still there, phone pressed to his ear, no doubt calling Jody. Great, she thought. Nothing says normal like your dad summoning the cavalry for a dead teacher.

Ares stepped closer, studying her like a concerned golden retriever. "Jov, you okay?"

She huffed, crossing her arms like a barricade against the rising tide of panic. "Can we just go already?"

With that, she stormed toward the school doors, yanking them open like they'd personally offended her. Behind her, Kat and Ares exchanged a wtf just happened? glance.

Little did they know, the real show was just getting started.

☆

𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓, Jovi walked out of school with her friends and boyfriend, finding her dad and uncle in their FBI attire along with Jody looking around the scene, school got cancelled which usually she'd be happy about but this time not so much — it meant she'd have to go hunting again. She gets it's the family business but she doesn't want this to be her future and neither does her dad, that was enough for her to want out.

Oh, and look, Claire's here, too. Because of course she is.

"is that your dad?" Blake asked, his voice dripping with the kind of nervous energy you'd expect from someone who just remembered he's dating Dean Winchester's kid.

"Yep," Jovi replied, her tone as casual as someone announcing their Starbucks order. "FBI, remember?"

Yeah, but..." Blake trailed off, his gaze flicking to Claire. "What's she doing here?"

Kat raised an eyebrow, leaning in. "Right? Isn't she the one with, like, a file of assault allegations?" Kat knew about Claire's multiple assault allegations mainly through her dad that worked with Jody but Jovi also filled her in...leaving out the hunting details. She needed someone to vent to about being dragged out of bed at ungodly hours for delusional shit.

"Oh, totally," Jovi muttered, her voice laced with irritation. "But Claire lives for this kind of chaos. If there's a dumpster fire, she's the first one to roast marshmallows."

"Picking at one of Dean's last remaining nerves," Ares added with a smirk, watching Claire who was probably reminding Dean to be grateful for the daughter he has rather than the one he could've ended up with.

"And being a general pain in the ass," Jovi grumbled, marching toward Jody and Sam, her friends trailing behind her like a ragtag Scooby gang.

Dean, meanwhile, had cornered Claire, no doubt giving her one of his patented Dean Winchester Lectures™, complete with the "Dad Glare of Doom." Jovi couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Alex and Henry had also joined them looking for more answers "uncle Sammy do we have any updates?" Jovi asked with some hope, Sam sighed shaking his head. "not yet, we're working on it through"

Jovi nodded while Alex then spoke up "since schools cancelled we're gonna hang out, I'll see you tonight"

Jovi nodded, watching Alex and Henry walk off... only for Dean to