entranceway | 1st Drink ++ Video

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1st Drink ++ Video

[The explosions sends her flying backwards and her head cracks against a wall that sends sparks dancing in front of her eyes.

Rolling, Ellen pushes herself up. The phone next to her chirps and she grabs it, unwittingly turning on the video function. There's nails in her body and bruises blossoming along her skin. Scrapes and gashes seep blood. The first breath hurts and gouges into her lungs.]

So much for Paradise.

[She forces herself into a sitting position and notices the phone.]

Great, cell service in Heaven. Damn I could use a drink.

[The second deep breath hurts just as much as the first. Damn, isn't there supposed to be a happily ever after? This sucks.]

Cas, just so you know, Heaven sucks.

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Co-run with who?

[Because that's the important bit.]

And don't think I won't be bothering you. I'm going to need something to do while I heal.

[Ellen sighs and just walks next to her daughter, keeping her hand on her gun, because she's paranoid.]

You mean like Alice, the White Rabbit and all that other crap?

Dean. It's his, technically.

[But he doesn't know all that much about running a bar. She's pretty damn sure that before she'd shown up six months ago, it must have been a mess. She cracks a smile at Ellen's offer, before pointing towards the nearest bed, silently indicating she should sit down while Jo herself goes to rummage for supplies.]

Can't say we'd hate the help. We've got one other guy on staff, but the fact of the matter is we've got a lot going on here. We keep pretty busy. There's no money to made with the bar, but having it's been nice.

[She's have gone crazy without a project to focus on. She moves to set down number of first aid supplies on the end of the bed, taking Ellen's right arm and giving it a closer look before she reaches to put on a pair of latex gloves, just in case. Don't want to risk getting any of those wounds infected while the nails get pulled out and everything gets cleaned up.]

You've got it. Pretty much everything that's ever been in those books is here. Maybe more. I'd have thought I was going crazy or having some kind of fever dream if Dean hadn't been the one to meet me and explain everything.

[Ellen eases out of her jacket. Luckily, it took a lot of the abuse. Meaning that she isn't nearly as injured as she could have been. She hisses in pain as the nails pull. They hurt, because most of them have salt on them.

She huffs out a breath. At least she won't need stitches. Mostly, just cleaned up and bandaged.]

Lucifer spoke up first. The boys staying away from him?

[Why haven't the boys contacted her? Where are her boys?]

[Jo keeps talking as she goes about pulling those nails out as quickly and neatly as possible, efficiently cleaning the wounds once they're out. If she can answer questions and fill in blanks, it might be a decent enough distraction from the pain, or so she's hoping.]

He did? [That's surprising, actually.] He doesn't show his face very often. Don't worry. Everyone is staying away from him.

[She spoke to him once over the network, but it was without realizing who she was talking to. Once she did? You can bet she kept it short.]

The boys should both be around here somewhere. Sam's been under the weather lately, so he's been pretty quiet, but he's here -- he does what he can. [She pauses.] Not sure where Dean is. We haven't talked much lately. Might be in the bar when we head up, but if not...

[She shakes her head slightly.]

Soon as he realizes you're here, you'll hear from him, I bet. He'll be glad to see you. They both will.

Good.

[Because Ellen doesn't want to deal with Satan right now. She just got done blowing up all his hellhounds. And getting blown to Wonderland of all places.

She flinches when Jo pulls out one of the nails. A gush of blood follows and Ellen grimaces because that fucking hurts. A piece of salt is in the blood too. Great. That's going to be a literal pain.]

Anyone else I should know about?

There are a lot of people from home. Some of them we never had the chance to meet, but they're okay. Good people.

[People like Charlie and Benny, though Jo had been wary of the latter for awhile -- but he'd proven himself. Dean vouched for him. It was enough. She kind of likes him, in fact.

She proceeds to go down the list as she quickly cleans and bandages the most recent wound, finishing up with the right arm and moving to look over the left, following the same quick and efficient procedure there. It may be painful, but at least the pain will pass.]

And then we've got not-so-good people. Like Meg. [Her voice is incredibly chilly upon mentioning the demon's name.] Crowley. Michael. They're the ones to look out for.

The rest are fine. Castiel is here. [She pauses, wondering if she should list Gabe by his real name or the one he had preferred for so long -- but he'd told her that 'Gabriel' was fine, and it seemed like a silly thing to worry about as far as Ellen was concerned, anyway.] Gabriel, too. He's not like the other angels, though -- he's a good friend. I trust him. You don't know Charlie, Benny, or Bela yet, but they're all from home, too. Not sure about Bela yet, but the other two are all right.

[And there are others who have come and gone. Kevin. Bobby. Uncle John, even. She misses them every day -- they were family.]

Ellen keeps her flinching and shifting to a minimum while Jo keeps cleaning her wounds. One of the nails is in deep, and Ellen has to grind her teeth to keep from whimpering.

Damn that hurts. She tries to concentrate on what Jo's talking about. There's a few names she doesn't recognize, but one she does.]

Bela?

[something is vaguely remembered, but she isn't sure what. Just something about that name. She'll figure it out when someone isn't digging shrapnel out of her body.]

Think I'll be avoiding all of the angels for right now. Last run in wasn't very good.

Can't say I blame you.

[She presses her lips together as she pulls out the last nail, quickly going about cleaning the wound and bandaging it neatly.]

Castiel might want to see you, though.

[She wondered if her mother would make an exception for him. He was a friend, at the very least. Felt like more, these days. He felt some degree of guilt over what had happened to her and Ellen, and she couldn't help wondering if he'd want to apologize to her mother the way he'd apologized to her.]

You're such a mess, I can't tell where the rest of your wounds might be. Anything else that's out of sight you need taken care of?

[Ellen grimaces and shakes her head.]

Think it's all bumps, bruises and strains beyond this.

[Her front had taken more of the injuries than the back. Things hurt, and she'll probably find new aches and pains, after she gets a shower.]

He already spoke up. I'll see him soon enough.

[She cups Jo's cheek.]

Now, how about that drink?

[She smiles, unable to keep herself from leaning into that touch just a little bit. It's been a long time since she's had the opportunity.]

All right. Come on.

[She holds out a hand, offering to help Ellen up off the bed.]

Bar's on the fifth floor. My room's a few doors down from it. [Just past Sam and Dean's rooms, in fact.] Bunch of empty ones nearby you can claim for yourself, too -- but let's go get something to drink and I'll explain whatever I can. You going to be okay with all those stairs?

[Ellen takes the hand and pulls herself up. She's going to need a shower at some point and a change of clothes, but right now, alcohol cures all ills. Probably not the best life philosophy, but it's worked for her so far.

Everything hurts but she can walk, at least.]

I'll be fine. Lead the way.

[As long as she can walk steadily, Jo won't harass her too much about taking it slow -- she knows Ellen is more than capable of pacing herself, although both of them have a tendency to be stubborn and push too hard sometimes.

She doesn't give Ellen much of an option as far as walking on her own, however, and insists on taking her arm to lead her out into the hallway, though she releases her when they get to the stairwell. The bar is four flights up, and Jo regularly checks over her shoulder to make sure Ellen is keeping up all right as they make their way to their destination.

When they hit the fifth floor, she beckons for Ellen to follow her towards the first door on the left. She's slow to open it, poking her head inside and doing a quick scan of the place to see if it's unoccupied. There's evidence of people having helped themselves recently, but no sign of either of the other bartenders.

That might be for the best.]

Come on, we'll take whatever we need and head to my room. We can talk there, and you can get cleaned up if you want. Figure privacy would be best while I fill you in on everything. Go ahead and help yourself, looks like it's a self-serve kind of afternoon.

[Meanwhile, she's grabbing a couple of glasses from beneath the bar and a bottle of whiskey off the top shelf.]

[A shower and a change of clothes sounds like heaven right now. She wants to just get drunk and ignore the consequences for a little while. Ellen grabs a six pack of beer, because she's going to need it.]

Got a change of clothes to go with the shower?

[She's pretty easy when it comes to needs. At least for right now.]

Sure. That kind of thing is easy to come by here.

[Bottle and glasses in hand, her gaze darts towards the back room of the bar, looking for any sign of movement. With no sign of company, she heads towards the front door, trusting Ellen to follow as she explains.]

The closets here -- you just reach in and picture whatever it is you want in your head. Takes a little practice, but the more specific you are, the better. We'll get you something to wear, no problem. Just about anything else you need, too.

[She heads out into the hallway, with her own room only being a few doors down. They have to pass Sam and Dean's rooms on the way, which makes her shoulders go a little tense as she walks past the latter's door, but they're at room sixteen within moments. Jo opens the door and holds it for Ellen, jerking her head towards the room itself to indicate she should head on in. For the most part, it looks well-settled, though almost a little too clean -- not terribly lived-in.]

Make yourself at home.

[Ellen drops her beat up jacket in a chair and settles on top of it. It feels great to just... sit down. This has all been a bit much for her. She's going to hold it together, just because Jo is here, but damn. What the hell, seriously?

All her aches and pains make themselves known and she grimaces, cracking open a beer. Probably not what the doctor ordered, but she's going to sit here and drink anyway. She's been blown up and dropped into fairytale land. To hell with it. The beer is the least she's earned.]

How come you never kept your room this clean at home?

[Jo opens the bottle of whiskey and pours each of them a double, setting Ellen's down on the small table beside the chair before she follows suit and helps herself to a seat on the edge of her bed, cracking a smile at the remark about cleanliness.]

Wonderland helps a little. [But not that much.] The rooms change to suit their inhabitants. Some people chalk this place up to being little better than a kidnapping, but at least they want us to be comfortable. The room tailors itself to what you like.

[Which helps explain the simple but functional furniture and the Runaways and REO Speedwagon posters on the wall.]

But mostly I just haven't been in here all that much lately. I keep busy.

[Ellen raises her eyebrows at her daughter. Not here much can mean so many things, and there isn't much Jo can hide from her. Ellen knows her daughter too well, and has been reading for people far too long to be fooled for long.

Remember that bullshit with H. H. Holmes? She hadn't needed to prod Ash that hard.]

I plan on being lazy. Think I've earned it.

[It'll last a day, maybe two, and Ellen will be climbing the walls for something to do.]

[At least in Jo's case, for the most part, it means helping run the bar, the diner, and throwing her hat in with the resistance. Girl likes to keep herself occupied, thanks to so many years of helping Ellen out at the roadhouse from open until close.]

I'll give you that. You take all the time you want. It's a lot to get used to at first.

[Ellen will ferret out everything. Eventually. She always does.]

Gimme a couple days. I'll be climbing the walls.

[Jo smiles wryly, knowing that feeling all too well. She really is her mother's daughter. She raises her glass to her before knocking back the contents, letting them burn their way down her throat.]

In the meantime, though? There's no rush. It's a lot to take in, and I'm--

[She sighs heavily, looking downwards.]

I'm just real happy to see you again. Didn't think I ever would. Been hopin' against hope for awhile now, seems like.

[Ellen pushes herself up and pulls Jo into a hug. She buries her face in her daughter's hair and holds on tight.]

I'm here now, baby girl. Don't worry.

[Jo smiles as she allows herself to pulled into her mother's arms, but it breaks the moment she puts her own arms around Ellen's middle and she buries her face against her shoulder when the tears start to come.

All of a sudden, this finally feels real.]

I love you so much. I just-- I wanted the chance to tell you that again.

[Ellen closes her eyes. The last time she held her baby girl, before this... She actually tugs Jo into her lap and just wraps her arms around Jo, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead.]

I love you too, honey. Don't ever forget that, okay?

[She won't. How could she? Even for all the headbutting they do, it's only because they care -- and because they're so damn similar.]

Promise.

[She sniffs once, composing herself and sitting up to smile at her through the tears, giving the bathroom a meaningful glance.]

You wanna get that shower in? We can get you more comfortable afterwards. I'll just-- I'll tell you everything there is to know once we do.

[She doesn't want to let Jo go. This could all be a fever-dream, a hallucination, and if Jo leaves... will she still be here when Ellen is clean? She has to take the chance. She feels gross.]

Alright. Scrounge me up some clothes and I'll get that shower. I'd love a burger too, if you can swing it.

[Starving.]

1st Drink ++ Video

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