Season 1, Episode 13: Dinner Party

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John found it easy to avoid Mary the next day.  The house was filled with activity as the hunters gathered to welcome Mary to the afterlife.  Missouri and Ellen prepared a big homecooked meal.  Pastor Jim Murphy arrived, as well as a man John had only heard stories about:  Rufus Turner, Bobby Singer's old hunting partner.  

After dinner, Mary caught John in the living room.  

"John, I really want to talk about what happened earlier.  How soon do you think we can slip away from all this?"

"It will have to be later,"  John told her smoothly.   "Bobby and I have plans."  It was a lie that would soon become the truth, John thought.  

"Oh.  Later, then,"  Mary agreed.  

He was glad Mary hadn't pressed him, but he couldn't put her off forever.  John knew he couldn't keep avoiding her.  He had to talk to Bobby.  Jim, too, he decided.  If anyone could explain what felt so off to him about his wife, it would be the two veteran hunters.

John cornered Bobby as he came in from taking out the trash.  

"Bobby.  I have got to talk to you."

Bobby glanced around, reflexively double-checking that they were alone.  Even here, John thought, in this supposed paradise, the old habits lingered.  

"So talk,"  Bobby said.  "What's going on?"  

"No, not here,"  John said.

"I don't want to risk Mary overhearing."  

Hell, John didn't want to risk the house overhearing, though that wasn't something he was going to admit to out loud.  Ellen thought the house itself was sentient.  John couldn't argue;  he and Bobby had dealt with things just as strange during their hunting careers.  

"Let's go someplace.  And bring Jim, too.  Call it a boy's night out,"  he suggested.  

"All right,"  Bobby agreed.

John waited impatiently while Missouri and Pastor Jim chatted...

...And Bobby and his old partner, Rufus Turner, bickered.  Apparently, Bobby had decided it would be rude to rush off immediately after supper.  John suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.  Since when had Bobby cared about social niceties?

He watched as Mary joined in the banter, plopping herself down on the couch between the two gruff, grizzled old men, seeming right at home.  That was his girl, John thought with pride.  She could take any situation in stride.  She was so beautiful, he thought, feeling a lump form in his throat.  John hated not being able to trust her.

John forced himself to behave normally, just as he had all day.  Ellen was able to distract him for a few moments with a story about the old roadhouse.  

Finally Bobby got his ass off the sofa.  

"All right, you idjits.  Let's get going."

Rufus got up too, to John's annoyance.  He didn't know Rufus, except by reputation.  Didn't trust him.  John didn't want the man tagging along, but he didn't have a choice, he decided, unless he wanted to make a scene.  

"Come on, Jimmy,"  Rufus said to Jim.

"Where are you boys runnin' off to all of a sudden?"  Ellen asked.  

John had to swallow a chuckle in spite of himself.  No matter that every man in the room was older than her.  To Ellen, a group of men would always be 'boys', just a hair's breadth away from getting into some sort of mischief.

"Oh, just stepping out for a bit.  Nowhere in particular,"  Jim said.  "Nothing you ladies would be interested in."  

Which only made their exodus seem even more suspicious, John thought, exasperated, but they managed to make it to the foyer without any more questions.

"You don't have to be psychic to know they're up to something!"  John heard Missouri say as the men hustled out the door.

"Ain't that the truth!"  Ellen exclaimed.  

John shook his head.  Missouri might let it slide, he thought, but he'd eventually have to explain himself to Ellen.

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