When Sam and Dean had called for Clara to join them on a hunt, she'd really just expected a large pack of shifters or something of the like. Given the world falling apart around them, she really should have expected something more serious. Now, as they made their way to an empty warehouse looking for something they called a Trickster, she couldn't stop a knot from forming in her stomach. Everything about this felt way too familiar, and not necessarily for good. When they stepped through into some god awful soap opera, the feeling only got worse. Dean was naming characters left and right, and one woman had hit Sam. When the boys finally revealed the Trickster, her jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Loki?" All eyes trained on her as she stepped towards the man she hadn't seen in years. Clara could feel dozens of emotions swirling through her at the sight of him; she finally decided to settle on anger. In a fluid moment, she shoved him against a wall, pinning him there by the front of the scrubs he wore. He looked equally shocked to see her, not even putting up a fight. "You son of a bitch."
"Clara?" Wide eyes looked down at her, and she resisted the urge to beat his face in. He was responsible for this trip, and he was going to end it.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Dean's voice sounded genuinely shocked; it seemed everyone was surprised by this little interlude. Her grip on the scrubs tightened, and a more flirtatious look crossed the Trickster's features.
"Yeah, well, I used to. This asshole owes me a lot more than just getting us out of here." She felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her away. Sam walked her a few feet away from the other two, leaning down to look her in the eye.
"Hey, you gonna be okay?" Hazel eyes met brown and she huffed, running a hand through her hair.
"Yeah, just as soon as we kill him. He deserves that much." Sam nodded, releasing her just as the Trickster disappeared. She gave a growl, kicking a nearby wall. The scenery around them changed, with Sam and Dean disappearing and her finding herself by a lake. She was dressed in a fairly warm sweater and jeans, along with knee-high boots. She moved to the tree line, kicking through the leaves for a suitable branch. Finding a decent on, she snapped the end to make a ragged point, eyes darting around.
"Clara." She spun, finding just the man she wanted to see standing behind her. With a snarl, she made for him with the makeshift stake. "Wait, wait, wait!" He stepped back, hands raised in surrender. "Please, just let me explain-"
"Explain? Explain what? How you left me to die all those years ago? How you couldn't have given a single fuck?" She continued her advance, and he seemed to get angry at her words. He stood his ground and she made to stab him, unsurprised when he dodged. They fought for a few moments, with him quickly gaining the upper hand. He tossed her weapon away, pushing her up against the tree and pinning her there.
"I have always cared for you." The words were growled into her face as she struggled to get free. "I never left you to die. I knew you would be fine."
"Bullshit!" Tears began to pool in her eyes as she looked at him. "You did! You left me to die!"
"What are you talking about? You're fine!" She broke down then, and some of the anger in his eyes faded. His grip loosened and she shook him off, putting space between them and wrapping her arms around herself.
"I'm fine because of the Winchesters." Clara held his gaze, daring him to look away. "They found me in a dirty warehouse, bleeding out. They saved me, and now I help them hunt." Shock crossed his features, and a small amount of her earlier anger returned.
"Clara, I never meant for any of that." He stepped towards her again, and she was quick to maintain the distance between them.
"Oh, fuck off, Loki." Her jaw clenched, she skirted around him and headed back for the cabin. "Send us all back, and stay the fuck out of my life." She entered the cabin without another look back, slamming the door behind her and settling on a couch. Within minutes, she was back with the boys, while they explained everything to her. It was a stupid plan, but the best they had. All they had to do was survive.