Title: Karma
Rating: T
Genre: Humor/Romance
Characters: Dean, Sam, Chloe
Prompt: "It may not mean much now, but I still would like to point out that I was right, and you were wrong."
Summary: Dean might not know what karma is, but he's pretty sure it's doing him a favor.

Karma

1/1

"It may not mean much now, but I still would like to point out that I was right, and you were wrong."

Dean glared at his brother who was hiding a smile behind his innocent expression as he held his hands up, looking ready to laugh. He kicked the dirt beneath his foot, looking ready to punch the next person who came near him. He couldn't believe it. The chick he hooked up with in the bathroom of the diner they stopped in at just so happened to take his wallet and ditch. Oddly enough, she also stole his belt, which was why he kept tugging at his jeans.

"Seriously, if you don't shut up, I'm leaving you here," Dean told him, turning to walk toward his Impala. He glared back at his brother who let out a snort when he had to grab his pants so they'd stop falling.

"Uh... Are you Dean?" came a curious female voice.

Dean turned around, looking aggravated, until he saw the pretty little blonde looking up at him curiously. His eyes widened briefly. She was grinning up at him, head tipped back, revealing a long column of neck, pale flesh fanned out beneath a tank top that hugged her nicely. She stared at him patiently, curiously.

He smirked. "Yeah, that's me. What do you need?" He tilted his head, eyes already looking her over.

She lifted a brow. "Actually, it's more of what you need," she said, digging around in her pocket.

He frowned. "You're not gonna try and sell me somethin', are ya? Cause I'm completely broke... Even more than usual," he muttered.

She looked back at him, amusement glittering in her green eyes. "Yeah, I figured," she said, suddenly holding a brown leather wallet out to him. "Found it out back," she told him, nodding her head toward where the dumpsters were.

Sam's brows furrowed. "What were you doing back there?"

She glanced up at him. "Usually, the right response when a stranger gives you something you lost is thank you. You can keep your interrogation; I have more important things to do." She waved the wallet, waiting for him to take it and Dean finally nodded, grabbing it and looking through.

"There was nothing else?" he wondered, lifting a brow.

"You mean a belt?" She smirked. "Sorry. Didn't find one." She turned and started walking away.

"Hey!" he called out after her. "I didn't get your name."

She smiled at him over her shoulder. "Better luck next time."

He stared after her, head tipped to the side. Packed a lot of spirit for such a small woman, he thought. Couldn't be much taller than his shoulder but she held herself as if she were as tall as Sam. Confidence in every step she took and an appeal to her he hadn't noticed in a long time.

Finally, he shook it off and turned back to Sam. "See? Lost my wallet to a brunette with no morals, got it back from a blonde with spunk." He lifted his shoulder. "Way I figure it, that's karma."

Sam frowned, scrunching up his eyes. "How?"

Dean shrugged. "I dunno. Just is." He started walking toward the car once more.

Shaking his head, Sam sighed. "I guess you could also think of it as you scored with a thieving brunette and got totally denied by a nice blonde who probably could've been good for you."

"Exactly," Dean muttered, opening his car door. "Wait! I wasn't denied. I asked for her name, not her number."

"And you couldn't even get that." Sam grinned triumphantly.

Dean rolled his eyes, climbing into his car. "I could get her if I wanted to," he declared, nodding.

"Yeah?" Sam lifted his brow. "Twenty bucks says she laughs and tells you she's not interested."

"Twenty bucks?" Dean sat back for a minute before nodding and stepping back out of the Impala. "You're on."

He scoffed, eyes widening. "You can't be serious... Dean! You can't just..."

"What? Ask her out? What's the harm in a lunch date?"

Sam shook his head, following after his brother who stepped inside the diner they were parked at only to look around and find the feisty blonde nowhere in sight.

"You could always try out back by the dumpsters," Sam replied sarcastically.

His head tipped to the side thoughtfully before he shrugged and started walking back to where the garbage cans were hidden. Sighing, Sam followed behind dutifully.

They were both surprised to find she was there and most of the garbage was now spread out across the pavement.

"Uh... What are you doing?" Dean asked, brows scrunched up.

Her head popped up and tipped to the side with no embarrassment, just curiosity. "Weren't you two leaving?"

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. "We were... but then my brother here realized he hadn't thanked you," Sam replied.

"You're welcome. Have a nice trip," she replied before disappearing back into the garbage can.

"So... You, uh, hang out here often?" Dean asked, shifting on his feet uncomfortably.

Sam muffled a laugh with his hand, turning his head away as his older brother glared at him.

She came back up, lifting a brow at him. "No... Do you often hang around to chat with women in garbage cans?"

He chuckled. "No," he admitted, shaking his head.

"Hm, well, glad I could be your first," she replied, mischief twinkling in her eye. "But I'm in the middle of something... rather... important," she said, before suddenly yanking something out and tossing it to the ground. Dean stared at the bike handlebars for a moment before looking back up at her.

"And that would be?"

She sighed, blowing her hair out of her face and staring at him a moment. "You ask a lot of questions."

"And you wouldn't if you were standing where I am?"

She smiled, shrugging her shoulder. "You got me there." She rested her arms on the side of the dumpster. "This is part of my job. There's a local here that frequents this restaurant and my source says that he and his cohorts write back and forth on napkins over breakfast so they don't reveal any of their plans verbally." She lifted a shoulder. "Best lead I've had in three months. Mob boss, killer, drug deals, same old, same old." She disappeared back into the dumpster. "So if you'll excuse me," she said, her voice muffled. "I really need to get back to work."

"So you're an investigator? Reporter? What?" Dean asked, lifting a brow.

"An investigative reporter," she told him, lifting her head once more. "Chloe Sullivan, nice to meet you."

"Chloe Sullivan?" Sam repeated. "As in the Pulitzer Prize winning reporter?"

She grinned, nodding her head.

Sam grinned widely. "I read your piece on-"

"Sammy," Dean interrupted, shaking his head. He turned back to her, smiling as she looked at him with thinly veiled amusement. "So when you're done digging in garbage, then what do you do?"

"Depends on what I find," she said, shrugging a shoulder.

"You think you have time for lunch?" he asked, lifting a brow, smiling charmingly.

She snorted. "I gave you back your wallet, remember? You have nothing to buy lunch with."

He sighed, looking over at his brother, who lifted his shoulder as he nodded. He glared at him, trying to think of another way to get her attention.

"Uh hah!" she exclaimed, suddenly appearing from behind the steel trash can walls.

"What'd you find?" Sam asked eagerly, looking intrigued.

Chloe grinned at him. "One leather belt," she said, tossing it over to Dean, who caught it easily. She winked. "You might want to try a better class of woman."

"I'm trying," he muttered.

She laughed richly and he felt his gut clench at the musical sound. "I'm standing waist deep in a dumpster and you still want to ask me out?" She shook her head, unconvinced. "How much did he bet you?"

"What? That's just-"

"Twenty bucks," Sam interrupted, receiving another glare from his brother.

She nodded before suddenly climbing out of the garbage can and wiping her hands on her jeans. She looked up at Dean and lifted her shoulders. "Well, you are broke. It's the least I can do."

He stared at her a moment in surprise. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "Just let me shower and I'll meet you here in... An hour?"

He nodded mutely, surprised by her candor.

She smiled, turning toward Sam. "Sorry."

He grinned good-naturedly. "You can always change your mind. I'll gladly take you to lunch so we can discuss that article of yours on-" He stopped, frowning as he felt Dean's hand collide with his head.

"Dude, stop hitting on my date!" Dean told him.

Chuckling, Chloe walked off, shaking her head as she waved back at them.

Sam sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he looked sidelong at his brother. "Well that should be interesting."

Dean nodded. "She's cute, right?" He grinned.

Sam rolled his eyes, starting to walk away.

"What?" Dean walked after him. "I think she likes me."

Shaking his head, Sam laughed.

Dean rubbed his hands together. If she looked half as good as she did covered in garbage, he was happy.

Looked like karma was on his side and he definitely wasn't complaining.