Title: A Means to No End

Author: OpheliacAngel

Pairings: Charlie Bradbury/Dorothy Baum

Genres: Romance/Friendship

Rating: Teen

Summary: Charlie was trapped in a world of gray, a realm of pulsating, screaming souls that voiced her name shrilly. The red of her hair had been washed out, and her features did not feel like her own. The first word that came to her lips was that of a girl she had only met hours prior. A girl who was the center of Charlie's voiceless prayers. Spoilers for 'Slumber Party.'

A/N: Written for Femslash Fest Autumn 2014 for Weiryn. Hope you enjoy!

Charlie really liked Dorothy.

Oh great, I totally need another distraction in my life right about now.

Dorothy was tough and determined, intelligent and beautiful, and while she more blunt than most, in ways that Charlie often didn't appreciate, at least she was honest and didn't treat Charlie like a means to an end. There was adventure and fantasy in Dorothy's world, things Charlie had been longing for her entire life. It was scary at times, with the Wicked Witch breaching the Bunker and threatening their lives, but there was no fear in Dorothy's eyes and it made Charlie feel strong and unafraid.

If Dorothy only knew how much she was changing Charlie, how strong she wanted to be around the fantastical woman and how strong that mere desire made her. Everything Charlie wished for happened, the absence of fear and the need to prove her bravery.

And then, somehow, that bright, blinding light disintegrated to gray.

Where the hell am I?

Dorothy wasn't here, not her dark hair or her dark eyes, not that mischievous smile or determined gaze. She had only just met Dorothy and already her voice was permanently in her head, as if she had known the girl her entire life. In a way she had, but only in a book. And the book Dorothy was nothing like the real Dorothy. 'Find some way out of this, Charlie. You can do this.'

Charlie wasn't so sure, but she didn't dare answer Dorothy with a protest or derogatory comment. Dorothy sounded so sure and it made Charlie sure, sure of herself, sure of a way out. Even if there wasn't one. She chuckled uncomfortably, and then the world around her darkened to a harder gray.

She was trapped in a world of gray, a realm of pulsating, screaming souls that voiced her name shrilly. The red of her hair had been washed out, and her features did not feel like her own. The first word that came to her lips was that of a girl she had only met hours prior. A girl who was the center of Charlie's voiceless prayers.

Dorothy?

'I'm here.'

It was just that pesky voice in her head, because she wanted Dorothy to be there, even if she didn't know where she exactly was. I'm screwed, aren't I? I'm... I could be dead. So where does that leave me? If I'm dead is this... could this be heaven? No. She shook her head, heaven wasn't gray and dark and there wouldn't be faces floating around with no heads, bodies drifting around her and circling closer to her, bodies with no limbs and mouths opened in ridiculous o's that filled Charlie's entire world.

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened to scream, but something stopped her.

She closed her eyes and pictured Dorothy's smile, the moment only ten minutes or maybe ten hours prior that Dorothy's hand had brushed against her own. Maybe there was a chance, a chance to go back and make it something more.

Because if Charlie got back, if she made it back to the real world then she was going to sweep Dorothy off her feet and give her the greatest kiss known to mankind, or at least, so Charlie didn't have to feel so bad if it wasn't the greatest, one of the greatest. She could do that, right? Charlie could definitely live up to that.

Charlie tried to move but merely floated in place. The faceless things weren't screaming her name anymore, but they were whispering it in a sort of chant. Their voices waged briefly with Dorothy's, but with a little bit of concentration Charlie was able to block out reality and picture herself in a sort of embarrassing fan-girlish conversation with her, and it was that embarrassment and over-excitement that sent Charlie to an entirely different place.

She was home.

The fireplace was raging with light and fire, and the lights on the small Christmas tree in her living room were sparking so brightly that Charlie's heart filled near to bursting. Christmas. Christmas with her family. There she was, curled up on the rug beside her mother, adding the last few handmade ornaments to the bottom branches of the tree. Her father was sitting in an armchair reading 'The Grinch' and a younger version of herself listened avidly, reciting some of the parts.

This was her best memory, and she couldn't help but smile and sit down a foot away from her younger self. She had to be around ten, two years before the accident. Charlie choked back sobs as she realized this but the tears still ran freely down her cheeks, dampening her hair. Her tears were of happiness and simultaneous sorrow, at all she had had and all that she had lost. She hadn't wanted to remember this night, but she knew now that she had needed to. Had needed to experience this one more time before moving on.

'Are you ready to come back now?'

She gasped, jumping when Dorothy appeared beside her, warm shoulder brushing against her own chilled one. The clothes she had on strangely weren't her own, but Dorothy only smiled at her as if nothing was wrong - nothing ever seemed to be with her - and took off her jacket, throwing it over Charlie's shoulders.

Before Charlie could pull the jacket tighter around her and breathe in the smell of the other girl, the memory fell apart around her and she was suddenly on the floor, struggling to open her eyes, feeling as if she hadn't had them open in years.

It was all a blur for some time after that, but she had no reason not to trust Dean as he claimed she had merely been knocked out and had most likely dreamed the entire thing. Charlie shivered, grateful that the gray world she had first been taken to was only a figment of her imagination. If that place was real she didn't want to know what those things were.

Of course, her life was never that easy.

"Charlie, you died. Don't worry about it, though. You're not a real Hunter until you've died and come back again."

Not a real hunter, huh? Guess that sounds about right. It doesn't make any of this any easier though.

She understood why Dean had lied to her, but that didn't mean she had to like it or not want to demand further answers. She knew that there was something Dean didn't want Sam to know, and while she felt wrong not telling Sam, she also didn't want to get involved between the two brothers.

What's dead should stay dead. Where had she heard those words? And why did she feel dread?

Dorothy said those words so lightly, as if Charlie should just forget everything and move on. But moving on felt like betraying herself, it felt like giving up humanity for something much worse. On the up side, Dorothy had sounded happy, uplifted and genuinely glad that Charlie was alive.

How was she supposed to read her? Did it even matter?

"I... I guess," Charlie stuttered, shaken by the fact of her death even though if she had stayed dead she could have remained with her family. Being dead seemed worse to her somehow, bringing with it unfinished business. She was still too young to die and stay dead, and if that was a complaint then so what? She hadn't even had her own adventure yet, so she was not ready to say goodbye yet.

At least Dorothy had told her the truth.

"It's okay to have unfinished business, right?" Charlie ran her fingers through her hair distractedly, trying to straighten it. Gray still seemed to cling to the tips.

Dorothy looked at her strangely, and she opened her mouth but Charlie couldn't let her answer that. She had come back for one reason and one reason alone: that whole kiss thing. Oh god, it's really gonna happen now, isn't it?

Charlie didn't exactly sweep Dorothy off her feet, and she didn't profess her love for her or anything like that either, but Dorothy's hand did grab her shoulder and grasp it tightly as Charlie kissed her hard and without restraint. It was a lot different than Charlie had pictured it to be; she had pictured it to be some epic and beautiful act that would change the world, or at least her, but instead the whole thing seemed small and intimate, a baby step in Charlie's life after almost-death.

It was way better than Charlie's predetermined expectations.

She pulled away before she ran out of breath, fingers struggling to untangle her hair again. "Sorry, that was way... way too much too soon, wasn't it? I must be out of my head. It's perfectly fine if you just ignore me and pretend the last ten seconds never happened."

"Shut up," Dorothy smirked, and Charlie realized then that her hand was still on her shoulder, grasping her tightly, eyes brimming with intent. Charlie gulped as Dorothy brought her nose inches within Charlie's own, kissing her cheek gently, causing an odd tingling sensation that made Charlie think of the heat from the fire in her memory again. Was this a denial of intimacy and evidence of friendship, were Charlie's eyes still clouded or did Dorothy actually seem nervous?

Huh?

"Don't explain. I like it when you're awkward and all, but you're also cute when you just relax."

Charlie smiled and blushed. "Does this mean that you're into me, or should I just not get my hopes up anymore? Cause I'm totally into the take it slow thing, but if you're not into me then you can let me down now," she cringed slightly. "While it doesn't hurt as much."

Dorothy snorted and put her hands on her hips, tilting her head slightly to examine her. "What do you think, genius? I may be a woman of the past, but that doesn't mean I don't think red-heads are cute."

She's coming onto me, she's totally coming onto me.

And Charlie's totally gonna roll with it.

FIN