WHY
"Charlie Bradbury" was not, and never had been her real name. It was an alias she had chosen for herself when she had come to work for SucraCorp. As usual, it was taken from one of her favourite writers and from another of her favourite writers' female characters.
The fact that said character created mayhem with her talents, she felt, fit well with her skills as a hacker.
For months, life limped along. Then Dick Roman himself approached her, making demands and dropping innuendo that made her skin crawl.
And then – there they were. Two brothers who showed her the truth and sucked her into a world she never knew existed. It was an exciting and terrifying whirlwind as she helped them.
But the price was a badly broken arm and having to create yet another new identity.
"Carrie Heinlein" drifted for awhile, until her arm healed and she could figure out what to do with herself. After that, she found a good job in a decent-sized town - perfect for anonymity.
Until she found Moondor. Within a year, she had risen through the ranks of the LARP community to become the Queen of the Moon.
She was having the time of her life, running her corner of the Kingdoms, preparing for the conflicts and proving to herself that she really could do anything.
Suddenly three of her lieutenants went mysteriously missing within two weeks. She puzzled over it, wondering what was going on – until she looked up from giving a post-challenge speech to find the Winchester brothers – in full FBI regalia – looking steadily at her.
And Charlie re-emerged from "Carrie", feeling her heart beginning to pound as she realised her missing men were more than likely dead.
And not from anything natural.
She talked to the brothers, then Sam went to do research on what was going on – leaving her alone with Dean.
Charlie quickly found herself in the strange position of being "Sister Confessor" while Dean changed his clothing. How did I wind up here? she found herself thinking. Why me? Why can he talk to me like this?
But then something Dean said struck her, and she gave her honest opinion before she could censor herself. "Wait – you sent Sam a phantom text from his ex? Dick move, sir!"
"Yeah, not my finest hour," came the resigned sigh from behind the screen and her friend came out – finally dressed like he belonged in Moondor. They talked for a few minutes more, then headed out.
As they walked, they talked, teased and chuckled. Charlie looked over at a grinning Dean, and felt a grin of her own spread.
She finally understood 'why her'. Why Dean trusted her enough to tell her everything.
They were alike – Dean and Sam and Charlie. Somehow, they had found each other.
Somehow, the outcasts had formed a family.
END