Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

Random Encounter

Charlie saw the girl walking down the street ahead of her around noon. Black leather jacket, black jeans, black duffel over her shoulder, scuffed boots, and wild black hair. But it wasn't her attire, or general aura of "don't mess with me" that caught and kept the hacker's attention focused on her.

It was the way she walked. Charlie knew that walk. She'd taught herself to take those same steps after her first few months on the street. It was the brisk walk of a person who wasn't about to show the world her weakness. Tightening her grip on her grocery bag, Charlie picked up her pace to come up to the girl. "Hey there," she said brightly. "You new in town?"

"Just came in." Silvery eyes looked up at Charlie, beautiful and haunted and just a little tired, but wary nonetheless. "I'm doing all right."

"What's your name?"

"Ba - Paula." The reply was unrehearsed, the slip unintentional. Clearly the girl hadn't practiced her lie enough. "I'm Paula."

Purposely ignoring the slip-up, Charlie shook her hand. "I'm Charlie."

"Charlie?" She gave Charlie a strange gaze, eyebrows slightly furrowed as if in thought. "Dean talked about you... Charlie Bradbury?"

That admission told Charlie a number of things. The girl knew Dean, and since she knew Dean wouldn't willingly give up Charlie's name, that meant this girl had to be something supernatural. Her mind started going through every possibility, from shapeshifter to Leviathan to demon to siren (because now that she was looking, the girl was actually really quite a looker). A plan came to mind quickly enough, so Charlie acted on it.

"Well Paula," she said with a winning smile, "I've got a couch you can crash on for a couple hours, if you're only passing through. And some food."

As soon as they crossed the threshold of Charlie's apartment, the hacker dropped her bag on the wall bureau and grabbed the salt shaker and squeeze bottle of holy water. Paula yelped as Charlie threw salt in her face and squirted her with the squeeze bottle, cursing as they stung her eyes, but her skin didn't blister or burn. Undaunted, Charlie grabbed the iron poker by the door and raised it threateningly. "Not another step!"

"Cool your engine! I'm not a demon, Charlie!"

"Well you're definitely not human," Charlie said, not lowering her poker. "What are you?"

"I'm Baby." Coughing and spitting, the girl wiped her eyes clear of liquid and clarified, "Dean Winchester's Impala."

"Bullshit."

"I can prove it." Turning around, she shucked off her jacket and pulled up her shirt hem to reveal the small of her back. "My license plate should be right there. CNK 80Q3."

Charlie knew that, and when she saw the numbers, she knew it was legit. Sure, she'd come across some Supernatural fans (weird people, not that she could talk) with the same tattoo, but this one looked more like a birthmark. She lowered her weapon warily. "Say you are the Impala. Did Dean Transfigure you or is it somebody else's handiwork?"

The Impala gave her a clueless look. "Transfigure? What's that?"

"Hogwarts course? Harry Potter?" When there was no response to either, Charlie whistled. "Geez, what did they do, hide you under a rock?"

Baby scowled, averting her eyes to glare at the floor. "Pretty much."

Clearly there's a story here. But Charlie knew she wouldn't get anywhere being tough. Baby was probably as prickly and defensive as Dean was. So instead she said, "Sorry about the salt and water bath. Can't be too careful."

"I understand," Baby said, now ruffling her hair into some semblance of order. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"You're a long way from home." If she came from the bunker, over nine hundred miles away from home. "Dean know where you are?"

"No." A hard look made Baby's eyes glitter like diamonds. "But I'm not going back. And I'm not gonna call. I said I wouldn't unless I was ready, and you can't make me."

Yup, just like her owner. Charlie held up her hands in a pacifying motion. "I get it, and I wouldn't make you. I just wanna know what made you run from Kansas to here."

Baby dropped down into a chair and proceeded to tell the redhead about the encounter with Mitchell, how the boys forbade her from leaving the bunker, and her subsequent skipping out. Charlie listened and nodded at the appropriate times, secretly impressed with the girl's command of the exorcism and her temper in such a situation. After Baby finished, she raked her hair back and added, "I guess I shouldn't have run away, but I was so angry and I didn't know how else to make my point." Silver eyes looked up at Charlie anxiously. "You won't tell them I'm here, will you?"

"Not right now, no." In fact, Charlie sort of agreed with her. It sounded like the Winchesters had totally overreacted, but it was clear that it was because they had been scared for Baby. She explained it and added, "You understand that, right?"

"Yeeeaaah..." Now Baby looked guilty and ashamed, but her determination didn't wane. "But I won't go back."

"So stay with me." Baby gave her a surprised look, and Charlie nodded excitedly. "Trust me, it'll be fun. We'll get you some real-world experience, level you up so you can mingle with the mundanes. Girls' week. But first things first." Walking over to her entertainment center, she pulled out a handful of DVDs and displayed the titles. "Harry Potter marathon, then LotR. We need to start this slumber party right and get you some geek points."

"I have no idea what you just said, but it sounds like fun," Baby confessed.

And now Charlie joins the fun!

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