Hopeless

The Impala is cramped, especially with four of us in it. Sam drives and Cas sits like the good little soldier he is in the passenger seat, his back straight. Dean sits behind the driver's seat and I keep tucked in his side.

"But how could she be back?" I ask Cas, who refuses to take his eyes off the road.

"I do not know, Charlie. It does not make any sense to me. I have never heard of an angel returning, with their full grace that is."

"Maybe she doesn't have her grace," I say quietly, my hand resting on Dean's thigh. "Maybe when she died, she went the other way, instead of going back up."

"Char, are you suggesting that your mother, an angel, went to hell after she was killed?" Sam asks, his eyes not veering from the path the headlights make in front of the car. I smile at the nickname he uses. Char. I like it. Suits me. Dean's hand strokes my hair absentmindedly.

"I don't know, maybe. Is it even possible?" I ask, my words directed at Castiel.

"I can ask the garrison, but they might not even have an answer, Charlie. I cannot promise answers."

Silence settles over the car and Dean yawns. I twist and look up at him, my head resting in his lap.

"Are you okay?" I ask tentatively, my hand tracing the outline of his lips.

"As long as you're okay, I'm okay, Char," he replies, brushing a piece of my hair out of my eyes.

"Don't avoid the question, Dean. Answer me."

"I'm fine, Charlie. Don't worry about me. I'm just tired."

I sit up and push myself across the bench seat. I grab his coat sleeve and pull his head into my lap.

"Sleep, Dean," I say quietly, running a hand through his hair. His eyelids slip shut and he tangles his fingers in mine. Rain suddenly pounds on the hood of the Impala, making Dean jump.

"Calm down." I smile and Sam turns around to look at me. "Eyes on the road, Sammy." He gives me a hard look and I raise an eyebrow. "Exactly where are we going, Sam?"

"Bobby's. He's got that panic room, remember?"

"Vaguely," I reply, playing with a button on Dean's coat. "But why there?"

"Maria will not be able to get inside, Charlie," Cas says, his voice low, but sure. "As long as you are in there, you cannot be touched. Stop the car, Sam."

His words make me jump and I lean over to peer over Sam's shoulder.

"What in the hell?" I whisper. Sam starts to move, but I clamp my hand down on his shoulder. "Don't move, Sammy."

Dean sits up, staring at the same spot as the three of us.

"Who the hell is she?" Dean asks, looking between the three of us for an answer.

"That," Cas says simply, leaning his head to one side. "Is Maria."

I get out of the car and Dean tries to follow me, but I push him back into the Impala.

"Stay put," I say. "I'll be fine."

I close the door and Dean stares at me through the glass with eyes like green ice. I straighten the edge of my leather jacket and walk towards the front of the Impala.

She looks exactly like me, her hair even the same shade of red. She turns and sets her grey eyes on mine.

"Charlie?" she says, incredulous. "Char, honey is that you?"

"Hi...Mom?"

"It's been too long, sweetheart."

"Apparently. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you, of course! I see you've got quite the entourage..." She nods towards me and I look over my shoulder.

Both Sam and Dean have gotten out of the car. Sam has a shotgun in his hand, Dean the same. Cas is still sitting solitary in the passenger seat, his eyes glued to Maria.

"Get back in the car," I say through gritted teeth. "Now, Dean."

"Oh, they're not going anywhere, Charlie," Maria says in a singsong voice. I whirl, my attention turning towards her again. She's twirling Sam's gun in her hand and my jaw drops as her grey eyes cloud with black, even the whites looking like bottomless pits. "And neither are you, honey bunch."

I try to move, but find myself rooted to the spot. I twist my neck to look over my shoulder and find Sam and Dean in the stuck in the same position I am.

"You bitch," I sneer, looking back at Maria.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth, sweetie?"

"Nope; never have, never will," I say with an overly sweet smile. Dean chuckles and I raise my eyebrow. "What now, Mommy? Just gonna leave us here?"

"Oh no. I'm going to kill your little Winchesters, Charlie. Then I'm going to melt the flesh off your bones and send you to hell, baby."

"Can I ask you a question?" I ask, glancing at my feet. While Sam and Dean are still rooted to the spot, Maria's 'magic' seems to have worn off of me.

I can move.

"Sure, honey. Guess a few explanations are in order."

"Alright then. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want me dead? What did I ever do?"

"You didn't do anything, sweetheart. Well, that's a lie, actually. You fell in love with the wrong person, honey. Dean Winchester should be dead, rotting in hell where you should be, too. I almost had you, Char. Almost. Then your little angel buddy came along and ripped you out of my grasp. Brought you back here. Back up to your adopted human parents... Back to where Crowley ruled. For a while, that is. Now look at us."

"What does this have to do with Sam and Dean?"

"Your boys there, they sealed your fate."

"How?"

"Sam pushed Lucifer and Michael into the pit, honey. And they're not very happy. Let's just say, if I told them that I could get you, Sam, and Dean back into the pit, I had a little bit of leverage..."

"Leverage?"

"They think of you, Charlie, as the reason Sam and Dean threw them into the cage. You're first on their take-down list, but that's pretty high up, especially when we're talking about Mikey and Lucy. Sam and Dean have the spots right after you. But hey, I'm doing you a favour, Dean," she says, talking towards Dean instead of me. "I can send you back to hell in Char's arms, rather than have Michael or Lucifer drag you down, which they inevitably will if I don't send you back now."

"You are a terrible liar, Maria. Just like Charlie," he chuckles, but I know he's right. I am a terrible liar. Look at what happened with Crowley. I glance back over my shoulder.

Cas is gone.

"Shit," I mutter. I turn my head back towards Maria and choke.

"Eyes up here, Charlie," she says, a giant smile on her face. Sam lies motionless at her feet, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Dean stands writhing in her telepathic grasp.

"Let him go, Maria," I say through gritted teeth.

"Hmm, let me think about it, Char. No."

"Don't push me, bitch."

"Again with the swearing! You really have no respect for me, do you?"

"Hmm, let me think about it. No."

"Whoa! How the tables turn! I wouldn't be so mean, Charlie. You wouldn't want me to do this now, would you?"

Maria curls her hand into a fist and Dean howls. Blood blooms underneath his shirt and his face scrunches in pain.

"NO!" I yell and race forward. Maria looks caught off guard as I tackle her to the ground, my fist wailing into her cheek. I pull at her fingers, trying to release her fist.

"It's not that easy, Char," she grunts as my hand closes around her throat. "I fell. I'm all demon, Char. That makes you and me equal. You're not half angel anymore, sweet cheeks. Half crossroads, half demonic angel. Nothing but demon in the fine print. You're just as bad as I am. Just as conniving. Just as evil. Just as manipulative. Just as horrible as me."

"Don't listen to her, Charlie!" Dean yells, his voice stained with pain. "You're not like her!"

I wipe the tears from my eyes with my free hand and my hand clenches tighter around her throat. Dean screams again and I squeeze tighter. Someone grabs the back of my coat, pulling me off of her.

"No!" I yell, fighting against the strong hand.

"I will get rid of her, Charlie. Go to Dean. I will help in a second."

Castiel's voice is calm, which calms me down a notch. He tosses me towards Dean and I land on my feet, but fall to my knees next to his struggling form.

"Char!" he cries, grabbing at my coat. His eyes slip shut and I grab onto the front of his coat.

"You keep your eyes open, Dean! You stay with me! You are not going back downstairs. I won't let you! You are staying with me and Sam and Cas, alright? So keep your eyes open."

He obeys and I smash my lips onto his. It's the first kiss we've had in a year. His mouth parts gently under my own and he smiles. The wetness of his blood dissipates under my fingers and he pulls me on top of him. I lift my head and trail my hand down his face.

"You angel," Dean says with a smirk and I smile, kissing him again. I get to my feet and pull him up. He wraps his arms around me. Looking over my shoulder, he says; "No assistance needed, Cas. Thanks."

I turn and see Cas helping a very bewildered Sam to his feet. I look around for Maria, but find no trace of her.

"Where is she, Cas?" I ask, frantic.

"Hell. She will be back, though. We need to get you to Bobby's."

"Sir yes sir," Dean says with a smirk.