The story takes place right after the season 10 finale, after Dean killed Death, the Mark of Cain was removed and Darkness was released into the world. I mentioned before, new characters will be added and thrown in the story and I will bring back several former characters from the show in the upcoming future.
Chapter 105 An Exchange
Dean and Sam felt quite in a dilemma, as they had Rowena right in their hands and thought they could finally have her taken care of once and for all, yet they had just learned that their nemesis had resurrected their friend Charlie who was more like a sister to them and whom they lost not too long ago before the Darkness was released when she was helping them and always felt guilt over her death. Now Rowena was giving them the chance to get her back, all they had to do was release her as the brothers knew she had the upper hand over them since they would do anything to get Charlie back, that is if it was true that Charlie was really back even if it meant cooperating with Rowena.
Rowena had giving them the ultimatum, Charlie in exchange for her freedom and Dean was the first to speak up.
"Hey, before we make any decisions, we want more proof that you have Charlie" he said.
Rowena just smirked again in her arrogant tone.
"Oh, sure by all means" she replied.
Then she turned to Castiel.
"If you look in my purse again you will find my iphone" she told him.
Castiel went got her purse dug his hand into it until he pulled out an iphone.
"Will you hand it to me please?" she asked him.
Castiel then went over to Rowena and gave her the iphone. Soon Rowena turned it on and started working on it. "As I recall, shortly after retrieving dear Celeste, I made a video tape of her just for your fellas as leverage just in case by chance you ever caught up to me and I needed proof of her presence" she explained as she finally clicked buttons until she found what she wanted and showed Dean and Sam the video she taped. The video was of Charlie dressed in a long-sleeve, green plaid shirt and dark jeans and it looked like they were in a motel. Charlie was just standing and looking right into the camera as Rowena's voice is heard in the background.
"Okay, Celeste darling, just greet Dean and Sam into the camera as you normally would if you saw them" Rowena is heard instructing.
Charlie just smiles into the camera and making a peace sign with two of her fingers of her left hand she says,"What sup bitches".
Dean and Sam just felt lumps in their throats realizing just how much they missed hearing that famous phrase from her. Then Rowena's voice spoke again off camera.
"Okay, now I want you to pick up that knife from off the bed and prove to them you're not a shapeshifter" she instructed.
With that, Charlie rolled up a sleeve of her left arm and walked over to the bed with a camera following her and she picked up a sharp knife laying on the bed for whatever reason with her right hand. Then she turned to face the camera and pulling her left arm out she started slicing her arm with the knife with her right hand. Red blood appeared dripping around her arm as Charlie just squinted her eyes obviously in pain from cutting her arm. She then stopped and just kept her left arm extended up to show off the cut she made with the red blood.
"Okay, Celeste that is enough" said Rowena's voice as Charlie placed her arm down.
Dean and Sam just kept on watching the video like they were glued to the tape screen as they couldn't take their eyes off to what they were seeing. Next, we hear Rowena's voice again giving Charlie more instructions.
"Now Celeste, I would like you say something first to Sam that only you two would know, then say something that you and Dean know into the camera" she told her.
Within moments Charlie obeyed like an obedient servant.
"Sam, I remember when you had called asked for my help in decoding the Book of Damn so we can find a way to help Dean get rid of the Mark of Cain. You confided in me that you loved hunting, how it had become your life, but you would no longer want to keep hunting if Dean wasn't around if he died or something. You were really scared of losing him because of that Mark and so was I" she said as Dean just turned to Sam and gave him a glare while Sam turned to Dean too feeling a bit awkward of him hearing what Charlie was saying.
Charlie then went on. "And Dean, I remember when you felt really bad about what you did to me or I say to evil Charlie. When I ended up with an arm cast and you know, but I told you I forgave you as I didn't blame you. I know it wasn't you in control it was that Mark that made you do what you did and I know evil Charlie provoked you. Either way, I know you would never hurt me on purpose and you felt really bad about it. I could relate, like when evil Charlie killed that guy, even though she did it, it felt like I did it and that I wasn't in control. It just made me even more determined to help you get rid of that Mark before it destroyed you, I wasn't going to let you go down the dark path as I or evil Charlie did" she finished.
Dean just stared with a touched look on his face, full of sorrow and sadness remembering that unfortunate day when he let the Mark of Cain take control and he winded up beating his dear friend nearly to a pulp breaking her arm in the process. He always hated himself for that and even now couldn't quite forgive himself even when both Charlie and Sam did. In fact, it made him even more sad that Charlie never blamed him for what happened.
"Okay now Celeste that will be all" said Rowena's voice and the tape finally stopped.
Both Dean and Sam were still silent both looked a bit sad and touched by what they heard as the memories of Charlie kept floating in their heads including when the horrible way they found her bloodied body in a bathtub of that motel.
"Oh, my God Dean, it's Charlie, it's really her, I mean she's alive and seems just like well herself" said Sam who was getting almost teary-eyed as Dean just kept silent with that same shocked and sad look on his face.
"Yes, no need to thank me" replied Rowena smugly.
"As much as I'm touched with this little reunion, this doesn't change a damn thing for me. The only thing I'm concerned with is collecting my dear mummy here and I have no attention of setting her free, not even for an old not so dead friend of yours" Crowley replied unsympathetically.
"Shut it Crowley!" Dean fired back.
Crowley was about to say something else but Castiel cut him off.
"I second that motion Crowley, please let Dean speak" he said and Crowley shut his mouth again if only just to humor them.
"Oh, Sam are you okay, I know this must be a shock for you" replied Gwen in a sympathetic tone.
"Yeah, I'm fine Gwen, I'm just a bit overwhelmed by all of this" Sam replied.
"I get it Sam, this is a lot to take in" she replied.
Ava walked over to Dean and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"How about you, how are you holding up after learning of this?" she asked him.
"I'm good Ava, but like Sam this is a lot to take in. All this time we thought we lost Charlie and it was all our faults, but it turns out she's been alive this for some time, and she's been globing around the world with Rowena of all people instead of with us" he told her.
"Hey, you should be thanking me instead of complaining, if it weren't for me you wouldn't have precious girl buddy back" Rowena said arrogantly.
However, Dean wasn't feeling all grateful in fact that remark just ticked him off even more.
"Thanking you, you basically brought her back to make her your personal slave, kept her away from us and now only told us about her so you can use her as a bargaining chip and save your own hide" Dean fired back angrily.
"Hey a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do in this world" Rowena said with no remorse.
"Boys, the important thing is that the dear friend who meant a lot to you both is alive and well even if she was brought back through evil, there is nothing anyone can do about that but now you two can have a second chance with her" said Madame Bess trying to be voice of reason.
"My grandmother's right you know, now you can reunite with your friend and start anew if possible" replied Gwen.
"Same here you guys, I mean I may not know this Charlie, but from what you guys told me of her she was very important to you and you both felt guilty over what happened to her but now she's alive again just like with me you can get her back" said Adam.
"Yes, I didn't know Charlie very well either, but what everybody else says sums it up for me too" said Castiel.
"You see dears, everybody else agrees, I brought back your precious friend, so instead of arguing with me over my motives I suggest you cooperate with me if you want to get her back" she replied.
"Not so fast Rowena, I still want more proof, we don't know when that tape was recorded and for all we know you probably ganked her yourself, I want to hear Charlie's voice" said Dean.
"Same hear" replied Sam.
Rowena just rolled her eyes out of frustration.
"Oh, very well give me the phone then" she said.
Dean then handed the iphone over to Rowena and she dialed a number and soon the phone started ringing a few times before a voice answered it. Rowena having the one on speaker so everybody could hear talked to the voice.
"Hello Madeleine" she said.
"Rowena, oh my I wasn't sure you or the others made it out of there" said the woman's voice.
"Well, unfortunately, the others didn't make it and I got what you can say captured" replied Rowena.
"Oh my are you okay?" asked Madeleine sounding very concerned.
"I'm doing what can be expected at the moment but I called to ask if you still have Celeste with you?" asked Rowena.
"Yes, she's right here with me, I mean after that ambush, I managed to get a car or I put a spell on some fella to make him give me his car and we just drove off" replied Madeleine.
"Good, but don't tell me where you are or heading too but I just want to let you know that I will meet you our little hideaway although I won't be alone I will be accompanied by two dear friends of mine, once you get there, just wait for our arrival with our dear Celeste" said Rowena.
"Sure thing, Rowena" replied Madeleine. Dean than gave Rowena a little poke on the arm and a little grunt noise reminding her of his demands.
"Oh, by the way Madeleine, will you please put Celeste on the phone" she told her.
"Alright Rowena" said Madeleine.
Within seconds they all heard Charlie's familiar voice.
"Hello" she said and Dean and Sam's hearts sunk again as upon hearing her voice over the iphone showing that she was still alive and well.
"Hello dear Celeste, I just called because I have a surprise for you" Rowena said.
"You do what is it?" asked Charlie.
"Well, Dean and Sam are here with me and they would like to talk to you, just to hear your voice as proof that your alive and it's really you. So, I want you to just speak with them as you normally would since you haven't not seen them in long while" she replied.
Then Dean leaned over to the iphone and spoke up.
"Hello Charlie" he said.
"Hey Dean, it's good to hear from you" she said.
It's good to hear from you too, Charlie" said Dean trying not to cry.
"Hey, how are you doing kiddo, are you okay?" he asked her.
"Yes, I'm good, Rowena has been treating me well, but I miss you guys" she told him.
"We miss you too kiddo, we haven't stop missing you" he said.
"I know you guys thought I was dead, but I know that made you sad and I'm sorry and all" replied Charlie.
"That's okay, we know that's not your fault" replied Dean as he glared at Rowena.
Sam couldn't take just being silent anymore finally reached over to talk on the phone.
"Hey, Charlie it's me Sam" he said as he too felt like crying.
"Sam! It's good hearing from you too" she said.
"Same here Charlie" he told her.
"Rowena told me that you got the notes I sent you and she was able to perform the spell to get rid of the Mark" she told him.
"Yes, you were a great help Charlie" said Sam.
"I'm just glad that I could help Dean finally get rid of that curse" she said.
"Yes, so am I, kiddo" you did good even though I didn't want you involved" Dean chimed in.
"It was my pleasure I would have anything for you guys" she replied.
"Well now it's our turn to help you and we are going to Charlie so hang in there" said Dean.
"I always do bitches" replied Charlie and Dean got even more teary-eyed hearing that usual name to them.
"Okay, okay times up" said Rowena as she pulled the iphone away from them.
"Okay Celeste now please put Madeleine back on the phone luv" she told her.
"Sure thing" said Charlie.
Then a few seconds later, Madeleine's voice was heard again.
"Rowena?" she replied.
"Madeleine, like I said before, just get to our little hideaway and the two of you wait for me and companions okay" Rowena instructed.
"Alright Rowena, will be seeing you soon" said Madeleine.
"You certainly will darling" replied Rowena with so much confidence.
"Bye for now dear" she replied before hanging up.
She then turned to Dean and Sam.
"Okay now satisfied fellas, you heard her voice yourselves and now know she's alive, now do we have a deal or not?" she asked them.
"How do we know this isn't a trap, after all you said it yourself, she's under your little slave spell?" Dean asked still not trusting Rowena.
"Once we got to our destination were Madeleine and Celeste will be waiting for us, I will be able to remove the spell and she will no longer be under my control" she said.
"And we should just trust you, I mean you double-crossed us before remember, and escaped and had us and the girls here transported away" Sam added.
"But you have this shackle around my neck to keep me under your control, you can leave it on until after I removed the spell, then me and Madeleine will be on our merry way and you can have your precious Celeste back" she told them.
"Her name is Charlie" Dean reminded.
"Well, she will always be Celeste to me" Rowena retorted back.
"You still haven't told us where this place is that you having her stashed" replied Dean.
"I will, once we get in the car the three of us, Madeleine and Celeste are on the way there right now, once we're on the road I tell you exactly where they are heading" Rowena said.
Dean and Sam just glared at each other and before any of them had chance to agree to her terms Crowley interrupted.
"I let you guys have your say just to humor you all but I'm afraid it is out of the question. No offense your friend but after all the trouble I had tracking down my dear mother here, I'm not about to set her free even to find your little gal pal, sorry boys no hard feelings but there will be no deal, my mum here is coming with me and nothing any of you can do to change my mind" he said in a stern tone.
"Hey boys, this is your chance to get your little friend back. You see, Madeleine knows that if she doesn't here from me again within 24 hours she is to take Celeste far away possibly out of the country if she had to and you may never see her again, so either take my deal or let my demon son her take me back to the pit and risk losing her all over again" Rowena cautioned.
Both Dean and Sam already knew what the option was at this time but the only thing how will they be able to make it.