Chapter 6: Broken

"What?" I asked the doctor, as if I hadn't heard the doctor the first time. This couldn't be real…

"I'm sorry Miss Bray, but your wind pipe was almost crushed and you are still very weak. We are afraid that you won't be able to dance at your performance and it may be a while until you have the strength to perform at all." She told me.

I just took a deep breath and stared at the wall. After a few minutes she left and I was alone. There was so much anger inside of me and so much pain. Dancing was my life. It was my dream and the only thing I had after everything in my life left me. And now they didn't even know when I would be able to do it again. I picked up a mug that was sitting on the night stand thing and threw it hard against a wall.

"Woah… most people are normally happy when they get told they can leave the hospital." Sam said from the doorway. Dean was with him.

"I was until I found out I can't dance in the show that is in two days, and they don't even know when I will be strong enough to perform at all. My career just got thrown down the drain…" I told them.

"Charly, I'm sorry." Sam replied. I just shrugged and stood up.

"Nothing you can do about it so there is no use in apologizing. Wait… why are you two still here anyways? After you came by yesterday I thought you said you were leaving…" I asked them.

"We decided to stay an extra day in case you needed help or something…" Dean said, never looking me in the face.

"Well thanks for the incredibly kind gesture but I will be ok on my…" I was going to finish but my knees buckled underneath me and I fell forward. Dean caught me and helped me back up. Our eyes met for a second and for once in two days there was no awkwardness there. Just something that I would guess was pure attraction.

"Thanks…" I muttered as I pulled away.

"Let us give you a ride. Its freezing outside and you don't need to walk." Sam said. I just smiled some and nodded.

"Ok… fine." I said and we headed to their car. The ride was filled with uncomfortable silence. Poor Sam didn't know what was going on… but the entire ride I had been thinking about what I could do now that I wasn't able to dance.

There was getting a job, but the only thing I was qualified to do was perform. I never went to school for anything else. But then there was hunting… I was qualified to do that… but even though I knew how to handle demons and upper level stuff didn't mean I ever had. I mean that spirit was the most powerful thing I had ever fought and I didn't do a good job. In fact I almost died. Sure I was unprepared, but that could very well happen again.

Then another idea came to me. John… maybe he knew something I could do… I don't think Sam and Dean would be too thrilled if I called him while I was with them. But I needed something, something that would keep me going and living.

"I think we should wait until dark to head out, just in case." Dean said.

"Trying to be a hero now are we?" I joked. It may have sounded a little mean.

"We just want to make sure that you can get everything you need before we go." Sam said interjecting.

"Fine… whatever you want but I happen to be just…" Once again I fell. This time no one caught me. I groaned and got back up on my feet. "I'm just fine."

"Yeah I can see that." Dean said smirking. I rolled my eyes and went back to my room.

"I have a call to make!" I yelled before shutting the door.

I dialed his number and let it ring. After a while he picked up.

"Hey Charly… how are the boys?" John asked.

"Wait… how did you know they were here?" I replied.

"I talked to Dean a couple days ago… and he told me what happened to you. How could you be so unprepared? After everything I taught you…" He started.

"Look, I had other things on my mind. And Sam and Dean? They are just great… Sam is a sweetheart and Dean well…. He… well, I assumer you know how he is normally so he is just fine." I told him. He laughed a little.

"What about you? Feeling ok?" He asked. I sighed and told him about how I couldn't dance anymore and I didn't know what to do and that I wanted to hunt more but didn't know if I could do it.

"Charly, you are capable of it. But not by yourself just yet. If you can't perform then I want you to go with Sam and Dean on the road. They could always use an extra hand and it could help you learn more and eventually be able to be on your own." He told me.

"But John… I don't want to… I mean I can't just…" I didn't want to tell him the real reason I didn't want to travel with them.

"No, I will talk to them. But you are going. Case closed. If you want to be a stronger hunter and have nothing more to do, then you are going. Case closed." He said.

"Ok… I'll do it." I said quietly. We said our goodbyes and hung up. I took a deep breath and fell back onto my bed.

I probably needed to start packing.

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(Dean's POV)

About ten minutes after Charly disappeared into her room, dad called.

"Dad? What is it? Did you find it?" I asked.

"No Dean, this is about something else. This is about Charly. She can't perform, and that was the only thing grounding her. Now she needs something new, something to keep her going. She is a good hunter, she hasn't faced anything big before but she knows how to… but she can't go out on her own yet. So, I want her to go with you two. That way she can learn more and get stronger." He told me.

"What? But she… I mean…" I couldn't really tell him the real reason I didn't want her to come.

"But nothing… she wasn't to thrilled either but she is going and that's final." He ordered.

"Yes sir." I replied and we hung up.

"Charly! Start packing!" I yelled. She walked out of her room with a frown.

"I guess he called huh?" She asked.

"Yeah…" I said a little reluctantly.

"Look it wasn't my idea… but I guess I don't have a choice… and I'm not to thrilled about it either." She told me.

"Let's just get you packed so we can leave ok?" I said quietly. She nodded and went back into her room.

The truth… I liked Charly. Even if she did have a bad temper and couldn't stand me. There was something about her that I couldn't quite put my finger on and it made me feel something for her. I just wished she felt the same way. And now that she was going with us, I had another person to worry about keeping safe. For now, her safety came first… even if I had to hide how I was really beginning to feel.

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(Charly's POV)

I was attracted to Dean. I felt something for him and I didn't like admitting it to myself even so there was no way I would admit it to anyone else. I had to hide it and I hated that. But I wasn't going to let him know, I couldn't. Especially now that I was going to have to be with him twenty four seven. Sure, he may be cocky, sarcastic and totally self indulged… but I felt something for him. And I didn't know if I liked it or not.

We left that night. I had to pack lightly which was challenging at first, but I got it sooner or later. I told my land lord I was moving and he said my apartment would be on sale with in a week. And then we left, leaving Chicago behind us.

"So where are we going again?" I asked from the back seat.

"Umm…" Sam started

"Well…" Dean continued.

"Guys… seriously… where?" I repeated.

"We have to go to New York…" Dean said quietly. I took in a deep breath and then exhaled.

"Well ok then…" I replied.

Home… we had to go to my old home. Where I grew up and spent the majority of my life. The place where my family was killed. And I had to go back there. This was one journey that was going to be a hell of a ride….