It was a day unlike any other and Charlie got off to a bad start today.
She woke up feeling uneasy about today. Like something was off. Way off.
Last night they had figured out that the big badass spirit they were hunting had a weakness. His only daughter.
"We could draw him out with her." Dean had suggested as they sat around the small dinette table eating their crappy takeout.
"She's dead though." Sam said before he sipped his beer and then dug some more into his salad with some fries on the side. Bringing the fork to his lips he paused looking at Charlie. "What did she look like?"
Dean looked up at his brother noting that he was looking at Charlie. He glanced between the two. "No." Was Dean's simple, but strong answer.
"Why not?" Charlie had asked wanting to help out.
The fork in Dean's hand dropped to his tray of food as he looked hard at his girl. "You're a brunette. Ripkin's daughter was blond. You couldn't pass as her." He ended sending a hard cold look at Sam for putting the idea into her head.
A laughing huff emanated from Charlie, "Wow, Dean. You're funny. You don't know what wonders a blond wig can pull off do you?"
"I know what a blond wig can do. Believe me. But I also know what mishaps it can cause. SOOO…" Dean over pronounced his wording before Sam interjected.
"We all know it'd be the easiest way to draw him out. And at least it'd be Charlie, who whether you want to admit it or not; is a damn good hunter, rather than some other girl."
"Thank you, Sam." Charlie said patting his shoulder, then looking back to Dean. "Keep putting up the whole 'I'm the big macho decision maker around here' and making poor decisions, we'll disobey." Earning her a glare from Dean and a surprised look from Sam.
"Since we're talking about obvious things here,…" Dean leaned forward as he spoke. "lets talk about how disobeying can be a poor decision."
"Oh here we go." Charlie crossed her arms slumping back into her seat.
Dean ignored her as most he could saying, "If you two go off with you…" he pointed at Charlie, "in a blond wig, Ripkin would very easily rip you in half like has done to all his victims, but probably worse once he figures out you were pretending to be his daughter. So the answer remains NO!" he roared just about at the point of storming off in the Impala to calm down.
"Do you have another plan in mind?" Charlie asked not changing her posture.
Dean smirked smugly at her.
That was last night. Today, Charlie and Sam have no idea what Dean's plan is yet. He kept it to himself. They didn't like the way he'd snicker with a smirk and look away from them, keeping whatever he found funny to himself.
So maybe that uneasy feeling was because of Dean. But he's unpredictable all the time, so it's hard to pinpoint that out as what's bothering her.
The Winchesters and Charlie got up and ready to go out and find more on Ripkin's daughter. Just as they were about to leave, Dean told Charlie to stay behind. She was sitting the rest of the hunt out.
"What!" Charlie exclaimed. "I did most of the work on this case! I found the damn case! I should be able to finish it! NO! I am finishing it!" She tried to get past Dean, but he stopped her by standing in her way.
"Butterfly…trust me." His eyes darting back and forth searching her face for any sign of resignation.
She smiled sarcastically, "I'm finishing this case!" Then ducked under his arm.
Sam snickered, "You just had to get yourself a pistol didn't ya, Dean?"
"Shut up." Dean growled as he went to follow Charlie. He stopped her as she was about to slide into shotgun. "Charlie, listen to me." She turned to him with an unimpressed look, one foot in the Impala. "It's a lesson…"
"For what?" she challenged. "I didn't do anything wrong. In fact everything was going good on this case until last night. When you all of a sudden decided that I couldn't help draw out Ripkin."
"'Cause I don't want you to get hurt!" Dean yelled out in the cold morning air. Charlie heard the reverberations off the cinder block walls of the motel. "Not on my watch." he added practically in a whisper.
"We could get hurt on every case." She countered.
"Ripkin is a merciless spirit. A psycho one at that. There's no telling what he could do."
"Blah, blah, blah. I heard it all before Dean. You want me to trust you,…well I do trust you. Now how about you trust me a little huh?"
Though Dean didn't want to have her draw the spirit out it wasn't because he didn't trust her; he didn't trust the spirit. They've all gotten hurt on other hunts, but this spirit was literally a madman. If they got hurt from this one, it would probably have been a fatal injury. He abhorred the thought of his Butterfly seriously hurt. Her eyes on him made him nervous. "Fine." he grumbled and she peered up at his eyes.
"So you trust me?" she asked in a low, firm, not convinced tone.
"Yeah." Dean said plainly, then turned with a sideways glance over his shoulder at Sam. "Get in the car." Then he went around to the driver's side.
Sam came out from under the motel canopy with a face that silently asked if everything was alright and Charlie shrugged it off switching to the backseat. She really didn't feel like sitting right beside Dean at the moment.
As Dean reached the driver door he saw Charlie close the back passenger door and looked at Sam with a look that said 'Such a hard headed woman she is.'
Sam sighed. 'Great. Pissy company. Hooray for me. Your life sucks Sam Winchester.'
The tension was unbearable. No one talked and kept their thoughts to themselves by awkwardly looking out the windows at the scenery that was no longer amusing after they passed it the first time.
They got to the local library, but after 6 grueling hours, a sneezing fit from dusty catalogs of information, and a few coffee runs Charlie got bored.
"You know what,…I'm bored and I think we looked through everything here. So don't know about you boys, but I need a break from this." she explained as she stood and put her coat on, one that she had borrowed from Dean and never gave back.
"Whoa, where are you going?" Dean asked as Sam kept his nose buried in a book, not wanting to get between them.
"Slow your roll and trust me. I just need to restock on some things from the store. Find anything give me a call." Charlie replied bored.
Walking down the small town's sidewalks was the weirdest thing ever. It seemed like everyone knew she was just passing through town, but they didn't have to be so rude about it. For when she walked by they'd stare holes into her. It felt something like a huge ass neon sign blinked above her head. Or she were the color purple or some other absurd color.
A kid riding his bike had stopped riding down the walk about a half block from her. He just glared at her as she walked closer and eventually past him.
She never felt so uneasy in her life, at least not like she did now.
Charlie walked past some houses before she came across a few shops. There was a grocery store, a candle shop, a book store, and a small thrift shop. She figured a stop in each one would help pass the time.
Grocery store was first since she needed some supplies from there anyway. Among items to get were: toothpaste, some feminine supplies because asking Dean to get them was something she never wanted to do again…she smiled.
'He's such a dork sometimes…okay a lot of the time.'
She also grabbed some plain pencils to hold over until they came across a art supplies store and could get real drawing pencils. She grabbed a few other things and made her way to the cashier. The girl behind the counter seemed like someone who would have been her friend back home, but she looked at Charlie like all the other people have…creepy. So she didn't for one second feel bad about handing over the fake credit card. These people could use some manners.
Next stop was the candle shop. She really didn't plan on buying anything. Just wanted to browse and smell some of the candles. But she couldn't resist the cute candle holder of a cartoon dragon laying on it's stomach looking to the sky as if daydreaming. She got a random scented candle to go along with it. Again the check out person stared at her and didn't have any manners, so she again handed over the fake credit card with no remorse.
The third stop in the book store was the same exact way. Except the owner was a lot meaner than the others she had encountered in the town. So she simply walked out of the book store while he was in the middle of ringing up her purchase.
She hadn't originally dreaded this last stop at the thrift shop, but after the previous stops she suddenly did. She walked into the small shop and was surprisingly greeted by music that made her proud. Classic southern rock. Charlie sighed a little happier than before she walked in.
A woman a couple of years older than her walked out to the main area of the shop and greeted her with a "Hey honey! Welcome! Come on in!"
Charlie walked further into the shop taking note of the atmosphere of the place. It was right up her alley. Punky rock with leather, chains and classic rock band t-shirts customized probably by the owner because she wore one. This place seemed like the cute little thrift shop back home that her friend owned. She spent a lot of time there in her teenage years.
"You have no idea how glad I am to have walked into this place." Charlie said to make some friendly conversation as she set her bags by the front counter.
"Cheryl." the owner stuck her hand out with a smile. "I get that a lot when outsiders visit here."
"Charlie." the hunter replied shaking Cheryl's hand with a smile. "If you don't mind my asking, what's up with the people in this town?"
"I've been asking myself the same question since I moved here a few years back. They still treat me the same way." Cheryl forced a smile. "What can I help you with?"
"Just browsing really. Trying to waste some time."
"Hear that you and those two good-looking guys have been asking about old man Ripkin."
Charlie felt somehow trapped, but put up the charade that the Winchesters decided would work on this small town. "Yep. They're writing an article as a part of their book called 'Supernatural…Happenings.'" Charlie said feeling stupid for actually putting a title to it. It's not like these people actually cared about it.
"What's it about?" Cheryl asked seemingly interested as she tugged a box from in a small storage closet and started setting the items out on a display.
"Well,…" she took in a breath of air to think of something. She never actually thought about the supposed book that they 'wrote'. "it's pretty much a collection of haunted places that we visit and get background on. Separating fact from myth."
"What do you do in this whole process? Inspect the town's shops?" Cheryl joked as she tossed a shirt. "Keep it."
The shirt landed across Charlie's shoulder. "What?" she asked picking the shirt off of her.
"What's your job in writing 'Supernatural Happenings'?" Cheryl asked.
"Photography, but I was talking about the shirt." Charlie said walking closer to Cheryl laying it on the counter.
"Keep it." Cheryl chuckled.
"Why?"
"A friendly favor. And because honestly, you're the first customer I've had in a long time. The other people in this town keep scaring my customers away." Cheryl explained getting agitated with the town's residents. "So anything you want feel free to take." She smiled.
Charlie was completely dumbfounded. If anything she should be shoving the stuff at her for a butt load of money in return. "…What's the catch?"
The thrift shop owner brought her hand up to her face inquisitively. "Hmmm,… keep me company for an hour."
Thinking it wasn't a bad idea, Charlie agreed since she had nothing better to do really. Sam and Dean would call if they needed anything or found something about the hunt. "Sure."
The two young women chatted straight away about rock bands, their trivial moments of childhood, movies they like (scary), and their men.
Cheryl made Charlie laugh with how her boyfriend mooned the mayor of the town at his birthday celebration. Likewise Charlie made Cheryl laugh telling of how Dean made his first tampon run.
"So he comes back from the store and he…" Charlie paused remembering his face. "He was just so… happy? No, that's not the word. I can't think of a word, but he was just smiling from ear to ear, very pleased with himself and laughing hysterically. I asked what was so damn funny and he just says 'There was a sausage fest in town and… I told them I love my pie.' Then he tossed the box of tampons at me and sat down on the couch."
"Did he ever explain what that meant?" Cheryl asked sipping her Coke and setting it back down.
"I later got it out of him after many rounds of Truth or Dare."
"And…" Cheryl asked getting impatient.
"Apparently some kids were at the store where he went to get the tampons and they were laughing at him for buying them. " Charlie laughed remembering herself cracking up upon hearing the story the first time around. "He retorted by saying and I quote: 'This means that, uh…there's a woman, with whom I'm so intimate, that we're both comfortable with me buying her most personal possessions, including, thongs, bras, the works…which means that our relationship is so solid, so trusting, that I'm not embarrassed doing this at all. It means my friends, that instead of hanging out at a grocery store having a sausage fest with another guy… Instead of doing….that…I'm getting laid by a beautiful lady, everyday, and she takes it downtown, and, everyone here knows it.' Oh gawd! I nearly friggin' peed myself! Like I literally was rolling on the floor laughing like a damn evil munchkin!"
Charlie and Cheryl continued to gab about the wonderful and unforgettable things that their boyfriends have done and before you know it time slipped away.
Three hours after Charlie had entered the thrift shop, her phone rang with the ringtone that instantly let her know it was none other than Dean Winchester.
"Hey!" Charlie smiled happily seeing as she just got down telling Cheryl about Dean's wanting to name her dragon tatt on her hip after him.
"Where are you at?" Dean's dangerously low voice asked, which meant he was worrying about her and she instantly remembered the case.
"Thrift shop. I'll be back in a little bit." Charlie said while rushing up gathering her things.
"We'll swing by and pick you up." Dean said and in the background Charlie heard Sam cuss at his older brother before he hung up.
'He probably just did a sharp U-turn.' Charlie thought to herself closing her own phone.
"Take it that was Dean." Cheryl smirked.
"Yeah." Charlie said sitting back down in one of the chairs setup by the checkout counter.
"Remember you get to take any merchandise you want." Cheryl smiled in a hinting way and after a shared glance they both jumped up from their seats. They grabbed some bags and stuffed practically one of each item into the bags.
One of the last few things Charlie grabbed was a hot pink and black plaid mini-skirt and smirked. Dean would certainly like it.
"Oooh!" Charlie said in awe of a hot pink spiked collar. "Totally puttin' that on Slug!"
Cheryl laughed out loud stuffing some vintage skinny jeans into an already stuffed bag, "Who?"
"Dean, it's my nickname for him." Charlie smiled still in awe of the collar just as Dean and Sam came to a screeching stop at the thrift shop. "I gotta go." Charlie pouted and quickly hugged Cheryl. "Thanks for…everything."
"No thank you for keeping me sane for a little while." Cheryl responded as the Winchesters made their way in.
"Ready to go Charlie?" Dean asked weirdly eyeing all the bags.
"Yep, but first I want you to meet my friend Cheryl. Cheryl this is Dean and Sam." Charlie introduced them.
"I've heard a lot about you, Dean." Cheryl smiled shaking his hand. "Mmm, nice strong handshake. He's a keeper." she loudly whispered to Charlie in a feigned aside. Then turned to Sam, "…Well aren't you a heap of handsome manly man."
"You don't have to be that nice." Dean joked poking at his brother's massiveness.
"I was being truthful." Cheryl smiled shaking Sam's hand as he blushed a little.
Within the next two hours: Dean sped to the old abandoned house that Ripkin haunted, salted and burned his psycho ass, and then returned to the motel victorious in another battle won against the supernatural… happenings.
Dean tried to make Sam go for a walk while Charlie tried on the clothes from the thrift shop, but Charlie wouldn't hear a word of it.
"Dean really? It's clothes that are normal for me to wear everyday. It's not that big of a deal. And plus, I mean come on. Sam nearly got hurt and you want him to go for a walk." Charlie scolded Dean.
"Alright." Dean gave up his mindset at possibly getting lucky tonight.
Charlie smiled as she grabbed a random bag and retreated into the bathroom. She grabbed the first thing from the bag and laughed a little realizing it was the hot pink and black plaid mini-skirt. Dean was going to have a cow when he saw her in this with Sam in the same room.
As she pulled them up and clasped them, she remembered how the day started. It was a crappy start to the day and Dean wasn't helping any. Nor were the town's people. They were downright plain strange and creepy.
So in the end having that place of solitude at the thrift shop with Cheryl was just what she needed today. A little piece of normal.
A/N - Here's for you Char! A little something to cheer up your day! =D