Previously on Supernatural...
"I'm your Impala. I'm Baby."
Unsure if he'd misheard her words, Sam choked out, "You're what now?"
"Baby. That's what Dean calls me, anyway."
Needless to say, her announcement shocked the Winchesters speechless. They exchanged a wide-eyed stare of The hell did she just say? before staring at the girl again.
"That's impossible." Even as he said it Sam knew that was dumb to say. After all the things they'd seen, slayed and stopped, impossible was rarely used in their line of work anymore. "How?"
"Search me." The girl gestured helplessly to her jacket-clad body. "I woke up in the parking lot and panicked - "
"Parking lot?"
"Yeah, the police station parking lot. I - "
"Alright, enough of this crap!" Dean took a step closer and aimed his ivory-gripped Colt straight at her heart. "Stop bullshitting with us and tell me who the hell you are!"
She put her hands on her hips, and Sam was shocked to hear a low rumbling sound that was strangely similar to a revving engine. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I am your car, you jackass!"
"Bull!"
Her eyes seemed to flicker, as if lights were flashing behind them. "I am, or rather was, a 1967 Chevrolet Impala. I rolled off the assembly line on April 24, 1967. I ended up at Rainbow Motors in Lawrence, Kansas in 1973, when you, Dean, talked me up to John." She tugged at the cuffs of Dean's jacket. "I've got a 327 and four-barrel carb, every type of weapon and monster deterrent known to hunters in my trunk, not to mention some Legos that Dean crammed down my vents." One fist pressed just below her neck as she cleared her throat with a rattling cough. "Still have trouble breathing through those sometimes."
Dean blinked in surprise when she mentioned the Legos, but shook his head. "You could've gotten all that from reading Chuck's book."
She pursed her lips. "Fine. Check it." She grasped at the first button of Dean's jacket and started to undo it. Immediately the boys blustered and hemmed and hawed as they quickly averted their eyes. "Really? You're gonna be a prude after the number of women you've overhauled in my backseat?"
"Cover up!" Dean ordered, his cheeks bright red.
Rolling her eyes, the girl held the jacket up to cover her front. "Fine. You can look now." When they did, she tapped the side of her left thigh to draw attention to the army man tattooed there. "The plastic toy that Sammy jammed in my backseat ashtray." She turned to indicate two rough sets of scars on her hip. "Recognize these initials? You should, because you two kiddies carved them on my door." She gave Dean a triumphant grin. "So? Do I pass?"
Crossing his arms, Dean cocked his head and softly called out, "Yo Cas! Get down here. We've got a situation." The familiar flapping sound heralded the Seraph's arrival behind the brothers. "She says she's Baby. Do your angel-sense thing, read her mind."
From the searching puzzlement on his face, it was clear that Castiel thought that Dean was messing with him. He looked at the girl, and his eyes widened slightly. She met his blue gaze squarely, never backing down or showing discomfort as their staring match ensued for over a minute.
Finally, Castiel looked back at Dean. "She's telling the truth. She is the Impala transformed."
Even with the angel's confirmation, Dean regarded her carefully. "But how?"
"I do not recognize the spell. It is powerful, nonetheless."
"Can you break it?" Sam's eyes widened in wonder, still trying to equate their classic car with this petite woman.
Castiel shook his head. "Not without more information. What do you remember about the transformation?" he asked, directing the question to Baby.
She shrugged. "Nothing. I just woke up lying on the asphalt, bare-ass naked and wearing my plates on my skin."
"Your plates?"
Turning her bare back fully to the brothers, she pointed to the tattoo at the curve of her waist - CNK 80Q3. "Honestly, I miss my KAZ 2Y5 plates, but we had to hide from the Feds so I get it."
"Wait a sec." Dean's head tilted to the side, his eyebrows furrowing together. "Tramp stamp...random tats...That's it!" he crowed. Sam, Castiel, and Baby gave him perplexed looks. "Each of the girls had gray eyes and a tramp stamp of random letters and numbers, the same as she does," he explained, pointing to the girl. "What if they're license plate numbers?"
Sam frowned. "The dead girls are cars?"
"Yeah! And what turned them human is probably what turned Baby human!"
"That would explain why there's no info on the girls. Let me check some other records really quick..." Already in research geek mode, Sam moved to the small table in the motel room and pulled out his Macbook. Castiel chose that moment to disappear to who-knew-where, leaving Dean to stare at his rather pretty, very human, prized Impala.
She shifted on her feet. "Quite staring, you're freaking me out."
"I just found my car in my motel room wearing my leather jacket, and you're freaked out?"
"Hey, you're used to freaky stuff. I'm not used to being human. It's weird."
"Don't start with me, Baby." Wetting his lips nervously, he swallowed before awkwardly saying, "So, you should probably change."
Disbelief spread over Baby's face. "Into what? Not like anything you've got can fit me."
"Right. You need clothes and...and underwear..." Dean swallowed again, suddenly feeling very out of his element. Which was weird, since he'd seen his fair share of underwear and naked girls. But this was his Baby, and she was looking up at him with those silver-chrome eyes, and Dean was suddenly, uncomfortably aware that she wasn't any other girl...
Gritting his teeth, he walked over to Sam and tapped his shoulder. "Sam!"
"What?"
"Take Baby shopping."
Sam never looked up from his computer. "You do it. She's your car."
"Dude, I'll do the research if you'll please, please just take Baby. You're better with that girly shopping crap."
About to snap off a retort, Sam noticed just how red Dean's face was as he spoke. Since when does Mr. Smooth Operator balk at shopping for ... oh, wait. He couldn't help the smirk that curled one side of his mouth upwards. "Fine. C'mon Baby. Let's get you some clothes of your own."
"Sammy? Why was Dean's face was so red when he said I needed clothes?" she asked from behind the dressing room curtain. "He's seen a female's bare chassis before."
Sitting in the "husband's chair" Sam chortled. "Probably because he couldn't handle buying you underwear."
"Why?"
"You're his car. He's not supposed to sexually fantasize about you." Sam chuckled again. "He obsesses over you enough as it is."
"I'm glad for that. Reason why I look so good."
"How do you mean?"
Baby poked her tousled head out. "I'm over forty-five years old, Sammy. I don't look my age, right? That's because Dean takes such good care of me, and because you've both loved me so much."
Sam smiled at her fondly. "Of course we love you, Baby." He noticed the odd looks he got from other people and lowered his voice. "Hey, maybe we shouldn't call you Baby in front of people."
"Why not?" she asked, puzzled. "That's my name."
"It's a term of endearment and makes people draw the wrong conclusions. You need another name, an alias."
"Like what?"
She retreated behind the curtain again while he racked his brain for a few minutes. "How about...Paula? Sounds shorter for Impala, so you'll know we mean you."
"Paula?" She was silent for a time, but when she spoke again, she sounded pleased with his choice. "Okay." She poked her head out again and smiled. "Ready?"
"Everything fit well?
"Yup."
"Let's see."
Baby strolled out and planted one hand on her hip, striking a pose. Sam's choice of all black had been a good one, a contrast to make her chrome eyes glitter. Her new leather jacket fitted snugly over her tanktop that bore the words Baby Girl in silver script. Black skinny jeans sheathed her legs, and a pair of silver-buckled boots completed the look.
"Very nice," Sam said, getting up to stretch his legs. "You look good."
"But it feels like there's something missing..." She snapped her fingers. "That's it! The thing!"
"What thing?"
"It's in my glovebox. Hang on." And before Sam could process her words, Baby had stuck a hand down her bra. She rooted around for a moment before extracting a small object. "Ah-HA! Found it!"
Embarrassment melted into shock when Sam recognized the item swinging from her fingertips. "Where did you get that?"
"You hid it in the glovebox years ago. It's Dean's isn't it?" Baby hung the cord around her neck and examined the little brass amulet. "Maybe he'll want it back."
Recalling the way his brother had chucked it into the motel trashcan, he said, "I doubt it."
"Well, I feel much better now. Must be the leather," Baby replied, rubbing the sleeves of her jacket with a smile. "Thanks Sammy. I really appreciate this."
"Alright. We'll grab a few extra shirts and things for you, then we'll head back."
"Sammy." She looked up at him with that smile of hers. "I mean it. You both have always taken care of me, and every time Dean...goes away, you look after me. And when you kept me after I was nearly destroyed by that truck..." Without warning she hugged Sam tightly. "Thank you so much," she whispered. "Thank you for never letting me go."
Sam was startled by the action, but he embraced her anyway. Her hair smelled like the Impala's interior, a mix of well-worn leather, fresh air, and age. He smiled at the familiar scent and stepped back, his hands resting on her shoulders. "You're the only home we've really ever known," he said. "This can't even begin to pay back how much we owe you."
His cell phone went off as he was paying for Baby's clothes and boots. Digging it out of his pocket, he spoke to Dean. They were exiting the store when he hung up, his expression sober. Baby noticed and asked, "What's up?"
"That was Dean. The dead girls' tramp stamps match the license plates of high-end cars that were sold to a showroom here in Valence. A Lamborghini, three Aston Martins, two Vipers, and two Porsches."
"Expensive cars." Baby carefully searched his face. "There's something else. What is it?"
"Another girl was just found in the police parking lot. Dean's gonna meet us there. Ready?"
"Ready." Her eyes sparkled as she tucked Dean's amulet under her shirt. "You think he'll be happy to see my new paint job?" she asked with a nervous smile.
"Yeah," Sam smiled, amused at her sudden shyness. "I think he's gonna love seeing you."
Castiel appears, return of the amulet, and another body!
Stay tuned, and drop a review on the way out!