One week went by without a hitch. Charlie was invaluable. All of that changed when Charlie found something deep and dark.
"Dean, something is wrong with Charlie. Look at this." Kate said.
Dean read the email. Charlie found documentation of mysterious deaths that someone was covering up. Their system was protected so once it was hacked into, they could trace where the hack originated.
"All of the files are on a thumb drive. They can't be sent over email. We can meet up and get the information. Maybe we can help protect Charlie too." Kate said.
Dean wasn't sure if Charlie was that good of a person. He thought that Charlie could be some guy, probably a lot like Ash, and he didn't want Kate meeting up with him. Ash was harmless but he only knew that because Ellen trusted him. Ellen didn't know Charlie. "This is weird timing. I don't know if we can trust this Charlie."
"We asked Charlie to look into a few things. It is our fault. We are going to meet Charlie and get the thumb drive." Kate said, firmly.
"I'm going to talk to dad about it first," Dean said.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Of course."
"Last warning on the attitude," Dean said.
Kate opted to go into another room. She knew she was wrong for snipping. She just couldn't help it. She was frustrated and going stir crazy. Charlie needed help. Dean was so focused on Charlie being bad that he wouldn't entertain the thought that Charlie was good. Kate could read people. She knew exactly what needed to be done. Charlie had only hinted at what kind of trouble came with hacking into that system. Again, Kate could read people. She knew Charlie was scared.
Jess was busying herself with research. If she focused on something else, she wouldn't fret about going back to Stanford.
Sam knew she was becoming obsessed. Was it a healthy obsession? Probably not. She and Kate had been working with Marie and Charlie on a network. He had successfully steered them away from hunting and away from missing kids. Forming a network for hunters' kids was somewhat easier and they'd see the results straight away. "What are you looking at now?"
"What caseworkers look for. Each state is different so one caseworker may see dirty clothes and freak out but another one can overlook bruises. Hunters parent differently but not all are bad parents. I guess I am looking for where the line is drawn." Jess said.
Sam knew that was complicated. John broke a lot of the 'parenting rules' with them. He left them alone when they were young. He was more strict back then. Harsher too. So, Sam didn't know where the line was. Dean seemed to walk it just fine. "It isn't our job to judge."
"I know, Sam. I just want to help." Jess said.
Kate looked over Jess's shoulder. "We can each make a list of things that helped or hurt us. I'm sure Jo and Taylor would help out. Step one is getting the word out that there is a safe place for kids to go." She got lost clicking through links. The internet was vast and it was easy to get lost. She ran into something that pulled her attention and shut everyone out so that she could focus. She remembered that she needed to cure April. Did the doctor that made the demon deal have anything to do with healing people? Was it the other way around? Maybe healing was just a normal supernatural ability. Taylor could heal. He just couldn't heal as easily as she could.
Dean had spoken to John and they were on the same page with Charlie. Never trust anyone. If they were going to meet up with Charlie, they'd need to be extremely cautious. That meant having backup. They had been burned too many times to trust someone on their word.
Kate had already made her mind up about Charlie and there was no telling her otherwise. However, she had momentarily gotten away from meeting Charlie and was formulating plans on how she was supposed to heal people. When she first got the ability, it was just pulling pain out of someone. Then, it progressed. Back then, she would be in pain, have nose bleeds, or become fatigued. Her abilities were taking less of a toll on her. That was a good sign. Due to Dean and John cracking down on blood usage, she hadn't been able to heal as often. She healed herself. She didn't understand why they wouldn't let her use her blood. She didn't need to use all of it but a drop of blood sent them into a frenzy.
Dean tapped the table. "Kate, I am talking to you."
Kate looked up at him. "What?"
"I talked to dad. We need to ask a few more questions before we even think of meeting Charlie. It would be best if Charlie left the thumb drive somewhere for us to pick up." Dean said.
"No, we are meeting up. Charlie is in trouble and we lead her there." Kate said.
"Her? Are you sure Charlie is a girl?" Dean asked.
"Well, they've never said either way," Kate said hesitantly.
"Charlie could be a dangerous person. He, because I'm pretty sure he is a he, could be some 6 or 7-foot dude that is trying to trick you." Dean said.
Kate crossed her arms. "So someone will go with me."
"You may stay behind and I will go get the thumb drive." Dean said.
Kate huffed. "I will go too. It isn't fair if you take this away from me. I have done most of the back and forth with Charlie."
"Look, I don't know yet. We can get a better idea of what is going on and we can go from there." Dean said.
Kate was ready to snap. Why wouldn't they listen to her? It was simple. Everything was simple and they were holding her back. If she was anyone else, she thought, that they wouldn't dream of stopping her. No, it was the stupid parental red tape. They didn't want her getting hurt. She got that. She healed though. Learning that her doctor was connected to the freaks changed her views on things. It was a direct connection to her.
Sam looked at Kate's notes and furrowed his brows. "What is this?"
Kate pulled her notebook to her chest. "Just ideas."
Dean sighed. "What kind of notes?"
"I've been researching different things. I told you I'd keep my ideas in my head or on paper." Kate said.
Dean looked at Sam for answers.
"I think it was a spell, it just isn't one I'm familiar with." Sam said.
Kate didn't want to explain. She was frustrated. It was a spell she saw on the internet and she may have combined it with another that she thought of. "I saw it and was going to look in Bobby's books to see if it was legit."
Dean could see right through her. "Why hide it?"
Kate tossed the notebook on the table. "This is why. I can't do anything without someone questioning me."
Dean read the spell and notes. "Another blood spell? You can't use this."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Yeah, so? What is the harm of looking at stuff? You know one day I'll be an adult and can shed or use as much blood as I want."
"Even as an adult, you can't continue doing what you've been doing."
"What? What I've been doing? I've been sitting on my hands waiting around for you guys to decide what I can and cannot do. The freaks are connected to me. I know my blood is what cripples them. My blood cured Caleb. Maybe it's time we stop acting like I matter more than the greater good." Kate said.
Jess and Sam had taken a step back. Sam knew things were about to take a turn but he couldn't stop it. He could see Dean's jaw twitch and knew he was at his limit.
"Lower your voice. Your abilities are unreliable right now."
Kate interrupted him, standing up suddenly. "Unreliable?!"
Dean held a hand up to tell her to stop. "You cannot use your blood because you are a child. You still have changing and growing to do. Just because Caleb was cured, doesn't mean that someone else may be harmed."
"See! I told you. I told you that I'm not supposed to be here. I'm dangerous. I'm not natural."
Dean realized that Kate was not sure what she was fighting over. She was worked up and would dig her heels in for the hell of it. "You are not dangerous-"
"Make up your mind. I'm either dangerous and my blood is toxic or I'm not dangerous and there is no reason to hold me back." Kate spat. She was on edge. The ceiling fan was too loud. the seam of her sock was digging into her toes. A piece of hair was caught in her eyelashes, causing her annoyance every time she blinked.
Dean didn't meet her raised tone. He lowered his. "Katelyn, you will stop yelling and talk to me. You are 12. You are going through too many changes. You have your whole life ahead of you. Slowing down and-"
"Oh my god, Dean can you not shut up for five damn seconds!" Kate yelled
The kitchen was so quiet that the hum of the refrigerator sounded like an airplane taking off. Water dripped from the faucet and struck a metal spoon in the sink.
Kate clamped her mouth shut. Why did she say that?
Dean stood up straight. "Upstairs."
Kate backed away from the table. "Dean, I didn't mean to say that. I'm just overwhelmed."
"If I repeat myself I am going to assume that you'd rather have your ass tanned here, in front of God and everyone," Dean said.
Kate looked at Sam and Jess. Jess looked frightened and Sam was flicking his eyes to the hallway, telling her silently to follow the order. She dropped the pencil from her hand and flinched when it hit the floor. She was already halfway up the stairs before her brain registered that she had moved.
"You should probably take a walk," Sam said, looking uneasily at Dean.
Dean was beyond pissed off. He tried. He gave her plenty of chances. Maybe too many chances. Her snapping had little to do with her opinions on her blood. No, it was more general than that. He turned and went out the back door, inhaling the fresh air, hoping it would sort his thoughts. It would have been convenient if John was around. He was more than willing to pass on the punishment part of raising kids. He could also do without the sass and backchat. When he went back inside, Sam questioned him. "I'm calm. I'm frustrated and disappointed but calm."
"Do you want Jess to try to talk to her?" Sam asked.
"No. She and I are going to have a long talk." Dean said. He tossed Sam the keys to his car.
Sam grimaced but nodded his head and ushered Jess to the front door. "We will bring food back."
Dean sighed and decided to go talk to Kate. He had no idea how she was going to react so it was hard to know how he was going to react. Would she still be a seething mess of attitude or would she realize that yelling at him had been a mistake?
Kate jumped when the door suddenly opened. She knew she messed up. She also knew she had a reason to be angry.
Dean sat down on her bed. "What has gotten into you?"
Kate chewed on her thumbnail. "I was just overwhelmed. Even my socks were making me angry."
"And?"
"And? What? You kept talking and I snapped. I just had so much going on in my head." Kate said.
"I gave you several warnings to lower your voice," Dean said. "I know you have a lot going on. I also know that you were picking a fight."
Kate rolled her eyes dramatically.
Dean grabbed her arm and swatted her three times. "Do not roll your eyes at me."
Kate jumped back, glaring at Dean. "Maybe you're the one picking a fight!"
"I see. We are going to have to do this backward." Dean said, referring to his tendency to talk first.
Kate shook her head and stepped back.
Dean had a sore spot on his palm from a decorative button on the back of her shorts. He turned his hand over and rubbed the spot with his thumb. It was annoying but he didn't want to hit it again and hurt her. "You ignored all of the chances I gave you. Come over here."
Kate shook her head again.
Dean had reached the end of his patience when they were in the kitchen so her lack of cooperation added salt to the wound. He stood up quickly and grabbed Kate.
Kate shrieked and tried to apologize.
Dean sat back down on her bed and used his free hand to pull her shorts down.
"Wait! Dean, you can't." Kate whined.
Dean held up his hand. "I do not want my hand torn up by hitting that button. I also don't want you hurt by it."
Kate accidentally rolled her eyes again. "Like being slapped doesn't -" She wasn't sure if she was out of it or if Dean just moved really fast. Either way, she was over his lap before she could finish her sentence.
Dean swatted her a dozen times. "I just told you not to roll your eyes."
Kate wanted to say she didn't mean to. She wanted to say she didn't even know she was doing it. Both of those would go over like a lead balloon with Dean.
Dean kept adding swats until she started showing signs that he was making an impact. "Do I need to stop giving you chances?"
Kate sniffled. "No."
"Are you sure?" Dean asked. He swatted her twice more. "It seems when I am lenient and try to understand where you are coming from, it bites me in the ass."
"I'm sorry. I'm stressed." Kate said, quietly.
Dean moved down to her sit spots. "We are all stressed. I gave you extra attention and chances because you are going through whatever you are going through. You telling me to shut up and yelling at me is not going to fly, no matter how stressed you are."
Kate buried her face in her blanket. She just wanted the spanking to stop. He started swatting twice in one spot and moving over where he had already swatted. She wasn't sure if he was waiting for her to break down or if he was going to stop soon. A particularly painful swat to the back of her thigh made her throw her hand back to grab his leg.
Dean suddenly felt like he had swapped places with Kate. He paused and put his hand on the back of Kate's neck. "If you are trying to make me feel sorry for you, it won't work. Now, move your hand. If you try that again I will wear you out with my belt."
Kate didn't move her hand. It made him pause. Maybe she didn't want him to feel bad but if he could feel what she did, he would know that he had spanked her enough.
Dean moved Kate and stood up.
Kate thought that her plan worked.
Dean left the room for a few seconds and came back with the paddle.
"No!" Kate shrieked.
"I can't trust you to not use your abilities on me so I'm going to make it so that you can't," Dean said.
Kate whined pitifully.
Dean moved her to bend over the desk. He put a hand on her back. "You just have to make it worse for yourself."
Kate suffered through six hard swats. She finally broke down and didn't realize he was done until she felt herself being moved into his arms. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Dean sat down and tightened his arms. "I know. Talk to me."
Kate couldn't talk right away. She was being hit with all of the emotions and was convinced that she didn't have hide left to tan.
Dean let her have her time to calm down and waited for her to talk.
"I'm sorry I took it out on you." Kate said.
Dean nodded. "I bet."
Kate frowned. "Please don't hate me."
Dean snorted. "I don't hate you. Nothing you could do could make me hate you."
Kate sniffled. "Even transferring feelings?"
Dean lightly smacked her leg. "That was bold of you."
"I thought you'd realize how much it hurt and stop," Kate said.
"I'd say your plan backfired. That is manipulative. I already know how bad it hurts. I do not like having to do that." Dean said.
Kate wiped tears from her face. "Why do I always do this?"
"I am your safe person so I get the brunt of it. That doesn't mean I won't call you on it." Dean said.
Kate leaned her head on his shoulder. "Wait, my shorts." She blushed deeply and frowned at the jean shorts that she had kicked across the room. She decided to wear a softer pair to save her dignity and skin.
"How does that button not bother you when you sit down?" Dean asked.
"I don't sit that far back," Kate said.
Dean nodded. "So, let's talk."
Kate laid down on her bed and tucked her pillow under her chin. She told Dean everything that she had been thinking about before she snapped.
Dean listened but didn't know how one person could think that much. "I know you don't want to wait. I had some of the same issues when I was about your age. I was taught to fight and use a knife. I knew how to use a gun. I was convinced that I was ready to hunt. Dad made me stay in the car. I'd get so mad because I just knew I could handle it. What I didn't know was that my brain wasn't ready. Do you know any 12 to 15-year-old boy who isn't a total dumb ass?"
Kate giggled. "No."
"I'm sure you have read about it in some of those textbooks. The part of your brain that helps you make rational decisions isn't formed all the way. The good news is that girls do tend to gain that before boys. Not at 12 though." Dean said.
"12 year old you would have been terrified of 12 year old me." Kate said, referring to her abilities and skills.
Dean flicked her ear. "Nah, girls don't scare me."
"Maybe I'll go back in time, meet 12 year old you, and beat you up. You know, to get a real feel for how much stronger I am." Kate said
"I'd have let you. Dad would have worn me out if I fought with a girl." Dean said. He tilted his head. "Although he may have worn me out for losing to a girl."
"We could go back in time and test that theory." Kate offered.
"No. God no. I did childhood already. I don't ever want to relive it. Dad wasn't as cuddly as he is now." Dean said.
"Maybe you were just a bad kid." Kate said.
Dean poked her side. "I was a saint."
Kate sniffled. "I really am sorry that I took my anger out on you."
Dean very lightly swatted the back of her leg. "I think we are good now."
Kate whined. "That was cruel."
"You will be okay. Hop up. If you want to meet Charlie we are going to have to ask him some questions." Dean said.
"Could be a she." Kate said.
"I'll make you a bet." Dean said.
Kate sat up. "What is the wager?"
"If I am right, you detail baby. If you are right, I'll let you gloat." Dean said.
Kate crossed her arms. "That isn't fair."
"Fine, whoever is wrong will buy the milkshakes at the next diner."
Kate held her hand out to shake on the wager.
Dean started to walk out the door but stopped. "You should try that trick with dad."
Kate's eyes widened. "Do you want me to die?!"
"You wouldn't die. You have a way of getting away with stuff. I will pay you." Dean said with a smirk.
"I'm going to tell him you are trying to lead me astray," Kate said.
Dean turned back to go down the stairs. "Better get a move on if you want to ask HIM where we are going to meet."
Kate jumped up and followed him down the steps.
After Sam got the all-clear text, he picked up food and drove back to Bobby's house. Thankfully, Bobby and Karen were gone and didn't witness the blow-up. Of all the blow-ups, that one was small but Karen was still getting used to the chaos.
(Three days later)
Operation meet Charlie was well underway. Caleb and Sam had driven behind Dean and Kate. Maybe it was overkill but Kate did have a massive target on her back.
Kate tied a red ribbon around her ponytail. That had been the decided marker so that Charlie would know who they were. They hadn't shared photos or really, any identifiable features because Charlie was just as paranoid as the rest of them.
Dean saw a man walking toward them and nudged Kate. He had his hand ready to grab his knife if needed. The man walked by them so Dean was unsure if that was Charlie or not.
"Katie?" A chipper voice asked from behind them.
Kate turned around. "Charlie?"
Charlie grinned and hugged Kate, feeling like she had known her for ages. She was a hugger though. She hugged everyone.
Dean was caught off guard. He wasn't expecting... that at all...
Charlie held her hand out. "You must be Dean."
Dean awkwardly shook her hand. "You are Charlie?"
"Uh, yeah," Charlie said.
"I mean, I was expecting you to be a dude," Dean said.
Charlie smirked. "That is a little sexist, don't you think?"
Dean was still processing what he was seeing. She had on a bright blue t-shirt with some kind of nerdy stuff on it. She had a bright pink sweater on and the bright yellow flowers on her shoes matched the bright yellow clip in her hair. "What are you... 12?"
Charlie had been warned by Kate that Dean was a bear at times. "I'm 21, thank you."
Dean crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
"Fine, I'm 18."
Dean shifted, still looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay, maybe I am 17," Charlie said, not liking the look Dean was giving her.
"So you want us to believe that you are 17, hacked all of that stuff for us, and made it out here on your own?" Dean asked.
Charlie was a little hurt. "Some people play sports, I hack databases."
Dean noticed her eyes were shifty. Her heart was beating hard enough to move the vein on her neck. "We need to go somewhere else."
Charlie was apprehensive, feeling like she had more control if they stayed there. "You want me to believe that you are just going to show up and lead me somewhere else and not murder me?"
Kate liked Charlie's spunk.
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "There is a diner across the street."
Charlie's stomach growled. She had been on the run for a week or so and food came second place to safety.
Kate helped Charlie feel at ease by chatting with her as they walked. She didn't know what Charlie was scared of but she wasn't a whole lot bigger than Kate. It had to be scary on her own. Why was she on her own?
Dean asked to be seated and made his way over to a table that he felt safe at. He motioned for Kate and Charlie to sit down. "So, what is this that you couldn't say online?"
Charlie looked around and then leaned forward. "Maybe now isn't the time to talk about it."
Dean could respect her need for discretion. "So, what does a '17' year old... fairy... have any business doing what you are doing?"
Charlie matched Dean's posture. "What do a kid and her older brother have any business asking to hack into hospital databases?"
Dean wanted to be annoyed but something about her was endearing. She was scared. He knew that. "Where are you staying?"
Charlie scoffed. "I'm not a professional or anything but I am pretty sure giving a strange guy my room number would be exactly how I'd get murdered."
Kate was thrilled. Charlie was funny. She was bright and she did kind of look like a fairy. She had red hair and small features. Kate kind of wished she had red hair. "Come on, Dean. We just met. You are being a little crass."
As they ate, Dean and Charlie both calmed down. Dean let Sam and Caleb know that everything was okay and that they'd meet up later.
Kate was enthralled by a story that Charlie was telling her. She embraced what Dean would consider 'nerd crap'. She was authentically herself and Kate loved it. "I guess we will have to watch the Lord of the Rings."
"For sure," Charlie said, popping a piece of gum into her mouth.
Dean wondered if Charlie was like Jo and running from a family that loved her. Was she like Taylor and running from abuse? Was she an orphan? Whatever she was, he was absolutely certain she was running. "Do you even have a motel room?"
Charlie paused and looked at Dean. "Yeah, totally."
Dean nodded slowly. "That means no."
Charlie wasn't sure how to feel about Dean. He was prickly. "I have one. I'm just not going to tell you where."
"What are you running from?" Dean asked.
Charlie couldn't say she had been on the run since she was Kate's age. Some very important organizations didn't take well to being hacked. She changed her name and hit the road, bouncing around from place to place. As long as she had a computer and an internet connection, she was good to go. "You know, just... people."
"Are these people after you because of what you found for us?" Dean asked.
Charlie licked her lips. "Maybe."
"Then we will make sure you are safe," Dean said.
Kate could see that Charlie was uncomfortable. "Don't worry. He doesn't like it when we call it mothering so I'll call it older brothering."
Charlie thought it did seem better when phrased like that. "I'm not going to your house."
Dean shook his head. "It depends on how much trouble you got yourself into. There is a place you could go. The couple used to run a foster home but they are retired and just let people stay until they're on their feet."
"Uh-huh, where is this place?" Charlie asked.
Dean started to explain but in the middle of nowhere wasn't an answer that would ease Charlie's fears. "We will take you anywhere you want to go. If you are being followed, chances are they can keep track of where you go. They can't if you suddenly hop over a few cities."
"I need my stuff," Charlie said.
Dean drove over to a rundown building and frowned when Charlie went inside. He felt bad for her, seeing her lug out a single backpack.
Charlie slid into the backseat beside Kate. "You aren't going to murder me, right? That would really suck."
Dean handed her a gun from the glove box. "If you think I am, feel free to shoot."
Charlie paled, paler than her already pale skin. "Oh, god. That is... that is a real gun..." She held it like it was a live grenade. She took several deep breaths and forced herself to calm down.
"Open and close the back doors, both of them. See, no child lock." Dean said.
Charlie found more than one thing that spooked her. The doctor that Kate was asking about was shady. There were a few police files she found that just looked weird. She waited until they were an hour out from where they met. "So, uh, I found these police files. Somebody must think they are hilarious."
Dean looked in the rearview mirror. "What do you mean?"
Charlie opened her laptop. She didn't have internet but she could access things on her desktop. She opened the files and chewed her lip. "I have a thing for serial killers."
Dean blew air through his nose. "You'd like my brother then."
Charlie's head snapped up. "Is he.. uh... is he one?"
Dean rubbed his face. "No. He just finds them interesting."
Kate nudged Charlie to tell her it was okay.
"So, there is a serial killer that keeps hitting towns. There are specific things that stand out but it looks like reports are being buried." Charlie said.
"What kinds of things?" Dean asked.
Charlie just knew they'd think she was an idiot. There was a difference between fantasy and reality and she knew that. "Well, victims are only killed on full moons. There are animal-like marks and bite marks..." She laughed nervously. "Almost makes you think werewolf."
Kate looked at a picture. "No, not a werewolf. They eat hearts. You're right on the full moon though. These folks were sucked dry so maybe a vampire-"
"Katelyn." Dean hissed.
Kate suddenly remembered that Charlie was a civilian.
Charlie was shocked. She let her mouth drop open and her blood run cold.
Kate cringed. "You know... that is what those books say. All made up either way."
Dean briefly pressed his forehead to the top of the steering wheel. "Sounds like a serial killer that likes fairytales. So, what did you find for us?"
Charlie was chilled to the bone. She found more than just those cases. She found a lot and should have stopped digging. She always kept digging. Was she having a mental breakdown? Was this a dream? Maybe she was tripping on something if someone spiked her drink. She didn't have a drink. She had a milkshake. That was a drink. No, she knew better than to take her eyes away from her drink.
"Charlie?" Dean said.
Charlie snapped out of it. "Right, hospitals. Your dude worked with some shady people making money on what looks like organ sales." Specifically hearts. She thought it was weird because hearts wouldn't stay good very long. Didn't most organ traffickers take kidneys? She looked at the ceiling of the car and noticed a few symbols peaking out from the cloth covering. Was that a.. pentagram? She started to hyperventilate, asking herself if she was going to be a ritual sacrifice.
Kate caught Charlie's head and gently leaned her back against the door.
"Did she..."
"Pass out, yeah," Kate said.
"Way to go, Katie. Just tell someone the big secret." Dean scolded.
"Well, she'd find out anyway. I just slipped and corrected what she thought the killer was." Kate said. "She has photos and reports. She would have found out."
"That isn't your job. That could have been easy to explain away. Now she has passed out because of how scared she was." Dean said.
Kate sighed. "So we will make her not scared. She has to know though. She is going to keep finding stuff and will find things out being around us."
"She doesn't have to be around us. We can leave her with Marie and Rod for a few days and then she can go on her way." Dean said.
Kate gasped. "No. We are keeping her."
"Keeping her? Kate, she isn't a stray cat. She is almost an adult and can go wherever she wants." Dean said, not 100 percent sure her final claim of 17 was accurate.
"She helped us. She is running because she helped us. When I am 17 will I be nearly an adult and be able to do what I want or is that something you save for anyone that isn't me?" Kate asked.
Dean groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Charlie is knocked out. Let her wake up before you start planning her life. Kate, if you sass me I will kick your butt."
Kate was going to mention him planning her life but was amused that he knew she was going to say it. She wondered where the thumb drive was. She gently patted Charlie's arm.
Charlie sat up quickly, "Three points for Gryffindor!"
Kate furrowed her brows. "What?"
Charlie felt of her own face and pinched her arm. "No, nope. This is real. Hogwarts is fantasy but oh boy this is real. I'm stuck in a car with people who are probably going to sacrifice me. I'm stuck in a car." She reached for the door handle but fell back as Dean swerved and stopped the car suddenly.
"You're going to get yourself hurt," Dean said. He saw Charlie's face and groaned again. "No, not like that. That wasn't a threat. I mean trying to bail out of a moving car."
Charlie was still hyperventilating but Kate told her to calm down and she magically did.
"We do not do sacrifices. Besides, if we were going to, we wouldn't drive that far to find someone." Kate said. "You are freaking out. I get that. I'm guessing you saw something scary and expected us to laugh it off. Then, when we didn't you thought it confirmed your fears.
"How do I know I can trust you?" Charlie asked.
"He did give you a loaded gun," Kate said.
Charlie looked at the gun by her feet and flinched. "It is loaded? It has bullets? That is a real gun? Why would you hand me a real gun!"
Dean was used to dealing with people that already knew certain things. Charlie was as frazzled as frazzled could be and he tried to put himself in her shoes. "What did you find?"
Charlie pulled the thumb drive from her pocket and shoved it in the computer. She clicked a dozen links before reaching an encrypted folder. She typed in the passcode and sat back as the screen filled with folder after folder.
Kate asked if she could look and clicked on a few folders. There was so much information that she didn't know where to start. "What makes you think someone is after you?"
Charlie took a deep breath. "They found my apartment and broke in."
"Were you home?" Dean asked.
Charlie shuddered at the memory. "I guess a benefit of being small is being able to hide. I heard them though. They were mad. One told the other I needed to be found."
Dean instantly decided that they did have an obligation to keep her safe. "We are driving to that safe house. They have weapons. You'll be safe and no one can break into the house."
"Why do you all have weapons?" Charlie asked.
Dean made eye contact with her in the mirror. "I think you know."
Charlie thought that was ominous. She showed Kate a file, THE file, and moved the computer off of her lap.
Kate read quickly. She slowed down and tried to comprehend what she was reading. The doctor had done human trials. The subjects that caught her eye were infants. She narrowed her eyes. He was trying to make more kids like herself, Sam and Andy. No wonder Charlie was scared. She scrolled down and saw a few comments that made her think about the files at Hellen's house. She froze. She was looking at the documents that she had seen in the vision. "She found it."
Dean looked back. "What?"
Kate swallowed hard. "Proof."
(Author's note: Charlie is one of the real characters so you can look her up to see what she looks like and her personality. I changed her birth year I think but trying to keep Charlie as true to herself as possible.)
