Outfits in the external link

THEN

From 9.04 "Slumber Party", in the Bunker's control room, Charlie Bradbury waved at Sam, Catty and Dean.

Sam: (voice over from 9.04 Slumber Party) "Charlie."

From 9.04 "Slumber Party", in the Bunker's electrical room, Charlie and Ness smiled, slowly lowering out of view to work on the computer.

Ness: (voice over from 8.20 Pac Man Fever) "She's been making donations through her aliases to Shawnee County General here in Topeka."

From 8.20 "Pac Man Fever", in Charlie's Apartment, the Winchesters were going through Charlie's things.

"What, a charity?" Sam asked.

"A patient," Ness answered. "Gertrude Middleton."

From 8.20 "Pac Man Fever", in Gertrude's hospital room, she was in a coma.

A nurse explained to Dean and Ness. "She and her husband were hit by a drunk driver. He didn't make it."

From 8.20 "Pac Man Fever", in Ness and Charlie's dream, they were in their outfits for the game.

"I was at a sleepover, and I got scared," Charlie told her. "So..." She started to cry. "I called my parents to come and get me. They should never have been driving that night."

From 9.04 "Slumber Party", in Catty's room, Catty, Ness and Charlie were talking.

Charlie looked at Catty. "Saving people, hunting things, the family business? I am down." She looked between Catty and Ness. "But... Where's my quest?"

From 9.04 "Slumber Party", in the Bunker, Dorothy Baum looked at Sam, Dean, Catty, Ness and Charlie. "It's the key to Oz. There are magical ways into Oz."

From 9.04 "Slumber Party", in the Bunker's control room, the Wicked Witch was on the balcony above, inserting the key into the door's lock, pushing it open.

Oz was revealed on the other side. There was a black castle in the distance. There were rolling red clouds in the sky.

Dorothy: (voice over from 9.04 Slumber Party) "This key will turn any locked door into a portal to Oz."

From 9.04 "Slumber Party", in the Bunker's garage, Dorothy looked at Charlie. "So, you coming or what?"

"What?" Charlie asked. "With you? To Oz?'

"Yeah," Dorothy answered.

Sam looked at Charlie, concerned. "You have no idea what's in Oz. There's all kinds of danger."

Charlie smiled. "Promise?"

Dorothy and Charlie pushed the doors open to reveal a beautiful landscape with a yellow brick road running through it, leading to the Emerald City in the distance. They walked into Oz, turning to Dean, Ness, Catty and Sam to wave goodbye. The doors closed behind them on their own. Dean and Sam pushed the doors open to reveal the underground tunnel leading out of the garage.

"Think she'll be back?" Dean asked.

"Of course," Ness answered. "There's no place like home."

From 10.10 "The Hunter Games", in the Bunker's library, Sam, Dean, Catty, Ness, Castiel, Octavia and Sabrina were talking.

Ness looked at the Mark on her arm. "Guys, this thing's gotta go."

"It will take a very powerful force to remove the effect," Castiel told her.

From 10.10 "The Hunter Games", in the Bunker's library, Ness and Dean were talking.

"Cain still has the Mark, right?" Ness asked. Dean nodded. "And he's lived with it."

From 10.10 "The Hunter Games", Ness' memories about killing the men from 10.02 Reichenbach and 10.09 The Things We Left Behind.

Ness: (voice over from 10.10 The Hunter Games) "There's a part of me that wants to give in to it."

From 10.10 "The Hunter Games", in the Bunker's library, Ness and Dean were talking.

"And I've been fighting it, you know?" Ness asked. "Part of that powerful force has to be me."

Dean nodded understandingly.

NOW

§

Day One

Topeka, Kansas

Night - House - Outside

The house was very suburban. Screams emanated from inside.

§

Inside - Foyer

A man ran down the stairs, hearing crashes from the floor above him. He ran toward the door.

§

Outside - Backyard

The man ran out of the back door into the night. The house lights came on. The man had his foot caught in a hose, tripping, falling to the ground. He looked up, revealing the first good look of him. His hands were bound with wire. His head and nose were bleeding. He sat up, looking toward the house, breathing heavily. He stood, turning to run. A dark figure was standing in the shadows in front of him.

"Please," the man told her. "I--I don't know anything else."

The figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing that it was Charlie Bradbury, dressed in all black, with her red hair cut short, sleek and straight. "I know. I'm gonna torture you anyway." She smirked. "'Cause who doesn't love a little torture?"

§ Worlds Colliding (Supernatural) §

Day Two

Lebanon, Kansas

Morning - The Bunker - Library

Sam and Catty sitting at one of the tables. Dean was sitting at the other.

Sam was on the phone. "All right, well, just--just keep me posted, okay? Yeah, you got it. Thanks, Ava." Ness walked in with a tray of breakfast food. "Hey."

Ness set down the tray, handing out the food.

"You made egg-white omelettes?" Catty asked.

"Yeah," Ness answered. "Breakfast of Champions. You know, if you don't get much of a breakfast, like us."

"And you slept past 7:00," Dean told her.

"Yeah, well, until we get answers on this Mark of Cain, I am on a 12-step program to not to back slide," Ness told them.

"12 steps?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Ness answered. "Hey, if Cain found a way to live with it after going dark side, then I just got to find a way to keep it in check. So, haven't had a drink in a week, eight hours of rack time every night, chilling out on hunting. You know, mainly sticking to the brains instead of the brawn. Getting more hobbies outside of hunting so it's not the only thing on my mind all day every day. And... now this masterpiece."

"What're the other steps?" Sam asked.

"I'm not gonna tell you so you can make fund of me, thank you very much," Ness told them. "Now, all of you, shut up and eat."

Ness sat at the table with Dean. Sam, Catty and Dean smiled. They all ate.

"Wow," Catty told her. "That's--that's awesome."

"You're welcome," Ness told them. "Tell me you got something."

§

Later

They were researching. Ness gave Sam, Catty and Dean smoothies. Dean took a drink, debating on whether he liked it or not, tilting his head, taking another drink. Catty smirked, taking a sip of hers.

Sam was watching something on the laptop. "What the hell?"

"Cain or Crowley?" Ness asked.

"Charlie," Sam answered.

"Is she back from Oz?" Dean asked. "She didn't call?"

"Yeah, uh... she's been busy," Sam told them, turning the laptop toward them to show them footage of Charlie, in all black, beating the man from the teaser.

"What the hell are we looking at?" Dean asked.

"So, you know, I was looking into the news, checking for anything weird, right?" Sam asked. "I found this story about a torture vic. Apparently, some kid videotaped this at his next-door neighbor's house."

"What are you saying, Charlie tortured someone?" Dean asked.

"Uh..." Sam trailed off.

"Our Charlie?" Ness asked. "Yea high, wouldn't hurt a Hobbit, practically sparkles?" She didn't wait for an answer, pulling out her phone, making a call. "Come on, Charlie, pick up."

"The guy she went all Jack Bauer on?" Sam asked. "Uh, Peter Harper."

Ness hung up. "She's not answering."

"District attorney in Topeka," Sam explained. "According to this article, he wasn't the only person in town that was hit. Uh, a court stenographer was assaulted the night before."

"Well, you know, Charlie wouldn't go off on someone without a reason," Catty told them.

"Yeah, I wouldn't think so either, but look at the video," Sam told them.

"Oh, I'm looking at it," Catty told them. "But you know what we do, taken out of context, it doesn't look that much different. She could be hunting." 

Ness was hoping for that to be true. Sam sighed, doubtful.

Dean took a breath. "Why don't we go talk to this asshat and see what's going on?"

§

  Dean and Ness' Room

Ness had a moment of tension and shaky hands with a knife that she was packing into a bag.

Dean noticed, stepping closer. "You okay?"

Ness looked up, brought out of the moment, nodding. "Yeah. Good." She put the knife in the bag. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Dean answered. "Yeah, let's do this."

Ness nodded.

§

Topeka, Kansas

Peter Harper's House - Dining Room

Sam, Dean, Catty and Ness were questioning Peter Harper in his house, in the dining room, posing as FBI.

"Now, did you notice anything odd before the attack?" Sam asked. "Any, uh, strange smells, weird noises?"

"No, no, nothing," Peter answered. "I was just at home here, getting ready for bed, and that crazy bitch jumped me. All she wanted was to know was about some case that I worked on years ago. Drunk driver T-boned another car, killing the driver, and the passenger was declared brain-dead on the scene."

Sam, Dean, Catty and Ness exchanged a knowing look.

"The Middletons," Dean told him. "They had a daughter, 12 years old. They were on their way to pick her up."

"Yeah, that's right," Peter told them. "How did you know that?"

"Well, we do our homework at the FBI," Catty told him.

"Okay, well, then you know the case never went to trial," Peter told them. "Before I could even see the evidence, it was off the books. All the filed were sealed."

"Now, how is that even possible?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Peter told them. "But I looked into it this morning. There's no record of that case anywhere, and the arresting officer has since passed away. There's nothing, except for this." He slid a file across the table toward them. "The social service file on the Middletons' kid. It's not very helpful, to be honest with you. The kid has disappeared, until now."

"Now, is there anything else you can remember about the case?" Catty asked. "Any names you can think of?"

Peter shook his head. "No. Like I told the police, it was so long ago. Look, I'm sorry."

"All right," Sam told him. "Here's the thing. We talked to the other victim on the way here, the stenographer. Now, she said the attacker didn't let her go until she gave up a name. Your name."

"Okay," Peter told them. "But w--what does that have to do with m--me being attacked in my own home, here?"

"What name did you give up?" Ness asked.

"Look, I told you everything I told the police," Peter told them. "This woman comes in here, beats the tar out of me, but--but there's no name to give up, so, I--I don't know what else to--"

"I'm sorry, but if you don't talk, we can take you in for obstruction of justice," Ness told him.

Sam, Dean and Catty looked at Ness.

"Okay, okay," Peter told them. "All right. All right. After the files were sealed... I pushed. And, uh... they offered me money. A lot of money."

"Give me a name," Ness told him.

"The money kept on coming in from overseas accounts," Peter told them.

"Give me a name," Ness told him impatiently, more forcefully.

"I will be disbarred," Peter told them.

"That'll be the least of your worries," Ness told him quietly, ominously. "I promise you that."

Peter swallowed, hesitating. "Councilwoman Barbara Cordry."

§

Night - On the Road

The Impala drove down the road.

§

The Impala

Dean was driving. Catty was in the passenger seat. Sam and Ness were in the backseat. They were all wearing normal clothes, before the FBI outfits.

Sam read Charlie's social security file by flashlight. "Celeste Middleton. Celeste, that's Charlie's real name. Guess she's looking or the person who, uh, destroyed her family."

"Can you blame her?" Dean asked. "You know, we just got to find her before she does something nobody can walk away from."

§

Day Three

Morning - House - Living Room

A woman was going through papers. There was a knock on the door. The woman walked toward the door, opening it to reveal the Winchesters outside, posing as FBI.

"Barbara Cordry?" Sam asked.

"Can I help you?" Barbara asked.

"Yes," Catty answered. "I'm Special Agent Collins. These are my partners, Special Agents Lesnicki, Gabriel and Banks. May we come in?"

"What's this about?" Barbara asked.

"We have some questions about a drunk-driving case from a while back involving the Middleton family," Sam told her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Barbara told them.

"Ma'am, if we could just--" Dean started.

"Sorry," Barbara told them. "I'm still on vacation. Feel free to schedule an appointment with my assistant. She'll pencil you all in."

§

Outside  

Barbara closed the door.

"Guilty much?" Ness asked.

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

§

The Impala

The Winchesters were staking out Barbara's house, in normal clothes. Ness took a bite of a sandwich. 

Dean watched her in confusion. "What the hell is kale?"

Ness looked at Dean, chewing, wiping a bit of ranch from her lips.

Sam read from Charlie's file. "'Anti-authority disorder, clinical depression, violent outbursts'. Charlie was, uh..."

"Dude, if a shrink interviewed us at that age, you think the report would be all kittens and rainbows?" Catty asked. "Come on. She's a good kid. There's got to be an explanation for this, guys. There's just got to be."

There was a crash and a scream from inside the house. They got out of the car.

§

Barbara's House - Living Room  

Catty, Sam, Ness and Dean bursted into the house with guns drawn.

Charlie had Barbara, at knife point with a sword, looking at them. "Should have known Gamora, Rocket, Nebula and Groot would track me down. Where's your little girl Sabrina?"

"Sabrina's not so much a little girl anymore," Dean told her.

"Let her go," Sam told her.

"Who?" Charlie asked, looking at Barbara. "Oh, her?"

"Don't do this," Sam told her.

"I just want answers," Charlie told them.

"Yeah?" Catty asked. "Since when do you start pounding on people for those? What the hell happened to you in Oz?"

Charlie shrugged slightly. "Everything I wanted. An adventure. Even got my own little sword like your little Ava, but unlike Ava, this one doesn't work on Angels, Demons or Archangels."

"Charlie--" Sam started.

"Oh, Sam, you're adorable," Charlie told him. "You're not gonna hurt me. In fact, that's your problem. All good-guy code, not bite. What a waste. Dean, Catty, always letting this albatross hold you back." She looked at Ness. "And you, the moral center of it, but not afraid to get her hands a little dirty. Isn't that right, Ness?"

"Okay, all right, you know what?" Dean asked. "I don't know what's going on here, okay? But this? This is not you."

"Oh, it's me, all right," Charlie told them.

"Charlie, put the knife down," Ness told her. "Let her go. We don't want to hurt you, kiddo, but we're not gonna let you do this." 

Charlie pushed Barbara toward them, buying her time to run toward the front door.

§

Foyer  

Catty ran after Charlie, making her fall. "Stop!" Charlie locked her legs around Catty's neck in a chokehold, rolling her to the floor, punching her in the face, standing, running out the door. Catty stood, running after her. "Guys!"

Dean and Ness followed. Sam made sure Barbara was okay before following.

§

Outside  

Catty, Dean, Ness and Sam ran outside. Charlie drove away in a black car.

"Charlie!" Catty told her. "Hey!" They ran toward the Impala, about to get in before they realized the tires were slashed. "Oh, son of a bitch."

A yellow car pulled up toward them, its horn honking.

Charlie was inside, in her normal novelty clothing, her short hair curly. "What's up, bitches?" Catty, Dean, Ness and Sam looked at her in shock, looking in the direction that the other Charlie had taken off to to the Charlie in front of them. "Right. Um..." Charlie chuckled. "We should probably catch up."

Catty, Dean, Ness and Sam exchanged a shocked look, looking at Charlie.

§

Berto's Ale House 

(Song:) Feel So Fine - Simon Stewart (De Wolfe Music Library)

Ness, Dean, Sam, Catty and Charlie at a table.

"There are two of you," Dean told her. "One good, one... bad?"

"Yeah, what, dick you is some sort of a ninja?" Catty asked.

Charlie nodded. "She is a badass, yeah."

"O--okay," Sam told her. "Hold on. Back up. We were there for Dorothy, Oz, yellow brick road. B--but then..."

"War," Charlie answered. "The war for Emerald City. It was awesome. Until not so much. We were gonna lose, so I made a deal with the Wizard of Oz. Wears a hood and a creepy mask, kind of a jerk. Good times. He said for us to win, I had to unleash my true darkness, which he meant literally. He used the inner key of Oz. I opens a door to your soul and lets the darkness out. Uh, we're still connected physically. If you hurt her, you hurt me. But bottom line, she's bad, and I'm good. And let me just tell you, being good is really annoying. Normally in a place like this, I'd be pounding Harvey Wallbangers and checking out the bartender's ass. Now all I want to do is sip club soda and send her to college."

"Okay, uh, Good Charlie," Dean told her. "So, why is Dark Charlie gunning for revenge?"

"She's trying to win me back," Good Charlie answered. "Dark Charlie won the war single-handedly. But... she did some truly awful things. But I told her I didn't want any part of her near me again, ever. Going after the person who mur--mur... Uh, who took my parents away is her messed-up way of showing me how close we are, or--or could be. I keep calling her 'she', but she's me. I'm the one doing this."

"Charlie, that--that's not who you are, okay?" Ness asked."It--it's a twisted version of--"

"Me," Good Charlie finished. "I've been following her so I can catch her before she does something stupid, a--and just lock her away forever."

"Uh, Charlie, that's not an answer," Sam told her.

"Sam's right," Catty told her. "We'll go back to Oz, and we'll--we'll get the key from the Wizard of douche, and we'll put you back together."

"Even if I did want her back..." Good Charlie trailed off. "Look, Dark Me broke the key. There's no way to get back to the Wizard."

"Okay, okay, first thing's first," Sam told them. "We need to find Dark Charlie before she finds the drunk driver. So, we know Barbara gave up her old bank statements, right? That means Dark Charlie will probably follow the money back to whoever made the payoff."

"That's what I would do," Good Charlie told them.

"Me, too," Ness told them.

"I'll get some refills," Dean told them, going to the bar with their glasses.

Ness pulled out her laptop.

"What are you doing?" Good Charlie asked.

Ness typed away on the computer. "Hacking into Barbara's bank accounts."

Good Charlie frowned, troubled.

"What?" Catty asked.

"That's bad," Good Charlie told them. Ness, Sam and Catty exchanged a look of surprise, looking at Good Charlie. "I told you. Being good in annoying."

Dean walked back with their drinks, sitting down.

Ness had hacked the bank accounts. "Okay, so, Barbara's payments all came from offshore accounts, which were routed through dummy corporations, which have all gone belly-up."

"All right, skip to the end, Dragon tattoo," Catty told her. "They all lead back to this guy?"

"Russell Wellington," Ness answered. "And according to his personal records, he had a--a car that was reported stolen the--the week of the accident, a--a car that was never recovered. And after the supposed 'theft', he went on a sabbatical from work for two weeks and returned to work with bruises and a broken ankle."

"So, this is him," Good Charlie told them. "This is the man who, uh..."

Dean closed the laptop. "And you're done. Ness, Sam, Catty?"

Dean pulled Ness, Sam and Catty aside to talk alone.

"Hey, guys," Good Charlie told them. "Dean? Secrets are bad."

"Charlie, I don't think you should be anywhere around this piece-of-crap salesman," Dean told her.

"And--and I don't think that finding Dark Charlie and locking her up is gonna work," Sam told her. "I mean, she may be... dark, but she's still part of you."

"You're right," Good Charlie told them. "I hate it, but you're right."

"Okay, let's go to the Bunker," Sam told them. "Baum used the key to Oz. Maybe there's something in the Men of Letters' files about the key. If we can fix it, we can get back to Oz."

Dean looked at Sam, Catty and Good Charlie. "All right, you guys dig into that." He looked at Ness. "We're gonna keep an eye on Russell, and, uh, wait for Dark Charlie to show up."

Ness nodded. "We'll protect Russell and Dark Charlie, because is she gets hurt..."

"So does Good Charlie," Catty finished. "So, be careful."

Dean and Ness nodded, walking away, leaving.

Good Charlie looked at Sam and Catty. "Is Ness okay?'

"Uh..." Catty trailed off. "We'll tell you on the way. Come on."

Sam, Catty and Good Charlie walked away, leaving.

(Song Ends)

§

Russell Wellington's Building - Outside

Dean and Ness were staking out Russell Wellington on his business, in the Impala, eating almonds. They followed Russell to his company, getting out of the car.

§

Inside - Waiting Room

Dean and Ness walked inside, into the waiting room, signing names on the list, taking a seat among a group of people.

§

Lebanon, Kansas

The Bunker - Library

Sam, Catty and Good Charlie were doing research in the library.

"Okay, here we go," Catty told them. "Clive Dillion. He is the Man of Letters that first discovered the key to Oz. So, according to this incident report, Clive went to Oz, but he left the key on earth, and then L. Frank Baum found the key and went to rescue Clive in Oz."

"That's when Dorothy snuck along for the ride and got stuck there," Sam told them.

"Right," Catty agreed. "And then after Baum rescued Clive, Clive came back and retired."

"You can retire from the Men of Letters?" Good Charlie asked.

"Well, apparently, they put him in some sort of, like, uh, witness-relocation program," Catty explained.

"Where did he end up?" Sam asked.

Catty shrugged. "One way to find out."

§

Topeka, Kansas

Wellington Business - Waiting Room 

Ness was reading a magazine.

Dean looked at her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm a little jittery, so voila," Ness told him. "Things to help me calm down."

"Reading?" Dean asked in amusement. "Seriously?"

"I'm the genius out of the four of us, remember?" Ness asked.

Dean smirked, nodding.

The office assistant looked around. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith?'

Dean and Ness stood.

"Yes, yeah, hi," Ness told him. "Okay. Well... let's do this."

§

Russell's Office  

The office assistant showed Dean and Ness to Russell's office. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith for you, sir."

"Is that it for the day?" Russell asked.

"Yes, sir," the office assistant answered.

"Okay," Russell told him. "You can head out. Uh, I need my, uh, dry cleaning taken to the lake house, and, uh, pick up Pepper and take her to the dog groomers, okay?"

"Yes, sir," the office assistant answered, walking out, leaving.

Russell looked at Dean and Ness. "Thank you, both. Russell Wellington. Please have a seat." Dean and Ness took a seat. "So... what can you tell me about what you're looking for today?"

"Uh, right," Dean told him. "Well, um, see, my wife and I here are looking for a home of our own. And she can go on and on about her dream house." He looked at Ness. "Maybe you can tell him, baby."

Ness nodded.

§

Lebanon, Kansas

Night - The Bunker - Library

Sam, Catty and Good Charlie were researching.

"The Men of Letters gave Clive a new name, a new house, both of which are still listed," Sam told them. "I think Clive might be still alive."

"Y--Well, he'd be, like, 100-something," Catty told them.

"Time passes differently in Oz," Good Charlie told them. "It's close by. Let's go look. If he's still kicking, he is the only person who might be able to fix the key to Oz."

Catty nodded. "All right. Let's go."

§

Topeka, Kansas

Wellington Building - Russell's Office

Dean and Ness were still stalling.

"I'm not saying that we have to have a jacuzzi," Ness told him. "I'm just saying that I really like bubbles."

"Uh, look, I'm just gonna stop you right there," Russell told them. "Judging from your cheap shoes and your faded jeans, I'm guessing the only house you're in the market for comes with wheels. Now, look, I'm a busy man. My time is extremely valuable. I prefer not to have it wasted by some hayseeds."

"We're willing to buy if you're willing to sell," Ness told him. "So, why don't you show us what you got?"

"Well, I can show you the door," Russell told them, picking up the phone to call security. Dean broke the call off. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"We're the ones who's gonna save your life," Dean told him.

"Excuse me?" Russell asked.

"Hill and Oak Street," Dean told him. "Station wagon with a man and a woman in it, on their way to pick up their little daughter from a slumber party. That ring a bell?"

Russell stammered. "I--I--I--I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, no, you wouldn't, 'cause you were too drunk to remember anything that night," Ness told him.

"I think you have me confused with somebody else," Russell told them.

"Like somebody that cares?" Dean asked. "Or maybe somebody who wouldn't pay people off to cover up manslaughter?"

"You're insane," Russell told them. The power went out. "What the hell is going on?"

"Stay here," Ness told them. "Do not leave this room." 

§

Waiting Room

Ness walked in to investigate, finding Dark Charlie in the waiting room. "Charlie? Let's talk about this."

"You Winchesters and your talk," Dark Charlie told her. "Blah, blah, blah, repressed feelings. Blah, blah, blah, passive aggression."

"Come on," Ness told her. "You don't want to do this."

"I don't want to hurt him," Dark Charlie told her. "I just want to talk."

"Yeah, like you talked to all the others?" Ness asked.

"You're right," Dark Charlie told her. "I got out of hand. But this was never about revenge."

Ness nodded sarcastically. "Right."

"I want him to see my face," Dark Charlie told her. "I want him to see what he did to me. To us. That's all. Please, Ness. I deserve that. And then we hand him over to the cops."

Dark Charlie held her knife toward Ness. Ness hesitated, taking it. Russell and Dean walked out toward them.

Russell looked at Ness. "Mrs.--" He saw Dark Charlie. "Celeste."

"No one's called me that in a long, long time," Dark Charlie told him.

"Uh, I am so sorry," Russell told her. "What I did... it... I was young. I was stupid. What I took, I... I can never give back to you. But what I did after the accident, that never should have happened. And I wasn't drunk for that. I was stone-cold sober. It was selfish... and wrong. And I should pay for it. And I will pay for it."

"You took everything from me," Dark Charlie told him, stepping closer to Russell, past Ness and past Dean.

"Please," Russell told her, backing away into his office. "Celeste, I am so sorry."

Dark Charlie stepped into the office. "Russell?" Dean and Ness turned to face them. "I forgive you."

Dark Charlie turned, slamming the door, locking it.

Dean tried to open the door. "Charlie! Charlie!"

Ness ran closer. "Don't do this, Charlie!"

They heard a scream and a window breaking, breaking the door open to find Russell dead and Dark Charlie gone.

§

On the Road - Catty's Mustang

Catty's Mustang drove down the road.

§

Catty's Mustang  

Catty was driving. Sam was in the passenger seat. Good Charlie was in the backseat.

Sam's phone rang. He took it out, answering. "Dean. Hey, hold on. I'm putting you on speaker." He put the phone on speaker. "What happened?"

"It's over," Dean told them.

"What do you men, 'it's over'?" Catty asked.

"She got to Russell," Dean answered. "She killed him."

"Oh, my God," Good Charlie told them.

"Charlie, if you can hear me, I'm so sorry," Ness told her.

"It's not your fault," Good Charlie told them. "It's mine."

"No, no, no," Ness told her. "Don't--don't say that. This is not on you."

"All right, let's, uh, try and stick the plan, guys," Catty told them.

"Did you guys find a way back to Oz?" Dean asked.

"Maybe," Sam answered. "Uh, look, t--the Man of Letters who originally found the key? He's still alive. He lives in Junction City under the name Michael Carter. His real name is Clive Dillon. I'll text you the address. Just come meet us."

"All right," Dean told them. "We'll be on our way."

Sam hung up. Good Charlie was still in shock. Catty continued to drive.

§

Topeka, Kansas

Bar   

Dean and Ness were sitting at the bar. Dean hung up his phone, placing it down on the bar next to a shot glass of whiskey, looking at Ness. Ness sighed, shaking her head.

Dark Charlie arrived, sitting on the other side of Ness, looking toward the bartender. "She's cute."

"You lied to me," Ness told her.

"You lied to yourself," Dark Charlie told her. "That's kind of your move. Something's off about you, though, isn't it? It's always something with you Winchesters."

"We've made mistakes," Dean told her. "But we'll pay for ours. And you'll pay for yours."

"Come on, guys," Dark Charlie told them. "I'm not the monster here. He was. He got what he deserved. You know I'm right. You know what I learned about being dark? It sets you free. And part of you knows that's right, too."

§

Junction City, Kansas

House - Outside

Sam, Catty and Good Charlie knocked on the door.

An elderly man opened the door. "Hello?'

"Clive Dillon?" Good Charlie asked.

The man shook his head. "No. My name is--"

"Michael Carter, right," Catty told him. "But it was Clive Dillon, wasn't it? Back in the Men of Letters? Back in Oz?"

"You seem to be confused," the man told them. "There's no Clive Dillon here. And Oz? That's just a fairy tale. It's best left on the bookshelves where it belongs."

"So, you've never seen this before?" Sam asked, holding out half of the key of Oz.

The man was in shock, obviously being Clive Dillon.

§

Topeka, Kansas

Bar

(Song:) You Don't Have the Right - Bretty Boyett (5 Alarm Music 5A Series / Imagem Production Music) 

Dean, Ness and Dark Charlie were still sitting at the bar.

The bartender set out drinks for Dark Charlie. "Enjoy."

The bartender walked away, leaving.

"Delicious," Dark Charlie told them.

"All right, listen, Dark Charlie," Ness told her.

"Oh, grow up," Dark Charlie told them. "There's no right. There's no wrong. There's just us... and them."

"Yeah, well, there's not gonna be a you for very much longer," Dean told her.

"Uh-oh," Dark Charlie told them. "Did princess me find a way back to Oz?"

"That's right," Dean told her. "Yeah, a former Man of Letters, retired, in Grantville, two towns over." Ness looked at Dean, keeping her expression blank. "They're gonna fix the key to Oz, find the Wizard, and put you back to where you belong."

"Back into Charlie?" Dark Charlie asked. "Is that where I belong? Well... hmm. We'll just see, won't we? In the meantime, I'm gonna ask her..." She indicated the bartender. "To dance."

Dark Charlie followed the bartender to the back. The bartender walked out of the back to restock the bar.

"What happened?" Ness asked. "Did our friend strike out?"

"Your friend?" the bartender repeated. "She just left out the back door."

Dean and Ness heard the rumble of the Impala's engine being revved.

(Song Ends)

§

Outside  

Dean and Ness ran outside just in time to see Dark Charlie drive off in the Impala.

Dean was angry. "No, no, no, no! Oh, you son of a bitch!"

Ness sighed, pulling out her phone, making a call. "Catty?"

"Hey," Catty told her. "Where the hell are you guys?"

"Dick Charlie just hot-wired the Impala," Ness told her. "She thinks she's on her way to you."

"What?" Catty asked.

"Dean and I told her the wrong town, so we probably bought you a little time, but, uh, just be on the lookout," Ness told her. "We'll be there as soon as we can jack a ride."

"Thanks," Catty told her. "Hurry."

Dean had been looking for a car to steal while Ness had been on the phone, finding an open car door. "Ah."

Ness hung up. They got into the car.

§

Junction City, Kansas

Clive Dillon's House - Living Room

Clive and Good Charlie were sitting down. Sam and Catty were standing.

"The six keys of Oz were forged from Oz steel," Clive told them. "They can only be repaired in that magical realm."

"So there's no going back?" Good Charlie asked. "I can't put my darkness away?"

"I'm sorry," Clive told her.

"What happened to you in Oz?" Catty asked.

"It's in my report," Clive told them.

"Your report just said you were kidnapped," Sam told him. "By whom?"

"Bad people," Clive told them.

"I know that look," Good Charlie told him. "You're lying. And lying is--"

"Bad," Clive finished. "Yes, I know. What happened to you, my dear, happened to me."

"What?" Good Charlie asked.

"A coven of Witches grabbed me," Clive explained. "They used the inner key on me, unleashed my ID. He was awful. He killed all the Witches and went into a tantrum. Was power-hungry, crazy. He became the Wizard of Oz."

"Frank's daughter, Dorothy, runs Emerald City now," Good Charlie told him. "The Wizard, dark you, he is right by her side. If--If--If she's in trouble--"

"Well, without the key to Oz, there's no way we can get back to the Wizard," Clive told them. "But... there may well be a way... to summon him here." He pulled out a gun from a drawer. "If I am mortally wounded, he'll have to come back here to save us both."

"Wait, wait, wait," Good Charlie told him. "There has to be another way."

"What he has done is my fault," Clive told them. "After all, he is me, and I am him, so... maybe it's time that both of us answered for our sins. It's the good thing to do, right? Right?"

They didn't have an answer.

§

Outside

Dean and Ness pulled up in the car to Clive Dillon's house, getting out. They heard a gunshot from inside, starting to run toward the house.

Dark Charlie pulled up behind them in the Impala, getting out. "I figured you two'd lie about where to go to next. That's what I would do."

"What the hell do you want?" Dean asked.

"I just want to talk to her," Dark Charlie told them.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere near her," Ness told her. "We're not gonna let you corrupt her."

"Corrupt her?" Dark Charlie repeated in amusement, stepping closer.

Ness stepped in her way. "Don't take another step."

"Or what?" Dark Charlie asked. "What are you going to do to me?" She looked at Dean. "What is she gonna do?"

"You don't wanna know," Ness told her.

Dark Charlie smiled. "Now, this is a Ness that I can get used to."

§

Inside - Living Room

Clive laid on the floor, holding the bullet wound in his stomach. Good Charlie knelt next to him worriedly. Sam and Catty stepped closer. The house started to shake. The nearby mirror started to glow green, shattering. Sam, Catty and Good Charlie held up their arms instinctively to shield from the glass spreading before falling to the floor.

The Wizard of Oz stepped out through the broken mirror in a green robe. He pulled back the hood of the robe, taking off his mask, looking at Clive. He was a younger version of him. "What have you done, you fool?"

§

The Wizard was holding a hand over his gunshot wound in his stomach. Sam pulled a gun on the Wizard. The Wizard used magic to throw the gun out of his hands, tying magical green glowing ropes around his wrists to restrain him, making him fall, the green glowing ropes appeared around his ankles as well.

The Wizard looked at Clive on the floor. "You had but one task. Stay alive. And you couldn't even manage that."

Good Charlie gasped in pain, her mouth suddenly bleeding, looking at Catty in a panic.

§

Outside  

Dark Charlie started the fight, trying to punch Ness. Ness punched her in the face, making her lip bleed. Dark Charlie tried to punch Ness two times.

Ness raised both arms to block both moves, kneeing her in the stomach, pushing her back. "I don't wanna hurt you, Charlie."

"Sucks for you, doesn't it?" Dark Charlie asked, kicking toward her. Ness raised her leg to block the move, punching her in the face, making her turn away. "That's it, Nessie. Let it all out."

Dark Charlie punched toward Ness. Ness ducked, making her spin with the force of the punch. Dark Charlie finished the spin facing Dean, backhand punching him in the face. Dean punched her in the face, making her turn away toward Ness. Dark Charlie grabbed her shoulders, kneeing Ness in the stomach, turning around, throwing her into the stairs of the front porch, making Ness roll down to the ground.

§

Inside - Living Room

Good Charlie groaned in pain as she felt every move they made. Catty stepped toward Good Charlie to help. The Wizard held his hand toward Catty, using magic to keep her back.

"Stop this, please," Catty told him. "Let me help my friend."

"Your friend wanted to be a hero," the Wizard told them. "And you know what happens to heroes? They die."

The Wizard started to use magic to strangle both Sam and Catty, making them gasp for breath, unable to breathe.

§

Outside

Dean pointed at Dark Charlie. "You hurt our friend."

"I learned it by watching you," Dark Charlie told them, punching Dean in the face repeatedly.

Ness stayed on the ground so she didn't have the urge to get up and keep fighting, even thought that was all she wanted to do. She turned her head away, breathing heavily, closing her fists around the ground to stay down and not fight.

§

Inside - Living Room  

Sam and Catty were still being strangled.

Catty had to lower to her knees, out of breath, unable to breathe, lying on the floor next to the gun that Clive had used to shoot himself. She looked at Clive, barely able to say the words. "I'm... sorry."

"I forgive you," Clive told her. "We both do."

The Wizard walked toward Good Charlie and Clive to heal Clive, his attention turned away from Catty. Catty grabbed the gun, aiming it at the Wizard, shooting him in between the eyes. Clive and the Wizard both had the wound, both dead, the Wizard falling to the floor beside Clive. The ropes around Sam disappeared. Sam and Catty could breathe again. Good Charlie took the key to inner selves from the Wizard's pocket. Good Charlie, Sam and Catty all stood, looking at Clive and the Wizard's bodies on the floor, Good Clive and Dark Clive. They exchanged a look, knowing they had to get outside.

§

  Outside

Ness was starting to sit up, holding her stomach in pain.

The door behind her opened. Ness looked behind her, over her shoulder, to see Good Charlie, Sam and Catty walking outside. Dean grabbed Dark Charlie in a chokehold from behind. Good Charlie walked down the porch steps, toward them, facing Dark Charlie.

"So this is it," Dark Charlie told her. "Isn't it?" Good Charlie nodded. "I knew this story had to end. It was one hell of a ride. I'll see you on the inside, Celeste."

Sam and Catty helped Ness stand. Good Charlie used the key to inner selves to open her soul. Dark Charlie glowed with blue light, floating toward Good Charlie, converging with her to make the original Charlie.

Ness walked closer. "Charlie?" Charlie nodded. "Charlie, thank God." Ness and Charlie embraced tightly. Ness pulled Catty into the embrace with them, with Sam and Dean on either side of them. "It's okay."

§

Day Four

Lebanon, Kansas

Day - The Bunker - Control Room

Ness was sitting at the map table, on her laptop, researching. Dean and Sam were researching books and papers.

Catty stood on the balcony above, on the phone. "Yeah, he's, uh, she's better. I mean, she's getting better, but Cas, we got to--we got to find Cain, or... we got to find something, you know? Right. Yeah, I know. I hear you. Okay. You got it. All right. Thanks. Tell Ava and Sow thanks, too."

Catty hung up, walking down the stairs toward Ness, Dean and Sam. Charlie walked in.

"Hey," Sam told her. "Uh, shouldn't you be resting up?"

"I think sleeping for two days in a row is probably enough," Charlie told them.

"So, are you..." Sam trailed off.

"Good?" Charlie suggested. "Bad? I think I'll just settle for balanced. Anything about the Mark?"

"Yeah, maybe," Sam answered. "I found this book. It's a lore book. 'The Book of the Damned'."

"Sounds legit," Ness told them.

"It's in a library somewhere in Tuscany," Dean told them. "It might be a dead end, but I figured--"

"I'll go check it out," Charlie told them.

"Whoa," Dean told her.

"Look, there's no going back to Oz," Charlie told them. "And with the Wizard gone, Dorothy will be fine."

"So, does this mean no more adventure?" Sam asked.

"I think we have all the adventure we can handle right here," Charlie told them.

"What about..." Catty trailed off.

"Dark Charlie?" Charlie finished. "She's, uh... quiet. I just got to keep moving forward. We all do." She looked at Ness. "We are going to fix this. I'm not letting what happened to me happen to you."

"But it's already happened," Ness told her.

"Cain found a way to live with it," Catty told them.

"Right, yeah, after centuries of murder," Ness told them.

"Yeah, well, there's one thing that you have that he didn't," Charlie told her. "You're Ness Singer-Winchester, with Sam, Dean, Catty and Sabrina Winchester and two Angels named Castiel and Octavia backing up every move you make."

Charlie embraced Ness, Sam, Dean and Catty all in turn, pulling away.

"Be careful out there," Catty told her.

"Does that sound like either of me?" Charlie asked. "If I find something, I'll call. If not... I'll just keep digging."

"Charlie, thank you," Sam told her.

"Arrivederci, bitches," Charlie told them, walking out, leaving.

Dean looked at Ness. "You good?"

"No," Ness answered. "Every part of me wanted to get up and start beating Dark Charlie until there was nothing left, even though I knew that it would kill Good Charlie, too."

"But you didn't," Dean told her. "That's the difference. You stayed down, even if it took everything you had. You can do this."

"We can do this," Catty told them.

Ness nodded.

"Then let's get to work," Sam told them.

They looked over the research, sighing.