5.
The Impala purred softly as Dean sat behind the wheel, his gaze fixed on the empty road. Next to him, Sam was leafing through one of his notebooks, his face tense with exhaustion after the long night. In the backseat sat Dana, quietly in an oversized coat that Dean had given her. Jody had given Castiel a pair of pants and a shirt. Sadly, her socks and shoes were still wettish so Dean told her to take them out once she was in the car. There was a chill in the air and she didn’t have a coat, so Dean came to the rescue in the form of an old leather jacket. The coat was wonderfully warm and she felt safe in it despite everything. She had her knees pulled up, her arms wrapped around them, her bare foot a bit cold and she was processing everything that had happened in the past few days.
“Are you cold, kiddo?” Dean asked, not looking up from the road.
Dana shook her head, but her gaze remained fixed on the window. She then realised that Dean wanted a verbal answer and she softly said she was okay.
Sam turned halfway. “You want to listen to some music? Dean’s taste in music is terrible, but maybe it’ll help distract you.”
“Hey!” Dean protested immediately, reaching for the radio. “Little girls like classics, right?” He turned on Carry On My Wayward Son, the volume just low enough not to be distracting.
Sam half turned from the passenger seat, his gaze friendly but attentive. “You know, Dana,” he began carefully, “we’ve discussed this before. You said your uncle threw you out of the car…and I know that was really bad for you. Now we want to figure out how best to help you, but we need your last name.”
Dana shrugged and looked at the window as if she didn’t want to answer. “It doesn’t matter.”
Dean rolled his eyes. “Of course it does. How can we help you if we don’t even know who you are? What does it say on your school report card, or…whatever, your dentist’s card?”
She looked up, her eyes sad. “I've never been to the dentist. I uh...my name is Dana Potter.”
Sam looked at Dean but kept his thoughts to himself for now. Never been to the dentist? How strange. “Thanks for telling us,” he finally said, his voice calm and sincere. Dana glanced at him and gave him a small smile before looking back out at the passing landscape. “Does your uncle have the same last name?” Sam asked. “No, his name is Dursley…Vernon Dursley.”
****
Arriving at the Bunker, Dana was visibly impressed by the massive doors and labyrinth of corridors. She followed the brothers silently as they descended the stairs into the warm, book-filled space. She had put her socks and shoes on again and the shoes made little squeaky noises because of the wetness.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Dean said as he led her to a table. “This is our home base. No stupid uncles here.” He tried to keep it light, but Dana just smiled weakly.
Dean walked into a corridor, while Sam told her to wait a minute. “I am going to the kitchen, would you like some soup?” After nodding in agreement, she sat down at one of the chairs and waited until Sam returned.
Dana sat quietly at the table, slowly finishing the bowl of soup, spoonful by spoonful. She had taken off the heavy coat that was now hanging over the back of the chair. Sam sat across from her, leafing through a book as if searching for something important. Dean, meanwhile, was busy polishing a pile of weapons on the other side of the room, but he glanced at Dana now and then, as if trying to gauge what to make of her.
Dana’s eyes wandered, glancing over the walls of books, maps, and strange artifacts. One thing caught her attention: a small silver necklace with a shiny stone on it that lay on a shelf. It seemed to glitter, almost as if it were calling to her.
She looked over at Sam, who appeared to be engrossed in his book. He didn’t say anything so Dana quietly stood up and walked on her squeaky shoes to the shelf. “Sam, what is this?” she asked softly, her hand reaching for the necklace.
Sam looked up from his book. “That’s a protection charm. Better leave it be—”
But before he could finish what he was about to say, the necklace suddenly slid out of place and floated straight into Dana's hand, as if pulled by some invisible force.
“What…what was that?” Dana stammered, her eyes wide with fear as she clutched the necklace in her hand.
Dean looked up from his work and frowned. “Did you see that? That thing just flew at her!”
Dana turned to them, her hands shaking as she tried to put the necklace back. But before she could, the stone in the amulet began to glow softly. A warm golden glow spread through the room, quiet and calm, but unmistakably magical. It felt like the air was getting heavier, as if something ancient and powerful had awakened.
“Okay, what the hell is this?” Dean said sharply, standing up and taking a few steps forward. The gun he was cleaning was still in his hand.
Dana shook her head, her lips trembling. “I…I don’t know! It just did that!”
The necklace had stopped glowing and Dana carefully placed the necklace back on the shelf, her fingers still shaking. “I didn’t mean to do it,” she said softly. “It just happens. Always. And it causes problems...”
She glanced at Dean, her breathing quickening. His face seemed tense, his brow furrowed as he watched her. Dana involuntarily stepped back a few paces, as if preparing to bolt if the big man made a move.
“I… I didn’t mean to break anything!” she called out hastily. Her words came quickly and incoherently. “I don’t know how it works! It only happens when I’m scared, or when I’m angry, but I try to stop it. I really do! Please, don’t be angry with me!”
Dean stood frozen, clearly taken aback by her reaction. He opened his mouth, but Sam quickly placed a hand on his arm, a silent warning not to startle her further. Sam crouched down so he was at eye level with Dana.
“Dana,” he said softly, “you’re not in trouble. No one here is mad at you, okay?” His voice was reassuring as if he were talking to a wounded bird. “Dean just looks like that sometimes, that’s all. But trust me, you’re safe here.”
Dana’s gaze darted from Sam to Dean, her shoulders still tense. Dean, aware of her fear, let out a deep sigh and relaxed his posture. He put the gun down and his hands on his hips and looked straight at her but with a softer gaze.
“Listen, kiddo,” he began, his voice lower and calmer. “I’m not mad. I really am not. I just don’t know what any of this means, and that makes me a little… well, cautious. But you didn’t do anything wrong. You know that, right?” He could not believe himself right now, but he hoped the girl would believe him.
Dana nodded hesitantly, her eyes still wide with fear. “I don’t want to cause any trouble,” she whispered.
Dean gave a crooked smile and shrugged. “Hey, making trouble is kind of our job. So if something weird happens, just leave it to us, okay? You don’t have to worry.” Again, he lied to her.
Sam gave her an encouraging nod. “You’re not alone, Dana. Whatever this is, we’re going to figure it out together. Don’t panic, don’t stress. Deal?”
Dana swallowed and looked down at the floor, but after a few moments, she nodded cautiously. “Deal,” she whispered.