Second Nature 6/?
Chapter 6
When Dean woke up late the next morning he was still the first one up. After one quick check on his brother, still not wolfed out, and his car, still human so they wouldn't have to break down any walls after all, Dean went for the kitchen in search for breakfast.
He had a suspicious look at the coffeemaker, that thing looked ancient, but coffee was coffee and he started a pot.
They hadn't bought much food, they'd never planned on staying at the cabin for long in the first place, but Dean found a box of Lucky Charms.
That's why I bought the milk, Dean remembered and fixed himself a bowl. The last day had been a surreal blur and if he thought about the woman currently sleeping in the main bedroom, it hadn't gotten better. He didn't have to shoot anybody so it kinda had gotten better but still.
Dean had no idea what to do about his car-turned-human but he probably should give Bobby a call. Let him know they were still alive, some of them more than they should be, though.
Bobby picked up on the first ring.
"Dean." He said into the phone before Dean had even time to say anything. "Sam alright?"
"Sam's fine." Dean let out a sigh. Sam was fine. However, Dean would probably need a few days to convince himself that his little brother was indeed fine.
"I sense a but coming." Of course Bobby had picked up on that. "Don't tell me you did something stupid."
"Turned out, Sammy wasn't bitten." Dean said it out loud and it really felt good to say that. Finally the burden he'd been carrying around for the last month lifted completely and he took a deep breath. "But somebody else was."
"Who? You said you two were alone with the werewolf." Bobby asked clearly confused. "Dean? Did he …?"
"No." Dean hurried to say. "It's not me. It's my car."
"Come again?"
"The Impala got bitten." Dean clarified. "Turned into a woman last night."
"You sure it's her?" Bobby asked and Dean could practically hear his mind rattle off all the possible other things Baby could be. "Did you test her?"
"I wanted to but then I found my car gone and with her all the silver knives and the holy water." Dean put the empty bowl in the sink. "Trust me, it's her."
Bobby couldn't provide a quick answer, not that Dean had expected one, but he promised to make a few calls and to start with the research.
"You're just a few hours away, come over and well fix this together." Bobby offered and Dean was grateful he didn't point out why they'd stayed so close in the first place.
"Sounds good." Dean agreed. "But don't expect us too soon. We're stuck in the woods with no car and Baby doesn't even have shoes."
"Get here as fast as you can. And call me if anything changes." If she turns back into a car, if she becomes violent, if you have to kill her, Dean got the idea.
"First I've to get the sleeping beauties out of bed." Dean muttered and ended the call.
"Do I smell coffee?" A still half-asleep Sam staggered into the kitchen.
"Called Bobby." Dean fixed his brother a cup of coffee, with extra sugar, and a bowl of Lucky Charms.
"What did he say?"
"He's no idea either but he's looking." Dean sat down across from his brother with his own cup. "Wants us to come over."
"Probably for the best." Sam nodded. "If this lasts that long, that is. She's still a woman, right?"
"Last time I checked she was. I was about to wake her up anyway."
Baby was still fast asleep and didn't even stir when Dean sat down on the edge of the bed. Curled up under the covers only a patch of messy hair stuck out and carefully Dean pried the blanket from her face.
"Morning, sunshine." He said and she wrinkled her nose at that.
Then her eyes snapped open. "Dean?"
She shot up into a sitting position and stared at her hands for a moment before she touched her own face.
"Little late for a freak-out." Dean commented but waited patiently until she was finished with taking stock of her new features. "You okay?"
"I thought it was a dream." She admitted with a sheepish smile. Her voice was a little raspy from sleeping but otherwise she didn't seem to have a problem with forming words anymore.
"Do cars dream?" Dean raised an eyebrow at her.
"Most of the time it feels like a dream." She answered but didn't elaborate.
"Anyway, I've coffee ready." Dean stood up. "Believe me, you'll love coffee. It's like high-octane for humans."
Turned out, Baby liked coffee. And she liked it black and bitter just like Dean did and not the fancy over-sweet crap Sam called coffee.
"What are we going to do now?" Baby asked, turning from Dean to Sam and back again.
"Bobby's waiting for us." Sam answered. "He has the right resources to figure out what happened to you and how to turn you back."
At that Dean narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to be a car again?"
They may not have a choice because this could reverse itself over time but if they had to actively turn her back, they should make sure that was what she wanted.
"I am a car." She frowned at him as if that should be quite obvious.
For a second Sam stared at Dean as well but then he nodded in understanding.
"You don't have to decide anything just now." Sam said to Baby. "We still have to get to Bobby first and who knows when we'll find a solution."
He'd meant it in a reassuring way, Dean had no doubt about that, but now Baby looked more distressed than ever. Close to panic she turned to Dean.
"You can change me back, right?" She almost begged. "Dean? You can turn me back into a car, right?"
Surprised by this sudden outburst Dean took her hand and gave it a little squeeze.
"We're still not sure what exactly happened." He admitted. "So we don't know how to reverse it."
"But Bobby is already working on it." Sam jumped in, taking her other hand. "And if this works similar to the werewolf thing, chances are good you turn back on your own."
If this works similar to the werewolf thing, chances are good this is going to repeat itself next month, Dean thought but didn't say it out loud. And the month after that.
"Okay." She sniffed and her eyes were misty but she straightened up and tried a smile. "Then let's get to Bobby."
"About that." Dean shifted in his chair. "Have you looked outside? If you were still a car you'd get stuck for sure."
It had stopped raining over night but the path was still a mud trail he wouldn't dare to drive the Impala on. It had been bad when they'd come here and Baby had barely made it without getting stuck but now it was even worse.
"I have too legs now." She stretched them out and wiggled her toes to make her point. "You're walking in the woods all the time without getting stuck."
"With boots on." Dean stretched his leg out to show her his booted foot. "If you walk down there you'll cut your feet but you won't feel it because up to the knees you'll be numb from the cold."
"You're the expert on this human thing." She didn't seem convinced. "What do you suggest?"
Dean had been waiting for this question.
"Piggyback ride." He answered with a wide grin. Both, Sam and Baby, stared at him in disbelief. "What? It's the best way. We can take turns."
"You're probably right." Sam took his side after a pondering look at Baby. She weighted more than she looked, they'd already found that out, so carrying her out of the woods wouldn't be as easy as it seemed. And they still had their bags to carry as well.
"I have two legs." Baby emphasized again. "I can walk. I want to walk. You are not going to tow me out of here like that. No way. I'm a car. That's ... that's just not natural."
Dean bit back a chuckle. His car-turned-human was complaining about something not being natural.
"Baby." Sam ducked his head to meet her eyes and gave her that look. "How many miles have you carried us? Now it's our turn."
"It's my job."
"And my job is to take care of you." Dean added. "We get out of the woods and first thing is to get you some real clothes and a pair of shoes. Sounds good?"
Baby chewed her bottom lip for a moment before she nodded.
Decision made they hurried to get their stuff together. They hadn't really unpacked in the first place so that task was done in under a minute and then they were ready to go. It was nearly noon by then but the air still held quite a chill and the sun didn't have a chance to break through the thick gray clouding the sky.
"Here, take my jacket." Dean draped his leather jacket over Baby's shoulders. She was already wearing four layers of shirts and three pairs of socks but that wouldn't hold off the wind for long.
"Don't worry, I'll be warm enough with walking." He cut off her protest before she could even form her a word.
Dean took their two duffel bags by the handle and Sam bent down in the knees to let Baby hop on his back. After an unsure gaze in Dean's direction she carefully climbed his brother like a tree while Sam did his best to stifle a groan. For a second his knees buckled but then he found his balance and straightened up.
They walked in silence and after five minutes Dean was covered in sweat. Walking through ankle-deep mud wasn't easy and they made their way slower than he'd expected.
"This is going to take hours." He muttered under his breath and tried to ignore the cold wetness seeping into his boots.
"Stop whining." Sam countered and adjusted his hold on Baby. She had slung her arms around his neck with her hands resting on his chest and her legs wrapped around his middle. Sam's big paws on her thighs looked like he could break them like a dry stick but Dean doubted that would be that easy. She could have steel bones for all they knew.
Wolverine's little sister, Dean thought with a smile.
"I've to say, this isn't as bad as I thought." She grinned down at him and gave Sam a playful slap on the chest. "C'mon, faster."
"I swear, you call me horsy and you walk." Sam threatened but picked up speed.
What had been a slow half-an-hour drive up to the cabin turned out to be a nearly four-hour walk back to civilization. If you could call this forgotten spot on the map civilization, that is.
By the time they reached the main street with its few stores, a gas station and two bars, it was dark. No surprise this late in the year and Dean rather welcomed it. They gave quite a picture and this way they'd draw less attention. Or so he hoped.
As soon as they had asphalt under their feet Baby had insisted to walk on her own and at first sight nobody would notice the lack of shoes or the way to big clothes.
"Okay, you two go shopping." Dean got his wallet out and handed his brother the last of his money. They hadn't really bothered with keeping much cash, there had been more pressing things over the last month, and their emergency stash was safely hidden in the Impala's trunk and not accessible at the moment.
"What are you doing in the meantime?" Baby ask.
"I'm going to get us some wheels."
"You going to … what?"
Chapter 7
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