The Runt of the Litter

There's No Should

Note: hey babes <3

thanks for the commenting and the voting and the reading!

this one is for a request over on Ao3, and features some Charlie Bradbury being her awesome self

Anna is sixteen

Firsts

Anna was stunned when Charlie showed up at the bunker out of the blue one Thursday morning in June. She was even more surprised to find that it was her, Charlie wanted to hang out with.

"I'll take great care of her," Charlie promised Dean, standing directly beside him and looking up at him exactly the way Anna always did when she was pestering him. "We'll be gone three days tops. She'll call every night. No booze or drugs, I promise. Stuff's overrated anyway."

Dean set his beer down and sat at the kitchen table, giving Charlie an appraising look. "Where the hell do you even want to go?" He asked.

Anna perked up from her spot on the counter, socked feet dangling above the ground. That was progress right there. Before, Dean had just said no. Now he was asking questions.

Charlie smiled deviously. "Pride," she said.

Dean's expression changed to one of fear. "No," he said firmly, pointing at Charlie, then at Anna who was beaming at the mere thought of going to Pride with the coolest woman she knew. "Don't even start, Anna," he told her seriously. Her excitement only grew despite his answer. "No," he repeated at the look on her face.

"What's wrong with pride, Winchester?" Charlie asked with her arms crossed over her chest, looking thoroughly unimpressed by his reaction.

"Nothing," Dean answered rapidly. He raised his hands in surrender. "Nothing wrong with pride, Charlie. Okay? Pride's fine. Hell, it's awesome."

Anna couldn't help herself— she bounced once on the counter, feeling closer to a yes already.

"No," Dean said again, though, one finger pointed at her. "Don't get excited, Runt. It's not happening."

"And why is that?" Charlie demanded. She put her hands on her hips. "Do you not trust me with your sister for a few days? We're not going hunting."

"Yeah, and that's the only reason we're still discussing this," Dean said and took an aggressive swig of his coffee. He set it back down firmly on the table and stood up again. Pacing over toward Anna, he looked at Charlie and gestured to the kid behind him. "She's sixteen, Charlie."

"I know," Charlie retorted.

Anna made a face at her brother for insinuating she was a friggin' child. She got a snicker out of Charlie for the rage in her expression, but Dean never even noticed the look.

"What about it?" Charlie pressed on.

"So, she's too young."

"Too young for what?"

"For... I don't know... It's a lot of people, okay?" He argued defensively. "It's a lot of drunk people who aren't spatially aware. And I don't want you losin' Anna in a crowd like that." He ran a hand over his face. "Look, I know you want to, okay?" He looked back at Anna, "I know you wanna go too. I just... maybe next year, okay?"

Charlie made an annoyed face. "So we can have the same fight next year? Not happening. I want her for three days. Just three. She'll call you. We'll be careful."

Dean held Charlie's gaze for a long moment. She didn't waver or back down. "Where is it?" He asked in a strained voice.

Charlie smiled broadly, winking at Anna over his shoulder. "New York City."