Fic: Badass B!itches (11.18 episode coda)

[zara_zee]

So I really liked the last episode. It was one that seems to have divided a lot of people Some loved it, some hated it. I mostly just think it's great that Show can still generate so much passion after 11 seasons.
Anyway, I haven't done a coda for a while. Lots of reasons, but partly because I haven't been inspried to write anything. Often because I just felt there was nothing I could add and last week, because I utterly lacked the capacity to be articulate after such an intense episode.
This week...I guess you could call this a tribute to the badass women of Supernatural.
I  was delighted to see Rowena again and I had no issue at all with her coming back via a spell in her leg. We know witches are powerful--think Maggie and Don Stark who laid out leviathans with a flick of the wrist, but didn't want to get involved. Witches are not heros in this universe. They are selfish and they are survivors. Of course Rownena had a back up plan. I've also decided that I love Billie and Amara far too much to really view them as 'baddies'. And apparently I'm still not over Charlie's death...

--

Title: Badass B!tches
Author: zara_zee
Beta: Not beta’d
Genre(s): Episode coda.
Rating: PG-13, Gen
Spoilers:  Episode 11.18
Word Count: ~ 1,000
Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing in the sand box.

*Title inspired by milly_gal's voice recorded episode reaction post!

Summary:  The sisters are doing it for themselves

--

It’s dark in here. Quiet too, except for the soft whirl and hum of machinery and the buzz of magic.  Nothing can keep her out, of course, but the place is very well-warded and Amara finds herself impressed.  Humans are such squalling, primitive infants; so weak and powerless;  so intelligent and grasping. She finds them fascinating.

Take Rowena, for instance. Hundreds of years older than a mere human should be, she’s learned how to cheat death and has the power to bind an archangel, albeit temporarily.  But she’s still fragile and puny and in the company of those more powerful, she will give her allegiance to the strongest; to the one who can protect her. Amara finds that she can’t fault her for that. Rowena has been betrayed too many times. She no longer has it in her to trust.

Amara makes her way down the stairs. Her Dean is in here somewhere, sleeping. She can feel him. Perhaps she should visit him? Make their joining complete. But, no. It is not yet time. She crosses the floor and…a red-haired woman appears before her, flickers briefly and then stabilizes.

“What’s up,” the woman says with a bob of her head. “So, uh. I’m Charlie. And you’re Amara.”

Amara stares at the woman and frowns. She circles her and tilts her head, not quite comprehending. “You are…numbers,” she says. “Zeros and ones,” she lifts her head and stares at Charlie’s face.  “And yet you are…somehow more.”

Charlie is beaming. “Right,” she says. “You’re like Neo. You can see the matrix; you know, being God’s sister and all. So, uh, I’m the bunker’s AI system. Funny story, see I was working with this witch called Rowena. Ah,” Charlie points at Amara. “You know her. I recognize that stab me now face. Anyway, she told me that the Winchesters would be the death of me and that us girls had to stick together and she gave me a spell. And when it turned out that she was right and it looked like I was about to get killed, I emailed all this code to Sam and did the spell and, well, when I died, I came back inside the bunker’s computer system. Surprise,” Charlie wrinkles her nose. “But don’t tell Sam and Dean, because a ghost in the machine is still a ghost and I don’t want them to try and gank me.”

Amara believes she understood about half of what Charlie just said.

“Why have you appeared before me?” she asks.

“Right. Straight onto the big questions. Well. Short answer, you tripped one of my search programs. Long answer. I wanted to meet you,” Charlie frowns. “The long answer was actually shorter than the short answer,” she clears her throat. “So not the point. So anyway, hi,” she waves.

Amara’s brow has been perpetually furrowed since she met Charlie. “Hello,” she says.

Charlie beams. “On behalf of the citizens of Earth, I’d kind of like to know what you plan on doing to us all?”

“Oh,” Amara says. “I haven’t decided yet. I am considering unmaking reality and re-doing it.”

Charlie nods. “And would this be just like, a mass re-spawning? Or are we talking a total reformat of the hard disk drive? Right back to factory settings?”

Amara stares at her and Charlie huffs. “Are we all gonna die?” she asks.

“Oh,” Amara says again. “It depends how I do it. But…probably. Yes.”

Charlie’s jaw tightens. “We’re not so bad, you know. Humans. I mean sure, there’s ISIS and the CIA and those Return of King’s douchebags and the Kardashians, but most people are kind and decent and give to charity and save puppies and kittens and I know you don’t like our Dad, but that’s not our fault.”

“I suppose not,” Amara agrees.

“God’s been gone for a very long time,” Charlie says, “but you could help us; make us better than he ever intended. And I know you probably feel like you deserve your own project and you shouldn’t be expected to have to nurture his creations when He goes AWOL, but we’re here. And it’s not our fault that our dad took off. And we could really do with a kind aunt who actually cares about us and doesn’t just want to drink away our welfare checks.”

Amara stares. “I have Lucifer,” she confesses, “and I hurt him again and again in the hope that my brother would come to save him. But he didn’t come. Maybe he is truly gone, as you believe.  I will think on what you have said. Perhaps there is some merit in the idea of wiping the existence of God from the minds of his creations and having them remember none but their loving and beloved Goddess.”

“Right,” Charlie laughs nervously, “just, uh, don’t go all Glory mind control on us, will you?”

Amara smiles enigmatically and heads toward the stairs. “I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to come here tonight. Perhaps it was to meet you.  You may wish to disappear soon. My Dean is waking.”

“Your Dean?”

Amara smiles. “Oh yes. Dean is mine. Do you not believe him a worthy consort for a Goddess?”

Charlie pulls a face. “He’s not really my type, but I suppose he might do; if you’re into ruggedly handsome princesses.”

The scene freezes and Billie steps out from the shadows.  She stands before AI Charlie and peers at her intently. “Clever girl,” she says. “But there’s only so long you can run from me. Rowena too.”

She moves to the bottom of the stairs and peers up at Amara. “Just so we’re clear,” she says. “Ultimately Dean is mine. What lives, dies. And that includes the Winchesters. It even includes you, Amara. I’ll reap both you and your brother in the end.”

Billie looks around and smiles. “Still, I’m likin’ this new vibe. Ain’t it good to see the sisters are doing it for themselves?”

--

Comments

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

I so think the show should do this with Charlie!!!

[zara-zee.livejournal.com]

Me too. It has been my head-canon for a while now! The latest ep really just gave me an excuse to resurrect my favourite redhead! Again.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

ha ha ha love it! Now if only the official writers were this creative! Charlie as a ghost AI in the bunker is actually genius!

Oh and don't forget to post this in spn_x... http://spn-x.livejournal.com/

[zara-zee.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I admit it, this entire coda was really just one giant excuse for me to resurrect Charlie, because dammit, if we can have one of our redheads back, we can have the other one back too! Right? Are you listening writers?

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I admit, I wasn't a huge Charlie fan but I've warmed to her via fics.

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

This was fabulous!! First up Charlie as the Bunker's AI system is ingenious! Secondly I love her interaction with Amara and Billie threatening to reap both God and Amara! Fantastic!

[zara-zee.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'll have Charlie however I can get her, but I do like the idea of her as the bunker's AI system! And Billie's gonna straighten out all this cheating death business if it's the last thing she does. Everybody gets reaped! No more take backs! :D

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

No Swapsies. No Takebacks *chills* I think we're in for a rough ride!

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

This is genius! Your Charlie voice is dead-on, and Billie and Amara, too. I really, really want them to make peace with Amara instead of killing her, and who better to get the ball rolling than the Queen herself?

[zara-zee.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm so pleased you liked the Charlie voice. :) I really want them to make peace with Amara too. I find her quite a sympathetic character, despite all the soul eating! :D

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

I do find her sympathetic, but also, I feel as though she's "evil" mostly because they expect her to be evil. She seems capable of growth and change, and she plainly has feelings, so a reasonable approach seems like it would at least be worth a shot. I really love that you found the perfect way to bring Charlie back, because she is us—she's exactly the character who would look at this situation and see the possibilities.

[zara-zee.livejournal.com]

I feel as though she's "evil" mostly because they expect her to be

Yes! Exactly. She's an amoral force, not an immoral force. She's still trying to figure shit out and I really don't think she's decided what to do yet, beyond getting her brother's attention.

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

I adore this!!! The girls all coming together, and this is the most perfect way to bring Charlie back (and I sure hope Show is listening!!) You really captured all the voices perfectly too, and I loved seeing Billie at the end, and her threat to Amara felt so true (and I do wonder of Billie will work with the Winchesters to put Amara in the Empty!)

I'm so happy to see that you've found some inspiration to write! Wonderful coda to the episode! Thank you for sharing :)

[zara-zee.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed. AI Charlie hiding in the bunker's computers has been my secret headcanon for a while and Rowena's return inspired me to write it! :D

Now that we're getting a Season 12, I keep wondering what the focus is going to be and wondering if they're going to go the Glory route (somewhat) with Amara. (Did you watch Buffy? That comment won't make any sense if you didn't.)

Anyway, that could be next season's big challenge for the boys...breaking Amara's enthralling hold on the entire world--and of course, in the beginning only Sam will be immune and he will have to break Amara's hold on Dean first as Dean will be Amara's official consort/High Priest. :D

Damn. I may have to write this! :)

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

Yes, I watched Buffy and I'd love to see a Glory route with Amara, and you should definitely fic that idea - it's perfect!!! I don't think we'll be seeing the end of Amara this season, it feels like we're just getting to know her. Plus, I adore the idea of maybe seeing SPN!God too, that would be awesome! :)

[sillie]

Yes to what you said about Rowena. I had no problem with how she came back either.

Also, that was a lovely coda. I love Charlie, I really hope they'll bring her back somehow.

[zara-zee.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I was really happy to see Rowena back and I would love to see Charlie back too! :D

[frozen_delight]

Awww, go you ladies! <333 Billie's cameo at the end was the best thing ever! But the rest of this fic was tremendously enjoyable too. I can't tell you how pleased I am that you decided to fix how grossly underused the brilliant female characters were in 11x18.

[zara-zee.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I always want more Amara, more Billie and more Rowena. And I'm still hoping we get Charlie back! So glad you enjoyed. :D

[lyryk.livejournal.com]

I'm here because a couple of lovely people on my flist told me about this fic, and I'm glad they did because it's awesome! I love your Charlie voice, and it's lovely to see Amara through her eyes. And yay for Billie too!

Also, seconding all of this so much: Of course Rownena had a back up plan. I've also decided that I love Billie and Amara far too much to really view them as 'baddies'. And apparently I'm still not over Charlie's death...

[zara-zee.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And thanks for stopping by. :) So happy you enjoyed the story, and really pleased you liked Charlie's voice. I do so hope to see these fabulous female characters fully explored and not just thrown away!