Chapter Text
See, when she’d been told that it was a werewolf, Claire had expected a werewolf, as one does. She had been all prepared for a werewolf. She had not been prepared for witches masquerading as wolves, ie ripping out hearts. So she was obviously not prepared to have spells and whatnot flung at her.
And that’s what led to her predicament. Claire frowned at the dusty highway she’d woken up next to. This was just wonderful. And here she was, probably standing up Kaia since it had definitely not been high noon last she checked.
With a groan, having found out her phone was broken, she started walking, hoping that she was headed in the right direction.
-+-
It was probably around three by the time she arrived at a small town, the kind no one visits and most people drive past on the highway. Checking her wallet, Claire decided some food and a coffee was in order. And maybe a newspaper so she could figure out wherever the hell she was now.
The diner she walked into was fairly empty, only a small family or four, and someone who appeared to be a drifter, apart from the chef and bored looking teen at the register. Grabbing a newspaper from the stand, Clair stepped up to the counter to order.
“I’ll take a cheeseburger and fries. Oh, and a coffee please.”
The teen hummed and called the order back. “You gettin’ the paper too?”
Claire nodded.
“That’ll be six bucks. It’ll be out in a sec.”
Though surprised at the price, Claire decided not to say anything and break whatever luck she’d stumbled upon, simply handing the money over before going to take a seat in the closest booth. With a tired sigh she leaned back and held up the paper.
Now she gasped. On the top of the page, in small bold letters, read ‘May 24th, 2002’.
“Fuck.” She ignored the looks the parents in the booth across from her sent her way, searching through the paper for anything else. “Ah shit, I’m gonna miss my date. By about twenty years-“
-+-
Burger eaten and coffee consumed, Claire picked at her fries while reading through the paper. An article had caught her attention and she really wished her phone wasn’t broken so she could do more research.
Just her luck, getting flung back in time only to stumble upon a case in the first place she ended up. Thankfully it appeared to be a simple salt and burn. She’d get right on that after hustling some pool at the bar down the street.
Snatching up the rest of her fries, Claire got going.
-+-
“Suckers.” She smirked, looking for a motel close by, a whole two hundred bucks the richer.
The same drifter that had been at the diner had been in the bar, but he hadn’t been playing, just watching. Probably planning to hustle a few rounds as well. She wouldn’t have noticed him if she wasn’t a hunter, trained by the best hunters around. There was something off about him. The guy looked weirdly familiar.
Shrugging it off for now, Claire decided to hunker down until nightfall. Then it was digging time.
-+-
Armed with a shovel, a can of salt, and a bottle of lighter fluid, Claire set off for the cemetery at the end of the road. She had gotten a few weird looks when she’d gone to check out, but her groceries were quickly explained away with the excuse that she was going camping.
“Alright Danny Cooper, time to stop haunting the nice family down the road.” She muttered, opening the cemetery gate.
A noise stopped her in her tracks before she made it through the gate. It sounded like digging. Frowning, Claire slunk forward. Yep, definitely digging.
“Hey, what are you doing?” She called out, walking towards the grave that was currently being dug up.
A head popped up from the hole in the ground and a flashlight shone in her face.
“Hey! Point that somewhere else, asshole!” She squawked, covering her eyes.
“Sorry about that.” A strangely familiar voice said. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing!” Claire scowled, trying to blink the spots out of her eyes. “Matter of fact, I already did!”
“Well, judging from the shovel, and salt, I’m assuming you’re a hunter too?” The voice, which she could now see belonged to the drifter she’d noticed earlier, noted.
“Very observant of you.” She grumbled. “Well, now I’m here, want some help?”
The guy, who still looked oddly familiar, shrugged. “I’ve just finished the digging, all’s left to do is salt and burn this son of a bitch.”
Claire blinked at the familiar phrase, looking closer at the other hunter. “…fucking hell, Cas and Jody are gonna kill me.”
-+-
“So, you’re from the future, and I’m supposed to believe you why?” Dean, a floppy haired, 23 year old version of him, was sat across from her at the same diner from that afternoon, two coffees on the table between them.
Claire shrugged. “Do, don’t, I’ve probably fucked up the timeline already just talking to you. And missing my date.” She groaned. “This is just wonderful. I’ve already stood Kaia up too many times for hunts. This was my last chance.”
Dean raised an eyebrow. “Right… you have any idea how to get back?”
Claire shook her head. “Spell maybe? But I don’t know what spell sent me back here so I wouldn’t know any counter spell to send me back. Fuck.”
“Okay, well, do you have a plan or something while you figure it out?”
“I got a room at the motel down the street. Guess I’ll just keep hunting for now…” It was a weird sensation, talking to the guy who was basically like another father while he was only two years older than her. She’d decided against telling him about knowing him in the future.
“I guess that’s a good way to go.” Dean shrugged. “Got any extra room in that motel room?”
Claire raised an eyebrow at him. “Dude, I’m a lesbian.” Better to cut off any flirting attempts before anything weird happened. You know, besides being hit on by her pseudo parent.
Dean’s face turned red. “That’s not- I wasn’t trying to-“ He stammered. “I’m just, I’m low on funds at the moment-”
Claire kind of felt bad for the guy, if he turned any redder, he’d be rivaling the cracked vinyl seats of the diner booth. “Chill, I get it. You need a place to hit the hay. I probably didn’t help when I hustled those guys at the bar earlier either. Good thing I got a double twin room outta habit. Just keep your hands to yourself, hotshot, and we’ll be good.”
“Yeah I- no problem.” He smiled, relieved. “Thanks.”
She nodded, draining the last of her coffee. She was definitely ready for some sleep now. Maybe when she woke up she’d be back home in her own bed and not in the past with a floppy haired, higher pitched, younger version of Dean Winchester. When she got back, she was definitely going to make fun of his hairstyle. “Come on then.”
Dean tossed back the rest of his own coffee and followed her back to the motel, stopping at a beat up pickup truck to grab a duffel bag. The truck was a surprise, Claire had never pictured him without his Baby.
“This yours?”
Dean frowned at the truck. “No. I was planning on ditching it here and grabbing something else on the way out of town. When I own a car, it’d never get this out of repair, lemme tell you.”
Claire mock gasped. “A car thief?! You oughtta be ashamed of yourself, young man!”
Dean snorted. “And I suppose you were planning on taking the bus to work?”
Claire laughed, opening her door. “Yes, I’d hold the driver at gun point and tell them to ‘follow that vampire!’”
“Vampire? They exist?!” Dean looked like he’d just been told Donna had brought pie.
Claire just looked at him in confusion, sitting on the bed she’d picked. “Uh, yeah. You didn’t know this?”
Dean shook his head, sitting on the other bed. “No. I didn’t think they existed. My dad never mentioned anything about them and I’ve never hunted one.”
Now that wasn’t something she expected. “Well, they exist. My sorta sister actually lived with some for a time as a blood slave or whatever she called it.”
“Huh.” Dean flopped back on his bed.
Claire kicked off her boots, making a mental note to buy a couple changes of clothes before she got the hell outta dodge in the morning.
“Need some clothes?” Dean asked after a moment. “Doubt that’s comfortable to sleep in.”
She debated the pros and cons of borrowing clothes. “So long as they’re clean.” She settled on.
Dean smirked and dug through his duffle a moment before tossing a worn out AC/DC tee at her. “I’d offer you pants but I’ve only got two pairs and one has dirt on them.” He gestured to the ones he was wearing.
“This is good, thanks. I didn’t get any dirt on me. You’re the one who dug up ol’ Danny boy.” She got up and went to change in the bathroom, rinsing out her mouth and making a mental note to get a toothbrush too.
Yawning, she flopped back on her bed. “Bathroom’s all yours.”
Dean laughed and closed the door behind him. Claire was asleep before the shower even turned on.