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INTRODUCTION
Hello. My name is Baby. I’m a black 1967 Chevy Impala. I was created on April 24, 1967, but I didn’t become aware until my current owner, Dean Winchester, brought me to life.
In case you’re wondering, no, not all cars are alive. Only the ones who are treated like family.
A few years back Dean and his brother, Sam, stored some books in my trunk. When I had some down time, I read them and was stunned to realize they were about my boys’ lives!
It occurred to me that some folks might like to hear my side of the stories. If you’re not interested, then just drive on by, but if you are… well, buckle in and here we go!
TALES FROM BABY
SUPERNATURAL - The Pilot.
Now this is what she loved! They were headed west on a long stretch of road. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, the music was playing loud and her engine was purring like a tiger.
Dean seemed a little less tense. He was still trying to call his father every couple of hours, but the farther they traveled, the more often a little smile would steal across his face. Wherever they were going, something good was waiting for them.
It was late at night when they entered a city she thought she recognized. Her headlights flashed on a sign reading Palo Alto, and she knew where they were.
Sam! They were going to see Sammy!
This wasn’t the first time Dean had cruised by to see his younger brother. In fact, whenever he had a case anywhere nearby, they always seemed to end up here. To see Sam. But only to see him. Dean would never get out and talk to him. He wouldn’t even let Sam see them. She wasn’t sure what happened, but some time back, Sam had suddenly just been gone.
Now she only got fleeting glimpses of the youngest Winchester, but Dean was always in a better mood after seeing that his brother was safe and happy.
Strangely, instead of pulling into a cheap motel, Dean parked in an alley by a building, got out and walked inside. What was going on?
A while later, she heard two voices coming towards her. Dean’s voice she recognized immediately, but the other one...wait… could it be? It WAS! It was Sammy!
And of course they were arguing.
To be fair, she couldn’t blame Sam for wanting a safe life. The boys’ childhood was no smooth road. But she knew how much Dean missed him. She listened closely as the elder Winchester explained what had happened with their father. She heard the worry in his tone and saw it flash across Sam’s face.
As Dean continued to try and persuade his brother to help him she snorted to herself at his clever phrasing. “You know, in two years I’ve never bothered you, never asked you for a thing.” Yeah, you didn’t say you’d never seen him!
To her amazement, Sam finally agreed to come with them! At least for a few days. She remembered how he use to complain about hunting and how they lived, so she wasn't expecting that. Well, well! This should be interesting….
Dean was fidgeting nervously in his seat, waiting, and as the sun started to rise, Sam came out, threw his bag in her trunk and fitted himself into the passenger seat. As his door closed, Dean fired up her engine and they were off.
A little later, they stopped to fill her empty tank, and Dean’s. The banter back and forth between the brothers reminded her of old times. Dean slid into the driver’s seat as Sam made a few snarky remarks about his cassette collection.
“Well, house rules, Sammy. Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole.”
She had forgotten how different the younger boy’s taste in music was. She also knew what her owner sometimes listened to when no one was around. She guessed Dean wouldn’t be singing along to any Top 40 stations while Sammy was here.
As Dean popped in a tape, “Back in Black” poured out of the speakers, and they were off. A two-lane highway and both of her boys along for the ride. Life was good.
PART TWO
After a quick stop at a bridge, where it turned out another disappearance had occurred, they headed into Jericho. The boys chatted with a few locals and then it was off to the library for research. She had spent a lot of time in library parking lots. And police station parking lots. And City Hall parking lots.
It was dark out by the time the boys left the library, and they headed back to that same bridge. She watched as the Winchesters walked along it looking for clues. Or were they fighting again?
As Dean slammed Sam into a bridge post, a woman appeared, standing on the railing across from them. Before Baby could figure out where the person had come from, the lady jumped! Baby was dealing with the shock as the boys ran over to see where the woman was, when she suddenly felt a presence inside her and her engine fired up. What the hell?
Before Baby could react, something put her into gear and started driving her… straight at her boys! Dean and Sam ran in front of her as she tried to wrestle back her steering. When she saw them jump from the bridge, anger surged through her wiring and she regained control. Or else the presence had fled. Now all that remained was the panic of not knowing if the Winchesters were all right.
It wasn’t until Baby saw Sam struggling back over the railing and heard Dean’s voice from the river below that she could relax again. Her boys were OK, but what had happened to her? She checked all her systems, and everything seemed to be in order. Christ! She hoped nothing like that ever happened again!
When Dean made it back up to the bridge he gave her a once-over and confirmed that everything was fine. Everything except the gunk covering Dean and the odor he was emitting. Sam was right. He did smell like crap! She had half a mind to not let him back inside her, but after what had just occurred, she was more concerned with just getting them all away from there.
They finally pulled up to a motel, and the boys broke into a room. Looked like Sammy hadn’t lost his skills!
She was still trying to filter the stench out of her interior when Dean came back out. The next thing she knew some idiot cop had him facedown on the hood of a car and was cuffing him!
Not again! Why couldn’t Dean learn to keep his smart remarks to himself? And why were these Winchesters always getting themselves in trouble?
It wasn’t until a while after the police had cleared out that Sam snuck back and slid into her driver’s seat. The feeling of having anyone but Dean behind her wheel was strange, but at least his brother could help get him out of the jam he was in.
To her surprise, they didn’t head to the sheriff’s office. Instead they drove to what looked like a run-down old junkyard. Why was Sam wasting time asking this old wreck of a man about his wife? Dean needed their help! Who was this Constance and what did she have to do with all this?
She listened as Sam explained the story behind a Woman in White. Ah! That cleared up what happened on the bridge. Dean was right. That Constance Welch was a bitch!
Finally they were headed back into town. She had no idea why Sam made a 911 call saying there was a shooting on Whiteford Road, but she assumed it had something to do with freeing Dean. Good! It was time to get her owner out of jail and back on the job.
As they drove along the dark highway, Sam took a call from his brother, telling him all he had discovered. It sounded like Dean had gotten away all by himself. She should have known.
Then, from out of nowhere, a familiar shape appeared in the middle of the road, right in front of them! Sam slammed on the brakes as they barreled through the ghostly figure. Once more, she felt that presence inside her. Shit! Not again.
“Take me home.”
Without warning, her doors locked and something pushed down on her accelerator. This was not good! Neither she nor Sam had control of their movement… that bitch had taken her over!
She was helpless as Constance took them to a crumbling, deserted old house. Apparently, this was her home. Great! Good riddance. Now get the hell out of me, you freak!
“I can never go home.”
What? Wait, this was her home, right! Why else were they here? As Sam began talking to the spirit, Baby started to get a bad feeling. Suddenly, Constance was in the front seat. And she was hurting Sammy! Damn it!
As Sam struggled to reach the keys and start her engine so they could get out of there, there was a loud bang and her window shattered. It was Dean! Dean had shot her! Well, her window, but still ... what the fuck?!
Baby forgave him as soon as the creepy ghost lady left her. She should have realized that was what her owner was doing. Sam started the engine, but before Dean could get inside her, the youngest Winchester was throwing her into drive. No, Sammy!
“I’m taking you home.”
WHAT? This was insane! What was he thinking?
Without hesitation, the youngest Winchester stomped on the gas and they were flying up the drive, onto the porch and through the door of the house.
Son of a bitch!
As Dean came running in and helped Sam out of the driver’s seat, Baby took stock of the damage. Scratched paint, dented bumper and a busted headlight. Shit. There had better be a good explanation for this!
Oh, lovely! That stupid Constance was back. With a glare in her eye and a wave of her hand, she sent a bureau sliding across the floor to pin the boys against Baby’s side. As the Winchesters struggled to get free, the lights flickered and she heard the sound of running water. It was flooding down from up the stairs. Now what?
She heard childlike voices say “Mommy, you’ve come home to us,” and in a blink there were two ghost kids with the ghost lady. And she was looking more scared than scary.
Mommy? Are you kidding me? This is one messed-up family!
In a flash, the children grabbed hold of their mother and there was a god-awful scream. Then all three of them seemed to just melt into the floor, leaving behind a puddle of water.
Sam and Dean pushed the chest of drawers away and stepped over to take a look. Baby didn’t feel any of those weird emanations anymore. It appeared that Sam “taking her home” had banished the spirits. Very smart, Sammy! She supposed that having the boys safe was worth a dented fender or two. And being shot! She hadn’t forgotten that.
“If you screwed up my car, I’ll kill you.”
Well, maybe she would give them both a pass. This time.
BREAK
As they cruised down the road, half blind thanks to the missing front light, she listened as the boys discussed their next move. Black Water Ridge, Colorado? Sounded freaking lovely.
But then Sam reminded Dean he had to get back to school. She heard a small break in Dean’s voice as he said -- “Yeah, whatever. I’ll take you home” -- as he tried to hide his disappointment. But wasn’t SHE their home? Oh, well, Palo Alto it was.
It was still dark as they pulled up to Sammy’s building. As the younger Winchester got out, she felt a certain sadness as he said, “Maybe I can meet up with you later.” She heard a touch of wistfulness as Dean remarked, “You know, we made a hell of a team back there.” Yes, they had.
As Sam agreed with his brother, Dean started her engine. “Highway To Hell” played as they drove off. Well, at least they were talking again. Maybe the next time they were in town, Dean would stop and see Sam instead of stalking him.
They only made it a few blocks before the lights started blinking and the radio began fritzing. For some reason this upset both her and her driver, and before she knew it, Dean had swung her in a U-turn and they were speeding back the way they had come.
As they raced up to Sam’s building again, the elder Winchester slammed her into park, leapt out and ran in the doorway.
She was waiting nervously, when she noticed a strange light in the upper window. Her wonder bloomed into all-out panic as flames burst out of the opening. Her boys! Where were her boys?
A sudden feeling of deja vu struck her as Dean stumbled out of the building with a frantic Sam. Why was this familiar? The older Winchester saving his little brother from a burning house.
She couldn’t think about that now as they both staggered across the street and collapsed against her side. Her family needed her.
As Dean gripped his brother tightly, Sam kept repeating the name Jessica over and over in a voice filled with desperation and broken dreams. Obviously, this person meant a lot to him, and it crushed Baby to hear him repeating the name like a mantra of loss and shredded hope. The younger Winchester was too blinded by his own tears to see the ones dripping from Dean’s eyes as he held him close, trying to be a shelter in this storm for his little brother.
There was the sound of firetrucks approaching in the distance, and as they arrived, Sammy pulled away from Dean and tried to gather himself. Dean reluctantly let him go. Sam stepped away and became his own island of grief. Understanding that there was nothing he could do to ease his brother’s pain, Dean gave him some space as he tried to shield him from the gathering crowd.
Later, as the firemen battled the last of the flames, Dean slowly walked back from the scene and approached his brother. Sam was absently going through the weapons in Baby’s trunk, tears still falling. Dean looked at him helplessly, not saying a word. The pain that flowed from them, the sorrow and anguish, broke her heart.
As Sam cocked a rifle, he sighed and looked his brother in the eye.
“We got work to do.”
He tossed the rifle back in the compartment and slammed her trunk closed as if to emphasize his determination.
Yes. They had work to do. All of them. Together.