Charlie met him through a mutual friend.

She wasn't in the mood to see Dean Winchester in the slightest, having barely gotten over the fact that she would never again see that gorgeous fairy. But he was in town, and oddly enough, a man she wouldn't want to disappoint and since the hunter had seemed so disturbed the last time he showed up, she accepted his invitation to drinks.

She did not expect Dean to have anyone other than Sam in tow, but here he was, sans Sam and plus one large, almost menacingly proportioned man. She nodded at him politely and sat down.

"Charlie, hey. Good to see you," Dean began. "Sorry Sammy couldn't make it. This is a buddy of mine, Benny LaFitte, and Benny, this is Charlie Bradbury."

Benny held out his hand and gave a winning smile. "Hey there, Miss Bradbury. It's a pleasure." His voice was deep and warm, honeyed by a thick Southern drawl.

Charlie sat up a little straighter. "Oh, um, you can call me Charlie. Really, I'd much rather it." It was strange, the effect this man's voice had on her. He wasn't really attractive, more frighteningly oafish. But his drawling voice was gorgeous and his manners impeccable. They spent the evening chatting, to the point that Dean got bored and wandered off into another corner of the bar.

Later, by the time she was home and about to fall asleep, Charlie couldn't think of a time outside of roleplaying that she had had more fun.

It was quite late and Dean and Benny were leaving the bar.

"Well, Dean, I can't thank you enough for introducing me to that lovely lady," remarked Benny.

Dean smiled wryly. "Yeah, Charlie's great. Don't want to burst your bubble or anything, but you are aware that she doesn't go up to bat for our team, aren't you?"

Benny scuffed his foot across the sidewalk, hands in pockets. "Crying shame," he replied, fingering the slip of paper with her phone number.

Two weeks later, Charlie received a message from Benny, asking her if she was interested in "hitting the town again." She paused Neverwinter Nights and smiled, replying "Sure!" So they went out that night and ended up talking even longer than the time in the bar. She trusted Benny oddly enough, with his perfect velvet voice and his intimidating presence, even though he was normally the type of man she tended to avoid. He was Dean's friend after all, and that meant he couldn't be all bad. It seemed off to her that he wasn't a close friend of Sam, but the boys weren't the same, so undoubtedly they had different people they hung out with (on second thought, probably not, but Benny was far too engrossing to give up by the time she reached this conclusion.)

She didn't know, and the thought tortured him. He had to tell her. She was a friend of Dean's, so of course she knew about what was out there, but she didn't know about him. She trusted him, and he hated it, because he couldn't trust himself. Every time they saw each other, Benny was on edge, trying not to tip off his secret but at the same time wishing she'd figure it out.

Finally one day, she came to meet him in a café, still wearing elf ears. They blended perfectly with her skin and poked subtly out of her gorgeous red hair. As soon as she sat down, Charlie knew something was up with Benny. Tilting her head slightly, she asked, "What's up? You don't look so great."

Benny forced a smile. "Oh, it's nothing, milady," he deflected quickly, indicating her ears.

So she couldn't get to him this time. They talked cheerfully and aimlessly of her most recent LARPING adventures for an hour, and got up to walk through the park.

As they walked, Benny glanced over at her marvelous, happy face. She won't be happy in a moment, he thought. After she finished another longwinded and buoyant sentence, he paused and said, "You ever think what our dear Dean is doing?"

She frowned a little and replied, "More than I want to. It's pretty freaking weird, all the stuff out there. I mean…you know about his occupation, right?"

Benny nodded. "Of course. I feel like I know the man's line of work better than he does sometimes."

Charlie frowned harder, taken aback. "You never said you were a hunter."

"Well, darling, I'm not. But I understand only too well the agonies our Dean-o endures."

She stopped walking. "What the hell are you trying to say, Benny? Spit it out, because I'm getting worried."

He looked down, shaking his head. "I'm what you might call Dean's prey."

"No," she said flatly.

"Sorry, hon, but it's the truth. Don't worry though, I got plenty in the self-loathing department, so don't waste your time hating me."

"That's…that's not what I meant, idiot. I just – I mean, why didn't you tell me? I know what Dean and Sam do and I've had my fair share of run-ins with their world. At least they were pretty up-front about it, you know? Anyway, I guess it doesn't really matter. What are you? Some weird sprite or something?"

"Charlie, ever an optimist. No such luck there, because I happen to be one of the baddies. Vampire." He waited for her cry of shock, her look of horror, her sudden hatred –

"Oh. Well, okay."

He didn't expect that.

Neither did Charlie. She wanted to run away and never see Benny or either Winchester ever again. She wanted to be safe and happy and have another high-paying job from Google. But suddenly she cared a lot more about Benny than she wanted to, and she couldn't run away.

So they kept seeing each other from time to time. The conversations were perhaps a little less lighthearted, but nothing had really come between them. Their friendship (was it that? Or was it more? Benny couldn't help himself but to invest rather more in it than that) endured and strengthened.

Until Benny could feel himself wanting to lose it. They were laughing uproariously in the park, and she shoved his arm playfully. In fun he shoved back, but his excessive strength sent her careening into a park bench. Charlie swore loudly, rolling up her pant leg to reveal a bruised and bleeding shin. "Jeez, Benny!" she exclaimed, wincing and laughing simultaneously. He laughed along with her, but smiled without opening his mouth, afraid the darkness within him would take over and push through his teeth and force him to do things he would want to die for later. But he chuckled along with her anyway and helped her up, half carrying her to her car.

He called Dean instead of Charlie, afraid to see her luminous face. It went to voicemail, and he tried again. This time, Sam picked up. He lied quickly and laughed nervously, and the conversation was over. "Damn it, Dean. Buddy, I could sure use a hand right about now," he muttered to himself, concentrating on not losing control.

Charlie called Benny this time. "Let's a have a proper dinner," she said. He agreed, because to not see her would kill him, though it might have the same effect on her when he showed up. She wore a lovely dress and very high heels.

But by the time they'd made it through the entrée, he felt considerably more confident and calm. They spent an hour talking brightly by the fancy restaurant's dim candlelight.

He was walking her to the car when he felt the darkness rise up. She was holding his arm, but he pushed her away suddenly, and all he could force out was, "Call Dean," before he turned away, shaking.

Charlie tripped over her heels, fumbling for her phone. "Benny? God, what's happening?" But she didn't come too close, for which he was grateful. She called Dean, and Benny's hopeless prayers were answered: the hunter actually picked up. Charlie's voice rose, getting panicky. Finally she hung up.

"Benny?" she called into the darkness. "Dean says you need to get yourself out of town. He told me to drive home and stay there. So I'm…I'm going because I think it will be best for both of us. I'm…just be careful, okay?" She looked around, straining to see where he was. But he was behind her, and reaching for her beautiful neck.

She spun round and saw him, but it wasn't the man she knew. "Damn it, Benny, you know better," she murmured, and he lowered his hands, still visibly shaking.

"Come on, Charlie, better leave while you can," he said forcefully, fangs still out.

"I will," she replied, pulling out her car keys. But she didn't move. She gazed at

Benny's hulking form, and knew how much this hurt him, the part that was actually him. Quickly, faster than even the vampire could anticipate, she slipped a kiss onto his cheek. Then she ran and sped off in her car.

Dean was waiting for him in a warehouse outside of town. "I thought you were good, man," he said when Benny stumbled in.

"I tried, Dean, I tried to be good. But I couldn't do it."

"Is she all right?"

Benny sank to his knees. "Yes," he breathed. "Yes, she's fine."

Dean looked down at the broken creature before him. "What do you want, Benny? Because I can't help you be human. That's on you. I can kill you, which believe me, I would hate myself even more than I already do if you want that. But I will, because you tried damn hard. You deserve better, man, but I can't give it to you. So what do you want?"

Benny grimaced. "Dean-o, she kissed me. What better way is there to die?"

Dean closed his eyes. "Is that what you want?"

"There's nothing else."

Dean left the burning warehouse, blinking back tears. "God," he murmured, voice thick, "or Cas or whoever is left. I've asked a lot. Normally it's about Sammy, but this time it's for another brother. You should get Benny out of purgatory. Because he deserves damn better."