Of Bars and Christmas Classics (Chlean)
Title: Bars and Christmas Classics
Authors: X_tremeroswellian and Shadow_One
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not ours.
Genre: SV/SPN crossover
Pairing: Chloe/Dean
Bars and Christmas Classics
The last place Chloe Sullivan thought she'd be on Christmas Eve was a bar frequented by bikers, but when her car decided to break down on the side of the road, she decided to take it as a sign from God that she wasn't meant to spend the whole damn night alone after all. Annoyed, but too tired to be pissed, she drew in a breath and headed up to the bar. She sank down onto one of the stools. She was going to have a long wait from Triple A so she figured she might as well make the best of it. She ordered a vodka from the bartender and glanced around.
Surprisingly the place wasn't all that crowded, though still more crowded than a bar should be on the eve of the biggest holiday in the country. It was kind of sad. Her gaze traveled over each of the faces until her eyes narrowed slightly at a familiar looking man at the end of the bar. His elbows were resting on the bar and he was staring into his mug of beer. It couldn't be...
Could it?
Out of all the occasions in the year, Dean Winchester could honestly say that this time of year royally sucked. It didn't help that these past couple of years really sucked. With the demon finally gone, taking his dad with it, and Sam leaving again, he didn't really find much interest in the years that went by.
Now here he was, at another bar, in another city, wondering if he'd ever hear from Sam again, and if he was having fun. 'Fun.' he thought bitterly. There was no such thing as fun in his life anymore. It seemed as if all that was left for him was darkness.
He sighed and looked down at his mug, yep, this time of year definitely sucked ass.
Taking her glass, she slowly slid off the stool, tilting her head and studying him as she slowly moved closer. It was him. It had to be. He didn't even seem to notice her presence as she sat down beside him. "Dean Winchester," she said with a faint smirk on her face. "Long time no see."
Dean slowly looked up, not recognizing the voice. When he saw her face, he gave a blank look, "I'm sorry..." He said, voice quiet, "But, I'm not really good with faces, who are you?"
Somehow she wasn't all that surprised he didn't remember. "Chloe Sullivan," she supplied, feeling a little shy all of a sudden. "You and your brother came through Metropolis a few years back, saved my life from a meteor freak." **
Something clicked in his head, and he suddenly remembered. How could he ever forget Chloe? He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, "Really long time no talk."
She gazed at him, seeing a pain in his eyes that reflected and resonated so deeply with her own it nearly made her wince. "You still look good," she told him, her voice soft.
"You too." He said, taking a drink.
She let out a slow breath, taking a sip of her own drink. "How ya been?" she asked softly.
He shrugged, "Can't complain..." He gazed at her, "What about you?"
Chloe was silent for a moment, then she shrugged as well. "Not too bad. Except my car broke down and I'm waiting on Triple A to show."
He finished off his drink, "I bet I can fix it."
She glanced at him sideways. "You still have the car?" she asked, a twinkle in her eyes.
"Yeah, just couldn't let the old girl go." He said, smiling a little.
A smile spread across her face. "Don't blame ya there."
He got a distant look on his face, "Yeah..."
Chloe fell silent for a moment, gazing at him intently. She'd never been one for beating around the bush. "Dean, is Sam all right?"
"Yeah, yeah, he's fine."
She relaxed a little, resting her elbows on the bar. "You guys on a hunt?"
"I am." He said simply.
"Sam's not with you," she answered, her eyes softening with understanding. "You're alone."
"Seems to be that way."
"Know that feeling," she murmured, turning to face forward and downing the rest of her drink.
"What about you?" He asked slowly, "Why aren't you back in Metropolis with everyone?"
Chloe flinched involuntarily. "I left," she said simply, not looking at him.
Dean furrowed his eyebrows, "Why?"
Drawing in a breath, her shoulders tense, she glanced at him, ordering another drink from the bartender. "Long story. Really...really long."
He did the same and stared at her, new mug in hand, "I've got time."
She tucked some hair behind her ear, fiddling with her cup without realizing she was doing it. "Well..." She glanced at him. "Lois fell in love with Clark."
"Oh." He said, understanding, "I'm sorry."
"That's pretty much the tip of the iceberg," she admitted, taking a long drink of the vodka she'd ordered. If that had been all, she could've handled it. Sure, it still would've hurt, but not as badly. **
Dean shifted, "What else?"
She was quiet for a moment. "I got fired from the Daily Planet."
He brought a hesitant hand up to hers and grasped it, "Chloe...I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved working there."
She glanced down at their hands and didn't pull away. "Well, when the star reporter accuses you of stealing her story when she actually stole it from you...people tend to side with her."
Dean shook his head, "That's not right."
"Especially when the star reporter's your own cousin," she said with more than a slight hint of bitterness, drinking the rest of her vodka.
He winced, "Ouch."
"Yeah," she murmured, letting out a breath. "Enough about me...what are you up to?"
"Not much." He said, fingering the top of the mug, "Just...wandering."
"Things have been...all right?"
"Yeah."
Nodding a little, she looked down at her own mug, staring at it sightlessly.
Draining yet another cup, he looked at her, "Wanna see about fixing your car?"
"I don't know...it's late. And...snowing pretty heavily." She shrugged a little.
He shrugged, "I can handle snow."
"Where you staying?" she asked curiously, glancing at him sideways.
"Dunno yet."
Chloe was silent for a few seconds. Then she turned on the stool to face him completely. "Tell you what. You fix my car...and you can stay with me as long as you're in town."
He smirked, "Sounds good to me."
A smile tugged at her lips. "Don't get any ideas," she teased.
"Heh. Don't worry, I won't." He said, walking out the door.
A smirk on her face, she followed him out of the bar. **
Once outside, he looked around the parking lot, "You still got your red car?"
Chloe nodded slightly. "Yeah. But it's on the side of the road. It literally broke down right outside this bar."
He turned and saw it, "Well, lets go see what the problem is."
She followed him toward it, handing her keys over dutifully. "It's weird. I've never had any problems with this car before. I guess it's just getting old."
He unlocked the car and sat on the driver's seat, putting the key in, he turned it.
Chloe's eyes widened in surprise at it started up without any hesitation at all whatsoever. "Okay, fifteen minutes ago it wouldn't do anything."
"Well that's weird..." He mumbled, staring at the car.
"No kidding. It's almost Wall of Weird weird."
Turning the car back off, he handed the keys back to her, "Looks like I'll be looking for a room after all."
She gazed at him. "No. You can still stay with me."
"It's okay, really." He said quietly, "I'll find a place."
Chloe looked down at the snow-covered ground. "I know you can. But the truth is...I don't really wanna be alone tonight."
He stopped, "You sure you want me with you?"
"I don't think it's just some fluke accident I found you in there," she told him softly.
He shrugged, "If you believe in that stuff."
Chloe gazed at him. "After everything you've seen...been through...you don't?" Her voice was quiet.
Dean looked down and began scuffing at the snow covered ground, "I thought I used to."
"Come stay with me," she said softly. "Besides...I'm a much better cook than any fast food place." She grinned, trying to lighten the mood.
He took a breath, "Okay."
"I don't live too far from here. You wanna follow me?"
"Sure."
She offered him another small smile before climbing into her car and watching as he did the same a couple moments later. She wondered what she'd just gotten them into.
---
Following Chloe through the snow gave Dean some time to think things over. Was it really just coincidence that Chloe was here? He shook his head, of course it was. He'd stopped believing in miracles long ago.
She led him up to her apartment in relative silence, flipping the lights on as she stepped inside. "Well, this is it. It's...not a lot, but..." She shrugged, moving away to let him in. **
He looked around, "Better than where I stay."
She supposed that was true. "Make yourself at home. You want some coffee?" she offered, glancing at him as she locked the door.
He shook his head, "No, I'm good."
"Well, the bathroom's down the hall and to the right. The bedroom's next to it." She motioned toward the kitchen. "Kitchen. Living room." She motioned around the room they were standing in. **
Turning around, he spotted the couch, "My bed?"
She pointed down the hallway. "Like I said, bedroom just beyond the bathroom."
He gave her a look, "Well, where you gonna sleep?"
"In my bedroom," she said with a faint smirk. "It's across the hall from the guest room."
"Oh." He said quietly, "Thought that was the only room..."
Chloe tilted her head a little to gaze at him. "Well, if you're hoping for privileges to my bedroom, we're gonna have to do a little more catching up," she teased lightly.
A ghost of a smile passed over his leps, "Funny."
She winked at him, glad she managed to get him to smile, however faintly it might be. "I've got some vegetable soup in the fridge. I'm kinda hungry and it's...really good. Want some?"
He shook his head, "Thanks but no, I'm good."
"Okay." Her voice grew soft. "I guess if you want, you can just...shower and head to bed." She bit her lower lip.
"Okay. Well...if you need anything, I'll be around. Goodnight," she whispered, tucking some hair behind her ear and slowly heading for the kitchen.
He nodded and turned and walked down the hall, "Night." He whispered back.
Sam was gone again. The Demon had taken him somewhere. He just needed to find it. He ran down another hall, he could hear screaming. He knew it was Sam's, there was no other person, "Sam!" He ran faster, but wasn't going anywhere. He panicked, if he didn't get to his brother-.
The scream that woke her was one of sheer terror and she bolted upright in bed, nearly falling on the floor as she scrambled to get loose from the sheets. Seconds later she was across the hallway, flipping on the lamp by the guest bed. "Dean!" She reached out and put her hands on his arms. "Wake up!"
Dean jerked awake, and looked around wildly.
"It's okay," she said urgently. "It's okay. You were just having a bad dream."
He took a breath, calming himself down. "Sorry."
"It's okay," she whispered, kissing his forehead without thinking about it. It was just in her instinct to comfort. "You wanna talk about it?"
He shook his head, "No. You go back to bed."
Chloe gave him a look. "I wasn't sleeping all that well anyway," she told him.
He shook his head, "Really, I'm okay."
"I know you are." She moved so her back was against the headboard, one hand resting on the back of his neck lightly.
He closed his eyes at her touch, relaxing a little more. How long had it been since he'd felt something like that?
"Come here," she murmured, shifting slightly so his head was resting against her shoulder. She kissed the top of his head, closing her eyes as her fingers gently stroked his neck.
He let out a breath. "You...really don't have to stay..."
"Maybe I want to," she whispered.
He sighed, "Fine."
Chloe rested her chin atop his head, sighing very softly. It had been a long time since she'd been this physically close to anyone and she'd forgotten how much she missed it.
Dean sat up suddenly. Getting off the bed, he began pacing around.
"Dean? What is it?" she whispered, watching him.
He shrugged, "I don't know..."
She looked down at the bedspread, realizing she probably made him uncomfortable. How perfectly ironic. The one guy who was pretty much attracted to any woman on the planet wasn't anymore interested in her than Clark or Jimmy had been. She slowly stood up. "You should...try to get some sleep."
He gave somewhat of a manic laugh, "That's not gonna happen."
She moved to the door uncertainly. "Well if you decide you wanna talk...I'll be across the hall."
He nodded, still pacing.
"Are you gonna be okay?" she asked softly.
"I'll be fine." He replied, voice going soft.
Chloe paused, gazing at him with sad eyes. "Okay."
"I will." He told her, glancing at her.
"Dean..." She shut her eyes for a moment, sighing softly, and not really knowing what to
do for him. "Goodnight," she whispered.
"'Night." He whispered back.
She slowly headed across the hallway to her room once more, leaving the door open this time as she moved to sit on the edge of her bed.
Taking a shuddering breath, Dean sat down on his own bed. He needed to get these nightmares under control. That whole experience was in the past, no need to remember it anymore. Sighing, he moved to the side of the bed and grabbed his dad's journal.
Flipping through the pages, he finally found what he was looking for, a picture of the three of them together...right before they had found the Demon.
Knowing she wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon, Chloe slid on her warm robe and headed down the hallway quietly, moving into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate.
Hearing Chloe leave her room, Dean closed the journal and followed her out into the kitchen.
She heard his footsteps, but pretended she didn't, setting about fixing two mugs of the warm liquid.
He walked over to the counter and watched her fill the mugs.
"Marshmallows?" she asked, glancing at him.
"Sure."
A faint smile on her lips, she dumped some of them into his cup and the others in her own, moving to hand him one of the mugs.
He took the mug and smelled the hot cocoa, "It's been a while since I've had this stuff."
She shrugged a little. "I keep it on hand."
"It's nice."
Chloe gazed at him. "What are you hunting?" she asked curiously.
Dean thought for a moment, "Black dog."
"Really?" She looked at him with surprise.
He took a drink and nodded, "Yeah."
"You want any help with that?"
"I'm okay."
"I'll take that as a no."
"I've got it covered." He said gently, "Not a hard gig."
A smile tugged at her lips. "Well maybe when you're done, you can help me with the one I'm working on." She wasn't sure what made her say it, except for the fact she was already dreading when he left.
He raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
Nodding a little, she sipped her hot chocolate. "The local train station is haunted."
"Well...That's neat..."
Chloe smirked. "Yeah, except every other week someone's jumping in front of the 10 A.M."
"Ouch." He said, taking another drink.
"Yeah. And I'm not convinced they're doing it of their own free will, if you know what I mean."
"Doubt they are..." He trailed off, looking down at his cup.
"So maybe you can stay and help me out after we...you...figure out the Black Dog thing." Her voice was soft.
He thought for a minute before answering, "Yeah, maybe."
Chloe dropped her gaze. "Not that you have to or anything," she whispered.
"Hey, maybe I'll want to." He looked at her intently, "Not like I have any place to be."
"Well, you're welcome here as long as you want."
"Thanks."
"Dean." She bit her lower lip.
Dean tilted his head, "Yeah?"
"I'm glad you're here," she admitted.
He smiled softly, "You know...I'm glad I'm here too."
Chloe looked up at him, surprised. "Really?"
"Well yeah...who else am I gonna watch cheesy Christmas movies with?" He joked.
A smile tugged at her lips. "I bet Charlie Brown Christmas is rerunning as we speak," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.
Dean smiled, turning into a little kid, "Well come on...lets go watch."
Grinning, she followed him into the living room and sat beside him on the sofa, flipping the TV on with the remote.
Finding the station, Dean threw the remote down and looked over at Chloe, "You know, I keep telling Sammy this is a classic, but he never listens."
"How can Charlie Brown *not* be a classic?" She shook her head.
"That's what I keep asking him."
Smiling a little, she glanced at him in the semi-darkness.
After a few minutes of watching the movie, Dean turned back to Chloe, "So...no plans tomorrow...huh?"
"No," she admitted softly. "I don't really know anyone here."
He put a hand to his chin and began rubbing it thoughtfully, "You and me are gonna do something then."
"Like what?" Chloe's eyebrows furrowed a little.
"Nooo idea."
"Well...we could hunt down that Dog."
He shook his head, "That can wait one more day."
"Well, if you have ideas, I'm open to suggestions."
"We could go...play in the snow..."
Chloe grinned. "Sounds fun."
He nodded, "Then maybe we'll get more hot chocolate."
"And maybe..." Her voice was soft as she gazed at him.
He raised an eyebrow, "Maybe...what?"
She shifted a little closer to him and kissed his cheek softly.
Surprised by her action. He stared at her for a minute, before surprising himself and kissing her back.
Their lips met in a soft, but warm kiss. She lifted a hand to his cheek.
His arms made their way around her waist, and he deepened the kiss.
A soft sigh escaped her as he pulled her onto his lap. "Merry Christmas," she whispered.
He smiled warmly at her, "Merry Christmas."
Authors: X_tremeroswellian and Shadow_One
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not ours.
Genre: SV/SPN crossover
Pairing: Chloe/Dean
Bars and Christmas Classics
The last place Chloe Sullivan thought she'd be on Christmas Eve was a bar frequented by bikers, but when her car decided to break down on the side of the road, she decided to take it as a sign from God that she wasn't meant to spend the whole damn night alone after all. Annoyed, but too tired to be pissed, she drew in a breath and headed up to the bar. She sank down onto one of the stools. She was going to have a long wait from Triple A so she figured she might as well make the best of it. She ordered a vodka from the bartender and glanced around.
Surprisingly the place wasn't all that crowded, though still more crowded than a bar should be on the eve of the biggest holiday in the country. It was kind of sad. Her gaze traveled over each of the faces until her eyes narrowed slightly at a familiar looking man at the end of the bar. His elbows were resting on the bar and he was staring into his mug of beer. It couldn't be...
Could it?
Out of all the occasions in the year, Dean Winchester could honestly say that this time of year royally sucked. It didn't help that these past couple of years really sucked. With the demon finally gone, taking his dad with it, and Sam leaving again, he didn't really find much interest in the years that went by.
Now here he was, at another bar, in another city, wondering if he'd ever hear from Sam again, and if he was having fun. 'Fun.' he thought bitterly. There was no such thing as fun in his life anymore. It seemed as if all that was left for him was darkness.
He sighed and looked down at his mug, yep, this time of year definitely sucked ass.
Taking her glass, she slowly slid off the stool, tilting her head and studying him as she slowly moved closer. It was him. It had to be. He didn't even seem to notice her presence as she sat down beside him. "Dean Winchester," she said with a faint smirk on her face. "Long time no see."
Dean slowly looked up, not recognizing the voice. When he saw her face, he gave a blank look, "I'm sorry..." He said, voice quiet, "But, I'm not really good with faces, who are you?"
Somehow she wasn't all that surprised he didn't remember. "Chloe Sullivan," she supplied, feeling a little shy all of a sudden. "You and your brother came through Metropolis a few years back, saved my life from a meteor freak." **
Something clicked in his head, and he suddenly remembered. How could he ever forget Chloe? He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, "Really long time no talk."
She gazed at him, seeing a pain in his eyes that reflected and resonated so deeply with her own it nearly made her wince. "You still look good," she told him, her voice soft.
"You too." He said, taking a drink.
She let out a slow breath, taking a sip of her own drink. "How ya been?" she asked softly.
He shrugged, "Can't complain..." He gazed at her, "What about you?"
Chloe was silent for a moment, then she shrugged as well. "Not too bad. Except my car broke down and I'm waiting on Triple A to show."
He finished off his drink, "I bet I can fix it."
She glanced at him sideways. "You still have the car?" she asked, a twinkle in her eyes.
"Yeah, just couldn't let the old girl go." He said, smiling a little.
A smile spread across her face. "Don't blame ya there."
He got a distant look on his face, "Yeah..."
Chloe fell silent for a moment, gazing at him intently. She'd never been one for beating around the bush. "Dean, is Sam all right?"
"Yeah, yeah, he's fine."
She relaxed a little, resting her elbows on the bar. "You guys on a hunt?"
"I am." He said simply.
"Sam's not with you," she answered, her eyes softening with understanding. "You're alone."
"Seems to be that way."
"Know that feeling," she murmured, turning to face forward and downing the rest of her drink.
"What about you?" He asked slowly, "Why aren't you back in Metropolis with everyone?"
Chloe flinched involuntarily. "I left," she said simply, not looking at him.
Dean furrowed his eyebrows, "Why?"
Drawing in a breath, her shoulders tense, she glanced at him, ordering another drink from the bartender. "Long story. Really...really long."
He did the same and stared at her, new mug in hand, "I've got time."
She tucked some hair behind her ear, fiddling with her cup without realizing she was doing it. "Well..." She glanced at him. "Lois fell in love with Clark."
"Oh." He said, understanding, "I'm sorry."
"That's pretty much the tip of the iceberg," she admitted, taking a long drink of the vodka she'd ordered. If that had been all, she could've handled it. Sure, it still would've hurt, but not as badly. **
Dean shifted, "What else?"
She was quiet for a moment. "I got fired from the Daily Planet."
He brought a hesitant hand up to hers and grasped it, "Chloe...I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved working there."
She glanced down at their hands and didn't pull away. "Well, when the star reporter accuses you of stealing her story when she actually stole it from you...people tend to side with her."
Dean shook his head, "That's not right."
"Especially when the star reporter's your own cousin," she said with more than a slight hint of bitterness, drinking the rest of her vodka.
He winced, "Ouch."
"Yeah," she murmured, letting out a breath. "Enough about me...what are you up to?"
"Not much." He said, fingering the top of the mug, "Just...wandering."
"Things have been...all right?"
"Yeah."
Nodding a little, she looked down at her own mug, staring at it sightlessly.
Draining yet another cup, he looked at her, "Wanna see about fixing your car?"
"I don't know...it's late. And...snowing pretty heavily." She shrugged a little.
He shrugged, "I can handle snow."
"Where you staying?" she asked curiously, glancing at him sideways.
"Dunno yet."
Chloe was silent for a few seconds. Then she turned on the stool to face him completely. "Tell you what. You fix my car...and you can stay with me as long as you're in town."
He smirked, "Sounds good to me."
A smile tugged at her lips. "Don't get any ideas," she teased.
"Heh. Don't worry, I won't." He said, walking out the door.
A smirk on her face, she followed him out of the bar. **
Once outside, he looked around the parking lot, "You still got your red car?"
Chloe nodded slightly. "Yeah. But it's on the side of the road. It literally broke down right outside this bar."
He turned and saw it, "Well, lets go see what the problem is."
She followed him toward it, handing her keys over dutifully. "It's weird. I've never had any problems with this car before. I guess it's just getting old."
He unlocked the car and sat on the driver's seat, putting the key in, he turned it.
Chloe's eyes widened in surprise at it started up without any hesitation at all whatsoever. "Okay, fifteen minutes ago it wouldn't do anything."
"Well that's weird..." He mumbled, staring at the car.
"No kidding. It's almost Wall of Weird weird."
Turning the car back off, he handed the keys back to her, "Looks like I'll be looking for a room after all."
She gazed at him. "No. You can still stay with me."
"It's okay, really." He said quietly, "I'll find a place."
Chloe looked down at the snow-covered ground. "I know you can. But the truth is...I don't really wanna be alone tonight."
He stopped, "You sure you want me with you?"
"I don't think it's just some fluke accident I found you in there," she told him softly.
He shrugged, "If you believe in that stuff."
Chloe gazed at him. "After everything you've seen...been through...you don't?" Her voice was quiet.
Dean looked down and began scuffing at the snow covered ground, "I thought I used to."
"Come stay with me," she said softly. "Besides...I'm a much better cook than any fast food place." She grinned, trying to lighten the mood.
He took a breath, "Okay."
"I don't live too far from here. You wanna follow me?"
"Sure."
She offered him another small smile before climbing into her car and watching as he did the same a couple moments later. She wondered what she'd just gotten them into.
---
Following Chloe through the snow gave Dean some time to think things over. Was it really just coincidence that Chloe was here? He shook his head, of course it was. He'd stopped believing in miracles long ago.
She led him up to her apartment in relative silence, flipping the lights on as she stepped inside. "Well, this is it. It's...not a lot, but..." She shrugged, moving away to let him in. **
He looked around, "Better than where I stay."
She supposed that was true. "Make yourself at home. You want some coffee?" she offered, glancing at him as she locked the door.
He shook his head, "No, I'm good."
"Well, the bathroom's down the hall and to the right. The bedroom's next to it." She motioned toward the kitchen. "Kitchen. Living room." She motioned around the room they were standing in. **
Turning around, he spotted the couch, "My bed?"
She pointed down the hallway. "Like I said, bedroom just beyond the bathroom."
He gave her a look, "Well, where you gonna sleep?"
"In my bedroom," she said with a faint smirk. "It's across the hall from the guest room."
"Oh." He said quietly, "Thought that was the only room..."
Chloe tilted her head a little to gaze at him. "Well, if you're hoping for privileges to my bedroom, we're gonna have to do a little more catching up," she teased lightly.
A ghost of a smile passed over his leps, "Funny."
She winked at him, glad she managed to get him to smile, however faintly it might be. "I've got some vegetable soup in the fridge. I'm kinda hungry and it's...really good. Want some?"
He shook his head, "Thanks but no, I'm good."
"Okay." Her voice grew soft. "I guess if you want, you can just...shower and head to bed." She bit her lower lip.
"Okay. Well...if you need anything, I'll be around. Goodnight," she whispered, tucking some hair behind her ear and slowly heading for the kitchen.
He nodded and turned and walked down the hall, "Night." He whispered back.
Sam was gone again. The Demon had taken him somewhere. He just needed to find it. He ran down another hall, he could hear screaming. He knew it was Sam's, there was no other person, "Sam!" He ran faster, but wasn't going anywhere. He panicked, if he didn't get to his brother-.
The scream that woke her was one of sheer terror and she bolted upright in bed, nearly falling on the floor as she scrambled to get loose from the sheets. Seconds later she was across the hallway, flipping on the lamp by the guest bed. "Dean!" She reached out and put her hands on his arms. "Wake up!"
Dean jerked awake, and looked around wildly.
"It's okay," she said urgently. "It's okay. You were just having a bad dream."
He took a breath, calming himself down. "Sorry."
"It's okay," she whispered, kissing his forehead without thinking about it. It was just in her instinct to comfort. "You wanna talk about it?"
He shook his head, "No. You go back to bed."
Chloe gave him a look. "I wasn't sleeping all that well anyway," she told him.
He shook his head, "Really, I'm okay."
"I know you are." She moved so her back was against the headboard, one hand resting on the back of his neck lightly.
He closed his eyes at her touch, relaxing a little more. How long had it been since he'd felt something like that?
"Come here," she murmured, shifting slightly so his head was resting against her shoulder. She kissed the top of his head, closing her eyes as her fingers gently stroked his neck.
He let out a breath. "You...really don't have to stay..."
"Maybe I want to," she whispered.
He sighed, "Fine."
Chloe rested her chin atop his head, sighing very softly. It had been a long time since she'd been this physically close to anyone and she'd forgotten how much she missed it.
Dean sat up suddenly. Getting off the bed, he began pacing around.
"Dean? What is it?" she whispered, watching him.
He shrugged, "I don't know..."
She looked down at the bedspread, realizing she probably made him uncomfortable. How perfectly ironic. The one guy who was pretty much attracted to any woman on the planet wasn't anymore interested in her than Clark or Jimmy had been. She slowly stood up. "You should...try to get some sleep."
He gave somewhat of a manic laugh, "That's not gonna happen."
She moved to the door uncertainly. "Well if you decide you wanna talk...I'll be across the hall."
He nodded, still pacing.
"Are you gonna be okay?" she asked softly.
"I'll be fine." He replied, voice going soft.
Chloe paused, gazing at him with sad eyes. "Okay."
"I will." He told her, glancing at her.
"Dean..." She shut her eyes for a moment, sighing softly, and not really knowing what to
do for him. "Goodnight," she whispered.
"'Night." He whispered back.
She slowly headed across the hallway to her room once more, leaving the door open this time as she moved to sit on the edge of her bed.
Taking a shuddering breath, Dean sat down on his own bed. He needed to get these nightmares under control. That whole experience was in the past, no need to remember it anymore. Sighing, he moved to the side of the bed and grabbed his dad's journal.
Flipping through the pages, he finally found what he was looking for, a picture of the three of them together...right before they had found the Demon.
Knowing she wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon, Chloe slid on her warm robe and headed down the hallway quietly, moving into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate.
Hearing Chloe leave her room, Dean closed the journal and followed her out into the kitchen.
She heard his footsteps, but pretended she didn't, setting about fixing two mugs of the warm liquid.
He walked over to the counter and watched her fill the mugs.
"Marshmallows?" she asked, glancing at him.
"Sure."
A faint smile on her lips, she dumped some of them into his cup and the others in her own, moving to hand him one of the mugs.
He took the mug and smelled the hot cocoa, "It's been a while since I've had this stuff."
She shrugged a little. "I keep it on hand."
"It's nice."
Chloe gazed at him. "What are you hunting?" she asked curiously.
Dean thought for a moment, "Black dog."
"Really?" She looked at him with surprise.
He took a drink and nodded, "Yeah."
"You want any help with that?"
"I'm okay."
"I'll take that as a no."
"I've got it covered." He said gently, "Not a hard gig."
A smile tugged at her lips. "Well maybe when you're done, you can help me with the one I'm working on." She wasn't sure what made her say it, except for the fact she was already dreading when he left.
He raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
Nodding a little, she sipped her hot chocolate. "The local train station is haunted."
"Well...That's neat..."
Chloe smirked. "Yeah, except every other week someone's jumping in front of the 10 A.M."
"Ouch." He said, taking another drink.
"Yeah. And I'm not convinced they're doing it of their own free will, if you know what I mean."
"Doubt they are..." He trailed off, looking down at his cup.
"So maybe you can stay and help me out after we...you...figure out the Black Dog thing." Her voice was soft.
He thought for a minute before answering, "Yeah, maybe."
Chloe dropped her gaze. "Not that you have to or anything," she whispered.
"Hey, maybe I'll want to." He looked at her intently, "Not like I have any place to be."
"Well, you're welcome here as long as you want."
"Thanks."
"Dean." She bit her lower lip.
Dean tilted his head, "Yeah?"
"I'm glad you're here," she admitted.
He smiled softly, "You know...I'm glad I'm here too."
Chloe looked up at him, surprised. "Really?"
"Well yeah...who else am I gonna watch cheesy Christmas movies with?" He joked.
A smile tugged at her lips. "I bet Charlie Brown Christmas is rerunning as we speak," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.
Dean smiled, turning into a little kid, "Well come on...lets go watch."
Grinning, she followed him into the living room and sat beside him on the sofa, flipping the TV on with the remote.
Finding the station, Dean threw the remote down and looked over at Chloe, "You know, I keep telling Sammy this is a classic, but he never listens."
"How can Charlie Brown *not* be a classic?" She shook her head.
"That's what I keep asking him."
Smiling a little, she glanced at him in the semi-darkness.
After a few minutes of watching the movie, Dean turned back to Chloe, "So...no plans tomorrow...huh?"
"No," she admitted softly. "I don't really know anyone here."
He put a hand to his chin and began rubbing it thoughtfully, "You and me are gonna do something then."
"Like what?" Chloe's eyebrows furrowed a little.
"Nooo idea."
"Well...we could hunt down that Dog."
He shook his head, "That can wait one more day."
"Well, if you have ideas, I'm open to suggestions."
"We could go...play in the snow..."
Chloe grinned. "Sounds fun."
He nodded, "Then maybe we'll get more hot chocolate."
"And maybe..." Her voice was soft as she gazed at him.
He raised an eyebrow, "Maybe...what?"
She shifted a little closer to him and kissed his cheek softly.
Surprised by her action. He stared at her for a minute, before surprising himself and kissing her back.
Their lips met in a soft, but warm kiss. She lifted a hand to his cheek.
His arms made their way around her waist, and he deepened the kiss.
A soft sigh escaped her as he pulled her onto his lap. "Merry Christmas," she whispered.
He smiled warmly at her, "Merry Christmas."