Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala: Fic 3: Gno-Man's Land (2/?)
Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala
Title: Fic 3: Gno-Man’s Land
Authors: Clarksmuse and X_tremeroswellian
Rated: R
Pairings: Chloe/Dean, Sam/Sarah
It wasn't hard remembering where Sam and Dean had stayed, because Sarah often passed that hotel on her way to the auction house... always wishing Sam would come back to visit her. Now that he was here, though, she was a nervous wreck. She wasn't sure what she'd say to him once she saw him again.
Clearing her throat, she approached the door and knocked gently. She waited with baited breath for one of the brothers to open the door.
"Sammy, your girlfriend's here," Dean yelled, still reading the material his brother had given him on Chloe's symptoms. Interesting read, he thought, even if he had no clue how to start confronting her about it or to get her help.
A moment later, Sam stepped out of the bathroom, hair still wet from the shower. His cheeks were flushed and he shot his brother a brief glare before moving to open the door to the room. The moment he saw her, his glare melted away and turned into a warm smile. "Hi," he said quietly.
"Hey Sam," she replied, her cheeks slightly flushed from her heart racing in her chest. Couldn't be the way Sam Winchester was looking at her.
Putting the papers down, Dean stood up. "Jeez, Sam, you gonna let her stand there or what?" He managed a nod and smile in Sarah's direction.
He shot his brother another glare, and quickly stepped aside to let her in. "Come on in, Sarah."
Smiling, she walked into the room and looked at Dean. "Hiya, Dean," she said in an amused tone. "Still embarrassing your brother, I see."
Looking at her, he replied in a mockingly innocent tone, "Always. I'll, uh, let you two become... re-acquainted. Gonna go get Chloe." He looked away and headed towards the door before he let his face fall into a concerned frown.
Seeing the puzzled look on Sarah's face at Chloe's name, Sam drew in a deep breath. "Chloe's a friend," he explained. "Dean's sort of... has a crush on her."
"Dean has a crush, huh?" she replied with an amused smirk. She knew how that felt all too well. Moving into the room, she sat down next to where Sam's laptop laid and looked at him. "So... how have you been?"
Sam looked at the floor. "Not so good, actually," he admitted. "How about you?"
She didn't like the way his face looked: downtrodden and defeated, like his favorite puppy had died. She didn't tackle that, however, no matter how curious she was about it. "Kinda the same, actually." She remembered her father's ranting about the missing painting and looked down, one of her braids slipping off her shoulder.
"Yeah, sounds like a lot's been going on." He moved to sit down on the edge of the bed, gazing at her. "I uh... I missed you."
She smiled a little at his words. "I missed you, too, Sam." She looked up and into his troubled eyes. "Father's been... seriously difficult since that painting went missing."
He grimaced a little. "We're gonna figure out what's going on," he promised.
"I know," she said softly, "That's why I contacted you. Well..." She hesitated. It was one reason, anyway.
Sam gazed at her, his eyes soft, hopeful. "I'm glad you did."
Sarah smiled warmly in return, secretly hoping Dean would take his time.
Meanwhile, Dean was pounding on Chloe's door, trying to rouse her. He cursed himself for not getting a copy of her key, because what if she never answered the door? Frowning, he knocked loudly on it again.
A couple moments later, she appeared at the door, looking like she'd been dragged through the woods behind a car. Literally. She squinted against the sunlight flooding her eyes. "Yeah?"
"Oh good, you're up," he whispered, shocked at how horrible Chloe looked. "Question is, did you sleep?"
"I think so," she answered, blinking a few times. "You?"
"No," he sighed in irritation. At himself, for not staying in her room. "Look, Sarah's here, and you wanted me to wake you up when we were going to start talking about this hunt... but honestly, you look like you just lost a boxing match with a mouse." He backed her into her room and shut the door so her eyes could focus a little better.
"Gee, aren't you sweet," she replied wryly, feeling irritable and exhausted.
"Kill be for being honest," he replied with a sarcastic smirk. "You're in no condition to talk about this." He gently put his hands on her arms to keep her from swaying.
"I'll just take a shower and I'll be fine," she told him.
"Chloe, you need more than a shower for this," he replied sadly, staring at her with what he thought must have been a pleading look.
Slowly sitting down on the bed, she rested her face in her hands. "What do you suggest?"
He thought for a long moment. He wanted to hold her, to let her sleep, to... He shook his head. "I don't know," he said, choosing to not say anything. "Maybe a shower... would be good." He sat in one of the chairs and looked down.
"I'll be out in awhile." She yawned and headed for the bathroom tiredly.
"I'll wait for you," he whispered, looking up to see her dejected figure crawl into the bathroom.
&&&&&&&&&&
Chloe barely managed to stand up through the whole shower and when she climbed out to dry off, she realized she'd forgotten to bring clean clothes in with her. Shit. Hoping Dean had changed his mind and gone back to his own room, she wrapped the towel around herself and raked a hand through her wet hair before exiting into the main room.
Dean had actually just started nodding off, his hand resting in his palm, when he heard the bathroom door open. Startled awake, he stood up with half-parted eyes. Eyes that quickly went wide when he realized she was wearing a towel... and nothing else. "Chloe?" he asked, unable to take his eyes from her wet, dripping hair and embarrassed face.
"I... forgot clothes," she said, swallowing hard, her cheeks flushed. She seemed rooted to the spot just outside the bathroom door, as if for a moment having forgotten where her clothes even were.
Clearing his throat, he rasped, "Figured as much." He knew that wasn't for him, no matter how much he wanted it to be. He was rooted to the spot, however, and the air between them suddenly seemed alive and electric. Like a dummy, he stood there, mouth slightly agape, suddenly wondering if he was still sleeping.
"Wow... awkward factor nine," she mumbled, tearing her gaze away from his and holding onto the towel tightly as she moved to her suitcase and pulled out some clothes.
"Try ten," he grumbled, the moment gone. He turned his back to her so she could have a little bit of privacy. Not that it mattered, because the image of Chloe in that hotel towel would be branded on his memory for the rest of his life.
She quickly disappeared into the bathroom once more, her heart beating quickly as she changed into the clothes she'd brought with her. She reappeared a few moments later, now wearing a long sleeved shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Dean forced himself to stop the thoughts that ran rampant across his mind. And when he whirled around at the sound of her coming out... again... he wanted to laugh at how conservative she looked. Literally. "You okay now?" he asked, unable to meet her eyes.
"A little more awake, yeah," she answered, still feeling uncomfortable. "Is Sarah next door?"
"Yeah, probably trying to get Sam to kiss her again, if I know anything about her," he replied wryly, opening the door.
Chloe smiled faintly. "It'll be good for him."
Watching her walk out the door, he followed her, thinking about how much Sam needed to get laid. Anything to keep his mind off such things. He opened their door, half expecting to find Sam making the moves on Sarah. He was disappointed to see they were just about in the same place he'd left them.
Sam glanced up, smiling faintly at Chloe then shifting his gaze to Dean and looking at him worriedly. She was looking worse all the time. And by the look on his brother's face, Dean knew that too.
Sarah saw Sam frown and turned around. She saw a pretty yet pale-faced blonde in front of Dean. She stood up and mustered a polite smile. "Hi," he said, sticking out her hand. "Sarah Blake. I'm... a friend of Sam's."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Chloe Sullivan," she replied, shaking the other woman's hand.
Dean looked at Sam, shaking his head. Sam knew Chloe wasn't any better, and it was getting to the point to where he'd have to stay with her. Just in case.... Clearing his throat, he said, "So what's going on, Sarah? Tell me it's not another freakin' painting."
Rolling her eyes and smiling at Chloe, Sarah sat down and pulled a chair out for the other woman. "It's not another freakin' painting, Dean. It's something that's stealing paintings."
"What makes you think it's a something?" Chloe asked tiredly, sitting down and murmuring her thanks.
Sam gazed at Sarah, nodding slightly and wondering the same thing. "Have you seen something?"
"Actually... I've seen... toadstools." Sarah looked around the room before looking down in embarrassment.
Dean looked at Sam, puzzled. "Toadstools? Like... mushrooms?"
Sam looked equally puzzled. "Are you saying toadstools... stole the painting?" he asked in confusion.
Chloe rolled her eyes. "That's not what she's saying."
"I'm saying," Sarah replied, smiling a little at Chloe since she was the only one who understood, "whatever stole these paintings left toadstools behind. In the auction house. Where there isn't any grass or soil to root." She looked at Sam and hoped he understood this time around.
Sam's eyebrows furrowed and he looked at Sarah for a moment before shaking his head and looking at Dean. "I've never heard of anything like that before. Have you?"
Before Dean had a chance to respond, Chloe raised her hand a little. "I... have."
Glancing at her sideways, Dean looked surprised. Not like he should be. "You have? In Smallville?"
A wry smile touched her lips. "Not exactly. More like...a fantasy novel I read when I was twelve," she admitted.
Sam looked at her blankly. "What?"
"They say a lot of that stuff is based in some fact," Sarah replied, defending Chloe a little. She suddenly wondered what it had been like for this woman to be with these two all the time. No wonder she looked so... tired.
"Chloe, you're gonna base your research on something you read out of a book?" he asked incredulously. He glanced over at Sarah, who was looking between the brothers with a gleam in her eyes.
She narrowed her eyes at Dean and gave him a look. "And where did you first hear about the abominable snowman, or aliens or ghosts?" she challenged.
Sam coughed. "She's... got a point."
Dean ignored his brother's look and zeroed in on Chloe. "That's a completely different situation," he complained. "There have been sightings of those things for years. Who's heard of something that leaves toadstools, for crying out loud?"
"Dean, cut it out," Sarah said irritably, seeing the other woman's face pale with his words. "I can show you, since you obviously don't believe me." She pulled something out of her purse. It was wrapped up in a paper towel.
Sam looked at her in alarm. "Sarah, what if that's dangerous? You shouldn't be touching it!" he said worriedly.
Chloe looked at her and rolled her eyes, reaching out and gently taking the paper towel from her, unfurling it slowly. Sure enough, there was a fairly large toadstool at the center of the wrap. And not like any toadstool she'd ever seen before. It was bright green with red spots. "Interesting," she murmured, looking perplexed as she studied it.
"That's what I said... after I touched it." She looked pointedly at Sam, as if to remind him about how she could actually take care of herself.
"What kind of thing would leave... that?" Dean asked in a hushed voice, a little embarrassed that he'd been so harsh. He looked at Sam with profound sadness in his eyes.
"That's a good question," Sam murmured, peering at it closely. "Do they all look like this?" he asked, turning his gaze to Sarah once more.
"Pretty much," she replied, looking back at him and shrugging. "They're different sizes, but the funky polka-dot pattern and colors are the same. What's weird is that... these things lead away from the artwork that's been stolen."
Dean cocked an eyebrow at her. "Where does the trail lead?"
"To an exit."
"Gnomes," Chloe said with a trace of a smile on her lips once more.
"Gnomes?" Sam repeated, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Is that what they're called?" Sarah asked, looking at Chloe.
"I thought they were those horrible things you see in people's yards," Dean replied with a shudder. "Those are just... creepy."
"Well, that's what those statues were supposedly modeled after. Gnomes...represent the element of earth according to mythology, so people place the statues in their yards and gardens. Probably to look after their plants. But I don't know what they'd want with artwork." She chewed on her lower lip, still studying the toadstool.
Dean's lips curled into a proud smile. He'd managed to find a smart woman, he mused to himself.
"Maybe gnomes with expensive taste?" Sarah joked, though it fell a little flat.
Chloe smiled a little at her. "Maybe. What was the painting of?" she asked curiously.
"Douglas Fairbanks, of all things," she replied with a smirk. "Maybe they just have bad taste in art." She looked at Sam and smiled a little, wondering what had made him so quiet.
"Okay, so how do we kill these things?" Dean immediately replied.
"Well...are they really evil? Or do they just... steal hideous paintings?" Sam wondered aloud, raising his eyebrows.
"Might be helpful if you found out, Google boy," Dean retorted, sliding the laptop in Sam's direction and then putting his arm around Chloe.
"And here you thought Dean didn't know what Google was," Chloe said with a smirk, glancing at Sam.
A wry smile touched his lips and he shook his head as he booted up his computer.
"Need some help with that search?" Sarah immediately asking, searching for anything that would get her closer to Sam.
"Always," he answered with a soft smile, glancing up at her.
Chloe almost grinned at the look that passed between them.
Dean couldn't help but feel a pang of happiness for his brother... and jealousy that he and Sarah seemed to click so well so quickly. Obviously neither had forgotten the other, he thought, sneaking a look at Chloe. She looked like she was amused by Sarah and Sam's interaction, though she still looked exhausted. Beautiful, but tired. "How you doing?" he whispered to her.
"I'm fine," she told him, glancing at him sideways, tucking some hair behind her ear. "How are you?"
"Peachy." Sighing inwardly, he stood up and asked, "I'm grabbing a beer. Want one?"
Chloe raised her eyebrows. "I think I'll pass, but thanks."
Turning away from her, he walked to the mini fridge and grabbed a longneck out. Flipping off the cap, he took a long drink. God, what he wouldn't give to get absolutely smashed tonight, he thought miserably. Maybe when drunk he could figure out how to turn off his feelings for her. He moved to the window and gazed out of it.
Sam smiled as Sarah looked over his shoulder at the computer as they searched for information on gnomes.
"Uh, guys?" Chloe said suddenly, a hint of alarm in her voice as she stood up.
"What?" Dean said, swirling around on his heel quickly. His eyes widened as he saw something moving in the middle of the paper Sarah had wrapped the toadstool in.
Sarah glanced over at Chloe. "Is it... supposed to do that?" she asked worriedly as the toadstool suddenly grew stubby legs.
Sam stared at it in surprised fascination. "I have no idea," he murmured.
"Well I guess that confirms what we're dealing with." She grimaced a little as a head suddenly appeared in place of the mushroom cap. A gnarled little gnome was suddenly formed, looking like a tiny troll. It glared at all of them.
Dean laughed out loud. "That’s what we're up against?" He pointed his beer bottle at it. "I could squash that thing with my foot!"
When she saw the thing zero in on Dean and the bottle he was holding, Sarah said, "Dean, don't talk about it like that."
"You think it's...evil?" Sam asked hesitantly, still staring at it.
"One way to find out," Chloe said grimly, kneeling down so she was at eye level with the thing, but far enough out of its reach if it tried to do anything.
The creature just glared at her, as if it was annoyed because Chloe was actually starting at it.
Dean strode across the room and thumped his beer bottle on the table. "Chloe, be careful," he warned.
"Hi there," she said in a soft voice, feeling somewhat stupid. She wondered if it could talk.
Dean watched as the creature continued to stare at her. He didn't know what to do, aside from stifle another laugh. "I don't think it und--" His comment was cut off brutally as he watched the gnome suddenly shoot towards his beer, pick it up... from the bottom... and scoot it and the beer off the table.
Sarah was more than amused, though she stood up suddenly in shock, watching the thing steal Dean's beer so quickly. "Wow," she whispered.
Sam rose to his feet, looking equally as shocked. "He's gone!"
"Yeah the question is, where the hell did he go?" Chloe asked in disbelief, looking around the room and not seeing any sign of the little bugger.
"And how the hell did it take off with my beer?" Dean demanded, ignoring the others. The thing had just... vanished. "Wait, wasn't that thing a toadstool about thirty seconds ago?"
"I wonder," Sarah replied, sitting down and looking at Sam's laptop. "Oh, Sam, you had pulled something up about this. Look."
Shaking his head a little, dazed, he studied the screen of his computer. Then snorted. "According to this...certain types of gnomes are known to vanish at will."
"And not only that," she continued, "but some can also turn into toadstools." She moved her hand to brush her braids out of the way, her fingers grazing Sam's shirt as she moved.
"You always have the most interesting troubles," Dean remarked with a lazy grin.
Sarah eyed Dean suspiciously, then turned to Chloe. "Do you know anything about how they can disappear? Or... where we can look?"
A little paler than she had been, but still looking vaguely amused, Chloe slowly rose to her feet once more, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm not sure...it depends on what type it is...according to legend, some live in caves, some underground, some in trees..." She shrugged a little helplessly.
"I bet you can answer all those questions, too," she replied with a small smile. "Too bad I didn't bring my computer with me, or else I'd have something to give to you."
"I...have a computer in my room," Chloe admitted with a faint smile in return. "I'll just go grab it." She started for the door.
"I'll come with you," Dean said, following her, feeling pretty helpless at the moment. For once, he wished he was more... technologically talented, because among these three, he felt very much like a fish out of water.
"Okay," she agreed, heading out of the guys' room and outside onto the sidewalk. Wincing a little as her head pounded, she unlocked the door to her own room and stepped inside, Dean behind her.
He hovered around the door as he watched her move slowly, reaching for her computer and standing upright again. She looked more than tired: she looked like she'd had enough of the world in general. She didn't know how well he understood that feeling, either. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say or how to say it, for that matter. So he continued staring at her, feeling his heart lurch in his chest with every pained movement she made.
A wave of dizziness washed her and she rested one hand against the table to steady herself, faltering a little.
Rushing to her, Dean managed to catch her before she fell back. "Okay, that's it," he whispered. "No research for you tonight." Picking her up, he gently laid her on the top of the bed and wrapped the covers around her. He then scooted in behind her and wrapped her within his embrace.
"But they need help," she murmured weakly, her eyes already drifting shut.
"They can figure out how to rule the world, they're so smart," he replied, pulling her close to him.
"You don't have to stay here," Chloe whispered, her voice strained.
He felt like he'd been kicked in the face. "Are you asking me to leave?" he asked, dejected and on the verge of leaving her to get drunk.
"No." Her voice was pained. "I'm just saying you don't have to stay."
"I want to stay," he sighed, burying his face into her hair. "I wanna make sure you sleep tonight."
She swallowed hard, relaxing back against him. "Okay." She drew in a breath and let it out slowly as his arm draped around her waist. She felt his lips press against the back of her head and after a moment, she moved her arm to cover his, trembling involuntarily.
Her small movement confused him, especially given the fact that she was trembling like a leaf. "Am I scaring you?" he asked softly, frowning a little.
"No." The word nearly made her choke.
His grip loosened on her and he started pulling away. "Yes, I am," he stated dully. He was beginning to think Sam was right. She was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. How did he bring that up, though?
"Don't, please," she whispered, clutching onto his arm and not letting go.
He hesitantly pulled her back into his arms at her urging, still despondent though his body screamed for more contact with hers. Putting his face back into her hair, he stifled a smile at being near her. "If you insist," he whispered, gently rubbing her arms to warm them.
She let out a slow breath, closing her eyes once more, keeping her hand lightly on his arm as if to make sure he wasn't going anywhere.
Putting a hand over hers, he intertwined their fingers as he felt her breathing start to even out. Kissing her softly on the back of her neck, Dean forced his eyes closed and turned off his thoughts. This time, sleep found him quickly.
It was slower to find her, but it came eventually as she drifted off, realizing no one had ever held her like this before in her entire life. And she wondered why.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Sam couldn't help but feel a little paranoid as he looked around the room occasionally, just in case the little gnome appeared again. He shook his head and then glanced at the clock on his computer. It was late. Dean and Chloe had been gone for nearly thirty minutes. He frowned in concern.
"I'm sure they're okay," Sarah whispered, glancing at Sam as she continued to peruse the computer screen. She stifled a small yawn, as she too had seen the time.
He let out a breath. "It's uh...it's just...Chloe's...been through a lot..."
To Hell and back seemed like the right phrase to use, but Sarah didn't mention it. "Where'd you guys meet her, if I can ask?"
He offered her a wry smile. "Side of the road in Kansas."
Sarah cocked her brow at Sam. "Seriously? You guys DO that?"
"Not usually," he assured her. "But...Dean has a thing for blondes."
She smiled a little. "Well, that's not surprising. Most men do." She flushed at her comment and turned her eyes back to the screen, clicking on another link about gnome-finding.
Sam thought momentarily of Jess, feeling a pang of sadness. It passed as he gazed at her. "Seriously, how have you been? It's been a long time."
Sighing, she wanted to tell him that she had spent the last several months of her life wondering if he'd ever come back, that the everyday humdrum-ness of her life didn't make her happy anymore. Not since the last time he and his brother were in town. "Been fine," she said absently. "Working a lot at the auction house. My dad is such a slave driver. How about you?"
He paused. "The usual...mostly." His voice lowered a little.
"Mostly?" she asked softly, looking sideways at him.
Sam drew in a breath. "Our dad died a few weeks ago. Same demon that killed our mother. And...my girlfriend."
Sarah whipped her head around to stare at Sam's suddenly troubled face. "What?" she whispered, tears pricking the backs of her eyelids. That explained... a lot, she thought, remembering the conversation they'd had over why he didn't want to risk getting involved with her.
He tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but couldn't quite manage it. "Yeah," he whispered.
"Sam, I'm... I'm so sorry," she whispered, placing a hand on his and squeezing gently. "How horrible."
Swallowing hard, he squeezed her hand back a little. "Dean's...not exactly dealing very well."
She drew in a deep breath, feeling very much like the outsider she was. "Have you two... talked about it?" she said hesitantly.
A grim smile touched his lips. "Dean doesn't talk about that kinda stuff. Especially not with me."
"You tried tying him to a chair and making him listen?" she said with a small grin of pained amusement on her face.
"All but. I'm kinda hoping maybe..." He glanced toward the direction of Chloe's room.
"You're hoping he's talking to Chloe?" she asked, not too sure if Chloe was able to handle something so... traumatic.
"I'm hoping maybe...they'll talk to each other."
Leaning into him, she whispered, "I hope he'll talk to you, too, Sam. Sounds like you need that just as much." She patted his hand gently and then reluctantly pulled away from him.
"Thanks," Sam whispered. He hoped so too.
She looked at Sam and smiled again, not sure what else to say. Knowing there was too much to say, especially considering they were strangers. "I... should be going," she said suddenly, standing up and looking away.
He looked up in surprise. "Oh...right, it's...late." He exhaled and stood up. "Do you need a ride home?"
Grabbing her purse, she looked back and smiled faintly. "No, I've got my car.... but thanks for the offer." She pushed her braids out of her way as she looked up at him. "So, what's next?"
"We'll come by in the morning to check things out," he promised, gazing at her intently.
"Okay." Sarah's face grew heated at the look on Sam's face, like he could see into her mind and read her thoughts. "I... I'll see you tomorrow. Gotta be at work at 9AM." She turned and headed for the door.
"I'll see you...we'll see you then." Swallowing hard, he watched her go.
Turning around and smiling at him again, Sarah opened the hotel room door and shut it behind her. Leaning against the door, she sighed as a couple tears slipped from her eyes. Her heart ached for him, but they had gnomes to catch and paintings to find. She couldn't afford to let her heart get involved again.
Title: Fic 3: Gno-Man’s Land
Authors: Clarksmuse and X_tremeroswellian
Rated: R
Pairings: Chloe/Dean, Sam/Sarah
It wasn't hard remembering where Sam and Dean had stayed, because Sarah often passed that hotel on her way to the auction house... always wishing Sam would come back to visit her. Now that he was here, though, she was a nervous wreck. She wasn't sure what she'd say to him once she saw him again.
Clearing her throat, she approached the door and knocked gently. She waited with baited breath for one of the brothers to open the door.
"Sammy, your girlfriend's here," Dean yelled, still reading the material his brother had given him on Chloe's symptoms. Interesting read, he thought, even if he had no clue how to start confronting her about it or to get her help.
A moment later, Sam stepped out of the bathroom, hair still wet from the shower. His cheeks were flushed and he shot his brother a brief glare before moving to open the door to the room. The moment he saw her, his glare melted away and turned into a warm smile. "Hi," he said quietly.
"Hey Sam," she replied, her cheeks slightly flushed from her heart racing in her chest. Couldn't be the way Sam Winchester was looking at her.
Putting the papers down, Dean stood up. "Jeez, Sam, you gonna let her stand there or what?" He managed a nod and smile in Sarah's direction.
He shot his brother another glare, and quickly stepped aside to let her in. "Come on in, Sarah."
Smiling, she walked into the room and looked at Dean. "Hiya, Dean," she said in an amused tone. "Still embarrassing your brother, I see."
Looking at her, he replied in a mockingly innocent tone, "Always. I'll, uh, let you two become... re-acquainted. Gonna go get Chloe." He looked away and headed towards the door before he let his face fall into a concerned frown.
Seeing the puzzled look on Sarah's face at Chloe's name, Sam drew in a deep breath. "Chloe's a friend," he explained. "Dean's sort of... has a crush on her."
"Dean has a crush, huh?" she replied with an amused smirk. She knew how that felt all too well. Moving into the room, she sat down next to where Sam's laptop laid and looked at him. "So... how have you been?"
Sam looked at the floor. "Not so good, actually," he admitted. "How about you?"
She didn't like the way his face looked: downtrodden and defeated, like his favorite puppy had died. She didn't tackle that, however, no matter how curious she was about it. "Kinda the same, actually." She remembered her father's ranting about the missing painting and looked down, one of her braids slipping off her shoulder.
"Yeah, sounds like a lot's been going on." He moved to sit down on the edge of the bed, gazing at her. "I uh... I missed you."
She smiled a little at his words. "I missed you, too, Sam." She looked up and into his troubled eyes. "Father's been... seriously difficult since that painting went missing."
He grimaced a little. "We're gonna figure out what's going on," he promised.
"I know," she said softly, "That's why I contacted you. Well..." She hesitated. It was one reason, anyway.
Sam gazed at her, his eyes soft, hopeful. "I'm glad you did."
Sarah smiled warmly in return, secretly hoping Dean would take his time.
Meanwhile, Dean was pounding on Chloe's door, trying to rouse her. He cursed himself for not getting a copy of her key, because what if she never answered the door? Frowning, he knocked loudly on it again.
A couple moments later, she appeared at the door, looking like she'd been dragged through the woods behind a car. Literally. She squinted against the sunlight flooding her eyes. "Yeah?"
"Oh good, you're up," he whispered, shocked at how horrible Chloe looked. "Question is, did you sleep?"
"I think so," she answered, blinking a few times. "You?"
"No," he sighed in irritation. At himself, for not staying in her room. "Look, Sarah's here, and you wanted me to wake you up when we were going to start talking about this hunt... but honestly, you look like you just lost a boxing match with a mouse." He backed her into her room and shut the door so her eyes could focus a little better.
"Gee, aren't you sweet," she replied wryly, feeling irritable and exhausted.
"Kill be for being honest," he replied with a sarcastic smirk. "You're in no condition to talk about this." He gently put his hands on her arms to keep her from swaying.
"I'll just take a shower and I'll be fine," she told him.
"Chloe, you need more than a shower for this," he replied sadly, staring at her with what he thought must have been a pleading look.
Slowly sitting down on the bed, she rested her face in her hands. "What do you suggest?"
He thought for a long moment. He wanted to hold her, to let her sleep, to... He shook his head. "I don't know," he said, choosing to not say anything. "Maybe a shower... would be good." He sat in one of the chairs and looked down.
"I'll be out in awhile." She yawned and headed for the bathroom tiredly.
"I'll wait for you," he whispered, looking up to see her dejected figure crawl into the bathroom.
&&&&&&&&&&
Chloe barely managed to stand up through the whole shower and when she climbed out to dry off, she realized she'd forgotten to bring clean clothes in with her. Shit. Hoping Dean had changed his mind and gone back to his own room, she wrapped the towel around herself and raked a hand through her wet hair before exiting into the main room.
Dean had actually just started nodding off, his hand resting in his palm, when he heard the bathroom door open. Startled awake, he stood up with half-parted eyes. Eyes that quickly went wide when he realized she was wearing a towel... and nothing else. "Chloe?" he asked, unable to take his eyes from her wet, dripping hair and embarrassed face.
"I... forgot clothes," she said, swallowing hard, her cheeks flushed. She seemed rooted to the spot just outside the bathroom door, as if for a moment having forgotten where her clothes even were.
Clearing his throat, he rasped, "Figured as much." He knew that wasn't for him, no matter how much he wanted it to be. He was rooted to the spot, however, and the air between them suddenly seemed alive and electric. Like a dummy, he stood there, mouth slightly agape, suddenly wondering if he was still sleeping.
"Wow... awkward factor nine," she mumbled, tearing her gaze away from his and holding onto the towel tightly as she moved to her suitcase and pulled out some clothes.
"Try ten," he grumbled, the moment gone. He turned his back to her so she could have a little bit of privacy. Not that it mattered, because the image of Chloe in that hotel towel would be branded on his memory for the rest of his life.
She quickly disappeared into the bathroom once more, her heart beating quickly as she changed into the clothes she'd brought with her. She reappeared a few moments later, now wearing a long sleeved shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Dean forced himself to stop the thoughts that ran rampant across his mind. And when he whirled around at the sound of her coming out... again... he wanted to laugh at how conservative she looked. Literally. "You okay now?" he asked, unable to meet her eyes.
"A little more awake, yeah," she answered, still feeling uncomfortable. "Is Sarah next door?"
"Yeah, probably trying to get Sam to kiss her again, if I know anything about her," he replied wryly, opening the door.
Chloe smiled faintly. "It'll be good for him."
Watching her walk out the door, he followed her, thinking about how much Sam needed to get laid. Anything to keep his mind off such things. He opened their door, half expecting to find Sam making the moves on Sarah. He was disappointed to see they were just about in the same place he'd left them.
Sam glanced up, smiling faintly at Chloe then shifting his gaze to Dean and looking at him worriedly. She was looking worse all the time. And by the look on his brother's face, Dean knew that too.
Sarah saw Sam frown and turned around. She saw a pretty yet pale-faced blonde in front of Dean. She stood up and mustered a polite smile. "Hi," he said, sticking out her hand. "Sarah Blake. I'm... a friend of Sam's."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Chloe Sullivan," she replied, shaking the other woman's hand.
Dean looked at Sam, shaking his head. Sam knew Chloe wasn't any better, and it was getting to the point to where he'd have to stay with her. Just in case.... Clearing his throat, he said, "So what's going on, Sarah? Tell me it's not another freakin' painting."
Rolling her eyes and smiling at Chloe, Sarah sat down and pulled a chair out for the other woman. "It's not another freakin' painting, Dean. It's something that's stealing paintings."
"What makes you think it's a something?" Chloe asked tiredly, sitting down and murmuring her thanks.
Sam gazed at Sarah, nodding slightly and wondering the same thing. "Have you seen something?"
"Actually... I've seen... toadstools." Sarah looked around the room before looking down in embarrassment.
Dean looked at Sam, puzzled. "Toadstools? Like... mushrooms?"
Sam looked equally puzzled. "Are you saying toadstools... stole the painting?" he asked in confusion.
Chloe rolled her eyes. "That's not what she's saying."
"I'm saying," Sarah replied, smiling a little at Chloe since she was the only one who understood, "whatever stole these paintings left toadstools behind. In the auction house. Where there isn't any grass or soil to root." She looked at Sam and hoped he understood this time around.
Sam's eyebrows furrowed and he looked at Sarah for a moment before shaking his head and looking at Dean. "I've never heard of anything like that before. Have you?"
Before Dean had a chance to respond, Chloe raised her hand a little. "I... have."
Glancing at her sideways, Dean looked surprised. Not like he should be. "You have? In Smallville?"
A wry smile touched her lips. "Not exactly. More like...a fantasy novel I read when I was twelve," she admitted.
Sam looked at her blankly. "What?"
"They say a lot of that stuff is based in some fact," Sarah replied, defending Chloe a little. She suddenly wondered what it had been like for this woman to be with these two all the time. No wonder she looked so... tired.
"Chloe, you're gonna base your research on something you read out of a book?" he asked incredulously. He glanced over at Sarah, who was looking between the brothers with a gleam in her eyes.
She narrowed her eyes at Dean and gave him a look. "And where did you first hear about the abominable snowman, or aliens or ghosts?" she challenged.
Sam coughed. "She's... got a point."
Dean ignored his brother's look and zeroed in on Chloe. "That's a completely different situation," he complained. "There have been sightings of those things for years. Who's heard of something that leaves toadstools, for crying out loud?"
"Dean, cut it out," Sarah said irritably, seeing the other woman's face pale with his words. "I can show you, since you obviously don't believe me." She pulled something out of her purse. It was wrapped up in a paper towel.
Sam looked at her in alarm. "Sarah, what if that's dangerous? You shouldn't be touching it!" he said worriedly.
Chloe looked at her and rolled her eyes, reaching out and gently taking the paper towel from her, unfurling it slowly. Sure enough, there was a fairly large toadstool at the center of the wrap. And not like any toadstool she'd ever seen before. It was bright green with red spots. "Interesting," she murmured, looking perplexed as she studied it.
"That's what I said... after I touched it." She looked pointedly at Sam, as if to remind him about how she could actually take care of herself.
"What kind of thing would leave... that?" Dean asked in a hushed voice, a little embarrassed that he'd been so harsh. He looked at Sam with profound sadness in his eyes.
"That's a good question," Sam murmured, peering at it closely. "Do they all look like this?" he asked, turning his gaze to Sarah once more.
"Pretty much," she replied, looking back at him and shrugging. "They're different sizes, but the funky polka-dot pattern and colors are the same. What's weird is that... these things lead away from the artwork that's been stolen."
Dean cocked an eyebrow at her. "Where does the trail lead?"
"To an exit."
"Gnomes," Chloe said with a trace of a smile on her lips once more.
"Gnomes?" Sam repeated, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Is that what they're called?" Sarah asked, looking at Chloe.
"I thought they were those horrible things you see in people's yards," Dean replied with a shudder. "Those are just... creepy."
"Well, that's what those statues were supposedly modeled after. Gnomes...represent the element of earth according to mythology, so people place the statues in their yards and gardens. Probably to look after their plants. But I don't know what they'd want with artwork." She chewed on her lower lip, still studying the toadstool.
Dean's lips curled into a proud smile. He'd managed to find a smart woman, he mused to himself.
"Maybe gnomes with expensive taste?" Sarah joked, though it fell a little flat.
Chloe smiled a little at her. "Maybe. What was the painting of?" she asked curiously.
"Douglas Fairbanks, of all things," she replied with a smirk. "Maybe they just have bad taste in art." She looked at Sam and smiled a little, wondering what had made him so quiet.
"Okay, so how do we kill these things?" Dean immediately replied.
"Well...are they really evil? Or do they just... steal hideous paintings?" Sam wondered aloud, raising his eyebrows.
"Might be helpful if you found out, Google boy," Dean retorted, sliding the laptop in Sam's direction and then putting his arm around Chloe.
"And here you thought Dean didn't know what Google was," Chloe said with a smirk, glancing at Sam.
A wry smile touched his lips and he shook his head as he booted up his computer.
"Need some help with that search?" Sarah immediately asking, searching for anything that would get her closer to Sam.
"Always," he answered with a soft smile, glancing up at her.
Chloe almost grinned at the look that passed between them.
Dean couldn't help but feel a pang of happiness for his brother... and jealousy that he and Sarah seemed to click so well so quickly. Obviously neither had forgotten the other, he thought, sneaking a look at Chloe. She looked like she was amused by Sarah and Sam's interaction, though she still looked exhausted. Beautiful, but tired. "How you doing?" he whispered to her.
"I'm fine," she told him, glancing at him sideways, tucking some hair behind her ear. "How are you?"
"Peachy." Sighing inwardly, he stood up and asked, "I'm grabbing a beer. Want one?"
Chloe raised her eyebrows. "I think I'll pass, but thanks."
Turning away from her, he walked to the mini fridge and grabbed a longneck out. Flipping off the cap, he took a long drink. God, what he wouldn't give to get absolutely smashed tonight, he thought miserably. Maybe when drunk he could figure out how to turn off his feelings for her. He moved to the window and gazed out of it.
Sam smiled as Sarah looked over his shoulder at the computer as they searched for information on gnomes.
"Uh, guys?" Chloe said suddenly, a hint of alarm in her voice as she stood up.
"What?" Dean said, swirling around on his heel quickly. His eyes widened as he saw something moving in the middle of the paper Sarah had wrapped the toadstool in.
Sarah glanced over at Chloe. "Is it... supposed to do that?" she asked worriedly as the toadstool suddenly grew stubby legs.
Sam stared at it in surprised fascination. "I have no idea," he murmured.
"Well I guess that confirms what we're dealing with." She grimaced a little as a head suddenly appeared in place of the mushroom cap. A gnarled little gnome was suddenly formed, looking like a tiny troll. It glared at all of them.
Dean laughed out loud. "That’s what we're up against?" He pointed his beer bottle at it. "I could squash that thing with my foot!"
When she saw the thing zero in on Dean and the bottle he was holding, Sarah said, "Dean, don't talk about it like that."
"You think it's...evil?" Sam asked hesitantly, still staring at it.
"One way to find out," Chloe said grimly, kneeling down so she was at eye level with the thing, but far enough out of its reach if it tried to do anything.
The creature just glared at her, as if it was annoyed because Chloe was actually starting at it.
Dean strode across the room and thumped his beer bottle on the table. "Chloe, be careful," he warned.
"Hi there," she said in a soft voice, feeling somewhat stupid. She wondered if it could talk.
Dean watched as the creature continued to stare at her. He didn't know what to do, aside from stifle another laugh. "I don't think it und--" His comment was cut off brutally as he watched the gnome suddenly shoot towards his beer, pick it up... from the bottom... and scoot it and the beer off the table.
Sarah was more than amused, though she stood up suddenly in shock, watching the thing steal Dean's beer so quickly. "Wow," she whispered.
Sam rose to his feet, looking equally as shocked. "He's gone!"
"Yeah the question is, where the hell did he go?" Chloe asked in disbelief, looking around the room and not seeing any sign of the little bugger.
"And how the hell did it take off with my beer?" Dean demanded, ignoring the others. The thing had just... vanished. "Wait, wasn't that thing a toadstool about thirty seconds ago?"
"I wonder," Sarah replied, sitting down and looking at Sam's laptop. "Oh, Sam, you had pulled something up about this. Look."
Shaking his head a little, dazed, he studied the screen of his computer. Then snorted. "According to this...certain types of gnomes are known to vanish at will."
"And not only that," she continued, "but some can also turn into toadstools." She moved her hand to brush her braids out of the way, her fingers grazing Sam's shirt as she moved.
"You always have the most interesting troubles," Dean remarked with a lazy grin.
Sarah eyed Dean suspiciously, then turned to Chloe. "Do you know anything about how they can disappear? Or... where we can look?"
A little paler than she had been, but still looking vaguely amused, Chloe slowly rose to her feet once more, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm not sure...it depends on what type it is...according to legend, some live in caves, some underground, some in trees..." She shrugged a little helplessly.
"I bet you can answer all those questions, too," she replied with a small smile. "Too bad I didn't bring my computer with me, or else I'd have something to give to you."
"I...have a computer in my room," Chloe admitted with a faint smile in return. "I'll just go grab it." She started for the door.
"I'll come with you," Dean said, following her, feeling pretty helpless at the moment. For once, he wished he was more... technologically talented, because among these three, he felt very much like a fish out of water.
"Okay," she agreed, heading out of the guys' room and outside onto the sidewalk. Wincing a little as her head pounded, she unlocked the door to her own room and stepped inside, Dean behind her.
He hovered around the door as he watched her move slowly, reaching for her computer and standing upright again. She looked more than tired: she looked like she'd had enough of the world in general. She didn't know how well he understood that feeling, either. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say or how to say it, for that matter. So he continued staring at her, feeling his heart lurch in his chest with every pained movement she made.
A wave of dizziness washed her and she rested one hand against the table to steady herself, faltering a little.
Rushing to her, Dean managed to catch her before she fell back. "Okay, that's it," he whispered. "No research for you tonight." Picking her up, he gently laid her on the top of the bed and wrapped the covers around her. He then scooted in behind her and wrapped her within his embrace.
"But they need help," she murmured weakly, her eyes already drifting shut.
"They can figure out how to rule the world, they're so smart," he replied, pulling her close to him.
"You don't have to stay here," Chloe whispered, her voice strained.
He felt like he'd been kicked in the face. "Are you asking me to leave?" he asked, dejected and on the verge of leaving her to get drunk.
"No." Her voice was pained. "I'm just saying you don't have to stay."
"I want to stay," he sighed, burying his face into her hair. "I wanna make sure you sleep tonight."
She swallowed hard, relaxing back against him. "Okay." She drew in a breath and let it out slowly as his arm draped around her waist. She felt his lips press against the back of her head and after a moment, she moved her arm to cover his, trembling involuntarily.
Her small movement confused him, especially given the fact that she was trembling like a leaf. "Am I scaring you?" he asked softly, frowning a little.
"No." The word nearly made her choke.
His grip loosened on her and he started pulling away. "Yes, I am," he stated dully. He was beginning to think Sam was right. She was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. How did he bring that up, though?
"Don't, please," she whispered, clutching onto his arm and not letting go.
He hesitantly pulled her back into his arms at her urging, still despondent though his body screamed for more contact with hers. Putting his face back into her hair, he stifled a smile at being near her. "If you insist," he whispered, gently rubbing her arms to warm them.
She let out a slow breath, closing her eyes once more, keeping her hand lightly on his arm as if to make sure he wasn't going anywhere.
Putting a hand over hers, he intertwined their fingers as he felt her breathing start to even out. Kissing her softly on the back of her neck, Dean forced his eyes closed and turned off his thoughts. This time, sleep found him quickly.
It was slower to find her, but it came eventually as she drifted off, realizing no one had ever held her like this before in her entire life. And she wondered why.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Sam couldn't help but feel a little paranoid as he looked around the room occasionally, just in case the little gnome appeared again. He shook his head and then glanced at the clock on his computer. It was late. Dean and Chloe had been gone for nearly thirty minutes. He frowned in concern.
"I'm sure they're okay," Sarah whispered, glancing at Sam as she continued to peruse the computer screen. She stifled a small yawn, as she too had seen the time.
He let out a breath. "It's uh...it's just...Chloe's...been through a lot..."
To Hell and back seemed like the right phrase to use, but Sarah didn't mention it. "Where'd you guys meet her, if I can ask?"
He offered her a wry smile. "Side of the road in Kansas."
Sarah cocked her brow at Sam. "Seriously? You guys DO that?"
"Not usually," he assured her. "But...Dean has a thing for blondes."
She smiled a little. "Well, that's not surprising. Most men do." She flushed at her comment and turned her eyes back to the screen, clicking on another link about gnome-finding.
Sam thought momentarily of Jess, feeling a pang of sadness. It passed as he gazed at her. "Seriously, how have you been? It's been a long time."
Sighing, she wanted to tell him that she had spent the last several months of her life wondering if he'd ever come back, that the everyday humdrum-ness of her life didn't make her happy anymore. Not since the last time he and his brother were in town. "Been fine," she said absently. "Working a lot at the auction house. My dad is such a slave driver. How about you?"
He paused. "The usual...mostly." His voice lowered a little.
"Mostly?" she asked softly, looking sideways at him.
Sam drew in a breath. "Our dad died a few weeks ago. Same demon that killed our mother. And...my girlfriend."
Sarah whipped her head around to stare at Sam's suddenly troubled face. "What?" she whispered, tears pricking the backs of her eyelids. That explained... a lot, she thought, remembering the conversation they'd had over why he didn't want to risk getting involved with her.
He tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but couldn't quite manage it. "Yeah," he whispered.
"Sam, I'm... I'm so sorry," she whispered, placing a hand on his and squeezing gently. "How horrible."
Swallowing hard, he squeezed her hand back a little. "Dean's...not exactly dealing very well."
She drew in a deep breath, feeling very much like the outsider she was. "Have you two... talked about it?" she said hesitantly.
A grim smile touched his lips. "Dean doesn't talk about that kinda stuff. Especially not with me."
"You tried tying him to a chair and making him listen?" she said with a small grin of pained amusement on her face.
"All but. I'm kinda hoping maybe..." He glanced toward the direction of Chloe's room.
"You're hoping he's talking to Chloe?" she asked, not too sure if Chloe was able to handle something so... traumatic.
"I'm hoping maybe...they'll talk to each other."
Leaning into him, she whispered, "I hope he'll talk to you, too, Sam. Sounds like you need that just as much." She patted his hand gently and then reluctantly pulled away from him.
"Thanks," Sam whispered. He hoped so too.
She looked at Sam and smiled again, not sure what else to say. Knowing there was too much to say, especially considering they were strangers. "I... should be going," she said suddenly, standing up and looking away.
He looked up in surprise. "Oh...right, it's...late." He exhaled and stood up. "Do you need a ride home?"
Grabbing her purse, she looked back and smiled faintly. "No, I've got my car.... but thanks for the offer." She pushed her braids out of her way as she looked up at him. "So, what's next?"
"We'll come by in the morning to check things out," he promised, gazing at her intently.
"Okay." Sarah's face grew heated at the look on Sam's face, like he could see into her mind and read her thoughts. "I... I'll see you tomorrow. Gotta be at work at 9AM." She turned and headed for the door.
"I'll see you...we'll see you then." Swallowing hard, he watched her go.
Turning around and smiling at him again, Sarah opened the hotel room door and shut it behind her. Leaning against the door, she sighed as a couple tears slipped from her eyes. Her heart ached for him, but they had gnomes to catch and paintings to find. She couldn't afford to let her heart get involved again.