Those Three Words (2/?)
Title: Those Three Words
Authors: xtremeroswellia and clarksmuse
Rating: R to NC-17
Pairing: Chlean (Chloe/Dean)
Disclaimer: We don't own these characters. We just love them and wanted to play with them, that's all! Please don't sue...
One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen A | Sixteen B | Seventeen | Eighteen | Cocnlusion
CHAPTER TWO
Chloe pulled her car up against the curb in front of her apartment building and eased out of the driver's side slowly, grimacing at the bloodstain on her coat. She didn't know why she even bothered trying to look nice anymore. All of her clothes always got ruined when she was out patrolling. She slid her keys into her jacket pocket and headed up the sidewalk, pausing as she spotted the brothers sitting on the steps leading up to the building. She sighed softly, tempted to just walk right past them without a word.
Chloe looked like she'd just been through a major smack down, Dean thought. And she never looked prettier. Rolling his eyes at his thoughts, he stood up and dragged Sam with him. "Been wondering when you'd show up," he commented casually.
Sam could see the fatigue on Chloe's face and whispered, "Maybe this should wait until tomorrow." He got an elbow to the ribs for his trouble. Rubbing his sore ribcage, he muttered, "Hey Chloe."
"Hey, Sam. Dean. I'd ask how you tracked me down but I probably don't wanna know." She looked at them for a moment, then moved past them toward the building, pausing and turning around when she reached the front entrance. "You guys comin' or not?"
"Are you sure, Chloe?" Sam asked, a frown creasing his brow. "You look like you're gonna pass out."
"Nonsense," Dean replied. "If she's anything like me, who uses his brain to get someone else to track people, she's still wired and ready for another fight, right?" Dean moved closer to her as he spoke with Sam reluctantly in tow.
Chloe shook her head slightly, a bit too tired to exchange witty sarcasm with Dean at the moment. "I'm sure, Sam. Come on." She led them into the building and up to her small second floor apartment, dropping her keys onto the couch and shrugging out of the jacket. "Food in the fridge. Make yourselves at home. I'm gonna shower."
Both the Winchesters hung about in the main living area until Chloe left to shower and clean up. Then Sam turned on Dean and smacked him in the chest. "Hey, man. Is all that necessary? Can't you see she's tired?"
"Oh, so you're her bodyguard, now?" he replied, feeling slightly guilty for making her more uneasy but definitely more interested in seeing her again and getting information from her. Tired be damned, he thought as he grabbed a soda from the refrigerator and sat down. "Comfortable setup," he casually remarked.
"Yeah..." Sam looked around, noticing there wasn't much in the way of decorations around. "Kinda empty though," he remarked. "No pictures on the wall or anything."
Dean looked around and noticed the distinct lack of family and friends pictures that often adorn women's apartments and houses. Standing up, he moved around the room. "You think she's from here?" he asked, suddenly a little unsure that being here was a good thing.
"I don't know." He shrugged a little, peeking into the kitchen but feeling like he was spying on her. "I don't think she's been here in this apartment long."
"No, she hasn't," Dean replied, sitting down again and wondering when Sam would do the same. "Hey, Sammy, can ya sit for a minute? Are you trying to make me nervous?"
"This feels wrong," he said, leaning against the wall and folding his arms across his chest.
"Then what the hell are we doing here?" Dean asked before he realized he could answer his own question. Sam looked at him knowingly, forcing Dean to put his drink down and rub his hands over his face. "Oh God."
A moment later, Chloe reappeared, wearing a red sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Her hair was still damp from her shower and her skin was a little paler. "All right. What do you wanna know?"
Dean couldn't speak, he was so mesmerized by her naked-faced beauty. Sam must have seen the stupid look on his face, because he heard his brother say, "We actually wanted to know more about the Hellmouth, or what you know about it, but maybe we should come back tomorrow." Dean snapped his gaze away from Chloe's figure and looked at Sam sharply.
"If you don't mind me working a little while I'm catching you up, I'm fine with getting this over with tonight," she replied, heading over to her computer and flipping it on.
"Ready to be rid of me that quickly?" Dean muttered, but with a look from Sam, he shut up and watched Chloe boot up her computer and pull up the Internet. The boys watched in amazement as she started pulling up gobs of information from a couple searches she performed.
"You've been doing your own research," Dean commented, "which makes me think you haven't been doing this for very long."
"Longer than you'd think," she retorted, thinking of all the times she'd researched the weirdness in Smallville.
Sam felt the tension between Chloe and Dean, to the point where he could have cut it with a knife. Clearing his throat, he tried to make some idle conversation. "So... I take it you're not from here?"
Dean heard Sam's innocent question and chuckled, causing Sam to glare in his direction. Trust Sam to bring everyone together when he'd rather be alone with Chloe.
"What gave it away?" Chloe asked with a faint smile, turning to glance at Sam.
"The lack of stuff on your walls. Just moved in?" Sam asked, seeing a kind-hearted person beneath her rough exterior... just like his brother, he thought with a small smile.
Dean watched this exchange and knocked back a little more of his drink. But since he knew Sam would get more out of her than he would, he wisely remained silent for the moment.
She diverted her eyes quickly. "Yeah," she said, her voice growing softer. "About three months ago." She turned back to her computer and pulled up the information she was looking for, printing it out.
Dean looked down, sensing the sadness in her voice. What could have brought her here? he wondered. Aside from the Hellmouth. "So, what are you printing out?" he asked as matter-of-factly as he could.
"Information," she said vaguely, tucking it into a binder on the desk. She turned so she was facing them and perched on the edge of the desk. "All right. The Hellmouth. Center of mystical convergence. Literally a gateway to hell for vamps, demons, spirits, you name it, it's here. What do you wanna know specifically?"
"How to get rid of it, specifically," Dean replied pointedly. "And as much as I hate to say it, it's possible we might need your help."
Sam gave Chloe his I'm sorry my brother's a dumbass look before saying, "Any help you can provide would be great."
A short, bitter chuckle escaped her. "Get rid of it?" she repeated, shaking her head. "There is no getting rid of it. At least not in recorded history." She folded her arms across her chest. "That's why I'm here."
Dean and Sam looked at each other, absolutely befuddled. "Why did Dad send us here, Dean?" Sam asked quietly. "If you can't get rid of this thing..."
Dean shrugged his shoulders, not knowing how to answer Sam at the moment. But maybe getting Chloe to talk would help answer those questions. "Why are you here?" he asked her seriously.
"Because it's the Slayer's job to keep people safe. And the Hellmouth in Sunnydale is already guarded. I'm needed here. So here I am."
"Then until we know why we were sent here, we're going to help you," Dean replied, ignoring Sam's shocked look. "If this thing attracts evil, then clearly you'll need us to fight it."
"Is that right?" Chloe raised her eyebrows. "Because I've been doing just fine on my own for six months now."
Six months. Finally, Dean thought, we're getting somewhere. "If you want to make that time frame longer, let us help. Not taking no for an answer." He crossed his arms across his chest and stared back at her.
Ever the diplomat, Sam looked at Chloe and nodded. "Believe it or not, we've killed some really nasty crap. We might be useful to have around."
Snorting, Dean muttered, "Useful," under his breath.
Feeling an old familiar tug of guilt settle upon her, she looked at the floor for a long moment. "I can't make you leave town." She looked up at them, meeting Sam's eyes first, and then Dean's.
Dean didn't miss the dark look that marred her features, and he felt slightly unhinged over it. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he replied, "Good thing, because we're not leaving." His voice died away as Chloe's eyes met his, concerned, worried... guilty. Something was eating away at her, and he would find out what it was, even if it killed him.
Sam moved to her and put a tentative hand on her shoulder. "We want to be here. I think we could help. And believe me when I say we can take care of ourselves, too."
A faint, sad smile touched her lips. "Famous last words," she murmured. "Well, if you guys are sticking around...you might as well stay here. There's a bed in the guest room, and the sofa folds out into a hide-away."
"Are-- are you sure?" Sam asked her, looking at Dean for approval. Because, deep down, Sam knew his older brother had feelings for this woman, and being around her all the time might prove to be tricky, at best.
"Sure, the guest room sounds fine," Dean replied with a small smile, though inside he doubted himself and his intentions towards her. "Since we have the hotel for the night, we'll stay there, come back here tomorrow after everyone's had some shuteye?"
Chloe nodded slightly. "All right." She hesitated a moment. "You guys did drive here, right?"
Dean rolled his eyes. "No we flew here."
Sam punched Dean in the arm and said, "Yeah, the car's parked just around the corner."
Chloe glowered at Dean. "Wanted to make sure you weren't planning on walking back," she said wryly.
"Heh. Walking ain't safe, or haven't you heard?" he retorted before Sam grabbed his jacket and hauled him towards the door.
"We'll give you a call tomorrow, Chloe, ok?" Sam said kindly, though towering over Dean and ready to pummel his ass for being, well, an ass. "Make sure you're up and everything."
"Have a good night, Sam," she said, emphasizing his name and deliberately not directing her well wishes to his brother.
"Night Chloe," Sam called as he hauled Dean out the door and down the stairs. "Nice work, dumbass," he said once they got to the Impala.
"Don't call me dumbass, you little shit," Dean complained, smoothing out his jacket as he got into the driver's seat and drove them back to the hotel.
Authors: xtremeroswellia and clarksmuse
Rating: R to NC-17
Pairing: Chlean (Chloe/Dean)
Disclaimer: We don't own these characters. We just love them and wanted to play with them, that's all! Please don't sue...
One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen A | Sixteen B | Seventeen | Eighteen | Cocnlusion
CHAPTER TWO
Chloe pulled her car up against the curb in front of her apartment building and eased out of the driver's side slowly, grimacing at the bloodstain on her coat. She didn't know why she even bothered trying to look nice anymore. All of her clothes always got ruined when she was out patrolling. She slid her keys into her jacket pocket and headed up the sidewalk, pausing as she spotted the brothers sitting on the steps leading up to the building. She sighed softly, tempted to just walk right past them without a word.
Chloe looked like she'd just been through a major smack down, Dean thought. And she never looked prettier. Rolling his eyes at his thoughts, he stood up and dragged Sam with him. "Been wondering when you'd show up," he commented casually.
Sam could see the fatigue on Chloe's face and whispered, "Maybe this should wait until tomorrow." He got an elbow to the ribs for his trouble. Rubbing his sore ribcage, he muttered, "Hey Chloe."
"Hey, Sam. Dean. I'd ask how you tracked me down but I probably don't wanna know." She looked at them for a moment, then moved past them toward the building, pausing and turning around when she reached the front entrance. "You guys comin' or not?"
"Are you sure, Chloe?" Sam asked, a frown creasing his brow. "You look like you're gonna pass out."
"Nonsense," Dean replied. "If she's anything like me, who uses his brain to get someone else to track people, she's still wired and ready for another fight, right?" Dean moved closer to her as he spoke with Sam reluctantly in tow.
Chloe shook her head slightly, a bit too tired to exchange witty sarcasm with Dean at the moment. "I'm sure, Sam. Come on." She led them into the building and up to her small second floor apartment, dropping her keys onto the couch and shrugging out of the jacket. "Food in the fridge. Make yourselves at home. I'm gonna shower."
Both the Winchesters hung about in the main living area until Chloe left to shower and clean up. Then Sam turned on Dean and smacked him in the chest. "Hey, man. Is all that necessary? Can't you see she's tired?"
"Oh, so you're her bodyguard, now?" he replied, feeling slightly guilty for making her more uneasy but definitely more interested in seeing her again and getting information from her. Tired be damned, he thought as he grabbed a soda from the refrigerator and sat down. "Comfortable setup," he casually remarked.
"Yeah..." Sam looked around, noticing there wasn't much in the way of decorations around. "Kinda empty though," he remarked. "No pictures on the wall or anything."
Dean looked around and noticed the distinct lack of family and friends pictures that often adorn women's apartments and houses. Standing up, he moved around the room. "You think she's from here?" he asked, suddenly a little unsure that being here was a good thing.
"I don't know." He shrugged a little, peeking into the kitchen but feeling like he was spying on her. "I don't think she's been here in this apartment long."
"No, she hasn't," Dean replied, sitting down again and wondering when Sam would do the same. "Hey, Sammy, can ya sit for a minute? Are you trying to make me nervous?"
"This feels wrong," he said, leaning against the wall and folding his arms across his chest.
"Then what the hell are we doing here?" Dean asked before he realized he could answer his own question. Sam looked at him knowingly, forcing Dean to put his drink down and rub his hands over his face. "Oh God."
A moment later, Chloe reappeared, wearing a red sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Her hair was still damp from her shower and her skin was a little paler. "All right. What do you wanna know?"
Dean couldn't speak, he was so mesmerized by her naked-faced beauty. Sam must have seen the stupid look on his face, because he heard his brother say, "We actually wanted to know more about the Hellmouth, or what you know about it, but maybe we should come back tomorrow." Dean snapped his gaze away from Chloe's figure and looked at Sam sharply.
"If you don't mind me working a little while I'm catching you up, I'm fine with getting this over with tonight," she replied, heading over to her computer and flipping it on.
"Ready to be rid of me that quickly?" Dean muttered, but with a look from Sam, he shut up and watched Chloe boot up her computer and pull up the Internet. The boys watched in amazement as she started pulling up gobs of information from a couple searches she performed.
"You've been doing your own research," Dean commented, "which makes me think you haven't been doing this for very long."
"Longer than you'd think," she retorted, thinking of all the times she'd researched the weirdness in Smallville.
Sam felt the tension between Chloe and Dean, to the point where he could have cut it with a knife. Clearing his throat, he tried to make some idle conversation. "So... I take it you're not from here?"
Dean heard Sam's innocent question and chuckled, causing Sam to glare in his direction. Trust Sam to bring everyone together when he'd rather be alone with Chloe.
"What gave it away?" Chloe asked with a faint smile, turning to glance at Sam.
"The lack of stuff on your walls. Just moved in?" Sam asked, seeing a kind-hearted person beneath her rough exterior... just like his brother, he thought with a small smile.
Dean watched this exchange and knocked back a little more of his drink. But since he knew Sam would get more out of her than he would, he wisely remained silent for the moment.
She diverted her eyes quickly. "Yeah," she said, her voice growing softer. "About three months ago." She turned back to her computer and pulled up the information she was looking for, printing it out.
Dean looked down, sensing the sadness in her voice. What could have brought her here? he wondered. Aside from the Hellmouth. "So, what are you printing out?" he asked as matter-of-factly as he could.
"Information," she said vaguely, tucking it into a binder on the desk. She turned so she was facing them and perched on the edge of the desk. "All right. The Hellmouth. Center of mystical convergence. Literally a gateway to hell for vamps, demons, spirits, you name it, it's here. What do you wanna know specifically?"
"How to get rid of it, specifically," Dean replied pointedly. "And as much as I hate to say it, it's possible we might need your help."
Sam gave Chloe his I'm sorry my brother's a dumbass look before saying, "Any help you can provide would be great."
A short, bitter chuckle escaped her. "Get rid of it?" she repeated, shaking her head. "There is no getting rid of it. At least not in recorded history." She folded her arms across her chest. "That's why I'm here."
Dean and Sam looked at each other, absolutely befuddled. "Why did Dad send us here, Dean?" Sam asked quietly. "If you can't get rid of this thing..."
Dean shrugged his shoulders, not knowing how to answer Sam at the moment. But maybe getting Chloe to talk would help answer those questions. "Why are you here?" he asked her seriously.
"Because it's the Slayer's job to keep people safe. And the Hellmouth in Sunnydale is already guarded. I'm needed here. So here I am."
"Then until we know why we were sent here, we're going to help you," Dean replied, ignoring Sam's shocked look. "If this thing attracts evil, then clearly you'll need us to fight it."
"Is that right?" Chloe raised her eyebrows. "Because I've been doing just fine on my own for six months now."
Six months. Finally, Dean thought, we're getting somewhere. "If you want to make that time frame longer, let us help. Not taking no for an answer." He crossed his arms across his chest and stared back at her.
Ever the diplomat, Sam looked at Chloe and nodded. "Believe it or not, we've killed some really nasty crap. We might be useful to have around."
Snorting, Dean muttered, "Useful," under his breath.
Feeling an old familiar tug of guilt settle upon her, she looked at the floor for a long moment. "I can't make you leave town." She looked up at them, meeting Sam's eyes first, and then Dean's.
Dean didn't miss the dark look that marred her features, and he felt slightly unhinged over it. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he replied, "Good thing, because we're not leaving." His voice died away as Chloe's eyes met his, concerned, worried... guilty. Something was eating away at her, and he would find out what it was, even if it killed him.
Sam moved to her and put a tentative hand on her shoulder. "We want to be here. I think we could help. And believe me when I say we can take care of ourselves, too."
A faint, sad smile touched her lips. "Famous last words," she murmured. "Well, if you guys are sticking around...you might as well stay here. There's a bed in the guest room, and the sofa folds out into a hide-away."
"Are-- are you sure?" Sam asked her, looking at Dean for approval. Because, deep down, Sam knew his older brother had feelings for this woman, and being around her all the time might prove to be tricky, at best.
"Sure, the guest room sounds fine," Dean replied with a small smile, though inside he doubted himself and his intentions towards her. "Since we have the hotel for the night, we'll stay there, come back here tomorrow after everyone's had some shuteye?"
Chloe nodded slightly. "All right." She hesitated a moment. "You guys did drive here, right?"
Dean rolled his eyes. "No we flew here."
Sam punched Dean in the arm and said, "Yeah, the car's parked just around the corner."
Chloe glowered at Dean. "Wanted to make sure you weren't planning on walking back," she said wryly.
"Heh. Walking ain't safe, or haven't you heard?" he retorted before Sam grabbed his jacket and hauled him towards the door.
"We'll give you a call tomorrow, Chloe, ok?" Sam said kindly, though towering over Dean and ready to pummel his ass for being, well, an ass. "Make sure you're up and everything."
"Have a good night, Sam," she said, emphasizing his name and deliberately not directing her well wishes to his brother.
"Night Chloe," Sam called as he hauled Dean out the door and down the stairs. "Nice work, dumbass," he said once they got to the Impala.
"Don't call me dumbass, you little shit," Dean complained, smoothing out his jacket as he got into the driver's seat and drove them back to the hotel.