Those Three Words (Sixteen B/?)
Title: Those Three Words
Authors: xtremeroswellia and clarksmuse
Rating: R to NC-17 for language and sexual scenes
Pairing: Chlean (Chloe/Dean) :D
Characters: multi-fandom -- Smallville, Supernatural, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Disclaimer: Neither of us own these characters. We're just borrowing them, so 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
"Chloe?" Dean asked, pushing everyone out of the way and kneeling next to her head, brushing a stray hair away from her head. He looked at Willow and Tara. "It's... over?" he asked, hope in his eyes.
Willow collapsed back into the chair and looked over at Tara, who was just as pale and tired as she probably looked and definitely felt. "Yeah, she's going to be okay."
Tara managed a faint smile before she too sank into a chair, closing her eyes.
Anya headed into the bathroom, getting both of the witches a glass of water and handing them out.
"Thanks," Tara murmured, taking it gratefully.
"Chloe?" Clark sat on the edge of the bed his friend lay on, touching her hand.
Willow sipped on her water, her head throbbing to no end. "It worked Giles, but it took a lot of work. We nearly lost her for a moment."
Giles nodded solemnly. "You two did well. Very well. I suggest you use the connecting door to go next door and get some sleep. The magic barrier spell I cast around our rooms should at least alert us to anything that will try to get to us."
Dean ignored everything except Chloe's eyes, which were slits, for as much as they were opened. His face softened looking at her, though inside he felt his life nearly crumbling.
"Dean," she whispered, her voice pained.
Clark looked startled at the name that came from her lips and he glanced at Dean.
Dean's eyes lit up, hearing her voice akin to hearing an angel from heaven. "Chlo, I'm here," he whispered close to her ear, ignoring the shocked look on Clark's face.
Sam moved over to the bed, his face falling as he fought to keep back the tears he felt pricking the backs of his eyes over Chloe's near demise.
"What happened?" she murmured, turning her head toward him, her eyes still shut.
Dean sighed, stroking her cheek gently. "It was that... Turok-Han," he whispered, deciding to be honest. "It attacked you in the cemetery. Damn near got us both."
There was a sudden knock on the door and the sound of the knob being turned frantically. Sam jumped in front of it, anything to get his mind off of what had nearly happened, and looked into the peephole. "It's Spike," he announced as he opened the door and let the vampire sweep in.
"What the bleeding hell happened?" he demanded, moving over to the bedside as well, concern all over his face. "And who the hell are you?" He looked at Clark, suspicion in his eyes.
"Clark Kent," he said briefly, turning his gaze back to Chloe.
"She all right?" Spike glanced at Dean.
Dean turned a worried look to Spike. "I think she'll live, thanks to Willow and Tara's magics." And no thanks to me, he mentally beat himself.
"It was the Turok-Han," Sam whispered, not daring to look at Spike. "Nearly took out both her and Dean."
"Dude, I'm fine compared to Chloe," Dean snapped, knowing his brother was lashing himself over the vision.
"Bollocks," he mumbled, still giving Clark a suspicious look. He looked down at Chloe for a moment, then glanced at Willow and Tara. "Nice job, Red. Tara." He nodded slightly.
Tara managed a small smile, then rose to her feet, placing a hand on Dean's shoulder. She spoke a few words in Latin and watched his expression change to one of surprise. "Better?"
Dean felt a healing power surge through him at Tara's soft words and felt better than he did two minutes ago. Looking up at her, he laid a kind hand over hers. "Thanks, Tara," he replied, smiling at her.
Willow threw a tired smile at Spike. "Hey, just doing our job."
"Now let's go sleep. I'm exhausted," Tara said with a soft laugh, heading for the connecting door.
Chloe slowly started to sit up, her head pounding.
Willow followed behind Tara, glancing back at Dean and Chloe, her gaze concerned.
"Chlo, I think you need to lie down," Dean said softly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"We need to stay here tonight, Chloe," Sam agreed, determined to keep her safe in this place until morning broke.
"Minus the headache I feel okay," she told them, wincing a little. "I need to find this thing before it hurts someone else."
"No way you're going back out there tonight, Chlo," Clark said firmly.
"As much as I hate to agree with Clark," Dean said, throwing him a glance, "I agree with him. You're definitely in no condition to fight this thing."
Giles, who had been fairly quiet all evening, spoke up. "I concur with these gentlemen, Chloe. You must rest. You nearly died."
Sam winced at the word "died", something Dean caught out of the corner of his eye.
It wasn't lost on Chloe, either. Wordlessly, she reached out and touched his arm. "All right. All right." She let out a breath.
"I'll finish patrolling tonight," Spike told her, catching her gaze. "No one's gonna get hurt." He rose to his feet.
Sam nodded, relieved to hear she was staying put for the night. "Need some help, Spike?" he asked, grateful for the help.
Dean was more concerned with helping Chloe lie back down. "You want me to stay here with you?" he asked gently, ignoring Clark's outraged look.
She nodded a little. "Don't let Sam leave," she whispered to Dean, closing her eyes.
Nodding and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, he stood and looked at Sam. "You're not leaving here, Sammy," Dean commanded.
Sam turned on his brother, puffing out his chest in anger. "Dude, I'm going with Spike. If thing is as deadly as I kn-- think it is, then he's going to need some help."
"Sammy," Dean replied, barely keeping his anger veiled as he clapped his brother on the shoulder. "You're staying here, and if I have to knock you out to do that, then so be it." The look on his face dared Sam to make a move or respond.
"The poof's right. ’Sides, the bird wants you to stay. Give her peace of mind," Spike said, nodding toward where Chloe was resting. "Don't worry about me," he finished with a smirk. "I'm a vampire." He headed out the door and into the dark night.
"Did he just call me... a poof?" Dean asked in a daze, watching the vampire make his exit.
Giles adjusted his glasses and smirked, though saying nothing.
Sam glared at Dean, and if looks could kill, his older brother would probably be dead. "Thanks the hell a lot, Dean," he snapped and headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
Xander looked at Anya and said, "I'm thinking this is our queue to leave."
"Yes. We can go make use of our private hotel room," she agreed, taking him by the arm and leading him toward the door.
Clark made a face. "Who are all you people?"
Xander looked at Clark, smirking. "We're friends of Chloe's. Who are you?"
Dean, despite his need to get to the bathroom to confront Sam, turned and smiled at Xander. "Apparently he's a friend, too."
Shrugging his shoulders, he grabbed Anya's hand and said, "Time to go, An."
"Yes. Let's go have orgasms." She smiled prettily and led him from the room.
"Is she always that..." Clark searched for the word.
Xander looked at Clark as they hurried out but said nothing.
Coughing, Giles said, "Unfortunately, yes she is." Standing, he moved over to the boy Dean called Clark and said, "Why are you here?"
"Chloe called me," he said, rising to his feet and extending his hand to Giles. "ClarkKent. I'm a friend of hers from Smallville."
"Pleased to meet you, Clark," Giles said, shaking the young man's hand and wincing just a little. "Quite a grip you've got there."
Dean rolled his eyes and looked over to Chloe. "I'm gonna check on Sammy, okay? Don't go anywhere."
"'kay," she murmured tiredly.
"Sorry." Clark instantly loosened his grip on the older man's hand. "How do you know Chloe?"
"Sam Winchester called us to come help her out. I was the last Slayer's watcher out in Sunnydale, California. The rest of the gang, well..." He looked over a Dawn fondly. "We're all family, really."
Dean, meanwhile, knocked loudly on the bathroom door. "Sammy! Get your ass out here," he yelled.
"Leave me alone, Dean." He splashed some cold water on his face.
"Punk, open the door before I break it down," Dean threatened.
"Please, no more violence tonight, Dean," Giles replied, looking at him sternly. "Besides, who'd pay for the door if you broke it?"
"Uh, good point," Dean said to Giles, a little humbled by the thought. "Sam, we need to talk, you and I," he said in a softer tone.
"Later. I need a few minutes. Just go away, all right?" His voice was tired, worn down.
Clark scratched his head, feeling a little out of place, but too worried about Chloe to leave. He sat down on the bed once more. "Hey. You scared us all there for awhile."
A faint smile touched her lips. "You know me. Always gettin' in trouble," she whispered.
"In this case, running away from trouble," Dean whispered to himself, putting his head against the bathroom door in irritation. He noticed, however, that Clark looked in his direction with those sharp, blue eyes. Almost as if he'd heard him. "What, dude?" he asked Clark pointedly.
Clark looked at him suspiciously, but remained silent. He shifted his gaze to Chloe once more, touching her cheek. "You need anything?"
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Sam still in the bathroom?"
"Yeah," he said in confusion.
Nodding a little, she slowly sat up, swung her legs over the bed and rose to her feet a little unsteadily.
Dean saw Chloe making her way towards the bathroom on very wobbly legs and went to catch her. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" he asked, holding onto her to keep her from falling over.
"I'm gonna talk to Sam." She held onto his arm with one hand and reached out with the other and knocked on the door.
"Dean, I said I don't wanna talk to --" Sam yelled as he yanked the door open, only to find Chloe, held up by Dean, on the other side. "What the hell?" he muttered, glaring at Dean. "Did you put her up to it?"
Dean glared back at his brother. "She wants to talk to you, Sammy. And she got out of bed herself. I didn't make her."
"Chloe, what are you doing?" Sam demanded harshly, ignoring his brother's remarks altogether.
"Let go of me," she murmured to Dean, pulling away from him and stepping into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it.
Dean, surprised and angry, wanted to beat the door down, but a warning look from Giles kept him from doing so. Instead, he moved away from the door and eased into the nearest chair, his breathing heavy and his chest hurting.
Sam immediately grabbed Chloe by the shoulders gently and made her sit down on the toilet seat. "Why are you in here?" he asked sullenly.
"Because I'm worried about you." She gazed at him with tired eyes. "It's not your fault, Sam."
Sam sat down on the tiled floor and buried his head in his hands. "The hell it isn't," he whispered raggedly, willing himself not to break down in front of her, hating himself because she was in here with him, instead in bed where she belonged.
"Sam," she whispered, tears prickling at her eyes. She slowly sat down on the floor beside him, pulling him into her arms.
As Chloe's arms went around him, Sam couldn't hold it in any longer. He wept bitterly, all the grief over nearly losing her and Dean too much for him to bear. He buried his face in her shoulder, silent sobs wracking his body.
"It's okay, Sam," she murmured, holding onto him tightly and resting her head on top of his, closing her eyes. "It's okay." She rubbed his back gently.
Between sobs, Sam managed to say, "No, it... isn't... you and Dean... almost died. My fault..." He felt her arms tighten around him in comfort.
"No," she whispered, stroking his hair. "No, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have gone out alone."
His mind still a riotous mess, he forced himself to calm down. "No, Chloe, it's the visions. How much you want to be it was all because of what I saw?" he asked bitterly.
"Listen to me." She pulled away enough to look at him, her eyes intense. "You can't control your visions anymore than I can control what pops out of the hellmouth. We can only do what we can do, Sam." She touched his cheek. "And if you blame yourself for the things that happen, you're only letting them succeed."
Sam sat there, gazing into her green eyes, and suddenly understood why Dean fell for her. Here she was, banged up, bruised, and cut, her life having hung in the balance... and she was in the bathroom, sitting on the floor, comforting him with everything she had in her heart and soul. "You're a treasure, Chloe," Sam said finally, awed by what she said. "I see why Dean loves you so much. You're a keeper." He smiled at her, wiping away his tears with his shirtsleeve.
A real smile graced her lips and she kissed his cheek. "Thanks," she whispered, touched by his words.
Laughing a little, Sam looked at her and said, "So can I take you back to bed now that we're both okay?"
A short chuckle escaped her. "It's probably a good thing Dean didn't hear you ask that," she said with a grin, winding her arms around his neck, too tired to walk herself.
Picking her up, Sam blushed and said, "Yeah, well, Dean'll probably kick my ass for carrying you out there myself." He grinned, his first real smile the entire night. "Thanks, Chlo. For everything." Unlocking the door with one hand, he opened it and walked out into the main room, moving past Dean, who had nearly nodded off but woke up at the sound of the door hitting the wall.
Standing up, Dean demanded, "Is she okay? and why are you carrying her?" He moved over to them, looking at her with concerned eyes.
"Chill," she whispered with a faint smile. "Too tired to move."
Clark was a little taken aback at the sight, as well.
"She's tired, Dean," Sam replied sternly, gently putting her back into bed and tucking her in. "I suggest you resume your sentry duty by the wall."
Dean nearly laughed. Somehow, Chloe had done what was nearly impossible for him to accomplish: she got Sam to come out of himself for awhile. Nevertheless, he remained by the foot of the bed, watching her intently.
Giles took this moment to look around the room. "Well, I'll best be off. Going to stay in the research room tonight, since mine seems to be occupied." He looked over at Clark. "Try not to kill each other during the night, okay?" With that, he took Dawn, who had been huddled in a corner, and left through the connected door.
"Not killing each other. Check," Chloe whispered, closing her eyes as she sank into the pillows.
Clark drew in a breath, looking between the two guys and Chloe and taking his place on the other side of the bed from where Sam was.
"Chloe, are you comfortable?" Dean asked quietly, being the first to break the awkward silence. He looked over at Clark, who was staring back at him with an uncomfortable look on his features.
Knowing he would be sleeping in a chair for the night, Sam walked over to the chair Dean had occupied and plopped into it.
Dean turned around and protested. "Hey, that's my spot." He wanted to wipe the smug grin off his little brother's face.
"There's two beds, guys," she mumbled, shifting over a little. "Lay down, Dean."
Clark rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I'll... go back to your apartment if that's okay, Chloe."
"That's fine with me, Clark. Thanks," she said softly.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I’ll see you in the morning." Without a word to the guys, he headed out the door.
"What's with him?" Dean asked, scooting onto the bed beside Chloe, secretly happy Clark was gone.
"No clue, dude," Sam said as he made himself comfortable on the other bed, turning over so he didn't have to witness any of Dean's attempts at affection.
"I can sleep in the other bed... or the chair if you want me to," Dean continued, moving next to her.
"You're fine," she whispered, letting out a breath. "I think Clark senses the hostility in the room." She opened her eyes and gave Dean a pointed look.
Dean looked down at Chloe and stifled a smile. "What?" he asked. "I didn't do anything. Except, nearly get you killed," he said softly, looking down in pain.
"Stop it. You guys can't blame yourselves for every bad thing that happens on earth, all right?"
"You want to bet?" Dean demanded, closing his eyes against the tidal wave of sadness that suddenly hit him full force. "It's my fault you left."
"Really? You threw me out of my own apartment and told me to go find the Turok-Han?" she demanded.
"I might as well have pushed you," he retorted, leaning back into the pillow cushions to stare at the ceiling. "I was pissed and jealous and... didn't know how to tell you."
Sam silently laughed, pretending to sleep but enjoying the sound of his brother confessing his inner demons to someone.
"You didn't have to, Dean. I knew that. I was pissed at myself for not telling you I asked Clark to come. And hurt that you don't trust me around him."
"I didn't know what to think, Chloe," Dean replied immediately. "The way you had talked about him, it made it sound like you still had something for him." And secretly he doubted his ability to keep a girlfriend for longer than a couple of days, so that certainly didn't help.
She let out a breath. "He was the first guy I ever loved, Dean. And... we're friends. Good friends. Even if I haven't been such a great friend lately. But that doesn't mean that..." She reached out and touched his cheek. "That I don't love you."
Dean closed his eyes again, relishing her touch, his jaw clenched against the one thing he hadn't mentioned yet. The one thing he was utterly ashamed of. "I'm jealous of that, too," he whispered softly in her ear, hoping Sam wasn't still listening.
"Of what?" she asked in confusion.
"Of your relationship with Clark. That you've known each other forever, that you're friends.... that you loved him first." Dean's voice was low but flat.
Wordlessly, she kissed his lips, a soft, tender kiss. "I may have loved him first. But I love you more," she whispered.
That was enough for him, Dean realized as she kissed him softly, urging him to let all those fears and doubts go. Which he did the second he returned her kisses, soft and sweet. But he felt the love behind them, too.
“You’re the one I wanna be with, Dean. Only you.” She rested her forehead against his.
His head still touching hers, he scooted over and gently covered her with the bed linens, wrapping his arms around her firmly, intending to keep her in place for the night. “Get some sleep, okay?” he said, kissing her neck. “Cause I’m going to be here with you all night, every night. Just you.”
A smile on her face, Chloe curled up against him and fell asleep within moments.
Dean took longer to fall asleep, mostly because he was aware of the danger that now lurked outside at night. He only hoped Spike could be useful and hunt that thing down. His last thought as he curled up against Chloe was how much he had come to need her with him. And that scared the shit out of him.
Authors: xtremeroswellia and clarksmuse
Rating: R to NC-17 for language and sexual scenes
Pairing: Chlean (Chloe/Dean) :D
Characters: multi-fandom -- Smallville, Supernatural, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Disclaimer: Neither of us own these characters. We're just borrowing them, so 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
"Chloe?" Dean asked, pushing everyone out of the way and kneeling next to her head, brushing a stray hair away from her head. He looked at Willow and Tara. "It's... over?" he asked, hope in his eyes.
Willow collapsed back into the chair and looked over at Tara, who was just as pale and tired as she probably looked and definitely felt. "Yeah, she's going to be okay."
Tara managed a faint smile before she too sank into a chair, closing her eyes.
Anya headed into the bathroom, getting both of the witches a glass of water and handing them out.
"Thanks," Tara murmured, taking it gratefully.
"Chloe?" Clark sat on the edge of the bed his friend lay on, touching her hand.
Willow sipped on her water, her head throbbing to no end. "It worked Giles, but it took a lot of work. We nearly lost her for a moment."
Giles nodded solemnly. "You two did well. Very well. I suggest you use the connecting door to go next door and get some sleep. The magic barrier spell I cast around our rooms should at least alert us to anything that will try to get to us."
Dean ignored everything except Chloe's eyes, which were slits, for as much as they were opened. His face softened looking at her, though inside he felt his life nearly crumbling.
"Dean," she whispered, her voice pained.
Clark looked startled at the name that came from her lips and he glanced at Dean.
Dean's eyes lit up, hearing her voice akin to hearing an angel from heaven. "Chlo, I'm here," he whispered close to her ear, ignoring the shocked look on Clark's face.
Sam moved over to the bed, his face falling as he fought to keep back the tears he felt pricking the backs of his eyes over Chloe's near demise.
"What happened?" she murmured, turning her head toward him, her eyes still shut.
Dean sighed, stroking her cheek gently. "It was that... Turok-Han," he whispered, deciding to be honest. "It attacked you in the cemetery. Damn near got us both."
There was a sudden knock on the door and the sound of the knob being turned frantically. Sam jumped in front of it, anything to get his mind off of what had nearly happened, and looked into the peephole. "It's Spike," he announced as he opened the door and let the vampire sweep in.
"What the bleeding hell happened?" he demanded, moving over to the bedside as well, concern all over his face. "And who the hell are you?" He looked at Clark, suspicion in his eyes.
"Clark Kent," he said briefly, turning his gaze back to Chloe.
"She all right?" Spike glanced at Dean.
Dean turned a worried look to Spike. "I think she'll live, thanks to Willow and Tara's magics." And no thanks to me, he mentally beat himself.
"It was the Turok-Han," Sam whispered, not daring to look at Spike. "Nearly took out both her and Dean."
"Dude, I'm fine compared to Chloe," Dean snapped, knowing his brother was lashing himself over the vision.
"Bollocks," he mumbled, still giving Clark a suspicious look. He looked down at Chloe for a moment, then glanced at Willow and Tara. "Nice job, Red. Tara." He nodded slightly.
Tara managed a small smile, then rose to her feet, placing a hand on Dean's shoulder. She spoke a few words in Latin and watched his expression change to one of surprise. "Better?"
Dean felt a healing power surge through him at Tara's soft words and felt better than he did two minutes ago. Looking up at her, he laid a kind hand over hers. "Thanks, Tara," he replied, smiling at her.
Willow threw a tired smile at Spike. "Hey, just doing our job."
"Now let's go sleep. I'm exhausted," Tara said with a soft laugh, heading for the connecting door.
Chloe slowly started to sit up, her head pounding.
Willow followed behind Tara, glancing back at Dean and Chloe, her gaze concerned.
"Chlo, I think you need to lie down," Dean said softly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"We need to stay here tonight, Chloe," Sam agreed, determined to keep her safe in this place until morning broke.
"Minus the headache I feel okay," she told them, wincing a little. "I need to find this thing before it hurts someone else."
"No way you're going back out there tonight, Chlo," Clark said firmly.
"As much as I hate to agree with Clark," Dean said, throwing him a glance, "I agree with him. You're definitely in no condition to fight this thing."
Giles, who had been fairly quiet all evening, spoke up. "I concur with these gentlemen, Chloe. You must rest. You nearly died."
Sam winced at the word "died", something Dean caught out of the corner of his eye.
It wasn't lost on Chloe, either. Wordlessly, she reached out and touched his arm. "All right. All right." She let out a breath.
"I'll finish patrolling tonight," Spike told her, catching her gaze. "No one's gonna get hurt." He rose to his feet.
Sam nodded, relieved to hear she was staying put for the night. "Need some help, Spike?" he asked, grateful for the help.
Dean was more concerned with helping Chloe lie back down. "You want me to stay here with you?" he asked gently, ignoring Clark's outraged look.
She nodded a little. "Don't let Sam leave," she whispered to Dean, closing her eyes.
Nodding and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, he stood and looked at Sam. "You're not leaving here, Sammy," Dean commanded.
Sam turned on his brother, puffing out his chest in anger. "Dude, I'm going with Spike. If thing is as deadly as I kn-- think it is, then he's going to need some help."
"Sammy," Dean replied, barely keeping his anger veiled as he clapped his brother on the shoulder. "You're staying here, and if I have to knock you out to do that, then so be it." The look on his face dared Sam to make a move or respond.
"The poof's right. ’Sides, the bird wants you to stay. Give her peace of mind," Spike said, nodding toward where Chloe was resting. "Don't worry about me," he finished with a smirk. "I'm a vampire." He headed out the door and into the dark night.
"Did he just call me... a poof?" Dean asked in a daze, watching the vampire make his exit.
Giles adjusted his glasses and smirked, though saying nothing.
Sam glared at Dean, and if looks could kill, his older brother would probably be dead. "Thanks the hell a lot, Dean," he snapped and headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
Xander looked at Anya and said, "I'm thinking this is our queue to leave."
"Yes. We can go make use of our private hotel room," she agreed, taking him by the arm and leading him toward the door.
Clark made a face. "Who are all you people?"
Xander looked at Clark, smirking. "We're friends of Chloe's. Who are you?"
Dean, despite his need to get to the bathroom to confront Sam, turned and smiled at Xander. "Apparently he's a friend, too."
Shrugging his shoulders, he grabbed Anya's hand and said, "Time to go, An."
"Yes. Let's go have orgasms." She smiled prettily and led him from the room.
"Is she always that..." Clark searched for the word.
Xander looked at Clark as they hurried out but said nothing.
Coughing, Giles said, "Unfortunately, yes she is." Standing, he moved over to the boy Dean called Clark and said, "Why are you here?"
"Chloe called me," he said, rising to his feet and extending his hand to Giles. "ClarkKent. I'm a friend of hers from Smallville."
"Pleased to meet you, Clark," Giles said, shaking the young man's hand and wincing just a little. "Quite a grip you've got there."
Dean rolled his eyes and looked over to Chloe. "I'm gonna check on Sammy, okay? Don't go anywhere."
"'kay," she murmured tiredly.
"Sorry." Clark instantly loosened his grip on the older man's hand. "How do you know Chloe?"
"Sam Winchester called us to come help her out. I was the last Slayer's watcher out in Sunnydale, California. The rest of the gang, well..." He looked over a Dawn fondly. "We're all family, really."
Dean, meanwhile, knocked loudly on the bathroom door. "Sammy! Get your ass out here," he yelled.
"Leave me alone, Dean." He splashed some cold water on his face.
"Punk, open the door before I break it down," Dean threatened.
"Please, no more violence tonight, Dean," Giles replied, looking at him sternly. "Besides, who'd pay for the door if you broke it?"
"Uh, good point," Dean said to Giles, a little humbled by the thought. "Sam, we need to talk, you and I," he said in a softer tone.
"Later. I need a few minutes. Just go away, all right?" His voice was tired, worn down.
Clark scratched his head, feeling a little out of place, but too worried about Chloe to leave. He sat down on the bed once more. "Hey. You scared us all there for awhile."
A faint smile touched her lips. "You know me. Always gettin' in trouble," she whispered.
"In this case, running away from trouble," Dean whispered to himself, putting his head against the bathroom door in irritation. He noticed, however, that Clark looked in his direction with those sharp, blue eyes. Almost as if he'd heard him. "What, dude?" he asked Clark pointedly.
Clark looked at him suspiciously, but remained silent. He shifted his gaze to Chloe once more, touching her cheek. "You need anything?"
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Sam still in the bathroom?"
"Yeah," he said in confusion.
Nodding a little, she slowly sat up, swung her legs over the bed and rose to her feet a little unsteadily.
Dean saw Chloe making her way towards the bathroom on very wobbly legs and went to catch her. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" he asked, holding onto her to keep her from falling over.
"I'm gonna talk to Sam." She held onto his arm with one hand and reached out with the other and knocked on the door.
"Dean, I said I don't wanna talk to --" Sam yelled as he yanked the door open, only to find Chloe, held up by Dean, on the other side. "What the hell?" he muttered, glaring at Dean. "Did you put her up to it?"
Dean glared back at his brother. "She wants to talk to you, Sammy. And she got out of bed herself. I didn't make her."
"Chloe, what are you doing?" Sam demanded harshly, ignoring his brother's remarks altogether.
"Let go of me," she murmured to Dean, pulling away from him and stepping into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it.
Dean, surprised and angry, wanted to beat the door down, but a warning look from Giles kept him from doing so. Instead, he moved away from the door and eased into the nearest chair, his breathing heavy and his chest hurting.
Sam immediately grabbed Chloe by the shoulders gently and made her sit down on the toilet seat. "Why are you in here?" he asked sullenly.
"Because I'm worried about you." She gazed at him with tired eyes. "It's not your fault, Sam."
Sam sat down on the tiled floor and buried his head in his hands. "The hell it isn't," he whispered raggedly, willing himself not to break down in front of her, hating himself because she was in here with him, instead in bed where she belonged.
"Sam," she whispered, tears prickling at her eyes. She slowly sat down on the floor beside him, pulling him into her arms.
As Chloe's arms went around him, Sam couldn't hold it in any longer. He wept bitterly, all the grief over nearly losing her and Dean too much for him to bear. He buried his face in her shoulder, silent sobs wracking his body.
"It's okay, Sam," she murmured, holding onto him tightly and resting her head on top of his, closing her eyes. "It's okay." She rubbed his back gently.
Between sobs, Sam managed to say, "No, it... isn't... you and Dean... almost died. My fault..." He felt her arms tighten around him in comfort.
"No," she whispered, stroking his hair. "No, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have gone out alone."
His mind still a riotous mess, he forced himself to calm down. "No, Chloe, it's the visions. How much you want to be it was all because of what I saw?" he asked bitterly.
"Listen to me." She pulled away enough to look at him, her eyes intense. "You can't control your visions anymore than I can control what pops out of the hellmouth. We can only do what we can do, Sam." She touched his cheek. "And if you blame yourself for the things that happen, you're only letting them succeed."
Sam sat there, gazing into her green eyes, and suddenly understood why Dean fell for her. Here she was, banged up, bruised, and cut, her life having hung in the balance... and she was in the bathroom, sitting on the floor, comforting him with everything she had in her heart and soul. "You're a treasure, Chloe," Sam said finally, awed by what she said. "I see why Dean loves you so much. You're a keeper." He smiled at her, wiping away his tears with his shirtsleeve.
A real smile graced her lips and she kissed his cheek. "Thanks," she whispered, touched by his words.
Laughing a little, Sam looked at her and said, "So can I take you back to bed now that we're both okay?"
A short chuckle escaped her. "It's probably a good thing Dean didn't hear you ask that," she said with a grin, winding her arms around his neck, too tired to walk herself.
Picking her up, Sam blushed and said, "Yeah, well, Dean'll probably kick my ass for carrying you out there myself." He grinned, his first real smile the entire night. "Thanks, Chlo. For everything." Unlocking the door with one hand, he opened it and walked out into the main room, moving past Dean, who had nearly nodded off but woke up at the sound of the door hitting the wall.
Standing up, Dean demanded, "Is she okay? and why are you carrying her?" He moved over to them, looking at her with concerned eyes.
"Chill," she whispered with a faint smile. "Too tired to move."
Clark was a little taken aback at the sight, as well.
"She's tired, Dean," Sam replied sternly, gently putting her back into bed and tucking her in. "I suggest you resume your sentry duty by the wall."
Dean nearly laughed. Somehow, Chloe had done what was nearly impossible for him to accomplish: she got Sam to come out of himself for awhile. Nevertheless, he remained by the foot of the bed, watching her intently.
Giles took this moment to look around the room. "Well, I'll best be off. Going to stay in the research room tonight, since mine seems to be occupied." He looked over at Clark. "Try not to kill each other during the night, okay?" With that, he took Dawn, who had been huddled in a corner, and left through the connected door.
"Not killing each other. Check," Chloe whispered, closing her eyes as she sank into the pillows.
Clark drew in a breath, looking between the two guys and Chloe and taking his place on the other side of the bed from where Sam was.
"Chloe, are you comfortable?" Dean asked quietly, being the first to break the awkward silence. He looked over at Clark, who was staring back at him with an uncomfortable look on his features.
Knowing he would be sleeping in a chair for the night, Sam walked over to the chair Dean had occupied and plopped into it.
Dean turned around and protested. "Hey, that's my spot." He wanted to wipe the smug grin off his little brother's face.
"There's two beds, guys," she mumbled, shifting over a little. "Lay down, Dean."
Clark rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I'll... go back to your apartment if that's okay, Chloe."
"That's fine with me, Clark. Thanks," she said softly.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I’ll see you in the morning." Without a word to the guys, he headed out the door.
"What's with him?" Dean asked, scooting onto the bed beside Chloe, secretly happy Clark was gone.
"No clue, dude," Sam said as he made himself comfortable on the other bed, turning over so he didn't have to witness any of Dean's attempts at affection.
"I can sleep in the other bed... or the chair if you want me to," Dean continued, moving next to her.
"You're fine," she whispered, letting out a breath. "I think Clark senses the hostility in the room." She opened her eyes and gave Dean a pointed look.
Dean looked down at Chloe and stifled a smile. "What?" he asked. "I didn't do anything. Except, nearly get you killed," he said softly, looking down in pain.
"Stop it. You guys can't blame yourselves for every bad thing that happens on earth, all right?"
"You want to bet?" Dean demanded, closing his eyes against the tidal wave of sadness that suddenly hit him full force. "It's my fault you left."
"Really? You threw me out of my own apartment and told me to go find the Turok-Han?" she demanded.
"I might as well have pushed you," he retorted, leaning back into the pillow cushions to stare at the ceiling. "I was pissed and jealous and... didn't know how to tell you."
Sam silently laughed, pretending to sleep but enjoying the sound of his brother confessing his inner demons to someone.
"You didn't have to, Dean. I knew that. I was pissed at myself for not telling you I asked Clark to come. And hurt that you don't trust me around him."
"I didn't know what to think, Chloe," Dean replied immediately. "The way you had talked about him, it made it sound like you still had something for him." And secretly he doubted his ability to keep a girlfriend for longer than a couple of days, so that certainly didn't help.
She let out a breath. "He was the first guy I ever loved, Dean. And... we're friends. Good friends. Even if I haven't been such a great friend lately. But that doesn't mean that..." She reached out and touched his cheek. "That I don't love you."
Dean closed his eyes again, relishing her touch, his jaw clenched against the one thing he hadn't mentioned yet. The one thing he was utterly ashamed of. "I'm jealous of that, too," he whispered softly in her ear, hoping Sam wasn't still listening.
"Of what?" she asked in confusion.
"Of your relationship with Clark. That you've known each other forever, that you're friends.... that you loved him first." Dean's voice was low but flat.
Wordlessly, she kissed his lips, a soft, tender kiss. "I may have loved him first. But I love you more," she whispered.
That was enough for him, Dean realized as she kissed him softly, urging him to let all those fears and doubts go. Which he did the second he returned her kisses, soft and sweet. But he felt the love behind them, too.
“You’re the one I wanna be with, Dean. Only you.” She rested her forehead against his.
His head still touching hers, he scooted over and gently covered her with the bed linens, wrapping his arms around her firmly, intending to keep her in place for the night. “Get some sleep, okay?” he said, kissing her neck. “Cause I’m going to be here with you all night, every night. Just you.”
A smile on her face, Chloe curled up against him and fell asleep within moments.
Dean took longer to fall asleep, mostly because he was aware of the danger that now lurked outside at night. He only hoped Spike could be useful and hunt that thing down. His last thought as he curled up against Chloe was how much he had come to need her with him. And that scared the shit out of him.