The Heart of Fate - NC17 - Chloe/Dean - Chapter Thirty-Three
Title: The Heart of Fate
Category: Smallville/Supernatural
Genre: Romance/Humor/Drama
Ship: Chloe/Dean
Rating: NC17
Spoilers: My Bloody Valentine, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, Dark Side of the Moon, 99 Problems, Point of No Return, Hammer of the Gods, The Devil You Know, Two Minutes to Midnight (Season 5)
Word Count: 5,580
Summary: With a little help from Cupid, Dean gets exactly what he needs.
Previous: Prologue, Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven, Chapter Eight, Chapter Nine, Chapter Ten, Chapter Eleven, Chapter Twelve, Chapter Thirteen, Chapter Fourteen, Chapter Fifteen, Chapter Sixteen, Chapter Seventeen, Chapter Eighteen, Chapter Nineteen, Chapter Twenty, Chapter Twenty-One, Chapter Twenty-Two, Chapter Twenty-Three, Chapter Twenty-Four, Chapter Twenty-Five, Chapter Twenty-Six, Chapter Twenty-Seven, Chapter Twenty-Eight, Chapter Twenty-Nine, Chapter Thirty, Chapter Thirty-One, Chapter Thirty-Two,
Made by the incredibly awesome: dhfreak
XXXIII.
Dean's head wouldn't shut up. He'd spent half the night over-thinking, questioning himself and what could come of everything. What if they were right? What if Sammy really could handle all this? What if it was really up to Sam and not him? But then, even if it was, it wasn't like it was easy to let his brother jump into something this foolhardy. The consequences weren't a slap on the wrist. They didn't know for sure what happened if he jumped down in the cage, but it didn't look like it was going to be a cake-walk. He'd been to hell, still had the psychological scars to prove it, and he didn't want his brother to suffer anything similar.
If he let Sam do this, it could save everything, all that they'd been trying to do from the beginning. The world wouldn't suffer a total meltdown and the archangels would be sent to their corners, refused their world-ending war. But in the process, he could lose Sam. On the other hand, if he didn't let him do it, the whole world could bite it and then he almost definitely would lose Sam. Unless there was some kind of neighbor system in heaven… He pondered that idea for a minute and then rejected it. The silver-lining was hardly ever around anymore and there was no point considering what heaven might be like if he let this happen. And even if he did stop Sam from saying yes and they somehow saved the world, there was a pretty good chance Death was going to come knocking and take Chloe just because Dean had the audacity to lie to him. Whether they won or not, he didn't think Death was the type to ignore the fact that he'd just been duped by what he considered to be no better than bacterium.
So it came back to what Bobby said; a choice. The world, his brother, Chloe; what was the most important?
She laid next to him. Or, more appropriately, half on top of him. Leg stretched across him and an arm wrapped around his bare waist, her face was nuzzled into his shoulder, her body pressed close to his side. Peaceful, fearless, content; her face was utterly relaxed. Blonde hair lay in mussed tangles, curled around her ears and brushing her neck. Curtains open and the window letting in a cool breeze, the quarter moon lit their room faintly, sending shadows along the plains of her face, the hollows of her body. She was beautiful; he'd noticed that the second he laid eyes on her. But it was so much more than that… Even tossing out the destiny thing, there was so much that made Chloe who she was, that made her the woman he fell so damn hard for her that a life without her was unimaginable.
At the same time, Sam had always come first with him. Family, his brother, loyalty; he'd never failed to do what was always expected of him. Take care of Sam; keep him safe; do whatever it took. And now they were telling him that it wasn't up to him anymore, it wasn't his choice. But it felt like it was; even saying it was up to Sam was a choice. Because he knew his little brother wouldn't do it if he didn't give him the go-ahead. Even if it meant the world went up in flames, drenched in blood. They'd come a long way from a couple of brothers who hardly got along, who had entirely too much baggage, and who only ended up road-tripping because some yellow eyed demon bitch had effed with their family, their loved ones. And this was how it ended?
His brows furrowed.
It didn't sit right with him; not at all. Maybe he always expected that eventually the dust would settle and things could be as normal as they could get for a couple of screwed up hunters. Maybe he really was looking toward a brighter future; one where he and Chloe made it past forty, had a couple of kids and he went hunting with his brother for wendigos; like the old, easy days. And maybe they were never meant to get that. Always chasing dreams, hopes, and never quite catching them. Close, he thought, looking down at Chloe, stroking a stand of blonde hair from her cheek. So close…
It was some time around four am when he finally fell asleep; weighed down by decisions unmade. He held Chloe tight, closed his eyes and wished, just once, things would figure themselves out and keep the casualties to a minimum.
…
Laughter.
He walked into the kitchen to find Chloe and Sam laughing over something while Cas just looked confused. Brows furrowed, the angel held a large mug of coffee and stared, head cocked, at the two across from him. "I don't understand your logic."
Shaking his head, Sam just smiled at Chloe, and then looked up and caught sight of Dean. "You're up," he said, surprised.
Frowning, he crossed the room to the coffee pot. He felt like crap and could do with a few more hours, but when he woke up in an empty bed there was that same niggling feeling that he needed to know where Chloe was and if she was okay. "Yeah, and?" he replied roughly.
"It's before noon," he replied, amused.
Dean rolled his eyes even as a slight smile turned his lips. "Where's Bobby at?"
"He went into town for supplies," Chloe replied. "There's a plate in the microwave for you. We didn't think you'd be up for awhile yet, so it should still be hot."
He put it in for a minute anyway just to be sure and then joined them at the table. "What supplies was Bobby after?"
Sam half-grinned. "Everything…" He shrugged. "Says he doesn't know what's coming but he'll be ready for anything."
He snorted under his breath, reaching for his mug of black coffee. Seeing Cas' still confused face, he asked, "What's up your butt?"
"We suggested Cas reject coffee until the final showdown…" Chloe grinned slowly.
Sam lifted his brows for emphasis. "We thought the withdrawals might make him scarier."
Cas hugged his coffee cup closer. "I disagree with your assessment."
Chloe lifted her mug in cheers. "Spoken like a true addict."
Hearing the front door open, they all turned to see Bobby come into the room, arms full of bags. "You idjits gonna sit there or gimme a damn hand?" he growled, rolling his eyes.
Leaving their seats, they all went out to the truck to clear out the box of the ammo, salt, and various other weapons and deterrents he'd picked up.
"You clear out Wally World, Bobby?" Dean asked, hauling a giant bag of salt up over his shoulder.
"Doesn't hurt to be prepared," he blustered back, frowning.
"There's prepared and then there's overcompensating…" he muttered, climbing the stairs into the house. "Devil isn't gonna turn tail and run at the sight of salt."
"No, but his groupies might."
He sighed but didn't argue any more. It wasn't like he had any better ideas and it would come in handy eventually… If there was an eventually after all this.
When everything was brought in and layered every imaginable surface, Bobby nodded in approval. "So… guess who rolled into town today?" he asked, leaning back against the sink with his arms crossed over his chest.
Sam eyes widened, brows lifting expectantly. "Lucifer?"
"Gettin' cynical, aren't ya?" he replied, frowning. "No. Justice of the Peace showed up." He turned to look at Chloe and Dean. "So if you two kids are still thinkin' of gettin' hitched…" He lifted a shoulder. "Can't see a better time."
Dean looked down at her, seeing the way she smiled up at him and nodded. "Yeah… You wanna come with Bobby? We'll see if he wouldn't mind comin' out tomorrow."
Chloe grinned. "Looks like I've got some shopping to do then." Hands on her hips, she stared at Sam. "You and the Angel of Caffeine are coming with…" It wasn't a suggestion.
At Dean's snort, Sam's shoulders deflating, drooping. "Shopping?" he asked regretfully.
"Will there be coffee involved?" Castiel asked simply.
"You're so easy to please, Cas," she replied, amused. "Now… Where's the closest mall?"
Sam looked to Dean hopefully, only to see his brother smirking back smugly. "Have fun," he told him, and Sam could only glare back.
…
An hour later, Dean and Bobby were waiting outside the office where the Justice of the Peace was currently holding a ceremony.
Shifting in his seat, wanting to stand, to just move for the sake of being able to, Bobby said, "Y'know, when I gave you the ring, I thought it'd take you a bit to actually propose…"
"Yeah…" He snorted. "So did I."
Leaning back in his seat, he wondered, "So what made ya do it that morning? Thought you might try an' talk yourself out of it some."
"I dunno…" He glanced at him. "It just fit…" He half-smiled to himself. "She fit."
His brow cocked. "She's making, and burning, breakfast, and you figured it was a good time to ask her to marry you…?" He scoffed, smirking. "For a guy who's slowly eatin' his way to an early heart attack, you're apparently not in it for her cooking."
Dean rolled his eyes, knee bouncing. "How much longer is this gonna take?"
"The guy's marrying some other crazy couple, boy… Try and cut 'em a little slack." He frowned. "You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for a buddy in the system. Takes almost a month to get all the paperwork and stuff done."
"Yeah," He half-frowned. "Seems our luck's changin' some."
He frowned knowingly. "You still worryin' about what to do with Sam?"
He snorted. "Wouldn't you?"
"Maybe it's time you stop tryin' to do the right thing by everyone and let them figure it out for themselves…" He stared at him seriously. "You been takin' care of Sam his whole life, Dean. Could be it's time for you to start livin' your own."
Licking his lips, he crossed his arms over his chest, brows furrowed thickly. "Not that easy."
"Why?" he demanded, pursing his lips. "He's twenty-eight years old, Dean. When're you gonna cut the apron strings?"
He glared back at him. "It's not like that."
"So what is it, huh? You think if you say yes, Sam bites it and it's all your fault?" He lifted a brow questioningly. "It's not always on you, Dean. Hell, look around ya. Looks like destiny was playin' a bigger part than we ever thought…" He scoffed, shaking his head. "Sam's whole life has been leadin' up to this. He either says yes and he does right by the world, by you and your family, or he says yes and he an' Lucifer take on Michael and we all bite it. And if, my some damn miracle, we win this without Sammy goin' dark side, then what? So you saved him again, you walked the nice, easy, safe road… But what about Sam?"
"What about him?" he growled.
He waved his hands around for emphasis. "What if all this, what if doing this and proving he really is the good kid we all know he is, deep down… it's what he needs."
Brows furrowed, he turned his head to look at him questioningly.
"We been questioning him all this time, assuming he'll screw it up somehow or he'll say yes and be the last piece in blowin' this world sky high, but… He's not a little kid, Dean…" He stared at him, saying sincerely, "Ya taught him well."
Pursing his lips, he looked away. "And if he jumps in and just…" He shook his head. "Never comes back?"
"Then he went in knowing that we trusted him. That we believed in him and… and he did the right thing. He…" He sighed. "He proved to us and himself that he was never the monster they wanted him to think he was."
Dean stared at the floor, jaw ticking. "So that's your advice then?" He glanced at him. "Let him go?"
"Dean…" He leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees before he popped his hat off and ran a hand over his head. "You're gettin' married tomorrow… You're… You're startin' a new life, a better life…" He frowned slowly. "And Sam's offerin' you the chance to have a world left to do it in. If that ain't a good weddin' gift, I don't know what is…"
Dean couldn't help it, he laughed. He guessed it'd outdo any regular toaster as a gift.
Bobby grinned back, snorting under his breath. "Can't believe you're actually gettin' married…"
"Yeah…" He smiled to himself, shaking his head. "If dad could see me now…"
"He'd be proud," Bobby assured, nodding.
Thinning his lips, he lifted a shoulder. "Really? 'Cause I think he'd be warning me that Chloe had a pretty good chance of following in mom and Jess' footsteps."
"Your daddy wasn't ever the same after your mom died…" He sighed. "He got bitter and vengeful and one-minded, but… He loved you boys, Dean. Even if he didn't always show it in any traditional way."
Staring down at the floor, Dean shook his head slowly. "I don't wanna be like him, Bobby…"
"Ya won't," he said determinedly.
"He and mom were fated…" He frowned cynically. "Just like us."
"They were fated to have you, to have Sam… Whether they loved each other, I can't say. I hope so, Dean, I do. But I don't know…" He stared at him seriously. "What I do know is that you and Chloe do. That girl would do anything for you and you'd do the same for her. That matters. Not whether some," He waved his hand irritably, "Cupid decided you two should get together. That you found each other and that you stick together is what matters."
He nodded slowly, thoughtfully.
The door opened just to the left of them and out stepped a couple, holding hands and smiling at each other, cheeks flushed and the faint sign of tear tracks on their faces, followed by a man in a suit.
"You Jared Brown, justice of the peace?" Dean asked, standing from his seat.
Watching the couple go for a second, he turned back and nodded to Dean, holding a hand out for him to shake. "That's me."
"Great," he said, shaking it swiftly. "I'm Dean… And we got a friend that said you could do me a big favor."
Listening, he tipped his head.
…
Standing in the middle of Empire Mall, Chloe's eyes darted to and fro. With Cas and Sam in tow, they'd driven through Sioux Falls searching for the kind of place she might find something to wear that didn't say 'road-trip' for the wedding she hadn't expected to sneak up on them quite so soon. She wasn't disappointed. At least, not that they were getting married. She was upset with herself for not telling Lois, however. It was stupid, really, but she just couldn't tell her cousin over the phone or through an email. It felt impersonal, like an out-of-the-blue memo that lacked emotion. Her cousin was her best friend and just telling her she was getting married felt wrong. But there was nothing she could do now. She and Dean, someone her cousin hadn't even met, were getting married. Tomorrow.
Sam fidgeted next to her. "I really don't think I'm the best person for this job," he reminded. For the third time!
Rolling her eyes, she looked over at him. "Sam… There are three reasons you're helping me find a dress right now. One, I sort've think Dean's worried I'll run. Which is ridiculous, but he's got his reasons; all of which are, as previously stated, ridiculous. Two," She smiled at him, "This can be a soon-to-be sister-brother-in-law bonding experience… As unusual as it probably is. And three…" She lifted a brow. "Can you see Bobby in your position right now?"
He snorted. "Okay… All good reasons." His brows lifted imploringly, "But I've never dress-shopped in my life, so…"
"Well," She hooked her arm with his. "A whole new experience then."
"I was told coffee would be included in this," Castiel interrupted, frowning at his surroundings.
"Right." She grinned. "First stop is the food court then."
Castiel's eyes were darting all over in search of his favorite beverage when Chloe pointed out the Cinnabon store. "So, how about a coffee with a twist?"
He frowned, but his eyes thinned with interest.
Amused, Chloe ordered him a specialty drink and when it appeared, she held it out to him. "It's not hot," she warned. "This is a MochaLatta Chill… It's chocolate and coffee mixed together with crushed ice. And that's whip cream and chocolate syrup on top."
He stared at it a moment but finally reached out and took it. Startled slightly by how cold it was, he brought it back to himself slowly and then wrapped his mouth around the straw. He glanced at Chloe one last time and finally took a long drink. Eyes widened with pleasant surprise, Cas drank more, and more, until half of it was gone.
"Careful, you don't want to get-"
Suddenly, he dropped his cup and clutched his head. "It's a trick! The devil's found my weakness and exploited it!"
Chloe tried not to laugh while Sam didn't even bother hiding it. "No, Cas, it's- It's just brain-freeze! I tried to tell you, you can't drink it so fast."
"It feels like ice is sharply stabbing my brain," he replied through clenched teeth.
She bit her lip. "That's… a colorful way of putting it."
When the ache began to dull, he glared at her and then down at the spilled and melting drink at his feet on the floor. "I think I would like hot coffee now."
Pursing her lips so not to smile, she nodded. "Right, sure… Uh, you know what? Subway's got regular coffee. Good coffee, even. Seattle's Best."
"We're in Sioux Falls," he argued, confused.
She simply shook her head back at Sam who snorted behind them.
Shortly after, with Cas now suitably loaded up with regular, hot coffee, the three of them took the escalator to the second floor and searched out a store directory to see where they should start.
Chloe read through store names, searching for something that spoke 'casual white wedding dress' to her. She wasn't going to a bridal boutique, not only did they not have the money for that, but this wasn't going to be some big hoopla wedding. This was small, intimate, family-only. Or, well, Sam, Cas and Bobby only. Again, she was reminded of the fact that not only would Lois not be there, but she didn't even know it was happening. Lips pursed, she looked away in dismay.
Sam stared at her. "You were serious when you said you weren't gonna run, right?"
With a light chuckle, she nodded. "I'd never do that to Dean…" Tucking her hands in her pockets, she looked up at him. "Or myself, for that matter."
He nodded slowly. "So what's the problem?"
She smiled sadly. "I just remembered that my cousin, also one of my best friends, doesn't even know I'm engaged, let alone getting married tomorrow."
Sam's eyes widened understandingly. "We can put it off…" he suggested, but even as he said it, she knew different.
While her life had always been pretty sudden, the weirdest of things usually popping up at the most inopportune moments, her wedding to Jimmy had been planned out and organized and involved everybody that mattered to them. She didn't regret that she and Dean were marrying through a justice of the peace, but… Part of her worried he was doing this more out of a sense of fear at losing her than loving her. She knew he wanted to marry her, she knew he would do just about anything for her. But she couldn't stop the niggling voice in her head that was always in worry-mode.
Reaching for her, Sam squeezed her shoulder. "Chloe?"
"Huh?" She looked up at him, seeing the concern in his big brown eyes. She smiled reassuringly. "It's nothing. Don't worry…" Eyes moving around, she sighed. "Let's just… find a wedding dress, okay?"
He nodded, but as he surveyed the many store names once more, he looked at her with an expression that clearly said, 'I'm just here for support… Please don't ask me to do anything.'
Over the next three hours, interspersed with coffee stops for Cas, they found that most of the stores they stopped at were directed at a younger crowd. Teenagers that were into neon colors and flashy, chunky accessories. All she wanted was simple; a white dress, nothing spectacular. She just didn't want to marry Dean in a pair of old, ripped jeans, flip flops and a ratty t-shirt. Comfortable, yes, but not marrying material. Was it so much to ask?
"What about that place?" Sam asked, pointing at a store across the way.
With a coffee in either hand, Cas frowned at them. "My feet hurt."
"For an angel of the Lord, you whine a lot," she replied, looking past his shoulder to the store Sam had pointed out.
Deb Shops was much like most of the other stores they'd walked through; flower patterns and bright colors. But she went regardless, hoping she might find a gem amongst them. Cas had a point; they'd been shopping for awhile now and finding nothing of interest. She didn't want to give up but her own feet were starting to complain.
Cas was busy with his coffee and so he hardly noticed the looks being tossed his way, while Sam was way out of his element. Standing so tall amongst a whole lot of shorter women, he looked like a model posing as a lumberjack that walked off the pages of a magazine and right into a store full of blushing, ogling, giggling teenage girls. He flushed back, offering an uncomfortable smile and then turned toward her. "What about that?" he motioned randomly.
She blinked. The pattern was so bizarre she thought she could see some kind of 3D animal jumping out from it. "Um… no…"
He sighed, wide shoulders slumping. "Chloe… I don't wanna ruin the experience for you, but… You could show up in a paper bag and Dean would still think you looked beautiful."
Expression softening, she smiled up at him.
"May I help you?" a sales lady asked pleasantly, looking from her to Sam and back at Cas who was shaking one of his now empty coffee cups for the last lingering drops. Finally, she turned her attention back to Chloe, even if her eyes tended to linger on Sam.
"Yes," Chloe said, appreciatively. "White dress, simple, casual. No flowers, no flash, just…" She lifted a shoulder, reiterating, "Simple."
"Okay… Well, we have a few in what you're looking for," she assured. "With or without straps?"
"With, please…"
"Great. If you'll meet me by the dressing room, I'll bring a few over," she offered with a bright grin.
"Sure." With Sam and Cas in tow, she made her way over.
Fidgeting, Sam stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets and looked around. "So…" He cleared his throat before looking down at her and furrowing his brows. "You're sure you want this?"
She peered up at him. "Are you asking for my benefit or your brother's?"
He shrugged. "Both."
"You think we're making the wrong choice?" she wondered.
"No. I…" He sighed, running a hand back through his hair. "I just want to be sure that this is something you guys want and not something you feel you have to do…" He stared at her searchingly. "I mean, yeah, the world could be ending, but…"
She laughed slightly. "Sam… Your brother's my soul mate. Which sounds cheesy and really naïve, but… After all we've been through and all we're facing still…" Her shoulders lifted. "This might be one of the last good times we get and I know it seems early and sudden and not all that thought out…" Her eyes fell, brows furrowed. "But I love him." She smiled sincerely. "And if, somehow, this blows up in our faces… Trust me, you've got first dibs on the I told you so's."
He half-smiled, reaching over he drew her into a side hug. "I don't want to say I told you so…" He laughed shortly. "If anybody's meant to be my sister-in-law, I'm glad it's you."
With the overwhelming urge to hug him warming her chest, she gave in and did just that. Jumping up to wrap her arms around his neck and squeezing. "Thank you."
"Thank you," he whispered against her shoulder. "You don't know what you mean to him…"
The clerk arrived then, clearing her throat to draw their attention, and with a soft sniffle, Chloe let go and turned.
"Okay, so we have three dresses that I think fit the bill. This first one has some floral lace overlay, it's very simple." She showed them. "This second one has some flattering ruche detailing that hugs the curves and just a bit of flash here at the shoulder clasps. And lastly, my favorite, is this mesh, satin and lace dress." She held it out for them to see, smiling. "A very clean surplice bodice with satin tank straps adds a nice casual look while the tiered lace skirt is a little flirty while still maintaining that simple look you wanted."
"Is white an appropriate color?" Cas asked, cocking his head.
Sam turned to look at him surprised. "Cas," he whisper-shouted.
The angel looked up at him, not understanding.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Chloe asked, brows lifted.
Sam laughed awkwardly. "Nothing. He's-He doesn't mean anything…" Turning back toward him, he growled, "Remember that you're human now… Dean can and will kill you."
Cas frowned. "The Salvage yard is mostly dirt… I was only worried her dress would get dirty." He looked between them. "I don't understand your anger."
Chloe smiled. "It's okay… Sam just thought you were questioning my purity or something… No worries."
"What does a white dress have to do with purity?" Castiel wondered.
"Never mind," Sam sighed, shaking his head.
The saleswoman cleared her throat, confused by them.
Turning back around to explain, Chloe paused, staring with wide eyes at the third dress she was holding up. "That one," she said, nodding.
Handing it over, the clerk stepped back, keeping the other two over her arm just in case. "I wasn't sure about your size. You're petite but most of our customers aren't quite as…" She motioned absently to her chest.
Chloe chuckled. "Now I'm not only impure but too old to shop here."
"Oh, no, I didn't…" the saleswoman argued, shaking her head. "It's just that we have so many pre-teens who aren't quite as… um, developed as you are."
"Puberty does that," she muttered, walking into the changing room.
Inside the dressing room, Chloe changed out of her casual jeans and top before dragging on the dainty white dress that had spoken to her. As soon as the fabric slipped across her skin, she felt it; a connection. It fit perfectly, as if made for her, and her smile grew. She tied the back in a loose bow and then twirled before the mirror, beaming at herself. To her, it looked good, but she wanted to be sure before she paid for it. It wasn't exactly a poofy white wedding dress from a high-end designer, but it was going to be what she wore to marry Dean, so she wanted it to be just right. For the first time in a long time, she felt especially feminine.
Stepping out, she looked from the clerk to Sam to Cas. "So?"
Sam's eyes widened. "Wow, uh…" He sighed. "You weren't marrying my brother today, I might just propose myself," he joked warmly.
Chuckling, she spread her hand down the lace. "Not too much?"
"It's perfect," he reassured.
Feeling like he was right, she did another little twirl and grinned at Cas. "What d'you think?"
Gulping back his coffee, his eyes stared at her widely. "You are very physically appealing."
She laughed, face splitting in a smile. "Thank you, Cas."
"He's, uh, foreign," Sam explained to the clerk.
Chloe smoothed her hand down the dress, her cheeks almost aching from her perma-grin. She paused then, however. "How much?" she asked, staring at the clerk both curious and worried. The last thing she wanted to do was buy her wedding dress with a stolen credit card via the Winchesters usual payment method. Wouldn't that just be the icing on top?
"It's on sale," she replied brightly. "It was seventy, but it's on for thirty."
Relaxing, she nodded. "Sold."
Sam sighed with relief, shoulders slumping.
Chloe chuckled in his direction; she knew he thought he was finally getting out of the store. Unfortunately for him, she had to dash his hopes. "Now all I need is shoes."
His shoulders slumped.
"I need more coffee," Castiel told them, sighing.
She rolled her eyes. "You need an IV of coffee."
His brows furrowed. "Perhaps they have one on sale."
Laughing, she shook her head, happy to see even Sam was amused, regardless of how much he wanted out of the mall.
…
Dean finally found the right number through no easy amount of digging. Sam and Chloe were better with computers than he was, but he wasn't inept. Still, the woman in question wasn't exactly putting herself out there for all to find. He could admire privacy, but he had to wonder just what kind of enemies she had after her that she had to keep herself so out of reach. If anything, he could relate, but still…
Dialing the number, he sat back on the porch swing, eyes hooded to keep out the sun. Finger picking at the label of the beer on his knee, bottle sweating in the heat, he went over in his head exactly what he was going to say.
"Yeah?" came an abrupt voice on the other end of the line.
"Yeah, uh…" He cleared his throat. "Is this… I, uh… I'm not sure I have the right number so-"
"Spill it, buddy, I've got things to do."
Recognizing the impatience, he suddenly smiled. "Buddy now, huh? Last time I was diphthong."
A noticeable pause came from her end. "Is she okay?" she asked suddenly, worried, the bite of her tone before lost.
He suddenly liked her a little more. "Yeah, yeah, she's fine. She's, uh… shopping, actually."
"Shopping?" she exclaimed. "Without me?"
He snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure it's breakin' her heart too. Look, uh… I know this is last minute, but I was hoping-I-I mean I think Chloe would really like it if, uh…" He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. Hell, he was not good at this kind of thing.
"Spit it out already, Winchester," she sighed. "Chloe gave the impression you were a lot more charming than this."
He snorted. "Awesome," he muttered sarcastically, irritated with himself. "Look, how soon can you be on a plane to South Dakota?"
Quiet met his ears once more and then, "Come again?"
"Things have been crazy lately and I'm pretty sure Chloe hasn't had the time to talk to you, but uh, we're, uh…" He shifted in his seat, clearing his throat. "We're gettin' married tomorrow and-"
"What? And she didn't call and tell me?" she interrupted loudly. "Just how busy could she have been that she didn't call her favorite person in the world to tell her something this monumental was happening?"
"Well, y'know, world's only ending…"
"That is so not an excuse," Lois grumbled.
"So you know now," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "No harm, no foul." Sighing, he shook his head. "So? This is me askin' you to come out for the wedding. Feel free to complain as much as you want that she didn't make time for you in between the apocalypse when you get here."
"Trust me, you're going to seriously regret encouraging that come tomorrow."
He snorted, cocking a brow. "That mean you're coming?"
"Mmmm… yeah. If I can't catch a commercial flight out, I'll highjack my ex's jet," she said casually. "Just don't start without me, all right?"
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure."
"Good." She went quiet a moment. "So… You're marrying my cousin… Guess it's a little late for the 'what are your intentions speech?' huh?"
He chuckled. "Little bit, yeah."
"Oh well, I still get to give you the 'hurt her and I will kill you very slowly and painfully' warning… That's always fun."
Shaking his head, he grinned. "Sure, tons."
"For me, yes. You...? Not so much."
Lifting his beer, he took a long drag.
He got the distinct feeling Lois was going to be a very unusual but amusing character in his life. And with Chloe becoming a permanent fixture, he didn't think he'd be getting rid of Lois any time soon. He had to figure the reward in the end was worth the suffering.
"So what kind of food's being served at this shin-dig?" Lois wondered.
Then again, maybe he'd get along with her better than he thought.
[Next: Chapter XXXIV.]