Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala: Fic 9: Masters of the Mind Meld (1/?)
Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala
Title: Fic 9: Masters of the Mind Meld
Authors: Clarksmuse and X_tremeroswellian
Rated: R to NC-17
Pairings: Chloe/Dean, Sam/Sarah
Disclaimer: Yeah, we don't own anything. Except our computers. :P Don't sue. Thanks.
Five days passed and Sarah saw Savannah, Georgia pass before her eyes. She welcomed civilization, especially since Chloe and Dean had barely spoken a sentence to each other the entire time. That left the monumental task up to her and Sam to keep things light. Yeah, as if that was possible, she thought, pushing open the door to her and Chloe's new hotel room.
"This is definitely the place to stay,” she said to Chloe, taking in the plush furnishings of the bed and breakfast she had insisted they stay in. "At least there’ll be a nice bathtub to soak in."
"I could definitely use a hot bubble bath," she said grimly, setting her bags on the floor by the far bed and lying down on it, closing her eyes.
"After a week straight of backroads and smelly hotels, I could use a lot of rest and relaxation... and research." She put her stuff down and immediately grabbed her laptop.
"Careful, Sarah. You're starting to sound like Sam," she responded with a grin, her eyes remaining shut. "You know, all work and no play..."
"... makes Sarah a dull girl, I know," she replied sheepishly, sitting down. "It's all Sam's fault, you know. This whole being part demon thing has peaked my curiosity. Besides, it's taken my mind off... other things." She chewed on her lip a little and smoothed back her hair.
Chloe sat up slowly, her eyebrows furrowing. "Sarah..."
She shook her head. "It's okay, Chloe. I know how much Dean hurt you. At least you told me what he said, and I gotta say, that'd make me wanna run off, too." She didn't look at her friend but kept her eyes on her laptop screen as it booted up.
"No, I just...I remembered something," she murmured, slowly rising to her feet and beginning to pace the floor. "From back at the factory before..." She waved a hand in the air. "Before the shit hit the fan."
Turning around, Sarah found the blonde walking back and forth around the room. It reminded her of Dean when he got anxious about something, but she decided to keep that to herself. "What's wrong?" she asked instead.
"Before we saved their asses...I remember hearing them whisper, trying to decide what they were gonna take from whom." She turned to look at Sarah. "One said they couldn't take the taller one's heart because it was too pure."
It took her a moment to remember one of those freaks saying that. A slow smile crept over her lips. "Yeah, I remember that, too, now that you mention it." She looked up at Chloe. "How do you think they knew? If that's true, then... no way could Sam be evil."
"Yeah, somehow I don't think purity of heart makes for a demonic qualification." She held Sarah's gaze.
"Me either," she replied, standing up. "Think we should tell Sam? I mean... it might make him feel better." God knew they needed someone happy among the four of them.
"Will he believe us? That's the question."
She looked at Chloe, her eyes glazed with worry and doubt. "I think he might," she whispered, "if we maybe found out how they knew his heart was pure."
"Maybe one of them was psychic," Chloe murmured.
"It's possible, even though it's kinda hard not to look at Sam and see into his heart." She blushed a little at her own words, looking down at her feet and suddenly wishing they were still dealing with the gnome/mushroom issue back in New York.
She was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry things have been so tense," she whispered.
"You and Dean really need to make up, Chloe," she replied softly. "I mean... you know I'll totally support whatever you decide to do, but..." She looked back up at her friend, who looked both sorry and frustrated. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Not really." Her voice was quiet. "The feelings aren't a problem. It's...the trust thing that is." She shrugged a little, exhaling slowly. "So you're gonna start researching again?"
"Yeah, Dean really screwed up, didn't he?" she asked, sitting back down. "I think research is the best thing right now, followed by getting a bottle of wine, a hot soak in the tub, and then bed." Her voice sounded weary already, but since it was still only early afternoon, she needed something to widdle away the time, especially since Sam probably had his hands full with Dean.
"I'll help with the research in a little while. I think I'm gonna...take a walk. Get some fresh air." She managed a faint smile as she headed for the door. "I've got my cell on if you need to get a hold of me."
"Hey, same goes for you," she replied, watching the blonde leave the room, her brows heavy with worry. Dean had done a very stupid thing, and to be honest, Sarah didn't know if Chloe would ever learn to trust him again. And he should have known that.
&&&&&
"Okay, this place is too girlie for me," Dean complained as he and Sam walked into the room next to the girls'. This was the last place he wanted to crash, but the look Sarah had given him left no room for argument.
"Well, just get over it. They needed a place to relax and unwind after...everything," he said vaguely, tossing his bag onto one of the beds. "And you're pretty much already in the doghouse with them both, so you should probably just keep your mouth shut, Dean."
Like he needed the reminder, he thought, walking to the window that overlooked downtown Savannah. "Yeah, I probably ruined the best thing I've ever had, dude." He kept his eyes outside, not wanting his brother to see the pain reflected in his eyes. He was tired. So tired. Maybe the break from hunting... from Chloe's anger... might be the best thing for him.
Sam let out a breath, gazing at his brother for a moment. Truth be told, he was shocked when he found out what his brother had said to the pretty blonde who'd saved their lives, and he was more than a little inclined to rip into his brother. But sensing how guilty Dean felt about that bit of leaked stupidity, he realized he didn't need to hear it. Not from Sam, anyway. "Why don't you get some rest? I think I'm gonna go for a walk, check things out a bit."
"Yeah, whatever," he replied absently, wondering how the other three would react to his grabbing a cab, taking off, and never looking back. Surely they'd be better off without him.
"I'll be back soon," Sam said, gazing at his brother a moment longer before heading out the door.
Dean didn't turn around, not even after he heard the door click shut behind him.
Sam took a moment to breathe in the cool, crisp air of Savannah before moving into the sun. He realized they all needed this break for different reasons. Personally, he was tired of thinking about his place in the demonic universe and would rather have something else to focus on. Like seeing Chloe leave her room and head out for a walk.
"Boy, we have timing," he called, starting towards her.
She paused in her steps and turned to face him, her expression guarded. She'd been hurt by his brother and she wasn't about to let that mistake happen again--not even with Sam. "I guess so."
He saw her blank expression and again felt the need to beat Dean into next week. In breaking trust with her, Sam was also facing the consequences. "I'm just taking a walk, so... I'll see you later." With a small smile, he turned and started off in the opposite direction. She needed space from them, and he wasn't going to be accused of not providing that.
Chloe watched him walk away and a small wave of guilt washed over her. Just because his brother was an ass didn't mean Sam deserved to be treated with distance. "Sam, wait." She quickly caught up with him. "I was...heading out for a walk too."
Sam stopped and waited for her to catch up, though he didn't look at her. "I need a stretch from all the driving we've done. Don't get me wrong: I love the Impala, but sometimes she gets... crowded."
She winced a little at that implication. "Yeah. You're right about that," she said dully, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets.
"Don't get me wrong: I wanna beat my brother down for what he did, but for what it's worth... I appreciate what you and Sarah did for us." He knew he had told her this before, but he felt compelled to state it again. Anything, something, to ease her obvious discomfort.
"I know," Chloe said quietly, her shoulders slumping a little as they exited the bed and breakfast and headed for the sidewalk. "How are you feeling about...things?" she asked after a moment of silence.
He paused, not really sure how to answer that. "I'm... actually tired of thinking about it," he admitted after a long moment. "Seems there are other things to, I dunno, be more concerned with." He gave Chloe a pointed look.
She didn't respond to the insinuation, just kept walking alongside him. "Do we have a case to work on here? Or was this just a random stop?"
"Seems to be a random stop, even though Dad did write about this place in his journal." He blew out a breath as they waited for the light to change to cross the street. "I think we could all use a breather, don't you?"
A wry smile touched her lips. "You can say that again."
"Okay. I think we could all use a breather, don't you?" He smiled wryly at his pathetic attempts at making a light joke.
A short chuckle escaped her and she smacked his arm playfully. "Dork."
He chuckled lightly. "It's why Sarah loves me," he said out loud, his thoughts turning towards her briefly. "So, uh, did you want to walk to anyplace in particular?"
As far away from you brother as I can get, she thought, though she didn't say that. Instead, she shrugged. "Not really. Just...wanted some air."
He nodded. "I see lots of air down this street. Looks like a nice place, too." He paused, not looking in her direction. "Don't suppose you wanna walk down there with me and back?"
"Only if you want the company," she said quietly, still not quite sure where she fit in the scheme of things with her and Dean not on speaking terms.
A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. "I could always use the company, Chlo," he replied softly. "Who cares if you never speak to my brother again?" He did, but he wasn't ready to admit that to her yet.
Faintly startled, she looked up at him with wide green eyes, pausing in her tracks.
Sam stopped at the look of terror in her eyes. "What?" he asked, looking around, wishing he had brought a weapon with him. "What's wrong?" He didn't like the look on her face.
"Uh..." She blinked a couple of times. "It's just...I just was thinking about where I fit in with me and Dean not speaking and then..." She waved her hand toward him, studying him intently, her curiosity taking hold and pushing away the moment of fear she'd felt.
He looked at her carefully. Warily. Oh crap, he thought suddenly. "So wait a minute," he said matter-of-factly, despite his rising panic, "I just said what you were...?" He looked away, putting a hand over his mouth.
"Okay, don't freak out," she said quickly, reaching out and putting a gentle hand on his arm.
He laughed bitterly though didn't move. "Yeah, it's an everyday thing to find out you can hear other people's thoughts, move things with your mind... foretell the future." He couldn't look at her, because he knew he'd see the concern in her eyes.
"Could just be a coincidence," she pointed out.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Okay, let's test that theory." He paused for a moment in concentration. Seconds flew by and when he opened his eyes, they were filled with fear and surprise. "You're wondering if Sarah has found anything in her research about... me..."
"Okay, not a coincidence," she said with widened eyes, gazing at him with something akin to wonder. "But the research thing isn't what you think, so please don't jump to conclusions, okay?" she said warily, not wanting to be on bad terms with both Winchester brothers.
He closed his eyes in frustration. "I'm a little too weirded out by the whole mind-reading thing to jump," he responded after a moment. Jesus, get a grip, he thought to himself. So you can read minds. Other people do that... human people, that is. Who knew what else he was capable of? "But I have to ask the question: what exactly is she researching?" His voice was even and soft.
Chloe let out a soft breath, taking him by the arm. "Sam, Sarah and I...have a theory that we've been researching for awhile now," she admitted quietly.
They resumed walking, though Sam's body remained tense. "This is about the demon thing, right?" he asked, wondering if he would ever overcome this.
"That's...the thing, Sam. We don't think that's true," Chloe told him.
"How can it not be true?" he rasped, slightly irritated with himself for the glimmer of hope he felt inside. "Dad told Dean. It has to be true."
"Not if he was wrong. Not if...not if someone else gave him the wrong information or...convinced him of that for whatever reason." She stopped walking and looked up at him intently.
Her words made him think for a moment. It had never occurred to him to ask Dean how their father had come across this information. He wanted to pound his head against the lamp post behind him. "Dean never told me how Dad knew," he said simply, looking at her, suddenly questioning everything in his life. Again.
"No pounding your head against a lamp post," she said, giving him a look. "And maybe Dean doesn't know how your dad knew."
Sam smirked. "Imagine that. Dean might not know something." He sobered quickly, however, as he looked at Chloe. "I know Dad told him that before he died... and he had disappeared for a bit before... Oh no." He began walking quickly, trying to get the thought out of his head. No, not the Demon, he thought, panicked suddenly.
"What about the Demon?" she asked, shaking her head in confusion.
"What?!" he yelled, turning around so suddenly she nearly ran smack into him. "What... did you just say?" His eyes were wide with confusion and shock.
She flinched, startled by his yelling and she stared back at him, totally confused. "I said what about the..." Her voice trailed off as it occurred to her he hadn't spoken those words aloud. Her own eyes widened once more and she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Sam was speechless, and he was sure this was all a dream. He stared at Chloe's pale, frightened face and forced himself to breathe. "I was just thinking about the Demon," he said, trying to remain calm. "Then you asked about it.... what the hell is going on?" He surprised himself with his sudden outburst of anger, but he was sick and tired of being yanked around by Fate or Destiny or, hell, the Demon.
"I don't know," she whispered uneasily, her mind racing with thoughts. Had he projected his thoughts into her mind somehow? Did she have some innate psychic ability too? Maybe she was finally just starting to go crazy...like her mother. Wincing a little, she started to walk again.
"Stop with all the questions," he said, walking after her. "It's hurting my brain." What was this about her mother? Crazy, like her mother. He had heard that loud and clear. "Chloe, wait up." He had to use his long legs to catch up, she was practically running.
"Can you hear anyone else's thoughts?" she asked suddenly, turning to face him.
He blinked in surprise. "I don't know," he said, looking at the smattering of people around him and waiting for something to enter his mind. And when the thoughts did, he closed his eyes for a second. "That guy there," he said, pointing to an older man struggling to cross the street, "is mentally complaining about how much he hates doing to the doctor. And the couple over there?" His arm moved to point at the man and woman, wearing brightly happy faces and holding hands. "They just found out they're pregnant."
Chloe turned to follow his gaze across the street, the breath catching in her throat. "What the hell's going on, Sam?" she whispered.
"I wish I knew," he whispered, putting his arm down and blinking back at all the thoughts that suddenly flooded into his mind. "But I'm getting a headache and need to get back to the hotel."
Chloe winced a little. "I'm sorry I'm freaking you out. Wasn't my intention," she murmured. So much for helping him, she thought.
His head was beginning to pound, something similar to the precursor to his visions. "It's... not that..." he whispered and grimaced. "The voices. Getting loud... in here." He pointed to his head.
Her own head was starting to ache and she quickly took him by the arm. "Let's get back to the bed and breakfast," she said with quiet urgency, leading him down the sidewalk. Oh, she had a really bad feeling that Sarah and Dean were not going to be happy with this new development.
"No, they really aren't," he said, not realizing she had only thought about Sarah and Dean. "Crap, you didn't actually say that, did you."
A grim smile touched her lips. "Sam? I never knew you cussed so much," she said wryly.
Fuck, he thought, grimacing when he saw her knowing smile and realizing he had just heard that. "Funny, you should be a comedian," he muttered. "And no, Sarah and I haven't gone there, yet, dammit." He saw her blush and wanted to laugh out loud. Or he would have, had his head not been split in two.
Not a lot creeped Chloe Sullivan out. But having someone else literally reading her mind was seriously unnerving. Not to mention the fact that, oh yeah, she could suddenly hear his thoughts, too. This couldn't be good.
Helping each other out, they managed to make it back to the hotel without much more incidents, even though Sam heard her anxiety-riddled thoughts clearly throughout the rest of that street's inhabitants. "Please, Chlo," he whispered as they stopped at his door. "Find out what's going on. Because yes, this is way too creepy for me to handle." Possibly the only cool thing about this was being able to read Sarah's thoughts. He had the distinct impression she kept a lot of things to herself. He smiled faintly at the thought before remembering Chloe had probably heard it.
"Yeah well personally I hope she can read yours, too," she retorted, her headache growing worse. Because that would mean you're projecting your thoughts and I'm not somehow going crazy, she thought, heading for her own door.
"You're gonna have to tell me about your mother and this crazy you keep thinking about," he told her, watching her unlock her door.
Chloe froze for a moment and turned to look at him. "And we're both gonna have to find a way to shut off the whole reading each other's minds thing."
Sam nodded, thinking that if she ever started thinking nicely about Dean again... He shuddered at the thought. "Yeah, as soon as possible. I'm gonna try to avoid Dean and... get some work done." He unlocked the door to his room and went inside without waiting for a response.
Making a face at the thought that rolled through his mind, and feeling more than a little weirded out, she stepped into her own room, her face paler than normal. "Hey, I'm back, I'm gonna get a shower," she said without looking at Sarah as she ducked into the bathroom.
"Hey, how was the walk?" she called, looking up to see Chloe scoot into the bathroom more quickly than usual. Something was up, but she didn't know what. And Google wasn't complying, so she shut her laptop and stretched, standing up and moving around the room. "You okay in there?" she shouted at the bathroom door. Apparently the walk didn't do any good.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Chloe called back, leaning against the door heavily for a moment. She slowly slid down to the floor as she realized she could still hear Sam's thoughts though they were in separate rooms. The thoughts were a little more muddled, more distant, but still there. Crap, she thought, shutting her eyes. Crap, crap, crap.
Stop that, Sam thought, still hearing Chloe's thoughts even though he was in the next room. He lay down and put the pillow over his head, trying to drown out her panicky thoughts.
"Dude, what's with you?" Dean asked, confused that Sam had just walked in and went back to bed. "I thought the walk was gonna do you some good." Truth was, he looked more freaked out than usual.
I can't help it, she thought, burying her head in her hands. She could hear Sarah's voice on the other side of the door but she was too consumed by her own thoughts to try and figure out what her friend was saying.
Please, Chloe, Sam begged. Dean suspects something's wrong, and I don't know how to tell him I can read thoughts... including yours. "Can't I just be tired, dude?" he snapped at Dean. "Especially after... everything?"
"Whatever," his brother snapped, feeling the walls closing in on him. "I'm taking a drive."
Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Chloe shut her eyes tightly and pictured herself by herself in a small, steel-enforced box. Forcing herself to focus on the image and her breathing, it took her a few moments to realize she could no longer hear Sam's thoughts at all. Thank God. Hoping she could keep that up and somehow manage to function normally, she rose to her feet and headed into the main room. "Having any luck?" she asked Sarah, moving to her own computer.
Noticing the blonde's unwillingness to look her in the eye, Sarah watched her boot up her own computer. "Not so much," she replied casually, moving back to the table. "I get lots of angelic hits, but they're mostly from the Bible and Paradise Lost... what's wrong?"
"Angelic hits?" Chloe repeated, a little startled. "Like what?"
"Oh, apparently there's a book called Fallen Angels, multitudes of analyses of Milton's epic poem about the angels that turned demonic when they fell..." She stopped talking and put wide eyes on Chloe.
Her face paled and she slowly sat down on the edge of her bed. "Of course," she whispered.
"Oh my God, I'm stupid," she whispered, falling into her chair and pulling up her Google results page. "It makes sense. Sam's a fallen angel." She spoke more to herself, but her eyes remained locked on Chloe. She sensed something was still wrong with her. "Really, what is it, Chloe?" she asked, feeling a little discombobulated.
"Not necessarily fallen," she murmured. "But maybe that's what the Demon wants. How much more powerful would a fallen angel be than a half-demon?" she asked, avoiding the question as she stood up and began to pace the floor. "If he can get Sam to somehow...embrace the dark side..."
"He's not going to, though," she protested, standing up and folding her arms across her chest, watching her friend begin to pace. Again. "You know, you keep doing that and you're gonna put a hole in the floor," she stated with a faint smile.
"It makes sense," Chloe murmured. "The Demon...killed their mother, killed Jess...tried to kill Dean, killed their dad..." She swallowed hard and paused, looking at Sarah.
"What is it?" she asked Chloe when she paused. Fear crept back into her body, making her shake slightly.
"It's trying to break him down by taking everything and everyone away from him that's important to him." She felt her blood run cold.
"That means... it might come after Dean next." And then Chloe and me, she thought, her body frozen with terror.
Chloe swallowed hard once more and quickly headed for the door, feeling overwhelmed.
Shaken to the core, Sarah went after her, following her to the guys' room next door.
Knocking loudly on the door, she struggled to keep the image of herself in a box pictured in her mind as she waited anxiously for someone to answer.
Sam heard the pounding on the door and knew it was Chloe. He hadn't been able to hear her thoughts for the past several moments, but he still knew she was there. With Sarah. And Sarah's thoughts screamed terror. Wide-eyed, he jumped off his bed and quickly opened the door. "What's wrong?" he demanded, seeing their pale faces and wide, terrified eyes. "Chloe? Sarah?" His eyes settled on the latter, and her thoughts were a jumble of words, 'fallen angel' being two she kept repeating. He took a deep breath and mentally pictured a wall to bar her thoughts from him.
"Where's Dean?" Chloe asked urgently, meeting his eyes for a moment, then looking past him into the room.
"He said he went for a drive." He watched Chloe breeze by and then reached out for Sarah to steady her.
"We need to find him," she whispered, looking at Sam with frightened eyes.
She quickly pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed number one on speed dial, pressing the small phone to her ear and waiting as it began to ring. Pick up, she thought, willing him to answer his phone.
Dean had been driving along the beach, letting the air flow through the open windows. Sure, it was cold, but at this point, he didn't care. He absently answered his cell, not looking at the caller ID. "Dude, I'll be back soon, okay? Not in sharing mode."
"It's me," she said tensely. "I need you to come back here. It's important."
"Chloe." Dean was surprised to hear her voice on the other end. It was on the tip of his tongue to make some off-handed remark about calling him when she could have easily just spoken to him for the last week, but something in her tone kept him quiet. "Give me five minutes," he replied, snapping the phone shut before she had the chance to hang up on him.
Sliding the phone back into her pocket, she turned to look at Sam and Sarah. "He's on his way back."
Sarah blinked, a tear sliding down her cheek out of relief. "Thank God," she whispered, looking back at Sam, her eyes wide as saucers.
"Okay, that's great and all, but is someone going to tell me what's going on?" he demanded, his head starting to pound with the words fallen angel again.
Chloe slid a hand over her face and perched on the edge of the small table. "You should sit down, Sammy," she murmured, not thinking about it as she used Dean's nickname for him.
Christ, she was using his nickname, he thought soberly, sitting down and pulling Sarah into his lap as he did. She squirmed a little to get out of his arms but he refused to let her go.
She looked at Sarah intently for a moment, then shifted her gaze back to his face. "Sam..."
He watched Sarah and Chloe staring at each other... and heard Sarah mentally will Chloe to break him the news. "The news?" he asked out loud, completely forgetting that he could read minds.
"Yeah, the n--" Sarah turned to look at Sam and then jumped out of his lap like she'd just been burned. She was visibly trembling with emotion. "Okay, how the hell did you hear that?" she demanded.
Her head starting to ache, Chloe rubbed her temples. "Okay why don't we wait until Dean--" The door swung open suddenly and she found herself staring at him. "Nevermind."
Sam shifted uneasily, looking from his brother to Sarah and then at Chloe, feeling completely at a loss as to how to begin to explain what was going on.
"Okay, what gives?" Dean asked, seeing three very concerned, shocked, and scared faces. Not something he wanted to walk into. "What's wrong?" He took a step towards Chloe but stopped in mid-stride, thinking she probably wouldn't want him around her.
Sarah never took her eyes off Sam, waiting for him to explain how he was able to hear what she was thinking. Well, duh, she thought, he can read minds. Obviously. What freaked her out was how.
Rubbing his eyes, Sam leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees, falling silent.
"Sam has a new power," Chloe said quietly, gazing at him for a moment before shifting her gaze to Sarah and then Dean, watching the shock register on both their faces.
Dean glanced at Sam. "New power?" he whispered, his eyes shifting between him and Chloe. "What power?"
"Mind reading," Sarah replied immediately, glancing at Dean before looking at Sam again. "It's how you were able to repeat what I was thinking, wasn't it?" Oh God, what was going on with him? she thought, miserable and helpless on how to help him.
He winced a little at her panicked thoughts and at the confusion he could hear in his brother's. "No, it just happened, Dean, just a little while ago." He glanced over at Chloe, who remained still and leaning on the table.
"We talking five minutes kind of while ago or it happened while I was out getting some air while ago?" He saw the exchange between his brother and his girlfriend and frowned.
Calming herself, Sarah took a few steps to Sam and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing just a little. "Sorry," she whispered. She needed to keep a lid on her thoughts for his sake. She didn't want to cause him any more pain.
Sam avoided Dean's gaze. "The latter," he responded, this time looking down at the floor. He covered Sarah's hand with his own, feeling her thoughts pull back a bit and feeling grateful for the effort.
Likewise, Chloe remained staring at the wall, her arms folded across her chest.
Dean was speechless. He literally didn't know what to say. All he could think about was that his brother, on top of everything else, had developed a new power. Something he would never experience. He glanced at Chloe and looked down. Knowing he could hear her thoughts depressed him even more.
He's thinking about you, Sam thought, looking over at Chloe and gently pulling Sarah back into his lap.
She glanced at Sam, and then over at Dean for a moment. I'll talk to him later, Sam. There's more you need to know.
More, he thought, nearly asking the question out loud but putting his face into Sarah's hair instead. The last thing Dean needed to know was that he and Chloe could communicate with each other telepathically. In so many ways would that not go over well.
Sighing, Dean moved back to the window and looked out at it. "I gave up a drive on the beach for this?" he muttered to himself, wondering why in the hell everyone was so quiet.
Closing her eyes against Sam's face teasing her hair, she whispered, "Sam, Dean, there's something else you need to know." She opened them and silently pleaded Chloe to tell them.
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Sarah and I have been doing some research...ever since we found out about Sam." Her words were more directed at Dean for the time being, since Sam already knew this part. "Dean...how did your dad find out about him? Did he say?"
He turned his head but not fully looking at anyone. "No, he didn't," he replied flatly. "Never questioned how he knew because..." He looked back out the window, his words trailing off.
"Dad died before telling you," Sam finished, not needing to read his mind to know that. He had been there. He knew.
Dean simply nodded, saying nothing else. Dammit, why didn't he think to ask where that info came from? Why didn't he think to find the source before telling Sam?
Rubbing the back of her neck, Chloe gazed intently at Dean for a moment. "We think your dad was wrong," she said quietly.
Sarah turned and looked at Sam, her eyes uncertain as she simply nodded at him.
Dean turned around and looked at Chloe... who was actually staring at him. "Okay," he said slowly, keeping his emotion in check. "If he was wrong, then... Sam might not be a demon?" He glanced at his younger brother before sliding his eyes back on Chloe. "Then why have Gordon after him?"
"Because maybe whoever gave your father that information...maybe they gave it to other people, too. I don't know, Dean." Her voice was quiet.
Dean swore to himself profanely for several moments before remembering Sam could hear his thoughts. He looked at him, watching the pain on his face, and felt shame. "Sorry, dude," he said out loud. "I'm just a little upset." Fuck Dad, he swore to himself. Fuck him and his... information.
Imagine yourself in a steel-enforced box, Sam, she thought, her eyes not leaving Dean. It's how I shut it off earlier. She bit her lower lip. "Anyway...Sarah and I did some research. A lot of it, actually. And...she just came across something that...we think makes a lot more sense than Sam being a demon."
Steel-enforced box, Sam repeated to himself, closing his eyes in concentration. When Dean's angry and grief-filled thoughts subsided, he opened them again and looked at Sarah. "Fallen... angel?" he asked hesitantly.
She bit her lip but nodded silently, afraid to speak.
"Fallen angel, huh? Weren't they banished from heaven because of free will?" Dean asked, still staring at his brother.
Chloe was quiet for a moment. "In mythology and biblical beliefs, yes." She paused, looking at Sam. "I'm not sure that Sam is exactly...I don't think he's exactly fallen."
"Then what the hell is he, Chloe?" Dean rasped, looking intently at her. "He's still my brother. He's still human."
The anger in his voice didn't go unnoticed, but she ignored it, knowing he was frustrated and confused. Like they all were. "What I'm saying is...I think...that Sam is very powerful. Maybe more than we even thought." She looked at the younger Winchester. "And that maybe...the Demon knows this. And realizes that if he can just get Sam to turn to the dark side...he'd have one hell of a powerful ally than if Sam was some kind of demon."
Sam looked at Chloe, a little shocked by the implication. "So you're telling me... the Demon wants me to be his right-hand man?"
"That's never gonna happen," Dean replied, a determined glint in his eyes. "I'd die before seeing that come to light. I'll kill that bastard first."
Sarah heard the promise in Dean's words and bit back the unshed tears she felt. "We think the Demon is using everyone to Sam to make him turn."
"An angel is much more powerful than a demon," Chloe said quietly.
"Which is why this mere mortal will make sure my angelic brother doesn't turn," Dean growled, heading for the door. His anger and pain knew no boundaries. He might be impressed with the girls' researching abilities, but they brought up a dozen questions he had no answer to. And if the Demon was truly after Sam to turn him evil, then he knew what he had to do. He yanked the door open, practically ripping the door off the hinges. He couldn't focus in this room. Not with everyone in the room. Not with Chloe there, ignoring him, hating him.
I'm going after him, Chloe informed Sam without speaking, quickly heading after Dean.
Chloe, be careful, Sam told her, watching her leave. He's pissed and angry. Very volatile and unpredictable.
He won't hurt me, she assured him before putting up the walls in her mind. "Dean. Wait."
Dean ignored her, making a beeline towards the Impala. Screw this, he thought. My whole world's been turned upside down, and there's no one to talk to about this. Dad's dead, he probably lied to me, Chloe hates me, and Sam's going places I never knew existed and will probably take Sarah with him. Where does that leave me?
"Goddammit, would you stop?" she demanded, grabbing his arm.
"Why, Chloe? Why?" he demanded, swirling around to face her, his face a mask of darkness.
"Because we should talk about this, Dean!"
"About what? Us? Sam? His powers? The fact that he's not a demon but a fucking angel?" The fact that I'm so tired of this that I wanna get in my car and drive off? he continued to himself.
"How about all the above?" she suggested, folding her arms across her chest.
He glared at her. "What, now? After the silent treatment for a week?" He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. His anger wasn't going to solve anything. Not now. Not ever. Only if he was killing something.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm still pissed at you. But that doesn't mean that I hate you or that I don't care about you," she said evenly.
Dean bit back a smart-ass remark. "It doesn't seem to matter anymore," he replied, looking away from her. "We just need to keep Sammy safe."
She flinched, taking his words hard. "Fine. Then it doesn't matter. But we need to figure out a plan to keep him safe," she said flatly, no emotion in her tone.
"Yes, we do," he replied just as flatly. And for the life of him, he didn't know what. "Look, the Demon can possess anyone. I mean anyone. It kills without blinking, actually enjoys is." He closed his eyes, his heart breaking a little more with each passing moment.
A shudder passed over her. "Are people who've been possessed before more likely to fall prey to this thing?" she asked, her voice not giving away her sudden onslaught of fear.
Dean shrugged, not meeting her eyes. "Doesn't seem to fit any patterns. Dad had never been possessed that I know of, and it got him."
She relaxed a little. "I think the first thing we need to do is to get Sam to work on controlling his abilities. It'll help him feel more in control."
"Agreed. You're going to help him with this, right?" He wanted to look at her face, see her intensely green eyes but couldn't. He hated himself too much for losing her trust.
"I'll do what I can." She was quiet for a moment, her mind turning as another thought hit her with such intensity it made her breath catch.
Dean heard her sudden intake of breath and moved towards her. "What is it?" he asked sharply, watching her try to gasp for air.
"Maybe it's not trying to get Sam to turn evil. Maybe this Demon knows Sam has the power to kill it," she whispered, meeting his eyes.
He was rendered speechless for the second time that night. It had never happened before, he thought, his eyes gazing into hers. "How could he have the power to... kill it?" he wondered out loud, though... if Sam could learn to read the Demon's mind, maybe he could learn its weakness.
"Think about it. If Sam is an angel...he's already more powerful than any demon. And God only knows the extent of his abilities. If this...Demon knows who Sam is..."
"Then the Demon probably knows Sam could actually kill it," Dean replied, his voice flat and toneless. "We need to get him someplace safe, somewhere... unpopulated."
"Maybe the Demon's the one who sent Gordon after Sam," she murmured, her mind continuing to whirl with possibilities. "Maybe the Demon...can't actually kill Sam himself."
"Which means Gordon's still out there, and he might be tracking us still." All the more reason to get to the remotest place possible. Maybe so he could die fighting to protect his brother. That... or just leave. He glanced longingly at the Impala.
"You're right. We need to go somewhere safer. Somewhere protected."
"I'm open to suggestions," he replied. "Someplace warm and deserted." He tried to smile at her but couldn't. There wasn't any use.
Chloe gazed at him thoughtfully. "Nevada."
"Works for me. We'll leave in the morning." He couldn't bear to look at her anymore, so he turned his head and started walking away.
Her shoulders slumped a little and she closed her eyes wearily. His feelings had clearly been more based on sex than anything else and since they were fighting, he apparently had no use for her. Like Clark, her mind whispered. Her eyes hardened and headed off down the sidewalk without looking back. Maybe this time she really could get some air.
Balling his fists, Dean punched the first wall he found in sheer frustration. Self-hatred for what he did to her. Dammit, but why did his mouth always get in the way? he asked, turning around and watching her take off into the evening, taking his heart with her. He couldn't handle her silence, her hurt and anger, anymore. Much better that she shoot him and put them both out of their misery. So he took off after her, determined to hash this out and make her understand, once and for all, that while he loved her more than anything else in his miserable excuse for a life, he would still probably piss her off, hurt her, and eventually make her leave him. "Chloe," he said out loud, following her.
She didn't answer him, but she did slow her pace a little, steeling her nerves for whatever he was about to throw in her direction this time.
His breathing heavy, he finally made pace with her and walked next to her. "Stop for a second before you go barreling out of my life," he whispered, putting a hesitant hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for helping Sam... and... just thank you." I love you, I miss you, I want you, I hate myself for what I did to you. These were all things screaming in his head, yearning to be spoken.
"I haven't really done much," she said quietly, swallowing hard and avoiding his eyes so he didn't see her unshed tears.
"But you will," he replied, his voice suddenly gentle and low. "You'll save his life in ways I will never be able to."
"Maybe." Her own voice softened. "But you'll actually save his life." She slowly turned to look at him.
He smiled sadly. "Probably at the risk of my own, you know, which is why I have to tell you that..." He took a deep breath. "... I'm an asshole for everything I said to you last week, and if I could take it back, I would. In a New York minute." He just looked at her, wearing his heart on his sleeve, needing her with him more than he needed anything. Including his own brother.
She looked down at the pavement for a minute. "Yeah. You were," she agreed quietly. "But...I guess that's what happens when...you love someone. They have the ability to hurt you more than anyone else."
He wry smile crossed his features. "So you're saying you still love me?" he asked, trying to beat back the hope that beat eternal in the back of his heart.
"Unfortunately for me, I can't shut those kinds of things off that easily," she said wryly.
His heart fell at her words. "Like mine can?" he asked, his voice husky with emotion. "Chloe, I never said I stopped loving you."
She lifted her gaze to his face. "I wasn't sure it was true to begin with," she admitted softly.
Tears pricked the back of his eyes as he stared at her, disbelieving what he was hearing. "I meant it when I said it," he whispered, the pain in his voice evident. "I mean it now. The rest..." He shook his head. "I'll stay out of your way, try to earn your trust back... and maybe then you'll see." He took a few steps back, feeling the figurative chasm yawning between them.
"I love you, Dean. But trust...just doesn't come easily with me anymore. Not after everything that's happened," she whispered, sadness washing over her.
He grimaced. "Then I guess you don't really love me, Chloe. Because if it's one thing I've had to learn, there's no love without trust." He gazed intently into her eyes. "I trust you. With my life. With my brother's life. I'm just too much of an ass to show it most of the time, but it's there. Always. Hovering in the shadows." How badly he wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, but he knew she wouldn't welcome his touch. Maybe not ever.
She felt like he'd smacked her across the face. "I trust you with my life," she said quietly.
He gazed at her longingly, the unshed tears glistening in his eyes. "I'll always love you, you know. I guess... that's all I can say. I love you. I'm not a good man, but I love you anyway."
"That's where you're wrong, Dean. You are a good man." She held his gaze, her own eyes watering. "I'm just not sure that..." She bit her lip and looked away.
And it was back to her trust issue. And Clark Kent. His eyes became dark with despair and he looked away in the opposite direction. "Yeah," he replied. "I get it. Never gonna happen. I'll learn to accept that fact." He started to walk away, feeling his insides being shredded by her insecurities and hating himself for letting her have that much power over him.
Chloe shut her eyes, dropping her mental walls without even thinking about it. That I'm enough for you, she thought sadly, a tear trickling down her cheek. Swallowing hard and feeling vaguely nauseous, she slowly turned and headed in the opposite direction.
Back at the hotel, Sam felt Chloe's echoing painful thought beat at his brain, startling him out of his silence. Sarah still remained on his lap, though their conversation had been stilted to the point of awkwardness. "Dammit," he swore silently, knowing somehow, Dean had managed to hurt Chloe. Again.
"Sam? What is it?" she asked, taken back by his sudden movement and sliding off his lap to stand.
"Just...a headache I can't get rid of," he told her softly, slowly rising to his feet and planting a kiss against the top of her head.
Why did she think it was more than just that? she wondered, leaning against him and sighing. She wondered where Chloe was, if she was okay.
"I'm worried about her too," he admitted without thinking about it.
"Is she talking to Dean?" she asked, her brows furrowed.
"I don't know. I don't...I don't think she is anymore." He winced a little as his head ached.
"What did you hear, Sam?" she whispered, turning around to look at him. She knew he had heard something. Something painful. Something he didn't want to share with her.
"Sarah..." He closed his eyes, feeling uncomfortable. "She just seems upset."
She nodded and headed for the door. "I'm going after her," she replied, her voice sad and empty. When would things start going right for any of them? she wondered.
"Be careful," he said softly.
She smiled. "I always am." With one last look, she left the hotel in search of her friend.
Title: Fic 9: Masters of the Mind Meld
Authors: Clarksmuse and X_tremeroswellian
Rated: R to NC-17
Pairings: Chloe/Dean, Sam/Sarah
Disclaimer: Yeah, we don't own anything. Except our computers. :P Don't sue. Thanks.
Five days passed and Sarah saw Savannah, Georgia pass before her eyes. She welcomed civilization, especially since Chloe and Dean had barely spoken a sentence to each other the entire time. That left the monumental task up to her and Sam to keep things light. Yeah, as if that was possible, she thought, pushing open the door to her and Chloe's new hotel room.
"This is definitely the place to stay,” she said to Chloe, taking in the plush furnishings of the bed and breakfast she had insisted they stay in. "At least there’ll be a nice bathtub to soak in."
"I could definitely use a hot bubble bath," she said grimly, setting her bags on the floor by the far bed and lying down on it, closing her eyes.
"After a week straight of backroads and smelly hotels, I could use a lot of rest and relaxation... and research." She put her stuff down and immediately grabbed her laptop.
"Careful, Sarah. You're starting to sound like Sam," she responded with a grin, her eyes remaining shut. "You know, all work and no play..."
"... makes Sarah a dull girl, I know," she replied sheepishly, sitting down. "It's all Sam's fault, you know. This whole being part demon thing has peaked my curiosity. Besides, it's taken my mind off... other things." She chewed on her lip a little and smoothed back her hair.
Chloe sat up slowly, her eyebrows furrowing. "Sarah..."
She shook her head. "It's okay, Chloe. I know how much Dean hurt you. At least you told me what he said, and I gotta say, that'd make me wanna run off, too." She didn't look at her friend but kept her eyes on her laptop screen as it booted up.
"No, I just...I remembered something," she murmured, slowly rising to her feet and beginning to pace the floor. "From back at the factory before..." She waved a hand in the air. "Before the shit hit the fan."
Turning around, Sarah found the blonde walking back and forth around the room. It reminded her of Dean when he got anxious about something, but she decided to keep that to herself. "What's wrong?" she asked instead.
"Before we saved their asses...I remember hearing them whisper, trying to decide what they were gonna take from whom." She turned to look at Sarah. "One said they couldn't take the taller one's heart because it was too pure."
It took her a moment to remember one of those freaks saying that. A slow smile crept over her lips. "Yeah, I remember that, too, now that you mention it." She looked up at Chloe. "How do you think they knew? If that's true, then... no way could Sam be evil."
"Yeah, somehow I don't think purity of heart makes for a demonic qualification." She held Sarah's gaze.
"Me either," she replied, standing up. "Think we should tell Sam? I mean... it might make him feel better." God knew they needed someone happy among the four of them.
"Will he believe us? That's the question."
She looked at Chloe, her eyes glazed with worry and doubt. "I think he might," she whispered, "if we maybe found out how they knew his heart was pure."
"Maybe one of them was psychic," Chloe murmured.
"It's possible, even though it's kinda hard not to look at Sam and see into his heart." She blushed a little at her own words, looking down at her feet and suddenly wishing they were still dealing with the gnome/mushroom issue back in New York.
She was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry things have been so tense," she whispered.
"You and Dean really need to make up, Chloe," she replied softly. "I mean... you know I'll totally support whatever you decide to do, but..." She looked back up at her friend, who looked both sorry and frustrated. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Not really." Her voice was quiet. "The feelings aren't a problem. It's...the trust thing that is." She shrugged a little, exhaling slowly. "So you're gonna start researching again?"
"Yeah, Dean really screwed up, didn't he?" she asked, sitting back down. "I think research is the best thing right now, followed by getting a bottle of wine, a hot soak in the tub, and then bed." Her voice sounded weary already, but since it was still only early afternoon, she needed something to widdle away the time, especially since Sam probably had his hands full with Dean.
"I'll help with the research in a little while. I think I'm gonna...take a walk. Get some fresh air." She managed a faint smile as she headed for the door. "I've got my cell on if you need to get a hold of me."
"Hey, same goes for you," she replied, watching the blonde leave the room, her brows heavy with worry. Dean had done a very stupid thing, and to be honest, Sarah didn't know if Chloe would ever learn to trust him again. And he should have known that.
&&&&&
"Okay, this place is too girlie for me," Dean complained as he and Sam walked into the room next to the girls'. This was the last place he wanted to crash, but the look Sarah had given him left no room for argument.
"Well, just get over it. They needed a place to relax and unwind after...everything," he said vaguely, tossing his bag onto one of the beds. "And you're pretty much already in the doghouse with them both, so you should probably just keep your mouth shut, Dean."
Like he needed the reminder, he thought, walking to the window that overlooked downtown Savannah. "Yeah, I probably ruined the best thing I've ever had, dude." He kept his eyes outside, not wanting his brother to see the pain reflected in his eyes. He was tired. So tired. Maybe the break from hunting... from Chloe's anger... might be the best thing for him.
Sam let out a breath, gazing at his brother for a moment. Truth be told, he was shocked when he found out what his brother had said to the pretty blonde who'd saved their lives, and he was more than a little inclined to rip into his brother. But sensing how guilty Dean felt about that bit of leaked stupidity, he realized he didn't need to hear it. Not from Sam, anyway. "Why don't you get some rest? I think I'm gonna go for a walk, check things out a bit."
"Yeah, whatever," he replied absently, wondering how the other three would react to his grabbing a cab, taking off, and never looking back. Surely they'd be better off without him.
"I'll be back soon," Sam said, gazing at his brother a moment longer before heading out the door.
Dean didn't turn around, not even after he heard the door click shut behind him.
Sam took a moment to breathe in the cool, crisp air of Savannah before moving into the sun. He realized they all needed this break for different reasons. Personally, he was tired of thinking about his place in the demonic universe and would rather have something else to focus on. Like seeing Chloe leave her room and head out for a walk.
"Boy, we have timing," he called, starting towards her.
She paused in her steps and turned to face him, her expression guarded. She'd been hurt by his brother and she wasn't about to let that mistake happen again--not even with Sam. "I guess so."
He saw her blank expression and again felt the need to beat Dean into next week. In breaking trust with her, Sam was also facing the consequences. "I'm just taking a walk, so... I'll see you later." With a small smile, he turned and started off in the opposite direction. She needed space from them, and he wasn't going to be accused of not providing that.
Chloe watched him walk away and a small wave of guilt washed over her. Just because his brother was an ass didn't mean Sam deserved to be treated with distance. "Sam, wait." She quickly caught up with him. "I was...heading out for a walk too."
Sam stopped and waited for her to catch up, though he didn't look at her. "I need a stretch from all the driving we've done. Don't get me wrong: I love the Impala, but sometimes she gets... crowded."
She winced a little at that implication. "Yeah. You're right about that," she said dully, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets.
"Don't get me wrong: I wanna beat my brother down for what he did, but for what it's worth... I appreciate what you and Sarah did for us." He knew he had told her this before, but he felt compelled to state it again. Anything, something, to ease her obvious discomfort.
"I know," Chloe said quietly, her shoulders slumping a little as they exited the bed and breakfast and headed for the sidewalk. "How are you feeling about...things?" she asked after a moment of silence.
He paused, not really sure how to answer that. "I'm... actually tired of thinking about it," he admitted after a long moment. "Seems there are other things to, I dunno, be more concerned with." He gave Chloe a pointed look.
She didn't respond to the insinuation, just kept walking alongside him. "Do we have a case to work on here? Or was this just a random stop?"
"Seems to be a random stop, even though Dad did write about this place in his journal." He blew out a breath as they waited for the light to change to cross the street. "I think we could all use a breather, don't you?"
A wry smile touched her lips. "You can say that again."
"Okay. I think we could all use a breather, don't you?" He smiled wryly at his pathetic attempts at making a light joke.
A short chuckle escaped her and she smacked his arm playfully. "Dork."
He chuckled lightly. "It's why Sarah loves me," he said out loud, his thoughts turning towards her briefly. "So, uh, did you want to walk to anyplace in particular?"
As far away from you brother as I can get, she thought, though she didn't say that. Instead, she shrugged. "Not really. Just...wanted some air."
He nodded. "I see lots of air down this street. Looks like a nice place, too." He paused, not looking in her direction. "Don't suppose you wanna walk down there with me and back?"
"Only if you want the company," she said quietly, still not quite sure where she fit in the scheme of things with her and Dean not on speaking terms.
A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. "I could always use the company, Chlo," he replied softly. "Who cares if you never speak to my brother again?" He did, but he wasn't ready to admit that to her yet.
Faintly startled, she looked up at him with wide green eyes, pausing in her tracks.
Sam stopped at the look of terror in her eyes. "What?" he asked, looking around, wishing he had brought a weapon with him. "What's wrong?" He didn't like the look on her face.
"Uh..." She blinked a couple of times. "It's just...I just was thinking about where I fit in with me and Dean not speaking and then..." She waved her hand toward him, studying him intently, her curiosity taking hold and pushing away the moment of fear she'd felt.
He looked at her carefully. Warily. Oh crap, he thought suddenly. "So wait a minute," he said matter-of-factly, despite his rising panic, "I just said what you were...?" He looked away, putting a hand over his mouth.
"Okay, don't freak out," she said quickly, reaching out and putting a gentle hand on his arm.
He laughed bitterly though didn't move. "Yeah, it's an everyday thing to find out you can hear other people's thoughts, move things with your mind... foretell the future." He couldn't look at her, because he knew he'd see the concern in her eyes.
"Could just be a coincidence," she pointed out.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Okay, let's test that theory." He paused for a moment in concentration. Seconds flew by and when he opened his eyes, they were filled with fear and surprise. "You're wondering if Sarah has found anything in her research about... me..."
"Okay, not a coincidence," she said with widened eyes, gazing at him with something akin to wonder. "But the research thing isn't what you think, so please don't jump to conclusions, okay?" she said warily, not wanting to be on bad terms with both Winchester brothers.
He closed his eyes in frustration. "I'm a little too weirded out by the whole mind-reading thing to jump," he responded after a moment. Jesus, get a grip, he thought to himself. So you can read minds. Other people do that... human people, that is. Who knew what else he was capable of? "But I have to ask the question: what exactly is she researching?" His voice was even and soft.
Chloe let out a soft breath, taking him by the arm. "Sam, Sarah and I...have a theory that we've been researching for awhile now," she admitted quietly.
They resumed walking, though Sam's body remained tense. "This is about the demon thing, right?" he asked, wondering if he would ever overcome this.
"That's...the thing, Sam. We don't think that's true," Chloe told him.
"How can it not be true?" he rasped, slightly irritated with himself for the glimmer of hope he felt inside. "Dad told Dean. It has to be true."
"Not if he was wrong. Not if...not if someone else gave him the wrong information or...convinced him of that for whatever reason." She stopped walking and looked up at him intently.
Her words made him think for a moment. It had never occurred to him to ask Dean how their father had come across this information. He wanted to pound his head against the lamp post behind him. "Dean never told me how Dad knew," he said simply, looking at her, suddenly questioning everything in his life. Again.
"No pounding your head against a lamp post," she said, giving him a look. "And maybe Dean doesn't know how your dad knew."
Sam smirked. "Imagine that. Dean might not know something." He sobered quickly, however, as he looked at Chloe. "I know Dad told him that before he died... and he had disappeared for a bit before... Oh no." He began walking quickly, trying to get the thought out of his head. No, not the Demon, he thought, panicked suddenly.
"What about the Demon?" she asked, shaking her head in confusion.
"What?!" he yelled, turning around so suddenly she nearly ran smack into him. "What... did you just say?" His eyes were wide with confusion and shock.
She flinched, startled by his yelling and she stared back at him, totally confused. "I said what about the..." Her voice trailed off as it occurred to her he hadn't spoken those words aloud. Her own eyes widened once more and she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Sam was speechless, and he was sure this was all a dream. He stared at Chloe's pale, frightened face and forced himself to breathe. "I was just thinking about the Demon," he said, trying to remain calm. "Then you asked about it.... what the hell is going on?" He surprised himself with his sudden outburst of anger, but he was sick and tired of being yanked around by Fate or Destiny or, hell, the Demon.
"I don't know," she whispered uneasily, her mind racing with thoughts. Had he projected his thoughts into her mind somehow? Did she have some innate psychic ability too? Maybe she was finally just starting to go crazy...like her mother. Wincing a little, she started to walk again.
"Stop with all the questions," he said, walking after her. "It's hurting my brain." What was this about her mother? Crazy, like her mother. He had heard that loud and clear. "Chloe, wait up." He had to use his long legs to catch up, she was practically running.
"Can you hear anyone else's thoughts?" she asked suddenly, turning to face him.
He blinked in surprise. "I don't know," he said, looking at the smattering of people around him and waiting for something to enter his mind. And when the thoughts did, he closed his eyes for a second. "That guy there," he said, pointing to an older man struggling to cross the street, "is mentally complaining about how much he hates doing to the doctor. And the couple over there?" His arm moved to point at the man and woman, wearing brightly happy faces and holding hands. "They just found out they're pregnant."
Chloe turned to follow his gaze across the street, the breath catching in her throat. "What the hell's going on, Sam?" she whispered.
"I wish I knew," he whispered, putting his arm down and blinking back at all the thoughts that suddenly flooded into his mind. "But I'm getting a headache and need to get back to the hotel."
Chloe winced a little. "I'm sorry I'm freaking you out. Wasn't my intention," she murmured. So much for helping him, she thought.
His head was beginning to pound, something similar to the precursor to his visions. "It's... not that..." he whispered and grimaced. "The voices. Getting loud... in here." He pointed to his head.
Her own head was starting to ache and she quickly took him by the arm. "Let's get back to the bed and breakfast," she said with quiet urgency, leading him down the sidewalk. Oh, she had a really bad feeling that Sarah and Dean were not going to be happy with this new development.
"No, they really aren't," he said, not realizing she had only thought about Sarah and Dean. "Crap, you didn't actually say that, did you."
A grim smile touched her lips. "Sam? I never knew you cussed so much," she said wryly.
Fuck, he thought, grimacing when he saw her knowing smile and realizing he had just heard that. "Funny, you should be a comedian," he muttered. "And no, Sarah and I haven't gone there, yet, dammit." He saw her blush and wanted to laugh out loud. Or he would have, had his head not been split in two.
Not a lot creeped Chloe Sullivan out. But having someone else literally reading her mind was seriously unnerving. Not to mention the fact that, oh yeah, she could suddenly hear his thoughts, too. This couldn't be good.
Helping each other out, they managed to make it back to the hotel without much more incidents, even though Sam heard her anxiety-riddled thoughts clearly throughout the rest of that street's inhabitants. "Please, Chlo," he whispered as they stopped at his door. "Find out what's going on. Because yes, this is way too creepy for me to handle." Possibly the only cool thing about this was being able to read Sarah's thoughts. He had the distinct impression she kept a lot of things to herself. He smiled faintly at the thought before remembering Chloe had probably heard it.
"Yeah well personally I hope she can read yours, too," she retorted, her headache growing worse. Because that would mean you're projecting your thoughts and I'm not somehow going crazy, she thought, heading for her own door.
"You're gonna have to tell me about your mother and this crazy you keep thinking about," he told her, watching her unlock her door.
Chloe froze for a moment and turned to look at him. "And we're both gonna have to find a way to shut off the whole reading each other's minds thing."
Sam nodded, thinking that if she ever started thinking nicely about Dean again... He shuddered at the thought. "Yeah, as soon as possible. I'm gonna try to avoid Dean and... get some work done." He unlocked the door to his room and went inside without waiting for a response.
Making a face at the thought that rolled through his mind, and feeling more than a little weirded out, she stepped into her own room, her face paler than normal. "Hey, I'm back, I'm gonna get a shower," she said without looking at Sarah as she ducked into the bathroom.
"Hey, how was the walk?" she called, looking up to see Chloe scoot into the bathroom more quickly than usual. Something was up, but she didn't know what. And Google wasn't complying, so she shut her laptop and stretched, standing up and moving around the room. "You okay in there?" she shouted at the bathroom door. Apparently the walk didn't do any good.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Chloe called back, leaning against the door heavily for a moment. She slowly slid down to the floor as she realized she could still hear Sam's thoughts though they were in separate rooms. The thoughts were a little more muddled, more distant, but still there. Crap, she thought, shutting her eyes. Crap, crap, crap.
Stop that, Sam thought, still hearing Chloe's thoughts even though he was in the next room. He lay down and put the pillow over his head, trying to drown out her panicky thoughts.
"Dude, what's with you?" Dean asked, confused that Sam had just walked in and went back to bed. "I thought the walk was gonna do you some good." Truth was, he looked more freaked out than usual.
I can't help it, she thought, burying her head in her hands. She could hear Sarah's voice on the other side of the door but she was too consumed by her own thoughts to try and figure out what her friend was saying.
Please, Chloe, Sam begged. Dean suspects something's wrong, and I don't know how to tell him I can read thoughts... including yours. "Can't I just be tired, dude?" he snapped at Dean. "Especially after... everything?"
"Whatever," his brother snapped, feeling the walls closing in on him. "I'm taking a drive."
Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Chloe shut her eyes tightly and pictured herself by herself in a small, steel-enforced box. Forcing herself to focus on the image and her breathing, it took her a few moments to realize she could no longer hear Sam's thoughts at all. Thank God. Hoping she could keep that up and somehow manage to function normally, she rose to her feet and headed into the main room. "Having any luck?" she asked Sarah, moving to her own computer.
Noticing the blonde's unwillingness to look her in the eye, Sarah watched her boot up her own computer. "Not so much," she replied casually, moving back to the table. "I get lots of angelic hits, but they're mostly from the Bible and Paradise Lost... what's wrong?"
"Angelic hits?" Chloe repeated, a little startled. "Like what?"
"Oh, apparently there's a book called Fallen Angels, multitudes of analyses of Milton's epic poem about the angels that turned demonic when they fell..." She stopped talking and put wide eyes on Chloe.
Her face paled and she slowly sat down on the edge of her bed. "Of course," she whispered.
"Oh my God, I'm stupid," she whispered, falling into her chair and pulling up her Google results page. "It makes sense. Sam's a fallen angel." She spoke more to herself, but her eyes remained locked on Chloe. She sensed something was still wrong with her. "Really, what is it, Chloe?" she asked, feeling a little discombobulated.
"Not necessarily fallen," she murmured. "But maybe that's what the Demon wants. How much more powerful would a fallen angel be than a half-demon?" she asked, avoiding the question as she stood up and began to pace the floor. "If he can get Sam to somehow...embrace the dark side..."
"He's not going to, though," she protested, standing up and folding her arms across her chest, watching her friend begin to pace. Again. "You know, you keep doing that and you're gonna put a hole in the floor," she stated with a faint smile.
"It makes sense," Chloe murmured. "The Demon...killed their mother, killed Jess...tried to kill Dean, killed their dad..." She swallowed hard and paused, looking at Sarah.
"What is it?" she asked Chloe when she paused. Fear crept back into her body, making her shake slightly.
"It's trying to break him down by taking everything and everyone away from him that's important to him." She felt her blood run cold.
"That means... it might come after Dean next." And then Chloe and me, she thought, her body frozen with terror.
Chloe swallowed hard once more and quickly headed for the door, feeling overwhelmed.
Shaken to the core, Sarah went after her, following her to the guys' room next door.
Knocking loudly on the door, she struggled to keep the image of herself in a box pictured in her mind as she waited anxiously for someone to answer.
Sam heard the pounding on the door and knew it was Chloe. He hadn't been able to hear her thoughts for the past several moments, but he still knew she was there. With Sarah. And Sarah's thoughts screamed terror. Wide-eyed, he jumped off his bed and quickly opened the door. "What's wrong?" he demanded, seeing their pale faces and wide, terrified eyes. "Chloe? Sarah?" His eyes settled on the latter, and her thoughts were a jumble of words, 'fallen angel' being two she kept repeating. He took a deep breath and mentally pictured a wall to bar her thoughts from him.
"Where's Dean?" Chloe asked urgently, meeting his eyes for a moment, then looking past him into the room.
"He said he went for a drive." He watched Chloe breeze by and then reached out for Sarah to steady her.
"We need to find him," she whispered, looking at Sam with frightened eyes.
She quickly pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed number one on speed dial, pressing the small phone to her ear and waiting as it began to ring. Pick up, she thought, willing him to answer his phone.
Dean had been driving along the beach, letting the air flow through the open windows. Sure, it was cold, but at this point, he didn't care. He absently answered his cell, not looking at the caller ID. "Dude, I'll be back soon, okay? Not in sharing mode."
"It's me," she said tensely. "I need you to come back here. It's important."
"Chloe." Dean was surprised to hear her voice on the other end. It was on the tip of his tongue to make some off-handed remark about calling him when she could have easily just spoken to him for the last week, but something in her tone kept him quiet. "Give me five minutes," he replied, snapping the phone shut before she had the chance to hang up on him.
Sliding the phone back into her pocket, she turned to look at Sam and Sarah. "He's on his way back."
Sarah blinked, a tear sliding down her cheek out of relief. "Thank God," she whispered, looking back at Sam, her eyes wide as saucers.
"Okay, that's great and all, but is someone going to tell me what's going on?" he demanded, his head starting to pound with the words fallen angel again.
Chloe slid a hand over her face and perched on the edge of the small table. "You should sit down, Sammy," she murmured, not thinking about it as she used Dean's nickname for him.
Christ, she was using his nickname, he thought soberly, sitting down and pulling Sarah into his lap as he did. She squirmed a little to get out of his arms but he refused to let her go.
She looked at Sarah intently for a moment, then shifted her gaze back to his face. "Sam..."
He watched Sarah and Chloe staring at each other... and heard Sarah mentally will Chloe to break him the news. "The news?" he asked out loud, completely forgetting that he could read minds.
"Yeah, the n--" Sarah turned to look at Sam and then jumped out of his lap like she'd just been burned. She was visibly trembling with emotion. "Okay, how the hell did you hear that?" she demanded.
Her head starting to ache, Chloe rubbed her temples. "Okay why don't we wait until Dean--" The door swung open suddenly and she found herself staring at him. "Nevermind."
Sam shifted uneasily, looking from his brother to Sarah and then at Chloe, feeling completely at a loss as to how to begin to explain what was going on.
"Okay, what gives?" Dean asked, seeing three very concerned, shocked, and scared faces. Not something he wanted to walk into. "What's wrong?" He took a step towards Chloe but stopped in mid-stride, thinking she probably wouldn't want him around her.
Sarah never took her eyes off Sam, waiting for him to explain how he was able to hear what she was thinking. Well, duh, she thought, he can read minds. Obviously. What freaked her out was how.
Rubbing his eyes, Sam leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees, falling silent.
"Sam has a new power," Chloe said quietly, gazing at him for a moment before shifting her gaze to Sarah and then Dean, watching the shock register on both their faces.
Dean glanced at Sam. "New power?" he whispered, his eyes shifting between him and Chloe. "What power?"
"Mind reading," Sarah replied immediately, glancing at Dean before looking at Sam again. "It's how you were able to repeat what I was thinking, wasn't it?" Oh God, what was going on with him? she thought, miserable and helpless on how to help him.
He winced a little at her panicked thoughts and at the confusion he could hear in his brother's. "No, it just happened, Dean, just a little while ago." He glanced over at Chloe, who remained still and leaning on the table.
"We talking five minutes kind of while ago or it happened while I was out getting some air while ago?" He saw the exchange between his brother and his girlfriend and frowned.
Calming herself, Sarah took a few steps to Sam and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing just a little. "Sorry," she whispered. She needed to keep a lid on her thoughts for his sake. She didn't want to cause him any more pain.
Sam avoided Dean's gaze. "The latter," he responded, this time looking down at the floor. He covered Sarah's hand with his own, feeling her thoughts pull back a bit and feeling grateful for the effort.
Likewise, Chloe remained staring at the wall, her arms folded across her chest.
Dean was speechless. He literally didn't know what to say. All he could think about was that his brother, on top of everything else, had developed a new power. Something he would never experience. He glanced at Chloe and looked down. Knowing he could hear her thoughts depressed him even more.
He's thinking about you, Sam thought, looking over at Chloe and gently pulling Sarah back into his lap.
She glanced at Sam, and then over at Dean for a moment. I'll talk to him later, Sam. There's more you need to know.
More, he thought, nearly asking the question out loud but putting his face into Sarah's hair instead. The last thing Dean needed to know was that he and Chloe could communicate with each other telepathically. In so many ways would that not go over well.
Sighing, Dean moved back to the window and looked out at it. "I gave up a drive on the beach for this?" he muttered to himself, wondering why in the hell everyone was so quiet.
Closing her eyes against Sam's face teasing her hair, she whispered, "Sam, Dean, there's something else you need to know." She opened them and silently pleaded Chloe to tell them.
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Sarah and I have been doing some research...ever since we found out about Sam." Her words were more directed at Dean for the time being, since Sam already knew this part. "Dean...how did your dad find out about him? Did he say?"
He turned his head but not fully looking at anyone. "No, he didn't," he replied flatly. "Never questioned how he knew because..." He looked back out the window, his words trailing off.
"Dad died before telling you," Sam finished, not needing to read his mind to know that. He had been there. He knew.
Dean simply nodded, saying nothing else. Dammit, why didn't he think to ask where that info came from? Why didn't he think to find the source before telling Sam?
Rubbing the back of her neck, Chloe gazed intently at Dean for a moment. "We think your dad was wrong," she said quietly.
Sarah turned and looked at Sam, her eyes uncertain as she simply nodded at him.
Dean turned around and looked at Chloe... who was actually staring at him. "Okay," he said slowly, keeping his emotion in check. "If he was wrong, then... Sam might not be a demon?" He glanced at his younger brother before sliding his eyes back on Chloe. "Then why have Gordon after him?"
"Because maybe whoever gave your father that information...maybe they gave it to other people, too. I don't know, Dean." Her voice was quiet.
Dean swore to himself profanely for several moments before remembering Sam could hear his thoughts. He looked at him, watching the pain on his face, and felt shame. "Sorry, dude," he said out loud. "I'm just a little upset." Fuck Dad, he swore to himself. Fuck him and his... information.
Imagine yourself in a steel-enforced box, Sam, she thought, her eyes not leaving Dean. It's how I shut it off earlier. She bit her lower lip. "Anyway...Sarah and I did some research. A lot of it, actually. And...she just came across something that...we think makes a lot more sense than Sam being a demon."
Steel-enforced box, Sam repeated to himself, closing his eyes in concentration. When Dean's angry and grief-filled thoughts subsided, he opened them again and looked at Sarah. "Fallen... angel?" he asked hesitantly.
She bit her lip but nodded silently, afraid to speak.
"Fallen angel, huh? Weren't they banished from heaven because of free will?" Dean asked, still staring at his brother.
Chloe was quiet for a moment. "In mythology and biblical beliefs, yes." She paused, looking at Sam. "I'm not sure that Sam is exactly...I don't think he's exactly fallen."
"Then what the hell is he, Chloe?" Dean rasped, looking intently at her. "He's still my brother. He's still human."
The anger in his voice didn't go unnoticed, but she ignored it, knowing he was frustrated and confused. Like they all were. "What I'm saying is...I think...that Sam is very powerful. Maybe more than we even thought." She looked at the younger Winchester. "And that maybe...the Demon knows this. And realizes that if he can just get Sam to turn to the dark side...he'd have one hell of a powerful ally than if Sam was some kind of demon."
Sam looked at Chloe, a little shocked by the implication. "So you're telling me... the Demon wants me to be his right-hand man?"
"That's never gonna happen," Dean replied, a determined glint in his eyes. "I'd die before seeing that come to light. I'll kill that bastard first."
Sarah heard the promise in Dean's words and bit back the unshed tears she felt. "We think the Demon is using everyone to Sam to make him turn."
"An angel is much more powerful than a demon," Chloe said quietly.
"Which is why this mere mortal will make sure my angelic brother doesn't turn," Dean growled, heading for the door. His anger and pain knew no boundaries. He might be impressed with the girls' researching abilities, but they brought up a dozen questions he had no answer to. And if the Demon was truly after Sam to turn him evil, then he knew what he had to do. He yanked the door open, practically ripping the door off the hinges. He couldn't focus in this room. Not with everyone in the room. Not with Chloe there, ignoring him, hating him.
I'm going after him, Chloe informed Sam without speaking, quickly heading after Dean.
Chloe, be careful, Sam told her, watching her leave. He's pissed and angry. Very volatile and unpredictable.
He won't hurt me, she assured him before putting up the walls in her mind. "Dean. Wait."
Dean ignored her, making a beeline towards the Impala. Screw this, he thought. My whole world's been turned upside down, and there's no one to talk to about this. Dad's dead, he probably lied to me, Chloe hates me, and Sam's going places I never knew existed and will probably take Sarah with him. Where does that leave me?
"Goddammit, would you stop?" she demanded, grabbing his arm.
"Why, Chloe? Why?" he demanded, swirling around to face her, his face a mask of darkness.
"Because we should talk about this, Dean!"
"About what? Us? Sam? His powers? The fact that he's not a demon but a fucking angel?" The fact that I'm so tired of this that I wanna get in my car and drive off? he continued to himself.
"How about all the above?" she suggested, folding her arms across her chest.
He glared at her. "What, now? After the silent treatment for a week?" He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. His anger wasn't going to solve anything. Not now. Not ever. Only if he was killing something.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm still pissed at you. But that doesn't mean that I hate you or that I don't care about you," she said evenly.
Dean bit back a smart-ass remark. "It doesn't seem to matter anymore," he replied, looking away from her. "We just need to keep Sammy safe."
She flinched, taking his words hard. "Fine. Then it doesn't matter. But we need to figure out a plan to keep him safe," she said flatly, no emotion in her tone.
"Yes, we do," he replied just as flatly. And for the life of him, he didn't know what. "Look, the Demon can possess anyone. I mean anyone. It kills without blinking, actually enjoys is." He closed his eyes, his heart breaking a little more with each passing moment.
A shudder passed over her. "Are people who've been possessed before more likely to fall prey to this thing?" she asked, her voice not giving away her sudden onslaught of fear.
Dean shrugged, not meeting her eyes. "Doesn't seem to fit any patterns. Dad had never been possessed that I know of, and it got him."
She relaxed a little. "I think the first thing we need to do is to get Sam to work on controlling his abilities. It'll help him feel more in control."
"Agreed. You're going to help him with this, right?" He wanted to look at her face, see her intensely green eyes but couldn't. He hated himself too much for losing her trust.
"I'll do what I can." She was quiet for a moment, her mind turning as another thought hit her with such intensity it made her breath catch.
Dean heard her sudden intake of breath and moved towards her. "What is it?" he asked sharply, watching her try to gasp for air.
"Maybe it's not trying to get Sam to turn evil. Maybe this Demon knows Sam has the power to kill it," she whispered, meeting his eyes.
He was rendered speechless for the second time that night. It had never happened before, he thought, his eyes gazing into hers. "How could he have the power to... kill it?" he wondered out loud, though... if Sam could learn to read the Demon's mind, maybe he could learn its weakness.
"Think about it. If Sam is an angel...he's already more powerful than any demon. And God only knows the extent of his abilities. If this...Demon knows who Sam is..."
"Then the Demon probably knows Sam could actually kill it," Dean replied, his voice flat and toneless. "We need to get him someplace safe, somewhere... unpopulated."
"Maybe the Demon's the one who sent Gordon after Sam," she murmured, her mind continuing to whirl with possibilities. "Maybe the Demon...can't actually kill Sam himself."
"Which means Gordon's still out there, and he might be tracking us still." All the more reason to get to the remotest place possible. Maybe so he could die fighting to protect his brother. That... or just leave. He glanced longingly at the Impala.
"You're right. We need to go somewhere safer. Somewhere protected."
"I'm open to suggestions," he replied. "Someplace warm and deserted." He tried to smile at her but couldn't. There wasn't any use.
Chloe gazed at him thoughtfully. "Nevada."
"Works for me. We'll leave in the morning." He couldn't bear to look at her anymore, so he turned his head and started walking away.
Her shoulders slumped a little and she closed her eyes wearily. His feelings had clearly been more based on sex than anything else and since they were fighting, he apparently had no use for her. Like Clark, her mind whispered. Her eyes hardened and headed off down the sidewalk without looking back. Maybe this time she really could get some air.
Balling his fists, Dean punched the first wall he found in sheer frustration. Self-hatred for what he did to her. Dammit, but why did his mouth always get in the way? he asked, turning around and watching her take off into the evening, taking his heart with her. He couldn't handle her silence, her hurt and anger, anymore. Much better that she shoot him and put them both out of their misery. So he took off after her, determined to hash this out and make her understand, once and for all, that while he loved her more than anything else in his miserable excuse for a life, he would still probably piss her off, hurt her, and eventually make her leave him. "Chloe," he said out loud, following her.
She didn't answer him, but she did slow her pace a little, steeling her nerves for whatever he was about to throw in her direction this time.
His breathing heavy, he finally made pace with her and walked next to her. "Stop for a second before you go barreling out of my life," he whispered, putting a hesitant hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for helping Sam... and... just thank you." I love you, I miss you, I want you, I hate myself for what I did to you. These were all things screaming in his head, yearning to be spoken.
"I haven't really done much," she said quietly, swallowing hard and avoiding his eyes so he didn't see her unshed tears.
"But you will," he replied, his voice suddenly gentle and low. "You'll save his life in ways I will never be able to."
"Maybe." Her own voice softened. "But you'll actually save his life." She slowly turned to look at him.
He smiled sadly. "Probably at the risk of my own, you know, which is why I have to tell you that..." He took a deep breath. "... I'm an asshole for everything I said to you last week, and if I could take it back, I would. In a New York minute." He just looked at her, wearing his heart on his sleeve, needing her with him more than he needed anything. Including his own brother.
She looked down at the pavement for a minute. "Yeah. You were," she agreed quietly. "But...I guess that's what happens when...you love someone. They have the ability to hurt you more than anyone else."
He wry smile crossed his features. "So you're saying you still love me?" he asked, trying to beat back the hope that beat eternal in the back of his heart.
"Unfortunately for me, I can't shut those kinds of things off that easily," she said wryly.
His heart fell at her words. "Like mine can?" he asked, his voice husky with emotion. "Chloe, I never said I stopped loving you."
She lifted her gaze to his face. "I wasn't sure it was true to begin with," she admitted softly.
Tears pricked the back of his eyes as he stared at her, disbelieving what he was hearing. "I meant it when I said it," he whispered, the pain in his voice evident. "I mean it now. The rest..." He shook his head. "I'll stay out of your way, try to earn your trust back... and maybe then you'll see." He took a few steps back, feeling the figurative chasm yawning between them.
"I love you, Dean. But trust...just doesn't come easily with me anymore. Not after everything that's happened," she whispered, sadness washing over her.
He grimaced. "Then I guess you don't really love me, Chloe. Because if it's one thing I've had to learn, there's no love without trust." He gazed intently into her eyes. "I trust you. With my life. With my brother's life. I'm just too much of an ass to show it most of the time, but it's there. Always. Hovering in the shadows." How badly he wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, but he knew she wouldn't welcome his touch. Maybe not ever.
She felt like he'd smacked her across the face. "I trust you with my life," she said quietly.
He gazed at her longingly, the unshed tears glistening in his eyes. "I'll always love you, you know. I guess... that's all I can say. I love you. I'm not a good man, but I love you anyway."
"That's where you're wrong, Dean. You are a good man." She held his gaze, her own eyes watering. "I'm just not sure that..." She bit her lip and looked away.
And it was back to her trust issue. And Clark Kent. His eyes became dark with despair and he looked away in the opposite direction. "Yeah," he replied. "I get it. Never gonna happen. I'll learn to accept that fact." He started to walk away, feeling his insides being shredded by her insecurities and hating himself for letting her have that much power over him.
Chloe shut her eyes, dropping her mental walls without even thinking about it. That I'm enough for you, she thought sadly, a tear trickling down her cheek. Swallowing hard and feeling vaguely nauseous, she slowly turned and headed in the opposite direction.
Back at the hotel, Sam felt Chloe's echoing painful thought beat at his brain, startling him out of his silence. Sarah still remained on his lap, though their conversation had been stilted to the point of awkwardness. "Dammit," he swore silently, knowing somehow, Dean had managed to hurt Chloe. Again.
"Sam? What is it?" she asked, taken back by his sudden movement and sliding off his lap to stand.
"Just...a headache I can't get rid of," he told her softly, slowly rising to his feet and planting a kiss against the top of her head.
Why did she think it was more than just that? she wondered, leaning against him and sighing. She wondered where Chloe was, if she was okay.
"I'm worried about her too," he admitted without thinking about it.
"Is she talking to Dean?" she asked, her brows furrowed.
"I don't know. I don't...I don't think she is anymore." He winced a little as his head ached.
"What did you hear, Sam?" she whispered, turning around to look at him. She knew he had heard something. Something painful. Something he didn't want to share with her.
"Sarah..." He closed his eyes, feeling uncomfortable. "She just seems upset."
She nodded and headed for the door. "I'm going after her," she replied, her voice sad and empty. When would things start going right for any of them? she wondered.
"Be careful," he said softly.
She smiled. "I always am." With one last look, she left the hotel in search of her friend.