Two Guys, a Girl and Chevy Impala: Fic 9: Masters of the Mind Meld (2/?)
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.
Chloe sat cross-legged on her bed hours later, shortly after Midnight. She'd turned off her phone, blocked her thoughts from Sam's mind and spent the evening alone, pursuing the city. She'd eaten alone at a small Italian restaurant she'd found, picking at her food and not really consuming much. Now she was wide awake, hoping to find some answers as to why she could hear Sam's thoughts. Because she wasn't hearing anyone else's so she couldn't be experiencing some weirdo psychic power of her very own. Sighing softly, she tapped her fingers lightly on the keyboard.
Returning to the hotel, Sarah was beyond tired. She wanted a hot bubble bath, a large glass of wine, and sleep. In that order. The events of the day had proven nearly too much for her. The thought that Sam could read her mind was... well... it was weird. She didn't know if it was a good or bad thing. She stopped just outside her hotel door. "What if he's reading my mind now?" she wondered out loud, wincing involuntarily at her words. She needed to find a way to block her thoughts from him, because she didn't want to cause him any more grief.
She turned the key in the lock and slowly opened it. She had walked the city streets for hours without a sign of Chloe and knew she probably didn't want to be found. She was honestly surprised, however, to find her at her laptop, her face a blank canvas of concentration. "Chloe," she said, shutting the door and locking it. "I've been looking all over the place for you."
She glanced up, surprised. She'd figured Sarah and Sam had been together all this time. "You have?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Are you okay?" She saw the emptiness behind her friend's eyes, which had to be the result of whatever she and Dean had talked about. "Sam was... worried."
Chloe grimaced a bit, realizing during the words she and Dean had exchanged must have distracted her enough to drop her mental walls at least briefly. "I didn't mean to worry anyone. I just...needed some space," she said softly, looking back at her computer.
She nodded. "Seems like we could all use some space." She sat down in the chair next to Chloe. "Wanna talk about it?" she asked, a little weary.
A faint, sad smile touched her lips. "No, but thanks." She glanced at her briefly. "There's just...not really much to say, I guess."
"Just promise me you'll tell me if you decide to... leave," she whispered, her own smile small and pensive. She glanced at Chloe's screen and frowned. "What are you researching, anyway?"
She was quiet for a moment. "This new ability of Sam's," she said softly.
"Does it involve... meteor rocks?" she asked, staring at the article she'd pulled up. How did Sam's mind reading have to do with Smallville? she wondered.
Chloe fell silent, unsure of how to answer her.
Sarah scanned the computer screen, reading about meteor rocks infecting the town's water supply. "Wait, Sam wasn't there long enough to drink Smallville water..." Her words trailed off and she turned to stare wide eyed at Chloe. "Okay, what aren't you telling me, Chlo?"
She shut her eyes, her shoulders slumping a little. "For whatever reason...I can...hear Sam's thoughts, too," she whispered.
Sarah blinked in shock. She stared at the blonde, saying nothing.
"I know, it's weird, and I don't understand it either," she said quickly.
"So... he can read your mind and... you can read... his?" Oh, she didn't know if she liked the sound of that. She looked away and stood up. The bath was calling her to drown her sorrows in something.
Feeling her heart sink at the distant look in her friend's eyes, Chloe shut her computer. "I'm trying to find a way to shut it off."
"I know you are," she whispered. "I guess I... I'm a little jealous, that's all." She tried to smile but it didn't reach her eyes.
Her heart sunk even more at the look on Sarah's face. That look of involuntary betrayal. Chloe shut her eyes. "Sarah, I'm sorry."
She shrugged, trying to blow it off. "It's okay," she whispered. "Like you said, you don't know how it happened. There must be a reason."
Yeah. I'm slowly going insane and it's opening my mind up to Sam's, she thought wryly. "If it makes you feel any better, I've got him blocked out."
She cocked an eyebrow at her friend. "Um, this might sound weird, but... can you tell me how?" She needed to do something, anything, to keep him from harm... and to keep him out of her head.
A faint smile touched her lips. "I just...picture myself alone in a steel-enforced box. Sounds bizarre, but...seems to work."
She smiled again. "I'll keep that in mind," she said, sitting down again on her bed. "So, uh, if you can read Sam's mind, can you...?" She pointed to her forehead lightly, wondering if the steel-enforced box needed to be in place for her, too.
The smile faded from Chloe's lips. "No," she said softly.
"Good... I guess." Sarah looked at Chloe's concerned face. "Hey, it's gonna be alright." I hope anyway, she thought before practicing the steel-enforced box around the walls of her mind. She needed to keep this if she was going to help out. "So, if you can't read anyone else's mind but Sam's, is he... projecting things into your head?"
"I honestly have no idea. But I'm guessing that means that he's not projecting them into your head, or Dean's."
"I only wish," she murmured almost inaudibly before blushing a little.
"For what it's worth...I wish it was you instead of me," she said softly.
Sarah blushed harder. "I don't know if that would be a good thing or not. He's..." She sighed, unable to get her words out properly. He would never want me to hear his thoughts, she mused mournfully, the steel box slipping a fraction. "Plus he might be able to help you with his brother."
"Well, I think that's...not likely." Chloe's voice was quiet. "We have more important things to deal with then me and Dean's...whatever you wanna call it." Disaster, she thought tiredly.
Sarah thought of the look on Sam's face when he clearly had heard one of Chloe's stray thoughts and looked down. "Gotta say, I disagree. I betcha he puts both on just about the same level."
"Well, I don't. And neither does Dean." He made that abundantly clear, she thought painfully. She let out a breath and opened her computer to go back to her research. "Dean wants to leave first thing in the morning."
Sarah shook her head. "God, you two... Okay, where does he want to go now?" Her frustrated sigh betrayed her growing impatience with her friend and Dean. She knew they had problems, but Lord, when would they learn to talk about them?
"Nevada," she said simply. "The desert."
That seemed to be the most insane place in the world to go. "Why the desert?" she asked Chloe, staring at her with confused eyes.
"Solitude," she answered, glancing at her friend. "We need Sam to...figure out how to control his powers."
Sarah yawned. "Okay, I'll be ready in the morning," she said, then paused for a moment. "That is, if they want us to go." She sighed again and looked down at her hands.
"Well, they may want you to go," she said with a faint, wry smile.
She looked up, her green eyes lit with frustration. "Dean wants you, Chloe."
Chloe didn't respond for a moment. "Yeah. I know he does." She looked down at her computer.
She swallowed hard. "Look, I hate coming back to this subject, Chloe, but... Sam and I... we've been in the middle of this all week, and it's hard concentrating on him when I'm worried about you."
She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry you're in the middle of things, Sarah. I really am. But I'm all right."
She sighed and stood up. "No you're not, and if you two don't start working this out, I'm personally gonna tie you two up until you talk." She grinned suddenly at the thought and gave Chloe a knowing look.
"At this point I think we're more likely to end up killing each other," she said without humor, her eyes focused on the computer screen.
"Okay," Sarah replied, not looking at Chloe. "I'm going to take a bath and then try to sleep. You should, too." She headed for the bathroom and shut the door behind her without waiting for a response. Sliding down against the back of the bathroom door, she let down her mental block and thought, Sam, help me make things right with Chloe and Dean. She's hurting so much and I'm worried about her.
Sam heard that thought loud and clear and he sighed softly, staring blankly up at the ceiling, then over to where his brother was sleeping. I will, he thought, though he knew Sarah couldn't hear him. He just wasn't sure how yet.
&&&&&&&&
Two days. They had been on the road for two days, and Chloe had said nothing to Dean. Nothing. Her silence was slowly killing him inside, especially since she had pretty much proven that she loved him about as much as he loved root canal work. He wasn't worthy of her love apparently, he thought, frowning and stepping on the gas. Just the story of his life: find the woman of your dreams and do everything humanly possible to drive her away. He was surprised she hadn't tried sneaking off during the night. Then he remembered why she was staying: Sam. He glanced at his younger brother sitting next to him. He was the reason she stayed. Not him.
Sam sighed and looked at his brother. "Would you mind not thinking so much?" he complained, shutting his eyes and leaning back in the passenger seat.
"What?" he said, startled out of his pensiveness before looking at Sam with a guilty smile. "Sorry, dude. Thought my wall was up." He glanced back at Chloe and Sarah, who were sleeping at the moment. Probably a good thing, he thought. Neither looked happy, even in their sleep.
"And stop thinking she's only with us for me because it's not true," he grumbled.
"It is totally true, dude," he replied. "Not like she wants me around... wait a minute, how do you know that's not true?"
"Hello? I can read her mind," Sam said in annoyance.
"Bitch," he grumbled under his breath. "Thanks for the reminder." He tried not to think about what Sam might know about Chloe. Things he probably would never understand or find out because she was never going to speak to him again.
"Jerk," he grumbled.
Rolling his eyes and putting up his mental block, he stepped harder on the gas, willing the Impala to get to Nevada that much faster.
Something jerked Sarah awake, though she wasn't sure what it was. Probably the movement of the car and Dean's frustrated driving. She sat up a little and yawned, still needing three more days' sleep. She looked at the back of Sam's head and smiled faintly, though she firmly kept that image of the box, keeping him out of her head.
Sam felt her gaze on him and turned slightly, offering her a faint smile. "Hey. Nice nap?"
She wished she knew what he was thinking and found herself wishing she did have Chloe's connection to him. "Okay one," she replied quietly. "Where are we, anyway?"
"Missouri," Dean said tersely.
Sam rolled his eyes toward his brother, giving Sarah an apologetic look. "We've still got a ways to go."
"Yeah, kinda figured that." She glanced over at Chloe, weary at all of the silence she had listened to in the last day.
In the backseat, Chloe simply rested her head against the window and feigned sleep, carefully keeping the walls up between her and Sam's minds.
I know you're not sleeping, he thought, sensing Chloe's faking sleep.
She was startled by the sudden sound of his voice in her mind. Okay, how exactly are you in my head? she thought, though she kept her eyes shut.
He smiled slightly, looking out the window. I dunno. Maybe I can slip past your mental wall? he thought.
Thanks, Captain Obvious.
Okay, Dean. Sam smiled a bit wider at Chloe's comment. You're starting to sound like him.
Lucky me, she thought wryly, a faint smile touching her lips despite herself.
Sam snorted softly, hoping to God Dean didn't hear that. Thankfully, his brother looked too into his own depressing thoughts to hear anything else. Yes, you're lucky. He's luckier to have you, though, he thought.
Chloe sighed inwardly. Sam....
Chloe, he's right now kicking himself because he doesn't think you love him. Please, for all our sakes, talk to him.
Swallowing hard, she bit her lower lip. Get him to stop somewhere.
"Dude, we need to stop," Sam replied, his body jerking upright.
Sarah looked at Sam, worry in her eyes as she wondered what he and Chloe had been talking about. Dean, probably.
"What, now?" he asked, looking over at Sam. He saw his brother nod quickly and sighed. "Fine, there's a gas station up there. I need coffee anyway." He pulled into the parking lot and shut off the engine.
Chloe drew in a slow breath before climbing out of the backseat. She turned her gaze to look at Dean, who'd just climbed out of the driver's seat. "Can we talk?"
He was a bit surprised to hear her speak to him, but he stopped and looked at her intently. "Sure," he replied. "Wanna latte?" He grinned, but his heart steeled himself against the inevitable.
"That'd be nice," she said quietly.
Letting her go first, he followed her into the gas station. He saw Sam and Sarah at the coffee machine, so he gently touched Chloe on the arm. "So, uh... what's up?" he asked quietly.
Chloe gazed at him. "Dean, I'm sorry," she said just as quietly.
Okay, not the thing he was expecting. He gave her a confused look. "I thought that was my line," he whispered slowly.
A faint smile touched her lips. "I think there's plenty of sorry's to go around," she whispered back.
He looked down and shuffled his foot, suddenly embarrassed. "Maybe," he whispered, "but why are you? Last time we talked..." He closed his eyes, unable to finish his statement because of the pain the memory of that night still caused him.
Chloe closed her eyes. "Dean, I love you." Her voice was very soft.
He looked at her and smiled ruefully. "I love you, too, Chloe. I wish you knew how much." He paused a moment, his smile fading. "But I sense a but coming."
"Well, then you sense wrong. There isn't one." She gazed at him.
He touched her cheek gently, feeling hope rise in his chest again. "No?" he whispered, wondering if he was dreaming.
She leaned into his touch, an almost involuntary reaction. "No."
"Chloe," he whispered, pulling her into his embrace and kissing the top of her head. He sighed, not caring who saw them.
She slid her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah noticed Dean and Chloe holding each other and sighed. Thank God, she thought as she poured herself some coffee, completely forgetting about that mental block she'd worked so hard to maintain all morning.
Sam smiled at her thought, echoing it. "I agree," he said softly, touching her arm.
She stiffened for a second, then relaxed at his touch. "Sorry, I forgot," she said, looking up at him. "How you doing with the whole mind reading thing, anyway?"
He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I'm getting better at blocking things out." Except Chloe, he thought with a small frown.
"What is it?" she asked quietly, wondering what he was thinking about.
"I still have a long way to go," he said quietly.
"For what it's worth, I'm here to help you... though Chloe would be better at that, since you two can read each other's minds." She pulled away from him, looking down at the coffee in her hands and headed for the cashier.
Dean had taken Chloe by the hand and led her inside to the coffee machine, his face wearing a more confident smile. "No lattes, huh?" he asked, looking at his brother, who wore a confused look.
Chloe turned her head to look at Sam, her eyes questioning as she heard his confused thoughts. You okay, Sam?
How does Sarah know you can read my mind? he asked her, watching Sarah a few feet away.
"Dude, snap out of it," Dean said, snapping his fingers at his brother.
"Oh, sorry." Sam turned back to look at Dean and Chloe, his face filled with confusion.
She groaned softly, realizing he didn't know about that. Long story. I'll tell you in the car, she promised silently.
Sam sighed inwardly. Yeah, you better, he thought, glancing back at Sarah, whose thoughts seemed to hone in on her anxiety and... jealousy? She was jealous of Chloe.
"Earth to Sammy," Dean called, watching Sam, Chloe, and Sarah and not understanding a bit of what was going on.
"Let's get back on the road," Chloe suggested wearily, resting a hand on his arm lightly, then heading for the backseat once more.
"Sure," Dean replied, giving her a confused, yet concerned look. "Everything okay?" He grabbed their coffees and headed after her.
"Yeah, everything's fine," she said softly, glancing back at him.
He didn't believe her, but he got into the driver's seat and handed her a cup of coffee. "Okay," he replied, putting on his sunglasses again.
Not looking at Sam, Sarah crawled into the backseat with Chloe, deep in her thoughts, which were firmly behind a wall she hoped Sam couldn't crack.
Leaning her head against the window once more, she recounted the previous night's events to Sam in her mind. I didn't mean for her to find out, Sam, she thought, feeling guilty. She just...sorta figured things out.
She's a smart one, my Sarah, Sam mused, staring at her in the rearview mirror. I don't get why she's jealous of you, though.
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How would you feel if Sarah and Dean could read each other's minds?
Sam felt a surge of anger shoot through him. Good point, he told her, looking over at Dean. I'd be pretty insane with the jealousy... Have you told Dean about... this freaky mind thing?
Hell no, she thought, alarmed. I'm trying to figure a way to shut it off.
Any luck with that? Sam thought, desperate for her to be out of his mind as soon as humanly possible. His eyes remained glued to the passenger side window, watching Sarah watch the passing scenery.
Not so far, she thought, leaning her head against the window and closing her eyes.
Get Sarah to help you, he silently pleaded. I think she needs the distraction.
All right, all right. This whole thing's giving me a headache, Sam. I'm gonna...
... stop this mind-bending conversation? he finished, closing his eyes against the sudden burst of pain in his head.
Feeling a similar pain in her own head, she winced. Yes. That.
His eyes still closed, Sam put up the barrier that he hoped would shut Chloe out for awhile. Not to mention everyone else in the car. Funny, he never knew how crowded it was in the Impala until then.
Dean looked over at his brother. "Dude, you alright?" he asked, breaking the long silence among them.
"Headache," Sam answered vaguely, leaning back in the seat.
Ditto that, Chloe thought, also putting up her mental barriers and trying to relax.
Feeling utterly lost, Sarah pushed her body further into the backseat, having seen and known exactly what Sam and Chloe had been doing. She hated herself for feeling like she was the outsider in her -- should she call it relationship? -- with Sam, but she didn't know how else to take this new development.
"Okay, whatever," Dean grumbled, feeling the tension in the air, though he was at a loss as to where it came from. Pushing harder on the gar, he hoped they would be inside the Nevada state line by nightfall.
Rubbing the back of her neck as she settled behind her computer in the large motel room, Chloe let out a silent breath as she picked up where she left off researching the night before. Her eyes were tired and her head ached and she was hungry, but none of that mattered. Not in the grand scheme of things anyway.
Screw the grand scheme of things, Sam said to her, hearing her thoughts loud and clear from the next room. You and Sarah get something to eat. And rest, okay? You two need it.
She started at his voice in her head and a small scowl appeared on her lips. We really need to work out this whole barrier thing, Sam.
Hey, you started it, he joked sarcastically, his head already starting to pound.
Sarah noticed the frown on Chloe's face and looked at her. "What's wrong? Can't find where you left off?"
"More like, can't get rid of this headache," she said wryly, rubbing her temples. I did not start it, she retorted to Sam.
"Maybe you should wait on the research until it goes away," she replied, her mind carefully blocked from any stray thought Sam might hear. She wondered if he was communicating with her mentally and sighed inwardly.
Listen to Sarah, Sam said sternly. Don't make me send Dean over there to get you to lie down.
Are you always this overprotective? she mused. "Yeah. Lying down...sounds good." She slowly rose to her feet and moved over to the bed.
Hey, my brother'd kick my ass if he knew... Sam shut down their mental connection. Especially since he saw his brother's gaze on him.
"How about... I go get us something to eat?" Sarah volunteered, looking for her purse.
"That'd be nice," she said softly, both relieved and a little lonely at the loss of contact with Sam in her mind. Startled at the realization, she sank down onto the mattress, laying back on the bed and closing her eyes.
"Okay," she sighed, walking out the door and heading for the guys' room. Maybe Dean would let her borrow the Impala, because with them in the middle of nowhere, she doubted a cab would pick her up. She knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer.
"Sammy! Gonna get that?" Dean hollered, too tired and lazy to actually get up off the comfortable bed he'd plopped himself on. When he realized, however, that Sam was not interested in opening his eyes or moving, he groaned and got up. Opening the door, he found Sarah on the other side. "Hey," he replied with a small smirk. "Where you off to?" He pointed at her purse.
"Thought I'd go get us all something to eat. Mind if I borrow the car?" she asked hesitantly.
Looking back at Sam, whose arm covered his eyes, he said, "How bout I come with you? Mr. Mind Reader over here's been too dull to chat with." He smirked, again wondering what had made his brother so quiet lately.
"Yeah, I'm sure he's been busy chatting with someone else," she said without thinking.
Shutting the door behind him, Dean cocked an eyebrow at her. "Uh, run that by me again?" he asked, drawing a blank.
Her face paling, she tried to back peddle. "You know, being able to read everyone's minds...it's gotta be like having a bunch of conversations all at once."
He stared at her, face pale, and frowned. "No, you said something about chatting with someone... else." He emphasized the last word, his mind starting to work. "That would mean someone can read his mind back." He thought maybe it was Sarah, but since she was the one making the wise-cracks...
Sarah ducked her head, swallowing hard. This had gone very wrong. "Look, it's not really my place to--"
"Oh, it so totally is," he whispered, an awareness spreading through his veins and making him see red. "It's Chloe, isn't it? They've both been awfully quiet the last couple of days. Are they...?" He stared intently at her, waiting for the answer she was sure to give.
She winced a little and reluctantly looked up at him. "Yeah. But...they don't know why. She can't read anyone else's mind."
Dean was silent for several moments, his jaw set and tense. He didn't want to yell or say anything to scare Sam's girl, because none of this was her fault. But Sam and Chloe... How long as this been going on? he wondered. "So they've been carrying on non-verbal conversations right in front of us?" he whispered, his voice emotionless.
Sarah didn't respond, a pained expression on her face because she knew exactly how he felt.
Putting his hands against the frame of the Impala, he took several very deep breaths, hoping that would calm him down. Didn't work, though: he still felt the poison of betrayal gushing through his veins. "Goddammit," he muttered, not looking at her. "I'm such a damn fool."
"No, you're not," she said softly. "It's not like they can help it." Despite the truth in the words, she couldn't help but feel the bitter sting of jealousy flash through her once more.
He snorted. "They still should have told us, Sarah." He looked at her unhappy face and smirked in frustration. "How'd you find out?" He thought he was doing a pretty good job keeping his anger at bay, he thought.
"Chloe accidentally told me last night." She leaned against the car, tucking her hands into her pockets.
"Great, nothing like a secret among friends," he muttered to himself. He blew out a long breath. "Does Sammy know that... you know about this? And why the hell didn't they tell me?!" He felt his rage rising up and slammed the door shut hard when he got into the driver's seat.
"I don't think he knows I know but...considering he can read minds, he might. I don't know, Dean. He hasn't said anything," Sarah answered warily, sliding into the passenger seat.
Starting the car, Dean pulled out of the parking lot and left towards the fast food joint they had passed on their way into the small middle-of-nowhere town they had landed in. "And he probably won't, either, knowing my brother." And Chloe, for that matter, he thought bitterly. The need to beat down the doors and demand to know their conversations ate at him, just as he suspected Sarah might have been thinking about, too. "You gonna... mention it to him?" His voice was dull and flat.
"Can't avoid it forever," she murmured dully.
As he sped them towards their destination, he nodded in agreement. No, neither could he. He mentally prepared himself for the battle he would surely face when they got back. Smirking, he stated, "Betcha never thought any of this would happen when you agreed to come with us, huh?"
Sarah turned her head to look at him with a wry expression. That was an understatement if she'd ever heard one.
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.
Chloe sat cross-legged on her bed hours later, shortly after Midnight. She'd turned off her phone, blocked her thoughts from Sam's mind and spent the evening alone, pursuing the city. She'd eaten alone at a small Italian restaurant she'd found, picking at her food and not really consuming much. Now she was wide awake, hoping to find some answers as to why she could hear Sam's thoughts. Because she wasn't hearing anyone else's so she couldn't be experiencing some weirdo psychic power of her very own. Sighing softly, she tapped her fingers lightly on the keyboard.
Returning to the hotel, Sarah was beyond tired. She wanted a hot bubble bath, a large glass of wine, and sleep. In that order. The events of the day had proven nearly too much for her. The thought that Sam could read her mind was... well... it was weird. She didn't know if it was a good or bad thing. She stopped just outside her hotel door. "What if he's reading my mind now?" she wondered out loud, wincing involuntarily at her words. She needed to find a way to block her thoughts from him, because she didn't want to cause him any more grief.
She turned the key in the lock and slowly opened it. She had walked the city streets for hours without a sign of Chloe and knew she probably didn't want to be found. She was honestly surprised, however, to find her at her laptop, her face a blank canvas of concentration. "Chloe," she said, shutting the door and locking it. "I've been looking all over the place for you."
She glanced up, surprised. She'd figured Sarah and Sam had been together all this time. "You have?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Are you okay?" She saw the emptiness behind her friend's eyes, which had to be the result of whatever she and Dean had talked about. "Sam was... worried."
Chloe grimaced a bit, realizing during the words she and Dean had exchanged must have distracted her enough to drop her mental walls at least briefly. "I didn't mean to worry anyone. I just...needed some space," she said softly, looking back at her computer.
She nodded. "Seems like we could all use some space." She sat down in the chair next to Chloe. "Wanna talk about it?" she asked, a little weary.
A faint, sad smile touched her lips. "No, but thanks." She glanced at her briefly. "There's just...not really much to say, I guess."
"Just promise me you'll tell me if you decide to... leave," she whispered, her own smile small and pensive. She glanced at Chloe's screen and frowned. "What are you researching, anyway?"
She was quiet for a moment. "This new ability of Sam's," she said softly.
"Does it involve... meteor rocks?" she asked, staring at the article she'd pulled up. How did Sam's mind reading have to do with Smallville? she wondered.
Chloe fell silent, unsure of how to answer her.
Sarah scanned the computer screen, reading about meteor rocks infecting the town's water supply. "Wait, Sam wasn't there long enough to drink Smallville water..." Her words trailed off and she turned to stare wide eyed at Chloe. "Okay, what aren't you telling me, Chlo?"
She shut her eyes, her shoulders slumping a little. "For whatever reason...I can...hear Sam's thoughts, too," she whispered.
Sarah blinked in shock. She stared at the blonde, saying nothing.
"I know, it's weird, and I don't understand it either," she said quickly.
"So... he can read your mind and... you can read... his?" Oh, she didn't know if she liked the sound of that. She looked away and stood up. The bath was calling her to drown her sorrows in something.
Feeling her heart sink at the distant look in her friend's eyes, Chloe shut her computer. "I'm trying to find a way to shut it off."
"I know you are," she whispered. "I guess I... I'm a little jealous, that's all." She tried to smile but it didn't reach her eyes.
Her heart sunk even more at the look on Sarah's face. That look of involuntary betrayal. Chloe shut her eyes. "Sarah, I'm sorry."
She shrugged, trying to blow it off. "It's okay," she whispered. "Like you said, you don't know how it happened. There must be a reason."
Yeah. I'm slowly going insane and it's opening my mind up to Sam's, she thought wryly. "If it makes you feel any better, I've got him blocked out."
She cocked an eyebrow at her friend. "Um, this might sound weird, but... can you tell me how?" She needed to do something, anything, to keep him from harm... and to keep him out of her head.
A faint smile touched her lips. "I just...picture myself alone in a steel-enforced box. Sounds bizarre, but...seems to work."
She smiled again. "I'll keep that in mind," she said, sitting down again on her bed. "So, uh, if you can read Sam's mind, can you...?" She pointed to her forehead lightly, wondering if the steel-enforced box needed to be in place for her, too.
The smile faded from Chloe's lips. "No," she said softly.
"Good... I guess." Sarah looked at Chloe's concerned face. "Hey, it's gonna be alright." I hope anyway, she thought before practicing the steel-enforced box around the walls of her mind. She needed to keep this if she was going to help out. "So, if you can't read anyone else's mind but Sam's, is he... projecting things into your head?"
"I honestly have no idea. But I'm guessing that means that he's not projecting them into your head, or Dean's."
"I only wish," she murmured almost inaudibly before blushing a little.
"For what it's worth...I wish it was you instead of me," she said softly.
Sarah blushed harder. "I don't know if that would be a good thing or not. He's..." She sighed, unable to get her words out properly. He would never want me to hear his thoughts, she mused mournfully, the steel box slipping a fraction. "Plus he might be able to help you with his brother."
"Well, I think that's...not likely." Chloe's voice was quiet. "We have more important things to deal with then me and Dean's...whatever you wanna call it." Disaster, she thought tiredly.
Sarah thought of the look on Sam's face when he clearly had heard one of Chloe's stray thoughts and looked down. "Gotta say, I disagree. I betcha he puts both on just about the same level."
"Well, I don't. And neither does Dean." He made that abundantly clear, she thought painfully. She let out a breath and opened her computer to go back to her research. "Dean wants to leave first thing in the morning."
Sarah shook her head. "God, you two... Okay, where does he want to go now?" Her frustrated sigh betrayed her growing impatience with her friend and Dean. She knew they had problems, but Lord, when would they learn to talk about them?
"Nevada," she said simply. "The desert."
That seemed to be the most insane place in the world to go. "Why the desert?" she asked Chloe, staring at her with confused eyes.
"Solitude," she answered, glancing at her friend. "We need Sam to...figure out how to control his powers."
Sarah yawned. "Okay, I'll be ready in the morning," she said, then paused for a moment. "That is, if they want us to go." She sighed again and looked down at her hands.
"Well, they may want you to go," she said with a faint, wry smile.
She looked up, her green eyes lit with frustration. "Dean wants you, Chloe."
Chloe didn't respond for a moment. "Yeah. I know he does." She looked down at her computer.
She swallowed hard. "Look, I hate coming back to this subject, Chloe, but... Sam and I... we've been in the middle of this all week, and it's hard concentrating on him when I'm worried about you."
She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry you're in the middle of things, Sarah. I really am. But I'm all right."
She sighed and stood up. "No you're not, and if you two don't start working this out, I'm personally gonna tie you two up until you talk." She grinned suddenly at the thought and gave Chloe a knowing look.
"At this point I think we're more likely to end up killing each other," she said without humor, her eyes focused on the computer screen.
"Okay," Sarah replied, not looking at Chloe. "I'm going to take a bath and then try to sleep. You should, too." She headed for the bathroom and shut the door behind her without waiting for a response. Sliding down against the back of the bathroom door, she let down her mental block and thought, Sam, help me make things right with Chloe and Dean. She's hurting so much and I'm worried about her.
Sam heard that thought loud and clear and he sighed softly, staring blankly up at the ceiling, then over to where his brother was sleeping. I will, he thought, though he knew Sarah couldn't hear him. He just wasn't sure how yet.
&&&&&&&&
Two days. They had been on the road for two days, and Chloe had said nothing to Dean. Nothing. Her silence was slowly killing him inside, especially since she had pretty much proven that she loved him about as much as he loved root canal work. He wasn't worthy of her love apparently, he thought, frowning and stepping on the gas. Just the story of his life: find the woman of your dreams and do everything humanly possible to drive her away. He was surprised she hadn't tried sneaking off during the night. Then he remembered why she was staying: Sam. He glanced at his younger brother sitting next to him. He was the reason she stayed. Not him.
Sam sighed and looked at his brother. "Would you mind not thinking so much?" he complained, shutting his eyes and leaning back in the passenger seat.
"What?" he said, startled out of his pensiveness before looking at Sam with a guilty smile. "Sorry, dude. Thought my wall was up." He glanced back at Chloe and Sarah, who were sleeping at the moment. Probably a good thing, he thought. Neither looked happy, even in their sleep.
"And stop thinking she's only with us for me because it's not true," he grumbled.
"It is totally true, dude," he replied. "Not like she wants me around... wait a minute, how do you know that's not true?"
"Hello? I can read her mind," Sam said in annoyance.
"Bitch," he grumbled under his breath. "Thanks for the reminder." He tried not to think about what Sam might know about Chloe. Things he probably would never understand or find out because she was never going to speak to him again.
"Jerk," he grumbled.
Rolling his eyes and putting up his mental block, he stepped harder on the gas, willing the Impala to get to Nevada that much faster.
Something jerked Sarah awake, though she wasn't sure what it was. Probably the movement of the car and Dean's frustrated driving. She sat up a little and yawned, still needing three more days' sleep. She looked at the back of Sam's head and smiled faintly, though she firmly kept that image of the box, keeping him out of her head.
Sam felt her gaze on him and turned slightly, offering her a faint smile. "Hey. Nice nap?"
She wished she knew what he was thinking and found herself wishing she did have Chloe's connection to him. "Okay one," she replied quietly. "Where are we, anyway?"
"Missouri," Dean said tersely.
Sam rolled his eyes toward his brother, giving Sarah an apologetic look. "We've still got a ways to go."
"Yeah, kinda figured that." She glanced over at Chloe, weary at all of the silence she had listened to in the last day.
In the backseat, Chloe simply rested her head against the window and feigned sleep, carefully keeping the walls up between her and Sam's minds.
I know you're not sleeping, he thought, sensing Chloe's faking sleep.
She was startled by the sudden sound of his voice in her mind. Okay, how exactly are you in my head? she thought, though she kept her eyes shut.
He smiled slightly, looking out the window. I dunno. Maybe I can slip past your mental wall? he thought.
Thanks, Captain Obvious.
Okay, Dean. Sam smiled a bit wider at Chloe's comment. You're starting to sound like him.
Lucky me, she thought wryly, a faint smile touching her lips despite herself.
Sam snorted softly, hoping to God Dean didn't hear that. Thankfully, his brother looked too into his own depressing thoughts to hear anything else. Yes, you're lucky. He's luckier to have you, though, he thought.
Chloe sighed inwardly. Sam....
Chloe, he's right now kicking himself because he doesn't think you love him. Please, for all our sakes, talk to him.
Swallowing hard, she bit her lower lip. Get him to stop somewhere.
"Dude, we need to stop," Sam replied, his body jerking upright.
Sarah looked at Sam, worry in her eyes as she wondered what he and Chloe had been talking about. Dean, probably.
"What, now?" he asked, looking over at Sam. He saw his brother nod quickly and sighed. "Fine, there's a gas station up there. I need coffee anyway." He pulled into the parking lot and shut off the engine.
Chloe drew in a slow breath before climbing out of the backseat. She turned her gaze to look at Dean, who'd just climbed out of the driver's seat. "Can we talk?"
He was a bit surprised to hear her speak to him, but he stopped and looked at her intently. "Sure," he replied. "Wanna latte?" He grinned, but his heart steeled himself against the inevitable.
"That'd be nice," she said quietly.
Letting her go first, he followed her into the gas station. He saw Sam and Sarah at the coffee machine, so he gently touched Chloe on the arm. "So, uh... what's up?" he asked quietly.
Chloe gazed at him. "Dean, I'm sorry," she said just as quietly.
Okay, not the thing he was expecting. He gave her a confused look. "I thought that was my line," he whispered slowly.
A faint smile touched her lips. "I think there's plenty of sorry's to go around," she whispered back.
He looked down and shuffled his foot, suddenly embarrassed. "Maybe," he whispered, "but why are you? Last time we talked..." He closed his eyes, unable to finish his statement because of the pain the memory of that night still caused him.
Chloe closed her eyes. "Dean, I love you." Her voice was very soft.
He looked at her and smiled ruefully. "I love you, too, Chloe. I wish you knew how much." He paused a moment, his smile fading. "But I sense a but coming."
"Well, then you sense wrong. There isn't one." She gazed at him.
He touched her cheek gently, feeling hope rise in his chest again. "No?" he whispered, wondering if he was dreaming.
She leaned into his touch, an almost involuntary reaction. "No."
"Chloe," he whispered, pulling her into his embrace and kissing the top of her head. He sighed, not caring who saw them.
She slid her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah noticed Dean and Chloe holding each other and sighed. Thank God, she thought as she poured herself some coffee, completely forgetting about that mental block she'd worked so hard to maintain all morning.
Sam smiled at her thought, echoing it. "I agree," he said softly, touching her arm.
She stiffened for a second, then relaxed at his touch. "Sorry, I forgot," she said, looking up at him. "How you doing with the whole mind reading thing, anyway?"
He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I'm getting better at blocking things out." Except Chloe, he thought with a small frown.
"What is it?" she asked quietly, wondering what he was thinking about.
"I still have a long way to go," he said quietly.
"For what it's worth, I'm here to help you... though Chloe would be better at that, since you two can read each other's minds." She pulled away from him, looking down at the coffee in her hands and headed for the cashier.
Dean had taken Chloe by the hand and led her inside to the coffee machine, his face wearing a more confident smile. "No lattes, huh?" he asked, looking at his brother, who wore a confused look.
Chloe turned her head to look at Sam, her eyes questioning as she heard his confused thoughts. You okay, Sam?
How does Sarah know you can read my mind? he asked her, watching Sarah a few feet away.
"Dude, snap out of it," Dean said, snapping his fingers at his brother.
"Oh, sorry." Sam turned back to look at Dean and Chloe, his face filled with confusion.
She groaned softly, realizing he didn't know about that. Long story. I'll tell you in the car, she promised silently.
Sam sighed inwardly. Yeah, you better, he thought, glancing back at Sarah, whose thoughts seemed to hone in on her anxiety and... jealousy? She was jealous of Chloe.
"Earth to Sammy," Dean called, watching Sam, Chloe, and Sarah and not understanding a bit of what was going on.
"Let's get back on the road," Chloe suggested wearily, resting a hand on his arm lightly, then heading for the backseat once more.
"Sure," Dean replied, giving her a confused, yet concerned look. "Everything okay?" He grabbed their coffees and headed after her.
"Yeah, everything's fine," she said softly, glancing back at him.
He didn't believe her, but he got into the driver's seat and handed her a cup of coffee. "Okay," he replied, putting on his sunglasses again.
Not looking at Sam, Sarah crawled into the backseat with Chloe, deep in her thoughts, which were firmly behind a wall she hoped Sam couldn't crack.
Leaning her head against the window once more, she recounted the previous night's events to Sam in her mind. I didn't mean for her to find out, Sam, she thought, feeling guilty. She just...sorta figured things out.
She's a smart one, my Sarah, Sam mused, staring at her in the rearview mirror. I don't get why she's jealous of you, though.
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How would you feel if Sarah and Dean could read each other's minds?
Sam felt a surge of anger shoot through him. Good point, he told her, looking over at Dean. I'd be pretty insane with the jealousy... Have you told Dean about... this freaky mind thing?
Hell no, she thought, alarmed. I'm trying to figure a way to shut it off.
Any luck with that? Sam thought, desperate for her to be out of his mind as soon as humanly possible. His eyes remained glued to the passenger side window, watching Sarah watch the passing scenery.
Not so far, she thought, leaning her head against the window and closing her eyes.
Get Sarah to help you, he silently pleaded. I think she needs the distraction.
All right, all right. This whole thing's giving me a headache, Sam. I'm gonna...
... stop this mind-bending conversation? he finished, closing his eyes against the sudden burst of pain in his head.
Feeling a similar pain in her own head, she winced. Yes. That.
His eyes still closed, Sam put up the barrier that he hoped would shut Chloe out for awhile. Not to mention everyone else in the car. Funny, he never knew how crowded it was in the Impala until then.
Dean looked over at his brother. "Dude, you alright?" he asked, breaking the long silence among them.
"Headache," Sam answered vaguely, leaning back in the seat.
Ditto that, Chloe thought, also putting up her mental barriers and trying to relax.
Feeling utterly lost, Sarah pushed her body further into the backseat, having seen and known exactly what Sam and Chloe had been doing. She hated herself for feeling like she was the outsider in her -- should she call it relationship? -- with Sam, but she didn't know how else to take this new development.
"Okay, whatever," Dean grumbled, feeling the tension in the air, though he was at a loss as to where it came from. Pushing harder on the gar, he hoped they would be inside the Nevada state line by nightfall.
Rubbing the back of her neck as she settled behind her computer in the large motel room, Chloe let out a silent breath as she picked up where she left off researching the night before. Her eyes were tired and her head ached and she was hungry, but none of that mattered. Not in the grand scheme of things anyway.
Screw the grand scheme of things, Sam said to her, hearing her thoughts loud and clear from the next room. You and Sarah get something to eat. And rest, okay? You two need it.
She started at his voice in her head and a small scowl appeared on her lips. We really need to work out this whole barrier thing, Sam.
Hey, you started it, he joked sarcastically, his head already starting to pound.
Sarah noticed the frown on Chloe's face and looked at her. "What's wrong? Can't find where you left off?"
"More like, can't get rid of this headache," she said wryly, rubbing her temples. I did not start it, she retorted to Sam.
"Maybe you should wait on the research until it goes away," she replied, her mind carefully blocked from any stray thought Sam might hear. She wondered if he was communicating with her mentally and sighed inwardly.
Listen to Sarah, Sam said sternly. Don't make me send Dean over there to get you to lie down.
Are you always this overprotective? she mused. "Yeah. Lying down...sounds good." She slowly rose to her feet and moved over to the bed.
Hey, my brother'd kick my ass if he knew... Sam shut down their mental connection. Especially since he saw his brother's gaze on him.
"How about... I go get us something to eat?" Sarah volunteered, looking for her purse.
"That'd be nice," she said softly, both relieved and a little lonely at the loss of contact with Sam in her mind. Startled at the realization, she sank down onto the mattress, laying back on the bed and closing her eyes.
"Okay," she sighed, walking out the door and heading for the guys' room. Maybe Dean would let her borrow the Impala, because with them in the middle of nowhere, she doubted a cab would pick her up. She knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer.
"Sammy! Gonna get that?" Dean hollered, too tired and lazy to actually get up off the comfortable bed he'd plopped himself on. When he realized, however, that Sam was not interested in opening his eyes or moving, he groaned and got up. Opening the door, he found Sarah on the other side. "Hey," he replied with a small smirk. "Where you off to?" He pointed at her purse.
"Thought I'd go get us all something to eat. Mind if I borrow the car?" she asked hesitantly.
Looking back at Sam, whose arm covered his eyes, he said, "How bout I come with you? Mr. Mind Reader over here's been too dull to chat with." He smirked, again wondering what had made his brother so quiet lately.
"Yeah, I'm sure he's been busy chatting with someone else," she said without thinking.
Shutting the door behind him, Dean cocked an eyebrow at her. "Uh, run that by me again?" he asked, drawing a blank.
Her face paling, she tried to back peddle. "You know, being able to read everyone's minds...it's gotta be like having a bunch of conversations all at once."
He stared at her, face pale, and frowned. "No, you said something about chatting with someone... else." He emphasized the last word, his mind starting to work. "That would mean someone can read his mind back." He thought maybe it was Sarah, but since she was the one making the wise-cracks...
Sarah ducked her head, swallowing hard. This had gone very wrong. "Look, it's not really my place to--"
"Oh, it so totally is," he whispered, an awareness spreading through his veins and making him see red. "It's Chloe, isn't it? They've both been awfully quiet the last couple of days. Are they...?" He stared intently at her, waiting for the answer she was sure to give.
She winced a little and reluctantly looked up at him. "Yeah. But...they don't know why. She can't read anyone else's mind."
Dean was silent for several moments, his jaw set and tense. He didn't want to yell or say anything to scare Sam's girl, because none of this was her fault. But Sam and Chloe... How long as this been going on? he wondered. "So they've been carrying on non-verbal conversations right in front of us?" he whispered, his voice emotionless.
Sarah didn't respond, a pained expression on her face because she knew exactly how he felt.
Putting his hands against the frame of the Impala, he took several very deep breaths, hoping that would calm him down. Didn't work, though: he still felt the poison of betrayal gushing through his veins. "Goddammit," he muttered, not looking at her. "I'm such a damn fool."
"No, you're not," she said softly. "It's not like they can help it." Despite the truth in the words, she couldn't help but feel the bitter sting of jealousy flash through her once more.
He snorted. "They still should have told us, Sarah." He looked at her unhappy face and smirked in frustration. "How'd you find out?" He thought he was doing a pretty good job keeping his anger at bay, he thought.
"Chloe accidentally told me last night." She leaned against the car, tucking her hands into her pockets.
"Great, nothing like a secret among friends," he muttered to himself. He blew out a long breath. "Does Sammy know that... you know about this? And why the hell didn't they tell me?!" He felt his rage rising up and slammed the door shut hard when he got into the driver's seat.
"I don't think he knows I know but...considering he can read minds, he might. I don't know, Dean. He hasn't said anything," Sarah answered warily, sliding into the passenger seat.
Starting the car, Dean pulled out of the parking lot and left towards the fast food joint they had passed on their way into the small middle-of-nowhere town they had landed in. "And he probably won't, either, knowing my brother." And Chloe, for that matter, he thought bitterly. The need to beat down the doors and demand to know their conversations ate at him, just as he suspected Sarah might have been thinking about, too. "You gonna... mention it to him?" His voice was dull and flat.
"Can't avoid it forever," she murmured dully.
As he sped them towards their destination, he nodded in agreement. No, neither could he. He mentally prepared himself for the battle he would surely face when they got back. Smirking, he stated, "Betcha never thought any of this would happen when you agreed to come with us, huh?"
Sarah turned her head to look at him with a wry expression. That was an understatement if she'd ever heard one.