Highway From Hell, Fic 2: Welcome to Existence (2/4)
Series: Highway From Hell
Fic 2: Welcome to Existence
Authors: Xtremeroswellian and Did_It_Once
Rated: PG-13
Spoilers: “No Rest for the Wicked" for Supernatural. Nothing terribly spoilery from Smallville if you watched any of sixth or seventh season.
Disclaimer: Not ours. Don’t sue.
Characters: Chloe, Dean, Sam, the JLA.
Pairing: None yet. Eventual Chlean. Of course. :P
Wordcount: 9603
Previous Parts Can be found here: Highway From Hell
Welcome to Existence (Part Two)
"Ugh." Sam laid his head down on the table they were seated at later the next morning.
Dean didn't look up from his menu. "I'm restricting your coffee consumption from now on."
"Thank you."
"Why do you even do that to yourself?"
"Me? Chloe drank five," he defended.
He rolled his eyes and lowered the menu. "So if everyone's smoking weed, you're only gonna take four hits instead of five?"
"Ha ha."
"It's a flawed logic, dude," he put the menu up again and scanned through it.
"So you've never tried to drink someone under the table before?" Sam lifted his head and gave his brother a look.
Dean grinned and put it down. "I pride myself on being able to do that. And besides, I know the hangover remedy."
"For alcohol."
"Yep."
"Totally different."
He snorted. "You're the one who brought it up."
Sam laid his head back down. "If I feel this bad, Chloe must feel a lot worse."
"Doubt it."
He made a face.
"She's a reporter," Dean gave him a pointed look. "They *live* on coffee."
He groaned and slowly lifted his head up, resting it in his hands for a moment, then ordering a glass of orange juice when the waitress paused at their table. When she left once more, he glanced at Dean. "So she knows a lot about us."
Dean folded his arms. "What exactly does she know?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "She knows about Jess. About Mom. About St. Louis...Henrickson. Quite a few details on a lot of the cases we've done the last couple years."
"Impressive. Now we know what we need to cover up."
"She said it took her awhile to put it all together."
"But she still did it."
Sam nodded a little. "But she had an interest in us."
Dean shrugged. "So?"
"Just saying. I don't think too many people pay that much attention." He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "But my guess is she could help us cover those tracks. She's pretty good with a computer."
"Whatever, Sammy."
"What?" He looked confused.
"You're not convincing me of anything, here."
"I don't know what you're talking about." He picked up his glass of OJ and took a drink.
Dean snorted. "I know what you're trying to do."
"Convince me that this league is a good idea. Through Chloe."
He shook his head. "I'm not talking about the League. I'm just talking about Chloe, Dean."
"Sure you are."
"I am," he said seriously, setting his cup down and gazing at his brother. "I don't know any of the people from the League. But...I have spent some time with Chloe." He glanced down at the table.
"And that's fine that you trust her," he leaned forward. "Just be careful."
He nodded a little, hesitating. "Always good to expand the circle of friends right?"
"Yeah," he relented. "It is."
"Maybe you should talk to her."
"Why? That's your area of expertise."
"Yeah, but you've got a good feel for people. See what you think. Be good to have a second opinion."
Shaking his head, Dean smirked at his brother. "The things I do for you." *
Sam suppressed the urge he had to grin. He'd done his part. He had no doubt his brother would end up liking the pretty blonde as much as he did. He just had to sit back and wait.
* * *
It was near two o'clock before Dean got around to making up his mind to himself that he was going to visit Chloe. Now he found himself at her front door. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered under his breath before raising his hand and knocking.
A couple moments later, the door opened and surprise flickered over her face. "Dean. Hi."
"Hey Chloe," he said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, worry in her green eyes.
He nodded. "Yeah. Is it alright if I come in?"
"Yeah, of course." Chloe stepped aside to let him in, then slowly shut the door behind him. "You want something to drink?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm good."
"Okay." She leaned against the door for a moment, then motioned to the sofa. "Have a seat."
He nodded a little and walked over to the sofa, sitting down slowly. "Thanks."
"Sure." She sat down across from him.
"So...ah..." He leaned forward and put his arms on his knees. "Sam sent me."
Chloe's eyebrows furrowed. "Okay..."
He let out a breath. "He said he wanted me to talk to you."
That caught her attention and she leaned forward a little. "About what exactly?"
"About expanding our circle of friends," he looked around the room, avoiding her gaze. "Apparently he needed a second opinion on if you could be trusted."
A flash of hurt flickered over her features. She'd thought she and Sam had connected the night before, had forged a tentative friendship. Maybe she'd been mistaken. "I see," she said softly.
He bit his lip. "In all honestly, I know he trusts you."
"He does?"
He nodded. "He does. He just wanted to get me over here to talk."
"I'm not sure I understand," she said softly, shaking her head.
"Then we're on the same boat," he smiled slightly.
A faint smile touched her lips, as well. Then it faded as she drew in a breath. "Dean...about...the stuff that happened back in Illinois--"
"Which part?" He raised an eyebrow.
She grimaced. "Well, might as well start with the beginning, right?"
He shrugged. "The first part was all routine for us. Then you saving my brother...I'm just grateful for that."
"Well...it was pretty much my fault he got shot in the first place," she said quietly.
"But you saved him."
"Yeah."
"That's all that sticks out in my mind."
Chloe looked up at him for a moment, silent. "Can I ask you something?"
Dean hesitated, not sure that he wanted to know the question. "Yeah, sure."
"When Sam was hurt...you said something." She bit her lip uncertainly. "That you hadn't gone to hell for it to end like that."
"Oh," he looked down at his hands. "It's...complicated."
"I'm sure it is," she said softly, looking down at the floor.
He let out a breath. "I really was in hell."
Chloe looked at him again. "How?" Her voice was very soft.
"I made a deal."
Her eyebrows furrowed and she waited.
Licking his lips, he stood and began pacing. "Two years ago, Sam was kidnapped by a demon. Turns out he was taken to South Dakota. So I headed that way. When I got there, I found Sam and he saw me and he looked pretty good. Then this guy suddenly showed up behind him...and...killed him."
Her face drained of all color and she swallowed hard, taking in the information and trying to absorb it as he paced her apartment.
"Guess your research didn't find that one," he said quietly.
"No," she whispered, shutting her eyes for a moment.
"Well, after that happened, I found a way to bring him back. But the demon only gave me a year. And hell, as long as Sam got to live, I took it."
Chloe swallowed hard, staring at her hands as she listened to him fill her in on what she didn't know.
"Then Sam found out and vowed he'd save me," he stopped pacing and looked at her. "Didn't happen in time."
"So you went to hell," she said quietly.
"Bingo."
Her eyes were sad. She wanted to say she was sorry, but there weren't enough apologies in the world to make it better. "But you got out."
"Yeah. I wouldn't be standing here if it didn't happen."
"How?" She shook her head a little.
"You'll have to ask Sam. I still don't know how."
She rose to her feet slowly, gazing at him. "I wish I knew what to say. I can't imagine...what it must have been like." *
His eyes darkened briefly. Blinking, the darkness went away as quick as it had come. "Not many can."
"Thank you for...trusting me with that."
"No problem," he said quietly.
For a moment they stood together in silence, simply gazing at one another. "I want you to know that...even if you guys don't join the League...I hope we can at least be friends. The three of us, I mean." Her voice was hesitant. It had been a long time since she'd offered her friendship to someone new.
At the invitation, something inside Dean told him he could trust her--with anything. Gazing into her eyes told him volumes about her, and somehow, he saw himself. "I think...I'd like that."
A soft, genuine smile spread across her face.
Fic 2: Welcome to Existence
Authors: Xtremeroswellian and Did_It_Once
Rated: PG-13
Spoilers: “No Rest for the Wicked" for Supernatural. Nothing terribly spoilery from Smallville if you watched any of sixth or seventh season.
Disclaimer: Not ours. Don’t sue.
Characters: Chloe, Dean, Sam, the JLA.
Pairing: None yet. Eventual Chlean. Of course. :P
Wordcount: 9603
Previous Parts Can be found here: Highway From Hell
Welcome to Existence (Part Two)
"Ugh." Sam laid his head down on the table they were seated at later the next morning.
Dean didn't look up from his menu. "I'm restricting your coffee consumption from now on."
"Thank you."
"Why do you even do that to yourself?"
"Me? Chloe drank five," he defended.
He rolled his eyes and lowered the menu. "So if everyone's smoking weed, you're only gonna take four hits instead of five?"
"Ha ha."
"It's a flawed logic, dude," he put the menu up again and scanned through it.
"So you've never tried to drink someone under the table before?" Sam lifted his head and gave his brother a look.
Dean grinned and put it down. "I pride myself on being able to do that. And besides, I know the hangover remedy."
"For alcohol."
"Yep."
"Totally different."
He snorted. "You're the one who brought it up."
Sam laid his head back down. "If I feel this bad, Chloe must feel a lot worse."
"Doubt it."
He made a face.
"She's a reporter," Dean gave him a pointed look. "They *live* on coffee."
He groaned and slowly lifted his head up, resting it in his hands for a moment, then ordering a glass of orange juice when the waitress paused at their table. When she left once more, he glanced at Dean. "So she knows a lot about us."
Dean folded his arms. "What exactly does she know?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "She knows about Jess. About Mom. About St. Louis...Henrickson. Quite a few details on a lot of the cases we've done the last couple years."
"Impressive. Now we know what we need to cover up."
"She said it took her awhile to put it all together."
"But she still did it."
Sam nodded a little. "But she had an interest in us."
Dean shrugged. "So?"
"Just saying. I don't think too many people pay that much attention." He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "But my guess is she could help us cover those tracks. She's pretty good with a computer."
"Whatever, Sammy."
"What?" He looked confused.
"You're not convincing me of anything, here."
"I don't know what you're talking about." He picked up his glass of OJ and took a drink.
Dean snorted. "I know what you're trying to do."
"Convince me that this league is a good idea. Through Chloe."
He shook his head. "I'm not talking about the League. I'm just talking about Chloe, Dean."
"Sure you are."
"I am," he said seriously, setting his cup down and gazing at his brother. "I don't know any of the people from the League. But...I have spent some time with Chloe." He glanced down at the table.
"And that's fine that you trust her," he leaned forward. "Just be careful."
He nodded a little, hesitating. "Always good to expand the circle of friends right?"
"Yeah," he relented. "It is."
"Maybe you should talk to her."
"Why? That's your area of expertise."
"Yeah, but you've got a good feel for people. See what you think. Be good to have a second opinion."
Shaking his head, Dean smirked at his brother. "The things I do for you." *
Sam suppressed the urge he had to grin. He'd done his part. He had no doubt his brother would end up liking the pretty blonde as much as he did. He just had to sit back and wait.
* * *
It was near two o'clock before Dean got around to making up his mind to himself that he was going to visit Chloe. Now he found himself at her front door. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered under his breath before raising his hand and knocking.
A couple moments later, the door opened and surprise flickered over her face. "Dean. Hi."
"Hey Chloe," he said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, worry in her green eyes.
He nodded. "Yeah. Is it alright if I come in?"
"Yeah, of course." Chloe stepped aside to let him in, then slowly shut the door behind him. "You want something to drink?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm good."
"Okay." She leaned against the door for a moment, then motioned to the sofa. "Have a seat."
He nodded a little and walked over to the sofa, sitting down slowly. "Thanks."
"Sure." She sat down across from him.
"So...ah..." He leaned forward and put his arms on his knees. "Sam sent me."
Chloe's eyebrows furrowed. "Okay..."
He let out a breath. "He said he wanted me to talk to you."
That caught her attention and she leaned forward a little. "About what exactly?"
"About expanding our circle of friends," he looked around the room, avoiding her gaze. "Apparently he needed a second opinion on if you could be trusted."
A flash of hurt flickered over her features. She'd thought she and Sam had connected the night before, had forged a tentative friendship. Maybe she'd been mistaken. "I see," she said softly.
He bit his lip. "In all honestly, I know he trusts you."
"He does?"
He nodded. "He does. He just wanted to get me over here to talk."
"I'm not sure I understand," she said softly, shaking her head.
"Then we're on the same boat," he smiled slightly.
A faint smile touched her lips, as well. Then it faded as she drew in a breath. "Dean...about...the stuff that happened back in Illinois--"
"Which part?" He raised an eyebrow.
She grimaced. "Well, might as well start with the beginning, right?"
He shrugged. "The first part was all routine for us. Then you saving my brother...I'm just grateful for that."
"Well...it was pretty much my fault he got shot in the first place," she said quietly.
"But you saved him."
"Yeah."
"That's all that sticks out in my mind."
Chloe looked up at him for a moment, silent. "Can I ask you something?"
Dean hesitated, not sure that he wanted to know the question. "Yeah, sure."
"When Sam was hurt...you said something." She bit her lip uncertainly. "That you hadn't gone to hell for it to end like that."
"Oh," he looked down at his hands. "It's...complicated."
"I'm sure it is," she said softly, looking down at the floor.
He let out a breath. "I really was in hell."
Chloe looked at him again. "How?" Her voice was very soft.
"I made a deal."
Her eyebrows furrowed and she waited.
Licking his lips, he stood and began pacing. "Two years ago, Sam was kidnapped by a demon. Turns out he was taken to South Dakota. So I headed that way. When I got there, I found Sam and he saw me and he looked pretty good. Then this guy suddenly showed up behind him...and...killed him."
Her face drained of all color and she swallowed hard, taking in the information and trying to absorb it as he paced her apartment.
"Guess your research didn't find that one," he said quietly.
"No," she whispered, shutting her eyes for a moment.
"Well, after that happened, I found a way to bring him back. But the demon only gave me a year. And hell, as long as Sam got to live, I took it."
Chloe swallowed hard, staring at her hands as she listened to him fill her in on what she didn't know.
"Then Sam found out and vowed he'd save me," he stopped pacing and looked at her. "Didn't happen in time."
"So you went to hell," she said quietly.
"Bingo."
Her eyes were sad. She wanted to say she was sorry, but there weren't enough apologies in the world to make it better. "But you got out."
"Yeah. I wouldn't be standing here if it didn't happen."
"How?" She shook her head a little.
"You'll have to ask Sam. I still don't know how."
She rose to her feet slowly, gazing at him. "I wish I knew what to say. I can't imagine...what it must have been like." *
His eyes darkened briefly. Blinking, the darkness went away as quick as it had come. "Not many can."
"Thank you for...trusting me with that."
"No problem," he said quietly.
For a moment they stood together in silence, simply gazing at one another. "I want you to know that...even if you guys don't join the League...I hope we can at least be friends. The three of us, I mean." Her voice was hesitant. It had been a long time since she'd offered her friendship to someone new.
At the invitation, something inside Dean told him he could trust her--with anything. Gazing into her eyes told him volumes about her, and somehow, he saw himself. "I think...I'd like that."
A soft, genuine smile spread across her face.