SPN/SV Fic: Sweet Surrender (3/6)
Sweet Surrender (3/?) -- Dean/Chloe, SPN/SV crossover
Title: Sweet Surrender
Authors: clarksmuse and xtremeroswellia
Fandoms: Supernatural/Smallville
Characters: Dean, Chloe, Sam, Clark, Lex, Dean/Chloe pairing
Rating: R to NC-17
Spoilers: General spoilers for the latter half of both SV and SPN
Disclaimer: Still don’t own any of these characters. Please don’t sue.
Feedback: is love and totally needed. It’s our crack that keeps us writing.
The last place Sam expected to find himself was in a busy newspaper office like the Daily Planet. A huge busy newspaper office, he mused, looking around at the people moving like bugs through the small walkways. He glanced at Dean, who still looked rough with sleep. "Hey, you didn't have to come with me," he whispered, walking quietly behind Chloe.
Dean grumbled and shook his head. "I'm good." He held up his styrofoam cup. "Just waiting for the caffeine to kick in." He saw Chloe turn and look at him, amusement in her eyes.
"It'll kick in fast, believe me." She grinned and led them across the room to where her desk was, quickly sitting down in the chair.
"Good," he murmured with a smirk. "Cause this is way too early in the morning to be doing... most anything." He gave her a heated look.
Rolling his eyes, Sam moved beside Chloe and sat down next to her. "Don't mind my brother," he said, staring at the computer screen, "he's just cranky in the morning."
She smirked. Cranky was one way to put it, she thought as her fingers flew across the keyboard with rapid strokes, pulling up the access screen to LuthorCorp.
Dean shot a glare at his brother. "Point out my other good qualities, why don't you?" he complained, taking a long drink of his cooling coffee.
With a sigh, Sam tried to ignore Dean's retorts and watch how quickly this girl seemed to get into a major database without breaking a sweat. "You do this often, I'm guessing," he replied casually, trying to hide his awe.
She blushed a little, glancing at him sideways. "Something like that."
His eyes starting to come into focus, Dean noticed the personnel files she had accessed using the LuthorCorp mainframe database. "Oh, my money's on you any day, sweetheart," Dean replied with a smile, watching her blush grow a little deeper with his words.
She felt her face grow warm at the compliment. She wasn't used to having this much male attention on her and she wasn't quite sure how to react. The thoughts left her mind as she began to read over Lex's files, sucking in a sharp breath of surprise as she recognized names of victims. "Shit," she whispered, voice almost inaudible.
"What is it?" the brothers asked, almost simultaneously. Sam leaned in, glancing at the names, recognizing them from his own research, though he wondered if she had actually known them.
"All the victims are other meteor freaks," she murmured, swallowing hard.
"Wait a minute," Dean muttered under his breath, crouching next to her to get a better read from the screen. The scent of her perfume assailed his nostrils, making him close his eyes for a brief second to enjoy it. One thing was for sure, he grudgingly admitted. He would miss this one when they left town. "What does that mean? This thing's targeting specific people?"
"Looks like,” she whispered, feeling the color drain from her face. "Excuse me for a moment." She quickly stood up, yanked her cell phone from her purse and headed off into the far corner of the room, dialing Oliver Queen's number.
When Oliver heard his phone ring, he thought for a moment it might have been Lois. Seeing Chloe Sullivan's number, however, did put a small smile on his face. "Ms. Sullivan," he said after he answered. "Nice to hear from you."
She wished she had time for formalities. "Likewise. Is my mother secure?" she asked anxiously.
He glanced around him, making sure none of his other comrades was around. "As they say... snug as a bug in a rug," he whispered, frowning. "Why, what's wrong?"
"Apparently the latest Smallville meteor freak is taking out his own kind," she said grimly.
Oliver was taken slightly aback by this news. "How is that possible? I didn't think... Haven't they mostly gone after people they held grudges against or situations like that?"
Dean watched Chloe's face, dark with concern, and looked at Sam. He wanted to know what was going on, but something told him to cool it until she looked more collected.
"Don't look at me, Dude." Sam slid himself in front of Chloe's computer, scanning the list of names with furrowed brows.
"Mostly. Yeah. Maybe he's trying to save someone else from being subjected to 33.1," she murmured, feeling ill.
Oliver winced at the name of Luthor's facilities, which seemed to crop up faster than he and his comrades could take them out. "Is Luthor controlling him?" he asked.
She paused. "I don't know. I don't think so. I think he's...just an escapee." She drew in a breath. "Thanks for taking care of everything with...you know. I'll be in touch."
"Hey, let me know if there's anything we can do, okay?" he whispered quietly.
"I will. Thanks," she said again softly before hanging up the phone.
Dean straightened up and stood, watching Chloe return to her desk, eyes downcast and worried. "Everything alright?" he asked.
She gave him a short nod. "Yeah, everything's fine. Did you guys find anything else?" she asked, drawing in a breath to try and calm her nerves.
"It looks like the victims all lived on a route out of Smallville... and towards Metropolis." Sam looked up at Chloe, then glanced at Dean.
"How much you wanna bet this thing's in town?" the eldest Winchester asked, staring at Chloe carefully.
It took every ounce of effort she had to keep her expression one of neutrality. "It's a him, not a thing. And we better find him before he finds his next victim."
He snorted at the sharp tone in her voice. "Okay, whatever. It, him... what's the difference?"
"Dean, not now," Sam replied, giving his brother a look.
She winced a little involuntarily, picking her purse up off her desk, her eyes distant. She checked inside to make sure the small handgun was still there, and sure enough her fingertips brushed over the cold steel. "Let's go.”
Dean's arm shot out, grabbing her firmly by the arm. "Whoa there," he stated evenly, his eyes filled with amused determination. "You're not going anywhere. Sam and I have this."
Her eyes were dark and narrowed as she turned to face him, her mouth set in a hard line. "I'm going. And you can't stop me."
"Wanna bet?" His voice was icy steel, matching the glint in the angry green orbs staring back at him.
"Dean," Sam said, looking at his brother, "let her go." Something told him Chloe would be more help than a hindrance, though for the life of him he couldn't state why.
"No way, Sam," he replied, never looking away from her. "I'm not going to have her blood on my hands if she ends up dead." His grip on her arm tightened with his words.
Her jaw tightening, she yanked her arm away from him, glaring at him furiously. "I have news for you, Dean* This is my town. My home. I've spent the last six years of my life dealing with situations like these so get over yourself. I'm going." Not giving him a chance to respond, she spun and headed for the door, her boots clicking on the floor loudly.
For a moment, Dean watched her walk away. It was all he could do to hit something, for all the anger he felt at her icy response. "Who the hell does she think she is?" he muttered under his breath, eyes following her up the stairs, filled with frustrated admiration.
Sam smiled faintly. "I dunno, man, but I think you've met your match." He took off after the petite blonde, leaving his brother to stew for a moment before reluctantly following them out of the Daily Planet and to the Impala.
&&&&&
Chloe sat in the backseat, staring out the window, her body tense. She flinched a little when her cell phone rang and she quickly plucked it from her purse, seeing Clark's number on the Caller ID. Drawing in a breath, she pressed the on button and put the phone to her ear. "Hey. Not really a good time, Clark."
Who the hell is Clark? Dean thought, his teeth grinding in irritation. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white from the effort.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Sam glanced at Dean, saw his jealousy, and grinned brightly. "Careful, Dean, don't break the steering wheel in half."
"Shut up, dude," he grumbled in response, ignoring the blonde's curious look from the back.
"Why, what's wrong?" Clark asked, worry in his voice. "Are you with that Dean guy?"
She shook her head a little. "Yeah, I am. Where are you?"
"At home. Mom needed me around the farm today," he replied, looking out the loft window. "What's going on? Seriously, are you in some kind of trouble?"
A wry smile tugged at her lips. "No. At least not yet. Working on it though."
Dean glared at her in the rearview mirror. "Hey, you going to help me out with the directions or what?" he demanded.
Clark chuckled, having heard the other man's remark loud and clear. "Your guy sounds jealous, Chloe."
She rolled her eyes, half-annoyed and half-amused. "Hold on, Clark." She covered the phone with one hand. "See this road we're on? You just keep going straight. Think you can handle that, tough guy? Or should I drive?"
He snorted. "No, I'd much rather have you in my lap so you can help me steer."
Her jaw dropped open for a moment. "You need professional help," she huffed, putting the phone back to her ear. "Clark, I really gotta go."
"Nice going," Sam murmured under his breath, trying hard to keep from laughing out loud at the exchange between these two. He wasn't sure which one would come out the victor, but one thing was certain... he wasn't going to be around when the energy between them combusted.
Clark stifled a snicker. "Have fun keeping him under control. He sounds like a real time bomb."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks, Clark. I appreciate that. By the way, Lois was talking about coming to stay with you guys for a few days. I told her I'm sure your mom wouldn't mind."
"Very funny, Chloe," he retorted in a low, irritable voice. "I know you're joking about that... aren't you?"
"Professional help," Dean muttered under his breath, stepping on the gas slightly. "I am the help. What's your excuse?"
She smirked. "Have fun with that, Clark." She hung up her phone and then shot Dean a glare. "And I heard that."
"Then I'd like an answer," he demanded, his voice hard as nails.
"Guys," Sam said, pinching his nose in mock weariness, "can you two tone the tension down a notch? I don't think the Impala will take the pressure."
"Hey, don't look at me!" Dean nearly shouted, reaching for the knob on the radio to turn it up. "She's the one who started it with her I gotta take care of everything myself attitude."
"Look, I don't know what kind of chicks you're used to dealing with," she said in a low, annoyed voice. "But I'm not some damsel in distress, all right? I can take care of myself."
"Then if you're so damned competent, how come we're in the middle of nowhere, sister?" came the seething retort.
She rolled her eyes. "Because we're in Kansas, Dumbass. We are in the middle of nowhere. That's what's between Metropolis and Smallville."
"So you're telling me we'll find the Cretan from LuthorCorp among the lovely rows of corn?" Dean stated in a calm, evenly sarcastic voice. "Wow, that's going to be a great trip down memory lane. Especially since we're FROM Kansas!"
Sam simply shook his head and kept his gaze firmly out the window. The explosion might come sooner than he had originally thought.
"Smallville's the meteor freak capital of the world. The guy's going after other meteor freaks. Odds are pretty high he'll be in town."
"How nice that all the freaks seem to stick to their hometown," Dean retorted, seeing a look of angry pain flash across her face.
"Screw you," she muttered, staring out the window, her jaw tense.
"Nice job, Dean," Sam replied with a smirk. "Now that you've pissed her off, maybe you'd like to toss her out the window, too?" He shook his head sadly, glancing at the stony face of his brother.
Dean said nothing, just kept driving straight into Smallville. Again. He couldn't understand why the whole 'meteor freak' thing bothered her so much. Was one of her friends a freak? he thought absently, wishing there was a way to ask her. He doubted, though, she'd ever speak to him again.
As soon as the car pulled to a stop along Main Street, Chloe was out of the backseat, purse strapped across her body as she headed away.
Sam wasn't surprised to watch her walk down the street, not looking back. Nor was he especially shocked to see Dean sitting there in the driver's seat, watching her leave. "You know, for a hunter, you're pretty stupid," he remarked, a wry smile on his face.
"Shut up, Sammy," Dean mumbled, not paying much attention to his brother.
"So you're going to let her go, then? That's not like you. Usually you're the one to let go."
Taking a deep breath, he nodded. He hated to admit it, but Sam was right about that. And since he knew where she was going, he couldn't very well let her go it alone. No matter how capable she thought she was. "Shadow us, dude," he said, getting out of the car and running after her.
Chloe heard his footsteps but didn't turn around to look as she unlocked the door to her Yaris, her body tense as she pulled the door open.
"Hey," he called, catching up to her quickly. "Wait just a minute. You can't just go off half-cocked on your one-woman quest to find this dude."
"I'm not going half-cocked," she informed him, climbing behind the wheel of her car.
"Funny," he replied with a smirk, noticing the angry flash in her eyes, "you really have me convinced." He grabbed her hand, preventing her from shutting the driver's side door.
"Let go of me," she said darkly, her voice even.
"Hell no," he retorted angrily. "You're not doing this alone."
"Let go of me or I'm going to scream and you're gonna get your ass arrested by that nice police officer across the street. And somehow I doubt very much you want to get tossed in jail considering your history. "
Her icy voice shocked him, confused him. Dean abruptly let her go. "Fine," he replied darkly, stepping back, glancing at the cop out of the corner of his eye. "It's your funeral." With that, he turned and stomped off, infuriated by her irritation at him. Especially when he didn't do anything.
She felt a momentary flash of guilt but pushed it away, slamming the driver's side door shut and throwing her car into gear, her eyes narrow and focused as she headed toward the one place she knew she'd find the information she needed now. The Luthor mansion.
Dean found Sam hiding behind a building. Rolling his eyes, he said, "Come on, Sam, we're gonna follow her." He didn't stop his angry strides, moving quickly towards the Impala.
"Man, when you piss someone off, you do one hell of a job of it," he mumbled.
He stopped up short at the driver's side and glared at Sam. "For once, I didn't do it!" he shouted.
He raised an eyebrow, looking utterly unconvinced. "No, you weren't baiting her the whole way here from Metropolis or anything," he responded, climbing into the passenger seat.
Sliding into the front seat and starting the engine, Dean snarled, "She was the one who started it, making me think she was single when she's really..." He snapped his mouth shut, unwilling to say anything else as he maneuvered the car onto the road, following Chloe from a decent distance.
"Dude, does it matter? As soon as this case is over, we're moving on anyway." He glanced at his brother sideways, wondering how Dean would react to those words.
He blew out an irritated breath. "Yeah, who cares?" he muttered, even though he knew it was lie. He cared about her, more than he wanted to admit.
And he didn't know why.
&&&&&
Chloe pulled her car into the long driveway, shaking her head with faint annoyance when she realized they'd followed her all the way here. Then again, some small part of her was relieved that she wouldn't be walking into the lion's den without any backup. If nothing else, they at least knew where she'd gone. Drawing in a breath, she grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car, turning to see them doing the same.
Dean grimaced when he realized, pulling up next to her car, that she was waiting for them. "Dammit," he whispered, getting out of the car. "Must be losing my touch."
Grimacing, Sam opened the passenger side door. "I'm not touching that with a ten foot pole," he muttered to himself, looking at Chloe curiously.
She rolled her eyes at their obvious dismay. "No offense, but if you're gonna tail someone, you might wanna A) get a different car and B) not follow me."
One, we didn't have time to steal a car to tail you," Dean smarted back, counting on his fingers, "and two, you're not as good as you think you are."
"Dean!" Sam hissed under his breath, looking around the large driveway, wondering when the security would grab them. He didn't like the feel of this place. Something was... off about it.
She smirked at Dean. "Actually I think it's the other way around," she remarked, before seeing the uncertain wariness in Sam's eyes. "Yeah, this isn't exactly the Hilton." She turned around and nodded at the guard, who offered her a wary smile and let them pass.
"Fine, sister, have it your way," Dean grumbled, shooting Sam a look before following her past the guard and into the mansion.
"Is this the Luthor place?" Sam asked cautiously, every fiber in his being on high alert. The last thing he and Dean needed was a run-in with this man. And it wasn't because he was reputed to be dangerous.
"Got it in one," she said grimly, lifting her chin as she headed down the long corridor toward Lex's study, where she knew she'd find him.
"Why are we here?" Dean demanded in a hoarse whisper, only inches behind her.
"Because if anyone knows where this son of a bitch is, it's Lex."
"Great," he muttered under his breath.
Sam pulled up from behind, his fingers itching to grab the weapon he had hidden in his jeans. He felt eyes watching their every move since arriving. He feared one wrong move and everything would go to hell.
"Relax," she said, reaching out and touching his arm gently, sensing his anxiety. "You guys can stay out here." She reached out and grabbed the doorknob to the study, not bothering to knock.
"Chloe," Dean replied, putting his hand over hers. "Don't go in there by yourself. Could be dangerous." His eyes were dark with unspoken concern.
She met his gaze, drawing in a breath, and nodding slightly. "All right." Her eyes flickered to Sam. "You're welcome to wait out here if you want."
"Thanks," Sam replied hesitantly, looking around cautiously. "Think I will."
Dean turned to look at his brother, nodding to be careful. He then followed Chloe into the double doors and into the large expansive office.
Lex smirked as he looked up from his computer. "Somehow I knew it wouldn't take you long to show up here."
Chloe's eyes were ice cold. "Where is he?"
"Who?" he asked innocently.
"You know who, Baldy," Dean practically snarled, standing next to Chloe. "The meteor freak who's killing his own kind."
Lex smirked and shifted his gaze to Dean. "Nice to see you again. Guess you intended to get lost in this corn-row town after all. Not that I'm surprised." He looked at Chloe, his smirk widening. "But you should know Chloe will never get over her one true love who has absolutely no interest in her at all whatsoever. Will you?"
"Screw you, Lex. Where is he?" she demanded.
He lifted an eyebrow. "Don't worry, Chloe. Your mother's safely guarded in Star City by Oliver Queen. You on the other hand..."
Her face paled.
Confused but pissed, Dean grabbed Chloe's hand and held it tightly, though he never took his eyes off the cool, collected, way too confident rich man. "Get this, Luthor," he said darkly, his anger veiled behind a mask of neutrality. "You're not touching this woman, you hear me? Or her mother... or anyone remotely connected to her. And if you do, believe when I say I'm going to hunt you down and put a bullet in your brain."
Lex didn't look the least bit intimidated, simply smirked. "If you two are through with the petty threats, I have work to do."
"Like more human experimentation?" Chloe asked coldly.
"Chloe. I don't experiment on humans. Only on monsters." He gazed at her coolly.
"Would that include you?" Dean said with a small laugh, squeezing Chloe's hand slightly, tugging her back towards the door. "Because to me? You're a monster."
She was trembling, unnerved by his words and cursing herself inwardly for letting Lex Luthor get the best of her again. Wordlessly she turned and headed out the door, her face pale.
Dean stayed for a moment, assessing Lex Luthor carefully. He looked like a formidable man, though there was something about him that suggested it was all a sham. He was surprised to see that in him. "We'll be watching you," he said simply, turning and following Chloe out the doors.
"Likewise," Lex responded as the man left his office.
Dean grabbed Chloe's arm and led her down the hall towards the front door. "Okay, what was all that about?" he asked her, ignoring the sharp look Sam gave him.
She didn't answer for a moment as she drew in a shaky breath. "We can't talk about this here." Her voice was low and when he let go of her arm, she grabbed onto his, pulling him toward the exit, glancing to make sure Sam was still behind them.
"Let's get out of here," Sam whispered, moving quickly behind them, practically pushing them out the front door and to their cars.
"Let's go back to the hotel," Dean suggested decisively, a little surprised at her sudden need to touch him. "We can talk there."
"Yeah. All right. I'll follow you guys this time." She made a beeline for her car, yanking her keys from her purse with a trembling hand.
Sam grabbed the keys from Dean's hand and gave him a look. "Dean, ride with her," he stated, watching Chloe's hurried movements. "Something's wrong with her, and it's not just about Uncle Fester."
Looking towards the blonde, who was already in the driver's seat, Dean nodded solemnly. "If she'll let me..." He walked to the passenger side and opened the door, sliding in without a word.
She didn't say anything to the fact he'd climbed in her car instead of his own. Swallowing hard, she slid the keys into the ignition, her face ghostly white as she locked the doors, waiting impatiently for Sam to back the Impala up so she could get out of there.
Once Sam had gotten the Impala onto the road, Dean let out a breath. "He better handle her with kid gloves," he muttered, glancing at Chloe's white face, wondering what was going on behind those riotous green eyes.
Her fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly, she shook her head just a little. "Great. I had sex with a guy who's in love with his car," she mumbled.
"What?" he asked sharply, a slow smile curving his lips. "My dad gave me that car. She's kinda important to me."
She cast a sideways glance at him. "Sorry. When I'm tense I get bitchy." She looked in her rearview, watching Sam back out of the driveway and she quickly did the same, her knuckles nearly white.
Touching her fingers gently, he whispered, "It's okay. Kinda used to it with Sammy." He winked at her, not showing the intense fear that had crept into his heart. Something was definitely wrong with her, he realized. Something Lex Luthor had mentioned... about her mother? About her? He needed the full story.
The gentle touch almost undid her but she swallowed hard, blinking back the tears forming rapidly behind her eyelids. "Sam's bitchy?"
"Oh yeah," he replied, his voice gentle. "You should see him after researching without his computer for several hours. There's no reasoning with him." His hand moved from hers to cup her cheek gently.
Meanwhile Sam had gotten out of the car and headed for the motel room, telling himself Dean had ten minutes to make things right with Chloe before he intervened.
She shifted the car into park position, closing her eyes against the light touch and shuddering involuntarily.
"Yeah," he continued, stroking her cheek softly, rubbing his thumb against her throat. "Sam's a real pain in the ass when he hasn't had his daily dose of computer time." Something had shifted in her attitude, because suddenly she was leaning into his touch, not doing whatever it took to move away.
Wordlessly she rested her head down on his shoulder, barely able to contain a soft sob as she shuddered again.
His free arm unbuckled her seatbelt so he could pull her closer, enveloping her in his embrace. He held his breath, unsure of what to say or do, aside from this. Tears were never something he was good at handling, he thought, but it seemed she needed... something.
Chloe shut her eyes tightly, letting his arms encircle her and pull her closer against him so there was no space between them. His hand lightly stroked her hair and she swallowed hard, letting out a breath. "Sorry," she whispered.
He shook his head, feeling her silken hair thread through his fingers. "No, it's okay," he grunted against the top of her head, kissing her lightly. "Come on, let's get inside." He pushed her back and lifted her chin, gazing intently into her sorrowful green eyes.
She gave a quick, consenting nod and reached for the door handle, swallowing hard.
Sam heard the room door open and looked up from his seated position on one of the beds. Chloe, looking like she hadn't seen daylight in awhile, walked inside, a smile plastered on her face. "Hey," he called, standing up. When Dean strode in behind her, Sam knew they were in for a long conversation.
She didn't sit down, just began to slowly pace the floor, raking a hand through her blonde curls. "Lex knows where he is."
"How do you know?" Sam asked, though he had figured Lex knew a great deal more about everything.
"Because Lex knows more about the meteor freaks in this town than anyone. It's his life's work," she said with a hint of bitterness.
Dean cleared his throat uncomfortably, watching her move about the room like a caged tiger. "So since the man himself won't tell us... how can we find out where to find this guy?"
"I'm sure he's got a lot of firewalls to crack," Sam replied, glancing at Chloe, "but can't we crack them?"
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I wish it was that easy. The information we need isn't accessible via LuthorCorp. It's somewhere else. Hidden. I have no idea where."
Sam frowned and looked at Dean. "Aside from the obvious pattern of killings so far, we don't have a way to track it... him, then."
Dean shrugged his shoulders, feeling, for the first time, like he wasn't sure where to go next. He gazed at Chloe, who had not stopped roaming around. "So tell me why Lex Luthor has a funny knack of getting under your skin," he stated casually.
"You're not exactly right about that, Sam," she whispered, a thought dawning on her that hadn't occurred to her before.
Feeling a little ignored, Dean frowned and turned away from her, lying back on the bed and lacing his fingers under his head. "Do tell us, Chloe," he replied as evenly as possible.
Sam shot his brother a look. "What do you mean?" he asked her.
She stopped pacing and looked at them both for a moment, hesitant. "We just have to set a trap."
"What kind of trap?" Sam cocked his head at her comment, absolutely curious and utterly frustrated by Dean's obvious pouting.
"Well, he's going after other meteor freaks." She gazed at him for a moment, then looked at Dean.
Dean stared at the ceiling, ignoring the two sets of eyes on him. "Oh yeah? Got a list of their names so we can knock on their doors?" he asked casually.
"We don't need a list. We just need one for bait."
Sam made a face, realizing what she was telling them. "Chloe, are you trying to tell us that... you're...?"
She avoided his eyes and looked away from Dean. "Yeah. I'm a freak too," she said, her voice distant.
Dean shot up off the bed in the blink of an eye, an indescribable look on his face. "The hell you are," he growled slowly.
"Hang on," Sam whispered, looking at her in surprise. "What exactly does that mean, anyway?"
She wrapped her arms around herself, leaning back against the door. "It means any day now I'm likely to turn into some kind of monster. Or at the very least...a very insane person."
"Not if I can help it," Dean insisted, standing up and moving towards her, determination on his features.
"Dude, give her a little space," Sam remarked calmly, feeling anything but. The last thing they needed was a potential time bomb on their hands. It didn't matter that he was beginning to like the girl.
"You can't." She looked at Dean evenly, her expression as distant as her voice. "But right now we have to focus on Smallville's latest meteor-freak turned killer before he hurts someone else."
"And... what, use you as bait?" he demanded, inches from her face. "How is that a good thing?"
Chloe gazed at him intently. "Because it's the only way to stop him."
"She's right, Dean," Sam said quietly, looking at his hands. "It's the only way."
He turned to look at his brother, anger showing in his eyes. "That's crap. There's another way. We're not going to do *anything* that could put her in danger, dammit!"
"Hey." She reached out and touched his arm. "If you only knew how often I was in danger, you'd be laughing right now," she said wryly.
He started at her gentle touch. "Doesn't mean you have to be in danger while we're around," he replied, looking deeply into her eyes.
"I'm not really seeing much of an alternative here, Dean." Her voice was quiet.
Sam nodded in agreement, eyes still focused on the floor.
"Fine," he replied firmly. "I'm going with you, then. Let Sam do all the legwork."
A smile tugged at her lips at the protective tone of his voice. "As sweet as that is...it may take both of you and me to take this guy down." She bit her lip, wishing she could call Clark. She wasn't willing to do that and risk anyone finding out about Clark's other-worldly identity. No matter how much she thought these guys were truly just there to help.
"Yeah, Dean," Sam retorted, looking up. "I'm not going to sit back and watch you two die. You know how stupid that sounds?"
"What, you mean that's not as stupid as agreeing that Chloe should be the freaking bait?" he shot back.
"You know it has to be done." Sam stood up and moved to look out the window carefully. The feeling of being watched had descended upon him again. "Does anyone know you're here, Chloe?" he asked suddenly.
"I don't think so...why?" she asked uncertainly, watching him look out the blinds and suddenly feeling on edge again, her heartbeat speeding up a little more.
"No reason," he whispered in response. "I just feel like... someone's watching us, that's all."
Dean ran a hand through his hair and went to the door, locking it. "Great, can things get any better?" he muttered under his breath.
Sam closed the window dressing slowly, returning them to their original position. He turned to look at Chloe. "It's probably nothing."
Dean gave him a yeah, right look.
"We're in Smallville," she murmured. "It's always something." She set her purse on the nearest bed, and pulled her gun out.
"Could be the meteor fr-- uh, the dude who's been killing people," Dean corrected himself, moving to his bag and pulling out the rocksalt for the door and windows. Sam cocked an eyebrow at him and he shrugged at him. "Just in case," he replied.
"Or Lex's having me watched," she responded, moving to the window and looking out.
"Either way, it's not a good idea to be near the window," Dean replied, pulling on her arm. He tossed the rocksalt to Sam. "Salt the doors and windows for me, dude."
Sam snorted. "What am I now, your lackey?" He walked through the connecting door, though, starting with Chloe's room first.
"I don't think he likes me very much," she said softly, tucking some hair behind her ear. Not that it really mattered in the long run.
"Sam? He's actually still pissed at me for that last run-in with the Feds," Dean replied, trying to throw off the nagging feeling that maybe Chloe reminded Sam too much of what he could become one day.
She arched an eyebrow. "You mean when you guys were actually in prison? What was that all about anyway?"
His eyes grew wide and anxious. "What the hell do you know about it?" he asked instantly, taking another step away from her.
She gazed at him with a well duh look. "Do you really think I would have gone to bed with you without knowing if you were some psycho out to kill me?"
He smirked. "Last time I checked, I wasn't the psycho. I might be wanted by the law, but I'm not evil."
"Yeah, well live in Smallville for a few years and see if you don't take every precaution when it comes to dating. I haven't exactly had a great track record," she said wryly.
He crossed his arms and stared at her. "Does that include this dude Clark you talked to earlier today?"
Her eyebrows furrowed. "Clark and I never dated."
"But you love him."
Chloe stared at him for a moment, not sure how to respond to that. "Things with Clark are...complicated."
Okay, not quite what I wanted to hear, Dean thought, turning his back to her and sitting heavily on the bed. He heard Sam's footsteps, pausing for a moment at the connecting door, then retreating again. Funny, he thought. He didn't know what kind of answer he wanted from her. "Which usually means all that love crap's involved," he muttered under his breath.
She winced a little. "Doesn't exactly matter anyway." For more than one reason, she thought, not quite understanding what was going on in his mind.
"Why not?" he asked quietly, lying back on the bed once more, attempting to keep the situation light. "Because you think you're going to turn evil?"
A wry smile touched her lips. "Because Clark Kent wouldn't be interested in me if I was the only female left on the planet and we had to breed to continue the species," she responded.
Dean fought back a smile. "This dude's a moron, then," he replied quietly, not looking at her.
She glanced out the window nervously, surprised she was having such an intimate conversation with a person who was basically a stranger. "He's in love with someone else."
He rolled his eyes and sat up, looking at her blonde hair cascading across her shoulders. "Why are you bothering with this guy? You're so much better than that." He didn't know *how* he knew that; call it instinct.
"You barely know me," she answered, her heart skipping a beat.
When she turned around and met his eyes, Dean felt a funny twist in his gut. Not altogether unpleasant, though he didn't need this, he thought. "No, but I'm good at reading people... believe it or not." He smiled slightly, holding her gaze.
She gazed at him intently. "So you figured out I was a freak before we slept together?" There was a hint of teasing in her voice.
His grin turned seductive. "Yeah, pretty much," he rasped, his body tight with need.
A chill ran down her spine at the look on his face. Surely he wasn't still interested in her now that he knew the truth about her. She swallowed hard as she watched him rise to his feet.
"What?" he whispered, taken back by the uncertainty in her eyes. His feet halted momentarily, inches from her face. He cupped her chin and pulled her eyes up to meet his.
"What are you doing?" she whispered back, the breath hitching in her throat.
A shadow crossed his face. "Trying to come on to you," he whispered honestly. "But if you don't want me to..." His words were cut off when she abruptly move into him, touching her lips to his suddenly.
Her fingers threaded through his short hair and she pulled him closer to her, her back bumping against the door as she kissed him urgently.
Grabbing her around the waist, Dean hauled her up against him, using the door to prop her up as his mouth plundered hers, tongue sliding against her mouth, asking for entrance.
She whimpered softly, letting her lips part to allow him access, her legs winding around his waist of their own volition as she raked her nails lightly down his back.
Her hips rocked against his hardness, making him groan. His body strained against hers, grinding against her impatiently. Hands sliding across her back and against her hair, he propelled her off the door, moving backwards while their mouths moved together, seeking, giving, taking.
She groaned as she felt her back suddenly land on the bed as he crawled over her. She leaned up and kissed him again, her hands sliding down to grip the bottom of his t-shirt and quickly pulling it off over his head, tossing it onto the floor.
Her hands skirted across his chest, leaving goose bumps in their wake. "Chloe," he grunted, sliding his fingers under her shirt and tugging it over her head, sliding fingers down her neck to her full breasts, his mouth following.
She closed her eyes, shuddering beneath him as his mouth moved over the material of her bra and lower to her stomach. "Please," she whispered.
He chuckled, licking her belly button, feeling her jerk beneath his touch. "Please what?" he whispered, his fingers slipping under her jeans to unbutton them.
"Make love to me." Her voice was soft, vulnerable.
He paused and looked up at her. "Though that's what I was doing," he commented, teasing her breasts lightly with his thumbs.
She groaned softly at the light caresses, her heart already pounding furiously in her chest.
Smirking a little, his mouth teased her pert nipples, feeling her body rippling with desire, making him hard and ready for her already. Moving back, he stripped her jeans off roughly, sliding his hands up her legs, spreading her thighs wide, admiring her beauty while he shrugged out of the remainder of his clothing. "Freak my ass," he whispered.
Chloe licked her lips, gazing up and reaching for him to pull him closer, kissing his mouth as her hands slid down his shoulder blades.
Grabbing a thin piece of foil from his wallet, Dean moved over her body again, ripping the foil open and rolling it on. His finger then slipped into her and he groaned at how ready she was for him, though they had done little more than touch each other.
She whimpered softly as he pulled his finger back, already feeling its loss. Her body was on fire with need and she bit her lower lip as he slid over her once more. "Now, please," she whispered.
He needed no more urging; pulling out his finger, he lifted her hips and plunged into her swiftly, taking a moment to savor the feel of her inner muscles stretching for him, massaging his thickness as she pulled him into her. When he moved, she moaned loudly, going with him. He rode her hard and fast, compelled by her nails digging into his back.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper into her and crying out softly at the sensation, his mouth capturing the sound as he kissed her. She closed her eyes tightly, already feeling her climax building, fueled by need and desperation and desire and the fact that someone actually knew what she really was and wanted her to despite it.
Her frantic straining against his body kept Dean from being easy on her, pounding against her mercilessly, her loud moaning ringing in his ears. His name on her lips, he brought them both over the edge, shuddering together as he wrapped himself inside her one last time with a hard thrust.
She bit down so hard on her tongue, she tasted blood even as the pleasure washed over her in waves, her hand still clutching him tightly to her as she shut her eyes.
With an intense shudder, Dean collapsed on to of her, his breathing heavy. He touched her lips gently with his, tasting the blood on her lips. He pulled back, his eyes dark with concern. His arms snaked around her, waiting for her body to calm.
She swallowed hard as he rolled them so she was resting on top of him, her hair damp as her ear pressed against his chest. She shuddered involuntarily, her breathing starting to slow down.
He touched her lip, felt the indentations, and couldn't hold back a smirk. "Damn," he whispered huskily, "I must be good." He chuckled, a low rumble in his chest.
She rolled her eyes at his remark. "You're also the most arrogant guy I've ever met."
Pulling her up to face him, Dean looked at her flushed face and those irritated green eyes. "Yeah, I know I am," he replied honestly, kissing her full lips. "Thank God I'm good looking, right?"
She groaned, kissing him back and then resting her forehead against his collarbone.
He sighed for a moment before tensing suddenly. He remembered Sam's words, that he had felt someone watching them. "If you said Luthor knew where this guy was, then do you think he's having us watched?" he asked quietly, serious now.
The second the words were out of his mouth, she was rolling off him, her own body tense once more as she started yanking on her clothes. "Not a doubt in my mind," she whispered.
So much for after-sex conversation, he thought, scooting off the bed and shrugging into his jeans. "Wonder what Sam's got cooking next door." Without looking at her, he strode to the connecting door and pounded hard. "Hey, you better not be watching porn in there!"
Yanking the knob on the other side, Sam opened the door and glared at the smug look on Dean's face. "Funny, Dean," he retorted, unwilling to mention how he had to turn up "The Andy Griffin Show" at full blast so he could research without listening to the events in the other room.
Chloe's face flushed with embarrassment and she moved toward the window, peeking out the blind. Almost immediately a shot rang out, shattering the glass and sending her tumbling backwards.
"Shit!" Dean cried, ducking to the floor quickly before crawling towards Chloe.
Sam ran for his gun, crouching down low. "Hey, you alright?" he asked Chloe, who had landed on her backside hard, her eyes wide with fright.
"I'm fine," she said, looking down at the shattered glass all around, her hands bleeding from various cuts. Another shot rang out and she flattened herself on the floor, closing her eyes tightly.
"Don't get up, dammit," Dean growled, searching for his weapon. "It's probably Luthor's guys. Maybe that freak who's on the people killing spree. I don't know. But no way you're dying on my watch."
Sighing and peeking just above the shattered glass, Sam muttered, "Can she be even less impressed?" He peered into the failing light, looking for movement, a shadow. Anything.
Chloe crawled over to the table where her purse was, yanking it down quickly and pulling her own handgun out. "You see anything?" she whispered to Sam.
"No," he whispered, frustrated beyond words. He knew something was out there... but just what it was, he didn't know. "I'm going out there." The last comment was directed at Dean, who was making his way towards the door.
"What? No, dude," Dean snapped in reply. "This asshole's mine." He glanced at Chloe, pale yet determined, her hands grasping the small gun. He fought back a smile, impressed.
"If it's Lex, there's more than one," she informed them, staying close to the ground, her heart thundering in her chest. "You can't just walk out there."
"Then stay here," he told her in a commanding voice. "Sam, come with me."
"Where are you going?" she whispered, her eyes wide.
He rolled his eyes. "Outside to kill the bad guy," he replied in a hushed tone, slowly turning the knob.
Sam looked at Dean. "Dude, I can't see anything. They might be snipers for all we know, and there's no cover out there."
"So?"
"So... I hate gunshot wounds, Dean." Sam shot him an irritated, impatient look.
Dean groaned. "Dude, we can't just sit here and let them make pot shots at us whenever we get close to the window!"
"Sam's right," she hissed. "The second you step out that door you're gonna get shot. We need to find another way out of here." She glanced toward the bathroom.
Dean glowered, hating to be told what to do. "Fine, you two find another way out. I'm going this way." He indicated for the front door with his gun, then slowly cracked the door open, glancing outside for the nearest car for cover.
Hearing another gunshot, feeling the bullet hit the front door, made him abruptly change his mind. He slammed the door shut and looked around.
"Don't make me tell you I told you so," Sam said wryly, making towards the bathroom.
"Shut up, dude," Dean grumbled quietly.
Grabbing her purse, Chloe followed Sam quickly, gun clutched tightly in her hands. There was a window, but it wasn't very big. "Shit," she said under her breath.
Sam was standing, trying to pry the window open. "Gonna be a tight squeeze," he grumbled under his breath, his face screwed up with concentration.
"Yeah, if you're a contortionist," Dean remarked, nearly bumping into Chloe, who was standing in the doorway. Another shot rang out, the sound reverberating in the room. "Hurry up, Sam," he continued.
"Almost... there. Got it." He hauled himself up, able to squeeze through the small opening. Legs slid out and Sam disappeared.
Dean pushed Chloe towards the window. "You next," he whispered close to her ear.
She hesitated a moment, glancing back at him. She tossed her purse out the window and almost smiled a little as he lifted her up. She grimaced a little as she wiggled out the frame and tumbled to the ground.
"Sam grabbed her up roughly, pulling her away from the window. "Impala's this way," he said. "Come on."
"No." She pulled her hand away, looking up at the window, her heart beating quickly in her chest as she waited for Dean.
Dean's head popped out of the window, frowning deeply. "What the hell are you two waiting for?" he whispered urgently. "Get out of here. I'm coming!"
"Hurry up," she whispered urgently, flinching as she heard a couple more shots ring out, closer this time. Like they were in the room now. Her eyes widened as Dean landed at her feet with a hard thud, blood slowly spreading across his jacket. "Oh God."
"Shit," he groaned, rolling onto his back, his side on fire from the bullets making impact before he could get out of the window.
Sam, shocked, looked down at his older brother. "Dammit, Dean," he muttered, grabbing his brother's arms and swinging them around his neck, picking Dean up quickly and heading for the Impala as fast as he could. "Chloe!" he yelled.
She was only a couple steps behind, her heart thundering as she followed quickly, glancing over her shoulder as they ran. She quickly climbed into the backseat where Sam placed Dean. She shucked her jean jacket off quickly, pressing it against the wound in Dean's stomach.
A dull roar ran through Dean's ears, and he swore loudly at the light pressure being put on his burning body. His eyes rolled in the back of his head.
"Where's the closest hospital?" Sam asked, starting the Impala, screeching out of the parking lot before any other shots could be fired.
"No... no... hospital," Dean groaned, losing consciousness. "Fine, Sammy."
Chloe ignored him completely. "Smallville Medical Center." She quickly gave him directions before turning her attention to the man beside her, whose face was rapidly draining of all color. "Hurry," she whispered to Sam, swallowing hard as the blood soaked right through the jacket. "I'm sorry. This is gonna hurt." She pressed her hands against the wound, trying to stem the blood flow, and wincing when he growled in pain.
"Stop it Sam," he whispered, uselessly trying to swat Chloe's hands away. "Kill you... stop it." The pain, spreading throughout his body, because excruciating.
"Hang on, Dean," Sam whispered, hammering on the gas. Minutes passed before they reached Smallville Medical Center, and by then, Dean was unconscious.
Leaping out of the car, Sam grabbed the first emergency worker he saw.
Chloe swallowed hard, her eyes blurring with tears as she kept the pressure on his wound. She felt all the air leave her lungs as a white light suddenly filled the car, making her eyes widen as her hands suddenly felt unusually warm.
Sam saw a light emanating from the backseat of the Impala and forgot about everyone else around him. Running to the backseat, he watched as the light, bright as the sun, surrounded Dean, as if something from Chloe passed into him. When the light went out, Chloe collapsed onto Dean's chest, pale and almost deathly. Dean, however, seemed awake and alive.
Sputtering and coughing, Dean opened his eyes and groaned. "What the hell?" he muttered, his head pounding as if he had drunk way too many purple nurples. He then felt Chloe's body pressed against his and startled.
She felt the energy leave her body as though her soul was being drained as she collapsed against him bonelessly, her eyes drifting shut.
"Sam?!" Dean's voice rang loud and clear, despite its gruffness. The pain in his body was gone, and he felt... whole again. Like he had never been shot. He scooted into a sitting position and held onto Chloe.
Sam looked in and frowned. "What the hell?" he whispered, pulling her seemingly lifeless body out of his brother's arms.
"What happened?" he asked impatiently.
"Dude, I don't know. I was going to get help and then I saw this bright light illuminating the whole car. By the time I got here she was collapsing on you. Are you--"
"I'm fine, dammit!" he interrupted, moving out of the car, biting back the stiffness he felt in his body. "We need to admit her." He put a hand to his head, groaning slightly.
Sam cradled her limp body in his arms and quickly turned and headed for the emergency room entrance.
Struggling to keep up with his brother, Dean collapsed into the first chair he could find, trying to get a firm grip on the situation. He felt his clothes sticking to him and touched them firmly, his hands pulling back the blood that covered them. "What the hell?" he whispered, eyes wide as he watched Sam put Chloe on a hospital bed and back off so she could be admitted.
He slowly returned to his brother's side, his eyes wide and face pale as he stared at Dean. "You were shot," he whispered.
"What? Shot?" Dean retorted, a little incredulous. "No, how's that poss--" A feeling passed his heart, a sharp pain followed by numbness. "The window," he muttered to himself, looking down. If he had been shot, then... "Sam, what happened to Chloe?'
"I don't know." His voice was barely audible. "Somehow...somehow she healed you."
"Healed me?" he whispered, glancing up at his brother. "*Healed* me?? You mean to tell me she was... telling the truth with the whole 'I'm a freak' thing?"
Sam looked back at him solemnly.
Putting his head in his blood-stained hands, Dean frowned. And hoped she would be okay. Because either way, he was going after Lex Luthor. The man deserved to die, and Dean Winchester would see that through.
Title: Sweet Surrender
Authors: clarksmuse and xtremeroswellia
Fandoms: Supernatural/Smallville
Characters: Dean, Chloe, Sam, Clark, Lex, Dean/Chloe pairing
Rating: R to NC-17
Spoilers: General spoilers for the latter half of both SV and SPN
Disclaimer: Still don’t own any of these characters. Please don’t sue.
Feedback: is love and totally needed. It’s our crack that keeps us writing.
The last place Sam expected to find himself was in a busy newspaper office like the Daily Planet. A huge busy newspaper office, he mused, looking around at the people moving like bugs through the small walkways. He glanced at Dean, who still looked rough with sleep. "Hey, you didn't have to come with me," he whispered, walking quietly behind Chloe.
Dean grumbled and shook his head. "I'm good." He held up his styrofoam cup. "Just waiting for the caffeine to kick in." He saw Chloe turn and look at him, amusement in her eyes.
"It'll kick in fast, believe me." She grinned and led them across the room to where her desk was, quickly sitting down in the chair.
"Good," he murmured with a smirk. "Cause this is way too early in the morning to be doing... most anything." He gave her a heated look.
Rolling his eyes, Sam moved beside Chloe and sat down next to her. "Don't mind my brother," he said, staring at the computer screen, "he's just cranky in the morning."
She smirked. Cranky was one way to put it, she thought as her fingers flew across the keyboard with rapid strokes, pulling up the access screen to LuthorCorp.
Dean shot a glare at his brother. "Point out my other good qualities, why don't you?" he complained, taking a long drink of his cooling coffee.
With a sigh, Sam tried to ignore Dean's retorts and watch how quickly this girl seemed to get into a major database without breaking a sweat. "You do this often, I'm guessing," he replied casually, trying to hide his awe.
She blushed a little, glancing at him sideways. "Something like that."
His eyes starting to come into focus, Dean noticed the personnel files she had accessed using the LuthorCorp mainframe database. "Oh, my money's on you any day, sweetheart," Dean replied with a smile, watching her blush grow a little deeper with his words.
She felt her face grow warm at the compliment. She wasn't used to having this much male attention on her and she wasn't quite sure how to react. The thoughts left her mind as she began to read over Lex's files, sucking in a sharp breath of surprise as she recognized names of victims. "Shit," she whispered, voice almost inaudible.
"What is it?" the brothers asked, almost simultaneously. Sam leaned in, glancing at the names, recognizing them from his own research, though he wondered if she had actually known them.
"All the victims are other meteor freaks," she murmured, swallowing hard.
"Wait a minute," Dean muttered under his breath, crouching next to her to get a better read from the screen. The scent of her perfume assailed his nostrils, making him close his eyes for a brief second to enjoy it. One thing was for sure, he grudgingly admitted. He would miss this one when they left town. "What does that mean? This thing's targeting specific people?"
"Looks like,” she whispered, feeling the color drain from her face. "Excuse me for a moment." She quickly stood up, yanked her cell phone from her purse and headed off into the far corner of the room, dialing Oliver Queen's number.
When Oliver heard his phone ring, he thought for a moment it might have been Lois. Seeing Chloe Sullivan's number, however, did put a small smile on his face. "Ms. Sullivan," he said after he answered. "Nice to hear from you."
She wished she had time for formalities. "Likewise. Is my mother secure?" she asked anxiously.
He glanced around him, making sure none of his other comrades was around. "As they say... snug as a bug in a rug," he whispered, frowning. "Why, what's wrong?"
"Apparently the latest Smallville meteor freak is taking out his own kind," she said grimly.
Oliver was taken slightly aback by this news. "How is that possible? I didn't think... Haven't they mostly gone after people they held grudges against or situations like that?"
Dean watched Chloe's face, dark with concern, and looked at Sam. He wanted to know what was going on, but something told him to cool it until she looked more collected.
"Don't look at me, Dude." Sam slid himself in front of Chloe's computer, scanning the list of names with furrowed brows.
"Mostly. Yeah. Maybe he's trying to save someone else from being subjected to 33.1," she murmured, feeling ill.
Oliver winced at the name of Luthor's facilities, which seemed to crop up faster than he and his comrades could take them out. "Is Luthor controlling him?" he asked.
She paused. "I don't know. I don't think so. I think he's...just an escapee." She drew in a breath. "Thanks for taking care of everything with...you know. I'll be in touch."
"Hey, let me know if there's anything we can do, okay?" he whispered quietly.
"I will. Thanks," she said again softly before hanging up the phone.
Dean straightened up and stood, watching Chloe return to her desk, eyes downcast and worried. "Everything alright?" he asked.
She gave him a short nod. "Yeah, everything's fine. Did you guys find anything else?" she asked, drawing in a breath to try and calm her nerves.
"It looks like the victims all lived on a route out of Smallville... and towards Metropolis." Sam looked up at Chloe, then glanced at Dean.
"How much you wanna bet this thing's in town?" the eldest Winchester asked, staring at Chloe carefully.
It took every ounce of effort she had to keep her expression one of neutrality. "It's a him, not a thing. And we better find him before he finds his next victim."
He snorted at the sharp tone in her voice. "Okay, whatever. It, him... what's the difference?"
"Dean, not now," Sam replied, giving his brother a look.
She winced a little involuntarily, picking her purse up off her desk, her eyes distant. She checked inside to make sure the small handgun was still there, and sure enough her fingertips brushed over the cold steel. "Let's go.”
Dean's arm shot out, grabbing her firmly by the arm. "Whoa there," he stated evenly, his eyes filled with amused determination. "You're not going anywhere. Sam and I have this."
Her eyes were dark and narrowed as she turned to face him, her mouth set in a hard line. "I'm going. And you can't stop me."
"Wanna bet?" His voice was icy steel, matching the glint in the angry green orbs staring back at him.
"Dean," Sam said, looking at his brother, "let her go." Something told him Chloe would be more help than a hindrance, though for the life of him he couldn't state why.
"No way, Sam," he replied, never looking away from her. "I'm not going to have her blood on my hands if she ends up dead." His grip on her arm tightened with his words.
Her jaw tightening, she yanked her arm away from him, glaring at him furiously. "I have news for you, Dean* This is my town. My home. I've spent the last six years of my life dealing with situations like these so get over yourself. I'm going." Not giving him a chance to respond, she spun and headed for the door, her boots clicking on the floor loudly.
For a moment, Dean watched her walk away. It was all he could do to hit something, for all the anger he felt at her icy response. "Who the hell does she think she is?" he muttered under his breath, eyes following her up the stairs, filled with frustrated admiration.
Sam smiled faintly. "I dunno, man, but I think you've met your match." He took off after the petite blonde, leaving his brother to stew for a moment before reluctantly following them out of the Daily Planet and to the Impala.
&&&&&
Chloe sat in the backseat, staring out the window, her body tense. She flinched a little when her cell phone rang and she quickly plucked it from her purse, seeing Clark's number on the Caller ID. Drawing in a breath, she pressed the on button and put the phone to her ear. "Hey. Not really a good time, Clark."
Who the hell is Clark? Dean thought, his teeth grinding in irritation. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white from the effort.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Sam glanced at Dean, saw his jealousy, and grinned brightly. "Careful, Dean, don't break the steering wheel in half."
"Shut up, dude," he grumbled in response, ignoring the blonde's curious look from the back.
"Why, what's wrong?" Clark asked, worry in his voice. "Are you with that Dean guy?"
She shook her head a little. "Yeah, I am. Where are you?"
"At home. Mom needed me around the farm today," he replied, looking out the loft window. "What's going on? Seriously, are you in some kind of trouble?"
A wry smile tugged at her lips. "No. At least not yet. Working on it though."
Dean glared at her in the rearview mirror. "Hey, you going to help me out with the directions or what?" he demanded.
Clark chuckled, having heard the other man's remark loud and clear. "Your guy sounds jealous, Chloe."
She rolled her eyes, half-annoyed and half-amused. "Hold on, Clark." She covered the phone with one hand. "See this road we're on? You just keep going straight. Think you can handle that, tough guy? Or should I drive?"
He snorted. "No, I'd much rather have you in my lap so you can help me steer."
Her jaw dropped open for a moment. "You need professional help," she huffed, putting the phone back to her ear. "Clark, I really gotta go."
"Nice going," Sam murmured under his breath, trying hard to keep from laughing out loud at the exchange between these two. He wasn't sure which one would come out the victor, but one thing was certain... he wasn't going to be around when the energy between them combusted.
Clark stifled a snicker. "Have fun keeping him under control. He sounds like a real time bomb."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks, Clark. I appreciate that. By the way, Lois was talking about coming to stay with you guys for a few days. I told her I'm sure your mom wouldn't mind."
"Very funny, Chloe," he retorted in a low, irritable voice. "I know you're joking about that... aren't you?"
"Professional help," Dean muttered under his breath, stepping on the gas slightly. "I am the help. What's your excuse?"
She smirked. "Have fun with that, Clark." She hung up her phone and then shot Dean a glare. "And I heard that."
"Then I'd like an answer," he demanded, his voice hard as nails.
"Guys," Sam said, pinching his nose in mock weariness, "can you two tone the tension down a notch? I don't think the Impala will take the pressure."
"Hey, don't look at me!" Dean nearly shouted, reaching for the knob on the radio to turn it up. "She's the one who started it with her I gotta take care of everything myself attitude."
"Look, I don't know what kind of chicks you're used to dealing with," she said in a low, annoyed voice. "But I'm not some damsel in distress, all right? I can take care of myself."
"Then if you're so damned competent, how come we're in the middle of nowhere, sister?" came the seething retort.
She rolled her eyes. "Because we're in Kansas, Dumbass. We are in the middle of nowhere. That's what's between Metropolis and Smallville."
"So you're telling me we'll find the Cretan from LuthorCorp among the lovely rows of corn?" Dean stated in a calm, evenly sarcastic voice. "Wow, that's going to be a great trip down memory lane. Especially since we're FROM Kansas!"
Sam simply shook his head and kept his gaze firmly out the window. The explosion might come sooner than he had originally thought.
"Smallville's the meteor freak capital of the world. The guy's going after other meteor freaks. Odds are pretty high he'll be in town."
"How nice that all the freaks seem to stick to their hometown," Dean retorted, seeing a look of angry pain flash across her face.
"Screw you," she muttered, staring out the window, her jaw tense.
"Nice job, Dean," Sam replied with a smirk. "Now that you've pissed her off, maybe you'd like to toss her out the window, too?" He shook his head sadly, glancing at the stony face of his brother.
Dean said nothing, just kept driving straight into Smallville. Again. He couldn't understand why the whole 'meteor freak' thing bothered her so much. Was one of her friends a freak? he thought absently, wishing there was a way to ask her. He doubted, though, she'd ever speak to him again.
As soon as the car pulled to a stop along Main Street, Chloe was out of the backseat, purse strapped across her body as she headed away.
Sam wasn't surprised to watch her walk down the street, not looking back. Nor was he especially shocked to see Dean sitting there in the driver's seat, watching her leave. "You know, for a hunter, you're pretty stupid," he remarked, a wry smile on his face.
"Shut up, Sammy," Dean mumbled, not paying much attention to his brother.
"So you're going to let her go, then? That's not like you. Usually you're the one to let go."
Taking a deep breath, he nodded. He hated to admit it, but Sam was right about that. And since he knew where she was going, he couldn't very well let her go it alone. No matter how capable she thought she was. "Shadow us, dude," he said, getting out of the car and running after her.
Chloe heard his footsteps but didn't turn around to look as she unlocked the door to her Yaris, her body tense as she pulled the door open.
"Hey," he called, catching up to her quickly. "Wait just a minute. You can't just go off half-cocked on your one-woman quest to find this dude."
"I'm not going half-cocked," she informed him, climbing behind the wheel of her car.
"Funny," he replied with a smirk, noticing the angry flash in her eyes, "you really have me convinced." He grabbed her hand, preventing her from shutting the driver's side door.
"Let go of me," she said darkly, her voice even.
"Hell no," he retorted angrily. "You're not doing this alone."
"Let go of me or I'm going to scream and you're gonna get your ass arrested by that nice police officer across the street. And somehow I doubt very much you want to get tossed in jail considering your history. "
Her icy voice shocked him, confused him. Dean abruptly let her go. "Fine," he replied darkly, stepping back, glancing at the cop out of the corner of his eye. "It's your funeral." With that, he turned and stomped off, infuriated by her irritation at him. Especially when he didn't do anything.
She felt a momentary flash of guilt but pushed it away, slamming the driver's side door shut and throwing her car into gear, her eyes narrow and focused as she headed toward the one place she knew she'd find the information she needed now. The Luthor mansion.
Dean found Sam hiding behind a building. Rolling his eyes, he said, "Come on, Sam, we're gonna follow her." He didn't stop his angry strides, moving quickly towards the Impala.
"Man, when you piss someone off, you do one hell of a job of it," he mumbled.
He stopped up short at the driver's side and glared at Sam. "For once, I didn't do it!" he shouted.
He raised an eyebrow, looking utterly unconvinced. "No, you weren't baiting her the whole way here from Metropolis or anything," he responded, climbing into the passenger seat.
Sliding into the front seat and starting the engine, Dean snarled, "She was the one who started it, making me think she was single when she's really..." He snapped his mouth shut, unwilling to say anything else as he maneuvered the car onto the road, following Chloe from a decent distance.
"Dude, does it matter? As soon as this case is over, we're moving on anyway." He glanced at his brother sideways, wondering how Dean would react to those words.
He blew out an irritated breath. "Yeah, who cares?" he muttered, even though he knew it was lie. He cared about her, more than he wanted to admit.
And he didn't know why.
&&&&&
Chloe pulled her car into the long driveway, shaking her head with faint annoyance when she realized they'd followed her all the way here. Then again, some small part of her was relieved that she wouldn't be walking into the lion's den without any backup. If nothing else, they at least knew where she'd gone. Drawing in a breath, she grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car, turning to see them doing the same.
Dean grimaced when he realized, pulling up next to her car, that she was waiting for them. "Dammit," he whispered, getting out of the car. "Must be losing my touch."
Grimacing, Sam opened the passenger side door. "I'm not touching that with a ten foot pole," he muttered to himself, looking at Chloe curiously.
She rolled her eyes at their obvious dismay. "No offense, but if you're gonna tail someone, you might wanna A) get a different car and B) not follow me."
One, we didn't have time to steal a car to tail you," Dean smarted back, counting on his fingers, "and two, you're not as good as you think you are."
"Dean!" Sam hissed under his breath, looking around the large driveway, wondering when the security would grab them. He didn't like the feel of this place. Something was... off about it.
She smirked at Dean. "Actually I think it's the other way around," she remarked, before seeing the uncertain wariness in Sam's eyes. "Yeah, this isn't exactly the Hilton." She turned around and nodded at the guard, who offered her a wary smile and let them pass.
"Fine, sister, have it your way," Dean grumbled, shooting Sam a look before following her past the guard and into the mansion.
"Is this the Luthor place?" Sam asked cautiously, every fiber in his being on high alert. The last thing he and Dean needed was a run-in with this man. And it wasn't because he was reputed to be dangerous.
"Got it in one," she said grimly, lifting her chin as she headed down the long corridor toward Lex's study, where she knew she'd find him.
"Why are we here?" Dean demanded in a hoarse whisper, only inches behind her.
"Because if anyone knows where this son of a bitch is, it's Lex."
"Great," he muttered under his breath.
Sam pulled up from behind, his fingers itching to grab the weapon he had hidden in his jeans. He felt eyes watching their every move since arriving. He feared one wrong move and everything would go to hell.
"Relax," she said, reaching out and touching his arm gently, sensing his anxiety. "You guys can stay out here." She reached out and grabbed the doorknob to the study, not bothering to knock.
"Chloe," Dean replied, putting his hand over hers. "Don't go in there by yourself. Could be dangerous." His eyes were dark with unspoken concern.
She met his gaze, drawing in a breath, and nodding slightly. "All right." Her eyes flickered to Sam. "You're welcome to wait out here if you want."
"Thanks," Sam replied hesitantly, looking around cautiously. "Think I will."
Dean turned to look at his brother, nodding to be careful. He then followed Chloe into the double doors and into the large expansive office.
Lex smirked as he looked up from his computer. "Somehow I knew it wouldn't take you long to show up here."
Chloe's eyes were ice cold. "Where is he?"
"Who?" he asked innocently.
"You know who, Baldy," Dean practically snarled, standing next to Chloe. "The meteor freak who's killing his own kind."
Lex smirked and shifted his gaze to Dean. "Nice to see you again. Guess you intended to get lost in this corn-row town after all. Not that I'm surprised." He looked at Chloe, his smirk widening. "But you should know Chloe will never get over her one true love who has absolutely no interest in her at all whatsoever. Will you?"
"Screw you, Lex. Where is he?" she demanded.
He lifted an eyebrow. "Don't worry, Chloe. Your mother's safely guarded in Star City by Oliver Queen. You on the other hand..."
Her face paled.
Confused but pissed, Dean grabbed Chloe's hand and held it tightly, though he never took his eyes off the cool, collected, way too confident rich man. "Get this, Luthor," he said darkly, his anger veiled behind a mask of neutrality. "You're not touching this woman, you hear me? Or her mother... or anyone remotely connected to her. And if you do, believe when I say I'm going to hunt you down and put a bullet in your brain."
Lex didn't look the least bit intimidated, simply smirked. "If you two are through with the petty threats, I have work to do."
"Like more human experimentation?" Chloe asked coldly.
"Chloe. I don't experiment on humans. Only on monsters." He gazed at her coolly.
"Would that include you?" Dean said with a small laugh, squeezing Chloe's hand slightly, tugging her back towards the door. "Because to me? You're a monster."
She was trembling, unnerved by his words and cursing herself inwardly for letting Lex Luthor get the best of her again. Wordlessly she turned and headed out the door, her face pale.
Dean stayed for a moment, assessing Lex Luthor carefully. He looked like a formidable man, though there was something about him that suggested it was all a sham. He was surprised to see that in him. "We'll be watching you," he said simply, turning and following Chloe out the doors.
"Likewise," Lex responded as the man left his office.
Dean grabbed Chloe's arm and led her down the hall towards the front door. "Okay, what was all that about?" he asked her, ignoring the sharp look Sam gave him.
She didn't answer for a moment as she drew in a shaky breath. "We can't talk about this here." Her voice was low and when he let go of her arm, she grabbed onto his, pulling him toward the exit, glancing to make sure Sam was still behind them.
"Let's get out of here," Sam whispered, moving quickly behind them, practically pushing them out the front door and to their cars.
"Let's go back to the hotel," Dean suggested decisively, a little surprised at her sudden need to touch him. "We can talk there."
"Yeah. All right. I'll follow you guys this time." She made a beeline for her car, yanking her keys from her purse with a trembling hand.
Sam grabbed the keys from Dean's hand and gave him a look. "Dean, ride with her," he stated, watching Chloe's hurried movements. "Something's wrong with her, and it's not just about Uncle Fester."
Looking towards the blonde, who was already in the driver's seat, Dean nodded solemnly. "If she'll let me..." He walked to the passenger side and opened the door, sliding in without a word.
She didn't say anything to the fact he'd climbed in her car instead of his own. Swallowing hard, she slid the keys into the ignition, her face ghostly white as she locked the doors, waiting impatiently for Sam to back the Impala up so she could get out of there.
Once Sam had gotten the Impala onto the road, Dean let out a breath. "He better handle her with kid gloves," he muttered, glancing at Chloe's white face, wondering what was going on behind those riotous green eyes.
Her fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly, she shook her head just a little. "Great. I had sex with a guy who's in love with his car," she mumbled.
"What?" he asked sharply, a slow smile curving his lips. "My dad gave me that car. She's kinda important to me."
She cast a sideways glance at him. "Sorry. When I'm tense I get bitchy." She looked in her rearview, watching Sam back out of the driveway and she quickly did the same, her knuckles nearly white.
Touching her fingers gently, he whispered, "It's okay. Kinda used to it with Sammy." He winked at her, not showing the intense fear that had crept into his heart. Something was definitely wrong with her, he realized. Something Lex Luthor had mentioned... about her mother? About her? He needed the full story.
The gentle touch almost undid her but she swallowed hard, blinking back the tears forming rapidly behind her eyelids. "Sam's bitchy?"
"Oh yeah," he replied, his voice gentle. "You should see him after researching without his computer for several hours. There's no reasoning with him." His hand moved from hers to cup her cheek gently.
Meanwhile Sam had gotten out of the car and headed for the motel room, telling himself Dean had ten minutes to make things right with Chloe before he intervened.
She shifted the car into park position, closing her eyes against the light touch and shuddering involuntarily.
"Yeah," he continued, stroking her cheek softly, rubbing his thumb against her throat. "Sam's a real pain in the ass when he hasn't had his daily dose of computer time." Something had shifted in her attitude, because suddenly she was leaning into his touch, not doing whatever it took to move away.
Wordlessly she rested her head down on his shoulder, barely able to contain a soft sob as she shuddered again.
His free arm unbuckled her seatbelt so he could pull her closer, enveloping her in his embrace. He held his breath, unsure of what to say or do, aside from this. Tears were never something he was good at handling, he thought, but it seemed she needed... something.
Chloe shut her eyes tightly, letting his arms encircle her and pull her closer against him so there was no space between them. His hand lightly stroked her hair and she swallowed hard, letting out a breath. "Sorry," she whispered.
He shook his head, feeling her silken hair thread through his fingers. "No, it's okay," he grunted against the top of her head, kissing her lightly. "Come on, let's get inside." He pushed her back and lifted her chin, gazing intently into her sorrowful green eyes.
She gave a quick, consenting nod and reached for the door handle, swallowing hard.
Sam heard the room door open and looked up from his seated position on one of the beds. Chloe, looking like she hadn't seen daylight in awhile, walked inside, a smile plastered on her face. "Hey," he called, standing up. When Dean strode in behind her, Sam knew they were in for a long conversation.
She didn't sit down, just began to slowly pace the floor, raking a hand through her blonde curls. "Lex knows where he is."
"How do you know?" Sam asked, though he had figured Lex knew a great deal more about everything.
"Because Lex knows more about the meteor freaks in this town than anyone. It's his life's work," she said with a hint of bitterness.
Dean cleared his throat uncomfortably, watching her move about the room like a caged tiger. "So since the man himself won't tell us... how can we find out where to find this guy?"
"I'm sure he's got a lot of firewalls to crack," Sam replied, glancing at Chloe, "but can't we crack them?"
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I wish it was that easy. The information we need isn't accessible via LuthorCorp. It's somewhere else. Hidden. I have no idea where."
Sam frowned and looked at Dean. "Aside from the obvious pattern of killings so far, we don't have a way to track it... him, then."
Dean shrugged his shoulders, feeling, for the first time, like he wasn't sure where to go next. He gazed at Chloe, who had not stopped roaming around. "So tell me why Lex Luthor has a funny knack of getting under your skin," he stated casually.
"You're not exactly right about that, Sam," she whispered, a thought dawning on her that hadn't occurred to her before.
Feeling a little ignored, Dean frowned and turned away from her, lying back on the bed and lacing his fingers under his head. "Do tell us, Chloe," he replied as evenly as possible.
Sam shot his brother a look. "What do you mean?" he asked her.
She stopped pacing and looked at them both for a moment, hesitant. "We just have to set a trap."
"What kind of trap?" Sam cocked his head at her comment, absolutely curious and utterly frustrated by Dean's obvious pouting.
"Well, he's going after other meteor freaks." She gazed at him for a moment, then looked at Dean.
Dean stared at the ceiling, ignoring the two sets of eyes on him. "Oh yeah? Got a list of their names so we can knock on their doors?" he asked casually.
"We don't need a list. We just need one for bait."
Sam made a face, realizing what she was telling them. "Chloe, are you trying to tell us that... you're...?"
She avoided his eyes and looked away from Dean. "Yeah. I'm a freak too," she said, her voice distant.
Dean shot up off the bed in the blink of an eye, an indescribable look on his face. "The hell you are," he growled slowly.
"Hang on," Sam whispered, looking at her in surprise. "What exactly does that mean, anyway?"
She wrapped her arms around herself, leaning back against the door. "It means any day now I'm likely to turn into some kind of monster. Or at the very least...a very insane person."
"Not if I can help it," Dean insisted, standing up and moving towards her, determination on his features.
"Dude, give her a little space," Sam remarked calmly, feeling anything but. The last thing they needed was a potential time bomb on their hands. It didn't matter that he was beginning to like the girl.
"You can't." She looked at Dean evenly, her expression as distant as her voice. "But right now we have to focus on Smallville's latest meteor-freak turned killer before he hurts someone else."
"And... what, use you as bait?" he demanded, inches from her face. "How is that a good thing?"
Chloe gazed at him intently. "Because it's the only way to stop him."
"She's right, Dean," Sam said quietly, looking at his hands. "It's the only way."
He turned to look at his brother, anger showing in his eyes. "That's crap. There's another way. We're not going to do *anything* that could put her in danger, dammit!"
"Hey." She reached out and touched his arm. "If you only knew how often I was in danger, you'd be laughing right now," she said wryly.
He started at her gentle touch. "Doesn't mean you have to be in danger while we're around," he replied, looking deeply into her eyes.
"I'm not really seeing much of an alternative here, Dean." Her voice was quiet.
Sam nodded in agreement, eyes still focused on the floor.
"Fine," he replied firmly. "I'm going with you, then. Let Sam do all the legwork."
A smile tugged at her lips at the protective tone of his voice. "As sweet as that is...it may take both of you and me to take this guy down." She bit her lip, wishing she could call Clark. She wasn't willing to do that and risk anyone finding out about Clark's other-worldly identity. No matter how much she thought these guys were truly just there to help.
"Yeah, Dean," Sam retorted, looking up. "I'm not going to sit back and watch you two die. You know how stupid that sounds?"
"What, you mean that's not as stupid as agreeing that Chloe should be the freaking bait?" he shot back.
"You know it has to be done." Sam stood up and moved to look out the window carefully. The feeling of being watched had descended upon him again. "Does anyone know you're here, Chloe?" he asked suddenly.
"I don't think so...why?" she asked uncertainly, watching him look out the blinds and suddenly feeling on edge again, her heartbeat speeding up a little more.
"No reason," he whispered in response. "I just feel like... someone's watching us, that's all."
Dean ran a hand through his hair and went to the door, locking it. "Great, can things get any better?" he muttered under his breath.
Sam closed the window dressing slowly, returning them to their original position. He turned to look at Chloe. "It's probably nothing."
Dean gave him a yeah, right look.
"We're in Smallville," she murmured. "It's always something." She set her purse on the nearest bed, and pulled her gun out.
"Could be the meteor fr-- uh, the dude who's been killing people," Dean corrected himself, moving to his bag and pulling out the rocksalt for the door and windows. Sam cocked an eyebrow at him and he shrugged at him. "Just in case," he replied.
"Or Lex's having me watched," she responded, moving to the window and looking out.
"Either way, it's not a good idea to be near the window," Dean replied, pulling on her arm. He tossed the rocksalt to Sam. "Salt the doors and windows for me, dude."
Sam snorted. "What am I now, your lackey?" He walked through the connecting door, though, starting with Chloe's room first.
"I don't think he likes me very much," she said softly, tucking some hair behind her ear. Not that it really mattered in the long run.
"Sam? He's actually still pissed at me for that last run-in with the Feds," Dean replied, trying to throw off the nagging feeling that maybe Chloe reminded Sam too much of what he could become one day.
She arched an eyebrow. "You mean when you guys were actually in prison? What was that all about anyway?"
His eyes grew wide and anxious. "What the hell do you know about it?" he asked instantly, taking another step away from her.
She gazed at him with a well duh look. "Do you really think I would have gone to bed with you without knowing if you were some psycho out to kill me?"
He smirked. "Last time I checked, I wasn't the psycho. I might be wanted by the law, but I'm not evil."
"Yeah, well live in Smallville for a few years and see if you don't take every precaution when it comes to dating. I haven't exactly had a great track record," she said wryly.
He crossed his arms and stared at her. "Does that include this dude Clark you talked to earlier today?"
Her eyebrows furrowed. "Clark and I never dated."
"But you love him."
Chloe stared at him for a moment, not sure how to respond to that. "Things with Clark are...complicated."
Okay, not quite what I wanted to hear, Dean thought, turning his back to her and sitting heavily on the bed. He heard Sam's footsteps, pausing for a moment at the connecting door, then retreating again. Funny, he thought. He didn't know what kind of answer he wanted from her. "Which usually means all that love crap's involved," he muttered under his breath.
She winced a little. "Doesn't exactly matter anyway." For more than one reason, she thought, not quite understanding what was going on in his mind.
"Why not?" he asked quietly, lying back on the bed once more, attempting to keep the situation light. "Because you think you're going to turn evil?"
A wry smile touched her lips. "Because Clark Kent wouldn't be interested in me if I was the only female left on the planet and we had to breed to continue the species," she responded.
Dean fought back a smile. "This dude's a moron, then," he replied quietly, not looking at her.
She glanced out the window nervously, surprised she was having such an intimate conversation with a person who was basically a stranger. "He's in love with someone else."
He rolled his eyes and sat up, looking at her blonde hair cascading across her shoulders. "Why are you bothering with this guy? You're so much better than that." He didn't know *how* he knew that; call it instinct.
"You barely know me," she answered, her heart skipping a beat.
When she turned around and met his eyes, Dean felt a funny twist in his gut. Not altogether unpleasant, though he didn't need this, he thought. "No, but I'm good at reading people... believe it or not." He smiled slightly, holding her gaze.
She gazed at him intently. "So you figured out I was a freak before we slept together?" There was a hint of teasing in her voice.
His grin turned seductive. "Yeah, pretty much," he rasped, his body tight with need.
A chill ran down her spine at the look on his face. Surely he wasn't still interested in her now that he knew the truth about her. She swallowed hard as she watched him rise to his feet.
"What?" he whispered, taken back by the uncertainty in her eyes. His feet halted momentarily, inches from her face. He cupped her chin and pulled her eyes up to meet his.
"What are you doing?" she whispered back, the breath hitching in her throat.
A shadow crossed his face. "Trying to come on to you," he whispered honestly. "But if you don't want me to..." His words were cut off when she abruptly move into him, touching her lips to his suddenly.
Her fingers threaded through his short hair and she pulled him closer to her, her back bumping against the door as she kissed him urgently.
Grabbing her around the waist, Dean hauled her up against him, using the door to prop her up as his mouth plundered hers, tongue sliding against her mouth, asking for entrance.
She whimpered softly, letting her lips part to allow him access, her legs winding around his waist of their own volition as she raked her nails lightly down his back.
Her hips rocked against his hardness, making him groan. His body strained against hers, grinding against her impatiently. Hands sliding across her back and against her hair, he propelled her off the door, moving backwards while their mouths moved together, seeking, giving, taking.
She groaned as she felt her back suddenly land on the bed as he crawled over her. She leaned up and kissed him again, her hands sliding down to grip the bottom of his t-shirt and quickly pulling it off over his head, tossing it onto the floor.
Her hands skirted across his chest, leaving goose bumps in their wake. "Chloe," he grunted, sliding his fingers under her shirt and tugging it over her head, sliding fingers down her neck to her full breasts, his mouth following.
She closed her eyes, shuddering beneath him as his mouth moved over the material of her bra and lower to her stomach. "Please," she whispered.
He chuckled, licking her belly button, feeling her jerk beneath his touch. "Please what?" he whispered, his fingers slipping under her jeans to unbutton them.
"Make love to me." Her voice was soft, vulnerable.
He paused and looked up at her. "Though that's what I was doing," he commented, teasing her breasts lightly with his thumbs.
She groaned softly at the light caresses, her heart already pounding furiously in her chest.
Smirking a little, his mouth teased her pert nipples, feeling her body rippling with desire, making him hard and ready for her already. Moving back, he stripped her jeans off roughly, sliding his hands up her legs, spreading her thighs wide, admiring her beauty while he shrugged out of the remainder of his clothing. "Freak my ass," he whispered.
Chloe licked her lips, gazing up and reaching for him to pull him closer, kissing his mouth as her hands slid down his shoulder blades.
Grabbing a thin piece of foil from his wallet, Dean moved over her body again, ripping the foil open and rolling it on. His finger then slipped into her and he groaned at how ready she was for him, though they had done little more than touch each other.
She whimpered softly as he pulled his finger back, already feeling its loss. Her body was on fire with need and she bit her lower lip as he slid over her once more. "Now, please," she whispered.
He needed no more urging; pulling out his finger, he lifted her hips and plunged into her swiftly, taking a moment to savor the feel of her inner muscles stretching for him, massaging his thickness as she pulled him into her. When he moved, she moaned loudly, going with him. He rode her hard and fast, compelled by her nails digging into his back.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper into her and crying out softly at the sensation, his mouth capturing the sound as he kissed her. She closed her eyes tightly, already feeling her climax building, fueled by need and desperation and desire and the fact that someone actually knew what she really was and wanted her to despite it.
Her frantic straining against his body kept Dean from being easy on her, pounding against her mercilessly, her loud moaning ringing in his ears. His name on her lips, he brought them both over the edge, shuddering together as he wrapped himself inside her one last time with a hard thrust.
She bit down so hard on her tongue, she tasted blood even as the pleasure washed over her in waves, her hand still clutching him tightly to her as she shut her eyes.
With an intense shudder, Dean collapsed on to of her, his breathing heavy. He touched her lips gently with his, tasting the blood on her lips. He pulled back, his eyes dark with concern. His arms snaked around her, waiting for her body to calm.
She swallowed hard as he rolled them so she was resting on top of him, her hair damp as her ear pressed against his chest. She shuddered involuntarily, her breathing starting to slow down.
He touched her lip, felt the indentations, and couldn't hold back a smirk. "Damn," he whispered huskily, "I must be good." He chuckled, a low rumble in his chest.
She rolled her eyes at his remark. "You're also the most arrogant guy I've ever met."
Pulling her up to face him, Dean looked at her flushed face and those irritated green eyes. "Yeah, I know I am," he replied honestly, kissing her full lips. "Thank God I'm good looking, right?"
She groaned, kissing him back and then resting her forehead against his collarbone.
He sighed for a moment before tensing suddenly. He remembered Sam's words, that he had felt someone watching them. "If you said Luthor knew where this guy was, then do you think he's having us watched?" he asked quietly, serious now.
The second the words were out of his mouth, she was rolling off him, her own body tense once more as she started yanking on her clothes. "Not a doubt in my mind," she whispered.
So much for after-sex conversation, he thought, scooting off the bed and shrugging into his jeans. "Wonder what Sam's got cooking next door." Without looking at her, he strode to the connecting door and pounded hard. "Hey, you better not be watching porn in there!"
Yanking the knob on the other side, Sam opened the door and glared at the smug look on Dean's face. "Funny, Dean," he retorted, unwilling to mention how he had to turn up "The Andy Griffin Show" at full blast so he could research without listening to the events in the other room.
Chloe's face flushed with embarrassment and she moved toward the window, peeking out the blind. Almost immediately a shot rang out, shattering the glass and sending her tumbling backwards.
"Shit!" Dean cried, ducking to the floor quickly before crawling towards Chloe.
Sam ran for his gun, crouching down low. "Hey, you alright?" he asked Chloe, who had landed on her backside hard, her eyes wide with fright.
"I'm fine," she said, looking down at the shattered glass all around, her hands bleeding from various cuts. Another shot rang out and she flattened herself on the floor, closing her eyes tightly.
"Don't get up, dammit," Dean growled, searching for his weapon. "It's probably Luthor's guys. Maybe that freak who's on the people killing spree. I don't know. But no way you're dying on my watch."
Sighing and peeking just above the shattered glass, Sam muttered, "Can she be even less impressed?" He peered into the failing light, looking for movement, a shadow. Anything.
Chloe crawled over to the table where her purse was, yanking it down quickly and pulling her own handgun out. "You see anything?" she whispered to Sam.
"No," he whispered, frustrated beyond words. He knew something was out there... but just what it was, he didn't know. "I'm going out there." The last comment was directed at Dean, who was making his way towards the door.
"What? No, dude," Dean snapped in reply. "This asshole's mine." He glanced at Chloe, pale yet determined, her hands grasping the small gun. He fought back a smile, impressed.
"If it's Lex, there's more than one," she informed them, staying close to the ground, her heart thundering in her chest. "You can't just walk out there."
"Then stay here," he told her in a commanding voice. "Sam, come with me."
"Where are you going?" she whispered, her eyes wide.
He rolled his eyes. "Outside to kill the bad guy," he replied in a hushed tone, slowly turning the knob.
Sam looked at Dean. "Dude, I can't see anything. They might be snipers for all we know, and there's no cover out there."
"So?"
"So... I hate gunshot wounds, Dean." Sam shot him an irritated, impatient look.
Dean groaned. "Dude, we can't just sit here and let them make pot shots at us whenever we get close to the window!"
"Sam's right," she hissed. "The second you step out that door you're gonna get shot. We need to find another way out of here." She glanced toward the bathroom.
Dean glowered, hating to be told what to do. "Fine, you two find another way out. I'm going this way." He indicated for the front door with his gun, then slowly cracked the door open, glancing outside for the nearest car for cover.
Hearing another gunshot, feeling the bullet hit the front door, made him abruptly change his mind. He slammed the door shut and looked around.
"Don't make me tell you I told you so," Sam said wryly, making towards the bathroom.
"Shut up, dude," Dean grumbled quietly.
Grabbing her purse, Chloe followed Sam quickly, gun clutched tightly in her hands. There was a window, but it wasn't very big. "Shit," she said under her breath.
Sam was standing, trying to pry the window open. "Gonna be a tight squeeze," he grumbled under his breath, his face screwed up with concentration.
"Yeah, if you're a contortionist," Dean remarked, nearly bumping into Chloe, who was standing in the doorway. Another shot rang out, the sound reverberating in the room. "Hurry up, Sam," he continued.
"Almost... there. Got it." He hauled himself up, able to squeeze through the small opening. Legs slid out and Sam disappeared.
Dean pushed Chloe towards the window. "You next," he whispered close to her ear.
She hesitated a moment, glancing back at him. She tossed her purse out the window and almost smiled a little as he lifted her up. She grimaced a little as she wiggled out the frame and tumbled to the ground.
"Sam grabbed her up roughly, pulling her away from the window. "Impala's this way," he said. "Come on."
"No." She pulled her hand away, looking up at the window, her heart beating quickly in her chest as she waited for Dean.
Dean's head popped out of the window, frowning deeply. "What the hell are you two waiting for?" he whispered urgently. "Get out of here. I'm coming!"
"Hurry up," she whispered urgently, flinching as she heard a couple more shots ring out, closer this time. Like they were in the room now. Her eyes widened as Dean landed at her feet with a hard thud, blood slowly spreading across his jacket. "Oh God."
"Shit," he groaned, rolling onto his back, his side on fire from the bullets making impact before he could get out of the window.
Sam, shocked, looked down at his older brother. "Dammit, Dean," he muttered, grabbing his brother's arms and swinging them around his neck, picking Dean up quickly and heading for the Impala as fast as he could. "Chloe!" he yelled.
She was only a couple steps behind, her heart thundering as she followed quickly, glancing over her shoulder as they ran. She quickly climbed into the backseat where Sam placed Dean. She shucked her jean jacket off quickly, pressing it against the wound in Dean's stomach.
A dull roar ran through Dean's ears, and he swore loudly at the light pressure being put on his burning body. His eyes rolled in the back of his head.
"Where's the closest hospital?" Sam asked, starting the Impala, screeching out of the parking lot before any other shots could be fired.
"No... no... hospital," Dean groaned, losing consciousness. "Fine, Sammy."
Chloe ignored him completely. "Smallville Medical Center." She quickly gave him directions before turning her attention to the man beside her, whose face was rapidly draining of all color. "Hurry," she whispered to Sam, swallowing hard as the blood soaked right through the jacket. "I'm sorry. This is gonna hurt." She pressed her hands against the wound, trying to stem the blood flow, and wincing when he growled in pain.
"Stop it Sam," he whispered, uselessly trying to swat Chloe's hands away. "Kill you... stop it." The pain, spreading throughout his body, because excruciating.
"Hang on, Dean," Sam whispered, hammering on the gas. Minutes passed before they reached Smallville Medical Center, and by then, Dean was unconscious.
Leaping out of the car, Sam grabbed the first emergency worker he saw.
Chloe swallowed hard, her eyes blurring with tears as she kept the pressure on his wound. She felt all the air leave her lungs as a white light suddenly filled the car, making her eyes widen as her hands suddenly felt unusually warm.
Sam saw a light emanating from the backseat of the Impala and forgot about everyone else around him. Running to the backseat, he watched as the light, bright as the sun, surrounded Dean, as if something from Chloe passed into him. When the light went out, Chloe collapsed onto Dean's chest, pale and almost deathly. Dean, however, seemed awake and alive.
Sputtering and coughing, Dean opened his eyes and groaned. "What the hell?" he muttered, his head pounding as if he had drunk way too many purple nurples. He then felt Chloe's body pressed against his and startled.
She felt the energy leave her body as though her soul was being drained as she collapsed against him bonelessly, her eyes drifting shut.
"Sam?!" Dean's voice rang loud and clear, despite its gruffness. The pain in his body was gone, and he felt... whole again. Like he had never been shot. He scooted into a sitting position and held onto Chloe.
Sam looked in and frowned. "What the hell?" he whispered, pulling her seemingly lifeless body out of his brother's arms.
"What happened?" he asked impatiently.
"Dude, I don't know. I was going to get help and then I saw this bright light illuminating the whole car. By the time I got here she was collapsing on you. Are you--"
"I'm fine, dammit!" he interrupted, moving out of the car, biting back the stiffness he felt in his body. "We need to admit her." He put a hand to his head, groaning slightly.
Sam cradled her limp body in his arms and quickly turned and headed for the emergency room entrance.
Struggling to keep up with his brother, Dean collapsed into the first chair he could find, trying to get a firm grip on the situation. He felt his clothes sticking to him and touched them firmly, his hands pulling back the blood that covered them. "What the hell?" he whispered, eyes wide as he watched Sam put Chloe on a hospital bed and back off so she could be admitted.
He slowly returned to his brother's side, his eyes wide and face pale as he stared at Dean. "You were shot," he whispered.
"What? Shot?" Dean retorted, a little incredulous. "No, how's that poss--" A feeling passed his heart, a sharp pain followed by numbness. "The window," he muttered to himself, looking down. If he had been shot, then... "Sam, what happened to Chloe?'
"I don't know." His voice was barely audible. "Somehow...somehow she healed you."
"Healed me?" he whispered, glancing up at his brother. "*Healed* me?? You mean to tell me she was... telling the truth with the whole 'I'm a freak' thing?"
Sam looked back at him solemnly.
Putting his head in his blood-stained hands, Dean frowned. And hoped she would be okay. Because either way, he was going after Lex Luthor. The man deserved to die, and Dean Winchester would see that through.