Running on Empty (Chloe/Dean, *R*, 7/?)
Title: Running on Empty
Author: Karen U
Category: Smallville/Supernatural
Pairing/Characters: eventual Chloe/Dean
Disclaimer: No one you recognize belongs to me
Rating: R
Spoilers: for Smallville - starts a few months after the season 3 finale, but will include stuff from seasons up to 6, probably... just with a twist. Chloe already knows Clark's secret. for Supernatural - starts pre-series, but will go up to at least season 1. For the record, as this fic starts, Chloe is just turning 18, and Dean would be 25.
Summary: She was all alone...
Warning: language, violence, adult situations
Part Seven
She was quiet as she went with him. He helped her pack up her things, but they left her car behind - Dean figured he could swing back so she could pick it up before she left town. He didn't think she had any business heading on to her next town for at least a few days - she needed to let the marks on her face heal up some before she went anywhere else. She'd draw too much attention with a busted lip and a bruised face, and from what he could see, Chloe was intent on staying beneath the radar as much as possible. That, of course, was something he could understand.
He still wished he knew just what in the hell it was that had her running.
As he pulled up to Bobby's house - right next to Singer Salvage - he heard her muttering to herself as she sat next to him in the Impala. He could make out the words, but he was pretty sure she didn't mean for him to hear them, so Dean didn't say anything, the man just glancing over at her as he parked the car. He didn't see his dad's truck, which probably meant he and Bobby were still out getting that information they'd been headed off to get earlier. When they got back, they'd probably be pissed that he hadn't picked up the case of beer he'd been supposed to bring back, but he'd saved Chloe before he'd gotten around to picking up the beer, and somehow the idea of stopping for a beer run when he had a beat up teenage girl in the car didn't sit well with him.
"What is this place?" she asked, her expression wary as the young woman looked up at the house. She was rubbing at a patch of skin on her left hand, a patch he hadn't noticed before... It was smooth and... different than the rest of the skin he could see. A scar, maybe? He couldn't tell in the dim lighting, and he kind of doubted she would tell him what it was or how she got it.
He gestured towards the house. "Got a friend who lives there. It'll be safe, Chloe," he told her. "No stupid frat boys are going to show up here looking for you." That much, of course, was probably true. With any luck, no nasty monsters would show up looking for him and his dad or maybe Bobby tonight. Because that was one thing he was not planning to explain to this girl... Or maybe he should. She was, after all, totally on her own. Clearly she went out alone at night, seeing as that was how those guys had cornered her. She needed to be able to protect herself-
Chloe cleared her throat then. "Are we... are we going to go in, or...?" Her tone was questioning, a little nervous, and as Dean looked over at her, the lack of light making it hard to see the marks on her face, he was struck by what a pretty little thing she probably was when she wasn't all beat up, and he reminded himself of her age and the fact that she had a taser. An eighteen year old with a weapon was not a girl he needed to get too close to, especially since this one had 'complicated' written all over her. That didn't mean he couldn't help her... Didn't mean he didn't want to help her. Didn't mean he wouldn't help her. He would.
He nodded. "We're goin' in. Long as you're ready," he told her, eyeing her again, and the young woman gave a slight nod. She shifted in her seat, then winced a little. "Chloe?"
"I guess I hit the wall pretty hard," was all she said, and Dean nodded slightly. Now that there had been some time since the attack, she was realizing how beat up and sore she really was.
"You got knocked around pretty good before I got there," the man acknowledged as he got out of the car, making his way around to the other side. Chloe had the door open by the time he got there, and she got out of the car quickly, apparently too quickly, because she stumbled a bit, and Dean automatically put his arms out to catch her. He caught her against his chest, and she made a small sound, though he wasn't sure if it was of pain or sadness or fear... He held her against him for a moment, because she seemed like she needed it, and then carefully set her away from him. She blinked up at him with wide eyes, then quickly looked away, apparently embarrassed.
"Sorry," she whispered, and he shrugged his shoulders, trying to lighten the mood a little.
"Not a problem. I'm used to women falling at my feet," he joked, but when Chloe winced and looked down in response, he realized that his comment probably hadn't been the wisest one to make. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "Sorry."
She pulled back from him, almost stumbling again, but the Impala was behind her, so she just found herself up against the car. He saw a flicker of fear in her eyes and realized she was feeling a little trapped by his nearness to her now that she realized there was no escape (her fear wasn't surprising, given what had happened to her tonight, but he couldn't help but let it bother him because he knew he wouldn't hurt her), and Dean quickly took a step back from her, putting his hands up in some sort of surrender.
"You're safe here, Chloe. No one's going to hurt you. I promise. You're safe here. And you're more than welcome to keep your taser with you at all times, though if you're the jumpy type, you might want to tell us so we can make sure and not get too close. Wouldn't want to spook you accidentally and end up getting the shock of our lives, so to speak," Dean told her, meeting her gaze, and Chloe looked at him for a long moment, then nodded her head.
"I... I think I trust you. For some reason. I just..." She ducked her head, her voice growing softer. "I'm scared."
"It's been a rough night."
She closed her eyes. "More than a rough night."
He frowned as he looked at her. "How long have you been on your own like this, Chloe?" he asked quietly, staring at her bent head, and he really thought she wasn't going to answer him, but then she sighed, meeting his eyes.
"May," she whispered. "I've been alone since May."
"Isn't there anywhere that you could go-"
She shook her head, cutting him off. "There's nowhere, Dean. I don't have a home to go back to. As far as the world is concerned... I don't even exist anymore."
"What do you mean?" he asked, and Chloe closed her eyes, looking like she wished she hadn't said anything. She shook her head again.
"Not... Not now. Please? Can we just... Can we just go inside?" she asked, her voice soft, and Dean nodded, more curious about her than ever before but not willing to push for information and scare her off.
"Okay."
End Part Seven
Author: Karen U
Category: Smallville/Supernatural
Pairing/Characters: eventual Chloe/Dean
Disclaimer: No one you recognize belongs to me
Rating: R
Spoilers: for Smallville - starts a few months after the season 3 finale, but will include stuff from seasons up to 6, probably... just with a twist. Chloe already knows Clark's secret. for Supernatural - starts pre-series, but will go up to at least season 1. For the record, as this fic starts, Chloe is just turning 18, and Dean would be 25.
Summary: She was all alone...
Warning: language, violence, adult situations
Part Seven
She was quiet as she went with him. He helped her pack up her things, but they left her car behind - Dean figured he could swing back so she could pick it up before she left town. He didn't think she had any business heading on to her next town for at least a few days - she needed to let the marks on her face heal up some before she went anywhere else. She'd draw too much attention with a busted lip and a bruised face, and from what he could see, Chloe was intent on staying beneath the radar as much as possible. That, of course, was something he could understand.
He still wished he knew just what in the hell it was that had her running.
As he pulled up to Bobby's house - right next to Singer Salvage - he heard her muttering to herself as she sat next to him in the Impala. He could make out the words, but he was pretty sure she didn't mean for him to hear them, so Dean didn't say anything, the man just glancing over at her as he parked the car. He didn't see his dad's truck, which probably meant he and Bobby were still out getting that information they'd been headed off to get earlier. When they got back, they'd probably be pissed that he hadn't picked up the case of beer he'd been supposed to bring back, but he'd saved Chloe before he'd gotten around to picking up the beer, and somehow the idea of stopping for a beer run when he had a beat up teenage girl in the car didn't sit well with him.
"What is this place?" she asked, her expression wary as the young woman looked up at the house. She was rubbing at a patch of skin on her left hand, a patch he hadn't noticed before... It was smooth and... different than the rest of the skin he could see. A scar, maybe? He couldn't tell in the dim lighting, and he kind of doubted she would tell him what it was or how she got it.
He gestured towards the house. "Got a friend who lives there. It'll be safe, Chloe," he told her. "No stupid frat boys are going to show up here looking for you." That much, of course, was probably true. With any luck, no nasty monsters would show up looking for him and his dad or maybe Bobby tonight. Because that was one thing he was not planning to explain to this girl... Or maybe he should. She was, after all, totally on her own. Clearly she went out alone at night, seeing as that was how those guys had cornered her. She needed to be able to protect herself-
Chloe cleared her throat then. "Are we... are we going to go in, or...?" Her tone was questioning, a little nervous, and as Dean looked over at her, the lack of light making it hard to see the marks on her face, he was struck by what a pretty little thing she probably was when she wasn't all beat up, and he reminded himself of her age and the fact that she had a taser. An eighteen year old with a weapon was not a girl he needed to get too close to, especially since this one had 'complicated' written all over her. That didn't mean he couldn't help her... Didn't mean he didn't want to help her. Didn't mean he wouldn't help her. He would.
He nodded. "We're goin' in. Long as you're ready," he told her, eyeing her again, and the young woman gave a slight nod. She shifted in her seat, then winced a little. "Chloe?"
"I guess I hit the wall pretty hard," was all she said, and Dean nodded slightly. Now that there had been some time since the attack, she was realizing how beat up and sore she really was.
"You got knocked around pretty good before I got there," the man acknowledged as he got out of the car, making his way around to the other side. Chloe had the door open by the time he got there, and she got out of the car quickly, apparently too quickly, because she stumbled a bit, and Dean automatically put his arms out to catch her. He caught her against his chest, and she made a small sound, though he wasn't sure if it was of pain or sadness or fear... He held her against him for a moment, because she seemed like she needed it, and then carefully set her away from him. She blinked up at him with wide eyes, then quickly looked away, apparently embarrassed.
"Sorry," she whispered, and he shrugged his shoulders, trying to lighten the mood a little.
"Not a problem. I'm used to women falling at my feet," he joked, but when Chloe winced and looked down in response, he realized that his comment probably hadn't been the wisest one to make. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "Sorry."
She pulled back from him, almost stumbling again, but the Impala was behind her, so she just found herself up against the car. He saw a flicker of fear in her eyes and realized she was feeling a little trapped by his nearness to her now that she realized there was no escape (her fear wasn't surprising, given what had happened to her tonight, but he couldn't help but let it bother him because he knew he wouldn't hurt her), and Dean quickly took a step back from her, putting his hands up in some sort of surrender.
"You're safe here, Chloe. No one's going to hurt you. I promise. You're safe here. And you're more than welcome to keep your taser with you at all times, though if you're the jumpy type, you might want to tell us so we can make sure and not get too close. Wouldn't want to spook you accidentally and end up getting the shock of our lives, so to speak," Dean told her, meeting her gaze, and Chloe looked at him for a long moment, then nodded her head.
"I... I think I trust you. For some reason. I just..." She ducked her head, her voice growing softer. "I'm scared."
"It's been a rough night."
She closed her eyes. "More than a rough night."
He frowned as he looked at her. "How long have you been on your own like this, Chloe?" he asked quietly, staring at her bent head, and he really thought she wasn't going to answer him, but then she sighed, meeting his eyes.
"May," she whispered. "I've been alone since May."
"Isn't there anywhere that you could go-"
She shook her head, cutting him off. "There's nowhere, Dean. I don't have a home to go back to. As far as the world is concerned... I don't even exist anymore."
"What do you mean?" he asked, and Chloe closed her eyes, looking like she wished she hadn't said anything. She shook her head again.
"Not... Not now. Please? Can we just... Can we just go inside?" she asked, her voice soft, and Dean nodded, more curious about her than ever before but not willing to push for information and scare her off.
"Okay."
End Part Seven