Fic: Getting Up (2/?)
Fic: Getting Up (2/12)
Authors: Clarksmuse muses-circle and Pen37 (hmmm . . . Clark removes some of Chloe's memory, and Clarksmuse changes her name. Coincidence? I think not!)
Series: Slayer!Chloe
Beta: Clarksmuse
Fandoms: Supernatural, Smallville, Buffy/Angel Verse
Pairing: Chloe/Dean
Rating: Pg-13
Wordcount: 1,251
Summary: Chloe has left the relative safety of the Winchester's company. But she may regret it when she's stalked by a former Slayer who is now of the fanged persuasion.
Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5, Ch. 6, Ch. 7, Ch.8, Ch. 9, Ch. 10, Ch. 11, Ch. 12
The ride back to the hotel was a hard, long ride. Dean’s anger simmered, a quiet rage that would spill out in all kinds of ugly ways if he didn’t calm down. And as much as it pained Sam to think it, not having Chloe around was a good thing. At least for the moment.
The Impala’s engine roared in Sam’s ears as he watched the countryside whip past them at lightening speed. Glancing at the driver’s side dash board, he saw how fast Dean was driving and frowned. I should’ve driven, he thought for a moment and almost voiced his thoughts out loud. But the white-knuckled way Dean held the steering wheel - like he was trying to strangle it instead of Chloe Sullivan - emphasized the fact that the oldest Winchester needed to drive when he was angry. Had Sam insisted on being in the driver’s seat on the way back, Dean would’ve been the worst backseat driver in the history of mankind. At least this way, Dean could manipulate the car to keep himself in check. That is, until they got back to the hotel and found Chloe.
Neither one of them wanted to consider that she'd meant the words she'd said. She wouldn't have left them. The three of them needed to stay together. Surely she could see that.
Sam frowned. The problem was, Sam wasn't sure that the Slayer was seeing anything at all past her own hurt and anger.
Sam put a hand over his eyes and sighed heavily at the thought of the petite blonde. His own guilt threatened to drown out the irritation that he felt toward both his brother and the Slayer for their complete inability to act like reasonable adults.
While Sam admitted that he’d been researching information on the Slayer line and past Watchers, he had every intention of informing Chloe, because he had slowly come to the realization that maybe being a Watcher was in his future. And Missouri Moseley’s confirmation seemed to solidify it in his mind.
Of course, he’d tried to tell Dean once they’d gotten in the car, but Dean didn’t want to listen. Just like he hadn’t wanted to look for Chloe. "Let her look for her own ride back to the hotel," Dean had spat hatefully and ended all conversation by turning up Metallica at full blast. So the troubling news of a dark evil out to get them would have to wait. The world would stop spinning until the three of them worked out their issues, which seemed to grow by leaps and bounds with each passing moment.
When the Impala lurched forward with a sudden stop at a red light, Sam turned to glare at Dean. "Dude, can you calm down before you kill someone?"
"I’m not going to kill anyone."
"That’s debatable," Sam whispered under his breath and rested his head on the seat back to avoid whiplash when the light changed.
"I can’t help it if she pisses me off," Dean commented in a low voice. Sam thought he detected a note of despair behind the words.
"She’s as stubborn as you are. Is this surprising?"
"She’s uncommunicative, is what she is."
"Kinda like you, Dean."
"I am too communicative!" Dean hissed.
The light turned green and Sam felt the Impala practically fly into the air as his brother hit the gas pedal to the floor. "Right, just like you’re so chatty now."
"I don’t feel like talking."
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Sam huffed and crossed his arms. "Maybe if you’d open up once in awhile, I wouldn’t have to watch you and Chloe bicker like an old married couple."
"Why don’t you shut up about her?"
"Oh yeah? What are you going to do, kick my butt?"
"For starters." Another screech of the tires, and they turned into their hotel parking lot. Sam watched as the Impala careened into a parking space and was impressed by the fact that Dean hadn’t hit any other cars.
"We really should’ve looked for Chloe, Dean," Sam whispered.
"No," he replied.
"So she’s just going to walk back to the hotel, then?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"Apart from how mean and childish that is?" Sam looked at his brother, a questioning, surprised look in his eyes. Dean had figuratively sunk into himself, though his outward appearance masked it. His hands still held the steering wheel in a vice-grip, and his face held his mask of anger. However, the slight tic in Dean’s jaw, the way his eyes refused to meet Sam’s spoke of desolation and regret. Dean didn’t like this any more than Sam did. "Dude, let’s go find her. There’s still the idea of locking you up until you see reason."
"There’s no reasoning with her, Sammy," Dean replied with a wry grin. "Not right now. Maybe when she gets back." With that, he slid out of the driver’s side and headed towards the hotel room.
Sam sighed again and wiped a hand over his eyes. He was tired all of a sudden, as if the weight on his shoulders tripled. Only time would tell when Chloe decided to return to the hotel. In the meantime, since she had left her computer and notes with them, Sam wanted to occupy his time with what she’d dug up. Sam knew her well enough to know she probably had a virtual paper trail that could give him information on slayers, watchers, and something that could make him understand why his mother was killed before she could take over her Watcher duties.
He reached behind the seat and grabbed Chloe’s laptop bag. As he pulled it over the seat, though, he heard a ringing from inside. It was Chloe’s cell phone. With a deep frown of concern, Sam reached inside and pulled it out. He noticed Dean’s number flash on the LCD screen and wasn’t sure whether to be relieved that his brother was attempting reconciliation or be more upset by this startling discovery.
With baited breath, Sam answered the call. "Dean."
"What the - Sam, why are you answering Chloe’s phone?" Dean sounded angry and confused, and Sam winced in pain because of it.
"Because . . . it’s in her computer bag."
"What, the one that’s in the car?"
"Yeah, that one." Sam sucked in a breath and watched the figurative other shoe fall. "You know she doesn’t go anywhere without her phone."
Silence on the other end. Sam knew Dean hadn’t disconnected the call but was probably realizing what this meant. "I don’t think she’s coming back, Dean," Sam whispered.
"That’s crap, Sam," Dean said in a flat voice.
Deep down, Sam knew it wasn’t. "No it’s not, Dean."
"Don’t get out of the car. I’m coming out." Dean’s voice was hard and sharp as nails. "We’re going back to Lawrence and looking for her."
Sam heard the call disconnect and looked down at the phone in his hands. They might return to Lawrence, but his instinct told him Chloe wouldn’t be found. She was too good at hiding. If she didn’t want them finding her, there was no way on heaven or hell that would happen. Chloe Sullivan was gone. She wouldn’t have left her entire life in Sam’s hands otherwise.
And the fallout over this would be horrible, Sam realized as he watched Dean approach, face stony with determination and resilience. At this point, researching Watchers would have to wait: finding the slayer and taking care of his older brother was the most important thing.