Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala: Fic One: The Demons We Hide
Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala
Story One: “The Demons We Hide”
Authors: Clarksmuse and X_tremeroswellian
Rated: R
Genre: Smallville/Supernatural crossover
Pairings: Eventual Chloe/Dean, of course
Spoilers: Spoiler speculation for Smallville; up through "No Exit" of Supernatural.
Feedback: Rocks our socks and you guys are awesome with it so thank you!!
Chapter Three
Three hours later, at the cheapest Super 8 in town, Sam was at the laptop, searching for information on anything that would give him a better idea of what they were dealing with. And what he found troubled him to no end. Though they might have been human, it was only because their hearts were beating, Sam thought grimly, looking at the Woodsboro Baptist Church website. "Dude, they are hardcore zealots," he said out loud, hoping Dean was paying attention. His brother had been very quiet since they'd left the apartment complex.
Dean, meanwhile, was scouring through Dad's journal, hoping for something that might point to what this group of whackos had unleashed. He hadn't really looked at these notes since John's death, and he was fighting hard to keep a lid on his surge of anger. Dad was dead, and he was still so pissed about it. "I'd say they were more than that," he replied, looking up at the connecting door to Chloe's room. "She's been quiet, holed up in there."
In her room, Chloe was carefully reading each hate filled sentence of the church's website, barely able to tamp down her anger and choke it back enough to keep reading. The more she read, the more convinced she became that these people had to be stopped. Her jaw clenched as she read of their plans to protest at the funeral of some dead school children who'd died in a bus accident in another state.
After nearly three hours, she had to forcefully push herself away from the computer or risk throwing it into the wall. Forcing herself to take a couple deep breaths to calm down, she moved to the door connecting her room to the guys' and knocked.
"You gonna get that?" Sam asked, hiding the smile that curled around his face as he hunkered down behind his laptop.
Dean frowned, still staring at the connecting door. "Me? Why do I always have to answer it?" Though he was joking, his voice was still hard as nails.
"Because you need to get her to open up and talk to you, man," he replied. "She was about to blow a gasket in the car, and how much you wanna bet she's been reading up on this church?"
Sighing, Dean stood up. "You'd win, so I ain't taking that bet." He crossed the room and opened the door, seeing Chloe standing there, her eyes nearly red with anger. "Hey," he whispered.
"Find anything?" she asked instantly, her body still tense.
"Only that these people are actually more like the monsters we hunt and kill," Dean replied flatly, nodding towards Sam, who was still researching. "He's been on their website, telling me about the crap they do." He saw her face pale and grew worried about her again.
"Me too," she admitted, glancing over at Sam. Folding her arms across her chest, she looked up at Dean once more. "I need to go out for awhile, so I'm gonna call a cab. I'll be back in a couple hours."
"I'll go with you," he replied, looking down at her. "I need some air, too."
"You up for some shopping?" Chloe raised an eyebrow.
Leaning against the doorjamb, he grinned mischievously. "Depends on what you're shopping for," he said, trying to do something to make the atmosphere less oppressive.
She smirked at the look on his face. "I think I could use some new clothes."
Dean kept the smile on his face. "Yeah, you need something else to wear aside from what you're wearing now." Standing upright, he grabbed his jacket. "No need to call a cab. I'll drive."
"Great. I'll just grab my purse." She ducked back into her room, grabbed her purse from her bed and followed him toward the door.
With a smile still on his face, welcoming the distraction of something... simple, Dean looked at Sam. "I'm taking Chloe shopping."
Sam looked up and stared at Dean as if he'd grown horns. "Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" he mocked slightly.
Frowning, he shot Sam a look. "Shut up, dude. This is my chance to... get her to talk, okay?"
Sighing, a knowing smirk on his face, Sam said, "Okay, just remember, women generally don't like red lacy underwear."
"And you'd know that because you wear them?" Dean snarked back as he stepped between the connecting doors and shut it behind him.
Sighing, Sam whispered, "Because Jess told me." With her on his mind, he focused once again on the research he wanted to finish.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Chloe tucked some blonde hair behind her ear, sifting through the rack of dresses in front of her as Dean watched with a nonplussed look on his face. She wasn't quite finding what she was looking for and her eyebrows furrowed as she moved onto the next rack.
Watching her fuss through rack after rack of clothing, Dean now understood why men did NOT go shopping with their girlfriends and wives. It was... boring, he thought with a small smirk on his face. It wasn't like she was asking for his help, though he had enjoyed watching the look on her face when she thought she'd found something decent to wear and put it against her body to see if it'd fit.
But he could tell there was something still bothering her about earlier today. She was still angry and was using shopping as an excuse to ignore it. Compound that with the fact that he still knew nothing about her life before they'd found her on the side of the road, and there was a problem. He just didn't know how to ask her about it.
She spotted a rather demure looking blue dress with white flowers on it and grinned. "Bingo." She held it up in triumph. "Be right back." She headed for the dressing room, not noticing the disbelief on his face.
"Women," Dean grumbled with a sigh, waiting for Chloe to try on the dress. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the fitting room door, having nothing better to look at.
A moment later she appeared, wearing the very conservative dress, a sweet smile on her face. "What do you think?"
Dean's face fell, his expression one of awe, as he stared at her. Despite the fact that it showed very little skin, the dress clung just enough to her curves to make a man wonder what she was hiding underneath it. Swallowing hard, he rasped, "It's... pretty." He lifted his eyes to hers and stared at her.
"I think it's a good church dress, don't you?"
His eyes darkened, forgetting about how good she looked. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snapped in a low voice, so as not to attract attention.
"Infiltration," she answered, disappearing into the dressing room once more. When she reappeared once more, she was back in her regular clothes, the dress slung over her arm.
"Are you insane?" he demanded, following her to the checkout stand. He watched as she put the dress on the counter and greeted the cashier. "Don't you know how dangerous that's going to be?"
She didn't look at him as the cashier rang up the purchase and she paid quickly with a wad of cash. She led him out the door and toward the Impala. "Yep."
Dean grabbed Chloe's arm just before she could get into the Impala. "I'm not going to let you do this, Chloe. I don't care how pissed you are right now." He shook his head emphatically.
She looked at him with intense eyes. "You can't stop me," she informed him, shrugging out of his grasp. "Someone has to get in there and find out exactly what's going on. And somehow I don't think they'd buy the church going routine from you or Sam."
Keeping a firm grip on her arm, he glared at her. "Fine, but you're going to calm down before you do anything. We need to plan this thing out before you go on your own personal crusade."
"Fine," she agreed, holding his gaze.
Loosening his grip, Dean stepped away from her. "Fine," he whispered. "Let's get outta here. Hungry?"
"A little," Chloe admitted, climbing into the passenger seat of his car and fastening her seatbelt.
"Great, we'll stop for something to eat before going back to the hotel," he said with a grim smile. He got in and started the car, racing off to the first fast food place he could find. The ride was silent and deafening. Dean could feel Chloe's resolve and the anger that lay just underneath. "Why are you so pissed?" he asked hesitantly.
Staring out the window, she was silent for a long moment. "A few years ago...an acquaintance was killed overseas." Her jaw tightened. "These people had the nerve to show up at his funeral and harass his mother and his girlfriend, telling them he was burning in hell."
Dean hammered on the gas in frustration. "Bastards," he whispered in response. "Who are they to judge?" He glanced over at her.
"They're sick. What they do is immoral, and if our suspicions are correct, also illegal."
Dean felt the anger rolling off her lips. And it actually scared him a little. He nodded silently, his eyes focused on the street as he pulled into a McDonald's parking lot. Gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles where white, he said, "Yeah, Sam told me about what they posted on their site." He got out quickly.
She climbed out of the car and followed him toward the entrance. "We coulda just gone through the drive thru."
Dean sighed. "Obviously it hasn't occurred to you that I'd like to get to you know," he whispered almost inaudibly as he held the door open for her.
Barely catching his words, Chloe looked up at him with surprise on her face. "Oh," she whispered back.
Dean was silent, ordering something for both of them and taking her to a booth once he got their order. Sitting down, he looked at her intently. "Is that so strange?" he asked flatly.
She looked down at the table, taking a small sip of her coke. "It is if you're me."
"Tell me why." He munched on a fry, never taking his eyes off her.
"Because in my experience...people only want to know if you they want something from you."
Leaning back into his seat, Dean smirked. "My, aren't we a cynic?" Truth was, he really DID want to get to know this woman better. He was just at a loss on how to break down her tightly woven barrier.
She shrugged. "It's only cynical if it's not the truth." She looked up at him and met his eyes.
Leaning in, he smiled at her a little. "Who says it's the truth? You? Because I don't see it that way."
"No? How do you see it?" she asked quietly.
Leaning back in his chair, he continued looking at her. "I see a really pretty girl who is angry for some unknown reason. She's not afraid, because she's on the road with two strange guys." One kinda likes her, he thought to himself but didn't dare let that out. "She likes to research and go after anything that she thinks is evil and unjust. How am I doing?" His grin widened at the doubtful look her face.
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Not bad."
Dean smiled, digging into his burger and saying nothing for a few moments. Watching her smile, and knowing he'd made her smile, was a lot.... even though Sam would probably still give him grief about it. Especially since he knew deep down that he could do better than that. Somehow, though, he sensed Chloe was not like the other women he'd flirted with. She was... special, somehow. And he fully intended to find out everything about her.
She reached over and stole one of his fries, a playful smile on her lips as she popped it into her mouth. "And what about you?" She leaned her elbows on the table and gazed at him intently.
"What about me?" he flirted back, watching her take another of his fries.
"Well, you definitely fit the overprotective older brother role." She grinned at the surprised look on his face. "But you're not like other guys." Her voice softened a little.
"Observant, I like that," he replied after a moment. His face fell, however, and he looked down, taking a long drink out of his cup. "No, I'm not," he admitted. "I'm more twisted that other guys."
Chloe gazed at him. "Well, with what you do...how can you not be?"
Looking up at her, he smiled wryly. "Gee, thanks," he said, his voice low and soft.
"I never said it was a bad thing." Another smile quirked her lips. "I happen to like twisted."
"Then you're with the right guy," he replied, his smile not meeting his eyes. "I'm about as twisted as they come." Thoughts of his father came back to him and he literally blinked them back. Now was NOT the time to think about that, he said silently.
She felt the shift in his mood and rested her chin on one hand. "I'm a good listener." Her voice was very soft.
"I'll remember that when I want to talk," he said softly. "I... can't. Not now. I'd rather hear about you." He suddenly became shy, if such a thing was possible. God, when did Dean Winchester become so tongue-tied around a woman?
Chloe drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Then I guess we're gonna have to find some neutral topic because… I'm not ready to either," she admitted.
"Fair enough," he said after a moment. "Let's talk about the weather." Running a frustrated hand through his hair, he said, "I don't.. do small talk."
A faint smile touched her lips. "Somehow I didn't think you did." She stole another fry from him and munched on it, thinking.
As much as he wanted to know what she was thinking about, he knew she wasn't going to tell him. Maybe she never would, and that didn't sit right with him. But isn't it a two-way street? a sudden thought hit his mind. To hear, you have to speak first. He took another bite of his burger and chewed slowly, letting that thought sink in. He and Sam had barely started dealing with Dad's death: how could he explain that to her?
She took a sip of her coke, nearly jumping out of the booth when her cell phone rang inside her purse. Startled at the shattered silence, she reached in and looked at the Caller ID. The smile slipped from her face, her eyes darkening with anger and hurt as she pushed the ignore button, letting him get her voicemail. She tucked the phone back in her purse.
Dean watched Chloe's face with quite a lot of interest. "I take it that's someone you don't want to talk to," he said, finishing his meal.
"You could say that," she said shortly, picking up her tray and dumping the rest of her meal in the trash can, having lost her appetite.
He stood up and dumped the rest of the meal in the trash before turning to her. "That'd be someone from that past you don't want to talk about, huh?" He pulled out his keys, not able to look at her.
A bitter smile touched her lips. "Good guesser."
Holding the door open for her, Dean walked around and unlocked the Impala, opening the door for her to get in. "Ex-boyfriend, I'm betting," he said casually, moving over to the driver's side.
Holding the door open for her, Dean walked around and unlocked the Impala, opening the door for her to get in. "Ex-boyfriend, I'm betting," he said casually, moving over to the driver's side.
"Good thing you didn't bet money," she responded, sliding into the passenger seat.
"I would have lost, huh?" he asked, casually again this time, as he got in and shut the door. Starting the Impala again, he pulled out of the parking lot and turned on some of his favorite classic rock.
"Big time," Chloe whispered, turning to stare out the passenger window, hoping the music would drown out the thoughts in her head.
After a couple tense moments of silence, Dean sighed. "What did you have in mind about infiltrating this wacko-ass church group," he said, turning the music down a bit.
"I figured I'd start by attending Sunday morning services. Pretending to be new in town."
With that dress she'd just bought, he mused, she'd probably fit right in. Well, kind of. For some insane reason, he liked it. "You think you can play the 'holier than thou' act around those people?" he chuckled.
Chloe smirked and turned her head to look at him. "I'm a good liar."
"Not as good as me," he retorted with a smile.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see then, won't we?"
"Care to bet on that?" he said, looking over at her.
Chloe smirked. "What do you have in mind?"
"You're not going into that church alone. Sam or I will have to go, and I for one think it should be me." His voice was hard with resolve.
"You can't," she told him, leaning back in the seat. "The pattern is people who live alone and who don't appear to have any friends or family nearby."
"Who said I was gonna know you?" he said firmly.
"Don't you think it might seem suspicious if two new people show up on the same day?"
"So you get to play Super Girl while Sam and me wait for you?" he snapped. "I don't think so. Last time we had a girl with us..." His voice drifted off as he thought briefly of Jo and how they'd nearly gotten her killed. All because she wanted to do things her way.
"I'm not your ordinary girl," she said darkly, staring out the window once more.
"So was Jo, and her stubborn streak nearly got her killed," he said, his voice gruff from anger and frustration.
"Fine. So go to church. But don't blow my cover." There was more than a hint of annoyance in her tone.
"Right, because the thing that's chasing these people out of their apartments might not want to take you then," he declared angrily, screeching into the hotel parking lot and getting out of the car.
"Exactly," she whispered, climbing out of the passenger seat and heading for her own room.
Dean didn't bother to see if Chloe was going to her room. He was so angry, he could punch a hole in the wall. Unlocking his own door, he entered the hotel room and slammed it behind him, the noise reverberating throughout the room for several seconds.
Sam, startled by the sudden noise, looked up from the laptop, where he'd been the entire time, and looked at Dean. "Dude, what are you doing?"
"Chloe... she..." Dean tried to speak but couldn't.
"She what?" He shook his head, baffled at his brother's sudden speechless anger.
"She thinks she's going to get into this damn church group," Dean managed to get out, his frustration with the woman nearly choking him. "She thinks she's going to solve this by herself!" He paced around the room, his mind whirling.
Sam stared at him wide-eyed. "Is she crazy?"
Not looking at his brother, Dean continued walking around the room. "Yeah, and likes twisted men, too." He was too into his own mind to see the look on Sam's face.
"Deadly combo," Sam mumbled, wiping a hand over his face.
"Yeah," he replied, slowing his pacing. "Got any bright ideas on how to stop her? She wants to do this on her own, and if your vision is right, something's going to get her." He knew he sounded worried, but he didn't care.
He let out a breath, leaning back in his chair and thinking. "I'm not sure infiltrating this place is a bad idea. I'm just...not sure she's the one who should do it."
"I told her the same thing, man, but she wouldn't listen." He released some pent up breath and looked at Sam. "Think you're up to it? You're clean cut and fanatic about certain things."
"Gee, thanks," he said wryly, giving his brother a look. "Better me than her."
Running a hand through his hair, Dean sighed. "That's not what I meant, Sammy. I'm just thinking if she's hell-bent on going in there, one of us needs to be there with her. To keep an eye out for her. You seem a more reasonable choice, dude." Besides, she didn't seem to want him around, he mused with a frown.
"I know what you meant." Sam rose to his feet. "And I agree. I don't think she should be alone with those people."
"Can you talk to her?" he asked Sam. "She might listen to you. She's... not an open one."
"I've noticed," he admitted, letting out a breath. "I'll see what I can do." He headed for the door that connected their rooms.
"Someone called her while we were eating, and she didn't answer it," Dean pointed out to Sam. "I think... it was someone she's running from. It's not a boyfriend, but... I think this person was close to her." He didn't know why he felt the need to share that information, but surely if Chloe decided to be open with someone, it'd be with Sam.
Sam just nodded, knocking on the connecting door softly and hoping Chloe would open the door.
A moment later, she did just that, looking up with slight surprise--she clearly hadn't expected it to be Sam knocking. She regarded him warily. "What's up? Did you find something?"
"You could say that," Sam replied, smiling faintly. "Mind if I come in?"
She stepped aside, moving to sit down at the small desk across the room as he shut the door. "What'd you find?" she asked, her eyes lit up with curiosity.
Taking a deep breath, he turned around and sat at the table with her. "Not too much more than what you found on their website," he replied. "But funny thing... Dean told me something very interesting about you." He gazed at her with what he hoped was a neutral gaze.
Her jaw tightened and she folded her arms across her chest, resolve clear on her face. "You're not gonna talk me out of it, Sam."
"I don't want to talk you out of it, Chloe," he replied softly. "I think it's a good idea. I just don't think you should go in there alone. I agree with Dean on that one." He saw her face harden and knew this was going to take a little while.
"Because I'm a girl?"
"Because of that thing I saw chasing the latest victim out of her apartment," he replied, ignoring her remark. "If we both join the church and pretend to be one of them, at least if anything weird happens, we'll have backup."
She looked away. "What exactly *did* you see?"
Sam shifted in his seat, looking at his hands sadly. "The girl... she was running out of her apartment. I can't see exactly what was after her, but... it was shaped like a man, whatever it was." Funny, he thought suddenly, how the pursuer didn't FEEL evil.
She let out a breath, glancing at him. "So you're thinking it's some kind of demon or evil spirit?"
He shook his head. "That's the weird part. I... don't think it is." He looked at her uncertainly.
Chloe's eyebrows furrowed as she met his gaze. "So...then...what?"
"I don't know," he replied honestly. "All I know is that it isn't evil." He put a hand on his face, realizing he hadn't even told Dean this yet. He'd been so worked up over Chloe that he never had the chance.
"Sam, are you all right?" Her voice was quiet, laced with concern as she gazed at him.
"Yeah, I just realized..." Sam chuckled a little. "Dean doesn't even know what I just told you. He's pretty wound up, you know." He stared at her, a knowing look on his face.
"Yeah, he's kinda high-strung, isn't he?"
"Only when he's really intense about something... or someone."
She shifted her gaze away from his, not wanting to think about that right now. "He shouldn't be."
Leaning back in his seat, Sam smiled again. "Kinda too late for that, Chloe. You've gotten his attention, whether either of you wanted it or not."
She was silent for a moment, then looked back at him, a deep well of sadness and pain in her eyes. "Then maybe I should take off."
"So I can watch Dean brood over you?" Sam asked, concern mirrored in his eyes. "Why, do you want to leave?"
"No," she admitted after a moment. "But sometimes it's easier to just preemptively save yourself the trouble."
Shaking his head, he replied, "And in no way do you sound like Dean right there." He watched her closely, wondering who had hurt her to make such a cynical comment. "Saving yourself the trouble means you'll remain alone the rest of your life. You sure you want that?"
Chloe offered him a wry smile. "Why fight the inevitable?"
Sam shrugged. "Whether it's inevitable or not, sometimes it's worth the risk." He thought about Jessica and smiled over the time they had together.
"And sometimes it's not," she said quietly, a hint of finality in her tone. "So tomorrow we go to church?"
Standing, Sam frowned but said nothing. Except to think they she was more tight-lipped than his brother. "Sure," he said. "We won't enter the church together, however. I'll come in after you, so... you'll need to get a cab or something to get to the church."
"No problem. You probably shouldn't take the Impala, either. Too easy to track."
Grinning, Sam replied, "I don't see Dean parting with his first love to let me to go church anyway." He winked at her, trying to make his departure light.
Chloe smiled faintly. "I'll see you in the morning then."
"Alright." Sam walked to the connecting door and paused before opening it. "Chloe?" he asked.
"Yeah?" She glanced over at him as she paused in her tracks on the way to the bathroom.
"My brother's a good man," he said softly. "He's a pain, but he's worth your time and trouble." Pulling the door open, he whispered, "He'll keep your secrets and maybe help you overcome them."
Chloe's shoulders slumped a little. "I don't doubt that, Sam," she whispered. "I just doubt I am." Without waiting for him to respond, she disappeared into the bathroom.
Sam shook his head. "You're wrong, Chloe," he whispered to himself. "You just don't see it yet." He moved across the connecting door and into their room without another word.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Dude, you look like a man in black," Dean commented with a smirk as he watched Sam straighten his tie the next morning.
Sam just threw him a look. "I have to fit the part, don't I? It's bad enough I have to pay for a cab to get to this place."
"Hey, it'd be suspicious if your drove up in the Impala. That'd cause too much of a stir with these... people," he retorted, a little jealous that Sam was going with Chloe and he wasn't. He was so deep in thought over the events of today that he didn't notice Chloe open the connecting door and walk in.
She was wearing the same dress she'd bought with him there the day before, and this time her blonde hair was pulled back into a softly flowing ponytail. She wasn't wearing any makeup or jewelry except a watch and a cross. "You about ready?" she asked Sam.
Nodding, Sam smiled at her. "You look... appropriate," he said. "I'm going to call the cabs, okay? Meet me outside in a few?" Giving Dean a look, he strode outside to make the call on his cell.
Dean just stared at her. Despite her clean face, he thought she looked like an angel. Looking her up and down, he couldn't say anything.
She felt his gaze on her and turned to look at him. "Do I look...okay?" she asked uncertainly. "Do I look the part?"
When he realized he was staring, he looked away from her. "Uh, yeah... you look fine," he said in an even tone. Truth was, he thought she looked beautiful. The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
The distance in his voice didn't go unnoticed and she sighed very softly, inaudibly. He was apparently still pissed about last night. "Dean..."
"You're going to be late," he replied, still not looking at her. Not daring to, for fear of what he'd do if he did.
"I'm sorry you're still pissed." Her voice was soft and she headed out the door without waiting for a response.
"I'm not pissed," he replied, giving into his need to look at her as he took several steps and gently grabbed her arm. "It's done, that's all. I just..." He shook his dark head, lowering his eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll keep Sam safe." She winked at him.
Looking up at her with intense eyes, he muttered, "Keep yourself safe." Moving close to her, he put his free hand on her other arm and looked down at her.
The breath caught in her throat and for a moment she was sure he was about to kiss her.
Dean wondered what her lips would taste like, how they would move against his gently. But her wide-eyed look told him she was more scared of what he might do. And that was not his intention. Reluctantly, he pulled away, stepping back from her, blinking back the need he felt. "Keep an eye on Sam while you're at it, okay?" he said gruffly.
"Of course," she whispered, her heart hammering in her chest, her mind swirling with confusion that didn't clear with the honking of the taxi.
She looked as unsettled as he felt, and he didn't know whether to be happy or depressed about that. "Chloe..." He began, unsure of what to say.
"I should...the cab's here. I'll...see you later," she whispered, turning and heading away.
No, he wasn't going to let it go. As if possessed, he closed the distance between them, swirled her around, and kissed her soundly on her lips.
For a moment she was too shocked to respond. Her instincts took over before her mind could and she felt herself kissing him back with something akin to desperation. And it scared the hell out of her. She broke away from him, trembling. And without a word, bolted toward the cab before he could stop her.
He watched her practically sprint out the door and hung his head. What he felt from her was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It shook him to the core. From the opened door, he watched her get into the waiting cab and wondered what he had done and if she would ever look at him again.
Story One: “The Demons We Hide”
Authors: Clarksmuse and X_tremeroswellian
Rated: R
Genre: Smallville/Supernatural crossover
Pairings: Eventual Chloe/Dean, of course
Spoilers: Spoiler speculation for Smallville; up through "No Exit" of Supernatural.
Feedback: Rocks our socks and you guys are awesome with it so thank you!!
Chapter Three
Three hours later, at the cheapest Super 8 in town, Sam was at the laptop, searching for information on anything that would give him a better idea of what they were dealing with. And what he found troubled him to no end. Though they might have been human, it was only because their hearts were beating, Sam thought grimly, looking at the Woodsboro Baptist Church website. "Dude, they are hardcore zealots," he said out loud, hoping Dean was paying attention. His brother had been very quiet since they'd left the apartment complex.
Dean, meanwhile, was scouring through Dad's journal, hoping for something that might point to what this group of whackos had unleashed. He hadn't really looked at these notes since John's death, and he was fighting hard to keep a lid on his surge of anger. Dad was dead, and he was still so pissed about it. "I'd say they were more than that," he replied, looking up at the connecting door to Chloe's room. "She's been quiet, holed up in there."
In her room, Chloe was carefully reading each hate filled sentence of the church's website, barely able to tamp down her anger and choke it back enough to keep reading. The more she read, the more convinced she became that these people had to be stopped. Her jaw clenched as she read of their plans to protest at the funeral of some dead school children who'd died in a bus accident in another state.
After nearly three hours, she had to forcefully push herself away from the computer or risk throwing it into the wall. Forcing herself to take a couple deep breaths to calm down, she moved to the door connecting her room to the guys' and knocked.
"You gonna get that?" Sam asked, hiding the smile that curled around his face as he hunkered down behind his laptop.
Dean frowned, still staring at the connecting door. "Me? Why do I always have to answer it?" Though he was joking, his voice was still hard as nails.
"Because you need to get her to open up and talk to you, man," he replied. "She was about to blow a gasket in the car, and how much you wanna bet she's been reading up on this church?"
Sighing, Dean stood up. "You'd win, so I ain't taking that bet." He crossed the room and opened the door, seeing Chloe standing there, her eyes nearly red with anger. "Hey," he whispered.
"Find anything?" she asked instantly, her body still tense.
"Only that these people are actually more like the monsters we hunt and kill," Dean replied flatly, nodding towards Sam, who was still researching. "He's been on their website, telling me about the crap they do." He saw her face pale and grew worried about her again.
"Me too," she admitted, glancing over at Sam. Folding her arms across her chest, she looked up at Dean once more. "I need to go out for awhile, so I'm gonna call a cab. I'll be back in a couple hours."
"I'll go with you," he replied, looking down at her. "I need some air, too."
"You up for some shopping?" Chloe raised an eyebrow.
Leaning against the doorjamb, he grinned mischievously. "Depends on what you're shopping for," he said, trying to do something to make the atmosphere less oppressive.
She smirked at the look on his face. "I think I could use some new clothes."
Dean kept the smile on his face. "Yeah, you need something else to wear aside from what you're wearing now." Standing upright, he grabbed his jacket. "No need to call a cab. I'll drive."
"Great. I'll just grab my purse." She ducked back into her room, grabbed her purse from her bed and followed him toward the door.
With a smile still on his face, welcoming the distraction of something... simple, Dean looked at Sam. "I'm taking Chloe shopping."
Sam looked up and stared at Dean as if he'd grown horns. "Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" he mocked slightly.
Frowning, he shot Sam a look. "Shut up, dude. This is my chance to... get her to talk, okay?"
Sighing, a knowing smirk on his face, Sam said, "Okay, just remember, women generally don't like red lacy underwear."
"And you'd know that because you wear them?" Dean snarked back as he stepped between the connecting doors and shut it behind him.
Sighing, Sam whispered, "Because Jess told me." With her on his mind, he focused once again on the research he wanted to finish.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Chloe tucked some blonde hair behind her ear, sifting through the rack of dresses in front of her as Dean watched with a nonplussed look on his face. She wasn't quite finding what she was looking for and her eyebrows furrowed as she moved onto the next rack.
Watching her fuss through rack after rack of clothing, Dean now understood why men did NOT go shopping with their girlfriends and wives. It was... boring, he thought with a small smirk on his face. It wasn't like she was asking for his help, though he had enjoyed watching the look on her face when she thought she'd found something decent to wear and put it against her body to see if it'd fit.
But he could tell there was something still bothering her about earlier today. She was still angry and was using shopping as an excuse to ignore it. Compound that with the fact that he still knew nothing about her life before they'd found her on the side of the road, and there was a problem. He just didn't know how to ask her about it.
She spotted a rather demure looking blue dress with white flowers on it and grinned. "Bingo." She held it up in triumph. "Be right back." She headed for the dressing room, not noticing the disbelief on his face.
"Women," Dean grumbled with a sigh, waiting for Chloe to try on the dress. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the fitting room door, having nothing better to look at.
A moment later she appeared, wearing the very conservative dress, a sweet smile on her face. "What do you think?"
Dean's face fell, his expression one of awe, as he stared at her. Despite the fact that it showed very little skin, the dress clung just enough to her curves to make a man wonder what she was hiding underneath it. Swallowing hard, he rasped, "It's... pretty." He lifted his eyes to hers and stared at her.
"I think it's a good church dress, don't you?"
His eyes darkened, forgetting about how good she looked. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snapped in a low voice, so as not to attract attention.
"Infiltration," she answered, disappearing into the dressing room once more. When she reappeared once more, she was back in her regular clothes, the dress slung over her arm.
"Are you insane?" he demanded, following her to the checkout stand. He watched as she put the dress on the counter and greeted the cashier. "Don't you know how dangerous that's going to be?"
She didn't look at him as the cashier rang up the purchase and she paid quickly with a wad of cash. She led him out the door and toward the Impala. "Yep."
Dean grabbed Chloe's arm just before she could get into the Impala. "I'm not going to let you do this, Chloe. I don't care how pissed you are right now." He shook his head emphatically.
She looked at him with intense eyes. "You can't stop me," she informed him, shrugging out of his grasp. "Someone has to get in there and find out exactly what's going on. And somehow I don't think they'd buy the church going routine from you or Sam."
Keeping a firm grip on her arm, he glared at her. "Fine, but you're going to calm down before you do anything. We need to plan this thing out before you go on your own personal crusade."
"Fine," she agreed, holding his gaze.
Loosening his grip, Dean stepped away from her. "Fine," he whispered. "Let's get outta here. Hungry?"
"A little," Chloe admitted, climbing into the passenger seat of his car and fastening her seatbelt.
"Great, we'll stop for something to eat before going back to the hotel," he said with a grim smile. He got in and started the car, racing off to the first fast food place he could find. The ride was silent and deafening. Dean could feel Chloe's resolve and the anger that lay just underneath. "Why are you so pissed?" he asked hesitantly.
Staring out the window, she was silent for a long moment. "A few years ago...an acquaintance was killed overseas." Her jaw tightened. "These people had the nerve to show up at his funeral and harass his mother and his girlfriend, telling them he was burning in hell."
Dean hammered on the gas in frustration. "Bastards," he whispered in response. "Who are they to judge?" He glanced over at her.
"They're sick. What they do is immoral, and if our suspicions are correct, also illegal."
Dean felt the anger rolling off her lips. And it actually scared him a little. He nodded silently, his eyes focused on the street as he pulled into a McDonald's parking lot. Gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles where white, he said, "Yeah, Sam told me about what they posted on their site." He got out quickly.
She climbed out of the car and followed him toward the entrance. "We coulda just gone through the drive thru."
Dean sighed. "Obviously it hasn't occurred to you that I'd like to get to you know," he whispered almost inaudibly as he held the door open for her.
Barely catching his words, Chloe looked up at him with surprise on her face. "Oh," she whispered back.
Dean was silent, ordering something for both of them and taking her to a booth once he got their order. Sitting down, he looked at her intently. "Is that so strange?" he asked flatly.
She looked down at the table, taking a small sip of her coke. "It is if you're me."
"Tell me why." He munched on a fry, never taking his eyes off her.
"Because in my experience...people only want to know if you they want something from you."
Leaning back into his seat, Dean smirked. "My, aren't we a cynic?" Truth was, he really DID want to get to know this woman better. He was just at a loss on how to break down her tightly woven barrier.
She shrugged. "It's only cynical if it's not the truth." She looked up at him and met his eyes.
Leaning in, he smiled at her a little. "Who says it's the truth? You? Because I don't see it that way."
"No? How do you see it?" she asked quietly.
Leaning back in his chair, he continued looking at her. "I see a really pretty girl who is angry for some unknown reason. She's not afraid, because she's on the road with two strange guys." One kinda likes her, he thought to himself but didn't dare let that out. "She likes to research and go after anything that she thinks is evil and unjust. How am I doing?" His grin widened at the doubtful look her face.
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Not bad."
Dean smiled, digging into his burger and saying nothing for a few moments. Watching her smile, and knowing he'd made her smile, was a lot.... even though Sam would probably still give him grief about it. Especially since he knew deep down that he could do better than that. Somehow, though, he sensed Chloe was not like the other women he'd flirted with. She was... special, somehow. And he fully intended to find out everything about her.
She reached over and stole one of his fries, a playful smile on her lips as she popped it into her mouth. "And what about you?" She leaned her elbows on the table and gazed at him intently.
"What about me?" he flirted back, watching her take another of his fries.
"Well, you definitely fit the overprotective older brother role." She grinned at the surprised look on his face. "But you're not like other guys." Her voice softened a little.
"Observant, I like that," he replied after a moment. His face fell, however, and he looked down, taking a long drink out of his cup. "No, I'm not," he admitted. "I'm more twisted that other guys."
Chloe gazed at him. "Well, with what you do...how can you not be?"
Looking up at her, he smiled wryly. "Gee, thanks," he said, his voice low and soft.
"I never said it was a bad thing." Another smile quirked her lips. "I happen to like twisted."
"Then you're with the right guy," he replied, his smile not meeting his eyes. "I'm about as twisted as they come." Thoughts of his father came back to him and he literally blinked them back. Now was NOT the time to think about that, he said silently.
She felt the shift in his mood and rested her chin on one hand. "I'm a good listener." Her voice was very soft.
"I'll remember that when I want to talk," he said softly. "I... can't. Not now. I'd rather hear about you." He suddenly became shy, if such a thing was possible. God, when did Dean Winchester become so tongue-tied around a woman?
Chloe drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Then I guess we're gonna have to find some neutral topic because… I'm not ready to either," she admitted.
"Fair enough," he said after a moment. "Let's talk about the weather." Running a frustrated hand through his hair, he said, "I don't.. do small talk."
A faint smile touched her lips. "Somehow I didn't think you did." She stole another fry from him and munched on it, thinking.
As much as he wanted to know what she was thinking about, he knew she wasn't going to tell him. Maybe she never would, and that didn't sit right with him. But isn't it a two-way street? a sudden thought hit his mind. To hear, you have to speak first. He took another bite of his burger and chewed slowly, letting that thought sink in. He and Sam had barely started dealing with Dad's death: how could he explain that to her?
She took a sip of her coke, nearly jumping out of the booth when her cell phone rang inside her purse. Startled at the shattered silence, she reached in and looked at the Caller ID. The smile slipped from her face, her eyes darkening with anger and hurt as she pushed the ignore button, letting him get her voicemail. She tucked the phone back in her purse.
Dean watched Chloe's face with quite a lot of interest. "I take it that's someone you don't want to talk to," he said, finishing his meal.
"You could say that," she said shortly, picking up her tray and dumping the rest of her meal in the trash can, having lost her appetite.
He stood up and dumped the rest of the meal in the trash before turning to her. "That'd be someone from that past you don't want to talk about, huh?" He pulled out his keys, not able to look at her.
A bitter smile touched her lips. "Good guesser."
Holding the door open for her, Dean walked around and unlocked the Impala, opening the door for her to get in. "Ex-boyfriend, I'm betting," he said casually, moving over to the driver's side.
Holding the door open for her, Dean walked around and unlocked the Impala, opening the door for her to get in. "Ex-boyfriend, I'm betting," he said casually, moving over to the driver's side.
"Good thing you didn't bet money," she responded, sliding into the passenger seat.
"I would have lost, huh?" he asked, casually again this time, as he got in and shut the door. Starting the Impala again, he pulled out of the parking lot and turned on some of his favorite classic rock.
"Big time," Chloe whispered, turning to stare out the passenger window, hoping the music would drown out the thoughts in her head.
After a couple tense moments of silence, Dean sighed. "What did you have in mind about infiltrating this wacko-ass church group," he said, turning the music down a bit.
"I figured I'd start by attending Sunday morning services. Pretending to be new in town."
With that dress she'd just bought, he mused, she'd probably fit right in. Well, kind of. For some insane reason, he liked it. "You think you can play the 'holier than thou' act around those people?" he chuckled.
Chloe smirked and turned her head to look at him. "I'm a good liar."
"Not as good as me," he retorted with a smile.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see then, won't we?"
"Care to bet on that?" he said, looking over at her.
Chloe smirked. "What do you have in mind?"
"You're not going into that church alone. Sam or I will have to go, and I for one think it should be me." His voice was hard with resolve.
"You can't," she told him, leaning back in the seat. "The pattern is people who live alone and who don't appear to have any friends or family nearby."
"Who said I was gonna know you?" he said firmly.
"Don't you think it might seem suspicious if two new people show up on the same day?"
"So you get to play Super Girl while Sam and me wait for you?" he snapped. "I don't think so. Last time we had a girl with us..." His voice drifted off as he thought briefly of Jo and how they'd nearly gotten her killed. All because she wanted to do things her way.
"I'm not your ordinary girl," she said darkly, staring out the window once more.
"So was Jo, and her stubborn streak nearly got her killed," he said, his voice gruff from anger and frustration.
"Fine. So go to church. But don't blow my cover." There was more than a hint of annoyance in her tone.
"Right, because the thing that's chasing these people out of their apartments might not want to take you then," he declared angrily, screeching into the hotel parking lot and getting out of the car.
"Exactly," she whispered, climbing out of the passenger seat and heading for her own room.
Dean didn't bother to see if Chloe was going to her room. He was so angry, he could punch a hole in the wall. Unlocking his own door, he entered the hotel room and slammed it behind him, the noise reverberating throughout the room for several seconds.
Sam, startled by the sudden noise, looked up from the laptop, where he'd been the entire time, and looked at Dean. "Dude, what are you doing?"
"Chloe... she..." Dean tried to speak but couldn't.
"She what?" He shook his head, baffled at his brother's sudden speechless anger.
"She thinks she's going to get into this damn church group," Dean managed to get out, his frustration with the woman nearly choking him. "She thinks she's going to solve this by herself!" He paced around the room, his mind whirling.
Sam stared at him wide-eyed. "Is she crazy?"
Not looking at his brother, Dean continued walking around the room. "Yeah, and likes twisted men, too." He was too into his own mind to see the look on Sam's face.
"Deadly combo," Sam mumbled, wiping a hand over his face.
"Yeah," he replied, slowing his pacing. "Got any bright ideas on how to stop her? She wants to do this on her own, and if your vision is right, something's going to get her." He knew he sounded worried, but he didn't care.
He let out a breath, leaning back in his chair and thinking. "I'm not sure infiltrating this place is a bad idea. I'm just...not sure she's the one who should do it."
"I told her the same thing, man, but she wouldn't listen." He released some pent up breath and looked at Sam. "Think you're up to it? You're clean cut and fanatic about certain things."
"Gee, thanks," he said wryly, giving his brother a look. "Better me than her."
Running a hand through his hair, Dean sighed. "That's not what I meant, Sammy. I'm just thinking if she's hell-bent on going in there, one of us needs to be there with her. To keep an eye out for her. You seem a more reasonable choice, dude." Besides, she didn't seem to want him around, he mused with a frown.
"I know what you meant." Sam rose to his feet. "And I agree. I don't think she should be alone with those people."
"Can you talk to her?" he asked Sam. "She might listen to you. She's... not an open one."
"I've noticed," he admitted, letting out a breath. "I'll see what I can do." He headed for the door that connected their rooms.
"Someone called her while we were eating, and she didn't answer it," Dean pointed out to Sam. "I think... it was someone she's running from. It's not a boyfriend, but... I think this person was close to her." He didn't know why he felt the need to share that information, but surely if Chloe decided to be open with someone, it'd be with Sam.
Sam just nodded, knocking on the connecting door softly and hoping Chloe would open the door.
A moment later, she did just that, looking up with slight surprise--she clearly hadn't expected it to be Sam knocking. She regarded him warily. "What's up? Did you find something?"
"You could say that," Sam replied, smiling faintly. "Mind if I come in?"
She stepped aside, moving to sit down at the small desk across the room as he shut the door. "What'd you find?" she asked, her eyes lit up with curiosity.
Taking a deep breath, he turned around and sat at the table with her. "Not too much more than what you found on their website," he replied. "But funny thing... Dean told me something very interesting about you." He gazed at her with what he hoped was a neutral gaze.
Her jaw tightened and she folded her arms across her chest, resolve clear on her face. "You're not gonna talk me out of it, Sam."
"I don't want to talk you out of it, Chloe," he replied softly. "I think it's a good idea. I just don't think you should go in there alone. I agree with Dean on that one." He saw her face harden and knew this was going to take a little while.
"Because I'm a girl?"
"Because of that thing I saw chasing the latest victim out of her apartment," he replied, ignoring her remark. "If we both join the church and pretend to be one of them, at least if anything weird happens, we'll have backup."
She looked away. "What exactly *did* you see?"
Sam shifted in his seat, looking at his hands sadly. "The girl... she was running out of her apartment. I can't see exactly what was after her, but... it was shaped like a man, whatever it was." Funny, he thought suddenly, how the pursuer didn't FEEL evil.
She let out a breath, glancing at him. "So you're thinking it's some kind of demon or evil spirit?"
He shook his head. "That's the weird part. I... don't think it is." He looked at her uncertainly.
Chloe's eyebrows furrowed as she met his gaze. "So...then...what?"
"I don't know," he replied honestly. "All I know is that it isn't evil." He put a hand on his face, realizing he hadn't even told Dean this yet. He'd been so worked up over Chloe that he never had the chance.
"Sam, are you all right?" Her voice was quiet, laced with concern as she gazed at him.
"Yeah, I just realized..." Sam chuckled a little. "Dean doesn't even know what I just told you. He's pretty wound up, you know." He stared at her, a knowing look on his face.
"Yeah, he's kinda high-strung, isn't he?"
"Only when he's really intense about something... or someone."
She shifted her gaze away from his, not wanting to think about that right now. "He shouldn't be."
Leaning back in his seat, Sam smiled again. "Kinda too late for that, Chloe. You've gotten his attention, whether either of you wanted it or not."
She was silent for a moment, then looked back at him, a deep well of sadness and pain in her eyes. "Then maybe I should take off."
"So I can watch Dean brood over you?" Sam asked, concern mirrored in his eyes. "Why, do you want to leave?"
"No," she admitted after a moment. "But sometimes it's easier to just preemptively save yourself the trouble."
Shaking his head, he replied, "And in no way do you sound like Dean right there." He watched her closely, wondering who had hurt her to make such a cynical comment. "Saving yourself the trouble means you'll remain alone the rest of your life. You sure you want that?"
Chloe offered him a wry smile. "Why fight the inevitable?"
Sam shrugged. "Whether it's inevitable or not, sometimes it's worth the risk." He thought about Jessica and smiled over the time they had together.
"And sometimes it's not," she said quietly, a hint of finality in her tone. "So tomorrow we go to church?"
Standing, Sam frowned but said nothing. Except to think they she was more tight-lipped than his brother. "Sure," he said. "We won't enter the church together, however. I'll come in after you, so... you'll need to get a cab or something to get to the church."
"No problem. You probably shouldn't take the Impala, either. Too easy to track."
Grinning, Sam replied, "I don't see Dean parting with his first love to let me to go church anyway." He winked at her, trying to make his departure light.
Chloe smiled faintly. "I'll see you in the morning then."
"Alright." Sam walked to the connecting door and paused before opening it. "Chloe?" he asked.
"Yeah?" She glanced over at him as she paused in her tracks on the way to the bathroom.
"My brother's a good man," he said softly. "He's a pain, but he's worth your time and trouble." Pulling the door open, he whispered, "He'll keep your secrets and maybe help you overcome them."
Chloe's shoulders slumped a little. "I don't doubt that, Sam," she whispered. "I just doubt I am." Without waiting for him to respond, she disappeared into the bathroom.
Sam shook his head. "You're wrong, Chloe," he whispered to himself. "You just don't see it yet." He moved across the connecting door and into their room without another word.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Dude, you look like a man in black," Dean commented with a smirk as he watched Sam straighten his tie the next morning.
Sam just threw him a look. "I have to fit the part, don't I? It's bad enough I have to pay for a cab to get to this place."
"Hey, it'd be suspicious if your drove up in the Impala. That'd cause too much of a stir with these... people," he retorted, a little jealous that Sam was going with Chloe and he wasn't. He was so deep in thought over the events of today that he didn't notice Chloe open the connecting door and walk in.
She was wearing the same dress she'd bought with him there the day before, and this time her blonde hair was pulled back into a softly flowing ponytail. She wasn't wearing any makeup or jewelry except a watch and a cross. "You about ready?" she asked Sam.
Nodding, Sam smiled at her. "You look... appropriate," he said. "I'm going to call the cabs, okay? Meet me outside in a few?" Giving Dean a look, he strode outside to make the call on his cell.
Dean just stared at her. Despite her clean face, he thought she looked like an angel. Looking her up and down, he couldn't say anything.
She felt his gaze on her and turned to look at him. "Do I look...okay?" she asked uncertainly. "Do I look the part?"
When he realized he was staring, he looked away from her. "Uh, yeah... you look fine," he said in an even tone. Truth was, he thought she looked beautiful. The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
The distance in his voice didn't go unnoticed and she sighed very softly, inaudibly. He was apparently still pissed about last night. "Dean..."
"You're going to be late," he replied, still not looking at her. Not daring to, for fear of what he'd do if he did.
"I'm sorry you're still pissed." Her voice was soft and she headed out the door without waiting for a response.
"I'm not pissed," he replied, giving into his need to look at her as he took several steps and gently grabbed her arm. "It's done, that's all. I just..." He shook his dark head, lowering his eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll keep Sam safe." She winked at him.
Looking up at her with intense eyes, he muttered, "Keep yourself safe." Moving close to her, he put his free hand on her other arm and looked down at her.
The breath caught in her throat and for a moment she was sure he was about to kiss her.
Dean wondered what her lips would taste like, how they would move against his gently. But her wide-eyed look told him she was more scared of what he might do. And that was not his intention. Reluctantly, he pulled away, stepping back from her, blinking back the need he felt. "Keep an eye on Sam while you're at it, okay?" he said gruffly.
"Of course," she whispered, her heart hammering in her chest, her mind swirling with confusion that didn't clear with the honking of the taxi.
She looked as unsettled as he felt, and he didn't know whether to be happy or depressed about that. "Chloe..." He began, unsure of what to say.
"I should...the cab's here. I'll...see you later," she whispered, turning and heading away.
No, he wasn't going to let it go. As if possessed, he closed the distance between them, swirled her around, and kissed her soundly on her lips.
For a moment she was too shocked to respond. Her instincts took over before her mind could and she felt herself kissing him back with something akin to desperation. And it scared the hell out of her. She broke away from him, trembling. And without a word, bolted toward the cab before he could stop her.
He watched her practically sprint out the door and hung his head. What he felt from her was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It shook him to the core. From the opened door, he watched her get into the waiting cab and wondered what he had done and if she would ever look at him again.