Two Guys, a Girl and Chevy Impala: Fic 9: Masters of the Mind Meld (4/?)
Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala
Title: Fic 9: Masters of the Mind Meld
Authors: Clarksmuse and X_tremeroswellian
Rated: R to NC-17
Pairings: Chloe/Dean, Sam/Sarah
Disclaimer: Yeah, we don't own anything. Except our computers. :P Don't sue. Thanks.
The next morning, Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wondering if anyone was going to speak. Chloe had barely looked at him, Sam and Sarah didn't look like they were on speaking terms, and quite frankly, he wanted nothing more than to crawl into the woodwork. Awkward, he thought, glancing at Chloe.
Sarah stood up suddenly. "I'm hungry." She needed something to do while Sam and Chloe were figuring out their mental connection. She had yet to find anything remotely connected to this issue.
Feeling even more alienated than she had been as Sarah got up to leave, Chloe stared at the table blankly.
Picking up the keys, Sarah said, "I'm taking the car, okay?" She didn't look around the room at anyone.
"I'll... go with you," Dean said softly, rising slowly and giving Chloe and Sam quick looks. Since neither of them seemed to want to talk -- or they were too busy mentally chatting with each other -- he figured there was nowhere else to go.
She shut her eyes. "See ya," she responded dully to both of them.
Neither said a word as Dean let Sarah out the door first.
Sam let out the breath he'd been holding. "Okay, I know why Sarah's not talking to me... but what did Dean say this time?" He looked over at Chloe, who looked like she was going to pass out.
"I don't wanna talk about it," she answered, not looking at him.
His eyes stayed on her as he smiled sadly. "Okay, whatever." He stood up and walked to the window. "So you got any ideas on how to get rid of this connection we have?"
She was quiet for a moment. "Not exactly."
Then got any ideas on how I can accept this? he asked, letting his mental block down a little bit, despite the headache that caused.
She winced a little as she felt him pushing lightly against her mind. Maybe if we get far enough away from each other it'll be broken.
No, he immediately thought. He knew if she left, Dean would follow her, and he knew that wouldn't be a good idea.
She rested her head in her hands. I could just go back to Metropolis. It'd probably be easier with everyone.
He pinched his nose and sighed. "That's not the answer and you know it," he said out loud, turning around and looking at her.
"Well I don't have any answers, Sam," she said softly, not looking up.
He ran a hand through his hair. "Then there's only one thing left to do." He looked at the door and yanked it open.
"What are you doing?"
He said nothing as he left the room and headed for his room.
"Sam?" Chloe rose to her feet and slowly followed him.
Once in his room, he grabbed his back and started packing. There wasn't any sense in his sticking around if it was going to create friction. After all, it was all his fault, this new damn power of his.
"Whoa. Stop." Chloe's eyes were wide with alarm as she stood in the doorway.
Sam ignored her. "It's better this way," he said, stuffing his laptop into his bag and zipping it shut.
"No, it's not, Sam." She folded her arms across her chest.
He turned to face her, his eyes dark with determination. "I need to do this myself, Chlo. It's not worth watching the friction between you and Dean. And Sarah..." He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. She wouldn't miss him when he left.
"The hell she won't," she snapped, her eyes narrowing. "Sarah loves you!"
"Maybe she did, but now... no, she'll be better off without me." He slung his bag over his shoulder and started for the door.
She didn't move out of the way. "Look, I think...if we work on this maybe we can just...get it under control."
He resisted the urge to move her out of the way. "I've got no idea how to even start controlling this. I've researched mind reading until my brain fell out. You got ideas? I'll be open to them."
She gazed at him. Well it doesn't involve you running away, she thought, giving him a pointed look.
Why not? he asked her, looking at her. It's helped me in the past.
Yeah it sure did, she thought wryly, holding his gaze.
"Shut up," he spoke aloud, his head pounding. He dropped his bag gently on the floor and sighed. "Okay, teach... I won't run if you don't."
I'm a lot less important to this whole thing than you are, she thought before shutting down the mental link. "All right. I read something about...connected meditation," she said hesitantly.
He sighed, knowing Chloe was more important than she knew. "Then you found something I didn't."
"I think...we should get out of here though," she said softly.
He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Where are we going?" And how much would Dean and Sarah freak out when they came back to find us gone? he thought absently.
We'll leave them a note, she thought with a faint smile. And we are in the desert, Sam.
He rolled his eyes in mock irritation, then jotted a quick note to Dean and Sarah for when they returned with breakfast. "So, what, we're trekking into the desert? A forty days/forty nights kind of thing?"
"Uh yeah. Minus the forty days and forty nights part," she said wryly. "Apparently this kind of thing works better in natural environments."
"Go figure," he replied thoughtfully, leading the way out of his hotel room. "So is this someplace we can just walk to, or should I call a cab?"
"I think we can just walk." She shrugged.
Nodding, Sam led them across the parking lot to the street, where he looked both ways. There was absolutely nothing on the road, making him wonder why he bothered stopping first. They crossed the street and into the desert wasteland that laid ahead.
Feeling nervous, she walked alongside him in silence, keeping the mental wall between them.
"How far?" Sam asked, feeling the wall between them and thanking her for maintaining it. This was... too much for him, he thought.
"Not too much farther. I think we're almost far enough away from the road and the motel."
Sam fell back to let Chloe take the lead. She knew where she was going, and he was more than willing to let her take over.
Surprised that he was letting her take the lead, she realized it was just one of the ways that he and Dean differed. A faint smile touched her lips.
Several minutes passed before Chloe suddenly stopped. "If you wanted the middle of nowhere," Sam commented idly, "you've succeeded... and Dean's nothing like me."
"That's where you're wrong," she responded, turning to look at him.
He blinked in surprise. "About what? I'm not wrong that often, you know."
She laughed out loud at that remark.
Sam crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "Nice. Laugh at the psychic wonder, why don't ya?"
She grinned at him. "I was just laughing at the idea that you weren't wrong very often," she teased.
He gave her a mockingly sad look. "Hey, you're mean," he teased gently.
She smiled, knowing he was just teasing. "I know. I'm merciless," she joked, slowly sitting down on the ground Indian-style.
He sat down across from her. "I'm not touching that with a ten foot pole," he muttered, looking around and clearing his throat. "Okay, Jedi Master. Now what?"
She rolled her eyes. "Try to...clear your head, I guess," she said uncertainly, closing her eyes.
Clear my head, he thought, shutting his eyes. It took a few minutes, but gradually he was able to turn off all thought. There were no voices, not even his. Cool, he thought. Now what?
She was startled to hear his voice in her head without feeling any pain. Whoa, the pain's gone.
Okay, this is weird, Sam thought, hearing Chloe's thoughts as clear as a bell without any pain at all. Is it the silence that's doing it?
I think so. I think that's what this is all about--being able to tune everything out and focus.
He smiled, thinking noting in return for her to hear. He sat there, enjoying the silence for the first time in several days.
A faint smile touched her lips as she too, enjoyed the silence. Can you hear me now? she joked a few minutes later.
He snorted, resisting the urge to answer that asinine question. I guess I need to learn to find this inner calm when... He deliberately blocked the rest of that thought from her.
She raised an eyebrow as he cut himself off. Somehow I think I'm glad you din't finish that thought.
Yeah, it'll be nice to get back to my mind just being mine, he thought, pleased he could block her at will. A small smile curved across his lips.
Trust me when I say, me too.
"We need to figure out how you're able to read my mind," Sam said out loud, opening his eyes and looking at her. He definitely didn't like the idea of things being so strained while they had an all-access pass to each others' minds.
She winced a little, not looking at him.
"And I don't think it's because you think you're crazy," he continued, looking steadily at her. It was a gut thing, he realized, and he didn't have anything to back up his theory... yet.
"You heard that, huh?" Her eyes remained glued to the ground.
He nodded, saying nothing. Wasn't intentional, he thought. But you're really not nuts, unless you wanna include you loving my brother. That's pretty insane, if you ask me, he joked.
It could just be starting, she responded, slowly letting down her guard and letting him have access to the parts of her mind involving her mother and her illness.
Sam saw her mother, her mental state, and Chloe's intense fear of one day being just like her: institutionalized and alone. How does this disease start? he asked her, thinking he needed to research her mother's disease. He still didn't believe it was this.
A wry, but sad smile touched her face. I have no idea. You'd think after everything I've seen and...
Chloe bit her lip. I haven't done any real research on it. I've...been afraid to, she admitted without looking at him.
"I think it's time we did," he said out loud, staring at her. "It's important for you and your peace of mind."
Chloe closed her eyes. "And if I'm right?"
Worry clouded his eyes. "Then at least you'll have an answer, and we can deal with it together." He briefly thought about Dean and smiled, knowing his brother would never let her go... no matter what might happen to her.
"Speaking of...how exactly are we going to convince Dean and Sarah that we're not having secret mind meetings all the time?
It was his turn to look down, not meeting her eyes. "I don't know, Chloe. She's really freaked out about it." More than she's letting on, he thought.
"I know she is. And...so is Dean." She sighed softly.
He smirked a little. "It's a wonder Dean hasn't kicked my ass yet." As for Sarah, well... He blocked his thoughts about her, because he didn't want Chloe to know how pained he was, thinking she might not want him around.
"He knows you can't control it. Well, that you couldn't anyway. But...he was pretty freaked last night," she admitted.
"Tell me about it," he replied, sighing just a little. "I hope they can both..." He shrugged helplessly. "I don't know if deal with it is the right phrase or not."
"Do you think they'll believe we've got it under control?" she asked after a moment.
He was thoughtful for a long moment. He kept the wall up between their minds, choosing to speak out loud. "I hope so, Chloe. Maybe if we were less quiet around each other, not reading each other's thoughts."
She sighed very softly. "It's not intentional."
"I know it isn't," he protested gently. "But I know Dean's noticed it... so has Sarah, though she hasn't said anything about it." He stared at his hands, wondering if he could win her trust again.
Chloe stared at the ground, watching emotionlessly as a some kind of large beetle burrowed into the ground. "So we just...promise to keep these mental blocks up, no matter what."
He looked up and at her, his face set in stony determination. "No matter what," he repeated, standing up and offering her a hand.
She hesitated only a second before sliding her hand into his and letting him help her to her feet. "You have other abilities you need to work on honing, Sam." Her voice was quiet and she gazed at him intently.
"I can't contol my visions," he replied immediately, taking a step back and squinting down at her.
"Those aren't the abilities I was talking about."
"Then what--" He stopped, looking away from her. "You mean these 'feelings' I get? My sixth sense? Or my ability to move bookcases with a single angry thought?"
"All of the above," Chloe said quietly.
Frustrated, he ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Look, can we deal with one demonic part of me at a time?"
"Angelic," she responded without missing a beat.
"Whatever," he grumbled, turning and taking a few steps away. "Not like you can prove that, either."
"And you can't prove I'm wrong." She folded her arms across her chest, gazing at him intently.
He didn't turn around but smiled instead. "I hate it when you look at me like that," he joked sadly, knowing that neither one could prove their position at this point.
"Like what?" she asked innocently, a grin tugging at her lips.
Sam rolled his eyes and smirked. "That one where you pretty much demand your way without saying a thing. I get why Dean gets so crazy when you do that."
"It used to drive Clark crazy too." She smirked. "Guess I should patent the look and try to sell it on ebay. I could make some fast cash."
"We could stop running credit card scams to make a living," he replied with a grin. "You could support us."
Chloe grinned. "Just like a guy to make the woman do all the work," she responded lightly, moving past him as she headed back toward the hotel.
He followed her, smiling widely. "But if the girl's offering..." His words trailed off as they walked back to civilization in silence. For the first time in what seemed an eternity, his head didn't ache. The drumming of random thoughts weren't shooting across his mind. For now, at least, his thoughts were his own. And he could at least accept that part of himself.
&&&&&
When Chloe and Sam returned to the hotel, she tensed a little when she spotted Dean and Sarah in her room, both of them quiet and not looking very happy. Not that she could really blame them. She wouldn't be thrilled if Dean had a mental connection with Sarah and not her. Somehow that knowledge didn't make this situation any easier.
Dean saw Sam and Chloe and stood up, glancing back at Sarah, who looked small and pale. It had been a stressful and tense hour: with neither of them sure where the others had gone, their words were few and stilted. And while he might have been happy to see them, he had to wonder. He brushed past Sarah and away from the door, pacing the room.
Sam drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Freaky mind power number three is under control," he announced, looking from his brother to Sarah.
Sarah didn't look at Sam. She simply nodded, unable to speak. She looked at her hands, picking and her nails to keep her mind occupied and off the one thing she couldn't stop thinking about.
"Good to know... I think," Dean replied, looking at his brother before glancing at Chloe.
Chloe gazed back at Dean steadily. "It's a good thing."
"So this means no more silent conversations between friends?" he snarked, trying to mask his hurt feelings. Once again, he'd been left out of the loop.
"We figured out how to put and keep mental barriers between us. No more silent conversations. Ever." Her voice was quiet.
"Ever," Sam echoed in agreement, gazing at Sarah.
Feeling his eyes on her, Sarah looked up and into Sam's intensely determined ones. For a moment she thought she saw the spark of hope in Sam's eyes again, but she didn't know if her brain could process this yet. She smiled a little and nodded.
Dean looked at Chloe, then at Sam. And back at Chloe. "Okay," he whispered, shrugging as he sat down. "Where'd you two go, anyway?"
"Just for a walk," she answered, winding her arms around herself. "I found a meditation online that helped us get this sorted out."
Sarah looked at Chloe. "You mean that thing I saw you reading last night?"
"That'd be the one," she answered, turning to look at Sarah.
She offered Chloe a small smile. "I thought that was for you," she replied, smiling a little bit at her.
Great, Dean thought. They're all in on it and not bothering to tell me. He resumed his pacing.
She turned to look at him, seemingly reading *his* thoughts. "We should talk."
Sarah took that as the queue to leave. Glancing at Sam, she stood. "Um, I'll let you two... yeah." She looked at Sam and left the room in a hurry.
"Yeah. I'll see you guys later," Sam agreed, following her out the door quickly.
Dean wanted to turn around and look at her but couldn't. He knew the expression on her face, knew what she was going to say. "Chloe..." he began, stopping when he didn't know how to continue.
Chloe was silent for a long moment. "It's okay." Her voice was quiet.
In so many ways it wasn't, but he didn't want to rehash that can of worms. "How's Sammy doing?" he asked quietly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"I think he's all right now that he has his mind back to himself," she answered, her own voice flat.
"Yeah, must be a relief for you, too." He slowly turned around and looked at her, seeing her careful posture and wondering how to get over hang-up.
"Understatement," she responded, looking at him guardedly.
He threw her a curious look and stepped forward. "What, you didn't like Sam's thoughts in your head?"
"Thanks, but I'll pass. I prefer to keep my head to myself. I don't need to be hearing extra voices up here. Makes me feel like I'm that much closer to insanity."
"Don't say that. Ever again," he replied, closing the physical gap between them. "You're not insane, Chloe. You never will be."
Chloe didn't answer, simply gazed at him.
Her fragile look suddenly scared him, and when he reached for her, he was a little more than surprised when she stepped into his embrace. He held her close, their bodies warm against each other. "We'll get to the bottom of this, okay?" he whispered against her hair.
Closing her eyes, she slid her arms around him, resting her head against his chest and listening to the sound of his strong, steady heart beat. "Are we okay?" she whispered, blinking back tears that welled in her eyes.
His arms tightened around her. After all they had been through, and she still felt the need to ask that question. He couldn't blame her, though: it wasn't like he was the best thing for her. "We're okay," he whispered back, kissing the top of her head.
Swallowing hard, she tightened her arms around him as well. "Good. Because I love you," she whispered.
A low rumble of laughter caught in his throat. "I never get tired of hearing you say that," he replied, pulling her back so he could kiss her full lips.
She lifted a hand to his cheek and returned the kiss. "Good. Then get used to it. You're gonna hear it a lot."
He growled in agreement and kissed her again, lingering over her mouth with a kiss that held as much a promise as it did a confirmation. "I really wanna stay here, with you..." he started, a gleam in his eyes.
"But...?"
He sighed. "I think I should go talk to the boy wonder next door." He glanced at the front door, wondering how to make peace with his brother.
"I think that's a good idea."
"Figured you would." Dean stepped away from her and threw her the key to his extra room with a knowing smile.
A faint smirk tugged at her lips. "Is this some kind of hint?" she asked, her eyes shining with amusement.
"Maybe." He waggled his eyebrows at her and walked out of the room, his head held high for a change.
She grinned and shook her head. He wanted a surprise? He was gonna get one. A wicked grin settling on her lips, she moved to get her suitcase.
Title: Fic 9: Masters of the Mind Meld
Authors: Clarksmuse and X_tremeroswellian
Rated: R to NC-17
Pairings: Chloe/Dean, Sam/Sarah
Disclaimer: Yeah, we don't own anything. Except our computers. :P Don't sue. Thanks.
The next morning, Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wondering if anyone was going to speak. Chloe had barely looked at him, Sam and Sarah didn't look like they were on speaking terms, and quite frankly, he wanted nothing more than to crawl into the woodwork. Awkward, he thought, glancing at Chloe.
Sarah stood up suddenly. "I'm hungry." She needed something to do while Sam and Chloe were figuring out their mental connection. She had yet to find anything remotely connected to this issue.
Feeling even more alienated than she had been as Sarah got up to leave, Chloe stared at the table blankly.
Picking up the keys, Sarah said, "I'm taking the car, okay?" She didn't look around the room at anyone.
"I'll... go with you," Dean said softly, rising slowly and giving Chloe and Sam quick looks. Since neither of them seemed to want to talk -- or they were too busy mentally chatting with each other -- he figured there was nowhere else to go.
She shut her eyes. "See ya," she responded dully to both of them.
Neither said a word as Dean let Sarah out the door first.
Sam let out the breath he'd been holding. "Okay, I know why Sarah's not talking to me... but what did Dean say this time?" He looked over at Chloe, who looked like she was going to pass out.
"I don't wanna talk about it," she answered, not looking at him.
His eyes stayed on her as he smiled sadly. "Okay, whatever." He stood up and walked to the window. "So you got any ideas on how to get rid of this connection we have?"
She was quiet for a moment. "Not exactly."
Then got any ideas on how I can accept this? he asked, letting his mental block down a little bit, despite the headache that caused.
She winced a little as she felt him pushing lightly against her mind. Maybe if we get far enough away from each other it'll be broken.
No, he immediately thought. He knew if she left, Dean would follow her, and he knew that wouldn't be a good idea.
She rested her head in her hands. I could just go back to Metropolis. It'd probably be easier with everyone.
He pinched his nose and sighed. "That's not the answer and you know it," he said out loud, turning around and looking at her.
"Well I don't have any answers, Sam," she said softly, not looking up.
He ran a hand through his hair. "Then there's only one thing left to do." He looked at the door and yanked it open.
"What are you doing?"
He said nothing as he left the room and headed for his room.
"Sam?" Chloe rose to her feet and slowly followed him.
Once in his room, he grabbed his back and started packing. There wasn't any sense in his sticking around if it was going to create friction. After all, it was all his fault, this new damn power of his.
"Whoa. Stop." Chloe's eyes were wide with alarm as she stood in the doorway.
Sam ignored her. "It's better this way," he said, stuffing his laptop into his bag and zipping it shut.
"No, it's not, Sam." She folded her arms across her chest.
He turned to face her, his eyes dark with determination. "I need to do this myself, Chlo. It's not worth watching the friction between you and Dean. And Sarah..." He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. She wouldn't miss him when he left.
"The hell she won't," she snapped, her eyes narrowing. "Sarah loves you!"
"Maybe she did, but now... no, she'll be better off without me." He slung his bag over his shoulder and started for the door.
She didn't move out of the way. "Look, I think...if we work on this maybe we can just...get it under control."
He resisted the urge to move her out of the way. "I've got no idea how to even start controlling this. I've researched mind reading until my brain fell out. You got ideas? I'll be open to them."
She gazed at him. Well it doesn't involve you running away, she thought, giving him a pointed look.
Why not? he asked her, looking at her. It's helped me in the past.
Yeah it sure did, she thought wryly, holding his gaze.
"Shut up," he spoke aloud, his head pounding. He dropped his bag gently on the floor and sighed. "Okay, teach... I won't run if you don't."
I'm a lot less important to this whole thing than you are, she thought before shutting down the mental link. "All right. I read something about...connected meditation," she said hesitantly.
He sighed, knowing Chloe was more important than she knew. "Then you found something I didn't."
"I think...we should get out of here though," she said softly.
He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Where are we going?" And how much would Dean and Sarah freak out when they came back to find us gone? he thought absently.
We'll leave them a note, she thought with a faint smile. And we are in the desert, Sam.
He rolled his eyes in mock irritation, then jotted a quick note to Dean and Sarah for when they returned with breakfast. "So, what, we're trekking into the desert? A forty days/forty nights kind of thing?"
"Uh yeah. Minus the forty days and forty nights part," she said wryly. "Apparently this kind of thing works better in natural environments."
"Go figure," he replied thoughtfully, leading the way out of his hotel room. "So is this someplace we can just walk to, or should I call a cab?"
"I think we can just walk." She shrugged.
Nodding, Sam led them across the parking lot to the street, where he looked both ways. There was absolutely nothing on the road, making him wonder why he bothered stopping first. They crossed the street and into the desert wasteland that laid ahead.
Feeling nervous, she walked alongside him in silence, keeping the mental wall between them.
"How far?" Sam asked, feeling the wall between them and thanking her for maintaining it. This was... too much for him, he thought.
"Not too much farther. I think we're almost far enough away from the road and the motel."
Sam fell back to let Chloe take the lead. She knew where she was going, and he was more than willing to let her take over.
Surprised that he was letting her take the lead, she realized it was just one of the ways that he and Dean differed. A faint smile touched her lips.
Several minutes passed before Chloe suddenly stopped. "If you wanted the middle of nowhere," Sam commented idly, "you've succeeded... and Dean's nothing like me."
"That's where you're wrong," she responded, turning to look at him.
He blinked in surprise. "About what? I'm not wrong that often, you know."
She laughed out loud at that remark.
Sam crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "Nice. Laugh at the psychic wonder, why don't ya?"
She grinned at him. "I was just laughing at the idea that you weren't wrong very often," she teased.
He gave her a mockingly sad look. "Hey, you're mean," he teased gently.
She smiled, knowing he was just teasing. "I know. I'm merciless," she joked, slowly sitting down on the ground Indian-style.
He sat down across from her. "I'm not touching that with a ten foot pole," he muttered, looking around and clearing his throat. "Okay, Jedi Master. Now what?"
She rolled her eyes. "Try to...clear your head, I guess," she said uncertainly, closing her eyes.
Clear my head, he thought, shutting his eyes. It took a few minutes, but gradually he was able to turn off all thought. There were no voices, not even his. Cool, he thought. Now what?
She was startled to hear his voice in her head without feeling any pain. Whoa, the pain's gone.
Okay, this is weird, Sam thought, hearing Chloe's thoughts as clear as a bell without any pain at all. Is it the silence that's doing it?
I think so. I think that's what this is all about--being able to tune everything out and focus.
He smiled, thinking noting in return for her to hear. He sat there, enjoying the silence for the first time in several days.
A faint smile touched her lips as she too, enjoyed the silence. Can you hear me now? she joked a few minutes later.
He snorted, resisting the urge to answer that asinine question. I guess I need to learn to find this inner calm when... He deliberately blocked the rest of that thought from her.
She raised an eyebrow as he cut himself off. Somehow I think I'm glad you din't finish that thought.
Yeah, it'll be nice to get back to my mind just being mine, he thought, pleased he could block her at will. A small smile curved across his lips.
Trust me when I say, me too.
"We need to figure out how you're able to read my mind," Sam said out loud, opening his eyes and looking at her. He definitely didn't like the idea of things being so strained while they had an all-access pass to each others' minds.
She winced a little, not looking at him.
"And I don't think it's because you think you're crazy," he continued, looking steadily at her. It was a gut thing, he realized, and he didn't have anything to back up his theory... yet.
"You heard that, huh?" Her eyes remained glued to the ground.
He nodded, saying nothing. Wasn't intentional, he thought. But you're really not nuts, unless you wanna include you loving my brother. That's pretty insane, if you ask me, he joked.
It could just be starting, she responded, slowly letting down her guard and letting him have access to the parts of her mind involving her mother and her illness.
Sam saw her mother, her mental state, and Chloe's intense fear of one day being just like her: institutionalized and alone. How does this disease start? he asked her, thinking he needed to research her mother's disease. He still didn't believe it was this.
A wry, but sad smile touched her face. I have no idea. You'd think after everything I've seen and...
Chloe bit her lip. I haven't done any real research on it. I've...been afraid to, she admitted without looking at him.
"I think it's time we did," he said out loud, staring at her. "It's important for you and your peace of mind."
Chloe closed her eyes. "And if I'm right?"
Worry clouded his eyes. "Then at least you'll have an answer, and we can deal with it together." He briefly thought about Dean and smiled, knowing his brother would never let her go... no matter what might happen to her.
"Speaking of...how exactly are we going to convince Dean and Sarah that we're not having secret mind meetings all the time?
It was his turn to look down, not meeting her eyes. "I don't know, Chloe. She's really freaked out about it." More than she's letting on, he thought.
"I know she is. And...so is Dean." She sighed softly.
He smirked a little. "It's a wonder Dean hasn't kicked my ass yet." As for Sarah, well... He blocked his thoughts about her, because he didn't want Chloe to know how pained he was, thinking she might not want him around.
"He knows you can't control it. Well, that you couldn't anyway. But...he was pretty freaked last night," she admitted.
"Tell me about it," he replied, sighing just a little. "I hope they can both..." He shrugged helplessly. "I don't know if deal with it is the right phrase or not."
"Do you think they'll believe we've got it under control?" she asked after a moment.
He was thoughtful for a long moment. He kept the wall up between their minds, choosing to speak out loud. "I hope so, Chloe. Maybe if we were less quiet around each other, not reading each other's thoughts."
She sighed very softly. "It's not intentional."
"I know it isn't," he protested gently. "But I know Dean's noticed it... so has Sarah, though she hasn't said anything about it." He stared at his hands, wondering if he could win her trust again.
Chloe stared at the ground, watching emotionlessly as a some kind of large beetle burrowed into the ground. "So we just...promise to keep these mental blocks up, no matter what."
He looked up and at her, his face set in stony determination. "No matter what," he repeated, standing up and offering her a hand.
She hesitated only a second before sliding her hand into his and letting him help her to her feet. "You have other abilities you need to work on honing, Sam." Her voice was quiet and she gazed at him intently.
"I can't contol my visions," he replied immediately, taking a step back and squinting down at her.
"Those aren't the abilities I was talking about."
"Then what--" He stopped, looking away from her. "You mean these 'feelings' I get? My sixth sense? Or my ability to move bookcases with a single angry thought?"
"All of the above," Chloe said quietly.
Frustrated, he ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Look, can we deal with one demonic part of me at a time?"
"Angelic," she responded without missing a beat.
"Whatever," he grumbled, turning and taking a few steps away. "Not like you can prove that, either."
"And you can't prove I'm wrong." She folded her arms across her chest, gazing at him intently.
He didn't turn around but smiled instead. "I hate it when you look at me like that," he joked sadly, knowing that neither one could prove their position at this point.
"Like what?" she asked innocently, a grin tugging at her lips.
Sam rolled his eyes and smirked. "That one where you pretty much demand your way without saying a thing. I get why Dean gets so crazy when you do that."
"It used to drive Clark crazy too." She smirked. "Guess I should patent the look and try to sell it on ebay. I could make some fast cash."
"We could stop running credit card scams to make a living," he replied with a grin. "You could support us."
Chloe grinned. "Just like a guy to make the woman do all the work," she responded lightly, moving past him as she headed back toward the hotel.
He followed her, smiling widely. "But if the girl's offering..." His words trailed off as they walked back to civilization in silence. For the first time in what seemed an eternity, his head didn't ache. The drumming of random thoughts weren't shooting across his mind. For now, at least, his thoughts were his own. And he could at least accept that part of himself.
&&&&&
When Chloe and Sam returned to the hotel, she tensed a little when she spotted Dean and Sarah in her room, both of them quiet and not looking very happy. Not that she could really blame them. She wouldn't be thrilled if Dean had a mental connection with Sarah and not her. Somehow that knowledge didn't make this situation any easier.
Dean saw Sam and Chloe and stood up, glancing back at Sarah, who looked small and pale. It had been a stressful and tense hour: with neither of them sure where the others had gone, their words were few and stilted. And while he might have been happy to see them, he had to wonder. He brushed past Sarah and away from the door, pacing the room.
Sam drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Freaky mind power number three is under control," he announced, looking from his brother to Sarah.
Sarah didn't look at Sam. She simply nodded, unable to speak. She looked at her hands, picking and her nails to keep her mind occupied and off the one thing she couldn't stop thinking about.
"Good to know... I think," Dean replied, looking at his brother before glancing at Chloe.
Chloe gazed back at Dean steadily. "It's a good thing."
"So this means no more silent conversations between friends?" he snarked, trying to mask his hurt feelings. Once again, he'd been left out of the loop.
"We figured out how to put and keep mental barriers between us. No more silent conversations. Ever." Her voice was quiet.
"Ever," Sam echoed in agreement, gazing at Sarah.
Feeling his eyes on her, Sarah looked up and into Sam's intensely determined ones. For a moment she thought she saw the spark of hope in Sam's eyes again, but she didn't know if her brain could process this yet. She smiled a little and nodded.
Dean looked at Chloe, then at Sam. And back at Chloe. "Okay," he whispered, shrugging as he sat down. "Where'd you two go, anyway?"
"Just for a walk," she answered, winding her arms around herself. "I found a meditation online that helped us get this sorted out."
Sarah looked at Chloe. "You mean that thing I saw you reading last night?"
"That'd be the one," she answered, turning to look at Sarah.
She offered Chloe a small smile. "I thought that was for you," she replied, smiling a little bit at her.
Great, Dean thought. They're all in on it and not bothering to tell me. He resumed his pacing.
She turned to look at him, seemingly reading *his* thoughts. "We should talk."
Sarah took that as the queue to leave. Glancing at Sam, she stood. "Um, I'll let you two... yeah." She looked at Sam and left the room in a hurry.
"Yeah. I'll see you guys later," Sam agreed, following her out the door quickly.
Dean wanted to turn around and look at her but couldn't. He knew the expression on her face, knew what she was going to say. "Chloe..." he began, stopping when he didn't know how to continue.
Chloe was silent for a long moment. "It's okay." Her voice was quiet.
In so many ways it wasn't, but he didn't want to rehash that can of worms. "How's Sammy doing?" he asked quietly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"I think he's all right now that he has his mind back to himself," she answered, her own voice flat.
"Yeah, must be a relief for you, too." He slowly turned around and looked at her, seeing her careful posture and wondering how to get over hang-up.
"Understatement," she responded, looking at him guardedly.
He threw her a curious look and stepped forward. "What, you didn't like Sam's thoughts in your head?"
"Thanks, but I'll pass. I prefer to keep my head to myself. I don't need to be hearing extra voices up here. Makes me feel like I'm that much closer to insanity."
"Don't say that. Ever again," he replied, closing the physical gap between them. "You're not insane, Chloe. You never will be."
Chloe didn't answer, simply gazed at him.
Her fragile look suddenly scared him, and when he reached for her, he was a little more than surprised when she stepped into his embrace. He held her close, their bodies warm against each other. "We'll get to the bottom of this, okay?" he whispered against her hair.
Closing her eyes, she slid her arms around him, resting her head against his chest and listening to the sound of his strong, steady heart beat. "Are we okay?" she whispered, blinking back tears that welled in her eyes.
His arms tightened around her. After all they had been through, and she still felt the need to ask that question. He couldn't blame her, though: it wasn't like he was the best thing for her. "We're okay," he whispered back, kissing the top of her head.
Swallowing hard, she tightened her arms around him as well. "Good. Because I love you," she whispered.
A low rumble of laughter caught in his throat. "I never get tired of hearing you say that," he replied, pulling her back so he could kiss her full lips.
She lifted a hand to his cheek and returned the kiss. "Good. Then get used to it. You're gonna hear it a lot."
He growled in agreement and kissed her again, lingering over her mouth with a kiss that held as much a promise as it did a confirmation. "I really wanna stay here, with you..." he started, a gleam in his eyes.
"But...?"
He sighed. "I think I should go talk to the boy wonder next door." He glanced at the front door, wondering how to make peace with his brother.
"I think that's a good idea."
"Figured you would." Dean stepped away from her and threw her the key to his extra room with a knowing smile.
A faint smirk tugged at her lips. "Is this some kind of hint?" she asked, her eyes shining with amusement.
"Maybe." He waggled his eyebrows at her and walked out of the room, his head held high for a change.
She grinned and shook her head. He wanted a surprise? He was gonna get one. A wicked grin settling on her lips, she moved to get her suitcase.