Those Three Words (Nineteen/Nineteen)
Title: Those Three Words
Authors: xtremeroswellia and clarksmuse
Rating: R to NC-17 for language and sexual scenes
Pairing: Chlean (Chloe/Dean) :D
Characters: multi-fandom -- Smallville, Supernatural, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Disclaimer: Neither of us own these characters. We're just borrowing them, so please don't sue!!
One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen A | Sixteen B | Seventeen | Eighteen | Cocnlusion
Dean opened the door of the hotel room and threw his stuff on the closest bed, flinging his body onto it immediately after. The bed sunk in the middle, and the last thing he wanted to think about was how much he already missed Chloe. Damn, but why did everything have to remind him of her? He flung an arm over his eyes, ignoring Sam who had entered the room quietly behind him.
"Maybe we should just go."
"Shut up, Sammy. That's not going to happen," he muttered.
"Look, the Turok-Han is dead. I don't think she needs our help."
Moving his arm from his eyes, he looked at his brother, who was still obviously pissed. "I beg to differ," he replied flatly. "What the hell else's out there that might gobble her up?"
Sam didn't answer, heading toward the bathroom. "I'm gonna shower."
"Yeah, go hide yourself in the bathroom, Sam. That solves everything," Dean snapped as Sam walked away.
He didn't respond, but he slammed the door behind him loudly.
Sighing, Dean sat up and took out his cell, dialing Chloe's number. When he got nothing but her voicemail, he hung up... not knowing what to say to her even if he had gotten a hold of her. He laid back down, staring up at the ceiling and wondering what had gone so wrong last night that it had come to this. That he couldn't be happy no matter what.
Trust issues, she had said. Maybe she was right. Maybe he had no right to love her, maybe....
It was several minutes before Sam got out of the shower, though he still didn't say much to his brother. "Enjoy that shower?" Dean asked harshly.
"Shut up, Dean," he retorted with a scowl, heading toward the door.
Dean leapt off the bed and grabbed his brother by the arm. "Oh no you don't, Sammy. You're staying the hell here."
Yanking his arm away, Sam drew back without thinking and punched his brother in the face.
The punch literally knocked Dean back, though he didn't land on the floor. His response was to throw a punch back at Sam, hitting him square in the jaw.
"Get off me," he shouted, shoving Dean back and pulling the door open, stalking outside.
Dean followed him. "Where the hell do you think you're going, huh? Not with the Impala, dude. You're stranded, unless you plan on hitchhiking out of here."
"I'm going out, just leave me the hell alone."
"No, goddamn you," he snarled, moving just in front of his brother. "You and I are going to talk this out, whether you like it or not." He shoved Sam back, blocking his path.
"Since when the hell have you ever wanted to talk about anything?" Sam demanded.
"Since I got a girlfriend who was about to come between us," he snarked back. He glared at Sam, willing him to take another swing at him.
He glared back at Dean but made no move to go around him.
Dean crossed his arms and glared back at Sam. "That sucker punch hurt, you know. Too bad you hit like a girl, or else I'd be bleeding." His lips formed into a small smirk.
"Guess I'll have to try harder next time," he grumbled.
"Take your best shot, dude," Dean egged him on. "Better to take a swing at me than run off and get your sorry ass killed.... or leave town like an idiot."
Sam shot him an annoyed look, then looked away, letting out a breath. "I'm sorry about that," he said, his voice quiet.
Dean snorted. "No you're not. And if it means you'll stay put, then beat the crap outta me. It's not like I don't deserve it." Truth of it was, Chloe needed to kick his sorry ass... though he'd be damned before he admitted that to Sam.
"I just don't understand her," he said, still looking away.
Dean stared at Sam, still so hurt and confused. And it occurred to him that maybe... he did. "Yeah," he replied quietly. "I think she did it out of concern, now that I think about it." He saw Sam turn and stare at him, an indescribable look in his eyes.
"Concern?" Sam repeated.
"Look, dude, don't ask me to explain it, okay?" he replied, hearing the shock in Sam's voice. "Do you think I'd let anything happen to you? I don't think she'd, either... not to you."
He was silent for a moment. "What do you wanna do then?"
Looking up at his brother, he said, "Stay here. For now. To see if..." Dean closed his eyes, not able to finish that sentence.
"See if you can work this out," he finished.
He stared at Sam, saying nothing for a moment. "I know. I'm whipped. Go ahead and say it."
Sam shook his head slightly, a faint, somewhat sad smile on his face. "No."
Dean frowned at the look on Sam's face and knew he was thinking about Jess. "When are you going to stop blaming yourself for Jess's death, dude?"
"Maybe when this thing is dead and gone," he answered grimly, not meeting his brother's eyes. "But I get why you wanna stay. If I had a second chance..." His voice trailed off.
"You'd have come back earlier and saved her life," he finished, wondering if he'd be experiencing the same feelings if he was in Sam's place. "Look, just... give me a day or two, okay? And then if nothing happens... we'll leave."
He drew in a breath and nodded slightly. "All right." How could he deny his brother something so important just because he didn't have it? It wouldn't be fair. Or right. And it'd just be one more reason for him to hate himself for later.
Nodding slightly, Dean started moving away from his brother but stopped and looked him in the eye. "Would you stop it with the whole hating yourself because of everything? It annoys the hell out of me," he smirked.
Watching him head into the hotel room once more, Sam shook his head. "Maybe I'm not the only one with psychic powers," he mumbled.
&&&
Chloe let out a breath, spreading out the papers around her and trying to decipher a pattern in what she'd seen. No matter how much they might hate it, she'd printed off a copy of each article she could find about their mother's death, and Jessica's, as well. Her eyebrows furrowed as she picked up one of the other articles she'd printed out that she didn't remember reading over before. "What the.." She read over it quickly, and then again, her eyes widening a little as she focused on the date. How the hell had she missed that? Feeling a little dazed, she rose to her feet. It had to mean something. In the back of her mind pieces began to fit together but she wasn't seeing the whole puzzle yet. Gathering her materials, she packed them into a bag and grabbed her jacket, heading out the door to see Giles.
Taking a breather from the incessant ranting of Xander's woes about Dawn eating the last cream-filled doughnut, he was all too glad to see Chloe knocking on his door. "Chloe," he said with a grateful tone in his voice. "You're a welcome reprieve. What... can I do for you?" he asked, letting her in but not missing the confused look in her eyes.
"I need your help with something." She glanced past him to the others. "But...just you," she added very quietly.
"Of course," he replied, shutting the connecting door that housed the rest of the gang. "Spike filled me in on the Turok-Han being destroyed, though I must confess I'm surprised this Mr. Kent helped him out. But, I get the impression that's not why you're here."
"No, it's not," she admitted, pulling her bag off her shoulder and retrieving what she'd found. "How much do you know about previous Slayers? I mean, besides... Buffy."
Giles adjusted his glasses. "Depends on the Slayer, I suppose." Hearing Buffy's name on the lips of a stranger brought a strange twisting pain to his heart, though he hid it. "Why do you ask? What's this?" He took the papers she'd given to him and perused them. "Interesting."
"Who was the Slayer in 1983?" she asked, gazing at him intently.
Thinking for a moment, Giles looked at Chloe and said, "Yes, I believe her name was Susan Ride. If memory serves, she was called at quite a young age but was killed before she met her watcher...." Oh dear, he thought suddenly.
The information slowly sank into Chloe's brain. "The girl who died in that fire was Susan Ride. From Lawrence, Kansas," she murmured, slowly sitting down at the small table. "She died the same night that..."
He saw Chloe had finally put two and two together. "That... what, Chloe?" he asked, his voice calm and even.
"You've known all along." She looked up at Giles, not accusingly, just stating it as fact. "You knew their mom was a Watcher."
Taking his glasses off and cleaning them, he looked down and said, "I have. I always thought Sam would make a great Watcher." He put his spectacles back on his face and looked at her honestly.
"Why didn't you say anything?" She stood up once more.
"About what, Chloe?" Giles replied calmly. "It seems they have both carved out their own destiny. A good destiny, from what I can gather. Why say something to them?" He wondered if something had happened, because he saw a shocked and guilt-ridden look on her face.
"This thing that killed their mother and this Sarah Ride...what is it, Giles? Do you know?"
Giles looked away, not sure how to answer that.
She stared at him. "Giles, if you know, you have to tell me!"
"Honestly, Chloe, I don't have a lot," he replied, looking back at her. "But this thing seems to go after women whose infants have... some kind of special powers..." Giles stopped and looked at Chloe. "Sam has powers, doesn't he?"
Her face grew pale and she fell silent, stunned.
"He does." His voice, flat and matter of fact, continued. "The way this thing kills is... horrible. Has Dean or Sam told you about that?"
"More than I wanted to know," she answered, feeling vaguely ill.
"Then you know what they're hunting is extremely dangerous. It could kill them and you without blinking," he replied softly but sternly.
"If it wanted them dead, it would've killed them by now. It's had enough chances," she pointed out. "So what is it? What does it want? What's it after, Giles? Sam's powers?"
"I wish I knew," he replied gently, looking at her. "My resources are limited where this thing is concerned, but... it's possible that's what it's after."
She was silent for a moment. "So the fact that their mother was a Watcher played no role in it?" She looked at him. "Because it seems like a pretty big coincidence that the Slayer was killed the same night in a fire like the one Mary Winchester died in."
"Hm, that's an interesting theory," he replied, pondering that connection deeply and agreeing with her. "I believe I have a book that would help, but it's in the other room." He pointed to the connector door. "I shall fetch it."
"I'd appreciate that," she murmured, watching him go and feeling like the world had just been turned upside down.
Giles silently entered the other room, grabbing the book in question, which was fortunately on the top of the stack of books on the table.
Willow noticed Giles's hasty exit and said, "Hey, what's up?"
"Erm, nothing, Willow. You keep researching the Hellmouth here. I have something to tend to. Be right back," he said and smiled slightly and slipped back into the other room to Chloe. He handed the book to her and said, "Use it in good health."
"What is this?" she whispered, taking the hardback, leather-bound book from Giles. It had no writing on the outside of it and when she opened the cover, she sucked in a breath, looking up at him in shock. "Oh my God."
"Yes, it's Mary Winchester's Watcher diary," Giles replied softly. "Might have something useful in it."
Swallowing hard, she rose to her feet, shutting it and carefully sliding it into her bag. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Giles replied warmly. "I've been pondering how to deliver that book to Sam, but it would raise too many questions. Speaking of which... do they know anything about their mother?" he asked, suddenly curious.
"Not much. Dean was only four when... she died. And Sam was six months old," she said softly. "I'm sure that... they'll be grateful to have this."
Giles nodded wordlessly, taking her at her word. "They're going to have questions once you hand it to them. You ready for what's to come?"
Chloe forced a smile on her face. "That's the question." She let out a breath, heading for the door.
Giles watched her leave, a thoughtful yet concerned look on his face.
&&&
"Dude, come on, it's time to go," Dean said, stuffing his things into his bag, wanting to tear the room apart. Two long, agonizing days had passed, and nothing from Chloe. Not a word, a call... nothing. And he was tired as hell of calling her and leaving empty voicemail messages. And because he'd promised Sam, they were going to leave.
"Dude, you sure you want to leave without leaving Chloe a voicemail message?" Sam asked, zipping his bag and throwing it over his shoulder.
Nodding without speaking, Dean dragged his bag off the bed and headed for the door. And opened it to find Chloe just about to knock. He blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?" he demanded a little too harshly, his anger not having an off switch.
"We have to talk." Her voice was quiet and she clutched her bag tightly as she moved past him and into the room without waiting for an invitation.
"Chloe?" Sam asked, a little surprised to see her there. And with that serious look on her face, there was no telling what she wanted.
Dean watched Chloe walk through the door and slammed it behind her. "Now? You want to talk now? What is it?" he demanded.
"You should sit down." Her voice remained quiet and she met Sam's eyes for a moment, and then turned to look at Dean. "Both of you."
Dean dropped his stuff and stalked after her, plopping down on Sam's bed beside his brother. "What?" he asked softly, a little concerned at the look in her eye.
She drew in a breath, slowly setting the bag down and opening it. She didn't even know how to start. She pulled the book out and held onto it as she moved to sit down in the chair beside the bed they both sat on. "I don't really know how to...tell you this." She looked down at the book for a moment, swallowing hard.
Sam leaned forward, taking the book in his hands and turning it over. "What is it?" he asked quietly and warily.
"It belonged to your mother," she said very softly. "It's... a diary."
"To... Mom?" Dean asked, looking at Chloe sharply before turning to watch Sam open it. "Where the hell did you get this?"
She gazed at him. "From Giles." Seeing the startled, confused look settle on his face, she pulled out the article that had also been tucked in her bag. She handed it over to Dean silently.
Dean looked down at the article Chloe had given to him, putting his feelings aside while he glanced at the paper. "Who is this... Susan Ride?"
"Dude," Sam breathed, flipping through the first couple pages. "Is this Mom's handwriting?"
Dean glanced at the open diary and did a double take. "Yeah, it is," he replied. "But why is it called a Watcher's Diary?"
"That's what I'm here to tell you," Chloe whispered, swallowing hard, filled with dread. "Susan Ride... was the Vampire Slayer in 1983. She died in her house in a fire on November 2nd that year. The same day that your mom was killed. And your mother... was her Watcher."
Sam was so surprised that he nearly dropped the diary. "What?" he whispered.
Dean just stared at Chloe, his eyes wide with horror and confusion.
Her eyes were sad as she gazed back at them silently.
Their mother was a Watcher. Like Giles. That meant... what? She would have watched people like Chloe... die? Dean couldn't wrap his mind around the concept. "So she died because... she was a Watcher?" He was clearly confused, his eyes lifting towards Chloe but not meeting hers. He finally looked over at Sam, who looked like he was about to break down.
"I don't know for sure, but my guess is that it factored in. It's too big a coincidence that Susan died the same night in the same way," she said quietly, bracing herself for the anger she was sure was about to follow.
"And this is why you were keeping information on us?" Sam suddenly demanded, his eyes wide and angry as he glared at her.
Dean gave his brother a look, warning him not to lose it.
Chloe rose to her feet. "Actually, I just put the pieces together and talked to Giles before I came here." Her voice was distant. "You can thank him for the book." Without waiting for a response, she headed for the door.
Dean got up and went after her. "Chloe, wait!" he said, grabbing her arm and turning her around. "Ignore Doofus over there. I need you to stay here."
She looked at him doubtfully. "For what?"
"What the hell do you think?" he rasped, ignoring the look Sam shot his way. "I've... missed you, Chlo. And I..." He looked over at his brother, ashamed to be saying this in front of him. "I'm sorry for... everything."
She gazed at him solemnly. "I know." She drew in a breath. "Which is why I hate what I'm about to say."
Dean looked down and took a deep breath. He knew this was coming, though he felt his heart breaking. Nodding his head, he whispered, "Just... tell me."
"The answers you're looking for aren't here," Chloe said quietly. She looked between them, silent for a few seconds. "I think it's time... to go back to Lawrence."
"Lawrence?" Dean asked, shocked that this wasn't the answer he was expecting. He took a tentative step towards her. "What do you think we'll find there?"
Sam stood up and walked over to them, his mind focused on his mother and the bombshell she had just delivered.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But that's where this all started. And I can't help but think that's where the answers are.
A soft smile tugged at Dean's lips. "So, does this mean you'll come with us?" He looked at Sam and nodded slightly at his brother.
"I promised I'd help." She shifted her gaze to Sam. "But it's not my decision."
Sam shifted his gaze from Dean to Chloe... and then back to Dean. He still felt the sting of Chloe's betrayal, but he thought he was beginning to understand. Spending a few minutes looking through his mother's diary, reading the words she had written... it started to click. "She's right," Sam replied slowly. "It's my decision, Dean."
Dean glanced at Sam, as if to say Get over it, will ya? But he said nothing.
She stood silently in the doorframe of their hotel room, wondering if it had hit him yet. Their destinies were inexplicably and inextricably linked whether he liked it or not. This was as much her battle as his own, but it was his first. It was theirs first. She met Sam's gaze.
Sam held Chloe's gaze and wondered briefly about the power of fate. How his mother was destined to be a Watcher. How he and Dean had come across a Slayer... and for the first time, he wondered if being a Watcher was something that ran in the family. Smiling faintly, he nodded his head. "Chloe, you have to come with us," Sam said finally. "I think... that is, I have a feeling that... you're supposed to come with us."
Dean remained silent, watching the wordless exchange between his brother and his girlfriend.
Chloe held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded slightly. "First thing in the morning then?"
Sam's smile held some deep emotion that only Chloe might have seen as he said, "Yeah, absolutely." He looked over at his brother. "Dean?"
Nodding, Dean looked at Sam. "Yeah, Sammy. Tomorrow we'll leave." He turned back to look at Chloe, who had turned her piercing green eyes on him.
Feeling as if all three of their fates had just been sealed, she drew in a breath, remaining still and wondering what was to come.
This is the end of this fic... but we're working on the sequel. ;) ;)
Authors: xtremeroswellia and clarksmuse
Rating: R to NC-17 for language and sexual scenes
Pairing: Chlean (Chloe/Dean) :D
Characters: multi-fandom -- Smallville, Supernatural, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Disclaimer: Neither of us own these characters. We're just borrowing them, so please don't sue!!
One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen A | Sixteen B | Seventeen | Eighteen | Cocnlusion
Dean opened the door of the hotel room and threw his stuff on the closest bed, flinging his body onto it immediately after. The bed sunk in the middle, and the last thing he wanted to think about was how much he already missed Chloe. Damn, but why did everything have to remind him of her? He flung an arm over his eyes, ignoring Sam who had entered the room quietly behind him.
"Maybe we should just go."
"Shut up, Sammy. That's not going to happen," he muttered.
"Look, the Turok-Han is dead. I don't think she needs our help."
Moving his arm from his eyes, he looked at his brother, who was still obviously pissed. "I beg to differ," he replied flatly. "What the hell else's out there that might gobble her up?"
Sam didn't answer, heading toward the bathroom. "I'm gonna shower."
"Yeah, go hide yourself in the bathroom, Sam. That solves everything," Dean snapped as Sam walked away.
He didn't respond, but he slammed the door behind him loudly.
Sighing, Dean sat up and took out his cell, dialing Chloe's number. When he got nothing but her voicemail, he hung up... not knowing what to say to her even if he had gotten a hold of her. He laid back down, staring up at the ceiling and wondering what had gone so wrong last night that it had come to this. That he couldn't be happy no matter what.
Trust issues, she had said. Maybe she was right. Maybe he had no right to love her, maybe....
It was several minutes before Sam got out of the shower, though he still didn't say much to his brother. "Enjoy that shower?" Dean asked harshly.
"Shut up, Dean," he retorted with a scowl, heading toward the door.
Dean leapt off the bed and grabbed his brother by the arm. "Oh no you don't, Sammy. You're staying the hell here."
Yanking his arm away, Sam drew back without thinking and punched his brother in the face.
The punch literally knocked Dean back, though he didn't land on the floor. His response was to throw a punch back at Sam, hitting him square in the jaw.
"Get off me," he shouted, shoving Dean back and pulling the door open, stalking outside.
Dean followed him. "Where the hell do you think you're going, huh? Not with the Impala, dude. You're stranded, unless you plan on hitchhiking out of here."
"I'm going out, just leave me the hell alone."
"No, goddamn you," he snarled, moving just in front of his brother. "You and I are going to talk this out, whether you like it or not." He shoved Sam back, blocking his path.
"Since when the hell have you ever wanted to talk about anything?" Sam demanded.
"Since I got a girlfriend who was about to come between us," he snarked back. He glared at Sam, willing him to take another swing at him.
He glared back at Dean but made no move to go around him.
Dean crossed his arms and glared back at Sam. "That sucker punch hurt, you know. Too bad you hit like a girl, or else I'd be bleeding." His lips formed into a small smirk.
"Guess I'll have to try harder next time," he grumbled.
"Take your best shot, dude," Dean egged him on. "Better to take a swing at me than run off and get your sorry ass killed.... or leave town like an idiot."
Sam shot him an annoyed look, then looked away, letting out a breath. "I'm sorry about that," he said, his voice quiet.
Dean snorted. "No you're not. And if it means you'll stay put, then beat the crap outta me. It's not like I don't deserve it." Truth of it was, Chloe needed to kick his sorry ass... though he'd be damned before he admitted that to Sam.
"I just don't understand her," he said, still looking away.
Dean stared at Sam, still so hurt and confused. And it occurred to him that maybe... he did. "Yeah," he replied quietly. "I think she did it out of concern, now that I think about it." He saw Sam turn and stare at him, an indescribable look in his eyes.
"Concern?" Sam repeated.
"Look, dude, don't ask me to explain it, okay?" he replied, hearing the shock in Sam's voice. "Do you think I'd let anything happen to you? I don't think she'd, either... not to you."
He was silent for a moment. "What do you wanna do then?"
Looking up at his brother, he said, "Stay here. For now. To see if..." Dean closed his eyes, not able to finish that sentence.
"See if you can work this out," he finished.
He stared at Sam, saying nothing for a moment. "I know. I'm whipped. Go ahead and say it."
Sam shook his head slightly, a faint, somewhat sad smile on his face. "No."
Dean frowned at the look on Sam's face and knew he was thinking about Jess. "When are you going to stop blaming yourself for Jess's death, dude?"
"Maybe when this thing is dead and gone," he answered grimly, not meeting his brother's eyes. "But I get why you wanna stay. If I had a second chance..." His voice trailed off.
"You'd have come back earlier and saved her life," he finished, wondering if he'd be experiencing the same feelings if he was in Sam's place. "Look, just... give me a day or two, okay? And then if nothing happens... we'll leave."
He drew in a breath and nodded slightly. "All right." How could he deny his brother something so important just because he didn't have it? It wouldn't be fair. Or right. And it'd just be one more reason for him to hate himself for later.
Nodding slightly, Dean started moving away from his brother but stopped and looked him in the eye. "Would you stop it with the whole hating yourself because of everything? It annoys the hell out of me," he smirked.
Watching him head into the hotel room once more, Sam shook his head. "Maybe I'm not the only one with psychic powers," he mumbled.
&&&
Chloe let out a breath, spreading out the papers around her and trying to decipher a pattern in what she'd seen. No matter how much they might hate it, she'd printed off a copy of each article she could find about their mother's death, and Jessica's, as well. Her eyebrows furrowed as she picked up one of the other articles she'd printed out that she didn't remember reading over before. "What the.." She read over it quickly, and then again, her eyes widening a little as she focused on the date. How the hell had she missed that? Feeling a little dazed, she rose to her feet. It had to mean something. In the back of her mind pieces began to fit together but she wasn't seeing the whole puzzle yet. Gathering her materials, she packed them into a bag and grabbed her jacket, heading out the door to see Giles.
Taking a breather from the incessant ranting of Xander's woes about Dawn eating the last cream-filled doughnut, he was all too glad to see Chloe knocking on his door. "Chloe," he said with a grateful tone in his voice. "You're a welcome reprieve. What... can I do for you?" he asked, letting her in but not missing the confused look in her eyes.
"I need your help with something." She glanced past him to the others. "But...just you," she added very quietly.
"Of course," he replied, shutting the connecting door that housed the rest of the gang. "Spike filled me in on the Turok-Han being destroyed, though I must confess I'm surprised this Mr. Kent helped him out. But, I get the impression that's not why you're here."
"No, it's not," she admitted, pulling her bag off her shoulder and retrieving what she'd found. "How much do you know about previous Slayers? I mean, besides... Buffy."
Giles adjusted his glasses. "Depends on the Slayer, I suppose." Hearing Buffy's name on the lips of a stranger brought a strange twisting pain to his heart, though he hid it. "Why do you ask? What's this?" He took the papers she'd given to him and perused them. "Interesting."
"Who was the Slayer in 1983?" she asked, gazing at him intently.
Thinking for a moment, Giles looked at Chloe and said, "Yes, I believe her name was Susan Ride. If memory serves, she was called at quite a young age but was killed before she met her watcher...." Oh dear, he thought suddenly.
The information slowly sank into Chloe's brain. "The girl who died in that fire was Susan Ride. From Lawrence, Kansas," she murmured, slowly sitting down at the small table. "She died the same night that..."
He saw Chloe had finally put two and two together. "That... what, Chloe?" he asked, his voice calm and even.
"You've known all along." She looked up at Giles, not accusingly, just stating it as fact. "You knew their mom was a Watcher."
Taking his glasses off and cleaning them, he looked down and said, "I have. I always thought Sam would make a great Watcher." He put his spectacles back on his face and looked at her honestly.
"Why didn't you say anything?" She stood up once more.
"About what, Chloe?" Giles replied calmly. "It seems they have both carved out their own destiny. A good destiny, from what I can gather. Why say something to them?" He wondered if something had happened, because he saw a shocked and guilt-ridden look on her face.
"This thing that killed their mother and this Sarah Ride...what is it, Giles? Do you know?"
Giles looked away, not sure how to answer that.
She stared at him. "Giles, if you know, you have to tell me!"
"Honestly, Chloe, I don't have a lot," he replied, looking back at her. "But this thing seems to go after women whose infants have... some kind of special powers..." Giles stopped and looked at Chloe. "Sam has powers, doesn't he?"
Her face grew pale and she fell silent, stunned.
"He does." His voice, flat and matter of fact, continued. "The way this thing kills is... horrible. Has Dean or Sam told you about that?"
"More than I wanted to know," she answered, feeling vaguely ill.
"Then you know what they're hunting is extremely dangerous. It could kill them and you without blinking," he replied softly but sternly.
"If it wanted them dead, it would've killed them by now. It's had enough chances," she pointed out. "So what is it? What does it want? What's it after, Giles? Sam's powers?"
"I wish I knew," he replied gently, looking at her. "My resources are limited where this thing is concerned, but... it's possible that's what it's after."
She was silent for a moment. "So the fact that their mother was a Watcher played no role in it?" She looked at him. "Because it seems like a pretty big coincidence that the Slayer was killed the same night in a fire like the one Mary Winchester died in."
"Hm, that's an interesting theory," he replied, pondering that connection deeply and agreeing with her. "I believe I have a book that would help, but it's in the other room." He pointed to the connector door. "I shall fetch it."
"I'd appreciate that," she murmured, watching him go and feeling like the world had just been turned upside down.
Giles silently entered the other room, grabbing the book in question, which was fortunately on the top of the stack of books on the table.
Willow noticed Giles's hasty exit and said, "Hey, what's up?"
"Erm, nothing, Willow. You keep researching the Hellmouth here. I have something to tend to. Be right back," he said and smiled slightly and slipped back into the other room to Chloe. He handed the book to her and said, "Use it in good health."
"What is this?" she whispered, taking the hardback, leather-bound book from Giles. It had no writing on the outside of it and when she opened the cover, she sucked in a breath, looking up at him in shock. "Oh my God."
"Yes, it's Mary Winchester's Watcher diary," Giles replied softly. "Might have something useful in it."
Swallowing hard, she rose to her feet, shutting it and carefully sliding it into her bag. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Giles replied warmly. "I've been pondering how to deliver that book to Sam, but it would raise too many questions. Speaking of which... do they know anything about their mother?" he asked, suddenly curious.
"Not much. Dean was only four when... she died. And Sam was six months old," she said softly. "I'm sure that... they'll be grateful to have this."
Giles nodded wordlessly, taking her at her word. "They're going to have questions once you hand it to them. You ready for what's to come?"
Chloe forced a smile on her face. "That's the question." She let out a breath, heading for the door.
Giles watched her leave, a thoughtful yet concerned look on his face.
&&&
"Dude, come on, it's time to go," Dean said, stuffing his things into his bag, wanting to tear the room apart. Two long, agonizing days had passed, and nothing from Chloe. Not a word, a call... nothing. And he was tired as hell of calling her and leaving empty voicemail messages. And because he'd promised Sam, they were going to leave.
"Dude, you sure you want to leave without leaving Chloe a voicemail message?" Sam asked, zipping his bag and throwing it over his shoulder.
Nodding without speaking, Dean dragged his bag off the bed and headed for the door. And opened it to find Chloe just about to knock. He blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?" he demanded a little too harshly, his anger not having an off switch.
"We have to talk." Her voice was quiet and she clutched her bag tightly as she moved past him and into the room without waiting for an invitation.
"Chloe?" Sam asked, a little surprised to see her there. And with that serious look on her face, there was no telling what she wanted.
Dean watched Chloe walk through the door and slammed it behind her. "Now? You want to talk now? What is it?" he demanded.
"You should sit down." Her voice remained quiet and she met Sam's eyes for a moment, and then turned to look at Dean. "Both of you."
Dean dropped his stuff and stalked after her, plopping down on Sam's bed beside his brother. "What?" he asked softly, a little concerned at the look in her eye.
She drew in a breath, slowly setting the bag down and opening it. She didn't even know how to start. She pulled the book out and held onto it as she moved to sit down in the chair beside the bed they both sat on. "I don't really know how to...tell you this." She looked down at the book for a moment, swallowing hard.
Sam leaned forward, taking the book in his hands and turning it over. "What is it?" he asked quietly and warily.
"It belonged to your mother," she said very softly. "It's... a diary."
"To... Mom?" Dean asked, looking at Chloe sharply before turning to watch Sam open it. "Where the hell did you get this?"
She gazed at him. "From Giles." Seeing the startled, confused look settle on his face, she pulled out the article that had also been tucked in her bag. She handed it over to Dean silently.
Dean looked down at the article Chloe had given to him, putting his feelings aside while he glanced at the paper. "Who is this... Susan Ride?"
"Dude," Sam breathed, flipping through the first couple pages. "Is this Mom's handwriting?"
Dean glanced at the open diary and did a double take. "Yeah, it is," he replied. "But why is it called a Watcher's Diary?"
"That's what I'm here to tell you," Chloe whispered, swallowing hard, filled with dread. "Susan Ride... was the Vampire Slayer in 1983. She died in her house in a fire on November 2nd that year. The same day that your mom was killed. And your mother... was her Watcher."
Sam was so surprised that he nearly dropped the diary. "What?" he whispered.
Dean just stared at Chloe, his eyes wide with horror and confusion.
Her eyes were sad as she gazed back at them silently.
Their mother was a Watcher. Like Giles. That meant... what? She would have watched people like Chloe... die? Dean couldn't wrap his mind around the concept. "So she died because... she was a Watcher?" He was clearly confused, his eyes lifting towards Chloe but not meeting hers. He finally looked over at Sam, who looked like he was about to break down.
"I don't know for sure, but my guess is that it factored in. It's too big a coincidence that Susan died the same night in the same way," she said quietly, bracing herself for the anger she was sure was about to follow.
"And this is why you were keeping information on us?" Sam suddenly demanded, his eyes wide and angry as he glared at her.
Dean gave his brother a look, warning him not to lose it.
Chloe rose to her feet. "Actually, I just put the pieces together and talked to Giles before I came here." Her voice was distant. "You can thank him for the book." Without waiting for a response, she headed for the door.
Dean got up and went after her. "Chloe, wait!" he said, grabbing her arm and turning her around. "Ignore Doofus over there. I need you to stay here."
She looked at him doubtfully. "For what?"
"What the hell do you think?" he rasped, ignoring the look Sam shot his way. "I've... missed you, Chlo. And I..." He looked over at his brother, ashamed to be saying this in front of him. "I'm sorry for... everything."
She gazed at him solemnly. "I know." She drew in a breath. "Which is why I hate what I'm about to say."
Dean looked down and took a deep breath. He knew this was coming, though he felt his heart breaking. Nodding his head, he whispered, "Just... tell me."
"The answers you're looking for aren't here," Chloe said quietly. She looked between them, silent for a few seconds. "I think it's time... to go back to Lawrence."
"Lawrence?" Dean asked, shocked that this wasn't the answer he was expecting. He took a tentative step towards her. "What do you think we'll find there?"
Sam stood up and walked over to them, his mind focused on his mother and the bombshell she had just delivered.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But that's where this all started. And I can't help but think that's where the answers are.
A soft smile tugged at Dean's lips. "So, does this mean you'll come with us?" He looked at Sam and nodded slightly at his brother.
"I promised I'd help." She shifted her gaze to Sam. "But it's not my decision."
Sam shifted his gaze from Dean to Chloe... and then back to Dean. He still felt the sting of Chloe's betrayal, but he thought he was beginning to understand. Spending a few minutes looking through his mother's diary, reading the words she had written... it started to click. "She's right," Sam replied slowly. "It's my decision, Dean."
Dean glanced at Sam, as if to say Get over it, will ya? But he said nothing.
She stood silently in the doorframe of their hotel room, wondering if it had hit him yet. Their destinies were inexplicably and inextricably linked whether he liked it or not. This was as much her battle as his own, but it was his first. It was theirs first. She met Sam's gaze.
Sam held Chloe's gaze and wondered briefly about the power of fate. How his mother was destined to be a Watcher. How he and Dean had come across a Slayer... and for the first time, he wondered if being a Watcher was something that ran in the family. Smiling faintly, he nodded his head. "Chloe, you have to come with us," Sam said finally. "I think... that is, I have a feeling that... you're supposed to come with us."
Dean remained silent, watching the wordless exchange between his brother and his girlfriend.
Chloe held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded slightly. "First thing in the morning then?"
Sam's smile held some deep emotion that only Chloe might have seen as he said, "Yeah, absolutely." He looked over at his brother. "Dean?"
Nodding, Dean looked at Sam. "Yeah, Sammy. Tomorrow we'll leave." He turned back to look at Chloe, who had turned her piercing green eyes on him.
Feeling as if all three of their fates had just been sealed, she drew in a breath, remaining still and wondering what was to come.
This is the end of this fic... but we're working on the sequel. ;) ;)