Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala: Fic 21: Miles to Go (2-3/8)
Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala
Fic 21: Miles to Go (2-3/8)
Authors: clarkmuse and X_tremeroswellian
Rated: NC-17
Note: My internet connection has been sucky. I apologize for the wait so you get two parts now. :P
Two
While Dean showered, Chloe forced herself to make a phone call she'd been dreading making the last few weeks for multiple reasons. Dialing the familiar number, she waited for him to pick up.
"Hey, Chloe. Been waiting to hear from you."
She caught the hint of hesitation in his voice. "We've got news."
Oliver Queen frowned and was grateful that, for the moment, he was alone in the large South Dakota warehouse he'd opened for a "West Coast" branch, for lack of a better term. "Is it the kind where we need to put on our crash helmets and bunker down?" he asked cautiously.
"It's the kind where we all get ready for the biggest battle we've ever fought." Her voice was quiet, grim.
Oliver smirked sadly. "You been watching a lot of X-Files reruns lately, Chloe?" He looked down and sighed. "Where? By all accounts, Lex's minions have been working furiously to dismantle the 33.1 facilities. However, I think it's a ruse."
"It is. We got word from a friend that the storm is brewing right in Lawrence, Kansas." The same place it all began, she thought as sadness washed over her.
"Makes sense. Intel reports have been coming in regarding at least a dozen large truck freighters making an exodus to two places of the country: Kansas and Nebraska."
Her face grew pale and she raked a hand through her hair. "I don't suppose you're secretly funding some kind of independent army?" she asked hopefully.
Oliver chuckled ruefully. "I'm not that rich, Sidekick." He paused for a moment and looked out the large picture window. "Chloe, we need... to talk."
She winced a little. "I suppose trying to ignore the wooly mammoth in the room is pointless."
"Make that the Red and Blue and Pouting Mammoth." He raked long fingers through his short, spiky blonde hair. "What the hell happened, Chloe? I've only gotten bits and pieces from Clark, and it's not like your guys are the most talkative. Hell, even Jo won't tell me."
Chloe was silent for a moment. "I was possessed by a demon out for revenge on Dean and Sam. Mostly Dean."
He was struck silent for a full minute. "A demon. Possessed you? What did Dean do to it?"
"An exorcism."
"Must've been an ugly one," he replied with a shudder. "So I take it that it really did a number on one of you, because I've never seen Clark with his boxers in a twist like this. Ever."
"That's all you're getting out of me, Ollie. I'm sorry. The rest is between me and Clark. And Dean." Her voice was quiet.
Oliver was momentarily speechless at the stern warning behind her words: back off. "Okay," he replied warily. "Just thought you'd want to know Clark's head isn't in the game, and we really need him to be."
"I hear what you're saying," she said just as warily. "I'll take care of it. I'm not sure how, but I will."
"Figure out a way, Chloe. We're going to need everyone on board. Sanity intact and ready to kill some demonic... wait, this is new territory for us. Care to explain how to kill a demon?"
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah...about that. You're gonna need some training."
"This training involve watching Clark and Dean kick each others' asses?" Oliver joked lightly.
Chloe grimaced, knowing that was a very distinct possibility. "Let's hope not."
"Boy, you're a barrel of laughs today, Sidekick," he replied solemnly. "I take it the Winchesters are going to head up this... training? Want to bring them here or we meeting somewhere else?" He felt a little unsettled by the personal anxiety of seeing Clark Kent and Dean Winchester face off over something neither of them had any control over. Not that they weren’t going to face off. That was pretty much a given.
"Yeah. They're the experts. Sarah and I are still trainees," she said, glancing toward the bathroom. "Where are you right now?"
"Still in South Dakota, where I've set up operations since the last time Clark found himself in a mess like this."
She sighed softly. "All right. I guess we'll just come there."
He winced at the resignation in her voice. "Good idea. Get here ASAP. We'll take our crash course and share what we've learned." And in the meantime, hopefully their personal issues would be resolved. Oliver knew any kind of rift could result in someone dying. Not what he wanted.
"Crash course will be about right. We need to get to Lawrence, soon."
"How soon can you get here?"
"A couple hours. We're already packed."
"We'll be looking for you, then. Be safe." With that, Oliver shut off his phone and rammed it in his pocket. He then headed to find the others and prepare them.
Chloe shut her eyes momentarily as she slowly hung up the phone as well, glancing up as she heard the bathroom door open. She watched as Dean stepped out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist and a smile tugged at her lips involuntarily.
"You know, you keep looking at me like that, and we're never getting outta here," he remarked with a sexy smile. His hand loosened the towel around his waist, his eyebrows shot up suggestively.
A soft chuckle escaped her. "Promises, promises."
He let the towel drop from his body and crossed the room to her. He pulled her against his body, still damp from the shower, and grinned cockily. "I'll show you a promise," he whispered and lowered his head, his lips brushing against hers gently.
Chloe groaned softly as she returned the kiss urgently, sliding her fingers through his damp hair.
Pleased with her eager response, Dean smiled against her lips and dug his fingers into her waist. "I love you, have I mentioned that?"
"I love you," she whispered back, pulling him closer.
"And as much... and I would... love to... continue this..." he spoke between kisses and walked them back towards the bed. "We have to go." He kissed her one last time just as he felt the back of her knees hit the bed.
"Oh, no, buddy. We're finishing," she informed him, yanking him down against her.
"God, when did you get so bossy?" he complained out loud, though he willingly attacked the buttons on her shirt and kissed every inch of bare skin he could. He pressed against her thigh and groaned.
"I've always been bossy," she retorted, sliding her hands down his back.
He licked one of her taut nipples and smiled at her response. "Yeah, but that was only when you're pissed at me." He moved over her and caressed her breast while kissing her neck.
"Not always just when I'm pissed at you." She groaned softly as he pressed against her. "Now."
He smirked against her skin and reached for her jeans.
Chloe lifted her hips up so he could remove her jeans, groaning softly as his fingers trailed down her thigh.
Dean's hands slid down her legs and yanked her clothing from her body, then slid them slowly back up her naked legs until one hand found her mound. He rubbed her lightly, pleased to find her ready for him so quickly. He scooted her to the edge of the bed and knelt in front of her. He slid his tongue into her hot core and lapped up her scent. His felt her buck against him and put his hands on her waist to steady her.
So intent was he on Chloe's pleasure that Dean didn't hear the knock on the door.
Chloe didn't hear it either, her hands fisting in the bedsheets as she lifted her hips toward his mouth. "Dean," she whimpered, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
Dean leaned back and slipped a digit into her hot core and let her hips set the pace for them. He licked her taste on his lips and kissed her inner thighs as she rode his hand.
The knock on the door became more insistent and louder.
Her eyes rolled back in her head as heat washed over her, pleasure curling her stomach as her climax hit. She drew in a shuddering breath, her eyes drifting shut. At first she thought the noise was the pounding of her heart, but after a moment as she began to slip out of her daze she realized someone was knocking on the door.
Dean leaned into the apex of her thighs, heady on her scent, and groaned when he heard someone pounding on the other side of the door. "Fuck," he grumbled and reluctantly moved away from Chloe's trembling body. He stood up and looked at her reluctantly. His body throbbed for release, and she was still trembling from her passion. "Hold that thought," he whispered with a smirk.
"Deal," she murmured, reluctantly pulling the blanket over her.
Dean grabbed his jeans and pulled them on hurriedly as the pounding against the door continued. "This had better be good," he growled and opened the door so quickly he nearly tore it from the hinges. He found Sam on the other side. "What?" he demanded, eyes angry.
His brother only smirked knowingly. "Did I interrupt something?"
"What the hell do you want that can't wait five minutes?"
"We need to get moving. Missouri's waiting, remember?"
Dean sighed and wanted to stomp his foot in frustration. "Five minutes? Can't it wait?" He glanced back at Chloe, who had obviously put her clothes back on. He sighed. "Fine, let's head for Lawrence. Like the demons can't wait or something." The last sentence he grumbled to himself.
Chloe had become an expert at putting her clothes on under the covers as quickly as possible since she'd started riding with the Winchester brothers. So as soon as she'd finished, she moved over toward the door, resting a hand on Dean's arm. "We're gonna have to make a stop."
He glanced down at her sharply. "What do you mean, a stop?"
Sam's eyes turned dark with worry.
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "The Justice League doesn't know the first thing about demons. We're gonna have to train them." Her voice was quiet.
Dean snorted. "Of all the things and gadgets those guys handle and deal with, and they don't even know how to..." His words drifted off as he suddenly realized what this meant. He'd have to see Clark Kent again. Someone he never wanted to see ever again, and suddenly he'd have to work with the guy.
He looked down so Chloe didn't see the red in his eyes. "Hell no, we're not going," he growled.
Sam took a step into the room hesitantly. "Dean," he started, but Dean cut him off with a look.
"No, we aren't going. Those guys are smart. They can figure it out for themselves."
"Dean." Her voice was quiet. "I know. I'm not happy about it either, believe me. But we're gonna need all the help we can get. Our lives depend on it."
Sarah appeared in the doorway suddenly, her hand on Sam's arm. She had finished their packing, though she still feared what was to come. The dangerous look on Dean's face didn't help, either. "What's wrong?" she whispered and looked at Sam, then Chloe.
She shifted her gaze to her friend's face but remained silent, her body tense.
"The Justice League members want training on how to kill demons." Sam's voice was grim.
Sarah blanched at the simple statement and understood immediately the potential disaster of what they were about to pursue prior to Lawrence. "I'm a little surprised that they don't know how to do that themselves --"
"Yeah, that's what I said," Dean interjected defensively but quieted when Sarah glared at him.
" -- but they need to be taught," she finished quietly and gave Chloe a sympathetic look.
"We don't need them for this. I don't want to go," Dean replied, his voice flat with anger.
"You know we have to," Sarah replied.
"What the hell do you know about it, Sarah?" Dean demanded.
"Hey. Don't take it out on her." Chloe turned to look at him, her gaze intense.
"It's okay, Chloe," the brunette whispered and turned her observant gaze to Dean. "Look, I get you're angry, but you know we need them. All of them. Can't you let go of your anger towards Clark until this fight is done?" She gripped Sam's hand tightly, afraid of the response she'd get.
Dean didn't look at any of them; his eyes were glued to the floor as he listened to Sarah's words. She was right, of course, though he wasn't willing to state that fact. The problem was, he didn't know what he'd do if he saw Clark Kent again. Despite the man's invulnerability, Dean wanted to kill him. He should have known Chloe wasn't herself that night, not if he claimed to know her as well as he'd professed. What he saw was a man clearly taking advantage of a situation.
It was a place he knew too well, having been there not even a year ago.
He turned and searched for a shirt to pull over his head.
"Can you guys give us a minute?" she asked softly, glancing at Sam and Sarah.
"Sure, Chloe," he said softly, wrapping an arm around Sarah's waist and leading her out the door, shutting it behind them.
Having found his shirts, Dean put them on quickly and noted that while Chloe had shut the door, leaving them alone, she wasn't making any move to finish packing. He grabbed his duffel bag and began stuffing his things into it silently.
"Dean." Her voice was soft.
"What?" came the terse response.
Chloe sighed softly, realizing he had put up the mental barrier between them. "I'm not happy about this either," she whispered.
He made a face and looked at her. "Then why not ask Oliver send the Blue and Red Wonder somewhere else?" he asked and tucked his gun into the waistband of his jeans. "Maybe the Artic, where he can be eaten by a friendly polar bear?"
Her eyes were sad. "Because like it or not, we're gonna need Clark's help." She looked at the floor.
Zipping his bag shut, Dean left it and crossed the room to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him. "I don't like it," he whispered against her hair and let his mental barrier down. And he better hope there's no kryptonite around when he's in my presence.
She relaxed against him, winding her arms around him in return. "I don't like it either," she admitted in a whisper. She rested her head against his chest, shutting her eyes and letting out a breath. The idea of seeing Clark again made her stomach turn with dread and she didn't try to hide that fact from Dean.
His arms tightened around her. "Good, because if he so much as touches you, Chlo, I swear to God..." Dean let his words hang in the air, because he didn't want to think of what he might be capable of doing to an ally in this fight. In fact, even harboring this anger was detrimental to their cause. He firmly stuffed it back in his mind for the moment.
She pressed a kiss against his collarbone, sliding her hands down his back in a soothing manner. "I love you. Just you." She tilted her head back to look at him.
"I know you do," he whispered and looked down into her deep green pools he wanted to lose himself in. "I know you do." He dipped his head and planted a soft, firm kiss on her lips. One that gave as much as it claimed her as his.
She slid her fingers through his hair, keeping him close as she returned the kiss without hesitation.
A moment later, he pulled away and smirked. "See? There's my proof." His grin became lopsided when she gave him a look.
Chloe chuckled softly. "Come on, Casanova. Let's hit the road."
With another quick kiss and grin, Dean let her go and grabbed his bag. "That's Mr. Casanova to you," he replied with a grin that hid his anxiety.
She grabbed her own bag, and slid her hand into his, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Three
The members of the Justice League were seated solemnly together when the Winchesters and company walked inside. Sarah saw the deliberately empty look on Oliver's face and inwardly winced. Something told her he knew enough about the confrontation between Clark and Dean to make this meeting uncomfortable enough to want to hide inside Sam's embrace. She clutched his hand tightly and swallowed hard.
Sam drew in a breath and nodded slightly to Oliver and the others, carefully avoiding looking at Clark Kent. He squeezed Sarah's hand back in return.
Chloe’s grip tightened on Dean just a little.
Dean tried to smile but couldn't. Not when he'd seen Clark hidden behind Victor Stone. It looked as though he was avoiding this meeting as much as they were. Good, he thought and glanced at Oliver. I hope he's suffering. He stuck out his free hand towards Oliver and nodded. "Queen."
Oliver stood and shook Dean's hand. "'Bout time you got here," he replied with a faint smile. "I was beginning to think you were going to leave us high and dry."
"You can't expect to fight demons with all your newfangled contraptions and expect to win," Dean replied smugly and glanced at Chloe.
She smiled softly at him. "Anyone here speak Latin?"
Oliver grinned. "I do. All those damn Latin classes at that prep school will finally be useful."
A.C. reluctantly raised his hand as well. "Me, too. Luckily I was forced to take some Latin in college before I dropped out."
Chloe nodded a little. "Then you've definitely got an advantage over the rest of us."
"What's the deal with demons and Latin anyway?" Bart raised his eyebrows curiously.
Dean cocked an eyebrow at the youngest JLA member. "Demons are repelled by the spoken word of God. Latin incantations send the bastards back to hell where they belong."
"But why not just do it in English?" He frowned.
"Because you have to read it in the original language it was written, in this case, Latin, since the Catholic Church used that ancient language until about sixty years ago. It’s more effective that way." Dean caught Sam's surprised look out of the corner of his eye and smirked. "What? I study!"
Oliver coughed back a laugh. "The point is... where do we get these incantations? And how do we know when we're faced with a demon?"
"For one, they're wicked strong. They'll flinch at the name of God. In Latin, that's Christo," Chloe informed them.
Sam smiled faintly at her. "Chloe made copies of the easiest exorcism there is to perform. It's gonna be best if you can memorize it."
Sarah handed Oliver the small stack of papers. "It's short and sweet, so it won't be too hard to memorize. Another indication of possession? Their eyes flash black. It's sudden and short, but if you pay attention to it, you'll know." She winced inwardly at her words when she saw Dean stiffen momentarily and Clark Kent slink further into his seat.
Chloe slid her hand gently down Dean's back in an attempt to soothe his nerves. "Demons hate holy water. That's something that's very easy to get a hold of. Any water blessed by a minister or priest will do."
"Fortunately for you guys, I have extra vials of holy water," Dean replied and dropped the bag slung over his shoulder. He let go of Chloe long enough to pull out small bottles of water in front of Oliver. He ignored the questioning look on Clark's face.
"Why not just kill them?" Clark asked quietly, uncertain his question was the right thing to ask.
Sarah looked at the others, then at Clark. "Because they're still people. Innocents possessed by evil. You can't kill the person."
Chloe avoided looking at the members of the Justice League.
Sam drew in a breath. "Let's go over the Latin pronunciations for the exorcism," he said, taking the lead. He didn't even have one of the packets in his hand.
&&&&&
An hour later, Dean was tired and beyond frustrated. Though the Justice League members had caught on quickly, as no doubt they were good at everything, he couldn't handle being in the same room with the "big, dumb alien", as Chloe once called Clark Kent. He raked his fingers through his hair and avoided the large, lumbering elephant in the middle of the room. He couldn't look at him, even though he knew Clark had been watching Chloe.
"All right, I think you're ready to perform your very own exorcism," Chloe told Bart with a small smile, handing him a bottle of holy water and a container of sea salt.
The shortest member of the Justice League swallowed hard. "Now?" he asked uncertainly and looked around. "Like... right now?"
Dean snorted. "No, when you're up to your neck in demons and you wish you could toss and speak fast enough."
With a bright smile, Bart flashed across the room in a millisecond. "Speed's not the problem, dude."
"Neither is the talking part," Oliver joked.
Sam rolled his eyes a little and glanced at Sarah, who was instructing Victor. He shifted his gaze and eyed A.C. warily, annoyed at the way the guy was watching his wife. Then he glanced over and saw Clark staring intently at Chloe, as if willing her to turn around, which she didn't. He narrowed his eyes and stared hard at the super-powered alien.
"So if we ring them in salt they're trapped?" Victor asked uncertainly.
Sarah smiled faintly and felt Sam's eyes on the back of her head for a moment. "Basically, so long as you don't break the line of salt."
"Which means?" A.C. prompted from the other table.
"You don't draw a line in the sand." Unlike me, who's about to if you don't stop looking at me like that, she thought with a grumble.
Clark felt Sam Winchester's glare on him but refused to look at him. He needed to talk to Chloe, and the fact that she was blatantly ignoring him spoke volumes. She didn't want to talk, which was always her problem. Not that he didn't have his own issues, but he was going to ignore them, for the moment.
Dean looked up from his study time with Oliver and A.C. to see this interaction: Sam watching Clark watching Chloe. And he nearly shot out of his seat towards her. Anger flashed across his eyes at the thought of that guy watching his girl.
"Excuse me," Sam muttered to Oliver, rising to his feet and moving toward Clark, standing in front of him and cutting off his blatant staring. "We need to have a talk." His voice was low, quiet.
Clark dragged his eyes from Chloe and stared at Sam. "Not with you," he replied.
"Yes. With me. Right now." His voice held a hint of warning, his eyes dark.
With a heavy sigh, Clark stood up, shut the large book he'd been trying to read the last hour, and followed Sam away from the group. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, he kept telling himself. Chloe was supposed to have this conversation, not the brother.
But based on the looks he knew he'd been getting from Dean, however, he knew this conversation would be better than what he figured Dean had in mind.
Sarah watched Sam lead Clark away from the others and frowned. What are you doing? she sent the worried thought to him.
Taking care of business, he responded, heading outside of the building with Clark following closely. Then he turned around to face the other man, feeling an odd sense of control over the situation. "You need to knock it off," he said flatly.
Clark crossed his arms and met Sam's furious eyes. "Knock what off?"
"Staring at Chloe like a lost puppy," he said harshly. "She isn't interested."
"I really couldn't care less if she was," he retorted and rolled his eyes to shake off this feeling of dread settling in his stomach. What were the odds of Chloe Sullivan never talking to him again?
"Pretty good, actually," Sam responded evenly.
Clark blinked. "What?" How had Sam read his thoughts?
"You're not the only one around here with special abilities."
So he saw, though Clark had assumed nothing special about either of the Winchesters. True, they were the only -- and therefore the best -- ghost and goblin hunters he had ever come across, but the fact that someone could actually read his mind bothered him. Clark frowned and looked at Sam, his eyes narrowed with speculation. "So, what, you're here to warn me to keep away or you're going to beat me up?" he asked aloud.
"I won't have to. You keep that up and Dean may actually kill you." There wasn't a hint of joking in his tone.
"I'd like to see him try."
"He'd like to," Sam said shortly. "After all the trouble you've caused, you're lucky you don't have one of those green rocks stuffed all the way up your ass."
"Wait, the trouble I caused?" Clark stated, a little incredulous. He crossed his arms across his massive chest. "How am I at fault here? I didn't know Chloe was actually possessed at the time!"
"You should have," he said, his anger barely contained as he took a step toward Clark, not the least bit intimidated by his stance. "You should've realized something was wrong with her. Aren't you supposed to be her friend?"
"Supposed to? I am. I have been for a hell of a lot longer than you and your brother have. Chloe and I have gone through so many things, it'd make your head spin. And until a year ago, I'd have known just who she was, what was wrong with her, and where she was going." Clark paused and cocked his head. Sam looked like he was about to clock him. He smirked. "You two have changed her."
"And you almost ruined her," Sam said harshly, enjoying the other man's flinch. "You can blame little red rocks all you want, but you used her for your own twisted pleasure and left her to go after some unattainable girl with the IQ of a rock. When we found her on that highway, she didn't hesitate to come with us. She could've been getting in a car with a couple serial killers but she was willing as long as it got her the hell away from you."
The man's message hit home. Hard. Clark didn't like the picture of himself that Sam had painted, and a small part of himself had already accepted blame for what had happened. Unfortunately, it seemed Chloe hadn't forgiven him for that night. Not really. Probably not ever. "You're right," he said finally, looking away for a second, before his gaze slid back to Sam's angry face. "I did all of that, and I apologized for it. But Chloe was the one who ran away; I didn't make her do that. She's always known who I loved, and yet she chose to be with me anyway. What's it to you, anyway?"
"Because Chloe's like a sister to me. One day, she will be my sister," Sam informed him. "And you're not gonna screw that up. Do you understand what I'm saying, Clark?"
He understood that, finally, at last, Chloe had found what she considered to be her place in the world, away from the noisy rooms of the Daily Planet and from the life she'd lived and known. A world without him. Without the League. A world with these two brothers and this man's wife. Where monsters were real, and she was forced to kill them.
He sighed. "Yeah, I get it. Because of you two, Chloe killed Lex, something I should've done."
Sam's eyes were dark. "Believe it or not...she's happy with us. With Dean." His voice was quiet this time.
"She'd better be, because I would never have put her in a position to be forced to shoot Lex." Clark's eyes swirled with irritation.
He snorted. "If you'd been thinking with your upstairs brain in the beginning, none of this ever would have happened."
Clark's fist suddenly tightened as the need to punch this guy in the face was great. He didn't, however, because he knew two things. One: Sam didn't look like the kind of man to take crap off anyone, and two: Clark wasn't the kind of man to instigate a fight. Not without cause. He consciously loosened his hand, letting his fingers wriggle impatiently, and muttered, "We done here?"
"We're done," Sam agreed, moving past him and heading back toward the building.
Clark lingered and didn't watch Sam return to the large warehouse. In fact, the thought of going back inside and listening to people rattle on about Latin, salt lines, and rocksalt made his stomach twist into knots. He suddenly felt very much like an outsider, unwelcome and unwanted. All because of four people who had chosen to intrude on what he had believed to be his band of brothers.
Clark turned towards the highway and supersped away, quicker than lightening, towards Smallville. With Lex dead, Lana had turned to him, lonely and alone. He had a desire to see her, to feel her arms around him. Hopefully, it would erase the devastating memories of Chloe Sullivan.
Fic 21: Miles to Go (2-3/8)
Authors: clarkmuse and X_tremeroswellian
Rated: NC-17
Note: My internet connection has been sucky. I apologize for the wait so you get two parts now. :P
Two
While Dean showered, Chloe forced herself to make a phone call she'd been dreading making the last few weeks for multiple reasons. Dialing the familiar number, she waited for him to pick up.
"Hey, Chloe. Been waiting to hear from you."
She caught the hint of hesitation in his voice. "We've got news."
Oliver Queen frowned and was grateful that, for the moment, he was alone in the large South Dakota warehouse he'd opened for a "West Coast" branch, for lack of a better term. "Is it the kind where we need to put on our crash helmets and bunker down?" he asked cautiously.
"It's the kind where we all get ready for the biggest battle we've ever fought." Her voice was quiet, grim.
Oliver smirked sadly. "You been watching a lot of X-Files reruns lately, Chloe?" He looked down and sighed. "Where? By all accounts, Lex's minions have been working furiously to dismantle the 33.1 facilities. However, I think it's a ruse."
"It is. We got word from a friend that the storm is brewing right in Lawrence, Kansas." The same place it all began, she thought as sadness washed over her.
"Makes sense. Intel reports have been coming in regarding at least a dozen large truck freighters making an exodus to two places of the country: Kansas and Nebraska."
Her face grew pale and she raked a hand through her hair. "I don't suppose you're secretly funding some kind of independent army?" she asked hopefully.
Oliver chuckled ruefully. "I'm not that rich, Sidekick." He paused for a moment and looked out the large picture window. "Chloe, we need... to talk."
She winced a little. "I suppose trying to ignore the wooly mammoth in the room is pointless."
"Make that the Red and Blue and Pouting Mammoth." He raked long fingers through his short, spiky blonde hair. "What the hell happened, Chloe? I've only gotten bits and pieces from Clark, and it's not like your guys are the most talkative. Hell, even Jo won't tell me."
Chloe was silent for a moment. "I was possessed by a demon out for revenge on Dean and Sam. Mostly Dean."
He was struck silent for a full minute. "A demon. Possessed you? What did Dean do to it?"
"An exorcism."
"Must've been an ugly one," he replied with a shudder. "So I take it that it really did a number on one of you, because I've never seen Clark with his boxers in a twist like this. Ever."
"That's all you're getting out of me, Ollie. I'm sorry. The rest is between me and Clark. And Dean." Her voice was quiet.
Oliver was momentarily speechless at the stern warning behind her words: back off. "Okay," he replied warily. "Just thought you'd want to know Clark's head isn't in the game, and we really need him to be."
"I hear what you're saying," she said just as warily. "I'll take care of it. I'm not sure how, but I will."
"Figure out a way, Chloe. We're going to need everyone on board. Sanity intact and ready to kill some demonic... wait, this is new territory for us. Care to explain how to kill a demon?"
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah...about that. You're gonna need some training."
"This training involve watching Clark and Dean kick each others' asses?" Oliver joked lightly.
Chloe grimaced, knowing that was a very distinct possibility. "Let's hope not."
"Boy, you're a barrel of laughs today, Sidekick," he replied solemnly. "I take it the Winchesters are going to head up this... training? Want to bring them here or we meeting somewhere else?" He felt a little unsettled by the personal anxiety of seeing Clark Kent and Dean Winchester face off over something neither of them had any control over. Not that they weren’t going to face off. That was pretty much a given.
"Yeah. They're the experts. Sarah and I are still trainees," she said, glancing toward the bathroom. "Where are you right now?"
"Still in South Dakota, where I've set up operations since the last time Clark found himself in a mess like this."
She sighed softly. "All right. I guess we'll just come there."
He winced at the resignation in her voice. "Good idea. Get here ASAP. We'll take our crash course and share what we've learned." And in the meantime, hopefully their personal issues would be resolved. Oliver knew any kind of rift could result in someone dying. Not what he wanted.
"Crash course will be about right. We need to get to Lawrence, soon."
"How soon can you get here?"
"A couple hours. We're already packed."
"We'll be looking for you, then. Be safe." With that, Oliver shut off his phone and rammed it in his pocket. He then headed to find the others and prepare them.
Chloe shut her eyes momentarily as she slowly hung up the phone as well, glancing up as she heard the bathroom door open. She watched as Dean stepped out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist and a smile tugged at her lips involuntarily.
"You know, you keep looking at me like that, and we're never getting outta here," he remarked with a sexy smile. His hand loosened the towel around his waist, his eyebrows shot up suggestively.
A soft chuckle escaped her. "Promises, promises."
He let the towel drop from his body and crossed the room to her. He pulled her against his body, still damp from the shower, and grinned cockily. "I'll show you a promise," he whispered and lowered his head, his lips brushing against hers gently.
Chloe groaned softly as she returned the kiss urgently, sliding her fingers through his damp hair.
Pleased with her eager response, Dean smiled against her lips and dug his fingers into her waist. "I love you, have I mentioned that?"
"I love you," she whispered back, pulling him closer.
"And as much... and I would... love to... continue this..." he spoke between kisses and walked them back towards the bed. "We have to go." He kissed her one last time just as he felt the back of her knees hit the bed.
"Oh, no, buddy. We're finishing," she informed him, yanking him down against her.
"God, when did you get so bossy?" he complained out loud, though he willingly attacked the buttons on her shirt and kissed every inch of bare skin he could. He pressed against her thigh and groaned.
"I've always been bossy," she retorted, sliding her hands down his back.
He licked one of her taut nipples and smiled at her response. "Yeah, but that was only when you're pissed at me." He moved over her and caressed her breast while kissing her neck.
"Not always just when I'm pissed at you." She groaned softly as he pressed against her. "Now."
He smirked against her skin and reached for her jeans.
Chloe lifted her hips up so he could remove her jeans, groaning softly as his fingers trailed down her thigh.
Dean's hands slid down her legs and yanked her clothing from her body, then slid them slowly back up her naked legs until one hand found her mound. He rubbed her lightly, pleased to find her ready for him so quickly. He scooted her to the edge of the bed and knelt in front of her. He slid his tongue into her hot core and lapped up her scent. His felt her buck against him and put his hands on her waist to steady her.
So intent was he on Chloe's pleasure that Dean didn't hear the knock on the door.
Chloe didn't hear it either, her hands fisting in the bedsheets as she lifted her hips toward his mouth. "Dean," she whimpered, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
Dean leaned back and slipped a digit into her hot core and let her hips set the pace for them. He licked her taste on his lips and kissed her inner thighs as she rode his hand.
The knock on the door became more insistent and louder.
Her eyes rolled back in her head as heat washed over her, pleasure curling her stomach as her climax hit. She drew in a shuddering breath, her eyes drifting shut. At first she thought the noise was the pounding of her heart, but after a moment as she began to slip out of her daze she realized someone was knocking on the door.
Dean leaned into the apex of her thighs, heady on her scent, and groaned when he heard someone pounding on the other side of the door. "Fuck," he grumbled and reluctantly moved away from Chloe's trembling body. He stood up and looked at her reluctantly. His body throbbed for release, and she was still trembling from her passion. "Hold that thought," he whispered with a smirk.
"Deal," she murmured, reluctantly pulling the blanket over her.
Dean grabbed his jeans and pulled them on hurriedly as the pounding against the door continued. "This had better be good," he growled and opened the door so quickly he nearly tore it from the hinges. He found Sam on the other side. "What?" he demanded, eyes angry.
His brother only smirked knowingly. "Did I interrupt something?"
"What the hell do you want that can't wait five minutes?"
"We need to get moving. Missouri's waiting, remember?"
Dean sighed and wanted to stomp his foot in frustration. "Five minutes? Can't it wait?" He glanced back at Chloe, who had obviously put her clothes back on. He sighed. "Fine, let's head for Lawrence. Like the demons can't wait or something." The last sentence he grumbled to himself.
Chloe had become an expert at putting her clothes on under the covers as quickly as possible since she'd started riding with the Winchester brothers. So as soon as she'd finished, she moved over toward the door, resting a hand on Dean's arm. "We're gonna have to make a stop."
He glanced down at her sharply. "What do you mean, a stop?"
Sam's eyes turned dark with worry.
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "The Justice League doesn't know the first thing about demons. We're gonna have to train them." Her voice was quiet.
Dean snorted. "Of all the things and gadgets those guys handle and deal with, and they don't even know how to..." His words drifted off as he suddenly realized what this meant. He'd have to see Clark Kent again. Someone he never wanted to see ever again, and suddenly he'd have to work with the guy.
He looked down so Chloe didn't see the red in his eyes. "Hell no, we're not going," he growled.
Sam took a step into the room hesitantly. "Dean," he started, but Dean cut him off with a look.
"No, we aren't going. Those guys are smart. They can figure it out for themselves."
"Dean." Her voice was quiet. "I know. I'm not happy about it either, believe me. But we're gonna need all the help we can get. Our lives depend on it."
Sarah appeared in the doorway suddenly, her hand on Sam's arm. She had finished their packing, though she still feared what was to come. The dangerous look on Dean's face didn't help, either. "What's wrong?" she whispered and looked at Sam, then Chloe.
She shifted her gaze to her friend's face but remained silent, her body tense.
"The Justice League members want training on how to kill demons." Sam's voice was grim.
Sarah blanched at the simple statement and understood immediately the potential disaster of what they were about to pursue prior to Lawrence. "I'm a little surprised that they don't know how to do that themselves --"
"Yeah, that's what I said," Dean interjected defensively but quieted when Sarah glared at him.
" -- but they need to be taught," she finished quietly and gave Chloe a sympathetic look.
"We don't need them for this. I don't want to go," Dean replied, his voice flat with anger.
"You know we have to," Sarah replied.
"What the hell do you know about it, Sarah?" Dean demanded.
"Hey. Don't take it out on her." Chloe turned to look at him, her gaze intense.
"It's okay, Chloe," the brunette whispered and turned her observant gaze to Dean. "Look, I get you're angry, but you know we need them. All of them. Can't you let go of your anger towards Clark until this fight is done?" She gripped Sam's hand tightly, afraid of the response she'd get.
Dean didn't look at any of them; his eyes were glued to the floor as he listened to Sarah's words. She was right, of course, though he wasn't willing to state that fact. The problem was, he didn't know what he'd do if he saw Clark Kent again. Despite the man's invulnerability, Dean wanted to kill him. He should have known Chloe wasn't herself that night, not if he claimed to know her as well as he'd professed. What he saw was a man clearly taking advantage of a situation.
It was a place he knew too well, having been there not even a year ago.
He turned and searched for a shirt to pull over his head.
"Can you guys give us a minute?" she asked softly, glancing at Sam and Sarah.
"Sure, Chloe," he said softly, wrapping an arm around Sarah's waist and leading her out the door, shutting it behind them.
Having found his shirts, Dean put them on quickly and noted that while Chloe had shut the door, leaving them alone, she wasn't making any move to finish packing. He grabbed his duffel bag and began stuffing his things into it silently.
"Dean." Her voice was soft.
"What?" came the terse response.
Chloe sighed softly, realizing he had put up the mental barrier between them. "I'm not happy about this either," she whispered.
He made a face and looked at her. "Then why not ask Oliver send the Blue and Red Wonder somewhere else?" he asked and tucked his gun into the waistband of his jeans. "Maybe the Artic, where he can be eaten by a friendly polar bear?"
Her eyes were sad. "Because like it or not, we're gonna need Clark's help." She looked at the floor.
Zipping his bag shut, Dean left it and crossed the room to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him. "I don't like it," he whispered against her hair and let his mental barrier down. And he better hope there's no kryptonite around when he's in my presence.
She relaxed against him, winding her arms around him in return. "I don't like it either," she admitted in a whisper. She rested her head against his chest, shutting her eyes and letting out a breath. The idea of seeing Clark again made her stomach turn with dread and she didn't try to hide that fact from Dean.
His arms tightened around her. "Good, because if he so much as touches you, Chlo, I swear to God..." Dean let his words hang in the air, because he didn't want to think of what he might be capable of doing to an ally in this fight. In fact, even harboring this anger was detrimental to their cause. He firmly stuffed it back in his mind for the moment.
She pressed a kiss against his collarbone, sliding her hands down his back in a soothing manner. "I love you. Just you." She tilted her head back to look at him.
"I know you do," he whispered and looked down into her deep green pools he wanted to lose himself in. "I know you do." He dipped his head and planted a soft, firm kiss on her lips. One that gave as much as it claimed her as his.
She slid her fingers through his hair, keeping him close as she returned the kiss without hesitation.
A moment later, he pulled away and smirked. "See? There's my proof." His grin became lopsided when she gave him a look.
Chloe chuckled softly. "Come on, Casanova. Let's hit the road."
With another quick kiss and grin, Dean let her go and grabbed his bag. "That's Mr. Casanova to you," he replied with a grin that hid his anxiety.
She grabbed her own bag, and slid her hand into his, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Three
The members of the Justice League were seated solemnly together when the Winchesters and company walked inside. Sarah saw the deliberately empty look on Oliver's face and inwardly winced. Something told her he knew enough about the confrontation between Clark and Dean to make this meeting uncomfortable enough to want to hide inside Sam's embrace. She clutched his hand tightly and swallowed hard.
Sam drew in a breath and nodded slightly to Oliver and the others, carefully avoiding looking at Clark Kent. He squeezed Sarah's hand back in return.
Chloe’s grip tightened on Dean just a little.
Dean tried to smile but couldn't. Not when he'd seen Clark hidden behind Victor Stone. It looked as though he was avoiding this meeting as much as they were. Good, he thought and glanced at Oliver. I hope he's suffering. He stuck out his free hand towards Oliver and nodded. "Queen."
Oliver stood and shook Dean's hand. "'Bout time you got here," he replied with a faint smile. "I was beginning to think you were going to leave us high and dry."
"You can't expect to fight demons with all your newfangled contraptions and expect to win," Dean replied smugly and glanced at Chloe.
She smiled softly at him. "Anyone here speak Latin?"
Oliver grinned. "I do. All those damn Latin classes at that prep school will finally be useful."
A.C. reluctantly raised his hand as well. "Me, too. Luckily I was forced to take some Latin in college before I dropped out."
Chloe nodded a little. "Then you've definitely got an advantage over the rest of us."
"What's the deal with demons and Latin anyway?" Bart raised his eyebrows curiously.
Dean cocked an eyebrow at the youngest JLA member. "Demons are repelled by the spoken word of God. Latin incantations send the bastards back to hell where they belong."
"But why not just do it in English?" He frowned.
"Because you have to read it in the original language it was written, in this case, Latin, since the Catholic Church used that ancient language until about sixty years ago. It’s more effective that way." Dean caught Sam's surprised look out of the corner of his eye and smirked. "What? I study!"
Oliver coughed back a laugh. "The point is... where do we get these incantations? And how do we know when we're faced with a demon?"
"For one, they're wicked strong. They'll flinch at the name of God. In Latin, that's Christo," Chloe informed them.
Sam smiled faintly at her. "Chloe made copies of the easiest exorcism there is to perform. It's gonna be best if you can memorize it."
Sarah handed Oliver the small stack of papers. "It's short and sweet, so it won't be too hard to memorize. Another indication of possession? Their eyes flash black. It's sudden and short, but if you pay attention to it, you'll know." She winced inwardly at her words when she saw Dean stiffen momentarily and Clark Kent slink further into his seat.
Chloe slid her hand gently down Dean's back in an attempt to soothe his nerves. "Demons hate holy water. That's something that's very easy to get a hold of. Any water blessed by a minister or priest will do."
"Fortunately for you guys, I have extra vials of holy water," Dean replied and dropped the bag slung over his shoulder. He let go of Chloe long enough to pull out small bottles of water in front of Oliver. He ignored the questioning look on Clark's face.
"Why not just kill them?" Clark asked quietly, uncertain his question was the right thing to ask.
Sarah looked at the others, then at Clark. "Because they're still people. Innocents possessed by evil. You can't kill the person."
Chloe avoided looking at the members of the Justice League.
Sam drew in a breath. "Let's go over the Latin pronunciations for the exorcism," he said, taking the lead. He didn't even have one of the packets in his hand.
&&&&&
An hour later, Dean was tired and beyond frustrated. Though the Justice League members had caught on quickly, as no doubt they were good at everything, he couldn't handle being in the same room with the "big, dumb alien", as Chloe once called Clark Kent. He raked his fingers through his hair and avoided the large, lumbering elephant in the middle of the room. He couldn't look at him, even though he knew Clark had been watching Chloe.
"All right, I think you're ready to perform your very own exorcism," Chloe told Bart with a small smile, handing him a bottle of holy water and a container of sea salt.
The shortest member of the Justice League swallowed hard. "Now?" he asked uncertainly and looked around. "Like... right now?"
Dean snorted. "No, when you're up to your neck in demons and you wish you could toss and speak fast enough."
With a bright smile, Bart flashed across the room in a millisecond. "Speed's not the problem, dude."
"Neither is the talking part," Oliver joked.
Sam rolled his eyes a little and glanced at Sarah, who was instructing Victor. He shifted his gaze and eyed A.C. warily, annoyed at the way the guy was watching his wife. Then he glanced over and saw Clark staring intently at Chloe, as if willing her to turn around, which she didn't. He narrowed his eyes and stared hard at the super-powered alien.
"So if we ring them in salt they're trapped?" Victor asked uncertainly.
Sarah smiled faintly and felt Sam's eyes on the back of her head for a moment. "Basically, so long as you don't break the line of salt."
"Which means?" A.C. prompted from the other table.
"You don't draw a line in the sand." Unlike me, who's about to if you don't stop looking at me like that, she thought with a grumble.
Clark felt Sam Winchester's glare on him but refused to look at him. He needed to talk to Chloe, and the fact that she was blatantly ignoring him spoke volumes. She didn't want to talk, which was always her problem. Not that he didn't have his own issues, but he was going to ignore them, for the moment.
Dean looked up from his study time with Oliver and A.C. to see this interaction: Sam watching Clark watching Chloe. And he nearly shot out of his seat towards her. Anger flashed across his eyes at the thought of that guy watching his girl.
"Excuse me," Sam muttered to Oliver, rising to his feet and moving toward Clark, standing in front of him and cutting off his blatant staring. "We need to have a talk." His voice was low, quiet.
Clark dragged his eyes from Chloe and stared at Sam. "Not with you," he replied.
"Yes. With me. Right now." His voice held a hint of warning, his eyes dark.
With a heavy sigh, Clark stood up, shut the large book he'd been trying to read the last hour, and followed Sam away from the group. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, he kept telling himself. Chloe was supposed to have this conversation, not the brother.
But based on the looks he knew he'd been getting from Dean, however, he knew this conversation would be better than what he figured Dean had in mind.
Sarah watched Sam lead Clark away from the others and frowned. What are you doing? she sent the worried thought to him.
Taking care of business, he responded, heading outside of the building with Clark following closely. Then he turned around to face the other man, feeling an odd sense of control over the situation. "You need to knock it off," he said flatly.
Clark crossed his arms and met Sam's furious eyes. "Knock what off?"
"Staring at Chloe like a lost puppy," he said harshly. "She isn't interested."
"I really couldn't care less if she was," he retorted and rolled his eyes to shake off this feeling of dread settling in his stomach. What were the odds of Chloe Sullivan never talking to him again?
"Pretty good, actually," Sam responded evenly.
Clark blinked. "What?" How had Sam read his thoughts?
"You're not the only one around here with special abilities."
So he saw, though Clark had assumed nothing special about either of the Winchesters. True, they were the only -- and therefore the best -- ghost and goblin hunters he had ever come across, but the fact that someone could actually read his mind bothered him. Clark frowned and looked at Sam, his eyes narrowed with speculation. "So, what, you're here to warn me to keep away or you're going to beat me up?" he asked aloud.
"I won't have to. You keep that up and Dean may actually kill you." There wasn't a hint of joking in his tone.
"I'd like to see him try."
"He'd like to," Sam said shortly. "After all the trouble you've caused, you're lucky you don't have one of those green rocks stuffed all the way up your ass."
"Wait, the trouble I caused?" Clark stated, a little incredulous. He crossed his arms across his massive chest. "How am I at fault here? I didn't know Chloe was actually possessed at the time!"
"You should have," he said, his anger barely contained as he took a step toward Clark, not the least bit intimidated by his stance. "You should've realized something was wrong with her. Aren't you supposed to be her friend?"
"Supposed to? I am. I have been for a hell of a lot longer than you and your brother have. Chloe and I have gone through so many things, it'd make your head spin. And until a year ago, I'd have known just who she was, what was wrong with her, and where she was going." Clark paused and cocked his head. Sam looked like he was about to clock him. He smirked. "You two have changed her."
"And you almost ruined her," Sam said harshly, enjoying the other man's flinch. "You can blame little red rocks all you want, but you used her for your own twisted pleasure and left her to go after some unattainable girl with the IQ of a rock. When we found her on that highway, she didn't hesitate to come with us. She could've been getting in a car with a couple serial killers but she was willing as long as it got her the hell away from you."
The man's message hit home. Hard. Clark didn't like the picture of himself that Sam had painted, and a small part of himself had already accepted blame for what had happened. Unfortunately, it seemed Chloe hadn't forgiven him for that night. Not really. Probably not ever. "You're right," he said finally, looking away for a second, before his gaze slid back to Sam's angry face. "I did all of that, and I apologized for it. But Chloe was the one who ran away; I didn't make her do that. She's always known who I loved, and yet she chose to be with me anyway. What's it to you, anyway?"
"Because Chloe's like a sister to me. One day, she will be my sister," Sam informed him. "And you're not gonna screw that up. Do you understand what I'm saying, Clark?"
He understood that, finally, at last, Chloe had found what she considered to be her place in the world, away from the noisy rooms of the Daily Planet and from the life she'd lived and known. A world without him. Without the League. A world with these two brothers and this man's wife. Where monsters were real, and she was forced to kill them.
He sighed. "Yeah, I get it. Because of you two, Chloe killed Lex, something I should've done."
Sam's eyes were dark. "Believe it or not...she's happy with us. With Dean." His voice was quiet this time.
"She'd better be, because I would never have put her in a position to be forced to shoot Lex." Clark's eyes swirled with irritation.
He snorted. "If you'd been thinking with your upstairs brain in the beginning, none of this ever would have happened."
Clark's fist suddenly tightened as the need to punch this guy in the face was great. He didn't, however, because he knew two things. One: Sam didn't look like the kind of man to take crap off anyone, and two: Clark wasn't the kind of man to instigate a fight. Not without cause. He consciously loosened his hand, letting his fingers wriggle impatiently, and muttered, "We done here?"
"We're done," Sam agreed, moving past him and heading back toward the building.
Clark lingered and didn't watch Sam return to the large warehouse. In fact, the thought of going back inside and listening to people rattle on about Latin, salt lines, and rocksalt made his stomach twist into knots. He suddenly felt very much like an outsider, unwelcome and unwanted. All because of four people who had chosen to intrude on what he had believed to be his band of brothers.
Clark turned towards the highway and supersped away, quicker than lightening, towards Smallville. With Lex dead, Lana had turned to him, lonely and alone. He had a desire to see her, to feel her arms around him. Hopefully, it would erase the devastating memories of Chloe Sullivan.