Two Guys, a Girl, and a Chevy Impala: Fic 21: Miles to Go (6-7/8)
Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala
Fic 21: Miles to Go (6-7/8)
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
Six
Chloe drew in a breath as she guided the Impala into her former place of residence, grimacing involuntarily at the familiar sights. An uneasy feeling settled upon her, and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel a little as she made her way toward the Talon apartment, hoping Lois was there.
Lois was making another attempt at grabbing her box of chocolate chip cookies from the very top of the kitchen shelf. She cursed under her breath and wondered why she even bothered keeping junk food around if she was only going to hide it from herself.
So when she heard a knock on the door, she shouted, "Come in!" and didn't look to see who opened the door.
The door opened and Chloe stepped inside, immediately grinning at what her cousin was trying to do. "You know, you really don't need to diet in the first place."
Lois grabbed onto a shelf and looked down at Chloe. A wide, cheesy grin graced her lips. "Tell that to my scale. You wouldn't believe the stress I've been under lately, and I have been eating like a pig!" She got off the chair and practically ran to her cousin. She embraced her warmly for a moment. "When did you get here?"
"Just now." She hugged her back tightly, shutting her eyes.
She felt a tremor run across Chloe's shoulders and pulled back to look at her. "What's wrong?" Lois asked sharply.
She offered her cousin a smile in an attempt to cover up her dread. "Just missed you. How've you been? Other than stressed out?"
"Busy," she replied but frowned. "You know I can sense your avoidance dance a million miles away. What gives?" She moved back to the kitchen and grabbed a couple sodas from the refrigerator.
Chloe drew in a breath and let it out slowly, knowing her cousin well enough to know if she didn't just fess up to the whole truth and nothing but, Lois would find a way to pull it out of her anyway. "Just your typical approaching apocalypse."
The cans thunked on the table. "What?!" she demanded, horrified. "What apocalypse?" Lois suddenly looked behind Chloe, towards the door. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Where's Dean and your crew?"
"A couple hours from here, getting ready." Her voice was grim.
Lois had to sit, because her legs threatened to give beneath her. "Chlo, what the hell is going on?" she whispered, panic in her voice.
Dammit. She'd been counting on Lois not to panic. Drawing in a breath, she moved toward the table and slowly sat down. "You know how demons exist, right?" Her voice was quiet.
Lois nodded solemnly.
"Well, one of the worst ones is about to open a gateway to hell."
Lois swallowed hard for a moment, then looked at Chloe hard. "There's a gateway to hell?"
She nodded slightly, holding her cousin's gaze. "There is."
For a long moment, Lois couldn't speak. Didn't know what to say, actually. Gateways to hell existed: what were the odds? she thought. She looked away and stood up. "And you and Dean and Sam and Sarah? You're going to fight this thing?"
"Pretty much." Her voice was quiet. "There's not really a choice."
Lois sucked in a breath. "Please tell me Superman knows about this," she muttered under her breath.
Chloe looked up at her, startled by her words. "Superman."
"Yeah, Superman," she reiterated with a smirk. "Haven't you been reading the Daily Planet lately, or has Dean been keeping you... busy?"
A faint blush touched her cheeks. "Among other things, yes, actually."
Lois chuckled and opened her can of soda. "Hey, at least you got over Smallville, though Dean had better be treating you right." She paused. "But the last few months, there have been some major crime sprees in Metropolis, and some guy wearing blue and red spandex, flying in the sky, has been helping bring in the crime bosses." She shook her head.
A very, very faint smile touched her lips and she looked at the floor for a moment. "Spandex huh?"
A faraway, amused smile lit up Lois's face. "God, yes. Tight and fits in all the right places..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes glazed over for a minute, lost in her memory. Chloe coughing loudly shook her out of it. "But again, not the point," she continued, a little red.
Chloe bit her lower lip and tried to keep a straight face. "Someone has a crush."
"Crush?" Lois made a face. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She looked away and silently sipped her soda.
"Uh huh. Anyway." She shook her head a little, wondering why it was that people in her family tended to be drawn to the same individuals. "Yes, Dean's taking good care of me."
"Good, Chloe. You deserve the best, and I'm glad he's that for you." Lois smiled sadly and looked at her cousin. "After Clark, I never thought you'd get over farm-bred boys."
"Yeah, well." A smile touched her lips as she thought about Dean. "Me either. But now...I can't even imagine being with anyone else."
"Oh really?" she asked, a little surprised. "So we talking long term, marriage material here?"
Chloe paused. Marriage wasn't something she'd really allowed herself to consider. "Definitely long-term."
Lois smiled widely. "Good. Because if he hurts you..." She waggled a finger under her cousin's nose threateningly.
"He won't." There was quiet confidence in her voice, something she'd never had before when talking about a guy she was in a relationship with.
Lois's smiled faltered after a moment: as grateful as she was that Chloe had finally found someone worthy of her, the fact that both of them were willingly putting their lives on the line scared the hell out of her. "Chloe," she whispered, "did you come here to... say..." She couldn't finish her question, as troubling as it was.
"I hope not," she said just as softly.
You'd better not, she thought with an inward wince. "Is there anything I can... do? I take it this is the kind of front page material that's never going to see the light of day."
"Pretty much." She smiled faintly. "But if t was...I'd give you the scoop."
"So, going to stay for a bit?" she asked, voice hopeful. "I'm sure you want to hear everything about how dorky Clark's been lately, and how much I want to kick Jimmy's butt for being a pain in mine."
She winced a little at the mention of Clark. "Yeah, I'm gonna stay for awhile. What's Jimmy doing?"
Lois laughed. "You mean besides being a trigger-happy photographer who butts his nose into places he has no right to be?"
"Sounds like Jimmy all right."
Lois opened her mouth to speak when she heard a hard pounding on the door. She rolled her eyes and walked to it. "That's a Clark 'let me in now' knock if I ever heard it," she retorted.
Chloe tensed on the sofa, swallowing hard, her heart sinking. Great.
She yanked the door open and, with an exasperated look, stated, "What do you want, Smallville? I'm a little busy at the moment."
Clark looked a little sheepishly at Lois. "I need a favor," he began before his eyes landed on Chloe's hesitant face.
"Look, Clark, I am not your Google girl!" Lois protested but was nearly pushed aside as Clark tried to walk into the apartment.
Chloe slowly rose to her feet, meeting Clark's eyes wordlessly.
"Smallville," Lois said firmly, "we're a little busy here. Can you come back later?" She smirked defiantly at him, in her get the hell away motion of protectiveness.
Clark just looked at Lois. "I need to speak with Chloe, okay?" he said quietly and glanced at the blonde. "If she's okay with that."
"Yeah. I'm okay with that." Her voice was quiet and she laid a hand on Lois' arm gently. "It's okay, Lois."
Sensing the sudden intensity of the atmosphere between Clark and her cousin, Lois frowned and looked at Chloe. "What's going on, Coz?" she whispered.
"I'll explain later," she said softly.
She almost said something, but the look on Chloe's face stopped her. Instead she nodded and touched her cousin's arm gently. "I'll be downstairs if you need me," she said. Turning, Lois shot Clark a warning glance that spoke of sharp objects being stuck into certain orifices if he dared to hurt her loved ones. She disappeared out the door but left it open.
Clark stood just inside the apartment and shifted awkwardly on one foot.
"You can come in Clark. I don't have any little green rocks." Her voice was quiet.
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Sure about that? It's not like I don't deserve writhing in pain for a few hours," he admitted, but stepped further into the apartment. He walked to the couch and sat down, unwilling to be in close proximity of her.
Chloe was silent for a moment and then she slowly sat down in the recliner across from the couch. "I don't wanna see you in pain."
He glanced at her, surprise on his face. "Really?" he asked, a little awed by her confession. "You're just saying that because Dean's probably out for blood he'll never get because I don't bleed."
She sighed softly and looked at the floor for a moment. "Regardless what's happened between us in the past, I don't want anything bad to happen to you, Clark."
"Like I never wanted anything bad to happen to you, Chloe," he replied simply and looked at his hands, "but that happened anyway. And by my own free will, too." He sighed heavily and closed his eyes.
"It wasn't really your fault. Meg...the uh...the demon that possessed me. She was out to hurt Dean and she used you to do it."
"But you told me how you felt, Chloe. You told me you loved Dean, and I should've known the minute you called that something was wrong."
"Kinda like I knew how you felt about Lana all those months ago when you were dosed on Red-K," she said quietly.
Clark winced at the memory. It was something he knew he'd regret for the rest of his immortal-living-on-Earth life. "Yeah," he whispered mournfully. "Guess that makes us even, then."
Chloe nodded very slightly. "So how about you do your Superman thing and help save the world from being overrun by meteor-infected possessees?"
He chuckled a little. "I planned on that whether you wanted me or not."
A smile tugged at her lips. "I have a feeling we're gonna need all the help we can get."
"Going to be that bad?"
"'Fraid so," she said quietly. "There's a cemetery in Lawrence. That's where the demon's going to make his move."
Clark looked over at Chloe and frowned. "Then that means Lex's meteor freak army's going to head that way. We need to tell the rest of the Justice League."
"They know. I called Ollie on my way here."
"Got any idea when the fun starts?" he asked.
"Soon. Really soon, Clark." Her voice was barely a whisper and she rose to her feet, moving to look out the window.
He watched her walk away but kept his spot on the couch. He wished there was something to say, something that would wash away the memory of what had happened only weeks ago. But nothing would change that. And Clark found himself grateful to Dean Winchester for finding Chloe and taking care of her, though he suspected she held her own with that brand of hunter. "Guess I ought to head towards the Watchtower, then," he whispered.
"And I need to get back to Lawrence." She winced a little as her body ached for Dean's presence, and her mind ached for Sam and Sarah's, as well. She hadn't realized how difficult being away from them for a few hours would be when she wasn't on the run.
Clark stood up and glanced her way uncertainly. "Look, Chlo, I'm sorry for... everything," he stammered. "I hope, in time, we can be friends again without your boyfriend trying to kill me."
She slowly turned to look at him. "Me too." Her voice was quiet. "So how's Lana?"
Clark mustered a sad smile. "She's okay, considering."
Chloe was quiet for a moment. "Maybe it makes me a horrible person, but I don't regret doing what I had to do."
"I know you don't. And if I'm actually honest with myself... neither do I. I just wish I'd done it years ago."
She held his gaze and offered him a tiny smile. "It's just too bad that it didn't put an end to all the lunacy. Lex's legacy of being batshit crazy continues and I can't help but fear that..." She shook her head.
Clark cocked an eyebrow, his face etched with concern. "What?"
"I don't think we're all gonna make it through this." Her voice was pained and she slowly sat down on the sofa once more.
Sitting down quickly, Clark put an arm around her and squeezed her briefly. "Don't say that," he replied gently. "We're all going to make it, every one of us. We've got everything we need to fight demons, weird as it is, and I know the Winchesters have found ways to keep you and Sarah protected... right?"
"It's not me I'm worried about," she confessed, swallowing hard.
"Then who?"
Chloe looked up at him with deep-seated fear in her eyes.
A shudder of fear zipped through him as he read the name on her face: Dean. She was worried about Dean Winchester. Didn't he know how to protect himself, though? Clark thought. He had proven himself as a sharp hunter and a smart guy, albeit a smartass most of the time. So wouldn't he think about himself?
"Yeah, he is very smart," she whispered. "And he knows how to take care of himself. But Dean...is...if any one of us is in danger, he's gonna jump in front of us."
Clark smirked. "So who's going to jump in front of him, then?"
Pressing her lips together, she stood up.
Clark didn't like her closed mouth response, so he got to his feet and followed her. "I'll protect him," he offered.
She turned to look at him once more, studying him intently. "You will?"
He nodded solemnly. "I will, only do me a favor, will ya? Don't mention it to him. I think he'd just as soon shoot me as let me keep him out of harm's way."
"You're probably right about that," she said softly.
Clark nodded with a faint smile on his lips. "Okay, then. If I see him trying to toss himself into the funeral pyre for the sake of his loved ones, I'll be there to rescue him. I can deal with the fallout after the war's over."
"Thank you, Clark," she said softly. "That means more than you'll ever know."
"It's the least I could do," he replied. "I'm just... I'm... I'm glad you're happy, Chloe. That's what matters."
A faint smile touched her lips. She touched his arm for a moment before heading to the door. "I'll see you soon."
Clark nodded and watched her leave. If things had been better, he began to think, but shut down his mind. No use in thinking about the past. Time to shut the door on that and worry about the near future.
&&&&&
The drive back to Lawrence was longer than she wanted, but she pressed her foot on the gas pedal and sped the whole way, somehow managing to avoid any police that might have stopped her for speeding. Maybe luck really was on their side. She pulled in front of Missouri's a little after Midnight, parking the car in her driveway and climbing from the Impala quickly.
Dean had almost fallen asleep from reading what he considered to be way too much information on the Stull Cemetery. Stupid Internet and all the crap out there, he wondered and rubbed his eyes. When they had gotten back to the house, Sam had pushed his laptop into his hands and headed back to check on Sarah. The problem was, Sam never came back out, and that worried Dean to no end. They all had to remain strong, and he had a feeling something was terribly wrong with Sarah.
However, the reading and searching -- which he admittedly sucked at -- had kept him from obsessing over Chloe's whereabouts. Aside from her phone call saying she was in Smallville, he hadn't heard anything. That might have been a good thing, but considering what they were about to face...
When he heard the Impala's low growl in the driveway, he bolted out of his seat, slapped the computer shut and headed for the door.
She wasn't the least bit surprised when he met her on the porch. Wordlessly she launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly and not letting go.
Dean brushed the hair from her cheek and stroked her there with his thumb. "Been waiting for you," he growled and planed a kiss on the top of her head. He held her close, his arms protective and possessive. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed her. And she'd only been gone the better part of a day.
"I know," she murmured, pulling away a little and pressing her lips against his. "Me too."
"Missed you," he whispered between feather-light kisses.
"Missed you," she echoed softly, closing her eyes. "How are the others?"
Dean inhaled the scent of her hair, the fragrant shampoo she used, and frowned. "Good question," he replied and stepped away. "Sarah called her father, and from the looks of things, I'm thinking it didn't go so well."
She winced a little. "Poor Sarah," she whispered.
He sighed and ducked his head to look at her. "Sam's been with her since he and I got back from Stull Cemetery."
She met his eyes. "What's it like?"
"Like hell's about to bust loose all over." He led them into the main room and sat down next to her on the couch. He played with her hair, tucking it behind her ear, a half-smile on his face. "But that can wait until later."
"Yeah? You got something else in mind?" she teased softly, curling up against him.
His hands twisted in her hair, Dean pulled her head back so she was looking up at him. Mischief twinkled in her beautiful eyes. "Maybe," he replied softly, "unless you have something better to do." He moved close to her face but stopped inches from her lips.
"I can't think of a single thing better to do," she whispered, lifting a hand to his cheek.
He smirked, closed the space between their mouths, and planted a heated kiss to her full lips. He pulled her into his chest and sucked on her lower lip gently.
Chloe shifted so she was sitting on his lap, her fingers slowly tangling in his short hair. It felt good to be with him again and for the moment...even if it was just for a moment...she was able to forget about what was hanging over their heads like a funnel cloud, waiting to suck them all into the vortex.
"Hey," he muttered against her lips, "cut it out with the doom and gloom. I'm trying to concentrate." He put his hands on her hips and rolled her against him gently.
She groaned softly as the action sent sparks of need through her body. She leaned her forehead against his, nibbling lightly on his lip.
With one hand wrapped around her bottom, Dean managed to slide off the couch and scoop her into his arms. He pulled away and looked at her. "What do you say we continue this in another room," he rasped and kissed her.
"I think you know my answer for that," she whispered, returning the kiss with urgency.
He tore his mouth from her and fumbled his way back to their room. But as they passed Sam and Sarah's door, Dean couldn't help but wonder if they were going to be alright.
Seven
Sam lay behind Sarah, his arms wound around her protectively, his face buried in her long black hair. "I'm sorry things with your dad didn't go well."
"I shouldn't be surprised that he didn't outright tell me off," she replied with a mournful sigh. She threaded her fingers through Sam's and snuggled into his warmth.
He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. "If you want...when this is over, we'll go see him. Talk to him in person." His voice was soft.
She nodded gently. "That would be nice, though I don't know if... he'd want to see me. It's not like I've kept in touch, and how can I tell him everything that's happened?" She was fighting tears, which was the last thing they needed. Sarah knew she had to get herself together and do something to help out the rest of their family: research, plot, whatever. Being a slave to her emotions? Not so much of the good.
"You're being too hard on yourself," he said gently, resting a hand against her stomach. "We'll figure it all out, Sarah. I promise."
"But Sam," she protested quietly, "shouldn't I be hard on myself? I mean, really, what have I done lately but be pregnant?"
"Other than keep me grounded and keep Chloe and Dean from falling to pieces?" He nudged her gently. "Plus the researching and demon hunting."
She shut her eyes and tried to picture herself as the woman Sam had painted: strong and patient, intelligent and brave. She shook her head. She didn't see it, but she had to get herself out of her self-imposed funk. It wasn't doing any of them good.
"I love you," Sam whispered, slowly leaning up on one elbow and looking down at her.
Sarah shut her eyes and smiled. "I love you, too, Sam Winchester," she whispered. "I don't know where I'd be without you."
"Ditto."
"I'd roll over and kiss you now, but I think our son might not want that." She felt a couple gentle taps against her ribs and chuckled.
He grinned and gently placed his hand over her stomach, feeling their son move. "That's so amazing," he murmured.
"Just like his father," she whispered and sighed softly. She closed her eyes and opened her mind to his -- she showed him what she hoped they would have someday: a home, their children, a relatively normal life. Something she knew Sam had longed for. Something she wanted for them, too. She covered his hand resting on her stomach and squeezed it.
"We will have that," he vowed softly, burying his face against her hair and kissing her neck softly.
I hope so. The thought lingered, and Sarah let her mind wander to happier times ahead of them, with Dean and Chloe around to complete their family. In that moment, she decided to let their future settle in her heart, and the cloud lifted. They were together: nothing could keep them from failing. Not with Dean and Chloe by their sides.
Chloe. Sarah opened her eyes. "Did Chloe get back okay?" she asked out loud. The idea of her being out there -- alone, no less -- had jabbed at the back of her mind.
"Yeah, she's back. Heard her pull up a little while ago," he whispered soothingly. "We're all here again."
She smiled. "Good. That's good. I'm glad she's back." She relaxed again into Sam's warmth. "Let's get some sleep. I have a feeling we're going to need it."
He nodded slightly, tightening his arms around her just a little. They definitely needed the sleep. Because God only knew what they were going to be up against come tomorrow.
&&&&&
"Okay, so that huge freaking pile of 'used to be church' you guys found? It actually was a church." Sarah looked up from her position at the table, seated across from Chloe, both of their noses stuck inside the copious websites that told wonders about Stull Cemetery.
Dean looked at her, beer in hand, and frowned. "Who took it down?"
"Dunno," she replied and glanced at Sam. "No one authorized the building to be taken down."
"Though apparently a couple weeks before it was demolished, one of the walls suddenly collapsed for no reason." Chloe glanced up at Dean.
"According to this the church had been abandoned and vacant since 1922," Sam murmured, looking over Sarah's shoulder at her laptop.
Sarah's brow furrowed with concern. "And the scariest one of all? It's said the Devil himself appears there twice a year: the Spring Equinox... and Halloween."
Dean's eyes widened and he glanced at the calendar on Missouri's kitchen wall. Halloween was only three days away. "Great," he grumbled.
"Well that clears a whole lot of stuff up, doesn't it?" Chloe said grimly.
"At least we know when the son of a bitch is going to make himself known," Dean grumbled.
"Trick or treat," Sam grumbled. "I hate Halloween."
Sarah rubbed the back of her neck wearily. "Yeah, suddenly I do, too," she whispered and looked over at Chloe.
She drew in a breath and met Sarah's gaze. "I should call Oliver." Her voice was hushed.
Dean snorted softly at the thought of the Spandex crew meeting them. "Good idea, because we're going to need all the help we can get." He strode out of the room and towards the front door when he ran into Missouri. Almost literally. "Missouri," he said gruffly, "we got problems."
"I hate Halloween," she complained.
"Have you ever actually seen anything weird in that cemetery?" he asked her and felt Sam approach them.
"Seen? No. Felt? Yes. But they were just traces of dark things," she murmured. "I knew they'd been there...but not while I was there."
"You think it's where the yellow-eyed demon gets out of hell?" Sam asked. His face was hard and set with a sturdy determination that let Dean know how ready he was to get this over with.
Dean was right there with him. "Makes sense, doesn't it? How else could this thing get out?"
"The veil between this world and the next is at it's weakest on Samhain. It's why so many witches use the night to communicate with loved ones who've died. Because they can cross back over to this world easier," Missouri said quietly.
"So it stands to reason that demons would make use of the golden opportunity as well." Chloe's voice was grim as she moved to stand beside Dean.
Dean took Chloe's hand and stared at Sam. "I take back all those times I made you go trick-or-treating with me so I could hoard all your candy, dude," he stated with a smirk. "I officially hate Halloween, too."
"So what are we going to do?" Sarah asked, her shapely frame sidling up next to Sam.
Sam reached down and took her hand in his before looking around at the group. "We're gonna end this once and for all."
Dean nodded, a glint of ferocity in his eyes. "Call Queen," he said to Chloe and looked down at her intently. "Find out what they've dug up on Luthor and his 'secret experimental' thing they'd been looking into. The rest of us need to gather supplies."
Chloe met his eyes and nodded slightly, giving his hand a squeeze before pulling away and disappearing into the kitchen once more.
"I'll call Bobby and Ellen, make sure they're ready." Sam's voice was quiet and he pressed a kiss to Sarah's forehead.
"And I'm going to read up on Stull Cemetery and that weird church," Sarah replied and pulled away from Sam. "There's got to be some way to find out exactly where the demon's going to appear." She followed Chloe back into the kitchen.
"Missouri, I hope to hell you have a year's supply of holy water sitting around," Dean grunted.
"I'll head to St. Luke's across town. I know the priest." She patted his arm gently before heading for the door.
Dean watched the older black lady leave, the door shutting softly behind her, and he looked around the empty room. They were working as a team, and the calvary was on its way, so to speak. He ran a hand over his spiky hair and hoped to God it would be enough.
The cold steel pressed against his back was a gentle reminder of the one weapon they had to kill the demon: the Colt. He pulled it out of his pants waistband and wrapped his hand around it carefully. When all was said and done, he hoped he didn't miss. More than one life was depending on it.
Fic 21: Miles to Go (6-7/8)
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
Six
Chloe drew in a breath as she guided the Impala into her former place of residence, grimacing involuntarily at the familiar sights. An uneasy feeling settled upon her, and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel a little as she made her way toward the Talon apartment, hoping Lois was there.
Lois was making another attempt at grabbing her box of chocolate chip cookies from the very top of the kitchen shelf. She cursed under her breath and wondered why she even bothered keeping junk food around if she was only going to hide it from herself.
So when she heard a knock on the door, she shouted, "Come in!" and didn't look to see who opened the door.
The door opened and Chloe stepped inside, immediately grinning at what her cousin was trying to do. "You know, you really don't need to diet in the first place."
Lois grabbed onto a shelf and looked down at Chloe. A wide, cheesy grin graced her lips. "Tell that to my scale. You wouldn't believe the stress I've been under lately, and I have been eating like a pig!" She got off the chair and practically ran to her cousin. She embraced her warmly for a moment. "When did you get here?"
"Just now." She hugged her back tightly, shutting her eyes.
She felt a tremor run across Chloe's shoulders and pulled back to look at her. "What's wrong?" Lois asked sharply.
She offered her cousin a smile in an attempt to cover up her dread. "Just missed you. How've you been? Other than stressed out?"
"Busy," she replied but frowned. "You know I can sense your avoidance dance a million miles away. What gives?" She moved back to the kitchen and grabbed a couple sodas from the refrigerator.
Chloe drew in a breath and let it out slowly, knowing her cousin well enough to know if she didn't just fess up to the whole truth and nothing but, Lois would find a way to pull it out of her anyway. "Just your typical approaching apocalypse."
The cans thunked on the table. "What?!" she demanded, horrified. "What apocalypse?" Lois suddenly looked behind Chloe, towards the door. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Where's Dean and your crew?"
"A couple hours from here, getting ready." Her voice was grim.
Lois had to sit, because her legs threatened to give beneath her. "Chlo, what the hell is going on?" she whispered, panic in her voice.
Dammit. She'd been counting on Lois not to panic. Drawing in a breath, she moved toward the table and slowly sat down. "You know how demons exist, right?" Her voice was quiet.
Lois nodded solemnly.
"Well, one of the worst ones is about to open a gateway to hell."
Lois swallowed hard for a moment, then looked at Chloe hard. "There's a gateway to hell?"
She nodded slightly, holding her cousin's gaze. "There is."
For a long moment, Lois couldn't speak. Didn't know what to say, actually. Gateways to hell existed: what were the odds? she thought. She looked away and stood up. "And you and Dean and Sam and Sarah? You're going to fight this thing?"
"Pretty much." Her voice was quiet. "There's not really a choice."
Lois sucked in a breath. "Please tell me Superman knows about this," she muttered under her breath.
Chloe looked up at her, startled by her words. "Superman."
"Yeah, Superman," she reiterated with a smirk. "Haven't you been reading the Daily Planet lately, or has Dean been keeping you... busy?"
A faint blush touched her cheeks. "Among other things, yes, actually."
Lois chuckled and opened her can of soda. "Hey, at least you got over Smallville, though Dean had better be treating you right." She paused. "But the last few months, there have been some major crime sprees in Metropolis, and some guy wearing blue and red spandex, flying in the sky, has been helping bring in the crime bosses." She shook her head.
A very, very faint smile touched her lips and she looked at the floor for a moment. "Spandex huh?"
A faraway, amused smile lit up Lois's face. "God, yes. Tight and fits in all the right places..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes glazed over for a minute, lost in her memory. Chloe coughing loudly shook her out of it. "But again, not the point," she continued, a little red.
Chloe bit her lower lip and tried to keep a straight face. "Someone has a crush."
"Crush?" Lois made a face. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She looked away and silently sipped her soda.
"Uh huh. Anyway." She shook her head a little, wondering why it was that people in her family tended to be drawn to the same individuals. "Yes, Dean's taking good care of me."
"Good, Chloe. You deserve the best, and I'm glad he's that for you." Lois smiled sadly and looked at her cousin. "After Clark, I never thought you'd get over farm-bred boys."
"Yeah, well." A smile touched her lips as she thought about Dean. "Me either. But now...I can't even imagine being with anyone else."
"Oh really?" she asked, a little surprised. "So we talking long term, marriage material here?"
Chloe paused. Marriage wasn't something she'd really allowed herself to consider. "Definitely long-term."
Lois smiled widely. "Good. Because if he hurts you..." She waggled a finger under her cousin's nose threateningly.
"He won't." There was quiet confidence in her voice, something she'd never had before when talking about a guy she was in a relationship with.
Lois's smiled faltered after a moment: as grateful as she was that Chloe had finally found someone worthy of her, the fact that both of them were willingly putting their lives on the line scared the hell out of her. "Chloe," she whispered, "did you come here to... say..." She couldn't finish her question, as troubling as it was.
"I hope not," she said just as softly.
You'd better not, she thought with an inward wince. "Is there anything I can... do? I take it this is the kind of front page material that's never going to see the light of day."
"Pretty much." She smiled faintly. "But if t was...I'd give you the scoop."
"So, going to stay for a bit?" she asked, voice hopeful. "I'm sure you want to hear everything about how dorky Clark's been lately, and how much I want to kick Jimmy's butt for being a pain in mine."
She winced a little at the mention of Clark. "Yeah, I'm gonna stay for awhile. What's Jimmy doing?"
Lois laughed. "You mean besides being a trigger-happy photographer who butts his nose into places he has no right to be?"
"Sounds like Jimmy all right."
Lois opened her mouth to speak when she heard a hard pounding on the door. She rolled her eyes and walked to it. "That's a Clark 'let me in now' knock if I ever heard it," she retorted.
Chloe tensed on the sofa, swallowing hard, her heart sinking. Great.
She yanked the door open and, with an exasperated look, stated, "What do you want, Smallville? I'm a little busy at the moment."
Clark looked a little sheepishly at Lois. "I need a favor," he began before his eyes landed on Chloe's hesitant face.
"Look, Clark, I am not your Google girl!" Lois protested but was nearly pushed aside as Clark tried to walk into the apartment.
Chloe slowly rose to her feet, meeting Clark's eyes wordlessly.
"Smallville," Lois said firmly, "we're a little busy here. Can you come back later?" She smirked defiantly at him, in her get the hell away motion of protectiveness.
Clark just looked at Lois. "I need to speak with Chloe, okay?" he said quietly and glanced at the blonde. "If she's okay with that."
"Yeah. I'm okay with that." Her voice was quiet and she laid a hand on Lois' arm gently. "It's okay, Lois."
Sensing the sudden intensity of the atmosphere between Clark and her cousin, Lois frowned and looked at Chloe. "What's going on, Coz?" she whispered.
"I'll explain later," she said softly.
She almost said something, but the look on Chloe's face stopped her. Instead she nodded and touched her cousin's arm gently. "I'll be downstairs if you need me," she said. Turning, Lois shot Clark a warning glance that spoke of sharp objects being stuck into certain orifices if he dared to hurt her loved ones. She disappeared out the door but left it open.
Clark stood just inside the apartment and shifted awkwardly on one foot.
"You can come in Clark. I don't have any little green rocks." Her voice was quiet.
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Sure about that? It's not like I don't deserve writhing in pain for a few hours," he admitted, but stepped further into the apartment. He walked to the couch and sat down, unwilling to be in close proximity of her.
Chloe was silent for a moment and then she slowly sat down in the recliner across from the couch. "I don't wanna see you in pain."
He glanced at her, surprise on his face. "Really?" he asked, a little awed by her confession. "You're just saying that because Dean's probably out for blood he'll never get because I don't bleed."
She sighed softly and looked at the floor for a moment. "Regardless what's happened between us in the past, I don't want anything bad to happen to you, Clark."
"Like I never wanted anything bad to happen to you, Chloe," he replied simply and looked at his hands, "but that happened anyway. And by my own free will, too." He sighed heavily and closed his eyes.
"It wasn't really your fault. Meg...the uh...the demon that possessed me. She was out to hurt Dean and she used you to do it."
"But you told me how you felt, Chloe. You told me you loved Dean, and I should've known the minute you called that something was wrong."
"Kinda like I knew how you felt about Lana all those months ago when you were dosed on Red-K," she said quietly.
Clark winced at the memory. It was something he knew he'd regret for the rest of his immortal-living-on-Earth life. "Yeah," he whispered mournfully. "Guess that makes us even, then."
Chloe nodded very slightly. "So how about you do your Superman thing and help save the world from being overrun by meteor-infected possessees?"
He chuckled a little. "I planned on that whether you wanted me or not."
A smile tugged at her lips. "I have a feeling we're gonna need all the help we can get."
"Going to be that bad?"
"'Fraid so," she said quietly. "There's a cemetery in Lawrence. That's where the demon's going to make his move."
Clark looked over at Chloe and frowned. "Then that means Lex's meteor freak army's going to head that way. We need to tell the rest of the Justice League."
"They know. I called Ollie on my way here."
"Got any idea when the fun starts?" he asked.
"Soon. Really soon, Clark." Her voice was barely a whisper and she rose to her feet, moving to look out the window.
He watched her walk away but kept his spot on the couch. He wished there was something to say, something that would wash away the memory of what had happened only weeks ago. But nothing would change that. And Clark found himself grateful to Dean Winchester for finding Chloe and taking care of her, though he suspected she held her own with that brand of hunter. "Guess I ought to head towards the Watchtower, then," he whispered.
"And I need to get back to Lawrence." She winced a little as her body ached for Dean's presence, and her mind ached for Sam and Sarah's, as well. She hadn't realized how difficult being away from them for a few hours would be when she wasn't on the run.
Clark stood up and glanced her way uncertainly. "Look, Chlo, I'm sorry for... everything," he stammered. "I hope, in time, we can be friends again without your boyfriend trying to kill me."
She slowly turned to look at him. "Me too." Her voice was quiet. "So how's Lana?"
Clark mustered a sad smile. "She's okay, considering."
Chloe was quiet for a moment. "Maybe it makes me a horrible person, but I don't regret doing what I had to do."
"I know you don't. And if I'm actually honest with myself... neither do I. I just wish I'd done it years ago."
She held his gaze and offered him a tiny smile. "It's just too bad that it didn't put an end to all the lunacy. Lex's legacy of being batshit crazy continues and I can't help but fear that..." She shook her head.
Clark cocked an eyebrow, his face etched with concern. "What?"
"I don't think we're all gonna make it through this." Her voice was pained and she slowly sat down on the sofa once more.
Sitting down quickly, Clark put an arm around her and squeezed her briefly. "Don't say that," he replied gently. "We're all going to make it, every one of us. We've got everything we need to fight demons, weird as it is, and I know the Winchesters have found ways to keep you and Sarah protected... right?"
"It's not me I'm worried about," she confessed, swallowing hard.
"Then who?"
Chloe looked up at him with deep-seated fear in her eyes.
A shudder of fear zipped through him as he read the name on her face: Dean. She was worried about Dean Winchester. Didn't he know how to protect himself, though? Clark thought. He had proven himself as a sharp hunter and a smart guy, albeit a smartass most of the time. So wouldn't he think about himself?
"Yeah, he is very smart," she whispered. "And he knows how to take care of himself. But Dean...is...if any one of us is in danger, he's gonna jump in front of us."
Clark smirked. "So who's going to jump in front of him, then?"
Pressing her lips together, she stood up.
Clark didn't like her closed mouth response, so he got to his feet and followed her. "I'll protect him," he offered.
She turned to look at him once more, studying him intently. "You will?"
He nodded solemnly. "I will, only do me a favor, will ya? Don't mention it to him. I think he'd just as soon shoot me as let me keep him out of harm's way."
"You're probably right about that," she said softly.
Clark nodded with a faint smile on his lips. "Okay, then. If I see him trying to toss himself into the funeral pyre for the sake of his loved ones, I'll be there to rescue him. I can deal with the fallout after the war's over."
"Thank you, Clark," she said softly. "That means more than you'll ever know."
"It's the least I could do," he replied. "I'm just... I'm... I'm glad you're happy, Chloe. That's what matters."
A faint smile touched her lips. She touched his arm for a moment before heading to the door. "I'll see you soon."
Clark nodded and watched her leave. If things had been better, he began to think, but shut down his mind. No use in thinking about the past. Time to shut the door on that and worry about the near future.
&&&&&
The drive back to Lawrence was longer than she wanted, but she pressed her foot on the gas pedal and sped the whole way, somehow managing to avoid any police that might have stopped her for speeding. Maybe luck really was on their side. She pulled in front of Missouri's a little after Midnight, parking the car in her driveway and climbing from the Impala quickly.
Dean had almost fallen asleep from reading what he considered to be way too much information on the Stull Cemetery. Stupid Internet and all the crap out there, he wondered and rubbed his eyes. When they had gotten back to the house, Sam had pushed his laptop into his hands and headed back to check on Sarah. The problem was, Sam never came back out, and that worried Dean to no end. They all had to remain strong, and he had a feeling something was terribly wrong with Sarah.
However, the reading and searching -- which he admittedly sucked at -- had kept him from obsessing over Chloe's whereabouts. Aside from her phone call saying she was in Smallville, he hadn't heard anything. That might have been a good thing, but considering what they were about to face...
When he heard the Impala's low growl in the driveway, he bolted out of his seat, slapped the computer shut and headed for the door.
She wasn't the least bit surprised when he met her on the porch. Wordlessly she launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly and not letting go.
Dean brushed the hair from her cheek and stroked her there with his thumb. "Been waiting for you," he growled and planed a kiss on the top of her head. He held her close, his arms protective and possessive. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed her. And she'd only been gone the better part of a day.
"I know," she murmured, pulling away a little and pressing her lips against his. "Me too."
"Missed you," he whispered between feather-light kisses.
"Missed you," she echoed softly, closing her eyes. "How are the others?"
Dean inhaled the scent of her hair, the fragrant shampoo she used, and frowned. "Good question," he replied and stepped away. "Sarah called her father, and from the looks of things, I'm thinking it didn't go so well."
She winced a little. "Poor Sarah," she whispered.
He sighed and ducked his head to look at her. "Sam's been with her since he and I got back from Stull Cemetery."
She met his eyes. "What's it like?"
"Like hell's about to bust loose all over." He led them into the main room and sat down next to her on the couch. He played with her hair, tucking it behind her ear, a half-smile on his face. "But that can wait until later."
"Yeah? You got something else in mind?" she teased softly, curling up against him.
His hands twisted in her hair, Dean pulled her head back so she was looking up at him. Mischief twinkled in her beautiful eyes. "Maybe," he replied softly, "unless you have something better to do." He moved close to her face but stopped inches from her lips.
"I can't think of a single thing better to do," she whispered, lifting a hand to his cheek.
He smirked, closed the space between their mouths, and planted a heated kiss to her full lips. He pulled her into his chest and sucked on her lower lip gently.
Chloe shifted so she was sitting on his lap, her fingers slowly tangling in his short hair. It felt good to be with him again and for the moment...even if it was just for a moment...she was able to forget about what was hanging over their heads like a funnel cloud, waiting to suck them all into the vortex.
"Hey," he muttered against her lips, "cut it out with the doom and gloom. I'm trying to concentrate." He put his hands on her hips and rolled her against him gently.
She groaned softly as the action sent sparks of need through her body. She leaned her forehead against his, nibbling lightly on his lip.
With one hand wrapped around her bottom, Dean managed to slide off the couch and scoop her into his arms. He pulled away and looked at her. "What do you say we continue this in another room," he rasped and kissed her.
"I think you know my answer for that," she whispered, returning the kiss with urgency.
He tore his mouth from her and fumbled his way back to their room. But as they passed Sam and Sarah's door, Dean couldn't help but wonder if they were going to be alright.
Seven
Sam lay behind Sarah, his arms wound around her protectively, his face buried in her long black hair. "I'm sorry things with your dad didn't go well."
"I shouldn't be surprised that he didn't outright tell me off," she replied with a mournful sigh. She threaded her fingers through Sam's and snuggled into his warmth.
He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. "If you want...when this is over, we'll go see him. Talk to him in person." His voice was soft.
She nodded gently. "That would be nice, though I don't know if... he'd want to see me. It's not like I've kept in touch, and how can I tell him everything that's happened?" She was fighting tears, which was the last thing they needed. Sarah knew she had to get herself together and do something to help out the rest of their family: research, plot, whatever. Being a slave to her emotions? Not so much of the good.
"You're being too hard on yourself," he said gently, resting a hand against her stomach. "We'll figure it all out, Sarah. I promise."
"But Sam," she protested quietly, "shouldn't I be hard on myself? I mean, really, what have I done lately but be pregnant?"
"Other than keep me grounded and keep Chloe and Dean from falling to pieces?" He nudged her gently. "Plus the researching and demon hunting."
She shut her eyes and tried to picture herself as the woman Sam had painted: strong and patient, intelligent and brave. She shook her head. She didn't see it, but she had to get herself out of her self-imposed funk. It wasn't doing any of them good.
"I love you," Sam whispered, slowly leaning up on one elbow and looking down at her.
Sarah shut her eyes and smiled. "I love you, too, Sam Winchester," she whispered. "I don't know where I'd be without you."
"Ditto."
"I'd roll over and kiss you now, but I think our son might not want that." She felt a couple gentle taps against her ribs and chuckled.
He grinned and gently placed his hand over her stomach, feeling their son move. "That's so amazing," he murmured.
"Just like his father," she whispered and sighed softly. She closed her eyes and opened her mind to his -- she showed him what she hoped they would have someday: a home, their children, a relatively normal life. Something she knew Sam had longed for. Something she wanted for them, too. She covered his hand resting on her stomach and squeezed it.
"We will have that," he vowed softly, burying his face against her hair and kissing her neck softly.
I hope so. The thought lingered, and Sarah let her mind wander to happier times ahead of them, with Dean and Chloe around to complete their family. In that moment, she decided to let their future settle in her heart, and the cloud lifted. They were together: nothing could keep them from failing. Not with Dean and Chloe by their sides.
Chloe. Sarah opened her eyes. "Did Chloe get back okay?" she asked out loud. The idea of her being out there -- alone, no less -- had jabbed at the back of her mind.
"Yeah, she's back. Heard her pull up a little while ago," he whispered soothingly. "We're all here again."
She smiled. "Good. That's good. I'm glad she's back." She relaxed again into Sam's warmth. "Let's get some sleep. I have a feeling we're going to need it."
He nodded slightly, tightening his arms around her just a little. They definitely needed the sleep. Because God only knew what they were going to be up against come tomorrow.
&&&&&
"Okay, so that huge freaking pile of 'used to be church' you guys found? It actually was a church." Sarah looked up from her position at the table, seated across from Chloe, both of their noses stuck inside the copious websites that told wonders about Stull Cemetery.
Dean looked at her, beer in hand, and frowned. "Who took it down?"
"Dunno," she replied and glanced at Sam. "No one authorized the building to be taken down."
"Though apparently a couple weeks before it was demolished, one of the walls suddenly collapsed for no reason." Chloe glanced up at Dean.
"According to this the church had been abandoned and vacant since 1922," Sam murmured, looking over Sarah's shoulder at her laptop.
Sarah's brow furrowed with concern. "And the scariest one of all? It's said the Devil himself appears there twice a year: the Spring Equinox... and Halloween."
Dean's eyes widened and he glanced at the calendar on Missouri's kitchen wall. Halloween was only three days away. "Great," he grumbled.
"Well that clears a whole lot of stuff up, doesn't it?" Chloe said grimly.
"At least we know when the son of a bitch is going to make himself known," Dean grumbled.
"Trick or treat," Sam grumbled. "I hate Halloween."
Sarah rubbed the back of her neck wearily. "Yeah, suddenly I do, too," she whispered and looked over at Chloe.
She drew in a breath and met Sarah's gaze. "I should call Oliver." Her voice was hushed.
Dean snorted softly at the thought of the Spandex crew meeting them. "Good idea, because we're going to need all the help we can get." He strode out of the room and towards the front door when he ran into Missouri. Almost literally. "Missouri," he said gruffly, "we got problems."
"I hate Halloween," she complained.
"Have you ever actually seen anything weird in that cemetery?" he asked her and felt Sam approach them.
"Seen? No. Felt? Yes. But they were just traces of dark things," she murmured. "I knew they'd been there...but not while I was there."
"You think it's where the yellow-eyed demon gets out of hell?" Sam asked. His face was hard and set with a sturdy determination that let Dean know how ready he was to get this over with.
Dean was right there with him. "Makes sense, doesn't it? How else could this thing get out?"
"The veil between this world and the next is at it's weakest on Samhain. It's why so many witches use the night to communicate with loved ones who've died. Because they can cross back over to this world easier," Missouri said quietly.
"So it stands to reason that demons would make use of the golden opportunity as well." Chloe's voice was grim as she moved to stand beside Dean.
Dean took Chloe's hand and stared at Sam. "I take back all those times I made you go trick-or-treating with me so I could hoard all your candy, dude," he stated with a smirk. "I officially hate Halloween, too."
"So what are we going to do?" Sarah asked, her shapely frame sidling up next to Sam.
Sam reached down and took her hand in his before looking around at the group. "We're gonna end this once and for all."
Dean nodded, a glint of ferocity in his eyes. "Call Queen," he said to Chloe and looked down at her intently. "Find out what they've dug up on Luthor and his 'secret experimental' thing they'd been looking into. The rest of us need to gather supplies."
Chloe met his eyes and nodded slightly, giving his hand a squeeze before pulling away and disappearing into the kitchen once more.
"I'll call Bobby and Ellen, make sure they're ready." Sam's voice was quiet and he pressed a kiss to Sarah's forehead.
"And I'm going to read up on Stull Cemetery and that weird church," Sarah replied and pulled away from Sam. "There's got to be some way to find out exactly where the demon's going to appear." She followed Chloe back into the kitchen.
"Missouri, I hope to hell you have a year's supply of holy water sitting around," Dean grunted.
"I'll head to St. Luke's across town. I know the priest." She patted his arm gently before heading for the door.
Dean watched the older black lady leave, the door shutting softly behind her, and he looked around the empty room. They were working as a team, and the calvary was on its way, so to speak. He ran a hand over his spiky hair and hoped to God it would be enough.
The cold steel pressed against his back was a gentle reminder of the one weapon they had to kill the demon: the Colt. He pulled it out of his pants waistband and wrapped his hand around it carefully. When all was said and done, he hoped he didn't miss. More than one life was depending on it.