The first time Sam said goodbye, she hadn't know him long. In fact, he had saved her life from something more than your average "freak of the week": a guy with a grudge against her who happened to have the ability to manipulate the elements to kill, maim, and otherwise cause havoc. He would have nearly killed her, if not for Sam Winchester.
The bus terminal was empty, save for the two of them. Apparently the bus driver was patiently waiting for his last rider to board so they could leave. The afternoon sun shone brightly, a light breeze fluttering her hair and his. She wondered if he always wore his hair so long and shaggy and whether there was someone around to cut it. Would she see him again to attempt such a thing?
"Thanks again for everything," Chloe whispered, smiling brightly into his intelligent yet striking hazel eyes. From the moment she had seen him, she knew there was much more to this guy than what he'd originally claimed to be: a tornado chaser. No way did this handsome, built, preppy looking college guy chase tornadoes. He looked like a cross between an Abercrombie & Fitch model and a better-looking version of Clark Kent. She'd nearly spit out her latte when, the other day in a coffee shop across from the Daily Planet, he'd just walked up to her and asked if she knew anything about people who controlled weather patterns. Guys like him didn't do things like that, she had assumed at the time. Especially not when she had been chasing down the same lead for her column.
She watched his face light up, almost as if he enjoyed watching her smile. That made her grin turn a little cheesy, but she really didn't care. Nor did it matter that she was way too attracted to this guy to never think of him again: she had the impression her memories of him would linger for several weeks before she could attempt to turn her thoughts elsewhere. If at all. "Anytime, Chloe," he replied, his low tenor voice sending a slight thrill down her spine.
Get a grip, she thought as she watched him extend a hand to her, in thanks and friendship. Her heart skipped a beat in despair. He just thinks of you as a friend, so shake his hand and forget about him, will ya? He'll just break your heart with his not noticing you.
Even as she slipped her hand into his, fingers gripping her hand in a firm, friendly handshake, Chloe recognized that it might be more than that. His beautiful eyes darkened slightly, as if he had felt the same zing of awareness shoot through him that she had just noticed herself. It was like two souls recognizing each other for the first time. And neither was sure what to make of that recognition.
Sam stepped back and released her hand, a little quickly, she thought. Out of embarrassment or discomfort, she wasn't sure. "Look, if you ever need me for anything, here's my number." He reached into his jacket pocket and gave her a folded slip of paper. His cell number.
Coloring slightly at the intimation, Chloe nodded. "Thanks, Sam Winchester, tornado chaser and… you never did tell me what you really do. There's plenty of freaks in my hometown. Maybe I'll need your help chasing them down sometime."
He cocked a curious eyebrow. "What's home?" She noticed he had seemingly deliberately ignored her comment on his real occupation.
"Smallville." The town in the middle of Nowhere, Kansas, and yet the strangest place on planet Earth.
A knowing smile crossed Sam's handsome lips. "Meteor Capital of the World, huh?" He looked as if he wanted to laugh, not in that you're completely insane way. More like that Can this girl be more adorable? kind of thing.
"Oh, so you've heard of it, then." She could swear he was flirting with her, but no. That couldn't be it. She was impressed, though, that he knew something about that small town.
"Are you kidding?" he asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'm from Kansas myself. I know 'weird'. Practically wrote the book." She saw him unconsciously look at the clock and knew he had to be going. He was leaving by bus, bound for Lincoln, Nebraska.
She also noticed he was again being very vague. How much did he know about weird? she mused as his dark eyes hit hers again, like he wanted one last look at her. Why couldn't he stick around longer? What was in Lincoln?
Shuffling her foot and suddenly looking down, she kept her thoughts to herself and only whispered, "So, keep in touch, okay? My email's always open." She wanted him to stay longer, get to know him. Hang out with him when they weren't running from some random guy who wanted to axe her for writing the truth in her Daily Planet column. Find out who he really was, because her journalistic instinct had kicked in full-time with this guy. She had a strong suspicion that Sam Winchester was a man with more depth than anyone she was likely to meet. Ever. That thought alone threatened to voice her request for him to stay. She knew he couldn't, though… and probably wouldn't either.
Because that would be weird, right? Chloe Sullivan didn't attract tall, dark, and gorgeous men like Sam. She was never brunette enough for the likes of them.
If Sam noticed her change in demeanor, he said nothing about it. He gave her another loopy grin and replied, "Good, because I was planning on emailing you often. Gotta keep you out of trouble, ya know."
She glanced up at him, squinting against the bright sun, and smiled. "Who says I'll need saving, Sam?" Already she was inventing excuses to get him back to Metropolis or Smallville or wherever she happened to find herself in trouble. The question was, would he come running?
"Who says you won't?" he countered with a knowing grin, then turning his back to her and boarding the bus. With another wave of his hand, he boarded and retreated from her sight. She'd probably never see him again, she thought, standing there, her hand still suspended in the air in a determined wave, watching the bus drive away. She stood there several moments, pondering the wonder of making a new friend, and a gorgeous one at that, before walking out of the bus terminal and back to work.
2.
Just as Sam had predicted, Chloe found herself in the midst of some pretty dangerous circumstances not a month later. This time it was vampires… and not the usual meteor accident turns normal girl into vampire then turns your roommate kind of adventure that had gotten her into the Daily Planet. No, this was the real thing: the fangs, the bloodlust, the allergy to sunlight, the pale skin. She had been investigating a rash of strange murders in Smallville, of all places, for her latest editorial. The thing that initially caught her attention: the bite marks on the victims' necks. Two tiny puncture wounds… and no blood to be found in any of the bodies.
As she waited for Sam's arrival by bus, in broad daylight of course, she wondered how she managed to not only catch the worst breaks in stories but what his guy would know about taking down vampires. Actually, it wasn't so much about taking them down as how he knew so much about them. Through their daily email communications – true to his word, Sam had kept in touch every single day – Chloe revealed her "crazy notion" about vampiric activity in her hometown and how Google wasn't giving her the necessary information to put together an honest editorial. She thought she'd never hear from him again.
So imagine her surprise when Sam not only emailed her back but also sent several sites for her to visit, explaining the hunting patterns and methods of killing the vampire. When she asked him where he had gotten this information, which read like a Stephen King novel, Sam was again very vague, telling her he liked to research odd things. Chloe didn't buy it, and that was one of many things she wanted to ask him when she saw him again.
Within moments, Chloe watched Sam's bus pull into the Smallville bus terminal, setting off more butterflies in her stomach than she wanted. She didn't understand why she was so nervous at the idea of seeing his tall, well built body and handsome face: she had forgotten all about that attraction, right? "Get a grip, Sullivan," she said out loud, a slow happy smile crawling across her lips as the bus parked and the doors slid open.
Sam was one of the first to disembark, almost as if he, too, was anxious to see her again. Either that or to get this visit out of the way so he could go back to… wherever it was he had come from. Chloe's face brightened and she waved, walking towards him, taking note of his smile, his lean face, his eyes fixed intently on her. She felt her legs turn to jelly and realized her attraction to him had been more than just a passing thing. Chloe Sullivan had wanted to see Sam Winchester again since the last time she had laid eyes on him. The vampire thing just seemed like a good excuse to get him here.
Much to her surprise, Sam dropped his bag and enveloped her in a warm, welcoming hug. He had yet to speak, but his body language said it all: not only had he missed her, but he was also way too happy to see her for him to admit. Her arms curled around his waist as she stood on tiptoe, trying to scoot her body into his embrace. His arms were strong, she thought, her ear pressed against his chest so she could hear his heartbeat… which was a little erratic for some reason. His arms tightened about her, making her suddenly wish they could stay that way for the rest of the day. Making her aware they were still kind of strangers hugging in a public, albeit nearly empty, bus depot.
"Hey there," he whispered, taking a step back and letting her go, as if he realized the embarrassment of his rash action. She felt her face flushed with the memory of how lovely it felt to be in his arms. Her lips parted, breathless, as she dared to look at him.
When she saw the same feelings in his eyes, she nearly laughed out loud. "Hey, Sam," she replied in her friendly, open manner. "Good thing you got here before nightfall, 'cause no way was I gonna wait for you in the dark." She watched him pick up his bag and fell into an easy cadence as they left the station and headed to her Beetle.
"They've caught your scent?" he asked as soon as they were safely enclosed in her car. She started her Beetle and headed for the only hotel in town, the one Sam would be staying in during his short stay: only one night. How unfortunate.
"Yeah, their leader has," she replied. "He caught me out by my house last night. Jumped out of the bushes like he was a deer or something and scared ten years off me." She chuckled at the memory, yet fear tinged the laughter. "I should get hazard pay or something."
Sam kept his gaze on the side of her face, his eyes serious. And beautiful. God, why did he have to be so handsome? she thought, a little tense. Why did he keep looking at her like he wanted to take her away from this place? Not that she'd mind, she realized. She just wasn't sure where they would go if he actually offered and she actually agreed.
"Have you found their nest?" he asked gravely, his eyes fastened on her.
"Yeah, out by the old cannery. It's only a mile from my house… like your hotel is." She pulled into the Smallville Hotel just as she said that and pulled into a parking space. Turning to look at him, she was startled to see how intently he was watching her. She colored a little, this time from awareness of how much room he took up in her little car. She felt him everywhere.
He grinned suddenly. "You know you're cute when you blush?"
Oh my God. Was he flirting with her? A deeper shade of red spread across her face as she looked down and bit her lip, trying to keep from smiling.
"And you're even prettier when you're doing that, too." His voice was warm and tender, and when her eyes looked up again, she found him staring at her lips. She immediately stopped biting her lower lip and smiled bashfully at him.
"Bet you say that to all the girls," she muttered, secretly hoping he actually didn't just say things like that. She knew it was a long shot, but hey, a girl had to try, right?
Sam was quiet for a moment, slowly dashing her hopes with each passing second he remained silent.
"Nope. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it. Meet me at the cannery tonight, around nightfall. We'll take care of this vamp problem of yours." With a devastatingly wide smile that made her grateful to be sitting, Sam unwrapped himself out of her car and grabbed his gear.
Watching him walk towards the front lobby to procure a room, Chloe was too stunned to do anything for a couple seconds. There were things about him, mysteries and secrets, she wanted to know about. They really didn't know each other that well, aside from what he'd mentioned in his emails. A father. An older brother. College for pre-law. Road tripping across the country.
None of that mattered, though, because Sam Winchester liked her. A secret smile sat on her lips as she started her car again and backed it out of the parking lot. Maybe all men weren't completely blind. Maybe there was hope for her after all in that department, and if what Sam said was true, she was happily curious to use the coming nighttime to explore their feelings for each other.
Especially since she liked him. There, she could admit it to herself. The hard part would be saying it out loud.
3.
Of all the occupations Chloe Sullivan could have envisioned for Sam Winchester, "hunter" wouldn't have made the top 100 list. Even as she sat with him outside the hotel room he had just vacated, waiting for his brother Dean to pick him up, she couldn't wrap her mind around the concept. He researched and hunted the things that go bump in the night, just like she did with stories. There were things outside her Wall of Weird so strange and outlandish, things she had no notion of… and the man she had come too quickly to care about dusted, burned, and otherwise killed them. Without blinking an eye.
She didn't know why she had been shocked: after all, between stealing blood from the local mortuary to immobilize the vampires who had been after her and using it to kill them should have tipped her off. Yeah, Sam might have researched these things, but it certainly wasn't for fun. Maybe fun was the wrong word. It wasn't like she got excited, breaking and entering, snooping into other peoples' lives, or deaths in this case, just because it might lead her closer to the heart of the matter. Wasn't that how she'd finally just asked Sam what he really did?
"So," she said, aware of his body flush against hers, his bare skin brushing her arm lightly, "what's the weirdest thing you've ever killed?" She felt Sam's eyes on her, so she turned her head. He was looking at her like she'd grown two horns and antennae. A bright smile spilled onto her lips. "What? Gotta make some kind of conversation, right?"
"Of all people, you should know that weird has many different flavors," he replied with a wry smile, moving his arm to scratch his neck. His movement increased the pressure of his skin against hers, making her blush a little.
"Like vanilla, chocolate, tangerine dream?" she asked, teasing him gently as she watched him roll his eyes mockingly.
He chuckled. "Yeah, something like that." His eyes connected with hers and held them steadily. "It doesn't freak you out too much, does it? Last night, when I told you about me… well, I've seen Women in White who had more color than you did."
She swallowed hard, taking a moment before answering. Why would it matter what she thought, what she'd looked like? And why would he pay so much attention to her facial expressions? The glimmer of hope grew fractionally. "Gee, comparing me to a woman who murders cheating men. What a compliment," she commented with a shy grin.
He flashed his best smile, one that brightened his already blindingly handsome face. "Hey, I have more where that came from."
She jutted out her chin and punched him lightly in the chest, her face once again flushed – with laughter, with awareness. "Oh, I'm all ears, then." She smiled, her heart pounding in her chest as she realized that, once again, he'd been flirting with her. He didn't have a girlfriend that she knew of, could have had anyone he wanted… and yet he had told her so much about his life that, she suspected, he didn't tell many people. It was kind of cool.
Not as cool, though, as when he gently took her in his arms and brushed his lips against hers. A light, quick movement, at first she barely felt the caressing touch and thought she had imagined it. When she pulled away, however, to find a surprised yet serious look on his face, Chloe realized Sam had intended to kiss her. Wanted to test her, push the boundary of their strange friendship.
"Sam…" she began hesitantly, not pulling away from him but unable to meet his intense gaze. She chose, instead, to focus on his full mouth. The mouth that had just touched hers.
"I meant to do that." His mouth moved, revealing a hint of his white teeth when he smiled gently. She dragged her eyes away from his tantalizing lips and into his even more incredible eyes.
"Why?" Even as she spoke, she wanted to smack herself. Duh, she thought. Why else would a guy want to kiss you? Maybe because he likes you?
It was either that or he'd been infected with red kryptonite somehow.
Sam's gaze dropped to her lips, as if he wanted to kiss her again. "Because you have the most beautiful mouth I have ever seen," he whispered. "I never get tired of watching you speak."
Okay, now that made her utterly speechless. Her lips parted as she sucked in a quick breath of surprise, and her eyes strayed back to his mouth again. It moved in to hers and captured her mouth again, this time lingering and gently demanding. The soft pressure of his kiss nearly made her groan. Crap, Sam knew how to kiss, a wandering thought entered her mind as she touched her hand to his chest and balled his shirtfront with her fingers.
Chloe could have stayed in that moment all day, but a sudden honking sound made her jerk back in surprise and embarrassment. She met Sam's eyes, glistening with not only happiness but something else. An emotion she couldn't define, almost like he had felt something move inside him, making him alive again. No, she didn't do that to men… did she?
The horn blared again, followed by the loud roar of a car engine. Glancing away from Sam, she noticed a black classic Impala in the driveway and a guy smirking knowingly at them. He bore a strong resemblance to Sam, so she concluded, "Your brother?"
"Yeah, that's Dean," Sam replied, shooting his brother a look telling him to chill out. He stood up but took her hands and brought her against him. "Look, Chloe, I have to go, but I just wanted to say that… I like you."
She blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. And Sam was still there, his intense, hopeful gaze on her face, looking for a sign she returned his feelings. "Whoa," she whispered, a little awed, before giggling a little. "I was kinda hoping there was something between us."
His face brightened. "Yeah? Good. Me too." Kissing her quickly again, he pulled her into his embrace and hugged her tightly. "I'll be back to see you. Soon, Chloe. I promise."
She rubbed her face into his chest, feeling his chest thumping hard against his ribcage. "Yeah, you better. I'm not used to guys kissing, telling, and leaving. Might give me a complex."
Sam's brother Dean honked the horn again, its noise insistent with impatience, and she knew she had to leave him. She stepped away to see a mischievous grin on his face. "The only complex you'll get outta me will be one you ask for," he replied cryptically.
She cocked a curious eyebrow at him. "Gonna give me a hint to mull over?" she asked, taking his hand as they walked towards the passenger side of the car.
"Only this," he whispered, kissing her again. The kiss held not only a goodbye but also a hello. A welcome, a promise.
"I'll email ya," he said, straightening and giving her one last smile. He got into the car, staring at her the entire time, and reluctantly shut the door.
She nodded, smiling brightly even though her heart fell a little at his sudden departure. "Maybe I'll find an excuse to get into trouble and bring you back." She tried to keep her tone light but knew she didn't succeed. She missed him already and he was still within eyeshot.
"You'll be my excuse to return," Sam called from the open window as the Impala backed up and pulled out of the driveway. Their eyes held each other for as long as possible, until the car turned left out of the parking lot and sped off towards their next stop. Chloe didn't even know where that was, but even as she headed towards her Beetle and got in, she could almost guarantee that just as soon as Sam got the third degree from his brother, he'd email her. Something short and sweet, waiting in her Inbox to brighten her day.
She took off quickly, heading home to check her email, a surprised, hopeful smile on her face. Vampires notwithstanding, this had turned out to be a very good day.
4.
He didn't know if they would ever meet again. Standing there, looking into her lovely green eyes, Sam Winchester wanted more than just the sporadic moments they had shared in the last several months. Finding excuses to return to her. Looking for that "next time" almost as soon as he boarded the Smallville bus to take him back to… Wherever, USA. Wherever Dean impatiently waited for him so they could take off on their next job, which he knew would involve death of some kind.
Maybe his death. Maybe Dean's.
But standing before Chloe Sullivan, Sam wondered for the first time in nearly a year what it would be like to stay. To be with her. To return to school and get a "real" job. To get a house and have a "normal" life, away from the demons, the bloodshed, the horror. Hell, to even see his older brother do the same, if he was honest with himself, especially since Dean seemed as jaded by the constant life on the road as he was getting. His mind swirled with possibilities and he squeezed her hand gently, giving her his best smile. Dimples flashed, even as he knew that would never be. There was too much at stake, he realized, to put her life in jeopardy like that.
Even though she could handle the chaos. She seemed just as attracted to it as he was.
"It was a surprise," she was saying, "seeing you so soon after my latest zombie attack." Chloe knew something was up: Sam wouldn't have come so quickly… not when he had told her what he and Dean had been hunting. This demon who killed their mother, Sam's girlfriend Jess… most recently, their father. Her stomach twisted into knots seeing the sudden despair in his eyes. He hadn't just skipped out on Dean for a social visit: there was a reason for it, and she needed to know what it was.
A tiny smile of sadness pricked Sam's lips. "Yeah, Dean and I were in the neighborhood –"
"—meaning Kansas, I assume?" she finished his sentence for him, eyebrow cocked.
"Yeah," he answered quietly, eyes growing somber as he watched her trying to figure him out. The breeze gently fluttered her long, blonde hair, vibrant against the sunlight streaming down onto her apartment patio. She looked alive and whole, he thought, moving his hand to touch the length of her arm. The city life suited her; who was he to take her away from all of this?
Almost as if reading his thoughts, Chloe looked at him sharply and grasped the hand touching her. "You're leaving, aren't you?" Fear poured into her being, spreading like a disease, making her almost weak-kneed. "You're not…"
He looked down for a fraction of a second, then pulled her into a warm embrace. "I don't know, Chlo," he replied simply, letting his pet name for her roll off his tongue like honey. "We're so close, but I don't know if… Dean and I will… make it…" Tripping over his words, he fell silent and closed his eyes. He had to tell her the truth, because one thing he had learned very early on was nothing got past Chloe Sullivan. Skirting the issue only prompted her to find out the truth for herself.
"What are you talking about?" she asked sharply, taking only a moment to savor the bear-like embrace before moving back to look up at him. "You think taking this… thing… on is going to kill you?" Numbness was beginning to settle in the pit of her stomach, replacing the mindless fear. The serious look in his eyes, his face set as gravely as stone, told her everything she needed to know.
Sam and his brother were taking the fight to the demon. And neither expected to live through this.
When he said nothing, his lips down turned in an acknowledging frown, she whispered, "No, I'm not going to accept that." Turning her back to him, she walked to the edge of the patio, looking around the Metropolis skyline, fighting the tears that had suddenly sprung to her eyes. As little as she had seen him over the last year, Chloe had come to love him more than he would ever know.
Didn't help matters that she hadn't told him yet, of course. Not when she was still trying to grasp the belief that she was, once again, in the throes of loving someone who didn't love her back.
If he wasn't coming back, she thought, now's as good a time as any to tell him how you feel. That way, I can hear his rejection and at least know I told him. Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "You have to come back, ya know."
"I'd really like to," he answered, his voice gruff with unspoken emotion. He closed the distance between them, his body hovering behind hers, though they didn't touch. He noticed her body tremble, knew she was struggling with something inside. Though Dean had often teased about Chloe's crush on his little brother, Sam wondered so much of the time if, in fact, she did like him. He knew, without a doubt, that this woman had his heart… even if he hadn't confessed that yet.
And now was as good a time as any, he thought with a thoughtful smile. "I have another reason for living, Chloe."
Soft, tender was his voice. Chloe swiveled around on her heel, nearly running into the wall of his muscled chest. Her startled, hopeful eyes met his. "Really?" she whispered shyly.
Her uncertainly was nearly his undoing, but Sam just nodded and wrapped his arms around her again, bringing her into his warmth, tucking her head under his chin. "Yeah, don't you know I love you?" he said aloud earnestly. He felt her arms snake around his waist, tugging him closer. His heart thudded erratically in his chest: he heard her soft sigh of relief, of hope, and prayed he and Dean would kill that son of a bitch so he could return to her. Because he knew Chloe's response even before she said it.
"Oh God, Sam… I love you, too. So much." She buried her face into his chest and wanted to cry. She shivered despite the warmth of the sunny afternoon. She had envisioned telling him many times, but never like this. Not when he was about to go off and fight something that could easily kill him. A sense a desperation came over her, making her look up into his fierce, pain-ridden eyes. Pull his head down to hers and kiss him passionately, their mouths meeting almost brutally with the full force of their mutual feeling.
Groaning, Sam tightened his grip on her body, moving her closer to deepen their kisses. Tongues met and melded against each other, taking and giving. Needing. His hands crept up her back to her hair, digging into the silken strands as he held her, cursing his rotten timing.
Breaking the kiss and looking at her watery eyes, he knew he'd return, no matter what. "I'll come back," he promised huskily, kissing her again before setting her back onto the ground.
Blinking back the tears, she whispered, "Please, Sam… take me with you." If love meant being with the person she loved, she wanted to leave Metropolis, the Daily Planet, the lonely life she had created. To travel with Sam and his brother. So they could be together.
Sam's frame tightened with despair, with agony. It was the one thing he wanted. Could never have. "No, Chloe," he whispered, turning her into his arms again. "I'm not going to put you in danger. I'll die first before bringing any harm to you."
She stiffened slightly. "Are you telling me I can't take care of myself?" she demanded softly.
Sam nearly laughed at her accusatory tone. "No, Chlo, I'm saying you've never dealt with this kind of demon before." He pulled her back and cupped her chin gently, eyeing her lovingly. "I know you've been through some weird, strange things, but this… this is the real thing. It's dangerous, it's probably going to end badly for either me or Dean… and I don't think I'd make it if something happened to you."
"You know I'll follow you, track you down," she replied, almost glaring at him.
"Not if we disappear off the map to do this," he told her, thinking he and Dean would most likely have to do that. To keep her safe. To protect her.
A little disgusted, she moved out of his arms and turned to stare out at the polluted skyline. "Whatever, Sam Winchester," she said softly, her voice filled with determination. "You don't know how good my research skills are. I'll find you, one way or another. I dare you to try to hide from me." She flinched, hating how stalker-like she sounded, but she knew she could help them fight this yellow-eyed demon somehow.
Running his long fingers through his hair, Sam let out an exasperated breath. "Dean knew you'd do this," he muttered inaudibly, shrugging shyly when she turned around and gave him a look. "Okay, come with us. It'd be a nice change, having a woman around instead of my jerk face older brother." He smiled crookedly at her. "Dean might be less… Dean-like with you around."
Grinning brightly, she said, "Somehow I doubt that, based on what I know of the guy." She took his hand and kissed the open palm gently, rubbing her cheek against his calloused fingers. "It's going to be okay, Sam," she continued after a moment. "We'll live through this. I'm not afraid."
Sam knew she was lying about not being fearful, because he could almost taste the fear from her kisses, but that would pass. Maybe, if they were together, her strength would get them all through this battle.
Maybe, he repeated in his head. Maybe. Bringing her with them was stupid, foolish, dangerous. But Chloe was right about one thing: she would follow them, no matter what. Better to have her with them than out on her own, where God knows what could get her. "I love you," he whispered again, even as he prayed silently that she would always remain safe from harm.
"I love you, too, Sam," she whispered in return, already sensing the trouble they were about to encounter. Shivering slightly at it, yet determined to take it head on.
Because being with the man she loved? Priceless.