Disclaimer: Do not own

Thanks to justanotherpipedream, Lionhearted21, Evangeline-Sibeliah, noellesullivan and bogusbabe.

—

"I am ordering you to stay outside of the plane." Chloe grit her teeth as she leaned hard against the wall. She was seated against one of the emergency exit doors, her hazmat suit completely off and to her side. John had left the plane when it'd been announced that his female friend had been apprehended and was now in custody. He was in charge of interrogation while Tess was checking out the building where she'd been arrested in, and that left Chloe alone on board the plane with the currently transmuting passengers, who were all within that stasis - that makeshift cocoon.

"Fine." Lincoln didn't sound too happy about it, but he was a good agent, and he followed orders - most of the time at least. "But your father's back with the Winchester boys and I'm sending one in with you. We both know what happened to you was Anchor related and not whatever this is."

"I'm not risking it by coming out," she mumbled, knowing what he wanted to say. "But sure, if you feel it's appropriate for me to conduct a Compatibility Test with one of them while in the middle of an infested horde, be my guest."

"You're not talking me out of it." His voice was grim and determined. "So get your head together. What happens if the dome comes down over you and you're just stuck there with those people? You'll die. So quit the attitude because I'm just trying to save your damned life!"

Once more, the rebuke hit, hard. She lowered her head and took in a deep breath. "You're not supposed to talk to your superior officer like that, Special Agent Lee."

There was a moment, and then a softly hissed: "I'm not speaking to my boss, I'm speaking to my friend."

She gulped. Her eyes wide. He'd never called her his friend before. Why did this shock her so much though? They were friendly, weren't they?

"Which one of you is better at interrogation?" Lincoln asked, confusing Chloe for a second before she realized he wasn't talking to her. "Good. Then go to Building H. There's an agent in there already interrogating the suspect, but he's emotionally compromised - it's his lady friend. I need you to make sure he's not being manipulated, again. And you? Get suited up." He then cleared his throat and seemed to be addressing Chloe again. "You're on." And with that he ended the transmission.

Sighing, Chloe raised her hand and peered at her finger, at the bond between her and Peter, watching it slowly fade more and more. Every day the design was a little less defined, and she had to fight the desire to cry as she brought her hand to her chest. How ironic was life? She'd detested her first Bonder, had wanted nothing to do with him, and yet despite the fact that she'd not only come to depend on Peter, but care for him far more than she wanted to admit - she couldn't stay with him.

Like every day since he'd gone, she wondered what Peter was doing now. A part of her hated him for not getting in contact with her since he'd left, the other part was so grateful, because she didn't think she'd be able to stay strong if he did. And in his own way Peter was trying to save her life, to force her - just like Lincoln - to finally find a permanent Bonder. Her life would be so much easier if she could finally, for once, have a Permanent Bonder who she actually wanted. And yet, while she knew this had to happen, and she'd take the first truly compatible candidate, that didn't mean that she didn't wish she didn't have to.

Stop being so damned pitiful. People are dying around you right now.

Pressing a kiss to her fading design, Chloe sighed and pushed up to her feet as she made her way towards the closest passenger. She activated the holographic keyboard and pressed buttons in the air only she could see, capturing video and photographic evidence to place in her mental storage for later categorizing.

The search she'd started after realizing she'd contaminated herself was still running, and so far nothing was coming up in her database as a similar occurrence. Thing is, she might very well have this information stored within, but with how rickety and undependable her mind was she couldn't trust that she'd actually be able to find and access it.

This is why you need a permanent Bonder.

Not that she hadn't known that already.

The seal over the door was opened momentarily before someone entered and sealed it back behind him, the tall guy in hazmat. A heavy looking bag rested against his hip, its strap over his shoulder.

"I'm surprised they found one for your height," Chloe admitted as she sent a backwards glance at Sam Winchester.

He snorted as he came closer. "I'm surprised Lincoln's not in here."

"He's my second in command," she informed him as she returned her attention to the mucous covering the boy in front of her. "If anything happens to me he has to be safe."

"I can't believe you took off your helmet," Sam mumbled as he lowered the back to the ground and began unpacking it, revealing a small makeshift lab.

"I thought they didn't want to risk some sort of chemical reaction with whatever's in here?" Chloe eyed the contents curiously.

"Linc pulled rank." Sam glanced up at her from what he was doing. "They don't like him much out there right now."

Concerned that Lincoln was making enemies out there, especially considering that if anything happened to her he was the one who'd assume command, Chloe sighed and was about to start the intercom to tell Lincoln to cool off, before decided against talking to him right now. Not only wouldn't Lincoln appreciate the topic of the conversation, but he'd be annoyed that she was using time on this Compatibility Test to talk to him instead of Sam. And he'd be right. She owed it to everyone to give this a real try. And it wasn't as if either Winchester brother was unattractive. Hell, different versions of her had ended up with one of them, or both of them. So honestly, what was her problem?

"Is whatever this is aggravated by the presence of STDs?"

The question caught her so off guard Chloe nearly tripped and fell face-first into a passenger. She only just managed to stay on her feet as she turned towards the younger Winchester brother. "What?"

Confusion twisted on Sam's expression as he stopped mid-unpacking. "On the flight over your father grilled me on Dean's and my… romantic and… sexual… history." He cleared his throat. "He was particularly interested in whether we had any sort of communicable disease, but wouldn't elaborate as to why, so I figured it might have something to do with this case."

She didn't want to palm her face, but damn it, she couldn't stop herself. Trust her overly protective father to make an awkward situation even more awkward. "It doesn't have anything to do with the case." Removing her hand from her face, Chloe sighed so heavily her shoulders shook. "Sam, I'm going to be completely truthful with you right now, not only because I do not like fallacies, especially not if I'm the one perpetuating them, but because otherwise there is a very uncomfortable question as to consent. And consent is of tremendously crucial importance to me." She hadn't been given the option of consent, she wouldn't steal that choice from someone else, not even if to save her own life.

Sam straightened, impossibly tall, his face blank of all expression. "Okay."

Clearing her throat, Chloe tried to straighten and stand tall too, but she was just too short compared to him for it to really even be noticeable. "My father asked you those very intrusive personal questions because he doesn't want me to contract anything from either of you."

The confusion was back, this time tinged with embarrassment, his voice squeaked when he asked: "Why does your father think you're sleeping with Dean and I?"

"He doesn't." She breathed in once, twice, and tried again. "Sam, we previously established during our first official meeting that I am an Adept and that you aren't very versed in that topic. But given the fact that you appear the more scholarly of your family, and the fact that Dean appeared educated on the title and function - as well as your connection to, and access to - both your father's and Bobby Singer's fountains of information, I'd assumed that you'd already have an idea, no matter how vague, as to what could be occurring in this particular instance."

She didn't even try to dumb it down. Sam was smart. He could get it. He could. He had to learn to read between the lines if he could even be considered as a possible candidate.

Sam was silent, his face twisted in confusion as he obviously played over her words once, twice, three times, and then he blinked as his head tilted slightly to the side. "But you already have a Bonder - Peter."

Relief flooded through her, surprising herself with just how strong it was. "Temporary."

"He's a temporary Bonder?" Sam's eyes widened in absolute shock and he tried to run his hands over his head only for the helmet to stop his hand. "So… information on the Adept is really limited… but I know enough that a Bonder is not only important but vital. So why would—?" His eyes widened even further, and his lips parted, his voice once more cracking in embarrassment. "Are Dean and I candidates to take over from Peter?"

Chloe leaned against closed bathroom door and made a face. "Not if you don't want to be."

Sam eyed her curiously, the situation clearly settling somewhere deep in his mind. "What happens to you if we don't want to be?"

She gulped deeply, fighting back the nervous nausea. "That's not really your problem."

"It can't be good." Sam was mumbling to himself. "Otherwise your father and Linc wouldn't be this testy." His blue/green eyes lowered down to meet hers. "So what is this? Did they just send me in because I got chosen or something?" His heckles were slowly rising. "They weren't even going to tell me? What happens next? How—?"

"Calm down." Chloe raised her hands in a stopping motion. "This is just a Compatibility Test."

"Test?" His eyes narrowed warily. "Is that the real reason he sent in this makeshift lab?"

"It's a freaking date!" Lincoln hissed in their ears, apparently having been eavesdropping on the whole conversation. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

"Lincoln!" Chloe snapped, fingers to her earpiece. "Get off of this line!" When she heard nothing she chose to believe he'd obeyed, and returned her attention to Sam. "He's right though. You aren't just shoved in and chosen. It's a—it's more complex like that. You and your brother are merely potentially able to be considered as a candidate for Bonder. Lincoln and my father insisted to use this opportunity to see whether you would even be eligible for consideration because my bond with Peter is weakening every day and I need to find his replacement before that happens." She raised her hand to show him the faint design around her finger. "There've been innumerable candidates who have been disqualified instantly. You and Dean merely check certain boxes which need checking in potential candidates. No one is forcing anyone."

"Why?" Sam wanted to know, still very visibly wary, but a bit more curious. "What I mean is, what disqualified the others that we've passed so far?"

"Well, to the best of our knowledge, you do not possess any sort of mental illness in your family," Chloe admitted. "It is one of the most important qualifications." Her gaze lowered to her design and brushed her fingertips against it. "It's also the reason why Peter wouldn't have been able to be my Permanent Bonder even if he'd want to, which he didn't." She gulped and looked back up at Sam, fighting to keep her face from showing her true feelings. "And you're both physically capable, which is another necessity. Not only can I become mentally challenging, but physically as well."

"So we're both physically strong, and don't have a history of mental illness, okay." Sam processed that. "What's the date part about?"

She was really going to have a chat with Lincoln later. "We're testing not only physical compatibility, but pheromonal and other factors as well. Some candidates who passed the first two checks were immediately disqualified by the mere fact that their natural musk started a very unfavorable chain reaction which included, yet wasn't limited to hives, elevation sickness, claustrophobia or even acute asthma-like symptoms. Or, in other instances, their voice triggered migraines, states of audio dissonance… or the merest touch induced very physical, very abrupt, and uncontrollable upheaval."

There was a silence.

Confusion clearly there.

"They basically made her sicker than food poisoning ever could by just being near her," Lincoln explained helpfully in their ears.

"Oh for the love of—!" Chloe snapped and pulled out her ear piece in agitation, putting it on one of the empty chairs.

Sam frowned at her. "This won't work."

She nodded and swallowed, more than willing to accept his refusal to participate. "Understood. Like I said, no one will force anyone to do anything."

"No, I mean, I'm in a Hazmat suit." Sam pointed to himself. "Even if I were up to doing this - which I'm not saying I am - you wouldn't be able to experience any of that because I'm in this suit. It not only keeps anything from getting into the suit, but getting out, so no scent, no direct touch, even my voice is a bit muffled through the suit - or has a bit of a mechanical quality to it through the earpieces."

She blinked, not having thought of that.

Sam made a face. "I am not taking off the suit."

Her eyes widened in shock. "I would never—."

"Not you." Sam motioned to his earpiece, clearly still talking to Lincoln.

Chloe took in a deep breath and grabbed her earpiece, putting it back in her ear. "Lincoln." Her voice was incredibly calm. "If you don't go dark on this channel I will suspend you indefinitely for subordination. Am I making myself clear, agent?"

There was silence before an audible click could be heard.

"He's just worried about you." Sam frowned.

"I know." She leaned against the emergency exit's door with a sigh, hand over her eyes. "It's just that—." Her hand fell, and with it, she was met with a most disconcerting sight. "Sam?"

Where was Sam?

Where was the plane?

Where was she?

Was she in…water?

Yes. It was all around her, and yet she was breathing normally and could see around her as if she were wearing goggles - but she wasn't. She knew for certain because she patted around her eyes and mouth just to make sure that she didn't have goggles or some sort of oxygen tube.

There was light up above and she swam towards it, kicking and clawing at the water, heading closer and closer to the light, seeking it, and yet it seemed that no matter how long and hard she swam, she could get no closer to the illusive glow. She stopped trying to climb further but kept her legs kicking so as to not descend, and then suddenly she was in a chair, on an airplane. But not her airplane.

"Peter?"

Peter sat next to her, his head leaned against the windowpane, staring down unseeingly at the airplane's wing. He didn't react to her voice, merely sighed and glanced over at his watch to check the time before his gaze returned out of the window.

"Peter." Chloe placed her hand on his arm and shook it, yet there was no reaction. "Peter, look at me."

Peter's leg shook, he was clearly anxious and uneasy about something.

"Peter?" She reached out and, after a moment's hesitation, ran her fingers through his hair. "You're not really here, are you?" When he still didn't react, she let out a deep sigh. "I'm starting to see things. The bond's giving out." Covering her face with her hands, she leaned, slumped forwards, elbows on knees as the weight of the implication wore down on her.

It was only the burning of her fingertips that made her pull her hands from her face to stare in horror as a black burn began to slowly crawl its way up her fingers towards her palms.

She turned to Peter only to find him gone, as was the plane. This time she was seated in a plane seat while in a room with no windows. There, in the middle of the room, were the crystal skulls.

"Coyote?" She called out for the mythical being who'd been with her during her last encounter with the skulls, and yet he didn't answer or appear. "Hello?"

Chloe suddenly noticed a skull beginning to bleed black, and another, and another, until that darkness began to corrupt the skulls.

What was happening?

Why was it happening?

Was she dying?

Did the skulls represent what was going on right now?

Was the information inside of her rotting away?

She turned to look for any other clue that might be in the room, only to suddenly find herself on her back, with Sam leaning over her, his eyes wide behind the hazmat suit's visor.

"She's coming back," Sam told someone as he helped her up so she could sit with her back against the emergency exit. "What happened to you?"

"I saw Peter." She ran her hand over her head. "I don't think he was really there."

"Is this a Bonder thing?" Sam wanted to know. "Or a virus thing?"

"Virus?" She asked in confusion.

"Dean got Agent Scott's girlfriend to talk. Apparently she believes that this might be a magical virus that escaped from her contact." He made a face. "I didn't even know there was such a thing as magical viruses."

"What does she know about the virus?" Chloe wanted to know as she tried to stand up, only to realize how weak she actually felt and thought it over twice, remaining where she was. "Does she know how to reverse whatever's happening here?"

"No, apparently the guy specializes in a variety of magical mayhem - her words, not mine," Sam assured her. "She says that what she wanted from him wouldn't have done this. But she's also not telling us what she planned on buying from him either." He motioned to her phone. "Lincoln got her to ID the man from the passenger manifesto and has sent all the info Anne's pulled up on him to your phone." He paused and held out her ear piece in his gloved hand. "Put your earphone in."

Putting the device back into her ear, Chloe pressed her fingers against it. "Good job."

There was silence.

"Lincoln?" Maybe the earphone had broken?

"I called Peter."

Her eyes widened in horror. "Lincoln!"

"His phone was off," Lincoln sighed, clearly frustrated. "And his voicemail box was full so I couldn't even leave him a message."

"Don't involve him in this," she whispered tiredly.

"Chloe, if you don't get a replacement soon—."

"I know. I'll deal with this." She sighed and pushed up to her feet with Sam's help. "I think I got a little warning. I saw the crystal skulls. They're turning black."

"Jesus."

"I know." She nodded as she pulled out her phone and went through the info that'd arrived, which, honestly, wasn't that very much. "I'll figure something out."

"Sam, for god's sake, stop being so damned prude and—."

Chloe motioned for Sam to turn off his earpiece and shook her head. "You don't want to be my Bonder so I'm disqualifying you."

Confusion and guilt were visible on his face. "You're going to die if I don't agree, aren't you?"

"That's not your problem." She slapped his hand away when he tried to reach for her. "I already convinced one guy into being my Bonder out of pity, I will not force another to take this position, especially not out of guilt."

"I know a lot of guys who fit the profile you need," Sam said softly. "I just—I—I just lost someone I love—the only person I've ever—I can't—."

She placed her hand on his arm. "What was her name?"

Sam's expression softened and saddened at the very same time. "Jessica."

"Jessica," Chloe whispered the name as she hobbled over to the makeshift laboratory and looked over what Lincoln had sent over for her to work with. "Tell me all about her."

—

TBC